#work is just making it impossible for me to finish this update SIGH

[itsjaywalkers]

last line tag!

tagged by the lovely @courfee <3

technically not the last line i've written, but that one's a bit of a spoiler, so take this instead!!!

It’s almost enough to get Regulus to turn around, but he manages to get ahold of his body at the last moment. “I thought you wanted to help,” he mutters, hands twitching.  “And I thought you believed I was here to annoy you,” Potter retorts, a teasing edge in his tone. God, Regulus wants to strangle him.  “Prove me wrong.”  “Is that an order?”  “A suggestion. You don’t seem like you’re good at following instructions.��� “I can be,” Potter says, low and smooth, and the warmth is back, enveloping Regulus and making his breath hitch. “I already told you I’d be on my best behaviour, Reg.”

no pressure tags <3: @xjustakay @residentrookie @showinalittlelife @grimjobs @withtheoldstars

[the-goddess-of-mischief-writing]

Concentrate

summary: You've been engrossed in work lately and Price decides to take it into his own hands to make you relax.

pairing: cpt. John Price x reader (sunshine universe)

tags/tw: afab!reader, mention of canon related injury, NSFW, mdni 18+ please and thank you, p in v, teasing, unprotected sex, creampie, d/s themes, captain!kink, implied age-gap

a/n: god, it's been too long since I've updated this series, but considrings it's summer now, I actually have may aims set on finishing it<3

Sunshine universe MASTERLIST & John Price MASTERLIST

Despite the blue-light glasses dimming your already yellowed screen, your laptop's light strains your eyes.

They sting as you blink, tears occasionally wetting your lash line. You don't want to continue working, the whole day has had you glued to the screen. But, you'd signed a contract with a bigger firm, and the first checkpoint in that partnership was scheduled to be presented in two weeks.

Despite so much time left, it felt like you were already behind.

You sighed, your forehead finding solace between your arms as you rested it against the bed. You felt the mattress shift beneath you, not too surprised you caught the attention of the bed's other occupant, who had been engrossed in his book for the better part of an hour.

"Not time to let it rest for tonight?" You sighed again, catching the sound of an open book being placed down.

"I know I should, but there's still so much left undone." You turn to face John, your head finding a temporary respite on your shoulder, relieving some of the tension in your neck. 

Compared to you, he lies on his back, one hand resting along the book's spine, his index and middle finger hooked between the pages. His brows are drawn together, and the creases between them are more visible than otherwise. 

"Mhm, know it is, but you've done quite some work for the last half an hour." Right, this isn't the first time he's asked if it's time to put aside work for tonight. The knowing look John sends you makes you break away from his gaze. 

You know he is right. But, as soon as you stare at the unwelcomingly bright screen again, the unpleasant tingle in your nerves of work left half-done and the heaps of it left to finish forces your fingers to flex before settling on the keyboard again.

"And yet I've come nowhere", you mutter. The clicking of keys ceases when John's hand enters your vision, and a heavy paw is placed upon one of yours to halt your typing. Your eyes flick to him, noticing how he's

discarded the book and rolled onto his side, watching you with raised brows and sincere eyes. 

"Wrap it up, love. You've done enough for tonight." His voice is steady, and his gaze is heavy. 

Letting out a breath of combined compliance and relief, you nod. "Alright, let me just wrap these few sentences up so I'll know where I should pick up tomorrow".

"Good choice." John catches your chuckle with a kiss as he leans close to peck your lips before standing from the bed. "I'll be in the shower when you're done," he says, withdrawing to the en suite.

You follow him as he departs, leaving the invite dangling in the empty space he leaves you alone in. The water from the shower reaches you as a soft pour through the door, making it even harder to turn back to face the screen. It's light stabbing your sore eyes just a bit more viciously.

And you do plan to join him sooner rather than later. Yet the concluding sentence seems impossible to wrap up, going on forever as you attempt to put down all the thoughts on the screen for your well-rested self to probably frown at tomorrow morning.

The sound of the shower fades to a white noise as you simply can't take the step and cut yourself off, close the screen, and join John in a warm shower your sore body and exhausted mind needs.

***

Price waits for you. He didn't anticipate you to come running after him before the door shut, but he did expect you to join him soon after he stepped beneath the shower-head. But he sighs heavily when he's stood beneath the stream of water for long enough that he's finished washing and even stretched the time if you would join him in a minute. 

Turning off the shower, Price steps out to dry off. He'd looked forward to spending some time with you, no less seeing you relax for the first time since after breakfast. That project you're working on has taken much of your time the last few days, rendering you basically motionless in front of your laptop if it wasn't to eat or take a minuscule pause.

Despite knowing it was he who was on med-leave and not you, Price still felt that the days on which he had no paperwork to fill his time while you worked dragged on particularly slowly. And with his shoulder barely impairing him from any movement, sitting about the whole day made his leg bounce from restlessness.

Neither did he want to disturb you too much, noticing how you noted his presence each time he passed within your view with a flick of your eyes before they fell to your laptop again. 

While never saying anything, Price, in return, noticed how you often slowed your pace momentarily after he'd passed you, often with a swift kiss. Likewise, if he stayed in your vicinity, your attention strayed towards him more than once.

He tried to keep clear so as not to impair your workflow. But your workplace is much more fluid than his, and you often placed yourself in areas he passed through when moving through... practically anywhere in the house.

With the tally he kept, you favoured the couch in the living room downstairs and the bed later in the evenings.

Dropping the towel from his head, Price looked at his reflection before it fell to the side. Some little part in his chest hoped to see you suddenly appear behind him, but the door remained as shut as a few minutes prior. 

Price wasn't surprised to find you right where he left you once he exited the bathroom with the towel tied around his hips.

He called your name, but you barely moved. You remained on your stomach, propped on your elbows, occasionally scrolling on the computer before you. He catches you mumbling a 'mhm, soon done' much later than his call for you and only shakes his head, the response more autogenerated than anything else.

Even from this angle, Price notices how the light from the screen illuminates your tired features. When he moves around the bed and towards your side, he catches your furrowed brows.

You're so engrossed in your work and whatever is going on inside that head of yours you don't notice when he steps up beside you. Instead, your head falls to your hands, your thumbs pressing into the roots of your eyebrows.

A low groan escapes you, stirring something in the pit of his stomach. 

You'd been out like a light the last two nights, barely able to put away your computer and mosey your way for your skin-care routine before falling asleep. He'd caught you standing with your eyes closed as you massaged your products into your skin, only to offer him that sweet, tired smile once they fluttered open.

To say he hadn't been aching to touch you more than fleetingly the past three days was an understatement. But the day you announced you'd gotten the deal for this collaboration, you also said in your ecstatic state how you needed to work. So he'd let you, settling for the warmth of your body against his right before sleep took you both, and the day started in the mornings.

Price knew your jobs were different, awfully so. However, he recognised you were in that initial bubble of concentration that was hard to break out of, and you could bring in the rest of the world again.

While Price didn't blame you for working while you stayed here. After all, he'd thumbed on his non-working practice while on medical leave. He found that you had difficulty relaxing; your shoulders pulled tighter each day, your remote work smudging the line between work and home. Even now, you hadn't stopped massaging the pressure points in your face, the blue-light glasses discarded to make it easier.

He wanted to see you wind down, not only for tonight but also to allow yourself to not overwork so early on in this project. Take it from him about knowing that planning and prepping could only take you so far. Yet Price knew you wouldn't take that step yourself. He'd waited to see if you would since yesterday when the exhaustion of your mental workload slowly started to make itself noticeable.

Maybe that's why he found himself suddenly resting a knee on the bed beside your hip, the mattress dipping beneath his weight as he pushed himself over your laying form until he kneeled on either side of you. Or so he told himself, dismissing how he slowly felt himself grow hard standing there, watching your form resting prone on the bed, craving to hold your body.

***

The mattress shifts and a sudden weight settles atop your thighs. You start from whatever brain fog has momentarily overtaken you. 

You smell John's shower gel, the slight dampness of what must be a towel separating your naked legs from his as he sits behind you.

Fuck, right, you were supposed to join him.

You attempt to glance over your shoulder to apologise but only catch a glimpse of John, towel around his waist and hair still wet from his shower, before a hand lands on your neck and directs your face forward. The firm grip makes you feel a bit like a kitten being grabbed by the scruff, yet John's voice makes another feeling come to life.

"Just concentrate on your work, love." His voice is smooth and gravelly deep, but he doesn't let up on your neck, forcing you to continue facing your screen with the blinking marker not far from your face. 

"What-"

"And let me take care of you", he continues, disregarding you completely. 

You're about to ask him again what he's doing, but upon the fingers resting on either side of your neck pressing, your words escape as a rushed exhale. His thumb and index finger repeatedly knead the base of your skull, making your eyes fall shut. 

Yeah, you could need a massage. That's also how you interpret John's action, as his hand slides with equal pressure further along your spine. The pressure is firm, but oh, it is needed on the sore muscles along your back that you let out a shaky breath when some of the tension is relieved. 

However, your shaky breaths turn into a sharp inhale once one of his hands that has been kneading the worst of the tension points in your back slips down your spine, not stopping at your last vertebrate but continuing over the globe of your ass.

One calloused hand turns to two, both grabbing at you from behind, groping your cheeks in each palm, squeezing until flesh spills between fingers and an appreciative noise sounds from the man doing so. And then, he pulls you apart just a little, the oversized shirt of his that you're wearing riding up until you practically can feel his eyes on your scantily covered core.

"John-" His name is cut off by a sharp inhale as one of his hands slides between your legs, and he runs his thumb the length of your thong-covered pussy from behind. In the aftermath of your involuntary jerk, his other hand settles heavily on your hip, pressing you down into the bed with the help of his weight pinning you.

"Hush, don't mind me." His voice is remarkably even despite gently rubbing up and down your cunt like he is currently doing.

"Hard not to mind you." You let out a soft moan, clenching around nothing but the phantom feel of his thumb against your entrance as he presses just a tad bit more.

"You wanted to work, love, don't let me stop you". It's sweet, even considerate, the way he says it. Contrasting so deviously the way he's petting you with repeated motions of his thumb.

Your mouth opens and closes, your eyes fluttering in an attempt to stay open and watch the keyboard and screen you're meant to type on. However, the computer you only minutes before couldn't tear your attention from remains untouched. 

Your fingers hover, and your chest heaves as your total concentration falls on John. 

Hyper-vigilance overtakes your body as you follow every tiny thing the man pinning you against the bed does. John keeps the pace of his fingers the same, the prodding remaining frustratingly consistent. You try to wriggle your hips, but the hand on your waist only tightens its hold as he clicks his tongue. A simple but effective warning.

You fall still, letting him touch you at the pace he wants despite your breaths now turning to soft whimpers. 

A flush rushes through your body when John shuffles. You feel him rise onto his knees for a second, and then the fingers playing with your pussy leave your body, only for the sensation of fabric to sweep over your legs and be thrown to the side.

Once he retakes his position, it's his naked thighs that connect with yours. But the stuttering breath escapes when you catch a low groan spilling into the air.

Your head whips around, catching John admiring you with lidded eyes, hand fisted and stroking his rapidly swelling cock to full hardness.

Mouth salivating, your lip catches between your teeth upon the scene. You can't help the way your thighs clench together when your pussy flutters. John notices, eyes trailing upwards until his gaze locks with yours. He tsks the moment they do, stopping his fisting of himself as if to depreve you of the hot scene.

"Thought you wanted to work, eh?" He leans forward, shifting his hand to rest by your shoulder instead of your hip. It lets you arch against his hardened cock when it falls against your backside. John grunts, jaws tightening as his free hand curls around your head, gripping your jaw to force you to look at him by craning your head backwards. "Now, don't let me fuckin' this pretty pussy of yours distract you." He directs your head forward slowly as the words drip from his tongue. 

But, rather than your hands resuming the typing you'd given up on since he started touching you, they fall to the sides of your godforsaken computer, fisting the covers. "I-I won't be able-"

"M'no, no backtalk, or else I'll go an wank off rather than help you relax, love." Your mouth snaps shut, breathing turning shallow as your heart thrums in the hollow of your throat. "Understood?"

"Yes". There are a few beats of silence as John lets go of your jaw. You wait for his next move, but so does he, apparently, as suddenly his palm connects with your ass, the spank reverberating in the air together with your gasp.

You know what he wants, then. "Yes, Captain." His title sends a shudder down your spine, the implications of its use telling what's to come.

"Good girl", is the low-muttered response you get against the shell of your ear as John settles into his previous position again.

His hand glide over the globe of your ass, soon joined by his other one. You can only imagine the sight he's greeted with when he rucks down your panties and spreads your cheeks enough to bare you for him.

You feel how wet you are. The crotch of your panties tying your legs together is damp against your inner thighs. The uncomfortable feeling of being soaked between your legs makes you squirm beneath John's gaze.

"Squirmin' already, and I've barely touched you", he hums, letting his thumb fall to your entrance again. When he curls the digit, it disappears inside you, forcing a stutter moan out of you.

He toyed with you, teasingly stretching you over his thumb as he wiggled it at the entrance. Sometimes, John let it slide deeper, which had your thighs clenching beneath his thicker ones straddled over you. 

You whimpered, head falling to the bed when he used the slick you'd coated him in to rub your clit. The stutter of your hips was impossible to stop, but rather than a swat to your ass and a disappointed sound, the one you could've presumed would leave John. His tut was filled with remorse, the way he kneaded your ass almost caringly.

"So strung tight, ain't you, love?" You whined in response when his thumb left your clit, sliding up and down the seam of your pussy. "Poor thing", he hummed, low and gravelly in his chest. If not for your body already vibrating, you bet you could've felt the same bone-deep rumble of his voice through your back.

"Yeah-oh!" A moan cut off your sentence, John's thumb swapped to the head of his cock in the middle of it. It was a slow push inside, having your mouth falling open, another moan forced into the bed.

The familiar burn of his thick cock stretching you wider made your eyes screw shut and your breathing heavy. With little to no prep, apart from your slick and John's teasing, the delicious stretch around him was slower than usual.

"Oh my-", you whimpered, feeling John move and his weight settles against your back.

A hand beneath your throat is what forces your head up. With a slight bend backwards, you met with blue eyes gazing down at you. The picture of John was upside down, but the evident lust in his features as his hips met your ass shone no less clearly.

"How's that work goin' for you?" His voice was thick, dripping from his mouth into yours from how your lips brushed.

You opened your mouth, intent on replying. Though, John had another idea. Before your words could more than begin as a deep inhale, he started to fuck into you, torturously slow but deep, rocking your body from how tightly he pressed himself against your rear.

Intended words escaped as nothing more than a moan he swallowed with a messy kiss, your sound of pleasure urging a deep groan from John in response.

Your eyes fluttered when John shifted just right and hit that bundle of nerves inside you that made silvery stars dance across your vision. He must have felt your walls contract as he picked up his pace. And basically rutted into the bed, your eyes fluttered and your neck going loose, forcing John to let you down so you would not bend it at an awkward angle. 

With your cheek pressed against the bed, you followed the large man sitting straight again through your peripheral. He appeared larger when he grabbed your hips, pushing those big pecs of his together, puffing his chest up. 

His bicep flexed, and his head tipped back a notch when he pushed your legs together more firmly with his thighs, feeling you tighten around him. The fit was snug, urging him to push firmer into you, lifting your hips the slightest bit to meet each thrust. 

You could drool at the sight of him huffing and groaning as the muscles in his stomach and arms flexed. Some wetness probably escaping along the constant strings of moans and whimpers flooding your mouth. The burly bulk of him working you closer to orgasm with each tug of your body and snap of his hips. Fuck did he look good.

"C-captain", you moaned wantonly, earning his attention as he haunched forward, sneaking a hand beneath your front to strum at your clit.

"Fuck me, love." John couldn't help but stutter through his words when your goaded groan stoked his primal pride at having you look so utterly dishevelled. "Lookin' so fuckin' cockdrunk."

You nodded absentmindedly, earning another grunt from the man shoving his cock possibly deeper as his finger toyed quicker over your sensitive bud. It was impossible to keep your eyes open, your mouth hanging open without a sound but heady exhales escaping. Your fingers were cramping, clutching and unclutching the rucked-up duvet around your face.

"Can feel you flutterin' around me. You needed this, didn't you? Already close." Fingers dug into your hipbones, and your body jolted when John switched the pace to agonisingly drag his cock out before slamming home. "Yeah, yeah? Are you goin' to cum for your Captain? Cream my cock while you work?"

Work was nothing but a memory now as you could only muster a moan in response.

You twitched beneath him, coming nowhere despite arching your back as you came, and John continued sliding over your clit with his finger. It was violent, ripping through all those frayed and tense nerves that had pulled tight through over the last few days.

You cried into the bed, shuddering when John kept pumping into you, prolonging the blessedly painful high he forced you into by the end. His rumbling grunts and mumbled praise spread goosebumps over your skin as you lay there, taking whatever he needed to spill inside you through the overstimulation.

Then John stilled, shoving himself deep as his thighs quivered and he pulsed inside you, the warmth and stickiness spilt inside you, making you weakly moan in satisfaction.

It was blessedly silent as you felt him push incredibly lazy into you once, twice, before he pulled out and settled on his haunches, pulling your cheeks apart to probably look at the white dribble of cum that oozed out of you. He hummed contentedly, smoothing his palm over your bottom before he wedged a hand beneath your hips, helping you lift them as he pulled your panties up your legs again.

You whined at the uncomfortable coldness but stopped once John's thumb ran soothing circles into your spine.

Your eyes had fallen shut, the fatigue from earlier creeping violently close. The only thing making your lashes flutter was once John leans over your body, closing the laptop that switched to standby long ago. 

His hand is kept on the device as he leans down, his head notching on your shoulder and his lips resting against the shell of your ear as he falls to his elbow.

"You're done". This time around, it wasn't a suggestion. 

You can't argue this time, only hum and tip your head in an attempted nod. Your head is silent for the first time in three days, and the pleasant buzz makes your body completely lax. John takes it as an agreement as he leans down and kisses your shoulder blade. 

One press off his lips turns into two, and then a question breaks the pattern, "You feelin' alright?"

"Mhm" is all you can muster in return. You receive a last kiss against your clothes-covered skin before John stands from the bed while you remain put. 

You feel the laptop disappear, presuming John puts it away to charge for the night.

"Come on now, love, up you get". Your head twists to watch John as he stands beside the bed in his naked glory. A tension was lost in his shoulders now.

"M'too tired", you mumble.

"Now it suits you", he laughs softly, a quirk tugging in the corner of his lip as he bends down. 

You move easily when he pushes you over to your back, enjoying the view John offers above you. When he inserts his hand behind your knees and your back to scoop you into his arms, you sober up quickly as you release a squeal, eyes widening as your arms shoot to wrap around his neck. 

His chuckle vibrates against your ribcage as he readjusts his grip on you before he sets off to the en suite. 

"Waited for you to take that shower with me, but looks like I had to take it into my own hands".

"So you're kidnapping me to take another?"

"Yes", he says, shifting his eyes to yours before stopping to push the door open with his foot.

"What a gentleman", you giggle, craning your neck to kiss his beard-covered jaw quickly.

"Didn't leave me with any gentlemanly options", John fixes you with a look as he lets you down.

"Guess the both of us can get stuck in work sometimes," you shrug, blinking up at him with innocent eyes and giving him an apologetic smile.

His arms circle your waist, accepting your regretful gesture by pulling you close to him. All the while, John huffs to playfully deflect your accusation towards him. 

"Don't know what you're talkin' about".

"Don't know what I'm talking about, huh?" You question with a cocked brow, a smile pulling at the edge of your mouth. "Says the man who would rate his study a close second behind being in bed with me".

"Surfaces to fuck you in both places." He shrugs. Your mouth drops open, your spluttering making him let out a short laugh, a boyish smile now tugging at his lips. "And... it's not my fault you consider one of your offices the most fuckable surfaces in the house, nor your work attire this", he defends himself half-heartedly while slipping a hand beneath his oversized tee covering your body.

You lightheartedly swat his chest, chuckling as you detangle yourself from his arms. 

You feel John's eyes rove over your body while you pull the shirt over your head, catching his gaze once you drop it to the floor. You lift a brow once his eyes rise to yours, only briefly, however, as they soon drop again when you step out of your sticky panties.

You feel the wetness left behind between your legs; no doubt that John also sees it from how his chest expands when you step backwards through the open shower doors and onto the still, slightly wet ground from his previous shower.

When he follows you, he instantly pulls your naked body against his as if he hadn't just held you.

Just before the water hits your front, John huddles close, bending slightly forward so the water cascades over the back of his head instead. 

He runs a hand through his hair to push his drenched locks backwards. Droplets fly and hit you in the face, and you raise a hand to swipe most of them from your lashes.

You stand in comfortable silence as you stare at each other. John's hands wander up and down your sides, your hands no better as they slide over his wet torso. He can't take his eyes off of you, gaze slowly dipping, mapping your body as if he hasn't seen it naked countless times.

"You're touchy tonight", you hum, following his gaze as it settles on your breasts, hands soon moving to the same place.

"Have barely felt you for days." He fondles you in his hands, much gentler in all his touches now compared to earlier, simply feeling you up. 

"Could've just asked if you wanted to have some time for us without my laptop present", you jokingly offer.

John only raises a brow as his eyes lock with yours, his hands stilling and ultimately sliding down your ribs to rest on your hips.

"With how you've buried that nose in the screen, I didn't know if you fancied if I would come and cop a feel". You tip your head side to side. "You're probably right." John only cocks his brows, a silent dig at the probably you threw in there. "But I didn't mind it now".

He shakes his head, reaching down to plan a swift kiss on your lips. "'Course you didn't when bein' so wound up. Know a good fuck makes you relax".

"Oh, shut up," you say, pushing his face away with your hand and bashfully dipping your head. He laughs lowly through the shower stream you'd moved him into. 

He shook his head as he exited the water, his arms wrapping around your waist to pull you flush against his chest.

[albertasunrise]

Hope - No Hope

Masterlist

Summary: After Joel loses his wife and your best friend during childbirth. You support him as he takes on parenthood on his own at 22. But when feelings start to develop, you battle with the guilt you feel for falling for your best friend’s husband.

Relationships: Joel Miller x Reader

Warnings: Like AO3 I choose to give none. Read at own risk. 18+… this is to avoid spoilers! (I am so sorry this has taken so long. As many of you know I am expecting my first baby and the little miracle has been draining the lift out of me 😂 but I am getting over that now and so I will be updating my fics over the coming weeks 🥰 hope you enjoy!)

Series Masterlist - Part 1, Part 2

One year later...

Weekends at yours with Alec grilling had become a tradition. Noah and Sarah still adored each other and were practically joined at the hip at this point. You'd been with Alec for over a year. Moving it with each other not long after getting together Joel had been left to try and pull himself out of the dark hole your leaving him and Sarah had left him in. Yet, despite the crippling jealousy that he felt towards the other man for capturing your heart, he could not hate him. Alec was the perfect gentleman. You and he flourished together and helped Joel whenever he needed it. It was impossible to be anything but happy for you both. 

"Sarah come." Said Noah as he took her hand and helped her waddle over to his jungle gym "Play princesses." 

Joel watched with fondness as his 18th-month daughter walked with the little boy, her legs still a little wobbly but getting stronger every week. He kept an eye on them both whilst listening in to the conversation that was flowing between the adults. Tommy laughed as he told them a story about one of his friends, the older brother smiling at how enthusiastically his brother spoke about his brothers in arms. 

"How's work been for you Joel?" You asked, pulling his gaze away from the kids and towards you as you smiled sweetly at him. 

"Business is good." Joel answered with a shrug "Can't complain really." 

"How did your date with that client's daughter go?" Tommy asked as he gave his brother a wink. 

"You had a date?" You practically squeaked, looking between the two brothers with giddy excitement. 

"Was fine." Joel shrugged "She was sweet but we just didn't click." Joel shrugged, looking down at the beer in his hand in hoping that you would drop it. 

"What really happened?" You pushed and he sighed, there was no hiding anything from you. 

"She uh... Well, she freaked out when I told her I had a kid." He answered honestly "Can't blame her. I'm 22 with a toddler. Not exactly what you expect or what from a relationship in your early twenties." 

"Joel..." 

"It's fine... Honestly, what 20-something What's a kid right?" 

Your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Unable to find the words to say to make him feel better. He was so young and yet he seemed so set that he was to face life alone. 

"Foods up" Stated Alec as he placed the plate of burgers down beside the salad you'd placed there a few minutes ago.

"KIDS." Joel shouted, smirking when just their heads appeared in the doorway of the fort "FOOD!" he finished, outright smirking at how their eyes widened before they scrambled over to the table. 

Lunch passed with ease. Noah found it exceedingly funny how his little friend pulled her burger apart so that she could eat it all in separate pieces. Then after the dishes were cleared away and the kids were out down for a nap the four of you sat in the garden and enjoyed the piece and quiet. The conversation flowed easily and everything was relaxed. 

Until you and Alec dropped your news. 

"We're real glad that the two of you were able to make it." Alec said as he glanced at you and smiled. 

"Why's that?" Tommy asked as he eyed you and Alec. 

"Well, we got some news." 

Joel's stomach dropped. 

"Y'all getting married?" Tommy fired at them and they chuckled.

"No... Although we have been discussing it." Alec chuckled. 

"What is it then?" Tommy pushed and Joel wished his brother wouldn't. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. 

"We're gonna have a baby." You gushed and Joel swore his heart stopped altogether.

"What?" 

Your brows pulled together at his question and he internally scorned himself for his reaction. He hadn't meant to say that out loud but he couldn't believe what he was hearing. 

You were pregnant? 

"What my brother meant to say was congrats." Tommy piped up, pulling Joel back to earth with a crash. 

"Yeah... Course I did... just caught me by surprise is all." Joel stated, giving you what he hoped was a convincing smile. 

"Yeah... we uh..." Alec chuckled as you both gazed at each other a moment and grinned "We were too. Would be lying if we said we planned this." 

That didn't make Joel feel any better. 

"We have one too many bottles of wine to thank for this." You sniggered as you placed your hand on the bump that Joel had completely missed before. 

"Well, we already know you're both gonna be ace parents." Tommy said as he jumped to his feet, bending down to hug both you and Alec. 

Joel's heart was in his throat. He had worked so hard to bury his feelings for you but this news had just dredged them from the depths and shoved them in his face. He felt like he was under a spotlight as you all turned to look at him, waiting for him to speak. Sarah crying down the baby monitor couldn't have come at a better time. 

The tearful daddies had him standing from his seat quickly and muttering a few nervous sorry's before he sprinted inside to his daughter. You couldn't help but be confused by Joel's reaction to your news. You'd thought he would be happy for you. 

Meanwhile, Joel was rocking his sniffly little girl as she settled in his arms, placing soft kisses on her head of curly hair as he whispered how it was okay to her whilst swallowing back his own tears. He soothed his little girl back to sleep, laying her back down in her cot before stumbling back onto the couch behind him, falling into it and throwing his head in his hands as he allowed his tears to flow. 

Something you watched from the shadows as your heart shattered for him. You weren't sure why he was so broken but you hated seeing him hurt. Little did you know that he was mourning the fact that you were completely and utterly lost to him now. He officially had no hope of sharing his life with the woman who had pulled him from the deepest pit and brought him into the light. The woman who had taught him that life was worth living. 

That everyone has a second chance at love.

...

Tommy watched his brother from the kitchen as the man finished cleaning away the mess Sarah had left from dinner. They had left a short while after you and Alec had made your announcement, Joel remaining quiet the rest of the time they were there. He knew something was up. His brother wasn't good at hiding his true feelings, he wore them on his sleeve and he felt conflicted about his sibling's reaction to your pregnancy. Part of him felt for Joel. Knowing that for longer than his older brother had realised, he'd had feelings for you and how this bombshell must have shattered him. The other part though was angry that Joel hadn't even tried to pretend that he was happy for you. 

"Joel." He called out when his brother's cleaning got more erratic "Joel!" He said a little louder when his first call fell on deaf ears. 

"What." The older man growled, coming to a stop and gripping the edges of the counter as he stared at the bottles now soaking in the sink. 

"You could have been nicer about her news." He said plainly, pulling Joel's gaze to him. 

"What?" He asked again, but his tone changed. 

"I get that you're probably feeling a bit bummed about this but-" 

"Bummed?" Joel snarled, stopping his brother in his tracks "You think I'm feeling bummed about this?"

"You know what I mean... I get you're disappointed but you could have at least pretended to be happy for her." 

Joel said nothing. 

His chest heaved as his brother's words whirled in his brain. Bummed... he thought to himself. BUMMED?? He hadn't meant to yell that last thought at his brother. 

"I am fucking devastated." Joel choked, taking his brother by surprise "A year and a half ago... I lost my wife on what should have been the happiest day of my life." 

Tommy flinched at the mention of Joel's dead wife. 

"I drove home alone... with this tiny person beside me and I honestly thought that my life was over..." He trailed off as he scraped a shaky hand over his face "And then I walk into that very lounge and there's this ray of light shining back at me. 

"She pulled me back from the brink and despite my brain telling me it was wrong... I fell for her. But my wife had just died and I had a new baby so I pushed it away... Pushed her away..." Joel was sobbing now, his cheeks glittering with the tears that tracked down them "I pushed her away and she stumbled into the arms of another man. A man that I can't even hate because he's so fucking perfect for her!" 

"But you are-"

"I'm a fucking wreck, Tommy." Joel interrupted "I am nothing but bad for her and my feeling devastated about her happy news just proves that." 

"Joel..." Tommy trailed off, his heart aching for his older brother now. 

"I fucked up." He finished, shrugging and leaving the room. 

As the weather grew a little more changeable, dinners at your home became more scarce. Instead, you had started to have Sarah over for a few hours in the evening as Joel's hours had gotten longer. He never stuck around when collecting her though and you knew he was avoiding you. You hadn't pushed the subject of witnessing him crying. You'd barely mentioned the pregnancy around him in the short moments you did share any conversation. One month merged into two. Two into three and you felt him grow more and more distant with each one. 

You ached to talk to him though. To try and understand why your happy news had affected him the way it had. You wondered if perhaps it had brought up the hurt of losing Ali. They had broken the news to you in a similar way. Dinner at there's with you and a few other close friends, they had announced that they were expecting. Perhaps it had brought up memories and feelings he'd not dwelt on for a while. 

He never gave you a chance to find out though. You would share a few words. Mostly about what Sarah had been up to at nursery and with you before discussing what she had for dinner and any other days he may need you to have her. Your friendship had become little more than a business transaction and it was breaking your heart... And Alec could see how much it was breaking you. 

He only allowed one more month of this to continue before he finally decided that enough was enough. 

...

Joel glanced up at the door, glancing at Tommy before pushing himself to his feet and walking up to answer it. He had no clue who would be at his door at 9 in the evening but if he had hazard a guess, he wouldn't have ever thought it was Alec. 

"Hey." Alec said as he gave the man a smile "Hope I'm not interrupting." 

"Tommy and I were just watching the game." Joel replied and Alec nodded "What can I do for you?" He asked as he glanced over the man's shoulder "Everything okay?" 

"Oh yeah." Alec nodded, giving Joel's arm a friendly pat "I just thought you and I could go for a drink. Catch up... It's been a while." 

"Oh, I don't know... Sarah-" 

"Can be sat by her uncle Tommy for a few hours." Piped up his younger sibling as he walked up behind him "Go, I can handle shit here for a while." 

"You referring to it as shit doesn't give me much confidence." Joel grumbled as he grabbed his jacket and followed Alec to his car "Page me if you need me." He threw over his shoulder as he turned his head to look at his brother who was waving him off from the front door. 

"Won't need ya, brother." 

...

Alec drove to a bar not far from Joel's. It was fairly busy but not so much so that they couldn't hear each other talk. The conversation had flowed surprisingly easily at first. Something that Joel had always admired about Alec was that the man loved to talk about his kid. He sat there and gushed about how well Noah and Sarah played together. How she seemed to hang off of his every action. 

"He's constantly talking to baby." Alec chuckled "Telling her all the games he wants to play and-" 

"Her?" Joel piped up and Alec grinned and nodded "Shit... yeah I wasn't supposed to say anything." He let out an awkward chuckle as he took a sip of his beer "We're having a girl." 

"Wow, that's... That's great." Joel replied, his tone turning flat as he took a large swig of his beer in the hope that it would mask his disappointment. 

"Yeah... We're excited." 

"I bet." 

An awkward silence fell over the duo a moment before Alec spoke again. Leaning forward in his chair and forcing himself into Joel's eyeline. 

"What's going on man?" He asked and Joel was surprised at how surprisingly soft his question was.

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean that since we announced that we're having a baby you've been off." He stated plainly "I've been watching you break your friend's heart month by month as you grow more and more distant with her." 

"Alec-" Joel was stopped by a raised hand and he sighed. 

"I know our news must have dredged up some memories for you but you can't push your friends away." Alec pleaded "We're here to help you, Joel." 

"That's not... It didn't..." Joel couldn't string the words together but Alec knew what he was trying to say. 

"Well if it isn't that... the only other logical reason for your reaction is that you're..." He trailed off as he put two and two together. His eyes trailing up to Joel as the last puzzle piece falls into place. 

"You're in love with her... Aren't you?" 

Joel's eyes filled with tears as he nodded numbly. His eyes squeezed shut knocking a few of them free. Alec sat there in shock as he processed what he'd just learned. Joel's heart was in his throat as he watched the man work through everything he needed to. He had hoped that he would take this secret to his grave but in reality, he knew it had only been a matter of time before it came out. 

"Alec I'm sorry..." Joel choked, his eyes pleading with the man to believe him "I had feelings for her way before she met you but I was struggling with losing Ali and the fact I'd developed feelings for someone so soon after that I suppressed them and pushed her away and then she met you and I... Well, I was too late. You're good for her and I would never get in the way of you guys I just... I'm not good at handling this." 

This statement made Alec snort. He finally looked at Joel and the younger man readied himself for the verbal bashing he was undoubtedly about to receive. It never came. 

"I won't lie to you, man." Alec started with a sigh "This is not what I expected when I decided we needed to talk." 

Joel nodded, his eyes dropping to his beer bottle. 

"You need to buck up your ideas now though man." The man continued "She needs you... She needs Sarah. You're all she has left of Ali and she's been slowly killing herself trying to work out what she did wrong to make you so distant." 

"I didn't mean to hurt her." Joel mumbled and Alec nodded.

"I know man and I get why you've been behaving as you have. It's not gonna be easy learning the woman you love is having a baby with another man but we are your friends Joel and we can help you get through this. So let us." 

Joel nodded and gave the man a teary smile. 

They finished their beers before heading out of the bar and back to Alec's car. Joel had always admired the man's car. A black 66' Mustang that he had rebuilt with his dad as a kid. Alec had regaled the story fondly the first time Joel had set eyes on the car. 

"Wanna drive?" Alec asked as he waved the keys at Joel. 

The man's eyes widened as he nodded eagerly and Alec grinned as he tossed them to Joel as they swapped sides. To say Joel was excited did not do what he was feeling justice. He had been trying to think of a way to ask the man if he could take it for a spin since he met him, so to finally get the chance was beyond exciting. 

The straight six sitting under the bonnet roared to life and Joel and Alec both groaned before the younger man peeled out of the carpark and onto the main road. No words passed between them a while before Alec rolled his head to look at his friend, smiling at the giddy excitement plastered all over Joel. 

"I'm sorry you've been hurting man." He said simply "I want you to know that I genuinely care about you and I don't want to see you suffer." 

Joel shot him a smile, before returning his focus to the road. 

"We'll work this shit out." He finished, giving Joel's knee a friendly pat before turning his attention to the buildings that flew past his window. 

"Thank you." Joel said as he smiled over at Alec, his eyes then greeting the headlights of a truck that had just jumped a light. 

It was the last thing he said before the sound of metal being crushed rang in their ears. 

Then everything went black. 

Next

For updates follow @albertasunrise-ficsblog

[vodika-vibes]

It's My Choice

Summary: Echo is in recovery at a GAR medical facility on Coruscant after being assumed KIA. You want to see him, more than anything, and you hope he knows that he's your choice.

Pairing: ARC Trooper Echo x F!Reader

Word Count: 1190

Warnings: reader is described as having hair long enough to style, and as a supermodel.

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: So I had an idea, and I decided to run with it. It might not flow well, simply because I'm very sick and have been for the last two days, but I'm happy with it. (Also, pardon any typos/grammar errors, I typed this while not wearing my eyes.)

You lean back in the hard, uncomfortable chair of the GAR medical facility, your gaze drifting to the ceiling as you wait for an update on Echo. The chairs really are terrible, but then the clones were never meant to have worried family you suppose.

Jokes on them. Echo has you.

You allow the back of your head to thump against the wall behind you and you stretch your legs out in front of you and cross your ankles.

You've been here for almost 12 hours now.

Fives contacted you as soon as the Resolute landed on Coruscant and informed you that Echo was alive and was being treated for his injuries here. He mentioned that you didn't have to come, but clearly he's lost his damned mind.

As if you'd be anywhere else.

Of course, you probably should have taken the time to make sure that you fixed your hair and washed the extreme make-up off…and changed out of the six inch stilettos you had been forced into for work today.

But, whatever. Echo's alive. Nothing else matters.

Even if your agent has been blowing up your com for the last six hours. And even if General Skywalker has been side-eyeing you like he thinks you're trespassing. 

Your comma chimes again, and you absently lift it over your head to read the message. And then promptly deleted it. Your agent will just have to deal.

A door at the end of the hall opens, and you tilt your head to the side, before you sit up straight as Fives steps into the hall and walks over to you.

He takes in your carefully styled hair —artfully tousled, your stylist called it— the dark make-up, and the impossibly high stilettos and he huffs out a laugh, “You come here right from a shoot?”

“Echo’s more important than any photo shoot. Besides, I had already finished when you called.” You reply as you kick your heels off and scramble to your feet, “Can I see him?”

Fives smiles at you, “Yeah. Follow me.” He waits for you to scoop your heels, and your bag, off the ground before he starts walking, “I should warn you…he looks bad.” Fives says quietly as he stops next to the door.

You lift your chin and glare at him, “Contrary to what you, and apparently everyone else, believes. I'm not dating Echo because of his pretty face.”

“Okay, okay. Sheathe your claws, kitten. I just wanted to warn you.” Some of the offended tension drains from your shoulders, you didn’t mean to snap at him, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone made an assumption about you and your choice to have a relationship with Echo.

Fives opens the door and moves to the side to let you into the room, and your breath catches when you see him.

Like Fives said, he looks bad. Thin, too thin by far, and so pale. The prosthetics and cybernetics are new, but honestly, you’re only bothered by them because you’re sure that they must have hurt.

“Echo,” You step into the room, and set your heels and your bag in a chair, before you move closer to his side. There are tears in your eyes, but they’re happy tears, “Welcome home.”

Echo blinks at you, twice, and then he slowly slides up in the hospital bed, “Cyar’ika…when…how did you know I was here?”

“Fives commed me and told me. I’ve been sitting out there for hours.” You look around and then huff out a sigh, before dumping your stuff on the floor and moving the chair next to the bed. You lightly take his prosthetic in your hand, a scomp, rather than a hand.

You hope that it was his choice, rather than one made for him. 

He tenses, but he doesn’t pull away from you, “You didn’t have to.”

You smile at him, “Echo. You’re here, and you’re alive. Where else would I be?”

His gaze flickers across your face, and then over to the heels lying on the floor, “Well, judging by the height of those heels, a photoshoot.”

“Not half as important as you.” You reply dismissively.

He shifts and slowly sits up, properly, before reaching out and pressing his flesh hand against your cheek, “Cyar’ika…” Echo hesitates, and then flashes a wry, self-deprecating smile, “I don’t think I’m pretty enough for you.”

You bite your tongue to stem your immediate, and loud, disagreement. Instead you reach up and press your hand over his, rubbing your cheek against his hand. “Why would you say that?”

“Why-? Cyare. Look at me!”

“I am looking.”

“Then I shouldn’t have to explain-”

“Would you like to know what I see when I look at you, Echo?”

“Not really.” You tilt your head, and he sighs, “Tell me.”

“The man who, after meeting me, an actual supermodel, invited me to go to a bookstore with him.” Echo flushes, and it’s obvious due to how pale he is, “A man who overheard me mentioning to my agent that I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to meet my favorite author and made sure that I arrived on time.” Your smile widens, “A man who learned who my favorite author was, simply so he could read the books too, so he’d have something to talk about with me.”

Echo averts his gaze, “We talked all night.” He murmurs.

“We did. And I got in so much trouble the next morning because I had dark circles under my eyes, and you got in trouble because you were late to formation…but we did the exact same thing three nights later.”

Echo laughs softly, “I thought Rex’s head was going to explode.” He admits.

You release his scomp hand and reach up to press your hand against his cheek, “I see the man I fell in love with. The man who looks at me and sees more than the dumb supermodel that everyone expects me to be.” You scan his face, almost anxiously, “And I’m hoping he still loves me.”

He looks at you, something soft in his gaze, “You still want me-?”

“Always. Forever. Until the stars go cold.”

“Your agent is not going to approve.” Echo warns as he lightly tugs you off the chair and onto the edge of the bed.

“I cannot emphasize enough how little I care about my agent’s opinion.” You admit quietly, “If I have to choose, I know who my choice will be.”

Echo exhales slowly, and slowly tugs you in until your forehead lightly bumps against his, “I love you.” He whispers, “I never stopped loving you. Even when I could barely remember anything, I still remembered your smile and the smell of your lotion and the feel of your skin under my fingers.”

“Charmer.” You whisper.

“Mean every word.” Echo whispers right back, and then he tugs you once more and catches your lips in a kiss that’s soft and loving enough that it nearly brings you to tears.

You have your Echo back. He might look a little different, but he’s here and it’s all you’ve ever wanted.

[hellishjoel]

sunnyside cemetery

5.6k / pairing: linecook!frankie x waitress f!reader

Series Masterlist l Previous Chapter

summary: A ghost haunts the kitchen. Or does it? A spooky night at the cemetery forces your feelings for Frankie to come to a head. 

warnings/information: MA 18+ (minors DNI), swearing, pet names, mentions of insecurity, smut, public sex (is it if everyone’s dead? maybe), oral (f! receiving), squirting, cum eating, a little angst at the end for flavor 

A/N: happy halloween!! thank you so SO much to @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin for her impeccable, unmatched knowledge of the inner workings of a kitchen and a diner/restaurant! Makes it so much more realistic.

**follow hellishfics and turn on notifications to see the next time I update!**

“Oh- what the fuck, Christ, oooh Frankie,” you whimper loudly, grounding your heels into the dirt. You’re torn between running away from the feeling that is all too good, or staying, and enjoying your slice of heaven in this graveyard.  Your orgasm is running a fever inside you, making you hot, losing your thoughts. It’s different from anything you’ve ever felt. He’s- oh god.  “Frankie, you’re gonna make me,” you clench your eyes closed and whimper loudly, feeling him add more pressure to that perfect spot.  “Fucking squirt for me, baby,” Frankie’s devilishly deep tone sparks a shock to your core, causing you to cry out in a bliss of agony.

It’s a cold and dreary night. The diner is dead, not a living soul in sight. Booths settle with dust, unaccompanied by any guest for hours, even days. Yellow fluorescents flicker ominously overhead. The windows at the very front of the restaurant weep droplets that have been falling since dawn. 

The already weakly supported awning outside shuddered in the wind, attempting to protect the front door and any guests from the rainfall. The gusts made it nearly impossible to see out to the road.

Lou, the bus boy, was standing in the middle of the diner’s aisle, slowly mopping the same patterned circle over and over again while he listened to music playing through his earbuds. 

Bang. Bang. Bang. 

The loud disruption was enough to make Lou’s head pop up and turn from left to right.  He takes out an earbud to hear better. It was silent, lurking, the fluorescent light causing his head to ache. Maybe he was just hearing the awning squawk and bend to the will of the wind. 

Just as he sighed, about to put his earbud back in, he heard it again. 

Bang. Bang. Bang. 

Okay, that time, he definitely heard something. A thin layer of sweat coats the back of Lou’s neck, moving with precision as he slowly creeps over the wet mop streaks he’s made and inches closer to where the noise originates.

Lou stops in the kitchen, the swinging door whooshing behind him. He peers through the pass, no one in sight. He sighs and shakes it off. There’s nothing here. But then again, just as he turns, a muffled bang! bang!

Lou’s breath is seized, stripped from his lungs as he stands frozen in fear, staring with unblinking eyes at the walk in. 

The door. It was pulsing. Snapping against its hinges, banging relentlessly in a horrific rhythm. It was a portal to hell! Lou was sure of it! 

He skitters away with shaky legs, gasping with fear as he flinches away from the monstrous thing. 

“Holy shit! The place is haunted!” The stick of the mop clatters to the floor, echoing through the diner as the lights flickered. Lou ran to his car and finished his shift early on Halloween night. 

The walk in door bangs a few more subtle times, leaking cloaked moans and grunts from what’s inside. It wooshes open, cold trickling into the kitchen. 

Frankie peaks his head out first. Checks left, then right. 

“We’re good.” He mutters, securing his belt and fixing his hat. 

You subtly clear your throat as you walk past him, retie the apron around your waist, and shake from the chill you got. The walk in was great for a quick makeout session, but nothing more. It was cramped as all hell. 

“We’re not doing it in there again.” You huff, goosebumps riddling your body as you watch Frankie haul meats from the bottom shelf, a dainty label with messy sharpie highlighting the date of preparation and expiration in his handwriting. 

“Hey,” he said with playful defense, “I had to get more burger meat, you followed me in there.” 

You shrug and stroke your thumb across the red bandana on his forehead.

“You liked it.” 

He scoffs playfully and nips at your uniform-covered shoulder as he walks past you with the meat. “Never said I didn’t, princess.” 

You walk back out onto the floor, noticing a wet trail leading to the mop, but no one attending it.  “Where the hell is Lou?”

You turn your head, share a look with Frankie through the pass, and shrug.

---

“This seems scary,” Tina whispers as she trails behind you on the side of the road. 

“It’s not that scary.” You try to push down the smile on your face as you lead your diner crew after a late night Tuesday shift to the local cemetery. The rain had paused, but the dark clouds still loomed. 

Tina, the new waitress, was nearly tripping over her feet in the dark, quietly squeaking her concerns to Paul. Paul stood about two feet above her and walked onwards like a subtle, silent giant. 

Rudy, the owner’s son, came along, too. He wasn’t exactly invited, but you suppose he was eager to be a part of something. He catches up to your side and keeps your pace, much to your dislike.

“So creepy out here tonight. You, uh, want me to hold your hand?” Rudy asked with a dingy smile, reaching for your hand that skittered away on its own. Rudy was relentless and a pig, it made you squirm.  

There were times during your shifts he would put his hand on your waist, play with the hem of your uniform’s skirt. You weren’t above spilling hot coffee on him to get him to back off, and there were times that Frankie would step in, but Rudy wasn’t an idiot. He started working his advances on you when Frankie had days off. You hadn’t told this to Frankie yet, you didn’t want him to get riled up over something as little as a creep with his hand up your skirt. You could take care of yourself. You just wish you didn’t have to. 

“Uhm-” You start to say awkwardly, shuffling your flashlight to the hand closest to Rudy's, making it seem unavailable. 

“I think she’s good.” Frankie’s protective voice barks from the back of the group, now weaving through the band of scared-to-death coworkers and walking protectively at your side. Like a strong, bold German Shepherd. 

Rudy is forced to make room for Frankie on the walkway, huffing quietly as he takes a back seat and slows his pace, letting you and Frankie lead the pack.

Your smile is bashful and appreciative as you keep walking. His knuckles brush against yours, but you stay looking forward. 

You had convinced the closing staff to come to Sunnyside Cemetery on Halloween, mainly to scare the shit out of them but also because you didn’t really have anything to do tonight. Well, besides Frankie, but you could do that any night of the week at this point. 

Things were casual, nothing more, despite how attractive he became instilling fear in Rudy for bothering you. Far enough ahead of the group and losing them in the fog, you lightly hook your pointer finger around his, holding it as you walk off the road’s path and into the tall, wet grass. 

“Why do they call it Sunnyside Cemetery? Kind of contradicting, don’t you think?” Tina squeaked until Paul stopped walking and looked down at her before he pointed across the road to Sunnyside Produce. 

“They were here first… the cemetery just went with the flow.” He said with a monotone register before he walked down the grassy hill, much to Tina’s panic-induced speech about going back. 

You sharply swiveled on your heel and pointed the flashlight at her. 

“There is no going back.” A crack of thunder and lightning followed your harrowing sentence. Damn, that was perfect fucking timing. Your eyes lit up to Frankie’s, and he looked just as impressed by your eeriness. 

Tina and Rudy whined but followed suit. Paul was just… Paul. 

“Did you see that? Did it make me ten times scarier?” You whispered to Frankie excitedly as your sneakers squished moss and snapped twigs below you. 

“Super scary, babe. Petrifying.” He said with his playboy smirk and dazzling eyes, even in the dark. 

---

Once you got to the graveyard, you walked along the perimeter, finding a low spot where the fence wasn’t as high. You touch the cold steel beams, black and scraped with years of being out in the elements. 

Frankie hops the fence and helps everyone else over. Besides Rudy. And besides Paul, because Paul was so tall, he practically just hurdled over it. Frankie tugs down your uniform when it snags around your upper thighs. You playfully smack him with your flashlight, watching as he shakes his head and smiles crookedly. 

You and the other misfits made it to the main part of the cemetery, where the original founders of the town were buried. You walk through a small cloister covered in old grey cobblestone and moss. Ivy wove around cold, wet columns. Birds squawked ominously in the trees above. 

“Okay,” you say as you weave through the different rows of headstones overgrown by tall grass with rotting flowers, humming curiously. “Let’s do this.” 

Ouija board, planchette, candles. Frankie hands you his lighter, and you shield the wind around the wick. 

“Woah,” Rudy said at the sight, quickly shaking his head as his hands fidgeted anxiously at his sides. “Didn’t sign up for no talkin’ board. Fuck no.” 

“Sit,” Frankie says with authority, everyone making a weak circle around the board at his command. 

Good boy, you think as you look at Frankie. 

The group played for as long as you all could, scaring them off one by one on purpose as you guided the planchette around the board with the so-called answers from the dead. 

Tina didn’t last past the first few rounds, eagerly asking Paul to walk her back to her car at the diner. Rudy took the opportunity to say he had to head out, leaving just you and Frankie by midnight. 

“Such an ass scaring them like that.” Frankie hummed, his cigarette smoke swirling around him with the gentle wind. 

“Oh, please.” You scoff as you reach your hand out for his cigarette, watching him share what was left. “You’re the one who made the piece move towards the word raise when Rudy asked the founders how to make the diner better. That’s a bit of emotional manipulation.” 

Frankie snuffs up a short laugh, fidgeting with his lighter as he relit a candle that had been blown out from the wind. Suddenly, the rest of the lit candles were blown away as well. It was creepy and made the both of you stop in your tracks. An owl hoots in the distance. You crane your head from left to right, all of a sudden not feeling very alone. 

“I’m cold.” You finally say, your legs covered in goosebumps as you shudder at the chill that swept through the graveyard. Fog was sprouting from deeper in the woods that crowded the south side of the cemetery. Perhaps it was karma for scaring off your co-workers, but this was too much, even for you. 

Frankie seems unbothered, taking his cigarette back since you were too occupied to enjoy it. 

“S’just the wind. No real ghosts.”

You huff and shove at his shoulder as you move to sit on your knees. 

“I know there’s no fucking ghosts, asshole.” You say with confidence before flinching hard and hiding your face in Frankie’s shoulder as a bird flapping its wings around the corner makes you cower for a second. You groan in embarrassment as Frankie locks his arm around your waist. 

“Scared?” He sneers, flicking his cigarette butt away.

“M’not scared.” Your elbow juts into his ribs, and he releases you. 

“Yeah, fuckin’ right.” Frankie scoffs as he watches you collect the items on the grass, shoving them into your backpack in a scatterbrained scurry. It always made you ill when Frankie had the upper hand like he did right now. Made a pit in your stomach. 

Frankie could sense your fear, like a shark in the water. But rather than scare the shit out of you, like he knew he could, he decided to lighten the conversation. 

“Graveyards don’t necessarily have to be scary, you know.”

You chew at the inside of your cheek and settle down beside him. 

“A place littered with people’s rotting bones and corpses? That shit is scary, Frankie.” You correct, but he just shakes his head, smiles, and observes the mismatched gravestones. 

“Not really, if you think about it. Lots of couples choose to be buried side by side or even together in the same grave as a sign of eternal love.  There are lots of stories from medieval literature about lovers who took a lover’s leap off a cliff or a high place to be with their soulmate in the afterlife so they wouldn’t have to spend another second apart in different universes. People even have weddings in graveyards. There’s lots of good about life and death here.” 

Frankie’s eyes droop. 

“I don’t think people fear graveyards, or churches, or hospitals, I think they just… fear death.” 

Something changes in Frankie’s face, a sadness of sorts. Like he knew a lover that was lost in another universe. Curiosity sparks you, gently bringing your fingers up to graze over the stubble on his cheek with your thumb. 

“Well,” you whisper in your close proximity, climbing onto his lap. “I don’t fear death. I fear what’s after death. No one knows what’s next, not even you, old wise one.” 

Frankie cracks his signature smile and rolls his eyes, pecking your lips and gently tugging on your lower one as you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him closer. 

“You think if I go down on you in this graveyard, any wild spirits will inhabit your pussy?”

You throw back your head and laugh, tugging him to the ground as you lay on your back and hike up your uniform. 

“God, I hope not. If you die, you better not haunt my pussy.”

Frankie smirks as he spreads your legs and levels his chest to the ground, kissing and nipping at the inside of your thighs with impatience. “Can’t make any promises, baby.”  Pulling your panties to the side, he ducks his head lower to your core. The brim of his hat nudges against your stomach, you watch as it falls discarded to the side on its own as his face sinks over your warm heat. 

You hum as his warm body relaxes yours, shuddering lightly as your sticky core becomes exposed to the outside world. Fingers wind into dark chocolate locks, his beard lightly scratches at the inside of your thighs. 

“I’m going to taste like work sweat,” you murmur awkwardly, coming to terms with the fact that you worked a full shift without showering yet. 

He scoffs, nearly offended, before he flattens his tongue and licks a slow swipe up from your weeping hole to your clit. His tongue parts you and circles around your anxious nub of nerves. You whimper as you fist his waves, fluttering your eyes that were previously taking in the night sky. 

“Like tasting you like this,” he murmurs, locking his arms around your thighs to keep you spread. “So fuckin’ juicy.” He says greedily, yanking you towards him as a gasp leaves your parted lips. 

Your stomach twists as he fully envelops you with his mouth, marking his territory with his tongue and spit as he suckles on your clit. 

“Fuck- oh my god,” you murmur into the night air. You’re too rowdy to lay still. Especially when his tongue starts darting in and out of your entrance, massaging your tight walls as he goes. You whimper as you sit up on your elbows and watch the master at work, in awe of his devotion to you. More appropriately,  to your pussy. 

“This isn’t so scary anymore,” you say between panting breaths. “I-I’m looking at the stars, and you’re eating me out in the moonlight- fuck,” your chin tilts up to the sky, feeling your stomach contort with pleasure. 

“I know,” he mutters, “kinda romantic.”

“Shut up, Frankie.” You groan as you shove him back to your center, where he shares a breathy laugh between you and your core. 

You feel a coil tighten in your abdomen, and you hate to admit it, but he’s given you the best head you’ve ever received. No one makes you cum like he does, and never as hard. It’s Earth-shattering, rousing you, making your heart race.  

Frankie pulls his mouth off to slick up two of his fingers through your folds, dripping with arousal. He elicits a whimper from you as he lightly nudges his fingertips against your clit in the process. A muscle behind his jaw twitches as he inches two fingers into your warmth, feeling your walls stretch to allow the intrusion. 

All you can think about is how his heavy cock is resting against his thigh, but he had no intention of using it. He was much more determined to make you feel good. The thought makes you melt into the ground, into his touch, into his blind kindness. 

You feel awfully close as Frankie starts massaging your walls, but you feel this odd ball of anxiety start to fester in your womb. You’re no longer relaxing. Like a cascade down your body, it shows. Your head twitches, and your jaw closes. Your chest grows tight, as does your stomach. Suddenly, your thighs are closing around his head, and not in a fun way. You whimper quietly and loosen the fingers in his hair. 

Frankie’s eyes flick up, slowing his movements and pulling his mouth off your clit. You tip your head down, and confusion crosses over his features. Knit eyebrows, parted lips covered in your arousal. His hold on your thighs loosens, you bite your lip and let out a shaky breath as you look at the moon. 

“Hey,” Frankie says softly as he moves to his knees, and you clamber to sit up on your elbows. 

“I’m sorry,” you gush awkwardly, closing your eyes and putting one of your hands over your face in embarrassment. “I just- sometimes I can’t finish, I get this weird feeling like someone shined a fucking spotlight on us, and now I can’t- I’m sorry,” you rush breathily, feeling slightly like an ugly monster below him. You smelled like work, and the thought never left your head. You probably tasted like gross sweat and smelled horrid. Even if it wasn’t true, that’s how you felt. 

Frankie speaks your name, his silken southern drawl slowing your heart rate as you unshield your face. You felt warmth coursing through your body, your legs still closing at the slightest. 

“What’s goin’ on? You can talk to me.” Frankie’s never seen you in the slightest self-conscious. At work, you’re always bustling with an attitude and playfulness. This was different, he could sense the shift from your body language alone. 

You sigh and give in, feeling his large hand come to rest over your knee and rub soothing motions into your thigh. 

“M’..” you sigh and roll your eyes, opting to shift your focus to the gravestones. “M’worried I don’t taste good.” You mumble. 

Frankie slowly smiles at you, which, for whatever reason, sort of pisses you off. 

You fight the urge to sit up fully and push your uniform down. “See? I knew I did, just-”

“No, no,” he said with more authority, taking one of your hands and interlocking his fingers with yours. “You don’t. I just wasn’t expectin’ you to say that.” 

You frown, which he hates to admit is fucking adorable on you. That little pout of yours. 

“What do you mean?” 

Frankie fights off a scoff and rolls his eyes a little. “It’s just that every time I’ve gone down on you, it’s after work. I like how you taste no matter what.” 

Shyness creeps up the back of your neck, and you fight off a smile. You didn’t realize that he was right. He’s gone down on you thrice now, each time was either during or after work. He clears his throat and continues. 

“I like how you taste after work. Right after a shower, there’s no… zest. I’m explaining in cooking terms because that’s what I understand.” 

You stifle a giggle and let him go on. 

“Work is like your seasoning. I’m sure you taste good all the time, but I like it best right now. I like it because it’s you.” 

Your chest swells at his words, you bite down on your bottom lip to keep from smiling too big. There’s that weird feeling in your heart again. The weird one you get when you’re with Frankie, and he talks like that. You sigh quietly and clutch the grass at your sides, anxiously fiddling with it and twirling it around your fingers. 

“How did I taste after you went down on me in my truck after our shift?” He raises a fair point, cocking his eyebrow as his fingers cascade down the inside of your thigh again, and you slowly part your legs. 

“I liked it. A lot.” You whisper with a smile, to which he graciously returns. 

“I liked it, too.” Frankie sneers at you, forcing you to roll your eyes in return. “Can I try one more time? Want you to feel good. Wanna swallow your cum, baby.”  His words are absolute filth. You’re not sure if you have it in you to speak, so you nod in a haze. 

“Lemme hear you say it, princess. Tell me like a good girl.” 

Your stomach swells, and you force out a weak sigh, already falling into a gentle lull as his fingers coast around your thighs, but not where you desperately need him. 

“Fuck you.” You say with fire. He sees it in your eyes, he fucking loves it. “Touch me, Frankie. Please.” 

That’s his girl. The one he knows. 

“Lie back, baby girl. Let me take care of you.”

You shyly smile and find the ground again, head to the grass as you close your eyes, and he returns with a new vote of confidence. So do you. 

Frankie moves to lie down on his stomach, you part your legs enough for his head. You take in a sharp breath as he touches your still desperate bundle of nerves. You swallow the lump in your throat. He kisses your clit delicately, and you already struggle to breathe. He focuses solely on your clit with long, beautiful strokes from his tongue that massage you into a dreamy state of mind. He’s delicate. 

Now you’re really off to the races. 

Your back lightly arches as he does sweet circles around your anxious clit, feeling that coil once again tighten in your abdomen. His hand moves to hike up your uniform once more, unveiling your tummy to the nighttime air. You’re sure you should be freezing cold right now, but all you can feel is an inferno at the center of your core. His fingers gently nudge once more at your entrance, his eyes flicking to yours for consent. You quickly nod but then remember his little rule. 

“Y-Yes, please,” you whimper. 

He reenters and pumps his fingers a few times to allow your walls to relax, humming softly in appreciation. Then he fucking curls them inside of you. You gasp as the tips of his fingers find your spongy spot, and it feels like a bolt of lightning strikes your core. 

“Holy fuck,” you whimper, which only fuels Frankie. 

“Here?” You don’t even think he has to ask because you’re breathless. He settles for your chaotic nods and the way your fingers desperately move from clutching the grass to his chocolate locks. 

His other hand snakes around your thigh and uses your exposed stomach to his advantage. Or maybe it's yours. You’re not really sure what he’s doing, adding pressure in different spots to your lower abdomen. Then it clicks. 

Your breath is robbed from your lungs, and you rut your hips against his fingers, grinding desperately to stay right in that spot. This new friction was driving you mad, running you up a wall, and causing a gush of arousal to flood over his fingers. 

“Oh- what the fuck, Christ, oooh Frankie,” you whimper loudly, grounding your heels into the dirt. You’re torn between running away from the feeling that is all too good, or staying, and enjoying your slice of heaven in this graveyard. 

Your orgasm is running a fever inside you, making you hot, losing your thoughts. It’s different from anything you’ve ever felt. He’s- oh god. 

“Frankie, you’re gonna make me,” you clench your eyes closed and whimper loudly, feeling him add more pressure to that perfect spot. 

“Fucking squirt for me, baby,” Frankie’s devilishly deep tone sparks a shock to your core, causing you to cry out in a bliss of agony. A harsh wave starts to form, crashing over your entire body with only seconds left. This was it. You could either run away, put the distance between you and Frankie for good, call it coworkers, and nothing more. Or let this feeling bind you to something more. 

Panic rises in you, but you don’t have time to act on it. 

All the tension in your body and the thoughts in your head disappear into euphoria. With a sharp gasp, your back arches, and you just… spill. It almost felt like you had to pee, but you knew it wasn’t exactly the same. You burst like a broken pipe. Your heart rate is through the roof. It makes you lose your hearing, and everything sounds muffled. 

“Frankie!” You moan out, feeling your thighs tremble around his head as you soak him. But he’s not stopping, like he wasn’t fucking done with you. He’s still chasing your orgasm, which arrives shortly after he suckles on your clit. You’re still too shaky to fully register what has happened to you. 

Frankie hums in satisfaction, lapping up your cum-squirt mixture. You’re so sensitive, you can feel your heels lazily dig into the ground to try and move away, and the fingers you have knotted in his hair are ripping him away from his treat. 

“Please,” he grunts, “lemme finish, taste so goddamn perfect.” You shyly grin at the moon and settle, letting him lap up the mess he’s made of you with a blush hot on your neck. 

Your vision is stars, a hazy feeling corrupting your brain. You’ve just fully collapsed in front of him, you’re not sure how he expects you to walk back to the diner after this. 

Frankie puts your panties back into place once he’s had his fair share of you, pulling your uniform down and opting to lay beside you. The two of you stare at the stars as you relax on the grass once more. Frankie wraps an arm around your shoulders and lets you curl into his side. 

“That was…” you try to piece together any sort of sentence to let him know it was good. Better than good, it was fucking incredible. 

“I know.” He says with his signature goading attitude. You don’t even have to look at him to know he’s smirking. So you punch his stomach lightly and smile into his pec. 

“You’re an ass.” 

“I know that, too.” He kisses the crown of your head, and you settle on watching the stars. 

They look like a cloudy mess to you at first. A jumble of the universe loosely tossed into the sky with no regard. It makes you feel small and pointless. There’s an entire world out there, but when everyone looks up, we all see the same. A disarray of stars and the moon. 

You wonder what he sees, what he thinks. His shirt smells of pine and cigarettes. His cologne-sweat mixture creates a tingle in your chest. You’ve seen so much of him, more than you ever did before in the years of working together. You know he likes to cook, and he’s damn good at it too, plays jazz on vinyl, smokes Marlboro Gold cigarettes, likes the car freshener that looks like a little tree, and he likes you.

It’s a fact, not a matter of opinion. He looks at you like you put those stars in the sky. Not God or whoever created the universe. You. And it was fucking frightening to know someone cared about you like that. 

There’s that horrid feeling again, squeezing at your heart. 

“I want to get out of here.” You whisper with uncertainty. Rain clouds start to take away the night sky once more, a signal to flee before the droplets become a downpour. 

“Okay. We can pack up our stuff and head out-.”

“No,” you interject, turning your head to look up at him, your feet weakly finding the ground and dragging the zipper along your backpack until it was shut. “You can stay if you want, I need to get home.” 

Frankie scoffs incredulously and sits up anyway, making you more annoyed. 

“M’not just gonna let you go off alone in the middle of the night. What are you, a fuckin’ lunatic?”

Anger bubbles in your chest as you make your way to the fence. “Oh, fuck off, Frankie.” You curse as your sneakers crunch twigs and fallen orange leaves. 

“Okay, hot shot, calm the fuck down.” He says with anger laced in his voice. Good. He finally sees you as Miss Not So Perfect. “Where the hell do you think you’re goin’?” He asks as he follows you nonetheless, his long legs carrying him at a much faster pace, catching up to you in no time at all. 

“I’m going home, and you’re not coming with me.” You say as your short height meets the fence, stopping you in your tracks. Well, fuck. 

You take in a deep breath through your nose, turning to Frankie, who has an eyebrow cocked and his arms crossed like a smug bastard. 

“Well, go right on ahead. M’not stoppin’ you.” 

No, you’re not, but this stupid fence is.

You pout and look from side to side, trying to find a way around this. A way around him. By the time you glance back at his face, his expression has melted from anger to sadness. You felt like you had just kicked a fucking puppy.  

You can see it in his eyes. He’s asking himself, what did I do? What the hell happened back there? 

There’s no time to think or care about how he feels; the wind is whipping your hair around, and the leaves dance around your ankles.  

There’s a gap in the fence that you end up using. Frankie trails behind you the entire way back to the diner, but he doesn’t speak to you. You feel like you might throw up, the ups and downs of tonight were giving you the spins. 

You arrive at the diner’s dreary parking lot, and only your beater car and Frankie’s rusted truck are parked side by side. You push your tongue against your cheek as you fiddle with your keys, trying to unlock your car door. You think rain lands on your cheek. You quickly wipe it away and feel its warmth, realizing it’s a tear. 

Frankie waits by his tailgate, arms crossed, a walled-up expression on his face as he watches you struggle. Despite you pissing him off, he watches you like that damn German Shepherd again, making sure you get into your car and no one bothers you. You finally stab the right key into the door and yank it open, standing at the entrance. You swivel on your heel and glare at him. 

“What do you want from me, huh?” You ask, the dead of silence filling your ears and polluting the distance between you two with tension. “I asked you a question.” 

“I don’t know.” He grumbles. A muscle behind his jaw twitches as you near closer. 

“Bull-fucking-shit, Frankie. I don’t know if you want a fuck buddy, a girlfriend, whatever it is, we’re keeping it casual, and that’s it. Or maybe nothing at all would be better.” You say defensively, crossing your own arms and mirroring his body language. 

“Did I give you the wrong impression that I wanted you to be my girlfriend? Did I ever even  fuckin’ ask you to be my person?” 

You scoff and feel a scraping in your stomach. No. 

“No,” he continues with your silence, “So why are you acting like I want something more from you?” 

The silence settles as rain pelts the top of your head. Pain is laced on your face, feeling exposed. 

“You don’t?” You meekly ask, trying to make your face strong when all you want to do is crumble. 

He hesitates but ultimately shakes his head and shrugs. Hurt crashes into your chest, you feel like you’re in that horrible dream where you’re endlessly falling, unable to wake up. 

“No.” He finally says again. He looks off to the highway, listening to the gentle humming of cars passing in the distance. 

You can’t put into words how you’re feeling. Confusion the most of all. You could have sworn that he… You thought that maybe he… No. He said no, he didn’t want anything more from you. He didn’t see you like that, like someone he wanted to be with permanently, he saw you as an opportunity. You can’t deny you saw the same one. 

So, fine. The line in the sand had been drawn with anger and self-loathing. 

“Good.” You finally muster up, shrugging casually and returning to your car. “M’glad we’re on the same page.” 

Frankie finds comfort in staring at the cold, wet ground. "Yeah. Yeah, me too, princess.” 

Your lip snarls as you slam your door loudly and peel out of the parking lot.

All you could think about was how you broke your rules for him, went against your better judgment, and fooled around with him anyway. Maybe a little part of you was looking for something out of Frankie, but you stopped everything in its tracks to save yourself from this stupid feeling of opening up to someone again. You ruined it. You chucked what could have been into the dumpster out of fear of the unknown. 

Despite leaving him in your rearview mirror, that feeling in your heart still squeezes, maybe even harder now. And it hurts far worse than anything you could have imagined. 

---

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[just-dreaming-marvel]

The Truth About Love ~ 21

THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 1,249ish

Summary: You wake up to find yourself in Steve's apartment. You and Steve talk.

Notes: Sorry for the long wait! I realized I hadn't updated this in over a year! I've planned out the rest of the series so hopefully it will come out quickly!

When you woke up, you looked around your room. Though, you realized it really wasn’t your room. It looked similar to your room, it had your items in it, but there was something different about it. You pushed yourself up to lean against your headboard, groaning as pain shot through you. As if he was standing outside the door waiting for a sound from you, Steve burst through the room.

“Are you alright?” He asked, coming to your side. His hands hovering over you, not willing to touch you yet in fear of hurting you.

“Where—“ You paused, clearing your dry throat. “Where am I?”

Steve sighed, “I knew it wouldn’t take you long to figure it out, despite Natasha trying to make it look exactly alike. Bucky and you switched apartments.”

“Steve, that’s—”

“I know, I know. You hate when I make decisions for you, but it’s easier this way. It doesn’t have to be permanent, just until you’re healed. We’ll move you back as soon as you can take care of yourself completely.” Steve sighed. “I just want to take care of you, please allow me to do this.”

“Steve… I… This is a lot…”

“I know. I can get everyone back here to help move you back, if that’s what you really want.”

You were silent for a moment, thinking over everything. “There needs to be boundaries, if— if this is all going to work.”

Steve perked up. “Of course.”

“Like, I can shower myself.”

“You will put a robe on and I’ll help you get settled on the shower chair with your cast covered.”

“Fine, but you’re staying out of the bathroom, waiting. Same when I need to use the bathroom.”

“I’ll be outside the door in case you need me.”

“Wow, you really have thought this all through.”

“I will only do those things until we’re sure you no longer need my help.”

You nodded, trying to see if you were forgetting anything. “Oh, no! My classes!”

“Already taken care of. You’re allowed to finish the semester online.”

You gave Steve a light smile as you took one of his hands. “Why are you so ahead of me?”

“Well, you’ve needed time to rest and I’m not going to take that away from you.” He moved his hand so that he was better holding yours. He brought it up to his lips for a light kiss to your knuckles. “I love you.”

You don’t know if you’d ever get used to Steve telling you how much he cared. “I love you too.”

~~~

Though you knew that Steve was just trying to take care of you, after day three, you really needed a few seconds alone. Like, actually alone, where he’s not waiting on the other side of the door or around a corner for you. Yes, moving around was hard with your leg in a cast, but it wasn’t impossible. You used crutches when you were feeling mostly good, but that had only been a few times. Most of the time, you were using the wheels of your wheelchair to get around yourself or Steve would push you.

Currently you were laying in your bed while Steve was doing something in the kitchen. After a few moments of mentally debating with yourself, you decided to use your crutches to go to the bathroom. You pushed yourself to the end of the bed and grabbed the crutches. Using the crutches for leverage, you stood up on your one okay leg. You were a bit wobbly but you continued on to the bathroom in the hallway. As you entered, one of your crutches slipped. You had no ability to balance yourself in your current state so you went falling onto the floor.

“Y/N?” Steve called as he rushed to the hallway. “Y/N!” His voice got louder and more concerned once he saw you. “Why didn’t you call for me?”

You whimpered, a few tears slipping out of your eyes. “I wanted to do something myself.”

“I’m going to lift you up and take you to the bed.”

“No. I’m sick of the bed. Please not the bed.”

“Alright. How does the couch sound?”

You nodded. “Great.”

Steve picked you up and carried you to the couch. He ran back to the room and grabbed some blankets and pillows. Bringing them over, Steve helped you get situated. 

“Steve?”

“Yes?”

“I still need to use the bathroom.”

He chuckled. “Do you want help?”

“Please.”

“As you wish, milady.”

~~~

After taking a small nap on the couch and having dinner, you and Steve decided to watch a movie. You were cuddled up to Steve the best that you could be, focused on the movie. Meanwhile, Steve’s mind was elsewhere. The movie was almost over when you finally took notice.

“Steve?” You called.

“Mhm?” He hummed, looking over at you.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course.”

“Have you paid attention to the movie at all?” Steve sighed. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”

“You left.”

“What?”

“The Gala, you left and I don’t exactly know why. I mean, I can assume but it’s not the truth… it’s not from you.”

You nodded along. “I was upset watching you with Peggy. I was jealous and insecure… Guess I still am… Tony wasn’t helping.”

“He never does.”

“Who is Peggy? Who was—is she to you?”

Steve sighed. “I met Peggy in London, when I was traveling the world after graduation. London was my first stop. I met her at an art exhibit. We continually met up after that, the relationship growing though we were never official. We kept in touch after I left to my other destinations. I ended up in London again and we met up. I extended my stay there because she asked me too. It went fine at first but then her career became more of her focus. She found out my relationship to Stark Industries and began bugging me for a job there. I told her that I would think about it and left for the next leg. Our relationship ended no long later. It was her idea but it didn’t end badly.”

“Did you… Did you love her?”

“No. At the time I maybe thought I did, but it was just a fantasy.” You nodded, taking a moment to let everything sink in. “Peggy cares more about her career. I’ve tried to leave that life behind. It’s not for me. I need a balanced life.”

“I get it… Thank you for telling me about her.”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t sooner. You deserved to know.”

“Can we promise each other something?”

“Anything.”

“We need to communicate more—communicate better. The both of us. Before we make decisions that could affect the other or when we have concerns and fears. Or even when we feel successful. We need to promise each other that we will work on that.”

“I can promise that.” He leaned in and kissed you softly. “I promise to communicate better.”

“I promise to communicate better as well. I love you.”

Steve smiled before kissing you again. “I love you more. Now, should we pick a different movie or go to bed?”

“Different movie. I don’t want to move from this spot anytime soon.”

“Alright. What about the cartoon The Little Mermaid? It’s like the best Disney princess movie ever.”

You laughed. “Whatever you want, Steve, just don’t make me laugh too much at your singing. I’m still not healed completely.”

“Can do.”

next chapter >

[shinakazami1]

Rhys AI au snippet nr 2 - Personal project

Jack used to love fast travel years ago and while he still found them as if not more useful, his body seemed to disagree. For whatever reason, it was his muscles that kept getting smitten by it. It didn't matter that he felt them already on the planet - he still could run errands quite well, and there was nothing a bit of healing couldn't fix. Too bad that didn't work on the nausea that kept lingering for a day.

He gave a finger gun and a wink to the secretary - whoever this one was, and walked into his office.

"Welcome back, handsome."

"Hiya Rhysie! Missed me?"

"Always, it's not like you carry me in your echo watch everywhere."

Jack bounced from one leg to the other, and then with a last swirl sat in his throne, to turn on the computer.

"Jack, you will have a meeting in two hou-"

"I know I know, cupcake, don't remind me. Dahl just wants to lose some men and piss me off. They are really taking that l in the name seriously."

"Because they're losers."

"Precisely! But there I got my morning coffee by lessening the bandit... number..."

"Hm? Is something wrong?"

Jack's brows furrowed.  As per usual, he first checked his echo device, to see if anyone tried to spy on him. He never thought it was likely for bandits to figure out how to multitask, and since they were all busy dying, they certainly wouldn't even think about doing something like that. It didn't mean, however, that someone else couldn't use that thinking and opportunity to their advantage.

Seeing the few gigabytes added to Rhys' files was not something he expected. He thought he encrypted and hid the guy's code well enough for nobody to even be able to tell he was even there but the number of gigabytes added from the past copy seemed just too suspicious.

"Rhysie, are you feeling any... Different?"

"Different in what way, sir?"

"Heavier."

After a moment of silence, Rhys sighed.

"I really don't think comments about weight are good for your image, sir. It can come as really-"

"No, as in yes, I know that but- I meant your files. Had anything happened to them? "

"Happened?"

"Yeah like, like uh, something was added. Your travel notes are never THAT heavy, even if they are boring."

"I try to get all the details out there and it's not my fault you need everything to be a dopamine rush experience. I like focusing on things that might be useful."

"That one Loader Bot corpse still hadn't come in handy, Rhysie."

"It has been as we updated their shields and weak spots."

"Yeah, it's pretty funny how their crotch was--wait, we are getting off the topic. And you're not panicking so, this means you know what the additional files are."

"You could always open them, sir."

"Yes, since I see it's your encriptions system but what is this supposed to be, kiddo? You working for someone else?"

"You know that's impossible. If I were to do that, I would just cease to exist. You made me this way."

Once the code breaker finished encrypting the files, Jack opened the folder and felt his brows furrow even further.

"Pictures."

"Yes."

"Of what."

"I... Would prefer for you not to open them. I'm going to count the sand grains on them when I'm bored."

"What's the password."

"Jack, you told me I can have my personal project."

"Personal doesn't mean secret. What is this, huh? Are you planning to sell these pictures somewhere? Maybe get some of my angles on Echo Net?"

"No... it's a stupid little project."

'And you would know that if you already opened it but you want to torment me', Rhys thought.  Yet, he decided Jack's blood pressure was already getting into grade 3  hypertension, so he wasn't going to make him angrier.

It was Jack's weird way to show trust but also, to assert dominance and Rhys never understood why humans wasted their energy on being a walking box for paradoxes.

"Sooooo... Cupcake, short and simple. What are these pictures."

"Of you. Sir."

Jack was really checking the boundaries of furrowing eyebrows.

"Rhysie, I was just joking about selling some pictures on Echo Net. Are you..."

"I do edit them, sir. Personal project."

For the first time since Jack Sat next to the desk, his facial muscles finally relaxed, letting the eyebrows rest. Something seemed to click in Jack's brain, letting him not feel in danger anymore.

"The new posters! My, you've been trying to get them out before my birthday to make me a present? Rhysie, you know I hate surprises! I despise them and I could in fact destroy you for one! You should remember it by now! Especially since I check the propaganda to seem most a-hole-like! "

"Yes, and you do a great job with it. A true antihero."

"A true anti-villain. Which is a hero."

"Of course, sir."

"Well then - show me the pictures, Rhys."

Rhys saw that the 'sweet' mode didn't lower Jack's pressure. He liked to shift in emotions so much to make people confused but Rhys was - well, rather embarrassed to say what the photos were actually about. He was happy to have at least had the project hidden for a few weeks, keeping the amount in control but for the past few weeks of Jack just killing bandits most of the time, he had enough time to spare on that.

He knew Jack would take a look somehow without him knowing one way or another. And with how little censor he had on himself, Rhys wasn't willing to risk getting back to the Nice Kid phase. Jack's poster acting was top notch - but the fake familiarity was a technique many fell for. Rhys fortunately couldn't.

But in the end, Jack got what he asked for, as usual.

"These... You've made my body, right sir? You remember that 3D model you've made?"

"Cupcake, I don't work, I commissioned someone to get your sweet ass there. Get to the point."

"You hadn't let me use it for a while now and I thought that I still like it. So, since it's in my programming, I... Just open the first picture, sir."

Jack didn't even let the mouse twitch for a moment. He wanted Rhys to open it, to commit to confessing to whatever bad thing he imagined but Rhys only found it stupid.

Unfortunately for him, though, the anxiety protocol, while a bit tamer than in the past, was still strong. And Rhys was really not looking forward to repeating the last time it got too high, especially since Jack made it this much better for this whole mission he has been on. And Rhys really didn't want to feel something so unbearable nearly all the time, again.

With the need to just get it over with, Rhys opened the newest file and waited for Jack's reaction.

There was a momentary spike in blood pressure but just a moment later, both it and the pulse lowered. The analysis of Jack's facial muscles made Rhys relax again, as the anger and frustration morphed into joy and laughter.

"Rhysie, I know I have been upgrading you with the generative processes but you still like the old photo manipulation ways but this, this is just hilarious! Are- oh my god all of them are like this?! How many edits have you made?"

At that moment, Rhys was very happy not to have a visible face, since he probably wouldn't be able to look at Jack for too long from the embarrassment he probably should feel.

"I... We have been going on these journeys together for a while now and I thought it would be...a nice thing. I have been browsing EchoNet and noticing that people like to take pictures like that. And I want to keep some memory of being on these trips with you."

The folder contained pictures of Jack, from different angles, mostly from the echo watch, and Rhys' body edited into such a level of precision, that it would be hard to tell they were edited at all.

"And the facial expressions..."

"I added them to the model, based on data I've gathered. It wasn't hard to edit the rig and get that to work."

"Wowie, Rhysie, but these..." Rhys let Jack gather his thoughts. "These need to be deleted."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, nobody should know what you look like. Delete them, immediately."

"I...no! They are well encrypted, you have seen that! And without me, they can never open them. Nothing bad will happen, Jack. Nobody is going to try and steal me."

Jack was skimming through the pictures, seeing the model seem to look like it was holding the device to take the picture and ground himself more into the scene. Smiling, eating together, riding in cars and... just looking at a sunset together, backs facing the camera.

"I won't delete them, Jack. And I ask you not to delete them, either. I worked hard on these and I want to keep them. They will never go anywhere but just on the drive."

"Why would you want to keep a memory like that?"

Rhys felt it was a trap question with no good answer. Nothing he would have said would be able to exactly revert the process, but, he knew Jack wasn't exactly in patient moment for him to analyse each answer.

"I thought it would be nice to share these with you, to remind you I was there."

Rhys didn't expect Jack to leave the office without the echo watch. He rarely did that. If it was for the bathroom - even if he had one hidden in the office, or it was to cool down, it wasn't important.

If the pictures still stayed - they would stay there. And that was enough for Rhys.

Jack wanted him to develop a hobby and there it was.

Nothing bad could come out of it.

[needsmoresleepwrites]

Everyone paused at that. No, it wasn't because what Dazai said was eerily creepy or weird. These were the things that they expected of the ex-Port Mafia member in regards to his prized Atsushi.

7 Hours Behind

read on AO3 (4/?)

tags: humor, crack, big cast, travel abroad, dazai is losing his mind, drunken shenanigans, multi-chapter, mini-chapters (etc.)

——————————————————————————

Dazai can't remember the last time he was away from Atsushi for so long, or rather, he can but he likes to not think about it. Unfortunately, he can no longer say it's been less than a handful of times, what with this recent trip being number five. How he longs to hold his little silver-haired kitten! 

"To think you'd be one of those boyfriends," Naomi teased while sitting in one of the lounge chairs closest to her brother.

Kunikida only grunts, "You're lucky this is your first time hearing him whine like a baby." He'd given up on "encouraging" Dazai to do any work. All he'd done today was arrive (late, might he add) and wither away with all the sighing he was doing. And complain about work. And whine about how much he missed Atsushi. But most importantly...

"He hasn't posted anything online! What if he's forgotten me already?"

Naomi picked up her phone and raised a brow, "It hasn't even been that long since his last Instagram upload."

"That was hours ago!" Dazai complained. Kunukida was glad he'd stopped rolling around on the ground but pushing his cellphone into his face wasn't making anything better (this was one of the many disadvantages of sharing a desk with Dazai) . He was trying to finish up some last minute paperwork so they could all disband and let Dazai wallow in his own heartbreak but his partner was making things nearly impossible. He had dreaded this the moment Atsushi had announced his plans nearly a month ago and he had prayed that things would be different this time (to no avail. Dazai had an uncanny ability of defying God Himself)

"You can't actually believe he's still at the Cultural Center. Besides, he also hasn't updated his story since breakfast. It's already nearing lunch in Madrid...!" Everyone paused at that. No, it wasn't because what Dazai said was eerily creepy or weird. These were the things that they expected of the ex-Port Mafia member in regards to his prized Atsushi. Although everyone was surprised he hadn't GPSed the kid (note: He'd tried)

No, what made everyone pause was how right Dazai's statement had been.

Naomi quickly checked Atsushi's stories again, wondering if she had missed something, while her brother nervously looked over to her. They shared looks and then turned to Dazai who was laid out on his desk, his phone still in his hand, nonsense coming from his prone form. Ranpo put down his newspaper to fiddle with his phone, made a few quiet noises, and inconspicuously turned his chair away from Dazai. Naomi could see his hand disappear into his coat pocket. Even Kunikida paused in his work to check his notifications (this was an Emergency. While annoying, his Ideals could wait a few seconds...)

"...maybe the wifi is down?" Tanizaki suggested.

"No, the connection is strong. I just finished submitting some paperwork and contacting some clients, plus, Yoko hasn't let us know anything is off. I'd be the first to know if communications were somehow compromised," Naomi would love to say there were only a few moments when she wished to strangle Kunikida for being so dense but, well, that would be a lie. Luckily she had immense self-control

"I meant...maybe in Madrid? What if he hasn't had a chance to connect?" 

Dazai seemed to revive slightly at this suggestion but then Ranpo smirked over at them, his glasses perched on his nose, "He didn't have any issues these past few days. No, I doubt that's it. Perhaps he's...avoiding someone."

At that moment two things happened. Everyone's phones went off with notifications and Yosano barged into the office, a manic grin on her face as she yelled, "Have you guys seen Atsushi's latest post?! They are so adorable!"

Everyone screamed.

A/N: Here is that old fic that has finally been updated! I started it back in 2019 for the dazatsu ship week. i wrote 2 chapters and then disappeared. now i'm back with 2 new chapters and more to come~ my goal is to make something cute and fluffy but also CHAOTIC as always, comments feed my soul~

[thinkofmehoney]

"Smell that, it's wet grass and smoke in my hair."

Chapter one

Next chapter ->

Summary: the Sully family moves to another city after Neytiri gets a new job there as an Archery teacher. In consequence, the kids go to a new high-school where they meet new people and also face people from their past, and basically just live their lives as teenagers.

Pairings: Neteyam x Ao'nung, Lo'ak x Tsireya, Kiri x Rotxo

Notes: I'm indecisive so I didn't know if I wanted this to be a Human Au or just a Na'vi fic, so you can imagine them as humans or Na'vi! it's up to you! I tried not to describe their appearance too much to make this easier, but I'll use human and Na'vi images for the chapters.

Also, I chose the title because it's a lyric from Townie by Mitski, and it makes me think so much about being a teenager so I think it's appropriate.

Includes: kind of Slice of Life?, High-school au, Neteyam, Ao'nung and Rotxo are 18, Lo'ak, Tsireya, and Kiri are 17, Modern au, enemies to lovers, ex's to friends to lovers, daddy issues, bullying, crushes, hurt/comfort. I'll be updating the tags once I write more!

2.1k words

It was early in the morning when Jake was driving his kids to their new school. They just moved to their new house after Neytiri got a new job as an archery teacher, they decided it was better to move than to have Neytiri traveling everyday, they also saw it as an opportunity to buy a bigger house where they would live more comfortably as the big family they were.

Neteyam glanced at Lo'ak's phone and saw that he was looking at old pictures of Tsireya and him, Neteyam couldn't help but feel worried about his little brother's situation, even though he thought Tsireya had good reasons to break up, but it also wasn't something they couldn't work up.

"Do you still miss her?" Neteyam looked at his brother's face who couldn't stop looking longingly at his ex girlfriend's picture.

"Of course bro, I miss her more than anything"

"and have you talked to her lately?" Lo'ak sighed.

"Nah, I don't think she wants to talk to me."

"I mean, if you ask me, I think she would wanna hear about you, so she'll know that you care about her, like, that's the whole thing about your break up." Lo'ak sighed, putting his phone down.

"I don't know bro, I still feel kinda embarrassed, I was so clueless and thought everything was just fine between us."

"Okay but… Now that we live in the same city as Reya, what would you do if you run into her?" Lo'ak laughed at that scenario, because it was an impossible thing, he thought.

"Bro this is a big city, what are the odds of me running into her." Neteyam stared silently at him, confused.

"Is that actually a joke?"

"what do you mean?" Now Lo'ak was even more confused than his brother.

"Lo'ak, are you being for real?"

"About what?! please don't play with me right now I swear."

"Bro we are attending to the same school as her, and you are both on the same grade" Neteyam felt like he was explaining to a toddler that two plus two is four. "Are you telling me you didn't know that?" Judging by Lo'ak's wide eyes, no, he didn't knew that.

Lo'ak unbuckled his seatbelt, being his dramatic self. "Dad stop the car." Jake looked at him through the rear view mirror.

"Lo'ak don't start, put your seatbelt back on or i'm gonna crash into a tree."

Lo'ak's face was pale as he looked at Neteyam once again "Why wouldn't you tell me about this shit?!"

"Cause' I thought you knew what was your girlfriend's school smartass! that's why she broke up with you, you don't even know something so basi-" Before he could finish, Lo'ak grabbed his hair in a fist.

"Take that back!" Now, Neteyam was trying to push his brother back.

"Get off of me!" At this point, they were both pulling their hair and pushing each other's faces.

"Hey, hey!" Jake suddenly stopped the car, making both of them stop immediately and look at their father with frightened faces "You two are way too grown to be fighting like this, specially you, Neteyam" the mentioned boy's ears laid flat against his head. "Now, both of you, get out of the car and walk to school, let's see if you keep misbehaving like this when you arrive."

The brothers looked at their father with wide eyes, but soon they just looked down and said "Yes, sir" as they opened the door and got out. They weren't far from the school, they could see it from where they were standing, but it was embarrassing that they got kicked out of the car because of their little fight

the walk to school was silent and the tension was palpable, Lo'ak felt guilty and he could also feel Neteyam's anger irradiate from him like fire, but once they got to the entrance, the older brother patted the younger's head.

"If you need anything just text me, okay?" He may be angry because of the scolding they got because of their little argument, but he was still worried about Lo'ak and his situation.

Lo'ak walked fast into school because he didn't wanna run into that particular someone, meanwhile, Neteyam wasn't in any hurry so he just walked like a normal person.

Until he saw Kiri surrounded by a group of guys laughing at her.

After an eventful car ride to school with her beloved family, Kiri arrives to school before her brothers, of course.

"Have a nice day baby" Jake watches her get out of the car with her green backpack "If someone bothers you don't hesitate to ask your brothers for help, okay?" She nodded.

"Alright dad, see ya!"

As she's walking towards the entrance, she spots some beautiful flowerpots with big leaves covering them. She didn't knew yet, but that was part of he gardening club. At the entrance, if you walk a few steps to the side of the building, you will find a narrow but long greenhouse with some vegetables growing inside that the students sowed themselves. outside theres two white benches in between flowers, cactuses and other beautiful plants that are well cared for by the students.

She strongly believes in talking to plants and giving them positive energy to grow stronger and beautiful, she also finds it really therapeutic talking to them, and the best part is that they'll never judge her

Unlike some other skxawnks.

"Look!" She hears a masculine voice getting closer, along with some giggles. "Is she talking to a plant? you gotta be kidding me" It was some Metkayina boys that were getting closer.

"she's a freak, man" Kiri looked at them with furrowed brows and they could tell that she wasn't Metkayina. "And she's not from here... She must be from the forest."

Kiri rolls her eyes and sighs annoyed as she tries to leave the garden, when the tallest boy gets in her way. He had braided hair and a bun along with some loose curls. His blue eyes were so blue they were almost clear, and Kiri always thought blue eyes looked terrifying.

"Hey, chill." He laughs mockingly "I doubt we interrupted an important conversation here, Forest girl"

"Please just, leave me alone" Kiri tries to get out of this situation but the guys just kept walking around her like vultures, making her dizzy.

When Neteyam arrives, is almost like a sixth sense activates on his brain. He gets closer to the laughter, where the garden is, he doesn't understand what's going on until he hears his sister's voice. He walks at a fast pace and throws his backpack to the ground once he arrives to this circle formed around his younger sister.

He sees the taller boy standing in front of his sister, preventing her from leaving while the other boys around them just laugh. By grabbing the taller boy's shoulder, he turns him around, finding a stunned look in his face.

Neteyam didn't even need to raise his voice to be intimidating, his eyes were just enough to feel your blood getting colder.

"Leave her alone," His voice sounded almost like a growl, Ao'nung felt goosebumps. "Now."

Koro, Ao'nung's friend, was quick to talk back, "Who the fuck do you think you-" But Ao'nung stopped him right away.

Looking at him up and down with a smirk, he raised both of his hands in surrender, letting the darker skinned boy know he was done annoying Kiri.

The girl walked towards her brother just wanting to leave the scene, but Neteyam and Ao'nung held eye contact for a few more seconds until the siblings turned around and left.

Ao'nung's friends looked at him confused, while he just kept looking at Neteyam's back, feeling just as confused as them.

"Who's that?"

Once they were far enough, Neteyam quickly stopped to check on his little sister, he scanned her up and down with his eyes and held her head in both of his hands to talk to her.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Kiri avoided eye contact.

"I'm fine, It's just... I don't wanna talk about it right now." The bell rang indicating their classes were starting, the hallway appeared to be busier at every second.

"If anybody bothers you again just call me and I'll rip their throats off with my teeth, alright?" Kiri smiled, Neteyam shuffled her hair and then they parted ways.

The first period was over, the Sully brothers didn't knew anyone yet other than Tsireya, so they were spending their free time at the school gym, not doing anything in particular, just chatting.

"Do you think that if I talked to her we could start dating again?" Neteyam sighed, actually getting tired of the Tsireya situation.

"I mean, you could at least try instead of asking me that same question over and over." Neteyam rolled his eyes.

"Yeah but what if-" before Lo'ak could finish that sentence, a guy came up to them with a basketball in his hands.

"Hey, we need two more players, are you guys up to?" Neteyam smiled and took the basketball in his hands as he walked away with the boy.

"C'mon Lo!" Neteyam shouted.

"Alright, alright!" Lo'ak followed his brother even though right now he just wanted to keep talking about his situation.

Lucky for them, they both played basketball since they were kids when their dad taught them. Neteyam even won some trophies when he was younger, which made his father really proud. On the other hand, Lo'ak wanted to be as good as his brother at basketball and make his father proud too, but he just couldn't, was it because Neteyam was taller? maybe he was faster? or maybe he just jumped higher? he didn't knew for certain, and that sometimes made him feel impotent.

They were getting into their positions when Neteyam noticed something, or more specifically, someone, on the other team. It was the guy that was making fun of Kiri earlier.

When they made eye contact neither of them looked away, Neteyam looked at him with a frown and Ao'nung at first had a surprised look on his face which soon switched into a smug grin.

When the game started, Ao'nung was baffled at how fast Neteyam was, they weren't even playing an actual game, this was just for fun, but the boy seemed so immersed in the game, like a professional player. Everyone noticed how good Neteyam was and how in sync him and Lo'ak were, probably because they played the sport together for years.

The bell rang just in time when their game ended, it wasn't a surprise that Neteyam's team won, everyone congratulated him, he was the new kid and he already was a sensation amongst their classmates, which made Lo'ak feel a bit left out.

"Yo Neteyam, are you joining the basketball team?" a boy from Neteyam's team asked while walking next to him

Neteyam found himself surrounded by people talking to him about how amazing he was at basketball and that he should definitely join the school's team.

"That's amazing son! Do you know when are the tryouts?"

The day was finally over, they were having dinner when Jake asked Neteyam about his day. He knew if he told his dad about the whole basketball thing he would be so proud, and he was, his eyes looked brighter when he heard the news.

"I think they start next week, they also play basket in between classes so maybe I'll practice with them but i'm not sure." He was moving his food with a fork while he spoke, Jake looked at him with a confused frown.

"What do you mean you're not sure? you have to do it! So they'll know you're motivated." He raised his voice unconsciously.

"Jake" Neytiri said as a warning, she knew her husband gets a little carried away when it's about his son playing sports, and Neteyam was such a people pleaser he would do whatever it would take to never disappoint his parents. So if Jake told Neteyam that he had to train 24/7 until he passed out, his son will most certainly do it.

"i'll go to the tryouts too dad." Lo'ak said looking at his father, who looked at him a little less excited.

"That's good, son, but you have to keep your grades up if you wanna be on a team, alright?" Lo'ak sighed and looked down at his plate, expecting a happier reaction from his dad.

"Yes, sir."

"Speaking of joining things" Kiri spoke, trying to ease the tension in the table. "I joined the gardening club, the "tryout" was being good at science so I just signed in." she joked.

"That's great darling" Neytiri smiled "You'll meet a lot of smart people like you then." Kiri laughed softly.

"I hope so, at least I won't be joining a sports team, everyone there is crazy." Lo'ak and Neteyam pretended to be offended.

"At least I won't be surrounded by nerds" Lo'ak talked back playfully, but Kiri looked at Neteyam.

"You'll be surrounded by hot athletic boys that's why you'll join the team" her older brother looked at her with wide eyes and his mouth full of food as he spoke.

"Why are you attacking me! I didn't even said anything!" bits of food fell out of his mouth, Neytiri put a napkin on his mouth, trying not to laugh.

"Teyam that's disgusting! behave on the table!"

Next chapter ->

please reblog and like if you enjoyed this first chapter!

[littlefroginthegarden]

Sold to Heartsteel 1/24

its a liiiittle bit late but whatever... im trying to write an advents calendar fic, theres some buffer but ill write during the month so im also open to input if you have any good ideas :)

hope you enjoy!

Tags: semi-ironic adaptation of 'sold to one direction' trope so yeah theres obv selling involved, angst, fluff, friendship, romance, maybe smut, mlm, transmasc character, some transphobia but mostly just parents being shit but nothing explicit or slurs or stuff, yeah i think thats about it, ill update this if anything changes xoxo

Part 1

Hi, my name is Hwei and I’m a misunderstood artist. Well, that’s not exactly true. My Parents hate my art and they think it’s just a waste of time. But under the name DemonBrush I’m known all around the world, my art account just recently hit two million followers. Which didn’t help me at all in my real life. I’ve been 18 now for a few months but my parents still act like I’m 16. I haven’t finished school yet and I can’t move out because my anxiety has made working impossible so far. My parents don’t allow me to get therapy or meds and I’m on their insurance so there’s nothing I can do. I sigh and try to think about something else but looking out my small window into the dark December morning isn’t helping. I go and pull the curtains, turn on my fairy lights and sit at my small desk that is crammed between the bed and the heavy wooden dresser. 

My reflection stares at me in the mirror, dark shadows under my amethyst eyes, a sign that I slept terribly, once again. The nightmares wouldn’t leave me alone. I sigh and start doing my makeup, nothing bright, just some smudged dark eyeshadow and black eyeliner on my waterline. My mom was probably gonna complain again but I don’t care. Last week she told me “People might think you’re gay!” Yeah, sure mom. I mean, why do you think I have all these Heartsteel posters hanging in my room? Because I love their one song so much? But when she says "gay" she means "lesbian". She would have an aneurysm if I tried to explain to her that I’m trans. And then she would probably throw me out. As if she could read my thoughts, I hear her shouting from downstairs “Come down immediately, Hwa! I can hear that you’re up.”

Ugh.

I throw on a black oversized hoodie that matches my skinny jeans (also black) and put my dark juniper green hair in a messy bun before I run downstairs as quick as I can. Better not make mom wait, she’s awful enough as is.

When I enter the kitchen, I almost bump into a large man in a suit that is standing next to my mom.

“Oh fuck, sorry!” I quickly say, getting a death stare from my mom but for once she doesn’t even berate me for swearing. She just looks between me and this dude, who was wearing dark sunglasses (in December!) for some fucking reason.

“Who is this?” I ask after a few moments of awkward silence.

“My name is Mr. Mundo, nice to meet you, Hwa.” His voice fits his impressive stature perfectly.

My mother steps forward and puts her hand on my shoulder, looking at me more seriously than I have ever seen her. “You know that we haven’t had the easiest time since dad lost his job. And since you refuse to work and pay your share, we had no other choice.”

“What do you mean? What choice?” I ask, slowly starting to panic.

“You’ll go with Mr. Mundo, he has a job for you where you’ll work for six months. You’ll get a room and food and the money goes to pay back all the debt you owe us.”

“Debt? What do I owe you?”

“Darling, you've been living and eating here for free for 18 years!”

“This is insane!” I yell at her. “You’re selling me? You are a monster!”

“Selling? It’s just temporary honey, and it’s a decent job, don’t make it sound worse than it is!”

“You can’t do that, I’m an adult, you can’t force me!” At this point I’m full on panicking. This can’t be happening, it should just be another nightmare. But I know it’s real. My nightmares are way different.

“You are right and nobody is forcing you. But think about this, it would give you the perfect opportunity to get some good job experiences while at the same time helping out your family! Also –” she adds “if you don’t take this offer then you’ll have to pack your bags, we can’t pay for you any longer.”

“If you stayed off the booze you could.” I press through my teeth, anger winning over panic.

She just ignores it and tells me “Please Honey, think about it. If you go with Mr. Mundo at least you’ll have a roof and food. We just want what’s best for you! You’ll thank us in a few years, mark my words.” With this she turns around and leaves me alone in the kitchen with this absolute hunk of a man.

“Go pack your stuff, we leave in an hour.” He hands me a big suitcase before sinking down onto the washed-out red leather couch in the living room, turning the TV on, unfazed by all of this as if it was his daily job. Which it probably was.

Still in shock, I go back to my room and just stare at the mirror for a solid minute. I still haven’t processed what just happened but I start throwing my most important stuff into the suitcase. I have a lot of clothes but most of them are from my parents and I hate wearing them. So it’s not too difficult to fit all my favorite pieces into the suitcase, some skinny jeans, flowy tops and hoodies and of course accessories, I can’t leave my choker collection here. Then I go to my bed and from under the mattress I pull my binder. I put it under all the other things so it won’t be visible if my mom checks my suitcase. She would freak out. I gather the rest of the stuff, making sure I have my laptop, makeup and favorite books, and check the time. I still have 15 minutes left but at this point, the quicker I’m gone the better. I grab the heavy suitcase and try to carry it down the stairs. Two steps in I nearly slip and the suitcase crashes onto the step with a loud Thud. Before I’m even up I can hear heavy steps on the stairs.

Mr. Mundo grabs the suitcase without saying a word and carries it down. I awkwardly follow him, hoping my mom is distracted and hasn’t noticed the commotion. For once I seem to be lucky, she’s nowhere to be seen. At the door, Mr. Mundo turns around and asks me “Are you sure that you have everything? You won’t be able to come back here anytime soon.”

“Yeah I’m not planning on doing that anyways. Can we go?” I ask impatiently.

He doesn’t answer and just opens the door and walks down the driveway towards the black car with darkened windows that is waiting at the end of it. He puts my suitcase in the back of it with ease and opens the door in the back, gesturing for me to get in. I hesitate for a second, but when I can hear the front door of the house open again, I quickly get in before I can hear whatever my mother wants to tell me. He slams the door behind me and gets into the driver’s seat, which I can’t even see from back here because there’s a divider between the front and the back of the car. Like in a limousine. Or a cop car. It feels more like the latter, like I’m a prisoner.

The car rumbles to life and even though the windows are heavily tinted, I can see the shadows of trees racing past us. Where are we going?

[doctorbrown]

MCFLY JULY ‘24 ⸺ 「 21 / 31 * BABYSITTER 」

May 8, 2004, Lone Pine Timeline

George groans, slamming the palm of his hand against the edge of the desk so hard it topples over the vidframe containing a picture of him and Lorraine on their anniversary cruise last year.

“Grandpa?” Emmett asks, peeking his head around the doorframe, his voice small. “Are you okay?”

George smiles down at his grandson, most of the irritation immediately easing off his features save for that crease between his brows that, lately, only seems to get deeper and deeper with each passing day. Lorraine had teased him that he’ll make them a permanent addition to the wrinkles he’s already developing with age—oh stop, George, they make you look distinguished and wise—and he would swear he could feel the rest of the colour leaching out of his hair, turning him greyer and greyer by the day.

“Everything’s fine, Em.” Flicking his wrist, George indicates the object of his current frustrations—the half-formed thoughts and line after line of struck-through text that, in his mind, only represented one failure after another. “I’ve hit a wall—this writer’s block has been going on for weeks and I’m right there, I just can’t—”

Emmett shuffles closer, wide-eyed as his Grandpa lets out an exaggerated sigh that reminds him of Ellie when Mom forces her to share with him. “Writer’s block?”

“It’s like—” George pauses, a thoughtful expression working its way onto his face. “When you’re trying to get somewhere and you know how to get there, but someone puts something in your way to stop you. I’ve been trying to write this one scene for my new novel for weeks and the pieces are all there, I just can’t put them together right now.”

And with the publishers constantly asking for updates, barely hiding their frustration when he tells them, again, that he’s working on it and it will be finished when it’s finished, completion feels more and more like an impossible task.

“Oh!” Emmett announces excitedly, visibly pleased with himself for connecting the dots. “Like Daddy when he doesn’t know how to write new songs. I think he called it something else though…a fu—”

“Exactly like that.” George cuts him off before he can finish that thought and Emmett’s smile remains achingly bright and wide, pulling at the corners of his eyes.

“Can I help? Sometimes when Daddy gets stuck, he talks to Mommy about it and it helps.”

Déjà vu hits like a punch to the gut, reminding George of days long gone—when Marty was five, six years old, demanding to sit on his lap and be involved in the creative process, hanging onto every word and thought and grasping for whatever threads he could grab in his small hands. Creativity burst from him at the seams—something he sees echoed here in Emmett, which leaves him wondering if maybe he’ll follow in one of their footsteps, pursue writing or music or art—and Marty was always quick with a comment or criticism, even if he only half-understood what was going on at that particular point in the story.

Marty was his biggest critic and his biggest supporter, never afraid to tell him ‘That’s stupid, Dad,’ or ‘I like it but I think it would be cooler if this Dark guy showed up here to use his powers!’

“A fresh pair of eyes might be exactly what I need. C’mere. I’ll tell you my ideas and you give me your thoughts. Okay?”

“Okay!”

[andromedaexists]

WUPDATE: CALL ME ICARUS

𝚆𝚎𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚍𝚊𝚢, 𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝟷𝟿𝚝𝚑 || 𝙲𝚊𝚖𝚙 𝙽𝚊𝙽𝚘

y'all i am so busy rn that i forgot to keep yous updated on my progress. moving forward i am going to try and be more present here, i am going to work my way through my backlog of tag games this weekend and queue up all the writing yous tagged me in.

this month is camp nano and it has kept my mighty busy. here is a list of things that has happened this month:

finished the prologue and chapters 1-10. i got them up for betas to read (if you'd like to beta for CMI, the form is still open to apply here)

got in contact with an artist and started the process of commissioning them for a cover (they just sent me the concept sketch and im!!!!!)

set an official publication date (announcement coming soon 👀👀👀)

submitted a query! (and realized that i don't want to trad pub so i'm self pubbing instead!)

started talking to formatting editors. i'm not sure if i'll be able to afford a good formatting review before publication, but i am in talks with someone who will let me use their Vellum!

started research on how to self pub/what company i want to go through (and actually set up a channel where i can dump my research once i compile it!)

cried a lot over this whole process. a lot.

so yeah! a lot has happened! a lot of good stuff, but a lot of stressful stuff as well! that's okay though, i'm just over the moon that i have an official pub date 🥰

i'm going to push through to the end of camp nano, but i am going to try and get back into weekly wupdates and just talking about writing a lot more. i was a little hesitant about joining camp nano given how bad regular nano went for me last year, but a new server i joined has really helped me find my love of writing again (thank you doom and clanky and so many others that i met through the bird app, i love you all)

anyways, enough rambling. let's get to what you guys are really here for: snippets! i am going to add a couple here (read, a snippet for each chapter i've missed updating here) to make up for my relative silence as of late:

Chapter 5:

There are two more encounters listed below it, but before Icarus can read them over he is distracted by a flash of gold entering the shop. His eyes shoot up, latching to the new patron standing in line with their back to him. It’s normal for bright colors and movement to grab his attention, but this time something feels different. He can’t put his thumb on it, but his brain is telling him that he should recognize them. It’s screaming that he should know who they are. But for the life of him, he cannot make out who it is. Whomst? The fuck? From this distance, he can’t see anything that might tell him who they are. Their plain black clothes could be the tell of an Elysian, but that isn’t a guarantee. The only truly identifiable trait is the halo of blond curls cascading over their shoulders. Why do I feel like I know them?

Chapter 6:

Ariadne whistles, a long and appreciative sound as she sees her husband’s work. The tattoo had been a beast to heal, but the hours of torturous pain and restless nights of endless itching had been well worth it. He spent days ogling the tattoo after it had first healed, the feathers look so real that you can almost feel them when running your hands over the inked skin. It is everything he wanted and then some. A feather-light touch runs down the etched skin. There is only one person who had ever touched him with that kind of reverence, his artist must have gotten up to inspect the tattoo. He is admiring his art—as he should—when he says, “Looks like you should have used more lotion.” He lets go of one edge of the hoodie to flip him the bird. It’s impossible to hide anything from his artist, of course, and he knew that his lackluster care would be noted. There are likely small splotches where the ink had fallen out due to his poor moisturizing regiment, but it’s not like he has much of a choice in that. Icarus drops the back of his hoodie with a sigh as he turns to face the artist again. YOU KNOW? HARD REACH AREA ALONE. His eyebrows raise as he speaks, his signs becoming large and boisterous. He then mimes trying to reach the middle of his back. That gets a chortle out of his artist and Ariadne. He hadn’t thought to consider how he would need to reach every part of his back before getting the tattoo, and the fact that he doesn’t have anyone in his life to help him makes it that much worse.

Chapter 7:

“Look,” Andromeda levels at him, voice growing in intensity as they say, “I understand that you don’t quite trust me yet. I mean, we just met yesterday. Hell, I don’t even know your name yet! But-” “Icarus.” He grabs the hoodie on the left and pulls it over his head. He takes a moment to pull his hair up and fasten it in a ponytail before turning and leaning back against the closet door. “My name is Icarus.” “Okay. Icarus. Y’know, that fits.” Their voice is calmer, quieter, as if that piece of information is enough to placate them. Icarus huffs. The name really does fit him, doesn’t it? Always jumping into things without thinking of the consequences, taking risks, and keeping shit close to his chest until he gets a bit too close to hubris and starts to fall apart. Falling in love with the sun personified. Burning, falling, crashing, drowning. Yeah, the name fits him. The only difference between him and the Icarus of myth is that he died at the end of his story. Icarus has no plans of dying. No, he plans of making it out the other end of his story and living to tell the tale.

Chapter 8:

“I thought the whole ‘Oh, Hestia has a pizza shop?’ ordeal would tell you that I have no idea where to go.” Huh, yeah, that should have clicked with him. It’s not like they could search up directions, they likely don’t have a phone just the same as him. Can’t risk having a way for someone to use GPS to locate him. It’s not like he has anyone to keep in contact with, anyways. “It’s just down the street. Go out the front of the building and head down West Saint Clair, it’s just past fourth street. I’d say can’t miss it but you very much could, there’s no sign out front. It’s the only building that looks like there’s someone living in it on that block, though.” “Got it. West Saint Clair, Fourth Street, not-abandoned building.” Andromeda repeats the directions to themself as they head towards the front door. “Anything else while I’m out?”

Chapter 9:

How could he forget? “Καιρὸς δε, Thanatos,” he mumbles as he stretches his arms out in front of him and rests his forehead on the blissfully cool counter. “And here I was thinking you weren’t gonna remember me.” Long gone is the shrill and timid voice of a sickly kid, replaced by one of the most soothing and deep tones Icarus had ever heard. “…Fair ‘nuff.” The vibrations of a glass hitting the counter top make Icarus look up. A glass of water, just water. He groans, that is not what he wants right now. He’s craving the sweet buzz of an energy drink, but that will require him to get up and walk around the island to grab one. Andromeda chuckles, not moving an inch as they watch Icarus suffer over the glass. “Quit pouting and drink.” He drops his head, turning his face away from the glass. “Oh come on, you big baby. Deja de hacer un berrinche y bebe.” They poke his cheek as he pouts. “Mira, food’s ready. Sit up and eat.”

Chapter 10:

“Why are we running?” they ask, gasping for air after the impromptu sprint. Icarus points to the bird as it hops along the ridge of the tent. He turns to watch their reaction, this is a big deal. Their eyes widen and their jaw drops open, they are just as shocked as he is. His smile has not left, though it dulls as their face drops to sadness and grim acceptance. What? “A crow.” Before he can say anything the look is gone. They beam a bright smile at him. “I can’t believe you found a bird! That’s definitely good luck for us.” But it’s not, their reaction sits wrong with him. He squints his eyes, watches them to see if that glimpse of despair will surface again. When it doesn’t, Icarus forces a smile on his face. If they don’t want to talk about it then he isn’t going to talk about it.

Okay, i think that's enough of a writing dump for now. here's the CMI Taglist:

@flowerprose @isherwoodj @cream-and-tea @touchingmadness @lockejhaven @marinesocks @wildswrites @the-finch-address @writingpotato07-deactivated2023 @leighvalentin @inkspellangel @cljordan-imperium @outpost51 @alleahgrinnon @smol-feralgremlin

Please fill out this form to be added or ask to be removed!

[knightyoomyoui]

Sana x M & F Reader (A Birthday And Holiday Special)- “Make It With You”

Happy 24K reads and and also a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR SHIBA INU, BUBBLY SQUIRREL, GIRLFRIEND COLLECTOR, TWICE'S RESIDENT GAY QUEEN, SANAKE, MS. SHY SHY SHY *inhales and exhales* DUALITY GODDESS AND ONCE'S ROYAL PRINCESS, Minatozaki Sana!

As a commemoration of her special day today and being true from what I mentioned on my announcement I gave days ago, HERE'S A TRIPLE UPDATE FOR YALL READERS!

Unlike each male reader and female reader featured one-shots, this story will be FULL ON FLUFF. I just thought that if could just atleast create a happy short story from its beginning to end in retribution for the angsty ones that I created and also to match what we SHOULD BE FEELING TODAY FOR SANA'S SPECIAL DAY!

To make it even better, I made it fair for everyone by turning this into my first one-shot that features a GENDER NEUTRAL FEATURED ONE-SHOT, setting an another debut for my works here on Set 4 and to my book.

Lastly, these three new updates will be my final ones for this year and also to finally close Set 4 before I go on to my indefinite hiatus.

I wish you all again A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

#HAPPYSANADAY2022

---------- START ----------

You just got out from your work that started very early in the morning.

Fortunately, you belong in this organization that really cares for its workers so they decided to start the program just as when the sun rises so that when your duty finished and everything gets wrapped up, you and your coworkers would get the rest of the day available to spend the New Year with your loved ones.

And what better way for you to use that available opportunity than to be with this special person (and with her people whom you're close with too) to greet and welcome 2023 without making anybody lonely.

You parked your car in front of the dormitory building located around the city of Cheongnam-dong. Leaving your car for good and in trustful safety of the guards standing by to monitor the area, you went inside to make your way to this particular room you are heading onto.

Reaching the 3rd floor and walked straight into the hallway, you are now standing in front of the door of Room 012. You looked into the interface when you knocked three times to make the people inside identify who just made a visit into their dorm.

The door opened and what meets you shocks you at how unexpected it is but definitely a deserving and a thing you surely need so much before you start the next goal for today.

A clingy hamster just jumped and lunges at you with its speed even The Flash and Quicksilver would acknowledge her.

It was your girlfriend, the very famous superstar, celebrity and artist Minatozaki Sana from TWICE.

"JAGIIIIII!!!!!!!", that's what she shouted after she opened the door, wrapping her arms around you and burying her face in the middle of your chest. You chuckled at your adorable girlfriend coming at you with one of the best things you like from her a lot that she always gives you: warm and comfy hugs.

You placed your nose and lips on the top of her crown as you reciprocated her hug by pulling her closer to you and stroked her long black hair. "Heyyy... my Sana-yah. Jeez, you shocked me a bit there."

"I missed you...", she muttered, looking up at you with her puppy eyes and a pout that is very impossible for you to resist its cuteness when it only comes from her.

"But we just saw each other yesterday.", you hilariously said in disbelief.

Sana shook her head aggressively then placed back the side of her head to your chest. "I don't care, after hours passed by when we said goodbye to one another feels like forever already to me."

"Why can't we just move in together...", she sighed. You heard and understood her desire from it because you wanted it too, but a smirk crept in your face as you think about it being possible.. soon.

"We'll find a way with that.", you bounced your brows as your smirk. " As of now, just enjoy your stay here with your members okay? They're still your family you're living with."

"Okay.", she answered.

You kissed her forehead and rubbed her shoulders. "Let go of me now, babe. You can have it more with how times you want later, for now we just have to get into work."

She followed and looked very closely at you while she stoods in front of you. "You sure, jagi?"

"I'm all free only for you again later, I swear.", you nodded in assurance.

"Yayyy!", she giggled and did her common mannerism when she's so delighted and excited by shaking her two arms raised with both hands curled into fists.

While you laughed softly at her cute antics, a voice can be heard from the inside that interrupted your conversation with Sana.

"Jesus, how long will you two stay flirting there and let the amount of cold air of aircon exit the room? Just get in here now.", Tzuyu said, directly staring at both you and Sana in an intimidating manner. You gulped and smiled sheepishly as you wrapped your arm around Sana's back and clutched her shoulder which she blushed at the contact.

Thankfully, the scary gigantic yoda was fought by a Japanese dancing machine who only wants nothing but peace.

"Calm down, maknae.", Momo said, appearing from the kitchen. Tzuyu huffed some air and rolled her eyes. "But at some point, you're right."

She looked at you who now entered their dorm and closed the door behind you. "Hi, YN oppa / noona!"

"Hi, Momoring!"

"Hi YN oppa / noona!", the rest of the members greeted after Momo in chant.

"Thank goodness you arrived to join us celebrate for new year tonight...", said by their leader and ONCE's very own goddess herself Jihyo who's fixing the curtains.

"And?"

Jihyo showed a flustered expression, not getting what you just asked for her to follow up something more in her words. "Eh... uhh...

You sent her an alerting glare to help her remind. "Oh cmon, Ji. You're the leader, don't tell me you forgot about it.", you said in a slight disappointed tone.

After seconds of silently processing her mind through recalling of what she talked about with you last time, her eyes sprung up when she remembered that specific thing you're referring to. "Oh oh wait I remember. Christmas and YES OUR SANA UNNIES BIRTHDAY ALTHOUGH IT WAS IN 29 TWO DAYS AGO!", she said hyperactively.

"YAYYYY!", the rest of the TWICE members shouted in glee. Sana just laughed at them.

"Sheesh now I got relieved.", you sighed. " So... let's not waste any more time. I'll assign our tasks for today to make the preparation smooth and faster plus to make everyone productive also.", you walked in front of their large and wide high quality LED TV and faced everybody who's surrounding you. They set their eyes all ready to listen attentively at you like soldiers to the commander.

"Okay, listen up ladies. Nayeon, Chaeyoung, Jihyo will buy fireworks, trombones that we will use later to create loud noises. Jeongyeon, Momo, Mina and me will do the cooking and the rest, Dahyun, Tzuyu and Sana...organize the living room.", you aid as you pointed every single one of them when you mention their name. "Are we clear?"

"Yes!"

"Alright lets go and move! Fighting!", you clapped hard and raised your fist as a gesture.

"FIGHTING!"

They started moving as they followed what you said by a focusing and doing their own respective tasks.

NaChaeHyo left the dorm to buy the things all would be using to get loud on celebrating New Years later, JeongMiMo plus you went to the kitchen as you prepared all the ingredients they'll be cooking for the dishes they had in mind for everyone to eat later and lastly SaiDaTzu stayed in the living room as they pushed, pulled and carried some furnitures aside like couches, mini table and humidifier to create a wide space for the large metal table where the foods would be placed into.

During the preparation for the party, you are chopping off onions, garlic, bell pepper etc when your peripheral vision and quick hearing sense alerted you on Sana's impending accident.

She was standing in the small ladder to help Dahyun and Tzuyu design the walls with garlands, colored papers and balloons that forms the message "HAPPY NEW YEAR" when suddenly, her clumsiness made fun of her again as she was about to step down of the stairs when she tripped and nearly fell on the floor.

But to your rescue, you hurried to her side and catched her with in your arms, now carrying her in a bridal style.

"Sana! You're okay?", you asked to her very worriedly.

"Y-yeah, my foot just bumped on the leg of the ladder.", she nodded but her tone and face indicates you that she got very tensed thinking that she could've took that nasty bump on the floor if it wasn't for your quick instinct.

You clicked your tongue. "Just be very careful okay? We don't want to go into a trip at the hospital later and celebrate there for New Year's Eve because of your injury.", she nodded in response.

"Thank goodness you saw her, oppa / noona. She could've broken some of her bones none of us paid attention to her accident.", Jeongyeon breathed heavily to loosen her immense concern. You nodded and smiled tightly as you understood what she felt.

"Does your ankle, foot or toes hurt? Anything?", you asked as you kneeled in front of her.

"N-no."

"Good.'

She gestured you to stand up, reassuring you that she's all fine. She noticed something on you, travelling her eyes around your face and neck. "Give me your towel."

"O-okay.", you did and she started wiping off the sweats intact on your skin. After that, she muzzled her nose on your collar and lets out a "hmm" sound. "Even if you're sweating too much you still smell like a baby to me.

You chuckled as she was also. "Yet while you still do look like one though.", you pinched her cheek.

"Fair win for our advantages then", she grinned before you and her gave each other a quick kiss.

As you turned your body to return back at you spot, you met the rest of the member's teasing and playful faces except Nayeon, Chaeyoung and Jihyo who were at the outside; because of your small sweet moment with Sana.

The preparation lasted for about 6 hours, it was now nighttime and you with the TWICE members just finished doing your tasks.

"There. Everything's all good.", you said as you observed the changes. The whole living room area is now decorated, ready to make the atmosphere around even more uplifting when New Year comes later. "What shall we do next while waiting?"

"Shall we take some pictures before we rest?", Jihyo suggested. "So that we have our last pictures together for this year and the rest would be our first captured memories together for 2023 when New Year has come later?"

"Ooh that's a good idea, Jihyo.", Nayeon agreed on the idea.

The rest including you joined Nayeon's side. "Okay, gather around. Adjust yourselves to fit us all in the camera.", you said to them.

Adjusting the selfie stick and attaching Jihyo's phone on it, all the girls packed up behind you as you took a group picture with them and also by just theirselves in purpose for them to post it on their own Instagram accounts to bless ONCEs with another selcas later.

As you all finished, you took their attention again by instructing them. "Okay, take some rest now girls. You can also sleep for a while if you want to, I'll just wake you all up later."

"Thank you oppa / noona!", they thanked you before going to their rooms... expect for one of them.

After sitting in the couch to relax yourself, Sana took the space beside you and sat there as she rests her head above your shoulder.

"Hey."

"Hey babe. You aren't joining them?", you grabbed her hand and massaged its top with your thumb.

"Not tired actually."

"Hmmm you sure?", you side glanced at her, raising one of your eyebrow for confirmation.

"I am. My energy gets refilled in an instant because my personal love battery is her with us... with me today.", she grabbed on your arm and hugged it.

"Guess I could say the same as yours.", you gave her a warm smile before looking back forward at the window presenting the nightsky and some view of the structures around the street of Cheongnam-dong.

"This makes us only the remaining people awake now."

"Just let them be, I wanted this to spend time being alone with you even its for a while.", Sana said. She took some pause in the end before speaking up again. "Thank you for coming again, babe. I really thought you wouldn't make it for today because you had to focus on your charity organization."

"No problem.", you answered her gratitude. "Well, about that we actually started very early in the morning that's why when we finished, it gave me time to join you and the girls to celebrate. I have to do it just to ensure also that you have to be fully happy on your special day.", you explined to her what occurred during the line of your work earlier.

She blushed, very touched by your words defining how she was always in your thoughts whenever you go and whatever you do. "You really do love me, do you?"

You scoffed and showed a smug. "Ofcourse, I am."

She then spreads herself apart from you to look you in the eyes by tilting your head aside as she cupped your chin to use it.

You met her alluring and enchnating gaze that never fails to make you fall deeper in love with this beautiful Japanese girlfriend with you.

"Show me then.", she whispered, a bit seductively.

"With pleasure.", you granted what she want, kissing her on the lips passionately.

"Don't forget that I still have some more and even better to give for you later just to let you know how much I do love you.", you reminded to her after releasing off your face and lips from connecting at hers.

"You do?"

"Yes.", you replied confidently.

"Ooh I can't wait to find that out.", she said excitingly. You thought that she must be intepreting it as your hint that you'll give her a gift.

And she was right though, but her reaction makes you even pumped up more than her. You waited so long for this to happen.

"I'm bored, what do you want us to do?"

"Watch some movie?", you suggested.

"I mean... yeah that should do it.", she shrugged as she accepted. "Can I cuddle with you?", he looked at you again with her signature puppy eyes and that dangerously cute pout.

"Cmon babe you don't need to ask.", you looked at her unbelievably.

"Just making sure., she defended herself. "I just want you to be aware... so that I won't make your heart jump again because of my sudden touch.", she said, giving you a wink which ironically gave you a mini heart attack too.

"Tsk, you're so cute.", you sighed, shaking your head. You opened your arms to let her in before encasing her with your favorites each: cuddling.

You turned on the TV and searched the most iconic Christmas film ever included on Netflix titled "Home Alone". Playing the film, you and her watched it together throughout out its duration length.

When the movie ended half an hour after the end credits rolled, you woke up as you looked into your phone and checked the time.

You shook Sana's sleeping posture gently to end her short nap without being rude. "Babe, we have to wake them up now. It's less than an hour remaining before 12"

Sana slowly opened her eyes and nodded in response. "Okay, I'll help you."

You and her entered their bedroom to alarm the rest of the members too. They all began to wake up and changed into their nice presentable outfits.

They all walked back to the living room where you and Sana are waiting along with their new clothes that they're wearing.

"You girls look gorgeous.", you said as you looked at all of them.

They smiled brightly, happy with your comment. "Thanks oppa / noona."

"But ofcourse, my precious girlfriend will always stood out the most for me.", you said as your eyes then pointed back at Sana who blushed furiously at your compliment.

"Atleast you do admit the fact that I'm really beautiful and I'm fine enough with it.", Nayeon retorted as she swayed her hair with pure confidence, trying not to be bitter at your smooth moves.

The rest just crunched their faces disgustingly and looked at the bunny with a "seriously?" glare.

"Don't lie, unnie.", Tzuyu spoke everyone's inner thoughts about Nayeon's bragging which made everyone laugh at her typical savageness that caused Nayeon to sulk.

"Alright, everyone. Everyone outside are starting to get noiser and we have only less than an our remaining to wait for the upcoming New Years eve." So, while we wait... shall we greet Sana-unnie again a happy birthday?!", you all shouted YES!

Jeongyeon then delivered the cake from getting it in the refrigerator in front of Sana who is being cornered now by her fellow members and you. She took the candle with numbers 2 and 6 that forms her Korean age and lit it up with fire using lighter.

All of you sang "Happy Birthday To You" in Korean language to Sana as she happily vibed to it while you were the one recording it on your phone for them. After the song ended and her birthday wishes, Sana blew the candles off.

"Our birthday celebrant is now done giving her wishes, shall we start to do our exchange gifts next?", Jihyo once again hyped up the group.

"Yessss!"

"Okay, now please we will do it pair by pair starting with... Nayeon and Jeongyeon.", she ordered two of her older members.

They all proceeded to give one another starting with Nayeon and Jeongyeon Nayeon who each got a sky blue dress and a new fish cake molder, Momo got a new matching clothes for her, Boo and Dobby from Dahyun, Sana got a Betty Boop customizable designed bag from Tzuyu, Jihyo with her new karaoke package from Sana, Mina with her new penguin jacket from Chaeyoung, Chaeyoung with her new baby tiger necklace from Mina and Tzuyu with her new dog designed slippers from Jihyo.

That leaves it to the two remaining people who haven't received their gifts yet. "And lastly, our lovers with us, YN and Sana.", Jihyo gave the signal for you and Sana to start exchanging.

"You can give it first, babe.", you allowed Sana.

"Okay. Well here, my gift for you is a/an (favorite gift you want). I know that you've always keep on sharing and mentioning to me on how badly I would want to get a mine of this. So yeah, I decided to join Nayeon unnie and Momo unnie to go shopping and thankfully, it was there so I grabbed one and bought it with my own collected money. I hope you like it, babe.", she said as she lend her wrapped gift dedicated to you.

You took it from her and uncovered it to reveal your gift which elicited a shocked and enermous gladness of an expression to your face. "Like it? No, ofcourse I love it! I''ve been wishing for this that I'll get one for mine someday and here it is... and now I have another reason to cherish it because it was given to me by none other than my very thoughtful and conservative girlfriend.Thank you so much, love. You really do not fail to put a smile on my face.", you said appreciatingly on her. Sana smiled in victory for herself.

"Okay... it's my turn now, huh.", you snickered. Sana did noticed that you weren't holding your own gift, increasing her curiosity.

"Now what do you got for me, hmm?", she waited patiently.

Jihyo cleared her throat loudly to make it obvious. "Guys, I don't wanna ruin the moment but I just want to tell everybody that we only have 5 minutes remaining.", she said as she kept her sight at the screen of her phone.

"We're running out of time.", you nodded. "Okay, Uhm... Sana... as you can see I'm not holding any gift of mine which is wrapped the same as theirs, but that doesn't mean I don't have one for you tonight."

"In fact, I've been keeping this in me since when I arrived here in your dorm. And I have to because I really think this gift is too special and honestly can't be wrapped like theirs."

"Sana, I greet you again a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and especially... Happy 26th birthday my ray of sunshine.", she smiled widely at your heartful greetings.

"December has been really special month to you in your whole life by having these important occassions that became personally important for you to celebrate it all with your loved ones which that makes it even better. I said this many time to you again but I won't be tired repeating it over and over again just to show how grateful I am to be with you."

You stepped closer, narrowing the gap between each other before grabbing both of her hands while she remained observing you lovingly. "Thank you again, Sana for everything. For being as my girlfriend. You know that we had talked one time about our plans for our futures that we want to achieve together."

"Hearing that, it sounds very clear to me that both of us are ready enough to enter a new stage of our relationship. That's why, I've been thinking about this plan for days and it didn't went longer because it was easy for me to decide about it."

"Minatozaki Sana, in our entire 3 years of a relationship we overcome the challenges that tried to tear us apart but we still won it all and kept on continuing that led us where we are now, still climbing on rainbows, remaining strong in our relationship. I know for the fact that the next years and so on will just be the same but like I said earlier... about this plan, I've been thinking if... we could add it something more that will definitely remain ourselves striving until we could make this happen."

You inserted your hand on your pocket to reach a small black box to pull out that made everyone started to scream excitingly.

You bended your knees and kneeled in front of Sana who covered her mouth shockingly at your surprise as you opened the box and presented to her the stupendous small yet valuable thing it contains inside.

An expensive, shining, breathtaking diamond engagement ring that you bought 2 days ago before informing Jihyo and the other girls about your surprise plan tonight which explains why they are more hyped and enthusiastic about you doing it rather than being shocked like as if it was unexpected to them... unlike to Sana who completely reacted the opposite.

You continued as Sana started to teared up intensely. "Now here I am, giving this gift to you... this is my symbol of my desire that before we end this year and enter another one still being with you but this time... not only as my girlfriend... but as my future wife whom I could spent the rest of my life, build a family, raising a family and to grow old with you until we gave in our final breaths; hopefully... in peace altogether.", you breathed heavily to pause as you are becoming emotional too because of getting brought on by the love of your live feeling very overwhelmed at your special gift.

"Minatozaki Sana, I still chose you as the only woman to help me through and I'd like to make it with you. Will you marry me?"

"Y-yes... yes I do YN!" A HUNDRED TIMES, YES I WANT TO BE YOUR WIFE!", she then rushed in to ran at you which you caught her with your tight hug and continued crying together with tears full of joy for one another.

"YAYYYYYYYY!!!", the eight other members screamed in delight as they got to hear also what you were also expecting to receive from Sana.

"G-guys... s-she said yes... SHE SAID YES!", you yelled at them in success. They proudly nodded their heads with smile on their faces as they clapped to express their praise on your successful proposal.

"I told you, she will. She loves you with every fiber of her body and she can't risk losing you when you were the one who brought all the great improvements in her life.", Jeongyeon said.

"And it was all because of your unbreakable affection of love also for unnie.", Momo added.

Sana went away from hugging you as she sniffed her tears before speaking. "T-they know?"

You helped her wipe it off on her gorgeous face as you nod your head.. "Yeah. I informed them about it and they got my back as always."

"Aahh~ Sana unnie and YN oppa / unnie are so sweet.", Tzuyu softly said as her heart melted as she witnessed such a sight to see from her friends who are now an engaged couple.

"Gyaah i'm so proud of my two beloved friends here. I'm so jealous too.", Chaeyoung expressed her mixed emotions, transitioning er uplifted one to a frown. "Hey Mina I swear to you we're gonna have this soon mark my words.", she said, looking intently at Mina which earned a blush from her lover and a laughter from her members.

"Just tell us anytime about the wedding and we'll surely help you two on your wedding, okay?", Nayeon offered, representing her fellow members being your supportive friends.

"Okay. Thank you girls, so much. I appreciate the overwhelming support and motivation I've been receiving for turning this possible for my girlf- no...", you stopped, throwing a glance at Sana who smiled at your eye contact. "I should call her for now as MY FIANCÉ, I mean."

Sana got fluttered on your words before Jihyo can't contain her fangirling anymore. "AHHHHHHHHH GROUP HUG FOR THE SUCCESS OF YN AND SANA'S ENGAGEMENT!", she screamed as everyone gathered to trap you and Sana for a group hug indeed.

As they released you two to give some atleast alone time together, you looked at her whiel still clutching her closer to your body.

"I can't believe we are now engaged and soon to be married."

Sana placed her hand on your beating chest. "I didn't expected at all that you'll propose to me at this moment. God, this has to be my most wonderful Christmas and Birthday present I have ever received."

"Thank you and I love you so much, honey.", she whispered as she hugged you again while observing her engagement ring perfectly fitted on her finger.

"Thank you too, Sana. I love you too with all my heart, always and now I can say it also that it will go on... forever.", you closed your eyes and indulged how great this moment you're sharing with her again while the girls at the background started to count along with the countdown running out.

"5... 4... 3...

You pushed Sana away from you...

...2...1!"

And once again kissed her with your true and everlasting love .

"HAPPY NEW YEARRRRR!!!!!", everyone shouted in glee afterwards just as when the fireworks began to pop off around the nightsky.

You and Sana ended 2022 with a happy ending and welcomed 2023 together with a fresh start, now as soon to be a married couple as you both watched the entire fireworks display aligned with your members matched theirselves in pair according to their own lovers too.

---------- END ----------

- 🐹 -

#HAPPYSANADAY2022

[siriannatan]

Yokai Ryokan - Chapter 2

My updates might be even more sporadic than usual, I'm quite busy this following month and a half :{

Jimmy woke up to a cold, very cold and damp sensation on his cheeks. And the first thing he saw as he opened his eyes was Scott's cyan and gold eyes, and he could feel his cold breath on his face. As Scot pulled away with a relieved smile, he noticed the small horns he had only ever seen in books about myths and legends. Small, rounded, slightly resembling antlers. And there was that tail with cyan scares and dark cyan fur along the top of it and a fluffy tuft at its end. And as he blinked and looked around he spotted fWhip, and his nervously flicking fox ears and all his tails. Was it seven? Nine? It was hard to say with how much they were moving. Burning away what remains of those monsters. "He's awake," Scott called out to the redhead, still supporting Jimmy so he doesn't fall down again. Be it on his back or his face.

fWhip burned away the last already mangled and charred corpse and quickly joined them. "How are you feeling? Are you good enough to walk? We're really sorry but whatever happened makes it impossible for us to disguise ourselves again," he jumped to explain.

"Slow down, he's got to be confused," Scott sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I know, but more of those things might be coming," fWhip huffed and more howling echoed in the distance. "Dang it. Can you walk?" he asked.

Jimmy just shrugged. A lot has just happened and he was surrounded by handsome - very handsome - men, he'd be overwhelmed even if circumstances were different, tails and horns and monsters or not. "I think so, the weird itching and headache are gone?" he added with a slight shrug.

"Okay, we'll take you to the inn, I'd rather not test how Katherine might react, she tolerates us, strong yokai it is, to a degree, and that wasn't onmyoji energy... I have no idea what that was but we should be careful," Scott nodded and helped Jimmy up.

Jimmy could not, in fact, handle walking the other half of the way to the inn end ended up being carried by fWhip. The kitsune, as the man himself said was much warmer than the water ryu (a/n: my damn brain needs a separation from European dragons). And created a small soul flame - another fWhip explanation - to light up the path and maybe keep some monsters away. "I have no idea what those were but they gave me the creeps," fWhip muttered. "Like... I never saw something like that..."

"Neither have I, but they seemed eerily familiar... Like there was a connection... Something in their energy was familiar but I can't put a finger on it," Scott muttered in an annoyed tone, twirling his umbrella. It was rather cute to Jimmy's frazzled brain. "Hopefully whatever's blocking our ability to disguise ourselves runs out or we're in trouble, Katherine won't like it," he sighed.

"Isn't Gem one of the shrine maidens?" Jimmy asked he was feeling significantly better but fWhip just shook his head when he said he could walk. "Why wouldn't she be okay with..."

"It's too complicated to say now but in short words," fWhip explained as more howling could be heard in the woods. Still distant. Maybe a bit further than before? "A strong yokai who used to live here turned evil," he continued, speeding up, "and it wasn't that long ago so Katherine's not big on trusting us right now," he finished. The inn was almost in sight.

"Stratos has wards, we'll be safe there," Scott's voice was slightly shaking as more howling echoed through the woods. This time closer. He was clearly not in the mood to fight anything. Much less completely unknown to them monsters of even more unknown origin.

When they entered the back side of the ryokan they were met by a shocked Joel. As Scott and fWhip tried to explain their appearance, Jimmy looked to the path. One of the three-headed beast dogs was there snarling. "Guys? There's one..." As he was saying that Joel pulled a bow out of nowhere and shot it dead. The Beast dissolved into dark smoke as the arrow vanished.

"Inside," Joel said sternly and no one argued with that. fWhip carried Jimmy to the staff building followed closely by Scott. "Luckily all the guests are in town, enjoying all the early stalls and pop-up performances," he said and left to find his wife.

They sat in silence. fWhip scrunched his face and suddenly tails and ears were gone. "It passed," he let out a relieved sigh as Scott followed suit. "And do not apologise, you obviously have even less of an idea what happened there than the two of us," he added, patting Jimmy's cheek.

"What the hell are you two doing to Gem's friend?!" Lizzie huffed as soon as she walked in. Hand on hips, hair tied in a messy bun, still in an apron. She was clearly helping in the kitchen before Joel went to get her. Speaking of, he was behind her, hand on her shoulder.

"Protecting him?" fWhip offered. "We were walking him from the shrine so Gem can get her work started. About halfway there, he fell to the ground holding his head. Then those monster dogs, like eight or ten walk out, Joel saw one. And then Jimmy exploded this... good, warm, clearly not human, energy, destroying them and our disguises. They work now," he explained and looked over Jimmy and Scott to see if they wanted to add anything.

"What he said. We've been hearing howling the whole rest of the way," Scott nodded but he didn't look like he was quite there. He was staring out a window at the darkened forest. "There was something familiar in those monsters' energy... I haven't... It was weird," he finished his scattered thought. "How are you feeling? Even the smallest odd feeling."

Jimmy hummed. "I'm fine now. My head's slightly spinning but I think that's mostly confusion," he shrugged and there was fWhip's hand on his forehead. "I certainly feel better than I was the whole day... Like since the third torii of the stairs from the main road to here," he added and fWhip blushed slightly. The mysterious figure on the gate came back to mind. "It was you I saw on that gate?" he asked, blinking.

"Yeah... I just wanted to see Gem before Katherine puts her in miko robes..." he sighed, sitting back and staring at the tatami floor.

"So... What now?" Lizzie asked. "We can't let Katherine know Jimmy's possibly a yokai of great spiritual power, she'd flip," she sighed and looked at Joel.

"Well, I can't talk for fWhip but if you," he looked at Jimmy, "are okay with it I can stick around you to make sure no more of those dogs attack and maybe try and teach you how to control your energy? Or try to? You looked damn bad since we saw you at the temple," he pushed some errand hairs off of Jimmy's face. "And if you are okay with it," he added, looking at Lizzie and Joel.

"Oh, I don't mind, that thing gave me the creeps even through the barrier. And if Katherine and her shrine maidens are worth anything they already felt that energy and will be looking for whatever caused it," Joel hummed, leaving Lizzie's side and looking out the window looking towards the shrine. "And pretend everything is okay because of the festival... Lizzie?"

"Same as Joel. And I hope you would help if anything attacks this place," she nodded, her attitude softening a bit. "fWhip I know you hate hiding things from Gem but..."

"Don't worry, I'm going to help. Just... I'm trying to think what Jimmy can even be. I... His energy was so different from me or Scott and we're the strongest around here. It was so..." he stopped for a second. Looking right into Jimmy's eyes. "It felt, for the lack of better words, good. Like it's incapable of hurting anything but it destroyed those monsters. I never heard of Yokai with such good energy," he finished with a shrug.

Jimmy just nodded. "I have no idea what's going on but I get that we can't tell the temple because some strong yokai turned evil recently and they have a hard time with trusting more powerful yokai, and I'm guessing here, even smaller yokai aren't too happy with it," he slowly summarised what he gathered from it all. "And I might be a yokai but we have no idea what kind and why I wouldn't know it... Okay... I"m more than willing to learn how to control what I did there, even maybe learn how to utilise it to defend myself," he added, staring up at the ceiling. This was a lot.

All five of them were silent for a moment until Jimmy sighed and flopped to the tatami floor. "Can we leave heavy topics for later and rest now? I was feeling weird the whole day, exploded and learned I might not be human..."

"Of course," Lizzie jumped right back to being a host. "Sausage is making dinner, you two better stay the night, we can't be sure what's in the woods," she chattered and almost dragged the three of them to the staff house's dining area where Hermes was already setting up plates.

"We're having guest, auntie?" he asked, looking between fWhip and Scott with wide eyes. The kid obviously was excited to see them.

Lizzie nodded, and once she had the three of them seated, Joel went to make sure no more monsters were trying to breach Ryokan's protections and went to help with dinner. Taking the kid with her. Leaving them awkwardly sat together.

"Are you really okay?" fWhip asked after a minute. Or two. "You're Gem's friend... I don't... I don't often talk to humans who don't know about yokai, but you don't have to hide what you're really feeling. I... I'll understand..." he was clearly not saying everything he wanted to say. But the way Scott patted his back was more than words. Gem. It must have been hard for him to learn his twin sister was different.

"I... I'm slowly processing what's happened today... I think I'm okay but it's a lot. We'll see how I feel after some sleep," he sighed and stared out the window. It looked darn peaceful considering all the recent revelations. "I'll assume, everyone here and that Oli character is also Yokai."

He was right in assuming that but neither Scott nor fWhip would say what kind of yokai everyone was. "It's their thing to say," Scott said and the kitsune nodded. They did confirm that fWhip indeed had nine tails and he agreed to show them to Jimmy in more detail another day when they had more privacy and time. And Scott was indeed a mythical ryu and usually lived in the lake, during tourist season he moved between smaller lakes in the woods. And with a chuckle, just before the diner was served he said that he was willing to show Jimmy his full form if they ever happened to have enough room.

"Everyone in town, even just humans, knows that there are yokai around," Scott calmed Jimmy's worry that someone might see him. "The valley is locked to tourists outside the season and I'm very careful, no need to worry about me," he finished with a smile and thanked Lizzie for the food.

An hour after the dinner was finished and he got into his bed Jimmy was unable to sleep. He kept tossing and turning in his futon. Overthinking his whole life and all the weird hunches he ever had. All weird shadows he could recall seeing. Was it all being a possibly forcefully disguised yokai or something else? Should he tell fWhip and Scott about all those small dumb things he avoided thanks to these premonitions? All the bigger things he could possibly stop but being a coward didn't? Probably. Next time it's just three of them he told, lied to, himself.

He was at it for maybe another half an hour. An hour? When a shadow appeared in his window. A small fox with three tails and weirdly shining in dark piercing blue eyes. The same shade as fWhip's tail fur. "fWhip?" Jimmy called out and the fox jumped in through the half-open to the summer heat window. And sad on top of /jimmy's chest. Still as a small fox, luckily for Jimmy's poor bone structure.

"Rest," Jimmy heard fWhip's voice from the fox as it settled on top of him. It was calming and reassuring. But also...

"fWhip you jerk..." suddenly Scott slinked into the room. Jimmy clearly remembered closing it but he was not about to question anything these two do. And there was a cool presence of Scott next to him. "We guessed you would be awake, analysing your whole life, hope you don't mind if we try to help."

"I certainly couldn't sleep when I learned I'm a yokai and Gem isn't. There are no yokai hybrids, it's fifty-fifty chance which the child is..." fWhip hummed, almost a whisper, not moving off of Jimmy's chest.

[mylutteoheart]

Playing Cupid (chapter 9)

And finally a new unedited chapter. I'm sorry it took so long. The edited version of this one will be posted on ao3 tomorrow. I'm determined to finally finish this so expect updates every 2 weeks from now on. I don't know how many chapters are left but things are finally happening with gastina in this chapter. Also, at the end I was inspired by a certain creddie scene in the icarly revival so if you've seen the last episode of the show, you might recognize it. Luna and Matteo have been building their lives together slowly. Fresh out of college, they’re planning their future. But by planning this, they have an underlying plan no one knows of. Bringing their best friends together after 4 years of not being happy without the other. How well will their plan of playing Cupid work?

Prologue | chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | find my other fics here

Chapter 9: A Bump in the Road

This was a bad idea, Nina knew it but she had to go through with it. She promised Luna to spend the day finishing up the details for the wedding. Gastón would help and that's the part that made her the most nervous.

They decided to meet at the Jam & Roller. Being in a public place might make this meeting less nerve-wracking. Plus, Luna was closeby, training for the next skating competition with the team. If they needed help with anything, she could be here soon.

"Hey, sorry, I'm late. I was discussing some details with Matteo about the duet we're doing," Gastón said in a way of greeting.

"I heard about that, Luna said Matteo was very excited about this," Nina answered, "He's really happy you're back."

"Me too, I have to admit that I missed Buenos Aires. England isn't quite the same," Gastón said quietly.

Nina smiled and answered: "I imagine so."

Gastón felt the awkwardness and changed the subject even though he wanted to say so much more.

"So what do we have to do today?" he asked.

"Well, Luna and Matteo have everything booked and sorted out. We just need to check that the things they ordered will be delivered on time," she said as she looked through all the papers with all the orders on them, "We have to make some phone calls then."

Gastón nodded in answer and said: "Sounds easy enough. What's their wedding date again? I want to make sure I get it right."

"It's exactly 4 weeks from now," Nina looked down at the date.

"Then we better hope everything is okay because arranging anything on such short notice would be impossible."

"Let's get started then."

That's what they did, for the next few hours, they make phone call after phone call. Nina was relieved to know that everything was going smoothly so far. With something else to focus on, there wasn't any awkwardness between them. But sooner or later, they'll have to have a serious talk.

***

"Are you sure this is true?," Gastón asked the lady on the phone.

"I'm afraid so, the venue was destroyed by a heavy storm. We can't repair it in time," the owner of the venue answered patiently.

"Is there any alternative?" he asked a little panicked and turned around to look at Nina to show how he felt.

"If there is, I'm afraid you need to find it yourself. We have to put all our resources in the repair of the venue."

"Alright, we'll have to find something then, thank you," he answered, disappointed.

"What's wrong?" Nina asked, clearly in panic.

"We have to find a new venue," he sighed. Feeling hopeless this problem will be solved.

***

"Finding a new venue on such short notice is going to be impossible. We're never going to find the perfect place again. How on earth will we pull this off when we don't even have time to breathe until the wedding?" Luna said exasperated, pacing back and forth in the locker room.

Nina and Gastón stood near the counter, looking worriedly at their friend while Matteo is rubbing his neck. He clearly didn't like seeing his fiancée in distress.

He gently took her hand when she waved with them and pulled her in for a hug.

"I know this wedding is stressfull, chica delivery. It doesn't help the skating competition is close but just take a breath. We can solve this, I just need you to calm down," Matteo said while rubbing her back in soothing circles.

Her shoulder fell at his words and she started to relax.

"Okay, we can do this. No worries, it's going to be fine," Luna said to no one in particular.

"Listen, you don't have to worry, okay? Gastón and I will take care of this. We'll find the perfect venue for you. We're your best friends, we know you two well enough to know where you'd like to get married. Leave it up to us to find a better location," Nina interrupted. Wanting to help her friends as much as possible.

"We will do this?" Gastón said surprised.

"Yes, we will. We can definitely do this," she answered confidently.

Luna leaves Matteo's arms to give Nina a bone crushing hug and said: "Thank you so much, Nina. That means the world to us."

When they pull apart, Matteo lays a hand around her waist and said: "Yes, thank you. I know we made the right choice when we chose you to be in the wedding."

"I don't want you to regret it," Nina just said with a shy smile.

Gastón didn't answer, he just stood there frozen. Looking for a venue for a wedding could imply so much. It could bring his feelings to the surface due to all the romance that comes with wedding shopping. This day isn't going to be as easy as he thought.

"We should get started as soon as possible, I'll go get my computer to check out some locations," Nina said, "Gastón, are you coming?" 

She looked up at him and he just nodded. She was waiting for him to come.

"Do you mind if I talk to Gastón first?" Matteo interrupted and put a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Sure, I'll get started without you then," Nina answered and left the room.

"I should meet up with the team to discuss some things," Luna excused herself and left the room as well.

"Are you sure you're okay with doing this? You'll be spending a lot of time with Nina this way," Matteo asked.

"I am. Of course I'm nervous about this, I know my feelings will surface but that just might be the push I need to really talk to Nina," Gastón said, confident.

"If you're sure, I trust you know what you're doing," Matteo said with a smile, "I should get back to Luna, make sure she's okay."

***

"Okay, so we have a few location sightings lined up for today. It wasn't easy to find many locations available that day but I think we managed just fine," Nina said, looking down at the list of venues they made together.

"It's mostly because of you. We wouldn't have found so many without you," Gastón smiled at her.

Nina looked down, trying to hide her blush.

"We should get started right away," it was all she said.

So they did, they planned to visit 5 locations today and they couldn't find a good one until they arrived to the last one. It was next to the Japanese garden that Luna and Matteo knew all too well.

"This was one became available at the last minute," Gastón said while looking around.

They had a great view of the stream with the red bridge over it.

Nina looked around in awe and said: "This looks beautiful."

"Yeah, it's magical," he said while looking at Nina.

"I can already see it. Right here," she said as she stepped near the edge of the grass the place where the best view of the stream is, "Matteo and Luna should say 'I do' right here. It's a perfect place. I can already see it. It would complete the circle."

"Yeah, it couldn't be more perfect," he smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Imagine this...," she said and took his hand so he could stand right in front of her.

He was surprised by her sudden touch and felt the warmth radiating of off her. He reluctantly let go and put both his hands in his pockets to avoid giving in to his want to touch her again.

"The bride and groom standing here, face to face. Both radiating with happiness. It would be so romantic. They'll start their life together right here. Matteo saying I never expected to fall for you, you came out of nowhere. Then Luna would say she can't wait to spend the rest of her life with him," she said with a faraway look on her face.

Gastón could do nothing but stare at her. While saying all of this, he was imagining them standing here. Her walking down the aisle.

When Nina opened her eyes, she saw him staring right at her and she said breathless: "Isn't that romantic?"

"It truly is," he said quietly and looked down at her lips. 

She noticed where his eyes landed and started leaning in.

[requiemforthepoets]

i promise i’m home soon, to give my love to you 𖦹 LN4

PAIRINGS: lando norris x female!pilot!reader

SUMMARY: with your job being a pilot, it’s hard to attend lando’s races due to your busy schedule, and with this, both of your schedules never really aligned. but this time, you’re set on attending his race at zandvoort no matter what.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: i’m still not over lando’s 2nd win, so here’s another piece for you guys. hope you enjoy this one! :)

REMINDER: this is purely fiction, the way how the character is portrayed in my story does not reflect the person that is portraying my character in real life. always separate fiction from reality, and do not repost or copy my work in any way.

WORD COUNT: 1.4k

WARNINGS: typos

Lando’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he held up his phone, the facetime connection crystal clear despite the miles that are separating the both of you. You smiled, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes, and Lando noticed.

“Are you sure you can’t make it to Zandvoort?” He asked, trying to mask the disappointment in his voice. “It’s going to be a big weekend. Since season’s resuming right after the summer break.”

You sighed softly, hating the lie you were about to tell. “I wish I could, Lan. But my schedule is just too hectic, it had gotten so hectic right after I came back from summer break with you. I’ve got back-to-back flights, and I can’t find someone who can cover for me. It’s impossible to get away.” Your heart ached as you saw his face fall, but she knew the surprise would be worth it.

“I get it, love,” Lando replied, trying to sound supportive. “I just wish our schedules would line up more often, you know.”

“Me too,” you whispered, your resolve wavering for a moment. “But you know that despite where I am, you know that I’ll be cheering for you. Always.”

The day of the Dutch Grand Prix arrived, and as Lando focused on the race, you are en route to Netherlands, your nerves building with each passing mile, but you were happy that a fellow pilot was willing to switch schedules with you. When you had landed in the Netherlands, the race was already on lap 53, so you quickly went to a hotel near the airport that you managed to book on the spot.

You quickly changed out of your uniform. Throughout the whole thing, it was Cisca, Lando’s mother, that had been updating you on Lando’s every move, on what lap the race is on, and your co-conspirator in the surprise.

“You’ve got this, darling. He’s going to be over the moon.” You read Cisca’s last message.

As Lando crossed the finish line, the roar of the crowd and cheers from his team filled the air. He had done it—he had won the race. It’s his second win of the season. The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins as he parked his car in parc fermé, when he got out of the car, he ran towards his team, their energy infectious. They hugged him, patted his back, and he could barely contain his excitement.

When he was removing his helmet and balaclava, he can’t help but feel that something shifted. Lando noticed that his team members are looking past him and pointing, motioning him to look at someone. He followed their gaze, his heart stopped for a spilt second when he saw you standing there, just beyond the barrier. Your hair a little tousled from the wind, but you are there, in the flesh.

“Is that—?” Lando began, disbelief and joy mingling on his face. Without any second thoughts, he broke through the group, sprinting towards you.

You barely had time to brace yourself before Lando was there, wrapping you up in his arms, lifting you off from the barrier and spinning you around. “You’re here. You’re actually here. You actually made it!” His voice was filled with pure, unfiltered happiness.

You laughed, holding onto him tightly. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world, my love.”

He set you down, but didn’t let go, his hands cupping your face as he looked at you, still not quite believing you are there. “You really got me,” he murmured, his forehead resting against yours. “You always know how to surprise me.”

“That was the plan,” you teased, brushing a thumb across his cheek, smudge with sweat from the race. “I’m so proud of you, Lan. You were incredible out there.”

Lando smiled, his gaze never leaving yours. “You’re the incredible one. I can’t believe you did this all for me.”

Before you could respond, Lando leaned in, capturing your lips in a kiss so tender and passion that had been building since the last time you had seen each other. Around you, his team cheered again—they knew very well how demanding your job is and to be constantly away from Lando and miss a lot of grand prix. It’s not just a celebration of Lando’s win, but the reunion that everyone had been secretly rooting for.

When you finally pulled apart, Lando kept you close, one arm wrapped around your waist, as if he feared you might disappear again. “You’ve only been to a few races,” he said shaking his head with a chuckle. “But somehow, you always manage to show up at the most important ones. Like the one back in Miami, where I got my first win.”

You laughed, your eyes twinkling. “Guess I have have a knack for timing.”

“Or maybe,” Lando said, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear, “we’re just really meant to be.” They stood there, wrapped in each other’s arm, as the world around them celebrated.

“Go on. Go get on that podium, I’ll be here waiting for you.” You whispered and smiled, pressing one last kiss on his lips.

When Lando take on the podium, you found yourself standing with his family, your heart swelling with pride as you watched him conquer one of the most significant moments of his career. The grandstands were still roaring with excitement, the orange-clad fans chanting his name. You could hardly believe that you are here, witnessing this incredible achievement in person.

From your spot, you had the perfect view of Lando as he stepped onto the podium, the grin on his face contagious. The sound of the British national anthem filled the air, and you felt a surge of emotion, your eyes glistening as you saw him standing tall and proud.

As the anthem played, Lando glanced down, his eyes searching the crowd until they found yours. For a brief moment, everything else faded away. The noise, cameras, thousands of cheering fans—it all disappeared as soon as your gazes locked. He smiled at you, a tender smile that is only meant for you. You smiled back, giving him a little wave and blowing him a kiss, your eyes shining with tears you didn’t bother to hide. It made every flight, every missed race, every late-night call all very worth it.

Once the anthem ended, and the trophies were handed out, you watched as Lando lifted the massive winner’s trophy high above his head, the crowd erupting in cheers once again. The immense happiness radiating from him was visible, and you couldn’t help but laugh through your tears, clapping your hands together as you cheered for him with everything you have.

You laughed as Lando did his iconic champagne pop, and aimed his bottle straight at Charles and Max, drenching themselves in the celebratory spray. But when he caught sight of you watching, he winked, and with a mischievous grin, he tilted the bottle slightly in your direction, sending a light mist of champagne your way.

You squealed in surprise, laughing as you shielded yourself with your arms, playfully glaring at him. He just laughed, shrugging as if to say, ‘what did you expect?’. When the celebrations wound down, Lando hopped off the podium and quickly made his way straight to you, trophy still in hand. He pulled you into his arms once more, not caring that you were both sticky from the champagne.

“This is for you, too, you know,” he said, holding up the trophy between you. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”

You looked at the trophy, it was a very beautiful trophy with short messages painted on them, then looked back at him. “You’re the one who drove your heart out today, Lan. But��I’m so happy I could be here to share this moment with you.” You cupped both of his cheeks and caressing it gently.

He kissed you again, right there in front of the world, uncaring of the cameras or the fans. All that mattered in that moment was you and him, together, celebrating a victory that felt as much yours as it did his.

When you finally pulled apart, you reached up to brush a stray lock of hair from his forehead, your fingers lingering on his skin. “I’m so proud of you,” you whispered, your voice thick with emotion. “You deserve all of this. I mean it.”

Lando smiled down at you, his eyes filled with gratitude and love. “I’m proud of you, too. For everything. Thank you for being here. This…this makes it perfect.”

As you both stood there, surrounded by the aftermath of a race won, you knew that no matter how busy both of your lives become, how you are both often separated by the distance, you always know that you’d go back home to Lando, that he’ll always be there waiting for you. You are each other’s home.