#we’ve been talking about school for so long and he’s so excited that it’s finally here!

[harmonizewithechoes]

My five year old has his very first day of kindergarten tomorrow 🥺🥺🥺 I didn’t expect to be hit with such a huge wave of emotions but I’ve been a WRECK all day

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - The Heat is Rising

Sorry this late, blah blah real life actual job blah blah.

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

June 2024 Week 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Wandee Goodday (Sat YT) ep 8 of 12 - Why is it so good?! It’s unfair. Cause I know pain must be incoming. Also... Yak moved to the "rao" pronoun for his confession! SO ADORABLE!!!!! Can you see me kicking my feet and squealing with joy on this side of the screen? Well I am. 

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 - I think I'm finding this show a lot funnier than the show is trying to be. The pose in the doorway. The sparkle pants. The creaking of the leather. It’s all hilarious. The foot massage. So silly. Simultaniously, full of thirst. Yay! I like thirst. Not entirely sure why he’s dicking him around and not dicking him out but hey the tension is fun. Also the shot staging is very good. Very yaoi. Lin going to have so much power in this relationship once he starts trying on seduction for size. All just to say, it’s good and I’m enjoying it.

My Stand-In (Fri iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - you know I'm enjoying it a lot, so a surprise to see a Star Hunter beat it out? It's just MosBank are SERVING classic BL and I am a sucker for that kinda smut. Back to Stand-In...

It’s sad and a little complicated and interesting. And I’m still enjoying it very much. But this episode was mostly a rehash of information we already had been given, it was slow. Although since the acting is so good in this particular show, I didn’t mind it as much as I might have in a pulp piece, for example. 

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 3 of 12 - I’m very much enjoying this. Not quite as much as I initially enjoyed the JBL version. But I’m liking a lot. There’s something particularly high school teen YA angst about this IP. Even more so than something like Make it Right or Love Sick. It’s just the cringe reactions and the constant embarrassments and the roller coaster of emotions that each character goes through in every scene. I forgot how exhausting it is to be a teen.

We Are Cute (Weds iQIYI) ep 12 of 16 - We Are Cute continues to be very cute indeed. Honestly Phum doesn’t need to flirt with Peem, Peem is already in love. The learning about each other is fun, but the fact that Phum still constantly communicates via kissing is great. I love that we have a couple whose love language is smooches. TanFang endgame is my favorite, I fucking LOVE them. But... NO SINGING. Worst fake band ever? Place docked in BL standing this week for that alone.

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - It's fine I guess? Trash watch here.

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 12 - It’s ridiculous and they're very cute and I kind of don’t know what’s going on. But the young one getting his first dildo and skipping with excitement was utterly adorable. And it is the first rep we’ve got for such a thing in this genre. So good on you little pulp!

Only Boo! (Sun YT) ep 11 of 12 - Everything felt a little rushed and oddly paced in this episode. Not entirely sure why K came back to him. Anyway, I hope it’s all explained in the finale.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 10fin - I’ve made no secret about the fact that I haven’t been wild about this show.

Here’s a few things I enjoyed about the final episode: Uke initiated the sex scene!! Lots of tenderness. Long takes plus the absence of (and then very gentle introduction of) music. Unexpectedly high heat. Condom rep! The gayest bedroom layout ever. What I didn’t like: The absolute pinnacle of frustration for P'ABL on the other side of the screen wanting to grab the leads and shake them until their teeth rattled and scream "FOR THE LOVE, just TALK to each other!"  Oh but they are so cute and SO POLITE when the finally do reconcile! 

In conclusion:

A BL about the making of a BL where the famous one has a crush on the obscure one. It’s already been done.  Recently. By Japan. I would be tempted to say "better" but I didn’t like the first version either. At least this was less stalkery? Look, this show was fine. Just, in a word: cool, unengaging, and frustrating. OK that was 3 words. But they’re apt. A lackluster offering with a great ending. How to rate that? I despaired but ended up on 7/10 - do better Japan, I know you can.

Blue Boys (Korea YouTube) - it got its part 2, thank the BL gods, rounding this one into an 8 ep series. Still short (those eps barely scrape 10 min at most) but a solid little offering.

Charming reunion romance full of class + coming out struggles and great chemistry all of which was let down by a curtailed length. Had it just been given some legs, it could have grown wings and taken flight, but in the end it is simply too short. Still enjoyable and certainly worth your time. Cause ya don't need much of it. 8/10 RECOMMENDED

It's airing but...

The Last Time (Thai Fri YT?) - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something. Can't find it.

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ???) 10 eps - I've put the search on hold for a bit and y'all can let me know if it's worth tracking down.

In case you missed it

I mean you were under a rock on Tues Jan 18th Thailand's senate passed the Marriage Equality Bill. As of typing this, the King still has to sign it into law, but he's unlikely to veto. So it's a matter of time before everything is official. Thailand follows Nepal (2024) and Taiwan (2019). Both of those were judicial, Thailand's is legislative.

Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru 2 AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai 2 Haime! (Japan movie) - Continued the (frankly) lackadaisical story from part 1 and was meant to drop yesterday. We thought maybe Gaga, but nothing so far.

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. Devastated this hasn't had international distribution.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Last of the June Releases

6/26 The Rebound (Thai Weds Gaga) - MeenPing are back in their 3rd BL together, a basketball based romance (Meen was a national basketball player, so yay for that). I like this pair better than most (I still do miss Meen with Est but Est has a fantastic looking new BL coming from GMMTV so yeah...) Anyway I'm up for a sports romance starring a man who, yah know, actually played that sport so... I'm game (pun intended).

6/26 I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) 10 eps - A new series adaptation of beloved yaoi I Hear the Sunspot (first adaptation was feature film Silhouette of Your Voice 2017).

6/30 The Trainee (Thailand Sun YouTube) 12 eps- office romance between a boss/employee featuring OffGun. Taking over Boo's spot for GMMTV.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Lip touch! So sexy. So rare from Korea. Blue Boys.

I do love a meta call out moment.

Tiny idiots (affectionate)

Love their kisses. Such a great side couple.

All Wandee.

(Last week)

QUICK NOTE: I'm flying international back next weekend and the damn thing is gonna take like 72 hours or whatever insanity. Needless to say, I may not get to this round-up for ages. So don't panic, I'm not dead just sleeping.

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember.

[lemonsdaydreams]

breaking the distance. |c.b|

summary: You and Colby have been dating for nearly two years, enduring long distance and making the best out of time zones and chaotic work/ school schedules. The two of you knew one day the distance would be shortened to where there would be no more planes needed to see each other, and date night could finally be more than just facetiming and watching a movie together at the same time. One of you just happened to know it would be happening sooner rather than later.

~*~*~*~*~*~

No one ever expected Colby and I’s relationship to last, and I couldn’t really blame them. On the outside looking in, It seemed like it was a storm waiting to happen. Colby, a very well known social media content creator, constantly traveling and investigating new locations with his best friend in and outside the country, and lives on the west coast of the united states. Me, a non social media content creator, studying emergency paramedicine, lives on the east coast, and never even had a passport until two months ago. The main thing people always loved to throw at us was the distance. ‘Why date someone who lives a 5 hour plane ride away, when there’s plenty of people here in the same state for you to choose from?’

I personally didn’t fully expect us to be where we are right now when I met Colby over two years ago. It’s crazy how things happen though, how quickly you connect with a person. It’s as if I’d known him my whole life, as if I was connecting with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years that night at the bar. We talked and talked for hours, the rest of the crowded bar tuned out and all I saw was him. Colby and his friends he had traveled to the east coast with a few days later after we first ended up coming over to my apartment for a game night after constantly texting and getting to know each other more. Ironically, one of his friends that came with him, I knew from my childhood. Talk about a small world.

The buzzing of my cellphone in my hand snapped me out of the daydream I was in. A smile quickly spread across my face as I spotted Colby’s name on the caller ID before answering.

“Finally waking up, Mr. Brock?” I smiled as I held the phone to my ear.

“I’m so sorry beautiful, I slept through my alarm. I totally planned on waking up earlier to be able to talk to you in case you began to stress over your exam today.” His morning voice was something that always caught me off guard, the deep rasp. It always made me yearn for the day I’d be able to hear it in person, and not over the phone.

Of course over the past two years we’ve met up and spent time together, however it was usually when him and Sam were on a trip to film or when I had a small break between semesters at school and could afford to visit him.

“It’s okay Colby, I promise.” I smiled to myself and attempted to contain my excitement as I scanned the empty apartment once more. “I’ve been just cleaning and relaxing on the couch. I think if I tried reading any more of my textbooks my eyeballs might fall out of my head.”

Colby chuckled as my apartment door swung open, and I quickly muted myself as Seth, the friend of Colby’s that I’ve known since childhood came in. “Who’s ready to mo- oh shit, are you on the phone?” He quickly covered his mouth with a hand.

“Yeah, with Colby.” I giggled before giving him a ‘shh’ and taking myself off mute.

“You’re going to do great. You always do great. This is the final bridge needing to be crossed and then I’ll be able to have you in my arms every night and hear about the crazy encounters you have at work in person. God, I can’t wait for that to be real, beautiful. I miss you so much.”

“I can’t believe that it’s finally here. Just this semester and then I’m done, graduated, nationally registered to work anywhere in the country. By the way, My supervisor reached out to the base that’s not far from where you live, and they have an open paramedic spot that is up for grabs.” I bit my bottom lip and glanced at Seth who also shared the same nervous look.

I’ve always hated lying, and lying to Colby these past few months have been absolute torture. But he’s always the one surprising me, I wanted to finally surprise him. I ended up taking an earlier program that Colby didn’t know about, which allowed me to graduate and become a paramedic three months ago. However, Colby still thought I had another two months to go. During this time since finishing school, I’ve been working and studying protocols for the state I’d be moving to, coordinating with Sam on shipping my stuff to Vegas from New England without Colby seeing the boxes, selling stuff I don’t need to bring, and basically getting ready to move to Vegas. Of course, Colby knew this day would be coming, as we have a whole checklist we share on google docs to make sure we have everything lined up for when the day comes, He just doesn’t know it’s happening sooner. Or that I’m going to be there, in like 12 hours.

“Baby, Is it okay if I let you go? I can call you back later. I have to bring my phone to the apple store, I finally got an appointment to get my battery fixed.” I ran a hand through my hair, constantly reminding myself mentally the lying would be over soon.

“Oh good, I’m so glad you got that appointment babe, I have to get going anyway. Sam and I have to go meet up with some friends to film a video, but text or call me as soon as you finish your exam okay? I love you.”

After saying goodbye and hanging up, I groaned and laid back on the empty granite counter. “Dude, no wonder you hate lying. Thank god that wasn’t a facetime call or one look at your face and Colby would see your face and just know you were hiding something.” Seth chuckled and I flipped him the bird.

“Can we go get coffee before we head to the airport? This whole not having my own car thing sucks.” Seth chuckled once more before nodding and holding out his rental keys that I snatched out his hand before he could speak. “Yes, I’ll drive. You drive worse than my grandmother.”

~

“Now boarding Group A.”

“I’m really flying to Vegas without a return ticket.” I mumbled as I handed my ticket to the flight attendant at the gate. I glanced over my shoulder at Seth who stood behind me, laughing. “You’re finally moving to Vegas. Which means Sam and I won’t have to hear Colby talk about how much he misses your voice all the time and try to figure out what haunted places we could go see near where you live.”

“Are you sure he won’t question why my phone is off for over five hours? I mean we don’t talk on the phone all day every day, but we usually check in over text to say Hi and that we miss each other or something. I don’t think a phone battery replacement would take five hours.” I buckled my seatbelt once Seth and I got to our assigned seats. “You seriously worry too much.” Seth patted my hand as he smiled. “We’ve got it all figured out. He isn’t going to have any time to check his phone with what they’re filming.”

“This is going to be a long ass five hours, Seth. This is why teleportation should be a thing. I could already be there, with Colby.” I sighed as I turned to look out the window, anxiously tapping my foot on the ground. Seth laughed and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted him hold his phone out to take a photo.

“Don’t you dare post that.” I looked at him wide eyed, which caused Seth to laugh more. “Relax, It’s a video. For memories.” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest. “Should I yell it out now that you’re a paramedic, just in case there’s a medical emergency?”

“Don’t you dare. I’m too nervous to provide any care, nor do I want to start my career as a medic off by taking care of someone on a plane. Why aren’t we moving yet?” I peered up and around the seats, huffing as I noticed not everyone was seated.

“God this is going to be so funny to look back on.” Seth mumbled as he put his phone down.

~*~

“I’ve got all your stuff in the storage unit, and your car should be arriving in the next few days.” Sam smiled as he drove Seth and I from the airport. Colby was back at the house editing and thinking Sam had just gone out to get food for the two of them. “It’s really good to finally see you, by the way. Colby is going to lose his mind.”

“I’m so nervous.” I mumbled looking out the window of the car and taking in the change of scenery. “He thinks I’m still in my exam right now.”

“Oh I know. Dude is a love sick puppy right now.” Sam laughs and gives me a smile. “Once we get to the house, I’m going to go inside to ask Colby to come out and help me grab some stuff from my car, but in reality it will only be you.” He added while Seth readjusted the camera on the dash of the car. I nodded and prayed we’d be arriving at the house soon.

Once at the house, I laid down in the back seat of the car to hide until Colby came out. “Yeah it’s on the passenger side in the back, If you can just grab it for me as well as the camera!” Sam called out, signaling that Colby was coming my way. Before I knew it, the door was swung open and I quickly sat up and smiled as my eyes landed on Colby. “Surprise!”

Colby stared in shock for a moment, eyes wide with confusion. Next thing I knew, He was grabbing my legs and pulling me out of the vehicle and up into his arms. My arms quickly wrapped around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder and wrapping my legs around him as he held me. “What is going on?” Colby yelled out, turning to glance at his friends back at the doorway before slamming the car door and moving so I was pressed against it and using one of his hands to pull my head back so he could see my face. “You have an exam?” His eyebrows furrowed.

“Baby.” I laughed softly. “Oh my gosh I’ve absolutely hated lying to you. I graduated early, That’s why I was so busy over break and couldn’t see you. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you by being able to finally be here sooner than you thought.” I cupped his face in my hands and blinking back tears as I finally got a good look at him. “I can’t believe I’m here.”

“I missed your graduation?” He frowned, resting his forehead against mine. “I’m so confused baby.” He quickly closed the distance between us and kissed me gently. “But dear god have I been dying to kiss you.” He mumbled against my lips.

“No, It was a winter graduation so there’s no walk you didn’t miss anything.” I kissed him once more. “But I’m here. no more distance. It’s finally broken.” I ran a hand through his hair as I stared into his blue eyes. Colby pulled me closer once more and began kissing me again, deeper this time before beginning to head towards the house. “You guys should probably head our for a while.” Colby mumbled as he passed Sam and Seth, his gaze still set on me. “Already planned on it. We’ll be back later. Welcome home!” Sam called out as Colby walked away from them, still carrying me. I let out a small laugh and began kissing Colby’s cheeks and playing with his hair at the nape of his neck.

“I can’t believe you lied.” Colby fake pouted as he gently tossed me on his, ours now, bed before climbing on top of me. “But it was so worth it.” He mumbled before kissing me. “Now it’s time for me to welcome you home.” He smirked.

[shitsndgiggs]

Hii, I love your work and that you write for Arda because there is not much about him. So i would like to request a fic about him maybe with a Slavic reader (because I am Slavic, from Slovakia), just them experiencing their different cultures, maybe her meeting his parents and them being worried because their culture is so different, thank you and have a great day🫶🏻💗

A/N: it’s kinda short. Not my best work, but I still hope that you like it.

LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS - ARDA GÜLER

In which meeting Arda’s parents was not as bad as Y/N had imagined

Arda Güler x slavic! reader

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

I had always been proud of my heritage, with its rich traditions and deep-rooted customs.

When I met Arda, I knew our relationship would be a journey of discovery.

We came from different worlds, but our love was strong, despite out different cultures.

Arda and I had been dating for almost a year, and things were getting serious. We had spent countless hours sharing stories about our childhoods, favorite foods, and family traditions.

Now, it was time to take the next step: meeting his parents in Turkey.

As our plane descended into Esenboğa airport, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Arda held my hand, sensing my unease.

"Don’t worry, miláčik," he said, using the Slovak term he had picked up. "They will love you."

"I hope so," I replied, squeezing his hand. "I just want to make a good impression."

We arrived at his parents' home, a beautiful house filled with the warmth and aroma of Turkish cuisine.

His mother, Serap, and father, Umit, greeted us with open arms. Their hospitality was heartwarming.

"Welcome to our home," Serap said in Turkish, which Arda quickly translated for me. "We are happy to finally meet you."

"Thank you so much for having me," I replied, smiling. "I'm excited to be here."

As we sat down for dinner, the table was covered with an array of delicious turkish dishes. I recognized some from the meals Arda had cooked for me.

We started with small appetizers, and the conversation flowed smoothly at first.

"How was your flight?" Umit asked through Arda, who was acting as our translator.

"It was good, thank you," I replied, feeling more at ease with every passing moment. "I’ve always wanted to visit Turkey, and it’s even more special to do it with Arda."

Serap smiled. "We’ve heard a lot about you," she said. "Arda speaks very highly of you."

As the evening progressed, we talked about many things—Arda’s career, my job, and our shared love for travel.

At one point, Serap turned to me, her eyes warm and curious.

"Tell us about your family," she said gently. "Arda mentioned you have a close-knit family."

I smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "Yes, we are very close. My parents have always been supportive of me, and I have two younger siblings who I adore. My brother is in kindergarten, and my sister is finishing high school."

Umit nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Family is very important. It’s good to hear that you have such a strong bond."

Arda squeezed my hand under the table, giving me a reassuring smile. "She talks about her family all the time. They sound wonderful."

I felt a warmth spread through me at his words. "They are," I said softly. "I’m lucky to have them."

The next few days were a whirlwind of experiences. Arda took me to explore Ankara, showing me the stunning Atatürk Mausoleum, the bustling Kızılay Square, and the serene Gençlik Park.

We even attended a music concert, which was unlike anything I had ever seen.

One evening, as we were having tea on the terrace, Arda and I talked about our relationship and the future.

"Do you think our cultural differences will be a problem?" I asked, voicing a concern that had been on my mind.

Arda looked thoughtful. "I think any relationship has its challenges," he said. "But as long as we communicate and respect each other’s backgrounds, we can make it work. My parents love you already, and I know your family will welcome me too."

I smiled, feeling reassured. "You’re right. We’ll take it one step at a time."

[cyripticchronicler]

Ink and Destiny - Part 2

The long-awaited date with James arrives, and you see him in a new light. But wouldn't it be crazy, to fall for your soulmate?

Masterlist

Part one Part Three Part Four

Warnings: Kissing, swearing, I think that's it if not lmk :)

A/N: Thank you for requesting a part two @lilianelena39I appreciate it sm!!

It seems as if Saturday was never going to come. Which was both a blessing and torture. You were excited to finally get to know your soulmate. But James Potter? The boy who’s been pining after Lily for years? Not to mention all the cruel pranks he’s played on people around school. So, obviously, you were a little hesitant to get to know him. 

You’ve been talking all week, never in person but rather on your skin. You’ve pointedly ignored his flirty comments whilst he pointedly ignored all my snarky comments. 

But alas, Saturday arrived. It took everything in you to get up and ready, already dreading the day ahead. But you still promised to go on that date, and you weren't going to let your crippling disgust of awkward first dates and small talk ruin your chances of getting to know your soulmate. 

So here you were, dressed in your prettiest dress as you made your way towards the lake. The sun's heat grounds you and you push your nerves to the side, taking in the shimmering lake instead. 

James told you to bring nothing, insisting that he’ll handle everything instead. You were flattered but now your hands are empty and you don’t know what to do with them. 

He’s not even here yet. Relax. 

You made sure you got here earlier so you could mentally prepare yourself. But the extra time did nothing for you when you spot James making his way towards you, grinning devilishly, picnic basket in one hand and a wrapped gift in the other. 

You smile tightly as he stops in front of you and he gives you a knowing smirk, “Miss me?” He asks and you scoff. 

“Need any help?” You ignore him, gesturing to the basket in his hand. 

He shakes his head, “No thank you, Love. Let’s move up the lake a bit.” You nod, walking beside him. The silence is awkward- for you at least- so you quickly come up with something to say. 

“How was your day?” You ask, eyes looking everywhere but him. 

“Better now that you’re here,” He grins, sending you a playful wink. You roll your eyes, stopping underneath a big tree. James deems the spot good enough and he gently places the wrapped gift and basket down. 

He pulls out a blanket and sets it down on the grass. He sits and you follow suit, making sure to keep a good distance between the two of you. 

“If a bird shits on me I’m blaming you,” You blurt, immediately wincing. Who says that? 

James just laughs, eyes playful, “I’ll try to keep the birds away from you then.” Your cheeks flush making his grin widen. 

He starts pulling everything out of the basket and you take notice of the way he brought all of your favourite food. 

Noticing your confused stare, his cheeks flush a deep red. “I may have asked Alice what food you liked.” He mutters sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

You melt, “That's very thoughtful. Thank you, James.” He blushes more and you have to bite back a smile. “How’s Quidditch going?” You ask, deciding to change the subject before James burns from embarrassment. 

He perks up immediately, “Really good, actually, we’ve started practising-” You try hard, really hard to focus on what he’s saying but the way he’s sitting, and the way he looks at you makes it hard to focus. 

You’re not sure what’s gotten into you. Just yesterday you were thinking about how much you don’t like him. 

“-listening?” You jump as you realise he just asked you a question. 

“Hm?” You flush, trying to act as if you werent checking him out. James sends you a knowing smile, “I asked if you wanted some butterbeer. You seem distracted, what’s on your mind?” 

You flush, “Y-yes, please. I‘m not distracted.” 

He hums like he knows you’re lying, “Cracker?” You nod. “Do you have any plans for Christmas ?” 

“No,” You respond, “My parents are travelling so they won’t be home for Christmas. Do you?”

You munch on food as he responds, “Sirius is coming home with me for Christmas but I’ll make sure to send you letters so you don’t miss me too much,” He winks and you scoff, “I won’t miss you at all, James Potter.”

He leans in closer, “Just you wait.” 

You don’t miss the way he looks at your lips, and you’re sure he doesn't miss the way you stare back at him. 

Clearing your throat, you attempt to deflect, “So you’re finally over Lily?” James freezes, finally looking back at you. 

“I was barely into her,” He responds cautiously like he doesn’t know where this conversation is going to go.

“Ask anyone in the school and they’d say that’s a lie,” You respond, chewing on a grape nervously. 

“Well, it’s not. I promise you,” When you don’t respond he sighs, “I got you a gift.” You perk up slightly, tracking his movements as he pushes the gift towards you. 

“I didn’t get you anything,” You say guiltily and he smirks in response, “That's the point.”

You roll your eyes, muttering a ‘thank you’ before ripping open the present. You gasp at the contents. “How did you know this was my favourite book?” You question, eagerly inspecting the frayed book. “And it’s signed?!” You screech. 

James laughs gently, “I have my ways. So, do you like it?”

“Do I like it? James this is amazing thank you,” You don’t think to question your actions as you fling your arms around his neck, causing him to fall forward as you pull him closer. His laugh is like honey as he returns the hug, cheeks flushed slightly. 

“I’m glad you like it. Maybe you could read it to me sometime? On our second date.” He pulls away slightly, hands holding himself up beside your head. 

“Our second date, Huh?” You grip his wrist gently, running your hand up his arm. 

“Yeah. The date where I prove to you that I have no feelings for Lily and where you read to me.”

“You know just because we’re soulmates doesn't mean we have to be together,” You’re not sure why you say it but you do. James' eyes soften like he can see in between the lines. “I’m not doing this because you’re my soulmate, I’m doing this because I like you.”

You suck in a deep breath, “Oh.”

He smiles in return, “Yeah, Oh.”

You act on impulse, pushing yourself up slightly to plant a quick peck on his lips. His grin widens and your cheeks explode. 

His eyebrows raise smugly, “So is that a yes to the second date?”

You nod shyly and he giggles- like actually giggles- and shoves his head in the crook of your neck. “It’s going to be the best second date you’ve ever been on,” He mutters against your skin 

You find yourself growing excited at the thought of a second date with James, and you bite your lip to stop your smile from growing. 

“I can’t wait,” You whisper. 

“Me too,” He whispers back.

[lexisecretaccx]

High School Sweethearts pt.14 - Chris Sturniolo

All parts on my Masterlist!

(Fem reader x Chris Sturniolo, cutesie fr, nice at the start, slight mentions of toxic household, slightly suggestive, mentions of drinking, violence, intense, not proofread!)

A/n: I’m coming to the end of this series, there’s probably gonna be like 1 or 2 more parts after this or something, I’ll try make the finale pretty long! Thank you for all the support on this series and ily all!

A week later..

I haven’t been home in a week, my mom actually seemed to care that I was missing and she called a few people or something and she found out I was here, I spoke to her on the phone and reassured her I was safe but I couldn’t face going home.

“I wish I could just move outta there.” I sigh, sat up to the table with Marylou, Jimmy, Nick, Matt and Chris eating dinner. Chris’ hand rubs my thigh gently, “why don’t you move out? You’re 18 aren’t you?” Jimmy pipes up, I think in my head and realise that I’m the legal age to move out of my house.

But then it hits me.

“Yeah but I’d need to save up for an apartment, I don’t even have a job.” I bite my lip gently, “you could move in here!” Marylou spoke excitedly. I look up at her swiftly, “I wouldn’t wanna do that, what if you get sick of me?” I smile softly at the offer.

“How could I get sick of you? You’re like the daughter I never had.” She grins in a gentle manner, “woah that’s weird mom.” Chris says, motioning between me and him, “dating remember?” He laughs.

“It wasn’t literal, I meant we can do gardening and have girly nights!” Her voice is full of happiness and excitement. “That would be nice, I really don’t want to burden any of you though.” I look around to Nick and Matt.

“You literally helped me get a boyfriend y/n, I love you, you can stay here forever!” Nick smirks, my mouth opens, “you never said you guys are dating now!” I reply shocked but happy. He nods softly and goes red. Nick and Oliver went on a few dates in the past week and Oliver has been filling me in on some details, but I’m so glad they’re together.

“I can teach you how to do Pokémon Go.” Matt spoke and Chris huffs and chuckles, “Matt why do you always bring up Pokémon Go? She’s probably heard about it like 100 times now.” I laugh and look at Matt, “I’d love to learn how to play it.” I reassure him, a grin creeping across his face. He does a cocky smirk at Chris before Chris pulls his glasses off of his face as Matt tries to grab them back.

I roll my eyes jokingly at their fighting and Marylou chuckles softly, “if you want the offer is here at anytime, we have a spare bedroom so you can have some time to yourself,” she side eyes the boys fighting, “but you’re always welcome.” She reaches over the table and grabs my hand comfortingly.

“I will probably take you up on the offer, I think I’ll have to talk to my mom first though which I’m dreading.” I smile before she drops my hands and nods her head, “if you want I can come with you to let your mother know you’d be safe with us.” I had turned my head to Chris and Matt but quickly return it to face her when she said that.

“Would you really? I’d feel more comfortable for sure.” I asked, “yes of course sweetie, I bet Chris would love you being around here more, when you’re not here you’re all he talks about.” She smirks over to him and his cheeks redden.

He looks at me and grins before shrugging to Marylou. “I’d love you here more..” He whispers in a tone that causes me to squeeze my thighs together lightly.

We finish eating and I help Marylou wash up the dishes, “if you want to get it over with we can go to your mom’s house after we’ve done this?” She offers, I look to the clock the hands point the time to 6:15.

I sigh contentedly, “yes please.” I dry my hands, Marylou pulls me in for a hug and I hug her back.

“Matt?” Marylou calls, and shortly after Matt walks in, his hair ruffled and messy probably from fighting with Chris. “Yeah?” He asks her as he leans up on the counter. “Could you drive me and Lexi to her house?” She asks politely, and Matt nods, “yeah sure, should I ask Chris to come?” He looks at me, “I think it would be best he waited here, so my dad doesn’t try any funny business with him.”

Chris walks in, “is it okay if you stay here while we go to my Moms house. So my dad doesn’t try to show off and cause shit to happen?” I ask Chris, walking over to him as he wraps his arms around my waist and looks at Matt and his mom, “yeah okay baby, I need to shower anyway,” he directs his attention to Matt and Marylou, “keep her safe yeah?” They nod, Chris plants a gentle kiss to my lips.

“I’ll see you later okay?” He smirked, “okay.” I smiled back.

“Should we head off?” Matt asks us and Marylou looks at me, “yeah let’s go.” I say nervously.

I hop in the passenger seat next to Matt and Marylou sits in the back. Soft music plays through the speakers, “I’ll come in with you, so they take you seriously.” Marylou spoke from behind me, “yeah thank you.” I look back at her and smile.

“Matt you can wait in the car unless we really need you to come in.” Marylou sorta commands him and Matt nods, “why do I feel like I’m a soldier taking orders.” Matt starts laughing and we join in.

We pull into my street and I have a rush of anxiety hit me, I swallow harshly. “It’s okay just take deep breathes, that’s what I do when I get anxiety.” I nod as we pull up outside my house and I hop out the car, Marylou following me.

I walk up the front steps and knock the door, Marylou standing behind me. Shortly after my mom opens the door, and her face drops when she notices me. She looks behind me at Marylou, “can I talk to you?” I say and she lets us in.

“How have you been I haven’t seen you in a we-” I cut her off, “where is he?” I ask sternly. She looks around and then to the kitchen, “in the kitchen.. why?” She replies.

“Also who is this woman?” She points at Marylou, “I’m Marylou.. Chris’ mother.” She smiles at my mother and my mom just looks back at me. “Why is she here with you?” She asks, her voice lowering as to not alert my father.

“I’m gonna get straight to the point…” I sigh, “Mom I wanna move out.” I look up at her anxiously awaiting her reaction, “what?” She spoke harshly, “why?” I look at Marylou who nods at me reassuringly, “I don’t wanna live in a house with a man who abused me.. us.” I raise the inner corners of my brows.

“You need to get over it y/n.. he’s changed.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “I don’t care I can’t be here with him.. I’m leaving.” I sigh. “Where you gonna go huh?” Her brows knitted together.

“She’s gonna come live with me and my family, we have a spare room she’ll be safe with us.” Marylou nods and rubs my back slightly. My mother groans, “fine, leave me like everyone does.” She looks at me, trying to guilt me into staying, “don’t emotional blackmail me.. I’m doing what’s best for me.” I point at my chest.

I hear stumbling behind my mom and my dad walks into the hallway. He’s slightly drunk, I can tell from his stance and the fact there’s a beer bottle in his hand. “Hey darling.” He slurs his words as he walks over to me and tries to hug me, I step out the way and he stumbles again. “Hug your dad.” He tries to hug me again, gripping my arm.

“Get the fuck off of me right now.” I yell. His eyes widen and he stumbles back. He grinds his teeth, “you little bitch.” He spat at me before walking closer again, Marylou pushes him back slightly, “leave her alone.” She says in a strict voice.

“Fuck you.” He shouts and walks towards Marylou, I hear a noise coming to the front door and it opens slightly, Matt poking his head around it.. “I heard yelling is everyone-” he started to speak but his eyes darted to my father closing on Marylou. “Get the fuck away from my mom.” He entered the house fully and slammed the door behind him.

My dad turned to face him, “who’s this?” He asks my mom, “that’s Chris, y/n’s boyfriend.” I scoff, “no that’s Matt, Chris’ brother.. remember they’re triplets?” I say and my mom shrugs.

“Why are you in my house glasses boy?” My dad has turned his attention to Matt now, “it’s not your house it’s mom-” I go to speak but am interrupted by my dad’s hand against my cheek. “Shut up.” He hissed. I feel tears brew in my eyes as memories flood back from when my dad used to hurt me.

“You do not hit your daughter.” Marylou spoke loudly, pulling me into a hug, “and don’t you even touch my son.” She added on.

“Get the fuck out my face.” Matt scoffed, “you’re not a real man if you hurt your daughter.” Matt taunts, “Matt don’t..” I say quietly.

“Little shit.” My dad spoke in a gruff voice and he swung the glass bottle that’s in his hand, at Matt. Luckily because he was drunk his aim was shit so it smashed on the wall next to Matt. “You missed.” Matt teased.

“Imagine if Chris was here,” Matt laughs, “shit would go down for real.” My dad swings for Matt again and Marylou yells, “Hit my son and I’ll kill you.” I had never seen Marylou fully angry, it was scary.

My dad ignores her words and slams his fist into Matts ribs. Matt yells out in pain, my mother finally stops just standing there and intervenes. “Let’s go calm down yeah?” She spoke. He nodded drunkenly and she dragged him into the living room.

“He’s changed y/n.. I promise.” I mimic my mother’s words to her and she scoffs. Marylou is hugging Matt and making sure he’s okay. “Yeah I’m good mom he just hit my rib cage.. motherfucker.. you okay?” He says to me and I nod, tears streaming down my face.

“You’re definitely moving in with us okay sweetie? We can report him to the police or something.” Marylou reassures me as she starts to walk upstairs, “where you going?” Matt asks. “To grab the rest of y/n’s clothes.” She smiled to me before rushing up the stairs and returning about 5 minutes later.

“There was a plastic bag in your room I filled it with all your clothes.” She grabbed my hand and nodded. “Thank you.” I whisper.

We walk out of the house and I slam the door behind me.. once we’re in the car I breakdown in tears. “Oh sweetheart it’s okay.. Chris is back at the house remember? You can cuddle or something..” she chuckles softly and I do too. “You were crazy for taunting him like that.” I laugh to Matt, as he starts the car.

“He called me glasses boy.” He laughs, squeaking slightly. We all erupt in laughter, my sadness still hidden underneath but I feel much more relaxed and happy when I’m with Chris and his family.

A/n: good riddance to y/n’s dad fr. Matt and Marylou carries this part fr 😭😂 poor y/n tho wtfff! I’m so excited to write the finale.. it’ll be a long one (that’s what she said) but it’ll have smut and all the good stuff in it!

Taglist: @blahbel668 @mattsleftnipple03 @rac00ns-are-c00l4 @hysteria-things @sturniologurl4l2008 @jakevwebber @braindead4l @mattybearnard @st7rnioioss @junnniiieee07 @sturniolosmind @fratbrochrisgf @sturniol0s @alwayssublimedelusion @stingerayyy2 @freshsturns @riasturns @sturniololvrrr @maryx2xx @whicked-hazlatwhore

[professional-demon-master]

Cutting you off pt.2

Mammon

Light angst/ fluff. Good ending !! GN reader

* Listen he might have been a little bit rude to you since you got here, but he is the one you spent more time with.

* So it isn’t a surprise when you start feeling a little bit more comfortable around him.

* Even with his constant nagging, he’s not that bad most of the time, ignoring those moments when he tries to convince you to lend him money or start a very sketchy business with him.

* Soon you start sharing your interests with him, even if he didn’t showed a lot of interest most of the time.

* After a few movie nights in your room you start bringing more and more movies from the human world, you wanted to be able to show him movies just as good as the one he showed to you from the Devildom!

* Quickly that becomes the topic you use to bond with him, so most of the time you spend it telling him about the movies you like, the directors you can’t stand and the actors you liked seeing in the screen.

* After some weeks mammon starts to get tired of you asking him to come see a movie with you. Do you know how much of his time you’re using? He could be making Grimm right now instead of watching an animated movie with you!

* Despite that, he isn’t going to deny he enjoys spending time with you, watching you get excited every time something happens, even when he knows you’ve already watched the movie a thousand times before.

* But it all changes after you invite him to another movie night.

* You’ve been trying to find him all day long so you can invite him to watch “pretty woman”. You had already told him all about it and how it was a human realm classic, so he needed to see it too.

* When you finally find alone him near his locker, you decide to take the opportunity, if you’re lucky enough, you could watch it together that same night!

* “Hey Mammon! Movie night in my room? I found the movie I told you last week about! It’s a classic, a lot of romance but it won’t bore you, I promise!” You spoke fast while looking at him with a huge smile.

Mammon looked at you, and before he could answer he noticed the demons that walked past you, some of them laughed, some of them whispered something to each other and even him could tell they were mocking him. He did spend most of his time telling everybody how he didn’t wanted to spend time with you after all, he kept telling everybody that it was just that Lucifer made him spend time with you and he couldn’t say no.

And before he could actually analyze the words that he was about to say, he crossed his arms and looked around while answering loud enough “Pfft, I don’t know what ya talking about. I have better plans than watchin' some human chick flick with some human!” He flicked his tongue while finally looking at you. He tried really hard to ignore the way your excited face had turned to one of sadness and even some embarrassment.

“Y-You’re right, we’ve seen enough movies already” you tried to brush it off smiling at him, like this was just another joke, but even he could tell how fake it was. “I’ll see you around then”

* Mammon felt a knot in his stomach watching you practically speed walk away from him.

* For the rest of the day he tried to tell himself it was okay, you’ll get over it and soon you’ll be as close as you were before, watching weird movies that you liked and comparing them to the ones mammon liked from the devildom! It was just a matter of time! One day and you’ll be back to normal!

* When classes ended he noticed you sent him a text explaining that you were going to walk back home with Levi, since it was one of those weird days where he actually attended school instead of taking online classes. He didn’t think much about it, he supposed you’d probably want the rest of the day to yourself, but still, by tomorrow morning you’ll be back to normal!

* Except tomorrow arrived and Mammon still felt like there was an invisible wall between the two of you.

* You weren’t exactly ignoring him either, during the walk to school you even exchanged ideas with him about a recent model gig mammon had landed, but it was different.

* Mammon still tried to convince himself that you probably just needed some more time. Friday was just around the corner, and taking in count your movie nights took place on Friday nights, he was sure you’d be back at his door asking him to see a movie with you. It’s science (not really, but don’t let him know)

* Friday arrived but you didn’t. It was already 6pm and he was losing his patience. What could take you so much time?

* But like the great demon he is, he decided to take the first step, he knows humans can be dumb creatures sometimes. You should be thankful the Great Mammon was giving you the opportunity to ask him to watch a movie!

* He marched to your room and what he saw when he opened the door made him stop in his tracks before he even began to speak.

* There you were, watching a movie and with Asmo of all people!

* “Hey! Knock next time before you enter a room! We thought you were a ghost!” Asmo yelled kinda startled while you paused the movie to look at mammon as well.

* “What’s this? What are you doing in MC's room?”

* “Isn’t it obvious? We’re having a slumber party!” Asmo squealed happily while wrapping an arm in your shoulders and bringing you closer. “Yeah! I ran into Asmo while going for a horror movie, turns out he likes them too so now we’re having a marathon!” You smiled at him “he also thought this could be a good time to do a skincare routine together so it’s a good bargain if you think about it” “good? Darling it’s great! As soon as we remove this face mask you’re gonna have that porcelain skin everyone wants”

* Mammon felt that knot coming back to his stomach. Slumber party? Movie marathon? Those were your things! How could you be doing it with someone else?

* “Pfft, y-yeah. Whatever, only losers stay home on a Friday night.”

* “You sure mammon? You could join us. I know scary movies aren’t really your thing but-“

* “Yeah, no, I’m sure. I have plans. See ya”

* And with that final word, Mammon closed the door feeling conflicted. He finally had time to do his plans but none of them seem as appealing as laying in your bedroom floor eating trashy food and watching a new movie together.

* But he was as prideful as his brother when it came to this situations. He wasn’t just going to accept and show he was more than okay with dropping everything to be with you. He could always find something else to do.

* The second best thing to do was spend his Friday at the Fall. But as the shots keep coming in and he kept on dancing with every person that appeared in his vision he realized this just felt wrong.

* He felt confused and a little bit angry. Before you came to his life, this would’ve been the definition of a great night! But now, as he kept on declining invitations to continue partying in a more “private” place and stopped chugging drinks, he realized he felt empty, he kinda wished he had stayed at your room, sitting next to you and hearing you talk about what was happening in the movies you kept showing him.

* At around 4 am he decided he had enough of people pretending they liked him just for the free rounds and went back to HoL.

* Once there he entered as silently as he could and walked straight to his room, he wanted to sulk a little bit in his loneliness a little bit more before going back to bed.

* Once there, while he started getting into bed, he felt all the sleepiness leave his body when he found another body sleeping there.

He screamed a little bit louder than intended, making the body in his bed raise fast. He quickly recognized your form.

“WHAT THE HELL!” He grabbed his chest, feeling his heart beat quickly. “What are ya doing here? Ya scared the shit outta me!”

You grabbed the sheets while sitting up looking at him. “I’m sorry! I was waiting for you, but you were taking too long and I felt asleep!”

Mammon recovered his posture and cleared his throat. “I thought you were having a slumber party with Asmo” he crossed his arms while trying to look casual.

“I was, but he ended up going back to his bed when he noticed my sheets weren’t made of silk and I might have had a nightmare while sleeping alone” you confessed a little ashamed. “ I didn’t wanted to sleep alone so I came looking for you but you weren’t home yet. I’m sorry”.

Mammon was impressed. You felt scared and you came looking for him? And then waited for him to come back? At this point he was grateful the lights were out cause he would’ve hated for you to notice the redness of his cheeks. “Y-Yeah, makes sense. Who’s better to protect ya than your first man? No one” he sat at the edge of his bed while you moved to the side to make room for him. “Yes, I’m lucky the great mammon is here” you said while you lied next to him a little bit too happy.

You looked right into his eyes, capable of identifying his features thanks to the moonlight that peeked through his windows and gave him a dreamlike look. “I missed you today”

“Ya did?”

“Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I loved spending time with Asmo, but I missed my noodle buddy. Yesterday I bought some of those spicy noodles you like.” You admitted with a little sappy smile. “I figured we could eat them together. No human movies this time, promise.”

Mammon looked at you a little bit sad at your last comment. He exhaled a before actually answering this time. “Uhm, I-I guess one movie a week wouldn’t be so wrong. Ya' have some good movie recommendations” you smiled at him fondly, a slow blink appearing once you finally felt the tiredness come back. Your first man was back and you could finally relax “I would really like that, yes”.

“Why don’t cha tell me what that scary movie was about ? It must have been pretty good to give you nightmares”

Im really liking this series, lol. What about you?

[tiannasfanfic]

Second Place

Eddie Munson x Reader (Angst)

| Eddie & Steddie Masterlist | AO3 Link |

Summary: Four years ago, when Eddie Munson chose Chrissy Cunningham over you, it sealed the coffin on your budding romance, as well as your longtime friendship. Now, seeing him at a bar one night brings back a lot of painful memories.

Rating: General Audiences

Author Note: Gender neutral Reader, they/them pronouns used (if any). Angst and Hurt. I have no idea where this came from, I had the idea today and put everything else on hold to write it.

CW: Eddie being a dick; two different breakups; social alcohol use; tobacco use; mentions of past sexual encounters (suggestive, no details); suggestive dialogue.

Word Count: 2,123

“We’ve only been dating for three weeks, Y/N. I don’t see what the big deal is. We can just go back to being friends while I see how this plays out.”

“It doesn’t fucking work like that, Eddie! Not for something like this!”

You sighed, remembering that night four years ago as if it were yesterday.

The memory of all the pain, the hurt, the anger you felt back then rose up to the surface of your mind. You vividly remembered how sick you felt, how fuzzy your head became, how much your heart broke.

“If things don’t work out with Chrissy, we can pick this up right where we left off, I promise.”

But instead of making you rage or even have a panic attack, watching Eddie on stage from across the bar just made you sad.

Sad for so many years of friendship ended.

Sad for a romance that had only just begun.

And sad that looking at him still made your heart ache.

“I’m not going to settle for being second place, Eddie.”

It had all been so great at first, all those years ago. Eddie asking you out had been a dream come true after falling hard for him years before in middle school. While you knew he had a sweet side, you didn’t know how sweet until you were the object of his affection.

There were a few dates, a few hangouts, a few steamy nights in the back of his van. It was amazing and everything you had ever wanted with Eddie

But then he started dealing to the newly single head cheerleader at the start of Spring Break and soon it was all over.

Despite the fact they hadn’t spent time together since middle school, Eddie’s childhood crush on Chrissy Cunningham had carried over throughout the years. Seeing and talking to her on a regular basis brought it right back to the surface, especially once they began hanging out after each deal.

Since your relationship was so new, not many people had really figured out that the two of you had made the transition from best friends to lovers. The guys in Hellfire knew, your other best friends, Robin and Nancy, knew but that was really about it.

And so, when Eddie told you that Chrissy asked him out, you couldn’t be mad at her. It was an honest mistake, especially since you and Eddie were on the opposite end of the social caste from Chrissy.

However, you could be mad at Eddie since he told her yes.

It was the most bizarre experience of your life, listening to him tell you how much this meant to him having Chrissy notice him, and how excited he was about it, and how he knew with you being his best friend that you would understand that he had to see where things went with her.

You most certainly did not understand. Who would?

This resulted in an argument that ended all aspects of your relationship with Eddie, both the long term friendship and the new romance.

Once the words were said and ties were severed, you were both quiet as you gathered up the belongings you had left at the trailer over the years. You were quiet as you walked through the living room, passing by were Eddie sat on the couch, eyes downcast. You were quiet when you walked out the front door, careful like you always were to not let the screen door slam behind you.

And you somehow managed to stay quiet until you were alone in the confines of your room, where the dam finally broke.

Luckily, you only had to put up with seeing them together at school for a little over one month. Once you all graduated, you hadn’t seen Eddie at all except for in passing, neither of you acknowledging the other.

Presently, your friend, Gina, elbowed you a bit roughly in the ribs.

“Hey, no sad faces on my birthday!” she giggled at you, already a bit tipsy.

“Hmm?” you said, finally breaking your gaze away from Eddie to look at her. “Oh! Sorry.”

“You alright?” she said, eyeing you worriedly. “For a second there, you looked like you were about to charge the stage and punch that lead singer in the mouth.”

The visual her words conjured up in your brain made you chuckle, but you shook your head.

“Nah,” you said. “That song just reminded me of someone I used to know.”

Gina nodded knowingly and patted you on the arm. She understood all too well what kind of power music had. Sensing the need to cheer you up, she broke off that line of questioning and steered you back into the conversation at the table, which steered your thoughts away from Eddie.

The conversation flowed for the remainder of Corroded Coffin’s set, as well as afterwards. Once the band was offstage and the sound system switched back over to the jukebox, it was a lot easier to hear each other.

Having spotted you in the crowd, it wasn’t long before Gareth, Jeff and Grant made their way over to you to say hello.

They never stopped being your friends after the breakup. They had been just as surprised as you by it, always figuring the two of you would end up together, and we’re a bit angry about the whole thing.

So angry, in fact, that when Chrissy broke up with Eddie two months after graduation, Jeff called to excitedly tell you all about it.

Chrissy thought they were just too different. They didn’t have much in common, she said. Their interests were too varied, their life goals on different paths.

While you could have told Eddie all of that yourself beforehand, and did, you didn’t feel vindicated like Jeff sounded.

No, you actually felt really bad for Eddie as Jeff was filling you in about it all.

Despite how hurt you were, you did still care about Eddie and you really hoped it would work out for them. You didn’t want Eddie to go through what he put you through. Plus, now he had to live with the knowledge that he sacrificed one of his oldest friendships with someone who truly loved him for nothing.

Okay, so, maybe you were a little vindictive and that latter bit was nothing more than wishful thinking on your part, nut everyone has dark thoughts like that from time to time when they have been hurt.

But, from the sound of it, Jeff was feeling vindictive enough that he really wanted Eddie to think about that exact thing, too.

“Give him a few months,” he said. “He’s going to realize how much of a dumbass he was. You’ll have him back before you know it.”

“Jeff,” you sighed. “I don’t want him back.”

“Don’t you still love him?” he asked. “Four months isn’t long enough to get over someone you liked that much for so long.”

He was right and there was no point in trying to deny it.

“Of course I do,” you said. “But no matter what, I’d always be his second choice. I would think about that every day, that he’s only with me because Chrissy didn’t want him anymore. I’m not going to do that to myself.”

Thankfully, the topic never came up again, but you were even more thankful that Jeff’s prediction didn’t come true. Eddie never tried to contact you in the years since then.

The guys didn’t visit for long before going to hang out with their friends who came out to see them play.

After some time had passed, the bar had gotten busier and the noise level of the crowd started to get under your skin. You excused yourself away from your friends to step outside for a cigarette and a bit of fresh air.

Not long after you settled back against the building to smoke, you heard the door of the bar open.

“Those things will kill you, you know,” came a familiar voice.

You looked over to see Eddie walking towards you, lighting his own cigarette.

“So I’ve heard,” you said, taking a drag off yours.

Eddie came to a stop near you and, leaving a few feet between you, also leaned against back the building.

“Nice night tonight,” he said, looking up at the sky.

“Yeah, it is,” you agreed, as you gazed across the parking lot.

And then silence.

While you’d imagined what you would say to Eddie if he ever talked to you again plenty of times, you found that you weren’t as riled up by his presence as you’d pictured yourself in those scenarios. You felt pretty neutral about his presence, not really bothered by it except to wonder why he followed you out here.

You didn’t have to wait long to find out.

“Hey, um,” Eddie said, breaking the silence. “I just wanted to say, I’m sorry I was such a dick to you. That was a bullshit move I pulled, and I’m really sorry.”

You turned your head to look at him. Eddie was still looking at the sky but lowered his gaze to meet yours. You could see that he was genuine. It was all over his face and in his eyes.

While you’d also imagined what you would say on what you thought was the incredibly rare off chance you ever got an apology from Eddie, you suddenly realized none of those responses you always saw yourself saying seemed appropriate anymore.

Instead, you nodded politely to him.

“Thank you,” you said. “I really appreciate that.”

Eddie nodded in return, then you both looked away to stare at the pavement.

Neither of you spoke again until after you had finished your cigarette and ground it out on the sidewalk with your heel.

“Hey, Y/N?”

You looked by over to Eddie to find him watching you with a nervous expression.

“Would you ever want to go out sometime?”

You stared at him for a moment, seriously thinking it over. He watched you, waiting patiently for your answer.

This was another one of those scenarios you had thought of often, especially after Jeff had put the idea in your mind. But, unlike all those other scenarios you had thought of, this one you never could imagine how you would react to.

After you thought it over, you met his gaze and slowly shook your head.

“I told you, Eddie,” you said. “I won’t settle for second place.”

The disappointment was evident in his face, but he nodded understandingly.

“Can’t blame a guy for asking, can ya?” he asked, throwing you a halfhearted grin.

“No, I can’t,” you agreed, but didn’t return his smile.

You walked past him to head back inside, but then stopped halfway to the door. A spark of anger suddenly ignited into a tiny fire in your brain. It took a lot longer than anyone would’ve thought, but Jeff’s prediction had come true.

And, after four years of radio silence, that suddenly struck you as the most ridiculous thing you had ever heard.

Suddenly, you found yourself turning around.

“Hey, Eddie?” you said, keeping your voice steady despite your sudden anger. “Can I ask you something?”

He turned to you with a hopeful look on his face.

“Anything, sweetheart.”

It took you a moment to figure out the way you wanted to phrase your question.

In the meantime, you looked him over while he patiently waited. You couldn’t deny he was as gorgeous as ever, especially when he was still flushed and hot from the flushed high of adrenaline of performing on stage.

Briefly, your mind flickered back to the memories of the nights you came to see Corroded Coffin perform while you were dating. Eddie nearly ravaged you after each show, leaving you sore, walking slow and grinning for days.

Judging from the slight dilation of his eyes, and the way they kept flickering to key spots on your body, you knew all it would take is a word from you and his lips would be at your throat, his hands wandering all over your body in all the places you’ve missed them.

But even as your anger drained away as you looked at him, you decided you needed to know the answer now that the question crossed your mind.

“Looking back on it now,” you said slowly, keeping your tone even and measured. “Was it all worth it?”

Eddie studied your face for a moment then his expression fell into one of regret as sighed sadly and looked down at the ground.

Even though he said nothing, he spoke volumes. It was all you needed for an answer.

You turned around and went back inside the bar, not feeling any happier now in the least.

Eddie Munson Taglist: @eddie-swhore @tayhar811

[tateslilb]

˚ ₊ ‧ ༉ ✧TAKEN BY THE WIND ✧ ༉ ‧ ₊ ˚

Post death-Kyle spencer x fem!reader

(Kyle takes a liking to the sweet witch who moves in to the academy)

(Warnings: unedited, fluff, sad emotions idk)

(Words: 1444)

* ・゚☆ 。・ * ・゚★ 。・ * ・゚☆

“Why do I have to go.” I ask my sister, my eyes stinging from the nerves.

“You need help controlling your power. You can’t keep risking your life for others at every inconvenience.” Misty says as we walk through the gates of the academy.

“That’s literally what I do. I’m a people pleaser. I can’t do anything for myself, greed has no power over me.” I smile softly. It’s a blessing and a curse, having so much power and yet so little control over how I use it. I can’t do anything out of a selfish act. But I still end up hurt at the end of the day.

“Which is why miss Cordelia is going to help you. Ok?” She smiles adjusting my shawl and knocking on the door. I nod in response and the door opens.

“Hello, you must be y/n, I’m Cordelia, misty has told us lots about you.” The blonde haired woman smiles as she reaches her hand out to shake.

“It’s very nice to meet you miss.” I say shyly.

“Now, now no need to be shy, why don’t you come inside, the other girls are so excited to meet you. It’s been a little chaotic around here these past few days and your sure to bring some happiness to the lot of them.” She says and escorts me into the huge White House they call a school.

“Girls I want you to meet y/n the newest addition to the academy.” Miss Cordelia says as we walk up on a group of 4 girls at a long table.

“Hi, I’m Zoe.” One of the girls with light brown hair says with a slight smile in her eyes and I return the favor as the others get out of there seats to say hello.

“Maddison Montgomery.” A slim girl with blonde hair says intimidatingly sticking out her hand for me to shake.

“H- hello.” I say quietly return the gesture.

Nan and Queenie introduce them selfs next causing me to smile. I can sense the vibrant energy off of the two of them and I smile feeling the same from Zoe as she gets closer, finally leaving her seat at the table.

“Girls why don’t you show her to her room and help with her bags as I talk with misty.” Cordelia insists and I’m taken up the stairs by the girls.

“So here is the room you’ll be staying in, we’ve been putting Kyle in there but he can sleep on are floor or something.” Says Madison to Zoe and I, causing my brows to furrow.

“I don’t want to remove anyone from there rooms, I’m fine with bunking, me and misty shared a room at her home for years.” I smile confused at the girls nervous looks towards the thought of me bunking with the Kyle the brought up.

“Are you sure it’s not like Kyle has any choice in the matter, he can’t even say no.” Madison laughs and Zoe lightly smacks her hand in annoyance.

“I’ll be fine.” I say trying to lighten the mood and they open the door. As I get a view of the room I see a blonde boy on seated on the bed with headphones covering his ears and he hums quietly along.

Madison marches up to the boy and forcefully pulls the headphones of his head causing him to flinch a bit.

“Kyle this is Y/n Day she’s going to be sleeping in the bed over there.” She says pointing to the other bed in the room.

“You have a roommate Kyle isn’t that fun.” Zoe says with much more kindness in her voice but I can still sense the panic in the boys dark eyes.

Zoe waves me over to them and a slowly make my way over to them and Zoe delicately has me sit next to him on the bed to introduce myself, but instead of using words first I softly place my hand over one of his and help him calm down with a tap of my finger to his palm. He looks up at me surprised and I smile.

“Hello Kyle, I’m y/n.” I say and his eyes light up.

“Y/n?” He says raising a hand to my hair with a bright smile and I lightly laugh at the gesture.

“Kyle can speak, but it’s hard for him after what he’s been through.” Zoe explains and I look up at her not being able to shake the familiarity I get from the boy. Madison walks up to Zoe after being gone from the room for a moment and tells her something.

“Kyle we’ll be right back ok, miss Delia wants y/n down stairs.” Zoe says and Kyle nods. I get up and wave good bye seeing the sweet smile he has as he watches me leave.

“He seems familiar to me, is that weird?” I ask as we enter the main hall downstairs.

“Not at all actually, I see you’ve met Kyle again.” Cordelia says and I look to my sister confused.

“Again?” I ask.

“He was the boy with the scars from a month or two ago. Remember. That’s how I knew to bring you here. When Zoe explained where she was staying, when she brought Kyle, l told her about you.” She explains and I think back to that day I came home to find a random boy covered in mud on my bed.

“Wow no wonder I didn’t recognize him sooner, he’s made so much progress.” I said my eyes lighting up and misty looks pleased knowing she had done good work on healing the boy.

“Well now that we have all that explain why don’t we eat before misty has to go.” Cordelia says and I feel that pit of nerves in my stomach again. I haven’t been away from my sister in a while. Being 19 years old and unstable with my emotions, I was not gonna do so well with her away from me I feared.

When she left later that night I couldn’t control my outburst of emotion so I quietly walked up to my shared room and sat on the bed codling my shawl she made me. Silent tears dripping on it in a rapid stream. Kyle was to distracted by his music and headphones for him to even notice my distraught state.

Or so I thought.

I feel a dip in the bed next to me and look over to see Kyle reaching a hand up to my cheek.

“Why cry?” He asks quietly.

“My sister has just left me here, I miss her very much Kyle.” I say smiling through the tears as he attempts to wipe them away. He takes my hand and places a finger to my palm and I notice him trying to replicate my calming spell from earlier. I smile at the boys gentleness and hold his hand in mine stopping his failed attempt to calm me down. He looks up at me and takes my finger placing it on my own palm. His eyes looking desperate.

“I’m sorry Kyle I can’t do it to myself. I can only help others.” I smile and he frowns.

“It’s ok. I’m ok.” I reassure him but he still looks sad. His eyes suddenly brighten and he gets up heading to his own bed only to rush back with his headphones and tablet in hand. I look at him confused till he places the headphones softly over my ears and points to the tablet. I think I have an idea of what he means so I look up my sister and I’s favorite song. Rihannon by Fleetwood Mac. I smile at the thought of us spinning around the room listening to the entrancing voice of the white witch. I look to Kyle who now has a big smile on his face noticing my tears have stopped.

I remove the headphones from my ears and he looks confused till I remove them from the tablet as well letting the soft music play through the speaker. I grab his hand and I lay down looking up at the ceiling closing my eyes content with the sound.

I feel an arm slightly resting on mine and peek over to see Kyle laying beside me mimicking my closed eyes and calm demeanor. I smile to myself and hum along to the music as I drift away to sleep as the boy with the beautiful soul lays next to me feeing the same calmness he hasn’t felt in a while.

[zialltops]

honeysuckle’s & huckleberry’s

Cowboy!Joel (41) X F!Reader (25) | 22.8k | wip | explicit | 18+ minors dni | enemies to lovers | slow burn | au: no cordyceps outbreak

After four years away at collage, you’re finally home with the tools and knowledge to save your family ranch. That is, if their ranch hand would stay out of your way.

Or: Ranch hand Joel doesn’t know how to handle the return of his bosses prodigy daughter, her snarky little attitude, or her sinfully tight jeans.

a/n: Howdy Ya’ll! The song for this chapter is Shake the Frost by Tyler Childers! Im not going to lie, after three chapters writing from Joels POV, this chapter was hard to get into at first. Ive always had a vision for the different ways they perceive each other and it was realllly fun to paint two different pictures of the same people from each others POV. So without further ado, the moment we’ve alllll been waiting for, I give you honeys POV.

Masterlink

ao3 link | spotify link

4. Shake The Frost

Your life in a nutshell has been…uneventful. Your parents had you into their late thirties, you were their last shot at the child they had always wanted and that was a lot to live up to, being the only surviving member of your family when they are gone and the sole proprietor of the Rising Sun Ranch. It was a lot for one awkward, clumsy girl to take on, but you packed up your bags and moved to the city for just long enough to get a real education in keeping your family's dream alive. When you left this place, you had twenty dollars and a full tank of gas. You had horrible hormonal acne, the same damn braces you’ve had for the past six years and you were the furthest thing from desirable a person could ever get.

You were never very popular in school, but considering your graduating class was a whole eight people, you understood why. Everyone around these parts kept to themselves, passed judgment too quickly and all they ever saw in you was an inelegant, unskilled, ugly little duckling.

Four years away earned you a new outlook on life, the discovery of skincare and a little bit of confidence in yourself, but not nearly enough to hoof it in this cruel world. That's why you found so much comfort in the thought of running home, as much as you would miss your friends from college. Here you weren’t gangly and clueless—you could just be yourself.

Yourself with just…a little bit of alteration. Because two years ago, your mom called you to tell you about the new ranch hands that started working, how much weight it took off their plate. A few weeks later, she told you as much about them as she could, about Joel who was charming and gruff. Tommy, who was kind of strange but a nice boy, how Joel takes care of him and watches out for him. A month after that, your mother calls to tell you how much of a gentleman he is.

Two months later, you call your mom and tell her about the date that stood you up and she tells you how handsome Joel is, how kind his eyes are and how she thinks you would really like him, how much you would hit it off and she wished you’d find someone a little more like that—someone who could appreciate you.

Two years pass the same way, your mom calls you all the time just to talk about Joel and Tommy—you understand it's the most exciting thing that's happened around the ranch in the last twenty years, but the more you talk about it with her, the more you build up this impossible dream about a man you’ve never even laid eyes on. You daydream about going home and meeting him, hitting it off like two old flames. You imagine his eyes in the middle of class and miss half your lecture, you think about the way his voice sounds the few times you accidentally overheard him in the background of your moms calls.

Your best friend and roommate, Melly, tells you that's you’re delusional to make up fake scenarios in your head about a relationship you don’t have with a man you’ve never met, but you’ve already hyper focused on it long before that conversation happens, so getting it out of your head is already out the window by then.

All that build up, all the imaginary things you thought up, the way you’d meet—what you would say to him to catch his attention from the moment he sets eyes on you. All of it is for nothing, because he’s not prince charming like you’d imagined, he’s rude and he left you in the fucking snow to die, when you’d spent so long falling in love with a man that didn’t exist. He avoids you like the plague, like it hurts him to be in the same room with you, thinks you’re this stuck up too good city girl, when you’d been so proud to have your shit together. You’d been so fucking excited to get home and finally put a face to two years worth of ghost like fantasies of a person you didn’t know.

And god did it make you so angry at him, when you’d spent so long wanting to meet him, and he was nothing like you’d expected him to be. What is it about you that repulses him? Every time you leave anything exposed, he’s running away with his tail tucked. You look at him from across the dinner table and he takes his food and leaves. Sometimes you can't help the way your anger gets the best of you, starting arguments just so he’ll talk to you, trying to do things that might impress him even though he thinks you’re the most incapable person in the whole world, apparently.

You help your mom with dinner because you remember her telling you that her chili was Joel’s favorite, so you spent half of the afternoon making it, maybe then you could both move on—something, anything. You watch him from the fridge while he fills his bowl with Tommy and they head off to the dining room. By the time you’ve made your own bowl, hatching a plan to tell him you made this, his spot sits empty and his food is untouched for the rest of the evening.

That night, your dad shows you the statement from the bank, the mortgage is two months behind and they don’t have two nickels to rub together. You cry at the kitchen table for an hour, wondering what you did in a past life to struggle so badly in this one. Of course Joel would catch you there, tear stained cheeks and a desperate desire to curl into that broad chest and sob.

He hightails it out of the house before the real water works come down.

Theres a ache in your chest that doesn’t leave you for days—when you spot him in the stable on Christmas eve, it pounds in your chest worse than ever, it hurts so fucking bad to look at him in that brown coat, that long curly hair and scruffy beard. You want to run out the door across the yard and jump into those strong arms, have him twirl you around in the snowfall and kiss you silly. But that's not plausible, so you turn away from the window and make yourself some hot cocoa to starve off the cold, eating you up from the inside.

On Christmas morning, you watch him shovel from the window of your bedroom, hiding behind the curtain while you think about how much he hates to be around you, he must think you’re so unpleasant and hard to look at, because he never even meets your eyes. It bubbles up so much emotion, you cry angry tears before you can make it out of your room. You wash your face in the bathroom to rid yourself of the evidence and make your way down the stairs.

You’re halfway down the steps when you spot him at the bottom, smiling at himself in the vanity mirror, wearing a goddamned cowboy hat like all your wild fantasies about slipping his hat on your head and riding him until he’s a mumbling mess. You would have changed if you knew he was here—would have put on some clothes so he doesn’t go running out on you again. He takes one look up the stairs at you and your brain goes fuzzy and angry, how dare he look so good when you know you can’t touch, how dare he flaunt it right in your face just to take it away again. Who does he think he is, smiling at you like that when he abandoned the dinner you’d made him at the table the night before?

He tells you Merry Christmas and you want to sock him in the mouth.

You chase him off all on your own this time and the guilt eats you up when you watch him work from the window. He doesn’t stop for a second, just keeps going and going and going while you sit on the couch and listen to Tommy’s insufferable rambling about things you don’t care about. He doesn’t come to dinner, so you make him a plate in the kitchen when your mom comes in behind you. “What are you doing, dear?” You wrap tin foil over the hefty plate and give her a look. “I thought I should bring him dinner…no one deserves to be hungry on christmas.”

Your mom squeezes your shoulder and smiles brightly, waves you off when you head out into the storm with his dinner in your hand.

When you meet him on the porch, sleepy look in his eyes with messy hair, you almost invite yourself inside—hardly fighting off the urge to set that plate down and offer yourself for his Christmas dinner instead.

You're halfway thankful for the half mile walk tugging a one ton heifer behind you, at least this way the cold wills away the throbbing between your legs.

That night, you wrap two fingers in the necklace chain, burry your face in the pillows while you fuck yourself on three fingers wishing they were the man sleeping on your couch instead of your own. You try not to whimper his name when you cum, but it slips right out with a rush of air.

Wanting him—is absolutely killing you.

You want to call it a turning point, finally he can see you as capable of something. By the end of the following two weeks, he’s right back to the way he acted before, but it’s like it’s worse somehow. You come down the stairs with a chipper smile in your favorite pair of Levi’s one morning and he nearly falls out of his chair trying to get away from you. You show up in the stable with your old white straw hat on and he hides in the bathroom for a half hour until you leave, like he’s repulsed by you, like he can’t stand to be around you. Is it something you’re doing? Something you’re wearing? He gets so uncomfortable when you have any skin exposed, you can tell based on the way his eyes will bounce to you then away in a hurry, trying to find something—anything else to keep himself busy. Is it because you're his boss's daughter? Because you’re ugly? Because you’re too young and too inexperienced?

By the end of January, you’ve successfully chased him back to his cabin in the evenings unless you aren’t in attendance. He’s avoiding you again, but at least now you have Tommy, who you would consider a friend, a friend who flirts with you too damn much and drinks way too much alcohol. He’s also lazy and doesn’t take much initiative, Joel does most of the work around here, you’ve noticed. But Tommy listens to you when you talk and he doesn’t run away from you any time you try to make conversation.

This morning, you were in the kitchen when Joel came in, cowboy hat and wranglers that hugged his ass. You walked out of the kitchen in an apron with a bowl of preserved raspberries ready to can. “Mornin’, Joel.” You greeted him with a smile and picked the spoon up out of the bowl. “Want to try some? I’m making jam.” You were about to wash the spoon anyways.

“Uh, no, thank you—I ate this morning.” You shrug and lick the spoon clean with one stripe. Five seconds later, Joel is out the front door with a hurried step, like he can't wait to get away from you. Did your breath stink? Was there something on your face, in your tone? By the time Joel is gone, Tommy comes in like there's a rotating door on the house, constantly filtering out one Miller for another.

“He’s in a hurry.” Tommy laughs, pointing behind him with his thumb. “I think I said something.” You roll your eyes at him and finish off the spoon. “Dang girl, how come you don’t ever lick me like that?” It's a light hearted joke, you know that, but you still slug him in the arm for good measure. “Oh, fuck off, Tommy.” You make your way back to the kitchen to can up the preserves and he follows right behind you. “So I was thinking, Joel is heading into town this mornin’, what do you say we scrounge up some change and grab a bottle of something strong?” You used to drink heavily when you were in college, lots of parties and Friday nights out with friends, but now it's closer to once a month if you’re lucky and you can't remember the last time you were good and drunk. “You know what, lets do it. But you have to ask him.” Tommy makes a pained face and shakes his head. “No, I asked last time—it’s your turn.”

“He’s already pissed at me for no reason, and I don’t even know where he is!” Tommy laughs at you and takes the bowl from your hands. “And besides, I have to pee—why can't you go?”

He pulls the jars out and starts to fill them. “Go ask him and then go pee—I saw him go into the stable.” You huff dramatically and turn on your heel, removing your apron, trying to get rid of your nerves as you head towards the door. What’s he going to do, shout at you? Get angry? Say no? You can handle all of that, you’ve handled it up until now.

When you reach the barn, you search around the stalls with no sign of Joel. Wherever he is, he’s long gone. Whatever you did to him, it was enough to send him running all over again. For the millionth time, you find yourself wishing you could just read his mind, know what it is about you that has him running for the hills any time to approach him.

You pet a few muzzles on your way towards the door, wishing it was spring already so you could ride like you’ve longed to do for the last four years. There's less of a chill today, there hasn’t been a storm in a week, but that’s going to change soon. You could stay out here until Joel shows up, but christ do you need to pee right now, so you take a quick detour to the small bathroom in the corner of the barn. The door doesn’t have a working latch, so it pushes open easily.

You just needed to pee, that's it—just needed to pee but it’s too late by the time the artificial light inside mixes with the sunlight filtering into the barn. Lent over the sink with his hand pressed to the mirror, his other on his cock, stands Joel—his balled up fist working up and back down, those huge hands that look tiny on his dick—holy shit, it’s massive, bigger than you’ve ever seen in real life, bigger than most exaggerated porn videos you’ve watched—he could probably fit both hands around that thing, has to be at least ten inches of just Joel. He must hear your tight gasp, because his hand stills and he whips his head around to look at you, his face flushed with shock and shame. You step away quickly and the door slams shut behind you.

You aren’t sure what it is bubbling up inside of you—anxiety, desire, a bit of curiosity and a whole lot of confusion. You saw him not five minutes ago and he was fine, but now you can hear him scrambling in the bathroom across from where your feet have glued themselves to the floor.

“Fuck! Fuck, Honey, hold on.”

Joel Miller is the most hung man you’ve ever laid eyes on. He’s also the most annoying and hard headed—but all of that flies straight to the back of your mind when he pulls the small door open, having stuffed himself back in his jeans, jesus christ it goes half way down his leg, how does he have any room in there? His chest is absolutely heaving and his face is beat red from embarrassment. “I…I’m sorry, I just needed to use the bathroom.”

His hand reaches down and you follow the movement, how he stuffs it into his pants and adjusts himself. “I can explain—“ you shake your head quickly, eyes bouncing back up to meet his. Fuck, he looks like he’s going to cry right now. “Please spare me the details, I should have…knocked, that's my fault.” What was he doing in the first place? He ran away from you because…because he needed to jerk off? Is that where he’s been going every time he runs away from you?

Did you make him do that? But no—of course not, because Joel hates you, hates you enough to actively avoid you even after buying you the same damn necklace you clutch every night when you sink your hand between your thighs, bite your pillow and attempt to muffle his name on your lips.

Joel doesn’t want you, when you’ve been thrown around every corner trying to hang on to him. He left you in that damn snow and all your mind could think about was how sharp his jaw was, how big his hands were, how angry you were that he robbed you of your fantasy of him.

“I just—I…don’t know what came over me, I didn’t mean for you to see that.” Well of course he didn’t mean for you to see that. “Yeah, no I assumed—I’m the last person you want seeing you—like that. I’m sorry, again.” There's something in his eyes, a deep sorrow woven into his features. “How…how much did you see?”

God, does he really have to go there, when your thighs are pressed as tightly together as you can get them, when heat is pooling between your thighs and you have the urge to run up stairs and lock your door behind you. You reach up for your necklace out of instinct, run your fingers along the chain for an absent sensory input, thinking about the way it feels in your hand when you clutch it for dear life.

“I mean—about all ten inches, I’d say.” Its an easy joke you're hoping will ease the stress of the encounter, but Joel leans back against the walk and his head flops against the wood, eyes closing tight. You take the opportunity to drink your fill, let your eyes really roam over the softening bulge in his jeans. “Nine and a half—I…It’s nothing to…boast about or anything like that. I try not to…let anyone see that.”

See that? The biggest dick you’ve ever laid eyes on? He’s just walking around, hiding it from the world? “Why?” You don’t mean to ask, but how could Joel just walk around all day with a third fucking leg and not tell anyone about it?

“It’s embarrassin’. No one wants anything to do with that, nobody wants to deal with what it entails—I sure as hell don’t. Look, can we please just—please forget this happened? Don’t…tell anyone, please.”

Don’t tell anyone? You can't keep this to yourself? Joel miller, every daydream and fantasy you’ve had for the last two years—you can’t just keep that in if you tried—you have to tell someone. “Yeah, no of course not. This was traumatizing enough for both of us.”

His face drops further and he turns himself away, running his hand over his face—the same hand he just had on his dick—oh, fuck, you have to get out of here before you offer to finish him off, just to see how heavy it would feel in your hands, your mouth, your pussy—“I gotta go—“ you start to head for the door, but you remember why you came in the barn in the first place. “Can me and Tommy come with you to town later?���

He only turns for a moment to gaze at you. His eyes look shinny, his lip is drawn between his teeth because its shaking. Had you really embarrassed him that much?

When he speaks, his voice is tight and wobbly. “Yeah, that's fine.”

You leave as quickly as you came, already pulling out your phone and pulling up your best friend's number. When you get into the house, you make a bee-line for your room, slamming the door behind you while the call goes through. When she picks up on the other end, you’re already rambling. “Girl—hold on, I can't hear you. You’re talking too fast, slow down.”

You take a deep breath, clutch your necklace and try to calm yourself down. “I just walked in on Joel—it was an accident, but dude—dude it was huge.” There's a sharp gasp and a laugh on the other end of the phone. “Wait like, you walked in on him and someone?”

“No—I walked in on him jerkin’ off in the bathroom, he…ran away from me again this morning and Tommy came in right after, asked me to ask Joel if we could go to town with him and when I went to look for him, he was in the bathroom with his hand on literally the biggest dick I’ve ever seen.” Melly, on the other end, is laughing her ass off at you, trying her best not to snort at your bad luck. “This isn’t funny! He was so embarrassed, Mel—he said he doesn’t show it to people!”

She huffs on the other end of the phone. “Then how does he fuck anyone?”

And—well… “I never thought about that. Maybe he just…doesn’t? He seemed so ashamed, I don’t know what on earth there is to be ashamed of.” Ashamed of being blessed? Ashamed you walked in on him? Maybe it was because it’s you and you’re the last person he wants seeing him naked.

“Alright, let me get this straight—he ran away from you and five minutes later you found him beating his meat in the bathroom?” For lack of better words, well, yeah.

“Yes—that’s basically what happened, but it was more like three minutes? Because I wasn't far behind him.”

The silence on the other end of the phone is deafening, then Melly clears her throat. “Have you considered the idea that he runs away from you because you turn him on?”

You? You turn him on? You with your awkward posture and too gangly features? You can't even turn a car on half the time, let alone a grown man like Joel Miller. “Not a chance—he hates me, Mel, we’ve been over this.”

“You’ve been over this—you say he hates you all the time when maybe this whole time he thinks its you that hates him.” But that can't be true, because Joel can’t stand being around you. He hated you from the moment he saw you, hated your stupid fucking shoes you don’t wear anymore, hates that you went to college and lived in a big city and don’t let people walk on you. He hates you because you wanted to look pretty for him and he told you to crawl back to whatever place you came from, not even knowing that place was filled with longing to meet him. “No, you have to see it for yourself. You’re still coming down here for my birthday, right?” It’s in the middle of February, when the snow starts to subside.

She tells you that she is, but that she has to get back to work, so you hang up the phone and let yourself sink into the mattress. Its a lot to process—Joel running away from you to…masterbate, catching him in the act—that dick, Christ, even if you want to fuck him, you aren’t even sure if you’d be able to take him. A little deep dive into the internet tells you that you absolutely can—if you work up to it. With ample time and stretching, you’d be able to work up to that, and should it ever happen, you want it to be easy for him, after all, he seemed so ashamed that you’d seen him like that. He said he doesn’t show people, so that must mean it’s been a while since he’s had sex. That in and of itself, makes your heart ache from him—no matter how much he pisses you off, no one deserves to have the ability to receive pleasure stripped from them for merely having a larger—uh, tool. It’s not his fault he was born that way.

A few wrong turns on amazon and you find a (within your budget) toy that's, you guessed it—nine and a half inches and by the looks of it, the same girth as Joel. There is no other option for you but to purchase it—express mail straight to your doorstep.

And even if you never stand a chance with a six-foot towering cowboy, you can at least pretend for the rest of your life. Maybe that will finally starve off your want, fill that void you’ve had for the last two years longing for a made up man and this version of Joel wearing his skin.

It’s a few more agonizing minutes of thinking about the way he’d looked at you in the mirror when you’d spotted him in that bathroom, before you can actually track back to the before, how into it he was—working himself over quickly with a rough calloused hand and his ragged pant.

Fuck it—you have time, lots of time—Joel is probably going to avoid you for half the day before he heads to town, that is—if he even tells you he’s leaving. So you do what you're best at, roll yourself over to bury your face in the pillow while you sink your hand past your waistband and get to work. Its easy to picture something still so fresh in your mind, the way his shoulders heaved when he drew in a breath, how he would probably feel in your hand, your mouth, you’ll have to practice that too, how he’d probably hold you down and tell you to take it. He’d probably be ravenous if he could get past the hatred part. How long has it been since he’s been inside of someone?

You sink your teeth into the pillow and try to retain the sharp whine in your throat, but when you picture his disdain for you morphing into desire, the way the two would clash together in the most impossible way—it’s easy to bring yourself right to the edge. Easy to let yourself drift into that full bodied bliss that shoots up your spine and blooms at the base of your skull. God, the things he would probably say—the filthy fucking words that were made for that accent—the way he’d call you—

“Honey?”

“Amph-“ your eyes shoot open but its too damn late, that twangy southern draw sounds so fucking good saying your name like that and it’s the final straw, deep shadows of your relief robbing the vision from your eyes as they roll back, hand stilling with just the faintest of muffled whimpers to follow it. Yeah—he’d say your name just like that—just like he did on the other side of your locked door while you get off to the sound of it.

Your first big draws of air when you start to come down are into the pillow, trying your best to stifle the ragged way your lungs fill with oxygen until you’ve caught back up with yourself.

“We’re headin’ out in a few, if you're comin’.”

You pull your hand away and jump off your bed, trying to fix your hair and pull yourself together. One glance in the mirror tells you that this is as good as its going to get. You pull the door open and he’s already trying to find anywhere to else to put his eyes than on you, on your tight workout leggings and crew neck sweater—you aren’t anything special and you just saw his dick a half hour ago, so you understand why he wouldn’t want to look. “I was just, uhm—doing a workout zoom with my friend, you ever done one of those?”

God, did you just say that out loud? A fucking workout zoom, its no wonder this man wants nothing to do with you. “A…zoom workout? No—I get my cardio in before the sun's up. Real fuckin’ weird world you come from.” He turns his body slightly, like he’s trying to make his way out of this conversation but he doesn’t quite know how, so you lead the way. “I’ll just get my shoes on and I’ll be right down.”

He turns back and this time he does look at you, but it's at your feet, then a swift bounce up to your eyes. “You’re wearing shoes.”

One glance down and what do you fucking know—you are wearing shoes—stupid fucking shoes you suddenly hate. You hate that you can't get a single thought through your head when it's swimming in dopamine and adrenaline. Hate that he’s taken up so much space in your brain you can't think straight anymore. “If you don’t want to go because you’re…uncomfortable, you don’t have to stall so that I’ll leave. You can say it.” He holds his chin up bravely, you have to give him props for that. Thirty minutes and he can still hold his head up with dignity when he feels like he needs to stand up to you, but does he have to do it so accusingly? When did you give him the impression that you wanted to stay behind? When you’d asked him if you could go not two minutes after seeing him white knuckling it in the bathroom? When he knocked on your door and talked you through an orgasm without even knowing?

“Why do you always do that?” You cross your arms and feel that attitude creeping up on you. “Do what? Spare myself the humiliation?” The humiliation like he’s not staring you down fresh off a mind boggling orgasm. “No, decide what I’m feeling for me—what the fuck gives you the right to make up my mind for me?”

This bastard, who can pull an argument out of you in an instant—when you’d just been thinking nice things about him. “I’m coming with. Tommy’s promise of hard booze is sounding better and better by the minute.”

He huffs at you and it's all you get for a response. You follow him down the stairs and out to the truck, Tommy is waiting down stairs with a confused look, but you shake your head at him and he tails behind you on the way out the door. Joel moves fast across the snow covered yard, climbing in the already running truck with a slam of the drivers door. “What’s his problem?” Tommy makes a face at you when you stop at the tailgate of the truck. “He’s not in a good mood.” Tommy nods his head and walks over to the passenger door. “Course he isn’t, why would he be?” There's a laugh and he opens the door for you, but he doesn’t get in first—he makes you sit beside Joel, with his knee bouncing and his knuckles white on the steering wheel. He won't look at you, but you can tell he’s riddled with anxiety right now. When Tommy squeezes in beside you, you find yourself pressed up against Joel, from shoulder to his solid thigh.

The drive is uneventful because Joel turns on the radio and he doesn’t say anything. Not for the whole twenty five minute drive, Joel doesn’t make a sound, so you and Tommy sit in the uncomfortable silence and try to ignore the way his fingers tap and flex against the steering wheel. When you get into town, you give Tommy all the money you were able to scrounge up and he runs into the liquor store close to the feed store. You were going to sit in the truck and wait, but Joel leans against the door frame with his hands perched on the roof and his cowboy hat blocking the run from your eyes. “Since Tommy’s preoccupied, you’re gonna have to help me.”

Help him? You? “I have three hundred pounds of feed to load, unless you're afraid you’ll break a nail.” Does he have any idea how that works, that you don’t have long fake nails anymore like you did in college? “Well, I guess it's a good thing they are already busted then.”

Helping Joel load the truck means you get to watch him work, carrying two feed bags to your one, but his shoulders bulge when he lifts and you nearly have to cross your legs to push away the nagging thought. He probably looks so damn built under all those layers, beneath that Carhartt. By the time the truck is loaded, Tommy is back with a half gallon of bottom shelf whiskey that looks like a hangover just waiting to happen.

Joel doesn’t give the bottle a second look, but the ride home is just as quiet as the drive there.

It isn’t until later that night when you and Tommy crack open the bottle. It’s dark, but Joel is nowhere to be seen when Tommy makes a fire in the pit out front of the cabin. Your parents went to bed early and the last thing you wanted to do was keep them up, so you took the long walk to the cabin with a few blankets to keep you warm until the whiskey kicks in.

Thirty minutes of having your feet propped up by the fire while you pass the bottle back and forth and Joel finally comes into view, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he tries to walk straight past the two of you. “Come on man, can’t you join us? Sit by the fire with your brother?”

The older man shoots him a look, one you can't read but Tommy obviously does. “Come on, Joel—Tommy’s going to make me drink all of this by myself.” He steps onto the porch with his back turned, wiping the snow off his boots. “I don’t drink anymore.” Is the only response he gives. Like you hadn’t seen him drunk off his ass before.

Another hour passes before you see Joel again and by that time the half gallon is half empty, sitting between the two of you while you giggle and laugh about stupid humor Joel would probably huff at. Can someone remind you why it's the broody brother you want? Not the slightly asshole-ish one who knows how to take a joke? Tommy doesn’t exactly do it for you—not your type, no drive, no motivation—but he is Joel's brother, the closest thing you ever get to having the real thing.

You wonder if he’d fuck you like Joel would—they are brothers, so Tommy has to be just as well endowed at Joel, right?

Right on que, like he could hear you thinking about him, Joel comes out and stands behind your chairs. “Think you guys have had enough. Last thing I need is to be up all night because Tommy’s pukin’.”

He gives the emptying bottle a tap with his foot and you glance up at him. “Oh, come on, Joel—why are you always such a fun sucker? You just hate seeing people smile, is that it? Is it bad for maintaining your shitty mood?” Tommy laughs beside you and you ride off that chuckle, but not for long. “And here I thought alcohol would make you plaint, but I guess it just makes you more of a bitch.”

If your head wasn’t swimming in booze right now, you’d probably swing at him, but you aren’t coordinated enough for that right now, so you settle on a hard glare. “I don’t know man, I think I have a good idea of how she gets when she’s drunk.”

Joel's eyes shoot over to him like he already knows exactly where this is going. “Bet you get real feisty, huh? Whiskey always makes girls want it—get’s um horny.” When he talks, he’s looking straight at you—if Joel wasn’t standing right beside you, you probably couldn’t have the courage to hold his younger brother's gaze like that. You want it right now, god you do, but not from the brother that's asking.

“You’ve got no idea,” you tell him and Tommy smirks at you, then up at his brother who’s gone stiff. “Is it me or him? Because this one doesn’t look too willing to give you any kind of sugar.”

Joel downright growls at his brother. “Knock it the fuck off, Tommy—she’s a lady.” A lady that wants him to bend her in half and stuff her full right now—no matter how much it might hurt. “No she ain’t! A lady doesn’t drink half a bottle and want to fuck.”

There's a hard thud behind you and when you look at Tommy, he’s holding the back of his head where Joel smacked him. “I’m walkin’ her home.” He tells his brother, but doesn’t once ask what you want. It’s been too long, been way too long since someone touched you—and it might be the alcohol in your system or the desperation for a Miller that sends you down this path, but both directions lead you to the same destruction.

“Like fuck you are! You aren’t my dad, Joel—you don’t get to decide what I want all the time. If I want to drink half a bottle and fuck your brother, then you’re going to have to suck it up and listen through the damn wall.”

Joel’s look of anger quickly morphs into something you’ve never seen on Joel Miller—fear. Oh—yeah, you struck a nerve on that one. What does he think? You’re going to soil his baby brother? Does he really look down on you that much, that he’s afraid of you sinking your claws into Tommy? You don’t want Tommy, you want Joel, but you’ll never have that—so you grab Tommy by the hand, yank him up until he’s standing on equally wobbly feet before pulling him down to meet your mouth. He tastes like whiskey and it's nothing to write home about. There's no electricity, no real desire on your part. But you know you hit your mark when there's hard footsteps headed towards the house and a hard slam of the front door.

Tommy gets into it fast, his hands on your hips and his teeth nipping at your lips like he’s as desperate for you as you are for his brother. “Let’s go inside,” he hums and you agree—you’re already this far and you want to make Joel feel what you’ve felt for the past twos months, all this anger and bitterness, why the fuck doesn’t he want you like you want him.

“Do you think he’ll hear us, through the wall?” Tommy pulls away and makes a face of confusion. “Do you want him to?”

Do you? Want him to hear the way you could moan and gasp for him? The way you could beg him for more, deeper, harder? Absolutely. “Yeah—I want him to hear it.”

It's a rough and awkward tumble to his room, you fall against the wall and Tommy does his best to keep you up straight. The door beside Tommy’s room is closed and the light is off, but you can't hear anything inside.

You try not to think—try your hardest not to imagine Joel instead of his brother, but it's a futile attempt. All you can see right now is Joel with his cock in his hand lent over the bathroom sink and how much you wanted to get on your knees for him right then and there. “Can I suck your dick?” Tommy groans from where he stands at the end of the bed, you propped against his pillows, both of you in the midst of discarding your clothes. You get down to your panties and underwear by the time Tommy is left in just his briefs. “Yeah-fuck yeah, you can.”

It’s good, it’s working for you—until he drops his underwear and you’re left…underwhelmed. “You aren’t as big as him?” If it wasn’t for the alcohol in your system, you probably wouldn’t have said it in the first place—but how could you not? He’s half the size of his brother, if you’re being generous. He’s still decent sized, you’ve had bigger, but you cant help the pang of disappointment that you won't be able to pretend just for now.

“I—no, wait you saw it?” You wince and Tommy pulls his boxers back up, suddenly the room is filled with something other than desire. “It was an accident—I didn’t mean to, but I just thought…you’re brothers and all.”

Tommy sighs, turns himself and sits down at the end of the bed with his head in his hands. “You don’t want to do this with me.” He says. “I didn’t say that—“ he shakes his head at you and turns enough to look at you. “You’re disappointed that my dick isn’t as big as his—you don’t want this with me. I don’t want to fuck you while you’re imagining my brother.”

Okay—ouch, that one stung. But you can't argue a point because you have no truth behind it even if you tried. You were going to imagine him—press your hands to the wall and imagine you were on the other side of it. “I’m sorry, Tommy…It’s not you, I promise…you’re a good friend and you’re a nice guy, I just…”

He smiles at you and it eases some of your anxiety. Tommy might not be Joel, but he is a good friend. “It’s okay, I can see it…Don’t think I could take somethin’ that's already his.” But you aren’t, his, after all. He doesn’t look at you like that, doesn’t want you—doesn’t want to touch you like this when he’s so busy despising you.

“He doesn’t want me like that, Tommy.”

Doesn’t want to see you like this in his bed, half naked and begging for him. “How do you know that?” You fiddle your hands with the band of your underwear, where a string is fraying on the edge. “He hates me…can’t even stand to look at me, he’s made that pretty clear.”

Tommy chuckles slowly and tosses you his shirt. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Honey. Try, you might surprise yourself.”

You pull the shirt on and curl up on the pillow, letting your head swim in the whiskey that's starting to take its toll on you now. “Sleep in here tonight, won't try anything—I promise.”

He takes the spot beside you and you smile sleepily, pulling the blanket over the top of you. “Thanks Tommy.”

Sleep comes easy when you’ve drank as much as you have tonight and you try not to think about the other side of this wall.

In the next room, Joel sits fully clothed at the end of his bed with his head in his hands, trying his damndest to stop the tears burning his eyes and tracking down his face.

[formulaforza]

daddy-daughter dance-- d.ricciardo

pairing: daniel ricciardo x reader word count: 770 a/n: just like. who else would I write this about yk?

He’s been talking about it for ages, dreaming about it since you found out you were having a girl. They still do those, right? He’s asked, said his sister went to one every year when she was young. 

They do, still do it, you learned when she was five, and a newsletter came home with her from school advertising it. Baby, look at this, you told him, tapped on the headline in the corner of the page. Father-daughter dance. 

It was a Saturday, and he’d made a whole day out of it. Woke up early, earlier than usual, and made her favorite breakfast, served it to her in bed, woke her up with a soft kiss on the forehead, moving her sweaty hair from her face. 

After breakfast, they go to the spa–get pedicures. Daniel sends you lots of pictures, even more videos of her giggling uncontrollably in the big chair. After much contemplation, she chooses rainbow nails, with rainbow sparkles. A classy decision, Daniel tells her from behind the camera in the video he sent, very smart. 

When they get home she gifts you with two sets of foam toe separators, says they’re for the next time the two of you have a girls night. You thank her, put them in the bin that all of your nail polish is in, and then you start on her hair. 

She has his curls, long and thick and  wild and unruly. They’ve never been easy to tame. You wet them down, soak them with a spray bottle and slowly work through the tangles. “Are you excited to go to the dance with daddy?” You asked her, tugged on her hair and apologized. 

“I’m so excited!” She told you, mirrored your actions on the Barbie doll in her lap. “Me’s and Daddy will has so much fun.”

“You and Daddy will have so much fun.” You nod, re-align the part of her hair. “Daddy is sooo excited, too.”

“Really?” She says, shoots her eyes up to meet your in the mirror. 

You smile at her smile, at the crooked baby teeth and apple cheeks. “Oh, yeah.” You tell her, nod, reach for the curl cream. “The only thing he loves more than dancing is you.”

“You think?” She says, the th- sound horribly enunciated, dull and lispy and adorable. 

“I know.”

– –

Daniel’s in your bedroom, receiving updates from you, in your daughter’s room, via text. She’s wearing purple. You told him three outfit changes ago. Blue. I think we’ve settled on blue. She had not, in fact, settled on the blue dress. Yellow. Yellow, for sure. You finally said, after she looked into the mirror and said she looked like her favorite princess. 

You couldn't’ remember if he had a yellow tie–he has to, you think, you hope, because he is dead-set on matching her and there’s no way you’re going to make her pick a different outfit, no way your sanity can last another trip through her closet. 

She asks if you can put makeup on her, and you can’t imagine Daniel’s reaction to that–his little girl in makeup. You put the tiniest amound of blush on, a dollop of sparkly lipgloss, and run a dry spooly brush through her eyebrows and eyelashes. “Fabuolous!” She declares, spinning around in her dress and her dress-up disney-princess heels. 

She’s waiting on the couch, patiently playing with the tule on the skirt of her dress, picking at the sequins and the sparkles. She’s taken one of your purses hostage, a tiny white baguette bag slung over her shoulder. She put your lipgloss in it–just in case, Mom, she told you. Your lipgloss, and an old phone, sceen cracked and practically unusable, one she uses when her imagination is feeling extravagant. 

Daniel walks through the door with a bouquet of yellow and white flowers in his hand, and two plasti boxes–a white corsage and a matching boutonniere. You pin it on him, and he double wraps the elastic band of the corsage around her wrist so it doesn’t fall off, tells her she looks so lovely, beautiful like always. 

You take a million pictures of them on the front porch before they go, so many they’re both begging to go. We can’t be late, Mom, your daughter told you, huffed and crossed her arms. “Yeah, Mom.” Daniel teases, “We can’t be late.”

“Okay, okay.” You say, snap a couple more pictures, kiss them both goodbye. You watch on from the porch, hand over your heart, smile on your face while he helps her into the car like it’s a chariot, a horse-drawn carriage for a queen.

[msfantasy-anime]

Paybacks a Bitch

ExBoyfriend!Katsuki Bakugo x ExGirlfriend!Reader

Summary: Katsuki and Y/n have been dating throughout middle-school, Katsuki gives a brutal break-up on graduation day. The two meet again as adults

Warnings: Angst, break-up drama, regrets

Masterlist - Tip Jar

“So what if I didn’t get into UA?! That doesn’t mean we have to break-up!” Lip trembling, Katsuki pulls away from your grasp as teary blobs cascade down your red splotchy cheeks.

“You don’t get it. If that quirk-less loser Deku got in, then you should’ve too. You must be incredibly pathetic not to get in. I can’t have a girlfriend holding me back from my goals.” A sob escapes your lips as his ferocious words slam deep daggers into your heart.

“How can you say that?! We’ve been together for years and now-“

“And now I have finally opened my eyes to see you for who you truely were. A pathetic looser who’s holding me back. You’ve been an anchor in my life for long enough.” Overwhelmed with the Katsuki’s brutal words your tears turn off, you look blankly into his face. The face of the boy you had once gone, now scowling at you as if you were a nuisance. As if you were just some stranger causing irritation and ruining his day.

This wasn’t your Katsuki, this was a beastly teenage boy who had no love left for you. After all the time and effort spent in maintaining a relationship with this egotistical fool. But now that you think of it… why did you love Katsuki? Long ago were the days when he was kind, long were the days that he ensured your happiness came first. When was the last time he took you on a date? When did he last make you smile? When was the last time you smiled?

Sudden relief washes over you at the realisation that you were no longer bound to his mood-swings. His overbearing jealously that ruined your plans. His controlling nature dominating what you wore and who you talked to.

You can start a new, High School was just around the corner.

There was no need to waste your time any further.

There was no need to waste another breath explaining yourself.

You looked upon Katsuki’s emotionaless face, there was no need to waste another wasted moment with him.

———————————————————————————

“Y/n!” A voice calls, looking over your shoulder you see Midoriya holding a beer in one hand and waving ecstatically with the other.

“No fricking way! Your in charge of the tongs- I’ll be back.” You pass your friend the tongs to continue flipping the thin meat whilst you rush over to greet your old classmate.

“Izu! It’s good to see you!” You pull him into a bear hug which he gingerly returns.

“This is amazing! Look Kacchan- it’s Y/n!” You look to the person sitting across from Midoriya to see non-other than Katsuki Bakugo staring at you with his mouth open. You give a small wave from where you stood, knowing that he was never one for mushy greetings.

“Wow- I’d never thought that I’d see Suki drinking beer and eating barbecue with Izu.” Your signature grin spreading across your face. Midoriya pulls a chair out for you to sit.

“Since when did you call the nerd Izu?” Lips curl at the pathetic nickname given to his rival. His stomach turns seeing you look off the the side the way you did when you wanted to avoid a question. Irritation bubbles in his stomach as Midoriya changes the subject quickly.

“So what’s happening with you?!” His excitement was always infectious, it was a quality you had always admired.

“I had a lay-over in Japan, so I thought I’d catch up with some old friends, but I’m heading back to Australia for a bit. I have a new office opening in Sydney.” Midoriya hums excitedly grabbing your hand he gives it a light squeeze. Katsuki glares at your clenching palm.

“This is the 2nd agency you’ve opened right?! I’ve been following your accomplishments in the hero announcements!” Giggling, you shyly wave off Midoriyas’ kind words.

Katsuki hated this.

He hated how familiar you were both acting.

He hated how he didn’t know anything about you anymore and he hated that this damn nerd knew more about you.

He hated that you seem to be casting your full attention on the green grape across from him.

He hated how he was once your whole life and now is no longer privy to your life.

Katsuki had sworn that you were an anchor to his life. He discarded you thinking that you would hold him back, or drag him down.

Instead your travelling the world, building hero agencies and raking in millions in the process.

You achieved everything you’d hoped.

He achieved his goals- but at what cost?

You were Middle-Schoolers, you wouldn’t have lasted together anyway right?

“It was good to catch up with you both- but I can see my friends are needing help keeping up with the barbecue.” Katsuki gripped your wrist as you stood and blurted out a question that shocked your very ears.

“Do you ever miss me?” You shrug awkwardly, you churned words through your head to string together a kind sentence, but this is Katsuki, he appreciates bluntness.

“Romantically? I don’t. We were kids when we were together, I haven’t seen you since we were 15 years old. I honestly barely remember those times.” Your departure left Katsuki feeling cold.

You barely remember being with him? He remembered you vividly. He struggles to be with anyone else because of his stupidity, his ego ruined a good relationship.

That is a regret he’ll just have to live with.

[bubblegumvolcano]

𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲  (ᵉᵗʰᵃⁿ ᵐᵒʳᵍᵃⁿ ˣ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ)

ᵐᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡⁱˢᵗ

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; they/them pronouns used, light cursing 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭; 2,367 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭; studying with ethan morgan turns into something more ?

︶︶︶ ୨୧ ︶︶︶  

“So, my place or yours?”

“What?”

“My place or yours?”

Ethan looked to the side in thought, “Oh! My house is fine, unless you want to do it at yours?”

“I’m fine with that! Now, should we work on the essay before the poster board?” 

“Sure, that sounds good to me.”

“Okay, then we’ll do that today and work on the poster board throughout the week. After school today works for you, right?”

“Yep. Um, around what time are you planning on coming? Any time is fine, but you know, just to be prepared."

"I think about five, if that’s fine?"

Ethan nodded, "That works."

-

As soon as he left for lunch, he walked over to the cafeteria to find Benny. He found him and Rory sitting at their usual lunch table.

"Hey." Ethan smiled as he joined Benny and Rory.

Benny looked up from his lunch, "Finally. What took you so long?"

Ethan rolled his eyes, taking a seat in between his friends. "I’m only a minute late."

“Only?”

“So did you get assigned partners in Chemistry?” Rory finally spoke up, accidentally interrupting Benny at the perfect time.

“I did, actually. Y/N. You know them?”

Benny’s eyes widened. “Of course I know Y/N. They’re so hot.” 

Rory paused, “Wait, Y/N from our English?”

Benny nodded, and once Rory realized who it was, his eyes widened too. “Man, you’re lucky.”

Ethan scoffed at his friends' reactions. "Well we've been getting along pretty well. They’re really, really smart. And they’re coming over today, actually."

Benny wiggled his eyebrows immediately. "Coming over, huh? Is this a study session or...?"

Ethan nudged Benny. "Come on, man. Obviously a study session. This is like our fourth time talking ever.”

“Ethan. You know you guys have talked way more than that. And you know you have a crush on them.”

“Whatever.”

Rory chimed in, "Well, it sounds like a good time. Just remember to be yourself and use protection."

Ethan choked on air, “Rory, stop saying things like that out of nowhere.”

“Sorry.”

-

As the lunch period ended, the boys went their separate ways to attend their afternoon classes. But Ethan's mind couldn't help but wander to the upcoming study session with you. He was growing more excited with each minute, anticipating the chance to spend time with you outside of school.

He knew the whole point was to do a project, but Benny was right. He did have a crush on you, which only made this study session more nerve-wracking.

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and Ethan hurriedly packed up his stuff. Thoughts of the study session with you consumed his mind, mixing with the butterflies in his stomach. He couldn't shake off the nervousness. 

Benny went over to Ethan’s for a bit before going home and helped him clean up his room a bit.

“Stop looking so nervous, you’re gonna freak them out.”

“I am nervous.”

“No shit.”

-

Benny left Ethan’s house at around 4:15, but now it’s 5PM. Ethan smoothed out his hair, clothes, and bed, but it was all off still. It didn’t matter how much he straightened everything out, his heart was racing.

He took a deep breath. Knowing that you could be here at any second made him anxious. 

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the doorbell rang. Ethan ran down the stairs, but just as he was about to get to the door, his mother opened it and greeted you, revealing an inviting smile. 

Ethan’s mother, who hadn’t been informed about the study session, still invited you in with open arms. She remembered you faintly from Ethan’s thirteenth birthday party.

“What’s your name again, sweetheart?”

“Oh, Y/N, nice to see you again!”

Ethan interrupted quietly, “We’re gonna be working on a chemistry assignment.”

“Oh, okay! I saw the backpack but didn’t even think about it. Good luck, guys!”

You both thanked his mother, but when you reached the top of the stairs, she called out again. 

“Ethan! Leave the door a bit open!”

Ethan shut his eyes in embarrassment but you smiled to yourself as you walked behind him. 

"Sorry about the door thing."

"Don't worry about it," you replied with a gentle laugh. "It's sweet that she cares. Now, chemistry."

You entered Ethan's room behind him, and sat on the bed as soon as you saw it. His room seemed to reflect his personality almost perfectly, from the neatly arranged books on the shelves to the posters on the walls.

As you unpacked your bag on the bed and ranted about the work, Ethan couldn't help but steal glances at you. He admired how you used your hands as support to what you’re saying. He found himself becoming even more drawn to you by the second. 

“Did you hear me?”

“Oh, yeah. Yes.”

“So you think we should burn all of our papers and poster boards from chemistry.”

“Oh, no. Definitely no. Sorry, I’m a little tired.”

You smiled at his gentle expression, “It’s okay. Me too.”

You both laughed, officially breaking the tension in the room. 

The fatigue seemed to fade away as you dived into the chemistry assignment. The room seemed to freshen up with new ideas and a few “Google it!”s here and there.

Ethan found different ways to word things while you wrote them down, making it an effective system for the both of you.

-

Time flew by, and before you knew it, the room was soaked in the soft glow of the evening sunset. The chemistry assignment was complete, and a fresh sense of accomplishment filled the air. It was barely six thirty-ish.

As you sat side by side on his bed, a comfortable silence settled between you.

You flopped onto your back and closed your eyes, feeling his eyes on you still.

“I know you’re looking at me.”

You let out a giggle as his words quickly stumbled, keeping your eyes closed as you enjoyed the moment.

“I’m just teasing, Ethan. You can look at me however much you want to.” You opened your eyes now, looking straight into his.

Ethan's cheeks turned a dusty shade of pink, and he tried averting his gaze, but couldn’t despite feeling some embarrassment. He had always struggled with social cues and expressing his emotions well, but with you, he felt comfort that allowed him to be himself.

A shy smile played on his lips. "You’re really pretty."

“You’re prettier.” 

“I didn’t mean to be so forward but... I really like spending time with you." Ethan shut his eyes, realizing he did it again.

You smiled softly, "I like spending time with you too, Ethan. You're different from anyone I've met before, in a good way."

His eyes met yours again, and you could see a hint of surprise in them. “I’m just... awkward."

"Well you are, but it's cute." you replied with a playful grin.

Ethan's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, and he shyly scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks, Y/N."

Feeling a surge of courage, you sat up and scooted closer to him on the bed, your shoulders touching now. "You know, Ethan, studying doesn't have to be the only thing we do today."

Ethan’s eyes practically bulged out of his head, "What do you mean?"

You laughed at his teenage boy mind and playfully nudged his shoulder. "I mean, we've been working so hard on this assignment. How about we do something fun? Ooo... or go somewhere?”

"Like where?"

You thought for a moment before an idea popped into your head. "Well, there's a new ice cream parlor that just opened like five minutes away from here. I heard they have some weird ass flavors. Are you down?"

You already stood up and grabbed your stuff, including your keys, waiting for his answer. 

"Sure!"

You and Ethan quickly made your way out of his room and down the stairs. Ethan called out a quick, “I’ll be back, mom!”

Ethan's mother glanced at the two of you, “Be back before it’s too dark!” A knowing smile played on her lips, and she waved you both off as you headed out.

The drive to the ice cream parlor was filled with lighthearted conversation and laughter. You exchanged stories about your lives outside of school and laughed with each other easily. It felt natural being with Ethan, and he seemed to relax more now.

Arriving at the ice cream parlor, you both stared at the colorful array of flavors and toppings. 

After heavy consideration from the both of you, you made your choices and found a cozy corner to sit at to enjoy your ice creams. He paid for everything despite your arguments.

As you savored the ice cream, the conversation flowed effortlessly once again between you. You talked about some embarrassing moments from your pasts but they didn’t even feel embarrassing any more. With each passing minute, the connection between you deepened, and the initial nervousness and shyness melted away.

As you finished, you grabbed your keys again and looked at him. “I guess I should drive you home, huh?”

Ethan nodded, a hint of disappointment crossing his face. 

“Yeah..” 

He understood that it was getting late, and you both had responsibilities to tend to, but he really didn’t wanna leave.

As you walked towards the car, Ethan couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. He wanted to spend more time with you, get to know you better, and maybe even explore the possibility of something more than just a study session.

As you drove through the quiet streets, Ethan glanced at you from the corner of his eye, contemplating whether he should make some sort of move or not.

“I’m gonna crash if you keep looking at me. What’s up?”

Ethan's heart skipped a beat at your words, and he quickly turned his attention back to the road, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck. He gathered his thoughts, realizing that he had been staring at you without realizing it.

"Sorry, I was just... thinking," he stammered, his voice having a hint of nervousness.

You chuckled softly, glancing at him with a smile. "What were you thinking about?"

Ethan took a deep breath, "Well, I was thinking about how much fun I had today, not just studying but also the ice cream. And... I was wondering if maybe we could do this again sometime?"

A smile spread across your face as you finally pulled up to his house. 

"I'd love that, Ethan. I had a great time too."

You both sat in the car for a moment, the engine idling, as the weight of the unspoken tension filled the air. Ethan mustered up some courage, leaning closer to you.

"Can I ask you something?" 

You nodded, your heart racing in anticipation. “Yeah.”

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching yours for reassurance. "Would it be okay if I kissed you?"

Your heart skipped a beat, and a surge of excitement rushed through your veins. The anticipation hung in the air as you met Ethan's gaze, your eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and desire. The moment felt surreal, and you could feel the tension building between you.

“Y-”

Before you could respond, the sound of a guy yelling disrupted the intimate atmosphere. You both turned your heads towards the noise only to see Benny standing outside of your car, waving his arms frantically. 

You hesitantly rolled the passengers side window down. 

"Hey, lovebirds! Don't forget about me!" Benny shouted with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Ethan groaned in exasperation, slumping back in his seat. "Benny, seriously? Can't you give us a moment?"

Benny shrugged, still grinning ear to ear. "Sorry, but I couldn't resist. You two were about to have your magical movie moment, weren’t you?”

You couldn't help but laugh at the unexpected interruption. "Well, Benny, you certainly know how to kill the mood."

Benny feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart. "Hey, I'm just here to provide some comic relief. Besides, I thought you two might appreciate an audience for your grand romantic gesture."

Ethan shook his head, trying to hide his amusement. "There was no grand romantic gesture, Benny. We were just having a conversation." You nodded in agreement.

Benny raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Oh, really? Just a conversation, huh? Well, I guess I'll leave you guys to continue your 'conversation' then." Benny began making his way to Ethan’s house, but not without making kissy faces at you two first. 

“I’ma be in your room, Ethan.”

“I don’t care!”

“Love you too!” With a final wink, Benny walked away, leaving you and Ethan alone in the car again.

You couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. "Well, that was unexpected."

Ethan chuckled, his cheeks still tinged with a hint of pink. "Yeah, Benny has a knack for timing, doesn't he?"

You leaned closer to Ethan, a playful glint in your eyes. "So, my place or yours?"

Ethan blinked, momentarily thrown off by the sudden question. "What?"

You smiled softly at his confusion. "I'm just teasing. How about we save that kiss for another time?"

Ethan let out a relieved breath, a smile forming on his lips. "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Let’s hang out again soon?”

You nodded in agreement, "I'd like that."

Ethan looked at you one more time, “I guess I’ve gotta go.”

“I guess you do.”

“Goodnight, see you at school.”

“Goodnight!” 

As Ethan got out of the car, you watched him walk towards his house, feeling a sense of contentment. 

You drove off to your house, while Ethan was being interrogated by a smirking Benny.

"So, how did it go? Did you make your move?"

Ethan shook his head, trying to hide his disappointment. "No, Benny. We were interrupted by you, remember?"

"My bad. But on the first not even date?"

"More than you’ve ever done. But it's fine, we're hanging out again soon."

Benny's eyes lit up with excitement as he ignored the first statement, "That's great news! See, I didn’t ruin everything this time!”

“Now, tell me. What’d it feel like when you almost kissed them?”

tags; @dream-this-nightmare-over @srandomblog @sweetcowboycollection​ @steveandstave @rainy-dayzs-thingz @vanillab0nez @cultravioletkat (dm to be added/removed!)

[sailtomarina]

Flourish, Blotts, & Granger

Fred bustled through the busy streets, one person at the forefront of his mind. Everyone seemed to be talking about her workplace and how shocked they’d been over the news. Not a single one of them had been able to answer his questions.

Villanelle, the long-established owner of Flourish & Blotts, had announced her retirement.

He couldn’t remember a time where the woman wasn’t the bookseller’s proprietress. Even Charlie and Bill had stories of their run-ins with the witch during their school years. She was as much a part of Diagon Alley as the Leaky or Fortescue’s. Fred could only hope that one day WWW would hold a similar timelessness to those playful of heart.

Now, he feared the worst. He needed to speak to someone who would certainly know more. Someone who was very close to the owner herself.

Crowds swarmed the entrance and first floor of the shop, but he fought his way through and up the stairs to spot a familiar head of cinnamon-threaded brown atop a ladder.

“Hermione!”

It was a good thing he still had the reflexes that had saved him all those years ago from certain death. She spun in surprise at his voice, lost her balance, and fell straight into his arms as he dashed forward to catch her.

“Fred! Did I hurt you? Are you alright?”

Sprawled on his back and looking up at the halo of curls around a face dearer to him than his own life, Fred could only grin.

“Frederick Gideon Weasley, say something or I’ll think I’ve knocked you silly!” She pulled out her wand to run a diagnostic over him, not caring that she still sat astride him for anyone to see.

“Godric, you’re beautiful.”

Her breath caught and colour filled her cheeks. Fred thought she’d never looked more becoming.

“Now you’re really frightening me.” She reached out to smooth a hand across his brow, which he caught and pressed to his lips. “Fred! What has gotten into you?”

This time, he finally did sit up, but he trapped her there in his arms as he continued to gaze at her. He lowered his voice. “I came as soon as I heard.”

“Heard what, exactly?” She tilted her head, a furrow appearing between her eyes as she frowned at him.

“About Villanelle’s retirement, of course.”

The furrow vanished as she perked up, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Oh! Yes! Isn’t it wonderful news? I’m so happy for her. She’s been planning this for so long I wasn’t sure she was ever going to do it.”

Her sincere joy for her employer baffled him. Fred would have thought her distraught about the change in ownership. “But what about the shop? Will it be closing or have you already met the new owner?”

Her follow-up actions were as unexpected as they were aggravating. She wiggled, her body swaying from side to side and hands coming together as she clapped.in excitement. It was adorable, but it also rubbed against him in a way that prompted him to grab onto her hips to still her motions. 

“You’re looking at her!” she cried. Arms came up around his neck to hug him tight and it took her choking hold for the words to finally penetrate his thick skull.

“You’re the new owner of Flourish & Blotts?” 

He felt like he should have seen that one coming. Hermione had worked for them for ages now, having found refuge in their shelves shortly after discovering that Ministry work wasn’t for her. Villanelle became the mentor she’d always dreamt of, providing invaluable feedback on her writing and lending a listening ear whenever she needed to bounce ideas off of another. 

“We’ve already signed the paperwork! There should be an announcement in this weekend’s Prophet.” She pulled away, fingers gliding up to card through his hair, eyes soft on him. “We’ll be seeing each other even more now since I’ll be taking her place in the Diagon Alley Association.”

He snorted, already imagining several ways he could sneak in inappropriate touches under the table without anyone the wiser. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

She shook her head slowly. “No, though it does mean I’ll be less likely to pop over for lunch until I get used to juggling it all.”

Fred snuck a look around before making his next move. It wouldn’t do for unsavoury comments to begin before she’d even taken the mantle publicly. Assured at their privacy, he cast a quick Disillusionment spell before standing up abruptly to pin her against the same ladder from which she’d fallen. 

“Fred! What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed. He noticed she didn’t push him away. On the contrary, her legs wrapped around him automatically until she settled against a step.

“I’m taking advantage of the time we have left and celebrating with an early lunch.” 

It took months of ownership for Hermione to finally stop blushing every time she looked over at the second-floor ladder, and even longer than that before she caved and let Fred pin her against it again.

He vowed it wouldn’t be the last. He had plans in store for the two of them, after all; plans that involved a lifetime of celebration.

876 WC

Cross-posted on Tumblr and AO3

Word prompt “Flourish” from FB Group Lauren’s Kitchen

I loved getting this word since I felt like I could go many different ways with it. I ended up sticking with the familiar bookshop since I’ve been in a cosy mood lately curled up in my blankets and sweaters while it rains outside. What better place to spend my time than in the book-lined aisles of our favourite Diagon Alley shop?

I’ve always adored Fred, but this one today is for Moonfairy. May Fred live on forever in our hearts!

[mac-cheez]

My Guide to Surviving the Waynes

This has been sitting in my drafts for a while and I finally finished the ending!! Don't expect an update soon I have no idea when the fancy will strike again and the TMA brain rot is real rn.

Pt. 1 Pt. 2

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

Dear Diary,

I was wrong. SO WRONG. You’d think rich people, especially adopted rich people, would be at least a little sane, but no, they’re not and I have no idea how to deal. It’s only been a couple days since my last entry and so much has happened. So here’s what I’ve learned:

Let’s start with the first incident that happened roughly 10 min after my last entry. I had just finished when Tim offered to meet me in the coffee shop outside of the library (he was picking me up from campus)(Alfred was busy). When I walked in I saw him about to order and walked to the side to wait. He looked at the menu for roughly 0.2 sec before looking the barista dead in the eye saying “I’ll have a Vanilla Cold Brew with seven shots of espresso.”

The barista laughed and joked “Damn you want some cocaine with that?” Then he just said, “Sure that too.” and fucking walked away? He didn’t even give his name he just paid and went straight to the pickup area. The most concerning part of that story is that they fucking did it! And he drank the whole goddamn thing without batting an eye! I was highly concerned for his well-being the entire drive home. (I really need to talk to Mr. Wayne about a rental)

What’s even weirder is when we walked into the manor Dick was just hanging from the chandelier. It was sans rope and more acrobatic, but still concerning considering how tall the ceiling was. I’m still not entirely sure how he got up there, but I just walked away hoping to find my sanity once again.

The rest of the day went relatively smoothly with the normal amount of yelling and death threats (still can’t believe this is reality). The next day something actually nice happened while I was off from college and heading to the kitchen for lunch. It was a Friday so most of the house was either at work or school, and it was pretty quiet (thank god). When I walked in one of the others was in there cooking already (Jason I think?). I decided on a sandwich since he was currently using the stove and it was going smoothly till I got to the pickle jar. For whatever reason that thing was tight as hell and was going nowhere. He looked at me and after my fifth try (and many curse words) he held out his hand. I handed the jar to him, and he opened it without trouble.

“I loosened it,” I said trying to hide my embarrassment.

“Uh-huh,” he said distractedly. We sat in awkward silence till I noticed one of the books from the library on the counter. It was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign Of The Four. I asked if he was reading it and he said yes. I asked him if he’s gotten to the twist yet and he looked at me puzzled.

“You’ve read The Sign Of The Four?”

“Yeah, not my favorite Sherlock Holmes Novel, but still good nonetheless,” I said not paying attention, “Are you reading unabridged or abridged?”

“Unabridged,” he said, “you into the classics?”

“Totally, I love a good Victorian mystery or gothic horror novel,” I replied.

“You?” I asked.

“More of a Jane Austen fan myself, but I can respect those choices,” he said thoughtfully.

“I’ve never read her works, but if I have a chance I wouldn’t mind trying,” I said. He looked up at me somewhere between excitement and bewilderment.

“Would you like some recommendations?” He said cautiously. I said sure, and he immediately went into a long speech about Jane Austen and her novels. By the time he was done my sandwich and his ramen were long gone. By the end, I had a list of books to read and a new reading buddy to rant about books to. We’ve hung out intermittently since then, and honestly, it was the sanest thing I did all week. However the sanity didn’t last long.

Many other incidents (too many to write) all culminated in this afternoon, when I finally caved and decided if this was my life, it might as well be documented for (at the very least) the enjoyment of others. It was fairly quiet (first clue) and my morning class had been canceled so I was just sitting in the living room doing some work. Everyone else was out and I was about to leave for my 2:30 class when suddenly someone smashed through the window and a smoke bomb was thrown. I honestly thought it was Tim or Jason being weird again, but then the smoke cleared and there was just a bunch of dudes in Green suits with question marks. They looked around and saw me pretty quickly and immediately pointed whatever weapons they had at me. Eventually, some other ones came in the room and said the house was empty and “Wayne is nowhere to be found.” They started arguing till they finally concluded that if none of the Wayne’s were here, I must be the next best thing. Honestly, I can’t even blame them, and at this point I just let it happen.

They put a bag over my head and put me over the strongest one’s shoulder. I was in a car for about an hour before I was potato sack’d again. Once I was placed down, the bag was taken off my head, and I saw that I was in an abandoned-looking warehouse. I saw some more of the brightly clothed men off to the side arguing, one looking even more ridiculous than the others. The extra ridiculous one finally gave up talking to the others(henchmen maybe?) and walked (more like strutted) over to address me.

“Hello guest of Wayne, may I ask your name?” He asked rhyming for some weird ass reason.

“Vic?”

“Ah yes but what is it’s whole, for a half shall not know?” He said lilting his voice… ‘whimsically’?

“What?”

“Your designation that all might know.”

I just continued looking at him with apparent confusion not knowing what the hell is going on. After a minute he hung his head and spoke normally.

“What is your full name?” He sighed.

“Oh! Victoria Blanc,” I said.

“Ah! And what is your relation to the name of Wayne?” He said trying again with the talking in circles bull.

“Look dude usually I could appreciate….. Whatever it is that's happening, but I’ve had one hell of a week so…….”

“Oh come now it couldn’t have been that bad.” He said dismissively.

“Alright bet! You might wanna sit down this is gonna take a minute.”

Once he sat I started explaining everything that had happened since I’d moved to Gotham. As I was explaining more and more of the “henchmen” started joining the crowd.

“He chased him through the manor with a sword?” Riddler asked (at least that's what one of the others called him).

“Yeah, and apparently this is a normal phenomenon,” I said exasperated.

“And here I thought I was crazy.”

“Oh, no this is probably the most sane thing that's happened to me all week,” I said hand waving (They untied me after a while)(I asked nicely).

I was about to continue when suddenly three figures jumped down and got into fighting positions.

“Let her go Riddler!” Said the one in Black and blue(and maybe a bird?)

“Oh, she was free to leave a while ago.” He said casually to the masked people.

“What?” said the one in red.

“Yeah, we even offered to get her away from that mad house,” said Bob.

“Mad House?”

“Yes, it's almost criminal how they act in that house, you bats should really get on that,” ‘Riddler’ said chidingly. 

I didn't really understand why he called them bats since they all looked bird-themed but I didn't bring it up because honestly, weirder things have happened at this point. They agreed to look into it, albeit very confused(and almost offended), and said they still needed to take me back.

“Fine,” ‘Riddler’ sighed heavily, “ but Vic, sweetie, if you need somewhere safe to stay in Gotham I have plenty of friends who will keep you safe while you finish your degree.”

“Yeah, kinda tempting, but I don't think my parents would like that very much, and they are paying for it so…….”

“Very well, offer stands in perpetuity, to Arkham yes?”

“You're not gonna ask a riddle or…..” said the one in red and black.

“Usually I would but honestly I’m far too concerned right now to care.”

After that, they handcuffed him and the other goons (kinda unfair but i guess they did kidnap me) and walked me out to one of the police cars so I could go back to the manor. They offered to drive me but I've seen enough motorcycle crash scene pictures to put the fear of God (thy name is friction) in me. When I got back Mr. Wayne was in the foyer with Alfred and immediately came over to make sure I was ok.

“Yeah, I'm fine Mr. Wayne, honestly I’m more worried about the class I missed than the kidnapping,” I explained.

He seemed concerned by that but had a phone call right after that he needed to take. Alfred walked me to my room (I think to make sure I wasn't concussed) and I just kinda went back to writing and here we are. Can't wait to see what fresh hell awaits me in the coming week……….. Maybe I should've taken Riddler up on that offer.

[lemoncrushh]

Too Far From Texas | Chapter Seven

STORY PAGE

Word Count: 5224

After fifty rounds of arguing with Emery about why I wouldn’t let her wear her new costume to school, we finally came to a compromise. I allowed her to wear the dress, but she had to leave the wings and wig at home. It was just too special, I told her, and Harry had gone to a lot of trouble to get it for her. I didn’t want it ruined before she could go trick or treating because some kid sat on her wings and crushed them, or she decided the wig was too itchy, took it off and accidentally left it.

When I got to work, Lorelei was already in the break room, a witch hat on her head. She turned to me with a look of disappointment.

“You didn’t dress up!” she pouted.

“Neither did you,” I scoffed, crossing the room to grab a mug from the cupboard. “A hat does not a costume make.”

“I beg your pardon. I have my shawl at my desk. I’m Stevie Nicks.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “No, you’re not. Stevie does not wear a witch hat.”

“Yes she does! On Halloween. You’re the one who showed me a picture.”

“Touche,” I said, pouring creamer into my coffee. “But why Stevie?”

“Because I had the hat...and I couldn’t think of anything else.”

I laughed.

“So, you got me,” Lorelei shrugged. “But I did think maybe you’d dress up and we could be 'Sisters of the Moon'.”

“Do you have another hat for me?” I asked her.

“No.”

“Sorry to disappoint then,” I tossed the coffee stirrer in the trash.

“So did you talk to Harry last night?” she inquired as she followed me out into the hall.

“Only for a bit. He was flying out early this morning.”

“Did you make plans?”

“It’s still kinda up in the air right now,” I sighed when I entered my office and sat in my chair. “But I think it makes the most sense if we get together Thursday evening, as long as his schedule permits.”

A wide smile spread across Lorelei’s face as she sat on the edge of my desk.

“Are you excited?”

I glared at her for a moment until I pursed my lips, my cheeks suddenly getting warm.

“You have no idea,” I said, looking down at my lap.

“Oh, I think I do,” Lorelei quipped.

I sighed. “Talking to him on the phone is one thing, Lor. I feel like we’ve developed this sort of...relationship. But actually being with him…”

My words trailed off as I couldn’t finish the sentence. My heart seemed to beat faster at just the mere thought of seeing Harry again. I stared past Lorelei out the windows.

“Look at you all nervous,” teased Lorelei. “Over a man.”

I raised my brows and eyed her. “Why, have you never seen me like this before?”

“Well, yeah,” she tilted her head, “the night he came over. But that was more like first date jitters. This is different.”

“What would you call this?”

Lorelei pondered my question for a moment before finally settling on a shrug. “Not sure. At least I don’t wanna say yet. It might make you more nervous.”

“Gee, thanks. Like that doesn’t already.”

“You’ll be fine, Stace,” she smirked, rising from my desk and walking to the door. She stopped halfway and turned around. “Be sure to pack some sexy lingerie.”

“Lor!” I rolled my eyes.

She gingerly walked back to me, leaning over my chair. “You do plan on sleeping with him, right?” she whispered.

Combing a strand of hair behind my ear, my eyes wandered around the room. When I didn’t immediately give Lorelei the reply she’d hoped for, she cleared her throat.

“I suppose that’s none of my business,” she stated.

Finally looking at her, I muttered, “It’s been a really long time.”

“Yeah. I know,” she nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Even more the reason. You’re a grown woman, Stacey. You deserve to have fun.”

I blinked and gave a small smile.

With one last nod, Lorelei patted my back and left my office. My shoulders dropped as I sighed and rolled my chair around. I rose my arms over my head and stretched, determined to get at least a little bit of work done.

“Look how much candy I got!” Emery held up her bag to the phone for Harry to see.

“That’s a lot!” he smiled with wide eyes. “But I used to get twice as much when I was your age.”

“Really? Aw man!”

Harry chuckled. “Now step back and let me see your costume again.”

Emery stood back, proudly holding out her arms and giving a twirl.

“She’s had it on all day,” I explained, “but I got her to keep it on a little longer after my mom left so you could see.”

Harry had texted me earlier that afternoon, requesting that we Face Time that evening. My mom had come over to stay with Jasmine while I took Emery trick or treating, and she’d just left before I called Harry.

“All day?” he asked. “You wore it to school?”

“Only the dress,” Emery replied. “Mommy wouldn’t let me wear the wig and the wings.”

“Why not?”

My daughter looked at me and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Yes you do, silly girl,” I clicked my tongue. I addressed Harry, “We had a discussion about it last night and again this morning. I told her the costume was too special to get ruined the first time she wore it.”

“Is she wearing it again?” Harry inquired.

“Well no,” I shook my head. “But I didn’t want her to come home all upset because her wings broke or something.”

Harry eyed Emery with a pout. “Mum’s no fun, huh?”

“Hey!” I chided.

“No,” Emery agreed.

I made a face.

“Did you know I’ve worn wings on stage before?” asked Harry.

“Really?” Em beamed as she bounced on her toes. “Wings like mine? Or like a butterfly?”

“Actually, they were angel wings,” he replied. “Get your mum to show you on YouTube.”

“Not sure I’ve seen that,” I remarked.

“Would you have enjoyed wearing your wings to school?” Harry asked Emery.

“Yeah! It woulda been awesome!” Em threw up her arms, making Harry laugh. “Nobody knew who I was supposed to be. I kept having to explain.”

“See?” Harry looked at me with a smirk. “She just wanted to be her true self in all her glory.”

“Thanks a lot,” I muttered, then turned to Emery. “See if I take you trick or treating again.”

Harry laughed harder. “Uh oh, I think we upset your mum.”

I chuckled. “Gang up on me, why don’t you?”

“I’m sorry, Mommy!” Emery wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you for taking me trick or treating!”

“You’re welcome, sweet girl,” I kissed the top of her head. “I’m not upset. Now go get out of your costume and get your shower.”

“Okay,” she sighed, turning for the door.

“Wait, tell Harry goodnight,” I insisted.

“Oh yeah...night Harry!” she called.

“Goodnight, Miss Lapis!” Harry returned. “Sweet dreams!”

Emery giggled and blew him a kiss before skipping down the hall. I rose from the bed and shut the door once I heard her turn on the shower.

“She’s such a cute kid,” said Harry.

“Thanks,” I grinned, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. “Sometimes she can be a handful, but I like that she has her own personality, you know? Like, she has her own things she likes and that she’s into. She wants everyone to like her, but at the same time she doesn’t always follow the pack.”

“Hmm,” Harry raised his brows and nodded. “I can tell. Don’t you want to encourage that?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I just…” he sighed and shook his head. “Nothing. I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“Forget it. It’s not my place. You’re her mother.”

I blinked, curious. “No. Tell me.”

“Stacey, I...I think you’re a great mother, please don’t misunderstand. I just wonder…” he swallowed hard. “Is it better to have joy or to be safe?”

“What?” I mouthed.

“You know, with the wings. Why was it more important to save them and be safe than just leap in and enjoy them wholeheartedly while they lasted?”

“Well, I…” I bit my lip, pondering his question. “I don’t know. I guess I just tend to take care of my things. Especially when they’re special to me. And when they get ruined, I get upset.”

Harry gave a gentle smile. “Perhaps that’s not Emery’s tendency though. She is a kid after all.”

I shrugged. “I was that way as a kid too. I cried when I brought a doll to school and someone ripped her bow out of her hair.”

Harry chuckled. “Alright, fair enough. But you said yourself Em’s different. She has her own personality.”

“True.”

“I sent her that costume because I wanted her to have it. I wanted her to be happy with it and enjoy it.”

“Okay,” I nodded, lying back on the bed.

“I’ve completely overstepped my boundaries here,” Harry remarked.

“No,” I grinned. “No, you’re fine. I get it. And you’re right. I’m probably a little too careful. And I tend to pass that on to her even though I don’t mean to.”

“I haven’t upset you, have I?”

“No, of course not,” I curled a strand of hair around my finger. “So how’s New York?”

“Good,” he replied. “But it’s about to get better.”

“How so?”

“Well…” a slow, teasing smile spread across his face and he licked his bottom lip. “It seems a gorgeous redhead will be here in a little more than twenty-four hours.”

“Gorgeous redhead?” I quoted. “Those can be dangerous.”

“I’m counting on it,” he said low, making my insides flip.

“And what do you plan on doing with this redhead in New York?” I inquired, playing along.

“Not gonna give away my secrets just yet,” Harry replied with a smirk.

“Not even to the redhead?”

Harry chuckled. “Especially not to the redhead.”

I tried my best not to laugh as I gave him my best pout which only made him laugh harder like the little devil he was. Our teasing was interrupted, however, when Emery opened my door and stood in her pajamas, holding her pink teddy bear with sleepy eyes.

“Hold that thought,” I told Harry who only continued to smirk at me. I shook my head and dropped the phone on the bed, ushering Emery back to her room and tucking her in. She was out like a light before I even turned hers off and tip toed back to mine, trading the overhead light for the bedside lamp.

“Now, where were we?” I asked just above a whisper.

“I’ve no idea.”

“Something about secrets?”

Harry’s chest shook as his eyes danced with glee. I rolled my eyes as I laid back on my pillow with a giggle.

“Okay then, I see how you are.”

“What?” he smirked. “I told you I was gonna take you out on a date.”

“Where? Dinner?”

“Only part of it, my love.” Harry licked his lips, a gesture that I knew was natural and automatic, but still managed to turn me on. I felt myself sigh as I pulled my sheet back and crawled underneath.

“Are you excited to see me?” he inquired, his voice deep again.

“I can see you right now,” I quipped.

“I mean in person,” he shot back with a chuckle.

“Of course I am.”

“Good. ‘Cause I’m very excited.”

I smiled. “What night are we going out?”

“Well, I would have preferred tomorrow night,” he replied, “but seeing as you’ll be getting in late, I’m willing to wait until Thursday.”

“Sorry you have to sacrifice,” I teased.

“I’m sure you’re worth the wait,” he said, biting his bottom lip.

I had to curse myself internally to get a grip. I made a little sound and blinked slowly before pretending like I was reaching for something on my nightstand, just so I could momentarily divert my gaze from his blazing green eyes.

“Oh, I wanted to tell you…” Harry continued, “I was listening to that Buckingham Nicks album.”

“It’s great isn’t it?” I beamed, happy to talk about Stevie.

“Yeah. I really like that first song, ‘Crying in the Night’. I’d love to hear you sing it.”

“What? No,” I laughed, shaking my head.

“Please?” he begged. “I bet you’d sound fantastic.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, I sat up in the bed and ran my fingers through my hair. As soon as I started the first line, I caught Harry’s smile, instantly making me feel a mixture of appreciation and nerves.

“She was that kind of lady…Times were hard, oh…She could come curling round you like fingers… But she’ll leave you crying in the night…”

As I started the second line of the chorus, Harry surprised me by joining in, giving me the harmony. My eyes wide, I continued to sing as I watched Harry remove from view only to return with a guitar in his hands. I figured he must have propped up his phone somewhere as he sat on the hotel bed and fingered the strings until he found the correct chords. I almost forgot the rest of the lyrics, but I managed to sing the entire song with Harry helping me out.

“And she’s looking around…”

When we were finished, I felt so overwhelmed I started laughing hard, falling back onto my pillow and covering my face with my hand.

“That was great,” Harry commented. “You’re awesome.”

“I can’t believe I did that.”

“Why are you embarrassed, baby?”

“I’m not,” I denied.

“Then why do you have your face hidden?” he chuckled.

“Just…” I giggled and lowered one hand, “that felt good.”

“Yeah?” Harry twitched his brows as he slung an arm over the front of his guitar. I slowly lowered my other hand and took him in.

“Yeah,” I replied. “Very good.”

“I’m glad,” he said, strumming a couple more chords before removing the guitar from his lap and laying it on the bed behind him. “We’ll be doing more of that.”

“In New York?” 

“Maybe.” 

“Should I be making requests?” I grinned.

“Not yet. For now requests are all mine.”

“That’s no fair,” I feigned a pout again.

Harry laughed and I saw him reach for the phone and shift back so that he was lying on the pillow, his arm behind his head.

“You’ll get your turn, Ms. Barnett,” he promised with a sly grin.

I giggled a squeak, covering my mouth with the back of my hand. “God, you’re cute.”

“So are you. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I’m gonna get to be with you again.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m kinda crazy about you, Stacey, in case you haven’t noticed.”

I held my breath as I stared at him.

“Please tell me you noticed,” he said. “Otherwise I reckon I’m doing this wrong.”

“No,” I blinked. “No, I...I noticed. I guess it’s just a little different to actually hear it put into words.”

I watched him roll over onto his side. “And here I thought actions spoke louder than words.”

I smiled. “They do. It’s just...nice to hear it sometimes.”

“Then I’ll have to remember to do both,” he said softly.

Resting his head on the palm of his hand, he gave me a look that told me he meant every word.

“Harry?”

“Yes, love?”

“I…” I swallowed hard. “I should probably get to sleep. Long day tomorrow.”

“Of course. Text me when you land?”

“You got it,” I promised. “Goodnight, Harry.”

“Night, baby.”

My skin felt like it was on fire. I laid in the darkness with the covers kicked off, hoping to God the ceiling fan would be enough to cool me. I tried my best to think of anything other than that look he’d given me or the sound of his voice as he’d sung harmony, but the attempt was futile. I kept picturing his green eyes, his fingers on the guitar, imagining them playing me instead.

There was no denying it. I was so into him. I was a goner.

I tossed and turned all night. Going to New York and meeting Harry should have been exhilarating, but instead I wandered through my day feeling like a zombie. By the time I left work, I still had to rush home, grabbing a pizza on the way for the girls and me. After we ate, I hurried to get their bags packed before taking them to Tod’s. Once there, he felt the need to tell me a list of unnecessary things to which I replied in small words and nods. To top it off, there was an accident on the freeway, and I barely made it to the airport in time to meet Lorelei.

I can’t sleep on planes. Even though I’d been on a few flights in my day, and they always managed to make me sleepy, I just can’t actually fall asleep. It’s like being in a car to me. Too much movement and when I close my eyes it actually makes me disoriented. So instead, while Lorelei snoozed next to me, her head resting on a pillow pressed against the window, I plugged in my headphones and listened to a playlist I’d created before I left. Most of it was Harry’s album mixed with some One Direction and Fleetwood Mac, a few of my other favorites included here and there. As the music drifted, so did my mind. I thought of Harry, what I might do when I saw him, what he might do when he saw me. I hoped that our relationship wasn’t purely a flirtatious exchange on the phone, and that we truly had the chemistry I felt we did.

When Lorelei woke up, we ordered cocktails and toasted to our first real adventure. By the time the plane landed, we were both feeling pretty good, though I was a little sleepy and eager to text Harry. I sent him a quick message that I was at the airport and after we got settled in our hotel, I would text him again. Shoving my phone into my purse, I followed Lorelei to baggage claim and then outside so we could catch a cab.

“Oh my God, look!” exclaimed Lorelei as soon as the automatic doors opened.

My jaw dropped when I saw the sign the man was holding with our last names on it. He was standing in front of a stretch limo.

“That can’t be for us,” I muttered.

“What other Barnett and Burns do you know coming to New York?” Lor looked at me.

I sucked in my lips as I stepped forward, pulling my wheeled suitcase behind me.

“Hi there,” Lorelei greeted the limo driver, tossing her blonde curls and laying on her accent a little thicker than usual. “We’re Stacey Barnett and Lorelei Burns. Would this lovely car be for us, you think?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the man grinned, lowering his sign. “Right this way.”

As he held the door open for us, Lorelei and I crawled inside the massive vehicle, trying our best not to giggle like high school girls on prom night. After the driver took our luggage and settled into the front seat, we took off into the night, the city lights illuminating like a Christmas display.

Several minutes later, while Lorelei was oohing and ahhing over the sights, I poked her in the side, wondering if the driver even knew where we were staying. With a shrug, Lor scooted closer to the back of the driver’s seat and patted him on the shoulder.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes. Only Lorelei.

“Andrew, Miss.”

“Andy? Or just Andrew?”

I caught a glimpse of his smile in the rearview mirror.

“Drew, actually,” he replied.

“Ah! Well, Drew, where are we going?”

“Your hotel, Miss. The Hyatt.”

“Right. Just making sure,” Lorelei grinned, patting Drew’s shoulder once more. “Good on ya.”

I gave her a side-eye as she leaned back in her seat. Shrugging, she folded her arms.

“Something tells me this was not Kris’s doing,” I remarked.

“I was just about to say the same thing.”

“He’s too much,” I shook my head and rested it in my hand as I gazed out the window.

Once Drew had dropped us off at our hotel and we’d checked in and rode the elevator up to our floor, I was so exhausted I felt like I could fall asleep standing up.

“Stacey,” I heard Lorelei say as I leaned against the elevator wall. She sounded so far away, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Hmm?”

“If you wanna go to him, I’ll understand.”

“What?” I narrowed my eyes, standing up straight.

“To Harry. I know he’s probably waiting, and you’re dying to see him.”

“Tonight?” I voiced groggily. “No, not tonight. Too tired.”

The elevator doors opened then, and I hastily dragged my suitcase down the hall.

“Alright,” Lorelei said behind me. “Just wanted you to know I wouldn’t judge. Your virtue and integrity would still be intact.”

I chuckled sleepily, sliding my card key in the slot and pushing open the door.

“Thanks, Lor. But honestly, all I want right now is sleep.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “You can take the loo first then.”

Pulling my pajamas out of my bag, I headed to the bathroom and returned in record time. In two seconds I was settled under the covers while Lorelei took her turn, and just as though he knew, Harry rang.

“Hi there,” I yawned.

“Aw, my girl’s sleepy,” he cooed.

“Your girl?”

“Did I say that? How was your flight?”

“Fine,” I smiled. “Thanks for the limo.”

“What limo?” he teased. “They sent a limo? Jesus Christ, that’s gonna set me back.”

“Shut up,” I giggled.

“Good to hear you laugh, Stacey. Can’t wait til tomorrow.”

“Me neither. What time are we meeting?”

“I gotta double check my schedule because I think they’re rearranging some things, but I’ll text you in the morning, okay?”

“‘Kay.”

“Get some sleep, love. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me too. Night, Harry.”

I didn’t wait for Lorelei to return before I turned out the lamp on my side and fell into a deep sleep.

“Are you sure this looks okay?”

I slid my hands down my hips as I inspected my reflection in the mirror. I’d brought one of my favorite dresses, a black one with a lace overlay, but now I was second guessing my choice.

“God, yes!” exclaimed Lorelei. “You look gorgeous!”

“I think I’ve gained weight since I wore this last,” I grimaced.

“Would you shut up? You’re so fucking sexy, he’s not gonna be able to keep his hands to himself.”

“Really?” I blushed.

“Please. I’d fuck you right now.”

“Lor!”

She threw her head back laughing. “Relax, Stace. You’re gonna be fine. He’s crazy about you already, I know.”

“I know, too,” I said softly. “He told me.”

A grin spread across her face. “Good. Now, go. Have a good time. I won’t wait up.”

I was more than nervous. Nervous was what I’d felt before the book signings. This was far beyond that. The cab driver pulled up to Harry’s hotel fifteen minutes earlier that we’d planned to meet. When I took the elevator to the lobby, the nerves had gotten to my legs, and I could literally feel them wobble. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I spotted the short hallway that led to the bar. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrored wall next to the elevator, quickly combing my hair with my fingers before mentally coaxing my legs to take me forward.

He wasn’t there yet. I stood back a bit from the doorway as I glanced around the room. Only a couple of people were seated at tables, a few more at the bar. I made my way towards it, choosing the second to last seat at the far end. I ordered a double Grey Goose on the rocks with a splash of water and a lime, liquid courage.

Slipping out of my coat, I sat it on the corner of the bar, my clutch laying on top. I’d just taken my first sip when my phone made a sound in my purse. I pulled it out to see a text from Harry.

Sorry running a bit late. Should be down in ten.

I smiled as I texted him back.

No problem. I’ll just start getting drunk without you.

Sounds good :)

I continued to sip on my cocktail as I felt my nerves peeling away little by little. I crossed my legs on the barstool, allowing my strappy-heeled foot to swing slightly. These shoes always made me feel sexy, and the alcohol added to that made me feel even better.

Another ping from my phone alerted me of another text. Hoping Harry wasn’t cancelling on me at the last second, I read his words.

You look beautiful.

It took me a moment for it to register, but once it did, I turned my head toward the entrance. Harry stood there in the dim light, his phone in his hand, the smallest of smirks on his face. He looked incredible. He wore a knee-length red coat, a black and white scarf draping around his neck. Underneath he had on a black polka dot shirt and black jeans and boots. He looked larger than life, taller than I remembered. I rotated my stool to face him, a smile forming on my mouth. He strode towards me, shoving his phone in his coat pocket. His eyes never left mine as he stopped in front of me, seemingly taking me in for a split second before I rose from my seat, and he opened his arms to embrace me. He pulled me close to his body, my hands wrapping around his waist as I felt one of his on the middle of my back, the other on the back of my head.

“So good to see you,” he murmured in my hair, and I could have sworn he took a whiff of it. “Missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I echoed.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, dropping his arms and gesturing for me to reclaim my seat.

“It’s alright,” I barely breathed. Or maybe I didn’t breathe at all.

Harry took the stool next to mine, pointing at my glass. “What are you drinking?”

“Vodka,” I replied.

The bartender came up to Harry then, asking for his drink. I heard him order a fancy scotch and was both equally surprised and not. I saw him then gesture at my glass. My eyes widened, afraid I’d be stumbling before we even had dinner, but I figured I could just sip on it slowly. I wasn’t sure how long we’d be there anyway.

Once Harry had his glass, he lifted it in his hand. ���Cheers.”

I smiled, lifting mine as well. “To what are we toasting?”

“To…” Harry paused. Then I caught a twinkle in his eye as he gave a sly grin. “To gorgeous redheads.”

I giggled and clinked my glass with his. After he took a sip, he set his glass back down on the bar and turned to me.

“So how was your day, Stacey?”

My stomach flipped, equally from the way he was looking at me and the way he said my name. He’d said it many times before, but somehow it sounded different this time.

“Um...it was good. Lorelei and I went to the Met and had lunch nearby.”

“It was a lovely day,” he grinned, picking up his scotch again.

“Yeah. I’m just not used to this New York weather. It’s still in the 70s at home.”

“I see you brought your coat,” Harry said, nodding towards where it lay on the bar.

I blushed. “I normally would wear something much lighter with this,” I gazed down at my lap, “but I didn’t think it through until I was about to leave the hotel. The temperature seemed to drop considerably and I figured I’d need my coat tonight.”

“I reckon you will.”

The tiny ghost of a smirk remained on his lips until he took a sip from his glass and lowered it once more.

“But that dress looks amazing on you, so I’d say you made the right decision,” he added.

I stared at Harry for a minute before shaking my head. “You’re still not gonna tell me, are you?” I scoffed.

I caught the shake of his shoulders as he chuckled, the dimples on full display. “Sorry, love. Not yet. But you’ll find out soon enough.”

“Well, apparently I’m dressed okay for whatever it is. And I’ll probably need my coat.”

“Yes,” he nodded.

“So we’re going outside?”

“Not telling.” Harry swallowed the last of his scotch.

“But we are going to dinner.”

“Yes.”

“Should I have worn pants?” I inquired.

“Wha’?” Harry glared at me.

I waved my hand. “I mean like slacks or jeans.”

“Oh,” he shook his head with a giggle. “No. The dress is perfect. You’re perfect.”

“And you’re awful,” I playfully poked him in the chest as I felt the heat rising on mine.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, laughing harder.

“Are we walking?” I continued with my twenty questions.

“Hmm…” he considered. “A little. Not much.”

“Okay. Is there music?”

Harry cocked his head. “There will be, yes.”

“I’m intrigued,” I confessed.

“Good. Are you ready?”

“We’re leaving now?” I widened my eyes.

Harry chuckled. “Unless you intend to stay here. It’s a nice place, but I like to think I have a bit more swag than to have my date at a hotel bar.”

I laughed so hard I almost fell off my stool. Grabbing my coat and clutch, I stood up.

“You did not just use the word swag.”

“First and last time, I swear,” he grinned as he took my coat and held it out for me. I slipped my arms through and felt his hand slide down my back as I turned to face him.

“You think you’re funny,” I teased.

Harry shrugged. “Made you laugh, dinnit?”

I sighed as he guided me out of the bar, his hand still on my back.

“Harry Styles,” I said.

“Yeah?”

I stopped when we reached the mirrored wall by the elevators. I looked up at him, his face beaming as he returned my gaze.

“Just wanna give you a fair warning. I think I might already like you a little too much,” I swallowed hard before continuing. “So whatever you have in store for tonight might just put me over the edge.”

Harry’s grin softened as he lifted a hand to my cheek. I thought he might kiss me, but instead he dragged his thumb across my jaw and down my neck, finally releasing his hand to flip my hair back and off my shoulder. Biting his lip, he took hold of my hand.

“Let’s go, yeah?” he requested, threading his fingers through mine.

I merely nodded, my mouth suddenly dry.

A/N: And they're finally together again! I hope you enjoyed their little banter. It makes me giggle lol.

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