#the little shhhhh with the boot

[mageless]

This!!! He’s apparently just given up on keeping in character this season and it’s simultaneously wonderful and weird.

THE GUMBOOT OH MY GOD. Alex is in a weird mood this episode. He's chatty, he's cheeky. He's laughing and making faces at the camera. It's so bizarre!!!!!

[its-no-biggie]

putting my blorbos in skirts except each outfit is less plausible than the last

gonna post all these separately tomorrow with the proper tags and stuff so you guys can reblog just the characters you like, but in the meantime i wanted to post them all together <3

saiki | chuuya | yjh | wash

[racew1nn3rs]

─ 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘪. (𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦) 🍊

⤷ summary: saudi arabian and australian grands prix happen! y/n starts making vlogs for the races and it reveals more about her and a certain driver's feelings than she hoped, not that she notices. poor oscar's stuck in the middle of it all but he's trying his best!

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liked by f1, landonorris, and 55,007 others

tagged landonorris and oscarpiastri

mclaren saudi arabia, you were beautiful even if the results weren't! ready for what's to come

12,567 comments

user1 admin not using a single nice photo of the drivers 😭

user2 admin be honest is this your revenge era

mclaren well, yes!

user3 HELP MEEEE

user4 the way lando looks at her 😭

user5 this is a place of business

user6 oscar looks petrified 💀

mclaren dw guys we're still training him!

oscarpiastri wtf why would u say it like that, i'm not a dog

mclaren full-time team mascot, part time driver

user7 admin drop the insta your so pretty 😭😭

user8 no literally, content of her WHERE

mclaren ynusername 🤲🏼

user9 LETS FUCKING GO

user10 HER DISSING HER OWN TEAM 💀 THEY'RE GONNA FIRE YOU GIRL

mclaren they don't pay me to LIE

user11 CRAZYY

user12 LANDO IS NEVER GETTING A GOOD PIC EVER AGAIN 😭

mclaren what can i say, i am no mans peace 🥱

user13 icon

landonorris reporting you to hr

mclaren for what

landonorris idk harrassment or something

mclaren ok keyboard warrior, lets calm down 💀

user14 KEYBOARD WARRIOR HELEPSJSM

user15 i vote admin just takes over and we don't even get driver pictures

user16 real and true

user17 i fear we may have lost the plot

user18 thoughts on today's results

mclaren i'm trying to be positive in general but man

user19 LMAOOOOO

user20 ik the pr department is shaking in their boots after every post notif

mclaren probably! but unfortunately for everyone, i am going to keep doing whatever i want

user21 no more lando beef, mclaren admin?

mclaren i forget but i never forgive. i forgot why we were fighting but i stay hating bitches 🥱

landonorris literally WHAT DID I DO

mclaren IDK BUT IK U PISSED ME OFF 🫵

oscarpiastri diabolical photo choice

oscarpiastri i look like a little kid on picture day

mclaren so basically your everyday look

oscarpiastri yk what you are making this work environment very hostile

mclaren i can make it more hostile if you want 🤨

oscarpiastri nevermind!!!

maxfewtrell most flattering lando picture i've seen in years

mclaren that's saying something isn't it 🤩

user22 i went to haterville and they all knew you admin

mclaren they actually just elected me mayor there!!! 💪🏻

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liked by bsfusername, landonorris, and 17,800 others

ynusername if my admin duties don't kill me, i promise my caffeine addiction will! (:

3,422 comments

user23 be honest, how many coffees have you had today

ynusername 3!

user24 oh that's not that bad

ynusername +5

user24 JESUS CHRSUT

bsfusername at this point i think meth would be healthier

ynusername honestly yeah

ynusername thanks for the suggestion!!

user25 nooo admin don't do meth ur so sexy aha

ynusername that just made me want to do meth more

landonorris so what i'm hearing is buying you an espresso machine would get me in your good graces 😇

user26 oh brother here he goes

ynusername you must be deaf then

landonorris 😔 2 espresso machines?

ynusername i don't want ur dirty espresso machines 🙄

oscarpiastri now what car is that 🫵

ynusername SHHHHH

oscarpiastri TRAITOR

bsf2username when your not busy being super sexy on a race track, can we go thrifting and get sweetgreen and overpriced coffee 🙏🏼🙏🏼

ynusername this could've been an email, get this out of my comments 💀

ynusername but yeah obviously

user27 admin vlogs when 😔

ynusername SOON!!! very very soon

user28 mother feeding us once again

ynusername brb, adding single mom who works two jobs, loves her kids, and never stops to my resume

danielricciardo coffee recipe where?

ynusername in your dms now ‼️

danielricciardo is this flirting

ynusername no if i was flirting i would've told you to ask me in person, i'm just being charitable

landonorris can i get the coffee recipe too then 🤲🏼

ynusername wdy want next, my mugs? keep on walking charity case

user29 CHARITY CASE IS CRAZYDFHAJ

user30 she's so effortlessly funny and mean i love her

user31 i feel like this is so unprofessional /:

ynusername babe professional where, you are on??? my personal?? account???

user32 maybe she's born with it, maybe it's the fact that she's consumed enough caffeine to tranquelize a horse

user33 oh please the horse would be dead

ynusername call an ambulance, BUT NOT FOR ME ‼️💪🏻🗣️

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ynusername posted to story!

(caption: melbourne vlog out now on youtube, go watch!!)

15,221 replies

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would you like to watch? yes or no

now loading...

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"This thing better be working," could be heard slightly muffled in between vague shuffling sounds. After a second or two of incoherent noise, the camera footage finally came on. Y/N smiled at herself in the camera as the recording light blinked to life, and raised her hand victoriously. She grabbed the smile microphone in front of her and laughed, "It looks like everything is working. Thank God, I wouldn't have known how to fix it otherwise."

"Alright everybody, welcome to the first race weekend vlog hosted by me! Your favorite McLaren admin and social manager. It took me forever to figure out how I wanted to go about this, but now I think I settled on a format that will work," She explained as she walked around the small, clean kitchen that was within frame of the camera. She pulled a glass jar out of her cabinets and left it on the counter before pulling a jug of cold brew and a cartridge of milk out of her fridge.

"It is currently 7:30 A.M on March 29th, and I have a flight to Melbourne in 3 hours. I'm already packed and ready for this weekend, but I wanted to get an introduction filmed and I wanted to take a shower before I left." Y/N paused for a moment as she poured the coffee into her mason jar until she seemed satisfied and began to add some milk. "I am totally exhausted so this is probably cup one of like," she laughed, "I don't know seven probably. And this is a pretty big jar I won't lie."

"The race weekend doesn't technically start until Friday, so I'll be getting there a bit early, but I wanted to film some content before the race weekend gets really hectic, so McLaren is sending me a little bit earlier. I'm excited though! I love the heat, even if I live in London the antithesis of Australian weather," she taste-tested her coffee and hummed in delight.

"God I really never miss with this stuff," she said contently. "Anyway, it's a bit of an early start today, but I'll have plenty of time to sleep on the fight. I mean can you believe that London to Melbourne is a nearly 22 hours," she scoffed. "I vote that we start making all of the races in one place so I don't have to feel jet lag more painful than the force of 1,000 suns every other weekend. Not that I'm complaining," she chuckled awkwardly, "I love my job McLaren please don't fire me."

Abruptly an orange tabby cat came into the frame of the camera, causing Y/N to abruptly grab her glass jar in the hopes of avoiding a mess. She gasped, but laughed as the cat scampered off as quickly as it had come. She shook her head fondly.

"That, ladies and gentleman, was Cali! My cat. She's literally my baby, and I love her more than anything else on this earth. However, she does have an affinity for hitting things off of counters and breaking them. She also hates men and nearly all other animals, so she's basically the world's biggest hazard to society. She's a good girl, I love her." Y/N explained between sips of coffee as she stared wistfully past the the frame of the camera, where it could be assumed Cali had gone.

Abruptly an alarm went off and Y/N threw her head back with a groan.

"That means I have to get in the shower and get ready so I can leave on time," she said, before taking a few more sips of coffee. "I'm going to go do that, and the next time you'll hear my beautiful voice will be at the Melbourne Airport! Cue the travel montage!"

An assortment of clips follow. Y/N is seen dragging her luggage through Heathrow Airport. Y/N is seen ordering another coffee at the airport, finishing the coffee, and ordering another before her flight. Y/N is seen responding to emails from her airplane seat, editing video footage, and responding to instragram and twitter comments. Footage is shown outside the plane window of a cloudy, blue sky and a time lapse is shown as the sky grows beautiful shades of pink and red before becoming a starry-night sky. Y/N is seen cozy in a throw blanket and a travel pillow, presumably asleep with headphones on. Y/N is shown pulling her luggage through the airport once again, with a brand new coffee cup in hand. She smiles, taking a sip before she is seen settled down in a seat in the bustling airport.

"Twenty-two or so hours later and I have finally landed in Melbourne. I'm waiting for my Uber to get here so I can finally be taken to my hotel to drop my stuff off. I have a meeting with the McLaren drivers in two hours, but luckily I slept really well on the plane. I don't know how else I would be able to deal with Lando Norris. I'm going to finish this coffee in order to maximize my tolerance for the next few hours, but I suspect I'll be getting a new coffee before I reach that meeting. My addiction truly knows no bounds," she laughs, trying to ignore the people vaguely shown within frame that are staring at her speaking to a camera.

The camera cuts abruptly and the waiting screen from SpongeBob flashes on the screen, including the narrator's voice reading "2 hours later."

Y/N is shown once again in new clothes, a new coffee cup in hand, and luggage replaced by a small canvas bag. Her comfortable plane clothes have been swapped out for jean shorts and a plain white tank-top. Her hair is clipped back out of her face, and she is adorned with simple gold jewelry and light makeup.

Y/N smiles at the camera as she walks, bustling and talking heard around her, before whispering into the small microphone, "I have arrived at the McLaren garage. It is now time to meet with Lord Lando and workplace mascot Oscar Piastri," the titles slip off her tongue sarcastically and she doesn't bother suppressing an eye-roll.

In the next clip, Oscar and Lando are seen seated on either side of her as they sit in what seems like a board-room. Lando leans over and whispers something that the camera doesn't pick up and Oscar laughs while Y/N grimaces and reaches forward to readjust the camera. When the camera comes back on, Lando and Oscar are seated together on the left of Y/N as she faces on angle toward both them and the camera.

"Don't just sit there and look pretty, say hello to the camera boys," Y/N says and Oscar cackles at the disgruntled look on Lando's face.

"Is that your way of calling me pretty Y/N," Lando chokes out between laughs, and Y/N scoffs with an eye-roll.

"I was actually talking about Oscar, but whatever floats your little papaya boat Norris," Y/N deadpans and Oscar doubles over from the force of his laughter at the pout on Lando's face.

"That's not nice at all, I hope you know that. I think I am sitting here very prettily, thank you very much," Lando says, leaning into the girl next to him to speak into her microphone.

Y/N draws the microphone back, swatting him away, "Yes, yes quite prettily," Y/N mocks in a British accent.

Oscar, still trying to recover, joins in, "Pretty little Lando Norris," and Y/N laughs jovially, reaching across Lando as if the boy weren't there to high-five the Austrialian driver.

"Bullies, the lot of you," Lando mumbles and Y/N brushes off his comment without response before finally facing the camera.

"Anyway, welcome to the first McLaren race weekend vlog. I'm Y/N L/N, the best media manager in the whole god damn world, and this is Lando Norris, the biggest pain in my ass, and Oscar Piastri, the second biggest pain in my ass. How are you feeling about Melbourne boys?" Y/N questions, transitioning smoothly much to the British driver's chagrin.

"Feeling proud to be the second biggest pain in the ass and not the first. Probably the only time i've been glad to get second actually," Oscar comments and Y/N laughs as Lando shakes his head in disappointment.

"But in all seriousness it is good to be home, this is easily my favorite race of the year seeing as it's my home race and i'm looking forward to, hopefully, good results from our team," Oscar supplies and Y/N nods along to his words.

"Yes, Australia, we are in you and we are happy about it," both boys choked out a laugh at the manager's sexual innuendo and Oscar quickly covered his mouth with his hand so as not to react too much. "What about you Lando what are you feeling," Y/N questioned, leaning the small microphone to the boy.

"Feeling like that was a stupid joke. And also like I am going to be getting P1 this weekend. I can feel it in my bones."

"Leave my jokes alone Lando, you're not being paid to be a critic," she scoffed, "and if I recall, you said the same thing in Saudi Arabia not that long ago. What's changed now?"

Lando rolled his eyes, "What's changed is that we're in Australia now and I'm feeling much more confident."

"Well thank god for that," Y/N supplied unhelpfully as Oscar laughed.

"Now, what we really came here for, it's time to film a video for this channel, it's going to be a fan Q and A, I picked the questions. By the time this vlog is up, the QnA should've already been posted. So feel free to stop watching this and to go watch that or whatever," Y/N commented. "After that we're going to film a TikTok challenge," both and Lando and Oscar grimaced, but Y/N ignored their dismay at the idea of fiming yet another TikTok, so cue the montage! Filming time!" Y/N exclaimed and the screen transitioned to a new series of clips.

In the first clip Oscar and Lando were sitting in two chairs while Y/N sat across from them with a set of notecards.

"Lando, this question from user "ln4mania" asks, "Are you and admin actually friends? Or is the online beef real? The people demand answers!" Y/N reads off with a laugh.

"Do you hear that, the people demand answers Lando! Don't keep them waiting!" Oscar and Y/N laugh as Lando shakes his head and tucks his face into his hands.

"There is no beef, guys. Me and admin, or rather me and Y/N are just fine. We hadn't even actually met when that happened," Lando supplied between laughs. Y/N looked at the camera and rolled her eyes with a shake of her head, faux-disagreeing with the boy.

She ignored the simmering pit of disappointment in her stomach. She did in fact have a problem with entitled little Lando Norris who still gave her side-eyed looks and judgmental stares whenever he saw her. If that wasn't humiliating enough, Oscar had clearly noticed it too, which just gave Y/N the feeling that she wasn't being taken seriously at all now that Oscar understood Lando's lack of respect for Y/N. However that didn't matter in the current moment. All that mattered was making this video.

The next clip showed Lando and Oscar sitting at a table with bowls of water in front of them and towels strewn across a chair just within frame of the camera. Y/N stood behind them, hands rested in their hair as she reacted to the prompts being read by someone, an unnamed media intern, off-camera.

"Who is harder to make videos with?" The intern asked and Y/N huffed out a laugh as she let her hands fully grasp Lando's curls and push him into the water quickly. He sputtered, trying to blink the water out of his eyes as Y/N laughed at the wet-puppy dog look he was sporting.

Y/N tried to shake the ridiculous desire to let her hands run through the soft curls underneath her finger tips. Curse Lando and whatever stupidly good, rich-person hair routine he used that made him smell good and look good, and... whatever.

Lando, blinking water out of his eyes, was now undoubtedly certain that being damn-near waterboarded was worth it if it meant that Y/N would laugh like that again. He knew Oscar would harass him again later for being "down-bad" or something along those lines- as he had done every time he caught the man staring-, but as he caught a glimpse of Y/N's bright smile and shaking shoulders, he found he didn't really care.

The next clip showed Oscar, Lando, Y/N, and a laughing media intern as they all dried off- somehow all having become wet through the course of filming. Y/N dried herself off quickly, taking a sip of her newly refilled coffee, not seeing the way that only the camera and Oscar saw Lando stared at her until the driver was nudged back into focus on drying himself off.

A title-card once again came on the screen with white words on a photo collage of Australian grand-prix candids that Y/N had taken, reading "Race montage? More likely than you'd think."

Footage was shown of the free practice sessions. Oscar and Lando getting in and out of their cars. Engineers along the pit wall going over data. The team speaking incoherently, going over the game plan for Sunday's race. Oscar and Lando greeting fans, signing merch, and posing for photos. Y/N smiling and waving at a cheering crowd of people before staring at the camera incredulously with a small caption reading: "Omg she's famous your honor". More clips showed Lando laughing as Oscar tossed grapes and Lando moved to catch them with his mouth. Lando nearly choking as Y/N cackled in the background. Multiple clips showing Y/N with a fresh coffee, and another... and another, as Oscar's face in the background grew with concern. Zak Brown explaining to Y/N the dangers of caffeine overdose, and the need for moderation. Y/N explaining to Zak Brown that without coffee she would simply collapse and die, which the camera showed did nothing to ease her concern. Y/N getting caps signed by the drivers for fans and walking away with intricate friendship bracelets decorating her wrists.

And finally footage of the race. The engineers in the garage. The pit-crew changing tires. The cars racing past as Y/N watched attentively. Footage of the crowd as they cheered when the cars whizzed past. Smiling faces of fans. Y/N's cheers as Oscar and Lando passed. The smiling faces of McLaren employees as Lando and Oscar crossed the checkered flag in P6 and P8 respectively.

Y/N accepting hugs from both drivers, ignoring the burning sensation in her stomach as Lando wrapped his arms around her with a smile and a laugh. Y/N calling Lando smelly and telling him to go wash off if he wants to hug her next time, and him rolling his eyes at her fondly before making a face at the camera. The podium celebration is shown and Y/N smiles as the anthem plays, even though it's not for her own team.

The final clip is shown of Y/N in her hotel room, comfortable in sweats as she sits on the unmade bed.

"Not bad results this week guys! P6 for Lando and P8 for Oscar, which are good points for the team. I'm happy on my end, I think we got some good content filmed, and I am now ready to go to sleep so I can get home to Cali and my own bed quicker. I hope you enjoyed this video, and if you didn't don't tell me because I don't care!" Y/N jokes with a smile.

"Hopefully I will see you all at the next race, if not the race after that! Bye papaya fans, and be sure to follow us on instagram and all of the other social platforms!" Y/N exclaimed, gesturing to the list of the social media handles that appeared on her right hand side.

And with that, the camera cut to black.

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liked by oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1, and 29,145 others

ynusername afraid to report that i fought jetlag and lost 😔 i did sleep for 25 hours straight after melbourne and i had no clue where i was when i woke up! shout out cali for waking me up 🙏🏼 best friend frl

9,547 comments

bsfusername i'm going to try not to be offended by that caption (love you bb cali) but FUCK YOU CAUSE I BOUGHT YOUR ASS BREAKFAST

ynusername my bad! s/o to that bomb ass omlette 🤩

bsfusername never doing shit for you again

user34 that vlog was god tier, how long did that take

ynusername it took 7 hours of editing and years off my life, thanks so much for asking 🥳

maxverstappen1 thanks again for those podium photos! you have a gift for photography 💪🏻

ynusername don't mention it! 👍🏼

ynusername (no seriously, mclaren might behead me)

mclaren beheading is so last year. firing squad. 🗣️

user35 not y/n threatening herself 💀

oscarpiastri suprised your body didn't naturally wake up for coffee

ynusername it did! just 25 hours later

user36 your poor cat was literally starving for a whole day? youre a horrible owner

ynusername let me introduce you to god's greatest creation: the automatic feeder!!! i'm sure they can mail one to whatever fucking rock you live under!

user37 PERIODDDD

user38 me personally? i'd never log on again

user39 she needs a personal channel 🙏🏼🙏🏼 i'd subscribe

user40 her cat is so cute 😭😭😭 gimme that

ynusername 🫵 STAY BACK HEATHEN, NO ONE TOUCHES CALI AND LIVES

user40 my bad fam 🧍🏻‍♀️

user41 i want someone to love me as much as she loves that mean ass cat

landonorris don't you have a job to be doing 💀💀 she slept through a full work day

user42 lando always on her ass and for whattttt

user43 obsessed obsessed obsessed

ynusername i had the day off! but not the guy who was streaming video games coming for me 🥱 talking bout get a job

user44 lando and y/n beefing on insta again? we're so back

user45 at this point instagram comment beef isn't enough, they need to duel or some shit

user46 the caffeine addiction almost got her guys

ynusername i wish it would, then i wouldn't have to work with lando's annoying ass

landonorris I CAN SEE YOUR COMMENTS???

ynusername THAT'S THE POINT

user47 honestly just give her a gun atp, these men test her too damn much

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user48 NURSE 🫵 SHE'S RIGHT HERE

user49 no fr, like let's get back to bed grandma

user50 OP, are you concussed?

user51 no actually cause didn't y/n just say she wanted to khs working with him 💀💀

pastryboy81 that sign can't stop me, because i can't read!

user53 OK I ACTUALLY SEE THE VISION

user54 ARE YOUR EYES CLOSED???!1!1

user55 i fear i totally get it 😔

user56 it's giving enemies to lovers, secret relationship type vibe lowkkkk

user57 no deadass like he hugged her reallll tight

user58 she also hugged oscar 😭😭?? and he has a whole gf

user59 the way she shoved him off and told him he reeked not 5 seconds after 💀 delusion is a disease yall

user60 someone call the f1 gossip pages cause 😗

user61 more like someone call the ward cause somethings real off with yall 🤨

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sorry that this update took forever, i had surgery and recovery has been rougher than i expected! hope you enjoy!!

please leave your thoughts in the comments and feel free to drop a request for your fav in my asks <3

-

𝙩𝙖𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

@lemon-lav @slutforpopculture @m4rt10ne @urfavsgf @sadsierra2 @96jnie @sltwins @poppyflower-22 @alliumiae @livelovesports @liberty-barnes @the-holy-trinity-l @iliwyss @awritingtree @redpool @elliotts1one @velentine @chaoticmessneutralplease @5sospenguinqueen @charizznorizz @2pagenumb @mxdi0 @cwiphswmwasohmm @tremendousstarlighttragedy @lnspipedrm @itseightbeats @tinycoffeeroom @woozarts @personwhoisther @a-beaverhausen @love-simon @annabellelee @ravisinghs-wife @chezmardybum @greantii @weekendlusting @monserelates @sapphiccloud @halleest @deamus-liv @gigigreens @morenofilm @laneyspaulding19 @lanireadss @dear-fifi @moldyshorts1997 @oliviarodrigostan13 @eugene-emt-roe @ilivbullyingjeongin @im-a-ghost666

[jamdoughnutmagician]

Rodeo Romeo

Cowboy!Eddie Munson x Reader (18+)

I've missed this lovable cowboy, so I thought it was about time to bring him back! This fic exists within the Hey Cowboy! universe, but you don't really need to read it to follow on.

and yes I borrowed the title from a Steps song but shhhhh

Word Count:2,410

Eddie Munson Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Wiping the sweat from his sun-bronzed and freckled skin, Eddie sets his hat on the hook in the hallway as he steps into his quaint little country house, leaving his sand-dusted work boots on the porch.

Immediately he’s hit with the warm and all too inviting scent of warm spices and sweet vanilla floating out from the kitchen. No doubt that you were up to your usual tricks. As this season’s county fair drew nearer and nearer, every evening as Eddie came home, he found himself being greeted by the scent of your latest culinary creations.

Stepping into the kitchen he can’t help but smile to himself as he sees the gentle sway of your hips in time with the soft country music filtering through the radio. His tired eyes were treated to seeing you in that perfect little gingham sundress with the strings of your apron tied in a neat little bow around your waist. You looked every inch of his guiltiest fantasies come to life.

“Something in here smells good, Darlin’, what you cookin’ up this time?” he says, kissing your cheek as he comes up behind you with his arms winding around your waist. You arch your neck into his affections at the while keeping your attention focused on stirring the slowly simmering pot of fruit on the stove top.

‘Just a little pumpkin pie is all, Teddie.” you nod towards the pie that was cooling on your kitchen’s counter top. 

“Don’t mind if I do!” he giggles as he reaches forward, fork in hand, towards the pumpkin pie.

Quickly you slap his hand away before he can take a piece.

“I mind if you do, actually.” you gently admonish him. “These pies aren’t for you to be eating, they’re for my stall at the county fair.”

“C’mon, you know your pumpkin pie is my favourite” he whines childishly, pouting at you with those big brown eyes.

“Everything I make is your favourite, Edward.” you laugh with a soft shake of your head.

“You're killing me here, Sweets. There's gotta be something here that needs my fine-tuned taste-testing abilities.” 

“Actually, there is.” You say as you turn down the stove top to a gentle bubble. “Try this and tell me what you think.” 

You hand him over a little shortbread cookie in the shape of a horseshoe. 

He wastes no time in taking it off your hands and taking a bite of it.

‘Mm that's delicious, Darlin’. What is it?” He mumbles around a mouthful of the cookie.

“I wanted to try making something different. They're maple butter shortbread cookies. I was thinking about selling them at the county fair too, but I wanted to get a certain cowboys stamp of approval first.”

As he reaches out for another cookie to stuff in his face he offers you one of his trademark boyish smiles.

“Rest assured, Sweets, these little cookies more than pass the Munson taste test.” he chuckles.

“Good, I’m glad” you smile back, rising up on your tiptoes to kiss his flushed cheek. “You ready for your show? It’s gonna be here before you know it.”

“Yeah the horses seem to be following me and Bandit along well-enough, should go pretty smoothly. 

A far cry from the wild, and oftentimes dangerous competition cowboy that Eddie used to be, now he uses his well-honed skills to do display shows, showing off his ranch-hand skills, and doing the occasional lasso trick or two to impress the kids.

“Don’t you miss the competitions though?” you asked as you looked up at him. Truth be told, you don’t miss it one bit. You don’t miss the way that he used to carefully traipse through the house after a rodeo competition, with a pained grin and set of blossoming purple bruises after being thrown from the saddle. And you for sure do not miss the way you would have to help patch him back together before he went back out into that dangerously competitive world.

“Nah, I hung up my spurs a long time ago, I can’t be bronc riding at my age anymore.” he scoffs with a dismissive laugh. “I’m happy with my life exactly the way it is. Wouldn’t change a damn thing.” he smiles at you once more, all charm and southern comfort as he lays one more kiss to your forehead. 

“Thank you very much, you guys enjoy the rest of your day now, okay!” you cheer as you collect the cash and see off the last group of satisfied customers for the day.

Your pies were selling extremely well, with long lines of customers all day coming to your stall to try everything you had to offer. Even the maple butter shortbread cookies had flown off the table, you were definitely going to have to add them to the menu once you were back at the bakery. 

Catching a brief moment of peace, where the crowds didn’t seem to be so busy, you keep yourself occupied by re-organizing the produce on the table in front of you. As you put out the final few slices of cherry rhubarb pie, the warm evening’s sun that had previously been gloriously shining down on your stall disappears, and it isn’t until you look up that you see what was blocking the light.

“Don’t suppose a pretty lady such as yourself has got anything sweet left for a hungry cowboy like me?” Eddie grins from underneath the tilted brim of his black cowboy hat. 

“Teddie!!” you grin, leaning over the table of your stall to kiss his cheek, warmth blooming in your heart as you feel him smile under your affections.

“I might have a slice or two left, I can box it up for you and we can take it home with us for later.”

“Sounds good to me, Sweets.” he grins. “So how’s business been?”

“It went really well, I practically got cleaned up, like there’s literally only a few slices left.” you beam.

“That’s my girl! I’m so proud of you, Sweets.” 

“I think we’re about done here now, so let me pack everything up, and we can head home for the day.” 

“Here,” he says, moving around to come behind the stall. “Let me help you. Many hands make light work, isn’t that what people say?”

It’s late into the evening as you pull up to the house, Eddie’s pick-up truck rumbling to a stop outside the house. The horses are back in their stables and now it was just the pair of you sitting together watching the slowly setting sun. The sky blending into hazy oranges and soft purples as golden sun dips behind the clouds. 

You lean your head against Eddie’s shoulder, the familiar and welcoming scent of leather, pine and lingering smokey tobacco invade your senses. Other people may have wrinkled their nose in disgust, but those scents are all what you cherished near and dear because it all reminded you of your Eddie.

“How about we head inside, Sweets?” he says, his southern drawl coming out in his voice.

“Not yet. Just a few moments longer, I'm enjoying being here with you.” you say softly as you begin to make your way over to where Eddie is sitting in the driver's seat. Swinging a leg across his lap so that each of your softer thighs cradle his, the skirt of your dress inching up as you do.

The coarse denim of his jeans is a stark contrast to the soft plush skin of your thighs as you settle yourself comfortably in his lap. His roughened, work-hardened hands inch their way underneath the skirt of your dress, his thumb absent-mindedly rubbing tenderly on the soft skin underneath the bunched up fabric.

“You wearin’ this pretty dress just to impress me, darlin’?” he drawls, leaning close, his lips brushing against your skin as he targets his kisses into the crook of your neck. “You always look so fuckin’ pretty, Sweets, driving me crazy all the time.”

You almost shy away into his neck to hide from his affections as a giddy flush creeps across your features

“Hey hey, let me see you Darlin’, wanna see those pretty eyes.” he says softly, tilting your chin with his fingers, his thumb ever so slightly catching on your bottom lip. “Let me make you feel good, Sweets.”

With a nod of your head and a breathy whisper of ‘yes please’ falling from your lips, Eddie’s hands begin their descent underneath the rucked up skirt of your dress. His skilled fingers pull the delicate white lace of your panties to the side, and as his warm chocolate eyes meet yours once more, he slips one of his thick fingers inside you, warming you up with his touch. Your hands fist the the soft material of his shirt, the red and black fabric held between your fingers to ground you to him as he pleasures you.

“There’s my good girl, always look so fuckin’ pretty don’t’cha, Sweets?” he praises, as he pulls little gasps from you with every precise movement of his fingers.

He’s edging you closer and closer to your high, and as his thumb catches on your clit you begin to reach newer, dizzying heights of pleasure.

“Oh, that’s the spot isn’t it, Sweets? That’s the little button that gets you creamin’ for me, ain’t it?”

You’re teetering on the very edge of pleasure, ready to give it all to him and hope that he’s there to catch you when you fall.

“There you go Sweets, just want you to feel good. Want you to come nice and hard for me, can you do that for me, Sweets?”

As he continues to run quick, tight circles around your clit, you feel yourself clenching down on his thick finger, clinging to him as you ride out your high all whilst spread so invitingly open across his denim-clad lap.

You're still shuddering with the after-shocks of your orgasm, as Eddie pulls you closer to the warmth of his chest, before laying a sweet kiss to the top of your head, a reminder that he’s here with you as long as you need him to be.

“That’s my perfect angel..” his voice softly drawls out, kissing your lips before showering you in praise. “Fuck… I could get used to a view like this…” he says as his hand travels up from its place on your waist to the gentle curve of your breast. His eager fingers toy with the thin straps of your dress, where they had slid down off your shoulders. The last glow of the day’s hazy sunlight illuminates your form from behind, casting you in golden orange warmth.

Being with Eddie brings out a confidence in you that you never really knew existed until he came around. Being with him never failed to have your heart racing, knowing that underneath it all, this rough-and-ready cowboy was your most lovable teddy bear.

Your hands reach down between your closely pressed bodies, down to where his cock is keenly pressing up underneath the constricting fabric of his dark jeans, tenting the material quite invitingly.

“Your turn now, Teddie..” you coo all so fucking innocently, giving him the biggest doe eyes you can as you grind your hips down over his bulge.

“Like I'm ever going to say no to that.” He chuckles, growling into a kiss that gets more heated as his tongue slips between your lips.

Your hands reach down between your bodies as best you can in the less-than roomy space in his truck to fumble with his jeans, your fingers working to pop the button and drag the zipper down. Eddie takes up the other half of the job by raising his hips from the seat just enough to pull his jeans and boxers down. His cock springs free, flushed pink and glistening wet with pearlescent need.

Any other time you wouldn’t hesitate to swirl your tongue around his tip before swallowing down as many inches of him as you could, but right now you needed him inside you, and neither of you could wait a second longer.

You rise up on your knees just enough to reach down and press the head of his cock at your entrance, sinking down slowly inch by inch until your hips are flush with his and the length of him is snuggly fit inside you.

“You’re in charge now, Cowgirl.” he smirks, leaning back in his seat. “Show me how good you can ride.”  

And with that you begin to swivel your hips a few times getting into a rhythm before your throwing your hips up and down, letting his cock drag against every delicate ridge of your wet, pulsing cunt.

His hands splay on the curve of your hips as you ride him, although the darkening glare of his chocolate never leaves your chest, the way your tits are practically spilling out of the barely-there lace bra, bouncing with every rise and fall.

“Fuck..that’s my girl..making me feel so fuckin’ good..” his voice comes out in a raspy moan; the way it always does when he’s close.

He revels in seeing you like this, perched up in his lap like taking your pleasure for yourself and taking him along for the ride.

“G-gonna come..Gonna make me come, baby..” he slurs with shaky breaths, as he slots his lips against yours in a sloppy kiss.

You keep fucking yourself down on him reaching your hand down between your closely pressed bodies to rub your clit to edge you closer to your high, but Eddie is all too quick to gently swat your hand away to do it himself. His thick fingers know exactly how to play with your body to make you sing, to have you falling apart under his touch.

A few more well-angled thrusts and eager circles around your clit was all it took before you were falling over the edge of pleasure once more, taking Eddie with you as he canted his hips up into you, spilling rope after rope of his spend inside you.

And as you sit there, tangled in each other’s presence, sharing breaths and swapping kisses, you realise that there is very little else you would rather be.

“Race you inside for round two?” Eddie grins cheekily.

Yeah, this was the cowboy you could see yourself spending the rest of your days with, of that you were certain.

@paybacksawitch @penguinsandpotterheads @mrsjellymunson @usergeta @eddiesxangel @onegirlmanytales @aphrogeneias

[melanieph321]

heyy i love your writing and just wanted to say i appreciate your work💖

my request is something like you are best friends with fermin (or gavi) and he’s madly in love with you but you don’t know about it so when you start seeing someone (possibly another footballer) he gets jealous and does something outrageous like posts a story with a photo of yours which is odd considering he’s never done it before and the person you’re seeing gets mad and you also get mad because it’s obvious he’s doing it for another reason and have an argument with him when he confesses his true feelings in a moment of weakness which causes you to take a step back but you soon realize you’re actually more into him than you knew and go to him late at night and make out

i don’t know if this is something you’d be interested in but i’d love to read it

SEVEN DAYS OF REQUEST (DAY 2)

Ugh, I hate you for making such a good request. Took me all day to finish this. And I had to make it a four part series since I put my own spin on it. Hope that's okay.

Fermin Lopez x Reader - You or Me Part 1/4

Part 2 part 3 part 4

Enjoy!

It was just a silly youth camp for all the Barca Academy's boys and girls. How it turned out so ugly, you had no idea.

It was a Friday morning when all of the players were put on a bus to a Boot Camp four hours outside of Barcelona. You were thankful that the academy boys did not share the same bus as the girls, but trailed in their own vehicle not too far behind. However it was bound to get messy at the camp grounds since the girls and boys were sharing the same hotel.

"Who are you texting?" Camilla asked.

"No one." You muttered, but nudged your phone out of her view.

"Come on, don't be shy, tell me who you're texting."

You perked up, peering over your seat to make sure that none of the other players could hear you. "Okay but promise not to tell anyone." 

"I promise." She grinned, giddy with excitement.

"Alejandro Garnacho."

"What! You little…"

"Shhhhh!" You exclaimed, slapping your hand against Camilla's mouth. However, 

that did not stop her from running her mouth behind the palm of your hand.  

"Huh?" You frowned, her mumbles inaudible. You removed your hand.

"I said, doesn't he have a girlfriend now?"

"And a baby." You nodded.

Camila gasped. "You slut!" 

"Relax." You said, leaning back in your seat. "We're just friends and you know that. We've been friends forever."

"Yes, but before that you had the biggest crush on him, no?"

"Yes, but that's in the past. He's happy in England with his new family. I told you about last summer, didn't I? Garnacho and his girlfriend let me stay with them while I was over there trying out for Manchester United's U21 youth team. Garnacho and I have become really close since then. Close friends." You added, before Camilla could call you a slut again. 

The two of you sat back in silence. The road ahead was bumpy and almost made you car sick. Good thing you and Camilla were seated up front where you could see the road. You dreaded sitting in the back, since some of the girls thought it would be funny to make faces at the boys bus trailing behind you. They were having a laugh, however you found it very annoying.

"Did you hear that Fermin and Gavi are joining us on Saturday?" Camilla said.

"Hurray….." You mumbled and kept scrolling through your phone.

"I know." She snorted. "They've gotten pretty stuck up since they started playing for the first team, but I've heard that they're holding a seminar on mental health. It could be fun?"

"Mental health?" You put down your phone to glance at Camilla. Her lips twitched into a smile seeing your not-so-convinced expression. "I know Fermin Lopez of all people is not holding a seminar on mental health." you laughed. "That boy has caused me nothing but severe anxiety and depression and now he wants to talk about mental health? I guess pigs do fly."

"I dunno." Camilla shrugged. "Don't you think he has matured since he started playing for the first team? I know Gavi has."

"Please, don't get me started on Pablo Gavi." You sighed. "Fermin and Gavi were the worst of the worst when they were playing for the academy. Don't you remember Boot Camp 2019?"

Camilla chuckled. "Whatever you say. I for one am excited."

And she had the right to be. No one enjoyed drama more than Camilla. This year's Boot Camp had nothing but drama.

Part 2

Part 3

part 4

[gretavangroupie]

Vigilance (Chapter 17)

Word count: 21.7k

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x OC

Warnings: 18+ as always, drinking, smoking, language, fluff, angst, smut, talk of violence and abusive situations, violence, weapons, blood.

This story is a collaboration with my best pal @gretavanmoon.

JANUARY 2022

HER POV

Your alarm sounds right on time, pulling you from your dreamless sleep. Your eyes pop open as you quickly spin to your side to press snooze. As you roll back onto your back you let out a sigh, desperate for that extra five minutes. You feel the bed shift, and feel Jake’s hand reach for you under the comfort of the sheets. 

“Already?” he asks, voice still full of sleep.

You roll towards him as he opens his arms to you, pulling you into his chest. So much for those extra minutes.

“I have five–no four minutes. Shh…” you groan.

“What if you just…didn’t go…” he whines.

“I have to go…It’s the first day back after the holidays…shhhhh….” you plead.

“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to…” he continues.

You press a kiss to his neck and roll away from him, plucking your phone from the nightstand and turning off the impending alarm. Pulling yourself from the warmth of the sheets you make your way over to the tall dresser, pulling out the drawer of your things and digging through it to find the items you stashed there. 

You hear him groan from the bed as he stiffens his body to stretch his legs and arms before pulling himself from the bed. 

“Fine, I guess I’ll go start the coffee…” he says, stepping out of the room. 

—

Stepping out of the bathroom, you have a fluffy towel wrapped around your body, and the warm mug that was kindly left for you on the bathroom counter, in hand. Jake is sitting on the edge of the bed, already dressed and ready for the day, down to his boots. 

“Big plans today?” you ask, grabbing your work clothes from your packed overnight bag. 

“Told Sam I would go help him with some things at his place, which I am sure will rope me into about ten other projects, but I also need to run down to the music store and pick up a few things. Other than that, not so much.” he answers, watching you dress. 

“Oh, tell him I said hi. I haven’t talked to him since…like, Christmas. Oh I wonder if I will get my new assignment today…” you say, thoughts bouncing around in your head.

“I will tell him. If you do get it, and it’s not us, call me.” he says sternly.

“Oh, yes sir…” you say facetiously.

“Be careful…” he says, raising an eyebrow to you. 

You finish buckling the strap on your heels, and stand up, smoothing out your skirt. “Okay, well, I’ll call you later?” you say, grabbing your multitude of bags and taking the last sip of your coffee.

“Would be sad if you didn’t.” he replies, standing to walk you out to the door. 

You stop in the doorway, turning to give him a quick peck as you rush by, “Love you.”

“Love you too, have a good day today.” he answers, opening the front door to let you out. 

—

Pulling into the parking lot you glance at the clock. 7:53. Perfect. The parking lot is full, and people are making their way to the front door as you step out of your car. Grabbing your coffee, and your laptop bag you stagger behind a group of people, just shy of catching the door. 

You pull your keycard from your laptop bag and hold it to the card reader. Blinking red? Huh.

You try it again. Same thing. What the hell? Someone you don’t recognize walks up behind you, seeing you struggle to unlock the doors with all of the things in your hands. 

“Hey, sorry my card isn't working for some reason.” you say, stepping to the side. 

“Oh, uh, they have been a little wonky since the holidays. Let me try mine.” he says, tapping his to the pad, and seeing it light up green. 

“We’re in!” he laughs, holding the door for you.

“Thanks, I will have to see what’s up with mine.” you laugh. 

You make your way up the elevator and to your desk, depositing your things onto the fresh workspace. You hung your purse on the hook, and sat down in your chair before opening your computer. 

You spent a lot of the morning sending over the revisions for the Strange Horizons expense documents, now that all the receipts had been provided, and as you hit send an email pinged into your inbox with an undeliverable message. Before you had a chance to click on it, your desk phone rang. 

“Hello?” you answered.

“Hey Y/N! It’s Allison, how are you this morning?” she asked.

“Hey, I’m good…Just trying to get settled back in.” you replied.

“Y/N, I’m going to need you to meet me in the boardroom in half an hour, okay?” she asks.

“Sure, no problem! Do I need to bring anything?” you ask.

“No, that won't be necessary. I’ll see you then.” she says, hanging up her phone.

Huh. That was… strange. 

You tried to busy yourself over the next thirty minutes but your mind was racing at the abruptness of this meeting, since you didn’t see it on the calendar for the day. You felt your hands start to grow clammy and your stomach start to swirl as the time dragged closer to 1:00.

As you pulled the door open to the board room you swallowed nervously, seeing the table filled with a few higher ups, and a few familiar faces, HR, Accounting, and Allison.

“Hi Y/N, thanks for coming in on such short notice.” Allison said. 

“Hi…” you said, voice shaky with nerves. 

“Just take a seat anywhere…” Allison said, tossing you a sorrowful look.

Your heart began to race as you realized that this wasn’t just a meeting your were attending, it was a meeting where you were the subject. 

“Hi Y/N, I’m Johnathan Myers, I am the head of HR here at Collective. I understand that you've been with us just shy of a year now.” he starts, and you nod your head in agreement. 

“I would just like to start out by saying that everyone that has worked with you has had nothing but positive things to say about you, your work ethic, and your dedication here at Collective. Unfortunately, something has come to light that makes my job a little bit difficult today.” he says, clicking the end of his pen. 

“We received a message a few weeks ago from someone that was working closely with the crew on your last assignment. She provided photo evidence that is directly in breach of the contract you signed with us.” he says, sliding you a manilla envelope full of photos and documents. 

You open the folder to find photos of you and Jake at various points during Strange Horizons. Times you thought you were alone. Times that look worse that they actually were. Times when things were far from innocent. 

“I see.” you say, closing the envelope. “If I may explain…” you plead.

“We will give you a chance to tell us everything, however, unfortunately based on the severity of the evidence provided not only from the photographer, but also the expense reports, the board has made the decision to let you go from Collective at this time.” he says.

You feel your heart drop into your stomach. “No, please if I could just explain…” you beg.

“I–I have known Jake, well, all of the Kiskza’s since we were children. We grew up together in Michigan. I watched their band start in their parents garage… Jake and I were in a relationship for quite some time while I was in college. I moved to Nashville and knew no one, I got a job here, and started working, realizing this was truly my passion. When Allison told me my first assignment was going to be going to work with them I panicked. I tried everything to get out of it. But it was unavoidable.” you pause, picking at your fingernails. 

“During the tour, Jake and I started talking again. Really I had no choice. After a few weeks things kind of picked up where they left off. I told him we couldn’t. I knew it was breaching my contract. Half of these photos that were taken were at times when we were hardly speaking to each other. They are telling a different story than what was actually happening, you have to believe me.” you beg.

“Y/N, this expense report from Austin, Texas shows a charge missing for crew lodging. Then again in Los Angeles, then again in Atlanta, Georgia. That combined with the photos, paints a very bad picture, you have to understand. While I am sure you never intended for this to happen this way, we have to take these kinds of things very seriously. Sadly, there is nothing further we can do for you at this point. We will be ending our professional relationship with you here today.” he says, finally. 

You feel the tears starting to well in your eyes. You knew it. You always knew. 

“I will say, however, that these young men care for you deeply. Josh called me himself to see if I would reconsider. Said that he has never had a better coordinator. The staff and crew we spoke to about this all said the same thing. It was never a question of whether you could do the job, Y/N. We just have these policies in place for a reason. We have to protect everyone involved. I’m very sorry that it turned out this way. We would be more than happy to give you any recommendations you may need.”

Josh knew? Did Jake know?

Taking one last look at the photos, you see a photo of you and Jake, standing in the rain arguing outside of that bar in Chicago. The night you both finally gave in. The night you decided he was worth any struggle you might face. Including this one. You closed the folder and slid it into the center of the meeting table. 

“Thank you so much for the opportunity. I completely understand the position you’re in and I want to thank you for hearing me out.” you say, turning on your heels to walk out the large wooden door. 

Collecting your items from your desk you leave your key card and your work computer, making sure to grab your tiny plant as you throw your purse over your shoulder. You are fighting back the tears threatening to spill over as you make a dash to your car. You open the back door, and throw all the items inside, not even caring where they land. 

You climb into the driver's seat and as the door shuts the tears begin to flow. A sob leaves your chest as the emotions seep out of every pore. Everything you worked for, gone with the snap of a finger. 

You rest your head on your steering wheel as you continue to cry, not a single thought in your head other than failure. You pull your phone from your purse with shaky hands as you press the icon to call Jake. You place the call on speakerphone, letting the shiny black device rest on your leg. 

You try to sniffle up the tears as the call rings out, but when you’re met with his voicemail you begin to cry harder. 

You toss your phone into the passenger seat, and start your car, knowing the only place you want to go is straight to Jake. You don’t even know if he’s home, but your brain is on autopilot, guiding you to your place of comfort. 

You blink away the tears as you merge onto the interstate, forced breaths still spilling from your chest. How am I going to afford my rent? How am I going to pay any of my bills? I’m going to have to leave Nashville.

Another round of sobs leaves your chest at the thought of losing everything, everyone, that you’ve held close. 

A few minutes later you are throwing your car into park as you head straight for his front door. It’s locked. You key in the lock combination and it unlocks, a chime filling the house as you enter. 

“Jake?” you cry out, voice still shaking with tears. 

You drop your things at the door and frantically search for him, “Jake, hello?” 

JAKE POV

“Y/N?” you ask, stepping out of your closet, with a wet towel in your hands. 

What is she doing here?

“Baby? What are you doing here? Oh my god, what’s wrong?” you ask, seeing her tear streaked face. You drop the towel to the ground and rush over to her.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” you ask, cupping her face in your hands. 

“I tried to… call you…” she says through sniffles.

“Oh no, I was in the shower, I’m sorry… I…” you stammer. 

“Jake…They fired me.” she says, a whimper leaving her throat.

“What? Baby, why?” you ask, shock overtaking your body.

“Because of you! Because of the pictures! Summer she… showed them, she sent them everything–” she rambles, too many thoughts trying to escape at once. 

“What?! Summer? No! They can't do that, that's bullshit! No, they don’t even know, they–” you stammer, fury filling your mind.

“No Jake! They can and they did! I signed the contract. I breached it. I’m done. I’m fired. There’s nothing I can do. I tried to explain. They didn’t care, Jake!”

“No! I’ll call them right now. I–I’ll tell them it was me. It was all me and that you didn’t… I–I….” you trail off, dragging your hands across your face. 

“This was what I was always afraid of Jake! This is exactly it. This is what you said wouldn’t happen. You wouldn’t let this happen! It happened!” she cries.

Oh fuck…

“Y/N, please, I… I didn’t think–” you start.

“Exactly! We didn’t think! I fucked up! I shouldn’t have done this. We should have waited! My career is over Jake! I am going to be blacklisted from every agency from here to LA! Do you get that? Everything I worked for is gone!” she yelled, guilt filling your body.

“I have no job! I have no way to pay my rent. Oh my god, I’m gonna have to move home…” she says, shock and realization hitting her all at once. 

“Fuck! No! Absolutely not. You aren’t leaving. You can't! I’ll pay your rent. I’ll pay your bills, I… I don't care. You know that!”

“I can’t let you do that Jake! I have no idea how long it's going to take me to find another job! If I can find another job! I’m not your burden!” she yells.

You pace the room with your fingers on your chin, “Okay, then you can…You can stay here.” you plead. “This house is plenty big enough. It doesn’t feel like home when you’re not here anyways.”

“Plus I… want you here. All the time. You know that. I hate when you’re not here.” you beg. 

“Jake, you don’t really want that. I thought you needed space and alone time and–” she starts.

“It’s the only thing I’ve wanted since I was sixteen years old!” you interrupt. “Remember what I used to say? I wanted an old house, with old furniture? The part I never told you was that you were there too. Living in the old house with me.” you say, grabbing her arms. 

“I wanna wake up to you in my bed every single day. I wanna make breakfast with you and talk about our days. Come back at the end of the night and drink wine on the living room floor...All of it. I want it with you.” you say, looking into her bloodshot eyes, starting to well with tears once again.

“You take up every ounce of space in my head...and in my heart...I learned the hard way that it’s never gonna be anyone else. It’s always going to be you. So I’m fighting this time. I didn’t fight for you last time. But now I am. I’m not letting you slip away from me again.” you say, pulling her close to you. 

“I don’t know Jake. This is… so much…I just… need some time. I need to think…I don’t even know what I want right now.” she says, pulling away from you. 

You feel your heart drop as she steps over to the window. 

“I just can’t lose you again.” you say. 

“I’m scared Jake. I just lost my job. My entire life is up in the air now. Things with us were just starting to feel right… I don’t want to move in with you because you don’t want me to leave you again. I want to move in with you because you love me and want to keep moving forward in this relationship. You know? I don’t want it to be rushed. I don’t want to force something we weren’t ready for.” she asks.

“It’s not rushed! I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I have known practically my whole life! I bought this house for us, before I ever even knew if I would see you again! I meant it when I said everything I have is yours. I want all of this to be ours. I need you here Y/N. Having you here these past few weeks only solidified that feeling. Do you… not feel the same?” you ask, hesitantly. 

“No, I…I do. I–I’m just scared. I’m mad. I’m angry at Summer. I’m angry at you. I don’t know what to do.” she says, a single tear leaking from her eye. 

“I know. I’m so so sorry baby. You have to believe me. I never thought this would happen. Just know I will do anything I can and you don’t have to decide right now…I will do anything to keep you here. Where you belong.” you say, swiping the tear from her eye.

“I think I just need to think. I need some time away from all of this… to figure out what to do…I don’t want to be mad at you Jake, but, I am. I’m hurt.” she says, pulling away.

“Okay, well…If you decide this isn’t what you want, and you don’t want to be with me anymore, I’ll let you go. I’ll respect that choice and I’ll move on. I don’t know how, but I will. I did it once. But just know if you’re in, I’m in for good.” you say. 

She turns to face you, eyes filled with sadness. “Please don’t make this harder…” she begs. 

“Tell me you’ll come back. Tell me you aren’t leaving for good…” you plead.

“I just need some space…” she breathes, gathering her things near the door. 

“Please, just tell me you love me one more time…just in case…” you beg. 

You watch her bottom lip quiver as she tries to force the words out, “I love you, Jake.” she whispers, her eyes blinking out heavy tears. 

“Fuck, you’re killing me. Ripping my heart out and taking it with you Y/N. Please, please come back, okay?” you say, holding back your own tears. 

She looks at you one last time before slipping out the door. 

As it latches shut, you wonder if that will be the last time those words leave her lips.

—

As badly as she hurt you just now, and as badly as she’s torn up, you knew somewhere deep down that she would be back. She’s upset, she’s pissed, and she’s embarrassed. You knew her, knew she sometimes overreacted with her emotions and made big decisions when she was upset, a flaw that somehow was endearing to you. 

She needed time, and she needed space. And you knew it wouldn’t be long, you hoped. In the meantime, you felt as though you needed to let loose on someone. She wasn’t the only one filled with rage over the whole situation. 

You went back into your bedroom to find your phone, finding the correct contact for Collective. They deserved to hear your piece. 

You finally found the extension for HR, and spoke with a bit of fire in your tone. You told them the entire backstory, of which they said they understood, that Y/N had given those same details. You explained how your relationship had begun many many moons ago, and that your families were so close that you shared every holiday since you were kids. 

You begged them to reconsider, pleaded with them that it was your fault, but still ended up empty handed. Before the phone call ended, you suggested that even though you understood these rules were set for good reasons, that they should seriously consider restating them, or even adding a clause for special situations such as this. Because in all reality, it was completely unfair. 

Your next order of business was to take care of the Summer problem. You dialed up the number for the label, of which you knew by heart now. 

“Hey, this is Jake. I was wanting to speak with someone in HR, I need to file a formal complaint.”

SAM POV

You felt your phone buzzing in your pocket, trying to ignore it while you hashed out the notes for a new melody on your piano. Just let it ring, you told yourself. The buzzing continued and you finally gave in, pulling it out and seeing a familiar name. 

Y/N?

The buzzing stopped and your lock screen appeared as you collected your thoughts. You haven’t spoken in so long…what could she need?

When your mind came back to earth, you hit redial, letting the call ring back. 

“Hey, Sammy. Sorry if I bothered you…” she said, voice low and somber. 

“No no you aren’t bothering me. What’s up?” You replied. 

“I- um. Are you busy right now?” She asked. 

“Uh, no, not really. You ok?” You asked, feeling concerned. 

“Um, I’m not the best,” she breathed out through a fake laugh. “Would you want to…come over? For just a little bit. I could really…I need to just, talk. I guess.” She said. 

You paused for a long second, collecting your thoughts. She wouldn’t call unless she really needed you, right?

“Yeah, sure. I can be there in just a little bit.” You said, checking the time. “Are you not at Jake’s?”

“No, I’m at my apartment, actually.” She said, voice going low again. 

Oh. 

“Oh alright, ok I’ll be there soon.” You replied hanging up the phone, wondering why she would have gone back to her place, and hoping that there was nothing really wrong. 

—

Three little knocks.

You found yourself feeling out of place as you stood on the front porch of her apartment, waiting for her to answer the door. When you got her phone call, you were surprised to say the least. It’s been weeks, and you’ve barely said ten words to each other. On your own accord, of course. You knew it was upsetting her, and you’d stepped away for a good reason, but you’d definitely left her in the dark. 

You paced around awkwardly, fiddling with the pothos plant sitting on a shelf in the corner. Finally you heard the door lock click, and the doorknob twist. She opened the door just halfway, exposing only a portion of herself. She looked upset, downtrodden and exhausted, and you immediately felt the need to comfort her. 

“You know, this plant would do a ton better inside. It hates the direct sunlight…” you trailed off, still fiddling with the browning leaves. 

The huge smile that crossed her face was stark in contrast to the way her appearance was, but it was contagious. It always was. The saying ‘her smile could light up a room’ was completely true in her case, the way her eyes smiled before the rest of her face did. 

“Well, bring it in here, then.” She said as she opened the door wider, inviting you and her plant inside. 

You walked in, feeling like you were entering a place with no trespassing signs hanging all over the walls. It was bizarre, coming back into a home where you used to feel so comfortable and welcome, but now feeling like an alien on another planet. You brought the plant over to the kitchen sink and stuck it under the faucet. 

“Just a little bit of water, not too much or you’ll drown it.” You said as you turned on the faucet, letting the soil moisten. “Spray the leaves off a little bit too, they like to be able to breathe..” you placed the planter in the wide windowsill above the kitchen sink, gently pulling the long trailing vines of leaves up to rest along the counter. 

When you were satisfied with your work, you turned around to find her leaned with her back against the refrigerator, watching you intently with her head resting in her hand. Tears had filled her eyes, and her exhausted appearance found its way to her body again. 

“Thank you, Sammy.” She said sweetly. You felt your heart ache. 

“What’s wrong, Y/N?” You finally asked quietly. She wiped her eyes, trying to dry herself up, but to no avail. Her tears were falling harder now, her chest heaving with sobs. Damn, she really is upset. “Hey, babe, what is it? You can tell me…”

She slowly walked over, reaching her arms out to wrap you up in them, taking you in an embrace that you’d missed so, so terribly. Her face buried in your chest, her breathing on the skin of your neck…You lifted your arms to hug her back, letting yourself hold her for just a second, but then suddenly feeling the wild thoughts rushing through your mind again. Too close. 

You pulled away quickly, pulling her arms off of you with a little bit of force as you stepped back. The action surprised her, making the sadness on her face even more heart wrenching. It’s killing me too, babe.

“What the fuck Sam? I can’t even hug you anymore?” She sounded pissed. 

Here came the rage again. 

“No, fuck. You can’t Y/N. You can’t hug me like that anymore.” You spat. 

“WHY? Why can’t I?!” She yelled. 

“Because! It makes me feel a way that I’m not allowed to feel anymore, okay? Feeling you touch me again is just…” you let your words hang. 

She tilted her head back, exasperated, and walked quickly to the couch. “Come here. Sit down.” She demanded. You followed suit. 

She took a deep breath as she pulled her legs underneath her. “Did I…do something wrong, Sammy? We haven’t spoken in like a month…I just…don’t know…” you watched as her lip quivered, trying to fight back an emotion she used to let fall so freely with you. 

You didn’t know what to say, you didn’t come prepared to talk about this. Though, you’d walked right into it. The way she talked on the phone, you thought something else would be discussed right now. Beating around the bush would keep things light and professional, but your insides were being ripped apart from not being honest with your other half, and telling her every emotion you’ve been bottling up for way too long. 

You sighed, deciding to just go with your instinct. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Y/N…” your words felt like they were on fire in your mouth, clawing their way out of your throat while you tried your best to extinguish them. 

“Then why are you ignoring me? Ever since Thanksgiving and after our…talk…that night on the floor, I thought we were going to be able to talk about our past like it was nothing, but…”

“Is that what it was to you, Y/N? Nothing?” You said flatly. Your heart felt like she’d ripped it out, and stomped all over it. 

She went silent, looking like you’d just slapped her across the face. 

“Of course it wasn’t nothing, Sam, god. It was…everything to me…while it was happening.” She bit back. 

“Then why did you call it nothing?” You asked, seeing if you could pull a little more from her before spilling your guts all over her couch. 

She stared at you with a confused admission, opening her mouth and closing it again over and over, trying to find the words. “I don’t know, Sam, I- Jake came back and…you know…things just, went…” 

You nodded slowly. “Yeah, they definitely went...” 

“What do you mean, Sam? We had a pretty clear agreement on everything, and how we were handling our situation…I don’t know why you’re so upset with me for sticking to it, not letting my feelings get involved.” Her voice was rising now, and she was talking with her hands. She barely ever talked with her hands, only when she was lying. 

You stopped her. “Wait, not letting your feelings get involved? I thought you didn’t have any feelings for me?” You pressed, leaving her completely silent. 

Her eyes closed, the realization of her words hitting her. She scooted closer to you on the couch, sitting crossed legged and facing you. She let her face fall into her hands as she tried to breathe. You felt your heart pumping hard in your chest, your ears going deaf. 

Finally, after a few seconds, she pulled up. She slowly grabbed your hands, taking them in hers. Her touch. It felt like electricity. 

“Sam, listen to me. I’m going to be completely honest with you, because you deserve nothing but the truth. You’re my best friend on the whole earth, and I can not live my life lying to you, ok?” She said through choppy breaths. Her hands were twisting themselves with yours. 

“Do you remember the night I woke up and found you playing piano, playing our song?” She asked quietly, the memory finding your brainwaves once again. You nodded. 

“Well, you told me you couldn’t sleep, because you were scared of the uncertainty of your future…and that completely broke me, Sam. It made me scared and nervous, for myself and for you…anyways, after we went back to bed, I didn’t sleep the rest of the night.” She admitted. You still felt confused, unsure of what she was saying. 

“Why not?” You whispered. 

“Because…because I- felt something new that night, for you, that I hadn’t ever felt…before, ever. A big, huge feeling…watching you sleep next to me.” She stammered. “I don’t know what the feeling was, it was so unexpected…but it scared the hell out of me, Sam. And I…still feel it, sometimes. Not recently, but. It comes and goes.” She became red in the face, completely embarrassed at her admission. You knew she felt guilty. 

“But I can’t feel it, Sam. I can’t. I can’t ever let it come back…” 

“Then why did you let it go away at all?” You asked quietly, tears filling your eyes, too. 

She shook her head. “You know why, Sammy.” The tears falling quickly now. 

You felt like your entire body was floating, her words dancing around in your mind, making you hate yourself and love yourself at the same time. 

She felt the same. Maybe not now, but she did. At some point in all of this, she was right where you are now. 

You decided to meet her energy. You took her hands even more tightly, clearing your throat. You suddenly felt a wave of comfort come over your body, and you felt prepared to share. 

“I lied to you, Y/N. I lied to you for a very long time.” You admitted with confidence. Her face turned from sadness to surprise, and her mouth hung open. 

“But I lied to myself, too. Listen. Our relationship, sex-ationship, whatever the hell that was, was one of the absolute best times in my life. My absolute favorite person in the world came back to me so unexpectedly, and we picked up right where we left off. Except, we allowed ourselves to feel a little more…seriously. Right? Act on the one thing we never got to experience together. We agreed that it was never anything more than just physical. And it wasn’t. For the longest time. I had suppressed all those old feelings for you, they were truly gone. Meanwhile, you and I made some of the most beautiful and mind-blowing love that I have ever experienced in my life, do you hear me? Whatever wild connection you and I have, it’s…” you paused, wanting to leave a little respect for Elle and Jake in the picture. “I sometimes wish that during our time together, I would have felt those feelings for you, because it would have made it that much more meaningful.” 

“Anyway, things changed. You got with Jake, Elle came back. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been with her, Y/N, I hope you know that. And I can see you and Jake are the same. But, at Thanksgiving, when we laid on the floor and you told me all those things…how you wanted me to be your first, and how you used to think about me, it flipped some sort of stupid switch in me. Ever since that night, my feelings for you, the real ones, came flying back at me. And they’ve overtaken me, I’m driving myself insane, Y/N.” You felt tears coming as you struggled to find the right words. 

“I’ve fought the feelings for weeks, drinking myself silly, racking myself with guilt, I feel so…ugh I don’t even know the words. That’s why I’ve been so distant. But they are back. And I don’t know what to do with them. And I’m sorry. And it’s wrong, it’s so wrong, Y/N. If Jake or Elle ever knew… I…” you stopped and trailed off, feeling like you got most of it out. 

She sat and looked at you with the strangest expression. Proud, for your admission. Happy that you felt that way. But mostly guilt-stricken, because maybe she felt the same way, too. 

“We don’t need to talk about it, ok? We don’t need to discuss, or figure anything out. I feel like, maybe, you and I are just meant to be connected in some crazy, fucked up way, and the years are going to go on and the feelings will come back, and leave again but. I’m trying my best, right now. That’s why I asked Elle to move in. I’m ready to move on with her, she’s it for me. I don’t want to fuck anything up with her. I’m fucking crazy about her…” you trailed off as the proudest smile crept its way to her face, turning into a giggle. 

“Why are you laughing?” You asked, a smile finding your face, too. 

“I love watching you talk about her. I love watching you talk about your future with her. It makes me feel so happy that you’re in love...” She went on, her words filling you with pride and heartbreak at the same time. You’d just told Danny that you were in love with her, too. 

You laid your head back on her couch and huffed out a sigh. “This is so stupid, isn’t it?” You asked her, not really looking for an answer. 

“Yeah, it really is. But, I’m glad we got it out, the both of us. Even if it was hard. Maybe now we can put it behind us. We can’t tell another soul about this, ok?” She said, laying her hand on your knee. 

“Well, Daniel kinda knows…” you admitted, biting your lip. 

“Well, fuck. Ok, he can’t tell a soul, either. Got it?” She laughed. 

“You got it, babe.” 

You brought your hand to her face, moving in closely, an action that was risky given your conversation, but you didn’t want her to even think for one second you’d abandoned her. Never again. 

“Maybe we can find each other again, in another life, in another realm…maybe we already do exist together, somewhere else. That’s why we’re always so close, but so far away all the time. We’re connected elsewhere…” you said, brushing your thumb over her cheek. “I’m so sorry I’ve been acting like an ass. I’ve just really been struggling with this.”

She smiled into your hand. “I know. I’ve felt it in the past, too. But at least we can talk about it now and not feel ashamed. We’ve got to try and move on…it’s doing nothing but hurting us. I belong to Jake, no questions asked.” 

You took a deep breath and nodded. “And I’m Elle’s. We’ve gotta go grow up now, Y/N.”

It was quiet for a bit more while you sat in comfortable silence.

“Wait, why were you sad when I got here? Was something else going on?” You asked, suddenly remembering she answered the door crying. 

“Yeah, actually. That’s why I called you. I um, I got fired. From Collective.” She said defeatedly. 

Your mouth fell open. “What?! Are you joking? Because of Jake? There’s no way, that’s not right, we signed your paperwork… are you sure?”

“Yeah, they called me in for a meeting today. Told me they had photo evidence from Summer and there was nothing they could do. I breached my contract.” She said. 

“Did you explain to them? Did you tell them the situation? This isn’t happening…” you went on, feeling butterflies fluttering in your stomach. 

“I did, I tried. I couldn’t argue with them. They made me pack up and give them my key…I was so pissed, Sam. I knew this would happen. I fucking knew it. Now, I don’t have a job, I can’t pay my rent, my bills… I don’t know what I’m going to do. That’s why I’m here, Jake promised everything was going to be okay, and it’s not. I’m so upset with him, or toward him…I don’t know. I have to figure something else out, now. Everything is so fucked.” She went on, her body language falling again. 

“So wait, you left Jake’s house and came back here after you found out?” You asked, puzzled. “Why aren’t you still at his house?” 

“I had to leave, Sam. I couldn’t be around him. He said this wasn’t going to happen and it did! I lost my job because of us being together. I needed some space to think…” she said. 

You were stunned. “Wait, Y/N, it wasn’t his fault you got fired…you got mad at him because you got fired? That doesn’t make any sense…” you went on. “Honestly you shouldn’t need to think about anything at all, you two made this decision together…not just him.”  

She avoided eye contact. She knew you were right. 

“Hey, don’t be like that to him. Come on, he doesn’t deserve the blame. You’ve gotta see that, right?” You said, trying to be understanding. 

“He basically asked me to move in with him, Sam. Because I don’t have anywhere else to go except back to Michigan. If I move in with him, I want it to be on terms where I’m not desperate, and have no other choice. I want him to want me to live with him, not need to. Does that make sense?” She said. 

You thought for a second. “I mean I guess…don’t you already stay with him most nights anyway? And have a bunch of your stuff there? Hell, Y/N, you’re lying to yourself if you don’t notice all his hints that he wants you to live with him now, and has for a long time. Think about it...” You said, laughing. “Are you serious?”

“Yes I’m serious, Sam. I need some time to think. That’s a very big move in a relationship…” she said, her attitude showing through. 

“Uh, ya think? I just asked Elle to move in with me…don’t you think I know exactly how big that feels? Why are you being like this?” You were starting to get irked with her. Jake didn’t deserve that. 

“Listen, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’ll…get over it soon, I guess. Just need some freaking time, ok? Today has just been a lot. I can’t believe I lost the career of my dreams.” She said. 

“Yeah, ya know what? I can’t let this happen.” You said, pulling your phone out to call Josh. 

He picked up after one ring. 

“Hey, we need to all meet at the office like, stat. Can you make that happen? I’m already on my way. All four of us, yeah. Yeah. Okay, see you in a few.”

You hung up and stood up, ready to head to the office. 

“I’m gonna figure this out, Y/N. There’s no way they can do this. We contracted you already. And photo evidence? Of what?” You went on. 

“Sam, stop. You don’t have to figure anything out. It’s a done deal, there’s nothing anyone can do. I’m going to have to leave.” She said. 

“Oh no you’re not. You don’t have to go anywhere. You need to go home to Jake, and apologize for freaking out on him for no reason. We’re figuring this out.” You said. 

She stood up beside you, ready to stop you from going out the door. You put your hand to her shoulder. 

“Babe, let me fight for you. One more time, please. Let me try to help.” You pleaded. 

Her arms fell to her sides in defeat as she let you go. 

“Ugh okay, go.” She motioned toward the door. “Thank you for coming over Sammy. I’m really glad we talked finally. And thanks for calling me out on my pettiness.” She said, walking toward her front door. “I’ll go back to him, I just need some time to think. Figure some shit out. And I promise, you really don’t have to fight this hard for me.”

“We need you with us more than you think.” You said, sending her a wink. You turned around on the porch as she stood in the doorway watching you go. “You’re still my best girl, remember?”  

Josh’s words from Thanksgiving replayed in your head. 

‘Did you ever fight for them? Did you ever go to bat for them? No, you didn’t.’

So this was your time. You had to find a way to fix it. 

——

You hopped back in your car and pulled out your  phone as you backed out of the parking lot, bringing up Elle’s contact as it connected to the Bluetooth. 

“Hey babe, what’s up?” She answered. 

“Hey, I’ve gotta go to the office for a while, we’ve gotta have a meeting. Y/N just got fired.” You said. 

“Oh my god, what?! You’re kidding! Why?” She yelled. 

“Apparently Summer was taking photos of her and Jake, and she turned them into Collective. I don’t know much else, but I will probably be home late. She’s threatening to move back home.” You said, thinking about running a stoplight. 

“Shit. Should I go over to her apartment?” She asked. 

“Might not be a bad idea, babe. Be careful, I’ll talk to you tonight.” You said. 

“Okay, love you.” 

“Love you more.”

—

A few minutes later, you pulled into the office, and rushed through the double doors to the meeting room, finding Josh and Danny had beaten you there. 

“What the fuck is going on? Y/N got fired!” You screamed, yanking a chair out from the table and sitting down. 

They were both quietly sitting, nodding their heads. 

“Hello, did you hear me? Collective fired her today…” you said, slapping your hands on the table. 

“Yeah Sam, we know.” Daniel said. 

You were shocked. “What do you mean you know? Both of you knew?” You asked. They nodded. 

“For how long?! Did you know it was going to happen before she did?” You yelled. 

Danny glanced to Josh. 

“I knew, they called me a few days ago.” He admitted, hanging his head. 

“What the fuck Josh! And you didn’t think to tell us? Tell her, warn her?” You were getting more mad by the second. 

Just then, the doors opened again as Jake came in, turning and locking the doors behind him. He bounded into the meeting room, his body language feeling bigger than normal. 

He took a seat, picked up a pen from the table and began clicking it. “Y/N got fired today.” He said blankly. 

“Yeah, we fuckin’ know. And guess who else knows? Josh! And Daniel! Go ahead Josh, tell him how long you’ve known!” You motioned towards him. Jake’s face fell, and turned into something morbid. He spun in his chair, fully facing his twin. Josh wasn’t scared of Jake, and vice versa, but sometimes you could tell when they feared each other, simply because of them feeling the other’s emotions so strongly. 

Josh shook his head, running his hand through his curls. “Fuck. They called me a couple days ago. Told me they needed to let her go because she breached her contract, all that bullshit. I asked them how they had knowledge, and they said that they received photo evidence from our photographer… I guess you guys weren’t as secretive as you thought you were. They also went back and said they had proof she wasn’t staying in assigned crew lodging. Anyways, I tried everything, I swear I did. Called straight to the head of HR, told them no one did the job better than her, that it didn’t make sense to fire her. I also told them your situation was a bit more serious than just fraternizing.”

You watched as Jake stared at Josh in disbelief for a few seconds before turning his swivel chair back around to face the table. 

“Why didn’t you tell me, Josh.” Jake said quietly, you could tell he was disappointed. 

“I was going to, Jake. I swear I was. I was just trying to figure out how.” Josh said, sincerity in his voice. 

Suddenly, you noticed something on Daniel’s face. He looked swollen? “Daniel, what the fuck happened to your lip?” You asked, interrupting the conversation. 

Daniel removed his folded hands from covering his face, scooting his chair to the table. He cleared his throat. “Well Sam, that’s why Josh and I didn’t get to tell you immediately about Y/N. Josh asked me to dinner to talk about how to tell you all, and I kind of…” Danny stopped, looking to Josh. 

“Daniel got into an altercation. With Andy.” Josh said flatly. 

You and Jake simultaneously fell back into your chairs, completely shocked by that statement. 

“WHAT?” Jake yelled, not holding back any of his rage at this point. “With Andy? A fight. You got into a fight with him. Where?” Jake began to stand up. 

“Josh and I were in a restaurant on the other side of town, trying to figure out how the hell we were going to tell you about Y/N when I saw Andy walk by. I got up immediately, ran after him. He got away from me, even as I was chasing him down. He rounded a corner and went down an alley. We cornered him, asked him why the hell he was here, what he wanted. Told him we knew he’d been following us, following her.” Danny explained. 

“Yeah, he said some fucked up shit. Guess Danny let him get the best of him. He knew a bunch of other shit, too, like personal things about Daniel. They ended up having it out on the concrete. We told him he needed to stay away from her, from all of us or else we were going to move to more drastic measures.” Josh went on. “Jake, I honestly think now might be the time for those drastic measures.” Josh bit his thumbnail. 

You could feel the same rage that Jake was feeling, boiling up in the pit of your stomach. How long had he been back? Why didn’t they tell you? What else did he know? 

“So you’re telling me you’ve both known he’s been back for more than 24 hours, and neither of you thought to text Sam and I 911? The thing we all agreed on, if we ever saw him again?” Jake was staying as calm as possible, but his voice was beginning to become louder, laced with venom. 

“Did the both of you forget that he could get to her at any given moment if I’m not there? Hell, or Elle? The one thing I asked of everybody…” he was yelling now. “I can’t fucking believe this shit!” He was pacing around the room, you could feel his nerves radiating off his body. 

“And now I won’t even be there to protect her, since she’s fired. I won’t even know where she is half the time!” He yelled, throwing his hands above his head. 

“Jake, please, man. We were trying to tell you. Shit just got…so fucked up.” Daniel said. 

Jake leaned his hands down on the table, looking directly at Daniel. “A text, Daniel. That’s all I asked for. And neither of you could be fucking bothered with it.” He continued to walk around the table. 

“And you know what the worst part about all this is? She left. We got into a huge fight, because I told her I wouldn’t let her get fired. And she trusted me. Now look where we are. She won’t answer my phone calls, texts, nothing. I don’t even know where she is. Just gone.” He sat down hard once he got back to his chair. “I’m gonna fuckin’ lose her again, I just know it.” 

It was silent for a few beats. “She’s home, Jake. At her apartment. She’s fine.” You said under your breath, treading lightly. 

You could feel his eyes boring into the side of your head. “Oh great. So she’ll talk to you then, huh. Did she call you? Go crawling back to you like she does every time we fight?” 

Fuck. 

“Jake, now come on. Please. She was upset as hell. She will be fine, she just needs to figure some shit out. Imagine if your entire career got ripped out from under you. You’d be fucked up too.” You dismissed his insinuation, trying to focus on the bigger picture. “Elle was going over to her apartment to be with her. She’s not alone.” 

He shook his head, forcing his tongue into the sides of his cheeks as his mind raced. You were starting to worry about him finding Elle, now, too. 

Jake finally spoke. “Listen. If we are gonna make this work, I need us to be on the same fuckin’ page. All the time. Can we do that? I need to trust you three. One hundred percent. It feels a bit like we’re starting to forget that.” His leg was bouncing hard up and down. 

His words hit you hard. You nodded to him. “Yeah. No more bullshit.” 

“Jake, it wasn’t my place to tell her about the job, or you…we were trying to figure that part out in the most professional way we could. She needed to hear it from them. Imagine how awful it would have been if I had to be the one to let her know she was fired?” Josh said. 

“All of it is all of our place, Josh. We’re a unit, no individuals. Do you get that? We’re family.” Jake responded, not making eye contact with him. 

Josh nodded, and so did Daniel. “Yeah. Family. Okay. I really am sorry, brother.” Josh said quietly. 

“I’m sorry, too.” Danny admitted. 

Jake grinned for just a second. “I hope he looks worse than you, Danny.” 

Danny took a deep breath. “Well, there’s a little bit more, Jake.” He said, rubbing his hands on his knees. “He pulled a knife on me.”

“Are you kidding me?” You said, in complete disbelief. 

He shook his head. “No, threatened me with it, too. And…right before we left, he told us to enjoy our time with Y/N, because our time with her is limited.”

“That’s why I think these drastic measures need to be taken soon, Jacob.” Josh added. 

Jake’s eyes grew wide. “What the hell does that mean?” 

You felt your stomach turn. Limited? Andy could truly get fucked. 

“Don’t know. Honestly, he was probably just talking a big game. He probably knew she was getting fired, with how much he was saying he knew about us. It was so freaky.” Josh said. 

The table went quiet again as everyone’s heads spun. “We need a game plan. Josh, do you have the photos?” Jake asked. 

“Actually, I do. They emailed them to me, after I requested them. I had to do a little convincing, but after I told them that they were photos taken with a company owned camera, without your immediate consent and without either of your knowledge, they softened up a bit.” Josh pulled out his phone, flicking through his emails. “I haven’t looked at them.”

Jake took the phone. “Come around me, I want us all to see them together. No secrets.” He took a deep breath as everyone crowded behind him, and he opened the attachment. You felt a pang of something in your stomach, jealousy at what you were about to see? But you pushed it away. 

Jake flipped through the attachments, various darkened photos of them in close quarters, holding hands, standing in the rain together…one looked like it was taken between the seats of a plane, another through a window of a crew trailer. 

“Mother fucker…she was watching you guys.” You said in disbelief. 

“Yeah, damn good thing I fired her ass already.” Jake said. 

“What?”  You all said in unison. 

He chuckled. “Yeah, when Y/N got home and told me, I immediately called Collective to try and talk them out of it, too. Told them everything. That we grew up together, dated in the past, that we’re very seriously involved, even lied and told them we lived together. Let them know it had all become serious again after she was hired, and I’m the one they should put the blame on, not her. They didn’t take my plea, either, of course.”

“Anyway, I called the label and told them we would like Summer to be let go effective immediately. Also told them to flag her for inappropriate sexual advancements to myself, with witnesses. Not sure they were expecting that one, but. I’m not sorry I didn’t consult with you three about that decision. I’m sure you all agree we couldn’t trust her. Also I can’t believe Collective never got the photos of us ice skating…I was positive a fan was going to leak that shit.”

“Yeah, I’m not arguing with you about that move. Her photos were great, but. This is overstepping…” you added, wondering what else she may have photographed in her time with the band. 

—

JAKE POV

Pushing back from the table, you stand and pull your keys from your pocket, “Alright, so we’re done here?” you ask.

“Is there anything else we can do?” Sam asks.

“No Sammy, I think they have done enough, don’t you?” you say pointedly.

“Jake, come on…” Daniel replies.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” you say, and with that you are walking out to your car.

Slamming the door shut you push the keys into the ignition and pull out of the parking lot. You slide your phone out of your pocket, hoping to see her name on the screen but you’re met with nothing. 

You swallow nervously as your mind starts to wander, filling your brain with visions of her leaving, and her parting ‘I love you.’

No. Fuck this.

You hit her contact and hold your phone to your ear, letting the tone ring out. You tap your fingers on the steering wheel, anxious to see if she will answer, but again you are met with her voicemail. 

You drop your phone into your lap as you bite the inside of your cheek. Just give her time. She will come around. Right?

Pulling into your driveway you quickly throw your car in park, and jump out, the streets quieter than usual. You take a look around as you head up to your front door, enter your code, and step over the threshold. The house is cold and empty. You swear you can still hear the echoes of your fight earlier. 

Walking straight to the kitchen you pour yourself a drink, and make your way back to your study. You set your drink on the coffee table before stretching out on the couch, grabbing the book you started a few days ago. A few minutes pass, and though you’re reading the words on the page you can’t focus, the nagging feeling of your phone in your pocket driving you mad. 

Is she okay? Is she still at home?

You sit up, taking another sip from your glass, letting the liquid burn down the back of your throat. It isn’t long until you start to feel yourself relaxing. You try to pick up your book again, but still, it’s not sinking in. You toss it back onto the table with a sigh and you place your hands behind your head, staring up at the ceiling. 

How can you fix this?

You stand from the couch, making your way upstairs and into your guest room, where your little studio had been so lovingly crafted. Sitting down at the table, you open the leather sketchbook, letting your fingers glide across the cluster of stars, as you pull a perfectly sharpened pencil from the cup. 

How did you used to do this? How did you start?

You put the pencil to paper and began outlining. You had a vision in your head, and you let your hand guide you as you began to fill the page with your ideas. By the time you feel like you’ve accomplished a rough outline your eyes flick to the clock on the wall. 11:43. 

You flick off the lamp, and stand from the chair, closing the sketchbook. Your heart twists as you see her words scrawled across the first page. You let out a sigh, and make your way back downstairs, locking the door and setting the alarm. 

Stripping yourself of your clothes, you crawl into your bed, and grab her pillow. You quickly turn off the lights and place your phone on the nightstand. You breathe in the scent of her on the sheets and as your eyes grow heavy you wonder what you could have done differently, that could have made her stay.

—

The faint knocking sound causes your eyes to spring open. Am I dreaming? You sit up in the bed, listening in the pitch black bedroom to see if you hear it again. You glance at the clock. 1:20.

Knock, knock.

Who the hell?

You slide out of bed, and realize you’re only in your boxers. You grab your pants from the floor and pull them on in a shimmy as you step into the hallway making your way to the front door. You disarm your security system, and clear your throat. 

As you open the front door, your eyes widen as you see Y/N standing on the porch. 

“Y/N, what are you doing? It’s so late…How long have you been knocking?” you ask.

“I’m so sorry Jake. I…I know it's late. I’m sorry I woke you up. I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer.” she says nervously. 

“I probably slept right through it… Come on, come inside. How long have you been out there?” you ask.

“Ten minutes maybe? I was about to give up.” she says, stepping through the doorway. 

You shut the door behind her, locking it and making your way back to your bedroom. 

“I…” you pause. “...I missed you. I tried to call you. Text you… I was worried about you.” you say quietly. 

“I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was just so… mad. Maybe not even mad, more, embarrassed that you saw all this happen. I just needed to go be embarrassed alone, which actually turned into a lecture from Sam, and then Elle.” she laughed. 

Music to your ears. 

“A lecture?” you questioned.

“Kind of, yeah. I think I am just a really big idiot. For some reason I convinced myself that you only wanted me to move in because you felt like I had no other option and you just felt bad for me or something. I felt like the situation was forcing your hand. But now, I realize how stupid that is. I feel like subtly you’ve been asking me to move in for a few weeks.” she says. 

“Y/N… I didn’t ask you to move in because I thought you had no other choice. I asked you because I love you. I want to see you, here, everyday. Sure, maybe I never flat out asked, but I think I was just waiting until I felt like it was the right time for you. Until I felt like I knew if I asked you, there would be no hesitation in your response. So, yeah, I did ask you today, but only because I love you and care about you and don’t want you to ever have to worry about paying your rent, paying your bills, moving home… any of that. Just live with me. We will figure out the rest.” you finish, running your hand over her arm. 

Her eyes meet yours, blinking slowly, “Okay.”

“Okay? Okay yes? Okay you’ll move in?” you ask, a grin spreading across your face. 

She smiles back at you, “Okay yes, I’ll move in with you.”

You pull her into your chest, wrapping your hand around her head, you place a kiss to her hair. “I love you so much. I swear you’ll never have to worry about another thing, ever again.” you promise. 

“I love you too. You know I couldn’t stay away from you. Not for long.” she whispers against your chest.  “Can we…go to bed? I think today was the longest day of my life.”

You pull away from her, lacing your hand with hers before pulling it up to your lips. “Let’s go to bed. Our bed.” you say with a smile, pulling her down the hallway and through the door. 

—

SAM POV

As you push the front door closed you find the house still lively, even for the late hour. 

“Elle?” you call out, listening to hear a reply.

“I’m in here Sammy!” she yells, indicating she’s in the sunroom. 

You set your things by the door and make your way through the house, flipping a few lights off as you go. You step into the sunroom, and see her lounging across the couch flipping through the pages of a magazine. 

“Hey babe!” she says, sitting up from the cushions. “How was your meeting? Everything okay?” she asks.

“Honestly, no. Y/N got fired, and I thought maybe if we all met up we could figure out a plan or something to change their minds. But, the company just wouldn’t budge. She broke her contract. But then, it evolved into something else entirely. Something else way bigger and…” you pause, “I need to talk to you about something.” 

She puts her hand on your leg and looks at you, eyes full of concern. “What Sammy?”

You run your hands through your hair, and swallow nervously trying to find the right combination of words. “Well, Andy is…back.”

“Y/N’s ex, Andy?!” she shrieks.

“Yeah… has been following us around for a few months.” you confess.

“Sam, what?! Does–Does Y/N know? Oh my god?” she panics.

“No! She doesn’t. And you can’t tell her. Jake will be furious. He hasn’t told her.” you beg.

“Sam…This is… a bad idea. She…she is going to be furious. Livid, even.” she says.

“At first, I agreed with Jake. Maybe it was just a random one time coincidence. But then we started seeing him at more and more shows…It stopped being a coincidence. He was in Michigan just a few weeks ago. Followed us here to Nashville too.” you offer.

“What?! How do you know that?” she asks.

“Josh and Danny got into a fight with him a few days ago. Roughed up Danny’s face pretty good. Pulled a fucking knife on him…” you pause. “That’s why Jake doesn’t want her to know. He doesn't want her to live in fear at her every move.”

“Sam. This is not going to play out how you all think it will. She is entitled to know about this. He can’t protect her all the time…” she says sternly.

“I know, I know. Which is why I am telling you. I want you to know. I want you to be safe and aware of your surroundings when I’m not with you. I mean… you were there that night at the bar too. He hurt you too.” you plead.

You can see her mind replaying that night as a tiny crease forms between her brows. You take her hand in yours and kiss her knuckles. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you until now. Josh told us we should tell you both immediately but, we didn’t. I realize that was a mistake and I hope you can understand why I did it. I love you so much Elle, I just…want to protect you, you know?” you ask.

“I’m not happy with you, Sam. I’m sad that you didn’t tell me. I’m more sad that you guys haven't told Y/N, though. She is going to be so upset. I really think she deserves to be aware. If he pulled a knife on Danny, imagine what he would do to Y/N. She needs to be able to protect herself if one of you guys isn’t there, you know? However, I get why you didn’t tell her. It would stress her out so bad… I get it, I do, really. Your intentions were good. It’s just a double edged sword.” she says. 

“Can you forgive me?” you ask. 

“I will. I just need to be mad for a little bit.” she says. You feel your heart drop a bit, but you know she can’t stay mad at you for long, even if she should.

“Promise me that you won’t tell Y/N. Let Jake do it?” you ask.

“I…can’t promise that Sammy. She’s my best friend…” she trails off. 

“Please Elle. I… just need you to promise me.” you plead.

“I will think about it. I just think Jake needs to say something, quickly, because it seems like he’s becoming more empowered the closer he gets to her. God, haven’t you guys ever watched Criminal Minds?!” she says.

You laugh and nod your head, “Yes…Yes and you are right. I will talk to Jake. Kind of…nudge him to tell her. Promise.” you say.

“Thanks baby.” she says, voice dripping with sweetness.

“Okay…We good?” you ask, nervously.

She leans over and presses a kiss to your lips, “We’re good, babe.”

“I’m gonna go take a shower, you staying in here?” you ask.

“Is that an invitation?” she replies.

“Mmm…Always…”

ELLE POV

You flipped the shower handles to extra hot, just how the both of you liked it. Sam’s shower wasn’t the best setup for two people; it was a little bit cramped and on the smaller side, but you always made it work. You stood in front of the mirror, tossing up your long waves on top of your head and wrapping a tie around the messy bun. 

Sam stood behind you in the mirror, already shirtless and eyeing you while you worked your hair. You smirked at him as he caught your eyes, and you watched as he pulled his shorts and underwear off, letting them fall to the floor without ever breaking away from your stare. Suddenly he was pressed against your back, his hands softly searching your body, feeling your curves underneath your oversized t-shirt. 

He reached to the hem of it, pulling it up and over the swell of your breasts, resting the shirt on your chest while he brought his lips to meet your neck. He kissed slowly, sensually, leaving a wet trail from your shoulder to right under your ear. Your arm flew up to tangle in his messy hair, and you pulled on it slightly, something that drove him absolutely insane. 

“Mmm…pull it again, baby.” He murmured into your ear. You obliged. He snaked his hand down in between your breasts, lightly trailing his finger from there to your navel, and then into your panties. His finger slipped between your folds, teasing you with every move he made. His hand was warm on your already yearning core, and you were begging for more of his touch. 

You leaned back into him, feeling his dick hardening against you. He picked at the hem of your t-shirt again, this time pulling it up and over your head. He switched sides, kissing the opposite side of your neck now. 

Fuck, if you weren’t still so upset with him, you could really give him a show right now.

“Sam…” you said, feeling breathless already. 

“Hmmm?” He hummed into your ear. 

“Have we ever had mad sex?” You asked. 

He popped his head back up, detaching his lips. “What?” 

“I’m really still upset with you…I mean, we’re good but, I’m still pissed. I can hardly look at you right now…” you said, seeing where your words would take you. “And it’s really hard because…you’re really fuckin turning me on right now…” 

“You can hardly look at me right now, hmm? That’s interesting.” He breathed, removing his hand from your underwear. “Let’s get in the shower. Wash fast.”

A few minutes later after a boring and quick shower full of no touching at all, but more avoiding each other’s looks, you were towel drying off in the bathroom. 

“Still can’t stand to look at me?” Sam asked. 

You shook your head. “I really am still pissed, Sam.”

“I know it.” He paused. “Still very fucking turned on, too?” 

“Unfortunately.” You admitted. 

You walked out into the bedroom, feeling him following close behind. He walked over to your drawer, and pulled out a soft scarf, one you saved for the warmer months. 

“This will help you not have to look at me, since you can’t stand me right now.” He said pompously. 

“Sam, are you really going to blindfold me?” You said, feeling like the situation could be either silly as all get out, or extremely sexy. 

“No babe. You’re going to blindfold you.” He pulled his hair into a loose bun at his neck, pulling at the sides to loosen it. You knew what that meant. He dangled the scarf in front of your face. “Unless you want me to leave, and you can just take care of yourself…”

You thought for a second. “Mmm, no…I think I want your help…” you took the scarf from his hand, giving him a dissatisfied look of defeat as you walked over to the bed, sat on the edge, and wrapped the scarf around your eyes. 

“Is it tied nice and snug?” He asked. 

You nodded. “Mmhmm.”

“Good. Tie it tighter.” He demanded. Cocky fucker. You huffed, and took the two trailing ends of the scarf and tightened them just a bit more. “There, happy now?”

“Oh I’m happy, but I wanna make you happier…” he said. 

You felt the bed press down beside you as he sat, pushing you slowly backwards onto the bed. He quickly undid the towel that was tucked at your chest, exposing your naked and half-wet body. 

“God baby, your body is just….” He trailed off, clicking his tongue. Suddenly his hands were underneath your armpits, pushing you to the top of the bed. You giggled at the surprise, still unable to see anything at all. You felt his body leaned over yours, his tongue drifting slowly from your neck, to your nipples, to your hips…all the places he knew made you writhe. 

“Please Sam, hurry up…” you breathed as he teased you for what felt like hours. 

“Calm down, love, let me show you I’m sorry…just enjoy…” 

Finally he grabbed your knees, pulling your thighs apart with force, and flipping your legs over his shoulders. His mouth immediately buried into you, wasting no time at all teasing anymore. 

“Shitttttt Sam…” you breathed as he moved his tongue as deeply as he could inside you, before pulling it out again and moving directly to your clit. The surge of pleasure that flooded you was blinding, already feeling so close from being ready for him earlier. 

Suddenly you felt full, as one of his digits entered you as well, slowly pushing in and pulling out as his tongue worked up top. You couldn’t help it, your back arched up, changing the point of contact for his tongue. Your hands met his hair, pulling from his ponytail and loosening the strands. “Mmm babe, I wish I could watch you right now…” you stammered. His free hand massaged the inside of your thigh, his thumb pressing hard into your skin. 

“No peeking…” he growled without disconnecting his mouth. 

After a few more minutes of torture, bringing you to the brink and then pushing you away again, he pulled back, still working his hand painstakingly slow. “Here’s the deal babe, I can add another finger for you, or I can fuck you. Take your pick.”

You lifted your blindfolded face to him, silently wishing you could see his soaked face, messy hair, and snarky expression in the light of the room. 

You breathed a heavy sigh, thrashing your head back down on the bed. “Fuck me Sam. Please.”

“My pleasure, love.” You felt him move to his knees, taking you and flipping you around to your stomach. Ah, your favorite. 

He forcefully yanked you up by your hips, and pressed his hand to the middle of your back, signaling you to arch hard for him; this was his favorite visual. You put your face in the sheets, and walked your knees apart a bit, giving him the perfect angle. “That’s it, baby, right there for me.” 

It was seconds until his mouth was on you again from behind, spurring you on even more. He stayed there for a little bit until he broke away, placing himself between your legs, teasing your entrance. 

“I should’ve blindfolded you, it’s not fair you’re the one in trouble but get to see this whole thing…” you said, turning your head to face him. 

“Hey, you agreed to it. Face back down, or I’ll stop right here.” He rumbled, giving you a fair warning. 

“Erghhhh.” You whined, placing your face back down. His hands were on your hips again, massaging them sensually as you became more and more aroused. 

You felt him begin to tease you again, only allowing himself a couple inches inside before disconnecting and teasing again. You whined again, a pitiful sound that showed him you were begging for him without even using any words. 

Finally he lined up, pushing all the way inside, bottoming out with his hands gripping hard on your hips. The feeling made your mind go numb for a few seconds, feeling him already dusting by your sweet spot with the first thrust. 

“Goddamn baby, you’re so perfect…” he said through a stifled moan as he stilled himself inside you. 

“Show me Sam, show me how perfect I am…” you said. “Please, go.” 

You were fully begging him to pick up the pace now, your body pulling him further inside you on its own accord. He continued his thrusts, seemingly deeper and harder each time. You could tell he was enjoying himself as much as you were, given the dirty sounds filling the room. 

You felt his hand to your back again, pushing it down toward the bed lightly but forcefully, pressing your stomach all the way down. You kept your back arched as best as you could with the new position. Legs sprawled to the sides, he laid his body weight down on your back, the two of you pressed together flat into the mattress. He remained inside of you, but this new position brought his face beside yours, giving him access to kiss the back of your neck, back, and shoulders. 

Instead of thrusting now, he could just grind, moving in tiny circles as your bodies glided together. “Hop up for a sec,” he said, grabbing a pillow to put under your stomach. Fuck yeah. That helped the angle, giving him space to move a little better while still buried deep inside you. 

“You feel so fucking good baby, so warm and wet for me…” Sam said, brushing your hair from covering your face, his voice directly in your ear and sending shivers down your entire body. He bit into your ear lobe, eliciting a hiss from you. You did your best to squeeze him, as you felt yourself getting closer. He snaked his hand underneath you, finding your clit right off the bat, giving it rough but calculated swirls with the tip of his finger. 

“God Sam, yes…” you howled as you felt yourself reaching the peak, the white heat touching your every nerve ending. You arched just a little bit more, pressing your ass into him and grinding your hips with his to give him a little instigation. 

“Yes keep doing that, please…I’m there too baby, fuck…” he said through his teeth as his grinding became more harsh and erratic. 

“Please don’t stop…I…” you breathed, your words falling away. 

Finally, the two of you reached your releases together, the room filling with obscene sounds as you felt him fill you, deep and hot as you rode them out together. 

After you both came down, he let his entire body weight fall on your back, staying sandwiched together with his hand still attached to your heat. 

“Baby, you’re soooo…” he trailed off. “Fuckin perfect. I swear.” 

He removed himself, flipping you back over to face him. He gently lifted the scarf from your eyes, and you blinked a few times to readjust to the light. You met his eyes, full of love and lust and pure adoration. “I love you more than I could ever explain. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you the truth.” He admitted. 

“S’okay, babe. I will move past it. Just don’t ever keep anything like that away from me ever again, okay? I’m dead serious, Sam.” You replied. 

He held up his hand. “I promise. I can’t lose you. Not ever.”

You laid for a minute in silence as he peppered your face with slow kisses. You had to tell Y/N. Tonight. You’d text her when Sam goes to bed. This isn’t fair. 

You’d made up your mind, and you were going to tell her about Andy. You didn’t care for the repercussions from the guys, or from Jake. This had to end here. 

— 

JAKE POV

“I don’t know what you’re not getting Josh, it’s a simple key change.” you spit.

“I’m doing my fucking best, Jacob. Cut me a break, we have been at this for four hours.” he replies. 

You turn back to Daniel, “Again.” you instruct, waiting for him to count in. 

As the sound roars to life, you wince as Josh misses the mark yet again, but this time you keep playing. You shake your head at him, annoyed that he can’t seem to get it right. You finish out the song, and place your guitar in the stand. 

“I’m gonna take a break, I’ll be back. My hand is fucking killing me.” you say, making your way out the door. 

You find yourself outside, leaning against the building holding the flame to the tip of a joint. 

You inhale the earthy flavored smoke, and let it fill your lungs as you watch the cars pass by. A few minutes later Josh is stepping outside to join you. You scoff at him when he holds his hand out for the joint. 

You begrudgingly pass it to him, crossing your arms as you lean back into the brick.

“So you’re pissed at me. Is that it?” he asks, blowing out the smoke.

You turn to look at him, deadpan, “No, what would make you think that…” you reply sarcastically. 

“Cut the shit Jake. You know I wasn’t intentionally keeping shit from you. You’re my goddamn twin for Christ sake. Everything was… fucked up. I didn’t even know what to tell you first. Or even how. I was… trying to figure it out.” he offers.

“Something. Anything…” you reply. 

It’s quiet for a few minutes, the two of you passing the dwindling joint back and forth. 

“I’m sorry, Jake. I know you are in a tough spot with her losing her job. I don’t think any of us really thought it would happen. Then, the whole Andy thing… That dude is a fucking creep Jake. He freaked me out. I… don’t even know what to do.” he confesses. 

“It’s okay…I’m not really mad. Just… disappointed. Like you said, you’re my twin…I trust you more than myself sometimes. If I can’t trust you, what do I have left?” you ask.

He nods his head, “Yeah. No, you’re totally right. I fucked you over. I should have told you first. It won’t happen again. I promise.” he says, eyes full of regret. 

“We’re good.” you say, offering him a tight smile. 

“You sure?” he asks.

“Yeah. She uh… she came back. Last night. Like one in the morning. She agreed to move in with me.” you say nervously. 

“Move in?” he asks, shocked. 

“Yeah, she was freaking out, man. She was saying she was going to move home and shit. There’s no way. I can’t do this without her anymore. I was going to like, officially ask her or whatever in a few weeks after things settled down a bit, but then all this happened and she said that, so I asked her. I panicked. I couldn’t lose her again, you know? Anyways, she left and said she needed space, apparently talked to Sam, and to Elle, then showed up last night, and said okay that she would move in.” you said. 

“She talked to Sam?” he asks.

“Yeah, that's what she said…” you replied.

“Huh, sounds like you owe him a big fucking thank you for whatever he said to her.” he says. 

“Yeah…you know, you’re right.” you answer, opening the door to the studio, and letting him walk in. 

“Where is that lanky fuck?” you laugh, letting the door shut behind you.

—

Pulling into your driveway later that night, you see her car still parked and you can’t help the smile that parts your lips. As you slip into the front door, you hear her in the shower, humming along to a song, playing loudly from the speaker in the bathroom. Your chest tightens when you realize that this is something you’ll get to hear everyday. You’ll get to see her fresh from the shower, wet hair and plain faced and gorgeous. It won’t be a commodity, it will just be your life now. 

You place your keys in the dish, and kick off your boots. You head to the kitchen to grab a beer, and position yourself on your couch, scrolling through the options on the TV. You feel your phone buzz in your pocket, and you pull it out seeing a new message in the group chat.

Sam:

4:47pm: Why don’t we just hire her as an assistant? She would be in direct employment through us. Do whatever we need her to do. Be with us at all times…

Daniel:

4:49pm: Can we do that?

Josh:

4:50pm: Yeah. We absolutely can do that. Fuck why didn’t I think of that.

Sam

4:51pm: That way she is still “working” and doing the job she loves, without the bullshit contracts and still getting to tour with us.

You:

4:52pm: This would be the best case scenario. That way she is also with us… 

Josh

4:53pm: Shit I didn’t think of that either… Yeah. I will call Aaron and talk about logistics. I’ll get back with you. 

Daniel

4:54pm: Good idea Sam

You:

4:55pm: Thank you Sammy

Sam

4:56pm: We can’t do this tour without her. Our outfits would always be fucked!!

Daniel

4:57pm: Lol

“Oh my gosh! Jake! You scared me!” she says, stepping out of the bedroom. You shove your phone back into your pocket and laugh. 

“Sorry my love, I figured it would be more scary to tell you I was home while you were in the shower.” you smile.

“What are you doing?” she asks, sitting down next to you on the couch. 

“I don’t know. I never use this thing…” you say, pointing the remote at the TV. 

She smiles at you as you lift your arm, motioning for her to lean into your side. “Oh, we could order in and watch a movie?” she suggests.

You turn to face her and press a soft kiss to her lips, “Whatever you want, lover.”

—

After a box of pad thai, a movie, and a few episodes of a show you don’t even know the name of, you both find yourself drifting off on the soft leather couch. 

“Baby, let’s go get in bed. We are both falling asleep.” you say.

She forces her eyes open and throws the blanket off the two of you, pulling herself from your side. “I just sleep so good all curled into your side like that. S’my favorite.” she yawns.

“We’re like ten feet from the bedroom and then you can resume the position. Go ahead, I’m right behind you. I’m just gonna lock up.” you say, helping her from the couch. 

She sulks off to the bedroom as you take the leftovers to the kitchen, and lock all the doors. Soon enough you are wrapped in your linen sheets with your girl curled back into your side. You placed your phone on the nightstand and turned off the lamp, letting your eyes close as you wonder how life could get any better than this. 

—

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

Your eyes squint open, hearing the incessant buzzing next to your head.  You roll to your side and pick up your phone seeing an unfamiliar caller ID.

“Fuck…” you groan. “Fucking people, leave me alone…”

“Hello?” you ask, answering the call. 

“Hi, this is April with Sonitrol Security. Is this Mr. Kiszka?” they ask.

“Yeah, this is he…” you reply, voice hoarse.

“Mr. Kiszka, we received an alarm signal at your office building. We are calling to confirm whether this is an actual break in or a false alarm.” she states.

“No. None of us are there, it’s not a false alarm.” you say, sitting up in the bed. 

“I will dispatch right away, can you please confirm your four digit passcode and your password?” she asks.

“Oh yeah, it's 3102 and the password is Disraeli.” you answer. 

“Excellent thank you Mr. Kiszka. The authorities are on the way to the premises. It would probably be helpful to meet them there to file paperwork.” she adds.

“Thank you.” you say. 

“Thank you, have a great evening.” she says, ending the call.

Fuck. What the fuck?

You immediately get up, and put on the clothes you kicked to the floor, dialing Josh’s number as you pull your shirt over your head.

“Answer asshole…” you groan.

The calls rings to voicemail, and you curse as you buckle your belt. You try Sam next.

“Hello?” his voice is still half asleep.

“Sam. Wake up. There was a break in at the office.” you state simply.

“Our office?” he asks, confused.

“Yes. They just called me and told me to meet the police down there. Get dressed and meet me there. Please.” you ask.

“Shit. Okay. See you in a minute.” he says, ending the call.

You press the contact for Daniel, making your way to the other side of the bed. You sit at the edge as you hear him answer.

“Jake…” he groans.

“Hey. The security company just called me and said there was a break in at the office. I am going down there right now to meet the cops. Sam is on his way, and Josh didn’t answer.” you say.

“Shit, seriously?” he asks.

“Yes.” you answer.

“Okay, I’ll meet you there.” he says, ending the call.

You shove your phone into your pocket, and shake her shoulder, “Hey…” you whisper.

She turns on her side and her eyes crack open.

“Hey, I have to go to the office. There was a break in. You stay here, go back to sleep. I will be home soon.” you say, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“Be careful…Love you…” slips tiredly through her lips.

“I love you, be back soon.” you say, closing the bedroom door.

As you lock the front door behind you, you make your way to the car, seeing the dashboard read 4:50am. Who the fuck breaks into an office?

The roads are empty at this hour, making quick time to the office as you pull into the parking lot.

There are 4 police cars parked out front, along with the office manager's car. Daniel pulls in a few seconds after you, as you are making your way up to the front door. 

“Hello sir, what can I do for you this evening?” the cop says. 

“Hey, uh, my name is Jacob Kiskza. This is my office. I got a call we had a break in and to meet you here.” you reply. 

“Oh, yeah, great. So, looks like there was a break in. Someone took a rock to this side window here, and busted it out. Inside is a pretty big mess. You guys may need to take a look around and try to take inventory on what's missing.” he says.

Fuck. Why didn't it occur to you that they probably stole shit?

Sam walks up seconds later, still half asleep. “We have to go look inside to see what’s gone.” you said, stepping through the front doors. 

The place is a bit of a mess, you can tell that the storage cabinets were gone thorough and things were missing. 

“Has anyone talked to Josh?” you ask, stepping around the piles of cords on the floor. 

“I called him roughly twenty times as I drove over here, he did finally answer.” Sam said.

“Is he coming?” you ask.

“Yeah, he was on his way.” he replied.

“Tech equipment was cleaned out.” Danny says, making his way back over to you. 

“The conference room laptop is gone too.” he adds.

“Fuck man, what loser did this shit…” you scoff. 

“Jake…” Sam says from across the room. 

Your eyes flick over to his, suddenly full of sadness.

You look to where he is standing, right next to the kit. “Oh fuck… don’t….don’t even say it…” you plead, walking quickly to join him. 

“God damnit!” you yell, smacking your hand on the wall. 

“Of every fuckin’ thing in here it had to be that!” you continue.

Your very first SG. The one you learned on. The one you picked out with your dad, what feels like a million years ago. You always knew you should have kept it at home with the others. You put too much trust into this place. Now, she’s gone. 

“Jake I’m sure we’ll find it, I bet–” Sam starts.

“We will never see it again. I guarantee it. It’s fucking gone.” you pause, seeing Josh walk through the door. 

“What the fuck is going on here?” he asks.

“Some piece of shit broke into the office.” Sam says. “His guitar is gone.”

Josh looks over to you, knowing full well, how important that guitar was to you. “The one dad bought?” he asks.

You bite your lips together, “Yeah…” you reply solemnly. You run your hand over your face, cussing through a breath. 

“Can we pull the footage?” Daniel asks, pointing the camera in the corner of the room.

“I think they are already trying. I talked to the office manager a minute ago. Said they would text me the footage.” Josh answered.

“I can’t fucking believe it.” you said, staring at the empty stand. 

“We have to make a list of everything missing so that we can talk to the insurance company. Jake, I know you don’t want to hear it but, we have to keep looking to see what else is gone.” Josh says.

Sam and Danny walk away, continue to take inventory of the collection of rooms, as Josh walks over to meet you. 

“We will find it, Jake. I promise.” he says, placing his hand on your shoulder.

“It was my first one. First one that was really me. Really mine, you know? Thought it was safe here. If I knew I would have kept it at home with the others.” you say. “They are going to pawn it like it’s some cheap piece of nothing. It has no meaning to them. They don’t even know…”

“We will find out who stole it. We will get it back.” Josh promises.

You turn to look at him, and nod as you step away from the scene of the crime.

An hour or so later, you are wrapping up with the police who will be waiting for the footage pulled from the cameras. You all collectively agreed that you will be pressing charges as soon as the person is found, and charge them to the fullest extent. 

It’s close to daylight as you pull out of the lot, the sick feeling in your stomach still present as you head back home. Sure, it’s just a guitar, but, for most of your life it was your number one. Your only one. 

As you step through your front door, the light is just starting to peek over the horizon. You leave your keys in the dish and your shoes by the door, returning to the dark bedroom, with a sigh. 

“Hey babe, is everything okay?” her soft voice drifting towards you.

“Hey baby. No, not really. Someone broke in. Stole a bunch of stuff. Stole my guitar.” you reply.

“Your guitar? Your fancy one?” she asks.

You smile, “No. Not the fancy one. I keep those here. It was actually my first electric. My dad bought it for me when we were kids.” you answer.

“Oh, Jake. I’m sorry. I bet we’ll find it soon.” she says, rolling over to face you. 

You strip your clothes back off, and place your phone on the nightstand, ready to go back to sleep.

“I’m not going to lie. I am pretty upset about it. I’m not sure I will ever see it again. Maybe one day though.” you sigh. 

Your phone buzzes before you even have a chance to get back into bed. 

Josh

5:56am: Attachment - Video

Josh

5:57am: Jake… I think we know who has your guitar. 

As you let the video play your breath hitches in your throat. Surely not? You try your best to zoom in on the footage, trying to make absolutely sure. Suddenly your phone is buzzing in your hand. 

“Hey.” you answer.

“Dude, it’s fucking him. Tell me you see it.” Josh says. 

“Yeah I see it. Was just trying to zoom in and make sure.” you reply.

“No! I know that face anywhere. It’s him. He is fucking insane.” he says. 

“You’re right about that. I will call you later, okay?” you press.

“Later.” he says, ending the call.

You slip into the bed, and turn to face her. “It was who?” she asks. 

You feel your heart stop for a second as you scramble to respond.

“Oh that was Josh.” you answer. 

“No. I know that. He said, ‘it’s fucking him’. I heard it.” she says, sitting up on her elbow. 

“It’s so late. Or early. Whatever. Can we talk about it in the morning?” you ask, hoping she will concede. 

“Who was it Jake?” she asks. 

“Y/N….” you plead.

“You know. You know who it was. Why won’t you tell me?” she asks.

“Because I… I don’t want to freak you out! I…” you stammer. 

“Why would it freak me out Jake?” she pauses, standing up from the bed. “What did he mean it’s him? It’s who? Someone I know? Someone you know I know?” she says, raising her voice.

“Y/N, baby, please. Just calm down. I can explain.”  you say, sitting up and raising your hands to her. 

“It’s fucking Andy, isn’t it. Isn’t it Jake!” she yells, visibly shaking, even in the dim light. 

“Fuck, Y/N. Please. Just… Fuck. Yes. Okay? It was. It was Andy. He threw a rock through our window and stole a bunch of shit.” you answer. 

“How does he know where your office is, Jake?” she yells.

“I don’t know. I… don’t know. He has been around.” you confess.

“Around?! Around where!?” she says, backing herself into the wall.

You rub your hands across your face, shaking your head. What the fuck do I do?

“Well, the first time….Austin. Then, in LA, then–” she cuts you off. 

“I’m sorry, Austin?! As in Texas? Where we were in fucking October, Jake?!” she screams.

“Baby, I thought it was a fluke. We all did, we thought he was just in the crowd by coincidence or something…” you plead.

“We all?” she stops you.

You release a sigh knowing you just opened a whole other can of worms. “Yes…We all saw him that night. We didn’t say anything because we didn’t want to scare you.” 

“Jake are you fucking kidding me?! You all knew!?” she replies.

“I wanted to tell you… I–I just was more worried about keeping you safe. Keeping you away from him. Who knows when this even really started. After Austin we just started actually seeing him, and actively checking for him.”

“Jake this is….” she says waving her hand in the air. “This is why all the extra security, and the rushing back to hotels, and the never letting me go anywhere alone…. Suddenly it’s all making sense… this has been happening for months, right under my own nose. You lied to me!” she yells. 

“I didn’t lie, Y/N. I just didn’t tell you that we saw him.” you reply.

“That’s the same fucking thing as lying to me! Where else did you see him Jake...” she asks.

You sighed, completely conceding to her questions now. “We saw him again in LA. Then, at Thanksgiving, you thought you saw him. I knew it had to be him. Then that weird shit at Christmas….and the texts…” you said shaking your head. “He got into it with Danny and Josh the other day in a fucking alley. He threatened them! How was I supposed to tell you that without freaking you out!?” you ask.

“You’ve known for months, and you just weren’t going to tell me? Those weird unknown number texts? Those were him? Oh my god, he’s stalking me isn’t he? That day I swore it was him at the shops… You let me think I was crazy Jake! After I told you everything? How could you?!” she asks, cries busting forward from her chest. 

“I… I don’t know why I didn’t tell you. I was just trying to protect you!” you yell. You quickly regain your composure, knowing full well that she was already scared. 

“After your nightmare in LA, I was…torn up. I just wanted to keep you safe from him. Imagine if I would have told you then, that we’d seen him…you would’ve been so terrified at every turn… We didn’t even know the extent of his stalking yet. I just… felt like it was better if you didn’t know. Which is stupid, and wrong and I am so fucking sorry, I just didn’t know what else to do. I thought we could handle it without getting you involved.” you beg. “We went about it all the wrong ways, and I know that now, and I feel so stupid, I’m so sorry Y/N. We shouldn’t have kept that from you. It wasn’t our place.” 

“No, you absolutely should not have kept that from me. Jake this is so beyond messed up. You lied to me. Deceived me. How can I ever trust you again?” she says, grabbing her things and shoving them into a bag. 

“Baby, no. What are you doing?” you say, rushing to her side. 

“I can’t stay here. I won’t. I won’t stay with someone who lies to me. Someone I can’t trust. You said you loved me. This isn’t love Jake. This is control… and deceit!” she snaps. “I can’t even look at you, I'm so mad.”

“Y/N, please. Don’t go. Just stay. Talk to me. We can figure this out.” you beg, reaching for her hand. 

“No. Don’t touch me! There’s nothing to figure out. You’re a liar! What else have you lied to me about, huh!” she yells, ripping her hand from yours. “All of you…lied to me for months! And Sam?! He knew too? And didn’t tell me…” she trailed off, her actions in a frenzy. “How can I trust any of you?! Does Elle even know? Because he fucking put his hands on her too, if you even remember. God this is so fucked up.” 

She grabs her purse, digging out her car keys and finding the key you gave her yesterday. She fumbles with it, unlooping it from the keyring and tossing it across the room. “Keep it. I don’t want it!” she yells as the key bounces off the floor, clanking around until it finds its place in the corner. 

You shudder at the sound. “Y/N, please, just sit for a second. He broke into our office, who knows where he even is now? He could be out there waiting for you!” you say.

“I can handle myself!” She screamed. “I’m not a child, Jacob!”

“He pulled a fucking knife on Danny, Y/N, okay? He’s dangerous! He isn’t fucking around!” You tried not to yell, but you needed to drive that part home. 

“You don’t think I know he’s dangerous, Jake? Were you the one that had to hide bruises on your arms for months? Got your head bashed into a wall at a crowded bar? Hm? Hid yourself in a bathroom while he tried to break the door down? Not to mention all of the hundreds of other stories I haven’t even told you about because it makes me sick to my fucking stomach to even think about them?! There’s more, Jake. There’s so much more.” She shifted her weight, shaking her head. 

“I’ve taught myself how to be on the lookout. I know what it feels like if he’s in my presence. I walk with my keychain in my hand constantly in case I ever have to use my self defense weapon. I’m not stupid, Jake.” She shoved the last of her things into her bag. 

“I understand, baby. I’m so sorry…please just don’t make any irrational decisions right now.” You begged. 

“Irrational? Irrational!? How am I supposed to act Jacob? You just told me that my highly abusive ex is stalking me, and has been for months. Not only that but he is threatening you, my friends, me… and everyone knows except for me? You think that’s okay?!” she screams. 

“No! I don’t think it’s okay, but I didn’t see another way!” you yell. 

She throws her bag over her shoulder, wiping the tears from her eyes, as she reaches around her neck to unclasp her necklace. 

No... 

“No. Y/N. Please, don’t do this. Please…” you beg, watching her slide the pendant from her neck and tossing it onto the bed.

Your eyes well with tears, as you watch hers fall. “Jake…I don’t know what to say. I never thought you’d hurt me like this. You were the one person…I thought I could trust…” she trails off. 

You rush over to her, grabbing her face in your hands. She turns her face away from you, her cheeks wet from tears. “I am so sorry. Please…please don’t go. I promise you can trust me. I love you. I love you more than anything. We will figure this out. I…I’ll do whatever it takes…” you wrap her in your arms, a one last ditch attempt to physically hold her to you. 

She pulls out of your arms, “Let me go. I have to go.”

She hurries out of the front door, only the chime ringing through the house letting you know she was ever really there. 

You collapse onto the floor, unable to hold your own weight up. You clutched the tiny daisy necklace in your hand, knowing you really lost her this time. 

—

How many times is she going to leave before she’s gone for good? 

You sat collapsed on the floor, sitting with your head in your hands and your elbows on your knees for what felt like hours, running over the past five months over and over in your head. You should have told her. You should have given her warning. Josh was right. 

But you didn’t, and it backfired in a way that you weren’t sure you were going to be able to clean up. How could you apologize your way out of this one? Was it even possible? It felt like all of the blood had drained from your body, and you sat lifeless on the rug of your bedroom floor, letting yourself feel the guilt completely. 

Suddenly your phone buzzed on your nightstand, a single text notification that woke you from your self-pity. You drug yourself up from the floor, reaching for your phone and hoping it was her. 

Sam. 

You swiped the text open, finding a fairly long message from him. 

Sam

7:21am: Y/N just called Elle…sounded pretty bad. I told Elle about Andy yesterday, I’m guessing she sat on it for a day and didn’t tell Y/N, either. I know you guys got into it pretty badly, and she left. Just go chase her, Jake. Gotta make it right. 

Comprehending his text was proving to be difficult. It was blurry through your tired, glassy eyes, and you were so exhausted it felt like you’d been hit by a truck. But he was right, you had to make this right. Everything was your fault, and you hated yourself for fucking things up, again. It was now or never. Losing her for good might kill you. 

You stood up, putting your clothes back on and wiping your eyes free from the wetness that had collected in them. You hadn’t really cried, just let yourself feel way too many feelings at once. You ran to the front door and put your shoes back on quickly, grabbed your keys from the dish, and sprinted down the walk to your car. 

You felt like you couldn’t get to her fast enough, like something was pulling you toward her again. Something intense. You dashed through the morning commute traffic, whipping in and out of lanes and backstreets on the quickest route to her. 

She’s not getting away again. Not ever. 

——

HER POV

You slammed the door to Jake’s house a little harder than intended, but you couldn’t care less. You made a dizzy mad dash to your car, hitting the unlock button on your keys way before you even got there. The tears were falling hard, and you felt absolutely obliteratingly sad. When you finally made it to the driver’s seat, you locked the doors behind you, stuck the key in the ignition, and started the car. One last look to Jake’s door gave you nothing but a worse feeling; you half expected him to be running after you. 

You pulled off down the street like a bat out of hell, trying to make it to the safety of your apartment as quickly as you could. Everything is falling apart. 

Your phone was still lodged somewhere in your purse, so you blindly dug through all of the other items you’d thrown in there before you left Jake’s house. After you finally grabbed it, you opened the lock screen, being met with a photo of you and Jake huddled together on the couch, smiling cheek to cheek, a selfie you’d soon be deleting. 

You’d gotten a text from Elle late last night, but you were already asleep. ‘Call me’ was all it read. You hit the phone symbol on her contact, listening as the tone rang and rang, with no answer on the other end. 

Shit. 

You needed her. You needed to tell her. She deserved to know that Andy was back. Or, did she already know?

You sped through traffic and finally pulled into your apartment parking lot. You pulled into your spot, turning the car off and sitting there, unable to pull yourself out. The comforting feeling of your vehicle was always something that made you feel safe; a little home away from home where you could let all of your emotions fly, and no one would ever see. 

What is happening? Why is this all happening? Your best friends in the world whom you’ve loved and trusted your whole life…not even having the decency to tell you your stalker was back with a vengeance. The love of your life didn’t even bother to inform you…well, not love of your life anymore, you don’t suppose. 

After another good and hearty cry, you pulled yourself from the driver’s seat and grabbed your purse. You’d get the rest later. You just wanted to lock yourself in your bedroom, turn your phone off and shut the world out. And that’s exactly what you were going to do. 

Before you could leave the lot, Elle was calling you back. 

“Hello?” You answered, voice scratchy from crying. 

“Hey, hun. You okay? Sorry I missed you earlier...” she said. 

You sat back down in your car. 

“No, not really Elle. Andy is back. He has been back for months. He’s following me again. And get this, all the guys knew it, and none of them told me. Apparently he’s been coming to shows since September, sneaking around in the crowd and everything. Did Sam tell you about the break in last night? And Jake’s guitar getting stolen?” you pause. 

“Well it was fucking Andy who did it. Ugh I don’t know Elle, I’m so mad and feel so betrayed, I left Jake’s. I’m back at my apartment now.” You went on, your words spewing out. “I’m honestly not sure if I’m going to go back, Elle.” You sighed.

“Did you know? Did they leave you in the dark, too?” You asked, hoping to hear that she hadn’t been hiding it from you too. 

“Sam told me yesterday, and that’s why I texted you last night. I was going to tell you. They hadn’t told me either, Y/N. Probably because they knew I wouldn’t keep their secret.” She said quietly. 

“Fuck. I can’t believe I missed your text, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do, Elle. I’m so infuriated.” You confessed. 

“You have every single right to be mad at him, Y/N. Mad at all of them. Without a doubt. That was not a good decision on their part. I completely agree with you.” She said. 

“Okay, so I’m not crazy for blowing up?” You asked. 

“No, you’re not crazy this time.” She giggled. “But no, I’m actually pretty fucking mad at Sam, too. This should not have been something they kept from us. Not in the least.” She said through a sigh. 

“You’re right.”

“Go inside, hun. Take a bath, cool off a bit, I’ll call you later.” Elle said, her voice laced with comfort. 

“Okay. I will.” You said. 

“Oh, Y/N? You know Jake didn’t mean to hurt you, right? He would never intentionally hurt you. None of them would. He had good intentions, hiding this from you…though he went about it the wrong way. He was just trying to protect you like he always has. Don’t shut him out, okay?” She lamented. 

You sighed. “I’ll try, Elle. Love you.” And you hung up the phone. 

Again, you grabbed your purse and locked your car door, and headed down the short sidewalk to your apartment door. Your stomach suddenly began doing flip flops, you felt lightheaded and dreadful, blaming it on the severity of the situation hitting you all at once. You reached the porch, and fumbled with the keys, dropping them on the wooden porch with a clank. 

“Shit.” You mumbled, reaching down to retrieve them. Before you could grasp them, they were kicked across the porch underneath you, your only means of self-defense sliding across the wood into the corner. When you stood, you were met with a familiar face, one you could live a million lifetimes not ever seeing again. 

“Hey there, gorgeous. Happy to see me?” The tall, blonde haired, light-eyed man you’d once loved, now standing on your front porch, eyeing you like a piece of meat he wanted to devour. 

“Andy, what the fuck are you doing here. Get the hell off of my porch right now.” You seethed, suddenly feeling helpless and defensive at the same time. 

“Oh now, I thought you’d be excited to see me? It’s been so long, you know. Thought we could catch up…” he said, slowly taking steps toward you. 

You felt a lump growing in your throat. “No, it hasn’t been long.” You swallowed, trying to stay strong. “I know you’ve been back. I know you’ve been following me all over the country.”

“Hmmm…your rockstar boyfriend and his compadres finally tell you their little secret? Damn, I didn’t think it’d take them this long…” 

“Andy, I told you to get off my property, please. I’m going inside. I need you to leave.” You said, your breathing becoming more rapid the closer he got to you. 

“But I just got here, baby. Can’t we just talk a little bit?” He said, flitting his eyelashes to you. This was absolutely not the same man you fell in love with all those years ago. He had changed, exponentially. 

“No, I don’t want to talk to you. Please leave, or I’m calling the police.” You warned. 

“Hah, the police? You think I’m scared of the cops?” He scoffed. 

“You should be, I know they’re out searching for you right now…we know it was you that broke into the office and stole all their stuff….you should’ve stolen the security cameras, too, if you wanted to stay hidden.” You spat. “I thought you were a little smarter than that, Andy.” 

For a split second, you thought you saw him flinch, a minute expression of second-guessing himself…perhaps feeling a little bit of fear? You capitalized on it. 

“Actually, after the cops identified you, we told them you’d been stalking me for months, told them the severity of it…they agreed to drive by multiple times a day to do wellness checks on me here, especially today when they know you’re in town.” You pressed. 

His eyes began zipping back and forth in thought, he licked his lips continually and he ran his hand through his hair. Who even is this man?

“Let me go the fuck inside my house, Andy!” You yelled. 

Suddenly he had his body pressed up against you, your wrist clenched in his hand, and the sharp blade of a knife pressed against your neck. 

“Shut the fuck! Up! Y/N! Do you ever stop fucking talking?!” he screamed.

You could feel the cold metal on your jugular as you swallowed, trying to contain yourself as you stepped back, catching your breath in pure terror. 

“You’re going to listen to me now, do you understand? Everything I tell you to do, you’re going to do without argument. Or else this knife will be put to use.” he threatened. 

You consented, nodding slowly with the blade still to your throat. You shouldn’t have pushed him. He walked you to the edge of the porch, and instructed you to pick up your keys, and find the correct one to open your door. 

“Don’t even think about it…” he growled in your ear as he noticed your self defense keychain hanging from the ring. 

You winced, seeing it so close but unable to use it. You prayed someone would walk by and see you, but your apartment door was hidden well, in a concave part of the building tucked away from sight. 

You nervously found the key, and he walked you back to the front door. Your hands shook as you slipped it into the lock, turning it to release. 

“No fucking funny business.” He said as you entered the large studio style room, dropping your keys and purse on the table by the door. Your heart was racing a million miles a minute, and your brain was wild trying to think on your toes at every TV show you’d ever watched, every bit of self defense you’d ever learned, and trying your best to stay calm while outsmarting him. 

When you got inside, he turned and closed the door behind him, walking you over to your small dining table. “Sit.” He demanded.

You did as he asked, placing yourself gently in a chair, eyes scanning the table for anything you could find in case you needed it. Immediately, he pulled a small zip tie from his pocket and tied your hands together in your lap. Nothing new here, unfortunately. 

“Why are you here, Andy? What do you want from me?” You asked. 

He pulled the opposite chair close to you, taking a seat and facing you. “Mmm, don’t you remember all the good times we had, baby? Back at college, spending all that time together?” 

He pressed, taking the knife away from your throat, and tracing it down your cheek. “Don’t you want to be that way again? Just you and me, like old times…”

“We were really crazy about each other, weren't we Y/N? Had such great times together…made beautiful love…” the knife continued to trace your features slowly, gently pressing into your skin every few seconds. 

“We were, Andy. But that was years ago. And I don’t know if it would be considered making love, all those times you forced me…and all the other awful things you did to me. I didn’t forget.” You said bravely. 

“You don’t think I loved you, Y/N? Of course I did…everything I did I did out of love, don’t you understand that? My temper sometimes just…got in the way. But you always forgave me, didn’t you baby? Always came crawling back to me…you couldn’t resist…” he spattered. 

The closer he got to your face, the more you could tell that he’d been drinking. Of course. His actions didn’t mirror it, strangely enough, but you could smell it on his breath. 

“Don’t you miss the love we made, Y/N?” He asked, trailing the knife down your arm, onto your side and finally up and down your bare legs. You felt your heart rate spike at the strange contact, the blade gently scaling the sensitive parts of your legs. 

“There’s no way he gives it to you better than I did…no way he can fuck you better…don’t you remember, Y/N? Tell me…tell me I was the best…” the blade of the knife turned suddenly, piercing a deep slit in your thigh. 

You winced at the pain, blood immediately dropped down the side of your leg. “Fuck Andy! What the hell is wrong with you?! Get the hell away from me!”

You began to scream, too stunned to move your arms, or push him away at all. Your vision began to go blurry with nerves and fear, you felt your body begin to try and protect itself, fight or flight coming into play. This feeling was one you had felt a hundred times before with him, every bone in your body preparing itself for whatever physical or mental infliction he was about to drop on you. 

“Tell me I was the best for you! Tell me I’m better than he is! Tell me, Y/N!” He yelled in your face, spit escaping his mouth. 

“You weren’t, Andy! You never were. He was always the best, a million times better to me than you could ever think about being!” You yelled, but fairly calmly, deciding to not match his insane energy. 

He stood towering over you, pushing down hard on your shoulders and pinning you to the chair against the wall. “Don’t you fucking move Y/N or I swear to god you won’t leave this apartment!” He yelled, his liquor soaked breath spitting in your face. 

“I’m not fucking scared of you Andy! Not anymore!” You yelled back, using all of your body weight to counteract him, standing and shoving yourself into him. You brought your knee directly to his groin fast and hard, momentarily stunning him into pain. He fell to one knee, grabbing himself and choking. You used that opportunity to try and get away, but he’d fallen right between you and the table and a mess of chairs, so stepping over him was your only option. 

So you took it, leaping high over him as best you could with your hands still tied. He grabbed your leg while you were in mid air, pulling you down and into the table, your face hitting the edge of it as you fell. You put your hands to the floor to brace yourself for the fall, but his pull was too fast, and you hit your head hard on the floor. 

“You bitch!” He screamed, as he crawled over top of you on the floor, pinning you down again. You couldn’t move, all his body weight was holding you down. You felt blood dripping from your nose and down the side of your cheek, and you finally gave in and looked up at him as he held you down. He was crushing your chest and your lungs, making it hard to breathe. 

Your vision was blurring again, your breaths low and shallow as he crushed you. You fought with everything you had in you. He reached over, finding his knife that had fallen to the floor. The last thing you saw before you closed your eyes was the glint of the silver blade flashing off the twinkle lights hanging in your kitchen. 

They look like…stars… 

Your brain began to go fuzzy, the lack of oxygen taking effect.  You winced, preparing yourself for pain. 

Suddenly, you heard your front door swing open, the knob hitting into the wall with force. “Hey, get the fuck off of her!” 

Jake. 

It stunned Andy, temporarily taking his attention away from you. Suddenly Andy’s weight was off of you, and your lungs were able to fill with air again. You inhaled sharply, choking and catching your breath as your vision returned. All you heard was a loud crash as you watched Jake tackle Andy across the room, their bodies flying into the wall in a mess of flailing limbs. 

Deja vu. Somehow, after a few seconds of fighting, Andy rolled in the same manner that he had just had you in, sitting on top of Jake as he pinned him in the corner of the wall and floor, Jake fighting and screaming beneath him. 

“Well, well, well…if it isn’t little Jakey here to rescue his lady. You here to get your ass kicked in front of your girlfriend again, Jake?” Andy seethed as he hit Jake with an open palm across the face. 

You watched as Andy took his blade again, this time holding it against Jake’s throat, his other hand across his neck, fingers digging in and squeezing. Jake’s legs squirmed and kicked below him as you listened to him fight for air. His hands were pounding into Andy’s sides and face, his legs flailing and hitting into the floor, but to no avail. Andy had him pinned. 

You were stunned, planted in one spot unable to move. All the fear and panic that Andy had driven into you for so many years crashing back down onto you. You’d been his puppet, dangling from his strings for years on end, the way he lived in the very back crevices of your brain, making you fear for your life at every turn. 

You finally made it to your feet, stumbling in pain from your harsh fall. Your eyes met Jake’s as he silently pleaded with you. His face had gone bloodshot, the life falling from his eyes as his movements began to slow, and his eyes began to close. Finally, his limbs steadied, his body falling still. 

No. 

Not fucking today, Andy. 

You grabbed at the chair that had fallen to the floor, your hands still tied tightly at the wrists. The back of the heavy wooden chair was sturdy, thankfully, and you took it in your grasp as best you could. In a fit of rage and adrenaline, you lifted it high behind you, and forcefully pulled it down onto Andy’s back and head with all of the strength you had left in your body. 

It knocked Andy sideways off of Jake as he screamed out in pained surprise. He turned to face you, but you were already ready, the chair lifted high above you again. You crashed the chair onto him again, pushing him from his knees to his stomach. This time, you made sure it would hurt. 

Jake coughed and gasped beside you, air filling his lungs again as he gripped his throat. Andy was knocked out. You dropped the chair and you fell to your knees next to Jake, trying your best to see if he was okay, with your hands still tied. 

“Baby, baby talk to me. Jake! Are you okay!?” You patted his body and face as he came back to. “Jacob, talk to me! I’m right here…” 

He looked at you with his eyes wide, quickly nodding as he sat up and took you in his arms. “I’m okay, I’m okay baby.” He stammered, his voice still shaky and his breathing labored. As the two of you regained composure and let your heart rates settle a bit, you both looked to Andy, passed out on the floor of your kitchen. 

Jake slowly stood up, walked over to him carefully, and grabbed the knife from the floor beside him, still bloody from cutting your thigh. He walked over to you then, grabbing your hands and pulling you to your feet. He took the blade between your wrists, cutting the zip tie and freeing your hands. 

“Thank you.” You whispered. “Let’s get out of here, he won’t stay unconscious for long. We’ve got to call the police.” 

The two of you walked outside to the porch, and were met with tons of flashing blue lights and sirens. Three cars had responded, all of the officers were jumping out to run to your door. 

“How did they know?” You asked Jake. 

“When I got here, I heard you screaming inside. I dialed 911, told them your address quickly, and left my phone in my pocket. They must’ve heard the whole thing.” He stammered out. You glanced to his neck, already turning purple from Andy’s hand. 

The officers approached you, asking a thousand questions in a blurry 15 seconds. You and Jake told them the gist of the story as best you could, and two officers went inside your home while the other stood with you. 

“An ambulance is on its way, both of you need to get checked out, ok? Don’t take this lightly, it seems you were both deprived of oxygen for enough time to make it count.” He said. You both nodded, agreeing that it probably wasn’t a bad idea. 

“I saw you earlier this morning, right? At the office with the burglary?” He asked Jake. 

“Yes sir, the guy inside is the one we identified as the one who stole everything.”

“Hmph. Well, I hate that these were the circumstances, but your office is pressing hard charges. We’ve got him, now. You won’t see him for a very long time.” He went on, and you felt immediate relief at his words. 

“Oh, and ma’am?” You looked at him, “Good job apprehending the intruder. You did half our job for us.” You nodded as you looked back to Jake, a tiny smile forming on his lips. 

“Sir?” Jake said, gesturing to Andy’s knife on the banister. 

The officer nodded. “I’ll get an evidence bag.” 

The two of you sat down on the porch steps, hand in hand and head to head as you listened to the ambulance sirens approaching. The sun was beating down on your faces, and suddenly everything that had happened to you in the past week was minuscule in contrast to what happened today. Though you still felt some sort of resentment toward Jake, and you still didn’t know how to process it or what was going to happen with you, it paled in comparison to what could have happened today. 

He took your hand in his, fingers intermingling as he brushed his thumb on your skin. 

“You saved my fuckin life, Y/N.” He whispered, kissing the side of your head, holding his lips there for as long as he could before pulling away. 

Your heart fluttered as you took a deep breath, pulling yourself closer into him, “No I didn’t, you were just gonna pass out.” You laughed. 

“No, I think you really did, baby.” He said quietly. 

For a while, neither of you said much, just basked in the comfort of being there, present and alive, with each other. But you couldn't help the nagging feeling at the back of your mind. Turning to face him, you let your eyes meet his.

“Jake, I think we need to talk…”

.

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Chapter 18

@gretavansara@jordie-gvf-admin@starshine-wagner @eyelinerjake@gretavanfvckface@gretavanmoon@misshunnybeebee@fretaganvleet@gvfpal@joshkiszkas@ascendingtostardust@raviolilegs@sammysprincess@gvfpal@objectsinspvce@lallisonl@gvfpal@raviolilegs@jaketlover@ascendingtostardust @indigostreakmorgan@jakemarrymeibeg@fakeplastiqtree@radmads-gvf @fwzco @katelynn-gvf @writingcold @jakesgrapejuice @jakekiszkasbabymama @emsfallingsky @gretavanbear @ejoygvf @beebloopbleep @mackalah @weneedsomehealing123 @reesetrippingthelight @lightmylove-gvf @wetkleenex-gvf@fulltimecynical@ageofbajabule@ageofsinners@indigostreakslut @profitofthedune @katelynn-gvf @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @joshskittytickler21 @mp0801@starcatcherry @samsbirks @darianh07 @cassiesgreta @becinabubblegvf @hanntisocial @demonrat444

[welcome-to-cell-hell]

Ready to slay (some parasites, of course)

Sid was due for some new art and a proper introduction, so here they are! Sid (S-3288) is pretty much the polar opposite of the eosinophil from the series- they’re pompous and don’t take their job too seriously or care what anyone thinks about it. They think they’re so lucky that they don’t get called in too often, blissfully unaware that the other eosinophils know Sid very well, and that no one really needs a heroic white blood cell to swoop in, and.. do motorcycle tricks. But this works in their favor, because all that free time gets poured into songwriting for their one-cell rock band, Obsidian Rib. They play on their patrols, both at venues and little street performances here and there, and want nothing more than to become a household name. They have a long way to go, and a LOT of competition in the industry, but they stay hopeful. Singing voice claim:

And their talking voice claim is Leo from ROTTMNT

They were also Joe’s childhood best friend, and ended up reuniting with her years later*, overjoyed to learn that she made it out of the Thymus when they had expected never to see her again. Now that they’re back together, they’ve picked up right where they left off: by being chaotic little gremlins who expel an aura of secondhand embarrassment wherever they roam! Sid needed a freaky mutual and Joe needed a break from The Horrors of lymphocytehood, so this has been great for both of them.

*time and cell lifespans are a big mess, so just assume each cell ages like a human for simplicity. Joe and Sid are both in their mid twenties.

Eosinophil Lore under the cut. I might’ve mentioned some of this stuff already in posts and asks here and there but idc. Yapping on the yapping account? Oh my

The most glaring thing about eosinophils is that spearhead on their tail. That’s a cytotoxic granule, and it IS growing there naturally. It might be a little annoying to carry around, which is why eosinophils tend to have stronger tails than other immune cells, but it’s evolved like that for a reason (it’s largely based on the canon eosinophil spears bc they’re cool but shhhhh we’re gonna pretend I know what I’m talking about). Before cells developed weapons, they needed something sharp and tough to fight against parasites, who have thick hides. The proteins have evolved to be dense and strong, which gives them their shiny, almost metallic look. Eosinophils don’t actually fight USING their tails, though- when the granule is done growing, they can pinch it off and use it as a melee weapon, which soon turned into putting them on the ends of long spears. A new granule grows about every two weeks, and by then, the one on the weapon has started to denature and gets replaced. Since granule spearheads are a natural product, no two eosinophils will have the exact same coloration or shape.

Another, lesser-known strength of theirs is eosinophil derived neurotoxin (EDN), which I couldn’t find much research that my feeble genbio major brain could comprehend but that sounds BADASS so I’m just rolling with it. This is a liquified protein that they can secrete from their retractable fangs. A full dose can kill, but only a little bit leaves the victim temporarily paralyzed. This is more for fighting cell-sized pathogens, because if you tried to bite a giant worm-dragon, you probably wouldn’t be able to puncture its hide, and you’d probably get your fangs ripped out to boot!

As for the parasites themselves, I don’t have much development on them and they’re pretty close to canon with a little more fish and mososaur vibes (I did have an idea for a hagfish-inspired tapeworm tho). No matter what, the worms have slitted pupils and big ol’ teeth that get turned into overpriced souvenirs at tourist traps. And they shriek, LOUD!!! Again, just like canon. But this time around, they’re not the only vocal ones. Eosinophils are infamous for THEIR shrieking, which evolved as a way to distract parasites and lure them away from damaged tissue. It sounds ghoulishly similar to the real thing, and it’s even worse when the eosinophil in question is a self-proclaimed menace to society. They’ll shriek when they’re happy, when they’re scared, when they’re mad, “cuz’ it’s funny,” hell, they’ll roll down their car windows and shriek instead of honking their horns! And don’t even get me started on little eosinophils terrorizing the Marrow with their newly-discovered superpower.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Rootin tootin idiots on a mission to make Shrek 2

Isekai reader

I love them. They're siblings (and feral), Your Honor.

Look at Rewind Reader (Mocha), looking confused/worried, and their pants with the checkered bottoms and their black nails still there and their poncho/cape/sleeves? in their signature colors! And their little hat! (Haha and they're the oldest of the bunch-!)

Isekai Reader looks ready to go!!! Finger gunning, tipping their bright hat and grinning, the frills on their shirt and pants' bottoms, the heeled boots! The little smiley on their hat! Their spiral eye! (They're the most zany of the bunch, ready to fight a cactus for the best spot to film!) (Don't fight a cactus, Isekai-) (Isekai, no!)

Bat Mutant Reader (Radar) looks so dapper! Like a bandit, or a thief! Their wings being their cape/poncho! I love it! The purple on their boots! Their gun! (Who gave them a gun? Gambit, was that you?! Get the gun from them-!)

They're all the weirdest little trio of cowfolk/thieves/bandits, even for mutants! They're the Readers Three, and they have come for thee! (Well, your food and your shiny stuff, but shhhhh!)

( @thewickedweiner So cute! So GOOD!!! How are you this good?! Just watch the X-Men and villains try to catch them, putting a bounty on their head! Ooooohhhh... imagine a chase scene to the song "Shut Eye"!)

[cookie-crumblr]

So i started Ezra because of this dream i had,

Ezra Drabble <3

MINORS DNI

CW: GN! Reader, yandere themes, sadism against reader, violence against reader,non con, non con exhibition, asphyxiation, burning, poisoning, names used against reader(trash,), hand job(kinda)y/n receiving, not proof read, praise, torture, puke,

(He’d be like this after we get together)

he’s chasing you, his gang close behind.

They let you have the lead after stripping you bare for the world to see.

You find a house where someone lets you in, the lady is nice.

She has so many lovely children, all playing harmoniously, or helping her cook. It smells delicious.

You have no time to enjoy it.

She throws a robe around you, before going back to her cooking.

Her kids, thankfully, are ignoring your presence.

Maybe something should have clicked that this was nothing new to them. But you have no time to think before the door practically flies off it’s hinges, revealing Ezra, leg still raised.

Not hesitating to run and hide you end up in the woman’s cold porcelain bathtub. You pull the shower curtain around you as if to shield you… But you’re breathing so hard it’s painfully obvious where you are. like bleeding in water and he’s the shark.

He bursts through that door too, and rips you out of the shower, wrapping you in the vinyl as he rips it off the rings.

Hands grip tightly around your plastic covered throat, there’s no air, and it suctions into your mouth when you try and gasp. You writhe and wriggle around but you can’t find the way for your hands to even reach your face.

The only sounds are a cacophony of your guttural screams and the horrible rubbing of the plastic. You think you hear his voice, but the meaning is lost.

You’re thrown to the floor once on the brink of blacking out. The grout between the tiles scrapes your skin.

As you gasp and force yourself up he plants a boot to your back and forces you back flat onto the floor, knocking the only wind from your lungs.

“Stupid trash, thinking you could escape me,” spit hits your back and you cringe.

He pulls you up by your arm, twisting your shoulder harshly, you feel something pop and squeal. “Please!!! No more!!!!” You try and break free, your feet slipping on the tiles. He practically purrs while watching you struggle against him powerlessly.

“You can take it.” His smile is venomous.

You’re brought to your knees as Ezra flicks his lighter on.

The flame is brought below your arm, you pull as hard as you can as you roar in agony.

“shhhh, shhhhhh, you can take it,” he coos sickly sweet for such a horrendous moment, but the praise mixed with the pain does something to you… You can’t help the flame burning itself against your arm, just the same as the one ignited in your belly.

“Fff-fuck!! Hurts!!!!” You writhe.

“It’s okay, shhhhh,” His hand drops the lighter as his other pulls you into his lap. Even with the flame removed, your arm is in excruciating pain. You twist in his grasp and it’s still not enough to free you. He pulls you so tightly against him, the only space between you is his clothing. “Shhhh”

His now free hand palms your center, and the mix of immediate pleasure and immense pain force an orgasm from you, a shuddering scream leaves you. as you shake and come down, tears and shuddery pained sobs fill the room.

He sits there, all the while with you tightly embraced in his lap, he pets your head and coos over and over little mantras of, “You did so good, I told you, you could take it, shhhhhh, shhhhh…” right into your ear.

The pain in your arm isn’t subsiding.

He reaches behind him, grabbing something that rustles like a brown paper bag…

“Wh-What are you getting?” You sniffle through groans.

“Somethin’ special, but you can take it… can’t you?”

You nod as his hand pats you on the head.

“Wait… What is—” You stop, eyes wide, and frozen before you start to scream and flail again. You try desperately to peel yourself away from him, but his hold around your wait is too strong. “PLEASE EZRA DONT!!!” You beg.

He takes a fist full of the white powder, you don’t know exactly what it is, but you know it’s hazardous.

“No No No NO NO NO NO!!!” you repeat head shaking from side to side, as his hand chases you.

His palm makes contact at last, and you gasp in a mouthful of the powder, instantly your mouth and throat is burning. There’s no way you’ll get it all out, you panic severely, hyperventilating, and shaking, as you try and spit and cough it out.

“Shhhhh, it’ll be okay, Y/N, shhhhhh,” He picks you up with him and takes you to the bathroom’s sink.

His fingers dig into your throat holding your mouth open and reaching your gag reflex. You throw up so much blood, and stomach acid. It hurts.

“Please…” is all you have left to say, blubbering little pleas as his fingers slide deeper, emptying you. The white porcelain is speckled and streaked in red.

“You’re doing so good,” He runs a hand down your back in a soothing motion.

He pulls you back into his body and embraces you, kissing you on your forehead before enrapturing your bloody, poison covered lips with his own.

[i-literally-cant-with-this]

Art Credit: @/simibraun

Midnight Mum's

Headlights ran through the room you were sitting in. It was dark, save for the soft glow of the fire dancing around.

You stood up from the couch and peeked through the large living room window to see if it was your boyfriend getting home.

He had some friends from high school visiting and they all went out to catch up on life and all of its infinite happenings.

You could hear him laughing and talking as he built up to his goodbye.

"Yeah, yeah, my girl's prolly asleep by now. I'll hafta be quiet." Reiner said, way too loud.

His friends said something that you couldn't quite catch. But the way he responded to it, you assumed it was dirty.

You chuckled as you watched him stumble up the walkway to the door.

He bent over to ... tie his boot? No, he's picking a flower from his own garden.

"Oh my -- Reiner. You idiot." You said to yourself as you hurriedly closed the flue on the fireplace and jogged down the hall to your bedroom. You have no idea why you did this, but you wanted to pretend you were asleep when he got home.

His keys jingled in the door and then you heard it open as he kicked off his boots.

"Oh-kay, shhh, shhhh, shhhhh, Reiner. Baby is asleep. Ya gotta be qu- quiet. Ok. Where's the damn bathroom at. Why'd she move it. Pffffttt she can't move a bathroom. Duh, dipshit." He always talks to himself when he drinks. It's one of the things about him you find so sweet. Stupid, but sweet.

You hear everything. Him talking to himself. He doesn't say anything incriminating - not that you'd ever assume he would do something awful. He just talks about what he's doing. How he brushes his teeth, flosses and rinses out with the mouthwash that "burns like a bitch."

It makes your heart swell with love for him, these rare occasions he lets loose. He's usually your watchful eye. Always choosing to be the designated driver so you can embark on a little journey of self-indulgence.

You always make it up to him when you get home, though. So he never really complains.

"Shit, forgot to lay out something to sleep in. Au naturel it is, then. Hmph. Serves me right. Drunken asshole -" He chuckles softly to himself as he thinks he's sneaking quietly down the hall to get into your shared room.

When you heard him say he forgot to lay out something to change into for bed, you quickly ripped your clothes off. It wasn't anything special that you were wearing. Just an old t-shirt with some band he used to listen to on the front. Your panties weren't even that sexy. Cute, sure. But not sexy.

The door softly creaked open and you heard his breathing immediately after he stepped inside.

What you didn't expect was him standing beside the bed for a couple of minutes. You assumed he was looking at you, your bottom half covered and your top half for the taking.

His breathing changed, it quickened. It got deeper and a little faster.

Oh, how you wanted to roll over like he'd woken you. But you clung to what little resolve you had. Knowing he was just inches away from you, naked. Drunk. The thought of his fingers grazing over your skin was starting to turn you on.

"Hmm ... bed. Oh, oh god, fuck I love this bed. You did so good pickin' it out baby. S'soft. But like, firm. Firrrrrmmm and s'soffffttt. S'perfect, baby. Jus' like you. Mm-hmm. Jus' ... *yawn* ... like ... *stretch* ... you.

He rolled to his left side to throw his right arm over your exposed waist but when he did he 'accidentally' tucked it up under your breast.

You stirred a little. Rubbing your bare ass against his half-hard cock. You knew it was all for a reason. But he thought you were just being sweet, trying to cuddle up closer to him in your sleep. The way your body misses him after a long day of being apart from each other.

"Ohh ffffuhh-hoo. I'm home, baby. You snuggin' in close on purpose? Or you just wanna be closer to me? I missed you t'night. Couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout ya."

He tucked his face into the back of your neck and inhaled so deeply it made you shiver against him.

"Hey, you 'wake? Did'ja hear me? I missed ya, all night long. Wan'ned to call but my boys put a drink in my face everytime I mentioned your name. That's why m's'drunk. Heyyy, where are your clothes?"

Reiner reached down to let his hand graze your ass.

"Oh f- baby, you're ... you're not wearin' any clothes." He ran his hand across the warm skin and nudged your shoulder with his nose. Kissing in between breaths.

You rolled onto your back and put your right arm above your head, praying he wouldn't tickle you. This didn't feel like it was headed toward a tickle sort of night, though.

He accommodated your shift in position and scooted back a ways.

Laying there, just staring at you like he'd stumbled upon some beauty down at the hidden part of the beach. Lounging in the sun with no cover whatsoever.

"God, you're testin' me tonight. And I'm gonna fuckin' fail. So hard. M'gonna fail. But that's all right, 'cause t'morrow is a brand new day. I'll be better t'morrow. K? God? Thank you for this meal which m'bout to receive."

He ran his rough hands over your breasts to perk your nipples. "Oh god ... you're so fuckin' soft, baby."

You wanted to jump on him. You could feel how hard he was at this point. It was driving you crazy playing this game. And with who? Who were you playing with? Yourself? By yourself. Hoping there was still a way you could win, you moaned a little in your fake sleep state and threw your right leg over his left one.

Luckily, you often sleep tangled or splayed out on one another. So this probably seemed perfectly normal to him, how you laid just then.

"Thaaat's right, such a good girl. Even ready f'me in your sleep. Goddamn ..."

He ran his middle finger up the middle of your cunt, spreading your lips open just enough that he could dip his finger inside you.

"How - wh - you're s'wet, baby. You have some fun while I was out t'night? Or you just reactin' to me bein' this close to ya? Mmm, I wish you'd wake up."

Sucking your juices off of his finger he positioned himself right between your legs. Throwing both of your knees up over his broad shoulders, he grabbed you gently around the thighs and pulled you down a little bit.

"M'gonna have a midnight snack now, ok, baby? I need somethin' on my stomach ... other'n beer n'whiskey. You've been warned."

When Reiner said 'you've been warned', that usually meant 1 of 2 things: He was going to eat you like he'd die if he stopped or he was going to be so gentle and take his time with you so much so that you wouldn't know what the fuck to do with yourself.

You kinda hoped it was the latter. You missed him ... a lot. And you loved it when he came home to you after being apart. Whether it was for 9 hours or a week. You two always reconnected immediately.

It was one of your favorite things about being with him; how he always wanted to bridge the gap. No matter how large or small.

He started off lower than he usually does. Kissing your ankles and massaging your feet a little bit. You relaxed about the tickling. If he was going to tickle you at all, he'd have done it when you tossed your arm up and left your pit wide open. You weren't worried about your feet at all.

You did shift again, though, not much. Just opening yourself up further for him. As if subconsciously, like one of those dreams that seems too real, you made room for him between your legs.

"You're gonna wish you were 'wake for this, baby. I swear ... I'm only sorry m's'drunk. But I'll remember. Y'know what, doll, maybe I'll just set up my phone over there to record this. Jus' so I can show you later how good I made you feel in your sleep. Ahh, no. Then I'll have to move. I don't wanna move."

Reiner situated himself between your thighs, sucking and licking on both of them before he exhaled heavily on your wetter-than-it should-be-while-you're-sleeping cunt.

His breath made you moan a little. The soft heat of it all washes over your most sensitive spot. He looked up at you as his tongue met with your spread lips, licking such soft swipes on your clit.

You were almost out of your mind at this juncture. Watching him eat you out was almost spiritual. His eyes never left yours as he dragged his tongue over your pussy. It was so hard to keep quiet and not whip your eyes open to see his beautiful face stuffed in between your thighs.

He memorized the faces you made with how he moved his mouth. Reiner knew exactly what the fuck he was doing to you.

You were losing this little stupid game you were trying to play. Did he know you're awake? Is he doing this on purpose?

Words were right on the tip of your tongue while you were right on the tip of his.

How content he was, holding you open, lapping at your clit.

You were doing ok until he slid 2 of his calloused fingers into you. He prodded you with his fingers, feeling around for just ... the ... right ...

"Hmm, Rei'."

… spot. 

Oopsie.

"Heyyyy baby girl. There ya are. So sweet, waking up for me. Hi." He cooed. "I didn't think you'd ever wake up. But I got'cha. I know how to get'cha up."

He pumped his fingers in and out of you slowly, watching your face. You knew he'd never let you live this down and he knew you were awake the whole time.

"You're so good, Reiner. So good. You get me every time." You giggled and reached your hand out to the back of his head to tangle your fingers in his hair, pushing his face back down to your pussy.

He moaned against you as he licked and sucked on your clit. You felt like you were getting close already, he could tell. You were breathing heavily, you had your right hand on his head and your left hand over your mouth.

"Mm-mm. No coverin' up. Lemme hear ya." Reiner took your hand and laid it on his back, he put his right hand on your lower stomach to rub your clit with his thumb while he worked his tongue in and out of your pussy.

"Ahh, god. Reiner, I'm gonna cum, please -" You couldn't hold back anymore. You just needed to feel him.

He pulled his fingers out and moved his mouth over your opening, sucking and licking and moaning like he was the one getting the orgasm of a lifetime.

He kept it up until you came all over his tongue.

"That's my girl. Cum for me, baby. I love it. I love it." He whispered softly as you rocked against his mouth.

You weren't even tired. You didn't know what time it was but you knew it was late.

Reiner crawled up to you and laid beside you.

You rolled onto your side to face him.

"Hi." You said quietly, your body still feeling the effects of him working his magic on you.

"Hi yourself." He smiled, licking his lips.

"You tired?" You asked, walking your fingers around the hair just above his pelvic bone.

"Mm-mm. Not yet." Reiner leaned in to kiss you. You could taste yourself on his lips. It drove you crazy (in the best way, of course) how much he loved to taste you. You didn’t really understand and every time you bring it up, he just shakes his head and says not to worry about it. He “fucking loves it and that’s all that matters.” 

You reached down to wrap your hand around his cock, slowly stroking it. He closed his eyes and groaned in your ear.

"Fuck, baby. I want you so bad." He opened his eyes to look at you as you scooted down to lay between his legs.

You wasted no time, taking his entire length in your mouth. He bucked his hips up and let out a soft "ahhhh, fuck."

You bobbed up and down, running your tongue across the bottom of his dick. He grabbed a handful of your hair and held it back for you, so he could watch you work.

"I'm gonna cum, baby. Do you - do you wanna swallow or -"

You looked up at him and shook your head no.

"Ok. Ok." He was trying not to lose his cool. He was trying so hard.

You stroked him as you pulled your mouth off of him, licking the tip and smiling up at him.

"I want it ..." Reiner let out a long sigh as you climbed up his body and sank yourself down on top of his hard cock. "... here. Can you cum for me in here, Rei'? Please? It feels so fucking good when you cum inside of me."

You gave him your best innocent look as you began to ride him.

Reiner held onto your waist, bucking up into you and kissing your breasts as you bounced up and down on his cock.

He moaned your name as he felt himself getting closer to his peak.

"Oh, shi-. Oh baby, fuck..." he grunted and groaned as he came inside of you, filling you up and gripping your waist so tight it was like he was afraid to let you go.

"Stay with me, baby. Stay with me, right here, please." He whispered as he came down.

You laid on top of him, your head on his chest. You could feel his heart beating fast, and it made you smile.

He rubbed your back as you listened to his breathing slow down.

"I have something for you." He said softly.

"You mean more than what you just gave me?" You asked.

It was quiet for a minute.

"Mm-hm, s'over on the nightstand. I wanted it to be the first thing you saw in the morning. Well, after me, I mean." He gently guided you back down onto your spot in the bed and he climbed over your legs to reach for it.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Reiner." you said as you squeezed his ass.

"Oh, no. I know. It's really nothin'. Was just comin' home and saw it and I remembered the day we planted them in the front. I jus' wan'ned to give ya this."

He handed you a chrysanthemum and watched your face light up. 

“Doesn’t smell or look as pretty as you always do, but I,” he scratched the back of his neck and looked up at you from under his brows, “well, I just wanted to give this to you.” 

 Your heart was exploding in your chest.

You sat up to kiss him and he wrapped his arms around you.

You felt so safe and secure in that moment. You never want your time with this man to end.

"I'm gonna put this in water and then ... Do you want to try and get some sleep?" You asked, rubbing his arm.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you, baby. You're so sweet." He smiled and laid back on the bed as you walked over to the bathroom to rinse out a small vase.

You smiled to yourself as you put the single flower in the water.

You sighed happily as you stared at the flower on the nightstand and felt his grip on you tighten. 

You were going to cherish that memory for the rest of your days. Together. Him and you. Just like this. Just as it should be.

[westrentails]

A Handyman's game.

***************************

It was a very slow and quiet day at the Repair shop. Manny and the tools were relaxing, but the tools were kinda bored."I am bored,we have not got any calls for a week now," said Turner."You said it Turner,"said Felipe. All of the tools complained about their boredom. Manny who was quiet and listening was thinking."what should we do today?"he thought. As he was thinking Fix-it the Robot dog came up to him."Hey Fix-it,"he said smiling. The Robo dog greeted him back with dog kisses which made him giggled."hehehehehe." Suddenly an idea came to his head."I know what we can do,we can play a game,"He thought with a smile.

He got up from his chair and he and Fix-it walked over where the tools are."Hey Tools,i think i have a way to cure your boredom,"said Manny to the tools."what is it Manny,i hope it's not something scary,"said Rusty feeling a little scared."No Rusty,as a matter of fact i got a fun game for us to play,"said Manny with a smile."ohhh,what kind of game Manny?"asked Squeeze."a game of hide and seek, but you are the seekers and have to find me,"said Manny."I see,"said squeeze smiling."Y que hacer nosotras hacer cuando nosotras encontrar tu?(and what do we do when we find you?"asked Flicker.

Manny smiled and said,"when you find me you will have to tickle me."

"Ooooh,"said the tools at the same time."But how will we do it?we don't have hands and fingers like you do,"said pat."we know pat,but we can still do it with feathers,"said Dusty."That's wma good idea Dusty,"said stretch smiling. All the tools nodded and Fix-it barked happily."so Manny,how do you play this game?"asked Felipe. Manny said answering him."well you will have to count to veinte(20) and try to find me." The Tools started counting as he tried to find a good place to hide. He went into his room and hid himself under the bed. After the tools were done counting they began to look for him. They look all over the first floor but manny was not anywhere in the first floor. They looked in the garage but still didn't find him."where is he?where is he hiding?"said squeeze."wherever he is he found himself a good hiding spot,"said Turner."let's check the second floor,"said stretch. When they got there they began to search again. It didn't take long when flicker spotted a pair of familiar brown boots sticking out of the bed."i encontro a el! I encontro a el! Es bago el cama!(i found him! I found him! He is under the bed!" Said Flicker quietly."good job flicker,"said Felipe Quietly and smiling."now everyone knows what to do?"

"Yeah,"they all said quietly at the same time. Manny who was under the bed was smiling and chuckling quietly."They won't find me here,"he thought. Just then he felt something tickling his ear."Hehehehehe!"It was Flicker who was tickling his ear with a feather."Cosquillas! Cosquillas! Cosquillas!(Tickle! Tickle! Tickle!" Said Flicker smiling. Manny crawled out from under the bed still giggling."hehehe!you hehe! Found me hehehe!" He said giggling." You must be very ticklish Manny," said Dusty."That i am Dusty, that i am,"said Manny."Ok were gonna count again,"said squeeze happily. They began to count again and manny went to find another hiding spot. This time he went to the garage and hid behind his motorcycle.

When the tools finished counting they began to search for Manny again. They check the first floor again but he was Nowhere anywhere in the first floor." He is good at hiding,"said pat."yeah,"said Rusty." Let's check the garage again," said Felipe. So they search in the garage again when pat, Rusty,and Felipe spotted Manny hiding behind his motorcycle."shhhhh,we will sneak up behind him,"said Felipe to pat and Rusty Quietly.

Manny chuckled and was thinking he found another good spot to hide." They won't find me this time,"he thought. But how wrong he was for while he was not paying attention pat,Rusty,and Felipe tackled him and started tickling his ribs,stomach,and underarms with their feathers. Manny burst out laughing as he felt the feathers tickled him."BWHAHAHAHA!HAHA!HAHAHA!HAHAHA!AHAHAHAHA!" They tickled him for two minutes until they stop to let caught his breath." Hehehe,y-you,hehehe,f-found me hehehe again,"said Manny still giggling."Yo amar esto juego!(i love this game!" Said Flicker smiling." Me too," said Turner happily. Manny smiled for he is happy that the tools are having fun playing this new game.

They began to count again and he went off to hide again. He went to the first floor and hid himself behind the sofa chair. After they counted to 20 the tools went to the first floor searching for him and this time they spotted his brown boots and saw that he is hiding behind the sofa chair." Fix-it will get his feet while we give him a tickle attack,said Felipe with a mischievous smile on his face." Right," said the others at the same time."bark!" Barked Fix-it happily.

Manny sat behind the sofa chair thinking to himself with a smile on his face."For sure they won't find me," he thought. But just then he felt his boots being tugged off,"HUH!?"he said. But burst into laughter again as he felt Fix-it's feather brushing against the soles of his feet and toes."AHAHAHAHA!HAHAHAHA!HAHAHAHA!HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Get him!"yelled Felipe."Cosquillas Ataque!(Tickle attack!"

"Cosquillas ataque!(Tickle attack!"shouted the others. The Tools tickled his ears,ribs,stomach,and underarms again while fix-it was still tickling his feet and toes. Manny laughed even harder."BWAHAHAHAHAHA!AHAHAHAHAHA!HAHAHAHA!AHAHAHAHA!HAHAHAHA!AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Meanwhile next door in the candy shop Mr.lopart had heard Manny's laughter."i wonder what's so funny,"he said wondering." I better see what going on next door." So Mr.lopart walked out of his candy shop and went next door. When he got there he look through the window and he saw a red face Manny being tickled by the tools and Fix-it. He smiled at the scene and said," so cute and very touching." He watch for a few minutes and then said,"I better get back, my candy won't sale themselves." He turned and walked back to his candy shop with a smile on his face.

The Tools and Fix-it tickled Manny for ten minutes until they decided to stop and let him breath. Manny was breathing and giggling at the same time."T-that hehehe,w-was fun,hehehe,"said Manny still breathing and giggling." That was great!"Said squeeze smiling." The best game ever," said stretch happily. In that moment Turner yawned and said,"all that tickling made me very tried."

"Me too,"said Felipe yawning." I think all of us are,"said Manny also yawning."i say we take a nap."everyone nodded and they all took a nap on the sofa chair. It had been a great and fun day.

THE END

*********************

I hope you guys enjoyed my new fanfic😄💖

Feel free to do fanart or a comic of my story see you them😁💖

[the-fiction-witch]

My Dear

Media Game Of Thrones

Character Lancel Lannister

Couple Lancel X Reader

Rating Flirty AF

Lancel sits on his chamber balcony overlooking the grey rainy day in Darry. The Lannisters had taken Darry over and Lancel had been placed as its lord. It was a small place with very little about it of note. Darry was all smallfolk most of which traders and such that made money only because of travelers on the King's road. His castle had been filled with Lannister red and gold, fine items from his room at the red keep and his home in Casterly Rock now strangely filled these old grey halls almost like a golden tablecloth on a rock you use as a table. As fine as the cloth may be… it’s still a rock underneath. 

He sighed deeply as he looked out over his lands, they were dull and grey like the clouds overhead. He was used to the bright colours bustle and important people of Casterly Rock and the Red Keep. What had he ever done to end up here in this dreary keep? He felt as if he had been forgotten by his family… Or being tormented by his family. 

the door to his chambers opens and closes as a young maid girl wanders in, she was a smallfolk girl hired from the Darry village to work in the castle for Lancel and the few staff here. She wondered in wearing small leather boots, an ankle-length cheap cotton grey dress, her hair In a bun, and she has sizable breasts and wide hips, her breasts even jiggle as she walks her nipples slightly poking out her dress making it obvious she wore nothing under it. She carries in her hand a large golden flagon filled with expensive dronish wine, she curtsied as she approaches "Your wine ser Lannister,"

Lancel smiles as the maid walks into his chambers and he takes note of her. She had quite a voluptuous body and a pretty face. Lancel had not even noticed how dull the castle was, he had been too busy gazing upon her.

"Oh, you certainly are a sight for sore eyes.” he smiled, “Bring yourself closer."

she nodded sheepishly as she came over standing close to him and she poured him a goblet full of time, she was so close he can smell her lavender scent. He bites his lip as he looks at her it has been so long since he perked up interested in anyone let alone a pretty girl, and as she finishes pouring the goblet he gives her a firm smack on the ass making her jump and slightly squeal for a second

Her squeal only makes him smile wider. "What is your name?"

"Y/n, my lord."

He smiled at her, "Y/n my dear, why don't you pour me another?"

she nodded and poured him another goblet so he took his opportunity as she stood slightly bent over and gave her another firm smack on the ass 

"Ohh! Uhhh my lord I -" she stammered,

He can't help but smile as his hand lingers on her ass feeling the soothing surface below though the rough cotton dress. He felt like a predator toying with its prey. Her voice was soft-spoken and gentle. If he had known such sweet maids dwelt in Darry, he would have visited earlier. "You are adorable my dear." he smirked, “Please pour another.” He says softly as he leans in close to Y/n.

"but - but you haven't drank either of the two I've already poured Ser Lannister..."

“Hummm… It isn’t the wine I want, my dear.” He smirked squeezing her ass, 

"Then what my lord? I could go to the kitchens being you some soup? Or perhaps a sweet pastry?"

“I only want you, you delicious creature. It is your warmth that I desire, it is your scent that I crave.”  

"oohh uhh I uhh..." She stuttered, "I uhhh am not... Edible my lord."

“But my dear, you are the sweetest treat in all the world. Come here, let me taste your soft lips.” His voice was almost a whisper as he forced her onto his lap her hands on his chest, she gasped for breath as her nose now touched his 

"My- my lord i-"

“Shhhhh... There is no need to be shy. You want this just as much as I do. You see Y/n... I only desire one thing from my maids... I have some desires that not even queens can quench.” he smirked, “Tell me what are your desires my dear?” 

"I... I could not ask anything of you ser Lannister. my desires are not worth mentioning,"

He raises an eyebrow at her words. “Oh? Why would such a beautiful maid have no desires? I find that outlandish.” He takes her chin softly forcing her eyes to his, “Tell me what it is you desire, my dear. Tell me what truly stirs inside your beautiful heart?”

“I have no desires my lord,” She nodded, “Only to serve,”

“Serve? What a good little maid you are.” he cooed, “But really your wildest dreams? I could grant them if you wished? Do you want to live a luxurious life with me in Casterly Rock? Do you want to live out your days as the Lady Consort of the West?”

her face turns red at the meer mention of such things "p-pardon my lord?"

He smiles at her, “You heard me, my dear. I would make you my Lady of Casterly Rock, and all the West would be at your command. You would have your own castle and an entire household of servants to order around. What do you say? That a desire? A dream I could fulfil?”

"l-lady of Casterly rock? A - a castle? Me?"

Lancel smiled as he brushed his fingers along her hair. “my sweet Y/n. A castle within the mighty Rock. You would be the Lady Consort of my lands and my wife. You would have it all; silk dresses and fineries beyond your imagination, jeweled necklaces and jewels, the best meat and drink in all the Seven Kingdoms. And you would have me, your protector and lover at your side for all your life.”

"...I... I've never seen Casterly rock my lord.”

"My sweet Maid. It is the grandest castle in all the Seven Kingdoms. Every window is made of the finest stained glass, the walls of the Rock are smooth and shine gold when the sunset hits them. The Great Hall could host a thousand knights at once and not be filled. I have seen men fall to their knees when they first lay their eyes on it. The wealth of Casterly Rock could buy you all the luxury you could ever imagine. Would you accept such an honour?"

"I... I have never seen it ser. I have never left Darry. I... I couldn't accept such an honour I... I am merely a maid. A peasant girl unworthy of such sights, such luxury, and .. not worthy of a protector let alone lover of a man of your standing"

Lancel laughed out loud, the notion that she would turn down such a chance was absurd. "My sweet girl, you are more than worthy. I want you to come with me, in fact I command you to do so. Pack all your belongings for tonight, we ride for Casterly Rock at sundown. You will be the Lady of Casterly Rock before the day is through. Do you understand me?"

"c-command me!"

"I command you to pack at once, my dear. We will be leaving this keep at sundown, for Casterly Rock my dearest."

"But what about Darry..." she asked, “what about work? What about- this is all so-”

"Leave it all behind. What use are these stone walls and dusty rooms when I can give you the splendour of Casterly Rock. I promise you this, the moment you set foot within my castle you will know I was right. You will have your room, servants beyond your dreams, the finest silk dresses, and the most luxurious bedchamber in all the world. It will be yours." He smirked, “I am bored of darry, bored sick. I want to leave and if I can have the excuse of taking you to see Castrerly Rock I shall take it. We will journey thee you and I anything you want I will supply for you,”

"I worry more for... Your absence. You are the lord of Darry if you return to Casterly rock to take your family home then... What will happen to Darry?"

"Leave such matters to me. I have other servants here who will ensure this place runs like clockwork. All you need worry about is your journey to Casterly Rock." His hand falls to her thigh as he cups it slightly. 

“But we barely know one another…”

“Plenty of time to learn more on the journey together, I can have a carriage set by tonight,” 

"tonight?"

“A carriage tonight, my dear,” 

"a- a carriage... I have never been in a carriage my lord"

"You are about to be overwhelmed by luxuries my dear, I can tell. Rest assured, you will have the best of everything. That means the finest silk dresses, the best wine, and the most comfortable carriage a lady has ever ridden. You will want for nothing my sweet Y/n. By the time our carriage passes underneath the gates of Casterly Rock, we will be… well acquainted and ready to marry and of course, once I am married my father will not want me as Lord of Darry he’ll want me in the family home of Castery Rock to raise our little heirs so he’ll trade with me no doubt."

"do... Do you truly ask this of me my lord? To be your bride? Your lover? Not just a simple maid or mistress to your bedside? To... To make me a lady?"

"I don't ask, my sweet  Y/n. I demand it. I command you to wed me. If I do not have you at my side, I fear my rage and anger will know no bounds. I could not bear to lose you to another, or worse, a life of loneliness and poverty. I have seen you, my star in the dark night and now I must have you I know it truly."

"then... I suppose I must serve my lord's commands" She blushed with a sweet smile

"You are such a beautiful creature, my dear. I will reward your obedience. By the time we reach Casterly Rock, you will forget all you knew of this dreary keep and I will make sure the only castle that ever holds a place in your heart will be mine alone." He smiled, “I will dress you in the most beautiful of silks and the finest of silver you will be my star. My sweet little star.” 

"yes my lord" she nodded moving to her feet blushing hard, "may I have your leave? To pack my few things?"

"Of course, my dear Y/n. Be swift about your packing. I expect you to be ready by sundown. Do not keep me waiting."

"it will not take so long." She nodded before she scampered away

He watched her leave the room. Her hips swished back and forth as she walked. She was not much more than a child really. Her lack of familiarity with luxury was quite endearing. There was no question in his mind, this was his star in the darkness, light and he was going to take her and have every moment before this second of time faded.

[graythefae]

Ramble post about this pic!!!: :D

Okay okay so like everything else I do, I made this up as I went along, but I put a slightly unhealthy amount of thought into everything. This is basically just the part where I infodump random details that I’m proud of

Kaeya has stars in his hair, Albedo has a crescent moon on his belt, and Klee has sun emblems on her dress and in her hair ☀️🌙✨ I am obsessed with sun, moon, and star dynamics and it shows (Albedo also has stars on his boots but that’s just cause I couldn’t think of anything else to put there so shhhhh)

Klee’s signature color is red, and Kaeya’s is blue, so Albedo is wearing purple. I cried when I had the idea

Kaeya’s wearing a black shirt and light pants. Inversely, Albedo’s wearing a white shirt and black pants. Klee’s mimicking both of them with a light shirt and pants. (This was completely on accident and I only thought of it after I had colored everything)

They’re matching a little by all having braids in their hair. They had a little braid train and helped each other do their hair

Albedo also had a ridiculous amount of alternative outfits because I just could not decide what he should be wearing

This was the first one I tried, but it looked kind of Fontainian to me and I just wasn’t feeling it

Somewhere along the way I drew him in an ao dai because his English VA is Vietnamese and I’ve been looking for excuses to draw ao dais since I used to wear them as a kid

And then here’s a few of the many, many variations of his final outfit:

I liked the idea of a cape, but I just couldn’t find one that felt exactly right, so I ended up leaving it out

For Kaeya, I scrolled through the desi Kaeya tag and looked at different arts of him (fellow Kaeya enthusiasts, if you haven’t done this yet then please go do it all these artists make him look so good) and searched up a few different fashions/traditional wear for inspiration. I tried to be respectful while also interpreting the outfit loosely but seriously someone please tell me if I did anything disrespectfully cause I really don’t want to do that

I do kind of feel like he’s lacking in details and color range, and I sort of wish I’d included some peacock feathers, but I was having trouble visualizing any intricate details for any of them. I think the most complex decals is either the stars in Kaeya’s hair or the sparkles on Klee’s skirt

Kaeya also went through a couple different hairstyles; I started with his normal hair, tried a bunch of random stuff, and eventually settled on my take on the braid from his Sailwind Shadow skin

Here’s a couple that I tried during the process:

Hmmm okay now that I’m looking at these pictures I’m thinking I need to draw him with a high ponytail again sometime. And also the bun. And the chunky braid too. Dang it Kaeya, stop being so beautiful (I’m joking please don’t)

And as for Klee, she really didn’t change much from beginning to end. I had pretty much finished both Albedo and Kaeya by the time I even started on her, so I was both in the zone and losing steam, so I kinda just went with my first attempts at everything. Pretty much the only change was I tried drawing her with braids instead of pigtails for all of thirty seconds before I decided that the pigtails were just too iconic and couldn’t be left out

Anyway, that’s my ramble on this drawing! Thanks for reading! <3

[skepticoyote]

Happy 17th Birthday, Admiral Boots!

Look at this gorgeous man. This king. This absolute treasure of a kitty.

You don't look a day over 9, Mister Man.

(his actual birthday is June 1st so I'm a couple of days late, shhhhh)

And here is a tiny baby Boots to compare, circa 2007.

One of my favourite thing about cats is how their eyes change as they get older. Kitten Boots had very light green eyes and now his irises are darker, even a little mottled. It doesn't seem to hurt his vision at all, so... neat.

Anyway, much love for this excellent lad.

Reblogs to spread his magnificence far and wide would be greatly appreciated. <3

[wolfsune09]

what gear do your OCs use? asking for... research purposes..... ✍️👀

I LOVE YOU

*down to send reference images for anything. Wanna see wolf with a bun hairstyle? Gotcha. Milo no glasses, got it

Strikethrough means old info

Keep in mind I came up with these guys in splatoon 2!

☆Wolfsune_9, nick: Wolf, Rank: Wolf Pack's team leader

Species: Inkling

Ink color: Aqua fade to dark blue

Eye color: Dark blue (R)/ aqua (L)

Hair: Splatoon 2 boy basic haircut Half braid(short, 3-4 braid bubbles(braid)) on right side, scrappy cut on right side. Crooked bangs, 2 little pieces stick out on top of the head.

Wears their hair in a bun casually, like if they're at home.

Skin tone: Pale af jfc

Headgear: gasmask, (if it isnt hidden or too busy in that area of the drawing->) GOLDEN TOOTHPICK(left ear)+eminence cuff(same ear), fake contacts, Studio headphones

Top: zekko hoodie

Bottoms: shorts

Shoes: Mint dakroniks, Arrow pull-ons

Weapons: Carbon Roller Deco, Kensa Octobrush, Flingza Roller, Splat roller, Slosher

Pronouns: they/them

Sexuality: Pan, demi

Height: 5'2

Bday: Feb 16

Extra: age 17, lvl 95, Rank S+9 in splat zones, S+3 tower control, S+0 in rainmaker and S+1 in clam blitz

Fav setup: splatzones, blackbelly skatepark, arowana mall, ancho-v games

Salmon Run: loves salmon run, profreshional 150, eggxecutive

Fav manga character: Mask

Most like: Mask, Aloha, Skull. Depends on the mood. Extroverted Introvert

Peircings: eminence cuff upper left ear, 3 lobes each ear. Bottom lobes are upside own hearts, left one is dark blue, other is cyan. Others are whichever (dark blue/cyan/black)

Others: Scars: left brow, under right eye, left chin. Often drawn with a 2D crown hovering above head. Center of crown has upsideown blue heart. Droopy eyes. Left ear has a big cut

Personality: chill, cool, an artist. Can get excited over things they're a fan of ex. Mask lol

☆Leo

-inkling

-Dark blue, aqua (only when teamed with squad)

-grey eyes

-side cut

-tan

-pilot goggles/fake contacts (If i don't feel like drawing the goggles haha)

-black / grey hoodie

-shorts

-black dakroniks, black seahorses, black & blue squidkid IV, black trainers

-Dapple dualies nouveau

-Male, he

-poly? Boys, gals, non-binairy and gender fluid

-5'5

-Feb 29

-age 16, lvl 63, rank S+ in tower control, S in splatzones and rainmaker, A in clam blitz

-tower control, ancho-v games

-likes salmon run, overachiever

-aloha, gloves

-gloves

-confident, flirty, rarely loses but salty, gamer

-thick gold cuff on left lobe, often wears of rings

-big round sharp eyes

☆Milo nick: big bro Milo!!

-Inkling

-spiky hair

-green, aqua

-green,

-is pale but actually gets out in the sun unlike SOMEONE wolf

-freckles!!!!!!!!

-tinted shades, fake contacts. Hes got bad vision

-Olive Zekko hoodie

-baggy shorts

-arrow pull ons, purple-hi-horses

-ballpoint splatling- heavy splatling

-male/he

-Ace. Would rather focus on so called family first(the team)

-6'2

-To be decided

-age 18, lvl 82, rank S+ in splatzones and tower control, S in rainmaker and A+ in clam blitz

-splatzones, the reef

-thinks salmon run is cool, profreshional 100

-aviator, rider

-aviator, prince, goggles

-laid back, will mot be quiet, strong, don't mess with him, the big bro of the team

-Big round soft eyes

☆Natasha , nick: 'Tasha (more common)

-inkling

-cut basic girl hair

-purple, aqua

-Purple eyes

-Dark skin

-annaki facemask, paisley bandana(splat 1)

-takoroka nylon vintage

-leggins

-neo octoling boots

-E-liter 4k, kensa splat charger

-female, she

-lesbian, ace

-5'11

-November 24th

-age 17, lvl 87, Rank S+ in splatzones, S in tower control and rainmaker and A+ in clam blitz

-splatzones, moray towers

-likes salmon run profreshional 80

-skull, n-pacer

-skull

-chill, badass

-3 peircings each lobe - purple, cyan, purple for both ears, spider bites

-thin, sharp eyes

-two vertical scars on left side of lips shhhhh. We don't talk about that, she doesn't like it.

Name: ANDREA!! My crazy girl

-Salmonling/Inkling

-Orange (bit of red)

-orange/red, yellow scalera eyes

-long side cut

-tan-dark

-grizzco hat (worker's cap)

-office attire?? Messy tie

-ripped leggins

-angry rain boots????

-loves the grizzco blaster but if she ever did play turf, E-liter 4K

-She/they/it

-6'3

-October 28

-age 21, lvl 73 (only from grizzco) ranks n/a

-hazard level max is fun, salmonoid smoke yard

-Omega

-X-blood

-harsh on teammates, does her best to not scare off new recruits tho. Not afraid to swear like a sailor.

-thin sharp eyes

Twin Devils:

□Travis: nick: Trav

-octoling

-blue, purple w/Marx

-blue

-unique octo, hair goes forward

-tan-dark

-headgear

-top

-pants

-shoes

-Octobrush

-male he/him

-ace, doesn't care about any relationships

-5'7

-May 25

-17, 86, S+

-Tower control

-profreshional

-Souya kawata, Vintage sorta

-doesn't care

-Stoic, scary

-spider bites (rings?) Right side, hourglass earrings

■Marx

-octoling

-blue, purple w/Trav

-blue

-unique octo, hair goes backwards

-tan-dark

-headgear

-top

-pants

-shoes

-Nautilus 47

-male he/him

-ace, doesn't care about any relationships

-5'7

-May 25

-17, 86, S+

-Tower control

-profreshional

-Nahoya kawata, double egg sorta

-doesn't care

-spider bites (rings) left side, hourglass earrings

-Scary. He may seem approachable and he sure as hell will pretend to be for fans, but don't even bother on the battlefield.

-They always support eachother in battle, they don't even have to communicate, but Marx likes to talk just to fuck up the opponents

-Just about unstoppable when paired up, but they hate their teammates and often refuse to acknowledge them. It has happened that they've bullied their teammates out of a team so that they can play at their best

-Don't do turf, just ranked

-Private battles are often being challenged, and they only do 2v4s. They haven't lost once.

☆Gabriel, nick: gab, gabby rank: aqua tm 3.5

-Octoling

-curly hairstyle

-pink, aqua

-pink eyes

-tan-dark

-fishfry biscuit bandana

-black tee

-leggins calves

-blue slip-ons

-octoshot replica

-Male, he

-straight, ally

-5'0

-To be decided

-age 16, lvl 21, B+ in splatzones and rainmaker, B in tower control and C+ in clam blitz

-Rainmaker,

-dosen't do salmon run, apprentice

-prince, goggles

-prince, goggles

-super shy, cute, nervous

-scars cover arms from octo army

I haven't come up with lots for him yet

[mymanymerrymuses]

FINALLY! I FINALLY HATCHED A SHINY ZIGZAGOON!

It took me 1026 eggs and many, many hours, but I did it. I got a female, I have named her Iggs, so now Piers gets to have her too.

She is not on his official team, but she is his baby. He's got about five zigs at any one time anyway (because he loves them so much and they know he's one of them so they love him too) so Iggs just lives with him and gets to run around his flat and chew on his boots like the other zigs do. If he spoils her just a little more than the others, shhhhh no he doesn't.

Also have a bunch of pictures because I'm so happy and I love her XD