#we're gonna go for a walk today and do a photoshoot

[gotta-winwin]

(🎞️) ... hit the road docu.<> speed isn't all that matters

masterlist | cyana's masterlist

word count: 1.6k TW: slightlycold!wonwoo, tiny sliver of angst (we're getting there!), overworking, passing out, FLUFF, comfort italics are interview moments cut between other scenes a/n: second htr! we're starting that landslide into the angst (ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ ) they are so cute in this omgomgomg

Wonwoo sat awkwardly on the pedestal, doing his best to balance while still posing for the camera.

"We had a lot of photoshoots and interviews while touring in Japan." Wonwoo explained to the camera. "Feels like we were posing for photos everywhere."

Wonwoo stood up once the photographer had finished his series of shots. He was tired and couldn't wait to get back to the hotel.

"Wait a moment, Wonwoo." Their manager called out to stop him. "They want a couple shots of you and Cyana."

Wonwoo sighed, nodding as he reluctantly returned to his seat. Cyana walked over, bowing politely to the staff. She stood awkwardly next to Wonwoo, a clear gap between them as she waited for instructions.

"Cyana-yah, can you stand behind Wonwoo?" Their translator smiled kindly as she directed the girl. "Wrap your arms around his shoulders, yes- that's good."

Wonwoo glanced up at the girl, looking away when their eyes met. He couldn't help but stiffen up as they both turned towards the camera. "I thought you went home with the others." He mumbled out of the corner of his mouth, smiling as the photographer clicked away. Most of the members had already finished their photoshoots and gone home.

Cyana's lips quirked down into a suppressed frown. "I stayed back. The car could only take four of us and Seungkwan looked dead on his feet."

"Look this way!" The photographer yelled, cutting off whatever had been Wonwoo's reply.

"Schedules forced Wonwoo to actually talk to me." Cyana couldn't help but grin despite the topic. "It was fun, I guess."

"I've always been a very introverted person." Wonwoo said to the camera, wringing his hands nervously. "I enjoy having time to myself."

Cyana smiled when the interviewer finished talking. "Yeah.. Wonwoo's always been a bit of an enigma to me. Like a mystery I just can't figure out."

Cyana's sitting with Dino in their hotel room, busy eating the lunch they had grabbed from the staff room. They're both mid-bite when the door opens.

"Nana~" Seungkwan walked in, fixing his hat. He was dressed and ready to go out. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Spotting the camera, he waves. "Oh- Hi~ We're going to Super Junior's concert."

Cyana shook her head, still chewing. "It's okay." She managed to say once swallowing. "I think I'm going to stay in today."

Seungkwan nodded, ruffling both her and Dino's hair before leaving. Neither maknae gave any indication they had even noticed the action, continuing to enjoy their meal.

"I'm gonna go to the sauna with Vernon later." Dino told Cyana through muffled chewing. "Do you want to come?"

Cyana made a face. "To the sauna?" She mimed gagging. "No thanks, Chan."

Dino made a face back. "I keep forgetting there are things you can't do that other members can." He smiled when she frowned. "I guess going to the sauna would be a little weird."

"I guess??" Cyana questioned, amazed at his lack of modesty. "A little??"

Dino shrugged. "You're a bro, bro."

"Where on earth did you learn that-" Cyana asked, though she already knew the answer. Vernon. Duh.

Jun and Cyana lazed in bed, Cyana watching Jun's phone from next to him. The girl was half-asleep, eyelids drooping and head lulling against the wall.

Wonwoo walked in, fresh from a shower, double taking when he saw Cyana. Gears turning in his head, he reluctantly slid into his own bed, throwing his blanket over himself.

"What did you do today, Wonwoo?" Jun asked, eyes still focused on the phone. He looked over at Wonwoo before checking on Cyana, smiling to himself when he saw her tired expression.

"I played tennis." Wonwoo answered. "Worked out, went swimming, then ate with the others- what did you guys eat?" He subconsciously said guys, including Cyana into the question. She perked up from Jun's side, suddenly awake.

"I ate with Donghae and Eunhyuk hyung after their concert." Jun replied, nudging Cyana. "What about you?"

"I ate with Dino."

Both boys frowned. "I thought that was your lunch." Jun said, both confused and worried. "You didn't have anything for dinner?"

Cyana paused. "I had some snacks. Not that hungry, since I didn't do much today." She shrugged. "I ate a lot for lunch anyways." Redirecting the topic, she turned to Jun. "Was the concert fun?"

Jun nodded. "It was so much fun." Sitting up straighter, he placed down his phone, fully engaged now. "They speak Japanese so well."

Wonwoo hummed. "We should learn to do that."

"Jeonghan and Hoshi are both great." Cyana sighed. "I think if I have one more language in my head I might combust."

Her quip brought both boys to laughter. "It's okay." Wonwoo said quietly, once the laughter died down. "You can just speak a lot for our North American tours."

"I always had a kind of weak presence, and I never fit in well as a kid." Wonwoo told the camera. "But with Seventeen I didn't get that feeling. They made me feel welcomed, always made me shine without needing to." He paused for a moment, thinking. "They're very important to me- because of that."

"Mingyu once told me Wonwoo cared deeply about his place in the group - he said it might sound selfish but I don't think so." Cyana's eyes were a little sad as she looked at the interviewer. "Mingyu said Wonwoo only has Seventeen. I guess he was just trying to tell me Wonwoo's very protective over the people he loves - and that was the only reason why it felt like he didn't like me." Cyana shrugged. "It made me hate him less."

"Ah. Mingyu told her that?" Wonwoo grimaced once hearing what the interviewer told him about Cyana's interview before him. "I guess he's right. I didn't want Seventeen to break apart because of her." He looked away, embarrassed. "They were my first friends. I only have them."

"What do you mean Dino's ill?"

Cyana stared at a worried Hoshi. "Is it serious?" She asked, verging on panic. It felt like the boys were dropping like flies around her - what with Jeonghan's body decay, DK's sore throat, Seungkwan's ankle, Seungcheol's unstable mind and now Dino.

"He's getting it checked." Hoshi told her, not wanting to worry her further with the details. "You won't do anything - panicking like that."

Cyana took a few breaths, knowing he was right. "You're right. Okay." She let out a deep breath. "He'll be okay."

"On in 3 minutes!" A staff member called from the door.

She stood up, following everyone as they shuffled out towards the stage. Wonwoo stumbled a few paces in front of her, making her look his way.

"You good?" She whispered, speeding up to stand beside him.

He only gave her a curt nod, refusing to look at her and instead focusing on the lift in front of them. They could both hear the cheers from here.

"Go, go!" A staff rushes them both onto the lift before either of them could break the silence. Cyana could only glance at him again as they were lifted up onstage.

She thought she was mistaken when she saw him go down. The area behind the stage was dimly lit, and there was a commotion as the Hiphop Unit finished their stage and came down to switch with the Performance Unit. Cyana thought maybe her eyes were acting up, when she saw Wonwoo run down the stairs, take a few steps and drop.

Staff members were on him in an instant. Cyana was shoved aside as they rushed to lift him, moving him out the walkway and onto a table- it's sole purpose was to serve as a bed in case this very thing happened.

She felt like her limbs were falling her, leaving her frozen in place.

"Go." Mingyu mouthed the words at her, pointing at Wonwoo. He pointed next at the tent, gesturing that he needed to get his mic checked. "Stay with him." He pointed again at Wonwoo.

Cyana willed her legs to move, shuffling over to Wonwoo's side. The crowd of staff had dispersed, leaving him alone with two staff members- one with a fan and one with an oxygen tank.

She took the oxygen tank from one of them and told them she could do it instead.

"Wonwoo." She muttered, lifting the oxygen tank and placing it gently in front of his mouth. His chest rose dangerously fast as he tried to catch his breath. "Breathe." She found only English in her mind as she tried not to panic. "Please breathe."

His eyes darted around until they landed on her face. Eyebrows furrowing slightly, he raised a hand and pushed the oxygen tank weakly away from his face, trying to speak. "What- what's going on." He panted out, his speech slightly slurred.

Cyana felt her heart crack. "Don't try to talk." She reprimanded him, gently pushing him back down to rest. "You passed out."

If Wonwoo could breathe, he would've snapped at her to leave him alone, that he could take care of himself. He couldn't. Instead, he closed his eyes, allowing her to take care of him. Just this once.

"She was gentle with me." Wonwoo recalled. "Even though I hadn't been kind to her."

"Breathe." She mumbled again, mindlessly repeating it as her brain turned numb from everything going on. She stayed next to him, raising the oxygen tank to his lips whenever his lungs failed to do the job. "It's okay."

"She stayed throughout the whole thing." Wonwoo looked sheepishly at the camera. "I don't think I even said 'thank you.' We just returned on stage."

Cyana shrugged at the interviewer's question. "He didn't need to say anything. Sometimes words fail us - his eyes said enough."

[sweetdispatch]

Thanks for being there for me - N. Hischier

When Two Sports Collide | previous chapter

timeline: June 2023 - April 2024

summary: After summer full of love, Lisa and Nico have to face bad moments in their careers

warning: swear words

words: 1.4k

note: the fact that we're already in 2024 in this story is insane, i feel like i started this story yesterday haha

---

Lisa and Nico lived in their bubble. After they became a couple, they started feeling even more comfortable around each other. Lottie was all the time joking that she’s third wheeling them, especially when they were walking around holding hands and sharing little kisses. She also joked that it’s all thanks to her which was true because she was the one to force them to admit feelings to each other. Two weeks after they started dating, Lisa got a phone call from her manager.

“Lisa, you’ve got a team” He said excitedly.

“No way! Where?” 

“Gyor Audi ETO KC. You’re moving to Hungary” Lisa was starstrucked. Gyor was always her dream team to play in and couldn’t believe that she’s got the chance now.

“I- I don’t even know what to say. Thank you for pushing them to sign me” Tears started going down her face.

“That’s my job right?" He joked. "On Friday you have to go and sign the contract to make it official. Everything’s ready, you just need to put the signature” 

“Yeah, of course. Gosh, I can’t believe it… For how long is the contract?” 

“1+3. If they decided to keep you after the season, the clause will be activated and you’ll be there till 2027” 

“Great, thanks!”

Lisa ran and shared the news with Nico. When he heard it, he pulled her into a tight hug. He knew she’s gonna find a team for next season but hearing that it’s her dream team made him feel even more proud of her. Lisa sent a quick message to Lottie, who was currently at work, that they’re celebrating today because she has a new club to compete next season. 

Nico decided to go with Lisa to Hungary and this whole time he acted like a proud parent. His phone gallery was full of her photos while signing the contract and taking a photoshoot to announce her arrival to the team. He couldn’t believe that he could witness this as her boyfriend and not just find out like a friend. He truly loved the change of their dynamic and hoped this will survive their long distance.

lisa.pedersen

liked by nicohischier and 5749 others

lisa.pedersen Hello Gyor👋🇭🇺 Can't wait to start the season in new colors💚

charlotteolsen So excited for the new chapter!!!!

nicohischier Good luck Lisa❤️

1 July 2023

The rest of summer was full of love for both of them. They tried to spend every single moment with each other to have great memories while they’ll be separated due to their work. Nico took Lisa to his home to introduce her to his family and they immediately loved her. 

“You better don’t mess it up. She’s a keeper” Nina - his sister said to Nico.

“And she’s way better than Maya” Luca - his brother added.

“I’ll try my best but I don’t know what we’re gonna do when we leave to play” Nico sighed.

“You two will be fine, just be honest with each other and talk as much as you can. Even when you’ll be in different timezones, text her and don’t wait for a phone call” Nina advised him. 

The day of separation came. Lisa was going to Hungary because the doctor gave her a green light to start trainings with the team and Nico was leaving to start preparations for the new season in New Jersey. He drove her to the airport because she had a flight the day before him.

“Call me when you land okay?” Nico said while hugging Lisa.

“Of course” Lisa kissed his cheek. “You also call me when you land. I know you have a flight tomorrow but I’m telling you this now” Nico laughed.

“Sure thing babe, I’m gonna miss you like crazy” He admitted.

“Yup, me too, but we got this right?”

“We got this” Nico kissed her. “I know it might be too early to say but I want to tell you this face to face. I love you” Lisa smiled at his words.

“I love you too” She pulled him to another kiss.

The next months went quickly for them. Despite the distance, their lives were full of love and happiness like never before. Lisa was telling him about her life in Hungary and how she’s doing, especially that she finally returned to playing. Nico was keeping her updated with his life and constant trips around the United States and Canada. They have never been better than in these months. 

Their happy life was interrupted in December. Lisa went on to the World Championship to defend the title from 2021. It was a special tournament because Norway was one of the host countries. Her team barely won in the semifinal. Extra time was needed to set the winner. When they reached the final, Norway lost against France. Silver was all they could get and she felt disappointment. Even the MVP didn’t make her happy. 

“Don’t cry, I hate hearing you crying” Nico pleaded. 

“But I fucking lost. We should win this. We should make Norway proud of us” Lisa sobbed.

“You made Norway proud. You and your whole team. You're the vice champion and that’s huge” Nico tried to cheer her up.

“We were defending the title and we lost. There’s nothing to be proud of. I can’t even look at the MVP award. I would exchange it for gold” 

“Lisa, stop. Don’t let this hang around your head. You might lose now but every loss will teach you something. In two years, you’ll get the gold” 

“You think?” 

“I’m sure of it. You're a great player and you have a great team. Plus, I just want to remind you that you got back to playing two months ago and you’ve been named an MVP. This is a huge achievement after serious injury. You missed 8 months and still managed to be the best” 

“You know what? You’re right. I’m a great player. I got the award thanks to my determination. I’ll come back stronger in 2025 to get the gold again” Lisa said proudly. “I love you Nico”

“I love you too, now go to sleep, you need a rest” Nico said and hung up. 

During Christmas time, Lisa still tried to move on from the loss. It was a tough pill to swallow for her. She got so used to winning everything that silver medal felt odd. Thankfully for her, Nico was always there to give her pep talk and remind her worth. Right after New Year's Eve, Nico had birthday. She decided to soft launch their relationship after her first game in 2024.

lisa.pedersen

liked by nicohischier and 5615 others

lisa.pedersen I want to dedicate this win to the special boy who has birthday today💚

charlotteolsen Soft launch👀

nicohischier ❤️

4 January 2024

Months went by and they started feeling homesick. Lisa missed having him by her side and Nico missed her by his side. She started questioning their relationship. She loved him deeply but the long distance was killing her. With Sander, she was in the same position but only one hour flight was keeping them apart. Now, it was couple hours. For Nico it was easier. With Maya, he learned how to deal with the timezone but he felt that Lisa is his true love and wanted to have her here. 

In April, they reunited but it wasn’t a pleasant meeting. New Jersey Devils didn’t make the playoffs and now, he was back in Europe. It wasn’t the ideal scenario for him and Lisa knew it. He decided to fly to her place since she still had two months of playing. She picked him up from the airport but Nico hadn’t said a word until they arrived in her apartment. 

“I feel like I failed the whole club” He sighed laying on the couch.

“Don’t say it. You didn’t fail anyone” She sat next to him and ran her hand through his hair.

“Yet I’m here instead of fighting for the Stanley Cup. They shouldn’t pick me the captain” 

“Nico, I love you but shut up. You’re talking nonsense. You deserve to be a captain and you proved this plenty of times on the ice carrying the team. Hockey is a team sport, not a one person sport” Lisa said.

“But I’m a captain. I should do more” He fought back.

“You did as much as you could. You’re not the one to blame. You know, I remember one person told me very smart words: You might lose now but every loss will teach you something” Nico chuckled. “Next season is yours. I’m telling you” 

“Thanks Lisa. I guess I need to stop analysing what I should have done more”

“You should. Start focusing on the World Championship that is coming. At least try to bring the gold home” Lisa joked. 

“You’re unbelievable” Nico sat up and pecked her lips.  

Despite their tough season and long distance, Lisa and Nico could rely on each other.

---

next chapter

[kangshxrtie]

ch. 15 ⤍ you can't see me

"hii everybody!" you greeted the stream once you started.

user1 are u gonna address the tweets?

"what tweets? i haven't done anything recently" you asked confused.

user2 abt u & kazuha?

"i literally told y'all we were dating" you rolled your eyes playfully.

user3 wait y'all actually are???

"yes. i don't know why y'all thought i was lying"

"by the way chat, kazuha sent me behind the scenes of her photoshoot" you showed your phone screen to the camera before quickly moving it away.

"haha. y'all can't see, my eyes only."

user4 that's not fair you're supposed to be one of us

user5 SHARE THE PICS

"i have girlfriend privileges" you smirked, "therefore, since she only sent them to me, i'll keep them to myself"

user6 is this u confirming the dating rumors???

"okay maybe we're not actually dating" you admitted, "but we will be soon"

you were about to say more, but you were cut off by kazuha suddenly joining the discord call. "y/n, are you ready for horror games?"

"listen i know we had horror games planned today, but my pc will just not open the damn game" you tried to make an excuse.

"did you try clicking the start button?"

"yeah, that's my problem; it just won't click"

"are you trying to get out of this right now?"

"no, of course not" you said in a unconvincing tone.

"come on y/n it'll be fun"

"i don't know if i trust you enough to play a horror game with"

"what'd i do?" kazuha chuckled.

"you're a professional thrower; you'll probably lead me to my death" you replied.

"i would never"

"when we played that super bunny man game together you kept kicking me into oblivion"

"it wasn't on purpose" kazuha tried to defend herself.

"i swear you evilly laughed at one point" you said.

"i never did that"

you eventually got on the game after a lot of reassuring from kazuha that she would protect you.

you two went through the first floor with no problems and moved onto the second one quickly. but as soon as you stepped out of the elevator for the second floor, you already knew it wouldn't be as easy.

as you continued to wander around the place, you heard some noises and immediately found a spot to hide. kazuha was looking around for clues when she noticed you weren't beside her anymore.

"y/n where are you?" kazuha asked as she moved her character around the dark room.

"hiding" you replied.

kazuha busted out laughing when she saw your character crouched in a corner with your back facing her.

"get up, we have to find information about the ghost" she told you once she got done laughing.

"you can do that alone. i'll be fine in this corner." you moved your mouse from left to right, making your character shake its head.

"you'll be fine. i'll be right beside you" kazuha tried to coax you into coming out of your hiding place.

you turned around slowly, letting go of your crouch button before walking over to kazuha.

"i'm putting my trust in you"

you definitely shouldn't have because the first opportunity kazuha had she let you walk into a room first before closing the door behind you.

"literally locked me in a room and told me to figure it out myself" you sighed as you looked on the shelves for the item you were supposed to find.

"what's it looking like in there?" kazuha asked from outside of the room.

"just some books-" you stopped talking to let out a loud scream making kazuha bust out laughing.

you turned your character around and went to the door to try and open it, "kazuha get me the fuck out of here"

"did you find what we need?" she asked.

"no. but you better open this door right now before that motherfucker comes back"

"okay okay" kazuha said between laughs and opened the door before entering.

"you actually fucking set me up" you swung the item in your hand at kazuha's character.

"sorry sorry. it was worth"

"i bet it was" you rolled your eyes already thinking of ways for revenge in your head.

"should we go in that room?" you asked kazuha who agreed hesitantly.

"you go first" when you said that, kazuha's character looked back and forth between you and the door before shaking her head no. you laughed at the action.

"but you're closer; you might as well just go in right now" kazuha said.

"and risk you locking me in again, hell no"

"that was a one-time thing, i promise, and how do i know you won't do that to me"

"then you deserve it" you stated.

"i said sorry" kazuha pouted in response.

"i don't know why you wanted to play this game so bad; you're even worse than me"

"i like watching you get scared" kazuha admitted.

"of course you do" you decided to take one for the team and open the door before going inside, immediately looking behind you to make sure kazuha was following you and not locking you inside again.

kazuha followed you into the dark room looking down at the floor and closing her eyes to avoid any jumpscares. as she was doing that, the chat began spamming the chat that eunchae was in the room, but of course, she didn't see the warnings.

"hey zuha" eunchae walks into kazuha's scaring the absolute shit out of her as she screams and curls into her chair.

"eunchae!" kazuha moves her out of her face to give her a deadpanned look.

"y/n wanted me to check on you and make sure you're alright" eunchae replied through some laughter.

"well as you can see" kazuha gestured to herself and then the game on the screen, "i'm not"

once eunchae left the room still laughing, kazuha turned back around to face the screen again. "that was so messed up" kazuha told her chat.

"eunchae just came in my room and scared the shit out of me" kazuha told you once she calmed down.

"oh she did it; i need to see the clip!" you exclaimed.

"you set that up" kazuha looked at her camera in disbelief at your actions.

"you literally lead me to every single jumpscare. i think it was well deserved"

later on in the game, you and kazuha decided to focus on the actual purpose of the game, collecting items. you were following her mindlessly, trusting her completely since she seemed so confident about where the next item was.

"when you said you were taking me out on a date, i didn't think this is what you meant" you said as you nervously moved your character down the hallway.

"is this not romantic enough for you" kazuha joked.

user1 so we just gon' speed past that like y/n didn't just say what she just said

user2 they're going on actual dates. i was here!

once kazuha turned the corner, she let out a loud scream before turning back around and walking back toward you.

"kazuha is a literal dolphin when she screams" you mentioned to your chat.

"we gotta go" kazuha rushed out, sprinting away.

you said nothing following after her as she ran back to the start.

"what was it?" you asked once you returned to a safe place.

"the weird fucking stick thing" kazuha told you.

"oh okay" you nodded your head.

you two waited for the noises to stop before planning how you two would get the next item. after the plan was finalized, you waited a little before going back outside.

"i think we're good to go now" kazuha told you.

you opened the door first, taking a couple of steps out of the room before the creature jumped out of the vents right in front of you. the jumpscare made you jump away and off your chair, hitting a drink on your table on the way down, making a loud noise.

kazuha heard the whole thing happened, and once she sobered up from laughing, she immediately worried for you.

"y/n are you okay?" you groaned as you tried to recover from the jumpscare and your desk breaking.

"y/n...?" she repeated.

"i hate this game" you mumbled into your mic.

"are you okay?" she asked once you responded.

"i spilled my drink on my keyboard; i hate it here"

once you finally recovered, you grabbed some cleaning supplies to clean up your desk and keyboard. after you finished, you closed the game with the excuse that it closed while cleaning the keyboard.

"so that seems like enough for tonight" you tried to end as you sat back down.

"we go again tomorrow"

"you can go again tomorrow. i will be playing a peaceful game tomorrow" you said.

"i'll make you play a horror game again someday" kazuha said.

"yeah totally" you agreed while shaking your head at the camera.

"i'll call you later though" kazuha told you.

"today or...?"

"tonight"

"oh-okay, talk later" you shyly said before leaving the call.

user1 Y/N JUST GOT SO SHY KEKW

user2 I'VE NEVER SEEN U LIKE THIS 😭

"anyways..." you tried to change the topic before chat said more, "i will never in my life confide to peer pressure ever again, especially from chat"

user1 so horror game tmrw right?

"hell no i'm never playing anything remotely horror ever again"

"stardew valley sounds nice"

user HORROR HORROR HORROR

k_a_z_u_h_a__ HORROR HORROR HORROR

"aren't you streaming? get out of here"

k_a_z_u_h_a__ i ended already

"and i'm trying to do the same thing so stop encouraging my chat to be like you"

k_a_z_u_h_a__ give the ppl what they want!

"i don't even know why you wanna play more; you screamed louder and more than me" you said.

k_a_z_u_h_a__ i wanna watch u play

"you can watch me play any other game. why does it have to be horror?"

k_a_z_u_h_a__ more fun ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"i'm not putting myself through more trauma for your entertainment"

k_a_z_u_h_a__ but the content...

"no. i'm getting off now so no more suggestions"

"anyways, i'm ending now! i'll be streaming tomorrow with some friends so I'll see yall then!" you waved bye to the stream before ending it.

ALL CHAPTERS !!! | NEXT CH !!!

long-awaited update. my only excuse is college events & just college period 😭. i'll try & update more often now though!

[divinelolita]

Hey omg ive been reading your storys and i cant stop ther all so good omg anyway can you make a fic with male reader x tom and bill. Basically we are bill and toms celebrity crush evry scene they were little like 2005 and like in 2006/2007

And like we reach out to them and ask if they wanna make a collaboration (like a song together) and every one from tokio hotel is excited to be working with us but tom and bill are like freaking out wean they see us infrot of them

KAULITZ TWINS X MALE READER

hii bae! I loved this request <3 I went off track near the end so pls forgive me 😋

For as long as Tom and Bill could remember, they had always liked M/N. I mean, who wouldn't? He was funny, handsome, and kind. At first they thought it was just admiration, but they found out that they had a true crush on this celebrity. The twins found this a bit strange though, as they almost never liked the same person at the same time. The two of them just couldn't stop loving M/N though, as much as they tried to. 

Georg and Gustav would sometimes tease the brothers about this, though. And today just so happend to be one of those days.

 "Seriously though, who's gonna walk down the isle with the dress?" Georg teased as he tossed a cracker into his mouth, Gustav giggling beside him. Bill just rolled his eyes and ignored the two as he sipped his coke. "Bill definitely has the legs for it." Gustav muttered, making Tom snort and Bill throw his can of soda at the blonde. Gustav yelped, flinching as the can missed him by a centimeter. "Oh,fuck you!" Bill sneered, although his cheeks flushed red. 

The tour bus door opened as Jost walked it. Everybody quickly fixed their posture and stopped goofing off, although they felt less tense as they saw Jost smile. "Well kids," he began, making Georg scoff before clearing his throat as Tom shot him a piercing look. Hey it wasn't his fault- Georg was 19, he wasn't a kid anymore! "Good news. We have just recently gotten a collaboration request from somebody. I'm sure you guys will be excited when-" Jost was cut off by Tom, who excitedly exclaimed "Avril?!". Gustav chortled quietly, his smiling dropping as quick as it appeared when he received a stern look from Jost. Bill gave a little smile to Jost, excited to see who he would make music with. 

"... No. I was going to say the collab was 'gonna be with M/N." The twins smiles fell quickly, a look of disbelief and excited in their eyes. "I...M/N? Like.. M/N L/N?" Bill coughed. All it took was a nod from Jost and the tour bus went wild. Georg whooped out loud, Gustav started to laugh, and the twins talked non stop. "Really?!" "We're gonna work with M/N?" "AHHHHHHH I CAN'T WAIT!" Bill and Tom squealed like little girls seeing puppies. Jost shushed them, the tour bus going silent apart from the little giggles from all members. 

"Hush, you sound like toddlers." Jost scolded, but he was smiling brightly himself. "But yes, we will be working with him." Georg quirked an eyebrow, looking at Jost expectantly. "Is he coming to our studio or..?" he questioned, glancing at Gustav to see if he knew. "Don't look at me you dumbass." Gustav muttered, rolling his eyes. "Yes. He should be at our studio.. in two days." When Jost said that Tom let out a small gasp. "T-two days? Really?" 

"Mmmhhmm." Jost concluded. "Now, M/N wanted to see if you guys wanted to......" 

-TWO DAYS LATER 😱😱-

Bil groaned as he looked in the mirror. Although he wasnt going out to brunch or photoshoots he had still did his makeup, yet he was too lazy to do his hair so it layed over his shoulders. Tom came in behind him, pushing him lightly to the side so he could get his toothbrush to brush his teeth. "Tom.. Are you nervous?" Bill asked, sitting on the closed toilet seat. Tom took a second before responding, brushing his teeth fast before he spat into the sink, washing out his mouth. 

"I'm always nervous before studio days, Billy. " He responded, going to wash his face with the soap. Bill groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. "Nooo Tom.. I meant about M/N being here." Bill pouted, elbows resting on his kneecaps as he rested his chin upon his hands. Tom shrugged, leaning against the wall. "Ehhh I guess so. But I'm not too worried, you?" Tom asked, adjusting his baggy shirt. Bill bit his lip," Aggh, I don't know! I think I am but I just-" Bill began, but he was cut off as Gustav banged on the door.       " Hurry the fuck up I gotta piss dude! ". Tom giggled as he opened the door, letting Bill out before himself. He gave his little brother a small smile. "C'mon, Bill. Don't worry about it. Everything will be okay." Bill softly smiled back. "Yeah.. Yeah." Bill nodded, "I'm okay." 

-at the studio-

Bill paced back and forth, humming Monsoon under his breath. Georg was adjusting his bass as Gustav played a few beats on his drums. Tom has his headphones plugged into his phone, listening to God knows what. It was mostly silent until they heard a few knocks on the door, Jost going to open it with a smile on his face. When he opened it, it was indeed M/N in all his glory. He smiled at Jost before smiling at all the band members, putting his coat on the cost rack in the corner. Georg smiled and introduced himself, going to shake M/N's hand as Gustav greeted him. Bill felt his legs to wobbly and Tom felt like he didn't have any more air in him. 

Bill had paused his pacing next to Tom, as Tom grabbed onto Bills elbow lightly. Bill smiled at Tom, excitement pulsing in his veins. He didn't even realise M/N was behind him. "Hey, Bill and Tom! What's up?" he greeted politely, holding out his hand. Bill turned around, his face red. He started at M/N for a second before he put a smile on his face and shook M/N's hand, his hand feeling limp as M/N held a firm grip. "Ah! It's so nice to finally meet you." Bill said with what he hoped was confidence. The (color) haired boy then turned to Tom and held his hand out, Tom gulping before taking it and smiling up at him." Hey, M/N..!" he greeted, his tounge playing with his lip ring. He shuddered slightly when M/N winked at him before retracting his hand. 

When they all decided it was time to discuss ideas, the G's came over and sat to the right of Tom. M/N took a seat between the twins, making them both blush and get flustered. M/N began to speak.  "Ah okay, well I was thinking about doing this because....." 

(you can like make up a song the made cuz I'm not writing allat 🙏🙏😍)

"Wow.." Tom said as M/N came to a conclusion. He really did like M/N's ideas as did the rest of the band. Gustav and Georg had even added a few of their ideas, which went with the theme of the song perfectly. M/N began to speak about different intros they could start with, but Bill lost track as M/N's hand brushed against his own. He felt like he had been electrocuted but..in a good way? He wanted it to happen again and again. He felt himself shuffle slightly closer to M/N, trying to disguise it under wanted to hear M/N more clearly. He nearly died when M/N smirked at him and asked his own opinion about the song. 

"I uh.. I think it sounds great so far! Really, it's perfect." Bill babbled, feeling himself grow more red. The two G's giggled under their breath. "I'm glad you think so!" M/N smiled at him. 

When everybody got set up, they began the rough draft. It actually turned out good, but redoing the song 3 times in a row definitely burned it into Tom's mind. Tom groaned after the 4th time, cracking his neck as he rubbed it. "Awhh, fuck man. My neck is killing me." Georg rolled his eyes, knowing that he too was bent over his guitar and he didn't feel any pain. M/N glanced over at Tom, laughing softly to himself as he reached over and began to dig into his shoulders and neck. Even though it would have hurt Tom normally, he felt himself lean into the touch as he flushed pink. 

He forced himself to hold back a small whimper when M/N hit a particularly sensitive spot, biting his bottom lip preventing himself from making noise. He blushed harder as he heard M/N chuckle as he looked at the dreadhead. 

-Later in the break room-

They all sat on couches in the break room, Bill smoking a cig as he was seated next to M/N, Tom on Bills  left. The G's sat infront of them, holding back laughs as he saw how jittery the twins were. Georg finished his water, going to get up to throw it out and get another. Gustav followed, giggling as he whispered something to Georg that made him snort and nearly choke on his own spit. 

So it was just the twins and M/N, yay! Bill continued smoking his cigarette as he leaned onchis brother, Tom humming the best of their new song lowly as he shook his leg. M/N looked between the two of them, smirking slightly. "So.. Y'all trying to grab lunch?" M/N asked, looking at the two of them. He noted how they both went flushed and hesitated before agreeing "Yeah!"they said in union, smiling softly at the celebrity. 

They landed at some Italian restaurant, ordering a pizza. (if u don't like pizza sorry 😴) M/N took a bitevas he realised that the twins would glance at him every few seconds, taking bites of their own food. "Mmhh? Is there something on my face..?" M/N jokingly said, holding back a giggle as he watched how surprised and flustered the boys looked. The two apologized as they blushed, looking down at their food. "Y'know, you guys are pretty bad at masking your feelings."

Tom nearly spat out his water as Bill looked at M/N with a scared expression.  "I-..what do you mean?" Bill started as he stuttered, Tom being quiet trying to recover from choking. M/N shrugged, taking a sip of his water. "I mean, I can tell you guys like me." M/N nearly laughed as he watched Tom's jaw drop and Bill blink rapidly. He spoke again before the twins could get a chance. "Really though, I don't care. You guys are cute anyways." He continued, taking another bite of his pizza as he grabbed another slice "Cute?" Tom repeated, smiling slightly. 

M/N chuckled to himself "Ehhh.. Ive liked you guys since.. He looked up as he pondered." 2006..?" ( it can be like 2007-2008 👍) Bill cocked his head to the side "You've liked us.. Both?" he muttered, feeling his palms get sweaty. "Yeah. I mean, who wouldn't?" It was really shocking Tom that M/N could speak like this with confidence, not being nervous about his feelings. "So... Now what?" Tom asked, spinning his ring on his finger. M/N raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Hmm, I dunno. I mean, you like me and I like you both.." Bills mouth opened and closed a few times before speaking. 

"Do you have to like,.. Pick?" He began, looking worried as he glanced at Tom. "I don't care if you and Tom date." Tom shook his head, about to say that M/N and Bill could date, before M/N spoke with a calm and easy tone. "It's easy. I date you both." Tom blinked s few times as Bill looked at M/N with curiosity. "... You can do that..?" he asked silently, biting his lip. Tom followed up, "What about like..jealously and that shit?" 

M/N smiled softly at both of them, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I mean obviously we'd talk about boundaries and jealously and communication." Bill nodded slightly, looking over at Tom. "I'm okay if your okay with it." Bill said, patting Tom's shoulder gently. Tom seemed to think about it for a few more seconds before he glanced at his brother and then at you, smiling. "I'm fine with it." 

"How much you wanna bet Bill will go down the isle in the dress?" They heard muttered behind them. Bills face scrunched as he turned, revealing the G's giggling. 

[lizzieislife94x]

PhotoShoot (e.o)

Lizzie x Fem Reader 

 GirlxGirl

 Y/ns POV:

Im suddenly woken by my phone ringing loudly I reach over and grab it looking at the screen with one eye open as I let out a groan why is my boss calling at 6:45am "hey Susan what's up is everything ok" I mumble half asleep "yeah just making sure your awake you have Elizabeth olsen for today's photoshoot" I open my eyes as I remember my client is Elizabeth olsen I've been looking forward to today for 3 months she's the most stunning human I've ever laid my eyes on "yeah I know Susan but the shoot is at 12 and your calling me at 6:45am I'll be there don't worry and also don't call back I'm going back to sleep ill text you when I'm awake" I say blatantly as I hang up, that might have sounded rude and some might be like why would you speak to your boss like that well she's also my bestfriend and has been for the last 12 years we met when we where 14 and have been best friends since. 

I yawn and stretch with a smile on my face as I sit up to start my day I quickly check the time and see its 10am plenty of time to shower ready before heading to the studio, I walk into the bathroom and turn on thes hower I quickly brush my teeth as I'm waiting for the water to heat up after a few mins I climb in and get washed head to toe and wash my hair once I'm done I head to my bedroom and grab my outfit for today tight ripped jeans white tee and a flannel, I quickly get dressed and head downstairs for a coffee and decide to text Susan to let her know i won't be late or she'll be freaking out 

Me: Hey I'm up and ready just having a coffee then I'm heading to the studio I'm sure I'll see you at some point today 😂 

The bitch: Thought I was gonna have to call josh in to cover for you asshole 😒 

Me: BITCH I swear to god you dare try and take the opportunity to photograph THE Elizabeth olsen away from me I will make it my mission to make you miserable day in day out 😈 

I giggle as I finish my coffee and slide my phone into my pocket I rinse my coffee mug and head to the car and start my drive to the studio the drive was fairly quick I arrive at 11:45 perfect timing as I walk into the office I feel my nerves pick up as I see the blonde standing talking to Susan I can tell right away it's Elizabeth I walk closer as I make eye contact with Susan and she smirks making Elizabeth turn "lizzie this is one of our best photographers y/n l/n and y/n this is Elizabeth " I smile and stretch out my hand "Elizabeth it's a pleasure to meet you I'm a huge fan" she smiles as her hand lingers in my "nice to meet you y/n I've heard great things" I can't help but get lost in her eyes as I freak out inside.

"Just a few more shots lizzie and we can take a break you're doing amazing, the camera loves you" I smirk as I get her to pose how I want after 10 minutes we take a break and I'm pretty sure lizzie has been flirting with me for the last 3 hours "so y/n what are you plans for the weekend, do you have a boyfriend " she asks casually as I chock on my water "men aren't really my thing but no I don't have anyone at home waiting for me" I sigh as she gets closer "that's a shame you're beautiful and anyone would be lucky to have you come home to them" I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out next thing I know her lips are pressed against mine in a rough kiss I instantly return the kiss as she deepens it once we break for air I'm still lost for words making her giggle "you're such a great kisser" I blush making her giggle more "no thats you" I say shyly as she climbs onto my lap and kisses me again I let my hands roam her body as they find a place on her ass I feel her moan into my mouth and smirk "should we do this isn't it a bit soon" I breath out as she looks into my eyes "definitely not to soon plus I plan on seeing you again y/n" I bite my lip and nod as we start to remove our clothes once we're fully naked I lay her down and start to kiss my way down her body letting my mouth wrap around her hard nipple earning a loud moan she roughly grips my hair as I run my hand down her body between her legs "someone's soaking such a naughty girl" I tease looking up at her "shut up don't tease me just do something about it" I lick my lips and nod as I run my fingers through her wet folds groaning at how wet she is "please y/n" she begs turning me on more a slip 2 digits into her dripping cunt earning a surprised gasp "so warm and tight" I say as I kiss her jaw thrusting my fingers nice and slow "you better hurry someone could walk in at any moment " making me realise we where in my work place I thrust my fingers faster as I kiss her making her moan into my mouth I curl my fingers as I hit her gspot with every thrust "I'm I'm gonna fuck y/n" before I know it she's cumming all over my fingers I slow my thrusts letting her ride out her orgasm "mhhh such a good girl" I smirk as I slide my fingers out and suck them never breaking eye contact "that was amazing" she pants as I lean down and place a kiss on her cheek, "get ready quickly incase someone comes in" I say with a giggle as we both get ready, we continue the rest of the shoot getting to know one and other before I know it the shoot is done "give me your phone" she says with a flirty smile I grab my phone and hand it to her "here put your number in mine" she says handing me her phone I quickly put my number in and hand the phone back as she hands mine back "I'll text you later and we can hang out soon" she says as she leans in to kiss me quickly I kiss her back as I bite her lip gently before we part ways, this is not how I pictured the shoot going but fuck I'm glad it did this woman has me under her thumb.

I spent the rest of the day walking around with a huge smile on my face and susan following me around like a puppy trying to figure out why ive been smiling so much its rather funny.

AN: i don't know what this is I know its not great but I needed to post something to keep the book up-to-date but this is terrible I will post a part 2 of this and make it so much better haha but if you have any requests please message me ill do them right away I've had no decent ideas to post so yall get this deal with it haha word count 1.3k 

[sturniololoco]

Can’t hate you pt 2

Sturniolo Little Sister (SLS) X Nathan Doe

Warnings: Cussing, hitting, mentions of SA later in the series(and no, it was not Nate), etc.

ᡣ𐭩 . ° .° ᡣ𐭩 . ° .° ᡣ𐭩 . ° .° ᡣ𐭩 . ° .° ᡣ𐭩 . ° .° ᡣ𐭩 . ° .° ᡣ𐭩

SLS/N’s POV

I woke up this morning to what felt like a monkey on my bed, only to find out that it was Chris, jumping up and down.

“Get up loser, we’re going to get food!” He yells, giving me a wet-willy before sprinting out of my room.

“Aw-you mother fucker!” I yell, jumping out of my bed to chase him down the stairs.

I see him up ahead, rounding the corner to the kitchen. I do the same, but instead of finding Chris, I find myself running straight into what felt like a brick wall.

“Fuck…” I say under my breath, rubbing my head where I made contact.

I hear Chris laughing from behind the island, and I shoot him the middle finger.

I look up to see what I made contact with, only to be met with the grey-blue eyes of Nate.

He hold out a hand to help me up, but I scoff, ignoring his hand while stand and brush myself off.

My head still hurt immensely as I walked into the kitchen, giving Chris the biggest side eye I could.

“Well isn’t someone just a bundle of joy this morning?” Nate says, resting his chin on his hand while he leans on the island, looking at me.

I roll my eyes, scoff again, then walk upstairs to get ready.

-

I walk downstairs, hair curled, makeup perfect, and dressed in a pair of cargo jeans and a baby tee.

Yes, I feel like a boss bitch, and yes, everyone knows imma boss bitch.

“Okay sis! I see you!” Nick says, giving me a twirl. I laugh then look to the living room to see Chris and Matt golf clapping. But Nate is just staring, his moth half open.

What the fuck is his problem?

I ignore him and follow my brothers to the car, him close in behind.

"SLS/N, just sit in the middle today, there's no point in putting the seat down for a 10-minute drive," Matt says, climbing into the car and starting it.

Oh my fucking god, why is this happening to me?!

Not wanting to start problems, I sigh then get in, ick on my right, Nate unfortunately on my left.

The whole ride there his thigh was uncomfortably close to mine, so it was a huge relief when Matt pulled into the IHOP parking lot.

We got out and then got checked into a booth near the back of the restaurant. Before anyone could argue, I called sitting in the middle of Matt and Chris.

We got settled in our booth, and then Nick started to pull out his phone and make an Instagram post.

it said, What poses do you want for our next photo shoot?

"We're doing a photoshoot?" Matt asked, already not looking forward to it.

"Yes Mat. and you're not gonna have a Mattitude about it," Nick said, giving him a stern look. I giggled at how well he knew my brother.

Before Matt could come back with an answer, our waitress came over, asking what we wanted to drink.

"I'll just have water please," I said quietly, then she walked away.

Chris poked me in the rib, using a baby voice while he said,

"Aww, is somebody a wittle shy?" The whole table burst into giggles, all but me, whose face had gone hot and was now punching Chris in the arm.

"Ow, SLS/N!" He whined as his laughing stopped.

"Aww, does someone need me to call the ambulance?" I asked, giving him a baby voice of my own.

Now it was his turn to go red, as Nick reached across the table, fist bumping me. What can I say, I learned my comebacks from the best.

-

As we climbed back into the back, we were all deciding what to wear for the photo shoot.

"I think we should all wear merch," Chris said.

We all nodded in agreement, heading home to get ready.

-

By the time we were all ready, the camera was charged, and we were ready to go, it was beginning to get dark. We drove to McDonalds, grabbing some drinks before driving around to find the place to shoot.

We decided to head the the parking garage down the street, as it had the best lighting.

We found a spot where there were no cars. Nick scrolled through his responses, looking for poses.

We took alot of photos. some with just the triplets, some with one of them individually, and then some duets.

One of my favorites where the one where I was on Chris's back while he was racing down the drive.

Nate got some as well, posing with Chris and Matt, then some individuals for his own Instagram.

Then Nick said the worst news I ever wanted to hear.

"Alot of fans want some pics of SLS/N and Nate. We should do those real quick."

I whipped my head around to stare at him, giving him wide eyes. He gave me a pleading look, begging me with his eyes.

I rolled my own, mumbling,

"Let's just get this over with."

We took a few next to each other, our arms around each other's backs in a side hug.

Our next pose was us standing back to back, holding up our sweet teas,, while death staring at the camera.

"These are so good! Hold still for two more seconds." Nick said, getting lower to take the shot.

Matt and Chris sent knowing smirks in my direction, making me angrier and angrier by the second.

"You better smile, kid. Wouldn't want people thinking I look better than the princess." Nate said under his breath, in my direction.

That sent me over the edge.

I pushed myself off of his back as I whipped around. I tore the lid of my sweet tea and threw it at him.

He was completely soaked.

"Fuck this shit!" I yelled, walking towards the stairs leading to the sidewalk outside of the building that led to our house, leaving the boys there to stare at my retreating figure.

-

I walked all the way home and up to my room, slamming my door before collapsing on my bed. My face was still burning with anger,

or was I blushing?

OooooooOooooooo!!!

@idkwhosnyla @babypat08 @eyelessdemon00 @christopherowensturniolo @sturnsxx @freshloveforthefit @matty443355 @sleepysturnss @emeraldgreenbeautiesstu @sunsetsturniolos @hoesturniolo @x4nd3rsukz @chr1sgirl4life @sstvrnioloo @sturns-posts @chrisstopherfilmed @kylasrealityx @zoeysturnioloooooo @comet235 @islaasblog @sturnioloblogs @defnotayonna @mattsleftnipple03 @thematthewlover @mattsaq @idkhowtosleep

[lovemyloveallmine]

09.It actually went well ?

Yn walked back and fourth anxiously in her makeup room. "Fuck my life I think am gonna die what if niki thinks am a weirdo ? Omg this is so embarrassing " She said to herself. After few mins her manager entered the room "Yn we need to go on set now niki is already there " he said. "Manager nim is it too late to go home now ?" Yn said with hope in eyes. Her manager just sighed. "Yn its gonna be okay. Just think this as your another shoot. I know you have anxiety but you're gonna be just fine trust me " He said with a small smile. Yn calmed down a little and said " But niki-" "NOTHING will happen. Be professional and think niki as just another person you're working with and you'll be fine". Yn wasn't convinced but still smiled a little " Thankyou ". " yeah yeah let's go now".

They reached the set when niki and his manager were standing. The moment yn saw niki she froze for a min. The manager say it and whispered "get it together yn". Yn came back to her senses and nodded. They both went forward and niki finally saw her. "Oh fuck she has gotten even prettier over these months". His manager nudged him and cleared his throat. Both the managers hugged each other leaving both the idols awkwardly. " Hello niki I am yn's manager and this is yn she will be mentoring with you in this show" said manager lee. Niki bowed and yn bowed back. " Hi, its nice to meet you" niki said with an awkward smile. "Same here" yn said trying to keep her cool. The managers shoot each knowing eyes and smiled nodding their head. Niki's manager cleared his throat and said "Its starting please pay attention they will call you on stage any second". The host of the show introduced the main judges and then the participants group by group. Then after finishing the last group he said " Its the time all of you had been waiting for. To mentor these participants we have two special guests who are the it dancers of 4th gen and are winning everyone's heart. Please welcome New jeans' Yn and enhypen's niki". Everyone cheered as both of them made their way to the stage. "Hello everyone this is niki from enhypen" Niki said bowing. "Hi everyone this is yn from new jeans" yn said bowing. The host clapped and said " For today you guys don't have to do anything, there's your seats you can sit there and judge the participants and let them know where they could improve or express how you felt about there performance". Both the idols thanked him and went to their assigned seats. Throughout the show they both focused on the performances sharing their views and giving advices to the participants.

After the show was over both we sitting together in the makeup room talking about certain things as they are no longer awkward with each other. "Wait how long have you been dancing tho ?" Niki said while sipping his americano. " Since I was 3 " yn said casually. "NO WAY ME TOO" Niki said putting his hand to do hi five. "WAIT FOR REAL ?" Yn said returning the hi five even though she obviously knew this information. "She's so cute trying to act like this is the first time she's hearing it" niki thought to himself smiling a little. Niki thought that maybe he should tell her that he knows yn is an engene. "Yn I wanted to tell you some-" "Lets go now" manager lee said cutting him off

and coming into the room. "We're leaving now ?" Yn said being a little sad. "Yes yn unfortunately because the show is over and you have a photoshoot right now" Manager said. "But niki was going to tell me something-" "I'll tell you later" niki said quickly. "Alright then" yn said. "bye bye niki see you next week" yn waved. Niki waved back "byeee yn !" with a smile.

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AERA'S NOTE :- HI ANGELSS !!!! A written chapter finally !! Hope you like it and comments and reblongs are very appreciated <3

Taglist :- @naijmi @eupherbia @kgneptun @kittyeij @imyourjoy0 @mrowwww @im-yn-suckers @ibsysbsfsunsbs @lillians-world-is-f1 @sunshinessky @hoondiors

[1rsoldiersince2012]

Bound by Law (Matt Murdock x Reader)

Words: 2440 (chapter 51)

51. Bang

"Hello, Brett. Again." You smile awkwardly when you reach Mahoney, Matt and Foggy, involved in a hushed conversation.

"Wow, what are you... wearing?" Foggy is the first one to ask, looking at your silk dress and high heels. The silver cross catches light from one of the police cars, and Foggy squints to see if you're really wearing it.

"Uh..." You panic, looking down at yourself. No one would believe that you were a lawyer currently standing near the crime scene, and not a model who ran away from the photoshoot. "I was on a date." 

Brett eyes you as well, visibly surprised to see you in something other than your lawyer outfit he has seen earlier today. "We meet far too often, y/n."

Matt clears his throat, bringing the attention back to himself and away from you. "I called. We work as a team." Mahoney bites away another comment and waits for either of you to finish your explanation about the mystery client, who was currently in hospital with Karen.

"Client privilege." Foggy answers to Mahoney's raised eyebrows from his previous question.

"Well, uh, Mr. Nelson, if that was true... Hypothetically speaking, I'd tell you that withholding your client from the NYPD would be obstructing governmental administration, and I'd probably just arrest your ass myself." Mahoney fires back, smiling, "In theory." 

"I guess we really can't help each other after all." Foggy shrugs, fixing his jacket. You notice that he has ditched his office outfit and is wearing a comfortable hoodie underneath. Surely he has been home.

"Sergeant." Matt speaks up, "Why would an Irish mobster wear body armor to a private meeting inside his own club?" This makes you furrow your eyebrows and look at Matt confused. You didn't even understand why they called you here in the first place.

"Hey! Tell 'em to keep it down in there or somebody's getting written up." Mahoney shouts to a passing colleague, annoyed. "I help you, you help me?" 

"That's all we want." Matt smiles briefly, making your heart skip a beat.

"There's a total clampdown on any of this getting out to the press. I'd like to keep it that way."

"Brett, you can trust us. We're lawyers." Foggy's words win over and Brett gives in, gesturing to follow him behind a parked police van.

"Come with me over here."

"Come on." Foggy urges the two of you, slowly dragging behind.

"DA's going batshit trying to figure it out. This isn't the first hit that matches this mode of operating. Call it massive gang-on-gang overkill. Downtown office thinks we got new players in Hell's Kitchen, and whoever they are, we're talking some kind of paramilitary-type organization with the training, knowledge and hardware to take out half the city." Mahoney looks around uneasy and disturbed. The sight inside wasn't pretty, and his eyes were telling exactly that.

"What do they want?" You step closer, and together all four of you form a circle. 

"That's what's driving the DA nuts. We don't know who they are. We just know who they're not."

"I'd say they're definitely not fond of the Irish." Foggy shrugs.

Matt turns his head to the side, listening to one of the officers complaining about the situation, the last sentence draws his attention. 'You think? Where exactly am I gonna put this asshole? The morgue's completely full.This is worse than what happened to the Dogs of Hell.'

"Now, we got history, so I'll tell you as a friend, you stay out of this shit. If you got a witness, the smart move is to turn him over and walk away. Hell's Kitchen is about to explode." Mahoney is about to turn on his heel to leave, but then he looks at you, "I guess the Irish didn't get to use their warehouse stock after all."

"You hear that? He called me friend." Foggy slaps a hand on Matt's back, and pulls Matt away, a couple of meters from you, leaving you standing confused. 

You catch up with Mahoney, "Hey, is Paxton gonna be okay?"

Mahoney rests hands on his belt, "Listen, I can't promise anything, and especially can't promise that this won't reach the district attorney, but, we have confiscated the ammunition from that warehouse, so the kids shouldn't be too worried about a possible connection to what happened here."

"So, if you took the guns before this..." You gesture back at the club, "that means that there's another warehouse fully packed, and it belongs to whoever has it against the Irish?"

"They really didn't explain anything to you, huh?" 

You laugh shortly, sighing afterward, "No, I was on a date, not working night shift just this evening."

"Well, I hope you enjoyed that free time, because it seems to me that Mr Nelson won't give the witness to us easily, so... Enjoy working, y/n, goodnight."

"Yeah." You look at the ground, in thought, "Night." Foggy shouts something and returns back to you with a quick step, and alone. "Where's Matt?" Words leave your mouth faster than you'd like, and you clear your throat uncomfortably.

"Uh, he left. Said he has to stop somewhere on his way home." Foggy smiles awkwardly, "want to grab a cab?"

"Yeah, sure." You answer, watching Matt disappear in an alley, confused. This evening has been too much and a headache was forming in the back of your head.

"So, a date?" Sly grin appears on Foggy's face, and he eyes your dress again.

"Yeah. Figured it's time to... Start dating again."

"Huh. I noticed lately..." He fixes his hair, that are fighting a battle of their own with the wind. "You've been kind of, god, what's that word... Ah, glowing!"

"Glowing?" You laugh in disbelief. "Good joke Foggy."

"No, I'm serious!" He grabs his heart, offended. "I hope he makes you happy. And is at least better than that Fisk's guy."

Your smile falls slightly, and Foggy is quick to apologize. "No, it's alright."

Halfway through the city, Foggy asks the cab to stop in front of a shady bikers' bar, urging you to get home. You don't trust that weird thing going on with Matt and Foggy, so you stop the cab around the corner and walk towards the bar, slowly, trying to not draw attention to yourself with your heels clicking on the pavement. 

The bar 'Dogs of Hell' looks terrible from what you can see outside, and you can easily guess that it's just as much of a pig house inside as it is outside. Snooping around gives you no results, so you try to get as close to the bar without alerting the huge man standing guard in front. Foggy is nowhere to be seen, so you sneak around the back, watching a buff guy push Foggy into the night. They both start shouting at each other, and you see a knife's blade shine in front of Foggy's face. Instantly alert, you try to think of ways you could help Foggy. Calling for help or cops would take too long and draw attention, and just your luck, you left your pepper spray at home. Glancing around your hiding place, you notice a brick and take it. For the sake of confidence. 

"Shut up!" The guy shouts, pointing the knife again. You clutch the brick close to your chest and listen intently to any dangerous words. 

"I helped a guy named Pope! Yeah, the VA said that his injuries weren't sustained during battle, but they were! They just didn't manifest themselves for 20 years." Foggy stammers, his voice getting higher when he's afraid. "Uh, we got his operation sorted and then, a couple of months later, he was back on his Harley, doing whatever it is you guys do. Which is none of my business! 

"You helped Pope?" The biker asks, confused. Foggy nods slowly, but the answer he gets isn't what he expected. "Get the hell out of here."

"Really? What happened to Smitty?"   Who the hell was Smitty?

"You serious?" He asks in disbelief, lifting the knife again.

"I came here for a reason. I just need answers! Look, if I don't get answers, a lot of innocent blood could be shed." The guy grabs Foggy by the collar of his jacket, and you tense, ready to go save him. As stupid as it sounds. "People who both you and I care about are gonna get hurt. And you don't seem like the most sentimental guy, but you're still listening. And that knife isn't in my neck, so I have to believe that right now, maybe you and I are on the same side." Foggy rambles, his lawyer skills coming to help.

 "You got guts, Harvard, I'll give you that." The guy releases Foggy, and you let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Columbia, actually, but it's not courage. It's more like sheer adrenaline." Foggy fixes his jacket, breathing a fresh air of life, "Hey, look, I wouldn't be asking, I wouldn't be here doing this if it wasn't important."

After a long pause, the biker finally answers, "Smitty was on a run, I-90 with four brothers, transporting a big score. They were hit by a goddamn army. Their whole crew was cut to pieces.

Left there like roadkill." 

"Any idea who did it?" 

"Nah. New crew, doesn't matter. Whoever they are, we're gonna find 'em. And when we do, you wanna be very far away from the action. You didn't hear none of this from me. Now go." He urges Foggy to leave, "And don't come back!"

Foggy hurries to get out of here as soon as possible; just as he's about to pass your hiding spot, you emerge from the bush, dropping the brick on the ground. "Jesus!" He lets out a scream, quickly covering his mouth, but then he recognizes you and in a hushed tone asks, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" You shout back, but before you could interrogate your friend, Foggy starts dragging you out of this street, firmly holding your forearm. "What the fuck was that, Foggy? Who was that guy? Who's Smitty? Where's Karen and who the hell is that guy that wants witness protection?"

"Too many questions, y/n, just keep going."

"Foggy!" You pull your arm out of his grip, stopping in the middle of the dark alley. "Please don't lie to me. Not you."

His eyes soften and he sighs, frustrated. He didn't want to lie to you, but he also didn't want to betray Matt. "Smitty was my classmate, but obviously he joined the Dogs of Hell. And got killed by some other gang recently. The same one that put the Irish to sleep tonight."

"Okay. Where's Karen?"

"In the hospital, with Grotto." Your raised eyebrows are enough to keep Foggy talking. "He was involved in that bar shooting, and now he wants witness protection, so he could save himself from whoever is killing everyone."

"Oh God." You close your eyes tightly, taking a deep breath.

"Although... he said that it was one man." 

"One man? Is it possible? To have all the ammunition and... He has to be at least military trained." Your eyes widen, understanding just how dangerous this man is.

"Yeah, that much I figured out myself." 

*** 

The office was quiet and empty when you came, and remained like that until you finally got a hold of Foggy somewhat before noon. You weren't complaining, obviously the silence was nice, and you finally had time to finish some leftover work papers that were pilling up for the last couple of weeks, but soon the empty office walls started to feel depressing and loneliness crept on you.

Foggy was currently monologuing with Matt when you called again, and this time he decided to answer. Matt was about to protest against it, but Foggy was already speaking, "hey, y/n, something happened?"

"Yeah, where the hell is everyone? Or is it a holiday that I've never heard of?" Your voice is stern, and Foggy visibly vinces.

"There was something... But it's alright now. Karen's supposed to be at the station now, so, could you go there and help her?"

Foggy's lying skills were beyond terrible, but you had no time to ask any more questions, since he ended the call. "What is going on in this hell-hole?" You ask yourself, walking into the tiny kitchen to make a cup of coffee before going to the station. Karen hasn't replied to any of your texts, so while waiting, you call Matt once again today. It goes to voicemail, but this time you leave a message.

"Listen, Matt, I've been calling everyone like crazy this whole morning, and since no one tells me shit or shows up to work for that matter, I'm getting really worried." You sigh heavily after a mild pause, "I hope it's not related to what I said, or didn't say during our dinner. And I hope you're not avoiding me, please, just call me back ASAP, because it's insane out there. Love you, bye." You end the message, slightly cringing at yourself for telling 'love you' on the phone, but you will get used to this, eventually.

The automatic voice tells Matt that it's the end of the voicemail, and silence settles in his living room. Foggy stares at the table, where Matt's phone was put, not a single thought in his head, whereas Matt was rubbing his forehead in shame, and pain.

"What?" Foggy finally utters,  casting his eyes at Matt. "Love you? Are you two together?"

"Foggy it's n-"

"It's not? That's your excuse?"

"No! It is... We just didn't want to tell anyone." Matt sighs, sitting up. His head hurts, whole body's sore from last night's fight, he's tired, angry and hungry, and this is not what he thought was gonna happen when your call went to voicemail.

"How long?"

"More than a month."

"Does she know? About your nightly deeds?" Foggy's voice cracks, he starts pacing around the living room. "Since she's so against the devil, I'm guessing not."

"No, and I prefer to leave it that way."

"Matt. How many more lies are you gonna create?"

"Not today, Foggy, please?"

"Then when? When someone's gonna beat you up and she finds you in a pool of blood just like I did?"

"Foggy-"

"Get your head out of your butt for once, Matt. Here's your aspirin. Don't choke on it, Daredevil." Foggy hands Matt the pill and puts a glass of water on the table with force, leaving the apartment without another word.

[ryverbind]

Faceless Fixation (Sal Fisher): Twitterpated Brat [17]

TW/// smut!!! :D

__

Ash throws a cold, soggy fry into her mouth, stumbling around with her arm linked through Larry's. The two look like they're about to start line-dancing through Caesar's Palace. They kick their legs up with each step, giggling about nothing and everything all at the same time.

And that leaves Todd, Sal, and me to scramble around and try to cover their tracks.

Between the two of them, Larry and Ash managed to kill all three dozen jello shots. When you slap those on top of the giant daiquiris they both drank earlier, and then the screwdrivers they grabbed somewhere on the way back to the hotel-- they're pretty sloshed. 

"Let's take the stairs," Ash gasps, squeezing Larry's toned arm. She points up at the spiral staircase that she and I climbed just two days ago. 

"This is why I love you," Larry whispers, leaning toward the woman with his best, award-winning smile. In reality, he looks deeply pained... but he's trying, I guess. "You have the best ideas," he praises, booping Ash's nose with his index finger.

Ash scrunches her nose and closes her eyes, pushing her face closer to emo buff daddy.

"Yea," Sal says nonchalantly from beside me. I glance over at him-- his hands are stuffed into the pockets of his black cargo pants, cerulean gaze focused on our mutual friends milling about in front of us. "So that's what we're not gonna do," he continues, shifting his stance and tilting his head. "It's time to head up to our room."

For once, I'm inclined to agree with him. Have pigs started flying? Did Sal miraculously become a nice person in some alternate universe? The world is spinning off its axis.

Ash turns her head over her shoulder, her hair slapping Larry in the face. She's wearing a pretty pout, eyebrows furrowed and lips puckered in disappointment. "But I want to go gamble and walk around. Larry wants to, too. Right, Lar?"

When she looks back at Larry, he's too busy pulling strands of Ash's hair out of his mouth to even realize he's been brought into the conversation.

Sal and Todd simultaneously sigh.

"Do they... do this often?" I ask no one in particular, staring at the pair that start bickering. It's kind of wholesome, actually. Ash is fussing at Larry for not moving out of the way when her hair swung around and Larry's just telling her about how pretty and soft each little strand is.

Todd casts me a glance. "Every time we go out somewhere. Every single time." He bites into his cheek, turning his attention back to Larry and Ash to keep an eye on them. "Sal and I have to parent them. We're just lucky that they somehow have some common sense packed into their brains even when they're drunk."

"Larry is even more of an issue when he has alcohol in his system though," Sal murmurs, adding on to Todd's overview of drunk nights with The Faces. "His actions are already questionable when he's sober, but when he's drunk, there's nothing holding him back."

Yea, I watched him decimate the entirety of today's photoshoot so I have no doubt that he's capable of some pretty bad things when the consequences don't matter. 

Wincing, I nod subtly. Maybe letting Ash and Larry wander around, even with the three of us watching them, isn't such a great idea. This wouldn't be a good look for them online, especially if they would end up getting involved in some risky (cough, illegal) business.

"Hey, Larry," Ash whispers loudly. "Do you still have weed? Or like... something better?"

"Hell yea, I do!" Larry chirps back to the beauty, squeezing her arm closer to him. "We're in Vegas, baby, it's time to live it up!"

I dip my head down, pursing my lips. Todd flinches and Sal jumps into action, walking up to the two and grabbing their arms. It's definitely time to bring them up to the room. "Hey," Sal snaps, but ultimately lowers his voice after checking to see if anyone was watching us. "Let's not do this right now. Come on, you two can do whatever the fuck you want in our room, but not here."

Watching Sal take on the authoritative role for Ash and Larry is... something. He's obviously worried for them, trying to keep their reputations intact. He's handling them with care too, tactfully gaining their attention with physical touch. Keeping eye contact while he talks to them. He really must do this often.

We somehow manage to convince Ash and Larry to get into the elevators. I think what really got them to comply was our promise to let them be once we finally get to the suite. Right now, they're planning this slumber party. Where they're going to do it-- I have no idea. But Todd and I are carrying everyone's leftover food and clothes. Sal has a good grip on both of our drunk friends, his pale fingertips digging into their skin. 

Poor little Sally Face does not seem impressed. 

I don't really have an opinion on the current matter. Ash and Larry just want to have fun, but I can also understand why its stressful for Sal and Todd. Having to take care of them when they can't do it themselves. They're the designated dads. Not drivers-- dads.

Our ride up to the suite doesn't take too long and we don't run into many people, thankfully. I guess since it's evening, everyone's either in bed or getting lit in the casinos. No issue there. Makes things much easier for us.

By the time we burst through the doors of our suite, Ash has tears running down her face and Larry's a giggly-gaggly mess. They're on two opposite ends of the drunk spectrum. Ash is reminiscing on her past and Larry's just vibing.

I let out a quiet groan when I finally put the bags of leftover food and clothing down on the dining table. Todd's right next to me, pulling boxes from the plastic bags. 

"Help Sally," he says, opening one of the boxes to see what's inside. "I've got this."

"Are you sure?" I ask, brows furrowing as I take a hesitant step away. Putting me and Sal together with a task to complete isn't exactly the best idea to exist.

Todd just hums, focused on his job. Okay then, that's fine. I'll just help Ash get ready for bed and Sal can take Larry to their room. It's not like I have to be stuck with the sexual bane of my existence.

Still, as I walk over to where Sal has corralled our friends into one section of the couch, I feel this nauseating sense of destruction slowly climbing up my spine. It's like a knife in the back, utter betrayal. It's a bit humorous given that I'm the one with the own knife to my back. I chose this. 

Had I just never created this online persona, Sal and I never would have become this. The topic of y/n would have died with that one Youtube video. Nothing would have come of it-- I would be back in LA going to work and paying bills like I always have. 

I don't think I regret making this decision, I just think I should have gone about this differently. Of course, I don't regret it-- just the thought of getting a second alone with Sal fills me with a kind of giddiness I've never experienced. But the fact that I'm still stuck arguing with this man constantly makes it all seem... not so worth it sometimes.

Ash suddenly looks up at me with her watery green eyes and I find that my depressing internal monologue is replaced with mind-numbing love almost instantly. 

Things with Sal are weird and they kind of suck, but this was worth it. If I didn't start streaming, Ash and I would have gone much longer without seeing each other. And she's someone that will always be worth any struggle of mine.

"I don't feel good," Ash mumbles to me, her words slurred and her arms wrapped around her tummy. 

I gulp. Okay, so that's not too good. I should have expected it too. 

I grab onto Ash's wrists carefully. "I know, honey," I tell her softly, looking into those forest green eyes of hers. She's on the brink of tears. "Look, let's go to the bathroom. We'll sit in there for a while until you feel better." I try to keep my voice as light and comforting as possible. Feeling sick while you're drunk alters the mood so quickly and it sucks. All the freedom and happiness gets replaced by shackling anxiety and fear in a moment's notice.

"No," Ash yanks her hands away from me and curls in on herself. I glance at Sal who's watching the ordeal, sitting between Ash and his step-brother with his hand on Larry's back, trying to get him to sit up. And poor Larry looks like he's just about to fall asleep right here. "I don't want to throw up. I really don't wanna," Ash speaks again, pulling my attention away from our one-man audience.

I frown at my friend. Poor thing, I know that fear. 

Instead of trying to force her to stand up, I scoot in beside Sal. It's not ideal, but I don't really care. If he has a problem with my thighs squished against his, which I doubt he does, he can just move.

I wrap my arm around Ash and pull her into my side. Her head plops onto my shoulder, a soft whimper leaving her lips the moment we touch. "I didn't say anything about throwing up, sweetheart," I coo, setting my head on top of hers. I run my hand over her hair, gently threading my fingers through her slightly tangled hair. "We can just go sit in there until you feel better. And if you do end up feeling so bad that you have to use the bathroom, we'll already be there. You can take a shower if you want."

She's quiet for a moment. I sit there, staring ahead at Todd who's opening his laptop on the dining table. At the same time, Sal sighs softly and uses his hip to forcefully push himself away from me and closer to Larry. It takes quite a lot to not roll my eyes.

One second he wants to fuck me, or something akin to that, and the next moment I'm carrying the bubonic plague, measles, and various other diseases. This guy needs to pick a struggle and go with it.

I feel Ash's head move up and down against my shoulder, so I glance down at her and frown at her quivering bottom lip. Sweet thing. I know she's just drunk, but seeing her so upset and feeling sick really pulls at my heartstrings.

"C'mon then," I murmur, rubbing my hand over her back before slowly standing up. Ash struggles to follow me, so I grab onto her elbows and shoulder most of her weight with a grunt. 

With her tall stature, the force of her falling into me makes me stumble a bit. I blink through my struggle and keep a good grip on her, looking up at her as she purses her lips and wraps her arms around my shoulders. Okay, she's up. Now we just have to take the short walk to the restroom.

I tilt my head back down, making quick eye contact with Sal. He's bearing dead eyes and that forever numb-projecting prosthetic. But our gazes turn opposite ways in a moments notice. Not like I really care to begin with. I'm more worried about Ash than anything else.

Ash drags her feet to the bathroom, her arms latched around my neck as she voices unintelligible pleas to help her feel better. I feel like my heart is about to snap in two. It's hard to remind myself that she's okay when she seems so miserable like this.

After a couple seconds, I gently kick the bathroom door open and flick on the light. My eyes squint against the sudden brightness, but I still lead Ash into the room and shut the door behind us. 

Sighing, I help lower Ash to the floor. Her legs are spread out in front of her and her pretty head is leaned against the wall behind her. "I feel so icky, Vi," she mumbles, the words slurred as they tumble from her lips. 

I shrug halfheartedly. "At least 'Vi' is a default now," I whisper to myself. I'd have been fucked hours ago if she hadn't been calling me Vi all this time. "I know you feel yucky, love," I tell her, my voice a little louder for her to hear. I squat down in front of her, running a finger over her forehead to push a strand of hair away from her face. 

Ash's vibrant green eyes open to glance over my face quickly, then they close again as a soft, pained moan falls from her pale lips. In fact, her entire face is a bit paler than it was moments ago.

I chew on the inside of my cheek. She needs to be closer to the toilet. 

I gently grab onto her dainty hand and pull her over to the toilet, squatting beside her again. "Tell me if you feel sick, Ash," I say, pushing her hair behind her ears again. "You might feel better if you get it out." 

She groans again, but her arms grab onto the back of the toilet almost instinctually. "I know, but it sucks so much," Ash admits. 

I pinch my lips together, smiling tightly at her. "Trust me, I know," I reply, moving to stand behind her. I can't do much for her right now. She can't take any medicine with alcohol still in her system and I don't want to leave her to get a bottle of water. I'd hate to not be here for her if she does get sick. So I do the only thing I can do and gather her hair into my hands. I pull a ponytail from my wrist with the intention of wrapping it around her hair, but she cuts me off.

"Play with my hair," Ash whispers, head lolling to the side. 

I smile a bit at that and let the band fall onto my wrist again. So Ash and I sit in silence while I run my fingers through her hair. I braid it, then undo it, twist it around my hands, then braid it again. It's a back and forth motion in loud quietude. But only for a few minutes.

The bathroom door flies open, the wood hitting the wall with a deja vu-like thunk. I can almost hear my dad running through the house to check out what happened in my memories. 

Mine and Ash's heads both snap to observe whatever the hell is happening, but all I get to see is a blur of blue and brown. I hear the squeaking of quick footsteps, and then "Bathtub, bathtub, tub!"

My eyebrows scrunch together as I assess the situation. Not Larry too...

I swivel my head around like an owl to look at the tub just in time to watch Larry drunkenly dive into it like it's some kind of pool. Then the sickening sound of vomiting follows immediately after.

I suck in a breath, turning my gaze up to Sal. He's leaning over the ledge of the bathtub, his hands holding Larry's long hair away from his face.

"Oh, fuck," Ash groans, her voice shaky. My attention leaves Sal quickly upon hearing the inconspicuous alert she gives me. I gather her hair in my hands again and rub her back as she mimics Larry. 

It's a mess and it sucks for all four of us.

After a couple minutes of what feels like a never-ending rendition of The Exorcist-style vomiting, but in double, both Larry and Ash are finally in the hard relaxation phase of their drunkenness. And hopefully it'll stay this way.

I sigh to myself, feeling relieved now that the worst part of this is over.

Ash is moaning and groaning about how gross she feels, and about how her teeth feel like fresh cement. Sal just leapt to his feet and bolted out of the bathroom, likely to get something for Larry. 

"Here," I murmur to my friend, helping her to her feet. My hands are gently pushing on her arms, giving her some leverage to stand. She and I stumble over to the counter in the bathroom and I start looking for necessities. Because, oh, Ash, I understand. "What color is your toothbrush?" I ask her.

"Purple," she sighs. "For VioletViolence."

I blink, my gaze cutting to my friend who smiles gently. I can't help the smile that grows on my face either, or the way my cheeks warm up a bit.

"You're so silly," I giggle, opening up a drawer where... apparently all members of The Faces keep their toothbrushes? I just pack mine up in my suitcase every night. I guess they feel like family. 

But I find the purple toothbrush pretty easily. It's glittery and a deep, dark purple. Just my style, in fact. 

I put a bit of toothpaste onto the bristles, wet it (because what psychopath doesn't wet the toothbrush before brushing?) and then turn to my friend. "Open up," I chirp. "I'm playing dentist today."

Ash frowns at me. "But I hate the dentist," she grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest. "And what if I throw up on you?" 

"Then I'll take a shower," I reply with a tilt of my head, trying to ease her worries. She seems to think of everything while drunk. Who stresses when they're drunk?-- well, Ash does, apparently.

At that moment, Sal walks into the bathroom again. He has a frantic, exhausted look in his bright blue eyes when they meet mine. For a moment, I'm wondering why he's even acknowledging me, but then he holds out a hand, gesturing to me. I narrow my eyes then look down, noting the bottle of cold water in his grip.

"For Ash," he says quietly, pushing the bottle closer to me.

"Oh." I snap myself out of my confused state and take the bottle from him, nodding. "Thanks."

I get nothing in response, but I expected as much. Sal simply turns his head back to poor Larry who's sitting on the edge of the bathtub and rushes over to give him some water.

The bathroom actually smells horrid, but I power through just like the other three people in the room are doing. Sal's getting Larry ready for bed and I'm doing the same with Ash. Both of us silently and simultaneously prep our friends for a good night's sleep. Hopefully. Even though I know they're both going to wake up with the worst case of acid reflux known to man-- headaches and body aches too. But they'll be fine.

It doesn't take me long to brush Ash's teeth. The time consuming part was trying to stop her from biting down on the toothbrush-- and my fingers.

At long last, which is only five minutes later, I rinse Ash's toothbrush and hand her the bottle of water that Sal so graciously brought. 

"I'm going to go grab some clothes for you, 'kay?" I inform Ash, putting her toothbrush back into the  drawer near the sink. I help move her over to sit on the floor so Larry can brush his teeth or use some mouthwash-- I don't know. Something.

Ash sleepily grumbles in acknowledgement of my statement. I'll just take that as an 'okay.'

I grab onto the doorknob with the intention of slipping out then quickly slipping back in, but Sal calls to me.

I pause, turning my head over my shoulder to look at him. He's holding Larry up with one arm and digging in the same drawer I just returned Ash's toothbrush to with the other. He glances up at me, hair falling into his eyes and forming a halo around his forever expressionless prosthetic. "Can you get Larry some clothes too?" He asks, looking down at the drawer again. "He's sleeping farthest from the door. Stay away from my shit," he tacks on.

I roll my eyes. Typical Sal behavior. But I reply with a quick, "Sure." It's not about Sal and I fighting right now, it's about making sure that our mutual friends are safe and comfortable.

My heart beats a little faster when I slip out of the bathroom and quickly grab a change of clothes for Ash in our shared room. She already had her pajamas laid out and ready to go, so I didn't even have to go looking. But walking to Sal and Larry's room puts me on edge. Something about being in a place that Sal would never even allow me to get a glimpse of in any other situation is both invigorating and terrifying. Imagine I still pick the wrong bed by accident? Suppose I knock over his guitar or something? These are high stakes.

I swallow the anxiety building in my belly and throw open the bedroom door, trying to keep my eyes downcast as I walk to the bed occupying the far end of the spacious room. Todd must have gone to bed by now, that or he's doing work in his room. He wasn't in the dining room when I passed it. Somehow, that makes being in here feel criminal. 

If I snooped, no one would know.

But I'm not a fucking idiot, so that's not even on my bucket list of things to do in Vegas. I'm already on Sal's shit-list. I don't want him to put me even higher on it-- though, maybe working my way up that list might make for a good hate-fuck or something...

A side-tracked mind results in borrowed time. And my borrowed time is probably going to end up with Sal murdering me in my sleep if I take any longer.

I still can't help but look up though. Just to see something. To keep my knowledge of this room a secret forever.

My eyes glaze over the entirety of the room as I reach Larry's bed. The mattress itself is cleared, but all of his clothes are thrown on top of his suitcase that's hiding beside his bed. My guess is that Sal told him to clean up the place and this was Larry's definition of "clean."

I sink to my knees and dig under Larry's pile of clothes. There's a couple pairs of shirts and shorts still folded way at the bottom of his suitcase, so I grab those and then pinch the waistband of a pair of boxers between my index and thumb. I have no idea if they're clean and I have no desire to find out if they're dirty. 

I fold the clothes under my arm then acknowledge the room once more. It's pasty white, as are the beds. But I pay closer attention to Sal's side of the room for... reasons.

There's a glass of water on his bedside table. I have no idea what it's there for. Maybe he gets thirsty at night. But there's also a guitar case leaning up against his bed. His suitcase rests neatly on top of the white comforter on his bed, all his clothes folded to perfection and stacked inside. He's so much more organized than Larry. In fact, he'd have been better off rooming with Todd.

It's so... normal. And I didn't think his belongings would be normal. I didn't think his room would look so domestic. I half-expected to find a blue wig hanging off the bed post, or taxidermy animals, or furniture made from skin-- inspired by Ed Gein, of course.

But he's normal. Hell, he seems more normal to me right now than Larry given the different states of each half of this room.

I swallow down the odd feeling of having different results than I'd originally expected. It's not saddening, it's just... weird.

My time here is done though, so I quickly skitter out of the bedroom, shut the door behind me, and speed-walk back to the bathroom. 

When I walk in, I happen upon another thing I didn't originally expect to see tonight. Or ever, for that matter. 

Sal's standing on the toilet seat, all focus and dedication as he carefully brushes Larry's teeth for him. Much like I did for Ash earlier. I don't even know how to react upon seeing the scenario because Larry's even holding onto Sal's waist. It makes me want to laugh my ass off, but it's also kinda cute. Seeing them work together and not caring about how others perceive it is just sweet. But it's still fucking hilarious. 

My eyes tear up a bit as I try to hold in the laughter bubbling up my throat. For God's sake, I need to get out of here before I lose it.

I put Larry's clothes onto the bathroom counter then drag Ash into a standing position. "Larry's clothes are near the sink," I say, my voice wavering as I try to bite down the giggle that so desperately wants to be released.

Sal answers me with a nonchalant, emotionless, "'kay."

I puff out my cheeks as I help Ash over to her room, biting my lips to hold in my little giggles. But once I finally get us both inside and shut the door, I let the giggles flow. Not like anyone but Ash can hear me anyway.

"What are you laughing at?" Ash asks, her words drawn out and so, so soft. I lift her shirt over her head and push her arms through the new shirt I'd grabbed for her. "Do I look ugly?"

"No, no. You're gorgeous, as always," I quickly say, grabbing onto the collar of the shirt and pulling down until her head pops through the hole. Her hair is a static-y mess and splattered across her face. "I'm just laughing at the position I found Sally and Larry in earlier." I use a finger to brush strands of hair out of her face, then I run my fingers through it to tame the frizz.

"Oh, yea," Ash opens her watery, sleepy viridian eyes. "I saw that. Sal wanted Larry to sit for him but Lar said something about not wanting to hurt the bacteria living on his skin." Ash squints her eyes in obvious confusion, then closes them again.

Larry is so ridiculous. He's just like Ash-- worrying about things that don't need to be worried about. Come on, body bacteria?

I just shake my head, smiling at my sweet Ashy-poo while she unfastens the button on her cargo pants before shimmying her way out of them. They get stuck around her ankles, so I kneel down and gently pull them off of her.

But then she drops her panties without even an ounce of a warning to me. 

I spin on my heels and purse my lips. I take it she's got the rest of this on her own.

I let Ash do her thing, tapping my feet against the ground and acting like this isn't my room too. Just puts me in an odd position knowing that Ash is just... yea.

With the way I'm standing, arms crossed and posted up awkwardly, I feel like a guard. Or a princess's personal knight. Damn, I actually wish I was the princess to that dark knight from earlier.

Oh, no. Now Larry's gotten the Batman reference stuck in my head forever.

Speaking of Larry, he and Sal are suddenly in the doorway and Ash is still getting dressed behind me-- crap.

I rush up to the two men and slap my hands over their eyes. Not that it matters much considering that Sal is wearing a prosthetic and Larry's so tall that his head almost hits the top of the door frame.

"What the fuck?" Sal gripes, grabbing onto my wrist and yanking it off of his face.

He glares at me, eyes so incredibly close that I can see all the different shades of blue populating his irises. I'm momentarily distracted, which ends up sucking because Sal's eyes snap to Ash.

They widen, meeting my own eyes again. And then he does the last thing I'd ever expect-- which seems to be my motto tonight. He grabs my hand and slaps it back over his eyes.

I take a breath, trying to calm the panic that's wreaking havoc on my body.

"What the hell are you two doing in here?" I snap at the boys, blinking at their stone-still figures. Sal and I are shoulder-to-shoulder, but since my arm is raised, it's more like chest-to-chest. And the same goes for Larry, but that somehow doesn't matter as much.

Sal huffs. "Larry wants to sleep with Ash tonight. It's.. it's their drunk thing," he grumbles, though his voice is a tad shaky which suggests that he might be nervous with a little spoonful of shocked.

"Okay, well, drunk ritual or not," I say pointedly. "You could've knocked."

"Fuck off," Sal bites out, but his rebuttal is weak. He knows he can't fight this, and he knows he's in the wrong either way.

I turn my head over my shoulder to see if Ash is done changing. She finally has underwear on-- thank God-- but she's struggling with her sweats now.

Not like these guys haven't seen Ash in panties before, I suppose.

I rush over to my pretty friend and help her as best as I can by grabbing the waistband of her sweatpants. She bounces on her toes, trying to work the fabric up her legs. And I almost giggle when I realize the boys haven't moved farther into the room. Poor Sal must still be recovering.

Once Ash finally has her pants on, I guide her to the bed and pull the blankets back, helping her to flop onto the clean sheets. 

"Take my pants off," she whines, scrunching her face up as she rubs her legs all over the mattress, stretching her arms over her head.

Sighing, I place my hands on my hips and stare down at her. Sal has finally walked over to the side of the bed that I sleep on, trying to help Larry get under the blankets as well. "Larry can help you out of your sweatpants, I just got you into them," I tell Ash, watching as she sticks out her bottom lip in an adorable pout.

"Well then get in bed, I'm tired," she murmurs a bit more, rolling over to throw an arm and a leg around Larry. And Larry, in turn, wraps an arm around her waist and buries his face into her neck. It's quite cute. I can't help but smile at the sweet embrace.

"There's no room for me, lovebug," I say, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm going to sleep on the couch tonight. Get some rest, okay? I'll see you in the morning."

Before I leave. And then not for another long period of time which hurts so, so bad. I gulp down those words before they can leave my mouth though. I don't want to make Ash feel bad for anything. She had fun tonight-- we all did.

"But how will I make it through the night without you?" Ash asks, starting to stir a bit. Larry looks so comfy, I don't want either of them to interrupt their positions or their sleep.

"The same way you always have, honey," I say solemnly, leaning over to run my hand over her hair. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. You're a strong, brave girl."

"Yea." She yawns, settling in beside Larry again. "You're right. I'm strong and brave."

"Vi, just sleep in my bed. Don't rot on Sal's smoking couch," Larry slurs, his voice muffled from Ash's shoulder.

"Fuck no," Sal instantly bites out. I glance to him, noting his arms that are crossed over his chest and the disdain in his eyes that are shadowed by the darkness of the room.

For once, I can agree. I absolutely will not sleep in the same room as Sal. That's the very last place I want to be on my final day in Las Vegas. The smurf would slit my throat. 

"No, that's okay, Lar." I wave him off even though he can't see it. I'd much rather take the couch, especially since I suddenly feel like crying. I have to leave everyone tomorrow. No matter how many nights I've slept wrapped up in Ash's limbs and no matter how long I've gotten to hang around Larry and Todd, it still just doesn't feel like anywhere near long enough. And tomorrow, I'll be back in LA. Back to where I was before. To where we all were before. Distanced and displaced.

"Vi, don't fight me," Larry sighs, squeezing the fabric of Ash's shirt in his fist. "It is my dying wish for you to sleep in my bed. And don't let Sal scare you off either. He couldn't harm a fly, let alone a pretty girl like you."

Pretty girl. That's what Sal called me earlier. Maybe he stole that line from Larry.

I lick my dry lips and swallow down the lump in my throat. I'll appease him with agreement and take the couch anyway. It's not like he'll remember telling me to sleep in his bed anyway. But I just need to be away from the things that make me want to cry. Sal makes me want to do multiple things, so I'll just attach him to that list anyway.

"Fine, fine." I push the words past trembling lips, trying to ignore the way that the weight I've been ignoring for the past couple hours is suddenly starting to crash down on me. 

"You guys fucking suck," Sal hisses, uncrossing his arms and moving to the door. And even though he's voicing his opposition, he hasn't fought against the plan for me to occupy Larry's bed. He's just... going with it. If anything, it seems like he's complaining just to keep up appearances. There's just no bite to his words.

Weird. But whatever.

I roll my eyes at Sal to try and ignore my own concerns about his behavior. I was sad a moment ago, I don't want to circle back to confused. Or maybe I do? I don't even know anymore. I think I'm officially starting to go crazy.

"Um," I voice, chewing on the inside of my cheek as I look down at my two cuddling friends. "Thanks for the bed, Lar. And don't hesitate to call if you need anything. Both of you."

"Yep," Ash mumbles, followed by Larry who says, "Night."

Well, that's that. And I can't hold off the awkward moment where Sal and I are going to walk out of this room together.

I turn on my heel, keeping my head down as I walk over to where Sal's at. But he's already swung the door open and stepped out, making his way into the dining room. 

I close the door softly behind me, making sure to switch off the light right before it's fully closed. I guess it's time to move to the couch. I'd really appreciate Larry's pillows and blanket now, come to think of it. I'm basically a kitten stranded in a tundra-- I can't sleep in this place without a blanket.

Aware that I might get my head bitten off, I awkwardly walk over to the dining room and peek around the wall, eyeing Sal who grabs another bottle of water from the fridge, but this time it's for him. 

He turns to walk to his room, no doubt, but finds me standing there watching him. Which only makes me feel even creepier than I did a moment ago. I should've just said something, but he's constantly so hot and cold. I'm walking on eggshells here.

"Would you, um," I purse my lips, trying to think of a way to put my thoughts into word form. "Could you bring Larry's blanket and one of his pillows to me? I'm just going to sleep on the couch." I try to keep my voice as even as possible. I don't want him to know that my thoughts are taking over every inch of me like a never-ending typhoon. That I feel so out of control right now with no way to organize my emotions. 

His eyes go from wary to disbelieving. "Don't be weird about it," he says, a tad aggravated. "Just take his bed. I don't care."

"You really think I'm just going to sleep in the same room as you?" I ask him, quite seriously in fact. He must know how much I don't trust him.

He seems to raise an eyebrow beneath his prosthetic as he tightens his hold on the bottle in his hands. The plastic crinkles, the sound echoing through the large room. Disrupting the quiet. "Nothing bad is going to happen to you. The most you'll get is fucked, like I said I'd do earlier."

My immediate reaction is a tongue-in-cheek, wide-eyed stare in his direction. He was serious about that earlier? Even after I pelted him with paintballs? Or is this his way of getting back at me for covering him in paint? Hell, neither of us have gotten a chance to change out of the tactical gear we left the shoot in. 

At least I have the clothes I originally wore sitting on the dining table. I can change into those later.

I take a deep breath and hold onto it for a moment. Sal watches me, waiting for a response. In truth, this is the kind of distraction I need right now. To ignore all the guilt and sadness building up in me. Fuck the pain away, I guess.

"Okay," I say, attempting to sound more sure of myself rather than bashful and fucking shy. Of all things. I sucked him off earlier. He's had his fingers in my pussy. I couldn't be more sure about disappearing into his room with him-- but something just makes me feel... "Lead the way."

He doesn't say a word. Simply walks past me and into the hallway, heading for the door to his room at the end of the hallway. So I follow him, tiptoeing behind him and keeping my distance because I'm still wary. For all I know, he could open that door and then slam it shut in my face. 

Very Sal of him. I wouldn't be surprised.

But when we do make it to the room (and we get there way too quickly), Sal opens the door and he leaves it open, allowing me to walk in behind him.

He looks at me for a moment, watches me come to a stop a few steps away from him. 

And just when I'm beginning to rethink my decision of coming in here with him, the air in the room suddenly shifts. The situation I'm in feels primal now, like I'm being hunted. And again, I'm shocked by how quickly Sal's able to diffuse an awkward situation. He hasn't even said a word, hasn't even touched me. All he's done is tilt his head down a bit and change his stance-- the action so small that I hardly even noticed it.

He walks past me, so close that his shoulder brushes against mine as he aims for the door. A chill erupts along my spine and images and ideas of all the other places he could touch me take over my brain like a disease.

Sal slowly shuts the door, the lock falling into place with a soft click. Everything feels tense. He's standing there, I'm standing here. I know he's going to walk over here and dominate me to pieces soon. I'm so enthralled in the idea alone that I don't know what to do with myself. All of the pain I felt just moments ago is gone. Disappeared into thin air.

And I couldn't be happier.

He turns to me after locking the door, but never moves. Only stares. His blue eyes seem dim in the bright room, the ceiling lights reflecting off of his white and pink prosthetic. One veiny, ring-clad hand, decorated with bracelets, rests at his side while the other is safely tucked away inside his pocket. His stance isn't rigid, but it's on guard. It's waiting for a singular move from me to set this plan into motion.

The air condition blows a few strands of his cerulean hair, making him bring a hand up to push it away from his eyes. But other than that, he just stares my way.

I stare back, fidgeting with my fingers and lightly tapping my foot against the ground. Maybe Sally changed his mind all of a sudden. Maybe he doesn't want to do anything with me; he may just want to go to bed. And that's perfectly fine, I mean, I'm leaving in a few hours now anyway. It's uncharacteristic of him to change his mind when it comes to anything sexual, but who knows. He may have lost interest.

Sal's head tilts to the side a bit. "Are you just going to stand there?" He asks, voice coated in a mixture of agitation and hidden expectations. "Are we going to continue where we left off or are we going to go to bed hating each other as always?"

I purse my lips, picking at my fingernails. "Even if we continue, we'll still go to bed hating each other." I look off to the side, a little miffed over his words. We can't stand each other, even if all we crave lately is each other.

"Might as well have some fun before the hate then, right?" Sal says matter-of-factly, seemingly waiting for my consent. "I remember saying something about scaring your fantasies away, after all."

Adrenaline fills up every inch of my body. It happens so quickly, so viscerally. The only thing I can do is squeeze my thighs together and chew on my lip. Otherwise, I'd probably do something weird and ruin this entire moment. "Show me what you've got then. Because I still don't believe you," I say, my voice low and on the quiet side.

Sal takes that as his cue and closes the distance between us. I assume he'll start off like he did last night, but he takes me by surprise instead. 

He grabs me by the nape of my neck, sneering to himself. His strong hands force me to turn around and then he slams me into the vanity against the wall, his painted nails digging into my skin.

I hiss when my chest and face press into the dark oak surface beneath me. I squeeze my eyes shut and pinch my lips together, trying to stay quiet. There was so much in that one little push— so much dominance, anger, even satisfaction. On the other hand, my mask is pinching into the side of my face. It even lifted up to uncover the tip of my nose. I move my hands to hold onto the edge of the vanity, using one to quickly fix my mask.

My heart screams in my chest. He can't see me. Could he have seen me? And he couldn't recognize me just by the tip of my nose, right?

Sal leans over me. His warmth envelops me so quickly and I suck in a breath, shivering when his hair brushes along my jaw. One of his hands is still clutching  the back of my neck and the other comes down harshly against my ass. I flinch at the contact, pulling my bottom lip into my mouth to contain whatever filthy sound that was about to be released.

Things have taken a dark turn and I'm here for it.

"You keep testing me. Every single day. Can't you shut up for once?" he hisses into my ear while his lower half presses into me from behind. More specifically, his thick cock against my ass. The only thing separating our skin is our cargo pants that are covered in neon paint splotches.

He presses down on my neck, pushing my face into the cold wood. "You think you're all special and pampered because I went easy on you last night, don't you?" He harshly says, grip tightening. "You haven't seen even a fraction of what I'm capable of. And I'm not sure you're ready either."

I snort. He doesn't know a single thing about me. This is what I want— I want to be scared. I want to be hurt. Doesn't he realize?

"And honestly, I don't give a fuck whether you're prepared or not. You're walking into my world now." His voice is an aggressive whisper in my ear, making goosebumps rise along my skin. His hand moves from my neck to grab at my hair, right against my scalp. He gives a tight yank, causing me to tilt my head up and arch my back to relieve some of the pain.

My mouth falls open as I stare at him through the mirror before me. He's hovering over me with the most devilish look in his pretty blue eyes. His hand in my hair, the other resting on my butt. He looks like he has perfect control over the situation.

"Do you wish to proceed?" He asks, this time more seriously, taking a second to focus on consent before continuing.

"Not if you talk like that, Todd Morrison," I rasp out, grinning mischievously at his reflection.

His eyes narrow in response. "I'm serious, Vi," he growls out.

My own eyes roll in response while butterflies kick up in my belly. "Fine," I murmur. "Yes, I want to do this." The words tumble from my lips so effortlessly. It was so hard for me last night, even just a few moments ago, but seeing our position fills me with anticipation. I can't pass up such an offer when he already has me bent over a piece of furniture. This is a dream come true.

Sal hums, the vibration transferring from his chest into my entire body, making some unknown exhilaration soar to life within me. I grip onto the edges of the vanity, trying to hold myself together. But the truth is that I'm falling apart in his hands. The world around me is absolutely nothing-- I have no worries, no thoughts so long as he continues to touch me. 

He drags his fingers from my scalp to the end of my hair and wraps it around his fist before shoving my face back into the wood. Thankfully, this time he's a bit gentler so I can adjust my mask by simply moving my face against the wood. "Give me a safe word," he commands hoarsely, palm running up my ass to the top of my pants.

I let out a breath, finding it hard to get in a good dose of oxygen at the moment. His touch is so rough, but nowhere near enough at the same time. I want to feel him everywhere. I want him underneath my skin-- something. Anything more than just this little bit he's giving me.

"Safe word?" My heart skips a beat. "So we're getting really slutty then."

"I won't say it again," Sal warns, absolutely done with my antics. "Don't test me. I'll fuck the brat right out of you."

His words make a shiver crawl up my spine. Yum, how fun.

I shut my eyes again and release another shaky breath. "Okay, uh," I trail off, taking a moment to ponder. Coming up with safe words is always so hard, especially when I'm put on the spot. Naturally, my first thought is to make it something that only he and I will understand. We don't have many memories, but we've done some dirty stuff, so we do have a couple things in common. I think he's hot and hopefully the same goes for him.

"Time's ticking," Sal says, voice monotonous but much deeper than it was seconds ago. Patience wearing thin.

The only thing that comes to mind is the argument that Larry and Sal had the day I got to Caesar's Palace. And then an image of Sal and Larry dressed as deer follow the memory.

"Twitterpated," I quickly spit out, gulping down the flash of embarrassment that's overcome me. I don't want to risk having this moment ended because I couldn't come up with a simple safe word. How ridiculous would that be? The one I chose is ridiculous in and of itself.

Sal snorts quietly. "Alright. Twitterpated. You say that, everything stops. I say that, everything stops. Got it?" He asks me, wrapping his arm around my waist and fumbling with the buttons on my pants.

I lick my lips while my heart jumps into my throat. "Got it."

"Prove it," Sal says, fingers squeezing my hair tight.

My mouth gapes open when a spark of pain ignites along my scalp. It renders me speechless for a moment while I relish in the blissful feeling. "Twitterpated," I say, loud enough for him to hear even though I feel so breathless.

Sal's hands stop. One moves away from my pants and the other untangles itself from my hair, but he still hovers over me. "Good girl," he purrs. "Ready to continue?"

I swallow thickly, my cheeks turning a dark shade of red over the praise. My breasts uncomfortably squish into the vanity while I impatiently wait for Sal to touch me again. "Yes," I say softly, eager to see where this goes.

Without a second of hesitation, Sal's hands are back where they were a moment ago. Only now, he's quickly and effectively undone the buttons on my pants. He hooks his fingers into the waistband, gives a quick tug, and then the fabric is pooling around my legs.

"Pick up your feet," he demands, bending away from me to grab the piece of clothing. His cool fingers lightly trail down my thighs and calves, making an involuntary shiver take hold of my body. He knows exactly what he's doing. That much is obvious when he drops to his haunches and wraps one large, ring-clad hand around the top of my thigh. His fingertips brush the edge of my panties and I feel like I've lost all ability to breathe.

I lift one foot at a time, letting him to pull the article out from under me. He haphazardly throws my pants to the side before returning to me, one hand still wrapped around my thigh and the other palming my bare ass like it's some kind of science project. "How pretty," he purrs, fingers dancing over my skin— down the inside of my thigh then between my legs, teasing my clothed pussy. His index finger presses into my clit with purpose and I flinch, heart racing as I press my legs together. The light touches and teasing make me want to whimper, but I refuse to give in so quickly.

Sal hums amusedly, pulling his hand away from my core to drag it up my back. "You're behaving so well. How long will that last?" He muses. His hand trails down to my underwear again. For a moment, every one of my bodily functions stops. He ripped my panties apart last night, who's to say he won't do it again?

But thankfully, Sal only pulls those down my legs too, allowing me to step out of them.

I let out a little breath of relief, blinking at the cream wall to the side of me. "It'll last as long as you let it. Up to you," I tell him. He must be able to tell that I'm holding on by a thread from the sound of my voice.

"As long as I let it?" He repeats my words, forming them into a question. I can feel his hard dick twitch against my bare ass, the feeling of it sends a shock through my body and straight to my core. My chest feels heavy with satisfaction as I shut my eyes and lick my lips. He's just as enraptured as I am-- the knowledge of that will never not fill me with an insatiable amount of pleasure.

"Treat me well and we'll see how long I can keep up the good behavior," I say quickly, trying to hide how affected I am, though there's no reason to do so. If I wasn't so worried about looking like an idiot, I'd be panting like a dog right now.

I hear a grunt behind me, his fingers flexing against my skin and scalp. "I don't treat anyone well. This is all for me and you'll do well to know that. Now shut the fuck up."

My eyes are still closed when his hand wraps around my waist and moves down to my swollen clit, his fingers expertly teasing the bud. He's skilled. Knows what makes me tick and what gets me going. He's only done this to me once before so I can only guess that he just has a good amount of experience.

Sal's fingers leave my clit, exploring downward to dip into me just a bit, soaking up all the wetness that had collected between my folds. The light intrusion is both unbearable and incredibly pleasing, I can't decide what I want to feel.

My thighs unintentionally squeeze together as my emotions battle each other. I've been waiting for this all day. He's only just brushing the surface of this experience and I feel like I'm going to fall apart. Hell, maybe I've already fallen apart but my pride won't allow me to acknowledge it.

"And there we are," he suddenly grinds out between clenched teeth, the sound of his aggressive tone spooking me momentarily. "Keep your legs open."

"Or?" I say without thinking.

I open my eyes when Sal's fingers leave my folds. Then his feet push my legs apart, keeping my feet firmly planted into the carpet with his own legs. My pussy is on full display for him, my back arched and ass pressed into him.

"I told you to shut the fuck up," he hisses quietly, voice so dangerous and delicious. His prosthetic face is right beside mine and I flinch at his words and our proximity, a little thrum of unease passing through me. It's soon replaced by excitement though.

Suddenly, without warning and despite my initial worry, Sal plunges a finger into me. And he doesn't stop.

Everything moves insanely quickly and I feel like my eyes are going to pop out of my head, that or I'm going to cry— in a good way. Sal's finger thrusts into me at an unforgivably fast pace and each time he sinks into my pussy again, a garbled moan falls from my lips.

The skin of his wrist repeatedly slaps into my ass, creating more friction and tension. There's so much happening— his fingers in me, his skin on mine, his hand buried in my hair.

I squeeze my eyes shut, whimpering when he curls his finger at just the right angle, sending a rush of pleasure through my entire body. I shiver, digging my fingers into the wooden surface beneath me.

Sal yanks my head up by my hair, forcing me to look at this salacious scene through the mirror in front of us. I can see him, bent over me with his prosthetic lips pressed into the side of my head and his arm moving so quickly behind me, so brutal and unrelenting.

The feelings that build up within me hit hard. There's the cliff I'm trying to chase, the one I want to jump over. Reach the peak. Anything to feel more of what he's giving me.

"Look at yourself," Sal says breathlessly, his eyes meeting my own through the mirror as he turns his head, keeping his cheek pressed against mine. "Dirty little whore. You like being used. You like being disobedient. You like being broken," he says these words to me, each syllable coming out in a light, controlled pant. He's definitely enjoying myself. "I'll break you if that's what you want," he continues, finger curling into me again. "But it comes at a price."

My eyes roll into the back of my head. If I could form words, I'd tell him "please" but lucky for him, I'm afraid to open my mouth. With his finger slamming into me like this, I'd wake up the entire suite. I don't trust myself and I sure as shit don't trust him, but what I do trust is his ability to make me cum. He's good at it, after all.

"Come on," he growls out, yanking my hair a bit more. I'm forced to bend my neck due to his grip. My back is pressed against his chest, there's no way for me to move to find some kind of solace. And still, I'm quickly gaining on an orgasm that only he can bring me to.

My legs squeeze together of their own accord, but his thighs keep them from completely closing. He's still pumping his finger into me at that same, beautifully addicting pace that he started at. I think I'm seeing stars.

"You gonna cum for me like a good bitch?" he rasps out, squeezing my hair tighter in his hand. I only moan as quietly as I can in response, still not trusting my ability to speak. Even then, the sound was still easy to hear.

"Speak," Sal commands, hooking his finger into me yet again. He's buried deep, to the hilt with his hand cupping the bottom of my butt and his finger moving quickly inside me. It's overwhelming in the most amazing way. My heart flutters in my chest, already running a marathon regardless. My lungs can't hold in a good breath and my limbs are quaking furiously.

"Yes," I say hoarsely, reaching my arms up to grab onto the back of his hair. I need to hold onto something; pleasure doesn't come to me in sections right now, it's one huge tidal wave that ceases to end. I'm practically drowning in the oncoming orgasm. "Please, I'm so close," I groan, biting down on my bottom lip while squeezing my eyes tightly.

Sal's neck is pressed against mine. I can feel every breath he takes, feel every little grunt that leaves his throat. His skin is hot, a little sweaty. His azure hair is mixed with mine. My mask and his prosthetic are cheek-to-cheek. I can't tell if the deep breaths and panting I'm hearing are coming from me or him.

"Really?" He says, voice condescending. Each syllable reverberates through my entire body, only pushing me even closer to the edge. I don't have enough time to focus on him— the end is in sight and he's thrusting his finger so hard, so deep, so fast. Just one more—

But there's never another thrust. When he pulls his finger back, it leaves me completely. And then I'm feeling empty, out of breath, fluttery all over, and quite frankly, a little pissed off.

I open my eyes, looking up at Sal through the mirror. His gaze travels over the image of my body before meeting mine in the reflection. "I told you all good things come with a price," he says, probably reading the negative emotions in my gaze. "You don't get to cum until I say you do."

Eyes dark with desire, malice, and sinful intentions, Sal lets go of me and turns his head. My hands fall to my sides as I watch him take a step or two away from me. "Move and I'll kick you out," he grunts out quickly. "You're going to be a fucking problem with all the touching," he continues, moving away from the vanity and out of my line of vision. I stay rooted in my spot, orgasm slowly fading away from me and being replaced by an almost painful yearning in my gut. Fuck, how dare he.

But from the sound of it, he's not finished. He just has an issue with me touching him. He said something about that earlier today too, which, fine. Hard limit— okay. I won't touch. I just wish he would get back here and finish what he started because I'm about to go feral.

I can hear what sounds like metal clanking together quietly behind me, and then Sal reappears in the mirror with a leather belt in his hand. I can't help but tense up my entire body, mind going blank.

There's a little glimmer of amusement in his cerulean eyes when he notices my reaction, so he holds the belt up, shaking it a bit. "This scare you?" He asks, but I shake my head, gulping down the exhilaration that threatens to practically crawl out of my skin. I'm so excited.

"It should," he says pointedly, tilting his head down slightly to intimidate me. And... okay, it definitely works. I've never done this type of thing with him before so this could go one of two ways. But I don't say anything, I just stare back at him, lips parted while I try to catch my breath.

Sal blinks then looks down at my bare ass. "Do you like pain?" He mumbles, running a teasing finger down the slope of my butt.

"Yes," is what I reply with, my voice shaking and my thoughts completely clouded. It's like we've gone the complete opposite way from last night. I couldn't get a word out yesterday— too nervous and embarrassed. But now I'd do anything to make him touch me, hurt me. Anything.

His eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second, then he lifts that belt and swings it down, the leather cracking against the skin of my ass harshly.

I yelp and jolt away from him instinctually, my hips slamming into the wooden vanity. My eyes shut as pain closes in on me from all sides and I grip onto the oak in front of me, taking a slow breath.

Then comes the good part, the satisfying feeling of being hurt. The wetness that gathers on my folds, the delightful queasy feeling in my tummy that spreads through my chest all the way to my toes.

I lick my lips, blinking my eyes open when a pleasurable cry threatens to build in my throat.

I'm too close to the vanity to tilt my head up and look at Sal's reflection, but that doesn't stop him. He takes a step toward my retreated figure, palm enveloping the skin he'd just abused. His fingers expertly massage my sore butt, only bringing out more feelings for me to indulge in.

"Well, aren't you fun," he purrs into my ear, chuckling softly. He pulls my hands off of the vanity, putting my wrists together against my back. Then, he moves his hand from my ass to the spot between my shoulder blades and pushes my upper body down onto the surface of the wooden dresser. "Stay there. Be good." His words are drowned out the second he wraps that leather belt around my wrists like he's done it a thousand times before.

He loops the fabric around one wrist, then does the same to the other, leaving absolutely no wiggle room for me to get out. Next, he puts one end through the belt buckle and yanks it tight, making the leather pinch my skin uncomfortably. I hiss at the feeling, squeezing my hands into fists as a spear of gratification stabs into me. This is borderline embarrassing, but definitely worth it.

Sal huffs out a quick, disbelieving laugh at my reaction, his hands pulling harshly at the belt to make sure I won't be able to get out. "I guess I underestimated you," he acknowledges, albeit he does so hesitantly, like he hates to admit that he may have been wrong. "Maybe I can't scare you off. Maybe you've been a freak all along."

His hands spread over my back and to my waist, dragging up my sides and pushing my shirt up with it. His cold, nimble fingers trail over my ribs slowly, feeling each bone and every inch of my heated flesh. Then, two of his fingers push into the skin right below my breast on the left side of my body. I clench my teeth together when a dull ache follows the action. He found the bruise that his paintballs left on me earlier today.

"Did I hurt you?" He asks, tone patronizing in a way that would cause an instant fight in any other situation. Being belittled in this scenario is oddly satisfying in a way I can't quite explain though.

Sal leans over me again, his hard cock rubbing over my skin. His fingers are still gripping my sides as he whispers to me, "I'd bite that bruise if I could-- make you hurt even more."

A groan is ripped from my lips despite how badly I wish I could have kept it hidden within me. I really wish he would bite me.

As quickly as he'd grown closer to me, he pulls away. But this time, I hear the rustling of clothing and my breath is stolen from me again. I can hear my heart, feel it beat in my fingertips. This is it, the moment I've been waiting for for... well, weeks now. 

My legs quake in anticipation when Sal presses a hand onto my lower back, settling me against the vanity. And he doesn't say a word-- neither do I when I feel the soft skin of the head of his dick pressing gently against my cunt. I bite into my bottom lip, my head feeling fuzzy as adrenaline grips me. 

I push myself backwards, hopefully discreetly enough to the point that Sal's unable to tell, but just the very tip of him sinks into my pussy from my motions. A shaky whimper comes from Sal and it's so quiet that it seems to have been ripped from him, like he hated to even make a sound so soon.

"Stay fucking still," he bites out, voice higher pitched than it was the last time he spoke. The way I can tell exactly what he's feeling just from the way he speaks is incredible. He's so easy, yet so hard to read. 

I still don't say a word. Damn him for momentarily taming the brat because this is a violation of my own personal rules. But I can't help myself-- so long as my silence brings him closer to me, I'll give up my voice box. I'd give it up forever.

"Good fucking girl." The words are barely audible, only meant for himself as his thumb rubs over the top of my ass. He pushes his cock just a bit farther into me, taking his sweet fucking time. I don't know how he has so much patience because I'm really about to lose my mind. I can't hold out, I can't.

"Sal," I almost cry out, taking a quick breath to try and regain my composure," Please."

"I said to shut up, Vi," he rasps, but his voice has no aggression or bite. He's losing himself. "When will you learn your lesson?" 

I turn my head in an attempt to shake it, but find that the vanity's surface stops me from doing so. I couldn't care less about his no-talk thing right now. "Can you just--"

The sound of a jiggling door knob results in Sal quickly pulling out what very little bit of his dick had actually entered me. I jolt upright myself, taking staggering and panicked steps back until I bump into Sal's front. His hand instinctually grabs onto my waist to stabilize me as we watch the door. Fear is thrumming through my genes at the terrorizing thought of someone entering this room with Sal and I almost completely naked like this. So much is going wrong-- 

But the door knob stops jiggling and that's when Sal and I both suddenly realize that the door is locked.

I physically fold, bending forward in relief as a cold sweat suddenly takes over me.

Sal removes himself from behind me. When he walks around me, he's holding his pants up by the waistband and taking a couple steps toward the door. He doesn't say a word, confusion and pure, unadulterated fear is written in his body language.

"Sal, I want to come back in here with you." It's Larry, and poor thing. He sounds so desperate. 

Sal glances back at me, his bright, icy blue gaze unreadable. I watch him, glancing between those eyes of his with a pout that I can't hide. We were so close. 

"Okay, Lar," Sal says monotonously. He makes no move for the door though, likely because I'm still half naked. 

"Alright," Larry says, voice muffled from the hunk of wood separating him from us. He sounds so relieved. "I'm going use the bathroom real quick. Can you unlock the door for when I get back?"

"I will," Sal mumbles back in response, walking back to me with a little glare in his eyes.

I suck in a breath. I'm disappointed, in truth. I was excited for this. We had both agreed and we were right there, but the opportunity is gone.

Sal stands behind me, undoing the belt around my wrists. I pull my hands away from my back when the belt is removed and flex my fingers, admiring the red marks left on my skin from the leather.

I glance off to the side after a moment and grab my clothes, quickly pulling on my underwear before I take a chance and turn. Sal has been quiet, which is weird. It's unsettling, even. Makes me kind of uncomfortable.

When he finally enters my field of vision, he even looks a bit awkward. Maybe it's because the moment is ruined and I'm literally almost half naked, fighting to get my cargo pants over my ankles.

"This is over," Sal finally speaks, his eyes boring into mine. Well, duh, it's over. Larry interrupted us. I don't have to say a word for him to see the words on my face.

"This thing," he continues, all nonchalance and unbothered as he gestures between us with a hand. "It's over. No sex over the phone, no hand or mouth stuff, no sex in general. I'm done with you. I was done with you yesterday."

My breath gets caught in my throat for the umpteenth time tonight. His words don't necessarily hurt-- I should have expected them. But the point is that I didn't expect them, and now I'm leaving Las Vegas in the morning... but I likely won't see Sal for at least another year anyway. So why am I shocked? Why can't I think? Why can't I process that he just ended our sex agreement?

I just watch him, trying to hide all of the panic, the disappointment, the fear, and the sadness I've been trying to bite down all day. I don't know how to feel. Again. I simply keep my gaze locked on his as I finally get my pants up my legs and begin buttoning them.

Just like that. It's done and I didn't even get the full experience. I feel... upset. I feel angry knowing that I was just a quick fuck for him. Not that we even got to fuck. But, then again, he was the same thing for me. I shouldn't be angry-- I can't be angry.

I should be relieved.

"Okay," I say evenly, peeling my eyes away from him.

I can't look at him. I'll cry or punch him. Maybe I'd yell at him. I don't know. And I don't know why I'd do any of those things to begin with. Maybe it's just because I'm upset that I have to leave tomorrow and all the negative feelings that come with being separated from my friends again is finally starting to make me crack.

"Okay," he responds, voice just as emotionless as mine.

I do the walk of shame to his door, unlocking it quickly and pulling it open. My head feels heavy, too heavy from my neck. My body weighs too much for my legs to uphold right now. I feel like crumbling to the floor. I said that I was falling apart earlier and now I really am.

Sal and I don't exchange a word as I step into the hallway and start closing the door behind me. I swallow my emotions, trying to keep my tears at bay. I don't need to cry. I shouldn't-- there's no reason. None at all. And crying's only going to make me have a terrible headache later.

I look up, tears brimming my eyes as I make quick eye contact with sleepy Larry. Fuck, terrible timing.

"Hey, Vi," he slurs a bit, smiling gently at me. "I'm not kicking you out, you can bunk with me." He's so sweet, but I need to be alone. I need separation or else Larry's going to wake up to me weeping beside him.

"That's okay," I give him my best smile, which probably isn't even really that great. "I'm going to go lay with Ash. I'm pretty tired. Plus your bed is a twin size-- we wouldn't fit."

"Fine." He pouts, following the expression with a yawn. "I'll see you in the morning then. Night."

I swallow down the lump in my throat so I can answer him without giving my feelings away. "Goodnight," I say quietly, because whispering is easier than saying it out loud.

I continue my trek down the hallway, my footsteps picking up speed as I turn a corner and make my way to the bathroom. I can't suppress the urge to cry and the frown marring my face is horrific. I can't keep it away no matter how badly I wish I could feel differently.

I never should have gotten involved with Sal. I never should have come to Las Vegas. Leaving is so much harder. Missing out on this opportunity to see everyone wouldn't have hurt this bad.

I regret everything.

My hand slaps onto the light switch, flicking it on and enveloping the spacious bathroom with blindingly bright light. I shut the bathroom door behind me and grab onto the counter, facing myself in the mirror.

I look sexed out and exhausted. I look broken. He said he'd break me. Fuck, he said he would. It wasn't just him though-- it's everything. Everything that I should have done differently. And now I'm stuck here, pitifully watching myself holding back tears in the mirror and unable to control my raging guilt, disappointment, and regret.

I should shower. That might calm me down, might shut my brain up for a few minutes. 

Without a moment of hesitation, I yank my paint-stained shirt over my head and spare myself another glance in the mirror as my hands work on the clasp of my necklace.

But seeing the necklace in my reflection-- hanging around my neck and resting right between my breasts makes me feel so, so sick. Because it's not my necklace. It's Sal's. It's his guitar pick. And for the last few weeks that I've had it, I've forgotten it was there because it became second nature to take it off before my shower and put it back on right after. It became a part of me-- so much so that I forgot it was even there. I forgot about the meaning it holds, and the power it holds over me.

I pinch my lips together, aggressively pulling the thing away from my body after unclasping it. I squeeze the pick in my fist while leaning over the sink, watching myself in the mirror.

How could I have done this to myself? Every decision I've made recently has ended up being the ultimate betrayal. Every second. Even since right before I became VioletViolence. The day I met Sally Face is the day that everything started going wrong, and it's my own damn fault.

My reflection suddenly has wet, hot tears flowing down her cheeks and a pitiful look on her face. And she's the only one who feels as terribly as I do right now.

_____________________

A/N::::: hiiiiiiii!!! :3 UGH i've missed you guys so much! and i've missed writing so terribly much as well. it's been over a month and that fact literally makes me SICK. i hate being away from the thing that brings me so much joy :( but the good news is that i have less than a month in the semester which means plenty of time to write starting soon!! i've been hellaaaaa busy with my big, really important courses this semester. the amount of work piled onto me is atrocious, but we'll make it through. pinky promise <333

so about faceless fixation-- GRRRRR I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS CHAPTER so many of you have been asking about the necklace and i've literally been clawing at my own soul with anticipation for this final moment!! i have so many plans for future chapters and the only thing i can say with confidence is that it will literally never get any less shocking. i'll keep you guys on your toes forever.

anywho, it's 3:30am and i have class at 9:30, so goodnight my darlings!! i hope you all have a wonderful morning/day/evening/night! and never forget i love you all with my entire heart and soul <33

[crystalsnow95z]

Hoseok with a nasty cold but he tries to hide it and stifles his sneezes

Okay okay this is the third time I restarted this.. I know what I want but I'm struggling to write it. >.<

I'm semi happy with it, but I'll let you guys decide if it's good..

"Hehitch...!" J-hope sits up, looking around the room trying to find what woke him. "Hehtichih!" Another sneeze gave him his answer. He started feeling sick yesterday,sniffling thoughout practice,running out of energy halfway through. Luckily over the music the others didn't notice.

It's gotten worse..

J-hope sighs, looking for a tissue to blow his nose. "It wasn't this bad yesterday..this isn't good, we're doing the jacket shoot today.."

He blows his nose, only irritating it further, the itch returning. "Hehitchugh..." J-hope wipes his nose with the tissue, checking the time.

It's only 4:40.. I don't have to be up to go until 6..

J-hope gets up as quietly as he can, searching for medicine, but his search comes up empty. He sighs. Guess I'm going to the store..

He still felt exhausted, but the sooner he took care of it, the better. He bundled up warmly despite it being late spring, putting on a fuzzy sweater, blue jeans, and a white beanie.

"Where are you going...?"

J-hope jumps when he hears the sleepy voice of Jimin blinking up at him slowly from his bed.

"I can't sleep.. I'm nervous about the shoot, so I was going to go for a walk to clear my head.." J-hope keeps his voice soft to try to hide the congested sound, and thankfully, it worked.

Jimin turns over. "Okay.. be careful.." he replies with a yawn, sleepiness taking over his words coming out slow as he driftd off again. "Don't tire yourself out. We'll be working all day.."

"I won't." J-hope quickly leaves the room when he feels a tickle in his throat, waiting until he leaves the building to cough.

That was close..

J-hope hardly makes it around the block before he feels the irritated itch in his nose return.

"Heh'heh..Hetchxih!" J-hope sneezes, nearly falling forward. How am I going to hide this from the others...? They can't do the shoot without me and the album will get delayed if we don't have the photoshoot..

J-hope attempts to get back to bed without waking Jimin, but another itch appears. "Heh..heh..." He pinches the bridge of his nose, holding his breath to try to stop the sneeze from coming. He sighs in relief when the feeling disappeared crawling into his bed.

"Hm? What was that..?" Jimin sits up, rubbing his eyes seeing that his roommate returned. "Oh..it's you hyungie..Did you say something?"

"No. I just yawned." J-hope lies. "I'm tired now that i walked the nerves off.."

"That was a weird yawn.. what time is it?" Jimin asks, searching for his phone, accidently knocking it to the floor when he slides his hand across the bed to find it.

Sh*t, don't be awake now..

"We still have an hour until the alarm.. I'm gonna to lay down and sleep." J-hope wanted to avoid conversation.. at least until the medicine kicked in."You should sleep more too. It'll be a long shoot today.."

"Alright.. rest well.." Jimin yawns, laying back down.

J-hope covers his face with a pillow when the itch returns, the edge of his nose twitching. The pressure was building, causing a headache but he couldn't let Jimin know he wasnt feeling well..not until after the photo shoot.

The sneeze escaped against his will, muffled by the pillow, but still coming out as a squeak. "Hehitdyh!"

"Hyung..?" Jimin looks in the direction of J-hope, but the rapper pretends to be asleep, already knowing the question he'd ask. "That was fast..." He turns over, not wanting to 'wake' him.

This is gonna he a long day..

J-hope looks in the mirror, grimacing at his reflection. His nose was noticeably red, especially underneath his nostrils from them dripping. He winces when he touches the irritated area, trying to cover it with makeup, swearing under his breath. "It's not working.."

"Hoba are you almost finished? We need to leave in five minutes." Yoongi calls to him from outside the door.

"I'm almost done!" J-hope stifles a cough, quickly adding a layer of makeup to try to make his cover-up job less obvious. "Finished."

"Staff is going to do your make up for the shoot.." Yoongi thought it odd that J-hope would go through the trouble.

"Ah, I know.. I'm just breaking out from that fried chicken we ate last night, so I was feeling self-conscious.." J-hope lies, taking Yoongi's hand. "Let's go we don't want to keep staff waiting." He pulls him, not giving him time to think. He knew Yoongi could see right through him if their eyes met.

Everyone piled into the van, J-hope pressing his lips together tightly to surpress a cough. "Are you excited for the shoot Koo?" He gets the conversation going, hoping that would be enough to hide how poorly he felt.

"Where's the shoot gonna be again?" Jungkook asks, eyes shining with both excitement and curiosity.

"There's going to be two locations. An abandoned building that staff put a few sets in and by a lake." Namjoon explains.

" It's been forever since we shot outside." Taehyung smiles brightly, sharing Jungkook's excitement. "Which one first?"

"The building will be first because we want that natural light since there's hardly any power. " Yoongi replies next. "Didn't you pay attention during the meeting?"

Jungkook looks out the window, not wanting to reply getting a giggle out of J-hope.

"You should pay more attention." Jin scolds playfully.

"I knew there were going to be lake shots but I didn't know if it would be a real lake or just a built set like when we did Stay Gold." Jungkook says defensively.

"We're doing shots in the water." Namjoon explains. "They rented a place for us, and they're decorating it. We're actually going to do a few scenes for the music video while we're there."

This is going to take longer than I thought..

J-hope rubs his finger underneath his nose to try to stop the itch that formed underneath it, holding his breath. He was glad everyone was busy talking about work that they didn't notice him. He completely tuned them out, resting his elbow on the doorframe to look like he's just resting face on his hand.

"They want to do a few underwater shots with Me, Taehyungie and Hope."

J-hope quickly turns to Namjoon when he hears Namjoon add him to the list. "Wha...itchiz!" He sneezes.

"Bless you hyung." Jimin says politely.

"You and Jungkook are going to pull Taehyungie out of the water. Hoba, you agreed already. Why are you surprised?" Namjoon questions. J-hope was usually so serious when it came to their work, it took him off guard for him to forget something like that.

"Ah, I just thought we were doing it next week when we do the actual music video." J-hope tries to cover for his mind slip. How could he forget such an important detail.

"We made some last-minute changes because the weather is going to be bad next week." Namjoon tells him. "You were in your vocal lesson late.."

"Do you want me to do it for you hyung? You don't sound like you want to.." Jungkook offers.

"It has to be Hoba or it messes up the mini story in the music video.."

"It's fine, Jaykay. I don't mind it." J-hope smiles brightly to hide his concern about getting drenched when he was already feeling awful."I'll do it. I'm just feeling lazy today. I stayed up too late and got up too early."

"You want to sleep a little? You can lean on me if you want.." Yoongi offers, patting his shoulder. "We already ate fried food last night, so your cheeks will be puffy no matter what."

J-hope takes up the offer smiling to hear Yoongi trying to give him no excuse not to rest, it was getting harder to keep his voice sounding normal, and if he stays quiet for too long, they'll worry about him. "Thanks, hyung.."

Yoongi takes off the baseball cap he was wearing, placing it gently over J-hope's face to block out the sun. "No problem."

It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, everyone in the van whispering to not disturb him.

"Do you think he's really okay?" Jin asks, watching the soft rise and fall of J-hope's abdomen. "He sounds a little congested.."

"He kept leaving the room last night, and he said he was nervous this morning. It's been a while since we did a project this big..let's try to finish up quickly.." Jimin wasn't sure if he really was okay, but he at least wanted to tell the others what he knew. "Let's just keep an eye on him.."

"Hoba..Hoba wake up we're here." Yoongi gently raises his shoulder, waking up the usually cheerful rapper.

How could I feel worse after resting?

J-hope groggily sits up, rubbing his eyes. His head went from a dull ache to a pounding throb that got worse with every movement. " 'm up.." His voice comes out in a hoarse whisper.

"Are you okay, Hoba?" Jin asks, watching his stiff movement with concern.

J-hope clears his throat to try to speak louder. "My throats dry, I need some water."

Jungkook digs into his backpack to find a waterbottle, passing it to him. "Here Hobi-hyung."

"Thanks Jeykay.." j-hope stifles a sneeze, the pressure building up in his nose.

"Are you okay Hoba?" Yoongi notices J-hope's eyes watering from the pressure, but the younger rapper waves it off.

"I'm just still tired. That's all. I'll be okay. Let's get going. We're wasting daylight.." J-hope gets out, the others following behind him. He takes a swig of water, trying to ease the pain.

"This way Hoseok-ah.."Jin takes his hand when he sees J-hope walk the wrong direction clearly still half asleep, leading him to the changing trailer.

"Sorry Hyung." J-hope blushes lightly in embarrassment. "I guess I'm still not awake."

"It's okay. You'll wake up as you move around. Here, this one's your outfit." Jin gives him his outfit. "You need help?"

"No, I can dress myself." J-hope takes it, turning away from him when he feels another sneeze coming, quickly pulling his shirt over his head to hide his face, breath hitching. "Heh..heh..." He managed to stop the sneeze from coming, sighing softly. "These outfits remind me of the most beautiful moment photoshoot.." J-hope points out, trying to cover up his discomfort. "Like..uh..the I need U outfit mixed with Run."

"Yeah especially my jeans." Yoongi says rubbing his bare knee. "It's gonna suck for you guys in the water. Are you sure you're feeling up to it Hoba?"

"Yeah, yeah I think I'm getting a little cold.. Staff has hair dryers I'll just ask them to dry my hair as soon as possible." J-hope couldn't lie to Yoongi, not fully. "I can do this."

"Hopefully we can get it right in one shot." Jungkook felt his stomach tightening with nerves. If I mess up the shot Hobi-hyung will have to stay in the water longer and get worse..

Taehyung hugs Jungkook from behind when he notices the tension in his shoulders. "Don't worry Gukkie. We'll do our best. I don't think we'll need to do more than two takes."

"I'll do my best." Jungkook gives a small smile, leaning his head into Taehyung’s cheek, to fear still gnawed at his belly. Taehyungie-hyungie has done underwater shots before.. he has more confidence than me.. I don't know if I can get a good shot..

"We're doing the photos first. Concentrate on those right now. Don't worry about the filming.." Jin tells him.

"Right." Jungkook goes to his Noona to get his makeup done, keeping one eye on j-hope while he gets scolded for adding so much makeup this morning.

"I'm sorry..I'm sorry.." J-hope bows his head while she gets some wipes, trying to uncake the concealer that covered his reddened nose.

"It's okay, I'll get you taken care of. Just remember not to overdo it next time." She tells him in a soft tone, noticing the redness of his nose, realizing what he was trying to do.

J-hope feels his nostrils flair, another sneeze building when she removes the makeup from his upper lip, quickly spinning the chair to face away from her. "Hehtichih!"

"I'm sorry Hoseok-ssii, I didn't mean to tickle your nose." She bows in apology when he spins back to face her.

"It's okay." He fights the urge to sniffle,rubbing his nose with the side of his fist.

"Taehyung-ssii come back so I can finish your make up." Staff calls to him.

"Coming!" He calls back, quickly whispering. "We'll take care of Hobi-hyung, but it's better to let him think we aren't that worried."

Jungkook nods, going to staff to get his own make up done. Hyung doesn't like making us worry..

"Oh wow.. look they made a path of flowers.." Jungkook runs to the path, careful to keep his feet in the small gaps staff made them to walk through. "Ah.. heh..heh'itch!" He sneezes covering up his face. "Ugh..I'll need to take some allergy medicine before we pose with the flo..heh..itchi!"

"You didn't take some before you decided to charge towards them?" Namjoon goes to get Jungkook away from the flowers, but Yoongi stops him. "I'll get him. Jungkook-ah you need to be more careful of your health.." he gently moves towards him, grabbing his elbow to lead him back to the trailer.

"Heh.." j-hope clamps his hand over his nose to stop the sneeze, eyes watering.

"You okay Hoba?" Namjoon asks rubbing his back. "Do you need some medicine too?"

"I just took some." J-hope tells him. It wasn't a complete lie, but he still felt his heart ache to lie to him.

"Well, it should kick in soon. Just hang in there." Namjoon goes to staff for instructions, them starting the shoot, choosing to pose with the flowers second to last, giving Jungkooks medicine time to kick in.

J-hope stifles another sneeze, his face screwing up running yet another photo. "Sh*t.. sorry.. the sun got in my eyes.." he makes another excuse, but he knew they were onto him. There's no way they weren't with how many photos he ruined with the persistent itch and constant sniffling to try to keep his nose from dripping.

"It's okay Hoba. That's why we take thousands of photos. I'm sure the first few came out fine." Jin comforts J-hope. It's only been an hour and a half since they started the shoot, but Jin could see his energy already draining.

J-hope goes to monitor the photoshoot, feeling his heart sink when he sees he's ruined a quarter of the photos with him trying to stifle his sneezes and prevent his nose from leaking. At least they did an amazing job hiding the redness. You can't even tell I'm sick in the photos..

"There's still plenty of shots to work with. Don't worry about it hyungie." Jimin hugs him from behind.

"Let's do the mankae line shoot next. I need to use the restroom." Yoongi makes an excuse so J-hope could take a break.

"I gotta go too. After that we can do the vocal line shots." Jin was quick to pick up what Yoongi was up to, but J-hope wasn't. He was just happy to be able to take time to blow his nose and ask staff if they had any cough drops and pain relievers.

"Okay, I'm gonna go get some water for us." J-hope quickly walks away from the others, letting out a phlegm filled cough. He spits, into the grass, grimacing at the yellow coloration. "Why am I getting worse...?"

"Alright Taehyung-ssi will go into the water first, count to five before going in after him. Understood?" The director tells them. Taehyung and Jungkook nod, but J-hope was zoned out, eyes focused on the lake.

"Hoseok-ssi did you hear me?" He prompts J-hope to respond, j-hope looking at him when he hears his name.

"Huh? Ah.. I'm sorry..could you say that again?" J-hope bows, sniffling as softly as possible. His body ached, his head felt like it was splitting and now his nose and throat both had a persistent itch that made it hard to breathe. I made it this far.. It's just one more shot..

"Wait for Taehyung-sii starts sinking under the water before diving in to get him, and please be mindful where the cameras are. Don't pull him up too quickly, we want to be sure the shot comes out clearly but you need to move quickly to reach him. We can speed it up after if needed. " The director tells him with a sympathy,wanting to make it usable in the first take so he didn't have to spend too much time in the water.

"Understood. Swim fast when he jumps move slow to pull him up" J-hope nodded, eyes watering as his nose twitches, another sneeze threatening to come. "Heh.. heh..itchisg!"

"I think we should do this another day. You need to time this perfectly or Taehyung will be in danger." Namjoon felt anxious about both J-hopes health and Taehyungs safety.

"I'm okay. There's no way I'll let Taehyung be in real danger and we have staff on stand by in case anything happens. Joon i got this." I got to finish this..after filming this scene I can get dry and sleep in the car while we drive to the next location..

"But Hobi-"

"Please Namjoonah, I can do it."

Taehyung took a deep breath, jumping from the small boat and into the water, letting go of his breath when he hears the signal from staff, air bubbles filling the water. He allowed his body to sink, having full trust that Jungkook and J-hope would pull him out before he was in danger.

"He's in the water. We need to get to him." Jungkook knew Taehyung was the best at holding his breath out of all the members, but he was emptying his lungs so he could properly sink. He pulled J-hope into the water, the shock of cold completely waking him up.

Sh*t.. it's freezing..

J-hope tried to swim as quickly as Jungkook, but he didn't have the stamina. He knew of he used all his energy he wouldn't be able to pull Taehyung out.

Jungkook noticed him falling behind, stopping right before he was in sight of the camera. He could see Taehyung sinking. He's falling too fast.. I don't know if hyung have the energy to make it back up of he goes to far.

J-hope felt it too, the realization that Taehyung was at risk of actually drowning. Taehyungie had a hand singal in case he felt like he was in danger, but what if he was already unconscious?

Adrenaline kicked in, giving him the strength he needed to push forward, quickly moving to grab one of Taehyung’s arms. Jungkook feels relief wash over him when J-hope caught up with him, following his lead to get Taehyung back to the boat.

Taehyung weighed practically nothing in the water, making it easy for the two boys to lead him to the surface. Jungkook gave Taehyungs arm a squeeze right before they reached the surface, the older vocalist taking in a small mouthful of water as planned.

J-hope bit the inside of his cheek, the painful pressure of a building sneeze filling his sinuses. No. No if I sneeze I'll ruin the shot..

Jungkook was pretending to try to shake Taehyung awake. "Hyung.. Hyung..!" He had fake panic in his voice as Taehyung lay motionless, fighting against the urge to spit out the lake water and fill up his lungs that screamed for air.

"Taehyungie!" J-hope adds in as soon as he successfully stopped his sneeze, doing chest compressions lightly. "Taehyungie you gotta breathe.." it wasn't hard to make his voice sound pained. He got close to Taehyung's lips, only a few centimeters away from his lips as he pretended to fill his lungs with air.

Taehyung waited for him to pull away before coughing up the lake water, quickly sitting up as it drizzled down his mouth. He was only supposed to pretend to cough it up, but he couldn't hold his breath any longer, accidentally gasping it in.

"Alright cut!"

The director called, staff quickly pulling the boat to the shore.

Jungkook rubbed Taehyung's back when he realized he wasn't faking, his cough continuing even after filming stopped.

"Taehyungie are you okay? Did we take too long to get you? I'm sorry..that was..was...heh..itxixh!" J-hope sneezes.

"I'm..I'm okay..I jus..swallowed the..water.. my fault.." Taehyung says between coughs.

J-hope went to speak, but instead he joins Taehyung in his coughing fit, hacking up more thick mucus. He couldn't fight it anymore. He was sick and everyone knew it.

Staff quickly got the three boys out of the boat, wrapping each of them in a large towel. "J-hope are you okay?"

"I..i..don't feel well.." j-hope finally admits it, his knees giving in. His vision became hazy, the edges of everything softening.

"Get him in the trailer. We need to get him dry as soon as possible." Yoongi orders in a panic

Namjoon picks up J-hope, cradling him to his chest. "I shouldn't have let you do the shoot.."

J-hopes eyes widen when he feels his feet leave the ground, he wanted to tell him he could walk on his own, but he knew it was a lie. Right when the coughing started to slow, the itch switched to his nose, releasing the sneezes he wouldn't let come. "Heh..heitchi..Hehtifxtch!..heh..hegiixch!"

Namjoon sets him down, getting the hair dryer himself to try to prevent J-hope from getting any worse.

"I'm sorry.. I'm sorry.. I ruined the album.. it's gonna be late because..because of me.." J-hope's emotions overflowed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Hobi.. hobi no you didn't ruin anything. Don't cry..it's not your fault." Jin says wiping J-hopes cheeks. "You can't help it if you're sick. I'm sure we can get it out on time even with a minor set back and if we can't Army will understand." He tries to comfort J-hope, hugging him close.

"You..you think so..to..finish on..on time?" J-hope sniffles, triggering another sneeze right into Jin's chest. "Heh'itchii..ah..I'm sorry Hyung.. I'm sorry.."

Jimin hands him a tissue. "Here Hyung. Wipe your nose.. we'll get you taken care of. Okay?"

J-hope blows his nose. "I..I've been really close to..to everyone all..all day..with..without a mask.. everyone's gonna get sick beb..because of me.." J-hope's voice breaks off into a soft whimper.

Namjoon starts blow drying his hair. "Don't worry about that right now. Not everyone's gonna get sick."

"Hyungie don't cry.." Jungkook tries talking over the hair dryers. "I won't get sick and even if I do there's an equal chance it's from the lake."

" Hey.. hey.. what did one ocean say to the other?" Jin asks in English.

"What?" J-hope asks, perplexed by his sudden change in languages. "Now isn't..the time for riddles.."

"You only say that because you don't know the answer. A little one told me this one when we were in America. Come on. Guess.." Jin encourages him to try.

J-hope takes a deep breath. How am I supposed to answer English word play? My English isn't that good.

Jin smiles when he sees J-hopes mind focus on his joke instead of his cold and the album. "Think of ocean words."

"Fish, sand,sea sh..heh..hehitchsghi!" J-hope groans. "That one hurt.."

"It sounds like it did.. but hey.. look. You stopped crying." Jin says wiping the drying tears from his cheeks.

"Oh..you're right.. thanks Hyung.. and thanks Joon-ah..I'm sorry i didn't tell you guys how bad I felt.. I just wanted to get the shoot done.. it wasn't so bad this mor..." J-hope's cough cuts off the word.

"You should've told me anyway.. your health is more important.." Jin scolds him. "An extra month won't be the end of the world. I'll tell them myself we need to put the album on hold. Hyung will handle it. Okay?"

J-hope's only reply is a sneeze.

"So you want to know the answer to the riddle?" Jin asks.

J-hope nods, another sneeze coming. "Hehtichugh.."

"It didn't say anything. It only waved." Jin laughs at his own joke, earning himself an eye roll from J-hope.

"There.. your hair is dry.. let's get you to a doctor okay?" Namjoon said it as a question, but he had no intention of letting him say no.

[livingasaghost]

september was not great folks, but we're trying <3

in the saddest realization of the season i discovered that my favorite part of the day is my 40m drive to work because it's chilly and i can see a lot of trees and the morning light and i also am in the perfect headspace to listen to Good Music and it's like when i used to make my morning playlists for opening the coffeeshop except soooo much more enjoyable

been listening to lots of holly humberstone and NF's new album and justin vernon stuff (bon iver, BRM, etc) and unfortunately gracie abrams - there's just something about all these artists being like "I AM THE PROBLEM ITS ME IM SORRY" that just speaks to me! that's not concerning at all!

laura and i talked for like two hours last night and it was like old times and god i really do miss when we'd just ride the same bus home and i could walk to her house ):

i've been trying to make taylor's chai cookies for like a week and i realized i absolutely have time to make them today so i'm trying to buck up the energy to do that in the next two hours before i have to be a person and go to a photoshoot

"good day" by olivia barton

i'm trying to get back into crying in h mart because mom finished reading it and we're supposedly buddy reading it so we can discuss it but i haven't felt like reading all month because i've been depressed...but like damn cancer sucks guys

in other news, i think because i've had such a shitty brain month this september i've almost pushed myself so far that halloween season sounds really fun!!! i'm trying to work through my halloween hate bc i think it's kind of silly and all my friends love halloween so i should love it too! and like i wanna watch spooky movies and be chilly and have FUN! god!

i kinda forgot a vital piece of jennalore which is that when i was a kid my mom's college roommate used to send us frosted sugar cookies shaped like bats every halloween and it was actually kinda the best thing ever? so i'm trying to channel that energy this season

work is batshit insane and i'm so exhausted by it i literally slept for 11hrs on like wednesday night bc i was so tired but also......when we're busy i always feel like i'm actually Doing Something and my bosses are so happy with the work i do so like.....it's good even though it's bad!

therapy has actually been really really good? like it Sucks bc it's therapy and i hate talking about my feelings but my therapist is the sweetest NB person ever and they're always just like "uhhh that's emotional abuse my dude!" and i'm so fucking excited bc at the end of october they're gonna have saturday openings which means i can finally go talk to them in person and not on my lunch break in our tiny break room!!!! at this point i have to pretend like my coworker can't hear everything i say during therapy otherwise i'd go insane so i always leave my sessions being like ......did max hear that i'm aroace and i have depression and i might be neurodivergent??? idk!!!

which speaking of, even though max and i definitely aren't like friends by any sense of the word....we are also just like having a time together! it's wild i see him most out of all the people i know but i think we're both going a little insane from the workload and being Depressed so we just spend all day being kinda wacky and for whatever reason i've reached a point where i stopped having a filter with him so i just start talking about the most random shit and he's cool with it lol

i think i might maybe be a little lonely! idk! i've been struggling to figure out what i need or who to talk to and i generally just want to talk to like two or three of my friends or my gc and everyone's just busy ): but then when i have the chance to talk to anyone and i Sit Down to try to interact bc i know some people are probably around i just get a little overwhelmed idk make it make sense!!!

and i realized i don't have a lot of IRL friends anymore bc a lot of the ones i had from the coffeeshop are Not My Friend and the ones i met on instagram are also Not My Friend and the ones i used to live with are Not My Friend and so my list of people to hang with is teeny tiny and idek what i need or want anymore so it's just my brain screaming .

the most frustrating thing rn is that i know i'm in a bad mental place however i cannot distinguish what i need! but when someone asks me what i need i get this intense panic/dread and i spiral real bad and if anyone tries to be kind to me it makes me feel worse and so it's like....i'm stuck in this stand still where i can't get what i need but i don't know what i need so i just eat cereal, listen to music, and go to bed early!!!

i don't wanna watch anything, i still haven't finished this season of only murders, i need a DVD player bc i want to watch the director's commentary of hill house, there's a bunch of shows and movies coming out soon that i feel overwhelmed by at the moment and it's just like !!! this is all so unfair

and i need to make all these appointments like getting my oil changed and going to the doctor for my annual but i cannot bring myself to do those things but also like should i ask my doctor about medication for depression??? surely it isn't that serious but like maybe it is idk!!!!

the depression isn't as bad as it's been in the past (i think?) like i felt a lot more hopeless in 2017 and i think a lot of that is because i do have a support system and a therapist and a good paying job and things to look forward to but like i'm very aware that many days i do just feel that feeling of "everything is meaningless and nothing will bring me joy ever again" so it's like !!! idk!!!! maybe i'm gaslighting myself into thinking i'm not that bad when in actuality i am!!!

i've just been stuck in that space of middle limbo with all my "diagnoses" that i cannot rationally understand if i'm allowing myself to see myself the way i am? like i always felt like i wasn't depressed enough to be Depressed bc i'm not suicidal but like ??? that's silly !!! maybe i am Depressed!!!!! but i don't even know how to go about getting meds and what they would do and it's almost more overwhelming to think about that than to just be depressed ): bc i still am convinced a lot of it comes down to the heat and the lingering effects of summer

but now i'm thinking about 2021 when it was the bad times and i stopped working on creative stuff or literally any year from 2017-2020 when i just spent the early fall Not Creating and having a crisis that i'd never create again and it's like.............is that bc i'm always depressed around this time? it's comforting bc i know life is seasons and i will come back around to making things and doing my silly projects but it's just sort of making me wonder how it would be different if i tried to find a way to get meds ....like would that Fix Me....would that Solve the Problem....what if it doesn't! what if i'm not depressed enough for that!

(this is all just thoughts, i'm fine, etc, just haven't let myself fully think about the depression this month bc i don't think there's a solution rn i'm just trying to get through it)

anyway, "good day" by olivia barton

[ibarap]

[Sub Story] Yuzuru Fushimi / Dog Days

📅 26 May 2017

⏰ Summer

🔖 Akira / 1 Chapter

🎭 Yuzuru, Anzu, Koga, Subaru

Yuzuru: I'm sorry for troubling you, Anzu-san.

I'm very grateful you're here to simply accompany me even though it's the middle of our summer break.

Besides, it's supposed to be my duty to take King out for a walk.

Yes, this dog — a noble Golden Retriever — is the Young Master's pet...

His name is King.

Do you like dogs? I'm not very good with them for some reason...

I must overcome this. I want to be a flawless servant with no weaknesses to exploit...

But I can't forget my childhood trauma so half-heartedly.

Mentally, I understand that King no longer poses any threat to me as he has mellowed out over the years.

But no matter what I do, I end up losing to the fact I have such a weakness. Just like the Young Master, King would pick on me quite a lot, after all.

He's done many clever, underhanded things that make me want to doubt if dogs really are on the cute side — like biting me, barking at me, knocking me down to the ground...

Aah, just thinking about it gives me the chills.

I'm certain he thinks I'm of a lower rank than him. He has quite a big ego — did he take after his owner?

But I'm relieved he seems to like you, Anzu-san.

I had to take King for a walk at the park as per the Young Master's orders...

But doing that by myself seemed difficult, no matter how hard I tried.

That's why I relied on you for help, Anzu-san. I have no excuse for having a busy producer like you accompany me for a private matter like this.

I feel nothing but shame towards my own immaturity.

I'd feel relieved if you could tell me you're finding this fun, or that you like dogs, though... ♪

Koga: Oi, Fushimi, get your ass over here! You're late — the hell have you been lazin' around at?

Fushimi: Oh? It's Oogami-sama. I didn't expect to see you here at the park as well...?

Koga: Aahn? Are ya listenin' to a damn word I'm sayin'?

Subaru: Gami-san, Gami-san! Look, the park's full of dogs! Their fur's all fluffy and stuffy-looking~, and it feels like all the barking's gonna make my ears hurt! Ahahaha! ☆

Koga: And you're runnin' 'round with the dogs. You're bein' real annoyin', stay still! Be a good boy like me and Leon here.

Subaru: Oh, it's Gami-san's dog! It's been a while~, but you haven't changed one bit since I last saw you, Pretty Lady-san. ☆

Koga: It's 'Leon' — call him by his name. And Daikichi's still as handsome as ever.

Subaru: No, no, he put on some weight over the summer, see~? He's starting to look like a ball of mochi, so he needs lots of exercise!

Dash dash~, just like that guy in Ra*bits. ♪

Yuzuru: What's going on...? Ohh, no matter where I look, all I see are dogs, dogs, dogs!

Subaru: You don't look so good — what's up? Did you get heatstroke? Okayyy, I'll go buy you a sports drink! So give me some spare change. ♪

Yuzuru: You must be... Akehoshi-sama from Trickstar?

Subaru: Yup, and you're Fusshi~ from fine, right? I guess this is our first real conversation together, ahaha! ♪

Yuzuru: Fusshi~...?

Subaru: But this is new~. Why's fine taking up this kinda surface-level job?

Yuzuru: What job...?

Subaru: Oh, I feel like you don't actually know anything and were just out walking your dog? But you're in your unit outfit, so... Umm~?

Yuzuru: Sigh, that's because those were the Young Master's orders...

Subaru: Well, we're doing a photoshoot at the park today about idols and their pet dogs.

It's for some kinda special magazine issue, see, so that's why there's a lotta guys with dogs here~.

We're gonna throw up peace signs and smile next to our dogs, all while in our idol outfits. ☆ It's so simple, anyone could do it!

'Cause kids and animals are always a hit~. That's showbiz for you! Probably! ♪

Of course, 'cause we're working with dogs, we're doing the shoot outside and not in a studio like usual.

Sigh~, I was playing around with a really fluffy dog while wearing this, so now I feel hot. ☆

Yuzuru: I see... That must be why the Young Master ordered me to take King out for a walk at the park.

So he was actually picking on me... I'll have to give him a good scolding for this later.

Did you know about this, Anzu-san?

Hm... You're the one who suggested it to him because, as a producer, you're handling various jobs.

I commend you for that. Thank you for your hard work as always. ♪

Aah, you don't need to apologise. If it's one of your projects, I'd want to give it my full effort because you're always helping us.

But I'm worried. Would King even listen to me...?

He'd need to behave and stay still in front of the camera for the photoshoot.

But if he needs to behave, then the Young Master should've been here to do this himself... King isn't my pet dog, after all.

Actually — would I even be allowed to join the photoshoot?

Subaru: It's fine, you know? I even got photos taken of me with other people's dogs, ahaha! ☆

Fusshi~, why d'you give off the vibe that you're bad with dogs? Well, what if you try taking a photo with a smaller dog first, so you could get used to it?

One you can carry in your arms~. My Daikichi's perfect for the job. ♪

In the meantime, I'll be playing with your dog! C'mere, boy! ☆

When I'm done playing around with him, he'll be so tired that he'll behave when it's time for you guys to take pictures together. ♪

Koga: Hah! If you ask me, Fushimi's always got this prim and proper face on...

But I also wanna see him get all teary-eyed, gettin' his picture taken while a dog's bitin' him on the ass, like somethin' straight outta a gag manga. ♪

Yuzuru: Uu, how mean-spirited of you, Oogami-sama... I'm trying to go along with this so that I can get along with King better.

The Himemiya family owns him, after all.

I've decided that it's also my duty to make him shine as bright as possible.

N-now, King... Please come here. ♪

Hie?! This dog — he tried to bite me! Won't he listen to me at all?

Koga: Be more confident, dumbass. Dogs can tell you're scared of 'em. You ain't gonna get him to listen to you if you're wary 'round him or lookin' down on him.

Get closer to him as an equal.

Yuzuru: E-even when you say that...

Subaru: Hey, hey! Why don't you try carrying Daikichi first?

He likes guys who wear sparkly outfits, see~. Isn't fine's outfit sparkly? Okay, here he is~. ☆

Yuzuru: Oof, he's quite heavy... S-should I talk to him? Err, isn't it nice out today~?

Subaru: You're way too tense~. Just relax, relax. ♪

Yuzuru: Uu, for some reason, this is making me remember my first job as an idol. My whole body shook just from standing onstage back then.

Aah, the Young Master wants to remind me I shouldn't forget where I came from... ♪

Well, no. It's possible he just shoved this simply troublesome job onto me, though!

Subaru: Ahaha, well, there's all kinds of idol work, so everything's a new experience. Or is me saying that to someone in fine coming off as rude?

Yuzuru: Not at all. I am nothing but ashamed of my own lack of experience. That's right, a butler... no, an idol will perfectly see things through to the end.

I must overcome my hatred for dogs.

To do that... I'm probably making more work for all of you, but would you kindly help me with this?

Subaru: Of course~, we're all from Yumenosaki, aren't we! We're working solo today, so let's forget about the bonds we've made in our units!

We won't hold back, so leave it to us. ☆

Koga: I welcome you to becomin' more of a dog lover too. Tch, you really don't make friends with 'em, huh? Come on, Leon, aren'tcha gonna go greet your new friend?

Yuzuru: Fufu, isn't this somewhat of a strange sight…? ♪

No. Anzu-san works jobs like these everyday. She has a great variety of unruly idols on a leash. [1]

I admire you. As an obedient... no, as a helpful and loyal dog, I also want to get along with you better at least.

That's why, erm, Anzu-san... Please help me. I'm carrying Daikichi-san in my arms, but he's climbling up my face.

Subaru: Ahaha, this is getting silly~. ♪ Hey Daikichi, Fusshi~ won't be able to breathe if you do that, so let go of him, okay~?

Koga: Hmph. Even though it's summer break, those guys are bein' loud as hell like usual... Ain't that right, Leon? ♪

Notes:

More accurately, Yuzuru says Anzu 'holds the reins of a great variety of unruly idols', but like. This is the dog story. Let me have this. (Feel free to use either line interchangeably, though.)

[fox-mulder-gets-pegged]

@blazingpegasys ur request for lizard pics has been approved!

I got some new followers so for those who don't know this is Apollo he's almost a year old and he's missing his front right arm!

Having a full on (good) meltdown bc Apollo's birthday hat and bandana are almost here and I can't wait to see the little man all dressed up.

[sunnyie-eve]

Celebrity Crush || Fallen in Love

Paring: Joseph Quinn x Original female costar

Word Count: 2118

Summary: The L word is finally mention when neither of them even use it in a playful way

Warnings: fluff (I couldn't stop smiling while writing), secret relationship

A/N: Of course I make this up for this to go the way I want. (For this I’ll be using my OFC in Trouble in Hawkins for this OFC to play her.)

Last: Presenting | Next: Talk Show

"I'm taking Dexter out for a walk so he can go potty." I poke my head through the door to let Joseph know. "Okay, I'm about to start my interviews so-," I cut in, "Be quiet when coming in. I know." I give him a smile before turning to leave. "Excuse me!" He shouts making me go back. "What?" I ask confused. "Where's my kiss?" He points at his lips making me roll my eyes laughing. "You're so annoying." I lean down giving him a kiss. "You like my annoying ass." He smiles holding my face giving me multiple kisses. "Have fun with all your interviews. You deserve all the attention." I leave the room grabbing the leash and attaching it to Dexter's collar. "Ready to go? Go outside? Go for a walk?" I use a higher pitch to talk to him and he jumps wagging his tail. "Okay." I open the door and we head outside.

As we walk around and get to a more public area, I notice a small amount of people notice me. "It's little Dexter." A fan shouts making me laugh. "Wanna pet him?!" I call out making her run over with her friend. "He likes meeting new people." I say as they bend down to him. "What are you doing in London?" The friend asks. "Visiting for work. I have a few photoshoots." I slightly tell the truth. "You gonna visit Joseph?" They laugh. "When I have time and he does too. He's got loads of interviews today." I let them know. "I loved you in the last episode of Vol 2. I wish Eddie stayed alive and got with Sky. They were cute together." She tells me as she lets Dexter. "As Skylar said maybe in an alternate universe they do get together. Which is basically fanfics fans write. But then again fans like Eddie and Steve." I laugh. "Can we get a picture with you?" One asks so I say yes.

When they walk off I continue my walk and swing by a shop to get a few snacks. Arriving back at Joseph's, I come in quietly with Dexter and the bags. Listening carefully, I could hear him talking so I tell Dexter to go lay down. As I was being quiet in the kitchen I start to hear Joseph laughing loudly, "Good boy. Good boy." My eyes widen and I rush to see the door was now open. "You have a puppy?" The interviewer asks him. "No, he's Presley puppy. She's here in London for work and I'm watching him right now. He was sleeping in the other room and just opened the door." He gives Dexter love. I move my arms around to call Dexter back over and it works so I carefully close the door all the way now.

"I said go lay down not bug Joseph, Dexter." I pat the top of his head and go sit on the sofa and watch videos on my phone. "What?" I answer a FaceTime from my best friend. "I've been keeping a secret from you." She laughs. "What?" I give her a look. "So my uncle got me two very very very very special tickets/passes to Lollapalooza that not just anyone can get. Like you can't get these off the website. And I'm making you my plus one." She shouts making me turn her down. "No way!" I get excited quietly. "Who's your uncle? How?" I ask confused. "There's perks when you have a famous relative. Normally I don't pull out that card but I am for this." She laughs. "Again, who is he? I didn't know you have a famous relative." I ask more curious. "Oh, right. Perry Farrell is my uncle. The one who created the festival." She laughs and my jaw drops. "No way." I tell her. "Yep. My mom is his younger sister." She laughs. "And we're going all four days because I know you love artists playing each day. We'll talk more when it gets closer. Love you bye." She hangs up and I jump up doing a happy dance.

"What are you celebrating?" Joseph walks into the room. "My friend, Sophie said I'm her plus one to Lollapalooza. She's using, my famous family member card for special passes. Her uncle, who I didn't even know she was related to, is the founder of the festival." I tell him. "Also sorry about Dexter coming in." I sit back down. "It's okay. I made up a good lie on the spot." He sits next to me. "How was your walk?" He puts his arm around me turning on the tv. "Ran into fans. Asked what I'm doing here so I said work. Then they asked if I would visit you. To where I said when we're not busy." I cuddle into his side as Dexter jumps onto the couch laying on the other side of Joseph.

"Don't you actually have a photoshoot later?" He brings up. "Yeah." I yawn. "Go take a nap. I'll wake you up before you have to leave." He makes me smile, "Come lay with me." I get up grabbing his hands trying to pull him off the sofa. "But if I fall asleep, I can't wake you up." He chuckles not moving. "I have an alarm set to sill remind me even when I'm awake. Come on." I whine tugging. "I wanna sit here and watch tv. Plus I don't won't to bother you while you try sleeping." He says so I sit back down next to him. "Fine. I'll stay right here in your side watching tv." I cuddle him again. "You're so stubborn." He shakes his head looking for something to watch.

Later when I was getting prepped for the photoshoot my manager sends me schedule for upcoming events and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon was one of them. Apparently I was also going to do a little press with Jamie and Joseph in Brazil. The shoot I had three different looks so it was gonna take time. I take a mirror selfie as my hair gets styled and post it on my Instagram. When I was getting changed for the last outfit my phone goes off. "Yes?" I answer it. "I'm putting my setlist together for Lollapalooza and I'm adding Forget me too. Do you think you can fly out on the July 29th to sing your part?" Colson asks me. "Actually a friend was taking me all four days so yeah I'll be there. I'll do it." I let him know. "Do I need to get you two special passes?" He asks me. "Oh no. Her uncle is Perry Farrell for we're good." I let him know. "Great. See you then and thank you, Pres." He hangs up and I text my manager to let him know.

(These outfits for each of the poses)

"Mama's home!" I come through the door making Dexter jump off the couch running to me. "I know, I missed you too baby." I give him love as I shut the door. "How was the shoot?" Joseph asks from the kitchen. "Good. Wanna see some photos?" I walk over to him. He just gives me a head nod of I go to my camera roll then turn the phone towards him. He looks at them then looks back to the food before taking my phone out of my hand. "Risky with one aren't you?" He  shows me the one when with major cleavage. "It's actually my first time asking a shoot with an outfit like that." I take my phone back. "You don't think I look good?" I raise an eyebrow. "I didn't say that. You look amazing, darling." He gives me a smile.

"You making us dinner?" I wrap my arms around his waist as he cooks. "Yes. But of course you have to be a picky eater, which-," I cut him off, "You hate. Fussy eaters. Get over it." I roll my eyes mocking him in an accent. "You know me so well but still won't get over it." He looks at me. "If I don't like it, I don't like it. And that's it. You deal with it or I leave." I laugh squeezing him. "I am dealing with it. I have to make two separate pots because you hate mushrooms." He makes me laugh at how stressed he was. "And I appreciate that." I lean up kissing his cheek. "Why do you hate them? They're delicious." He huffs. "I just refuse to try it." I make him turn around to face me. "You have never tried it? How can you say you hate them but never tried it? I'm making you try one." He grabs one and I run away from him. "No!"

"Yes!" He rushes after me. "No, I won't do it." I move out if his reach and Dexter starts to get playful. "You will if you want to keep dating me." He gives me a look. "Then we're done then." I laugh as he lunges at me but I run away. "Presley! Just a tiny bite!" He chases me and Dexter starts to bark. "Get him! Get Joey! Get him. Protect mama." I tell him and he starts to jump at Joseph. "Rude." He tells him. "I put up with your fussy eating and make you a whole special meal and you can't even try this for me?" He finally catches me. "It looks terrible." I eye it. "Please, for me?" He looks into my eyes with a pout. "Damn eyes..." I take it and take a tiny bite. I make a face and a gagging sound rushing to the trash can spitting it out then rise my mouth. "Overreact much?" He goes back to cooking. "I tried it and didn't like it." He rolls his eyes at me. "Now, give this fussy eater a kiss." I pucker my lips leaning up so he give me a kiss.

After eating dinner, we change clothes to relax on the couch watching a movie. "Darling." Joseph shakes me as I was dosing off again. "Huh?" I ask confused. "You're falling asleep." He chuckles. "No. I'm watching the movie." I lie sitting up straight blinking at the tv. "Through your closed eyelids?" He says making me giggle, "Yeah." I nod my head. "Go to bed. I'll be there in a bit." He says so I whine, "Come with me. I want to cuddle." I grab his hands trying to get him up again like earlier in the day. "Fine." He gets up grabbing me, rushing to his room making me giggle. He tosses me onto the bed then jumps next to me laying down as we get under the covers.

He pulls me into his chest then just stares into my eyes, "I still can't believe you like me." He tells me. "Why do you find it so weird that I do? You not used to people liking you the way I do?" I bring my hand up to play with his hair. "I don't see what you see in me." He places his hand on my face letting his thumb caress my cheek. "I see a lovely guy. You're funny, playful, kind, respectful, considerate, honest... You're just a great person. How can I not fall in love with you especially with your sweet eyes?" We maintain eye contact. "Fall in love with me?" He repeats. "You're in love with me?" He gets a big smile making me hide my face embarrassed turning my face red.

We've been together officially for only a month and neither of us have had used the L word in any way. Not even as, well you love my annoying ass, when we get playfully annoyed with each other. "Why are you hiding your face?" He chuckles trying to move my hands. "No." I whine making him chuckle more. "If you must know, I've fallen in love with you too." He says so I peek through my fingers. "Really?" I let him move my hands. He looks into my eyes with a smile and a small head nod. He cups my face pulling my face closer to him while he leans closer our lips meet. He pulls back still holding my face smiling before peaking my nose holding me against his chest. "Let's get some sleep, love." He leans back to turn off the lamp then holds on his arms causing me to fall asleep.

[gretavanbear]

Different Worlds - Jake Kiszka / Reader

[Notes:

I know. what the fuck why did she leave, girl u know for a fact i would still be in that room with him. sorry for the short chapter, it's past my bedtime rn anyways enjoyyyyy !]

Chapter 4 : Photoshoot

"Good morning, [y/n]!" Elizabeth beams as I step into her office. She had her hair down today, and she wore a big chunky cardigan which looked extremely soft. I greeted her in return and sat down at her desk with her. 

"So, today we're gonna walk around with the boys for some pictures, I thought it'd be some good promo! I found the perfect spot for some really nice pictures" She smiles and clasps her hands together. 

"That's a good idea! What would you like for me to do?" I ask, waiting to hear my tasks for the day. 

"Alright, so I know this isn't your job technically, but I wanted to try something for funsies today. There's this app called 'TikTok' where you basically take short videos and people can share them and react to them and stuff and I thought the fans would appreciate some content of the boys! We already set up the account and everything, you'd basically just have to take some videos of them" She smiles. 

"Oh! I love TikTok" I respond. "I'd love to do that! Sounds fun" I smile.

"Yes! I'm glad you're familiar with the app! So we're meeting the guys at the location later today, until then I can give you some paperwork and photocopies I'd need you to do?" She asks. I nod happily and do the work assigned to me. 

_ _ _ 

I step out of Elizabeth's car and am greeted by a sign for a national park. It was beautiful, it reminded me of the Banff national park. There was a huge lake and a little dock for people to stand on. The park was empty, I figured Elizabeth got to reserve it for a couple hours. There was a girl there with a big camera in her hands, the strap around her neck, she waved at Elizabeth and walked over to greet us. 

"Hi Liz!" She said, smiling. Liz and the photographer chatted quietly as I took in the beauty of the park. I pulled out my phone to take a couple pictures. I then hear the sounds of tires rolling on gravel, I turn around and am met with a black jeep. Out comes the 4 boys were all here for. I look at Jake first. It had been a week since our last encounter. I hadn't seen him since, only the rest of the band. He makes direct eye contact with me, not wasting any time with looking at the scenery behind me. He wore a black button down, unbuttoned until the middle of his chest. His skin looked so soft. He had dark grey pants and his dirty vans again. His hair loose yet held back by some sunglasses. His energy radiated onto me, he was so cool and I felt incredibly intimidated. He finally breaks the eye contact and takes in the view, I step away from his general direction and greet the band as a whole. I feel butterflies swarming my stomach as my mind races back to our last encounter. I shake my head quickly- hoping the thought makes it's way out of my head for now.

"The newbie is here!" Josh exclaims. I nod awkwardly. "Ready to be thrown into the lake aren't ya" He adds and Samuel laughs at his comment, the ice shaking in his iced coffee. 

"Josh I'm gonna start giving you the wrong time so you actually arrive on time. What's your excuse this time?" Elizabeth looks at him, with a slight sound of annoyance. 

"Sorryyyyyy Liz we were hungry, Sammy needed his coffee" Josh apologizes, taking Elizabeth's hands into his. She rolls her eyes playfully and forgives him, warning him not to be late again or she'll 'shave his precious head' as a consequence. 

"Alright guys so you know what's about to go down today, were gonna take a little hike and get some nice shots! I've given [y/n] the task to film a TikTok for us today, so just be yourselves and enjoy the walk! I unfortunately have another meeting I need to attend. [y/n], Josh will bring you back to the office later, okay?" Elizabeth announces, and then heads to her car. 

We decide to take the easiest trail possible. The boys even asked the park security which is the easiest one to take. We get our pictures and I film the TikTok as requested by Elizabeth. I started to feel more comfortable around the band, I spoke mostly with Josh since he was the most communicative one. Jake hadn't spoke to me at all today, I caught him looking at Josh and I couple times, but he'd look away as soon as I'd catch him. 

_ _ _

As we settle in the car, Josh asks everyone if they had their seatbelts on. I chuckle at his overprotectiveness and watch him start the car. He offered shotgun to me, so I could avoid "being in the back covered in the guys' filth" as he said it. His car was surprisingly clean, I don't know why but I expected him to be messy. Probably because his personality is very.. 'out there'.

"Hey Josh?" Jake finally speaks. I haven't heard him all day.

"What do you want" Josh asks, over exaggerating his annoyance towards his twin. i giggle at his performance.

"I'd love to listen to the demo we recorded last night, I want to see if I can make any changes." He says, explaining himself. My heart beats faster at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah sure." Josh responds. He plugs his phone into the aux cord of the car, scrolling through his recordings.

"[y/n], Jake has been going crazy over this song, he wrote it in one night he says! Crazy guy" He says, looking over at me and then in his rearview mirror- to make eye contact with Jake. The car starts backing up as Josh begins to drive us back to the studio, which was about a forty minute drive.  The song starts off with a bang, almost.. angry. I can hear Danny finger tapping his knees behind me, and I see Sam move his fingers to the beat of the song. I quickly look at Jake, and he's looking at me with a look I can't quite make out. Like he's scanning me or waiting for something. The first part of the song is amazing, talking about a fiery-type of love, something about a woman being a hearts desire. My heart is pounding, thinking Jake wrote this. Did he write it for me? I feel my fingers shake at the thought.

Until we get to the chorus. 

"Lover, Leaver, Taker, Believer'

Each word makes my heart sink deeper and deeper, dragging it out nice and slow just hurting me more and more. My throat feels tight and my mouth feels dry. I feel the tears start to make their way to my eyes. I don't bother listening to the rest of the lyrics, I just stare out the window until the song ends. Not letting Josh witness the tears coming out from the right side of my face. I wipe my tears- pretending I was just itchy.

"I think it's turning out really good, don't you think?" Jake asks. Josh hypes him up, and the band talks about the song some more until we arrive to the studio. I thank Josh for the ride back, trying my best to mask the hurt in my voice, and make my way quickly to my car. All I want right now is to cry and let it all out, let the pain that Jake has caused me out in the open. I think of the song he wrote about me, I think of the experience we shared. My vulnerability wasted, my first time; wasted. I gave him my all and he tainted it. I cry loudly in my hands, accidentally pressing my horn which causes a loud honk to come out of my car, alerting Josh and Jake, who were parked only a couple parking spots away from mine. Jake makes eye contact with me, but all I can do is back up and drive away.

Away from him.

Leaving him, once again.

[rogeriswater]

Don’t Leave Me Now

xviii

This work contains fictionalized versions of real events and people. Most details won’t be accurate to real life.

tags for this chapter: p.o.v changes, mentions of abuse, neglectful billy, supportive ronnie

~m.r~

Ronnie insisted on getting the six of us to do a photoshoot. She had only ever taken candids while she was with us, but she had never done a professional photoshoot with us. Ronnie and I were obviously first to arrive at the location where it was to take place. She needed to set up and everything. I sat on a low wall as I watched her.

"Is it true you and Sandy are moving out?" I asked. I had overheard them talking about it this morning and that was all I was thinking about. Turns out Sandy had found a place at a decent price they could afford. The house was all ready for them to move into.

"Yes, pup, we are" Ronnie said. "As much as we love staying with you, it's about time we had our own place"

"I know, it's just I've gotten used to you to being around and it's gonna feel lonely at home"

Ronnie walked over to me and grabbed my hands. "I'll still be fairly close by. You can come over whenever you want"

"I know" I tried not to, but I started to cry. This was like when Ronnie was leaving for America all over again.

"Please don't cry, pup" She cooed to me. She cupped my face and wiped away my tears. "How about when we're done, you and me go for something to eat, maybe do some shopping? You know, sister time"

I smiled. "Okay"

She grasped both of my hands and pulled me off of the wall and she began spinning us around. The two of us spun faster and faster until the world was a blur around us. We came to an abrupt stop, letting the dizziness over take us and we fell to the grass. The two of us started laughing.

"What's got you two laughing like lunatics?" Roger asked when he approached us. He stood over us, his feet at our heads. "And why are you on the grass?"

I smiled up at him. I reached my hand out for him. He looked at it cautiously, before taking it. Once his hand was grasping mine, I pulled him down so that he was on the grass with us. He landed right next to me. Ronnie and I laughed even harder. Roger propped himself up on his hands and looked at us. "Well that was rude, wasn't it?" He said, trying not to laugh himself.

Ronnie managed to calm herself down and she stood up, brushing off any dirt from her clothes. "I suppose I better set up before the other boys get here" And off she went to her bag of equipment that was laying close by.

I didn't bother getting up. I continued to lay on the grass, resting my hands on my stomach, staring up at the sky. Roger remained in his sitting position as he stared at me. "What is it, Roger?" I asked him.

"Nothing" He told me. "It's just hard not to stare at your beautiful face" I blushed when he said that. I couldn't help it. He could be really sweet with his words when he wanted to, but, he probably also says the same things to Judy. The thought made me frown a bit. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" I muttered. "Oh? Just thinking of how lovely it is today. We couldn't have picked a better day to do this"

Roger raised an eyebrow, and I knew that he probably didn't quite believe me but he went along with it anyway. "Yes, it is a lovely day, isn't it?"

~r.f~

When the rest of the boys arrived, we got the photoshoot underway. They were very clearly having fun. Well, five of them were. It felt like Syd wasn't so present in the moment. With every photo I took, he was looking off into the distance, seeming so lost. It was quite sad really.

And don't get me started on the arguing between Roger and David that transpired. They kept arguing about who got to stand next to Maggie. Both Rick and Nick found it absolutely amusing. I eventually became quite annoyed by it. Luckily, they were both able to compromise and have Maggie situated between them at all times. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the Pink Floyd guitarist and bassist both had a thing for my sister.

It soon came to be lunch time and it was a good thing I made the decision to pack a picnic basket. We all found a nice shady spot near a tree to feast on our picnic. At some point, both Roger and Maggie got up and left, saying something about having a smoke.

"David" I said, grabbing the handsome guitarist's attention. He was on the same level of pretty that my sister was. "Do you have a girlfriend? Or do you fancy my sister a little?"

"Oh" David blushed a little, and then looked down. "I wouldn't say I fancy her. I mean, she's gorgeous but—"

"Don't fancy her?" Nick scoffed. "You were fighting Roger on who got to stand next to her!"

"Alright, maybe I fancy her a little bit" David confessed. "But she's a married woman. What chance do I have?"

"Even if she wasn't married, you'd have to worry about Roger" Rick added. "He's been getting quite protective over her lately"

"Protective is putting it lightly" Nick said.

"Guys, they're just close friends with deep personal things in common" I made clear with them all. "Of course, Roger is gonna see a close friend in her and want to make sure that she's alright. Wait, how long have those two been gone?"

Syd piped up quietly. "They left for a smoke about fifteen minutes ago"

I know my sister and I know it only takes her about five to get through a cigarette. "I think I'm gonna go look for them" I declared. I stood up and set off in the direction they went earlier. I kept on walking until I heard two familiar voices when I approached a building.

"Roger, we really should get back" There was Maggie. "They're probably wondering why we're taking so long"

"I'd rather keep on kissing you, darling" And there was Roger. Wait, kissing? I didn't even think before I turned the corner. I gasped at the sight I saw. Roger had my sister pinned up against the wall with his lips against hers and her fingers tangled in his hair.

Maggie had glanced in my direction. Her eyes widened and she quickly pushed Roger off of her. He seemed confused at first as to why she did so, but he looked at me and all was made clear to him. Roger kept his stare on me, but Maggie was looking down at the ground, clearly ashamed with herself.

I really just saw what I saw, didn't I? I mean, Maggie did mention to me that they had kissed once before. But, I thought it had only been that one time. I should have seen it coming though. The way Roger looks at Maggie, and the way she's always smiling when she's around him. And I'm not gonna act like I've been internally encouraging them.

That in mind, I never thought Maggie would actually have an affair. She was so devoted to Billy, or at least I thought she was. But, I couldn't blame her. He's been acting like a real ass lately. Either he's being an attentive husband to her, or he's just flat out ignoring or yelling at her. I don't know what's gotten into Billy, but he wasn't the same man the Maggie married those years ago.

"Darling, why don't you get back to the others" He instructed Maggie. "I want to have a private word with your sister" Without saying a word, Maggie nodded and left. That left Roger and I alone. "Ronnie, I can explain—" He started but I cut him off.

"Do you care about her?" I asked him. My protective older sister instincts were kicking in. "I need to know. Do you actually care about Maggie? Or are you just going to fuck her and be done with it?"

Roger blinked, obviously a bit taken back with my assertiveness. "Ronnie, I can promise you, I wouldn't do that to your sister. I care for her, deeply"

"Do you love her?" I asked. I awaited his answer. He opened his mouth, but no answer came out. A deep red came across his cheeks and he looked down. "You do, don't you?"

He didn't answer, but he didn't need to. His eyes said it all. "Honestly, I think I have since the moment I met her. No one understands me the way she does. Not even Judy"

"You know she's never gonna divorce him, right?" I know that's not what Roger probably wants to hear, but it was the truth and he deserved to know that.

Roger nodded. "I know, and I've accepted that"

"And what about Judy?"

"Maggie wants me to stay with her so that's what I'm going to do" Wow, that was kind of cold. Deciding to stay with a woman only because your lover wants you to. It made me feel bad for Judy. Roger looked at me with pleading eyes. "You're the only one who knows about us, so you've got to promise not to say anything, alright?"

"I promise" I said.

Roger smiled and touched my arm. "Thank you"

"But Roger, you do one thing to hurt my sister, I will rip your balls off, you understand?" I sternly warned him.

Roger smirked at me. "Did you give that same warning to Billy?"

I smiled and shrugged. "Of course, I did"

...

We took some more photos well into the late afternoon. The boys were kind enough to help me pack up all my equipment when we were done. After that, they said their goodbyes for the day and made their way home. Well, all except for Maggie and Roger. The two of them approached me holding hands. "Ronnie," Maggie started. "I know we agreed on having our sister time afterwards but could Roger join us?"

"Oh" I was looking forward to just the two of us spending time together. "I suppose that would be fine"

"Ronnie, if you don't want me to—" I cut Roger off.

"No, no. If that'll make my sister happy, then it's fine with me" I told him. Was I disappointed? Yes. I wanted to spend this time one-on-one with my sister. But, if being with Roger made my sister happy, then I was more than happy to play the third wheel. I just hoped this wouldn't become a permanent thing. I would like to have my sister to myself again at some point.

...

We found a small and quiet little place to eat. We sat at a table near the back. I was on one side while Maggie and Roger sat across from me. I stared at them as I watched them whisper to each other. Maggie was running her fingers along Roger's arm. He was watching her with a complete look of adoration in his eyes. Not even Billy looked at her like that.

"So, how long has this been going on?" I asked.

"Since November" Maggie answered. That would mean they got together when they resumed their US tour, which just ended up getting cancelled again.

"And how serious is it?"

"It's just for us to keep each other company while we're on tour" I glanced at Roger. He seemed sad with her answer. Clearly, whatever this was between them, it meant something deeper to him. And to Maggie, I think she was just starved of attention.

Roger excused himself to go use the loo, leaving Maggie and I alone. I propped my elbow up on the table and rested my chin in my palm. I watched as she took a sip of her tea. "Ronnie, you don't think I'm a bad person, do you?" She asked me.

"Why would I think you're a bad person?"

"Because I'm having an affair"

"Maggie, you're an adult and I can't tell you what to do" I reached over placing my hand over hers. "If you enjoy being with Roger, then I can't stop that" I pulled my hand away. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind. I tapped my finger against my cup. "But if you do fall in love with Roger, you should leave Billy"

Maggie's eyes widened, as if I had just spoken blasphemy. "I'm not ever leaving him, Ronnie. You know this"

"Pup, physically cheating on a person is one thing. Emotionally cheating is a whole other" I tried to explain to her. "If you fall in love with Roger, it wouldn't be fair to either of them"

Maggie stared at a spot on the table. "Well, I only see Roger as a close friend so we won't have to worry about that"

I smirked as I sipped my tea. "Last time I checked, friends don't fuck each other"

"We haven't actually fucked yet" She admitted to me. A smile and a blush came to her face. "But he does have a big—"

She stopped herself when Roger returned. He placed his hand on her shoulder. Maggie smiled up at him, and he leaned in to kiss her. I averted my eyes and looked out the window while I smiled to myself. I had to admit, they did make a very cute couple.

"Roger, not in front of Ronnie" Maggie giggled. Huh, it's been a while since I've heard her laugh like that.

"I'm sorry, darling" Roger called her. "I just can't help myself" He sat back down. His arm draped around her and he played with her hair. "Do you know how tempting it is to kiss her on stage?" That made Maggie blush harder than I had ever seen. Roger smiled at her and then he turned to me. "So, Ronnie, how long have you been a photographer?"

"For about five years now" I answered. "That's actually why I moved to New York and that's where I met Sandy" And that time was spent with Roger asking me questions, getting to know me. I mean, he was probably going to be my future brother-in-law someday. It was only right that we got to know each other better.

~m.r~

Ronnie seemed pretty okay with the idea that Roger and I were together. And I knew she wouldn't tell anyone. There were still secrets I told her ten years ago that she's kept. The three of us walked down the street. We came to a little shop and Ronnie said she wanted to pop inside. Roger and I followed her inside. We looked around together.

"Darling, there's something I've been thinking about" Roger told me.

"And what would that be?" I asked.

"I want you to meet my mum"

"Really?" He's talked about his mum quite a bit, mentioning how overprotective she is. "What's bringing this on?"

Roger shrugged. "I just think she'd like you. She's never really approved of any girl I've been with"

"Does she like Judy?"

"Not really. My mum keeps saying that she's no good for me, and that she'll only end up breaking my heart one day by cheating on me"

"And what would make me so different?" I wasn't focused on Roger right now. My focus was on a little bauble I was inspecting. But, I could feel him standing right behind me. The heat from his body radiated onto mine. He touched my shoulders.

"Because you're the most incredible girl in the world" I could feel his nose burying into my hair. "And I'm lucky that you're mine"

That sent my stomach into flips. "But, Roger, I'm not yours...."

He gently squeezed my shoulders and sighed. "I know" He sounded so sad when he said that. I turned around so I was facing him. I cupped his face and stroked his cheek. "Maggie, I need to tell you something"

"Tell me, sweetheart" I encouraged softly.

"I lo—" He didn't get the chance to finish as we were interrupted by an employee. She asked us if we needed help with anything, but we politely declined.

She walked away and I looked at Roger again. "You were saying?"

Roger's jaw clenched. "It doesn't matter"

Ronnie walked over to us with her bag of purchases. "We ready to go then?" She asked the both of us. Roger and I both agreed, and we left the store and made our way home.

~r.w~

I walked with the girls all the way up to their flat. Ronnie went inside first, leaving me standing alone with . "Do you want to come in?" Maggie asked.

I wanted to, but at the same time, it didn't seem like a good idea. If Billy was home, I'm sure he would murder me for coming home with his wife. "I don't think I should"

"Billy isn't home tonight" She tried enticing me. Her hands went to my chest. "I want you to come inside" I sensed the hidden meaning behind her words.

"Yeah?" I smirked and placed my hands on her waist. "I'll come inside if you want me to"

She grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. Sandy was sitting at the table. She saw us and smiled. "Roger! How nice to see you again!" She greeted me.

I smiled and waved at her. "Hi Sandy"

Ronnie peeked her head out from the kitchen. "Roger's staying for a bit, yeah?"

"He is" Maggie said. She leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear. "Go wait in my bedroom, yeah?" Wait, she wants me in her bedroom? Did she have certain plans for us tonight?

So, I went to and waited for Maggie in her bedroom like she told me to. It was quite empty looking, save for the mattress on the floor, a desk and some boxes. I knew that I probably shouldn't, but I decided to snoop around in the boxes. I walked over to them and reached inside the first one. There were some law books inside. I gave them a quick flip through. I'm still impressed that she wanted to be a lawyer. If this whole music thing doesn't work out, I hope she returns to law school.

I opened up another box. The first item I grabbed was a framed picture. It was a young Maggie and Billy, both of them wearing ceremonial graduation robes. But they weren't at a school in this picture. They were in front of a registry office. This must have been their wedding. Maggie was smiling in the picture, but she also seemed sad. I put the picture back into the box. Another box caught my interest. Or rather, the writing on the box. Dad's things.

I debated whether I should open this box up or not. These were things that were obviously very personal to Maggie. But I ignored the voice that was telling me to keep it closed. It was exactly what I expected to find. It was a lot of war memorabilia that belonged to her father. Sitting on top of everything was an envelope. I grabbed it and turned it around to see who it was addressed to. To my dear daughter, Margaret From, daddy

Oh. This was a letter from her dad. And she never opened it. She probably could never bring herself to do it. And I could understand that. "Roger, are you..." When I heard her, I turned around and looked at her. Her eyes fell to the letter in my hand and she frowned.

I started feeling guilt for snooping. "Sunshine, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"It's okay" She said. She walked over to me and took the letter from my hand. "Haven't opened this letter for twenty five years. There have been times I tried. But, I can't..." She stared blankly at the letter. A saw a tear splash onto the envelope, leaving a sad stain behind. "Why do I miss him so much when I barely knew him?"

"I understand what's it like" I told her.

"Ronnie got to have two years with him, but she doesn't want to talk about him, and Lee, he didn't know him at all. My dad died the day he was born"

 "Wait, you said that your father left the day your brother was born"

"Well, he did. When you die, you leave this world. You leave your family behind" I saw the tears leaving her eyes. "He left me behind. I'd see all those little girls holding their fathers hand. I'd see them getting piggyback rides. All the father-daughter dances I never got to attend. Did you think fucking Steve would go with me!? No! Instead, I got a stepdad who would rather punch me, push me and throw bottles at my head!"

Wait, she was abused by her stepfather? She never mentioned that to me. "And mother saw my bruises! She saw all the cuts and the blood! But you know what she did? She just turned a blind fucking eye! My mother never cared! Do you know how many times I ran away from home? At least twenty. It was my cry of attention to my mother. Sure, whenever I came home, she be worrying over me, but then Steve would hurt me again and she wouldn't do anything to stop it!"

That was the big difference between my mother and hers. My mother was already fretting over every little thing with me, and she never approved of any of the girls I brought home. Hell, she still doesn't even like Judy and I've been with her for quite sometime. But for Maggie, not only was her father gone, but it was like her mother was too.

"I could've coped without having my father, Roger, if only my mother had been my mother. I know you complain about how your mother was suffocating and overprotective of you, but I would have loved to have a mother like that. I don't even have a mother figure in my mother-in-law. She fucking detests me" Maggie started shaking and soon she collapsed, but I caught her in time before she could hit the floor. I set us both down so that we were sitting on the mattress. "I'm sorry. I sound pathetic right now"

"You are not pathetic, sunshine" I told her. "You're just someone who's had a traumatic childhood. You've never had someone to help you through it before. You've never..." I hesitated before I said the next thing that came out of my mouth. "You've never been properly loved before"

She wiped a tear from her cheek. "But Billy loves me"

"Is someone who pushes you into marriage when you're not ready someone who really loves you?" 

"How did you—"

"Your sister told me" I pushed her hair out of her pretty face and the cupped it. "He may be your husband, but he doesn't understand you. Not in the way I do"

"Roger" She spoke my name softly.

"I want to show you what it's like to truly be loved, sunshine" I leaned in and kissed her. Our lips moved together in perfect harmony. We fell back on the bed. I got on top of her. She gripped at my shirt and pulled at it. I knew what she wanted. I broke the kiss to sit up and pulled my shirt over my head.

"Now yours, darling" She sat up and let me remove her dress. I got on top of her again and continued to kiss her. Her legs wrapped around my waist and her hands clawed at my back. I grabbed at her tit and massaged it. She moaned against my mouth, and I took the opportunity to slip my tongue inside.

Next thing we knew, the door opened and we heard Sandy's voice. "Maggie, have you seen—" I quickly got off of Maggie. She reached for her dress and covered herself with it. Sandy stared at us in shock, mouth hanging open. "Never mind then" She managed to speak before leaving us in peace.

"We've been caught twice today" Maggie said, seeming very calm about the situation.

"Yeah" I nodded. We both stayed quiet for a moment, before the two of us started laughing about it. She pressed her forehead against against my shoulder. "I think I should be heading home"

"But I want you to stay" Maggie argued, pressing a soft kiss to my bicep.

Christ, I really wanted to stay with her too. But, I didn't know when her husband would be home. And Judy was no doubt fretting over my whereabouts right now. "Believe me, I want to stay with you" I stood up, grabbing my shirt and putting it back on. "But I should be getting home to Judy. She's probably going crazy right now"

"Oh" I could hear her disappointment.

"I tell you what though, sunshine. We'll be going on tour soon" I reached for Maggie's hands. I helped pull her up to her feet. I then wrapped my arms around her, closing the space between us. "No girlfriends or husbands. Hotel to hotel. You and I will have our own room. We'll make love after every show"

She smiled, biting her lip and looking up at me. "That'll be nice" Her palm pressed against my stomach and her hand moved downwards. I moaned a little when she grasped at my erection. "Were you really gonna let me send you home when your cock is this hard?"

"You gonna take care of it for me then, darling?" She was already reaching into my pants and pulling my cock out. She wasted no time with giving me a handjob.

~m.r~

After I had made sure Roger was satisfied, I reluctantly had to let him leave. I walked him to the door, aware that both Ronnie and Sandy were watching us. We said our goodbyes and kissed. When Roger was out the door, I turned, smiled and leaned against the door.

"Look how happy she is, Sandy" Ronnie gushed to her girlfriend.

Sandy was smiling as well. She didn't seem to be upset, considering she caught us just about ready to fuck. "I can't believe it! You and Roger"

I blushed, hiding my face. "Stop it, you two!" I went over to sit on the couch, and the both of them joined me, sitting on either side of me.

"Are you in love with him?" Sandy suddenly asked me.

I sighed. "No, my heart still completely belongs to Billy. There is something though"

"What is it?" Ronnie asked me.

"Roger wants me to meet his mother" I still didn't know what to make of that fact.

"You know, when a guy wants to introduce you to his mother, it means that he sees a future with you" Ronnie explained.

"But I don't have a future with Roger" I assured her, or was it more me assuring myself? "At least not in the way you're thinking of. I don't see whatever it is between us lasting more than a year"

Ronnie frowned. "Roger might not see it that way"

Was my sister implying that Roger loved me? I mean, I know he cared for me, but loved me? He couldn't possibly. Besides, he still loves Judy, even if he doesn't say it or show it often. "Look, if you're saying that Roger loves me, he doesn't okay?"

Ronnie sighed, running her hands through her blonde hair. "Maggie, there is something you have to know. Roger, he lo—"

She never got the chance to finish as Billy came through the door. I thought he was supposed to be spending the night at his friends. I got off the couch and went to give him a kiss. He turned his head so that I kissed his cheek instead of his lips. That confused me a little but I let it slide. "How was your night?" I asked him. "Did you and the boys have fun?"

Billy nodded. "I always have fun with my boys. How did the photoshoot go today?"

Ronnie answered. "Her and the boys looked very wonderful today and I got some really good photos"

Billy nodded and then he looked at me again. "I ran into Roger as I was coming out of the building" He brought up causing me to roll my eyes. "What was he doing here?"

"He walked us home so we invited him up for a cup of tea" Billy's lips pursed and he stared at me, as if he didn't believe me. I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. As I did, a foreign fragrance filled my nostrils. It was a rosey smell. I put my nose near Billy's neck and inhaled. "Why do you smell like perfume?"

"Oh, we invited some of the girls from the office" He told me. Well, at least he was being honest with me. "Alice kept trying to talk to me all night" I was all too familiar with Alice. She was one of the secretary's at Billy's office and I know she had a little crush on him. I've met her a couple times. "It's probably from her"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "I see"

Billy smiled and cupped my cheek. "You know, maybe you should give perfume a try? I don't want to say you've been a little bland lately but..."

My eyes widened when I heard him say that. "Excuse me?"

"I'm just saying. You've been the same old for eleven years. It wouldn't hurt to make yourself more attractive" Billy said it like it was the most normal thing a husband could say to his wife. He pat my cheek before walking towards our bedroom.

I stood there, still trying to process what he had just said to me. Did he really just imply I wasn't attractive anymore? I wiped away the tear that streaked down my face. I felt hands touch both of my my arms. "You know, maybe Billy is right" I sniffled. "I could be a little more attractive"

"Oh no, honey" Sandy shook her head. "You are as beautiful as Aphrodite herself. Billy is just blind"

Ronnie looked at the bedroom door and scoffed. "What the hell is Billy's problem lately?"

I know I was sneaking around with Roger, but that didn't mean I wanted Billy to leave me. Was I doing something wrong that was pushing him away from me? Why wasn't I attractive to him anymore? I suppose if Billy wanted me to try wearing some perfume, it wouldn't hurt. The rosey stuff Alice wears smells good.

"I'm going to bed" I said sadly, now dreading to be in the same bed as my own husband. Sleeping in the same bed where I nearly made love to another man. Billy was already fast asleep. I got dressed into my nightgown. When I crawled into bed, I wrapped my arms around Billy and kissed his shoulder, but he pushed me away.

"Not tonight, Maggie" He murmured. "I'm too tired"

I turned around so that I was facing the wall across the room. More tears crept out of my eyes. Did this mean Billy even still wanted to renew our vows? Maybe once we do that, everything will go back to the way it was between us. Maybe if we have a child, it'll bring us closer together.

But, then again, maybe Roger was right. I did need to know what it was like to be truly loved. Because I was starting to doubt if maybe my own husband truly did love me for all these years. Did he marry me because he loves me? Or was I just a prize that he wanted to claim? If my own husband wasn't going to love me, then Roger would.