#that i embarrassed myself in front of a grocery cashier ;-; | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

leviiattacks · 4 years ago

Note

CASHIER LEVI AND LIKE THE READER IS THE CUSTOMER AND IT’S LIKE THEY HAVE A CRUSH ON EACHTOHER

author note :: honestly not my best at all..... like at all..... this was actually pretty good but the entire draft got deleted and i just lost all my effort but i felt bad for starting it and not completing it for anon so you may take whatever i have managed to salvage. i hope u enjoy it :’( i am extremely sick rn and yeah writing is the only break i am currently getting from anything :-) SO AGAIN I’ M SORRY ANON..... i may write a 10k + word fic on this though so i can redeem myself bc this is just disappointing 😭

word count :: 3.3k

every single thursday you stop by ackermart. maybe it’s because the day is convenient for you or perhaps it’s because of a certain cashier that works the evenings...

HAHA it’s got nothing to do with a cashier why would it have anything to do with a cashier? :-)

today is like any other. you walk through the fresh produce aisle then proceed to make your way towards the bakery section picking up a loaf of bread

it’s stupid, you know it is but... you think you’ve worked up enough courage to speak to him today!!

and who is him you may ask?

levi at till number four. his tired eyes always happen to pierce into yours and his calloused thumbs brush past your skin when you hand him your rewards card

levi is what his bright red name tag says and although he doesn’t look like a levi you’d like to think your crush isn’t stealing someone’s identity so you believe that it’s his real name

anxiously fiddling with your basket you’re beginning to think this was a horrible idea

the girl ahead of you is flirting up a storm with him and although he’s not reciprocating it by any means you still feel deterred

levi bags the last of her groceries and looks up at her when she asks for a way to contact him. he doesn’t look mad... just bored?

“ma’am. this is an ackermart i don’t think it’s appropriate you ask me for my number. the customer service line is listed on our website.”

the woman raises a brow looking completely flabbergasted. okay, if everything before this wasn’t a warning THIS sure was

she stomps off when she realises levi isn’t kidding and you think you’d feel bad for her maybe if she was more respectful about it

“next customer.” levi calls over his shoulder and you shuffle forward pretending to be engrossed in your phone

“cash or card?” he asks plainly.

you hear the BEEP of your groceries being scanned and think on it for a while before replying with “cash”

you’re clearly pretty good at your pretend to be totally into your phone act because levi tries to get your attention but you don’t hear what he has to say till the third time he repeats himself

but even then you’re still unsure what it is he’s said????

looking down you see his hand is stuck out in front of you and now you’re even more confused

faltering for a second you look at his palm and then speak

“um, i guess your hand is nice? it’s pretty big compared to the rest of you actually.”

“i was asking for your cash?” he says and now you look at his palms in mortification

gasping you yANK your hand into your purse as you laugh awkwardly fishing around to find your money

“oh, OH i knew that. just kidding!! i mean- i meant that thing about your hand?? but i thought it was- i funny? yes the joke funny? i’m-”

he leans back into his spinning chair and sighs contently. “you’re not making much sense peaches.”

“pe- peaches??” you repeat. no way you’ve heard that correct

levi lazily points at the abundance of the aforementioned fruit in your grocery bags

“you must love em.”

“i, well yeah i do like peaches but i also like...” um??? what food would make you look sophisticated and professional?

OH YEAH

“FRENCH CUISINE :-)!!!!” you say rather proudly

“...cool. i guess.” levi hands you your grocery bag which is basically an invitation asking for you to get out

he doesn’t seem mad but he’s definitely going to look back at this encounter and laugh his ass off at how stupid you are

hanging your head down low in embarrassment you make your way out towards your car

there’s always next time!! maybe you can practice in the mirror yeah that does sound like it would help!!!

okay so.

it is officially next time.

actually you never got the opportunity to practice in front of the mirror because you chickened out of looking like an idiot even if it was in the privacy of your own home

but!!! you did try to practice some cool pick up lines because who doesn’t like a good pickup line or two??

the two mini milk cartons in your hand and the pack of doughnuts you have tucked under your arm aren’t too heavy so you aren’t too worried about having to wait in the line

for some reason the guy in front of you keeps turning around and glancing at you as if you don’t even exist

you are not casper the ghost

also casper is a little boy and you definitely aren’t a little boy

finally after a good five minutes the man ahead of you is having his stuff scanned but he’s STILL doing it. even levi notices and gives him an odd look which borders annoyance and anger.

“can i pay for your groceries? maybe walk you to your car?” the stranger asks suddenly

so that’s what this is, he’s simply taken an interest in you

my god this is new but it is uncomfortable and you’d rather say no

“oh, i actually walked here and no thanks i can pay for my own. enjoy the rest of your day!!” you hope your white lie is enough to fool the man but instead of agreeing as any other person would he looks majorly deceived

“i saw you in the parking lot.” ok this is getting a bit too uncomfortable for your liking

“c’mon i’m offering to buy your shit too?”

his voice is raising and you’re not sure what exactly you can do but thankfully for you the manager steps in and takes him away before any more threats can be made

the man had taken up so much of your attention you almost forgot levi was even there until you turned back around

“do you want a member of staff to accompany you to your car? it’s getting dark out.” levi’s comment helps ease your nerves and you try to laugh off what just happened

“i’m good :-)” you say shaking a little. you’re unsure if it’s the cold or the fact you still haven’t completely calmed down

“you sure peaches?”

“i haven’t bought any peaches this time.”

“you’re still peaches to me.” your cheeks flush at his confidence

wait, maybe this is your chance. you’re the last person in his line and they’re closing up for the day so...

“could you walk me to my car?”

and to your surprise even before you can take back what you’ve said levi agrees

it stays like that for a while.

every thursday levi walks you to your car by the end of his shift, all the while the two of you exchange a few words together

like last week you asked him what his favourite colour was (he said purple) you’ve learnt about his hobbies (he’s a decent cook), you’ve even found out about some of his own personal problems. he had mentioned suffering with insomnia in passing.

to be honest each and every time he walks you to your car he has to notice that you begin to park further and further away from the front entrance. but if he does notice he doesn’t say a word about it

“is that all you’re checking out?” you ask with a cheeky grin plastered across your face

looking down at your new dress your lopsided grin is far from fading away any time soon. you especially picked this one out after asking levi what his favourite colour was last week

god. this is so embarrassing but never actually have you had a crush this huge

levi who’s sat behind the counter shoots you a look which almost seems to be on the verge of uninterested. he isn’t entertaining this at all or this is just his typical bored face, you can’t really tell

BUT..... you still have a huge crush on him and you aren’t one to give up this easily

for the record you don’t harass him or anything, just the occasional hint is thrown around but he’s either really dense or doesn’t care

his expression does you no favours, you can’t tell what he’s thinking half the time

“you’re always buying energy drinks... might want to cut down on those they’re no good for you.”

warmth blooms in your chest. he’s just saying it to make small talk but the fact he even thinks to bring that up has your heart fluttering

“i- well- yeah i will!! just have a few overdue essays to get over with :-)” twiddling your thumbs together you think that makes your nerves too obvious so you begin to scratch at the back of your neck

if anything is a dead give away it’s your constant neck scratching, thankfully levi hasn’t picked up on it

“so you wore purple today?” his eyes linger on the thin straps of your dress and you feel the goosebumps rise up onto your skin immediately

“oh yeahhhh-”

“did i tell you yellow was my favourite colour last week?” he asks holding up a neon yellow pack of crisps and for the first time you see him smile

he looks so ?!|>\€|^ pretty ?!/)/&

wait?? yellow??

“didn’t you say purple?”

“no?” he crosses his arms playfully over his chest thinking for a bit

“maybe i did but no it’s really yellow.” he says as he hands you your bag

nodding your head you smile “yeahhhh sure it is.”

damn, now you’re going to have to find a yellow dress just to make him revert back to purple because who even likes yellow?? that’s a deal breaker right there??

update

it’s been two weeks!!

and a yellow dress has been found and secured B-)

it’s been a pretty rough day at work and you need to desperately collect a pack of green tea and get going

you don’t know when exactly being a secretary meant you had to babysit your boss’ children but that’s what the last week has entailed

being made to work overtime to this extent has had an effect on you and you’re ready to head home as soon as you swing by ackermart

not seeing levi for a week made you a little :-( because to be honest he’s the highlight of your thursday evening BUT!! you’ll be able to see him today at least

walking in through the entrance you’re met with connie smiling right at you, he holds the door open for you and smile back greeting him

“so you didn’t come last week...?”

it’s weird for him to ask that, after all you don’t really speak to anyone here apart from levi, you’re surprised you’re enough of a regular to be known by name

“oh i didn’t think anyone would notice? but yeah i had to work overtime you know what boss’ are like.” groaning you crouch down and look at the pot noodles on display

“i didn’t notice it. boss man did.”

“boss man?” you ask feeling out of loop

“levi.” connie answers as he hops into the backroom

????

isn’t he just a cashier??

“you still look confused.” connie remarks as he heads back out with a cardboard box full of pringle’s tubes

“levi’s the boss man, this is his store. he literally only ever mans the cash register on thursday evening because of you.”

at that you start laughing because it makes no sense at all to you

there’s no way connie is being serious

“good one.” you say as you stand up with a chicken flavored noodle in your hand

“i’m not kidding?”

turning around you give him a skeptical look

he sighs and shakes his head.

“listen. me and the part timers are tired of making bets on when he’ll give you his number and i bet that it would happen today so if you could confess to each other that would be perfect!!!”

“who said i like-”

“anyone with a brain can tell you both like each other.” he’s rolled his eyes so far into the back of his head you begin to take him a little more seriously now

“i... did i make it that obvious??” you’re directly facing him trying to get out as much information as you can

“yeah. very. at least levi wasn’t as bold.”

“i think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick he definitely doesn’t like me.”

connie gives you an “are you fucking with me?” look and you look away trying to distract yourself with the the canned goods lining the shelves

“he was worried sick when you didn’t come in for the entire week. he even asked me if he scared you away.”

“maybe i’m just his favourite customer?”

“favourite customer my ass he has a crush on YOU. confess.”

playing around with the ends of your sleeves connie sees he’s fighting a losing battle unless he gives you definitive solid proof

“please... i’ll get free barbecue if i win the bet and i’m kinda broke rn :-(” okay, you do want connie to eat well and be treated and maybe this is a good thing. if levi doesn’t like you then you can move on!!

“i’ll think about it.”

before connie can continue talking you make a beeline towards the tea aisle whilst throwing a “see you next time!” over your shoulder.

by the time you’ve gathered all of your groceries your basket is full to the brim. you’ve been lingering as much as you can out of fear but you think you’ve collected just enough courage to ask for his number

looking at the cash register levi is sat there and your shoulders slump. he’s probably going to say no and you’re going to look like a huge loser.

right as you’re about to take a step towards him levi finally spots you and gives you one look before standing up from his seat

“hi!” you wave at him

“...hey!” he smiles wide but he bites it back pretending it was never there in the first place

placing your basket in front of him he eyes what you’ve got

“hm... lots of peaches as per usual peaches.” the nickname that rolls of his tongue makes you tremble a little. will he call you that after you fuck everything up with this stupid confession?

his tongue pokes at the inside of his cheek when he gets to the heart shaped box of chocolates

“a gift for a friend? didn’t know you had those?” he teases as he scans the barcode

“gift for a crush!” you reply back enthusiastically as you dig through your wallet looking for your card

levi doesn’t respond for a few seconds and an awkward silence fills the air. you glance up to see him looking at you open mouthed in shock

“good luck.” he murmurs under his breath he’s not even returning your gaze at this point and is hurriedly scanning through your barcodes

“you okay?” you ask worrying about his mood

“yeah, yeah. great.” he’s quieter than usual.

the rest of your encounter is the same, levi silently bags your groceries and you can’t tell if this is a good or bad response.

just as he’s about to place the heart shaped box into your plastic bag you lunge forward holding his wrist to stop him

“no i don’t need those.”

he cocks his eyebrow upwards trying to analyse your expression and gain an understanding of your thoughts

“don’t tell me you’re chickening out. whoever it is will say yes.” he scoffs as he places the chocolates into the bag handing them over to you with a warm smile

there it is again. the fear returns and you swipe your tongue over your slightly dry lips.

no way.

is he telling you to confess to someone now? so he must not like you?

taking the bag away from him you scratch your neck out of habit and huff feeling frustrated

“he keeps giving me mixed signals.” you say hoping he catches your drift

“give him the chocolates and let him put two and two together. don’t even say anything.” his advice would be great if he weren’t the guy you were trying to confess to in real time

nodding you reach into the bag and bring the box back out before gently placing it in front of levi

“are you serious?” he asks and your face drops seeing the possible displeasure in his eyes

great, connie and the part timers just over analysed he doesn’t like you, obviously he doesn’t like you, why would he like you?

without looking back you hurry out, the embarrassment is eating you away now and the thought of ever returning to ackermart isn’t even feasible in your mind

at this point you may as well change your name, identity, dye your hair, have a few children and wear sunglasses the next time you come back so you look like a soccer mum and not the foolish y/n who thought they had a chance with their cute CASHIER???

god, you probably look like a creep

the sound of footsteps can be heard behind you and labored breaths follow before levi calls out for you

“please wait up.” he grumbles. slowing down your pace you let him catch up to you. he grabs at your wrist and sighs in relief

turning you see him savour the air

is this the part where he confesses he likes you too or—

“your receipt you forgot it.” he gasps as he opens your hand for you and places it into your palm

oh.

fingers clasping shut onto the paper you feel the humiliation seep into your pores

this.

is.

the.

worst.

moment.

of.

your.

life.

“open it.” he offer you a boyish smile and your nerves don’t let you find comfort in it

you grimace as you fold it open, you’re imagining he’s charged you an extra £100 for having unwanted feelings for him and if that’s the case you’ll die on the spot

but instead your eyes light up in joy. you’re pleasantly surprised

...

inside of the receipt is his phone number haphazardly sprawled across in black biro - you even double check by comparing it to the number for the customer service helpline

hello??

HELLO.?.!/)£ HIS NUMBER???

“if you just wanted to return the chocolate this is embarrassing.” he’s the one who’s now scratching at his neck and you find that he’s endearing this way

the streetlight from above illuminates him, the shadows cast over his face and his brows aren’t furrowed as they usually are

you open your mouth to reply but connie cuts you off unintentionally. he can be heard YELLING into his phone ecstatic that his plan has worked out

“I WIN!!! HA BBQ’S ON YOU JEAN!! MUST SUCK TO BE YOU.”

you and levi look at each other and laugh, reassuring the other of what has just happened.

well...

you guess this is the start of something new? maybe??

:-)

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wienerbarnes · 4 years ago

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A Certain Romance (4/6)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 2,111

Warnings: mentions to past abusive relationship, nothing too explicit, though

A/N: some emotional bonding✨ enjoy babes

MAIN MASTERLIST | A CERTAIN ROMANCE MASTERLIST

Bucky presses the little button on the side of his phone knowing the dead battery won’t allow it to turn on. He makes his way up the stairs to your apartment - the elevator is always broken - and hopes you’re home to offer him a charger.

He was getting a few groceries in your area when his phone died, the only place where his list was kept, and had no other choice but to leave and go back later. A curse with technology; a paper list would never run out of battery, he thinks.

He knocks on your door three times and he can hear the low sizzling of something, signaling your presence inside. It takes you a minute to come to the door, though. Longer than the amount of time for you to change your clothes or turn something off, no, it seemed to him like you were waiting to see if he’d leave.

Do you have someone over? Another guy? Are you expecting someone else you don’t want to see? Is it him you don’t want to see? He thinks he’d rather you tell him to his face if that’s the case.

It’s been about a month and a half since you’ve started “dating.” The two of you have started hanging out more frequently, relying less on when Sam asks about what the two of you are doing and going more based on when you genuinely want to see each other. In a friendly manner, of course.

After he knocks a second time is when he hears a quiet shuffling on the other side approach closer and closer to the door. A lock turns and you finally open up, Bucky meeting your slightly puffy and red-tinted eyes.

“Hey.” You sighed before turning around and walking back to the kitchen.

“Hi.” He starts.

You were clearly crying. While Bucky would call the two of you good friends at this point - as well as fake lovers - he’s not sure if he’s in a position to pry about what’s wrong with you. Should he ignore it? Not bring too much attention to your obvious emotions? Bring all the attention to it and try to fix whatever the problem is?

“I, uhh, my phone died and I was in the area, so I wanted to ask if I could borrow a charger?” He starts. Maybe introducing a topic that has nothing to do with whatever is causing you to feel this way will help.

“Coffee table.” Is your curt response.

He takes the minute it takes him to plug his phone into the wall and set it on the coffee table to think of how he can go about this.

“You okay? Actually, don’t answer that - bad question. Clearly you’re not okay…” He tries, quickly shutting himself up when you sigh and slump a bit in front of the stove.

“What are you making?” He slowly walks over to where you are, a pan in front of you on one of the burners.

“Apple and brie mini sandwiches.” You say. More words, same sad tone. Still progress.

“Want me to take over and you can chill out on the couch?” He offers quietly.

“No. I - I want to keep myself busy.”

Progress.

“Okay. Anything I can do to help?”

You let out a shaky breath. His eyes focus on your face as tears gather around the rims of your eyes and you bite down on your bottom lip. A tear drops from your left eye and your hand quickly reaches to brush it away, as though Bucky didn’t already see it.

“Um, can you set up a couple of plates on the table?” You ask, voice strained.

He nods and moves towards your cupboard, setting the table up wordlessly.

The two of you remain silent as he fiddles with the napkins on the table and you finish up browning the bread of the sandwiches. He finally hears the click of the stove turning off and you bring the pan to the table, setting it on top of a piece of cork.

You serve him two sandwiches and yourself one and finally sit down next to him, letting out another sigh.

“I thought I saw my ex today at the market. And it took the entire time I was running back to my apartment in fear to remember that he’s in jail. Four states away.”

He looks over at you and realizes that the look in your eyes he thought was sadness isn't sadness at all. It’s exhaustion. A look he wore himself very often in his days of hiding, days of constantly looking over his shoulder until his worst nightmare came true and he was caught.

Paranoia is something he knows too well and it hurts him to see you suffering from it too. He remembers the brief mention of your ex from your first date together; how he beat the shit out of you. And he imagines he did a lot more than that if it means he’s in prison.

A humorless laugh falls from your lips, “And now I need groceries but I’m too tired and embarrassed to go back. The cashier probably thought I was crazy.” You pick at the crust on the bread with your fingers and Bucky gives you a small, sympathetic smile.

“Eat before it gets cold.” You tell him, picking up your own sandwich and taking a bite, Bucky doing the same after another moment of looking at you.

Gooey brie and crisp sliced apples go great with buttery, toasted french bread, Bucky learns.

“Do you want to help me clean the apartment?” You ask him as you follow him to the sink where he washes off the plates and the pan you used.

“... Your apartment is spotless.” He tells you.

“I know. I cleaned it two days ago. But I like to clean when I have bad days, and you’re already here.”

He grabs the sponge and wipes down the stove, glancing over at you.

“I’d be happy to help you clean. Where do you want me to start?”

He planned on getting his own groceries today, but found himself on his knees slipping his arm as far as it can go under your dresser. I’m going to buy her one of those adjustable Swiffers for her birthday this year, he thinks. After collecting all the dust onto the rag, he tosses it into the pile with the few other dirty rags and glances over his shoulder to look at you.

Down the hallway, you wipe down all the frames on the wall one by one. He hears sniffles every once in a while, but keeps cleaning.

“Alright, I got all the low places and all the high places for you.” He walks over to you down the hallway. “What do you have next for me?”

“Nothing, we can stop for a bit.”

He’s gotten better at reading people. Through getting closer with Sam, through therapy, through becoming a more participating citizen in society. And through getting to know you. He can read you, and he can tell you’re holding something back.

“Anything else you wanna do? Anything I can do?”

“What’s your zodiac again? You’re very caring, you know that?”

“I’m a Pisces and you're deflecting.” He steps closer to you now, eyes less puffy from when he first saw you this afternoon, but tiredness radiating through them. “Talk to me, sweetheart.” He encourages quieter.

“Can we… cuddle? For a little bit?” You ask.

This is the first time Bucky’s ever seen you look so fragile. Not on that first date where you thought he was going to stand you up or when you told him about your ex. Not when you both discussed your deepest secrets on your couch. Not even earlier when you explained why you’ve been crying today. A timorous woman stands before him, now.

“Absolutely, doll. Where, on the couch? Wherever you want.” He tells you softly, seeing a bit of tension leave your shoulders as you gently bring him to the couch to sit, as though you were expecting him to say no.

He’d always used to make fun of Steve when talking about Peggy. Always teasing him as a brother would when the lovey-dovey talk would come out. But this is the very first time he’s ever understood a single thing he was talking about.

You’ll find someone, and they’ll fit you like a puzzle piece. You’ll mold to each other perfectly, and it’ll scare the hell outta ‘ya.

He’s propped up against the arm rest, one leg straightened out on the couch and the other planted on the floor. His arms are around you as you’re sandwiched between his side and the back of your couch. Your hands rest gently along his stomach, head tucked under his chin. A knee hooks around the leg that’s straightened on the couch, the other stretched on the remaining area of the cushions.

Like a puzzle piece.

You’re warm and you’re making him feel warm, both on the inside and the outside. He feels the way he did when he first pecked Barbara Albram on the mouth in grade school. Or when he first sat on a girl’s bed in her room when he was a teenager.

He feels like he has a crush.

“Do you know what love languages are?” You ask after a few minutes of silence. You’re both warm against each other, no blanket needed in the small space. He can feel your body much more relaxed under his hands and the permanent strain in your throat has disappeared.

“No. Sounds nice.”

“It’s the way you express and experience love, either with a romantic partner, a friend, family, that sort of thing. There’s five.”

“What are they?”

“Words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and gifts.”

He hums, an arm absentmindedly trailing up and down your back.

“I’m not sure what mine is.” He says, thinking back to every relationship he’s ever had, both romantic and not.

“You can be a mix of them. I think you like to express love through acts of service. You did just help me clean half the apartment. And when you told me about helping Sam and Sarah with the boat.” You mention.

“What’s yours?”

“Physical touch. But he kind of fucked that up for me, though.” You scoff.

“I used to love holding hands, hugging, kissing. Not just with him, with everyone. I felt like I had so much love to give and now I have nowhere to put it. I wish he didn’t make me like that.” You confess.

“Only you are in control of that. He’s gone. And what he did was terrible. But it’s up to you to reclaim that. If you have a lot of love you want to give, give it. There’s no one that deserves that love in return more than you. You are worthy of all the love in the world.”

He stays with you on the couch until he feels your breathing slow a bit and your body relaxes against his, small snores and heavy breaths leaving your mouth as you finally rest.

He hears a buzz on the table and is reminded of the reason he came over in the first place. He carefully reaches over to the table and is glad that he’s able to reach without moving you around too much. He presses the button on the side to see a now fully-illuminated screen and a charged battery, as well as a text from Sam.

Double date friday night. Bring ur girl. I’m picking the place

He doesn’t let himself be upset at the fact that Sam’s bound to choose a place that requires him to wear a clown suit because he’s too caught up on it being a double date.

He hasn’t been on a double date since when he shipped out for the war. And times were very different then; he was very different. He’d be nervous even if he wasn’t fake dating you and was going with a real girlfriend.

Maybe I can cancel, tell him I’m busy. You know that won’t work though! You’ll reschedule over and over and over again until Sam just shows up out of the blue with his girlfriend, even worse if it’s an occasion where you tell Sam you are with her when you’re not. Bit the bullet, Barnes, it won’t kill you.

He glances down at your sleeping face, calm expression soothing his own nerves now that he’s replied with a text confirming both of your presences.

It’s only a double date, what’s the worst that can happen?

#bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes au #marvel #famous last words

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notkageyamasprincess · 4 years ago

Text

embarrassing things about them | pt. ii

aoba johsai

request: Hey hey hey!!! Your crack hcs about embarassing karasuno sent me into another dimension 😆 when you get a chance, could you embarass seijoh next? PLS EMBARRASS THE SEIJOH 4 ITD BE SO FUNNY @wakeupsunshineee

request: i’m just here to say that i loved your “embarrassing things they do” headcanons 😭😭😭 had me giggling hehehe. would you please do one for seijoh? 🥺 @aiiishiiiteru

notes: my heart went ✨💓🥺 so happy that you guys are enjoying these so far n thank u for requesting! i hope i did them justice 🤧

genre/warnings: just pure crack

oikawa tōru

he did that “open sesame” thing in front of the automatic doors 👐

witnessed by a young mom with a child who were behind him when he was doing the motion

SMACKED the child in the face when he flung his arms outwards OHNO

HE STARTED CRYING the kid not him although he was also near tears

part deux just because he’s so embarrassing:

his nephew was drinking a pineapple juice box

all good right? until he squirted some onto his white pants

“i’m really sorry! wait... uncle, it kinda looks like you peed your pants!” “no it doesn’t, be quiet”

“HEY EVERYONE MY UNCLE JUST PEED HIS PANTS!”

matsukawa issei

sometimes just kinda…drifts off in thought in public

forgot his bag of groceries at the checkout once

usually not paying attention to store employees welcoming him into the store

“hi, how are you doing today?” “yeah”

also part deux bc i just had a thought:

got an unexpected boner in class and he was trying to cover it

the teacher thought he was looking down at his phone or something

wrestled with him until mattsun showed him what he had under his hands

well. it certainly wasn’t a phone, that’s for sure

hanamaki takahiro

late for school so he got dressed in a huge rush

he pulled on a pair of clean uniform pants from the laundry pile but oh, dear

he didn’t realize his older sister’s lace thong was trapped in one of the pantlegs

IT SLID OUT FROM THE LEG HOLE WHEN HE WAS WALKING TO HIS SEAT💀

a split second of relief that he made it on time and then ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE

“wow, i didn’t know you were that type of guy”

“oi, hanamaki, these yours?”

“interesting taste in undergarments”

“boy makin MOVES” “who’s the lucky lady?”

worst of all, the thong had to be confiscated by the homeroom teacher 🤠

iwaizumi hajime

this man is always so considerate to people in need on public transit

gives up his seat whenever he sees an elderly person or a mom

he gestured for a pregnant woman to take his seat

spoiler alert: she wasn’t pregnant ☹️

v v awkward rest of the train ride

yahaba shigeru

this guy tries hard to act smooth but he’s so far from it

keeps messing up his pick up lines

“are you a piece of art? ‘cause i’m at a museum.” “wait. shit, fuck, wrong order”

“did you just fall from heaven? because it looked like it hurt.” “what no, let me try again.” shigeru, you idiot

watari shinji

as a kid, his parents took him to the petting zoo and he really vibed with the baby chicks

wanted to hatch one on his own

took an egg out of the fridge and kept it in his sock drawer to keep it warm

brought it with him under the blankets when he slept

how long does it take for eggs to go bad?

“shinji, what’s that smell?” “it’s a surprise!” 😇😇

he rolled over in his sleep and CRUSHED THE EGG ☹️☹️☹️

THOUGHT HE MURDERED A CHICKEN

kyōtani kentarō

just filled up his lunch tray in the dining hall

he slipped and w h o o s h his feet just came right out from under him

exactly like how it looks in the cartoons

involuntarily YEETED his tray of food, that shit went flyin

THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO SAW

he didn’t know what to do. should he act calm? laugh it off? YELL?

luckily, iwaizumi passed by and helped good senpai

kindaichi yūtarō

really nice and enthusiastic towards service workers, but responds to them on reflex

“here’s your order, enjoy your meal!” “thanks! you too”

“this is your room card, i hope you have a pleasant stay.” “likewise!”

“please hold on to your ticket, and have a wonderful ride.” “awesome, same to you!”

??? takes him a second for it to sink in ¿¿¿

kunimi akira

just minding his own business waiting for the bus

probably listening to music and looking at his phone

a little dog comes up to him, lifts its leg, and just STARTS PISSING ALL OVER HIM

must have mistaken him for a tree or something i guess 🙈

had to hold his pants very oddly during the bus ride to prevent the wet spots from sticking to his leg

stank up the whole vehicle; it was a warm day too

but guess what he was on his way home from the store because you asked him to buy some toiletries like lotion n tissues.

oh, also a single cucumber bc you “needed one for a sandwich”

while he was fuming on the bus ride, he finally figured out why the cashier was giving him weird looks. ah

he started sprinting as soon as he got off the bus, he wanted to make you PAY if you know what i mean

a/n: yes, i have experienced some of these DO NOT ASK ME IF THE EGG ONE IS LOOSELY BASED OFF OF MYSELF I WILL CRY and ty to franz for asking me to start a taglist! 💞✨next one should be inarizaki but keep the requests comin’ if there’s a school you want to see!

part i | part ii | part iii | part iv

taglist: @sparkykatsuki

#aoba johsai #seijoh #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu crack #oikawa tooru #matsukawa issei #seijoh four #hanamaki takahiro #iwaizumi hajime #watari shinji #yahaba shigeru #kunimi akira #kindaichi yūtarō #kyotani kentaro #jia writes #alright just posting this before i go to sleep

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thewordworrier · 3 years ago

Text

The World Is Ugly

Word Count: 5,274 words. So, 5k and change. Category: Light Hurt/Comfort/Fluff? (I say ‘light’ because, while bullying really sucks, it’s not like my previous H/C fic. It’s not as heavy. I don’t think. Rating: Teen and up. Warnings: A little swearing. A little bullying I guess? But not too much so. Female OC. Notes: ~ Title is from “The World Is Ugly” by My Chemical Romance. SIGH. Why do I do these things to myself? My heart hurts. (Also, I told myself this would be a short little thing. I obviously lied.) Also also - le sigh. I write this kinda thing a lot.

Side note: There mayyyyyyy be a follow up part to this. At some point. I’ll let you know.

Part Two / the follow up here!

[Setting: Age 17/18 - Late schooling? Idk how America works XD bastardised version. Pre-established friendship.] - - - - - - - - - - A Friday Afternoon.

“So, did you dump that art nerd then?”

Down the other end of the changing rooms, Shelly froze in the middle of stripping out of her cheerleading uniform.

There was a snort. “Oh yeah, of course. It was never really serious anyway. Never planned on it being serious either. I mean, have you seen him?”

One of the others laughed. “I’m surprised that he had the balls to ask you in the first place. Why did you say yes anyway?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” there was a sigh. “I was bored I guess?”

“Did he cry?”

Shelly’s heart clenched and she quickly tugged on a top, shoving her cheerleading shirt in her bag and deciding to skip changing out of the rest.

“Surprisingly, no. He looked incredibly crushed though.”

“Oh, that’s just as good then, I guess.”

The other two girls were laughing as the blonde hurried past them, slamming the doors behind her. She didn’t see it, but that definitely made them jump.

She was angry. Absolutely furious. She knew full well, exactly what and who they were talking about. She’d spent at least a fortnight gently encouraging and coaxing her best friend to make a move, building him up and helping him out. He hadn’t told her who he had been eyeing up, but she didn’t mind. He was still a little shy in some aspects after all. And, he said that if everything went well, he’d tell her. Which he admittedly hadn’t done, but it had only been a week, and they hadn’t had much time to see each other. They’d texted sure, but that wasn’t the sort of thing that he would want to tell her via text. At least now she knew why he’d gone home half way through the day. He’d told her that he was sick, but that clearly wasn’t true. She understood why he hadn’t told her the truth; he would’ve been incredibly embarrassed and he would’ve been very upset. And it was this last thought that hurt and angered her the most. She hated the idea of him being upset. She especially hated it when someone hurt him on purpose. And then to laugh about it? To say you did it because you were bored?! Absolutely un-fucking-forgivable. It was probably this anger and rage that fuelled her as she (almost) stomped her way around the grocery store, huffing a little every so often. She dropped the attitude when she got to the registers though - she wasn’t a bitch and it wasn’t the poor, overworked cashier’s fault that the girls on the team were the worst kind of human beings. Thanking the cashier with a smile, she took the bag and left the store, stopping outside to put everything in her backpack before hoisting that on her shoulders and making her way to her best friend’s house. When she got there, she hopped up the steps and went to knock on the front door just as it opened. She nearly knocked on Mikey’s face. “Oh, oops,” she bit her lip but smiled at the younger boy. “Sorry Mikes. Your brother home?” His eyes lit up a bit when he realised who was at the door. “Shell! Hi. Yes, he is. Maybe you can cheer him up? He’s been really, really down since he came home. Does he know you’re coming by?” She shook her head. “No, not formally.” “He said he was sick, but I’m not so sure…” “I’ll look after him, you know I will,” she shifted on the doorstep. “Oh, god yeah, sorry, go on in. You know where he is. I’ve got practice,” he gestured to his bag. “So I’ll see you later, if you’re around when I get back?” “Sure,” she stepped inside the home and Mikey closed the door behind her. She heard him lock it before she made her way down to the basement. She crept down the stairs and stopped outside the door at the bottom. Carefully, she shifted closer to it so she could listen. The fact that she hadn’t been able to hear music from half way down the stairs was a bit of a warning flag for her. Especially considering the fact that Gerard’s parents weren’t home; normally he had music playing quite loudly when they weren’t around and he could get away with it more. So to hear… Nothing, the other side of his bedroom door really worried her. Shelly chewed her bottom lip for a moment before swallowing and knocking gently on the door. She waited a minute before she heard him speak from somewhere in the room. “Mikes, I’m fine, really. You’re gonna be late for practice.” She nudged the door open and stepped over the threshold. “You don’t sound okay.” Gerard looked up sharply to see his pretty, blonde friend standing in his bedroom doorway. His eyes met hers and her entire expression softened even more than it already was. She was worried - it was written all over her face. “H- hi Shell.” She watched him shrink further into the ball he’d been curled up in and her whole body hurt. “Hi sweetie,” she said softly. “Can I come over?” Gerard nodded. “Y- yeah, okay.” “Thank you sugar,” she stepped into his room enough to push the door closed behind her. She shed her shoes and her jacket, depositing them in the spaces she normally left them whenever she was over. Once she’d done that, she padded closer to his bed and put her bag on the floor before going to adjust the curtain hiding the window. “A little more light,” she murmured before opening the window a bit. “A little more air and,” she trotted over to fiddle with one of the fans Gerard had in his room, switching it onto a low setting. Once she’d finished with that, she returned to the boy, sitting on his bed next to him and lightly running her hand over his hair. Gerard sighed sadly and shifted closer to her, moving just enough so that his legs were touching her body in some way; so he had another point of contact other than her fingers in his hair. “How’re you feeling, sugar?” She asked softly, not wanting to push him yet. “I’ve been thinking about you today.” “I’ve been better,” he mumbled. “I’ve been worse too but, it kinda sucks right now.” “I know honey,” Shelly soothed. “Can I do anything to help?” He uncurled a little and looked up at her. His eyes were rimmed with pink and he just looked so sad - Shelly thought her heart might break. “Anything,” she reiterated softly, still gently running her fingers over and through his hair. “I mean that.” He frowned a little at her, mostly out of confusion. “I- I stopped by a grocery store before I came here,” she continued, still in that soft and gentle tone of voice. “I picked up some of your favourites. Figured we could maybe watch a movie if you felt up to it?” Gerard hummed a little bit and slowly started to sit up. Shelly noticed that he hadn’t changed out of his button up shirt, which set up another warning flag for her. He had changed out of his trousers though; she’d very nearly tripped over them before she’d opened the curtain to let a little more light into the room. “Does that sound like a good idea, sugar?” She watched him maneuver himself to the edge of his bed. “Or… I can leave, if you want me to.” “No!” He squeaked. “No, please. Please don’t go.” “Alright, alright. I won’t go,” Shelly leant forward and squeezed his shoulder. “I am gonna get up and go and look at your movies though, okay? I’m not leaving. Just moving.” Before he spoke, he placed his hand over hers on his shoulder and squeezed her hand. “Okay.” Shelly shifted and he felt the mattress move before he heard her moving across his room to look at one of his shelves. He rubbed his face with the sleeve of his shirt before turning to look at her properly. It was only then that he noticed that she was wearing half of her cheerleading uniform. He frowned in confusion again and watched as she pulled a few movies off of the shelves. “You got any suggestions honey?” She asked, not looking up from reading the back of a box. “Or do you wanna watch Star Wars again?” “I…” Gerard swallowed to get his voice working again. “We don’t have to watch Star Wars. I know it’s not your favourite.” She looked up at him then. “But it is yours. If you wanna watch it, we’ll watch it. It’s not that bad.” “We really don’t have to,” he repeated, slowly making his way over to stand next to her. He noticed her look at him before she shifted her body weight to lean on the opposite side - the side he was at. “What would you like to watch then?” She put the boxes back on the shelves. “I… I don’t know,” he leant his head against her shoulder for a moment. “Alright. How about we start with Clue? We both like that one. Then we can decide after that?” He nodded against her shoulder. “Okay, that sounds like a good idea.” “You want to go and sit down?” Shelly found the right film with ease - they’d spent an afternoon alphabetising his movie collection once after all. “I can deal with this bit.” Gerard nodded and padded back over to his bed, sitting on the edge and watching her as she trotted over to his tv and knelt down to put the film in the player. Out of habit, she hit the eject button first, just because she knew sometimes he fell asleep to films. She blinked rapidly as the machine spat out whatever he’d been watching last and she carefully took it out of the player, reading the title. “I didn’t know you owned this,” she shifted her body sideways so she could see him. He looked up from fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt and his eyes focused on the disc in her fingertips. It took him almost a full minute to remember what he’d been watching last and he blushed. “I, um… I got a copy, to keep here… I know it’s one of your favourites, and didn’t want you to have to bring yours over all the time. Um… I hope that’s not -” “Gee, that’s really sweet of you,” she carefully put the disc back in the case. “You didn’t have to do that at all. Did you watch it without me here to distract you from it?” A distraction? God, he’d never consider her to be that. Watching one of her favourite films with her was an utter delight - she’d mouth along to her favourite lines, or she’d get all… Emotional over other scenes, even if she’d seen the film six thousand times. Honestly, he spent most of the time watching her instead of the film. It took him a beat to remember that she’d asked him a question. “Um… I did watch it without you, yeah. But not because of that.” Shelly put Clue in the player and checked around for the remote, looking up to ask Gerard where it was, only to find him holding it up. She smiled and trotted over to sit on the bed with him. “Then why?” She asked, curiously before shifting to lean back against his headboard. “I, um…” He joined her after she patted the bed beside her, settling by her side. “Honestly?” “Honestly. You can always be honest with me. You know that I’m not going to judge you. Now c’mon, sit properly.” Gerard glanced up at her before letting out a soft sigh and moving his legs over her lap so he could rest his head against her shoulder and collarbone area. Once he’d moved, he felt her wrap an arm around his waist and she nuzzled into his hair. They’d sit like this a lot, although they’d switch positions. She would normally lean against him like this instead. “Isn’t that better?” Her voice was softer and he could feel her breath against his scalp. “Mm.” “You were saying?” She prompted carefully. “I... Oh. You won’t judge?” “You should know me by now Gee,” she gently took the remote from him and fiddled with the movie settings. “Yeah, yeah, I know…” He sighed. “I was just feeling really terrible. It always seems to cheer you up and I was hoping it would help,” he settled against her a little more comfortably and the volume of his voice dropped. “And you weren’t here, and I missed you.” Shelly tilted her head, hearing the last bit even though she thought she probably wasn’t supposed to. “Oh, sweetie. You should’ve texted me. I would’ve skipped practice for you. I should’ve skipped practice for you.” “No, no you don’t have to do that. You worked so hard to get onto the team - ” “Believe me honey, I really should’ve skipped practice today. I’d skip practice whenever you needed me to, if you needed me to. Don’t be afraid to ask in the future,” she pressed a kiss to the top of his head before tapping at the remote. “You ready?” He just nodded against her. “I am if you are.” “You want me to grab anything from my bag first?” She felt him shake his head. “Okay honey.” She hit play on the remote and they settled together to watch the movie for a bit. He could feel her stroking his hair with one hand as the other held his hand in their laps. Every so often she’d nuzzle into the hair on the top of his head before pressing a kiss there. She was so generous with her affection when they were alone, and he really liked it. She wasn’t quite so touchy-feely when they were out in public, but that’s because he had asked her not to be. He’d originally said that it was because it made him a little nervous, because he was a little shy, but really? He was terrified that someone might think that he was her boyfriend. He didn’t want that for her. Shelly glanced down at him when she felt him try to shuffle closer to her - like that was even possible. (What she didn’t know was that he was trying to smell her perfume a bit better; he still wasn’t sure what she wore but he really liked it. It smelt good on her.) He still looked sad and that still hurt her. There had to be a little more to it than what she’d heard and pieced together, and she wasn’t really sure if he was going to talk to her about it, on his own without any kind of encouragement. She didn’t want to push him, really, but she just hated seeing him so unhappy. “Gerard?” He blinked up at her, about half an hour into the film. “Mm hm?” Shelly let his hand go, groped for the remote and hit the pause button. But she immediately sought his hand out again afterwards. “Do you wanna tell me why you really skipped out on classes this afternoon?” Her tone wasn’t threatening or angry, or anything like that; if anything it was gentle and full of concern. But he still found himself burying his face against her neck. He felt her sigh; because of the way her body moved and because he felt her breath cascade over his head and his ear. “Truthfully honey, I know why. I heard a few of the girls talking about it in the locker rooms after practice,” she tilted her head as he whined against her neck. “They made me very, very angry; it’s why I didn’t finish changing - I kinda stormed out of there in a huff. I think I slammed the door behind me rather forcefully.” He found himself chuckling against her skin. She could indeed be a very angry little thing; he’d witnessed it before when she stuck up for him once, albeit verbally. It had most certainly worked because those guys had left him alone since then. “But,” she continued softly, carefully moving him away from her so she could look at him. “I don’t know exactly what she said to you to make you this unhappy. Can’t say that she was exactly forthcoming with exact details. Either that or I didn’t stay around long enough to hear them.” Gerard gulped quietly. “What… What did she say?” Shelly chewed her bottom lip. He had the right to know, really, but… She didn’t want to hurt him anymore than he’d already been hurt today. “I… I don’t know if it’s really that important,” she managed eventually. He looked up at her, through his eyelashes and his hair. “Please Shell. It can’t be any worse than what she said to my face.” Her chest tightened and she swallowed. “I… I don’t…” “Please.” She closed her eyes and relayed the conversation she’d overheard, swallowing again when she finished and opening her eyes to see him with his eyes cast down to where he was messing with the cuffs of his shirt sleeves again. She bit the inside of her bottom lip and was about to speak when he beat her to it. “Well,” he sounded so small and sad, but also like he was trying to force positivity into his voice. It sounded wrong and she hated it. “I was right. It wasn’t worse than what she said to my face.” “What did she say Gee?” Gerard smiled a little to himself, but it didn’t reach his eyes. His voice contained that forced jolliness again. “Oh, you know, just the usual.” Shelly could already feel her blood starting to warm up too fast though she kept her voice as gentle as she could. “I need to know exactly, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” He started listing off on his fingers. “I’m a loser, I’m disgusting, I’m a fat loser, I’m a freak, I’m a nerd, I’m never going to get a real girlfriend, I’m going to die alone, I’m sad and pathetic, I never stood a chance in hell -” “Stop,” she whispered, unable to listen to his voice as it started to strain and struggle with pretending to be okay. “That’s enough.” He hummed and looked at her. She had her eyes closed and was pinching the bridge of her nose. He reached out and took both of her hands in his, squeezing them gently. “I’m okay. Really. I’m not sure why I’m so surprised really, I just…” He let out the deepest, saddest sigh she’d ever heard. “I guess that I was hoping that it would be different this time.” Shelly squeezed his hands back, gently, before letting them go and pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes, letting out a growl of frustration before huffing quietly. When she removed her hands from her face, Gerard was looking at her, concerned. She blinked rapidly for a few seconds before looking him over. “I know you’ve heard a lot of those things from a lot of people,” she started quietly. “And I know I’m just one person -” “But you’re not just any one person,” he said, taking one of her hands in his. “You’re my best friend.” She smiled. “Does that mean my word is worth at least ten of anyone else's?” Gerard nodded. “Or more.” “Or more,” she repeated with a nod of her own. “Okay. I wanna say something, and I want you to listen. Okay?” He hummed and nodded. Shelly looked at him, watching him run his thumbpad over her nails, which she really needed to paint again, actually. “You know that it’s all bullshit, right?” Gerard looked up quickly at her choice of words. “What?” “Everything she said.” “I don’t… I don’t know…” He dropped her hand and hugged himself loosely. “Maybe some of -” “Bullshit,” the blonde repeated. “All of it. You are absolutely none of those things. You are a kind, talented and funny guy who just so happens to be a bit shy and a bit nervous. You’re not a nerd, you’re just passionate about your interests. She wouldn’t know what passion is even if it paraded around naked in front of her.” He snorted a little as he laughed, but his cheeks went a little pink. “You are not a freak. What the hell does that even mean anyway?” Shelly huffed crossly. “You’re not pathetic, you’re not sad, in the definition she means, you’re… ” She felt him let go of her hand and she looked up to see him playing with his fingers, twisting them in the hem of his shirt. With a hum, she shifted onto her knees on the mattress in front of him before cupping his face in both hands and making him look up at her. When she continued her voice was so much softer and gentler it felt like it was wrapping him in a hug. “You are not fat. Okay? And you are not going to die alone. Absolutely not.” He didn’t know why, but he believed her. Maybe she was just that magic. “You got all of that?” She said softly, her thumbs stroking his cheeks gently. “Y- Yeah, I think so,” he blinked rapidly at her as he nodded into her hands. He needed to stop looking at her lips. Shelly hummed and nodded once, trying to focus on his eyes. “Good.” “Okay,” he whispered. “While we’re at it,” she continued after a moment. “Like I said. You’re talented and you’re passionate; you’re kind and you’re funny. You’re so incredibly sweet, and who the hell cares if you’re a bit shy? I'd rather hang out with a guy like you who actually respects me instead of one of the footballers who keeps trying to get under my skirt.” Gerard blushed and she felt the heat in the palm of her hands. “That’s just rude though,” he mumbled. “I was raised better than that…” “Damn right you were. Remind me to tell your mother next time I see her.” The blonde giggled at the look on his face and let her hands slide to his shoulders before she sighed. “Gee…” “Mhm?” He seemed determined to maybe rip a hole in the hemline of his shirt, because he was awfully focused on it. Shelly crooked her finger and used it to lift his chin again, cupping his cheek with her other hand. “I’m not finished.” “Oh. O- Okay.” “You’re not disgusting,” she continued, her voice practically a whisper. “You’re beautiful.” He tried to shake his head and started to open his mouth in protest but she hushed him. “No, don’t you dare disagree with me. My voice is worth at least ten others’ remember?” “I… I did say that,” he met her gaze for a moment before having to look away. “So that means you have to listen to me, right? And take my word as fact? In theory.” She watched him nod before getting him to look at her again. “Good. Then I want you to try to forget all the things that utter bitch said to you and focus only on what I said. Okay?” Gerard nodded, actually quite willing to do whatever she said at that moment. “I’ll try.” Her eyes lit up as she smiled. “That’s all I ever ask for - for someone to at least try.” “And I will.” “If you ever need a reminder, let me know,” she cupped both of his cheeks and squeezed them gently. “Because I am more than happy to remind you how wonderful you are, whenever you need me to.” Gerard hummed and went red when she pressed her lips against his forehead. He watched her shift from her knees to settle back against his headboard, but it wasn’t until she held her arms out for him that he moved to settle against her again. Once they were both comfortable, she picked up the remote again. “Are you feeling any better?” Shelly asked, after the film had been playing for a little longer. “Yeah,” he mumbled before speaking up just a little. “Loads better. I wish I’d told you who it was though. Maybe you could have warned me away from her.” Shelly sighed. “I could’ve poked around and asked a few questions at any rate. But I don’t think I would’ve warned you away immediately.” “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything,” he whispered. “For like, the whole time. I was just so surprised, and then I started feeling a bit guilty.” “Guilty?” The blonde glanced down at him to find him tracing patterns on the fabric covering her stomach. “What on earth have you got to feel guilty about?” “I just felt bad about not telling you. And she’s one of your teammates! You’re my best friend, we tell each other everything. I should’ve told you.” Shelly stayed quiet for a minute, thinking and stroking his hair with him snuggled against her neck. “You know,” she said finally. “If she’s going to be like that, if they’re all going to be like that, I don’t think I want to be part of the team anymore. I don’t want to be associated with people who are going to treat you like that.” Gerard lifted his head off of her shoulder and looked at her. “But you -” “I don’t care,” she interrupted, shaking her head. “I don’t care how hard I worked.” He huffed. “But I know you’re not like them.” “Gerard. You are my favourite person.” He blinked at her. “I…” “You are my favourite person in the whole damn world,” she continued. “And I absolutely hate that they talk to you like that. I absolutely hate that they’re gonna say those things about you behind your back too. I don’t want to be around those kinds of people.” “I… Oh…” Shelly mumbled something that he didn’t catch before leaning over the side of his bed to look through her bag. His eyes dropped to his lap. Or at least, they would’ve done had they not been distracted by the way her cheerleading skirt had worked its way up her thighs a little. Not an obscene amount - he couldn’t see her underwear or anything, but he could see a lot more skin than normal. When she straightened up, she was holding two bags - sweet popcorn and savoury mini pretzels. “You wanna mix these together or shall we just eat them out of the packets?” “Packets?” He suggested before pulling a face. “I don’t know if I want to get up and get a bowl.” The blonde giggled. “That’s a fair argument. Packets it is.” They settled comfortably again and snacked on the food Shelly had provided. He didn’t put his head back near her collarbones, but instead settled by her side and leant against her shoulder. He did notice though, that she kept her arm around his waist, which kept him anchored against her. Not that he was going to complain about this in the slightest. “Why her anyway?” Her question was so quiet, he almost missed it. “Hmn?” Shelly cleared her throat. “I said, why her anyway? What is it about her that you like?” Gerard blinked at her, noticing that she was now overly invested in her nail polish. He briefly wondered if she wanted him to paint her nails again at some point. They did that sometimes; he enjoyed it and she said he was good at it. “Um… I don’t know. Now I think about it. I don’t know. I think that was another reason why I felt guilty. I don’t really know why I asked her. Maybe I realised, after I did it, that maybe I only did it to see if I could?” She looked at him after he’d finished talking and he couldn’t quite read the expression on her face. “Maybe that was a dick move,” he admitted, avoiding her eyes, suddenly incredibly worried that she was going to judge him. “Although I honestly never ever expected her to say yes.” “Doesn’t mean she had the right to say those things to you though honey. That was a dick move.” The softness in her voice and the use of the term of endearment made him meet her eyes again. She didn’t look mad, upset or disappointed. Thank god. “Do you think it was a dick move?” Gerard asked her quietly. “I mean, it’s not like we exactly spent any time together. We didn’t actually go on the date I asked her on or anything…” She thought about this for a minute, the credits to the movie rolling in the background. Gerard waited, trying not to stare at her while she was thinking, knowing that if he did that, he’d get caught. “No,” she said finally. “I don’t think so. Maybe I’m biased though. Besides, who knows? Maybe if she had actually given you a chance, you both might’ve gotten on well and had many dates,” she shrugged one shoulder. “Or something. You know?” “Mm hm. Maybe,” Gerard reached for the remote on her opposite side, switching the player off and turning the tv back into regular mode. “I don’t think I’d get on with anyone else as well as I get on with you though.” She’d watched him as he leant over her and her eyes had lingered on him for maybe a little too long. For her own liking, not that he noticed. With a hum, she turned her attention back to the tv to find him flicking through channels. He was nibbling his bottom lip, which meant he was thinking about something, and she doubted that he was giving that much thought to whatever the hell was on tv. Eventually he found some kind of terrible game show and put the remote down, his hands clasping together in his lap afterwards, a long sigh escaping from him. Shelly snorted, just a little, before nudging him with her shoulder. He looked up at her and she smiled brightly at him before pulling a face. It worked - he laughed before nudging her back. “I mean it, you know,” she said quietly after another minute, her thumb rubbing at her nail polish, even though she knew she couldn’t make it flake off that way. He just blinked at her. “Mean what?” “Everything, Gerard,” she frowned a little at her fingers before looking up and meeting his eyes. ”Everything I said about you.” “I… Everything?” “All the qualities I listed? Yeah, all of those. And I especially meant it when I said that you’re my favourite person in the whole world. Because you are, and nothing is going to change that.” Gerard looked at her with bright, round eyes and he just looked so… Happy, she thought that she might burst. She smiled at him and he went the lightest shade of pink. “No one's ever gonna change how I feel about you, or change how I see you,” she continued quietly, shifting so she could start running her fingers through his hair. “Especially not some… Some bloody tart who judged you without giving you a chance.” He laughed; properly laughed before hiding his face against her shoulder again. He was trying to stop before it could start sounding like… Some kind of honking goose. She knew he hated that, but she thought it was adorable. Shelly giggled softly and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight and feeling him nuzzle closer, his arms snaking around her waist. She buried her nose in his hair and hummed happily before mumbling against his head. “You’re just my favourite everything.”

#She Speaks #She Writes #fanfic #July 2021 #my writing

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xpeachesncream · 4 years ago

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acquainted | two

> series masterlist <

summary: the biggest goal of a grad student is to get through school in one piece - no petty drama involved, no sweating over the little things. however, that plan almost always never follows through. sometimes, you can’t help but fall into the most unthinkable, unexpected traps and learn the hard way. like, exhibit a: being unable to resist your engaged, substitute teacher, kim seokjin.

pairing: (2nd bts member to be revealed later on) x reader x engaged!teacher!seokjin

genre: grad school au, student life au | fluff, angst, smut (to come)

words: 2.0k

warnings: hoe-ish thoughts / implied sexual content, per usual

tags: @laurynne5, @yiyi4657, @bluesharksandfish, @miinoongi (pls msg me if you would like to be added to the taglist!)

You decided to stay behind with Jimin to get some homework done at the library. You were super tired, being that work earlier in the day was jam-packed with problems left and right. You literally felt like you had no time to take a breather up until now, if this is even considered a breather. You've also been feeling a little behind on your school work, and you knew trying to get this done at home wouldn't do you any good right now. You definitely wouldn't get anything done.

But damn, going home after grabbing your groceries and grubbing on some sushi and wine sure sounded nice as hell. Oh well, at least it'll be worth it.

As you sit in the far corner of the library with Jimin's back facing the entrance, you spot Mr. Kim walking towards the doors with another professor. You continue to write your notes as much as possible, but the distraction was evident and you weren't even mad at it. You continue to glance at him, just because he was simply nice to look at it, as he stood, hands in pockets while he laughed along with professor in front of him. Jimin raises his eyebrow and follows your glance, shaking his head at how blatantly obvious you were being.

"Y/N, really?" You were pulled out of your trance.

"Sorry."

"You literally can't be any more obvious." He laughed as he continued to write his notes.

"He's just nice to look at."

"Yes, I've heard." He snorted. "He's like, the talk of campus right now."

"See, and to think Taehyung was the only news that got around."

"God forbid he hears his spotlight has been taken away." Jimin responds sarcastically to match your tone. Mr. Kim glances over and coincidentally catches you looking at him, so he flashes that smile of his before returning his attention to the other professor. You return the favor toothlessly as he walks out of the library, bringing your attention back to the papers in front of you. "Stop!"

"I'm sorry, I really am." You laugh at Jimin's flustered look.

"You and Ryujin need to keep it in your pants."

"Calm down, we are." You rose your eyebrow. "But, let's just say he is single-"

"I'm not even gonna have this conversation with you right now."

"Hear me out." He sighs before looking up at you. "I would literally ride his face and bust it open for that man 24/7. Better yet, I'd ride him into the sunset. I would literally give it all to him, if given the opportunity." There's a slight pause before Jimin responds.

"Are you finished?"

"I think so."

"Never again am I giving you the benefit of the doubt." He waves his hand to dismiss that entire portion of the conversation, but hey, you were just being honest. A little too honest, but sometimes you just had to let it out. "Anyways, what are you doing after this?"

"I have a date with Trader Joes, then I'm gonna meet up with sushi and wine and hang out on my couch." Jimin chuckles.

"Fun."

"What about you?"

"Just head home, probably hop on Monster Hunter and hunt with Taehyungie."

"Sounds productive." You nodded in agreement.

"Wanna have dinner soon? You cook, I clean?" He smirked.

"Or.. you cook, I clean, or we can order take-out. Those are the only two options."

"Actually, I'm not opposed to cooking."

"Just let me know, date and time." He nods. Sooner or later, you both are checking the clock and packing up by the time you realize it's 7:30pm. You figured now would be a good time to grab your groceries since the rush has probably died down. You had quite the list of groceries to grab and you were feeling relieved that you could finally make the time to go.

When you arrive, the lot is still slightly full of cars, but you easily grab a spot on the other end of the lot. You tucked your jacket tightly against your body before grabbing a cart for all your needs. You can't lie, this is pretty soothing to you and you're pretty excited to walk up and down the aisles, browsing at all the unnecessary items you'll probably end up throwing in your cart. I mean, why the hell not? It only means your cabinets and fridge would be stocked for awhile—

"Oops, so sorry." You're pulled out of your exciting thoughts when you accidentally bump into someone trying to step back and bend down for some black truffle alfredo sauce on the bottom shelf.

"Miss Y/L/N?" You recognized that voice. Easily. Slowly turning, you see Mr. Kim and tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. Your body goes hot and you can't help but feel incredibly embarrassed for having literally bumped into him, yet again. He must be so damn tired of running into you already.

"Oh my god, I did it again." You facepalmed, causing him to chuckle. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey, at least it was softer this time. And you're empty-handed." You flash him a worried look. "I'm kidding, Miss Y/L/N. I promise it's not a big deal." Your expression softened. You can't help but marvel at his beauty and how truly flawless he was.

"You must probably hate me already."

"Well, I don't hate anyone for one thing, and two, I don't think there's any way that I can hate you." You softly smile at him.

"I swear I'm not doing this on purpose, Mr. Kim. I'll be more careful--"

"Call me Jin."

"Jin?"

"Mr. Kim doesn't exist if we aren't in the classroom." You nodded as you followed his lead with your cart.

"Alright, Jin. Well, I promise I'm not doing this on purpose."

"Sure about that?"

"100%." You both laughed before there was a slightly awkward pause. "Sooo, grocery day for you, too?"

"Mmm, yeah I figured I might as well since I'm still in the area."

"Do you live nearby?"

"About 25 minutes away or so in Orinda. You?"

"Yeah, right up in the Oakland hills."

"Beautiful area, I gotta say."

"It is. Sometimes, it has its days. Still can't hate it though." He nodded. You had both pushed your carts towards the cashiers at this point, and you took notice of the ring on his finger. Bummer, you jokingly thought. That would have been fun. You internally chuckle at Ryujin's hoe ass ways rubbing off on you, but at the same time, could you really expect a man like him to be single? Fucking kidding me? "Did you grab everything you needed for you and your wife?" You don't know what takes over you, but the question is already out there. No take-backs.

"Uh," He chuckles nervously as he scratches the nape of his neck. "Fiancé, so not entirely there yet. But yes, yes I did. Did you?"

"Yeah, I'm done. Or, I should be, so I don't grab more things that I don't need." You pointed down at your cart. You both fall in line together, with Jin going first. Afterwards, he grabs his bags and lingers around at the end of the cashier.

"Let me grab those for you and walk you to your car."

"I got it."

"No, I got it." He insists as he gently grabs the bags from you. "Besides, it's dark out."

"Thank you, I really do appreciate it. But, I don't wanna take more time out of your day. I am a grown woman who can handle it, you know?" You chuckle.

"Yeah, I know. And you're also a grown woman who lives in this world and it's close to 9pm." He looked down at you as he continued to follow you to your car on the other end of the lot. What a gentleman. Honestly, everything you told Jimin earlier stands and this man was doing nothing but proving your ass right. He could really get it.

When you finally arrived at your car, he placed your bags in your trunk and shut it close.

"What's next, gonna make sure I get home safely?" You joked, but you were silently cursing yourself because your flirting had been a little rusty and this was not it, miss.

"I mean, I would if you really needed me to for safety reasons."

"Well, that's sweet, but I'll be alright. Thank you, though." He nodded.

"You sure?"

"I promise."

"Lots of promises being made tonight Miss Y/L/N, please don't let me down."

"Just call me Y/N." You gave him a reassuring nod.

"Lots of promises being made tonight Miss Y/N, please don't let me down." He repeated, smiling from ear to ear.

"I won't." You took one last look at him. "Thank you again. Not sure how else I can thank you for taking the time out of your evening to do this." You open the door to the driver's side, with Jin holding it open for you as you step in and situate yourself in the seat.

"It's not a problem at all. Drive home safely."

"You too. See you tomorrow?"

"See you in class." He shuts your door and winks before walking off. With that, you had driven off to grab your dinner and head home. What the hell just happened? It seemed like the most basic thing, but you couldn't shake off how sweet his gestures were tonight. Damn, has it really been that long since you've gotten any type of action?! You couldn't help but think of his fiancé and how she must be so happy to have someone like him by her side. Not gonna lie though, you feel a little heartbroken about it.

"He's engaged." You drank a huge gulp of your wine as you facetimed with Ryujin. She snorted and shook her head. "Our fine piece of eye candy is engaged."

"Y/N, I love you, and he was such a gentleman for that, but you're such a hoe." She laughed louder. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? He is a grown ass man with a fiancé and he's our teacher! You need to stop having these impure thoughts."

"Shush, it's harmless. I was just entertaining myself with the what if's."

"Please. I know you. None of these what if's ever stay what if's. Your curiosity always gets to the best of you." Her tone rose playfully.

"What if I just want to have a one-on-one session with him?"

"See, there it goes. One-on-one over what? How to get dicked down properly?"

"No. To get to know him better as our p r o f e s s o r."

"Okay and why wasn't Dr. Bliss on your 'get to know me' list?"

"That's different."

"How?" You laugh. This kind of behavior was unexpected from Ryujin. You didn't think she'd be so against your hoe-ish thoughts. "There's open office hours for that, or maybe yet, a google sheet for him to get in contact with his students so he could set up time with everyone!"

"We're overthinking this."

"We? You. I know you want that ass."

"Stop, no!"

"Mhm, and he probably would too if you gave him the green light cause you're hot as hell." This sounded more like Ryujin. "This is some good, wild shit."

"Oh hush, no it's not. No one wants anything, no one is doing anything and no one should be doing anything."

"Wait till Jimin and Tae hear your thoughts." She laughed out loud once more.

"That's why they aren't on this call." You groaned. "You know what, I need to not talk about this anymore. I'm gonna go sit in a hot, relaxing bath. Goodbye."

"With Mr. Kim?"

"Bitch, alone. Bye." You chucked your phone to the side and shook your head. Where that conversation go? Absolutely nowhere. You were having a tiny crush on your professor and that was it. This too shall pass.

But lowkey, you'd risk it if he gave you the opportunity.

"You don't do that shit, Y/N. Not to anyone." You harshly whisper to yourself to shake the thoughts out of your head and get your bath started. You just don't do that shit to people who are engaged, let alone in relationships. You don't wreck the home they've built from the ground up.

I repeat: you don't lose that respect.

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ebthecelebrity · 3 years ago

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Raging Bull

I remember very vividly. There was a little girl swarming around like a fish out of water in a shopping cart frantically trying to escape. She screamed at the top of her lungs every 5 seconds. We were in Target on a Tuesday afternoon, and I was there because I had to make a quick grocery run for bread and a bottle of wine. The line was moving slow and the little girl was obviously not feeling it. Her yell wasn’t just a toddler’s yell who was starting to find her voice. It was a troubled scream from the pit of her little soul. She would yell and her mother would anxiously shush her. With two shoppers ahead of us in the check-out line, I realized that between the little girl’s uncooperating antics and her mother’s desperate plea for silence, a simple 15-minute wait in line would feel like an eternity.

Her mom pulled different gadgets out of her purse in order to calm the child down. She pulled out a set of keys and shook them like a rattle in her face. The little girl smacked them out of her hand. The woman walked over to the side of the cart and bent over to pick them up. She glanced at me and gave a nervous laugh. She then took out a dum dum lollipop and attempted to put it in the little girl’s mouth. In return the child grabbed the woman’s hand and bit it aggressively. She snatched her hand back and said a firm “No!” The little girl continued to yell agitatedly while beating the shopping cart’s handle

They were now next in line and I thanked God about twenty times in my head. I normally am not bothered by children and their “She’s just being a kid” behavior, but this one had me beat. The woman quickly threw her items on the conveyor belt and hauled out of there after paying. I could hear the piercing screams of the child headed out of the double door exit. I walked up to the cashier and handled her my wine bottle.

“I may need to get a bottle myself after dealing with that kid,” she said jokingly.

I gave her a dry laugh and glanced at the double door exit again. All I could see is that distraught mother’s face. The embarrassment on her face and her timid body language spoke louder than her child. My nerves were a little bad, not by the child’s behavior but on how the woman’s mental health must be dealing with this on a normal shopping trip. As I walked out of Target and headed towards my car, the brassy scream of the little girl was nearby. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked for them. I glanced across the parking lot and spotted the mother lightly fighting with the little girl to get her in a car seat. I walked over and said, “Do you need some help?”

I startled her and she grabbed her chest. “Oh thank you, I got it ma’am. I appreciate that….and sorry for the noise in there.” She let out a tense laugh. Her eyes were glossy as if she were fighting back tears. She was frazzled and her white shirt stained of underarm sweat.

“No apologies needed,” I replied.

The woman let out a deep sigh. “She’s autistic,” she said.

“Oh…I’m sorry. I….” I replied.

She cut me off in mid-sentence. “Don’t be. I normally can’t take her out in public like this. Again, my apologies,” she said.

She closed her back door and walked over to the driver’s side to get in. “Have a good day.”

I watched her back out of her parking space and drive off before walking to my car. About 17 miles down the road later, I started driving down a country road near my home. I had bought my house outside the city limits to save money on taxes and enjoy the calm, serene sounds of crickets at night. I was going about 60 miles per hour when all of a sudden, a big, dark animal ran in front of my car, causing me to slam on the breaks and come to an abrupt halt. I felt my entire body grow numb. It stopped trotting in its tracks and let out a noise similar to a frog. It was a deep and odd sound.

“Is that a damn bull?!” I shouted to myself in the car.

I tried not to panic and locked my doors, hysterically looking around me for help. I glanced over to my right to see two people running from their farm residence down to the residential street in an attempt to stop the raging bull. It started kicking its hooves up behind him.

“Oh my God, my car is red.” I silently said to myself.

The color of my car triggered the bull in a rage. The deep roar grew louder and more frequent and it continued to kick the dirt behind him. I glanced back over to the running men coming down a hill. I was unsure if they would make it in time before the bull rammed into my compact Kia sedan. Suddenly, I pictured the little girl in Target. Her actions were similar to the bull; untamed wild, and bothered. This was her spirit animal visiting me all over again. The isolation of both this powerful animal and the little girl resulted in erratic behavior. The similarities of being surrounded by people who didn’t understand them. The communication barriers that they struggled with in a closed-minded environment. The effect of sensory things like the color red and a noisy supermarket sent them both in a frenzy.

This story goes out to all the parents of autistic children. I see you every day. I see your children raging like a bull in order to gain acceptance and have others grasp their comprehension. The next time you witness a child that is uncontrollable, do not tease or pester them the same way you wouldn’t do that to a bull who is ready to charge. Rage is only an intense and uncontrollable action that only patience, love and understanding can calm.

#autism #autism spectrum disorder

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carroteen · 4 years ago

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Unluckily Lucky || Pt. 3

Pt. 1 // Pt. 2 // Pt. 3

Summary: Murphy’s Law states that “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”. As someone who lived under that curse, you learned to have a backup plan or solution prepared for any situation. But nothing could ever have prepared you for meeting Jun.

insp. by 莫非, 這就是愛情 (Murphy’s Law of Love)

After work, I stopped by the toy store the cashier from this morning had suggested, however I was only given an apologetic head shake; I didn’t really expect my visit to be fruitful, but I still went on the off-chance that there may have been one last action figure tucked away in some obscure corner. I leaned against the glass wall of the bus shelter, my phone pressed against my ear, waiting for the bus.

“_________,” my sister’s sigh sounded both exasperated and amused, “It’s okay if you couldn’t get your hands on the toy. You can always get Dohee something else; in a few weeks she’ll have forgotten all about it and moved on to the next shiny thing.”

“I’m just so frustrated because I was SO close to getting it,” I whined, flagging the bus down. I swiped my card and collapsed into the first available seat, “This stupid guy in front of me took the last one just as I got to the store.”

My sister started to reply but her voice was drowned out by loud singing in the background. “Dohee, honey, keep it down please; Mommy’s on the phone.”

I smiled at my niece’s cute antics, “What is she singing this time?”

“The jingle from the action figure commercial,” my sister groaned, “It’s the only thing that comes out every time she opens her mouth…I’m going crazy over here.” There was a pause, “Look, ________, I have to go, but don’t worry about the toy okay? She’ll be happy with anything…and come over for dinner one night, when she isn’t singing that cursed jingle, Dohee’s asking when you can come play.”

“Drop her off at my apartment some time next week. It’s been forever since you guys had a night to yourself; let the spinster sister babysit,” I joked before hanging up. The bus reached my stop, which was conveniently located right in front of my apartment, and I thanked the driver and got off. I greeted the doorman and made a beeline for the elevator, melting against the railing as the doors closed; today had been a pretty eventful day and all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and watch the newest episode of my favorite TV show.

“Are you serious? What is all this?” I kicked at a box in irritation. Once I got off the elevator, I was greeted by a bunch of moving boxes obstructing my way, making it impossible to go inside. “Who just puts their stuff in front of someone else’s place? So inconsiderate…”

I glanced at the slightly ajar door next to mine, barely making out a bunch of similar looking boxes through the crack; my old neighbors had moved out months ago and it looked like the apartment had new tenants. I had come to appreciate having complete silence from one side and hoped that my new neighbors wouldn’t be any trouble, but judging by boxes blatantly blocking my way, maybe my hopes were too high.

I made my way around the boxes in front of my neighbor’s door and just as I lifted my fist to knock, it swung open, revealing a tall, lanky guy; he had a small, v-shaped face and soft, chocolate brown hair that swept across his forehead. I yelped in surprise, simultaneously he jerked back, eyes wide. “Hi. I’m _________,” I lowered my arm and extended my hand out to him, “Your boxes are in front of my door.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re my neighbor!” he exclaimed, quickly grabbing my hand and pumping it twice in a firm handshake, “I’m Minghao. I’m so sorry about all the boxes, the movers just put them down wherever they wanted to…I was hoping to get it all sorted out before you got back.” He released my hand and made a move to go around me, “I’ll go clear them out of your way right now. Sorry again for the trouble!” he said apologetically, looking a little frazzled.

“Hey, Minghao,” I began, watching as he scrambled to move the heavy looking boxes away from my door, feeling a little guilty at thinking him inconsiderate and annoying. “It’s okay, I understand; when I first moved in, my stuff was all over the place too. Do you need any help? It looks like you have a lot to sort through.”

Minghao whirled around, looking surprised, “Oh, no it’s okay! I don’t want to bother you anymore than I have. You’re probably exhausted from work.”

I shook my head, “It’s totally fine, I was just going spend the rest of the night watching TV anyways, at least now I’ll be doing something productive.” I dug through my bag for my keys, “Let me drop my stuff off and change and I’ll come over.”

A few minutes later, I found myself sat on the couch in Minghao’s living room, taking things out of boxes and putting them into designated piles. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor by my feet, digging through a box of his own. Minghao was so easy-going and amiable that soon we were talking and laughing like we had been friends for years; I told him about my awful morning and my job at the dating agency and I found out that he worked as a veterinary assistant and was also part of a b-boy dance crew in his spare time - with a little prodding and pleading from me, he demonstrated some moves.

“You have a lot of action figures,” I observed, as I opened my second box of carefully packaged toys, “Do you collect them?”

Minghao glanced over at the box on my lap, “Oh those aren’t mine, they’re all my roommate’s; he really likes them.”

“Roommate?” I tilted my head, “No wonder there’s so much stuff here. Where is he?”

“He had a meeting today, so he couldn’t call off to help me unpack,” he explained, “His name’s Jun, he should be home soon so you’ll meet him.” He stood up and threw his arms above his head, stretching from side to side, “Hey, it’s already 7, you must be starving; I’ll make you dinner to thank you for all your help.” Holding his hands out, he hoisted me to my feet and led me to the kitchen, which was surprisingly uncluttered.

I sat down at the table and watched as he boiled some water on the stove, “You don’t have to go all out for me, I’m fine with anything.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Minghao laughed, “It’s just ramen; we haven’t had a chance to go grocery shopping yet so there's nothing but that." After a while, he turned off the stove and grabbed two bowls from the cupboard. “Here you go,” he placed a steaming bowl in front of me and handed a pair of chopsticks over.

He sat down across from me and we both dug into the noodles in silence, before continuing our conversation. “What does Jun do?” I asked, lifting the bowl to my lips to drink the rest of the soup.

“He works at a consulting firm, so he usually comes back pretty late.”

“So you work with animals and he’s corporate,” I scrunched my eyebrows, “How did two completely different people like you meet?”

Minghao slurped the rest of his noodles before replying, “We’re not so different; we actually met through my dance crew,” he looked up at my widened eyes and nodded, “Yeah, he isn’t a b-boy but he’s really good at stunts and stuff like that. He left to join a local theater group though; he was always super passionate about acting.”

I opened my mouth to respond but suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. “That’s gotta be Jun,” Minghao said, jumping up, “The landlord dropped off our keys while he was at work. I’ll go get the door, can you put the dishes in the sink? Don’t worry about washing them, I’ll get to them later.” He headed for the door and I gathered our bowls and put them in the sink, choosing not to listen to him and wash them myself instead.

As I scrubbed at the bowls, I could hear Minghao fiddling with the locks and opening the door. “Xiao Hao Hao, I’m home!” I heard a new voice sing out.

“Don’t call me that.” Minghao retorted, “And stop clinging to me like you haven’t seen me for years; you saw me just this morning.” I giggled at both the cute nickname and his exasperated tone.

“Who’s shoes are those?”

“Our neighbor __________’s, she’s been helping me unpack since someone couldn’t help.”

“Okay listen, you know I why I couldn’t call out; I should’ve just taken the day off, the meeting was a total bust anyways. Some idiot spilled on my shirt and I didn’t have enough time to change so I had to go to the meeting with a ruined shirt and completely embarrassed myself…” Jun’s voice got closer, “But that’s not even half of what happened today…” I stepped out to introduce myself and he froze when he saw me, his voice trailing off. “What are you doing here?!” he sputtered, his eyes bugging out.

Oh my god it’s the guy from earlier. I thought to myself, completely horrified. “What are you doing here??” I demanded.

“What?” Jun asked, his face a mixture of disgust and bewilderment, “I live here! Are you following me or something?”

My mouth dropped, “No! I live next door!” I spat back, my eyes narrowing, “I was helping Minghao unpack.”

There was a brief pause as Jun and I glared at each other. “Uh,” Minghao piped up, eyeing the two of us, “You already know each other?”

“If you can call it knowing,” Jun scowled, turning to face Minghao with a roll of his eyes, “That’s the idiot who ruined my shirt and basically ruined my meeting.”

“It was an accident! It’s not like I saw you and thought ‘Oh hey, let me just dump my drinks all over this guy!’” I protested, also pivoting to look at Minghao, “He’s the one who bought the last toy this morning and wouldn’t let me have it!”

“Again with the toy!” Jun grumbled, “I got there first!”

“You didn’t have to be so rude about it!”

Minghao watched the two of us bickering back and forth, eyebrows raised in amusement. “Jun, why didn’t you just give her the action figure? It’s for a little kid and besides,” he gestured at the boxes in the living room, “You already have two boxes solely for your toys.”

Jun glared at his friend, his features scrunched in indignation, “Seriously man, you too? It’s mine! I bought it first!” He stalked past us and into the kitchen, “Whatever, I don’t have time for this; I’m starving.”

“I should get going,” I muttered, heading for the front door, Minghao trailing behind me, “Thanks for dinner.”

“Thanks for helping out _________, I owe you one.” he replied, opening the door for me, “I’m sorry about my roommate by the way, he literally has the mentality of a five-year old when it comes to toys. Let me know if you really can’t find another one anywhere and I’ll try to talk to him again.”

I smiled gratefully at Minghao’s kind offer, “Thanks, that’s really nice of you but I doubt he’ll give it up. I’ll see you around though! If you need anything, I’m right next door.” He gave me a cheerful goodbye wave and closed the door behind me.

I walked the five feet to my door and hovered my hand over the knob, banging my head gently against the wood. “Why does the universe hate me? Why did he of all the billions of people in the world have to end up living next door to me?”

After closing the door, Minghao headed back into the kitchen and found Jun hunched over the stove, stirring his ramen with a pair of chopsticks. “So what was that all about?”

Jun glanced over at his friend and turned back to focus on his cooking, “What was what all about?”

“The hysterics; she really got a rise out of you.”

“I wasn’t being hysterical, she was.” Jun turned around, one oven mitted hand holding the pot and began eating directly out of it. “Everything that happened today? Her fault. I was just the victim.” His eyes flickered up to see Minghao staring at him, the corners of his lips twitching. “What?”

“I’ve never seen you get so worked up over someone before,” Minghao mused, cocking his head to one side. “Even with all that happened between you guys. What’s different about her?”

Jun rolled his eyes, brushing past Minghao to sit at the dining table, “You’ve been watching too many dramas.”

#seventeen scenarios #seventeen imagines #seventeen fanfic #seventeen #jun #my stuff

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bloody-britt26 · 5 years ago

Note

Could I request Piers falling in love with a single mom reader? Maybe she can have a Drampa who's very protective of her and her son/daughter because it doesn't want them to be hurt by anyone. Drampa love children so I thought it was fitting! Thank you!! ❤

This was so cute and fun to write! I made this into a drabble because I got very inspired for this prompt, and I honestly could have kept going. You guys can let me know if you want more parts to this!

🎸 Piers falling in love with a single mother reader 🎸

“Elias, could you help me unload the cart onto the counter?” You asked your son.

“Okay mummy,” he replied in a sweet tone.

You both set your various food items onto the counter, letting the cashier scan each one of them. You bit your lip nervously as you looked at the price go up with each item. You had bought just enough to make it through the week, now you had to hope that you had made enough money to pay for your groceries.

“I’ll go put the cart back,” Elias said.

You nodded with a smile, he was such a sweet boy, always helping you to the best of his abilities whether you asked or not.

“That’ll be 32,000 Pokémon Dollars, please,” the cashier said.

You nodded, taking your wallet out and rummaging through it. As you counted your money, you felt panic flow through your mind as you noticed that you weren’t going to have enough.

Oh dear, you only had 27,000.

You set the money down on the counter, cringing as the cashier gave you a funny look.

“Ma'am, there’s 5,000 Pokémon Dollars missing,” the cashier said.

‘I know, damn it!’

You forced a nervous laugh. “Sorry, sorry. Let me just- maybe I have a card or coupon…”

Nothing of the sort was found in your wallet. You shook in embarrassment as you felt everyone’s judgmental eyes on you. You pocketed your wallet rather abruptly and opened up your bag.

“H-Hold on… maybe I’ve got something to sell,” you said.

You rummaged through your bag, hoping to find a star piece, a pearl, anything. Of course, you had no valuable items left, except for the golden chain around your neck.

Your heart broke at the thought of parting with it as it was a gift from your grandmother, but you were in a tight spot.

As you were about to unhook the chain from your neck, you felt a light tug at your shirt. Looking down, your son was looking at you with sad eyes.

“But mummy, that necklace is important to you,” he said.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Don’t worry about it,” you said.

Elias was having none of it. He shook his head in protest. “Don’t get rid of it. It’ll make you sad, and I don’t want to see you sad, mummy.”

“Elias…”

“We can put the cookies back. I don’t need them,” he said.

“But I promised you a treat,” you said in a sad tone.

“It’s okay. You’re more important than cookies,” he said as he hugged your arm.

You didn’t even know how to react. You really were blessed with the sweetest boy. He was so mature for his age, though it was probably your fault. The reality of being alone to take care of your home and child hit you hard, and you couldn’t spoil Elias like other parents could, even if you wanted to do so. You sincerely hoped that you weren’t ruining his childhood.

You felt tears well up as you heard other shoppers in line mutter words of disapproval at you.

“Hurry up. We don’t have all day.”

“What a wreck.”

“That child deserves better.”

“Why did she have a kid if she can’t take care of him properly?”

A hand that was gently put atop your shoulder snapped you out of your sorrow. Looking behind you, was a tall and lanky man, seemingly around your age. He was extremely pale, visible bags underneath his green eyes. He had a punk look, from his outfit to his black and white hairstyle. He seemed to be hunched over slightly. He looked like a wreck, but rather attractive if you were being completely honest. You felt like you had seen him somewhere before. On TV, perhaps?

You shook your head, ready to apologize for taking up so much time, but he quickly shushed.

“You ain’t gon’ need to sell your necklace, or put anythin’ back on the shelves,” he said.

He reached into his jacket’s pocket, taking out 5,000 Pokémon Dollars, putting the money atop the counter.

You blinked, not used to being helped by complete strangers. Still, you felt dirty by taking this man’s money.

“I can’t… I can’t accept this,” you said.

He waved you off. “It’s all good, just take it.”

“I- thank you, sir,” you said as the cashier took the money and bagged your items.

Your son looked up at the man, a small twinkle in his eyes. “Thank you very much, mister.”

A very small, barely noticeable smile found its way onto the man’s face. “Don’t mention it, kiddo.”

As the man paid for his very few items, your son picked up one of the grocery bags, while you grabbed the remaining two.

As you were about to walk out, one of the bags was taken out of your arms. It was the same man.

“Here, lemme help with that,” he said.

“No, you’ve done enough. You don’t have to waste your time with me,” you protested.

He ignored your comment. “You’re visibly exhausted.”

Your son chimed in. “She works really, really hard.”

“See? Even your son agrees. Lemme walk you home,” he said.

You bit your lip, truly not used to receiving such kindness from anyone. It felt nice to have someone showing concern over rolling their eyes at your sorry situation.

“I don’t live that far, I’ll be-”

“Doesn’t matter,” he cut you off. “Oh, right. I ain’t got no manners… name’s Piers.”

“Piers… I’m (name), and this is my son, Elias,” you said, relaxing a little as you started to feel more comfortable.

Then, as if everything clicked in your head, you turned to Piers with a questioning look on your face.

“Wait… you wouldn’t happen to be the Spikemuth gym leader and rockstar, right?” You asked.

Piers had a little smirk on his face. “Yeah, that’d be me, but I ain’t the gym leader no more. My lil’ sis is runnin’ it for me now. I’m a full-time musician now.”

Elias looked at Piers with absolute wonder. “So cool…”

“Oh… I am so out of the loop. Really though, you probably have better things to do than walk me home,” you said, embarrassment lacing your voice.

You suddenly felt self-conscious that a celebrity had helped you pay for your groceries.

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m tellin’ you,” he said. “I don’t wanna be nosy or anythin’, but you’re alone, yeah? No boyfriend or husband?”

You nodded, a little embarrassed. You supposed that it was very obvious that you were a single mother.

“You kinda remind me of myself,” he said.

You raised a brow. “How so?”

“Used to be in a similar situation when I was younger, parents were absent an’ I was raisin’ my lil’ sister by myself. Was tough, I remember, an’ nobody ever thought of givin’ a hand to the gutter punk lookin’ guy. Guess I just wanna, I dunno, help out a young woman who’s tryin’ her best, you know?” He explained.

“I- thank you, Piers,” you said with a small blush.

It was nice to talk to someone who could understand you. Most people pointed at you, laughed or disapproved of you. They’d never been in your situation, so they didn’t know just how difficult it could be at times.

“Oh, we’re here,” you said as you came up to your very small house.

You chuckled nervously, that self-conscious feeling resurfacing as you acknowledged the difference between your social status and his. “It’s… I know it’s not very impressive.”

Piers shook his head with a chuckle. “Nah, it looks cozy. You’d be surprised how messy and unimpressive my home is.”

You raised a brow. “Really now?”

“Yeah… Spikemuth really ain’t that impressive, but I love the town anyways.”

“Well, that’s what’s important, huh? Oh, you can drop the bag at my front door, I’ll take it indoors. You too, Elias,” you said as you put your own bag down.

Elias and Piers nodded and did the same. Right afterwards, a friendly growl echoed from your front yard. It was your beloved Drampa, poking his head over the fence.

“Drampy!” Elias exclaimed, running up to the dog-like dragon.

Drampa cooed at your son, nuzzling him affectionately as Elias scratched his nose.

Piers blinked, not expecting you to have a large dragon in your yard. “Is that your Drampa?”

You nodded with a smile. “Yeah, that’s my big boy. He’s my only pokémon, but he’s been with me since I was a child.”

Your son turned to you. “Mummy, can I play with Drampy after I finish my homework?” He asked.

“Of course, sweetheart!” You said, handing your son the key to your home.

Elias smiled and thanked you. As he unlocked the door, he also grabbed a grocery bag to bring it inside.

When Elias was inside, Piers nodded in approval. “Sweet kid. You’ve been raisin’ him well.”

“Thank you, it means a lot,” you said, genuinely happy at the compliment.

You approached your Drampa, who was wagging his tail excitedly at the sight of you. As soon as you were near, he gave you sloppy kisses and nuzzled you as if his life depended on it.

“Drampa!” You said with a giggle.

Piers approached you and Drampa as well, but as soon he did, Drampa’s mood immediately turned sour. Your dragon used his head to push you back, growling at Piers.

Piers chuckled nervously at Drampa’s intimidating change in behaviour. You, on the other hand, were shushing and rubbing Drampa soothingly.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. This is Piers… he helped me, he’s nice,” you said.

Drampa glanced at you, a worried look flashing through his eyes. His growling had diminished, but he kept a firm glare on Piers.

“Sorry, Piers. He’s always been very protective of me, but that doubled ever since my ex left me when I got pregnant. He saw me at my worst, and he doesn’t want anyone to hurt me again,” you explained.

Piers had a small smile as he waved you off. “Don’t worry, I get it.” He turned to Drampa. “Protectin’ your loved ones like that, I get you. It’s honourable, you’re a good pokémon.”

Drampa huffed, blowing a bit of his breath in Piers’ direction, making him stumble back a little.

“Woah. I heard Drampa’s breaths were strong… guess they weren’t kiddin’,” he muttered.

You laughed as Drampa had a little smirk on his face. “He’s tough. We used to battle together a lot a few years back. I don’t have much time for that anymore, unfortunately.”

“You’d make a good trainer, I’m sure,” he said.

You felt your cheeks burn slightly. Piers was just handing you so many compliments, and he sounded absolutely genuine with every single one of them.

He cleared his throat, a barely noticeable blush making its way onto his cheeks as he reached into his pockets, pulling out what seemed to be two tickets.

“Here. I’ve got a show this weekend in Spikemuth, an’ I’d like to see you an’ your son there…” he paused, scratching the back of his head nervously, “…it might also be an excuse to get to see you so I can get to know you better, ‘cause you’re cute an’ sweet an’ all.”

You couldn’t help the dorky laugh that escaped you as you gratefully accepted the tickets.

“I’d like that. Thank you for everything, Piers,” you said.

He smiled, blush getting deeper as he shrugged. “It’s no prob. I’ll see you there?”

You nodded with a smile as you waved goodbye to him before he headed in the opposite direction of your home.

Your Drampa gave you a questioning look, as if he was saying, “Are you really considering this?” To which you nodded, giving a reassuring pat to the concerned dragon.

Maybe, you finally had a shot at a better life, after all of the hardships that had been thrown at you.

#pokemon imagines #pokemon headcanons #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon piers x reader #pokemon piers #female reader #reader insert #piers x reader #fluff #fanfic #writing

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growingupautie · 5 years ago

Text

StoryTime: The White Card Incident

(2,770 words but worth the read.)

In January of 2013, I was promoted from a part-time weekend job as a technology sales representative for Lenovo to the Marketing Development Manager for Lenovo in charge of half of my entire city of Houston. For a while, I felt like I was on top of the world. I loved my job and traveling through my city. I loved meeting all the people in the 50 plus stores I had to visit and started to memorize a lot of them and what we talked about.

I even made my route have me end up near Chinatown on some days so I could stop by and eat lunch there (and get some things from my favorite bakery.) But just as Kandace and I were planning on using this newfound position to get an apartment together, something terrible happened. In October of that year, we got on our weekly conference call as we always did, but the mood seemed somber and no one was talking or laughing like they used to.

When our boss came on, she also seemed upset and had trouble getting her words out. I could tell that everyone on the call, all 20 plus of us from across the United States just wanted her to say what was happening so we could rip the bandaid off. After a minute of praise that felt hollow given the tone of the call, someone finally asked if she could get to the news we were told to expect.

She said "sorry" and continued to tell us that the parent company we work for had lost the contract with Lenovo after failed negotiations and our positions were being terminated immediately. The call somehow fell more silent. Everyone had questions. Myself included. But in the end, we found out most of what we wanted to know. The Lenovo branded cars we drove were to be returned, (I had let my vehicle stay broken down as I didn't need it and it would be expensive to fix.)

The laptop we were provided was to be returned as well along with the phone, and hotspot device. But the most important bit of info came when someone asked if we would be allowed to apply for unemployment. "Of course we would be able to. We paid into it, we worked, we should be able to get that back." but to our surprise, the boss said something along the lines of "no don't do that! We could get in trouble! We haven't paid into that!" All of us were stunned. Someone asked how that was even possible.

It turns out the loophole in the law they had found was that because the company was in Akron Ohio, and we all worked and paid taxes in our various other cities somehow they managed to not pay into it. We didn't get bogged down into the why or how, but all that meant to us was suddenly we were without cars and a paycheck and would be denied unemployment. I was devastated. I really thought I had found a place to grow and could see myself making a career out of it.

We were about to sign papers on an apartment and suddenly I'm without a job, without a working car, and without any kind of financial assistance. Some issues happened around my family and after a short time, I got my car somewhat fixed and I moved out of the house into Dadaw's (grandmother's) house. I tried frantically to get another job. After all, I had just been in charge if half of Houston for a big company. Surely I would be offered another position somewhere soon.

But as time went by, nobody had called. I had very little money left, and very little outside help if any. Hope was dwindling, relationships were strained. I had spoken to at least 20 job placement agencies. After my mom informed me that I had been diagnosed as Autistic as a child, I had reconnected with D.A.R.S. (Department of Rehabilitative Services) who help people with disabilities get help with work and other things.

But they refuse to help me based on my other medical issues because they closed my case before, and they refused to help me as an Autistic until I got rediagnosed. They paid for me to be rediagnosed, I did so with no sleep, having skipped dinner and breakfast, and with a ridiculous amount of stress on my shoulders.

I aced their IQ test minus the memory portion, and after a while of convincing the doctor I was Autistic through old stories and experiences and the fact that I had been diagnosed, he agreed. That day, I went home with my heart sunk in my chest. I felt like a failure for needing this kind of help. I felt like a broken or incomplete person because I couldn't do it on my own.

And after months of their "help," working with a bunch of disability-based job agencies, the "help" of 20 plus other job placement agencies I had saught out, and filling out applications online myself, no matter what I tried, I couldn't get a job anywhere. I couldn't afford to eat, and I didn't want Dadaw to pay for me as she often couldn't afford much. A few people in my life suggested I get food stamps. Several people in my life told me I should apply food stamps. But the idea of that in itself was terrifying.

But after a while, between eating very little, my friends taking me out from time to time, and constant pestering from my family I felt I was left with no choice. I went to the food stamp office with my head down, the people around me had the same downtrodden demeanor. When they called me back, I felt a rush of emotions. Guilt, remorse, sorrow, anger that it came to this.

But most of all, I felt embarrassed. Growing up, food stamps had been used as an insult toward the people around me, I knew at one point my family had needed them and used them and I felt like as someone who had been constantly bullied growing up, I was opening myself up for more. I played through a million scenarios in my head as I walked back. Someone I know seeing me at the checkout counter, the cashier silently judging me, the people around me, me dropping the white card with the unmistakable logo in front of someone.

I snapped out of it and sat down in the interview room to answer questions to determine my eligibility. But it felt like a police interrogation to me. I felt like I was cheating the system. Like it wasn't for me, but someone else who deserved it. Someone else who needed it. I felt the eyes of the interviewer boring into me as if to say "why are you even here?" I spoke up about to break. "I...I don't even want to do this." Her face changed from accusatory and annoyed, to shock.

I let her know that I felt like I had no other choice, that I felt embarrassed. I explained my situation, and she looked at me almost begrudgingly endearing. "Son, if you need help, you need help." she said. "That's what it's here for." I felt somewhat relieved or at least a little better about not actually cheating the system. They accepted my application, and I was approved.

When I got the card, I was once again filled with dread. Replaying the simulations over and over in my head a million times. Finding a way to cheat the system in a way to avoid being bullied, I realized I could use the self-check-out. Then quickly realized if I get one of those "please remove items from cart" messages or something else regarding my card, someone would have to come up and help me anyway.

Still, I figured it was my best hope for avoiding confrontations, and I parked outside the grocery store. I checked my balance on the card and made sure everything was working, went in and got a basket, and started shopping while feeling like a spy. Like somehow I would get caught and it would be the end of the road for me. I'm honestly surprised nobody thought I was shoplifting as nervous as I was.

When I was done, I walked over to the self-check-out area doubling down on my earlier decision when a woman stopped me and said they were all closed for repairs. Panic set in. I didn't say anything. I just sort of smiled and walked away with my basket.

The 15 items or less line was almost empty but I had too many items. The next line had too many people. The next few lines had the same amount of people and items, and I started doing the math on which cashier was scanning and bagging faster vs how judgmental they look trying to get myself into the best possible situation.

Eventually, I found a line sandwiched between two closed lines with only one woman and her 2 kids in the basket with a few items. The cashier didn't seem to care much about anything and didn't seem like a gatekeeper or any other kind of threat. And the woman in front of me seemed sad and aloof as well so I felt like things were going to be ok. The woman smiled at me and apologized for having so many items. "It's not that much. It's fine." I responded with a smile.

But suddenly from behind me, I felt a high strung angry presence. Like a monster who's in a hurry and I'm in his path. As each item was scanned, he started saying "Oh God...." "Of course..." and "Just great..." in a demeaning and monstrous tone. The woman continued to hide her face with her back to him and sulked further into herself as he continued. "Cash or credit?" The cashier asked in a monotone voice. "I...uh...Here..." The woman said quietly and she tried to hand her..."A food stamp card..." I thought to myself.

I realized that I and the woman felt the same at that moment. In need of help, but afraid to seek it out, and even afraid to use it once that help had been provided. I started to piece the scene together realizing the kids had beat up shoes and clothes, and the woman did as well. They were clearly hungry and frightened by this angry rhino of a person and just wanted to get some food. I started to think of all the scenarios that could have put them in that situation. But then I realized it didn't matter.

Only a moment had passed while I thought through all of these things, the children were terrified of this man already and then he saw it..."OH GREAT! MY TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!" he screamed scaring the kids even more. He began to verbally narrate what he thought her situation was. accusing her of getting "knocked up" to "leech off the system." He said people like them were a "drain on the economy" all while using language inappropriate to use around her children.

At that moment after the initial shock wore off, I grasped my card in my pocket as anger built up inside of me. I knew what I was afraid of, I had built it up in my head, and this ignorant jerk was making it a reality for a down on their luck mom and her two scared children. I immediately pivoted. "What did you just say?" I told him with a face that said: "I dare you to repeat that." apparently too blustered to care, he said, "I SAID PEOPLE LIKE HER ARE A DRAIN ON THE ECONOMY!"

I whipped my card out and held it in-between two fingers right in his face. "And what about me?" I spoke out with an angry but in control tone. "I...Uh..." he said as it became clear to me, like most bullies, this one was only doing this because he thought his targets (this mom and her kids) would not be able to defend themselves. I yelled at him more, trying to control my voice so I didn't frighten the kids anymore "Well, you had all kinds of ignorant crap to say a minute ago!"

He snapped out of his shock bullies go into when someone stands up to them. "Wh...Why don't you mind your own business?! I WASN'T EVEN TALKING TO YOU! WHY DON'T YOU FIND ANOTHER LINE!" He started to build up steam again making the children huddle in the cart.

Having had enough of his nonsense I moved my card, leaned in with a scowl, got uncomfortably close to his face and angrily whispered: "Why don't YOU find another line before I find one for you..." a terrified look came across his face as he realized doubling down on his ignorance would not get the job done and after a pained audible gulp in the "big man's" throat he was frantically on his way spouting off "That's what I thought" and other face-saving phrases.

I timidly turned back to the family making sure I had dropped my "don't mess with me" persona (My Autistic folks know this one) so I didn't scare them. I asked them if they were ok. Her eyes were filled with tears, and so were the kids. She smiled at me and thanked me for stepping in. I told her kids that it was ok because he was gone now and offered to walk them to their car. She said she appreciated it but they would be fine.

The checkout woman handed her a receipt and obviously wanted to stay out of the situation. I saw the woman leave and she smiled at me on the way out. I had enough items that it took a good 5 minutes to check me out. I realized in that time I was no longer afraid of being seen with my card. Maybe it was the adrenaline of standing up to that bully, maybe it was outing myself to protect that family, after all, it would be silly to be afraid now that everyone had clearly seen it.

I paid, went outside, and on my windshield was a note on small lined paper that had been torn out of a planner of some sort that said: "You will be blessed all the days of your life." I don't know who left it, or if it was in response to what happened, or even how they found out which car was mine, but it was there.

The message here is two-fold. First, it is easy to get caught up in thinking you don't need help, or that even if you did it isn't for you. "It's for someone more deserving." sometimes it's just the fear of being bullied or ridiculed for accepting it. And because of this, a lot of people wait until they hit "the bottom" before they ever consider asking and even then they might not.

In a better world, we would destigmatize the need for help. Therapy, government assistance, shelters, these things are in place to help people, and if people need help, they should be able to get it without being berated to tears over it. The last thing someone who's questioning if they need help or not needs is some blowhard with their ignorant opinions of why they don't. Which brings me to the second message.

If you see something like this happening, and you have the power to step in whether you are personally affected or not, do it. This includes all forms of bullying. Bullies are cowards. They may double down, but once these types of people realize that we won't allow this anymore and there are actually people who will stand against them, they buckle under the pressure. If you see it, shut it down.

This has been another [Growing Up Aspie] Storytime. If you'd like to help me make more content more often, please consider supporting me at Paypal.me/growingupaspie or with a monthly pledge of $1 or more at patreon.com/irishwolfproductions. Thank you for your support.

-Nathan Alan McConnell

#autism #selfworth #story #growingupaspie #autistic #aspie #storytime #foodstamps #help #bully #bullies #gatekeeper

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throughthenotes · 3 years ago

Text

Bowling w/ @AMindfulChaos @ALoverOfDreams & @InspiredAdams

Jaiden:

Just one or do you want a pitcher? <Beer. Talking about your traditions, it was nothing for Rainey and I to put a large pizza, nachos and a few pitchers of beer away while bowling in our day. It was the one thing she had insisted on once we found ourselves aged out of the system. She called it our one day of the week that we could look forward to for years and the old pastime had quickly became a favorite to us both. The problem was ever since my run in with gallery guru as she had come to call him, I had been laying low when it came to my partaking in any substance. Drinking mostly. Apparently, my issues tended to turn into a variety of problems that only people with policing authority could handle and wasn't that just the bitch of it all. "Actually, how about a Pepsi."> Rainey.. <That earned her a look. "What? I just don't feel like drinking any tonight." Right. Shaking my head, I took a turn towards the concession and headed there while Rainey set up our game. The half hearted glare she had given me in return, earned herself a chuckle of recognition. I knew why she wasn't drinking. Not that my sister was a lush or anything but beer and bowling, normally went hand in hand. Shrugging it off though and having to grab a bowling ball on the way back, I finally made it up there to look over the menu, even though it didn't take me long to figure out what I would be ordering. It was almost always the same. However, my thoughts were suddenly stolen from me because of the lovely brunette directly in front of me in line. You would have to be blind not to notice her but even with that, it would still be a poor excuse. That's when it hit me. What was I thinking? She has be here with someone. Another friend maybe. Seeing not another soul around on half price Wednesday night, I finally spoke up when you seemed to be lost in menu land.> Do you normally bowl by yourself? <So it wasn't the greatest ice breaker but my first impression wasn't a total loss I hoped when I flashed her that crooked grin.>

Camryn:

{I had fully intended to lock myself in my room and binge trash TV with a boatload of munchies. But @InspiredAdams wasn’t having any of that. He was insistent that we do something “outside of the house.” I held out for a long time. But then he promised me one of those ooey gooey cheese pizzas they had down at the bowling alley. And that sounded way better than the stuff laying around the house. Especially since we were down to slim pickings as we approached grocery day. As soon as we were inside, I left him to figure out all the technicalities while I made a beeline for the snack bar. The question was just pizza? Or did I want some wings too? Nachos? Oh, they had sliders too… Suddenly I was pulled from my decision making from a voice behind me. I spun around, intending to lie and say I was here with my boyfriend. It wouldn’t be the first time I had forced Chris to play the boyfriend role to save me from some random. Then he offered me that crooked grin, and my heart did a little flip} Oh, I’m not alone. {the look on your face told me you were assuming, and my eyes flew open a little wider} Brother! {jerks my thumb over my shoulder in the direction that I had left him} I’m here with my brother. {smiles, glancing around now for anyone that looked like they were with you} What about you? Are you here alone? {cringes internally at how hopeful that sounded}

Jaiden:

I'm not alone. I mean if you count us both, we're here together. [Chuckling low, I glanced in the direction you looked before turning my gaze back to yours. My grin only growing wider at the mention of a sibling because what were the chances of you believing me when I told you it was the same for me.> That was a joke. I'm here with my sister. <Not a joke. It couldn't be if it were true and we very much were not alone. Those kind eyes of mine, won you over then when you smiled my way, letting me off the hook only to have it falter when the clearing of throats could be heard. "You ordering, hun?" Arching a playful brow, I point up at the menu you had been looking at only moments ago.> They are waiting on you. The pizza is good and so are the nachos. My sister likes them.

Camryn:

{I wasn’t ready to stop talking to you. And I had just opened my mouth to ask if it was an older sister or younger when I heard the cashier asking for my order. My cheeks instantly flushing as I let out a laugh at myself and turned to her} Oh, geez. I’m so sorry. {flashes her a bright smile before beginning} Um, a pepperoni pizza, please? And a pitcher of Pepsi? {glances over my shoulder at you, taking that nacho recommendation to heart} Oh, and some nachos too please? {I quickly paid her, and stepped out of your way, off to the side where she told me to wait for my order to be ready.}

Jaiden:

<"Same for you?" I actually laughed, shaking my head out of my thoughts at the order you had already placed.> The Thomas special. <I knew you were watching on. The fact that we spent that much time here wasn't lost on me or you for that matter when asked for my own order. It was our usual and I paid accordingly once she rang me up. Receipt now in hand, I casually slipped it into my pocket and walked over to wait beside you when our pitchers of Pepsi were set down in front of us.] They will put the rest on a tray and bring it out.

Can I walk you back to your lane? <I didn't want to part ways just yet. Besides, I still needed to get your number and when you offered me that smile again with a touch of a soft nod, I held my arm out for you to hook your arm around. Leading the way, carrying your soda for you, we reached our fork in the road so to speak, and I cleared my throat before addressing the situation we found ourselves in. Again.] I guess the question now is are you seeking out lust or looking for love? [Can't help but smirk when I look you way now.]

Camryn:

{pops my brows at mention of the Thomas Special. Wondering if Thomas was the first or the last name. Then it dawned on me that it meant you came here a lot if you had them knowing your order so well. And I smirked to myself. Suddenly I was very interested in bowling more often. Chris was going to be either really pleased, or wishing he had never made me come out tonight. Then you were standing next to me again. I didn’t even have the ability to care how lost I seemed because all I could think about was how good you smelled. If Ed or Chris were here they would be rolling their eyes and accusing me of already mentally doodling our names in a notebook. That’s…if I knew your name at least. Thomas though! I knew Thomas! Then you asked to walk me to the lane and I probably agreed way too easily. But it was such a cute offer. And you were hot so…} Umm…? {Your question had caught me off guard. Both is a bad answer right? I laughed nervously because I had half a mind to be really honest and tell you that it was both. But I also knew that was going to only get me in trouble. So I said what I hoped wasn’t going to scare you off} Honestly? I would love to be in love. I write a lot of songs about it. But, yeah, actually experiencing it would be…cool. {cringe number two of the night. I needed a better vocabulary}

Jaiden:

Love it is then. <With a soft tug of my arm and a wink, I began the short walk with you down to the LOVE side of the lanes, pointing it out on the wall with a kick of my chin in that direction.> Does this look familiar now? <I knew in asking that you could have taken it literal, and began looking for your brother, or you could have taken it all the way back to my original question itself. For whatever the reason, I chose to stay in that space and ask the question that had been dancing to get out since you said you had never experienced being in love before. My desire to know more about these songs was fueled by your same statement as well.> Never. Not even a guy in high school? <You have to at least be in college, right? There was no way around it and you really hadn't offered that up yet either. So I took the plunge and spoke up with a grin.> What name could I find these songs under if you don't mind me asking. You already know my last name is Thomas.

Camryn:

{I had to stop myself from facepalming when I saw the big letters written on the wall. But before I could turn too red with embarrassment at my awkwardness, you redirected my mind with your next question} No. Most of the boys in high school were too scared of my brother. {CRINGE! Why would I say that? Now you were really gonna run. But rather than make things better, I did what I always do and just kept talking. Making it worse, I’m sure.} He had a little bit of a temper and… {Trails off as I finally manage to stop myself from rambling, and clears my throat} Nothing has been released, released. I mean, I have a Youtube. Camryn Adams. {smiles} But you can call me Cammy.

Jaiden:

Ah, an older brother. <With a temper no less. This was getting better by the second. Was it possible I was walking towards that sense of impending doom? Or would I be spared of your brother's wrath upon his first impression of me. Fuck... Glancing back over my shoulder, I look Jaiden Thomas. Trust me when I say, I'm still going to check out that Youtube. <Flashing that crooked grin again, I pulled you closer to me by that hook of my arm you had.> You want to head back the other way?

Camryn:

{my eyes had scanned all the lanes close to LOVE, and I hadn’t spotted Chris. I guess I should’ve waited long enough to figure out where he was going before I went to the snack bar. But then, if I had done that, I might have missed you. Giving one last scan, I nodded my head} Hmm…yeah, I don’t see Chris anywhere. Maybe I should’ve known he wouldn’t have gone this far. {laughs more to myself than anything, relief flooding my body that you hadn’t dropped my arm the second you heard about my brother} Oh! There he is! {lifting a finger, I pointed to him before pulling you to stop for a second} But if you contact me through my Youtube…I might mistake you for a weirdo that wants pictures of my feet and not answer…

Jaiden:

Do you want me to contact you again, Cammy? <It was only a quick glance in the direction you pointed, your brother not that far from where @ALoverOfDreams was before I turned my attention back to you and that death grip you were suddenly imposing on my arm. Smirking at first, I welcomed how forward you appeared to be, going for gold as it were only to be cut short with the rest of that final thought. Yeah, the second you said feet, I knew I pulled a face. It would have been smart of me to pause when you held me back by that arm of mine but I couldn't stop the chuckle if I wanted to. You laughed at the expression on my face, and nervous or not, I leaned in to whisper against your ear, unbeknownst to me that @InspiredAdams was about to make his presence known just in time to see you cozying up to yours truly.> How about you give me your number and I'll text you. That way you have my cell too.

Camryn:

{Flushes instantly at your first question. I was making a ton of assumptions, and I knew it. But I really liked you already and it just happened. Then you leaned in and whispered and my stomach filled with butterflies, causing me to completely forget about the proximity of @InspiredAdams, already reaching for my phone in my back pocket to hold it out to you} Here, text yourself with my phone.

Jaiden:

Sure thing, beautiful. <And just like in the movies, it really was that simple. You had been getting your phone out when I heard a shuffling of feet and yours of course, came to a full stop when I heard the clearing of a throat next. "Cammy, this guy bothering you?"> Who, me? <It was your brother. There was no way it was anyone else and from the way you had spoken, I believed this wasn't a normal thing for you. Bowling that was.> She's fine. Just giving her my number. You mind holding this? <I didn't give @InspiredAdams a chance to really reply. Instead I simply handed the pitcher of Pepsi over so I could take your phone from you. All the while your other arm was still hooked around mine as I plugged my number in, quick to snap a pic of us together while your brother watched on and waited for you to introduce us.>

Chris:

What the hell is taking her so long? [I glanced toward the snack bar and didn’t see @ThroughTheNotes over there anymore. Then I finally saw her coming toward me. But she wasn’t alone. Immediately I was on my feet and making my way over to her. She was way too fucking nice for her own good. And I was fully prepared to pull out whatever card I needed to make him get lost] Cammy, this guy bothering you? [He barely looked at me when he answered with that, “Who, me?” And my brow shot up as I was handed a pitcher of soda, looking between @ThroughTheNotes and @AMindfulChaos.] Camryn, who is this? Do you know him?

Rainey:

(I must have entered @AMindfulChaos's name three times before the electric scorecard saved it. The final time, I changed the spelling to L O S E R and would you look at that, it set up the sheet no problem. Laughing quietly to myself, I hadn't heard the gentleman walk up until he asked me if I needed assistance. Politely declining his invitation to join him when I explained I wasn't alone, he didn't seem to take the hint until I held up my hand, sporting a gold band. The fact that it was found inside the bowling bag of one "Fred from Kentucky" and after many, many failed attempts to locate its previous owner, Fred from Kentucky had been born. Thinking back to the day that I found it, I remembered the crap Jaiden had given me over the name. "Fred the blue ball. Do you hear yourself, Rainey?" We had a good laugh about it but it worked seeing how Fred always came through for me from that day forward. Smiling now too, I waited to look up until the guy had made his exit to return to his own lane, taking a gander around the bowling alley in search of my brother. It wasn't like Jaiden to take a stroll, always one to come right back anytime we were here, I furrowed my brows when the snack bar attendant showed up with our food. It was only after further inspection though I realized it wasn't ours and I got up to go in search of you, heading back up to the bar to let them know our order was wrong in the process when I spot you with a girl. And a guy... Feeling that pit in my stomach already, I started to head towards you all instead. Our food long forgotten as worry started to set in.)

Camryn:

{squints my eyes at @InspiredAdams in warning. He was NOT going to scare this one away. And I hoped he was picking up on my unspoken message as we stared at each other. Until you held up the phone and I smiled for the picture before finally speaking} I do now. Chris, this is Jaiden. Jaiden, this is my totally going to not be a jerk brother, Chris.

Jaiden:

<Chuckling, I waited until I handed the cell back to you before I extended my hand.> Nice to meet you ... <Not a jerk Chris almost flew out of my mouth when I happen to see Rainey heading our way on a mission. Her purpose plain as day the closer she got and I mumbled "Shit.." under my breath. The last thing I needed was this guy on my ass about you but to do it in front of Rainey, well I wouldn't live it down if I got us kicked out of our favorite home away from home. Not to mention, it was your brother.> ... Chris. She was alone so I offered to escort her back to her lane. I plan on asking her out soon too. <What the hell was I saying? This was suppose to make it better, right? Laying out my intentions. Rainey always said it was the best policy to be honest so why stop now.> I was just on my way back. <Looking to @ALoverOfDreams as I spoke, that last part was meant for her when I finally cleared my throat, only taking the moment to introduce my sister to @ThroughTheNotes, purposely.> Cammy, this is Rainey.

Chris:

[I kept my eyes on Cammy as she gave me her damn looks. And continued to stare at her when she introduced me as her “not gonna be a jerk brother, Chris.” Then @AMindfulChaos said that bit about asking her out that had my eyes finally flicking over to him, really assessing him now as I firmly shook his hand. He looked like he could be another clown in the business Cammy played around in} Are you an artist too? {I smirked because I was out of slapping range of Cammy. But then we were joined by another person which left my question unanswered. But one look at her and I wasn’t too bothered to hear the answer anymore. If this was his sister, maybe I could keep an eye on him if it meant she stuck around…]

Rainey:

It's nice to meet you, Cammy. (My gaze darted between @ThroughTheNotes and Jaiden, seeing her arm still wrapped around my brother's like her life depended on it until I saw him shaking hands with the other guy privy to our little gathering here. The gesture between the two was older than dirt and more so added to complement the giving of your word on something. I could read body language pretty well though. The guy didn't seem to thrilled about Jaiden escorting her back but all that changed the second he looked back over his shoulder at me.) He boxes. I mean, boxing. Like bowling. I mean it's not like bowling per say but it'ssss a sport. (Damn it. Not now... My smile was small as I gave Jaiden a look of my own. If he wasn't going to tell him, I was.) That is if you consider kicking ass an art form.. (Maybe I wasn't so good at ice breakers either. Being met with utter silence was clue number one. Not even crickets as the four of us stood there as if we were in a stalemate. Only I wasn't going to allow that.) Would you guys like to join us for a game? Or maybe you two would like to play your own? Oh I know, teams!

Camryn:

{smiles brightly at Rainey when she addresses me. Then squeezes Jaiden’s arm at the mention of his being a boxer. Should I point out the obvious to Chris that they had something in common? That could be good? Or maybe very bad… Before I made up my mind, the silence was broken again, and I jumped on it} Yes! Chris! We would love to. {nods}

Jaiden:

<Fantastic. Can't wait. Those were just a couple of options for answers to that ever popular question my sister asked and as I felt you give my arm a second squeeze, your brother's gaze sizing me up once again caught my attention after Rainey had let the cat out of the bag.> I do good for being fairly new to the sport. I get by. <Giving another nod of my head, I wink and start to walk with you as Rainey leads the way, speaking loud enough for Chris to hear me.> So you want to play against me, Cammy or with me? I could show you a few things too.

Chris:

[Boxing. So, he wasn’t a clown in her business. He was one that dabbled in mine. Now I was assessing him in a whole new light. Cammy was in for an earful on the way home. I’d seen how fucking cocky some of those guys could be… “I do good for being fairly new to the sport.” Cue my brows shooting up again. Maybe not too cocky… “I could show you a few things too.” Nope. There it was. I opened my mouth to bite back on that bullshit only to have Cammy fucking kick me. I let out a grunt and glared at her as she shook her head at me. It was clear I wasn’t getting her away from him tonight. So now, I needed to make the best of it. With a smirk, I spoke up again, bruised shin be damned] Cammy doesn’t need to learn anything new. And the Adams are better as a team.

Rainey:

Family first always. You guys like pepperoni pizza? We have plenty! (Yep. Making lemonade shouldn't be too hard with the lemons this bunch was carrying. Trying to make light of the tension that seemed to shift into second gear and right on into third when I reached our lane, I didn't even look in the direction of the guy from earlier as we passed him. Opting to stop at our scorecard to enter in your names instead as I see Jaiden assist Cammy with finding her ball.) Chris (Lifting my gaze to yours, I smile, before continuing on.) With a "C" or "K"?

Chris:

[Clearly I was speaking French. And this guy wasn’t the least bit deterred by me. As I watched the two of them picking out balls, I was redirected by my name being called. My gaze catching with @ALoverOfDreams’ and grinning crookedly at that smile. disappointment, but did my best to hide it]

Rainey:

That's right. Like the rain but with an EY at the end. (Don't ramble. Don't you do it! Telling myself that should have worked but I wasn't so sure it was going to. Not when I saw that crooked grin of yours.) It's okay, they seem distracted. (Taking your hand when you offered it right away, I gave it a light squeeze, my smile growing kinder by the second. That was until I followed your slight change in direction with your eyes down to our clasped hands. Oh no! How was I going to explain this? And even better, the follow up question to that, was were you going to believe me?) Fred from Kentucky.. (That questioning brow lift you gave had me laughing nervously as I started to explain it, still holding your hand until I realized it and I let your hand slip free suddenly. The game hot potato had nothing on me.) My fake husband. I use the ring to keep creepers away. Like the guy we walked by? (Fighting the internal groan won out over hiding the heat that seemed to rise on my cheeks at how close you were and I broke my gaze away from yours so I could finish putting your names in.) Do you guys bowl a lot? I don't think I've seen you here before.

Chris:

[Fred. From Kentucky. At first, I thought you were trying to tell me you were in a long distance marriage. But then the pieces of the puzzle started to fall together. And oddly enough, when you mentioned a creeper, I felt that same protective instinct I had a few minutes ago bubbling up again. But this time it was about you and not her. Apparently he had felt the weight of my stare. Because he looked over just in time to lock eyes with me in a stare down I wasn’t going to lose. And I smirked when he were out of my mouth] I wonder if I could convince Cammy to get a Fred from Kentucky… [just as quickly as I said it, I realized that was probably offensive to you seeing as how the current dude was your brother. And I mumbled out.] Sorry… [looks up at the screen where our names finally popped up, welcoming the chance to ignore my little outburst] We used to bowl a lot with our pops. He was on a league. But after ma passed, he became a bit of a hermit. [jerks my thumb over my shoulder in Cammy’s direction] She’s been in a funk lately. So I thought I’d pull her away from the Netflix and out into society again that doesn’t involve the shitheads that she dances with.

Rainey:

Oh, I don't know about that. Fred is a good man, he works hard for his family. A very upstanding and loyal guy too. I wouldn't have married him if he was a cheater. (Teasing a little, I gave your arm a soft nudge but only after spying your stare down that bounced between Jaiden and Mr. Creepy, himself. Waiting until your gaze finally met mine again and I nodded softly as I spoke.) You two have more in common than you think. Jaiden is just as protective of me as you are of her. (My voice took on a softer tone then but didn't lack in conviction as I spoke about my brother. He was the only family I had left. I loved him.) I know you just met me...us really but Jaiden is a good guy, he just has some issues sometimes controlling himself when people are assholes too. (Taking a moment, I looked behind you to see them standing there a ways back, bowling balls in hand and lost in their own conversation. My smile widening further when they start to make their way back over to us and I'm quick with my own curiosity taking center stage for a second as I added to the "story". Only this time, it included you..) So was your wife busy tonight too?

Chris:

[I wanted to take you at your word about Jaiden. But it wasn’t that simple for me. I’d seen her go through too much shit with her overly trusting heart. What if he had a hidden shitty guy side that you weren’t privy to as his sister? Still, I didn’t hate the protective side you hinted at. As long as his aggressions didn’t ever turn toward Cammy. The thought alone causing me to tense up for a second before blowing out a calming breath. Your question causing my eyes to snap back to you in utter shock] Me? Wife? [shakes my head with a chuckle] No. There is no Francesca from Kentucky. Real or fabricated.

Jaiden:

<There's a first time for everything right? As sayings went that one there was a great indication that I was pulling double duty, while trying to appear cool about it, and was failing miserably at that. It was the first time I not only had tried to keep my eyes on Rainey but then there was you, and that pull to let my gaze linger on your beautiful face was just too great.> I apologize. I don't normally leave her for this long. <And therein lies the dilemma. There was the asshole that was in here every time we were that constantly hit on my sister too that was a factor. So the protective streak kept hopping the rails like a train would, the direction it sought suddenly flipped like a switch and damn if that didn't make me feel exposed for all of 60 seconds too long. In fact, it put me downright on edge. I had a feeling you could sense it too because suddenly I was met with a pair of the kindest eyes I had ever seen and I braved that grin for you. Having found the right size ball, our trip back over to our lane was met with one last pitstop and that was to ask for a fresh pie and pitcher to be brought over, the clerk letting me know it would be on the house for the mix up anyway.> Be honest, are you any good? <Chuckling, I take the ball from you to carry as we head back that way. The sight of your brother sitting so close to Rainey causing me to pop my neck and grin over at you.> At the game. Any family secrets I should know about?

Camryn:

{I could sense the anxious energy rolling off of you. And after a few seconds of watching your eyes flick back over to your sister, I recognized that same brotherly protectiveness that Chris sported most of the time. Which honestly, made me like you even to her, but I knew if I were talking to Chris, that wouldn’t have comforted him either. So I stopped myself, instead just following your lead first to the snack bar and then back toward the lane} I used to be decent. {glances over at you with a smile} Our papa was on a league and he used to take us bowling a lot. But I haven’t been for a long time. So I might be a little rusty.

Jaiden:

Rusty or not, it's cool that your family use to bring you. Rainey and I went once before when we were kids but it wasn't until we left the system that our love for it really took off.<Too much, too soon? I didn't think so. The way I looked at it if you weren't interested after that then I knew where you stood. Something told me though that wouldn't be the case as I gazed into your eyes.> Does your Dad not bowl anymore? You said was.. <Which led me to believe something happened or he would have been here today. Still holding your gaze, I stopped just a few feet away from the lane. Close enough to hear your brother start to clear his throat and I motioned for you to go on.> He can wait.

Camryn:

{my curiosity was piqued by your statement. But then you were asking me about papa. And I didn’t know which way to go. With a laugh, I decided to tell you just that} First, I want you to know I’m very curious about your past now. {smiles} I hope you’ll share with me whenever you feel comfortable? And papa is still around. He just… {makes a face} I don’t know how to explain it. He’s different. After mama passed, he stopped leaving the house. We go over there a lot to make sure he’s okay. But he doesn’t like to come out, he stopped working on cars with Chris… It’s almost like he died in a way too. {sighs} I’m sorry. That’s super depressing.

Jaiden:

No, I'm sorry that happened with him. Sometimes things happen to people and they just don't come back the same. <My eyes flickered briefly over to Rainey as I said it, hearing her laugh at something your brother said and I offered you an apologetic look when I turned back, adding a crooked grin into the mix.> I am glad you told me for what it's worth. As for me, I'm an open book. You can ask me anything.

Camryn:

{laughs with a shake of my head} Oh, Jaiden. You shouldn’t have said that to me. Watch this… {pulls you over to where Chris and Rainey are sitting and taps Chris on the shoulder} Hey, Chris? What would you do if… {laughs hard and looks at you again when he groans instantly} See? I ask TOO many questions. And it annoys some people. {sticks my tongue out at Chris}

Jaiden:

Yeah but I'm not some people. I'm Jaiden. <Taking a moment to watch the exchange between you two, I chuckle and shake my head. There was no question you were siblings and as I looked over to Rainey, I kicked my chin up next, our secret signal as if to ask if everything was okay. When she gave me that kind smile of hers in return, I felt the tension leave my shoulders a bit and took a glance up at the scorecard, ready to start our game. As I looked up to see who was going first I see the name LOSER in the spot where mine normally went and my eyes narrowed playfully in my sister's direction.> Cute, Rainey. I'm on your team, remember?

Chris:

[“What would you do if…” Those words meant Cammy was about to unleash a million hypothetical questions on you. And I couldn’t help but groan the second I heard them. I didn’t even care that she was setting me up to prove something to Jaiden if it meant I didn’t actually have to go down that path. But it was my turn to laugh when I realized Rainey had put his name down as loser] I like the odds already. [shoots Rainey a wink]

Rainey:

(There was no Francesca. At least not from Kentucky and not real either. That meant no girlfriend and no wife. Suddenly, I found myself smiling wider at that little known fact now and started to say something moronic like, "That's really great!" when it hit me out of nowhere. Just because there was no Francesca didn't mean there wasn't the possibility of a Fred for you too. I felt silly then for my assumption at first, thinking I read your body language all wrong and was about to ask if there was a Fred instead when both of our teammates showed up. Our conversation cut short.) There you guys are! (It was then that I moved to sit on my knees and address them both, only to be reminded that it was moments ago that it had been just us planning to play, and not teams with new friends.) It was before I asked them. Give me a break. (My tone was teasing even when you give me that wink and I mouthed a quick "Sorry." to my brother. Our fresh pizza and Pepsi arriving then too.) I'm up first! (Gathering up my ball, I took to our lane after thanking the server for bringing our food, making sure Jaiden tipped before I moved to the middle diamond, marking my spot with the tip of my shoe, seeing my shot right as I take it and I come back after rolling a spare. Not bad! Now, it was game on.)

Camryn:

{rolls my eyes at my brother’s cheesy remark, grabbing a piece of pizza instantly. It was, after all, the thing that had convinced me to come in the first place, and taking a seat on one of the chairs off to the side of the lane as I watch Rainey take her for my overprotective brother}

Jaiden:

<I probably sat there and watched the whole thing unfold before me for a good ten minutes. Long enough for your brother to damn near trip over his tongue with the way it rolled out like some damn cartoon with wolf eyes. Only my sister wasn't Jessica Fucking Rabbit. It was payback for the way I had handed the pitcher over and seeing the both of them interact as they were, Rainey all smiles more so than normal, I had to wonder just exactly what your brother's story was, and yours too.> Is it good? The pizza? Best in all the state as far as bowling alley food goes. Not to mention, they serve Pepsi. Speaking of which, do you want? <Chuckling, I got up while you took a bite of pizza to grab us both a cup. The soft nod you gave me as you brought your hand up to cover your mouth was adorable and I poured us some of the tasty beverage, handing you the cup as our siblings became lost in their own conversation, with your brother finally getting up to take his shot when I clear my throat loudly as if to say some time today..> So I'm curious about something. What are you going to tell your boyfriend about me taking you out? <Sitting down beside you now, I ran my arm along the back of your chair, the action causing you to scoot in closer to my side and I take a drink, grinning over at you.>

Camryn:

{Mama always told me to take my time when I’m eating. Especially around boys. It’s not lady like to stuff your face like you haven’t eaten for a week. I never listened to mama. And this pizza was exactly what I wanted. So when you asked me if I wanted some Pepsi, all I could do was nod. Luckily I had managed to swallow and hadn’t taken a sip of my soda yet when you asked that. My eyes automatically darting to my brother because of how he’s covered for me in the past before returning to yours} There is no boyfriend to speak of. {smiles} What about your girlfriend. Will she be mad at me for sitting this close?

Jaiden:

No girlfriend. <I chuckled at your comeback. The assumption on both our parts turning up to be false and yeah, I was happy to hear that.> You know I had to ask with you being so beautiful and all. So what is it that you do? You working anywhere or go to school? <Taking another drink, I watched as you did the same, this unspoken conversation we were having with our eyes was just an added bonus when I bring my free hand up to tuck a loose strand of your hair behind your ear.> Your brother have a job? <I didn't see anything wrong with asking that. Doing a bit of recon work myself, I wanted to know what I had to look forward to in the likes of your brother suddenly hanging around too. I wasn't about to let anyone hurt Rainey.> He got a girl?

Camryn:

{takes my time with my next sip, only popping my brows in response first. If you spent any time around me, you would quickly recognize the tells that I was about to tease you} Hmm…were you thinking about asking him out too? {smiles wide at you. I knew what you were doing. And I didn’t blame you. But I had to tease. Had to. Finally letting a laugh out, I answered you} I am a Laker Girl. {smiles proudly} I’ve worked for it all my life. And my ex ALMOST screwed it up for me. But I made it. I also do a lot of acting and singing. I’m a born entertainer. I’m also in school. It’s one of the requirements actually. {nods seriously} As for Chris, he’s a photographer and does web design to pay the bills. So he lives on his computer. {leans to the side, placing my hand beside my mouth as I whisper} And he’s single. So you’re safe to make your move. {nudges you before busting into a fit of laughter}

Jaiden:

I don't know though.. What if I'm not his type? <Laughing this time, I had been busted before but not quite like that. You were smart, funny and hot. Did I really meet a Laker girl at the bowling alley? Could I be that lucky? You were definitely beautiful enough, that was a given but as I let my eyes wander down along your body, checking you out, even with you sitting I suddenly had visions of you in your uniform. Those routines at half time coming to mind then too and I quickly snap my gaze back up to yours before looking back at the scorecard, coming face to face with a shooting glare when I see that it was officially my turn.> Looks like I'm up. Hold that thought. I want to know more about this singing career of yours and your channel. <I hadn't forgotten about that part either. Grabbing up my ball, I killed what was left of my drink and set the cup down. Moving to take my position to serve you with a strike first thing. Setting the bar pretty high where my competitive nature was concerned.>

Camryn:

{I watched as a series of emotions seemed to play out across your face, relishing in the fact that you seemed to be just as animated as me without meaning too. Then follows your eyes to the scoreboard, nearly humphing that you had to leave, and watching maybe a little too closely as you took your turn. Jumping up and cheering for you when you roll that strike, causing Chris to remind me that you’re the opposition} What? It’s in my nature to cheer. Kind of. {offers him a shrug and laughs before turning back to you as you return to the sitting area}

Jaiden:

<And that's how it went. Every few minutes we would take our turns, keeping up with our separate conversations for the most part outside of the occasional trash talk we seemed to throw one another's way. It was all in good fun even as I moved to help you with your next turn. Not really caring to win one way or the other anymore, the more we chatted, my curiosity piqued.> When are you off? Or maybe I should ask when a good time is to take you out on this date of ours? <grins and grabs up another piece of pizza, offering it to you first.>

Camryn:

{mama’s words were playing out in my head again. “Don’t overeat. That’s not lady like either.” Reaching for the piece, I smiled at you} We practice a couple times a week. And, of course, I dance at all the home games. Other than that it’s kind of up in the air with my other projects. {laughs} But if you give me a date, I’ll make it work. {winks at you as I take a bite of that piece of pizza now}

Jaiden:

We will make it work. <I put emphasis on the "we" part and grinned, picking up another slice and digging into it. Thinking over the evening and what you said while I chewed, I waited until I finished my slice to ask my next question.> You think it would be okay if I came and checked out a home game? See you in action. <Grinning wider at the thought, I shrugged a shoulder as I got up to take my last turn, Rainey calling my attention to the scores. Yeah you didn't have the final say on who could attend but we both knew I would be going to see Then maybe I could escort you home. Unless you have other arrangements made? <Glancing your brother's way when I said that last part, I was waiting for my ball to come back to me on the return.> Does that sound like a plan?

Camryn:

{sits up straighter in my chair, the excitement clear on my face at your question as those butterflies filled my stomach. The idea of you watching me while I was out there would make my night. And I was ready to say yes before you jumped up and went to take your turn. You probably knew my answer anyway as I bobble headed along while you talked} I can get you really good seats too! One of the perks. {my smile dropping slightly} Sometimes I don’t get out of there until a little later though. Will that mess with your work? {tilts my head curiously} What do you do anyway?

Jaiden:

I take a couple of courses then I drive the delivery van for Rainey. Wherever she has a catering gig, I normally will hang out but the last one didn't go so well. <It wasn't really my story to tell, it was Rainey's and while I was okay with sharing anything and everything about myself, there were some things still private for her. Offering a small grin, I nodded impressed, the excitement clear as day on your face and I have a seat next to you to start changing back into my shoes so we can turn our bowling ones in.> I think congratulations are in order. You guys won. <I wasn't even sore about it. Granted, I wasn't sure how well I liked your brother getting all cozy with Rainey but I didn't have much room to talk, did I?> She's going to have her own commercial kitchen one day. That's her dream.

Camryn:

{I could feel the weight of Chris’ stare as we made our plans. But I ignored him. He was NOT going to have any say in this. I did shoot him a smirk though when you came and sat back down next to me so he couldn’t fully eavesdrop on what it was you did} I’m smile} And that you help support her dream. Maybe I could put a good word in with the team next time we need an event catered.

Jaiden:

You would do that for her? <My brows popped at the gesture, my grin widening further when you nod once again and I couldn't help but chuckle. The offer to put in a good word could do wonders for Rainey's business, really getting it off the ground more. The Lakers were nothing to snub your nose at either and the more I thought about it the more I realized just how life changing that could be for her. For us.> Only if you're sure but you know don't have to. I'm still taking you out regardless. <Winking, I gathered up my bowling shoes when you do, walking with you up to the front slowly on purpose to drag the night out, I didn't want it to end even though I knew it had to. It wasn't until we were all outside though, our siblings walking ahead that I slowed even more, turning to face you.> I'm going to call you tomorrow.

Camryn:

{If you were walking slowly on purpose I couldn’t tell. But I sure was. Thank goodness I let Chris talk me into coming tonight. This was way better than the promised pizza. My last thought causing me to let out a soft laugh at myself that probably confused you} Please do. {steps a little closer, leveling my gaze with yours} And like actually call tomorrow, yeah? None of that macho guy stuff where they make you wait a day to not seem too eager. Trust me, I’ve dated those guys and I’m not interested in more of that.

Jaiden:

<Keeping my gaze locked with yours, I let you finish, thinking there was no possible way I was waiting two days to call. Not after the night we had and as I reached out to stroke your reddened cheek, seeing that smile, I shook my head and leaned in, whispering against your ear when we reached your car, your brother having walked Rainey to ours across the parking lot.> You’ll be lucky if I’m not texting you before then. I’m not like other guys, Cammy. <Leaning up against your car with you now, I can’t help but grin then too, seeing that blush deepen across your face..> You’ll see first hand that I’m not. That’s a promise.

Camryn:

{I know I had just met you. But I already trusted you. I’m sure Chris wouldn’t be happy to hear that. But it was the truth. And I found myself chanting in my head, please don’t be too good to be true. Please don’t be too good to be true} I believe you. {playfully glares at you, the effect being lost as my blush betrays me} Don’t make me regret it. {That crooked grin had those butterflies kicking up again as I let out a shy laugh} And you can text me any time you want. I might even assign you your own special tone.

Jaiden:

No regrets. Not even a single letter. <Laughing, I cracked that joke, hoping like hell you've seen that movie when I stopped short, brows furrowing at first before I gave you that crooked grin again. That shy laugh I was sure was going to be my downfall but I was finding I didn't mind the more we spoke. I thoroughly enjoyed the night out bowling with you and went as far to tell you so before opening your car door and waiting for you to step inside. At that last minute however, I took hold of your hand and brought it to my lips, kissing across each knuckle as words left my lips, that grin still firmly in place.> I really had a great time. Text when you get home? <Even that was a date in itself if we thought about, a date I was looking forward to once I were settled for the night.>

Camryn:

{With that kiss to my hand, I was a goner. However this turned out, good or bad, I was in for the ride. Giving your hand a light squeeze as I finally settled into the seat, I smiled up at you} I will. I’ll pick out your special tone on the ride home. {offers you an exaggerated wink and a laugh}

Rainey:

I’m thinking beginner’s luck maybe? (How is it this easy to joke with you? I had been asking myself that all night and almost let the words slip out once or twice when the ice breaker effectively did its job. We had found ourselves in a rather comfortable position. Some mild jabs when it came to our turns during the game but the night had actually turned pleasant which I was grateful for with the addition of yourself and your sister to our little bowling league mix we had going on.) So no Francesca, huh. How is that possible? (A very bold or forward question coming from me. It was so unlike me to even... Oh. Realization hit like a ton of bricks then. Was it considered flirting? If it was, it was so apparent that I was bad at it and BOOM, hi there anxiety.) I'm glad I... mmmet you tonight. (Oh yeah. Yep. Still horrible at it. In fact, my nerves got the best of me and I had to pause so not to stumble over my words. And only when we reached my van, did I take a chance glance your sister’s way with Jaiden, making sure they were okay before I continued on around to the passenger side of my van with you, feeling completely safe in your presence while out of sight of Jaiden’s. Which was another first for me too.)

Chris:

[I didn’t know where the hell you came from. But I was thanking all the stars and gods that I had the idea to bring Cammy here today. Had I not, I wouldn’t have met you. Which is funny because before tonight, I was completely closed off to the idea of a relationship again after the dumpster fire that was my last. A few minutes with you and I was rethinking the whole thing. You were a total package from what I could tell. Funny, beautiful, a good sport. Hell, you even caused me to lay off of Cammy for the time being while she was clearly getting close to your brother. I couldn’t help the goofy grin that graced my face when you stumbled over your words for a second. Damn if that didn’t just make me like you even more} Honestly? {stops so that I’m standing directly in front of you as you lean back against that van door} I almost had a Francesca. And that was a mess. {rubs the back of my neck before giving a shrug} Kind of turned me off to relationships for a while. {smirks, the fact that I was being so quick to say certain things the exact way I always tell Cammy not to not lost on me as I reach to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear} I’m feeling a little more open to them again now though…

Rainey:

Now? As in right now... (I had zoned in on those eyes of yours first but then that goofy grin was next which only made me smile wider, effectively leaving my gaze to linger on your mouth. You were right there.. That strand of hair you tucked behind my ear fueled my desire to reach out but I stayed right there pressed up against the van. Reminding myself that this wasn't some steamy romance novel. At least not yet.) That's good.. I mean wait no, it's not good. I didn't mean it was good that Francesca hurt you. I would never. (Cue my blush again then, silly me making this more awkward for us both and oh hi anxiety thanks for rearing your ugly head again. Sighing softly, almost embarrassingly so, I give you a kind smile, trying to rein it all in when it felt like you stepped closer. And suddenly it felt really hot..)

Chris:

[Somehow you managed to get more desirable with every minute. And when you made that slip saying you wouldn’t? I grinned probably the most embarrassingly dumb grin I’ve ever grinned in my life. Figuring I might as well go for broke, I stepped a little closer, carefully assessing your face and body language for any resistance as I brought my hand up one more time, this time cupping your cheek as I shook my head} I wouldn’t either. {lets the words hang between us for a few seconds, carefully gauging your reaction for a couple more seconds before whispering] Please don’t slap me. [With that, I took the plunge, leaning in and placing a light kiss to your lips]

Jaiden:

Make it a good one. <That crooked grin wasn't leaving my lips anytime soon. Not when I kept seeing that excited smile grace yours and I reluctantly let your hand slip from my fingers when you finally had a seat in your car. Shutting your door for you, I waited until you rolled your window, giving you a wink first before I dipped my head inside and brushed my lips against your cheek.> Be safe, beautiful. <Righting myself and the world for that matter, I started walking backwards towards the direction of our van, keeping you in my sights for as long I groaned and waited for my sister to get inside. Knowing the drive home was going to met with an awkward as hell conversation.>

Rainey:

(Oh my God.. He was going to do it. One second, I was convincing myself I was never hearing from you again and the next, I was throwing all caution to the wind when your words grand slammed into my brain, finally registering. "Please don't slap me." I melted into a puddle right then and there, legs wobbling, the whole shebang! For that split second in time, I was the heroine of all my books. All those worlds I got lost in and even if it was the smallest of kisses, it meant everything in that moment. Only it wasn't a book I was reading, it was my life. It was ME you were kissing. Very lightly, I returned that kiss, lips slow dancing against yours and I brought my hand up to coax you closer by that soft grasp of your jaw. Completely lost in you until I heard the van door slam and I was catapulted back to my very real reality.) Call me.. (It was a simple request and when you nodded against my lips, ignoring my brother completely, I gave you one last kiss to remember me by.) Night.. (I tried opening my door from behind me, fumbling for the door handle before I finally got it open and I turned to hop inside, coming face to face with my own brother. Mouthing "Not a word!" as he started the van and put it in gear, his groan of disapproval, was laughable and I did just that quietly as we made our way home.) #Kismet #WFW #ForKeeps

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ssimay · 3 years ago

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just embarrassed myself in front of the cashier while getting groceries and i don't think i wanna have human interaction with a stranger for a week straight

#why am i like this #s

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angelsfalling16 · 5 years ago

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(I Want You To) Check Me Out

Inspired by this lovely art by @parijpg <3

Summary: Baz is obsessed with the cashier at Aldi and keeps shopping there just so he can be checked out by him.

A/N: This could be read as just the beginning of a longer fic, but I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up (even though I do have some ideas for how to continue it) because I have so many other things that I’m working on atm. I hope you all like it, and I would love to hear what you think! :)

***

Baz

I don’t know why I keep coming back here. Well, that’s not entirely true. I know exactly why. It just isn’t a very good reason. It is a terrible reason actually.

I mean, you should not keep shopping at a grocery store simply because one of the cashiers is cute, right? Especially not when you hate going grocery shopping.

I typically try to limit how often I go to the store because I hate the crowds of people, and I hate how time consuming it can feel at times when I have so many other things that I need to be doing.

I used to only go grocery shopping once every week or so, but a few weeks ago when I came in to stock up on groceries, I ended up at the back of a very slow-moving line. I had hoped to be in and out quickly, but apparently the cashier was new because rather than the quick and efficient service that I had grown used to receiving at Aldi, I was in line for at least fifteen minutes before it was finally my turn to be checked out.

When I reached the front of the line, wallet in hand, I was ready to say something snarky to the cashier, but then he looked up at me with an apologetic smile, and whatever insult I had prepared simply melted away.

Good looking guys don’t usually have such a strong effect on me, but there was something different about this particular guy.

He looked up at me with wide, blue eyes, his hair falling messily onto his forehead, and my breathing hitched. He was gorgeous.

There wasn’t even anything special about the color of his eyes – they were just an ordinary shade of blue – but I found myself unable to look away.

“Sorry,” he said hurriedly as he began scanning my things. “It’s my third day working here, and I’m still trying to get the hang of things.”

“It’s fine,” I assured him, even though usually, I would have been fed up with him at that point. Being new was no excuse for slowness.

But I let him off the hook and was even a little disappointed when it was time for me to pay and leave because I wanted to spend more time admiring the freckles and moles that dotted his face and arms. I just wanted a little more time to figure out why I felt so completely drawn to him as soon as I saw him.

Because of this, I spent an extra-long time at the counter by the windows as I packed my things away in the reusable bags that I brought with me, stalling as long as possible while I surreptitiously watched him, hoping that he would turn and look at me.

Of course, he didn’t, and I eventually left, a strange, dejected feeling in my chest.

Since that day, I have been coming back to Aldi two or three times a week.

I usually don’t have a real need for anything, but I come with an excuse to visit, just for the chance to see the cashier again, whose name I have since learned: Simon.

Today, I have been walking aimlessly around the store for twenty minutes now in the hopes of seeing him, which is not an easy feat because there isn’t much room to wander around. Aldi is one of those places where you are meant to go in, get what you need, and leave.

Yet, here I am, meandering around, placing random things in my cart every once in a while so that it appears like I am actually shopping when what I am really doing is biding my time, hoping that Simon will be called up to the front soon to help check out.

It’s Saturday, meaning that everyone is out shopping today, so it isn’t unlikely that this will happen, (as long as he is working today.) In fact, I only have to stare at the arrangement of cheeses for a few more minutes before I see Simon come out from the back and make his way towards the cash wraps.

Not wanting to be too obvious, I wait another minute before slowly making my way to the front of the store, adding a couple of more things to my cart as I go. At this point, I’m not really sure what all I have in there because I haven’t been paying much attention.

By the time I make it up to the front of the store, there is already a line for where Simon’s working. The line for the other cashier is actually shorter, but I no longer come here for a quick check out.

I come here for him.

The line I’m in grows longer even as the other one grows short. Even though Simon has been working here for nearly a month, he is still a little slower than the other cashiers.

When it gets to the point where I should move over to the other line, I turn and wave the people behind me to go on ahead. My actions thankfully don’t seem too weird because I am now next in line and just about able to start placing my things on the belt, but even if I had been farther back in line, I still would have stayed here because I want Simon to check me out.

As I move closer to Simon, my heartbeat starts to pick up pace, and my hands begin to sweat. I don’t usually get this nervous, and I have definitely never obsessed over a guy this much before. This is new.

Simon is messing with my head, and I am hopeless to stop him.

Especially when he finally looks up, turning that glorious smile on me, causing me to go weak in the knees.

Fuck, I am so screwed.

“Back again?” He asks. “Weren’t you just here the other day?”

“Yeah, I just really needed some…” I glance over at the items I placed on the belt and find that I have chosen at least four different kinds of crackers and who knows how many types of cheeses, along with a few other items that don’t quite fit in with them.

“Snacks,” I say, finishing the sentence that I let drift off. “I needed snacks.”

“Right,” he says nodding. “It’s hard to study on an empty stomach. I get that.”

“I’m sorry?” I say, not following.

He blushes, a beautiful shade of pink, and begins paying extra attention to scanning thins as he says, “Y-you go to the university, don’t you?”

I squint at him, straightening up. “How do you know that?”

Is this guy stalking me?

“Umm,” he says, glancing up at me, obviously aware of my sudden hostility. “Well, you always have that book bag with you, he says, gesturing at my messenger bag that hangs at my side. “A-and—.” His voice shakes. I’ve made him nervous now. “And your sweatshirt has the school logo on it, so I just s-sort of assumed.”

I look down and find that he’s right. I am wearing my school sweatshirt today.

“Oh, right,” I say, feeling embarrassed and a little bad because I nearly accused him of being a creep when I’m the one who can’t seem to stay away from him. “Yeah,” I say, answering his earlier question. “I’m a sophomore.”

“Me, too,” He says excitedly, quickly recovering from his nervousness. “What’s your major?”

“English. What about you?”

“Social work, with a minor in art history.”

“That’s interesting,” I say, and I want to continue this conversation, to ask why he chose those two things, but he has finished scanning all of my things now and is reading out my total.

I hand over my money, almost wishing that his fingers would brush against mine when he takes it from me. He hands me my receipt, and hesitate for a moment, feeling like I should ask him if he wants to meet up on campus sometime but unsure how to go about doing that without it being weird. I pause too long, though, and I’m holding the line up now.

“Have a nice day,” Simon says kindly, and I nod politely at him before pushing my cart over to the counter.

I force myself not to look back at him as I bag my things, but as I make my way towards the door, I can’t help myself.

I glance at him over my shoulder, and he looks up at the same time, smiling when he sees me. He pauses what he’s doing long enough to give me a quick wave, and I can’t fight back the smile that takes over my face. I wave back, and I feel like I’m floating as I walk out the door.

That feeling stays with me for the rest of the day, fueled by that short (mostly) pleasant interaction that I had with Simon.

I think I might be falling for him.

#snowbaz #snowbaz fic #snowbaz ficlet #simon snow #baz pitch #tyrannus basilton grimm pitch #carry on #wayward son #rainbow rowell #my writing #i'm not putting this on ao3 yet #bc i want to wait until i decide that i am definitely going to continue it #bc i have enough unfinished things on there #also #the title is terrible #i kept going back and forth bw a couple of things #and somehow landed on this

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scornedlove · 3 years ago

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Chapter Thirty

ROBYN

It’s amazing what good sex can do. When we left the mall, Rocky took me to his duck off spot at Manhattan beach, where we set some rules to our situation. No questions, no venting, and no expectations. We promised to keep emotions out and orgasms in. If either of us broke any of the agreements, that would be the end of our rendezvous.

After we both had a clear understanding, he got to work like his life depended on it. He took me to heights I’ve been desperately needing right there on the sand and in the back of his car. I rode him so good, I woke up the next morning sore as hell with a little pep in my step.

What I didn’t expect, was Dre’s face to be the first one I saw when I arrived at the boutique. There was an all black Chevy Impala parked in the very last space, with some guy watching him. Guess he found a new driver. He kept glancing in all directions as if he was Dre’s bodyguard. All I could do was roll my eyes when I noticed Dre. He was holding a box of muffins and some flowers looking like somebody killed his dog.

I took my time getting out the cab, then slowly approached him with no-nonsense on my face. There wasn’t enough orgasms in the world to make me forget about him calling me an addict. When I got in front of him, I paused, waiting for him to speak first.

“I hate when you’re mad at me” he admitted, holding out the gifts.

“Is that what you think of me? An addict?” I quizzed, ignoring his offerings.

“See, I knew you took what I was saying the wrong way. You know I don’t think you’re an addict, but you do need help. Which is why this is the last time I’m giving you these” he stated, pulling a pill bottle out of his pocket. It must’ve been evident that I didn’t want to take them from him, because he urged, holding them out for me to grab.

“I don’t want anything from you. Matter of fact, forget I even exist” I frowned, turning my back on him to unlock the door. I was early this morning for a reason and he was cutting into my time.

“Anna you gotta stop pushing the people who care about you away. I talked to John this morning and he told me-”

“Oh please, because YOU care about me right? Go care about those stupid tramps you got prancing around in them tight ass clothes at your clinic.” I bumped him out of my way, knocking the pill bottle from his hand as I entered the building.

I locked the door and peeped out the window as he scrambled to find the bottle without dropping everything else he was holding. The scowl on his face as he mumbled to himself when he picked it up, showed he was done trying.

I hadn’t noticed before, but John was parked across the street waiting for him. He jogged over to the car without looking back, clearly cursing my name.

“Bet his ass won’t come back now” I shook my head, thinking out loud.

“Damn it’s been forever since I’ve seen you!” Meagan’s animated voice scared the crap out of me.

“SHIT” I yelled, clutching my chest.

“Sorry, I ain’t mean to scare you” she giggled, coming from around the front counter.

“What you doing here so early? I didn’t see your car out there.” I snapped, glancing around the store.

“Oh, my mom needed to borrow my car, so I got dropped off today.” she explained as if this was the norm. Jenn, Frankie, and I were gonna have to have a talk. I gave them a key, so how did Meagan end up with a copy?

“So who’s that guy waiting out front?”

“What guy?”

“There was some guy” I explained, as I went to see if he was still there. He was gone and now I was starting to wonder if I was just overthinking. “Nevermind....you know we don’t open for another hour and a half right?”

“Yeah, I know. It was either be early or be late. So, here I am” she shrugged, walking over to the window to see what I was looking at. “Is that Dre”?

“I’ll be in my office if you need me” I yawned, ignoring her question as I jogged up the stairs.

It felt good being back in my workspace. I didn’t realize how much I missed being here. I started to notice that every time I’m in a low place, I avoid the things that really make me happy. Just then, an idea came to mind. It had been awhile since I’ve been inspired, so I wasted no time pulling out my pad letting my hand flow as I began to sketch.

When I finished a couple of designs and going over the numbers for the past few weeks, I smoked a blunt, made some coffee, and promised myself today would be great before I went downstairs to join my crew.

“Bitch, you don’t need no more vacations!” Frankie exclaimed, as Jenn finished counting the day’s deposit. While she did that, Frankie and I were reviewing the reports for the past quarter. For some reason, every time I was here in the shop compared to my vacation days, sales were up by thirty percent. I wasn’t complaining, but it did seem strange.

“It makes sense if you ask me.” Meagan piped in. “Customer’s appreciate when you actually show up for them”

“Girl you still here?” I quizzed sarcastically. She was sticking her nose in places she had no business and it was starting to piss me off. “I appreciate your hard work. Enjoy the rest of your night and go get some rest. You’re off tomorrow so I’ll see you Thursday!”

“She’s off Thursday too!” Frankie corrected with a nod.

“Oh, well see you Friday” I grinned with a wave. She stood there lost for a moment, then finally agreed that she was tired as she grabbed her things and headed towards the door.

“Which one of ya’ll gave that heffa a key to my shop?” I asked crossing my arms over my chest as I glared from Jenn to Frankie.

“Not me” Frankie threw his hands up in defense.

“What makes you think she has a key?” Jenn quizzed, unamused.

“She was the first one here today. I don’t trust her and I don’t appreciate my key being copied. I’m changing the locks.”

“I think your exaggerating” Jenn shook her head in disbelief.

“Well I think I’ll be the only one with a key since nobody knows how a copy just magically appeared.” I shrugged, leaving it at that. We finished closing the store in silence, but I could still feel Jenn’s attitude. I didn’t let it get to me though. I just rolled me another blunt and smoked until my cab showed up.

Minus the stench on his breath, the driver was a nice guy. He was a college kid trying to scrape up every dollar he could with every minute he had. I remembered those days. I invited him to have dinner with me when we pulled up to Gorgio Baldi, but he declined, which meant I’d be dining alone. Usually, I wouldn’t mind, but the last time I was here was with Chris. I hate that I let him meet me here, because now it will never be the same.

The same place that usually felt warm and cozy, was now big and cold. As I waited for my food, I had an eerie feeling that I was being watched. I looked around the room and noticed how busy it was. There were a few couples, a couple of families, and a group of girlfriends having dinner together. I wasn’t the only loner though. There was a guy, a couple of tables away, with his face in a book while he waited on his food. He was comfortable in his lonesome, but I was not. I couldn’t shake the feeling of embarrassment as the memories of the last time I was here, flooded my mind.

When the waiter came back with my food, I took it to go. I decided if I wanted to enjoy my food in peace, I’d better stop and get Ollie and Pepe’s food as well. When I entered the grocery store, I was immediately irritated by how long all the checkout lines were. I wanted nothing to do with the chaos going on, so I grabbed some dog food and called it a day.

As I weaved through the crowds, towards one of the long ass check out lines, I noticed a cashier opening a new lane, so I quickened my pace. I was almost there when, out of nowhere, a guy walked right in my path, causing me to smash my cart into his side.

“Fuck!” he yelled out in pain, scaring me half to death.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you! Are you okay?” I panicked, rushing around the basket to pick up one of the 2-liter cokes he’d dropped.

“I’m good” he winced, massaging his hip.

“You may wan grab another” I suggested, handing it back to him.

“You may wan watch where you’re going, you could’ve fucked my shit up.” he mimicked disrespectfully.

“Scuse me?” I paused, stepping back with a scowl. Who was he coming at sideways when he’s the one that ran into my basket? I fixed my lips to tear him down, but my voice caught in my throat.

“Oh shit! I was hoping I’d run into you again, just not literally, we forgot to exchange numbers.” Rocky lightened up, after recognizing me. I went from wanting to slap him, to wanting to jump his bones, and back to that strange feeling in the back of my gut. How the hell do I keep running into him?

“You following me?” I stared him down, trying to read him. I had to know, this was one too many coincidences.

“How can I be following you when I’m on my way out?” He asked, waving his receipt. “I was just picking up a few things for my little sister’s party ”

“Well, uh have fun.” I stammered, before rushing towards the checkout lane. Something about running into him two days in a row made me feel a little uneasy. He knows where I live, which means it’s possible he followed me.

I didn’t see him or his car in the parking lot when I left the store, but I was more alert the entire ride home. By the time I made it home I convinced myself he lived nearby. That’s the only thing that made sense, so I said a quick prayer and brushed it off.

The next few days, I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder. I even went as far as having cameras installed at home. When you live alone, there’s no such thing as being too careful, so I updated my security system too. When everything was finished, I was impressed to say the least. I had everything connected to my phone, plus a couple of panic buttons around the house, in case I ever get caught slipping.

“This shit is dope” Mel exclaimed, as I explained the new system to her. “I just got one question. What’s going on?”

“What you mean?”

“Why did you get all this? Has Chris been threatening you?”

“What? Please! Not everything is about him. I just want to feel safe, that is all”

“You sure you’re not keeping anything from me?”

“I’m sure bitch! Now hurry up and roll up so we can get this movie started” I demanded, changing the subject.

“Movie? Un-un! You still gotta pack your shit, we leave for Bim tomorrow.”

“Our flight ain’t til 11! I was gonna do it in the morning, you wanna help me?”

“Hell naw! You know how your ass is! It’s gon’ take you forever to pick out 3 days worth of clothes and I’m starving. I’m finna raid your fridge.”

“Well, how ‘bout you pick my clothes and I fix dinner.” I bargained with a brow raise.

“Ooooh, deal. I’ll take jerk chicken.” she jumped up a little too happily. “Besides, It’s been a minute since I raided your closet!”

“I betta not find nothing missing!” I called over my shoulder on my way to the kitchen.

CHRIS

"You can’t hold me!" Trey taunted, with his usual trash talk as the shot clock reached zero. We were at his crib playing 2K while Lala and Danni were cooking food, preparing for tomorrow. They were hosting Thanksgiving this year, so the house was smelling marvelous.

“Shut up man! You definitely got lucky” I shook my head in shame.

“Yeah okay, I beat yo ass bro. You just gon’ take that L?” he teased, challenging me to another round.

“Imma have to, I gotta get up outta here. I gotta be at the airport by 7am.” I explained, glancing at my watch. As much as I loved this game, I had other shit on my mind. I needed to figure out how to get Tae to hear me out, and what better way then through her best friend?

“Oh, you gotta get to Mama huh? Can’t miss out on that Thanksgiving dinner!”

“Nah, I’m actually gonna pop up on Tae. Maybe meet the fam and all that”

“Oh yeah? Can she cook?”

“You know what, now that you mention it,” I paused in deep thought. I don’t know. I’ve never had her cooking”

“Well shit, I guess you about to find out! Good luck!” he laughed, cracking himself up. “But in all seriousness, how’s that going?”

“It’s cool” I lied with a shrug. “How’s the married life?”

“Man, if I knew marriage was the key to turn up the freak in Lala, I would’ve did this shit a long time ago!” he exclaimed, grinning hard as hell.

“Guess that means it’s going good?”

“Nah, this shit is great. With the way we be going at it, she’s definitely gonna be pregnant any day. That’s if she ain’t already!”

“You fucking stupid” I laughed out loud and damn near choked when Lala came from the kitchen, holding a spatula covered in chocolate.

“Taste this” she demanded, as she strutted towards Trey. She had definitely put on a few pounds since I last saw her. Hopefully he was right and they were expecting. Everybody knew how much they wanted kids.

“Ugh, ain’t that cross contamination?” I frowned, shaking my head.

“Shut up, I’m still mad at you for what you did to my friend” Lala glared in my direction.

“What you do?” Trey quizzed, looking confused. “You just said everything was cool”

“It was just a big misunderstanding” I sighed as I proceeded to explain the situation.

“So you’re telling me you passed out next to yo horny ex-fuck buddy and ain’t hit?”

“I swear to God bro”

“No wonder she’s pissed. That just sounds like bullshit” Lala frowned, shaking her head.

“It ain’t bullshit. Yeah, it looked bad, but I promise ya’ll I ain’t stupid enough to go down that road. I gave her some time to cool off, now I gotta go get my girl back”

“You really love her?” she wondered aloud as she cut her eyes at me.

“I do and I miss the shit outta her. Now what do I gotta do to at least get her to hear me out?”

“Chris, if I help you and you hurt my friend, I will personally help her fuck yo life up.”

“You ain’t gotta worry about that”

“Okay, you got one shot. The only reason I’m even agreeing to help is because I know how she feels about you. She deserves to be happy. So if you ain’t 1000% sure about her then you should just leave things where they are. ”

“Damn he said he ain’t cheat! If my boy can survive that kind of temptation, then he know what he want. Trust me, I’m speaking from experience. ” Trey exclaimed on my behalf.

“He got a point. Now can you call her for me?

“Why you can’t call her?”

“You know she blocked me” I shook my head as she pulled her phone out.

“You wanna talk to her”

“Nah, I just need you to figure out what she got going on tomorrow so I can pop up on her. I know that seeing me face to face will show her how serious I am.”

“Okay, I can do that.” she smiled, as she dialed Tae’s number. She answered on the second ring and they caught up before she got the information I needed. Tae didn’t even think twice as she ran down her plans for tomorrow. I made Lala promise not to give her a heads up so she could be genuinely surprised. Now all I had to do was show up and speak my truth. How hard could that be?

ROBYN

“If the dog don’t trust it, you know something’s up” Mel blurted to the TV. We were bundled up together on my love seat because my grown ass wanted to cuddle.

“I never understood why people don’t listen to they dogs!” I agreed, as we cracked our beers and clinked them. We were watching the Conjuring, knowing damn well we were gonna have nightmares from it. I didn’t care, I just needed a distraction.

Ever since the beach sex I had with Rocky, my hormones have been raging. That man had a magical tongue and the fact that he could hang for so long was impressive. I had more than a few orgasms when he’d finally gotten his, and I definitely didn’t expect that from a stranger. I didn’t know if he was really that good or if my drought intensified our encounter. Either way, I was still riding the high.

“You gonna answer that?” I asked, shaking Mel’s shoulder when her loud ass ringtone woke up my babies. Evidently, she was exhausted because she didn’t even make it halfway through the movie.

“Mellie” I called out again, but all she did was roll over and snore louder. I figured it was J when the text notification went off, so I grabbed her phone to let him know she had passed out.

I need another round, last night was incredible.

What are you doing tonight?

Seeing Michael’s new text along with no previous messages had my mind going straight to the gutter. I just knew this hoe wasn’t cheating on J. I wanted to wake her ass up, but decided against it. There had to be more to the story. I really hoped so.

My nosy ass could’t help it. I had to get more information. I went through her call history and didn’t notice his name once. I was about to dig even deeper when my phone lit up with an alarm notification. I received a text when my alarm noticed movement within 15 feet of my house. The last couple of times it was a squirrel but this time I was glad I checked it anyway. Apparently I had company.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about this unannounced visit, but smiled when a familiar face paused and took a deep breath before knocking at my door.

“Sorry for popping up on you” Rocky grinned, when I opened the door.

“So you remembered where I live?”

“I couldn’t forget if I wanted to. My sister lives right across the street” he pointed behind him at the party that was going on. "She throws a mean Thanksgiving eve party if you don’t have anything going on.”

“Oh, um”

“I would’ve invited you the other day but you left so quickly I didn’t get your number” he hinted.

“My bad, I was in a hurry. I would go, but my sis is staying with me tonight.”

“The more the merrier. I bet she’d have a good time too”

“We actually have a flight in the morning, so we’re about to call it a night.”

“Aight, guess I’ll just see you around.” he shrugged, returning to his party. The throbbing between my thighs wanted to invite him in to have our own little party, but my better judgement willed it away. Instead, I went straight to my room, pulled out my little friend, put some fresh batteries in, and went to work.

#robyn rihanna fenty #chris brown #fanfiction

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