#time to seethe about penny for the rest of the day

[princessmisery666]

Didn't Know Then What I Know Now - Part 3 of 3

Series Summary: You and Jake have been dancing around each other for a while. The Dagger Squad set it up so that the dancing stops, but a case of miscommunication could ruin it all.

Summary: With the help of the Dagger Squad, Jake sends you on a personal scavenger hunt. He’s sure you’ll love the idea, and then you’ll have to forgive him. Right?

Warnings/Genres/Troupes: angst, fluff, 

W/C: 4.8k

Characters: Unnamed female reader (you/she/her), Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin, Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace, Javy ‘Coyote’ Machado. Small Parts/Mentioned: The rest of Dagger Squad, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, and Penny Benjamin. 

Pairing: Hangman x Female Reader. Phoenix x Coyote.

Challenge/Bingo: Prompt/Square Filled:

Notes: Reader has a call sign. 

Beta(s): @deanwinchesterswitch - thanks for saving the smut section 😄 // all mistakes are mine. Special shoutout to @writercole

Graphics: made by me on Canva.

Master Lists: Series // Top Gun Maverick // Main

I do not give consent for this or any other of my works to be reposted/reworked or translated on to any other account or platform.

The first available flight will get you home only a few hours earlier than you would have before, but you no longer care that your credit card will be taking a massive hit for this weekend. This added expense is worth every penny. The thought of sitting next to Jake the entire flight home is too much to bear.

Seething anger rolls through you in waves the whole journey home, and you can’t bear to face the Daggers, knowing they know more than they should.

You go directly to see Captain Mitchell, suitcase and bags in tow, and request a change in assignment. 

“Take a couple of days,” Maverick suggests, “think about it.”

“All due respect, Captain, there’s nothing to think about,” you counter. “We are all aware Lieutenant Seresin isn’t the easiest person to work with, and I feel I’ve served my time.”

“That may be so,” he nods, “but you are a good team, whether you like it or not.”

You can’t argue that because it’s a fact you are aware of.

“Put the request in writing,” Mav tells you, “I’ll see what I can do.”

You thank him and lug your bags back out the door, kicking the wheel to get it to go in the right direction. You don’t look up until you crash into someone. Phoenix, accompanied by Coyote.

Perfect. 

“Sorry,” you mutter, carrying on your way. 

“Wait, Cosmo,” Natasha says, catching up to you. “Why are you back so soon? Your flight doesn’t get in until later. What happened?”

“Exactly what I thought would happen,” you say, “and I really don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Oh, Cosmo,” Phoenix sighs, knowing exactly what your fears had been.

“Don’t,” you say, holding a hand up to silence her. “I don’t want your pity.”

Coyote senses the hostility in your tone and changes the subject. “What were you doing with Mav?”

“Requesting a reassignment,” you say. There’s no point in hiding it. They’ll find out eventually. 

“But,” Phoenix starts, doing the mental math. “The only other person to fly with would be Harvard.”

You shrug, “So be it. I gotta go unpack and shower.”

“Wait,” Phoenix says, rushing to stand in your path. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”

“I don’t want to talk,” you snap, “least of all to you.” 

The hurt on her face breaks your heart a little, but you’re hurting too. You want to take it back, but the more she looks offended, the more you remember this is partly her fault, and Coyote’s, for that matter. They both stuck their noses in your business when it wasn’t needed or wanted. 

“All this,” you wave your arms as wide as you can with your bag, “is down to you two. Jake and I were fine the way we were, but you two had to meddle.” 

Coyote pleads, “Cos, we were just…” but you cut him off, holding your hand up. 

“Save it,” you growl. Coyote shuts his mouth with an audible pop, and you turn an accusatory finger at Phoenix. “You knew,” you accuse, “you knew how I felt, all my reservations, all the ways I thought it would go wrong, and you still set me up!” 

“I didn’t think anything bad would happen,” Phoenix defends, “Javy told me how much Jake likes you, and I knew how much you like Jake and how conflicted you were about it all. But I thought if you could just have some time together… so I nudged you in the right direction. I thought I was helping you out, being a good friend.”

You scoff, aggravated, and hurt. “Well, maybe you’re not a good friend.”

“Hey,” Coyote chastises, “don’t put this on her. We all played a part.”

“Yeah, you did,” you sigh, tears filling your eyes and tingling the end of your nose. “Because, like I always suspected, you're more Jake’s friends than mine.”

You don’t give them time to respond by walking away.

Jake hopes you’ve checked into another room or a different hotel. He repeatedly called, but you rejected every one of them.

He leaves one voicemail but doubts you’ll listen to it. “Cosmo, please. Don’t shut me out. I know what it looked like, but I promise I can explain.” 

On the way to the airport, he prays you're still on the same flight. A few hours of being unable to escape would be enough time to explain himself. He starts to lose hope when he checks out and finds that half of the room service bill has been paid. He finally admits defeat when he doesn’t see you in the seating area near the gate.

Still, when the flight is delayed, he roams the airport, searching for you. His search proves futile, but he continues to check the boarding queue as he shuffles forward with the other passengers. 

He bounces his leg the entire flight like it will magically make the plane go faster. The only good thing about the empty seat—your seat—between him and the other passenger is that it probably keeps him from being punched for the annoyance.

He’s exhausted by the time they land, and the cab ride from the airport to his house is deafeningly silent. Finally, as the car pulls away from the curb, he gives in and messages Phoenix. 

<Hangman: I know I’m probably outside your good graces, but at least tell me she’s home and okay.

>Phoenix: She’s home. And you’re not on my shit list. I’m on hers. 

He begins typing a reply to question that bit of information, but a message from Coyote interrupts him. 

>Coyote: If you define ‘okay’ as requesting to be reassigned, then yeah, she’s great!👍🏻

The sarcasm seems unnecessary, but he ignores it. There’s a bigger battle to be fought.

>Coyote: What happened man? One minute you were gonna tell her you liked her and the next she’s getting reassigned. 

<Hangman: Just a bit of miscommunication and if I could get her to talk to me I could explain it.  

He needs to do something. Calling isn’t working, and he knows if he shows up at your door, you’ll likely slam it in his face. Besides, this is bigger than an apology. 

<Hangman: I’m gonna need your help.

>Coyote: name it. 

The following morning, you wake early and wash off the residual anger in a hot shower. By the time you're ready to face the day, the outrage has subsided, and you’re left feeling foolish, humiliated, and a little betrayed. Despite your reservations about Jake, you trust him. He’d never done anything to make you believe you shouldn’t - until now.

You shouldn’t be all that surprised. You’ve been witness to and on the receiving end of many of his sexual encounter stories. He’s not someone to keep intimate secrets.

“Urgh, stop!” you berate your reflection in your bedroom mirror. You need to stop thinking about it. Going over it repeatedly in your mind isn’t helping. 

Some retail therapy and blasting your favorite music on the drive to the mall will help. You dress in jeans and a nice shirt, put on your jewelry and then spritz yourself with perfume. 

It brings tears to your eyes. Jake bought you a bottle, and now you won’t be able to smell it without thinking about him. ���Fuck!”

You hear the squeak of the door opening, and shortly after, Phoenix sings, “Honey, I’m home.”

It’s an olive branch to let you know she’s disregarding yesterday’s outburst. She understands you didn’t mean it, and don’t blame her for anything. You know you were becoming insufferable when it came to your assigned pilot, and Natasha was always on the receiving end of it. 

“Glad you’re back,” You smile, jogging down the stairs. 

“Woo, where’s the fire?” she asks, kissing your cheek when you reach the bottom step.

“At the mall,” you say, “I need to find a new perfume I like.” 

“So you forgot,” brow raised high, she reminds you. “Tuesdays are jogging and bagels?”

It’s usually more bagels than jogging but you don’t mention it because you had forgotten. Stupid Hangman, messing with your head. “Shit, sorry. I did forget, but a run might help clear my head. Give me five minutes to change?”

She waves off your apology. “Nah, it’s fine. Let’s skip it. I drank way too much last night. The last thing I wanna be doing is running around in the heat.”

You laugh, remembering that yesterday was the last Monday of the month, which meant, “Karaoke night?”

“Karaoke night,” Phoenix confirms with a firm nod and regretful sigh.

Of course, the Daggers can’t make it a normal sing-a-long. Someone, you don’t remember who, bought a decibel meter. Whoever gets the least applause after a song has to do a shot and a song of the squad’s choosing. Of course, Rooster is always the sober one. Maybe it was him who bought the meter.

“If you wanna join me, I’ll treat you to a breakfast burrito on the way,” You offer.

Her eyes light up like a Christmas tree. “Yessss!”

Natasha insists on driving, and as you get into the car, she tells you that she left her wallet in her dorm, and ‘just in case’ Apple Pay doesn’t work, she needs to pick it up before going shopping. You offer to spot her, and she can pay you back later, but she refuses. 

The radio is playing quietly, and it’s a pleasant ride with not a lot of traffic, but when Nat leans in and turns off the radio, you know the pleasantness is over. 

“Ready to talk about it?” she asks. 

No. 

But now is as good a time as any, and it’s rare these days to get her alone without Javy nearby eavesdropping.

“Don’t pretend like you don’t already know,” you sigh. 

“I know Jake’s side of it,” she admits, “but I wanna hear your side.” 

“I made a fool of myself. I thought Jake would be different with me, but I was wrong. Plain and simple.”

“It’s not plain and simple, Cos. You asked to be reassigned. That’s not nothing, so tell me what happened, specifics.”

You explain everything. The weekend arrangement, the promise to not let it affect work or to tell anyone. Crashing the wedding, the gifts, the pillow talk. 

“I can’t explain how he made me feel,” you exhale sadly, allowing yourself a moment to reign in your emotions. “From the moment he touched me, it was like the world didn’t exist. The things he did to me, wow.” Your eyes widen to emphasize the WOW because you really don’t think she gets it. “He made my body react in ways I never knew it could.”

“Well, that’s not surprising,” Nat offers, “you don’t get an ego the size of Hangman’s by being mediocre in bed.” Quickly adding, “Don’t ever tell him I said that.”

You mimic locking your lips and throwing the key out the window. “But confirmed. There is nothing mediocre about him.” You laugh, but the jesting tone is short-lived. “I caught him staring at me a couple of times, and the way he was looking at me… It was… I don’t know, but I swear my heart skipped a beat.”

Phoenix huffs a knowing chuckle. “The small moments that are really the big moments.” 

“Exactly! He asked me to stay a few more nights, and I thought it might have been to… Urgh,” you growl, sick of trying to analyze Jake’s thoughts and feelings. “It doesn’t even matter. I was an idiot to believe it would be anything but a fun memory to recall when my serotonin was low. He couldn’t even respect my privacy. He had to go shoot his mouth off to Coyote.”

“He didn’t,” Phoenix explains. The defense of Jake is so surprising you stare open-mouthed at her as she gives your ID badges to the gate staff. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s probably something in all you said that we can hate him for, but if all this is a reaction to him talking to Coyote, you’ve got it wrong.” 

“What?”

“He wasn’t bragging about sleeping with you,” Natasha explains, “He was asking for advice.”

“Advice about what?” 

She shakes her head, “That’s for Jake to tell you. I get why you jumped to the conclusion that you did. I’d have done the same ‘cause, let’s face it, it’s Hangman we’re talking about. But, and I hate to say this, in Jake’s defense, you overreacted, and if you had let him explain, you wouldn’t be feeling foolish.” 

“So what? You’re saying I owe Jake an apology?”

“I’m saying you should at least speak to him.”

You momentarily impersonate a fish, opening and closing your mouth while trying to understand everything she’s said. 

“But later,” Nat continues, “I need breakfast.”

Natasha drags you along the corridor, tugging on your hand while your eyes dart around, peeking into windows of closed doors, hoping Jake isn’t back on base yet because you aren’t ready to face him. You haven’t quite digested Natasha’s revelation. You need more time. 

You bounce on the balls of your feet for the whole twenty seconds she’s gone, jumping at the slightest sound, expecting Jake to stalk around the corner like some serial killer.  

Natasha emerges from her room, waving her wallet. She takes your hand again, which stops you from rushing away like the scared victim of a horror movie. “Do you trust me?”

You eye her suspiciously, and your stomach drops when she winces, preempting your less-than-happy reaction. “Jake was the last person to ask me that, Nat, and look where that got me.”

“I know,” she says, “but you know I wouldn’t do anything that I thought could potentially hurt you.”

“Natasha Trace, I swear to the all-mighty God Icarus, if Jake is about to walk around that corner, I’ll make you feel like you flew too close to the sun.” 

She holds her hands up, palms out, full surrender. “I swear he’s not here, and you don’t have to talk to him.”

“Can we just go shopping?” You whine but refrain from actually stomping your foot. “Forget Jake, forget men exist for a few hours, and definitely forget setting me up again ‘cause it worked out so well the last time.”

Phoenix shakes her head, “Sorry. No. The whole Coyote text thing at the hotel is a complete misunderstanding, and if I didn’t know that, I wouldn’t be doing this.” 

“Fine,” you practically growl. Forcing an overly enthusiastic smile, you say, “Curtains up on this shit show!”

“The show must go on,” She laughs but pulls you along as she makes her way to the mess hall.

Javy is in position, and Jake has a perfect view of the mess hall doors. Now, he just has to wait. He doesn’t doubt Natasha’s powers of persuasion, but he does doubt your willingness to allow her to set you up again. You’ll have figured it out. You won’t be fooled twice.

The phone is jostled, and then Javy’s face fills the screen. “My arm hurts,” he complains.

“Suck it up,” Jake says.

“How long before she arrives?”

“Are you questioning your girlfriend's ability to get someone to do what she wants? I’m telling Nat you doubted her skills.”

“Don’t you dare,” Javy points into the phone. “If anyone can convince Cosmo to give you a chance, it’s Phoenix.”

“So suck it up and turn me around.”

He does so barely in the nick of time. When the phone stops jiggling and focuses, the door opens, and Phoenix literally drags you through the entrance. You spot Javy first, and when you see him holding his phone out and Jake on the line, you begin shaking your head as Phoenix draws you closer. 

“He’s not here,” you sneer at Nat. “Nice deception.”

“Wasn’t lying,” she sings, kissing Javy’s cheek.

You sigh heavily, and Jake can tell from your expression you’re already over this whole thing. You aren’t going to stick around long, and he knows he’s running out of time.

“This is the first place we met,” Jake begins. “I remember it was a Thursday. You were talking to Harvard. I clocked you the second I walked in. I interrupted, and you rolled your eyes before I even said a word. ‘Hangman, I presume.’ That was the first thing you said to me. You didn’t even give me a chance to reply, ‘I’m Cosmo, your new WSO, and if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go somewhere else so you can’t hit on me.’ I was shocked and intrigued,” he chuckles fondly at the memory. “That was when I knew I’d do everything possible to ensure we were friends.  And yes, I was hoping for more than friends. But I didn’t know then what I know now…” 

There’s no opportunity for you to react before Coyote ends the call, as instructed.

Jake blasts out a relieved breath. You didn’t turn away and ignore him, so that was a good start. Now for part two…

Finally, you’re en route to get your breakfast burrito. You ask the loved-up couple what it is that Jake didn’t know, but they both smile smugly and, as if they had practiced, in scary synchronization, tell you - “all in good time.”

You don’t have the mental capacity for games, so you let it go after Coyote promises the breakfast burritos are on him to apologize for the text misunderstanding. Though he still hasn’t explained what exactly you misunderstood.

The all-night diner always has customers. It’s the place the locals flock to for the coffee and chilled atmosphere. But at eleven on a Tuesday, only a few people sit in the booths near the windows. Natasha enters first, Javy covering your six and you're suspicious that it could be to block your exit because Jake is waiting for you.

It’s not Jake, though. It’s Bradley - floral pattern shirt over his white tank, aviators tucked in his collar, and that boyish smile with a hint of an apology. He gives a small wave, then turns his phone, holding it up to your eye level to show you Jake again on a video call. 

Jake is smiling, but you see his chest puff with a deep inhale. You wonder if he’s nervous because your friends are listening or he fears your rejection, maybe both. With a soft exhale, he begins, “This is where we came to escape Rooster’s awful murder mystery night.” 

“Hey!” Bradley complains.

You grimace. “Sorry, Rooster.”

“No, it’s fair,” Bradley shrugs, “it was pretty bad.”

Jake chuckles but continues, “You picked Fanboy to partner up with, and I was so damn jealous. I got stuck with Harvard, but after an hour, you convinced me to ditch it all, and we snuck off here. We spent the whole night talking. We never came up for air, we just kept swapping stories and getting to know each other. I told you about my family’s ranch back home, and you said you’d love to see it.” 

“I remember,” you say, half smiling. 

His smile grows. “For months after, I kept trying to work out how to make it happen. I spent most of my time daydreaming about introducing you to my family, but I didn’t want to do it as my coworker or friend.” he pauses and sighs, “I think I had some idea then, but I still didn’t know what I know now…”

Rooster turns the phone and ends the call.

So this is it, you realize, this is your grand gesture. This is the moment in your story where you get the big speech and happy ending. But maybe you shouldn’t let your hope get the better of you. 

You roll your eyes. “I swear if what he knows now is some sexual innuendo or anything shy of I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to him, you’re all in big trouble!” 

They all laugh, and you try to hide your smile, but it’s not easy. 

“You still owe me a burrito, Javy.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” he winks and walks to the counter.

You sit at the usual table the Daggers have adopted as their own. You don’t want to be that annoying person who fishes for information because A, you know they won’t tell you, and B, you need to be in the moment and enjoy it, so instead, you ask for a rundown of Karaoke night.

Bradley animatedly tells you about each of the Dagger’s very unsuccessful attempts to beat his record as Javy brings the food over. Seven burritos are stacked high on the serving tray, and before you can ask who the extra ones are for, you feel a hand on your back.

Mickey is smiling down at you, holding a single red rose. “This is an apology for the Laura incident,” he says, handing you the flower and dipping to kiss your cheek. 

Reuben follows, doing exactly the same but stating, “This is an apology for the Nicole incident.”

Finally, Bob follows suit and explains, “This is an apology for the Kate incident.”

You laugh to hide the well of emotion that brings tears to your eyes. Jake is genuinely taking this seriously, and for all he knows, you might not be on the same page. He’s taking a considerable risk. 

“So you’re all involved,” you say. 

“Yep,” Fanboy says, sitting across from you. 

“And just like Jake said,” Payback smirks, “we can see how much you hate that we know what’s going on and you don’t.”

Immaturely, you sneer mockingly at him, “Ooo, you all know a secret,” you say, accompanied by a roll of your eyes. But despite the jests and your outward irritation, something a lot like affection blooms in your chest as you realize how well Jake knows you. 

Apparently, Natasha is helping with whatever is happening next because as she quickly swallows the last bite of her breakfast, she announces she has to ‘run an errand’ and leaves you in the capable hands of the guys.

You ride with Javy in his 1968 Chevy C10, realizing the next part of this scheme must be a big deal because he only brings out the deep red glossed vehicle for special occasions.  Bradley follows in the Bronco with Bob, Mickey, and Reuben, and you honestly have no idea where you're headed or why everyone is tagging along. 

The drive takes you out of the city. Desert and cacti are the only scenery for a while. The conversation is light, Javy mostly being a fanboy over Natasha, and it’s beautiful and endearing to hear how he talks about her. He’s completely besotted. 

You see the small cluster of hangers up ahead, and you know that's your destination before Javy pulls off the road and makes his way to the furthest hanger.

“Why is this a team outing?” you ask as he drives across the airfield. 

“It doesn’t need to be,” Coyote laughs. “But if all goes to plan, Bob agreed to drive Jake’s car back to town. And if it doesn’t, the others…well, they’re here to watch Jake burn-in.”

“So Jake’s here?” you ask. 

“Yeah,” Javy nods, pulling into a hanger beside an old P-51 Mustang. 

“Mav’s?” you ask. 

“You know it,” he smiles, shuts off the engine, and turns to face you. “Look, if you don’t want to do this, I’ll drive you out of here right now. Take you wherever you wanna go. But Jake is my boy, and I’ll be the first to admit he’s got a shitty track record.” He holds his hands up in mock surrender. “But I promise, he’s different when it comes to you and deserves a chance to show you.”

You inhale deeply, holding it in for a loaded pause. “Okay,” you exhale, “but get the guys out of here. I don’t want an audience.” 

“Done.”

Coyote hops out of the car, and slowly you follow. The guys grumble at being ushered away while you walk around the plane admiring the pristine condition, wondering how Maverick keeps it up with everything else he has going on.

Your step falters as you round the front of the plane. Jake is standing a few feet away, one hand behind his back with a bashful smile.

“I hear I owe you an apology,” you say.

“We both made some mistakes,” he shrugs.

“I’m sorry, Jake,” you sigh. “I should have listened to you or at least given you the chance to explain yourself. I truly am sorry.” 

He strides toward you, a man with a purpose, and cups your cheek with one hand. He draws you to him as he dips to kiss you softly. It’s short but tender, and he pulls away, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. 

“Sorry,” he whispers. “But I wasn’t sure you’d ever let me do that again, and I needed to…” 

You cut him off with a searing kiss, deepening it with a swipe of your tongue and a hand around the back of his neck.

Way too soon, he mumbles, “Wait, wait,” against your mouth.

Reluctantly, you release him, taking a half step back to be able to see him better.

“I have this whole thing planned out, and you're ruining it,” he admonishes playfully. 

You chuckle. “Sorry, I’ll stop kissing you.” 

“Please,” he says, nodding, then quickly correcting himself, “but only for a minute or two.” He sweetly pecks your lips and pulls a single red rose from behind his back. 

You accept, bringing it to your nose to inhale the sickly sweet aroma. “So, who’s this an apology for?”

“Not a who,” he says. “It’s an apology for me breaking the rules and going about this all wrong. When I suggested a weekend pass and promised it wouldn’t affect our work, I didn’t know what I know now.”

“Which is?” 

“I know now that a weekend with you will never be enough. I know that at the time, I was willing to take whatever I could get. I wanted you in any way I could have you, and in true Hangman style, I didn’t think, or maybe care, about the aftermath.”

“Neither of us did,” you admit. You had thought about the consequences, but the idea of being with Jake, even for the briefest time, outweighed the negatives. 

“I know now that I don’t want you for a weekend, Cosmo, and I don’t want you to be a secret I have to keep. I want to tell the world you’re mine, and I’m yours. I want you as more than a friend and colleague. I want to be with you for a lifetime or as long as you’ll put up with me.”

You smile, “a lifetime sounds like a good place to start.”

He snatches the flower from your hands, throwing it over your shoulder before grabbing your waist and tugging you into him. “Can I kiss you now?” you jest.

“Yes, ma’am.” 

Butterflies do cartwheels in your stomach, his hands hold you tightly, and every brush of your tongues feels like a promise for the future.

Jake groans, and you melt into him. An approaching car engine is ambient noise until applause and wolf whistles drown it out. Jake doesn’t release you until Coyote slaps him on the back.

Natasha steps out of the car, smiling happily, and Javy greets her with a sweet kiss.

“You missed it,” you tell her as she approaches. 

“Didn’t miss a thing,” she smirks, shaking her phone and showing you she’s connected to a video call with Javy. 

You should have guessed. You yank her into a too-tight hug, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she whispers, kissing the side of your head. “But you might not want to thank me yet.”

She walks back to the car and around to the trunk, where she pulls out a suitcase that Javy kindly takes from her and carries over to Jake. 

“What’s going on?” you ask, suspiciously. 

“I wanted more time with you at the hotel,” Jake explains. “I wasn’t ready for it to end, and I hate that it ended the way it did so,” he draws the word out, a hint of nerves in his tone. He slaps the front of the plane before flinching immediately. It takes half a second to realize that Mav is probably watching from somewhere - or at the very least, Jake can hear your commanding officer chewing him out for the inappropriate treatment of his aircraft. “What do you say to a week on my family’s ranch?”

The fact that you're standing beside Maverick’s P-51 means he’s already got the leave approved.

“I say,” you pause, keeping your face neutral just to mess with Jake a little longer. “Take me away, Cowboy.”

Jake’s smile beams brighter than you’ve ever seen. “My family are gonna love you.” 

End.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed it please leave a comment or reblog.

Master Lists: Series // Top Gun Maverick // Main

Tags + Info

@alexxavicry / @deanwinchesterswitch / @fandom-princess-forevermore / @imjess-themess 

/ @justagirlinafandomworld / @leigh70 / @letsbys-library / @shanimallina87 / @wildbornsiren / 

@writercole / @xoxabs88xox / @dempy / @atarmychick007 / @genius2025

 @kmc1989 / @alipap3 / @emorychase

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

could you do some Sebastian and/or penny head cannons of their confessions or first dates with the farmer? (so sorry if you’ve already done a request similar to this or gotten this request) thanks sm!! :D I love ur blog <3

Hey hey👋 Don't be afraid to ask questions anon, if I've written similar headcanons before, I'll just throw off the link) But this is something new, so enjoy 😃

Sebastian:

Sebastian decides to take Farmer on a date to the Zuzu city gameroom where you can play arcade games. The poor fellow is worried, because this is in fact his first official date with the Farmer. Maybe outwardly he will not show it, but inside he is seething with worries.

They both rode on a Sebby motorcycle, because the overcrowded buses would not suit either of them. And what could be better than a trip by your own motorcycle with a full sense of freedom and a breath of wind on the skin during the trip.

And here they are - in the arcade machines room. The pockets are stuffed with tokens and they finally enter. There are not many people here, which makes Sebastian very happy, because he wanted to show the Farmer his favorite games. Most often, the Farmer and Sebby stop at fantastic shooters and fighting games for two. Although Sebastian is not a fan of games like Dance Dance Revolution, but if the Farmers want, he will also dance with them, even though it will look ridiculous. The Farmer claims that they dance badly too. "You remember my last moves at the Flower dance? It was just embarrassing" "But still it was fun."

It's been 5 hours since they spent their last token. Wow, time flies faster when you're having so much fun. Before the trip back to the Valley, the Farmer and Sebastian decided to have a bite to eat at a cafe nearby. But before going to the exit, the Farmer kissed Sebastian and thanked him for such a wonderful date. Sebby kissed them quickly as well, and they looked at each other so tenderly that each of them didn't move and wished this moment would last forever.

But the Farmer's stomach growled, which made Sebastian laugh, and he still insisted that they hurry up and order something to eat.

Penny:

The constant teaching of children and the preparation of educational material affect the condition of poor Penny - she looks very tired lately. Of course, she likes to teach children and she considers this her recognition, but lack of sleep and not too quiet environment in the form of her mother, who watches TV actively and with loud comments at night, do not help the young teacher too much.

So the Farmer insisted that she take the day off and invite her to the Farm for a little picnic. Penny, at first hesitant, but nevertheless accepted this tempting offer. She wanted to prepare some picnic dishes, but the Farmer told her that they would do everything themselves.

At their appointed meeting, the weather favors both of them: a warm spring, a sunny day, birdsong, the murmur of a calm river. Penny and the Farmer are sitting on a blanket, and there are delicious meals and snacks nearby. They both hold cups of green tea in their hands and chat about nature, family, and more. No rush, no worries for Penny - just rest, tea and good company, her best friend.

Friend...

Penny, overwhelmed with feelings, softly and unconsciously whispered "I love you." She immediately fell silent when she realized what she had said. Her face flushed as she realized that the Farmer had also heard what she had said. But before starting to apologize a thousand times, the Farmer replied: "Then you are incredibly lucky that I feel the same way about you."

If Penny didn't know before that Farmer had been flirting with her for a long time and this picnic was an invitation to a date, now Penny knows for sure. And still cannot believe in her happiness.

[layanasstories]

Cause of pain

Part 23

Once inside, Lilly pointed the spare room to me, so I could unpack. For now, I would stay here until after the funeral. Then I will have to look for a job and a home of my own. For dinner, we kept it easy and had pizza delivered. It must have been around nine thirty that I sent Jake a message.

Layana: Hey, am I interrupting?

Jake: No.

Layana: Great, because I have some questions. I got a call just now, and the body has been released. Tomorrow I can start arranging the burial with the funeral home.

Jake: Okay.

Layana: But before I talk to them...

Jake: Where are you now? Is everything okay?

Jake: You were gone quite abruptly this morning. Are we still okay?

I have to think about his question. Are we still okay? No idea actually. When I left, we were. Only when I stepped into my house, the doubts hit me again. Am I okay, with how the past year has gone? No. Am I happy that he is in my life? Yes. Can I forgive him? No idea. Actually, I was seething again, at him, the situation and also at myself. How I have behaved towards him over the past few days. I wanted to be with him so badly. But I can't let what happened pass me by like that, can I?

Jake: Are you still there?

Layana: Yes, I'm still here.

Jake: I take it it's not okay between us? You've been quiet for too long.

Layana: I wish I could say everything is okay. But it's not, when I got home and saw again what hell I've been living in for the past year. I can't just put that aside and carry on as if nothing is wrong. Everything is wrong about this, Jake.

Jake: I know. I just don't know how to make it right.

Layana: Neither do I.

Jake: Didn't it feel good to finally be together?

Layana: Yes it did, but it also felt like a lie. Like I was fooling myself.

Jake: I just...

Layana: You just? What?

Jake: I thought I would be able to live without you. As far as normal is possible, that I could also get on with my life, just like I hoped you could. It's just, I can't.

Layana: Jake...

Jake: No wait, I see that how I handled this was the most wrong way I could have done it. And that in doing so I caused you tremendous pain and misery. Something I will regret for the rest of my life. That's not what I want to deny either, my actions.

Jake: Only, because of this, I hurt myself just as much. And now that I've had a taste of what it's like to be with you, I can't live without it.

Jake: What I actually want to say is. That even I don't know how long it will take, but as long as you need, I'll wait.

Layana: I don't know what to say.

Jake: You don't have to.

It remained silent for a while. Staring at the screen, I wondered how I now could ask my question, which I had actually wanted to ask.

Jake: Sorry for interrupting you. You wanted to ask me something?

Layana: Yes, I did.

Layana: I'm actually not very sure how to word this. But, are there people I should inform that you... are no longer here? I don't know if your mother, for example, is still alive, she might also be uncertain and worried about how her son is doing.

The silence was deafening, I know he had once said Hannah and Lilly were his only family left. But I know little to nothing about his life or his life before his time on the run. Then suddenly the penny dropped. For me, it made sense to take all this as 'real'. I had been thinking about it all since I had heard that the body would be released. But if the people in his old life heard that he had died, then that part of his life would be closed, forever.

Layana: Sorry, that was insensitive of me. Take your time to think about it okay, what you want to do.

Jake: It's fine. My mother is still alive, although we haven't been in touch for over six years. As long as I was in the hacker scene, she wanted nothing to do with me.

Layana: Seriously? I'm sorry.

Jake: Yup. We had a huge fight about the things I did, but she never listened why I did it in the first place. Then she kicked me out of the house and slammed the door in my face. And that was that.

Jake: You can tell my mother I died. If you want to do that of course.

Layana: I will do that.

Layana: I'm sorry you were treated that way.

Layana: I have two more questions. Very crazy maybe, but do you happen to know what Mark's wish was, cremation or being buried? I want to stay as close as possible to his wishes.

Jake: I would have to look that up, I remember seeing something in one of his documents somewhere about a cremation.

Layana: Okay, thank you.

Layana: And last question. What is your mother's first name and your last name?

[starzfield]

He shrugged when she basically worded out loud his thoughts about beers. "It's just that I'm used to it. Drank so many in the past I don't even feel the bitterness anymore." His nose twitched in a slightly disgusted expression. "Wine. I don't know if it's not worse than wisky, money wise. You have rich tastes, don't you ?" There was a slight accusation in his voice, but... For a 'rich', she was rather nice. So Duncan tried to not be too much of an asshole. Judging people about these kinds of things was rude, right ?

Her offer got from him a mix of shocked and weirded out stare. "...First you offer me tea, now whiskey ? D'ya want to get me drunk ? Or poison me ?" Not that he really believed that, but it was still not making sense to him. Why being so nice ? And offering him some expensive drinks ? Of course he's going to complain ! "I'd murder you first." He warned, trying to look and sound threatening.

Arms fiercely crossed and face between determined and the one of a petulant child, Duncan answered : "I say what I want. And if I say never, it's never."

His behaviour turned more neutral when she mentionned money. "...When you count every penny to feed yarself everyday, it's a topic that stick to your mind. You're the one saying you'd get me tea and whiskey as if it grew on tree. That's rude. Or impropriate, fuck."

The next answer made Duncan looks in a very obvious way 'I'm so gonna hit you for real' before he released an exasperated sigh, rubbing his face from forehead to chin. "I'm not gonna hit you. Or I try, at least. Though you looks like you tryin' to push me."

Maybe he can shake her a little ? No, that'd be bad too. Damnit.

He squinted a little. "Adopted ? No thank you. Need no family, be there done that." Even after these years, some seething anger bubble in him at the thought. Family, uh. As far as he was concerned, Duncan only had ever one family member.

"Spoiled princess you say...? This explains some things." Various emotions churned at the words. Bitterness, envy, perplexity... She was a bit like a princess but also not. She had yet to treat Duncan like a cockroach or something akin to that. Instead, she had acted only friendly.

"I refuse to pretend my past doesn't exist. Do the fuck you want, but I can't just forget what I did. Gotta make it up somehow." Not that it was her business, so the man didn't elaborate. He already said way more than he usually would.

A beautiful name ? The unexpected compliment made the slighest pink dust his cheeks, while Duncan frowned, shared between being annoyed and call her bluff. "Dunno. Didn't ask. Already knew too many of my ancestors for my tastes." He didn't even know the origins of the one person who mattered to him.

"Kingly ? Wow you hardly be more wrong." The voice was nearly a hiss. "I'm the kind you find in the opposite side of the city, far from the castle and nobility."

Another huff, and his rested his hands on his hips, his frown and tone making it looks like he was lecturing her. "Far from where princesses should be. I'm not kicking you out only because it's pouring buckets, you get me ? And I try not to be too much of an asshole. But don't push me gal."

An empty threat. He had lost his ability to hurt people that didn't look like they were able to fight back, and this twig clearly didn't give him the feeling she could.

"Yeah you're lucky you're still alive with that attitude of yours. One day you're going to fall on someone really dangerous and that'll be it." It was a little sad to picture. Despite the laughing and teasing she looked like a nice girl. "Bet there'll be some people crying if you got hurt, unlike me. Think about 'em, be more cautious." He grumbled, reaching to pinch the bridge of her nose and shake lightly. "Dumb girl."

If someone asked why he was being way too soft with this woman, Duncan wouldn't know what to answer. She was at the same time very annoying and somehow triggering a bit of protectiveness in him.

He noticed some of her amusement, but since she didn’t outright laugh he didn’t mention it.

Listening to the woman, Duncan frowned a little, realizing how it sounded - which made him frown, grumpy.

“I got my fair sips of tea and infusions. They all tasted like grass, often bitter.”

His frown seemed to deepen but… It was nearly looking like a pout.

“Black coffee is too bitter too. I add milk, sometimes sugar.”

He could be honest about it, it wasn’t like this strange woman would judge him for that, right ? And he was feeling just a little bad for the way he worded it all.

The part about alcohol made him snort, offering a welcome distraction. “Whisky. I don’t think I ever had some in my life, and I surely couldn’t get it now. It’s one pricey drink. Beer is cheap.” Beer was also bitter, but he was used to it. At least it didn’t taste like grass.

His stare dug into her, expression incredulous. “Invite me. For tea.” Impossible to say which bit was the most shocking. “Girl, you’re crazy.”

He stated with absolute lack of doubt in his voice.

Oh, now she was laughing ? Duncan squinted, arms crossed and glaring a bit. What was so funny ?

“There’s no chance I’ll become a tea drinker. Tea’s actually expensive as fuck, when you look at the price by weight.”

Apparently she was laughing about herself rather than him, so he didn’t take too much offense in it. He huffed as she confirmed his doubt.

“I’m not surprised. I guessed it in basically a few minutes.”

Duncan could worry about attracting attention, but with the weather, there wasn’t much risk yet.

“I vote for cheeky luck. But it won’t save yar ass all the time, you better pour sense into your head.”

For emphasis, he gave her head a little knocking. Nothing hurtful.

He took his hand back to himself and even moved backward, as much as the little space allowed it, face grim.

“A nice person. You’re very dumb then. I’m not one. Never had been, even if I try to not be so bad these days. But saying you don’t think I’ll hurt you, that’s a stretch. You can’t know that, hell, I don’t know that myself.”

Her affirmation made Duncan do a ‘tsk’ sound, glaring with some anger that didn’t seem aimed anywhere, just being here.

“I disagree. Past matters. You think you can just ignore what you’ve done before and do what you want ?” Despite the ‘you’, he was definitely speaking about himself.

“...I’m not even sure the good you do can balance the bad. Sounds too easy.”

He mumbled, upset, before sighing and raising a hand in his hair, messing them a bit.

“Duncan. Whatever good that’d do to you to know that. What, you really want to play friends and drink tea together ? It’s not just stupidity, you have the worst taste. I’m trouble.” These days there was little chance Duncan could bring problems to this girl, except if a band of punk found him provocative and chose to attack her for punishment, but it was better to not encourage her. She seemed nice, but fragile. And dumb. He didn’t want to be responsible for her being hurt.

[justacomedy-archived]

A masked clown:  Arthur being in the hospital might have been the only time(s) in his life where someone was taking care of him (regardless how shabby) rather than him taking care of someone and now I’m sad 🥲🥴 headcanons about our sweet sad man?

oh, no doubt; Arthur’s life revolves around taking care of his mother for as long as he remembers. The only person who seems to ever take care of him is himself; he’s made the effort to try to work on his mental health. He’s trying to pursue his dream in becoming a stand up comedian and he takes good care of himself in terms of hygiene. But even he falls through; often times forgetting to eat or down right refusing to. He smokes way more than he should and doing basic tasks for himself begin to feel like too much like a burden as time goes on and his mental health declines.  I’ll be talking about his stay at Arkham General Hospital long before he becomes the Joker as being locked in Arkham isn’t a pleasant experience what so ever. 

The only place he has ever felt taken care of was the hospital. He doesn’t like going; being confined into a colorless building where his time is scheduled to do activities he simply doesn’t want to do. Being forced to talk about himself in group sessions; activities that doesn’t catch his interest and being left alone in the overwhelming silence of his hospital room. But as strange as it is, he feels almost at home there; the hospital had always been somewhere safe. The familiar smells that make his stomach distort also bring him an odd sense of peace. It’s a place where his body doesn’t ache from long hours of work and they give him medication that helps him sleep at night. He eats three times a day, albeit not a lot but certainly more than he eats at home and because of this, he feels more energized. He sees other patients there; each with their own problems and not a single one of them judges or ostracizes him like the society on the outside. He’s not swimming in back handed commentary from his mother there; she doesn’t visit him nor does she write to him, but the break away from her and his responsibilities to her is a temporary relief despite the way he worries if she’s okay in his absence. In the hospital; he doesn’t find the clarity that he desires but he almost feels better. Being away from the outside world where he’s not being ridiculed on a constant basis is a blessing of it’s own and he doesn’t have to fear getting jumped by strangers if he winds up in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. And though the negative thoughts still follow him, the scheduled activities distract him from them enough to give him a break. He doesn’t like group therapy because he doesn’t enjoy opening up to people, but he still manages to find a support system there, even if he realizes that he will never see or hear from these people ever again after they are discharged back into their old lives on the outside.  The nurses at Gotham General Hospital are considerate to him; they fufill his needs as best as they can and try to make him as comfortable as possible. He doesn’t have to cook or clean- there isn’t the constant burden of money lingering over his shoulders. He feels like he’s taken care of there; that he can simply exist without anyone relying on him for their needs and he enjoys the freedom from his usual responsibilities. He has time to actually rest, to allow his body to heal and his mind to (somewhat) rest as other people are caring for him. He wouldn’t admit it outload (yet), but he feels like the nurses take better care of him there than his own mother at home growing up ever had; he was left to fend for himself for years and care/provide for her at the same time. And though he doesn’t hold it against her, he can’t help but to wish that once he was discharged,  he’d be greeted by a mother who could provide him things such as warm meals. Breakfast before work, a packed lunch and hot dinner when he gets home. A mother who could do basic care for herself. But that is far from reality. He will soon return home where he’d go right back to his former routine. He’d be working full time, preparing Penny’s meals, giving her baths and putting her to bed despite how capable she was in taking care of herself in his absence. She’s capable of more than she lets on, but the unhealthy dynamic between her and Arthur is something she’s always fed off of and he doesn’t realize how used he really is. She wants to be taken care of as much as Arthur, and while she does require a bit of help with some things, she eases into the comfort of knowing that her son would go the extra thousand miles for her even when she doesn’t need it and she will gladly take the opportunity, no matter how much it wears down her son.

[hotch-stufff]

Surprise, Surprise

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x F!reader

Warnings!: there are no warnings, im not telling you a single thing. It's a surprise. Just read and find out ;)

Also, as much as I love him, Jack does not exist in this story, wasn't really sure how to write him in.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I haven't written in a while, I have had no inspiration and my bf dumped me so... ya'know that was nice. Anyways, finally getting some inspo, hopefully I will be writing more. Hope you guys enjoy this one :) Also, the mood board is mine, but the images are all from pintrest.

Word count: 1.4 k words

This is an emotional roller coaster

------------

You couldn't breathe.

You couldn't move, or speak.

Your knees gave out as you fell to the floor, sobs racking your body.

You felt arms wrap around you, but it didn't help. You were suffocating. He was your air, and he had just been ripped from your lungs. 

He was gone, dead.

Your husband.

The love of your life.

Aaron Hotchner was dead

* * *

You don't remember anything after the doctor uttered those words. You don't remember Rossi picking you up and holding you. You don't remember the sad glances, the tears shed by your teammates. You don't remember the car ride to your now empty shared apartment. You don't remember lying down and sobbing into the pillow for hours.

No, you only remember the pain. The unbearable pain of loss.

He was gone. Really gone.

You cried and cried for hours on end. Until you had no tears left to shed. 

Then you just lied there, staring at the wall, gripping his favorite shirt in your arms, remembering every little moment with him.

And it hurt like hell just thinking of everything you did with him. The day you met. Your first kiss, your first date. The day he proposed. Your wedding. Every little thing. 

And you wouldn't be able to do anything else. You wouldn't have kids with him. You guys had just talked about having a baby just the other day. He wanted one so bad. 

You shouldn't have waited.

Because now, now he was gone.

* * *

The next few days were a blur. You found yourself with home-cooked meals overflowing your fridge. A team member at your house every night. But it was all a blur.

All meaningless without Aaron.

The funeral was coming up. You didn't make any arrangements, you asked Rossi if he could handle it and he quickly agreed. 

He had taken care of finding the casket, picking a place, and finding a burial site. Everything. 

The only thing you had asked for was a closed casket.

You couldn't handle looking at him.

* * *

On the day of the funeral, the girls all came over to help you get ready. 

"Alright y/n, do you have a dress?" Penny asked as she walked out of kitchen.

"In the closet." You croaked. Your voice being hoarse from the crying and lack of speaking for the past two weeks.

"Okay I'll grab that, and shoes. Jj is going to make you breakfast and Em is going to do your hair okay?" You gave her a sad smile and a small okay.

Penny quickly walked back your hallway as Em began pulling your hair back in a low ponytail. You felt the tears begin slipping down your face once again.

Jj saw as she walked back in the room with a bagel and coffee.

"Oh sweetheart." And the dam broke. They comforted you the best they could. But they couldn't even imagine what you were going through, because he was gone.

* * *

The funeral was a blur. It seemed like everything was these days. 

It was a beautiful service. You don't remember much. Lots of hugs and 'sorry for your loss's.

It had gone quickly, and soon you found yourself in Rossi's living room. Everyone but the team had left, you sat alone. The rest were in the kitchen cleaning up.

You didn't move from your spot, sipping your wine.

Everyone walked in, and found spots around you.

It was silent. Not a single word was spoken.

"I'm taking a leave of absence." You spoke.

6 pairs of eyes shot to you, but they couldn't say they were surprised.

"It's just too much. I'm not ready to come back." Your voice was quiet. Rossi was the first to say anything.

"Take all the time you need." 

* * *

And you did. You spent about 3 months in that apartment, alone and sad and heartbroken. 

But you realized that Aaron would never want you to live like this. And you really needed to be able to pay the bills.

So after those 3 months, you gave Rossi a call. He had become until chief since you had left, and he instantly accepted you back to the team.

You were slowly getting better. 

Each passing case a distraction. 

Each one fixing you just a bit more. 

Each one giving your life a purpose, a meaning again.

And you felt better. You stopped crying yourself to sleep. You stopped sitting in silence for hours on end. You stopped crying every time you thought about him.

But you still visited him every week. You still thought about him everyday. You still wore your wedding rings, refusing to take them off.

But you were better. 

* * *

A few more months went by and you started going out with the team again. You spent more time with them. Almost every weekend. And you were somewhat okay.

And it wasn't until about 8 months after his death did your world come to another crashing halt.

You had been called in to the BAU, not entirely sure why, but you came in none the less. 

You figured it was a case, but Jj hadn't specified on the phone, which was strange.

You had walked up to the conference room, and were surprised to see the whole team sitting there ready to go. 

"Hey guys, do we have a case?" You asked, but Jj sent you a sad look causing you to grow worried.

"Y/n, you should sit down for this." You had no idea what was going on. What on earth was happening. "Peter Raymond recently resurfaced, and was taken into custody this morning about an hour ago. He resisted arrest and pulled a gun on an officer. He was shot and killed." Your heart hammered in your chest. He was gone. The bastard who killed your husband was gone. Rossi stood walking towards Jj.

A pit grew in your stomach, there was more, something you didn't know.

"8 months ago I made a decision that greatly affected this team. Aaron Hotchner received substantial injuries from the wounds he endured, but his surgery was a success and he was airlifted to an unknown location. His identity was changed in order to keep him safe. But he is alive." 

You couldn't believe your ears. He was alive. Alive? 

Your eyes shot to the door and there he stood. 

Aaron Hotchner. 

You couldn't breathe. 

You couldn't move or speak. 

He was alive, you should be ecstatic.

But you only felt anger.

Your eyes shot to Rossi.

"How dare you." You whispered out, surprising the team. You weren't an angry person, you never yelled at your teammates. But you, you were seething. "How could you do that. You knew he was alive and yet you let me suffer. You watched as I cried day and night. You watched as I let myself go, as I lost myself." You shook your head in anger.

Aaron stepped forward reaching out for you, but you shook your head.

"Dont touch me. Don't fucking touch me." You felt the tears fall down your face. Again. "You left me. You're dead. You're gone. Y-you left." You were shaking and crying and once again Aaron reached out for you, but this time you let him.

He brought you into a crushing hug, holding you like you had begged to be held for months. 

He was here, really here. You could smell and feel and see him. He was really here.

"Y-you bastard. You left me." You whispered desperately as you cried into his shirt. 

The team was quick to disperse. They too were mad at Rossi, and they wanted to reunite with Hotch. But they left you be, at least for now.

Aaron pulled back slightly, looking down at you.

"Sweetheart I'm so sorry. I wish I didn't have to. But he would have killed you and then he would have killed me." He had tears running down his face as well now. But you were so angry at him.

You pushed him away.

"I could have gone with you Aaron. You could have gone into witsec. You didn't need to fake your fucking death Aaron!" You yelled at him. you couldn't even believe you were eating this conversation.

"Y/n please, I'm so sorry." You were mad yeah, but you were so overwhelmingly relieved that it overpowered your anger. "I missed you sweetheart." He whispered out and you broke just a little bit more.

"You bastard. Y-you stupid man." You pulled him back to you and slammed your lips together. "You stupid, stupid man." You gasped out between kisses. 

"I know, I'm so sorry. I love you." He stated after you pulled away.

"I-I love you too." You were sobbing at this point.. "Don't ever do that to me again." He nodded, leaning in to kiss you again.

And you kissed your husband.

Because he wasn't gone. 

He was right here.

And god did it feel amazing to have him back

------------

Thanks for reading! Requests are still open, so ask away! Currently I'm only taking requests from my prompt list, which is right here! School is starting up soon though, so i may not be writing very often, but i will definitely try! Anyways, if you would like to read more of my work, here is my masterlist.

[mosaicc-brokenn-heartss]

- aesthetic playlists for specific moods -

r e s e t  &  d e t o x for days where you need to clear your head, heart, mind and soul. move on. welcome the growth and treasure the warmest parts of the past. slow down and breathe.

hanging out with myself when you're on your own, in your own space, with your own thoughts and alternating between being okay with that and not.

summer lovin’ how it feels to be in love with someone in the endless days of heat.

to the seaside salt, sand, sea. you and me. the air is easier to breathe here. 

"in love with my future" for manifesting and holding onto hope for the idealised dream of being independent, happy and stable

green fingers 🌿 a playlist for gardening, planting and watering my plants... to help them grow, feel loved and safe.

what if we hold hands and lay in a field of wild flowers? (plural noun): a flower of an uncultivated variety or a flower growing freely without human intervention. // romantic picnic bitch energy - for getting lost in the long grass and making daisy chains. a blanket. a basket. a nice book. wearing a sundress. a warm breeze.

little adventures for all of life's mini adventures: supermarket trips, museums, getting lost in the countryside, taking detours, walking down quiet streets... climbing, exploring, taking it all in.

young, free and in love with your friends you'll never be this young again. you are free to be whoever you need to be. you can explore. you're filled with premature nostalgia for the moments you are currently living. you love the things and people around you with all of your being. 

your eyes meet across the room you've never seen them before and don't know their name but you want to find out every secret they've ever had. you'd spend the rest of the night at their side. the colour of their eyes is your new favourite shade.

sunset songs tunes for when the sun goes down. time to unwind and process the day.

up to the roof let's climb up as high as this city can take us and look down at the world beneath us. let's remember how small we are and find some comfort in it.

the days when the sadness is quiet it's never gone, not really, but some days your heart feels overwhelmingly lighter, you feel at ease with the hurt and it's easier to breathe. you feel back in your body, brought back to life again.

classics that make me feel something songs you can't remember actually learning the lyrics to, that set your soul on fire.

political angst make your voice heard. fight with everything you have. don’t let them stop your power.

you + me in the backseat in the backseat of the car. your soundtrack drowns out anything but your feelings. fire burns inside you.

memory lane walking hand in hand through the past. shattered fragments of your old self are lodged into your palms. reminders of things you tried to forget haunt you. the nostalgia comes in like a fog. 

not me, dissociating staring into space or back at yourself in the mirror. doubting everything you know. wondering how you'll ever have the strength to rejoin the world around you.

under the stars come sit with me. we'll trace constellations in the sky.

we’re driving and your hand is on my knee the wind is in your hair. the streets are empty. the radio is too loud. all you know is that you're in love with the person in the seat beside you. 

stay close to me for the kind of love you hope stays forever. for the kind of love you never want to put down. 

oh no, i’m in love the penny has dropped. you don’t know how to hold it in. everything feels brighter now. 

slow mornings with you warmth seeping through the curtains. knowing you have nowhere to be. before toothpaste. stillness. contentment. being with your person.

the end of the world the sun is rising over the hill for the last time. you don't have enough hands to hold everyone. all of the hate you once had doesn't matter anymore. you cling onto the memories and take a deep breath.

it’s 2am and i’m thinking about the good and bad i should probably sleep.

slow dancing in the kitchen barefoot in the kitchen, swaying with hips pressed together, noses brushing, comforted by each other's laughs, soft singing voices and declarations of happiness at being close to the other person.

goodbye to us you're unsure how or why you got here, but now it's over and you can't stop feeling. your heart aches. your head is heavy. you can't bear to move.

longing for escape take my hand. we’ve been stuck for too long. let's get out of this town. we won't look back.

rainy daze rainy days and mondays always get me down

eiffel for you a paris summer. you drink coffee and eat a pastry at a café on the seine. beautiful women and couples in love stroll by. the air is crisp and sweet.

eternal (adjective: eternal; noun: Eternal): lasting or existing forever; without end.

ethereal goddess shit 🌙 pov: you are an ethereal goddess and everything you touch and embody is magic.

academia forever for memories of university days and cathedral views.

new city, big dreams a place just for you. boxes of your past life surround you. a new life awaiting. your look out at the city. it's been waiting for you.

bookstore full of dust and secrets bibliophile (noun): a person who collects or has a great love of books.

hometown nostalgia you know every street corner. you remember everything and everyone you loved here.

i'd do it all over again a million times over without regret.

sneaking out to meet you at midnight the thrill of climbing out the window, making you way to your secret hiding place and having a person to pour all your romanticism into waiting for you. 

coffee breath you can tell a lot about a person from the way they take their coffee.

let’s drink wine and feel things 🍷 songs for late night wine drunk dancing, tears and feelings. 

touch starved for when you just really need to be touched.

seething for slamming doors and punching walls. when your blood boils. when you need to be alone.

[jerzwriter]

forgot to include a pairing! so sorry lmfao:

anyway here's the prompt: 'Of course. Because why would I have anything better to do on a Friday night.'' ''Do you have anything better to do?'' ''I didn't say that.''

and here's the pairing: tobias x casey

hope you have fun writing, elsa! can't wait to read it!

Sorry for the delay! This is sort of a follow-up to You're On, which was another fake date request. I hope you enjoy this!

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Tobias Carrick, Casey MacTavish - Platonic (maybe)

Rating: Teen

Warnings: None

Words: 1647

Summary: Tobias & Casey successfully convinced his visiting mother and aunt that they were a couple. They did so well, he's asking for her help again.

A/N: Thanks for the ask! The prompt is highlighted below.

@choicesjuly2022challenge Day 2 Love Confession

(Sort of a follow-up to You're On!)

“I’m sorry! I was in line already! You cut in front of me!”

A short lab tech turned around, seething at the resident who dared to question her.

“I did not! If you were paying attention instead of trying to check out that new doctor, maybe you would have seen that I was in front of you the whole time!”

It was a typical lunchtime in Edenbrook’s main cafeteria. Casey was seated at a table not far from the chaos, but she may as well have been a thousand miles away. Everyone was always astounded at her ability to tune the rest of the world out. Her books were open, and she was laser-focused. No one knew how she did it. But it came in handy right now. She had spent last weekend convincing Tobias’s mother and aunt that she was his girlfriend. It was much more fun than she had anticipated, and against all odds, they pulled it off. But it took her away from her studies, and with the Boards soon approaching, her super skill was coming in handy. Her little table was an oasis. Until…

“I need your help.”

The table shook as Tobias took the seat across from her, his forearms crashing onto its surface as he looked at her with desperation. Casey looked at him over the rim of her reading glasses, a sarcastic smile on her lips.

“You’re helpless, don’t you know that by now, Carrick?”

“And you’re funny. But, seriously. I need your help.”

She closed the book with a sigh and took off her glasses, tucking them into her pocket.

“What now?”

“You’re on fake girlfriend duty Friday.”

“Of course,” she said with a rueful shake of her head. “Because why would I have anything better to do on a Friday night?”

“Well, do you have anything better to do?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I didn’t think so,” he smirked, sparkling eyes and those damn dimples making it impossible for her annoyance to fester.

“Gee, thanks, pal!”

“Anytime.”

“So, what’s going on? Did your mom and Aunt Brenda have such a good time last weekend that they decided to come back to Boston this week?”

“No, but I wouldn’t be surprised. It was an awesome weekend, and they had such a good time, they can’t stop talking about it.”

“It was a great weekend,” she smiled. “They were so nice. I think they liked me, too.”

“Oh, they didn’t like you – they loved you. Oh! That reminds me, you’ll need to clear some time from your calendar over the holidays. They definitely want to see us. Don’t worry, I’ll cover the gifts. It won’t cost you a penny.”

“T!!!” She protested.

“Come on! I’ll get us a nice suite, someplace near my Mom’s. This way, we don’t have to share my old bedroom,” he smiled as Casey rolled her eyes. “You don’t have fake moan and scream my name.”

Casey’s face twisted as she reached across the table to slap him firmly on his arm.

“Tobias Carrick!” she yelled.

“What!” He chuckled as he dodged a second blow. “I’m nearly forty years old! If I’m bringing my girlfriend home for the holidays, my Mom will expect we’re going to… you know,” he winked.

“I can’t stand you.”

“Yes, you can.”

“But look, I’m not worrying about the holidays just yet,” Casey clarified. “you have plenty of time to stage our break up before then. But what’s up this weekend? A conference? You want to show up with your girlfriend, so it looks like you actually matured?”

“Nah,” he grumbled. “I don’t care about that.”

Casey took a long sip of her coffee, deep in thought as she attempted to see who she was being asked to trick this time.

“Mmmm. Meeting up with old friends! Your crazy ex will be there, and you don’t want her to know you are single, so she doesn’t get any ideas.”

“Mmm-mmm.  Not that.”

“Couple’s discount at some place you’ve been dying to try? Fending off a nurse with a mad crush on you?”

“All negative.”

“Well, then what is it?” She surrendered. “I give up.”

“Because I need you to play my girlfriend.”

“I get that. But are you going to tell me why?”

“Nope,” he answered with a ridiculously adorable smirk.

“You’re not going to tell me?”

“Nope,” he repeated.

“Well, then my answer is no. I refuse to agree to this until I know the terms. You’ll need to tell me why.”

“Here?”

“Of course here? Where are we talking?”

“OK,” he smiled. “I want you to play fake girlfriend because I love the way it feels when you do. I love watching you walk down the steps, all dressed up in something that I hope you picked out just for me, and the way your perfume fills my car the second you enter. You know, it takes days for it to go away, and when it does… I miss it. I love how your eyes light up when you listen to me tell a stupid story and how you burst into a fit of giggles when I’m done. I love when you hold my hand and snuggle up close under my arm. I love how you let me pull you closer and kiss the top of your head. The only thing I don’t love is when it’s all over. So… how about it?” he smiled shyly, reaching over the table to take her hand in his. “This Friday… you pretend to be my girlfriend, not for my Mom, or my Aunt Brenda, or some colleagues I don’t give a damn about… just for the two people who matter most… you and me.”

His hope for a quick reply was quashed the second he saw the look of confusion on Casey’s face. Her eyes looked wild, and her mouth hung open. For the first time since he knew her, she didn’t seem to know what to say. 

“I... I just…” she stammered. “I’m just a little confused. Tobias, are you asking me out on a date? Like, for real, for real?”

“No,” he smiled, slowly shaking his head. “There’s no need for me to ask you out on a date. You go on dates to get to know someone, and we already know each other. So I’m hoping that you’re not just an outstanding actress. Maybe the reason you’re such an amazing fake girlfriend is that, deep down, you’d really like it too… and maybe… maybe we can visit Ma over the holidays, but I won’t have to lie to her anymore. What do you think?”

“Tobias,” she gasped. “Are you… are you saying you want me to be your real girlfriend?”

“I am,” he answered without hesitation. “What do you say?”

Casey swallowed and let out a puff of air, her eyes watering as she began to reply.

“On… on Friday… you want me to be your real girlfriend… on Friday? I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Tobias, but I can’t do that.”

“Oh…” he stammered, pulling his hand back as he fell slack in his chair. “OK, well, I guess you are that good of an actress. Which is commendable!” He added, “Impressive ever… I… I just kind of wish I had figured that out sooner. But it’s OK… it’s OK… this  uh… this changes nothing….”

“Actually, it does.”

“It does?”

“Yes, you see… because I am a very good actress because you seem to believe me.”

“What?” Tobias asked, his eyes crinkling.

“I would be so happy to be your real girlfriend, Tobias. But I’m not about to wait until Friday. If you want me to be your real girlfriend, then it starts right now!”

A look of relief washed over him as a smile lit up his face.

“Right now?” he asked.

“Right now,” she nodded.

“Like, right now? This very second.”

“This very second,” she agreed.

“Well,” he said forcefully pushing the gable to the side, “would this make it official?”

Reaching over, he tangled his fingers in the back of her hair and pulled her close to him. Their lips joined together in a kiss that was innocent and passionate all at once. Oblivious to those around them, they lingered until her lips morphed into a smile pressed against his. 

“It does,” she beamed. “It definitely does.”

Tobias turned to his side to see Dr. Kingsley from Radiology staring directly at them. 

“Some privacy?” Tobias barked as Casey laughed softly into his shoulder.

Turning back to Casey, he pushed her hair over her ear and smiled.

“Do you think we could actually moan each other’s names at my Mom’s for Christmas?”

“Oh, for God's sake, Tobias….” she chortled.

“It’s an honest question!”

“Yes,” she said with a toss of her head. “Fine! I’ll actually moan your name at your Mom’s for Christmas.”

“Awesome!” But do you think that maybe….”

“Tonight,” she interrupted, answering the question before it was asked. “I get out at 7:00. We can start practicing tonight.”

“I can’t wait!” he growled into her ear.

“Neither can I,” Casey giggled. “Neither can I.”

Tugging at her hand, Casey stood as Tobias motioned for her to sit on his lap. 

“I love you, Casey,” he whispered, “and I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it, but now that I do, I’m gonna say it again and again. Right here… in front of everybody. I love you.”

“I love you too,” she beamed, looking into his eyes as a small spattering of applause circled them. 

“We’re going to be the talk of the hospital for months,” she laughed.

“Good! I want them all to know you’re off the market, and so am I.”

In a distant corner, Bryce smirked in their direction as he dropped his turkey sandwich to the plate.   “Hand me my twenty!” he snapped at Jackie. “I was right all along.”

[atlafan]

a/n: okay, here it is! a lot of you really wanted me to post this on here, SO THAT MEANS I’M GONNA SEE LOTS OF FEEDBACK AND REBLOGS, RIGHT?! Can’t wait to know what you think of this one! [Patreon] [Buy Me A Coffee] (not proofread) I was inspired by a lot of different things with this, it’s sort of like Scarlet Witch meets The Dragon Prince meets ATLA??? Also, Harry is a major himbo in this, and we love that for him.

Warnings: angst, fluff, flirting, magical fighting, smut (rim job)

Words: 22K

Pairing: Harry x OC (Amber Hale)

Song Inspo: High For This - The Weeknd

“What do you do with a BA in English?” The age-old question that was coined from the hit musical, Avenue Q. Harry thought he had the answer to that question, and it was go to graduate school to get his MEd in English. He’d get his K-12 certification, not that he wanted to work in a K-12 school system. No, he wanted to be a literary professor. He wanted to be able to have high level discussions about the classics, post-modernism, film adaptations, and more. He loved reading, ever since he was a little kid there was a book in his hands. There was just something about getting lost in a world that someone else created for a bit, and then analyzing the shit out of it.

He had already done a semester of student-teaching as a senior, he didn’t love it. He took a gap year trying to find a publishing company to work at. He thought he could maybe be an editor. Harry soon realized he didn’t like being told what to read, and the pay was pretty low. He even tried working at a bookstore for a bit. It wasn’t as much fun as he thought. So, at the age of twenty-four, he enrolled in a master’s program to get his Med in English. At least this time when he’d have to student-teach, he’d be doing it at a collegiate level. He knew he’d get stuck teaching a couple of sections of first-year composition, but he had no problem teaching students how to properly construct a paper. There were three classes he needed to take in the fall, all of them being online-asynchronous: Social Behavior in a Diverse Society, Philosophy, Ethics, & Education, and Teacher Action Research.  

Since Harry had a semester of teaching under his belt, he was able to get a better paying grant, and wouldn’t have to just TA, he could actually teach. He’d still be subject to observation, but at least he could be trusted. So, he’d be teaching two sections of Composition, and one section of Fiction Workshop, where students would read texts Harry picks out, and discuss them. Fiction was his favorite, so he was really excited to be teaching this particular course.

The university he was attending was on the east coast in the states, a very picturesque college town by the seacoast. Harry loved fall, so he was happy about getting to be immersed in the season. So, he had his courses settled that he had to take, he knew what he was teaching and set up his Canvas pages, the last thing he needed to figure out was a place to live. He had been staying at a motel in the area, but that was starting to get pricey. He looked around online, but there wasn’t much out there. He also didn’t want to get stuck living with a bunch of undergrads that were loud and partied. He asked the other faculty in the English department if they knew of anything, but they didn’t.

Harry decided to go for a walk in the downtown area, and see if there were any ads in some of the shop windows. A lot of the buildings looked to be apartments up top. On his walk, he noticed an interesting looking café. There were other coffee shops in town, and this one looked to be almost deserted. Harry shrugs his shoulders and heads inside. A chime sounds as he walks in, and he sees that it’s almost like a country store. There’re tee shirts, sweatshirts, scarves, gloves, books, knick-knacks, and treats. This seemed like a neat little place, why wouldn’t there be a lot of people here? It was still summer, maybe it was more of a college student hangout?

Even though it was still summer, the place smelled like cinnamon and apples. The fresh smell of coffee wafted through the air as well. From the back comes a woman wearing a green apron over her clothes, dusting her hands off. Harry stops in his tracks as he looks at her. She had these piercing blue eyes that resembled sapphires. Her hair was up in a loose, wavy ponytail, the color being one of those silver/lavender mixes, a contrast to her dark eyebrows. She was a short thing, couldn’t have been a little more than five feet tall. Her nails were painted black, and she had this gorgeous necklace hanging around her neck. She also had various piercings in her ears, and a silver hoop in her left nostril.

“May I help you?” She asks Harry just as a Siberian husky comes trotting out by her side.

“Hi! I’m new to the area, and I was just strolling by and saw your shop…um, do you have iced tea?”

“Yeah.” She nods slowly. “Come over to the counter.” The dog circles around Harry, sniffing at his legs. “Are you okay with dogs?”

“Love ‘em! Boy, girl?”

“She’s a girl, her name is Opal.”

“That’s a lovely name.” Harry smiles, and leans down a bit to let Opal sniff his hand. “She’s a beautiful dog.”

“Thank you. So…you said you wanted an iced tea? Here’s the list of flavors.” She taps a laminated paper that’s taped to the counter.

“Right, yeah, um…what do you recommend?”

She furrows her brows at him for a moment, studying his face.

“I just drink the plain, black tea with a dash of sugar syrup.”

“Then I’ll have that.” He smiles.

She nods, gets a cup to fill with ice, and goes into one of the small fridges where the tea was chilling. She adds the syrup and then the tea, then snaps a sippy-cup style lid on top.

“Here you go. That’ll be $3.99.”

Harry sets a five-dollar-bill on the counter.

“Keep the change.”

“Thanks.” She puts the rest in the tip jar.

“What’s your name? You’re not wearing a tag or anything.” He says before taking a sip of the tea.

“It’s Amber.”

“Amber! Oh, is that why you’re wearing one?” He points to her necklace.

“Well, I was given this when I was a little girl.” She says as she looks down at it, then back up to him.

“Do you mind if I peruse around the store a bit? Although, I shouldn’t be buying any trinkets until I actually find a place to put them.”

“What do you mean?” She blinks at him. Who was this man and why was he being so friendly with her?

“I’m new to the area, and I’ve been having a tough time finding a place to live. I’m at one of the nearby hotels, but I can’t stay there much longer. You wouldn’t happen to know of any vacant apartments, would you?”

“Sure she does!” Another woman comes out from the back. “Amber owns the whole building, which means she owns the apartments upstairs.”

“Penny.” Amber seethes, and then looks at Harry. “I’m sorry, I don’t rent to college students.”

“I’m a graduate student, and I’m also going to be teaching. M’not loud, and I keep things tidy. I’d be happy to fill out an application if you like.” He smiles. “Plus, I could be a walking advertisement for the place because this tea is incredible.”

“The shop does well for itself.” Amber mutters.

“Oh, just give the boy an application.” Penny says.

“Fine.” Amber sighs, and ducks down to grab an application. She hands it to Harry reluctantly. “My email is on the bottom. Just scan it and send it to me that way, and I’ll get back to you.”

“I’ll make sure of it.” Penny smiles. “Parking’s included.” Amber glares at her. “Well, I’m just going to head back to the back, take stock of things.”

“You do that.” Amber says, shaking her head, and then looking at Harry. “She’s a good worker, but she’s nosey as shit. So, you’re a grad student?”

“Mhm, and I’m twenty-four, so I’m not fresh out of undergrad either. I’m going for my MEd in English, and I’ll be teaching a few classes as well. I’m excited to get started.”

“English, huh?”

“Mhm.” Harry smiles.

“You must really like to read.”

“I do.” He nods. “Do you?”

“No, I hate it actually.”

“But…there are so many books here.”

“Yeah, the majority of them are cook books, or informational books about the area. I’ve never really cared for reading. It’s a waste of time, if I’m being honest.”

“A…a waste of time?” He blinks at her.

“If I’m reading, it’s so I can learn something.”

“But even if it’s fiction, you can still learn so many life lessons.”

“Maybe worry about teaching that to your students instead of me. I’m a lost cause.” She smirks. “I need to finish up what I was doing in the back, so if you still want to peruse…”

“No, uh, I’ll get out of hair. I’ll email this over to you later tonight. It was nice meeting you.” He looks down at Opal who was eyeing him carefully. “And it was nice meeting you too, gorgeous girl.” He smiles, and leaves the shop.

Amber takes a deep breath and heads into the back where Penny is. She glares at her, and it makes Penny laugh.

“You could use a new tenant.” Penny says to her.

“I don’t need you finding one for me.”

“He’s cute.”

“He’s annoying.” Amber deadpans. “Practically told me his whole life story!”

“He clearly felt comfortable around you.”

“So? He’s an English professor or something, how pretentious.” She makes a disgusted noise.

“Just give his application a fair shot, would you?”

“I will, but only because if I don’t I know you’ll keep bugging me about it.”

//

Harry couldn’t believe that he just heard with his own two ears that reading was a waste of time. He knew there were people that didn’t care for it in the way that he did, but Amber said she hated it. He couldn’t fret over it too much, though, because either way he still needed an apartment, and she had a vacancy open. So, when he got back to the hotel later that day, he worked on his application, and emailed it over to Amber. The name of shop was cute: Opal’s Café & Convenience. He found it endearing that she named it after her dog. Amber seemed rough around the edges, but maybe Harry could be the one to smooth her out a bit.

//

Much to Amber’s dismay, Harry was the perfect applicant. He didn’t have any pets, he wouldn’t be throwing wild parties, his credit checked out, and his references were solid. Amber would be stupid not to let him take one of her apartments. She emailed him back and let him know it was his if he wanted it, and when he could move in. In the email, she attached a list of rules he’d need to follow when being one of her tenants. She lived in the building as well, and she valued her privacy. She explained that she would often make a lot of tea in her own apartment, so Harry might catch a whiff once in a while.

Harry was so thrilled he’d have an actual place to live just in time for school starting that he agreed to all of her conditions. So what if he’d smell tea once in a while? There were far worse smells out there. Harry packed everything into his car, and headed over to the building as soon as he could. He found his parking spot, and started moving things up. His apartment was on the floor beneath Amber’s. She had the entire top floor to herself. Harry was surprised that he’d have the whole second floor to himself. It was a spacious one bedroom that he was grateful for. He was drenched with sweat by the time he got the last of things upstairs. The first thing on his list was to install his air conditioner. He tore his shirt off, kept the front door open for some airflow, and got to work putting the air conditioner in the main window of the living room. It was the space he’d be in most, so he wanted it cooler in there. He could always leave his bedroom door open or just use a fan at night.

Amber was heading down the stairs with Opal, and noticed Harry’s door was open. She was about to get to work opening the shop. Her eyes widen when she sees that he’s shirtless, littered with tattoos. He just happens to turn and see her standing in the doorway.

“Oh, hi!” He smiles, and walks over to the door, bending a bit to pet Opal.

“Everything going okay so far?” Amber asks.

“Mhm.” Harry nods, crossing his arms. “Just got the A/C installed, so it’ll be nice and cool soon. Thanks again for letting me rent from you.”

“Yeah, well…it’s money.” She shrugs. “Look, uh, there’s a basement here too, don’t go down there. It’s locked anyways, but I keep all of the supplies for the shop in the basement, so…it’s off limits.”

“Oh, no worries. I’ve got plenty of space up here. I don’t have a bike or anything, so I don’t think I’d even need the extra storage.”

“Good.” She nods. “Well, I’m headed down to open up. See you around.” She snaps her fingers to get Opal’s attention, and they go downstairs. Once they’re down in the shop, Amber notices Opal looking at her. “Don’t even start, I already know you’re on Penny’s side.” She sighs.

“He is awful cute.” Opal says. She and Amber could communicate telepathically.

“I have more important things to focus on, we have more important things to focus on.” Amber crouches down to her dog. “You realize we can’t just chat freely with him around.”

“It’s the same with the college kids. He might think it’s cute that you talk to your dog.”

“I don’t really care what he thinks.” Amber rolls her eyes and stands up. “I have to get the coffee and tea going. Could you check the shelves and see what herbal teas we’re low on?”

Opal nods, and heads over to the aisles to take stock of everything. Amber gets the coffee and tea brewing so it’s fresh for the customers. Penny comes in an hour or so later to make some fresh biscotti while Amber was working on making more herbal tea. Amber’s herbal teas were quite popular with the college students. Were they laced with a little magic? Maybe, but it was all for a good cause. She had special anti-stress and anxiety teas, sleepy time teas, wake-up teas, and some teas that could put someone in the mood, but she didn’t advertise those often.  She didn’t want anyone taking advantage of anyone else, she only sold it to people who knew to ask for it, and they had to sign a waiver.

Certain coffees had some magic involved too. There were coffees that were ground with something to help people focus for long period of time, coffees for all-nighters, and more. She lived in a pretty liberal area where people were super into different types of “wellness”. There were so many people that would rather try drinking an herbal tea, than take a pill, so she used that to her advantage. No one ever really questioned why her products worked so well.

Amber had been living pretty peacefully the last few years, but as of late she felt this odd disturbance. Something bad happened in the spring. Something came after Opal. Amber almost lost her best friend in the world. She had been trying to track down whatever the fuck it was, but the trail had run cold. She took the time to train and work on some of her spells. Opal explained that Amber should be able to just think and cast instead of having to say the spell out loud. She had gotten a lot better at it, and she had gotten a lot better at throwing a punch. Whatever the fuck that thing was, she’d be ready for it. Amber also didn’t want anything bad happening to the college students. They were so vulnerable as it was, but a lot of them would walk around intoxicated at night, making them the perfect target. She felt protective over her college town, she wasn’t going to let anything happen to anyone.

That’s why she had a chip on her shoulder when it came to Harry. She didn’t exactly trust the new guy, especially since he came right to her shop, and asked about a place to live. It was rather peculiar, but she thought it would be better to keep a close eye on him, so she accepted his application. No one else seemed too bothered by him, and she didn’t exactly appreciate the glances Penny and Opal gave her when it came to him. Yes, he was cute, but Amber had a hardened heart that couldn’t be so easily sueded by a handsome man with a kind a smile.

//

Harry couldn’t believe how packed the shop was once the college kids were back in town. Amber did really well for herself. He liked living above the shop a lot. Sometimes he’d buy a coffee, find a place to sit, and get some grading done, or do some homework of his own. Sometimes he’d catch Amber looking at him, a deep furrow in her dark brows. He’d give her a soft smile, and she’d just look away. Opal liked sitting by his feet. Any time he’d sit down for a bit to get some work done, there she was. He loved dogs, so he was happy she seemed to take a liking to him.

“Hey, Professor Styles!” A girl in one of his composition classes, Zoey, says to him.

“Oh, uh…it’s Zoey, right?” He looks up from his laptop.

“Mhm.” She nods. “You like to hang out here?”

“I live upstairs, actually. I like to come down here for a change of scenery. Do you come here a lot?”

“Oh, definitely. My friends and I come here almost every day. Amber has some of the best tea and coffee I’ve ever had. I was just stopping in to stock up on her sleepy time tea.”

“Sleepy time tea?”

“Yeah! Puts me right to sleep after having a small cup. You should try it.”

“Zoey, come on!” One of her friends says.

“I better go, it was nice seeing you!”

Harry waves to Zoey as she leaves to go down one of the aisles. He gets back to his work. He was doing some research for his philosophy class. He had to look into the different philosophies of various educators from a list his professor gave him. Without even realizing it, he skipped dinner, and ended up being the last person in the shop.

“Glad to see you’re making the most out of having free Wi-Fi.” Amber scoffs as she crosses her arms. “We’re closed.”

“Shit, I’m so sorry.” Harry scrambles to pack up his things. “Time must have gotten away from me.” He looks down at his watch and sees that it’s nearly 9PM. “Fuck, I need to get to sleep. Hey, could I buy some of that sleepy time tea you sell? One of my students was telling me about it earlier.”

“Sure, you can buy a pound for fifteen dollars.” She grabs a bag of it and they both go up to the counter so she can ring him up.

“Must be good stuff if college kids can afford that.” He hands her exact change.

“It lasts a while.”  She purses her lips briefly. “You may have some…vivid dreams. It’s really, um, potent, especially if it’s your first time drinking it.”

“Do you make it yourself?”

“I do.” She nods. “I promise it’s all FDA approved.” She smirks.

“I trust you, no worries.” He chuckles. “Do you need any help cleaning up?”

“No, I’m all set. Penny’s in the back still, I’ve got all the help I need.”

“Alright, well, have a good night.” He smiles.

“You too.” She watches as he heads out the door in the back to go upstairs. Amber looks down at Opal. “You need to stop sitting by him so much. He’s going to think I’m staring at him every time I look over at you.”

“I can’t help it! He smells nice.” Opal says.

“I don’t care what he smells like. We need to be cautious.”

“You worry too much. Whatever that thing was caught me on a lunar eclipse, so I couldn’t transform fully. Had I been able to, I never would have gotten hurt.”

“Yeah, and it probably knew that. Probably want to make you transform into a wolf full time. You’d become rabid.”

“I’m well aware of that. I’d be able to sniff out anything demonic about him, especially by now. He seems genuine.”

“Good for him.”

“Amber.”

“Opal.”

“Would you two give it a rest?! You’re giving me a headache.” Penny says as she comes out from the back. “We have receipts to go over.”

//

Harry took a quick shower when he got up to his apartment, and then made his tea. It tasted really good, like, the best chamomile he ever had. He only drank about half of it when his eyes started to droop while watching to TV on the sofa. So, he got his butt into bed, and fell asleep almost immediately. Amber was right about him having vivid dreams.

There he was, walking through a forest at night. He had no idea where he was going, but let his legs take him there regardless. There was a glowing light that intrigued him, so he made his way over to it. As he approached, he saw a woman from behind, her hair flowing in the breeze and her hands glowing with what looked like electrical currents. He steps on a twig by accident, catching her attention. She looks over her shoulder at him, her eyes glowing a white-hot blue.

“What are you doing here?” She says, floating in the air above him. He falls to bum and looks up at her.

“I…I don’t know.” He swallows. “What are you doing here?”

“You need to get out of here it isn’t safe!” She scolds him.

“M’sorry, I don’t even know how I ended up here.” He scrambles to his feet, and she lowers herself to the ground. Her hair was still flowing, her eyes and hands still glowing. “I saw the light and just followed it I guess. Is there a way for you to turn that off? It’s pretty bright.”

The woman takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes. Her hands stop glowing, and when she opens her eyes, all Harry sees is a familiar sapphire color. He realizes who it is once her hair settles. It was that same silver/lavender color that Amber had.

“Amber?” His eyebrows shoot up as he looks at her. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing that you need to concern yourself with. Get out of here, now.” Her eyes glow again, as well as her hands, and she shoots up into the night sky without another word.

“What in the actual fuck?” Harry says to himself.

Harry woke up to his alarm the next morning not feeling groggy at all. In fact, he had never felt so refreshed after a night’s sleep! He quickly grabs his phone and opens the notes app before forgetting his dream. It was so bizarre and weird, he wasn’t quite sure what it meant, if anything at all. Why would he have a dream about Amber? And why would he dream about her glowing the way she did? He hadn’t watched Harry Potter recently, or anything of the like.

He gets dressed for the day, and decides to go into the shop for his morning coffee. The place was already bustling with early birds. Amber was behind the counter getting coffee and tea orders out. It astounded Harry that she was able to do so much by herself. He waits in line, saying hello to some of his students in the process.

“Good morning, what can I…oh, hi, Harry.” Amber sighs. “What would you like?”

“I’ll take an iced coffee, please, black.” He smiles as she nods. “That tea really put me to sleep last night. You were right, I had an odd dream.” She freezes for a moment as she scoops the ice cubes into the cup. “You were in it, actually.”

“That’ll be $3.50.” She says flatly as she sets the cup of coffee down on the counter. He hands her his card, and she runs it through the machine.

“You’re not even the least bit curious as to what I dreamed about?”

“Nope.” She smirks. “I don’t need to hear about your wet dreams.”

“It wasn’t a…I didn’t…” He shakes his head as his face flushes. “It wasn’t like that.”

“I’ve got a line of customers waiting.” She slides his card back to him.

“Can we talk later?”

“Harry, whatever it was, it was just a dream. So I was in it, so what? I’m flattered you were thinking of me, but don’t worry about it.”

“It’s just that…the strangest thing happened. Your eyes were glowing, and your hands were too, but, like, a different type of glowing, and we were in this forest. Oh! And you were, like, flying or floating, or something like that. Your hair was kind of glowing too.”

“You read too much fiction.” She rolls her eyes. “Buh-bye.”

“But-“

“Next!” She shouts, and it makes him flinch. He grabs his drink and leaves. Amber looks down at Opal, who was about to say something, but Amber shakes her head as to warn her.

“Amber, we need to talk about this.”

“Later, I have customers.” She whispers down at Opal, and looks at the next person in line. “Good morning.” She smiles.

Harry was so distracted during his classes, he ended up showing the movie version of The Grapes of Wrath to his fiction workshop class. It worked with the unit they were since they were discussing historical fiction. He wanted to know why Amber was so cold to him even though she was plenty kind to just about everyone else that stepped through her shop. He also wanted to discuss his dream with her. It felt so real, and he wanted to know why. He had a few students come see him during his office hours, and he tried to be as present as possible for those. There was one girl in his fiction class that came to just about all of his office hours, and normally he didn’t mind, but he had a lot of course work to do, and some grading to get done. He was also in a rush to get back to the shop.

“Hi, Professor Styles.” Whitney smiles.

“Hi, Whitney.” Harry sighs as she sits down.

“Are you feeling alright today?”

“Just a little stressed. I’ve got some work for the classes I’m taking to get done.”

“It’s so cool that you’re a grad student. You’re so good at teaching, I never would have guessed you weren’t a full professor.” She had a tendency to flirt with him. She was a senior, and twenty-one. In any other scenario, Harry probably would have gone for it since he was only a few years older, but he wasn’t about to start dating a student.

“Thanks, that means a lot. Listen, uh, I know we usually chat for a bit, but I really need to get some work done, so unless this is class related…”

“Oh.” She sits up a little straighter. “Um, I guess I don’t really have any questions…I will say, watching the movie helped me understand the book a little better. I was supposed to read it in high school, but I just used spark notes back in the day.”

“Good! I’m glad you have a better understanding of the themes.”

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later. Have a good weekend!”

“Thanks, Whitney, you too.”

They smile at each other before she leaves. He runs a hand through his hair, and attempts to get some of his grading done. Once he makes a decent enough dent, he packs his things and heads to the shop. He finds an open table to sit at, and gets to work on his courses. He was sitting near one of the aisles with the mood enhancing tea.

“I’m telling you, I’ve never been so wet in my life.” Normally, Harry wouldn’t eavesdrop, but a sentence like that was something he couldn’t just ignore. “This stuff really works.”

“Okay, but how was Robbie?”

“Hard as a rock, and desperate to please. He went down on me for, like, twenty minutes! He said I never tasted so good. We fucked for, like, an hour total. It was incredible. I’m definitely buying this stuff again. I couldn’t recommend it enough.”

“Does it taste good?”

“Mhm, like strawberries. I think that’s why it makes for such a good aphrodisiac. There’s a chocolate flavor too, but Amber said that one’s really strong, and it’s better to start out with the strawberry flavor.”

“Oh, damn, I’ll have to ask her about it then. Look, she restocked the anti-anxiety tea! The blueberry flavor is my absolute favorite.”

“I like the lemon, personally, but to each their own.”

Harry couldn’t believe what he heard, more so at the beginning of the girls’ conversation. How the fuck was he supposed to concentrate on his work now? He needed to wait out the customers like he did the night before. Opal comes trotting over to him like usual.

“Hey, there, pretty girl.” He pats the top of her head. “Thought about you today. You gonna curl up around my feet again?” Opal does just that and lets out a such that makes Harry chuckle. As the sun sets, and less people are in the shop, Harry finishes up his work. He notices Amber wiping down the tables. “Hey.” He says to her, standing up and walking over to her. “Could we talk?”

“Is this still about your dream? I told you might have some weird, vivid ones with it being your first time drinking the tea.”

“It’s just…I don’t know why I would have dreamt something like that. I asked you what was wrong, and you told me it was nothing I needed to worry about.”

“Hm, sounds like dream me is a lot like the actual me.” She smirks. Harry frowns slight, and she sighs. “You’re really worked up about this, huh?”

“A little, yeah.”

Amber looks down at Opal, and then back to Harry.

“I wish I could be more help, but it was just a dream, Harry. Try having some more tea tonight and see what you dream about.” She looks down at her watch. “I need to close up early, I have somewhere to be in a bit.”

“Oh, uh, do you have a date, or something?”

“What? No.” She scoffs. “I take Opal for a long walk on Friday nights. She gets antsy if we don’t leave on time.”

“Is that safe?”

“Of course it is.” She blinks at Harry. “We just go walking through some of the neighborhoods with the students live off campus.”

“Could I join you? Haven’t explored the area all that much.”

“Wouldn’t it be weird for you? In case you run into your students?”

“Nah.” He shrugs. “Doubt they’ll recognize me in the dark.”

“Let him come with us.” Opal says, and Amber glares down at her. “I know we were going for a hunt, but it might be good to get to know him better. His dream could mean something.”

“Ugh, fine!” Her voice startles Harry a bit. “Be at your door in ten minutes with some sensible shoes on.” She looks down at the loafers he’s wearing. “You’ll wanna wear sneakers, Grandpa.”

//

Ten minutes later, Harry was waiting outside his door for Amber. He decided to wear his light-wash jeans and a windbreaker, along with his glasses. Amber came down the stairs with Opal wearing a long black jacket, and black jeans tucked into a pair of combat boots. Her hair was down for a change, Harry thought it looked beautiful.

“Ready?” She asks him.

“Mhm, you’re not going to put a leash on Opal?”

“Nah, she’s not the type to run away.” They both head down the stairs and out the back door to the street. They make their way to the off-campus neighborhood.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, how long have you been dying your hair that color? It’s really pretty.”

“Huh?”

“Your roots never show either, do you touch it up at home?”

“I don’t dye my hair.”

“Amber, remember who you’re talking to.” Opal says.

“I mean, uh, I have a hairdresser do it.” She smiles weakly at Harry. “I go every six weeks like clockwork. My hair’s, uh, naturally blonde, so my roots don’t show.”

“Really? But your eyebrows are so dark?”

“Dye those too.” Amber hated lying about herself, but there was nothing she could really do about it. “I don’t really like talking about myself, um, let’s talk about you. How come you’re going to grad school here and teaching?”

“Well, I love literature, reading and whatnot. I have a degree in English Education, but I wanna teach at a collegiate level, so I got into the master’s program here, and they’re letting me teaching. I’m technically a grad assistant, but I have my own classes.” They cross the street, and head up a slight hill. “Sort of hurt a bit when you said you hated reading.” He chuckles.

“I’m not going to apologize for that. I genuinely hate it if it’s not for research.”

“Did something make you not like reading as a kid?”

“I didn’t have much of a chance to read as a kid.” She mutters. “I went to an agricultural boarding school growing up, not much time for reading fantasy books when you’re working the land.”

“Wow! Why’d you do that?”

“I didn’t really have of a choice.”

“How come?”

“I just didn’t. I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Well, is that how you got so good at making tea and coffee? I overheard some girls talking earlier, uh, you make an aphrodisiac?”

“I make a few, yeah. What did you hear?”

“That they work really well.” He smirks.

“They do. I only put out the best.”

“What would make you put out a product like that?”

“Sex sells.” She grins at him.

“Have you ever tested your product?”

“Sure, I test all of them to make sure they work properly.”

“And you found that it worked properly?” He smirks.

Amber is about to make a smart remark when she hears a blood curdling scream. She and Opal look at each other before sprinting off in the direction of the scream. Harry’s puzzled, and concerned, so he runs after them. He couldn’t believe how fast Amber could run. They all hear the scream again, and run towards the beginning of one of the walking trails. Harry loses sight of Amber and Opal as they run deeper into the woods. Harry’s stumped on where they could have gone. He uses the flashlight on his phone to help him see better.

“Help!” He hears a woman yell, and runs towards the sound.

When he gets closer, he starts getting major déjà vu. It was just like his dream. He stops short when he finds Amber and Opal. Opal’s eyes were glowing a striking blue and so were Amber’s. Amber’s necklace was glowing bright orange too. There was a woman on the ground, knocked unconscious. There was some odd shadow looming over her. All of a sudden, Amber’s hands start glowing, and what looks like electricity comes from her fingertips. It latches around the shadow like shackles, and it bellows a horrible sound.

“Who sent you?!” Amber yells to the shadow, but before she can get an answer, it vanishes. “Son of a bitch!”

“Amber.” Opal says. “Harry…”

Amber looks over at Harry, who she had completely forgotten about. Her necklace, eyes, and hands stop glowing. She looks down at the woman on the ground. She looked like a college student. Amber sighs, and raises her hands up, thus levitating the woman.

“Can you carry her? I’ll explain later.” Amber says.

Harry nods, and cautiously takes the woman in his arms, carrying her bridal style. Amber puts her hand on one of Harry’s shoulders, and blinks. Next thing Harry knows, they’re back on one of the streets in the neighborhood. Amber places her hand on the girl’s forehead, and takes a deep breath. Her eyes glow for a moment before she takes her hand away. She snaps her fingers, and the girl disappears from Harry’s arms.

“What the fu-“ Amber snaps her fingers again, and they’re in her apartment. “Fuck!” Harry pants, totally freaked out.

“Okay, calm down.”

“Calm down? Calm down?! How do you expect me to calm down?!”

“If you don’t then she won’t be able to explain.” Opal says.

“Did she just talk?” Harry points to Opal.

“Yeah…she must be allowing you to hear her.” Amber shrugs.

“Right.” Harry’s eyes roll back, and he faints, dropping to the floor.

“And here I was thinking I’d have to force him to drink some tea to make him think this was all a dream.”

“Don’t you think he deserves an explanation? He literally had a dream where something similar happened! What if he’s some sort of mage too, but just doesn’t know it?”

“How could he not know it?”

“Not everyone’s born into it like you were. Maybe something drew him here, and maybe things activated when he drank the tea.”

“What do you want me to do, wake him up and explain everything to him? No way, I’m not diving in deep with a stranger.”

“But if you just-“

“Enough!” Amber’s eye glow warningly. “What I say goes.” She snaps her fingers, sending Harry down to his own bed. “He’ll just think he had another wild dream.”

“Wouldn’t that be suspicious?”

“Not if I give him something.” She grins. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Amber snaps herself down to Harry’s bedroom. She sprinkles some dried strawberry dust over his open mouth. “Sweet dreams.” She nearly cackles, and snaps herself back upstairs. “With the dream he’s about to have, he won’t be recalling a damn thing. It’s better if he doesn’t know.”

“We’ll see about that, stubborn girl.”

//

Harry wakes up Saturday in a cold sweat. He couldn’t remember how he ended up in bed, or taking his clothes off. He rips the blankets back and winces when the cold air hits his stiffy. He was used to being hard in the morning, but not like this. His prick was swollen and throbbing, begging to be taken care of.

“Jesus fucking Christ.” He spits into his hand and grips himself.

He hisses from his own touch. He tries to remember last night. He recalls going for a walk, and then not much else. He jerks himself off until he comes. When he does, he swears a wank has never felt so good. He makes a proper mess of his tummy and heads for the shower. As he’s washing his hair, he notices he’s still hard, like, really hard. Not the post orgasm hard before he softens, it was like he hadn’t come at all. He sighs heavily, and starts pumping himself again. He grips at the tile on the walls as he whimpers and whines until he comes again.

When he gets out of the shower, and walks towards his dresser, he feels a throbbing between his legs. He looks down and sees that he’s hard again. Now he’s just annoyed. He had no idea what was going on. Unfortunately, he knew it wasn’t gonna go away on its own, so he jerks off a third time. He gets dressed, and goes upstairs to Amber’s apartment. He knocks on the door, but doesn’t hear anything.

“Amber, you home?!” He knocks again, but there’s nothing. She didn’t open until noon on Saturdays, where could she be?

He heads down the stairs, and peers into the shop, but doesn’t see anyone. He hears some noises coming from the basement door. He sighs and goes over to it. He knows he’s not supposed to go down there, but he needed answers. He knocks on the door loudly.

“Amber, you down there?!” He jiggles the door handle, and much to his surprise, it’s unlocked. “Amber?” Harry makes his way downstairs, and is stunned with what he sees. There were dozens of bookcases filled with old looking books, and bottles full of different liquids and leaves.

“Harry!” Amber shouts as she storms towards him. “You’re not supposed to be down here!”

“The door was unlocked.”

“Fucking.” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “I’ll have to talk with Penny. Go upstairs, now.”

“What is all of this stuff?”

“It doesn’t concern you.”

“Is this a weird meth lab or something? Are you a drug dealer? Is that what you’re really selling to the students?” He gasps for a moment. “Are you selling them ecstasy?”

“What?! You’re a fucking moron!”

“Then explain what’s going on because I woke up with a raging boner this morning, and it took a really long time for it to go away, and I also can’t remember a thing that happened last night, so I want some answers!”

“Wait, you woke up the boner?”

“How is that the thing you’re focusing on?”

“You were supposed to have a wet dream. Did you dream about anything?”

“No, one second I was on a walk and the next I woke up in my bed all sweaty and hard.”

“Weird.”

“You’re telling me. Now-“

“No, it’s weird because what I gave you had a delayed effect.”  She walks over to one of the shelves and pulls out a book. She flips through one of the pages. “Ohhhh.” She nods, closes the book, and puts it back. “I sprinkled some strawberry dust in your mouth from my dried stash, it’s extremely potent, that’s why I make it into a tea. Um, when it’s used the way I used it…it’s supposed to make you have a wet dream. I think it delayed because you passed out last night.”

“I did?!”

“Yes.” She sighs, and snaps her fingers, bringing them to her apartment.

“Amber, I’m about two seconds away from-“

“Have a seat.” She points to her couch, and sits down. He sits down next to her, but not too close.

“Where’s Opal?”

“Out shopping with Penny. She upset with me because of last night. She wanted me to tell you everything, but I didn’t want to. I guess I don’t really have a choice now.”

“What do you mean she wanted you to tell me?” Harry blinks.

“May I press my forehead to yours? It’ll be easier to explain that way.”

“Um, sure?”

Amber grips the back of Harry’s neck, pulling him closer. It was almost like she was about to kiss him, but she doesn’t. She presses her forehead to Harry’s, and her eyes start glowing. Harry suddenly has flashes of everything from the night before. She lets go of him, and gives him a moment to process everything.

“Holy shit.” He says, blinking a few times. “So my dream did mean something.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. You had some sort of vision, and I have no idea why.”

“What are you then?”

“I’m a mage.”

“Which is what?”

“Well, it’s sort of like a witch, but less spooky. I can cast spells, and I have other abilities. I was born into it. My hair color is naturally like this, that’s why you haven’t seen my roots grow out.”

“Your necklace was glowing last night too. Does that have anything to do with it?”

“I’ve had this since I was born. It helps enhance things.” She grips the jewel for a moment. “It also keeps me safe.”

“From who?”

“People who might want me for their own selfish needs. I’ve been trying to track this…this thing down. A demon of some kind attacked Opal last spring. I thought I was close to finding it last night, but that shadow was just a minion.”

“Do you know why something might have attacked her?”

“We’ve…wait a second, you’re taking all of this in a little too easily. You’re not freaked out?”

“Most of the fiction I read is fantasy based.” He shrugs. “Besides, it’s hard to doubt something when you see it with your own eyes. So, why do you think something attacked her?”

“We’ve been trying to figure it out for months! We were out in the woods at night collecting some leaves. I turned my back for a second and I heard her yelp out. It was terrible. Luckily, it left before it could do some real damage. I don’t want it hurting her, or any of the college students. Seems like it’s back.”

“Can I ask…why have a shop that’s so obviously full of magic?”

“A lot of people are into natural healing methods these days. And this is a pretty granola town.” She shrugs. “I’ve been here the last four years. Things took off quickly.”

“Where were you before?”

“I told, you I went to an agricultural boarding school. It was for kids like me. I…don’t really know my parents, and I don’t have any siblings. They kind of just send you off once you’re of age to go to pre-school.”

“That sounds terrible.”

“It wasn’t.” She shakes her head. “Well, it was and it wasn’t. I learned how to keep myself safe, and learn how to properly use my powers. They let you leave when you’re twenty. I had all my firsts there. My first kiss, my first love, my first heartbreak.” She sighs.

“Is Penny a mage too?”

“Sort of.” Amber smiles. “She’s more a mother to me than my own. She practically raised me. When I left the school I asked her to come with me, and she agreed.”

“When did you get Opal?”

“When you’re little, around the age of six, they take you to a farm so you can connect with an animal. She was the cutest puppy I had ever seen. I bonded with her right away. We ran around and played and laughed. Opal’s my everything.”

“And she can talk with you and others telepathically?”

“Correct. She has to feel bonded to the people she allows to hear her. She’s felt comfortable with you since you got here…I’ve also been trying to figure that out. It pisses me off to no end that she likes you.”

“Why?” He chuckles.

“Because I can’t stand you. You’re so fucking positive and bouncy. You’re always in a good mood, it’s disgusting.” She grimaces.

“Well, I know being a mage can’t mean you’re crabby because Penny’s always delighted to see me.” He smirks. “It disgusts you that I’m happy?”

“Very much so, yes.” She nods.

“I can’t help it. I’ve got a great job, I’m studying something I’m interested in, and I get to see you every day. What could be better than that?”

“You’re happy because you get to see me every day?”

“Well, sure. You’re so interesting, and…I’m very attracted to you, but I’m sure that’s been obvious to you since I walked through the door.” He rubs the back of his neck as he blushes.

“I’m flattered, but I’m not really one for dating. I don’t have the time for it. Not when there’s a fucking demon on the loose that I can’t seem to track down.”

“Maybe I could help. Two heads are better than one.” He smiles.

“No, the only thing you can help with is keeping all of this to yourself. You can’t say a thing to anyone.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

She nods and takes her necklace off. Harry watches as she moves her fingers above the stone, and crates an amber ring from it.

“Here, you like to wear rings, so put this on.” She grabs one of his hands and slides the ring onto his pinky. “This will keep you safe. It’ll keep us connected.”

“Thank you for trusting me with all of this. Um, so about this morning…did you think I was going to be distracted by a saucy dream?” He smirks.

“It was supposed to make you forget everything entirely. I’m sorry it didn’t work right, that must have been painful. How many times did you, uh, you know, before it stopped?”

“Three.”

“Poor thing.” She pouts. “You must be exhausted.”

“I’m still a little tired, yeah.” He chuckles.

“Why don’t you go to take a nap? Penny and Opal should be back soon, and I need to catch them up on everything.”

“This isn’t some trick, right? You’re not going to try to cast a spell to make me forget?”

“No.” She chuckles. “I don’t see much use in it. Your body was clearly trying to fight off what I gave you.”

“Does, um, does it always last like that?”

“Oh, you mean staying hard after you come?”

“Yeah.” He blushes.

“Not if you fuck someone. If you’re alone and have to take care of it yourself it takes longer for it to wear off since you’re not exerting as much energy.” They both stand up and she walks him to her door. “Should have come knocking sooner, I could have helped you out.” She winks at him.

“That’s not funny.” He deadpans.

She laughs anyways, and sends him out. She snaps herself back to the basement where Opal and Penny are already waiting for her.

“Before so a word, I told him what he needed to know.” Amber tells them.

“The powder didn’t work?” Penny asks.

“No, apparently it didn’t kick in until just before he woke up. Poor thing had to jerk it three times.” Amber shrugs.

“See! This is why I think something is dormant within him. First, your tea causes him to have a vision. Second, the powder didn’t work. What did he say when you told him what was going on?” Opal says.

“He took it really well. The questions he asked were more for his understanding, to piece things together. He wasn’t freaked out at all.”

“Then that’s a third thing. We need to figure out what he is.”

“I know, but how? It’s not like I can experiment on him.” Amber sighs.

“I’ve heard of this before.” Penny says, padding over to one of the book shelves. She makes a motion with her hands to get one of the books on the top shelf down. She brings the book over to the lectern so she and Amber could look at it together. Penny flips through the pages, and finds what she’s looking for. “Ah-ha! Here it is. Long ago, there were families that left the coven, wanting to leave the magic behind. It was when a lot of those awful witch hunts became popular. After a few generations, the families became unaware of their abilities, thus the magic lying dormant within. Apparently, all it takes to ignite the magic is meeting another witch, and drinking something magical they made for them. You’ve been making him tea and coffee for almost two months! Then you gave him that tea sleepy-time tea that’s laced with magic. No wonder he had a vision.” Penny shakes her head.

“I wonder if deep down he felt a pull here…to Amber.”

“Could be.” Penny ponders. “I’ve seen that happening too. Certain covens did have truces back in the day. You two could have been from two separate covens, but bonded nonetheless.”

“If you’re getting into some weird soulmate shit, I’m gonna have to head out.” Amber says.

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Penny shakes her head. “When’s his birthday?”

“Um, February, I think.” Amber says.

“Then is birthstone would be an amethyst.” Opal says.

“If you look at any color wheel you’ll see that purple and yellow are polar opposites.” Penny says.

“But they’re also complimentary colors.”

“Can one of you just get to the point?!” Amber huffs.

“You’re not soulmates, but you are connected. In our various covens, those with citrine birthstones, like yours, and those with amethyst birthstones tended to make great pairs. They’re good at problem solving together.”

“I made him a ring from my stone…should I add an amethyst to it?”

“No.” Opal says. “No, he’ll need that ring to stay as it is for safety. We need to get him his own necklace with the stone. Then we can see if it glows.”

“If it glows…he’s a mage.” Penny states.

“Great, where the fuck am I supposed to get a pure amethyst on such short notice?” Amber pinches the bridge of her nose. “Not to mention getting it welded into a necklace.”

“You’ll have to take him out to the Four Peaks Mine in Arizona. I can run the shop while you’re gone. You’ll take Opal with you, simple as that.”

“It’s not simple. He has classes to teach, and there’s a demon on the loose!”

“Yes, but you might be able to ward it off together. It’s Saturday, we could get there quick, and be back by tomorrow night. Plenty of time.” Opal says.

“That’s a long way to snap us there. We’ll need to sleep there tonight so I get gain my strength back.” Amber says.

“Then so be it.” Penny says. “I can handle things here. We’re only open a half day tomorrow as is. Where is he now?”

“Napping.” Amber sighs. “I’ll go wake him up. Opal, be ready in five?”

Opal nods, and Amber snaps herself into Harry’s apartment. She walks into his bedroom where he’s sleeping soundly. Poor thing was knackered. She sits on the edge of his bed, and gently pulls him out of sleep. His eyes flutter open slowly.

“Amber?”

“Hi.” She smiles softly. “We have to go to Arizona for the night to get you an amethyst stone.”

“Um, okay…why?” He sits up a bit.

“It’s your birthstone, just as this is mine.” She points to her necklace. “We need to test something, and we need the pure substance to do so. We may be connected somehow, yellow and purple are complimentary colors.”

“Can I ask you something? If the birth stone is so important, why don’t you glow yellow instead of blue?”

“Blue and yellow are also complimentary colors, just as green and purple are. I was born in November, so it was already obvious what my stone would be, but when my parents saw my eyes for the first time…they knew I’d be powerful. Not all citrines are born with such blue eyes, only the most powerful. Your eyes are very green, so you may be quite powerful yourself, but we won’t know anything until we get to the mine. Pack an overnight bag, and be downstairs in five minutes.”

Without another word, she snaps herself out of his room, leaving him speechless.

“I’m really starting to hate it when she does that.” He says to himself before getting out of bed.

//

It was dusk by the time Amber was able to snap herself, Harry, and Opal to Arizona. Their first task was to find a motel to stay at for the night before heading to the mine. The biggest challenge was finding one that was pet friendly.

“The mines will be too dangerous for you two. I’ll go and bring back what we need by morning.”

“I can’t let you go alone.”

“Amber, you’ll know if something’s wrong. I’ll check in with you. Just get a room and rest up.”

Opal sprinted off into the night while Amber and Harry went to the check in area of the closest motel. They go inside to see what the vacancy situation is. An older gentleman was behind the desk.

“Good evening, folks.” He smiles warmly.

“Hi, we’d like a room with two queens please.” Amber says.

“Let me just double check if we have that available.” The man goes onto the computer on his desk. “Unfortunately, our last available room with two queens has already been reserved by a family of four coming in. I do, however, one room with a full left. Would that work?”

“A full is so tiny.” Amber frowns. “Is there at least a couch in the room?”

“A small loveseat.”

“Ugh, alright, we’ll take it.” She sighs, and gives him her credit card. Harry can’t hide the smirk on his face as the man types away at his computer. Amber glares at him briefly before taking her card back, and getting the room key.

“Enjoy your stay.” The man smiles at both of them.

“Can’t you just cast some sort of spell to make the bed bigger?” Harry asks once they’re in the room.

“No, that’s not how that works. I can’t change the molecular composition of a mattress like that. I’m also too weak to perform that kind of magic even if I wanted to. Snapping us across the country took a lot out of me, and I need to rest so I can get us home tomorrow.” She closes and locks the door behind them.

“What exactly will finding this amethyst do?”

“Well, I’ll turn it into a necklace, put it on you, and we’ll see if it glows.”

“And if it does?”

“Then you’re a mage, and we’ll have some bigger fish to fry.” She sits down on the edge of the bed and takes her boots off. “I’m gonna go wash up, and then I’m turning in. I brought some tea so we can get to sleep.” She makes her way into the bathroom. Harry goes in after her. When he’s done, she hands him a cup of tea.

“Thanks…do you think I’ll have a weird vision again?”

“You could.” Amber shrugs. “I have no idea.” She goes through her bag and pulls out a night shirt and pajama bottoms. “Turn around.”

Harry does so quickly while she changes. He grabs his own pajama pants to throw on, and stays in his tee shirt. Once they’re done with their tea, they both climb into bed. It wouldn’t be a big deal, but there was little wiggle room, and Harry was a broad, tall guy. They were shoulder to shoulder, squished in the small bed.

“Could be worse, could have been a room with just a twin.” Harry says to break the tension.

“Why in the fuck would there be a motel room with just a twin bed in it?”

“I don’t know, I was just saying.” He shrugs, and turns his head to look at her. “Clearly, there are stranger things out there than that.” He smirks.

“Go to sleep, Harry.” She rolls away from him onto her side.

“You’re making a bigger deal out of this than it needs to be. You’ve never shared a bed with someone before?”

Amber sighs heavily and rolls back onto her back to look at him better.

“I have, but these are tight quarters if you haven’t noticed, and you told me you were attracted to me-“

“So? You think I’m going to disrespect you and take advantage of the situation? I’m not that kind of guy.”

“I didn’t say you were. I just feel…nervous. It’s been a while since I shared a bed with a man, that’s all. You’re pretty, um, attractive yourself, so…there’s that.” Her face had to be beat red right now, she could feel it.

“Well, look who’s expressing their feelings!” Harry gasps. “Who knew this side to you even existed?”

“Don’t be sarcastic with me, Harry. You don’t know what it was like growing up the way I did. It was really hard at times. We were basically like grounded nomads.”

“M’sorry.” He turns on his side to face her easier. “Would you, uh, would you want to have a cuddle while we drift off? Doesn’t have to mean anything, but I know you’re worried about Opal, could help you calm down some.”

Amber nods and turns back over so Harry can spoon her. He doesn’t fully press his pelvis to her bum, he didn’t want to push it and make her uncomfortable. She did feel better having his arm wrapped around her. They both drift off easily after settling, the tea kicking in.

In his dream, Harry’s brought to a large estate, like a mansion from 1800’s London. There was a large field as well, a gentle breeze flowing. It looked like it was a beautiful day. He goes walking for a bit and finds this gorgeous tree that had a few tire swings attached to it. He stops short when he sees Amber. She looked a little younger, her hair was much longer, tied back in a flowing braid, and she was wearing a black, off the shoulder maxi dress with buttons running down the front. She had her arms crossed over chest, and she didn’t look happy with the young man she was speaking with. Harry creeps a little closer to hear what they’re talking about.

“Is what Opal told me true, yes or no?” Amber says to him.

“Amber-“

“Yes, or no, Max.” She scowls at him.

“What exactly did she tell you?”

“That you’ve been practicing dark magic in the woods at night.”

“She’s never liked me.” He scoffs. “I can’t believe you’re going to believe that mat over me.”

“Be very careful with how you speak about her.” Amber’s eyes start glowing.

“Settle down.”

“Answer the question.”

“Yes, okay, yes…I’ve been practicing dark magic.”

“Why?! You know it’s against the rules.”

“Well, it shouldn’t be. It does more good than harm, everyone is just too scared because it’s powerful.”

“You’re going to get expelled if one of the elders catches you. Do you want to be thrown out into the world before you’re ready?”

“We’re eighteen, Amber, we can do whatever we want. We could leave here together, and never come back. This place is a prison.”

“This place keeps us safe. You know as well as I do we can’t leave until we’re at least twenty.”

“Since when do you follow every single rule, huh? Where’s the girl that sneaks off into my room at night?” He steps closer to her, caressing one of her cheeks.

“That’s totally different.” She swats his hand away. “You shouldn’t be messing with that shit. If Opal saw you, others could too.”

“So I’ll be more careful.”

“Or you could stop. If you don’t…if you don’t then it’s over between us.”

Max’s dark brown eyes start to glow, along with the jewel hanging from the chain around his neck. It looked like aquamarine. Brown and blue were opposites as well. Maybe those gems had a connection too? He couldn’t be sure, a lot of this was confusing. Amber’s eyes were glowing again to match Max’s energy. Both sets of their hands started glowing as well.

“You’d throw away everything between us over something so small?!” He yells at her.

“This isn’t small, this is serious! Don’t make me strike you, Max.” There were tears streaming down her cheeks.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

With a flick of her wrist, she blasts him, knocking him down to the ground. She hovers over him, ready to serve another blow.

“I’m so disappointed in you.” She says to him.

“You don’t know what you’ve just started.” He grits his teeth.

“Actually, pretty sure I just finished it. Goodbye, Max.”

Harry blinks, and all of a sudden he’s in a forest at night. He could hear growling. He runs in the direction of the noise and sees Opal growling towards a man. It was Max. Harry’s eyes widen as he watches Max chant something, striking a blow towards Opal. Harry tries to save her, but he’s frozen in his place.

“Opal?!” He hears Amber yell, and Max disappears. “Opal! Oh my god!” She drops to the ground, her body going over Opal’s and snapping them away from the scene.

Harry’s eyes burst open, and he sits up right away. Amber’s not in the bed anymore. Before he has a heart attack, he hears her coming out of the bathroom.

“Morning.” She yawns. “Opal’s about five minutes away. How’d you sleep?”

“Amber, uh, when Opal got attacked, did she ever say what it was, or who it was that attacked her?”

“No.” Amber shakes her head. “She couldn’t remember a thing. I think whatever it was put a hex on her memory of the event. Why?”

“I had a really unsettling dream.” He blinks a few times and looks at her. Before he can say anything else, Opal appears in the room, letting a large amethyst fall from her mouth.

“You wouldn’t believe the digging I had to do to get this, but it’s a good one.” She says. “You both slept in that tiny bed?”

“Not the time. Go drink some water.” Amber snatches the amethyst. It hovers above her palm. Her eyes glow, and in seconds it’s transformed into a slide on a necklace. “Let’s do this first, and then we can talk about your dream, okay?” She says to Harry as she comes over to him. Opal hops up on the bed, and Amber sits beside Harry. “Close your eyes.” She says softly, and he does so. She places the necklace over his head, and the gem rests on his chest.

The amethyst starts to hover and glow. Amber and Opal look at each other.

“Is anything happening?” Harry asks.

“Open your eyes.” Amber says.

Harry opens his eyes, and they’re glowing a bright green. He gasps when his looks down at the floating amethyst. He looks down at his hands and sees that they’re glowing too.

“How do I turn it off?!” Harry yelps in fear.

“Don’t panic! Give it a moment, the gem is bonding with you, just breathe.” Amber says.

A few moments pass before the gem rests on Harry’s chest once more. He eyes and hands stop glowing as well, and he takes a deep breath.

“What does all of this mean?” He asks them.

“You’re a mage, your abilities have been dormant for quite some time. You’re definitely more powerful than most, you’ll have to learn how to hone in on it.” Opal explains.

“I guess that would explain the vision-type dreams. I…Amber, I saw your break up with someone named Max. You got into a fight because he was performing dark magic. Then I was in the woods where Opal was attacked. It was him who attacked her, not some random demon.”

“What?!” Amber’s eyes flash for a moment. “I’ll kill him, I’ll-“

“No, Amber, that’s the exact rage he wants you to feel.” Opal says. “But we do need to track him down before he does more damage around town. Those college kids don’t deserve his wrath.”

//

When they all got back Sunday evening, Amber explained everything to Penny. She was beyond infuriated, and reached out to the other elders back at the boarding school to let them know what was going on. Harry was taking in a lot of information in, but he was doing well at not freaking out. Penny took him aside to calmly explain to him was his powers meant, and that there was a code of ethics he’d need to read up on and follow. Now that Amber knew Max was involved, she needed to figure out a way to track him down, and fast.

//

The weeks go on, no shadows lurking, no demons, and no Max. Amber, Penny, and Opal take advantage of the quiet to train Harry in their spare time. Lucky for them, he was a fast reader, and a quick learner. He was picking up certain spells naturally. He knew it would take a while to get as good as Amber at all of this, but he was happy with the progress he was making. He had never felt more like himself in his life. Penny had them working on combination spells, and boy were they powerful. The blue and green glows mixed beautifully.

“I have a feeling he may strike on Halloween.” Opal says to them one evening.

“Wouldn’t that be sort of cliché?” Harry asks.

“Please, Max lives for shit like that. He probably thinks it’ll be the perfect cover since we usually go out on Halloween.” Amber says.

“What do you do?”

“Penny stays back to hand out candy to the little kids, and Opal and I usually go around making sure there aren’t any creatures looking for trouble.”

“If Opal thinks he may strike on Halloween, then I think I know where we could wait for him. If I draw out where I had that original vision, do you think you’d know where in the woods it is?”

“It’s worth a try.” Opal says.

Opal knew exactly where Harry was talking about after looking over the picture he drew. Halloween was only a few days away, they needed to prepare. Harry was about to get ready for bed when there was a knock on his door. He looks through the peephole to see Amber, and he smiles.

“Hi, there.” He says as he opens the door.

“Hi, may I come in?”

“Of course.” She nods and comes inside. She had on an oversized shirt and pajama pants. Harry smirks to himself as he closes the door. “So, what’s up?”

“Nothing, I just…well, I just wanted to say that I’m really proud of you.”

“For what?”

“Taking all of this so well, for jumping in without a second thought. You’re doing really well with the lessons, and I know it’s got to be stressful because you’re trying to balance this whole mess along with getting your master’s and teaching.” She chews on her bottom lip. “I know Penny is really good at giving praise, but I’m not always so good at it…that’s what the kids at the boarding school used to tell me when I’d work with them anyways, so I just wanted to make sure I told you how proud I am. I really couldn’t stand you when we first met, but I like you a lot more now.”

He knew the last part was a joke, so he laughs before responding.

“Thanks, that means a lot. When I’m passionate about something, I tend to just dive right in, and I usually aim to please.” He steps a little closer to her. “Is that all you came down here for? To praise me?”

She narrows her eyes at him while her cheeks turn a bright red. He was making her nervous, and she hated feeling that way.

“What else would I have come down here for?” She puts her hands on her hips.

“I don’t know, you tell me. Typically, when a girl comes knocking at my door after midnight, she’s looking for something very particular.”

Amber scoffs and shakes her head. She crosses her arms as she smirks at him.

“Mm, I bet you’d love it if I came down here to seduce you. You strike me as the type that likes to hear a woman beg for your cock. Am I right about that, Harry? You’re so nice and sweet all day long, do you like to get a little mean in the bedroom?” She raises her eye brows playfully. “No, maybe you like it when your woman gets a little mean, or maybe it’s a mix of both.”

“You know what I think?”

“Tell me.”

“I think that whoever you’ve slept with in the past never pleased you in the way that you need to be pleased.”

“And how do I need to be pleased?”

“Probably with a lot of tongue, I’m guessing.” He watches as Amber’s pupils dilate just the smallest amount. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To feel all warm and wet between your thighs.”

“I’ve got a toy that does that for me. Perfectly mimics the feeling of someone sucking on my clit.”

“Can’t beat the real thing.”

“Sure it can.” She shrugs. “It gets me panting, mining, screaming. And it gets me absolutely soaked. Probably squirted for all I know.” She pushes past him to walk towards his door. “Sleep well, Harry.”

“How am I supposed to sleep knowing that right above me you’re soaking your own sheets?” He pouts at her.

“Drink some tea, you’ll sleep just fine.” She winks, and out the door she goes.

Harry groans to himself, and heads to the kitchen to make himself some tea. There’s no way he’d sleep on his own tonight.

//

“I should be going with you two.”

“No, you’ll stay here with Penny where it’s safe. Dark magic can’t infiltrate the shop. You’re his target, so we’ll have a fake you set up.” Amber says. Both her and Harry were dressed in all black. She takes his hand in hers, and she snaps them out to the forest. “We’ll have to travel the rest of the way on foot.” She tells Harry.

“When we get there, and we catch him…what exactly are you going to do.”

“I’m going to take his powers away. I should have done it a long time ago.”

“You know how to do that?”

“Yes, Penny taught me how. It’s only for extreme circumstances, but I know how to sort of, like, bend the energy from him. His stone will go black, and that’ll be it.”

“So…all of this is because he thinks you broke up with him because of something Opal saw him do?”

“It’s more than that.” Amber sighs. “He was always jealous…I put Opal first a lot. He didn’t have the same relationship with his animal guide, and eventually he parted from it. That can break something within you. It’s probably why he turned to the dark magic in the first place. I tried to be there for him, but we started fighting a lot more, and when Opal told me what she saw, that was the last straw for me.”

“How long were you together for?”

“Well, I’d known him my whole life, but we got together when we were sixteen, so two years. He was my first everything. I’ve had other relationships, but it’s tough dating a non-mage. Everything has to be a secret; it’s exhausting.”

“Hearing you say that helps me make sense of my own dating life. I never felt fully connected to any of my girlfriends, even when we were having sex. I felt like I was trying to force the passion or something.”

“God, you’re such a romantic.” She says in a disgusted tone. “It’s all that damn fiction you read.”

“Are you telling me you don’t want to have passionate sex?”

“No, but sometimes sex is just sex. You get your rocks off, zip back up, and get on with your day.”

“That doesn’t sound like much fun.”

“Have you ever fucked someone you hated?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone to be honest with you. I’ve not liked people before.”

“Okay, have you ever fucked someone you didn’t like?”

“Why would I do that?”

“You can be attracted to someone and hate their guts. It’s hot and lustful.” She smirks.

“Too bad we didn’t fuck when you hated me then. Could have been pretty steamy.”

“You’re an idiot.” She laughs. “Wait, I think we’re here. Get into positron.”

The two of them huddle behind a large tree. Amber’s eyes glow, and with a few twists of her fingers, a fake Opal is created. Amber acts as if the dog is a puppet, making her sniff around and dig. Harry quietly watches in amazement. Before long, a shadow appears, then a few more. Max appears with the shadows, his eyes glowing a reddish brown.

“You must think I’m a real idiot.” Max chuckles lowly, snapping his fingers and making the fake Opal vanish. “Come on out Amber.” Amber and Harry stand up, coming out from behind the tree. “Oh, look! You’ve brought a friend. Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between your mutt and an illusion?” He smirks.

“No, we knew you’d figure it out.” Amber says. “You’re such a sick fuck trying to hurt her when really it’s me you’re mad at. I broke your heart, and you blame her, but you did it to yourself. You knew I wouldn’t tolerate all of this.”

“You broke just about every rule you could at that boarding school!”

“Yeah, like sneaking into your room after hours, and breaking curfew, not messing with dark magic! It’s possessed you, your eyes aren’t supposed to glow red. I’ve grown fond of this town, and I won’t have you terrorizing defenseless kids because of me. This ends now.”

“Well, you’re about that, but I don’t think you’ll be satisfied with the outcome. See, I’m going to find Opal, and I’m going to make sure she learns that eavesdropping isn’t okay. I know she’s gotten older, but even old dogs can learn new tricks.”

Max’s hands and eyes start glowing, and he charges towards Amber.

“Harry, handle the shadows, I’ll take care of Max!” She yells just as she jumps into the air to avoid Max’s blow.

While Amber and Max cast spells at each other, Harry springs into action. He couldn’t fly or float, or whatever the fuck Amber’s able to do just yet, but he had gotten pretty good at casting key defense and offense spells. Max’s shadows were strong, getting the better of Harry a few times, but Harry’s eyes start glowing along with his gem, and then all bets are off for the shadows. He’s impressed with himself when he’s able to make them vanish. He looks over and sees Amber and Max rushing towards each other with an immense amount of rage. The blow they strike at the same time explodes, causing them both to be flung backwards. Amber’s back slams into a tree, making her fall to the ground.

“Amber!” Harry sprints over to her, cradling her face in his hands. “Come on, Love, wakeup.” He’s panicking now.

“I should have known.” Max says as he scrambles to his feet. Harry looks over at him. “An amethyst and a citrine, how cliché.” He scoffs. “You’re new to all of this, I can feel it. Why she’d spend her time with a mongrel like you is beyond me.” His hands start glowing again as he walks over to Harry. “Not to worry, once you and Opal are out of the picture, she’ll be all mine once more.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken.”

Harry lunges forward, tackling Max by the legs. He pins him down, and punches Max in the face. Max telepathically throws Harry off him. Harry casts spell after spell towards Max, but they’re all blocked.

“You’re weak, what could she possibly want with you?” Max laughs as he blocks another strike.

Amber’s eyes flutter open, and she sees the two men fighting. She rises off the ground, and gets high enough to have an arial view of them. She watches as Max throws Harry into a tree. That was the last straw. She takes a deep breath, and nose dives towards Max. He doesn’t see it coming as he’s forced into the ground. She pins him down and snatches the gem around his neck, and breaks the chain.

“What are you doing?!” He shouts.

“Something I should have done a long time ago. You’re too dangerous.” Amber shoots back up into the air, and Max follows her.

“Give it back!”

“No!”

She wraps the chain around her fist, and points her other arm out at him. The blue glow leaves her palm and goes right to Max’s heart. First, a red glow starts to leave his body, and soon it turns into Max’s original brown glow. They both start lowering to the ground. He’s screaming at the top of his lungs, and she has tears streaming down her cheeks. There’s a large flash of light, and then nothing.

“You have no idea what you’ve done.” He says weakly on his knees looking up at her.

“I know exactly what I’ve done.” She throws Max’s gem on the ground and steps on it, breaking it into tiny pieces. “I can’t believe I thought this would actually be a challenge.” She pushes him all the way down to the ground with her boot, and steps on his chest. “Only the weak turn to dark magic.”

“What am I supposed to do without my powers?” He asks weakly.

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask your friends?” The shadows come to surround Max. Amber steps back from him and watches as they circle around him. They look to her. “Unless you want to end up just like that, I strongly suggest you take him far away from here.” They all vanish. Amber had a feeling this fight was long from over, but for now Max wouldn’t be able to do any more damage. She rushes over to Harry who was still laying on the ground. “Harry!” She cradles his head into her lap and places her hand on his forehead.

“Amber?”

“Hey.” She smiles down at him.

“Did we win?”

“We did.” She nods. “You were so brave trying to battle him. I took his powers away, we should be safe for a while.”

“I bet Opal will be relieved.”

“Yeah, she will be. Let’s get back to the shop, yeah?”

Harry hums his response just as Amber snaps them to the shop. Penny and Opal were cleaning up from the trick or treating.

“You’re back!” Opal exclaims, running over to the two of them. Amber drops to her knees to hug her friend.

“I took his powers away. We could easily see him again, but not for a long time.” Amber says.

“I’m so proud of you.” Opal nuzzles her forehead to Amber’s. “I’m proud of you too, Harry.”

“I’m glad you’ll be safe now.” Harry scratches at Opal’s head.

“You two look knackered.” Penny says. “Here, I made some tea for you both, go upstairs and unwind for a bit. We can talk about everything in the morning.”

“Good idea, thank you. Where’s the tea?” Amber asks.

“I snapped it up to Harry’s apartment.” Penny smiles. “Go on, Opal and I can finish locking up.”

//

Harry and Amber make their way into his apartment. They see the tea on his coffee table, and sit down on his sofa. They’re quiet for a moment as they take a sip. It had the faintest hint of a coffee smell, which was peculiar. It should either taste like chamomile or vanilla. Amber was too tired to question it.

“I’m going to head up.” She says after finishing her tea. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Alright.” He smiles at her. “We can keep training together, right? I’d like to keep learning.”

“Of course.” She smiles. “You still have a lot to learn. Goodnight, Harry.”

“Night, sleep well.” He walks her to the door and watches as she heads upstairs.

Amber takes a quick shower, and changes into a tee shirt and bed shorts. Opal was already asleep on the daybed in the living room. Amber crawls into bed and sighs with relief. She tosses and turns for a bit. She felt wide awake now, like she had just been given a burst of energy. She huffs and puffs, getting more and more uncomfortable. She feels hot all over, and kicks her blankets back. Her thighs felt sweaty, so she dips her fingers inside her shorts and gasps. She was wet, incredibly wet. She sits up and remembers the tea.

“Fucking, Penny.” She groans. Coffee had a way of masking other smells. Amber gets out of bed, getting more and more frustrated with each step. Opal pops an eye open.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Why’d you let Penny give me the mood tea?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Seems like your problem will go away faster if you see Harry, though.”

“You’ll face my wrath in the morning.”

“Mhm, go have some fun.”

Amber makes her way down the stairs to Harry’s apartment. She bangs on his door, preying he wasn’t asleep already. After a few moments, he opens the door only wearing a pair of boxer briefs. He was holding a pillow over his crotch. Amber places her hands on either side of the doorframe.

“We have a problem.” She huffs. “Penny slipped us the wrong tea.”

“Was wondering why I got so hard once I got into bed.” He looks her up and down. “Why’d you come all the way down here?”

“Because if we don’t take care of it properly then we’ll be up all night, and I don’t feel like masturbating for hours on end until it stops.”

“Here I was thinking I’d have to wank off to just the thought of you.” He steps closer to her, dropping the pillow to the floor. Her eyes flicker down to his strained prick.

“I wanted us to go out on a proper date before we did anything like this.” Amber mutters. “Penny’s so pushy whenever she wants me to be with someone.”

“Do you ever listen to her?”

“No.”

“Seems like she took the necessary steps.” He hooks an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. “I’ll take you out to breakfast tomorrow morning, how’s that sound?”

“I’ve always wanted to go on a breakfast date.”

“You wanna do this? I can kiss you, touch you?” His lips ghost over hers.

“Please, take care of me. M’dripping.”

“For me?”

“For you.” She confirms. “This stuff is potent, but it works better when you have someone in mind that you really want to fuck.”

Harry groans and slots his mouth over hers. He brings her further into the apartment, and kicks the door closed. His hands cup her cheeks as they bump into various walls. She bites down on his bottom lip and he moans into her. He licks into her mouth and starts sucking on her tongue. She tugs on his hair and jumps up so he can carry her into his room. Her legs wrap securely around his waist, moaning into his mouth as he sucks on her bottom lip. He drops her onto his bed, a whine escaping her from the loss of his body. He smirks as he moves to hover over her, attaching his lips to her neck. He sponges wet kisses along her skin, and nibbles on her earlobe.

“What do you like, Amber?” He says into her ear, and her hips buck up into his.

“Anything right now would be good, I’m soaked.” She whimpers, and he moves to look at her.

“Because of the tea, or because you really want me, because I can’t fuck you if it’s just from the tea.”

“It’s a mix of both. The tea can bring out things you’re already feeling for someone else. I want you, I mean it, I’m not just saying it so you’ll fuck me. I…I like you, alright? I really do like you. I think about you when you’re not around, and the best part of my day is when you come into the shop after you’ve finished working for the day. You set up your stupid laptop and work on your stupid assignments, all while looking unapologetically handsome.”

“Why would you keep all of that to yourself for so long, hm?” He coos, brushing some hair away from her face.

“Because romance makes me sick, and so does being vulnerable.” She pouts at him.

“Well, lucky for you, I’m pretty good at both.” He presses his lips to her once more before shifting down her body. He tugs on her shorts, and she lifts her hips to help him take them off. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath, which made things much easier. His eyes widen when he sees how slick she is between her legs. “Christ, you weren’t kidding.”

“It hurts, please, just do something.” She whines again.

Harry smirks before licking over one of her inner thighs, and then the other. He licks over her slit, and she moans out in relief. He licks up to her clit and sucks harshly on it. He moans into her and presses down on her lower stomach. He slides two fingers inside her, and her head rolls back into his pillows. Harry thought she tasted amazing, and she was so wet and warm around his fingers. He was leaking into his boxers, he could feel it. He knew part of it was from the tea, but he also knew how he felt about her. He had been dreaming of this moment since the day he met her, and he couldn’t believe it was finally happening. The tips of his fingers pet against her g-spot, and her hands fly to his hair to grip onto. He continues to suck on her clit, trying not to bust in his boxers too soon. She cries out as she comes around his fingers. She gets her shirt off while he rids himself of his boxers. He comes back down to hover over her. He licks into her mouth as her arms wrap around her his neck. He ruts his hard cock against her folds.

“Do you want me to wear a condom?” He asks her as he starts to knead her breasts.

“N-no.” She shakes her head. “Are you okay with that? I…I’m clean.”

“So am I. Are you on the pill, or something?”

“I have an IUD, so you can come inside me if you want.”

“Is that what you want?”

“We’re going to be able to go for multiple rounds, and I want you to fill me up each time.”

“Fuck.” He groans, and spreads her legs farther apart.

He rubs his tip along her clit before pushing inside. Her nails dig into his shoulders, her mouth falling open from the stretch he was giving her. Her heels dig into the backs of his thighs, pulling him closer to her. Her hands trail down his back until they reach his bum, sinking her nails into the plushy skin.

“You feel so fucking good.” She gasps as he thrusts in and out of her.

“So do you.” He groans. “You’re so fucking tight, don’t know how long I’ll last.”

“It doesn’t matter, you’ll get hard again.”

“Thought you said since we were taking care of it properly it won’t last quite as long?”

“It won’t last as long, but it’ll still last for bit.” She pulls his face down to hers to kiss him. “Let me get on top, yeah?”

He nods, and rolls them both over. She readjusts, and starts bouncing up and down on him. She throws her head back and scratches down his stomach. His hands find her hips, thrusting up into her to match her pace. He watches as her tits bounce up and down. He sits up a bit so he can suck on one of her nipples. Her clit rubs against him perfectly, and she’s coming again in no time. With another thrust, he come inside her, biting down on her shoulder in the process.

“You’re amazing.” He mutters into her neck. “I can feel how hard I still I am.” He groans as he looks up at her. “It’s like I’ve got a cock ring on or something.”

“I know, don’t worry, we’ll make it go away together.” She smiles and lifts herself off of him. “Um…there’s something I’m sort of into, and I was wondering if you might be too?”

“Well, what is it?”

“Could I…would you be comfortable if, I, uh, got behind you and lick you? Maybe use my fingers? I can conjure up some lube.”

Harry’s eyes visibly dilate, making Amber smirk.

“You have no idea how okay with that I am.”

“Yeah? Have you done it before?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to. I think I actually have some lube here. Let me just double check my side table.” Harry eagerly leans over and reaches into his side table drawer. He finds a bottle of lube and tosses it to her. He gets onto his stomach for her, and she giggles as he wiggles his bum at her.

“M’gonna make you feel so good.” She says lowly, giving his bum a little smack before leaning down to spread him apart.

She licks a strip around his hole, swirling around his him. He grips the blankets on the bed, moaning and whimpering into his pillow as she suckled and slurped around his hole. She sits up for a moment to get some lube on her fingers. She starts with her middle finger, rubbing it around his rim, and then slowly slipping it inside him.

“Fuck.” He groans.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, feels good, don’t stop.”

Amber bites her bottom lip as she slips another finger inside him. She pumps them carefully, she didn’t want him to be in any sort of pain, this was supposed to be pleasurable. Her fingers get deep enough to reach a particular part inside of him. She reaches a hand around front to grip his throbbing cock.

“Doing so well, Harry.”

“Think you found my prostate, shit, feels so fucking good.” He grits his teeth as her thumb rubs over his tip. “M’gonnna come again, fuck!”

Amber presses his prick as close to his stomach as possible to make less of a mess as he comes. She slowly retracts her fingers from him, and lets him roll onto his back. He was sweaty and panting. She licks the palm of her hand that was full of his come, and then leans down to lick his stomach clean. His prick hardens back up instantly.

“Harry, I’m so wet, I almost came watching you enjoy yourself.” She says after licking her lips. “And your come tastes so good.” She pouts.

“I eat a lot of fruit.” He breathes. “Lay on your side for me.” He pats the spot next to him, and she does what he says. They get into a spooning position. She raises her leg a bit, and he slips inside.

“Oh, wow, you’re in so deep.” She arches into him. He grips her hip and starts moving in and out of her.

“Yeah? Like feeling me like this?”

“Yes.” She gasps when his fingers slip to her clit.

“You like it dirty, huh? You don’t like have vanilla sex.” He says into her ear, nipping at her lobe.

She moans out, unable to form an actual response. Once he gains a little more energy, he has her turn onto her stomach so he can fuck her properly from behind. He sits up on his knees, and starts pounding into her relentlessly.

“Oh my god!” She gasps. “Keep going, just like that!”

He grips the back of her neck with hand, and reaches around front to rub her clit with the other. He strokes are fast and deep, beating up her g-spot. She was chanting his name, and it was just egging him on more. He needed her to come again, and he needed her to come hard. As good as she felt, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to do it again after this.

“Want you to soak my sheets.” He growls. “Come all over my cock, Amber.”

“M’close, m’close!” She cries out.

Everything feels overwhelming all at once, and she finally lets go. He comes inside her at the same time, and does soak his sheets. His cock is absolutely drenched. He collapses next to her on the bed. He sighs with relief when he feels his cock actually start to soften.

“I have a spare set in the linen closet.” He says to her, and she giggles.

“Don’t bother, that was just the first session.”

“Um…what?”

“That was just the first session. You’ll probably come two more times.”

“But, that other time I only came three times.”

“Yeah, and it hurt, right? Did these last few hurt?”

“Not at all. Felt amazing.”

“We could 69 for the next one. You’re really good at going down.” She bites her bottom lip.

“Wouldn’t mind feeling your mouth around my cock either.”

“Seems like you’re almost ready again.” She looks down at his hardening cock.

“Fuck, please, come sit on my face.”

“You don’t want me to clean up first?”

“You just licked my asshole, I’m not too concerned about tasting my own come while it drips out of you.”

Amber whimpers and scrambles her way to hover over his face, leaning down over his cock so she can lick over his tip. Harry immediately starts sucking on her swollen clit, making her gasp before she’s able to wrap her lips around him. They went at for hours, switching between a number of positions, making an absolute mess of Harry’s sheets. Amber realizes that Penny must have given them a combination of the strawberry tea and the chocolate tea; that’s a strong combination. They couldn’t get enough of each other, and instead of being upset with Penny’s antics, they decided to just roll with it. Harry ate out Amber’s ass, she rode him reverse, he hit it from the side, they were like animals. He had scratch marks all over his chest and back, she was littered in bite marks, by the time the tea wore off, they were exhausted. Neither had the energy to magically make the sheets clean, so Harry stripped the bed while Amber helped make it back up. They fell asleep curled up with another completely naked.

//

Opal woke up to an empty apartment, to which she laughed. She headed down the stairs to go see Penny, and let her know their sneakiness paid off. The only thing was, there was no sign of Penny. Opal couldn’t get a scent on her.

“Oh, no.” Opal says to herself, and goes upstairs to Harry’s apartment. She scratches at his door. “Amber!”

Amber sits up quickly in bed. She wraps herself in one of Harry’s blankets and sprints to the door, rattling Harry awake.

“Come back to bed.” He groans, but she doesn’t hear him.

Amber opens the door, and Opal rushes in.

“What’s going on?” Amber asks her frantically.

“I’m sure you’re tired, and rightfully pissed off, but Penny didn’t show up this morning. I don’t even have a scent on her.”

“Shit.” Amber groans. “This has Max written all over it. He probably bagged her on her walk here this morning. Why she doesn’t just live here, I’ll never know.”

“What’s going on?” Harry asks them.

“Penny’s missing, get dressed.” Amber says firmly before snapping herself and Opal upstairs.

Harry wanted to talk to Amber about everything they did last night, take her to breakfast like he said he would. But Penny was missing, so that meant their nightmare from the night prior wasn’t over. He gets himself dressed and down to the shop. Amber was already waiting downstairs with Opal.

“Where do you think they took her?” Harry asks.

“I have an idea.” Amber sighs. “He probably sent those damn shadows after her.”

“Penny’s so experienced, I don’t understand.” Harry shakes his head.

“She’s old, Harry.” Opal says. “She wouldn’t stand a chance alone.”

Amber’s eyes start glowing out of nowhere, and she starts hovering in the air. Just as soon as it happens, she’s back on the floor.

“I know where she is, she just sent me a signal.” Amber says.

“I know where she is, she just sent me a signal.” Amber says. “It’s essentially a trap, they know we’re coming for her.” She looks down at Opal. “Are you strong enough for this?”

“I’ll have to be. Let’s go get her.”

//

Amber snaps them to where they need to be. Mac had the shadows take her to an old, abandoned building on the outskirts of town. Amber brought them just down the hall from where Penny was being kept. Harry had so many questions, but he knew now wasn’t the time. He stays close to Amber and Opal, walking down a dark corridor.

“Harry, stay with Opal. I’m going on the room.”

“I can’t let you go in there alone.” He tells her.

“I wasn’t asking.” She says before snapping herself into the room. Penny was chained up to a wall. “For the love of god.” Amber sighs before snapping her free.

“Behind you!” Penny shouts, and Amber gets zapped by what looks like red electricity. She gets knocked to the ground, but picks herself back up. Max’s eyes were glowing red.

“I told you that you had no idea what you did.” He grins evilly at her. “Give me the dog, now.”

“It’s me you want, not her. You have me, okay? Just take me.”

“The thing is…” He walks towards her. “I don’t have you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t be serious.” He scoffs. “You wreak of that dolt’s scent, Amber. What did you do, go home and fuck him to celebrate? I found this one because she was wearing one of your sweaters, thought it was you.”

Amber looks back at Penny with wide eyes. She had to have known that Max was going to come for her. Penny set the tea up so Harry’s scent would mix with Amber’s, and make her hard to find. Penny essentially sacrificed herself.

“And to think I was mad at you.” Amber smiles softly at Penny.

“I’d never trick you on purpose.” Penny says.

“Blah, blah, blah.” Max rolls his eyes. “Either way, I’ve lured you here.”

“What do you even want from me? Do you think forcing me into a relationship is going to be much fun?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Max chuckles. “You think you’re such a prize, but you’re not. I’ve had women far better than you. This really is about Opal, so hand her over.”

“No.”

Amber’s hands glow, and she strikes a blow at Max. He blocks it and sends it back to her.

“Like the new powers? My friends gifted them to me.” He grins.

“Red’s never been your color, sorry to say.”

They both run towards each other to duke it out. Shadows start to crowd around Penny, and she tries to deflect them, but she needs help. Harry and Opal storm in to help her. Harry’s able to zap them away. He looks over at Max, and runs towards him, striking him with a powerful blow. Amber’s eyes widen as she watches Harry try to face off with Max.

“Amber, get Opal and Penny home, now!”

“Harry, I’m not leaving you!”

“Go!”

“Listen to your foolish boy, Amber, you won’t want to see this.” Max says as he strikes Harry.

Amber fights back tears as she snaps herself, Penny, and Opal out of there. She starts crying because she knows she doesn’t have the strength to snap back right away.

“If I lose him, I…I don’t know what I’ll do.” She cries. “I finally opened up to him, and I-“

“Don’t waste your energy on panicking.” Penny says. “I tried to stop him so you wouldn’t have to worry. I wanted to ward him off, I’m sorry.”

“This isn’t your fault, it’s mine.” Opal says. “I was in the woods that night because I was following him. I had caught wind of dark magic usage, and my suspicions of it being him were true. I had no choice but to tell you.” She says to Amber.

Amber drops to her knees, and wraps her arms around Opal. Amber didn’t blame Opal for anything. This was all Max’s fault. She could feel herself getting angrier. She needed to know if Harry was alright.

“I have to get back to him. He can’t face Max on his own.” Amber looks up at Penny. “Do you think I’ll be able to do it?”

“You are the strongest girl I know. If anyone could muster up the energy to do this, it’s you. Don’t rely on the anger, rely on the love that feel for that boy.”

Amber wants to protest, but she couldn’t deny it. She loved Harry, a lot. She’d fallen for him, and she needed him to be okay. She takes a deep breath, and snaps herself back to where Harry is. She gasps once she’s back in that room. Harry was levitating Max in the air with his powerful green glow. He was holding Max in some sort of bubble.

“Harry!” Amber shouts.

“I’m okay! I don’t know how I’m doing this, but I’m okay!”

“Let me help!”

She blasts her blue glow up at Max, mixing with Harry’s. Max shouts this goulash sound, and a bright red light shines, filling the room. A loud explosion occurs, blasting Harry and Amber back. Max falls to the ground with a loud thud. Amber scrambles to her feet, and dusts herself off. Harry was totally knocked out. She wants to tend to him, but she has to make sure Max can’t do any more damage. She rushes over to him, and stands over him, nudging his body with her boot. His eyes flutter open, and he looks up at her.

“You’re so far gone.” She shakes her head. “You could have been such a wonderful mage, now look at you.”

“I’ve always envied you.” He says weakly. “You were given the best companion, one that could actually help you and bond with you. You’re one of the most powerful citrines out there. We could have been something together.”

“You ruined it. I feel nothing for you, absolutely nothing.”

“I can tell. Your heart belongs to that one.”

Amber steps on his chest, making him wince.

“And don’t you forget it. I showed mercy by taking your powers away. Walk away while you still can, or I won’t show you such kindness again. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

She rushes back over to Harry, and immediately snaps them back to the shop. He was still unconscious. Penny and Opal crowd around the two of them.

“Harry, please wake up.” Amber whispers to him. “I need you to be okay, please, I need you.” She cries into his chest.

“Amber.” Penny puts her hand on Amber’s shoulder. “Let’s get him up into your bed. You have some things in your kitchen we can whip up to help him.”

Amber nods, and Penny snaps them all upstairs. Amber gets Harry tucked into her bed. His breathing was steadily, and his blood pressure was normal. He used so much energy to keep Max at bay, he must be so drained, especially after the night they had. All he wanted to do was take her to breakfast, Amber hoped they’d get the chance. She goes into her kitchen with Penny while Opal stays curled up next to Harry.

“So, what are we making?” Amber sighs.

“Here, crush these mint leaves up, I’m making a watermelon tea, so I’m reducing some watermelon over the stove to make a syrup. We’ll use the mint leaves for the tea itself.”

“What will this do? He can’t drink this if he’s not awake.”

“He’ll need it for when he wakes up. It’ll be like an energy boost.”

“How do we wake him up?”

“We don’t. He needs to sleep whatever this is off. You’ll be there when he wakes. I’m sorry again about last night. When you told me what Max did, I knew he’d try to find you today. I just wanted to help, and-“

“I understand why you did it. It’s okay.” Amber smiles softly. “It could have been worse. Please, sleep here tonight in my guest room.”

“Alright.” Penny nods. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Once the tea is done, Amber brings it into her room, sets it down on the side table closest to Harry, and crawls into bed. It was only the early afternoon, but she felt sleep pulling her in. She succumbs to it, letting her eyes droop as she rests her head on Harry’s chest.

Hours later, she stirs awake when she feels the weight shift in the bed a bit. She looks over to see Harry knuckling at his eyes, and sitting up. He looks at her and smiles softly.

“Hey.” He says.

“How are you feeling?” She asks, reaching to caress his cheek.

“M’alright. I woke up a little while ago, Opal had me drink the tea you made. She’s downstairs with Penny running the shop. I fell back asleep after I drank some of the tea.” He presses a kiss to her palm, and she smiles. “How are you?”

“Better now.” She sighs. “I’m glad you’re awake, I was worried. We got blasted backwards after our magic combined. I don’t know how you were able to hold him off for as long as you did.”

“He…he was trying to egg me on. He was saying all of these awful things about you, but I remember reading it wasn’t good to harness anger to make yourself more powerful, so I just sort of thought about how I wanted to keep you safe, how I wanted Opal to stay safe because I knew that if anything happened to her you’d be devastated.”

“I was really worried about you.” Her voice cracks, and her eyes widen. “I thought he was going to try to kill you. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t make it out of there.”

“Amber.” Harry cups her cheeks, using his thumbs to wipe her tears away. “I…I didn’t know you felt so strongly about me. We haven’t had a chance to talk about last night. I know we did a lot last night, and we had a bit more, um, gusto thanks to that tea, but everything I said to you last night I meant. I want to be with you.”

“I want to be with you too. I…I don’t want to know what it’s like to be without you. I was scared that I would. I know I pushed you away in the beginning, but I was fighting off something bigger than the two of us. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about someone before.” She looks down for a moment, and then back up at him. “I think…I think we were supposed to find each other, like, there was some sort of pull between us. I mean, there were plenty of other stores on this strip with vacant apartments, but you came into mine.”

“I always thought this stuff only happened in the books I’ve read, but it all sort of makes sense. I mean, I had no idea I was a mage, or whatever. Clearly, whatever this is inside of me was trying to bust out. And…amethysts are drawn to citrines, right?”

“Yeah, sometimes.” Amber smiles. “Usually, um, it’s a male citrine that goes for a female amethyst, not the other way around.”

“What about same sex couples?” He smirks.

“Same sex couples usually share the same gem, it’s rare if they don’t. I’m not sure what the science behind it is, you’d have to ask Penny.”

“Oh, is Penny…?”

“Mhm, she’s a widow, but her wife was the kindest woman. The two of them basically raised me.”

“What was her name?”

“Luna.” Amber smiles fondly. “They’re both garnets.”

“That’s really cool. I want to keep learning more about all of this; it’s so fascinating.”

“You’ll definitely learn more. I’ve got shelves upon shelves of books downstairs that you haven’t even touched yet.”

“Do you think I should tell my family about any of this?”

“God, no. Sometimes these things skip generations, they’d probably think you were nuts.” She chews on her bottom lip for a moment. “We’ve digressed a bit, um, I feel really strongly about you.”

“I feel strongly about you too.”

“Like…I…I’m in love with you, Harry.”

“Oh, thank god.” He sighs with relief. “Feel like I fell in love with you from the second we met, but I’ve been trying really hard not to come on too strong. You’re not the biggest fan of romance.” He smirks.

“No, I’m not.” She leans in to peck his lips. “I’m the stoic one, and you’re the cinnamon roll.” She grins.

“Mm, your dirty talk is impeccable.” He rolls his eyes, and it makes her laugh.

“Let me continue. You’re the only one this stoic girl becomes soft for. You turn me into a little cinnamon roll, one of those really sweet ones with a ton of icing.”

Harry chuckles and leans in to kiss her. He sucks on her bottom lip, smiling into the kiss.

“Definitely sweet.” He mutters against her lips.

“We should probably get out of bed before we completely throw off our sleep schedules.”

“You’re right.” He sighs. “M’also starving. I don’t think I’ve eaten all day.”

“Same here.”

“I owe you a breakfast date.”

“It’s already past five, no restaurant would serve us breakfast right now.”

“Maybe not, but I’m sure I could whip something up. You got groceries?”

“Yeah, plenty of food in the kitchen.” She blinks. “You want to make us breakfast for dinner?”

“Mhm.” He kisses her again. “Do you like pancakes?”

“Love ‘em.” She nods.

“What about chocolate chip pancakes?”

“Those are my favorite.”

“Mine too.”

//

Turns out Harry made some of the best pancakes Amber ever had. After they ate, they went down to the shop to see how Opal and Penny were doing. Amber decided to close down early. Harry needed to finish up some homework, and make sure he had his lesson plans ready to go for tomorrow morning. It was weird getting back to reality, but it was a routine Amber was sort of craving. For so long their main focus was training to prepare for Max’s eventual strike. Amber couldn’t be certain that he wouldn’t try something again, but she looked him dead in the eyes when she threatened him. She saw fear, she could feel his fear. She wasn’t worried about him anymore, nor was she as worried about Opal. She could exhale for the first time in a while.

She had a new concern: Harry. Over the next couple of weeks, she wouldn’t let him sleep alone, which he didn’t mind one bit. Harry liked that Amber was being so affectionate towards him, he reveled in the attention. The kisses, the soft touches, the hugs, the smiles, everything Amber did, Harry loved. He couldn’t wait to finish up his office hours most days so he could get to the shop. Even though Amber had to work, Opal would still curl up at his feet, and Penny would drop off an extra biscotti at his table. Harry felt like he had formed this new little family. It made the little town he decided to call home actually start to feel like home. He even got to see how Amber made her many teas.

The only thing that wasn’t so great was that Harry’s student Whitney tended to keep him late, and Amber didn’t like it. She trusted Harry with her whole heart, but she didn’t quite like the idea of someone else thinking they could try to flirt with him. Whitney came into the shop all the time, Amber knew exactly who Whitney was. She was a senior, so not much younger than herself or Harry, but still, it wasn’t appropriate for a student to be so forward with her professor. So, much like with everything else, Amber took matters into her own hands.

One evening, Harry had made Amber a late dinner after she closed up the shop. After they ate, they made their way to his sofa. Harry thought they were going to just cuddle for a bit, but Amber had made her way into his lap, straddling him and running her fingers through his hair while she sucked on his neck. Normally, Harry would be more cautious about having a mark in such a public spot, but it was getting colder out, so he could wear a turtleneck or scarf to cover it up. He was also just enjoying her body on his too much to care. She was rolling her hips into his, and his hands were kneading her ass.

“What’s gotten into you tonight, huh?” He pants as her teeth really start to sink into his skin. “Not that I’m complaining.”

She pops off him with loud, wet noise, catching her breath as she looks at the red mark forming on his neck. She runs her thumb over it in hopes that it’ll turn a delightful dark purple.

“You just smell so good, you know your cologne drives me wild.” She says as she latches back onto his neck. He moans out as she nips at his skin. She rolls her hips down in a way that grins her center right over his bulge.

“Fuck, Amber, can we move this to the bedroom? M’about ready to explode here.” He groans, squeezing harder at the skin on her hips. She tugs his head more to the side to make the mark even bigger. “Can mark me up all over, yeah?”

“Mm, that sounds nice.” She mumbles into his neck, and kisses her way over to his lips. “Maybe we could take a quick shower, and I could lick you all over too.” She wiggles her eyebrows at him, and his eyes visibly darken.

“Should make you dinner more often.”

//

Harry was on cloud nine the next day at school. He couldn’t stop smiling even if he tried. Amber made good on her promise to lick him all over, especially where he liked it most. He liked that they both enjoyed a good tonguing, and he liked that they were so good at taking turns. He wasn’t even mad about how fucked up his neck looked. Harry knew what Amber was doing, she was clearly marking her territory, and he didn’t mind one bit. If he wasn’t into her dominant personality, he wouldn’t be with her. The sweater he was wearing covered up most of it anyways, and his students never seemed to hide the marks on their necks, so what was the big deal, really?

After he finishes his classes for the day, he heads to his office for his office hours. He dives into the papers he needed to grade. He assigned a ten-page paper for his fiction workshop, and now he was regretting it. He got about a third of the way through his stack when Whitney came to his office.

“Hi, Professor Styles.” She smiles.

“Hey, Whit.” He smiles back. “I’m actually glad you’re here, could use your help.”

“With what?”

“I have a ton of grades to put into a spreadsheet from my physical gradebook. Think you could do that for me?”

“Sure!”

Harry unhooks his laptop from the docking station so she could dive into the spreadsheet he started. Things were quiet for a bit, but she was having trouble reading his writing. Harry had horrible penmanship.

“Professor Styles, I can’t read this.” She says, getting up from her seat and walking over to him. She leans over him slightly, and points to some of his scribbles. “See, I can’t tell if that’s an 87 or an 81.” Her cleavage was practically spilling into his face. He was about to say something, but someone else beat him to it.

“Maybe you should get your eyes checked.” They both look up to see Amber leaning against the door frame.

“Hey!” Harry smiles brightly, and Whitney stands up straight. “Amber, this is Whitney, one of my students. Whitney, this is my girlfriend, Amber.”

“Girlfriend, oh…um…I didn’t realize you were seeing someone, Professor Styles.”

“Course you did, how else would he have gotten that mark on his neck.” Amber smirks. “Now, why don’t you do everyone a favor and put your tits away because he’s not going to suck on them, alright?”

“Amber.” Harry looked mortified.

Whitney looked frightened, and she was speechless. She quickly gathers her things and walks out of Harry’s office. Harry stands up and goes to close his door. He was upset, Amber could tell.

“What?” Amber asks.

“You can’t talk to one of my students like that!”

“Why not? She was practically shoving her tits in your face, and you were letting it happen.”

“I was about to tell her to back off, but then you showed up. Why are you even here?”

“I came to surprise you, but I can see I’m unwanted. Why was she even here?”

“She comes to help me most days after class. She was working on a spreadsheet for me. And you’re not unwanted, you just don’t come to see me here often. It would have been a nice surprise if you hadn’t come in guns hot.” He puts his hands on his hips and looks at her. “Are you seriously jealous?”

“I can’t help that I feel protective over you. I don’t like that other people think you could be theirs when you’re mine.”

“And to think you didn’t want anything to do with me just a few months ago.” He smirks.

“That joke stopped being funny after the first time you made it.” She rolls her eyes, and stops towards him. Harry was just under a foot taller than Amber, and yet she commanded every room she walked into. She grips the collar of his sweater and tugs him down to her face, her eyes glowing.

“You’re so sexy when you’re like this.” He wraps his arms around her, lifting her up and sitting her down on his desk. “But don’t think it gives you a pass for acting like that. You need to be nice. She’s one of your customers, remember? You’re nice all the time at the shop, why can’t be nice where I work?” He pouts.

“Because no one flirts with me at my place of business.”

“Oh, please.” He scoffs. “I’d be a very rich man if I had a dollar for every time I’ve caught someone checking you out.”

“That’s totally different. No one’s shoving a part of their body in my face.” She pouts back at him. “Why does someone so pretty have to be one of your frequent flyers?”

“Okay, let’s get something straight. The only tits I want shoved in my face are yours.” He plants his hands on either side of her thighs, getting nice and close to her face. “And even though Whitney might be pretty, no one could ever compare to how incredibly beautiful you are.”

He always knew exactly how to melt her heart. He leans in to kiss her, sucking on her bottom lip, and licking into her mouth. Her hands move up to his chest, tugging on his sweater to pull him closer. She wraps her legs around his waist, and slowly lowers herself back onto his desk. He follows her, helping her keep her legs around him.

“Wait.” She pants as he kisses down her neck. “Go lock your door.”

“Shit, you’re right.” He says, quickly going over to the door to lock it, and then going back to her. “This is going to hurt your back, do you wanna do it on my chair, on the loveseat?”

“I really want you on top.” She whines.

“Yeah? Want me to be in control right now?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s sit on the loveseat, even if you’re on top, I’ll thrust up into you.” He kisses her. “I’ll rub your clit.” He kisses her again. “Suck on your glorious tits.”

“Fuck, okay, just get my clothes off.” She huffs.

He picks her up, and undoes her jeans quickly. He tugs them down, along with her underwear. Harry drops his own pants and rips his sweater off. Amber gets her jacket off and wraps her arms around his neck. Harry tugs her back to the loveseat, turning her around so she’ll sit on him reverse. He pumps his cock a few times before lining himself up with her. Her jeans were around her ankles since she didn’t bother to take her boots off, so things felt a little tighter than usual; neither of them were complaining.

He bites down on her shoulder, and her head rolls back into his chest. His hands grip Amber’s hips, and he starts thrusting up into her. They needed to be quick and quiet, so he takes one of his hands and it brings it up to her mouth so she could suck on his fingers. Her eyes roll back as she sucks on his digits. His other hand slips between her thighs so his fingers could work her clit. She moans around his fingers from the sheer pleasure. His tip was pummeling her g-spot, and his fingers were working magic – excuse the pun. His palm was pressing into her bladder, and she was starting to panic. She didn’t want to make a mess of his loveseat.

“Can feel you squeezing around me.” He says into her hear, nipping at her lobe.

“H-Harry, I-“ She mumbles around his fingers.

“Hm? What’s the matter, gonna make a mess?”

“Mhm.” She whines.

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” He stops all motions immediately, and lifts her off of him.

“What the hell are you doing?!” She asks as he grabs a tissue to come into.

“You said you wanted me in control.” He says as he pulls his pants back up. “Can’t have you squirting all over my office. I’ll take care of you when I finish work for the day.” He smiles and kisses her forehead.

“Harry, this isn’t funny.”

“M’not trying to be, Babe.” He helps her pull her own pants back up. “I have a lot to do, and since you sent my little worker bee away, I may be here a little later than usual. I’ll come to your place when I’m done.”

“You’re sure you wanna play this game with me?” She asks as she puts her jacket back on. “I don’t think you’re prepared for what you’re coming home to by denying me of an orgasm.”

“I’ll take my chances.” He smirks. “I can’t have you thinking you deserve a reward for acting up in my office.” He pecks her lips and opens his door. “I’ll see you in a little while.”

She narrows her eyes at him, looks him up and down, and nods.

“Okay.”

Harry felt a chill run through him as she left. Maybe he should have let her come.

//

Harry wasn’t kidding when he said he had a lot of work to do. He didn’t get home until after the shop closed. He drops his things off in his apartment before going up to Amber’s. She was sitting on her couch watching TV when he came in.

“Hey, Baby, sorry I’m back so late. Where’s Opal?”

“Staying with Penny tonight.”

“Oh?”

“Told her we needed some alone time.” She stands up and walks over to him, giving him a slow kiss on the cheek.

“Huh.” He swallows. “Well, we’re alone now.” He puts his hands on her hips. “Did you, uh, take care of yourself at all?”

“I’ll admit, I almost did just to spite you, but I thought it would ruin the fun.” She slides her hands up his chest. “That being said, I’m not quite in the mood for you to be so in control anymore.”

“What a relief.” He sighs. “M’exhausted, I don’t think I could keep up the façade of being so in charge right now.” He pouts at her and she giggles.

“You made a very good point earlier. I shouldn’t have spoken to your student like that. Bring some coupons with you tomorrow to give her as an apology, but make no mistake, if she keeps hitting on you I will not hesitate to fuck her up.”

“I can live with that. She’ll only be my student for another month or so.” He presses his forehead to hers. “So, what would like to do instead of playing games tonight?”

“I’d very much appreciate it if you ate me out for a bit. You denied me of what would have been a rather powerful orgasm and I think you should make up for it.”

“Fair enough. Then will you go back to bouncing on my cock the way you were? Felt so nice.”

She nods, and takes his hand to lead him to the bedroom. She takes her night shirt off, revealing her naked body to him.

“You’re wicked.” He grins. “Lounging around with that glorious bum of yours out for anyone to see.”

“Good thing I was home alone.” She grins, and gets onto the bed, spreading her legs open for him. She snaps her fingers to light the candles in the room.

Harry rids himself of his clothes, and knees onto the bed. He kisses on her belly, leaving a trail of wet kisses behind as he makes his way between her thighs. He hooks his arms around her thighs and dives in. He sucks on her clit immediately, making her moan out. She cards her fingers through his hair as he eats her like he hasn’t eaten in days. The noises he makes as he sucks and licks on her are filthy, and they only spur Amber on more with her moans and whimpers.

“Oh my god, Harry.” She whimpers. “You’re so fucking good, Baby, so fucking good.” She was near tears. His tongue was so wet and warm, fucking in and out of her. “Fuck, I’m gonna come, I’m gonna come, Harry!” She comes hard on his tongue, and he laps it up, moaning at how good she tastes.

“Fucking hell.” He breathes when he sits up. “Do you want me to give you another this way?”

“God, you’re insatiable.” She groans. “Please, I need you inside me now.”

Harry sits up against the headboard, and Amber sits on him reverse she like had earlier in the day. This time they could both be as loud as they wanted, and this time Harry could grope freely at her breasts. She uses her knees to move up and down on him. She was moving fast, wanting him to fill her up. He uses one of his hands to rub circles into her clit.

“Amber.” He moans into her ear, thrusting up into her. “You’re so fucking wet for me, feels amazing.”

“Only ever want your cock, no one else’s.” She had never said anything like that to him before. “Don’t want anyone else ever again.”

“Fuck, I don’t want anyone else either. M’all yours.”

“Yes!” She gasps as she comes around him. He follows right after, filling her up. “Yes.” She whispers.

“Are you all mine?” He whispers into her ear before kissing on her cheek and shoulder.

“Mhm.” She relaxes into him, and looks up his face, admiring his features. “You’re all I want.”

“You’re all I want too. I’m so glad we found one another.” He wraps his arms tightly around her.

“So am I.” She sighs happily.

Eventually, she gets off of him, and they both clean themselves up before getting into bed. Harry tells Amber about his classes and coursework, and she tells him about some of the funny customers that came in that day. They lay there giggling and chatting, just enjoying each other’s company.

“Harry?” She asks as she traces over his tattoos with her finger tips.

“Hm? What is it, my love?”

“You mean the world to me, I hope you know that.” She snuggles into his chest. “Jealousy is quite ugly, but when I love, I love hard. It’s just who I am.”

“I’m so honored that you’ve welcomed me into your small circle. I see the way you are with Opal and Penny, the love you have for them radiates off you. I can feel what you feel for me.”

“And I can feel what you feel for me.”

“We’re connected.” He says, and kisses the top of her head.

“We are.” She nods. “And it feels wonderful.”

[caitybug]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR FAVOURITE PURPLE QUEEN @thehoneyedhufflepuff ! @krisrix and I love you so much and wanted to give you a fun snowbaz shenanigan where there’s confused feelings, magic gone awry, and, of course, lots and lots of purple 💜💜.

Baz is going to kill me. He’s going to rip my esophagus from my throat and drain me dry. 

I didn’t think this would happen.

I only—

I thought—

I guess I didn’t think, technically. I just went off a bit.

And now I’m staring at Baz’s shirt. The one he’s supposed to wear on his fucking date tonight.

(Date.) (I didn’t think Baz dated.)

I just assumed Baz was the type who everyone wanted (look, even I can admit he’s fit), but who was elusive and hard to get.

His shirt was purple. A lovely lavender shade that would have looked all too good against his skin. It’d be a light shade in comparison to his dark hair that would hit right above the collar of the shirt.

(Would he button all the way up?) (Surely not.) (He’d probably let at least his collar bone show—lead whoever he’s dating on. Keep them wanting more.)

I’ve only really seen Baz in his uniform. So seeing him pull this out of his wardrobe has made my mind do flips. 

When I asked what he was doing he just sneered at me. “Going on a date, Snow.”

I blinked at him as he walked out of our room. (Probably to drain rats before his date.)

Is he going on a date with another vampire? Or is this a situation where he takes his meal out before sucking it dry? 

I was supposed to have lunch with Agatha today. But that can’t happen any more. (Not now. Not since I fucked everything up.)

I think, briefly, that he won’t notice.

(Simon, you turned his purple shirt white. He’ll notice.)

It’d still look lovely on him.

(Prat.)

I pace the area between our beds, trying to think of a solution.

Could call for Penny.

(No, not enough time. He could be back at any moment.)

Is there a spell?

I frown. We’ve not been taught color changing spells. (Though didn’t Penny change her hair colour once?) (I think that was an accident too.)

I huff and sit on my bed, letting my head rest in my hands, letting my fingers twist the curls that fall off my forehead. 

My magic just calmed down, but I can already start to feel it come to the surface again as my stress levels rise.

I didn’t mean to do it. I guess I was focusing on the shirt a bit too much. About the date. About what the date was possibly covering up. 

A date.

What kind of person would Baz go on a date with?

I bet she’s bloody perfect. 

Dark hair, same intense eyebrows. Just as posh and put together as he is.

I try to remind myself that it’s not a date. That it’s most likely a plot. A way to cover up a meeting with the Old Families.

(Yeah. That’s got to be it.)

I stand back up and walk to his clothes, thinking they’ll give me answers. (They won’t.) (I’ve already sized them up at this point. Given them a good solid shaking down.) 

They’ve not given any clues yet. No matter how much fear I strike in every pleat and stitch. 

I lay his clothes down again, pondering my next move. 

I could leave? Act like I have no clue.

(He’d never buy it.)

Knowing Baz, he’d hunt me down. Maybe bring me along on this date and make her watch as he tore me apart, limb from limb.

I hear the faint sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs. I hope, briefly, that it’s someone else. That I’ll hear them stop before reaching the final few steps to our room.

(They don’t, though.)

“Fuck,” I murmer. “Please god turn purple,” I say helplessly to his shirt. It stays a stark white, mocking me. (If shirts could have eyebrows, I swear…)

I hear the footsteps reach our door and my heart rate spikes, making the next sentence come out of my mouth dripped in desperation and magic. “Just be purple!”

The door opens; my eyes are shut tight, prepared for what’s about to come to me.

“What the fuck did you do, Snow?” he seethes.

I grimace, my entire face scrunching up on itself at his reaction. (Knew he’d notice.)

I turn around to face the music, to own up to turning his purple shirt white, but when I open my eyes- I can’t speak.

Not because I literally can’t speak.

I’m just, quite actually, speechless. 

Baz’s hair. His uniform, his lips- his hands.

They’re all various shades of purple.

He stomps up to me, grabbing the front of my shirt and practically spitting in my face. “I repeat, Snow. What the fuck did you do?”

My hands are up in defence, trying to let him see reason. (What’s the reason? There’s no logic to get me out of this situation. I’m fucking done for.)

“I—er—well,” I stammer. I feel a bead of sweat going down my forehead. 

Baz’s eyebrows are a dark shade of purple, matching his hair. They’re downturned, making a crease in the middle of his forehead as he waits for me to spit it out.

“Use your words, Snow,” he says, letting go of my shirt and crossing his arms. 

I think, briefly, that I dislike the purple his eyes now have. That I prefer the grey, even when he’s angry.

It’s calming- like a grey sky on a lazy rainy day. Or the color of ocean waves. A soft grey and slight blue mixed together.

He scoffs, realizing I’ve nothing to say to explain myself, walking over to the bed to look at his clothes.

I take a look at the bed, expecting to see relief at the fact that I managed to turn his shirt back to its original colour.

Instead it sits, the only non-purple item in the room. A stark white in contrast to everything else.

I blink twice, trying to see if maybe it’s just a very light purple.

(It’s not.)

Fuck.

“I, er—” I take a step closer to him, think better of it, and back away again. “I hope your date likes the colour purple?”

“Even if he does, I can’t be seen like this.” He walks to his wardrobe and pulls something out of a box on the bottom shelf. (Huh—haven’t seen that before.)

When he turns around he’s got his mobile in his hands.

“You can’t have—”

“If you try to tell me what I can and can’t have while we are currently standing here completely purple because of your fuckup I will throw you into the moat.” He looks down at his phone and starts typing as he walks to the bathroom.

I think, for a moment, I just got through the worst of it- but before he slams the door shut he shouts “You had better fix this by the time I get out, because if I have to cancel a date and any chance of having my normal complexion back- you’ll beg for death.”

The door slams shut, echoing loudly in my ears.

I let out a deep exhale.

He’s cancelling the date. 

That alone seems to help my chest uncoil for some reason. Just knowing that instead of going out with someone else who will probably only aid in my downfall—he’ll be here. Under my watchful eye instead.

I lay down on my blankets and stare up at our now purple ceiling.

I hear the shower run. (Maybe Baz thinks he can wash the purple away.)

I close my eyes, letting myself ease into relaxation. To calm down for a minute before trying to problem solve.

But then it hits me, and I jolt up out of my bed and to the bathroom door.

I knock once.

Twice.

And bang three more times.

“Wait, Baz—did you say he?” 

[thr-333]

Just Another Class Trip :)  Part 3

You know getting dragged through a multi billion dollar corporations building to try and avoid your illegitimate father, a normal monday for most I’m sure.

First< Previous >Next

------------

It’s official, I hate Adrien

Marinette groans, having been practically dragged out of bed for breakfast. Adrien was wisely backed up as far as he could in the elevator. She yawns, making it loud as possible and looking Adrien right in the eye.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have stayed out so late,” Tikki giggles, hidden in her scarf.

Yeah it turns out that ‘just need to help out one person’ turned into a it is now 3am and I am halfway across the city beating up a gang.

“At least the box was safe,” Marinette whispers back, she had crashed in Adrien's room, no matter how mad Lila would be, or because of it who knows.

And indeed Lila was mad. The second they step foot into the hotel restaurant the entire class turns to stare at them. Crowded around a smug looking Lila with tears rolling down her cheeks. Marinette just turns a sharp left to the coffee. It isn’t until she has downed half a cup and refilled it that she tries to look for her friends.

Chloe looks just as dead as her, so she sits next to her. Let the morning people talk, they were ready to pass out together.

“Kagami?”

“Yep, Adrien?”

“Yep,”

“Morning people,” They both sneer.

“Were you planning on sleeping all morning?” Kagami asks, eating breakfast like a normal person, what a jerk.

“Were you planning on watching me all morning?” Chloe half heartedly retorts.

“You are adorable when you’re sleeping,”

“Fuck you, I’m adorable all the time,”

“Chlo, language, please,” Marinette implores, nursing her giant cup.

“Shut up Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe snaps, face planting back into the table.

“She’s not that cute actually,” Kagami whispers to Adrien, “Wore a face mask she got green all over the bed,”

“I’ll get green all over you,” Chloe mumbles absentmindedly.

"Marinette,"

"Ah the storm is coming,took them long enough" She takes a gulp of burning coffee, "Yes Alya?"

"You cant just say that to a person," Alya tries to explain, as if talking down to a child, "Lila was up all night crying,"

"She probably just put on a recording and went soundly to sleep," Chloe scoffs, sleepily looking up from the table.

"I was with her all night!" Alya turns to Chloe, seething rage coming to the surface.

"Thats some impressive endurance," Marinette mutters, downing more coffee.

"You think she's been practicing?" Chloe smirks.

"This isn't-"

"Make sure she get's plenty of water," Marinette turns away, hoping the conversation would be over.

"Marinette!" Alya looks down at her the way Marinette often looks at her, the look at a dear friend who changed, "Can't you see you're hurting Lila?"

"Can't you see she's hurting me?" She covers that honestly by gulping down more coffee, she has not had enough for this conversation.

"You used to be so nice Marinette," Alya dodges the question, pointing to Chloe and Kagami instead, "Then you started spending time with these two, and, and you changed!"

"Believe what you want Alya," Marinette motions for her friends to stay calm, "But they stand by me when no one else will, especially you,"

"Thats because!- Marinette if you had just gotten to know Lila instead of being jealous this would have never happened," Alya looks down at her sadly, Marinette was sure Paris would have been up in flames somehow if she had ever trusted Lila, "If you just didn't spend time around these bullies everything could be the same, you wouldn't have become a bully too,"

"So what?" She spits bitterly, looking over at the table watching them, Lila looking disgruntled it wasn't an all out fight, "If I got up and joined that table right now, would everything go back to the way it was?"

"... No,"

Marinette’s pocket buzzes in a familiar sequence. Akuma alert.

"Ok then, not much point in arguing about it, I'm going to stay with my friends, the ones I can actually trust," Marinette quickly shuts down Alya's protest, "Now go get Lila some water,"

Alya walks off back to the table, everyone crowding around her. Marinette waits for the door to be clear, she has to leave before Alya finishes or the whole class will be breathing down her neck.

“Forgot something in my room,” Marinette slings on her back pack, “Be back soon,”

She was not back soon, she was not back soon at all. Luckily she should only be three minutes late for the bus-and nope they left, great. She’ll just have to catch up with the tour later.

Well, I had stuff to do anyways

She talks with the receptionist; her assistant should have sent her a prepared motorcycle to the hotel the day before. It’s a quick drive to the location she had selected specifically to be close to the hotel.

She puts on a simple domino mask before entering the building, she didn’t want anyone to leak her identity after all. Walking in she’s glad to see everything is not in disarray.

“MDC,” Her assistant, Liam walks up to her.

Liam was someone she met through Penny. He’s older than her and also acted as her guardian on most of her trips as MDC. He does know her civilian identity, which she trusted him completely to keep. She likes him because-

“Is that mine?” She snatches the cup of coffee as he passes it to her.

“Figured you needed it,” Liam smiles, wincing as she downs the burning liquid, it's fine she has a strong healing factor, “You said your bag was stolen? This should replace it, it’s most of what you had plus more,”

He rolls forward a pre packed suitcase.

“I would die without,” Marinette says in all seriousness, “So what's the damage?”

“No major problems so far, the security we hired is enough to scare away the smaller thugs,” Liam nods to some security personnel guarding each door, “They won't be enough if any super villains try to attack the actual show,”

“Mm, give them instructions on the night of the show they are only allowed to intercept small time, anything bigger they are not allowed to engage,” Marinette studies the room, there's great places to hide, friend or foe, “If they see anything they are simply to report it directly to me,”

“They can’t engage?” Liam looks around, trying to see what she is.

“They won't be able to stop them anyway, and there is no reason for them to die,”

“If you say so,” Liam leads her through the room where lights are being set up and walls are being painted, “So what's the plan if we do get attacked?”

“I’m sure Batman is going to have his eye on any big events,” Marinette approves of the color of the back wall, it looking even better in person, “Besides I’m planning on trying to intercept before any violence,”

“In other words you're going to make my job a lot more stressful,” Liam sighs, making a note or rather on his tablet.

“Not if I can help it,”

“You can’t,” Liam sighs again at her grin, “Didn’t you have a tour with your class today?”

“They left me,” Liam seems equally unsurprised, “But I should probably head for Wayne tower anyway,”

“Don’t get into trouble,”

“I never get into trouble,” Marinette smirks from the door, “Trouble drags me into it kicking and screaming,”

“More like keen and skipping,” Liam closes the door in her face.

Marinette strolls into the Wayne tower an hour late with Starbucks, she sees is her class, being a nuisance arguing with a tour guide.

“You cannot just leave a student alone in Gotham,” The tour guide all but yells at Madame Bustier.

“Marinette is very responsible, she can handle herself,” Madame Bustier more defends herself than Marinette.

“I don’t care how responsible your student is, that won't stop them from getting shot!” This time he does yell, “You need to go back and pray to god she’s alright and hasn't gotten lost for some murder to find!”

Alright time to break the tension

“Hey, what did I miss?” Marinette asks casually, Already sipping at her straw when all eyes turn to her.

“Marinette! How did you get here?” Madame bustier demands.

“I-”

“I think you mean ‘are you alright, I’m so sorry for leaving you behind,” The tour guide glowers, apparently threatening enough that Madame Bustier actually repeats him.

“I’m fine, I borrowed a bike from my friend in Gotham,”

“You don’t have a licence in Gotham,” Lila sneers triumphantly.

Oh look who actually did some research, how much digging did you do when I learnt how to ride a motorcycle

“I didn’t say it was a motorcycle,” That shut’s Lila up, “But yeah it is a motorcycle,

Worth it for that face

“Also I got my licence approved in America before I came,”

So worth that face

Lila opens her mouth, better than the flood gates, when the tour guide interrupts.

“Now that everyone is here,” He sends a smile to Marinette and a glare to Madame Bustier somehow at the same time, she gets the tinglily feeling of  miraculous holder, or maybe its just the caffeine, “We can start, my name is Dick I will be your tour guide today.

They follow Dick through the tour Marinette's group right behind Dick. She scribbled designs and took notes as he talked, asking her own questions. This got her dubbed Dicks favourite, and easy title to gain as the rest of the class lagged behind. Most were listening to Lila, only Max and Alix were straining to hear Dick over the chatter. Marinette would occasionally pick up a mention of the Wayne's and knew it wasn't related to the tour. She'd have to guess Lila was lying about either dating someone or saving their life, or because it's Lila probably both. A gutsy move in the Wayne tower she had to admit. Marinette could tell Dick was listening and would probably have that rumour make it back to the Wayne's themselves. Would the wrath of some of the richest and most powerful people be enough to stop her? not likely.

They split up for lunch at the cafeteria in the building. She saw the coffee machine and was about to make a bee line to it when Kagami pulled her back to eat some 'real food' whatever that is. She makes a break for it after eating the so called 'real food', right before the tour was about to restart. She reaches it as a familiar figure is also waiting.

"Hi Tim," She greets, getting him to actually jump, "You work here?"

"Hi! um-yeah," He looks over to her, "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" She takes the biggest travel cup they have available.

"Sn-nothing," Tim still looks uneasy, then his eyes lock onto the cup, "tired?"

"Was up till three am last night, plus jet lag?" She yawns, "Yeah I'm tired,"

"Then you'll want to put that cup back,"

"Hm why?"

he gets her answer when Tim ducks down, opening a hidden cupboard full of travel cups at least twice the size of her current one,

"Tim I love you," She fills up the giant cup, "You're my favourite person in Gotham as of right now,"

"Not Dick?"

"Eh, his puns are lacklustre," She shrugs, Tim spits out his drink, "You know Dick?"

"Yep, give him a hard time for me!" Tim calls over his shoulder, walking away.

"You got it!" She hurries in the opposite direction, late for the tour once again.

“Did you get another coffee?” Dick asks as they enter the PR department.

“They were serving them at lunch,” Marinette could almost laugh at how quickly he had begun to fret over her during the tour.

“I know, that was my brothers idea, or rather demand,” Dick sighs, someone else approaching the group to direct the tour.

“Your brother works here?”

“Sure does,”

“But you don’t”

This makes Dick pause, looking down at her as she sips at the coffee.

“What?”

“I mean you don’t work this job at least,” She shrugs, it wasn't hard to figure out.

“Why's that?”

“You seem uncomfortable, your charismatic but still lack the smoothness of a rehearsed tour, plus you seem offended that they are in the back chatting,” Marinette nods towards Lila and her posse, “Regular tour guides would be used to that,”

“You found me out,” Dick chuckles, “I’m just taking over for today,”

“Well I think you picked a bad class to do that for,” She looks over at most her class ignoring the speaker trying to get their attention.

“I think I picked the right one,” Dick says cryptically, then walks off to help herd the class.

“Alright you have to give me the recipe,” Marinette overhears from a nearby desk.

Someone is sitting on it eating a cookie, while the other taps away at her computer.

“Sorry no can do,” She shrugs, “I don’t know it,”

“How can you not know it, you baked them right?” He asks, trying to steal another one and getting his hand slapped away.

“Nope, new vigilante came in, beat up someone robbing my house and baked me cookies,”

“This is Gotham so I believe the first two,” He looks between her and the container, “But cookies?”

“They also gave me free therapy,” She shrugs, before tapping on the container,“And do you really believe I could make these?”

“Touche,” He smirks leaning back on the desk, “So who’s the new guy? With the Batclan?”

“No they said they were just passing through,” She doesn't look up from her computer, focusing intently on the screen, “Names Starling,”

“Never heard of them,”

“Neither, and I tried looking them up,” She sighs, pushing back from the computer in defeat, “Found someone, but it’s not them, actually couldn't find anything on them,”

“Weird,” He gets up from the desk, “Can’t imagine Batman is going to take kindly to a new vigilante running around,”

“Unless he adopts them,”

“That… yeah he probably will,”

"Oh no-CLAIRE" The speaker trying to wrangle her class stops, "We have a problem!"

"Sorry to cut this short," Claire doesn't look sorry at all, "Seems we have important matters to tend to,"

She follows Dick out of the department, ushering her class as she goes. Claire looks over at her like she has two heads, a mixture of impressed and pity, and perhaps a bit of jealously.

They get to go further up the building, to the higher floors. They reach a space that is mostly meeting rooms. He class decide to take advantage of Dick declaring they are completely sound proof, or maybe they took it as a challenge. Marinette is walking past a hall when someone leaning against the wall catches her eye.

“Auntie Selina?!”

They look around, only spotting Marinette seconds before they collide into a hug, she feels the tingling buzz of a true holder.

“Mari!” Selina picks her up and spins her around, no different from when she was five, “Oh, my love it’s so good to see you, when did you arrive in Gotham?”

Marinette watches as her smile morphs into horror.

“Wait, what are you doing in Gotham!?”

“It’s a class trip and- hey where are we going?” Her Auntie grabs her arm pulling her down the hall.

“Marinette!” Dick calls, walking around the corner, Selina makes a sharp turn down another corridor, “Wait!”

Selina is two steps away from running as she pulls Marinette through the maze of hallways.

“Auntie where are we going?”

“Down here,” She opens the door leading to a staircase, too narrow to be a fire exit.

“That’s not really what I was asking,”

Selina inputs a key code, the door swinging open as she is pulled into the room.

“Wait!” She gets pulled through another door just as quick “Was that wall full of weapons?”

“Just a picture sweetie,” She says sweetly, “Down these stairs,”

“Aunt Selina what are we running from?” They are running now, floor after floor.

“We’re not running from anything sweetie,” Selina speeds up, “I just wanted to show you a cool spot in Gotham,”

“Right,” Marinette raises an eyebrow, “I was actually with the class so maybe we could go later?”

“It closes in five minutes,”

“Like you wouldn’t just break in if we were going somewhere,”

“I promise I will take you somewhere nice,” She smiles back at Marinette, they reach the end of the stairs, coming to a garage of sorts, “If you promise to hurry up,”

“Sure-” She does a double take, of the room, “Hold up are those costumes?”

“Collectors stuff, you know,” They are surrounded by bat themed... everything, “Rich people,”

“Right and how do you know this?”

“I-” She hesitates, eyes drifting, “Hey look, the exit!”

They all out sprint towards the exit. Selina reaches out to open the door a second after it swings open.

“Selina,” The man smiles at Selina as she runs into him.

“Hey Bruce,” Selina jumps back, trying to hide Marinette behind her.

“Where are you going?” Bruce looks behind her at Marinette, who gives a little wave.

“Out! Got to hurry!” She grabs Marinette's arm again, trying to pull her around Bruce.

“Is something wrong?” Bruce grabs Selina's shoulders to keep her still and looking at him.

“Nope nothings wrong,” She wriggles out of his grasp, trying again to pull Marinette away.

“Ok then,” Bruce still looks worried but turns to Marinette instead, “Hello I’m Bruce Wayne, Selina finance,”

“YOU’RE HER WHAT!?”

“Snitch,” He Auntie spits out venomously.

“Why didn’t you tell me!?” Marinette asks her with the biggest grin.

“Surprise,” Selina gives half heated jazz hands.

“Wait! Whens the wedding? Do You have a dress? I’ll make one!” She deicides, brining out her sketchbook, drawing different designs, “What's the theme? Never mind tell me on the way to the fabric store, I’ll sketch up some designs,”

“Darling, please-” Selina is now getting pulled along.

“Oh! I’ll call Papa! I’m sure he’ll want to make your cake! We have to hurry, come on lets go!” They're already out the door, Marinette waves turning back to Bruce, “Nice meeting you!”

“What just happened?” Bruce asks Dick as he runs up next to him.

“She kidnapped one of the students on tour,”

“Who is now making her wedding dress,” Bruce nods, not understanding anything

“Did I miss something?”

I think we all did

--------------------

Taglist:

@smolplantmum @flufflepuffle296 @dawnwave16  @caffeinetheory   @g-arya   @Maribat-2k20   @ladybug-182    @Actual-disaster-human    @fusser90   @messrs-weasley   @soap-lady  @paintedhope7   @zeneralla    @mochegato     @random-nerd-3 @clumsy-owl-4178  @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen   @too0bsessedformyowngood @certifiedbidisaster  @Purplegeekypanda @awkward0ghostfan @theymakeupfairies @tikki-marinette @insane-fangirl-of-everything @elmokingkong @inarachi02 @slytherinhquinn @moongoddesskiana @dast218 @buginetye @redscarlet95

[sylvies-chen]

Brettsey + prompt 15?

P.S. Thank you for doing this 💕💕

15. “When I’m with you, I’m home.”

Sylvie Brett is a talker.

That’s just the way she’s always been. She comes from a warm and loving family, where she was always met with honesty and affection. Her family isn’t perfect, sure, but her parents are unfailingly kind. They always encouraged her to open up, always talked with her. It’s in her blood, she thinks— the natural urge to want to talk it out with the people she cares about.

So, when the majority of the Casey family decide to opt out of coming to her and Matt’s wedding, she takes it personally.

Christie and Violet RSVP and are thrilled to come. But Sylvie badgers Nancy Casey for weeks, grovels endlessly when she visits for a few days, begs her and the rest of his extended family to work out their issues. At the very least, she thought they’d be able to put all of that crap aside for one night and see how happy she and Matt are together, but nope. Not even Sylvie’s willpower can force the Caseys into temporarily resolving their issues. They’re secretive and stubborn— more stubborn than Matt, even— which means to them, Sylvie’s demands are out of the question.

She’s on the phone now, taking advantage of the quiet morning they’ve had on shift and trying her best to get Matt’s mom to see reason. This is their wedding, for crying out loud. Nancy doesn’t have to like Sylvie but she should be there for the wedding— if only to support Matt.

“I’m sorry, Sylvie. Even if I could make it, I think me being there would do him more harm than good,” Nancy sighs through the phone.

“No! No, he’d love it if you were there,” she assures her, pacing around the bunk room.

“Matt knows me, sweetheart. He knows I don’t stay in one place for too long, me being at your wedding isn’t what either of us needs. Besides, I’m sure the others will want to come and that’s a lot of drama I’d rather avoid.”

“They don’t want to come either. I’ve been calling his living relatives all morning but none of them will budge or even try and let go of mysterious grudges they have. I mean, uncles, aunts, cousins. All of them declined the invites. This is an important day for Matt, they have to see that, don't they? If they could just sit down and talk it out I'm sure they could—”

“They won’t,” Nancy tells her sympathetically. “Sylvie, our family is much too complicated. We have a saying in our family, you know. ‘Never have more than two Caseys in one room if you want to stay sane’. Trying to fix our family’s issues is like trying to find a penny in the ocean, dear. It’s just not going to happen, no matter how hard you try or how optimistic you get.”

“Mrs. Casey— Nancy— I’m just asking for you to stop by. An hour, tops. Please. You’re his mom.” Sylvie tries staying calm as she stops her pacing but she can’t help the frustrated edge in her tone.

“I know, dear,” she replies with a lamentful sigh. “But I’ve let Matt down one too many times to ever deserve that title.”

Sylvie huffs defeatedly into the phone, sitting down on one of the cots. Maybe she should have seen this coming. Matt’s not expecting any of his family to show up, he’d told her as much. But she’d wanted to surprise him with it. Now, seeing his expectations of his family be totally and completely accurate breaks her heart. He’d been prepared for the worst; he always is. Only now, she doesn’t blame him. The Caseys have given him nothing but the worst. She doesn’t know why she thought now would be different.

“I’m glad he has you, Sylvie,” Nancy Casey continues softly. “Leaving isn’t so hard for me this time, because I know Matt has someone someone like you in his corner, fighting for him. My son hasn’t had much of that in his life, frankly. I’m truly happy for the two of you.”

Sylvie’s anger towards his mom, and towards all of the Caseys for that matter, still lingers in her. Having her leave, having none of his family be there at the wedding, it feels all wrong. They’re his own flesh and blood, how could they let their stubbornness and secrets get in the way? How could they let down Matt like this?

Matt’s not even bothered by it though. At this point, it’s her they’re disappointing.

But she takes a deep breath, soaking in her words. She’s happy for them and Sylvie suspects that took quite a lot for Nancy Casey to say it so vulnerably. She has enough emotional baggage for a life time, after all. So Sylvie takes what she can get.

“Thanks,” Sylvie settles on replying. Arguing is pointless, so she wishes Nancy a safe trip and hangs up. It’s a little anticlimactic but then again, the Casey family’s drama never was all that flashy and exaggerated. It’s more quiet and seething, like mellow, gently boiling water that burns to the touch.

Sylvie, however, is not. She’s never been one to hide her emotions or leave it below the surface. The Caseys are a frustrating bunch, and she fumes from her nostrils at the thought of it. That is, of course, until she sees Matt walk into his quarters from across the bunk room. The sight of him is enough to make her put her anger on the backburner because her heart just… breaks.

He won’t be surprised when she tells him she failed. It’s not a fact that comforts her.

She pockets her phone, walks over to his quarters, and knocks on the edge of the open door. “Hi.”

“Hey,” he beams from his desk. Her face doesn’t return as wide of a smile though, her normally cheerful demeanour gone. Matt picks up on it immediately (because of course he does) and his brows furrow. “You okay?”

“I got off the phone with your mom,” she explains through tight lips.

“Ah.” He gives a knowing nod, and Sylvie doesn’t even need to finish her sentence. He knows. He knows, and it hurts. “I take it your plan about getting my family to come to the wedding didn’t go so well.”

“No, it did not,” she huffs, moving into his office and beginning her frustrated pacing again. She can feel the anger ramping up in her. “You were right. They won’t holster their issues for one day. Your mom isn’t even coming, she’s leaving Chicago for some meditation retreat. Can you believe that?!”

“I can actually, yeah,” he sighs wistfully, observing her from his chair. “Mom’s been flakey ever since she got out of prison. Making up for lost time, I guess. I told you they weren’t going to budge on this, babe. They’re full of secrets and drama, that won’t change.”

“I know,” Sylvie huffs disappointedly, her shoulders sagging as her pacing comes to a halt. Matt shift his chair towards her slightly and steadies his feet on the ground, motioning for her. She’s instinctively drawn in, moving to wrap an arm around his shoulders and sit her legs across his lap. Her hands gently run through his hair as she starts to speak; an action that she finds strangely soothing. “It just makes me so- so mad,” she pouts. “I wanted to fix things so badly that I didn’t listen when you told me it wouldn’t work. I just went ahead and failed anyway.”

“Hey,” he hushes comfortingly. “You didn’t let me down in any way. You know that, right? You want to see the good in people, always, and I love you for it. And you tried, that counts for something. If they don’t want to come to our wedding, that’s their loss. I haven’t even spoken to half of them in years anyway.”

“See, that’s just messed up,” she points out, pointing at him matter-of-factly. “They’re your family! They’re supposed to love you and show up for you, you’re supposed to feel at home when they’re around. Instead, they’re keeping these little secrets and disappointing people. Disappointing you, me— us.”

“When I’m with you, I’m home,” he argues back softly with a grin.

“I’m being serious,” she replies with a frown.

“I am too,” Matt tells her. His arms are around her waist, pulling her closer in on his lap and moving his free hand up to her face. He brushes her hair away from her face and behind her ear, stroking circles on her cheek with his thumb afterwards. “Everyone at 51? They’re my real family. You’re my family. That’s all I need at our wedding. No one else.”

At those words, Sylvie’s heart is finally able to relax and her shoulders ease up. She’s able to smile for the first time since calling Nancy Casey, letting it spread over her face as she holds Matt’s gaze. They’re getting married and when they do, their real family will be there with them. She holds onto that fact like it’s a lifeline until she feels better, soaking in the warmth of his embrace.

She leans in, cupping his face with one hand as she kisses him tenderly. He sucks in a soft breath, catching her bottom lip in between his before they pull away.

“That sounds perfect to me,” she replies, in a voice somewhere in between a sigh and a happy hum.

Suddenly, the Caseys fade into the back of her mind and out of existence.

[caxsthetic]

Be Fine

Miya Osamu x F!Reader

Hurtful Truth: Some things would always haunt us, no matter how many times we tried to run away. 

Pt. 1 ⇚ Part 2 ⇛ Pt. 3 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. GRAND MASTERLIST .* :☆ﾟ. ───

He never knew heartbreak.

For almost thirty years of his life, Miya Osamu never knew how it feels to have his heart shattered into a million little pieces.

Since he was sixteen, he had a lover that always took care of him. He had you, someone who devoted all of your life for him, even abandoning your own dream to make sure that you could always be there by his side in a matter of seconds.

There was no one as loyal as you, the woman who got a lot of people standing in line just to get some attention from. Osamu didn’t have to be worried that someday you would leave him, he didn’t have to ask who you were with for every few minutes. Because he knew damn well — that you would turn down everyone who showed you even a glimpse of interest.

So he kept coming back to the moment he knocked on your brother’s apartment all those months ago. He kept replaying how his hand touched the brunette’s cheek, how his lips captured the unfamiliar plump lips, how he got in bed with someone else that was not you.

What worse from that, was the fact he kept coming back to the same new routine.

He didn’t particularly know when his feelings for you started to vanish into the thin air. There was just no spark anymore when he kissed you, no fiery flame that he usually felt when he pushed you to the bed and devoured you for the rest of the night. Something that used to fulfil his mind and soul satisfaction, became just a physical necessity.

The sound of vegetables being cut was the only thing that rang on his eardrum as he got lost in his mind all over again. Even though he was not alone, he knew better not to make a conversation with his company. His twins, Miya Atsumu.

Ever since he broke it off with you, his twin never stopped pestering him and guilt-tripped him for every chance that he could get. Right now, he even could feel how the brown orbs that belonged to the setter currently sending daggers at the back of his head.

“Don’t you think you are rushing it?” Atsumu finally cut the silence. He actually never once wanted to intervene or poke his nose on his brother’s life. “Didn’t you just start to fuck Sunarin around ten months ago?” But this, this was something that he couldn’t let go as it was.

Because it involved you, you and your very much fragile heart.

Osamu knew too well about how much the setter cared for you. Sometimes he would even think how much better you would be if you fell in love with the blonde instead of him. Atsumu was the one with immense passions, the successful volleyball’s player that had the attention of the whole nation — even beyond.

Yet for all of those years that went by, he was the one who got your heart. And by any chance, he felt like he was winning, at least he was winning something in this life for having a woman that his twin once wanted to have too.

“It’s none of your business.”

He answered with such a curt voice, focusing on the meal that he prepared for his fiancé. Rintarou was away for a week, and he wanted to do something for the love of his life. Yeah, the love of his life. He kept telling himself that, about how if he didn’t really love the brunette he would never cheat on you anyway, so he was pretty sure that his feelings right now were real.

Osamu realised how his relationship with the EJP Raijin’s middle blocker would turn out. Too fast as they just want to reach the finish line, to secure a goal, a real win. Not even one thinking about how you felt as you can only zip your mouth while standing on the sideline.

He thought that the silence that ensued after his response was enough. That maybe today he could just think about his fiancé with peace. Without you that still managed to slip yourself inside his head, without his twin letting out an opinion about how stupid he was for wasting your life.

But when he heard the stool knocked to the ground behind him, he knew that his nightmare would never end.

“For fuck sake you just dumped (Y/n) four months ago and now you are going to wed her brother?!” Atsumu was seething, stomping on the hardwood floor of his twin’s new apartment with a hand carding his own hair in frustration. “You are disgusting.” The setter even spits to the ground, but Osamu didn’t mind it at all.

Because he deserved every insult and hatred that he got.

Atsumu scoffed and grabbed his car keys from the kitchen island when his twin didn’t turn his back to face him. The nausea that he felt when he was around the businessman was sickening, that at this point he wanted nothing but strangle the life off the body of his doppelganger.

It did not come though, another slander or any kind of physical abuse from the setter. The black-haired man just stirred the miso soup that he prepared, numbing his heart and soul, once again acting like someone didn’t want to kill him or something. He knew that Atsumu would surrender, he would get tired anyway when he didn’t receive a response.

When he heard the front door being slammed, that was when he could finally breathe. Osamu didn’t even realise that his hands were trembling, that his skin produced a cold sweat as he once again succumbed to the guilt that eating him alive for every morning that he woke up to.

He still remembered the look inside your eyes, how the warmth that usually there was gone in an instant when he confessed what he had done. He remembered how you took a step backwards every time he walked closer to you, the frightening look that he never thought would be seen from your orbs.

It was only a matter of time before his family and friends knew what he did to you, only a matter of seconds that the news popped on the internet of how the woman behind Onigiri Miya left their shared house — that had been filled with their for years.

His family gave him a look of disappointment, and his twin brother even now could only see him with disdain predominating the brown orbs. But even then, even after what he had done to you, there was no hatred that could be felt radiated from your body. Just utter sadness, and distress.

Possibly because you were just having your heart crumbled, possibly because you never thought that he would do such a thing to you. But just that. You still look at him with the same love that you showed for him since you were sixteen, not even the tiniest bit of loathe could be seen.

And he didn’t deserve that.

“Hey, Rinrin.” Rintarou looked up from his phone, turning his gaze towards you as you twirl your body around. “Penny for your thoughts?” You looked so beautiful with the wedding dress that your mother and he used on her wedding day.

You looked so ready, all grown up now as an engagement ring circled around your finger. He swallowed a huge lump, funny how his long time crush was the one who slid that sophisticated ring on his sister.

“You look good.” He cringed from his own compliment to you. You looked so radiant that he even thought twice whether you were really related to him or not.

The two of you were nothing alike. You were such an angel with all of the good intentions and positive vibes that you had. While him on the other hand — sometimes he wished for your relationship to end, sometimes he even wished that he never introduced you to his teammates back then in high school.

And he always felt so nasty, because you had never been anything but kind to him. “I mean—”

“Hehe, I know, Rin.” You chuckled a little and walked closer to his figure. “I know that you wanted to say more than that.” You always knew what was inside his mind that was always filled with thousand random things, a contrast to the words that slipped from his lips.

Always so good, too kind for this world. You never knew how poisonous his mind sometimes no matter how much he loved you. And he always felt so sick for even thinking about such things about your happiness.

You fiddled your fingers, making him raise one of his eyebrows. He knew that you felt nervous, that you were afraid of whatever that could happen in your life. Your mind was filled with thoughts, and he wondered what inside your head right now. He was not you, he couldn’t read his sibling’s mind.

“I want to say thank you, Rin.” You looked down, stroking the ring that adorned your finger. “Thank you for bringing me to your practice that day.” Then you looked up, teary-eyed fell on his face. “Thank you for bringing Samu to my life.”

See? An angel. So innocent, eyes glimmering with hope and love.

How could he even think about tearing those joy away from you? What kind of brother was he for wanting to be in your position? To be such a jealous person and wishing that he didn’t have a sister that could catch the eyes of his crush.

He promised, he promised to himself that he would let you be happy. That his feelings were nothing compared to your happiness. That someday he would find someone else that would be his last harbour. He pulled you close to his embrace, and he could feel how you were so warm, that just having you as a sister was already a blessing.

He would never hurt you, he promised that.

Yet two months from now, he broke it so easily as he slithered his hand under your fiancé’s shirt, capturing the lips that caught yours for years. So easily, he did all of that so easily. And he continued to do so, he continued the taboo rendezvous over and over again — as if you were never there, to begin with.

“Rin?” The middle blocker jolted when he heard the familiar voice calling out to him. “Rin, sweetheart?” Why it felt wrong, why it didn’t feel right as the nickname rolled down from the tongue of his love. “You looked pale, are you alright?”

Osamu put down the glass of champagne to the table, ignoring all the blare of music that filled the entire club. He was now worried about how the brunette seemed to be sick. Rintarou didn’t answer, his green eyes were blank as it stared at the bubble on his glass.

“I am not, not really.”

Tonight was their bachelor party, they were supposed to have so much fun together with a bunch of friends. Man and woman, they were all joining the entertaining night. With both of their money combined, the couple reserved a famous club downtown until morning.

Everything went so good as everyone laughed and danced, some congratulate them, saying that they were happy for them.

But were they really happy for them? Or was it all just an act because it was the proper thing to do?

The black-haired man really wanted to part his lips and asked. He wanted to know what could possibly make his fiancé look so gloomy at a party, the party that was held for them. Yet deep down, he knew. He didn’t want to believe it but somehow at the back of his head, he could see it.

“Have you heard anything from (Y/n), Samu?” The nickname rolled so smoothly from Rintarou, the nickname that Osamu allowed only for his twin brother and his lover. Used to be you, the other person that could call him like that used to be Suna (F/n). Not — not Rintarou, not your brother.

It was as if the entire club was being put on hold. They stare at each other, with a look that they couldn’t quite fathom, both didn’t know what was inside each other’s mind. Letting out a sigh, Osamu drew his phone from his pocket, unlocking the screen lock and scrolling through the messages that he had left for you.

All was left ignored.

“The last time she answered my message was three days ago,” Osamu announced, he closed the app and opened it up again, wishing that maybe it was just his phone lagged or his internet connection being a shit. But there was still nothing, no new message even though his phone was in its prime condition.

“What was it all about?”

“About this party.” He swallowed a huge lump, biting his bottom’s lip to prevent himself from cracking. “She said she would be there for the two of us. Saying that she would always be there.” His grey orbs never left the small screen, reading through the passage that you sent.

Rintarou groaned and gulped down the champagne as if it was mineral water. He didn’t care about the dizzy feeling that he would get, later on, he didn’t care about that at this point. Slamming the glass to the table, he leaned his back on the soft cushion, staring blankly at the glittering ceiling.

It was the same, the last time he heard from you was around three days ago as he asked about whether you would be there to join the party that was being held two nights before the wedding day. You said the same thing, about how you would be here, how he didn’t have to worry about anything, that you were not going anywhere.

But it had been three hours and yet the gigantic door of the club still closed without your existence graced this place.

“Osamu.” Now the black-haired man was the one who jolted. “Michinari hit his limit now, I need to help him get back to his place.” The voice that belonged to his old captain brought him back to reality. “Is it alright to go home early?”

A little smile was there on Kita’s face as both of his hands were propping to help the now wasted apothecary. Akagi said that he would have work tomorrow, and yet he was the one who got so drunk, making the dual coloured haired man snicker at the fact.

“Oh, yes. Of course, it’s alright Kita-san.” Osamu immediately stood up, followed by Rintarou as they bowed to the man that they had immense respect to. “Please take care, we couldn’t wait to see you on the wedding day.” He said it so smoothly as if it was something that he practised in front of the mirror for hours.

“Alright then. We will take our leave.” Kita bowed a little, turning his back after that and focused on the man in his care. But before he could take another step forward, Akagi yanked his attention back to the couple.

“Ngh, please take care of (Y/n)-chan.” His voice was a slurred, yet everyone could get his point across. “She had been asking me for more sleeping pills, I think she had trouble sleeping.” The ex-libero said it so effortlessly as if it didn’t make the two men in front of him feel like being poured with cold water.

The couple looked at each other, nodding and smiled at the wasted man.

“We will, Akagi-san. I am going to check up on her tomorrow.”

Satisfied with the answer, their upperclassmen finally turned away completely. The businessman still had a soft smile on his face, waving his hand to the two fleeting figures. And when they finally walked past the door, he could finally let out a breath that he didn’t even realise he held it in.

“I will check her tomorrow,” Rintarou muttered under his breath. “You had been there the last time, now it’s my turn.” He missed you, he felt like he missed something in his life every time he had an official match and couldn’t see you on the bleachers.

You were always pushing him forward, always the first person who came when he needed company, the first person that helped him pick up all of his pieces and made it intact once again every time he was down.

So maybe he would be the one who helped you up now. Maybe it was time for him to have your back.

Yet at the same time, he felt like it was not his place anyway.

Since he was the one — who shattered your life into pieces.

»»————-　♔　————-««

The morning light peeking through the curtain. It stung his vision as it was the first thing that he saw. Was it morning? The sun was too bright to consider that right now was still early. Suna groaned, sitting up straight on the bed since he remembered that he needed to go to your house today.

His eyes darted to his side, eyebrows raised as he realised that he was alone. He still needed to get used to this house, the trace of you could still be felt on every corner of the walls. Swallowing a huge lump, he immediately got out from the bed, once again disgusted with himself as he realised that he slept on the bed where you slept for years.

He never thought about it before, when he first got lost on the same bed with the black-haired man. For the first six months of his lust-filled night, your existence was nothing to him. He knocked, being led to the bed, whimpering and groaning as the dainty fingers that usually shaped onigiri — shaping him into whatever that his lover wanted him to be.

Did you really want to see him? What if you wanted some space? Osamu once told him that both of them could not pressure you. They needed to give you time. After all, you already allowed them to be together, you were alright with it as you pushed the two of them to be together once again. You already forgave — no, wait.

You never said anything about forgiving them.

Rintarou groaned frustratedly as he jumped under the shower. His nails dug the hard surface of the tiles as the shame and guilt started to tear his sanity little by little. He shook his head, wanting to believe that you were happy for them. You let them together, to be in love with each other, at least they got your blessing. That was enough.

The brunette just decided to do a quick shower, grabbing a random shirt and boxer from the drawer. He needed to do something, he needed Osamu. They needed to talk, he would go insane if it would be going around like this. It felt too much; the scent, the aura, everything in this house just screamed you.

He hurriedly walked downstairs, his heart beating so fast all of a sudden as if he was running away from a serial killer. Rintarou needed to talk things out, either to his fiancé, or his lovely sister. Before the wedding, before he changed his last name to Miya, he needed one more reassurance.

But his heart immediately felt at ease when he saw the back of his lover. Osamu hummed a song while cooking. Perhaps lunch — or breakfast for him — he flipped the pan effortlessly. And with just a sight of his old-time crush since high school, Rintarou was blinded once again.

His mind was clouded with needs, with peace. This was what he always imagined, to see someone he adored so much cooking for him. The sight was worth thousands of dollars; with arms flexing, broad back moved around here and there, Rintarou took some steps closer to gather more warmth.

He slipped his arms around Osamu, eyes fluttering close as he was now recharging his mind and body. His fiancé just chuckled and turned off the stove, untangled himself before turning his body to face the sleepy man.

“Can’t believe you really sleep for hours.” Snickering, his hand carding the brown strands gently. “I cook some European cuisine today, do you want to eat—” But he stopped the second he saw the forlorn look inside the green orbs. And he understood the reason behind it.

Osamu couldn’t believe himself this morning as he woke up and reached out his hand to the side. He interlaced his hand with the one person besides him. Instead of squeezing it, he pulled his hand so fast, as if the feelings were foreign. That was not you, the size and the skin were different.

It was as if he came back to a year prior, where he wanted no one else but your presence. Maybe it was just alcohol that made him feel as if he never cheated on you as if he never had his tongue inside your brother’s lips. You were haunting him, even though you said you let him go already, it still tasted so bitter every time he swallowed down his saliva.

“Maybe it will calm you down, maybe not. But (Y/n) called me this morning.” Osamu spoke up, the information made the brunette’s pupil dilated. “I missed it, and when I called she didn’t answer. But she left me a message, she’s fine, Rintarou.” And right now, he didn’t know anymore was he trying to comfort his fiancé, or himself.

“And the message…?” The middle blocker pulled himself away, a little bit fidgety under the gaze that he couldn’t quite fathom. “She’s going to our wedding tomorrow, right? Or what was it all about? Define ‘fine’, Samu. My sister’s messages, how she typed her message? Is she really saying that she’s okay?”

He was always like this when he became too agitated, or too nervous. Osamu patted his shoulder gently before cupping his cheek, wiping the tears that wanted to spill from the corner of his orbs. “I needed to see her, I had to see her, Samu. I—”

“She’s away, Rin.” But those words shut him up. “She said she’s sorry that she couldn’t attend the wedding tomorrow. Maybe she needed space, we have to respect her choice.”

No, there was more to it. You were someone who always prioritizes others than yourself. It was just too drastic, to know that you suddenly told one of them that you were not going to be there. Something was off, Rintarou could feel it on every fibre inside his body.

“Hey, don’t think too much about it.” The long fingers that belonged to his lover, tilting his chin so his orbs met with the greyish one. “She’s fine, Rin. She needed more time and started to prioritise herself, it’s a good thing.”

He really wanted to retort, to voice out the sickening feelings that were swirling inside his stomach right now. Yet the gaze that he received told him to just zip it in, that he just had to focus on each other as tomorrow maybe when they seal their love, you would come around and they would be at ease.

So Rintarou just kept his mouth shut, believing the words that rolled down from his lover’s tongue. His eyes fluttering close before once again capturing the lips that now belonged to him.

Miya Osamu was all his, Miya Osamu wasn’t yours anymore — and he needed to get lost one more time, feeling the heat that he finally tasted after ten years just pining and grumbling. He wanted to be selfish, forgetting the breakfast that his fiancé prepared before.

He had to feel some kind of distraction, one thing to focus on until tomorrow at the time their future would be secured by the vow.

Because he needed to shake his own mind which forced him to keep coming back to you.

Tagged Lovelies:

@muffins-puffins @quirksandbreaths @vlovers-world @blacckdiamondposts @atsunflower @hihiq @the-fandom-ness @murasakibaraa @verbluehte @simp4tsukkii @ladyalicevii @evermorehaikyuu @clowninfortodoroki @koutaroulovebot @fitriiaw @mistypoison @aquariarose @greenleaf-fantasy @t-amajiki @kuraomi @haikyuuwithadashofart @starbybokuto @shiningstar-byulxx @nerdyphantomlady @raequii @akasuns @sugawsites @macaronnv @spicyfoodboi

[remmushound]

I wonder how 2012 Raph feel to see Rise Leonardo acting like a teenager and not a Leader and vice versa bet pennies to pizza Raph is Surprised that Leonardo is not the oldest in his family

@assanmaharielsreblogs

“Hey red dude.”

Raph flinched as a balled up wad of paper hit him on the back of the head. He growled and returned to polishing his sai.

“Heeeeeeeey.”

Another ball struck him. Raph roared his rage and spun around.

“WHAT?!”

Leonardo was standing there smirking a dumb smirk, balling up another paper and tossing it at Raph’s face. Raph just let it hit him as he seethed.

“You just gonna sit there all day?” Leonardo asked.

“What?” Raph scoffed. “You wanna train?”

“We trained yesterday?” Leonardo scoffed. “It’s break day.”

“Then get off my back.” Raph huffed and turned his back on Leonardo, “and leave me alone.”

“But you’ve just been there cleaning.” Leonardo disregarded Raph’s disgruntled attitude and walked over, leaning over his shoulder, “doesn’t seem very fun.”

“You don’t polish your sword?” Raph growled.

“Well I do, but it’s not like I enjoy it! Well, looking at my reflection is a good plus.” Leonardo smirked and pointed to himself.

“You sound just as vain as my Leo.” Raph huffed.

“What? That uptight know it all? No way!” Leonardo scoffed and waved his arms in dismissal, “he’s more like my Raph! If my Raph was a total fun-hating dork. All your brother’s talked about since he got here was ‘Shredder destroying my city’ this and ‘very important mission’ that. The guy really needs to chill. It’ll get done eventually.”

Raph looked up at Leonardo with a baffled look. “You... don’t think it’s important?”

“Of course I do! Just like, chill though.” Leonardo waved his hand, “if it’s important, we’ll get to it.”

Raph shook his head. The thought of a Leo not wanting to get a mission done as quick and effective as possible, a Leo that wasn’t constantly on his brothers shells about getting work done. It just seemed improbable.

“So like, anyway, wanna come skate or something?”

“Skate?” Leo hadn’t extended the offer to skate with him since, well, ever!

“Yeah.” Leonardo shrugged. “I got an extra board if you want it. Donnie made it specially for box shells, so you should be fine on it.”

“So... it’s Mikey’s board?”

“Don makes him a bunch of spares, it’ll be fine!” Leonardo grabbed Raph around the shoulders and lifted him up, guiding him toward where the skateboards were stored. “And it seems like you could really use the break.”

“And is there a catch or?”

“The catch is:” Leonardo pulled his own board out from behind his shell and pointed it at Raph. “You have to try and keep up with me.”

Raph grinned. “You are so on.”

~~~

It was harder to keep up with the slider than Raph had anticipated. When on long stretches, Leonardo could quickly outpace him, but it didn’t take long for Raph to notice how clumsy and unsure Leonardo was when he took the curves, always slipping and having to catch himself with his hand to keep up some sort of momentum and not fall flat on his shell. Still, the younger turtle kept in the lead even without his portals and was at the endpoint waiting when Raph finally rolled up.

“Nice skating...” Raph panted, leaning onto his knees as he caught his breath. “Little loose on those turns though.”

Leonardo smirked. “Still beat ya didn’t i?”

Raph shrugged. “Fair point.”

Raph crouched on his knees to rest, and Leonardo sat criss-cross in front of him.

“So, like, what’s the deal with you and your Raph?” Raph asked.

“What’d ya mean?”

“I mean, haven’t you ever wanted to, yknow, take leadership from him? Like every other Leo in the multiverse?”

Leonardo shrugged. “Not really. I mean, Raph says he’s our leader, but it’s honestly more of a team effort. Raph is just usually the best fit. I take lead sometimes when we need some more strategy, and sometimes even Donnie takes control. It’s not just one of us at all times. That’d be dumb.”

Raph doubted the Turtles words, despite how much sense they Made. “Mikey ever been leader?”

“Ehh... debatable. He went on his first solo mission where he was the one calling the shots, and once when me and Don and Raph were turned into babies by a mutant jellyfish named Jellybean, Mikey took initiative and turned us back to normal. Oh! And he’s the whole reason we got into the underground city to begin with. He has a really good memory, and he’s super creative coming up with ways to escape.”

“Mikey?” Raph scoffed, “really?”

Leonardo looked over with complete sincerity in his eyes. “Totally. Like I said, we all do our parts, even if Raph’s our self-proclaimed leader.” Leonardo turned away to examine his nails under the moonlight and begin to pick them free of grime.

“How’d that happen anyway?”

“Eh, he’s the oldest. You know how older brothers are.”

Raph blinked. “Wait? You’re not the oldest?”

Leonardo laughed. “No? Why would you think I am?”

Raph gave a self conscious shrug. “I dunno... i just figured it was the same as me and mine...”

“Aren’t you all the same age though?”

“Well— yeah— technically.” Raph admitted, “but we all came up with a birth order to, y’know, try and find some individuality...”

“It’s biological for us. We aren’t the same species, so we all hatched at different times. Raph hatched first, then Don, then me, and then Mikey. It was within days of each other but those days made a lot of difference.”

“Wait— YOU’RE NOT EVEN SECOND OLDEST?!” Raph tried to hide his laughter

“Nope.” Leonardo snickered, pointing to his chest, “child number three and still the favorite! You?”

“I’m a third child too!” Raph practically beamed.

“No kidding.” Leonardo laughed, gently knocking into Raph’s shoulder. “See? We do got a thing or two in common!” He leaned against the stone of a closed stairwell and sighed as he looked up toward the starry sky. “Believe me, Hermano, when I say this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

[whimsicallyreading]

Dark Roast, No Sugar

Part Two

Aelin leaned her head against a solid chest and counted the beats. These stolen moments were what she and Sam lived for. His breaths were even, and the gentle rumble of thunder outside assured their temporary safety.

 Arobynn's plain was delayed due to the torrential downpour flooding Rifthold. They'd received the text at the same time, and Sam immediately came to find her. Sneaking into the manor was risky, but Tern, Harding, and Mulligan were all occupied, and no one would dare enter Arobynn's office while he was away.

Well, everyone besides them. The danger was definitely worth it, Aelin mused as she stretched like a cat and sprawled into a more comfortable position over the muscled torso. A hand reached up and dragged calloused fingers through her hair, making her preen with satisfaction.

 Sam chuckled from below her, spread out like a starfish on Arobynn's poached polar bear rug. She felt sad for the untimely death of the creature, but she couldn't deny it made the perfect spot for their rendezvous.

 "We can't stay like this forever," Sam reminds her gently. He works his fingers down her long blond hair to the nape of her neck, where he works at the knotted muscles.

 "Not now, but soon," she reminds him as if he wasn't the one to concoct their crazy escape plan.

 A kiss pressed against her forehead marks the seal of his promise. "Soon," he agrees. "This hell will be over for you and me." The conviction of his voice lets that little tealight of hope in her chest flicker dangerously.

 "We will be free. The only dreams we will be having is what our home together will look like," she nuzzles into his chest and urges him to keep going. He knows she likes it when he talks long term to her.

"In the mornings, I will wake up to you in my bed. Your hair all over the place, and your arms constricting me like a hungry python."

 She cracks her eyes open at that and gives him a sleepy glare.

 "I wouldn't change a single thing about it," he continues. "Knowing you are safe with me is all I will ever need to be happy. Waking up to you in my arms is enough beauty to sate me wherever we end up. I'll be the happiest man alive."

 Tears burned the corners of her eyes, and a lump ached in her throat. For so long, she'd been deprived of affection and relationships of any kind. Aelin couldn't help the feeling of free-falling every time Sam declared his love. It was a treasure she thought she'd never had again. "I love you, Sam," Aelin whispers against his chest and presses a messy kiss to the muscle there.

 "Then why didn't you look for me?" His voice cracks in pain.

 Startled, Aelin's head shoots up. Ice chills her blood, and the screams that pour from Aelin's mouth are unearthly when she's faced with the gaping holes where his eyes should be.

 His eyes. She feels that familiar pain beneath her ribs. Those eyes that had been so kind. Made her feel so safe and radiated warmth. Aelin mourned their loss. Mourned him.

 "You didn't look for me," those damning words left his lips again.

 Aelin wakes up with a sob. "I'm sorry," she yells to the empty room.

 "I'm sorry," she keens. There are no hands in her hair. No beating heart beneath her cheek. She curls into a ball and grabs locks of her hair, pulling at them until strands fall loosely into her hand. The agony builds until it pinches her gut so hard and wrenches her heart so profoundly that she barely makes it to the toilet before hot, acidic bile burns a path up her throat.

 It burns through her over and over until she's leaned against the toilet seat sobbing. Her arms wrapped around her midsection protectively.    

 Morning sickness should have passed by now, but she still spent a great deal of time in this position. It never got less painful, and Aelin's seemed more aggressive than what other mothers recounted experiencing online. Her constant sickness and nightmares were leaving her feeling weak.

 Maybe it was a punishment for bringing a little life into a world that had savaged its father? That thought crossed Aelin's mind often. Perhaps it was penance for her selfishness. Her wanting to keep this small piece of Sam despite knowing the kind of life it would be subjected to endure.

 There was no forgiveness for the things she's done. Why would the universe let her have this? She should just be grateful it hadn't been taken from her entirely.

 Spineless, coward.

 Aelin laid curled up on the bathroom floor for hours. Existing in a constant cycle of sickness followed by mental torment. Chills wracked her frame, and she trembled on the cold tile. She barely had the energy to lift herself up when the urge to vomit struck her. Words floated in her head, furthering her misery.

 Coward. Liar. Oathbreaker. Life taker.

 That's where Lysandra found her, at a much more reasonable hour of the morning. Aelin was so tired she could only sob when the door cracked open. Her head fell forward and rested against the porcelain seat, too weak to hold it up any longer.

 Lysandra had cringed and very gently guided her head from the toilet rim to her shoulder, nestling Aelin's forehead into the crook of her neck despite the cold-sweat there.

 She crooned sweet nothings and soothed Aelin until she had the strength to stand up and collect herself. Lysandra helped her dress and brush her teeth. She left Aelin to sit on the couch and came back with lightly buttered toast, a glass of water, and a cup of ginger tea.

 Her attempt to decline it was futile. Lysandra left no room for argument. Slowly, Aelin bit the toast and sipped the tea. Bite by bite and drink by drink, she finished the breakfast.

 Lysandra didn't relent her hovering for the rest of the morning. As she was forced through her morning routine under her friend's watchful eye, she began to feel more human, and that awful pain slowly faded to the background of her mind. Nausea still rolled in her belly, but the food and drink helped settle it enough for her to function.

 Now here Aelin was, only a couple of hours later, filling muffin cups to have ready for the early morning regulars.

Her attitude was dismal.

 She felt sick. Her body ached from hours of lying on the cold tile. Sweat soaked her clothes and chilled her forehead. Just looking at her cup of tea made her angry that it wasn't coffee, but her stomach burned so furiously that not even coffee sounded good. It was a horrible paradox and was only just that much more upsetting.

 Aelin felt her eyes begin to burn with tears, and she slammed the bowl of batter down so hard that it splattered up her apron. She pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes and tried to will the tears back down.

 Maybe she would cave to Lysandra's demands that she go upstairs and rest. It went grated against her desire to be self-sufficient and independent, but taking a hot bath and curling up in her bed sounded like pure bliss. The baby would likely benefit from her decompressing, too. That thought sold her on the idea.

 The bell at the counter rang.

 Aelin took a deep breath and washed her hands quickly. She would take this customer and then let Lysandra know she was taking the day off.

 Thinking of the jasmine soap and the warm blanket waiting for her upstairs was just enough for her to plaster on a smile.

 "Goodmorning, how can I- you," The last word came out in a hiss. Aelin's smile melted as quickly as it came.

 The asshole was back, and he brought a friend.

 Whoop-dee-freaking-doo.

 To his credit, the friend was equally as beautiful as the Asshole himself. He had dark skin, the color of polished pennies, and long blonde hair that coiled just above the arches of his cheekbones. If his choice of companionship didn't perturb Aelin so much, she might've found him attractive.

 Hell, she found him attractive anyway.

 "Is that how you greet all your customers, sweetheart?" The friend smiled at her, and his perfect teeth were bright enough to signal plains.

 "Do you call every girl sweetheart or only the ones you want to spit in your coffee?" Her tone is sharp enough to cut glass, and the man's eyes widen at the challenge.

 "I don't drink coffee, but I supposed the hot chocolate I was going to order is just as easy to violate," he laughs warmly, and her eyes follow the motion of his adam's apple. "How about I lay off the pet names in exchange for a warm cup of sugar without saliva?" His face was sincere enough that she felt less inclined to spite him for his choice of friends.

 "Your name?" she asks.

 "Fenrys," he offers without a joke, and Aelin writes it on a cup.

"I want a dark roast, black." The asshole reiterated his order from the day before. He had his arms crossed, and his face was set in a grimace. His comment the other day still rang in her ears, and she was certainly not feeling generous. Aelin scowled at him and left them both at the counter without a word.

 It only took a few minutes to make the cocoa. She made every cup from scratch with a recipe she'd been perfecting since childhood. As she prepped the drink, the store bells rang again.

 Turning around with the drink, she spotted her cousin Aedion at the door and smiled.

 She and Aedion had been separated by the system shortly after her parent's death. He was five years older, and their caseworker though Aelin stood a better chance of being adopted by herself. It was a traumatic memory for both of them. They'd found each other about a year ago, and it took little time for them to rekindle their relationship.

 She set the cup on the counter in front of them. "That will be three-fifty." The Asshole raised a pale eyebrow. "My coffee?"

"I have the right to refuse services to anyone I wish. That will be three-fifty." Aelin felt great satisfaction as The Asshole's lips pinched together and his scowl deepened.

 Aedion raised his eyebrow from across the room.

Lysandra chose that moment to walk back in, and when she caught sight of Aelin's expression and saw the seething man in front of her, she hastily made her way over.

"Can I help you?" She asks, looking towards the men. Aelin knew the question was directed at her, though.

 There were a lot of eyes on her. Aedion. Asshole. Handsome Fenrys. Lysandra. Aelin thrived on attention, but there was a difference between attention and being a spectacle. The room suddenly felt a lot smaller and crowded.

 Fenrys placed a hand on the Asshole's shoulder, concerned. "Hey. It's fine. We can get your cup of dirt water somewhere else. It's not a big deal, Rowan."

 Rowan.

 "I am a paying customer," the man, Rowan, gritted through his teeth.

 "You are paying for my coffee and pastries," Aelin snarled. "Your money does not purchase you the right to verbally abuse me.

 Aedion was over in an instant, chest puffed and oozing with male bravado. "Well met, gentleman. I believe my cousin said three-fifty." He edged close enough to bother their personal space. "If it's too difficult for you to figure out, I can help you count your coins and show you the door?"

 At six-two, Aedion was an intimidating figure. He was physically massive—layers of dense muscle from underground fighting and patrolling the streets with his gang, The Bane. An impressive tapestry of ink sprawled across his chest, curling out of his sleeves and collar just enough to let others know it's there. Most people would see him and think twice about approaching him.

 Rowan was taller than Aedion even, and perhaps more muscular as well. They squared up, neither breaking eye contact.

 Fenrys seemed displeased with the turn of events, but when Aedion turned to glare at him, there was a flash of recognition in his eyes. He was next to Rowan in an instant, pushing on his chest. "That's enough of your shit. I'll pay, and we are leaving."

 He fished out five dollars from the pocket of his trousers and tossed it on the counter. "Keep the change. Sorry for disturbing your day, ladies."

 When the shop bells jingled, and the door slammed shut behind them, Aelin sighed and felt herself wilt against the counter. Her breathing was labored, and her heart still thrummed with the excess of adrenalin. She was prepared for a fight. Muscle memory had her tense and ready for the situation to escalate, which of course, it didn't. Old habits died hard, though.

 A steadying hand was gripping her elbow and helping her lean into a solid body. "Hey, Ace. Relax, it's fine."

 Lysandra shook her head, "That was the bastard from yesterday, I am guessing? You should have let me take care of that." She points up the stairs. "Go. You need to take a day off. Upstairs. Make sure she sits down, Aedion."

 "I had it handled," Aelin grumbled, allowing Aedion to tug her towards the stairs in the back of the little kitchen.

 Her cousin snorted, "Oh, I know you can handle yourself. The stress isn't good for Little A, though."

 "You just want to throw your street cred around."

 Aedion laughed, "That too."

 Aelin slumped onto the thread worn couch and tugged at her tennis shoes. She sighed when they finally slipped off, and she could rest her swollen feet on the old coffee table. Their apartment wasn't the luxury she and Lysandra were accustomed to, but it was more of a home than the Mannor had been.

 "You look exhausted," Aedion stated bluntly.

 Aelin closed her eyes and hummed. "Is that the language you use when you talk people into your bed?"

 "Not a lot of talking is required for that," Aedion says with a straight face. "Even if it was, I would be practicing on Lysandra, not you."

 Few words passed between them after that. They weren't necessary. Aelin and Aedion talked and texted all the time, but there were times when they just needed to soak in each other's presence. Years apart starved them of that unspoken bond they'd had as children.

 Being close to Aedion was one of the few things that staved the fear and allowed her to relax. He was like the familiar taste of hot tea and the warmth of a childhood blanket wrapped into one. She had no doubt that Lysandra had called and ordered him to come to see her at some point this morning.

 The Bane typically showed up on Friday nights to play poker at her tables and hang out. Aedion would stay through the weekend, and they would catch up then. An early morning visit on a weekday was out of the ordinary. Occasionally Kyllian or Jerome would pop by and make sure nothing was amiss.

 When Aelin and Lysandra liberated themselves and opened the shop, Aedion had insisted they find a location in The Bane's stomping ground. Arobynn was less likely to stumble across them outside of his territory. She'd seen Tern and Mulligan prowling the streets.

 Arobynn wouldn't let them go so quickly.

 Aelin hadn't wanted Aedion to get involved, but there was no way he would leave them defenseless.

 They compromised.

 Once a month Aelin would donate a small share of The Stag's tips for their protection. It was a pitiful amount. So she also offered her spare bedroom as a hideaway for Aedion's friends who needed a place to lay low. So far, only Ren had utilized it, but it was always ready to go.

 Aelin was by no means someone to screw with. Her other name was just as well known on the streets as The Bane were. It was a good arrangement.

 It's why Rowan had gotten under her skin so badly. She needed those tips to keep The Bane well equipped and for other resources to keep Arobynn out of her hair.

 He didn't know about the baby. Didn't realize the depth of how much Aelin had actually betrayed him. There would be hell to pay if he ever found out.

 Plus, baby shit was expensive.

 "So," Aedion finally broke the silence. "How did you piss off the cops?"

 Wait. "What?" Aelin sat up and leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

 "That was Detective Fenrys. He booked me the last time one of our fights got broken up. Nice guy. Let me out on a technicality." Aedion smiled. "Maybe he just thought I was good looking. He's not wrong. I am assuming the other guy is his partner."

 "They are detectives?" Aelin spat.

 "The best and brightest Orynth has to offer," Aedion ruffled her hair as he stood. "You sure know how to pick your fights, cousin."

 Well shit.

[justthehiddleswrites]

Stood Up | Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Summary:   Reader has the worst taste in men. Fortunately, Tom is there to pick up the pieces. He is such a good friend but what if he wants to move out of the friendzone and into something more?

Warnings: Fluff and Humor, Drinking, Bad Boyfriends, bad taste in men, Mutual Pining, Implied Smut, Blind Date

-

Tom was just getting ready to sit down for a late dinner when his phone buzzed against the table. His brow furrowed. He wasn’t expecting any calls this late. Luke would just show up on the stoop and pound on the door until he answered. And besides, he had done nothing in the last few days to incur the trademark Windsor wrath.

He smiled when he saw your photo on his screen. That ridiculous photo he snapped of you at your birthday last year. He tapped the screen to take the call.

“Date going that well?” Tom retorted with a giggle.

“Can you come and get me?” you sobbed into the phone.

“What happened?” Tom stood to his feet, dinner forgotten as he slipped his shoes back on and grabbed his keys.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fine, of course, whatever. Where am I heading?” He was already halfway out the door.

“The usual spot.”

“I’ll be there in ten.”

Tom got there in eight minutes.

-

You paced outside the pub as Tom pulled up to the sidewalk. You walked around and slid into the front passenger seat before Tom could get out.

He noticed the mascara streaking down your cheeks. He reached for you, but you pulled away.

“Just drive please, Tom. I will explain later.”

Tom shifted into drive and took off down the road. He drove in silence. At the first red light, he leaned away to fish a handkerchief out of his back pocket.

“Here.”

“Thank you.” You blew your nose and wiped away most of your now ruined makeup.

“Can I at least get his name?”

“Shawn.”

“Shawn.” Tom repeated, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

Tom didn’t bother asking where to take you. He knew the answer. He always knew. Tom pulled the car into his driveway and switched off the engine. This time you let him open the door and help you out of the car.

Once inside, he set about making you a cup of tea. He placed the cup in front of you, steam trailing up towards the ceiling.

“So?” Tom questioned as he sipped from his own mug.

A solitary tear rolled down your cheek. Followed by another. And then soon a flood. “He stood me up.”

“I’ll kill the bastard.” Tom slammed his fist on the table.

You chuckled. “You always say that.”

“I always mean it. Tell me the rest.”

“I cried for thirty minutes at the bar before the bartender took pity on me.” You hiccuped before taking another sip of your tea. “He gave me free drinks for the rest of the night.”

Tom pulled you close and cradled you against his chest. “I am so sorry, darling. Would you like to crash here tonight?”

You nodded. “That would be nice, thank you.”

Tom smiled and placed your empty cup next to his. “Your clothes are in the bureau in the spare bedroom and the bathroom is stocked.”

You rose and leaned over and kissed Tom’s cheek. His eyes squeezed closed. “You are too good to me, you realize that right?” you commented, a smile returned to your face.

Tom smiled back, his heart sinking. “I’m just being a good friend.”

“A best friend. See you in the morning?”

“Of course!” his smile remained tightlipped. “If I am not back from my run, make yourself at home.”

You hugged him once again before heading off to shower and sleep. Tom sat at the table for a while longer, head in hands and heart heavy.

-

You woke the next morning to a pounding headache and an empty stomach. Last night’s memories flooded back to you. You rolled over with a groan.

“Fuck….” you moaned as you sat up and stretched out. Your back cracked and your shoulders relaxed.

You stood and grabbed the spare robe you stashed in the closet and headed to the kitchen. The sound of music filtered through the house along with the smells of bacon and coffee.

Tom stood at the stove, his spoon acting as a microphone as he belted out a song.

“Bye, bye love...” His hips swayed to the guitar strum. “Bye, bye happiness.”

Tom continued to dance, and you leaned against the door frame, enjoying the show. Tom spun on his heel and stopped when he saw you. He dropped the spoon to his side.

“How long have you been standing there?” he questioned.

“Long enough to question whether you missed your calling as a singer.” you giggled as you made your way to the coffee, pouring a large mug.

“Hilarious. I hope you have an appetite.”

“Always.” You snagged a piece of bacon as Tom swatted at your hand.

“Sit.” He gestured to the table. “It will just be another moment.”

You went to snag more bacon, but Tom caught your hand this time.

“Fine.” you pouted.

Tom smiled as he spied you heading towards the table. This was his favorite time. The morning after. Just the two of you. How he wished it could always just be the two of you. Every morning and every night.

“Eat up.” Tom plopped the plate filled with a full English breakfast.

“The Hiddleston special.” You tucked in, and Tom did the same.

You thought as you chewed your food. You thought throughout the entire breakfast. Your furrowed bow did not go unnoticed by Tom.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked as he cleared the plates.

You contemplated whether or not to lie.

“Why do I always pick the wrong guy?”

Tom was grateful he was facing away from you when you blurted out your question because his face would have given his feelings away. He took a moment to compose himself before turning to face you.

“Oh come on, they all weren’t as bad as this last guy. What about that one bloke name started with a ‘c’? Connor?”

“Charles.” you grimaced.

Tom snapped. “Charles! He seemed all right.”

You slumped in your chair. “I never told you, did I?”

“Told me what?” Tom sat down.

“Remember how I took those three weeks off a few years ago?”

“You said something about needing to use up some vacation time.”

“Well I lied. I had an accident.”

Tom grabbed your hand. His thumb running along your knuckles. “An accident? Why didn’t you call? I could have—”

“You were in Vietnam, remember?” you smiled, placing your hand on top of his, stilling his nervous gesture.

“Right.” Tom lowered his head in guilt. He should have been here. For you. “What does this have to do with Charles? I thought he broke up with you.”

“Not exactly. When I called to tell him about the accident, on the way to hospital he stopped and had a pint with some of his mates.” A big tear fell from your eye.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” Tom yelled at the top of his lungs. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“He was supposed to meet them. He stopped on the way to tell them he couldn’t stay.” you made excuses.

“AND DRANK A FUCKING PINT?!” Tom seethed. If he knew it wouldn’t break his hand, he would punch the wall right now.

“The important thing is…” you hissed. “… this just demonstrates I have rubbish taste in men.”

Tom’s demeanor softened as he recognized the hurt and pain in your voice. He pulled to his side, holding you tight. “All it takes is one good one.”

“Is that all? Is it that simple?” You gave a hollow laugh. Tom continued to hold you tight. The seconds ticked by and you found yourself not wanting to leave his side. You cleared your throat. “I should head back to my place.”

“Right!” Tom nervously wiped his hands on his jeans. “Can I take you to lunch this week? My treat.”

“I’ll have to check my schedule.” You turned to leave. Tom grabbed your wrist.

“Just so you know,” Tom’s eyes wide. “if you ever were in an accident, I wouldn’t stop for a beer.” You nodded and attempted to leave, but Tom held his grip tight. “I wouldn’t stop for red lights.”

“Good to know.” you gulped.

-

Benedict stopped by later that day at Tom’s request.

“I can see by your face you still haven’t told her your true feelings.” Ben pulled a beer from the fridge.

“How can I now, Ben? We have been friends for over four years! If that is not being friend zoned, I’m not sure what is.”

Ben grabbed a second beer from the fridge and handed it to Tom, who gladly accepted it.

“True, but how many of your female friends call you when their date goes wrong?” Tom opened his mouth to respond, but Benedict held up a hand to cut him off. “Or keeps clothes in the bureau in your spare room? Or cancels a vacation to see your opening night performance?”

“She told me the resort closed because of a fire?!”

“She told Sophie the truth. Who told me. Soph swore me to secrecy.”

“You rat.”

“My point is… “ Ben gave Tom a knowing glance. “… this is not normal friend behavior.”

“I guess you’re right.” Tom conceded.

“I am right. Plus Sophie may or may not have mentioned that she compares all her dates to you.”

“I thought the two of you were my friends!” Tom scoffed, throwing his hands in the air. “I’ve known you longer.”

“But I like her better. And so does Soph. She doesn’t eat all our food or get dog hair on the couch.”

“Give me your phone.”

“Why?” Ben fished it out of his pocket and held it close to his chest.

“I’m going to fling it across the room.” Tom lunged, but Ben jerked backwards. “I’m kidding, I need to call and talk to your wife.”

“To plot my murder?” Ben handed over the phone.

“As tempting as that is, no. I need her to set me up on a date.”

It was only then the look of horror left Benedict’s face.

-

You chatted with Sophie as you walked to the pub.

“Are you sure I will like this William guy?”

“I’m positive, dear.” Sophie assured you over the phone. “He is just your type.”

“That is what you said about Shawn and Eric and—”

“Okay, so my matchmaking skills have been crap but this guy is different.”

“How? How is this guy different from every other loser you set me up with?”

“Well for one, you have already met this loser.” Sophie snapped back.

“When?”

“Years ago. At a party at our house. I remember the two of you getting into quite a heated conversation.”

Your brows knitted as you tried to place this conversation. The only person who you have those kinds of conversations with is Tom. But again, when you drink you can get quite passionate.

“I will have to take your word for it. How will I recognize this guy?”

“He’ll recognize you.”

“Not stalkerish at all. After this relationship fails, I’m swearing off men.”

“Deal. But you won’t have to, because this guy is a keeper.”

“I highly doubt that, unless you are setting me up Tom which is ridiculous.”

“Completely.” Sophie scoffed. “I don’t even think he is in town right now.”

“Oh.” your voice dropped. Tom always confided in you about his travels. “He didn’t mention anything.”

“It was a last-minute trip.”

“Okay, I’m here, Soph. Wish me luck.”

“Luck has nothing to do with it.”

-

You tapped your foot anxiously against the barstool. William was twenty minutes late. You sighed as the reality that you were being stood up again sunk in.

“Excuse me, but is this seat taken?” a familiar voice asked from behind you.

“Tom!” you exclaimed, jumping to your feet and pulling him into a hug.

“It’s good to see you!” Tom wrapped his arms around and inhaled the scent of your shampoo and perfume. His stomach fluttered with butterflies.

“Soph said you were out of town.”

“I got back in early.” he lied. “What are you doing here?”

“Getting stood up. Again.” you grumbled.

Tom slid into the seat next to you. “I wouldn’t worry I’m sure William will turn up eventually.” Tom lifted a hand to get the bartender’s attention.

Your head snapped around to glare at him. “I never mentioned his name to you. In fact, I never mentioned this date to you.”

“Are you sure?” Tom questioned. He lifted his pint glass to his lips to hide a smile.

“I’m positive. In fact, you have been avoiding my calls all week.”

“I had things I needed to do.” Tom turned to face you.

“Such as?”

“Getting ready for a big date for one.”

Your heart dropped to your shoes. It had been at least a year since Tom had been involved with anyone. You always secretly hoped you and Tom would end up together. But with each passing year, that seemed less and less likely.

“Oh, how did you go?”

“Not sure yet. How is it going?”

“How would I know?��� You stared at Tom, who raised an eyebrow. “Oh, oh, OH! What are you saying Thomas William… oh!”

Tom downed the rest of his pint before trusting himself to speak again.

“I’m saying all it takes is one good guy. And a good guy wouldn’t stop for red lights if you were in an accident. Let me be your one good guy. Let it be me.” Tom spat the words out at a rapid pace. He took a deep breath as the last words left his lips.

“But we’re friends.” you countered.

“Good friends. Best friends.” Tom said. “But I want more.”

“Why did you never tell me before?”

“Fear. Stupidity. Take your pick.”

“Why now?”

“Fear. Stupidity.” Tom smiled. “Take your pick. The fact is it is you I want you to wake up next to me for the rest of my life. I want you to be my morning, noon, and night. And the first call when you are in the hospital. That is, if you will have me.” Tom reached out and placed his hand on top of yours.

You necked your drink and placed the glass on the wooden bar top before looking at Tom. He stared at you as if you held his life in your hands. In many ways you did.

You took a deep breath and exhaled. “I would like that too.”

Tom smiled and rose to his feet and leaned down to kiss you. You leaned back and wrapped your arms around his neck, teasing your fingers through his hair. Tom deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into your mouth.

A small moan escaped your lips and some patrons in the bar wolf whistled and someone yelled “get a room”.

Tom and you parted. Tom’s chest heaved. “An excellent suggestion. My place?”

“On the first date? What kind of girl do you take me for, Mr. Hiddleston?” You pushed Tom away in a playful manner.

Tom snaked his arm around your waist and pulled you tight to his side. His lips curved into a devilish smile as they ghost against your ears. “My girl. You are mine.”

His voice sent a jolt of electricity through you as he led you to the exit.