#yeah I know there’s a tv behind me but I’m not in the right conditions to explore yet

[confusedfeelsfangirl]

Now tell me why I saw a fanart of Jon as The Watcher with all his numerous eyes and immediately said « transition goals » ? I’m not even transitioning, this makes no sense…

[fashionteahouse]

ONG I loved ur LSD I need more. Why were they in the room?why have Paul and reader sleeping together? How does the pack feel about this?….

I need answers 😩

omg thank youuu 🤭 ur questions will be answered hope you enjoy :)

L$D - reader x embry and paul x rachel

AN: for context, read: part 1 here this part is more or so the backstory that leads up to part 1. sorry if this story is too long :s

Rachel lounged comfortably as the afternoon sun was shining through the windows.

You lounged next to her. Rachel didn’t allow many people to be on her bed, but you both were very close.

One thing you liked about Rachel, was her openness. However, it was exclusive for those she handpicked to be in her life. Rachel enjoyed how you didn’t experience too much of life without her, she loved the curiosity and zest for life that you had. There have been instances where she had introduced you to things.

She was blunt. She didn’t care. That’s why your mouth was a bit open, not due to shock, but with what she said.

“We became open.”

“Huh?” you question her.

She makes a face that’s proving to you that she’s not lying.

“You could do that?” you ask her.

“Yeah.” she says as she laughs a little, “We agreed on conditions of course.”

“Do tell.” you say, itching for more information.

“I pick the girl. He picks the guy.”

“I guess…That’s fair.” you say.

You couldn’t imagine you and Embry being open. He’s all you’ve ever known. You felt the devotion from Embry to know that he would never go behind you. He told you everything. Sometimes, too much.

You also didn’t know, that imprints could do such a thing. Rachel must’ve seen the conflicted look on your face as she scarily answers the questions that was in your head.

“Paul is in the palm of my world. He just wants me happy. I’m the one who suggested it.”

You’re now in shock. Rachel being the one to give the green light was not what you expected.

“Guys usually are the ones I hear about suggesting open relationships.” you say, but then again, you were going off of the media you have consumed.

Rachel laughs at your statement.

“But, at least tell me why. I thought you and Paul were like…I don’t know, perfect.”

“I have needs as well. I like the feeling of not being tied down or feeling like I’m the reason the person who’s with me is tied down. I enjoy my bit of fun. Especially, since I’m still young.” she says.

“I hope it works out for you guys. You are my couple goals.” you say in a playful manner.

Rachel laughs again, “Who are you telling? You and Embry are already like a married couple.”

“Yeah right.” you quietly say as you wave her off.

“It’s true.” she says still chuckling.

You’re quiet and she notices.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I just think you and Embry are like the ideal imprint couple.”

You start thinking, “Hm…”

Paul came home. You couldn’t help but to watch them as they greeted each other. It was as if the talk that you and Rachel had was nothing.

“I’m gonna head back. Embry’s probably going to try to eat tv dinners so I have to make him something to eat.”

“Boooo.” Paul says in a teasing tone and Rachel laughs as she couldn’t help it.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you guys later.” you say and exit out of their shared home.

You hear Embry’s fork clatter down softly and you look up.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks.

“Nothing, really.” you say but he’s not convinced.

“If it’s nothing, then why are you thinking about it?” he asks. You softly sigh.

“It’s only girl talk with Rachel, really.” you say.

He leaves it at that.

Rachel sings along to the radio, as she stops at a red light.

You were in the passenger seat, waiting to go the restaurant she had plans on going to.

A car, pulls beside her to also wait for the red light to change green.

You watch as the two exchange looks, before putting down their windows, exchanging phone numbers.

“Him?” you ask as you both follow the waiter to the booth you were walking to.

As you sit down, tell the waiter the drinks you both want, Rachel tells you.

“If anything, he can just eat me out.”

“Wow.” you breathe out. The waiter comes back and you and Rachel take a sip of the freshly filled drinks. You tell the waiter what you both would like to eat.

“Why not just have Paul do it? Don’t you love him?” you ask.

“I love that he allows me to do what I want.” she says with a smile as she placed the straw in her lips.

You don’t notice her, but she stares at you for a moment before changing the topic.

Rachel’s fingers type back and forth as she messaged the person who seen her at the red light. He was a bit corny. She sighed to herself as she lessened her sentences to him, feeling totally uninterested.

“What’s wrong with you?” Paul asks as he placed a kiss on her temple.

“This guy is lame.”

“I thought I was picking the guy.”

“You haven’t picked anyone yet.” Rachel says, showing signs of impatience. Paul lays back on his pillow.

“You won’t like who I pick.” Paul states as he grins a bit.

“Who?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet.” he says, “In the meantime, stop giving lames the time of day.”

“How do I know you aren’t doing the same.” Rachel teases as she fluffed her pillow.

“You know me.” he simply says. She couldn’t argue with that.

You and Rachel sat on Emily’s porch swing. You whispered to each other. The wolves were in the home and you both wanted some type of privacy from their supernatural hearing.

“I didn’t talk to that guy again.” Rachel whispers.

“I’m just curious. If you’re picking the girl, would it be a random stranger you would think is cute or what?”

Rachel sits back about as the swing swung.

“Someone I would trust. I know Paul and girls will think they can fuck him good enough to take me out of the equation.” she whispers but rolls her eyes at such thought.

“Do you think he shares the same fear?”

“Maybe. But, he knows I wouldn’t like..Leave him.” Rachel whispers.

Paul bursts out onto the porch and you and Rachel jump a bit.

“Yeah, what were you two doing?” he says as he flops right in the middle of you two.

“Being interrupted. What do you want?” Rachel asks.

“To see what you two were whispering about.” he whispers in a dramatic way.

“Nothing.” you whisper back as if you were telling a scary story.

Paul chuckled at this.

Rachel looks at you.

Embry comes out, smiling a bit when he sees you.

You rise and hug him.

“You ready to go?” he asks you. You nod and wave bye to both of them. Rachel watched as Paul watched you walk off with Embry.

Later that night, Embry snored softly beside you.

Your phone buzzed as you watched tv in the bedroom you two shared, you made sure the volume wasn’t distracting.

“I have a question”

“Oh god.” you thought in your head. It was from Rachel and you knew this would not be innocent question.

“I feel like I should be scared to know”

You type back.

Another buzz hits you as you read the message.

“Aren’t you at least curious to know how it feels to have experience to compare?”

You look to the sleeping Embry before typing back.

“It’s never really crossed my mind. I haven’t really thought of it too much.”

You wait for a reply but you don’t get one. You just continue watching your television.

That next morning, you and Embry ate before he had to leave for patrol.

“Can I ask you something?” you ask him.

“Sure. What’s up.” he answers and starts chewing.

“Would you…Hm…What would you do if I told you I wanted an open relationship?” you ask him.

He looks up from his food, “Is..That what you want?”

“No I- It’s just a thought.” you say.

You watch as he chews and thinks for a moment, “I mean..I would ask why you would want one of course. But, ultimately, I would want to know if…That’s what’s going to make you happy.”

You nod as you digest this.

As you and Rachel walked along the somewhat empty beach, you both fall into talk.

“I asked Embry what he would do if I asked for an open relationship.” you tell her.

“What did he say.” she says with a curious grin.

“He said he would want to know why and would want to know if that’s what would make me happy.” you tell her.

“But, would you?” she asks.

“Would I what?”

“Ask him for one?” she asks again.

You sigh softly, “I don’t know. Probably not. But, I am curious.”

“About what?”

You look to her before feeling a wave of shame, “You said something about that guy…Eating you out. Embry’s not into it.”

“Whaaat!” she says as she stops her steps to look at you.

“Rach, come on.” you groan.

“No, you come on. What do you mean Embry’s not into it.”

You shrug quickly, “I don’t know. Going down on each other is just…Something we just don’t do.”

Rachel scoffs, “So, what. You both do the same positions? All the time?”

“So what if we do. We’re both fine with it. It’s not like I’m missing out-”

“Okay, that’s enough. I’ve heard enough. Y/N, come on. The white light is what you’re missing out on.” she says with a hand held up and shakes her head.

You stuff your hands in your pockets and look into the distance.

“Look, don’t hate me after I say this.” she says.

You look at her.

“If I had to pick a girl for Paul, it would be you.”

Your eyes widen.

“Just hear me out.” she says.

“Rachel-“

“Just hear me out. I trust you more than anyone and..I feel like you should at least know what it feels like to have fun with sex.”

Your hands cover your face.

“Look, I’m not saying you’re going to sleep with Paul. It’s just how I feel at the moment.”

You waited at home for Embry to walk in, any moment.

Your mind kept thinking back to the conversation you and Rachel had earlier.

Your mind was uncomfortable but you did wonder if there was a way to spice up you and Embry’s intimacy.

You greet him with a hug and a sensual kiss.

“Hey.” he says softly as he looks at you. You lean back into another kiss.

He got the idea, kissing you back.

Before he did the usual of sleeking himself against your wetness before sinking in, you whisper to him, “Can you…?”

“Can I what?” he asks back, dripping in velvet.

You rub his arm to add onto the persuasion, “You know..Eat me out?”

He pauses and gives a look, “Where’s this coming from?”

“I thought it would be fun.” you say, “It’s fine. Just come here.”

You want him to lay on his back, which he does, but you move your body down on him.

He watched as you then try to put him close to your mouth but he catches you. “Y/N. What are you doing?” he says with a smile.

“I thought it would be fun.” you say, shrugging.

“Yeah, but…” he trails off, you picked up on his uncomfortable smile.

“Sorry. I’m sorry.” you say and kiss him on the face instead, trying to bring the mood back into the room.

He lets his hands caress your body, choosing to use his fingers, not his tongue.

He did the usual, but you didn’t come as hard as you usually did.

In Rachel and Paul’s home, Rachel talked to him as she brushed her teeth. He washed his body while she did so.

“I was on patrol with Embry. Apparently Y/N asked him what he would do if she asked to be open.” he says as the water runs down his body.

Rachel slows her brushing, “Really?” She already knew from you, but she had no idea that Embry would still think about it.

“Yeah.” he says laughing to himself a bit.

“How did he feel about it. Y/N told me she asked him and told me what he said to her.”

The water turns off and he grabs a towel.

“I feel fucked up but he didn’t know I was around, he kept picturing Y/N with someone else. How he felt? Horny as fuck.” he says snickering.

He left Rachel to have it sit on her brain.

Embry had a lot of things on his mind. He barely engaged in conversations at Emily’s.

He watched you and Rachel talk and laugh about. He then observed how Paul was also watching you two. Unwanted thoughts began to flow through his brain.

He wondered if something in you and Rachel’s conversation is what made you ask him to go down on you. He knew that type of talk to especially come from Paul.

As they all rise to move into the dining room to eat, Embry was snapped out his thoughts as Paul slapped him on the shoulder, “You coming?”

Embry shakes out his deep thoughts, “Yeah.”

Embry ate silently as everyone else around him was falling into the fundamentals of an enjoyable dinner.

You noticed his silence. You still made sure to snake your hand in his. Rachel noticed as well. You two would’ve bantered a bit about something if this was any other time. She didn’t say anything though as she continued her dinner.

You and Rachel were saying your final goodbyes to each other as Paul pulled Embry to the side. Paul tried to make conversation with him, but Embry was acting stand offish. Feeling like he didn’t do anything to him, Paul says, “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing, man.” Embry shrugs.

“I was just checking because you’re not acting like it’s nothing.” Paul says, clearly spending enough time with him to catch him in a lie.

Embry brings on a small grin, “Yeah, it’s nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow.” They both nod off to each other as each went their own direction.

You waited for Embry in bed. He climbed in and kissed you goodnight.

You rub his shoulder and press a light kiss on his neck. Saying it without hardness he lets you know, “I want to, just not tonight. I gotta get up early.”

You slump back and tell him, “Okay.”

You shake your head as you vent. You and Rachel were in a parking lot eating take out. You felt frustrated. It was in the spur of the moment. You couldn’t sleep because you knew that any other time, he would’ve stayed up anyways.

“Since when did he care that he had to get up early.” you say and remember the times where Sam chastised him about being late all because he would leave at the last minute.

“Paul did say he wasn’t like himself.” Rachel mused.

“Unbelievable. I don’t understand. Things were good but I don’t know anymore. With Embry, I knew everything.” you say.

“Well, just try to talk to him.” She says.

You closed the now empty container and had an epiphany.

“What?” Rachel asks as she’s watching you just rack your mind.

“I think it’s my fault.” you say and slump your shoulders.

“What? Why would on earth would you think that?” she asks.

“Things got a little..I don’t know, different since I asked him-“ you say and shake your head.

“Asked him what? What did you ask him?” Rachel asks.

You debrief Rachel about what happened when you asked Embry to go down on you.

“It’s okay. It’s nothing to beat yourself up over.” Rachel says.

“But, I’m the one who made things weird!” you exclaim.

“Did he say that?”

“No-“

“Then you didn’t.” she says deadpanning.

You go back to her home with her.

“Hey.” you both greet Paul as he sits in the living room watching sports. He mumbled a greeting back.

You follow Rachel up the stairs.

You lie your back on the mattress and stare at the ceiling.

“Stop thinking about it, Y/N.”

“How could I not.” you say.

Rachel rested her head on the hand of her bent elbow.

“I literally started bringing things up out of nowhere.” you say.

Rachel rolls her eyes, “Just ask him again.”

Paul comes in and shakes his head at Rachel. Rachel looks, “What?”

“Where’s my kiss?” he asks.

“Where’s my kiss?” she asks and mocks his greeting when you and her came in the door.

This makes Paul laugh and you look away and felt the bed dip and hear a smack from them.

You felt a brush on your leg and look and groan. You didn’t expect Paul to fully make out with Rachel. This makes both Paul and Rachel pull from each other’s lips as they laughed.

“Alright, Rachel I’ll see you later.” you say and move to stand.

“No. No. Okay, get out Paul.” she says. You chuckle a bit.

“How are you kicking me out of my own room?” he asks and gets even more comfortable.

“Me and Y/N are talking.” she says.

“Why can’t we all talk?”

“Don’t you have a game to watch?” you ask to him as you sit next to Rachel on the bed.

“They lost. Now, I’m bored.” he says.

“Not our problem.” Rachel says.

“You two passing secrets or something?” he teases.

“Yeah, it’s about how I can’t stand you.” Rachel says sarcastically.

“I caught you two whispering. I want in on the scoop.” he says.

You swallow and Paul immediately notices and mischievously chuckles, “Something’s up.”

“Nothing’s up. God, you’re so annoying.” Rachel sighs out.

“Alright. Ask who again?” he challenged, letting you both know it didn’t move past his ears as he came up the steps.

“None of your buisness.” you say but it wasn’t confident. Paul had fun with this.

“Who do you think I am?” he says shaking his head, still smirking.

You narrow your eyes at him.

“I can tell you something.” he says enticingly. Rachel playfully smack him on the arm.

“Don’t fall for it, Y/N.” Rachel says.

“Even you don’t even know what I’m about to say.” he says to Rachel and this makes her take a look a him. He wasn’t kidding around.

“What?” Rachel asks.

He chuckles as he looked at her and he then takes a look at you.

“I got back from patrol, right? But, with Embry.” he says.

“Okay, who cares.” you say and Rachel snickers.

“We talked.” he says.

“And?” Rachel says.

“And I want to know what you’re going to ask who again?”

You groan, “Just tell me. Quit fucking around.”

“No.”

“Just tell me.” Rachel says. Paul gives her a look and she rolls her eyes, “Just whisper it in my ear.”

Paul actually considers this but says, “This means you have to tell me.”

Rachel agrees and Paul sealed it with a pinkie promise and tells you, “Move, Y/N.”

You move to the near end of the bed, Paul places his lips close to Rachel’s ear. Rachel had a look on her face and you watch her face carefully. You were mad that Paul was a good whisperer because you couldn’t hear a thing he was telling her. She reacted subtly and this made you really want to know.

She looks at you as he sits back with a smirk.

“What?” you ask.

“Nope. Rachel, tell me.” he says.

“It matches up with what we talked about, Y/N.” Rachel tells you.

“I only asked Embry to… ya know…” you gesture in a down motion and say, “And Rachel only wants me to ask him again. Happy?”

“No, are you happy?” he says humorously.

You roll your eyes as Rachel covers her mouth, hiding her laugh.

“I would’ve never thought Embry didn’t like to get his dick sucked.” he says. You gasp as Rachel scolds him, “Paul!”

“How do you know that?” you question him. That was something that only you knew.

“I told you I was on patrol with him and I talked to him.” Paul says and dives into how Paul was coming back to him and Embry’s meetup spot. There was no signs of active threats in the part Paul was supposed to keep watch of.

Paul stopped moving once he caught a flash of what you two did the night before. He kept it hidden for the time being, but he felt bad when you looked excited but Embry didn’t want to go through with it. He then watched how Embry wouldn’t let you go further.

That’s when Embry thought about the discussion you both had over being open. That’s when the fantasies began.

Paul had to say something, “Just be open.”

“Dude, mind your buisness!” Embry says. He was caught off guard.

Paul then shows Embry how him and Rachel are open.

“You wouldn’t get jealous?” Embry questions as he walked through the woods with Paul. They been could’ve went back to Sam’s but, this was more entrapping.

“I’m made for Rachel, practically. She would choose me everytime.”

“Wow. I mean, I felt bad when I turned her down. I just can’t get into it. It feels too much like teasing…I don’t know.”

“Just think about it. It might I don’t know, create balance if you both want different things.” Paul says.

“So, what happens if Rachel picks a girl and you don’t want her?” Embry asks.

“Rachel is holding off, but I know her. She’s going to pick someone who she trusts the most.”

“Y/N would never.” Embry says with confidence.

“What if she agrees?” Paul asks.

“But, she wouldn’t.”

“But, you don’t know that. Why did she question you then?” Paul challenged.

Embry was stuck, “It doesn’t matter. Look, I’m glad that you and Rachel have your thing going on. But, me and Y/N are fine.”

Paul busts his lie, proving to Embry how he caught him secretly enjoying the thought of you having intercourse with someone else. While he watched.

“Fuck off Paul.” Embry says and continues walking.

“Just talk to her. Look, if she says yes, you could be there in there with us.” Paul says and leave him alone.

You just didn’t understand it.

“How come he’s never talked to me about this?” you wondered out loud.

“Just talk to him.” Paul says.

“Is it true?” you ask Rachel.

“I thought you would’ve figured it out when we talked at the restaurant.”

“Wait, you both talked about this, already?” Paul questions.

“Not like that. I told her it would be my pick of someone who I deem as the most trustworthy.” Rachel tells him.

You look at Paul. Paul looks at you.

“And then, you both are already familiar with each other so it wouldn’t be awkward.” Rachel says.

“I don’t know.” you say as you shake your head.

When you came home, Embry didn’t greet you at the door. You enter the room you both shared and he sat on the bed.

“What’s wrong?” you ask, “And don’t say ‘nothing’ ”

You sit next to him.

He actually looks at you.

“Would you do it?” Embry asks.

“Do what?”

He thinks of his words for a moment before asking, “What would you do if I asked us to be open.”

You sigh softly, “I would ask if that’s something you’re comfortable with doing.”

“Have you thought about it? You asked me about it that one day.” he says.

“I only brought it up because Rachel told me about what her and Paul had going on.” you admit.

“And then when you wanted to do oral.” he points out.

“I’m sorry, if I made things weird between us.” you say.

“You didn’t make things weird. I feel like I did.” he says.

“Why would you think that?” you ask.

“Because…I know you want me to go down on you and everything and you looked very willing and I feel like I ruined your mood by rejecting it.” he says.

“You didn’t ruin anything, Embry.” you say.

“But, would you want to?” he asks.

“Want to…? What?” you ask.

“Be open.” he asks.

Your breath hitched.

“I don’t know. What- What about you.”

“I would do it if you did it.” he says, “You like different things than me.”

“Oh.” you say.

“Would you do it…With Paul?” he asks.

You look at him. So Paul really wasn’t lying.

“Um..I don’t know. Maybe?” you say.

“It’s alright, Y/N. I would be there.”

You stand, “Like, in the room?”

He nods.

It kind of did kill the jitters of the idea of it. If Embry was there, nothing would go out of line.

Paul lay in bed as Rachel pulled the covers over herself.

“I picked someone.”

“Who?” Rachel says, barely paying attention.

“What about Embry?” he asks.

“Embry?” Rachel says and looks at Paul.

“Yeah.” Paul says and moved his eyes from the ceiling to Rachel’s eyes.

“Why him?” Rachel asks. She thought of Embry as innocent in a way. She felt like she would do more damage than good.

“Take the stick out of his ass.”

Rachel rolls her eyes, “Of course.” she continues, “Y/N would not let me touch Embry.”

“Just ask her.”

“Our friendship would literally go bye-bye if I asked her.”

“Fine. I’ll ask her.”

“No!” Rachel says.

“You won’t do it. What? How come you can pick someone but as soon as I do, you shoot it down.”

“I’m not shooting it down. I will ask, but if she hates me, I’m blaming you.” she says and lays her head on the pillow.

“She won’t hate you.” Paul says quietly.

“Why are you so quiet?” you ask Rachel as you sat in front her, eating a muffin that Emily had made.

“Yeah, is everything alright?” Emily asks.

Rachel looks at you, “I’m fine.”

You look at her. Oh, yeah. Something was not fine.

“We’ll be back Emily.” Rachel says to you as she tugs you out of the door.

You speed walk to catch up to her.

“What’s going on?” you ask.

“Remember that..Talk..That me, you and Paul had the other day?”

You nod.

“He picked Embry.”

You look to the side, “It makes sense.”

“Y/N.” she says in shock.

You look up, “What?”

“He said Embry.” Rachel says.

“I heard you the first time. Don’t you think it’s at least fair?” you say.

“I don’t want you to hate me for this.” she says.

“How do you think I feel right now? Embry told me he wants to be in the room when it happens.” you tell her.

“Really?” Rachel asks and you nod. Relief washes over her face and this makes you huff out a small chuckle.

“Yes.” you say.

“So, you don’t mind if..I’m there too?” she asks you.

“I wouldn’t expect you not to be in there. That’s your imprint.”

So it’s settled.

You sat next to Rachel on the couch. The boys came in from patrol.

“Where’s Paul and Embry?” Rachel asks the boys as she doesn’t see them come in.

“Went home.” Jared says with a shrug and greets his imprint with a kiss.

You and Rachel looked at each other.

You both rise at the same time.

“You’re not staying?” Kim asks as Jared wrapped his arm around her.

You shake your head.

“How much you want to bet they’re at my place?” Rachel asks you.

You chuckle at this as you both see the home come into view.

You follow her into the door and sure enough, both Paul and Embry sat on the couch.

“Hey.” you and Rachel say at the same time. They greet back and by the looks of it, they were in the middle of talking.

Rachel moves to sit right on Paul’s lap and looks at Embry. You saw the blush on his face and hold his hand.

“Did you ask her?” Paul asks Rachel.

“Yes. She doesn’t mind.” Rachel says while still looking at Embry.

“Embry doesn’t mind either. Right, Embry?” Paul asks him. Embry nods and looks to you, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

You nod slightly.

“You’re acting like I’m going to kill her.” Paul says. Rachel chuckles.

“You might. Before Rachel, on patrol I would see how you used to pound those girls.” Embry defends.

“That’s different. I care about Y/N, I didn’t care about those other girls.” he says as he looks at you.

Rachel gets up excitedly, “Alright, what are we waiting for?”

She pulled Embry up by his hands. She tugged in the bedroom. Paul has his hand out as he waits for you.

You take it and he pulls you up off from the couch. You let out a surprised noise when he picks your body up. As he held you, your face was close to his and he walked to where Embry and Rachel were.

You weren’t used to someone else other than Embry to feel on your body. You look to see Rachel holding Embry into a kiss. She was leading him. He let her.

You felt your chin being snatched in other direction. His lips felt soft and moved with such precision, you forgot that it wasn’t Embry that you were kissing.

It was euphoric as he licked and sucked on your tongue as your hands snaked through his soft hair. He moaned a bit in your mouth before moving your body to feel how hard he was.

It felt like a rush. You were sure that if you took drugs, it would feel like this moment. You were only a bit tipsy.

You look up to the body that was towering over you. The hunger in his eyes made your stomach do backflips. It was intense.

“You don’t have to be shy.” Paul says to you with a grin.

You allow yourself to feel comfortable as you lay back on his bed. He never would forget the sight.

He would never forget your taste as you squirmed on his tongue. His tongue flicked up as he gathered your juices that you kept producing.

You were panting and breathing hard as you plead and beg him, “Please, just please.”

“Please what?” he says as he circled your sensitive nub, staring down at your flushed face. He was going to drag this out as long as he could.

You groan at his teasing.

“Repeat after me?” he asks you. You nod a little.

“Paul.” he says and you repeat him, “Paul.”

“Please.” he says and you repeat him, “Please.”

“Fuck me.” he says and you repeat him, “Fuck me.”

He held you close as he held your sides in a strong grip. The sound of skin slapping filled the room as you both belt out noises of pleasure. He let you know how wet you are and you let him know good he feels.

You head rolls to the side as the thrusts were great.

Embry sat in a chair that was in the bedroom. Rachel rocked his world by the look of his face, she thrusts on top of him as he clutched onto her.

Your chin was moved back to have your face, face Paul.

“Look at me. Look at what you’re doing to me.” he whispers to you and slowly pulls himself out. You looked as he glistened below. You groaned quietly as he slowly stuck it back in. You heard your own wetness as you heard his own groans.

Embry kissed you on the side of your lips.

“Are you alright?” he asks you as you buried yourself underneath the covers.

“Yes, I’m alright. What about you?” you ask. You were very tired.

He makes a satisfied look and nods, “I’m alright. It went better than I thought it would be.”

“Yeah. Do you think things will be weird?” you question.

“Nah. I don’t think so.” he answers back.

He then speaks again, “Me and Paul will keep it from the pack to make sure it doesn’t get too weird.”

You nod as you sink further into the bed. You yawned and before you knew it, you were fast asleep.

[kendallroydefender]

You stayed (Fox Mulder x Reader)

It was an investigation that went wrong and the suspect had fired three shots, two of them missed any target but the third hit Mulder. He was rushed to the operation unit immediately and since then you had been sitting on these uncomfortable chairs next to your co-worker and friend Scully. Both of you didn’t talk much, too scared of what’s to come. She knew about the feelings you harbored for the man. She also knew about Mulders feelings toward you. But even though she encouraged you to talk to him about it or tried to get him to ask you on a date she couldn’t just tell the other. Your leg bounced in anticipation whe the door opened and a man came out.

"I’m doctor Smith. Are you here with Fox Mulder?“ you both stood and you nodded not trusting your voice. "Yes we’re his colleagues. Is- is he… how was..“ Scully tried and the doctor looked at you both "I can’t go in-depth about his condition. But he’s alive and we could successfully perform the surgery. He’s unconscious at the moment. But he should become conscious within the next days.“

You let out a relieved breath. Mulder was alive. "Can we see him?“ you asked hopeful and the doctor gave you a sympathetic look "Sorry, only family members.“ he said "She’s his fiancée.“ Scully quickly said and you gave her a quick look before you understand what she was doing "Yeah- Yes, we’re engaged and I know you said only family members but, look, Fox doesn’t have family that live close by.“ you two looked at the man who glanced at your naked finger for a second "She’s not wearing her ring because we’re not allowed to wear jewelry on the job. It’s too dangerous, you could get your finger ripped off.“ Dana told him instantly. He gave you a long look but the lie seemed to work because he gave a short nod and told you to follow him. Walking behind him to the ICU you turned around and mouthed a 'thank you‘ to Scully.

Tears came into your eyes instantly when you saw him laying there in the hospital bed. "Oh god Fox.“ you said so low it was almost a whisper. "I know it’s shocking to see a loved one like this but we’re pretty positive that he‘ll make it out without complications.“ the doctor said as you sat onto a chair next to him. "He’s a young man in good health - he will wake up.“ Dr. Smith told you. You took Mulders hand in yours. "Hey Mulder.“ you whispered "you really scared me out there.“. The Doc said goodbye to you but you asked him if he couldn’t make a exception and let Dana come too. To your surprise he told you he would see what he could do.

You turned back to Mulder, he looked peaceful like he was just sleeping after a long day at work. "I need you to wake up, there’s so, so much I have to tell you.“ you choked up for a second "I love you Fox Mulder.“ you caressed his hand while tears now streamed down your cheeks. Dana came into the room shortly after and softly touched your shoulder and gave you a sad smile. You two sat with him for a while. When it got late she announced that she was going to leave and asked if you needed a ride back with her but you told her you were probably just going to stay. "I will come back tomorrow. Take care y/n.“ you gave her a small smile "You too Dana.“

You stayed the night sleeping on a chair, waking up every few hours to find the man you grew to love still passed out.

The next day flew by, with check ups on his condition. They’d let you stay in his room for another day after his doctor told the nurses that you were his fiancée. The tv was on but you couldn’t really concentrate on what was going on. Dana came and brought you take out and you stayed another night.

The next morning Scully came back and you two talked for a bit but she soon noticed how tired you were. "Y/n I know you won’t go home but you can take a rest now if you want. I’m here.“ you looked down and nodded knowing she was probably right. "I know he’s important to you - he is for me too. Mulder is though he will wake up but if- if it isn’t in the next days you have to go home. You’re destroying yourself.“ you sniffled "I know but I feel so helpless and I couldn’t sleep at home anyway.“ Scully caressed your arm "What if I don’t get the chance to tell him?“ she squeezed your shoulder "You will be able to tell him, I’m sure of it.“ you nodded hoping she was right.

Scully had read the newspaper for the last few minutes, she looked up to find you still asleep, your head rested on your arms on Mulders bed while you sat in the chair next to it. She smiled sadly, she hoped everything would work out for you and the male agent. She heard a faint cough and her eyes shot up from your sleeping form to the man in the bed. "Thank god Mulder!“ she let out when she realized that Mulder woke up. She gave him some water to drink from a glass next to his bed. "Thanks Scully.“ he said once the coughing stopped. "How long was I gone for?“ Mulder asked "A bit more than two days.“ he nodded

Scully noticed him looking at you with a soft look. You two were hopeless.

"Mulder, she hasn’t left this hospital since you arrived here. She has been waiting for you to wake up for days.“ Scully told the man with an earnest voice. His eyes stayed on the sleeping woman next to him for a few moments before he looked at Scully again. "She stayed here?“ he asked and the woman nodded "Yeah. I mean she went to the coffe and snack machines and used the bathroom to freshen up but she stayed.“ Mulder felt a tug on his heart. He wasn’t used to people going the extra mile for him yet here you were by his side. He knew he would have stayed if the roles were reversed and you were hurt.

"I’ll notify a doctor and you can wake her up I think you two need a few moments for yourself.“ Scully said and Mulder nodded. They hugged and she told him "I’m glad you’re back!“. With a hand on his cheek. When she left the room Mulder looked at your resting form before he lifted a hand and softly pushed a strand of hair out of your face, his hand lingered for a second and you stirred a little before your eyes fluttered open. You blinked a few times before you looked at Mulder and instead of finding him unconscious he was looking and smiling at you. "Fox! Oh god!“ you let out as you sat up "Hey.“ he said and with that you could feel tears well up in your eyes. "Hey.“ you let out "I need to get a doctor.“ you said "Wait, I think Scully already did.“ you looked up "Is she still here?“ he nodded before answering "She left a few minutes ago.“ it went quiet for a moment between you while you were just looking at each other. You couldn’t remember when it happened but you noticed that you were holding his hand in yours. "I’m so glad you woke up.“ you said voiced laced with emotion and Fox gave your hand a squeeze. There was so much you wanted, you needed, to tell him but now was not the right time. The door opened and a doctor came in followed by Scully. "Mr. Mulder welcome back! How are you feeling?“.

While they talked and the man doctor checked Mulder you were listening. You were so relieved when the doctor said he would be fine and that he didn’t think there would be any damages or complications if Mulder stayed a while longer and took things easy for the next few weeks.

You sat with him for a hour more, talking a bit but mostly just basking in the fact that he was with you again. Mulder and you seemed to always find a way to show each other physical affection but now under the circumstances it didn’t have to be under pretenses, so you were happy to be able to hold his hand and him caressing the back of your hand with his thumb. It was just a small moment of intimacy while talking.

"You can go home.“ Mulder said still holding your hand. You shook your head but he spoke up again before you could "Scully told me you’ve been here for days. Go home and get some sleep, have a real meal.“ you looked at your intertwined hands "Fox what if-" he squeezed your hand

"Please Y/n. It’s late and you need to rest. Trust me I appreciate you being here more than I can express and we can see each other tomorrow and we’ll talk. I promise I’ll be here.“ he chuckled and you nodded knowing he was probably right. "Okay. You are probably right. Take care.“ he smiled at you and lifted your intertwined hands to lay a kiss on the back of your hand "You too.“ he whispered. You went to hug him, carefully to not hurt his wound. The hug lasted longer than usual but you were just glad you had him back. Before you could think about it too much you leaned back towards him and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. Before you could overthink your action you stood up to leave, halting at the door for a moment sending him a smile wich he reciprocated.

This night you could relax the first time since Mulder got hurt. You went home took a hot shower, ate something that wasn’t from a snack-machine and slept in a real bed. It felt good also because you knew he was alive and better.

You went back to see Mulder at lunch the next day. The Hospital had called you earlier in the day to tell you that they were moving him out of the ICU to the regular station. When you stepped into the room Fox was up, sitting in the bed, watching something on the tv and eating a chocolate pudding. "Hey how are you?“ you asked with a smile "Y/n! They called you?“ you nodded your head "Yeah.“ he nodded with an mischievous sparkle in his eye "What’s up with that look?“ you asked cautiously squinting your eyes at him. "Nothing, nothing, just had hoped that it was you.“ he answered to wich you gave him a confused look. "This morning after the doc told me I could leave the ICU they asked me if they should call my fiancée to inform her about it.“ realization hit you and your cheeks warmed "Oh shit right, that’s what we told the doctor so I was allowed in your room.“ you explained. "I would have gotten shot earlier if I knew I would wake up to being engaged to you afterwards.“ he joked and you chuckled while shaking your head "Do not joke about that!“ you scolded him but you weren’t really mad at him.

He scooted over to the side against you’re protest that you would be fine on the chair and patted the space next to him for you to sit down. "What kind of man would I be if I wouldn’t let my fiancée sit next to me.“ Mulder joked and you laughed shaking your head "I will never live this down huh?“

You sat down carefully not to hurt him. "I was so worried - I’m glad you’re doing better.“

You turned to look at him and found his eyes already on you. "Thank you, you know for staying you didn’t have to. But it means a lot.“ Mulder told you "Of course I stayed. I lov-" you stopped and cleared your throat "You are extremely important to me.“ you said instead. He smiled at you "I love you too.“ he told you while nudging your shoulder softly. Even though the two of you said it in a friendly kind of way you couldn’t help your heart from beating faster. Your eyes met his green ones, just looking at the other for a moment. It felt like you were communicating without talking. He glanced down at your lips for a second. There was definitely something, it felt like a pull between you two. No teasing, no jokes. His hand circled your forearm rubbing soft circles onto your skin with his thumb. Heads slowly drifting towards each other.

"Mulder I think I need to tell you something.“ you swallowed

Mulder noticed your eyes wander to his lips for a second and he thought 'now or never' before his hand reached up to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear. "Why don’t we talk later okay?“ His hand lingered before he cupped your cheek. You weren’t sure if you had leaned in first or if he did but his nose nudged yours softly before you both stopped, giving the other an out. But neither pulled back and so your lips touched. It was gentle but it held a lot of unspoken words and even more emotions. In the beginning the kiss was careful - lips moving softly against each other before the kiss grew stronger with more need. He exhaled trough his nose as your hands went up to his hair. You pulled back for air after a few more moments and couldn’t help the grin spreading on your face.

"When I get out of here would you like to go out?“ Fox mumbled against your lips "Yeah I would really like that.“ you answered before you two kissed again.

[zyhkoo]

🦢 daddy issues

hurt/comfort, gn!reader, father issues

( jason wanted to protect you from your father. )

Jason was not good at comfort, it’s not something he’s used to doing. What else can he say? He can’t reassure the person it’d be just fine, he can’t fix the problem, he doesn’t know if what he's saying was right so what was he supposed to do? The best he’d do is to try and humor the situation a bit, or just educate the person he’s trying to comfort.

But there was one person he’d tolerate comforting, it was you.

You had issues with your father, he used to have some with his too, maybe a little bit now. He could empathize with your pain a bit, knowing that he experienced the same thing. It was another night, and another end of a patrol. Jason was hopping through rooftops till he saw your figure in a random fire escape. Jason raised a brow under his helmet, didn’t your patrol ended an hour ago?

You sat silently, staring into the night below you, a sigh escaping from your lips. A quiet and somber look on your face. You seemed to be lost in thought, not even realizing that Jason was there. He could tell something was wrong, he debated if he should call out your name to get your attention, or just keep quiet and stand on silent lookout.

“Hey,” he called out, his deep voice cutting through the silence of the night. "Shouldn't you be home by now," he asked, tilting his head at you. You looked behind you as you only tiredly smiled, “Well, yeah.” you confirmed as you looked back in the horizon. “I just don’t feel like going home right now.” you tell him.

Jason studied you for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his mask. “You don’t wanna go home?” Jason repeated, a hint of skepticism in his tone, “Why, did somethin’ happen?“

He leaned against the railing next to you, looking at you with concern. You looked down at your hands as you fiddled with them, “I forgot that there was a family gathering earlier, dad couldn’t find me in my room cause I was well.. patrolling so he said I can’t come home tonight.” you explained to him.

You sighed as you rubbed your face, “I can’t just tell him I’m a masked vigilante. I can’t just ignore my duty either.” Jason could see the exhaustion on your face, you looked tired, both physically and mentally. .

He shook his head slightly as he looked off into the distance. “This is the life you chose,” he reminded you, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “You can’t expect to have both. You either dedicate yourself to this, or you stick with your family.”

He paused for a moment, then spoke again, his tone a little gentler, “You gotta decide what’s more important.”

“You shouldn’t stay out here all night,” Jason stated gruffly, “You’ll freeze to death. You shook your head, “No, no, it’s okay I’ll just go to the manor.” you protested.

Jason let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Stop being stubborn and just come with me,” he said, his tone gruff. He grabbed your arm and started to drag you down the stairs, “Wayne Manor is too far. You’re coming with me tonight, no complaints.”

Jason led you in another apartment, he cracked open the window and gestured for you to come in first. You sighed in resignation and climbed through the window. Jason followed you, hopping through the window almost effortlessly.

You found yourself standing in what appeared to be a small, modest apartment. There was a small living area with a couch and TV, a little kitchen, and a small hallway that led to a bedroom and a bathroom. It was sparsely furnished, looking like it only had the essentials for someone to survive.

You gazed over to the display case. You couldn't help but stare at the assortment of weapons, knives, and guns that were displayed behind glass. They were all in perfect condition, each one looked like it had been cared for, like a collection of works of art.

"Impressive, right?" Jason remarked, leaning against the wall as he followed your gaze, “They are.” you answered him.

“Right, you want a drink? Let me get you juice or somethin’ while you remove your armor.” Jason gestured to the couch before making his way to the kitchen. He looked into the refrigerator, trying to find something he thought you'd like. He found a bottle of strawberry milk juice, grabbed two glasses before pouring some for you and himself. He returned to the living room, handing you a glass.

You chuckled to yourself, “You drink this?” Jason looked at you, a slight scowl on his face. "Shut up," he grumbled, taking a sip of his juice. "Steph left it.”

"Can’t let it go to waste though," he grumbled, "Besides, I needed something sweet tonight." He watched your figure as you drank your drink. Your feet were curled up on the couch and your armor was placed on his table. He could tell by your eyes that your mind was clouding from thoughts. “You still thinkin’ about your dad?” he asked, breaking the silence in the room.

Your thoughts snapped as you looked at him, “A bit.”Jason leaned back against the couch, studying you for a moment before speaking up again. "Don't let it get to you," he said, "Family problems… they're a pain in the ass to deal with." You buried your head in your knees, “I just feel like I’m never good enough for my dad. He’s always dissatisfied with me.”

He knew that feeling all too well.

"I can tell you from experience, you’ll never be good enough for some people, no matter how much you try." he said, his voice low and gruff, "And for some, nothing is gonna change their mind." He reached out and gently placed a hand on your back, rubbing it comfortingly. "But you know what? You shouldn't let that get to you," he continued, his grip tight on your shoulder, "You're your own person; you don't gotta prove anything to anyone.”

“Why?” you murmured. "I don’t know, ‘cause life’s short," he said, removing his hand from your back and running his fingers through his hair. "You don’t want to spend it trying to be someone else instead of being yourself."

You sighed, “I can’t just.. deny something my father wants me to do the most.” you said “He gave me a roof, food, things— why would I repay him back by disappointing him?”

"You don't owe him anything," he responded, his voice firm, "Just because he gave those things to you doesn't mean you owe him everything in return. He's your father; he's *supposed* to take care of you." Your eyes darted to his, “Isn’t that what children are supposed to do? Repay their parent’s sacrifices?”

Jason scoffed at your question, shaking his head in disbelief.

"No," he said firmly, "Parents are supposed to sacrifice for their kids. It’s their job. Children aren't obligated to return the favors their parents did for them. Parents don't sacrifice so their children will be indebted to them forever.” You lifted your head up at him, processing what he said. Jason looked at you and caught your gaze.

He studied your face, seeing the pain and confusion etched into your features. He knew the feeling, he knew the guilt and the burden that came with trying to live up to someone else’s expectations and sacrifices. You looked away, “Sorry, it was just a mindset I had for a long time.” you said. He reached out and gently placed a hand on your shoulder.

"Don’t apologize," he said, his voice low and steady. "I get it. I’ve been there before, and I know how it feels." He felt a strange, unfamiliar instinct to protect you, to comfort you… to make sure you were alright. It was a feeling he had never experienced before. He took your half empty drink and placed in on the table. He set the empty glass aside and turned his attention back to you.

Jason could see the exhaustion in your eyes and the subtle slump in your shoulders. He knew you were tired, not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. You tiredly smiled, “Is it obvious? He nodded and let out a little chuckle, "Yeah, it’s pretty obvious," he said, "You look like you haven’t slept in days.” Jason stands up, “Come on, you can sleep in my bed. I got a spare shirt you can wear.” he said as he walked ahead.

Your eyes widen at his offer, you never thought he was the type to be that considerate.

"Are you sure?" you asked, following him as he led you towards the bedroom. He nodded in response, opening the door to his bedroom. The room was relatively clean, with a large bed in the center. He walked to the closet and started to search through it. After a moment, he found what he was looking for and pulled out a clean shirt. He handed it to you.

"You can change in the bathroom if you want," he said, gesturing to the small bathroom attached to his bedroom. You took the shirt from him and headed to the bathroom, changing out of your spandex. When you emerged, you found Jason sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for you.

He looked up as you came out, his gaze sweeping over your figure in his shirt. It hung loose on you, the fabric soft and comfortable against your skin. He gestured for you to come closer. "Come here," he said, patting the space on the bed next to him. Jason reached out and gently took your hand in his, his thumb caressing your knuckles.

"Don’t let your dad’s bullshit get to you, alright?" he said, his voice soft and low. You sighed, leaning on his shoulder “Thanks Jay.” Jason could feel the exhaustion seeping out of you as you leaned into him. He wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer to his side. The feeling of protectiveness that he had felt earlier returned, stronger this time.

"Don’t mention it," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just get some rest, you’ll feel better in the morning." You lay down on the bed, the fabric of the sheets feeling cool and comforting against your exhausted body. Jason moved to pull the covers over you, making sure you were tucked in comfortably. He took a moment to study your face, seeing how weary and tired you looked.

Without thinking, Jason leaned in and pressed a soft, almost imperceptible kiss to your forehead.

As he pulled back, he cleared his throat and looked away. He hoped you didn’t notice the blush rising to his cheeks. He quickly stood up, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "You should get some rest," he mumbled, looking at you with a mix of embarrassment and uncertainty.

You frowned, “Not gonna stay?” He was taken aback by your question, he wasn’t expecting you to ask him to stay. He was hoping you would’ve just fallen asleep. He scratched the back of his neck, looking away from your gaze.

"I don’t know... do you want me to stay?" he asked, his voice gruff. You softly huffed with a smile, “You already gave me a goodnight kiss. Why not?” He looked at you, meeting your gaze for a moment before answering. “Don’t get used to it,” he grumbled as he removed his jacket, revealing the skin tight black shirt underneath.

He slid into bed, lying down next to you. He kept his distance at first, but as you shifted closer to him, he instinctively wrapped his arm around you, pulling you close to his side. He felt your warm body pressed against his, your head resting on his chest, your breathing steady and slow.

He couldn’t deny that this felt...good. Comforting, in a way he wasn’t used to. But as he lay there, holding you, his thoughts wandered to the implications of this situation. He knew you were friends, but there was something more to this, something he couldn’t ignore.

He cared for you, more than just a friend. And as he lay there in the darkness, with you in his arms, he couldn’t deny that he wanted more. Still, he knew better than to say anything. You were in a vulnerable state; he didn’t want to take advantage of that. He watched your face for a moment, the steady rise and fall of your breath indicating that you finally fell asleep.

The faint moonlight filtering through the window cast a soft glow over your face, illuminating your features in an ethereal way. He couldn’t look away, even if he wanted to. He gently squeezed your body against his, holding you closer. The feeling of protecting you, of having you in his arms...

He knew he wouldn’t get much sleep tonight.

🐇 hello everyone! i made a discord server! please make sure to reblog, let me know if you guys are interested in a part two.

[jessicaloons]

Chapter 2:

Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you…

Masterlist - Previous - Next

5. October 2014:

Charles and I sat huddled together on the floor, backs leaned against the sofa. Dad in the armchair on the left, Hervé on the sofa, Arthur rolled up like a cat behind us.

"They shouldn’t race under this conditions, it’s not safe!" Hervé exclaimed and Dad nodded.

"They already stopped it to wait! They just should cancel it…" Dad agreed and Charles shook his head a little.

"It looks like they can still drive on the track, no?" he said and I nodded lightly.

"Yeah, but the sight for the one behind? Look at the spray! You don’t even want to close up the gaps because you don’t see any…" I began as one of the Sauber’s spun off the track and crashed into the barriers.

"Oh shit!" Arthur murmured behind us.

They waved a double yellow flag and Dad and Hervé scoffed.

"They should wave the red flag! There’s a crane next to the track! And why no safety car?"

We watched as the crane lifted up the sauber as a second car veered towards the same run-off area where the crane was and crashed right in it’s left rear wheel, the cameras cutting away from the crash site.

The livery showed exactly what team’s car it was.

"Who is that? Did you see?" Charles sat up abruptly, I saw the number of the car, 17.

"Charles… that is Jules…" I almost whispered as Hervé turned the TV volume up to listen to the broadcast properly.

I turned to look at Charles who paled and stiffened, then I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, he slowly turned to me, we both heard how the commentators said that Jules didn’t respond to his radio, and for the first time since I knew Charles, I saw something new flicker in his eyes: fear.

17. July 2015:

"Ok, calm down!" I tried to level Charles hot head but he just threw his helmet on the ground.

"He pushed me! Twice! Because of him I lost 3 positions! How was I supposed to get back up their in one lap?" he was fuming, understandably so.

"I know, but when you’re like this, it won’t help! You need to calm down!" I tried to reason with him, but he just scoffed.

"Calm down? Lizzie! He’s supposed to be our fucking teammate! But he always pulls shit like that? The last 3 races where all fucked up by him! I can’t afford to DNF that many times! I need good results!" he hissed and unzipped his suit.

"Charles, I know that all! But he is our teammate! You think you can’t effort some DNFs? We’ll think about being kicked out! So please! Calm down!" I grabbed him by his shoulders and he looked at me.

"He‘s still a little fucker!" he pouted.

"That he is!" I answered und hugged him.

"I just need to show the sponsors that I’m good and have potential! It’s so important!" he whispered and I sighed.

With two sons in motorsport, money ran out and Charles’ parents had to decide that for now they could only finance one career. Charles continued, as the older one and with having slightly more potential than Arthur, it was decided. Charles hated it and promised Arthur he would give his all to impress some sponsors and hopefully be able to get him back into karting and more.

But right now, it didn’t look too good as one of our teammates, Martin, was more than reckless and didn’t gave a shit whenever he kicked someone out of the race.

"I just want to leave." he stated and looked for his stuff, threw all his belongings in his backpack and then looked at me. I sighed and packed my stuff up as well.

"Let’s go, Charlie bear." I said and pushed him as he just groaned.

"You know how much I hate it when you call me that!" he glared at me.

"You secretly love it, just admit it!" I said and gave him my sweetest smile as he rolled his eyes.

"I just need to think of a name for you that you hate!" he said and we walked out where my brother was waiting for us, alone.

"Where’s the rest?" I asked him and Charles looked up from his phone and dropped it, paling instantly.

"I’m so sorry Charles. Your parents are already on their way, Mum and Dad are on their way and picking up Arthur, we’ll meet them in the hospital." my brother said it quietly and approached Charles then pulled him into his arms. I bent down, picking up Charles’ phone and saw the message from Lorenzo "Jules est mort" Jules died. We all knew that it didn’t look good, his condition had deteriorated. But still. He was there in some way. But now he was gone.

I stood there and didn’t know what to do, what to say. Over the last few years Jules became like another older brother to me, although our relationship never even close got to the connection that Charles and Jules had. Marcus released Charles and he stood there, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. I grabbed his hand and intertwined our fingers, then we followed my brother to the car.

The drive to Nice was quiet. No one spoke, no music was played. I sat next to Charles in the backseat and held his hand. He didn’t move once, he just stared out the window. As we parked in front of the hospital, Marcus called Dad and a couple of minutes later my parents parked next to us, as they got out the car I saw how Mum slung an arm around Arthur’s shoulders. His eyes glassy, nose red. My Dad hugged Charles instantly.

"We’re waiting here for you. Just close family and friends. We don’t want to interrupt." my Dad explained and Charles nodded, Mum gave Arthur a kiss on his cheek and then did the same with Charles.

I stood next to Marcus who pulled me to his side and kissed my temple. As they started walking away Charles looked up and turned around, he looked at me.

"Can you come with me? Please, ma belle?" he said and stretched his hand out, I nodded and hastily stepped up and took his hand.

"Thank you." he whisperd and we walked into the hospital.

The funeral reception was attended by almost the entire F1 grid and some big names of the motorsports community. Even TV crews were around and I hated how they zoomed in on Charles and his family, rude reporters were yelling questions their way. During the whole morning, on the way to church, inside and on our way out, I held Charles hand and never let go once. Whenever I saw that it all overwhelmed him I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and as he looked up I smiled encouraging. When we were sitting on his bed in the evening, tired and exhausted, he looked at me for some time and I cocked an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked quietly.

"How did you do it?" he asked and I looked at him confused "How did you manage to be so… so put together? He was important to you too! But you were just so… why weren’t you crying?" his voice was hoarse but it almost sounded accusatory.

"Don’t say it like that! Don’t think I didn’t cry! But I just… I wanted to be strong for you! I wanted to be there for you! I know how important he was to you! How much you loved him! And I was just… we were not like you…" I whispered as a tear slipped down my face and Charles looked heartbroken.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, ma belle! I just… you were so strong! I just didn’t know how you could be so strong when I was just so… I’m sorry! I’m sorry, that you thought you had to be strong for me and couldn’t just… ahhh I’m losing my English!" he said it with more and more frustration. Then he pulled me in his arms "I don’t know what I did to deserve you! I’m sorry that you thought you had to be strong for me! And I’m sorry for not being there for you, like you were for me!" he whispered and I hugged him tight.

"We’re always there for each other! You and me together!"

"You and me against the world!"

"Always!"

The weeks after Jules death weren’t easy for Charles, he was getting more and more frustrated with the situation within the team, or more with Martin. It was one week in September where the tension in the team got to a point where our coaches and supervisors finally had enough and sat Martin and Charles down and for some reason I had to participate too in this crisis meeting, not really knowing why.

"Why is Lizzie here? She has nothing to do with this!" Charles asked what I wanted to know.

"She’s here because she’s always caught in between you two! Last race she lost 3 positions because you two were fighting each other and made contact with her! And she’s here for you Charles, because when she’s around your attitude changes for the better!" Matthieu said and I rolled my eyes, while Martin just grinned.

"Wipe that grin out of your face! You’re the reason we’re here in the first place! Why the fuck can’t you be a team player?" I was furious.

"Lizzie!" Matthieu groaned.

"No Matthieu! It’s the truth! Since we’re racing for you, has there ever been a problem? No! He joins the team, behaves like an ass from day one, acts like he’s the king and we have to bow! Pushes us off the track and says then afterwards it was the adrenaline! He didn’t see us? Or we were in his line? It’s unfair!" I had to contain myself to not scream. Charles grabbed my hand under the table and squeezed it.

"I think what Lizzie wanted to say, is that we never fought that hard within our own team, but you for some reason think we have to make way for you on the track! But we don’t, especially when we’re in front and you can’t pass us and the only way for you is to push us off!" Charles said, trying to sound calm but firm.

"I don’t see a problem, I’m obviously better than you! And I’m not making way for you or your little girlfriend, Leclerc!" Martin spat and Charles slammed his fist on the table.

“You don’t have to make way for me or my little girlfriend, BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS IN FRONT OF YOU!!!" Charles was furious and I could see that it wouldn’t take much for him to lose his temper completely.

"Yeah, sure Leclerc! Matthieu, I don’t care about them, I’m here to show that I am the best, that’s why a team from GP3 will approach me soon and then I don’t even care what you’re doing… Lizzie you won’t make it into any higher league, Leclerc.. well we’ll see." he sneered and I took a deep breath, I actually didn’t wanted to say it already, but I was fuming.

"Just so you know, Martin, I was approached by the Art Grand Prix Team and I will drive for them in GP3 next year…" I said and Martin’s eyes widened. Charles next to me inhaled sharply and I looked at him apologising but he just grinned.

"Yep and I will be her teammate next year… so, you were saying?" Charles smirked at Martin who got up and left.

"What just happened?" I looked at Charles who just pulled me into a hug.

"I didn’t wanted to tell you, because you haven’t heard something and I… I don’t know I just wanted to wait until you also got a seat!" Charles mumbled and I laughed relieved.

"Same! I was waiting for you getting a seat!" I answered and Charles chuckled.

We both then congratulated us at the same time and we laughed even more. Matthieu cleared his throat and we looked sheepishly at him.

"I’m so proud of you both! When they called and asked some questions about you I just knew that they would approach you both! You will be missed!" he said and got up and hugged us.

"But what are we doing now with Martin?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I’ll handle him, don’t worry! We’re only having a handful of races left for the season, we’ll deal with him!" he said and laughed.

Charles and I left and walked to where our parents were.

"So, GP3 next year?" I asked.

"GP3 next year, F2 the year after!" Charles answered and I just laughed and he pulled me into his side "You and me, against the world, Lizzie!"

"Always!" I replied and he smiled at me. And not for the first time I felt butterflies doing summersaults in my stomach.

"I swear to god, if I break any bones because of you, Leclerc, you’re a dead man walking!" I yelled and Charles only shook his head and breezed away on his ski’s. I leaned forwards and quickly caught up to him "We’re dead if they find out where we are!"

"Oh come on! It’s not our first time on a black slope!" he yelled back and accelerated and I followed him.

"But this is an orange one!" I yelled and passed him easily on my snowboard, then raced down the slope. As I arrived in the valley and waited for Charles I saw Lorenzo and Marcus talking to some girls, thankfully they hadn’t seen me and as soon as Charles arrived next to me I ushered him away.

"Why are we hiding behind the ski lift?" Charles asked taking his shades off.

"Because our brothers are there! When they see that we’re here instead of the slope we told our parents we would be, they’ll snitch on us or use it as leverage!" I answered and he nodded.

"Good thinking, Doetterer!" he said and I peered around the corner.

"They’re leaving!" I said and Charles nodded. "Let’s go back to the château, we’re already late!“

We stood together on the patio, everyone with a glass of champagne in hand.

"10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Happy New Year!" we were all cheering as the fireworks down in the village started. Charles pulled me close and hugged me.

"This is going to be our year, ma belle! We show the world that we’ll make it into F1, just like Max did!" he whispered and then kissed my cheek.

"You and me against the world." I whispered, trying to ignore the heat that spread on my face from his kiss.

"Always!" Charles replied and hugged me even tighter.

"Look at our two lovebirds… I think we really can start with the planning of their wedding!" Pascale said quietly to the others who all watched us.

"These two idiots are so oblivious! They will need years to realise that they’ve always belonged together!" Dad shrugged and they all started laughing, startling Charles and me and we looked over to our families, who were pretending to not notice us watching them.

"What does that mean exactly?" I asked in Italian and Charles next to me smiled proudly at me, for the past years he did his best to teach me Italian.

"You will basically be kind of our test and development drivers, drive for Haas or Sauber in some FP sessions, work in the simulator, be contracted to us for a considerable time." Massimo said and Charles looked at me, then our Dad's.

"Contracted to Ferrari?" my Dad asked and I’m jealous that his Italian sounds flawless.

"Yes, if the opportunity arises a promotion to Formula 1 might be possible in the future!” Massimo answered and I looked at Charles with big eyes.

"Surely you mean into a Ferrari powered partner team for the beginning?” Dad stated and Massimo nodded.

"Of course! A seat in Ferrari must be well earned and as a rookie it’s not easy to secure a seat at a top team! That’s why we have with Haas and Sauber our partnered teams!" Massimo said, Dad and Hervé looked satisfied.

"So? What do you say? Will you join the Ferrari Driver Academy?" he asked me and Charles and we looked at each other, then smiled.

"Where do we sign?" we both said in unison and Massimo handed us some documents and a pen each.

"He would be so proud of you, you know?" I whispered and Charles looked up "Starting in GP3, now a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy!"

"He would be proud of both of us…" he answered and I smiled. We sat together on the balcony of our hotel room, watching the setting sun "When will you leave?"

"Our flight is in the morning, Mum insist that I come home for the tutoring sessions…" I mumbled and Charles laughed quietly.

"Come on, only a couple more weeks and then you’re done!" he encouraged me and I nodded.

"I can’t wait for it to be over! I get it, she wanted me to graduate school, but I honestly don’t even know what I would do other than racing!" I answered and Charles chuckled as Dad stepped onto the balcony.

"You guys ready?" he asked and I nodded.

"Let’s go!" Charles said and got up "Pasta time!"

"Pizza and Pasta time!" I said and we followed our dads to our car.

At the famous Ristorante Montana we were greeted not only by Massimo, but also Sebastian and Maurizio Arrivabene.

"Lizzie! It’s so good to see you!" Sebastian said and hugged me "Charles, good to see you too!" he patted Charles back and then greeted our Dads.

"So you’re the future of Ferrari?" Arrivabene said and Charles and I got caught off guard "I’m just messing with you, I mean not entirely! We expect great things from you! But for now, let’s enjoy tonight and in the next weeks we will see what to do with you!"

With that said we had an amazing evening together. Talking about the upcoming races in GP3, some races we could attempt later in the year. Meeting Ferraris second driver Kimi Räikkönen, Ferraris last world champion. As we said our goodbyes and got back in the car Charles and I could only smile from ear to ear.

"Oh come one, Lizzie! It’s just 4 days!" Charles whispered and hugged me tighter.

"That’s not the point! I just don’t want to go home and have 3 days full of tutoring! Can’t we start celebrating on Saturday? 3 day bash for an 18th birthday?" I answered and Charles laughed.

"Nope! You’re coming on Monday and then we’ll celebrate!" he just said and I only nodded, hugged Hervé goodbye and together with Dad I went through the security check.

"Little owl, you should smile! You’re starting in GP3 in 2 weeks, you’re now a member of the FDA, you’re turning 18 on Monday! Cheer up, would ya!" Dad tried to brighten my mood and I shrugged my shoulders "I know you don’t like tutoring, but it’s only a handful of days and then you’ll have your exams and you’re done with school!” the thought of that made me smile.

He was right. Good things were about to happen…

————————————————————————

Little Note:

That’s it, chapter 2 is out - a bit sad, but it’s a part of Charles’ life, therefore part of Lizzie’s 😔. But Chapter 3 is going to be a really funny one! And for the first time we’ll have a little bit of Charles' POV…

Please leave a comment/ like/ reblog/ message and tell me how you liked it! I’m dying to hear your thoughts! I’m open to any criticism, bad or good, it doesn’t matter!

If you want to be added to the taglist, drop a comment!

Last but not least, English is not my first language and although I tried my best: please forgive me any mistakes I made!

All pictures are from Google, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.

[fablesrose]

Ch 5 - The Tap-Out Job

Series Rewrite Masterlist 

Pairing: Eliot Spencer x Ford!Reader

Description: The team goes to Nebraska giving the client a fighting chance, quite literally, with Eliot in the fighting ring.

Words: 3586

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I only started taking projects I knew I could finish quickly. It was a nice side income, but I wanted to be available when Nate decided on a client. In fact, in my free time or in between my own jobs, I was helping him research. Trying to find douchebags and people who were screwed over. 

“Alright, six tickets to Nebraska, coming right up!” Hardison called when the time finally came.

Nate looked at him confused, “Six? But-”

“Thank you Hardison” I cut in.

Nate turned to me, “I don’t know about that…”

“Come on Nate, it’ll be fun! She’ll be helpful,” Sophie argued.

I grimaced a bit, because I wasn’t sure how true that would be. I wanted to be, absolutely, but I wasn’t sure of the reality of it.

“At the very least she can learn something,” Parker pointed out helpfully.

I smiled and pointed at her to help emphasize her statement. 

“It can even out the girl to boy ratio,” Sophie added on.

Nate sighed, but didn’t answer.

“Uncle Nate,” I said in a sing-song voice that I only used when I wanted something from him. “Come on, I’m already too deep into this, you can’t keep me out now.”

He looked at me and sighed again, “Fine.”

We all cheered and started packing.

The day after Nate met with the client, we started the briefing of our resident bad-guy: Jed Rucker.

“He runs a homegrown mixed martial arts league here in Nebraska,” I explain, “they have a very strong wrestling tradition here, so, supposedly, there's a lot of talent.” I took it upon myself to help Hardison out with the research and background info on this guy, since if I know one thing, it’s research. 

“Wrestlers have a good base for a blended training approach,” Eliot expanded, “they can go from that to jujitsu, kick-boxing, judo.”

“Rucker promotes fights,” Parker concludes. 

“And manages fighters, taking a cut every step of the way,” Hardison adds. 

“Yeah, you know, plus he’s not above fixing bouts and the Howorths found out,” Nate said, “We’ve dealt with some lowlifes, but when I heard about this guy…”

Hardison started playing some videos of fights on the tv of the motel room.

“That was a nice takedown. Good ground-and-pound,” Eliot comments, “He’s a little sloppy in a closed guard, but it’s a solid arm bar. I mean, you can tell this guy’s a wrestler. This ain’t the UFC, but these guys got skills.”

I admired him from my seat, impressed at his knowledge about all of this stuff. He was focused on the screen, studying the fighting and techniques. It was almost like I could see the gears turning in his head about it all, just behind his clear eyes. 

“Where’d you get these?” Nate asked.

“Online,” I answered, “These are viral videos.”

“See, Rucker doesn’t have a TV deal,” Hardison explains, “It’s pretty much a bare bones operation.”

“You call this a sport?” Sophie asked with a pillow covering her face. 

“Yeah, this is a sport,” Eliot rebuffed, “These are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. Are you kidding me? It’s about precision, technique, skill.”

“Like cockfighting?”

“It’s not a cockfight, alright? Let me show you something, Hardison. Come on,” Eliot tapped him on the shoulder causing him to stand, he then asked Parker, “Can I borrow you?” 

He then instructed Parker, reminding her what he showed her before. He positioned Parker as if it were a fight, and Hardison laughed before playing along.

“There’s three phases to an MMA,” he paused while Hardison did some footwork to warm up, “to an MMA fight, okay? One, striking.”

Parker immediately punched Hardison solidly in the face, making me flinch.

“Nice,” Eliot praised. “Next is grappling, the takedown.”

Hardison seemed to get that this was more serious than he thought as Parker flung him to the ground.

“Exactly, alright. The third one is jiu-jitsu, try to isolate a joint.”

Parker switched to twisting around Hardison.

“Good, that’s a textbook arm bar. Put some pressure on it,” Eliot instructs, “there ya go, or a choke hold.”

Parker moved to what I assumed was a chokehold on Hardison who was clearly struggling. 

“Then the guy will submit by tap out,” Eliot finished after instructing Parker a bit more. 

Hardison started trying to tap out with little success, in various different ways that made me laugh. 

“These fights are won by inches. It’s all about leverage.”

“Sophie, he has a point,” I commented, “while you may not find it entertaining, there's a lot of work, training, that goes into this. They do deserve some respect.”

Eliot nodded at me in approval.

“No TV deal, you said, huh?” Nate brought the attention back to the task at hand, “Yeah, Hardison, what are this guy’s other interests, this Rucker guy?”

I took a look behind the couch to see he was still struggling with Parker, “I’ve got it, Rotary club, he’s got a golf membership.”

“Golf, huh?” Nate asked.

“Yeah,” Sophie jumped in, “I mean, this guy’s like a 1950s sitcom character. He plays a weekly game with the local businessmen. In fact, last year, he won the club championship.”

I looked at Eliot and nodded back towards Hardison and Parker, wordlessly asking if we should help him.

He shrugged.

“Did he?” Nate asked thoughtfully, “It’s time to hit the links.”

Nate stood up and left in his dramatic way while I attempted to convince Parker to let Hardison go.

I was a little surprised when Nate said he was going to play Rucker at golf, but once Hardison explained the rigged golf balls, I couldn’t wait to watch. I tagged along with Hardison watching the game through the camera attached to Parker. Hardison even let me direct a few of Rucker’s shots into sand traps. Nate won by a landslide soon enough, and with Rucker in debt to him, the plan was set. 

Nate and Eliot left for Rucker's gym to both collect the money Nate won off of him, as well as plant Eliot in Rucker’s sights as a fighter. They told me what was likely going to happen. That they were going to sort of jump Eliot to test him out a bit. It made me nervous despite the whole crew assuring me that Eliot would be fine. 

As promised, it all went well with the fight and then Eliot setting the hook for Rucker and the idea of a TV deal with Sophie. It was only then that I allowed myself to watch the footage. While I knew that Eliot was good, I had never seen him in action before. I watched the video Parker took to upload a couple of times in amazement. His actions were smooth and calculated. I had watched fights before, but I didn’t think I had ever seen such efficiency. Rucker was right about one thing, he fought like something wanted to get out, but the amount of control he practiced… I think that could be more impressive than the skill.

“Like what you see, y/n?”

I closed my laptop with a start. Eliot had come back from the gym quicker than I had anticipated and was standing right behind me. I turned to him with a sheepish smile, “I hadn’t seen you fight before…” I looked back to my closed laptop for a moment, “suffice to say, I’m impressed.”

“What, you doubted me?” Eliot had a spark of amusement in his eye, but I moved to correct myself anyway.

“No, I mean, I knew you were good, heard you were the best even, but I guess, I never really knew what that meant.”

He cracked a cocky smile, “Oh, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, sweetheart.” He left the room to clean up with a wink that left me blushing, more than I’d like to admit. 

The next phase of the con went off with only a slight hiccup. Rucker wanted to meet with Sophie at the concert she claimed to be producing. The crew had it figured out quicker than I thought possible. I hovered around the production booth and backstage with a clipboard and badge that Hardison got me. It gave me a bit of a thrill being somewhere I probably wasn’t supposed to be, but as I’ve learned a couple times over, confidence is key. I wandered around and spoke to some of the workers, learning some of the ins and outs of concerts and filming while listening to Sophie set up the deal with Rucker. If anyone asked who I was, I said I was an intern.

Eventually, it seemed like everything fell into place. 

“Did you get all that?” Sophie asked. 

“Got it. Great job,” Nate replied, “We should be, uh, on our way home by this time tomorrow.”

“Awesome, while it’s not bad, I want something other than this mystery meat they call chicken fried steak,” I tossed my badge and clip board on a table before I met up with everyone else. 

“Have a good time wandering?” Parker asked.

“Yeah, I’m seeing why you guys like this.”

The next morning Sophie went to the gym to get the money. It all went downhill very quickly. 

“So, where are your partners?” I heard Rucker say through the comms, “waitin’ for you to blow me off?”

“Uh, I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re…”

“Let me tell you why,” he continued, “Alex’s cousin Jimmy’s in the fight scene in South Dakota, and guess what? He’s never heard of Bill Wells.”

“Nate…” I said through comms.

“I know.”

Sophie laughed, trying to play it off, “Sweetie… I think you’re getting a little paranoid.”

“So, you think you can come to my town, huh? Us country bumpkins, right? Cause all we can do is kick ass.” He paused, “I’ll show you what us ass-kickers will do.”

“Whoa,” Sophie said as Tank started to advance on her. 

“Alright, leave her alone.” Nate and Eliot stormed into the gym.

“Look who’s here. Wells.” Rucker made Tank back off. “So where’s the rest of your crew? In the getaway car?”

I shivered in my seat in the van next to Parker and Hardison. 

“Yeah, alright. Parker, Hardison, y/n, break it down, we’re outta here. Come on.”

The three of us started to scramble putting everything away to ensure once they got out we could leave quickly. 

“Oh, you talk on a wire, huh? Pretty fancy.”

“Yeah, nothing but the best for you, Rucker.”

“Yeah, well we’re not all frauds… People do wanna see you fight. So, why don’t you take on Tank here?”

“I’ve got five seconds to kill our Monday,” Eliot responded.

The way this conversation was goin made me pause in our packing.

“No, no, no, not here, Tank,” Rucker said, “But, you know, you’re probably right. I’ve seen what you can do. But that’s the thing, you know. See, you’re favored, so I’m gonna need you to take a dive.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Come on,” I heard Nate mutter, and it sounded like they were walking away.”

“Fine,” Rucker called, “Go back to LA or wherever. It’s a shame you won’t be here next month when Jack Howorth’s house goes on fire… Or in six weeks when Mark has a car accident. But you won’t be around for any of that.”

“I’ll do it,” Eliot responded after a moment.

“You don’t have to do anything,” Nate responded.

“He’s right Eliot,” I agreed.

“Yeah, I do,” he rebuffed, “and then you lay off the Howorths.”

“You do what you have to do and they’ll be fine” Rucker explained, making my stomach churn, “But I’m betting it all on Tank here, so it can’t look like a fix. And, uh, feel free to use the gym. We don’t want anybody to think you’re not ready.”

They came around the corner where we were waiting for him. Nate had a look on his face as if looking for answers, his hands raised.

“What?” Hardison responded, “ What was I supposed to do? It was cousin Jimmy!” 

“He’s right, we couldn’t have planned for that,” Sophie conceded.

“Look, you know what I can do? I can retask a satellite, I can get level three NSA clearance, but I can’t hack a hick!”

“Alright, it doesn’t matter,” Eliot cut in, “What do we do now?”

“We could move the Howorths?” I asked.

“No, we’re not movin’ the Howorths,” Eliot said, “This is their home, that means something to people here.”

“Yeah, we can’t babysit them forever,” Sophie added. 

“Alright, we’ve taken out bigger players than this,” Nate said, thinking out loud, “There’s gotta be someway, uh, something that we can…”

“No!” Eliot interrupted, “No. I take the dive.” He said it like it was obvious.

“Are you sure?” I asked him, concerned how this could play out. 

“Give me some time, okay?” Hardison offered, “You know what? I found some funny business in Ruckers accounts, I can move some things…”

“Forget the fact that we got beat by Barney Fife, alright? This is the right move,” Eliot insisted, “Tactically, this is the right move. You all know that.” Eliot walked off, showing there was no room for discussion.

Reluctantly, we all followed. 

It was that night when Sophie and I went to check on Eliot. He had been in the gym for hours, training, working, preparing, I wasn’t sure what he wanted to call it. It was late, the patrons long gone, the streetlamps seemed to want to go to sleep, still he was in the ring boxing an invisible figure. 

“Hey,” Sophie called, getting his attention, “Listen, you, you don’t have to do this.”

“Nate’s gonna come up with something,” I assured. 

He shook his head nonchalantly, “I’m losing a fight, not diving on a grenade. I’ll be alright.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m not talking physically,” Sophie insisted.

“I think my ego can handle it.”

“Look, you told me it’s all about control,” she continued. “About knowing that you’re never going to be the victim…”

I turned to her, listening as I hadn’t heard this conversation. 

“And that’s what keeps you going right?”

Eliot stopped and approached us, “you think I’m upset because I gotta let this guy kick my ass?”

Neither one of us answered, as we just tilted our heads, allowing him to continue. 

“I learned a long time ago, you can’t control the violence. I can take the punishment. It’s what I do,” somehow he said it with a smile. “What I need to control is not out there… It’s here,” he patted his chest, “Always.”

Sophie just smiled softly and walked away. I stood there for a moment, tracing his sweaty features with my eyes. I then reached up and grabbed a hold of his gloved hand, giving it a tight squeeze. I nodded at him with a tight smile, trying not to get emotional for him, but I wanted to convey that I understood, maybe not all of it, but as much as I could right now. I followed Sophie soon after, but I could feel his eyes on me as I left.

Too soon, the night of the fight came. The crowd was cheering, but I only felt sick. Who knows what Rucker would pull tonight. I vaguely had in the back of my head the plan, but it wasn’t helping. The crew kept me in the back, away from Rucker since he wasn’t as familiar with me, and they wanted to keep it that way. I wasn’t complaining, I didn’t want to be in the fray anyway. 

I watched as the fighting commenced, Eliot and Tank exchanging blows. Eliot sure wasn’t gonna let Tank take the win easy. It wasn’t too long however, when I noticed Eliot getting dazed. I knew it was going to happen, but it didn’t make me feel better. I watched across the ring as Nate sniffed Eliot’s water bottle, and Sophie started arguing with Rucker. Reading Sophie’s lips, I caught the gist of it, she was telling Rucker that Eliot was a different kind of fighter. He doesn’t just do it for sport, that’s how he keeps alive. 

I could even hear her in the crowd when she said, “You’ve just made him more dangerous, you’ve taken the safety off the gun!”

Then Eliot seemed to lose control, he wasn’t gonna be losing this fight. Tank tried to tap out, but Eliot wouldn’t let him. The ref had to pry him off to let him loose. 

The doctor came into the ring, checking on Tank. Eliot sat in his corner, bloody, but otherwise calmed down. I stayed back in the corner, letting them do their work as the crowd was cleared out of the gym.

Rucker stormed the ring, “What the hell just happened?”

Nate shot right back, “What the hell? You could’ve killed him.”

“You know how much you just cost me? I’m gonna make you pay!” 

Hardison had to step between the two.

“Make me pay, huh?”

“We had a deal!”

“Hey, listen to me!” the ring doctor interrupted, “Tank is dead.”

Rucker quickly changed his tune, “No, no wait, wait.”

“You killed him,” the doctor pointed at Eliot, who when I looked at him now, almost looked distraught.

“Wait a second, are you sure?” Rucker asked him. 

“There’s nothing I can do.”

“Listen, he could just be out,” he insisted. 

“I gotta call the police,” the doctor said as he pulled out his phone. 

“No police!” Rucker shouted before turning to a whisper, “Listen to me. Listen, we can work this out. Keep it in the family. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“There were hundreds of witnesses!”

“They’re gone now.”

“Plus we’ve got a dead body, what am I supposed to do about that?! And also?” he continued, “we ain’t family.”

Rucker finally seemed to back off, “alright, alright, you’re right. You call the police, and I… I’m gonna call the athletic commission.” He hurried up to his office, where I knew he wasn’t going to make that phone call. 

I sat next to Hardison once everything was settled down, waiting for confirmation from Parker about the GPS and Rucker leaving. 

Hardison opened his phone to see the GPS tracker on his screen, “Looks like he’s headed to Iowa.”

“Make the call,” Nate said. 

I immediately took out my phone to comply. 

“What’s going on?” Howorth asked as he walked in. 

“Just give me a sec,” Nate replied, “Doc, you’ve got Tank right?”

“Yeah. Oh, he’ll be fine,” the ring doctor stood, calm as could be, “should come around in a few minutes.”

“Wait, wait,” Howorth stepped up to the ring, “he’s not dead?”

“Succinylcholine,” the doc raised a syringe, “it’s a mild paralytic. It only works for a few minutes.”

“Yeah, it was just enough to scare off Rucker,” Nate explained. 

“So, so Eliot wasn’t…”

“No, no. We found the drugged water bottle before the fight, switched it out with a clean one.” Nate explained. “Rucker’s not too original when it comes to this kind of thing apparently.”

“So, Jonny, you were in on this?”

The doc nodded, “Mr. Ford and his friends came and asked me for help. I told him around here, we always stand up for our own.” He looked around, “where’s Rucker?”

“The Iowa State Police just got a tip that a fugitive is headed into their jurisdiction,” I replied.

“And I’m pretty sure crossing state lines with a bag full of cash won’t look too good,” Hardison added. 

“Especially when they find the little surprise in his trunk,” Parker laughed. I recalled how Parker went and picked up a bunch of firearms with the money Nate won off of Rucker in golf. That’s a lot of guns to find in a trunk. 

“That should hold him off until the IRS gets down here,” Nate commented. 

“The IRS?” Howorth asked.

“The money that Rucker makes from these fights,” Sophie began, “well, it’s all in cash.”

“Yeah, and he wasn’t too good about reporting that income,” Hardison finished. “You see, all we had to do was flag the government about the tax evasion.”

“Rucker won’t be coming back to town anytime soon,” I smiled at Howorth, proud of the crew and what they could accomplish. 

“He doesn’t have anything to come back for,” Sophie added, “He literally bet the whole house on Tank.”

“So all that money’s gone?” Howorth asked.

“Well, you see, not exactly,” Nate said. 

Hardison made a bunch of online bookies that Rucker placed his bets with, he explained. Meaning that they had access to the money. 

The doc examined Eliot, “you took a hell of a pounding. We should get you a CT scan. You could have internal bleeding.” 

I sat down next to Eliot, looking him over, hoping he was okay.

“You let yourself get hammered like that on purpose,” Howorth commented, handing him an ice pack, “that’s a hell of a lot of punishment to take.”

“That’s what he does,” Sophie answered. 

Eliot nodded, only making brief eye contact as he held the ice pack to his shoulder.

Once everything was settled, we were able to hand the gym over to the Howorths, encouraging them to be better for those that wanted to be in the sport, to help them. They were excited, and ready to take up the challenge. But for us, it was time to go back home, we all needed some rest I thought, one more than the others. 

Tags: @isoldeahlstrom @kniselle

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 15: PAINFUL RE:BAKE - Episode 9: Bring On The Risk

Azami: …

Azami: (Yeah, this pay’s no good. What landmine did I step on this time?) 

Azami: (Thanks to Ibuki’s advice, my followers have been steadily increasing. But all the job offers I’ve been getting are crap.)

Azami: *Sigh*...

Sakyo: Oi, can I use this for my nighttime skincare?

Azami: Sure, but… What brought this on?

Sakyo: I’ve got a shooting tomorrow.

Azami: Ohhh? Movie or TV drama?

Sakyo: Drama.

Sakyo: … I thought of takin’ a page from Nanao’s book and trying film acting, so I got in touch with Kamo, from when we did Yin Yang Midnight, and he introduced me.

Sakyo: I’m just something like an extra, though.

Sakyo: I only say two lines, but I’ll be shown on the screen, so I gotta be in pitch perfect condition.

Azami: The most important thing in skincare is routine, you can’t just fix yourself overnight.

Sakyo: … I know that.

Azami: … Well, you leave me no choice but to teach you a special kind of skincare.

Azami: Just to keep it real with you, spending money on cosmetic surgery is the quickest and easiest way to go on about this.

Sakyo: That’d be a damn waste if it’s something that can be achieved with routine.

Azami: Only people who actually put in the effort can say that.

Sakyo: Ugh–

Azami: Use this. It’s a special luxury pack. It’s expensive, so don’t let it go to waste.

Sakyo: How expensive are we talking?

Azami: 3000yen per piece.

Sakyo: That much…?

Azami: Duh.

Sakyo: Can’t I use it 3 times?

Azami: Quit while you’re ahead. You don’t have any other choice, do ya?

Sakyo: … You’re right. Thanks.

[Flashback starts]

Ibuki: Seeing the person behind an account leaves a big impact on people. You don't have the luxury of picking your methods if you wanna gain followers, y'know?

Ibuki: Social media is an unpredictable place, it’s not so simple that you’ll be discovered just because your makeup skills are good.

[Flashback ends]

Azami: (... I don’t have any other choice, either.)

-

Sada: Sorry for keeping you waiting. My meeting went on a little longer than expected.

Azami: Thanks for agreeing to meet me despite being busy.

Sada: Please, I could say the same to you. I’ve been interested in what you do, so I’m happy you contacted me.

Sada: Thank you for attending that hair and makeup class. … So, are you going to accept my part-time job offer this time?

Azami: Uhhh, there’s that too, but I wanted to talk to you about something else…

Azami: I’ve been thinking of taking up some kind of big challenge like working outside of the troupe, in order to hone my hair and makeup skills.

Azami: I’m happy ‘bout the part-time assistant job offer, but… Is there anything else I could do to gain experience?

Sada: I see… I also saw what you’ve been uploading on Inste under the name “ZAMI”.

Sada: I found you amazing back when you were in middle school, but it seems your technique and sense have improved drastically since then.

Sada: But you’ve got me curious now. If you’re looking for such a big job, why won’t you put yourself out there a little more?

Azami: …

Sada: The thing with asking finding a fitting someone for a job is…

Sada: We don’t make an offer until we know what the candidates’ personalities, beliefs and sensibilities are like.

Sada: It’s important for us to want to work with this person.

Sada: Your work as a makeup artist is interesting, and your sense comes through, but no one can tell what you look or act like.

Sada: So… Why don’t you upload pictures featuring you? I think it could work in your advantage, since you’re an actor.

Azami: Well…

Sada: I mean, you could have your own reasons. Maybe you don’t want people to judge you by your age, or you just want them to look at your makeup skills.

Sada: Social media isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, after all.

Sada: But there are many people your age– high school students– who do well as professionals, right?

Sada: Your same-age rivals are faring much better, because they use social media in a more effective way than you do.

Azami: ——

Sada: There is a big challenge that’d be perfect for you, if your feelings of not wanting to lose to them are that strong.

Sada: … Well, I was given this offer, actually. But I think it’d be more interesting if you participated, and you’d also gain experience from it.

Sada: Problem is, if you mess things up it'll bring down your image, you'll risk facing strong backlash on the internet... Climbing back up will be a hurdle. Are you still in?

Azami: … Of course I am.

Azami: The higher the risk, the higher my gain. If I can also get more recognition from this, it’ll contribute to the Autumn Troupe.

Azami: (And, if it’ll bring all the pain it can, the way Banri-san requested, then even better. Bring it on.)

Sada: I see. You have my full support, then.

Sada: I’ve had high hopes for you for a long time now. In return, if you succeed, you should introduce me in your social media too.

Azami: ‘Kay.

Azami: (... That’s sly. Just what you’d expect from a freelancer.)

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) sada's name is 英, which has various other readings (such as akira, aya, shigeru), i'm not actually sure whether this is the correct one, so i miiight be wrong...? but i couldn't find his name voiced anywhere

[trevorsimp]

"Over My Dead Body" — Part Three

Pairing: ghost!original female character x Trevor Lefkowitz

Summary: Margo learns about TV time. The ghosts find out why Margo dated an elderly man.

Notes: You can read this on AO3. 2.3k words. New uploads on Sundays. Sorry, this one is late! I got home from my trip later than I expected and was suffering a heavy hangover. I am all good now though!!

Tags: Slow burn, possible unrequited love

Part One

Part Two

--------

Jay’s cooked an aromatic breakfast, but Margo hovered over the brewing coffee, hoping the caffeine would pass through the veil of death and give her energy after an all-nighter. Sam sat working on her secret list, still covering it whenever Margo looked over. Margo grew tired of hunching over the table. She leaned back on a counter and watched as the others went about their morning routine. Pete joined her in her isolated corner.

“Hey, Margo,” he said in a soothing tone of voice, “I doubt Trevor has given you a little schedule of our events, but every day, we have a different activity planned to pass the time of our afterlife. Food Club, the weekly talk, talent show… that sort of stuff, we take turns each week. But now, with Sam and Jay here, we get TV time each night, and everyone gets their turn to pick what we watch! It is used a bit as a bartering piece, but tonight is my TV time, and I would like to give you my TV time tonight, just as a little show of condolences and a welcome gift.”

Margo stared at Pete, “I died, so I get to choose what we watch on TV tonight?”

“Yeah!” Pete said, then grimaced when he saw the look on your face, ���Oh, sorry. I know it’s pretty grim, but it is just about the only thing I can offer. Unless you want a back rub?”

“Excuse me?” Margo’s voice raised an octave.

“Oh, honey, back rubs are like gold for us,” Alberta said, “That was the original currency; we still use it, but it isn’t as valuable as TV time.”

Margo raised her hands, “Ok, I don’t want anyone touching me. Especially not any men. I’m sure all of you are older than Hugh was.”

“This guy was your boyfriend yesterday morning. How old was he?” Alberta asked.

“86,” Sam said.

Jay turned, “86 what?”

“Oh, nothing, Jay,” Sam said, “Alberta was asking Margo how old Hugh was.”

“How did he die?” Isaac asked, “Old age?”

Margo shuddered, “Yeah. Old age. He had a heart attack.”

“Wow, did you really not like him?” Alberta asked.

“I’m done talking about Hugh right now, okay?” Margo announced, “I’ll take the TV time. I didn’t realize questioning it would lead to an interrogation. Thank you, Pete, for the TV time.”

The group backed off from Margo and turned their attention to Isaac, who had managed to stumble through Jay. A putrid stench fill the room. Margo gasped and covered her mouth and nose. 

Her roommate leaned to her to whisper: “Isaac died of dysentery. Every time he passes through a living, it smells like this.”

“Okay, everyone can hear you, Trevor,” Isaac said, “We can all hear you.”

“Hey, I was just explaining to Margo the basics of what goes on around here.”

“Isn’t dysentery from the Oregon Trail game?” Margo asked.

“Margo, did you really play that?” Sam asked.

“What is Oregon Trail?” Thorfinn asked.

“That was a fun game based on the settlers journeying out to Oregon before it was a state!” Pete said.

“And game make people get sick like Isaac?”

“No, big guy, it was a condition your character in the game could contract, like Isaac.”

“Okay, okay, I got dysentery, let’s move on.”

“I played it on my DS when I was a kid,” Margo told Sam.

“Oh, that’s right,” she said, “I remember when I was babysitting you, and you wouldn’t take your nose out of your DS”

“Wow, Sam, you babysat Margo?” Alberta said, “No wonder you’re so good at managing us.”

xxx

After breakfast, Sam hosted a walk. Margo joined Hetty, Alberta, and Thorfinn to accompany Sam. The five of them strolled the trails on the land. Margo stayed a few paces behind the rest of the troupe. She got lost in thought as she considered what she could be doing if she were alive.

For one, she would be on this walk in her nice athleisure wear and sneakers. She’s just glad her slippers didn’t fall off her feet when she slipped and cracked her neck. What a stupid thing to have to be grateful for! She used to be grateful for where her good looks got her, for dining in high-end restaurants, for Hugh’s deep pockets, for her friends who would give her a night off from being with Hugh to remind her what people her age did… She would have had so much fun with them if she had lived. How much would they miss her? Who would go to her funeral? Who would remember her in her circles?

Margo jogged ahead to catch up with the rest.

“Sam, for my TV time tonight, I want to watch news coverage about me,” she said.

“What makes you think you’ll be on the news?” Alberta asked.

“Um, Hugh was like a really prominent figure and I was too.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, Margo,” Sam said, “It’s just so fresh, and the news isn’t always kind.”

“Margo is a Woodstone, and Woodstones are tough,” Hetty said, “We built the Hudson Valley. Margo shall not care for whatever a sniveling journalist has to say… no offense, Samantha.”

“Hetty is right. I don’t care what they have to say about me,” Margo crossed her arms, “I want to watch coverage of my death.”

The five stopped at a stream to listen to the peace of nature. The others closed their eyes and listened. Margo watched. The water flowed over and around the stones in the water, not stopping for what got in its way. She had once loved the sounds of nature, but now she couldn’t stand it. Here she was, forever stuck in the moment she died. The ache in her neck had not gone away in two days, and she would always be in a silk robe and nightgown. And the stream moved on as it would for all time. It, too, was stuck here forever. But it could change. A large rain could raise the water level; a drought would dry it out. The current would eat away at the banks and adjust its path. But Margo was stuck in her slippers.

“I’ll meet you guys back at the house,” she muttered before she turned and walked back.

xxx

In the late morning, Sam and Jay left to run a few errands. The ghosts were left to their own devices and milled around for a bit before Alberta used the Alexa to listen to jazz. Margo jumped up from the couch.

“How did you do that?” She asked, “I thought it couldn’t hear us?”

“It can’t hear you, but it can hear me. My ghost power is that people can hear me hum, and the Alexa can hear me talk.”

“Can you tell Alexa to turn on the news?”

Alberta crossed her arms, “I could, but Sam told us we weren’t supposed to watch it.”

Margo scoffed, “Sam isn’t here. And she said I couldn’t watch it at TV time. I’m pretty sure it isn’t TV time right now.”

“New girl, right,” Thorfinn said, “Was there, Sam did not say we could not watch news outside of TV time.”

“I don’t know, Sam said not to watch so we probably shouldn’t watch,” Pete said.

“I agree, it hurts finding out how the world really regarded you,” Isaac said.

Margo looked at Trevor and pleaded to him in her silent gaze.

“Guys, I think we should watch it,” Trevor said, “We have never been able to watch live coverage of our deaths. This is a new opportunity for us.”

“Okay, fine!” Alberta said, “Alexa, turn on the local news.”

“Turning on the local news.”

The TV switched on and turned to the news. An anchor sat with a headshot of Hugh projected on the screen, about ten years younger than he was when he died.

“Business mogul Hugh Silverman passed away earlier this week,” the anchor said, “Silverman was known for his vast success in women’s luxury jewelry. Doctors say he died in the morning after he suffered a heart attack. His young girlfriend, Margo Woodstone, called for an ambulance to his Hamptons house at 10 am. The ambulance arrived within fifteen minutes, but it was too late by then. Silverman was pronounced dead in his home at 10:18 am. He was 86.”

A photo of Margo replaced the one of Hugh.

“Margo Woodstone died the next day in her cousin’s home in the Hudson Valley. Details surrounding her death have not been released to the public. She was 26. The estate of both Silverman and Woodstone have declined to comment at this time.”

The ghosts remained silent as Margo stood watching.

“On the line, we have one of Margo Woodstone’s friends here to give her account of the death. Aisley Tucker, thank you for coming on,” the anchor said. The screen split and showed a video stream of Aisley.

“Hiii,” Aisley said, “Margo and I go way back.”

“Aisley? That’s who they chose?” Margo scoffed.

“What was your relationship to Miss Woodstone?”

“Margo and I met during the first semester at NYU,” Aisley said, “We lived in the same dorm hall. I introduced her to my friend who introduced Margo to Hugh.”

“And how did your mutual friend know Mr. Silverman?”

“Oh, her boyfriend was friends with Hugh. They did business together. But I can’t say their names because they’re not public with their relationship.”

Margo covered her face.

“Oh my god,” she groaned, “Aisley is the dumbest girl I knew, she’s going to fuck this up so bad.”

“I see. Now, did you have the chance to talk to Miss Woodstone after Mr. Silverman’s death?”

“No, but one of her other friends did,” Aisley said, “And she told another friend who told me that Margo was not in Hugh’s will and his kids kicked her out of his house, which is why she went upstate.”

“Did she expect to be in his will?”

“I mean, obviously,” Aisley said, “Hugh gave her a lot over the last eight years, so we all thought he was going to leave her a lot. I think she probably would have been fine off of what she did have from what he had given her already because, like that was a gift to her. I don’t think his family could make her give it all back. It’s not cool to make her leave the day he died, too. I mean, she literally lived in his house for like six years, and they just kicked her out as if it wasn’t her house, too. She worked really hard to get him to let her live there. They should have at least respected that, I think. I mean, they didn’t even work for him to give them his money like she did.”

Margo shook her head, “Turn it off!”

Alberta turned off the TV. For a moment, the ghosts sat in an awkward silence before Margo sat down.

“What work did you do to get him to let you live with him?” Sas asked.

“She was a harlot, Sasappis,” Hetty said. She looked at Margo with scorn, “Have you any shame for dishonoring our family’s name? You went philandering to that old man for his money when you had your own family’s fortune?”

“Hetty, your money didn’t last for me to use,” Margo snapped, “You can thank Cousin David for spending all of it on his strippers and Aunt Sophia for all of her medicine. I only had enough to pay the dorm fees at NYU.”

“Oh, Hetty, the Woodstones have no more gold and are resorting to gold digging!” Alberta laughed.

“I don’t get it. What was the nature of the relationship?” Pete asked.

“A sugar baby, right?” Trevor asked. 

Margo nodded and kept her eyes low.

“Guys, I’ve seen a lot of guys with sugar babies,” Trevor said, “It’s a rite of passage in our circles. It’s a symbiotic relationship, okay? Let me explain. Look at Margo. Take it in for a minute.” Trevor pointed at her; the ghosts looked her over. “Margo is a gorgeous woman; she has a killer bod’, beautiful hair, and glowing skin, and even without makeup on, her face is flawless. She’s a perfect 10. Any guy would be lucky to have her, but there’s a catch, alright? Margo has high ambitions; she wanted to be an actress, but without money or a respected family name,” He looked at Hetty, “Modern respect—she has little to no shot to break into that industry despite her talent and looks. So she used her looks to achieve her goals by taking an alternative route; she found a rich man who could fund her dreams and get her to where she wanted to be. Hugh, at the end of his life, gets the attention and caring touch of a beautiful woman in her early 20s. He gets to show her off at social gatherings and parties while using his money to have fun and get a little action while he’s at it. He gives her gifts, a credit card, a sports car, and she acts as his girlfriend.”

“Wow, man, you didn’t need to rely on a man to get all that money. You could have tried robbing a bank,” Flower said.

“I didn’t want the entire world to know the private details of my life like that! I can’t believe Aisley would agree to an interview.”

Margo paced the room.

“Sue Dane reporter and dumb friend,” Thorfinn said, “Attorney send cease and desist for you and people stop talking about your predatory relationship on old man.”

Margo looked at Trevor. Trevor shook his head.

“Sam and Jay have been closing the laptops when they aren’t using them,” he said, “and the iPad is in a drawer. I can’t open a drawer.”

“Sam hasn’t moved my phone,” she said, “It’s in our room on the charger still. We can email an attorney from my phone. I should still have plenty of money to pay the bills with.”

“Ok, it’s worth a shot,” Trevor said.

xxx

Masterlist

[musicarenagh]

Get To Know The Wise Bloods And Their Recent Single Welcome to our sonic rendezvous, where I'm thrilled to introduce The Wise Bloods. More than just musicians, they are torchbearers of an idea sparked from personal breakthroughs and urban struggles. Merging reggae vibes with spirited purpose, this group has etched a narrative that echoes through London's system of streets—a narrative conjuring unity and enlightened collectivism. Today we peek behind the grooves to unveil how The Wise Bloods have channelled adversity into their harmonious crusade for change. Each member infuses the band with unique fervour, making every beat a battle cry for peace and authenticity. So lean in as we explore the heartbeat of The Wise Bloods: their formation, their passion, and their unyielding drive to resonate beyond melody. https://open.spotify.com/album/3FNE4WxBseV3A0nAFhAiuK?si=LW47tDbQQtyXr1BulXxI7A 1. First things first – for those not yet in the know, could you share with us how The Wise Bloods came into existence? The Wise Bloods has two aspects; The concept and then the band. The Wise Bloods as an idea was a phoenix that came out of the embers of an old teenage school band in the form of an old song. Following the decision to leave my job and a toxic relationship, I came across old stems from an unfinished song. I began to write a song around it. It turned out to be the first release of The Wise Bloods called 'Smooth Runner'. That came out before the current lineup of the band existed. At the time of conceiving a new band, certain things were going on. A very strange news report came forward on the tv. It was about the Bloods and the Crips being fed up of living the poverty-stricken lives of their city life. They were sick of their infighting and came together with an idea for a truce and a desire to overcome the situations that they were all in. I thought to myself. wow, did the bloods and crips just get wise? It reminded me of Bob Marley's sentiment in his song Zimbabwe 'No more internal power struggle'. It sent me off on a romantic thought process of what if the citizenry of this world collectively became aware of the oppressive conditions and corrupt nature of global forces that people found a way to overcome the causes of our ongoing conflicts, It would bring us into a new era of human civilization, characterized by co-ordinated co-operation at a grassroots level to replace what currently seems like an inevitable and unwavering global system of conflict, domination and exploitation (both of nature and humanity). So in that respect 'The Wise Bloods' is an ideal about collective enlightenment. Our logo is a cog with blood dripping from it and a feather. the cog represents the system, the industrial complex and its hold on our lives in the modern/post-modern era. The feather represents finding freedom in this time and it also nods to a more tribal, spiritual or natural philosophy for life. I guess that's quite a romanticised interpretation of 'tribal'. really, on a personal level, I just yearn for a more simplistic life that isn't offered in modern urban living. So yeah The Wise Bloods is the idea first, the band came after. I had to bring these new songs to life with musicians, and so over time, I found the right people for the music. I was at a Reggae jam night in a place called Troy Bar in Shoreditch. Makeda Moore (one of our singers) was singing there, both performing songs and performing backing vocals. I was blown away, she is actually someone you just have to watch perform live, very captivating and full of great stage presence. I approached her about joining the project, she brought her sister Kandaka Moore on to provide harmonies. I actually found Ryan (our bassist) through Instagram. My previous bassist Rudi Creswick left to tour with Tom Misch and pointed out that Ryan was an active Reggae bassist. After that, it wasn't long until Makeda put Jason forward to play drums. That for me is the core members of The Wise Bloods.

Those members have helped shape the sound, and the vibe and have become friends whom I trust and understand on a fundamental level. Since then we've had a couple of really good key players be a part of the band and recently I brought in my old band's horn section, which is exciting. Keys are essential for reggae and Horns are always fun. I'll be honest. The current members have stuck because, not only do I vibe with them, but they came to the music I had been writing with more talent and musical capability than myself. it was slightly intimidating at first, but it has brought a new dimension and authority to the live show. [caption id="attachment_53080" align="alignnone" width="1152"] Get To Know The Wise Bloods And Their Recent Single[/caption] 2. Was there a particular moment or experience that served as the catalyst for forming this band? I'm not sure if it's a catalyst, but certainly a pivotal point, where certain events going on around me coincided with my decision to pursue music once again I mentioned before, that a small political clearing of clouds appeared to me in the news. I guess that spurred on the concept and inspired the band name. On a more personal level, things had begun to get a little dark. Out of deciding to pursue music again. A long-term relationship not only began to unravel, but the nature of its toxicity had become stark to me. The experience of sobering up from your own delusions and the effect it has on your mind and personality is an unsettling one. Not only that, my return to my home town in London as an adult was beginning to take a turn and the place was appearing to me more and more tragic and sinister. I'd had two friends in the area lose brothers. One kid was only 17 and died after a stabbing to the leg. It was so heartbreaking because he was the youngest of the family and was just a really good kid. All around that time, I wasn't making things better for my friends or myself but just carrying on with self-sabotaging behaviour and escapism. I was getting into trouble most nights I went out. However, the difference between me and my friends was in the week, I was working on a career in tree surgery. Others around me were dealing with some really serious life issues with very little prospect of improving their lives. I realised people around me were in and out of jail, losing loved ones and even dealing with homelessness, on top of that some of them were new parents. I was feeling really frustrated with one friend. I just felt like all this madness we were getting into was just escapism from our own feeling of inadequacy and shitty situations. Seeing that behaviour play out in a friend to the point they're not addressing their homelessness is a terrible moment. Out of that time, I wrote 'Smooth Runner'. I wrote it to those old recorded stems taken from my first band. That became the first song from The Wise Bloods. Back then, none of the current band members were a part of it. Now, if we play that song, they play it way better than the recording (which was made mostly at home on a laptop with no prior recording experience). The first moment I see as defining us coming together as a band was when we jammed out 'New Blood', which is a song about fresh conflicts and major disasters popping up around the world and the inherent hypocrisy of the state about judging the legitimacy of the use of violence. I was trying to point out how a government's stance on global affairs is determined by its geopolitical relation to the regions and populations involved. That then of course is conveyed to the public in mainstream media. I'm quite proud of the lyrics, label 'em a terrorist if they take a pop, but supply arms on a regular to murdering despot, a country built on war draws new blood just to stay on top, our safety just a small price for a war dog boss' When we jammed that song the first time it was like an introductory meeting of all our musical essences. the vibe was strong that day... That was Jason's first ever rehearsal with us, also his first late arrival to practice.

..not his last 3. Each group has its own dynamic; who would you say is the 'glue' in The Wise Bloods that holds it all together? Musically it's Jason's drums and Ryan's bass perfectly in sync. Like all proper reggae, they are the foundation. In terms of keeping the band together. It's me, I bring them together in this setup and do all the homework. 4. How does living and creating music in London influence your sound and lyrical themes? As you can probably tell, quite a lot. Although I tend to allocate songs to ideas that are a bit more universal. I don't want every song' to just be a 'London song'. Of course, a lot of the music is inspired by moments within London so there is always going to be an aspect of that in the music, especially on the sound. In some songs, London is perhaps ingrained in the music but in others, the song is London in every way. It might not be so obvious in previous songs, but with London Summer Loving I went all the way. So much so that the song uses London slang, and describes London scenes, the final verse is fully in a London accent. I feel like only people from London will truly understand a lot in that song. I'm hoping people from cities around the world can relate though. [caption id="attachment_53082" align="alignnone" width="1152"] Get To Know The Wise Bloods And Their Recent Single[/caption] 5. Diving into your latest single “London Summer Loving” - what's the backstory? What summer breeze brought this song to life? I feel like no matter what is going on in people's lives, that feeling of the sun on your back, or a cool breeze or sunset is just something that gives us instant relief and happiness whether you are rich, poor, healthy or unhealthy. That moment when the sun starts coming back after winter and warming up the days you just get this feeling of relief and excitement for what's to come even when you have stresses and worries, summer is a time you have an excuse to have a good time no matter what. That's the initial inspiration. Then I thought to myself, Summer is a straightforward song theme I need to jump on on a promotional level, I can release it in the summer and people get behind it as a summer reggae anthem... then everything got delayed and I released it in November FFS. So I'm gonna ramp it up with some visuals next summer I think... but then again I'm just ready to make more new better music now. That was the backdrop and starting point. From there I had a rockers riddim idea and from there I just used that backdrop to write bars just for me and to share something about London authentically from my perspective. 6. Can you talk about any memorable anecdotes from writing or recording “London Summer Loving"? I mean what is written in the verses of that song is just years of memories on memories. Smells, visual memories, historical moments, emotions and sentiments about past friendships and all the things that make up my home town, which is a borough in south London called Deptford. So in terms of anecdotes- it's a big long story balled into something digestible in song format. Recording it. I mean, I recorded the vocals in a dusty backyard shed. The backing vocals sound sort of like they were recorded in a shanty town by some old-school reggae dudes, like the Congos or something, which wasn't intentional but is cool. It's a total contrast to the lead vocals, I ran those bars over and over in the shed till I had something that sounded passable. I'd do a take that felt so good in expression but I'd look back and think naah that sounds crap. It's weird trying to fit in with things that come before you so people can pick it up and their brain goes, 'ah yeh I recognise this sound, it's such and such, it cool, legit and I like it,' but still try and innovate and be authentically yourself as opposed to formulaic and completely derivative. There's a thin line, the less you are in the process, the harder it is to get into that pocket. 7. Musically, what direction did you aim to take with "London Summer Loving," and how does it align or differ from previous projects?

We wanted to make the music just for us. Rather than approach the music with a mind for what should a reggae song sound like, it was more like, what way do I want to express this for myself. Like, What way can I deliver this in a way that satisfies my curiosity and expresses what's in my heart? LSL is also a single from a project that has brought in the band at a way earlier stage. So I had the ideas and straight away I got Jason and Ryan in to run their parts and develop them. From there each session helped the song grow. I actually had two versions. A looser live recorded skeleton and a more straight version based on a programmed idea that we played on. It was faster and less organic. I wasn't sure on which one to use. I took the two to Keys player Noa Rodriguez. She came up with this Latin/Cuban sounding piano idea and it blew me away. She brought that idea to the faster version and in one take she did something proper bwad! Listen to that plinky plonky piano theme in the background of the chorus, I think its genius. I was thinking, ok now that version has something.. like a new forceful energy, it made me want to write bars not so much sing. In other projects, I was a lot more concerned about the listeners or radio picking it up. For 'Eye Out For The Devil' I was like, I want to do what's right and authentic for me right now and if people like it then good, if not, fine. So yeah, it's maybe a more selfish exercise in music. The music sentiment is a little more F you I'm doing it like this! I think that carries through to every member's performance in the recordings. [caption id="attachment_53083" align="alignnone" width="1366"] Get To Know The Wise Bloods And Their Recent Single[/caption] 8. Regarding "London Summer Loving", was there anything outside of the music itself—like film, literature, or art—that inspired its creation? Not so much outside music, but definitely outside the reggae genre. For me, I love those songs that represent an artist's place. It's so wicked when you can tell they have really done the place justice and represented it to the max. They paint a picture and you feel like you are from their town now. Songs like Nas' 'NY State of Mind' or Nina Simone's 'Baltimore', also covered brilliantly by the Tamlins- That version with that hornline, thats one of the best reggae songs of all time. 2Pac's California Love or Alborosie's Kingston Town, a modern reggae classic. Also, it's not explicitly about a city but 'Master Blaster' by Stevie Wonder, he vividly describes a street party and I feel like I wanted to write a song in that way where the song takes you into a scene of a real place and the listener is transported there, that's the inspiration from others there. 9. A question about the process: When working on new material like “London Summer Loving,” do lyrics typically come first, or do melodies dictate where words will follow? The creative process depends on the song but almost always its melodies before the lyrics. If I write lyrics without musical clothes it ends up terrible and unmusical. Sometimes songs are created in a more contrived fashion. so for example, I'm gonna make a roots rockers track- so you build the riddim and then ideas stem from that vibe. London Summer Loving was like that. I think of that process as the Hip Hop/ rapper or artist-to-producer type creative process. There's the production and then the lead ideas on top. For me, those types of songs take the most work to get the vocals and ideas to grab something authentic. It's like you have to work it until authenticity comes, rather than come straight from a place of authenticity and make that come to life. I came up with the ideas for LSL and it just felt too lifeless and the more I worked on it the worse it sounded. I had to stop and go back to vibe. So I just sang some jibberish to find a melody and delivery. From there I was like that sounds like an Afrobeats singer, how the hell am I gonna make a London song from that?

I separated the chorus melody delivery from the verse delivery to make it work, but to be honest I still don't think I made 100% the thing how I wanted the thing, but you have to know when you've worked on something enough and put it down to experience and allow the work to be imperfect. The most natural songs come from a feeling. Something may have happened or you just might be feeling in a certain space and the Melody, the harmony and the vibe come to you. I think those are the most authentic real songs. 'Eye Out For The Devil' our previous single was like that. I felt terrible about humans, myself included, I had to get something out and the music ideas just flowed from there. I also think that's the best place for reggae to come from. If you are in a point of desperation or darkness or hardship and music is used to overcome, that is reggae at its most authentic. 10. As artists tend to be critical about their work - if each of you had to choose one thing they love most about “London Summer Loving,” what would it be? I'm not with the guys at the moment. I've got something from Ryan but the rest will take an eternity to get back to me, so other than Ryan's input I'll take the opportunity to point out some cool parts of the music that the guys pulled out of the hat, purely just improvised on the spot whilst in session. RYAN: I really liked putting down this bassline. I had some fun with it. I like to draw inspiration from a lot of people around me. I was reminded here of a song by Natty titled "Seasons Change". I've depped for him several times and have even watched how "Tallis" who is his main bassist and one of my inspirations in the bassline, plays it live. The other inspiration is one of my mentors "Don Chandler" and his style and approach to reggae bassline. I like putting those influences into the new music I play. What I enjoyed here and with The Wise Bloods in general is the freedom I have to experiment a bit, but still somehow be able to complement Jesse's style of songwriting and composition. Jesse: there's always a sign of that experimentation from Ryan. If you listen to the third verse, there's a breakdown. The bass goes into this sub-low frequency...that is Ryan just showing off. It's so deep and it hits so good. he just doing it in the pocket of what the music wants. Jason's drum machine overdubs: To be honest this drum performance is just flawless, he destroys that beat, and the fills are insane... but what you might miss is his drum machine overdubs. There's a weird whale moan in there. He just kept hitting this pad. Someone poked their head in the room and looked at Jason and said 'The black whale', we were cracking up and Jason flipped and said, 'Yeah your laughing now but you're gonna hear back and think that's fucking sick!', it does sound sick. Noas Piano: the piano theme I mentioned earlier you hear in the chorus and the breakdown. That was an improvised idea that pretty much became the glue of the song. For me, that part is the most important part of the track. With regards to vocals, I think the third verse nails exactly what I wanted. I feel it captures London in Summer for me in song format and it's ghetto AF. There's no one out here writing reggae like this, maybe hip hop but not reggae. 'Vietnamese, Jamaican, Pho and curry in a pot dealers keep it moving in a stuffed crotch sock ballers in their beamers turn to boujin' out the block Crackheads on the corner hope this day never stop...' 11. In terms of vocal performance on ‘London Summer Loving,’ how were decisions made on delivery style? Does it encapsulate specific emotions tied to London summers? The chorus I am certain is influenced by Afro beats. The whole vocal was at first delivered in that fast-paced MC delivery. but the chorus was just missing some flavour. the high end almost falsetto vocal delivery came from just feeling a melody out. Afro beats is becoming a big thing in London and it's hard not to take influence. As I mentioned before, I had to separate the chorus and verse in my mind.

The verse delivery is definitely bringing a London energy. London in summer has a hazy bliss but energetically it also has this relentless menacing drive, like everyone is out to just live life, no matter what. I admit it's a gamble, this vocal is a bit marmite. Love it or hate it, but in this song, I achieved my goal of capturing an essence and a vibe. Like London, it's not for everyone. [caption id="attachment_53081" align="alignnone" width="1152"] Get To Know The Wise Bloods And Their Recent Single[/caption] 12. Let’s get technical: could we geek out a bit over which instruments, gear, or production techniques stood out while crafting “London Summer Loving”? If we are going to talk technical we have to mention our tracking and mix engineer Jaime (pronounced hai-mey) Zugasti. The foundations of the track are recorded by an actual reggae genius at BBMC Studios. The overdubs-like vocals are recorded in my shed home studio on an SM7B on a Scarlett USB interface, which is the best budget mic you can get, but it is by no means a high-end mic and boy did Zugasti let me know about it. Also, I have ADHD, I do things so scatty that half my stems need extra work, and my mic placement is a mess... If Jaime Zugasti hadn't worked on it, the music would not be hitting your ears properly at all. The most unique thing about all of the music from the 'Eye Out For The Devil' project is that Zugasti has done the final mix using an analogue board. The Verb is an actual real spring reverb. You can really hear his hands-on work in action when you listen to the dub versions (LSL dub is out on 8th December). 13 . Your music carries an infectious energy — when performing live, particularly new singles like " London Summer Loving," how do you translate that studio magic onto stage? the newer tracks have more energy because they are closer to the live. the bass and drums were recorded together and the songs themselves were jammed live before they were recorded. so when we play these tracks the translation to the live show is less of an issue. In fact, we just add more vibes with the added performers. Before some of those tracks were just tracked and built on ideas laid out on the computer beforehand, with no live jamming or input from the players prior. I would like to bring some recorded stems into a live show at some point just to maintain some signature production sounds, but what's more important is capturing the band's dynamic in new recordings more and more so the transition to the live show is more seamless. That said, the live show is just always more energetic and brings a whole new element. People have said they got more into our songs after seeing us live. 14 . This might be tough but describe " London Summer Loving" in three words – no cheating now! You just said it, it's in the title... hmmm. Ghetto Surf Reggae 15 . And finally, looking ahead can fans expect more sunny vibes à la ”London Summer Loving” from future releases? Or are there surprises up your sleeves? We've been playing with several reggae styles. In this project, we've had two steppers, one Rocker and the next is going to be a soulful ska love song, then of course the dubs. I've been working on this fusion of hood style with the sunny reggae feel quite a bit, so I'm sure we will have some more. The idea is to bring the original London style but deliver it in a way that people are still getting that juicy harmonic and melodic reggae hit. I'm still wanting to reach that sweet spot with our sound and style. Also, we are not just a reggae band. We have funk/soul and hip hop-influenced tracks, so we are going to have more bangers coming like our previous song 'Lonely Hours' featuring the late ones. I think from here on the guys are going to be involved in the writing of the music from the get-go I'm going to write ideas from my end but won't bring forward any skeleton sketches of bass or drums. I'm also going to ask the guys to bring something to me. This way I can focus

on the songwriting and the vocals and get out of my own way of what I'm worst at production. I'll keep practising and doing production in my own time, but I want this project to become what I always planned for it to be, an actual band where all the players are equally the artist- there is not enough of that in reggae these days. Well, in the US they have that because of the heavy influence of rock, but everywhere else reggae is- artists with a band supporting them. I get why, it makes things more clear cut, but The Wise Bloods was always meant to be a band's band. - High energy in your face live music but with deep roots in our foundations. So yeah, just expect an even better iteration of The Wise Bloods. Follow The Wise Bloods on Website, Facebook, Instagram, SongKick and TikTok.

[jolienjoyswriting]

Pancakes and Passion (ft. Maple)

"Passion and Pancakes," a fan fiction story.

Full of pancakes and energized by syrup, Joseph and Maple pick up right where they left off in the forest.

Word count: 4,274 – Character count: 24,178 Drafted: October 6th, 2022 Revised: October 7th, 2022 –

Oh, crap, there's more?!  Oh, no… there's more… And things get even more predictable, somehow…

Maple and related characters and concepts created by © jayrnski Joseph Lithius and related characters and concepts created by and © Jo Li

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    Joseph here, again, continuing a certain story about a certain reindeer.  If you thought things were interesting, before…  Eh heh heh… mm.

    So, in the last story, I wound up lost in the woods of North Ontario-io, in North Ontar– wait, did I make that reference last time, too?  Sorry.  Anyway!  Woods of North Ontario.  In doing so, I ended up in the company of a reindeer named “Maple”.     I quickly learned two things about Maple…  One: they were super cuddly.  And two: they had also gotten lost.  Oh, and they also seemed to have, uh, no preference for pronouns?  But… since they were more feminine than not, I sort of settled on female pronouns for the story.     At the end of the story, Maple helped me get out of the forest, then we went off in search of “brinner” – or breakfast for dinner.  We went to a 24-hour pancake house and ate our fill.  And then…?  Well, I left it to the imagination!  But, okay.  More things did actually happen that night.  And… that’s the story I’m here to tell, now!

    “Woo!  That was so much fun!”     “Eh heh…  I’ve never seen someone eat that many pancakes in a stack…”     “I told you, I looove pancakes!”

    After a late brinner at a pancake chain, Maple and I got back into my car.  She hugged my arm and thanked me for the meal, then I started the engine and we got on the road.  When I asked where I could drop her off, she acted a little funny and folded her ears.  I watched her mouth open and close a couple of times… or rather, I noticed her do that.  I had my eyes mostly on the road.  In any case, I got the feeling she had nowhere to be.  So…     “I don’t suppose… you want to… check out my motel room?”     Maple’s eyes went wide and she looked right at me with raised ears.  It seemed like she was blushing more than usual, too.     “I-I dunno why I said that,” I told her with a nervous laugh.  “It just seemed like–”     “I’d like that.  Yes, p-please.”     The way she answered gave me pause.  That wasn’t her usual, high-energy voice.  No, she was speaking calmly…  When I glanced over, though, she was giving me her usual smile.  I didn’t know what to make of it.  So, yeah.  I drove us to the motel where I was staying.

    “Wow…  Your room is so clean!”

    The two of us walked into my modest motel room, Maple taking note of its condition.     “I, uh, I like keeping a tidy place,” I explained as I closed the door behind us.     When I turned around, I noticed that Maple was already bouncing on the edge of the bed.     “What’s on TV?” she asked, grabbing the remote for the room’s television.     “No idea,” I told her.  “I mostly just watch the news.”     “Can we watch cartoons?” was her next question.     I chuckled.  “I don’t see why not?”     The dear deer happily bleated and started flipping through channels.  Meanwhile, I walked over to a small writing desk.  There, I set my backpack down and started unloading it, as well as the contents of my pockets.

    “Does this place get cable?” she asked, taking note of the limited number of television stations.  “I can’t find the cartoon channel…”     “This is a pretty rinky-dink motel–”     “Rinky-dink!” she echoed with an amused giggle.     “– so I don’t think they have cable…  Sorry.”     “Oh, that’s okay!”     She turned the TV off and set the remote aside before turning back my way.     “I’d rather cuddle up with a fluffy friend, anyway!”     I blushed a little, looking over at Maple.  She was still seated on the edge of the bed, watching me with a smile.  She was leaning back slightly, letting her body sway.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: that girl liked to wiggle.     “More cuddles?” I teased, making her perk.  “Didn’t you get enough in the forest?”     She smiled brighter, her ears perking.  “Nope!”     I rolled my eyes… but my wagging tail told her how I really felt.

    Once my backpack and other things were sorted, I removed my jacket and walked over to Maple.  She intently watched as I drew near, her body tensing.  I feel like she was doing her best not to pounce on me.  She loved cuddles almost as much as she loved syrupy pancakes!     “Hi, there,” I said, smiling as I sat nearby.     She quietly bleated at me before wiggling in place, then she flopped over, laying on the bed.  Her hands came to her chest and a warm glow appeared on her face.     “I bet you want me to lay down with you, huh?”     “Yes, please.”     I smiled more.  Not long after, I turned my body and got the rest of the way onto the bed.  It was amusing, watching Maple wriggle her way up next to me.  I rolled onto my side and she rolled onto hers.  A second later, she curled against me and nuzzled my nose.     “You smell like maple syrup,” I whispered with a grin and a blush.     “You, too!”     Without any warning… she licked my lips!     “Taste like it, too!”     Maple giggled and squirmed against me, amused by her own actions.  Me, on the other hand?  I was left blushing and a little stunned.  I hadn’t expected her to just… lick me.  But, it’s okay.  It’s okay because… I got a surprising bleat out of her.     For some reason, I’d gotten the notion to give her a lick around the mouth, too.  I wasn’t surprised when she reacted positively, giggling even harder and scooting much closer.  She probably figured I was “returning the favor”… w-which, I was!  But…     “Hey…”     I mean… ya know…     “You’re blushing!”     I was starting to… “feel things.”

    When Maple noticed my reddening face, I tried to look away.  I dunno…  I was nervous.  Luckily, that darling little creature seemed perfectly in tune with me.  Instead of teasing me or trying to lick more syrup off my muzzle, she just slid down and tucked her head under my chin.     “I’ve had a lot of fun today…” she whispered as gently hung onto my shirt.     I took a deep breath, relaxing…  Maple was so patient with me…     “You’re super nice, Friend Joseph.  I’m glad I met you.”     “I’m… I’m glad I met you, too, Maple,” I told her.     She hummed.  A few seconds later, she leaned back and looked at me.     “Do you wanna cuddle s’more?” she asked.     My ears fell back.  Something seemed off…     “Since when did you start asking?” I queried, trying not to sound too surprised.     “S-since I noticed how shy I was making you!”     My ears folded back even more.  Maple was still looking on with patience, but her ears were folded back just as much as mine.  That excited sparkle in her eye seemed gone, too.  It seemed like she was taking my hesitation personally while trying not to show it.

    “Do you know why I’m being like this, Maple?”     That seemed like the right thing to ask, at the time.     “Are you scared of me?”     And that… seemed like a very odd response.     “S-scared of you?”  I blinked at her, my ears flicking.  “What do you mean?”     “W– well…”  She slid back, nervously laughing.  “I-I worded it wrong, but what I mean is… you’re scared of liking me?  Oh, gosh… that doesn’t make sense, either, does it?”     “Honestly?  Yes.  It does make sense.”     I softly chuckled, looking down.     “Yeah… I’m a little worried that if I let my guard down… I’ll end up doing something that might hurt you.  Or hurt me.  You know?”     “Like kissing me?” she asked with a compassionate smile.     “Like licking the syrup off your cute li’l face.”     Her hands shot up to her cheeks and she laughed out loud, wiggling again.  Then…     “I’m sorry for licking you, Joseph…  I should’ve asked, first!”     She apologized?  She apologized!  W-wait, why was she–

    “A-and, I’m sorry for all the attention I’ve been giving you!” she continued, her smile becoming shy.  “I know I’m a handful…  I just like you so darn much!”     She reached over, then she withdrew her hand.  Her second attempt didn’t go much better.  It was like she was scared to try and touch me.     “I…”     So, she trailed off and ended up scooting back over, snuggling against me, instead.

    We looked into each other’s eyes for a long while, neither of us making a move beyond gently embracing.  I listened to her soft breathing and felt her small body twitching with every beat of her honest heart.  I’m sure she was doing the same with me.  We were both kind of lost in the moment, neither of us knowing where to go from there…

    “Maple?”     She made a quiet “deer noise” before refocusing.  “Y… yes?” she called.     I bit my lower lip.  “Just… I… I have some hypothetical questions.”     “I might have some hypothetical answers!” she said, her face looking hopeful.     I took another breath before I began my interrogation.

    “Alright, so…  If I… stroked your cheek, what would you do?”     “I’d lean into it!” she said with a giggle.  “I love being petted!”     “And, if I bumped noses with you, again?”     She giggled again, albeit quieter.  “I’d bump back!”     “What if I licked more syrup from your mouth?”     She blushed a little more than normal, her ears sliding back.     “I… I guess I’d start licking syrup off your mouth, too!” was her answer.     “And… what if our tongues touched?”     She looked down, still smiling.  There was a delay before she answered.     “Joseph, are you…?  Do you want…?  Is that what…?”     She looked back up, then.     “Are you asking me for a tongue kiss?” she asked with a silly, somewhat shy smile.     “Not… exactly?” I answered.  “It’s just… if we’re both licking each other’s faces, there’s a chance our tongues might…”     I cleared my throat, blushing.  I needed to go about this a different way.

    “I guess what I’m ultimately trying to say is…”  I paused.  “I… I might want to… give you more forms of affection?  Because… because I like you so darn much, too?”     “Do you want to kiss me?”     I flinched at the sudden, direct question.  “Y-yes,” was my answer.     She blushed again, softly giggling…  I think she appreciated my honesty.     “You’re so adorable,” I continued, “and so nice to be with…  I want… I want…”     My face warmed and I sighed.     “I wanna take you on dates… maybe see where this friendship goes.  I… I’m sorry.”     “You’d date li’l ol’ me…?”  She sounded surprised!     “Y-yes,” I said again.  “I’d date you in a heartbeat.”     She hummed, looking down in thought.  She was still smiling and still blushing…

    “Joseph?”     “Y-yes…?”     When the reindeer looked up, there was a twinkle in her eyes.     “Can we kiss, now?” she asked in her normal, innocent voice.  “I’d like that very much.”     My heart skipped a beat when she asked that.  She sounded so shy… yet there was a feeling of desire in her voice.  I… I don’t mean that kind of desire.  No, it was more like… a desire to make me happy?  Or maybe she just really wanted all the kisses and cuddles she thought I was going to give her.  Either way…     “A… absolutely.”     I was happy to oblige.

    Maple scooted in, snuggling up against me.  Her arms curled around my middle and she nuzzled my muzzle.  My arms wrapped around her middle, as well, and I returned the nuzzles.  We bumped noses a couple of times, our eyes meeting.  She softly laughed and I chuckled.  Then… I gave her a little lick and she reciprocated.     Our eyes slid shut as we started kind of… “grooming” each other’s mouths, taking any traces and tastes of syrup out of our fur and off of our lips.  I blushed fairly hard the one-or-two times I felt her tongue graze mine but nothing came of it.  We seemed perfectly content to steal all the syrup flavor we could from each other, as well as stay cuddled up close.  We never did kiss, though…

    I think it was a few minutes later when I opened my eyes.  Surprisingly, Maple was already looking at me.  Her eyes were half-lidded and there was a rather warm glow about her face.  She looked pretty mellow…     “Hi,” I whispered, stroking her cheek.     “Hiya!” she quietly giggled, bumping noses with me.     “That was intimate…”     “It was!”     My eyes left hers, returning not long after.     “Can I ask you something personal, Maple?”     “Go ahead?” she said, closing her eyes and rubbing her cheek into my hand.     “Do you…  I mean…  When you’re cuddled up with someone like this, um…”     She peeked an eye open, warmly smiling and letting one ear flick.     “I…”  I stumbled.  “I don’t… know how to ask–”     “Yes,” she answered without knowing the full question.     I blinked, my ears flicking.  “Y… yes?”     “Yeah,” she whispered.  “When I get like this… I s-start feeling warm all over…”     I blushed again as she reached over and put a hand over my heart.     “Especially right here,” she said, softly rumbling as deer do.     “What… what do you do when that happens?” I nervously asked.     Her blush flared up… then she leaned in and kissed me.  Just like that.

    My eyes fluttered shut as Maple’s lips melded with mine.  It wasn’t like that kiss we’d shared in the forest…  No, this was something different.  I shivered as her hand found its way to my cheek, caressing the fluffiest parts of my face.  I shuddered, then, as she brushed against me a little harder than normal.  I noticed her leg start to slide in between mine, too.  Things were starting to get… well… very “warm”.  Maybe… a little too “warm”?

    Maple blinked hard, sitting up and staring in surprise.  I was kind of surprised, too.  For some reason, I was the one to pull out of the kiss and I was the one to push her away!     “Joseph…?” she bleated with a pout.  “Did I– did I do something wrong?  Did I kiss too hard?  Did I accidentally bite your lip?  Did my horns– no, wait.  My horns were nowhere near your face…  Wait!  Did I– did I knee your lap?!”     She immediately looked down.  Right at my lap.  She looked gravely concerned, too.

    “Is your lap okay?!” she cried, sounding panicked.  “Do you need ice…?!”     “N-no, I don’t need ice…!” I panted.  “I need… I need… I need to stop kissing you.”     She looked confused by my answer.  “Why?”  She sounded confused, too.     I blushed hard before telling her, “I’m getting… um… ‘overheated’.”     “You’re getting…”     Maple looked even more confused.  Then, slowly…     “Oh.  O-oh…  Ooooohh…”     She started to realize what I’d meant.

    “Oh, gosh…!”     The poor girl brought her hands to her burning cheeks and sweetly smiled at me.     “W-was the kiss that good?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised.  “Did you… did you like kissing me that much…?  Oh, my gosh…”     She wiggled in her seat and giggled a little bit.     “Friend Joseph,” she said after a few seconds.     “W… what?”     I sat up on my arms, watching her and catching my breath.  She had sat up, herself, curling her legs daintily in front of her and placing her hands on her skirt.  She was smiling and blushing just a little more than normal, giving off a calm aura of happiness.  Not gonna lie…  Seeing her sit pretty, like that, helped my emotional state immensely.

    “Friend Joseph…” she said in a warm voice.  “I’m flattered that you like me like that.  Really flattered!  I had a feeling… but now that I know it’s true?”     She wiggled again and giggled s’more.     “Gosh, you make me feel all warm and mushy inside!”     I blushed a little, my nasty mind warping that into an innuendo…     “I guess the only question is…”     She calmed, again, returning her usual soft, sweet disposition.     “Do you want to keep going and see what happens?”     “Wh-what?”     “W-we don’t have to!!” she excitedly bleated when I questioned her.  “It-it’s just an idea!”     She hid her face with her hands.     “Aah, p-please, don’t be upset with me!  I’m sorry!”     She paused to peek through her fingers.     “I’m just a cuddle-hungry li’l reindeer who likes making nice people happy…”     She hid her eyes, again, after saying that.     “It’s– it’s okay if you don’t want to!  Honest!  I-I understand!”     “I mean… that’s kind of the problem?”     She peeked again, making a squeaky deer noise.  I was looking at her with a blush.     “I kind of… do want to continue?” I said, folding my ears.  “But…”     I looked away, feeling guilty.     “I’m pretty sure I know where this’ll head if we do…”

    “You don’t… want that?” she shyly asked.     I chuckled, shaking my head.  “I do, is the problem.”     Her hands began to slide away from her face.  “Why is it a problem?”     I looked up with a frown.  “What do you want to do?”     Maple put her hands in her lap and softly smiled.  “I want to make you happy!”     “And… you think doing that with me will make me happy?”     When she nodded, I just scowled.  What kind of a guy did she think I was?  Come to think of it… what kind of reindeer was she?

    “Maple…  Don’t feel obligated to do anything.”     “I’m not!” she told me, still smiling.  “I want to!  I want to, with you!”     I chuckled.  “Are you sure about that?”     When she nodded, I looked away and sighed.     “So, if I told you… right now… that I want us to do that, right here, right now…”     “I’d do it with you,” she answered without hesitation.     I glanced her way.  “We… are talking about the big ‘that’, right?”     She giggled softly, blushing… then she nodded.  Great…  We were on the same page…     “Why?” was my next question.  “Why are you willing to go that far with me?”     “I want to make you happy, Friend Joseph!  Making you happy makes me happy!”     I frowned as she laughed.  “But–”     “I’d really like to, with you… be– because it’s you!” she explained.  “I like you very much!  A-and… w-well… um…”     She bit her lip, blushing and giggling.  She was also… squirming.  Uncomfortably…?     “You’re not the only one who got ‘overheated’ from all that kissing…”     The way she nervously giggled at me made my face burn and my heart skip, again.     “W-wait… are you saying–?”     “I’m warm all over…” she shyly answered.  “And… and I want to be warm… with you.”

    I blinked several times in succession.  Maple was… looking at me like I’d never seen her look before.  There was a cute shyness to it, as well as an underlying sort of desire.  And this time?  I do mean “that kind” of desire.  She was doing her best not to push me into anything… while doing her best to be as honest as she could be with me.  I was flattered… honored, really!  That cute, adorable, perfect little reindeer… really wanted to go “all the way” with me…

    “Oh?  Mm, hee hee…”

    I sat up and scooted over.  Without a word, I pulled Maple into my arms and hugged her.  She returned the favor, nuzzling her nose into my chest.  When I stroked her back, she stroked my head.  Then, when my hand found her tail… she rubbed her cheek against mine, encouraging me.  I rubbed that wiggling little thing on her butt very fondly and she lovingly sighed into my ear.  She kissed my cheek and I kissed hers.  We bumped noses.  Our lips met.  Our bodies drew closer…  And, uh, well… things… m-may have escalated from there… –     I don’t really know what time it was when I woke up.  It was daylight…?  All I know is that when I woke… I found myself in my hotel bed, lacking clothing and sharing my blankets with a very cute, very warm reindeer.  One who also seemed a little “underdressed”…     “Maple…”     I softly nuzzled the reindeer.  She smiled and nuzzled back.     “Good morning, Friend Joseph…” she fondly whispered.     “You stayed with me…?”     “Why wouldn’t I?” she asked with a soft giggle.  “I like you very much…”     “Even after what we did, last night?”     She bit her lip, stifling an outright laugh.  God, she was so cute…

    “I had so much fun yesterday…” was the next thing she told me.  “I hope we can have lots more fun together.  Outdoors… indoors… everywhere!”     Now, she’d said that with a perfectly innocent voice, but…     “I wanna spend lots of time with my new fox friend, doing all sorts of things with them!”     Again, innocent enough, buuut…     “And I hope… my new friend still feels that way… about me.”     Okay, that one wasn’t open to interpretation.     “Of course, I do,” I whispered as I stroked her cheek.  “You’re awesome, Maple…”     “No, you’re awesome, Joseph!”     She giggled, pecking me on the cheek.  I smiled, returning the favor.     “We should get cleaned up,” I told her, then.  “My fur feels… funky.”     “Okay!”     The cute reindeer hugged me a little tighter.     “First: snuggles!�� Then: cleanup!  And then?”  She smiled.  “Breakfast!”     My smile warmed.  How could I turn down an offer like that?

    Eventually, we did manage to pull ourselves out of bed and get cleaned up.  It was pretty easy, too, since we shared a shower.  Uh… it… was her idea.  Honest.  A-and no, nothing happened.  We were focused!  Well… Maple kept me focused, anyway…  Eh heh…     After we were clean and dressed, Maple and I headed out to catch a late breakfast.  Once again, she had pancakes, but she also had some fruit on the side.  I decided to just have waffles, myself.  Something in the back of my head told me she might frown if I had any kind of meat…  I know.  Weird thought.  I hadn’t actually asked what her dietary habits were, though, and I didn’t want to risk ruining the perfect start to a great friendship– well… relationship, I guess! – with something as seemingly trivial as what I had for breakfast.

    “I’m really glad you came up here, Friend Joseph.”     I looked up with a mouthful of waffle.  “Mm?”     Maple giggled at the funny face I was making.  Then, she calmed.     “I’m glad we met, too,” she continued.  “Yesterday was extra-special fun!”     God…  She was really good at making innuendos without trying.     “I’m gonna be so sad when you go home…”     I blinked, swallowing my food.  That’s right…  I hadn’t remembered until she mentioned it, but yeah.  I was just on vacation…  I was about to say something, but Maple wasn’t finished.

    “S-so… I was thinking…”     She fidgeted, looking unusually nervous.     “If… if you want to… a-after breakfast…”     I cocked my head.  She was starting to blush.  More than usual, I mean.     “M-maybe… we could…”     She looked up, her eyes full of hope.     “S-spend today together, too?”     I opened my mouth to speak… but again, she cut me off.

    “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to!” she cried, getting flustered.  “I-I know you’re here on vacation and you probably already have plans!  I-I don’t want to interrupt them!  I just thought… a-ah!  No, I mean, no!  I-it was a dumb idea–”     “Maple.”     She perked.  “Y-yes…?”     I smiled at her, wagging my tail.  “Mis vacaciones son tus vacaciones.”     Her face lit up and she wiggled in her chair.     “Super!  J’aimerais vous rejoindre!” she bleated with a bright smile.     “Huh.  I didn’t know you spoke French…”     “Ah–!”  She covered her mouth.  “Je suis désolé!  Ah– I mean…”     “Tu es proche et chère à mon cœur,” I interrupted, “mon précieux petit cerf.”     Her hands fell over her muzzle and her eyes welled with tears.  Clearly, she understood what I’d said… and it had touched her quite deeply!     “J-Joseph…!  Je… je ne savais pas que tu parlais Français!”     Maybe… for the wrong reason.  I was trying to flatter her, not impress her!     “I don’t,” I told her with a shy grin.  “I’m looking it up on the Internet as I go.”     I was half expecting her to get mad at me.  She didn’t.  She just laughed and wiped the joyful tears out of her eyes, fondly smiling.     “Tu es merveilleux, Ami Joseph…” she happily sighed.     I smiled back.  “Toi aussi, Ami Maple…”     For the curious… she said I was “wonderful” and I told her, “you, too”.  Hee.

    My Canadian vacation was pretty much the best time of my life.  Not only did I get to see things I’d never seen and go places I’d never been before, but I also ended up making friends… well… getting into a relationship with the dearest deer in the world!  When it was finally time for me to leave, Maple came with me to the airport and we had a very tearful goodbye.  I almost missed my flight because I was so darn hesitant to let her go…  Eventually, though, I did board the airplane home.  We waved to each other as I took off.  I hated to go…     During the flight, I looked at all the pictures we took during my vacation.  N-no, I didn’t take any of those kinds of pictures.  I just mean the two of us going here and there in Ontario.  When I saw a cute one of her kissing me while I smiled at the camera, I just sighed.  There was absolutely no question about where I’d end up the next time I had vacation days.

    See you soon, Maple… I thought with a sigh.  But, not soon enough…

[welcomethefears]

Abandonment issues - Bucky Barnes x Rogers!Reader

Sitting on his couch in his longue room, his fingers stroked the cool metal of his dog tags. Hunched over, Bucky felt an ache in his spine that ran all the way down to his legs, and yet he had not a care for it whatsoever. His eyes stayed focused on the tv in front of him, and yet his stare seemed to be gazing past that, into a different realm of reality altogether. The autumn sun did nothing to warm his body, nor did his favourite red Henley, not that it was providing any service to him at the moment anyway. He drew in each breath methodically, yet in such a way it was obvious he was trying to control it. The noise from the television barely reached him now either, the story on the news already having passed long ago. This wasn’t what he expected, not after everything they had been through together. He thought he had made peace with it long ago, but his endless storm of insecurity, questions, and confusion. The jingling of keys and creaking of the apartment’s front door made him raise his head for the first time in what felt like hours.

“Hey, bear I’m home,” You called as you tossed your keys and coat on the hallway stand, kicking the door shut softly behind you. You hadn’t even a chance to glance up from your fussy over your keys before Bucky’s lack of response made you feel uneasy. Finally looking over to your fiancé, you felt a lump rise in your throat at seeing his face. His now short hair was dishevelled, the usually silky brown locks that you loved having a hand methodically run through it. His lips were downturned, in such a way you knew that he simply couldn’t help it, those plump lips just couldn’t upturn, not in this condition. And his eyes, well they told you everything you needed to know. A little bit bloodshot, with rings under his eyes. Most importantly though, you could see the unshed tears that clung to each eyelash, that were building up to the point where Bucky might burst. And Bucky rarely ever burst.

Glancing at the tv and seeing the news playing, you knew immediately what had happened. Without a second though, a second word, not a second, you found yourself magnetically drawn to his side. Instantly cradling his hunched form in your arms, your hand finding his left one and delicately interlacing your fingers with his. Stroking his metal hand, you instantly sympathised with his cradling of his dog tags, it was rather calming, especially after all these years.

“Another story about Steve’s disappearance, yeah?” You questioned softly, resting your head on Bucky’s shoulder. You heard him sigh before nestling into your (h/c) hair, inhaling deeply before laying his head on top of yours. Glancing down at your (s/c) hand, he pulled himself from your grip just so he could readjust, stroking the simple engagement ring he had bought you over 5 years ago. Drawing in another breath, he closed his clouded blue eyes for a moment.

“Even after all this time, even after that day with him, it hurts like hell,” He confessed, although in reality it wasn’t news to you. You had this conversation many times, or at least, you had heard about this conversation with his court mandated therapist. It had been that way for you too, in all honesty, except you kept trying to pretend it wasn’t a bother. It didn’t matter what explanation he gave, you sometimes found yourself feeling worthless and angry too.

“Hurts even more when the news think he might come back right?” You asked quietly, feeling your own eyes moisten at the thought of it. You knew he wasn’t ever coming back, that he wasn’t on the moon, but the hope that others had that he would come back, God it hurt.

“I just… How can he just leave his sibling like that? After all you’ve both been through, let alone me too. After all he sacrificed for us, suddenly his judgement on our worth is just… wrong,” Bucky sighed, closing his eyes, a tear finally dropping from his cloudy eyes and onto your hair. You sat there for a moment, trying to think, trying to find a way to reassure him that Steve wasn’t wrong to value him so, that he wasn’t wrong to risk so much for Bucky. And yet he left, he left you both for a different life than the ones you had worked so hard to carve. Still though, you almost understood. He had watched your romance with Bucky flourish, had watched on as Bucky proposed and you started planning your wedding. Had lost you both for 5 years. He was lonely, and no amount of love you and Bucky gave him would amount to what he so strongly desired.

“I promise you that you are worthy of everything he gave for you, that I gave for you. He just… everything that happened to us, he never had someone the way we have each other. And yeah, it’s wrong, I wish everyday he didn’t leave the way he did, that he had given us more time. Or even given Sam more time at the bare minimum. But he was as lonely as I was before we found you again. He was distraught after losing us, that he desperately clung onto whatever love he thought he needed. He was wrong to leave us, but he has never been wrong about you. And I have never been wrong about you, that you can always and forever be certain,” You gritted out. Flowing from your mouth at first with no effort, like a river flowing around bends and stones, only to halt, only for you to choke out the final words. It was as if a message from the universe had poured forth, beginning in your heart before forcing its way to your throat and finally given life through your voice. You knew who he was, you always had. It was your secret melody you had kept in your heart throughout the war, all through the ice, hid the melancholic love song from the avengers, and finally shared it again with the man you loved, never losing it. You could never have been wrong, after all, your promises, kindness, history, moments of happiness, your life, had been what had brought Bucky back to you. But sometimes you could see that he was blind to this, that he thought you might finally discover something about him that didn’t exist, that nameless thing that made Steve leave everyone. You had to tell him, and you would every time.

“Please, say it again,” Bucky asked softly, the bristles of his stubble rubbing into your scalp as he continued to hold you close.

“I have never been wrong about you, I have never been wrong about choosing you, keeping my heart just to give it to you. I will keep choosing you always, because I know you are worthy of my love, my Bucky bear,” You assured, gripping his calloused hands in your own (s/c) ones. He was crying now, you felt it. Falling like the summer rain into your hair, nourishing your soul like the rain would the soil. Truly you were holding him, despite his arms encircling you and keeping you safe, secure. It didn’t feel truly sad, bittersweet more so. You cried quietly with him, letting the tears run tracks down your face. Those words weren’t just for him, you realised, you needed to hear them too.

“I will never stop choosing you (Y/N) Rogers, and nothing will stop me from being with you. Not even time itself,” Bucky promised in return, turning your watery eyes into full on sobs. It felt good though, crying while you both held the other tightly, grieving over someone who was so important to you both, but also celebrating, in a strange, oddly romantic way. Your souls had been intertwined from the minute you had met, remaining so even now, possibly even more tightly bound.

Grief is a funny thing, even though he wasn’t dead, Steve was gone, and the pain he left nearly broke you both. Together though, you could get through it, and hopefully, you learn to celebrate his life, even if you didn’t agree with it.

“Will we ever stop crying about each other?” You questioned softly, wiping your nose on Bucky’s red Henley.

“I hope not,” Bucky confessed quietly, gracing your head with a tender kiss, radiating a familiar warmth throughout your body.

[spideyzgirl]

↳ *science 🧪* ༉‧₊˚✧

summary ↠ tom feels helpless ever since you caught a cold, but you have an idea on how he can make you feel better.

warnings ↠ some fluff, smut, oral sex (f receiving), bad writing

pairing ↠ tom holland x reader

wc ↠ 1.1k

taglist | masterlist

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

being stuck in bed with a runny nose and a throbbing headache was not how you were expecting to spend your day.

tom basically ordered you to call out sick from work today, not wanting you to work in those conditions, exhausting yourself even more.

he felt terrible for leaving you like this, but he had errands to run, so you insisted on him going. they checked on you every so often, and sam even made you soup, so you were in pretty good hands.

although, you were grateful for them, but you found yourself growing desperate for toms return. watching movies and snacking was getting boring. you needed someone to cuddle.

to your luck, you heard tom walk inside, chatting loudly with the boys in the front room. as he traveled towards the room, he could hear the sounds of you blowing your nose behind the door.

“hey darling,” he smiled at you softly. “i brought you some things from the store.” he shook the bag of goodies around with a goofy grin, making you laugh. he was careful not to stomp around as he walked to you, minding your headache.

“aw, really?” you smiled at how thoughtful he was.

“yeah, of course. it’s the least i could do after leaving you to suffer all day.” he laid out your favorite snacks and you gushed.

“oh tommy, you didn’t have to.”

“really? ok i’ll just take them back to the store. or better yet, i’ll just eat them.” he teased.

“no, stop! i’ll eat them, i just want you to hold me right now.” you pouted and made grabby hands at him, making smile and give in.

after kicking off his shoes, he climbed under the covers with you and held you close, not even caring about catching your sickness. he frowned sympathetically at the feeling of your burning hot skin against his.

“your fever didn’t let up, huh?” he mumbled in your ear.

“nope, not by much,” you sighed. “headaches still here too.”

“i’m sorry darling,” he pressed a kiss to your forehead. “i wish there was more i could do. i feel helpless.”

you thought about anything he could do for you, and that’s when a rather suggestive idea occupied your mind.

“you know,” you smirked. “i was watching a lot of science crap on tv and they said that orgasms can help take away headaches.”

“get out of here.” he chuckled.

“i’m serious, you can even look it up.”

without hesitation, he pulled out his phone, playfully narrowing his eyes at you from behind it. you giggled as a smirk drew to his lips as he was reading.

“wanna try it?” he asked eagerly. “in all honesty, you don’t even need to be sick for me to do this.”

you nodded and bit your lip, watching as he rolled your shirt up, leaving tender kisses all over your breasts, and trailed them slowly down your stomach. he helped you out of your shorts and panties, nearly moaning at how you were dripping wet.

“fuck, y/n. i haven’t even got started yet.” he chuckled lowly. he spread your legs wider, gaping hungrily at the mess you made for him.

you whined as he blew air on your cunt, making you cry out impatiently. “tom please do something-“ you cut yourself off with a strained moan when he finally placed his tongue on you, dragging his tongue from your slit to the hood of your clit.

you let your head land on your pillow as your mouth hung open. he was absolutely devouring you. his tongue flicked your clit furiously, causing your back to arch.

he moaned at the sweet taste of you, sending vibrations to your core, stimulating you even more. you couldn’t help but squirm under him, the feelings of ecstasy he was giving you were hitting you hard. he threw your legs over his shoulders with ease, and placed his hand over your stomach, keeping you nice and still for him.

you cried out as he slid two fingers inside of you, thrusting them at a rapid pace, causing filthy squelching sounds. he replaced his tongue with his fingers, rubbing the life out of your sensitive bud, as his tongue plunged in and out of your hole. you felt hot tears running down your cheeks and your chest heaved.

you felt your high approaching you quickly, but you felt tom pull away. you whined and glared at him. you opened your mouth to talk but before you could complain he shushed you.

“when you cum, i want you to look at me. i wanna see those pretty eyes when you cum in my mouth, okay?”

you nodded and gasped once he dipped his tongue back inside you and tweaked your clit with his fingers. you felt the knot form in your stomach again and you remembered to keep eye contact with him.

looking at him with his head buried between your legs was a sight to behold, you couldn’t help but grind yourself against his face. you almost screamed once your long-awaited climax came crashing down. your legs trembled as you fisted the sheets, all while maintaining intense eye contact with tom.

he slowed to a stop and smiled at you sweetly. “you did so good for me baby.” he stroked your outer thigh while he slurped up your juices that were running down your inner thighs. he sat up, and licked his lips and fingers clean of you.

“hey, i’ll be back, i’m gonna clean you up a bit okay?”

you nodded and rested against the pillows again. tom came back with a wet cloth, and began cleaning you up, minding your sensitivity.

“so, you feel any better?” he asked as he pulled you into his chest again.

“i do, actually. my headaches mostly gone and i don’t feel like i’m being crushed by a boulder anymore.” you smiled happily.

“that’s good darling.” he kissed your head softly. “god i love science.”

“i thought you said you failed science-“

“shut your mouth.”

after a while of comfortable silence, you started laughing as you stared at your phone, making toms eyebrows shoot up in confusion.

“what’s so funny?”

“check the group chat,” you wheezed.

tom looked at the group chat which contained you, harrison, sam, harry, and tuwaine. the chat was filled with them pleading you and tom to be quiet.

“harry said he’s “drilling nails into his eardrums”?” tom laughed loudly as he read more of their complaints.

“hm… let’s do it again. i’m feeling a little congested.” you smirked.

“you’re on.”

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

taglist 🏷

@raajali3 @crazyknight @hqllandxx @popeheywardssecretgf @luvhann @tellmeonce @tiredofc0ffee @saliciaknows

[hockeyboysimagines]

Bitter

Chapter 8

Warnings: angst, language, mentions of sex and alcohol.

Sorry this is so overdue. I had Covid AGAIN. And I’ve just been feeling so unmotivated lately. Let me know what you guys think🤍

“Mat?” Ginny was hurrying down the hall, long hair tangled in the collar of her jacket. Various others were seated around and turned at her arrival, including Beau but she could care less about them.

“Hey you got my-“

“Is she okay?” She asked coming to a halt in front of him. Beau stood and came to stand with them as several teammates stood to listen to what he had to say. He looked grim and tired, but he smiled a little to reassure her.

“She’s okay but there’s been some complications.” He said eyes moving to his feet. His smile disappeared.

“What do you mean complications?” Ginny asked, eyebrows knotting together “You just said she was fine.”

“She is fine…right now. But the doctors said Leighton has a condition…” he began to explain. Everything sounded muffled but words jumped out at her. “Premature” “hemorrhage” “cardiac distress”

“But…but she’s okay right?” She could feel her heart bleeding and sliding down into her stomach, making it churn and a wave of nausea bubbles up filling her with cold dread and hot anxiety. She felt sick and sweaty, like she might vomit if her throat hadn’t closed.

“Yeah yeah she’s fine, the baby too. As long as everything goes perfectly and nothing else happens they’ll both be fine.”

“And if it doesn’t go perfectly? What then?”

Mat pursed his lips and blinked a few times before he cleared his throat “We could lose her Ginny. She could die. The baby too.”

Ginny felt fear drip down her like someone was drowning her in maple syrup. She was aware of a hand on her shoulder and knew it was Beau but she didn’t move. While she appreciated the gesture she didn’t care about anything besides her best friend. Even though he’d been the first thing on her mind the last few weeks, he was the last thing she was thinking about now.

“She’s asking for you.” Mat said touching her arm and nodding behind him “Go ahead.” He gave her elbow a squeeze and moved so she could pass him.

Her lip trembled but she nodded and walked wordlessly past him, Beau’s hand slipping from her shoulder as she tried to hold in her tears. She stopped outside Leighton’s room and took a deep breath, blinking the tears away as she stared up at the fluorescents. She let the breath out and turned the corner.

Leighton was in a hospital gown, seated in the middle of the bed. She looked tired, but relaxed, and the TV was playing lowly in the background. She looked up when she entered, and something like relief spread across her features.

“Hey best friend.” She gave her a tired smile and patted the bed next to her.

“Hey best friend.” Ginny said softly, a tear rolling down her face as she sat.

“What’s the matter? I’m fine.” Leighton smiled wider, holding her hand out and Ginny grasped it, sucking in a breath.

“That’s not what Mat told me.” Ginny said shaking her head, another tear rolling down her cheek “Your not fine.”

Leighton’s smile faded slowly and she sighed “He told you.”

“He did. But why didn’t you? We aren’t supposed to keep secrets remember? And here we are keeping all these secrets.” Ginny sniffled and Leighton squeezed her hand.

“Because I knew you would take this problem on as your own and I didn’t want to worry you.”

“The doesn’t mean you don’t tell me something this serious. I need to know these things. How can I fix it if I don’t know what I’m fixing.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. And I don’t know Gin but we’ll get through this. We’re going to be fine.” She squeezed her hand and touched her stomach, giving her a smile.

“You better be fine.” Ginny choked out, tears dripping down her cheeks on to the hospital bedspread. “We’re supposed to grow old together, and get wrinkles and Botox and grey hair. How would we ever go on without your stupid skinny ass?”

“Your not going to have to. I’m not going anywhere. I promise. No more secrets. And you already have wrinkles.” She said with a small smile.

“Yeah because of you bitch.” Ginny choked out with a laugh. Leighton opened her arms wide and Ginny fell into them still crying. Leighton rested her chin on top of her head.

“It’s all going to be okay.”

***********

Beau felt exhausted by the events of the last few days.

More had happened in the last week than had happened in a year of his life and he felt like he was 80 years old as he sank into his sofa.

First, he’d been sabotaged by a psycho bitch from hell, and had been caught sleeping with his best friends fiancé’s best friend. Then he’d had a huge blowout with said best friends fiancé’s best friend. Then best friends fiancé’s best friend ends up in the hospital with complications of a pregnancy he didn’t even know about.

His head was spinning.

He closed his eyes and thought about Mat, and Leighton and Ginny. He supposed to safe little bubble that held the 4 of them together would have to be popped eventually but he had hoped it would be a smoother process than it had been.

But what was really on his mind was Kaitlin.

He was less concerned with her setting him up and more concerned with how she even found out. They’d been so careful. They never met anywhere in public, they only met up after dark, and Ginny only ever used the back entrance to the building. They’d always deleted all texts and never talked on the phone. And then it hit him.

“That crazy bitch has been following me.” He mumbled sitting up straight on his sofa. He couldn’t believe it.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Mat’s number, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for him to answer.

“Hello?” Mat was speaking quietly from the other end of the phone, and he heard a door creak faintly in the background.

“Are you busy?”

“No. Leighton just fell asleep. Why?”

“Kaitlin has been following me. I think.”

Mat was silent for a few minutes before he spoke “What? Why would you think that?”

“There is no other way she could have found out about me and Ginny. Think about it. If you guys didn’t know how could she? We worked pretty hard to keep it under wraps and the only way she could have known is if she was keeping tabs.”

“Dude that’s insane.”

“No it’s not. Not really. Are you really saying she’s not crazy enough to do something like that?”

“Well…well no I guess she is but following you? I don’t know man. That just sounds…”

“Dangerous. We have to do something.”

“Do what? I don’t want to stress Leighton out anymore than she is okay?”

“How is she?”

Mat was quiet “I don’t know really. She’s okay right now but it’s not right now I’m worried about.” He’d never heard Mat sound so sad and defeated, except after Kaitlin left him at the altar. That had obviously worked out for the better, but Beau wasn’t so sure this would.

“Go check on her. We’ll deal with Kaitlin later. But watch your back.”

“Will do. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow.”

He hung up and leaned back, scrolling through his contacts till he found Ginny. His finger hovered over the call button before he pressed it. It rang three times before she answered.

“Hello?”

He was surprised for a second that she actually picked up before he spoke “Hey. How are you doing?”

“How do you think I’m doing?” Her voice sounded raw and congested, and he could tell she’d been crying. He couldn’t imagine how she was feeling. He loved Leighton and he was devastated to hear that her life was at risk, but Ginny had a love for her that ran deep. They’d been lifelong friends, and he knew that Ginny didn’t really know a life without her. He felt terrible for her.

“I would assume not very well. That’s why I called. I wanted to make sure your okay.”

She let out a breath “I’m not okay. I haven’t been for a long time.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Just…everything I guess. Everything that your going through.”

“Thanks.” Her voice broke a little and felt his heart sink. He didn’t want to see her like this, and hearing the hurt in her voice hurt him.

“Do you need anything?”

“No.”

They were both quiet before she spoke again “I should go. I can’t talk about this right now.”

“Okay. If you need me or anything just call.”

“I think it’s best that I don’t call, even if I need you.”

“Ginny-“

“I have to go. Bye.” He could hear her voice trembling as she said it and then hung up. He was disappointed in himself for hurting her.

A tiny part of him had thought that maybe once their situation was put in the open it could evolve into something more. He’d been shocked obviously to find Mat and Leighton at his apartment just 24 hours ago, but he’d also been relieved. It was a hard secret to keep and one he didn’t really want to.

It had obviously crashed and burned rather suddenly, and he then felt stupid for thinking things could be different. But he still had a small glimmer of hope. It felt silly at the moment, with everything else going on, to even be thinking about his weeks of hooking up with Ginny. Things were so bleak, and the thought of her was a small, but shimmering bright spot.

He wanted to be with her, but he was also still pissed at her.

Which is exactly why he was about to do something stupid.

In an effort to forget about her for just a few minutes he scrolled further through his contacts and found the one he was looking for before he got the green call button.

“Hello?”

“Hey Kerry, it’s Beau.”

She was silent on the other end before she spoke “Hi. Long time no talk.”

He’d only went out with her a few times, if you could even call it that. She was a sweet girl, but he wasn’t looking for sweet.

“Yeah I know. But I was wondering if your free on Friday?”

“For?”

“Mat and Leighton are having a party before their wedding. I wanted to ask if you want to come with me?”

Even he knew how stupid this was. Bringing another girl to a party Ginny would also be at was absolute insanity. But maybe it would make her realize she felt something for him.

“You wanna take me? We haven’t spoken in over 3 months.”

“Yeah I know, but I’ve been thinking about you.”

She giggled and sighed. He felt bad, because he wasn’t thinking about her at all. He’d forgotten she even existed, but she was the first person he thought of. She’d pushed for a relationship that he didn’t want so he basically ghosted her. It wasn’t right, but then he’d gotten involved with Ginny and cut all the other girls off.

“I mean sure.” She said finally “What time?”

“I’ll pick you up around 5? It starts at 5:30.”

“Okay that sounds great.”

They chatted for a few more moments before he hung up and sat down on his sofa and turned the tv on. He was mildly aware that what he was doing wasn’t okay but he pushed it out of his mind.

***********

Across town Ginny was lying in bed on her side, eyes closed. A single tear slid across her nose and dripped in to her pillow.

She felt so many emotions. Anger, helpless, tired. But mostly she just felt sad.

She didn’t know a life that Leighton wasn’t a part of. The idea of losing her best friend gave her a sense of fear she’d never felt before.

And it was crippling. She’d been checking in with her every hour but was too afraid to go see her because she didn’t want to cry in front of her. Ginny was always Leighton’s strong thing to hold on to when life got stormy. Her safe place when things got scary. Her hand to hold when things got lonely.

And now there was absolutely nothing she could do to help her, except stand by and watch.

And then there was Beau. She’d been extraordinarily mean to him the past few days, and while she felt bad she also didn’t. The faster she pushed him away, the less it would hurt. When ripping off a bandage, it’s better to yank it from your skin and deal with a sharp flash of pain, than to peel it slowly and suffer as it pulled and yanked at your flesh.

Her eyes felt extraordinarily heavy as she took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down. She opened them and caught sight of her favorite picture of her and Leighton.

Things would be fine.

She thought to herself as she took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes again.

Everything would be fine. Because it had to be.

**********

Beau knocked on Mat and Leighton’s door three times before he heard her answer on the other side.

“It’s open.”

He took a deep breath and opened the door. She was seated on the couch. She looked a little surprised to see him as he moved forward and sat down. He hadn’t talked with her since she and Mat found Ginny pants less in his apartment and while he didn’t want to stress her out, her friendship to him was important, and he wanted to explain himself.

“You know, you shouldn’t leave your door unlocked. Not with that psychopath running around out there.”

“I’m not afraid of her.”

He was quiet a moment before he met her eye “How are you feeling?”

She absently placed a hand on her stomach “Fine right now. I can’t say I’ll feel the same in an hour though. I’m on strict bed rest.”

“Good. You shouldn’t be overdoing it or stressing yourself out.”

“Stress is unavoidable in my life.”

“Yeah…” he ran the tow of his shoe across the floor and cleared his throat “I’m sorry for adding more to it.”

She sighed and met his eyes with a small smile “Beau it’s okay. I’m not mad at you.”

“You should be. I feel like I ruined our friendship by lying to you. It wasn’t right.”

“No it wasn’t, but I get it. You know I’ve known Ginny my whole life. And she’s the best person I know.” She smiled at him and shook her head “But she is not for the faint of heart.”

“Yeah.” He chuckled a little “I found that out the hard way.”

“She’s difficult, and stubborn, and wild but she’s also unbelievably kind, courageous, and the most beautiful soul. But she’s also fragile behind all of that. More than she’d ever admit out loud to anyone.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt her you know….it became…it became.” He frowned and tried to find the right words.

“More than a hookup? I’m not surprised. She’s always left an impression.”

He huffed and leaned back, slouching into the sofa “I feel terrible, but I also don’t regret it you know?”

“I understand.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“I can’t give you the answers, but I can tell you this. If Ginny means something to you, you have to be either all in or all out. That’s the only way things can ever get better.”

He nodded and sighed “I tried to call her. But she didn’t really wanna talk to me.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised. She’s taking this-“ Leighton said, gesturing at her stomach “On as her problem. Now is probably the worst time to try and hash this out with her.”

“She loves you. I can’t say that I blame her for not wanting to talk right now. When we were in Manhattan, she talked a lot about you and her and your friendship. It was the first time I feel like I saw the real Ginny.”

Leighton smiled “You did, and that in itself is an impressive feat. Most people don’t get to see that Ginny, sometimes not even me. She puts on a brave face to hide her pain from other people, because she’s too afraid to let anyone in. She’s hid her problems from me for years, because she was too busy trying to solve mine.”

“I kind of admire her, her strength. And I think I have from the first time I ever really talked to her. I just wanted to know her.”

Leighton gripped his hand “Be patient. If she truly cares about you, and I believe she does, she’ll realize it and come back.”

He smiled and squeezed her hand back, forgetting for a while that he had invited Kerry to their pre-wedding get together.

*********

Ginny was in a bad mood. She angrily sipped at her drink as she sat at the bar, legs crossed at the ankles.

“What’s your problem?” She turned to find Mat seating himself at on the stool next to her. Ginny looked over his shoulder.

“She’s in the bathroom.”

“By herself?”

“Lauren went with her, so what’s going on?”

“Nothing.” She mumbled, stirring the ice.

“Uh huh. If that’s your story.”

Ginny stared at a spot on the wall, stoney faced.

“There is literally nothing you can do about this Ginny-“

“Stop. Just stop. You have no idea how I feel right now.”

“Oh yeah? I have no idea?”

“No you don’t.” Ginny snapped. She knew she was wrong, but she was angry.

Mat was staring at her open mouthed “Do you think this is easy for me?”

Ginny didn’t answer so he continued “You’re not the only one who loves her you know. I do too. And if you think for one second that if something happens to her, I won’t carry it around for the rest of my life, your out of your mind.”

She turned to him slowly, eyes softening “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just having a hard time with this.”

Mat reached forward and squeezed her hand “Me too, but you don’t have to go through this alone you know. You have so many people to talk to. The girls, me, Beau…” he trailed off.

She scoffed “Yeah. I don’t think we’ll be talking anytime soon.”

“Ginny I-“

But Ginny smiled broadly over his shoulder. Leighton had come out of the bathroom and was making her way over to them. Ginny pulled her into a tight hug, eyes closing. Ginny and Leighton had hugged a lot over the years, but this one was different. It felt like a hug you give someone when your planning to never see them again. Mat looked at his feet.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright. Just tired, but I’ve been stuck inside that apartment for days so I wanted to come out for a while.”

Ginny ordered her a water, Mat gave her his stool to sit on. She had just opened her mouth to speak when Beau appeared. Ginny felt a lump form in her throat as she looked him in the eye for the first time since she’d stormed out of his apartment. He gave Mat a slap on the arm, and Leighton a kiss on the cheek before his eyes landed on her.

“Ginny.” He said, lips pursed, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Hi.” She turned away from him, for fear that if she looked him in the eyes any longer she might cry. It was silent for a minute until the rest of their friends made their way over, and the group fell into idle chit chat.

Ginny pushed her glass toward the bartender and slid off her stool, excusing herself to go to the bathroom. As she went to brush past Beau she froze.

Standing some feet away, was Kaitlin, grinning a mile wide. As the other caught her expression, and noticed Kaitlin, their group grew completely silent. Ginny felt her face get hot, and her blood begin to boil and before she knew it, her vision got dark and more rage then she’d ever felt exploded in her like a volcano, as she started to move.

“Ginny No!!!”

But it was too late. Ginny was already three steps ahead, reared her arm back and punched Kaitlin hard in the nose. Kaitlin screamed and she and Ginny went down in a tangle of arms and legs, profanities spewing.

Leighton made a move forward but Lauren caught her arm “Absolutely not.”

Marty and Mat both hurried forward and each grabbed one of the girls, separating them. Kaitlin was bleeding from the nose but Ginny was untouched.

“Don’t you ever come near my best friend again or I swear I’ll fucking kill you Kaitlin.”

Ginny was enraged, more angry than Mat had ever seen her, including the time she’d thrown the picture frame at him. She meant what she said. Kaitlin took off through the crowd and Ginny yanked her arm from his grip, turning to look at Leighton and then heading in the opposite direction.

Mat shared a look with Beau who nodded, and followed her outside. He found her behind the bar. She was leaned forward, hands on her knees, breathing through her nose. She didn’t look at him as he approached, but she knew he was there.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly.

“Me? I’m fucking fine.”

Beau nodded and opened his mouth to speak again but she cut him off “Leave me alone Beau.”

“I was just-“

“I don’t care!” She snapped turning around sharply. She was angry, and rightfully so, though he wasn’t sure if she was more angry at him or at Kaitlin. Her eyes were wild, cheeks red, fists clenched at her side “I don’t fucking care.”

He supposed her deserved this treatment, it was him after all who told her to get out of his apartment, but he had hoped maybe her feelings for him would override any remaining anger she had.

It was evident now that he was wrong.

“Ginny can-“

“No we can’t. Leave me alone.” She said again quietly “ I don’t want to talk to you.”

She turned on her heel and disappeared back inside. He sighed and gave her a few minutes before he too went back inside. Mat and Leighton were saying their goodbyes, and Ginny was nowhere to be found. He glanced around before Leighton spoke.

“She left. And it’s probably for the best that she did.” Leighton looked drained, one of Mat’s hands on her lower back.

“Get some rest.” Beau said leaning forward to give her a hug. She nodded and turned away, giving him a tight smile.

“Well that went well.” Lauren said from behind him.

“You know what though? I can’t say I didn’t like it. I mean someone had to do it.”

“He’s not lying.” Marty said, leaning on the bar “It’s a shame it had to come to this, but I suppose it’s inevitable at this point. It’s gone too far.”

“It’s her own fucking fault. She’s the reason they found-“but Beau stopped himself.

“Found what?” Lauren asked frowning at him.

He sighed “Kaitlin is the reason Mat and Leighton found out about me and Ginny.”

They all swiveled to look at him, eyebrows raised.

“Are you kidding me?” Sidney asked.

“No. I’m not. She saw us together and set us up.”

“And how long has this been going on?”

“A few months.”

“And are you still-“

“No. But I don’t really wanna talk about it. I’m gonna just go home I think. Not really in the party mood.” He said his goodbyes and made his way outside. As he started to drive he lost track of his thoughts and soon he was parked outside Ginny’s apartment. He sat for a while, wondering if he should just go home.

Fuck it.

He made his way upstairs and knocked on her door. She answered and before she could say anything he opened the door and pushed inside, lips coming to meet hers in a heated kiss. She pulled him in closer by the arm as he kicked the door shut behind him. She pulled hurriedly at his jacket, shoving it down over his shoulders and yanking his shirt over his head. He hoisted her up and carried her to her bedroom, setting her down so she could removed jeans as he stepped out of his. She slip her underwear down and scorched back on the bed as he came to rest between her legs, firmly pushing inside her in one swift movement.

She gasped and closed her eyes, arching up against him. He kissed her again, slower this time as he had a came to rest on his lower back, fingers gripping his skin. He pushed inside her slowly, methodically. This felt different, he gripped each of her hands, fingers intertwining, and pulled them up over her head.

She was staring at him, cheeks red as he pushed deeper, eyes burning into his.

“Beau.” She breathed, eyes closing as he leaned down to kiss her very softly. He felt like he was about to burst, an emotion filling his chest that he’d never felt before. Her breath quickened as he gave his last few pushes, head falling into the crook of her neck.

He laid there, the feeling of her heartbeat and the sound of her breathing the only noise filling the room. And then he was kissing her, lips moving very slowly and softly against hers. As he pulled away and rolled off her, tears spilled from her eyes, and a large heaving sob came from her chest.

“Hey. Hey.” He said pulling her towards him “it’s okay. Everything is okay.”

He pulled her into his chest, and stayed with her as she broke down, not knowing what was going to happen, but being thankful that for right her and now, she was here with him.

[minaramen]

Tenn Kujo - 16 Idol Album - Part 3: Forever with my loved ones

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Tenn: I used to learn songs and dances in order to make Riku smile. Also, so many games that could make him smile naturally came to mind

Tenn: Because of that I was praised by my parents and the people around me, but there was nothing I couldn’t do if it meant Riku would smile

Tenn: I was so happy to see Riku’s smile, I just couldn’t get enough of it, so I prepared more and more stages everyday, just the little two of us

Tenn: There was nothing that made me happier than seeing his bright eyes, when he told me “you’re amazing, Tenn nii”

Ryunosuke:..Tenn…

Ryunosuke:....can I hug you?

Tenn: What?!

Gaku: Then I’ll hug the two of you from behind

Tenn: What are you saying, big men?!

Ryunosuke: Ahah, sorry. I just had the sudden urge to hug the little Tenn from the past

Tenn: I’m not the little Tenn from the past

Gaku: Really? And yet you have so many traits of a brat

Tenn:.........

Gaku: …ugh!! Don’t step on my toes!! It hurts!!

Ryunosuke: I met Riku kun at the TV studio a few days ago. We talked about you

Tenn: About…me?

Ryunosuke: He told me that you’ve always been the perfect big brother, but that was due to the fact that he asked you to be like that

Ryunosuke: He said that you were so patient, and you sacrificed yourself a lot

Tenn: No, that’s…

Gaku: Why don’t you brothers try a heart-to-heart, for once? The feelings you had for each other when you were children didn’t change

Gaku: When I look at the two of you, I feel frustrated

Tenn: You feel…frustrated?

Gaku: Yeah. I always want to see a cool expression on your face. I can’t stand your sad expression every time we cross paths with Nanase

Ryunosuke: I also have little brothers, so I understand. It’s not easy to express your feelings…

Ryunosuke: You know all about each other, your assumptions about the other are deep-rooted and difficult to untie

Tenn: For me, the time I spent together with Riku was irreplaceable. I wouldn’t have changed it for anything

Tenn: It was no sacrifice. I was the one wanting to see Riku’s smile. It was something selfish, actually

Gaku:....It was not selfishness

Gaku: It was love

Ryunosuke: Yes, it was love

Tenn: Don’t say things like that with such a smile. It’s pretty embarrassing

Gaku: It’s the same when you’re standing on the stage with us. You don’t care about your physical condition at all

Gaku: You always stand on an amazing, bright place, enchanting our amazing fans with your smile

Ryunosuke: When we look at you, we get enchanted as well.  Aah, I want the 3 of us to keep singing and dancing forever!

Gaku: Both the stages you made with Nanase and the ones you made with us and our fans, are created with the magic of love

Tenn: …fu… what’s wrong with you?

Tenn: Aren’t we going a little too far with sentimentalism? 

Tenn:...but, yes. It's lovely, warm, kind magic

Tenn: I wonder if this magic can ever exist again, between me and Riku

Ryunosuke: Of course it can! Forever and ever!

Tenn: Thank you both. I love you

Gaku: Eh?! What’s with that docile approach, all of a sudden?!

Ryunosuke: Ahah, I like you guys a lot as well! I love you! It’s the same for you, right, Gaku?

Gaku: Well, that’s obvious

Tenn: …say it properly, then. Like Ryuu did

Gaku: I literally said it’s obvious!

Ryunosuke: Gaku…I’d like you to say it too

Gaku: Ahah, what’s with you guys? I love you, then!

Tenn&Ryuunosuke: Wah…!

Ryunosuke: We’ve just received fanservice from Gaku. I guess this is how our fans feel!

Tenn: It was pretty strong, almost the same tension as when you say “Hey, wait!”

Gaku: Hey, don’t make it sound like my fanservice is poor!

Ryunosuke: Speaking about fanservice, Tenn, you’re the kind of guy who communicates his feelings to fans straight. I bet you did the same with Riku?

Tenn:...I did. He told me things like “wave your hand”, “give a wink”...and I did my best to live up to his expectations

Tenn: When he got into playing the robot game, he told me to do all these things like a robot. I was a little confused

Ryunosuke: Like a robot! “Hello, my name is Tenn nii robot! Let’s play together!”...something like that?

Tenn: Could you please avoid being embarrassed when you say it?

Gaku: I didn’t expect you to make such a cute voice, Ryuu!

Ryunosuke: Yes, I’m kind of amazed at myself

Gaku: I bet it was more like “My-name-is-Tenn-nii-robot”

Tenn: You sound more like an alien than a robot

Gaku: How was it, then? Let me hear how a robot sounds, Tenn

Tenn: There’s nothing worse than asking you to do something absurd

Gaku: What do you mean?!

Ryunosuke:...hey, why don’t you play the robot game with us? It sounded fun to me, when I listened to the story

Tenn: Grown men as robots?!

Ryunosuke: Yes! Try to give us some orders. You’re the captain, today!

Tenn: The captain…I think it’s the first time I’m the one giving orders…

Gaku: You have such a happy face! Basically me doing something absurd is the worst thing ever, but it’s okay when it comes to Ryuu?!

Tenn: Yes, because it’s Ryuu

Gaku: Gh…!

Ryunosuke: We’re children now! We met at my house to play games!

Gaku: Sounds good! We’re children, and Tenn just became the captain by winning against us at rock-paper-scissors!

Tenn: Ahaha! So we’re almost 10 years younger, now?

Ryunosuke *thinking*: He seems so happy. How cute! 

Gaku *thinking*: You look really happy, you cute little one

Tenn: Okay, let’s get started! Gaku-robot, equip the laser sword!

Gaku: Kyuuuin, kashuuun! Click! Equipment completed! 

Tenn: Okay, let’s get started! Ryuu-robot, fire the missiles! 

Ryunosuke: Brrrrrrrr! Booom!! Target, successfully taken down!

Tenn:....fufu…wait, that’s too funny, kashuuun, brrrrr…I just can’t…!

Gaku: Was it weird?

Ryunosuke: No, it was cool! It sounded great!

Gaku: Yeah! That brrrrrrr of yours was great!

Tenn: Hey, you two…do you think this is a conversation that men over twenty would normally have? Fufu…

Gaku: It’s good! If we got to meet when we were children, we would have talked like that!

Ryunosuke: Yes! And we would have been best buddies back then too!

Tenn:........

Tenn *thinking*: You know, Riku. We were the only owners of the world we created when we were children

Tenn *thinking*: Maybe you could have laughed more if you had someone else by your side, like the sky adorned with a rainbow

Tenn *thinking*: Were you happy on a stage that was ours and ours only?

Tenn *thinking*:  I’m not sure about the answer, but I’m happy that you also have friends standing by you

Tenn: ….Gaku robot, Ryuu robot

Tenn: Always stay by my side

Gaku&Ryunosuke:....Tenn…!

Tenn: No matter how many painful days may come, no matter how difficult it may be for me to even stand up during those days, no matter how much muddy water I may be forced to drink

Tenn: If you’re by my side, I’ll be invincible. I’ll be able to sing and dance until the very end, forever

The end

TL notes: Next up - Riku Nanase 16 Idol Album

[bonniebird]

Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader

Requested by anon

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With a sigh you shut the front door. When you’d seen the small house it had been nice. Old kitchen but in good shape, plush carpets, new air conditioning and a good bathroom. Plus a small cloakroom. A large living room off a small dining room and two reasonably sized bedrooms. It was perfect.

Until the topic of rent came up. With rent at four hundred dollars a month and no furniture there was no way you could make enough to rent the place, buy furniture and cover your other bills. Using all your savings you put the deposit down and tried to find a roommate. You put a notice up at the mall, pool and video store. Steve let you put down the number for Scoops Ahoy and fielded several calls for you. It turned out that even in a town as small as Hawkins. There were a lot of weirdos. During your second round of roommate searching, with less than a week to go to find a roommate, you went to the community pool to post a last flyer on their message board. You jumped when someone reached over your shoulder and snatched the flyer from you.

“Hey!” You snapped. When you turned around and saw Billy, a few of his friends scattered behind him. 

“You know putting this up will just get a load of creeps calling you.” Billy said as he looked it over. “Two hundred for rent?”

“I have someone fielding my calls. From creeps… please give that back it’s the last one I have and I can’t afford to get any more printed.” You asked quickly. Billy looked for a moment like he might rip the page in half but he handed it back.

“Just the two hundred?” He pressed.

“I’ve already paid the full deposit. I just need next month’s rent. I have half. Plus monthly expenses. Also some furniture because there isn’t any.” You explained quickly. You hoped that maybe one of the pool workers would pop up and say it was just the deal they’d been looking for. Instead Billy reached into his red Hawkins pool duffle bag and held out a roll of cash.

“Should cover a lot for the rest of the month.” Billy said.

“Excuse me?” You asked.

“I’m looking for somewhere to move.” Billy said quickly. The people around him seemed to go nervously quiet.

“You… are? You don’t want to see where it is?” You asked. He frowned at you and pointed at the poster. “Right. All the info is there. Ok… well here.” You took the poster and wrote down the full address.

The day you moved in went quick. Your friends helped and by the end of the day you had managed to move in everything you needed. Once everyone had gone you turned to look at your hard work. You had one side table next to an old armchair that you and Steve had found on the side of the road and you and Nancy had reupholstered. You had one mug which hung from the mug rack in the kitchen. The dining room was empty. Your room had a small wardrobe and a mattress. It wasn’t much but it was a start.

A thumping at the door made you abandon your critical judgement of your new home. Opening the door you found Billy and his friends. “You have no stuff.” Billy commented as he dragged a few bin bags into the hallway.

“Oh. Yeah… I’m sure it’ll be full here in no time.” You said quickly. Billy shrugged and let you lead him to his room off the living room. He dropped his bags, his friends doing the same and then followed you around the house.

Billy seemed to be more set up than you. He actually had a bed frame. By the time he had moved in it was late but he added a coffee table and a tv to the living room and several gym pieces to the dining room.

At first having Billy as a roommate was working well. You had bills covered, he dropped you off and picked you up to do big shops at the mall, the two of you even managed to gather enough dishes to have a full set for two people. But as soon as the first month was over things started to go wrong. Billy was less persistent in helping out and a few times you had scrambled to cover his part of the bills by picking up extra shifts and towards the first year mark of living in the new house you had picked up two more jobs, one at the video store and the other at Scoops Ahoy on the weekend when you had days off from your first job.

  “You haven't put in your half of the electricity or the cable bill.” You said irritably. You’d had to press and press for his half of the other bills and while you’d been warned to be weary of Billy’s temper, you found yourself unable to curb your tone.

“I don’t have it.” Billy muttered.

“But you got paid yesterday! How can it all be gone already?” You chastised him. He frowned at you, cigarette in his fingers flicking irritably. 

“I had a few days off this month, I didn’t have enough to cover it. Unlike you, I enjoy having fun.” Billy snapped.

“Fun. You are risking our electricity being cut off for some fun?” You said, irritated enough to scoff and roll your eyes at him.

“If you’re so worried about the bills maybe you should walk to work instead of spending a hundred a month on the bus fare.” Billy sounded sharp when he spoke. He seemed to grow bigger in the doorway. 

“Walk to work?” You snapped. Your voice had raised and become shrill. Billy raised his eyebrows at you. “I’m working three jobs. I haven’t had an afternoon off let alone a day off in over two months.”

Tears angrily prickled your eyes and you rubbed at them. Billy cleared his throat and stubbed his cigarette out. He tried to speak but you harshly pointed a finger at him and shook your head as you sniffed. You were exhausted. You still hadn’t found a bed frame and you had to get up so early and got back so late you barely slept.

“How much are we short by?” He asked quietly.

“Forty nine dollars.” You said and sniffed, trying to not look emotional. Billy didn’t say anything. He nodded and went into his room. The next morning you got up before him, not hearing the usual rucas of him getting ready and walked across town to the video store. Kevin had said if you got there early he could give you a long shift and you’d have a bonus for helping him check the stock.

“Billy?” You said in confusion when you went into the back and saw Billy. He looked oddly comfortable squashed into the back office with Kevin who was handing him some papers.

“(Y/N)?” He answered without looking up from the papers he was signing.

“What’re you doing here?” You asked dubiously.

“I’m about to start a shift… what’re you doing here?” He asked once he handed the paper work back. Kevin took it and put it in a grey filing cabinet at the back of the office then he shuffled past you.

“He only got the job because he knows you. He better be good at the job.” Kevin muttered. You nodded and promised it would be fine and he left to check the store before he opened.

“You got an extra job?” You asked.

“Yeah. Well. We needed the extra money for the bills right.” He said as he got up and walked over to you.

“Right! That’s great we’ll only be a few days late with the bill.” You said cheerfully, feeling relieved.

“Well… yeah. Also and don’t freak out. But, the pool will be closing in a couple of weeks and won't open again until the summer.” As Billy spoke he crossed the distance between you and put his hands on your arms, just below your shoulders, holding you steady. “Are you ok? Your eye is twitching and you’re breathing kind of weird.”

“The only way I could work more hours is if I don’t sleep.” You mumbled.

“I have an interview at the garage at the end of the mall this afternoon and I found you a bedframe. It’s second hand and a little broken but I think I could fix it?” Billy frowned like he wasn’t sure you wouldn’t slap him. When you let out a relieved sigh he let you go.

“Really?” You asked hopefully.

“Yeah. If I get the garage job you’ll be able to drop one of yours and we can both have time off. You should have said before, I didn’t realise…” Billy muttered awkwardly. You followed his gaze and saw Kevin, Steve and Robin watching from the end of an aisle.

“Thanks Billy.” You said and sighed as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders.

“You’re working at the mall in the afternoon? Maybe I could give you a lift? My gas bill goes up but you can get that massive monthly bus fare way down.” Billy smiled when your eyes glazed over.

“I guess…” You started to speak but trailed off doing the math in your head. Kevin called out to you both to get to work and Billy promised to give you all the details on his car so you could put it into your complex bill planner.

Billy tags:

@lisainhell @spiderwebs-blog @gryffindorqueensworld @rockyrascal @twerp8999 @theletterhart @boardstomymood @big-galaxy-chaos @greekktragedyy @ietss @alexxavicry @daughterofthenight117 @sarcasm-n-insomnia @multi-fandom5 @skylermoyer @justice-for-the-kaldorei @favmeyou @kaylantus @supernatural-wolfie @yougottalovefandoms @alwaysadreamingoptimist @love1deandra @archaeologydigit @im-eating-rn @bucketbunny @littlefreakingfangirl @hardladyheart @gillybear17 @lchufflepuffcorn

[sergeantbuckybarnes]

social casualty // bucky barnes

Summary: When Sam calls you to let you know Bucky had been arrested you take a flight to see him, there you meet the new Captain.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: TFATWS SPOILERS, some curse words, angst, fluff, john walker (yes. that’s a warning)

A/N: As always, remember English is not my first language. Also, thanks to @trashywritestrash​ and @bong-watershots​ for proofreading this!

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As soon as Sam called you to tell you Bucky had been arrested you took the first flight to Maryland. What the hell were they doing in Maryland anyway? The last time you talked to him was at your apartment when he saw that prick on TV saying Steve felt like a brother to him. After that, he left to look for Sam.

Once you reached the police station, your eyes landed on your friend. “Sam,” you called for him. When noticed your presence he got up from his seat and walked towards you.

“What happened? Where’s Bucky?” you asked worriedly.

“He’s fine, don’t worry. He just missed his court-mandated therapy,” Sam said, his hands on your shoulders trying to calm you.

You were going to talk again when a woman approached you, “Sam, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Doctor Raynor. I’m James’ therapist.” She then looked at you, “You must be Y/N. Nice to meet you,” she shook your hand.

“Doctor Raynor, thank you so much for getting him out.”

She sighed, “That was not me.”

Before any of you could ask who got Bucky out, a voice called for Doctor Raynor. “Christina!” You turned your head to find the source of that voice, only to find that prick again, taking selfies with some civilians. “It’s great to see you again.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. You know him?” Because of Sam’s disbelief, you supposed they had already met him; and it didn’t go well.

“Yeah, we did some field ops back in the day.”

“I heard you were working with Bucky, so I thought I’d step in.” You narrowed your eyes when you heard the man call him Bucky. Who does he think he is? That was a nickname reserved only for his friends. This asshole had no right to call him that. “Bucky’s not gonna be following a strict schedule any longer.”

“We haven’t finished our work. Who authorized this?”

He didn’t answer, he just smiled and pointed at himself. What an egocentric prick. His face was just asking to be punched and you were more than willing to oblige.

He kept talking, but you didn’t pay attention. Your main focus was on the sound of a door opening, then you saw your boyfriend followed by another agent. You ran towards him without thinking twice. “Are you okay?” you asked before wrapping your arms tightly around him. His face hiding in the crook of your neck, taking in your scent.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, doll.” He gave you a sideways smile that you knew wasn’t honest. That was his forced smile. You knew that because you knew him. You’ve seen his real smile; and that isn’t it. But you didn’t want to push him, so you just nodded.

“I got so worried,” you cupped his face in your hands, admiring his features. Just the thought of not seeing him again drove you crazy. His gloved hands covered yours. “There’s nothing to worry about,” he whispered in a voice just for the two of you, “I’m sorry.”

You shook your head “Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault.”

“James, condition of your release, session now. You too, Sam”

“That’s okay. I’ll be out here with Y/N,” he tried to get out of it, but Bucky had told you about Doctor Raynor. You knew he had no escape.

“That wasn’t a request.” Sam crossed his arms around his chest, not finding his situation too appealing. He rolled his eyes, annoyed, and followed Doctor Raynor.

“I’ll wait here,” you said, cupping Bucky’s face once more. You stand on your tiptoes and gave him a peck on his lips before watching him disappear after Sam.

You were sitting in one of the chairs of the police station when you saw Sam exit the room, walking out of the police station without sparing you a second glance.

“What happened in there?” You inquired, “Why is Sam so mad?”

He didn’t say anything, just looked at you. You could see the pain behind his eyes. “Hey,” you took his gloved hands in yours, “You know you can talk to me.”

He averted his gaze to the floor. Holding your gaze was too much for him. You gently grabbed his chin and forced him to look at you. “Don’t shut me out, Buck.” You softened your voice, “Please.”

He swallowed hard, “Do you think Steve was wrong about me?” You noticed the crack in his voice.

“Of course not, honey.” You reassured, “Why would you think that?”

He didn’t answer your question. “Is t’s this because Sam gave up the shield?”

“Steve trusted him. That shield is everything he stood for...” His voice, although louder, still held pain. “It’s his legacy and he trusted Sam with it, and he threw it away like it was nothing.”

You shook your head. There were so many things he still didn’t understand, “Sam only did what he thought was right.”

“If Steve was wrong about him, then he was wrong about me.”

“Steve was right about Sam, and he was right about you.” You wanted him to understand, “You’re a good man, Bucky. Don’t let anyone make you feel like any less.” You knew how he held onto Steve’s word; he believed in him, and so did you. “I believe in you, and I trust you.”

Once you stepped out of the police station you meet Sam again, “You okay?” He nodded.

“Gentlemen,” that annoying voice again. “Good to see you again.” Then his eyes landed on you, and you realize he was only now noticing you. Seems like he didn’t acknowledge your presence in the police station before either. “You’re Y/N Y/L/N. It’s an honor to meet you, I’ve heard a lot of things about you.” You felt the arm of your boyfriend wrapping protectively around your waist. He didn’t like the smile that was plastered on the new guy’s face; or the way his eyes sparkled when he saw you. Captain Prick reached his hand out for you, but you ignored him.

“Can’t say the same thing,” the tone of your voice indifferent “What was your name again?”

He just chuckled and shook his head “Look, if we divide ourselves, we don’t stand a chance. You guys know that.”

“We are free agents. We are most flexible,” Sam said firmly.

“So we are not working with you.” And with that, the three of you made your out.

“A word of advice, then.” You turned to Captain Prick, “Stay the hell out of my way.” You watched him and his friend leave.

Yep. Definitely a prick.