#when she took me to her house she gave me a tour of the whole thing

[clovesnz]

Not me developing a crush on my ONE straight friend like wth is wrong with meeee

[ashwhowrites]

Wow...I have been sitting and working on this draft for MONTHS. I'm so fucking excited that now it's yours to have. I had this idea back in January and I truly think it's a work of art. I'm excited to share it with you all and I truly hope you enjoy it and love it! I had a blast with this idea, and if you loved it let me know! I'd love to continue this relationship in other requests and parts. I love this dynamic 🫶🏻

Buckle up! We've got a slow burn, tooth rotting fluff, and steamy smut.

⚠️SMUT ( no protection, oral, fingering, missionary sex, cock bulge in stomach, edging and I think that's it? ) Age gap but reader is in 20s

Happy again because of you

Older rockstar Eddie x nanny female reader

~~~

Eddie has grown used to the rockstar life, the constant shows, the tours, and many sleepless nights. He also grew used to his marriage. The love was gone, filled with hatred and annoyance. He doesn't remember the last time they had a conversation, it was all fights and silence. One thing he would always be happy about and never outgrown was his children. He loved being a dad more than he loved being a rockstar. His two sons and daughter were the light of his life.

Y/N had been the Munson's nanny for two years. She was twenty-one and needed a job, it paid very well. Over the past two years, she grew very close to the kids. Brex and Nate were twin boys, standing tall at the age of ten, they were wild and a lot like Eddie. Paisley was five and glued to Y/N's side.

Over the years, she watched Eddie and his wife, Mandy go at each other's throats. They fought a lot and Y/N tried to keep the kids away from it. She was a full-day nanny, with the kids the second they woke up and until they went to bed. She didn't have a family and wasn't social enough for a social life. So the Munson family became her favorite people to be around.... except Mandy.

Mandy didn't like Y/N around but also didn't want to be a parent to her kids. Mandy hated how Eddie got along with Y/N so well. She didn't like how they looked at each other and how much they talked. She couldn't help but notice the spark between them and how much it grew the more they were together.

Y/N couldn't ignore how attracted she was to Eddie. He gave the older rockstar dad a whole sexy alter ego. She tried to push down her feelings when the kids raced to the front door to see him, or when he thanked her for making dinner with a touch to her hand. She tried to ignore the tightness of her thighs when he'd get so passionate about something and he'd talk with his whole body. She loved listening to his soothing voice.

~~~

It took briefly two more years before the divorce was finalized. Eddie kept the house, as he was in the main income for it. The boys were twelve and Paisley was seven. Brex and Nate grew more independent and spent time in their rooms. Paisley still adored Y/N and followed her everywhere.

Even though Mandy hired Y/N, she didn't want her service after the divorce. Y/N didn't want to lose her job which provided her with great benefits, so she begged Eddie to let her stay. Eddie agreed because he barely knew how to be a parent. He spent so much time on the road that he wasn't sure what to do.

With Mandy gone and Eddie single, Y/N wanted to make her move. She wasn't sure how fast Eddie could or planned to move on, but she'd hate herself if she had to watch him with another woman again. She didn't want to be aggressive with her moves or creep him out. She had to be smart and read his reactions before it cost her the job.

~

Eddie groaned in the mirror as he tried to fix his tie. He stood in a black suit with nice shoes. He had to attend an award ceremony, and he hated them. He didn't like to dress up and he didn't know how.

"Need a hand?" Eddie jumped and turned to see Y/N leaning against the door.

"You'd think after years of award ceremonies, that I would know how to work a tie." Eddie chuckled, Y/N laughed with him and walked up to him.

She fixed his collar and positioned his tie. She had never been this close to his face before, breathing in the air he let out. His breath smelled of beer and gum, and his body smelled of whisky cologne. Black eyeliner along his eyes. She wanted to purr at the sight of him. How Mandy messed up this badly was unknown to her.

"It's crazy that you've done this for years because you still look so young," Y/N said, purposely taking her time with the tie. "If you look this attractive at forty-five, I can't help but imagine you at the start of your career."

Eddie blinked several times. He tried to understand why Y/N's voice was slow and deep. She had never spoken so seductively towards him before. He slightly coughed, he was probably imagining things.

"Um well, same hair, so many crop tops with ripped jeans. The crop tops were not the look for me." Eddie laughed as he thought back to it. Y/N smiled at the sparkle in his eyes as he talked about his life.

"Well, rockstar. You are all set," Y/N said, smoothing his jacket down his chest. "For the record, I'd kill to be a fangirl seeing Eddie Munson in a crop top." Eddie felt like the tie got tighter around his throat as she walked out.

Did she just flirt with him?

~

"How was your day?" Eddie asked, he always made conversation during dinner when it was just the two of them. The boys liked to eat in the living room with the TV, and Paisley wanted to eat with her dolls.

Y/N wasn't mad about the alone time she got, and it gave her the excuse to sit close.

"Good. My friend called and ranted about this older guy she is seeing." Y/N said.

"How old?" Eddie asked as he sipped on his beer.

"I think in his fifties." Y/N shrugged, but Eddie choked on his drink.

"Why the hell would a young girl date someone that much older?" Eddie questioned.

"Sometimes the older ones have this sort of attraction young guys don't," Y/N said, lifting her foot slightly to rub against Eddie's leg. She placed her head on her palm and turned her head as she looked at him.

Eddie stiffened as he felt her foot run up and down his leg. She has to be hitting on him right?

"Do you believe that?" Eddie choked out. Was it inappropriate to ask that? Why did he hope she'd say yes.

"I do, but only with one man in mind." She said, her fingers moved forward to his hand. But then they were interrupted.

"Y/N! I SPILLED ON LUCY."

Eddie jumped back. He could feel his palms sweating and his throat getting dry. But Y/N seemed cool and collected.

"My boss calls," Y/N joked as she stood up and walked out.

Eddie couldn't help but feel like the air got colder as she walked away. He never once thought of Y/N as more than his kid's nanny. But something in the air shifted and he didn't know what it was.

~

Eddie tried not to think too much about the interaction with Y/N. He didn't want to read the situation wrong, but he swore it felt like she was flirting.

"PAISLEY! LET'S GO." Eddie yelled as he pushed Brex and Nate out the front door.

"SHE' S COMING!" Y/N yelled, Paisley smacked her lips to mix her lip gloss.

"You ready to go dance?" Y/N asked as she held the small girl's hand. Together they walked down the stairs. Eddie smiled as his little girl walked down the stairs in her ballerina costume. He also couldn't help but admire how gorgeous Y/N looked in her black dress.

"Wow you look incredible," Eddie said in awe as he shamelessly looked Y/N up and down.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Paisley smiled as she let go of Y/N's hand to run to him.

Eddie blushed as he leaned down to pick her up. "You're welcome, sunshine. Ready to go to your performance?"

"Yes!" she squealed, Eddie set her back on the floor and she raced to the car.

Eddie coughed as he walked outside, he held the door open as Y/N passed through. His back was to her as he locked the door. He felt her hand on his shoulder and he felt his palms sweat. He turned the key as she leaned and whispered in his ear.

"Thank you for the compliment, Daddy,"

Eddie felt himself twitch in his dress pants as he heard her heels walk off.

He shifted himself before he walked to the car.

~~~

The sun was hot and the absence of wind made everyone on edge. The kids spent all morning screaming at each other. Sometimes when Eddie was away, the kids liked to act up more than usual.

Y/N called for a pool day, and the kids raced to change. She grabbed her bag and dug out her swimsuit, full body coverage since she was around children. But it still flattered her body in a way that made the backyard neighbors stare.

~

Eddie groaned as the heat smacked his face as he got out of the car. His suit stuck to him in the worst ways, he hated that he had a meeting on the hottest day of the year.

He walked into an empty house but could hear screams and splashes. He took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. His fancy shoes echoed against the marble floors as he walked outside.

"DADDY'S HOME!" Paisley cheered

The boys were tossing a football and lost in their world on the other side of the yard.

Y/N chilled in the deep end and swam over to where Eddie stood. She put her hand over her eyes as she looked up, Eddie blocked most of the sun.

She bit her lip as she looked at him. His rolled-up sleeves and expensive watch, with his dress pants.

"Come swim with us, daddy!" Paisley smiled as she swam along the edge of the pool. She plugged her nose and swam under the water.

Eddie smiled back but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, Daddy," Y/N said, her hand slowly running up his leg, "Come swim with us."

Eddie watched as Y/N smirked, her hand rubbing his leg up and down then she gave a soft tug on his pants.

Eddie knew for sure he had to be hitting on him, then. The smirk, the confidence, and the seductive voice. She was doing it all on purpose. And Eddie found himself loving it.

"I gotta go change." Eddie winked, then shoved his hands in his pockets as he turned to walk back into the house.

Y/N watched him leave with a pleased smile.

~~~

Eddie was in the studio with the band, but his head was thinking about Y/N. Thinking about her at the kitchen table, her wearing that dress and whispering in his ear, and her wet swimsuit that clung to every curve she had.

"Dude! You messed up again. What's going on? Women trouble with Mandy?" Gareth asked, he was slightly joking but he knew Eddie's ex was exhausting.

"Well...not exactly Mandy." Eddie sighed. "I think the nanny is hitting on me." He put down his guitar and sat on the big couch.

His band took a break and sat with him.

"Why would that be a bad thing?" Tommy asked

"Why would it be a good thing?" Eddie deflected

"Because she's smoking hot!" Gareth laughed. "I've had a thing for her since she started bringing you lunch."

Eddie felt his jaw clench as he looked over at Gareth. A feeling of anger rushed over his body.

"Facts. I mean the girl is in her twenties, you know that's a wild night." Keith laughed as he nudged Eddie's arm.

"Can you stop talking about her like she's a piece of meat?" Eddie snapped, standing on his feet.

"Ooo someone's getting jealous." Gareth teased

"I'm not jealous!" Eddie fired back

"Really? So, since she seems to be into older guys, mind passing along her number?" Keith smirked. The whole band knew Eddie was jealous and that Y/N wasn't the only one pining.

"Yes, I will, because I'm not jealous. Nor am I interested." Eddie scoffed.

"Oh come on. You are going to tell us that you don't have a thing for her? She's throwing herself at you and you keep dodging it? Why?" Gareth pushed. As Eddie's best friend he always knew Eddie more than he knew himself.

"She's my employee, it's wrong," Eddie argued

"It's not. You are single, she's single. She's of age and can make her own decisions. If she wants you, go for it. You were stuck in a shitty marriage, allow yourself to feel good and have fun."

"Mandy would be pissed." Eddie groaned.

"Yeah well you ain't married anymore, not your problem how she feels," Gareth said.

"Doesn't matter because you aren't interested, remember?" Keith added in

"Shut up," Eddie said as he smacked Keith's arm.

It seemed Eddie had a lot to think about.

~

Eddie felt his heart race out of his chest as he pulled into the driveway. Was he more interested in Y/N than he thought? Was he jealous? He knew for sure that he'd kill any of his friends if they made a move on her.

Was that jealousy?

He walked into the house and Y/N greeted him from her spot on the couch

"How was the studio?" she asked as she got up. She folded the blanket she used.

"I need to talk to you," Y/N froze and looked at Eddie worried

"Everything alright?" she asked

Eddie nodded and walked towards her. She stayed in place as he stood across from her.

"Have you been hitting on me?" He asked, he pushed his hands into his pockets and turned his head to the side, almost mocking her with the question.

Y/N felt very nervous and felt less happy with her recent comments. "Um...uh." she stuttered, she couldn't look at him.

"Don't be nervous, pretty girl. Just want to see if I read your signals right before I ask something." He said, gently rubbing his finger across her cheek.

"Ask me what?" she asked, moving into his hand on her cheek

"Can I take you out on a date? This weekend while Mandy has the kids. No work or anything. Just us two and a nice dinner."

"I'd like that," she said as she smiled

~~~

Y/N had never felt so nervous to pull up to Eddie's house. She took a deep breath as she drove through the opening gate.

She wasn't sure what to wear to a nice dinner so she grabbed the same dress that made Eddie stare all night during Paisley's recital. She dressed it up with different jewelry and shoes. Hair and makeup are slightly done.

She was so excited but so anxious. What if she totally screwed this up? He's been on thousands of dates. He's a rockstar, not like he had to impress her. She had to leave the lasting impression and she was worried she wouldn't be able to.

Then she couldn't help but think of Mandy. She knew Eddie didn't love any part of her anymore, but Y/N was the girl after the ex-wife. What if that didn't mean anything? What if it was a rebound?

"There she is," Eddie smiled as he opened the door. She didn't even have to knock, almost like he was waiting right at the door.

She immediately blushed as he handed over a bouquet of red roses.

"Didn't mean to keep you waiting," she said nervously, she grabbed the flowers, loving the way he didn't pull his hand away as their fingers touched.

"No worries at all. I was ready an hour early. First date nerves, I think." He chuckled.

"You are nervous? Why? I'm the one going on a date with a rockstar." She laughed. Some of her nerves were already washing away. She guessed she had forgotten how comfortable she always was around him.

"Because I'm going on a date with a beautiful woman and I have to make sure I don't scare her off." Eddie laughed.

The two smiled like idiots as they stared at each other.

Then a long honk jumped them into reality.

"I guess Mr. Rem is ready to leave." Eddie chuckled, and Y/N laughed with him. Eddie grabbed her hand and gently walked her out the door. He locked it behind him, lacing their fingers again as they walked to the big black SUV.

"Oooo a driver. Definitely the most impressive date I've had." She teased, Eddie blushed and held the back door open for her.

"A girl like you deserves to arrive in style."

But Eddie didn't get the car for that reason...he had some different ideas running through his head when he ordered it.

She settled inside and saw that the driver was blocked off. They truly had the backseats all to themselves. The thought caused her thighs to clench.

Eddie slid in next to her, he knocked twice on the window to the driver and the engine roared to life.

~

It didn't take long to arrive at the restaurant. The beautiful patio lights lit up the outside. His hand was in hers as they walked through the huge crowd. Cameras flashed everywhere but she was so focused on Eddie.

She couldn't believe she was here, on a date with her boss crush.

They made it to their table. The inside was just as gorgeous as the outside. A private booth for them in the back.

Champagne on the table on a bucket of ice. He had everything prepared and she truly felt special by it all.

There was no awkwardness. Their conversations flowed perfectly as they finally got to talk about themselves. No talk about the kids or his ex. Just a night focused on them getting to know each other.

A few drinks in and she started to feel herself getting warm the longer she looked at him. He had his dress sleeves rolled up and his arms crossed. His biceps practically beg the shirt to tear in half so the muscle could breathe. His expensive watch shined underneath the dim light.

He was telling a story, she felt guilty for not listening as her leg began to move. Her heels touched his foot as she slowly slid it up his shin.

He made a sound, then played it off as a cough as he continued to tell the story.

But the story got harder to remember the more she slid up his leg. He took a sigh of relief when she removed her leg.

His head was straight again as he went back to the story. His moment of relief ended quickly when this time he felt her bare foot working its way up his thigh.

He coughed harder, needing a sip of water as she watched him amused.

He never had a girl make her moves on him. He loved that she wasn't shy to show how bad she wanted him.

He thanked himself for choosing a dark restaurant and tables that made the couple sit intensely close.

He stuttered over his story as she landed her heel on his covered cock. She smirked as she felt the hardness underneath. She pressed down lightly, adding pressure.

He whimpered behind his glass of champagne. Swallowing the liquid with his remaining moans.

"Anything else for you two tonight?" The waiter asked, before a single second passed, Eddie was already answering.

"CHECK, the check please."

Y/N laughed behind her hand as the waiter walked off.

Eddie smirked and ran his hand underneath the table. His soft hand landed on her foot as he slid his hand up and down her shin.

His touch set electricity through her body.

~

They rushed into the car, the second the door was slammed shut, she was on Eddie's lap.

The two messily made out as the car began to pull off.

They weren't in sync, both hungrily touching each other anywhere. Her hands were all in different directions as their tongues worked together.

His hands slipped under her ass, pushing up her dress. Her underwear-covered cunt was pulsing on top of him. He could feel her heat and wetness against his dark jeans.

She spent months teasing him, and he was ready to get her back.

He softly picked her up, slamming her down on his thigh. She dropped her head back as he used his hands to move her hips. The rough material of his jeans caused her underwear to stick against her cunt. He moved her back and forth, controlling just how much she could move on his thigh.

His lips were on her neck as she yanked on his hair.

She humped his thigh in bliss. The windows steamed as she panted. His teeth and tongue were on her neck, creating a trail of marks down her exposed chest. The dress was high on her hips as she rubbed herself faster against his thigh.

"Feels good, huh? All those little games," he whispered, his hot breath fanning her ear, "just waiting to get in this exact spot. To be rubbing yourself against me, feeling that orgasm building inside that sweet little stomach. I bet I could fuck you so deep we'd see me inside of you."

She melted at his words. Yanking harder at his hair she picked up her pace.

"Now who's in control?" He challenged, his tongue licked the outside of her ear before he moved back down to her lips.

She whimpered as his tongue swallowed her moans. Her hands came down to slam on his chest as she felt herself getting close.

"Gonna," she breathed out, her eyes closed with bliss, pushing and pushing to feel the orgasm hit her like a truck.

But all she heard was a deep chuckle and the feeling of his hands picking her up from his thigh. He grabbed her left leg and positioned her to straddle his lap.

Her cunt pulsed around nothing as her clit burned with no relief.

She looked down at him, disappointment all in her eyes as she pouted at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, pretty thing. Did you think I was going to let you cum that easy?"

She felt like she could cum from the dark look in his eyes, the glimmer of control shined. His lips turned up into a cocky smirk and she wanted his lips against her cunt more than ever.

"You've got such a long night ahead of you," he said as the car came to a stop.

She fought to catch her breath as he softly pushed her to the seat next to him. She watched as he palmed himself over his jeans before he opened the door. He reached in for her hand, kissing the skin before he helped her out of the car.

She stumbled, the orgasm still on edge between her legs.

Eddie chucked darkly as his hand landed on her ass, walking her to the house.

She wanted to thank the driver but she needed Eddie inside that house.

The second they made it inside, she jumped into his arms. He caught her and slammed her against the closed door. He took a little mercy for himself, allowing himself to rock his hips against hers. The small friction on his cock made him moan, biting her lip.

"Bedroom?" she gasped as she pulled away.

Eddie nodded, out of breath as he softly landed her on her feet. Her knees were weak. "Race you there," Eddie challenged, his laugh in her ear as he took off up the stairs.

She laughed and raced up after him. There was no way she was going to beat him, but instead of admitting defeat, she cheated.

"Ow!" She whimpered, pretending she hurt her ankle as she leaned down to hold it. Eddie froze and turned around. A worried look on his face as he raced back to her. They were at the top of the stairs, his bedroom a straight shot.

"Shit, are you okay? I forgot how much we had to drink." Eddie said, his hand softly rubbing her ankle. He got down on his knees.

"Yes it's just," she trailed off as she pushed her hands against his shoulders, giggling as he landed on his ass. His shocked face as she stood up and raced to the bedroom.

She made it to the bed, Eddie right on her heels. He grabbed her waist and dove them both on his bed. She laughed as he landed on top of her, his arm next to her head as he held his body up.

He laughed with her, he cupped her jaw as he took in the sight of her. Their laughs grew quiet as they stared into each other's eyes.

"What?" she whispered, her eyes dancing between his

"I was always scared I'd never feel happy with someone again. And you are just everything I've always wanted," he whispered. Her heart raced underneath him. She looked up at him with adoration and love.

She didn't have the words to say, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down. He smiled as his lips met hers.

They shared a soft kiss, passionate and sweet. Eddie pulled away and softly kissed down her neck. She hummed in delight as he kissed down her chest, his mature hands pushed up her dress, her stomach bare.

She moaned as he sucked marks on her stomach, he kissed her everywhere. She wiggled in anticipation as his mouth moved near her cunt. He softly kissed her clit over her underwear, loving the way her thighs clamped around his head.

"Patience, darling," he whispered, he reached his left hand up her stomach. He made his way to her chest, easily exposing her breasts from the dress as his mouth continued to kiss her cunt.

She nodded and bit her lip. His left hand played with her chest and nipples as his tongue moved to the inside of her thighs. Her breathing picked up and he could feel the heavy breaths from her stomach against his arm.

"Please, off," she whined, she pushed up her hips. Eddie got the hint and was happy to obey. He kept his left hand busy with her chest, using his right hand and teeth to pull the underwear off her body.

She wished her eyes didn't close with pleasure, she wanted to watch his every move. The sight of his head between her legs was a dream she had way too many times.

"Fuck you look so pretty down there," she praised, a smile on her face as she saw a red blush cover Eddie's cheeks. She wasn't sure why she had such an effect on him, but she loved having him wrapped around her finger.

He was too shy to answer. Busying his lips with something else than talking. His tongue licked up between her folds, he did it over and over. Her hands dove into his hair, she wasn't sure how close he could be but she kept shoving and shoving.

He didn't mind. He loved how badly she wanted this. She locked her ankles behind his head, crying out as his mouth latched on her clit. He softly sucked her clit, humming at the sweet taste of her. He imagined being between these legs so many times, and he wanted to savor every second.

She gasped and moaned, his tongue pushed inside of her, he flicked his tongue up and down, his nose rubbing against her clit. She arched her back, her hips pushed against his face as she began to ride his tongue. He took his left hand and shoved her down. His arm was on her stomach as he pushed her body down. She loved that with one arm, he could snap her hips against the matress.

She tried to listen, she tried to keep her hips down as he ate her out. He removed his tongue, replacing it with his fingers. She whimpered as she finally clenched around something. She was so tight he struggled to slip in and out of her, but he made it work. He forced her cunt to take his three fingers as his tongue worked on her clit.

That same feeling was bubbling in her stomach.

"Please, Eddie, please," she begged

"Dammit," she whined as he pulled back, he slowed down his fingers. Slowly slipping out of her as he pecked her clit one last time. She never had someone eat her out the way he did, or touch her. She couldn't help but not understand how Mandy let him go, but she was glad she did. Because that's what led Eddie to be in between her legs.

"Oh so close, huh?" Eddie mocked, he looked down at her as he stepped off the bed.

"Yes," she whimpered. She watched with hunger as he unbuttoned his shirt. He was teasing her and she could see how much he loved it. His fingers slowly worked through the buttons. His hairy chest and tatted torso came into view. She leaned on her elbows as the shirt fell to the floor. She took in his naked chest, loving the paste of his skin.

She settled on her knees and slowly moved to the edge of the bed. He stood watching as she crawled towards him. Her eyes begged as her hands scraped down his chest and landed on the top of his jeans. His boxers strap poking out, her fingers slid underneath it.

Eddie looked down at her, he traced her cheekbones as he smiled. She took it as a yes, her hands quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. He helped her, stepping out of the jeans. He leaned down and pecked her lips. He smiled as her eager hands palmed him over his boxers.

It was clear what she wanted.

He stepped back, taking off his boxers, shoes, and socks. He was bare, and she sat in heels and a pushed-up dress. He didn't like that.

He easily tore off the dress, the seems ripping as the material shredded underneath his hands. She moaned at the sound, loving the way he tossed the dress to the side.

"Leave the heels on," he said, she nodded. She felt shy as he took in her naked body, ranking his eyes up and down. She could see his cock twitch and it made her crave him even more.

She was done waiting. She waited years to have him this way. She spread open her legs, she sucked on her fingers then trailed them down her body. She spread open her folds, inviting him.

He crawled back on the bed, using his hands to push her legs even further apart. He held his cock, teasing her clit as he rubbed his tip up and down against her cunt.

He slowly pushed his tip inside of her, and both moaned in bliss. They finally felt what they had been working for. Eddie rested his body on top of her, using his right hand to hold her hip as he pushed himself further inside of her.

"Fuck you're so big," she whimpered, she never felt herself get so stretched open.

"You can take it," he said softly, his soft lips kissing all over her face. He kept pushing himself, her cunt kept pushing him out but he kept pushing in.

"Y/N" he moaned, loudly. She loved hearing the sound of her name slipping from his lips. He sat fully inside of her, waiting to move as she adjusted.

She had tears in her eyes as it burned.

"Shh, I know, I know. But you are doing so well." he praised, his lips softly pressed against hers. She took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down.

She nodded, telling him to move.

He watched her closely as he pulled himself almost completely out of her, then pushed right back in. She moaned as he did it a few times, keeping a slow pace.

She clawed down his back, her nails breaking the skin. He arched his back as he felt the sting, causing his cock to fully push inside of her. Just like he said, he could see a bump in her stomach.

He softly grabbed her hand from his back, placed it on her stomach, and pulled out.

"Keep your hand right there," he said

She nodded, her left hand on her stomach and her right held on to his neck, her nails digging into the skin.

All of a sudden, he snapped his hips forward, his cock instantly filling her whole. She felt something hit her hand, she looked down as Eddie began to thrust. She could see a bump forming then leaving, then coming back. It matched the rhythm of his hips.

She moaned when she realized it was his cock. She could actually see it inside of her.

He picked up his pace as he felt a burn in his stomach. He edged her, but he had been doing it to himself. He needed that release. He fucked inside of her, fast. She felt like she needed to hold on to his shoulders by how fast he fucked her.

She clenched the sheets beneath her as her cunt took it all. She knew she'd be bruised tomorrow and it was so worth it.

His left hand found hers on the sheets, and he laced his hand with hers. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed it twice back.

His right hand went between their bodies and found her clit. And just like the two times before, that feeling settled in her stomach.

She sobbed as she begged. Tears flying down her cheeks as she clenched around his hand and cock.

"I got you," he cooed, he leaned down and placed his lips on hers. He moaned as he tasted her salty tears as they dripped down into the kiss.

Her mouth went slack against his mouth, and with no warning, she came all over his cock. His fingers messily rubbed her clit, and a rush of excitement filled him as her cunt squirted all over his body.

She cried, shook, and screamed as he fucked himself inside of her. She tried to smack his hand away from her clit, but he wanted to get every last drop of that squirt. She was sensitive but obedient to his touch.

The sight of her tears, bruised lips, and his dark pubs covered in her squirt pushed him over the edge.

"Fuck that's it, that's my good girl," he praised, his hands now on her hips, and fucked her as hard as he could. He moaned as he emptied himself inside her.

Her body went limp as he slid out of her. She collapsed into the matress. Her eyes were too heavy to stay open.

Eddie watched as his cum dripped out of her and onto the sheets.

"Looks like I'm gonna need new sheets," Eddie thought out loud. Y/N smiled with her eyes closed.

Eddie slipped away from her, walked to the connected bathroom, and got a warm rag.

He walked back to her, her tired eyes watching him as he cleaned her up. She flinched as the warm rag touched her cunt. Eddie softly cleaned her up and tossed the rag with the mess on the floor. He slipped off her heels and kicked up her legs.

He rested next to her and pulled up the blanket at the end of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her, her head tucked into his neck. Her naked body pressed against his. He kissed her forehead and ran his fingers through her hair.

"That was incredible," she said. her fingers traced shapes on his chest.

"I've never felt that amazing in my life," Eddie admitted.

After a few moments of silence, sleep took over as they tangled their bodies together.

~~~

Eddie woke up to pounding at the front door. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the morning sun. Y/N slept peacefully next to him. He crawled out of bed, careful to not wake her up.

He grabbed one of the free sheets and wrapped it around his naked waist. The pounded continued as Eddie made it downstairs.

He ripped open the door and was shocked to see Mandy standing there.

"Finally! I've been pounding for five minutes," Mandy scoffed. She took in Eddie's state. The post-sex hair, the scratches on his chest, and the look in his eyes.

"Who do you have in there?" Mandy asked, she tried to look into the house but Eddie blocked the door.

"None of your business. Why are you here?" He asked.

"Paisley forgot her stuffed animal and last night was hell. I want to sleep tonight so I'm here to pick it up." Mandy said.

"I'll grab it, stay here," Eddie said, he turned around and Mandy couldn't help but feel a burn of jealousy in her stomach. Even more nail marks were down his back.

"Who was she?"

"Who?" Eddie asked, looking around the living room.

Mandy let herself in, and Eddie rolled his eyes.

"The slut who painted your back and chest with her sleezy and cheap nails." Mandy scoffed

Eddie turned around with a glare, "First, I already said it was not your business. And second, she's not a slut."

"Oh, little girlfriend? Gotta stand up and be her little knight and shining armor?"

"Look, we are divorced. My love life has nothing to do with you. Send Paisley in, I don't know where she left it." Eddie sighed

Mandy went out and got Paisley, she excitedly ran to her dad with a smile.

Paisley went up into her room, grabbing Lucy from the corner. As she walked out of her room, she saw Y/N sleeping.

"DADDY, WHY IS Y/N SLEEPING IN YOUR BED?"

Her screams jolted Y/N awake, a panicked look on her face.

Eddie froze as the words hit the bottom floor.

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Mandy screamed

Y/N flew out of bed, holding the blanket around her naked body. But she wasn't fast enough.

Mandy was racing up the stairs and Eddie was hot on her heels.

"MANDY DON'T," he screamed

Mandy walked right past Paisley and landed her eyes on Y/N. Her body was covered in Eddie's bed sheets. The dark marks on her neck made Mandy's blood boil.

Eddie sent Pailsey downstairs as he walked in behind Mandy

"YOU'RE FUCKING THE NANNY!" Mandy screamed, "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FUCKING HER?"

"Keep your goddman voice down. The children don't need to hear anything. This was the first night we spent together. We haven't been sneaking around or anything. We went on a date and we had sex. We are grown-ups. She wasn't working, she was my date." Eddie explained

"I would never be with Eddie like that with the children around," Y/N said

"You shut your whore mouth." Mandy snapped

"HEY!," Eddie yelled, "You will not speak to her that way. The kids had no idea about us, until now."

"What you think he actually likes you?" Mandy scoffed. Her eyes locked in on Y/N.

Y/N nervously looked at Eddie but his eyes reassured her.

"I do, and I really like him." Y/N stood up for herself.

"You cannot be Eddie's girlfriend and nannying my kids at the same time. I forbid it. I hired you and I can damn well fire you." Mandy snarled

"No! I love this job and I love these kids." Y/N pleaded

"Should have thought of that before you opened your legs."

Y/N looked at Eddie and hated how silent he suddenly became.

"I'm sorry, Y/N, but she's right."

Both women looked at Eddie shocked. Mandy couldn't hide her smile as Eddie walked closer to them.

"What?" Y/N whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"I didn't want to have this conversation in front of Mandy, nor us being naked but, I have to fire you," Eddie said as she stood in front of her.

Y/N felt tears fall as she looked at Eddie.

Eddie reached forward and wiped her tears. Eddie placed his thumb on her trembling bottom lip. His other hand cupped her jaw and he softly rubbed her skin.

"Why?" she whispered

"Because I can't pay my girlfriend to hang out with my kids." Eddie smiled.

Y/N felt the relief fill her bones as she smacked Eddie's chest.

"You dick!" She laughed, "You scared the hell out of me."

"What do you say? Quit this job and be my girlfriend. The kids already love you. You can continue to stay here, just in my bed this time. Not the spare room."

"Sounds perfect,"

Eddie beamed down at her and captured her lips in a kiss. It was gentle, short, and sweet.

"I'm still here!" Mandy stomped.

"Why? Paisley got her stuffed animal. You are welcome to leave," Eddie said, letting go of Y/N as he walked over to Mandy.

"Because I still have a day before the kids come home, and I want to spend it fucking my girlfriend," Eddie smirked.

Mandy stomped her way out the door.

"Sounds like we have a busy day," Y/N winked as she tugged the sheet out of Eddie's hands. She bit her lip as she took in the sight of his naked and used body.

"Indeed we do," Eddie said, throwing her back on the bed. She landed with a laugh as he crawled up her body and pushed his lips on hers.

@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @somethingvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee @cityofidek @silky-luxe @lokiofasgard616 @loving-and-dreaming @eddiemunsonsbitch69 @thegemaqua @ashlynnkennedy @strangerthingsstories5255 @harringt8ns @pleasinghellfire @whoscamila @stusdollface93 @gretavankleep37 @bellaisswagger @arlxt

[leehslvr]

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Kismet

── kismet. When you encounter something by chance that seems like it was meant to be, then it could be kismet, your destiny.

or ── Your solo trip to Barcelona was may more than what you expected after meeting a kind stranger on the plane and spending the whole duration of your tour with him.

pair ⟢ art student!jay x fem law student!reader

wc ⟢ 10.9k

genres/tropes/disclaimers ⟢ fluff, one shot, angst(?), strangers to lovers, meet cute, mentions of Sunghoon, Karina (aespa), and Wonyoung (IVE), very slight jangkku but nothing major

{let me know if I've missed anything}

authors note ⟢ I am not from Barcelona, nor Madrid so if I get anything wrong please let me know. Also I hope my memory and research serves me right about the history parts included in all of these. + this is a veeery old story I had and just rewrote it but i hope you enjoy!

You have never really imagined yourself leaving your house with a carrier in your hand and your mom's shower of kisses, going to the airport, ready to board a plane headed straight for Barcelona, all on your own for a good 3 days of your summer vacation. A solo trip has been on your list of things to do before you turn 30 ever since you were in high school. Growing up, you've always dreamt of going to another country without your parents dragging you to gift shops after gift shops while all you just wanted to do was to go to the beach or to see their local museum.

And now, all of those long-awaited dreams are finally coming true. It took a while to convince your mom to let you travel alone since she's always been so strict. She kept on asking why would you insist on doing that and why don't you want to take the family with you. But after begging her to let you do it on your own because you want to use this opportunity so you can enjoy some alone time and independence, she finally gave you her permission, but only for 3 days, and with your own money —a deal that was more than enough for you.  At surface level it may sound a bit suffocating having your parents know every plan you wish to do, but you know that she means well. Your mom has always restricted you on a lot of things, but if she sees that it makes her children happy then she does her best to keep her worries aside and just let them do the things that they want (with the exception of anything illegal that it; she wouldn't let you see the next day). 

I took you more than two whole semesters of working part time at the local bakery and fighting the urge to buy every cute new shirt on display in order to earn enough from your paycheck to buy a plane ticket and save up enough pocket money before you can finally get to your dream vacation. 

Everything was going well, there was no traffic on the way to the airport, the flight didn't get delayed, you were now on your second plane after the layover, the sky was clear, you got a window seat, and you had enough leg room. The only thing that bothered you was the fact that the man sitting next to you doesn't seem to value your personal space.

It's been the 5th time since departure that he kept on placing his head on your shoulder every time he decides to take a nap. All efforts of freeing your shoulder of this unknown man were put to waste whenever he keeps putting them back. You're a person that usually understands these kinds of situations, but god it was getting annoying. A man, seated in an aisle away from yours, seemed to notice your struggle. He was quiet but he kept side glancing at what was happening.

Park Jongseong (or as his close friends like to call him as Jay) heard the person seated across him let out a sigh every time the old geezer unknowingly placed his head on her shoulder. He saw the discomfort on your face and all your efforts to get him off of you. 

It was honestly painful to watch. 

He keeps seeing this young girl push the head of the stranger but then it keeps happening again and again.

And now, for the sixth time that it happened, you just decided to politely tell the man that you were getting uncomfortable, when he woke up he apologized and tried to fight off his drowsiness. 

Guilt suddenly crept up your nerves thinking that this middle aged man couldn't even get some rest because you felt uneasy. Staring out of the window to avoid any more awkward encounters, when suddenly Jay broke the quiet air. "Excuse me sir, could we perhaps switch seats? I need to ask my friend about something and I wouldn't want to be rude by talking to her while you're in the middle."

You averted your gaze from the window to the guy who was now standing up to gather his things. (Much to your surprise that is. Was he that tired to just let a random dude give him orders to switch places?)

A young man (who, based on his looks, was the same age as you) took the old man’s place; who now was resting quietly in his new seat.

You looked at the new stranger seated beside you and quietly observed his features. He had a high bridge nose, his lips were full and plump, his eyebrows were dark and he had a striking jawline to compliment them. His jet black hair seemed to match his tanned skin.

He looked at you and gave you a small smile.

Should I say thank you? You thought to yourself

You kept looking at him, with no expression on your face. Jongseong’s smile started to change into an awkward one, not really knowing what to do at this point. To him, he just wanted to do something nice for the girl who looked like was about to burst out at any given moment. But now, you're giving him a blank look and a quiet atmosphere that made him feel like he did something that bothered you even more.

"Uhm...thank you" You whispered.

With those words, his smile returned to his face. "No problem, I saw you struggle there for a bit. It'd be really tiring if you had to do that for the whole flight" He said to you in a hushed voice, being careful not to be heard. 

“Well thankfully I wouldn’t have to experience that. It’s nice of you” You hushed back, removing your gaze off of him and back to the window of clouds and blue skies.

___

More than 5 hours had passed and the plane was still in the air. 

After getting some shut eye, you're starting to feel numbness as you sit through the whole flight dozing off or watching a series. You and the stranger seated next to you haven't had a conversation since he switched seats with the other man. The only exchange you had after that was when you had to excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. 

You weren't really one for conversation. You've always had trouble starting conversations with people, and you struggled to keep them going. And seeing that you were either too busy sleeping or crying over another episode of the drama that you were watching, the handsome boy didn't seem to bother to talk to you either.

You were onto the last few episodes and things were starting to get very emotional and being the type of person that gets their emotions attached to these kinds of dramas, you unfortunately couldn't control the tears that escaped from your eyes; in a place like this, besides a cute guy who was probably judging you right now.

Jay thought it was cute though; How this girl beside him reacted to every scene that she was watching. He doesn't even know if she was aware that he heard her gasp when one of the main character's secrets were revealed, or how she started smiling when the leads kissed. Now, she's been shedding tears and she was desperately trying to hide it.

While trying to cover your face with your hands by wiping the tears that fell on your cheek, you suddenly felt a tap on your shoulder, only to be met with a pack of tissues. You looked at the stranger (whose name you still don't know), and the tissues he was holding out.

"These might help" He smiled at you once again and you couldn't help but feel embarrassed. You hesitated to grab them. His hand was still reaching out and he continued by saying "Take one, I completely understand. Episode 16 was the worst"

With the small piece of dignity you had left, you took a piece, quickly thanked him, and returned to your screen. You can see from the corner of your eye that he let out a small laugh.

Great. He must think I'm a total weirdo.

After finishing the last episode, and milking your eyes out, You have finally decided to take a rest from watching. Jay looked at you and gave you a thumbs up, non-vocally asking you if you were okay.

Letting out a small laugh, you looked at your feet before speaking.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that" You told him in a hushed voice while trying to avoid eye contact. "It's fine, I couldn't stop crying myself when I finished the drama"

Deciding to try and have a good conversation with the nice guy, you finally looked back at him. "So are you traveling alone?" You asked him.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to go to Barcelona. They say their beaches are the best, and could make you speechless and I want to see it for myself" He excitedly told you. 

"Is it your first time to travel alone?" 

"Not really. This would be my third time" You nodded and told him how lucky he is that he got to do it often.

"How about you?" He asked you back. "Is it your first solo trip?"

You said yes by slowly nodding your head. "I'm really nervous if I have to be honest. My mom usually plans our trips. I don't even know what I would do If I got lost. I didn't even get a tour guide, because that wouldn't fit my budget." You start talking while playing with your fingers.

"It's going to be fun. Don't worry too much. If something bad happens, then it happens. You could miss out on so many great things if you begin to worry."

He gave out another smile. Something that is weirdly comforting from a stranger. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now approaching Barcelona where the local time is 1:00 PM. Please be in your seat with your seatbelt firmly fastened...."

With the sound of the speakers telling everyone to prepare for landing, the conversation was immediately cut off. You went to check if your seatbelt was fastened and if the seat tables were stowed away properly. Your phone was turned off so you didn't have to worry about it. You've always hated take offs and landing. The ear clogging is painful and irritating. Just as you were about to prepare for ringing in your ears, the guy beside you started to pass you something again. 

This time it was chewing gum.

"Do you want some? I chew on them it so my ears won't hurt during landing"

How does he seem to have a solution for everything I go through?

You grabbed the gum and thanked him before you could even hear the insufferable ear popping. 

When you felt the plane land and when the cabin crews finally announced your arrival, you stood up quickly feeling the numbness in your legs that you have to pray to the gods that you wouldn't stumble over and make a fool out of yourself. 

When you've finally got a hold of all your carry-ons, you prepared yourself to head out of the plane doors but before you did, saying thank you to the kind stranger who treated you well wouldn’t hurt. 

But as you turn around in search of the striking set of eyes and beautiful tanned skin, he was nowhere to be found

Your eyes scanned what was left of the plane but only a few people were there, and none were of him. 

I guess that was it. I never even got his name.

When the Barcelona air had hit your face and the unfamiliar landscape had come into your view, you've finally realized something; you're going to be doing this on your own now. No parents. No siblings. No tour guide. Not even a kind stranger to help you sort things out.

It's just you, alone, ready to take on an adventure that you've waited for so long.

___

You were lucky to get a great hotel at the heart of the Gothic Quarter, located just near the cathedral. It was summer and a lot of families were on vacation so you worried whether you'd be getting a good place to stay without having to pull out any more money than you've already had. Luckily for you, one of the hotels with good reviews that offers a cheap price had a room fitted enough for your liking and budget.

After setting down your things in the room, you decided to give the place a tour. The walls were painted white and they were accented with wood to fit the classy mood. There was a huge sliding window that connected the room and a small balcony that gives you a great view of the skyline. The room was small so there really wasn't much to look at. It was your typical summer hotel room but you couldn't complain. You were just glad you got here. You decided to go outside and take a look at the whole building before you decide to tour Barcelona. Grabbing your camera, you headed outside on the way to their lobby.

It was crowded, a lot of families were already here. Some were lounging on the couch and the children were running around. The staff was busy but they still accommodated their guests well. You decided to ask them for more inclusions and fair enough, you were pretty satisfied. They served a breakfast buffet and a rooftop pool. Although most hotels have that now, you still couldn't hide your smile.

It was time that you decided to go tour the city, starting with the cathedral that was a few blocks from my accommodation. A lot of people have said that the Barcelona Cathedral was something everyone must see in their lifetime. And there was no denying how amazing it was. With its gothic architecture and tall structures, you would’ve beat yourself up if you missed the chance to witness it.

You quickly took out your camera and started snapping pictures. Growing up loving the arts, you have always appreciated these kinds of things. The way the building was structured had you at awe. Photos wouldn't capture its beauty. You decided to go closer when you heard a deep voice behind you.

"Excuse me, could I take a picture?" 

You turned around, surprised by the voice, but what surprised you more was who owned it.

It was him. The kind stranger that sat beside you on the plane. He was holding his camera that was hanging from his neck. He gave you a smile once again and a wave of his hand as if to say hello. "Either this is a coincidence or fate just wants us together”.

"What are you doing here?" You asked with surprise and confusion written on your face. "I mean, I did tell you I'm here on vacation right?" He said as if it was obvious.

Of course he is, why would I even ask that.

"I'm sorry I scared you." He apologized while giving a worried smile. 

"No, don't worry, I just wasn’t expecting anyone. Just a bit surprised, that's all"

It really was a surprise. Even Jay questioned whether it was her or not. 

He just got to the cathedral when he saw her standing in the middle with her looking through her viewfinder. He didn't believe it at first but after getting a good look, he knew it was her. 

Then it felt awkward. There were hundreds of people and cars making noise around but the silence between the two of you was deafening. 

To avoid the atmosphere you decided to just look through the photos on your camera. Until he spoke again. 

"Do you want to check the inside?"

Without hesitation, you nodded your head since that was what you were planning to do before he arrived.

And so two pairs of feet led the both of you inside the infamous gothic church. The stranger was standing beside you making it seem like the both of you arrived together on purpose. People who don't know any better  would think that the both of you are on this trip as a couple on their honeymoon (not that you would want people to think that).

It's either he must really respect your space or he was just as fascinated as you as he decided to not hold a conversation after entering the wide doors. Jongseong quickly took notice of the fact that you took your time to admire the interior of the cathedral. After looking at the beautiful ceiling he glanced at your amazed expression and involuntarily let out a small smile that even he wasn't aware of. 

As you took your time looking up at the sculpted pillars and the intricate details of the altars and pews that were lit with a golden tint, mixed with the natural light that came from the stained glass windows, the mysterious man started talking again. 

"Its other name is The Cathedral of the Holy Rosary and Saint Eulalia"

Looking from the altar to his face that the natural lighting perfectly captured, you waited for him to continue what he was saying, intriguing your curious and hungry mind. He was looking away from your gaze as he went on with what he had to say. "Most people know the place as the Barcelona Cathedral while locals like to call it La Seu."

After his explanation, he looked back at you and met with your eyes and went back to his discussion. "They named it after Saint Eulalia. She was a martyr. Was only 13 at the time that she was murdered by Roman soldiers. Poor soul was even tortured before her death. 13 different times specifically."

"Why'd they murder her?" You asked back, curious as to what happened. 

"They said that she didn't want to renounce her Christianity when everyone was told to do so" His voice trailed off. He placed his hands inside the pockets of his coat and rocked on his heel. "I think it's admirable how she stuck to what she believed in despite other people telling her otherwise."

You thought to yourself, this man was really full of surprises. You came to this country hoping to learn something new but you never thought that it would be from a boy you met on the plane. "I guess you've done your research before coming here" You stated.

"I've read them somewhere. Stuff like these have always piqued my interest. Churches, paintings, sculptures, you name it."

"Art student?" You asked him with a raised brow. 

"Was I too obvious?" He replied with a smirk. The both of you started to let out a small laugh while unintentionally synchronizing as you both stared at your feet. 

"How about you?" Confused as to what he meant, you stared up at him with both brows raised. "Art student?" With a sad smile you shook your head left and right slowly. "Uhm...no. Legal management actually" He hummed and nodded at the same time in response. 

"Lawyer?" He asked again. "I hope so". Jongseong seemed to notice the way you reacted but didn't dwell too much as to why. He just decided to switch back to your previous topic. "Well attorney, the locals also said that their cloister is also a must-see" His deep voice enthusiastically mentioned letting go of your previous conversation. "Then we should"

The both of you walk down the path on the way to the open-aired garden. At the heart of it was a beautiful sunbathed oasis that housed geese. Holding out your camera, you looked through the viewfinder to get a perfect shot of the scenery. Adjusting the zoom, aperture, and the angle in order to capture all of its beauty.

To your right, unknown to you, Jongseong was taking his own pictures. Not of the scenery. But of the person who captured his attention.

__

Your mom would pull out every strand of her hair all at once if she ever finds out that her daughter is roaming a foreign city with a man she just met. 

You're honestly surprised that you aren't kicking your ass for something that could possibly be so dangerous. For all you know, this man could have been a serial killer or your stalker that had finally cornered you in a place that you know nothing of. 

But alas, here you are heading for a small bookshop on the corner of La Rambla, Barcelona, because the both of you have found out that you enjoy the aura of bookstores. 

You don't really understand it yourself as to why you would agree to let this man take you there without even knowing his name. However, something about him made you rely on him. His cold exterior was washed over by his warm and kind personality that you just couldn't help but see him as someone you could depend upon.

Known by a lot of people, you love reading. A small space at your home was dedicated to a shelf of all of the novels that you have read all throughout your reading journey. So when your strange new friend mentioned that he saw an antique bookshop on the way to the Cathedral, you did not hesitate to let him take you there. 

The beautiful tree-lined pedestrian street of La Rambla was filled with people — tourists and locals. The streets were crowded and you made sure to look over your stuff in case there were any pickpockets. Your new friend decided that he should walk a step behind you to keep you safe.

Taking a short turn, your eyes have finally met with a bookshop that had an antique housing to compliment its aesthetic. You stared up at him to confirm whether this was the place that he was referring to. He nodded and held out his arms which meant that you should go in first.

You opened the doors to the bookstore and you were quickly met with an array of books and novels lined up on wooden shelves with a number of rows. The inside was incredibly quaint and you hoped to the gods that you could find a good book in English without having to spend hours looking through all of them. 

You weren't the only one fascinated with what you saw. You looked at the person beside you to see that he had his mouth open and his eyes fixated on the rows of shelves that lined up inside the antique bookshop.

The both of you wasted no time looking through the number of books. Your eyes quickly scan the shelves for a nice read. The titles were filled with different genres and languages. Fiction, travel guides, biographies, classics, history memoirs. It was every bibliophile's dream. You weren't really sure what you were looking for to begin with.

Should I get a Jane Austen novel? Or maybe a memoir on Princess Diana? A dystopian book? A different version of your Percy Jackson books that you have on your shelf? Or maybe just get another law book for one of your legal management classes to get it over with. 

You thought to yourself as you looked through the pages of every novel that your hands could pick up. You decided to look through the shop when you finally caught the sight of your companion. He had his back turned as he was looking through a book over at one section of the shop. Arts section. You should've known.

You decided to take a look at this section yourself. As you approached his figure, Jongseong turned around sensing yours. You waited until you approached him before speaking. "Found something you like?"

He nodded his head yes as he showed you what book he wanted to buy. A memoir on Michaelangelo. "How about you?" This time, he asked you. You nodded your head no with a sad smile. "I don't even know what I'm looking for"

"Well, what do you like?" He asked again. 

"What inspires you?"

"Uhm....I don't know. Politics? Maybe I could read about the policies around he-" You weren't even able to finish your sentence because you were cut off with his deep voice. Jay knew that tone and expression. That voice didn't show genuine love for what you were talking about.

"What do you honestly like?" Not believing your excuse, he asked again.

You took a few seconds to answer his question. "I like photography".

He raised his eyebrows at you. His body was now facing yours and his eyes were intently looking at your face while listening closely to what you have to say. "I've always liked photography. When my mom bought me my camera, I wouldn't let go of it and just take photos of everything. I've only tried landscapes because that was the only thing I could start with. I've wanted to do portraits but I don't have enough ideas on how to do it. Plus, my major doesn't really give me the time to practice."

Jay saw the twinkle in your eyes as you talked about your love for the art form. "Then it's settled. Let's get you a book on that one"

Without even realizing it, he was soon dragging you all across the bookshop trying to look for the perfect book to take home.

And somehow, someway, after buying yourself a book on the art of photography, you and your companion found yourselves having dinner at one of the restaurants you found down the street. The both of you have decided to try tapas. 

You didn't know when, but the awkward atmosphere that the both of you had when you first met was replaced with comfort and a light air. 

Despite not knowing each other's names, you talked as if you're old friends that were catching up with one another after not seeing each other for years. While waiting for the order to arrive, the both of you started discussing what other places you plan to go to during your stay.

"There's this place I saw online. I was planning to go there. But it's getting late, I think it'd be better if I go there when the sun is still out" You said to the young man that was sitting across from you. "What's it called?" He asked.

"Uhm it's a park. I think it's called Ciutadella? Ciutadella Park?" You told him not really sure if your pronunciation was correct. 

His eyes immediately widened, signalling that he knew what you were talking about. "I was planning to go there too! They have this amazing cascada inside the park. It’s near The Sagrada Familia if you want to check that out too. " He told you with an excited tone. You smiled at his reaction.

Suddenly, you wondered whether the both of you would be going together just like what you did today. You thought about if it was a good thing to ask him that because you didn't want to seem like you have attached yourself already with your travel partner and that you would want to tour the city with him again tomorrow. It was silly to be honest. Why would I want to go sightseeing with this man when the only thing I know about him is his face and his love for art? You realized that you were still in mid conversation and that it was rude to just go quiet all of the sudden.

"I was planning to practice taking pictures once I got there" You said to him. Your fingers were playing with the utensils you had in front of you. While slightly tapping on the wooden table, Jay replied. "That's great then. I guess we should go there early so you have enough natural light."

We? Is he really implying that we should go together?

He looked at your face and saw that your expression was mixed with both confusion and surprise. Your head was slightly tilted like a lost puppy, your mouth was slightly ajar, and your eyebrows were raised. He started questioning whether he said the right words. Did he come off as too adherent?

"You want us to go together?" He was caught off guard when you asked him. Not knowing the right words to say, he stammered. "I mean...if you want to...I'm not forcing you, it's just...I mean, we are going to the same place, so why don't we go together?"

His voice was hanging in the air. The only sounds that you two heard were the cluttering of utensils, other customers talking, and the background music that the restaurant provided. You noticed his eyes shaking trying to avoid your eyes. Then, you let out a giggle.

"Sure" You said.

His eyes finally met with yours the instant you said that word. "Oh God, I thought you would think I'm a creep" With his words you started to laugh. "You kind of are" You joked while telling him with a smile. Jay played along, letting out an exaggerated gasp while his right hand found his chest. "I feel offended"

You were still laughing at his silly expression when you continued talking "To be honest, you wanted to sit with me during the plane ride and now you decide to come up to me at the cathedral. I think that calls for a creep" He smiled at your smug expression as you talked. "I only did it because it was painful to watch. You kept frowning every five minutes" He fired back. Jay gave an equally smug look and now it was your turn to react. "Was it really painful to watch?" He started laughing, showing you his smile.

Soon your laughter started to die down. The air between the two of you was silent again, but in a comforting way. 

Epiphany hits you after your discussion on how the both of you met. You never got to say thank you properly. When you turned around to say your gratitude, you went looking for him, only to see that he was gone. Not losing the opportunity again, you decided to tell him now.

"Thank you, by the way" He looked up at you when you said those words.

He was silent and didn't say anything so you decided to explain further. "For what you did on the plane. Switching seats, the tissue — as embarrassing as that was, the chewing gum. You didn't even know me but you decided to help. So....Thank you"

A smile slowly started to form across Jay’s face. He saw your shy demeanor as you said your gratitude towards him which made his heart flutter. "You're welcome," He replied.

"It's strange how we just met and you start treating me like a friend but you did it anyway. I mean, look at us, we don't even know each other's names and-" Your blabbering was cut off with his deep voice.

"Jongseong. Or Jay if you prefer." He replied. "That's my name"

“Y/N. Nice to meet you”

__

You were pretty satisfied that your day had ended with you putting a name to that stranger's face.

Jay.

Ever since you told each other your names, they pretty much rolled off the tongue. After dinner both of you really had nothing left to do except enjoy the Barcelona night sky. Jay talked to you throughout the evening. He told you how he got into art and why he loves it so much. From his story, you clearly tell that it was something he was passionate about. It basically ran through his entire body.

But just when I thought that nothing could beat his love for painting, Jay couldn't help himself as he told you about his friends back home. He even took the time to pull out a photo of them that he had on his wallet to show you. With the way he smiled while he told you all of his favorite memories of them together, it was clear that he really valued them.

Of course, you had to share stories as well. It would be really unfair on his part if he did all the talking.

So you told him how your major wasn't even your first choice. You've wanted to take up photography or film as your degree. But remembering how you felt like you had to repay your parents for everything that they had done, you decided to take up a pre-law course so you can follow in the footsteps of your father. 

You had to admit that you didn't enjoy it at first but you grew to love it. The idea of switching majors still pops up once in a while but you've always told yourself that you could still do photography even with a PhD.

His words still rang in your head after you told him your story.

"You shouldn't do things to make other people proud. You have to make yourself proud"

Jay finally understood all those sad smiles everytime that topic was brought about. Sure, he felt sorry for her and wanted to tell her to switch if photography was what made her truly happy but he decided that he shouldn't. He wanted to respect your decision, knowing that he didn't have control over her life.

He walked you back to your hotel which was only a few blocks away from his. Before saying good night and "see you again", he promised to wait for you outside of your hotel tomorrow at 8:00 AM so the both of you could go to the Ciutadella Park and the Basilica together.

It was silly how quickly you had trusted this man to join you while you toured around the city but that was nearly impossible not to do with his charming personality.

Jay couldn't believe it himself that he was able to build a friendship (if that's what you called it) through this trip. It's usually just him traveling alone or traveling with friends but never with a woman he just found out the name of.

And so the night goes. Neither of them could sleep properly because of jetlag. You also had to remind yourself to update your parents because they might be going crazy at this point. Of course, you didn't tell them about Jay. They would flip. You thought that it'd be better if you kept this to the both of you. 

__

The alarm that you've set the previous night rang to tell you that it was time to get ready for day 2 of your formerly called solo trip in Barcelona.

To say that you felt giddy to finally have to spend the whole entire day traveling the city was an understatement. You want to believe that it was because yesterday's flight tired you out that you haven't comprehended the thought that you are strolling the city but if you were trying to be honest enough, it was probably because your thoughts were filled with the art-loving and soft hearted boy that accompanied you.

Now, after getting ready to go out, you decided to go down to the hotel lobby as Jay said he will be meeting you there. Waiting for the elevator doors to open, you made sure that you looked presentable enough. When the ground floor came into your sight, you got out of the golden walled elevator and walked down to the lobby.

The place was huge and crowded. Dozens of people were walking around or seated on the sofas but within those numbers of people, your eyes still found him sitting on one of the sofas near, with his eyes on the floor.

Jay has been sitting on the same couch for the past 25 minutes, waiting for you to come down. He came early just in case you finished before him, not wanting you to wait too long. A few of the hotel staff have approached him already asking if he wanted anything. He didn't want to be paranoid but at one point he even thought that you ditched him and went ahead earlier. That was until he saw your figure walking towards him.

Jay was beautiful. You've noticed it from the first time you saw him. His eyes pulled you in and his boxy smile captivated you. It was like seeing a star up close. But just like him, you wouldn't admit it out loud.

When he first saw you, he didn't deny the fact that he thought that you were attractive. That obviously wasn't something he would say so suddenly but it was still something he would have to admit for himself. Today was just like yesterday. The same thoughts came running through his head when he saw you smile at him as you approached him.

He immediately stood up to greet you and to return the smile you gave him. "Ready for today?" He asked with a welcoming look. Returning the kindness, you answered him. "Of course!" You held out your camera and smiled.

"Well let's get going then" 

_

It surprisingly just took the both of you a few minutes from your hotel room to your destination. Somehow, to the extent of your knowledge, the small map that Jay had prepared for his trip came in handy in time of traveling the city. With your broken Spanish, you thanked a few people that helped you get to where you are now — Ciutadella Park.

You were welcomed with a wide steel fence, wedged in between two statues. The inside was like a forest that housed itself with many trees and a peaceful ambiance. When the both of you finally got inside, you were more than pleased to see such beauty. The garden was gorgeous. It was surrounded by hundreds of plants, and the air was as fresh as it looked. The fountain at the center was enormous and breath-taking. Upon entering, you couldn't contain the excitement and started capturing everything you could see. From the flowerscape to the cascade, you knew that you would be able to fill your camera with so many pictures.

But pictures will only be pictures until you turn them into memories. 

Jay suddenly asked you if you wanted to get your picture taken. Quickly hesitating, he kept on persisting, saying that it won't be forever that you would get to see this place, and not having your photo taken there could make you regret it in a few years.

"If you let me take your picture, I'd let you practice your portraits on me"

A tempting offer since that is what you told him that you wanted to do. Honestly, you just felt shy to stand in front of the camera with him taking the photo. Silently giving him a look that said "I kind of want to, but I'm not sure", he extended his hand which meant to give him your camera. After a few more seconds of deciding, you finally caved in. He instructed you to stand near the fountain and smile, in which you did.

Jay really had no excuse other than to build up conversation again. He didn't even intend to say that you would model for him but seeing there really isn't any other person there with her, he had no choice. Not that he complained, he saw a few of your photos, some through the camera he took from you, and some through what you showed him over dinner last night. He trusted what you could do — something an artist like him would know. He saw you stand in front of the scenery ready to smile for the camera.

He had to admit that you look just as gorgeous compared to the garden. You were breath-taking. After taking more than a dozen pictures, Jay handed you back your camera. While actually judging yourself through the screen, your companion took some pictures of his own. A few of the scenery, and some, of you.

You had to admit, he did make you look decent in the photo. He captured your smile without it looking too cheesy. There were a few candid shots here and there but you were pretty pleased with it. It made you glad that you agreed to Jay’s random request. You looked back up and saw him taking some photos on his own camera. 

You approached with a smirk. "So how about that deal?", already knowing what you meant, he hid his camera and smiled at you.

The whole practice shoot with Jay took a lot of shots, laughing, whining, and begging. He was an amazing model, you were sure of it. If he didn't major in arts, you would most probably see him on a billboard or a magazine. His looks alone could get those companies big money. Jay was also a goof. He liked to play a lot. Like a cat. He has a habit of charming people. He doesn't do it intentionally, it just sort of comes naturally to him. 

They just find him too irresistible. He isn't aware that he has such a contagious smile and laugh that even when he does the bare minimum, people laugh along with him. It didn't surprise you that despite not having many still shots where he wasn't laughing, Jay looked exceptionally good. To say that he was impressed with your skills was an understatement, he saw your passion so whatever you had put out, he knew that he would like it. I mean, art built from passion is always better than aesthetically pleasing art right?

The day passed by like lightning. After taking your photos of your companion, you both strolled around the park, even going to the lake to take a short boat ride.

Now, the both of you were on your way to the Picasso museum for Jay. It took both of you at least another several minutes of travel. He started to become giddy. He didn't show it but through the small time of knowing him, you knew that he was ready to see the exhibit.

When the two of you entered the museum, you could see that he was gleaming with excitement. The once talkative boy became quiet as he took his time to admire the art pieces. He carefully read each description and he would tell you his own analysis of each work. 

"I'm sorry if I talk about this stuff too much" He started to apologize. Something he shouldn't do. No one should really apologize for something that makes them genuinely happy. 

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I like hearing you talk about these things" You assured him. He looked from the painting on the wall to you. "You do?" You nodded in response. "Of course. It tells me something I never knew" Jay gave you a small and genuine smile. He really appreciated it when people listened to his explanations and stories. It makes him want to tell more.

"Well I hope you wouldn't mind if I asked you to go to one more right?"

"Today? I thought we were going to the night market?" You asked back. "We can always go tomorrow or the next day, I mean we have-"

"Jay" You cut him off. He hummed in response and looked at you. "Tomorrow is my last day. My flight leaves at 11PM" You quickly told him before he starts making plans for the future. You completely forgot to tell him that your stay here was limited and that you have to go back home immediately.

"So soon?" You nodded in response.

"I still have like a few days left, traveling wouldn't be fun without you" He said with a pout on his face. You couldn't help but awe at him. If only you could stay for a few more days but booking another plane ticket would cost you more and you didn't have money for that now.

"We could still go in the morning or the afternoon though, I wouldn't mind" You smiled at him. Unintentionally and unknowingly, you lightly grabbed his arm, something which startled him a bit, but in a good way. "Well then miss Y/N, let's make your last day memorable. I'm taking you to Madrid"

__

Tomorrow came back so soon. After yesterday, Jay said he would pick you up again for your last day tour around the city. Madrid wasn't really in your plan of things to do but he said to be spontaneous. He wanted you to make the most out of it. You want to see more of the country and its culture and what better way to do that than to hop from one city to another. 

Just like yesterday, Jay arrived at your hotel lobby before you. He sat again in the same seat with the same look. Madrid was at least a two hour trip so the both of you quickly headed out, not wanting to waste time.

"So how long is your stay here?" You asked him while taking the long bus ride. "A week. My flight leaves on Saturday" he said. Just like you, Jay didn't plan to go to Madrid. He was supposed to go later into his trip but some things have changed and he just decided to just go ahead with it. 

He didn't really understand why he would go all the way and mix up all his plans and tire himself out for this girl he just met, but he was glad that he did. He loved your company, and to think that he would then have to spend the rest of his trip without someone he could tell jokes and stories with didn't seem as exciting as he first hopped on the plane to Barcelona.

"You've said that this wasn't your first trip right?" You began to ask him to start a conversation. He hummed and nodded in response. "Out of all of them? What was your favorite?" He gave it short thought, slightly tilting his head to think of an answer. "I'm not sure. They were all special"

"Come on you have to have one favorite"

"Not really, they're all different in their own way I guess, so I can't really choose"

"Alright, I’ll let you sit that one out" 

Jay began a new conversation. "My turn. Tell me something about you."

"Well...I like watching dramas," You said in an obvious tone. "Except that. I knew that already. Tell me something I don't know " He was sitting beside you. You had the window seat and he had the altar. He was staring down at you while you took your time to think of something while looking out the window. 

"I've never had a relationship" You answered him. He gave you a questionable smirk but replied quickly. "I won't judge. Why, though? Too busy with school?"

You shook your head to say no. "It's not that. I just haven't really gotten the timing of it" You saw that he was confused, he tilted his head slightly to show it.

"I was never one for a relationship. They come around but they don't stay for a while before something even happens. I don't know. I just start pushing them away because of this irrational fear I have of commitment."

"So you're afraid?"

"You could call it that"

It was silent for a while. You thought that you had brought the mood down until he started talking again. "I used to be afraid." You looked up at him as he began his story.

"Before I had my first partner, I wouldn't know how to act around everyone if I was in a relationship and that scared me. When I got into my first relationship, I immediately thought, 'what was I so afraid of?'. Everything just felt so nice that I never even realized that I was afraid in the first place"

"Then what happened?" Curiously you asked.

"We had our differences. I found out that they have been seeing my roommate behind my back. Got to my dorm to fetch something and I got the biggest shock of my life"

"If you're saying this so I won't be scared anymore then you're not helping"

"I'm saying this, to tell you that being afraid is totally understandable. But you gotta let go of your fear sometimes and just go with it. It could be some of the best years of your life. If worse comes to show then better people will come along the way. Yeah it sucked that I got cheated on, but I realized that I probably saved myself from that one and gave myself a chance to meet someone else. You just have to let fate bring the both of you together"

___

Time flew by too quickly, much to your dismay. Madrid was lovely. You got the chance to stroll around Retiro Park and Royal Palace and you had to thank Jay a couple of times to thank him for making you come.

Sadly, time really wasn't your best friend as it was time to go back to Barcelona to pack your bags so you could go to the airport and get back home. Jay was the sweetest, you told him that he didn't have to take you to the airport but he insisted despite it taking the both of you another two hours to get to your hotel room. 

He decided to wait outside your hotel room while you finished gathering your things out of respect for your personal space. When you were done, he didn't hesitate to grab your luggage to help you.

It was 9PM and you had two hours to spare before your flight leaves. The taxi ride was quiet as Jay sat sat next to you. There was a small space in the middle and no one dared say a word. It wasn't an awkward silence though, more of a comforting but sad silence. It was deafening even when they had the radio turned on.

Deciding to break the unfathomable silence, you decided to speak. 

"Thank you. Again. I know I've said it already but it wouldn't be enough after everything you've done"

"Don't worry. Anyone else would've done the same"

They wouldn't.

"And thank you too," He said. His eyes saw that your hand was lying on your lap. 

After hesitating he softly gave them a squeeze. It surprised you but it didn't freak you out. You were even glad that he did that. 

"This whole trip wouldn't be the same now that you're going to go" He said with a point. His left hand was softly playing with the fingers on your right hand. You gave him a sad smile. 

"We could do it again soon" you replied quietly, not making eye contact, implying that you would like to see him again once you both got home.

"Are you asking me out once I get back home?" He said with an evident smug on his face. "I mean....that isn't what I meant, but if you wanted to" you replied back."I just wish I had your contact number so we could arrange something " His weak attempt of asking for your number made you laugh but it worked nonetheless. Soon you found yourself typing in your phone number on his cell.

Finally arriving at the airport, he took a hold of your luggage for you.

You honestly didn't want to do it. For just 3 days, his presence became a constant reminder to you that you wished to have him by your side when you got inside the plane..

He made you feel less scared.

"I guess you have to go, your plane is waiting for you" He gave your hand one final squeeze before handing you your luggage and letting your hand go. Your fingers felt cold and you'd want to grab a hold of him again but you thought that you shouldn't. You thought that it would be too much. "Yeah. Who's going to switch seats with the old guy beside me now?" You lightly joke.

You probably should walk away now but you weren't. You were still there standing in front of him. "It was nice to meet you Jay, you made this trip extra special" You smiled at him. Without saying anything back, he just nodded. It was your chance to turn around, walk away from him, and to leave Barcelona.

But you guess he had other ideas. To your surprise, you felt a hand grasp your wrist. It was a firm hold but not tight enough for it to hurt. It was firm enough to tell you to not go just yet.

"I've never said it before when you asked but this one was my favorite trip out of all of them."

Jay was bold when he grabbed her closer to him. You felt his lips meet your cheek. It was sudden and out of the blue and it left you frozen for a few seconds. As he slowly stepped back, you turned your head and connected your lips with his. It took a few seconds to realize what was happening but soon he slowly traveled his hand from her wrist to the tips of your face.  His hand was resting on your jaw while every square inch of your body dissolved into his. You suddenly felt a sensation you never knew you were feeling. Jay’s soft hold on you made you cling on to him and made you want him closer than he already was. It wasn't intense, but it wasn't just a goodbye either. It was desperate but soft. It was quick but enough.

The both of you had to let go to catch your breath. With a sad look you had to let go. "I'll see you when you get home."

___

Your mom had bombarded you with dozens of questions after she picked you up from the airport. 

She wanted to know everything, the plane ride, she wanted to know how food tastes, if I talked to any Spanish men while I was there, or if I made a friend. You were too tired and too out of focus to even answer her. 

Jay was still on your mind and you couldn't find the right time to tell her that you did meet someone while you were there and that you both shared a moment before leaving. You wondered how he was doing, or where he was right now, but you couldn't ask him. Your idiocy forgot to tell you to get his phone number so you had to resort into waiting for him to get him which would still be in a few more days.

When you were transferring your photos from your camera to your laptop, your mom immediately wanted to check them out. Just when you thought you've hidden all your photos you had of your companion in a separate folder. One picture was left unknown to you. 

“He’s cute” As your mom, she quickly asked who the stranger was. As if you could've hid it for that long you decided to tell her. Not that she was mad that you had spent your whole trip traveling with a man you just met surprised her but the fact that your stories made it seem like you've known him for so long. “Uhm…I met him on the plane. He happened to be traveling alone too so we just…decided to keep each other company.”

Suddenly, you remembered everything he made you feel. For 3 days, he made you feel like you could trust him. He gave you so many encouraging words and charming lines which immediately attracted you to his loving personality. For 3 days, Jay made you feel like the world. He gave you something you could never forget.

But why does it feel like it doesn't go the same for him? 

Now, it's been weeks since your Barcelona trip and you haven't received one text or phone call from him. You had to triple check whether your cell was still on airplane mode and it wasn't. You started overthinking whether you gave him the wrong number or not and he would think that you didn't want to talk to him anymore. Worse, you started overthinking whether he really wanted to see you again.

You've thought of every possible scenario from him accidentally deleting your number or him getting his phone stolen, but none had soothed your thoughts.

Maybe you were thinking too irrationally and you were getting attached too quickly that you feel disappointed that he has not contacted you yet. It was only 3 days right? You shouldn't be so bummed about him not reaching out after weeks? But why were you? Why are you over thinking about him? Was that kiss just a spur of the moment? Were you just a matter of convenience and spontaneity?

Time flew by, much to your dismay.

A new semester has started and you haven't heard from Jay after your vacation. You've slowly started to let it go thinking that it wouldn't make a difference if you mopped around.

To say that you didn't want to go back was an understatement but you had no other choice. You were early by 5 minutes for your first class, much to your surprise. Your friends Karina and Wonyoung, were already there sitting together. They even saved you a seat as they gestured for you to come over.

"Do any of you want to go with me to the Art departments exhibit tonight? I gotta go support Sunghoon but I don't want to go alone, he'd be too busy with the gallery" Wonyoung asked as you sat down. "Isn't he a sports major?" Karina asked back.

"Yes but he had to take extra units in Art. Do you want to come?"

"Sorry Won, I promised my mom and dad to dinner later"

"Y/N?"

"Yeah sure, I guess it'd be fun"

To be honest, you've never appreciated art as much as you did before Barcelona. Jay changed your mind on it. And now every painting you see, you couldn't stop thinking about him.

By 6 in the evening you found yourself standing with Wonyoung inside the Art departments gallery. You've never realized that the students from your university were crazy talented. The paintings and sculptures were made with fine hands. All of them had their own color and technique.

When Wonyoung said that Sunghoon would be too busy with the gallery to pay attention to her, you believed her.

You shouldn't have.

Her and her boyfriend were now having the time of their lives while you were left around to wonder and see the art. The place was huge and was packed with people but you managed to weave yourself to the last part of the exhibit.

You took your time reading each description and looking at the different strokes on each painting when you've come across one painting in particular.

It was a girl that had her back facing the canvas. She was surrounded by a familiar scene. The towering buildings made the girl look small, the sun shone in the oil canvas, and the trees seemed like they were swaying even if they were made to look still. The gothic painting was a place she knew well.

Barcelona.

It's been months since her last visit but the moments you have spent there were still clear. Of course, it would be. Everything was too memorable to forget — everything and someone. Memories of the charismatic but playful man played in your head and you couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic and regretful. You've thought that after your trip to the historic and romantic city in Europe, you'd finally met someone you were willing to have a romance with. But, maybe you spoke too soon, and too ambitious even.

By this time, it would have been best if you forgot everything and just moved on. I mean, you've only known the man for less than a week, how is it so possible that he could have this much of an impact on you? You've grown too attached to him and it didn't help that he wasn't there to actually have someone attached to. Maybe it was time to finally come to terms with your expectations of you and Jay. Maybe you shouldn't be so down that he didn't text you and just be glad that you met him; even if it was only temporary.

Detaching your gaze from the painting, you've led yourself outside to gather some fresh air. You'd hate to leave Wonyoung but she seems preoccupied as you texted her that you'd be heading out and she replied that she had Sunghoon with her. After pushing away the glass doors of the gallery, you were quickly met with a gust of wind blowing in your face. It was quiet and lonely unlike inside where it was jam-packed with people. You were just slowly getting used to the serene atmosphere when you heard the gallery doors behind you open once again.

As you looked to check who it was, you started to feel that the amount of wind blowing in your face was useless. Your breath was stuck on your throat. The man who exited the halls had your mouth left hanging. You want to think you were hallucinating but you've been blinking enough to know that this was real.

Park Jongseong.

Just like you, he stood completely still; he was huffing his chest, probably catching his breath from a quick run outside. Jay saw you from the gallery balcony looking at the oil canvas that he presented for his midterms. He didn't want to believe it at first but after a few seconds, he was sure. It was you. The girl he grew fond of after his trip last summer.

"Y/N...."

You didn't know how to act. You didn't know what to say. What were you supposed to do? Run up to him? Give him a hug? Tell him you missed him? Or were you supposed to walk away? Show him how embarrassed you felt after being left hanging?

All of these questions were running through your head but one thing was clear in Jay’s head.

He had to explain.

"I didn't expect to see you here" Jaycontinued to say as he slowly walked over to the girl. His voice was hushed and gentle, but it was still enough to have your heart racing. "Same here" You managed to reply.

He was finally standing in front of you. The distance felt awkward yet so familiar. "I-uh...." Jay began to stutter. "Uhm... What are you doing here?"

"A friend asked me to come with her" He nodded in reply. "Where is she?"

"With her boyfriend"

"So you're all alone now?"

"Wouldn't be the first time"

You saw his mouth shut tight. 

It was quiet. No one spoke. You've gotten used to silence whenever you were with Jay during your time in Barcelona, but somehow this felt different. It wasn't a comfortable silence; it felt like someone wanted to fill the void with words.

"I'm sorry" You heard him say. You never prepared yourself to have this talk; nonetheless right at this moment. "I had no other excuse for not calling you other than I was afraid"

"Jay..."

"I ignored you when you must have waited for my text and I will forever regret being so scared to do it because I wasn't sure whether whatever happened between us was real or just a spur in the moment of loneliness" 

You tried to avoid his deep gaze but they reeled you no matter what. "But after weeks, the feelings were still there and I didn't know how I was going to explain how it took so long to call you so I just left it at that..."

"And when I saw you, It's like someone inside of me told me that maybe leaving it all in Barcelona wasn't our last chance.That maybe, just maybe, I could make this right; stop being so afraid of what I feel."

"Where are you going with this Jay?"

He stepped closer.

"I made a mistake. I didn't call because I was afraid and thinking that all of it was just because I felt lonely. But I don't want to be that Jay anymore. I don’t want to be a hypocrite. I want to be the Jay that would be there for you, even outside of Barcelona. I don't know if our meeting was just a coincidence or a twist of fate, but I'll take them any day because I had the greatest opportunity of meeting you again."

And it was like, at that moment, you forgot all the words and have lost the ability to speak because right after he said that you couldn't help but stare at him.

"That is...if you want to of course...I don't want to force you or-"

"Jay.."

He stopped talking and looked at you.

“What you did really hurt me, you know that right?” You started off. “I know. And I don’t want to make any excuses. I would do anything for your forgiveness.”

You took a deep breath. 

“Everything is just so sudden. One minute you disappear from the face of the earth and now you’re in front of me, asking me for a chance…Do you know how insane this sounds?” 

He gulped and looked down on his feet.

“But I would be a fool to let you get away another time.”

“So what you’re saying is-”

“Coincidence. Fate. Whatever it is, I wouldn’t be so afraid to try things with you.”

[me-loving-woso]

Beach days, new teammates and love confessions

After literally months I am back. This is part 2 of Bruises Apologises and Cookies? It’s 15 k and probably I’ll make also a part 3 cause I am now invested in the story. Let me know if I should go on.

The season ending was a very bittersweet moment for you. From one point of view, you really didn't want to leave your club when they had given you so much.

The fans loved you, your teammates had become family, and the stadium was a second home for you. But you knew that you had to move for your career to flourish and make you reach your full potential.

The last game you played was the final of the Coppa Italia against Juventus. Your captain gave you the armband to lead your team one last time, and you were trying to hold off the emotions welling up. You almost felt like you were betraying the team in a sense. Still, you knew it was only an impression, as everyone was spurring you to go to Barcelona. They only wanted what was best for you. 

You won 1-0 in that game, with your goal making the difference. Your teammates made you lift the cup and shed one or two tears. You gave a small farewell speech, and then, for the last time, you rounded your little stadium, where you'd play all of your matches with the team, and said goodbye to your teammates and the fans.

Your mind went on autopilot after that. You pushed away all of your sad feelings in the locker room and in the car to go back home. At home, there you broke down. It was really over. The team, the club that had given you so much, was not your team anymore. And a new adventure was about to start. 

-

The following day, you fled to Eindhoven with some of your friends from the National Team to see the Champions League final. You had promised Mapi that you would be there and also because you were there to meet the coach of Barcelona to finalize the contract with the club.

As soon as you land in Eindhoven, you text Alexia, telling her you have just landed. Your relationship with her had been highly confusing since she welcomed you into her home after the defeat against your team. Something between the two of you had shifted.

She took care of you and made you feel safe in her arms. It had been a long time since you felt like being with her was just casual, on your part at least. Maybe she was just being polite and not actually caring more than necessary. Yet, you would text or call almost daily to talk about your days or just football. She was the first person you told about your move to Barça and she couldn't have been more supportive. 

As you texted her at the airport, she told you that you wouldn't see each other before the game because she was stuck in media duties. Still, she informed your friend and soon-to-be teammate that you had landed, so at least you would get to see Mapi.

As soon as you left your suitcase in the hotel, you got to the bar where you told her you would meet her.

"Soo, what are you doing in the summer?" You ask her while you are both eating some way too unhealthy burgers.

"Ingrid and I thought about going to Ibiza for a week; why?"

"Would you like to come to Italy for a few days?" You offer her, every year, you booked this tiny house for the whole summer in Praiano, near an abandoned beach. You thought it was a total steal for how much you had paid for it. You usually would go there with friends or family for a few weeks. It was really your favorite place to be.

"I would love to come, but I don't want you to third-wheel us." You chuckle. 

"What makes you say I'm not inviting anyone else?" You smirked suggestively, making her understand what you were insinuating.

"So you finally made it official?" You had asked Alexia to join you for the holidays the last time you saw her when she told you that she had never actually been to Italy if not for a match, you said it was unacceptable, so you offered yourself as a tour guide.

A week or so later, you realize that spending more than a day together would be a bad idea for fear of spilling out your deep, confused, and embarrassing feelings for her. So you decided to invite Mapi along.

"Again. We. Are. Not. Dating." You repeat to her for the millionth time, frankly also trying to convince yourself.

"So you are not going on holiday with her."

"Yes, I am. As friends." You explain, trying to find the right words.

"Only friends?"

"Well, with also some other benefits." Her face turns into a disgusted look. "What?"

"You are talking about my captain, it's weird." Frankly, she will be your skipper too, which meant that you were banging your boss? That was a thought for the future you.

"I really hope you would like to join us if you have nothing better to do." You really hoped she would say yes because you had planned to tell her you were joining Barcelona there.

"I'll talk to Ingrid about it, but you know I can't say no to Italy."

As you return to the hotel, you have a drink with your friends, and then you excuse yourself to go to bed when you hear your phone buzz.

Your Favourite Kickboxer ;)

'You up?'

'Yes, Why are you not asleep? It's late, and tomorrow you have a big game.' You reply.

'Just the nerves are getting to me. Last year with Lyon, we got demolished; I don't want it to happen again. It was difficult to keep the team united after such a loss, and I don't want to disappoint the fans.'

'Can I call you?' She sends another text.

You quickly start a video call, and she immediately picks up.

"Hey, cariño."

"Hey, Ale." You both smile dumbly at each other for a couple of seconds, but then you get interrupted by one of her yawns.

"You need some sleep, piccola, or you will be tired tomorrow. And as for the Lyon thing, you cannot predict the score tomorrow; you just can control how you play and try your best to motivate your team to be the best version of themselves. Lead them to glory, and give it your all. You won't have any regrets if you give everything on the pitch." You try to make her feel better, even though you know she will be stuck in her head all night.

"I'll try my best."

"And the least you could do, after ditching me tonight, is to score a goal for me tomorrow. It's the least." You tease her, making her smile.

"Asking for a goal in a Champions final? You know you are a very hard girl to satisfy, right?" She chuckles, making you feel relieved that you were able to make her feel a little better.

"You would be the expert on that, right?" You smirk suggestively, making her raise an eyebrow.

"Oh, I definitely am." She replies confidently.

"Go to sleep, piccola mia; tomorrow is a big day for you."

"Goodnight, cariño."

"Buonanotte, Ale."

-

The morning after you woke up, you quickly texted Alexia for good luck. 

As soon as you got to the stadium, the tension was palpable, especially when in the first half Barcelona was down 2-0. You were getting extremely nervous and anxious. Your teammates, who were watching the game with you, noticed that. You were biting your nails to the skin. You didn't want them to lose, but if a team could turn around a 2-0, it was going to Barça, or at least you hoped so.

As soon as you saw the players come on the pitch for the second half, they all held an expression you couldn't understand. A mix of determination and hunger, especially Alexia.

The second half started, and not two minutes after, your woman bagged the first goal of the remontada. She ran to her fans, looking at you, making your initial with her hands, making all of your organs flip, fully blushing at the gesture. You really thought that she didn't take seriously what you said the day before. 

As soon as she made that gesture, your now ex-teammates, watching the game with you, noticed what had happened and put the dots together.

"It's her, isn't she?" Linari asks you, wearing a shocked expression.

"What?"

"The girl from Barça that you are seeing. It's Alexia Putellas?" You chuckle, turning around to see the game, making her understand she was right. You weren't denying it anymore.

Not even two minutes later, Alexia scores a header, making the score a draw. She ran up to the side of the field, making your initials again and then celebrating with a little bow.

Barcelona was finally on track, and you could see that the intensity was getting much higher than it was before. Alexia played some of her best football in that second half. The game found an advantage with Rölfo when she scored the match's final goal and game-winner.

You saw her lift the trophy, making your heart grow a thousand times bigger on how much you were proud of her.

Then Mapi came to you, and you hugged her, congratulating her. You mingled in the stadium for a little while and finally left to the parking lot. You wanted to see Alexia but knew she needed to focus on celebrating and her teammates. You could text her later when she had the time to reply.

.

Your Favourite Kickboxer ;)

'Meet me in the hallway at the stadium?'

You quickly excuse yourself from your friends and sneak inside the stadium again. As you were walking down the hallways to find her, you felt two hands sneak up on you, making you turn around.

She quickly picked you up from the air, giving you a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Ale!" You say, nearly tearing up.

She puts you down, turns her head to look at her surroundings, and then kisses you quickly, catching you completely off guard. "I have to return to Barcelona now, but I couldn't leave without seeing you." She says excitedly, you had never seen her this happy.

"You did it! You scored two goals. You are champions once again! I'm so fucking proud of you, Ale!" 

"Did you see! I did your initials. Two goals for you, cariño! I probably wouldn't have won the trophy if it wasn't for you." She places her hands on your cheeks, smiling.

"I didn't do anything. It's all on you. I just gave you a little reassurance."

"You don't give yourself enough credit. I have to go now! I have a trophy to bring back to Barcelona. I'll see you in two weeks, cariño." She gives you a quick peck on the lips and then leaves for the dressing room.

The next day, your Instagram was swarmed by pictures of her celebration and a video of the team that was clearly hungover Alexia included, which made you chuckle.

-

That day, you were leaving for Praiano with some of your closest friends from the Roma team. You had invited them to spend the last days in Italy with you before you moved to Barcelona.

The club announced your signing in the middle of the transfer season so as not to overshadow your signing for the Champion's League win; you thought it was totally unnecessary, but LaPorta wanted to give you a 'proper welcome.'

The day of your announcement coincided with the day Mapi would arrive in Italy. You really wanted to be the one telling her that you would be joining her team, so you talked to Ingrid, begging her to not make your friend open her phone for that day. They would stay with you for five days before leaving for Norway. In contrast, Alexia would remain with you for the whole week, which was something that you were looking forward to some alone time with her. Still, you were also nervous about being alone with her in fear of blurting out your surely unrequited feelings for her.

As soon as her flight landed, you went to pick her up, 

She was wearing some Barça shorts and a baggy t-shirt, wearing a messy bun, and walking towards you. As soon as she was close enough, you ran up to her and hugged her, which she soon reciprocated, picking you up from the air.

"Hey, cariño."

"Hi, champion." She put you down, buried her head in the crook of your neck, and placed a small kiss there.

Then you took her suitcase, grabbed her hand and led her outside the airport. As soon as you get into the car, she takes your hand again and never returns it for the rest of the trip.

"How was the flight?" 

"It was good, though nobody speaks Spanish here; they just add the S to the end of every word in Italian. It's so annoying." She pouts cutely.

"Welcome to Italy."

"So, is Mapi already here?"

"No, they are coming tomorrow morning; they had an issue with the plane tickets."

"So we are alone tonight?" She grins suggestively while you quickly nod at her before focusing back on the road. "So, what are the plans for tonight?"

"It depends on how tired you are." She had just had a whole week celebrating with her teammates, and you could understand if she wanted a relaxed night in. You turn around to see her expression, a mix between a smirk and a suggestive glare. "Oh my god, woman! I didn't mean it like that! I'm more than just a body." You remark jokingly as if you weren't thinking about the same thing as her. 

"I know. I love your body." She kisses the back of your hand. "Just as much as I love what it's inside here." She lightly taps your temple, making you slightly blush at her compliment. "SO, what are the plans for tonight?"

"If you are up to it, I wanted to take you out to dinner; since you say that Spanish food is better than Italian, I want to prove you wrong. And if you still have some energy, we can go for a walk later; I can show you around the city."

"I'm good for anything you want to."

-

As soon as you get to the house, Alexia's eyes widen.

"Oh wow, this is beautiful." She opens her mouth in wonder. 

"Wait until you see the beach!"

You stop the car and take her suitcase inside the house while she is toeing behind you. You take her outside to see the small private beach.

"How did you find this place?" She marvels, still looking at the clear water in front of her.

"We used to come here when I was little; I've actually started saving up money to buy this place. The owner loves me and has no kids, so he is okay with me buying it."

 She turns to you, taking you by your sides. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"No problem."

"Now, can you show me the room? I would like to change clothes."

You grab her hand and take her inside the tiny house. "I'm sorry it's a little messy." You still had some bottles of wine opened and some glasses on the table from the previous night. "My friends left this morning, and I still didn't have time to clean up."

"If that is messy for you, you don't want to come to my house during the holiday season." She lightly jokes.

You take her to one of the spare rooms, where she places her suitcase on top of the bed, and then she quickly looks at her surroundings, confused.

"Is this your room? Because I don't see your stuff in here."

"No, my room is over there." You point at the end of the hallway. 

"Just take me to your room; we are going to sleep on the same bed anyway." She says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, I thought that you might want your own space."

"You have to stop being so accommodating. If I wanted my space, I would've stayed at home. I came here because I wanted to be with you. So stop being so cautious around me and take me to your room." She says, using her commanding voice that she only used on certain occasions, which she knew had an effect on you. 

You take her to your room, which is the best room in the house. It was the biggest and had a great sea view outside the window.

You leave to make her change while you go in the living room.

-

She wore shorts, her bikini, and an open button-down shirt when she returned. You chuckled when you looked at her; she was really feeling the beach mood. 

"Let's go outside!" She says excitedly.

"Wait, I still have to finish cleaning up, and then I have to go upstairs and finish some other stuff. I'll be there in a couple of minutes." You tell her you really wanted everything to be perfect for this week. 

"Nope." 

"What, sorry?"

"You are on holiday, so stop trying to make everything perfect; it's already perfect as it is, and come outside with me." She insists, making you giggle at her stubbornness.

"But-"

"No buts. You deserve to relax just as much as I do." She quickly approaches you, grabs you by the waist, and drags you outside.

"Alexia!" 

She puts you down on your small patio when you get outside. She places your hands on your cheeks. "Now, let me do something I've wanted to do for two weeks. Can I kiss you?" 

"You really don't have to ask anymore." You reply, standing up on your tippy toes to kiss her. It was slow and soft, and you could feel her smile through the kiss. She picks you up, and you can feel her begin moving. You needed to find out where she was going and why. But you were too caught up in her to understand what was happening. Then you hear some splashes and the sound of the waves. You break the kiss and look around: she brought you into the water, and she was wearing a mischievous smirk. 

"Alexia, don't you dare!" You warn her. She was trying to throw you into the water. She responds to you by chuckling and releasing her grip from your body, making you wrap your legs even tighter to not fall down to the water. "Alexia, come on, I still have clothes on." You tried to convince her, but she looked like she didn't care. So she began tickling you on your sides, which she knew was your ticklish spot. You tried to squirm from her touch, but you lost balance and fell in the water while the woman beside you, still standing, started laughing. 

“Tua madre in carriola!” You exclaim, slightly irritated that you had all your clothes drenched in water, but you couldn't fully care when there she was. You have never seen her as carefree and happy as now. You felt blessed that she was here, right now, with you, being like this, trying to make you finally relax and enjoy some vacation when it was nearly impossible, as you'd always stress about something. 

"You know that I didn't understand anything you said, right? Only something about my mom." She chuckles. You quickly go underwater and grab her legs, making her fall into the water.

"Tu puta madre!"

"See! At least I didn't call your mom a bitch." You tease her while she fixes her wet hair. "And this is payback!" You finish, crossing your arms and wearing a proud smirk. You see her expression change from irritation to determination while swimming towards you. She picked you up and threw you with her in the water, and that is how you spent your afternoon. Stolen kisses, laughs, and a whole lot of competitiveness. Honestly, you couldn't ask for more. 

After the both of you had calmed down after laughing and playfully fighting in the water, you swam to her. You made her wrap her legs around your waist while she was stabling herself, putting your hands on your shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, you always pick me up from the ground; we can switch roles occasionally." You tell her, lightly rubbing her thighs; you really missed having her close to you.

She replies by giving you a soft kiss, then begins to look at you, smiling.

"What?" You ask her, feeling yourself combust at the intense eye contact.

"I just really missed your face, cariño." She says, peppering feathery kisses all over your face. 

How dare she say stuff like that when you try your best to keep inside your confusing and strong feelings for her. 

"I missed you too, piccola." You blurt out, kissing her jaw, holding her a little tighter. You really didn't want to let her go. You had created this little bubble in which the both of you were enjoying each other's presence, not caring about what you were to each other, but just having fun with no constraints and being in each other's company. 

"I think we should get inside." And the bubble popped.

You get inside the house with your clothes soaked and take turns to shower. It had been more than six months since the last time you were able to touch her, and you felt your body yearn for her. Yes, you had kissed, but nothing more than that.

- 

You took her out to dinner in a small place near the city.

You really needed help to differentiate this dinner from a date. It had everything that a date would entail. Good food, subtle and not-so-subtle flirting, and great banter. The subtle touches under the table or the shared knowing glance made your heart skip a beat. This dinner felt like a date, but you knew it wasn't. And that made you feel a sort of uncomfortableness that wasn't easy to set aside to fully enjoy your night with her.

As soon as you finished eating, you took her for a walk around the city, and you would tell her anecdotes of what you did in those places you were walking by when you were a child. 

You arrive at a park, and you both sit down on the swings. 

"You know, this is actually where I had my first kiss." She turns to look at you, wearing a curious grin.

"Here? In this park?" 

"Yeah. It was here. Actually, on this swing."

"Now you have to explain." She asks you curiously.

"Well, I was thirteen. We were a group of five kids, and we would come here every afternoon to have fun and play with the ball. I remember this boy always looking at me, and one day, we were alone at the park. I was on the swing; he made me close my eyes, gave me a flower, and kissed me."

"Oh my god, it's so cute!"

"No, it wasn't. It was very weird. But I think it was just me who didn't want to be handed a rose by a boy, much rather a girl. But that would be a problem for a future 14-year-old me. In hindsight, I think that it should have been the first clue of me liking girls." You chuckle, reminiscing about that young boy who made you realize that kissing boys was disgusting.

"Turn around." You see her standing up with a determined grin.

"What?"

"Just indulge me. Turn around." You turn around, your body closing your eyes expectantly.

"Okay, you can look now." You turn to face her and see a daisy in her hand.

"Well, this might not be a rose. But it is a flower." She hands you the flower shyly, making you chuckle lightly at her cuteness. 

"And you are a girl and not a boy." You state.

"So, can I kiss you? I'll ask because I don't think that poor boy asked you."

"Nah, he didn't. But as I told you before, you no longer have to ask."

"Kissing you shouldn't be something you can take for granted." She replies, leaning into you and weighing the swing's chains.

After more than thirteen years, you recreate your first kiss. And this time, it feels right. It was as if you were meant to recreate it with someone who mattered, who would make you feel excited and nervous about how the little boy felt when he was kissing you. And you felt the same way with her, and every time you kissed her, 

As soon as she breaks off the quick kiss, you remark, "I think you are a better kisser than that poor boy."

"I mean, I'd hope. I'm 29. He was your age."

"Don't get too cocky now. You were slightly better." You tease her. Making her lean into you and give you a searing kiss so that you'd know for sure that if you weren't sat on that swing, probably your knees would give out. It had an intensity that seemed out of place for being in a children's park. But neither of you seemed to care. It was dawn, the playground was abandoned, and you missed kissing her.

And most certainly she was just getting competitive because you told her she was slightly better at kissing than a thirteen-year-old. She wanted to wipe away any doubt about her kissing skills.

She breaks the kiss by lightly biting your lower lip, making you feel all hazy.

"Just slightly better?" She smirks proudly.

You didn't hear a word she said, as you were too busy falling down from the high she had just given you to actually understand words spoken to you in a different language by one of the hottest women you have ever seen. "What did you say?"

"I'll take that as a no." She lightly chuckles, taking your hand and walking to the park exit.

"Let's go home." She whispers, placing a small kiss on your temple.

The walk back to your holiday home was on autopilot. She took the lead on the conversation, asking you questions about the week's plans with your other two friends. As soon as you get home, you go to your small kitchen to get a glass of water while she toes behind you. As soon as you finish drinking, she comes closer to you, putting her hands on your waist and making you retreat until you hit the kitchen counter.

"Thank you for tonight. I really had fun." She smiles earnestly.

"I'm glad that you like it here."

"Oh, I love it here. Even though I think that the people in this place have an average age of 72." She jokes

"Nah, 75. In fact, there is only one kid in the whole town. And the father is actually the boy of the kiss in the park."

"Well, at least he moved on."

"Yeah, it was very tough for him, but eventually, after a very long time, he found love again. But again, how could you ever move on from someone like me." You joke. 

"I don't know. Well, nearly after a year, I'm still here, so something right you must be doing." She teases you.

"Or maybe you just can't find better." You raise an eyebrow suggestively.

"I don't think there is better to find, honestly." Her gaze softens as she says those words, making you blush, hiding your face by placing your forehead on her chest, hiding from her. She pulls her hands away from your waist and puts them on your cheeks to try to move your head from her to see your face. "What?" She asks. 

"You have to stop saying things like that."

"Why? I mean it." She reassures you.

"I- You know why." You try to make her understand, not fully saying out loud feelings; try to make her understand them instead without fully exposing yourself.

"I'd rather you say it."

You take a deep breath. "Alexia, do you want to go on-" Your phone rings and you look from your watch to who is calling you "I have to take this."

You squirm away from her touch and leave to go outside. 

"Pronto, Emma. Tutto bene?" It was your best friend whom you hadn't seen in a year and a half. She never called without asking you beforehand, so you thought it was pretty important.

"Si, tutto bene. Ti devo dire una cosa.” She replies excitedly, making you release a sigh of relief that nothing bad had happened.

Ten minutes later, you come back to Alexia wearing one of your biggest smiles.

"Is everything okay?" She asks, still waiting for you in the same spot as you left her.

"More than okay!" You reply excitedly, walking quickly to her. "My best friend is getting married, and I'll be the maid of honor." You place your hands on her shoulders, then slowly move them to her neck, lightly playing with her hair. "Now, where were we?" You knew exactly how you left her; you were about to blurt out your feelings for her, but you decided to ignore the problem and not dwell on it too much. Instead, you kissed her. The kissing led to something else, and for the first time in more than six months, time froze, and you were back again in her arms.

-

The next morning, you wake up to the alarm with hair on your face and an arm holding you down. You had a headache and clearly were sleep-deprived. You open your phone and look at the time. It's 10 AM. 

"Fuck!" You sit up, making the woman on your side slowly wake up. "Alexia, wake up. We are late; we should've been in the car by now."

You say, rushing out of your bed to quickly change. You had promised Mapi that you would drive her to your house from the airport because you thought it would be a waste of money to book a taxi when you had a perfectly functioning car that could drive you anywhere.

In five minutes, you were able to dress, brush your teeth, and get in the car. Thankfully, you remembered to shower the night before, so you didn't have to do it in the morning; you felt bad for Alexia, as you could see that she wasn't used to this level of rushedness, that you were more than used to as you always tended to sleep in, and eventually have to rush to get in time to train or to games.

You closed the door to the house while Alexia was still halfway done putting her shirt on. As soon as the both of you got into the car and slammed the door, you looked at each other and started laughing.

"Okay, those were the quickest five minutes of my life." She says while catching her breath.

"We totally overslept, and we are totally going to be late." You chuckle, starting the engine of your car.

"We can always say that we found traffic." She offers.

You definitely and not-so-subtly speed to the airport and then quickly call your friend to tell her that you are finally at the airport.

"I'm really sorry. We found traffic on the way here." You tell Mapi while you go to hug her and Ingrid. As your friend goes to hug Alexia, you turn to Ingrid and whisper, "Did she already open her Instagram?" You were trying to hold off her discovering that you were a Barça player; you really wanted to tell her, and that day would be the day that Barcelona would announce your signing.

"No, she didn't, but I can't hold off her phone for long." She replies, breaking off the hug and going to Mapi's side and beginning to catch up on her life and yours. 

"Oh my God, I forgot to tell you! Emma is getting married!"

"No way! She's finally settled down?!" Everyone who knew the both of you always thought that you would be the first one to marry, as Emma has always been the hot mess between the two of you, afraid of commitment. "Is she marrying the same guy from college?" She asks you.

"Yep." You turn around to look at Alexia and Ingrid, and then you explain. "When I was in college when I met Kate, my ex, Emma met this guy who studied economics and finance at our same university. They got together way before Kate and I. He's so dumb. I love him so much. They are perfect for each other."

You turn again to face your tattooed friend, "Wait, is that a hickey?" Her face is adorned with a knowing smirk while pointing at your neck, making you subconsciously hide it with your hand.

"No, it's not! It's a bruise." You try to explain, mentally trying to remember to scold Alexia as soon as you got her alone.

"It's so not!" She chuckles, surprised, making you turn around to glance angrily at Alexia, who replies with an innocent smile. "Is that the reason why you were late?"

"No! We found traffic on the way here, as I told you before."

"Yes!" Alexia casually backs you up, making your other two friends understand it was a lie.

As soon as you get into the car, Mapi is about to take out her phone to put music on when you stop her, saying that only the passenger in the front, Alexia, could put the music on, which was a lie, but you really didn't want her to see her phone. 

-

As soon as you got home, the couple went to their room to unpack the suitcase while you and Alexia put on your bathing suit and went outside to the beach to sunbathe. You were reading some book, trying to focus on the words of the book rather than the woman who was lying half-naked on your right. Which was getting increasingly more difficult whenever she would move or place soft caresses on your back, trying to get your attention.

"Hey." You turn to look at her.

"Hey, cariño. I'm sorry for the hickey. I got a little carried away yesterday night." She apologizes shyly, making you forgive her in the blink of an eye.

"Don't worry about it." You come closer to her, placing a hand on her chest, and give her a small kiss. You brush your noses together and tell each other sweet nothings, creating a small bubble that neither of you wants to pop. "I know that I'm a person who doesn't express much of her feelings vocally, but I just wanted to say that I'm really glad that you are here with me."

"Honestly, there is no place I'd rather be, cariño. By your side is where I am the happiest."

You move your lips closer to her, about to kiss her, when you hear the door of the house open and see your friends coming outside. You make your forehead fall on her shoulder while you feel her sigh displeased. You slowly move away from her and sit up.

"I'm still not used to seeing this." Your friend says while pointing at the both of you, making her girlfriend roll her eyes at her.

You spend the morning in your small private beach playing card games and catching up with each other. 

-

In the afternoon, it was when the club would announce your signing, so you decided to tell her at that moment. You had brought your Barcelona shirt to be able to announce it away from Barcelona. You told the club that you wouldn't be able to fly to Barcelona for your signing because you had already booked your holidays, so you did all the photoshoots and signing beforehand.

The first hours of the afternoon had always been the hottest, so you all decided to come inside and plan together your four days ahead. 

You go to your room and retrieve the Barça shirt. Then you leave to go to your living room. "Oh, and by the way, I decided on my future club." You say casually, sitting down on the couch next to Alexia, facing Mapi.

"You are renewing with Roma, right?" She asks curiously. "I heard some rumors saying that they offered you a big contract."

"Yeah, they did offer me a huge contract. But I decided to leave; check your phone." You look at the time on your watch. "I think they just made the announcement." You tell her excitedly. 

She quickly checks her phone, then turns to look at you smiling. "You'll be a Barça player?" You slowly nod, taking out the shirt with your name on it and showing it to her.

"I wanted to be the one who told you; that's why Ingrid never let you use your phone today." You say while standing up to hug her.

"I'm so happy! We can finally win the Champions League together! Like we always dreamed about!" She says excitedly, looking at the shirt. "Have you already decided on the number? I know that yours has always been the 16."

"I don't care, honestly. I'm just glad to be a Barcelona player. Plus, Rölfo already has the 16. I don't want her to change numbers for me."

"It's already settled, cariñ- Y/n." Alexia interjects, making you turn to look at her. "I know how much the number means to you, and Frido already wanted to change the number to 18, so I asked her if she wanted to make the swap. If you want it, you'll have the 16."

"Ale, there was no need to do that!" You felt your heart explode with affection at the thought that she would do this for you without even asking her or talking about it.

"I know. But I wanted to." You lock eyes, and for a moment, it is as if you are the only one in the room. "Now, do you want me to take a picture of you for the announcement?"

You posted on your Instagram a picture of you and your friend holding your Barça announcement shirt, with the caption: 'Reunited with this one.'

The rest of the week passed in a blur, from boat trips to visiting nearby cities and loads of food; you finally felt at peace and ready for your new adventure in Barcelona.

-

You would stay one last week in Italy with your family to finish packing up, and then you would leave for Barcelona. You found a beautiful apartment near the training grounds, and it had everything you dreamed of. Huge kitchen, a small garden, and a great view of the city.

Everything felt perfect. Alexia was going to pick you up from the airport, you thought it was unnecessary and a waste if her time, but then you gave in, wanting to see more of the woman who had been on your mind ever since that week in Italy, maybe even from before.

As soon as you landed, you got the terrible news from your landlord that a pipe from your apartment had just exploded, which meant that for more than a week, you would be homeless.

As you walk sadly to the exit of the airport, you find Alexia smiling at you as soon as she sees you, but then, as soon as she sees your expression, her smile fades into an expression of worry. You go to hug her, circling your arms on her waist. "Are you okay, cariño?" She asks worriedly.

You bury your head in her shirt, feeling the warmth and comfort she is exuding and taking it all in.

"A pipe from my new apartment just exploded. I am homeless for a week, and I need to find a hotel not too far from the training grounds."

"We'll find a solution together. Now let's go to the car and go home." She takes one of your suitcases, puts her arm on your shoulder, and pulls you close to her, dragging you to her Cupra.

As you enter the car, you melt into the car seat, taking Alexia's hand and giving it a couple of kisses. She turned on the engine of the car and proceeded to leave the infinite parking area of the Barcelona airport. 

"If it's not a problem, you can always stay with me." She offered when you asked her if she knew any hotels near the training grounds. "Because I really don't think you'd want a week of Mapi and Ingrid together." She jokes, clearly making a point, because as much as you love both girls, they are disgustingly in love, and being around them made you feel miserable with your current situation with Alexia.

"Ale, I don't want to intrude. You need your space, and until I'm settled in, I'll take up a lot of it. And I don't want you to feel like you have to because you stayed in my home during the holidays," You say.

"I'm not offering because I feel some sort of obligation. I'm offering because I care about you, and I'd hate for you to be stuck in a hotel when you can simply stay at my place."

"Are you sure?" 

She chuckles at your stubbornness, "Yes, I'm sure, cariño. But I do have one condition that I cannot overrule." She becomes immediately serious, making you unconsciously sit up. "You have to bake me those darn cookies." Her condition makes you chuckle. "I want to bring them to my mamá."

"I'll bake you all the cookies you want, piccola mia." 

.

You get to her home, and as soon as she opens the door, you are met with a ball of fur asking for your attention, which you gladly give to her.

That evening, you baked your cookies together, fully knowing that the next day would be your first day of training, so it acted more as a stress relief rather than something you were doing for someone else. Which wasn't a problem for you, as it had always been your love language, acts of service, and cooking for other people. But strangely enough, you weren't feeling at all that anxious, and most certainly, even if you wouldn't admit it to yourself, it was Alexia's merit.

Her presence seemed to ground you and anchor you to the real world, not making you overthink or go in a spiral of intrusive and not good thoughts.

You loved how, even though she didn't know how to bake, she would try her best to do whatever you wanted her to do, making you grin at her concentrated looks whenever she didn't understand something. 

-

As you went to bed that night, you were cuddling up in Alexia's bed.

"So, are you excited about tomorrow?" She asks you.

"I am a little nervous, but yes, I'm very excited. I'm finally playing for my dream club, and honestly, I couldn't be asking for more. But I do have a question, though: Do you know how many people know about us on the team?"

"Mapi has been a good friend, but for now, only she and Ingrid know. But if you are asking me if I'll treat you differently than what I've been doing now, the answer is no. Of course, I'll not be kissing you because we are at work, but I'll never avoid you."

"You'll have plenty of time to kiss me on other occasions then." You give her a small peck on the lips and go back to your previous position, falling asleep in her arms, looking forward to the next day.

-

The next day, you have breakfast together and then leave for the training grounds. As soon as you get there, Alexia goes in for training, whereas you go and meet all the training staff and Jonatan Giraldez. You were nervous, as you always hated to meet new coaches.

"Hey, Mister."

"Hey, Y/n. I'm so glad to finally have you on my team. It has been two years now that you have been my number 6 choice. I hope we can work well together." He says, shaking your hand, making you blush lightly at the compliment. 

"I will do my best to be the best player I can be." You say.

"I'm sure you will. Now, before going to train and meet your future teammates, even though I know you already know some of them, you unfortunately have some media to attend to."

He accompanies you to a room full of interviewers from Barça TV and some other places, and the interviews begin.

"Hello, Y/n Y/ln. May I ask you some questions?" He asks politely, and you slightly nod.

"Welcome to Barcelona; what made you decide to leave your former club to join Barcelona?"

"Barça has always been my dream club, ever since I was a child. I remember that my uncle wanted me to become an Inter fan, whereas my other one wanted me to become a Milan fan, but as soon as I saw Barcelona play, I was completely taken by their style of play, and it was this club and Messi, that made me fall in love with the sport, so I will always be forever grateful to this club, for giving me this opportunity."

"Y/n, you have the impossible task of replacing one of the best CDMs in the world, Keira Walsh, who had just returned to her childhood club, Man City, with Lucy Bronze; how do you think you will fit that role?"

"Woah, huge question." You lightly joke, earning chuckles from the interviewer. "I think Walsh is one of the best CDMs in the world right now, if not the best. It's not going to be an easy task to 'replace' a player like her, if we can say that. But I'll give it my all to this team, and even if I won't be the best 6 in the world, I'll definitely be the best version of myself to play for this historic team. It's my dream."

"Who are you most excited to play with?"

"Of course, Mapi. We played together during our Atletico days, and I always thought that we worked very well together. But honestly, all of them, I'm really excited to play in midfield with Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas and one of the most underrated players of all time, Patri Guijarro."

"How do you feel about playing with Alexia Putellas, given the circumstances of your previous encounters?" You furrow your eyebrows at the question.

"You mean, given that the last time we played against each other, she nearly broke my nose?" You say lightheartedly, making the people understand that you weren't holding any grudge against her.

The English interviewer quickly nods. "As I said in previous interviews, I think Alexia is a great player and a great person, both on and off the pitch. She will be my new skipper, and I couldn't ask for anyone better. In our previous encounters, I think we were just unfortunate, and when you play with a person who is physically bigger and stronger than you, injuries may happen. But I don't hold any type of grudge against her; in fact, we actually joked about the fact that if she weren't a football player, she could definitely be a kickboxer."

"And that is all for today; thank you, Y/n."

"Thank you all for being here and Visca el Barça."

-

You quickly exit the room and speed walk to the changing rooms to get ready for your first training with the team. As soon as you put on the shirt, you immediately touch the badge of your new team and automatically smile. You had finally made it, and you couldn't be happier.

You put on your cleats and go outside to talk to your coach. All the other girls were making rondos or juggling with the ball, making you feel a little bit like a fish out of the sea. For a slight moment, you were slightly regretting coming to Barcelona but you knew that it was just your mind playing tricks on you and that you deserved to be there just as much as the girls who were already training.

"So, coach, do you want me to run a few laps or do some drills with the ball?" You tell him, feeling ready to do anything, even running, jumping up and down from your standing position.

"Oh no." He chuckles. "I don't know if you do this in Italy, but here at Barcelona, for every new player, we do the guard of honor." 

"Oh no, we don't have to." You say shyly, not wanting to be at the center of attention.

"Oh yeah, it's tradition." He spurs you on, making you go with him on the pitch to your new teammates.

"Girls!" He screams, making all of them turn around. "As you already know, Y/n will be our new 16, so take care of her and make her feel at home!" He says, making you awkwardly wave at your teammates, embarrassed. Mapi walks excitedly to you and gives you a hug. 

"Is your coach always like this?" You ask her, still embarrassed.

"Yep, get used to it."

"I will never get used to wearing these colors," you say, putting your hand on your badge.

"You deserve it more than anyone." She leads you to your teammates, and one by one, you get introduced to them, even though you already knew most of them, never leaving your side, for which you were eternally grateful to her. You leave Alexia for last, and she gives you a quick hug and a reassuring look, which is what you need to finally ground yourself.

They all line up to give you the guard of honor, which you try to make them not do, but Mapi basically pushes you to run, feeling all the smacks on your back as you are running. The training was great after that. You managed to talk and get to know everyone, and everyone was so nice to you.

The intensity, though, was something that you had never experienced before. The Barça rhythms were definitely higher than the ones from Roma, but you weren't the one who would give up that easily, overworking your body, trying to prove yourself to the coach.

You were on a water break, trying to catch your breath, putting your hands on your knees, straightening your back. You feel a hand at the back of your neck lightly squeezing, asking for your attention. You immediately recognize her touch, even though you didn't see her. You turn around to look at her, and you are met with a worried look.

“Are you okay, cariñ- Y/n?“

"So good." You say breathlessly. "I just have to get used to this much running, that's all."

"Do you want me to talk to the coach?" 

"I don't need any special treatment, Alexia." You squirm away from her and jump on Mapi's back, interrupting her from some conversation she was having with Pina and Patri. You felt bad about leaving Alexia like that, so coldly, but then again, you always hated when people were concerned about your physical health or were just trying to help; it made you vulnerable, and you hated that. You immediately regretted how you talked to Alexia and decided that after practice, you would apologize to her.

When practice ended, you were exhausted but still very happy. Alexia was practicing free kicks as everyone left to change.

"Piccola mia, I'm really sorry about how I replied to you today." You say regretfully, placing your hand on her back, making her turn to you.

"I wasn't trying to give you any special treatment, Y/n." What happened to cariño? "I am your captain; if you feel bad or worn out, it's my responsibility to help you." She replies sadly, playing with the ball on her feet.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I just hate when people are worried about me. It makes me feel vulnerable. And I know you were just worried, so I'm really sorry."

"I know you are. Come here and give me a proper hug." She opens her arms for you, which you gladly take, and circle your arms around her waist, putting your head on her chest. Those types of hugs with her were your favorite hugs.

"Now, are you ready for the initiation?" 

You break off the hug and look at her, puzzled. "What initiation? Mapi never told me anything."

"Well, it's more like a team bonding get-together with karaoke."

"So I have to sing? Will you sing too?"

"I am not singing, but you are a newbie, so you have to." She explains as if she were stating the obvious.

"The hell I am not."

"The hell you are." She chuckles.

"I do love music, but I do not sing. When I am sober, at least."

"You kinda have to; it's a tradition. Everyone has done it. It's about shedding any fear of embarrassment."

"But Ale-"

"Nope, it's settled." You sigh at her words and then leave to go to the dressing room.

“Goodbye capitana.”

“Goodbye cariño.”

-

In the meantime, Mapi and Patri were watching your interaction with Ale from afar.

"I've never seen Alexia this… soft? It feels weird." Patri states to her friend.

"Who? Alexia and Y/n?" Mapi asks dumbly, trying not to give out any details. 

"I never specified Y/n." She raises an eyebrow. "Wait. Do you know something?" The midfielder's face turns into a wide smirk.

"I don't have anything to say to you that I should say." 

"So you have something for me that you shouldn't say?" She asks, flipping the situation.

"Stop using wordy sentences to make me confused."

"You didn't reply to my question. Are they dating? Wait, is she the girl we all thought a couple of months ago fucked her?"

"I don't know anything! If you are really that curious, go and ask her!" Your friend replies defensively, really trying not to spill any secrets.

At that moment, you walked through the door and saw your friend, "You didn't tell me I had to sing?! Oh hey, Patri." You turn around to your new teammates happily waving at her, and then you go back to point your finger angrily at your friend.

"Oh, come on! How bad it could be! You were in a band, after all." She says

"You were in a band?" Patri asks curiously.

"I had a really dark past.." You explain quickly and dramatically. "Plus, you know well I didn't sing!"

"Oh, come on. Don't be too dramatic. I'll get you a couple of drinks, then you'll sing something, and that's that."

.

That evening, you were exhausted from your training, so you decided to have a power nap in Alexia's house, which she gladly joined you in. After a couple of hours, you were ready to go and left for the pub, where you would meet the girls from the team.

As soon as you get there, you leave Alexia to go to Mapi and mingle with some of the Spanish girls in that group, Ona, Aitana, Pina, and Patri. While Alexia went to talk to the older girls and her friends from the national team. Some hours in the night passed, and you were really glad that you were getting along with everybody from the team.

At first, you were very shy with them, but thankfully, Mapi, and in some instances Alexia, helped you a little to open up and make your teammates able to get to know you. Some girls were drinking, but you decided not to, and many of them started off the karaoke, making you sometimes laugh at their stupidity, whereas in others, you would clap at them. 

You knew that your turn was coming when you saw Mapi run to another room and come out with a guitar in her hand, making you roll her eyes at her, completely understanding her intentions. You used to play the guitar when you were younger, and you actually were quite good at it. But you hadn't played in so long, and as the hype woman your best friend was and the fact that she loved embarrassing you, fully knowing you hated being the center of attention, she brought a guitar just for everybody to see and ask you about it.

She handed it to you, making you chuckle at her sarcastically, but she was wearing this proud smirk, which showed that she wasn't doing this just to make you uncomfortable and tease but also to show you off, which you thought was very unnecessary.

You open the guitar case, and you see a beautiful acoustic guitar.

"Where did you get this? Did you steal it?" You joke, admiring the guitar.

"The guy behind the bar recognized us and gave me the guitar."

"Do you play the guitar, Y/n?" Ona asks you curiously, making you turn your head around the table.

"Well, I used to play it; I haven't played in a very long time." You say while you pick it up and run the strings through your hands. You stopped playing the guitar when you left for Chelsea. Usually, music was your happy place, but when you moved out from Spain and broke up with Kate, your love for the instrument dissipated, and you wouldn't bring yourself to do something that you enjoyed so much.

"You should play something for us," Patri adds excitedly. 

"Oh no." You reply shyly, putting away the guitar. "I haven't played in so long, plus I don't think I remember much, and I really don't want to embarrass myself." You chuckle nervously, hoping that they will let it go. In the meantime, the guitar thing caught some attention, so now, not only was your table waiting for you to play something, but everyone in your group and some other clients in the pub were waiting for you to play something.

"Oh nonsense, you know that you have to perform; if you don't play the guitar, you'll have to sing. So you decide…" Mapi spurs you on. You take a deep breath and move your chair to the little stage where the people would normally sing karaoke. You quickly tune the guitar, and then you finally feel all the eyes on you.

"Okay, if I get some notes wrong, please don't laugh at me." You look at Alexia one last time, who is somehow sitting with Mapi now, and she gives you a reassuring smile.

So you begin playing one of your favorite songs on the guitar; every time you play it, it reminds you of when life was fun and simple. Whenever you played it, you would get lost in the music and daydream of what those sounds elicit. (If you want to hear it, it's 'Mutter' from Rob Scallon, the live version)

As soon as you start playing, your tattooed friends turn to Alexia.

"Good luck, my friend." She pats her back ironically.

"What, why?" Alexia whispers, still trying to give you her full undivided attention.

"If she still plays like she played years ago, she has this way of conveying many emotions. Either they are sad or happy; whenever she plays something, she amplifies it by a thousand. The song that she is about to play is going to hit you like a ton of bricks, believe me."

The song begins slowly, but then it gets faster and fuller. It made you regret to decide this piece after not playing in so long, but you loved it, and honestly, you really wanted to show off a little to your teammates and, most definitely, to Alexia. Thankfully, this worry of making mistakes was quickly forgotten when you began getting lost in the music. You really missed being able to play and express yourself in this way.

As soon as you finish the song with the last chord, you don't dare to look at your teammates; only when you hear the claps do you lightly blush and turn your gaze around the room, searching for those beautiful eyes that have the capacity to render you hopeless, but you couldn't see her, nor your friend for that matter.

-

Your performance was nearly finished, and Alexia never took her eyes off you; she thought that what Mapi said was right; your performance hit her like a ton of bricks, but more than anything, it brought out a huge realization that Alexia could quite withstand, so she left, to go to the bathroom, trying to get some space. Mapi quickly followed her friend, and as soon as they were inside the small room, the defender turned to pacing Alexia.

"Woahh, hey, calm down. What happened?" She asks the midfielder, placing her hands on her shoulders, trying to stop her from walking around the room.

She takes a deep breath, "Mapi, I have a problem. A huge one."

"Okay, tell me what it is; I know that we can find a solution to it." Her shorter friend reassures her, clearly shocked to see her captain in this state.

"I don't think we can. I just realized that I am in love with her." She says, putting her hands on her face.

"Who?" 

"Who? Mapi really? Lady Gaga. No Y/n, you idiot."

"Sorry, I just wanted to check. But why is it such a problem?"

"Because we decided not to have anything serious, and I really don't want to get rejected when I was the one that continuously pointed out that we weren't dating whenever someone asked."

"I think she feels the same. No. I know that she feels the same. Gosh, I spent five days with you two alone in a house; I can understand when two of my best friends are in love with each other. Eyes don't lie. And don't you dare tell that you haven't been already acting like a couple for at least 6 months now!"

"Do you really think that?"

"I know that. Just tell her how you feel. You won't lo-"

You open the door to the bathroom, searching for Alexia. She had been missing for a couple of minutes now, so you were a little worried that she might have been sick.

"Oh, here you are! I thought you left or you were sick!" You say happily when you finally find Alexia and Mapi, but then you notice something wrong with her, as if she was shaken up. "Wait, are you okay?" You asked, worried, coming closer to her.

"I'm okay, cariño." She reassures you, and then her expression changes into something happier and more proud. "I didn't know you were so good at playing the guitar!" 

"I was better a long time ago. I haven't played in years, but this woman here." You point at Mapi quickly, "Can't mind her own business."

"Thankfully, she didn't; I know for sure you wouldn't have told me that you are good at playing an instrument."

"I would have told you!" You cross your arms, pouting.

"No, you wouldn't." She shakes her head, smiling, while Mapi nods, backing her up. "You'd hate for anybody to know that you are good at something, just in fear of being at the center of the attention." She explains, making you blink twice. It felt as if you were an open book for her to read and understand you perfectly.

"Get out of my head." You remark shyly, earning from her a chuckle. "So you liked the song?" You ask shyly and insecurely.

She gently places her hands on your cheeks, gently caressing them to give you some reassurance. "I loved it; you are a wonderful guitar player, cariño."

"Thank you." You lightly blush. For a moment, you forget that Mapi is in the same room as the two of you because you place your finger on your lips to silently ask her to kiss you. Which she gladly does, feeling her smile against your lips

"I'm still here, you know!" Mapi interrupts you from your little moment, irritated. "Bleah, I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing this." You raise your middle finger at her, still kissing Alexia, fully starting to make out with her. You hear the door shut, making you temporarily pull away from her to look behind you, then resuming back to kissing her.

Five minutes later, you both decide to go back to your teammates, but as the night progresses, you feel yourself getting more and more tired, making all of your clinginess appear. You would orbit around Alexia more, trying to find some physical comfort in her presence, even though you really didn't want to show off your 'relationship' with her.

She noticed this almost immediately, so when you were passing by her, in a swift movement, she wraps her arms around your waist and dragged you to her lap; you stumble a little, trying to balance yourself, placing your arm on her shoulder, 

"Are you tired?" She whispers in your ear as if you were the only two people in the room.

"Yes, I am a little. How did you know?"

"I have already seen you tired many times, cariño. You are very touchy when you are tired." You subconsciously move away from her, but she keeps you in place firmly. "Don't move away; I love this side of you."

At first, your new teammates gave the both of you a surprised look, but nobody would dare to say anything besides Mapi, obviously, who sent you from across the room a knowing look, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. 

By the end of the night, you had played some more guitar as some of your teammates wanted to sing some more songs. But after a couple more hours, you were exhausted, and when Alexia noticed it, she decided to bring you home to sleep.

-

That morning, when you woke up, everything in your body ached somehow. You really had to get used to Barcelona's rhythms. The bed was empty, so you figured that Alexia was making breakfast, so you painfully make it to Alexia's kitchen wearing one of her big shirts and some shorts you found along the way to the kitchen, which were scattered the night before trying to get to the bedroom. She was making coffee the way you liked it, with the moka instead of using her Nespresso machine 'that she loves so much,' which made you smile at her attentiveness. As soon as you walk into her kitchen, she turns around and walks towards you, giving you a small kiss on the lips.

“Good morning, cariño. Did you sleep well?" She turns to her kitchen again, rummaging through the cabinet on top of her stove.

"I slept really well. What are you doing?" You ask her curiously, leaning on the kitchen countertop and peaking.

"So I found out that my mom had a moka in her kitchen all this time, and I didn't even notice it! So I asked her if I could borrow it since I know you prefer this coffee to the machine." She says while putting the coffee maker on the stove.

"Ale, you shouldn't have done that! I would've gladly drank whichever one you had; you didn't have to go through such trouble for me." You lightly slap her shoulder.

"I didn't go through any trouble. I just wanted to make you feel at home."

Before saying something that you most probably regret, aka replying with But you are my home. You dragged her to your height, kissed her to show all of your gratitude, and whispered a small thank you. When the coffee was ready, you both sat down on her small table and had breakfast.

You were talking about some media stuff you were going to do in the afternoon when you heard a knock on the door. Alexia looks at you confused, not expecting anybody, and she leaves with Nana in tow; as she opens the door, you hear Alexia talking to a woman who has a very similar voice to hers, and then you hear her scream, "No, Alba, no!" 

You see the woman enter the kitchen with Alexia chasing after her as if she didn't want her to meet you.

"Hello, my name is Alba. I'm Alexia's sister." You suddenly widen your eyes, shocked. She offers you her hand to shake, and you stand up.

"Hi, I'm Y/N." You shake her hand and offer her a shy smile, subconsciously searching for Alexia to help you out with this unexpected visit.

"I know who you are; my sister nearly broke your nose. By the way, I want to apologize on her behalf; she never had proper manners." 

"Alba!" Alexia screams, exasperated, while you release a light chuckle.

"Don't worry, she has already apologized. But yes, she has to work on her manners." You wink at Alexia, making her roll your eyes at you.

"Since when are you guys dating?" She asks curiously, earning another frustrated scream from Alexia.

"Oh no. We are not dating; she is just helping me out because a pipe exploded in my apartment." You reassure her while she stares at you confused, then lowers her gaze,

"So you give your clothes to all of your guests?" Alba asks her sister ironically, making you slightly blush.

"Well, I- I," The older sister stutters, making the other draw conclusions by herself. 

"So you are dating."

"It's complicated." She says. "Is there any particular reason why you are here?"

"I forgot my sweater here last week, and I need it back. But I can come at another time."

"No, I'll get it for you." She disappears into the house, leaving you and Alba in an awkward silence.

Thankfully, Alexia comes back thirty seconds later, 

"So you should come to dinner at mom's house sometime. She would love to meet your new 'roommate.'" She teases her older sister, clearly trying to irritate her.

"Well, then, you should invite Alexandre too since you live at his house more than you live at your own house." She replies sarcastically.

"I thought we reached an agreement to never talk about Alexandre ever again after the incident."

"By incident, she means when I caught them fucking in the bathroom during the semi-finals against Chelsea last year." She explains to you, clearly trying to irritate her sister, making you feel like you are getting way too much information on their dynamics in one sitting.

"Let me guess: when she saw you, she made some sarcastic remark, rolled her eyes, and left, right?" You joke, clearly imagining the scene.

"That's exactly it! Always rolling her eyes at people. So annoying! Finally, someone who gets it!"

"Uggghh." Alexia sighs and rolls her eyes at you both.

"See! She just did it again!" 

"I don't like this coalition between the two of you." She lightly pouts.

"It's not a coalition when we are simply just stating the truth!" You lightly tease her, earning an approving nod from Alexia's sister.

"I hate you both!" She exclaims, fully knowing that she was just lying.

"No, you don't." Then you turn to Alba, "It was nice meeting you; I hope we'll see each other soon. I have to get changed for practice." You leave the two sisters while you get ready for training.

After a couple of minutes, Alexia entered your now shared room; you turned to her and placed your hands on her shoulders.

"So you met my sister…"

"She's very nice; I hope I made a good impression." You say insecurely.

"You made a great impression, cariño. I'm just really sorry that you had to meet her in these circumstances. Not to put pressure on you, but my sister can't keep a secret, and she'll definitely tell my mom about you."

"What a way to not put pressure on me." You chuckle nervously.

"Don't worry. I will handle everything, okay?" She gives you a small peck. "Now, are you ready?"

Training that day was even more intense than the day before, with the exception that you were finding so many link-ups with your new teammates. Sometimes, you would forget that you weren't training anymore with your old teammates, that if you passed the ball to the right, you would find Giugliano without looking, or that Linari was right behind you, ready for a pass if you needed it. 

Now, you had different teammates, and your body had to get used to it. 

Being back on the pitch with Mapi had been so exciting. Both of your styles of play evolved so much that how you played at Atletico didn't matter anymore. She loved playing with the ball, so you'd expect more passes from her than before.

What really changed everything for you were the players up front. Playing behind Alexia and Aitana was something that didn't happen every day. The best way for them to express themselves was if you were able to cover defensively for them, which you were doing gladly. Adapting to their style of play was not simple; they played on short and fast passes and opted less for long passes, which were your specialty. 

You were practicing on free kicks, which you thought you were pretty good at. You didn't know why, but you were able to curve the ball perfectly, making the goalkeepers go crazy.

You were in a team with Mapi against Alexia and Graham Hansen, whom you were unceremoniously obsessed with her football skills.

It was your turn to shoot your first free-kick. Paños was on goal, and she was eying the ball. You go for the kick and curve the ball perfectly; the goalkeeper didn't even move because she thought it would be going out. It hit a top bin, and it was in. You throw your hand in the air competitively. "Dajeee!"

"That was a great curved ball! Where did you learn that?" Mapi asked, shocked, as she had never seen you take a free kick like that before.

You shake your shoulders nonchalantly while Caro asks you, "What are your free kick stats?"

"Like all time or just last season?" You ask shyly.

"All the time."

"Well, since I played for Roma, I was usually the one who took free kicks. I guess out of fifty-one direct free kicks, I scored forty-seven if I remember correctly." 

"Wait, really?" Alexia asks you, shocked.

"Well, I love taking free kicks, and I practice a lot on them."

"That's not normal, Y/n; that's a really high conversion rate. I don't understand why I just heard about this!" Your friend tells you.

"I don't know, I just love taking them." You shrug your shoulders. "Plus, when I go for a curved ball, I don't know how, but I do it in a way that is almost impossible to predict."

"You can do a knuckleball too?"

"I'm not that good at that." They move the ball to the place and offer you to kick it. You hit the ball hard, and it goes for the post, then bounces off the other and goes in.

You scrunch your nose, dissatisfied, getting a new ball for another free kick, while your teammates look at you, shocked.

You turn to look at them, "What? 

"Well, now we have to change teams, or it's going to get too easy for you guys!" Alexia says competitively.

"Oh, hell no! Now it's too late; we already decided on the teams!" Mapi says.

"Well, let Y/n decide." Ale crosses her arms, looking at you. "Do you want to swap teams and be with me, who is currently hosting you in my home, or that woman over there?" She points disgusted Mapi.

"Well, I-"You try to talk. 

"Of course, she's going to choose me! I've known her for more than seven years!" They kept on bickering while you and Caro just stared at them, chuckling. 

"You know? I think I'm actually switching teams." You raise an eyebrow, smirking. 

"You made the right decision," Alexia says proudly. She walks to you to get on your side.

"That's arrogant to assume that I would switch teams with you, Alexia." You give her a smirk and walk to Caro's side, leaving Mapi and Alexia next to each other. "Caro and I are going to destroy you!"

And so you did. After another twenty minutes, you finally leave the pitch and get home with Alexia. Once again, you were exhausted, but you were very happy that you were able to get along with your new teammates.

As soon as you get home, you throw yourself to the couch while Nala jumps on top of you for cuddles, which you gladly give her.

Alexia was still pouting because she lost the free-kick competition. "Oh, come on, you can't be still mad!"

"I'm not mad."

"Well, it's not every day that you get to be on the same team as Caroline Graham Hansen. You know how much I am obsessed with her football skills."

"Well, then, why don't you go and ask her if you could crash at her place."

You sit right up and drag her by the shirt to you. "Are you jealous, piccola?"

"No, I am not! Why would I ever be! Caro is in a relationship with Marta. Plus, I am the one that has two Ballon d'Or." She says, trying to convince you.

"I know. You are the best of the best. I had to basically seduce you so that my team could have a chance against you. And you don't have to worry about anyone. There is no one else." The last words unconsciously slip out of your mouth, making you mentally curse at yourself.

"There is no one else for me either. Y/n, I have to tell you something." You nod at her while placing your arms on her shoulders.

"I'm in lo-"The phone rings again. This time, it is Alexia's phone. She goes to look at it. "It's my agent. I really need to take this."

After thirty minutes, she comes back looking stressed out.

"What was the call about, that made you go on the phone for thirty minutes?" You ask curiously.

"Oh no, I was also on the phone with my mom; that's why I was out for so long."

"Is everything okay at home?"

"Everything is great!" You could see that something was up. "But you know when I told you that my mom found out about you-us?"

"No? I thought that she still didn't know."

"Well, now she does. AndsheinvitedusfordinnerandIdidn'tknowwhethertotellyoubecauseIdon'tknowifyouwanttocome."

"What, sorry? I know you have this cute little habit of talking fast when you are nervous, but remember that I am not Spanish."

"Sorry." She takes a deep breath. "My mom invited us for dinner. You can totally say no, but-"

"I would love to come to dinner, Alexia. You didn't have to be that nervous." You give her a small peck on the lips. "Tell her I will bring the dessert."

-

"So, are you ready to finally meet your mother-in-law this afternoon?" Mapi asks you while you leave for morning training together. Finally, your home was fixed from the pipe, and you were able to finally live there. There was still a lot of work to do as you had to basically furnish the apartment, which had been really hard, especially when you were away for most of the day.

Thankfully, Mapi offered to help build a table that you had bought from Ikea in your living room, so with some help, your home was starting to take shape.

"She is not my mother-in-law. I am not currently in a relationship."

"I still don't understand why you can't tell her how you feel."

"Fear of rejection. Or fear that it's going to turn out like my previous relationship. Fear of being just delusional or fear of-"

"Okay, you have made your point! I just feel like you should; maybe you'll find out that she feels the same."

"Yeah, right. As if someone like her could fall for someone like me. She's way out of my league. But anyway, you have met Alexia's sister and mom, how are they? Do you have any tips?"

"They are going to love you. Just be yourself."

"That's not helping, Mapi." You chuckle.

"Ugh, just be polite and show that you genuinely care for Alexia. They are very protective of her. Don't show off, and don't be too shy. But I really don't think you are going to have a problem doing all that."

As soon as you went home, you quickly got ready in your desolate apartment; as soon as you were done, Alexia texted you.

Your Favorite Kickboxer ;)

I'll be here in 5 minutes.

The nerves were kinda getting to you, so you paced around your empty living room until Alexia came knocking at your door. As soon as she saw you, she quickly gave you a hug and pecked your lips. 

"Hey, Cariño, are you ready?"

"So ready! You don't even know!" You fake out.

"Okay, yeah. You have to work on your lying skills. What's up? You don't have to come if you don't want to." She says calmly.

"It's not that Ale. I'm just nervous. I haven't met the mom and sister of a girl I am seeing since my ex. I'm just nervous, that's it."

"They'll love you, believe me. Now, take a deep breath; everything will be fine. We will go to my mom's for lunch, and she will show you some of my baby pictures, trying to embarrass me, and my sister will do the same. Then we'll get back home, cuddle up on the couch, and watch some of your sappy movies, okay?" You slowly nod, feeling a slight motivation through her words. "Now are you ready, cariño?"

You slightly nod, and she leads you to her car, but before that, you stop her and gently kiss her lips. "Thank you. You know I really, really like you?" You tell her.

"I really, really like you too."

-

You get to Alexia's mom's house, and the first thing she does is go up and hug you. You were taken by surprise, but after a second of shock, you quickly reciprocated.

"You must be Y/n, right?"

"Yes, it's me. You have a lovely house."

She takes you into the living room, and then she quickly disappears into the kitchen while Alba appears out of her room to see you.

You lightly chat with her until Alexia's mom screams for the two girls to come and help her; they quickly get into the small kitchen, clearly not knowing what to do.

"Do you need help, Eli?" You ask shyly.

"Oh no, you are the guest." She says, gently smacking your hands away from the pan you were stirring.

"Oh really, it's no biggie. I love cooking, plus I know how much Ale is a disaster in the kitchen. I can help if you like." You offer politely.

"For your information, I am a great cook," Alexia says, slightly offended. Neither her sister nor her own mother backed her up. All knowing how bad she was, making you chuckle. 

"Don't worry, mija, you have some great qualities too." Her mom lightly teases Alexia, making her pout cutely.

As soon as lunch was ready, you helped set up the table, and you sat down.

"So, Y/n, how do you like Barcelona?"

"Oh, I love it here. I just had a minor slip-up with my apartment, but now everything is fixed."

"You are from Italy, right? Because I don't hear any accent." Her mom asks curiously.

"Well, I lived in Spain for a long time before moving clubs. I played for Atletico Madrid with Mapi."

"So you must be happy having her back as your teammate."

"I'm really glad. Plus, Barcelona has always been my dream club."

"Is it difficult being away from home?"

"Well, I left my home in Italy when I was really young; I left to study in the USA."

"Oh wow, what did you study there?" Alba asks you.

"I studied physiotherapy."

"So when you retire from football, you could become a therapist for Barcelona or some other football club," Alexia suggests.

"Well, I could, but I actually work with prosthesis. I studied to help people who have lost their limbs to build them prosthesis."

"I didn't know that!" Ale tells you, shocked but also proud.

-

Lunch proceeded great. Ale's mom and Alba were just like Mapi pictured them. Fiercely loyal and protective of one another. You really hoped that you made a good impression because even though you weren't in an actual relationship with Alexia, meeting her family felt like a huge step, and you'd hate for them to not feel like Ale made the right decision by seeing each other.

What you really liked, though, was the fact that you could see how much Alexia was being herself around her family. She didn't have her walls up, nor did she have to keep up with her duties as the captain. She was just herself, and you were lucky enough to be able to experience it and be part of her inner circle.

As soon as lunch was finished, you stood up to help Ale's mom clean up the table, and then you brought the dessert that you had made for the occasion.

"I didn't have much time to prepare something fancier; my kitchen is still a mess."

"You didn't have to prepare anything!" Ale's mom replies while she cuts open the cake you had stress baked for the occasion.

"My parents always taught me to never walk into a home as a guest empty-handed." You simply reply. "And really, it's nothing. I love baking, so actually, you gave me an excuse to make something."

"You know, Y/n, out of all of the girls that Alexia has brought home, you might be the nicest." You turn your head down, blushing, while Alexia, embarrassed, calls out her mother.

"Well, I think that just the fact that you are here means a lot. You know, Y/n, Alexia had a very bumpy love life." Alba calls her sister out, making Alexia send her a death glare.

You were too curious now, "I wanna hear all the details." You rub your hands, waiting for Alba to fill you in.

"Well, Alexia had many situationships that ended rather quickly." 

"Alba!" Alexia warns her.

"One lasted two weeks I think, with this nice girl. For the record, she was really nice. The poor girl had the misfortune to be a cat person. Nana didn't like her, so she stopped seeing her."

"For the record, I don't regret it! My Nala is my best matchmaker, and I could never be in a relationship with someone who doesn't like my dog, who's currently living with me."

You chuckle lightly at her, "Thankfully, Nala likes me, or else, I wouldn't have lasted even a day." You tease Alexia, remembering how you met the small dog when you first hooked up with her, how Nala would try to get her owner's attention, but she was too busy on you to actually care.

"Well, thankfully, you are also a Barça fan because my sister left a fucking date because they were a Madrid fan."

"Okay, it did not go like that." Ale tries to explain herself, but she is soon cut off by her sister again.

"You told her that you played football, and she made a small comment about how she slightly preferred Madrid to Barcelona."

"She wanted me to go to the Bernabeu with her." She pauses. "On the Madrid section!"

"Poor girl, you turned down a girl just because of her club preference?" You chuckled at her stubbornness.

"She was also very annoying." 

"How many dates did you go with the Madritista?" You ask her.

"One." You all burst out laughing.

"The next girl instead, more than a situationship, was a failed date. She was a friend of a friend of mine, and after the date, Ale called me and I asked how the date went, and she replied that she thought that the girl was amazing, but she didn't like the outfit, so it wouldn't work." Alba chuckles hard, making you shake your head teasingly at Alexia.

"In my defense, she was amazing, but the outfit was too distracting, so much so that it felt like our personalities wouldn't go together."

"You got all that by an outfit?" You ask her incredulously.

"Yes." She states bluntly making you playfully shake your head at her.

-

By the time lunch was finished, you were about to leave.

"It was lovely meeting the both of you. I really hope I'll see you soon." You go to hug the two women and then leave to go to the car, waiting for Alexia to say the final goodbye.

When Ale gets into the car, she sits in the driver's seat, takes your hand, and kisses it.

"Thank you for coming." 

"Thank you, for inviting me. Now let's go home; we have a couch to build."

As you get home, Ale quickly gets ready to build your Ikea couch while you take some of your most valuable stuff, like family pictures or small trinkets that hide memories that you will forever treasure. 

You were unpacking the first ball they gave you when you scored your first hat trick, then you moved to a larger box, and you soon felt overwhelmed by how much stuff you had to unpack, making you slightly regret your life choices. 

Alexia was still on the floor trying to build up your couch when she suddenly resurfaced clumsily. 

"Why are those instructions so difficult? I just feel like Ikea should be better at making them. I should ask Frido." She complains to herself, making you chuckle from across the room. 

As you looked at her while she was building your couch, without anything in return, just simply to make you feel more at home, a warm feeling spread through your chest.

You just smiled. Smiled at the woman who came out of nowhere and turned your life around. Smiled at the woman who had taken your heart without you noticing it. And then you realize that maybe what you had with Alexia right now wasn't enough for you. You wanted more. Because those feelings that you had slowly built over time weren't avoidable anymore. What you had with her wasn't enough, and you realized that you couldn't pretend anymore that you were okay with it. 

You needed to be alone, to think, to prepare yourself. Just her being in the same house as you was just too much. You were feeling too much. Feeling too much for her.

So you quickly stood up, crossing your arms, unconsciously wanting to close yourself off as much as possible.

"Ale, I need you to get out."

She turns towards you and sees how much you were shaken. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is good. I just need you to leave, please." You try to be as convincing as possible. 

"Everything is not good. You are not good. Tell me what's wrong." She rubs your shoulders soothingly in worry.

You don't know why, but your mind figured that it would be best if you'd just rip the bandaid off.

"Ale, I think we have a problem." You take a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with you."

There was no turning back now. You could take your words back, so you waited patiently as her brows furrowed and then quickly fixed in a soft expression.

"I think we have two problems then. Because I think I am in love with you too."

[raineydays411]

My Father's Daughter

Part 9

Summary: You've been at the Wayne Manor for over a month.

In some weird way you understand Christine.

You understand why she tries so hard to spend time with you while you're in her home. Why she begs for you to get off of your phone and cook with her. You get why she tries to make the other kids be nice to you. Scolds them harshly when they make snide comments underneath their breath about you.

Truly, you do.

You just...genuinely don't give a shit.

You don't care that she feels bad that she abandoned you for a completely other family and you don't care that she feels like she's losing time to create a bond with you.

You did not care.

Really, you didn't.

"Um,kid... you know I love you but I'm really not that kind of doctor" Bruce Banner said awkwardly over facetime.

You sigh. "Yeah I know B. You were just the first one to pick up the phone."

"Ouch." Banner laughed, " you know, you really are your fathers child."

You smile, one of the rare times you actually did nowadays. " How is the old man?"

You haven't been able to call him since he was paranoid whoever wants you would track your phone calls and find out where you are.

"Your father is even more annoying now without you than he ever has been in my entirety of knowing him" Banner deadpans, " He misses you a lot kiddo, we all do."

You smile sadly, missing your family.

It was hard, seeing these people you barely knew, with a mother you barely knew, stuck in a house you barely knew.

And the fact that they feel like a family. They argue and play jokes on each other. They eat with each other every afternoon ( Bat activities at night), Bruce kisses Christine goodbye when he goes to work. It was so domestic in its weird little ways.

But you didn't fit in.

They laughing and the jokes stopped whenever you walked into the room. The conversations were stale.

It was depressing.

It's not like they ignored you, oh no. That would've been preferable.

No half of them trip over their feet to try and include you in whatever they're doing.

Dick will turn blue chatting your ear off about whatever he thinks will get you to open up to him and Christine?

She will bend over backwards, frontwards, and sideways just to get you to acknowledge she gave birth to you. Every night she comes into your room and tries to talk to you about your life. And every question is met with a dull answer

"So any boys that catch your interest here?" " I don't know, I can't leave the premises"

"Were you in any sports? You look like you'd be a cheerleader like your momma!" " I was in mathletes and debate like Pepper"

"You really are beautiful my baby" "Thanks, everyone says I look like my dad"

It really was a struggle to get you to open up. Almost everyone at the manor had a hard time even starting a conversation with you.

Everyone except of course Alfred and surprisingly Jason Todd.

Alfred won you over as soon as you moved in. He vouched for you when you needed time alone and brings you snacks>

Jason is a whole different story.

See, the reason why it's so hard for everyone to talk to you is because they all refuse to acknowledge the elephant in the room. They're treating you like you were some other orphan Annie they decided to adopt and you just have no family waiting and missing you.

Jason doesn't.

In fact, it was him who caught you trying to sneak out of the mansion the first week you were there. Instead of scolding you or telling on you, he took you out.

"A cap and sunglasses? Kid, that's not a disguise."

"What do you mean?"

He took you to a diner he frequents, a tour of the rooftops to avoid people, and to the safe house he took over from Bruce.

"Tell me about your life." He demands, not asks.

You smile and tell him about it. Your life growing up with the Avengers, school and what major you're going for, that brief fling you had with Pietro before you had to move to Gotham.

It was nice. To be with someone that didn't want to change you. He didn't try to force you into forgiveness and let you vent. He even gave some pretty sound advice.

"You know, at some point you are going to forgive her." He says ignoring your indignant stare, " You don't gotta be bestfriends with her or anything, but that anger is going to either slowly consume you or slowly go way. And believe me, you want it to slowly go way."

And he was right in some ways. The longer you're there, the less anger there is and the more hurt replaces it. It festers inside you like some disease. The symptoms slowly leaking out every time one of them calls her mom.

Every night she comes into your room and tries to pry into your life as if she didn't voluntarily leave it, you feel it.

Everytime you see her brush Cassandra's hair out of her eyes, or kiss damian on the forehead. It's the gentle way she smiles whenever she sees Tim hyperfocused on mission reports, and the way she gets so excited whenever Dick or Jason walk through the front door. Hugging them and chiding them for not visiting more.

It hurts you that they truly are a family.

And after a while, it gets hard for you to try and say that you truly didn't give a shit.

Because honestly, you did

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @stupendousnightmaretrash @opheliaas-stuff

[classypauli]

She’s the Man

Pairing: Jenna Ortega x fem Reader A/N: You guys... this one drained me out. I still can´t believe the feedback I´m getting. You are the best!! From the bottom of my heart thank you 🤍 happy reading ;) Warning: grammar mistakes, spelling errors Word count: 3.7k

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Chapter 4

It was friday afternoon, Y/N was sitting in her last class, looking out of the window. She wasn´t listening to her professor. Her mind was currently thinking about the spider web she was put in. Or more like she created.

It was her fault as well. If she had been more careful and more unnoticing, this wouldn´t be this hard. And to be honest? What was she even thinking? She really thought that everything would go back to normal?

She wasn´t Charlie and she would never be. Even when they were twins. Same yet so different.

She let herself be lost a little and completely forgot about her brother. Her friends now know her as her, they know her personality, what she likes and dislikes, her hobbies, and how she acts. But they don´t know her by her name. Confusing. How is she even going to explain this? Or would they act like she wasn´t him the whole time?

Before she even noticed, her professor already ended the lesson. She slowly picked herself up from the chair, took her books, and walked out of the class. Y/N made her way to her locker, opened it, and found some paper. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. What is this? It wasn´t hers, she was sure of it. The tall girl looked around the hallway if she would catch someone but nothing. She pushed it in her bag and walked away to her dorm.

This morning Mason texted her, reminding her of today´s plan. Georgie offered them his house, actually his parent´s house, but he didn´t want to hear them saying that. They are probably going to order some takeout, play some games, and have fun. Y/N was pretty excited.

She was now taking an afternoon nap. She loved afternoon naps but the worst thing about them was when you fell into a deep sleep and woke up with a sweaty forehead, barely knowing where were you or what year was.

She talked a little with her brother, he was slowly ending his tour and should be home next week. She didn´t tell him about her. About Jenna. Y/N didn´t know why but she wanted to push it as far as she could. The girl didn´t want to think about it if she didn´t have to yet. That´s probably her worst habit of her, leaving everything to the last minute.

„Go! What are you doing?!“ Georgie shouted as he stood up from a couch with a controller in his hand. They were playing a Mario Kart, competed against each other and some were a little more competitive than others.

Y/N and Mason laughed at him, holding their stomach in the process, tears in their eyes. Oh boy, it´s been a long time since they were laughing this hard. Georgie´s character crashed his car into a wall and couldn´t move from the spot. He was so frustrated by it that he was yelling the whole time with his legs moving up and down.

„Shut up! I can´t concentrate!“ they kept laughing, now leaning into one another, Mason´s arm around her shoulders still having a fit of laughter. He was playing against Hunter who was calmly laying on the couch, his character riding his car without any trouble. He slowly made it to the finish line and looked up at the boy beside him smirking slowly.

„This was unfair!“ he shouted at them making excuses for how his controller was broken and telling them how he wanted to go again.

They argued a little but he wasn´t giving up so they gave him one more chance. Which was by the way failure again. So he just folded his arms and sat on the couch, pouting like a little boy. It was so much fun.

This whole thing was Mason´s idea and it was, to be honest, so fine. As the girls were in the kitchen, the boys were in the living room waiting for them to be finished while playing some video games. They were making homemade pizza and some pasta. Gideon was amazing in the kitchen, she knew everything and it was clear this was her thing. She was enjoying it so much.

While making the food, the girls were drinking red wine. They weren´t drunk, saying that they were just tasting the wine. Well, whatever works for you.

After they finished everybody went into the living room. Relaxing music was heard around the room, Y/N was sitting in the big armchair, quietly enjoying the pizza while listening to others conversations. They talked about school, the next football match, their families, favorite childhood memories, and more. It was relaxing, seeing her favorite people getting along, and laughing together.

Through the night they got to play Monopoly, Uno and even started singing songs. They got pretty drunk but not much. Y/N with the urge to pee stood up to go to the bathroom, she made it there, did her thing, and was now washing her hands. Y/N felt arms around her from behind, hugging her, head in between her shoulder blades. By the hands, she knew who it was. The girl turned around and was met with Jenna´s eyes, her chin now on her chest, looking up in her eyes. She was more clingy these days, always smiling, leaning into her, or holding her hand. Y/N of course didn´t mind.

„Hi.“ Jenna smiled still looking into her eyes. Y/N looked up from her feeling a little bit shy from her gaze.

„Uhm... how´s going?“ Y/N asked making a thin line with her lips as she looked down at the smaller girl again.

„Amazing.“ That was all she said. The wine got her a little but she didn´t want to admin it. Jenna now felt a lot more confident and relaxed. Most of the time when she is around you she feels nervous, but not in a bad way, more like she can even feel her heart beating in her chest. With a little help from wine, she wasn´t even noticing that now.

„Why don´t you want me?“ Suddenly it got quiet, you could start hearing your breathing. Jenna asked the question in a low voice, as she was afraid of your answer. You raised an eyebrow at her, not getting her question. When did she get the idea of you not liking her?

„I don´t understand.“ Jenna kept looking at you with her eyes getting lost in yours, looking almost desperate.

She sighed and now put her forehead against your sternum with closed eyes „Every time we have a moment you rush away from me.“ She got even more quiet after that, in this position she felt vulnerable. „It hurts me when you do that.“

You put one hand against her back and the other on her head, hugging her, you kissed her head slowly swaying her to the sides.

Now you were outside. In the backyard of the house, there were loungers with blankets and pillows. It was the perfect time of the year when Saturn was most visible in the dark like this.

They were lying down looking at the sky above them, pointing at constellations and falling stars. You were lying down in Jenna´s lap leaning against her chest and her lying on the lounger. She had her hands around you, slowly stroking your hair, blanket over your legs. She was again in your hoodie, she decided that it was now her favorite type of clothing. You gave it to her when you saw goosebumps on her arms from the cold.

Others went to sleep, saying they were too tired, some fell asleep right on the couch, like Georgie, and others managed to make it into the guest room.

Y/N and Jenna were still lying there, alcohol which was in their bodies already faded. The taller girl was thinking about what Jenna said to her, and how she felt. Y/N doesn´t want her to suffer. She doesn´t deserve it. This unfair feeling towards Jenna is growing. It grew to the stage where she knew, she needed to do something about it.

You slowly looked up at her, she was looking up at the stars, with her hands still in your hair. She felt you move and saw you staring at her. You told her to switch and now you were the one leaning into lounger. She was standing above you, not knowing where to put herself. It was cute but you also felt a little bad, she was doing it because she didn´t want you to be uncomfortable.

Y/N opened her arms, waiting for the smaller girl to join her. Her eyes flashed and she slowly sat into your lap sideways, arms around each other. Both of you were looking at the stars above you, sharing heath between bodies. With your arms strongly around her, she felt protected. It was just you and her, in this position, silently watching the endless universe. It created a feeling that when you two are together, you can manage to do anything. You got her, she got you.

You were having convos about most random things. Each time you said something funny, she laughed and you hugged her a little tighter. You both stopped and now you remembered her words in the bathroom from not long ago.

„I´m sorry...“ you started looking at her „I didn´t want you to feel unwanted.“ Stroking her hair behind her ear. She furrowed her eyebrows softly, looking down at your hands around her. She knew what you were talking about.

Jenna smiled almost sadly at you „No it´s okay I understand-„

„No, please... let me explain.“ You put your finger against her lips, shutting her down, her big eyes now giving you their full attention.

„I... I want you to know that I didn´t mean to make you feel like that...“ you gulped, not knowing how to explain to her in the best way. 

„...I-I just... there´s something I´m currently dealing with and...“ you looked up from your lap where she was sitting to her face. You cared about her, more than you even realize. You wanted to say everything to her, what´s bothering you, how you feel, why you act like this. She deserves to know. Jenna wanted to know it too, it was clear to her it was something serious. But she didn´t want to push you, she wanted to have your full trust.

You thought about the right words to use, but in this position, with Jenna on your lap, arms around each other, looking into one another with so much adoration... your mind just said the most important words. To make her feel better.

„I want you Jenna.“ You whispered gently.

Jenna breathed out the air from her lungs as a stone fell from her heart. She was preparing herself to hear that you only like her as a friend or that you aren´t looking for a relationship right now, which she would absolutely understand. But it would hurt her a little, she didn´t want to lie. That´s what she deserves for turning down every guy who ever looked her way.

But hearing you say those words. She shook with excitement. The girl pushed herself up, and sat into your lap with her thighs on your sides now, looking at you with her soft doe eyes.

You grabbed the smaller girl´s thighs pulling her a little bit more close to you. Her arms were around your neck, playing with your hair gently. Your inhales started to get harder and couldn´t breathe regularly. Jenna kept staring at you with her face relaxed and patiently waiting. With chests joined together, both of you felt your hearts beating fast. Like talking to each other, craving for their connection.

Jenna moved her hands to the sides of Y/N´s face, looking into her eyes. The tension was so strong someone could cut it with a knife.

You slowly leaned into her, bending your head to the side. She understood immediately what was happening, couldn´t believe it, finally after dreaming and craving for it for so long. Slowly following your action and connecting your lips.

Your emotions were on top, you have never felt like this. Kissing Jenna´s soft lips was so addicting. She was holding your head between her hands, pushing you closer and closer, feeling your lips touching, enjoying every move of them. She looked into your eyes, almost breathless, looking hot with her chest rising up and down, her dimples softly showing at full display. In a second she grabbed you again pulling you into another kiss, this time smiling into it.

Your chest was completed, it finally found the other heart.

The next few days went by fast, Y/N spent every day with her friends but also thinking about her issue. She feels more anxiety and now even her friends can feel it from her. She is most of the time tense or just staring blankly to nowhere, thinking about the best way how to explain it.

Right now the girl is with Jenna, they are studying for the upcoming chemistry test. A table full of books and papers, Y/N groans and lets her head fall onto the table.

,,It´s too much” she mumbles which her classmate only laughs at.

,,Come on, there´s not much left.” Trying to energize her back. Already three hours passed since they started. Y/N doesn´t hate chemistry, even though it´s definitely not her favorite, she thinks it can be a fun subject if you are learning interesting things. But right now it only brings her a headache. Y/N puts her chin on one of the books and looks at Jenna. The girl is buried in a book, focusing on her studies, looking effortlessly beautiful.

For almost her whole life it was hard for her to let someone in. She didn´t have a problem with anyone, she just trusted herself the most. If someone told her that she would meet someone with whom she would be connected like the girl in front of her she wouldn´t believe it. She adores Jenna so much, that she can´t get enough of her, there´s no topic that she would be bored of when she´s having a conversation with the girl.

She adores how she talks and the way when she´s talking she uses her hands. She adores the dimples that pop out of her cheeks when she smiles. She adores her lips and her voice and her laugh, especially the one she can´t hold and forgets to put her hand in front of her.

She adores her opinions and how she is always trying to bring the best out of others, how supportive and creative she is. Her sense of humor and her brightness.

The girl knew she liked her, more than a friend, and her feelings were only growing each time she was with her. Y/N would do anything to keep her in her life, she needs to say it to her. She´s going to do it. She doesn´t care, not anymore.

To Y/N, Jenna was special, she was someone for her only. Finally, she felt like she also deserved something just for herself. At least one time in her life she wants to be selfish, she deserves it.

Neither Y/N nor Jenna didn´t talk about the kiss, but they weren´t shy about it either. With holding hands, smiling faces, nonstop texting, and hanging around, the two girls became almost inseparable. After that night, they didn´t share another kiss, even though they should talk about it because there are many feelings unsaid.

Not knowing saving it for later may bring unwanted issues.

Charlie was walking down the street, and finally, he was back. He came yesterday and to be honest, he was pretty excited. He missed Y/N and his parents, and friends and spending time with them. Right now he is going to get a coffee at the local coffee shop, he should meet some of his friends over there who want to catch up.

,,Charlie!” he heard his friend David from one of the tables beside the window. There was sitting his friend group. "Missed you, man! How was the tour?" They ordered and started talking about everything he got to see. Showed him photos and videos, and even let them listen to some of the new music he started to make.

He was so happy that finally, he could be back. Charlie called his twin, saying that he was home already, they were going to meet tomorrow because of school. He loves his sister, what she did for him wouldn´t do to anybody. Because of her, he could go on the tour he wanted. He owes her and he is ready to do anything to repay.

,,Charlie?”

Jenna was sitting by the table, enjoying a quiet Wednesday and cool weather. Today was pretty cloudy, people were walking with their umbrellas in hands, ready to use them if the rain started. It has been like this since morning but still no sign of rain drop.

Listening to music while slowly drinking coffee, is one of the things she enjoys the most, in the back of the cafeteria, having a clear view outside of the window but also people in here. She is waiting for Emma who was still in the class, they agreed to go shopping today.

She puts her headphones down as the waitress comes to her asking if she needs anything, Jenna pays for coffee, sitting in her seat a little more. Now she´s looking out of the window, somehow her thoughts goes to you, making her smile. You are always in her mind, even when she´s not with you in the moment. Your smile and your eyes are the only things she sees these days. She likes you. You are the first person ever in her life that she thinks about like this. Her feelings are serious and she hopes yours are too. After your kiss, she can´t stop thinking about it, about your lips on hers, your hands on her body, and how you were like puzzles. You were her other half she was trying to find. Jenna wanted to be with you and she´d do anything to be with you.

„Charlie?“

Jenna heard someone call from the entrance. She raised her head and looked that way. She saw a group of people at the table opposite her. She double time checked if she saw right, at first she thought her mind was playing tricks on her but she was sure you were sitting at that table, your back to her.

She saw a girl running to you, the one who was yelling your name, you stood up and hugged her. She was now confused and felt a little jealous of the girl. It was clear you both know each other and maybe even more than she thought. She furrowed her eyebrows at you. You have never told her about any of your friends, except Mason, Hunter, or Georgie. You barely talked about your family, only mentioned your sister and that was only because she asked.

Still looking at both of you holding each other like your life depends on it. Your friend pushed herself from the hug and put her hands on both sides of your face. Jenna´s heart started bumping, harder and harder. Please no. Oh God please no.

But she stopped completely breathing when the girl kissed you, hard on the lips. And you kissed her back, holding her waist.

The brown-eyed girl´s heart broke. She has never felt pain like this like someone was strangling her. Tears started to form in her eyes, lips trembled as she watched the scene. She felt like an idiot. Was she really thinking that something could be between you? That you liked her?

She stood up from her legs and rushed out of the coffee shop around the two of you with a broken heart.

Y/N was lying in her bed, phone in her hand. Enjoying the cloudy weather. Her brother texted her about their tomorrow plan and she was excited. The girl hadn´t seen him in so long, it was strange not having him around. As she was scrolling through her social media, dying of boredom, she suddenly remembered the paper she found in her locker couple of days ago. She shoots up to her legs, pulling the folded paper out. She opened it and what she found there, wasn´t what she was expecting.

Fell for you like a kid, first time riding a bike, like a tough ground scarred their knee, you scarred my heart. My wish is, to sit with you in an old chair, in the countryside somewhere, covered in a blanket, mugs in our hands, on your shoulder is my head, watching our sunset, knees touching, sharing heat, only you can make me pleased. I´m not a love poet, yet you are my love poem.

It was a poem. She sat on her bed as her head was trying to process what her eyes just red. On the left bottom was the initial. J.

It was clearly her. Y/N told Jenna she liked poems and she was enjying writing them. Now she wrote her one. Confessing her love.

She pushed the air out of her lungs. Slowly picking her hands up to support her head. She sniffled. Y/N didn´t know why she was crying, her heart was beating too fast almost like she was having a heart attack.

She barely cried, even when she was by herself. She hated when she was crying and she hated even more when she was crying in front of others. For the girl, it was embarrassing like she was fragile. Showing her weakness. For the longest time of her life, she was fighting with this. Y/N knew it was nothing bad to show this kind of emotion. But her mind was fighting back, and her heart took it all.

To her, Jenna was everything. After reading this she realized her true feelings and that she can´t keep Jenna in this lie anymore. She stood up from the bed, looking at now raindrops falling outside, fixing herself, and rushed out of the dorm with confidence. She´s going to say it to her. She´s going to confess. Jenna will no longer know her as Charlie but as Y/N. Finally as her. And how she loves her.

But if she only knew it was too late.

next chapter

[ktamina]

SID for Metal Hammer, 1999

¡¡¡FULL interview here!!!

SID WILSON

Age: 22.

Marital status: I have a girlfriend.

Nickname?: Filth, or the epitome of...

Born and bred?: Born in Des Moines although my whole family is from England.

Instrument played?: Turntables.

Band previous to Slipknot?: I have a DJ crew called Soundproof Coalition, who are based out of Des Moines.

First record bought?: The first one I owned was the Miami Vice soundtrack which my parents bought for me.

First band seen live?: I was really young and my parents took me to see Sheena Easton.

Describe yourself in three words: Organic brain syndrome.

What does your mask represent?: To me it's like I'm killing myself on stage. I am constantly at war as the gas mask reminds people at war, so it's like I am constantly dying up there.

Was the visual image your idea?: Yeah, it kinda fell in my lap. I got into the band and was looking for a mask and the gas mask kinda found me. Since then I have been pretty interested in them and If I ever see one I buy it. Right now I have seven or eight of them.

Special Ingredient you bring to the band?: Youth, as I am the youngest member of the band which keeps it fresh.

What is your greatest fear?: Dying young. It is something I think about, as you can die from all kinds of things- I could break my neck at a show, catch a disease or the government could assassinate me.

What is your idea of hell?: I don't believe in it. If there is a hell, planet earth is it.

First job: Working at raves.

Have you ever experimented with auto eroticism?: Yeah, I guess I have. I've wore choke collars, as in the rave scene there have been a lot of experiences which have been pretty crazy.

Tell me your favorite sexual fantasy introducing Salvador Dalí (the late great surrealist painter), an orange, and a bicycle?: I would ride the bicycle for three hours to be completely exhausted, then me and my girlfriend would enter the painting with the melted clocks in it (The Persistence of Memory) and then at the point of orgasm melt like the clocks and eat the oranges for a reward.

Do you enjoy a good wank?: Yeah, every day. When we went on The Howard Stern Show I wanted in show him my cock and I was trying to keep it a decent hanging size, so I was jerking off, and by the time we were on it only lasted a minute so I didn't even get the chance to show it. I think he was actually quite scared of it.

Do you often wank in public?: It depends. When I go into my personality of number 0 the number takes over and I never know what he is going to do, but myself, not really.

What would be the concept for a Slipknot porno movie?: I probably wouldn't do much talking as when I am in my alter ego of 0 I don't talk much. There would be a lot of drooling, slobbering and grunting. There would be no need for dialect, just get down to it.

Hobbies outside the band?: I like to snowboard and sculpt with clay. I am also into cooking. My mom has been teaching me since I was three. My speciality is french crepes.

Fave horror movie?: Evil Dead 2 and Army Of Darkness.

Fave author?: Edgar Allen Poe is the only literature have ever finished reading.

Band you'd like to tour with?: It wouldn't go in with the genre of Skipknot, but me personally, it would be The Beastie Boys. At the point when I got into DJing, break dancing and hip hop The Beastie Boys were a big part of that. I have always listened to them.

Who do you think is the most heavy metal band of all time?: Slipknot.

Worst way to die?: Without my family. By myself.

If your house was burning down. What is the one thing you would run in and save?: If all my family was out, I would have to go and get the hair wrap my girlfriend gave me before we started dating. It is made out of her hair.

If you were the president of the USA for a day and could achieve one thing only. What would it be?: I would make it a free country and expose the government for what it is.

What is your dog called?: Mary Jane Wilson. She's part whippet and part dingo.

if you read all this follow me ¡HERE! I post media of Sid every 4 hours ♡

[toxicanonymity]

Ethyl's house

500 words, night walks AU - neighbor Ethyl

One afternoon, Joel was outside getting the mail when Ethyl got home. He saw her Oldsmobile crawling into the cul-de-sac with her hands at ten and two. She was hunched forward with her big glasses above the steering wheel as she pulled into her driveway. Joel lingered at his mailbox. For a moment, he wondered how well she could see the pool from her house, but she likely went to bed before sundown.

After she parked, she got out of the car, hung her purse on her inner elbow, and popped the trunk. Joel put the mail back in his mailbox and walked over to her driveway. In the trunk there were two paper grocery sacks, and she was taking apples out of one to make it light enough to carry. She didn't mind making multiple trips. She would do it with a smile.

“How ‘bout a hand with those,” Joel offered behind her.

She marveled at his strength as he repacked the bag and picked both of them up.

She shuffled in front of him, holding her purse under her arm in one hand and her keys out in front of herself in the other. She unlocked and held open the carport door to her house.

An older chihuahua whined from the den before standing up from its little bed, stretching with its tail up, then shaking his head, jingling the collar.

“That's Barney,” Ethyl informed Joel.

She turned on her small oven, and and took a pan of cookie dough out of her modest fridge while Joel unpacked the groceries. The oven handle was almost as high as she was tall.

Her home was neat and simple with lots of cross stitch and knitted blankets. She gave him the full tour, with Barney silently sniffing behind them, wagging his tail. The smell of chocolate chip cookies began to fill the air as she sat Joel down on the sofa and showed off family photos. There were photos of her and her late husband traveling the world. They didn't have kids. There were photos of her sisters, her niece, and her great nephews.

When the oven timer went off, she shuffled back into the kitchen. She gave Joel a plate full of cookies and a 1970s juice glass of whole milk, but she didn't partake. She smiled while Joel enjoyed them.

“Oh,” she raised a knobby finger. “Let me send some with you.” She brought back a tupperware and told him he better save some for you.

Joel raised his eyebrows with a silent smile. She smiled and covered her mouth, oops. Then croaked, “I'm not trying to be a busy body, Joel.”

She reached for his hand, and he patiently waited for a but. Her hand was cold on top of his.

“But if you've got something special, treat it special.”

He swallowed and looked down.

“And hang onto it as long as you can.”

She squeezed his hand, and he nodded silently.

-----

-----

thank you for reading!

tag list because this is night walks canon

@silkiers @eiviea @evyiione @queerly-anxious @chernayawidow @ambassadortotrilliusprime @fandomsfallnomore @djarinxore @blackvelveteen1339 @manazo @taeslarityy @str84pedro @lokanda  @kyloispunk @filthfairy @fieryglutenfreechickennoodles @harriedandharassed @moonlightdivine @worhols @fan-fiction-floozy @cutesyscreenname   @weddingfairy @pedropascal-whore @spideysimpossiblegirl @feministfanboi @prettypartyfavor @am-3-thyst @babeincolor @switchbladedreamz @within-the-depths @may-machin @sloanexx @paleidiot @yourmistysecret @bean-is-reading @rainstorms-library @am-3-thyst

[atzjieun]

chocolate cake

summary | jieun learns some things during dinner with wooyoung

circa | august 2024

contains | 1.5k words, fluff, some angst, jiwoo!! 

notes | this is a continuation of this fic!! 

taglist | @teezingsiyeon @moonkyeom @itzynabi

“Are you ever going to tell me how you keep finding these places?” Jieun asked with a lighthearted chuckle, cutting into her steak. 

Wooyoung shook his head as he raised his pointer finger to his lips. “A genius never reveals his secrets.”

The restaurant Wooyoung had found was only a couple minutes walk from their hotel. She wasn’t sure how she’d missed it before, considering how upscale the restaurant had looked just from the outside. Even as they went inside, Jieun could tell that the restaurant wasn’t just a small local business. How Wooyoung had managed to get a reservation? She’d probably never know. 

“I can’t believe the tour’s almost over,” she commented wistfully. “It feels like it went by so quickly.”

“I know,” Wooyoung replied, nodding. “And then after this we’re back home and we get our break.”

“You’re going on a trip with your family, aren’t you?” 

“Yeah, our parents and both my brothers.” He looked up at her with a curious gaze. “What about you? Are you and Jihoon-hyung going to go anywhere?” 

Jieun pursed her lips, shaking her head. 

“Jihoon-oppa’s on a work trip for the next couple weeks,” she answered with a shrug. “It’s alright though. I was just planning on staying at the dorms and getting some work done for my projects.” 

She turned back to her food and continued to eat, not noticing the frown on Wooyoung’s face as he watched her. He stared at her for a couple moments before going back to his own meal, though he had a concentrated look on his face the whole time. 

“What if you came with us?” 

Jieun’s hands froze, looking up at the boy. She searched his gaze for any hint that he was joking, but Wooyoung watched the girl with a completely neutral expression that showed he was anything but.

She let out an awkward chuckle. “It’s alright, it’s a family vacation. I wouldn’t want to intrude and-” 

“It’s not intruding if I invited you,” Wooyoung retorted, cutting her off. When Jieun blinked at him again, he let out a quiet snort. “Plus, my family loves you. I’m pretty sure my mom wants to adopt you as her own daughter.” 

She glanced down at her food, staring blankly as she contemplated his words. After a few seconds, a small smile spread across her face. Jieun raised her head again, shrugging at the boy. 

“I’ll think about it,” she eventually answered, taking another bite of her food. 

Wooyoung stared at her with an expression that she couldn’t read, though after a couple seconds, he gave a reluctant nod and turned back to his own meal. 

The dinner continued on in silence, something that Jieun was accustomed to. However, rather than the comfortable silence she often found herself in, there was a hint of something in the atmosphere that continuously nagged at her. She took quick glances at Wooyoung in an attempt to figure out what it was, though there was nothing she could do to curb that strange feeling. 

Jieun took a sip of her drink as the waiter handed Wooyoung the receipt. He’d once again insisted that he pay since he chose an expensive restaurant, despite Jieun’s protests. Once the waiter was gone, the two were left in silence once more. Wooyoung was looking out into the distance, while Jieun’s gaze remained lowered as she studied the grooves of the tabletop. 

After a few minutes of this, their waiter suddenly returned with another plate in hand. He set it down on the table with a smile, revealing a layered chocolate cake with some gold decoration on top, along with two forks. 

“Oh, we didn’t order this,” Jieun said, putting her hand out.

The waiter gave a small wave. “It’s on the house, don’t worry.” 

Jieun glanced over at Wooyoung, who looked at her with the same amount of surprise that her own expression held. They turned back at the waiter in unison and offered their thanks, who uttered a single “enjoy” before heading off. 

“Wow, free dessert,” Wooyoung said, raising his eyebrows. He pushed the plate toward her with a tight-lipped smile. “You can have it.” 

Jieun frowned as she pushed the plate back so it was in between them. “You should have some too.” She motioned toward the forks with her head. “He gave us two forks.” 

Wooyoung looked at her with the same unreadable expression from earlier, before he let out a small chuckle and picked up a fork. She did the same, and the two clinked their forks together before digging in.

The older boy’s jaw dropped the moment he took a bite, eyes widening. “Wah, it’s really good,” he said, his mouth full. This caused Jieun to giggle as she nodded, covering her mouth. 

“Must be our lucky day.” 

The two continued eating, so immersed in the cake that they didn’t notice an older couple approaching their table until a lady spoke up. 

“Must I say, you two are the most adorable couple I’ve ever seen,” she said with a warm smile. 

Jieun’s eyebrows raised in surprise, stunned at the comment. Before she could come up with a response, however, Wooyoung swiftly spoke up. 

“We’re not dating.” 

This seemed to surprise the couple, who leaned back slightly as surprise took over their expressions.

“Oh, my apologies,” the lady said, letting out a sheepish chuckle. “I shouldn’t have assumed.” 

Jieun gave a small smile, nodding awkwardly as she glanced down at the half-eaten cake. 

“You two have a nice evening,” the man said, wrapping an arm around the lady before leading her toward the exit. Jieun watched as he pressed a swift kiss to her temple, causing the lady to jab him in the side. She chuckled at the interaction before turning back to the cake, though her appetite had suddenly become non-existent. 

“I’m really full,” she said sheepishly. “You can have the rest, oppa.” 

Wooyoung looked over at her. “You sure?” Jieun nodded, pushing the plate closer to him. Her gaze lowered to her lap, where her hands rested neatly as she ran her thumbs over each other. 

She was usually grateful when the members spoke up so she didn’t have to, but Wooyoung’s quick response jabbed into her like a knife. The older boy had only been clarifying their situation, so why was she so upset? 

Jieun took a deep breath as she looked up at the boy, who was just finishing off the cake. Wooyoung grabbed a napkin to wipe off his face before looking up, and upon noticing her staring at him, gave the girl a wide smile. She stared at him for a moment before the corners of her mouth raised upward, hoping her smile didn’t look as strained as it felt. 

The sun had set at some point during the duration of their meal, a couple stars already shining brightly in the sky as they left the restaurant. As they made their way back, the ache in her chest only continued to grow, causing her to gently press against her abdomen in an attempt to stop the feeling. Unfortunately, Wooyoung immediately took notice and glanced at her in concern.

“You ok?” he asked, tilting his head. 

Jieun nodded, sending him a small smile. 

“I’m alright,” she answered. “Just…girl things. You know?”

Wooyoung’s eyebrows raised, his mouth forming a small ‘o’ shape. “There’s probably a drugstore nearby, if you wanna get something.” 

“It’s fine,” Jieun said a bit quicker than she’d intended. “I’ll be ok. Let’s just get back to the hotel.” 

She looked away before she was able to see his reaction, though from the fact that he didn’t respond, it was clear he’d accepted the end of the conversation. 

“Thanks again for tonight,” Jieun said as they made their way down the hotel hallway, eventually stopping in front of her door. 

Wooyoung smiled at the girl, tilting his head down. “Anytime, Eunnie,” he replied, before hesitantly adding, “You’ll think about the trip, right?” 

Jieun nodded distractedly as she pulled her room key out of her purse. “Yeah…I will.” She swiped the card through the lock before pushing it open. “Well, good night, oppa.” 

Without waiting for him to respond, she walked into the hotel room and closed the door behind her, letting out a big sigh the moment she was through the doors. After pulling her shoes off, she walked further into the room and hung her bag on the side of the chair before opening her drawers. 

A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as she noticed San’s absence, presumably out with one of the other members or hanging out with them in their hotel rooms. After quickly changing and doing a shortened version of her night routine, Jieun laid down in her bed and pulled the covers over her. 

The feeling was still there, nestled deep inside her chest as her heart beat pounded in her ears. She stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of what was going on, though it was to no avail. Even as she closed her eyes, the feeling only continued to grow, warming every part of her body to the point where she had to push the blanket off or risk overheating. 

What was happening to her?

[justfandomwritings]

An essay on why I won’t be watching next season.

1. Obviously actors have to promote their shows and hype them up. But the interactions between Nicola and Luke during the press tour were, in retrospect, clearly also acting performances, and it is rare to see acting within the press tour to the degree that those two put on while grossly exaggerating things like how sexy this season would be or how much Polin we would get. I don’t blame them. It’s clearly what they were told to do. And it’s fine to hype a show, but I think a lot of people felt genuinely lied to with the WAY this season was hyped.

2. The casting has been color conscious and inclusive in a way I greatly admire. But they have not been inclusive in other ways. And that’s not to say they should have to be. One show shouldn’t bear the responsibility of being inclusive to everyone and making up for an industries worth of exclusion. But we have exactly one size inclusive character in this whole show, and I’m not even demanding more, but to butcher the season of the only size inclusive person in this show this badly and in these ways sends me a clear message of what the writers thought they could get away with with a curvy actress and how they saw her.

3. The wait times for this season and next season are just too long. The hype dies down too much between seasons such that we care less and less each time we get a new one, especially when you only give eight episodes, regardless of their length. You know who also gave us a season in 2022 and then an eight episode season this year? house of the dragon. And they have to CGI a fuck ton of dragons. Yall were sitting on this season being done filming for over a year and for what? What did you do in post? A bee? And then to have the audacity to do it in two parts? Fuck off.

4. Add to that. The costumes and new sets looked so much cheaper this season than previous seasons. Where did the budget go.

5. The plot is too crowded. Maybe you thought a curvy girl couldn’t carry a season. Maybe it was bad writing. Obviously you needed Cressida and Eloise to have decent amounts of screen time but you also did half of Francesca’s story and set one up for Violet and Benedict that collectively took the majority of the screen time and left us with very little Pen and Colin. Which was a disservice you never gave Anthony or Daphne’s seasons and was why they were good. We got enough crumbs of the others to tell us what was happening but not enough to make them feel like main characters or to make it feel like an ensemble show. There were leads in season 1 and 2. This season it was an ensemble with too many moving parts. But everyone’s said that. It’s not surprising.

6. My biggest problem is the tone. The blame. Admittedly I’m a woman who relates strongly to Penelope so I’m not impartial here. But for a character who spends her entire life being abused by every single person in this show, who is pushed to her absolute breaking point before finally giving her mother and the tonne a taste of their own medicine. For that character to receive no grace, no understanding, no respect, for the vast majority of the season hurt. To not only have zero understanding of her situation but to frame the entire plot of the show around the fact that SHE alone should be sorry. To have minimal to no groveling from Colin over what he said last season, to have no acknowledgment of how he treated her as a safety net, to humanize Cressida who made her life hell with minimal acknowledgment of that fact, to have Eloise get ONE comment from Cressida of all people about her friendship with Penelope but no real reflection from Eloise or acknowledgment on her part or apologies for what a truly SHIT friend she was for DECADES. That hurt. Because the message is that sure, they can push you to your fucking limit, you can break after years of being bullied for your weight and your looks and your status. Your own mother and sisters hands can be filthy with insults and abuse. Your friends can treat you like utter garbage for years. They can befriend your bullies. Your soon to be husband can, very recently, insult you to his friends behind your back. But you owe them the apology for breaking after years of abuse. It’s not that the tonne couldn’t be angry or that they all should’ve fallen at Pen’s feet. It’s that those arguments never happen at all because once again, just like when she was being used and abused by everyone, everything was put on Penelope. And the cycle continues.

7. Colin should’ve groveled more. I know I said that in the previous point but it really ruined things for me so I want to emphasize it. I wanted that man on his knees the whole season, and I should’ve known I wasn’t gonna get that when y’all dropped the list of songs and there wasn’t any of the A List Yearners on the list. But I’m still mad.

8. Actually that’s a good point. Did anyone else think the songs didn’t go as hard this year? Except Pitbull were we excited about any of them?

9. You did the Pride and Prejudice ballroom trick with the dancing alone thing and you didn’t nail it. If you’re gonna do that trick it has to fucking HIT. (And it has to be enemies to lovers.) And you did it half assed. You should be ashamed.

10. There was a two second window there when Cressida asked the maid for help where I thought they were gonna swap lives and the maid would go with her aunt and Cressida would become a maid and I was like “holy fuck is Cressida gonna become Bennys love interest?” and that would’ve been better than what y’all did I think. And it would’ve justified her excessive screen time.

11. I love gender swapping Michaela and making Francesca bi. We love it. But why was Francesca immediately interested. Once again the writers don’t understand pining. Michaela is PINING for Francesca and can do nothing but love her from afar. Francesca loved John completely and whole heartedly. Michaela was a beautiful love story for her but was also a second chance. She loved John completely. She would never have an emotional affair on him. How did you immediately ruin such a beautiful second chance romance?

12. Where was Pen’s friendship with Anthony or Lady Danbury? Why wasn’t Colin proud of Pen the way he was in the book? To make her even more alone? To emphasize that she was alone and at fault and helpless? Fuck off.

I just don’t have it in me to watch this show deteriorate further.

[alizzadanika]

well, it's been a week since i went to see atta boy and i have officially processed it and i've decided not to gatekeep (most) of my experience LOL. because if i don't talk about it, i will explode!

*praying that they never see this so i can remain super mysterious when i eventually meet up with them again (🤞)*

before the concert started, i passed by the merch table and gave freddy and dashel a bag of these keychains i made for the band, their openers, etc.! freddy took one and was like "oh, these are going on my keys" and dashel laughed and was very pleased with the "the second tour ever tour 2024" tagline :) (iykyk)

opener was awesome (the wonderfool)!!! i haven't stopped listening to their most recent album since the concert. wish i had gotten to talk to them after the concert but i didn't wanna disturb them while they were clearing up their equipment. :) very chill folks, GO GIVE THEM A LISTEN!!

(i also wish i had caught aubrey to have a chat but i literally don't know where she went when i mustered up the courage to talk to any of them afterwards 😭)

at the end of the concert, i wanted to hang back for a bit since freddy said the whole band usually is at the merch table afterwards.

there was a line for the merch and then there was a small group of people waiting to talk to lewis (who was off to the side talking with a friend). i let my friend get her merch and i sipped on my bud light, standing around.

when it started getting really late and the line for the merch table was still pretty long, i was like "ah fuck it, i'll just say hi to lewis, then say hey to the rest of the gang after"

so i got into the line by the bar

while i was in line, there was a really sweet girl who came up to me and we were just chatting about the east coast and tattoos and she very much liked my hair (she called my bangs "fresh and pristine")! i don't remember what for but we high fived about something LOL. after a bit, her husband was trying to tell her that she had work in the morning but me and her were like "ahhh it's fine!" i wish i had gotten her name (IF YOU SEE THIS, HELLO!!!!! OR I MIGHTVE MESSAGED YOU ALREADY!!!!!)

when it got to me, i felt bad that she had work the following morning so i was telling her to go ahead of me. meanwhile lewis was just watching like 🧍‍♂️

she got her photo with him and they chatted for a bit, then left

i was gonna walk over to him but he walked over to me and we were both just like "hey! 👋😀"

we were chatting and i asked him to sign my bag, then this man put my sharpie in his mouth (which i didn't even realize until my friend told me about it later) and KNELT ON BOTH KNEES ON THE DIRTY FLOOR WITH HIS WHITE PANTS (i felt so bad because we were literally only a couple steps from the bar 😭😭😭)

he then proceeded to pull out his zyn can and put it in my bag so he had a flat surface to write on (which, again, we were right beside the bar LOL). i proceeded to laugh in his face about it (I COULDNT STOP MYSELF) and was like "oh my god the zyn-" and he also laughed and was like "hey gotta have something to get me going through the day!" my response being: "gotta do what you gotta do"

anyways.. (😭) got a couple photos with him after i told him my mom would beat my ass if i didn't (to which he replied "oh yeah for sure, gotta keep mom happy) and i told him about the keychains, which he was pretty pumped about! and we chat a bit more then my friend and i left

(IM KICKING MYSELF FOR NOT PROPERLY INTRODUCING MYSELF BECAUSE I WAS SO TIRED BUT IT'S OKAY I GUESS)

i went over to the merch table finally to get the others' signatures and freddy was like "what was your name again? wait don't tell me ... 'uh-lie-zuh'" (he also told me earlier he recognized my name from the band instagram) and i was like "so close! 'uh-lee-zuh'" and he went "damn!"

(he also asked me when i bought my atta boy tote and said he was the one that sent it to me out of his parents house, when i said i bought it last year 🙂‍↕️)

i asked to get a photo and he was like "yeah!" but then when i started to take a selfie, he was like "WAIT! ✋ we have to get a proper photo with all of us!"

freddy then wrangled up the rest of the band for me–even though dashel and lew were chatting with people and eden was starting to clear up 😭

then lewis saw me and i was like "🧍‍♀️im back" and he was like "hey! you're back! 😄"

LOL...........

and finally, to end this long storytime, here's me with the atta boy gang!

(sorry, dashel, for that first pic but i have to give a before and after because, after the first photo, eden said "wow, it's like we're giants" LMAOOOO)

dashel, freddy, and lewis said their goodbyes and thank yous and eden asked my friend what kind of camera she had and just chatted with us for a bit (she was also one of the four people who really liked my hair [specifically my bangs])!

i started to tell her about the keychains but she was like "OH WAIT, i saw these earlier!!!!" she was so so so sweet

great folks, great music, great experience! THE ATTABOY THIRD TOUR EVER TOUR WHEN????

okay, goodnight.

:)

[eugeneplace]

seeing as your answering questions about your world domination au how did each bro react to poppy and ramon(branch)?

is cooper part of the world domination team and if so, how does the funk family react to cooper?

You're not going to stop asking for family drama, are you?

You have my respect, dude

Okey so... I think it's important to note that it was Poppy who invited Ramon's brothers to the tour. She wanted them to sing at the wedding (after transforming them into zombies, of course) and she thought that Ramón would like the surprise!

Haha... He did not

And he liked it even less when he found out that Poppy sent them a fucking ransom note

IN HER DEFENSE! She thought that the relief of knowing their little brother wasn't actually kidnapped was going to put them in such a good mood that they would forget how much they hated each other!!

...Back on topic-

When the brothers first found out that Bitty B was alive, before knowing about the kidnapping, their first reaction was very emotional. Toño (Bruce) hugged the messenger and Floyd started crying.

...Jonh Dory just grabbed all the weapons he could find. He armed himself to the teeth to go on the Baby Bro Rescue Mission.

Clay too, but more discreet. Because Viva was also coming and she couldn't conceive the idea that her baby sister had someone hostage just for a concert.

Anyway, those two were going, like- full violence to meet the sister-in-law

It's hard for me to imagine Toño and Floyd as fighters. I mean- One is a family man and the other a party animal, I can believe a fist fight, but I don't think they have an arsenal in theirs houses (I don't think Floyd even has a house)

But yeah, those two definitely got bloodthirsty when they found out lil bro was in danger

They didn't recognize him at first- I mean, yeah, they saw him first with the bird skull mask thing- but even when he took it off it took a while. The eyes ended up gaving it away.

They tried to hug him, obviously, but Ramón wouldn't let them. In fact, it was Poppy who welcomed them with open arms and a smile. Because of course she was very happy! Imagine it: your favorite band are going to be yours brothers-in-law AND your long-lost sister showed up for your wedding! AAA-

So yeah, at first they didn't notice anything wrong with Poppy. Yes, the whole 'tricking them into coming' was weird, but at least she wants them to be there! And Poppy gave them a chance to try to talk to Ramon!

She invited them to stay for dinner (because they ended up arraving at the mobile castle at night time (she came out in her pajamas, Ramón did too but he put his poncho over them))

Besides, they had more important things to worry about. Like the whole grandma got eaten, Ramón is gray and he hates them.. and is about to marry the goddamn Queen of Pop situation

It's only when in the middle of the dinner that Ramón blurts out the whole "we're planning to conquer the world and kill a lot of people" thing that she takes off her mask. They end up knocked out and locked in the dungeon.

[uswnt5]

Everyone’s good energy really helped me yesterday so thank you. I’ll try to make this as brief as possible lol. I’d like to say that being a weekday and knowing we both worked the next day I didn’t think we’d spend the night together. She picked me up and brought me flowers which was so cute and all but I don’t own a fucking flower vase so I put them in a mixing bowl before leaving. She looked stunning! We grabbed dinner and then we went to a board game house. She insisted we play jenga again and I won one of the three times we played🤣 The place was pretty spacious and so we were pretty much alone in our corner. We got to talking and she asked me if I voted. I told her I did and she asked me for who. In my head I was like *bro this is about to go south* I told her I voted Harris Walz and she said “oh thank god, I thought i was going to have to cut the date short but thankfully not” and then I was like “huh got big plans”, bro she gave the EYES. We played a couple more bored games because I unfortunately do not know how to play any of the card games she wanted *I felt so much shame 🙃 like I don’t remember how to play go fish*

We walked around for a bit holding hands and it was all really nice. She’s so smart and kind. She drove me back home and I invited her in. I give her a tour of my place and on my desk she picks up the postcard that ACFC handed out at the last home game. And I let her to see if it prompts up her knowing of the team or recognizing Christen. YOO she says “I know her! I’ve seen her naked” when I tell you I cracked tf up. I asked her why and she tells me she lived in Chicago for two years and her friend took her to a Red Stars game!! I was like omg wth! I guess she saw CP and told her she was hot and as a birthday gag gift the friend gifted her Christen’s body issue and she kept it since then. I was like “wow what a coincidence I also think she’s hot” I then gave her a brief rundown on why I have the postcard, Christen, and being an ACFC STH. She doesn’t know woso and that game was her first but if things work out I’ll make sure it isn’t her last 👀

We chilled and then slept together 😩 I told her to stay because it was pretty late (or early depends how you look at it). She agreed and then we went out to her car and she had an overnight bag stashed in her trunk with her night stuff and clothes for work 🤭 I told her “ wow you came prepared” and we went inside got ready for bed and she did her whole night time skin care routine in the bathroom and it felt so nice doing such mundane stuff with someone. We cuddled and when I woke up this morning around 6:45 she was gone no note or text. I was like okay wow and she calls me 30 min later to open the door. SHE SHOWED UP WITH A FUCKING FLOWER VASE from the Vons a couple blocks from my place, looking so gorgeous in her clothes for work. I made some omelets and smoothies for breakfast. And then we both got ready and went about leaving for work.

I have now changed my plans and will be watching the pink flops game tomorrow night at my place with her. I’m just hoping they don’t let me down tomorrow because depending on how the game goes I could very well give her the ick. 🤣 I asked her out for the 2nd date on Sunday, so feel free to leave suggestions. thank you all for your interest in this

P.s I need advice on when to tell her I’m not out to my family 😔

-Age gap body issue french toast hookup anon

Oh my fucking god anon you hit the JACKPOT with this one! lol wow, I am very impressed with her game! How sweet is it that she went to get you a vase!

So happy for you! Sounds like you really like her and she CLEARLY really likes you! All these shows of effort! I tell ya, the dream!

Here you go, anons. I know you've been waiting on an update lmao!

[throughthetwistedmirror]

Doughnut Queen ~ *Ruggie Bucchi*

Summary: You’re visiting Ruggie’s hometown on holiday. You’re excited to meet his grandmother and the people he grew up with. Somehow, you get roped into making doughnut for everyone?

Pairing: Ruggie Bucchi X Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluffy Oneshot

Word Count: 1641

Warning: N/A

Masterlist

Taglist: @savanaclaw1996 @goseew

You couldn’t stop the smile on your face, even though Ruggie couldn’t stop snickering at you. It wasn’t everyday that your boyfriend took you back to his hometown. Any chance you could go to the Sunset Savanna, you jumped on the opportunity.

“Are you going to stare with your mouth open like a carp the whole time?” He giggled.

“I can’t help it! The Savanna is so beautiful! I wish I could stay here forever.” You heaved a lovesick sigh.

He shook his head, his fingers brushing yours. “You’re so silly. It’s not like you’re never going to see this place again. Besides, you’re visiting for the whole summer and the break just started! We’ve got time to enjoy everything the Savanna has to offer.”

Your smile grew impossibly wide. “You’re right! And you get to show me everything, and I mean everything!”

Ruggie laughed. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. I’ll be a better tour guide than Leona.”

“Sounds good.” You pecked his cheek. “But first, you promised I’d get to meet you grandma. I want to meet her first.”

He seemed to pause for only a millisecond. “Ah, yeah, you’re right. We’ll go there first.”

With your ever present bright smile, you tugged your boyfriend along as you made your way into his home village. It was small, but charming. It also gave you a pang of homesickness, but you didn’t dwell on those thoughts. You were more concerned about meeting your boyfriend’s grandmother for the first time. Whenever you managed to get him to talk about her, he spoke fondly of how she took care of him and all the other children in the village. You were determined to meet the wonderful woman who shaped the amazing guy you were absolutely in love with.

When you reached his house, he stopped you. Scratching the back of his head, he took the chance to explain, “Hey, just so you know, my grandmother, she can be a bit much sometimes. So if she’s a bit demanding or rude, that’s just who she is. She’s old-school, you know? So just, be prepared.”

You squeezed his hand, ignoring his blush for the sake of his pride. “Ruggie, I’m sure she’s just fine.”

Before he could protest, you knocked on the door. When the door opened to reveal his grandmother, she lit up. Pulling your both into a hug, she squeezed you tight.

“Ruggie! You’re here! And you brought your girlfriend! Oh, and she’s absolutely lovely! I can see why you fell in love with her.”

While you laughed, he groaned in annoyance. “Grandma, please-”

“Oh, hush!” Pulling you closer, she gave you a once over. “Let me get a good look at you. Yes, yes, you’re perfect for my Ruggie. Now come in! Come in! Tell me all about school and how you two started dating.”

“Grandma!” Ruggie barked out, his cheeks a deep shade of red. You still continued to laugh. At least you got her seal of approval. You could breathe a little easier now.

The three of you talked for hours over watery tea and biscuits. You had to admit, his grandmother was a phenomenal baker. When you mentioned this to her, she thanked you and told you she would give you the recipe so you could make them yourself. Of course this led to a discussion all about baking. And since Ruggie knew more about eating pastries than making them, he kept quiet and watched with both relief and joy to see his two favorite people getting along so well.

As he was about to make some more tea, there was a knock at the door. Upon answering it, he saw a couple of the neighborhood kids. He smiled, crouching down so he was eye level with them.

“Hey guys. How can I help you today?”

The boldest of the three took a step forward. “We saw there was an outsider in town. We’re here to check it out.”

Ruggie laughed as you walked up behind him. “Looks like the whole town knows you’re here. Y/n, meet Ayden, Isaac, and Yesenia.”

You nodded and held out your hand. “Nice to meet you three. Thank you for stopping by. I promise I’m not here to cause any trouble.”

Ayden crossed his arms over his chest. “See that you don’t. We’ve got enough problems here already.”

Yesenia tugged on his sleeve, a small pout on her lips. “Ayden, hush. Mama said not to talk about stuff like that.”

You winced a little. “Ah, well, is there anything I can do to prove I’m here as a friend?”

“Can you cook?” Isaac asked.

“Of course I can! What would you like me to make?”

The three children glanced at each other before coming to a consensus.

“Doughnuts!”

You laughed, ruffling Ruggie’s hair. “I see where you get it from.”

Swatting your hand away, he whined. “Oh c’mon!”

Shaking your head, you slipped back into the kitchen. “Grandma Bucchi, do you mind if I make doughnuts for some of the kids in town?”

She grinned. “Why, of course! Help yourself! I can even go get more ingredients if you need it. I will tell you, these kids have bottomless stomachs, just like Ruggie. One won’t be enough to satisfy them.”

You nodded. “Of course. I’ll do the best I can.”

After that, you got to work. It’s been a while since you last baked. But the process was just like riding a bicycle. It didn’t take too long for you to get back into the swing of things. Before too long, you had made a few dozen doughnuts for the kids to try.

With the goodies on a tray, you went back into the living room, where Ruggie and the kids were roughhousing. Smiling, you set the tray down on the coffee table. All four of them scrambled over, practically drooling. 

“Alright. Tell me how I did.”

All it took was one bite and they were in love. The doughnuts were gone in no time and they were begging for more. You simply patted them on the head and promised you would do your best.

As you started to head back to the kitchen, Yeseniya tugged at your shirt.

“You should go to the community center. They have a bigger kitchen and more supplies so you can make even more doughnuts!”

Almost choking on nothing, you blinked owlishly at her. You didn’t think your doughnuts were that good! But her pleading eyes were making you melt. Besides, you were making these kids’ day by making them doughnuts. Who were you to deny them?

“Oh, I don’t know. We’ll have to see if it’s okay-”

“It’ll be more than okay.” Ruggie’s grandmother interjected. “We have people who come in to cook for those who can’t afford it all the time. Besides, the center is always open and fully stocked for whoever needs to use it. Money is hard to come by in these parts, so we’re always lending a helping hand to those who need it.”

A pang of empathy hit your heart as you thought about what she had to say. Well, if it was for a good cause, you had to do it now! So with a smile, you nodded.

“I’ll do it.”

“Yay!” The kids started tugging at you, dragging you to the community center. Ruggie just laughed and followed along.

Before too long you were cooking up a storm in the community center. Ruggie was acting as your faithful assistant, plating the warm doughnuts and setting them out for people to take. The three kids had raced around the town, telling people that there were free doughnuts at the community center. Ruggie’s grandmother was helping you keep up with all the hungry people. You had it all down to a system, making sure everyone got more than they needed.

While this wasn’t what you had in mind when you came to the Sunset Savana for holiday break with Ruggie, you were happy with how it turned out. It makes you feel good to help others and put a smile on people’s faces. You were swapping stories of home with Ruggie’s grandmother, and learning all of his embarrassing stories from when he was a little kid. It felt like you really had joined the Bucchi family and become a part of his home.

Little did you know that Ruggie was so happy he brought you home. Seeing you get along with his grandmother and his hometown made him swell with pride and love. He didn’t believe it was possible to fall in love with you more than he already was. Yet here he was, falling in love with you all over again. You were absolutely perfect, not just for him, but for his family as well. It was then that he made a vow to himself that he would never let you.

By the time the last plate of doughnuts were taken, the sun was setting on the horizon. You and his grandmother were out of breath, practically collapsed on kitchen chairs. He smiled tenderly at the sweet scene before him.

“Don’t worry about dinner tonight. I’ll take care of it. It’s the least I could do for all your hard work today.” He said.

You smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you Ruggie, that would be wonderful.”

“Think you can help your old granny home?” His grandmother asked with a breathy chuckle. “These old bones ain’t what they used to be.”

He chuckled. “Of course. Then you can tell me what you want to eat tonight.”

“Not doughnuts, that’s for sure.” She muttered as Ruggie helped her onto his back.

As the three of you walked back to his grandmother’s house, he smiled while listening to his grandmother go on and on about what she wanted to eat, your hand in his.

[tearfallpixie]

Soulmate Necklace - Chapter 2: Touring

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. This weekend has been hell for me but here you go! 🫡

Tags: @nerdraging4point0 @thesazzb @synthetic-wasp-570 @circle-with-me @beaker1636 @itsjustemily @witchyweeb34 @agravemisstake @cookiesupplier @cncohshit @faceless-mirror @nonamessblog @yournecessaryevil @black-damask1999

@lyschko666 @vinyardmauro @skulliecadaver-blog @some-daniela @latenightmusiclover @rye14-blog1 @somewhere-diamond @Shilohrosechicken @abiomens @awkwardalex @rumoured-whispers @miss570 @dominuslunae @th0ughts-pr4yers

“What the fuck is she doing back here?” Rick snapped when we walked into the room.

“She’s going to be touring with us. Meet Scarlet Darcy. Our new photographer.” Chris introduced me. I made my way back over to the couch and sat down, equally upset by the situation.

“Fuck no. I don’t want her touring with us.” Ricky growled.

“Would you rather be in jail?” Chris hissed. “Because unless you two play couple in public that’s what’s going to happen.” Rick finally seemed to realize the severity of the situation and frowned. “She’s touring with us and so is Elara.” He said, nodding towards my friend who was standing over by Vinny. As it turned out they were soulmates too.

“Fine. Just stay out of my way.” Ricky grabbed his bag and shoulder checked me as he walked out the door.

“We’ll swing by your home and pack you a bag of clothes for the tour.” He told me. We all made our way out to where the bus was and loaded up. “There is an empty bunk in the back for you, Scar and Elara’s is the bunk under Vinny.” Elara was driving my car back home so I nodded. I made our way to my assigned bunk, and I saw Ricky in the one across from me. We were the only two in this part of the bus.

“Just kill me now.” I groaned. I crawled into the bunk and rolled so my back was to him and pulled out my phone. I put my headphones in and scrolled on tiktok for a bit until someone shook my shoulder. I turned to see the purple haired singer staring down at me.

“We kind of need your address to get to the house.” He grinned sheepishly. I blushed, having forgotten about that.

“Right, sorry.” I took the paper he was holding and scribbled it down for him. “It's about an hour and a half away but it's in the direction of your next venue.” I mumbled.

“Thank you. I’ll give it to the driver.” He left me and Rick alone once again and I sighed.

“Look, for the record I think this shit is stupid too. I don’t want any part of it. Unfortunately we are stuck with each other so let's just keep up public appearances and try not to kill each other ok?” I asked. He looked over at me and gave a stiff nod.

“I-I don't hate you. Ok? I just had a really crappy break up a few months ago and I am not ready to move on to someone else. This whole soulmate announcement thing didn’t help at all.” He sighed, not looking up from whatever he was working on on his computer. I rolled on to my other side and faced him.

“You were really incredible on stage by the way.” I told him. “I loved your part during Scoring the End of the World.”

“Thanks. I wrote those lyrics myself. I think its probably one of my favorites that we’ve done.” He murmured. We sat there in weird silence for a bit before he spoke up again. “How long have you been into photography?”

“I’ve been doing it since I was little. My dad was the one who got me into it. I’m going to grab my gear when we get back since I am apparently your photographer now. I have quite a bit of equipment but I’ve never done tour photography so I don’t know what to bring.”

“I can look through it. I think I have a pretty good idea of what’s needed.” He smirked at the screen. I rolled my eyes with a small smile and agreed. I went back to my TikTok again and before I knew it we were at my house. The bus pulled onto the street and I headed up front to get off. Rick followed after me wordlessly and when we stepped off the bus he placed a hand on my lower back, ushering me inside.

“Welcome back!” Elara called from upstairs. “I am packing our bags. You just worry about your camera stuff.”

“That’s a recipe for disaster.” I mumbled. “Make sure I have some appropriate clothes.” I yelled back. That earned a chuckle from Ricky. “Shut up Olson.” I snapped playfully. I led him down to the basement where my studio was and started packing up my camera.

“Where are your camera filters?” I pointed to the cabinet in the corner as I closed my tripod and put it into its sleeve. “The ND filter is a must. Do you have any CPL filters?” I went over to him and dug through my filters for a second before finding what he requested and handing it to him.

“Will I need any lighting rigs?” I asked.

“If you have a small ring light and some bar lights, those might be good to bring along. Just in case we want to do some behind the scenes photos.” I nodded and got into the closet to grab my ring light and bar lights. I also snatched my reflector sheets and my camera suitcase to load everything up in. Once it was all packed away I set the case on the ground and drug it back upstairs where Elara was waiting.

“Ready?” She nodded and picked up both of our bags. Vinny walked in and took one from her before leading us back out of the house. I brought my camera onto the bus while Ricky loaded my suitcase below it. I went back to my bunk and tucked my camera in the corner of it before crawling in and laying back with a sigh. It was about 3 am now and I had been up since 7am the previous morning so I was exhausted. I wrapped my quilt around me and fell asleep to the gentle thrum of the bus humming.

~~

“Scaaar.” I whined at my best friend's voice. I wasn’t ready to get up and deal with the day yet. I shifted and noticed my bed wasn’t as soft as it should be so I slowly opened my eyes and the memories of last night came back. My hand went to my necklace as I turned to face her. “Time to get up. Your boyfriend is waiting.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” I snapped as I swung my legs over the edge of the bunk. I got into my drawer and dug out some clothes for the day and changed into them before following her up front with my camera.

“Morning Scar. We were worried you were going to sleep the day away.” Chris teased me from where he was sitting at the table.

“I would like to and to forget that yesterday happened all together.” I grumbled.

“Ooooh, Someone’s not a morning person.” Vinny teased me. He and Ryan were gaming on the couch while Ricky sat nearby on his computer again.

“Shut up Vincenzo.” I snapped.

“Damn, No wonder she and Rick are soulmates. They are perfect for each other.” Ryan snickered, earning a death glare from me and the other guitarist. “Hey, you two have to play nice, remember?!”

“In public. In private I can tell Olson to go fuck himself however many times I feel like it.” I grabbed the coffee pot and poured myself a cup before taking a seat at the booth across from Chris.

“Right back at you Darcy.” Ricky snarked back. I rolled my eyes and turned to the singer.

“So what do I need to do? Like is onstage, ok? What sort of shots are you looking for every night?” I asked.

“On stage is fine. If there is a night that we particularly want you on stage then we will let you know ahead of time. Video footage, pictures from inside the barricade. Things like that. Some Audience footage wouldn’t be hated either.” He told me. I nodded and wrote a couple of notes on a notepad that I kept on me.

“I question your judgment in hiring me without seeing my work.” I teased him.

“While you were packing up at home I did a little look into your work. I don’t think I did at all. You’ve done festivals for your town for ages.” Chris smirked.

“Just make sure you get good shots of us? The last photographer didn’t know what the fuck he was doing.” Ricky huffed.

“Hmmm, maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe you just need a new face.” I shrugged before turning back to Chris. “Do you want me to take casual photos while you are out and about too? That way you guys have some for your stories?”

“If you want. That would probably be pretty cool for fans to see some tour content behind the scenes.” I immediately pulled out my camera and pointed it at Chris, capturing a photo of him giving me a grin while rolling his eyes. I turned it around to show him and his smile grew. “If that was a simple photo I can't wait to see what you do with the concerts.”

“I can’t either.” I mumbled nervously.

[digitaldiarystuff]

Worst Mistake Pt.2

omg i’m having so much fun writing this but i still need support! if you have any ideas on the storyline or any comments about it please please lmk. hope you enjoy💖

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pairing: Jude Bellingham x Y/N

summary: Jude was a close friend of your boyfriend, so you meet him. What’s the worst thing that could happen right?

genre: i think a bit of everything

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For the next weeks, you successfully avoided any occasion Jude would attend and you had every intention to keep it that way because the guilt was eating you alive. However, your plans didn’t work because you always worked from the office on wednesdays and this wednesday, the first thing you saw was Jude standing in the foyer with your boss talking.

“Oh Y/N, welcome” she happily said when she saw you coming in. She was never this kind to you but it had to be because she was talking to a client.

“Hi Susan.” you told her but didn’t look at Jude once, you didn’t know how to approach him.

“You never told me you gave a pitch to Mr. Bellingham, now he’s here to tour some places and decide.”

You couldn’t believe it, why did Jude decide to come to your agency when there were a billion of them? Yeah you showed him the options but he also tried to kiss you and the worst part was, it took everything in you to stop him.

“Yes, Mr. Bellingham was looking for a place and I gave him some ideas.” you professionally answered.

“Well, as luck would have it, you’re actually here today. Can I count on you to show him 3 houses today and then we can have a lunch and discuss which one he’d like.”

This was quite normal in your company, you had many big clients who got very special treatments because they were wealthy and Jude was obviously a great addition to your clientele but being alone with him touring houses all day made your cheeks heat up. You didn’t even have an idea about how this day would go.

“Of course.” you smiled politely. There was nothing you could do, this was a job and you were now his real estate broker.

Jude’s eyes never left your face, wondering if you were going to ignore him forever. You could feel a burning gaze and finally looked up at him and to your absolute disbelief, just looking at him for three seconds reignited the feeling you had the first time you saw him. You felt horrible about all this. You tried smiling reassuringly but your face muscles barely moved. He, on the other hand, had a genuine smile on his face and you wondered if he did this a lot. Maybe he was a home wrecker who enjoyed meddling in people’s relationships all the time.

Susan soon left you alone with Jude to fetch the keys for all the houses you were going to visit today and you stood there silent.

“Hey” he cautiously said when you didn’t talk.

“Hey”

“Zack insisted I should come here, he says you guys are the best.”

Zack… Just hearing your boyfriend’s name was enough for you to know you could never do this to him. You had to put every single feeling aside and focus on being Jude’s friend, this was the only way it should be.

“Yeah, look Jude, we are friends and I’m happy to help you. So let’s go find you a house.” you smiled looking up and saw a slight change in his eyes with your sentence but you couldn’t care about it now. You’re doing your job and helping a friend out.

You tried driving but Jude insisted he should, saying he had to get used to the streets anyway. You silently agreed and went over to his car which was way better than any car you could afford.

“Must be nice.” you mumbled while getting in.

“So the first house is in the neighborhood. You can take a left here and we can go see it first. It’s the only one in the city actually, the other ones are in the suburbs.” you explained and he listened to your directions without any words.

“And this is it.” you exclaimed while he pulled up into a complex. Jude didn’t say a word to you the whole way and it was starting to get to you, yes you were terrified to explore the tension you had with him but you could at least converse like two acquaintances.

You were going to show him a penthouse on the top floor and had a private elevator so you walked over with Jude following close. Once in the elevator, you scanned your card and pressed the highest floor. Your fear of elevators was added to your already anxious self and you felt your hands shake a little but it was okay, this was a fast elevator.

“What the fuck?” Jude asked when suddenly the lift stopped completely.

You couldn’t even form a sentence because this was one of your worst nightmares, you just leaned against the wall and tried calming your breathing.

“Y/N?” Jude asked once he saw the state you were in.

“Yeah?” you said just above a whisper.

“Are you okay?”

“No I’m not. This is my worst fear” your voice cracked at the end and he immediately stepped closer.

“No no no it’s fine. It’ll probably just start again anytime now. It’s fine don’t worry.” he tried reassuring you but you couldn’t even focus on his words, feeling on the verge of a panic attack.

Jude didn’t know what to do so he opted for something that would calm him down and reached for your cheeks. He held them with both of his hands and made you look up at his eyes.

“Y/N listen to me, it’s going to be alright. I’m with you and nothing’s going to happen.”

Just then, the lights turned on and the elevator started moving. You didn’t know if it’s the state you were in seconds ago or the fact that Jude calmed you down with just talking but you started crying immediately. Jude didn’t move, he didn’t drop his hands still holding you like a fragile statue, gently and wiped every single tear you shed. In this light, you could see every single detail of his handsome face and you could also see the worry in his eyes. He probably thought you were crazy, but completely lost in the moment, you placed your hands on top of his holding him in place and leaned in his touch. No words were spoken, you just silently waited for the doors to open and as soon as they did, he retreated his hands and you stepped out.

“So this penthouse is 3 bedrooms 4 bathrooms and is 207 square meters…” you started but Jude cut you off immediately.

“Y/N you need to sit down, here I’ll bring you a cup of water.” he said leaving you in the main space and going into the open kitchen.

Seeing him so worried about your wellbeing made your head spin and you finally realized what happened minutes ago. Your cheeks heated up to a crimson red.

Jude opened the fridge and found an unopened bottle containing water and brought it to you.

“I thought I told you to sit down.” he smiled

“Thanks Jude.” you said opening the bottle and settling down on the sofa. He sat at the other end and examined your face.

“Do I have mascara smudges on my face?” you asked seeing how careful he looked at you. He laughed a little.

“Um, maybe a little but it’s nothing.” he said sliding over to you.

“It better be, I paid 70 dollars for it.” you joked but your breath hitched when he leaned in removing the drops of mascara under your eyes with his fingers.

“You didn’t have to.” you whispered but he kept wiping your under eyes until he was satisfied.

“There, good as new.” he said taking his hands off your face but didn’t move back to his old position just kept close to you.

You smiled genuinely because he took good care of you when he didn’t need to. You were lost in each other’s eyes for a while, he looked at you like he wanted to memorize every single detail he could until you finally got up, it was becoming much harder to just sit there and stare at him.

“Okay, let’s start the tour.” you smiled and said.

“Okay tour guide, show me what you got.” he said and stood up as well.

The day was going far better than you imagined considering you were trapped in an elevator, almost had a panic attack and were with Jude who you were trying to avoid at all cost. You toured the first and the second houses and were actually having a fun time, nothing inappropriate happened and Jude and you had good conversations with banter. If you weren’t deeply attracted to him, you knew you’d be close friends. I mean, you are friends and nothing more but, you know…

“Is this the right place?” he asked while pulling up.

“Yup” you answered as you looked at your dream house, this was your favorite but of course the only way you’d be in here was with a client showing them the house. It was a modern villa with stone exterior and an infinity pool in the garden.

“Is this the one you showed me?”

“Yeah, I mean I showed you all of them. But this, I think this is a place has a calm energy to it.” you laughed and got out of the car.

You gave Jude the tour trying to be professional and not affect his choice.

“So what do you think?” you asked whilst you were sitting in the lounge with him.

“I think I know which one I’m picking.” he confidently said. “Do you guys link me an interior designer as well or should I find one?”

“Yes we work with some designers I can tell Susan to help you with that.” you replied.

“Susan, why?” he asked.

“I mean, my job’s basically over here. I showed you the houses, Susan takes care of the clients after this stage.”

“But do you get a commission?”

You were startled by his curiosity.

“Um, no. I don’t work on commission, I just handle the background work most of the time.” you answered truthfully and he stopped asking about it after that.

After that, you met up with Susan for lunch. You didn’t know if you were actually invited or kindly expected to leave Jude and Susan to have a discussion alone but Jude firmly told you to stay with them so you had no other choice.

“So how was everything? Did Y/N take good care of you?” Susan asked clearly being extra.

“Of course, she’s amazing.” you cleared your throat. “As a tour guide.” Jude added immediately.

“And did you find what you were looking for?”

“I think I did.” Jude said while looking at you, the sentence alone made your stomach feel butterflies but you quickly tried shrugging them off.

“The last one, I want the last one.”

You looked up at him because you really hoped you didn’t change his opinions being biased but he quickly sent you a smile.

“It really has a calm energy and I loved the pool.” he added and Susan happily continued talking but your mind was racing, he used the same wording that you did while explaining to him. Did he really agree with you or was just quoting you?

After the lunch Susan offered to take you back but she had to cancel last minute to attend a meeting with other clients, you reassured her it was okay and you could just get a taxi and she left. You thought Jude also left but his car was still in its place and he showed up behind you in a second.

“You need a ride?”

“Oh no you don’t have to.” you tried but he wasn’t taking no for an answer so you hopped in the car with him.

You knew better than asking him but couldn’t help yourself.

“Jude?”

“Hm?”

“Did you really like the house or did you just do it because I said it’s good?”

This was dumb, why would he want a house just because you liked it. He was probably laughing at me right now, you thought but as you looked at his side his face was neutral.

“I liked it.” he simply shrugged and you felt extra stupid for thinking something like this.

“But I also value your opinion. You said it yourself, you love being in that house.” your heart started beating faster.

“But I wouldn’t be there, you would so what’s most important is what you want.” you looked out the window because the tension was back and it was thick.

“I wish you would.” he mumbled and you almost didn’t hear it. But you did.

“Huh?”

“I said, I really like it so thank you.” he said just as you reached your office and thanked him for driving you.

“No problem, see you soon.” he said as you were closing the door.

“Yeah, see you soon.” you whispered as he was speeding off.

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