#we should've gotten a life update of him :(

[ziezii]

i just know the shit-talking parents gossip session goes HARD for fushikugi

[confused-pyramid]

I'll Be Yours In A Landslide | s7 interlude

pairing: aaron hotchner x childhood bsf!reader

summary: Hotch and his childhood best friend working together at the BAU: a slow burn across the seasons.

word count: 2.6k

warnings: SMUT, oral (fem!receiving), p in v, angst

a/n: IMPORTANT UPDATE: Sorry for the wait guys, I've been super busy with graduating soon and other life updates, so I haven't had any time to write:( I really wanted to give some sort of a tie-up for this series at least for the time being, so I wrote a little interlude for y'all. I am hoping to come back at some point, but for now, I'm putting an indefinite hold on this series. I really appreciate all the comments and messages I've gotten from people, and I hope to talk to you all soon:) Title is from State Lines by Novo Amor

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"How could you?"

You push past him, shoving your way into his apartment the moment he opens the door. You were fuming your entire drive over, but now that he's standing in front of you, your mind is a battlefield of warring emotions: I hate you, I love you, I missed you.

"You knew the whole time that she was alive," you gasp, already feeling out of breath, "and you kept it from us. From me."

"I'm sorry." It seems to be the only thing he can say these days. He has said it so many times, he's lost count, but it doesn't make this better. He knows he hurt you, even if he didn't have a choice. "Please just sit down and we can talk."

"No," you shoot back, shaking him off as he tries to step closer. "I'm not gonna calm down right now. I've been keeping this in for months, Aaron. I was there for everyone and no one was there for me."

His brow screws together and you know you're hitting exactly the right spots to make him feel worse, but you can't help it.

"I wanted to tell you," he says, his voice almost frantic as you pace back and forth across his living room. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to tell you all of it, but I couldn't."

"You should've tried harder," you yell, knowing how unfair that is even as you're saying it. His face falls and he turns his palms towards you, like he's about to surrender, but that isn't what you want. You want the fight. It's what you've been waiting for for months.

You open your mouth to yell at him again, but then his eyes find yours, and he looks at you in that way he used to...like it's the first time he's seeing you all over again, and suddenly you're walking toward him. His eyes widen as you crash into him, and before he can understand what's happening, your lips are on his.

It takes him way too long to realize what's happening, but his hands move faster than his brain. They latch onto your waist, tugging you closer, pressing your chest to his, as you gasp into his mouth. When his brain finally catches up, he swears he can see fireworks as you grasp onto him, your lips so soft over his. He's been drowning for months, years, wanting you, waiting for you, pushing you away, and now you're here and he can finally breathe.

"I'm sorry," he whispers against your lips, trying to emphasize how grateful he is to have you back, but you just bring your hands up between you and tear off his open button down before chucking it to the ground.

"Shut up," you mutter, a pang of hurt cutting through even as you try to sound angry. "Just kiss me."

He doesn't make you ask twice. His lips come back to yours as he walks you back towards the couch, your knees buckling when they hit the seat.

Aaron sinks down and pulls you on top of him as you grab at every part of him, your fingers tugging at his collar and your teeth brushing over his bottom lip. The kiss is harsh and he gasps as your nails drag over his skin, but he doesn't care. You're here.

He's falling, succumbing to the overwhelming desire rising up within him, but before he can let go, he pulls back momentarily. "You're sure? I don't want you to regre-"

"I want you," you whisper, the last word turning to a sob against your will. "I'm so mad at you, but I love you and I want you, so please don't stop."

His eyes squint with shame and for a moment you almost feel guilty for how harsh you are being, but then the desire returns and he pulls you down on top of him. Your hands come up to tangle in his hair, and the roughness of his beard feels unfamiliar, yet exciting. When his mouth moves down your jaw, the scratch of his beard against your skin ignites a fire within you.

You claw at his back, trying to pull his tee shirt over his head, and he reaches down, helping you wrest it off and onto the floor. The movement sends your hips back over his groin and he lets out a low groan as he tears your button-down open.

When your top falls to the floor as well, you both pause, finally realizing the gravity of what you're doing. Your eyes drag down his chest, over the thick scars lining his abdomen and collarbone, and soon your fingers are following along, tracing a path of fire over the roughest and most beautiful parts of him. 

You gasp as his fingers ghost over the scar on your waist, where your bullet wound used to be, and before the tears in your eyes can fall, your lips are back on his. 

There's more urgency in your movements this time as you try to relish the feeling of his mouth over your pulse, your hips rolling over him. 

"Bedroom," you whisper as heat spreads between your legs, emanating from the grip of his hands on your thighs. "Now."

He doesn't waste a second as he wraps his arms around your body and stands up, lifting you along with him as he makes his way down the hall. His lips don't leave yours even as he pushes the door open with his back, and he only breaks away to toss you onto the bed. You hit the covers with a gasp, and you see his pupils darken with lust as he climbs over you, his pants already tightening. 

You can hardly believe he's back in your life again, and even as anger and hurt cloud your vision, he's here in front of you, and you need him as close as humanly possible.

"I want you too," he says suddenly, his eyes finding yours in a moment of earnestness. "So much...for so long."

Your throat thickens with tears again, and you can't decide whether you want to blink them away or let them fall, but then he quickly tugs your jeans and panties off in one go and every thought leaves your brain. 

He looks animalistic as he peppers kisses up your legs, his mouth warm and wet as he stops just before your core for an extra second to rile you up.

"Aaron," you groan, threading your fingers into his hair and tugging him forward. You won't beg, not right now, but he gets the idea.

He practically grins at your desperation, drawing it out a bit longer by sucking bruises into your thighs, before he finally goes where you are willing him to. Your head falls back with a gasp as he plunges his tongue down, licking a trail up your slit that has you writhing beneath him.

He presses his hands into your thighs, spreading them apart as your hips jut off the bed. His tongue feels like heaven as he works you open along with his fingers, getting you close within a matter of minutes. 

"Aaron, please-" you gasp out, your words cutting off as he hooks his finger up, his movements precise in a way that both surprises and exhilarates you. You're not even sure what you're asking him for, you just need more of him. 

It's like he can hear your thoughts, because his fingers start moving faster, and when your grip on his hair tightens, he lets out a low hum that vibrates up your core.

You are barely aware of what your legs are doing, but when he grabs your ankle and lifts your leg over his shoulder, your head flies back and you're moaning his name so loudly, you're afraid the neighbors will come knocking.

"Yes," you gasp, your fingers pulling at his hair harder you mean to.

He laves over your clit, alternating between sucking and licking, until you come apart under his tongue, your mouth falling open with a loud cry. 

You taste incredible, and he's so hard that his jeans have become uncomfortably tight, but even as you cry out his name, it's not enough. He wants to see you come apart under him.

Gripping your hips, he yanks you down so that you're lying directly beneath his body, eliciting a soft moan from you. Your eyes are wide with bliss as you look up at him, your eyelashes fluttering softly, and he has to grip the sheets beside your head to keep his pants from tightening any further.

His knee presses down on the bed between your thighs as he lifts you up and deftly unclasps your bra, before gently dropping it to the floor. When he returns his gaze back to you, his breath stutters as he takes in the sight before him.

"Beautiful," he whispers, almost as an afterthought. "You're so beautiful." 

He has always known it, but something about seeing you in his bed, like this, feels unbelievable. Like he somehow did everything exactly right. Except you didn't, his brain reminds him. You did everything wrong, and still got this lucky.

Maybe it is luck. But whatever it is that brought him here, he isn't going to waste another second thinking about it.

You help him tug his pants off, and when he chucks his boxers off right after, his cock springs free, hard and ready without you even touching him. Your mouth floods with saliva as his knee presses forward between your legs, and you reach down to take him in your hands, but he pushes you back with a small shake of his head.

He wants to feel you more than anything else in the world right now, but he's already so riled up, he's afraid to let you touch him until he's inside of you. He reaches over to the nightstand and grabs a foil packet to cover himself, before he lowers himself down.

"Ready?" he asks, his voice gruff even to his own ears.

You nod, your legs spreading as he lines himself up, and his breath gets stuck in his throat when he slowly pushes in. Your mouth falls open as he fills you up, taking his time to push forward until he's fully seated inside of you.

He's big enough that you need a few moments to adjust, but once he starts moving, a string of moans falls from your lips. He leans forward to press a kiss to your jaw, then your lips, and when he pulls back, his pupils are so dark you can barely make out the color of his eyes.

"You're perfect," he whispers against your skin as he presses his mouth to your neck, his hips slowly rocking into you. "You're everything."

After growing accustomed to his size, the stretch feels amazing, and you try to respond, but your head just falls back onto the pillow as waves of pleasure roll over you. You remember your dream from while he was gone, the hazy sequence that had you waking up in a heated fervor, and you can't help but think about how much better he is in real life. How you waited for so many years, and even when it hurt like hell, it was all still worth it.

He starts to thrust faster, and you hike your knees up, trying to change the angle to get him even deeper inside of you. When he hits the right spot, you let out a high gasp and your walls involuntarily squeeze around him.

"Fuck," he mutters through gritted teeth as his rhythm falters slightly. "You can't do that." He dips down to press his lips to yours for a sharp kiss. "I'm already close."

"Me too," you cry, realizing it as it flies out of your mouth. "I'm so close."

Your words seem to flip a switch in his brain. You watch as his eyes darken and his rhythm picks back up, like he only has one goal and he won't stop until he gets it. 

You're starting to squeeze around him again, and he fists the comforter next to you as he thrusts faster, his other hand coming down between the two of you. It doesn't take him more than a few seconds to find your clit, and when his thumb flicks over it once, then twice, your breath stutters and your walls close around him so suddenly that he nearly finds his release as well.

You look magical as you fall apart below him, and he keeps moving inside of you, working you through it as he commits the image to memory. You let out a soft sigh as you come down from your high, but it only takes a few more thrusts for him to near the edge.

"Where do you want me?" he asks, his voice a low hum as you run your fingers through his hair, your nails scratching over his scalp.

You gasp quietly. "Come inside me. Please." 

He groans, picking up his pace again, and wraps his arms around you in an effort to bring you even closer. You press your lips to his as he releases, swallowing his gasps while he slowly comes down.

He pulls out slowly, taking care not to hurt you when you're sensitive, before heading into the bathroom. He returns after a minute with a small towel that he uses to carefully clean both of you up with. 

After tossing it away, he climbs back into the bed and tugs you close to him, your back pressing into his front like a pair of puzzle pieces. The day is starting to catch up with you, and you feel tiredness pull at your eyes as his chest rises and falls evenly behind you.

"I'm in love with you," he says suddenly, his voice hurried like he surprised even himself. "I'm sorry if it isn't the right time or if that isn't what you wanted from this, but-"

"Aaron," you cut him off, turning over so that you can reach up and thread your fingers through his hair. "I'm in love with you too. Of course I am."

He lets out a breath, and you can almost hear the relief in his sigh as he wraps an arm around you and tucks you into his side. Unsurprisingly, he's a furnace wrapped up beside you, but you can't bring yourself to move, especially with how much comfort his mere presence brings you.

You lay there for a while, taking this uninterrupted time to re-memorize his face as his breath evens out. You could never forget anything about him, but he's been gone for so long that you expect there are hundreds of new facets to him that you'll get to learn.

His eyes have been closed long enough that you assume he is asleep, but then his breath stutters and you look up at him as he squeezes you closer in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his voice sending reverberations through his chest. "I know you know I couldn't tell you everything, but I should have let you in more-"

"I don't want to talk about this right now." Your voice is strong, and he must hear the finality in your tone, because he immediately quiets down. "I know you're sorry...and we'll talk about this more in the morning. But right now, I just want to be here with you. I just got you back."

He's quiet for a moment, but you feel his chin dip down in a nod. "Morning then. Good night."

His arms tighten around you and you snuggle next to him, every part of you interweaving in an effort to get closer than you already are. 

That night, you have the best sleep you've had in years.

TAGLIST:@citrusiove, @yiiiikesmish, @mdanon027, @alice-w0rld, @beata1108, @bakugocanstompme, @raely-study, @himboelover, @hermionegalathynius, @rousethemouse, @calif0rniadreamin, @tolerateit13, @delusional-13s-blog, @madesavage05, @littlemisskavities, @love13tter, @domithebomi, @guacam011y, @averyhotchner, @silver-studios, @whosmys, @mimi-sanisanidiot, @chronicallybubbly, @shilphy87, @threespacemonkeys, @zaddyhotch, @slytherin-min99, @endofthexline, @thattookaturnforthenerdy

[vepaluiron]

So my friend (B) and I realized that the Warcraft mod for Crusader Kings 3 (Guardians of Azeroth 2, its very cool) updated recently with a few new mechanics. We had a longer running game where I played as Sylvanas and B played as Vereesa, but that game had gotten so slow it refused to run. So, we decided, why not restart? We picked the earliest start point, I picked Sylvanas and B picked Alleria.

Interesting moments from our game so far:

alleria becoming a witch and then instantly turning sylvanas into a witch

me: SOMEBODY IS PLOTTING AGAINST MY SIS--- wait. is it you?

B: yeah its me LOL

sylvanas has ptsd, feels canon

zul'jin and sylvanas ended up becoming rivals. sylvanas lost this duel so hard she had a mental breakdown, which led to her becoming a gym rat

B: Is our grandpa spending our legacy points? me: No... Wait. *I* am the family heir. B: Wait, really? Oh.... me: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

sylvanas being an incredible aunt, as expected

the scream i scrumpt, i was just trying to get her to not hate me after grandpapa's untimely demise

i saw this and was like. bro we have to take this man down, this is the last straw

cant avoid tragedy. at least lireesa's still alive?

and to round out the night, all hail the new regent-lady of quel'thalas!

other fun moments:

me deflecting the windrunner curse like my life depends on it. i dont know where all these men are coming from but BACK YOU VILE BEASTS

lirath's wife tried to kill him. in retrospect, her name was shar so i should've known this would've happened.

our uncle threw shit on me (because i killed grandpapa) so sylvanas now has the nickname "the Stinky". i will figure out how to change this, but unfortunately uncle paus windrunner will never see this >:)

i have a permanent religion debuff because B made a new religion that made polygamy holy, and sylvanas has a permanent "refusing to marry" trait

conversely, alleria has 3 husbands who wont stop accusing her of cheating despite polygamy being legal and encouraged

sylvanas finally ended up hooking up with a random elven woman in the woods during a hunt. good for her.

arthas somehow ended up being alleria's prisoner. he was in prison for 16 years before either of us realized it happened.

most of the original warcraft cast is dead. it has only been like 50 years. neither of us have any idea how this happened.

[awkward-halfhug]

to soften rough edges | gally x oc

series summary: Subject B10 Rosalind Franklin (Frankie) was supposed to be sent to Group B. Due to a mixup by an incompetent WICKED employee, she was sent to Group A, the all-boys maze.

How will her unexpected appearance affect the variables, the Glade, and the lives of everyone in it?

For one Glader in particular, Frankie might be changing, not only his present, but his entire life going forward. And not because he can't get her to stop following him around like a baby duck.

...Well, not only

(also on my ao3)

chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

6.9k

concerned friends and borrowed clothes

Frankie woke up before sunrise. Although, technically she'd woken up about a million times in the night, tossing and turning. She felt awake, but not rested. 

It had been a weird day yesterday. Frankie was hoping today would be more normal. Don't get her wrong, she thought it was super sweet that Gally, Newt, Alby and the Keepers were looking out for her. She felt better than before about it all. A little bit anyways. But she still felt ....uneasy. She didn't want to tell Gally that, though. He seemed worried enough as it was and there wasn't actually anything wrong today. She just felt weird about the whole thing still. 

But...she did tell Gally she wouldn't keep things from him. She told him she would tell him about her weird feelings, even if she thought they weren't a big deal. And this didn't feel like a big deal to her. But he did say he wanted to hear about her not-big-deal thoughts and feelings. Right? Or was this too small of a not-big-deal? Was she supposed to tell him all of her feelings? She had a lot of them; did he want an update at the end of every day?

No. That's probably not what he meant. Probably just the stuff like if she feels safe or not. Right? That's basically what he said, wasn't it? Frankie frowned. She couldn't remember his exact wording right now. She'd ask him later.

Lying in her hammock, Frankie took a deep breath and tried to put her confused thoughts aside for a moment. 

She stared up at the tree limbs above her. A bird tweeted from somewhere nearby; she couldn't see from where, but it was somewhere from the left. A few moments later an answering tweet sounded from her right. Such a pretty conversation. Frankie wondered if their conversations ever sounded pretty to the birds. 

She tried to focus on them. On the birds. Tried to wonder what they were saying. Wondered if it counted as eavesdropping if she couldn't understand what the chirps meant. 

Then she heard Gally start to stir beside her and she realized the sun was rising. The day would start and Frankie would have to start with it.

She'd be training with the Track-hoes today. She had liked learning with the Med-Jacks yesterday. She hoped today would go just as well. Training-wise anyway. Newt would be there, at least.

She stretched her limbs out like a cat, straining the muscles until she couldn't anymore. She immediately regretted the action as her muscles relaxed and she practically melted into her hammock in comfort. She should've done that hours ago; maybe she'd have gotten more sleep. Now, as she was supposed to get up, she felt relaxed enough for proper rest. Go figure. Frankie really didn't like this whole stressing all night thing. She dared to hope the day wouldn't require too much of her physically, but she knew that was a dumb thought. She'd need to be awake for whatever job she did.

"You okay?" Gally asked groggily, and Frankie realized she'd sighed. Gally yawned as he maneuvered his legs to the floor and rubbed his face.

"Just tired. Didn't sleep very much."

Gally grunted and stretched his arms over his head. "How come?"

"I dunno. Too many thoughts. Yesterday was a lot."

Gally nodded, eyebrows high, in obvious agreement. "Well, today will be different." He got to his feet. "But anything happens, you come get me, right? We agreed on that?"

Actually they'd only agreed she'd tell him. She figured that meant whenever they ran into eachother, or at the end of the day. The thought of searching him out immediately if something happens is a strange one. She felt an uncomfortable twinge in her stomach at the idea of pestering him at work. But if this is what he'd meant, then he must not be bothered by the thought like she is. And truthfully, it did sound nice to be able to turn to him immediately in any times of need.

"Yeah. Agreed." Frankie smiled tiredly at him, and got up from her hammock as well. "Shower?" She looked at Gally hopefully.

He smiled apologetically at her. "Only if your clothes are ready. Sloppers are in charge of laundry and they've got a lot of boys'–people's– clothes to wash. If they've even washed yours yet, they might not be dry."

So no shower every day. "How long does it usually take the clothes to get done?" Frankie asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. Gally was right, there were a lot of boys here, so a lot of laundry to get done everyday.

"Sometimes a day, sometimes two or three. Sometimes four, depending on how lazy the Sloppers are. Usually it's two days, though." Gally looked somewhat uncomfortable giving this information. "So yeah. No, um, no daily showers. Sorry." He averted his eyes as he pulled his boots on. 

Frankie considered this while she pulled her boots on as well. Two days might not be too bad. It's not a week. And she can imagine she'd be too tired some days to take a shower if she was honest with herself. Thinking about it, she didn't actually want to take a shower this morning anyway. Would she be cleaner? Yes. But she was tired. This kind of gave her an excuse to be lazy.

"It's okay." Frankie told him. Actually, was it? Frankie covertly sniffed her armpits while Gally's back was turned. Okay, yeah, she was fine. This was okay.

"I'll be working on better locks for the bathroom and showers today. In the meantime, you'll have a guard whenever you shower. Hope you don't mind."

Frankie didn't mind, depending on who it was. Once Gally told her who had volunteered though, she felt completely at ease with the idea.

Gally and Frankie each got their boots on, and they walked together to breakfast in comfortable silence.

--

"Hey Fry, how are you today?" 

Frypan gave Frankie a long assessing look before replying. "I'm good Frankie. Are you good?"

Frankie thought about it for only a moment. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Fry raised his brow. "Okay? You sure?"

Frankie nodded. "I'm sure."

Nodding to himself, Frypan started piling food on a plate, hesitated, then added a couple more spoonfuls of scrambled eggs, and adding an apple for good measure. " That's good to hear. But if you're ever not good" Frypan leveled a serious look directly into Frankie's eyes, "you can tell me."

Frankie smiled at the sweet boy. As he handed her the plate. "Okay, Fry."

"And if you ever feel like you'd rather sit back with me again during a meal than out there with those losers, that's just fine with me babygirl, you know that."

"Gotcha."

Frypan pulled her plate back and spooned one last bit of eggs onto her plate and then handed it back. 

"Okay, now, go on, git." He told her, relishing her answering giggle.

--

The sun was hot in the sky today, and it was still morning. Frankie was walking with Newt over to the fields to start Track-hoe training. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the strip of fabric Gally had ripped off his own shirt and used as a make-shift hair tie the day before. She pulled her hair into it and knotted it behind her head again.

She was feeling good today, despite the heat. Breakfast was good. Frypan was sweet, and although he'd given her too much food, Gally had shown no hesitation eating whatever she had left on her plate. He'd sat next to her, and whether he knew it or not, he was in the perfect position to shield her from view of Joe. Which, she shouldn't need. It's not like his eyes on her could harm her. But somehow she still didn't want him looking at her. She was very glad for Gally, in many ways.

So, breakfast was good. Her hair was off her neck now, and she was ready to go.

Newt was walking next to her and kinda giving her not covert glances out of the corner of his eye every now and then. 

"What's wrong?" 

Newt looked startled to be caught. "Oh, uh. Just...you're good, yeah?"

"Yes, Newt. I'm good." She smiled at him but the wrinkle in his brow didn't go away. It was sweet of him to worry, but he looked a little too worried. "So, what are we doing today?"

Newt shook his head as if to shake the thoughts into place. "Uh, we'll have to introduce you to Zart first; he's Keeper. Technically he'll be giving you your job for today, but most likely harvesting, at some point at least. Cucumbers look about ready. And avocados." A smile finally lit his face as he remembered about the avocados. 

"Avocados, really?" Frankie didn't remember eating any avocados, obviously. Just images of them flashing in her head to remind her what they were. But she did have a feeling she liked them. The images left her feeling happy. And they were cheering Newt up, and that, she was excited about.

Newt seemed to animate even more. She wasn't sure if he was just this excited about his job usually, or if he liked avocados this much. "Really! This is the second year they've actually produced any fruit. There are so many! We had some good rain and Zart was thinking that extra water must be important since they produced so much more than last year, when we had less rain."

Newt had started using his hands in his explanation and Frankie couldn't help smiling at her friend's enthusiasm for the fruit. Or possibly farming in general, since he was still just as excited when he started talking about the tomato yield so far. He was just telling her about the wheat being near ready to harvest when they arrived at the farming area.

Frankie had seen the fields and orchards from afar, but up close they looked so expansive. She found herself both excited to get started and a little overwhelmed. Newt had quieted and was giving her a minute to take it all in. She looked from left to right and stood on her tiptoes to see how far the wheat went on for.

"You ready, greenie?" Newt asked her.

Frankie trailed her hand along a few stalks of wheat. Poky.

"Yeppers."

--

Newt led her to a storage shed where Zart and a few other boys were pulling on gloves and grabbing various tools.

Zart was a tall boy, stocky, blonde and fair skinned. Although he wasn't necessarily mean, he didn't smile upon greeting her. Instead, he immediately turned and called the other Track-hoes around him. 

Without warning, he began telling all the boys about new rules and how not to be a creep, and she should've been prepared for this she knew, but it felt like yesterday all over again. The boys kept giving her curious glances and she felt their eyes boring into her. She felt embarrassed. The sun felt like it was pricking at her skin hotter than before. She tried to focus on Zart but now all she could think about was how hot she was and how people were staring, and how Zart smelled really bad. Just, really bad. She felt bad for thinking it immediately. He smells like flowers she tried to convince herself. But then she felt bad for lying to herself. Lying is bad. But maybe he smelled like... not-so-great smelling flowers? No. Best to face facts. The boy smelled like spoiled milk. 

Suddenly, Zart was looking at her as if she was expected to answer him, or do something. Had he finished the rules talk and assigned her to work? But work on what? She hadn't paid attention! Was it his fault because of the spoiled milk smell, or hers for not ignoring it and not paying attention? Probably hers. But in her defense, the smell was getting harder to endure the longer she stood there. 

He was still looking at her, now with a little confused furrow in his brow. Darn it! Distracted again. Stupid milk! 

"Ummm..."

Newt stepped forward, placed a hand on her shoulder, and smiled at Zart. "I'll just help her get familiar with everything then, shall i?" It seemed like Newt was deferring to Zart as the actual keeper of the Track-hoes, but Frankie got the feeling Newt was speaking with his Second-in-Command voice. 

She was glad for it. 

As Zart gave an indifferent shrug and went back to what he was doing, Newt led her to the tools and leaned in close to Frankie's ear. "Didn't get a word did you?" He asked.

Could Newt be a mind reader? "Yeah...how–?"

Newt pursed his lips and nodded his head sagely. "Bad milk, right?"

She was even more shocked. "Yes!" She exclaimed. Then, looked around and noticed others looking over, curious at her outburst. "Yes", she whispered, "how did you know?

"It's generally hard to focus on anything Zart says when you first meet him. Every greenie has the same trouble with it. After a while you get used to it, and can remember critical details he's mentioned, but it does take a while to get to that point, let me tell you." 

She was doubly glad Newt had her back today.

They got her set up with a pair of gardening gloves and a basket.

"So what was it Zart was talking about?" She asked timidly, still feeling bad about focusing on poor Zart's milk smell.

"Harvesting, like I figured. There's a lot to get done."

"What are we harvesting?" Frankie asked as she pulled on the gloves.

"Avocados" Newt waggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed.

"Ah, the prized fruit. And on my first day!"

Newt nodded seriously. "Right-o. Count yourself fortunate."

Newt led her to the avocados trees, where a few other boys were already picking fruit.

"Lee. Wil." Newt gave a nod to each boy. Frankie recognized them vaguely, but she didn't think she'd actually met them. But apparently this wasn't the time for big introductions. Frankie barely managed a wave to each boy and a shouted "Hi, I'm Frankie!" In their direction, to which she received nods in return, before Newt was leading her past them toward the rows of trees with brown and green ovular fruits hanging on them.

"Ta-da" Newt turned to her and did jazz hands in front of the avocados and Frankie laughed. Newt smiled, pleased.

"Alright, now, these ones here," Newt pointed to several fruit that were more green than brown. "These need to stay on the tree a little bit longer. Ooh, especially you, little fella."

Frankie giggled.

"These, right here," Newt plucked one of the avocados he was now indicating, "are ready." He tossed her the avocados and she squeaked while reaching, then juggling, then promptly dropping the avocado.

Frankie picked it up and frowned. It had a squished spot now.

Newt snorted. "I'll make sure to tell Frypan that one's all yours, then, shall I?"

Frankie narrowed her eyes at him and when he turned his back toward the trees again, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Saw that." Newt said, without turning somehow.

Frankie's eyes widened and she slowly retracted her tongue.

Clearing her throat, Frankie walked up beside Newt. "So just pick the brown ones?"

"Well, almost. You've gotta check how it feels too. Like this one, see?" He hands her an avocado. "Feel that? Yeah, that one's just right. That one on the other hand, you feel that?" He switched the avocados in their hands. "This one needs another day or two. Probably."

"Probably?"

"It's not an exact science, Frankie. It's basically just fondling the things until you find ones squishy enough."

Frankie scrunched her nose at his wording. Just, all of his wording. That whole sentence, she didn't like.

"Okay..." Frankie eyed the tree for an appropriately brown looking fruit and specifically did not fondle the thing, she simply...groped it...no. Uh...man-handled? It? That sounded marginally better in her head. She man-handled the fruit, pressing down—

"Gently!"

— gently, with her fingertips. It gave a little and she made sure not to press any harder in case it bursted. "I think this one's good. Right?" Frankie looked to the boy for his input.

Newt grabbed the avocado and inspected it himself before smiling. "That's perfect. Now, just keep doing that and I'll get us a basket for our findings. Be back in a jiff."

Smiling, Frankie set out in search of more perfectly ripe avocados. This day was going to be easy.

———

This day was not easy. Who knew that just moving her arms repetitively could be so exhausting? She could not believe the boys around her have been doing this day in and day out and their arms haven't fallen off. Yet. It's gotta be just a matter of time for them at this point.

The other thing was, Frankie wasn't sure she had this whole manhandling-till-she-found-the-ripest-avocado thing down as well as she thought she did. It was just, after the first few avocados, she started to compare with the last ones and she couldn't tell if the fact that the newer ones were squishier meant that she'd picked unripe ones before or if they were both ripe and she was overthinking it. Maybe there was some ripe-ness wiggle room. 

Regardless, because of this, she wasn't sure if she'd picked too many or too few avocados. Or, perhaps, just the right amount. Frankie had an image of three bears flash in her head for a moment but couldn't quite figure out what that had to do with the avocados. 

They were all in the basket Newt had given her. He was working at another tree down the row. He was much faster at this than she was. Practice, she supposed. And confidence, certainly. She wished she had his fruit-picking confidence.

She lifted the basket and practically dragged it beside her, heading for Newt. The basket was much heavier than she'd expected. Either the fruit were much heavier than they looked, or Frankie's arms lacked a certain athleticism she was beginning to suspect she was going to need in the Glade. Could be both.

She huffed as discreetly as she could as she drag-carried the basket to just beside the boy. Frankie took a moment to catch her breath.

"Alrighty, now what?"

Newt looked up from his fruit man-handling and flicked his eyes from her to the basket and back. "Oh, good haul. Just take that on over to the Homestead for the Cooks to do what they will with, and then come back here."

Frankie felt herself panicking at the thought of lugging the evil little fruit all the way to the Homestead and trudging back. Newt must've seen it on her face because he got a bemused look in his own face and then offered "Or, I could do that, and you could flag down Brandon for some water, yeah? How's that sound?"

Frankie smiled gratefully. "Sounds really good. Thank you."

"'Course. Be back." Newt took her basket with apparent ease, and began the trek to the Homestead. 

Except, actually, the avocados must be at least a little heavy for him as well, because he was now walking funny. Frankie felt relieved it wasn't just her. 

Turning, she set out to look for Brandon, who she assumed must be in the general vicinity if she could flag him down from here.

———

When Newt returned, Frankie waved him over to where she and Brandon were standing. She figured Newt could use a water break as well. Watching him make his way over to her, she was doubly glad she did. The funny walk from earlier had become more pronounced. Those avocados must've done a number on him. Maybe she wasn't the only one not quite cut out for physical labor. Although, if that was the case for Newt, why was this his job, she wondered.

He reached her, not out of breath in the slightest and she frowned just slightly. Maybe he was cut out for this. But the funny walk... Hmm..

"This for me, Frankie? You're a right sweetheart."

"Uhh, I brought you the water, actually." Brandon looked affronted. Rightfully so, as he did actually lug all this water over here in buckets, which was probably even heavier than the avocados that were giving Frankie such a hard time.

"Yeah, but you ignore me when I try to flag you down, yet you come for her. She's the reason I've  got a drink right now and we both know it. Ergo, you are not the sweetheart in this scenario, Brandon."

Frankie frowned a little at Brandon. "Why don't you bring Newt water?"

Brandon huffed a long-suffering sigh and glanced at Newt. "Rat."

Newt shrugged, sipping his water. "Rats gotta drink, too."

Brandon rolled his eyes and looked back to Frankie. He shrugged. " 's'heavy."

"But Brandon, what if you ignore his hand when he's been working really hard in the field all day, and he's tired and he's sweat all of the water out of his body and Newt dies of dehydration? You'd have to live with his blood on your hands for the rest of your life! You can't want that, Brandon, seriously!" Frankie pleaded, her eyes urgent.

Brandon looked incredulously from her to Newt. 'Blood on my hands?' He mouthed to Newt.

Newt smirked. " Hey mate, if you can live with that on your conscience, on your head be it. Me, I'd listen to the girl."

Frankie nodded enthusiastically, looking serious as a heart attack.

Brandon sighed. "Fine. I'll...work harder" he 

grumbled, looking down and kicking a rock with his foot.

Frankie's face flooded with relief. "Thank you, Brandon!"

Brandon laughed. "For you. And so that my hands stay free from blood guilt."

Frankie smiled up at Newt victoriously, and Newt smiled back.

After finishing both their cups of water, Newt waved Brandon off, with a murmured, "Thanks. For once."

Frankie smacked him slightly.

"For this. Thanks for this, mate."

"Yeah, yeah." Brandon waved at both Newt and Frankie before picking up his buckets of water and wandering toward another patch of probably thirsty Gladers.

"Alright, next up. Tomahtoes."

Frankie smiled. "Tomaytoes?"

"'S what i said."

Frankie hummed happily and followed Newt to the tomato vines.

———

The sun felt like it was beating directly down onto Frankie's neck. Her pits were sweaty and her face was overheated, but it was her neck that felt like it was on fire.

Frankie looked at the others working around her, in between fields and orchards and vines. The sun was beating down on all of them the same and yet no one was complaining. Frankie was impressed, but a little sad at the thought that they had to deal with this oppressive heat on them every day. It felt like the sun was actively attacking her, with his fiery hand searing into her nape.

Now that she was feeling the heat to its full extent, she started noticing something she probably should have noticed earlier. Several of the boys had what looked like sunburns on their faces or necks or arms or even their legs. The most skin she saw, the more red. Some were more obvious than others, like Zart, because of how pale his skin was. Earlier, Frankie was mostly trying to not think about what he smelled like; she hadn't paid that much attention to him besides that, which she felt bad for. But she could see him picking vegetables a little ways off and he definitely had the worst sunburn of everyone there. 

The poor boy.

Newt came over to her to switch out baskets with her. He'd instructed her on how to pick the right tomatoes and she'd been working at it for a while. Her basket was nearly full, but not completely, so before switching hers out for the empty one in Newt's hand, she picked one last plump looking tomato off the vine and placed it on top of its brothers and sisters in the basket. She then handed it over to Newt and smiled.

"You're getting the hang of things quick, aren't you?"

Frankie preened. Ignoring the ache in her arms and back, and all the sweating, maybe she could do this as a job. Newt seemed to like her progress so far, anyway.

"Alright, lunch time." 

Frankie's stomach grumbled as if in answer to Newt, and they both laughed.

They headed first to the shed to put their gloves and baskets down, and then made for the Homestead for lunch.

Looking at her companion as they walked, Frankie frowned. Newt was still walking funny.

"Hey Newt?"

"Hmm?" He glanced at her. She noticed he was a step behind her, so she slowed her pace to match his.

"Are you okay?"

Newt smiled confusedly at her. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"It's just just, you've been walking a little weirdly since earlier. I thought maybe you twisted your ankle or something."

Newt's eyes widened for a second but then he averted his eyes and they returned to normal. "Ah. No need to worry, love. Just an old injury, sometimes flares up with exertion, that's all."

"An old injury?" 

"Yep." Newt nodded, then turned to face ahead of them. 

Frankie wanted to ask him what happened, but when they neared the lunch line, Newt started talking about vegetables again, and she figured maybe he didn't want to talk about it.

———

Lunch left her feeling full and happy. She had sat with Wil and Lee at their lunch table, and actually got to talk with them, without fields of veggies in the way. They were both nice to her, and she made them both laugh when she asked them to list their top three favorite vegetables. She wasn't sure why they laughed, exactly, but it made her happy she accomplished it anyway. 

But now, they were all spread out amongst the rows of fields again. This time, Newt had put her to work weeding, and she didn't like it nearly as much as picking fruit.

The boys around her that were also weeding were all squatting while they picked weeds, and she'd started out doing the same. But boy, was that not something her legs enjoyed. Pretty much all of her legs, but especially her calves and thighs and even her ankles, were pleading with her to put an end to the torture within minutes of her attempting to pull the weeds that way.

She decided torturing her poor legs wasn't getting the job done any better than if her legs weren't being tortured, so she forewent the squatting altogether and sat down completely on the floor, and started pulling weeds that way.

She did not think she had ever had a better idea than this one. She didn't  know why everyone wasn't simply sitting on the ground, but if they truly wanted their legs to hate them, it wasn't for her to judge. That was between them and their own legs. Her legs, however, were thanking her.

That wasn't to say the weeding was pain-free, exactly. Her back did hurt from hunching, but Frankie resigned herself to some sort of pain, and she found her back was more tolerable.

She got into a rhythm. Sit down, pull weeds, stretch out her back, and then crawl over to the next section, and repeat. She did this until Zart found her. His only response was a tilted head, a wrinkle in his brow and a confused sounding "Okay...?" She was going to ask him if she was doing a good job but before she could, he was already shaking his head slightly while he huffed a laugh under his breath and then he just walked off again. 

She was sweating like a dog by the time Newt found her later. Or wait, no. Dogs don't sweat, do they? That was why they pant, wasn't it? Because they can't sweat. A pig then. She was sweating like a pig. But actually, couldn't pigs not sweat either? They rolled around in the mud to cool off, didn't they? Well, she was sweating like something that actually sweats, at any rate. Despite her earlier conversation with Gally, she was really hoping her clothes were clean.

Newt had his hands on his hips and an amused look on his face as he looked down at her. He looked like he was holding back a laugh.

"Really getting in there, huh?"

"Hmm?" Frankie asked. Sort of. If 'hmm' counted as a question, anyway.

"Becoming one with the soil. Getting dirt under your fingernails...et cetera." Newt snorted.

Ah. Yes, that did seem to be a side effect of her weed plucking method. The boys around her looked sweaty and exhausted but none looked quite as 'one with the soil' as she did.

"I stand by my choices." Frankie insisted.

"Right. Well, whatever gets the job done, suppose." Newt shrugged. "Come on, let's drop off our gloves, and maybe you can shake yourself out like a dog before we head to dinner, yeah?"

She should probably be offended, but the imagery made her laugh.

She did, indeed, do her best impression of a dog before dinner. It did practically nothing. Newt laughed at her all the way to dinner.

———

Gally saw Frankie approaching their usual table with Newt in tow. The other boy gave Gally a nod before turning toward Frankie.

"Good work today" Newt told her, and she beamed. "Alright, supper's calling. I'll see you shanks later." And with that, the boy took his place in line.

Frankie unceremoniously plopped herself down onto the bench and flopped her upper body on the table in front of her.

Gally snorted. "You good there?"

Frankie grunted into the table.

"That bad, huh?" Gally tried to keep the humor out of his voice, but her dramatics were making it hard.

She mustered what looked to be all the strength left in her body and lifted her head. "I didn't realize how tired I was until just now. I don't think I can move my body anymore today." She looked forlornly at him.

"You're not gonna go to bed then? Just gonna stay there all night?"

He watched in amusement as she nodded her head in resignation of the idea. "I'm going to have to."

"What about food? Not gonna get in line?" 

At that, her head slowly turned until she stared in dramatic longing at the kitchen. Her bottom lip pouted. "No food for me." 

Gally barked out a laugh and rose from his seat. "Alright, well, I'm gonna go see what Frypan's cooked up. You just keep melding with the table."

Standing in line, Gally's eyes snagged on Scott and Henry, huddled up at their usual table, looking like they were having a serious conversation. They kept sneaking glances at Frankie, and while that got a raised eyebrow from him, Gally was now at the front of the line and had to focus on the task at hand.

By the time Gally returned to his and Frankie's table, Henry and Scott were approaching from the other direction.

Gally placed his plate of food down, and then placed another in front of Frankie's nose. The girl's face lit up as she looked from the food to him and back again. 

"You fed me!" 

Gally smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get used to it."

Frankie ignored that and clapped her hands in excitement, before digging it.

He'd almost forgotten the boys' impending approach until they were in front of their table. Too busy watching Frankie do a little happy dance in her seat while she ate.

Henry cleared his throat and both Gally and Frankie looked up. Scott was standing a bit behind Henry, blocking him from Frankie's view. Both boys had looks of concern on their faces. Finally, Henry spoke up.

"Hey Gally. Frankie. Look, I'll cut to the chase; are you okay?"

Frankie looked confused for a moment, still enjoying her mouthful.

"Did something happen? We heard those rules today, and well, we got worried."

It seemed to dawn on Frankie what they were talking about then, and she looked down at her plate. "No, it's okay, nothing–"

Gally cut her a look.

"–nothing serious happened."

Gally rolled his eyes at her downplaying the situation. Henry looked comforted by her words, but Scott still looked, rightfully, concerned.

He stepped forward. In a quieter voice than Gally was used to hearing from the boy, Scott spoke. "If someone's uh, bothering you...you can, tell us, about it. We'll uh, we'll have your back." 

Frankie changed from avoiding eye contact to looking up at the two boys. She looked touched. "Thank you. Really."

Scott nodded, and then just sort of stood there, avoiding looking at the girl again, until Henry took initiative and sat down at their table, pulling Scott down beside him.

Guess they had company now.

Henry changed the subject and the slight tension in Frankie's shoulders eased up. The conversation turned to some trouble some of the animals got into at Henry's job today, and Frankie's eyes lit up.

"Hey, actually, I have a question for you, Henry."

"Go for it." Henry nodded encouragingly.

"Do pigs sweat?"

Gally laughed at her random question, but then something caught his eye.

"Hey, uh, I'll be back. Bathroom."

——

Joe was leaving the bathroom as Gally approached. This was not a coincidence and they both knew it.

Joe saw him and barely bat an eye, making to walk past him. Gally shot an arm out and stopped the boy.

For a moment Gally just stared at him, eyes boring into the other boy's.  Joe, however, seemed unfazed, even bored. "What?"

"If you so much as think about her again, I'll make you wish you were banished."

Joe remained unbothered. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise" Gally's voice was steady as he said it and he found he meant it.

Joe had the audacity to look amused. "And what are you gonna do if I do? You can't hurt me, unless you want to be banished yourself. And then who would protect poor little Frankie, hm?" Joe pouted with mock-concern.

Gally just glared at the other boy. It was all he could do, and they both knew it.

"That's what I thought" Joe scoffed, before walking past Gally, making sure to knock his shoulder hard into Gally's as he did so.

Gally seethed in silence as he watched the shank retreat.

——

By the time Gally returned to the table, after using the restroom and taking a few minutes to calm down, dinner seemed to be over. Fine by him because his appetite was effectively gone.

The only people left were a few slow eaters at various tables, and Frankie. She had waited for him. He managed a smile at that.

"You think you can work up enough energy to walk to bed, or is that your new pillow?"

Frankie's head popped up from its position resting on the table and she hopped off the bench with newfound energy.

"I think I can manage now that my belly's full." She grinned toothily up at him.

"Mmhmm. I can see that." They began to walk at a leisurely pace.

"Actually..." Frankie looked up at Gally with big eyes. "So I know we just talked about it this morning, but do you think we could check to see if my clothes are done yet? I kinda..." Frankie holds her arms out from her body and then lets them fall back to her sides.

Now that she'd brought it up, he couldn't help but tease her a little.

"Yeah, how are you so dirty? I see Track-hoes every day and they manage to keep their dirt to a minimum, but you..."

Frankie laughed, letting out an offended "Hey!"

"What'd you do, roll around in the soil?" He was mostly teasing her reaction, but he was also genuinely curious. How had she managed to get this filthy?

Frankie blushed as she answered. "I didn't roll around...exactly." She then explained her particular method of pulling out weeds.

Gally blinked for a moment. He then laughed, good at hard. He couldn't decide if it was an incredibly lazy or ingenious way to work in the fields. She started to defend herself but the image of her on her butt, picking weeds, then crawling hands and knees like a child to another spot to then plop down on her butt again, just made him laugh harder.

He was still laughing when they got to their hammocks but he reigned it in when he saw the little pout on her face.

Remembering her original question, Gally sighed. "Well, unfortunately, if your clothes aren't at your hammock," which clearly, they weren't, " then the sloppers haven't finished with them."

Frankie looked unsurprised but still disappointed. He wished he could do something to fix it but he couldn't make her clothes appear out of nowhere.

Then he realized he could do something that would take that look off her face. At the low, low price of his own hygiene for the next few days.

"If you wanted though" Gally said, rummaging through a pile of his things by his hammock, "I've got some clothes I can change into."

Frankie hesitated to take the bundle of clothes from his hands.

"Clean! Clean clothes!" Gally cleared his throat. "They're just, they're mine. These ones weren't..." They weren't as gross as they could be and he had been too lazy to shower is what he wasn't going to say. "Uh, the point is, you can wear them, until yours are clean."

Frankie still looked hesitant. "Are you sure? I don't want to take your only other clothes. What will you change into?"

"I'll be fine, Frankie. Just take them."

Finally, she grabbed the pile of clothes, holding them carefully away from her dirty body. "Thank you Gally."

Gally was out a fresh pair of clothes, but the pleased little smile on the girl's face made that seem inconsequential somehow.

"Oh um" She looked up at him pleadingly again " would you mind being my, uh, shower...guard? I know you're probably tired, too. I'll try to be quick!"

"Not a problem."

———

Gally waited patiently outside the shower, listening to the sound of water sloshing and fabric shushing. He was pretty sure she dropped something at one point because he heard a thunk and a quiet "woopsies". Most of the time what he heard was humming, though. He wasn't sure if it was a song she'd made up or if it was a song from before she came here. She wasn't singing actual words, just sort of mumbling syllables every now and again. Whatever it was, it was off-key, he just knew it. For some reason, that made him smile.

Gally stayed alert, roving his eyes back and forth in case Joe or some other half-wit shank tried anything, but no one did. All was clear.

And then he heard the door open and Gally turned toward the sound and she–

She was in his clothes.

He knew she would be in his clothes. Intellectually, anyway. Gave them to her himself. This was his own plan. He'd counted himself a genius for coming up with it. Now, he wasn't so sure.

Gally swallowed.

They fit her differently than they did him obviously. She was like, a foot shorter than him, but also, she was a girl so she was a little...curvier...than he was. And that meant his clothes fit...different. they fit better and worse on her than on him. The pants fit better, at least. Probably the last time they fit him properly was when he was her height, he thought.

She was saying words. Thanking him and smiling and he was nodding helplessly, like there was nothing wrong. Assuring her it was "no problem at all". That was a lie, he was pretty sure, but he couldn't define why exactly and even if he could, he wouldn't dare try to explain it to Frankie.

And look, it wasn't like it wasn't obvious she was female in the other clothes she'd been wearing, or the ones she came out of the box in, but these were his clothes. There was a distinction somewhere in there that was making Gally's brain short circuit and his heart beat a little faster, and he wasn't sure he liked it.

They head back to the hammocks, Frankie still happily humming that unidentifiable tune.

The rest of the night was a blur in his head after that. He blinked and they were saying good night to one another, but his mind had been a whirl since they left the showers.

He couldn't get the sight of her in his clothes out of the forefront of his mind. And then the feel of her hair through his fingers when she asked him to help her detangle it again. The water from her hair dripping down her back onto his shirt.

It was fine. This was fine. The sloppers would finish her clothes soon and then he can stop feeling like whatever it is he was feeling and everything would be fine.

He squeezed his eyes tight against the image of her head turned toward him in her hammock, her smile soft and her eyes sleepy. Her voice quiet when she said "thank you, again, for everything."

He sighed as quietly as he could.

It was fine.

thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider commenting/reblogging. also please feel free to talk to me about the story in my ask box :)

[thezombieprostitute]

Last Christmas

A/N: Written for Vee's Holly Jolly Challenge. (@sstan-hoe).

Warnings: Attempts at coercion.

Prompts: Nick Fowler - the song Last Christmas. The lyrics included will be written in bold purple font.

Summary: You should've known better. Of course he's still in love with her.

“What the hell is this,” Nick forcefully places the paperwork on your desk. 

You look it over quickly and respond, “it’s my request for a transfer.”

“But why,” he seethes. His jaw is tight and his body is tense. He clearly feels betrayed but that just makes your own hurt feel more justified. 

“Nick,” you sigh, “you really don’t remember what happened at the Christmas party last week?”

Nick crossed his arms, “I remember you and me doing a lot of kissing in my office. Would’ve taken you home if you didn’t run out on me. I thought we were solid. We’ve only been dating a couple weeks, but we’ve been friends for a lot longer.”

“You really don’t remember,” you shake your head as you fight the urge to cry. “When we were in your office, you called me by her name.” Nick freezes at that and you continue, “I also thought we were solid. Enough so that I gave you my heart. But when you can’t let go of her, I guess I was a shoulder to cry on and nothing more. Even if you don’t want it, I need this transfer for me. To save me from tears if nothing else.”

Nick grabs the paperwork and promises to get your transfer approved as he walks out, leaving your office colder than it was before.

It’s been a few months and you’ve really settled into your work. You can definitely understand why the role of manager for the Research and Development Department has such a high turnover rate. Everyone working here requires a different management style, a different level of understanding and guidance. Most managers stick to one style for everyone, but that’s clearly not what’s needed here and you’ve really gotten the hang of what your researchers need from you. 

One thing that everyone could agree on was that they needed more space so you were able to work out a construction contract. The first day you met the foreman, Hal Carter, you were taken aback. You’d bought into the stereotypes of construction guys being on the sexist side (catcalling and whatnot) but he was polite, never talked down to you and always took your concerns seriously. He was quite the flirt, though. Pretty much every woman at the office had been winked at and complemented to no end. But no HR complaints came from it so at your weekly updates you just asked him to be careful with your employees and left it there. 

You were doing really well in your job, your new life, when the surprise inspection came. Led by Nick. One look and you knew you weren’t over him but you would keep your distance. Once bitten and twice shy you’d make sure to keep professional. Taking Nick and his team on the rounds, you were grateful for your employees helping you out. A crowded room, friends with tired eyes but they did their best to make sure you (and their funding) would continue. 

After the inspection you practically ran to your office to catch your breath. You didn’t notice Nick following you.

“Are you hiding from me,” he asks quietly. His wintry-blue eyes boring into your soul.

“I’m hiding from you and your soul of ice,” you confess. “I ask you to give me distance, to get my heart right again, and then you just waltz right in without warning. I thought you were someone to rely on.”

“During the rounds, I kept my distance, but you still catch my eye.”

“I know what a fool I’ve been, but if you kissed me now, I know you’d fool me again.”

Nick walked towards you, moving in for the kiss that you weren’t sure you really wanted, but he was interrupted by Hal coming into the office with donuts and coffee.

“Oh, sorry,” Hal faltered. He looked at you, “I’d heard you had an inspection of some kind, figured you could use a pick-me-up. Goodness knows your cookies help me and the crew when the building inspectors come around.”

You smile warmly at him, grateful that he broke Nick’s spell over you. “Thank you, Hal! It’s just what I needed. Care to join me? Nick was just on his way out.”

Nick gave you an icy glare before walking out. As soon as you saw him walk out of the building, you allowed yourself to collapse into your office chair. Hal set down the food on your desk and admitted he had been listening to your conversation.

“I was going to wait until you were done with whatever meeting you were in, but I heard a few things that made me worry about you. Given your reaction, I’m guessing I was right about you needing some help?”

You nod appreciatively, sipping at the coffee. “Thank you, Hal. I almost made a serious mistake. Again.”

“I’m happy to help,” he assures. “You’re a good person and I like helping out good people.”

You snort, “given what I’ve seen and heard you just like helping out women.”

He gives you a shy half-smile, “that’s partially true. I like helping people smile, brightening their day. You never know when someone just needs a compliment to help them keep going. Yeah, I’m a huge flirt. Yeah, it’s nice for my own ego. But, for me, it’s just a way of being nice. Oh, and don’t worry about my ego getting too big. My crew helps me with that.” That last note makes you chuckle and you’re genuinely feeling more relaxed than you thought you would.

“Well,” you grinned, “you definitely helped me smile today. Thank you for that.”

Around August the construction project was finally wrapping up. You knew several people who were going to miss Hal and his crew. Especially when they went shirtless for a minute or two in the summer heat. Even you would occasionally indulge, smiling shyly the times Hal caught you looking. Your face would heat up in embarrassment but he never judged you or made fun of you for it. You were really going to miss him and your weekly meetings. 

It was at your last meeting with him when you noticed Hal acting fidgety, almost nervous. You ask him if he’s okay and gives you a shy smile you’ve never seen before.

“Um,” he starts, “I…well, with the construction done…I was, um, would…wouldyougooutwithme?”

You blink a few times, not fully sure of what’s going on. “Hal,” you hesitated, “are you asking me out on a date?”

Hal nods, “I didn’t wanna ask while we were kinda working together. You said you’d never date a coworker again and I didn’t want to risk being that. But getting to know you, I…I’d really like to take you out some time.” He still wasn’t able to meet your eyes.

“Why are you acting so shy?”

“Because flirting is one thing. Asking out someone that I genuinely want to be with? That’s…that’s scary stuff.” He looks into your eyes and you’re taken aback. You see the face of a lover with a fire in his heart. You see someone special.

“I’d love to go out with you.”

It’s the company Christmas party and, despite the crowd, Nick has never felt more alone. He knows you’re going to be here and he keeps watching for you. You’re not hiding from him, but he doesn’t seem to see you. You’ve been doing well and coming into your own. You’ve received nothing but love and support from Hal. You’re finally getting the warmth and care you’ve needed and growing. 

Nick seems to give up and walks to his office. You follow quietly. As the door clicks shut, his eyes shoot up and you give him a gentle smile.

“Do you recognize me? Well, it’s been a year, it doesn’t surprise me.” 

“You look so beautiful,” he whispers. “More beautiful than I ever gave you credit for. Now I know what a fool I’ve been. I got you something. I wrapped it up and sent it with a note saying, “I love you”. Did you receive it?”

“Yes, Nick,” you smile sadly. “I got the necklace.”

“I want you to know, I meant it, when I wrote that.” His frosty blue eyes scan you, looking for the necklace, unsure of why you don’t look happy about the gift. 

“You never actually listened to me,” you shake your head. “If you did, you’d know I never liked gold and diamonds. That was her.” You place the gift box on his desk and stand firm, “I need you to stop sending me gifts and notes like this. Now I’ve found a real love, you’ll never fool me again.”

“But-” Nick tries to respond, you see genuine sadness and loneliness but you stop him before he can try to get you to cave.

“Last Christmas I gave you my heart,” you shake your head, putting a hand between the two of you so he can’t get closer. “You tore me apart. But I’ve healed and grown past. Maybe you should try that as well.”

With that, you turned around and left his office. A year ago you fled the room in tears. Now you’re walking out with your head held high. Last year you were left cold and shaken. Now you’re surrounded by warmth and comfort.

[notgonnaedit]

Beskar and Bone

Chapter 16: The Rescue

Summary: A lone bounty hunter must make his way through the galaxy as he cares for two children with mysterious powers.

Chapter summary: Mando and his crew face off against Gideon. The kids are saved, but is this goodbye?

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, kidnapping, cuffed Elaine, Mandad, Gideon being a creep, major feels, sadness, y'all know how this goes (If I miss a tag LMK)

A/n: totally forgot to post this, but here I am! And good news, I got a huge doe!!

@thecoffeelorian @dreamsight73 @valeria-lilian

Updates on Fridays. If you want to be tagged LMK

Master list

Mando kept his pace quick as he moved down the halls of Gideon's light cruiser. Cara, Bo-Katan, Koska, and Fennec were taking care of the Stormtroopers as Mando went to find the kids. His head felt as if it was res, a side effect of being punched in the helmet by a Dark Trooper. But that wasn't enough to stop him. He found a door and opened it.

Elaine and Grogu said there, their hands bound in cuffs and Moff Gideon holding a black blade to their throats. 

"Drop the blaster. Slowly." Gideon ordered. Mando did as he said, worrying if he didn't the Moff would slice the kids' throats. "Now kick it over to me." Mando obeyed that order too. "Very nice."

"Give me the kids." Mando said.

"The kids are just fine where they are." Gideon replied cooly. He waved the blade around their throats, mere inches away from taking their lives. "Mesmerizing, isn't it? Used to belong to Bo-Katan. Yes. I know you've been traveling with Bo-Katan. A friendly piece of advice, assume that I know everything. Like the fact that your wrist launcher has fired it's one and only salvo."

Mando kept his eyes on the kids. "Where is this going?"

"This is where it's going." Said Gideon. "I'm guessing that Bo-Katan and her boarding party have arrived at the bridge, seeking me or, more accurately, this." He waved the Darksaber again. "But I'm not there. And I image they've killed everyone on the bridge, being the murderous savages that they are. And now, they're beginning to panic. You see, she wants this." Mando tensed at how much Gideon moved the Darksaber. "Do you know why? Because it brings power. Whoever wields this sword..." He paused for affect. "Has the right to lay claim to the Mandalorian throne."

"You keep it. I just want the kids." Mando replied.

Gideon seemed to consider this for a moment. "Very well. I've already gotten what I want from them. Their blood." He deactivated the Darksaber. "All I wanted was to study their blood. These children are extremely gifted and have been blessed with rare properties that have the potential to bring back order to the galaxy."

Mando scoffed internally. The only reason Elaine's gift was so rare was because the Empire wiped out her kind. Gideon smirked. "I see your bond with them. Take them," Mando moved forward, but the Moff halted him. "But you will leave my ship immediately and we will go our separate ways."

It couldn't be that easy, right? Mando took a step forward, but Elaine stopped him. "He's lying!"

Gideon smirked. "I should've known better than to lie around an Empath." He activated the Darksaber and swung at Mando. Sparks flew as the beskar stopped the blade. Mando stumbled back into the hall with Gideon advancing. 

Mando twisted and dodged each attack clumsily, his armor was not built for agility. But he remembered he had an actual weapon that could help him, the spear! He took it from his strap and blocked another blow, this time shoving Gideon back.

In a blind rage, the Moff swung wildly at him, slicing the walls and floor. Mando blocked each attack, countering with a jab at Gideon's leg. The Moff stumbled from the blow, giving Mando the opportunity to force him back. 

Finally getting the hang of it, Mando twisted the spear around Gideon's arm, forcing him to the ground as the Darksaber clattered to the floor. Mando pressed the tip of his spear to Gideon's throat. "You're sparing my life?" He asked a bit smugly. "Well, this should be interesting."

Mando said nothing as he cuffed the Moff. He turned to the cell and found Elaine and Grogu, their eyes wide. Mando picked up the Darksaber and activated it. He held it to Gideon's back, daring him to move. He turned to the kids. "Come on, guys." He held out his hand. Elaine ran to him and hugged his side as Grogu waddled over to him. Mando felt himself relax, but only a little. He still had a war criminal to take care of. He picked up Grogu and Elaine gripped the fabric of his cape as they began their walk to the bridge.

                         ~~~~~

Upon entering the bridge, the women looked at the clan and the Moff with interest. Cara winked at Elaine before Bo-Katan spoke up. "What happened?" Her voice was laced with worry and urgency.

"He brought him in alive, that's what happened." Said Cara. "And now the New Republic's gonna have to double the payment."

"That's not what she's talking about." Gideon said. His voice betrayed amusement. "Why don't you kill him now and take it?" Cara shoved him to the ground, but the Moff just looked up at Mando and chuckled. "It's yours now."

"What is?" Mando asked.

"The Darksaber. It belongs to you."

Mando looked down at the blade in his hand. He deactivated it and offered it to Bo-Katan. "Now..it belongs to her."

But the former ruler just held her head high, doing her best to not let her emotions take over. "She can't take it." Gideon said with a cruel smile. "It must be won in battle. In order for her to wield the Darksaber again, she would need to defeat you in combat."

Mando took a step forward and held out the hilt. "I yield. It's yours."

"Oh, no," Gideon said through a chuckle. "It doesn't work that way. The Darksaber doesn't have power. The story does. Without that blade, she's a pretender to the throne."

Bo-Katan swallowed. "He's right."

"Come on, just take it." Mando insisted.

"Well, perhaps she'll get another crack at it." Gideon remarked.

"The Ray shields have been breached." Fennec said suddenly. "We're being boarded."

"How many life forms?" Bo-Katan asked.

Fennec's eyes were grave. "None."

The entire room shifted to a darker feeling, all except Gideon. "You're about to face off with the dark troopers." He said smoothly. "You had your hands full with one. Let's see how you do against a platoon."

Bo-Katan moved over to to the security footage. "They're headed this way."

Mando quickly took Elaine and Grogu over to the control board, setting them both on it. "Don't worry, guys. I'm gonna get you out of here."

He drew his blaster and stood at the ready. The others did the same. "Seal the blast doors!" Fennec ordered.

Koska slammed her fist on the button to do so, sealing the doors shut. She along with Bo-Katan donned their helmets. "They're here." Despite the heavy metal of the blast doors, the sound of violent thuds sounded against it. Fists marks appeared in the door. The dark troopers were trying to break in.

"You have an impressive fire team protecting you." Gideon said slowly. "But I think we all know, after a valiant stand, everyone in this room will be dead.." Bang!​​​ "but me.." Bang! "and the children." Bang!

Mando resisted the urge to kill him right them and there. Nobody threatened his kids. Suddenly, an alarm went off on the control. Koska went to check it. "An X-wing." She said.

"One X-wing?" Cara asked. "Great. We're saved." She shifted her heavy repeating blaster, ready to shoot something.

Bo-Katan pressed the comms button. "Incoming craft, identify yourself."

No response as the ship docked. Grogu cooed as he watched the security cams. A cloaked figure stepped out of the X-wing, and the heavy thudding on the door stopped. "Why did they stop?" Fennec asked.

Bo-Katan looked at the security footage. The figure had a green lightsaber and was fighting the dark troopers. "A Jedi?"

Suddenly, a shot rang out and the Mandalorian princess winced in pain. Moff Gideon had shot her, hitting her armor. In a desperate panic, the Moff shot at Elaine and Grogu, but Mando took the hit. All guns were trained on him. "Drop it!" Fennec ordered. Seeing his situation was hopeless, the Moff pressed the barrel of the blaster to his throat. Luckily, Cara stepped in before he could do anything, striking him the head with a powerful blow.

Grogu cooed again, placing his hand on the screen with the Jedi. Elaine looked at him curiously. She sensed that Grogu felt connected to the Jedi, but she felt nothing. 

Mando looked over at his children. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't know if he had the strength to do it.

Mando grabbed Grogu and Elaine off the panel, setting the girl down. "Open the doors."

"Are you crazy?" Fennec asked, rightfully so. Mando's silence answered her, and Cara opened the blast doors. There in the smoke stood the cloaked Jedi, his green lightsaber casting an eerie light.

"Are you a Jedi?" Mando asked.

The figure took off his hood, revealing a young man, maybe 20ish? He had short blonde hair and blue eyes, and like Ahsoka, there was an air of calm around him. "I am." He extended his hand to Elaine and Grogu. "Come, little ones."

Elaine shrunk behind Mando, but Grogu looked up at him. "They don't want to go with you." Mando said, hoping it was true.

"He wants your permission." The young man said. "He is strong with the Force, but talent without training is nothing." His gaze drifted to Elaine, who eyed him warily. "I will give my life to protect the Child...but he will not be safe until he masters his abilities. And the girl, she will grow into her powers."

Mando turned back to the kids. "That's who you belong with. He's one of your kind. I'll see you again. I promise." His voice wavered. Elaine looked up at him with watery brown eyes, and Grogu reached up and touched his helmet. Mando understood what he meant, and reached up to his helmet. Elaine's eyes widened when as he set his helmet on the floor. 

Mando's face. Dark hair with specks of gray scattered throughout, rough stubble, and soft brown eyes that looked like Elaine's. Grogu touched his face as he pulled Elaine close to him. "It'll be alright, guys. It's time to go. Don't be afraid." He set Grogu down, his eyes threatening to spill over with tears. Grogu started to walk towards the Jedi, but Elaine remained stuck to Mando's side. 

Mando looked down at her. "Sarad'ika, you have to go now."

Elaine just held to his leg tighter. "No, Papi! I'm not a Jedi. Ahsoka said so!"

Mando knew there was no arguing with her. She was right. Even the Jedi that stood before them knew she wasn't like them. Mando picked her up and the girl rested her head on his shoulder.

A little astromech droid came out from behind the Jedi, and Grogu cooed in excitement. The Jedi picked him up and nodded to Mando. "May the Force be with you." He turned and left.

So Mando stood there holding his daughter as they said goodbye to what made their clan a clan of three. Grogu, a brother to Elaine, and and a son to Mando.

Previous

Next

[somewhereunderthebridge]

A Life Update (001)

Hi everyone,

Today's a little heavy. A lot has been happening in my life recently that has been upsetting, distressing, and heartbreaking; yet, today brings that into a painfully sharp focus.

Last night, my biological-father was involved in a bad car accident while at work. He had recently gotten clean from drugs after decades of addiction, got a job, and found a home for himself. Life, however, is a cruel mistress; he'd finally started getting his life right, only to now be fighting for that very life.

We were told this morning that he was stable and alert, though there was a risk that he was paralyzed. This afternoon, however, he's now being rushed into surgery to hopefully prevent his death and it's been officially determined that (should he survive) he is paralyzed down from the neck. Should he survive, he will most likely need round-the-clock care.

While he was a cruel man in my youth, I've never wished anything ill to happen to him. I'd always told him that if he got clean and proved it to me, he could be in my life again. Sadly, it seems the one time he got sober and stable, that may not be an option due to a twisted dose of fate.

My family and I are praying he'll survive, though we are deeply hurt by the fact his quality of life will be bleak. My mother and I are currently trying to figure out how we're going to get to Texas (the state in which he resides) should the worst happen, though it'll be a struggle. Even if he does survive, it would only seem proper to make the trip regardless. We'll most likely have to take a flight, which neither of us have ever done. We've debated starting a GoFundMe to cover the flight and hotel stay upon arrival, though that doesn't seem right to me (I'm just not someone who likes to take strangers money online). Hopefully, family will step in and front the cost. If not, I may have to update this post with a GoFundMe. Right now, we're all playing things by ear.

Anyway, I'll keep you all posted. I'm feeling very numb at the moment. I'm not exactly sure how to feel, as horrible as that may sound. Our relationship has always been tumultuous, though reality has a bizarre way of hitting the hardest when all you can remember are figments of how things should've been. I hope he gets a second chance at life - that he and I can get a second chance at establishing a genuine father-daughter connection. Yet, as I've learned (especially within the past few months), it's best not to have expectations until you have evidence that they're worth having.

I only ask that you all spare my family some kind thoughts, good vibes, and (if you're a believer) positive prayers. Thank you for your understanding.

× Edit: He pulled through surgery. They had to fuse his neck back together, as he'd been internally-decapitated. He's lucky to have survived at all given that fact. He's still not out of the woods, but that's as far as my family and I know for now. I'll continue to update when I can.

[bluestar22x]

Whole Lot Of Leavin

The Writing Contest - Chapter 3: Whole Lot Of Leavin'

Summary: When Nora and Javi finish their script, it's time to say goodbye [for now].

Pairing: Javi Gutierrez x Female!OC (Nora Delaine)

Rating: 18+ Series

Word Count: 2,300 (ish)

Warnings: Romantic angst

Author’s Note: Nearly made myself cry and this isn't even the last of the angst. This being kind of a bridge chapter I decided I'd write it and post an update way sooner than usual.

xxx

"Life with you is never too painful or too dull, angel. It was true forty years ago, and it is now. Your insights, the way you see the world drew me in, and has kept me. My life was anguished and boring before you, not after. I'll never see it any other way. You showed me what it was to live a meaningful life and that's all I could ask for."

You grinned and clapped enthusiastically as Javi dramatically finished reading the last line of your screenplay from the page you'd printed up and bowed comically after, grinning right back at you, an expression that made your heart flutter.

"I think we've done it," he said brightly.

"I think we have too," you agreed. "I cannot imagine any other way to end it. Angie and Nolan being happy in their old age, despite their past hardships, because they have each other. It's romantic in the highest degree, but it's also real. Their lives were far from perfect, but they were perfect for each other."

"You are a poet," Javi declared proudly. "I could not have worded it better myself!"

"You're a bit of one yourself," you told him, a smile tugging at your lips. He was cute when he got excited. "I liked that 'has kept me' bit. It might be bordering too poetic for a modern movie, but what the hell, it's perfect. And Nolan is a sap so it checks out."

Javi chuckled. "Maybe so, but I quite relate to him in some ways."

"Mmmm, the troubled family?"

"For one," he said somberly, though he did not go on to list other similarities they had.

Great going, Nora, you thought, regretting bringing it up. You knew his family was a touchy subject. You should've known better.

You cleared your throat to take the awkwardness out of the moment. "So, how do you feel having written your first real romantic script?"

"Like I want to do it all over again," he told you, his positive energy rejuvenating as soon as you'd gotten the question out. "I always feel that way after I complete a story, but this one is extra special."

"Please," you said, brushing off his comment, “There are one hundred other stories just like it."

"Just like, but not quite," he argued passionately. "Yours is more compelling than any romance I've read or seen in a long time."

"Ours," you corrected him.

"Ours," Javi repeated, "Yes, the details are ours. But it was always your creation, Nora."

You nodded, not sure how to respond to that. Maybe you didn't need to say anything, but not doing so was foreign to you. You weren't used to easily accepting praise. Most of the time you didn't feel worthy of it, doubt a constant friend in your life, a toxic one who always knocked down your sails.

"So, we've got our final draft," you began as Javi returned to his seat next to you. "What's next?"

"Next we email it to Walter and he sends it out to some of the film companies we've worked with before," he answered, "If none of them buy the script he'll extend the offer to others. But I'm confident one of the companies I've worked with in the past will take it. Lionsgate especially has expressed interest in taking up another screenplay from me."

"You really think it's theater worthy?" you asked, chewing on the cap of the pen in your hand nervously.

"Of course!"

"So when are you going to email it?"

"No time like now," Javi decided, flipping the lid to his laptop up. "That way Walter has a couple days before the weekend hits to reach out."

You watched as he typed up an email to Walter and linked the completed screenplay to him under the title "California Dreamers", your placeholder name for the script. Javi had warned you that often times studios or directors changed the names of screenplays once they started filming, but you still hoped whoever picked it up would see the need for that particular title. It played an important role in the story as far as you were concerned.

After Javi submitted the screenplay to Walter you both looked at each other blankly, unsure of what to do with your nearly nine week long project completed.

"What do we do while we wait for news?" you inquired.

He sighed. "We do whatever we want. I usually turn my focus back on the vineyard, or take a vacation. You...you can stay a while if you'd like, but you do not need to stay. You can go back home, be with your family and friends. There's nothing left to do that we can't do by email or video chat."

"So this is it," you realized, feeling heavy. You did miss your family, Sierra, and your rabbits, but you'd miss Valley View, and you didn't want to say goodbye to Javi.

"Only for now," he stated cheerfully, "We've got the premiere to go to when the film is released, after all, and then award season."

"Please," you said, trying to push away the part of you that wanted to entertain the idea of what it would be like to win any kind of award for your writing. "It's only my first screenplay. There's no way."

"Never say never!" he exclaimed, squeezing your shoulder. "There have been worst odds."

You couldn't deny that, you supposed.

x

He found you sitting on the stone bench by the Koi pond, tossing leftover cooked peas to them and watching the colorful mass of them swarm for an opportunity to eat one. There were a good thirty or so of them in the pond so it was entertaining to observe. You tried to make sure they all got at least one.

It was a good distraction from what you'd have to do next.

"Nora, what are you doing back here? You're going to be late."

You turned to see Javi approaching you, a wayward wavy lock of hair flopped over his forehead. Even disheveled he was ridiculously handsome.

"Wanted to say goodbye," you told him, gesturing towards the fish. "As silly as that is."

"It's not silly," he responded, shaking his head. "Koi are very intelligent for fish. They recognize the ones who feed them."

You smiled up at him fondly. "Thanks, but I doubt I've fed them often enough for them to remember me. I don't need them to. I'll miss them because I'll miss Valley View. I've never said it to you before, but this place is special, Jav."

"It is," he agreed. "And it's only a flight away. You can visit whenever you'd like."

"Thanks," you said gratefully, your smile turning wispy, "I might take you up on that offer."

"Please do." The tone in his voice was so genuine you wanted to cry.

As much as you'd miss his home, you'd miss Javi much more. Having spent every day of the last two months with him you'd gotten used to him being around. Felt close to him. You didn't want your friendship to turn long distance. You'd had a taste of what that was like with Sierra while you were staying at Valley View. You hated saying goodbye to Javi, but there was no denying a part of you was anxious to return home too, if nothing else for her, your rabbits, and your beloved old couch.

The part that wanted to stay silently tried to bargain. A few more days. You could cancel your flight and stay just a few more days. You knew Javi wouldn't mind, the cost of a commercial airline ticket was nothing to him, and you had been a little quick on the trigger buying your ticket back to North Dakota, having purchased it the same night you'd wrapped the screenplay. You had booked a flight that would take off two days later. At the time you'd thought it smart, rip the Band-Aid off smart, but with the two days having passed in a blur, you regretted it. If you stayed for the weekend you and Javi could go out one last time, maybe back to that bar you'd gone to for your birthday...

No. It was better this way.

"Let me drive you to the airport," Javi insisted, drawing you out of your thoughts.

Not trusting your words, you just nodded your yes. You could let him do that.

Ten minutes later you fetched your suitcase and overnight bag from the little house on the far side of the property and shoved them into the backseat of his dark green Land Rover.

Javi climbed into the driver's seat while you did so, and you joined him up front within a few seconds. As soon as you were buckled in and he'd put on sunglasses, he started driving to the airport. It was sunny and in the high sixties that day, so you opened the passenger window a crack, sucking in the fresh air as it rolled in. You watched as the now familiar landscape passed by, or rather, as you passed it by. Would you ever see it again? You quietly wondered. There was always a chance you wouldn't, so you tried to memorize it, just in case.

Javi was unusually subdued during the ride, his brief words here and there awkward and stiff. He mentioned that Walter had sent the screenplay to the last company on their list that morning and it was just a waiting game now to see who would make an offer for it. You'd simply nodded and kept your eyes on the world outside the vehicle, trying to hold back a sudden surge of confusing emotions.

It came to a head on the sidewalk in front of the airport's main entrance, after you'd gathered your belongings from the backseat and turned to Javi one last time.

He’d slid his sunglasses off his face and tucked them into a shirt pocket, the subtitle sadness in his exposed brown eyes making your heart ache.

"Goodbye, for now," he said, trying to force a smile, to create the illusion of him being his cheerful self. "Don't look so upset, eh? This is just the beginning. We've still got a lot to do once the script's picked up. Like going to the premiere."

"Video chatting won't be the same," you admitted to him.

"I meant what I said," he told you, "You can visit anytime."

"Thanks." You barely got out the word due to the lump forming in your throat. Was the cause sadness or regret?

"Come 'ere," Javi demanded softly, gesturing for you to hug him. You smiled and walked into his arms, swallowing hard as he squeezed you tight. You kept silently trying to remind yourself that this really wasn't going to be a permanent goodbye, but that still left you mourning the last two months. Things would never be the same.

"Bye, Javi." On impulse you gave him a peck on the cheek before spinning away and ambling into the building, not giving him a chance to return your words, and not allowing yourself to see his startled reaction.

You refused to look back.

x

"Nora!" Sierra squealed as soon as she opened her front door to see you standing before her. "You're back!"

She jumped into your arms and you yelped at the surprise embrace. "You knew I was coming home today," you reminded her. You'd called to let her know as soon as the plane ticket had been bought, before you'd even told your parents.

"Seeing is believing," she chimed. "It's good to have you back."

"You too." It really was. Even taking her brief visit for your birthday in account this had been the longest time you'd both spent apart, having grown up in the same town and been friends ever since you could remember.

"You anxious to see Buttercup and Tux?" she quizzed.

"Dying," you claimed, grinning ear to ear. "How have they been?"

"Same as when you last asked me yesterday," she replied, snorting. "Come on. They're munching on hay in their playpen."

She lead you through the kitchen of her old rental and into the living room. There next to her couch was a metal fenced playpen with two Miniature Lop rabbits inside.

The bigger one was also the oldest, a spayed butterscotch and white female. She was brushing shoulders with her younger pal, a black spotted male. They'd come with their names when you'd rescued them from the local animal shelter three years ago. You couldn't argue with them being named after their colors, and Buttercup looked very sweet with the heart shaped patch on her rump.

You climbed into the pen with them and sat cross legged as you petted them. "You guys have no idea how much I missed you," you gushed.

"Hopefully not as much as me," Sierra teased.

"It's a toss up," you joked and she huffed.

"Well, at least it's a toss up."

You scooped up Tux and placed him on your lap, one of his most favorite places to be. He continued to chew on the hay in his mouth as you stroked him slowly.

"So, how'd it go saying goodbye?" Sierra asked in a gentle tone. "You okay?"

"Yeah." You nodded. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "Cause you have feelings for Javi and now he's states away."

"Javi and I are friends," you told her as you played with one of Tux's long ears, "He didn’t stop me from leaving and he sent me a thumbs up emoji when I texted him to let him know I landed safely.”

"You two are both idiots," Sierra muttered, sounding exasperated.

"Even if you were right about him being interested in me in that way," you began, "We would have never worked out."

"Keep telling yourself that," she retorted.

"I have to," you said quietly, so low she didn't catch it.

Despite your previous conviction, deep in the crevices of your mind, doubt was starting to seep in.

Naturally, you refused to pay attention to it.

xxx

Tagged: @harriedandharassed

xxx

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

xxx

[everythingpresley]

Don't You Kiss Me Once or Twice - Chapter 24

Character/Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Prompt: Jessica Anderson is Elvis Presley's assistant and after months of working together, slowly something sparks between them. Friendship? Or is it more? [ Fem!Reader ]

Rating: Explicit/Mature (NSFW, 18+), Slowburn

    ||     Word Count: 8,198

Author's note: I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while but I hope this chapter will make it up! I just have to say it again... I missed you all sooo much!

Masterlist

Don't You Kiss Me Once or Twice - Chapter 24

Elvis’ POV

Leaves and twigs crunched under my boots as I walked through the freshly cut green grass, my index finger held tightly by a little boy with bright blond hair. He looked up at me with a beaming toothy smile, his ocean blue eyes shinning brilliantly under the harsh Memphis sun. I could feel this immense love radiating towards this little boy like he was my everything. 

“Momma!” He yelled, letting go of my finger and ran ahead of me. 

I looked up to see the love of my life in the distance sitting under our tree. The tree where we always sat under at Graceland.

Jess looked up from where she sat on the blanket and smiled softly at us. Butterflies erupted in my stomach seeing her sitting there with her belly prodding out. She was dressed in a white sundress, leaning back on the palms of her hands. Her dark hair glided gently with the light breeze in the air. She looked like a goddess in a white dress and swollen full with my second child. 

“Woah buddy!” I laughed, running after him and pulled him up in my arms when he launched himself at Jess “Careful! You’ll hurt baby sister.” 

“Sowwy Daddy.” He pouted adorably.

“Aww.” Jess cooed. 

“It’s okay.” I chuckled and kissed his head before gently placing him back on the ground. He walked forward and hugged Jess, without throwing himself on her stomach this time. Jess hugged him back, grinning and kissed his head before he took off running when he saw his ball in the distance.

“Hi beautiful.” I grinned down at her.

“Hi handsome.” She sighed, smiling softly. She looked tired and ready to give birth any day now but still as beautiful as ever.

I bent down and captured her lips with mine. I hummed against her super soft, swollen lips. I pulled away and sat behind her letting her lean back against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her enormous stomach and rubbed it tenderly. 

“I love you.” I whispered in her ear. She shivered slightly from my breathe tickling the shell of her ear.

“Hmm. I love you too, Elvis.” She replied leaning her head on my shoulder “I can't wait till this baby is out.”

“I know, baby.” I chuckled and kissed her temple, both of us looking at our mini me running around with his ball. 

My perfect little family and I couldn’t wait till baby girl would get here. I wanted a little Jess running around, she’d be spoiled rotten that’s for sure. 

I blinked awake in my hotel room. I turned my head and looked at the alarm clock placed on the bedside table that indicated I had slept for two hours only. I forgot to pack my pills that Dr. Nick supplied me with and I dreaded the days to come without them or Jess, I know I won’t be getting any sleep.

This dream has haunted me ever since Jess left. I hate the sadness that creeps onto my chest when I would wake up and realize that that recurring dream was not my reality. In reality, I had just gotten to New York and Jess refused to talk to me. This dream should've been a clear cut sign that we’re meant to be together but I was stubborn and thought I was doing what's best for her. 

Everyday I would mourn this dream, mourn that life. Me and Jess, together with kids. I never realized how much I wanted kids until I got together with Jess and I can’t imagine having them with anyone else. 

Yesterday did not go as planned. I got there with a plan to win her back and ended up having a panic attack because I thought she had moved on. It broke me to think of her with someone else, happy. I wanted her to be happy but selfishly I wanted her to be happy with me and only me. 

When she held me and helped me with my panic attack, for the first time in two months I felt like I was breathing again, like the past two months I was suffocating without her. Having her so close felt like a breath of fresh air. It felt like I was whole again. Like I was a shell of a person and my soul had finally returned to my body.

I stayed afterwards just to see if she really had more people in her place. They seemed genuinely nice and good for her as friends, plus they were gushing about her as they walked out of the building so that made me like them even more. I was happy that she had people here. 

“Yes, Elvis. I want to forget we ever happened.” 

“In fact I want to erase the past two years out of my memory.”

Those words were on a constant repeat, I refused to believe her. Not after what Grace told me but still when she uttered them my heart shattered in pieces and I just wanted to cry right then and there. 

I could see the tears in her eyes when she said them, I wanted to rush over to her and just hug her tight, tell her how much I love her and how sorry I am. I hated seeing Jess cry, I hated that those tears were because of me. I hated myself. 

We were standing there under the illuminating full moon, both with tears in our eyes, love pouring out of us but not being able to be with one another because I’m an idiot. I don't know how to be in relationship, I screw everything up however, I’ll be damned if I let her slip through my fingers. 

Since she wouldn't talk to me I planned to stand outside her place until she’s ready to talk. I’m not giving up. Ever. The first morning also didn't go as planned, she threw the cup of coffee I got her in the trash and walked away from me so I decided to go bigger. 

Flowers! Who doesn't love flowers? Girls are crazy about them, so that’s what I did. 

First, I contacted Jess’ super and asked him if he can meet me at Jess’ apartment in a few hours. I told him I’m her boyfriend and I lost my keys. 

Second, I went to my hotel’s front desk (I was staying there under a fake name but I think they recognize me because they sent up a bottle of champagne and chocolates to my room when I checked in) and asked them for the best flower shop in the city. 

It was quiet a trip since Jess didn't live in the best area, it didn't have the best shops. 

I got 12 different vases filled with sunflowers, Jess’ favorite flowers and paid one of the guys to help me lug them into Jess’ apartment. I ended up roping her Super in helping us set up flowers around her apartment. 

How romantic is this? Very. It will leave her pussy pulsating for me that’s for sure. 

After I thanked the guys for helping me I scoured the apartment for any evidence that a guy has been staying here. First step was the bedside tables, one was empty and one had all of Jess’ stuff so so far so good. Then I checked the bathroom for any male products, shampoo, shaving creams etc. Clear, thank god. 

This plan ended up backfiring, she was mad that I broke into her apartment and ended up tossing one of the bouquets at me. 

I need a new plan.

I didn't get why she got mad about the apartment, I’ve seen her naked more times than I can count. We didn't keep anything from each other and she lived in my room for months so I’m not really invading her privacy.

If I’m not thinking about ways to get Jess back, the guys back in Memphis keep calling me. What I didn’t expect was for Dad to find out where I am. Someone’s about to get fired once I find out who told him.

“Elvis. You’ve got to come back to Memphis.” 

“How did you find out where I am?” I asked, frowning.

“Credit card charges.” Dad replied.

Shit. I did not think of that. 

“I’m not coming back.” I replied, running my free hand through my hair. I was laying in bed waiting for when Jess gets back from work so that I can go bother her a bit. 

“Son, you signed a bunch of contracts agreeing to perform. If you don’t then we’ll be sued.”

“Then let’em sue me.” I rolled my eyes. I didn't give a shit, my biggest mission right now was getting Jess back. 

I think food is the way to go, Jess loves her food. My little foodie. I smiled as I grabbed her some coffee and stood outside her apartment. I checked my watch because she always walked out at 7:00AM on the dot. It was now 7:01. Weird. 

Just as I checked my watch again she came rushing out dressed in a pencil skirt, a blouse and a suit jacket. She looked so hot, like a sexy librarian. 

I got to walk her to work and she even drank the coffee I got her which made me feel giddy. I was also checking out her ass the entire time, the skirt was perfectly tight. I hoped no one from work checks out her ass. 

We were headed on the right track, she was talking to me. 

Joe Esposito called me a few days after my dad called me.

“E.P!” 

“Hey Joe.” I replied.

“What the hell did you say to your dad? He’s pissed and so is the Colonel.” 

“I just told him I’m not coming back anytime soon.” I replied.

“It’s been a week EP. That’s the longest we haven’t seen you recently.” Joe replied “Look I know you took it hard when Jess left but everyone is lost without you.”

“Joe.” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair “I feel lost without her. I’ve put everyone else first all the time. I’m doing this for me.”

Joe was quiet for a while “You two do belong together. I hope you two find the happiness you both deserve.”

“Thanks Joe.” I replied. 

Everyone knows Jess got a job in New York and now I guess everyone knows I’m in New York so Joe probably put two and two together. 

I decided to call her Super up again to open the door to her apartment. This time I decided to create two copies of her keys just for me. I made sure to bring all of her cowboy hats and boots I got her for Christmas and placed them in her living room before I walked into her bedroom and shoved a photo of us back in Hawaii on the mirror. If she removes it then she’ll see the note behind.

Best day ever with the love of my life. 12/01/1972.

Once I made those copies I always double checked that she locked her door properly, she lived in kind of a shitty area. There were some sketchy people who would walk past her building. I smiled proudly every time her door was properly locked with the deadbolt.

Good girl.

On her day off we went for a walk in central park and she actually laughed and smiled. Every time I heard her laugh I could feel my heart flutter at the sound. When I dropped her off at the apartment words just flew out of my mouth without even thinking. I told her that I was gonna get her back and I was gonna marry her which in turn made her mad at me. Or was she sad? I saw a hint of tears in her eyes before she pushed the door to her building open and rushed in without saying a single word. 

I thought girls loved hearing those words, maybe she wasn’t in love with me as Grace said.

She continued to ignore me after that and didn't even acknowledge my existence. I was starting to miss her. I tried everything. That entire week I tried bribing her with cookies, coffee, banana bread, chocolate, cake etc. Nothing worked. 

I missed her so much that one night when I was checking that her door was locked, I noticed that the deadbolt wasn't attached properly, so I took that as an opportunity to see her. I slowly walked into her apartment and headed towards her bedroom. Gently, I pushed the door to her bedroom open and tiptoed to her side of the bed. I looked down at her and longed to be asleep by her side. Longed to be cuddled up next to her. Longed to kiss her good night and play with her soft hair. 

How can someone be this beautiful as she snored softly. I slowly reached for her cheek and caressed her softly, not wanting to wake her up but she did. And boy was she mad. 

It seems like all my plans end up backfiring and I only made her angrier. I was shit at asking for forgiveness. 

She continued to ignore me until I had the genius idea to get her McDonald’s. Her favorite. I know Jess and I know she can’t say no to McDonald’s. It was pouring rain when she got back, she took the food from me and went inside. Jess took pity on me and decided to invite me in.

My heart was racing as I ran up the stairs, taking them two steps at a time. 

I’m gonna kiss her. I’m gonna kiss her. I’m gonna kiss her. 

Every day since I got to New York I was waiting for the chance to kiss her but I didn’t want her to slap me or get mad at me. 

I needed to calm down, I don’t want to get kicked out as soon as I enter the apartment. 

I walked in once Jess opened the door, my knee shaking as if I was on stage again. Her cheeks were slightly flushed probably from the steaming hot showers she always took. Her hair was still wet and she was dressed in a bathrobe. I was hoping she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.

I cupped my knee once I sat down on the couch to keep it from shaking. 

I needed to feel her lips on mine. I missed them. I needed her scent to take over all my senses as I do. I gulped anxiously. Would I be able to make a move? Would she kiss me back if I do?

We sat together and ate, silence then took over. I felt like that was an opening for me to start apologizing for ruining us. That’s when Jess started crying. Tears quickly weld up in my eyes and the feeling of hurt shattered the pieces of my already broken heart because I hated seeing her cry. 

I gulped, blinking back my own tears and reached for her. I cupped her soft, wet cheeks and kissed the tears away. I loved being able to be this close to her once again. My heart swelled when she didn't pull back or push me away. 

I inched towards her lips, staring directly into her green eyes. My beautiful green eyed girl. Those green eyes that I wanted to stare at for the rest of my life, those eyes that captured my heart the moment they held my blue ones. The green in her eyes were intensified by the redness surrounding them from crying.

“Can I kiss you?” I asked her with my stomach in my throat and tears in my eyes. What if she says no, what if she pushes me away? I wanted to just feel her lips even for a second. 

She nodded, her lips in a pout. My heart soared but I was still holding my breath as I brushed my lips on hers. I kissed her gently and slowly as if any fast movement would spook her “I missed your lips.” I sighed against her lips, finally being able to breathe. 

She’s my breath of fresh air. I can finally breathe again, like I was suffocating for months without her. 

I still can’t believe how fast and hard I fell for this girl. I can’t believe I’m willing to sacrifice everything I’ve built for her and I couldn’t give a crap about it either. Because two months without her was miserable, I can’t imagine a lifetime.  

I needed her to take me back. I needed to see her as my wife. I needed to see her be the mother of my kids. And I needed to grow old with her by my side. 

She wanted me to keep kissing her, she didn't want me to stop and I definitely did not want to stop so I slowly tugged on her bathrobe belt and untied it. Blood rushed down as soon as I saw that she wasn't wearing anything underneath her robe. 

“Oh lord.” I whispered. I paused taking her all in and threw a quick prayer to all her glory.

Jess gripped my shirt and pulled me down to continue kissing me. 

I kissed down her neck, inhaling her sweet, freshly showered scent. I bit on her neck and sucked on it. She moaned as I bit her shoulder. She’s probably going to be so mad once she sees the marks I made on her body, remembering her pinching me when I tried to give her a hickey. Oh how I missed those days. Being within a few feet away from her at all times and now I’m nowhere near to her, nowhere near to her heart.

In the meantime Jess was eagerly unbuttoning my pants. 

I was finally home. Inside her. My home. I couldn't help but cry once again as I thrusted in her. This felt like a dream, it felt unreal that we were in this position which we’ve been in hundreds of times before but both of us silently crying. Tears streaming down both our faces with lust, sadness and heartbreak. It felt overwhelming. I did not close my eyes for a second, scared I would wake up and this would be another dream. She did look like a dream withering underneath me. Her bright green eyes on mine the entire time like she also couldn’t believe I was here either. 

I collapsed on top of her, placing my head on her chest like I did every night when I slept with her. Her heart was pounding underneath my ear and it felt comforting to hear the steady beat of her heart. My favorite sleeping position, in her arms. I squeezed my eyes shut when she wrapped her arms around me. 

I moved my head and placed my chin on her chest “I lo-“ I wanted to tell her how much I loved her but she quickly placed her palm over my lips, stopping me from saying the words out loud. 

“Don’t.” Jess replied and that was when we finally spoke about everything and my heart broke all over again when she said she needed to think especially after I told her how I felt and what went on, that I never meant those stupid words. 

I told her that I love her and she said it back in past tense.

“All I did was love you.” 

It broke my heart seeing her so heartbroken as she said those words.

This can’t be it. She’ll take me back, I know she will even if it takes her weeks, months or years.

Jess’ POV

I cried the whole night after Elvis left. I wasn’t planning on kissing him let alone having full blown sex on my couch. But the things he said, his reasons for breaking my heart confused me. On one hand my heart swelled that he did this out of love and his genuine selflessness for wanting me to achieve my dreams.

He loved me. 

He said he loves me. 

How am I supposed to let him go now? It was already hard enough but now knowing his reasons and knowing that he loved me the entire time sent my heart and mind to battle. 

“I’ll follow you to wherever it is you want to go to because you’re my home, Jess.” Elvis said as he left.

I’m his home. That made me ball my eyes out even more knowing that I provided that comfort to him as he did to me. I always felt safe, loved and at peace when I was in his arms or really him in my arms since he always loved to sleep on top of me with his head on my chest. I was now realizing just how much he loved me, I was so stupid to doubt it. I was so stupid to think it was one sided. We loved each other so much that we were willing to gut our own hearts to give the other person an ounce of happiness. 

I got myself up from crying on the floor by the kitchen and went to shower once again, the sun was already starting to peak through. I needed to wash Elvis’ scent off and the stickiness that remained on my thighs. 

After showering once again and getting into some comfy pjs I headed to bed, my head pounded from all the crying. I think I might have taken a time machine back to two months ago when I had just arrived to New York with the amount of crying I cried last night. I wanted to give him a second chance, I know he’s really bad at relationships so I was scared to get hurt once again. 

I tossed and turned in bed and eventually gave up and got up to make myself some coffee instead. I cleaned up the leftover wrappers from the McDonald’s we had and cleaned around the apartment in my pjs. Then I went over to organize my vanity but nothing would keep Elvis out of my mind especially when I walked over to my vanity and spotted the picture he had hung up on my mirror of him and I kissing in Hawaii.

I sighed and for the first time ever I pulled the picture off. Not to throw it away but to take a closer look at us. I held it in my hands and frowned down at the picture. Oh who am I kidding I love this man so much. I gulped and willed myself not to cry again. 

I threw the picture on top of my vanity upside down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw writing in black. I furrowed my eyebrows and grabbed the pictures again reading the writing that was in Elvis’ handwriting. 

Best day ever with the love of my life. 12/01/1972.

Here come the tears again. I placed the picture on my chest and clenched my eyes shut. He said I’m the love of his life and that was another hit to my heart because I know he’s mine. I don’t think I’ll ever love someone the way I love Elvis. My heart beats for this man. My fear was the only thing stopping me from sprinting over to his hotel and taking him back and kissing the crap outta him. 

The sun was fully out by now it was almost 10AM. I peeked through my window, my heart hammering in my chest because for a split second I was afraid he wasn’t going to be there, that he might have given up. As I peeked I spotted Elvis taking his usual spot, leaning against the lamppost with a takeaway coffee cup in his hand. He had just gotten there and I hoped he at least got some sleep. 

Screw my mind I needed to be around him, I wasn’t about to take him back but I just craved to be close to him right now.

I quickly headed for my closet and threw on a white sundress and a matching white headband with my black converse. I gulped the rest of my coffee and jogged down the stairs.

As I pushed the door open, Elvis looked up and smiled softly. I smiled timidly back and walked towards him.

“Hi.” 

“Hey.” He smiled bigger, his eyes scanning me head to toe “I don’t know why I never told you this but I fucking love it when you wear a sundress and a headband.” 

I could feel a blush creeping up on my cheeks “Thanks.” 

Seeing me blush made his smile transform into a full grin.

“Did you get any sleep?” I asked, taking in his face. He certainly did not. His eyes were bloodshot and he had bag underneath his eyes. 

He shook his head no. 

“Do you wanna go get breakfast at this little spot down the road?” I asked him.

“You wanna have breakfast with me?” He asked quietly, I bet he was confused about us moving forward after the conversation we had last night. 

“Yeah.” I shrugged “I missed you.” I whispered.

“I missed you too.” He replied. 

We sat down at one of the tables that were on the sidewalk since it was sunny unlike last night when it was pouring rain. The waitress brought over the menus and placed them in front of us and poured coffee into our mugs. She smiled and then frowned looking at Elvis.

“I’m sorry… are you Elvis Presley?” She asked, stuttering slightly, getting nervous to be around Elvis. 

“Ah. No, I’m from New Jersey actually and I get that all the time.” Elvis said using a New York accent as opposed to his country accent. 

I picked up the coffee mug to hide the smile that was spreading on my face. I wanted to laugh at him trying to do a New York accent. 

“Oh.” The waitress shook her head and chuckled “I’m sorry but you do look a lot like him.”

“I know!” Elvis chuckled “That’s how I got my girlfriend over here.”

I chuckled and lowered my mug back onto the table “Oh yeah. I had the biggest crush on Elvis Presley and when a new guy joined my workplace and when he looked just like Elvis, I just had to make the first move.” I said, wanting to laugh. 

“She was all over me.” Elvis grinned wiggling his eyebrows at me “Kept asking me out until I caved and said yes.”

“Hmm.” I grinned “Now you can’t live without me.”

He shook his head “No, I can’t.” He said softly, dropping the act. 

“Well, you make a cute couple. Let me know once you’re ready.” The waitress smiled softly and left our table. 

“Out of all the places you chose to be from, you chose New Jersey?” I chuckled.

Elvis shrugged “I have no idea, I panicked!” he laughed.

“And that accent.” I said and started laughing.

“Hey! My accent was great!” He starts laughing with me.

I wiped the tears that escaped from laughing “It was, it was.” I lied.

“Don’t lie to me now!” 

I got a breakfast burrito while he got a Spanish omelet as always. 

“Your burrito looks good.” He said after he finished his eggs.

I wiped my mouth with a napkin “It’s delicious, you wanna have a bite?”

He looked like a shy little kid asking for food, it was so cute. He nodded.

I picked up the burrito and was handing it to him but instead of taking it from my hand he moved his head closer. 

Oh he wanted me to feed it to him? 

I edged closer in my chair and he took a big bite from the burrito that was still in my hand.

“Hmm.” He nodded, liking it but then he frowned.

“What?” I asked him, placing the burrito back on my plate.

“There’s something mushy.” He replied with his mouth full.

“Oh that’s just the avocado.” 

“Oh.” He replied and continued chewing. He hated certain textures of food but he liked the burrito so much he ordered one for himself. 

We just randomly started walking around in silence, not really talking about anything specific. Definitely not talking about what happened last night. Not us having sex and not about the confessions we made to one another.

“Flower for your lady?” An older man with a bouquet of flowers walked by selling red roses.

“Yes, I’ll have one.” Elvis smiled.

“Ah, no need.” I grabbed Elvis’ arm shaking my head “I think I got a lifetime of flowers from you.” I told him pointedly, reminding him of the amount of flowers he got me.

“One more wouldn’t hurt.” The man replied, grinning. 

I smiled and reached into my pocket and pulled out a dollar, handing it to the man and taking a rose from him before giving it to Elvis “Here. From me to you.”

Elvis grinned taking the rose from my hand “I’ve never actually received flowers before.”

“Even men should receive flowers.” The man said, tipped his head and left.

“Now I know why girls love getting flowers.” Elvis said as we continued walking.

I smiled softly fighting every instinct to reach over to kiss his cheek. 

We walked towards the park and by then it was already noon. We sat under one of the trees and I could feel one of us wanting to talk about what happened and where do we go from there. I was scared to have this conversation but how long till Elvis has to leave, I don’t believe he’ll be here forever and I don’t want him to halt his entire life just to wait for me. 

“We need to talk about last night.” I said in a low voice hoping he wouldn't hear me but he was sitting right next to me so he obviously heard me.

“Yeah.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Where do we go from here?” I asked looking out at the lake.

“I don’t know Jess. It’s up to you.” He replied “But I do know is that you’re my best friend and the love of my life and I’m so sorry it took me losing you to actually tell you how I feel about you.” He said looking down at his hands as he twirled the rose in his hands.

I gulped “I want to be with you. I really do but-“ I started but he shook his head and stood up. I looked up at him with a frown on my face.

“Before you say anything. Can we just pretend we’re together right now and none of that happened.” He said.

I think he was scared that I was finally closing the door between me and him but that was the farthest thing from the truth. I wasn’t trying to completely close this chapter, I wanted to put some boundaries until I feel comfortable and safe enough to trust that he wouldn't break my heart again.

I sighed “Okay.”

“Dance with me.” He said, placing the rose on the grass and extended his hand out to me.

“There’s no music.” I chuckled looking at him with furrowed eyebrows. 

“We don’t need music.” He smirked.

“Very romcom of you Mr. Presley.” I grinned and placed my hand in his. He pulled me up to stand and wrapped an arm around my waist while keeping my hand in his, placing it on his chest.

“You said it yourself. Many movie magic happened here.” Elvis chuckled. 

“People are looking at us.” I whispered, shoving my face into his chest.

“Let them.” Elvis chuckled. 

I was slightly embarrassed to be dancing in the middle of Central Park with no music but as we swayed together everything around us just melted and it was just Elvis and me. Him with his arms wrapped tightly around me. I loved being in his arms despite feeling super warm due to the harsh, noon sun. I didn't mind hugging him close to me. 

Elvis started humming gently in my ear then started singing softly “Just pretend. I’m holding you and whispering things soft and low.”

I closed my eyes and just focused on his deep, rich baritone voice singing low in my ear “And think of me, how its gonna be. Just pretend I didn’t go.”

I’ve never heard this song before but it was beautiful and it was like he was singing this to me, about us, about our situation. 

“If I knew it then, I’d be back again. So just pretend I’m right there with you. And I’ll come flying to you. All my crying, Lord it’s true.”

“I will hold you and love you again but until then… we’ll just pretend.”

“But now I know it was wrong to go. I belong here by your side.”

I pulled my head away from his chest and looked up at him “What’s this song?”

“You like it?” He asked.

“I love it, it’s beautiful.” I whispered, taking in his beautiful features. God, I really did miss his handsome face. 

“It’s a new song I just recorded. When I heard it, I-I just had to record it for the new album. Reminded me of us.” He whispered the last sentence. 

I shoved my face back into his chest. He chuckled because he knew I didn’t know how to respond to that and kissed the top of my head before placing his chin over my head and continued swaying. 

“I have a song to sing for you.” I said pulling my face away from his chest to look at him once again.

“What?” he chuckled.

“Well, Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawdy, Miss Clawdy. Girl you sure look good to me.” I giggled as I sang it, for some reason I just really loved this song and it kind of felt like our song. 

He chuckled and shook his head at me. 

“But please don’t excite me baby.” We sang together “I know it can’t be me.” 

We laughed shaking our heads at each other. I loved pretending like we’re a couple again. 

I pinched his arm remembering the hickeys I saw on my shoulder and chest when I showered, thankfully it was covered by my sundress. 

“Ouch!” He frowned, taking a step back from me and looked at me with confusion “Oh, you saw the hickeys?” He grinned.

“Yes, I saw the hickeys!” I slapped his arm. 

“I was gonna say sorry but I’m not actually.” He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me back into him.

“You’re so annoying.” I grumbled.

“Every time I walk through Central Park I really get the urge to go kayaking on the lake.” I told him, pointing at the people kayaking.

“Let’s do it.” Elvis replied and dropped his arm from my waist and took my hand in his, pulling me towards the lake and I didn't protest. 

What I didn't tell him was I never went on it because it was always couples kayaking together and every time I wanted to do it, I imagined me and him doing it together. I felt like it would be wrong to do it without him.

We got on the kayak, sat opposite one another and paddled out to the middle of the water.

I smiled softly at him. 

He smiled back and reached forward to fix my headband “You know since we’re pretending we’re together again. That means I can kiss you whenever I want.” He raised a brow, gauging my reaction.

“That is true.” I smirked. 

He grinned and etched forward, I did the same and met him halfway. He kissed me softly but jerked forward all of a sudden which caused the kayak to rock.

“Wow.” I chuckled and held onto the kayak. 

Elvis grinned mischievously and gripped the kayak on either side.

“No.” I told him and shook my head knowing what he wanted to do. 

He laughed and threw his weight left and right causing the kayak to rock on the water. I gasped, my eyes widening. 

“Elvis!” I laughed and placed my hands around his shoulders to stop him from moving “Stop!” 

The guy who was in charge of the kayaks whistled “No rocking the boat!” He yelled.

Elvis laughed and stopped “Sorry!”

“Why?” I asked him “Why do you do that?”

“I just love scaring you.” He chuckled. 

I rolled my eyes with a huge smile on my face, it really felt like old times. 

We paddled around for a while before stopping again.

“I wish I had a camera with me.” Elvis said. 

I nodded and threw my head back, closing my eyes to soak up the sun when Elvis started rocking the kayak again. My eyes snapped open when we tipped to the side and were fully plunged into the water. I held my breath and shot out of the water. Once I was out I looked around for Elvis seeing him pop out.

He looked at me feigning innocence but was biting down on his lip to stop himself from laughing.

I looked at him and wanted to pretend that I was angry but I couldn’t help but laugh. Once I did Elvis joined in. 

“I lost my headband!” I said and splashed him.

“Oh no!” He said sarcastically and laughed, not really caring. 

“Are you two okay?” The guy who gave us the kayaks paddled towards us.

“Yes.” We replied and he helped us get onto his kayak before paddling back while the other guy flipped our kayak upright and roped it with him.

“You’re both not allowed to use the kayaks ever again.” The guy said “There’s also a fee if the kayak was damaged.”

“It was an accident.” Elvis replied.

“Bro.” The guy frowned. Elvis frowned at being called bro, he hated it “I saw you rocking it back and forth several times.” 

“Okay fine.” Elvis rolled his eyes, we didn't really care that we were banned from using the kayaks ever again “Do you have any towels?”

The guy huffed and threw a towel at Elvis “Just one.”

Elvis shrugged and wrapped the towel around my shoulders. He rubbed his hands up and down my arms, over the towel “Are you cold?”

“Should’ve thought of that before you threw her in the water.” The guy murmured to himself as he checked on the kayak to make sure there weren't any damages. 

“No, I’m fine.” I replied, ignoring the guy. 

I wiped myself down before removing the towel and wrapping it over Elvis’ shoulders.

“Come here.” He said making space for me so that we can both be wrapped by the towel. We walked towards the tree we were previously sitting at and sat down. I sat between his legs, the towel wrapped around the both of us.

I leaned back into his chest and something hard dug into the middle of my spine. I frowned and turned my head, over my shoulder “There’s something digging into my back.”

“Oh that’s my necklace. The one you got me.” He replied. I turned between his legs and face him.

He dropped the towel and pulled the necklace from under his shirt, the cross necklace I got him for Christmas.

“You still wear it?” I asked with a small smile on my face.

“Of course.” He looked at me like I had two heads “Why would I remove it?”

“Because we aren’t together.” I replied.

“Yeah I wasn’t trying to erase you from my memory… like someone.” He said giving me a pointed look.

“Hey!” I frowned, pouting “You broke my heart. I didn't break your heart, you broke your own heart.”

He hummed and nodded “Fine. That’s true. But I love this necklace, I can’t take it off.”

“You weren't wearing it last night.” I replied, remembering when we had sex. I would remember if he was wearing it because it would’ve definitely hit my face if he was. 

“Yeah because it was at night and you live in a crappy area. If I were to get mugged I wouldn’t want to lose this necklace.” He replied.

I rolled my eyes “My area is not that bad!” 

“Ooookay Jess.” He chuckled rolling his eyes. 

I reached my hand for the necklace and lifted it up from his chest to inspect it. I flipped it around and saw an engraving that wasn’t there when I got it for him. 

Jessica P.

“Jessica P?” I asked, looking up at him.

He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck “Jessica Presley.”

I could feel the butterflies erupting in my stomach and my heart practically jumping out of my chest.

“I did it the week you left. I didn't think I’d see you again and I just wanted to see your name with my last name.” He shrugged, his cheeks bright red in embarrassment. 

I smiled softly and cupped his cheeks, kissing him gently. He smiled against my lips, his shoulders dropping as if he was melting into the kiss. 

“I have to say.” Elvis said and pulled back, his hands on my hips while my hands were still cupping his cheeks “Jessica Presley sounds way better than Jessica Anderson.” 

I chuckled and shook my head at him. 

“You’re not disagreeing!” He pointed and poked my nose. 

“Shut up.” I laughed and pushed his hand away from my face. 

We were still slightly wet as we walked back to my apartment after handing the towel back to the guy. We stood outside my apartment and looked at each other.

I took a step towards him and cupped his cheeks, kissing him once again. He gripped my hips and kissed me back. The kiss was filled with want and need. 

I pulled back and pressed my forehead against his, snapping my eyes shut.

“Why did that feel like a goodbye kiss?” He whispered.

I opened my eyes, pulling back and shook my head “It wasn’t.”

“Are you sure?” He frowned.

I smiled reassuringly and fisted my hand in his shirt, pulling him to me and slammed my lips on his. He grinned against my lips and kissed me back. 

“You wanna come up?” I asked him.

“Yes!” He grinned “But let me go to my hotel first, shower because I feel disgusting and get fresh clothes.”

“Okay.” I smiled and kissed him again before going into my apartment building.

I was practically skipping up the steps to my apartment. I was giddy and over the moon because I couldn't wait for him to come back here and I would tell him I’m willing to give us another chance. He meant the world to me and I loved him. Life is short and I hated not being with him. 

I showered as fast as possible and as I got of the shower in my bathrobe I heard my landline ring. I rushed over and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hey baby.” Elvis sighed.

“Hi!” I grinned.

“Hi.” He chuckled “Just wanted to let you know that I’m gonna be a bit late okay?”

I frowned and shook my head even though he couldn't see me “Yeah! Sure, don’t worry about it.”

“Wait up for me okay? I won't be too late.” He said.

“That’s fine. See you in a bit.” I said and hung up after he said goodbye. 

I hoped he wouldn't be too late because I was getting antsy. I was prancing around the apartment waiting for him then I decided to play music. 

About an hour and a half later Elvis finally showed up as the sun was setting. 

I was on the couch, the music was no longer playing and I was just staring at the TV when I heard him knock.

“Hey.” I smiled gently.

“Hi!” He grinned and cupped my cheeks, slamming his lips on mine.

I kissed him back and placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him back gently. 

“What’s wrong?” He frowned.

“Come inside.” I pointed to the living room with my head. 

Once he stepped inside I shut the door. 

“Okay, you’re scaring me. You look not as happy as I left you.” He said looking at me with a frown on his face. 

“We need to talk.” I cringed.

“Oh fuck.” He groaned “Jess-“

“No, no. Just sit down.” I said tried giving him a reassuring smile.

“If this was about me being late-“

“It’s not.” I replied and took his hand in mine and pulled him toward the couch “Sit.” I pulled him down next to me. 

I was silent for a second because this was very conflicting, I didn't want to do it.

“Jess?” 

“I’m gonna cut to the chase.” I gulped “You need to go back to Memphis.”

His jaw dropped and his eyes widened “W-what? W-what the heck happened in the hour I was gone?” 

“You need to go, Elvis.” I sighed and clenched my eyes shut while squeezing his hand that was still in my hand “You need to go or you’ll be bankrupt especially if they sue you.”

He groaned and threw his head back on the couch “Who told you?” 

“Your dad.” I replied. 

1 hour ago

After I hung up on Elvis and got dressed in jeans and a shirt I heard a knock come from my front door. I furrowed my brows because Elvis just told me he’ll be late.

I peeped through the peephole and saw Vernon Presley of all people. What the heck?

I quickly unlocked the door and swung it open “Vernon?”

“Jess.” He smiled. 

“Umm hi.” I gave him a confused smile.

He moved forward and pulled me into a hug. 

Oh. Okay. I hugged him back and welcomed him in.

“You’re really missed in Graceland.” He said as he took a seat on my couch. 

“I miss you guys too.” I smiled.

I wanted to ask what the heck he was doing here but I didn't want to be rude. 

“My son has been in New York for almost 3 weeks.” He said.

“Yes.” I replied.

“And he says he’s not coming back until he gets you back.” Vernon continued. 

I didn't reply because I didn't know what to say. Yes? I know. He’s been outside my apartment for the past 3 weeks. 

“You’re the only one that can convince him to come back. We need him to come back, he has plenty of shows lined up for the next two weeks and if he doesn't fulfill them then they’ll sue us for canceling. Jess, we need the money. I don't know how much they’ll sue for, they could bankrupt us.” Vernon continued. 

Present time

“So while the Colonel was in my hotel room trying to convince me to come back, Daddy was here telling you to convince me to go back?” Elvis asked.

“Yes. Wait, that’s why you called me to say you were gonna be late?”

“Yeah.” Elvis sighed.

“Jess.” He shook his head “I-I’m not going.”

“Elvis, you have to.”

“No. I’m not leaving. Not without you. I’m not dropping everything to go on the road for two weeks.”

“What’s everything?” 

“You don’t get it do you? You- you’re my everything and I finally have you back.” He clenched his jaw in frustration.

“Honey.” I said and ran a hand through his hair, pushing some of his hair behind his ear “It’s okay. It’s just two weeks.”

“Come with me then.” He gripped my knee.

“I-I can’t Elvis. I have my job, I can’t just take off for two weeks.” 

He gulped “I went through 2 months without you-“

“We can do two weeks.” I replied, not really because I’m gonna miss him so much but he has to go. 

“No.” He shook his head and go on his feet, starting to pace around my apartment. 

“Hey.” I got up, stood in front of him and cupped his cheeks “We can do two weeks, okay?”

“So are we back together? If we’re back together then why don’t you just quit your job? You said that I’m your dream right? That you don’t want this anymore.”

“I can’t just jump right back in Elvis. I can’t quit my job and follow you, we need to take this slow. You really hurt me and I know you did it for the right reasons but the way you did it was completely wrong. You need to learn how to communicate with me or else this won’t work.” I said and caressed his cheeks “So, Go. Go and in two weeks when you’re back we’ll have this conversation. About us and our future together, okay?” I asked and pressed my forehead against his. 

He screwed his eyes shut, placing his hands over mine that were still cupping his cheeks. 

“You’ll wait for me, right?” He asked “I’ll be back in two weeks.”

“I will honey.” I smiled softly and captured his lips in a sweet and tender kiss to reassure him. 

Taglist: @urrfavvana @girlblogger2002 @butlersluvbot @iheqrtaustin @dramaticpandabear @godlypresley @amiets2 @felis-haxb16 @marie73ep @scarlettlight06 @whatstruthgottodowithit @sassanoe @thatbanditqueen @18lkpeters @rjmartin11 @elvispresleyisfit12 @n0vaj3an @richardslady121

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

[septembersghost]

What do you think of the idea that this was PR for SNTV so that everyone would be paying attention to the Nash shows?

oof. okay, first of all, and this isn't aimed at you anon, but everyone has gotten way too comfortable using the term "PR" inappropriately, to the point where it's meaningless, because you get people online saying everything they see ever is PR when that's simply not the case and a lot of things are just...humans living life who happen to do so in the public eye. but the whole point of the concept there is some benefit. this is not an instance where there's benefit of publicity - trolling potential aside, because that would serve a different purpose - all eyes are already on her.

she knows fans pay attention to the shows every week (even the ones like me who aren't viewing the livestreams! i read along with the updates as they happen but haven't watched, others might check in the next day due to time zones or busy schedules, and so on), no matter what we all know what happens and what surprise songs she plays and what she might've said, and we know very quickly. every entertainment and music outlet is paying attention. an album announcement would make spectacular noise and immediately be reported no matter what.

furthermore, stoking romance/personal rumors, if anything, takes *away* from the announcement, it doesn't add to it - hence the internet being in a dither about matty rather than only being focused on excitement over SNTV. why on earth would she intentionally court speculation and rumor that distracts from an important project? moreover, why with someone who undeniably would be controversial and cause anger/annoyance? how does that help her? (answer: it's irrelevant to her if she likes him.) i'd be slightly inclined to think it was a silly joke for the sake of 1989 TV and a potential collab if she'd announced that album instead, but everything about the optics, especially given very recent events and history, has such overwhelming negative downsides with really no upsides as far as press and reactions go. so PR for SNTV specifically makes very little sense to me, versus her being in a do-whatever-i-want-with-whoever-i-want moment (which, let's be real, is not out of character).

it's either a (perhaps ill-timed and unclear) bit of shenanigans between chaotic friends or it's...whatever it is, and we're going to be living with that rebound reality for a bit. he took a very long trip to get to a hometown show for her...we're gonna have to face what that means, particularly after not seeing the person we thought we should have seen on opening night. i didn't want to read into that absence before, but unfortunately information is now what it is. (me @ mr. bowery: you should've been there! you should've burst through the door with that, "baby, i'm right here" smile!)

the announcement of SNTV would've happened last night no matter what, i'd lay odds she's had that planned for the first night of nashville for quite a while. the matty of it all is a wrinkle, not a boost. the only thing i hope is that it doesn't have any negative ramifications for her (not necessarily in the press, but in her personal life. having fun is fine, i just don't want her to be hurt anymore than what's already happened, you know?).

ultimately, what we all have to remember is that boundary - we don't know her directly. we have no say or influence over her decisions or personal life. that doesn't mean we have to like them, but we have zero input into her making those choices. all we can continue to do is what we already do, support her artistry, wish her the best, and cherish her music.

[miss-smutty]

Forbidden

Chapter 1

A/N- I've teased y'all for so long I hope this series is going to live up to expectations, I'm confident it will though because I'm addicted and it's been super easy for me to write - I'm up to chapter 3 so far so updates can be on time! There's a slight age gap between my professor Hemsy and OC Jess but she's twenty and completely legal. You know this is gunna be a giant tease fest for the first couple of chapters cos that sexual tension is fucking gold 🥵

Summary- Jess meets the man of her dreams and then stupidly leaves without getting his number. Will fate bring them together again?

Word count- 1.5 K

Pairing- Professor!Chris Hemsworth x OC

Warnings- Swearing, age gap

18+ only!

Disclaimer: This is an entire work of fiction/AU and has no affiliation to real life what so ever! This is a fictional story about fictional characters who happen to share names and faces with some real people.

Posted: 5th August 2021

Taglist:- @innerpaperexpertcloud @pandaxnienke @chickensarentcheap @jjpogueprincess @longlostinanotherworld @mostly-marvel-musings @darklydeliciousdesires @monet-belle

@skyfullofsong123 @swaggysposts

Chapter 2

I pulled out a chair at the last available table in the unusually busy coffee shop, I thought I might've caught a break choosing the one outside of campus but alas I was wrong.

I was about to sit down when the chair opposite me slid out from under the table, my eyes lifted to meet with the most sparkly blue eyes i'd ever seen. The sight of him took my breath away. Literally.

I stood staring, frozen on the spot, my mouth slightly ajar as I looked him up and down. He was tall, so tall, definitely over 6ft and built like a dream. Thick thighs straining against his fitted trousers, wide muscular shoulders and I just knew there was a six-pack hiding behind that tight t-shirt. 

"Sorry. You were here first, I'll just grab a take-out." He smirked a side smile, amused at how I was so obviously checking him out but his sexy Australian accent distracted you from anything else.

"It's fine, I'm on my own. I don't mind if you want to sit there too." I mentally face palmed myself, drawing attention to the fact I was alone wasn't the best idea but then again he was alone too. "I don't bite." I added trying my best to flirt.

It seemed to work, he smiled at me as he sat down and I took the time to admire his handsome face. He was quite clearly a lot older than me, the laughter lines around his eyes a tell tale sign but he was still quite possibly the best looking man I'd ever laid eyes on. His hair was fair and the short beard framed his face perfectly but the one thing that stood out the most were those piercing ocean-blue eyes.

"So do you come here often?" I cocked my eyebrow at him over my coffee cup making him laugh at my reaction. "Sorry, it's been a while." He said nervously, running his hand through his hair.

"It's been a while since you spoke to a stranger or…?" I questioned casually.

"It's been a while since I spoke to an attractive woman." He finished, his eyes sparkling as he watched me almost choke on my drink.

"Oh, I err…. I don't think you're doing too badly." I absentmindedly circled my finger around the rim of my cup, crossing my leg over my other and accidently rubbing my foot up his leg. My cheeks felt hot and flushed as I looked up into his eyes and saw him smiling slyly.

"Evidently. We're already playing footsie under the table." He smiled widely, a genuine smile that stretched the corners of his mouth. I smiled back at him shyly, thinking of something to say to change the subject before I ended up looking like a tomato.

"What part of Australia are you from?"

"I'm originally from Melbourne but I lived in Byron Bay before I came to America." 

"Awesome. I've always wanted to go to Australia, the Spiders put me off though." 

"Yeah I think they put most people off but in heavily populated areas they stay pretty much hidden, I think it's the size that scare people." How have I made this conversation go from flirting to talking about spiders? And how do I get back to flirting?

"Are we still talking about spiders?" I raised my eyebrows questioningly and laughed at the innuendo, flicking my hair over my shoulder. I noticed something in his eyes when I did so, a hunger, just a little flash and then it was gone again. I'm sure I didn't imagine it though because his eyes lingered on my exposed shoulders.

I checked my watch subtly, not wanting him to think he was boring me but I had to get to class and couldn't be late again, not when this semester had only just started.

"I'm really sorry, I'm gonna have to run, I'm going to be late. It was really nice meeting you." I gathered up my bags, ready to leave.

"Already? You've only just got here." He looked disappointed, his smile fading. His mouth opened as if he was going to say something else and then closed again when he saw I was ready to leave. "It was really nice to meet you too, hopefully I'll see you again." His eyes sparkled as he looked into mine, standing from his chair to get the door for me. I felt fireworks when his hand brushed against the small of my back and his face lingered close to mine. The tension was unreal, like we were the only people in the room as his eyes hungrily stared into my soul, undressing me with his eyes. My heart stopped beating when his face moved closer to mine so I could feel his breath on my lips, the smell of coffee and his aftershave filling my nostrils. I paused, my feet routed to the spot, I wanted him to kiss me so badly but I moved away at the last minute. Surely he wasn't actually going to kiss me, we'd only just met, that would be ridiculous. Wouldn't it?

********

I spent most of class daydreaming about my tall handsome stranger and the way he looked at me but most of all how I didn't even get his name. Or his number.

Now I was feeling sorry for myself because it would just be my luck to meet the man of my dreams and then never see him again. So I'd moped about all day and avoided the invitations for drinks after class. Instead I'd

gotten home early, changed into some sweats and settled myself in front of the TV for the night.

"What's up with your face?" My roommate, Ellie said as she walked into our room, throwing her bags onto her bed.

"What're you talking about?" 

"Your face. Looks like you're chewing on a wasp."

"Feeling sorry for myself." I pout pathetically.

"Why, what've you done now?" She rolled her eyes, kicking off her shoes and throwing her legs up onto the bed. I felt so lucky to have a roommate like Ellie, during our freshman year she'd become my best friend practically straight away and now after two years together we were practically sisters.

I sat up in bed cross legged and faced Ellie, getting myself ready to spill my misfortunes of the day with her.

"Well, I went to Impresso's this morning to get my morning coffee before class." She nodded, showing her enthusiasm by also sitting cross legged on her own bed, facing me. "And it was packed full of students, there was only one table left. So I went to grab it as soon as I could." She raised her eyebrow at me, wondering where I was going with the story. "And I kid you not, the most attractive man I have ever seen, pulls out the chair opposite me." 

"Oh my god! No way. Did you talk? Oh my god, this is like the perfect chick flick. Carry on." I smiled at her excitement.

"I told him I didn't mind if he sat there, I mean of course I didn't mind, you should've seen him El. Oh, oh, oh I almost forgot" I flapped my hands, bouncing on the spot. "He was fucking Australian."

"Fuck off, you're lying. Drop dead gorgeous with the sexiest accent ever. How is this even real? Now remind me why you're sat there with a face like a slapped arse?" 

"I panicked when I had to leave, didn't want to be late for class and I didn't get his number, didn't even give him chance to ask for mine." 

"Wow! Ok, now I understand. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking, I was panicking and you know what I'm like when I panic." You sulk.

"It's ok, maybe you'll bump into him again."

"Yeah, right. I should be so lucky."

"Cheer up." she says throwing a cushion at me. "There's a party at Alpha Kappa this weekend, I'm sure we can find you someone to help get over your mystery man. Or under should I say?" She raised her eyebrow at me, smiling slyly and making me laugh. She always did know how to cheer me up and maybe a party is what I needed.

There must be some good looking boys around campus that could make me forget about my Australian hunk. Surely? I thought about the guys I'd seen around campus, the guys I'd seen at frat parties and that's definitely not what I wanted. How could a twenty year old boy match to the masculine, experienced man I met this morning. My mind was set, I'd dipped my feet ever slightly into the mature pool and that's what I wanted more than anything. There was always something missing with previous boyfriends and I was tired of all the game playing. I wanted someone who knew what they wanted and wasn't afraid to get it.

The only thing was, he didn't know I was only twenty and I had no way of finding him again. If fate did bring us back together, would he mind that I was still a student? That I couldn't even drink when we went on dates? 

Who am I kidding? Of course he would mind, he could get any woman he wanted, why would he want me?

[faithinlouisfuture]

hello!

there's no question that latam fans are superior! i love how loud they are and how happy louis looks when he's singing to a whole lot of them. and this leg of the tour is giving us a glowing and utterly beautiful louis every single time he's around fans. he also seems to be very aware of the effect his outfits have on us🤤🤤. they're are getting better and juicier 😋 day by day.

i love that he's able to explore and go sightseeing in the cities that he's touring. i remember an interview of him where he says that he's getting more interested in exploring new places as he's getting older. and to think that he not only travels with his band and crew in private planes but also takes them along with him to explore all these beautiful cities?!?!?! oh the things i would do to be a part of his crew!😭😭😭😭

he finally did it!! he blocked that shitty ua!! it's something that should've been done a long time ago but I'm so glad that he finally did it! yeah and i don't care about that group of people, good for louis and all his loyal fans if they unstan him!! they don't deserve louis anyway😌

28th is going to be special!! i can't wait for it! two days are so long without louis🥲

my studies are going alright! my exams are in just about a month. i hope i don't miss getting to watch his concerts (though that seems kind of impossible😒).

my sister is a hard core louie now😙😙😙. i haven't been this proud of me for anything in my life before😂. love having someone who understands my adoration to him. we watch the lives together most of the times and I've gotten her to follow you and a bunch of other louie blogs! she loves it!

-🦹🏽

Better and juicier is so right!!! It’s like he stepped up his fashion game even more the minute he stepped on their soil! The jeans got tighter the tops got sexier! I absolutely love it for him and for us. My fav so far has definitely been the yellow red and black Buenos Aires N1 top, ughhhh he made it look so so so good 🤤

You’re so right, the way that he’s been able to actually be a cute little tourist at some of the places he’s stopped in. And the fact that he takes his entire team with him 🥲 he’s literally one of a kind. We’re so lucky to have chosen him to love. He always makes it worth it.

I love that we’ll have a natural filtering of the fandom, it was way overdue any way! Those who are in it for their own selfish reasons need to leave and stick to the entities that reward and encourage their manic behaviour. Leave Louis for us, we’ll treat him right 🤍

Oh best of luck with your exams! I’m sure you’ll ace em. Even if you miss the shows, you can always catch up. I love that we have people in the fandom who record and save the livestreams for us. Very generous of them. And you always have tumblr to update you on the minute by minute of each show.

I absolutely love that last paragraph! Turning other people into louies is like doing the Lord’s work! 🙏🏽 hiiii 🦹🏽’s sister 👋🏽 glad to have the both of you here <3

[bokuroo-squeals]

Of rough time, marriage and fears

Daichi x reader

Genre: Requested angst to fluff

Summary: After a year of being happily married, trouble seems to appear at paradise when Daichi starts growing distant.

Note: This is not the best, and I don't think I took it the right direction but it was fun to experiment with this. Let me know if there's any orthographic or grammar mistake ,and thank you for reading!!

Marriage is more than a pretty wedding and golden rings, more than a cozy house with nice plants to water. Marriage is way more than all that, so it's not surprise to have though days, fights and disagreements are not a foreign concept, but nothing of this was enough to break you and Daichi. Or so you thought.

One year into your spouse life started like a dream. Even when the road had potholes in the way, you two were mature about it and faced them together. Every morning you woke up next to the love of your life, and he held you close as if you were the most valuable thing in the world, and for a while, you thought you were to him. But months gone by taught you otherwise, because now the space between you was unbearable, like ice left too long on skin. And how it started you don't know, but you wished you did.

The first sign was Daichi growing distant, the second one was him getting in contact with an old friend, a past 'almost something' he knew since high school. And then, it was him spending more time with friends, with her, and you left alone at home to play the loyal housekeeper, the cute spouse that cleaned and cooked but couldn't enjoy dinner with the husband. So it hurt, the feeling of being left behind was slowly filling your lungs until you couldn't gasp for air normally, until the sensation was too much to handle.

The night was as normal as it could go, with you sitting on the couch, waiting for Daichi to come back home from work. Dinner had grown cold, and the clock's hands had moved so much for you to remember how long have you been waiting. Alone in a house meant for two, you couldn't help but feel lonely without Daichi, and you stop to thing briefly, maybe it's your own fault.

It's almost midnight when you hear the door open, then the shuffle of his shoes against the floor. He comes to through the frame, notices your figure and walks your way with heavy steps, Daichi's weight pulling him down in every movement of his legs shows how tired he is.

"It's late, you shouldn't have wait for me. I was out with Suga and the rest after work" he explains briefly after he collapsed next to you on the couch, finally giving into exhaustion.

The conversation ends like that.

Next time is not as peaceful

"Where are you going?" You asked again, the third time already on the week. You're tired, tired of not feeling like you still matter to him, exhausted of feeling him escape through your fingers even when he is right there in front of you.

"Another class reunion. Yuna-san..."

Your blood rushes with anger and you don't let him finish, you can't. It's too unbearable, the feeling of fury.

"Yuna-san? Another reunion? Daichi, please. You're rarely home this days, please, can you just stay with me this time?" Is not easy or possible for you to mask how exasperated you are at this point. Your husband notices the trembling of your body, coming closer to you with a tired sigh.

"We talked about this. Don't do this tonight, Y/n" with how hard he mutters it, it comes out like a warning, one that you're willing to ignore in favor of your feelings. This time is different, any patience or consideration have been thrown to the drain by you, and you are finally ready to explore.

"No! We haven't talk about this, we never talk, and that's the problem! Is always just you asking me to drop it, to leave you alone, to swallow everything inside me, and honestly, I'm not doing that anymore" He stares at you with brows knitted together tightly, a clear sign of him not approving what he takes as a tantrum for his attention.

"We'll talk when you have calmed down. Until then, I'm going out" Daichi turns to walk out, about to leave the scene like nothing, like your marriage was nothing.

Tears you didn't know were there start falling out of your eyes, dramatic style out of a lame romantic movie.

-

For him, it started with jokes and teasing from the team, making fun of him for a few laughs. It wasn't anything too malicious, a few comments here and there over his marriage life, how he was an old man now and how they were getting ready to not see him anymore at reunions or parties. Daichi could handle that, even laughing along with them, until Yamamori Yuna arrived back into his life.

There was a school reunion that he decided to attend after months of being stressed by work, just going out for some drinks and catch up with their past classmates, a night to refresh those records left in their memories from their youth. Everyone was chatting animatedly, the same jokes Daichi was used to were repetead, which he responded with an equally happy laugh. But the girl next to him frowned, her hand discreetly sneaking in a smooth motion all over his arm to get to his shoulder.

"Doesn't it bother you, Sawamura-san? They're making fun of you. " The seemingly troubled expression on her face was enough to cut his laughter.

"It's alright, I'm having fun out of it too"

"Well, it's not fun for me as your friend. Ever since the wedding you have been so engrossed on your partner, that it looks like have forgotten to be your own person, and now you're the joke of your friends". Yamamori's frown deepened even more, her pretty face painted with fake consern. She was so immersed in the little act, in her own selfish intentions, that every word sounded like authentic worry.

That conversation stays engraved on his mind more than it should've.

It's not like he doesn't love you, because he does. The band on his finger is the proof of his adoration towards you, but the fear of losing himself is powerful and big enough to overthink. Daichi starts going out more, because after thinking about it, he was closing off his friends, going out less, not answering texts, missing calls and updates from his friends.

Yuna seems to have all the answers for the questions plaguing his mind, so naturally, he hangs out more with her and his friends. Getting loose and enjoying himself with other people that's not you, because he thinks it what he needs.

He's told you before that she's hanging out with the boys and him lately, he's talked about her when you ask where he was or what was he doing. It's not like he's hiding the fact that he's been in contact with her, yet you still feel like trash when the ghost of doubt makes it's way on your heart.

-

When he returns, he doesn't expect you to be awake, thinking that you'd be on your shared bed, passed out after calming yourself. But you're as awake as you could be, with bloodshot eyes and dry tears over your sad features, and his heart pants with pain at the view. Is heartbreaking, seeing you as equally heartbroken, and us even more heartbreaking knowing he was the cause of your suffering. So he holds you, close to his heart to comfort a little what he has hurt.

"You don't love anymore. You're gonna leave me for her, Yuna" your words are tainted by anguish. An uncomfortable affirmation from your part, one that's not even close to the truth. His breathing stops and for a moment, he swears his heart does too.

"Don't say that, don't you dare say that again. I love you so much, you don't even understand." He opens up his heart with you.

Fifteen minutes is how much it takes him to explain to you all what has gotten to his mind ever since the first reunion. How he was afraid of not being him anymore, of being forgotten by his friends, of hovering over you too much.

"I'm awful, I'm the worst. My selfishness is the worst. I know, now I know. But please, you're the only one for me, I'd never cheat or leave you. The only one on my mind is you. At this point, you've ruined everything for me; love, sex, even religion. No-one can come close to whatever you do, to whatever you make me feel, I can't be tempted by anything that isn't you".

You belive him, you do. The way words spill so easily, flowing like water, can't be faked, neither can be the sparkle in his eye which you hadn't seen in weeks.

-

Daichi's path to redemption begins with being home early after work. Coming to your arms as soon and fast as he can, welcoming your warmth deep in his soul. Once again in your embrace, is hard for him to think just how much has he been missing out.

Is the kisses and hand holding, is your voice and your love what makes Daichi feel safe.

"Daichi, you have to shave" you tell him between giggles, his facial hair caressing the skin on your neck making you itchy.

"Later" he murmurs while he inhales your scent. It calms him down, it relaxes him.

Right now, he has to hold you close, love you as much as he can to make up for the bitter days he had made you suffer. Right now, you feel as safe and as happy as possible, between his arms that are your real home, beside him where you belong.

Marriage is more than just a pretty house and golden rings. Marriage is failing and hurting, with the promise of fixing whatever it needs to mend together.

[aestheticallyholland]

NEVER NOT | THIS IS REAL . . .

❃ PAIRING tom holland x fem!reader

❃ DISCLAIMER i do not own the artists (and the reader) that are going to portray the characters, but i do own some of the their names. the plot of the story is inspired to the book and movie 'to all the boys i've loved before' but with changes. the gifs and photos used in this series are edited by me but i get credits to the originals. also, this series is first posted in wattpad by me. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST IT SOMEWHERE ELSE !

❃ WORD COUNT 1.3k words

WANNA BE ON THE TAGLIST? feel free to comment on this post if you wanna be added to this series' taglist to get notified for updates !

NEVER NOT MASTERPOST | LEI'S LIBRARY

"She wasn't exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All she knew for sure was that right here and now, she was falling hard and she could only pray that he was feeling the same way." - Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"HOW DID YOU FIND ME?" Y/N asked Tom as they walked outside the clubhouse.

She heard Tom chuckle before replying and scratched the back of his neck. "I actually went to your room to check if you were there. But it was just Erika and she told me that you were looking for me."

All Y/N could do was nod in agreement. "I'm glad you did." She muttered quietly.

They both stopped walking when they saw an open ice skating rink. There was no one there except for a woman who us managing the ice rink. She was probably waiting for the closing time.

Tom suddenly stopped walking and looked back at Y/N.

"I—" He started but hesitated for a moment. "I wanted to go ice skating with you." He said while looking at her.

That's when Y/N felt guilty on her chest.

"Then Erika told me you just wanted to stay in your room. Probably reading some books you've bought." He said and chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, I actually did." She said and smiled a little until she felt guilty again.

"I'm sorry, Tom." She apologized. "I shouldn't have to eavesdrop on your conversation with Camille. I mean, I didn't know you would be there in the first place but—" She stopped for a while, trying to get her thought settled. "I should've walked away before I could hear what you were talking."

Tom felt guilty too. He took a step closer to her before apologizing back. "I'm sorry too." He wrapped his arms around her. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. Just because you talked to Aiden. He snuggled his face on her neck.

"Just— don't ignore me like that anymore." He whispered and Y/N felt his breath on her neck that sent shivers down her spine. "Please."

She placed a hand on his curly and fluffy hair and started playing with it. "I won't, Tom," Y/N whispered back.

"There's still time to go ice skating before it closes." She suggested. Tom pulled away and look at her for a second.

"Have you experienced skating in your life?" He asked.

"Nope. This is my first time." She said that made Tom chuckle.

They walked together hand-in-hand towards the lady who was in charge of the rink. She charged them for free since it was already almost closing for the day which made Y/N really happy.

They went to the locker room near the rink where they put on their ice skates.

"Here, let me help you," Tom said once he was done putting on his skates and saw Y/N struggling to put on hers.

"Thank you," Y/N said as she blushed when Tom got on one knee and helped her put on the skates.

When they were done, Y/N cling to Tom since she couldn't balance walking with the skates on.

Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall. That was Y/N muttering to herself which Tom could hear just and laugh at her.

As they got to the ice rink, Tom could already balance himself while Y/N was hesitant. When she placed her foot on the ice, she immediately almost fell but luckily, Tom was holding her.

"Yep, I'm definitely gonna have to teach you," Tom said.

"You have to, Thomas!"

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"This. Is. So. Much. Fun!" Y/N exclaimed once she already balanced herself and started gliding carefully. Tom just stood there proudly as she finally knew how to balance and move around the ice.

Although Y/N could feel that she gained many bruises on her legs from falling how many times, she continued to slide around.

"Tom! Come on join me." She said when she stopped and looked at him. He chuckled and slid towards her. Before he could approach her, Y/N almost lose her balance and she was ready to fall but Tom wouldn't let that happen. He quickly glides to her and caught her before she could fall.

"That was close." She said.

"Are you okay?" Tom asked, concerned.

She nodded and chuckled. "I think I need to sit down. Can we sit in the ice?"

"If you could resist the coldness, then yes." He said and both of them sat down carefully. It was hard to sit down at first because of their skates.

As Y/N sat down, she looked up and saw the stars glowing brighter than ever.

While Y/N was doing that, Tom couldn't help but look at her. He didn't know how beautiful she looked. And that changed just now.

Y/N could sense someone staring at her and looked at Tom and caught him staring at her.

"What are you looking at?" Y/N asked and felt her cheeks burn up.

"Just you." He said.

They both just stared at each other in the eyes until Tom grabbed her by the waist and slowly pulled her closer to him. She just went along with it. Their faces were inches apart from each other.

Y/N decided to close it by bringing Tom's face closer by the nape of his neck and pressed her lips to his. He answered the kiss and placed his hand on the right side of her cheek. He could feel her cheek heating up even though they were in the middle of the ice.

Before things could get heated, Y/N pulled away but their foreheads are pressed to each other. She looked at Tom once again before speaking. "It's really cold in here, we should evacuate." She said and giggled which caused Tom to laugh at her.

"My ass is already freezing too." Tom joked and they laughed.

Tom stood up first and helped Y/N stand up which almost made them fell because of the skates.

"These skates are annoying at some point," Y/N said. "Let's go." She added. Tom smiled at her and held her hand and they went to take off their skates before going back to the clubhouse.

Y/N wrapped her arms around an arm Tom while they were walking. They talked and laughed until they reached their rooms. It was just close to each other.

"Well," Y/N said and pulled away from her arms from his. "This is my room."

"I know that," Tom said and laughed. Y/N rolled her eyes playfully. "Just pretend you didn't." She said and went to the door.

Before she could go in, Tom caught her arm and pulled her to his chest. She looked at him and he pressed his lips to hers. She smiled in the kiss and kissed him back. They both pulled back after how many seconds.

"This is real now, right?" Y/N asked him. He smiled at her before he could answer back.

"Of course. We don't have to pretend anymore." He said that made Y/N smiled at him.

"We should sleep now." She said before pulling away from his arms.

"Good night, love." He said with a smile.

She felt herself blush first. "Night, Tom." She smiled back and opened the door to the room and went inside. She saw Erika was already asleep soundly and peacefully so she tried not to squealed about what just happened with Tom.

She has never experienced this strong feeling towards anyone. Not even with Aiden.

She slowly made her way to her bed beside Erika's. Once she was settled down, she felt her phone vibrate and she quickly checks who it was. It was him:

She was smiling the whole time during the short text. After, she placed her phone down on the nightstand table. She continued to smile while looking up at the ceiling.

Little did she know that Tom was doing the same thing. Smiling like an idiot who just won a lottery.

She knew this she will never ever forget this day.

And neither will Tom.

❃ TAGLIST @allthisfortommy @kait4073 @lovebittenbyevans @l0ve-0f-my-life @spiitfiires @robertpattinson-th @jackiehollanderr

[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes

Sequel to A Forgotted Memory

Somewhere out there

Beneath the pale moonlight

Someone's thinking of me

And loving me tonight…

Chapter 14 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

Previous Chapter : Alex and Augustus

Meet Me Halfway

John "Soap" MacTavish

Task Force 141

Location Unknown

18 hours ago

He thought he was dead. He thought they were going to kill him. He wished they would, just to end the suffering. But he also wished they wouldn't. He had greater plans, he still wanted to enjoy his life. And it looked like Nero granted half his wish, while depriving him of the other half. He's going to live the rest of his years in hell.

He couldn't stop thinking about that song, he lay flat on the ground, feeling weak, powerless and defeated.

If I lay here… Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

He couldn't feel a thing but he knew he was being transported somewhere. Red flashes filled his eyes as he slowly slipped away from the conscious world.

~

2 Seconds.

A single drop of water plopped on the cold floor where he laid every 2 seconds. It was getting annoying, but he thanked it for actually waking him up.

Soap struggled to get up and forced himself to do so, grunting in pain as the muscles and bones of his body reacted to his sudden movements. Enduring all the pain, he gasped and got up, moving to the direction of the only ray of light from a crack in the ceiling.

He limped but he had hope, exhaling with excitement as the light got closer every step he took. Then clang! He hit his head on an iron bar. He's in a prison cell, deep underground.

"Shite." he cursed, dropping his knees on the ground, his energy already ran out and he felt thirsty.

"That's freshwater dripping down there." An unknown voice emerged from the darkness, Soap wanted to believe he's hallucinating, but an old figure emerged from the shadows. His hair mostly greyed out and it was long enough that Soap believed he'd been here for far too long.

"The name's Jack. And I suggest you rehydrate. I've been here long enough that you could trust that it's safe." he suggested. His tone was strict but helpful and Soap knew he's trustworthy. They're both prisoners and as the saying goes: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend"

"So… uh Jake. What brings you to this dark and gloomy place?" Soap asked, his voice was barely audible but he was heading straight to the dripping freshwater.

"Turns out our friend Nero doesn't want me dead yet. He couldn't pry any information from me. I'm CIA, literally trained half my life to keep information away. He should've just killed me when he got the chance." He replied.

"So, that means he's going to get something out of you too…" he added, Soap looked worried, he didn't undergo some torture training and hes afraid of what Nero wants from him.

"Look kid, I know you're worried. That's why we won't let that happen. Okay? I have a plan." Jake patted Soap's shoulder, it still hurts from all the stomping and the tossing around but he knew he didn't mean it.

"So… CIA. Guess you crossed paths with Alex." Soap asked, his low accent echoed across the dark cage.

"Yeah. Alex. He was like my son, trained him and assisted him all throughout his CIA Career."

"He kinda disobeyed orders by joining the good side which looked bad in the eyes of the higher ups." Soap reported.

"Hm… It's very unusual of him to not follow orders, unless he believes it's for a better cause." Jack supplied to which Soap nodded, agreeing Jack's assumption.

"It was a good cause. Sacrificed himself for the greater good. Miraculously made it out, but lost his leg in the process." Soap continued, updating the old man about his protege, he's actually glad he did as he could feel the man's mood rising from grumpy prisoner to someone a little less grumpy.

"He had good morals, that kid. He could go far with that attitude… I just hoped that falling in love would not be his downfall… just like what happened to me…" he muttered. Soap didn't make out the last sentence so he assumed it was his own thoughts leaking out of his head. He didn't bother asking again.

The iron doors opened and a new patch of light opened. Jack looked at Soap with determination and nodded.

"Looks like it's showtime, sharkbait." Soap nodded noting the Finding Nemo reference at these trying times.

Jack was right. They had a practice of how to handle prisoners for interrogation. A few stomps, handcuffs, sack on the head and push you if you don't cooperate. Soap had to go through the whole thing, and as far as he knows, Jack must have gotten the key.

He limped his way to the interrogation room, buying enough time for Jack to blindly find the keyhole from the cell. He tried fighting back but the taser sticks were already giving him a bad time.

Just as Jack described, the interrogation room consisted of a dentist chair and a television, his captors were beside him preparing orders from Nero on the screen.

Soap squirmed his way out of the chair, trying to be convincing that he had no idea what's going on.

"Stop squirming! Tell us where the girl is… or I'll take a wild guess and destroy your base instead." Nero yelled. His voice was low, like it ran through a voice changer.

"Sod off…" Soap spat and squirmed again, receiving a shock from the taser. He groaned as tendrils of electricity ran through his body shaking him almost unconscious.

"Lower the voltage or he won't respond! Dumbasses! We need something from him!" Nero yelled at his henchmen.

"So… MacTavish…22nd Parachute Regiment, S.A.S., Now Task Force 141… Skilled in combat, Sniper and Demolitions… You know a proper brainwash would help me get the code from you right?" he mused.

"FOUR!" Soap roared from the top of his lungs, panting after he yelled.

"Four? What the fuck are you talking about?" Nero asked, looking confused. Addition to that, the ground shook and made everyone else in the room wonder.

"What's going on?" Nero asked.

"What? we're under attack? By who? How?" Soap's ears could hear the distress from their leader and from the looks of it, 141 already found him making it easier for him and Jack to get out of this hell hole.

"Augustus is gone? They're going to pay! Okay boys kill this man now. We have to send them a message!" Nero yelled angrily and the tv turned to static.

Meet me Halfway

Francine "France" Winters

Task Force 141

Task Force 141 Base - Briefing Room

"We're being pressured to capture Nero. With our base compromised, the Board would now decide for our force's future. Simon Riley is now researching Augustus' burner phone, if we're lucky enough, it could lead us to our next clue." Shepherd calmly informed the force about the status. He looked in distress but he had to keep pushing forward, to end this warfare.

"Some of Nero's forces are already in New York. It turns out he could command the brainwashed civilians to deploy EMP blasts but recon noticed that he could only command a few at a time. This means without the IP address, he is still powerless and trying hard." Shepherd added.

"I want you all to always be ready for an all out attack on Nero. Let's prove to the board that we're the best one for the job." He muttered and dismissed everyone. France decided to stay in the briefing room and let the quiet consume her thoughts.

"You okay?" A reassuring hand held her shoulder. She knew it was Gary and tears started to fall from her eyes.

"I… I can't stop worrying about him, Roach." She croaked and gave Roach a very pained stare. She actually missed John's presence even after being together for a short while, she felt that they shared a lot of common things together, the strive to become better, the response to danger even off duty and the determination to achieve a goal. Those were her traits that he also had, these same traits that made him like her despite his cocky first impression.

"Let's help out Ghost track that son of a bitch Nero down. And maybe it'll lead us to him." Roach assured them as they both stood up and went to Research.

"How… how can you still be so sure that he's okay?" she sobbed.

"The dogtags." Ghost interjected while typing furiously on the computer.

"If Soap was dead, he should've shown us his tag. That would cripple some of our Force's focus and would lead to his success in invading and capturing Samantha." Ghost continued, he made sense and France almost smiled with the two's support. Instead, she just breathed out and helped Ghost.

"So, have you traced each source?" France asked Ghost as she also started furiously typing codes and strings of data input.

"Yes, they're really sneaky with the encryption, but I keep on getting pings at one location before it spreads in different places." he explained.

"The nearest signal tower. Every packet almost goes through there. You see that?" France pointed at the screen.

"Yeah I do. Let's start tracing that source." Ghost muttered and the map already pinged the tower's location.

"Bingo." they both whispered and cheered, hugging each other as a sign of success. France felt Ghost's tight hug and felt something off about the guy, then he actually removes half of his mask and pouts his cheek close to hers.

"I…. uh… I'm sorry" Ghost shyly said as France pushed him away and felt awkward at the situation. Gary just stood there in shock as Price entered the room.

"What's the news?" he asked, looking at the three.

"We found him, Sir." Ghost cleared his throat and put back his mask.

"Well, bloody hell. Let's go then!" he said as they all ran towards the exit and prepared themselves. France didn't have the time to think about the events earlier as she was still worried about Soap's safety. She hopes that whatever lies in that place would give her an answer.

~

"FIRE!" Captain Price yelled as snipers quickly shot the guards surrounding the icy fortress. The gulag housed people that the world didn't want but couldn't kill, and she hoped that John MacTavish was on that list.

Danger close explosions crippled both attacking and defending forces as Price roared at Shepherd to be careful. France gulped as she saw a very open field that they're dropping in on and knew for a fact that she's very open and weak at these positions.

Her mind raced, looking at every angle. Tangos were everywhere carrying different kinds of weapons. With minimal angles to hide on, the force, led by Roach aggressively advanced to the Gulag, dodging heavy fire, grenades and RPG Rockets. As soon as they found the tunnel leading deep into the Gulag, France already felt comfortable. This was her playing zone and no one's going to stop her from getting into Nero.

The way in was almost clear, no enemies were against them but instead they ran further into the Gulag. Something was off.

Gunfire was heard deep into the Gulag and as soon as the team reached the control room, Ghost already did his magic. Opening gates, looking at the cameras and defending their six. The masked man helped them further advance into the Gulag.

"Nero's not here…" Ghost said.

"How so?" Price angrily muttered.

"He never set foot in this place. He only uses a television to communicate."

"Bloody hell. Now what?"

" I see two heat signatures behind that wall."

Roach quickly planted a c4 breach and as soon as it exploded Francine pounced at the closest person, raising her fist and looking at its eyes to see the punch go through.

Blue eyes. Those shades of blue. France stopped his fist as tears started to well from her eyes, dropping some on his bare chest.

"John…" she whimpered and smiled.

"Fra.." she didn't let him finish, she kissed him. She didn't care what everyone else thought. The gunfire and explosions suddenly felt nothing to her. She didn't care how John's lips tasted, all she cared about was that he's alive and she's on his arms.

Extraction quickly followed as Shepherd's forces already did a lot of damage on the old fortress. They barely got out just in time for the building's inevitable collapse but they're safe.

Next Chapter : Secret Alliances

Notification Squad my beloved

@samatedeansbroccoli @enderio @smokeywhalee @beemybee @whimsywispsblog @ricinbach

[fillingthescrapbook]

Rewriting The CW's Kung Fu, Part 6: Act II

We're nearly to the end, but if you're somehow seeing this before any of the previous posts, you can find them here:

Part 1: The Characters

Part 2: The Pilot

Part 3: The Mythology

Part 4: The Story Map

Part 5: Act I

If you've read all that, I am hoping that you've gotten to know Nicky enough that you're willing to ride along for the next part of her journey. Because we're going to the territory that the show actually covered (with a few rewrites, of course): the hunt for the mystical weapons.

Episode 6: Bond

We start this episode with Nicky reeling over two revelations: one, that Althea is a survivor of sexual harassment, and two, that Zhi-Lan is her dead mentor's sister. But she's going to focus first on what's more important: her own family. Nicky tells Althea that she will be there to support her whatever Althea decides to do. Althea admits that she doesn't know yet--

When Dennis tells Althea that his family's been invited to a gala at the museum for a loaned Chinese exhibit, Althea also finds out that her former boss at Cloudrush Capital will be in attendance--as a donor. Althea asks Nicky and Ryan to come with her for support--but Ryan has hospital duties. So Nicky asks Henry to accompany them instead.

At the house, Ryan can feel that there's tension between him and Mei-Li. He thinks it's because he's gay--until he realizes that his parents don't actually know that he had come out when he stood with Joe (in the last episode). Ryan explains to Jin and Mei-Li that the reason he only had one girlfriend, who quickly dumped him, is because he is gay. Jin and Mei-Li are speechless. Mei-Li walks out, uncertain of how to act. Jin, trying and failing to be supportive, just taps Ryan on the shoulder.

At the museum, Henry recognizes one of the weapons on display. It's one of the eight mystical weapons. But when he is about to point it out to Nicky, the latter had already left him. Because Nicky spotted Zhi-Lan at the gala. She is about to follow Zhi-Lan when she sees Althea having a panic attack upon seeing her former boss. Nicky weighs her options, but chooses to stay with Althea instead.

With Althea calmed down, Nicky tells Henry that Zhi-Lan is at the gala. Henry figures out that Zhi-Lan is there for the weapon, explaining to Nicky that one of the eight fabled weapons that he mentioned to her before is part of the loaned exhibit. He takes her to the still-closed exhibit--and they catch two crooks trying to steal the weapon. They get into a fight with the crooks. They win. But when they turn to the display case, the weapon is gone.

Nicky sees Zhi-Lan making her way out of the museum. In a hurry. Nicky chases after her. The get into a fight and Nicky is holding her own against Zhi-Lan, thanks to her different training with Henry. But something is holding her back: her need to understand how Zhi-Lan could kill Pei-Ling. Which she asks Zhi-Lan point blank during a stand-off. Zhi-Lan is taken aback for a second before quickly recovering, saying she lost her sister when she was a kid. That the woman she killed at the monastery was of no relation to her. Zhi-Lan manages to knock Nicky down before getting away. Henry and Althea find Nicky and get her home.

Althea and Henry bring Nicky to the community center where Ryan is cleaning her wounds. Nicky explains that the woman she fought with was the woman who killed her mentor at the monastery. Henry explains that the woman, Zhi-Lan, is probably collecting the eight mystical weapons from folklore. According to legend, bringing the eight together and taking them back to where they were forged would grant the collector untold power. Nicky whispers, "Bian-Ge." Althea frowns. "Change?" Ryan is concerned. "Transformation." But Nicky doubts that that Zhi-Lan can find all eight weapons soon. It took her three years before she found the longsword, and she probably only lucked out with her second weapon because it was included in the exhibit advertisement. Nicky is more worried about Althea.

Nicky remembers a memory of her time at the monastery, when Pei-Ling told her about important decisions having a lot of weight. How she lost people she loved because she chose to honor what she believed is right. In the memory, Pei-Ling tells Nicky that time has a way of giving them clarity on what they should've done. But during a moment of crisis, all they can do is trust that their heart is in the right place.

In the present time, Althea tells Nicky that she doesn't think she has the courage to speak up. Not yet. Nicky understands. They all have their own pace when it comes to dealing with problems. She ran away for three years. Althea notes that Nicky is back now, that she's facing her problems now. Nicky hugs her sister, saying: "and you will face your problems too. When you're ready."

Nicky and Henry are targeted by the goons they fought at the museum. They think the two have the weapon that was stolen from the museum. Nicky and Henry get into another fight with the goons. This time, when they defeat the goons, Nicky calls Evan for police help.

Althea talks to her former colleague who wants to speak up against their ex-boss. Althea apologizes and says she cannot come out. Not right now. But she is willing to talk to whoever she needs to talk to. Under anonymity. To save those they can still save. The woman thanks Althea.

At the house, Ryan tells Nicky that he's moving out of the house. Nicky apologizes for not being there when he came out to their parents. Ryan tells Nicky that he didn't need her there after all. But he will need her moving forward. To watch over their parents with him out of the house, to keep him updated, and to still be there for him when he calls. Nicky promises. They hug. Ryan leaves.

Jin sees Mei-Li pulling out an old shoe box. Something he hasn't seen in years. It contains an old photo of Mei-Li...with her sister Mei-Xue. She tells Jin that she swore she wouldn't be like her mother. But why does it feel like she's doing what her mother had done too? Pushing her own children away?

Evan visits Nicky at Happy Dumplings to talk about the goons she and Henry stopped at the museum. Nicky tells Evan that she knows who the goons are working for "Zhang Zhi-Lan." Nicky reminds Evan that he was the one with the info on her connection with the Triad. Evan shakes his head, telling Nicky that they were bailed out by a business owned by a Raymond Tan. This makes Nicky think. Is there another party interested in the weapons?

We will have a mini-reveal here of Henry's apartment. It has a map of the world with markings. Photos of the eight weapons that have strings tying them to locations where they have been sighted. It seems that Henry is keeping a secret from Nicky.

Episode 7: Rage

In this episode, Nicky and Henry work together when one of Henry's students at the community center ask for their help. A friend of his has gotten involved with a dojo that cons their trainees into taking part in an underground fight club. The student shows them footage of the fight, which is a bloody affair, and Henry spots a pair of deer-horn knives in the decor that he tells Nicky later are among the mystical weapons.

Henry's first course of action is to go straight for the source--only to get injured by the guy in charge of the dojo. This leaves Nicky as their only viable way to get into the fight club.

Throughout the course of the story, Nicky remembers moments from the monastery where Pei-Ling teaches her how to use an opponent's emotions against them. Even sharing a story where a loved one got the better of her because she felt overwhelming concern while they were sparring. This is what Nicky will use to win the fight.

To get into the fight club, Nicky borrows money from Althea--which Dennis finds out about. When Nicky explains what's going on, Dennis is all in with helping out, saying he believes in helping the helpless--even when they look like they can take him down. Which gives Althea the idea that Dennis might be okay knowing her secret too. Ryan's in charge of putting first aid on Nicky afterwards, to keep her crime-fighting life a secret from their parents.

Meanwhile, Evan tries to investigate Raymond Tan, wanting to know why a business of his is employing thugs and goons. He gets caught by Raymond's son, Kerwin, who becomes curious about his father's non-business affairs.

Jin tries to reach out to Ryan, apologizing for his and Mei-Li's non-reactions to his coming out. While Ryan is appreciative, he doesn't want to move back in. He's better now, living with Joe.

At Althea's apartment, Ryan and Dennis have set up a laptop to find out what's going on at the fight club. They root for Nicky to go through a tournament so she could face off with the underground operation's main boss.

While Nicky is fighting, Henry goes about a second operation--to take the deer-horn knives from the dojo. In the ring, Nicky imagines Pei-Ling beside her. Cheering her on while she faces different people with different strengths. Telling her that the strengths and weaknesses are both important--because one person's weakness can also be used as their own strength, like how Nicky's small build can allow her to hit lower or drive more power in her hits.

At Althea's apartment, Mei-Li visits wanting her daughter to help with getting Ryan to move back in. Only to catch the livestream of Nicky's fight. Seeing Nicky in action. This makes Mei-Li back away and run. Althea and Ryan become worried.

When Althea and Dennis are left alone, Althea decides to tell Dennis about her experience at Cloudrush. At first Dennis is angry, he wants to strangle Althea's ex-boss himself. But after calming down, Dennis tells Althea that her secret doesn't change the way he feels about her.

The episode ends with Nicky winning the tournament. Henry getting the knives--and evidence that would help shut down the dojo front of the fight ring, preventing them from recruiting more fighters. But when Nicky gets home, Mei-Li is waiting for her. "I saw what you did. At that martial arts tournament." Nicky is perturbed. "That's not the life I wanted for you. But I feel like I pushed you into doing that. Like I pushed your brother into leaving our house. I don't want to push my children away, Nicky. So I'm no longer going to meddle in your lives. Go back to who you wanted to be before I sent you on that arranged-marriage trip three years ago. Get back together with Evan. Go back to law school. Just, please: stop fighting." This leaves Nicky speechless.

Episode 8: Silence

Happy Dumplings is in trouble. A lawsuit has been filed against the restaurant for discriminating against disabled people. Nicky is immediately able to prove that it's a fraudulent lawsuit designed to shakedown store owners who can't speak in English fluently--but unlike Happy Dumplings, other Chinese businesses in the neighborhood don't have former law school students under their roofs.

Mei-Li encourages Nicky to work with Evan to find out out what's going on with the fraudulent lawsuits, hoping that it will keep Nicky out of the warrior way. Jin confronts his wife with regards to her pushing Nicky towards Evan, when Henry is already helping their daughter move on. Mei-Li tells Jin the truth: she saw Nicky fighting people to save someone. She's scared for their daughter. Jin is confused. What's wrong with having a daughter who knows and is willing to defend others? Mei-Li decides to tell Jin the truth. (Off-screen, because there's a revelation--and it helps story-wise if we find out about it with the main character.)

While Nicky and Evan are busy canvassing the businesses in Chinatown that have received a lawsuit, they get assistance from Ryan and Joe--the latter of whom is working with the San Francisco Disability and Aging Services. None of the lawsuits can stand in court, but some of the business owners have already paid up, wanting to keep their head down and not rock the boat. Nicky and Evan trace the lawsuits back to Triad connections. Evan tells Nicky they need to get the police involved. Nicky, angry at Asians knocking down other Asians, thinks it's time to take measures into their own hands.

With Nicky busy with the fraudulent lawsuits, Henry heads back to Professor Chau's office to find out why he hasn't heard back. He learns that the professor still hasn't returned--so he breaks into the office to take a manuscript that was on loan to the professor. While inside the office, he finds a puzzle box that has a connection to the mystical weapons. He takes it too.

Meanwhile, Althea is roped into a family dinner night with Dennis's family. The dinner gets awkward when Dennis's father brings up the news about Althea's co-worker speaking up about sexual harassment in Cloudrush. Dennis is about to stand up for Althea's co-worker when his mother says the woman is probably just trying to shakedown the boss into giving her money or a higher position. Althea defends her co-worker. Dennis and his sister Chloe sides with Althea. But Mr and Mrs Soong tell them that they're just idealistic. They've had experience with people who use social justice just to get a leg up in the business. That not every victim is a real victim. This forces Althea to speak her truth. That she was a victim too. She just didn't want to say anything because she feared people won't believe her. And she feared right. She walks out. Dennis follows her against his parents' wishes.

Nicky almost gets in trouble with the Triad, but Evan is there to back her up. He tells her that he will lose his job if they find out what he's doing, and Nicky says that they're helping people--what's wrong with that? They discover that the Triad is now being run by the former boss's son, with the previous head still being in prison. Nicky wants to know why they're shaking down the Asian business owners. The new boss reasons that those business owners benefited from his father's protection for many years--and they turn their back on him when he needed them the most. Nicky tells him that his dad is a jerk who took advantage of people. "And you're worse because you're using important fights to your own gains--which makes it harder for people who are legitimately fighting for their rights to be heard." Nicky lays the smack down on the new boss of the Triad and his men. Evan points to Nicky everything the police will need to shut down the new Triad operations because he has to leave before the cavalry arrives.

Nicky, Althea, and Ryan get together to compare their days. Althea tells her siblings that Dennis's family now knows about her secret. And Dennis is standing by her. But she doesn't know if she has the courage to actually go public with the truth. Ryan breaks the news that he's going to be living on his own for the first time ever, as Joe has accepted a gig that would take him out of San Francisco for a month, because of the work they had done against the fraudulent lawsuits. And Nicky tells them how easy it was for her and Evan to return to their groove. Which makes her a little torn now, because she thinks she has feelings for Henry...but she still has feelings for Evan too.

At the district attorney's office, Evan gets a visit from Sabine. She shows him CCTV footage of Henry breaking into Professor Chau's office. She tells Evan that she's worried that Nicky might have fallen in with the wrong crowd.

And at the end of the episode, Henry brings the puzzle box he stole to Nicky. Nicky recognizes it as having the same puzzle as Pei-Ling's safe at the monastery. She opens the box. There's a jade key inside. And this is when Mei-Li and Jin arrive. Jin tells Nicky that Mei-Li has something important to tell her. Mei-Li sees the jade key in Henry's hand and tells him that he might as well hear what she has to say too. Their family comes from a lineage believed to be descended from a great warrior called Liang Dai-Yu. Mei-Li turns to Nicky: this belief already cost her a sister. She doesn't want to lose a daughter too. She pleads with Nicky; "you can build the life you want, and I won't argue. But please don't follow in my sister's footsteps. Please don't follow the warrior's destiny."

Episode 9: Isolation

In the last episode of this arc, Nicky wants to find out what happened to the aunt she never knew about. Mei-Li gives her all of Mei-Xue's letters and postcards, and notes that the last postcard came twenty-one years ago. Looking at the postcard, Nicky sees an odd red panda mascot. She searches for it on the internet with Althea's help, and they find out that it's in Canada. In a small town near Vancouver. Nicky invites Henry to go with her to look for Mei-Xue. Mei-Li wants to stop Nicky, but Jin tells her that they have to let Nicky see this through. Maybe meeting Mei-Xue will give her the clarity she needs.

Evan meets with Ryan at the community center, looking for Nicky. Ryan tells him that Nicky and Henry went on a road trip to Canada. Evan is alarmed. Ryan asks if Evan's jealous of Henry. Evan says it's more than that. He believes that Nicky is in jeopardy with Henry. This worries Ryan, so he calls in favors to cover his hospital shifts--as well as his shifts at the community center. He and Evan leave to follow Nicky to Canada.

While on the road, Henry takes Nicky to an old friend--who turns out to be a very sketchy person. Nicky begins to see Henry in a new light, and not a good one. When the old friend sells them out to someone who has it in for Henry, he and Nicky have to fight to get out of there. Henry apologizes to Nicky, and he starts to open up about his past.

Meanwhile, Althea gets targeted by the lawyers of Cloudrush Capital. They want her to sign a non-disclosure agreement for everything that happened to her at the company. Althea refuses. They threaten her career. Althea refuses to sign. This makes her want to stand up against her former boss even more. But first she needs to talk to her parents.

In Vancouver, Evan and Ryan are searching for Nicky. Mei-Li tells them that Nicky was looking for a small town with a red racoon mascot. Evan and Ryan drive towards the only town they could find on Google with red panda mascot and sees that Nicky and Henry have just arrived. Evan is about to accost Henry when Nicky sees the red panda statue from her aunt's last postcard.

After a bit of asking around, Nicky finds Duke--the artist who sculpted the Red Panda--and finds out that he knows Mei-Xue. Duke invites Nicky and Ryan out back to talk about Mei-Xue, leaving Evan and Henry alone. Evan quickly accuses Henry of not being true to Nicky. He shows Henry photos from the cctv footage that caught Henry stealing from Professor Chau's office. Henry tells Evan he can explain. When Nicky returns. But when they realize that they can't hear Nicky, Ryan, or Duke anymore, the two quickly head to the back of the Duke's house--but there's no one there.

Nicky and Ryan are following Duke on a trail. When they reach a certain area, Duke turns against them. He says that Mei-Xue told him that there would be people after her. Duke promised Mei-Xue that he will keep her safe. Nicky and Ryan explain that they really are Mei-Xue's niece and nephew. Nicky even shows the postcard. But Duke doesn't want to believe them. Until Nicky calls Mei-Li, to asks her to talk to Duke. Which finally makes Duke believe. He tells Nicky that he's no longer welcome at Mei-Xue's house, but if they follows his map--they will find what they're looking for.

At home, Althea has already told her parents about what she had gone through Cloudrush Capital. Mei-Li wants to know what Althea wants them to do. She tells them that there's nothing they can do, that they have already done everything she could ever want or need: because they love her and believe her. She just wanted them to know what she had gone through before she goes public. Jin and Mei-Li hug their daughter.

Nicky and Ryan reach Mei-Xue's house, but it's abandoned. There are clear signs of someone recently fleeing the scene though. Nicky finds journals in the house. She takes photos of the pages. She is about to leave when Ryan finds a photo of Mei-Xue and Mei-Li with their own parents. Ryan recognizes their Wai-gong and Wai-po. Nicky hears something from the back and exits through the kitchen--to find that there's a grave in the yard. A grave with Mei-Xue's face. Nicky calls Mei-Li. "Mom, I've got bad news." Inside the house, Ryan finds a long box that has inscription. "Duke, send this to Mei-Li if something happens to me."

At the end of the episode, Nicky and Ryan reunite with Evan and Henry, apologizing for setting off on their own. Evan then tells them that Henry has something important to say. Henry sighs and comes clean to Nicky: His father was a guardian of one of the eight weapons. He's been helping Nicky because it is his duty to keep the weapons, at least the one that his family was supposed to keep safe, separate from the others.