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desideriumwriter · 6 months ago

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Anyone But You | Chapter 10

Chapter Summary: A seemingly good night at the Yule Ball goes wrong and Reader absolutely loses it at Fred.

Pairing - Fred Weasley x Fem!Gryffindor!Reader

Category - enemies to lovers + hurt/comfort

Content Warnings - cursing, arguing, yelling

Word Count - 2.4k

A/N: I know I knowww the second task was in february and the third was in june but we’re gonna change it up and say they were in january AND february instead, stay with me now, it’s for the plot i promise

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Katie and Angelina had come back just minutes after you had found your dress in pristine condition. Their exhausted looks from whatever Hooch made them do were replaced by shock.

“Is that- You were able to fix it?” Angelina blurted out, there was a noticeable amount of disbelief in her tone.

“Not me. I didn’t fix it.” You muttered, still looking at the clean fabric. “The twins…did.” You shook your head in disbelief, ignoring how the two girls gave each other knowing stares and smiles.

Katie then pleaded for you to leave the rest up to her, you did. And of course, by some miracle, was able to set you up with a Durmstrang boy for the ball, literally the morning of the event.

It was awkward being set up with a total stranger, but a date is a date.

Plus, you’d never have to talk to whoever this boy is again after this. Hopefully.

It was awkward enough meeting him. You had butchered the poor boys name to his face within the first minute of meeting each other. He had said yours perfectly through his thick accent.

“Poliakoff.” He corrected, you stammered out an apology and he only put up a hand to shush you. “It’s okay. Shall we go in?” He gestured to the entrance doors of the Great Hall when you looked puzzled at him. You nodded and wrapped your arm around his.

It was worse when you finally found where Angelina and Katie were standing with the twins, their dates. The weirded out stares from all of them were unnoticed by Poliakoff, but definitely not by you. It was so pathetically obvious you were just each other’s arm candy.

Poliakoff wasn’t the worst looking guy, but he definitely wasn’t the sharpest, and that seemed to be well-known already.

Even Cedric gave you a befuddled look and nod that said interesting choice when he entered with Cho and all the other selected champions and their dates.

Other than that, the night was going well. You stuck near Katie most of the night, you danced, you cheered and jumped around with the crowd when the band Weird Sisters came out to perform. Katie and you excused yourselves during the band's intermission to go get drinks from the refreshments table, you even were able to talk to Cedric then.

“What on Earth made you choose him?” Cedric gawked as you walked up to the table.

“You know…that is a really great question!” You happily pipped, turning to Katie with a sarcastic smile, “It was Katie's doing, not mine.” Katie scoffed and threw her hands up in defeat.

“Listen, he was the best I could find!” She huffed, crossing her arms in a playful way. “I understand he’s not the smartest but he was one of the better looking Durmstrang boys!”

“Exactly, you got her paired up with a Durmstrang while she's bestfriends with a future Triwizard Tournament winner from Hogwarts.” He grinned, tilting his head in a teasing manner, Katie sighed and shook her head.

“Future winner from Hogwarts.” You nodded slowly as you repeated his words, raising your glass in cheers to him. “Has Cho escaped you yet?” You teased Cedric, not realizing Cho was already making her way over.

Katie nudged you and your eyes went wide, a small amount of embarrassment creeping in when you saw her.

She stopped next to Cedric, letting out a shy wave.

“Cho! You look stunning!” You complimented, hoping to make her feel less tense than she looked. She thanked you, still giving a nervous smile.

“Cedric’s been giving you space to breathe I hope?” You joked.

“Yeah.” She nodded and let out a small laugh, you could see her relax a bit. “Um, you and Fred are having a lot of fun?” She pipped.

“What?” You blurted out. You were confused, honestly confused.

“You came here with Fred, right?” She blankly said, clearly oblivious to your hatred for him.

“Oh, um, no. No, I, uh, I didn’t come here with him. He’s not my date.” You stammered, genuinely surprised she thought that you and him were together.

“Oh! I’m really sorry! I just thought you two had something going on.” She rambled, apologizing more, you played it off with a laugh and shrug.

She then excused herself from the conversation, walking back to the group she was originally in.

“So, your nights been a success?” You let out a heavy breath, looking at Cedric and trying to distract yourself and everyone else from what just happened.

“Oh, it absolutely has. Cho..she…” He trailed off, letting out a happy sigh and looking behind his shoulder at Cho, “She really likes me.” He turned his head back to you with a lovesick grin stuck on his face.

“So, are you and her like…official?” Katie gestured, you looked at her with wide eyes as you nudged her with your elbow, your way of saying don’t be so nosey.

“I’ve got no idea.” Cedric breathed out, “I don’t know how to ask, am I supposed to ask? How am I supposed to?” He talked at such a quick pace, you gave him an apologetic shrug. He was so in love with her, you felt proud? Of him in some weird way.

“Well, I’ve got to get back. You better watch out, Freds been staring you down all night.” He winked and nudged you playfully before walking back to Cho.

He wasn’t lying either, by the time you looked over to where Fred was, he was darting his eyes away from you, going back to nodding at Angelina.

“He’s not wrong. He has been giving you eyes all night.” Katie said as you turned back to her.

“No he hasn’t!” You let out a ‘pfft’ as you waved her off.

“He has.” Katie said, a more serious tone this time. “You just don’t wanna see it. Cho isn’t the only one who thinks you and Fred have something going on behind the scenes.” She sipped her drink.

“You know, I would’ve told Angelina which one was George so you could take Fred.” Katie continued.

“Who thinks that?- Wait, she doesn’t know?” You gaped at her.

“I haven't got the heart to tell her Fred was the one who asked her out. I feel terrible…but I'm praying she’ll figure it out before she makes any moves.” Katie held back a laugh. “Also, plenty of people think that about you and Fred.” She gave you a sympathetic look, you ignored her.

“But what about you and George?” You attempted to switch the topic away from Fred.

“Us? We’re just friends. He clearly has his eyes set on Angelina.” She shrugged, unbothered. “Fred got Angelina, so he just decided to go with me. Anyways, where’s your boy gone off to?” She craned her neck towards the crowd, looking for your date.

You couldn’t remember the last time you saw him. There wasn’t a glimpse of him amongst the crowd.

“I suppose I should go look for him before the slow dancing starts, shouldn’t I?” You sighed, putting down your glass. Katie nodded. She went back into the crowd and you went to go look for your date.

It embarrassingly took ten minutes to find him. After looking through the sea of people in the middle of the room, outside the entrance doors, the staircase, you found him hiding behind a large pillar in an empty hallway. With some Beauxbaton girl. Sticking their tongues down each other's throats.

Neither of them noticed you standing there with a disgusted look, nor when you stormed off back into the Great Hall.

Sulking in a chair at an empty table, you felt stupid for being upset. You didn’t even care for that boy in the first place, but you felt stupid. You felt humiliated. It was embarrassing, being left astray like that, just embarrassing.

You stayed there for the remaining hour of the event. You weren’t sure why you bothered to stay since you were in such a bad mood, most students had left already. There were a few pairs mingling around or slow dancing.

You felt envious, watching Fred dance with Angelina.

You weren’t envious of Angelina, that she was Freds date, or that she got to slow dance with him. You weren’t envious of that, of course not.

You surely were envious that Fred was able to score a date, that he got to have fun until the last hour, and not be abandoned by his date. It hurt. It hurt seeing that. Seeing them. Him.

So, you continued to sit around, resting your head on your hands, staring at the bubbles fizzing in your drink.

“Wow, it’s odd seeing you in that fancy dress.” Freds voice appeared as he stood in front of the table. “Despite being all mopey, you look quite nice.”

“Why are you here? I thought you were with Angelina.” You slowly raised your head to give him a puzzled look.

“I thought she knew I wasn’t George.” He gave an amused look as he nodded behind him, George and Angelina were now slow dancing together, looking much more lovingly at him than she was at Fred. You let out a small amused breath, thinking about what Katie said earlier.

“What’s wrong with you?” He spoke when he noticed your face go back to its inexpressive look.

“Nothing.” You muttered as your eyes darted over to where your now ex-date was dancing with the Beauxbaton, you didn’t mean to point Freds direction to them, giving him a non-verbal answer. Fred clicked his tongue at the sight.

“I knew that geezer wouldn’t be good for you the moment he stepped in with you. Hell, I would’ve been a better date for you, and you hate me.” He sighed and shook his head.

“Yeah, well I didn’t ask for your input.” You muttered.

“I’m just saying.” He lifted up his hands in defense, “You're always holed up on your own, Katie and Angelina are the most people I’ve seen you hang around.” His words made you sit up a bit more, rubbing your arm for comfort, a bit shocked at his words.

“Maybe if you put yourself out there more…you wouldn’t be heartbroken being someone's last resort.” He shrugged, all your movements stopped as you glared at him.

Last resort? Was he fucking serious?

“Excuse me?” You whispered out, he opened his mouth to speak but you cut him off when you stood up.

“Firstly, I was no one's last resort and I am not heartbroken over anyone! Secondly, I don’t hole myself up, I have friends.” You noticed that look in his face, it was a hint of condescending. “And finally, what the fuck is your problem?” You felt your eyes glaze over, you decided to start walking off before the tears came.

“I don’t have a problem! I’m just telling you how it is.” Fred was quick to follow your steps.

"God, you just don’t know when to shut up, do you? Have you always been this insufferable? I swore you were somehow more tolerable when we were younger." You spat, he only let out an amused scoff.

"I reckon what happened is you've just become uptight. People love me, I'm great!" He uncrossed his arms as he followed you up the steps.

“Of course you are! That’s your fucking issue! You’re always great and you’ll always be great.” You stopped where you were on the staircase, whipping around to look at him. You were the one staring down at him this time.

“Everyone loves you and your brother and I can’t see why!” You continued on, “Why doesn’t anyone find you as annoying as I do? Either you’ve got them all under some spell or nobody has the courage to buck up and tell you damn insufferable you are!” Fred blinked back when you pointed your index at him.

“And just because you grabbed me out of the crowd that one night doesn’t mean I have to be your friend or like you! Because all you’ve ever done is make me fucking miserable! With your stupid tricks and pranks! You make people miserable!” The words were like venom spitting off your tongue, you felt awful about it underneath all your rage. Fred looked down and blinked a few more times, like there was something in his eyes.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone? Why’d you even approach me?” You breathed out, your tears were angry and hot. You never realized you were already crying.

“I originally wanted to say that you…” Fred hesitated to speak, opening his mouth and closing it.

“What?” You barked out, you wanted him to say whatever he was going to say so you could finally go back to your bed. Your feet hurt and you felt humiliated, there were already enough eyes from passersby set on the two of you now that you’ve shouted at him.

“That you looked…nevermind. Forget it.” He sniffled and shook his head. “Have a nice night.” He said flatly, turning around and disappearing down a random hallway.

There was a sting that came with his words. You’d never seen this raw version of him. So taken aback, sharing the same bitterness you had towards him. Spitting at you the way you always spat at him.

You’ve struck something in him somewhere in your scolding to see him be actually insulted by what you said.

You let out a breathy sob, you felt almost guilty for it, but you were blind with rage, and he started it. You attempted to swallow back your sobs and keep yourself together until you got back to your dorms, although you were already falling apart, you had already cracked in front of Fred.

Hermione bursted in not long after you, her face matching yours; tear stained with puffy eyes.

“What happened to you?” You accidentally spoke out loud.

“Ron. What about you?” She sniffled.

“Fred.”

“Weasley boys. Can’t give a damn about anybody but themselves.” Hermione muttered, grabbing pajamas out of her drawer before slamming it shut and walking out the room.

Katie’s words rung in your head as you sat in the silent room.

“Cho isn’t the only one who thinks you and Fred have something going on behind the scenes.”

“Plenty of people think that about you and Fred.”

She had to have been exaggerating, no one truly thought that. There was nothing going on “behind the scenes”.

There was nothing but hate for Fred, there was nothing hiding behind your hatred for him.

tell me what you thought! or ask tba to the series taglist!

TAGLIST: @sublimepenguinpeach-blog @five-seconds-flat@nal-leo-17@rhunew@albertdabuttler@weak-aesthetic @whotfskai @m00nymarauder @miaandthediamonds @hpstuff244444 @tarzanathetumblingwarrior @isabellavolere @navs-bhat @honeybee240 @pillowjj

#fred weasley x reader #fred weasley #fred weasley x fem!reader #fred weasley fic #fred weasley fanfic #fred weasley angst #anyone but you fic #anyone but you

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muzansfangs · 6 months ago

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Bloodstain.

Starring: Aizen Sosuke x f!reader; mention to Shuhei Hisagi, Shinji Hirako, Ichimaru Gin, Shunsui Kyoraku;

Format: multi-chapters story;

Warnings for this chapter: domestic dynamics, suggestive themes, language, fear of storms, denial, sexual tension, struggling with feelings, mention to unprotected sex, breeding, violence, injuries;

Plot: To ease off the tension between you two, you decide to take Sosuke out to buy himself clothes, a phone and anything else he may need during his permanence in the World of the livings. Visiting shops, you mark some lines and establish rules to make your forced cohabitation more pleasant. What a shame you keep on repeating yourself the umpteenth ‘kiss’ is just an accident not bound to happen again.

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𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐚.

After five hours spent in avoiding Sosuke, you had come to the conclusion you just had to put an end to this circus. The day had not started the way you had planned, but it was not too late to actually try to fix things. After all, your forced cohabitation had barely begun. If you did not confront him now, things would have decidedly degenerated in the near future. Before locking yourself up in your bedroom, you had caught a glimpse of him wandering through the living room and directing his attention to your library. At least, he was reading, not destroying your flat or the whole city. Still, you did not think he was still doing that. He was too quiet. Suspiciously quiet.

Therefore, stepping out of your nest, you made your way to the living room, only to be taken aback by the sight of him still sitting comfortably onto your sofa with his nose buried into a novel. You had definitely underestimated his capacity of maintaining a deep and constant concentration for hours. How stupid of you to forget he was built differently from common mortals. He was a self-proclaimed god, was he not? He had trascended reality, challenged the quintessence of the world.

Staring at him from the entrance to the living room, shoulder against the wall and arms against your chest, you also took notice that he had removed his eye-patch. Handsome, almost looking regal, he was already bewitching you again. You had almost forgotten how much his eyes had always affected you. His features, sharp yet gentle, made your stomach twist and turn for the war waging in your head between your morals and your lust for him. You had to keep your distance from him. It was not going to be easy, you were well-aware of that, but you had to try not to be stuck in the deadly web he was subtly sewing around you.

“Staring is rude. Hasn’t your father taught you that? Shame on me, I should not be surprised, if he has not. It’s Kurosaki Isshin, after all” Sosuke’s snarky remark brought back on Earth.

He was such a jerk at times.

You rolled your eyes, ambling towards the couch with an annoyed expression plastered over your face “As if I would waste my time staring at you. I was merely doing my job: checking on you. — you punctuated, the fact he had caught you red-handed upsetting you to no end — What are you reading, anyway?” you asked, plopping down onto the opposite side of your couch with a sigh. You had missed your forniture. As much as you loved the Soul Society, you had to admit the beds and sofas were not that comfortable.

“One of your books. I found it in the novels section, but I believe you misplaced it” Sosuke stated, flipping a page seemingly unbothered by your presence.

You quirked your eyebrows up, squinting to get a glimpse of the cover to read the title “Huh? That’s impossible, I personally make sure not a book is out of its genre. — you reasoned, scratching the back of your neck thoughtfully — What is it?” you asked then, only for your jaw to drop to the floor.

“It’s ‘Fifty shades of Grey’. That’s porn. Low quality porn, to be fair” Sosuke replied, before delicately closing the book and settling it down onto the coffee table in front of you.

Out of the vast collection of books you had, he had really picked up that one. You felt your cheeks boil, you eyes frantically averting from him to the volume under your nose, as you cleared your throat to utter out some excuses. Did you feel ashamed for owning something tagged as erotic? It was just a stupid book, a gift from Shinji to mess around with you.

“It was a gift and… It’s a novel, anyway. It’s just a little steamy” you stammed, avoiding his gaze at any cost.

“Oh, is that so? Interesting friends you have. Who was it from, if I may ask?” he inquired, propping his hand onto the palm of his hand, leaning forward to pull your gaze back on him. He did not even had to try to catch your attention. He always had it. As if you were strong enough to evade his magnetic gaze, though, you pretended not to be affected by those caramel eyes. Or his whole persona, to be fair.

“Why should I tell you?” you replied, grasping the book and standing back up to put it into its original place. You would have done anything in that very moment not to be forced to look at him.

“Oh, just to take note of who are your real friends and who merely wants to sleep in your bed” Sosuke cooed, causing you to flinch.

“Excuse me? None of my friends has such ambitions and, even if they did, this is not your business. I have already told you not to meddle into my life” you countered back, your voice taking a warning edge that seemed to amuse him.

Sosuke smiled, that subtle smile you viscerally hated “Are you so naive to believe men have pure intentions, when it comes down to a woman? — he questioned you, swiftly standing up as well and walking up to you slowly, the stately pace and elegance of a panther stalking down its prey — A friend doesn’t gift such scandalous books to a girl. Not unless he wants to send her a message” he explained his point of view, causing you to sigh in exasperation and clasp your hands together not to lash out at him. He apparently had no intention of dropping the topic and, above all, he was attempting to get you to talk. He wanted informations from you, this much was evident. But you were not going to tell him anything, especially given the altercations between him and Shinji. You did not really want your chaotic friend to go through more psychological trauma thanks to your new roomer.

“No, I’m not. — you started curtly, gaze hardening — In fact, I let you fuck me only because I agreed to sleep with you, not because I thought you were genuinely offering me a shoulder to cry on” you countered back, before glancing at the clock and realizing it was almost noon. Well, considering you had to help him settle down anyway, you could help yourself out of this conversation and tell him to follow you out of your flat.

As Sosuke stared down at you, seemingly resentful for your answer, you just walked towards the door and grasped your wallet and keys from the bowl at its left. You expected him to talk, say anything, but you were genuinely surprised when he silently followed you out of the door. It was irritating, so much that you had to be the one to break the ice after your snippy comment.

“Aren’t you even asking me where I am heading to and if you are allowed to come with me?” you asked him, locking the door behind you.

“Why should I bother questioning you? It’s not like I’m not going to follow you anywhere you go, love” he casually replied, unbuttoning the collar of his shirt absent-mindedly.

Love. Now he had started using nicknames. Where did it come from? Why was he burying the hatchet, even though you had just wounded his ego? You eyebrow twitched as you shoved your key into the pocket of your shorts, head whipping in his direction only to find him placidly smiling at you.

You sighed “Love? Really? Sosuke, cut the crap—“.

It happened too quickly for your brain to register it. One second you were staring daggers at him, the next one your back was flattened against the wall and his hand was clasped over your mouth to prevent you from talking. He was not upset, then again he did not seem to be irate. Reading him was hard, he was too imperturbable to be affected by human emotions. You looked at him wide-eyed, muffling noises of protests reverberating against his palm as he hushed you by raising the index of his free hand.

“Calm down. — he commenced, cocking his eyebrow up as he watched your features relax gradually, albeit your hands were still scrambling up in a pathetic attempt to tug his hand down and free your mouth — Did you forget what I have told your neighbour? We are supposed to act like a couple outside your flat. Can I remove my hand from your mouth, or are you going to keep up that stupid attitude of yours?” he asked you, watching your eyes grow round and then be reduced to two fissures.

He had a point. He always had a point and throwing hands in the corridor was not exactly a good idea, given your proximity to Mrs. Watanabe’s door. You were one hundred percent sure that hag was staring at you from the peephole, confident you were going to make a false step. Against your will, you nodded your head slowly and inhaled sharply before raising your hand to cup his cheek in your palm and sneering at him.

“Alright, we are on the same page about keeping a low profile. — you said lowly, through gritted teeth — But once we are back home, you will keep your hands for yourself” you clarified, before slowly and gently slipping out of his grasp.

Ignoring him never worked. Acting like a couple in public was probably the equivalent of letting the population of a small medieval town drag you to the village square and tie you up to a stick to burn you alive. Sosuke was going to be your excruciating death. The worst part of it was that you did not have the strength to run away from your feelings for too long. Not after chasing them away for years. You were tired.

But then, he made comments that got under your skin and you admonished yourself for having let yourself think he could have been a good match for you, if only he had not almost massacred your whole family and your friends.

“As you wish. — he replied, his presence looming over your frame from behind as you exited the building — Admittedly, I do not think you are going to last long without my attentions, darling”.

Yes, in times like that, you desired nothing more than kicking him twice in the guts and feed his genitalia to a crocodile at the zoo. Instead, though, you decided to keep your chin up and head towards the main shopping area of the city “Believe it or not, I have been living a relatively peaceful and satisfactory life until Shunsui appointed me to babysit you” you replied, an hint of pride in your voice as you hastily crossed the road not to be rolled over by a car you had failed to spot.

The driver’s insults pierced your ears as you did your best to ignore him and resumed your march. The man standing right at your left, however, was not going to let it go.

“Are you sure Shunsui appointed you to babysit me? Maybe you’re mistaken” he commented dryly, watching you roll your eyes and grasp him by his forearm roughly to pick up your paces and reach your destination faster. The less you spoke to him, the better. You had no time to bicker with him over such trivial matters, not when your stomach was protesting as well. You craved food and you knew a cheap place not too far from there, where you used to grab your lunch on your way back home from school.

Sosuke shot you a displeased glare, his hand gripping yours to stop you. His hooded brown chocolate eyes bored into yours, slender fingers slipping between your smaller ones to lock your hands and, factually, forcing you to halt. Your eyes met his once again, his lean frame making you feel so miserable once again as he tugged you closer to him, this time more carefully.

“Y/N” he spoke firmly, a warning for you to settle down and listen for once. In the middle of a crowded street, mere inches separating your bodies, you lost yourself into his gaze. It was not the first time it happened. You should have known better than trusting yourself around him.

Sosuke’s free hand skimmed over your arm, resting onto the top of your shoulder, goosebumps pattering your skin under his touch “I know no one respects me. Despite that, you once did. What did I do to be undeserving of your company?”.

You frowned, blinking to clear your own clouded mind “What? We live together now. Whether I like it or not, I’m stuck with you”.

“Don’t lie, Y/N. Your body is here, but your soul is desperately attempting to run away from me”.

His words rang in your head, a lump in your throat you could not swallow forming. You had not let your guard down, not since you had slept together, still he was capable of reading your mind. You clenched your jaw, sucking in deeper breath, as you shook your head.

“Get out of my head”.

“I don’t think I will. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever had the pleasure to be in” he replied, a faint grin crossing his lips as he shook his head and dipped his head down.

You were unable to talk back, his lips a magnet pulling you in, hypnotizing you, as you tightened your grip on his hand. No, you had to resist, you had to push him back, to block him out of your head. But a kid passing by ruthlessly bumped onto your back, your balance failing you as Sosuke caught you promptly in his arms and stole a brief kiss from you. Lips pressing against your soft ones for a few seconds, yet causing a turmoil of emotions into your stomach. You scrunched up your nose, feet finding their place back onto the cobblestone as he tentatively let go of you.

The moment you stepped back, hand reaching up to your mouth, you stared up at Sosuke stupefied only to notice he was smiling almost imperceptibly. He licked his lips, his tongue swiping out to brush over his bottom lip and a guttural hum reverberated through his chest.

“You’ve changed your chapstick” he commented, before hinting at the road with his chin and ambling towards the busy street leisurely, silently awaiting for you to join him.

And you did, you followed him, with your fingers still lingering right where his sinful lips had met yours. You reprimended yourself for having enjoyed it, but you refrained from shouting at him he had blatantly ignored one of the first rules you had set. It had been just a casuality. He was standing too close, that kid had the same grace of an elephant and the politeness of an ogre. It was not even a real kiss. Insignificant touches did not count, right? You really wished you could explain that to your heart too.

You soon found out Sosuke had a classy taste for expensive fabrics and brands. His charm even helped to get a discount, at times, and you were seething in rage. With the amount of money he had, that man did not someone to deduct such generous amount of moneys from the price. Right, he was filthy rich. You had literally goggled your eyes, when Shunsui had given you the access to Sosuke’s accounts. The Soul Society had made sure to change the local currency into Yen. You were genuinely surprised he had saved so much money from his days as a Captain.

“I can’t believe it…” you muttered under your breath, as you entered into your last shop for the day. You needed to buy him some boxers, but he had pushed you right into an Armani shop because he was not going to wear ‘cheap boxers’.

“Still upset I’m not broke?” he replied amusedly, as you two wandered through the shelves to look for the lingerie section.

You huffed, rolling your eyes as you picked up a pair of black boxers and showed them to him “I’m just surprised, that’s all. I mean, Shunsui is the Captain Commander and he’s not that wealthy” you spoke your mind, watching Sosuke examine the fabric absent-mindedly before looking at the size.

“He’s constantly dissipating his savings in women and saké. — he replied monotonously, before glancing at a point at your back with a sly expression on his face — I never had to pay for sex and I’m not an alcoholic”.

With that he handed you the boxers you had chosen for him and gestured at you for purchasing a couple of other ones too. You scoffed, his words pulling out a bitter chortle from you, as you whipped your head around and rummaged through the different assortments of boxers on the shelf. He was such a bastard. You did not even spare him a glance to check at what he was doing, as you walked up to the cashier and told her you had to pay for some articles.

However, on your way out of the shop, Sosuke was quick to catch up to you. You noticed he was holding a bag in his hand, something that made you arch your eyebrows “What is it?” you asked.

“Curiosity killed the cat, huh?”.

“You know what? Nevermind. I don’t even care”.

”Not even if it’s a little something to apologize for having offended you earlier?” he hazardously tempted you, causing your ears to prick up rizzare. Did he really buy something for you? Did he think he could get on your right side so easily?

You sighed “Really now? Why spending your money for me? It’s not like you really yearn to earn my forgiveness or something. This is surely one of your bluffs”.

“Ouch, you hurt my feelings. — Sosuke defended himself, the sky turning gradually purple above you two as you headed back towards your home — You’re a broken record. I never lied to you, I think I have abundantly made myself clear”.

He had, that was true, but you wished you could trust him blindly. You wished he was not the user of a deceitful zanpakuto, you wished he was not the man you had fallen for and tormented yourself not to love anymore. But above all, you truly wanted to erase those intimate moments you spent in his bed. Sosuke was a snake, a wizard, a bewitcher.

“It’s a nice gesture, Sosuke. But I am pretty sure you know that a simple gift will not make it up for everything you’ve done. I don’t think I can accept anything coming from you” you replied, only to be feel his hand cup your hip and pull you closer to him.

With his lips grazing the shell of your ear, you felt your breath hitch in your throat “Then, forgive my language, why did you accept my cock so easily? Further more, why did you let me breed you?” he whispered darkly.

The sound of a thunder rolling in the distance was all you needed to shove him off of you and run all the way down to your home. The warmth coiling in your lower abdomen, the irriration and rage blinding you when he got under your skin were something you could not control and it was driving you insane.

You did not want to die young. You did not want to die by the sword of a Captain, or a Lieutenant. Despite being the oldest of the team, and obviously not the weakest, you were not confident enough to wander down the mazy streets of the Seireitei. You had miraculously entered the walls without your brother and the rest of the gang, after escaping a tremendous fight with a Captain. The same Captain that had sent chills down your spine for his easygoing nature, but cold homicidal rage.

The same Captain that had almost cut your arm off of your shoudler. Hand pressing onto the wound, you were jogging down the streets, hoping no one recognized you. Some shinigamis did not pay much attentions to you, your uniform clearly confusing them.

But a guy with a tattoo over his face had been following you around for quite a while now. You had not even had the guts to look him straight in the eye, someone referring to him as ‘Lieutenant Hisagi’ had scared you off. You needed a shelter, you needed a place to heal your wounds and look for Rukia.

Your vision was getting blurry, though. Your limbs hurt and you eventually slumped down against a wall with a pained expression and the certainty you were going to die. Your eyes closed, a whimper leaving your lips, as you hoped no one found you like that. But a powerful spiritual pressure squashed you down onto the ground. Your wary eyes snapped open, a familiar face blessing your vision as a man with glasses knelt down in front of you.

The white haori, that reiatsu. He was a Captain. You were dead!

Your hand gripped your zanpakuto, swinging it towards him, as you coiled like a squirrel when he reached his hand out to touch your cheek. But he stopped you.

“I don’t want to hurt you”.

Curled up in a ball on your bed, you flinched at the sound of the umpteenth thunder exploding outside, the rain pattering against the window of your bedroom. You had not even eaten in Sosuke’s company, barely talking to him if not to inform him you were going to sleep. This happened around midnight. It was two o’ clock and you were restless, nervous and … Scared of storms.

You did not want to tell him about your weakness. You had been made fun of for it in the past and you were in no mood to argue anymore for the day. Probably a glass of water could calm you down. Or this is what you told yourself, whilst you walked barefoot in the dark corridor to reach the kitchen.

The door of his room was closed, your feet making no sound on your way back to your room. But a sudden thunder caused your grip on the glass to loosen and you watched helplessly as it made contact with the hard floor. Splinters of glass and a puddle of water littered the tiles and you let out a screech that caught the attention of your housemate.

Door creaking open, Sosuke leaned against the doorframe. No shirt, grey pants on and his chiseled abs in full display, he narrowed his eyes at you and the scene unfolding before his droopy eyes. You had never really seen him like that, partially disheveled, more human. He was not faking his sleep, at least.

“Sorry. Go back to sleep, I will clean up” you fretted, looking for a rag to wipe away the water and collect the shattered glass.

“Turn the lights on, at least. You’ll cut your feet like that” he tiredly observed, finger switching the lights on.

You were about to snap at him, ranting about how you were not a toddler and how you could perfectly take care of yourself, when you squirmed out in fear again and the thunder gave Sosuke the hint of what was happening right before his eyes. Trembling like a leaf, you stared at him like a soaked, scared kitten, his lips parting in disbelief.

You feared being judged.

“It’s pathetic, I know” you blurted out in defeat.

He did not reply immediately, merely glancing at his room behind him before stepping aside “Come inside” he offered.

You furrowed your brows, his offer sounding strangely soothing and you searched for his eyes to find some further infos about his intentions.

The shinigami sighed, folding his arms across his chest “I don’t want to hurt you”.

Those words again. This promise of not harming you, the way you found yourself entering his room in search for protection felt like a deja-vu. However, as you sat onto the edge of his bed and he joined you, grasping a black t-shirt from the desk and wearing it, you could tell he had no intention to fool you in any way.

“If you don’t want to sleep alone, you can stay here” Sosuke said, before lying down onto his back.

You felt your cheeks heat up, foreteeth sinking onto your bottom lip “It’s inappropriate and… I don’t understand why you’re doing it anyway”.

“We’re far beyond the ‘appropriate’ etiquette, don’t you think? — he bantered, watching you shift onto your seat and slowly lying down next to him, rolling onto your side to face the wall — Also, I don’t mind you sleeping next to me”.

You mentally cursed yourself for having accepted, but when his arm snaked around you, pulling your back against his body to spoon you, you felt safe. Not a single thunder scared you anymore that night, not as you fell asleep in his arms.

As selfish as he was though, Sosuke had his reasons for wanting you there. Since you two had slept next to each other, he had learnt to appreciate the company of a warm body next to his one, your body.

Maybe feeling was not as detrimental as he had always thought. Maybe you were worth the shot. Probably, you were the cure to his solitude.

AUTHOR NOTE.

Hi, there!

I honestly did not think so many people were going to be invested in this story. Thank you so much for showing appreciation to my work, it means a lot! Having said that, I have been looking forward to write this chapter. Whilst there will be other chapters in which Sosuke is going to be involved into mundane situations, shopping with his ‘so-called-girlfriend’ is something I really enjoyed picturing. Sorry for the late update! I promise you very spicy things in the next one. As for now, thank you so much for your feedback!

Love,

— Luce

TAGS: @pseudowho @seireiteihellbutterfly @onyxino @areyouflying @bakugosgirl01 @noirfan12 @velaenaa

#aizen sosuke x reader #sosuke aizen x reader #aizen x reader #aizen smut #bleach smut #bleach x reader #shunsui x reader #shuhei hisagi x reader #ichimaru gin x reader #shinji hirako x you

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thisapplepielife · 2 months ago

Text

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles.

Along the Chimney with Care

Prompt Day 24: Stocking | Word Count: 550 | Rating: T | CW: None | Tags: Future Fic, Established Relationship, Learning New Skills, Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

"What are you doing?" Eddie asks, as he leans over Steve's shoulder as he sits at the dining room table.

"Practicing," Steve answers, as he looks at the scrap of fabric in front of him at the sewing machine that he's dragged out of the deepest recesses of some closet.

"Practicing what?" Eddie asks, because it just looks like a bundle of tangled up threads.

Steve flips it over.

It's a kind of badly done embroidered version of Eddie's name, but it makes him smile. It might not be anywhere near perfect, but he likes the effort Steve's clearly tried to make. Steve could have ordered them custom-made from somewhere else, or even gotten iron-on letters, but instead he's chosen to do it this way, for better or worse.

"What's this for?" Eddie asks, smiling.

"Stockings for Christmas. I mistakenly thought this looked easy. It is not easy," Steve says, and Eddie sits down.

"Let me help," Eddie offers, even if he has no idea what that will entail. But surely they can figure it out together. They've always been able to figure anything out, as long as they've done it together. Two heads are better than one, and all that shit.

Not to mention, Eddie can sew. In theory. By hand, for sure, and Wayne had an old machine Eddie used a few times while making vests and other shit. He's never made a stocking, but he's willing to try.

"It keeps tangling on the back," Steve laments, and Eddie slides the practice piece of fabric towards himself, so he can look at it more closely.

"Is there a manual?" Eddie asks, and Steve shakes his head.

"Not that I've ever seen," Steve answers.

"Hmm," Eddie says. He understands the basics, maybe, but he's not sure he can do much by way of troubleshooting.

But he bets he knows who can.

"Joyce says to check the bobbin," Eddie says from the kitchen, holding onto the phone.

"What's the bobbin?" Steve asks, standing up and looking at the top of the machine.

"What's the bobbin?" Eddie repeats.

Joyce laughs in his ear, "Oh, dear."

But she walks them through it. They take it out, rethread it through the machine, and then test it out.

It's better. It's definitely better.

"That fixed it!" Steve says, pumping his fist in the air, hollering, "Thanks, Joyce!"

"He says thanks," Eddie repeats to her over the line.

She heard him. The whole block heard him.

Eddie sits on the couch and watches Steve hang the stockings along the chimney with care. They aren't perfect. Far from it. But they do have their names on them, and Steve made them. He also let Eddie sew patches on them, which makes them even more personal to each of them.

A joint effort. Eddie loves them in all their slightly wonky glory, and he hopes they use them for years to come.

"Okay. They're Santa ready," Steve says, and Eddie grins.

"I can't wait to see what Santa brings me," Eddie declares, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, and Steve just smiles like he has the biggest secret.

"Coal, probably," Steve teases, and Eddie laughs, big and bright.

Steve's got something planned, something up his stocking, as it were, and Eddie can't wait to find out what.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun! 🧦

#steddieholidaydrabbles #prompt: stocking #steddie #steddie ficlet #eddie munson #steve harrington #steve x eddie #steddie fan fic #steddie fic #stranger things #joyce byers #thisapplepielife: short fic #thisapplepielife: steddieholidaydrabbles

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justkpopjokes · 3 months ago

Text

SKZ’s reaction to being Trapped in an elevator with you

A/N: An idea from ummm 2020? Lmao I got trapped in an elevator once. Requests open :D

gender-neutral!reader, mix of romantic + platonic!

Bang Chan: “It’s okay, baby, stay calm. This is why there’s a call button built into the elevator.”

Waits a moment to see if the elevator will fix itself

Hugs you and rubs your back if you get scared

Then he presses the alert and/or call button in the elevator and handles the whole conversation until maintenance comes

Prioritizes you and does his best to keep the situation under control

Lee Know: “I can’t die now! I have three cats to raise!”

Startled but isn’t surprised; the elevator has been having issues all week and he’s been thinking about it every time he steps in

Kinda scared the elevator will fall—he’s definitely the type of person to plan on jumping as the elevator falls to supposedly minimize damage

Tries to distract himself while you handle the distress call

Suggests lifting you up to the top of the elevator like in spy movies until you remind him that there’s another set of doors on each floor of the elevator shaft

Changbin: “YO…yohhhh…sorry, sorry, where’s the distress button?”

Freaks out for a bit at first but quickly toughens up because he doesn’t want to worry you

Tries to distract you both from panicking with humour

Acts cool on call with maintenance to impress you 😎

The elevator is stuck near a floor, so he’s able to help push the door open and help you out!

Hyunjin: “AOUGH are we gonna die?? Okay, nevermind, we won’t…at least we brought food, right?”

Was returning from a snack run with you when the elevator crapped out and the lights started flickering

Is a drama queen until you open a bag of chips so he’ll stop yelling

You’re gonna have to handle the distress call simply because his mouth is full of snacks

Suggests making out to pass the time (he’s trying to distract himself)

Han: “Did you hear—WHAT WAS THAT?!”

Would panic before he even knows what’s happening! Thank goodness you’re there to calm him down

Latches onto you for comfort

You’d have to figure out which button to press and the call because he’s too stressed

Hugs you tightly even after you escape the elevator because “my life flashed before my eyes! I need to cherish you more!”

Felix: “Woah WOAH woah. Are you okay? You’re okay, right? Don’t worry, let’s handle this together.”

Pretends not to panic but spams whatever assist buttons they have and the “open door” one even though it doesn’t work

Clears his throat and makes sure to use his deep voice when on call to show you he isn’t scared. He isn’t! Not worried at all!!

Holds your hand and does deep breathing exercises with you to keep you both calm

Will massage your head for you to help you relax

Seungmin: “Ugh, I hate when this happens. Give it a minute.”

This is the guy who had a helicopter crash into his building and was unphased… unbothered king™️ could not give a crap about the elevator

Is two minutes away from lock picking a control panel to try and fix it himself (he can’t. He’s just bored)

The elevator is trapped between floors even though the door opens—he’s ready to help lift you up through the gap just to get help quicker

You refuse because you don’t want to leave him behind, so you play a game with him to pass the time

I.N: “Um…we’re supposed to call someone, right? But my phone is dead!”

Is honestly unsure what to do…Is praying in his head that the elevator fixes itself first so you don’t need to call for help

His finger hesitates over the alarm/call button while his other hand holds yours tightly

Asks if you have snacks so he can stress eat while you wait for help

Immediately searches up “what to do when trapped in an elevator” the moment you’re out in order to prepare for the future

#stray kids reactions #skz reactions #stray kids imagines #skz imagines #stray kids scenarios #skz scenarios #jkj fics #.txt

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couldawouldashoulda50 · 16 days ago

Note

Do you think that at some point Loren would come across with William some of her old classmates or ex or ex-friends? People that were not the nicest to her and hurt her while they are out or something. They act all nice and sweet because of William. Nothing dramatic, but her old memories come back and she gets uncomfortable. William then comforts her.

A more precise way would be with Loren ex who basically screwed her over. They are at a restaurant or an event. William meets him briefly without Loren or himself knowing who he is. Her ex says he’s a fan or whatever. Then, Loren comes back from like the washroom or wherever she was and they are just the two together. And finally, they both see her ex together and it’s awkward and weird (obviously I don’t think anything drastic like a fight would happen because it’s out of character)

A/N - Well sweet Anon, I thought I was doing well at the 3k word mark. Then the 7k word mark happened....I had no idea this would turn out to be 11k words. Apologizing is definitely in my nature so I will start there - I tied another idea into the beginning of this and I just went with it never intending for it to be this long. There's a lot of layers here but it all leads to Loren's past seeping into her present through a group of (so-called) friends reaching out to her.

Trigger Warnings: **This recounts Loren's experience with her ex, who, by definition, is an emotional abuser. I have never written about this before and tried to keep it as a very high-level account of it**

18+ only. Contains profanity, smut (oral [fem receiving], intercourse [p in v])

Word count - approx 12k words (sorry again lol)

Loren was positioned comfortably on her side of the bed, her oversized socks half falling down her calves and her cropped cardigan slipping slightly off her shoulder. She had her laptop resting in her lap, her focus drifting between resizing an image and fiddling with the resolution. On the other side of the bed, William lounged on his back, his head on a pillow at the end of the bed and his feet near the headboard. His phone was in his hand, he appeared to be watching something but in reality his attention was entirely elsewhere.

He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her tonight—or really any time that she was near him. The screen of her laptop illuminating her face, reflecting off of her glasses made him beam from the inside out. It was clear to him that the more time they spent together, the longer he wanted her to stay with him.

On some level, from all the way back to the first time he kissed her—that moment now many months ago—he couldn’t imagine anyone else fitting so naturally in his space. Scratch that. Wouldn’t want to imagine anyone else. When they had to leave each other, it always impacted him more than he ever let on. He was head over heels for Loren, and he felt confident that she shared the same feelings for him. Their random introduction at an Easter Seals Skate truly became a rare gift of a deeply caring union between two people.

With all of these feelings, however, he knew there were things they needed to discuss before the future which he deeply desired with her could happen.

Loren could feel William’s lingering gaze from across the bed. She had only glanced at him for a split second, her eyes once again fixed on the laptop screen. “How ya’ doing over there? You’ve been quiet,” Loren asked gently.

William smiled, caught in the act. “Just thinking.”

Loren let out a soft laugh with a mock grimace. “Uh-oh.”

He chuckled but didn’t respond immediately, his eyes returned to his phone. Loren had appeared on a mid-day talk show in Toronto, modeling a local designer’s winter fashion line that was mix-and-match and budget-friendly. William re-watched the clip that was posted by the network.

“Were they nice to you—the women on the show?” he asked, holding up the screen of his phone showing her the clip.

She flipped her glasses up onto her head, pinning her long wavy hair behind her ears. She squinted at the screen, her lips curving into a small smile. “They were—everyone was very nice. I was nervous but then I realized it was just the same as trying on clothes in Chelsea’s closet.”

“Or mine—err, wait…no - that’d be more like a strip tease,” he said simply, and when she blushed and ducked her head shyly, his smile widened. He set his phone aside, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before changing his position on the bed. He laid next to her on his side with his pillow bunched under his head. “Can I ask you something?”

Her fingers paused on her keyboard. “Of course,” she replied, looking very attentive.

“Who do you talk to about us?”

The question caught her a little off guard. Loren paused for a moment, closing her laptop halfway. “Uh, well, Alice, for sure….a couple of other WAGs?. We actually don’t talk about you all that much—I guess I don’t feel the need to. And Kathy, she’s sort of my life guru—she has been for years. I think she’s the only one that I told about meeting you to begin with. I trust her—and she’s pretty much like a vault.” She tilted her head, studying him.

“What about your parents? Or your other friends?” he asked.

Loren hesitated. “I haven’t told my parents anything. It’s not that I don’t want to, or that I don’t trust them, but… it doesn’t feel like the right time yet. They’re enjoying their first winter as snowbirds, and I don’t want them worrying about anything that I’m doing up here.” She closed the laptop and sat it next to the empty glass of wine on the nightstand. “My friends - I have a lot of different friend groups, but everyone’s busy with their own lives—and even still, short answer? I wouldn’t be comfortable mentioning that we’re seeing each other.”

William nodded slowly. “So it doesn’t bother you that we don’t do, like, the Insta thing posting pictures of us being together or anything like that?”

Loren shook her head slowly and mouthed the word “No.” Despite the silence behind the word, he understood loud and clear how much she meant it. “I guess… I just don’t want it out there. I’m really cagey about opening up my personal life up online - who I'm seeing romantically…especially you.” Loren shifted to lay on her side facing William. “Is that okay?”

He pulled her into him, kissing her mouth and guiding her thigh over his. His blue eyes bore deep into her now racing heart at the vision that was his face.

His eyes remained connected with hers, his brows furrowing slightly. “Oh, yeah - no….I’m totally okay with that….it’s sorta my preference too.” William paused, his mouth hovering over hers, his sweet breath warm against her lips before continuing. “So, I was just watching this reel and I guess I wanted to know how you’d feel about a situation… as I kind of want to assume we’ll, uh… be together for a long time.”

Loren blushed at the thought. She tried to not react but a small smile curled at her lips.

Although his expression seemed calm, William’s stomach flipped with where the conversation was heading. “Prenups,” he said, watching her closely. “How do you feel about them?”

Loren was not expecting that one. A million thoughts bounced in her head, mainly wondering why he was asking, but she slowed her mind and decided just to answer the question directly. “If little ‘ole me, with my once shiny credit rating and trusting nature, could get fucked over so badly with my finances, then you, with your… what, a hundred million dollars? Even if it’s not me you are with in the end, you better make sure your future wife signs one… I’ll hunt you down and straight-up kick your ass if you don’t.”

Her bluntness mixed with his own nervous energy made him burst out laughing.

Loren grinned at him as she continued. “Seriously, though,” she added, “I hope you wouldn’t treat a prenup like a license to do whatever you want, but yeah, I’d absolutely sign one. Would you sign one for me if the tables were turned? I might be mega-rich all on my own one day.”

William nodded—first that he believed she could do anything she put her mind to, and second, he really would sign one.

“That’s actually where the question came from. I was watching something—like, the guy… he had money and assets, and he explained to his fiancée that he wanted her to sign one. She flipped out but then she inherited some money later. Then she turned the tables on him and demanded he sign one,” William explained. “I mean, I was just curious what you thought about it… not that I was worried about something like that with you anyway.”

Loren ran the back of her fingers along his jawline. “Well, obvious double standard going on with those two. But, personally, I have had too much experience in that department, William - it can get to be pretty fucking terrible. Whether it’s me, or the people that I care about, if you end a relationship—especially you—you need to have something in place, something that’s fair and just for both parties. It’s not that you want the relationship to end, or think that it will…” her voice trailed off.

William hesitated, his hand slipping under the waistband of her shorts, his palm resting warmly on her ass cheek. He wasn’t entirely sure why the thought had popped into his mind, but once it was there, he couldn’t shake it.

“So… here’s a question,” he started, carefully “We’ve been together now for a bit—like, really together this time. You’ve seen more of what my life is like, how crazy it can get. Is there any part of you…” He trailed off for a moment, leaning his forehead against hers for a moment. “Any part of you that doesn’t want this? That doesn’t want to do this life with me?”

The question hung in the air. Loren’s breath caught, and to her surprise, her throat tightened. She shook her head quickly, trying to blink away the tears that suddenly threatened, but it was no use. The sadness with that simple question overwhelmed her.

“Hey, hey,” William said, alarmed. He moved closer, cupping her face gently. “I didn’t mean to make you upset. I just…”

She laughed at herself through the tears, shaking her head. “You didn’t do anything. It’s just…” She dabbed under her eye with the back of her thumb. “The idea of it just hit me the wrong way,” she sniffed, scoffing at herself in embarrassment.

His heart clenched. He helped wiped at her tears with his thumbs, but his attempts to comfort her only made the tears fall faster, though now she was mostly laughing as well. “You have to stop,” she managed between sniffling and giggling. “You’re making it worse.”

William’s chest ached with love for her. He pulled her closer and held her tightly as her tears subsided. “Sorry William - that just caught me the wrong way… but I can’t help the tears sometimes, it’s just how it is with me.”

“You weren’t lying when you called yourself a puddle, eh?” William teased.

Loren’s words were muffled against his neck. “Lille lustigkurre,” calling him a “little goof” in Swedish. William playfully planted tiny kisses across her lips. He loved how seriously she was taking to learning Swedish, coming out with phrases he never taught her.

Loren’s tone turned apologetic. “But yeah, I wish I could control the tears more - used to drive my ex nuts… he’d go ballistic, as though berating me was going to help me stop crying.”

William’s body tightened, as he visualized Loren being screamed at while already being upset. His jaw clenched when he pictured dropping her ex with one punch to the mouth if he ever witnessed such a thing.

William pulled Loren’s body on top of him, her letting a light “whoop” followed by a giggle. He cradled her ass cheeks as she straddled him, propping herself up on her arms. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry she went through all of that but he also knew her response.

Thank you - but it’s done with now, she would say.

Instead, he would settle for making her know how much he desired and loved her. He pulled her mouth onto his, and in turn, she began to rub herself against his hardness.

“I guess I’m done my work?” she asked, cheekily.

He gripped her ass more firmly, pressing her against him.

In one swift movement, she sat up in a full straddle as he quickly unbuttoned her cardigan while she reached around and unclasped her bra. The moment his mouth and tongue made contact with her nipples, her core clenched in anticipation of feeling him deep inside her.

As if it needed to be said, Loren finally gasped, “Yeah, okay…. fuck it, I’m done.” A mischievous smirk played on her lips as she brought her mouth onto his, slipping her tongue against his in a steamy kiss. In Swedish, she teased, “Åh, du är verkligen i trubbel nu...” (Oh, you’re really in trouble now...)”

—

A few days later, Loren found herself in the kitchen at William’s place, the whir of the blender filling the air as she prepared smoothies and other healthy concoctions for both William and Alex. It was a routine she had adopted during her visits, one that Alex especially appreciated. Lost in thought, her eyes were fixed on the ingredients laid out on the counter—a mix of fresh fruits, leafy greens, protein powders, and supplements—she continued to smile to herself as she pressed the stop button on the appliance.

The morning had started the way she secretly (or not so secretly (despite clasping her hand over her mouth, her orgasmic moans were surely heard outside of the bedroom) loved most. She and William had indulged in a passionate quickie before getting out of bed to take the dogs for a walk. Standing at the counter now, her thoughts drifted back to the earlier moments, her lip catching between her teeth and cheeks flushing pink. The blissful soreness lasting in her core was a reminder of just how incredible it had been.

She shook her head, lifting herself from her own trance, and let out a soft laugh. Oh my god, I still want more she thought, her body still hungry for William. She inhaled deeply to try and calm her lingering urges as she reached for the jar of chia seeds.

A notification buzzed on her phone, pulling her attention away from the blender. Picking it up, she saw a DM on Instagram from someone she hadn’t thought about in a long time—a so-called friend from a group of women she used to spend time with when she was with her ex, Drew. The message was short, polite, and complimentary, but Loren immediately felt a knot form in her stomach.

Despite outward appearances, she had never felt particularly close to any of the women in that group. During her relationship with Drew, little by little, she had been steered away from spending time with her other friends, finding herself surrounded by people she couldn’t fully trust. Loren had always felt like an outsider, unable to fully be herself. Every group activity she attended left her retreating further into her shell as time went on.

The unwelcome memory of those years crept into her mind. She had spent so much time trying to be everything Drew wanted her to be, only for him to make her feel like it was never enough. The stress of that relationship had taken a toll on her physical and mental health. Food became a source of comfort in the lonely hours spent working all day, coming home, cleaning, and preparing nice dinners that Drew would often miss. When he finally came home, it was only to pick fights, leaving her feeling even smaller than before. The weight gain that ensued only fueled her feelings of low self-worth, to which Drew’s backhanded remarks also exacerbated.

Loren exhaled sharply, setting her phone down and shaking off the memories. Just as Alex walked into the kitchen, greeting her with a soft, “God morgon,” Loren muttered, “Fuck off,” under her breath, directing the words at the source of the DM she’d just received. She hadn’t heard Alex walk in and jumped slightly, startled when he responded, “Um… okay?”

[Loren practicing Swedish] “Oh—God, Alex… I am so sorry. God morgon—that other part wasn’t meant for you,” she smiled apologetically.

“Who’s in your bad books this morning? It can’t be my brother…” Alex teased.

Loren didn’t know if there was a whiff of ‘I heard far more than I wanted to this morning’ in Alex’s remark, but her soft smile remained constant as she handed him the vibrant mixture in a glass container.

“No, just a message from someone I haven’t heard from in years, and I have no real desire to interact with them,” Loren replied, her tone carrying a hint of tension.

“Oh yeah? Who’s that?” Alex inquired, gulping down some of his smoothie.

“A girl—a woman I used to hang out with years ago,” Loren began. “She said she saw me on that talk show and is gushing about how she’d love to meet up sometime. It sounds nice and all, but unless she’s done a total 180, I’m leery about getting together with her and the other women in the group.” Her apprehension was unmistakable as she spoke.

Loren would never dream of saying it to Alex, but Kayla, the so-called “friend” who had reached out, reminded her of Isla—Alex’s now ex-girlfriend—the day they first met. Snide, smug, and toxic were fair adjectives to describe parts of Kayla’s personality.

Alex, seeming rather invested in the story, stood at the counter as he prompted Loren to keep talking. William soon breezed into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Loren’s waist from behind, unintentionally interrupting Loren as he thanked her for his smoothie.

“Bro—she was talking,” Alex jokingly scolded William. “Here I was thinking there wasn’t anyone Loren disliked, but now I wanna hear this.”

“Who—wait… what’re we talking about?” William asked, confused.

Loren quickly replayed the conversation so he could catch up. He looked intrigued, as much as Alex seemed to be—this was a part of Loren’s life he had heard the least about, and he was about to find out why.

“So the deal with Kayla is that she sort of befriended me at a time when I was feeling pretty low in life - and in my relationship with Drew,” Loren began. “I was too embarrassed to admit to my closest friends and even my family of how bad things had gotten, so I leaned on her more than I should’ve. She pretended to care, but all the while, she was gossiping about me to everyone else in the group.”

Her eyes flicked between the two brothers as they listened. “Eventually, I realized that the things I told Kayla were then skewed and taken totally out of context, which would then get back to Drew through his friends. It was constant fighting and confrontations but then he’d back peddle and I’d fall into the same trap again. I think back and I don’t even remember the things he said that seemed to make everything okay. It was almost like being brainwashed.”

Loren sighed, hesitating for a moment before continuing. “So I was in a position that I had to move out of my apartment and Drew kept pushing for us to buy a house. It was one of the things I had wanted so badly but I could never afford it on my own. He had this whole song and dance about a big settlement he was waiting on from a past accident. It sounded believable—he even showed me paperwork. It started with him asking me to help him until it came through, and I did. I alone was approved for loans, opened lines of credit - he couldn’t do it because of his credit rating. I was so naive allowing him access. Then my dad cosigned for the house with me that had a cashback mortgage, and the money went into a joint access savings account. When he disappeared, I found out he’d drained everything with my name on it.”

William’s jaw tightened, his hands gripping the counter. This part, William already knew and it made his blood boil all over again.

Loren continued. “He had this whole scheme perfected. He made it look like he was trying to contribute, but in reality, he was still using resources from the last woman he conned. By the time he left, I had nothing but the house and a landslide of debt. That’s when I had to tell my parents. It was humiliating, but we figured out a plan to climb out of the hole he left me in.”

She took a breath, her voice softening. “Looking back, I should’ve seen it sooner, but I was so focused on trying to make things work. I kept convincing myself it was just a rough patch, that things would get better if I stuck it out. Thank God he left - but by the time he was through with me, with all the criticism and manipulation, I felt like I was just this shell of a person.”

She hesitated before continuing. “To make matters worse, there was another woman—Ashley—who I thought was a real friend. She didn’t seem to go along with the others, so I trusted her. I didn’t realize until it was too late that Drew and Ashley were secretly involved with each other. I walked in on them at a party—fucking in the bathroom.”

The kitchen was quiet enough to hear the white noise of the refrigerator humming. William sat frozen, a bottle of water halfway to his lips. He was seeing red listening to all of this, the bulging vein in his neck on full display.

Alex let out a low whistle, breaking the silence. “Well, holy fuck,” he said, shaking his head. “No wonder you’re not rushing to meet up with them - fucking soap opera.”

Loren chuckled and nodded. “Aren’t you glad you asked?” she nudged Alex playfully. Her eyes then settled on William’s face, his expression showing shades of disbelief of Loren’s story.

She eased up beside William as she began to gather her things to leave for an appointment. As usual, he wore nothing but his shorts and his slides, and Loren was quick to press her lips against the bare skin of his shoulder.

“So, on that happy note,” she quietly joked, “I better head out.”

Instead of his hold loosening, William pulled her body closer against him. “You’re coming back later, right? Before dinner, hopefully?”

She had been at William’s for the most part of the week and had intended on going home. But god, one look at his face….

She kissed where a trace of his smoothie lingered at the corner of his upper lip, then worked her way onto his full mouth. Mumbling against his lips, she said, “I’ll see you later. Let me know if anything changes for tonight, and I can go home.”

Alex, overhearing her last words, groaned and shook his head. “Please don’t. I can’t stand him looking so sulky and—” He rubbed his eyes and let out a mock whimper, chuckling as he glanced at his brother. As he padded off toward his bedroom, he called over his shoulder in Swedish, “Vi ses ikväll, Loren… ha en bra dag.” (See ya’ tonight, Loren… have a good day.) Glancing at William, he scoffed softly, chuckling as he disappeared down the hall.

“Sån åsna,” (such an ass) William muttered, shaking his head. His hand smoothed over Loren’s ass cheek as they started toward the door. “Anything you want tonight for dinner?”

“Food—and you… not necessarily in that order,” she replied suggestively, leaning in to give him one more lingering kiss for the road.

—

When Loren returned that evening, she got her wish—food and William, in no specific order—and the rare luxury of having the condo to themselves for the night (plus the dogs, of course). She glanced around the space, taking in his thoughtful touches: dimmed lights, candles flickering throughout, and the unmistakable tracks from one of William’s favorite playlists—entitled with their joint initials, “WNLG.” The slow, mellow songs had become their unofficial soundtrack, always leading to them being wrapped around each other before the second song was through.

After a coming-home kiss that made Loren melt, she slipped off her shoes and took in the warm ambiance William had created. He had wanted to do something for her after she’d shared the dysfunction from her past relationship. The gestures weren’t groundbreaking, nor were they born from pity or meant to erase her painful memories. They were simply a way to set the tone for their future together. And knowing Loren, candles, dinner, and him were all she needed to feel completely fulfilled.

He noticed the glossy white shopping bag dangling in her hand, his curiosity piqued. Hooking his finger into the top of the bag, he peeked inside, while his other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. “Chocolate-dipped strawberries,” he said softly, with a smirk.

Loren brushed her lips against the warmth of his cheek. “I saw these, and they reminded me of Paris… and you.” Her lips traveled to William’s mouth, her words soft and full of meaning. The kiss deepened quickly, and the low groan that escaped him which made Loren press her thighs together.

Breaking slightly from the kiss, she smiled. “Let me get these into the fridge… I’ll be right back.”

As she walked down the hallway to the kitchen, her heart swelled with adoration. She shook her head and smiled to herself, still reeling from his intimate greeting. She honestly felt like she could float away with the way he made her feel.

When Loren returned to the living room, William was lounging on the couch, waiting for her. She knew William had a thoughtful and romantic side—it had shone through during their two weeks together in Sweden towards the end of the summer. But since the season had started, it wasn’t that his desire for romance had diminished… there just weren’t as many chances to be alone.

With the candles, the waiting dinner, the playful and often racy messages he’d sent her throughout the day, and the smoldering welcome she’d received tonight, it was clear William had seized this opportunity to have her to himself—and he’d nailed it.

Loren approached him and immediately saw the unmistakable glint of mischief mixed with lust in his eyes. He sat in his usual tank top, legs splayed in his black sweat pants and to Loren, there was no man on the planet that was as effortlessly sexy as William.

His eyes scanned her body and he had no qualms in letting her know how visually stunning he found her. “Is that what you looked like all day?” he asked playfully, reaching out for her hands and guiding her on top of him, straddling his hips.

She smiled at him and raised an eyebrow, and gently nodded. She was uncertain of exactly what he meant by his question, but knew it would lead to something that would make her heart, and other areas in her body, throb with wanting.

William’s palms slid upwards along the fabric of her white, buttoned down shirt, eventually smoothing over her breasts. He could hardly wait to see what bra she wore which contained her voluptuous tits as she started to unbutton her shirt. The worked together to shed her shirt and he groaned as he looked at the pristine white lace cups that supported her cleavage, right directly in his line of sight.

“I know I always say this but fuck - you’re fucking stunning” his voice raspy as he massaged her breasts and slowly kissed her neck.

Loren’s fingers raked through his hair, starting at the base of his neck and working upward, her patented move that never failed to arouse him further. Slowly, she rocked back and forth on his lap, her slow movement deliciously teasing. Her voice was soft, airy, and laced with a sensual undertone.

“And I always think, ‘So are you.’” She leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, “You’re seriously the most gorgeous man imaginable.”

With that, and in one fluid motion, he lifted her, guiding her onto her back on the couch as he knelt between her legs. His hands moved efficiently, unbuttoning her slacks and sliding them past her hips, down her legs, and off entirely. He paused for a moment, taking her in, reveling in the sight of her—this vision he had craved all day.

The stark white of her thong against her olive skin nearly sent William over the edge. He’d been picturing them in bed, sheets strewn everywhere for most of the night, but now, with the condo blissfully empty, every spot on the couch was fair game.

Without hesitation, William shed his sweats and shorts in one fluid motion. His arousal was evident, and Loren’s gaze drifted downward, she felt an instant urge to take him into her mouth. Before she could act however, William had other plans already in motion.

Gently, he propped Loren’s back against the cushioned arm of the couch, guiding her legs open as his hands skimmed down her thighs. He paused for a moment, his eyes locking onto hers. He had thought about her all day, resisting the urge to manually relieve the pressure she ignited in him countless times. Now, he could worship her - he was determined to make her feel every iota of his desire for her that had been building.

Wetting his lips, he lowered himself between her legs, his gorgeous gaze fixed on hers gripped her soul. His saliva dampened the small strip of fabric that was the only barrier between his mouth and her clit. The tip of his tongue soon slid beneath the band of her thong, and he began teasing her entrance with steady and firm movement.

Her hands instinctively flew to his, grasping at him for support. The thin gold band he had given her recently graced her delicate thumb, reflecting the low lighting in his periphery. The sight only spurred him on - little by little, he looked forward to adorning her body with his deep admiration for her in every way imaginable.

Loren’s hips flexed purely from instinct, rocking back and forth against the sensation of William’s mouth as he lapped and gently sucked around her clit. He was so incredible with his mouth, it was as if his on-ice prowess translated seamlessly to the art of making a woman writhe with pleasure. He knew exactly how to guide his lips and tongue to find every spot that made her body tighten and shudder in response.

She always tried to keep her volume low, her breathy moans whispering his name just loud enough to stir his own desire. But he could tell when she was losing control—the way her hands clung to his hair, her thighs trembling against his shoulders. He would risk a noise complaint just to hear her let go completely, crying out as loudly as she needed.

Loren’s grip under her one knee, holding her legs open for him indented her skin, the beds of her fingernails were white. “Fuck William” constantly spilled out of her in the form of the hottest sounding moans. Her hair was a beautiful mess - half bunched against the pillow and half dangling off the side of the couch as her head leaned back from the unbridled ecstasy he kept pushing her towards.

He could have spent hours between Loren’s legs but he knew that, as much as she loved his mouth, she loved his cock. He had begun teasing her about the way she treats Cowboy Bill, the name she dubbed his cock months ago, and how he has become a whole other entity that she worships in the bedroom. Lingham massages were now in Loren’s rotation of her favourite things to do and William was not complaining.

William licked and kissed his way up her abdomen, stopping to suck on each of her taut nipples, now so sensitive that she gasped out his name as she tried to catch her breath. She slowly lifted her head, her pupils looked as black as night as her eyelids weighed heavily from so much stimulation between her thighs.

William kissed her so deeply with so much passion, she thought she might faint. She wrapped one arm behind his neck and the other around his shoulder as he lifted her slightly to lay her flat on the cushions and reposition himself, aligning his cock with her entrance.

His voice was low as he murmured against her lips. “Tell me what you want…what will make you cum…”

Loren’s eyes zeroed in on his. She didn’t speak right away, her chest still rising and falling rapidly.

She kissed him and lightly raked her fingernails down his chest and up his flank - she knew that drove him berserk in all the best ways. With mere millimeters from his lips, she answered breathlessly “Anything - I just want to feel like you can’t get enough of me.”

Done. Sold. Exactly what I had in mind - because I really can’t get enough he thought, as he kissed her fiercely.

The second he pushed inside her, Loren’s breath hitched, her body reacting instantly as her walls clenched tightly around him. William groaned low in his throat, his head lowering as he paused, the thick chain around his neck dangling between them as he steadied himself.

He began slowly, each thrust steady, but for Loren, the depth and force of his movements soon had her gasping. With every roll of his hips, he pushed deeper, her body reacting to him, their physical and emotional connection intensifying with each passing second.

Loren’s hands gripped tightly onto William’s ass, her nails digging into his skin as she urged him deeper. Every nerve in her body was electrified, the pressure in her core building to an almost unbearable intensity. It felt like one long, sustained orgasm—her body couldn’t get enough of him, yet it almost felt like it was on the edge of being too much.

Hooking the back of her knee over his forearm, he pinned her legs open wider, the other leg draped over the back of the couch. With her completely open to him, he drove into her with dizzying force, the sound of their bodies colliding echoing through the room. The couch cushions recoiled beneath her with every powerful thrust, subdued cries and moans of pleasure filling the space.

As he pushed deep into her and held himself there, Loren’s body reacted instinctively. Her hips rolled up to meet him, her hands gripping onto his hips and ass as she fucked him back. The sight of her body moving so desperately beneath him made William groan low in his throat - she was pure magic and he was completely blown away by her.

He spat onto her clit, his thumb immediately finding the incredibly sensitive spot he had discovered many passionate encounters ago. As he stroked her, his eyes were drawn to the way her abdomen muscles flexed and contracted with every movement. He could feel his balls tightening, the heat pooling low in his stomach, but he didn’t want to cum yet—not before her.

Her movements began to slow, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. William leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, “You’re incredible. So fucking amazing. You feel so good, Loren.”

With that, he lifted her effortlessly, repositioning her once more. Her legs pinned wide apart, he thrust into her again, his pace unrelenting. The sound of their grunts, moans, and strained voices reverberated through the room, mixing with the creak of the couch beneath them.

Loren felt the familiar, unstoppable grip of her orgasm taking hold. Her body tightened, her hands clawing at the fabric of the couch cushion as her head turned, pressing against the armrest. “Oh my god, William!” she shrieked, her legs trying to close instinctively as high-voltage stimulation jolted through her.

William grunted and strained loudly, holding her legs open firmly as he continued driving into her. The sight of her quivering body, her hand over her mouth and the sound of her moans was his undoing. He thrusted deep into her one last time, his release spilling into her as he collapsed onto her.

They stayed there for a time, their bodies tangled together, his cock still buried inside her as he slowly stroked her from within. Loren’s breathing was uneven, her limbs slack as she melted into the cushions. He knew how dazed and dozy she got after moments like this, and he couldn’t stop the satisfied smirk from spreading across his face.

Eventually, he rolled onto his side, pulling her with him. They kissed lazily, their bodies glistening with a sheen of sweat from their exertion.

It took a while before they finally moved, sliding off the couch and adjusting the cushions back into place. Loren noticed a few marks left behind from their sexcapade and made a mental note to clean up the spots later. The couch was soon to be replaced as part of the condo renovations, so the evidence of their passion would only be temporary, one way or another.

Slipping her white shirt back on as a casual cover-up, Loren wandered into the kitchen, where William was pouring two glasses of wine and setting their take-out containers in the oven to warm. He handed her one of the glasses and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close as his lips found the curve of her neck.

“Hungry?” he murmured against her skin, his voice low and tender. Loren nodded, her hand smoothing over the back of his head as he leaned into her.

Before long, the two of them found themselves slow dancing in the kitchen, swaying gently to the music still streaming through the sound system.

After a quick shower together and a change into more comfortable clothes, William and Loren found themselves back in the kitchen. Loren, now dressed in one of William’s oversized hoodies and a pair of soft shorts, leaned against the counter, her hair still damp from the shower. William stood close by, barefoot in sweats and a simple tee, looking completely at ease as he slid the lids off their warmed take-out containers.

Without a second thought, they began eating directly out of the containers, passing them back and forth with teasing smiles and playful nudges. Loren couldn’t help but feel a warmth settle in her chest. To anyone else, it might have seemed unremarkable, but to her, standing there with him in their little bubble, this felt just as romantic as any candlelit dinner. Maybe more so.

Loren twirled a fettuccine noodle around her fork, pausing before bringing it to her mouth as a thought struck her. She set the fork down and looked up at William. “I really love this. I think I’d prefer this to any fancy dinner in the city. Everything about tonight has been so perfect… Tack min älskling.” She leaned in to kiss him gently, his arms wrapping securely around her.

William smiled against her lips before pulling back slightly. “I have to admit,” he began, hesitating as he searched for the right words, “the stuff you told us this morning—I’ve been thinking about it a lot today. Not in a bad way, but… how come I never knew about all that with your ex and those friends? Like… they’re seriously fucked up. I’m just a little surprised you’ve never mentioned it.”

Loren gazed at him, her smile soft and apologetic. “I never brought it up because, honestly, I don’t even think about it anymore. It’s like this blip in time that’s so insignificant now. It just… doesn’t matter enough to come up.”

William nodded slowly. “Yeah, okay… I get that.” He stabbed a rigatoni noodle onto his fork and offered it to her with a small smile. “But, uh… do you know if you’re going to meet up with what’s-her-face?”

Loren leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms loosely as she met his gaze. “I’m not sure. I don’t really see a reason to. Life’s been just fine without them. Honestly, I’m relieved they did me a massive favor by ending the whole faux-friendship thing we had going.” She reached for the wine bottle and poured the last of it into their glasses. “Do you think I should?”

William shrugged, his expression thoughtful. “Well… I mean, you owe them fuck all. But it might be interesting for them to see just how great you’re doing.”

Loren took a slow sip of her wine, considering his words. “I know you’re not saying I need their attention or validation, but… honestly? I couldn’t care less about that. On the other hand, if I go, I could see if anything’s really changed with Kayla or anyone else. If not, yeah, I might waste a couple of hours, but at least I’ll know where things stand.”

William tilted his head, his voice softening. “How about this—if you do meet them, don’t go to them. Have them come here. I’ll help you pick a nice spot. You meet up, and if you do it when I’m home, I’ll be there.”

Loren’s brows furrowed slightly, her expression caught between confusion and misgiving. “But—”

William shook his head, already anticipating her protest. “No buts. I’ll grab a spot—a table. I’ll bring some buddies, hang out nearby. You won’t even have to look at me if you don’t want to, but I’ll be close by. Just in case.”

Loren thought about it for a moment, her heart swelling at his thoughtfulness. Finally, she smiled. “I’ll think about it. And I guess if I get to glance at you once in a while… the night wouldn’t be a total waste.” She winked, clinking her glass gently against his.

The evening of Loren’s meetup with Kayla, Avrie, and Livia arrived in a flash after she had made arrangements the week prior. Following William’s suggestions, Loren requested the women make the 45-minute trek into the city, explaining she was swamped with meetings downtown. The highly-rated lounge William helped her choose, located on Queen Street West, was the perfect mix of cozy and eclectic—a beautiful spot for cocktails without feeling too pretentious.

Loren emerged from the bedroom into the kitchen, dressed in the outfit she’d carefully selected for the night. To her, it was simple—just a black turtleneck and pencil skirt paired with knee-high heeled boots. But to William, she was art in motion. With her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail and makeup applied flawlessly, she radiated effortless sophistication. A slow, wide grin spread across his face as he watched her move across the room.

“You look… wow,” he said, his voice warm and genuine.

Loren smiled softly, smoothing her skirt. “It’s just a turtleneck and a skirt.”

William chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s not ‘just’ and not when it’s on a body like yours.”

The plan for the evening was straightforward enough. Alex and William, along with a few of William’s friends, would head to the same lounge about 30 minutes after Loren’s reservation time at 7:00. William had arranged for them to have a table nearby—close enough to keep an eye on things, but far enough to not be a distraction. The lounge staff, who were familiar with William from his years in Toronto, had no trouble accommodating their specific seating requests.

William’s primary goal was to be there for moral support without intruding, even if their carefully orchestrated plan made it feel like something out of a spy movie. Protecting their relationship in such a public space required a bit of strategy, but it was worth it.

There was also an element of playful mischief to William’s plan. If the women weren’t hockey fans, his presence might go unnoticed—but if they were, a well-timed bottle of champagne sent to their table by the Nylander brothers would surely make an impression. And if the moment called for it, William had no problem walking up, introducing himself, and appearing utterly captivated by Loren.

“Don’t stress about it too much,” William said as Loren checked her phone for updates. “It’s just a couple of hours, and by 9:00, we’ll be almost home, in bed by 10, and very satisfied by 11.” His smirk was down-right devilish as he leaned against the counter.

Loren cocked an eyebrow. “Or we can just cancel the potential shit-show and get started early,” she grinned. “Seriously though - William… thank you for sort of holding my hand through this part.” Loren walked up to him with a little seductive sway. “Can I eye fuck you a little from across the room?”

William chuckled. “Yeah - I think I’d be upset if you didn't.”

—

Midway through the second round of drinks—for everyone but Loren—Livia wrapped up her long-winded story about the drama swirling around her life over the past few years. Loren nursed her drink, smiling politely as she listened, all the while feeling a sense of detachment. Same group, same dynamics, same chaos. She realized that not much had changed for them since she left that part of her life behind.

Every now and then, Loren’s eyes flicked over to William. He was seated at a table across the lounge, laughing at something Alex had said. She caught him glancing her way more than once, his lips curling into a small, reassuring smile that calmed her nerves. Meanwhile, Alex was keeping her entertained with a steady stream of messages, most of which were filled with playful commentary about her companions.

Alex: Which one’s Kayla? The brunette with the long straight hair?

Loren: really Alex…jesus. **

Alex: What - is she up for a little action. Want me to bring her back with us tonight?

Loren: I will fucking start adding estrogen to your smoothies if you do.

She bit back a laugh, setting her phone aside as Kayla turned her attention to her. “So, Loren,” she began, leaning forward in her seat. “What’s your deal these days? Are you seeing anyone?”

“And where are you staying in the city?” Livia chimed in. “It must be nice to be downtown so much.”

“Also,” Avrie added, giving Loren an exaggerated once-over, “you have to tell us how you look like this now. You’re glowing.”

Loren smiled, holding her glass delicately in one hand. Her answers were vague but polite, carefully crafted to satisfy their curiosity without giving them a single piece of meaningful information.

She was amazed at how easily she could wordsmith her way through their questions, a skill she hadn’t fully appreciated until now. These women weren’t interested in her happiness or growth—they wanted gossip, diet hacks, and anything surface-level that could fuel their next group chat.

Loren’s tolerance was wearing thin. When Kayla called over the server for one more round, Loren decided to ask what their plan was for getting home. “Are you guys staying downtown tonight?” she inquired casually.

Kayla and Livia exchanged an awkward glance before Avrie offered a sheepish smile. “Uh, so… Ashley is our ride. She, um, kind of found out about the plan to meet up with you and asked to come tonight.”

Loren’s stomach flipped, though her expression didn’t falter. “Really…where is she?” she asked, her tone perfectly even.

Kayla nodded, looking mildly uncomfortable. “She said she might not come in and would just wait in the car. We made her the DD.”

The last time Loren had laid eyes on Ashley was the fateful night that she walked in on Drew railing her against a bathroom counter. She was so fragile then and she remembered it completely shattering what was left of her.

Loren sipped her drink to steady herself, forcing her hands to remain still. So much for mending fences, she thought bitterly. They didn’t come here to reconnect—they came to pry, to gossip. The realization made her feel foolish for even agreeing to this meeting.

Glancing at her phone, she noted the time. 7:56 p.m. She decided right then and there: come hell or high water, she was out of there no later than 9:00.

As Kayla launched into yet another anecdote, Loren subtly tapped out a quick message to William.

Loren: I think you’re having way more fun than I am lol

William: Probably. Keep up the eye fucking tho. I like it.

She hid her grin at the response. She resolved to stick it out just a little longer—not for them, but for herself. Just to be 100% certain with knowing they were still the same as they always were, and that she had long rid herself of the petty and toxic dynamics that once surrounded her.

After Avrie wrapped up her own synopsis of what’s wrong with everyone else in the world, Loren suddenly sensed the energy shift in the room, like an uncomfortable presence. When she finally turned, there was Ashley—approaching the table tentatively, shoulders rounded and head slightly bowed. It was a stark contrast to the Ashley Loren remembered, the one who used to stride into rooms like she owned them, commanding attention with her confidence and beguiling smile.

Now, Ashley looked… tired. Her eyes were shadowed, her posture meek. Loren’s skin bristled, tension gripping her muscles, but she forced herself to sit still. I can do this. Leaving in less than an hour - I’ve already made it this far.

Ashley greeted the table with a faint smile, her gaze flickering over Loren and lingering for just a moment longer than the others. “Hey Loren,” she said softly, visibly taken aback by Loren’s transformation.

Loren’s phone vibrated against the table, pulling her focus for a moment. The other women had been periodically scrolling their phones, so she didn’t feel bad about checking hers.

It was from William.

You good?

Another message popped up almost instantly from Alex:

Who dat?

Loren suppressed a smile and quickly replied, dat is Ashley 😬.

Glancing up, she caught William’s eyes from across the room. He gave her a subtle, questioning look, and she responded with a slight nod and a small smile. They exchanged a silent conversation with just their expressions—an unspoken reassurance that he was there if she needed him.

The conversation at the table flowed, at least on the surface. It was amicable enough, but Loren could feel the tension simmering beneath each exchange. Ashley didn’t say much, her words carefully chosen, as if she knew she wasn’t entirely welcome. Loren couldn’t decide if she felt pity for her or if her wariness outweighed everything else.

Then, as if on cue, a server approached the table, balancing a tray of champagne flutes filled with vibrant, sparkling concoctions. “Compliments of the gentlemen at that table,” he said, nodding toward William and Alex’s group.

Loren’s cheeks flushed as her gaze locked onto William’s once more. He was watching her, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. Her bashful grin spread across her face, and she bit her bottom lip to stifle a laugh.

“Wait, what?” Avrie blurted, spinning in her seat to look at the men. Recognition dawned on her face almost instantly. “Oh my god, that’s William Nylander.”

Kayla turned as well, her eyes widening as she made the connection. “And fuck, his brother’s there too… Jesus Christ.”

Avrie, the same one who had spent twenty minutes earlier gushing about her “amazing boyfriend,” leaned in conspiratorially. “Given the chance,” she said with a sly grin, “I’d easily make myself single for one night - even one hour - with him.” She nodded toward William. “I wouldn’t think twice and I sure wouldn’t feel guilty about it.”

Loren’s mouth dropped inside her mind at the thought, but she didn’t let it show. She sipped her drink, silently enjoying their reaction.

The women’s chatter about how they’d “take down” the Nylander brothers grew louder, making Loren’s cheeks flush even deeper. But just as the conversation was hitting a crescendo, William rose from his table. Her eyes followed him as he made his way toward them, his confident swagger impossible to miss.

Her breath caught slightly as he stopped at their table. His voice was warm and polite, but Loren could see the mischievous glint in his eyes. “Hope you’re all having a good night,” he said smoothly, nodding to the group. “And I hope you’re enjoying the drinks.”

The women looked stunned, their mouths slightly agape, but William’s gaze had already landed on Loren. He tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a faint smile. “I feel like I know you from somewhere,” he said, his tone tinged with playful sheepishness.

Loren raised an eyebrow, playing along. “We met briefly in March,” she said lightly, “the Easter Seals Skate.”

Recognition seemed to dawn on his face as he snapped his fingers. “That’s it. I knew you looked familiar. It’s good to see you.”

The exchange between them felt electric, as if no one else existed in that moment. The women at the table sat frozen, watching the scene unfold like a live tennis match. Although on the surface, their exchange was just polite banter—but their attraction to one another was palpable and electric.

Loren couldn’t help the small, satisfied smile that crept onto her face as William excused himself, flashing her one last look before walking back to his table. She glanced at the women, who were still staring after him, their faces a mix of shock and envy.

Well, that went better than expected, Loren thought, hiding her smirk behind her champagne flute.

Loren felt the weight of their collective gaze as their eyes locked onto her, the questions starting immediately.

“So… you know William Nylander?”

“Have you two slept together? What’s he like??”

“Is he single?”

“Have you met anyone else on the team?”

Their voices overlapped in a barrage of curiosity and thinly veiled prying. Loren stayed calm, her expression neutral, silently groaning over how shallow these women sounded. They were fishing for gossip just to pass along, feeding their own sense if superiority.

Loren began to respond to the questions as she remembered each one. “Well, like I mentioned, I met him in March,” Loren said simply, her voice even because it was true.

“It would be such a dream to be with him…like that…he’s a little out of my league though I think.�� Again, Loren felt this was the truth…these have been her thoughts many times.

“It’s hard to know what’s truth and rumour - but I feel his career is his prime focus.”

“I’ve met a bunch of the guys on the team, the same way I met William….through a charity event that I helped raise money for.”

Her answers were direct, concise, and left no room for further interpretation. She smiled politely but didn’t elaborate, making it clear she had no intention of feeding their curiosity. The women exchanged glances, clearly unsatisfied but unable to push further without looking desperate.

“Well, that’s boring,” Avrie muttered under her breath, earning a light laugh from Kayla.

Loren sipped her drink, unbothered. This was their game - and she couldn’t have cared less.

A lull in the conversation gave Loren her opportunity. “Excuse me,” she said, standing and smoothing her skirt. “I’m just going to the washroom.”

She walked away, feeling their eyes on her back. Once she was out of sight, Loren pulled out her phone to text William to tell him he was absolutely amazing and to thank him again for being there. Before she could type the message, she heard the faint sound of footsteps behind her. She turned to see Ashley walking toward her, her steps hesitant and tentative. Loren’s stomach twisted, but she didn’t say anything, opting to walk into the washroom instead.

Inside the stall, Loren’s phone buzzed, a text from William:

Did Ashley follow you in? Don’t like this. Pls call me if anything feels weird.

Loren exhaled deeply, her nerves suddenly on edge. She tapped out a quick reply: She’s coming in but it’s ok I think. I will call if I need you. Thank you my love.

The sound of the washroom door opening, followed by a stall door closing echoed in the room. Loren wasn’t sure whether to feel uneasy or just annoyed. The quiet stretched, punctuated only by the occasional sound of flushing water or ripping toilet paper.

Finally, as Loren stepped out to wash her hands, Ashley emerged as well. Their reflections met in the mirror, two very different women bound by a shared, messy history.

Ashley’s eyes floated to Loren’s reflection in the mirror, then quickly away, as though she couldn’t hold her gaze for long. Loren’s movements were slow and deliberate as she lathered her hands, pretending not to notice the tension radiating off the other woman.

“I wasn’t sure if I should even come tonight,” Ashley finally said, her voice soft, almost timid. “But I… I needed to.”

Loren’s hands stilled under the running water, but she didn’t look up. Instead, she grabbed a paper towel and dried her hands, giving Ashley space to continue.

“I wanted to tell you…” Ashley hesitated, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. “I wanted to say how sorry I am. For everything. What I did to you… it still eats at me. You were the one of the most trustworthy - the most genuine person I’ve ever been friends with and I….well….I guess I don’t need to repeat what I did…,” Ashley’s trailed off.

Loren finally looked at her. Ashley’s shoulders were rounded, her once confident posture replaced with something that almost resembled shame. Her eyes, tired and brimming with tears, searched Loren’s face for any sign of forgiveness.

“I…” Loren started, then paused. She folded her arms across her chest, leaning slightly against the sink. “Ashley, I’m sorry this is something you still carry around…but it’s all in the past now - it’s been years. And yes, it was the hardest time in my life—and one of the lowest—but honestly, I’m beyond thankful for what happened.”

Ashley blinked, startled. “Thankful?”

Loren nodded. “It forced me to see people - to see everything as it truly was….Drew leaving, you ladies…well, I don’t want to drudge it all back up….but all of it, blessings in disguise.”

Ashley’s lips trembled as she bit down on them, nodding slowly. Loren could see the regret etched into her expression, and for the first time, she felt a sliver of sympathy..

Ashley exhaled a shaky breath. “I’m glad it worked out when he left you. Maybe the same will happen for me.”

Loren’s brows furrowed, confusion flashing across her face. “What do you mean?”

Ashley looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers. “Drew… after he left you, I stopped seeing him. He left for Alberta years ago but he came back and into my life about six months ago. I was so leery, but he seemed so different. Regretful. He charmed me, said all the right things, made me believe he’d changed. And for a while, I believed him.”

Loren’s stomach sank, her fingers tightening around the edge of the counter. “Ashley…”

Ashley’s voice wavered as she continued. “He hasn’t changed. If anything, he’s worse. Controlling, volatile… I can’t stand being at home with him. All I do is work just to avoid him, but even then…” Her voice broke, and she looked up at Loren, tears streaming down her cheeks. “But there’s something else. He’s been trying to figure out where your house is.”

Loren’s body tensed, her eyes widening. “What?”

Ashley nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “He saw you on that talk show, and then your online videos… he said he wanted to try to remember where your house is - so he could come by just to apologize for everything - but the neighborhood looks completely different with all the new houses that were built. I think it something that’s been really bothering him.”

Dread washed over Loren as her mind raced. Drew’s agitation, his fixation—it made her stomach twist into knots, a feeling that was still far too familiar and Drew was always the source of it.

Ashley’s voice cracked as she added, “I want - I - I think I need to get away from him, but I don’t know how. I don’t even know where to start.”

Loren steadied herself, forcing the siren going off in her head to quiet. She met Ashley’s tearful gaze and spoke calmly but firmly. “Ashley. Think of it this way: you have two choices. Either you stay and let him drain you until there’s nothing left, or you make a plan and get out.”

Ashley sobbed quietly, nodding but looking utterly lost. “I don’t know how - my mind is a mess….like all the time.”

“Do you have someone close to you that you trust? Anyone who can take you in, even just for a while?”

Ashley hesitated, then nodded faintly. “Maybe…”

“Then start there,” Loren said, her tone unwavering. “Pack a bag when he’s not around. Make sure you have money in an account with a bank card that he doesn’t have access to. Depending on how he reacts - and if he does react badly - keep track of everything. At least start a file with the police if it escalates - make them aware of what’s happening.”

Ashley wiped at her tears, nodding again. Loren’s heart clenched, torn between wanting to help, the flash thought of giving Ashley shelter popped into her mind - but she corrected herself quickly - she had to keep her own boundaries intact.

As they left the washroom, Loren’s mind was buzzing with everything Ashley had shared. Her thoughts came to a screeching halt, however, when she looked up and saw William at the bar—talking to Drew.

Her blood ran cold. Ashley froze beside her, her face pale. Neither of them had expected this.

William’s smile disappeared the moment he saw Loren and Ashley reenter the room. The way she looked - her jaw clenched and her eyes scanning the bar - he knew something was up. He looked back at the man he’d been casually chatting with moments earlier. The man’s expression had turned dark and menacing. William gut instinct was that it was Drew sitting there. He felt the tension radiating off Loren even as she kept her composure as best as she could.

As the women moved closer to the bar, Ashley leaned in close to Loren, her voice trembling as she spoke under her breath, “He must’ve seen my messages. I—maybe he took my phone while I was asleep?”

Loren whispered a simple “it’s ok” as a response.

Instead of acknowledging Drew, Loren’s focus zeroed in on William. She offered him a polite smile and softly thanked him. “Thanks for the drinks. It was nice to see you again.” The undercurrent in her tone was clear—she wanted to leave.

William caught on immediately. Without a word, but with a smile to acknowledge Loren’s appreciation, he turned back to the manager and finished up their conversation. He thanked him for his help and made arrangements to cover both Loren’s table and his own. As William prepared to return to his table, he glanced at Drew, who lingered at the bar, pretending not to notice their exchange. “Have a good night,” William said tersely, his voice just loud enough, then muttered motherfucker under his breath as he walked away.

Drew, sensing the shift in the air, seemed to pick up on the silent watchfulness of the bartender and the manager. He remained at the bar, his earlier boastfulness noticeably absent.

Loren and Ashley returned to the table, where Kayla, Avrie, and Livia stared at them with mild shock on their faces. Loren, remaining composed, offered only a dry half-smile. “Well,” she said lightly, “I think that’s my cue to leave.”

The cattiness that usually was so prevalent in the group wasn’t there; even they couldn’t argue against Loren’s decision to leave. The server arrived with another round of drinks for the remaining three women and a virgin concoction for Ashley, announcing that the bill had already been taken care of. Loren reached for her coat, and while quickly slipping it on, she realized so happy and free she felt. She really had no ties to any of these women, or better yet, no ties to the narcissist of a man that was once in her life sitting at the bar ruminating about all the cunts in the world that cause him problems.

She pulled a small wad of cash from her purse and left it on the table. “A little extra for the server,” she said, knowing full well the others wouldn’t follow suit.

She wished the ladies well but before turning to leave, Loren put her hands on Ashley’s shoulders and leaned her head down. In the softest, most discreet tone, she said, “Take care of yourself. And if you have no other options… reach out. I’ll try to help.”

Ashley’s eyes filled with something that looked like a mixture of shame and gratitude. She nodded faintly, her lips trembling as she whispered, “Thank you.”

Loren didn’t spare another glance in Drew’s direction as she slipped through the lounge doors and out into the crisp night air. The crowd inside shifted easily to fill the space she left behind, and within moments, it was as though she was never there.

While Kayla was quick to start the proceedings and grill Ashley demanding to know what all was said in the washroom and at the bar, Avrie had a Swede on her mind. She swiveled in her seat, scanning the room for any lingering signs of the Nylanders. “Do you think they’re still here?” she asked, her neck craning to search the space.

The answer came quickly enough. Their table, once occupied by William, Alex, and their friends, was now empty. The servers were already clearing it for the next group of patrons. Whatever hopes Avrie had for an illicit encounter with William vanished as she turned back to her drink with a pout.

Meanwhile, Loren and William were in the backseat of his friend Mark’s SUV, with Alex sat in the front. As Mark drove toward the condo, Loren sat quietly holding William’s hand looking out the window at the exterior lights of the many bars and restaurants in the area. The chatter from Alex and Mark in the front brought her mind back, a mix of disbelief and adrenaline fueled their commentary about the events of the evening.

“That’s unbelievable that you were just standing there, chatting with some random guy,” Alex said, shaking his head. “And it turns out to be him - the douchebag.”

William’s grip on Loren’s hand tightened slightly, the tension in his shoulders beginning to become bothersome.

Mark chimed in with a low whistle. “That guy - sorry Loren - he’s a real piece of work, though. You could just see how much of a piece of shit he really was.”

Loren finally glanced over at William, her hand slipping onto his thigh. “Thank you,” she said softly, her voice filled with meaning.

William glanced at her briefly, his features softening. “You don’t have to thank me,” he murmured. “I just want to get you home.”

The rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence, the tension from earlier slowly dissipating. As Mark dropped them off, William’s hand found Loren’s waist as they walked in, giving it a reassuring squeeze. In that moment, she felt the weight of the evening begin to lift. They were all safely back in the warmth and comfort of the condo, with Pablo and Banksy anxiously waiting for their return.

Later that night, with the dogs softly snoring at the foot of the bed and the city quiet outside their windows, William and Loren lay tangled together under the covers. Loren rested her head on his chest, her fingers tracing patterns along his abdomen.

She’d just finished recounting her conversation with Ashley in the washroom, and William’s hand absently ran up and down her back as he listened. When she was done, he shook his head, letting out a low groan.

“I think you need to cut all ties,” he said bluntly, though the softness in his voice made it clear he wasn’t being critical. "And - fuck, I don't feel right about you being alone at your house. Even if that motherfucker can't remember which one his your house, that shit really bothers me. We'll look at getting one of those camera systems, okay?" William paused and then began to tease. "Jesus, I mean, I thought my friend group in Stockholm had its fair share of drama, but your ex-life? It takes the prize.”

Loren chuckled softly, her breath warm against his skin. “With Ashley, I would only help her if she had absolutely no other options, William. I’m not about to jump back into a situation that isn’t mine to fix.”

William tipped her chin up with his fingers, his lips brushing hers. “What is it you always say?” His voice was quiet, teasing. “Not my—?”

Loren smiled, kissing him lightly before finishing the sentence. “Not my sink, not my dishes.”

William laughed, his chest rumbling against her cheek. “I’ve only ever heard ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys.’”

Loren tilted her head, pretending to ponder this. “Oh right - that’s the better one,” she admitted before her lips twitched mischievously. “How about ‘Not my pig, not my farm’.”

William smirked, leaning down to kiss her again. “Ok….’Not my...’?” He paused, clearly stumped as his eyebrows furrowed. “Fuck - I got nothing.”

Loren further countered with “Not my cow, not my pasture.”

William let out a groan of mock defeat, rolling her onto her back and hovering over her. “Okay, well now you’re just showing off.”

“Maybe,” she teased, her hands sliding into his hair as he kissed her deeply. “Don’t you love it when I get all showy?”

“Showy….maybe,” his voice low and playful as his lips trailed down her neck. “You wanna show me something?”

Loren giggled, wrapping her arms around him. In that moment, the weight of the evening dissolved entirely, replaced by the laughter and warmth of a man that she was deeply in love with.

I hope you enjoyed this, Nonnie ❤️

#william x loren #william x loren blurb #william nylander fic #wn88 imagine #william nylander imagine #alex nylander imagine #william nylander fanfic #william nylander smut #my anon asks #toronto maple leafs imagine #william nylander #nhl fanfiction

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rollinouttahere-writes · 8 months ago

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Is the Alphabet still going on? If so can I please get I, J, K, L and N with Paulie?? I’m sooooo starved for content for this man!!

Paulie my beloved~

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

Paulie leans towards some old-fashioned mindsets as far as your relationship goes. Getting married at some point in the near future feels like a given to him. As soon as he's developed a romantic interest in you, it'll only take him a few months to propose. He won't take no for an answer when he does. Any attempt to reject him will be misinterpreted as you just being shy or playing hard to get. He's eager to be a good husband and provider for you and loves the idea of being able to come home to his darling at the end of a long day.

While he does like the idea of potentially having children with you, he's too shy to bring it up. It'll be up to you if you guys have any.

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Paulie gets horribly jealous very easily. He doesn't want anyone to so much as looking at you. Ideally, he wants to keep you locked away in his home, only letting you out when he's with you. It's a toss up if he'll be more mad at you or the other person that's making him jealous. So long as you don't do a single thing that could be interpreted as reciprocating the other person's "advances", Paulie will just focus on getting rid of them. He makes it quick, usually just punching their lights out and flinging them away using his ropes.

If he thinks that you were even a little bit into it, he'll go quiet and stare at you with the scariest expression. The other person is still getting their ass beat, but now you're in trouble, too. He'll drag you back home while being eerily silent, but once you're behind closed doors, he's in your face and yelling at you for being a "harlot" amongst other far worse things. Then he'll restrain you with ropes and leave you alone in your shared room until he's calmed down enough to talk.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

In public, he always has a hand on you while scrutinizing everyone around you. Other people see him as being an overprotective but well meaning boyfriend.

In private, he's much more affectionate. He can't get enough of you. He's always finding an excuse to be touching you, though he prefers anything where he's holding you from behind. The reason for this is because he gets more flustered when he can see your face. He enjoys helping you out in any way that he can, but he also wants you to dote on him in return.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

His behavior before you get together does nothing to tip you off. He's constantly flustered and blushing whenever you're around. You can definitely tell that he has a crush, but you have no idea how deep that goes. He initially tries to get you interested in him by giving you little gifts or offering his services to fix anything of yours that's broken.

The more that you indulge him, the more bold he gets. You might come home and find him fixing the hinges on your bathroom door even though you never gave him permission to come over. Or let him in. The gifts also start getting more grand and expensive (much to the frustration of his debt collectors). At this point, he already considers you two to be in a relationship and will casually refer to you as his significant other.

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

While he would never physically hurt you, he can lash out verbally if you do something to upset him. If you really push him, he'll tie you up with ropes and leave you alone in a dark room for hours until he's calmed down and you've "learned your lesson". If you got any rope burns during this, he would get this guilty look on his face and silently clean and bandage the wounds. He doesn't apologize, though, because he believes that you ultimately deserved it.

#paulie one piece #paulie x reader #one piece #yandere one piece #one piece x reader #one piece x y/n #one piece x you #yandere #yandere alphabet #x reader #reader insert

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zapreportsblog · 1 year ago

Text

❝tiny scientist❞

✭ pairing : neyetam x reader x aonung

✭ fandom : avatar the way of water

✭ summary : as a sky person being allowed to study the plant life on pandora is a remarkable feat itself. But somehow making two of the natives of the same planet fall in love with you, now that’s definitely something more than remarkable.

✭ avatar the way of water masterlist

In the lush, vibrant world of Pandora, (Y/N) was an anomaly. To the Na'vi, the native inhabitants of this extraordinary planet, she was a sky person, an outsider from the distant stars who had come to their homeland. Her presence in the thick jungles and towering forests of Pandora was an enigma to the Na'vi, but she had found her place among them, working tirelessly alongside Norman in the scientific laboratory.

The laboratory was situated in the newly established base near the Metkayina clan, a tribe of Na'vi who had graciously allowed (Y/N) and the other humans to set up their research center in their territory. The Metkayina clan had been cautious about outsiders, but their leader, had visited the base to forge a bond of friendship and cooperation.

Word of (Y/N)'s friendship with Kiri and Lo'ak had spread throughout the clan, she was someone the two had apparently befriended back when they were in their own home amongst the Omatikaya clan, and it had piqued the curiosity of Neteyam, Kiri and Lo'ak's elder brother. Neteyam had always been protective of his siblings, and he had heard stories of the sky people's actions on Pandora from his father, stories that weren't always favorable.

One bright morning, as (Y/N) was busy in the lab, she received a visitor. Neteyam had decided to pay her a clandestine visit, just to ensure her intentions were pure. He wanted to make sure she posed no danger to Kiri and Lo'ak, whom he cherished dearly.

Neteyam silently approached the base, using his agility to move through the forest without making a sound. He had almost reached the lab when he heard a rustling behind him. Whipping around, he found himself face to face with Aonung, a member of the Metkayina clan who had been curious about Neteyam's secretive expedition.

"What are you doing, Neteyam?" Aonung whispered, his teal eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Neteyam gestured for Aonung to be quiet and pulled him down behind a thick tangle of Pandoran vines. He spoke in a hushed tone, "I'm spying on the sky person, (Y/N), to make sure she's no threat to my siblings, Kiri and Lo'ak."

Aonung blinked in surprise but nodded in understanding. Despite their initial wariness when first meeting, Neteyam and Aonung had formed a close bond, united by their shared concern for their combined clans. Sure Aonung had been skeptical of the sky people at first, especially since they were now setting up base not that far from his clan and its people, he trusted Neteyam's judgment.

"What are we doing, then?" Aonung whispered back, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"We're watching," Neteyam replied, his eyes fixed on the laboratory's entrance. "We need to make sure she has no ill intentions. If she's truly a friend to my siblings, we'll let her be."

And so, in the heart of Pandora's untamed wilderness, two Na'vi warriors watched and waited, their fates intertwined with the sky person who had come to their world. The future of their clans and the harmony of Pandora itself depended on their vigilance and the bonds of trust they would form with this outsider named (Y/N).

(Y/N) had always possessed a keen sense of intuition, an uncanny ability to detect when eyes lingered upon her, even from within the dense foliage of Pandora's wilderness. That morning, as she worked in the lab, that feeling of being watched had become too persistent to ignore.

Unease settling in, (Y/N) swiftly donned her protective face gear and stepped outside. Her eyes scanned the vibrant surroundings, the alien flora and fauna of this mesmerizing world, searching for any sign of intrusion.

After a moment of squinting hard against the verdant backdrop, she made out a figure. The teal-colored body was unmistakable, and she called out, "Hey, who's there?"

Aonung's heart raced as he exchanged frantic glances with Neteyam, his mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. Panic etched across his features as he stammered, "Neteyam, she's seen me!"

As the two Na'vi argued in hushed tones about their next move, they failed to notice (Y/N) approaching. Her footsteps were surprisingly light on the forest floor, and before they knew it, she stood before them, her small human frame looking up at their towering Na'vi forms that came to a standing.

With her hands on her hips in a sassy manner, (Y/N) said, "Uh, so it's you two."

Aonung and Neteyam exchanged guilty glances, their towering figures suddenly feeling much smaller under (Y/N)'s piercing gaze. Caught in their covert act, they couldn't help but feel exposed.

"What were you two doing spying on me?" (Y/N) demanded, her tone a mix of irritation and curiosity.

Aonung, still flustered, quickly fabricated a lie. "We were... curious," he stammered, his voice trembling slightly. "Curious about the sky demon near my clan!”

(Y/N) narrowed her eyes at Aonung, her skepticism evident. She tilted her head, giving both Na'vi a discerning look. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eye, she said, "If you think we are sky demons, then wait until I unleash Satan himself."

Confusion swept across the faces of Aonung and Neteyam as (Y/N) turned away, her head held high. With each confident step she took, she left the two Na'vi boys bewildered.

In the days that followed their awkward encounter, Aonung and Neteyam couldn't shake their curiosity about the enigmatic sky person, (Y/N). They found themselves drawn to her laboratory like moths to a flame. At first, they continued to watch her work from a distance, lurking in the shadows of the lab. (Y/N), always vigilant, would occasionally catch a glimpse of their teal and vibrant blue colored forms out of the corner of her eye, and it would irk her.

"Why don't you two just come in if you want to watch?" (Y/N) finally said one day, her voice tinged with exasperation. "It's getting old, sneaking around like that."

Aonung and Neteyam exchanged uncertain glances but eventually gathered the courage to enter her lab. They stood in the background, watching her intently as she conducted her experiments and analyzed Pandoran flora and fauna.

As days turned into weeks, (Y/N) found herself growing accustomed to their presence. In fact, she began to involve them in her work. She'd casually ask them to pass her various tools and materials, and they did so without hesitation, their Na'vi agility making them surprisingly adept at assisting her.

One day, (Y/N) was examining a peculiar Pandoran plant under her microscope. She noticed Aonung's puzzled expression as he tried to make sense of what she was doing.

"What's that thing you're looking through?" Aonung finally asked, pointing at the microscope.

(Y/N) smiled and explained, "It's a microscope. It helps me see tiny things up close, like the cells of this plant. Here, take a look."

She adjusted the microscope and showed Aonung how to peer into it. His eyes widened in amazement as he saw the intricate world that lay hidden within the plant.

Neteyam, not to be outdone, approached (Y/N) as she worked on another project. He watched her manipulate a complex control panel, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"(Y/N), what does this do?" Neteyam inquired, pointing at a particular button.

She paused and then walked him through the function of the control panel, explaining its role in regulating environmental conditions in the lab. Neteyam absorbed the information like a sponge, his fascination with the human technology growing with each passing day.

As time went on, (Y/N) had not only accepted the presence of Aonung and Neteyam in her lab but had also welcomed their help and curiosity. She knew that fostering this mutual understanding could be the key to a harmonious coexistence between the Na'vi and the humans on Pandora. And so, with each passing day, her laboratory became a place of learning, where knowledge was shared freely, and where the bonds between them grew stronger.

One evening, as the Sully family gathered around a communal meal, Neteyam's mother and father exchanged concerned glances. They had noticed a change in their son's behavior lately, a restlessness that had not been there before.

"Neteyam," his father began, his voice carrying a tone of curiosity, "Kiri and Lo'ak have been saying they've spotted you near the humans' lab lately. What have you been up to?"

Neteyam lowered his gaze, feeling a bit uneasy under his parents' scrutiny. He knew they were only looking out for him and his siblings, but he wasn't quite ready to reveal the extent of his involvement with the sky person, (Y/N), and Aonung.

"Well," he hesitated, choosing his words carefully, "I've been curious about what the sky people do in the lab. I wanted to make sure they weren't a threat to our new home."

His mother, who had always been more perceptive, narrowed her eyes at him. "Neteyam, we trust your judgment, but we also know that curiosity can lead to trouble. Is there something you're not telling us?"

Neteyam glanced at Aonung, who was seated nearby, and then back at his parents. He knew he couldn't keep his involvement a secret any longer. Taking a deep breath, he admitted, "I've been going into the lab, and Aonung has been coming with me. (Y/N) allows us to watch and even helps us understand their technology."

His father's brows furrowed in concern, and his mother looked worried. They exchanged a few words in their native language before addressing Neteyam again.

"We understand your intentions, Neteyam," his father said, "but you must be cautious. We don't know the true nature of the sky people's intentions, and we must prioritize the safety of our clan."

Neteyam nodded, acknowledging his parents' wisdom. He knew that they were right to be cautious, but he also believed in the potential for understanding and cooperation with the humans.

As the dinner continued, Neteyam couldn't help but wonder about the delicate balance between his loyalty to his clan and his growing friendship with (Y/N) and Aonung. The path he had chosen was not an easy one, but he was determined to find a way to bridge the gap between their two worlds.

Like Neteyam families, Aonung found himself in the same predicament.

Aonung and his family sat down for their evening meal, Aonung's parents couldn't help but notice the restlessness in their son's demeanor. Tsireya, Aonung's younger sister, had been quite vocal about her recent observations, and it had raised their concerns.

Aonung's father, his brow furrowed, looked at his son and began, "Aonung, your sister Tsireya has mentioned something troubling. She claims to have seen you going into the humans' lab with the eldest Sully son. Care to explain?"

Aonung shifted uncomfortably in his seat, acutely aware of the judgmental gazes of his family. He knew he couldn't keep his newfound friendship with (Y/N) and Neteyam's activities in the lab a secret any longer.

Taking a deep breath, he admitted, "Yes, Father, Mother, I've been going into the lab with Neteyam. We've been spending time with the sky person, (Y/N). She's not a demon; she's friendly and wants to help us understand their world."

A hushed silence fell over the dinner table as his parents exchanged troubled glances. Aonung's mother spoke next, her voice filled with concern, "Aonung, you know how our clan has always been cautious about outsiders. We must prioritize our safety and the well-being of our people."

Aonung nodded in understanding but couldn't hide the determination in his eyes. "I know, Mother, Father. But we've seen the humans' willingness to cooperate and learn from us. Perhaps we can find common ground and build a bridge between our two worlds."

His father sighed deeply, clearly torn between his son's earnest desires and the age-old traditions of their clan. "Aonung, we trust your judgment, but you must tread carefully. The path you've chosen is a challenging but dangerous one."

Aonung appreciated his parents' understanding, even if it was cautious. He knew that forging a friendship with (Y/N) and aiding Neteyam in understanding the humans' technology was not without its risks, but he believed it was a risk worth taking for the sake of unity and cooperation between their people and the sky people of Pandora.

As a month passed since their initial curiosity led them into (Y/N)'s lab, Aonung and Neteyam found themselves drawn to her in ways they hadn't expected. What began as mere curiosity had morphed into genuine fondness. They couldn't deny that (Y/N) had a unique charm that had captured their attention.

One day, as they joined her in the lab, Aonung mustered the courage to bring up a personal question. "Hey, (Y/N), we've been wondering... back on Earth, did you have a mate or someone special?"

(Y/N) looked up from her work, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Well, on Earth, humans don't really have mates like Na'vi do. We believe in the concept of soulmates, but that's a story for another time," she replied.

Aonung and Neteyam exchanged glances, intrigued by this notion of soulmates. But they didn't dwell on it for long. They had another question on their minds.

"So, did you have a boyfriend or anything like that back on Earth?" Neteyam asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

(Y/N) shook her head. "No, not really. Earth was in crisis, and I was focused on my studies, trying to find a solution to save it. I didn't have time for a romantic relationship."

The two Na'vi exchanged knowing glances, sensing an opportunity to learn more about (Y/N)'s preferences. Emboldened by their growing affection for her, Neteyam ventured further, "Would you ever consider dating a Na'vi man... or, well, someone from another clan?"

(Y/N) paused for a moment, her eyes locking with Neteyam's. "I'm actually bisexual," she admitted, her tone softening. "So, it doesn't have to be a man. What's more important to me is the kind of person they are."

Aonung and Neteyam hung on to her words, eager to hear more. "Well what kind of person are you looking for?" Aonung asked, his heart beating a little faster.

(Y/N) leaned back, her gaze distant as she considered her answer. "I want someone who's brave and kind, someone who would protect me and love me for who I am, flaws and all."

As (Y/N) spoke about her ideal partner, Aonung and Neteyam couldn't help but feel their hearts swell with emotion. They realized, in that moment, that they were both falling in love with this remarkable sky person who had entered their lives. It was a gentle competition of the heart, one that neither of them had anticipated when they first stepped into her lab, but one that had become undeniably real.

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dayas · 3 months ago

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ok what’s your favorite fix it idea for jjiara

JJ not fucking dying 😭😭😭

DISCLAIMER: I haven’t touched Season 4 in any capacity and probably won’t but! If I were to sprinkle my magical fingers over this it would probably go something like…

Firstly, his birth family NOT being shitty. I just think it would be nice for that whole thing to have gone down differently. And if they still wanted to write him off, they could have done so by having him set off to learn more about his heritage.

As far as Jiara goes, I know JJ stole a ring at some point, so I’d keep the near death scene/stabbing (done by somebody completely unrelated to him), have Kiara properly freak out and help him with him reassuring her that everything is going to be fine/hazily going on about future plans when Kie asks him questions to keep him awake. Like, “Keep your eyes open for me, J. Someone’s coming to help. Talk to me, though. Where are we going for our surf trip?”

And he goes, “Island first — Poguelandia was — way too short — ” or something, also definitely a “Promise me you’re not gonna leave me here, JJ.” “Kie—“ “Promise” “I’m not gonna leave you, Kiara. I promise” at some point like I feel like we deserve the reassurance and he would be able to read her worries. She keeps him stable until they’re able to get help. Kiara stays with him all night while he’s being worked on, she doesn’t leave his side for a second and she holds his hand the entire time, just to let him know he’s not alone. JJ finally wakes up the next day and she very carefully hugs him and when she moves back, he looks at her and says something along the lines of, “I actually wanted to do this right, and as fucking cliche as John B and Sarah are, they made a good point…” BOOM! RING! Obviously Kie’s eyes go wide, and she’s just staring at him and of course JJ asks her to marry him, not wanting to waste any more time after their latest and greatest near death experience. Kiara accepts, they kiss, he puts the ring on and winces because of his injury, she apologizes, Sarah comes in and screams when Kie flashes the ring, John B, Pope, and Cleo follow, everyone’s happy and making in law/aunt/uncle jokes, “Now there’s two things to celebrate” etc etc joy abounds and we get prepped for Season Five in a beautiful place.

Now please excuse me while I cry into my pillow for 40 days and 40 nights.

let’s talk shop

#jiara #fix it fic #jj maybank #kiara carrera #otp: ‘hi’ ‘sup’#otp: nothing to lose #obx #outer banks #this was actually kind of sort of healing thank you christie #call it christy #jj maybank x kiara carrera #kiara carrera x jj maybank #k chats #this is just off the top of my head we’ll see if a fix it fic (my version) ever shows up officially 😭#maybe after the pain subsides 🥲

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cullen-cannons · 6 months ago

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Who Broke It?

Edward *totally about to murder somebody*: So. Who broke Bella's hand? I'm not mad. I just want to know. ROSALIE *quirking an eyebrow, obviously messing with him*: Really? You look pretty damn pissed to me.

ESME *frowning*: Rose, language. CARLISLE *just wanting to avoid an argument and more tension because they’re all already stressed about Victoria’s army*: I did. I broke it, let me fix it, please. It shall only take a moment. The fracture appears to be a minor one, I can reset the bone in a second, and I have cast plaster in my office. She will be healed in under six weeks. EDWARD: Of course, please fix her. And I know that. But I also know you didn’t break it. Emmett? I’m sure it was an accident, but vampires don’t make mistakes. I’ve told all of you many times to be very careful with her. She’s the love of my life. ROSALIE *rolls her eyes and shakes her head*: Yeah, yeah. You’ll go and kill yourself if she gets hurt or if she gets scared of us and leaves you, which we can safely assume by now WON’T happen because just face it, you aren’t nearly as scary as you think you are. We know. So shut it.

ESME *thinks about saying something, but agrees with the sentiment, even if not the wording, so she decides not to, but gives Rosalie a warning glance anyway.* EMMETT: Don't look at me. Look at Rosalie, *looking at Rosalie, speaking softer* sorry babe. *looking back to Edward, speaking louder* Read my thoughts. ROSALIE: What?! I didn't break it. I don’t even want to touch the stupid human. CARLISLE *in a warning tone as he takes a slightly concerned but amused Bella upstairs to his office for treatment*: Rose. Please. Be nice.

JACOB *just wants to take a dig at Rosalie (definitely not to redirect suspicion maybe)*: Huh. That's weird. How did you even know it was broken, huh, blondie? ROSALIE: Because she's sitting right in front of us and her hand is broken, dumbass. JACOB: Suspicious. ROSALIE: No, mongrel, it's not! EMMETT *trying not to laugh at his younger sister's overreaction, glancing at Jasper who’s already glaring back and shaking his head*: If it matters, probably not... Jasper was the last one to see her.

JASPER *sighing, but going along with it because he wants to mock Edward*: Liar! I don't even usually go near Bella! EMMETT *thrilled that Jasper's actually playing along for once*: Oh really? Then what were you doing with her earlier?

JASPER: Firstly, Ali was with me the entire time *looking to Alice with clearly false panic* Right, darlin’? And I can't resist a good emotional climate. Everyone knows that, Emmett! CARLISLE *coming downstairs, holding Bella’s good hand to steady her, frowns at his children in the living room below*: Alright let's not fight. I broke it, I’ve fixed it. I gave her some Advil. She is as fine as she will be until the cast comes off. And she’s not in any pain. Right, Bella. BELLA *nodding enthusiastically, a little exaggerated to convince Edward because she’s still a bad liar*: Nope. Can’t feel a thing! Besides, this is nowhere near as bad as the time I almost got killed by a van. *she hopes the joke will ease the mood. It does not.* let’s just focus on what to do about Victoria.

JACOB *tilts his head in confusion. He was unaware of this and it makes him feel slightly protective of Bella.*: Yeah. But when did the van thing happen? *mentally* Of course, that would happen to her. You’re good for one thing bloodsucker, you better have not let her be hurt . . . Oh, who am I kidding? I bet you saved her, didn’t you? Swooped in like Batman with your dumb sideburns and charmed her.

EDWARD *ignoring Jacob’s words, and refusing Bella’s suggestion of a topic change*: No. Who broke it? *He’s already scowling at Jacob who’s thinking in suspicious detail of the wool armchair in front of him* ALICE *seeing the future*: Oh no, Jacob. You kibble-for-brains! Don’t go there. JASPER *whispering to his wife as he kisses her ear softly, bemused*: What, darlin’? ALICE *sighing and rolling her eyes*: You’ll see. JACOB *getting desperate and ignoring Alice in favour of mentally whispering*: hey, bloodsucker, your mom has been awfully quiet . . .

EDWARD *triggered, understandably because Jacob just insulted his mum*: Really?! JACOB *lost all sense because he’s trying to block his thoughts and simultaneously avoid the beating Edward looks ready to give him as his mental barrier cracks*: Yeah, really! EMMETT *really curious, leans over to Alice*: What’d he say? EDWRAD *scanning Jacob’s thoughts for proof he knows is there and giving him the death stare* ALICE *gives everyone a quick whispered recap*: So, yeah . . .

The Cullens *readying to fight*: He said WHAT about Esme? *Only Carlise remains still, just frowning. He knows Jacob didn’t mean it, but is still a little offended* *but Edward gets to Jacob first* EDWARD *grabs Jacobs’s right wrist and starts twisting*: Your little treaty only covers killing, and I won’t be anywhere as kind. You’re on our land now, wolf, so- ALICE *blinking away a vision, steps out from behind Jasper*: Eddie, stop. As entertaining as this is, he’s about to confess. JACOB: Okay, jeez, fine. At least one of you leeches has respect. JASPER *snarls a low warning snarl and pulls Alice closer* ALICE *who knows what he’s going to say*: Oh you’re one to talk, mutt.

EDWARD *holding Bella’s good hand, not trusting himself not to maim Bella’s best friend right there as he reads his thoughts* JACOB: Sorry. I did it, I broke her hand. I kissed her and she broke her hand punching my face. Total misunderstanding! ROSALIE “Rapist Ravager” Hale: Are you shitting me, Fido? You. Did. What to her? *already charging* I don’t like her, and maybe she wants to become one of us which is as good as dying, but that still doesn’t give you the right to- The Cullens *all trying to hold her back* CARLISLE *sighing*: I’m so sorry Bella, you must think terribly of us. I swear we aren’t normally so . . . disorganised. BELLA *craning her neck cautiously, trying to see Rosalie and Jacob in the pile of bodies*: They’ll be okay, right?

ESME: Oh, this used to happen every other week when Rose was a newborn. Emmett will take and to cool off and she’ll be fine by morning. Edward loves you, he won’t let your friend be hurt. *looking knowing to her husband* Besides, I know he’ll take his chance to pick at his sister.

EPILOGUE: CARLISLE, ALICE, and JASPER gang up to get ROSALIE and EDWARD (who teamed up for once) off JACOB. It’s a miracle his limbs remained intact. He’s feeling very grateful for his speed-healing.

(A/N: Please, please, please tell me if this made you laugh because I spent way too long on it, plus I lost the work and had to retype it all over again too.)

#twilight incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #who broke it #the cullens incorrect quotes #cullen coven incorrect quotes #olympic coven incorrect quotes #the olympic coven #the cullen coven #the twilight saga #twilight saga #twilight #bella cullen #edward cullen #carlisle cullen #alice cullen #jasper hale #rosalie lillian hale

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homestuckreplay · 10 days ago

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Job Application: Timeline Manager

(page 1269-1283; figuring out the timeline)

OKAY. THIS IS GETTING CONFUSING. There is some figuring out of the timeline to do here before things get even messier, plus some new information on the Felt’s powers and some hints about the far past.

To be honest Slick is really smart with all this timeline stuff. I think he would be great as a Felt member whose ‘power’ is just understanding the interactions and nuances between all the other members’ powers and planning their operations around it. Most of them seem to be acting as rogue agents in individuals or pairs, without great communication, and Slick could whip them into the shape of a functional gang. Honestly not too dissimilar from how Jack Noir ‘oversee[s] various affairs of a DARK KINGDOM’ (p.955). It’s like he has this head for organization and management and SOMETIMES this overpowers his actual goals and morality. In this way I think someone could talk Jack Noir into being the beta kids’ band manager, something they definitely need post-Sburb if they are going to make it big in the post-apocalypse.

Slick’s businessman side is however balanced out by his Love Of Stabbing And Killing, which is often an equally big priority. He does show some uncertainty about timeline rules on page 1278, where he’s ‘not really sure if that's how it works’ but also doesn’t care because he’s about to break out the Big Knives. In this update we hear about Slick’s SABER RATTLE (p.1271), DOUBLE EDGED SWORD (p.1272), BAIT AND SWITCHBLADE (p.1277), and see the recurrence of OCCAM’S RAZOR, previously seen on page 329 when Dave was reading MSPA.

These are also puns, unsurprisingly for this intermission – sabers, swords, blades and razors are all sharp edged weapons, while ‘saber rattling’ is an overt and exaggerated threat of violence used to intimidate, and a double edged sword is something that has both positive and negative consequences. A bait and switch is where one outcome is set up and then replaced at the last minute, usually with a worse option, and Occam’s Razor is a philosophical rule saying that simpler theories should be privileged over more complex ones. This last one in particular fits well with Slick’s preference for fixing the timeline and getting things back on a more linear schedule – I think he’s in opposition to the author here.

So, as I understand it, this intermission has one main timeline (T1) where the bulk of pages 1154-1264 took place (in a roughly but not entirely linear fashion) right up until Slick pulls Crowbar’s pin from Die’s doll. At this point, Slick jumps to T2.

In T2, Crowbar is alive, and nothing from T1 happened. T2 is defined by a gunfight between the Felt and Midnight Crew, and spans pages 1265-1279, with a LOT of back and forth throughout time due to Sawbuck’s powers. Snowman has only been seen in T2, and Stitch dies only in T2. If we define the gunfight arbitrarily as ‘the present’, we also see the timeline’s recent past (p.1271), far past (p.1273), and near future (p.1277), but sadly never see the far future.

On page 1280, Slick returns to T1, at an uncertain point on the timeline. Sawbuck quickly gets attacked, jumping to a point on the timeline that precedes the whole intermission (but is part of its main continuity). By cycling back to this early point on the timeline, Slick explains how and why a bunch of clocks were already destroyed and covered in blood on page 1175.

We can also define T0 as the timeline featured on pages 1210-1211, from which Die jumps to T1, and T∞ as the timeline where Slick died before he could build this town in the first place (p.1215, 1236). Plus a whole bunch of timelines where various Eggses and Biscuitses come from.

I think that’s it. I think that’s the simplest possible way of understanding all this.

So, in the far past of both T1 and T2 (as well as T∞), we see the same pink and green wasteland, the planet before Slick built the town. I think there’s an interesting Slick-Snowman parallel here – jumping to a timeline where Slick is dead destroys the town (such that it was never built), while killing Snowman destroys the universe. Similar powers but on WILDLY different scales. And Slick is the Midnight Crew member Snowman directly speaks to (and stabs) on page 1267, so, what’s going on with those two? What’s their history from before Snowman went to join the Felt?

But. Maybe my absolute favorite moment in this intermission is the sight of the Straggler in the background on page 1273.

A SCURRILOUS STRAGGLER eyes impromptu desert skirmish. He dismisses them as a bunch of ill-mannered rogues warranting no further investigation. Although he gives a small nod of approval to the plain and serviceable HAT worn by one of the combatants which strikes him as an absolutely smashing display of good fashion sense. (p.1274)

This is the most explicit link yet between this wasteland and the Wayward Vagabond’s (p.248), with the similar wrappings and the ‘Years in the past…’ page title. It is a wilder post-apocalypse due to there being a fight in the desert, and one that sets up a time loop – Slick gets the idea to wear a smart hat from his past self, just like Jade getting into gardening and blue shirts by redirecting John’s package to her own past self (p.1136). Slick does not recognize his future self here, probably because he’s used to interacting with other near-identical chess pieces.

I still have no clue how some chess constructs escape Sburb, and how it’s decided which ones get out, but it’s fascinating to have it confirmed that 1. this phenomenon isn’t exclusive to Earth, and may be built into Sburb, and 2. these constructs go on living and develop personalities and agency that maps onto their initial programming, but also goes beyond it. And this accounts for the differences between Spades Slick (Felt planet) and Jack Noir (Earth), as Slick has had many years to move past that programming, and Jack is earlier in his journey, and has just committed his first act of rebellion. So perhaps it’s this moment of gaining a consciousness that goes beyond the computer programming that causes a NPC to want to leave Sburb, to realize that’s even an option. Which definitely reinforces by theory that Jack Noir will be the fourth character who appears ‘years in the future’ on Earth.

Finally, here’s a recap of the Felt’s powers, which we’ve learned most of since I was guessing them about a hundred pages ago.

Itchy – Can speed up time for himself and go very fast.

Doze – Can slow down time for himself and go very slow.

Trace – Can see people’s recent past via a trail of where they’ve been.

Clover – Uncertain, but he is knowledgeable, cooperative, and asks TIME RIDDLES (p.1252).

Fin – Can see people’s near future via a trail of where they will go.

Die – Has a small effigy with pins for each Felt and Midnight Crew member. Pins inside the effigy are dead in the current timeline.

Crowbar – Can ‘pry anything out of a time loop, stable or otherwise.’ (p.1252)

Snowman – ‘If you kill her you destroy the universe.’ (p.1268)

Stitch – Has large effigies for each Felt member (plus Lord English’s backup coat). Can use them to patch wounds and the fabric of spacetime itself.

Sawbuck – Jumps to a random point within the current timeline whenever his skin is punctured.

Matchsticks – Unknown, dead in T1/unseen in T2.

Eggs – Creates copies of himself whenever his egg timer goes off, destabilizing the timeline.

Biscuits – Hides in the oven until his timer goes off, successfully ‘traveling into the future’.

Quarters – Unknown, dead in T1/unseen in T2.

Cans – Unknown, but he is very large (p.353).

Lord English – Unknown, but he is ‘indestructible… killable only through a number of glitches and exploits in spacetime’ (p.1239)

#homestuck #reaction #i have been deeply focused on eoa3 these past few days. which id love to get done before the intermission ends #so i want the intermission to go on for a while to give me more time #BUT. i also want the intermission to end so i can STOP FORMATTING SNOWMAN'S GOD DAMN NAME.#love how it looks and love committing to the bit but god damn!#chrono

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something-tofightfor · 3 months ago

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On Deck Part 6: Checked Swing

Pairing: Jack Daniels x Female Reader Baseball AU

Word Count: 11,132

Rating: NOT safe for work. It's a smutty one.

Summary: You're in Texas, and that means confronting a hell of a lot of thoughts and emotions when it comes to Jack.

He might be on the away team, but his fans - and family - love him just the same ... and they take notice of you, too.

To your surprise, it's Jack that takes the first leap when it comes to what you are to him - and what he wants, both now and in the future.

Author’s notes:

This chapter really digs into what it could be like for someone to 'date' an MLB player, even casually - and what it could (and would) feel like to have a ton of realizations about each other in a very short amount of time. They're still getting to know each other, but I'm going to be honest: things are spiraling, and neither of them are really prepared for it.

(On Deck universe masterlist for all the extras!)

While there are a lot of baseball references within this story, you only need to know the basics to enjoy it and understand what's going on - we're not getting overly technical here.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out. Thank you so much for being patient with me; I promise updates on this will be coming more regularly.

When a batter “checks” their swing, it means that they stop the bat’s motion before letting the end of it fully cross home plate. The outcome is decided by an umpire - the batter has no say in the call. It’s not an ‘official’ term used by the umps. Instead, it is used casually by players, commentators and fans and can be summed up simply: the player stopped their swing before going too far on a pitch they were uncertain about.

Even though you only had a carry on, there was no way you could take it into the game with you. You were running late, but you still needed to make a pit stop at Jack’s hotel before you went to the stadium. So, as you eyed the time on the Uber’s dash clock, you sat in silence and tried to calm yourself down.

The hotel is close. I’ll be fine.

When the driver let you out, you thanked him before heading into the lobby and straight to the front desk, inwardly cheering at the fact that there was no line. The process was smooth - you gave them your ID, explained that you were there to pick up the second key to Jack’s room, and only moments later you were riding the elevator up, bag slung over your shoulder.

You didn’t know what you expected when you walked inside, but it definitely wasn’t an almost untouched room. The only signs that Jack had even been there were his suitcase pushed into the closet, toiletries on the bathroom counter and an unzipped duffel bag at the foot of the partially unmade bed. He slept on one side.

It made you smile, and after giving yourself a few more seconds to look, you took your bag into the bathroom and focused on getting ready.

You didn’t have much time, and so you only changed your clothes, splashed your face and fixed your hair, deciding that the important thing was getting to the game, not looking perfect. He knows I just got in. He knows I’m rushing, and who knows how far away I’ll be sitting since this was so last minute.

You stowed your bag in the closet next to Jack’s, and made sure you had what you needed for the night before leaving the room again. While riding the elevator down, you ordered another Uber - thrilled to see that there was one close, and it was nowhere near as expensive as you imagined it would be.

And that was because you hadn’t realized that it wasn’t a 7:10 game … it was an 8:05 start. Which means I have time. You relaxed completely at that new information, and when you settled into the back seat of the car for the short ride, you were grinning.

It was still cutting it close, especially with the crowd, but you picked up your ticket at 7:32 and were inside and on your way to your seat - Section 5, Row 7, Seat 5 - five minutes later. There were a ton of people to navigate through, but you made it without issue, plopping down into the chair and eyeing the field.

Some of the home team’s players were still warming up, but you were stunned to notice that the visitor dugout was on the third base side of the field. That meant that Jack was likely only feet away from you, and he didn’t even know it. Or maybe he did. You watched some of the Statesman players moving around and tossing balls back and forth … and then you saw Jack, Ginger a few steps behind him as they walked onto the field.

Loud whistling caught your attention. When you turned toward it, you saw a man and a woman a few rows ahead and almost an entire section over from you standing and clapping, both of them wearing Jack’s jersey. His parents.

There were some good-natured boos and banter from the others in the section, but the couple ignored it, the man cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling Jack’s name. It made you laugh out loud. Even though you knew that you were nowhere near that point with him, you realized that you wanted to meet both of them, if only to learn more about their son.

Jack only turned around when he and Ginger stopped walking, and you watched as he honed in on his parents, pointing at them with one finger and then waving, his teeth visible as he grinned.

You wondered if he knew where your seat was, or if it had been an accident that you were seated so close to his family. I’ll ask him. I’ll… Your mind went blank when Jack’s head turned in your direction and he stopped moving, his grin widening. Well, he knows where I am now. But more than that, Jack’s reaction to seeing you solidified that he’d truly wanted you there, and that was all you needed to know.

You nodded once, fighting the urge to wave. That’s too much. Too obvious. Jack looked away first, returning his attention to his trainer. You finally looked away from the field, too, pulling out your phone and sending a text to Erin.

Guess where I am?

There was no response for the next few minutes, and it wasn’t until after the opening ceremonies were over and the teams took the field to begin the game that you felt it buzz in your pocket.

New Orleans? Where else would you be?

You snapped a picture of the outfield and the open roof, the scoreboard visible in one corner, and then sent it with no explanation. That got a quick reply, your friend’s words making you laugh out loud.

What the FUCK? Did you follow him to TEXAS?

You typed a reply out, giving her a quick rundown and let her know that you’d tell her more when you could.

No. I don’t want to hear a thing until you’re on your way home. Be safe.

That didn’t surprise you - Erin loved gossip, but she’d never want you to cut your time with someone short for the sake of telling her about it. Especially not someone like him.

Jack was hitting fifth, so you had time to spare before he was up. You used it to look around, taking in the entirety of the stadium.

It was beautiful inside, even though it was completely different from the one in Louisville, and while you liked the fact that it was air conditioned, you wished that the roof was all the way open. Maybe one of the other games will be. But after a few minutes, you found your attention drawn back to Jack’s parents, and let yourself look at them.

You saw the resemblance immediately, especially in Jack’s father’s profile. They had the same nose and a similar smile, both men broad in the shoulders. Mr. Daniels was hatless, his hair longer than his son’s and streaked with silver in a way that made you bite your lip as you imagined Jack getting to that point. It’ll be years, but …

They looked happy together, the man’s arm around her seat back as she pointed out different areas of the stadium, and that also made you smile. You wondered how many different places they’d seen him play throughout his career and which was their favorite. They seem so supportive.

You were curious to know what they thought about watching him as a member of the visiting team, and even though you’d been familiar with them from Jack’s own posts and previous interviews you’d watched, seeing them in person - after getting to know Jack a little - was exciting. There was no guarantee you’d ever get to meet them, and so even though you tried to pay attention to the game, you also watched the Daniels’, leaning back in your seat and getting comfortable.

Looking in their direction gave you a chance to look at Jack, too, eyes on him as he waited at 3rd for game action.

It didn’t happen in the first, and when he jogged off the field between innings, you tried to remind yourself that you couldn’t cheer for him in the same way you did when you were at home. Not only would it draw attention to you in a sea of the opposing team’s fans, you knew it would also potentially draw his parents’ attention. And I don’t want to do that because I don’t want him to think I overstepped and tried to talk to them.

When Jack walked up to the plate during his first at bat, you were surprised to hear scattered applause and cheers that weren’t from his parents, and after quickly taking a photo of the scoreboard, you tucked your phone away and stared at home, watching as Jack dug in. He swung and missed once and then didn’t swing at the next pitch, Jack’s father clapping and cupping his hands around his mouth to yell good eye! at his son.

“Wait for your pitch, Jack.” You spoke under your breath, nodding. “Wait for it.” He dug in again, and even from the distance, you could see his shoulders rise and fall as he took a deep breath before the next one came his way.

He swung hard then, making contact, and even though you were unfamiliar with the stadium, the sound was one you knew well. You shot upward and onto your feet, cheering for Jack as he began to round the bases, and clapping your hands together as you raised them over your head. There were others cheering for him, too, including his parents, and out of the corner of your eye you saw them hugging as they celebrated.

When he rounded second base and headed for third, he pointed at the stands, smiling broadly at his parents, who were still on their feet … but then Jack’s attention shifted to you briefly, your eyes locking with his as you nodded twice, widening your smile, and kept clapping. It was quick, but it was enough, and your already rapidly beating heart slammed against your ribs. Oh, Jack.

You sat down when he touched home and headed back for the dugout, the smile still on your face. It faltered briefly when you saw Jack’s mother turn around in her seat, her eyes on you. Act normal. Don’t draw any more attention to yourself. And so you took a deep breath, looking up and at the scoreboard … but when you looked back at home - and the next batter - Mrs. Daniels was still eyeing you, a curious look on her face. Shit.

There was nothing you could do but acknowledge her, meeting her gaze and smiling. It’s not my fault. It’s not like I’m going to speak to her. It’s fine. You focused on the batter, and to your relief she faced forward and then leaned over, talking to her husband, but neither of them looked at you again.

You’d failed in your attempt to go unnoticed, but at least there had been others in the stadium cheering for Jack, too - and it wasn’t just the three of you. The thought comforted you, and when, a few minutes later, your stomach growled in hunger, you stood up calmly and gathered your stuff. It happened and there’s nothing I can do about it.

There was still plenty of game left - which meant that there was more than enough time for you to go and find something to eat.

—

The room was cold when you got back, though the lights were still off, aside from the one in the bathroom that you’d left dimmed.

You didn’t bother turning any others on before you took off your shoes and unbuttoned your jeans, dropping your bag and the room key onto the TV stand. It only took you a few seconds to decide that you did, in fact want to lay down on the still made side of the bed to wait for Jack. He invited me here which means I’ll be sleeping in the bed with him, so getting in now isn’t a big deal.

You stretched out, pointing your toes … and only minutes later, the day caught up with you - and you were fast asleep.

The shifting of the mattress woke you up, but it wasn’t until you heard him say your name that you opened your eyes. Jack was leaning over you, the room lights still mostly off. “Hey there, darlin’.” It made you smile, and before you could stop yourself, you reached for him, the palm of your hand curving against his cheek.

“Hey, Jack.” Murmuring the words, you closed your eyes. “Missed y-” Shit. You cut your words off and reopened your eyes, hand frozen in place against the side of his face. He was smiling, though, and before you got too lost in your swirling emotions, he leaned down, brushing his nose alongside yours before pressing a quick kiss to your lips.

“I’m real glad you made it.” He sat back up, taking your hand in his and squeezing. “Thought you might miss out on the game tonight, but then I looked up and saw you right there watchin’ me.”

“Yeah, that was…” You sighed and then sat up, leaning against the pillows without letting go of his hand. “How stupid does it sound if I tell you that I liked knowing that you saw me?” You were still waking up and trying to catch up with the conversation, but each word came out stronger than the last. Because I mean them.

“Not stupid at all.” He laughed, the sound quiet. “I like hearin’ it.” That didn’t shock you, but Jack scooting closer to you did, and so did his lips trailing over your cheek and toward your ear after he’d leaned forward again. “Your flight OK?”

“It was fine.” You hummed, squeezing his hand before you pulled yours back. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I just -”

“You had a long day.” He backed away, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “I get it.” The two of you stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, but before you could speak, you yawned, both hands rising to cover your face. Shit. “I’m gonna get ready for bed. You should too.”

“No, Jack. We don’t need to…” He stood, his smile widening. “What?”

“It’s almost midnight. I’m tired. You might not believe it, but I’m not out partyin’ until the sun comes up when I’m in different cities.” He put a hand on his hip. “Especially when I’ve gotta say goodbye to my parents before they head out in the morning.” So that means he’s waking up early.

“Do I need to get up tomorrow and leave before they come up? I don’t want to -”

“No. They’re staying in this hotel too, so I’m just going to go and meet ‘em before they check out. You can sleep in.” He smiled again. “We’ll order breakfast when I get back.” It felt normal - almost too normal, if you were being honest - but you didn’t want to question what Jack was saying. He isn’t. He sounds sure. “Give me five minutes.”

You nodded and he grabbed the duffel bag, turning to head for the bathroom. When the door shut, you moved too, climbing out of the bed and quickly moving to the closet and your bag. But when you opened it, you froze, staring at the contents. Shit. Scrubbing a hand over your face, you groaned.

When you’d packed for New Orleans, you hadn’t counted on spending time with anyone in your hotel room, which meant that your pajamas were lacking. “Fuck it,” you whispered, pulling the ratty, oversized tee shirt from the bag and holding it up. There’s nothing I can do about it now.

You changed in the closet, replacing the clothes you’d worn to the game with the shirt and then eyeing yourself in the full-length mirror on the opposite wall. It reached your thighs, but it showed off entirely too much to be considered appropriate, and you were worried Jack would think you were trying to suggest something with it. I’m not. I just -

“Well, shit. Look at you.” You turned your head and saw him in the bathroom doorway, shirtless and in a pair of low-hanging sweat shorts. Maybe it’s not me that’s underdressed. “I wondered what you wore to bed.” What? He stepped into the hallway and toward you, grinning. “I mean, I know you didn’t sleep in anything at my place, but that was because you didn’t really have any other option.” Jack gestured to you with one hand, the other one rising to rub at the back of his neck. “This is … better.”

“Jack? I don’t… I figured you’d like …” You were rattled, unable to get out a full sentence at first. “I didn’t pack any actual pajamas, because I didn’t think that I’d be seeing anyone overn-”

“This is better,” he repeated, stopping in front of you and reaching out to slip an arm around your waist. “Because it’s you.” You understood what he was saying, but that didn’t make it any less shocking. Why would he care so much? Jack leaned closer, eyes on you. “Bathroom’s all yours. I’ll pick somethin’ to put on TV.”

Dumbly, you nodded and when he backed away, you headed into the smaller room. While you brushed your teeth, you stared down at the countertop, gaze moving between his things and yours on the counter. You tried not to think about how much you liked seeing them together, or how quickly his response to seeing you standing at the foot of the bed when he came out of the bathroom had warmed you. It was more than just sex, sure, but that still didn’t mean that you could get ahead of yourself. Because that’s dangerous.

Stepping back out into the bedroom ruined everything, though.

Jack was in bed, the blanket pulled down and pooled at his waist as he leaned against the pillows along the headboard. The lights were off, which made the glow of the TV dance across his features. For long seconds, you stood and stared at him, trying to commit the sight to memory. “You should take a picture, it’ll last longer.” He turned his head, the smirk on his face visible even from the distance. “Ain’t that what they say?”

“I seem to remember you telling me that pictures were absolutely not allowed.” Crossing the room, you used one finger to tap the side of your head. “So I’ll just have to keep it all up here.” As you approached the bed, Jack stayed silent and pushed the blankets down before patting the space next to him with one hand.

You climbed in beside him, leaning back - and felt that same arm go around your shoulders, pulling you closer while you tugged the blanket back into place. “You always play by the rules?” He kissed the top of your head and you laughed, closing your eyes.

“I do when I don’t want to fuck things up.” Reaching over, you squeezed his knee. “And I would very much like to not fuck this up.” It was the closest you’d come to admitting that you had actual feelings for him, and you hoped that you hadn’t overstepped. But Jack’s response - his fingers tightening on your arm and his quiet sigh as he urged you to stay by his side - told you that you hadn’t. And that’s good. That’s really good.

The two of you watched the TV in silence for a little while, and you were pleased to see that he’d chosen a movie that you loved, turning the sound down low. As you relaxed, you angled your body toward his, moving your arm so that you could drape it across his waist. You began to doze off, eyes drooping as you got comfortable beside him. The faint scent of Jack’s body wash coupled with his deep, even breathing soothed you, and the slow motion of his fingers as they ran up and down your arm did, too. I could get used to this.

“I think we should change those rules a little bit.” He spoke quietly, the path of his hand never faltering. “If you want to, that is.” You shifted so that you could look up at him, finding that Jack’s chin was tucked against his chest, his eyes focused on your face. “And I have something to admit.” What? “I took a picture of you sleepin’ before I said anything to wake you earlier.”

“What?” You pulled out of his arms, sitting straight up and blinking rapidly. “Jack, that -”

“I know.” He sat up, too, scrubbing his hand over his jaw. “I broke my own damn … but I’ve gotta be honest with you, this is new for me. Having someone waiting in my bed when I get back from a game doesn’t ever happen. You just looked so …” He trailed off, frowning briefly. “I liked seein’ it. Taking a picture felt right and I didn’t stop to think about what I was doin’.”

It wasn’t what he was saying - it was the meaning that lingered between the words that really got to you, and so without pause you shifted, rising onto your knees and then moving to straddle his lap. His lips parted but Jack reacted, too, both of his hands moving to your hips and settling there, his eyes locked with yours. But I don’t want to play my whole hand yet.

“That was your rule” You rested one hand on his shoulder, using the other to trail your fingertips over his collarbone. “It was never mine.” His lips twitched, but Jack didn’t reply, giving you a chance to finish. “You take all the pictures you want, Whiskey, and if I’m allowed to take a couple of you, then …” You shrugged and then inhaled deeply, holding it. “Then I’m gonna take you up on that.”

It took only seconds for his grin to widen, and Jack’s hands slid lower, fingers tightening against your thighs in the same moment that he leaned in to kiss you. But it wasn’t a fast or desperate kiss; instead, it was a relieved one, Jack’s mouth finding yours and lingering.

You sighed against his lips, the hand on his shoulder gliding around so that you could curl your arm around him and the other palm flattening against his chest, his heartbeat steady beneath it.

That time, it was you that chose to deepen the kiss, pulling back enough that you could part your lips before initiating another one, his full lower lip caught between yours. He liked that, a groan vibrating out from his throat and one hand sliding around further to follow your curves, urging you forward and closer.

As you scooted toward him, his other hand moved up and beneath your shirt, trailing up the center of your back before it came to rest there. But when you tried to take things further by rocking your hips forward, Jack pulled away, shaking his head slowly. What? Why? “Not tonight.” It deflated you - the words dousing the mood more swiftly than you’d thought possible. “Didn’t have you fly out here just for sex. It can wait.” He licked his lips, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve been runnin’ around all day, you’ve gotta be exhausted.”

“Yeah, I am. But I want -” He cut you off with a quick kiss, the edges of his teeth dragging against your lip. Jack, that’s not fair.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, and neither are you.” He said your name, nodding. “You can have your way with me first thing in the morning if that’s what you want, but right now?” He leaned in, kissing your cheek before he rested his forehead against yours. “I’m just looking forward to sleepin’ next to you.”

It was there again in that admission - the confirmation that both you and Jack were rapidly passing the point of no return when it came to letting actual feelings get involved in what was happening between you. At least it’s not just me. “You could have waited a couple more days, you know.” You bit your lip, reaching up to drag your fingers through his hair. “You’re coming back to Louisville the middle of next week, and -”

“I didn’t want to wait.” He pushed gently on your hip, urging you to climb off of him. “And you were already only a couple hours away, so it made sense to ask you to come out here.” Reluctantly, you laid back next to him though you were pleased to see a slight tenting in his shorts - evidence of the fact that even though he’d been able to stop things from going further with you, it hadn’t been simple.

You both stretched out, Jack pulling the blanket up so that you were covered to the shoulders. “I was surprised you asked.” You tried to get comfortable, sighing as you shifted your hips against the sheets. “But this is a hell of a lot better than sleeping alone.”

Jack reached out, slipping an arm around your waist. “I sure as shit hope so.” It made you laugh, but his next words silenced that sound immediately. “I didn’t get much sleep last night because I was thinking about you bein’ here.” Even in the low light from the TV’s continued glow, you could see the apprehension in his eyes when he said it. Oh, Jack.

“I kept you awake?” You didn’t miss the opportunity to tease him, though, moving even closer and hooking one leg over his. “Hard to believe, Jack. We’re basically in your back yard. There’s plenty of other stuff for you to thin-”

“I was also thinking about what it meant that I couldn’t sleep becausea you.” He closed his eyes and took another breath, his fingers pressing against your back when they curled inward. “What all of this means, and to be honest it scares the hell out of me.” The time for joking was over, and you knew with certainty that the way you answered him and steered the conversation would determine whether or not whatever was happening between you continued. Or if it ends right here.

“It scares me, too, Jack.” You paused, thinking. “And I know that we sort of talked about this at your place, but …” You closed your eyes, giving yourself a few seconds. “It doesn’t have to mean anything serious. That’s not why I …” Slow down. “If us being friends complicates this too much, it’s better that we know it now, right?”

“That what you think is happenin’ here?” He moved his hand to your side, resting his palm against your ribs. “It’s too complicated because we’re not just stickin’ to sex?” His voice was steady, but you could feel how tense he was. “Us actin’ friendly and not just sleeping together is the problem?”

“It’s not a problem, no.” You bit down on your lower lip. Tell him the truth. “I’m attracted to you, Jack. And I know it’s a really limited experience pool, but sex with you has been fucking great.” He smiled at that, Jack unable to keep from reacting to your words. “But if you asked me to choose right now if I wanted to be friends with you or keep sleeping with you? I’d pick being your friend. It would hurt a little to know that you were with someone…or someones else, but …”

“But?” You saw the tip of his tongue as it flashed at the corner of his mouth, the lines between his eyes deepening with his frown. “There more to that sentence, or?”

There was a lot more, and you didn’t quite know where to start. I didn’t think we’d be having this conversation tonight. Ever, actually, but especially not tonight. “But you’re a good person. And if I could only pick one of those options, I’d choose the one I assumed would be more permanent.” That was the truth, especially with his schedule. A friendship with Jack seemed like it had the potential to last longer than being the focus of his attention, and when push came to shove, that was what you wanted.

“I don’t want you to choose.” He reached up, twisting his wrist so that he could stroke the side of your face with his knuckles. “But I also don’t want you to feel like … I donno. Like I’m leadin’ you on?” He pulled his hand away, moving it back to settle it on top of the blanket and near your waist. “I’d hate knowin’ that you felt that way, because it’s not what I’m tryin’ to do.”

“No one’s leading anyone on.” You smiled, heart thudding against your ribs. “I think we’ve both been very clear about our expectations for this.” Nodding, you closed your eyes and paused, only opening them when you were sure of what you wanted to say. “But in case I haven’t been?”

He watched you almost warily, waiting. And it took some effort, but you forced yourself to speak again, hoping that your words put him at ease.

“I like you, Jack, but I don’t view this as a relationship. We’re friends that have sex when it’s convenient and we’re in the same city.” This is going to hurt. “I don’t expect exclusivity. If you want to sleep with someone else, I understand. If I want to do the same, it’s fair game. I’d just ask that you have the courtesy to put some time between anyone else and me, because I -”

“Of course.” He looked slightly offended, his head moving back and forth against the pillow. “I’m not that much of an asshole to go runnin’ between women like that.” That made you smile as you agreed, but Jack wasn’t done. “And that’s all great for now, and it makes me feel a little bit better, but…” He trailed off, looking away from you for a few seconds before he met your eye again. “I think I’m scared because a real big part of me is thinkin’ about what could happen later… or what I might want later if this was a relationship.”

That revelation stunned you. You were focused on trying to ensure that you didn’t fuck anything up in the present and Jack was at least partially concerned with something that could happen in the future. And what he wants, or what he might want, or… oh, God this can’t be happening right now.

“We can figure that out when and if it happens.” You squeezed his arm, the muscles in his bicep firm to the touch. “I understand that this with you is different than it would be with someone that had a traditional job. I get it. We’ve only known each other for a couple weeks. It’s not like I’m planning the color couch we’ll have in our house or choosing names for our kids. This is supposed to be fun, right?” He nodded. “Then let it be fun. No pressure on either of us, especially when the season’s over so soon. Maybe… maybe at some point it’ll get there, but -”

You stopped as a yawn crept up on you, forcing your eyes closed before you turned your head toward the pillow to finish it. I’m too tired for this. “Maybe I am an asshole.” He sighed. “You’re fuckin’ exhausted and I’m laying here buggin’ you about my own bullshit. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” You chuckled, blinking slowly as you met his eyes again. “It’s not bullshit. No matter what happens with us, I think being honest about it is important.” You yawned again, Jack chuckling at the sound. “Thank you for inviting me here. Thank you for actually talking about this like an adult. Thank you fo-”

“You gonna keep thankin’ me, or can I kiss you goodnight?” Your eyes flew all the way open at that, and you found that Jack’s smile was back, the look in his eyes warm. “Because I’d really like to kiss you goodnight.”

He was changing the subject, and that was fine by you if it meant that Jack was going to kiss you again.

Instead of giving him an audible response, you reached up to tangle your fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. He took the hint and rolled toward you, but instead of pressing his lips to yours, he started at the corner of your eye and then moved down to your cheek, the soft scrape of his mustache following the path of his mouth.

You felt his hand move off of you and to the bed, giving him leverage - and when Jack’s teeth grazed your chin, you tipped your head back, sighing. He took the hint, lips pressing to the side of your throat before they moved to the hollow of it. He paused there, and then you felt the drag of his tongue along your skin, the sensation making you gasp out his name. He liked that - Jack’s hum of approval a low, rumbling vibration as he kissed his way up and back toward your mouth.

He didn’t just kiss you then, though. Jack stopped and whispered your name, waiting until you’d opened your eyes and looked at him to nod once, shoulders rising and falling as he took a breath. What is he doing? “You’re welcome, darlin’.”

There was no opportunity for you to reply before his mouth was on yours, Jack’s lips parted in a mirror of your own. He used the opportunity, slipping his tongue between them and meeting yours head on. The intensity of the kiss took you by surprise, and you sunk into the bedding as Jack pressed forward, his bare chest against your covered one.

When he pulled away, you could see that he was breathing hard, a wild look in his eyes. You liked the look - liked the fact that just kissing you for a few minutes could rile him up so much, and for a brief moment, wondered what he saw when looking at you. “That was one hell of a kiss, Jack.” He winked at you, and then leaned down to press a softer one to the corner of your mouth before he pushed away and then laid down, still facing you.

“Sure was.” You rolled onto your side and faced him, too, sliding your hand beneath the pillow and under your cheek. “One hell of a kiss for one hell of a -”

“I’m already in bed with you. No need for the cheesy pick up lines.” He laughed, his hand gliding up and between your bodies and then under the pillow to move into place atop yours. That made your eyes widen, but Jack only smiled as his fingers dropped between yours and then curled to squeeze.

“One more thing, and then I’ll let you sleep, I promise.” You nodded, heartbeat still racing. “This is just this right now, right?” You agreed, murmuring a yes. “I don’t want either of us to act like that’s all it’s ever gonna be.” What? “I’ve never been lookin’ for anything serious, but that doesn’t mean I’ve sworn it off.” Oh. oh, you … Jack. “So if you don’t feel like that’s something you might want with me, the sooner I know, the better.”

You were stunned into silence, Jack’s words replaying in your head as you attempted to absorb them. Are there people out there that really wouldn’t want more with him? Has he ever said this to anyone before? And if he has, how recently was it? I don’t … oh, fuck. How do I respond?

“I’m …” You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. “I’m open to figuring out if that’s what this is with you, Jack.” You exhaled, the sound shaky. “It’s kinda fast to even admit that, but -”

“Not if both of us are on the same page about it.” He leaned closer, though he didn’t take his eyes off of you. “And it sounds like we are.” You agreed, nodding and letting your eyes close. “Now get some sleep. Mornin’s gonna come real quick.”

You agreed, and after he gave your hand another quick squeeze, he released it, his hand moving from yours to your hip. He didn’t have a chance to pull you closer because you moved first, inching toward him and scooting down on the pillow so that you could tuck your head against his chest.

Neither of you spoke again, but when you felt his hand against the skin of your back, Jack’s arm pushing your shirt up to expose it, you weren’t surprised. You’d both move during the night, it was almost a given, but for the moment, you were content to be so close.

—

He woke you up the following morning with lips pressed to your temple and a hand on your shoulder. “Just lettin’ you know I’m leaving.” His voice was quiet as Jack spoke, and when you cracked your eyes open, you saw that the lights were still off in the room.

“What time is it?” You sighed and stretched, moving closer to Jack without thinking. “Feels early.”

“It’s only 8.” He kissed you again. “My momma sent a message and said they’d be in the lobby in fifteen.” Groaning, you reached for him and were surprised to find that Jack was still shirtless. “Stay here. I’m gonna go with them for breakfast, but I won’t eat much. We’ll still order when I get back.”

“No. Eat.” You closed your eyes, turning your face toward the pillow. “‘M fine.” He laughed and squeezed your arm before sitting up and letting go.

“You still gonna be in bed waitin’?” You nodded without opening your eyes. Where else would I be? “Good.” The mattress shifted when he got up, but you didn’t move, already dozing back off. And when the door shut behind him a few minutes later, your breathing was deep and even - and you didn’t hear it.

But you felt it when Jack got back into bed, his arm wrapping around your waist and pulling your body so that you were pressed against his chest. You let him, content to melt into the broad expanse of man as you came back to consciousness. “You smell like bacon, Jack.”

“I had some.” He laughed, his fingers curling slightly against your belly. “Wasn’t smoked but it was still good.” That made you chuckle, too. I like this. It was Jack that spoke first, saying your name and then shifting his hips slightly. “I’ve got to be at the stadium around 3:15 today, so we’ve got a few hours. What do you want to do?” We have options?

Rolling over to face him, you met his gaze, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“I mean …” His smile widened. “We can go back to sleep. We can wake up an’ order breakfast. We can wake up and watch somethin’ on TV. It’s not even 10 yet, so we’ve got a while.” He paused, and then you watched his lips shift into a smirk. “Or, I could have breakfast in bed.”

It took a few seconds because you were still waking up, but when you realized that he was talking about you, you groaned and then pushed away from him, covering your face with one hand.

“Even for you, Jack, that was bad.” He laughed and then you did, too, the sound turning into a sigh. “Fuck, that was -”

“Enough to convince you to say yes?” You opened your eyes and saw that he was watching you intently, his head propped up on one hand. “I was only half kidding.”

It was tempting. You could tell that he wanted you, and that feeling alone was almost intoxicating, Jack’s attention first thing in the morning something that you never would have thought possible only weeks earlier. “That sounds nice, Jack, but …” Reaching out, you trailed a finger up his arm, wrinkling your nose. “I remember you telling me that I could have my way with you this morning.”

“I did say that, didn’t I.” You nodded, watching as he took and held a breath, his eyes never leaving your face. “I’m not gonna tell you no.” That was all the permission you needed, and so you sat up and inhaled deeply. Alright.

“Take your shirt off.” You gestured toward him. “And then sit up, like you were last night.”

He did what you asked, and only a few moments later, Jack was shirtless and leaning back against the headboard, his uninjured arm bent and tucked behind his head. “What now?” You eyed him carefully, thinking.

“I should go and brush my -”

“Fuck that. Get over here.” He unbent his arm and reached for you, fingers curling around your bicep. “You’re fine.” You climbed back onto his lap and settled in, knees on either side of his thighs. “You wanna kiss me?” You nodded, running the fingers of one hand through his hair. “Then what’re you waitin’ for?”

It was surreal to you that Jack was giving you permission to treat him like that morning was routine between you - that it wasn’t only the second time you’d woken up to each other, or the first that you were staying in bed instead of getting up immediately so that you could leave. But it’s happening, so…

Leaning in, you met his lips with yours, sighing. His hands moved to your hips, fingers dipping beneath the hem of your shirt to settle against your body - and when his grip tightened in response, you stopped overthinking.

You kissed him harder, rocking your hips forward, and when he groaned, you used the parting of his lips to your advantage. It was easy to kiss him - easy to get lost in the way his mouth moved with yours, and the way it felt to have him beneath you, the warmth of his body comforting. It didn’t take much before you felt him stiffening through the shorts he wore, Jack moaning against your mouth when you ground down against him.

“Are you sure, Jack?” You questioned him when you backed away to catch your breath, and there was no mistaking the reply, his eyes flashing as he said yes, head moving up and down in agreement.

When you climbed off of him and settled in on the blankets beside his legs, you didn’t pause before you reached for him, the elastic of his waistband making it simple for you to pull the shorts - and the underwear beneath it - down. He helped by lifting his hips from the mattress, and then once you’d worked the clothing down to his knees, Jack kicked it the rest of the way off, leaving himself completely naked in front of you.

You reached out slowly, dragging the edges of your nails up the inside of his thigh. When you wrapped your fingers around him, Jack’s eyes closed and he swore, a quiet thunk reaching your ears when his head made contact with the wood behind him. That made you smile, but it didn’t cause your focus to waver.

Instead, you took a breath and began to stroke his length, Jack hard in your hold and even harder with each pass of your hand. Ok. Here we go. Without breaking stride, you leaned in and then bent forward, breathing out before you kissed Jack’s thigh, giving him warning. He hummed, one of his hands moving to rest against your shoulderblade, but he didn’t speak up or push you away - and so you continued.

You worked your way inward and toward your hand, and when you glanced up, lips hovering inches above him, you saw that he was watching you, his eyes so dark you couldn’t tell where the iris ended and pupil began. “Please.”

It was only one word - but it was filled with trust, and so without prolonging things any further, you lowered your head and took him into your mouth for the first time.

He hissed when your lips closed around him, his fingers curling against your t-shirt, but since he still didn’t ask you to stop, you kept going.

It was a leap forward, and you knew it. He did, too, if the look you saw in his eyes before you closed yours was anything to go by.

He filled your mouth, and when you sunk down lower, the flat of your tongue pressed against him, Jack grunted as his hips jerked forward, pushing himself deeper. You were ready for it, rearing back just enough that you didn’t choke, but you didn’t pull off of him. I can handle it.

You squeezed him at the base, the heel of your hand resting against the coarse hair there, and when you sighed, eyes squeezed shut, you felt Jack relax, his grip on your shirt loosening, too. As you bobbed up and down his length, your hand stroking what wasn’t between your lips, you wondered what he liked - wondered if he wanted things straight to the point or if he liked it slow and messy, giving him a chance to relish the warmth of someone’s mouth.

With a quiet pop you pulled back, opening your eyes and glancing up. “J -”

“Your goddamn mouth.” The hand not on your shoulder moved, rising so that he could use his fingertips to tilt your chin up. “I shouldn’t have made you wait.” You sucked in a breath, lips parting. What? “Y’alright?”

“Yeah, I…” You trailed off when he slowly dragged his thumb over your lower lip, his eyes following the movement. “I was just going to …” You kissed the pad of it, closing your eyes to steady yourself before opening them as you spoke. “I was going to ask what you like, Jack.”

The question surprised him; you saw his eyes widen, and when you began to stroke him again - slowly, your hand gliding fluidly up and down - you took a deep breath, waiting. He was breathing hard, and you watched his jaw work as he eyed you, head tilted to the side. His hand moved back, stroking over your hair.

“It’s been a minute.” He sniffed, hips shifting upward and pushing himself further into your hand. “But I liked what you were doing.” Jack’s lip curled when your thumb passed over his tip, circling slowly before your hand moved back downward. “That alright?”

You didn’t speak, instead nodding as you lowered your head again and took him back into your mouth. That time, you focused your attention on the place your finger had just been, tongue moving in a series of quick, deliberate licks while your hand continued to move beneath it.

He hissed out your name, hands falling away from you to fist the blankets, his muscles going rigid. It emboldened you, and when you braced yourself on his thigh, fingers curling in against his skin to give you more support as you continued, you pushed everything else out of your mind except Jack.

You wanted to make him come.

You wanted to push him over the edge with only your hand and mouth, and you wanted the satisfaction of doing so at his request. Your gaze rose, expecting to find him with his head tipped back and his eyes closed. Instead, he was watching you, chest rising and falling rapidly as he breathed out through his parted lips.

When you caught his eye, he didn’t look away. That sent a flood of warmth throughout your body, the heat settling low in your belly. He closed his eyes first, muttering the word fuck and bringing one hand back to rest against your shoulder. You moaned around him, closing your eyes, too, and when you felt his muscles begin to tense again, you sped the movement of your mouth up and added a slight twist of your wrist as you stroked him.

He was close - you could tell by the changes in his breathing, and as you prepared yourself, you were stunned to hear Jack say your name again before asking you to look at him. “Gonna come.” He swallowed, the motion turning into a groan. “Gonna come hard. You ok with that?” You nodded, flicking your tongue against his slit and then squeezing with the hand wrapped around him. “Oh fuck.” He jerked his head back and you heard the thud as it connected with the headboard again, but you were too focused to pay it much mind.

You moaned, sinking down as far as you could go before returning your attention to his head, hollowing out your cheeks and then swirling your tongue around him, letting out a contented sigh as you savored the taste.

He cried out and it took you by surprise, Jack pulsing in your hand twice before he came, his hips once again rising off of the bed as your hold tightened slightly. You tried to swallow, but were positioned awkwardly, resulting in Jack’s release leaking past your lips and down his length. You kept your mouth on him but slowed the motion of your hand as he finished, sliding your lips upward so that you could clean him with your tongue. When Jack managed to speak your name, his voice was low and somewhat strained.

You looked up again and saw that he was smiling, eyelids hooded. “C’mere. You’re done.” I guess I am. Slowly, you released him, unable to resist giving him one last flick of your tongue that resulted in a quick hiss, though he didn’t stop smiling. Your hand was a mess, and when you pulled that away, you brought it up and into your eye line, considering. I could just wipe it off, but …

That wasn’t what you chose. Turning your wrist, you brought it to your mouth and sealed your lips around the skin between your thumb and first finger, sucking the remaining fluid from your skin with another sigh. He swore at that, and when he reached for you, you let him pull you closer, both of his arms going around you as he tucked you against his body and tilted his head down to kiss the top of your head.

“You’re fucking incredible, d’you know that?” Draping an arm over his belly, you didn’t reply, instead turning your head inward and kissing the center of his chest. If you say so. “You good?” You nodded, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath as you tried to keep from overreacting.

Both of you were quiet for a little while, the low thrum of the AC unit the only noise in the room - but it was you that spoke first. “Never been woken up like that before, Jack.” He laughed, one of his hands sliding down the side of your body and over your hip, his touch comforting. “I liked it.”

“I did too.” He kissed you again, and then said your name, the sound quiet. “It’s not fair, though.”

“What’s not?” You didn’t look up, instead opening your eyes to watch as your fingertips trailed over his skin, using one of them to travel between the freckles on his abdomen. “I have no complaints about -”

“It’s not fair,” he continued, the hand on your hip moving up and then down, his fingers slipping beneath the elastic of your underwear and then around so that he could squeeze you. “That you get to have all the fun.” What is he … oh, shit. Jack’s hand moved lower, between your legs. “Fuck, you liked that, didn’t you?”

If you could feel the stickiness between your thighs, you knew that Jack could too, and when you mumbled out the word yes, he sighed deeply. Too much. I liked that too much. You weren’t expecting him to pull his hand away and pull you closer with it, or for him to use his other hand to guide your chin up, raising your gaze so that you could look him in the eye. And you were completely unprepared for the expression on his face - a mixture of excitement and fear, his eyes blazing. “Jack?”

“Get up here.” You moved instantly, scooting up a few inches, and when he kissed you, you felt your chest grow tight.

It was one thing to sleep with him based on mutual attraction. It was another to have him invite you out to a different state to spend a weekend with him. And it was a third, entirely different thing to have him break a rule for you that by his own admission was created to keep distance between him and the people he slept with - and then immediately have him pull you close and kiss you afterward.

And even as it deepend, Jack’s tongue stroking against yours as his hand slid to the back of your neck to support the position you were in, your mind was working overtime trying to make sense of everything that you were feeling - and what it might mean.

You couldn’t ignore it forever, and knew that you’d have to confide in Jack before you got in too deep. It was only fair, since he’d been so honest with you the night before. But maybe I don’t have to now, you thought as his hand slid down your thigh and toward your knee. He said he might be open to more, and I don’t … I don’t want to ruin this yet.

Jack urged you to raise your leg and settle it atop his, and when he dragged his hand back up the inside of yours, you realized exactly what he was setting up. You shivered when he reached your inner thigh and then whimpered against his lips when his fingers made contact with the damp material of your underwear. You felt him smile, but he didn’t break the kiss. Fuck, Jack.

Your hips flexed forward and Jack took the initiative, sliding his hand up and over your abdomen and then down, making its way between your skin and the fabric. Oh, God, he -

It was you that bit down on his lower lip when his fingers sunk into you for the first time, but he didn’t stop with the sudden burst of pain. Instead, Jack curled his fingers as he thrust his wrist forward, changing the angle and filling you further. You gasped at the feeling, and then it was Jack that closed his teeth around your lip and tugged, pulling your attention back to the kiss.

“I hope you slept well,” he mumbled, his lips moving against yours. “Because I’m just gettin’ started with you, darlin’.”

—

By the middle of that night’s game, you were almost positive that the trip to Texas was one of the best decisions you’d ever made.

You and Jack hadn’t gotten out of bed until that afternoon. After dozing off once he’d gotten you off with his hand and waking up a little later, he’d given you a hands on demonstration of just how much better his arm felt while supporting his weight above you.

And when you’d finally left the bed and headed into the bathroom, emerging from it with one of the hotel’s fluffy robes securely tied at your waist, you’d found him heating up a plate of his mom’s cooking for each of you. It was delicious, and while you ate, he’d told you a couple stories about his younger years, most of them centered around the types of meals she’d brought to share with the team.

While he showered, you lounged on the bed and flipped through the TV channels, trying not to think too hard about how easy it felt to be with Jack. That failed miserably when he emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and his damp hair dripping down his neck and onto his chest. You’d seen the look in his eye when he caught you staring, and it hadn’t taken long for the towel - and your bathrobe - to disappear, tangled together on the floor.

After he’d left for the stadium, you finally got it together, opening your laptop and booking your flight home for the following day. It felt wrong to do so, but when you typed in the numbers from the credit card Jack had left for you to use, it felt like another puzzle piece falling into place, the realization that you’d already leapt past the point of just being a hookup a little more believable.

But during the game, as you watched him from one of the seats that had been occupied by his parents the previous night, you let yourself enjoy it all without worrying

He knew where you stood, and you had a better idea of what he was looking for - and how he viewed your situation. He’d made you feel thoroughly wanted from the moment he’d spotted you from the field the night before. Jack had assured you that he wanted you to watch him play again that night, and the frequent glances over while he was on the field solidified it.

You weren’t his girlfriend. You weren’t in a relationship with him. There was no guarantee beyond that weekend that he’d want to spend so much time with you. But I’m here now, and we’re having a good time. That’s what matters.

The Statesman lost the game, but you were already on your way back to the hotel by the final out, your Uber driver cheering quietly when the last out was made. And when Jack got back to the room almost an hour later, you were already in bed again, the blanket around your waist and a rerun playing for background noise while you scrolled on your phone.

He paused in the hallway, leaning against it with one arm raised over his head and just stared at you, brow furrowed, his other hand in his pocket. “What, Jack? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just thinkin’ about how the next time I walk into a hotel room, it’s gonna be empty.” He stepped closer, undoing his belt and tossing it onto the armchair. “And you’re gonna be back in Louisville.” Hmm.That’s quite the admission.

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I’d much rather be in a hotel with you than at home and working, so…” You shrugged, setting your phone down on the side table. “Both of us are going to be disappointed after tomorrow.”

He undid the zipper on his pants and let them drop to the floor, stepping out of them before he pulled his shirt off and headed for the bed. He’s still got the chain on. Jack crawled to you and then leaned over, no hesitation before he pressed a kiss to your lips. “Disappointed is right.”

“I’m sorry you guys lost today. It was a tough game.” You didn’t want to change the subject, but it was the only way to ensure that you didn’t say something you’d regret. “How early do you need to be on the bus tomorrow?”

“Too early.” He sighed, lowering his head before he moved away and laid back, looking up at you. “It’s a 1 o’clock start.” It meant he’d be waking up early - and that you’d be saying goodbye sooner than you would have liked. “You probably think I’m boring as hell, invitin’ you out here and then going to sleep so early without -”

“You’re a professional athlete, Jack, and it’s almost the end of the season. You might not be in playoff contention, but -”

“Ouch.” He lowered his head and rested it against your shoulder, the golden pendant swinging forward and making contact with your arm. “You had to remind me.”

“I’m sorry.” You ruffled his hair with one hand, focused on the way his lips lingered. “But other teams are, which means that everything’s still full steam ahead. I didn’t come out here thinking we’d be up until 2 am partying. I came here to see you, and if that means being in bed early and watching TV with you, I’m alright with that.”

He looked like he didn’t believe you, but without saying anything, he sat up and leaned over to kiss you again. It didn’t take you by surprise like it would have a week earlier. What did stun you was the way he kissed you - like he’d been doing it for forever - and how much of a response your body had to him. I can’t help it.

When he sat upright again, Jack sighed, his hand dropping down to take yours. “Saw you booked your flight.” He laced your fingers together, palms flat. “You’re leavin’ before the game?”

“I had to. The only other flight back was late, and I didn’t want to risk not being home in time for work.” You shook your head. “Thank you again for offering to pay for that. You didn’t need to; it was really strange to use your -”

“Of course I needed to.” He frowned, arching a brow. “Why would you pay to go home from somewhere I invited you?” Because I don’t want you to think that I expect you to pay for anything for me. “But you’re welcome. I hope you booked yourself a good seat.”

You hadn’t. You’d booked a regular, no frills ticket, and hadn’t even thought twice about doing anything else. Admitting that to him got you a good-natured eye roll, but it wasn’t until you were both laying down and facing each other that he spoke again.

“Gimmie your phone.” What? “Someone’s got to break the ice and I don’t think it’s gonna be you.” You rolled over and reached for it, unlocking it before you handed it over. Jack moved to lay on his back, head propped up by a pillow. He studied the image you had set as your background for a few seconds and then used one finger to swipe and tap.

“Jack, what are you doing?”

“I have a picture of you, but you don’t have one of me.”

“You’ve sent me pictures of -”

“That’s not what I mean.” He glanced over. “And you know it.” He raised the phone and aimed it, and you watched as he took multiple pictures of himself over the next few seconds. What is he doing? “How’re these?” He handed it back to you, turning onto his side and propping himself up on one elbow.

You swiped through them, teeth digging into your lower lip. They were all great - even though they were dimly lit. You could also tell that he was in bed, and shirtless, the gold around his neck bright in the glow of the TV. You knew what it looked like and he knew it too, and when you opened your mouth to answer, you didn’t get a word out before he said your name, cutting you off. “What?”

“D’you want to take one together?” He inhaled deeply, holding his breath as he waited for your answer. What?

“Right now?” He nodded slowly, exhaling. “But neither of us are dressed, and -”

“Nobody but us will see them, right?” You nodded, heartbeat quickening. “Then what does it matter?” He had a point, and you really had no solid excuse to turn him down. And I’d love a picture of us. You sat up and closed your eyes, looking down at where he laid. “That a yes?”

“It is, Jack.” He sat up next to you and wound one arm around your shoulders, easing you closer as the two of you leaned back and against the headboard. While he took a few shots, you tried not to let the uncertainty you felt show in your expression - or in your posture. Taking pictures of each other was a big step on its own, but taking photos in bed - even though you were fully clothed - was yet another leap.

“Think I got a good one.” He turned his head and kissed the side of yours. “What do you think?”

“I think,” you spoke as you swiped through them. “I think that they’re all good, Jack. Do you want me to send any of them to you?”

“All of ‘em.” He moved his hand up and down your arm, squeezing your shoulder. “Maybe not the ones of just my own face, but…” He chuckled, shrugging. “It’ll be nice to look at those and remember the first time you came to see me play.”

“The first time?” Turning at the waist, you faced him. “You think there’s going to be a next time?”

“Probably not this year.” He scratched at the side of his head, wrinkling his nose. “Season’s almost over, but yeah. Maybe next year you can come out to spring training or something.” It was at odds with what you’d talked about earlier. He was planning things in the future, though nothing was certain between you. Jack was acting as if he expected the two of you to still be in contact months down the road, and in a position where you flying out to spend a few days with him wouldn’t seem unreasonable. So maybe he really is thinking about more.

“Getting out of Kentucky and going to Arizona in February or March? Count me in.” You laughed, quickly putting all of the pictures into one text and sending it to him before you leaned over and put your phone back on the table. “I had a lot of fun this weekend, Jack. I hope you did, too.”

You settled back in, rolling over to face him, but Jack didn’t lay back down. Instead, he tilted his head forward, looking over at you. “I did.” He began to chew on the inside of his cheek, brow furrowed. What did I say? “I’m gonna go and get ready for bed.” He gestured to the bathroom. “You need in there?”

You told him no, watching as he got out of the bed and crossed the room. Jack reached for the light switch inside the smaller space, but paused and then looked back over his shoulder at you before stepping inside. “What’s that look for?”

Some of the tension in the room eased with your question, and the rest of it disappeared when he spoke, his smirk visible even from a distance. “Don’t fall asleep while I’m gone, alright?”

With a laugh that turned into a groan, you pulled the blanket up further. This is how it’s going to be for a while. I guess I’ll have to get used to figuring everything out as we go. “I won’t. But if I do… you have my permission to wake me up, Jack.”

—

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