#this country is run by clowns and all i can do is hope the next Head Clown will be better
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
this is all i gathered of the presidential debate from hearing friends talk about it
#us politics#2024 presidential election#2024 presidential debate#kamala harris#âguys is she decentâ#âbetter than trumpâ#this country is run by clowns and all i can do is hope the next Head Clown will be better#presidential debate
204 notes
¡
View notes
Note
hello!! for the fanfic writer asks, would you be interested in answering:
10. Is there a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?
13. How much planning do you do before writing?
27: Is there a fic you were nervous to post/share? Why?
29: Share a bit from a fic you'll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don't have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don't plan on getting to.)
you don't have to answer all of these! or you can! for any fandom! thank you!! âĽď¸
Hi! Oooh, those are some nice ones.
10. The Thick of UNIT! It's crossover crackfic, with a crossover crackship, that I thought was going to just be mostly me clowning on a throwaway line, but it's gotten fic written of it...? And at least one person uses an OC name as a tumblr username...? I'm shooketh. Plus I want to finish it one day, but each time I open the file I'm smacked with writer's block. (I'm also attempting a beta-reader on it, but idk when that'll be able to pan through at this point.)
13. All of it and none of it. I'm one of those assholes that can just sort of write without much planning if anything (if it's any consolation, it helped lead to shit grades in English class for composition), but sometimes I acknowledge that my memory is ADD-riddled shit so I do write some stuff down if a thing gets big enough. This reminds me that I need to continue what I sunk last summer into planning ahahahaha orz it's taunting me.
27. Nervous...? I don't know if that's the right word for it...? I mean, I've been writing fic for so long that I don't recall being specifically nervous. Maybe the closest would be Lackluster (FFN/AO3), if only because I might get judged for writing a rarepair I've literally never seen before in my life. Law and Viola? Sure, why the fck not. My that admission, Love, Loss, and Finding One's Self on the High Seas can qualify because I also do a weird rarepair in that one too for, like, half a second (Zoro/Reiju, baybee).
29. So, I've got this dynamic fic I've got a bunch of wips and one-shots and story ideas in and sometimes it's where I plop a whole-ass multichapter fic in there, and this is the beginning of one that's on the chopping block for next time I save the new document, because it's been literal years since I added to it. Six-hundred-three words of a probably Doctor Who fic under the cut.
Bill looked at the scrap of yellowed paper in her hand, the pencil used to scribble on it had long faded to a light grey. The cool breeze teased her giant poof of hair and made her jacket dance around her; country air always made her feel uneasy. In the city she could smell things on the breezeâfood, cars, people, placesâyet out in the country, on the lonely dirt road in front of the low stone-and-moss wall that guarded a stone-and-moss house, she smelled nothing of the sort. It was all animal poo, if there was anything, and she hated it. Adjusting the bag on her shoulder, she took a deep breath to steady her nerves, hoping what she smelled was not simply more poo of a viler sort. She wasnât entirely certain about this⌠but then again, what could she do? Where could she go? She had run out of optionsâthis had to be it. There wasnât anything else that she could possibly⌠bloody hell. She tried to push open the gate and the lock froze on her, barring her entry. Pocketing the paper with the address, she attempted to simply hop over the wall instead, but it was too thick for her specific height to make a smooth go of it. Her legs went just a bit too far and she cringed, knowing she was going to feel that in the morning. Biscuit-tin, thatâs what this place was, she decided as she finally made it over the wall. It looked like a crofterâs plot on a biscuit tin one would find in a Sainsbury near Christmas. Then again, what else did she expect going to the Middle of Glen Nowhere, in the foothills of Ben Nothing? A lot of bloody bunk. As she made her way closer to the house, a flock of brown, horned sheep came round the back of the building and began to swarm her. They didnât try to do anythingâthat wasnât it at allâbut they still surrounded her and prevented the stranger from approaching the door, bleating hopefully as they greeted their visitor. It was then that the sound of a small airplane began to rumble through the air, attempting to be heard over the wind and sheep. A tiny dot in the sky high above the horizon to start, Bill watched as the plane flew closer, almost going and clipping the roof of the house when it passed overhead on its first go over the property. She watched the sheep as they all moved as one towards the plane; their field became a runway andâafter the craft stoppedâit was surrounded by the beasts. The engine died down and two people climbed out, one tall and lanky, the other much shorter though much more average in build. They seemed to notice her right away, as they began walking towards her, the flock following. âWeâre not buying anything, I hope you know,â the shorter one said as they approached. She was a woman with brown hair, a northern English accent, and was a few years older than her; the taller one was a man with grey hair and a couple extra decades. While they were both pale, he somehow looked as though he hadnât properly seen sun in ages, which was believable given the amount of layers he was wearing. âIâm not selling,â Bill replied. âI was just cleaning out my motherâs lockbox, andâŚâ âI donât see why that has anything to do with us,â the man said. Bill was hit hard by the Glasgow in his voiceâshit. Oh⌠shitâŚ
#meme replies#gendervapor#gendervapor14#I got to hit a spectrum of my work in this one so yeah this was fun#open to more if someone thinks of any
4 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Sydney Street Files: What's my goal?
I donât think anyone has documented Sydneyâs Chinatown as extensively as I have. I know, I know, itâs an odd boast, but anyone who wants to fight me on this claim can do so in the comments. Iâm free game. I hope to find someone whoâs spent more time and effort in this one location than me. Itâs doubtful, but I believe in you Sydney. I believe.
Jokeâs aside, I am making this blog to hopefully spark some interest among Sydney-siders to go out and explore your streets and capture what you see. Beaches are beautiful and everyone knows that. I love and appreciate landscape photography as much as the next guy, but no one can deny that the most interesting part of photography is realism, and no other genre of photography feels more *realâ to me than street photography. Even the streets surrounding a beach can be filled with so much untapped life - just get out and run with it!
Street photography can be fun, exciting, random, political, artistic, boring as all hell! It can be whatever you want it to be and thatâs why I love every aspect of it. The process of stepping out into new or unfamiliar territory, knowing that youâll run into something or someone youâve seen a hundred times before or never in your entire life, is challenging but rewarding.
Itâs all about embracing the random⌠Even posed photographs of complete strangers can feel candid at the moment because youâre exposing the random nature of human interactions. A man came up to me today in Haymarket, started singing something relating to Buddhist spirituality, and then proceeded to take off his shirt, pick up a National Geographic and pose on top of one of the Chinese guardian lions lining one of Dixon Streetâs famous Paifangs (Chinese-style gates).
Did I ask him to? Of course not! My anxious brain was thinking âwhat the hell is happening?!â. But rather than pushing this eccentric guy away and asking him to chill the effâ out, I ended up having one of my favourite photographic memories to date. Itâs all about embracing the random and letting yourself just be in the moment, and thatâs what is so bloody awesome about street photography.
What can street photography do for you as a photographer? When I got my first camera in 2018, my photos were honestly really bad. I left New Zealand with one photo that I was sort of happy with. ONE. In one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. I hadnât put the time or effort into knowing how to use my camera, make compositions, and edit. I was completely lost with way too much confidence in my own inexistent ability. Street photography changed quite a lot for me as a photographer and allowed me the confidence to eventually step into paid gigs and volunteer photography jobs.
Your first step is to learn that you will suck major ass when you first start your street photography journey. If anyone reading this is an experienced photographer then I am sure you can attest to that, regardless of what genre of photography you really enjoy.
Make sure you set small goals for yourself and donât put too much pressure on yourself early on. You will learn a lot with time, so here are some of the things that really helped me improve:
Going out to the same location over and over again (Chinatown for me) and shooting the same photo over and over and over and over and over again. You will learn how to get the best possible compositions if you try this. The best example for me is Chinatownâs famous clown guy who I have shot 50 times over and now I get a new picture I love nearly every time I see him
Talk to people! If you see a busker, have a chat and get to know who they are. In a few short minutes you can learn a lot about someone and how they got to where they are. Once you see them again, youâll take a different photo every time and their comfort around the camera will grow ten-fold because you have already established a relationship with the subject. Forming a relationship with your subject can offer some awesome opportunities to practice composition. Once you have a good understanding of composition and framing your subject, youâll find yourself keeping more photos than you would of when you first started your photography journey.
Find your editing style by editing the same image in 5 different ways. This is a great exercise I wished I had started earlier because I wasnât critical enough of my own work. Looking back I would keep way too many photos that were ruined by bad editing, and then share them on my Instagram account. Now I donât post nearly enough because I am maybe too critical. I promise there are more great photos coming dudes, bare with me as I am on my own journey myself and poor editing is a big reason why I have not posted so many pictures!
Stick with it. I will admit that street photography is very mentally challenging but keep on going back to the same spots and trying because someday soon it will be worth it. Youâll get there, just know that mistakes are good and you will keep picking up new skills as you go along. As clichè as it sounds - never give up.
#curators on tumblr#fujifilm#fujifilm photography#photooftheday#fujifilm x t3#photographer#photography#sydney#street photography#blog#blogger#bloggingcommunity#photography blog
1 note
¡
View note
Text
đłď¸ Waiting for the other shoe to drop
With a little over two weeks until the general election, Iâm feeling a real mix of excitement and worry.
Iâm excited at the very real chance that the Tories will be decimated and kept out of office for the foreseeable. Iâm worried that indifference and overconfidence will keep many away from the ballot box, making all this a pipe dream.
Fourteen years of mismanagement, chaos, underinvestment and culture wars have left the UK reeling from crisis to crisis. Schools literally falling apart, an NHS on its knees, isolation from Europe and a carnival of idiots taking turns occupying the most important roles in government. Itâs been an absolute shambles and the Tories have most definitely put their party before the country.
A clear choice
Labour arenât offering us the answers to all the problems, nor are they promising to pay for everything people want. Theyâre dealing with the mess they anticipate finding on day one. And while I donât live and breathe what they claim to stand for, Iâd take them in a heartbeat over the clowns running the show right now.
The Tories have had fourteen years to show us what they stand for, and theyâve done it with impressive regularity. They stand for rules for others, not them. They stand for making a profit from every possible opportunity. They stand for punching down on the most deprived, while leaving the most wealthy and advantaged free of any taxation burden whatsoever.
Pardon me my schadenfreude, but Iâve booked July 5th off work, so I can stay up all night to watch the results. While some of the biggest cowards (Gove, Leadsome et al) have already indicated they wonât stand, depriving us of the joy of watching them lose their seats, there are enough Tories left to be made unemployed that my night wonât be without some highlights of joy.
What next?
But once the excitement of election night is over, Labour will have a mountain to climb. How to address the underinvestment? How to repair relations with the EU? How can they do something about the appalling infrastructure and the state of public transport? Their to do list is incredibly long.
I donât envy them.
Some of the Tories are already warning against a Labour âsuper-majorityâ - which is in itself a nonsense, as the concept doesnât exist in the UK system of government. But if Labour win a landslide, I hope they get more ambitious with their plans, to speed up turning the ship around and addressing the core issues like child poverty, crime and healthcare.
Weâve had enough culture war nonsense, enough âexcitementâ and enough emphasis on personality.
Iâd opt for stable and boring, morning, noon and night.
Bring on July 4th.
0 notes
Text
Godddd I am so glad I went back and watched the punk hazard arc though.
Partly because WOW I am really blown away by how early and THOROUGHLY Oda started just absolutely laying in on the gear 5 reveal hints. Holy shit.
Also because it's so fuckin great seeing the introduction of Momo and Kin to the crew and Law now that I know the backstory that was revealed in Wano. Like imagine being them (I'm focusing on Kin's POV here to lessen confusion btw).
You've been living under a hellish dictatorship - a shitty piss bitch snake, and this murderous dragon Kaido who's as powerful and unkillable as a god. Your beloved lord fights them and loses despite being literally the strongest fighter you know, by like, several orders of magnitude. He is then brutally executed, and the fight you put up to save him isn't even a fight just a half-failure of a retreat (not everyone made it) and it all ends in utter despair. There is no hope of ever beating this villain.
In an act of pure desperation, as the only option available as an alternative to absolute slaughter, his wife shoots you like 20 years into the future. You find the dictatorship is thriving; your beloved home is a wasteland. There are some people on your side but pretty much everyone is enslaved, weakened by starvation, or dead. You've got like ten people on your side to fight an army, and a fucking invincible dragon.
You take to the sea to see if you can find two guys on an elephant who will probably help you. You are so desperate for any help. This is a last ditch effort. You keep up an air of determination but are convinced you will all die. This man is a monster, an immortal dragon from hell ruling with an iron fist of bloody claws; not even Oden could do more than put a single scratch on him. It was over so fast, Kaido's victory so absolute, his hold on your country so firm. MAYBE these two guys will help you, but it's still just a drop in the bucket. You don't think anyone will be swayed by any plea you could make; no one on this earth will be willing to help you.
You land on a strange island where you're all separated, one guy gets lost, your lord's son (now your new lord) gets abducted, and you try to follow the ship he's on.
[That's what we learned in Wano recently. But I had forgotten the next part since Punk Hazard was so mcfuckin long ago.]
You arrive at this insane island that's half on fire and half frozen and just start killing. Then a guy shows up and dices you like a fucking onion but you stay alive. That's fuckin weird! Then you run into a group of pirates who absolutely INSIST on helping you stay alive despite your vicious complaints and argument.
They help rescue the boy, your lord, and make him smile despite the devastation and utter hell you and he have been through this past two-ish months of your personal timeline. You're so relieved to see him again!! He looks super normal and like he's hungry but is having a normal samurai amount of reluctance to trust food from strangers. Nothing going on there, probably! He probably didn't eat one single thing while on this island, definitely no magic fruits, no sir!
Anyways you hitch a ride with these weird pirates on their weird boat and they feed and clothe you, and they're kinda crazy but they treat you very kindly, despite having no obligation to do so. Oh, they're going the same way as you? Back to that weird island where your friend got lost? How fortuitous! Truly it was fate to meet these strange people!
You wonder if we could ask them for help. Hm, probably not. They'd be great allies but who in the world would ever want to willingly put themselves in that much danger, just to help people they don't know??? Caesar Clown is one thing but this is Kaido, invincible dragon, king of the beasts, emperor of the sea!
But then before you can say anything about it you overhear that insane stretchy boy say: "yeah, so that island's our next stop. After that, our plan is we're gonna go kill Kaido!"
And then Momo gets so startled he turns into a dragon.
How do you cope
#meta tag#this is so long#long post -/#sorry#it just tickled me more than i can say#like what in the grand infinity of time could have startled kin more than that particular series of events#im shocked he didnt faint dead away like#how do you wrap your head around any of it much less ALL THAT ALL AT ONCE
0 notes
Note
You are my reliable UK news source so whatâs your opinion on the new UK PM? Do you think heâll do a decent job, or just be another fuck up?
(Iâve watched exactly one news article about him and it was about 2 minutes long so my knowledge of this guy is that heâs rich as fuck and the new PM)
Sunak can take comfort that he's just had the actual-fax worst predecessor of all time, so unless he literally slips on a banana peel, sets off a Rube Goldberg machine that decapitates Charles in some hilarious fashion, runs naked around the city with a banner ordering everyone to crash the pound now, and ruins the next season of the Great British Bake-Off, he could hardly do worse. He is also the first British Asian/BAME Prime Minister and a practicing Hindu, so that's noteworthy. The hardcore Brexiteer racists hate him for being brown. The hardcore Johnson loyalists hate him for dramatically resigning as chancellor this summer and bringing BoZo the Clown down, down, down. (They, of course, don't give a shit about BoZo's many, MANY lies. He should have stayed in office anyway!!!!)
However, nobody should go getting too excited. While Sunak is regarded as more economically pragmatic and less diehard Thatcherite than Truss, he's still a Tory, and therefore beholden to some ridiculous and arbitrary goal of Reducing Government Spending and increasing austerity, rather than sorting out the incredible damage that twelve years of Tory economics have done to the country. He did dish out billions in support packages as chancellor during the worst of the pandemic, which was good of him, I suppose, but is now insistent that they have to Balance The Books and get it back!!! He's probably also going to bring Suella Braverman back as Home Secretary, which is especially disappointing; they're both British-Indian and yet they're trying to pull up the ladder behind them and continue to do horrible things to migrants and the UK's totally fucked asylum and immigration system. At least the odious Jacob Rees-Mogg is out of cabinet? That is... something. I guess. God, I hate that guy.
Overall, Sunak can at least pretend to be a grownup politician rather than a robotic Margaret Thatcher wind-up toy, and the markets responded somewhat favorably to his appointment. But he's not received a single vote ANYWHERE, from ANYONE -- not from the Tory MPs, not from Parliament as a whole, not from the Tory grassroots party members, and certainly not from the whole country. If the Conservatives actually thought they would win a general election, they would call one, but they'll do their best to put it all the way off to 2025 and hope that everyone has somehow forgotten about the total clown show happening ever since Brexit. If Sunak returns to disastrous economic and energy policies, with not a shred of a popular mandate, then that's going to be especially egregious. Sunak is taking over because Truss was historically, epically bad, so yes, standing upright at the microphone and putting together whole sentences would be regarded as a win. But he's an unelected prime minister of a party that has fucked up the country beyond recognition, he still generally subscribes to their policies, and there's no particular reason to think that he's going to do anything aside from govern as a Big Business Friendly, ultra-rich Tory mouthpiece, so yeah.
137 notes
¡
View notes
Text
BnHA Chapter 306: the beginning of the WHAT
Previously on BnHA: Nana and the Gang were all, âhey Deku, we can read your thoughts and feelings so we should already know the answer to this, but for some reason we want to quiz you on whether or not youâd be down to kill Shigaraki Tomura.â Deku was all, âum okay, well tbh, probably not seeing as Saving People has been my entire thing since literally the start of the series.â The Vestiges were all, âyes that makes perfect sense and again we already knew that, but well, good for you buddy and Iâm glad we had this talk. Anyway I guess we should ask these two cryptic fuckers in the corner to finally turn around now before we run out of -- â and then the chapter ended. Because OF COURSE IT DID.
Today on BnHA: Horikoshi is all âYOU DONâT NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, WOULDNâT IT BE SO MUCH BETTER IF I GAVE YOU A CONFUSING CHAPTER WHERE EVERYONE FINALLY LEARNS ABOUT OFA, AND GOES BACK TO THE DORMS, AND THEN THE CHAPTER ENDS WITH DEPRESSED NOMAD DEKU STANDING ON A PRECIPICE WITH GRAN TORINOâS TATTERED CAPE FLOWING IN THE WIND.â Everyone is all, â???????????â Horikoshi is all, âalso the parents are moving to the U.A. campus, and Jeanistâs neck is two and a half feet long, for everyone that was wondering.â Everyone is all, âWHERE ARE KACCHAN AND TODOROKI AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHO ARE THE SECOND AND THIRD USERSâ, and Horikoshi is all, â:)â and fades away into nothingness like the fucking fae he is. Like a fucking imp whoâs kept his end of the cursed bargain. What, the, fuck.
okay guys, so after the longest Thursday of my fucking life, during which I was secretly hoping that my spoiler containment net would be somehow be breached, inadvertently exposing me to theta spoiler radiation, so that I could be all âoh no... spoilers... thereâs nothing I can do... I have no choice but to lookâ (which sadly did not happen), it is finally Friday and the chapter is finally out. so Iâve got my clown kit at the ready and other self-deprecating memes on standby, and Iâm ready to go. and I should note that Iâm also ready for Horikoshi to pull some absolute bullshit and be like, âoh you know what, we havenât checked in with Rat Principal in a while have weâ and spend the entire chapter on nonsense like that. IâM READY FOR FUCKING ANYTHING so bring it
(ETA: it would be nice if this man wouldnât call my bluff every now and again.)
oh, right, we were due a color page! wow look at this
isnât this supposed to be the future?? whatâs with all of these staticky CRT TVs
anyway, so! is this the first time weâve seen Tomuraâs stylish finger prosthetic glove thingy in color?? because I didnât expect it to be red. also, at some point you just have to give in and change your pants into cutoffs or something, Tomura. start a new trend of stylish villain capris
meanwhile Deku is dressed like heâs going on a journey into the desert to find a mystical oasis. actually this cape looks a lot like Gran Torinoâs. I have to go back and see if Granâs is all raggedy like this
(ETA: it wasnât before but APPARENTLY IT IS NOW. I also forgot that Horikoshi had showed it sitting on a side table in the hospital a few chapters ago.)
lastly, AFO looks like someoneâs thumb after theyâve been washing dishes for twenty minutes. you are just the ugliest dude in history, and as always, fuck you
HAHAHA SOB I KNEW IT
oh, Twowy McTwoface is finally starting to turn around? better CUT BACK TO DEKUâS HOSPITAL ROOM THEN. wouldnât want to accidentally ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS or SOLVE ANY MYSTERIES, god forbid
well, whatever. whatever!! anyway so now someoneâs knocking at the door. I say âsomeoneâ but we all know itâs Hawks
yep
they were actually standing outside the door for a while hoping theyâd overhear another juicy plot conversation, but no such luck this time
lmaooo Jeanist wtf
acting all embarrassed, but youâre really just as curious as Hawks is. making him do all the dirty work for you huh
ARE YOU SERIOUS THIS IS AN INJUSTICE
so like two seconds after Katsuki gets dragged away you open the door for the rest of them!! well, fine!! I really want it to be a more private/personal moment between the two of them anyway so let the other kids check in on Deku first then
and in the meantime, time to see Hawks put the thumbscrews to All Mightâs resolve lol
I wonder how much of it Hawks has already put together in the last five minutes. One for All is something connected to All for One that Tomura seems to want. Tomura was apparently targeting Deku. thatâs more than enough to make a few deductions right there. I wonder how much Hawks knows about Dekuâs quirk. he did watch the sports festival, and he ran into the kids interning under Endeavor that one time
okay well maybe he hasnât put the rest of it together just yet, but Hawks is making a pretty reasonable pitch here to All Might
also this is a pretty spectacular view. is this a hospital or a hotel??
AHLKJLKJLKJ ARE YOU SERIOUSLY GOING TO TELL THEM
OH MY GOD HE IS?!?!
JUST LIKE WE ALL EXPECTED, THE NEXT TWO PEOPLE TO LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT OFA ARE GOING TO BE HAWKS, AND BEST FUCKING JEANIST
-- LFKLKKLDK ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS. ARE YOU --
( â˘Ě_â˘Ě )
[sitting cross-legged on the ground pulling up little clumps of grass and letting them fall from my fingers one by one] yeah. sure. okay. fine. sure
-- OKAY, NO. NUH-UH. NO
everybody better hold tight cuz Iâm about to pick up this whole chapter and yeet it into the ocean like a fucking frisbee lol
HORIKOSHI I DONâT CARE ABOUT THESE PEOPLE SITTING HERE WATCHING TV WTF
-- OH
well okay then. proceed. though lord help me if theyâre about to reveal the secret of OFA to the whole fucking world skdkj
oh snap
well, there it is. pretty much what I expected, but itâs good to actually get to see this moment with him taking responsibility
though at the same time, thank you Horikoshi for not forcing us to sit through the rest of that
their fucking faces omg. okay but seriously, what nation doesnât secretly love a good scandal
the Endeavor Pamphlets, part two. thank you for giving the country something to opine about on twitter in these trying times, Enji
so now theyâre asking about Hawks and Jeanist but I cannot even focus on anything all of a sudden because what?!
is Jeanist even a real actual human being you guys?! are we sure heâs not three kids sitting on each otherâs shoulders?? are you related to that one guy with the really long neck from the Jedi Council?? are you Orochimaru, bro??
so now Hawks is apologizing for the murder of Twice, and for hiding the connection with his dad
the fact that he has to give this serious formal apology and beg forgiveness for the shameful crime of Having An Abusive Father is really something else, though. just. itâs realistic, but I still hate it
moving on now to the one thing he actually does owe the public an explanation for
not to go all âHawks did nothing wrongâ on you guys yet again, but seriously. 100% facts. fandom can (and no doubt will) debate this until the end of time, but if Twice had gotten away they wouldnât be having this press conference right now because there wouldnât be any heroes left to give one. anyways though, Iâve already said more than enough about that in previous posts
so now some severe-looking lady with the weirdest fingers Iâve ever seen is saying that her mother was injured during Machiaâs rampage
and sheâs basically all âa fuck lot of good âIâm sorryâ does us all about now.â true true
wow sheâs really getting fired up
and now Enji is basically saying that he understands that an apology isnât enough, and what they really need now are solutions. okay, well! SO THEN WHAT IS THE PLAN THEN
hmmfsdgh
this eloquent PEZ dispenser makes a good point you guys
wait, hold up
CERTAIN citizens?? um excuse me, what??
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shit
holy shit. well, this will go over well
okay! so this tells me a number of things, though
basically the minute that Hawks learned about One for All, he realized that anyone connected to Deku (e.g. Inko) would be a target for AFO. AFO wants OFA, meaning AFO wants Deku, and one of the easiest ways to get to Deku would be to target his family
Hawks therefore realized that Inko needed to be placed into protective custody
but the fact that ALL of the hero course studentsâ families (and is it only the U.A. hero course, or all of the hero course students across the country?) are being given protection tells me that Hawks and co. donât want to single Deku out as being important. so then it looks like theyâre not going to tell everyone about OFA (or at least not the public. which, good). so rather than drawing suspicion by saying âweâve got to protect everyone connected with this one kidâ, theyâre making it seem like all the U.A. kidsâ families are getting this treatment
but since the heroes are now spread so thin, they canât just send a protective detail to each and every family, so theyâre bringing all of the families to the same place instead to better keep an eye on them
so thatâs all well and good, and a very smart move. except that idk how all of this is going to go over with the general public, all of whom are probably feeling unsafe at the moment, and who will probably see this as preferential treatment -- basically just the heroes looking after their own and leaving everyone else to fend for themselves
(ETA: okay so @hanashimasââ translation clarifies that U.A. is offering their services as an evacuation shelter for everyone who wants it, not just the families of the U.A. students. thatâs much more appropriate so I withdraw my previous âwtfâ reaction lol.)
anyway though hereâs Mitsuki and Inko
can we take this as confirmation that the two of them really are friends? thatâs one piece of fanon that Iâve always hoped was true, so Iâm gonna go ahead and say itâs confirmed
(ETA: also this means that Hagakureâs parents (or maybe âparentsâ in quotation marks) will supposedly be moving in as well. sure am curious as to how thatâs going to go.)
now someone in the press crowd is asking whether U.A. can provide adequate security, which is honestly the LAST thing I expected these people would be outraged about lol. shows what I know I guess
(ETA: again though, this makes sense if the âcertain civiliansâ thing was just a translation error.)
LMAO DAMMIT ENJI
YOU CANâT JUST ALWAYS PULL THE âJUST WATCH MEâ TRICK AND EXPECT IT TO SHUT DOWN THE CONVERSATION EVERY DAMN TIME YOU ASSHOLE
-- OH MY GODÂ RED ALERT
TIME TO ANALYZE THIS BECAUSE OMG
WASH CANâT BELIEVE HIS FAMILY GROUP CHAT IS STILL SENDING HIM FUCKING MEMES AT A TIME LIKE THIS. HE DOESNâT GIVE A FUCK IF THE DABI DANCE IS TRENDING ON TIKTOK, MOM!!
FOR A MINUTE I THOUGHT MT. LADY WAS HOLDING MIDNIGHTâS TORN-UP MASK, AND BY THE TIME I REALIZED THATâS ACTUALLY HER MASK AND NOT MIDNIGHTâS, I HAD ALREADY CONSTRUCTED AN ELABORATE HEADCANON IN WHICH MT. LADY AND MIDNIGHT WERE SECRETLY DATING BUT HADNâT COME OUT TO ANYONE YET, AND THEN TRAGEDY STRUCK, AND NOW MT. LADY IS GETTING READY TO SET OUT TO SEEK VENGEANCE. AND WELL, NOW THAT THIS HEADCANON EXISTS IN THE WORLD, IâM NOT SURE IF IâM READY TO GET RID OF IT
MIRKO HAS GOTTEN HERSELF A PROSTHETIC (ROBOT??!) ARM, NOTHING ELSE THATâS HAPPENING IN THIS CHAPTER IS EVEN SLIGHTLY IMPORTANT!!! HELLO!!!!!
AIZAWA WITH THE EYEPATCH GOOD LORD. THE WORLD ISNâT READY. HE LOOKS LIKE HE HASNâT SLEPT IN NINETY-EIGHT YEARS, BUT SOMEHOW HE MAKES IT INTO THE HOTTEST THING EVER AS PER USUAL
WHO THE FUCK IS THIS FUCKING GUY. ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW HIM? IS THIS KAMUI?? WAS THAT THING WHICH I ALWAYS ASSUMED WAS HIS HAIR ACTUALLY A HELMET OR SOMETHING WHAT
LOL AND MEANWHILE
you tell me, Dabi! werenât you the one who said that wouldnât be enough to kill him? what even is your endgame here. Iâm starting to worry about the villain brain cell supply you guys. I feel like Compress took most of them with him when he left
OH??
âwhen asked about One for All, Endeavor fucking lied through his teeth.â well, well, well
SLKDFJLSKGDJLKLKGJL THE DORMS
( â° â â° )
SLDKJFLKJWLKJLK
WLKDJSLKJFWKELKSDJLKHGLK
HDSMFLKGKL:GDSELK
OCHAKOâS HAND IS SHAKING OH MY GOD
THEREâS YOUR KAMINARI, EVERYONE!!
RHAâS SCANLATION TEAM REALLY THREW DEKUâS HANDWRITING UNDER THE BUS HERE HUH
HE TOLD EVERYONE!?
WHY THE FUCK IS HE WRITING IT AS A LETTER
(ETA: 9. also if he really wrote every kid in his class then that means the U.A. traitor -- or Hagakure as we like to call her around these parts -- also knows about OFA, and knows that Deku has run the fuck off and isnât at U.A. anymore. so thatâs just great!)
OH HELL NO
the hell does that mean, you must leave. leave to go where. son you are not up and leaving to go power up and lead us all into a timeskip. and I swear to GOD, if you left Kacchan too...!!
MY GOD I CANâT PROPERLY ABSORB ALL OF THESE OCHAKO FEELS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IâM TOO TERRIFIED TO SCROLL TO THE LAST FUCKING PAGE, FUCK
I JUST GOTTA DO IT. I JUST GOTTA SUCK IT UP AND DO IT. FUCK
FUCK
WHAT. THE. FUCK
yâall Iâm not even gonna waste your time with more keysmashing, JUST ASSUME THAT I AM DOING IT NONSTOP, FOREVER. and letâs just jump RIGHT IN HERE
okay so here I thought that All Might and co. had taken him away somewhere to train, but that is CLEARLY not whatâs going on here. this kid is standing here in his Apocalypse Aesthetic hero costume which has CLEARLY seen better days, with Gran Torinoâs cloak (GUESS THAT EXPLAINS THAT, THEN?? SO DID GRAN FUCKING DIE EXCUSE ME WTF), and a fucking backpack. this little green idiot has RUN AWAY FROM HOME. this is the absolute LAST THING ON EARTH I ever expected to happen so PARDON ME WHILE I SCREAM CONFUSEDLY INTO THE VOID
he does not look okay. you guys he doesnât look okay at ALL. he has NEVER looked like this. this isnât just a âIâm sad because Iâm leaving all my friends behindâ kind of look on his face, or even just a âGran Torino died maybe and Iâm still having emotions over itâ look. this is an EXHAUSTED, dead look in his eyes. something terrible has happened
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ARMS DEKU. THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING DOWN WITH YOUR ARMS GODDAMMIT
love how this random building is just straight up collapsing, like thatâs just a normal thing that happens every day now. lovely
APRIL MEANS ITâS NOW FULL ON SCHEDULED ALL-MIGHT-DYING-HOURS, BUT LETâS COMPLETELY IGNORE THAT THOUGH BECAUSE FUCK THAT NOISE
âTHE SECOND USER? WHO KNOWS? CERTAINLY NOT MEâ HORIKOSHI I SWEAR TO GOD
âBAKUGOU? NEVER HEARD OF HIM!â HORIKOSHI PLEASE
WHERE. IS. KACCHAN
did he go with Deku?? did he get a chance to talk to him before he left?? did he get his own private letter which he read and then promptly blew up in a fit of panicked rage?? is he going to go after him?? DOES HORIKOSHI KNOW WHAT HEâS DOING TO ME RIGHT NOW?? OF COURSE HE DOES, DONâT BOTHER ANSWERING THAT
omg. though actually the fact that weâve already jumped a few weeks forward makes me hopeful that there wonât actually be another timeskip, or at least not much of one. Iâm sure thatâll be the big debate of the week, but I donât think we can jump too far forward here. for starters because of that All Might prophecy I mentioned. and also because TomurAFO isnât just going to wait around for months. and also because Iâm 100% sure that Dekuâs running-away backpack is just filled ENTIRELY WITH NOTEBOOKS and this asshole cannot possibly survive more than 3 days on his own. UNLESS SOMEONE COMES TO HELP HIM THAT IS. OR SOMEONES, EVEN. OMG. omg omg omg. fuck this chapter lmao
#bnha 306#midoriya izuku#hawks (bnha)#takami keigo#endeavor#todoroki enji#best jeanist#all might#uraraka ochako#bnha#boku no hero academia#bnha spoilers#mha spoilers#bnha manga spoilers#makeste reads bnha
752 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Taking Chances Ch. 2Â Finding Out (Family/Friends)
PrevÂ
AO3
@maribat-bdbwm
âMari!â Adrien yells, running past Batman to sweep her up in a hug. Marinetteâs face instantly heats up, but she buries herself into the hug. After all, itâs not every day she faces a supervillain determined to kill her with a dangerous weapon...without her suit, anyway.
âIâm okay. Iâm okay.â Marinette reassures him, relishing in the comfort. A cleared throat makes her jump back and look at Batman who, despite clearing his throat and cutting off the most amazing hug ever, has no emotions on his face. Whatsoever. Cause thatâs not intimidating or anything.
âThe police will need your statement, Miss Dupain Cheng.â Batman says. Marinette nods, squeaking when Adrien reaches down and entwines his fingers with hers. Following Batmanâs directions to the awaiting police, Marinette feels nerves flood her systerm as she sees the sheer number of officers on the other side of the door. Sucking in a deep breath, she feels Adrien squeeze her hand. Shooting him a thankful smile, Marinette uses her unattached hand to open the door and step out into the mess of personnel. A man with a mustache and square glasses steps forward immediately, his hand extended.
âHello Miss Dupain Cheng. Iâm Commissioner Jim Gordon. We were in communication with Batman while he was inside so we heard some of what happened. Would you be comfortable telling us what happened? We can get you checked over by paramedics first, if you want.â Commissioner Gordon says.
âOh, no, no. Iâm fine. I donât-â She starts to say, but a gruff voice cuts her off.
âShe should be examined immediately, Gordon. She may have inhaled smoke from the smoke bombs due to proximity. She also could have burns to her face or ears from Jokerâs gun. He shot it and then proceeded to prod her with it.â Batman says, the last part of his âreportâ slightly more gruff than the first. Was heâŚ..worried about her? Marinette shakes that thought off almost immediately. Why would Batman be worried about her? Wait, was he really going to make her see the paramedics when all she wanted to do was talk to the officers so she could get back to the trip?
âI assure you, Monsieur Batman, Monsieur Gordon, I donât need to see the paramedics. Iâm a little shaky, but thatâs all. I mean, I was held at gunpoint. I think shaky is appropriate, non?â Marinette asks, flashing the two a bright smile. Gordon raises an eyebrow and glances at Batman who shakes his head stiffly.
âShe gets examined.â He says, leaving no room for questions as he pulls his grappling hook (?!?!) out and retreats to the rooftop.
âYou heard the man. We can talk as youâre examined, if youâd prefer. Iâm sure you just want to put this whole business behind you.â Commissioner Gordon says kindly. Marinette sighs in relief and nods, smiling again at the man. Hopefully this would be taken care of quickly. --- Bruce Wayne was slightly panicking, though he would never admit it. When reports of the Joker being spotted at the Gotham City Museum of Modern Art first rolled in, he assumed his biggest challenge would be keeping Jason from murdering the clown. He did not expect to see a small girl being held at gunpoint. A girl who looked like a strange mix between his mother, and someone else. But he couldnât place his- of course. Memories flood his mind as he thinks back to the woman who was so clearly related to the small girl. Bridgette Le. A woman that he, at one time, thought he would be able to spend the rest of his life with. Until she left Gotham and cut off all contact between the two. Oh god. She wouldnâtâŚ.would she? --- âI donât understand why that older paramedic looked like sheâd seen a ghost.â Marinette says with a pout as she continues working on the embroidery for a jacket for Jagged. Design never sleeps.
âWhat dâya mean?â Adrien asks from his nest of blankets on her bed. Marinette tries to focus on keeping her blush down. Apparently, the attack at the museum had scared Adrien more than her, though she imagined he was scared on her behalf. But she couldnât quite understand why...nevertheless, he had become attached at her hip and hadnât left her side since they got back to the hotel. Even though all she really wanted was a little alone time to talk to Tikki. Especially about the chance of the Miraculous Cure working here. Maybe if she was in the battleâŚ
âDidnât you notice? He was fine til he looked into my eyes and then he got super pale. He looked like he was going to say something, but Monsieur Gordon stopped him before he could.â Marinette recounts, remembering the way the paramedic had to switch out since his hands wouldnât stop shaking.
âI didnât notice that. Thatâs weird. Anything else happen like that today?â Adrien asks, finally sitting up and giving her his full attention. Marinette pauses her stitching and purses her lips as she runs the days events back through her head. The paramedic. Batman. Joker. Arriving late to the museum. The cab ride. Being left at the hotel. Coffee-
âWell,â Marinette starts, furrowing her eyebrows as she tries to rationalize the manâs actions in addition to the actions of the paramedic. But something wasnât adding up. âThere was my cab ride to the museum.â
âWhat happened? Was someone creepy? I can fight them for you!â Adrien offers, a little too cheery. Marinette freezes as she studies his face, searching for something. Adrien had been off all day. More protective than heâd been in awhile. And the few times Lila had spoken, he had scowled at her instead of ignored her. Was he finally coming around to the idea that the high road would not work with Lila? Pushing those thoughts off for another time, Marinette shakes her head.
âNo, no. Nothing like that. But as I was leaving, he called me Miss Wayne.â Marinette admits, not expecting Adrienâs uncontrollable laughter.
âHe, you, oh my god!â He laughs, clutching his sides. Marinetteâs eyebrows furrow in confusion as she sets the jacket down on the desk.
âWhat?â She asks, completely and totally frustrated with the situation. Adrien laughs for another minute before calming down, wiping tears from his eyes and shooting her a blinding smile. Not his model smile. An actual smile that warms her heart and her cheeks.
âIâm so sorry Mari. Itâs just, I think he was referring to the fact that you look like the typical kid Bruce Wayne adopts.â Adrien says and Marinetteâs blood freezes.
âDid you say Bruce Wayne?â Marinette asks and Adrien nods, his previous mirth wiped from his face.
âYeah, Mari, are you okay?â He asks. Marinette nods, then shakes her head, then groans and throws up her arms in frustration.
âI donât know! I just- you remember how I told you Iâm adopted?â She asks. Adrien nods, then stops. A look of mixed terror and awe flooding his face.
âOh god, Mari. You never told me the name. Your birth father-â
âHis name is Bruce Wayne. But thereâs gotta be hundreds if not thousands of Bruce Waynes in the US right?â Marinette asks, even as her hope in that idea dwindles.
âThe US? Heâs confirmed from the US?â Adrien asks, already pulling out his phone.
âYes. Adrien, what are you doing?â She asks, suddenly worried as she jumps onto the bed next to him, desperately trying to see his phone.
âIâm googling Bruce Wayne and Bridgette Le as a combined search. Wayne is one of the most prominent figures in Gotham, all of his previous relationships have photographic evidence. Except for whoever the mother of his youngest is. But thatâs probably because he wasnât in the country at that time.â Adrien says, typing away furiously on his phone. Marinetteâs eyebrow quirks up in amusement.
âSince when were you a master researcher?â She asks with a grin.
âSince one of my best friends found out sheâs adopted and it could be the man who hosts the only palatable high society parties. Seriously. And theyâd be much better if you were there and-holy shit. Your bio mom looks just like you!â Adrien exclaims, turning the phone to her. Marinette inhales deeply and thanks whatever power there is that sheâs not in Paris right now. The emotions running over her at an indescribable speed...not all of them are positive. And theyâre all overwhelming as she looks at a picture that very clearly shows her bio mom with Bruce Wayne. As in the Gotham Bruce Wayne. Not a different unknown Bruce Wayne across the country somewhere. Nope. A man who is apparently prominent enough that Monsieur Agreste makes his son go to the manâs parties.
âI donât suppose she just had a type for men named Bruce Wayne?â Marinette says weakly. This was not what she expected. --- This was exactly what he expected. Looking at the birth records for one Marinette Le, where heâs noted as the father. Though why he wasnât notified before the girlâs custody was signed over to Sabine Cheng, heâll never understand. His jaw clenches as he continues reading, eyes scanning over Bridgetteâs death certificate before glancing back at Marinetteâs birth certificate. A daughter. He had a daughter. Another child that he would never be able to hold when they were small. Another child that grew up without him. Another child that he didnât meet until they were already a person. Someone with their own experiences individual from his own, someone that may not even know he had found them. And that he wanted nothing more than to get to know someone who was brave enough to stand between the Joker and her friends. Someone who was determined not to let what should have been the most traumatic experience in her life be a set back. He had a daughter. And he wanted to meet her.
***
Next
Note, my headcannon is that the paramedic that panicked did so because he was one of the first responders the night that the Waynes were murdered. And while she looks a lot like her birth mom, Marinette also definitely has Martha Wayneâs eyes and the paramedic could NOT deal. Also, let me know if you want tagged!
Tag List: @jjmjjktth
#maribat bruce wayne#maribat#maribat bio dad bruce#maribat bio dad! bruce wayne month 2021#mbdbwm2021#maribat marinette dupain cheng#maribat adrien agreste#day two family/friends
227 notes
¡
View notes
Text
A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction
Life is beautiful and life is cruel. A window into the souls of the victorious and the vanquished. In a way, football did come home during the summer of 2021. Follow along Ameliaâs journey, navigating the football world as a tactical analyst for the italian football team, with a brother and father part of the three lions. Will Amelia leave Italy and come back to England? Will she leave the Serie A for the Prem? Will she set aside the bianconeri stripes for new colours, leaving behind friendship for love? Maybe she can have both...
EEEEEEK here's part two!!! Part two sees more of Amelia's beautiful brain, the love she has for her team, and her brother, & her friendship with Kyle Walker. Hope you guys love it as much as i do - please let me know what you think - i'd love to hear from you all!
Love always,
Steph xx
UPDATE as of 31/07: I've made some additional editing changes due to some feedback about the confusion between ben white (her brother) and ben chilwell (not her brother LOL). Nothing has been added to the story, just the addition of either surname has been added where i think it could be more straightforward - for future readers!
Part 2. | seconda parte
warnings; none - just a whole lot of feels.
word count; 1469
writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter.
next update; Wednesday 28/07 5pm AEST. Updates are twice weekly (Sunday & Wednesday)!
Tags (as requested by users); @footballffbarbiex
link to fic masterlist here
11 July 2021 | The Final Match.
The players for both national teams lined up side by side down the tunnel. Chiellini & Kane, both confident in their teams ability, captaining with great authority and mentorship for the ten men stood behind them. Amelia stood at the back of the tunnel, watching the scene ahead of her. Her dad, walking up the centre aisle between the two teams, shaking the hands of his players, confident in his preparation. A gentle hand to her brother's shoulder, saying everything it needs to say. It was the same hand that rubbed the back of her neck as he walked past, communicating the same thing. Go your hardest, youâre ready for this.
It was her turn, she started at the back of the line, and in true Italian style, a kiss was placed to both cheeks of every player up the line. When she reached Jorginho, a player she came to appreciate for his technical mindset and intellectual approach to the game, she kissed his cheek and turned to the player opposite him - her brother, who was trying his hardest to face forward and pay his little sister no mind. She knew what he was doing, but she wasnât as heartless as the rest of the England squad probably perceived her to be. Reaching out, she rubbed her hand along the back of his neck, just as her father did to her, leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, before continuing down the line of her players to the front. Shaking hands with Gareth Southgate, who no doubt had come to realise who the girl was in relation to his team, and a kiss to both cheeks of Mr Mancini, she walked out and took her place on the bench, ready for the game of her life.
120 minutes of football later.
Life is both beautiful and cruel. Whilst she hadnât anticipated the early goal from Shaw, Amelia had predicted every play by the english and made sure her team was there waiting for them to turn and run. They knew to never let Harry Kane have the space to move the ball, to make sure Mason Mount was marked at all times and to pay attention to the silky smooth skills of Raheem Sterling. They knew that every player on the english side had the talent and skill to shoot and score, no matter if they're a striker or full back. In the end, the endless taunts from the british crowd and constant reminder of âitâs coming homeâ only fuelled the Italians further and pushed them harder, to their limits. Eventually both sides met with equal force and completed extra time at a draw, leading to penalties. All of Ameliaâs preparation with Gianluigi Donnarumma would present itself now. She went over the preferred sides of the penalty takers she presumed would be stepping up for their country, and reminded him of all he has achieved & what there is still left to be done. After all, they are the masters of their own fate.
Donnarummaâs block of Bukayo Sakaâs penalty rattled her bones and sent a chill down her spine. They had done it. The boys had finally brought football back to Rome for the first time since 1968, and while she canât take all of the credit, she knows she single handedly played a part in this victory. As soon as happiness filled her body, guilt and sadness flooded her heart. She had been part of the problem that caused her brother so much pain. Her dad knew how to handle rejection, this wasn't his first rodeo, and could see with an open mind just how they had managed to achieve greatness. But her brother had truly believed they had it, that football was coming home to England.
After being surrounded by her boys, cheering and hugging her, screaming in relief that they had done it, Amelia took a step back and took a deep breath in. Looking over to the players in white consoling each other with looks of understanding and pats on the back, hugging those with the unfortunate fate of missing their penalties, she found her brother.
_____________________________________________________________
Squatting down with his elbows resting on his knees and hands covering part of his face, his eyes showing disbelief that the moment had escaped them. Jordan Henderson, the figurative big brother to my big brother, leaning down whispering what one can only assume is words of encouragement and strength to him. A voice to my right startles me, not because I wasn't used to the noise, but because it was a voice I haven't heard directed at me with anything other than venom in a very long time.
âHe wants you to be there for him, donât ever think for a second that he doesnât want you around.â Kyle Walker speaks into the open, whilst looking around at the fans still in the stadium. The fans behind us right now would be watching with speculation, wondering why the english player is talking to an italian so soon after defeat.
âI donât think he doesnât want me around, i just donât think he wants me around right nowâ I spoke back, trying to reason with myself and Kyle as to why i haven't gone up and offered my condolences to my brother.
âI think the only thing that can pull him out of this is you. He was beating himself up last night after your argument, and while he turned it into motivation for today, it's still weighing on his conscience. Heâs happy for you, we aren't that mean so as to deny him the pleasure of being proud of his little sister...even if she is working for the enemyâ
âYouâve always been one to be the voice of reason, whilst still being the clown I grew up to know and loveâ
âDoes this mean weâre friends again? Iâm sorry about last nightâ Kyle admitted.
âLast night wasnât what ended our friendship...we stopped being friends the day you left Spurs.â I joked back to Kyle. I turned to look at his over-expressed shocked face and walked backwards a few steps while giggling, before turning and sauntering over to my brother who was now surrounded by some more teammates. Upon seeing me and noticing my solemn expression, finding comfort in the fact that I wasn't there to rub my win in their faces, the boys left my brother to himself.
I stood there, staring into the eyes of my brother, who after a few minutes reached out and pulled me into him as though I was a life raft and he was stranded in the ocean. We stood there, hugging, saying everything we needed to say through the way we were gripping to the backs of each other's team colours.
âI am so proud of you, you put up one hell of a fight Ben. Certainly made my job harderâ I spoke into his shirt. He was the taller of the two, but I wasn't that short. Almost immediately after, I felt him push more weight onto me and sink a bit lower so he was in my neck, shedding a few tears he didn't want seen by those around us. Not even 5 seconds later, he stood up straight, wiping his eyes and offering me a smile.
âGod, I wish you werenât better at your job than I am at mineâ he joked back to me. I smiled up at him, shaking my head.
âI would say youâre wrong but the medal that's about to be around my neck would say otherwiseâ i joke back with him. I was not about to dull my sparkle for someone else's sun to shine, whether he is my brother or not.
âWe have to talk about everything that went down last night but iâll let you enjoy your night with your teamâ Ben says as we turn and begin to walk toward the stage being set up for the ceremony.
âThanks Ben, family dinner on Sunday? Tell your friends to come, you and i both know mum will have enough food to feed everyone without even tryingâ
âOf course, I'll put it in the lads chat & see whoâs still around. Kyle will see it in our family chat - who even put him in there anyway!?â
âHonestly...I think it was mum. You know she loves her son, Kyle.â
As I walk back to my team, and into the arms of Fede and Jorginho who wrap me up in an Italian flag and start jumping around, I can't help but smile and laugh at my amazing life. Who knows what the future has to hold, but for tonight, the azzurri are the champions of europe and the trophy is coming home, to Rome.
Part 3. | parte terza
#football imagine#football fic#jadon sancho#ben chilwell#mason mount#declan rice#kalvin phillips#ben white#jack grealish#tyron mings#connor coady#kyle walker#jordan henderson#dele allĂ#eric dier#ben chilwell imagine#jack grealish imagine#mason mount imagine#football one shot#tyrone mings imagine#x reader#a family affair fic#steph writes#stephspurs#italian national team#jorginho#federico bernardeshci#federico chiesa#jorginho imagine
88 notes
¡
View notes
Text
P.S. If This is Spencer, Iâm Sorry
Summery: When Spencer tries to reach out to an old flame, but gets her voicemail. He wasnât expecting it to include him.
A/N: okay so Iâm not a huge country music fan, but I love the song Austin by Blake Shelton. I probably didnât do the song justice, but I tried. The voicemails kind of go a long with the song, but of course I changed them. It is obvious I was never meant to be a song writer lol. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this!
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader
Warnings: swearing
Word Count: 1184
Spencer wasnât someone who was known for having much luck with the ladies. Most of the time they overlooked him, especially when he was friends with guys like Derek Morgan. However, Spencer wasnât envy of this fact he just took it in stride. But Spencer has had partners some his friends knew about and some that were not so well known.
Y/n was one of those not so well-known partners. Spencer had met her on a case in Austin, Texas. She had been the lead detective on a cult case and had been the one to suggest they needed the BAUâs help.
During the case Spencer didnât pick up on the social ques very well, but that doesnât mean he didnât notice every smile and every time her arm or leg brushed against his. Derek and Emily of course teased him about it, but Spencer just wrote it off as them just teasing like normal.
It wasnât till the end the case Spencer thought there might be something there. The team was staying another night due to the case wrapping up so late. Y/n had suggested the two of them go get a bite to eat together. Spencer agreed and to this day would say it was one of the best nights of his life. They had laughed and cried, ending the night wrapped in each otherâs arms. That next morning when Spencer woke to someone banging on his door, he realized he was alone. Y/n had snuck out sometime while he was asleep, and Spencer never saw her again.
A few years later they were called back to Austin for another case. Spencer couldnât help but to ask about y/n. His heart cracked when he was told she had transferred to another state and had not told anyone exactly where. This didnât settle right with Spencer and he rolled everything over in his genius mind. Played back that night over and over. Analyzing her behavior down to every detail.
It was around noon on a Tuesday when an idea hit him. It was a paperwork day and Spencer had been done for about an hour or so already. He rushed to Penelopeâs bat cave as fast as he could without raising alarm for the other profilers in the room.
âYou want me to do what?â Penelope looked like Spencer had just walked in wearing a clown suitâŚagainâŚthatâs a tale for another time.
âI need you to find y/n /y/l/n phone number. The detective from the cult case in Austin, Texas a few years ago.â Spencer was trying to keep his voice from becoming too high pitched but failing tremendously.
âIâll tell you what boy wonder. Iâll do this favor for you AND keep it a secret from the others, as long as you tell me everything that happened between the two of you.â Penelope smirked knowing she was going to win this one. Spencer gave in and told her everything, which made the goddess of gossipâs heart hurt for the boy genius. He really liked this girl.
As soon as Penelope dug up y/n phone number Spencer didnât waste any time. It rung several times before going to voice mail:
If your callinâ about the add itâs over.
If itâs Tuesday night Iâm shopping.
If your selling insurance, please donât. Iâm not buying.
If itâs anyone else, please wait for the tone.
P.S. If this is Spencer, Iâm sorry.
The phone fell to the floor. Spencer couldnât believe it. It had been so long and only one night. Penelope picked the phone up off the ground and hung up. Â No words were passed between the two just a much needed hug.
Spencer spent the next couple of weeks running the voicemail over and over in his head. What was she sorry for exactly? For leaving that night? For breaking his heart?
He made the decision that he wasnât going to call her again. He couldnât have his heart broken again. All these years he told himself it was a meaningless hookup, maybe that would work again. And it did work, for a few days.
He somehow talked himself into calling her just one more time. He was in such a frenzy about the end of her voicemail that he just had to talk to her. It took him two hours to get the courage to call her. He wanted to say the right thing and not screw it up. He dialed her number and waited patiently for it to start ringing. Before it could finish ringing a full ring Spencer hung up. He hadnât thought that maybe she was in a different time zone then him, she could be sleeping.
So Spencer waited till about 8 am the next morning to try calling again. It rung a total of three time when he heard y/nâs sleepy voice say, âHello?â
Spencer freaked, hung up, and threw the phone down on the coffee table. She had answered and Spencer had wussed out. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He was acting like a crazed teenager to afraid to call his crush. He was a grown fucking man, why couldnât he just talk to her?
He made the decision that afternoon at lunch to try calling again. Once again Spencer listened to her ringtone before getting her voicemail once again:
If itâs Friday Iâm working.
If itâs Saturday Iâm sleeping, and if nothing happens
Iâll be dead to the world till Monday.
Iâll call you back⌠maybe.
P.S. If this is Spencer, Iâm sorry.
This time Spencer left a message saying, âHi this is Spencer Reid. I- umm- I can be reached at
702-555-0103.â He hung up not saying another word, hoping that maybe sheâd call him back. He tried not to get his hopes up, he knew it was a long shot. Just because she said his name in both voicemails didnât mean she actually wanted to talk to him. His brain came up with many logical reasons and situations to why she would say his name followed by âIâm sorryâ.
When Monday rolled around Spencer was full of nervous energy and anxiety. His friends just thought it was from his extremely high coffee indulgence and cut him off. He actually had to beg Emily for âJust one more cup. Please!â.
He tried not to check his phone to often. Especially since his beloved profiling team was already on edge about his anxious behavior. Even though with his best efforts, Spencer couldnât help but jump and all but dive for his phone when it started ringing. This of course caught the attention of his teammates and he just tried to ignore them all as he checked to see who was calling. He answered and this is what he heard:
If you were callinâ about that night Iâm sorry.
I would take back my leavinâ, I promise.
I shouldâve listened to my heart and stayed a little longer.
I think I know where I belong now.
Again, Iâm so sorry.
And by the way Spencer I might love you.
*
*
*
@criminalmindzjunkieâ @brooklynxnicoleâ @hendersonsshadowâÂ
#spencer reid#spencer reid x you#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid x y/n#spencer reid fluff#spencer reid angst#spencer reid fanfiction#spencer reid oneshot#criminal minds#fanfic#fanfiction
331 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Alright yall, this is my first crack at an xreader or second person ficlet. I never actually felt the desire to read any until I saw Black Widow and fell in love at first sight with Yelena (self-explanatory). I donât think I ever would have tried this but I was inspired by the lovely @peachbear88 and the song Clouds by Borns.
Let me know what yâall think
~*~
Clouds
Clouds
âLena! Letâs go watch clouds!â You shout excitedly, bouncing up and down on your toes as you poke at the lump under the covers. A soft groan emanates as a blonde head pops out from her cocoon, blankets clinging to the top of her wild bed head like a nunâs habit.
Bleary green eyes squint at you as her face pinches up in an adorable yawn, and for an instant, you almost feel bad for waking her early on a weekend when she usually sleeps in. Almost.
You know Yelena, when sheâs fully alert, has an active imagination that relishes its chances to run wild. Her mind works a mile a minute, and her watchful eyes catch everything with the excitement of a child and the experience of a worldly woman. Itâs one of the many things you love about her. This activity is right up her alley, even if she doesnât know it yet.
âClouds? Is that a show?â Her accent is thicker and her voice rougher from sleep, so you grin at her and pat her head fondly as you sit on the bed next to her. She grunts, mumbles something about not being a cat, but leans into your hand as you smooth her hair down anyways.
âNot a show. Itâs where you lay in the grass, look at the clouds, and try to see if you can interpret any shapes out of them.â
She frowns slightly. âIsnât it supposed to rain today?â
âNo! Itâs the perfect day to go to the park. So sunny.â
A delicate blond brow quirks up, and you find yourself wondering how someone with sleep crust still in her eyes can look so devastatingly beautiful. âIf itâs sunny, there wonât be clouds to watch, no?â
Yelenaâs long eyelashes flutter against the back of your hand as you wipe the crust away adoringly. âPartly cloudy. But still sunny, so no rain.â
She smiles at you, soft in the light streaming through the window, and nods. âAlright, letâs go watch the clouds.â
~*~
The blanket beneath you is soft beneath your back, the sun warm on your face, and the smell of fresh cut grass fills the air as you lie in the park with Yelena, watching clouds.
As predicted, sheâs taken to it like a duck to water.
âThat one! That one right there!â She points excitedly, hand jutting up in the air in front of you. âItâs clearly a grenade launcher!â
You open your mouth to protest, but no sound comes at as you squint further at the cloud, because hey that actually does kind of look like that grenade launcher Yelena brought home that one time and giddily mounted on the-
âAnd that one is most definitely a ladybug,â she points at a different one, closer to her side.
Your face breaks into a smile. Yelenaâs imagination is stretched so far to accommodate all she is and all sheâs learned in her life; the way her mind works has you looking fondly at her in wonder and awe.
You recover yourself and your bearings before she notices you staring. âThat one is a swan.â
She cocks her head slightly at you and frowns. âIt canât be a swan. Look at that spot of cloud up near its head - it doesnât belong.â
âAhh but my dear,â you tut, bopping her nose lightly as she giggles. âThat spot is a trumpet for our dear bird.â
She grins in delight as she understands. âLike the Trumpet and the Swan!â
You nod at her with an answering smile and hum you agreement. Yelena had found that book on one of your bookstore adventures and had, perhaps surprisingly, adored it. Her copy is still proudly on the nightstand beside the bed at home.
After the swan cloud, the two of you continue gazing, with the suggestions becoming progressively more ridiculous as the afternoon wears on.
A juggling clown. An exact imitation of the country of Vietnam. An elephant on a unicycle. A World War 2 tank. A sickle and hammer, as you eye her with a smirk and she shoves you playfully with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.
Maybe, it is that shove that knocks your sense out of you.
Maybe itâs the way the sun glances off her golden hair and lights up her blazing green eyes. Maybe itâs the fact that her smile fills your chest with air at the same time it knocks it out of you. Or maybe, itâs because itâs been on the tip of your tongue for months now and you just donât see the point in shutting your mouth any longer - was there ever really a point?
Whatever the reason, it comes bubbling out of you, and you open your mouth anxious and eager and praying you donât stutter or trip over your words because you want it to be right. Yelena deserves right.
âHmm,â you hum, looking at her from the side of your eye. âI think that one looks like my future.â
She frowns slightly, brow furrowing in confusion as she turns her head to squint at you. âWhat?â
You grin, feeling more confident now, because of course this is exactly what you want to be doing, who you want to be doing it with. âThat one looks like my future.â
âThe dark, shapeless blob is your future? Doesnât seem very promising.â She tuts in that blunt, sarcastic way of hers.
Youâre turned fully on you side now, facing her as she turns to face you, and her smart mouth has you burst out in raucous laughter, like it always does.
âYouâre not even looking at the clouds! How can you say one looks like your future? What does a future even look like?!â She splutters in indignation as you start sucking in breaths in between cackles. Yelena tries to glare sternly at you, to no avail. She is a deadly, dangerous woman, but she couldnât intimidate you if she wanted to - and she would never, ever want to.
Deciding to abandon her half-hearted glower, she proceeds to sulk cutely.
Itâs this pout finally calms you, and you smile. Itâs maybe the softest smile youâve ever done, and this is definitely the softest youâve ever been, but somehow it feels like youâve done this before. It doesnât feel scary, or overwhelming even if this is new to you, because it feels like youâve loved Yelena your whole life.
âYouâre right. I wasnât looking at the clouds,â you say, letting it hang suspended in the air for a moment so you can fully relish the second it clicks for her. You see exactly when it does; her green eyes widen and her cheeks bloom a pretty, dusty pink as your smile grows impossibly larger and softer. âYou. You look like my future, Yelena Belova.â
For an instant, it seems like she truly believes you - she flushes deeper than youâve ever seen. The next instant it changes, like she wants to believe you, but a battle rages in her eyes between the faithful and the skeptical. The instant after that, she shakes her head almost imperceptibly, mouth pursing and she scoffs, laughing you off.
You see it for what it is. Her sound is dismissive, not out of apathy, but out of fear. Her eyes roll, but snap back to you, practically begging you to be sincere - to mean it, because for some ungodly reason no one else has. Cagey as she is, she will never ask for it aloud.
Yelena very carefully gives you an out; itâs as much to protect her as it is to protect you. You could join her, laugh it off as a corny joke and avoid this, probably forever, or you could stay and embrace it.
As if you could ever do anything but stay.
You reach out a hand, setting it down in the grass half the distance to her stiff, rigid body. Almost automatically, Yelena reaches out with her own, and as you twine your fingers together, you see the tension melt from her form.
âI mean it, Lena. Anytime I try to think about my future, all I see is your face over and over. Itâs like I was sleepwalking before I met you, but then you woke me up,â you whisper gently, because these kinds of soul-bearing words are made for quiet, intimate murmurs, not loud, boisterous declarations. âA life without you would be no life at all.â
The blonde beauty youâve found yourself enamored with inhales sharply, like youâve hit her in the gut. The green eyes you associate with warmth, with laughter, with home, flicker with hope, but still, she seems conflicted.
Hoping to finally put her mind at ease, you squeeze her hand and smile again. âI love you, Yelena. I donât want anything, or anyone, but you. I want to go wherever you go, then come home together to a closet full of pocketed vests and flannel and a whole pack of dogs. Nothing else could compare.â
Immediately, itâs like a damn breaks. She swiftly launches herself at you, burying her face in your neck and nuzzling the pulse there. If you feel wetness on your skin as she mumbles out an âI love you too,â you donât mention it. Instead, you grip her tighter, warmth from her body and her words seeping into your bones like molasses.
You two lie there for sometime, love admissions pouring from you both like free-flowing wine. Eventually, she settles her head over your heart as you rest your chin on blonde hair.
âSo what do you say, Lena? Will you be my future for forever?â You ask, running the pads of your fingers lightly over her knuckles.
She grabs your hand, kisses your palm simply. âYes.â
You can feel the ghost of her smiling lips still on your palm, so you bring your twined hands up to your own grin and buss her wrist and the knuckles youâd mapped out earlier. âEven if it means being dragged out to watch clouds with me?â
Yelena turns then, humming in faux consideration. âThe activity could grow on me in time. Not unlike you,â she pauses for a moment and then smirks devilishly. âOr a rash.â
You bark out a laugh. âWow, comparing me to a rash? Weâre off to a great start.â
You watch as green eyes roll, knowing and happily expecting to see as much for the rest of your life. âWell, you proposed by comparing me to a fat rain cloud,â she shrugs. âI think weâre even.â
âItâs not a rain cloud! Itâs a perfectly normal cloud - and hey! I wasnât even looking at that cloud, remember?â
âIt absolutely is a rain cloud. You implied I was large, amorphous, and filled with liquid, liable to ruin outdoor sporting events and the days of small children by pissing all over them.â
âI so did not! And it isnât going to rain!â
âYes it is.â
~*~
It rained.
Smiling into your kisses with Yelenaâs warm hands on your neck, you couldnât find it in yourself to care.
#yelena belova#yelena x reader#yelena belova x reader#yelena x you#yelena my beloved#black widow#i tried i guess#i think I have a thing for chaotic blonde Russian assassins
140 notes
¡
View notes
Note
hi bones, i'm here to humbly ask you about your blorbos: how did vincent & vitali & mikhail all got to know each other? how did this clown gang got together? đđ
OOGH RENA THANK U FOR THIS AA ;w;; this got. UNBELIEVABLY LONG because i am feeling Emotion about vitali and mikhail specifically again i am so sorry aghfdjhg iâll put it under a read more <3
SO vitali and mikhail met in middle school when they were 11 years old. mikhail was very shy and rarely spoke, while vitali was pretty popular and always surrounded by others. they started hanging out after vitali stood up for mikhail when he was getting bullied for his acne (vitali punched the bully and broke his nose <333) and they became very close friends very quickly :)
i think the reason they worked so well together is that vitali was always worrying about other peopleâs expectations of him (mainly due to his last name, and his father (derogatory)) and with mikhail, he NEVER had to worry about that; simultaneously, mikhail struggled with social skills which is why other kids didnât want to hang out with him, but vitali actually saw this as a reason TO hang out with him because he believed mikhail was actually probably very kind and interesting and fun to be around, he just wasnât too good at expressing himself yet (thereâs also smth to be said about both of them speaking the same language in a foreign country and instantly feeling at home with each other etc etc but iâm already gonna say so much more about them so i wonât get into that rn LMAO)
they spent almost all their time together and helped each other with everything; mikhail was struggling with school because of his touretteâs so vitali helped him with studying, and helped him see a doctor to get stuff sorted out and he later even helped with mikhailâs exercises to help him manage his tics between therapy sessions and after the sessions ended ;w;; and in return, mikhail fully supported vitali when he came out as trans and helped him with anything he could do, including:
teaching himself how to use makeup to make someoneâs face appear more masculine; he would do vitaliâs makeup in the boyâs restroom before their first class every morning (this one literally makes me physically nauseous mikhail is so friend shaped alright iâm emotional abt him)
allowing vitali to order things to his home address, so vitaliâs parents wouldnât have to find out about it
helping vitali pick his new name (mikhail actually came up with âvitaliâ; it means âof lifeâ, which he found fitting because of all of this being a new chapter in vitaliâs life, but secretly mikhail also liked it because to him, vitali is (his) life <3 and vitali LOVED the name so he picked it <333 iâm throwing up as we speak)
throughout high school, they were inseparable; when they werenât studying or getting into fights, they would hang out at mikhail's place to smoke and get drunk on cheap rum and vodka, to then pass out in each other's arms and sleep most of the next day away. there were times mikhail wants to kiss vitali but decided not to, and to this day he isnât sure if itâs actually something he wanted to do, or if it was just the alcohol aha ;w; xoxo
after finishing high school, mikhail went to university to study medicine and vitali went to college to study business & management. they lost contact with each other after vitali lost his phone, and then didnât see each other for a little over six years :) fucking pain soup thereâs more i can say about this but i wonât because i am already saying so much
they reunited at arasaka; vitali landed a new job at counterintel and was assigned a bodyguard, and you guessed it, itâs mikhail <3 mikhail literally only started working for arasaka because he knew it was vitaliâs dream job and he was hoping to run into him there one day ;w; after vitali got fired, mikhail quit his job as well and essentially followed him around everywhere he went. vitali became a well-established fixer and mikhail became one of his mercenaries, as well as his head of security the moment vitali actually got an office and everything <3
NOW. FINALLY. VINCENT. so vincent met them through jackie; jackie is lifelong friends with vitali and was also one of his regular mercs at the time, and he decided to introduce vincent to vitali because he wanted to help vincent establish himself as a merc in night city
vitali INSTANTLY took a liking to vincent, admiring his passion and witty nature, but also wanting to help him out with transitioning (vincent had already started at that point but was mainly struggling because of money issues and. well. vitali is Rich LMFAO) and just wanting to befriend him in general. vincent also immediately liked vitali because he mainly just thought he was cool :) <3 kinda like an âi wanna be friends with you SO fucking badâ situation but both of them thought it was one-sided, but somehow they still managed to become very close very quickly
mikhail obviously watched this happen and immediately knew something was up because heâs known for vitali for so long and vitali usually kept his composure around new mercs and/or clients, but vincent immediately managed to bring out a different side of him and mikhail would 100% notice that. i think i talked about this before in a post but iâm gonna do it again LOL mikhail was a little scared that he was gonna fade to the background now that vitali found vincent and was becoming so close with him, and at the same time vincent was a little intimidated by mikhail because he and vitali were so close and vincent wasnât sure if mikhail would ever accept him as a friend ;w; but despite all of that they still both went âalright! i will now befriend this man if itâs the last thing i doâ and they DID
then all the in-game events happen followed by my own storyline thatâs mostly incoherent + balances Entirely on my own interpretation of vincentâs condition at the end of the game and how soulkiller works in the secure your soul program and in the relic + is literally just me putting my blorbos through extra bullshit because i am a Blorbo Suffering Enjoyer first and a human being second but basically what you need to know about all of that is that. vincent and vitali get together during the in-game events ON VINCENTâS BIRTHDAY HELLO and vincent and mikhail do a lot of gigs together so they also become besties <333 and at some point vitali dies but not really but then heâs brainwashed and he stabs mikhail and nearly kills him and then heâs no longer brainwashed and feels guilty and then his father also decides to come back to be a nuisance and yeah :// but they STICK TOGETHER THROUGH IT ALL AND THAT'S WHAT ITâS ABOUT. ITâS ABOUT THE COMFORT
and that brings us to the present day :) the three of them are now living together in vitaliâs penthouse, vitali and vincent are dating and mikhail is their specialest little princess (honorary, affectionate) <3 the end uwu
#asks#mutuals#aartyom#ask:mikhail#ask:vincent#ask:vitali#oc asks#just so i can find all of this back later LMAO#thank u so much again for the ask aa ;w; you don't know how fast i threw all my work aside to start typing LMAO#i got lost in the sauce a little bit talking abt vitali and mikhail's past but like. it's so so important to me#there's so much more i can say but i am being so so brave abt it <3#hope this is coherent i copy pasted so much from my timeline but i wanted to edit it to make it sound less formal LMAO
8 notes
¡
View notes
Text
eyes on fire
warnings: angst, smut, 18+
count: 9k+
i went ham on this because i personally needed it & yeah. wow look i actually posted something!!! love that for me & you if you enjoy this. feedback wouldnât hurt love ya :)
listen to this
not my picâ but like imagine him with tHAT hair & fake blood on his face???? cya!
â â â
âwoah, woah, waitâŚyouâre telling me you didnât cry at the thirteenth year?â you asked incredulously, trying not to run the car off the road. you saw the quick shake of the head of the person sitting beside you and tried not to gape. âryan, we were together for a year and youâre just now telling me that you, not only lied to me, but that you did not cry at the thirteenth year?â
âwhy is that so shocking? itâs a cheesy movie.â ryan shrugged, lifting his hips in his seat to put his phone back in his pocket.
you rubbed your eyebrow exasperatedly. of course one of the single times you had recommended a movie to himâ and he didnât cry. you couldnât believe it. âhe gets to go back to his mother! how can you not shed a few tears?â
âi donât know what you want me to say.â he laughed, annoyed.
âyou have no heart.â you shook your head and turned your blinker on.
âyou already knew that from dating me.â ryan poked you in the side, making your body jerk as you took the turn. âotherwise, youâd still be up my ass.â
âi think youâre mistaken. it was you who was up my ass.â you pointed between the two of you, keeping your eyes on the road.
ryan scrunched his face up and you caught a glance at it, giggling to yourself. it was so easy to mess with each other, even after breaking up. you were glad of that though since ryan was one of your best friends.
college was weird for anybody, especially someone like you who moved all the way across the country to go. california was like a fever dream now that you were back home, on an island. it was only for the weekend since that was about all you could take. it was halloween, although you hadnât realized until ryan reminded you while on the plane.
now here you were, heading to a halloween party with ryan where he would inevitably meet your friends and people you went to high school with. it wasnât that you were dreading it, you just had the idea of staying in for the night. especially a night like halloween when you couldâve handed out candy. as if ryan would want to do that in a new place.
âi swear if you throw up on my shoes this year, iâm removing you from my life.â ryan said as he shifted in his seat.
you flashed at another car to go before pressing down on the pedal. âi donât think iâll be drinking and driving this time. just donât puke on my shoes otherwise youâll be stranded.â
âi knew i shouldnât have come with you, knowing that you would willingly leave me stranded on a fuckinâ island.â
âdonât test me, ry.â you sang just as you slowed the car along the crowded street. a couple of people dressed up walked in between the car in front of you and yours, heading toward the lively house.
multicolored lights lit up the windows and the outside of the house, the front room bathed in a deep red. you started to feel excitement bubble up in your stomach as you and ryan unfastened your seatbelts. a handful of trick or treaters passed on the walkway, some running around to scare others. you smiled to yourself as you put your car key in your pocket.
ryanâs arm settled around your shoulders as you walked up the driveway, a cool ocean breeze brushing over your face. this was something ryan still continued to do even though you had been broken up for months. it comforted you to know he was still just as protective of you as you were of him. it sort of became an unspoken pact of yours to just keep each other safe at parties or whenever you went out with friends back at school.
âi think weâre a bit underdressed.â ryanâs arm tightened around your neck, pulling you close so he could talk into your ear.
âonly a little.â you hummed as you passed multiple people outside who all wore costumes. some zombies, some witches, a clown, even a whoopie cushion. at least you hadnât come as that.
once inside, ryanâs arm slipped away from you as you both scanned the area. ryan was just curious while you were looking for your friends. the house was big so theyâd be anywhere. the voices were much louder than the music, but you could still hear the halloween playlist playing. you stepped out of the way a couple times in the crowded entryway and eventually took ryanâs hand to bring him into the kitchen.
ây/n!â you heard and turned around to find ally, dressed as the infamous annie.
âyou look ridiculous,â you laughed, ruffling her red wig and pulling her in for a hug.
âi always commit, donât i?â she grinned before looking beside you at ryan. âhey! itâs so nice to finally meet you!â
they exchanged a quick hug, ally having seen ryan plenty of times through a phone screen. it was odd seeing them in the same room, right in front of you, but you smiled nonetheless.
âcome with me! everyone else is in the front room.â she grabbed ahold of your hand quickly and started to pull you out of the room.
ryan touched your shoulder, making you and ally stop. âi have to pee.â he said, looking from you to ally in question.
âright over there.â ally said, pointing to your left. you could see down the hall that a few people were waiting, leaning against the wall.
moments later you were in your small alcove of friends, checking up on small talk and whatnot. ally was talking in your ear about some gossip in town and you really were listening, but also wondering if ryan would find his way to you or vice versa. your eyes scanned the room curiously, deciphering everyoneâs outfits and costumes. you sort of loved halloween for that prospect, getting to be someone else. or something elseâ you supposed some people just really wanted to be a shark at times.
âshe totally snubbed her!â ally said.
âare they talking anymore?â you asked, trying your best to continue the conversation.
âi havenât heard anything, but the last time i saw them they were totally going at it!â her excitement grew drastically. her hand came down over your wrist. âi think she was saying...â
you were nodding along to allyâs reenactment, her words coming a thousand miles a minute. you completely lost track of what she was saying as you looked across the room at rafe cameron. without even thinking about it, your stomach twisted up and it felt like you couldnât breathe. maybe there was too many people in the house.
rafe was tilting a bottle against his lips, head leaned back on the wall. he seemed to fit into the empty space beside a large entertainment area, but looked like he didnât belong at the same time. he was staring right back at you, which in return only made your pulse quicken and your blood run hotter. from what you could tell from his costume, he had fake blood around his mouth that dripped onto a fine pressed white t-shirt. the fabric molded to his chest nicely and you swore you blacked out because the next moment, you saw ally peering at you.
âwhat?â
a shit-eating grin spread across her face. âyou werenât even listening, were you?â
âi was,â you said abruptly. you were glad of the red lighting as you felt the tips of your ears warm up. âthe beginning anyways.â
ally laughed and nudged your side. âi get it, rafe cameron is much more interesting to pay attention to.â
âi donât know what youâre talking about.â
ally gave you a knowing smile, peering past your shoulder. âcome on, letâs go find ryan. you know how these people can easily swallow him up.â her hand grabbed yours again, pulling you directly through the crowd and in the same direction of where rafe was.
you kept your head down as you pushed through the mass of bodies, willing yourself not to make eye contact with him. it was a little difficult given that you had to pass right by him in order to get into the next room. topper, his best friend, had joined him now and he seemed to be talking into rafeâs ear about something. rafe was looking at you instead as you went by and you let out a big breath once you were by him.
there was no history between you and rafe cameron. absolutely nothing. maybe you had passed a paper to him in high school or were put into a group project with him, but that was it. you had never spoken to the infamous boy one-on-one. in high school, rafe was untouchable and you knew you werenât even in range of his inner circle, or outer for that matter. frankly, you hadnât even thought about him until now, seeing him again. growing up around someone like him and his family, you knew all of the stories. rafe was a complete and total heartbreaker.
ryan had managed to make some friends while only being at the party for a total of 20 minutes. really, you werenât all that surprised seeing as that ryan could make friends with a horse. it was just in his nature to connect with people.
you found him in the entryway, sporting a drink in his hand and talking to a girl you recognized from gym class senior year. you couldnât put a name to her face, but you gave a subtle wave and found a place on the other side of ryan. without looking at you, he put his drink out and you took a few sips before giving it back to him. ally had gone on her own path once you found him, saying she needed to find someone.
leaning against the wall, you pressed your hands against the cool surface. you didnât bother listening in on ryanâs conversation, not wanting to intrude just in case he was trying to do more than talk. instead, you people watched, your eyes flitting across the party and the red room. the entryway was a deep blue, coating everything completely. you almost felt like you were in a movie of some sort.
you landed on rafe again, this time he was engaging in conversation with topper. he was off the wall, his finger against topperâs chest as he spoke. you swallowed and looked away just as he started to turn his head. part of you hoped he hadnât caught you.
without thought, you pushed off the wall and went into the kitchen to finally get a drink. your mind felt like it was going 90 miles an hour and you needed to do something to busy yourself. you couldnât just be a wallflower and people watch all night.
stirring up some concoction in the kitchen, it wasnât rocket science to figure out who stepped into the room and came over to you. your stomach twisted up, which was a prime indicator. you kept your eyes on your cup and continued making your drink. it wasnât like you to ignore someoneâs presence, but you wanted to prove to yourself that you could handle it.
ây/n y/l/n.â a wave of shivers went up your shine. you had never heard him say your name before.
ârafe cameron.â you said in return and picked up your cup, taking a sip and turning to look up at him over the rim.
he gave you a smile. âlong time, no see. you look good.â
your drink went down the wrong pipe, causing you to cough. rafe only smiled more. you cleared your throat and lowered your drink to your side.
âyou look...messy.â you noticed the fake puncture marks on his neck, just under them was a lipstick print. you then looked at his mouth, red as red could be, and your ears warmed.
âwhat are you supposed to be?â you didnât miss the way his eyes traveled up and down your body and you couldâve sworn they darkened. the kitchen had the normal yellow lights on, so there was no way any lighting altered his irises.
âdidnât have time to dress up.â you shrugged a shoulder. taking another sip, you kept eye contact with him.
ânot even for halloween?â he teased and reached over you for another beer. you didnât even flinch, watching his face move closer to yours. you stared right up into his eyes and help a gasp in. why was he getting you so flustered?
âi got in later than i thought.â you said simply, now breathing easier as he moved away and opened the beer.
rafe nodded, never once looking away from you. now you knew why some people saw him as intimidating. he looked like he would pounce on you at any second.
the next moment as people chatted and moved around the kitchen, rafe was gesturing with his head toward the entryway. âwhoâs the guy?â
you looked in the direction he meant and found ryan, smiling big while talking to the girl in front of him. he was leaned over her now and you knew that as a good sign. âryan,â you told rafe.
âboyfriend?â he asked, and you held back the smile, wondering just why he wanted to know that.
âex.â you didnât miss the way he seemed satisfied with that answer, the smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.
âinteresting.â he said and took another sip. he glanced at ryan while you continued looking at him. his hair was disheveled from its usual slicked back look and you kind of liked it better this way. to put it simply, he looked sexy.
ârafe!â you both looked over at topper who was making his way into the room. he pointed over his shoulder, cup in his other hand. âweâre going down to the beach, come on.â
âyeah, iâll be right there.â he said and turned back to you, smiling again. topper met your eyes once until you looked up at rafe. âcome with me?â
you thought about it, nearly saying yes until you remembered ryan. you didnât want to leave without telling him, but you did want to see what they were doing on the beach.
âyou go,â you nodded toward topper. âiâll see you around.â with that, you turned and secretly hoped that rafe watched you go.
â
a game of flip cup never hurt anybody. you were well under way in your second round, on the opposite team of ryan and totally kicking ass. ally was beside you, currently downing her drink and proceeding to flip the cup perfectly. it was an innocent game that you had practiced back at school and ryan knew it all too well.
âsee you on the floor,â you joked with him and held your cup out to him in cheers. his team was slacking, a current senior at your old high school having trouble flipping the cup.
ryan rolled his eyes, impatience seeping into his features. âiâll be the one picking you up from the floor, y/l/n.â
you laughed while trying to keep all of the liquid in your mouth. you pushed it down swiftly, setting the plastic cup on the edge of the table and pushing up the bottom with one finger. it landed perfectly.
âfuck yes!â you threw your arms up in victory, high-fiving ally next to you. the game had gathered a group of on-lookers and they cheered for your team. ryan sulked.
a breeze blew over your shoulders, the salty smell filling your senses, as you stood outside. the night went on in full swing, the moon high up and the trick-or-treaters still out, wreaking havoc on the town. a fire in the small metal pit burned steadily, but you werenât too far away to feel the pulsing heat. after this game, you planned on taking a break.
you had acquired a buzz so far, taking it slow so you could enjoy the party. for the most part you were and honestly, the little glances you caught from rafe were adding to it. he wasnât trying to be sneaky about it at all and you liked that. it didnât feel like he was following you around the party, but you did see him wherever you went. you supposed that small conversation in the kitchen had stuck with him, oddly.
standing at the table, you didnât have to look to know where he was. maybe he thought he was being stealthy, standing near the back door, relaxed, hand in his pocket. all it would take was for you to look slightly to the right, but you held back for the sake of your own sanity. his stares had been driving you crazy. all you wanted to know was what the hell he was thinking. you could guess a couple things with the way he smirked or the way his eyes traveled over you, but you pushed those thoughts deep down. this was rafe cameron.
âmy god, ryan you suck!â ally teased beside you now. you looked across the table at ryan who was struggling to flip the cup. ally laughed, holding her gut.
âsince when can you not flip a cup?â you asked.
âshut the fuck up!â ryan said, trying to focus. you shook your head at him, grinning stupidly. it took him a couple tries before he finally got it and the turn went to someone else. he looked at you, huffing out a big breath.
âthat was sad.â you said, crossing your arms over your chest.
âthat was hilarious!â ally said.
âi need a fuckinâ drink.â he sighed.
âdonât quit now! we have to see you lose first.â ally brushed her hair out of her eyes, her annie wig now off and sitting somewhere in the house. just then you caught a glimpse of it through the window, someone trying it on for size. your eyes quickly swept over rafe, still in the same spot.
âi'm not playing anymore games after this.â ryan stated.
âno, come on! you said youâd be on my team for cornhole.â ally whined, the alcohol surely overtaking her senses. she wasnât usually whiny.
âfuck cornhole.â ryan said just as your team cheered, having won the game. ryan gave you a nod and walked away, heading inside past rafe.
ally caught your attention before rafe could. âi'm freezing. letâs go sit by the fire for a little.â
you happily followed her, licking your lips and still tasting the beer. you both sat down on the cushioned loveseat, ally quickly throwing her legs over your lap. you took them in, setting your hands atop them. the heat was quick to run up your own legs and warmed you up instantly. burrowing yourself further into your sweatshirt, you let your muscles relax.
âi'm not a lightweight, am i?â ally asked.
you looked over at her from the sky, admiring how the fire illumiated the trees. you laughed lightly, patting her shins. âof course not.â
âyou fucking liar.â she grinned and kicked your thigh. âi totally am. itâs fine, at least i always have a good time, right?â
âright.â you agreed. âyou donât make a fool of yourself, not at all.â
âshut up.â she laughed. âoh my god, you werenât there!â she suddenly remembered. âtopper had a party at his place a couple months ago and of course, knowing me i willingly went, not having anything else to do nor was my best friend here to entertain me or look out for meâŚâ she eyed you teasingly.
âget on with it.â you rolled your eyes. deep down, you knew ally wasnât that upset about you being so far away. sure, you had hoped to go to the same school, but she was the only person here who was pushing you to go further away.
âi think i had, maybe, two white clawsââ
âoh god.â
ally laughed loudly, her back arching off the couch. âtheyâre so good! anyways, two in and i start crying about brie larson.â
âwhat about her?â your body started to shake with laughter even though you had no idea where this was going.
âhave you seen her? have you seen that woman? sheâs so goddamn beautiful, i canât cope.â ally said exasperatedly. âitâs not fair that she doesnât know who i am.â
âmaybe someday.â you patted her knee. she started to roll her eyes, but you were quick to stop her. âyou never know! crazy shit happens these days.â
ally didnât say anything, reaching for an itch on her thigh. you looked back up at the sky above and relished in the warmth. suddenly, you felt ally tense up. you lifted your head and looked at her worriedly. she was looking past you and she lifted her legs to sit up.
âcrazy shit, indeed. rafe is coming over here. act normal.â
you opened your mouth, no words coming out. she sat up quickly and tidied herself as rafe stopped beside you. you looked up at him, finding that same dumb smile. his fake blood hadnât even come off yetâ what the hell was it?
âhey, rafe.â ally said, way too high pitched.
âhey. mind if i steal y/n for a little?â he brushed his hair back and pointed at you.
ânot at all.â ally said too quickly and stood up. âi was just going to get another drink.â
rafe nodded and let her pass. he moved to take her seat beside you as you looked after her, bulging your eyes. she opened her mouth in a fake excited scream, no sound coming out. you swallowed thickly and looked over at rafe. his elbows were perched on his knees, giving you a nice view of his back, muscles tight under his shirt.
âwhatâs up?â you half-whispered, getting your voice back.
he smiled at you, slightly turning into a smirk. âi was just wondering if you wanted to play a game of beer pong with me. topâs almost finished with his game.â he gestured to the kitchen inside where you could see the boy in questionâs arms shoot up as he cheered.
âwhatâs the catch?â you asked, looking back over at him. why would rafe cameron ask you, specifically, to play a game of beer pong with him if there wasnât a catch?
âdoes there have to be one?â he inquired, lifting a brow.
âwith you, yes.â you said confidently, not having a clue where it came from. you had never talked to him this wayâ or ever, you reminded yourself.
rafe stared at you incredulously then let out a small laugh. he breathed in, glancing at the fire. you watched the side of his face, seeing how the fire flickered over his features and showed off how smooth his clean-shaven cheek looked. you wondered what it felt like.
before you could wonder anything else, he looked back over at you. the smile was partially gone, all teasing now. âif i winâŚyou come down to the beach with me.â
you searched his face, a heavy feeling pooling in the bottom of your stomach. you shivered slightly and sat up to be a bit closer to him. his eyes followed you carefully. âand if i win?â the confidence came easier now.
you didnât miss the slight lean he made toward you, the fire catching in his eye. âname your terms.â
you didnât once look away as you thought about something you could get, had you won the little game. it took a lot in you not to let your eyes stray further down his face, no matter how distracting the fake blood was. you had never had such intense eye contact with anyone and if you had been thinking about it, you knew you would surely look away. now, experiencing it, you didnât feel the nervousness or desire to look away.
âhm,â you hummed, willing yourself not to press your lips together once he let his eyes flicker down to them. âif i win you give me a piggyback ride to the beach.â
it struck you then just how beautiful his smile really was. the way his eyes lit up, crinkled a little. he laughed and nodded. âdeal.â
â
âi know i won, very fairly might i add, but i am sorry for completely wrecking you in that game.â rafe said.
âgod, itâs like your ego grew ten times bigger.â you teased, crossing your arms over your chest to warm up from the breeze. it picked up much more as you grew closer to the beach. the waves were loud as you anticipated feeling the sand on your now bare feet, your shoes left on the back patio. it was cold once you reached it.
you stopped a ways away from the water, closing your eyes for a moment. you missed this, you missed the wind, the smell, the sand. you could see a flash of memories across your eyelids, days spent at this very beach, sand getting in places it shouldnât, and building monster sandcastles with your family. sure, california had beaches too, but nothing like the ones at home.
when you opened your eyes, you couldnât see rafe in your peripheral view. you turned, finding him standing a few feet from you, his hands in his pockets. he smiled softly and gestured with his head. âyou want to walk?â
âis that what you brought me down here for? a walk?â you said, a playful smile pulling at your lips.
âwell, itâs much too cold to swim, unless you like getting hypothermia.â
âshared body heat prevents that, you know.â you turned back around, watching the water reach the sand and smiling to yourself at your remark. you hugged yourself tighter against the wind and took a seat on the sand, pulling your legs to your chest.
rafe appeared next to you a moment later as he sat. you didnât look over at him or say anything, not knowing what exactly to say. you had a faint idea of why he wanted to be alone here, it was partially secluded, and dark enough to see the person in front of you. you wondered what he was thinking.
âback in high school i used to think i'd never get off this island. but being back now, i donât want to leave.â you said, unsure of what it was that made you do so.
âi still havenât left.â rafe said, laughing to himself. âat this point, it seems like i never will.â
your eyebrows furrowed and you looked over at him. âwhat do you want to do? with your life?â
he met your eyes, then looked back at the water and shrugged. letting out a breath, he threw a bit of sand in front of him. âno clue. i think i just need to get out and go somewhere for a little while. maybe that will help me figure it out.â
âi'm sure you will.â you said. âsometimes, thatâs all it takes, is leaving. hell, if i didnât leave and go to california, i wouldnât have realized how much this place is in me. like, i'm meant to be here, you know?â
rafe fumbled with the sand in front of his crossed legs, then brushed it off on his pants. you watched him for a moment then looked the opposite way, biting your lip. your stomach was twisting again.
âhow come we didnât talk in high school?â
you forced yourself to blink a few times, questioning reality and if he actually asked that. you looked at him, confused and accusatory. âyou never gave me the time of day.â
âso itâs all on me?â he laughed, giving you an odd look now.
âwell, no. actually yes!â you said rather harshly. âyou were the king, rafe cameron. i mean, not much has probably changed since i've been gone so you probably still are.â
âwhat does that mean?â he questioned.
âit means,â you sighed, becoming frustrated. âthat everyone flocks to your beck and call. i certainly had no desire to do so back then, no matter how popular you were.â
âpopularity doesnât mean anything.â
âwell, it certainly did to you, otherwise maybe we wouldâve been friends.â you chided. he looked away from you, quite shocked at your words. you wanted to roll your eyes, of course he hadnât changed since high school. he still expected everyone to fall on their knees for him.
you both sat in silence for a few minutes. the energy had changed and you wondered if you ruined the night. then again, why would it matter if you did? you were going back to california in a couple days anyways and you probably would forget all about this. but it still bugged you.
âwhatâs so different now?â you asked, the wind howling.
âwhat do you mean?â he asked, less annoyed. his features were smoother, now genuine curiosity in his eyes as you looked at him.
you gave him a look, one to say that he should know better. âsure seems like youâre interested.â
âwhat makes you think that?â he squinted, teasing. you were glad of this change.
âoh, i donât knowâŚyou did a lot of staring.â
âso did you.â
you bit the inside of your lip, trying not to smirk. âwhy, i have no idea.â you said quietly to yourself, but rafe had heard you loud and clear over the wind.
you sighed to yourself and stood up, brushing the sand from your bottom. rafe looked up at you curiously and almost sadly. you looked back at the house, very much alive.
âi should go check up on ryan.â
â
ryanâs arm hung loosely over your shoulders, your body shaking with his as he laughed. he seemed to be getting on really well with complete strangers. you were happy for him.
if a stranger walked in right now, saw you sitting on the couch, surrounded by laughing friends and people you knew of, they would probably wonder why you looked like you didnât want to be there. to be frank, you looked completely miserable. you were completely detached from reality, going over and over in your head the conversation you had with rafe on the beach. it wasnât even eleven oâclock yet, and you were now begging the question, when are we leaving?
âdid you want to leave soon?â you asked ryan when he looked over at you, smiling happily. you bit the inside of your lip, scolding yourself for even asking the question when he looked so elated.
âi'm alright.â he shrugged. âare you not having fun?â
the conversation still went on without him, it now feeling as if it was just the two of you. you shook your head quickly and put on a subtle smile. âno, no, i'm okay. just checking with you.â
âokay,â he nodded and squeezed you against him.
you let the smile slowly disappear once he engaged back with everyone else. you looked down at your lap, playing with your fingers. maybe you should find ally, you were sure she was doing something fun and time-consuming. thatâs what you needed, was something to do to pass the time until ryan wanted to leave.
placing a hand on his knee to push you up, you told him you were going to find ally. he gave you a nod, taking a sip from his cup. you excused yourself past some people and started to look around for ally in each room. you didnât spot her inside after a few minutes of looking so you wandered outside, maybe she had fallen asleep near the firepit. when you didnât see her, you figured she was down at the beach. you could hear some distance screams of joy and laughter from that direction and could immediately imagine ally running around crazily.
giving up on your search for now, you took a seat at the fire again. you leaned close to it, watching the flames move. picking up the poker beside the sofa, you poked and prodded at the charring wood, sending little embers floating up. you watched as they disappeared, looking as if they would join the stars in the sky.
you werenât sure how much time passed as you lost yourself in staring into the fire and feeling its radiating warmth on your cheeks. before you knew it, rafe sat down next to you.
you snorted. âyou again? itâs like youâre obsessed with me now.â
âi came to get warm, i donât know what youâre talking about.â rafe said, holding his palms out to soak it in.
âsure,â you hummed with a nod.
âyou have a nice smile.â
you stared back at rafe, the smile in question dropping. speculation brewed in your mind.
âyouâre staring again.â he said, the corner of his lips curving upward.
âwhat do you want from me, rafe?â you asked.
his smile dissipated as well before reappearing, trying to lessen the tension growing. âdo i haveâ?â
âjust be honest with me.â you interrupted. you were growing impatient and you could feel yourself starting to close up. no matter how much you enjoyed that lustful feeling for him all night, you wanted answers. âtell me what you want.â
never had you seen rafe cameron at a loss for words. it only boosted your confidence and you held the teasing giggle down. you never broke eye contact as he opened his mouth, searching for words. you raised your eyebrows at him, waiting.
âdo you want to fuck me? is that it?â you prompted.
rafe swallowed very noticeably, the fire catching on his adamâs apple. âyou donât seem the type to be so straight forward.â he said as you put the fire poker down and turned to him, leaning over on your arm.
âyou barely know me, remember?â your confidence was coming back as you placed your hand on rafeâs mid-thigh. he looked down at it then back up at you in surprise, his mouth ajar. you didnât try to hide looking at it now as your heart raced.
âi've been wanting your mouth all night, rafe cameron.â you licked your own lips hungrily, your pulse picking up. you moved your hand to his face, feeling the smoothness you so craved to feel earlier in the same spot. you ran your thumb over his lips, gauging his reaction.
âfuck.â as if he hadnât been wrapped around your finger before, he certainly was now. his hand appeared on your thigh, moving up to your waist to pull you closer.
your lips met suddenly, catching rafe off guard as his hand went to your face, holding it steady against his own. you instantly tasted the corn syrup of the fake blood coating his lips. you didnât particularly enjoy the taste, but you liked the taste of him. he groaned at the contact of your tongue, opening his mouth for you to tangle with his. his jaw was strong in your hand, his skin soft. his thumb brushed your cheek roughly, trying to pull you closer. you smiled against him and pulled back in competition.
ây/n?â you pulled away abruptly from rafe, looking over your shoulder at ryan. you tried to steady your breathing as he awkwardly looked from you to rafe. âuh, ally is inside and she kinda hurt herself.â
of course, you thought. you licked your lips, your heartbeat pulsing under the surface of the sensitive skin. you felt rafeâs hands slip away as you stood up and started to follow ryan inside. you didnât look back in fear of running back to jump his bones.
âwho was that?â ryan whispered to you, not yet through the back door. âsorry i interrupted such a good moment.â he laughed.
âshut up,â you elbowed him and walked inside.
ally was sat in the kitchen, bleeding from her leg. you quickly aided her, inquiring what happened and what she did to be such a klutz. apparently, she thought it would be a good idea to live up to her dancer dreams and get up on the counter. obviously, it didnât end well.
âtotally worth it.â she slurred. you shook your head with a smile as you cleaned her up on the bathroom floor.
you wiped the blood off her skin, throwing the toilet paper in the waste bin next to you. rummaging for band aids as she drunkenly yapped on about her endeavor, you pulled the plastic wrappers off one by one and applied them to the long cut on her leg.
âi think youâre down for the count tonight,â you told her, smoothing the band aid down.
âokay, mom.â she dramatized, making a snide face at you with her eyelids closed.
âyou canât even keep your eyes open, dude. youâre done.â you laughed and helped her up. âgood thing you live here.â
pulling her arm around your shoulders, you left the bathroom and brought her upstairs. her bedroom door was closed, along with all of the rooms, and thankfully no one was inside. you pulled her shoes off and didnât bother with her dress.
âi want to go back downstairs.â she whined.
you rolled your eyes and pulled the covers over her. âthe sun will come out tomorrow, annie. sweet dreams.â you kissed her forehead, noticing already how she started to drift off.
making your way downstairs, you watched as a group was heading out for the night. they closed the door behind them, the people in the entryway saying goodbye like a chorus. turning off the last step, you ran right into a very solid body. hands grabbed ahold of your waist to steady you and you looked up, seeing ryan.
âhey,â he said. âis she okay?â
âyeah. i put her to bed.â you nodded up the stairs and took a step back from him.
âi'm ready to go whenever you are.â he said.
your stomach dropped. you instantly thought about rafe, wanting nothing more than to find him and kiss him again. just as you thought this, he appeared in the entryway behind ryan. you glanced at him then back at ryan. âi'll meet you at the car?â you said and pulled out the key to give him. he nodded without a word and walked around you to the door.
âheyââ you started to say, meeting rafe halfway until he maneuvered you up against the wall, his lips quick to get to yours. you moaned softly into his mouth, reaching around him to pull him against you. he reciprocated this action, pushing his hips flush against yours. you broke away from him, breathing harshly.
âi have to go,â you said quietly, looking directly at rafeâs lips, feeling your eyelids weighted with lust.
rafe didnât look pleased about that, rather annoyed really. his hand rested just at the side of your neck, his other under your top to grip your waist. âcanât you stay for a little while longer?â
you shook your head, smiling softly. âguess you shouldâve made your move sooner.â
rafe grunted and pulled you back to him, his tongue slipping into your mouth. you welcomed it, running your hand over his chest, feeling how fast his heart was beating too. that alone was nearly enough to pull you in and make ryan wait, but you pushed on the firm chest, breaking apart from him once more.
âi really do have to go, rafe.â
â
picking up the jar, you read over the label. organic honey. now that you thought about it, you didnât have any back at school. one jar wouldnât hurt.
âiâll take this please.â you said, setting it down on the table. the man on the other side nodded and took the few bills you held out to him. you thanked him for it, picking up the jar and your change and moving to the next stand.
ever since you could remember, you had gone to the farmerâs market every year. it was something you liked to do, something that involved the community you grew up in. there were so many selections and stands and things for you to look at that you could spend hours there. if you werenât with ryan, you just might have been there until closing time.
ryan was across the way, checking out some older books that the library was giving away. you stopped beside him, peering into the crate he was looking in. eventually you moved on to the next stand, neither of you finding anything worth picking.
âso, what are we up to tonight?â ryan asked on the way back to the house, your jar of honey in his lap.
you felt your ears grow warmer, opening your mouth. âi was thinking of going over to a friendâs house.â
âallyâs? thatâll be fun.â he looked over at you, smiling slightly.
you glanced at him, opening and closing your mouth a few times. âno. uh, rafeâs. just me.â
âoh,â ryan drawled out, nodding slowly.
âi'm sorry. if you really donât want me to go since youâll be alone and have nothing to do, i can stay in and we can figure something out. you know what, letâs just do that?â you decided, waving it off.
ây/n, breathe.â ryan laughed. âi'm fine staying alone. you go to rafeâs.â
âare you sure? i can stay in, we can go eat at the wreck. you havenât tried it yet!â
âweâre not leaving until tomorrow night. we can just get food then. itâs not a big deal. donât stay in on my account, please. go to rafeâs.â he encouraged.
you couldnât tell if he was really okay with it or if he felt differently. you had been thinking about it all day, replaying the kisses from last night and the way it felt to have rafeâs hands on you. your heart beat in other places now as you thought about it again. you shifted in your seat as you pulled onto your road. you thanked ryan as you got out of the car and went into the house.
â
dinner passed quickly. you pushed yourself to eat slowly, to actually spend time with your family and have them get to know ryan. a part of you still felt bad about leaving him alone there, no matter how many times he kicked your foot under the table.
now you were staring at yourself in the mirror, killing time doing nothing. you hadnât done anything different about your appearance, you just showered and sprayed a bit of perfume. and you brushed your teeth. god, what was wrong with you? where was the confidence from last night? maybe it went out the window at the very prospect of driving to rafeâs house and going to see him. you had never done that before, youâd never been there, youâd never seen what it was like. plus, what if he wasnât home? what were you going to do then? you didnât have his number, although ally could easily get it for you.
no. no. you needed to stop. you had to do this before you left for california and regretted not going to rafeâs house. taking in a deep breath, you straightened yourself up and huffed. you said goodbye to ryan in the spare bedroom across the hall and he gave you a thumbs up, resulting in you rolling your eyes.
it didnât take that long of a drive to pull up to the cameronâs estate. it was huge, you thought. you stared at the white exterior and felt not at all intimidated. turning off the car and willing yourself to get out, you walked up to the front door in determination and knocked. you practiced breathing to calm your nerves as you waited. it took a few minutes until the door opened and you breathed in sharply.
expecting someone completely different, you were met with a small girl no more than 14. you couldnât recall if rafe had two sisters, you just knew of the one.
âcan i help you?â she raised her eyebrows under the black rimmed glasses.
âhi.â you paused for too long and breathed. âuh, is rafe here?â
âheâs out. and you are?â
you lifted your own brows at her territorial posture, arms crossed. âi'm y/n. a friend of rafeâs. um, do you know when heâll be back by any chance?â
her shoulders loosened as she grabbed onto the door handle. âsometime soon, i think. youâre welcome to wait.â she stepped aside, letting you in. you gave her a thankful smile, wanting to tell her that she was calming your nerves considerably.
âthank you. whatâs your name?â
âwheezie. i'm rafeâs younger sister.â she closed the door solidly, pulling a phone out of her back pocket.
âitâs nice to meet you. i appreciate you letting me wait for him.â you rubbed your hands on your thighs, trying to get rid of the sweat.
she nodded with her eyes locked on the screen. âyeah, no problem. i actually have to leave, soâŚâ she said and grabbed a coat from the chair behind the door. she opened it again and went to leave, but poked her head back in. âdonât steal anything.â
opening your mouth to protest, the door closed with a satisfied thud, echoing through the empty house. you glanced around, not knowing where to put yourself. you took a few steps and poked your head around the doorway, finding a huge kitchen with a few lights left on. you turned back around and looked up the stairs, figuring that was your best bet. just before you stepped onto them, you took your shoes off.
rafeâs room was pretty obvious what with the posters of random semi-naked women. you rolled your eyes at the typical male and wandered further in. his walls were a dark blue, black bedding messy on the mattress. some clothes were thrown on the floor, a desk with a monitor set up on it and some old dishes. you itched to clean it, but that wouldâve been weird.
just as you were looking at the little knick-knacks on his dresser, you heard a door shut. you placed one of his rings down and waited expectantly in the center of his room, still not knowing where to put yourself. his footsteps were fast on the stairs, almost as if he were skipping two at a time. your stomach twisted when he appeared in his doorway.
âhowâd you get in here?â he asked first, closing the door slowly behind him and switching on the overhead light. you took in his appearance, enjoying the backwards hat paired with a sweatshirt and sweatpants. you snapped out of it, realizing he was still waiting for an answer.
âuh, wheezie, was it? she let me in. and then she left.â you stated, twiddling your fingers against your thighs.
rafe nodded and moved away from the door, taking his hat and sweatshirt off. turning back to you, he brushed a hand through his hair then set them on his hips. âwhat are you doing here?â
âi think you know.â you refrained from rolling your eyes, letting out a laugh to lessen your nerves and to mask how much you were hoping not to be turned down.
rafe pressed his lips together, looking behind you for a second and taking a couple steps forward. you looked up at him, feeling the soft puffs of his breath on your face. âtell me what you want. be honest with me.â
you laughed at your own words from last night and looked at him under your lashes. you took a brave step forward, feeling his body heat. âi want you to kiss me like last night.â
rafe looked down at your lips, moving his face closer. you watched him, anticipating it and closing your eyes. you didnât feel anything other than his hands lightly touching your waist. you opened your eyes to look up at him, to see what he was doing and why he was making you wait when you just told him what you wanted. he smiled lightly and looked over your face.
âand then what?â
you moaned and pulled him forward by his shirt, grabbing fistfuls of it in satisfaction. his mouth was warm and inviting against yours and you tried to think of what he smelled like, like salt and clean laundry. he tasted much better now that you could only taste him and not that god awful corn syrup.
you pulled away for a moment, sticking your tongue out to lick at his lips teasingly. his fingertips poked into your sides, pulling you closer and back against his mouth. you smiled against him and let go of his shirt to pull it off. instead of returning to your lips, rafe put his against the side of your throat, lightly nipping at the skin. you pulled your jacket and shirt off, rafe helping you swiftly. he continued his ministrations on your neck, holding you upright while you let your head fall back.
a gasp escaped your lips as rafe grabbed your hand from his stomach and placed it over his bulge. you hadnât realized how prominent he was in the past few moments. you looked over his face as he pressed his forehead against yours, guiding your hand over him.
âdo you feel that?â he huffed.
your legs practically turned to mush as you felt him, growing stiff in his sweats. you hummed, nodding against his head. without asking you or prompting you, you slid your hand from under his into his pants. the warmth radiated like the fire from last night, your own pooling between your legs. rafe let out another breath as you wrapped your hand around him, exploring.
âthat feels good.â he whispered and tugged your body closer, a hand cupping your backside. you reached to press a kiss against his jaw, his head moving to give you more access. you made a quick trail and pressed a final kiss to the base of his neck, right over his clavicle.
as much as you didnât want to, you pulled away, your own need growing by the second. you pushed his pants down with his boxers, trying to hold yourself together from not jumping on him then and there. he watched your face closely as he stepped out of his pants. swallowing, you pushed your own bottoms down and just as you were reaching for your underwear, rafe pushed you onto his unmade bed.
starting at your mouth, rafe kissed you fully and hungrily, sparing nothing. you wanted to hold him there, especially when he rutted his hips against yours, eliciting a high moan. you quivered at the feeling of him so close and you wouldâve reached for your underwear then if he hadnât left your lips and slowly started to make his way down.
âkeep making those noises, y/n.â his breath blew over your chest and you obliged as his lips pressed against one of your breasts.
ârafe, please.â you touched his head and lifted your legs around him.
he lifted from your stomach with a smile. âwhat?â
âhurry up.â you begged, out of breath. he chuckled, kissing you lightly on the lips and moving back to what he was doing. you groaned but lifted onto our elbows to watch. he pressed a few more kisses to your stomach and just as he was going to the next spot, you raised your hips, teasing him. he laughed, his breathing tickling your sensitive skin.
his hands took ahold of your hips and held them down on the bed, his fingers warm and strong. you swallowed thickly, your eyelids nearly closing as a kiss was pressed directly over where your excitement had pooled. you let out a whine, low from your throat, and met rafeâs dark eyes.
âyouâre so wet.â he said, letting go of one hip to replace where his mouth just was. you lifted your hips again, letting your head fall back at the pleasure that shot through you. rafe pressed his fingers firmly, moving slowly in circles. âis this how you were last night?â
âyes, yes.â you sighed, dropping onto your back. âfuck, rafe, please just take them off. please.â
he pushed against your clit abruptly, practically pushing the breath out of your chest. he obliged though, you felt his fingers slip between the material and your hips before he tugged them down. you opened your eyes as the bed shifted. rafe held himself over you, reaching into the nightstand and pulling out a condom. you leaned up to pull your bra off as he opened the small package and put it on.
âhow do you want me?â you asked, still out of breath, reaching for him.
rafe smiled, his hands coming down on either side of your head to hold himself up. âjust like this.â
his hair tickled your forehead as he lined himself up and took your mouth against him. you broke the kiss, moaning as he pushed in slowly.
âfuck.â you gasped, holding onto his hip.
âare you okay?â he asked after letting out a low grunt.
âyes,â you nodded, reaching up to kiss him. âi need you to move.â
rafe did as requested and moved slowly, starting a rhythm. his hand closed around a breast, your legs opening wider for him as his hips met yours continuously. you tried your best to keep your lips against his, reveling in the warmth and taste, but you found yourself pulling away and getting lost in what he was doing to you. you started to focus on his breathing, his low grunts, his moans that sent shivers up the back of your thighs. you relished in it.
âi'm glad we didnât do this last night.â you laughed to yourself, out of breath.
âfuck,â he said. âi was pissed when you left, i ended up coming here just to jack off.â
you laughed again, reaching a hand up to his hair to tug at. you pulled his mouth to yours momentarily until he broke away and moved to your chest. ârafe, harder.â you pleaded, tugging on his hip.
he moaned against your chest, the vibrations going all the way to where he was pushing into you. you let out your own noise, louder than any before, as he picked up the pace and tried to hit you deeper. it wasnât quite working so you lifted your knee up higher, digging your heel into his backside.
rafe softly bit down on your nipple, massaging the other one. it lost the warmth a second later as rafe let go and grabbed ahold of your leg, the smacking of your skin becoming louder. letting go of his hair, you held his other hip, digging your fingernails in.
ârafe,â you panted. rafeâs hips were going at an alarming rate, but you had never felt so good. he knew exactly what he was doing. ârafe, i'm close.â
rafe let go of your leg and moved his hand down your stomach to find your clit. his thumb brushed it, causing you to cry out. his breath was coming out in pants now too, with each stroke. he looked down at you, your expression of pure bliss as your eyes screwed shut and contorted. you bit your lip, something you didnât realize drove him crazy. he moved his thumb in fast circles with the pace of his hips and soon enough, you were squeezing his hips and crying out in high pitched tones. the sound alone brought rafe closer.
âfuck, fuck.â you felt him twitch as he grabbed onto your hip, his steady thrusts now stuttering.
you were still riding out your own high, but you reached up with a shaky hand and touched his cheek. he opened his eyes then at the new contact, his mouth ajar, lips swollen.
ârafe, cum. i need you to cum.â you pleaded, licking into his lips with a kiss. he groaned, hips stuttering again then stilling completely as he emptied into the condom. you moaned at the sound, wishing that he was emptying into you. you wished you could feel how warm he was when he coated your walls. god, just the thought had you ready to go again.
rafe moaned as he slid out of you and flipped over onto his back. you licked your lips, still tasting him as you caught your own breath. your skin was sticky and sweaty, but you liked it knowing who it was from. looking over at him now, he was spent and tired, his chest moving with gulps of breath.
âwell, i know you better now.â he said, making you laugh.
âright back at ya, rafe cameron.â
#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron#outer banks#fanfic#fanfiction#rafe cameron imagine#rafe cameron x fem!reader
438 notes
¡
View notes
Text
I Am Not Starfire, And That's Okay
I recently read I Am Not Starfire and I had lots of thoughts, which are under the cut. It is spoiler-heavy and an analysis of the main character, who I find to be a charming, flawed, and incredibly human character.
Mandy is a fascinating character and a great look at a teenage girl who feels ostracized by the people around her and who feels disconnected from her parent. Mandy is by no means flawless, and that's what makes her very interesting. It also makes her relatable.
Mandy starts by talking about how she's noticeably different from her mom, being the "Anti-Starfire". She's a regular kid, can't fly, and doesn't own a swimsuit, while her mom is a superhero, can fly, and always wears bikinis.
On page 11 she mentions "her mom hasn't liked how I looked since I was twelve. She wears less than a yard of fabric every day, yet somehow, I'm the one who's dressing weird". While I understand people who call this slut-shaming, and I'm inclined to agree, but I think it's a little more nuanced than that. The next page reads, "My friend Lincoln convinced me this is the cultural divide that happens between family generations born in different countries or universes. His parents were born in Vietnam." This tells me that the authors intended to point out the difference in dress more as another difference between Starfire and Mandy, and less as a reason to blatantly slut-shame Starfire. I think there's absolutely a conversation to be had about why the authors decided to use this language instead of conveying the point differently. I also think it speaks to how Starfire has more or less been sexualized from inception, and how people look down upon her character because of that. In the context of this book, though, it's one of Mandy's character flaws that I think fits her both as a character and reflects what I've seen from actual teenage girls. Our society coaches us to view women who dress a certain way as less than women who don't and unlearning that takes time and effort. I don't think this comment about her mom should have been put in there by the authors, but I do think it fits in with the values American society in particular teaches about women.
Page 15, 16, and 17 all point to a far more complicated state of existence than Mandy points out within the first few pages. For one thing, Mandy has to deal with people who love her mother and only want to use her to get information about her mom and the other teen titans. This is shown by the "Titan groupies" who ask her to tell Starfire what they say about her. Another thing she has to deal with is the expectation to be a superhero and have powers like her mom, and the questions about who her dad might be. She gains her first real friend, Lincoln, because he tells the people asking about her parentage that they are assholes.
It is revealed that Mandy has a crush on Claire after she gets assigned a group project with her. Mandy is in denial over the crush. She thinks about the fact she's meeting Mandy at the end of the day throughout the rest of the school day, causing her to explode something in Chemistry Class. I find this to be highly relatable and gives her character a softer side to the edginess she desperately tries to portray herself as.
While talking about the project with Claire, it is revealed that Mandy ran out of her SATs and didn't complete them. While Mandy tries to paint this as a cool badass moment, the way the comic artist portrays the scene makes me think Mandy had an anxiety attack. Mandy didn't run out of her SAT because she's some kind of alternative badass who doesn't need to take them. Mandy ran out because she got overwhelmed by the sounds of people chewing and the pressure of the test. While she frames it differently, it's clear to me that Mandy is avoiding taking the SAT again because she doesn't want that to happen again.
When Claire invites her to hang out with her friends, Mandy gets treated like she isn't there, or as some kind of unwanted outsider. The topics they discuss seem to be specifically made to make Mandy uncomfortable, like mentioning how stretchy jeans are only made for fat people, and asking if aliens don't go to college. Jaded by this, Mandy makes up that aliens actually have to go through this huge blood right and battle to the death, but tells Claire's two friends she was joking before leaving. This tells me that Mandy deflects her pain by using humor to cope and has no issue clowning on people who are trying to belittle her for being an alien.
Starfire tries to bring up going to college after this, and Mandy just flees to her room. She hasn't told her mom she didn't take the SAT yet or that she isn't going to college. She feels distant from her mom, which is explained further through a montage of birthdays where she never got her powers. Her mom expects a lot from her, and Mandy thinks Starfire is disappointed about her lack of powers.
Later, Mandy invites Claire over to her house to complete the project they are working on. The Titans are still there when Claire arrives, but she seems to ignore them, as they leave shortly after. Mandy and Claire bond as they continue the project. Mandy reveals to the reader that she's never had a girlfriend, except for one time at sleep-away camp where she kind of dated a girl for four weeks. She didn't tell her who her mom was because she was tired of living in the shadow of a superhero. But the relationship ended because Mandy had lied about who her mom was, and the girl she was dating didn't understand why she would lie. I think this really shows just how much Mandy actually wants to be a normal girl like everyone else, to the extent that she'd lie about who her mom was. Her edgy demeanor at school and around town where her mom is known to be her mom is a defense mechanism to having lived under the shadow of a superhero her entire life.
When it's revealed that Claire took a photo with the Titans at Mandy's house, Mandy is understandable heartbroken, and furious. She thought she had been making a real connection with Claire, but this photo makes her think she's been used, again. Claire seems genuinely baffled by Mandy's reaction to this, thinking little of it. But to Mandy, it is a breach of trust from someone she thought cared about her. I think her angry reaction to Claire makes sense because of this, even if it might have been disproportionate to the offense.
On top of this, Starfire has discovered that Mandy walked out of the SAT and doesn't plan to go to college. After a heated conversation, she runs away, but her mom finds her. And then Blackfire finds her. Turns out the fake story she told Claire's friends earlier in the story was actually true, even though Mandy didn't know it.
Since Claire actually cares about Mandy, she tracks down Lincoln who explains to her why Mandy reacted badly, and that she should probably apologize for taking the photo. Claire also admits that one of the friends from earlier, Deb, actually dared her to take the photo. Claire is a good person at heart, but this action shows that she can still be influenced to do something that would hurt another person. And while she might not have known it would hurt Mandy, Deb probably did.
Starfire and Blackfire fight since Mandy has no powers, but Starfire gets injured causing Mandy to realize just how much she loves and cares about her mom, even though they don't see eye to eye on most things. This finally unlocks her powers, as she's let go of most of the resentment she's held against her mom. She even gets asked for an autograph by someone in the audience after the battle.
The story ends with Mandy training her powers, studying for the SAT, and reconciling with Claire, sharing a kiss, and becoming girlfriends.
I've seen a lot of discourse that frames Mandy as being "not like other girls". I don't believe this framing actually fits Mandy very well. The only girl Mandy ever says she is not like explicitly is her mom. She is the only woman she compares herself too, and the only person who she seems to have a lot of resentment for, aside from people who use her to get to Starfire. Additionally, Mandy falls for someone who is what a stereotypical, normal popular girl is often portrayed as. She's preppy, wears makeup, gets good grades, has friends, and runs a fairly popular Instagram account. If Mandy was extremely into the "Not like other girls" rhetoric, she would've made fun of Claire for all those things. Instead, she admires her for them. Mandy is fat, has acne/freckles, dresses goth, and wears a nose ring. If this is the reason people are identifying her as a "Not like other girls" girl, then they don't understand that trope. Simply dressing differently from your peers, being fat, and hating your mom does not make her the "not like other girls" trope. It actually makes her like other, real-life girls who dress and act similarly, because that's who they are, not because they somehow think they are better than other women.
I'd also make the argument that, fundamentally, Mandy IS different from other girls on the account of having a superhero mother and potentially a superhero father. Her life is completely altered by Starfire's existence as her mom and is likely only relatable to the children of other superheroes and celebrities. She is not like other girls because of her mom, and that still doesn't make her someone who falls in line with the conception of being "not like other girls".
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope others do too. I read Mandy as a flawed character who was trying to figure out how to exist outside the Shadow of her mom- and eventually succeeds, by learning to embrace her mom. I would've preferred if Mandy had a slightly darker skin tone, as her features seem black-coded to me and Starfire is also often black-coded. Otherwise, I do think this was one of the best DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults I've read, alongside Teen Titans: Beast Boy and Teen Titans: Raven.
53 notes
¡
View notes
Text
lucky charm - lee minho
pairing - lee minho x reader
genre - college!au, best friends to lovers, very cliche fluff (lucky girl starring lindsey lohan kinda vibes???)
words - 4k
note - this is just a cute little drabble i wrote while im still waiting for my covid test results to come back so that i can leave my room and see the sun again 𤪠pls be careful everybody take care of your health đ enjoy!!!
- - - - -
âYou must be kidding me,â you sigh when you see Minhoâs hand has turned into a fist, his rock crushing miserably your scissors. Once again, you lost at rock, paper, scissors. And once again, youâre the one that is going to wash your best friendâs dishes that have piled up in is tiny kitchen sink throughout the week.
âFuck that. This is so unfair,â you grumble, throwing the dishtowel in Minhoâs stupid yet perfectly chiseled face.
You make a beeline for his bed, which is actually only a few steps away from the kitchen. Being a broke college student definitely doesnât allow him to rent a spacious studio, let alone a two-room apartment. You throw yourself headfirst onto his uncomfortable mattress, whose springs always poke your back at night.
âLife is so unfair,â your friend mocks you, dragging out every vowel of his sentence dramatically.
No doubt, you would be strangling him at that very moment if you werenât so busy playing dead, hoping he would forget about your pitiful existence.
But there is no way mister Lee Minho would miss out on an opportunity to have his gross plates cleaned by someone else. Grabbing onto your ankle, he drags you out of bed until you plop down on the dirty carpeted floor (Minho has the unfortunate tendency to procrastinate vacuuming too). At this point, you are fake crying, throwing a literal tantrum, like a 6 years old child would.
âLife is unfair!â you yell, your feet kicking in the air in pure anger.
At least it is to you. You canât remember the last time youâve been lucky. The only instance you got remotely close to it was when you found a four-leaf clover last summer. Well, only if you disregard the fact you stepped into dog poop on your way to picking it. Oh and that you were wearing brand new white Converse.Â
On the other hand, it seems like the boy has the whole crew of the Olympus gods on his side. Not one day goes by without his guardian angel manifesting its presence.Â
Minho has always been the lucky type. The type to get an extra nugget in his box of 10. To find 20 dollars bills on the ground. To win every single Instagram giveaway he participates to (and lord knows how much he likes participating to them).Â
But how can you be mad at him when he always happily shares his food with you, invites you to the restaurant without you even asking, and gives you his prizes, pretending he doesnât need them? You donât believe him when he says he see no use in a panda onesie or a waterproof bluetooth speaker. Deep down, you know itâs his way to silently love you.Â
But well, you can still blame him for occasionally taking advantage of your misfortune to make you do his dreaded house chores, just like right now.Â
Everyone thinks you are a bizarre duo. Even you canât fathom how in hell you two became best friends, considering how awfully your first encounter went three years ago.Â
On orientation day, he asked you for the time, probably because his phone was dead (or maybe because he was dying to talk to you?)
Without hesitation, you lifted and rotated your wrist so that you could see your watch. Little did you remember; you never actually owned a watch and you were holding a fancy 7 dollars iced coffee, which, of course, did not have a lid on because plastic is bad for the environment (duh).Â
Minho couldnât help but burst out in hysterical laughter when the whole drink spilled on your jeans. For your defense, you didnât sleep at all the night before since you were terrified of being alone in your new dorm room the first few days (weird stuff happens all the time in dorms, okay?). If he had asked you for your name, you probably wouldnât even have been able to tell him.Â
But Minho thought you were the funniest person on campus, and he really needed a clown like you to entertain him throughout his endless college semesters. Thatâs what he told you anyways. Not that he thought you were the cutest human being he had ever seen.Â
Why would he when you are the literal definition of a mess: always having toothpaste stains on your sweater, bags under your eyes, messy hair, tripping and falling, missing buses, breaking things, losing stuff.Â
Most of the time, you just forget your keys and Minho lets you crash at his place since he hasnât got any roommate and he isnât used to sleeping alone, especially without his cats. It surely isnât because he loves waking up next to a very groggy but adorable you every single morning, no. Â
Minho manages to bring you back to the countertop despite your reluctance. Positioned behind you, his arms trapping your body to make sure you canât run away from your duties, he dips your hands into the soapy water, and you canât help but squirm at the touch of an unknown substance sticking to a plate that has probably been soaking here for a week. You despise doing the dishes and your friend knows it.
You hear him giggle in your ear while he is playing with your arms like you are some type of marionette, making you to take the sponge and squeeze dish soap onto it.Â
Youâve never been the kind to like proximity nor seemed to be Minho, but for some reason, you always end up glued to each other. You hate public displays of attention and pet names a little less when it comes from him. Or maybe you donât hate it at all and actually crave it every single minute that goes by.
Before he has the time to come up with the Machiavellian idea to soak your pajamas in dirty water (because you know he would inevitably have at some point), you yank his hands off of you and start scrubbing angrily the dirty cups.Â
Minho stays behind you anyways, observing your every move, his chin propped up on your shoulder like a curious little bird. To be honest, his presence is kind of getting overwhelming. But whatever, itâs not like his slightest touch makes your heart warm up in comfort or that he smells like fresh linen drying out on the porch of a cottage house on a sunny Sunday morning or anything.Â
âYou missed a spot. Hereâ he murmurs teasingly, his lips almost touching your earlobe, while he points at the handle of his hideous âworldâs greatest dadâ mug Jisung gifted him last christmas.Â
You know he has noticed the way you shivered violently at the feeling of his breath tickling your skin because he starts snickering loudly.Â
âI swear to god if you donât shut up and go seat on the couch, Iâll slap you so hard with this spatula youâll regret you were even born,â you say, turning around suddenly to menace him with the plastic utensil.Â
Of course, he isnât afraid one bit. Right now, you really wish you could make the smug, but oh so attractive, look on his face disappear.Â
âAlright, maâamâ he laughs, holding up his hands in surrender. âIâll let you do your thingâ. He lets himself fall onto his dingy couch.Â
You can hear him humming one of his favorite songs above the sound of the water running. It would probably be getting on your nerves if his voice wasnât so pretty. Â
âChanâs sick, so weâre not going to the gym tomorrow night. Do you wanna eat tacos? El Huero has even better deals than usualâ he asks you, scrolling mindlessly through his phone.Â
âArenât the deals supposed to be on Tuesdays?â You frown and scrub a little harder the frying pan Minho has burnt the night before while trying to make chocolate chips pancakes for diner, because why eat savory food when you can have dessert for every meal, right? It is one of the few advantages of living without your parents you both truly enjoy.Â
âYeah, thatâs what I said. Tomorrow,â he yawns, probably exhausted after what you put him through last night. You forced him to catch up on the entire season of Love Island because you desperately needed someone to bitch with, and what better partner than Lee Minho. Â
You take a quick glance at him and see him stretching himself across the cushions like a cat. You always thought there was something feline about his features. While youâre drying the mugs with the dishtowel, your mind wanders uncontrollably, thinking about his piercing eyes, his delicate nose, the corners of his lips that curl up a littleâŚÂ
All of the sudden, your hands freeze. Minho is too immersed in TikToks to notice the stupor on your face. âWait. Today is⌠Monday?â you stutter.Â
Alarmed by the sound of your voice, his eyes finally leave his phoneâs screen to look up at you. âYeahâ he repeats slowly as if you are the dumbest person he has ever encountered.Â
And you truly are. You are pretty sure your heart has stopped beating. Minhoâs âworldâs greatest dadâ mug youâre holding slips between your fingers and comes crashing on the floor with a deafening sound. The pieces are now scattered all around you, making you unable to make out whatâs written on it anymore. Not a big loss, if you ask.Â
âY/N, you know thatâs my favorite mug!â he exclaims, leaping up from the couch. âIâm sure you did it on purpose,â he mutters while heâs trying to collect the small fragments, in vain.Â
But youâre too shocked at this very moment to pay attention to the glare your friend is giving you. To be honest, Minho has only two moods: glaring at you or teasing you. Â
âMy interview,â you finally manage to say, and Minhoâs eyes go wide as he realizes the critical situation youâre in.Â
You check the time on the microwave: 10:45. In 30 minutes, youâre supposed to be on the other side of town, being interrogated by boring businessmen that are going to decide whether or not youâll be accepted for a paid internship in one of the most reputable music label of the country. Basically, decide whether youâll live a happy and fulfilling life, working in the sector youâve always dreamed of or end up miserable with a boring office job and a massive college debt.Â
âHoly shit,â Minho whispers. You can see a wave of panic washing across his face for a split second, but, as always, he manages to find his composure back immediately.Â
He has never been the kind to lose his cool, except to scold you when you forget the names of his cats and their respective coatsâ color (which you unfortunately often did forget).Â
âWhat are you doing? Get dressed!â He tells you when he sees youâre still standing there dumbfounded in the kitchen, like the famous Robert Pattinson meme, wearing an oversize Kermit the frog shirt with a dozen holes in it and his favorite Adidas sweatpants you always stole from him.
âNo, itâs too late. I canât make it,â you mutter, your breath short. Youâre paralyzed, as if there is a 20lbs rock sitting at the bottom of your stomach, pinning you to the ground.Â
This isnât bad luck, you think. This is karma. This is what you get for skipping classes to watch telereality shows in your bed with your best friend and not even realizing it isnât the weekend anymore.
âMiss me with that bullshit.â He runs to his closet and rummages through his drawers, throwing every piece of clothing thatâs on his way to find an appropriate outfit that would fit you.Â
âYouâre gonna go do this interview even if I have to drag you all the way there.â He pushes you into his bathroom since you still havenât moved an inch.Â
You manage to brush your teeth and your hair, fighting through the nauseous feeling that is building up in your tummy.Â
When you come back to the living room, Minho has found dress pants and a sweater that might not look utterly ridiculous on you. He lets you change in a corner, while he runs around the room collecting all your essentials.Â
âYouâre coming?â you ask him when you see he is already wearing his puffer jacket. Â
âYou really think Iâm gonna let you go all by yourself when youâre literally not even able to put your shoes on properlyâ. You are, indeed, struggling with your laces, as if your fingers are suddenly made out of butter.Â
Minho ties them up for you and you literally feel like heâs your babysitter. You know youâre gonna hear about this for months â what are you saying- years! But all you can think about at the moment though, is the fact that sneakers are definitely not appropriate for an interview.Â
He throws your warmest coat at you, grab his keys, and by some type of miracle, youâre both out to the door in less than 10 minutes.Â
You try to call the elevator, but Minho grabs your arm and leads you to the staircase. His hand never leaving yours, he runs down the stairs and you have no choice but to follow him as fast as you can.Â
You canât count how many times you missed a step and fell at this particularly slippery spot, between the 5th and the 4th floor, but weirdly enough, it doesnât happen today.Â
When you finally reach the ground floor, you exit the complex and Minho hops on his old and rusty bike that he had attached to nearest tree the night before.
âThereâs no way Iâm riding behind you on this death machine,â you laugh nervously. The memory of that one time Minho convinced you to seat into his bicycle basket (as if you could even realistically fit in it) and you both fell seconds after he started to pedal is coming back to your mind.
Sure, it was after a long night of drinking, you were both tipsy and it was the only way to get you home since you had spent all your uber money at the bar, but still! Youâre pretty sure the bruise on your butt hasnât disappeared to this day. Â
âHurry up,â Minho groans, ignoring your complaint. You unwillingly seat on his flimsy pannier rack and wrap your arms around his torso.Â
You havenât even left, yet youâre already holding onto his puffer jacket for dear life. A giggle escapes your friendâs mouth (which you think is very inappropriate in such a desperate situation) before he lifts his feet off the ground and starts pedaling.Â
You try to ignore the loud squeaking of the bicycle drive by shutting your eyes tighter and rehearsing your introduction you have prepared over and over in your head. No matter how hard you are trying, you canât remember what you are supposed to say just after your age (which, as you can imagine, isnât really far into your monologue).Â
By the way the wind is lashing your face, you can tell Minho has picked up the speed. His breathing is getting louder, his heartbeat faster and you canât help but think youâre probably way too heavy for him to bike you around like that. Maybe he shouldnât skip his gym sessions with Chan so often. Or maybe you shouldnât have eaten the leftover pancakes for breakfast after all.
You find the courage to open your eyelids and are pleased to see youâre already halfway there, probably because every single one of the traffic lights you encounter is green, and your friend is going surprisingly fast. Is luck finally starting to smile upon you?Â
Your mad race comes to a halt when you reach the address of your interview. You hop off the bike and so does Minho who, by the way, is a panting mess. Heâs barely able to catch his breath, strands of hair sticking to his sweaty forehead, but heâs beaming at you when he realizes youâre just on time.Â
âGoâ he gasps, pushing you in the direction of the buildingâs hall.Â
You walk up to the glass door but as your hands are about to push it, you pull a 180. Your friend sighs loudly, already knowing whatâs coming next.Â
âWait. No. I canât do this. Iâm not preparedâ you tell him frantically. âIâm freaking out. I think Iâm gonna pass out.â You are now walking in circles, mumbling incoherently.Â
âFuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.âÂ
Your heart is racing in your chest and your hands are getting clammy at the simple thought of failure. But guess what? You canât fail if you donât even try! One more good reason to just go back to bed and forget about your sad life for a good 8 hours, right?Â
âY/N, youâre the most talented person I know, youâre gonna do just fineâ Minho catches you in his arm to stop your endless pacing. You would probably think this gesture is endearing if it wasnât just meant to make sure you couldnât run for your life. Â
âNo, Iâm not. What if I throw up in front of everybody like that one time during the Romeo and Juliet musical?â You look up at him and his face is only inches away from yours. Youâre sure you would be swooning at how beautiful he looks if you werenât so terrified at this very moment.
âYou were nine,â your best friend says, and you swear you have never heard him speak to you in such a sweet tone before. His voice is like honey and lavander but it doesnât soothe you like it should.Â
You manage to break free from his embrace to crouch down, in an attempt to slow down your breathing. If only you had data left, you could be watching those short relaxing videos on your phone. They always work. But no, you had to spent it all on online games, just one week into the month. You really are beyond help. Â
âY/N I know youâre scared, but if you miss out on this opportunity, youâre gonna regret it for the rest of your life.â Minho is lowering himself so that you can hear him, even though youâre curled up in a ball.Â
âAnd Iâm warning you, I wonât want to hear you complain about it,â he adds, this whole situation obviously starting to get on his nerves.Â
If you were him, you would have probably left a long time ago. But this isnât your best friendâs way of behaving. You know he would never abandon you no matter how annoying you could be (and you could be very annoying sometimes). After all, he is always the one holding your hair while you puke in the toilets when you had a couple too many drinks.
It takes all your willpower to stand up but there is no other way, you have to do it. You can hear the time ticking dangerously in your mind, as if your brain had turned into a clock.
âYouâre right. Slap me,â you say, looking at him straight in the eyes, dead serious.Â
âWha -â
âSlap some sense into me. They do that in movies when people are panicking. Itâs like throwing a bucket of cold water in someoneâs face. But clearly we donât have a bucket and we donât have cold wa- â you start blabbering.Â
âWhat the fuck are you talking about? Iâm not gonna slap you!â Your friend isnât usually that horrified at the thought of beating your ass. In fact, he has felt the desire to rip your head off more than once, especially when youâd steal all the duvet at night, but at this moment he is just scared you might have actually lost your mind. Â
âJust fucking do it Minho!â you scream, your hands clenching the front of his grey hoodie he always looks so divine in.Â
Minho has never obeyed you, and this is not the day he is going to start.Â
He puts both of his hands on the sides of your face and crashes his lips onto yours.Â
You would be lying if you said you have never imagined the day your best friend would kiss you. It happens pretty much every single time you look at his cute pout a little too long. But one thing is certain, it isnât like you pictured it to be at all.
You were convinced your heart would go so wild it would burst out of your chest and your head would spin so furiously youâd lose your balance. You thought your stomach would fill with butterflies to the brim and your whole body would be on fire.
But none of that is happening. On the contrary, every single muscle in your body relaxes under his touch. The way his soft mouth presses gently against yours makes you calmer, almost at peace amongst all this turmoil.Â
Minho is kissing all your tension and stress away and you catch yourself letting a sigh of relief escape your parted lips.
As if you have kissed him already hundreds of times in your past life, Minho feels like home. Heâs a safe haven you can always take refuge in during troubled times. Ever since the day you met, he has never left your side.
When he breaks away from the kiss, you notice your breath isnât so ragged and your mind isnât so foggy anymore. Youâre serene. His cold hands are still cupping your face, slightly squishing your cheeks, and you feel like an idiot sandwich for asking him to slap you seconds before.
âThat can work too, I guessâŚâ you mutter. Â
âYouâre okay?â he asks, staring at you with the softest eyes youâve ever seen.
You just nod, unable to say one more word, and sprint to the entrance, not wanting to make your interviewers wait any longer than they already have.
âGood luck!â You hear him yell just before the door closes behind you and you canât help but grin from ear to ear.
- - - - -Â
Thirty minutes later, you finally step out of the fancy lobby to find a very bored Minho leaning against a tree, patiently waiting for you.
âYouâre still here?â
âOf course, I am,â he says, his mouth full of croissant. He gives you a large iced coffee he probably went buying to kill time. Your lips unconsciously curl up into a smile when you notice it comes from the same chain that the one you spilled on your lap on the day you first met him.Â
âHow did it go?â he asks you, sticking his buttery pastry into your mouth so that you can take a bite.
âWay better than I thoughtâ you answer, right after you swallowed. You hate the way flakes would always get stuck between your teeth. But Minho is always there to warn you about it before anyone else notices, and even pick them for you if you canât manage to, which, when you think about it, is kind of gross.Â
There are two things the boy knows about you: youâre the greatest pessimist on earth and youâd rather die than admit you were wrong (especially if it meant he was right). So for you to even say it wasnât that bad, means it went phenomenal.Â
âI donât want to say âI told you soâ but I told you so.â He smiles so wide you can barely see his eyes anymore. You have to look away, otherwise you know you might become instantly blinded by love.
âMaybe I could use some more of your luckâ you mumble, staring at your shoes and kicking the red leaves that were surrounding your feet on this sunny autumn morning.Â
âReally? And what makes you think Iâll share it with you,â he teases you, leaning forward to incite you to look at him in the eyes.Â
âThat.â
Your hand finds the back of his neck and pulls him in, in order to close the space that is still left between your mouths.
At first, Minho stiffens, taken aback by your bold move. But soon enough, he caves into your touch. He kisses you back fervently, like he means it.Â
His fingers entagle in your hair, his arm wraps around your waist and his chest presses against your body. Youâre melting in his embrace, submerged by a wave of bliss which he alone seems to know the recipe.Â
It feels new, yet so familiar. Like it was supposed to happen, like it was written in the stars.Â
He tastes like croissant and Americano. Like fortune and fate.Â
And you canât help but think youâre the luckiest person on earth.
Who cares about winning the lottery when Lee Minho is your lucky charm?Â
#lee know scenarios#lee know fic#lee know fluff#minho scenarios#minho imagines#minho fluff#lee know imagines#stray kids fluff#stray kids scenarios#stray kids imagines#stray kids fanfic#skz au#skz scenarios#skz fic#skz imagines#skz fluff#skz drabbles#stray kids drabbles#lee minho drabbles#lee know drabbles#as u can probably tell I still donât know what tags to write oooppsss
471 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Bad Timing: Kismet
Book: The Royal Romance (AU)
Pairing: Drake Walker x Alexis OâBrien (MC)Â
Synopsis: Alexis OâBrien is escaping a terrible past. After months of running she settles in Cordonia where she meets Drake at the bar where she works and they spend a passionate night together.Â
What happens when a one-night-stand turns into unexpected parenthood?Â
This chapter
MASTERLISTÂ
WORDS: 3,890Â đ
POV: DualÂ
TRIGGER WARNINGS: None for this chapter. In the future, mentions of domestic violence, and explicit sex scenes.Â
ALL MY FICS ARE +18Â
A/N: I apologize for any grammatical errors.Â
I switch between Drakeâs and Alexisâ POV several time in this chapter. I hope itâll be clear enough!
PRESENT TIME Alexis
 After a one-hour bus ride and a 20-minutes walk, I finally find the correct address. When I reach the massive iron gates, I punch in the code Mr. Beaumontâs assistant gave me on the phone and gape as the extensive estate comes into view when I walk through. Acres and acres of super green grass littered with pines surround the massive house in the distance. The closer I get, the more I feel like a foreigner. This might have been my world once, but my new reality couldnât be further apart from all this luxury. I have fifty dollars left in my wallet, an eviction notice back in my 200 square foot studio, and to top it all, the worst freaking headache Iâve had in my life. Talk about a bad streak. Ironically, Iâm happier than Iâve been in years. My life belongs to me; I donât have to live in constant fear and âmost importantly, Iâm free. Unattached. I want to do a lot of things with my life, and no one will stop me. Thatâs worth the worst headache in the world or a few money problems.Â
I ring the bell, and a gorgeous woman opens the door. Her deep blue eyes scowl at me when I smile at her.Â
âWho are you looking for?â She doesnât ask as much as she barks the question.Â
âEh,â I havenât been called shy a single day of my life, but her attitude itâs messing with the positive vibes I had coming up here. âIâm looking for Mr. Bertrand Beaumont from Beaumont Caterings.â
 âThis door is for house guests only. The help,â she says the word as if it tastes bad in her mouth, âmust go around the house and ring the bell back there.â Sheâs about to close the door right in my face when two hot guys come to the door. Seriously, what do people eat in this country?Â
âPenelope, what are you doing answering the door like a simple maid? Where is Jessa?âÂ
Penelope rolls her eyes. âShe had to leave early. She said she asked you for the afternoon off.â
The older man nods as, the younger one grins at me. âWe can discuss Jessaâs schedule later, Bertie. Please, come in, Ms.?â He asks me, still smiling.Â
âOrtiz. Alexis Ortiz.â I grin back, instantly liking the man with the kind blue eyes. âIâm here for the catering job.âÂ
âIâm Maxwell Beaumont. This is my brother Bertrandâthe owner and Penelope Brim, one of our party planners.â
I follow them to a huge office and give Bertrand the resumĂŠ I printed at the internet place next to my building. Â
âIs this all true?â He asks after a quick read.
I nod my head.
âAre you sure, Ms. Ortiz? It says here that you were working as a bartender, a barista, and a waitress in a very exclusive French restaurant, all at the same time.â
Penelope gives me a dismissive glare. âSheâs obviously lying. That isnât even possible. Unless sheâs iniquitous.âÂ
I know better than to interrupt a potential employer, even worse if itâs to correct them, but this woman is grating on my nerves. Plus, I had a lifetime of keeping my head down with Matt, and I just donât have the patience for this kind of crap anymore. And she called me a liar. Hell no.
âNo, Ms. Brim, Iâm not ubiquitous.â Maxwell snorts, and I swear the other guy, Bertrand, smiles behind my CV. I refrain from telling her what iniquitous actually means because I do need this job. âI worked as a barista in a Starbucks from 5 to 11 am. Then as a waitress at âClair de Luneâ from 12 to 6 pm. Finally, as a bartender in an Irish pub from 7 to midnight or 2 am, depending on the day. You can call any of those places and see Iâm not lying.â Just please, God, donât ask for my papers.
Maxwell reads the resumĂŠ when Bertrand gives it to him. âDo you speak French and Spanish as well?â
I shrug. âI love languages, and I grew up in a house where my mom and grandmother only spoke Spanish. I learned French in school. I had an amazing teacher.âÂ
Maxwell and Bertrand look at each other. The older brother, a younger, sterner version of Hugh Jackman, clears his throat. âIâll be honest with you, Ms. Ortiz. Two of our waiters are absent, and tomorrow weâll be catering to one of the most important events of the year. If everything in your resume is true, you can start training today --paid of course, and start working tomorrow.â
Paid training? Despite my throbbing head, I want to scream with happiness. âEverything is true.â
âThatâs settled then. Penelope, please, darling, show Ms. Ortiz the kitchens and the ballroom. You can ask Naomi to train her for tonight. You know Regina, and sheâll want everything to go as smooth as possible.âÂ
âRight.â Penelope turned at me with an uptight smile. âCome with me.âÂ
I turn and beam at Maxwell, whoâs giving me a thumbs up. âThank you. I really appreciate this.âÂ
Bertrand shakes his head. âDonât thank me yet, Ms. Ortiz. Just do an impeccable job.â He glances at my Vans. âAnd for the love of God, only heels tomorrow.âÂ
I nod and follow Penelope down the hallway.Â
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DRAKE
 âThis is why you ditch your friends who get hitched to a relationship,â I grumble, sitting in my chair.Â
âHeâs five minutes late,â Liam says.Â
Leo shakes his head. âWell, I want a goddamn drink. How come I canât order one until he gets here?âÂ
Liam pinches the bridge of his nose. âYou two are acting like children. You can wait five minutes.âÂ
âMaybe, but I need something, and fast.âÂ
âAh, there they are,â Max exclaims, hands clasped together, staring at us. âMy boys.â Jesus Christ. Liam is scooped into a hug and then set back in his chair.Â
From over Liamâs head, Max points at me and shakes his finger. âCome here; you handsome Walker bastard.âÂ
I hold up my hand. âIâm good.â
 âNope.â He shakes his head. âYou donât get to pass up Maxâs snuggles.â Before I can move, he swoops to his knees, pulls me into a hug. . . and nuzzles.Â
âWhat the fuck are you doing, Beaumont?â I ask, my voice strong as I try to push him away.Â
âYou smell like heaven,â he says, chuckling. No one likes to fuck with me as much as Maxwell Beaumont does. Unfortunately for me, heâs one of my best friends, and the bastard is well aware of it.Â
âGet out of here.â I palm his face and push him away.Â
Leo laughs. âCome on, man, you know Walker is a sour bastard.âÂ
With another laugh, Maxwell retreats to his seat, unbuttons his jacket, and sits down. Hands-on the table, he looks between us and declares, âIâm in love.âÂ
Christ. âWe know,â Liam and I say at the same time, irritation heavy in our voices. Leo just rolls his eyes as he looks for a waiter.Â
Maxwell has only been dating Rashad for a few weeks, so itâs no surprise heâs like thisâa hopeful idiot with a relentless smile. Hell, heâs been in love with the man for years. It took him a really, really long time to finally make a move. He adjusts his tie as he says, âYou donât have to be rude about it. Iâm just sharing. Isnât that what this is all about? Sharing?âÂ
âSharing? I thought this was about drinking as much as possible and hooking up with a hot waitress,â Leo says, flagging down our waiter.Â
When he arrives, I talk above the guys and quickly say, âMacallan, neat.âÂ
âDalmore, on the rocks, please,â Liam says, and Leo orders the same.Â
When the waiter turns to Max, he rubs his stomach and says, âYou know, a hot cocoa would be perfect right now.â
 What the actual fuck? âNo.â I step in. âHeâll have an Old Fashion. Thanks.â A little confused and probably slightly disturbed, he takes off as Max complains.Â
âHey, I really wanted a hot cocoa.âÂ
âNot happening. First, because they donât serve hot cocoas here and second because weâre supposed to be out drinking, Beaumont. And you fucking love Old Fashions. You order one every damn time. Stop complaining.âÂ
âSheesh.â Maxwell unfolds his napkin and sets it on his lap. âWhatâs up your ass?âÂ
âNothing.â I push my hand through my hair.Â
âItâs a girl.â Leo smirks, causing Liam and Max to practically jump out of their seats.
âA girl?â Liam cocks his eyebrow. âSurely not Drake --permanent bachelor, Walker. My fucking heart canât take it.âÂ
Fucking Leo. âItâs not what Leo is making it out to be.âÂ
âHe met her two months ago, and heâs been thinking about her ever since. Magical pussy right there.â
âI swear, Leo; I donât care for how long weâve been friends, next time you talk about her like that, Iâll personally break that shit-eat grin off your faceâ
The clown raises his arms. âI rest my case.â
 âWhat?â Maxâs eyes nearly fall out of their sockets. âDrake Walker doesnât get attached, and he doesnât duel his friends for a girl.âÂ
Jesus. Thankfully the waiter brings our drinks at that moment, so I have a second to compose myself.Â
âYou slept with her?â Liam asks after a swig of Dalmore. Heâs been in a stable relationship with Hanna Lee for a year now. Once the most popular guy on school, he now spends his Friday nights curled up with her watching Netflix. I canât even remember the last time he went out with us.Â
âI donât want to talk about it. The only reason this fuckhead is bringing it up itâs because I went looking for her, and he saw it.â There I said it. Better me than Leo fucking Rys.Â
Max and Liam exchange a look, but Max seems too stunned to talk, so Liam asks. âYou did what?â
I chug my whiskey and ask for another one. âI donât know why. I just âŚâ Tired of this fucking conversation, I pinch the bridge of my nose. âWe had a great time. Thatâs all.â
 âHow come Leo knows about this girl, and I donât?â Liam complains.Â
Max complains too. âDude, you know Iâm the romantic one. Leo over here has a brick for a heart, and Li is too busy. You need to discuss these things with me.âÂ
âI donât have a brick for a heart,â Leo says, surprisingly offended.Â
âNo, youâre just still hung up on Maddie,â I say with a smirk. He shifts in his chair but doesnât say anything. What does it feel, Rys?Â
âSo . . . who is the girl?â Maxwell asks.Â
For fuckâs sake. I might as well get it over with. âIâm going to say one last time that Iâm not interested in her anymore, so before your little hearts starts beating wildly for playing cupid, itâs not going to happen.âÂ
In a snarky tone, Leo replies, âWell, of course, itâs not. She left the country. Are you that bad, Walker? Because I can give you a tip or two.â Heâs so fucking annoying.Â
âOh.â Max sighs, disappointed. Â
Leo elbows his brother and says, âHe hasnât slept with anyone since.âÂ
And there it is. The real reason why Leo is worried about this. He lost his wingman. âIâm not an animal, Leo. Itâs not the first time in my life that I go two months without fucking. Iâm not you. Anyway, all this is pointless. Sheâs gone.âÂ
My friends grew up with me, so they know when itâs time to stop pushing. Max interrupts the silence that follows because nothing makes little Beaumont more uncomfortable than a gap in the conversation. âEverything is ready for the party tomorrow night. The thirtieth anniversary of Rys Corporation will be a success.âÂ
Liam nods. âRegina talked with Hana this morning. Itâs the first anniversary since I took over as CEO. I need everything to be perfect.âÂ
âWhat about the staff, Max?â Leo asks, smiling. Having sex at every anniversary party is a personal challenge of his.Â
âWe actually hired someone today. Sheâs gorgeous.â He turns his head at Leo. âBut sheâs off-limits.â Leo smirks, wiggling his eyebrows. âI mean it, dude. Bertrand said heâs tired of looking for new waitresses. Two quit yesterday morning when they found out that the event was for Rys corporation.â Â
âHey, I never lie. Itâs not my fault if they think Iâll call them anyway.âÂ
âWhatever, just donât mess with her. Plus, I got to talk to her after her training today. Sheâs super nice. Sheâs Am--. Wait.â He says when his phone chimes up. âSorry, boys. It was a text from Penelope. Apparently, the Chablis hasnât been delivered yet. I have to call Joelle before I lose my big brother over a wine crisis. See you all tomorrow.â He finishes his cocktail and stands up.Â
Liam stands up too. âI should go home too. Han arrived today from Hong Kong.âÂ
Leo checks his phone. âWait, Li. Iâll go with you. I have a date with this girl I met last night at Kismet. Do you want to come, man?â He asks me. âIâm sure she has a friend she can introduce you.â
I shake my head. âIâll finish my whiskey and head home. See you all tomorrow.â
It was only one fucking night. Why canât I get her out of my head?Â
Itâs maddening. Or maybe it is a blessing. If Iâm still thinking about her after one night, imagine how bad Iâd have it after several. Itâs best that she stays far the fuck away from me. Iâm not interested in long-term attachments of any kind. Â I donât want to think about Lexie Ortiz, but sheâs infected my brain. The sound of her teasing laugh haunts me.
And I canât deny it; it was one hell of a night.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALEXISÂ
 âThis is a single girlâs paradise.âÂ
âNo,â I grimace, trying to clean the spilled tomato sauce from my shirt. âParadise would be a tropical beach with a hot cabana boy giving us free massages... and an endless supply of piĂąas Coladas.â Naomi laughs, the sound almost lost in the chaos of the kitchen. Chefs shouting orders, Penelope and Bertrand panicking, plates being droppedâthe world of catering is a noisy business.Â
âCabana boys may have hot smoking bodies and virility, Lex, but they lack two essential qualities: prestige and money.âÂ
âSo, what youâre saying is that youâd prefer an old limp dick over a young hard one? Interesting,â I answer, teasing her.Â
âNo, thatâs not what Iâm saying, smart ass. Iâm saying Iâd take a solid bank account over a solid dick. Think about itâwith all that money, he could never fuck me at all, and I couldnât care less. And Iâd be treated properly. Rich guys know how to treat a lady.âÂ
âTrust me on this, Naomi. Money has absolutely nothing to do with how a man treats a woman.â I should know. âIn any case,â I retort, grabbing another tray of drinks, âif youâre looking for old rich guys, there are tons of opportunities out there.â I laugh at the dreamy look on her face, partly because itâs hilarious and partly because I know sheâs kidding. After my training last night, she invited me to her house, where I met Theo, her little boy. Heâs eight years old and the absolute love of her life.Â
âSpeaking of fucking,â she says, her eyes sparkling, âdid you see the Rys brothers? One of them is taken, but the other two are single and oh so yummy. Especially the tall and brooding one. Iâll kill for those smoldering brown eyes looking right at my soulâÂ
I snort. âYou really should stop reading romance novels, Nao. And yes. I served one of them and his girlfriend champagne earlier, but he was blond and didnât have smoldering, brooding eyes. I thought they were only two brothers, though.â
âWell, technically, yes. But Constantine Rys --the super-rich owner of Rys Corporation-- adopted two other kids. A boy and a girl. They all grew up together.â She uncorks several champagne bottles as she speaks.
Now that my uniform is clean, I grab one of the Veuve Clicquot bottles and help her pouring the cold liquid into the glasses on our trays. âHow do you know all of that?â
âIâm Cordonian, girl. The Rys siblings are almost royalty in this country. The one that is not an actual Rys is the one with the smoldering eyes. He doesnât work for the company, though. Heâs a ⌠a vet, I think.â Â
A veterinarian like Drake. My stupid heart flutters when I think about him.Â
âDo we pay you to work or to gossip, ladies?â Penelope screams from the kitchen door.Â
Naomi and I roll our eyes and grab our refilled trays.Â
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DRAKE
âThis is a huge night for Liam,â Regina says behind her champagne glass. Constantine has been telling everyone, especially her, that heâs ready and happy to retire, but she knows him better than anyone. Leaving Rys Corporation and pass the torch to Liam is much more difficult for Constantine than he cares to admit. Â
âItâll be all right, Regina. Donât worry. Liam is more than ready to handle the responsibility.â
She throws a glance at Liam, whoâs standing a few feet behind me next to his dad. âI just hope he doesnât forget that his personal life is equally important. He and Hana work too hard.âÂ
Iâm about to answer when one of the waitresses distracts me. Her back is turned to me, so I canât see her face, but there is something incredibly familiar about the way she moves. Sheâs passing drinks amongst Reginaâs friends. I want to go and see who she is, but Liam catches my eyes across the room. Â We exchange a look, one that weâve exchanged several times over our lives. It was Liam and me when we were younger, walking into his fatherâs office after getting into a fight at school. It was the two of us when we came home late, and his parents were waiting in the living room as we walked in, drunk. It was the two of us when we wrecked Leoâs new Porsche when we were sixteen, and right now, I know he needs me. Constantine is a great father, but he has too many expectations for his younger son. Liam needs a break.Â
Regina sees the exchange and smiles. âLiamâs very lucky to have you, Drake.â She is not our biological mother, but she loves all of us as if she was. And sheâs more my mother than Bianca Walker will never be. Â
A couple of men look at me, and I try to remember if I should know them from somewhere. I think theyâre both on the board of directors at RC. As much as I love the Rys, I will never get used to this shit. Socializing and pretending to like a bunch of people that annoy the fuck out of me. Ignoring them, I make my way to my best friend. Liam is standing with his hands in his pockets, looking serious and put together like the CEO of the largest company in Cordonia should.Â
âI think itâs going well,â he says as I approach. âFather was driving me crazy with all his advice.âÂ
âItâs not only the anniversary of the company, Li. Itâs also his first one as the former CEO. Itâs normal he feels out of place.âÂ
Liam nods. âI know. I just wish heâll trust me more.â
âHe does, Liam. Heâs just nervous.â
 Iâm cut short by Liamâs grin. His gaze slides right behind me and lights up.Â
âWould either of you like a glass of champagne?â a female, very familiar voice nearly whispers behind me.Â
âIâm good,â Liam answers, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. âHow about you, Drake?â
 I turn around, and my heart skips a beat. Soft curves, tanned skin, and a few freckles across the bridge of her nose. The brightest, most amazing eyes Iâve ever seen. Alexis Ortiz tucks a strand of her rich brown hair behind her ear and takes a deep breath. Her eyes widen, and I see she recognizes me but doesnât mention it. Instead, a faint smile ghosts her luscious lips, and she lifts her chin like she has a secret she wonât tell. A secret we share. Her gaze remains on Liam, almost like sheâs afraid to look my way. Finally, she turns to me, and when she does, an adorable blush color her cheeks.Â
âWould you, uh, sir?â she asks, taking half a step backward.Â
âWould I what?â I press, enjoying too much the way her cheeks turn even pinker.Â
âWould you like a drink?â The words leave her lips fast like she wants to pronounce them and run away. I take a step towards her, remembering the night she spent in my arms and how damn perfect she felt. I know I make her nervous because I see little goosebumps erupting on her soft skin. Â I smirk at her. âThat depends on what youâre offering.â
 I shouldnât be toying with her, but I canât help it. I want to keep her talking, to watch her reactions, to see that sweet smile again. Â
âI donât have much to offer,â she says, a hint of nervousness in her voice. âUnless you like champagne, sir.â She emphasizes the last word.
âI like all sorts of things.â I keep my gaze heavy against hers, not allowing her to look away. She fidgets with her tray and swallows hard but never takes her eyes off mine, too rebellious to look away. The longer our eyes match, the hotter my body becomes. She bits her delicious bottom lip slowly, her dark gaze boring into mine.Â
âIs that so?â Liam laughs beside me, and I watch her jump like she forgot he was there. Alexis clears her throat and glances around the room. She turns back to us again, this time a practiced smile on her face. The easy grin and soft laugh are both gone. She wants to get away from me, I can feel it, and I understand. Sheâs working; it wouldnât be professional. This is not the time or the place to reconnect. Unfortunately for her, I have other plans.
âGentlemen ...â With a nod, Alexis walks away as fast as possible. She doesnât look back, but I watch her until sheâs out of sight.Â
âWhat was that?â Liam snickers, loosening his gray silk tie. âI thought you were going to jump on her.âÂ
I rub my thumb over my lip, still surprised as hell.
âThat was Alexis, the girl I met a couple of months ago. Now, if you excuse me, Li, I need to go talk to Bertrand.â Â
@mskaneko @burnsoslow @gkittylove99 @kat-tia801 @no-one-u-know @thegreentwin @twinkle-320 @forallthatitsworth @kingliam2019 @marshmallowsandfire @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @princessleac1 @twinkleallnight @tinkie1973 @drakexwillow @moneyfordiamondsÂ
@yukinagato2012â @alyssalaurenâ
80 notes
¡
View notes