#they wouldn’t be besties after being exes - people run to the hills

[laughing-drawing-aces]

ngl being a sam winchester fan and being in that fandom and then going to stranger things fandom is absolutely wild! because with sam fans you’ll see the most insane batshit moments where we all want sam to get stigmata and we talk about the complexity of sam and lucifier’s dynamic to the stranger things fandom who runs any moment you even get an inkling of having complexity. like the amount of times y’all get angry at the simplest of things instead of looking deeper is wild to me! like bro you run at the minute someone is like ‘okay but i like dissecting stancy cuz they’re so complex and they’re a mess’ because y’all want them to be besties after they’reexes or ‘nancy isn’t a prize for steve (which i agree but that’s not what some people mean when they’re talking about stancy)” meanwhile i’ve been over here with sam fans where we add more to the complexity of the dynamic between sam and the characters - and we go wild with it.

[mountswhore]

Hey girl, me again 🥺I’ve had this idea in my head for ages 🤔 based off the song ‘Polaroid’ by Liam Payne Mason Mount on holiday with the boys in Mykonos, him and the boys befriend a small group (reader and friends) bassically a holiday fling between reader and Mason but he never actually gets her name or anything just a few ‘Polaroid’ pictures of them both, few months later he’s been trying to find her but can’t and the lads convince him to post it on Instagram with the caption “Instagram do your thing” after a while he notices numerous different people (her friends) tagging the reader in it and turns out it’s her and sends her a message. Thankyou sweet cheeks 😎💙

aaahh bestie this is such a good idea

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 — mason mount

summary: mason can’t find the girl he had a fling with last summer, so he takes to the internet to find you.

notes: my requests are open, ask away!

for @yourmypurpose

Winning the Champions League was supposed to be a feeling like no other, a feeling that you’d remember for the rest of your life. But Mason felt deflated, he felt like the world was closing in on him and he could do nothing but watch it happen. Even his friends noticed his awful mood, they’d gone from watching him run around the pitch with the trophy, with a smile nobody could take away from him, to this; a man not wanting to leave his bedroom, let alone his house. His career was the only thing he was doing well in, his girlfriend left him, he would just train, come home to an empty house, sleep, and repeat. It wasn’t a life worth living.

“It’ll be fun,” Declan pleaded, following his best friend into his living room, “it’ll be the perfect chance to get away from everything, from work, from the UK, from your ex.” He spoke the last part quietly, yet Mason still heard and shot his friend a glare as he sat on the couch.

“I’ll think about it.” Mason mumbled, reaching for his PlayStation controller and turning his console on. Declan was trying to get Mason to come to Mykonos with a few of the Chelsea boys, as a celebratory vacation after winning the Champions League. But he wasn’t budging.

“You say that, but you never do. Come on, if it doesn’t lift your mood, you can take the next flight home.” Declan was trying to reason with his friend, to do anything in order to get this man out of his sweatpants and into some swim shorts. This holiday was all Mason needed to get back into his rhythm, to realise you don’t need a girlfriend to be the best version of yourself, to realise he was Mason fucking Mount.

The look on Mason’s face was completely readable, a smile appearing on Declan’s face. Declan jumped onto his friend, cheering and shaking him vigorously. “You won’t regret this, we’re gonna have so much fun.”

Mason found himself in his plane seat, earphones on, and on the way to Mykonos. Greece had always been one of his dream destinations, it was one of the places he’d planned on going to with his ex. Shaking his thoughts from his head, he’d drowned himself in the music. Waiting for the next three hours to be over.

The villa was lovely, the view from his room was even better. He felt himself smile just a little, hopeful for this holiday. He’d spent the first day enjoying the food of Greece, visiting the beach, taking in the place he was staying. Every time the negative thoughts would try to push in, memories of his previous vacations with his ex, he shut it down. He forced a smile and laughed with his friends, hoping they didn’t see through this façade.

It was tiring. Getting back from a busy day and then being told there was a club in town. Having to force that smile back onto his face once more. He still dressed appropriately for the night ahead, pre-gaming with his friends before heading out to this club. It was only 8pm and it was packed, the place had an outside terrace, which didn’t seem so crowded.

Drink after drink, rounds of shots, drinking games with his friends and a few randomers. It was wild. Mason was finally beginning to let go of it all; his negative thoughts weren’t affecting him right now. It was pure bliss.

“Mase,” Declan called out, gesturing to him on the other side of the bar, “wanna play beer pong? These guys need another group.” Mason just nodded along, looking over to the group he was referring to. It was a group of four, just like them, but he’d locked eyes with you for the first time.

Throughout the game, you constantly had a smile stuck to your face, brighter than anything he’d seen before. It was the infectious type of smile, one that spread to his face too. The drinks had done a number on his movement, almost stumbling to the terrace, where only a few people sat. He took in the cool air, resting his head back onto the wall behind him.

“You good?” You questioned, sitting beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder. He quickly opened his eyes, turning his head to face you. There you were again.

“I’ve had a lot to drink,” Mason mumbled, breathing heavier than usual, “your twin looks so much like you.” You just laughed, understanding how much he’d had to drink. You had also had a lot to drink, but clearly Mason didn’t handle alcohol well.

“Here,” you instructed, holding his hand out for him and placing a cup into his hand, “it’s water, drink it.” You watched as he did so, downing it rather quickly and slamming it onto the table beside him. “Do you remember your name?”

“Yes, it’s Mount. Mason Mount.”

“Well, Mount, Mason Mount, do you remember where you’re staying? I think it might be an idea to get you home.” You spoke, the cool air sobering you up almost entirely. Mason’s head was getting droopy, you’d seen this all before, he was inches away from snoozing on your shoulder. You just giggled at him and stood up, grabbing both of his hands and pulling him up.

“We walked here from our villa, it’s a silly looking one. One with the pool shaped like a love heart.” You hummed, not knowing which one exactly, so his information rendered useless. He was leaning against you as you both walked back into the club, spotting his friends again.

“Hey, he’s had a lot to drink. I was going to walk him home but the only thing he said about the villa was that the pool was heart-shaped.” You laughed to his friend, who you’d learnt was called Ben. Mason was looking around the club, the multi-colored lights making his eyes squint in pain. This was the beginning of his hangover, he knew it was only going to get worse from here.

Ben had been kind enough to give you the villa address, and a key, so you made your way to the location. It was weird how trusting they were, for all they knew, you could be a psycho thief. You’d gotten to the villa, after an awful walk up the hill, and placed him on the couch. You didn’t even want to look at their stairs, let alone take Mason up them.

“I’ll stay here until your friends get back,” you spoke quietly, grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch and laying it over the half-asleep Mason, “night, Mason.”

“You never said your name.” He stated, craning his head to look at you as you sat on the opposite couch.

“Y/N.”

Declan had gotten back, wanting to arrange another outing together, a bit less boozy than a club. And here you were, on your way to spend the day on a boat. You’d brought your polaroid camera with you, hoping to get some nice pictures with your friends before you go home in a few days.

“You’re back.” You spoke, sitting beside Mason as the boat started to move. He smiled at you, handing you a flute of a sparkly liquid, which you’d taken without complaining. “Having fun so far?”

“Yeah, I’m glad I’m seeing you again. I don’t really remember much from last night apart from your face.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. You blushed, hiding it with your hands and reaching for your camera.

“What do you say to a picture? To remember this moment.” You suggested, holding the camera up at the two of you. Mason’s arm slid around your shoulders, pulling you in closer with a smirk on his face. You just smiled your usual, bright smile, and let the photo develop.

The day was spent enjoying the view, jumping off the boat multiple times, finally making your way back to the docks when the sun began to set. Everyone was sitting on the front of the boat, taking in the last few hours of the sun on their skin, whilst you and Mason were at the back together. Away from the sun, completely alone. You laid beside him, your eyes shifting to look at him every few seconds.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” He retorted, poking his tongue out at you as you laughed, shoving his leg slightly.

“Oh, I already have.” You replied wittily, holding the polaroid up to show him. It was quite a creative picture, actually. His skin was tanned, muscles perky, the sun hitting him in all the right places. He was very handsome, you could only imagine the job he had back home.

“Hey, give that,” Mason chuckled, reaching for the polaroid but you’d held it away from him. He leant over to you, hand out to grab it, but you’d both been focused on something else. How close your lips were. You could feel the other’s breathe, it was straight out of a movie the way Mason grabbed your waist and closed the gap between the two of you. He was pulling you down with him, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. This was an Oscar-worthy kiss.

You knew you wouldn’t see these boys again, as you didn’t have long before you returned back to the UK. So, as you were grabbing your things, you’d flicked through the polaroid's from today, finding the one of you and Mason.

“Here,” you spoke, holding the polaroid out for him to take, “I thought you’d like it. And it’s a way of remembering your time here, and the most gorgeous girl you’ve ever laid eyes on.” You joked, but Mason really felt that way. You were the most gorgeous girl he’d laid eyes on. He came on this holiday thinking it would depress him even more, but he found fun in you.

“Trust me, I won’t forget a face like that.” He replied, placing the polaroid into his wallet and smiling. “See you,” he whispered against your neck as you hugged, one last time, “someday.”

It had been two months since he’d returned from holiday, back to work, but more importantly, back to his old self. He enjoyed going to work, coming home, and spending time with his friends. He saw beauty in his mundane life again. But he missed you. He never thought he’d miss a two day fling with a random girl on holiday, it wasn’t even a fling, The pair of you hadn’t hooked up, only shared a kiss. But it was a good kiss, an unforgettable kiss.

“Have you searched her name up?” Declan asked, relaxing into the corner of Mason’s couch, rolling his eyes as Mason opened his wallet up for the fifteenth time that day. The boys were round for their frequent game day, a day Mason looked forward to.

Mason shook his head, slightly embarrassed to have forgotten your name, in his defense, he was out-of-this-world drunk. “I don’t remember it, I was hammered. Plus, I’m sure there’s at least a thousand people in this country who share her name.”

“Post the picture on Instagram, people always find people on there, it’s creepy.” Ben added, laughing at the end of his statement. It was a good idea, but was he ready to put it out there that he’d moved on, only for his ex to be mentioned in his comments again? Were you worth all of those nasty comments?

He’d posted the polaroid that evening, with the caption:

‘Instagram, do your thing.’

You had received a call from your brother, just as you were heading up to bed. Strange, you thought, your brother only called if he had some ridiculous news. You’d answered it, sitting on your stairs as he spoke.

“Did you meet anyone on holiday?” He questioned, your mind instantly flicking back to your memories with that man. The kiss on the boat, the horrible walk up the hill, the fighting over a polaroid.

“Why’s that your business?” You questioned, running up your stairs and grabbing the polaroid's from your bedside table and flicking through them.

“It’s my business when I’m scrolling through Instagram, only to find a Chelsea player has posted a picture of you and him.” He mentioned, voice raising in disbelief as he finished his sentence. You furrowed your brows, Chelsea player?

“Chelsea player? Chelsea, as in the football team you follow?” You wondered, opening Instagram to find this man’s account. You’d forgotten his name, curse your horrible memory. “What’s his name again?”

“Mason Mount,” he recalled, and you were kicking yourself for not remembering his silly James Bond introduction. Finding his account, you’d seen his recent post. It was your polaroid. The one you’d given him the last time you’d seen each other, he was looking for you. Your heart was beating rapidly in your chest, scrolling the comments and seeing everyone compliment you. How did you manage to run into this man and not remember his face? Or his name? The amount of times your family had mentioned how A1 he was on the pitch, how happy they were when Chelsea had won the Champions League.

“That’s not me,” you lied to your brother, knowing there was no way of escaping this now, everyone you knew would be able to tell it was you.

“Don’t bullshit me, Y/N,” he laughed on the other end of the phone, as you were frantically shoving the polaroid's back into your drawer, “I don’t know anyone else who uses a polaroid camera.”

“Should I text him?”

“You’d be an idiot not to.”

After ending the call with your brother, you sat in Mason Mount’s inbox for over an hour, unable to send him a message. Was there a right thing to say? Was ‘hi’ not enough for the man you’d left a mark on? Throwing away all of your conflicting thoughts, you sighed and just sent the word, ‘hey’. It didn’t take long for him to get back to you, so over the moon that he’d found you.

Mason: I can’t believe it worked, I actually found you.

Turns out my brother follows you and saw the picture, small world?

Mason: Chelsea fan, huh?

Guess so.

Your conversation lasted until the early hours of the morning, you promising Mason a proper date when you were both free. He had training the next day, but how could he sleep when he now knew you. He now had your Instagram, so he could talk to you, instead of staring at the polaroid in his wallet a million times a day.

[doing-all-write]

the art of flirting on a hoverboard

Ivy runs a successful arts non-profit and Joe tags along when Rami and Lucy go to visit her. But what happens when a simple bet made over a hover board competition gets out of hand? 

Pairing: Joe Mazzello x Ivy (OC)

Rating: Rated B for background and C for characterization. (We love exposition in this house)

Warnings: None! 

This is for sure going to be a multi-part fic so here’s the first part! I hope you guys fall in love with Joe and Ivy as much as I had writing them! Ivy wasn’t inspired by anyone tbh, I tried writing in the second person but it kept confusing me so she can be a self-insert or an OC, whichever way you want to read it! 

Any comments, notes, love, hate WHATEVER you got for this, let me know! 

Reblogs and feedback are much appreciated bc I crave validation!!!!!

"EXCUSE US. HOVER BOARD COMING THROUGH." 

Joe jumped, looking around to locate the voice, and said hover board, as Rami sighed with longing.  

The hover board in question was attached (by what Joe could only guess was a jump rope?) to a scooter. The scooter carried two kids while a third desperately tried to keep their center of gravity underneath them as they all raced down the hallway, laughter and profanities left in their wake. 

The receptionist behind the desk leaned over, offering encouragement as her iPhone lens tracked them as they all loudly screamed upon realizing they would have to turn a corner. 

As they took the corner (with only one loud "FUCK" uttered as the hover boarder's shoulder made contact with the wall, but impressively, stayed on) the receptionist shook her head as she watched the video back. Snickering, her thumbs flew as she added a caption. The nameplate attached to the front of her desk identified her as Erin.

Erin looked up once the video had been posted to her Story and her eyes lit up as they fell on Rami.

"Well, well, well. Look who came CRAWLING back to us. Mister Oscar Winner."

Rami rubbed the back of his neck, "Seriously, Erin? I literally saw you last week." 

Erin made her way around the desk to wrap him in a hug, "Doesn't matter. And besides, I just like seeing the internal struggle that you go through where you want to brag about having an Oscar but also don't want to seem like a massive prick." 

Rami shrugged, "It's a fine line always." 

"Sometimes it's so fine it's nonexistent." Lucy piped up which caused Erin to collapse into giggles as Rami rolled his eyes and Joe smirked. 

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy your company IMMENSELY." Erin said as she turned to Lucy and shook her hand.

"Likewise." Lucy offered as Erin turned to Joe.

"What about me? Are we going to become instant besties?" Joe joked as he shook Erin's hand.

Erin shrugged, "Depends, are you going to roast Rami with me?"

"Absolutely. No hesitation. He's not even my friend."

Erin clapped him on the shoulder, "Good man. We're now besties."

Joe hissed a "yes" as Rami, oblivious to all of this, craned his neck to try to see where the joy riders had disappeared to down the hallway. 

"Glad to see the trend of 'tying wheeled objects to other wheeled objects' hasn't died out." He shot a knowing smile at Erin who rolled her eyes. 

"They'll be back, they usually make a few laps." Erin sighed. "They usually do this whenever new people show up, trying to impress you guys," she fluttered her fingers in the direction of Lucy and Joe. 

"Plus around three everyone starts getting stir crazy so...hover boards." She waved her hand flippantly in the air as if that gesture explained the inner mechanisms of bored teenager's brains. 

Rami nodded, "I have fond memories of us, well, Ivy, almost dying when we tied a skateboard to a bike and tried to make it down the hill, you remember that?" Erin nodded as she threw her arm around his shoulders as they both sighed at the memory of being young and stupid.

Lucy's eye flicked over to Joe who shrugged. 

"We should definitely recreate that" Rami declared.

Joe's eyes lit up at the prospect of doing something so chaotic as Lucy turned to Erin, "Do you have a bike, jump rope and skateboard?" 

Erin laughed, then upon seeing the trio in front of her not joining in, realized they were serious, and quickly swallowed her laughter as she cleared her throat.

"We definitely do but your 'meeting'," Erin put air quotes around meeting, knowing full well it was an excuse for them to fuck around and do stupid shit like this for the rest of the day, "with Ivy is in like, two minutes and she'll be so pissed if she misses out on that." 

Erin paused, eyes raised up and to the right as if she could look right through the floor to where Ivy was. "Honestly, if you propose the idea to Ivy right away, you guys could discuss logistics for this week and build that at the same time." 

Rami nodded once in understanding, "Good call, she's always been a fan of multi-tasking anyway." 

Erin laughed, "Yeah, remember when she was just starting this foundation? She had so much to remember and do, and we came in one day and she was grouting one of the bathrooms, on the phone with a sponsor and was sending out a mass email asking for volunteers all at the same time?"

Joe and Lucy exchanged looks as Rami and Erin chuckled over a memory that went right over their heads.

Lucy spoke up, "Sorry, but you two'll have to explain further. All Rami told me was that he was visiting an old friend and I was on the phone with Joe at the time and he invited himself."

Joe adopted an affronted expression, "Well EX-cuse me for ruining an outing that you were already barging in on!" 

Lucy gave his shoulder a gentle shove with a twinkle in her eye,  "Maybe if you didn't have to call me every time you heard a Queen song in public this wouldn't be an issue!" 

Joe opened his mouth to respond when Rami interjected, "Ivy's been my friend for forever. We met doing community theater. She always talked about how it was so hard for kids to get involved in the arts because there was such a sense of elitism attached to it, she wanted to make it more accessible to kids."

He paused and took in the scene around him, people running back and forth through the lobby, calling out to each other, going over song ideas, running lines, carrying pieces of props back and forth, collaborating on beats, and that was just in the lobby. He knew that further into the building they'd discover recording studios, blackbox spaces, auditoriums, dance studios, a gym and a living space that had been added on after Ivy and the other co-founders had been caught camping out in one of the auditoriums after a particularly grueling event planning session for the foundation. 

Erin picked up where Rami had trailed off, "And not just things like acting and singing. All the backstage work, the stage managers, the people who mix music, who build sets, who do special effects makeup, all the non-acting and singing jobs, she wanted to shine a light on them too. So, she started this foundation to give kids a chance to explore all the options the arts provide. She likes having individuals who have 'made it' come in from time to time. Either to visit, maybe talk to the kids, teach some classes, give a lecture or even, in this case, just to hang out."

"I think she mainly wanted me to come so she could meet Lucy since I wouldn't shut up about her every time we talked." Rami admitted with a grin as Lucy threw her head back and laughed.  

Erin glanced between them, "So, how long have you two been dating?" 

Lucy glanced at Rami, "About a year now."

"But it feels like forever." Rami quickly added as he squeezed Lucy into his side and planted a kiss on to the top of her head.

"Oh that's disgusting. Get out of here with that shit." Erin said as a smile broke over her face.

"They're always that cute. Frankly, I'm getting fed up with their happiness." Joe said as he smiled at Erin and rolled his eyes. 

"Well, what about you, Joseph? You dating anyone?" Erin crossed her arms as she directed her piercing gaze onto him.

"Ah, well, no. Not at this time. I don't know, guess I haven't found the right person." Joe shrugged as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Hmm. Tell me Joe, how do you feel about women who can grout a bathroom AND ask for money all at the same time?" Erin jokingly said as Rami snapped his gaze over to Joe.

"Holy shit, dude. No, this could be perfect."

Lucy, smelling a scheme and wanting in immediately, turned to Rami and Erin, "What do you mean?" She shook her head, "You know what? Doesn't matter. I'm in."

Joe, looking very much like a panicked gazelle after realizing lions hd him surrounded, looked between the three of them, "I'm not sure I like where this is going."

Erin completely ignored him as she turned her full focus onto Rami and Lucy, "They would be perfect together. I mean, Rami, you know Ivy. Tell me they wouldn't be so cute together." 

Lucy scrunched her nose as she pondered what Erin had just said, "Wait, is she the one with the nose piercing?"

"YES." Rami turned to Erin, "Ivy's FaceTimed me a few times and she's met Lucy that way."

Lucy's eyes lit up, "Oh my god, she's beautiful. Yeah, they would be such a good match!"

"CAN I GET A SAY IN THIS PLEASE?" Joe interjected as he waved his arms over his head to get the groups attention. 

Everyone's gaze snapped to Joe and Erin had the decency to look guilty, "Sorry. I got carried away. Ivy just," her eyes flitted around as she tried to pick the best words to describe her friend's situation, "She doesn't think she deserves to date nice guys so her past few boyfriends have all been assholes. I just really want her to date someone good and if Rami and my new bestie Lucy think you're a good guy well...I trust them." Erin said as she shot Joe a half smile.

Joe crossed his arms, "Alright, that's...sweet. But still. I'd at least like to meet this girl before you guys pick out rings for us."

Erin's phone vibrated at that moment and risked a glance down at it. She looked up to announce, "Well, luckily you'll be able to meet her in a few minutes, Ivy's current meeting is wrapping up in two minutes. So, get ready to meet your future wife." she joked as Joe rolled his eyes and Lucy snickered. 

"You guys can take a seat while you wait. I should probably actually go do my job." Erin said begrudgingly as she trudged back behind her desk.

They all offered their thanks and wandered over to the chairs in front of Erin's desk. The desk was situated in the middle of two staircases that came down from the second floor. Joe could see glass-walled office spaces, each outfitted with a dry erase board, tables, chairs, charging ports and a mini fridge. 

Rami nudged him as he pointed to the first room at the top of the right staircase, "You see the girl writing at the whiteboard? That's Ivy." 

Joe followed his finger as his eyes swept over the room noticing the two men and four women. Only one of the women was scribbling something onto the white board, her back facing the lobby. 

She was wearing a pair of denim cutoff shorts, a white t-shirt and converse. She spun around and her hair followed as she opened her mouth in a silent laugh. 

Her smile made the whole room brighter, everyone seemed more jovial as she talked and gestured with her hands to drive her point home. 

Joe couldn't take his eyes off her. 

Lucy looked over at Joe to make a comment about what his first impression was of his future girlfriend but when she saw the dazed look that had come over him, she pressed her lips together and knew that it wouldn't be "maybe" they'd start dating but "when" they started dating. 

Rami raised his hand in an enthusiastic wave to try to get Ivy's attention. Her eyes flicked toward the movement then away. A second later they clapped back onto her friend as her face broke open into a wide smile as she waved wildly back. 

"Gang, let's wrap up this meeting, Rami's here and I want to hang out with him." Ivy announced to the room. Everyone agreed and started gathering their things.

"I didn't know Rami was coming to visit, did he bring his girlfriend?" Ava, their HR Wonder Woman/personal trainer, was peering down into the lobby waving wildly back at Rami, who at this point, was jumping up and down.

Ivy glanced up from her laptop as she saved her notes and snorted at Rami's actions, "Yeah. I told him if he didn't bring her here, to his humble beginnings, I'd track her down myself and force her to come visit." 

Charlotte, their finance wizard and the one to corral board members, barked out a laugh, "Yeah, that would look really good for us. 'Local Non-Profit Investigated for Kidnapping Charges.' That would really help us get more money."

"Better than us bamboozling funds." Adam, their music mixing master, pointed out as he pushed Ivy's cup of iced coffee closer to her so she wouldn't forget it. Ivy smiled her thanks as she took a sip.

"Yeah, better to explain a kidnapping charge than doing weird shit with people's money like buying furry costumes or having wild orgy parties." Sean, their 'Bob the Builder' of set designs, chimed in as he stood by the conference room door, sticking a pencil behind his ear.

Gracie, their social media coordinator looked up from her phone, "Why would we be having wild orgies?"

"Well, wasn't Dionysus the god of theatre? He was also the god of parties and all things hedonistic so...orgies." Sean offered as if that all made perfect sense.

"Also, it's a well known fact, all theatre kids are horny on main so it probably wouldn't be a huge shock to most people." Ivy said as she took another sip of her drink. 

"As much as I love talking about orgies and kidnapping others with you guys, Ivy you better get down there. All three of them are jumping up and down and waving now." Ava offered from her vantage point by the window.

"All three? I thought it was just Rami and Lucy?" Ivy's brow crinkled as she walked over to the window.

"There's a third guy. He seems pretty cute in a 'basic white boy' way."

"Oh my god. Ivy. Date him. He sounds like he’s just your type." 

"God, Adam, you act like I've never dated anyone, ever."

"Well, no one good at least." Charlotte mumbled under her breath as she continued furiously typing.

"CHARLOTTE." Ivy screeched as she whirled around to face the room at large. 

Gracie threw up her hands, "Someone had to say it! It might as well be Charlotte! She's known you the longest."

"Yeah, but-I mean, this is-c'mon guys!" Ivy knew her voice was getting whiny but she couldn't help it. Her friends always ganged up on her about her dating life and she really didn't want to hear it. Especially when she was so close to getting out of work for the rest of the day.

Adam threw an arm around Ivy's shoulder as he passed by her on his way to the door, "Now, now everyone. Just because Ivy's never dated a good man before doesn't mean she ever will. It will just take an act of god to make that happen." 

"Fuck. Off."

Adam planted a loud kiss to Ivy's cheek as he scurried out of the room with Sean following close behind, "LOVE YOU IVY."

Ivy rolled her eyes and turned to the remaining women in the room. 

"Is my taste in men really that bad?" 

"YES." 

Ivy winced as all three of them answered with no hesitation.

Charlotte sighed as she adjusted one of her dreads, "It's because we love you that we say these things. We want what's best for you."

Gracie and Ava nodded in agreement as Ivy slumped against the window and groaned.

"I know you do. I can't help it! Every time a guy is actually nice and sweet I get so scared he'll leave me that I just...go for the exact opposite so I don't get hurt."

There was a long pause then Gracie blinked, "That's...a lot to unpack."

"You're telling me." Ivy mumbled as Ava wrapped her in a hug.

"We still love you but maybe, just try going for an actual nice guy. Just this once. I know I'm just a simple lesbian but I'm sure there has to be a nice guy out there right?"

"Do you really believe that?" Ivy leaned her head on Ava's shoulder. 

"No, not at all. I just thought it would make you feel better. Did it?"

"Well, it did until you told me you lied."

"Hmm. Yeah. My bad. Well! Go get 'em." Ava said as she patted Ivy on the back and swept out the door.

Ivy rolled her eyes, "Will I ever hire or befriend people who aren't a giant pain in my ass?" 

"Not likely."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Char."

"No problem. NOW GO. See your friend. We love you."

Ivy waved as she walked out the door toward her office, thumbing through her phone till she got to Erin's contact information.

As she stepped inside her office, the light coming in from her bay window almost blinded her as she dropped her stuff onto her desk. 

"Are you coming down or what? You told me you'd be down like, three thousand hours ago."

"Your perspective of time is a little worrisome."

"ARE YOU COMING DOWN OR WHAT."

"Yes, oh my god, I just wanted to let you know that I'm dropping my stuff off in my office then I'll be down and I would be oh so grateful if you'd rely that information to Rami, Lucy and Joe."

"Yeah, I can do that. By the way, Joe? Very cute. Good sense of humor. Single. Seems like he'd have a nice dic-"

"ERIN."

"WHAT. I'm just letting you know what I've observed so far!"

Ivy rolled her eyes, "I don't even want to know how you got to that last conclusion but honestly he's probably not even going to be interested in me."

Erin scoffed, "Want to fucking bet? He was definitely checking you out earlier. Mayhaps someone has a crush..." She singsonged into the phone as Ivy's heartbeat sped up against her will. 

The idea of someone like Joe having a crush on her was, well, too much for her to even consider. It was easier to go for guys that she really didn't like or who liked her more than she liked them. That way, she never got hurt. She never had to spend another night crying over some guy who didn't give her the time of day. No one was disappointed when they finally got to know the real her. She could keep her focus on her work, which is where her focus should be.

Not on some cute, seemingly nice guy who might break her heart.

But some nights, some nights she couldn't help but wish she had someone she really, genuinely liked holding her close.

She started to imagine flirting with Joe. Going on dates with him. Holding his hand. Kissing him. She felt a warmth start to seep through her stomach as she imagined him kissing her, then moving down to kiss her neck, her chest, her-

"...ASS down here so I can prove to you I'm right." Ivy refocused her eyes on her reflection in her dark monitor screen as Erin's command broke through her thoughts. "Alright, alright, tell them I'll be down in, like, 30 seconds."

She hung up and took a deep breath. She ran her fingers through her hair and walked towards the door. 

She paused, turned back and rifled through the drawer of her desk. She quickly applied some lipstick and sprayed a cloud of perfume in front of her, waited a beat, then walked through it.

It couldn't hurt.

~~~

Erin, shaking her head, lowered the phone from her ear and looked at the trio in front of her, still waving like those on a dock waving to an ocean liner on its maiden voyage. "She's running to her office real quick and then she'll be down, promise."

Rami lowered his arm as Lucy shook her's out, "Yeah, I saw her race off." Lucy nodded in agreement and spared a glance at Joe who kept running a hand through his hair, a sure sign he was nervous.

"So, I saw some guy kiss Ivy's cheek, did she start dating someone without us knowing or..." Lucy trailed off as she subtly flicked her eyes over to Joe then back to Erin. Erin's eyes widened in understanding and inclined her head to let Lucy know Don't worry, I get what you're trying to do and we're on the same team. Lucy nodded once and in that moment, an alliance was born.

Rami couldn't tell what had tectonic shift had just transpired between Erin and Lucy but decided to stay out of it.

Shaking her head, Erin replied, "No, that's just Adam. He's known Ivy for forever. Everyone here is pretty affectionate with each other but, like I said earlier, Ivy's single," she emphasized as Joe's hand stilled in his hair, "and Adam has a serious boyfriend who's usually hanging around here." Lucy nodded knowingly as Joe felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders. 

He didn't like to admit it, but the idea of Ivy having a boyfriend had caused him to deflate, just a little.

"Speak of the fucking devil," Erin muttered, then louder, "THERE YOU ARE. I was about to send out a search and rescue mission for you." 

"Well call it off. I'm here. And it wasn't that long!" Ivy said defensively as she trotted down the stairs. 

Erin noticed how Ivy's hair looked liked it had been brushed, the waves were softer. The woodsy scent of Ivy's favorite perfume reached Erin's nostrils as Ivy gave her a quick hug. When she clocked the freshly applied lipstick it all clicked. She smiled as she realized that Ivy must have taken a while to freshen up because she was trying to impress Joe. 

"What the hell are you smiling about?"

"What? Can I not smile?"

"I mean, you can. But it was weird to come out of the hug and have you just smiling at me. It's a little creepy." 

"Well fine. See if I ever smile at you again." Erin bumped her hip against Ivy's as Ivy turned to greet Rami. 

"WELL, WELL, WELL. If it isn't Mister 'I Won an Oscar So I'm Too Good For My Non-Oscar Winning Friends'."

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT."

As Ivy continued to tease Rami and meet Lucy in person, Joe got a chance to look at Ivy up close. He noticed she had freckles covering her cheeks and nose he hadn't noticed before. Her lips were full, her eyes bright as she laughed at something Lucy had said. Her smile was even more radiant up close. She was short, shorter than Joe and he wanted nothing more than to wrap an arm around her shoulder and tuck her into his side. 

Ivy shifted and Joe noticed how the muscles of her thigh moved underneath her skin and wanted nothing more than to feel those thighs wrapped around his head as he went down on her. Feeling them squeeze the sides of his head as he wrapped one hand around her thigh while the other hand teased her entrance...

"Joe? JOEY. Come back to us." Erin laughed. 

Joe snapped back to attention and saw a bemused Ivy staring back at him with her hand outstretched. 

"I promise I don't have cooties."

Joe shook his head as he mentally kicked himself, "Yeah, no, I'm so sorry, uh, I'm Joe! It's nice to meet you." 

"Nice to meet you too. A little disappointed you didn't bring the cardboard cutout of Ben."

"That's going to follow me until the day I die isn't it?"

"Well yeah. Especially since I'm assuming you'll be buried together." 

Joe laughed and Ivy smiled at him.

Erin and Lucy exchanged looks as they both noticed their hands were still connected. 

Rami cut in, "Ivy, we saw these kids roll past on a scooter with a hover board attached and it reminded me of the time we did the same thing but with-"

"-with a bike and a skateboard, hell yes!" Ivy exclaimed as she let her hand slip from Joe's as she turned to meet Rami's excited expression. 

Joe flexed his hand and realized how cold it was. 

"I know where all that stuff is, follow me." She linked arms with Rami and started skipping down the hall with him. Lucy laughed while Joe, not one to be left behind, linked his arm through Lucy's and started skipping after them.

"Soooo," Lucy said as they followed the laughing pair down a hallway lined with vintage concert posters and records with doors that led to recording studios, "what do you think of your new girlfriend? Is there a spark?" 

"I think she's really great." Joe offered with a noncommittal shrug, "I don't really know what else to say beyond that, but I think we're going to get along well." 

"Do you think she's pretty?" Lucy pressed, never one to beat around the bush.

Joe took a second and finally decided that with Lucy, the truth was always better. She would find out anyway, "Yeah, I do." Hoping the forced casual tone of his voice would downplay how beautiful he really thought she was.

Lucy nodded while on the inside she was jumping up and down and cheering. 

All the while, Erin watched them receding down the hallway and spoke to herself, as if she were a Greek chorus of one, "I give them a week before they can't keep their hands off of each other."

[seouledbysisi]

Ambitious Dreams

Chapter Eleven

Nori pulled up to the guys house. She immediately went after she was able to leave work. She wondered what Hyoeun needed to talk to her about. She hadn’t thought she had done anything wrong, but she still had some type of bad feeling. She brought food with her to maybe soften the blow if he was mad at her. She texted his phone to let him know that she was outside. A couple minutes later he opened the front door. She immediately pushed the food into his chest with a huge smile.

“I bought you a burger and fries!” She examined his expression. He didn’t seem mad but then again he always had a stern look on his face so at this point she wasn’t sure if she should be running for the hills or not.

Hyoeun nodded and took the bag from her. “I think we should go to my room if that’s cool with you?”

She nodded and followed him up. “Why wouldn’t it be cool with me? I’ve been in there plenty of times before.”

“Just thought I’d ask.” He said plainly.

He was being too weird. “As if you even needed to but okay.” She rolled her eyes a bit and sat on his bed. What shocked her even more was the fact that he sat in his computer desk. She took a deep breath. “Is something wrong?”

Hyoeun looked up at her. He seemed to be in deep thoughts. “I just-“ he paused.

“Spit it out. You’re scaring me...”

“I haven’t liked anyone like I like you in a really long time and I’m not trying to start something with you and end up getting burned like I always do.” He started.

Nori raised an eyebrow. “I thought we were good, where is this coming from?”

“We are okay but I know how I feel about you and I’m not sure you’re ready to be where I’m ready to be.”

“I don’t- I just really don’t understand. I’m not following-“ Nori was honestly baffled. They hadn’t had an issue so she didn’t understand where his concerns were coming from. If he wanted them to be official she couldn’t understand why he hadn’t done it already. She wasn’t going anywhere.

Hyoeun sighed. “The other night at the studio I saw one of your texts.” He admitted.

Nori’s eyes widened. “Okay and? How did you even see my messages?”

“I didn’t see your messages, you were dancing on my lap and you got a text from some guy. I’m pretty sure it was a drunk text.” He took a deep breath. “I’m not trying to control you or say who you can or can’t talk to. I’m not that type of guy, I just need to know that we’re on the same page. You and that guy obviously have history and-“

“He’s my ex.” Nori blurted. She figured he deserved to know.

Hyoeun’s face hardened. “I figured. Should I be worried?”

“I won’t lie and say that we didn’t share some really great times together but how we ended wasn’t good. He left me when I needed him the most because he couldn’t deal with his workload and the responsibility of me.” Nori teared up a bit.

Hyoeun got up and sat beside her. He pulled her into his side. He really wasn’t trying to get into the details of her ex but he did want to be supportive and let her rant if she needed to.

“He said it was for my own good that we just call it quits. I mean maybe it was- I don’t know, I got you and you’re pretty great. You’re better than I sometimes think I deserve and I’m so sorry if that text made you wonder if I’m really here for you or not. I’m here. I promise, I’m here however you need and want me. I’m here.” She caressed his face.

His face started to soften. “So you gonna be mine forreal now?”

“I thought I already was.” She smiled and pinched his cheek.

One week later

Nori and Ash met up at the warehouse that was set up for the photo shoot.

Ash admired it. It looked like they were standing in the middle of the garden of eden. It was magical. It was majestic. “You’re so creative.”

“Thanks.” She answered as she got her camera ready. Her phone began to rang. Nova.

“Hey I’m running a little late but I will be there in ten minutes.” Nova anxiously spoke.

Nori giggled. “You’re fine, I just need some opinions on some outfits for this shoot. I trust your judgment the most.” She hated lying to her bestie but it was for a good cause.

They clicked the phone off.

“By the way you’re gonna be shirtless.” Nori told him.

Ash rubbed his stomach. “I ain’t been working out and I been eating a lot lately, I don’t know how well that’s going to turn out.”

“Boy, please! That little bird chest still there. You ain’t gained no weight!” Nori cackled.

He lifted his shirt to flash his one pack. “It used to be 6. You can’t tell me I haven’t gained weight.” He looked playfully ashamed.

“Dang, I guess so.” Nori eyed his belly. “Nova doesn’t even like a whole lot of muscle anyway.”

Ash chuckled. “She don’t like me period. I just hope that she don’t walk out that door once she finds out why she’s really here.”

Suddenly the door opened and Nova emerged. She took a look around at the decorations and all of the flowers. “Nori, you’ve outdone-“ she stopped when noticed Ash in the corner of the room. “Is this who you’re taking pictures of?”

Nori tried to think of the best way to break the news to her. “Um. . . sort of-“

Nova looked confused. “Okay?”

“This shoot is for both of you. Ash contacted me and wanted to do a pregnancy reveal shoot. He wanted the news to be special. So we came up with this!” Nori smiled. “Please don’t hate us!”

Nova simply stared at the decorations.

She had to admit that they were out of this world beautiful. “Wow. Okay then.”

“Okay?” Ash asked. He was stunned that she didn’t put up a fight.

“Okay.” Nova repeated.

“What? Really?” Ash was totally thrown off.

Nova rolled her eyes. “I mean the set is beautiful and I can’t say no when y’all put this kind of effort into it. So okay let’s do it.”

Nori handed her the outfit and pointed her in the direction of a changing room. Nori fixed her makeup for her as well.

When Nova emerged from the changing room, Ash was nearly knocked off of his feet. She looked gorgeous, maybe more gorgeous than he had ever noticed. “You remind me of a goddess.” He admired.

Nova blushed a bit. Good thing she was too dark for him to notice. “Thanks.”

They began taking the pictures until they got enough footage that Nori could work with.

“How comfortable are y’all with intimacy?” Nori asked the two.

Ash eyes flew open. “Huh?”

Nova squinted her eyes at her friend. She was giving her a warning.

“I mean obviously y’all are or she wouldn’t be pregnant right now.” Nori spoke unapologetically.

“One time, Nori! It was one time!” Nova yelled with a laugh.

“Apparently one time too many.” Nori shot back. “I just need y’all to at least look and act like y’all are in love and overjoyed with the expectation of baby Island.” She grinned big. “I need y’all close.”

Act. That’s the word that played again and again in Nova’s head. She couldn’t shake it. That’s exactly what they were doing. Acting. They weren’t together. They weren’t a real family. They were merely two separate people who happened to be having a child together. Honestly she didn’t know how she could keep this tough girl act together. She desperately wanted her child to have a legit family, but she couldn’t trust her own feelings. She couldn’t trust Ash with her heart. She was lost.

“And that’s a wrap!” Nori yelled and clapped. “Go get undressed beautiful people.” She told them.

Nova hurried to the changing room. She stood in the corner and eventually slid down the wall, overtaken by emotions. Tears fell upon her quickly. Every emotion that she had been burying was suddenly coming back up. The only pictures she saw in her head was Ash. She saw the times when they were happy and things weren’t so complicated. She saw the look on his face when she left him in the pouring rain. Every memory of him flashed in her head. She was an emotional wreck.

Nori gathered her things together and began taking down the decoration.

Ash helped her. “Thank you for doing this. You know you’re not just her friend. You’re mines too. In fact you’re family. Anyone who Hyoeun loves, I got love for too.” He patted her shoulder.

Nori smiled. “Same to you. If you need me I’m always here.”

Ash grabbed his Nike duffel bag and began searching for his AirPods that he had dropped in it.

Nori, being the nosey person she was, noticed a small jewelry box. She grabbed it quickly and opened it. She gasped. “Ash, what is this?”

Ash snatched the box away from her. “It’s not what you think!” He was embarrassed that he was still carrying it around. Truth is, he’d had it for awhile. He had been planning on asking Nova to be his girlfriend and he was going to present her with the ring but it just didn’t work out that way.

“I think it’s a ring!”

Ash sighed. “It is but it’s not like I’m trying to marry her, I mean I’d want to eventually but this isn’t that.”

“So what is it for?”

“It was a promise. Sort of like a Pre-engagement ring but I doubt I’ll ever even get a chance to give it to her. I’m lucky if she’ll even be my friend from now on.”

Nori was dough-eyed. “That is the sweetest gesture ever! And the rock is even more sweet. Ya know diamonds are girl’s best friend!” She winked at him.

He shrugged. “I know it’s been really hard for her but I’ve been through hell too. I don’t think anyone really realizes just how hurt I am too. I see her all the time and can’t even touch her. I’m always scared to even talk to her. Do you know how it feels to want someone whose just in a your reach and know that you can’t have them? It’s torture. I’m living in a nightmare. She’ll never understand how much she means to me.” He took a deep breath. “She showed me how to love again. My ex took me through hell and back but with Nova, I got a glimpse of paradise.”

Nori pulled him into a hug. “I guess I didn’t really understand your pain too. I’m sorry. I guess everyone has just been letting y’all figure things out but we should’ve been there for you too.”

The changing room door finally opened, they immediately let go of one another.

Ash threw the ring into his duffel bag quickly and zipped it up. “It was good talking to you. I’m gonna get out of here.”

Nova sighed. “Hey Ash?”

Ash stopped and looked around.

She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

It wasn’t a ‘I want you’ embrace. It was legit gratitude and for some reason he felt like in that moment that’s what he needed from her. Nothing more and nothing less. He just wanted to feel appreciated and to make her happy for once.

“Thank you for this. Maybe you’re not so bad after all. I know I haven’t made any of this easy for you and we’re both stuck on this crazy rollercoaster but I think we’ll get through it. . .eventually.” She hugged him again and laid her head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat soothed her. She felt her emotions rising again so she broke lose from the embrace before she lost it. . .again.

He nodded with a weak smile. Maybe friendship would be all that she was willing to give. He just needed her in his life in some way. He left.

Nori eyed them. It broke her heart that they both were going through hell. Ash was in love with this woman and she was too blinded by distrust to see or feel it. She loved him too but she was too stubborn to admit. The situation was horrible but she prayed someday they’d get it together.

Nova sighed. “Y’all I almost feel special.” She giggled.

Nori examined her face. “Why do you look like you’ve been crying?”

Nova shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your eyes seem puffy and a bit pink. Are you okay?” Nori grabbed her face.

Nova nodded trying to push those emotions back down. For some reason she was having an emotional day and she just wanted the tears to stop.

“You’re not okay are you?” She held Nova’s hands.

Nova shook her head. “No.” She whispered.

Nori pulled her phone out and called Elle.

Hello?!” She sung into the speakers after the third ring.

Nori giggled. “We’re about to grab some ice cream and pizza and have a movie night! You down?”

Elle hesitated for a minute. “Are the guys coming too?”

“No, this is girls night in. Nova is an emotional wreck and I think we need some girl time, maybe pamper ourselves.” Nori explained.

Elle was excited. “Okay, I’ll grab some pizza and head to your house!”

They left the warehouse and grabbed some ice cream.

The guys decided to go to a bar together. They hadn’t been out in awhile.

Changmo kept eyeing different females.

The guys all laughed.

“Are you ever gonna settle down?” Hash asked him with a laugh.

Changmo shrugged. “I’m living my best life. Do you know how much good sex I get?!”

“You could have good sex with one person too though.” Hyoeun answered with a straight face.

Changmo shook his head. “I don’t want no strings right now. Plus look what happened to Ash. I ain’t going out like that!”

Ash took a sip of his beer. “You act like being loyal is bad.”

“It is when you ain’t reaping no benefits from it. Nova let you hit like once and y’all ain’t even together. Your ex dropped you like a hot potato too. You got bad luck.” Changmo chuckled.

Ash laughed. “I’d still have Nova if you hadn’t have been talking about that stupid fucking bet that really didn’t exist.”

Changmo shrugged. “My bad, I ain’t know she was there.”

“You didn’t try to stick up for me either though. You know I had been called that bet off, you got the girl thinking that I was playing games with her ass.”

Marz stared at Ash. “You love her don’t you?”

Ash looked at all the guys. “I mean she’s having my child-“

“If she wasn’t pregnant would you still love her?” Marz interrogated.

Ash hated talking to guys about feelings. He didn’t want to seem soft so he just shrugged.

“It’s okay if you do, Ash. Hyoeun is under Nori’s spell too. He’s a lovesick puppy!” Hash laughed out loud.

Hyoeun smirked. “I am not love sick!”

“Yeah you are! You smile so much for that girl.” Hash continued.

Hyoeun pulled his phone out to check his messages. There was one from Nori. Having a girl’s night with Nova & Elle. Come by in the morning? we could do breakfast.

“Nori?” Ash asked him.

He nodded. Have fun. See you in the morning.

“Ash, how you gonna feel when your baby mama gets another man?” Changmo asked.

Ash rolled his eyes. “Don’t call her that. And I don’t know.”

“She’s the mama of your baby, what else should I call her?” Changmo knew how to press someone’s buttons. He was only joking with him though.

Ash finished off his beer. “Her name maybe?”

“Get out your feelings tonight, Ash. All these beautiful women in here, go find one to take home.” Changmo suggested.

“Not my style.” Ash responded and grabbed his phone. He shouldn’t be texting Nova but he couldn’t resist. She seemed off before he was about to leave. For her to hug him twice was something strange and the way she held him the second time was different. Are you okay from earlier?

He waited on a reply. He had drowned the guys out. He was focused on one thing and one thing only. Nova. His phone pinged. Yeah. Did I not seem okay?

He thought of how to respond. You hugged me. . .twice lol

A few minutes later he received another message. Better cherish it cause I don’t know when I’ll be in the giving mood again haha

He smiled. So would you even tell me if you weren’t okay? He knew she wouldn’t but he had to ask. Something definitely wasn’t right with her, she just didn’t trust him enough to talk to him.

His phone didn’t ping with another iMessage for another thirty minutes. He had almost gave up on a response. I could be better. Not in the mood to talk about it though.

He was shocked. She had let him in just a little. She closed the door on him too but at least she gave him something. You don’t have to talk about it. I’m here when you need me.

He got an immediate response. I know. Thank you for being here even when I’ve been distant.

The girls were stuffing their faces with pizza and ice cream talking about boy problems.

“Maybe I’m crazy but I feel like me and Has are moving at such a slow pace. I almost feel friend zoned.” Elle admitted.

Nova gave her a peculiar look. “Y’all hang out all the time though, right?”

“I mean yeah but he acts like he’s scared to do more than hold my hand.”

Nori giggled. “Y’all have never even kissed?!”

“He kissed my cheek all the time but he won’t dare go for the lips and I’m too scared to do it myself!” Elle laughed.

“Take charge! Men like that sometimes.” Nori encouraged.

Nova nodded. “Yeah, maybe he’s trying to respect your boundaries. He’s really respectful.”

Someone began to bang on Nori’s door.

“You don’t think Hyoeun would come do you?” Elle asked with wide eyes.

Nori shook her head. “Not banging on my door like that!” She swung the door open. Her eyes got big.

The other two girls stood a distance behind.

It was Harry. He had clearly been drinking. He leaned on the door facing. “So you’re just gonna keep ignoring me like I’m nobody to you?” His words slurred.

“Harry, you’re drunk. You never drink! What the hell is going on with you?” She asked him. She was very concerned with his erratic behavior.

He was becoming angry. “You drove me to this!” He yelled.

She jumped a little.

Nova grabbed her phone and called Hyoeun. “How quick can you get to Nori’s?”

Hyoeun could hear the ruckus in the background. “I’m on my way, I’ll be there in five!” He hung up.