#the way miles leans forwards in the second one to get alex’s attention and make him laugh 😭

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

♥️

[13uswntimagines]

Better To Be Friends Than Competition (Lindsey x Reader)

Author’s Note: This Technically wasn’t requested, but @literaryhedgehog and i had a blast writing this. It’s the Harry Potter AU. Basically, reader is a muggleborn who really wants to be a chaser, but maybe there’s a better position for her on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. This is the beginning of what will be a multi-part series following the building romance between two amazing characters and how our golden octet help them out along the way. 

@sleep-deprived-athlete​

���Alright, you’ve all been told the rules and had the chance to warm up. So let’s start by dividing into groups. Anyone who wants to be a seeker follow Mia there to the far side of the field. Beaters to the left with Foudy. Keepers to the goalposts with Hope. And chasers with me up top,” Brandi said with a wave of her hand, kicking off of the ground and heading towards where her group was going to meet. 

You snuck a glance to either side of you as you also kick off and head to your position, trying to guess who out of the eight students around you is going to be your biggest competition. Surely you thought more people would have wanted a chance at a spot on one of the best teams at Hogwarts. Tryouts had been packed for the last two years. 

You wondered which drill Brandi was going to start with as you approached the group (said woman was idily tossing a quaffle lightly in her hands as she talked to another one of your competition). For the last 2 years it was always a set of passing drills, where would-be chasers played a very complicated game of catch up and down the pitch. 

Maybe those tryouts were supposed to be private, but how else could you prepare for them if you didn’t know what to expect? 

Quidditch was honestly a really weird sport. Well, American football made less sense, but you hadn’t exactly studied the rules as extensively as you had Quidditch. Like, the game literally would not end until someone caught the snitch. According to Quidditch through the Ages a game had literally lasted for months. You remembered watching a tennis game that lasted for four days before, but generally the muggle sports you grew up with were more consistent in how long each game took.  

“Oh yeah”, you thought, watching the beaters line up across the pitch, “and there is also a ball charmed to try and knock people off their broom. That’s not normal.” Though it was something your dad found hilarious. 

Sports were always something the two of you could talk about, even before you found out you had magic. He loved the fact that you loved football as much as he did, and was thrilled by the fact that you had enough talent to play it in your primary school. 

Though with your hand eye coordination you had done better with cricket, and baseball the few times you had a chance to play it in gym. So when you had joined the wizarding world you naturally had gotten into quidditch. Learned everything you could about the game so you could give him detailed play by plays about the games when you sent owls home. 

At this point you were dying to play. You were too short to be a beater or a keeper, but you knew you could be a chaser. You could catch like nobody’s business, and you had at least half of the tactics in The Beginner's Quidditch Playbook memorized. You were going to be the best damn chaser Hogwarts had ever seen. 

“Hey space captain, you ready for this?” 

“What?” You froze, heat flooding your cheeks at being caught not paying attention. You slowly turned to face the new presence. 

You knew the girl. Well. You knew of the girl (it was impossible not to know about the very pretty blond girl). She was in your house and year (and therefore in your dorm as well as all your classes) but the two of you had never really interacted before. She seemed to already know everyone and everything when she got to Hogwarts, so it didn’t really seem like she was looking for friends, and it was hard enough trying to figure out your new life without having people look at you strangely when you didn’t know a word they used. Not that Lindsey, you thought that’s her name anyway, had done that, but other purebloods did. It was easier figuring things out on your own to start, and by the time you did, you and Lindsey had already established yourselves in different friend groups. Was her name Lindsey? A Slytherin in your year was always calling her strange nicknames, so it was hard to tell. 

“The drill. Are you ready for the drill space captain?” The girl asked again. 

“Yeah, but I’m not a captain. I’m a second year, like you,” You said softly, your eyebrows furrowing. Maybe that was a wizard saying, but you had no idea what she was talking about. Your heart also dropped just a touch because if she thought you were a captain then she had absolutely no idea who you were. 

She shook her head with a giggle (showing off her dimples). “My dad says that’s what muggles call a person with their head in the clouds,” 

You cocked your head to the side, your brain running a million miles an hour to try and figure out what she meant. But then it clicked. “Oh you mean space cadet,” 

“I guess,” She shrugged, seemingly unbothered about the correct verbiage. 

The whistle blowing brought both of your attention back towards Brandi and the first set of would-be chasers beginning the crossing drill. You coughed to hide a scoff when Lynn Williams raced at breakneck speed up the pitch, and released the quaffle at least 30 feet off where the chasing captain had instructed. 

You shook your head at the play. It was too sloppy, too open and it would never connect well with JJ and Alex up top. 

“Not impressed by what you see?” Lindsey asked, her eyebrow quirking up (trying very hard to pretend she wasn’t interested in your answer. You were her competition after all). 

“Not after Alex basically destroyed the same course last year. She’s got an 85% accuracy rating on goal and nearly 60% of her shots come off of left crosses. Williams isn’t getting high enough on the pitch to provide an adequate pass,”  You mumbled out quickly, wincing when Lynn made the same mistake on the way back, nearly sending her partner (a girl in the year below you named Mal) into the stands to catch it (though you were slightly impressed that Mal managed to grab it before it landed in the seats). 

“Yeah, I see what you mean. Her throws tend to either go too short or too long. Even if it doesn’t go directly to her partner it at least needs to be consistent so during a game the person she’s throwing it to knows where to intercept it before the other team does,” Lindsey said, taking a hand off her broom to shield her eyes.

“She’s fast but it won’t help if she forces the other chaser off her line to provide service to Alex in front of the posts,” You huffed. Having her on that side would be a positioning nightmare. It left the team open and vulnerable to so many different attacking options. 

“I am not entirely sure what that means,” Lindsey said, smirking as she looked sideways at you, “but it sounds like you don’t think she’s competition, which is good news for us!’

You opened your mouth to respond, only to be cut off by Brandi’s whistle. “Alright next pair up,” 

You gulped and tightened your fingers on your broom “Guess it’s showtime,” You muttered, surging forward to the starting line. 

“Good luck space captain, you’re gonna need it,” Lindsey called back towards you with a wink, taking the ball from Brandi. 

You shook your head. You wouldn’t need luck. A fucking golden retriever could beat out the performance you had just whitnessed. As long as you didn’t fall off your brooms, you both would be fine. 

***

You raced towards the hoops, reaching your arm out to pluck the perfectly timed ball out of its arc towards the ground. Okay, Lindsey was good. Really good. She HAD to have known how bad Lynn’s throws were, because hers were positively perfect. Your throws were good, but Lindsey had this way of arching the ball up through the air if a perfect loop so it practically fell into your hands. There was no way she didn’t practice over the summer. 

You neared the posts, starting to make your u-turn to pass the ball back when a flash of gold caught your eyes. Before you really thought it through, the hand anchoring you to your broom had already lifted to snatch it out of the air on instinct. You had played cricket for most of your life- it was instinct to reach out and grab a ball that looked like it was about to fly into your face. 

The next few seconds happened almost in slow motion. As your fingers closed around the cool metal, you realized just how far to your side you had to lean to reach the object, and how far off balance it had put you. Your legs crossed tightly as you flipped completely upside down on your broom, entirely unwilling to let go of the object you had just caught or the large quaffle still tucked tightly under your arm. Before you really knew what was happening, you were staring straight at the ground, your legs the only thing keeping you in the air. 

“Holy shit, holy shit. Um, hey Lindsey?” You called, eyes on the ground below you. 

“What?” You heard her call. You idly wondered why one of the captains hadn’t put a stop to this yet and put you out of your misery. 

“Catch?” You threw the quaffle, well tossed it really, up into the air towards where you thought the other girl was. You knew it was going to be short, but also knew that she was going to catch it anyway. She really was that good. With your now free hand you reached up and grabbed the handle of your broom so you could pull yourself to it and rotate back to an upright position. 

Only then did you look down at the tiny ball fluttering in your hand. The tiny, almost leathery, wings flapped like it was waving hello. You stared at it in awe, your lips ticking up. You had just caught the golden snitch. You never thought you would get to touch the snitch, much less catch it. 

“Hey you” a voice called from the pitch behind you. You turned to look as Mia flew from where the seeker candidates were staring hopelessly at the sky around them to land on the pitch. “Get down here. Yeah, you on the drills.” She motioned down to the pitch, indicating where you should land, then turned her head to call over her shoulder, “Brandi I’m taking number 2.” 

You quickly flew towards where she had pointed, shakily dismounting from your broom. You weren’t sure if it was fear, adrenaline or nerves, but your legs felt like jelly. You clutched the little ball in your hand so tightly that you were sure there was going to be an imprint in your palm later. 

“What in Merlin’s name are you doing in the chaser section?” Mia said, tucking her broom under her arm and throwing her hand up towards the group of would be chasers throwing a ball around at varying distances. (You tried not to wince when Lynn nearly pegged Mal in the face again). 

“Um, trying to be a chaser? I was always a good forward so I thought it might fit?” You mumbled with a shrug, scratching the back of your neck with your free hand. a light shade of pink covered your cheeks. It was a little embarrassing how clueless you were with the magical world sometimes, and how even after being here for two full years, you still felt completely out of your depth. 

“That’d be like using a cauldron as a teacup because they’re both the same shape. It’d work but what a waste!” 

“I…- I have no idea what that means. I know I caught the wrong thing, and I’m sorry. I’ll leave now if that’s what you want,” You stuttered out, suddenly finding the way your shoe poked the pitch underneath you interesting. 

“No, kid you misunderstand me. Look, you, what’s your name again?” Mia stepped closer, tilting her head as she looked at you. 

“Y/n. Y/n Y/l/n,” 

“Right, Y/n, you could play chaser. You’d even be a decent one with a bit of work. But that’d be a damn waste of talent. You’re a natural seeker. I’m not upset with you for catching the wrong ball, I’m upset you weren’t over in my section trying to catch the snitch in the first place. Look at that lot over there, they still think it’s somewhere over the stands.” Mia stepped next to you and turned, gestured to the group of seeker hopefuls flying in circles near the Ravenclaw seats. 

“Oh,” You breathed out, following her hand to look at the large group. They were squinting towards the stands and swooping low at whatever they thought they had spotted, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the snitch had been caught on the other side of the pitch and that Mia wasn’t even paying attention to them anymore. 

“I’ve had a lot of practice spotting this ball,” Mia said, tapping the snitch trapped in your hand. “I was able to see it within about a minute of it being released, and have been watching it since. None of them saw it when it was on their side of the field, but you saw it instantly- even when you were focused on something else. That is a talent Y/n. Why didn’t you try out for seeker in the first place?”

“I didn’t know how to practice for it, and that-. It wasn’t like any of the other positions I have ever played,” You muttered, trying to cover your insecurity with a nonchalant shrug. It seemed like the position that required the most innate ability, and as a muggleborn you didn’t think you had any. 

Mia nodded slowly looking at you. “Right,” she said, turning and mounting her broom, “I wanna run you through some drills. Come on.”

You blinked at the woman as she hovered in front of you. Your eyes darting between Mia and the object still clutched tightly in your hand. Where were you supposed to put it? Were you supposed to let it go? 

You brought your palm up so it was level with your eyes and opened your hand, half expecting the snitch to fly away. It didn’t. It’s wings slowly unfurled and it waved docilely at you. Like an old friend. 

“What’re you waiting for?” Mia called down at you.

“It won’t fly away!” You called back, looking up at the woman, who rolled her eyes indulgently. 

“Of course not, it’s yours. You caught it, and you can watch it like some love-struck puppy later- stash it in your pocket and come on!”

***

You were having a fucking blast, even though you had no idea what you were in for when you joined the seeker group. Every year when you watched tryouts, you never payed attention to what they had to do, as you never thought you would have to do it. Even without the advantage, you were killing it. 

You had been separated into pairs, just like the chasers were, but Mia had enchanted clear balls (the size of tennis balls) to randomly fly through the air. The balls were given a 5 second head start before you and your partner were allowed to race to catch it. Now this was familiar, the jostling of arms while racing after a ball and trying to prevent someone else from getting to it before you. Only once out of five rounds did your opponent get to the ball before you, but really, that elbow to your ribs was a red card if you’d ever seen one. 

Then everyone took turns hovering in the air as Mia took ten of the enchanted balls and flicked them up haphazardly one by one every five seconds. The goal was to catch as many of them as you could before they hit the ground, even as they were sent up in different directions and some much higher in the air than others. You didn’t get all of them, but the seven you saved still seemed to impress the other seeker candidates who didn’t scowl. The second highest number saved was six, but that girl still congratulated you as you got off your broom, since “those last few of them went way further out than they did for me- and you were an inch away from that eighth one!” 

You nodded, smiling at her, though you were probably more embarrassed than she realized about that eighth one. That one had been sent towards the far side of the field, where you looked up to meet Lindsey’s eyes. You had been placed perfectly to catch the ball as it started falling from it’s apex, but in the moment your hand faltered, and it brushed by your hand instead. You cursed and considered going after it, but then you flew back to where Mia had already released one of the last two on the other side of the field. 

“Alright, for our last drill, we’re going to try to catch a real snitch again,” Mia said, pulling another golden ball out from inside her robes and holding it between her thumb and pointer finger. Its wings sprung out and flapped wildly, unlike the slow waving of the one in your pocket. 

Everything in you wanted to catch the little golden ball. To tame it like you had the other one. For it to sit calmly in your hand and wave hello like an old friend. 

“Isn’t the other one still out there?” The same girl asked, her head tilting to the side. 

“It’s been taken care of,” Mia smirked and shook her head, sending a little glance in your direction. The girl stared at her wide eyed, opening and closing her mouth as though she wanted to say more, but Mia again cut her off with a stern glare. ”As I was saying, the first of you to catch it gets to keep it and also gets a boost to the points on their scorecard. Now line up,” 

You all flew low on the pitch, forming a circle with Mia and the snitch at its center. Your eyes never left the frantically flapping little ball as you waited for her whistle to blow. There was no way it was going to escape you and if you got to show off for the would be chasers watching you near the posts, that was fine with you too. 

***

“Congratulations Y/n! There’s no way you won’t get picked to be seeker,” the girl said, after Mia released you, promising that the results of the tryouts would be posted next week. 

“Oh, um thanks-...” You said trailing off towards the end, awkwardly rubbing the back of your neck. You didn’t know her name. 

“Oh, sorry. You missed introductions at the beginning. I’m Savannah, from two years above you.” Savannah grinned at you, a bit ruefully. “You know, I thought this was going to be my year to nail the seeker position. But with you on the team, there’s no WAY we’re gonna lose to Slytherin. And Lloyd can stop looking so smug about the cup win last year.”

“The only reason they were better is because they had Amy and Sydney scoring.  They won despite her and her stupid tactics. If Slytherin actually got a decent seeker then we’d be in trouble,” Lindsey said, throwing her arm over your shoulder and stepping to walk between you and Savannah. 

“Carli’s decent, just distracted I think. She had NEWTS along with scouters and stuff,” you muttered, a bit defensively. You know you weren’t supposed to like the Slytherins- house competition and all that- but Carli’s strategy was pretty impressive. The recruiters certainly seemed to think so, you heard rumors that the recruiters from the Wasps and Arrows had a bidding war before the Harpies showed interest. 

“Pshh it was just the Harpies recruiter. Even if they have Potter, she’d still probably tank their win streak. At least that’d help my team,” Lindsey snorted, shaking her head. 

Your eyebrows furrowed. The Harpies were the second oldest team in the league, and since they recruited Ginny they had been on a tear taking down the Cannons and the Magpies in the final games of the European cup three years running. You thought Carli’s strategy would fit nicely in their ranks. 

“I’m pretty sure there were Wasps recruiters and Magpies guys here too,” Savannah said to Lindsey. You noticed her eyes glanced towards Lindsey’s arm around your shoulder as she smiled widely. Lindsey dramatically rolled her eyes. 

“Which team is yours?” You asked softly, leaning your head on Lindsey's shoulder as you trudged towards the locker room, ignoring Savannah. 

“The cannons of course,” Lindsey said confidently. Savannah seemed to be hiding a smirk, and waved goodbye at you as she headed into the locker room. 

“They’re pretty alright, but Ronaldo is a little too cocky for me. Sinclare and Potter together are a lethal combo for the Harpies and with Angerer in goal they’re like unstoppable,” You hummed thoughtfully. You also liked that the Harpies were an all female team. 

“Ugh, you sound like Emily,” Lindsey said, rolling her eyes. “She and Sam are giant Magpies supporters.” 

“I mean the Magpies have a 75% score rate while the Cannons are only at a 60. And Messi catches the snitch within the first hour 80% of the time, while Ronaldo’s catches take about 85 minutes on average,” you rattled off. So maybe you were a little too into statistics. At least your dad never had to worry about your math skills. 

“No way, they’re super into team stats too! Maybe you can help me convince Emily and Sam that the Cannons are the best team!”

“But Emily and Sam, whoever they are, are right. The stats don’t lie,” You said with furrowed eyebrows. 

“Oh, Emily is my friend in Slytherin and Sam‘s in Hufflepuff. I’ll introduce you later.” Lindsey said waving a hand in the air. “Anyway, the Magpies may have Messi, but the Cannons have heart! And isn’t that what really matters to make a good team great?”

You paused, pulling Lindsey to a stop beside you. “I know they don’t teach math here, but Statistics beat heart any day.” 

Lindsey laughed and shoved you playfully to the side. “You haven’t even met them and already you’re ganging up on me.” 

“I’m just stating facts. The hat almost put me in Ravenclaw cause I just love random factoids so much,” you smirked, tucking yourself back under her outstretched arm (it was just so warm and it made you feel… safe). 

“Well, I’m glad you’re in Gryffindor. It's way better to have you as a teammate than competition Space captain. Now let’s go- if we hurry we can probably get to the library to work on that potions essay before curfew.” 

[phantom-curve]

happy second birthday!! for the prompt list, how about number 8 and willex? au can be totally up to you!

Thank you! This one got away from me a bit, but I thoroughly enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it!! Set in the gimme a chance AU, from before that fic starts, I give you flustered, protective Alex, hot for his boyfriend Willie, and some extra brown-haired himbos thrown in for fun.

#8: shielding the other one with their body (Rated T for language)

When Willie received the text from Alex inviting him to come watch his band practice, he thought it would be a nice, lowkey way of meeting the other boys that made up Alex’s family. They’d been dating for a few months now, ever since he had accidentally run Alex over while skateboarding down Hollywood Boulevard (not his finest moment, but hey, he got the guy in the end, right?), and he had heard plenty of stories about Luke and Reggie and the various shenanigans that they got up to on a near constant basis. Alex always tried to sound annoyed when he talked about his best friends and their ridiculous antics, but there was an undercurrent of true affection that underscored all his stories and told Willie how much he truly cared for them. He had been itching to meet them for a while now, but if there was one thing he had learned early on about Alex, it was that the drummer needed things to happen on his own timeline and not a moment sooner. Willie didn’t fully understand the need for a strict schedule and complete understanding of every situation, but if it made Alex happy, it made him happy. He was more than willing to go with whatever flow Alex directed.

What he was not expecting was to walk into a veritable war zone upon entering the studio the band rented out for practice.

Instruments were scattered about the space as if they had been dropped exactly where each boy had originally been standing, no regard for the guitar stands spaced out along the wall. One of the hi-hats on Alex’s drum set was overturned, the small stool he sat on to play shoved far away from the set, like Alex had stood in a hurry and not bothered to roll it back into place. There was a suspicious puddle near an open doorway at the back of the space. Not a single one of the Sunset Curve boys was inside. Willie entered cautiously, resetting Alex’s stool and righting the hi-hat. Loud yells sounded from outside, and slowly Willie made his way to the open door.

There was a small fenced in yard behind the studio, a few bicycles stacked and locked together along the outside wall. And, spread out across the yard, three 18-year-old boys with water guns pointed at each other, their hair and clothes absolutely soaked. The two brunettes were laughing, happy smiles stretched across their faces as they sprayed Willie’s boyfriend in a joint attack.

“You guys are such fucking children!” Alex was screeching, hands over his head in a pitiful attempt at shielding himself. “I told you Willie was coming by today; can’t you be normal for once?!”

“Awh, c’mon Lex!” The guy in a cut-off muscle tee lowered his water gun, grinning as he moved forward to shake his head like a dog, flinging water droplets in a wide arc. “It’s way too fuckin hot to play today. Live a little!”

Alex looked up as the other boy in a black tank top also lowered his weapon. Glaring, he whipped off his soggy light pink hoodie and threw it in the direction of the other two, smacking the first one right across the face with a loud, wet slap.

Willie’s mouth went dry. Alex was wearing a pale blue t-shirt, and the water from their fight had clearly soaked all the way through his hoodie. The light material clung to his chest and arms like it was painted on, the sight more beautiful than anything Willie had ever seen before. With his blonde hair flopping over his face, muscles glistening in the afternoon sun, Alex looked like an angel that had just emerged from the sea. Willie let himself appreciate the sight for a long moment before clearing his throat.

“Don’t stop on my account, Hotdog. Looks like you needed to cool off a bit.”

He grinned, loving the flustered way Alex suddenly stood fully at attention, running his hands through his wet hair and blessing Willie with a small peek at his toned stomach as his shirt rode up just a bit.

“Willie! Hi!”

The other two boys let out a chorus of oooooh Willie! in the background, but Willie couldn’t find it in him to focus on anything other than the sight of his boyfriend approaching, lips stretched into a cute little nervous smile. If he had known Alex would look this good all wet and ruffled, he would have dragged his butt to the beach long before now.

“I swear, I told them to be on their best behavior today, but it’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes.”

“Trust me, I do not mind.”

Willie let his gaze move slowly from the top of Alex’s head down and back up again, laughing softly as he watched Alex’s cheeks turn pink. Alex opened his mouth to say something, but then, almost as if he had a second sense for mischief, he was flinging himself in front of Willie, nearly slamming them both to the ground as he whipped his head around.

“No! Willie is off limits!!”

The warning was useless, cold water splashing along Alex’s back and splattering across Willie’s face and arms. The other two boys let out a howl of laughter, approaching fast and furious and unleashing a deluge of water that Alex’s body did absolutely nothing to shield Willie from. Alex sputtered and coughed against the water hitting his face until Willie finally reached up to tuck his boyfriend’s head into his neck, hiding his own face in the top of Alex’s wet hair. He shook with laughter, unable to be mad even as Alex growled into his neck, muttering curses against the other boys all the while. After another minute or two of unrelenting downpour, the water slowed to a trickle. Alex seemed to know what that meant before Willie did, unwrapping himself and turning around to face his bandmates.

“You are so dead.”

The brown-haired boys exchanged a look of panic, their water guns run dry while Alex still gripped one that Willie just now realized had a full tank. With a scream they dashed away, Alex sprinting after them and cornering them against the fence so he could hose them down without mercy. Willie hooted and hollered, egging him on, because it he thought soaking wet Alex was hot, soaking wet Alex as an avenging angel was even hotter. Willie bit his lip, enjoying the view for the short time that it took for Alex to empty out the tank on his water gun. When his ammo supply finally ran dry, he returned to Willie’s side, the other boys following close behind, all three of them laughing and shoving each other playfully. Alex slipped his hand into Willie’s, blushing again when Willie reached up to place a kiss on his cheek.

“My hero.”

Alex rolled his eyes, but the smile playing at the edge of his lips told Willie he liked the title. Willie reached a hand out to the other boys.

“Nice to meet you guys, I’m Willie.”

“Hey man, good to meet you,” the one in the cut off spoke first, bounding forward to grasp Willie’s hand. “Alex talks about you literally all the time. I’m Luke.”

Luke ducked away from Alex’s hand as he reached over to slap him, laughing manically. The other boy stepped forward, shaking Willie’s hand with unrestrained enthusiasm.

“I’m Reggie! Luke’s right, Alex does talk about you a lot. All good things though! It’s awesome to finally meet you!”

“Likewise.” Willie grinned, knocking his shoulder against Alex’s as the blonde slapped a hand over his face.

“Okay, okay, yes I talk about you a lot. Freakin sue me.”

“I think it’s cute. I talk about you a lot too, ya know,” Willie murmured, delighting in the pink that stained Alex’s cheeks yet again. Man, he would never get tired of that reaction.

“Oh yeah? Who are you gossiping about me to, pretty boy?”

Willie felt his own cheeks burn at the nickname, leaning in closer so his nose was nearly touching Alex’s.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Okay, as cute as all this lovestruck shit is, these jeans are not the most comfortable when they’re wet,” Luke’s voice broke the moment, and Willie coughed slightly to cover up his laugh as Alex let out an embarrassed squeak. “Let’s pack it up and go back to the apartment for dry clothes and then we can go get tacos!”

“Oooo tacos! Yes!! Luke, is that one guy selling over by the bar today do you think? His eloté is the best!”

Reggie was practically bouncing, bopping behind Luke as the other boy made his way into the studio and began to clean up the mess left from what Willie guessed was the beginning of their impromptu water fight. Willie slipped his hand into Alex’s letting himself be tugged along as his boyfriend unlocked the stack of bikes.

“I like your friends.”

Alex glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, smiling softly through the hair that flopped in front of his face. Willie moved it away, letting his hand linger behind the other boy’s ear for just a moment.

“They’re alright I guess.”

But the fondness in his tone told Willie they were more than alright. They were Alex’s family, and the love between them was genuine and ran deep. Willie grabbed his skateboard from the spot he had left it next to the bikes, tucking it under his arm as Reggie and Luke reappeared from the studio, guitars safely stowed in cases strapped to their backs. Reggie was still talking a mile a minute as Luke turned to lock the back door.

“-and then we should have a Star Wars marathon. Wait!”

Reggie turned to Willie with a serious expression that looked frighteningly out of place on his freckled face. Willie gulped slightly, sure this would be the point where Alex’s brothers would start their interrogation to make sure he was actually deserving of their best friend.

“Did you call Alex ‘Hotdog’ earlier?”

Willie relaxed, laughing loudly as Alex threw his hands up.

“God, you tell a guy about the worst food poisoning of your life one time and you’re stuck with a horrible nickname for the rest of forever,” Alex grumbled.

Luke and Reggie began laughing alongside Willie, who took advantage of Alex’s grumpiness to sneak another kiss on his cheek, lacing their hands together as the group began walking down the street back towards the Sunset Curve apartment, rolling their bikes alongside them.

Willie didn’t say it out loud, but he was pretty sure that was the moment he realized he was gonna love Alex for the rest of his life.

Send me prompts for my second birthday!

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Parallels | Chapter 14

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Characters: OC! Violet Grace Dawson, Luke Patterson, Julie Molina, Carrie Wilson, Bobby Wilson, Reggie Peters, Alex Mercer, Flynn nolastname, Willie nolastname, Nick Danforth-Evans, Dirty Candy 

Guideline: Sunset Universe is the universe in which Sunset Curve is famous and Violet is friends with Carrie, Julie and Flynn. Candy Universe is the universe in which Dirty Candy is more famous and Sunset Curve has broken up. 

Song(s) used: Somebody - Lemonade Mouth / Finally Free - Julie and the Phantoms

Warnings: The reunion of the Pattersons... 

Words:  6,591

Marcus had been droning on about his day at work on the way back to Violet’s place but she hadn’t heard a word of it. Even in her room, he was still going on and on about his day while Violet zoned out. She’d been all up  in her own mind, thinking about Luke and his story. Right now, she was adamant that this had to be her unfinished business. Not getting Luke to fall in love with her or get him to stop being an asshole, but having him make amends with his parents, especially his mom. 

“So then this older lady comes in between us and –” 

Violet cut Marcus’ story short, “Do you think you can help me write a song?” 

The boy shut his mouth as he looked at the girl in front of him with confusion written in his eyes. “Did you listen to a word I said?” he asked and moved to her bed where she was sitting. 

“I’m sorry, Marcus.” She squeezed her eyes shut as she realized that he had been talking the entire time and she hadn’t heard a word of it. “Today’s just been so intense and I’ve been all up in my own head, I’m sorry.” 

Marcus grimaced before opening his arms and pulling her to his chest. “What’s happened?” His fingers soothingly traced up and down her arm, leaving a burning sensation in their wake. 

Violet inhaled deeply, unsure of how honest she should be. “Luke had been avoiding me for some reason and when I talked to him, it turned out he had run out on his parents years ago because they didn’t support the dream he was pursuing. He had written his mom a song which he showed me and the girls and it was just – intense, you know?” 

Marcus hummed and pressed a kiss to Violet’s head. “And now you wanna write a song?” 

“Yeah, because Luke’s been so open to me about everything… I wanna do the same for him, you know?” 

Marcus carefully pushed Violet off him and crawled off the bed to grab the acoustic guitar that resided in the corner of the room before returning to the bed and settling onto the very end of it with the guitar in his lap. “Got any ideas?” he asked and started strumming the guitar. 

Violet smiled. This boy would go all the lengths for her. Even writing a song for someone else was something he’d do with a charming smile plastered on his face and love in his heart. It was going to break her, having to say goodbye to him.  

After trying multiple melodies and rhythms and lyrics, the two of them finally managed to figure out the right composition for this song. Their voices sounded sweet like honey as they blended together into a perfect harmony.

“Oh, we're gonna let it show We're gonna just let go of everything Holding back our dreams And try to make it come alive Come on let it shine so they can see We were meant to be Somebody”

They stopped singing and Marcus stopped strumming his guitar. Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment whilst smiles were plastered on their faces. The smiles were tender and filled with admiration for each other. 

“You are an amazing songwriter,” Marcus complimented as he leaned forward to place the guitar safely on the floor. Violet’s chest was aflame. The movement caused a whiff of his cologne to fill up her nostrils and ever since hooking up with him, it had become one of her favorite scents in the world. 

As Marcus sat up again and before he could say anything else, Violet had already launched herself into his arms to hungrily and lustfully kiss his soft, plump lips. It startled the boy at first, but he quickly melted into it and pressed her closer to him until she was sitting in his lap. Their bodies were flush against each other, skin burning in the wake of each touch. Violet craved him. She craved his body and his kiss. She craved Marcus Baker. 

It was moments like this when she realized that Luke didn’t play a vital role in her life. He was just a friend that she kissed once. He was nothing more than that. While Marcus was someone she wanted to be with for a lot longer than she’d like to admit. He wasn’t just a part of her plan into getting Luke to fall in love with her or make him pay for what he had done. Marcus was Marcus, and he was more than just a pon. 

But then reality hit and the crushing sadness of not being able to stay here for forever with Marcus rushed back in. All of this was just temporary. A temporary fix. A temporary love that won’t last forever.  

-

“Are we ready to rock and roooolll?!” Reggie called out enthusiastically when he entered the rehearsal space where Violet and Julie already were with Alex. 

Violet snickered at the boy’s excitement. “Someone’s chipper this morning,” she said. 

The bassist looked the girl up and down, the smile on his face fading into a worried frown. “You look like you haven’t slept at all… What were you up to so late last night?”

Reggie knew his friends like the back of his hand. Even Violet, who wasn’t who she said she was, but he didn’t know that just yet. He thought he was starting to know this girl properly, all while she was keeping this big secret. It was going to crush him and their friendship when he did find out. 

“I spent last night with Marcus,” Violet answered when in the corner of her eye, she noticed some movement coming from the door. Turning her head, her eyes landed on Luke, Bobby and Carrie. They had just entered the rehearsal space when Violet had mentioned her new boyfriend, which wasn’t a name Luke wanted to hear, judging from the look on his face just then. 

“Oooh!” Alex, Julie and Reggie cooed, wiggling their eyebrows suggestively. 

Violet rolled her eyes at them when she focused back on that part of the group. “He helped me write a song,” she said with a small smile tugging at her lips. “You wanna hear?” 

“Obviously,” Julie responded with a playful roll of the eyes before she went to sit down on the sofa the boys had placed in their rehearsal room. Carrie joined her while the boys took their instruments. 

Violet herself sat down behind the keyboard, Bobby taking the spot beside her to take over like they had done with every other song they had sung together. 

“I wrote this one for you, Luke,” Violet confessed. Her heart was going a million miles an hour and she couldn’t seem to slow it down. Especially when those big, beautiful eyes looked right into hers. “You were so open with me when you sang your song for your mom, that I felt I had to return the favor… So…” 

“Let’s hear it!” Alex encouraged her with the excitement of a five-year-old on Christmas. 

Violet smiled, heaved in a deep breath and then placed her shaky fingers on the keys. A gorgeous melody floated out of the instrument and into the room. Smiles found their way to each and every face in that room, except for one. Luke. While Bobby took over from Violet on the piano and mimicked the melody she had been holding for a good few seconds, Luke stared at her with a panicked frown while she moved about the room where Reggie and Alex had picked up their instruments and joined in on the song. 

“Can you see me? 'Cause I'm right here Can you listen? 'Cause I've been trying to make you notice What it would mean to me To feel like somebody We've been on our way to nowhere Tryin' so hard to get there”

Violet smiled as Luke, too, picked up his guitar and started strumming the instrument. Focusing her words on him as she sang, Luke moved around a little until he was in his usual spot where his microphone stood at the ready. 

“And I say, oh We're gonna let it show We're gonna just let go of everything Holding back our dreams And try to make it come alive Come on let it shine so they can see We were meant to be”

Smiling from ear to ear, Luke decided to echo Violet’s words on the post-chorus, adding a new volume to the song. 

“Somebody (somebody) Somebody, yeah (somebody)”

“Somehow Someday Someway Somebody”

It was almost as though everyone else in the room had disappeared and it was just Violet and Luke in there, singing together. Just like that time in the recording booth. It felt like magic. They felt like magic. 

“I'm so tired Of being invisible But I feel it, yeah Like a fire below the surface Trying to set me free Burnin' inside of me 'Cause we're standing on the edge now It's a long way down”

Snapping herself out of this daydream, Violet turned to Alex. The drummer shot her a knowing look, but she decided to ignore it and turn to Reggie instead. He was ready to rock out with her on the chorus. 

“But I say Oh, we're gonna let it show We're gonna just let go of everything Holding back our dreams And try to make it come alive Come on let it shine so they can see We were meant to be”

For the post-chorus, Violet moved to Bobby, giving him some attention too during the song. He, along with the other boys, now sang along as they started to know the words by heart. 

“Somebody (somebody) Somebody, yeah (somebody)”

“Somehow Someday Someway Somebody”

Before Violet could even open her mouth to sing the bridge, another voice chimed in instead. Luke was improvising his way through the bridge, but it sounded great. It sounded even better than what she had come up with with 

“We will walk out of this darkness Feel the spotlight glowing like a yellow sun Oh oh oh oh oh”

Violet moved over to Luke and extended her microphone towards him. Sharing the mic, the two of them sang the rest of the bridge together as though they had known the song all their lives. It was just something about the way Luke looked at her that she knew what she had to sing. It was like she could feel what he wanted her to sing. 

“And when we fall we fall together Till we get back up and we will rise as one, oh, oh ,oh”

The boys lapsed back into the chorus while Violet hit the high notes and ad libbed her way through the very last bit of the song. Their voices blended together perfectly. Almost like they had been doing this together for years. 

“Oh, we're gonna let it show We're gonna just let go of everything Holding back our dreams And try to make it come alive Come on let it shine so they can see We were meant to be”

“Somebody (somebody) Somebody, yeah (somebody)”

“Somehow Someday Someway Somebody Somebody Ooh ohh oh”

The two girls on the sofa burst out into applause while Luke and Violet drowned in each other’s eyes. She vividly remembered the kiss they had shared and how it made her feel. The image was imprinted in her brain so vividly, she felt the urge to do it again. But she didn’t and instead, turned to Carrie as her voice echoed through the studio. 

“That was an amazing song, Vi!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her best friend. 

She could almost intercept the blush from spreading to her cheeks. “Thanks… I have Marcus to thank, though. I wouldn’t have been able to write it without him.” That made Luke turn cold all of a sudden. He broke eye contact and his shoulders tensed. 

“It’s a great song,” he mumbled before turning around to place his guitar back in its spot. 

“It’s yours if you want it? Play it during your gigs?” 

Luke smiled at her and she warmed up from the inside. “Why? What’s in it for you?”

“You can have it on one condition,” she added, her smile turning into a cautious smirk. Luke tilted his head, showing he was all ears. “You have to go talk to your mother…” 

“Got any plans today?” the dm read. 

Violet’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she spotted his name at the top of her screen. Luke Patterson had sent her a message. That was something that hadn’t happened before. 

“None at all…” 

As she pressed ‘send’, Violet squeezed her eyes shut before feverishly starting to type another text. 

“Does that make me sound pathetic and lame?” 

Her eyes focused on the dots on her screen, the anxiety rising within her. He must think she was the biggest loser on this planet. A girl with no plans, whatsoever in the middle of the summer. 

“I could never think you’re pathetic or lame,” Violet’s stomach fluttered at the message but stilled when the dots reappeared. “Does that make me sound pathetic and lame?” 

“Just a little,” she replied, but quickly typed another message before she could hurt his feelings. “JK, of course not :)”

Violet dropped her phone on her chest as she fell back on her bed. While her eyes peered at the off-white ceiling, her mind started racing and her heart sped up. Her crush on the boy was definitely back, but in a different intensity. And this time, she felt as though he reciprocated those feelings. Like she actually stood a chance with him. 

Her phone buzzed on her ribcage, causing her to snap up and reach for it, holding it over her face as she read the message. 

“Wanna come over and write together?” 

A squeal erupted from her throat. Luke actually wanted to hang out with her. He wanted to spend some time with her. Alone. Just the two of them. Something about this felt like a dream or a prank they were pulling on her. But then again, there was no reason for him to prank her. Besides her rejecting him but that was water under the bridge, right? 

Especially after the other night on Bobby’s car. 

“Sure! Send me your address and I’ll be there in an hour?” 

Violet’s eyes focused on the screen as Luke typed his reply. “I’d rather you come now…” 

Her heart skipped a few beats, making her wonder how she was even still alive. 

The next text that came through was his address, so, as quickly as she could, she started to get ready. After putting on a few different outfits before landing on a skater dress with a white tee underneath and some sneakers, putting her hair into a pony and doing her natural make-up look she always did, she made her way over to Luke’s. 

The Pattersons lived a few blocks away from Violet’s. She had almost forgotten they lived there as the Luke in her universe now lived in Beverly Hills with the boys, if they were home, that is. 

The quaint bungalow-style home sat in a remote location in Los Feliz. It was surrounded with trees and bushes. The winding road to the front door meandered through patches of grass. Something told Violet that she’d feel at home here. It looked the part. Homely and secure. It was a nice change from the big house her mother now lived in with her new partner. 

“Hi,” Luke greeted as he opened the front door. He stepped aside and let Violet in before shutting the door behind her. The girl waited for him to guide her through the house, which he did. Very quickly. He didn’t stop to let her take everything in and instead, led her to the very back of the house where his bedroom was. 

“My parents are home, so I hope you don’t mind working in my room,” he mentioned before plopping down on his freshly made bed. He had cleaned his room, Violet could tell. There was no way Luke would ever be this neat a person. 

As Violet’s eyes took their time looking around the room, she noticed a few things. The first thing was the abundance of posters that adorned his walls. From Green Day to My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy. All rock bands. All undoubtedly inspirational points for the young musician. Then, she noticed the multitude of guitars. An acoustic and two electric guitars sat in the corner of his room while he had a second acoustic one on his lap. The last thing she noticed was the picture on his desk. It was one of him and his parents. All three of them had wide smiles on their faces, his parents on either side of him with arms wrapped around each other. It warmed Violet’s heart knowing Luke had a great bond with his parents in this universe. That wasn’t the case in her universe. 

“I had an idea for a melody,” Luke then said, snapping Violet out of her train of thought. She turned around and headed towards his bed where she sat down next to him whilst a fun melody floated through his guitar. 

“Been so long and now we’re finally free,” Violet sang the line that had been pestering her for about a week. Luke’s head snapped up at this and he shot her the most excited smile she had ever seen. It caused her stomach to flutter once again. 

From that moment on out, the two of them wrote an entire song in one sitting. It was like it poured all out of them at once. Like they had it bottled up in their minds and everything spilled out in that one moment. 

“I got a spark in me Hands up if you can see And you're a part of me Hands up if you're with me Now 'til eternity Hands up if you believe Been so long, and now we're finally free”

The last notes rang out into the room. Neither of them could stop smiling. “Yeah!” Luke called out excitedly and ran a hand through his hair while his eyes were focused on Violet. Her wide smile faded into a more tender one when she noticed the way he was looking at her. If it weren’t for the knock on the door, she probably would’ve kissed him then and there. 

“I brought you guys some snacks,” the soft voice of Emily Patterson called out as she walked into the bedroom with a plate filled with freshly baked cookies. “How’s the songwriting going?” she asked the couple as she placed the plate on Luke’s nightstand next to Violet. 

“We’re almost done,” Violet told her with a smile. “Thanks for the cookies.” 

“You’re most welcome, dear.” Her eyes flicked to her son for a second, who was signalling to her to leave them alone. Though Emily wouldn’t be Emily if she listened to her son’s wishes. “Do you wanna stay for dinner? I’m making spaghetti!” 

“Oh,” Violet brought out and glanced over at Luke, who clearly didn’t love his mother’s presence right now. “I don’t wanna be a burden…” 

Emily swatted her hand. “You’re not a burden at all, dear! I insist! You and Luke can go to rehearsal together afterwards!” She sounded so excited, Violet couldn’t say ‘no’ to her, so she didn’t. 

“Okay, yeah, sure! I’d love to stay for dinner!” Violet cringed at her own level of excitement, but it seemed to appease Emily, so it didn’t matter how annoyingly excited she sounded. The woman then turned and left the bedroom, and once the door fell shut, Luke turned to his guest. 

“What?” Violet asked, giggling. 

“I’d love to stay for dinner!” Luke mocked her with his voice high and the excitement level matched with hers. “Seriously?”

Violet raised her hands in defense. “Your mom sounded so excited! I couldn’t say ‘no’ to her!” 

Luke shook his head, but the smile that shone through on his face, told Violet he wasn’t actually disappointed in her. It was, however, the end of that conversation as Luke just turned back to his guitar and the song they were working on together. 

Violet couldn’t help the butterflies in her stomach during the rest of the day. Not only did she love being so close to Luke, physically, she loved his family too which made her closer to him in a figurative sense as well. Her gut-feeling was correct; she very much did feel at home here. 

As Luke and Violet made their way to Julie’s house for practice at the studio, they talked about the deepest topics. He told her about the one day he almost lost his mother due to a minor heart attack and how he’d been keeping an eye out for her ever since that day. 

“That day gave me a lot of perspective,” he said. “We’d had a fight before that, about football and music and school, so when she nearly collapsed in front of me, I was so frightened. I thought I was gonna lose her. I thought I was gonna lose her and have her die thinking I didn’t love her. So, that’s why since that day, I’ve been less focused on music and football, and more on mom and school. It’s one of the reasons why Sunset Curve broke up in the first place.” 

“That must’ve been so scary! I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” Violet muttered and brushed her fingers against the back of his hand to show her that she was there for him, with him. 

Luke shrugged. “It’s fine now. She’s a lot better and we haven’t had such a petty fight ever since, so that’s good!” 

“A blessing in disguise,” Violet chuckled lightly, and it caused Luke to chuckle too. The sound was like music to her ears. She loved hearing Luke laugh. Especially after a story like that one. 

“Ah, our love birds finally decided to show up!” Alex exclaimed as the two entered the studio where everyone was waiting for them. Violet felt a blush violently rushing up to her cheeks at Alex’s word choice whilst Luke shrugged it off and reached for his guitar. 

“Mom was holding us up,” he said nonchalantly, revealing the fact they had in fact been together before rehearsal too. 

Both Carrie and Julie shot Violet a knowing look, which didn’t help the blush fade, but Violet coughed and walked over to where they had set up the keyboard. “Luke and I wrote a song together, which I think you’ll like,” she announced and, along with Luke, showed the others what they had been working on. 

After a few tries, the band finally started to get it and, eventually, they were able to play the song without any of them messing anything up. 

As usual, Violet started behind the keyboard, her fingers floating over the ivories and, with all the passion and excitement in her voice, she started singing the song she’d written with Luke. 

“Hearts on fire We're no liars So we say what we wanna say I'm awakened No more faking So we push all our fears away”

Her eyes landed on Luke, who was staring at her with an admiring smile on his face. She shot him a wink as she sped up the melody a little, her voice becoming stronger. 

“Don't know if I'll make it 'cause I'm falling under Close my eyes, and feel my chest beating like thunder”

Now she closed her eyes and vanished in the moment, letting herself get swept up in the music. 

“I wanna fly Come alive Watch me shine”

Grabbing the microphone off the stand, Violet moved from behind the keyboard and joined the boys. She halted between Luke and Bobby as they joined in on their guitars along with Alex on drums and Reggie on bass. All while Luke’s voice entangled with hers during the chorus. 

“I got a spark in me Hands up if you can see And you're a part of me Hands up if you're with me Now 'til eternity Hands up if you believe Been so long, and now we're finally free”

The music slowed down a little again and Violet made her way over to Reggie. While Violet sang the verse, he mouthed along with her, a smile on his face. Violet loved making music with these guys. It brought out a whole new version of her. A version they knew already, but she had yet to find. 

“We're all bright now What a sight now Coming out like we're fireworks Marching on proud Turn it up loud 'Cause now we know what we're worth”

She then turned back to the mic stand between Luke and Bobby, and as Luke joined in on the pre-chorus, their eyes locked and they didn’t let go for a good few beats. 

“We know we can make it we're not falling under Close my eyes and feel my chest beating like thunder”

Luke’s eyes stayed on her while she closed hers and turned back forward. She focused on the notes she had to hit, which gave him the opportunity to watch her as she did. 

“I wanna fly Come alive Watch me shine”

He joined in on the chorus again, while Bobby, Reggie and Alex took care of the backing vocals. 

“I got a spark in me Hands up if you can see And you're a part of me Hands up if you're with me Now 'til eternity Hands up if you believe Been so long, and now we're finally free”

Now, Violet turned to Bobby, giving him some attention too but she could still feel Luke’s gaze on her. It made her only slightly nervous, so she quickly moved over to the drums where she rocked out with Alex for a moment. 

“I got a spark in me Hands up if you can see And you're a part of me Hands up if you're with me Now 'til eternity Hands up if you believe Been so long, and now we're finally free”

The music slowed into the bridge when Violet returned to the mic stand and secured her microphone on it before turning towards Luke, taking the stand with her. Sharing her mic, Luke echoed the words she sang to him. 

“I got a spark in me”

“I got a spark in me”

“And you're a part of me”

“And you're a part of me”

Everyone else in that room could sense the chemistry oozing off of the two. They only needed one shared look to know that everyone was thinking the exact same thing; those two were madly in love with one another. 

“Now 'til eternity”

“Now 'til eternity”

“Been so long, and now we're finally free”

As Violet returned to her spot while hitting that high note, the boys lapsed back into the chorus with Reggie and Luke on lead vocals and Bobby and Alex on backings. The ad libs Violet added throughout gave the song all the more volume. 

“I got a spark in me Hands up if you can see And you're a part of me Hands up if you're with me Now 'til eternity Hands up if you believe Been so long, and now we're finally free (yeah, yeah, yeah)”

“I got a spark in me Hands up if you can see And you're a part of me Hands up if you're with me Now 'til eternity Hands up if you believe Been so long, and now we're finally free”

The song faded out, all four boys stopping playing their instruments while Violet’s last notes rang out into the studio. 

“Finally free Yeah”

A sense of adrenaline and pride lingered in the air as the band stood in place, panting and glancing at each other. All of them knew that this song right there was going to be a hit. If only they actually released any music. 

“That was epic, Vi!” Bobby exclaimed. Violet had to blink a few times to register what Bobby had just said. The excitement eluding from Bobby’s face was new. Something she wasn’t quite used to as she just knew him as Carrie’s older brother. 

The girl let out an airy chuckle. “Well, I didn’t do it alone,” she said and looked over her shoulder to Luke, who had this tender smile on his face that she couldn’t quite place. 

“You guys are like the golden duo!” Reggie called out, beaming as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. 

“The world thinks so too!” Carrie called out, raising her phone in the air. Confusion ran through Violet’s mind as she inched closer towards her best friend. “I live streamed the entire song and all I’m getting is praise so far!” She showed the band the saved recording of the live stream, along with all the comments underneath it. “They love Violet Sunset!” 

The boys let out a cheer and shared high fives while Violet could only feel herself crumple. Noticing this, Luke wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. “We don’t have to do anything else with this if you don’t want it, Vi,” he said and squeezed her against his body. As he let go to place his guitar on its stand again, the lack of his warmth in Violet’s body made her shiver. 

“I’m gonna head home,” Reggie spoke up. “Parents want me to watch over Archie.” Violet had learned that Reggie was the middle child of three boys. Archie was his nine year old younger brother, Nate was his older brother and off to college already. He didn’t have to worry about their parents fighting anymore or watching Archie. But Reggie did. 

“I’ll come with,” Alex chimed in and emerged from behind his drums. 

“Me too,” Luke added and hopped over to his friends, stopping near Violet. “You’re gonna get home okay?” he asked chivalrously with a careful hand on the small of her back. 

“Uhm, yeah,” she squeaked out. “I’ll be okay. Thanks.” The two smiled at each other before the three boys left the garage. 

“So you and Luke, huh?” Carrie started with a smirk, placing her chin in her hand. 

-

“So you and Violet, huh?” Alex teased as the boys made their way down the street together. 

Luke chuckled and was grateful for the sun setting so the boys couldn’t see how madly he was blushing. “What are you talking about?” he asked, playing it off. 

“You and Violet have crazy chemistry together!” Reggie exclaimed while plucking a branch of leaves off a tree that hung overhead. 

“I have chemistry with everyone that I sing with!” Luke countered, wondering if he really wasn’t imagining everything that happened between him and Violet. He caught a glimpse of Alex’ and Reggie’s glance at one another and halted both boys by placing a hand on Reggie’s arm. “No, look!” he said and turned to Reggie to face him. 

“I believe, I believe that we’re just one dream”

He grabbed the back of Reggie’s neck, forcing the boy to look at him. 

“Away from who we’re meant to be That we’re standing on the edge of…”

He paused dramatically, “Great.”  

Reggie swallowed harshly as he blinked rapidly. “Wow, I see chemistry,” Alex agreed while Reggie was still trying to get his bearings. 

“That was pretty hot,” Reggie agreed, coughing. Wanting to tease the boy even more, Luke pressed his fingers against his lips before touching Reggie’s lips, startling the boy into a nervous cough. “Girls, am I right?” 

“Yeah,” Luke agreed as he walked away from his friends. 

“No,” Alex responded before following Luke. Reggie needed a few more seconds before he was able to move and follow the boys. All while Luke was all up in his head about the whole chemistry thing. Was it just a singing thing or was there actually something between him and Violet? 

-

The girls kept pestering Violet for information on her and Luke. Information Violet didn’t let go of, let alone she knew about herself. She didn’t know what it was exactly she felt for Luke. Aside from familiarity, warmth, bliss, alternated with absolute dread and fury because of what another version of the boy did to her and the fact that she wasn’t going to be here in a month. 

“Enjoy it while it lasts, buttercup,” Carrie told her when the two of them were alone after they’d left Julie’s. Violet’s confused glance must’ve tipped Carrie off as she continued. “Go on a date with him, kiss him, fuck him. Do what you didn’t get to do when you were in your universe! You only don’t wanna date this version of him because he reminds you of the Luke you know, the Luke that broke your heart.” There was some truth to Carrie’s words. The anger and resentment only came from him having the same face as the person who had broken her. 

“I guess you’re right…” Violet replied. “I guess I –” she stopped in her tracks when she noticed a group of people in front of Carrie’s security gate. Under the street light, she could make out the faces of the girls in her band. Dirty Candy stood in front of Carrie’s house, presumably waiting for them. 

“Girls,” Carrie seethed through her teeth, crossing her arms in front of her chest. 

“We saw your live stream,” Kayla started, but it didn’t sound bitter or filled with resentment. It was cautious and filled with regret. “You shine up there with those boys, Violet… I wish we could still have that…” 

Violet’s mind ran through all the words aimed at her. There had to be a way to be in Dirty Candy while also being in Violet Sunset with the boys. There had to be a middle ground. Something to keep everyone happy. Especially Carrie. 

“We could… On one condition…” Violet trailed off, making sure she had everyone’s attention. “We don’t stick to bubblegum pop but branch out a little.” 

Kayla exchanged glances with the other candies, all of them wordlessly assenting. “What did you have in mind?” 

Violet smiled. All of it was going to fall into place. Everything had to fall into place. This was how she was going to get back to her universe. Not just by getting the band back together, but by letting everything fall into place. Including herself and Luke.    

“You didn’t have to come along,” Luke said as he nervously fiddled with the rings on his fingers as they stood in front of his front door. He had dreamt of taking a girl like Violet home with him. He just hadn’t expected it to actually be Violet, nor in this circumstance. 

Violet shrugged in response. “I wanted to make sure you actually went through with it. Now right the doorbell. We’ve been standing here for five minutes like complete idiots.” 

Nervously, Luke lifted his hand. He hesitated, and Violet noticed this, so she placed her hand over his and forced his finger to the button. His eyes flicked towards her, panic and regret fleeting through his eyes. 

“You got this,” Violet encouraged him right before the door opened and his father appeared in front of them. Mister Patterson was a tall gentleman, his hair and eyes matched Luke’s perfectly while his slightly crooked nose supported the thick glasses. 

“Lukas…” Mitch mumbled, chuckling in relief. 

“Hi, dad…” Luke’s voice managed something just above a whisper, but it failed him further, forbidding him from saying anything else on the matter. 

At this moment, Violet jumped into the rescue. “Hi, I’m Violet, a friend of Luke’s,” she introduced herself and politely stretched out her hand for Mitch to shake, which the old man did, with confusion written all over his face. “Could we come in for a moment? Luke’s got something important to say but he’s going to need a moment… or five…” 

Mitch nodded his head and stepped aside, allowing the teenagers to walk in. Violet grabbed Luke’s hand and pulled him inside while also pulling him back to earth. The warmth of her hand engulfed him and sent some fresh confidence into his veins. 

“Did I hear the doorbell?” Luke’s mother sounded as she entered the living room where all three of them halted. The woman’s eyes landed on the girl in her living room before flicking to her own son. “Luke…” Tears pooled in her eyes as she spoke his name. 

“Hi mom,” he said and cleared his throat. His eyes flicked over to Violet, who gave him an encouraging nod while her fingers curled around his hand, squeezing it for extra support. 

“I– I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry… I’m sorry for the fight we had and I’m sorry for running out on you like that. We should’ve talked about it like adults, but instead, I ran away like a child.” Luke’s eyes became watery and even Violet started to struggle. “You were right, mom… I wasn’t ready for life in the spotlight or life on the road. It’s hard… It’s so hard and every day, I wished I still had you and dad by my side…” 

“Oh, Lukas…” Emily choked on her tears before opening her arms to take her long-lost son into a hug. Violet let go of his hand, allowing the boy to reunite with his mother. “I was wrong too, darling,” she whispered. “You’re doing great up there. You’re thriving, you’re making amazing music, doing what you love.” 

Luke carefully pushed his mother off him, keeping her at arm's length so he could look into her eyes. “Yeah, but none of that’s worth it without you supporting me. I hate doing what I love without knowing the people I love are supporting me.” 

“Just because we weren’t in your life anymore, doesn’t mean we didn’t support you,” Mitch chimed in with a teary smile. “We’ve been proudly watching your every move from a distance, son.” Mitch laid a hand on Luke’s shoulder, a movement that made Violet tear up even more. She was glad she had come along. She didn’t want to miss this moment for the world. 

“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your girlfriend?” Emily then chuckled, her eyes landing on Violet, who silently stood behind Luke with tears running down her face. 

Luke turned his head and let out a laugh. “She’s not my girlfriend, but this is Violet. My best friend,” he smiled at her and outstretched his hand for her to take and join him by his side. “She’s brought me back with my two feet on the ground. She’s the reason I’m still breathing.” 

Emily looked at Violet and smiled a thankful smile. “Thank you,” she said and pulled the girl in for a hug. 

The two teenagers stayed at the Pattersons for dinner and while Emily showed Violet some old photos of Luke afterwards, Violet couldn’t keep her eyes off the boy. Every now and again, she glanced over and caught him looking at her, too. 

“Thank you,” he mouthed when their eyes locked for the nth time and Violet just smiled. This meant a lot to Luke, she could tell. She hoped he could tell he meant a lot to her, too.  

It was going to suck, big time, when she had to leave. 

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[gamergirl929]

You’re Trying To Kill Me, Aren’t You? (Alex Morgan x Reader)

@heathtobination Request:  Alex x reader where Alex is a major tease because she knows reader is into her

“Holy fuck.” You mumble, the water you were spraying into your mouth completely missing in favor of spraying on Sonnett.  

“Y/N! Jesus!” She grabs your water, pulling it away from you, realizing what exactly had caused you to fall into a trance.  

Alex Morgan of course, who’s making a show of wiping her face, her flat stomach and prominent muscles on display as her blue orbs watch you intently.  

“She won’t be happy until you’re a lesbian puddle on the floor will she?” Sonnett asks, just as the woman who was cleaning her face with her shirt decides to completely forgo her shirt, and is now not only spray the water from her bottle on her face but on her abs as well.  

“What the fuck.” You say, loudly and Sonnett barks out a laugh that draws everyone’s attention. Everyone’s except Alex’s because her blue orbs were already on you.  

Sonnett, who you now realize is wiping tears off her face shakes her head.  

“You are so fucked Y/N, so fucked.”  

You take a deep breath, only able to nod.  

“I know.”  

At the same time, Alex sends you a wink and your breath hitches.  

“And I don’t know if I’d have it any other way.”  

                                                           ***

“Oh, sorry I didn’t know you were in here.” Alex says, voice husky as she moves across the room in nothing but a towel.  

You turn your back on the woman, cheeks blood red.  

“I-It’s okay.”  

You shiver when you hear the towel drop to the floor, the tips of your ears burning as your eyes slam shut.  

You hear Alex make her way towards you, swallowing hard when you feel her hot breath on your ear.  

“Sorry about that.” She purrs and you clear your throat.  

“No-No pr-problem.”  

“You okay? You sound nervous.” She asks and you shrug, laughing nervously.  

“Me? N-No, I’m fine.”  

Suddenly, Alex comes into view and you realize she’s still completely bare.  

“That’s good.” She says as she slips into the bathroom, shutting the door behind you.  

You fall back onto the bed with a lengthy and extremely loud groan.  

“Kill me now.”  

                                                           ***

You turn around, leaning your forehead against the gym’s wall as Alex does some squats in front of you, her back to you as she works the muscles in her ass, the short shorts she’s wearing making your mouth go dry.  

“’Let’s go to the gym’ she says, ‘I need a spotter’ she says.” You mumble rushing to grab a number of heavy weights to lift.  

“Y/N? Can you come spot me?” She asks and you clear your throat, dropping the weights and moving to stand beside Alex, Alex who is looking straight into the mirror in front of her, her blue orbs locked on you.  

Slowly, she squats down, grunting from the weight on her shoulders, letting out a moan when she stands back up. She does this a number of times before she places the weight down, backing up against you, her back against your front.  

“Thanks Y/N.” She whispers, rubbing against your front, your body trembling. “I can always count on you.” She swivels her hips and you abruptly step back when the gym door swings open.  

Alex sends you a wink through the gym’s mirror and you shake your head, swallowing hard.  

“Jesus, fuck.”

                                                           ***

Alex teasing hadn’t ceased, the fleeting touches, the sultry and charming smiles she’d send your way while blatantly checking you out.  

The longer it went on though, the more you began to realize that the teasing was just to get a rise out of you rather than leading up to anything else, that anything else being a relationship with Alex Morgan, you began to distance yourself from the forward.  

Alex sighs sadly as she watches you talk to Christen Press and Tobin Heath across field, the two brunette’s grinning.  

“You know, she wouldn’t be shying away from you if you weren’t acting like a dick.”  

Alex turns, glaring at her best friend and defender Kelley O’Hara.  

“I’m not acting like a dick.” She mumbles and Kelley scoffs.  

“Dude, you know she cares about you, and you were just fucking with her to get a rise out of her? Seriously? You don’t think that’s a dick move?” Kelley snorts humorlessly. “Morgan, that’s an incredibly dicky move.”  

Alex shakes her head.  

“Shut up.” She mumbles, having no other argument, to what the woman had said.  

She had toyed with you.  

She had flirted with you with no real intent of moving forward in a relationship with you.  

She’d treated you as eye candy, reveling in the way your body would shudder when she’d tease you.  

“Do you even like her?” Kelley asks and Alex shrugs.  

“I don’t know.”

Kelley sighs, patting her back.  

“Well, if you do, you fucked this up Alex, big time.”  

                                                           ***

Alex frowns when she realizes instead of rooming with you, she’s rooming with Kelley, the former roommate of Christen Press, and by extension, Tobin Heath considering the two were stuck together like glue.  

Alex looks at the defender, Kelley giving her a frown.  

“She requested a switch.” Kelley says as she flops down onto the empty bed. “And I think she deserved it, at least for now.” Kelley frowns.  

Alex nods, her chin resting on her hands, which are joined by her intertwined fingers.  

“I know she did.”  

Alex slowly nods, heart clenching in her chest when she thinks about how she must have made you feel.  

Alex closes her eyes, hanging her head.  

“What have I done...?”  

                                                           ***

“She didn’t feel anything for me, did she?” You mumble, Christen and Tobin wrapping their arms around you.  

“I can’t tell you how she feels, but what she did was wrong Y/N...” Christen whispers Tobin nodding, agreeing.  

“Really wrong, no one should use you like that, not when they know how you feel.” She says sadly, leaning her head against yours.  

You close your eyes, releasing a trembling breath as a tear runs down your cheek.  

“Is it wrong that I still...” You swallow hard, Christen’s nod telling you to continue. “Is it wrong to still have feelings for her?” You ask, voice cracking and Tobin shakes her head.  

“No, no it’s not.”  

                                                           ***

Alex Morgan had indeed, fucked up. She’d toyed with your feelings, teasing you to the point of proverbial torture before you eventually put distance between the two of you, becoming tired of the said torture from the woman you cared for, the woman who KNEW you cared for her.  

She’d tried, ultimately failing to catch your gaze, you, obviously, were avoiding her and she didn’t blame you.  

The distance between you two, though short, felt like miles apart.  

Needless to say, your teammates had quickly found out what was going on, and Alex Morgan was currently enemy number one.  

She didn’t blame them, she didn’t blame you.  

She was wrong, she’d toyed with your feelings, but deep down Alex knew, and they say, absence makes the heart go fonder, well it had, because Alex Morgan wanted more than just the teasing she had done.  

She’d always felt her heart skip a beat when you smiled, or when you laughed, felt an ache in her core when you’d react to her teasing, your eyes falling shut as you shivered.  

Kelley pulls the woman out of her trance, slapping her on the back.  

“If you want to make things right, maybe you should talk to her?” She suggests and Alex shakes her head.  

“She won’t listen to anything I have to say, why should she?” She frowns and Kelley takes a deep breath.  

“Because she loves you stupid, don’t fuck it up again.”  

Alex watches Kelley go with an arched brow.  

“Yeah right.” She mumbles turning away, just catching you turning away from her.  

The forward smiles softly.  

“Maybe she’s right after all.”  

                                                           ***

Alex had tried, failing each and every time to get to you and when she got close a proverbial Pitbull stepped in her way, that Pitbull being Christen Press.  

A hard knock on her hotel room door had her and Kelley both jumping the defender looking at the forward.  

“I think we can both guess who that is, I hope you’re ready.” Kelley moves to her feet, patting Alex on the shoulder before she moves to the door, opening it to reveal not only Christen but Tobin as well.  

“I’ll give you guys the room.” She slips passed them, Christen and Tobin quick to slip in after her, shutting the door behind them.  

“What the hell are you playing at?” Christen snarls the second her green orbs lock with Alex’s blues.  

“Let me explain-

“No!” Christen barks. “You fucked up Alex Morgan, you fucked up and broke Y/N’s heart.” She roars, Tobin placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. 

“Why won’t you leave her alone?” Tobin asks, calmly and Alex closes her eyes.  

“I know what I did was wrong...”  

Christen scoffs.  

“Yeah, no shit.”  

“I-I care about her.” Alex frowns, hanging her head, unable to look at the two women in the room, the two women who share a glance.  

“No, you don’t, or you wouldn’t have done to her what you did, lead her on.” Christen throws her hands in the air angrily.  

“I know, okay? I know.” Alex covers her face with her hands. “I thought I didn’t care about her...”  

Christen opens her mouth but Tobin gives her shoulder a squeeze, making the woman’s mouth snap shut.  

“I didn’t think I did, but... Being without her...” Alex shakes her head, picking her head up to reveal her red rimmed blue orbs. “I was, I was using her crush on me to tease her...” She mumbles, Christen and Tobin remaining silent as they listen. “I thought I didn’t care for her, but... But I did, I do and I just want to make this right...” She hands her head, her eyes slammed shut as she waits for Christen and Tobin’s reactions.  

The two forward share a glance Christen’s eyes narrowed, whereas Tobin is relatively calm, which of course, is far from surprising.  

“Why should be let you anywhere NEAR her?” Tobin asks, Alex again picking up her head to reveal the tears streaming down her cheeks.  

“If she doesn’t want me that’s fine, she deserves an apology at least...” She mumbles, Christen and Tobin sharing another glance, both nodding.  

“Fine.” Christen growls. “If you hurt her again, I’ll personally stomp you into the ground.”  

Christen flips around, stomping out of the room, leaving Tobin behind, the woman turning back to Alex.

“I won’t stomp you into the ground, but I’ll watch Christen do it.”  

“I believe it... I won’t hurt her again, I’ll promise.”  

                                                           ***

It’s days later when Alex finally gets the opportunity to talk to you, her blue orbs locking with wary Y/E/C orbs.

“What do you want?” You whisper under your breath, Alex frowning as she takes a step towards.  

“To say I’m sorry... You-You didn’t deserve what I did to you and...”

You scoff.  

“There, you said you’re sorry, that’s all right?”  

You go to slip passed Alex, the woman quickly turning to grab your wrist, stopping you from leaving, her hold gentle on your wrist, noting that tenderness, you turn around to face her.  

You nod, silently giving her the go ahead to speak and she does.  

“I’m so sorry... I knew how you felt about me, and I used that, I toyed with you and I’m so fucking sorry, I can never ever get back that trust again, and if you don’t even want to speak to me again, I get it. I do, but I just need you to know that I’m sorry and I-

Alex stops to catch her breath, letting out an unintentional sob she tries to cover up with a cough, but it doesn’t go by missed, not to you.  

“I know... This isn’t the right time...” Alex shuffles nervously something you’re not used to seeing from the woman whose blue orbs will no longer meet yours.  

“I thought I didn’t care about you.” She whispers and your stomach clenches tightly.  

“You thought...?” You mumble under your breath, Alex nodding.  

“I thought I didn’t, but I miss you...” She mumbles, a sudden tear leaking from her glassy blue eyes.  

“I... I didn’t realize it then, but I realize now that when I was...”  

Alex takes a deep breath.  

“When I was teasing you I felt something too.”  

She frowns.  

“It was just a game for me, at least that’s what I thought... But now...”  

Alex shakes her head.  

“Now I know that I felt...” Alex shakes her head. “Feel the same way.”  

Your eyes widen, tears leaking from your eyes, running down your own cheeks.  

“Alex I-

A sudden throat being cleared pulls your attention away from one another, the both of you ridding your cheeks of tears before turning to face Christen and Tobin.  

“We need to get ready for the game.” Christen says curtly, green eyes narrowed as they dart between the two of you.  

“Thanks Chris.” You nod, the woman humming as she places a hand on your shoulder.  

“Everything okay?” She asks and you nod, turning to Alex.  

“Still remains to be seen...”  

                                                           ***

Alex Morgan, was furious, more than furious.  

Watching you get fouled again and again made her blood boil, and ever still, no fouls were getting called.  

It was when you let out a cry, falling and remaining on the ground that Alex snapped, marching right up to the Canadian player, Chapman that had fouled you nearly the entire second half.  

“What the FUCK is your problem?” She snarls, giving the woman a rough shove. 

“What does it mean to you Morgan?” She shoves her back, the forward snarling. 

“You put your hands on her again and I’ll beat the shit out of you myself.” She snarls, the two now nose to nose.  

“Oh, I get it, you’re into her, aren’t you?” She scoffs. “I mean at least she has someone to take care of her after the game...” She shrugs.  

You watch with wide eyes as Alex lands a solid punch on the woman’s right cheek, knocking the woman off her feet.  

Your teammates are quick to grab the angry forward who tries to get out of their grasp, while the Canadians check on their fallen comrade.  

“Fucking BITCH.” Alex spits, still trying to get out of her teammate’s hold.  

“Alex.” You wince, the woman stilling when she realizes you’re attempting to get to your feet.  

“No, don’t get up.” She frowns, your teammates letting her go so she can check on you.  

“It’s okay.” Alex whispers, cupping your cheek. “You’re okay.”  

The ref eventually makes her way over, unsurprisingly giving Alex a red card that sends her off the field for the remainder of the game.  

Reluctantly, she moves off field, slipping passed Vlatko without a single word as she moves to the locker room.  

Luckily for you, Vlatko uses his last sub to sub you out, knowing you can continue the game, but also knowing not only that you need to rest your leg, but also that you have a very important conversation to have with a certain forward you both know.  

                                                           ***

You limp into the locker room with a grimace, your teeth clenched.  

“Al?” You call out, almost immediately the forward is on you, wrapping her arms around you.  

“Are you okay?” She asks, holding you tightly and you nod.  

“I’m fine, but what about you?” You ask, Alex sighing as she holds up her bruised knuckles.  

“Nothing ice won’t fix.” She shrugs.  

The two of you take a seat on a nearby bench, both silent, though you feel a sense of loss when Alex leaves the bench, coming back seconds later with a bag of ice.  

“Sit still.” She whispers, kneeling down in front of you to tenderly place the bag of ice on your injured ankle.  

You watch the woman dote over you, gently removing the cleated shoe from your foot before ever so gently lifting your leg up and onto the bench, sitting down and resting it in her lap as she examines the bruising skin.  

“I should’ve hit her harder.” Alex snarls when she sees the cleat mark like bruises on your leg, her fingertips gently running along them.  

The touch you feel is unlike, like the fleeting touches Alex had given when teasing you, a hint of something familiar, but something entirely brand new, something that felt almost like a new beginning, a new piece of Alex Morgan’s heart exposed to you.  

“We need to talk.” You whisper, Alex’s blue eyes widening as they jump up to lock with your Y/E/C orbs.  

“Okay...” She swallows hard, nodding.  

“But not here.” You finish, the woman closing her eyes.  

“Okay, wherever you want.”  

“The hotel, I’ll meet you in your...” You pause, causing Alex’s brows to furrow.  

“Our room.” You finish, the forward’s lips splitting into a wide grin.  

She nods.  

“Okay. I... I’ll be there.” She says, blushing and you snicker.  

“Well I hope so, I mean it’s our room...” You jest, Alex rolling her eyes.  

“Shut up.”  

                                                           ***

Alex paces the room nervously, thankfully Kelley had made a quick exit when Alex told her you were coming back to your room, the defender happy that the two of you were going to FINALLY talk about the very large, rainbow colored elephant in the room.  

The door slowly creaks open and she flips around, smiling when you limp through the door.  

“Careful.” She whispers when you make your way into the room, forgoing sitting on the bed in favor of making your way towards her.  

“Sit.” You command, Alex’s blue orbs widening before she complies, plopping right down on the end of the bed, blue orbs looking up at you.  

You still, your eyes locking with her shining azure orbs.  

To your own surprise, and Alex’s you advance on her, leaning down to press a tender kiss to her lips.  

The woman stills blue eyes wide.  

Eventually, she pulls herself out of her trance enough to kiss back, her lips pressing softly against yours before you abruptly pull back, Alex already missing the gentle caress of your lips against hers.  

“We still need to talk but I just... I had to do that.” You shake your head, grinning, a grin Alex is more than happy to return.  

“I can’t say I’m complaining.” She shrugs and you chuckle.  

You sit beside her on the end of the bed sighing deeply before you turn to her with a small smile.  

“I want this with you Al... I want you, but I’m scared...” You intertwine your fingers together, your chin resting on top of your joined hands.  

Alex swallows hard, turning away, her throat tightening.  

“I can’t take it if you hurt me again...” You whisper, sniffling, causing Alex to abruptly turn back to you just as the first of your tears start to fall.  

“Come here.” Alex shuffles up the bed, towards the headboard, a hand held out to you.  

The forward grins brightly when you take it, a tear slipping down her own cheek. 

The second she’s able to, Alex’s arms slip around you, the woman burying her nose in your hair.  

“I can’t promise there won’t be time where the two of us don’t have disagreements, but I’ll NEVER hurt you like that again... Never I...” Alex swallows hard, taking a deep breath.  

Ever so gently, you cup Alex’s cheeks, turning her head until your eyes lock. It’s with her eye locked with yours that the woman finally finds the courage to say what she’d been denying for so long.  

“I love you.”  

Your eyes widen, your breath hitching.  

Your Y/E/C orbs dart around her face, searching for any sign of doubt in the woman’s shining blue orbs.  

You find none.  

You shake your head, sniffling as tears run down your cheeks, tears she’s quick to swipe away.  

“I love you too.”  

Alex grins, leaning forwards, closing the distance between the two of you, your lips meeting in a gentle, passionate kiss.  

The two of you part and your grin, pecking her lips once more.  

“You know, when you’re not acting like a fuckboy, you’re actually pretty sweet.” You tease, Alex’s cheeks flushing.  

“I can’t tell you how sorry I am Y/N...” She whispers as you gently caress her cheeks.  

“I know. I know you are, just give me time...” You whisper, the forward nodding.  

“You can have all the time you need, I just hope you’re okay with me being by your side...”  

“I am, I want it more than anything.”  

[feverinfeveroutfic]

chapter thirteen: a special skeleton

“i stand right next to a mountain, and i chop it down with the side of my hand!" -"voodoo child", jimi hendrix

Sam pressed the button on the other side of the tape recorder. She had filled the cassette full, and even though she hadn't really known all of the songs during the Cherry Suicides' set list, she knew that it would serve as a good example to send in to Aurora and eventually the label. The roar of the audience in front of her served as her work soundtrack, as she took the cassette out of its space and stuck it inside of the casing.

She held onto the casing as if it was about to get away from her, and she ducked back into the backstage area right as the four of them scurried back to their dressing room for the night. She hung there for a moment to make sure she had put her pen away in her purse and Zelda breezed past her with those big taped boots still on her feet.

“Good show tonight!” she exclaimed, even though the subdued applause behind them told a different story.

“I know, right?” Sam said with her arms out before either side of her. “You guys were so tight and so on top of it all!” They did a high five as Morgan and Minerva skipped past them.

“Look at them!” Zelda pointed after them. “Look at 'em skipping! I've never seen them skip!”

Sam clapped her hands and then she held up the cassette. “Where's Aurora, I gotta hand this to her—”

“I think she's down the hall here—” Zelda nodded up the corridor towards Anthrax's dressing room. “I saw her up there when I came back here.”

“Alright, I'll be right back.”

Sam bowed up the corridor towards that dressing room; she adjusted the strap on her purse with her free hand all the while. The door hung wide open and she heard Aurora's gentle laughter from the inside there. She leaned in to find her before Frank and Dan, both of whom were still cooling off after their set earlier that evening. Frank nodded in Sam's direction, and Aurora turned around for a look at her and her face lit up.

Sam showed her the cassette tape.

“You got it!” she exclaimed.

“Hit play the very second they took to the stage and filled the whole thing up,” Sam replied and she stepped inside there. “There were a handful of songs I wasn't familiar with so you'll have to help me out with the track names on the listing part.” She handed Aurora the tape and she looked over the white label on the inside there.

“That's okay! I'll listen through it and write them down for Jon and hopefully—just hopefully—we'll see the Cherry Suicides on record store shelves at some point.”

Sam turned her attention to Frank and Dan with their backs to the wall behind them, and Aurora followed suit.

“Man, they went kinda long tonight, didn't they?” Frank remarked.

“Long and kind of thrashy, too,” Dan added. “Think Chuck's boots might be doing something to Zelda a bit. Chuck's boots with Greg's duct tape.”

“Yeah, they did have more of an edge tonight, didn't they?” Aurora grinned at them.

“It's all the hanging out with all the metal boys they've been doing lately,” Sam pointed out. “Happens in art all the time.”

“Did either of you two girls see where Joey ran off to?” Dan asked them, and they both shook their heads; Sam had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and she hoped that Joey would keep his other promise and abstain from the booze. Dan hopped off of the shelf and he strode past them to the doorway; Sam then returned to Aurora and bowed her head a bit.

“By the way, I've been meaning to ask you this,” she started in a low voice, “do you and Emile have any other plans besides moving in together?”

“Like what?”

“Oh, I dunno. But do you care to share, though? We are best friends after all.”

Aurora squinted her eyes at her.

“We're not having kids,” she scoffed with a shake of her head. “No way I'm putting him through that, either. After the difficulty my parents had raising me with the North Korean threat looming over their heads most of their adult lives? No way.”

“You've got too much of a work ethic, anyway,” Sam pointed out. “There's no way a kid can interrupt you at this point in your life.”

“Right?” Aurora chuckled at that.

“You girls talkin' 'bout me?” Frank cracked.

“Not everything be about you, Frankie,” Sam retorted, and Aurora laughed at that. The rumble of a bass pounded through the wooden floor behind them; the pop of a snare drum followed.

“Sounds like Testament is about to take center stage next,” Aurora declared. There was that swirling riff once again, the one that Sam and Joey had heard in the venue before.

“Yeah, that's definitely them,” Sam remarked. “I'm part of their fan club after all. Let's go see them.”

“I have to listen to this, though,” Aurora halted her.

“Oh, yeah, that's right—”

Sam returned to the corridor, where Zelda had changed out of her top and into nothing more than that spattered sports bra. She flashed her an excited grin.

“The other boys are about to get on it next,” she said to Sam.

“It's a cherry sandwich!” she joked, and that brought a big bold laugh out of Zelda. Indeed, the kick drums started up in a steady metronome of a rhythm and the people out in the audience began clapping in sync with it. The two of them gathered by the edge of the curtain, from the same spot which Sam and Chuck had watched Anthrax earlier that evening.

Louie to their right, as he took his seat behind his kit: he flashed the two of them a pretty little wave and Sam returned the favor to him. Greg slung his bass over his shoulder, and Alex and Eric entered in from the other side of the stage. Chuck rounded out the quintet with his own handheld microphone.

“I see the dudes from Death Angel,” Zelda pointed out. Sam looked out to the sea of heads out in the audience.

“Where?”

“Right in front of us. I recognize Osegueda right there—you see him? Mr. Dread locks?”

Sam lowered her gaze to the man with the full head of fledgling dread locks right near the edge of the stage.

“Oh, yeah!”

“How ya doin', Boston!” Chuck declared into his microphone. “We are Testament—straight out of the Bay Area, California. Big ol' thank you to the Cherry Suicides—we love those girls, man. We've got some big shoes to fill after their set. This song is called 'Burnt Offerings'!”

“Oh, this song rules!” Zelda shouted, and Louie glanced over his shoulder with his tongue out at her. He hammered away at his drums, and Sam thought about what he had said to her the night before. He pounded away so hard at them that his kick drums made the floor shake and the snare sounded like a gunshot. Chuck leaned to the side a bit and let his hair fly about like a bullwhip. Greg did the same as his bass thundered forth, strong and powerful. Eric built an entire wall of sound with his guitar. But something was missing.

Chuck's voice seared through the room, with that big razor sharp snarl to it. Sam peered past Louie's drum kit and the back of Greg's head and she spotted Alex over his pedal board. She couldn't see what he was doing.

Several guys near the front of the stage stared on at Alex as he prepared for his solo. One frowned at him as he stepped forward. He strummed high up on the neck and set his foot on the pedal. Hardly any sound came out of his amp.

Sam's heart skipped a few beats at the lack of sound. He took a step closer to it, and feedback bled out from it rather than melodic notes.

“What's going on with Alex?” Zelda wondered aloud.

“I don't know,” Sam confessed. There was another noise out there.

“Are they booing him!” Zelda demanded.

It was a soft hum over the thunder of Greg's bass and Eric's rhythm, but Sam knew it from the second she heard it.

“They are!” she declared with her mouth agape. “They're booing him!”

They glanced at one another, stunned.

“I don't think we ever got booed,” Zelda confessed. “Always yelled at or told to get off the stage you stupid whores, but never booed.”

Alex stooped down to adjust a dial but it was useless. He kept on with the wall of feedback. He held still with his fingers on the fret board: Sam couldn't see him but he appeared to be making use of it. A long loud whine and a blare that sounded as though it came through a tube, and yet even with that, he managed to change the notes. A slow, painful drone.

“What's he doing?” she asked Zelda, who shook her head.

“He's doing a Hendrix!” Louie shouted over his shoulder, and his voice drowned out against the feedback.

“Huh?” Zelda leaned in closer to him.

“He's doing a Jimi Hendrix!” he repeated, that time with his eyes closed. Zelda returned to Sam.

“He's doing what Jimi Hendrix did! Using the feedback for a solo!”

But the tone sounded as though his guitar was dying in utter agony: the way in which he plucked and moved his hand about the guitar neck was something to counter it. An ugly noise and yet he made it oddly beautiful in a way. Sam thought back to that day in the hole in the wall, when he talked about watching Miles Davis on TV one time.

He was improvising.

And yet no one in the crowd seemed to like it. Alex finally shook his head and turned away to let Chuck sing some more. He had his back to the audience so Sam could see the look of frustration on his round face. It kept on going for the rest of Testament's set, such that he shook his head when he left the stage, and he seemed more withdrawn than usual afterwards.

All five of them were silent as the audience out on the floor; Sam and Zelda caught up with the five of them.

“What happened?” Sam asked them, concerned.

“Swings and roundabouts, I guess,” Chuck said with a shrug of his shoulders, and yet Sam could see the look of disappointment on his face. “Sometimes you have a bad night. We've been doing good lately, so that was—that was something.”

“Let's get back to the room, though,” Eric insisted as he picked up his guitar case; Alex stayed knelt down on the floor next to him. Sam then turned to Zelda.

“See you tomorrow?” she asked her.

“See you tomorrow,” Zelda replied with a twinkle in her eye and they threw their arms around each other. If nothing else, at least the Cherry Suicides were on their way into a new chapter of their career. But at the same time, Sam couldn't help but think about how the crowd sounded when she recorded them. Their reaction to the four girls on the stage was lukewarm at best: it just took a malfunction and a misfire for them to give Alex an unwonted bad reaction. As she walked with the five of them back to their little room, she thought back to Anthrax's set. That had a very minimal reaction as well.

Not just a bad night for the other quintet, but for the crowd as well.

They filed into the cool, welcoming room once again, and Sam returned to her spot on the bed in the far corner of the room. Alex had lingered behind them all the way back; when he came in last, he shut the door behind him and ran his fingers through that jet black hair. He was silent as he made his way over to the spot on the floor before the bathroom door.

“Jesus, that crowd fucking sucked,” Greg lamented.

“Yeah, they sure did,” Chuck agreed.

“I mean, they booed our lead guitarist!” Louie exclaimed as he plopped down on the edge of the bed. Meanwhile, Alex just sat there on the blow up mattress with his back to the wall and with an empty look on his face. He didn't look stern, but rather as if his mind was elsewhere. “And he did what he could, too. And they still got all up in arms about it.”

“Need anything, Alex?” Chuck offered him, and he shook his head.

“They couldn't be bothered by the girls, either,” Sam added. “And they were on fire tonight!”

“Oh, yeah, they were crazy tonight!” Eric exclaimed, but he kept his eye on Alex, who looked as though he had mentally checked out from everything. If only she could tell him that it wasn't his fault, she would. But he seemed uninterested in everything else that night that he lay down on the mattress and rolled over onto his side. He fell asleep within a matter of seconds, and then Greg lay in the opposite direction next to him.

Louie took the spot next to Sam and that time around, he lay flat on his back. Eric turned out the light and the darkness swept over the six of them. Even in the dim light, Sam made out the sight of Louie's eyes still wide open despite it being late at night.

“Are you feeling okay?” she whispered to him.

Louie sighed through his nose and then he rolled his head over the pillow for a better look at her. He gazed on at her through the darkness. Even shrouded in shadow, she could make out the anxious look on his face. Alex was long gone at that point, and Chuck and Eric had fallen asleep next to them; but he still looked nervous to her. He sighed through his nose again.

“Can you keep a secret?” he whispered back to her, and she swallowed.

“Yes,” she replied. “Especially if it's that dire.”

“It is.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

He sighed through his nose a third time.

“I had an affair,” he whispered, and Sam raised her eyebrows at him.

“What,” she sputtered, “do you mean, you had an affair? With Zelda?”

“No. I mean—Zelda was the affair.”

She gaped at him.

“Louie,” she breathed. He rolled his head back on top of the pillow so he gazed up at the ceiling overhead.

“I had a girlfriend before I met Zelda,” he explained, “—I even had a baby with her. But I never told Zelda about it when we were together. That's why I took a year off from Legacy, besides—living with Zelda. I had a baby—”

“But your heart was elsewhere,” she whispered back to him.

Louie pursed his lips and then he shook his head again: Sam could see he was disappointed in himself.

“Zelda was my release,” he continued. “I wasn't happy at home, and I told Eric and Zetro that I needed some time off to be with my daughter. But I wasn't happy. I met Zelda and all of a sudden, all bets were off.”

“Back up, you told Eric and Zetro that you were having a baby and they knew about Zelda, too?”

“They thought Zelda was the mother,” he clarified. “That's why they love her so much. They think she's that tough because she pushed a watermelon through a straw. No, she's just tough because she's a tough punk chick from Rhode Island. I've been living a lie this whole time.” He then returned to her. “But now I have someone to tell it to.”

Sam swallowed and she shifted her weight in her spot there next to him.

“Promise you won't tell anyone,” he whispered, and she nodded her head.

“I just have one question,” she started.

“What's that?”

“Does Zelda know?”

And he shook his head.

“Nope. Never told her about my baby or my baby mama, and I don't think it even crossed her mind for a second. At least, that's my assumption.”

He closed his eyes and brought his gaze back to the ceiling overhead. Sam fetched up a sigh and she lay there in silence for a second, unsure of what to believe. On one hand, it all made sense as to why Louie always seemed so distant to her. Add to this, he dropped this on her as if it was nothing. But then again, it raised more questions for her, in particular why didn't anyone ask Zelda about a kid one time before, or why no one questioned her behavior before. There were too many holes and too many layers to unravel, and Sam herself was too tired to even so much as consider any of it for herself.

She fell asleep right next to him once more.

The mysterious man in her dreams appeared above her that time, and that time, he drifted in closer to her body. He lay on top of her, and he ran his fingers down her chest. The streak in his hair was high and bright despite the darkness that surrounded them: his eyes seared right into her soul as he felt her up and all over her body. Her nipples tightened and her stomach sank inward. His tongue slithered out from his mouth, right onto her lips.

“You know you—” he whispered to her. “You know—”

“I don't,” she confessed back.

“Let's—” he insisted, and he held onto her hands and led the way. He slithered and writhed all about her body like that of a snake. He was cold and dark, like a thick jet black curl on the crown of a head. He was between her legs. His movement caused her chest to seize and her breathing to quicken. Right there. Right next to Louie and with the whole world watching.

And yet she felt nothing from him. Absolutely nothing.

Sam jarred herself awake. She still lay there next to Louie, who had rolled over onto his side, away from her. The man was gone: in fact, he never even touched her.

She let out a sigh of relief and she decided it would be best to find herself a cup of coffee and some breakfast, and then bring it back for the five of them.

Careful not to wake Louie or Greg, she climbed out of bed and slipped her shoes back onto her feet: her travel bag was still in the back of Dan's car. She ducked out of that cool hotel room and softly closed the door behind her. The marine layer hadn't come in overnight and thus she stood in a column of bright, slightly warm golden sunlight courtesy of the low apartment buildings across the street from there.

She adjusted the strap on her purse and began up towards the street corner, alone. She stood there for a second when she swore she heard someone call her name. She peered about the street for any signs of life, but then she glanced down the block and there was Anthrax and their little dumpy white van. She recognized Scott and Frank from all the way up the street; she held onto her purse and hurried down the sidewalk towards them with the morning sun at her back. With a quick glance about the place, she hurried towards them there at the curb; Frank held two cups of coffee in hand and he had a twinkle in his eye as if someone had just told him a dirty joke.

“Hey, there's our girl,” he proclaimed once she came within earshot.

Dan poked his head out from the back doors of the van right then.

“Hey, it's li'l Sam!” He then pointed up the street. “My car is parked right up the block here so if you want to get your things, you can just run up there and swipe them.”

“I'll probably be hitching a ride with you anyways,” she confessed. “I just got to hanging out with Testament because they needed to be hung out with.”

“Right?” Scott chuckled at that; he took a sip of his coffee and then nodded with his tongue out from his mouth like that of a dog. “Spectacular.”

“What, you got coffee and didn't get any for me?” Sam joked with him, complete with a false hurt look on her face.

“I'd give it to ya any time of the week, sweet heart,” he retorted to her, and Frank whistled at that.

“Damn!” Joey poked his head out from the back of the van alongside Dan.

“Hey, you!” Sam exclaimed.

“Hey, you!” he echoed her with a raise of his eyebrows. She made her way over to him, and Dan sank back behind him to give them a bit of privacy. Joey had a little twinkle in his eye, and the wet curls on his forehead only accentuated it.

“You were amazing last night!” she declared, and he flashed her that lopsided grin once again.

“You thought I did good last night?” He nodded at her. “With the feather headdress all about my head?” He gestured about the crown of his head.

“The feathers sealed the deal! And—” She leaned in closer to him. “—thank you for keeping your promise, too.” To which he shrugged.

“Just doin' what I do best,” he assured her. His brown eyes seemed a lot more clear than normal, which meant he had stayed away from the alcohol overnight.

“Speaking of Testament, what was going on with them last night?” Frank joined in out of the blue.

“Like what was going on with Alex's guitar?” Sam knew that the very mention of Alex would undo everything Joey had done for himself at that point, but she had to fill in for those five guys.

“Yeah.”

“I dunno. He seemed to be having some kind of technical trouble.” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Joey bowing his head a bit, away from the conversation.

“But then he did that feedback thing and made good use of it,” Scott recalled. “That was genius, if you ask me. I wouldn't know what to do if it were me.”

“Me, neither.” Sam shook her head, and she adjusted the strap on her purse once more. “You guys know where I can get coffee and breakfast from around here?”

“We got our coffee from across the street,” Frank pointed to the cafe across the way. “But I haven't seen a donut shop for blocks, though. Maybe when we get going we'll find something.”

“'Cause I was thinking of getting coffee and breakfast for those guys when I got up earlier,” she confessed.

“Aw, that's sweet of you!”

“They had a rough night last night—I wanna do something nice for them.”

“Could at least get coffee,” Scott advised her. “'Cause we plan on leaving in about forty minutes so—better hustle.”

“Okay.” She then returned to Joey, who pursed his lips at the mere mention of them. He held the coffee cup close to his lips, but he never took a sip. She had to keep up the streak. The streak.

“Can I ask you something?” she began in a low voice to him, and he lifted his gaze to her without a turn of his head.

“Yeah.”

“I really liked those feathers,” she said.

“I do, too,” he replied, and that smirk returned much to her relief. “And to be honest, I think that's gonna be a regular thing—I really like singing that song, too.”

“Well, and they were kinda... hot, too,” she continued, to which Joey showed her a smirk. She thought about that dream she had had, and how she felt nothing as the mysterious man was on top of her and feeling up her entire body. But she was sincere when she said that, and she knew that there had to be something more between her and Joey from that point on.

[bestillmyslashyheart]

The soulmate thingy... 20. Malex.... 👀👀

the one where you don’t know your soulmate until you hear them say your name.

Alex wasn’t great at dealing with his emotional problems. He was well aware of his short comings in that regard. But he’d learned early and often that emotions made you weak and old habits were hard to overcome. 

It’s what made his relationship with Michael so hard. No matter what he said or how hard he tried to communicate with Michael, it was never enough. Sometimes it was like they were speaking two different languages without even realizing it.

Alex had thought it would be easier.

Or, if not easier, than at least it would all work out in the end. Because that’s the way it works, right? You find your soulmate and you live happily ever after. They’d lived in the same town and gone to the same school for years before they figured it out but Alex knew from the moment his name left Michael’s lips, from the moment that heat bloomed in his chest and warmed his whole body down to his fingertips and his toes (and he would honestly swear he’d felt it in his hair), Alex had known. His father made it difficult, just as they were trying to determine how to do this, how to be together, but Alex had thought a little distance would ease those wounds. Maybe he’d put too many miles between them. Too many miles, too many times.

Michael had chosen someone else. Alex didn’t know how. The thought of making a life with someone other than Michael felt like a physical pain in his chest, he couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to actually do it. But Michael had managed it. Because being with Maria, feeling that pain, was somehow less than the pain Alex put him through. 

Alex had to accept that. 

He had to.

He was trying to.

He really wished he’d managed it before now. He just needed more time.

“Alex!” Kyle yelled, grabbing his arm. “We have to go!” The alarms were blaring loudly but Alex could hardly hear them.

He turned quickly, his eyes catching on everyone in the room. His friends. His family. They were all poised to run, the alarms catching them off guard as they tried to raid another Project Shepherd compound. Thankfully, this one was prisoner-free so the only people who’d be caught in the explosion was them. 

“Alex!” Liz yelled. She waved at the door. “Let’s go. Whatever’s on those computers isn’t worth it.” She was wrong. In the scant seconds he’d had to look them over he’d realized this was their headquarters. These computers held everything. 

“Go,” he told them. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Liz huffed and grabbed his arm. Alex grabbed her wrist and looked over her head at Max. “Go,” he told him. “You need to get out of here.” Take her out of here, he didn’t say. Max seemed to hear him anyway. He held Alex’s gaze for a moment before giving him a firm nod. 

“Liz,” he urged, his hand wrapping loosely around her waist before he started to tug firmly. “Alex will be right behind us. But we’ve gotta go.”

Liz wanted to protest but Rosa came up on her other side and started pushing her towards the door. “Standing around isn’t going to help anyone, Liz, let’s go!” Liz finally let Max pull her out of the room and then they were gone.

“You’re not going to catch up,” Kyle realized quietly. “You can’t,” he looked down at Alex’s leg. It was true, Alex’s window of leaving this compound alive was quickly shrinking. If he didn’t leave now, he likely wouldn’t make it to the exit.

“I’ll be right behind you,” he promised anyway.

Kyle opened his mouth to object but again Rosa was there. She put both hands on her brother’s chest and shoved. “Move your ass, Valenti.” He stumbled back a few steps and then Isobel took over. She met Alex’s eyes with a wary look but she didn’t bother with pleasantries as she grabbed Kyle’s arm and pulled him after her. 

Then it was only Rosa, Maria, and Michael. “You need to go,” he told them. 

“No,” Michael and Maria responded immediately.

Alex looked at the screen and the progress of the file download. He wouldn’t be able to get it out of here but he should have just enough time to send it to the secure server they’d set up in their own compound. But it would be just enough.

“This place is gonna blow,” he reminded them. “You need to be clear of it before it does.”

“So do you,” Maria stepped forward and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him a little. “I will walk out of this room when you do. Not a second before.”

Alex could see her determination in her eyes. Helplessly, he looked to Michael. “Guerin, get her out of here.”

But Michael was shaking his head. “Not a chance, Alex. You come with us or we all stay.”

Once again, Rosa stepped up. She took Maria’s hand off of Alex’s shoulder. “What about Mimi?” She asked quietly. Or as quietly as she could with the alarms still going. Maria froze, her eyes slipping closed. 

Alex tried to smile, tried to put on a brave face. “Go,” he urged her again. “Your mom needs you to leave.”

Maria shook her head. “I can’t just leave you here.” 

“I’ll be right behind you,” he promised wryly. He looked past her. “Michael, please, take her out of here.” Michael froze, his eyes widening in shock and something else. “Michael!” He yelled, glancing at the clock counting down. “You all need to go!”

“Alex,” Michael breathed, that indescribable look still on his face. 

Alex stared at him, trying to parse his reaction when his chest was nearly caved in by a tight hug. “You stupid, self sacrificing idiot,” Rosa muttered into his ear. “Just had to get all the attention, didn’t you?” Alex didn’t have time to respond before she was grabbing Maria’s wrist in a tight grip and literally yanking her after her as she hauled ass out of the room. 

And then it was just Alex and Michael. “Dammit, Michael, you need to leave!” Alex yelled. He knew how fast Michael could move and it would be close. But he needed to leave now. The file was still downloading on the computer.

Michael pressed a hand to his chest before slowly blinking. That indescribable look slowly gave way to one of wonder. “You’re my soulmate.”

Alex stared at him. “So what?!” Alex yelled. “You have Maria. But only if you leave.” Alex pushed at Michael’s shoulders. Michael barely moved except to grab Alex’s wrists. “Michael, please, just go. I can’t have you dying in here with me.”

“You’re my soulmate,” Michael repeated. 

The computer beeped loudly. The file was done. Alex shoved Michael’s behavior out of his mind and threw himself into the desk chair. It was child’s play to encrypt it with Kyle’s dad’s encryption and send it off to their own facility. It took less than a minute. Which left him, left them, with less than a minute.

Michael waited until Alex clicked enter and then spun his chair around. “You’re my soulmate,” he said for the third time, pulling Alex to his feet.

“Why do you keep saying that?” Alex asked. “It doesn’t matter. You chose Maria.”

Michael shook his head. “You said my name.”

“That’s how it works,” he agreed, confused.

“No, Alex,” Michael huffed. “Just now, you said my name.” He shook his head slightly. “You always call me Guerin. You’ve never called me Michael.”

Until just now.

Which means...

Michael didn’t know they were-

Alex felt the heat and then there was nothing.

---

Death felt a lot like the ground in the turquoise mines. Looked like it too.

“Alex?” Michael’s hands were holding Alex’s face like it was something precious. His voice was soft but rough, like he hadn’t used it in a while. There was a strange sensation on Alex’s chest and then a crushing relief swept through him. It was strange though, because it wasn’t his. Alex didn’t understand what was going on enough to feel relieved. “Alex?” Michael asked again. There were other sounds but they were distant. 

“Why-” Alex coughed, his through raw. “Why do I feel like I died?” He asked. He wasn’t sure why that was his first thought but it was.

The other sounds solidified into sobbing laughs of relief. Something fell onto his chest and forced the air out of his lungs.

“Hey, careful!” He heard someone, Kyle, warn. “He’s in recovery.”

Alex forced his eyes open. Michael was kneeling on his right, his face hovering over his and his hands still on Alex’s cheeks. Maria had his left hand clutched in hers, his fingers pressed to her lips. On his chest was Liz in some semblance of a hug though he couldn’t reciprocate.

“What happened?” He coughed.

“You accidentally saved your own ass,” Rosa grinned from behind Maria. “Michael somehow protected both of you from the explosion, well,” she stopped and considered, “most of it?” She shrugged. “You were about 95% dead there for about two weeks. Turns out aliens with human soulmates get some nifty power boosts. Everything Michael needed to know to save your life was in those files you saved from the compound.”

“And I feel like shit because...?”

Max and Isobel laughed. “Healing isn’t Michael’s forte?” Isobel offered. “Max almost killed himself again healing Michael. He didn’t have enough juice for you too so we had to wait until Michael could figure it out.”

Max stepped forward and gently nudged Maria and Liz out of the way. He didn’t bother asking Michael to move as he placed his hand on Alex’s chest. He initially put it right over Michael’s handprint but both Michael and Alex moved it before he could do anything. Max didn’t say a word before healing the rest of Alex’s aches and bruises. In a moment, Alex felt as good as new and thankfully, Max’s mark paled in comparison to Michael’s. 

“Better?” Max asked, sitting back on his heels. He accepted the acetone Liz shoved at him but didn’t take a sip yet. “All I’m good for right now is the small stuff.”

Alex pulled himself into a sitting position, softly knocking Michael’s hands away from his face as he did. “Yeah,” he leaned sideways into Michael. “Much. Thanks.”

Max smiled. “Anytime.”

He stood up only for Maria and Liz to get right back in Alex’s face. “If you ever do something like that again,” Liz started off.

“Don’t,” Maria finished with a hard look. “You don’t get to be the hero, okay? Been there, done that, leave it to someone else next time.”

Alex smiled tiredly. “Okay.” They all knew he was lying but Maria and Liz accepted it and crushed him in a joint hug. He would’ve fallen back onto the ground if Michael hadn’t held him up. 

“Okay,” Michael tried to pull Alex free of their grip. “That’s enough.” 

Liz glared at him playfully but did loosen her grip. She and Maria fell back and helped Michael get him to his feet. Once he was vertical, Kyle stepped in with his crutches. “You good?” He asked softly, his eyes searching Alex’s face. Alex only nodded but it was enough. “Good,” Kyle nodded. “Now. As your doctor, I am prescribing a lot of rest. And talking. Because apparently you suck at it.” 

Alex rolled his eyes. “We’re not talking about this.”

“I don’t know,” Isobel drawled. “We’ve done a lot of talking about it already.”

Alex nailed her with a hard stare. “Glad I was dead for that.”

“95% dead,” Rosa corrected. “This town’s only big enough for one zombie and it isn’t you.” She hugged him far more gently than she had before the compound went up. “Don’t be such an idiot next time, yeah?”

Alex didn’t bother replying and soon enough Michael was shooing everyone out ahead of them so they could make their way to the truck at Alex’s much slower pace. 

“So,” Alex asked as they pulled away from the mines. “You all did a lot of talking?”

Michael hummed. “Mostly about how you never mentioned we were soulmates.”

Alex looked at him. “I didn’t think it was a secret. It never occurred to me that you didn’t know.”

“So you thought this whole time that I wanted to be with someone else over my own soulmate?” Michael grip tightened on the wheel but he didn’t look over at Alex.

“We aren’t good for each other,” Alex parroted. “You wanted to be good for someone.”

Michael rubbed at his chest. “It hurts just to think about now.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “I know.”

Michael finally looked at him. “You know how this feels and you still thought I wanted someone else.”

“You did want someone else,” Alex reminded him. “And you said it yourself, all I did was hurt you. Wasn’t a crazy idea that I hurt you more than that did,” he nodded at where Michael still rubbed his chest. 

“Okay,” Michael said slowly, his hand returning to the wheel. “I think we need to get some truths out into the open.” Alex started to say something but Michael kept going. “We’re soulmates. I love you. We hurt each other. We can be better.”

Alex didn’t say anything. “We can be better,” he repeated. He wasn’t going to touch the other thing. “Because we have to be? Because now you finally realize we don’t have any other options?”

Michael stopped the car. “Because I love you,” repeated. “And you loved me.” He turned to Alex, his hand not letting go of the steering wheel.

“I do love you,” Alex told him. “But that hasn’t stopped us from hurting each other.”

“Do you want us to do better? To be better?”

“Yes,” Alex answered honestly. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do for months. And I still seem to end up hurting you.” He and Michael had cobbled together a strange friendship over the past few months. If it was anyone else, Alex wouldn’t be able to call it a friendship, more some awkward combination of colleague and antagonist with a side of shared friend group forcing social interactions. But it was Michael and it was all they had so Alex counted it. What it wasn’t was something to build off of.

“So let’s be better,” Michael ignored the second half of his response. “Be good for me. Let me be good for you.” 

Alex held his eyes for a long moment. A car flew past them with a harsh honk of his horn but neither one of them even blinked. “What about Maria?”

“She’s not my soulmate,” Michael answered immediately. “Yes or no?”

“Yes.”

[stayextrafrosty]

I am Your Future, I am Your Past: Chapter 10

A Roswell New Mexico Soulmate AU

A/N: We finally crossed 100 pages and 50000 words for this story! My inconsistent updating remains consistent. I hope you enjoy anyway!

Read on AO3 // Chapter 1

-

“As much as I wish I could just manifest a bike out of thin air, I do have my limits,” Tessa said as she held Alex steady. And as much as he wished, he could only put on his prosthetic so fast. Putting it on wrong would hurt the rest of his leg but what choice did he have? There was no time to waste with technicalities.

“Why do you need a bike when you can basically fly?” She shrugged as he slowly put weight back on his leg.

“Style, I guess. You good?” Alex nodded, and he was weightless once more. The desert was nothing more than a tan blur. He didn’t used to get motion-sick but nausea was creeping up fast. He tried closing his eyes.

“Get ready to tuck and roll,” she called over the wind. How the hell was he supposed to prepare when he could hardly feel his body? They began to slow down, and he hoped this would make the stop less jarring.

He opened his eyes just enough to see how far the truck was. The black box rushed toward them at an alarming rate. Keeping his panic in check wasn’t easy. How the hell was he supposed to react to the possibly of a supernatural car wreck?

He tried to call to Tessa but his words were swallowed by the wind. Feeling was returning to his body. Her grip on his torso was loosening. Five seconds and they’d crash.

Four. He reached out his hand.

Three. He was falling.

Two. The doors burst open.

One…

He grabbed the handle of the door, the momentum yanking his arm up. Alex hissed. Tessa grabbed the other handle and his free arm. She hauled him up to get his footing. The car lurched forward. He could hear curses coming from the front.

Dust kicked up into his face. He stumbled forward, tripping over a body. Tessa kept him from falling face first but his leg gave out beneath him, landing him on top of a motionless Michael. The brakes of the car complained loudly at the sudden stopping.

Alex pushed himself up as fast as he could checking Michael for any serious injuries. Tessa threw the armed guard out the back door, sending him at least ten feet. The driver reached for the gun at his hip as he spun toward the back. Alex gripped on to Michael and Tessa grabbed the guard, yanking him out the back, wresting the gun away from him.

Pushing himself up again, he ran his hands over Michael’s face gently. He trailed his fingers down his neck, checking his pulse. It was still there but faint. Whatever they had given him to knock him out was intended to last.

A dried trickle of blood from his nose caught his attention. Rage bubbled again and tears threatened to fall. Alex shook his head and pressed his forehead to Michael’s. Yelling from the door pulled his attention back to Tessa.

“Alex, they called back-up! We gotta go! Drive!” He didn’t want to leave Michael’s side but he had to trust that she’d keep both of them safe. He pushed himself up with no small amount of pain. The prosthetic was not on right.

He watched her shove back another guard, before scrambling to the front seat. Not bothering with the seatbelt, he cranked the key hard enough he thought it would break. The car roared back to life as he shifted gears and slammed on the gas. The wheels spun for a second before it jerked forward. His leg screamed but he just gripped the steering wheel and focused on the desert in front of him.

“I recommend finding a road,” Tessa called as she slammed the door shut. He glanced in the side mirror. A small black dot was gaining on them.

“No, what I fucking need is some cover. That’s a bit hard to come by if you hadn’t noticed.” He thought he heard her snicker. “Please, just watch Michael. Try to wake him up,” he pleaded.

The gas was pressed as far as it could go. The gas was full but if he happened to be going the wrong direction that wouldn’t help them. He could drive for miles and there would be no civilization. And without water, he and Michael were done for.

“Turn to the left slightly,” Tessa said, poking her head into the front seats. He turned slowly as to not flip the car. The black dot in the distance was slightly bigger but wasn’t gaining ground fast enough. They could make it to Roswell before they caught up.

“Can’t you just fly him back to Roswell?” His voice cracked with worry.

“I could but if you get caught again what would be the point? He’ll just come after you without resting. I’m no doctor but I think they broke his leg. Even with the accelerated healing, it still needs to be set.” He would kill his father. He set this up and now Michael had to suffer. A hand rested on his shoulder. “Don’t get too in your head Manes. Distractions lead to casualties.”

He nodded and focused on the vast space in front of him. The heat of the sun burned his hands on the wheel. Just off to the left he could make out the shining of a green sign. Which meant a road. The radio in the car crackled to life, making Alex jump.

“Alex, please stop. The car has a tracker. We’ll find you wherever you go.” Forrest’s gentle voice floated through the speakers. He wanted to scream. Maybe punch him. What had he done to deserve being used like that? Alex grabbed the radio.

“Go to hell,” he growled back. Slamming the receiver down and looking for some kind of off switch proved difficult while doing eighty on dirt. Tessa rested a hand over his.

“Hey. I got it. Just drive.” He glanced at her but returned his one hand to the wheel, heading straight for the green sign. The radio never cracked again.

They hit a particularly rough bump, making the equipment in the back shake and crash in their places. Alex heard a soft groan. His head jerked, needing to see if Michael was ok.

“Michael,” he called back cautiously.

“He didn’t wake up. The bump probably just moved something too much,” Tessa said back.

The road rushed toward them, black stretching along the horizon. He prayed the change from dirt to asphalt didn’t flip the car. The black dot in the rearview mirror kept pace with them. If he knew where the tracker was kept, he could disable it. Although with his luck recently, it would be on the outside of the car somewhere.

Alex cursed under his breath. When they got to Roswell, they would have to ditch the car and walk. Or was it fly? He didn’t know the limits of her powers. He shook his head and willed the car to go faster. He just needed to break the line of sight long enough for them to bolt and catch an uber or something.

He laughed to himself. An Uber? They were in a life or death situation and they needed to rely on an Uber. No one could have predicted this twenty years ago. Hell even ten years.

“Brace!” He yelled to the back as the road stretched before him. He jerked the steering wheel and felt the car tip slightly. His heart pounded and his stomach dropped like he was in free fall. It tipped back and more equipment in the back crashed.

The metal of the car groaned at the stress but then it was speeding up again. He breathed a sigh of relief as it pushed past eighty. He glanced in the rearview mirror. He didn’t immediately see the other car but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. As long as there was a tracker, they wouldn’t get away.

He glanced at the radio again. Wait…

“Tessa! Unhook this radio and throw it out the window,” he ordered. He swerved around a minivan, ignoring the agree honking from behind.

“I would love to but I’m kind of busy making sure all this equipment doesn’t crush your boyfriend.” His heart skipped and he wanted to correct her. But did he really? They weren’t dating. Alex had made that very clear. But hearing it phrased like that… his heart could have exploded.

“Ok well just move him up to the front seat. But we have no chance if we don’t get rid of the tracker.” He heard shuffling from behind him as he swerved around another car.

“Damnit Manes, learn to drive or you’re going to kill us all,” she scolded as she – as gently as possible – heaved Michael into the front seat. Tessa yanked the seatbelt across him and he groaned as they hit a particularly nasty bump.

She grabbed the seat, bracing herself as she knelt in front of the radio receiver. She started yanking wires and jamming her fingers into the spaces, trying to pull it out.

“What makes you so certain this is where it is anyway?” The car jerked and she stumbled into his seat, elbow hitting his leg. He flinched but made no other sound of distress.

“Just a feeling. And even if it’s not there, at least we don’t have to hear their stupid voices,” he spat out. Specifically Forrest.

He could feel her eyes on him but she didn’t say anything more. She had always trusted him. Of course, maybe she knew the outcome.

“Hey, can’t you tell me if we’ll get out of this or not?” She laughed as she yanked more wires.

“Doesn’t work like that. Even if I could, telling you would change the outcome. Haven’t you seen any time travel movies?” He shook his head. Was now really the time for joking? He felt himself grin anyway.

Tessa gave one final tug at the radio and it popped out of the dash. She pulled out the remaining wires and leaned over Michael to roll down the window. She tossed it and Alex watched it break further in the side mirror.

There was no guarantee that it worked so he couldn’t slow down. Another sign zipped past, and he swore it said Roswell. Almost home. He was gaining on a car in front of him. He prepared to shoot ahead of them but he saw the lights sitting on top of the car. There’s no way they wouldn’t pull him over.

“Shit. I can’t get out of a speeding ticket at these speeds. And not with Michael looking like that.” He looked back at Tessa as he let his foot off the gas. She glanced between him and the cop.

“Actually. Michael is exactly what we need to get out of this. Pull up behind the car and honk.” He glanced out the window to the mirror. He still couldn’t see a car. He hit the breaks as soft as he could, pulling up and tapping the horn a couple times.

The driver flipped their lights on and pulled to the side. Alex followed, turning on his hazard lights. He glanced at Tessa as he rolled down the window. She gave him a reassuring smile. Alex trusted her with his life before. He could trust her with Michael’s too.

Alex watched the cop’s door open. A familiar blonde stepped out of the car. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew it was Jenna, Max’s partner. He let out a sigh of relief.

She blinked at him through the open window. Or maybe it was the sun?

“Alex Manes? What are you doing all the way out here?” Tessa poked her head out from behind Alex.

“Ma’am we need help. He’s hurt and needs a hospital,” she rushed out in her best scared voice.

Jenna looked to Michael in the passenger seat. Dried blood still trickled from his nose and a bruise was forming on his cheek. Alex didn’t want to think about the bruises that had transferred on his back.

“What the hell happened,” she exclaimed. Alex gripped the steering wheel.

“Please Jenna. We just need an escort back to town. Preferably quickly,” Alex begged. He chanced a look in the mirror again and sure enough, a car in the distance gaining on them. It could have been a car they originally passed but somehow, he doubted it. She nodded in understanding.

“Stick close to me.” She jogged back to her car. The sirens rang out and off she went, Alex following close behind her.

Soon enough, they were back up to their original speed. The town rose from the horizon and Alex allowed himself to relax just a bit. He looked over at Michael in the seat. He looked like he was sleeping. But it wasn’t natural. The hard lines of his face remained, as if he wasn’t resting at all.

Alex could only hope he wasn’t in pain.

They had to slow down as they approached the town. Didn’t need anyone else getting hurt because of this mess. The hospital was conveniently in the middle of town with the most traffic. Alex cursed under his breath. People in other cars did the best they could to move but the roads weren’t exactly made for high speed traffic.

They made it to the parking lot and Alex screeched up to the front doors, a sense of déjà vu coming over him. He went to unbuckle Michael but Tessa was way ahead of him.

Alex jumped out of the car, hobbling on his leg. He yanked the passenger door open, supporting Michael as best he could while Tessa climbed out after him. She took on most of his weight but never told Alex to let go.

He looked for Kyle as soon as they were in the front room. He was talking with the receptionist about something but jumped when Alex called his name. He took in the situation for a moment but never asked questions.

He rushed up to them, taking Michael and pulling him toward a gurney that was being rolled out. He checked for responsiveness from Michael then turned to Alex.

“What happened,” he asked?

“He was given some sort of sedative. I don’t know how much.” His voice cracked. For a second, He thought he saw pity in Kyle’s eyes but it was gone just as quick. He turned back to Michael and they rolled him away for tests.

Alex dug his nails into his palms, fighting the pain in his leg. A hand landed on his shoulder. Tessa tugged him toward the chairs. He let her pull him but kept his eyes on the door Michael had disappeared through.

“Alex come on. Let me fix your prosthetic. I know you’re in pain,” she said softly.

He finally met her eyes, nodding slowly as he sat down. He rolled up his pant leg and leaned back into the chair. Her fingers were careful and precise. The pressure released and after a brief stab of pain, it faded completely. She set it to the side. He opened his mouth to object but she cut him off.

“Trust me Alex. You’ll feel better if you leave it off for a while.” The panic of not being able to move on his own set in. What if he needed to fight someone off? A smile settled on Tessa’s face. “I know what you’re thinking and I can take care of it. If I need it, you’re more than capable of kicking ass with or without a leg.”

He did his best to squash any anxiety that came with being mostly immobile. He tapped his fingers against the arm of the chair, only looking away from the swinging doors when someone said his name.

“Can we talk,” Jenna asked?

“Yea,” he answered cautiously. She sat on the wooden table, being careful not to bump his leg. His eyebrows drew together.

“Care to tell me what’s going on?” He looked around to make sure no one was nearby.

“Someone abducted me and then hurt Michael.” He hoped it would be enough to stop the questions but nothing was ever that easy. She sighed and spoke quietly.

“Manes. That car was reported stolen by a branch of military that deals with terrorists. Technically I shouldn’t even be asking questions.” He cursed. Of course they reported the car stolen. Had it been anyone other than Jenna in the car, they would have been arrested.

“I know how it looks but please, just believe me. Someone is using their power in the Military to torture Michael and I,” he pleaded.

“Can you give me a name?” Before he could speak, Tessa did.

“Jesse Manes.” Alex’s head snapped toward her. She knew what an accusation like that could do. She needed proof and they didn’t have it. He was going to give Forrest’s name but would that have been any better?

“That’s quite an accusation from someone I’ve never seen before. Who are you?”

“Commander Theresa Morris. Air Force.” She pulled a small clip out of her pocket, taking an ID and showing it to Jenna. She blinked and looked back at Alex. Where had Tessa come up with an ID when she’s been missing for a couple years?

“We’ll look into it,” she said shortly. She proceeded to salute and walk back out the front door. He looked over at Tessa, a million questions on his tongue.

“Kept it from my time serving. And I know I wiped myself from the system but I can put it back if she decides to look into me. Which she probably will.” Alex let out a short laugh of disbelief. He never really knew her.

“Alex.” He turned toward Kyle’s voice. He moved to push himself to stand but Kyle shook his head. “Just stay sitting. Whatever’s working its way through Michael’s system, it’s strong. He’ll be out for a day at least. More likely a few days. His nose is broken but nothing serious. He also has extensive bruising over his back, shoulders, and face but no internal bleeding.”

Alex flinched at the memories of being slammed against the wall. He shouldn’t have fought it. Michael was suffering for his choices and he hated it.

“Where is he?” He reached for his prosthetic.

“You should go home. He won’t be up for a while and you look like you could use some good rest yourself.”

“I’m fine. I just need to see him,” he insisted, pressing his leg into the metal.

“Alex…”

Once it was snuggly on - correctly this time - he stood to face Kyle. He looked worried. What did he care anyway? Not like they were ever friends.

“Just take me to him.” Tessa grabbed his hand and Kyle sighed, signaling for them to follow.

“You really should listen to the doctor, Manes,” she mumbled as they walked. He couldn’t focus on himself right now. If they wanted him to leave they would have to drag him out.

Kyle pushed open a door, allowing them both to step inside. Michael laid there, hooked up to a saline drip, a thin bandage over his nose. Alex pulled away from Tessa, grabbing a chair and setting it right next to his bed. He sat. And he would be right there when Michael woke up.

He heard Tessa and Kyle talking but didn’t try to pick out what they were saying. He looked over his body. The rise and fall of his chest was slow and steady. The tattoo peaked out from under the hospital gown.

He pulled the collar of his own shirt down. Still four petals. This seemed ‘trial’ worthy to him but maybe the damn gods had other ideas.

“If it was a trial. I ruined it.” She spoke quietly, pulling up another chair. Alex’s eyebrows drew together.

“I’m not supposed to interfere. Get you out of things, protect you. But this has to end with you two. The curse is supposed to end when the original lovers find their way back to each other. And they have. But if you don’t make it through the trials then it’ll keep going and who knows when it’ll happen again.”

“What do you mean original lovers? The slave boy dies saving the princess and I assume she dies of old age. Not to mention it was a couple thousand years ago.” She laughed and took Alex’s hand.

“Alex. You’ve got the story all wrong. The original lovers… are Thomas and Samuel. This princess you speak of, is a prince. And my god, you and Michael, look exactly like them.”

Alex was trying to wrap his head around it. She wouldn’t have any reason to lie, right? Those visions he and Michael had. That journal…

“So… you’re saying we’re, what? Reincarnations?” Tessa thought.

“You could call it that. Doppelgangers, reincarnation, future self. All a similar idea. But yes. You two are identical to the originals and the curse is supposed to end with you. You two share the souls of Thomas and Samuel, like past incarnations, but it runs deeper than that. Hence your resemblance.”

Alex ran a hand through his hair. Just how warped are the stories? And why were they changed? Dumb question. He thought to himself. Homophobia wasn’t a new concept.

“Your father… I don’t think he knows this… Is also a reincarnation. The biggest obstacle in keeping the lovers apart was always the prince’s father. Just as it is now.” Alex dug his nails into his palms.

“You know I’m trying to get away from him,” he said quietly. Tessa took his hands in hers.

“I know. But you’ll have to face him head on sooner or later.”

-

Black was the only thing he could see. He tried to dream. He tried to wake himself up. His body simply refused. Michael could feel the tugging in his chest.

He felt nothing. Heard nothing but his own breathing. And his only instinct was to follow his heart wherever it took him. Probably to Alex. As so many other things in his life did. Always toward Alex.

-

The overly clean smell assaulted Michael’s nose first. Then it was the scratchy clothing. Fuck. Not again. This place was becoming for familiar to him than his own trailer. How long was he out? How much money did he owe this damn place now? Not to mention he hadn’t been working. Too preoccupied with other things. His back ached and a dull throb came from his nose.

He pried his eyes open, flinching at the bright light shining through the window. His head was foggy but the memories slowly came back.

Forrest stabbed him in the back. Literally. A complete 180. He had stopped for a second, thinking he had fallen behind. Then a pinch right at the top of his spine. An arm around his neck. Then black. And now here.

He knew there was something off about the whole situation but he ignored it anyway, thinking that maybe he really cared about Alex. He would never make that mistake again. He was the only one who would protect him.

“Michael,” a female voice said. He lifted his head, looking around the room. His eyes fell on a body curled up in a chair, brown hair messy, prosthetic sitting nearby. Alex? He looked to where he heard the voice. Tessa sat on his bed.

“How…”

“I interfered.” Michael’s shoulders sagged. She had saved Alex. But she also might have made a bigger problem by doing so.

“Why?”

“Because they were going to kill you. Then Alex presumably.” He did his best to push himself into a sitting position. He couldn’t be mad at her for interfering. He would have done the same thing.

“So what happens now? The next trial pushes us both to our limits? Lightning comes down to strike us dead,” he asked sarcastically. Tessa shook her head.

“I don’t know. But it would probably be best for you and Alex to stay close from now on.” Michael looked up at the ceiling. Alex would hate that. And the last thing he wanted him to think was that Michael was a babysitter. “The trials are going to come whether you want them to or not. I just figure it would be easier to overcome if you two are together.”

“What about Forrest,” he asked?

“I wish I knew. He seems different. I don’t think he knows the full extent of what’s going on.” He cursed under his breath. That means he’ll still be around. Did he help save Alex?

Rustling clothes pulled his attention back to where Alex was sleeping. His eyes cracked open and stretched out his legs. Running a hand through his hair, he seemed disoriented. He looked around before his eyes met Michael’s. Michael smiled at him.

“Hey there, Captain.” Suddenly he was fully awake. He pushed himself up from the chair. Tessa was by his side in less than a second, making sure he didn’t fall over.

She helped Alex to his bed, though it was clear he wanted to move faster than she was allowing. Michael’s heart raced. How long was he out for Alex to be this worried? He stumbled slightly, bracing himself on the edge of the bed before practically launching himself at Michael.

Michael didn’t even bother to fight the urge to return the hug. They wrapped their arms around each other. Alex buried his face in his neck and he could feel his breath on his skin.

“I’ll give you two a moment,” Tessa said quietly before walking out of the room.

They sat there for a moment, just holding each other. Michael ran his hands through Alex’s hair, noting the tangles. His heart jumped into his throat when Alex’s lips brushed over his neck as he spoke.

“I’m so sorry,” he mumbled. He squeezed him gently.

“What have I told you? You’ve done nothing that you need to apologize for,” he said.

“You keep ending up here. That’s reason enough.” Michael pushed him back gently, forcing Alex to look at him. He took one of his hands and placed it over his heart where the mark would be.

“As long as you stay safe, I wouldn’t do anything differently.”

Alex blushed and looked away. He could feel both of their hearts racing. Alex had told him that they were no good together. And while it hadn’t been a lie, he knew it wasn’t the complete truth. Had his beliefs changed?

Michael didn’t press the matter. Instead he asked Alex what happened. He explained that he had been knocked out and taken to the bunker. He talked about fighting to get away on his own, which is why there was now a bruise coving his back.

He explained that Forrest had turned on them. That Tessa saved him. And that they basically stole a car from the military and then proceeded to rip out the radio with him in the back. Michael couldn’t help but chuckle. But he also wanted to scold him for being so reckless.

“Just how long have you been in that chair,” he asked once he was caught up?

“Since you were brought in a couple days ago. Tessa refused to bring you back here without me because she was worried you would do something stupid.” Michael tilted his head. Not a lie but…

“Why though?” Alex wrung his hands together, bouncing his leg, chewing on his lip. “Alex.”

“I was worried. I thought you wouldn’t wake up.”

Michael took his hands again, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles comfortingly. Alex was too good for him. Someone who has been through as much as he has shouldn’t care so deeply. But he does and hell would freeze over before Michael let anyone take that away from him.

A few quick knocks at the door made them both turn. Alex went to pull his hands away but Michael refused to let go. A quick glance back at him and then his shoulders relaxed again. And Michael was on could nine. Just from the man in front of him allowing him to hold his hand.

“Tessa let me know you were awake. I just want to check your injuries then I’ll be out of here,” Kyle said, stepping into the room. Michael just nodded. He walked to the other side of the bed, not giving a second glace to their entwined fingers or bothering to ask Alex to move.

“Sit up for me,” he said. Michael listened without complaint. Was this really the guy that tormented Alex all those years ago? Kyle pushed the scratchy gown off his shoulders and partway down his arms. He pressed lightly on the parts of his he assumed were bruised.

Michael hissed in a breath. What was this supposed to accomplish? Other than putting him through pain.

“It’s healing slowly. You don’t have any broken ribs but the bruising is deep. It’s going to hurt for a while. There’s also not much we can do for your nose. Try not to run face first into anything for a while,” he said lightly. Michael actually let himself chuckle.

“Whatever you say, Doc.”

“Oh just listen to the guy,” Tessa said, leaning against the doorway. “I handled the paperwork. Is he free to go?” Kyle shrugged.

“Well considering there’s not much we can do for him, yes. I prescribed those painkillers if you need them but make sure to take them with food and no more than twice a day.” He moved to leave.

-

There wasn’t much talking until they made it outside. The sun beat down, though the wind kept the temperature bearable. Tessa twirled some keys around her fingers. Speaking of…

“So I know this might be a stupid idea, but I’d really like to get my truck back from the middle of nowhere.”

“Already done. Left it at Alex’s house,” Tessa said without turning to face him. Why had she left it there?

“Why my house,” Alex asked?

“I told you both that you needed to stay close. Why not just move in together for now?” Michael’s heart flipped, or was it Alex’s? He glanced at the airman. “You guys have had roommates before. This isn’t any different.”

Michael had wanted to move away with Alex when they were younger but now it was different. He still wanted to move in together, he just wished it was under different circumstances. He thought that maybe there was something good going between him and Alex. He worried this would ruin it.

They stopped at a larger SUV with tinted windows. Tessa unlocked the door and stepped into the driver’s seat. Michael chanced a glance at Alex, who looked away as soon as their eyes met. They walked to the other side and Alex took the passenger side. Pulling out of the parking lot, Tessa spoke again.

“After I drop you two off, I’m leaving.”

“What, why,” Alex asked?

“I’ll be punished for interfering in your trials. And I don’t know what will happen next so I want to see what the other gods are saying.”

“But what about all the stuff you told me,” he pleaded?

“You’ll have to explain it to Michael. But the longer I put off my punishment then the worse it’ll be.”

“Wait, tell me what?” Tessa gripped the steering wheel.

“Short version? The stories you’ve been told are all wrong. You never did read the original scrolls did you? That’s why you wanted Alex to hack into his dad’s things? Because you think he stole them?” Michael leaned forward, bracing himself on the seat in front of him.

“You’re probably right. But Jesse Manes wouldn’t make copies of those things. He wants to destroy any evidence of the curse. Of the lovers. That’s always been his role. If he took the scrolls, then they were destroyed.”

He leaned back and cursed under his breath. Jesse Manes continued to be the definition of evil even into his adult life. He should have killed him when he had the chance.

The rest of the short ride was silent. And sure enough, his truck sat to one side of Alex’s driveway. Michael hopped out of the car, followed by Alex. Tessa opened her door and stepped out but didn’t follow them up. Alex jogged back to her.

“Don’t you dare disappear on me again,” he heard Alex tell her. A smirk settled on her face.

“I hadn’t planned on it. I’ll be back soon with more information. Until then, please stay safe. Both of you,” she said, looking over Alex’s shoulder at Michael.

Then he pulled her into a hug. She seemed surprised at first but quickly reciprocated. Michael felt himself smile. Alex trusted her and she had saved his life more than once. That was good enough for him.

She pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street. Alex walked back to Michael, glancing at him and then heading for the front door.

It occurred to him that this might not be the safest place to be. They caught him here once and there was no reason to think that they wouldn’t try again. He reached forward, grabbing Alex’s arm. He pretended to not notice the way his pulse spiked.

“Hold on. What if they’re in there. Let me go first,” he warned. Alex glanced between him and the door.

“If they’re in there then I will personally kick all of their asses for hurting you,” he said before turning back to the door. He pulled the keys out of his pocket, jiggling the doorknob before the door swung open.

They moved slowly, listening for any hint that someone was in the house. It was silent. Both of their shoulders relaxed as they moved to the living room. Michael kicked his shoes off as Alex grabbed his crutch. He sat on the chair and removed the prosthetic, rubbing the tension out of his knee.

“You alright,” he asked?

“Yea. Just been wearing it for a while.”

He sat on the couch across from him, remembering the last time they were in this space together. Everything was new. It still was, now that he thought about it, but it’s like they had been doing this their whole lives. Maybe in a way, they had. Once his leg was off, he leaned back and ran a hand through his hair.

“I wish she hadn’t left this to me, but I’ll do my best.” Michael nodded slowly.

Alex launched into the story about how the original scrolls would have told the same story Michael had told him. Only with a prince instead of a princess. The rest was generally the same but that means the lovers were disgraced for reasons other than what he had been told. Samuel and Thomas were indeed the original two and the two of them were reincarnations.

“So your father is cosmically required to make our life a living hell? I shoulda known,” he tried to joke at the end. Alex shook his head, running his hand though his hair again.

“We need to get out of here,” he said suddenly. Michael just blinked. Had he heard him right? “You were right earlier. They know where we live and if we stay here then we’ll just be easy targets.” Hard to argue with that logic. “Tessa’s right, too. We’re better off together,” he mumbled at the end.

He wanted to joke to try and lighten the mood but figured it wouldn’t be the best time. Maybe when they were out of this shitty situation. But Alex Manes was asking if he would run away with him. And god it was all he ever wanted.

“Any places in mind,” he asked instead?

“There’s an old cabin about a half hour from here. Middle of nowhere. We can tell your family and stuff but otherwise, no one knows about it.” He nodded slowly.

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Of course. It’ll be safer and that’s all I care about.” Another blush creeped onto Alex’s cheeks and he looked away, making Michael grin. Alex pushed himself up, leaning on his crutch.

“I’m going to go shower. I feel disgusting,” he said nervously. Michael leaned back on the couch and smirked at him.

“Need any help?” Alex’s gaze shot toward him before looking away almost immediately. He opened his mouth to say he was kidding but the feeling in his chest stopped him.

Consideration. Want. Denial.

“Very funny. You’re welcome to eat if you can find anything. I don’t remember the last time I went shopping. I’ll be done quickly.”

Michael watched him disappear down the hallway, weighing in his head if it would be a good idea to follow him or not. This wasn’t the time.

He only stood when he heard the water turn on. He needed to distract himself from the knowledge that Alex was close yet so far. He wandered to the fridge and laughed at how accurate Alex’s offer was. There really wasn’t much in there.

A knock at the door made him frown. He was going to ignore it but whoever was on the other side persisted. He looked around the kitchen for a weapon and settled for a steak knife he found in a drawer.

He could deal with this before Alex got out of the shower. No need to worry him.

Michael moved toward the front door quickly but silently. He cursed doors that didn’t have peepholes for this reason. He grabbed the knob as whoever it was knocked again.

He yanked the door open, knife poised and ready.

[lilwenney]

looking for affection in all the wrong places (iii)

pairing: will x female!reader warning(s): alcohol, swearing, implied smut, & once again general nonsense word count: 4.6k a/n: part three of five, part i and part ii / first off i want to show love to shan for helping beta this chapter when i was feelin real nervous about it, she’s a life saver <3 / once again we have fun this chapter so i hope you all enjoy x 

December 2019 London, England

Monday morning at The International was the meeting spot for (Y/N) and Will every single week during her semester. What was once a special studying spot turned into a hangout spot after Will left his flat to find some peace and quiet one day, only to end up with him tagging along with her to the sacred cafe just off of Queen Mary’s campus. 

No matter how early she showed, before her 8 a.m. class or for lunch, Will always showed ten minutes later. This day was no different. Sitting near the windows with a toastie and a coffee, she watched Will cross the busy street from Mile End Park with a backpack slung across his shoulder, and walk straight into the cafe where she and dozens of other students were cramming for their last bit of exams before break. 

After ordering a coffee, he pocketed his wallet and made his way over to the table, their eyes meeting and they smiled.

“Studying?” Will asked while dropping his backpack on the floor.

She shook her head, sitting her coffee cup back down to the table. “Not yet, I’m finishing a paper for one of my last general courses.” Across the table Will sat his laptop out, fishing out a notebook second. He mostly came to the cafe to do emails and finish up the business-side of YouTube when he wasn’t just generally being annoying. “What are you doing today?” 

“Ah, editing a video I recorded last night with George. We were on Discord for hours last night.” He said plugging in his mouse. 

A moment later one of the employees whisked around the front counter and brought Will his coffee, sitting in on the table, and they both let out quiet thank yous before he returned to the front to greet another customer. 

After taking the first sip of his latte, Will sat back in the chair and looked at her. Her eyes flickered over the top of her laptop screen and she raised a brow, prompting him to speak up first. “You know we’re going to have to talk about Friday, yeah?”

She swallowed hard at the thought of talking about what happened - their tequila-fueled makeout session against a wall of their mate’s flat. She hadn’t seen him since Friday night as her and Cleo spent the weekend at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, which she was partially grateful for. She didn’t want to talk about it, but now that he was sitting in front of her, it was less awkward than she thought. 

“Yeah, we probably should,” she said, “listen, Will, what happened Friday-” 

“Should definitely happen again next Friday.” 

(Y/N) almost choked on her coffee as the words slipped past his lips and interrupted her. She held tight onto the cup, tempted to drop it from the shock, and stared at him intently. He smiled, holding up a hand.

“I know that sounds so weird, but listen,” he licked his lips, “I know Hanna, okay. She is going to show up to every fuckin’ party James has for the rest of his life with another bloke. She is petty as shit which is something I overlooked, but just knowing that I can get a rise out of her by making out with you? I’ll take that any day over standing by and watching her try and do the same.” 

“She did try it.” 

Will cocked his head. “What?” 

“Whenever we split to go get drinks, I saw her all over him, but she was looking directly at us.” She explained, taking another sip of her espresso and sitting the cup back down. “Do you want to do it to make her jealous and try and get her back or what is it for?” 

“Just to get under her skin,” he said. “And you want to do the same with Adrian, yeah? That’s why we necked it in the first place?” 

She laughed slightly at his wording, never failing to get a laugh from his accent either. Her eyes focused on the nicked edge of her cup, finding it more comforting than admitting her feelings while looking at him.

“Yeah, I do,” she finally said, “he had the nerve to walk in there with someone and I just- I just wanted to get him back, you know? It’s shit that he came with another girl literally three days after we split.” 

Will scrunched his brow. “Why you are attracted to that fella is beyond me. I can admit he’s handsome but for god's sake is he a bit of a prat.” 

“And to think he went to school with James.” She dismissed and Will let out a laugh.

“You’re smarter than him though, that’s for bloody sure.” 

There was an eye roll in the mix there as she laughed, remembering when Cleo said the exact same thing last week. She grabbed her cup and took another sip, now taking note of the time on her watch. She had a study session with a group of her classmates in half an hour at the library, and from her spot at the cafe, it felt like a world away. 

She quickly finished off the espresso and sat the cup back down onto the table, frantically grabbing her laptop and highlighters to shove inside her bag among her textbooks and notes. Will watched on, looking at the clock on his laptop, then literally clocking why she was trying to shove everything together in a matter of seconds.

“Going to study?” 

“Yeah,” she said grabbing her notebooks and shoving them in too, “I have an exam this Friday and we’re all meeting every day this week to study before class.” 

“What’s it for this time? The same nonsense class as last month?” 

“It’s not nonsense Will, but yeah,” 

“What was it, something like molecular science astronomy?” 

She stood up from her chair and threw on her coat. “Molecular biology,”

“Yeah that shite,” Will waved her off before leaning back in his chair to put all his attention back on her from his laptop. “Once again, too smart for him, and apparently too smart for everyone else too.” 

(Y/N) took one last glance at the table, grabbing her planner and phone and shoving it into her pocket before looking at Will. They shared just a moment looking at each other, almost like they were trying to figure out what they were thinking, but mostly, it was just that she didn’t know what to think until she blurted out; 

“So necking it this Friday?” 

Will licked the inside of his cheek, laughing as he was taken aback by her sudden forwardness, “same time and place.” 

“See you, you knob,” she said with a laugh while walking by him, heading to the door. He said a quick goodbye over his shoulder as she left the cafe, pushing through the door and into the London cold. 

***

It was nowhere near the same time or place that (Y/N) and Will were together a week ago, because this Friday, she was already drunk by 10 p.m. and showed up to Will’s flat with Cleo by her side. 

She pre-gamed the party with her classmates after their final exam, and she was feeling good in every way - her semester of university was finally over, she passed her final exam and dental clinicals, and she finally got to wear her favorite mini-skirt. For the first time in a very long time, she felt on top of the world. 

They had caught wind that Will was pre-gaming with George and Alex at his flat before heading to James’, all because of a single text from Gee, so they barged in, loud as usual. 

“WHAT’S UP FUCKERS?” She called out, the door slamming open and hitting the door stopper before bouncing back on Cleo who rolled her eyes. 

Will heard her voice from downstairs, and without a doubt, his neighbors heard her too. Sliding the black tee over his head, he walked out of his bedroom and jogged down the stairs to see (Y/N) - she was smiling when their eyes met, and he could tell by the flush in her cheeks that she had been drinking already.

“Bloody hell we haven’t even made it to the party and you’re already pissed.” He joked, making it to the bottom of the stairs. She opened her arms out and he stepped into her side, allowing his arm to slide around her shoulders.

“She’s been drinking since 6.” Cleo said as she sat the drinks on the counter. “It took me half an hour to get her out of the flat because she kept changing outfits, and then falling over while changing.” 

She looked up at Will, a beaming smile meeting her glassy eyes. “I passed my exam.” 

His eyes then brightened, “oh sweet, congrats on passing whatever bullshit you said that was..” He affirmed his words by rubbing her arm gently, thumb grazing over the skin of her shoulder while they laughed. On the counter next to them he spotted Cleo cracking open a bottle of vodka. 

“How about you two get some of the glasses from the cabinet and we’ll take some celebratory shots.” He offered and everyone agreed, even George and Alex in the living room who were fucking around making dumb TikToks. They ushered into the kitchen and Will felt her move from under his arm straight over to the counter where Cleo was. 

While grabbing his denim jacket from the back of the sofa, Will looked up at the group who was laughing as Alex’s (plastic) shot glass split and broke in his hand, but he was looking more at (Y/N). Her hair shined under the lights of his flat, her skirt hugging her in all the right places. When she giggled before taking the shot, he couldn’t help but smile as he downed his own. 

The group sat in his kitchen and had another drink before heading out, taking the lift down to where an Uber awaited to whisk the five across the city to James’ flat. 

Walking with Cleo in the back of the group, she took the chance to look at Will - he ditched a hat for the night and his hair looked soft, and he chose to wear a denim jacket and a pair of black denim jeans. She always thought he had the best style out of their friend group, but it messed with her head and her fluctuating feelings to admit it, because for that second she allowed herself to be attracted to him. 

The other three knew immediately that something was up between them. 

They were in the back of the Uber giggling, his hand on her lower back when she climbed out, and just the general vibe they were giving off made it clear that even just for a second, they might be more than just friends who made out at a party once. In the lift, Cleo rolled her eyes at the sound of them laughing behind her and took another drink straight from the bottle of vodka in her hand. 

And just like last week, the lift doors opened to reveal an already packed flat in front of them. In the back of the lift, (Y/N) reached over and slid an arm around Will’s torso, leaning against him for support. The vodka shots were beginning to mix with the margaritas she had downed with her classmates. 

“You are already a handful, aren’t ya?” He teased, holding her close as they stepped off and into the corridor. Cleo was greeting everyone in the doorway and they slowly made their way forward. 

She giggled and gripped the material of his denim jacket in her palm, staring up at him with eyes full of stars. “Will you dance with me?” She asked with almost an innocent tone. How could he ever say no to that?

“Give me a bit and I’ll definitely consider it.” 

Multi-colored lights danced across the walls in the foyer, leading them like moths straight to the living room where everyone else was. They pushed their way inside, through the bodies, and straight to James. He had already downed three drinks since the pre-game, so he was greeting them all once again with giant hugs and even kisses for the boys. 

Laughing with James as they hugged, she looked over his shoulder to see Adrian in the kitchen. He was standing with the same brunette like last week, this time no drink in his hand, but this time his eyes were trained on her. She quickly looked away, hoping he wouldn’t notice her second-too-long gaze, and then sunk back down to her normal height as her and James pulled away.

Behind her, Will noticed Adrian, too. They met eyes across the heads of everyone else between them, and Adrian tilted his chin up before turning away. Similar to Hanna and her, Will woke up Saturday morning to a few petty Instagram stories from Adrian, but he mostly found them funny rather than anything else.

When she leaned back from James, Will stepped up behind her, tilting his head down to meet the shell of her ear. “Do you want to get a drink?” 

She looked at him over her shoulder with a raised brow, “as long as you’ll dance with me after.” She always drove a hard bargain, and in all fairness, Will didn’t mind dancing as long as it was with her. 

“It will take more than just one, but I’m willing to give it a try.” 

He reached down between them and grabbed her hand, their fingers lacing together, and he led her right by the kitchen and around the edge of the room to the drink table. Adrian watched as they moved together, and when they stepped into his view from the kitchen, he saw interlocked fingers and quickly looked away, turning all his attention to the girl on his side while mentally fighting with himself to turn back around and watch. 

This time James had stocked up on the tequila per their request, so there was no need to raid the cupboards for it like last Friday. James wound up missing a pineapple because everyone was looking for more drinks at 2 a.m., and they never found the Inflatable Penis Bandit either.

Across the room on the sofa with her legs thrown over her date, sat Hanna. She had shown up earlier than everyone else with the same guy she had dragged along last time, and replaced her own little-black-dress for a pair of denim jeans and a cute top, hoping to catch Will’s attention, but instead all she got was the back of his head in her direction as he laughed with his date. 

(Y/N) caught the daggers shooting into her skull from across the room, Hanna’s gaze heavy directly at her, so she decided to take the first initiative of the night. Will handed her a shot glass, this time they were miniature red cups, and they took the shot together after a quick toast. The tequila in her system began to add up, and it served as courage when she leaned up and kissed Will after they slammed their shot glasses back down onto the table.

It was a decision made with quick thinking, catching Will completely off guard when she grabbed his jacket and pulled herself up to his mouth, but a second later he sunk into her. His hand gently cradled the back of her head, allowing her to control the way her lips dragged across his before she pulled away with a giggle.

“Was that okay?” She asked, nose nestling against his before she leaned down to her normal height. 

Will looked down at her, watching the lights bounce off her face and glassy eyes, and he smiled. It was more than okay. He wanted to kiss her again, regardless of who was watching, so he did. His answer was given by kissing her again, this time it was long, it was sultry in all the right ways. Her head that already began to spin, whirled in circles with the feeling of his warm hands on her skin. She liked having him this close. 

“Wait,” she pulled back and Will’s heart picked up, afraid that he may have crossed a boundary, but was comforted when she continued, “do you think James has a strawberry mixer?” 

He breathed out and moved his hands to hold her face. “Another margarita, that’s what you want, innit?” She smiled and nodded. “I’ll go see if they have anything for it.” 

“No, no, no, don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about me.” Her words slightly slurred when she shook her head, simultaneously reaching up to wipe her lipstick off the corner of his mouth, and they both laughed. “You go have fun.” 

Will’s smile faded, and over the music, he could hear someone calling out for him. “You’ll be okay?” 

“Okay, I’m gon’ find Cleo again,” she said with a slow nod, ���now go on, be careful!” 

Will chuckled, nose scrunched. She was already so drunk he found it almost endearing. “I’ll be careful.” He repeated before pecking her cheek with another kiss and they split apart, the warmth of his hand on her shoulder remaining as he moved past her - she headed to the hallway where she last saw Cleo, and Will headed straight to the kitchen where Ethan and Mark was calling out for him, a drink in his hand and they greeted each other. 

More people began to pack into the flat, the music growing louder, the lights moving around the room faster. The room was hotter with the moving bodies, and the drinks were overflowing shot glasses and cups, turning the dial of the party up a notch. 

Will found (Y/N) an hour later while she was dancing with Cleo and Gee. 

He had been making his way around the party, talking to everyone, and also, in the meantime, managing to make a margarita. Throughout the night he had also kept an eye on her - watching her dance on the table, take a shot with Fraser, and as she took photos with Gee and Astrid. 

From the patio where he stood with Simon and Joel not twenty minutes after he left her alone, he looked through the glass to see her sitting with Astrid on the floor, Kenji on his back between them, fully enjoying the belly rubs and attention he was receiving. Will smiled because it reminded him of the time she came to Newcastle with him, how she sat on the sofa with his mum and Darcey the entire time, giving the dog all of the attention instead of him. 

Walking onto the makeshift ‘dance-floor’, Will carried a frozen glass in his hand. James didn’t have ice so Will had to improvise and stick the full glass in the freezer for an undisclosed amount of time (he forgot about it), but it was still the thought that counted. Stepping between, he caught her attention amongst the other bodies, and she started her walk to him. And then when she spotted the red slush in the glass in his hand, she gasped, pausing her movements to step over and grab it with both hands.

“I think you are my new favorite person.” She said, taking it from his grip, raising to her toes to peck his cheek with another kiss; for those watching, they imagined, but it was mostly for themselves. 

When they started talking, she noticed the slight bounce in his stance, his smile was wider - he had a few shots of the tequila with James and Calum, and now he was starting to feel his cheeks warm up, suddenly everything was funnier too, for both of them. She laughed as he began to sway his shoulders to the beat of the song, head following along - it was EARFQUAKE, Tyler, The Creator. 

“Come on,” she reached down and her cold fingers locked around his, guiding him to the same spot she was just a few moments ago. Everybody was rocking back and forth, some singing along to the lyrics, and they were right in the middle of it.

They stopped among everyone else, sandwiched between the sofa and shoulders of everyone else, and began to dance to the sound of Tyler’s voice. In the mix of colors, Will looked down at her when she grabbed his hand and used it to spin herself around, smiling when she collided with his body again, sending them both into fits of laughter. He was also impressed with the fact that she managed to not spill a single sip of her drink. 

“You’re cute,” he said under the music, but close enough to her so she could hear. 

Her cheeks flushed, from the alcohol or from his words, she didn’t know. “I called you cute the other day and you laughed at me,” she pouted, gently slapping his arm, “so why should I take this compliment?” 

Will smiled down at her, a hand reaching out to brush her hair from her face, and her chin instinctively tilted upwards to him. “Because unlike you, I mean it.” 

“I meant it too!” (Y/N) called out and Will laughed before leaning down and kissing her. 

He wasn’t kissing her because specific people were looking, he kissed her because in the moment, it felt right. It would have been wrong if he hadn’t.

When a song with a heavy beat replaced the current one, a switch flipped, and Will allowed her to press forward against his chest, her hips gyrating against his lap. His hot hands guided her hips, moving with her, their noses nestled, breaths hitched and kissing, both losing their inhibitions in the melody of the song. 

But a few minutes later when the song changed to Vossi Bop, the feeling of the room lightened, everyone immediately rushed to their friends or to the table for more drinks, all rapping along with the words. Everyone lost their shit to Stormzy. The last time she heard the song was in Paris and that night ended with her throwing up in a bush outside the venue. 

Her and Will danced through Stormzy and AJ Tracey, sharing the margarita he made, laughing with and at their friends as they stumbled around, and singing the lyrics to every known belter. Similar to Vossi Bop, when the playlist shuffled Wonderwall, the room came together and this time, sang along like a family. 

(Y/N)’s arm slid around Will’s shoulders, pulling herself close to his side as they smiled from ear to ear and sang to each other. “I SAID MAYBEEE, YOU’RE GONNA BE THE ONE THAT SAVES MEEE. AND AFTER ALL, YOU’RE MY WONDERWALL.” 

In a fit of laughter and joy, she leaned forward and tilted her head, pressing a kiss against Will’s cheek, and then the corner of his mouth. He smiled as she broke apart from him, twirling herself in circles to the ending of the tune, pointing to him while finishing off the lyrics. 

When the song came to an end, Will stepped forward and grabbed her face, his fingers locking behind her ears, and he kissed her. It wasn’t playful, it wasn’t sweet, it had meaning, intentions laced behind it. 

It was a mix of the alcohol, the known euphoria of Wonderwall, and the fact that she looked so damn sweet looking up at him. Her eyes fluttered shut, free hand placing on his arm while she focused on the feeling of his lips on hers, the taste of strawberry mixer and tequila. 

It was the Arctic Monkeys One For The Road that propelled them forward, their bodies clashing together, kisses sloppy, a shift in their nature. Sweet and fun turned quickly into rushed and lustful, lighting their insides aflame. When their lips broke apart, Will glanced behind him, and then pulled her with him as he shuffled back onto a chair. In the small corner of the room, she straddled his lap, the colors dancing across her skirt while his fingers wound in her hair and they kissed messily.

It wasn’t a sudden realization of love, it was infatuation, it was lust. When they made out at the party last Friday, that was the realization that they needed - it was something they could do all the time, because they genuinely liked each other. They were always friends, but there was the underlying tone of the potential for more. Friends who didn’t mind to neck it at every party were bound to have some feelings for each other eventually. 

And that’s how they wound up in the hallway outside of James’ flat, her back pressed against the cool surface of the wall, his hand on her thigh, pushing the material of her skirt up the higher his palm climbed. 

Her heart was pounding against her chest, unable to calm it when his hand gripped the back of her thigh. Everything he was doing was amplified by the alcohol - her sensations running on a constant high, pushing exhilaration when his tongue slipped into her mouth. The music from inside the flat was muffled behind the closed door. 

Boy, I’m looking for affection in all the wrong places And we’ll keep falling on each other to fill the empty spaces

Their lips parted for a breath, and she tilted her head up, nose grazing his. “Back to mine?” Was all she could make out, her lungs filled with fire, breath ghosting over Will’s lips.

He looked at her, searching her eyes for something, anything - hesitation, regret, but instead, all he saw was reciprocated feelings staring back at him. A neediness, a desire. Will didn’t even respond, instead reaching over and smacking the button for the lift, giving her an answer in the form of another kiss while they both laughed. 

Within minutes they were in the backseat of a taxi on the streets of London, his lips on her neck, her hands creeping under his shirt. Chills ran up her spine, from the cold, from his hands sliding under her skirt. He smiled against her lips and she felt him taking root inside of her when he kissed her again. 

On the other side of the city no less than ten minutes later, they slid out of the backseat in front of the residential building and dashed to the lift and into her flat, this time, their affection wasn’t overshadowed by the fear of freaking out an innocent Uber driver.  

Her keys dropped onto the foyer table, his jacket tossed onto the floor. He brought a hand up to the side of her face, long fingers wrapping around her jaw and twisting in her hair, and they were kissing again, just like before, but somehow better. It’s sweeter, it’s deeper. He wanted her, and by the way her hands slid up his shirt, hooking around his belt, it made him feel like she wanted him too. 

Pressing forward, she pushed him backwards towards her bedroom at the end of the hall. Will shuffled back into the wall by trying to turn too early and they let out a laugh before their lips reconnected. He slid a strong arm around her waist, pulling her with him while he used his memory of the floorplan to her flat, in the best way he could, to guide her with him to her bedroom. 

Will backed up against the wall, hands sliding down to touch her hips, her thighs, while his lips found the delicate skin on the side of her neck. Reaching blindly behind her, she felt the doorknob against her palm, and pushed the door shut, shutting off the bedroom from the rest of the flat. 

Oh, I’m looking for affection in all the wrong places And we’ll keep falling on each other to fill the empty spaces

[13uswntimagines]

Tater Tot Emergency (Soran x Child!Reader)

Request: I was wondering if you could do a soran imagine with the reader as their kid but the team doesn’t know and their kid is very sick with like cancer or something along the lines of that

Authors Note 1: So I changed this request up a little bit because I felt really uncomfortable writing about cancer. It brought up some really bad feelings and felt really heavy, so i changed to appendicitis instead.

Authors note 2: I’m not sure how i feel about this one, but i hope you enjoy it. Let me know what ya think or hit me up if you have ideas or just want to say hi. 

Emily and Lindsey loved camp. They loved seeing their team, and they loved playing footie. Yet, they weren’t as excited to be there as they usually were. Instead, their minds were more focused on a little girl just down the road hanging out with Lindsey’s mom for the duration of the camp. A little girl that had been in their life for just under a year, who they had never been away from before. They had heavily debated taking you to camp, but in the end, it was decided that meeting the entire team (besides Kelley who had been there during the adoption process), would be a little too overwhelming for your tiny body. They weren’t hiding you, they just didn’t know how to break the news to the rest of the girls. 

“Mom said that she finally got the tater tot to go down for a nap,” Lindsey sighed, sitting heavily on the bench next to Emily, who wrapped her arm tightly around Lindsey’s waist. 

“How was her fever?” Emily asked, leaning her head on Lindsey’s shoulder and eyeing the various pictures your grandmother had sent them. It sucked to be away from you in general, but right now it sucked all that much more because you were sick. You had come down with what they thought was a stomach bug, and all they could do was pray that it passed soon. 

“Holding steady at 101, and she couldn’t get her to eat,” Lindsey grumbled. 

“Did she try giving some to Roary first?” Emily laughed, grabbing Lindsey’s phone and examining the picture of her little one cuddled up with her stuffed Triceratops. You didn’t do anything without Roary, and your moms had used that to their advantage several times. 

When you didn’t want to eat your veggies, well Roary loved broccoli. When you didn’t want shots, Roary went first to show you that it wasn’t all that bad. The two women would be forever grateful to your Aunt Kelley for getting him for you. 

“Yeah, She even tried ice cream,” Lindsey mumbled, her eyebrows furrowing in worry. 

“And the munchkin still didn’t go for it?” Emily questioned exasperated. You never turned town icecream. It was your absolute favorite food ever and their Trump card. It was the one thing that could get you to do just about anything. Lindsey shook her head slightly. “She must not feel good,” Emily huffed. 

She hadn’t wanted to leave you in the first place, but your grandmother had convinced them that it was just a stomach bug, and you would be fine for the three days they would be at Camp. Now, she was entirely rethinking that decision. 

“What the hell are you two talking about. Who’s Roary?” Pino interrupted before Lindsey could respond, plopping down on the bench next to the two blonds, who shared a frantic look. 

“Um…” Lindsey started, not quite sure how to explain to the other woman that they had a 4-year-old daughter. A 4-year-old daughter who was currently not feeling too great. 

“Alright ladies, let's get back to work,” Vlatko called, catching the attention of the women who had crowded around Emily and Lindsey, who both sighed in relief. The crowd began to disperse, walking towards the field, except one woman. The only woman who knew that you existed, who sent both worried looks. 

“Everything alright?” Kelley asked, eyeing the two women’s distress. 

“We hope so,” Emily muttered, sulking back towards the field. 

It was halfway through practice when it was decided that everything was most certainly not fine. 

“Hey Linds, your phone is going crazy,” One of the coaches called out after Lindsey’s phone had buzzed for the 6th time in the last 5 minutes. Lindsey rushed over to the bench, grabbing the offending device, her eyes widening as she answered the next frantic all. 

“Hey Mom, everything Ok?” Lindsey asked, trying to sound calm, even though she most certainly didn’t feel that way. If her mom was calling then it had to be bad. She listened for a few seconds, her face becoming more worried with each word. “You’re talking too fast,” She said quickly, as Emily jogged up next to her, placing a comforting hand on her arm. “Are you at Memorial or NorthWest?” She asked, biting her lip and gesturing for Emily to start picking up their stuff. “Tell them to do it, we’ll be there as soon as we can,” She finished, hanging up the phone and shoving it into her pocket, and gesturing towards Vlatko, who came running over along with the rest of the team.  

“I got the bags,” Emily said as she heaved up both her and Lindsey’s bags. She didn’t know exactly what was going on, but she knew that it was serious and they needed to move now. 

“We need to go, now. My mom had to take her to the hospital.” Lindsey barked out towards Vlatko. He nodded, immediately. He knew about you by necessity, that way he would understand if any emergency were to happen. 

“Of course, do you need someone to drive you?” He asked, his back straightening and concern leaking into his voice. 

“No, we got it. Ready babe?” Emily said distractedly, checking to make sure that she had all of their things. 

“Who? What the fuck is going on?” Megan exploded, as several of the women behind her nodded. Sonney and Lindsey had been acting strange all weekend. They were glued to their phones and always whispering conspiratorially to each other. The women were going to get to the bottom of it. 

“Our daughter is having emergency surgery and we need to go, now.” Lindsey spat over her shoulder, grabbing Emily’s hand and moving towards the exit. Several of the women gasped, while others just looked on in shock. Kelley rushed forward, placing a hand on the women’s shoulders, and forcing them to turn around. 

“If you think you’re going by yourselves, you’re both out of your fucking minds,” She growled. She might not be your mother, but she cared about you and from the tears in both women’s eyes, they were in no state to drive. One person in the hospital was enough, they didn’t need any more emergencies.

“Guys,” Emily started, holding her hand out in a placating fashion. 

“No. She’s our niece and we always show up for family.,” Alex said firmly, standing behind Kelley and crossing her arms. Sure, they had just learned about you, but that didn’t make you any less their family. There would be time to quiz your mothers about you later, but right now, they just needed to support them. 

“Let’s get going then,” Kelley said grabbing the keys and rushing towards the vans. You were in trouble and they needed to get moving. 

“Lindsey, over here,” Lindsey’s mom called the moment she saw her daughter enter through the emergency room doors. Emily and Lindsey quickly made their way over to the woman, the women of the USWNT following behind them like lost puppies. 

“What happened?” Emily demanded, her mother-in-law nodded hastily. 

“Her temperature spiked, and she was in so much pain, so I brought her here. They said her Appendix burst,” she explained in a rush. Lindsey’s hands migrated to her hair, agitatedly pulling at the strands, while Emily rubbed her hands into her eyes with a groan. How the fuck did this happen while?

“Ah, you must be Mommy and Mama?”A tall, bald man in a white coat and scrubs approached the women,“And you must be the rest of the team?” He smiled gesturing to where the team had taken up residence in the cramped waiting room. 

“Is Y/n ok?” Lindsey rushed out, Emily nodded, wrapping her arm around her wife and looking at the doctor expectantly. They didn’t know what they would do if… the thought was too painful to even imagine. They shouldn’t have left you, even if it was with your grandmother and they were only a few miles away. 

“She’s stable now. The surgery was a success, we were able to remove her Appendix, and she’s currently getting set up in a recovery room,” He listed professionally. 

“But she’s going to be alright now,” Emily asked, desperation leaking into her tone. 

“Barring any infections and some pain around the incision, she should be fine. Kids typically bounce back pretty well,” The doctor nodded and all of the women took a sigh of relief. You weren’t totally out of the woods, but you could be alright.

“Can we see her,” Lindsey quieted, sniffling lightly, and trying to discreetly bring a hand up to wipe her nose. She felt a tissue being placed in her hands by a woman behind her, and she murmured out a thank you. 

“I’ll have a nurse come get you as soon as she’s been settled,” The doctor affirmed, smiling lightly, and turning to go talk to the nurse at the nurse’s station. 

“You two go in first, we’ll hang out here until she’s awake and ready to meet us. We don’t want to overwhelm her.” Tobin spoke quietly, rubbing Lindsey back, as Christen did the same for Emily. 

Lindsey and Emily’s breath left them as they entered your room and took in your appearance. Your little body looked so tiny in that bed, the numerous wires connected to you making you look impossibly more fragile. They couldn’t help the smile that cracked across their face at the sight of Roary laying beside you, a bandage wrapped securely around his middle in the place she assumed yours was. 

They carefully made their way over to you, Lindsey sitting on your right and Emily on your left, both women grabbing your tiny hands. 

“I can’t believe they bandaged the Dino too,” Lindsey laughed as she ran a hand through your wispy Y/H/C hair, brushing it away from your eyes. 

“Kel will be thrilled she’s so attached to that thing,” Lindsey whispered, running her fingers lightly over your cheeks. She smiled when your nose scrunched up cutely. 

“Mama?” You mumbled, your Y/E/C eyes fluttering. 

“Hey baby, Mommy is here too,” Lindsey smiled, leaning over so you could see her better, her thumb running soothing circles over your cheeks. 

“Hey monster, try not to move too much ok? You hurt your tummy,” Emily said softly, placing a soothing hand on your chest, to stop you from trying to sit up. 

“Dey fix Roary too?” You asked, squeezing the stuffed dino under your arm more tightly. The women smiled indulgently at you. 

“Yeah, and he said he’s feeling much better. What about you?” Emily asked, running her hand soothingly through your hair. 

“I’m otay. Can I have water?”You asked, Lindsey, raising her eyebrow at you.“peas?” You smiled mischievously at your mama, batting your eyelashes, and she rolled her eyes. 

“Kelley wants to know if her, Alex, Chris, and Tobin can come in?” Emily grumbled, glancing up from where she was texting updates to the USWNT group chat.

“Might as well bring in the whole crew,” Lindsey mumbled under her breath. Where one went the others were sure to follow, and though this wasn’t the perfect moment, she knew that the other women were worried about you. 

“Hey baby, there are some people who really wanna say hi, wanna meet them?” Emily questioned lightly, brushing the hair away from your eyes yet again. 

“You Team?” You asked, your eyes lighting up in excitement. You had only heard stories about the women from your Mommy, Mama, and Aunt Kelley. If they were half as cool as Aunt Kelley said they were, then you couldn’t wait to meet them (especially your Aunt Alex because Aunt Kelley made heart eyes every time she talked about her).

“Yeah, baby,” Lindsey said softly, replacing Emily’s hand on your chest to slow your excited wiggling. 

“Aun Kelwey?” You cheered. You loved the woman (not as much as you loved your mamas, but pretty close). She always told you fun stories, and she had given you Roary. 

“She’s there too,” Emily smiled lightly at your obvious excitement, standing and moving to go retrieve the said women. You and your Mama didn’t have to wait long before Kelley came busting through the door with the rest of the team following much more carefully behind her. 

“Hey short stack” Kelley smiled as she entered the room, (gently) tickling you and kissing your cheeks. The room’s atmosphere lightened at your giggles, and Lindsey and Emily shared a knowing look. 

“You knew?” Alex demanded, glaring at her girlfriend as the entire team trickled into the room. 

“Of course I knew that Frat Daddy junior had a junior of her own,” Kelley smirked, settling into her chair, watching as you tried to keep your eyes open. 

“Tired baby?” Lindsey asked quietly after a few minutes of watching you fight your obviously heavy eyelids. 

“Wanna meet the team,” You wined, quietening at your mama’s stern look. Just because you were sick didn’t mean you got to be a brat. All of the women awed at your dinosaur yawn. 

“Sleep baby dino, we’ll still be here when you get back,” Kelley said softly, rubbing your leg, as Alex did the same thing on your other side. They would be here for as long as you were to support you and your mothers. Plus, your mamas had some explaining to do. Now that they knew you exited, you had 20 other Aunts who were going to help you get better.

[prouvaireafterdark]

“I wish you would write a fic where...” Michael and Alex hook up at some point during the Lost Decade.

Sorry this took so long! I’d kind of told myself I wasn’t going to write a Lost Decade fic 'cause I figured it'd been done a lot before, but when I got this prompt I just knew I had to give it a try and if I was gonna do it I wanted to do it right. I hope it lives up!

Also, I should warn you that this is canon compliant, so expect a lot of hurt mixed in with the comfort here.

Also on AO3!

***

When Michael pulls up to the stretch of Foster’s Ranch his Airstream is parked on, he’s surprised to find someone waiting for him.

There’s an unfamiliar Jeep parked out front and a man with short dark hair standing beside it wearing dark-wash jeans and a green sweater. When the rumbling of his truck grows loud enough for him to hear, the stranger turns around to face him and Michael just about has a heart attack.

Standing in front of his trailer, looking just as achingly beautiful as he had the last time Michael saw him three years ago, is Alex fucking Manes.

Michael’s truck jerks to a stop an awkward distance away from his doorstep. He sits there, foot on the brake, car still in drive, his ears ringing to the tune of Alex, Alex, Alex.

He’s not sure how much time passes before Alex gives an awkward little wave, but it jolts Michael out of his own head. He parks the car hastily and climbs out, the desert floor crunching under his boots as he walks the rest of the way over.

“Alex,” he says once he’s close enough, eyes wide as he takes in every detail like Alex will disappear the moment he closes them. Alex’s nose ring is gone, and so is the eyeliner, but that little flash of teeth as he smiles—oh, that’s still very much the same and Michael’s heart aches.

“Guerin,” Alex greets back, sounding every bit as effected as Michael feels. Hearing his name from those lips again just about sends Michael to his knees.

Michael hangs onto his dignity by a thread and says, “I didn’t know you were back.”

Alex’s smile dims a little and Michael could kick himself.

“Yeah, about that…” Alex says, a strange, sad quality to his voice. “Can I… can I come in?”

Michael swallows the lump in his throat, nods, and heads toward his Airstream.

As he leads Alex inside, he’s suddenly thankful Isobel bullied him into cleaning up when she stopped by for one of their bitch sessions the other day. His bed’s not made, but his clothes are in his closet where they’re supposed to be and his research, which is usually scattered here and there, has been collected and stored in a bin under his bed.

“Nice place,” Alex comments, taking in his surroundings. Michael’s about to laugh when it occurs to him that Alex’s barracks might be even more Spartan than his tin can.

“Eh, it’s nothing special,” Michael shrugs.

Alex makes a face like he disagrees. “You’ve got a safe place you can go and do whatever you want in. You have a home now, Guerin,” Alex insists. “How’s that not special?”

It’s the mention of home more than anything else that shatters the dream he’s been living in these past few minutes. Because, yeah, he’s not roughing it in his truck anymore and this place is a decent upgrade with actual walls and a real bed, but the only home he’s ever had is standing right in front of him. And he left.

“Why are you here, Alex?” The question is out of his mouth before he gives his lips permission.

Alex lets out a breath, taking a hesitant step closer. “I wanted to see you.”

“Why?” Alex looks wounded the second he says it, but Michael needs to know.

“Do you really need to ask?” Alex reaches for him, but Michael takes a step back, needing to maintain a little distance to keep a clear head. He’ll give Alex his whole heart if he wants it, but first he has some explaining to do.

“A little bit, yeah,” Michael asks, his voice raising in pitch and Alex looks down at his feet, cowed by Michael’s rejection. “I mean, shit, Alex, I haven’t gotten so much as a postcard from you in years. You ignored every letter I sent you, how am I—“ Michael stops suddenly when Alex’s head snaps up.  

“You sent me letters?” Alex asks, eyes wide and surprised.

That makes Michael pause. “Yeah. You didn’t get them?”

Alex shakes his head. “Did you get mine?”

Michael’s mouth drops as he shakes his head. Alex wrote to him?

Silence hangs between them before Alex curses angrily, “That motherfucking son of a bitch,” and Michael connects the dots from there all on his own.

Michael stands there in shocked silence, though a voice inside his head tells him he shouldn’t be. Of course Alex being thousands of miles away, in the goddamn Air Force, wasn’t enough of a victory for him. Of course he just had to salt the wound and burn out every last piece of evidence that Michael and Alex had ever had something. Of course he had to make them both think they’d been forgotten, that they didn’t care about each other anymore, or maybe never did at all.

Michael’s no stranger to being hated by people, but the depth of Jesse Manes’ disdain for his youngest son stretches the bounds of comprehension.

“God,” Alex continues, “just when I think he can’t possibly fuck me over any more than he already has...” Alex’s voice drops off in disbelief.

“So…” Michael starts eventually, drawing Alex’s attention back to him, “you thought I ignored your letters and you still came all the way over here?”

“I had to,” Alex says softly but with conviction and, fuck, now Michael wants to fucking cry. This time when Alex reaches for his face to cradle his jaw, Michael lets him. “And all this time you thought I just left and that was it? That I just forgot about you?”

Michael shrugs and sniffles a little, the look on his face all the confirmation Alex needs. Alex makes a pained noise, bringing their foreheads together, and Michael’s entire world narrows to the scant few inches of space between them, to Alex’s palm warm against his cheek.

“I could never,” Alex whispers, and Michael closes the distance between them without another thought.

Michael has kissed a lot of people in his life, some more memorable than others, but not a single one has ever felt anything like this. Kissing Alex feels like a homecoming, his lips soft against his mouth, drawing him in deeper and deeper passed the point of no return. As Alex’s fingers twist their way into his wild curls, Michael yields to the sensation completely and inexorably, sinking into that place where he’s safe and loved and warm, a place he’s only ever reached in Alex’s arms. When Alex licks across the seam of his lips, Michael moans, powerless to resist, his mouth opening freely to Alex’s tongue.

They’re horizontal on Michael’s bed before he knows it, Alex straddling his lap and pushing his hands under Michael’s t-shirt, his sweatshirt and shoes already abandoned in a heap on the floor. Michael rolls them over as gracefully as he can, pulling back to take in the perfect image of Alex’s head resting on his pillow.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Michael says, leaning down to brush their noses together, overcome with happiness because Alex is here and kissing him like every dream he’s ever had.

“Me neither,“ Alex echoes, caressing his cheek before claiming Michael’s lips with his own once more.

“God, never fucking leave me again, Alex,” Michael gasps between fierce kisses, but instead of the affirmation Michael hopes for, Alex tenses under his fingers. A horrible feeling sinks into Michael’s gut. He pulls back to look at Alex and the second he sees the pain in his eyes he knows. “You’re not staying, are you?” he asks, voice hollow, feeling the ignorant bliss of a moment ago crashing down around his ears.

Alex shakes his head, and as soon as the words, “I’m sorry,” are out of his mouth, Michael pushes himself off of him and leans his back against the wall.

“Guerin, I’m sorry, don’t go,” Alex says, sitting up and reaching for him as if to pull him close again.

“I’m not the one who’s leaving, Alex,” Michael snaps, drawing his legs up to his chest. God, why can’t he ever catch a fucking break?

“I know,” Alex sighs and crosses his legs, placing his right elbow on his knee and running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t have a choice.”

Michael doesn’t need to ask why.

“You know, your startling lack of autonomy isn’t really cheering me up right now, Alex.” Michael can feel another apology on the tip of Alex’s tongue, but before he can say anything else he sighs and asks, “When do you leave?”

Alex hangs his head when he says, “Tomorrow morning.”

A hysterical laugh bubbles out of Michael’s chest.

“So—So, what, after three years I get one night with you?” he asks, despising the tears that well in his eyes, the tremble in his voice.

It’s not enough. Michael’s not sure any amount of time would ever be enough, but if he’s going to tear open his heart for Alex Manes again he’d hoped he’d get more than a single night to enjoy it.

“I know, I’m—I’m sorry, okay? I only just got back a few days ago and he’s had me running around doing all kinds of shit for him to keep me busy—“

“You’re on leave, Alex, he can’t control you—“

Alex laughs harshly. “Are we talking about the same person? You know what he’s capable of,” Alex argues and Michael flinches just a little at the memory, his left hand twitching against his knee. Alex tracks the movement and, slow enough so Michael could stop him if he wants to, he reaches forward to wrap his fingers around Michael’s ankle, the only part of him that’s close enough to touch. His thumb starts rubbing gentle circles when Michael doesn’t pull away from him.

“I couldn’t give him a reason to hurt you again, Michael,” Alex says, a desperate look in his eye. “I can’t and I won’t.”

“So how’d you get out here then?” Michael asks, voice rough when he finds it again.

“Well, he’s got cameras all over the property now. I was in the middle of trying to hack them so I could sneak out to see you when he ambushed me with plane tickets earlier today. Wouldn’t tell me where we’re going or why, just that I won’t be back in Roswell before I have to report back to base. I was able to convince him to let me spend my last night here with Maria.”

“Does she know about us?” Michael asks.

“A little,” he answers. “She doesn’t know who you are, but she agreed to cover for me.”

When Michael doesn’t say anything right away, Alex continues, voice barely above a whisper, “Look, I… I know tonight’s not enough to make up for the last three years, but… it’s all I’ve got.” Alex’s eyes shine with tears and Michael’s heart twists painfully in his chest. “But, um, I can go if you want me to,” he adds, voice shaking as he releases Michael’s ankle and leans a little further away from him. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to let me stay or anything.”

Michael swallows thickly, afraid if he lets himself cry like he wants to he’ll never stop. This isn’t fair. Jesse Manes shouldn’t have this much power over them. Alex shouldn’t be able to just waltz back into his life for a single night after years of no contact and tear him apart like it’s the first time all over again. And maybe worst of all, Michael shouldn’t be so fucking willing to let him.

No, none of this is fair, but the thought of letting Alex walk out that door a second before he has to, of giving up what could be the last chance Michael ever has to be with him… Well. Maybe Alex isn’t the only one without much of a choice here.

Alex looks to be bracing for a blow when Michael shifts on the bed, but once Michael pushes him back against the headboard with a hand against his chest and settles on his lap, his eyes are wide and awestruck. Alex’s hands come up to hover at Michael’s sides, unsure if he’s allowed to touch, but when Michael guides his hands to his hips, Alex grips them hard and without hesitation, as if Michael will drift away if he doesn’t hold on tight enough. Michael relishes the pleasure-pain it brings him, secretly hoping he’ll bruise there in the shape of Alex’s fingers.

Michael leans down to brush a gentle kiss against Alex’s lips, deepening it when he tastes the salt of Alex’s tears finally spilling over. He pulls back a moment later, wiping the tear tracks from under Alex’s eyes as he looks at him, this beautiful, kind boy who owns his whole heart. Michael brings their foreheads together as he threads his fingers into Alex’s too-short hair, committing the way it feels to memory.

“If we’ve only got one night, we better make the most of it,” Michael says into the space between them.

Michael feels Alex nod. “Yeah,” he says, his breath ghosting over Michael’s mouth.

He cradles Michael’s jaw like something precious in his palm and Michael struggles to control the urge to sob into his shirt and beg him to stay with him forever. Instead, Michael leans in to kiss him again, pouring every emotion roiling through him into it until they’re both gasping and tearing at each others clothes.

They undress each other with unbridled urgency, skin seeking skin. Michael winds up with his back against the mattress as Alex gets his underwear off, pressing open-mouthed kisses against his stomach as he journeys farther south. Michael’s eyes roll up into his head as Alex gets his mouth on him, pulling whimper after whimper from him as he starts to suck.

It’s—fuck, it’s so good. Michael can’t tear his eyes away from where Alex works between his thighs, Alex’s mouth hot and wet around him, those pink lips stretched wide to accommodate his cock. His hips twitch upward in half-aborted thrusts as he tries not to fuck Alex’s throat. Alex presses down on his thighs to keep him still, making Michael feel open and on display in a way he never has before, and the intensity with which he wants that, to be entirely at Alex’s mercy, catches him completely off guard.

“Fuck me,” Michael begs, suddenly desperate for it.

Alex’s mouth stops working his cock and Michael doesn’t have to guess why. They’ve had sex dozens of times, but they’ve never done it that way before. He pulls off gently with a wet noise that makes Michael flush hotter.

“Are you sure?” Alex asks, pulling back to look him in the eye.

Michael nods.

“Have you—have you ever done that before?”

“Not really,” Michael confesses.

“Define ‘not really,’ please,” Alex asks.

Michael bites his bottom lip before he answers, “I’ve fingered myself before.”

“Yeah?” Alex asks, his voice rough with want at the mental picture. One of the hands he had anchoring Michael’s hips to the bed comes up to grip his cock again, thumb rubbing into that spot under the head that makes Michael see stars. “How many did you get in you?”

“Two,” Michael says, flushing high on his cheeks. He thinks about telling Alex about the dildo he bought but never worked up to using. He’s not sure why he’s feeling so vulnerable about it, but it feels like more than he’s willing to admit in this moment.

“Gonna need more than two tonight.”

“I know, I remember.” The few times Michael got inside him, he’d made Alex take at least three fingers before he even thought about fucking him. “Have you ever topped before?”

Alex shakes his head and blushes a little. “You’re still the only guy I’ve ever been with.”

Michael probably shouldn’t be happy about Alex’s lack of sexual intimacy for the last three years, especially when he himself has not been what one might call celibate, but he can’t help the little thrill that goes through him at the idea that he’s still the only one who’s ever made Alex come.

“So, you wanna?” Michael asks.

Alex laughs, “Of fucking course I want to.”

“Then get over here,” Michael whines.

“Do you even have lube?”

“Yeah, it’s—“ Michael rolls over, careful not to kick Alex as he feels around for something under the bed. He can’t reach it, so he feels out for it with his mind and suddenly there it is, sliding across the floor into his waiting palm. “Here,” he says, holding it out to Alex. He grabs the box of condoms under there as well and  puts it on the edge of the narrow bed.

Alex arranges Michael on his hands and knees. He wishes he could watch Alex while they do this, but he knows it’ll be more comfortable for him this way so he follows Alex’s lead. His cock hangs hard between his thighs as Alex settles behind him on his knees. There’s the soft snik of the lube being uncapped and then Michael feels Alex grip his cheeks and separate them and oh god if he felt exposed before this is really something else.

“Fuck,” he hears Alex whisper just before he feels that first touch against his hole as Alex spreads lube around it before dipping the tip of his finger inside.

Michael is tight, really tight, but Alex is patient as he slowly works him open with one finger, and then two, murmuring encouragements against Michael’s spine and stroking his cock to distract him from the stretch.

Just when Michael is getting used to the sensation of Alex moving steadily in and out of him, Alex hits a certain spot inside him that has Michael keening.

“Oh fuck!” Michael shouts, shocks of pleasure ripping through him.

“It’s good, huh,” Alex says, his smug smile audible as he passes over that spot again, making Michael moan and arch his back like a cat. “Remember the first time you found mine?”

“Y-yeah,” Michael pants. The memory of Alex mewling under him and clenching down on his fingers is something that’ll stick with him forever. “Fuck, don’t stop.”

Alex gets back to work. By the time he’s is twisting three inside him, Michael is an utter mess, gasping and moaning as he fucks himself back on his fingers, his thighs spread wide and straining with the effort. It’s so much, but not enough, he needs more, he needs—

“Fuck me, Alex, please, ‘m ready, ‘m so ready, Alex,” Michael begs, desperate tears clinging to his lashes.

“God, Michael,” Alex moans, and Michael nearly cries when Alex pulls his fingers free from his body, the sudden feeling of emptiness not at all what he wants right now. “Never knew you’d get like this. Should’ve started fucking you ages ago.”

Before Michael can scoop enough of his brain off the floor to think of a response,  he hears the tearing of a foil packet behind him. There’s a pause when Alex rolls the condom on before he nocks the thick head of his cock at Michael’s hole and pushes in and in and in.

“Oh my god, Michael,” Alex groans once he’s seated. “You’re so hot inside, Jesus Christ.”

Michael moans weakly, too overwhelmed by the stretch of Alex’s cock inside him to do much else. Alex waits until Michael’s adjusted to the fullness before he starts to move, driving his cock in and out of him with slow, measured thrusts. It’s good, really good, for a while, but soon Michael wants more.

“Harder,” he begs, rocking his hips back to fuck himself harder on Alex’s cock. Alex grabs his hips to stop him and Michael whines, “Alex.”

“Take it easy, I don’t want to hurt you,” Alex says, running his right hand up from his hip to stroke along his side.

“I can handle it, please,” Michael insists. He doesn’t want to think, doesn’t want to feel anything other than Alex, wants him to overwhelm the ever-present chaos swirling in his head, but more than anything… “Wanna feel you for days after you leave.”

Something in Alex’s willpower crumbles and he curses before he starts pounding into Michael’s body harder, faster, just like Michael wants, chasing every conscious thought that isn’t yes, fuck, right there, right out of his head. The sound of skin slapping on skin surrounds them as Michael reaches between his legs and starts jerking himself off in time with Alex’s thrusts, the combined stimulation on his prostate and his cock getting him closer and closer to coming.

Alex doesn’t last long after that, stilling suddenly behind him and then moaning loudly as he grinds his cock as deep as it’ll go. He rests his head against Michael’s back, his ragged breaths hitting his spine as Michael squirms under him, still hard and aching.

Alex pulls out and Michael whines at the empty feeling before Alex flips him over onto his back and slips three fingers inside him, seeking his prostate with brutal efficiency. He was already so close that Michael comes with a scream the second Alex seals his lips over the head of his cock and sucks, Michael’s body shaking as his release pulses down Alex’s throat.

Alex works him through it until Michael pushes him away, spent and overstimulated. Alex gently withdraws his fingers before he leans down over Michael to kiss him, but Michael’s too fucked out to do much more than lay there and let Alex lick into his mouth, the taste of his own come bitter on his tongue.

The kiss ends when Alex pulls back and lays down beside him, his right leg resting between Michael’s and his right arm hugging around his middle.

“Hey, you still with me?” Alex asks him, and Michael’s thoughts are still slow and thick as honey, but he nods all the same. “C’mon, use your words.”

“Just had my brain fucked out of me, gimme a minute,” he slurs, opening his eyes to see Alex smiling at him.

Alex laughs, a sound as sweet as it is smug. “So I did alright then?”

“You really have to ask?” Michael rolls over onto his side to face him. “Better than alright, Jesus, Alex, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk tomorrow.”

Alex smiles at the praise and Michael leans in to kiss him again, savoring every gasp, every press of Alex’s lips on his like they’ll be the last ones he ever gets.

They lie there in silence long after their kisses have slowed to a stop, comfortably wrapped up in one another until Alex touches his face and whispers into the dark, “I wish I could stay here forever.”

“Me too,” Michael whispers back.

When Alex starts to shake in his arms, Michael holds him tighter and buries his nose in his hair. He staves off his own tears as best he can while Alex cries, but it becomes a losing battle when Alex’s hitching little sobs reach his ears.

“One day…” Michael starts once Alex has settled down again, his voice wobbling a little, “one day, we’re gonna figure this out, Alex. One day, you’re gonna be free of him.”

“You really believe that?”

No. Yes. I don’t know.

“I have to.”

“‘One day’ could be years from now,” Alex says pathetically. “What do we do until then?”

Michael sniffles. “Well, we still have tonight, right?”

Alex nods. “Yeah.”

Michael captures Alex’s lips in a slow kiss that lasts until Michael rolls Alex onto his back and straddles his hips.

“What are you doing?” Alex asks as Michael grasps his cock. He’s not hard yet, but Michael can feel him twitch against his palm.

“Making the most of it,” Michael shrugs, and then there’s not much talking after that.

Michael wakes up alone, the only traces that Alex was ever there the ache between his thighs and the slip of paper resting on the other side of his pillow.

It’s a note, scrawled hastily on a piece of graph paper Michael must have had lying around.

Michael,

I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. I just knew if I waited til you were awake, I’d never be able to make myself leave you again.

I wish things could be different. Maybe you’re right and one day they will be, but for now… I’m sorry.

And if this is my last chance to say it, I want you to know: I love you. He can keep us apart, but he can’t ever take that away from me.

Yours,

Alex

The letter tumbles from his fingers as Michael turns his face into his pillow, the fading scent of Alex’s shampoo his only comfort as his body is wracked with sobs.

That evening, Michael limps into the Wild Pony, feeling Alex in every step he takes. He winces a little as he settles on the wooden barstool and Maria serves him a glass of bottom shelf whiskey before he can order one.

“You get in a fight or something?” she asks, cocking her head to the side as she studies him.

“Huh?” he asks, glass halfway to his lips already.

“You walked in here looking like you just got your ass beat,” she explains.

Michael laughs, a bitter, broken sound. “You should see the other guy.”

[forgadgetsandgizmos]

I (Gladly) Shoulder Every Burden

Written for Day 3 of Alex Manes Week 2020 | Prompt: "This time, I'm in charge" or Legacy

Read here on AO3

Alex grabbed his leather jacket off its place on the back of the desk chair in his room and shoved it into the large duffel he was slowly filling with essentials.

An hour ago, someone far beyond his own rank of Captain called using phrases like ‘missing paperwork,’ ‘essential,’ and ‘on-site assistance required immediately’ that triggered half a dozen alarms in his head. He’d been off the phone barely ten minutes before he’d received an email with a plane ticket from Roswell International Air Center, departure time in five hours. He had barely over three of those hours left and considering the hell that was airport security, (even in a small airport like Roswell’s with practically zero direct flights, especially since his leg prevented him from passing through metal detectors), that’s barely enough time for him to finish packing and make the half-hour drive to the converted old air base.

Honestly, it was just bad luck they called the day after he finally unpacked his bag from the weeklong Air Force recruitment trip he never actually took. He’d wasted that first hour doing laundry just so he’d have clothes that weren’t fatigues.

He was scrambling to make sure he’d packed all the little thing scattered across the house when a draft rushed in from his front door.

“Alex?” Michael’s voice drifted towards him. “You here? Sorry for stopping by like this. You weren’t answering your phone and you didn’t show up to the Crashdown.”

Alex glanced at the time and winced. According to his watch, he’d been suppose to meet Michael for breakfast an hour and a half ago.

“Back here,” he called out.

Michael’s footsteps echoed as he walked down the hall towards Alex’s room.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize it was past ten. I got a phone call a couple hours ago that threw me off,” Alex started to explain as soon as Michael came into view, apology etched on his face.

Michael didn’t speak, instead running his eyes over Alex and the full bag in his hand. “What are you packing for?”

Alex ignored Michael’s imploring gaze on his back as he moved around the room. “Ah ha!” He held up a grey t-shirt triumphantly before adding it to his duffel.

Standing in the doorway, Michael crossed his arms. “You didn’t answer my question. Where are you going that you need your favorite sleep shirt?”

Alex lifted his chin hesitantly. “I’m needed at Griffiss. I fly out in a couple hours.”

“Griffiss? The Air Force base in New York?”

“I shouldn’t be gone too long. A couple days, maybe a week at most.”

Michael’s face scrunched up in confusion. “You’re stationed here permanently. Why do they need you there?”

Alex avoided his eyes and answered. “I’m reporting to the supervisor who managed Project Shepherd in the seventies before it shut down. With my dad dead, no one filled the paperwork that kept anyone from looking too closely at the funds he had misdirected. I’m giving a deposition about my involvement in shutting it down.”

“What?” Michael gripped the edge of the door frame. “Alex, you can’t get involved with this again, it’s too dangerous,” he demanded, his tone incredulous.

Alex flushed and shot him a frustrated look. “It’ll be fine. As far as they’re concerned, I did them a favor by dismantling the project. They just have to hear from me in person and the General will only be in New York until Friday.”

Michael growled and slammed his palm against the frame. A loud bang rang through the room. “Alex!”

Alex yanked the zipper on his duffel shut and finally looked at Michael. His knuckles were so pale that they blended right into the white framing he was gripping, and his arm trembled faintly from the pressure. Alex shrugged his shoulder half-heartedly, as if to ask what he was supposed to do about it.

Michael closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Even if you’re clear, we’re not. Max, Isobel, and I had files in your dad’s system, you’re going to just hand us over to them.”

“Of course not,” Alex scowled. “How could you even think that? I took care of it. The system Dad was using was so old, it didn’t back-up to a satellite. Those profiles never left that bunker and I wiped any trace of them from there. The only people who know about the three of you are my dad and Flint. And I don’t think my dad will be saying anything from six feet under, do you?”

“What about Flint?”

“Not in charge and he doesn’t have any proof. Besides, I outrank him.” Alex turned to pull his crutch from its spot hiding at the base of the bed and fastened the metal arm rest and handle to the straps of the bag for transport.

Michael was shaking his head in disbelief when he turned his attention back to him. “You don’t know that,” he said, throwing his hands up. “You can’t guarantee that if you go there, they won’t find out about us and throw us in some dark hole before you can blink.”

“Yes, I do,” Alex burst out. He bit back his next words at Michael’s shocked face and lowered his voice. “Yes, I do,” he repeated softer. He took a step closer to Michael’s tense form. “Michael, my father is dead. Flint has no jurisdiction in the Air Force. Even if neither of those things were true, I still outrank them both. No one has any reason to distrust me and there’s an evidence pile a mile high of Jesse Manes’ misconduct.”

Michael jerked when Alex stepped closer again, as if he was going to argue again but stopped himself at the last second. He sniffed loudly, his nose scrunching up for a split second in a familiar way. It brought the beginnings of a smile to Alex’s face.

“I’m sorry I missed breakfast,” Alex offered, keeping his tone light.

“You were gonna leave without telling me,” Michael said accusingly. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“I would’ve called, I promise,” Alex said softly. “The General calling took me by surprise and my mind flew straight to laundry and packing. I didn’t mean to flake out on you.”

Michael fidgeted in front of him, moving his arms again to hang limply by his side before stuffing his fingers into the pockets. The action pushing his shoulders up around his neck. Alex thought he looked how he used to when they were seventeen, so unsure every time they spoke to one another. Wondering if this would be the last time. If he’d be rejected the next or laughed out, told it was all a joke.

Alex placed his hands on either side of Michael’s face, letting them trace the faint stubble along his jaw and run up through his curly, untamed hair. Michael’s eyes fluttered as he leaned into his touch.

“I’m not leaving leaving, okay? I’ll be back before you can blink,” Alex assured him, repeating his own words. “This is different.”

“How?” Michael demanded. His voice cracked, betraying the lack of anger or force behind the word.

Alex grinned slyly. “This time, I’m in charge.”

Michael huffed and knocked Alex’s shoulder with his. “Nerd.”

His grin grew wider. “That’s me,” he said cheerfully.

He got a laugh from Michael at his expression and laughed with him. He glanced at his watch showing his time dwindling with every tick forward. “I gotta go,” he said, trying to somehow convey to Michael in those three words every thought racing threw his head. That he didn’t want to leave but this was more than work, it was about protecting Michael and his family. He had promised to protect him. No chance was he going to make a liar out of himself because of plane ride.

Michael stiffened but nodded his understanding. “Call me when you get there? And when you’re back?” he asked, voice low.

“Of course.” Alex grabbed his now packed bag and walked into the kitchen, snatching his keys off a small tray on the counter. He arched an eyebrow at Michael when he didn’t move. “You staying?”

Michael had the sense to look sheepish when he followed out him. He lingered nearby as Alex locked the front door and loaded his bag into the backseat of his car.

Before Alex could wrench the door open, he was engulfed by warm arms on his back and a chest pressed against his own. Alex wrapped his around Michael, letting Michael bury his face in the crock of his neck. They held each other for what felt like hours but was probably no more than thirty seconds before Michael let out a shaky breath and pulled back.

Michael gave him a small smile, sadder than he would have like, and nodded for Alex to get into the car. Alex tried not to let Michael’s seeming lack of confidence affect him (it wasn’t Alex Michael was nervous about, he told himself, it was Project Shepherd and his siblings’ safety) and started the car.

He glanced back where Michael stood, still watching, in his rearview mirror as he shifted the gear into drive and pulled away. The figure didn’t move, eventually fading from view as Alex drove further from his home and toward the airport.

Michael may not agree, but this was the best thing he could do for him. At this point, him not going would only draw unwanted attention. He was still telling himself that when he parked his car in the overnight parking lot of the airport.

He promised to protect Michael, and this is what that looked like. This just happened to be a plane ride with two layovers and a shitty New York hotel room. Considering their lives, so often shrouded in mysteries and alien murderers, it was a small price to pay.

See it here on ao3

[hms-chill]

The RWRB gang involved in a sort of shooting or something at a really huge international event. Worst-Injured Character (Henry) Half-Conscious And Begging To Know If The Others (Alex most especially) Are Okay.

“The Olympics, Six Years Later”

"I can't do it. I need a big, strong athlete to carry me; my legs are too sore," Alex complains. "There were so many steps yesterday. I'm going to die."

They're only halfway to their seats for the 2022 olympics, but after their trip to the Great Wall the day before, they're all starting to feel it. Bea, June, and Pez had opted to take the skylift to the top, leaving them well rested to enjoy the wall itself (which was comprised almost entirely of more stairs), but Nora had dared the boys to take the stairs with her and raced them to the top. It was a great idea in the moment, but between that and the number of steps on the wall itself, they're all regretting it the next day.

"Race you to the seats," Nora says, and Alex perks up almost immediately, pushing past the others to elbow her out of the way and get what could only be described as a "running" start if his bedraggled slouching upward counts as running. Nora's not far behind. They're both out ahead of the others, muscles straining, panting and laughing and elbowing each other, when it happens.

The next day, someone will say it was just bad construction. The stadium went up too quickly, and some things didn't set just right or get checked well enough. Someone else will say it was sabotage; sugar mixed into the concrete to weaken it as an act of resistance. Someone else will say a bomb went off, and people will talk about whether it was too early or too late or right on time. But in the moment, all Henry knows is that one second, he's trying not to be too obvious about watching Alex's ass, and the next, the steps below him are falling away. He barely has time to scream.

Alex and Nora feel the steps shake. There's a crash, the sounds of collapse. Someone screams. They turn around a second too late to see it happen. Henry's gone. Pez is gone. June and Bea are on the other side of a hole in the stairs, one that goes straight down to the basement of the stadium, where it ends in a pile of rubble. Bea has her hands over her mouth, a picture of horror, and Alex's brain starts to short circuit as he tries to process Henry's absence. Beside him, nora is running forward. He's not sure if she's going to try to jump over the hole or look into it, but he grabs her arm to hold her back just in case. She leans over the edge, then shouts.

"He's... he's... Alex, help me." She's reaching into the hole, and when Alex comes level with her, he can see Pez, clinging to a broken piece of metal with wide eyes. Alex lies down beside her, and between the two of them, they get Pez out. Nora wraps him in a hug immediately, but Alex is back to the edge of the hole, looking frantically. Henry has to be there somewhere, too. He has to be holding on. He has to be safe.

"Henry! Henry, where are you?" He doesn't realize he's crying until there's a hand on his shoulder, and Bea's pulling him up and into a hug. "Henry... he's... he's down there somewhere. He's not... He's still here. I know it. I... He's not... I'd know if he was."

Bea just holds him close, and they're both sobbing. There are other arms around them, and June starts trying to guide them up and away from the hole. Alex only lets her move him down the stairs to the ground floor, where he and Bea both settle as close to the rubble as they can get and refuse to go anywhere else. Alex knows that if he moves, if he leaves, he won't be there when they find Henry. He has to stay, because when they pull Henry out of the rubble, Alex has to be there to love him right away. So he stays put, and so does Bea. There are people moving around them, crews starting to move rubble and officials shouting in what feels like every language on the planet. Alex barely processes any of it. He refuses to process anything beyond Bea's hand in his and the pile of rubble in front of him, because anything else, anything more than this terror, will destroy him.

-

Henry knows, logically, that he must have blacked out as he fell. Because even if he is surrounded by nothing but darkness, death shouldn't hurt this much. He tries to shift, tries to move, but he can't. Something's pressing down on his legs, something else on his chest. He's lucky to have his head and an arm relatively free. Instead, he does what he can to take stock of his situation, asking himself what's happened, what hurts, and what he can control. His mind won't focus. At least the answer to what hurts is simple: everything. Every part of his body is in pain, and when he tries to cough the grime out of his throat, the pain that shoots through his ribs makes everything flash white. In the pitch blackness, it's almost a relief.

In his pocket, his phone buzzes. It's enough to make him laugh a bit, though that hurts as much as anything else. Even at the best of times, he doesn't answer his phone for anyone but--

Alex.

Alex had been higher up. He'd had farther to fall. It's a miracle Henry survived, but Alex...

No. He isn't dead. If he was dead, Henry would know. But if he's not dead, that means he's down here somewhere, running out of air and probably hurt worse than Henry is. He's hurt worse and probably buried deeper, and Henry feels his heart start pounding at that. It's going to hurt like hell, but he takes a deep breath anyway and shouts, "Alex! Alex!"

He barely manages those two before he's reduced to coughing up the dust he's inhaled, trying to hear any sort of response over it. Deafening silence. In theory, he knows yelling won't really change anything. He should protect his throat, make sure not to make enough noise to unbalance anything, and wait for someone to find him. He'll have enough air for a while, and he doesn't seem to be bleeding, so he should be okay. Unless he's bleeding internally. Or unless someone digging shifts something the wrong way. Or unless this was an attack of some sort and the area isn't safe enough for relief teams at all.

He's thought about dying, of course. He's probably thought about dying more than the average twenty-something, given the number of 'Someone-Might-Try-To-Kill-You' lectures he grew up with and the raging dumpster fire that was the years after his dad's death. But he hasn’t thought about it all that much recently. With Alex and their friends, with things as perfect as they are, death seems miles away. It’s not something Henry’s wished for since they got together, and not something he’s given much thought to recently.

He thinks about it now, and he's surprised to find himself a little scared. He pushes it down, and quotes float to the front of his mind, snatches of other people’s words, glimpses into their views of death so he won’t have to imagine his own.

“... the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying...”

“... dulce et decorum est pro patria mori”

“... look for me under your boot-soles...”

Henry tries to cling to those, tries to piece together enough bits of their thoughts and words into an idea of his own. But faced with the possibility, with the idea of actually leaving behind Alex and the others, of abandoning the future they could have together, he can't seem to think of anything else.

When another thought surfaces, though, it courses through him with a pain worse than anything he's felt yet. It's a reminder that Alex fell, too. He had to have. If Alex fell, or if any of their friends did, that means his own death isn't the one Henry needs to worry about. If he loses Alex, if he loses Pez or Bea or any member of their group, he's going to fall apart. New words replace the old, words of grief indescribable, the life he could find beyond this mess.

"...while I had him the rest seemed good enough/ But he ain’t here...”

“... he is lost among the stars...”

“... I cannot now accustom myself to your absence...”

And that's when the tears start to gather in his eyes, when the sobs begin to tear out of him, shooting pain through his throat and ribs that only amplifies them. He's scared. Looking at how badly everything could go wrong is terrifying, and even imagining how much he could have already lost is the worst thing he's ever felt. If he's lost them, or if he's about to make them feel the pain he's terrified of, he's not sure things would ever be alright again.

His tears have slowed, and he's starting to get dizzy when a shower of pebbles hits his forehead. He realized he's probably bleeding from somewhere around the time his eyelids started to droop closed, but he forces them to open. There's nothing to see but the blackness he's been surrounded by since he fell, but something's happening. The pebbles have to have meant something. When he was a kid, getting briefed on what to do in case of a fire, they taught him to tap the floor so that rescuers could find him. He's not sure what it will do in this case, but he has to try. His hand feels like lead as he lifts it, but he manages to tap three times. Three little taps, just like he’d do on Alex’s knee or the back of his hand somewhere public. Three little taps, like the ones he’s gotten used to getting in return, when Alex needs his attention or when he’s given an interviewer an answer that Alex particularly appreciates.

Three little taps: ‘I love you’.

He tries to force himself to do it again, but his hand is too heavy. It’s getting hard to think now, and the sliver of light that's opened above him feels like the other end of the universe. Still, he fights to keep his eyes on it. Because somewhere, somewhere in that light, is Alex. He knows it.

-

When they pull Henry free of the rubble, coughing, he’s the same color as the sheets on the gurney. His throat is rubbed so raw from the gritty air that breathing hurts, meaning his voice is shot, but he manages to rasp, “Alex? The... the others... is Alex okay?”

The paramedic smiles slightly, but moves aside without answering. Henry’s fighting to keep his eyes open, to look for Alex as best he can. He has to find him. Then there’s a hand grabbing at Henry’s, and he can hear Alex’s voice, wrapping around him like a blanket as his eyes drift closed. He doesn’t trust himself to speak, not with the condition of his throat and his lungs, but he taps Alex’s hand three times. The gurney starts to roll as he hears Alex sniffle, but the hand never leaves his. With all of the chaos around them, the plethora of languages and the shouting of the paramedics, the only thing Henry can focus on is Alex’s hand in his. He knows he’s probably lost consciousness at least once, but for every moment he’s even marginally awake, Alex is holding his hand. And more times than he can count, Alex is giving it three little taps. When he manages to give them back, he's rewarded with a kiss to the back of his hand, and he could swear he hears Alex sniffle a bit more.

-

He wakes up properly in a bed with clean sheets, Alex’s hand still holding his despite the fact that Alex is deeply asleep in the chair next to him. It hurts to breathe, hurts to think, hurts to move, but he turns as far as he can toward Alex anyway, trying to see if he’s hurt.

He’s dirty, covered in the same layer of grime Henry is. But he’s not obviously bandaged, and he’s not in a hospital bed. He seems to be okay. Across the room, June, Pez, and Nora are piled nearly on top of each other on a couch, some sort of arrangement that only they could ever make comfortable. Bea is in an armchair next to them, sleeping as well. Henry smiles and taps Alex's hand three times, and Alex squeezes back. Henry lets his eyes close again. Alex is okay, their friends are okay, and that means that everything else will be okay, too.

On AO3

Notes:

The 2022 olympics are in Beijing! And I've been there, so I can write about it a bit more easily, which is fun given how important the olympics are to these boys! And from what I remember, there are just... so many god damn stairs to get up to the top of the Great Wall, y'all. Then once you're up, there's just... more stairs. It's all stairs (until you take the slide down, which is awesome).-

This is a bit odd, but if anyone’s good at reading cover letters, please let me know! I’m applying for some things I really want, and I’m scared. On a similar note, if you want to, you can buy me a Ko-fi here! Thanks y’all!

-

Sources for quotes (all of which are gay):-Todd, Dead Poet's Society-"Dulce et Decorum Est", Wilfred Owen-"Song of Myself", Walt Whitman-"The Lost Pardner", Badger Clark-"Last Meeting", Seigfried Sassoon-A letter from Lafayette to Washington, 1799

[gamergirl929]

I’ve Loved You Since The First Time I Saw You Smile (Christen Press x Reader)

Christen and an old friend, the reader, finally get the chance to spend time together, and thanks to some meddling by her teammates, Christen decides to face her feelings for the reader, the reader also facing her feelings for the forward.

“Oh my god, is that her?” Kelley whispers, nodding to the stands where you’re sitting.  

Christen blushes as she gives Kelley a nudge.  

“Stop staring.” She whispers and Kelley smirks.  

“I mean it’s hard not to.” Kelley winks, earning a deadly glare from the woman beside her.  

“Don’t push it.”  

“Yeah, that’s Chris’s girl.” Tobin grins and Kelley’s eyes widen.  

“Wait, that’s the girl from Standford isn’t it!? I thought she looked familiar!” Kelley beams and Christen’s cheeks flush.  

“Yes, that’s her.”  

“Oh, so that’s her?” Alex asks and Kelley nods with a grin.  

You suddenly turn, your eyes widening when you see half the USWNT bench is staring your way, though when they see you, they quickly turn away as if they weren’t looking for you at all, all expect for a certain woman with a pair of beautiful green  orbs.  

You grin, sending her a wave, one she immediately returns with a dazzling smile that you’ve loved ever since you’d first seen it in college.  

The two of you had stayed in touch after college, the two of you heading in different directions, you heading for NYC to pursue a career in law enforcement and Christen following her dream of becoming a professional soccer player.  

Even with thousands of miles and oceans between you at times, you loved her.  

You loved her with everything you had inside you. You had since you first met her in college, and when they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, they unfortunately were right.  

You loved her, but you knew, she didn’t love you, there was no way she could.  

She’d traveled the world, met thousands of people. She had a team full of amazing women who, you couldn’t help but think, probably had some form of a crush on her, I mean who wouldn’t?  

She was beautiful, and funny, caring and talented, she was everything anyone could ever want.  

You’re pulled out of your thoughts when the whistle blows, signaling the end of the game, the USWNT the victors.  

You move to your feet and clap, grinning when Christen turns towards you. She walks to the edge of the bleachers and you grin as you lean over the side.  

“Hey there.” You beam as Christen takes your hand and gives it a squeeze.  

“Hey.” She beams as she intertwines your fingers and gives your hand a squeeze. You note a number of cameras are turned your way, but you don’t care.  

“I want you to meet the team.” She beams and your eyes widen as you look behind her, realizing a number of her teammates are looking your way.  

“Okay, do you want to meet later?” You ask and Christen nods with a smile, her lips splitting into a grin.  

“I do, but I want a hug.” Christen smiles as she jumps and you catch her, lifting her into the bleachers with ease and wrapping your arms tightly around her.  

“I missed you.” She whispers in your ear and your eyes close as you tighten your hold on her.  

“I missed you too.”  

                                                         ***

“Wait, she’s a cop!?” Kelley exclaims, eyes wide and Sonnett coughs on the piece of food she’d just put in her mouth.  

“You’re going to bring a cop.... Around US!?” She exclaims and Christen rolls her eyes.  

“Just behave.”  

The second the words leave her mouth you come into view, walking across the restaurant with a smile.  

“Damn, she’s a snack, you better scoop her up before someone else does.” Kelley winks, earning a smack on the shoulder from Christen who is moving to her feet.  

“Hey.” You grin as you slip your arms around Christen’s middle, her arms going around your neck.  

“It’s so nice to see you again.” She says and you chuckle.  

“You too, even if I just saw you an hour or two ago.” You grin and Christen gives you an eye roll. She runs her hands down your chest, riding it of any wrinkles before she tugs on one of your suspenders connected to your duty belt where your firearm is holstered.  

“Looking good.” She winks and your cheeks flush.  

Suddenly, she grabs your wrist and drags you towards the table, leading you to the empty seat beside her own.  

You pull Christen’s chair out for her with a grin, waiting until she takes a seat and pushing it in before you take a seat next to her.  

“Thanks.” Christen grins, cheeks lightly flushed.  

You glance her way, sending her a wink and a smile.  

“So, Christen, are you going to introduce us?” Sonnett asks with a smirk and she shakes her head with a smile.  

“Everyone this is Y/N, she’s an officer with the NYPD.” Christen places a hand on your forearm, giving it a squeeze.  

You blush as you give the table full of women a toothy grin.  

“It’s really nice to meet you all.” You grin your eyes darting to Kelley.  

“Nice to see you again.” You nod and Kelley grins.  

“It’s nice to see you and Christen attached at the hip again.” Kelley smirks and you chuckle as you slip your arm around your Christen.  

“It is nice.” You smile, your eyes locking with Christen’s, the two of you smiling softly at one another.  

Sonnett leans towards Lindsey, Kelley and the other children of the group jumping up so they can hear what the woman is saying.  

“If they don’t tell each other they love each other by the time we leave New York, I’ll eat my cleats.”  

                                                         ***

“Oh!” You exclaim gathering the attention of the entire table.  

“I forgot to show you something.” You smile as you fish your badge off your belt and hand it to Christen.  

She inspects the badge with furrowed brows, her eyes widening.  

“Sergeant!?” She beams and you grin, nodding.  

“Yeah, I’ve been Sergeant for a little over a year.” You grin as she throws her arms around you.  

“I’m so proud of you.” She whispers in your ear and you turn, kissing her cheek.  

“And I’m proud of you.” You whisper Christen turning to hide her face in your neck.  

“I mean, 100 caps Chris?” You grin and the woman rolls her eyes playfully as she pulls away from you.  

“It’s not a big deal.” She shrugs and you scoff.  

“Yes, it is!” You throw your hands up and Christen giggles at your enthusiasm.  

“So, Y/N...” You turn, smiling at Tobin.  

“You met Christen at Stanford?” She asks and you grin, glancing at Christen.  

“Yeah, we were roommates.” You smile.  

Sonnett leans towards Lindsey.  

“Oh my god, they were roommates.”  

Kelley inhales, hacking loudly as her drink goes down the wrong pipe.  

The table erupts with laughter and you can’t help but laugh along with them, though the only laugh you really pay attention to is Christen’s.  

Your eyes glaze over as you watch the giggling woman, your heart stuttering in your chest at the sound of her laughter and the way her face scrunches up when she laughs.

Christen eventually turns to her, eyes wide. Her cheeks flush as your lips split in half to reveal your pearly white teeth.  

“What?” She asks and you smile, shrugging.  

“Nothing, I just missed you.” You blush and Christen grins, surprising you when she moves to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear.  

“I missed you too.”  

                                                          ***

“ARE YOU CRAZY!? YOU DIDN’T KISS HER!?” Kelley practically yells the following morning as she bursts into Tobin and Christen’s hotel room.  

“Morning to you too.” Tobin croaks as she throws her pillow over her head. “Why didn’t you?” Tobin asks from beneath the pillow on her head and Christen sighs loudly.  

“She doesn’t see me that way.” She shrugs and Kelley scoffs, loudly, as does Tobin.  

“Yeah, sure.” Sonnett rolls her eyes as she enters the room.  

“I have to agree with Sonny there.” Alex says as she moves into the room.  

Eventually, the hotel room is full of USWNT players, all staring at Christen.  

“What?” She asks, cheeks flushing.  

“Call her and ask her to go out tonight, just the two of you.” Kelley says and everyone nods.  

“Yeah, I mean come on Chris, what have you got to lose?” Tobin asks and Christen takes a deep breath, her eyes closing.  

                                                          ***

Christen was coming over.  

To your apartment.  

Alone.  

And you were nervous, nervous as fuck.  

You rushed around your apartment, making sure everything was spick and span before the aforementioned woman came over.  

You rush towards your apartment’s body mirror, looking yourself over once again, making sure your flannel is wrinkle free, as are the pants you’d ironed that morning.  

A knock on your apartment door causes you to stiffen.  

You give yourself a once over, nodding to yourself before turning and making your way to your apartment door.  

You again nod before pulling it open, grinning when your eyes lock with your favorite pair of green orbs.  

“Hey.” You grin as Christen throws her arms around you, hugging you tightly.  

“I missed you.” She whispers as her nose brushes your neck and you blush.  

“I missed you too.” You whisper into her ear and you can feel her smile against your neck.  

“You ready to go?” You ask and Christen’s brows furrow.  

“Where are we going?” She asks and you grin.  

“Just for a walk around the city. I mean, if you want to... Sorry I presumed, we could always-”

You’re cut off when Christen places her index finger to your lips.  

You blush, swallowing hard as she pulls her finger away from your lips with a beaming smile.  

“I’d love to.”  

                                                          ***

You walk through Times Square, the two of you catching up on the things you’ve missed when you were apart.  

Your hands swing between the two of you, your fingers brushing every so often.  

Christen glances down at your hand, not realizing you’re glancing at hers.  

The two of you come to a stop at a traffic light, the cars blurring as they roll passed.  

Boldly, you turn your attention away from Christen and spread your fingers, silently making the first move.  

Christen bites her bottom lip with a smile before her digits slip in between your own.  

Your eyes widen as you turn towards her, your eyes locking with a pair of green orbs.  

You bite your bottom lip, your cheeks a bright red as you turn away with a grin.  

The two of you continue your walk, eventually ending up in Central Park, making small talk the entire way.  

The paparazzi had been following close behind you, but keeping enough distance to keep the two of you comfortable.

You playfully swing your and Christen's hands between the two of you the forward giggling with each swing.  

The sound of a violin pulls your attention away from one another as you search for the one playing the angelic music.

You eventually find the person in question, stopping in front of him to listen to the music.

“It’s so beautiful.” Christen whispers and you smile, your eyes glazing over as you stare at her.

“Yeah, it is.”  

Christen suddenly turns towards you, her eyes wide and cheeks red as she realizes you weren’t talking about the music pouring from the strings of the man’s violin.  

You surprise Christen by removing your hand from hers in favor of tucking it behind your back and extending your other hand out to her with a bow.  

“May I have this dance?” You smile and Christen blushes as she takes your hand.  

“You may.”  

You pull her close, your fingers intertwining with hers as your other hand settles on her waist.  

Her arm slips around your back, her palm resting at the base of your neck.  

The two of you start to sway slowly back and forth, your eyes locked as the two of you smile lovingly at one another.  

                                                          ***

“Why is Christen trending on twitter?” Kelley asks from her place in bed beside Alex, the forward leaning over to look at the woman’s phone.  

Movie night comes to a halt, those who were playing cards and talking freezing before they all scramble to find their phones.  

“Oh. My. God.” Sonnett flails as the other women excitedly squeal at the picture of you and Christen dancing in Central Park.  

Kelley grins across the room at Sonnett.

“You may not have to eat your cleats after all Sonny.”  

                                                          ***

By the time you finish dancing, you’ve drawn a noticeable crowd, nearly everyone with their phones out and pointed at you and Christen, but it’s hard to pay attention to anyone else other than the woman in your arms.  

“Want to go get dinner?” You ask with a whisper and Christen shrugs.  

“How about we order in?” She smiles and you blush bright red.  

“Y-Ye-Yeah, sounds... Sounds good.”

                                                          ***

Unsurprisingly, the paparazzi follow you and Christen all the way back to your apartment, only stopping their stalking after you make your way inside.  

You hold your apartment door open for Christen with a massive grin, the woman’s hand ever so gently brushing against your own on her way by.  

You pull the door shut behind you and move to your refrigerator, the home of many a takeout menu from the local eateries.  

“So, we’ve got a lot to choose from, Chinese, Thai, Italian-

You’re suddenly cut off as you turn around, dropping the menus in your hands in favor of wrapping your arms around Christen.  

She was kissing you.  

Christen Press was kissing you, and you weren’t kissing back.  

Christen pulls away, ready to apologize, that is until your surge forwards your lips meeting hers in a tender kiss.  

Christen smiles against your lips, gently cupping your cheeks as she deepens the kiss.  

You let out a gasp as Christen pulls away, her lips hovering inches away from yours.  

Just as your eyes flutter open, Christen’s mouth splits into a massive, pearly white grin.  

Your cheeks flush, your eyes glazing over.  

“I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you smile.” You whisper, eyes widening as you realize exactly what had come out of your mouth.  

Christen’s thumb runs across your bottom lip, her green  orbs glassy as they flutter shut.

Her lips ever so gently brush against yours yet again, the feel of her lips against yours electric.  

The kiss is passionate, unlike any kiss you’d ever experienced before, as if Christen was the one for you and you were the one for her.  

Christen was experiencing much of the same, the feeling of your lips against hers unlike any other.  

Even after the two of you part, you can’t help but chase her lips in search of another kiss, your lips gently brushing against hers before you reluctantly pull back.  

Your eyes lock with a pair of glassy green orbs and you grin, cheeks flushing.  

Christen’s nose brushes against yours, her smile bright and beautiful.  

“I love you too.”  

                                                          ***

Considering there were pictures and videos of you and Christen on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr the whole nine, it was hard to keep your relationship a secret, but it was a secret you didn’t want to keep.  

You wanted everyone to know that the smile you loved was now the one that you planned on seeing every day.  

A smile, you didn’t know at the time, you’d see across the altar from you years and years later worn by the love of your life, the one and only Christen Press.  

[writings-of-the-unkown]

Transfers Suck, But When I’m With You, Distance Doesn’t Matter

request status: yes

pairing:  Alex Morgan x Reader

Y/N- your name

Y/L- your last name

Italics are inner thoughts

Bold are text messages 

Warning: gay, lots of ANGST (sorry not sorry :|)

 Words:  1817

A/N: THIS IS FICTION ALL MISTAKES ARE MINE

“Listen, you’re either gonna hate or you’ll love me” my agent said as soon as I picked up my phone.

“What do you need Brad? It’s 4a.m. here and I don’t have time for this” I said with sleep filled voice.

“You’re being loaned out. It’s still up in the air but it’s looking like you’re headed to Arsenal” Brad sounded cheerful about this.

My brain didn’t fully register what he had told me because I was half asleep. I felt my girlfriend rolling in to me. I fell back asleep in her arms. 

My alarm went off about three hours later. I fought my way out of Alex’s death grip and got ready for the day. I checked my phone and saw a text from Brad.

It’s official! Pack your bags, you’re headed of Arsenal!!

Oh shit. That’s when the events from this morning came back to me. I was being loaned and it might end up being permanent. How the hell was I going to tell Alex?

Even though we have been dating for over a year, she still freaks out when one of us is up for a trade or transfer. The one time that sticks out in my mind is when Orlando was first becoming a team. She was chosen to head down there and immediately had a breakdown. She thought our relationship wouldn’t stand the distance as I was still in Portland. 

I was making breakfast for both of us when Alex came up behind me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head on my shoulder.

“Morning sunshine, how did you sleep?” She punctuated with a quick peck on my check.

“Good, Alex honey I have something to tell you” I whispered the last part.

“What is it? Baby you’re scaring me” she pulled me around so that I was facing her.

“So here’s the thing. Brad called this morning and I—” I got cut off by the phone ringing.

She leaned over and picked it up.

“Hello...yes she is right here. Hold on one second” Alex said into the phone. She held it out to me, “it’s for you. Something about needing to stay after practice for something” 

I grabbed it and held it between my shoulder and ear, that way I could continue to make breakfast for us.

“Yellow...yeah I can stay after…uh sure I’m working on telling them...okay.. yup see you there...uhuh…bye” I hung up.

I finished making Alex’s omelet and my scrambled eggs with cheese. She was sitting at our island on her phone. 

I set her omelet down in front of her and brought her out of the trance her phone had placed her in with a kiss. 

After breakfast, we went upstairs to get ready for practice. I threw on shorts and a tank top and braided my hair. Alex wore the same as me and had me braid her hair while putting it in a ponytail so she could use her pink prewrap as usual.

We arrived at practice and we met up with the team. We dropped our stuff on the sidelines and lined up with the rest of the team to start warmups. After we split up into groups by position. I was will Ali and our other defenders.

I was so occupied by my thoughts of the press conference that seemed like practice flew by. The coaching staff lead me to the conference room where the media was going to meet me. 

I walked through the oak double doors scanned the room for any familiar face. Thankfully Brad was there impatiently waiting for me. I sat in the chair on the stage behind the microphone with my name on it. 

The media began to ask all sorts of questions.

“What’s going on?”

“Are you retiring?”

“Is there a major health scare?”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. And Brad began to speak.

“Thank you all for coming. To be clear Y/N is not retiring or ill” he glance towards me and smiled. “I’ll let her tell you what’s going on”. 

Breathe. Don’t forget to breathe. 

“I have been loaned out to Arsenal. I will be finishing up the season over seas” I said as confidently as I possibly could given that I hadn’t told Alex yet. 

Brad pointed to a male reporter in the front left, to ask the first question.

“Is there trouble in paradise with fellow teammate, and your partner might I add, Alex Morgan?” Of course the pompous piece of ass would ask that.

“No there is not. Alex and I are going perfectly. I will give out no further details on that subject” I said very defensively.

I spotted Alex in the back corner by the doors. She just shook her head as she stormed out of the room.

“Alex wait! Alex!!” I ran after her. 

I figured Brad could hold down the fort in there. The only thing I cared about was getting to Alex and explaining. When I finally found her, she was sitting in her practice gear and she managed to squeeze herself into a corner with her knees pulled up to her chest. She had tears streaming down her face.

I reached out to put my hand on her shoulder but she swatted me away.

“How could you not tell me? I thought we had something special, but obviously I was wrong” she whispered.

“Alex, honey, I was going to tell you. I found out this morning and that’s what the phone call was about. I didn’t know how to tell you” I was squatting in front of her.

She looked at me with hatred in her eyes. “If you can’t trust me with this then I don’t think we can be together anymore” she was looking at the floor.

“Wait are you serious?” I questioned. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Yes. I want your stuff out by Monday” she demanded. 

She got to her feet and shuffled away. I was left standing there like an idiot, I didn’t realize that I started to cry until I tasted salt.

I started to walk back to Alex’s house. I was absorbed in my own thoughts that I hadn’t realized that I was being followed. I was at Alex’s when I turned around and saw Sydney Leroux. She got out of her car and made her way to me.

“I saw the news. I assume that you need a place to stay before you head over seas, Dom is cool with you staying for a few days” she offered.

“Thanks Syd, that means a lot. Seriously” I offered her a sad smile.

I let her in the house and we started to gather my things. 

Hey just checking in on you. FYI your flight is tomorrow at 5 a.m. I read Brad’s text what felt like a million times.

I forwarded the text to Syd so that she wouldn’t be surprised. She sent back that she’d drive me to the airport. 

We headed back to her house and Cassius met me at the door, followed by Dom. 

“Thanks Dom, this means a lot” I said as wrapped my arms around him.

“Always. We’ve got your back” He whispered.

Cassius grabbed my hand and pulled me into their guest room. I laid down on the bed and Cassius jumped up on to me. We were laughing. I felt his breathing level out and I knew he was asleep. Soon after I joined him in sleep.

I woke to the sound of my phone buzzing out of control. That was my que to get up and ready to fly overseas. Dom was up and ready to drive me to the airport. 

I breezed through security and was boarded fairly quickly. I fell asleep as soon as my butt hit the chair.

I was jolted awake by the plane hitting the tarmac. 

I was greeted after I got off the plane, by none other than, Heather. 

“Kid, welcome to the other side of the pond” she joked as she ruffled my hair.

“Thanks HAO. I needed that” she threw her arm around my shoulders. 

We picked up my baggage from the baggage claim. 

Somehow after a few weeks, I fell into some sort of routine. Wake up, eat breakfast, go to practice, go to lunch, practice again, head home, grab a granola bar eat it while I shower, think of Alex, cry myself to sleep, repeat.

One day at practice, I overheard HAO saying that the U.S. Women’s National Team was going to share our practice fields. My anxiety skyrocketed. What if I see Alex? I can’t see her again. I’m not ready…. my thoughts were going a million miles per hour. My breath was quicking, I started to zone out. Something smacked against my back. 

“You okay, Kid?” Heather pulled me out of my trance.

“Yeah-yeah. I’m good” I said it slowly. Trying to not only convince her but also myself.

Practice went on until the National team showed up. Heather went to talk to some of the girls while I started to head back to the locker room. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking, until I ran straight into someone.

“Y/N, I-I-“ I looked right into Alex’s eyes.

“I’ll just get out of your way” I stammered.

I was about halfway down the hallway when Alex called out to me.

“Y/N, wait,” I was not going to turn around to face her, but I did stop walking. “Y/N, I made a mistake. I realized how much I rely on you,” She somehow was facing me. I kept my eyes on the floor. “You are the love of my life. I have seen what my life is like without you in it and I never want to experience that again” she lifted my head up so I was making eye contact. “Please, please, will you give me a second chance?” She finished.

“Al, I’ll think about it. Please, all I ask is that you give me a chance to think” I looked back to the floor as I made my way to the locker room.

My thoughts were on anything but giving Alex a second chance. I grabbed my longboard, when I heard the door slam shut.

“Y/N wait. Have you made a decision? I just need to know” Alex had tears filling her eyes.

“I need more time. Is your number still the same as it was a month ago?” she nodded. “Okay, I’ll text you later with my answer”.

I dropped my board and skated away. By the time I got back to my apartment, I had reached a conclusion. I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. I scrolled through my contacts until I found Alex’s number.

I’m in❤️ .

[theartoflovingthomashunt]

Mile High [Part Two]

[Red Carpet Diaries Masterlist]  ||  [Hollywood U Masterlist]

Characters: Alex, Thomas Hunt Rating: Mature/Explicit (by clicking Keep Reading you agree to be 18 years or older) Notes: @choicesjanuarychallenge2020​​ Plane

This is how I pictured this scene going when I first read it. 

This takes place immediately following Part One.

Mile High Series: [Part One] [Part Two] [Part Three]

– – –

Alex’s lips were on his the moment the door closed behind them. Her mouth ravished him. She couldn't get enough. She had only just returned from filming in New York the day prior and had seen little of Thomas since. Chazz had packed her 24 hours in California with press promotions for the film and 2 photoshoots. 

She was already trying to take his vest off with one hand while still removing his jacket with the other. Her lips broke away for only a moment to lift the vest over his head. His never-ending layers were always such a hassle in moments like these. 

Thomas placed a steadying hand on her waist, holding her back. “Slow down.”

Alex’s eyes were wide with hunger, her breathing ragged with excitement. Every part of her body craved his touch. She needed him inside of her, filling her, completing her. 

Thomas’s lips curled into a smirk as he took in how desperate she was for him. He hated spending time apart, but he would never get tired of seeing her like this: needy, wanting, yearning, almost begging...almost. He’d get her there before they went back to the group. 

“Shh,” he pressed his finger to her lips as she began to pout. “You don’t think you can wear that,” his hands cascaded over her curves, “and not give me time to properly appreciate it.”

She breathed deeply focusing on the warmth of his hands tenderly caressing her skin. 

“Much better,” Thomas offered. He guided her to the table off to the side. Alex hopped up spreading her legs for him.

Thomas slipped her cover-up off her shoulders. His lips pressed against her neck as he began kissing and sucking her most tender flesh.

Alex moaned softly, her eyes fluttering shut.

“Now, now. You promised to be quiet,” Thomas teased sucking her skin more vigorously. 

Alex bit back the growing moan rising in her throat as she leaned her head back, giving him more access to her. 

He slipped his hand beneath her bathing suit bottom, dipping a finger into her warmth. “We should probably get rid of this before it gets any wetter. I assume you’ll want to wear it to the beach later.”

Alex nodded. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to the top either. You should probably help me out of that as well, just in case.”

“If you insist.” Thomas did as directed, leaving her completely naked in front of him. 

“I think it’s your turn.” Alex’s fingers nimbly removed his tie and ran down the buttons on his shirt, letting it fall away, exposing his chest. She traced the slight definition down his chest and stomach. She didn’t need much, he was absolutely perfect just the way he was. Her hands stopped when they reached his belt and Thomas held her back once more.

“I never said I was done with you.” Thomas pulled away from her, picking up his tie from the floor. “Put your hands behind your back, please.”

Alex did as requested. Thomas wrapped his tie around her wrists, securing her hands tightly behind her so she could not disrupt him again. 

When he returned to her, his hands traced over her breasts, his thumbs brushing lightly over her hardened peaks. He enjoyed watching her body squirmed every time he moved back and forth over them. He brought his mouth down on one while his hand massaged the other. 

Alex moaned, her body twisting as his tongue swirled and flicked over her, tantalizing her and driving her mad.

Thomas was nothing if not fair, he switched his attention, making sure to give both equal attention. 

Alex pulled against her restraints. She wanted to touch him to put his mouth where she really wanted it. “Please.”

He pinched her with his teeth as he pulled away. “Please, what?” He didn’t wait for an answer before switching again. 

“Take me,” Alex answered. “I need you.”

“I know,” Thomas smirked against her flesh. “And that’s why we’re going so slow. Don’t think for a moment, I didn’t know what you were doing when you came out wearing what you wore. I don’t appreciate being used in front of our friends.” He held her again beneath his teeth as he pinched her other side with his fingers until she was moaning deeply from the pressure. “Now you will wait until I say you can have what you want.”

“Thomas,” Alex complained. It’s not like this was the first time he’d done this. She should know what to expect, but she couldn’t help but tease him. It was so much fun. The faces he made while trying to hide his desires. The subtle shift in his eyes when he was uncomfortable but still wanting for her… it was too tempting not to toy with him. “I’m sorry.”

He lifted her chin to his face, watching desire burn in her eyes. She was completely at his mercy. While he enjoyed hearing her say ‘please’, he wanted her to beg for him. She was close, but not there yet. 

“My sweet, Alex,” his thumb slid across her lip. “You’re absolutely breathtaking.” 

Thomas knelt in front of her spreading her legs further. His tongue licking up her wetness that was pooling at her center. Thomas took his time, running his tongue between her folds. “Mmm… I’ve missed your taste on my lips.” 

Alex rocked her hips forward moving closer to the edge of the table, urging Thomas deeper. “Please,” she offered again.

“You will not cum until I say you can,” Thomas instructed his voice firm and demanding.

“But…” Alex complained. 

“Do you want this or not?” he questioned, keeping his distance. 

“Yes.”

“Do you agree to my terms?”

“Yes,” Alex resigned herself. 

Thomas’s tongue dipped deeper between her folds finding her nub. He swirled his tongue around it, avoiding direct contact. He slipped a finger inside of her, rubbing and curling, taunting her with each movement. 

“Thomas, please,” Alex breathed, a sheen of sweat forming on her skin. “I can’t…”

Her words were a melody to his ears. He slipped another finger in, sinking deeper into her. His tongue flicked over her, causing her to cry in pleasure. She was so close and he could feel it. He moved more deliberately, making calculated moves to bring her right to the edge before pulling back every time.

“Thomas,” Alex groaned loudly. Her breathing was ragged as she tried desperately to hold out just like he asked. It was harder with every passing moment. “Please. I want you. I need you inside of me, Thomas, please... Please.” The last please was nothing more than a whisper escaping as she exhaled but it was what he was waiting for.

“You have my permission,” Thomas teased as his tongue moved faster over her, perfectly timed with the pumping of his fingers. She writhed in ecstasy as he treated her to everything he knew she wanted. He felt her body tensing and contracting around his fingers as he brought her to the edge and finally further. She fell backward when she couldn’t sit up any longer. 

He gave her time to relax as he stood and removed his pants. Thomas lifted her into his arms as he waited for her to recover. He removed the tie from her wrists. Alex immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and settled into his chest. 

As her energy restored, her lips returned to his pulling him closer. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he entered her. 

Thomas’s hips moved slowly at first, letting himself enjoy how her body tightened around him bringing him his own pleasure. As his bliss built, he moved deeper inside of her and with more urgency. Her moans were matched with him grunting as he pressed all the way in her, his balls slapping against her as he built up a steady rhythm. Her body was contracting around him as his own desire pulsated inside of her. 

Alex held onto his neck, resting her forehead on his savoring the electricity coursing through her. She felt the euphoria rising as her body tensed and shuttered. She focused on his movements inside of her. They were both making far more noise than either had anticipated. It felt so good...so much more. 

“I’ve missed you,” Thomas stammered, his cock twitching inside of her. 

“I know,” Alex teased, capturing his lips once more. “I’ve missed you too.”

With one last thrust, Thomas let himself succumb to her. His warmth washed over her, flooding her senses. As he withdrew from her, he ran his finger over her hardened pearl for a few seconds, letting her cry out in rapture. 

He climbed on the table beside her, guiding her his arms.

Alex breathed heavily, soft sounds still escaping her lips, as they came down. “We definitely need to take more trips… that was…” She could barely get the words out, the sensation even now was so much stronger than usual.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Thomas panted. He too felt the effects. “Our own private plane though.”

“Just us.” Alex nodded against him. “Have you ever?”

“No,” Thomas admitted.

“Me neither,” Alex grinned devilishly. “I guess we joined the Mile High club together.” 

His hands ran through her hair pulling her lips back to his. “How much longer do you think we can get away with.”

“I don’t think it really matters,” Alex laughed lightly. “Victoria made us before we left.”

“Well they were going to know when I come back wearing the same thing,” Thomas shrugged. 

“Oh, you thought I was kidding about the shorts.” Alex ran her fingers across the stubble on his face. “Bad news, Mr. Hunt, you’re going to wear the shorts and lose all but one layer up top. I’ll let you choose which, I vote for keeping just the tie, but I’m willing to compromise.”

“Is that so?” Hunt quirked an eyebrow. “How do you imagine that?”

“Well, I already got you out of your clothes,” Alex smirked. “So, I’m halfway there…perhaps you just need a little more persuasion.”

Before Thomas could ponder what she meant, Alex was kissing her way down his chest settling between his legs. Slowly and teasingly she stroked, licked, and sucked him, savoring their combined taste as he steadily hardened again beneath her touch.

_ _ _

Thomas Tags: @the-soot-sprite​​​ ;  @alleksa16​​​  ;  @hopelessromantic1352​​​  ;   @flyawayboo​​​ ; @mfackenthal​​​   ; @lilyofchoices​​​   ;  @alj4890​​​  ;  @twin-skltns​​​   ;    @ab1901​​​ ;   @riseandshinelittleblossom​​​  ;  @thearianam​​​   ; @choicesjanuarychallenge2020​​​, @trappedinfandoms; @awkwardambition