#supporting truck drivers

[letsgoricciardo]

one of my favourite things about WEC is when the drivers are on the starting grid and you see that all the FE drivers have naturally gathered together like some sort of sheep herd

[cooking-with-hailstones]

(OBLIGATORY FUCK ELON MUSK DISCLAIMER)

Look y'all it's all fun and games but I still maintain that buying a brand new gas guzzling Ford F-150 planet fryer 5000 just to do your groceries and drop your kids off at soccer practice is just as cringe, if not more so, than someone with a cybertruck. 🤷‍♀️

ALL PICKUP TRUCKS ARE CRINGE.

[ecl1pse]

oh girl, that was kinda scary 🤢

[truckers-america-blog]

What to Expect in Your First Year as a New CDL-A Driver

What to Expect in Your First Year as a New CDL-A Driver Your first year as a CDL-A driver will be one of the most important and challenging stages of your trucking career. From adjusting to life on the road to building a clean driving record, everything you do in these first 12 months sets the tone for long-term success. Whether you’re fresh out of CDL school or starting over with a new carrier,…

[aphelionwrotes11]

MDNI 18+ (not edited)

Part 2

Trucker!simon, who finds himself a lovely bird at a local truck stop he often runs through on his usual routes.

Sits his massive self at the bar on one of the small stools, glaring at any of the blokes who stare at you a bit too long.

Gives you a blank look when you check up on him, asking if he’d like anything else.

“Just anotha’ cuppa, sweet’art” he always says, sliding his mug towards you, which looks microscopic compared to his massive hand.

You think he doesn’t like you, considering he doesn’t ever talk to you much when you try to make small talk, but he always leaves you a fat tip. You figure he’s just quiet. He can’t dislike you that much considering how many times you’ve glanced over your shoulder to see him gazing appreciatively at your ass.

It’s an especially rowdy night at the truck stop that finally breaks the camels back. A real gentleman decided he wanted a feel of you. So he didn’t hesitate to grab a handful of the fat on your backside, his table and him whooping and hollering as you squealed and slapped his hand away, glowering at him as you scampered away to the bar.

You held back tears as you started up another pot of coffee, never were the confrontational type. This wouldn’t be the first time a man had taken it upon himself to put his hands on you, but it would certainly be the last. Considering how Simon was sat at the end of the bar; shaking with rage, his knuckles white from being clenched tight as he stood.

It all happened so quick you didn’t even catch it, you back had been turned. The restaurant went from ruckus, laughter, and loud voices, to silence after the sound of a sickening crack rung through the room.

You turned just in time to see the asshole’s friends jump from their seats and go for your favorite regular; Simon. The handsy asshole laid flat on the ground, out cold.

It took no time at all for Simon to lay out the other three, he was twice each of their size in pure muscle, and obviously lacked nothing in skill. Once he was done he simply turned to you, pointed to the back room and said,

“Go get yer things.”

You didn’t think twice. Passing your manager who stood in the doorway, face solemn. You asked him quickly if it was okay for you to leave, he took one glance at Simon and nodded his head. You grabbed your things, throwing on your coat and met Simon at the door.

He takes your arm, surprisingly gentle for his huge form, he looked enraged. His shoulders tense, brows furrowed, you’re certain if he didn’t have a mask on the lower half of his face he would have a deep frown on his lips.

You thank him softly, following him as he leads you through the full parking lot. He says nothing, staring ahead. You tell him you don’t live far, you can just walk.

“No, you’re not doin tha’.” He says, and you don’t argue.

Helps you into the cab of his massive semi, getting into the drivers side and turning up the heat.

Offers to get you some food, “haven’t seen’ya eat a bite ol night, bird.”

You refuse, thanking him for the offer, telling him you’ll eat at home. You probably won’t, your stomach is still all twisted from earlier, if he can tell you’re shaken up he doesn’t show it. He just nods.

Takes you to the corner of your street, wouldn’t be able to drive his truck down the narrow road. You thank him again, asking him if there’s anything you can do to repay him.

“I know’a few things you can do for me, bird.” He says lowly, you feel your cheeks warm at the implication. You ask him what he wants. He grunts, glancing to the side as if he’s thinking.

“Gimme a kiss.” He says, tapping his cheek. Your eyes widen, is he serious? Out of all things he could ask for, he asks for just a kiss on the cheek? You shocked to realize you’re disappointed he didn’t ask for more.

He pulls his mask down to his chin, revealing his chiseled jaw and thin, scarred lips. You lay a trembling hand on his giant thigh for support as you lean over, and just as you are about to meet his cheek he tilts his head and has your mouth. Pressing a heated kiss to your lips.

It takes you a moment to catch up, but before you know it you’re in his lap, making out sloppily, mouths open and tongues swirling together. You sigh into his mouth, cupping his jaw as his hand cradles the back of your head.

When you start grinding yourself against him is when he stops.

“Not yet, bird. Gotta take you out first, do it the right way.” He says. The right way? What the hell.

“Take ya for dinner, treat ya real good, take ya home and fuck that sweet pussy halfway to heaven.”

He cups your ass as he whispers that nasty shit in your ear, one hand on your hip as he bucks up once against your wet heat. You let out a whimper and he just chuckles. Asshole.

Jumps out the truck and helps you down with two strong hands on your hips. Walks you all the way to your front door, smiling at your peeved expression. You were definitely gonna have to rub one out once you got inside.

Gives you a sweet peck on the cheek, gripping your chin with his thumb and finger.

“Be here tomorrow a’ seven. Wear something nice.” He says softly before turning and stalking off into the night. Leaving you flabbergasted on your front doorstep.

Note: I dunno if you guys can tell but im incapable of writing anything small. This was supposed to be just a short little thing about how sexy trucker!simon would be but i got so carried away 😭 he’s the ghost that haunts my nights, can’t get him outta my head

Simon Riley master list

[reasonsforhope]

"On a freezing cold Wednesday afternoon in eastern Kentucky, Taysha DeVaughan joined a small gathering at the foot of a reclaimed strip mine to celebrate a homecoming. “It’s a return of an ancestor,” DeVaughan said. “It’s a return of a relative.”

That relative was the land they stood on, part of a tract slated for a federal penitentiary that many in the crowd consider another injustice in a region riddled with them. The mine shut down years ago, but the site, near the town of Roxana, still bears the scars of extraction.

DeVaughan, an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation, joined some two dozen people on January 22 to celebrate the Appalachian Rekindling Project buying 63 acres within the prison’s footprint.

“What we’re here to do is to protect her and to give her a voice,” DeVaughan said. “She’s been through mountaintop removal. She’s been blown up, she’s been scraped up, she’s been hurt.”

The Appalachian Rekindling Project, which she helped found last year, wants to rewild the site with bison and native flora and fauna, open it to intertribal gatherings, and, it hopes, stop the prison.

The environmental justice organization worked with a coalition of local nonprofits, including Build Community Not Prisons and the Institute to End Mass Incarceration, to raise $160,000 to buy the plot from a family who owned the land generationally.

Retired truck driver Wayne Whitaker, who owns neighboring land and had considered purchasing it as a hunting ground, told Grist he was supportive. “There’s nothing positive we’ll get out of this prison,” he said.

The penitentiary has been a gleam in the eye of state and local officials and the Bureau of Prisons since 2006. It has always sparked sharp divisions in Roxana and beyond and was killed in 2019 after a series of lawsuits, only to be quietly resurrected in 2022. Last fall, the bureau took the final step in its approval process, clearing the way to begin buying land...

In his book Coal, Cages, Crisis, Schept noted that mine sites are considered ideal locations for prisons or a dumping ground for waste, rather than places of ecological value, as some biologists have argued. The Roxana site has been reclaimed, meaning re-vegetated with a forest that now shelters a number of rare species, including endangered bats.

Opponents argue that a prison will bring more environmental problems than jobs. Letcher County was 1 of 13 counties ravaged by catastrophic flooding in 2022, a situation exacerbated by damage strip mining caused to local watersheds. The prison slated for Roxana will exacerbate the problem.

The Bureau of Prisons estimates it will damage 6,290 feet of streams and about 2 acres of wetlands. (The agency has promised to compensate the state.)

DeVaughan said the purchase also is a step toward rectifying the dispossession that began with the forced removal and genocide of Indigenous peoples. The Cherokee, Shawnee, and Yuchi made their homes in the area before, during, and after colonization, and their thriving nations raised crops, ran businesses, and hunted bison that once roamed Appalachia.

In all the time since, coal, timber, gas, and landholding companies have at times owned almost half of the land in 80 counties stretching from West Virginia to Alabama. Several prisons sprang from deals made with coal companies, something many locals consider the continuation of this status quo.

Changing that dynamic is a priority for the Appalachian Rekindling Project, which hoped to buy more land to protect it from extractive industries and return its stewardship to Indigenous and local communities. DeVaughn said Indigenous peoples throughout the region will be welcome to use the land as a gathering place...

DeVaughan sees its work establishing a new vision of economic transition for coalfields, one that relies less on “dollars and numbers” and more on “healing and restoration” of the land and the Indigenous and other communities that live there.

She is working with some personal connections in the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations to acquire a herd of bison and plans to work with local volunteers, scientists, and students to inventory the site’s flora and fauna."

-via GoodGoodGood, February 6, 2025

[ahsokaismyqueen]

Orange Juice Pairing - Tyler Owens x Female!Reader Summary - When it's time to interview a group of storm chasers for your new book, you get sent back to your hometown. You never would have guessed one of the people you'd be interviewing would be your ex boyfriend. And you might still be a little in love with him. Word Count - 13k my god I'm sorry Playlist Warnings - 18+ ONLY. Tyler Smut. Language

Everything looked the same, but somehow different. 

You hadn’t stepped foot in this town in ten years, and you were nervous as hell to be here now. This town held a lot of memories and people that you hadn’t visited in a long time. If your agent had told you where you had been going before putting you on the plane, you probably would have asked if there was somewhere else, some other storm chaser group that wasn’t based in Arkansas you could interview. She believed that she was doing a nice thing, surprising you with a trip to your hometown. 

You didn’t have the heart to tell her that it may be your hometown, but it also was home to your worst memory. 

A sigh left your lips as you pulled up to a familiar gas station, and pushing the memories out of your mind, you put the car in park. 

The Tornado Wranglers. That was the group of chasers you would be talking to. Your agent had insisted that they were the best of the best. Apparently they had a very large YouTube following, and their leader was, “charismatic and oozed charm”, according to your agent. He was also the hottest cowboy she’d ever seen. 

Those words brought a faint smile to your face, and you pulled out your phone to text her. 

Landed, and am currently waiting at the gas station. 

A few moments later, a response came through. Any sign of hot cowboys yet? 

You let out a laugh. Not yet, but I’ll keep you informed. 

Your fingers settled on the door handle. There was no reason to put this off anymore. You were here, and you were going to have to face what was out there, for better or worse. You opened the door and climbed out of your car. 

It smelled the same. The gas station had been updated to be more modern, but the faint scent of gasoline and rice from the farms remained. Walking inside, you found little had changed. There was an updated register, a few more products offered, but that was about it. When your eyes caught sight of your favorite candy, a grin spread across your face, and you found yourself reaching for them, even though you hadn’t had them in years. 

You didn’t recognize the cashier, which you were grateful for. A part of you had almost expected everyone you knew to pop out of nowhere as soon as your feet touched the ground. Now you realized how ridiculous that was. In fact, you might go this whole trip without setting eyes on a single person from before. Thanking the cashier, you made your way back outside right on time to see a large red truck turning in followed by a camper that was blaring a Tanner Adell song. You couldn’t see the driver of the truck because of the cowboy hat and sunglasses that partially obscured his face, but the guy in the passenger seat recognized you at once. “Hey! That’s her!” You could hear him say it since his window was open. 

The guy pulled to a stop, and the one in the passenger seat ran around the front of the car. His hair was dark and shoulder length, but covered with a baseball cap, and the bottom half of his face supported some facial hair. He was dressed much like you expected a tornado chaser to dress, shirt and shorts in different shades of dark green with a bandana around his neck. “Hey, I’m Boone.” He said, holding out his hand for you. “I gotta say, I’m a big fan.” He said the last part in an almost whisper, like he didn’t want anyone else to hear him. 

Which, considering you wrote romance books, he probably didn’t. Not the first man to say something similar to you, you nodded with a sincere smile, shaking his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. You guys are the Tornado Wranglers I’m assuming?” 

“Yeah, that’s Dexter and Dani.” He said pointing to two people that were exiting the camper behind them. “There’s Lily.” He said, pointing to a girl getting out of another car that you hadn’t even noticed. “And this is our fearless leader, Tyler.” 

At that moment, the world around you slowed down. In fact, you were pretty sure all the air was sucked out of your lungs. It couldn’t be him. Out of every person in the world you could be working with, it couldn’t be the one . . . But he took off his cowboy hat, and even though it had been ten years, he was unmistakable. You would know that face anywhere, after all, you saw it all the time in your dreams. 

For a moment, you thought he might not recognize you. It had been ten years, you’d both changed in that time, but the moment his eyes landed on you, he knew exactly who you were. He said your name, pure disbelief in his tone as he took a step forward. 

You nodded, unsure of how to respond. The two of you hadn’t left on the best of terms, but there were so many years before that. So many beautiful memories that you’d never be able to forget. Half of you wanted to run and hide, the other half (okay maybe more like three fourths) wanted to run into his arms. How could you do that though when you were the one who left? 

Tyler didn’t hesitate though. You watched as a slow grin formed on his face that turned into a bright smile, a smile that never failed to make your heart skip a beat, and the next moment he was hurrying towards you. Within seconds you were wrapped up in a hug so tight your feet weren’t even on the ground anymore. 

God it felt good. You slid your arms around his neck, hugging him back just as tight, and let out a little laugh as he spun you around. Your eyes closed automatically, and you realized at that moment while you may have written about the way Tyler made you feel, it was nothing compared to the actual emotions. You remembered how his arms always felt like home, and it was no different now. They must have some sort of magic, because no matter how long it had been, they brought your mindset right back to the teenager who was crazy in love with her boyfriend. 

After what was probably too long, Tyler put you back on the ground, slowly and a little too intimately for the strangers his team thought you were. In fact, he didn’t even fully let go of you, keeping his hands on your hips. You found yourself unable to let go of him too though, your hands resting on his forearms as he stared at you in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re here.” 

“I can’t believe you’re here.” You said, squeezing his arms. “You’re a storm chaser?” It made perfect sense when you thought about it. Tyler had always had such a good instinct for weather. You couldn’t count the amount of times during school when he told you football games were going to get canceled because it was going to storm. He was never wrong. You just never expected him to quit bull riding. 

“Yeah, got a meteorology degree from U of A and everything.” Tyler said, and your breath caught in your throat. Not just because his thumbs had started stroking your hips, but because of his words too. 

Tyler had done it. He had done what you had always known he was beyond capable of doing. The shy smile on his face, the love, care, and pride you still, and always would have for him rushed to the surface. Overwhelmed with emotions from the past, you felt tears fill up your eyes as you looked at him. “I’m so proud of you, Ty.” You told him, and you meant every word. 

There was no other way to describe it. He was beaming, and god you had forgotten how beautiful that smile was. It was like the sun, almost too bright to look at. 

“I get the feeling you two know each other?” 

You had forgotten that little aspect of being with Tyler. How everything else would disappear the moment he looked into your eyes. You took a step back from him, letting go of his arms even though every part of your body wanted you to keep touching him. His hands lingered on you for a moment, but then he let go as well. “I guess you could say that.” Tyler said, “this is the girl that broke my heart ten years ago.” 

“Wait,” one of the girls, you were pretty sure it was Lily, stepped forward. “I thought that girl’s name was-”

They knew your name. Tyler had talked about you enough that they knew who you were. “That is my name. My writing name is a pseudonym.” You admitted. Heat rushed to your skin, but there was no malice in Tyler’s voice or face. He was just looking at you with a fond smile, as if lost in the same memories you found swirling around in your mind. 

“So, you’re a big time writer now, huh? You always did tell the best stories.” Tyler said. 

“Man, you should read them. In fact, now that I think about it, one of the main guys kinda reminds me of-” Boone started to say, but you cut him off. 

There was no way you were ready for that conversation. “So, um, where did you guys want to talk?” You spoke up, trying to change the subject as subtly as you could. 

The look Tyler gave you said he saw right through your bullshit, but he didn’t comment on it, just grinned mischievously at you. “How about Frankie’s?” 

Of course he would suggest Frankie’s. It was the bar that the two of you used to go to all the time after rodeos. There were a lot of memories of playing pool, laughing with friends and dancing to whatever band was playing there. While you weren’t sure you were ready for all those memories to hit again, the draw of going back there with Tyler was too much. “Okay,” you agreed. “I’ll meet you guys- ”

“No need for that. You can ride with me.” Tyler said, patting the large red truck. 

Being in an enclosed space with your ex boyfriend definitely didn’t seem like a good idea. “Oh, that’s not-”

“It’s really cool. You’ll want to take a peek. He customized it all himself and everything. This baby can drive straight into a tornado.” Boone said while Tyler continued to grin at you. 

“Research is what you’re here for right?” Tyler asked you. 

Yes. That was a good reminder for yourself. You were here to learn about the essentials of storm chasing for your next book, not to spend all your time thinking about how good Tyler looked after ten years. “Right,” you agreed, and then watched as Tyler walked all the way over to the passenger seat and held it open for you. 

“Well, in that case, right this way ma’am.” 

————————

To your slight surprise, Tyler kept everything professional in the truck. He showed you all the features, and you couldn’t help but be mesmerized by it all. It was impressive, not only what he had thought of, but had attached himself. “Is this normal? I mean do a lot of storm chasers have vehicles they’ve rigged up?” 

“Nothing like this.” He said with pride in his voice as he grinned over at you. “I spent years putting this thing together.” 

“When you do something, you always go big.” You teased, smirking at him. “Remember that time in high school when we just wanted to fill the principal's office with ducks, and instead you said we should fill the whole school?” 

Tyler scoffed. “Of course I do. I got a month of detention for that because Belinda ratted me out.” 

“You did stand her up for a date.” You reminded him. 

“Yeah well,” Tyler glanced over at you again. “You needed me.” 

Your cheeks heated as the memories of that night flooded your mind. It hadn’t been long after your Dad had passed. You had gotten stupid drunk at a party that he hadn’t wanted to go to. You had been walking home, stumbling home really, when a familiar truck pulled up beside you. It turned out that Tyler had been waiting nearby for at least an hour after feeling like something was off. 

He held you in his arms in that truck for hours while you cried, letting out emotions you’d been holding back for months. Then he took you home and snuck into your bedroom to hold you some more. The next morning you told him you didn’t want to be just friends anymore. He told you he hadn’t wanted to be just friends for a long time. 

The two of you were inseparable from that moment until the day you left. Almost as if he could sense where your mind was, a palpable tension filled the truck. 

You weren’t ready to talk about it though. 

Thankfully you were saved from any further discussion as your phone went off with a text. It was from your agent, checking in again. 

“Boyfriend?” Tyler asked. 

You shot him a look, trying to bite back a smile. “That’s not very subtle of you.” 

He sent you a look right back. “Wasn’t trying to be.” 

“Agent.” You answered, choosing to ignore his response. “Who I now have to awkwardly tell that the ‘hottest cowboy she’s ever seen’ is actually my ex-boyfriend.” 

“So you really had no idea?” Tyler asked. 

You shook your head. “Not a clue. I didn’t even know where I was going until I got to the airport and she sent my travel information.” 

“Gotta say . . . I’m surprised. I never thought you’d step foot in the town again.” He said, pulling into the small parking lot. 

Glancing up at the building, you bit your bottom lip. “I wasn’t sure I would either.” 

Frankie’s was exactly what you would picture when you hear the words, “small town bar”, but as soon as you walked in, you couldn’t help but smile at the familiarity. It was big for a small town bar, featuring bars on both sides of the room, plenty of tables, as well as a couple of pool tables, and a stage with a small dancing space in front of it. Most of the furniture was wooden and looking a little rough, but they kept the lighting dim enough that it wasn’t very noticeable. There weren’t a whole lot of people, but there was no band playing, and it was a weekday night. It put you a little more at ease. 

“This place hasn’t changed a bit.” You said, looking around. 

Tyler shook his head in agreement. “That’s why I love it so much. Feel like I’m right back into my early twenties when I walk back in here.” 

“That was a long time ago for you.” You teased. 

He clutched his chest, scrunching his eyes at you and giving you a wounded look, but there was a playful edge to it. “Ouch. So you do still have some bite to you.” 

You smirked at him. “You bring it out in me.” 

Tyler’s frown turned to a grin as he placed his hand on the small of your back, sending chills down your spine. “Let’s grab a booth for everybody.” 

The next several hours consisted of you asking the Tornado Wranglers crew every question you wrote down as well as thought of. They not only answered honestly, but never talked down to you like you were stupid for not knowing something either. You loved the relationship that they clearly had with each other. They treated each other like family, with their own strengths and weaknesses that the other members of the team either supported or built upon. You knew immediately it was something you were going to want to include in your book. Not only that, but they were hilarious, and since they knew who you were, they seemed to be ribbing Tyler extra hard. 

“All right, you know damn well that was an accident.” Tyler said, pointing a finger at Dexter who was laughing hysterically along with the rest of the table. 

“I don’t know, it doesn’t sound like an accident to me Tyler.” You said, raising your eyebrows at the man sitting next to you. 

Tyler narrowed his eyes at you and bumped your knee with his under the table. “Now don’t you start.” 

“Hey, don’t be rude to our guest.” Dani said. 

“Too late for that. He hasn’t even gotten her a drink yet.” Lily spoke up, shaking her head at him in disappointment. 

“Oh, you don’t have to-”

Tyler shook his head. “No, they’re right.” He started sliding out of the booth. His hand reached up and gave your shoulder a squeeze. “I’ve got you.” 

“I notice he didn’t ask you what you wanted to drink.” Dexter said with a little grin after Tyler made his way to the bar. 

You bit your bottom lip. You hoped he remembered. “We’ve known each other a long time.” 

“Okay, now that he’s gone.” Boone leaned forward, putting his hands on the table. “One Last Rodeo. Theo. He’s based on Tyler isn’t he?” 

Heat rushed to your face. So Boone definitely had read your books. Looking back on it, it was pretty obvious that your first book had been based on Tyler. You were heartbroken, and trying to find a way to get it out on the page. The book was your way of coping with your breakup and how you wished it would have ended instead of the way that it did. By the time someone wanted to actually publish it, you realized how obvious the similarities were, and it was one of the reasons you wanted to write under a fake name. Since Boone had read your book, and now knew that Tyler was your ex . . . It couldn’t have been hard to put together. Still, you couldn’t bring yourself to admit it outloud. “A writer never tells her secrets.” You said. 

They were all grinning at you though. “Oh, look how flushed her face is.” Dani said. 

“It’s definitely about him.” Lily said. 

You opened your mouth to deny it, even though it seemed pointless, but before you could you were interrupted. “Here you go,” he said, sliding back into the booth and putting a glass filled with an orange drink in front of you. 

“What is that?” Boone asked, “some kind of tropical-”

“Orange juice.” You answered, smiling over at Tyler. “You did remember.” 

Tyler gave you a look of disbelief, like he was insulted. “Of course I did.” When he saw the confused looks of his friends he explained, “she doesn’t drink.” 

“Twelve years sober.” You said. “Not something I’m against anyone else doing, it’s just not for me.” Tyler slung his arm over the back side of the booth closest to you, and you had to fight the immediate urge to lean back into his embrace. The rest of the team was smirking at you, and you lifted the glass to your lips to take a sip. “So I’ve just got one more question for you guys.” You said trying to change the subject. 

“Fire away.” Dani said. 

“Why do you guys do it?” That was what you really wanted to know. “I grew up here. I know how dangerous, how scary these things can be. Why do you guys willingly risk your life for something that seems to have no real reward?” 

There was silence around the table for a moment, and you made sure to avoid Tyler’s face. When you had written these questions, you had no clue he was one of the ones you’d be asking, and this question hit a little too close to the reason for your breakup. You didn’t think you could look at him if he answered. 

“We like to help.” Lily said. “That’s a factor. We sell these shirts, and we use the money to get people stuff like food and water.” 

“Then there’s just the beauty of it. Yes, it’s dangerous and destructive, but there’s also something incredible about it as well. There’s so many factors to tornados we don’t understand. Seeing them come together in person is . . . Indescribable.” Dexter added, while they all nodded their heads in agreement. 

“There’s the adrenaline too.” Boone spoke up with a grin. “I’ve never felt more alive than when we’re chasing.” 

Your body tensed at his words, memories of your last argument with Tyler trying to invade your mind. Once again, you felt sure he could sense what you were thinking as you felt his gaze on the side of your face. 

“It’s hard to put into words without actually seeing it.” Tyler said. “You should come on a chase.” 

That made you look at him, your eyes wide in shock that he would even suggest it. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

“Why not?” Tyler leaned towards you. “Scared?” He asked with a smirk. 

“Yes.” You answered honestly. 

“Ah, you’d be perfectly safe with Tyler. He’s got a knack for these things.” Boone said, and you looked over at him to find him grinning at the two of you. “You’d barely be in any danger at all.” 

You didn’t doubt that, but heading straight into something that could be so destructive had never been your thing. Hell, you hadn’t even gotten on a horse until Tyler talked you into it. “Still, any danger is too much danger for me.” 

Tyler shrugged. “The offer is there if you change your mind.” Tyler said, and you knew him well enough to see the flash of disappointment on his face. 

Weirdly, you felt a little disappointed in yourself too. 

————————

For the past hour, you’d been pacing around your motel room. Tyler had driven you back to your car, then followed you to the motel that funnily enough, him and the rest of the Wranglers were staying at as well. It was the only motel in your hometown, but knowing that Tyler was a few doors down from you made you anxious. 

God, seeing him again had been your worst nightmare and best daydream all rolled into one. It was so easy to think that after ten years you were over someone. Then you see them again, and everything comes flooding back. All the beautiful memories and all the mistakes you wish you could take back, and there were a lot of mistakes you wished you could take back with Tyler. You’d never loved anyone the way you loved him, and you didn’t think you ever would. Seeing him again had reminded you of that. 

Letting out a sad sigh, you sat down on your bed. Then there was Tyler’s invitation and disappointment. You hated disappointing him almost as much as you hated disappointing yourself. It had taken several years of therapy and hard work to not be so scared of ending up with the same fate as your father. You had grown though. You had learned about yourself and the things that caused those reactions. While getting close to a tornado was definitely dangerous, you knew that Tyler would take care of you. You also knew that you didn’t want to miss out on any more experiences in your life because you were afraid. 

You stood up, not allowing yourself another moment to try and talk yourself out of it, and left your room, knocking at the one three doors down. 

Tyler answered, clad in his white t-shirt and jeans, and smiled when he realized it was you. “Hey, what’s up?” 

Good lord was there ever a moment when this man didn’t look incredible? You swallowed, then nodded. “I changed my mind.” 

He leaned against the doorway, eyebrows raised in confusion. “About what?” 

You took a deep breath. “I wanna go on a chase.”

Tyler beamed. 

————————

It took three days for a storm to come through that Tyler felt good about. They had done some chasing in that time, but Tyler hadn’t brought you along because he said they hadn’t been the “right one”. The wait made you anxious, but you trusted Tyler’s instincts, and every night they were back at the motel ready to tell you about their day. You thought that they might eventually get bored of all your questions, but they were not only great, but amazing storytellers as well. You could see why their YouTube channel was so popular. 

Not that you spent a whole day watching it while they were gone or anything. 

Finally though, the day arrived and you found yourself standing outside by Tyler’s truck waiting for the team to join you, your heart pumping a little faster than normal. “Morning!” A voice called, pulling your attention away from inspecting Tyler’s truck again, and you saw the man in question heading towards you with a paper sack in one hand and an iced coffee in the other. “Haven’t talked yourself out of this yet?” 

You shook your head. “Nope. I’m doing this.” You smiled as Tyler handed you the coffee and bag. “Did you seriously get-?”

“Your breakfast sandwich and coffee? Yes, you need fuel for the road.” Tyler used his now free hands to open the door for you. “Hop on in, and let’s get going.” 

“Wait,” you said, glancing around. “Is everyone else meeting us there?” 

Tyler leaned against the door, and you watched as he looked at the sky behind you, then turned his gaze back to you. “Nah, I gave them the day off. I didn’t want you to have to deal with pressure from them if we get there and you decide not to do this.” 

You bit your lip. He was always so thoughtful. Back when he knew you, he would have had to drag you to this truck kicking and screaming, which he never would, and the fact that he wanted to save you some embarrassment in case you decided not to do this was just like him. Unable to help yourself, you reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “Thank you.” You said sincerely. 

“Well,” you inhaled sharply as Tyler took a little step closer to you. “I’ve got to admit, getting you alone for the day also played a factor.” 

Your eyes widened and a shy smile formed on your face even while your mind was spinning. Over the past few days there had been brief moments where you thought Tyler might have been flirting with you, but you talked yourself out of it. Now though . . . Was there actually a chance this man still wanted you? He couldn’t. Not after how you had treated him. It didn’t make sense. “You might end up regretting that, you know?” You told him. 

Tyler reached up, and your whole body froze as he brushed some hair behind your ear. “I’ve never regretted a moment I’ve been with you.” 

His response took the breath from your lungs. “Ty . . .” You didn’t know what to say. Your heart was beating so fast it hurt. How could he possibly not regret that night? The night that you broke his heart? 

“I’ve missed you calling me that, you know?” He smiled at you, and then took a step back. “Come on, let’s get going.” 

Once again, you wanted to say something, but what? Nothing sounded right in your mind. So instead you hopped up in the truck and watched as he closed the door behind you. 

————————

“Can I be honest?” You asked him several hours later. 

“I didn’t realize you ever weren’t.” Tyler joked, sending you a smirk. 

You swatted at him playfully. “I didn’t expect all the waiting. What happens if nothing comes?” 

“Oh, something’s gonna happen.” He insisted, looking at some clouds in the distance. “Don’t you have any faith in me?” 

While he was kidding, you didn’t stop the serious words that slipped past your lips. “You know I have all the faith in the world in you.” 

Ty’s smile turned from something joking to something genuine. “Even after all these years?” 

You smiled at him. “It never stopped. I always knew you were destined for great things.” You admitted, and it was the truth. In fact, you’d never been more sure of anything in your life. 

“Just not riding on the back of a bull.” He replied, and though he winked at you, the mention of one of the reasons from your breakup filled the air with tension. 

Then the question that you had been dying to ask since you first saw him burst from your lips. “Why did you quit?” 

Tyler looked at you then, and you knew that look well. He was reading your expression, your eyes, your body language. He’d always been able to tell what you were thinking simply by looking at you, and this time was no different. “It wasn’t because of you.” He said, reaching over to place his hand on top of yours and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I mean, you were part of the reason, but it was more about me realizing you were right, and I could do more with my life.” 

He knew you had been carrying that guilt of wondering if you were the reason he quit something that he had loved so much. He told you that you weren’t, but you still frowned, looking out at the darkening sky miles away. “I wish I’d said it differently.” 

There was silence for a moment as you two watched the storm, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt more reflective, and your thoughts were only confirmed when he spoke up. “Do you ever wonder where we’d be now? If you’d stayed?” 

If only he knew . . . “I guess that depends.” You bumped your shoulder against his. “Would you have proposed by now?” You teased, but a part of you wanted to know the answer. 

Tyler grinned at you, an adoring look on his face. “Oh definitely.” 

A flush heated up your face as a pleased smile fell on your lips. “Then I guess we’d be married and driving each other crazy.” 

“Not to mention being driven crazy by the kids.” Tyler added. 

You let out a laugh. “After ten years, you still want three kids?” 

“Three is a good number.” He defended. 

You rolled your eyes. “You know I have this friend now. She just had her fourth. Going over to her house almost makes me not want any at all.” 

“That’s because she has four. Three, perfect number.” Tyler said, holding up three fingers. “Four?” He added a finger. “Now that’s just asking for trouble.” 

“Especially if they were your kids.” You added, grinning over at him. 

“Ah, we could handle them.” Tyler said with a wink in your direction. 

A vision formed in your mind of what he was describing. Three kids, all of varying ages, but in your mind it was two boys and one girl. The boys would be almost an exact copy of Tyler, blonde hair and blue-green eyes, dimples and charming smiles. Troublemakers, but also sweethearts who cared deeply and loved life to the fullest. Then the little girl. She definitely had a majority of your features but with Tyler’s smile. She would have Tyler so wrapped around her finger it would almost be embarrassing. Then there’d be Tyler and you, watching all the craziness unfold from your back porch with a glass of sweet tea in your hands. You were happy. You were loved, and you were home. 

At that moment, you realized you never wanted anything so badly in your life. You wanted it so badly your chest literally ached with it. Looking over at Tyler made it hurt worse. You thought being away from him would make the love you had fade, but it turned out, the opposite had occurred. In fact, seeing him watch the sky with a content smile and talking about what could have been made you realize you loved him more now. You had loved him in high school, you’d loved him in his early twenties, but this was different. You were different and so was he. 

The question was . . . Would he take you back if you tried? You knew you didn’t deserve it. You were the reason the two of you broke up. If you were in his shoes, you didn’t think you could forgive yourself. Tyler had always been a better person than you though. 

Was it worth a shot trying? 

“Hey,” Tyler pulled you out of your thoughts, lifting your hand and pointing it to something in the distance. “Do you see those clouds?” 

You looked out to where he was pointing your hand and frowned. Those definitely looked dark, and they were . . . “Are those spinning?” 

“That’s the updraft, and it’s cycling.” He told you. 

“And that means . . .”

“That means-” Tyler stood up, put his baseball cap back on his head, and held out his hand to help you off the bed of his truck. “We’ve got a winner.” 

————————

You were going to throw up. At least it felt like you were. Not five minutes after you guys reached the storm did a tornado touchdown. Tyler said it was rated for an EF1, so it would be safe to drive into. Well, as safe as driving into a tornado could be. As fast as your heart was pounding, and as sick as you felt you might be, you leaned forward to get a better look out the window. You couldn’t deny the beauty in it. “I’ve never seen something so amazing and scary at the same time.” You admitted. 

“It’s incredible isn’t it?” 

As nervous as you were, the look on Tyler’s face made you smile. God you hadn’t seen him this excited since he had been on the back of a bull. “It is. Especially when it doesn’t look like it’s going to kill me.” 

Tyler laughed, and he pulled to a stop. “Nah, this is just an EF 1. This and the truck are going to keep you completely safe.” Tyler said, reaching to tug at the harness he had secured so tightly to your body that you felt like you couldn’t take a deep breath. 

As you watched the tornado race forward, you felt your heart rate start to kick back up and took a deep breath. “And you too right?” You asked, biting your bottom lip. 

He parked the truck and faced you, a rare serious expression crossing his face. “You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” 

At that moment, you realized you did. Tyler would never willingly put you in danger. He cared about you too much. If he said it was safe, it was. “I do.” You agreed, taking a deep breath, well, as much as you could in this harness. “Let’s do this.” 

The grin came back to his face full force as he started pressing buttons on his truck, anchoring it down into the ground as the tornado got closer and closer. “You’re gonna love this.” 

”Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” Even though you knew you were safe, there was nothing quite like a tornado heading straight towards you while you’re stuck in place. “Tyler . . . This is crazy.” 

It was getting closer and closer. Only yards away, and your heart was pounding harder and harder in your chest. You didn’t even think. Your hand reached for his, gripping it tightly as the tornado hit the truck. 

Tyler gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, “look up.” He called over the wind, and you did as he asked, leaning towards your side of the car to see out the window. 

It was the most incredible thing you’d ever seen. You could see all the way up the funnel to the clouds above as the vortex passed over you. You’d never seen anything like it in your life, and a laugh of disbelief left your lips as you watched it pass over you. When it was done you looked over at Tyler, shock all over your face. “Was that real? Did that actually just happen? Did I just see inside a damn tornado?!” 

Letting out a chuckle at your questions, Tyler nodded. “You sure as hell did.” 

You let out another laugh yourself and started unbuckling all of your straps. You needed one last look to convince yourself that you had done it. Once you were free, you hopped out of the truck, running around the back to watch it keep going through the field behind you. You heard the truck door close again, but you didn’t turn around, still mesmerized, until you felt Tyler’s hand on your shoulder. 

“So, how do you feel?” He asked. 

His question was loaded for so many reasons. Years ago, he never would have gotten you close enough to even see a tornado, much less let it speed over you. You were so proud of yourself for doing this, but also sad. How many other life experiences had you missed because of how your father’s life choices had traumatized you? There was no good way to answer his question, so you just did what you wanted to. You jumped up, latching your arms around his neck, and your legs around his waist. 

Of course he caught you easily, laughing as he spun you around and held you close. One of his hands rested on your back, while the other cradled your head against his shoulder. After a moment, he let out a content sigh. “I’m so proud of you.” 

You clutched tighter to him. He had no idea how much those words meant coming from him. Tyler had seen you at your absolute worst, when you had no one but him. You had clung to him then, leaning on him more than was healthy until you knew that you couldn’t anymore. It made you want to cry, knowing how far you had come and that Tyler could see it. You pulled back to look at him so he could see your watery smile too. “I’m proud of myself.” 

The butterflies in your stomach were doing somersaults as he looked at you. His fingers tightened in your hair, and you felt his arm muscles tense against your back. There was tension in the air, no doubt about it, and you found your eyes drawn to those familiar soft lips. You wanted to kiss him. A part of you wondered if it would be the same, or even better because you both were older. You weren’t sure, but either way, you wanted to find out. When you saw his eyes glance at your lips too, you knew he was thinking the same thing. Unable to help yourself, you let your fingers tangle in his hair, pulling yourself the slightest bit closer to him until your noses were brushing. 

Then his phone rang. 

Whatever spell the two of you had been under broke. Tyler slowly let you down to the ground, but reached for your hand, tangling your fingers with his and keeping you close. “Hey, Boone, what’s up?” 

You glanced down at your hands with a soft smile. Tyler’s hands were big and calloused from work and bulls, but they felt nice. You brushed your thumb on the outside of his palm, and he gave your hand a squeeze. 

“Yeah, we got one. She handled it like a pro.” Tyler told him, grinning over at you. There was a bit of silence for a moment as the phone conversation continued. “Let me ask her, and I’ll let you know? All right, sounds good. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up the phone and tugged you a little closer again. “Feel like celebrating seeing inside your first tornado?” Tyler asked. 

————————

Three hours later you found yourself in new clothes, freshly showered, line dancing between Dani and Boone. You were almost crying from laughing so hard, and your face hurt from smiling so much. It blew your mind that two weeks ago you were sitting in your apartment in South Carolina feeling alone and stuck with writer's block. Now you were back in your hometown, having a blast, writing faster than you had in years, and desperate to get back together with the man who was watching you from the booth, an adorable smile on his face. Feeling a little bold after your almost kiss, you sent him a wink as Boone spun you around, causing his smile to widen. 

“You guys are disgustingly cute.” Dani said as the song slowed down and the three of you started to exit the floor. 

Heat rushed to your face, and you found yourself asking the question you’d been wanting to ask for days. “Why have you guys been so nice to me anyway? Tyler’s your best friend, and I’m his ex. I broke his heart, but you’ve been nothing but kind to me since the start.” 

Boone and Dani exchanged a look. “Yeah, you’re right. If it had been another one of Tyler’s exes we probably would hate you.” Boone said, shrugging his shoulders. 

“But you were the one who got away for Tyler, and he’s never said anything but great things about you. Plus,” Dani reached out and patted your shoulder. “It's kinda obvious the two of you are still in love with each other.” 

The words hit you like a truck, and then you felt stupid for not realizing it before. You looked at the man sitting at the booth again. This time he was talking to Dexter, his expression animated, and his hands moving wildly with his words. Of course you still loved him. You never stopped. You buried it, hid from it so you could try to better yourself. When you left, you knew you weren’t good enough for him, you probably still weren’t, but now you knew you could love him like you were supposed to. If he was open to it. Boone and Dani made it seem like he was. He had given you signs that he was at least interested . . . The only question was how could you show him that you wanted it too? 

An idea hit, and a small smile formed on your face. “I’ll catch up with you guys in a minute okay?” You said to their confused faces and headed to the DJ stand. You gave him twenty bucks, which he gladly took, and promised your song would be next. By the time you’d made it back to the booth where everyone was seated, Never Leave by Bailey Zimmerman was playing. 

You approached Tyler, who was looking at you curiously as you held your hand out to him. “Dance with me?” You said, biting your bottom lip. 

A surprised, but happy smile formed on his face. “Yes ma’am.” 

It was not your and Tyler’s first dance. Probably wasn’t even your hundredth, and dancing with him was as effortless as remembering how to ride a bike. One of his hands rested on the small of your back while the other took yours. You placed your hand on his bicep, giving his arm a squeeze. You didn’t want to say anything. The lyrics of the song could do all the talking for you. Tyler led you around the floor with ease, and as the song went on, you could see the moment the words started to sink in. He leaned forward, his forehead pressing against yours,  and he whispered your name so reverently it made you close your eyes.

“Just listen,” you said softly, tightening your grip on his hand, letting the song say the words you wanted to. Tyler’s arm pulled you even closer until it was almost hard to dance, your bodies pressed against each other. Your heart was pounding so hard you were sure he could feel it against his chest, but you didn’t care anymore. You were laying it all out there now. 

As the song ended, you felt Tyler’s lips against your forehead, soft and lingering. Warmth exploded throughout your body, and you pulled back to look up at him. 

“Come back to the hotel with me?” You asked, your thumb caressing his arm, almost pleading with your voice. 

Tyler’s hand reached up to cup your cheek, and you immediately leaned into his touch, your whole body craving it. “Are you sure?” He asked. 

You nodded. There was nothing you were more sure about right now.

He took a step back from you, grabbing your hand and tugging you back to the booth where everybody else was sitting with knowing eyes. He told them that the two of you were leaving. You tried to ignore them, but you couldn’t help but grin when you saw them giving you a thumbs up or silently cheering as Tyler had his back turned. 

The ride was quiet, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, it was more filled with tension, and the two of you kept glancing at each other and smiling. He never let go of your hand either until he parked at the motel and came around to open your door. Before you could get down though, he stopped you. “This is what you want right? I don’t want to misinterpret what I think is happening here or pressure you in any way-”

You placed your hands on his face and leaned closer, interrupting him with your first kiss in ten years. 

For a moment, he didn’t respond. It was clear you had surprised him, but then his hands gripped your hips, and he was kissing you back. 

It was even better than you remembered. It had been good back in late high school and your early twenties, there was no doubt about it. Something about now was different though. Maybe it was because you were older, maybe it was because it had been so long, or maybe it was because you felt healed. Whatever it was, kissing Tyler now blew every kiss you’d had before out of the water. 

It was a short kiss, chaste, just to reassure him that you did want him, but when you pulled away the two of you were still breathless. “Am I crazy or was that incredible?” You asked, your hands sliding down his face to his chest. 

Tyler laughed, but nodded, his own hands dragging down your thighs and resting on your knees. “It was,” he replied, but then a smirk fell on his lips, “but we can do better.” 

Not one minute later, you were trying to open the door to your room, Tyler’s large hand low on your stomach as his lips left soft kisses on your neck from behind. You could barely concentrate as heat pooled where his hand rested, and you could not get the key in the door as he kissed a certain spot on your neck. “Ty,” you said through an exasperated laugh. “If you keep doing that I’ll never get us in this room.”

He took the key from your hand, but didn’t stop kissing your neck. You closed your eyes in pleasure as he did, letting him take over the door situation, and in a frustratingly short amount of time, you heard the door knob turn. Your eyes snapped open, turning in Tyler’s arms to find him smirking at you again. 

“How the hell did you do that so easily?” You asked, weaving your arms around his neck as he carefully backed you into the room. 

He shrugged, shutting the door behind him. “Guess you were just too distracted to focus.” 

You playfully glared at him, “I was not-” but you let out a gasp as he suddenly spun you around, pinning you to the door with his body. 

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just smiling at you as his hands rested on your hips, his thumbs brushing under your shirt to touch heated skin. “You were, but it’s okay. I liked it.” 

Well he had certainly become more confident in the years apart. Not that he ever wasn’t, but you could definitely tell a difference. However, you had gained a little bit of confidence too, and you smirked at him. “Oh, I can tell.” You replied, pushing your hips forward to press against the hardness you felt. 

Tyler bit his lip at your movements, his hands gripping your hips harder. “We don’t have to do anything. I want you to know that.” 

It drove you crazy, how he could go from being sexy and confident to sweet and respectful within a minute. You slid your arms up his chest and around his neck, tugging his head down to yours. “I want to.” You told him. “Do you?”

He let out a breathless chuckle, “You have no idea how badly I want to.” Tyler said, “I’ve wanted to since the moment I saw you at that gas station.” He told you, his nose brushing against yours. 

Tyler had been wanting to get together with you for that long? Your heart started thumping wildly in your chest, and you let out a sigh as his warm hand slipped up the back of your shirt pressing you against him. “You know, I don’t look the same as I did ten years ago.” You admitted, a little bit of insecurity leaking out as you thought about the last time the two of you were together. 

He shook his head, and his hands left a trail of heat as they slid down your back to grip your thighs. “You look better.” 

Your hands slipped into his soft hair. “Now, I know that’s not true.” 

You let out a nose of surprise as Tyler used his grip on your thighs to lift you into the air with his body, smirking up at you. “I think you’re forgetting . . .” His lips found a spot on your neck that he had always kissed, a spot that made chills explode over your body and made a soft moan leave your lips. “I know this body better than anyone.” He whispered in your ear. 

Tyler was right. He had been with you more than anyone else, seen every part of you bare. So what if you didn’t look the same as you did in high school. You were sure he didn’t either. Based on what you felt against your body though, you didn’t think that was a bad thing. You let your hands trail from his hair down his neck and to his chest, noting how his body flexed under your touch. “I think I might need a refresher on yours.” You teased, biting your lip as you played with the buttons on his shirt. 

He raised his eyebrows, a smirk on his lips. “Oh, is that what you need?” 

With fingers that were much steadier than what you felt, you unbuttoned a couple of the top buttons from his shirt. It wasn’t much, but enough to slip your hands into and touch his heated skin. It was the first time you had touched him, really touched him, in so long, and it made you ache for so much more. You pressed your forehead against his, “Right now I need everything you’re willing to give me.” You admitted honestly. 

“Well then,” Tyler’s hands slid down to your ass, holding you close as he started carrying you to the bed. “It’s a good thing I’m willing to give you everything.” He said as he placed you gently on the bed. 

His words made your heart stop for a second and a huge swell of affection for him filled your heart. You wanted to tell him that you still loved him then. That you wanted to give him everything too. The words wouldn’t come though. Not yet anyway. 

So instead, you tried to say them with a kiss. You sat up, grabbing his face in your hands, and tugged him down to meet your lips. The first time you had surprised him, and it took him a moment to respond. That was not the case this time. He kissed you back at once, moving your lips in a dance the two of you knew well. While the first kiss had been sweet, this one was full of passion and tenderness. You let out a little sigh when his lips parted and attempted to pull him closer. It had been so long since you had gotten to really touch him, and you didn’t want to waste another second not doing it. 

He complied, climbing into the bed on top of you, settling between your thighs and letting out a strangled groan as you pushed your hips up into him. He pressed his own against yours and you let out your own moan at the delicious friction. 

The sound made him pull away however, and you frowned, since that was the opposite of what you wanted right now. You watched him as he sat up, his gaze traveling over your body with such intensity you could feel your face heating up. Tyler’s hands rested on your stomach finally, tugging up your tank top so slowly it made you want to just yank it off yourself so his hands could be all over you. Waiting turned out to be worth it though, because as soon as your shirt was off, he started kissing down your neck. Your eyes closed as his lips went lower, and you arched your chest against his mouth as he got closer to one of the spots you wanted his mouth the most. 

“Have you been with other guys?” 

That made your eyes snap open. Those were not the words you expected to come out of his mouth when he was about two seconds away from putting his mouth around you. “W-What?” You said breathlessly. 

But he didn’t seem upset or anything, just genuinely curious. In fact he was grinning at you, his hands resting on your bare hips. “It’s been ten years. You have, right?” 

“Is now really the time for the, ‘how many people have you slept with since me?’ conversation?” You asked, raising your eyebrows at him. 

Tyler leaned down, pressing his lower body against yours again as his lips hovered over yours. “I don’t care about the number.” He said, shaking his head. “I just want you to know I’m about to kiss the memory of anyone else from your body.” 

His words took your breath from your lungs, but you tried not to let him see how much they affected you. Your arms slipped around his neck, fingers sliding into his hair. “You’re talking a lot of game for someone who hasn’t initiated a single kiss.” You teased. 

He chuckled,close enough that his lips brushed yours for the briefest moment. “Isn’t it better if you have to wait for it?” 

A soft smile fell on your face then as you ran your fingers through his hair. “Ty, you haven’t kissed me in ten years. Haven’t we waited long enough?” 

He leaned back so he could look at your face, smiling at the look you were giving him. “Yeah. I think we have.” 

Finally, he leaned forward and kissed you, setting your whole body on fire with the intensity of it. Your lips parted almost immediately, and his tongue slipped into your mouth, exploring you thoroughly. His hands did the same, heat trailing after them everywhere he touched. 

You knew then, as the two of you kissed and your body, and heart, felt close to combustion, that this was it for you. You had been with other men in your time apart, and none of them had ever come close to making you feel like this. Back when you and Tyler had first started dating, you thought he might have been the one, but now you were sure. So no matter what happened tomorrow, or even after that, you knew that Tyler Owens was going to be it for you. 

To your shock and surprise, you didn’t find that scary at all. 

A breathless sigh left your lips as he slowly pulled away, and he smiled down at you, brushing some hair out of your face. “God you’re beautiful.” 

You had always remembered what he was like in bed, how sweet he could be, but hearing it again was a different story. He had always made you feel so comfortable and sexy, you were so glad to know that none of that had changed. “I missed you.” You blurted out, heat rushing to your face at the confession. 

But his smile just widened, leaning down to press a kiss against your jaw. “You’ve got no idea . . .” He started kissing down your neck again. “How much I’ve missed you,” he said, and you couldn’t help but squirm a little as he kissed down your stomach, your breath coming a little faster as his kisses got lower and lower. Your hands tangled into his hair, biting your bottom lip and arching up into his hand as he started unbuttoning your jeans. 

You lifted your hips as he slid your jeans and underwear down the rest of your body, casting them aside somewhere in the room. You didn’t really care where. Tyler kissed back up your body, pausing for a moment on your bra, the last article of clothing you were wearing. After giving him an encouraging nod, he unclasped it, tossing it somewhere too, leaving you completely naked. 

He stared at you, and you felt heat following everywhere his gaze went. His gaze didn’t make you uncomfortable though, it made you feel . . . Desirable. While his eyes looked you over, your eyes watched his face, biting your lip as your hands slid up and down his arms. “You know you’re wearing too many clothes.” 

Tyler grinned down at you. “You wanna help with that?” 

You sat up then, returning his smile. “I would love to.” You took your time, slowly unbuttoning his shirt and taking in every bit of skin that was revealed. Tyler had been fit when the two of you were dating, but now? He looked like he’d come straight out of a magazine. Once his shirt was unbuttoned, you let your hands trail down his chest as you leaned forward to press a kiss to his neck. You felt his whole body relax as your hands slid back up his hard muscles to push his shirt off him, and you trailed your lips across his shoulder and down his arm. 

As soon as his shirt was off him, you made your way back up his arm, pressing gentle kisses every few inches until you reached his face again. He was smiling at you, and you couldn’t help but press a peck against his lips, then another until he had his arms wrapped tightly around you, holding you against his warm chest. Letting out a sigh, you kept your forehead against his for a second, soaking the moment in. 

“I never thought we’d be here again.” Tyler said, shaking his head as his hand dragged up and down your bare back. 

“Me either.” You admitted, letting one of your hands comb through his soft blonde hair, “but I’m glad we are.” 

Tyler didn’t say anything, but leaned forward to meet you in a kiss that said everything he needed to. It told you how much he missed you, the familiarity of his lips moving in rhythm with yours. It told you how badly he wanted you when his tongue slipped into your mouth to caress your own. Then his lips weren’t the only thing showing how much he cared as he gently laid you down on the bed, never letting your lips disconnect. 

It was illogical, but you hoped his lips never left you again. You were drowning, no, floating in him, submerged but safe in the warmth of him as his body laid on top of yours. Your legs automatically wrapped around his hips, and a moan left your lips as the two of you came into contact. 

Tyler pulled away then, but he didn’t go far, leaving kisses down your chin and neck. “You keep making noises like that, and this is not going to last as long as I want it to.” 

You let out a breathless laugh, tugging at his hair. “The noises are your fault, Owens. You’re the one with no-” you let out a gasp as his lips found your breast, pleasure burning straight to your core. “-Self control.” You panted. 

He gave your nipple a gentle bite, causing you to whimper, before he pulled away to look up at you. “Sorry, what was that about self control?” Tyler asked with a smirk playing on his lips. 

“That you have none.” You said, arching your hips up to rub against him for a moment, making him groan against your skin. “But I don’t think I have any either when it comes to you.” 

His smirk turned into a smile, and his lips found your breast again, immediately shooting even more pleasure through your body. 

Nobody really talks about what it’s like to have sex with someone you used to date years ago. Tyler knew your body so well, he knew exactly how you liked to be touched, and what spots would drive you crazy. It was so easy to fall back into it. On top of that though, the two of you had been with other people in the last few years, and you had more experience and confidence than the kids you used to be.

There was no hesitation in Tyler’s hands as they explored your body, and none in yours as one dragged down his back and the other tangled in his hair, holding him against you. You let out another moan as his hand moved from your inner thigh and a finger slid inside of you. 

He let out another groan as he discovered how wet you were, and leaned up to press his forehead against yours as he added a second finger in. “Are you already ready for me, sweetheart?” 

You nodded, bumping your nose against his. “Do you have a condom? I wasn’t anticipating-”

“Having sex with your ex-boyfriend in a motel room?” Tyler grinned as he reached into the back pocket of the jeans you forget he was still wearing and pulled out his wallet, reaching in to take out a condom. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m always prepared.” He said with a smirk. 

You rolled your eyes playfully, but secretly you’d never been more thankful. If the two of you had to stop now to run out and buy condoms, you might’ve lost your mind. You slid your hands down his well defined chest, biting your lip at the muscles you felt there before stopping to rest on the belt of his jeans. “You’re still wearing too many clothes though.” You reminded him. 

“Weren’t you supposed to be helping me with that?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at you. 

Narrowing your eyes at him, you started undoing his belt. “It’s not my fault you distracted me with how hot you are.” 

He laughed, moving your hands out of the way to get his jeans off faster. “Why do you think I got your clothes off so fast? Can’t get distracted if they’re already off.” 

“Guess I’ll just have to remember that for next time.” You teased, sliding your hands back up his chest to rest on his shoulders. It was only when his body froze that you realized what you said. The two of you stared at each other, and you had no clue what to say about your implication of a next time. You didn’t even know if he’d want a next time . . . 

Tyler didn’t let the moment linger though. He shoved the rest of his clothes off and leaned down to kiss you, hard, and all consuming in a way that erased every thought from your head except how much you needed him. Your legs wrapped around his waist, and you let out a gasp as your hips came into contact. 

You had forgotten how big he was. 

Almost as if sensing your thoughts, he pulled away slowly from your lips, barely leaving a centimeter between them as his finger trailed up and down your slit for a moment. “You can take it. You’ve done it before.” He whispered, and then slipped three fingers inside of you. The sudden intrusion sent your nails digging into his shoulders and heat exploding across your body. “If you can take that, you can take me.” He assured you, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. 

He was going to ruin you. Part of you thought he already had, since every other time you’d had sex, he was always on your mind, but now you were sure of it. Nobody was ever going to get you more turned on than Tyler Owens. You nodded, because it seemed like he was waiting for an acknowledgment, and attempted to pull him closer with your legs when his fingers slid out of you. “It’s just - it’s been a while.” You admitted.

Tyler gave you a gentle smile. “For me too.” 

His words shocked you for a second, but then you realized they shouldn’t have. Tyler had never been a one night stand kinda guy. As confident as he was, even before the two of you had started dating, he’d only ever dated girls he felt a genuine connection with. The fact that he still felt that with you enough to want to do this had emotions clogging up your throat. You let your hands trail down his body again, taking the condom from his hand and slipping it on him, your gaze never leaving his face as you enjoyed the sight of his reaction to you touching him. “Then let’s not wait anymore.” You said, guiding him towards you. 

He didn’t need any more encouragement. He pressed forward, and you let out a sigh as he slipped inside of you, your head falling back against the pillow. It was a tight fit, there was no doubt, but he moved slowly, showing, once again, how well he knew your body. Any time you tensed up, he paused, though you could feel by how tense his muscles were how much he was holding back. “That’s right,” he would tell you when your breath started to come faster. “Remember how well you take me?” 

Oh God you did. He fit inside of you like no one else. Even years later he filled you up just enough to not be painful, but more than enough to be satisfying. Another gasp of air left your lips as he pushed more inside of you, and you could tell he was almost completely in. 

“You’re doing such a good job.” Tyler said, leaving another kiss against your skin. “Made just for me.” And while his voice was soft, it was also strained from effort. 

You opened your eyes as you felt him push forward again, and dug your nails into where they had rested on his shoulders once more as he pushed completely inside of you, letting out a sigh of pleasure as he did. 

There was nothing like this. Absolutely nothing. You moved your eyes from the ceiling to find him looking at you like you’d just hung each star in the sky for him alone. “Tell me what you’re thinking.” He said breathlessly. 

Did he really expect you to be able to think right now? You couldn’t think enough to have a filter if you opened your mouth, and you knew that was partially what he wanted. So you let the words slip from your lips. “I’m thinking about how no ones ever felt as good as you do.” He rewarded your words with a little thrust of his hips that had you gasping. “I’m thinking about how you’ve ruined me for anyone else.” Another thrust, this one harder, and you tightened your legs around him. “And I’m thinking about how much I missed you, Ty.” You said softly, letting out a whimper as his hand slid up to your breast, cupping it and letting his thumb caress your nipple. 

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Just watching as your hips jerked against his, desperate for the pleasure only he could provide, his eyes locked on your face as if he was committing it to memory. “Would you believe me if I told you I was thinking about all those things too?” 

You didn’t have to think about it. You nodded, moving your hands from his shoulders to tangle in his hair. “I know.” 

Tyler leaned down to meet your lips in a bruising kiss as he thrust inside of you, starting a slow and steady pace that continued to pick up speed with every passing minute until you couldn’t keep up the kiss any longer. Your head fell back against the pillows, and your eyes closed in pleasure as his warm, calloused hand traveled down your body to where the two of you met. “Eyes on me sweetheart.” He said, and pressed his thumb against your clit. 

“Fuck, Ty!” Your eyes snapped open and your chest arched into his, tugging on his hair at the overstimulating sensation. His hips stuttered for a moment as you felt yourself clench around him, but he kept up the movement of his thumb, tracing circles around it. The pleasure was almost too much. You could feel it building inside of you, desperate for release, and you clung tightly to him. “I can’t- I’m-” You couldn’t even get the words out, too overwhelmed with feelings. 

“It’s okay, you can let go.” He said, “I’ve got you.” He assured you, never ceasing his pace or his finger. 

His words triggered your release, almost as if you’d been waiting for permission and you moaned out his name as it washed over you. You clung to him like he was a liferaft, holding you in above water as you clenched around him. You heard him groan your name, saying how good you were, and within seconds you felt his body tense, falling over the edge with you. 

As the pleasure faded from your body to satisfaction, you didn’t want to let him go and groaned in discontent when he pulled back and out of you. He chuckled and leaned down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. “I’ll be right back.” 

You sighed, opening your eyes as you watched him head into the bathroom, unable to believe that you had just had sex with such an attractive man, even if he was your ex. He was more than an attractive man though, or just your ex. He was Tyler. The boy you gave your heart to ten years ago who never gave it back. A tender smile was on your lips as he came back to you with a damp washcloth and started gently cleaning you up. 

“You okay?” He asked, the hand that wasn’t cleaning you up resting on your thigh and rubbing the skin there. 

“I will be once you get back in bed.” You replied, and your smile widened at the pleased expression on his face. You let out a laugh as he tossed the washcloth aside and hurriedly climbed into bed, spooning you against his back. 

He nuzzled into your neck, leaving kisses against your skin as he made himself comfortable against you, and shivers exploded across your body as his hand rested on your stomach. “Comfortable?” Tyler asked, pressing another kiss to your cheek. 

Being in his arms again? Comfortable didn’t even begin to describe it. As cliche and embarrassing as it sounded, for the first time since you’d come to your hometown, you actually felt like you were home. “Perfect,” you replied, scooting back even more into him. 

And you meant it. 

————————

You woke up cold, but oh so satisfied. Part of you wondered if last night had been a dream, but you knew that your body couldn’t lie like that. You definitely had the post sex ache. You stretched your limbs out and rolled over, wanting to curl back into Tyler and maybe sleep for a few more hours, but you were met with nothing but sheets. 

Frowning, you opened your eyes, letting your fingers drag across the fabric. It was cool, so he’d been gone for a while. It was only when your eyes drifted up to the pillow did you notice the scrap of paper. 

Stay. 

It was written quickly, almost as if an afterthought, and you frowned at it. Did he really think that he had to ask? You got out of bed, and found a tshirt in the floor. Slipping on your underwear and the tshirt, you sat down at the small table and grabbed your laptop. You’d been writing like crazy lately on a new book, and you’d definitely woken up feeling inspired this morning. 

You weren’t sure how long you sat there typing. It was a great distraction from your thoughts, and when you got into the zone, it could be hours before you realized you hadn’t stood up from your chair. You weren’t so in the zone though that you didn’t hear the doorknob start to turn. 

Tyler entered, once again looking entirely too good in his dark brown button down, jeans and cowboy hat. He carried a familiar brown bag and cup of iced coffee in his hand and held a cautious smile as he looked at you. “Brought you some breakfast.” 

You held out your hands to take it from him, eagerly sipping at the iced coffee as he sat down at the seat across from you. “Thank you, I needed this.” You said, leaning back against your chair. He was watching you, that cautious look still on his face making you nervous. Was he regretting last night? Was he trying to figure out the polite way to tell you it had all been a mistake? 

“What are you thinking?” He asked, and the sudden question threw you off, you didn’t even have the chance to think about throwing up a filter. 

“I’m thinking that I hope you’re not regretting last night. I’m also thinking that you’re too far away.” You admitted, frowning at the distance between the two of you. 

His whole body seemed to relax at your words and the smile that you knew and loved fell back onto his face. He held out his hand to you, and without hesitation you took it, returning his smile as he tugged you out of your chair to sit sideways across his lap. You buried your face in his neck, letting out a contented sigh as he wrapped his arms around you, and held you close. “Better?” Tyler asked, one of his hands tracing up and down your outer thigh. 

You nodded, tightening your arms around him. “Much better.”

The two of you sat in silence for a few moments. You knew the conversation that needed to be had, but you had no clue how to even begin to start it. Should you blurt out how you feel? Should you ask him how he was feeling? Tyler beat you to the punch though with a statement that stopped your mind in its tracks. 

“I read your book.” 

Your body froze as your brain took a moment to process his words. Once they did, heat rushed to your face, and you pulled away to look at him. “How did you even-”

“Boone. He gave me a copy pretty much right after you showed up.” He said, and his hand gave your thigh a squeeze. “I noticed some . . . Similarities.” 

You bet he did. More than enough to be embarrassing. You bit your lip, knowing the question that he wanted to ask, and decided to go ahead and give him the option to ask it anyway. “What do you want to know?” You finally said. 

For a moment it wasn’t the new Tyler that you’d been getting to know over the past couple of weeks that was looking at you. The confident, caring, intelligent tornado wrangler. It was young Tyler, the bull rider who wanted nothing more than to ride his fears and bring you along for it. “I guess I’m just wondering why they got their happy ending, and we didn’t.” 

Just because you anticipated it, doesn’t mean it hurt any less. “Ty . . .” You placed your hand on top of his, gripping it in yours. “I wrote that book two years after our breakup. I wasn’t ready to be her then. There were . . .” You took a deep breath. “A lot of things I was still holding onto.” 

“But if I had quit when you asked me to-”

You were shaking your head before he could even finish his sentence. “I never should have asked you to do that.” You let go of his hand to take his face in your hands to encourage him to keep his eyes on you. “Tyler, our breakup had absolutely everything to do with me, and nothing to do with you.” This confession had been sitting on the tip of your tongue for years now, and you finally had the courage to say it. “I looked at you, riding those bulls, and all I could see was my dad. It scared me.” You admitted, caressing his cheek with your thumb. “Drunk, constantly concussed, and soon to be dead either from one or the other. I know that’s not you now, and I should’ve known it back then, but I was too damaged.” 

Tyler looked sad, his hand still caressing your skin. “I would have fought for you.” 

“I know.” You said, and you did. You knew that Tyler would have fought to stay by your side until the end if you hadn’t pushed him away. 

“You were everything to me back then.”

God it hurt. Remembering the look on his face when you had walked out that door. You still had nightmares about it, but like you had struggled to learn, there was nothing you could do about it now. The two of you sat there for a moment before you finally got the courage to ask the question you’d been wanting to. “What about now?” You asked. “Think we can make it?”

A small, disbelieving smile formed on his face. “Is that an option?” 

You nodded. “At least I hope it is. That ball’s in your court Tyler Owens. I’m the one that broke your heart.” You said, sliding a hand down to rest over his heart. “So . . . is that an option?” You asked, biting your lip as your heart started thumping heavily against your chest. God what if you’d just said all that and spent the best night of your life with him for Tyler to say it wasn’t worth the risk? That’d you’d done damage beyond repair? 

Tyler didn’t give you time for your thoughts to get any more out of control. “Oh, it’s definitely an option.” He said, and his bright smile had your heart fluttering. “In fact, I’d say it’s my preferred option.” 

You could barely believe it, even after last night. “You really want to give me a second chance?” You asked in disbelief. 

His smile turned soft, and his hand covered your own on his chest. “Sweetheart, I’d give you all the chances in the world.” 

And then, because you didn’t know what else to say, you leaned forward and kissed him. 

Once again, everything was the same, but somehow different. A better different.

[stylesispunk]

'The other side of the door'

Not outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

summary: Joel is giving you the silent treatment until you come back home hurt, and he wasn't there.

w.c: idk.

warnings: angst, miscommunication, mentions of a broken arm, fluff.

a/n: this is me after having an outburst about not writing again. If this flops I will have another one and I'll take a break forever. Reblogs and comments are always appreciated 💌

dividers by: @/saradika-graphics

It was 2 a.m., and you were sobbing on the cold bathroom floor like a little girl, asking for her mother to kiss the tears away. The pain on your now broken arm was unbearable, but the stillness in your heart was worse, enveloped in a shirt that belonged to your brother-in-law instead of your boyfriend because he didn’t pick up the phone after the officers called him.

Instead, Tommy picked you up, rushing to you the moment he saw you by the ambulance with a sling around your left side and a bandage on your forehead.

“Oh my god! Are you okay? Where is Joel?” He said something, touching your face for some sort of answer, but you stopped listening to him after Joel’s name was mentioned.

“I don’t know where Joel is.” You said it monotonously.

Tommy's face paled as he realized the gravity of the situation. "It's going to be alright; we'll find him," he said, though his voice trembled with uncertainty.

“He didn’t pick up the phone,” you said again. “He hasn’t talked to me in a week, Tommy.”

“My brother can be grumpy sometimes; you know him,” he said, trying to find a way to make you smile, but you felt just ashamed.

You didn’t mean to be hit by a car on the on the way home, but everything happened so fast, and your mind was everywhere but focused on the road ahead of you.

“What if I call him?” he offered.

“He turned off the phone after my call,” you said, standing up slowly with the help of the paramedic.

Tommy helped you into the backseat of his truck, making sure you were secure before he slid into the driver’s seat. The drive to your house was quiet, save for your occasional wince of pain and Tommy’s sighs of worry. He kept glancing at you through the rearview mirror, his concern evident.

Once home, Tommy guided you inside, supporting your weight gently. He settled you on the couch and handed you a glass of water. "You need to rest," he said softly. "I’m sure you both will figure this out in the morning."

You nodded weakly, too exhausted to argue. The pain in your arm was a constant reminder of the accident, but the ache in your heart was a dull, persistent throb. You clutched Joel’s shirt tighter around you, its familiar scent providing a small comfort.

“Do you want me to stay here and beat him once he arrives?” He asked jokingly, making you smile for a mere second.

“No, I don’t think that’s necessary,” you said, managing a weak smile despite the situation. “But thank you, Tommy.”

He chuckled softly, sitting down beside you. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. Joel can be stubborn, but he loves you. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

You leaned your head back, closing your eyes for a moment. The exhaustion was overwhelming, but sleep was still a distant hope.

Tommy stayed with you for a little while longer, making sure you were comfortable. He adjusted the pillows around you and tucked the blanket more securely. "You should get some sleep," he said gently. "I'll stay until you do."

You nodded, too tired to argue, but you couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness. You tried to focus on the comforting presence of Tommy, the warmth of Joel's shirt, and the hope that things would be better in the morning.

Eventually, Tommy rose from the couch. "I'm going to head out now. You can call me if you need anything, okay?"

You managed a small nod. "Thanks, Tommy. I really appreciate it."

He gave you a reassuring smile, though the worry never left his eyes. "Get some rest. We’ll figure everything out in the morning." He squeezed your shoulder gently before heading to the door.

You listened to the sound of the door closing and the silence that followed. The house felt impossibly quiet and empty. The weight of the evening pressed down on you, and tears welled up in your eyes again.

There was Joel’s shirt on the couch, and you clutched it tighter with your left arm, breathing in the faint scent of him. The memories of the accident replayed in your mind—the screeching tires, the impact, the confusion. But what hurt the most was Joel’s absence, his phone turned off, and the uncertainty of where he was or why he hadn’t answered.

You stood up, walking upstairs towards your and Joel’s bedroom, but instead of lying on the bed, you walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind you, and slid down, sitting on the floor. Tears began to flow down your cheeks.

Joel wasn't home. Now that you needed him, he was out somewhere, still avoiding you.

You sat on the cold bathroom floor, your back against the door, and let the tears flow freely. The pain in your arm was nothing compared to the ache in your heart. You felt abandoned, hurt, and utterly alone.

As the minutes passed, you lost track of time, consumed by the overwhelming sadness. The sound of your sobs echoed off the tiled walls, and you didn’t hear the faint sound of a key turning in the front door or the footsteps on the stairs.

Joel moved through the house with a growing sense of urgency, the emptiness and silence amplifying his fear. It wasn't until he stepped inside the bedroom that he heard you wiping from the bedroom.

Gently, he opened the door and saw you sitting on the cold floor, clutching to your own arm and sobbing uncontrollably. The sight broke his heart, and he immediately kneeled beside you, his presence startling you from your sorrow.

"What the hell happened?" he asked softly, ignoring your plea. He didn’t understand why you were this hurt when, in the morning, you were perfectly fine.

"Go." You whispered, ashamed of yourself for being hurt and crying.

"Now you want to talk?" you asked, standing up carefully and using the wall for support.

Joel reached out to steady you, his touch gentle but firm. "Please, just tell me what happened," he said, his voice filled with concern.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your emotions. "I was hit by a car on my way home. It happened so fast, and I was so scared. The officers called you, but you didn't answer. Tommy came instead."

Joel's face paled, his eyes widening with shock and guilt. "I had no idea. My phone died, and I was out of town.”

You could see the sincerity in his eyes, but the hurt and anger you felt couldn’t be ignored. "You haven't talked to me in a week, Joel. I needed you, and you weren't there."

Joel's shoulders slumped, and he looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know. I’ve been a fool, and I’m so sorry. I let my pride get in the way, and I hurt you because of it. Please, let me make it right."

You looked at him, and the regret was evident on his face. It mirrored your own feelings, and slowly, the anger began to melt away, replaced by a longing for things to be better. "I just needed you," you repeated, your voice trembling.

Joel took a step closer, his eyes filled with tears. "I'm here now. I promise, I’ll never let you down again.”

"You didn't seem to care about me for the last week, Joel."

"Lo—"

"Don't you dare call me that now. I'm mad at you," you interrupted, your eyes flashing with anger.

Joel looked stricken, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for the right words. "I know I messed up. I know I've been distant, and I'm so sorry. But please believe me, I do care about you more than anything."

You took a step back, needing space to think and process everything. "If you care so much, why did you ignore me? Why did you shut me out over missing dinner?"

His heart broke at the sight of you, staring away from him with dried tears on your cheeks. He didn't have words left to make this better, nor a way to ask for forgiveness or soothe your heart after breaking it without real intention behind it.

He was angry at you for missing the dinner, and he wanted to get it back at you.

But this? This wasn't what he wanted.

"I can't say how sorry I am," Joel continued, his voice cracking.

"Well, don't say it then," you snapped back.

"Love—"

“No! I'm tired, and everything hurts. My arm is broken, and I feel so humiliated right now. I just want to go to sleep,” you cried out, the words pouring out in a torrent of emotion.

"Okay, let me help you,” he said, reaching out to touch your shoulder, but you stepped back from him.

"No, everything you have done for the past week makes me cry," you said, the weight of your words hanging in the air. "You make me cry," you sobbed into your hand, trying to sweep the tears away.

Lifting your gaze, you looked at Joel, who seemed to be conflicted. His brown eyes, now glassy with unshed tears, almost made you give in.

"Could you please sleep in the guest room tonight?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Joel's face fell, but he nodded slowly, understanding the need for space. "Okay," he said softly. "I'll be in the guest room. If you need anything, anything at all, just call me."

You nodded, too drained to respond further. Joel hesitated for a moment, then turned and left the room, the weight of his footsteps heavy on the floor. As he reached the bedroom, he turned towards you.

“Do you want to know why I was so mad at you for missing that dinner?” He asked, his voice low and filled with a mix of regret and vulnerability.

You looked at him, the exhaustion and pain making it hard to process everything, but you nodded slightly, curious despite yourself.

Joel took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto yours. “It wasn’t just about the dinner. It was because I had planned to ask you to marry me that night.”

The words hung in the air between you, heavy with emotion. You stared at him, the weight of his confession taking a moment to sink in. You felt your heart beating so fast.

“Joel,” you started, your voice trembling. “I had no idea.”

“I know,” he said softly. “And that’s on me. I should have talked to you instead of shutting you out. I’ve been a fool, and I’m so sorry for everything.”

The revelation left you feeling even more conflicted. The pain of the past week, the accident, and now this. You didn’t know how to respond, so you simply nodded, feeling the tears welling up again.

Joel took a step back, giving you space, but not without planting a gentle kiss on your forehead, just next to the bandage. “Goodnight,” he said gently, before turning and walking to the guest room.

After that, you lay down, clutching Joel's pillow tightly against your chest, the familiar scent providing a small comfort amidst the chaos of your emotions. As you closed your eyes, the weight of the day slowly began to lift.

The night dragged on, each minute feeling like an eternity. You tossed and turned in bed, unable to find comfort. The weight of Joel's confession and the emotional turmoil of the past week kept you from sleeping peacefully. The silence of the house was deafening, and the pain in your arm felt almost secondary to the ache in your heart.

Around 3 a.m., unable to bear the loneliness any longer, you decided to go to the guest room. Moving slowly and carefully, you made your way down the hallway, each step mindful of your broken arm. The pain was a constant reminder of the day’s events, but the burning desire to be near Joel overpowered it.

You opened the guest room door quietly, the creak of the hinges making you wince slightly. Joel was lying on the bed, his back turned to you. You carefully slipped into the room, trying not to disturb him too much. The guest bed was slightly too small, but you managed to settle in beside him, positioning yourself so as not to jostle your arm too much.

Joel stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked, his gaze shifting to you. Confusion and surprise crossed his face as he saw you lying next to him. He sat up, pushing himself on one elbow, his brow furrowed in concern.

“What are you doing here?” he asked softly, his voice still heavy with sleep.

You shifted slightly to face him, your voice barely above a whisper. “I couldn’t sleep... I needed to be close to you.”

Joel’s eyes softened, and he reached out carefully, his hand brushing against your cheek. “Are you okay? Does your arm hurt?”

“It hurts,” you admitted, your voice trembling. “But I just needed to be near you, to feel like everything might be okay.”

Joel nodded, understanding the depth of your need. “I’m sorry for everything,” he said again, though his tone was gentler this time. “I know I’ve hurt you, and I’ll do everything I can to make it right. Please, just let me be here for you.”

You reached out and took his hand, feeling curiosity creeping up. “About the proposal,” you began. “Are you planning to ask me soon?”

Joel's eyes softened, and he looked at you with a mixture of hope and vulnerability. “I was planning to ask you that night,” he admitted, his voice low and filled with regret. “But now I don’t feel like I deserve you.”

You searched his face, seeing the sincerity in his eyes.

Joel took a deep breath, his expression serious yet tender. “Now, I want to make sure we’re in a good place before I ask you. I want it to be right, and I don’t want to rush into it just to fix things. But I can’t deny that I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

You smiled softly in the darkness, your heart swelling with emotion. “I would love for you to ask me now,” you whispered.

Joel chuckled softly, a sound that was warm and comforting in the quiet of the night. “Even with the broken arm?” he asked, his voice light with affection.

You nodded, your smile widening. “Even with the broken arm, I know we have things to work through, but I’d still say yes.”

Joel’s laughter was gentle, filled with relief and affection. “You never cease to amaze me,” he said, brushing a gentle kiss against your forehead. “Alright, then. I promise that when the time is right, I’ll ask you properly. For now, let’s focus on getting better and being here for each other.”

You nestled closer to him, feeling the comfort of his embrace. “I don’t need a fancy proposal in a fancy restaurant, Joel. I just want you,” you said softly.

Joel’s expression softened even more, his hand gently stroking your hair. “And you have me,” he said, his voice filled with sincerity. “No matter what, I’m here for you. We’ll get through this together, and when the time is right, we’ll take the next step together too.”

You let out a small, playful sigh. “Okay, if there isn’t a ring on my breakfast tomorrow, I’ll be mad,” you joked, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

Joel laughed softly, the sound a comforting balm to your troubled heart. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, his tone light but warm.

He took a deep breath, his gaze steady and sincere. “So, would you like to marry me?” he asked softly, his eyes searching yours for a response.

The question hung in the air, tender and unexpected. You looked at him, your heart swelling with emotion. The warmth and love you felt in that moment made it clear that you were ready to take that next step.

With a smile that spoke of both relief and joy, you nodded. “Yes, Joel. I would love to marry you.”

Joel’s face lit up with a mixture of happiness and relief. He pulled you into a gentle embrace, his arms wrapping around you with tenderness to avoid hurting your broken arm. “I’m so glad,” he murmured into your hair. “We’ll make it work, I promise.”

You snuggled closer to him, the sense of security and love filling you with a peaceful calm. As you closed your eyes, the laughter and playful banter gave way to a hopeful, contented sleep, wrapped in the warmth of his presence and the promise of a future together.

[calypso-rt]

fake dating!

with the insufferable Rafe Cameron

| one | | two | three |

-> Rafe x F!Reader

You stab your fork into a pancake, fully prepared to enjoy a drama-free brunch. The sun is out at this beachfront café, the ocean breeze is perfect, and, miraculously, the Kooks and Pogues are coexisting without bloodshed. A rare, fleeting peace.

Something you desperately needed the day after you returned from your little detour with Rafe Cameron.

But then...

“So, you and Rafe, huh?”

You nearly choke on your orange juice. Coughing, you look up to see Sarah smirking over her mimosa, chin propped in her hand like she’s just casually dropped the most normal sentence in the world.

“What?” you say, voice slightly hoarse.

Across the table, JJ leans back with an exaggerated grin. “Yeah, come on. You guys were real cozy at my wedding.”

“Oh my god, no, we were not—”

“And then,” Kiara cuts in, “you mysteriously disappeared together for a whole extra day. Just poof. Off the grid.”

You blink. “We got stranded. The car broke down—”

“Convenient.” Pope raises an eyebrow.

Topper, who has been stirring his coffee in smug silence, finally speaks up. “You should’ve seen them at the lodge. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t come back married.”

You whirl to glare at Rafe, fully expecting him to deny it. To argue. To groan about how ridiculous this all is.

But no. Of course not. Because Rafe Cameron is sitting back in his chair, arm draped lazily over the back, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

“You’re enjoying this,” you accuse.

He flashes a slow, lazy smirk. “What’s not to enjoy, sweetheart?”

JJ cackles. “Oh my god, you even call her sweetheart? This is better than I imagined.”

“I hate him,” you insist, looking around for support. “I literally hate him.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sarah waves a hand. “Tell that to the heart-shaped honeymoon suite.”

You gape at her. “You told them?”

JJ throws his hands up. “Are you kidding? You’re telling me you got fatefully forced into a honeymoon suite with Rafe Cameron and didn’t do some freaky shit?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I’m telling you!”

Pope squints. “Sounds fake.”

You groan, dropping your head into your hands. “I hate all of you.”

“Aw, don’t be shy, baby.” Rafe nudges your leg under the table, voice soaked in amusement. “Embrace it.”

You kick him.

...

You stomp across the parking lot of the café after brunch, barely restraining the urge to hurl a rock at Rafe’s truck. Instead, you settle for banging on the driver's window, sharp and impatient.

Rafe, getting ready to drive off, turns his head lazily. He doesn’t roll down the window.

He just smirks.

You throw your hands up. “Oh my god.”

Finally, he cranks the window down, elbow propped on the frame. “Something wrong, sweetheart?”

You seethe. “Get out of the car.”

His smirk deepens. “Or, crazy idea, you could get in.”

You hesitate. Then, grumbling, you march around his truck, yank open the passenger door and slide in, slamming it shut behind you.

Rafe whistles. “Wow. Not even a hello?”

You turn, eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you shut the rumor down?”

He leans back, exuding peak levels of amused arrogance. “Didn’t feel like it.”

“Didn’t feel like it?” you repeat, incredulous. “Do you have any idea what they’re saying? Sarah basically called me your wife!”

He tilts his head, considering. “Could be worse.”

You gape at him. “Are you serious?”

But then Rafe shifts, that infuriating smugness fading just slightly, replaced by something almost thoughtful. His fingers drum idly on the steering wheel.

“You know,” he muses, “it’s not the worst idea.”

You blink. “What?”

Rafe shrugs. “Think about it. You got anyone you’re trying to shake off?”

You open your mouth to argue, then pause.

Because, actually… you do.

A certain ex-boyfriend who still finds excuses to text you. Who shows up at parties and acts like you’re playing some kind of game instead of just moving on. Who, despite your many, many hints, refuses to take them.

Rafe sees the realization dawn on your face and grins. “Bingo.”

You cross your arms. “And you? What do you get out of it?”

His smirk fades, just a bit. He looks out the windshield, suddenly finding something very interesting about the dashboard.

You narrow your eyes. “Rafe.”

He exhales through his nose, reluctant. “My dad’s been on my ass.”

You frown. “About what?”

He gestures vaguely. “Settling down. Not being a complete disappointment. The usual.”

Your brow furrows. Rafe rarely talks about his dad, at least not seriously. But you’ve been around Ward Cameron enough to know that whatever pressure Rafe is under is probably suffocating.

Rafe glances back at you. “He thinks I need a ‘stabilizing influence.’” His lips curl in amusement. “And you, sweetheart, are so stable.”

You stare at him, dumbfounded. “Are you asking me to fake date you?”

He shrugs again, but there’s something calculated in his expression. “I mean… it’d be convincing, wouldn’t it?”

You hesitate.

It would.

You pretend to consider. “So, let me get this straight. I get a built-in deterrent for my ex.”

“Right.”

“And you get to pretend you’re not a total trainwreck in front of your dad.”

“Exactly.”

“…And what happens when this inevitably backfires?”

Rafe smirks. “Baby, it’s already backfired.”

You groan, sinking into the seat. “I hate this.”

His smirk deepens. “You love this.”

You throw your head back with a dramatic sigh. “Fine.”

Rafe grins. “Knew you’d come around.”

You point a finger at him. “Ground rules.”

Rafe catches your wrist midair, grip loose but firm. He leans in just slightly, voice a low murmur.

“Oh, baby,” he drawls, “I love rules.”

Your stomach flips.

You yank your hand back. “Dig me my grave."

Rafe just laughs, starting the engine.

...

If you had to rank your personal hells, standing in the Figure Eight Country Club in a floor-length gown, pretending to be Rafe Cameron’s doting girlfriend, would easily make the top three.

Maybe even top two.

The room is filled with the elite of the Outer Banks, all clinking glasses and exchanging smiles that don’t quite reach their eyes. It smells like expensive perfume and generational wealth.

And, worst of all, Ward Cameron is watching.

You feel the weight of his gaze from across the ballroom, where he stands among a group of men in tailored suits. His expression is unreadable, but his eyes flick to you and Rafe more often than not.

Rafe, of course, is completely unbothered.

He stands beside you, looking irritatingly at ease in his tux, sipping whiskey like he actually enjoys it. He leans in slightly, voice pitched just low enough for you to hear over the hum of conversation.

“Smile, sweetheart.”

You grit your teeth. “I am smiling.”

“You look like you want to kill me.”

You widen your grin. “What about now?”

Rafe chuckles, low and amused. “Terrifying.”

A waiter passes with a tray of champagne, and you grab a flute, downing half in one go. Rafe watches, smirking. “Nervous?”

“No,” you lie.

You are. Not because of the crowd, or the act, or even Ward’s scrutiny, but because Rafe is good at this. Too good.

He places a hand on your back, guiding you forward, and the warmth of it seeps through the thin fabric of your dress. It’s just for show, just to sell it, but your skin tingles anyway.

And then, your nightmare worsens.

Rose Cameron approaches, wearing an elegant dress and a saccharine smile. “Well, this is a surprise,” she says.

You brace yourself.

“I had no idea you two were together,” she continues, voice dripping with something almost pleasant but mostly sharp.

Rafe, ever the actor, squeezes your waist and pulls you closer. “Yeah, well,” he says easily, “not everything needs to be a spectacle, Rose.”

You resist the urge to snort. As if Rafe Cameron has ever avoided a spectacle in his life.

Rose’s eyes flick between you two. “And how long has this been going on?”

You open your mouth, but Rafe beats you to it.

“A few months,” he says smoothly. “Started off as just—” He glances at you, smiling like you’re his favorite thing in the world. “...something easy, you know? And then…”

His hand tightens slightly on your waist.

“…I realized I didn’t want to let her go.”

Your breath catches.

Rose hums, watching. Assessing. “How sweet.”

You remind yourself to breathe. To act.

So, you force a blush, ducking your head. Your hand finds Rafe’s lapel, fingers curling like it’s second nature.

Rafe responds immediately. His hand slides from your waist to your hip, like muscle memory. Like you belong there.

It’s just a show. Just a role.

But for the first time, you’re not sure who’s playing who.

And judging by the glint in Rafe’s eyes, you think maybe he feels it too.

..,

If the country club was suffocating, this is the opposite.

The moment you and Rafe slide into the booth, after peeling out of the country club gala early like fugitives, you exhale, tension slipping off your shoulders.

Your gown is bunched awkwardly around you, heels kicked off under the table. Rafe is still in his suit, tie undone, the top buttons of his dress shirt loosened. He leans back, legs stretched out, one hand draped lazily over the back of your seat.

It feels too natural and easy.

But you tell yourself it’s just relief. Just comfort after an exhausting night of pretending.

A basket of fries sits between you, along with a milkshake you made Rafe order just so you could steal half of it. He watches, bemused, as you dip a fry into the chocolate shake.

“You’re actually disgusting,” he says.

“You’re actually uncultured.” You take a bite, savoring it obnoxiously. “Salty and sweet? It’s perfect.”

Rafe eyes you, then the fry, then the shake. “No way it’s good.”

“Try it.” You hold up a fry, daring him.

He rolls his eyes but leans in, biting it from your fingers before you can react. The move is so smooth, so casual, that your brain short-circuits for a second.

He chews. Pauses. Then shrugs. “Not bad.”

You scoff. “Not bad? That was a life-changing experience, Rafe.”

He smirks. “Yeah? I can think of better ones.”

You swat his arm, laughing, but the moment lingers, just a second too long.

And then, it shifts.

Because Rafe doesn’t move his hand from the back of your seat. Because his knee stays pressed against yours. Because the air between you, once full of teasing and playful insults, is suddenly thick with something else.

Something heavier. Something real.

You swallow, looking away, out the window. “You really sold it tonight.”

Rafe hums. “You weren’t too bad yourself, sweetheart.”

You roll your eyes, but your stomach flutters.

“My dad definitely bought it,” he continues, watching you carefully. “Think we convinced him?”

You nod, still avoiding his gaze. “Think so.”

A beat.

“You know, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

Your head snaps toward him. “What?”

He holds your gaze, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “You. Me. Keeping it up for a little while longer.”

Your pulse stutters.

“Just until it’s not useful anymore,” he adds, casual but too casual. “Just for—”

“For show,” you finish, trying to ignore the way your throat feels tight.

Rafe nods, but something in his expression looks almost hesitant.

You exhale slowly, pretending like this is still just a scheme. Just an act.

But when Rafe steals another fry from your hand, when his fingers brush yours just a second too long, you think maybe you’re both lying.

Not to everyone else.

But to yourselves.

...

The bar is packed, buzzing with energy. Music pulses through the speakers, neon lights flickering in time with the beat. The scent of cheap beer and salt lingers in the air, mingling with the warmth of too many bodies pressed into the space.

The Pogues and Kooks, for once, aren’t at each other’s throats. Drinks are flowing, laughter crackling between old rivalries. JJ and Pope are locked in a heated darts match, Sarah is cackling at something Kiara said, and Rafe...

Rafe is watching you.

You don’t notice. Not at first.

Because you’re too busy trying to get away from the guy standing too close.

Your ex.

The one who never quite got it.

It started out as small talk, just a polite exchange. But then he edged closer. His voice dipped lower. And now his fingers are ghosting over your wrist like he has any right.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” he murmurs, smirking. “You used to love talking to me.”

You force a tight smile, shifting back slightly, pressing your spine against the edge of the bar. “Yeah, well, things change.”

He doesn’t take the hint. If anything, he leans in more.

“You can’t tell me you don’t miss it. Us.” His breath is warm against your skin. “I know you, babe.”

A shiver crawls down your spine, but not the good kind.

You open your mouth, ready to shut this down completely, but then you feel it.

The shift.

The heat at your side.

And then a hand. Warm. Firm. Settling on your hip, fingers curling just slightly into the fabric of your dress.

Rafe.

You don’t have to look to know it’s him. You feel him. The sheer presence of him, the weight of his body just slightly behind yours.

He’s not looking at you, though.

He’s looking at him.

Your ex stiffens. “Rafe.”

Rafe’s grip tightens just enough that you notice. “Didn’t know you were back in town.”

Your ex forces a smirk, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Didn’t know I needed permission.”

Rafe tilts his head, considering. “You don’t.” He shifts slightly, angling himself more in front of you, voice dipping lower. “But she doesn’t need this.”

Your heart pounds.

Your ex’s jaw clenches. “We were just talking.”

Rafe’s lips curl, but it’s not a smile. It’s something sharper. Something dangerous.

“She’s not interested,” he says, voice casual but lined with steel.

Your ex hesitates. His gaze flicks to you, like he’s expecting you to contradict Rafe. To push him off, say something.

But you don’t.

You just stare, pulse thrumming, feeling the warmth of Rafe’s body against yours, the way his hand stays there.

After a long, tense moment, your ex scoffs. Raises his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever.” He takes a step back, eyes lingering for just a second too long before he turns and disappears into the crowd.

The moment he’s gone, Rafe’s grip doesn’t loosen. If anything, it lingers.

His fingers press lightly into your waist before finally dragging away.

“You good?” His voice is quieter now. Just for you.

You should be annoyed. Should shove him away, roll your eyes, tell him you didn’t need him to save you.

But you don’t.

Instead, you tilt your head, watching him. “Didn’t know you cared so much, boyfriend.”

Rafe exhales a soft huff of laughter. But he doesn’t deny it. Doesn’t correct you.

His hand, stupidly warm, trails just slightly along your arm before he lets it drop.

“Just doing my job,” he murmurs.

Your stomach flips.

Because suddenly, you’re not sure if he’s still talking about the fake relationship.

Or if you’re both pretending a little less than before.

...

You stumble into the parking lot outside the bar, way past midnight. The air is thick with humidity, the faint scent of salt and asphalt lingering. Most of the group has already left, leaving only a few lingering voices in the distance.

You jiggle your car keys in your hand, squinting at them like they’re the problem instead of the slight haze behind your eyes.

“Alright,” you mumble to yourself, “just… keys in the ignition, foot on the pedal, easy—”

A hand closes around your wrist before you can even attempt it.

Rafe.

You sigh, tilting your head back to look at him. “What now?”

His jaw tenses. He’s already opened the passenger side door, standing there expectantly, waiting for you to not be an idiot.

“You’re not driving.”

You huff. “I’m fine.”

Rafe cocks a brow. “Oh yeah? Walk in a straight line.”

You scoff, rolling your eyes, except the motion makes your head spin, and when you step forward, you almost stumble.

Strong hands catch you before you can.

His hands.

“Yeah,” Rafe mutters, his voice low, close, “that’s what I thought.”

You glare at him, or, well, try to. It’s not very effective when he’s this close, when his grip is steady, firm but careful.

“You’re bossy,” you mumble as he guides you toward his truck.

Rafe snorts. “And you’re a pain in the ass. Now get in.”

You don’t have the energy to argue. Not when the exhaustion from the night is pressing in, making your limbs feel heavier, your eyelids droopier. You let him help you up into the passenger seat, barely reacting when he reaches over to buckle your seatbelt for you.

You do, however, raise a brow. “Didn’t know you were the nurturing type.”

Rafe pulls back, shutting the door before rounding the front of the truck. When he gets in, he exhales, shaking his head. “I’m not.”

But the way he adjusts the A/C so it’s not blasting in your face, the way he checks to make sure you’re comfortable before pulling out of the lot...

It says otherwise.

A Little While Later…

You barely register the truck slowing to a stop.

You blink up at Rafe, his face dimly lit by the soft glow of the streetlight outside your place.

“We’re here,” he says, voice quieter than usual.

You blink again. “Oh.”

You make a move to unbuckle yourself but fumble, and before you can get frustrated, Rafe is leaning over, clicking it open for you.

“C’mon, lightweight,” he mutters, getting out first so he can meet you on your side.

You let him help you out. Let him slide an arm around your waist when you teeter a little too much on your feet. Let him steady you as he walks you to your door.

Your head lolls against his shoulder. “You’re warm,” you murmur sleepily.

Rafe huffs out a laugh. “And you’re drunk.”

You don’t argue.

He waits while you dig out your keys, unlocking your door with clumsy fingers. When you finally manage it, you hesitate in the doorway, turning to look at him.

He’s already watching you.

There’s something unreadable in his expression, something different from the usual smirk, the usual teasing gleam in his eyes.

Something softer.

You swallow. “Thanks.”

Rafe shoves his hands into his pockets, glancing away like he doesn’t want you to see whatever’s behind his eyes. “Yeah,” he says, nodding. “Get some sleep.”

You nod back.

But for some reason, as you step inside and close the door behind you, you kind of wish he hadn’t left.

...

You don’t know how you ended up here on this quiet stretch of beach, just the two of you, away from the crowd, the warmth of the fire replaced by the cool atmosphere of an incoming storm. Maybe you wandered off. Maybe he followed.

Maybe neither of you really mind.

Rafe tilts his head back, letting a few drops of rain land against his skin. “Perfect,” he mutters. “Gotta love the weather around here.”

You huff out a quiet laugh, tucking your arms around yourself. “You scared of a little rain, country club?” You mimic Barry's drawl.

His eyes flick to you, amused. “No. Just wondering how much longer before you start whining about it.”

You scoff. “I don’t—”

But before you can argue, a drop slides down your cheek, then another, and suddenly, the drizzle thickens into a heavy downpour.

You squeal as the rain soaks into your hair, your dress, cool against your skin. “Ugh, Rafe!”

He laughs, actually laughs, and when you slap at his chest, he catches your wrist easily. Holds it there.

And that’s when you realize how close you are.

The air shifts.

The teasing flickers into something quieter, something heavier. His grip on your wrist isn’t tight, but it lingers. His thumb brushes over the inside of it, slow, deliberate.

You should step back. Say something. Laugh it off.

But you don’t.

Instead, your breath catches as his gaze dips, lingering, considering. He doesn’t hide it. The way his eyes trace the curve of your lips, the way he exhales just a little sharper, like he’s deciding something.

Like he’s this close to doing something about it.

Your pulse thrums. You’re not sure if it’s the rain or the fact that his hand is sliding, just barely, against your waist now, the heat of it burning through the damp fabric of your dress.

He leans in.

Just a little.

And suddenly, you don’t feel the cold anymore.

Then—

“Yo! There you guys are!”

JJ’s voice shatters the moment like a snapped thread.

You and Rafe jerk apart, almost too fast. You swear you hear him mutter a curse under his breath, running a hand through his soaked hair.

JJ jogs up, completely oblivious. “We’re heading back to the Chateau, wondered if you two drowned or something.” He pauses, eyes flicking between you, brows furrowing. “Wait… what were you—”

“We were just coming to find you guys,” you cut in quickly, voice a little higher than normal. “Right, Rafe?”

Rafe exhales, glancing at you, something unreadable flickering across his expression.

Then he smirks, all slow and knowing, but there’s something else there, something charged.

“Yeah,” he murmurs. “Let’s go.”

And as you turn back toward the bonfire, heart hammering, you have no idea what just almost happened.

Or maybe you do.

And that’s the problem.

...

You stood on the back patio of the Country Club, watching the sunset. The lights are dim, and most of the guests have trickled out. It’s quiet now, except for the occasional clatter of staff cleaning up inside.

You hear heavy footsteps and turn to see Rafe, in his polo and backwards hat after a game of golf. He looks perplexed.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

The words cut through the silence, firm, leaving no room for denial.

You grip the railing, turning your gaze away again. “I haven’t.”

Rafe exhales sharply. “Bullshit.”

He’s closer now, you can feel it, the heat of him even in the cool night air. You close your eyes, gripping the wooden beam a little tighter.

“Look, it’s late. Let’s not—”

“What?” His voice dips lower, edged with something you can’t quite place. “Not talk about it? Keep pretending?”

Your stomach twists. “Rafe—”

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

You don’t.

Because you can’t.

He scoffs, dragging a hand through his hair, stepping back like he needs space but doesn’t actually want it. “This whole thing, it was fake, right?” His tone is sharp, but there’s something raw underneath. “A stupid game. Just a way to keep people off our backs.”

You swallow hard, finally turning to face him. “That’s what we agreed on.”

His jaw tightens. “Right.” He lets out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. “So that’s all it is to you?”

You falter. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

There’s a beat of silence, thick and heavy.

Then, softer, quieter, like he hates admitting it:

“I meant it.”

Your breath catches.

“What?”

“I meant all of it.” He steps closer again, the frustration in his eyes giving way to something else entirely. “The dates. The kisses. The way I look at you and…” He trails off, shaking his head. “You know it wasn’t fake, not for me.”

It’s too much.

Your heart is pounding, your throat is tight, and it’s too much.

“Rafe, don’t—”

“Why not?” His voice is almost desperate now, rough around the edges. “Why do you keep running from this? From me?”

You want to tell him.

You almost do.

But then—

The door swings open behind you.

“Hey, there you guys are!” Sarah’s voice is bright and unknowing, completely oblivious to the storm raging between you and Rafe. “We’re heading to the drive-in movie... coming?”

Your gaze stays locked with his.

Something flickers across his face, something that looks a hell of a lot like defeat.

Then, just like that, the moment shatters.

Rafe steps back. His jaw clenches. “Yeah,” he mutters. “We’re coming.”

He doesn’t look at you again.

And you don’t know why it suddenly feels like you’ve lost something before you even had it.

...

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

Not after the argument. Not after a week of nothing: no texts, no stolen glances, no tension-filled bickering that somehow always felt like flirting.

You had told yourself you were fine with it.

But when Sarah had casually mentioned that Rafe had been coming here lately, this wildflower field, tucked away from the world, you didn’t even hesitate before heading straight there.

And now, here he is.

Sitting on the hood of his truck, elbows resting on his knees, staring out at the horizon like he’s been here for hours.

For a second, you just watch him.

The way the golden light catches the sharp angles of his face, the way the breeze ruffles his hair. The way his shoulders tense slightly, like he knows you’re here, even before he turns.

When he finally does, the surprise flickers across his face before it’s quickly replaced with something unreadable.

You cross your arms, stepping forward. “So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

Rafe exhales, shaking his head with a half-smirk. “Didn’t realize I was hiding.”

You raise a brow. “Right. You just went radio silent for a week, ditched every hangout, and started brooding in a flower field for no reason.”

His lips twitch. “It’s not brooding.”

You gesture at the scene. “It’s very broody, Rafe.”

The teasing comes easy; it always does. But underneath, the tension lingers, soft and unspoken.

His expression shifts, gaze drifting over you, taking you in like he’s searching for something. Then he looks away, shaking his head like he’s trying to pull himself back.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Something in your chest twists.

“Why not?”

He exhales, dragging a hand down his face. “Because this was supposed to be easy.”

You blink. “What was?”

“This,” he gestures vaguely between you. “Us. The whole stupid fake dating thing. I thought—” He cuts himself off, jaw tightening. “I thought if I let you go first, it’d be easier.”

Your breath catches.

“You let me go?”

Rafe lets out a quiet, humorless chuckle. “Yeah. That’s what it felt like, at least.” His voice is lower now, rough around the edges. “You walked away. And I let you.”

There’s something devastating about the way he says it.

Like it was the hardest thing he’s ever done.

Your heart is pounding now, but you take a breath, stepping closer. “So why are you out here?”

His eyes flick to yours, hesitant but open in a way that makes your stomach flip.

“This place,” he murmurs, glancing around at the swaying wildflowers, the open sky, “reminded me of that town. Of you.” His voice is quieter now, like he’s saying something he never planned to. “And I think… I think I wanted to hold onto that for a little longer.”

The confession settles between you, thick and weighty, pressing against your ribs.

You swallow hard. “Rafe—”

“I meant it,” he says suddenly, cutting you off, voice edged with something fierce. “Back at the club. Everything I said... I meant it.” His jaw tenses. “I don’t want to pretend. Not anymore.”

You stare at him, heart hammering.

“I don’t either.”

It’s barely a whisper, but he hears it.

His breath hitches, his whole body going still. “You don’t?”

You shake your head, stepping even closer, so close that you can see the way his hands tighten at his sides, like he’s holding himself back. “I was scared,” you admit, voice barely steady. “Scared of what it meant. Scared of ruining—”

“Baby...,” he interrupts, voice low and cracking slightly from the rush of emotions, “you already ruined me.”

That does it.

Because before you can think, before you can talk yourself out of it, you’re closing the space between you, moving between his legs on where he's sat on the hood of his truck, and pressing your lips to his.

Rafe makes a quiet, almost desperate sound, and then...

He’s kissing you back.

Really kissing you.

His hands cup your face, fingers threading into your hair, pulling you closer like he’s afraid you might slip away. The warmth of his body, the way his lips move against yours, it’s all-consuming. It’s everything.

When you finally pull back, breathless, he rests his forehead against yours, eyes still closed like he’s savoring the moment.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he murmurs.

You smile, fingers brushing against his jaw. “I think I do.”

Rafe lets out a quiet laugh, shaking his head before kissing you again, slower this time, softer, like he has all the time in the world.

Neither of you are in a rush to let go.

...

Epilogue: The Reveal

It starts innocently enough on this quiet night around the beach bonfire, months later.

A few drinks, a few stories, the kind of night that feels infinite. Sarah’s lying in the sand, legs thrown over John B’s, Cleo is braiding Kie's hair, and JJ...JJ is staring at you and Rafe with narrowed eyes.

“You know,” he says slowly, pointing a beer bottle between you two, “I’ve been thinking.”

“That’s dangerous,” Pope mutters.

JJ ignores him.

“How exactly did this happen?” He gestures at where you and Rafe are curled up together, your back resting against his chest, his arms lazily draped around your waist.

Rafe shrugs. “Dunno. Just kinda did.”

“Liar,” Sarah chimes in, smirking. “I distinctly remember a time when you two hated each other.”

“We didn’t hate each other,” you say quickly.

JJ scoffs. “Uh, yeah, you did. You could barely even share a car for the road trip.”

John B leans forward, eyes narrowing. “Wait a second.” He turns to Sarah. “Didn’t they show up at the lodge all weird and tense?”

Sarah’s eyes widen. “Oh my God, yes.” She turns to you and Rafe. “That first night, when you guys had to share the honeymoon suite—”

Kie gasps. “No. No. And it was so random...”

A slow, almost wicked grin spreads across JJ’s face. “Wait, wait, wait. Don’t tell me…” His gaze flicks between you and Rafe, piecing it together. “Were you two fake dating?”

Silence.

“Not technically,” Rafe says smoothly.

Absolute chaos.

JJ jumps to his feet. “YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THIS WHOLE TIME I WAS SHIPPING A SCAM?!”

“I wouldn’t call it a scam,” you protest.

Pope gapes. “So all those times you two were all over each other—”

“Fake,” Kie finishes, eyes wide. “Holy shit.”

Sarah looks downright betrayed. “Wait, so at the gala—”

“Fake.”

John B gapes. “The bar?”

You hesitate. “Uh… mostly fake?”

JJ throws his hands up. “WHAT ABOUT THE RAIN?!”

Everyone turns to you.

You and Rafe exchange a glance.

“Okay, that might have been real,” you admit.

JJ groans, flopping dramatically onto the sand. “I feel so lied to.”

Pope shakes his head, staring at the fire like it’s personally betrayed him.

Kie just mutters, “This is some fanfic-level shit.”

Rafe, completely unbothered, just smirks and pulls you closer. “Worked out, didn’t it?”

And as you lean into him, laughter ringing around you, the ocean breeze tangling through your hair, you realize...

Yeah.

It really, really did.

Taglist: @drewstarkeyslover, @honeybee270, @melsbels-zip, @rafeycameronsgf, @vanessa-rafesgirl, @amel1ee, @magicalflowerstranger, @lilithblackkk, @starkeyxcameron, @simp4f1, @wtfdudesblog, @f3rnlee, @dinnodallas, @jjasmiineee, @drewrry, @lmaolmaos, @mattyskies, @yourmomdotcom42069, @chillgal135, @scorpiosaintt, @pluviophilis, @bee-43, @polli05927, @mariacbzs, @ggraycelynn, @hunzzzzz, @ilovebaileymydog

(tagged everyone asking abt a pt 2, 3, and 4) <3

ty for your sweet comments and support it means everything!

[phantomrose96]

What the hell happens in the pikmin game?? Those little colourful bitches have been around for ages, but i never bothered looking them up, i just figured they were cute little mascots of some game. But your posts are making me question everything. Is it a horror game? (I know i could just google it, but asking you is funnier)

Yeah you're right asking me is much funnier :)

Pikmin is a fun and relaxing game! You play as a little astronaut man who gets to spend his days growing Pikmin, who are sweet and peaceful little plant creatures with leaves, buds, or flowers on their heads. You can corral them around with a little trumpet, like a bouquet of flowers following you through the pretty and whimsical landscapes of planet PNF-404 :)

Wait did I say fun and relaxing?

Sorry, typo.

It's a brutal skill-based survival game (❁´◡`❁)

So then maybe you're wondering, what's up with the Pikmin? What was that about growing a bunch of little flower guys? Well growing the Pikmin is super important!

It's super duper important mainly because you need to replace the Pikmin who die in the carnage of battle for you!

Battle against what?

Everything.

See on PNF-404, Pikmin are the bottom of the food chain. Just about every living breathing creature on this planet is orders of magnitude larger than the Pikmin and munch Pikmin by the hundreds for breakfast. Predators will do this instinctively. They will do this unprompted. They will do this while you're not looking. They will do this endlessly until every last Pikmin is dead.

So... what good are the Pikmin? What chance do they stand?

Really easy. Pikmin are the most violent creatures in the entire game 🥰🥰🥰.

How else do you survive when you're small and fragile other than incredible violence? Pikmin can exist out and about in swarms of up to 100. And the only way to survive predators as small little leaf creatures is to beat those predators to death with incredible mob violence before they can kill all of you.

Pikmin don't die like plants. They die like warriors.

And sometimes, this is the hardest mechanic to handle. Left to their own devices Pikmin will seek to shed blood. It's up to you to call them away from orchestrating their own demise, their own pursuit of the glory of Valhalla. It's in their nature. It's in their plant-blood.

And they go down hard. They shriek when snapped up in the jaws of predators. They glub and wail when drowning in water. They trill out screams when on fire. They choke and cough in poison. They die instantly to electricity. And you'll know a Pikmin is well and truly dead once it lets out a final whimper, and a ghost drifts away from where it once stood. This can happen by the dozens. This can happen to all 100 at once.

So wait, wait I've gotten far ahead of myself. Why the violence? Why the death? Why the fighting? What was that about a little astronaut man?

Well your astronaut man is Olimar, an honest and simple family man who's a freight ship captain from his home planet of Hocotate. He's a truck driver! He's just a guy taking his first vacation in years.

And a meteorite strikes his ship, tearing it to pieces as it crash-lands on a completely uncharted planet. Welcome to PNF-404...

And so you're Olimar. A truck driver. A nice dad. A victim of capitalism with the world's worst boss. Out on vacation.

Your ship is destroyed. No one is coming for you. No one will save you.

The oxygen on PNF-404 is poisonous.

You have 30 days before your life support system runs out.

You have 30 days until you die a brutal and lonely death.

Your only hope is to find every scattered missing piece of your ship--30 of them--strewn across the planet, return them to your ship, and repair it, before your 30 days are up.

But this is simply impossible. You're one tiny little man. You wouldn't be able to lift a single piece of your ship, let alone 30 of them, let alone doing so while fending off the wildlife hellbent on killing you.

But the Pikmin seem to like you...

So all that death? All the carnage and destruction? It's all in the effort to repair Olimar's ship before he suffocates. You pave a path of destruction decorated with the bodies of any creature that stands before you and your missing ship pieces.

The Pikmin do it. The Pikmin trust you. The Pikmin follow your command and die by your command. After all, you're growing their species. Oh did I forget to explain that part? The "how" of how growing Pikmin works?

Simple. Pikmin are grown from the corpses of the creatures they kill :).

If you kill something, the Pikmin take it back to their base and process it for pieces, and grow new Pikmin from it. That's how you get all the nice little flower creatures following you around. :)

Is it good enough? Can you sleep at night knowing that 50 creatures who trusted you implicitly were slaughtered under your misdirection? All to retrieve a hunk of metal which is 1/30 of the hope of getting you home alive? 100 slaughtered? 200? Day 30 is approaching. Things are looking bleak.

You're Olimar. Day 30 has arrived, and you haven't fully reconstructed your ship. You have no option to stay. Your life support has run out. You watch the Pikmin you've left behind, as you attempt to start up your ship which has not been safely repaired.

You try to take off, and try to make it home.

It does not go well.

But at least the Pikmin have another corpse to carry.

[truckers-america-blog]

Combating Driver Burnout in Trucking: Early Warning Signs and Actionable Solutions

Combating Driver Burnout in Trucking: Early Warning Signs and Actionable Solutions The U.S. trucking industry keeps the economy moving—but the weight of the job often falls heavily on the shoulders of its drivers. Long hours, isolation, and unrelenting schedules are common contributors to an all-too-familiar issue: truck driver burnout. This form of physical, emotional, and mental fatigue doesn’t…

[wendichester]

hello, i don't know if you take requests but I saw a tik tok where a teacher was getting ready for firefighter day at the school and I immediately imagined teacher reader and firefighter dean winchester

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMBsQnGn4/

I'm sorry for my english

𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ stop, drop... and flirt,

summary. firefighter day but this year's edition features a calendar-worthy firefighter

pairing. firefighter!dean winchester x teacher!reader genre. fluff

wordcount. 542

notes / warnings. just shameless flirting

You don’t usually get flustered. You run a class of twenty-five chaos gremlins on sugar highs and zero impulse control. You handle scraped knees, forgotten lunchboxes, and glitter explosions like a seasoned general.

But today?

Today, Dean Winchester walks into your classroom in a firefighter uniform—and your brain promptly short-circuits.

You were told someone from the station would come talk to the kids about fire safety, give the ol’ “stop, drop, and roll” speech, let them play with the siren. You were expecting someone older. Possibly balding.

You were not expecting six feet of flirty smirk and forearms that could carry you like a sack of flour.

Dean tugs off his helmet as he steps in, raking a hand through messy hair. “Hope I’m not too early.”

You manage a blink. A nod. A sound that might be a word. “You’re… just on time.”

He flashes you a smile that should be illegal in a school zone. “You the teacher?”

You almost say, I can be whatever you want, but somehow swallow it down in time.

“Yes. I’m Ms. Y/L/N. And you’re…?”

“Dean. Station 34. I usually don’t do these things, but my buddy was out sick, so…” He shrugs, then adds, “Figured I’d come hang with the cool kids.”

“Right,” you say, doing your best to focus. “Fire safety. Stop, drop, and roll.”

“Yep,” he grins. “Though I gotta say, I might need a refresher on the ‘stop’ part. Not when you’re lookin’ like that.”

Your eyebrows shoot up.

“Excuse me?”

He steps closer. Just enough to feel the heat of him.

“So,” he says, voice lower now. “I know I’m supposed to teach kids about fire safety, but you?”

You tilt your head. “Yeah?”

“You’re kinda making me forget all the rules.”

You bite your lip, heart hammering. “That a line you use often?”

“Only when I mean it.”

You’re definitely blushing now. “Uh-huh. You gonna charm the kids like that too?”

“I dunno,” he teases. “Think they’ll appreciate a ‘damn, teach’ moment?”

You try—really try—not to laugh. You fail.

The kids love him, of course. He talks about fire drills and escape plans and even lets them sit in the driver’s seat of the truck out front. They cheer. They squeal. He winks at you at least three times, and each time it knocks a year off your life expectancy.

By the end, when your classroom is empty and the chaos has cleared, you find him lingering at the door, helmet back under his arm.

“Thanks for coming,” you say, arms folded, leaning against a desk.

He grins. “Thanks for not calling HR on me.”

“I thought about it.”

He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. Hands it to you.

It’s a business card.

You raise a brow. “Calling in a fire?”

He shrugs. “Or dinner. Whichever comes first.”

You smile despite yourself. “You really don’t quit, huh?”

Dean winks. “You’ll get used to it.”

And just like that, he’s gone—leaving behind the faint smell of smoke, engine grease, and whatever cologne should be bottled and sold under the name trouble.

You glance down at the card, still warm in your hand.

Looks like Firefighter Day might become your new favorite school holiday.

ꔛ. navigation 𓂃˖ ࣪ all drabbles ; compatibility readings ; support my work .ᐟ

[erwinsvow]

rafe carrying kook trio reader because her feet hurt from wearing heels 🥹🥹

wait soooo obsessed with this visual ♡

a little too drunk and entirely too trusting, like always, you end up stumbling next to rafe and kelce on the way back to rafe's truck from the party. top was a fallen soldier, sticking behind with whatever girl he was now using to distract himself from his ex.

"how fuckin' far did he park?" rafe grumbles, questioning why he ever let topper drive his car.

"you know he sucks at parking. always does this shit, leaves the car a mile away," kelce adds, and you start giggling, holding onto his shoulder for support while you lean forward.

"i-if he can't park, how did he get his lic-ow!" you trip over a rock, your heels hitting the pavement hard. a shooting pain runs through your ankle, sobering you if only for a minute.

you think you should have broken a tooth on the concrete. instead there's a rafe-sized handprint on your upper arm from where he caught you, sure to turn into a bruise tomorrow.

"jesus, kid, can you be careful? y'worse than top."

"ow," you repeat, trying to set your foot down gingerly. the pressure hurts, and you hover on heel, bouncing around, gripping rafe's arm tightly. "it hurts, rafe."

you look up at your friend, wondering how he caught you so fast. you don't know why you're telling him, not sure what you're expecting him to do.

"shit. c'mon, hold tight." in one movement he lifts you up into his arms, carrying you like a bride. you loop your arms around his neck, staring at the side of rafe's face while he carries you to the car. you think about a couple things—how just felt sober but now feel surprisingly floaty and giddy, how quickly he decided to carry you, how the moonlight shines on his face and how handsome he looks.

the alcohol was getting to you. you really were just as bad as topper.

but you let your brain run its course, resting your head on his shoulder while he brings you up. he opens the door, setting you gently into the backseat.

you think he's gonna close the door and get into the driver's seat, but instead you watch with big eyes while he hands the keys to kelce.

"you drive. m'gonna make sure she doesn't puke back here."

"yeah, sure," kelce responds, and you miss all the sarcasm in his voice.

"shut it. just drive."

in the backseat, rafe moves your feet into his lap, undoing the strap of your heel and rubbing the swollen skin of your ankle.

"thanks, rafey," you mumble against the carseat, eyes fluttering shut.

"yeah. anytime kid."

[meganwritesfanfics]

Highway Don't Care (Dr Jack Abbott x reader)

Dr. Jack Abbott x reader

Word Count: 4002

TRIGGER WARNING: Discussion of car wreck, discussion of injuries, angst. I know nothing about medicine.

Companion Story: As it Was

“Why are we not taking my truck again?” Jack yawned as he stretched out as much as he could in the cramped Prius. 

“Because someone decided to work a shift the day before we left for vacation, and is currently running on 2 hours of sleep.” Y/N laughed. “And you know that I don’t like driving the truck.” 

“You can put in a chest tube without blinking but you are still scared of driving a stick.” He laughed. 

“Will you just sleep, you are too sassy when you are sleep deprived and we will not survive the 3 hour drive if you keep acting like this.” 

“Fine! But I would be much more comfortable in my truck and not in your toy car.” He teased. 

“Jack, you forget I can murder you and make it look like an accident.” 

“You took an oath to do no harm Doctor.” 

“I think they would understand.” 

Jack smiled as he reached over and gently placed his hand on her check and she leaned into his touch. 

“I love you so much.” He said and her heart swelled. She and Jack had been together for over five years, but everyday she still felt so lucky to have him in her life. 

“I love you too you old grump.” She said as she turned to look at him taking him in. “Now sleep.” 

“As you wish” He teased quoting her favorite movie as he closed his eyes. 

Y/N giggled. 

She barely had turned back to look at the road, when she felt the impact of the car, and everything went black 

*******

Jack woke with a groan, every part of his body hurt. He had blood on the side of his head. 

“Y/N,” He grumbled as he tried to get his eyes to focus. All he could see was the shattered glass of the windshield. “Y/N” he said again, hoping for a response. He could feel the ever familiar sense of dread washing over him. “Please,” He whispered as he slowly turned to look at Y/N. 

His heart stopped as he saw her. Her side of the car was absolutely caved in there was shattered glass all over her lap and her face was covered in blood. And she didn’t look like she was moving or breathing.

“Y/N!” He screamed as he tried to reach over to her, but the seat belt locked him in place. “Fuck!” Quickly he reached down to his pants pocket to grab his pocket knife. Jack winched in pain as he could tell his wrist was fractured, but he pushed past the pain to cut through his seat belt and leaned over to check on Y/N. “Sweatheart, open your eyes for me.” He pleaded as he held out a shaking hand and felt for a pulse. 

“No,” He gasped when he didn’t feel one. “Y/N, don’t do this.” And in that moment he fully kicked into doctor mode. He quickly reached over and sliced through her seat belt, one hand supporting her head. “Y/N, come on, I need you to wake up.” The minute she was free Jack started to pull her out of the car. His whole body screamed with pain but he pushed it down knowing that Y/N needed him. 

The minute he got her out and laid down on the wet grass, he started compressions. 

“Come on Y/N.” He kept repeating. His wrist felt like it was on fire as he put all of his body weight into his hands for the compressions. 

“Is she alright?” A voice called. “I’ve called 911, they are on their way.” 

Jack didn’t respond, his whole focus was on getting Y/N’s heart pumping again. 

“The other driver barely has a scratch on him,” The bystander called. “He is loaded though, there are open cans of beer in his passenger seat.” 

Rage rushed over Jack as he looked up from giving rescue breaths. 

“What?” He growled. “He was drunk.” 

“Yeah the car reaks. Who the hell is getting drunk at 10am in the morning?” 

Jack’s whole body shook, and if the love of his life wasn’t hanging on by a thread, and his hands weren’t the only thing keeping her alive at that moment, he knew that he would be on top of that bastard ripping him to shreads. 

It felt like hours before he finally heard the sound of the sirens growing louder as they headed his way. 

“Do you hear that baby, the ambulance is on it’s way. We will be back to the Pitt soon, and Robby’s working today, he will fix everything.” He soothed mostly talking to himself trying to keep himself from spiraling. 

“Dr Abbott?” A voice said and he turned to see that he recognized the paramedics. 

“Y/N isn’t breathing and she currently doesn’t have a pulse, we need to keep going with compression and…” He started rambling a bit. 

“Are you ok?” 

“Don’t worry about me, we need to save her.” He snapped as one of them took over on compressions.

The exhaustion and pain was starting to catch up with him as they all loaded into the back of the ambulance. 

As he watched the parametric work on Y/N, Jack could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn’t lose her. He wouldn’t survive it. 

Quickly he pulled out his phone, that miracuriously wasn’t damaged in the crash. He mindlessly called Robby his eyes never leaving Y/N’s pale form. 

“Brother, you haven’t even been gone from this place for a full 4 hours, what are you doing calling. I thought you and Y/N were heading up to the cabin this weekend.” Robby teased

“Robby,” Jack started his voice cracking. But he could hear the sound of the intercom calling in the incoming ambulance. 

“Listen I have to go we have…” Robby started. 

“It’s me, I’m coming in the ambulance.” Jack snapped. 

Robby froze. “What?” 

“Y/N and I got in a car wreck. Some drunk bastard hit us.” 

“Are you…” 

“I’m fine, but Robby, Y/N she’s… God… I had to do compression until the ambulance showed up, and she still not… I don’t know what I’m going to do.” 

“We will be ready when you get here. Jack. We are going to do all we can.” Robby said but he felt like he was going to lose it. Jack and Y/N were the closet thing he had to family. And he knew that Jack worshiped the ground that Y/N walked on. He had never seen someone more devoted to another person in his whole life. And he also knew that Y/N was incredibly good for Jack. The change that Robby had seen in his friend since the two had been together was amazing. He didn’t even want to think about what would happen if they lost Y/N. 

It only took the ambulance around 10 minutes to get to Pittsburgh Truma Medical Center and as they rolled in Jack could see the entire team waiting for them. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, you are not ok.” Robby snapped watching as Jack limped in, covered in blood. 

“Robby, she needs you, please don’t worry about me. Y/N needs you.” He pleaded and Robby had never heard his friend sound so broken before. 

Robby nodded. “Dr Mohan will you take Dr Abbott to a room to check him over.” 

“No Robby I need to be with her I need…” 

“Jack you know you can’t. You are hurt. Please go with Samira.” 

Jack looked over at Y/N who was in trauma one already and was surrounded by people working on her. 

Jack just nodded as he limped behind Dr. Mohan following her as she brought him into room.

“I think I’ve got a fractured wrist.” He started as he hoisted himself onto the gurney wincing with pain. 

“You are limping pretty bad, does your leg hurt?’ Mohan asked. 

“My leg always hurts.” He snapped back, he know he shouldn’t take everything out on Mohan, she was just trying to help. But all he wanted was to be back next to Y/N. He needed to be useful in some capacity or he was going to lose his mind. 

“Does it hurt more than usual?” Mohan continued. She had only worked with Dr. Abbott a handful of times, but she knew enough that he got defensive and standoffish when he was stressed. Not that he wasn’t always standoffish. 

He sighed. “Yeah,” He reached down and started to take off his prosthetic. “I think my prosthetic pushed back into my leg in the crash.” When he pulled the prosthetic off he coud see that there was quite a bit of blood. “Fuck.” 

While Mohan worked on Dr. Abbott, Robby was working on Y/N. She had broken ribs, and some internal bleeding from the wreck as well as a shattered femur. 

“I think she has a collapsed lung.” Langdon said. 

“Fuck,” Robby sighed. “Is Garcia on her way down?” 

“She’s stuck in surgery, she said she will get down as soon as she can.”

“I don’t know how long Y/N has to wait.” 

“I know boss, I’m going to put in a chest tube, give her the best chance. Have you checked in on Abbott?” 

“Mohan is with him.” Robby said and he didn’t know if he could face his friend again without having any good news to share. 

“He’s probably losing his mind, I know I would be if this was Abby.” Langdon said his voice cracking. Every doctor’s worst nightmare is their own loved ones coming in and their inability to help them. 

“Robby,” Dana said popping into the room. “They just brought in the other driver. .350 blood alcohol, small lacerations on his arms from the air bag, but that’s it.” 

“Fuck,” Robby sighed. “Do not let Abbott know he’s here, and we need to stick security outside his room, I’m sure the police will want to talk to him.” 

“How is she?” 

Robby just shook his head as he ran his hands over his face. “It’s touch and go, she needs surgery but everyone is tide up. I don’t know what he is going to do if we lose her.” 

“Hey, don’t think like that, not yet. That girl is a fighter, lord knows she has to be in order to put up with Jack.” Dana said and Robby cracked a smile. 

“Will you go check in on the other driver, if I go in there, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” 

“And you don’t think I won’t smother him with a pillow. That’s our girl in there.” Dana said seriously tears in her eyes. “I’ll send one of the med students. I’ll make it Santos, Lord knows that girl could frighten a nun.” 

“Robby!” Langdon yelled as he burst out of the trauma bay. “She’s coding.” 

“Shit,” Robby ran in. “What happened!” 

“We had her back and stable, but then she started seizing.” 

“God call Nuro, she most likely had some severe head trauma. And where the fuck is Garcia!” 

After being patched up and told that he needed to stay off his leg for a few days to allow it to heal, Abbott sat in his hospital room, running through scenerio after scenarios of all the injuries Y/N could have because of the crash. And he kept cursing himself for picking up a shift the day before. If he hadn’t he could have driven, and it would be him in that room not his girl. Y/N didn’t deserve this. Not after putting up with him for so long. He knew he could be an absolutely menace to live with. Some days he would come home from work and not want to utter a word to anyone. Other times, he needed to hold her as close to him as possible. She was he anchor. She kept him going. 

“Jack,” A voice said and his head snapped up to see Dana making her way in. 

“How is she, is she ok?” He rambled his eyes wild. 

“Robby is still working on her, so is Langdon.” She sighed as she walked up to his placing her hand on his back, as she rubbed circles. “How are you holding up?” 

“I’ve got a fracture wrist, but Dr Mohan’s got this temporary brace on, so it feels better, and my prosthetic cut into my leg, but she’s got that wrapped up as well. She wants me to get a head CT but I…” 

“I read your chart Jack, but how are you doing?” She asked looking into his eyes. 

“I…” And finally the flood gates broke. “I can’t lose her Dana.” He sobbed. 

“Oh darlin’” Dana wrapped her arms around him. 

“She’s my whole world, and I know I don’t deserve her, hell she deserves far better than me, but I can’t lose her not like this. It’s my fault. I took the shift last night, and Y/N didn’t want me to drive because I didn’t get much sleep. And she won’t drive the truck so we had to take her stupid fucking prius. It should be me Dana.” 

“Jack Abbott, don’t you dare talk like that.” Dana scolded. “That girl loves you so much. She would be so angry at you talking like this. And you know that the only person whose fault this is, is that drunk bastard who hit you.” 

Jack’s head snapped up and his eyes were filled with rage. 

“Is he here, did they bring that fucker here.” 

“Jack, you know I can’t tell you that.” 

“Y/N could die, and that fucker doesn’t even have a scratch on him.” 

“Jack,” Robby said as he walked in the room.

“Michael, how is she?” 

Robby’s jaw clenched as he pulled a chair closer so he could sit in front of his friend. 

“No, don’t do that. Just tell me.” Jack snapped. “Is she alive?” 

“She’s alive, but it’s not looking good Jack. She came in with a collapsed lung, internal bleeding, her left femur is shattered and we think she has a brain bleed.” 

Jack let out a shaking breath. He knew he should ask more questions, but he couldn’t form words. 

“She is going to head up to surgery, did you want to see her before she heads up.” Robby asked. 

“Yes.” He said as he reached for his prosthetic. 

“Jack, let me get you a wheel chair. Dr. Mohan said…” Dana started. 

“I’ll be fine.” He snapped as he stood up wincing slightly from the pain but he limped his way out into the hall and to trauma one. 

The minute he laid eyes on her, the seasoned trauma doctor froze. He had seen so many horrific injuries in his time both in the service and as a trauma doctor, but nothing could have prepared him for seeing Y/N lying there looking lifeless. Tubes running all around her and the intubation tube running down her throat. She was still covered in blood and bruises but Jack couldn’t help but think that she still looked absolutely stunning. 

“Are you ok?” Robby said laying his hand on Abbott’s back.

“No. I won’t be until I know she’s going to survive this.” Jack sighed as he walked into room and in just a few strides was by Y/N’s side her cold hand tightly in his grasp.

“Y/N, I’m here.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You are going to be just fine. You have to be. You cannot leave me. What happened to you taking care of me when I turn senile.” He tried to laugh but it sounded more like a sob. Behind him he could feel the eyes of all the med students and nurses staring at him. But he didn’t care. “You have to pull through. You fight, you fight harder than you have ever fought before. You are so fucking strong. You can beat this. Just come back to me.” 

“We are ready for her.” Garcia said quietly. 

“I’ll be here when you wake up. I love you so god damn much.” He kissed her forehead again. 

The minute Y/N was wheeled out of the room, Jack felt his knees buckle and he collapsed. Luckily Robby was waiting behind with a wheelchair. 

“Thank you for all you have done for her Robby. You gave her a fighting chance.” Jack said. 

“Don’t thank me, it was your quick work after the wreck that really saved her.” Robby said as he started to wheel Jack out. 

“I don’t want to be here anymore… I want to go home. Why won’t you let me leave.” A voice yelled across the Pitt. 

Jack looked up to see what was clearly a very drunk man argueing with Ahmad. 

“That’s him.” Jack growled and he was up before Robby even had a chance to stop him. 

“Jack don’t!” Robby screamed. “Ahmad stop him!” 

Ahmad quickly turned just in time to catch Jack as he he lunged for the guy. 

“It should be you up there getting surgery. You hear me you piece of shit! How is it that you walked away with a few scratches, and the greatest woman I have ever known might die!” He screamed. “I should kill you.” 

“Jack stop.” Robby said as he finally reached him grabbing him and pulling him back. 

“He did this Robby. He’s the reason Y/N could die.” 

“I know, I know Jack. The police are on their way.” 

“It’s not enough, it won’t be enough if she dies.” 

“I don’t even know who you are man.” The guy slurred and for a moment Robby thought about letting Jack have at him. But just in that moment two officers came in, ushering the drunk man back into his room to ask him questions. 

“If she dies Robby, I swear to God I will kill him.” Jack said as he started to stagger. Robby quickly ushered Dana to bring the wheelchair back over. 

“You will have to get in line. Everyone in this hospital has already called first dibs,” Robby said trying to lighten the mood. “Now, we need to get you up for a head CT.” 

“I do not need a CT, my head is fine I…” 

“At the very least humor me, I would like to know if your ego shows up on that CT since you got such a big head.” Robby teased and for the first time all morning, Jack cracked a small smile. 

***********

It was hours before any new came about Y/N. Everyone kept checking in on Jack, trying to make sure he was staying preoccupied. They found on head CT that he has a slight concussion, but nothing that was concerning. Robby would pop in and run through all the patients they had so far, he knew that Jack needed to work in some capacity other wise it would drive him insane. Dana popped by while things were slow and the two of them watched their favorite cooking show, the one they used to watched together when Abbott used to work day shift. Even Langdon popped by a few times. 

Jack had just closed his eyes to get some rest when Dana rushed in. 

“Jack,” She said tears in her eyes. 

His heart stopped. “Did I lose her.” He gasped. 

“No they said everything went really well, and she is showing improvement. They are relatively confident she is going to pull through.” 

His head slumped forward and he sobbed. It felt like the weight of the world he had been holding in, waiting for it to fully crush him was finally lifted off. 

“Oh Jack,” Dana said as she ran to him pulling him into her arms. 

“She’s ok,” He sobbed. “She’s going to be ok.” 

“They said you can come up and see her, they have moved her into a private room.” 

In an instant Jack was reaching for his prosthetic. 

“No, hey, listen here mister.” Dana snapped. “Robby has insisted the only way you are getting out of this ER is if you use the wheelchair. He told me I had permission to use the soft restraints if you refused.” 

“Who knew you were so kinky Dana.” Jack laughed. 

Dana let out a loud laugh, there is the pain in the ass Dr. Abbott I know.” She smiled as she helped him into the chair. As they headed out Dana called out. “Princess your in charge until I get back.” 

Jack felt like his whole body was vibrating. All he wanted to do was see her. 

He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Dana rolled him into her room and he laid eyes on her again, and he let out a loud sigh. 

She still was covered in wires and tubes and she still had the intubation tube down her throat, but her color was so much better. When he reached out for her hand it didn’t feel nearly as cold. 

“Hi baby,” He breathed and he pulled himself up so he could lean forward and kiss her forehead. “I’m here baby, you pulled through. I’m so proud of you.” 

Against all of the hospital prodocals, Robby pulled some strings and had another hospital bed added to Y/N’s room. He knew there was no way Jack was going to leave that hospital without Y/N by his side, and although Jack swore up and down he could just sleep on the couch, Robby wasn’t about to let one of the best Trauma Doctors throw his back out. 

He never left Y/N’s side the whole time she was out. And every day the doctors came back with good news. By day 3 they were able to pull the intubation tube out, just leaving her with cannula.

Jack was doing laps around the room, trying to get the strength back to his leg after being off it for a few days, when he noticed Y/N shift. Instantly he was by her side again holder her hand tightly. 

“Baby, Y/N, can you hear me.” He pleaded desperate to see her eyes open. 

Slowly Y/N’s eyes cracked open and she winced from the pain of the bright lights. She could feel the pressure of someone holding her hand as she looked to see it was Jack. The minute she saw him and saw the stitches on his head, she remember the car wreck. 

“Are you ok?” She asked looking him up and down. Her voice was rough and horse, and it hurt to talk. 

Jack smiled sadly tears in his eyes. “Sweetheart, you are the one laid up in a hospital bed, you shouldn’t be asking me if I’m alright.” 

“Car crash I…” She said trying to remember anything, but all she remember was Jack telling her he loved her and then the loud crash and darkenss. 

“Some drunk asshole hit us, don’t worry I have already talked to the police, that fucker is going to do some hard time.” Jack said and she could see the rage in his eyes. Carefully she lifted her hand up to place it on his cheek. “I thought I was going to lose you Y/N. You weren’t breathing when I pulled you out of the car. I couldn’t find a pulse. I… I have never been more terrified in my entire life.” He said as he leaned forward placing his forehead on hers. “You can’t ever leave me baby. I need you more than I could possible explain.” 

They stayed like this for a while, Jack finding comfort in the sound of her labored breathing. 

“Well, I don’t have a ride anymore, so I wouldn’t be able to leave even if I wanted to.” She teased. “Guess you are going to have to teach me how to drive the truck.” 

Jack laughed as he leaned down to kiss her.

I'm thinking about writing a second part about the readers' recovery. Let me know if you would be interested in reading it.

[sarah-the-bird-nerd]

You Can't Park There

Note: This was suggested in The Pitt Crew discord server and my brain just ran with it

Warnings: Fluff, Fem!Reader, amputee Jack, established relationship, People being assholes in public,no beta.

Summary: Jack has a rough night, which quickly becomes a rough day, only getting worse when someone decides that he's not disabled enough.

More often than not, you forgot that technically, Jack was disabled. He didn't like the label, neither did you, and it wasn't often that his leg was a hindrance. Every once in a while though, Jack would have an awful day, and it usually followed a bad shift, one where he moved non-stop and his prosthetic irritated his stump to the point that when he got home the prosthetic would come right off and he would resort to using his crutches around the house to give his leg a rest. You could tell with one look at him what kind of day he was having, and this morning was no different. It was Saturday, and Jack was just coming off shift with four glorious days off to look forward to. As you did every morning, weekend or not, you got up early to make sure that you had breakfast ready for Jack. It was something that you did to maximize your time with him. You had a regular 9 to 5 office job, and the short window in the morning when he got home and when he got up was precious to both of you.

You were in the kitchen, preparing a steak and egg breakfast, when you heard his truck coming down the long driveway. You had timed breakfast perfectly, moving the food to two plates, a coffee ready for you and for him a beer. Someone would think beer at 7:30 in the morning was wrong, but when you work nights, 7:30 am is your nighttime, and you were more than happy to provide the beer for your husband. You set everything on the table. frowning a bit, as Jack was slow to get out of the truck. Peaking out the kitchen window, you could see him slowly moving, the seatbelt coming off and the driver's side door opening. You couldn't hear the groan he let out, but you know he did, and when he moved around the truck to grab his go bag, you could see the pain in his face, his gait leaning heavily on his left side to take pressure off of his right. You cursed before making a quick dash up the stairs, grabbing his crutches from the bedroom and running back down. You managed to beat him to the porch.

You rested the crutches against the porch swing before meeting him at the bottom of the stairs. He stopped in front of you with a tired sigh. "Bad night?" You didn't need to ask, you just knew, but you always asked, let him vocalize it. He looked down at you with a weary stare before nodding. "Very. I don't think I sat more than 5 minutes all night." You cringed, knowing that despite the facade he tried to have, he often needed to find a moment to take the weight off of his prosthetic for at least 10 minutes every couple of hours. You sighed, knowing better than to lecture him; he was stubborn, and that was just one of the things you loved about him. You moved to his right side, wrapping an arm around his waist for support and started to help him up the stairs.

"Come on, we just have to get you to the swing, we can get that leg off, and you can get some rest. Breakfast is on the table, and once you're done, you're going right to the shower and bed, no arguments." You were firm, knowing that he would argue if you weren't. He was always trying to be the tough one, and over time, you've learned to force him to let you be the tough one for him. Once you got him on the swing, you knelt in front of him. Jack settled back into the swing, stretching his bad leg out for you. Carefully, you removed his prosthetic, setting it to the side and cringing at how irritated it looked. You sighed, patting the side of his leg. "I'll be right back, don't move!" Jack didn't say a word as you stood, dashing upstairs to the master bathroom and grabbed a washcloth, soaking it in cold water before running back downstairs with it. Kneeling back in front of him, you wiped down the area, hoping the cool water would help calm the irritation. Jack hissed, and you weren't sure if it was from pain or the cold. You looked up at him carefully, watching him tip his head back, his eyes closing. You took that as a good sign, gently massaging the area before patting him on the knee.

"You good?" Jack's eyes opened, and he nodded wearily. "Yeah, I'm good." You stood, reaching for his crutches. "Here, I know you hate them, but use them at least until you go to bed, please, give your leg some rest." You picked up his prosthetic, walking away with it so he couldn't put it back on and had to use the crutches. You smirked a bit as you heard him behind you. "Some would consider this abuse!" You turned a bit, watching him move effortlessly on the crutches. "Mhm...I left you the crutches, the courts would disagree" You watched him move to the kitchen before you took the prosthetic upstairs, leaving it next to his side of the bed, knowing it would go back on as soon as he woke up. When you returned to the kitchen, you found him digging into breakfast, beer in hand.

You grabbed your plate and went to move past him to your seat, yelping a bit as his thick arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you into his lap. "Pretty girls are supposed to sit in my lap." You arched an eyebrow. "Got many girls sitting in your lap then, Dr. Abbot?" He grinned at you, cupping the back of your head and pulling you in for a soft kiss. There was no rushing, it was short, sweet and chaste, him tasting of beer, you of coffee. After pulling away, he rested his forehead against yours. "Only you. Only ever you." You hummed softly. "Better not be, I will take your legs and your crutches and then kick your ass." He chuckled. "See? Abuse!" You smacked his shoulder lightly before leaning against him and slowly eating your breakfast with him, sinking into comfortable silence. Once finished, Jack went up to have a shower while you cleaned up the kitchen, waiting until the shower switched off to start the dishwasher.

You slowly made your way upstairs, arriving in the bedroom just as Jack was crawling into bed, the blackout curtains pulled shut, the police scanner running for some white noise. You leaned over him, giving him a quick kiss. "Did you still want to go shopping with me, or did you want me to just go while you sleep?" Jack shook his head. "Don't you dare go without me. Just get me up around 1 and we'll go." He said as he yawned. "Need to transition to day mode anyway with these four days off." You nodded, leaning to kiss him again before leaving the room and closing the door so he could sink into sleep...or you hoped he did anyway, knowing how awful his sleep was.

—

While Jack slept, you made a shopping list, both for groceries and other little things that you needed, like some new plants, curtains, and whatever else you could think of, you always tried to save all of the shopping for when you both could go, using it to spend time together, once your list was put together you moved about the house, tidying up before curling up on the sofa with a book, getting lost in the fantasy world, only to be jolted out of it aggressively by the alarm that you had set on your phone, ensuring that you would wake Jack up on time. You stretched before placing you bookmark and moving to the kitchen, using your Keurig to make sure that Jack had a coffee waiting when you woke him. Slowly, you made your way up the stairs, his coffee ready on the counter for him once he was mobile. Creeping into the bedroom, you don't know why you're startled when you find him staring directly at you; he's a light sleeper, a consequence of his army days.

"Did you sleep at all?" You asked, leaning over him before shrieking as one of his arms wraps around your waist, pulling you into the bed with him as he rolls you and nuzzles his face into your neck, practically purring. "Got enough, you know me." You did know him, and no matter how exhausted he was, he'd say he needed next to no sleep. You hummed as he kissed his way down your neck before sinking his teeth into your collarbone. You lay there with him, fingers carding through his hair and simply relaxed into him as his hands massaged your hips. "How's your leg feel?" He sighed, his hands tightening on your hips. "Better, not 100% but tolerable." You hummed, trying to gauge just how bad it was because he would always downplay it. He rolls you again so that he's on his back, arms wrapped tightly around you. "Suppose I should get up and dressed so we can get the shopping done?"

—

45 minutes later, you found yourself in Jack's truck, on your way to Costco, his hand in yours and soft rock playing on the radio. The drive was quiet, both of you just enjoying being together for the drive. Jack had put his prosthetic back on before you left, too stubborn to rely on his crutches outside of the home if he could help it. He swore it was fine, but when he pulled into the parking lot and chose one of the handicap spots, you raised an eyebrow. Despite having a disabled veteran license plate, even on his worst days, he tried to avoid parking in these spots; in fact, you could count on one hand the number of times that you had seen him park in one of the handicap spots. He sat still for a moment, sighing before turning to look at you. "Not a word" You shook your head, having no intention to say anything.

You got out of the truck, sunglasses on, purse slung over your shoulder and waited for Jack to come around to your side of the truck, reaching for your hand as he locked the truck and turned towards the store, yelling from about 10 feet behind you stopped you both.

"Hey! Hey! You can't park there!" For a few seconds, you had no idea that he was talking to Jack. People yelling in Pittsburgh wasn't uncommon. You both kept walking until the man yelled again.

"You in the fucking truck! I'm talking to you! You can't park there you piece of shit." You felt Jack stiffen, his hand squeezing yours and a tired sigh leaving him before he turned. You had heard of people doing things like this, seen videos on Youtube, but you never thought that you would see it in person, let alone it be happening to your husband. Jack was calm as he spoke to the man. "Can I help you, sir?"

The man looked him up and down. "You. Can't. Park. There." He said, emphasizing each word. Jack scoffed. "Yeah, you said that. Wanna elaborate?" The man bristled at him. "You're clearly not handicapped, that's a handicap spot." You pulled your sunglasses up, placing them on the top of your head. "His license plate says otherwise. Why don't you mind your business?" The man rolled his eyes at you. "People lie. You can fake a license plate." Your eyes narrowed and you heard Jack sigh beside you again. "Look man, I just did a 12-hour shift in the ER, I don't have the energy for you. How about you just leave us alone?"

"How about you don't take a space someone actually needs?" You had enough, leaning down to pull up Jack's pant leg as Jack looked down at you as if to say 'What the fuck are you doing?' You showed the man just enough to make his eyes go wide. "I assure you, sir, that my husband served this country and has more than earned the right to park in that spot. Now, is this disabled enough for you, or do I need to take his prosthetic off and beat you with it for you to get a clue?"

The man looked startled, apologising sheepishly and thanking Jack for his service before rushing away. Jack could only stare at you as you turned back to him. "What? He had no right! He doesn't know what goes on in your life, on anyone else's!" Jack just shook his head, reaching out to pull your sunglasses down over your eyes and leaned down to kiss you softly.

"That was the hottest thing I've ever seen."

[artisticdivasworld]

Navigating Technology in Trucking

Technology has changed just about every industry out there, and trucking is no exception. For new truckers, the amount of tech involved can feel like a lot to take in at first. From electronic logging devices (ELDs) to load boards and route-planning apps, technology has become an essential part of how the modern trucking industry works. The good news? Once you learn the basics, this tech can make…