tomsparkyr

[tomsparkyr]

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 ‧₊˚ ┊͙ Joseph Quinn x Fem!reader

summary: it isn’t all the time that a married couple play married couples in their movie as well, an open interview with Joseph quinn and his wife Y/n as they talk about fantastic four.

Word Count: 478

warnings: interview questions…slight humor, just something fun!

Sitting in the small interviewing chairs as the women in front of them wore a warm smile, she started her question.

“So, how does it feel to work with your newly wed wife, Y/n Quinn?” She asked. Y/n smiled widely and turned to Joseph, who smiled too.

‘Uh, it’s a treat to say the least, Y/n is a very talented actress, very well known for every one of her roles–”

“Oh, stop it..” Y/n mumbled while looking away as Joseph shook his head–” No, I’m serious!”

“She has this way of captivating anyone who watches what she's in, and making them believe it's all so real. I often forget I’m watching a movie!” The woman gushed to Y/n, who felt warm all over her face.

“That’s so sweet, oh my gosh.” Y/n smiled as Joseph nodded in agreement.

‘How has it been to have to fall in love on screen? Your characters, Johnny and Malissa, have to share a sort of long-time love for each other especially in the comics, but from what we’ve seen in the trailer, they share a deep connection, especially with playing characters with polar opposite powers.” The woman asked.

Y/n and Joseph nodded slowly as she asked, Joseph looking at Y/n to let her speak on this one, which she noticed–” Falling in love with this guy on screen wasn’t very hard to do, y’kow–” They bunch stared to laugh as they agreed, Joseph smiling deeply–” It’s a whole lovely thing to go over, reading the comics helped me better understand the relationship between Johnny and Malissa. Their having opposite powers lets the two still have a sort of boundary that they seem not to care about, even though the public often complains or speaks down upon it. But in reality, it’s a beautiful thing that they’re still able to love each other. Y/n finished.

She didn’t know how else to answer it but she was definitely happy with her answer, and so was the interviewer, who smiled warmly.

‘How did it feel for you, Joseph?” She asked her husband, turning to him as he smiled.

‘It was wonderful, I loved every bit of it, I did. Seeing Y/n in a different light, where she has to defend her home and her family, especially Johnny, who is almost always oblivious to certain things.” He hinted with a grin, Y/n nodde,d and agreed.

“Yes! We know in future movies, that Johnny and Malissa have a child together, how does that feel to merge into your personal life and filming life?” The woman asked. Looking at the two as they smiled.

“It definitely will be difficult but lovely to do nonetheless.”

Unbeknownst to the room and the public, Y/n and Joseph had already been going through the pregnancy roll, in real life.

[tomsparkyr]

𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖!

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

summary: two superheroes, johnny and y/n are sneaking around behind the teams back, assuming their relationship rendezvous are underwraps. little do they know, the entire team already knew!

aka, how the team found out johnny and y/n were dating!

(slight spoilers for fantastic four: first steps! nothing major, just plot points and relationship dynamic but please proceed with caution if you have not watched the film yet!)

johnny storm x fem!reader (wc: 4.0K)

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𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, 𝐎𝐑 rather delusion, you and Johnny should have kept your relationship a secret. Sure, you had saved the world multiple times and fought so many interdimensional villains; but it seemed your limit, or weakness was keeping a very private and very real relationship a secret to your team.

At first, you hadn’t intended it to be a secret from the people you loved and trusted so much, it all just happened at the wrong time.

Johnny had planned on casually announcing it at the Sunday dinner, after you had talked him down from the long speech he had written in the palm of his hand. But it so happened to be the night that Ben figured out that Sue was pregnant. And being the unselfish people you are, opted to keep the spotlight on Sue and her pregnant glow and figure out another time to tell everyone.

That other time being when your earth was threatened and on the verge of being destroyed. It appears that the universe did not appreciate the love between the two superheroes.

And from that point onwards, you and Johnny decided that it was the universe telling you to keep your relationship a secret. And so you did.

For about a month. Maximum. 

Apparently being in a relationship with Johnny ‘loves women’ Storm meant you couldn’t keep your hands off each other for less than a minute; because according to him, if he didn’t have his hands on you, he’ll approach supernova and set fire to the earth’s atmosphere and kill all human life as you know it.

His words, not mine.

Which led to one of the worst kept secrets in Earth-828 and being in a house with literal geniuses and the world's smartest man, your private rendezvous with Johnny didn’t remain private for that long.

⋆ ˚｡⋆ ④ ⋆ ˚｡⋆

Sue Storm was the first to find out, she knew her brother well and could tell something was off when he seemed to spend more time in his room than usual and held a shit-eating grin at 8:00 in the morning; his designated time to frown and tuck into his cereal.

She never verbalised it to him, knowing Johnny would throw accusations at her and somehow blame Reed for all of this. So she stayed quiet and in question, allowing her brother to keep his private life to himself.

But by chance, if she happened to walk into something she was never meant to see, then Sue couldn’t say she was actively invading his private life.

“Johnny!” Sue shouted as she stormed towards his room, his door closed and protecting whatever was inside. 

The Invisible Woman groaned as her brother didn’t respond, annoyed that he was clearly still asleep way into the afternoon and still in possession of what she was after.

Sue knocked on the door, “Johnny! You’ve got the baby monitor from last night, can I have it back?” She sighed as the room remained silent.

She knocked harder this time, “Seriously, Johnny! You said you’d give it back yesterday after you put Franklin down!”

The room was void of any response and Johnny, inside the room, made absolutely no effort to move. Sue couldn’t even hear the sounds of the bed cover rustling when she thought Johnny had finally woken up and got the memo, but there was no movement inside Johnny’s room.

Sue grew agitated, yet wanted to allow Johnny his privacy and didn’t barge in (yet). “It’s embarrassing that you’re still asleep at this hour, you know?” She teased from the other side of the door, expecting Johnny to groan and chirp out a witty comeback that would make Sue slap the back of his head; but again, nothing.

“I’m not joking around anymore! I’ll come in and get it myself!” Sue warned and put her hands on her hips, counting to 10 which would allow Johnny to get decent or respond.

“Whatever, I’m doing this myself.” Sue muttered to herself and barged through her brother’s door, eyes scanning the room for her baby monitor.

Sue’s hand flew to her mouth as her eyes landed on Johnny’s bed and how he was curled in on his side with his mouth open and little snores escaping them. But it was the woman his arms were wrapped around who shocked her.

She was aware Johnny loved women and he definitely wouldn’t be opposed to inviting one into his bed. But inviting one into the Baxter Building with the entire team a few doors away, surprised her to no end.

Either the woman was the real deal for Johnny and he only brought her in here because he truly trusts and loves her; or that she was a massive fan and when she sits up, she’d be sporting an ‘I Love Reed Richards’ shirt.

“Uhh…” Sue looked anywhere but the bed, embarrassed to walk into the two sleeping figures but she was on a mission to find her baby monitor.

As she searched Johnny’s room, Sue couldn’t shake off the fact that she knew that head of hair on the woman, it felt familiar. There were definitely multiple women with the same hair colour but none identical to the one that laid out on her brother’s pillow, strands twisted in his hand.

Sue squinted her eyes as her footsteps took her closer to the pair on the bed, Johnny’s large bedtime shirt engulfing the mysterious woman while he laid shirtless with plaid pyjama bottoms on that were short at the shin on him.

She recognised the woman. Sure, she had saved the world a couple times and recognised a few faces along the way. But she was different, this woman wasn’t just some person, she felt familiar…

Hell, she even looked like--

“Y/N?” Johnny groaned as he nestled his head into your shoulder.

Sue gasped and quickly turned herself invisible, holding her breath as she watched you turn around and lie face to face with Johnny. 

“Yeah?” You mumbled in response and thread your hands through Johnny's blonde hair, feeling his body grow warmer against you, a habit he had when he felt satisfied.

Sue slowly backed towards the door, baby monitor clutched in her hand. She thanked everything that Johnny was so enchanted by you that he didn’t look over your shoulder to see a floating baby monitor backtracking to his door.

Johnny sighed in content and pressed soft kisses to your neck, “Stay here for a little bit longer.” He mumbled into your skin.

You breathed out a laugh and let Johnny do how he pleased, while your words contradicted his, “No, Johnny. You know I’ve got to meet Reed in the lab soon--” “So? Who cares about Reed?” Johnny shrugged.

Sue’s mouth dropped open slightly, mouthing a silent ‘Me!’. 

“Johnny!” You scolded him and playfully pushed his shoulder, but he didn’t budge and instead propped an arm up to hover above you slightly.

“I need you more than Reed. He’ll make you go over some dumb equation. Stay with your hot boyfriend who needs another hour with you, minimum.” Johnny grinned and brushed stray hairs from your face.

You quirked a brow, “Was that a play on words? ‘Hot boyfriend’?” Johnny smirked, “Maybe. Did you notice?”

“Yes, I did.” You laughed and wrapped your arms around the back of his neck, pulling him in closer and letting his body heat convince you to stay a little while longer. No! No, you had work to do with Reed.

Johnny leaned down and pressed his lips against yours, feeling him smile into the kiss and his other hand cupped your cheek. “Johnny! I have to meet Reed!” You giggled into the kiss, but made no effort to shove him away.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t say my brother-in-law's name while I’m kissing you.” He pulled away with his nose scrunched up, but a quick shake of his head and eyes widening made him lean down to try and kiss you again.

Sue grimaces from across the room. Of course Johnny would say something like that, he might be the Human Torch but he’ll always be Sue’s strange little brother to her.

“We’ll get caught if I stay any longer.” You protested and raised your brows. “You make a good point, beautiful.” Johnny smiled, “But I don’t care.” 

As he shuffled to hover over you completely, Sue cringed and took this as her cue to leave, coming back with a lot more than she had intended.

As she ventured out the room, she walked into Johnny’s record player which screeched uncomfortably against the flooring, causing Sue to freeze her movements as she remained invisible.

Both yours and Johnny’s head snapped towards the sound, lips swollen from the kisses and bed hair evident. Your brows furrowed for a moment but Johnny didn’t seem all that concerned.

He turned back to you and shrugged, “Probably Ben moving around upstairs or something.” He mumbled and went in to kiss you which you intercepted with your hand.

“Now you’re the one bringing up other team members while trying to kiss me!” You laughed and teased his earlier comment, causing him to groan and bow his head into the crook of your neck.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, Y/N.” Johnny chuckled and moved off of you, letting you begin with your day.

However, neither of you noticed the Invisible Woman quickly dart out the room and didn’t question why the door was open when you swore you shut it before you fell asleep.

⋆ ˚｡⋆ ④ ⋆ ˚｡⋆

The way Reed Richards found out was completely out of your control. Partially.

“That’s strange…” Reed muttered as he looked through his data beside him, your arm grasped in his hand as he did his usual checkup, being superheroes and all.

Your head turned to face him, pulling you out of your conversation with Johnny who was sitting on the table behind you, arms crossed against his chest. “What’s wrong?” You tilted your head.

“It’s just… I’ve never seen something like this before.” Reed stood and walked over to his chalkboard, hands moving frantically to try and figure out the cause of this.

“Something wrong with her, Reed?” Johnny stood, concerned and stepped towards you, fingers brushing your shoulder as you stayed sitting in your chair. Reed didn’t answer and repeatedly mumbled to himself, eyes closing for a moment to go over equations and solutions in his head.

Reed shook his head, turning back to face the pair of you, “Not particularly, no.” You and Johnny looked at each other with furrowed brows. “Out of the ordinary, yes. But nothing’s wrong with you.” Reed concluded and sat back down in his seat, shuffling the chair closer to yours so he could give you the debrief.

“So, what is it?” You questioned and crossed your legs over in the chair. 

“Your body temperature is a lot higher than usual.” Reed nodded. You shook your head, “I don’t get it. Is that a bad thing?”

“No! It would be if it was any other person but the slight concern is that your body temperature is far beyond the average. It’s like for a moment your vitals proved you could have reached full body on fire if you were a normal person.” Reed relayed and defended your spot in the team. 

You squint your eyes and felt Johnny tense up slightly behind you, “Huh…” You said quietly. Feeling like you already knew the cause to your body practically turning into the sun’s heat, you stood up to leave, “That’ll be all--”

“I think I’ve determined the cause of your issue, Y/N.” Reed stood just as quick as you, rounding you to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, sheets gripped in his hand and he pointed across the data.

“If you see here,” He pointed at your vitals, “It’s like your body has been exposed to too much heat consistently.” Your eyes widened and you subtly turned your head to see Johnny’s face paling.

“You sure it’s not just a coincidence?” Johnny stepped closer and read your data, laughing nervously and taking a sip of water.

Reed tutted, “Absolutely not, Johnny.” He handed you the data and pointed at your temperature in a bold font, “You’ve experienced this temperature so much that it’s practically becoming part of your DNA.”

Johnny choked on his water and coughed loud enough for Reed’s attention to be turned onto him, “You alright?” He moved closer to him and rubbed his back, glad Reed had missed your bright red face and wide eyes.

The blonde wiped his face and looked at you, “So what? You’re saying if she keeps… being exposed to this heat, we’ll have a female human torch walking down the street?” His voice raised and he flailed his arms between himself and you.

Your mouth opened at Johnny’s not-so-subtle question, “Johnny!--”

“No, you’re the only human torch we’ll have, don’t worry about that.” Reed reassured him, “What on earth could be causing this heat, what have you been exposed to…” He trailed off and turned his back to the couple.

You snapped your head to Johnny and whisper-shouted at him, “Are you kidding me?”

Johnny’s cheeks were flushed and he set his drink back down on the table, “What?” He said exasperated. “Way to make it obvious!” You said to him.

“Not my fault that Reed’s basically said that when we have kids--” “Sorry, did you just say ‘when’?” You cut him off and your mouth fell open.

Johnny chose to ignore you, “That our children will basically be mini superhero versions of us because apparently my super hot DNA - pun intended by the way! - will be a part of our kids!” He breathed out, making wild gestures with his hands.

“That is so not what Reed said!” You laughed and Johnny spiralling. “That’s so what he said!” Johnny’s voice raised slightly but you could see a grin fighting to appear on his face.

Across the room, Reed laughed to himself, “Hey, Y/N.” He called out but you failed to hear him, “It’s almost as if you’re around Johnny too much--”

Reed trailed off as his mind worked faster than his words. Temperature. DNA. Exposure. Johnny is the Human Torch. Johnny exudes heat. 

Johnny was the heat you were exposed to consistently. You were dating--

“Johnny Storm!” Reed said out loud which made you and Johnny snap your heads to him, breaking you out of your mini / private conversation.

“Yeah?” Johnny shrugged, trying to act nonchalant as if his little breakdown didn’t happen and casually pretended that he hadn’t told you he wanted a future with you via Reed’s overanalysed data.

For the first time, the smartest man in the world was lost for words. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realised it sooner. He probably should’ve raised questions when Johnny practically sold himself out and brought up his Human Torch persona after a lengthy discussion on your DNA; but Reed was good at science, not relationship! (Sue could prove this point).

“Nothing!” Reed quickly scooped up his work and darted for the lab door, “Need to find Sue for something, got the Storm siblings mixed up!” Johnny furrowed his brows, not believing his brother-in-law. 

“Alright… So, Y/N’s fine?” Johnny asked, standing too close to you and asking about your wellbeing too much for you to be ‘just friends’, it was all coming together in Reed’s head now.

“She’s fine,” Reed nodded and turned to the door, "Especially now she’s with you.” He laughed to himself but Johnny didn’t catch the last part.

“What did you say?” You and Johnny questioned, confused by Reed’s sudden departure, the lab was basically his second home. More like his first home, actually.

“I didn’t say anything!” Reed quickly left the room and made a beeline for his and Sue’s room, finding her curled up on the bed with Franklin on her lap and a book between her hands.

Reed dropped his data and stood in the doorway, “Did you know that Johnny and Y/N are dating--”

⋆ ˚｡⋆ ④ ⋆ ˚｡⋆

To some extent, Ben Grimm always knew that Johnny was dating you, being the closest to him and able to see through his poorly attempted lies.

Over the last few weeks, Ben was more observant of you and Johnny, especially on the battlefield.

Being rational in interdimensional fights, Johnny’s actions drove Ben insane sometimes; specifically the times when Johnny would find any excuse to flirt with you while you fought to save their earth.

“Y/N!” Johnny flew down and landed next to you, panting with a smug smile on his face. You turned around and saw your boyfriend approaching in his light blue suit that he wore so well.

“Oh, God.” You groaned playfully as you knew Johnny was up to no good. Ben, a couple feet away from you, watched the Human Torch gravitate towards you as if it was normal.

“Let’s play truth or dare?” Johnny smiled and his height towered over you. You looked up at him as if he’d grown two heads, “Seriously, Johnny! We’re in the middle of a fight!”

The blonde shrugged as if it was nothing, “So? Hasn’t stopped us before.” You rolled your eyes and started walking to Ben who was helping your earth while also eavesdropping on your conversation with Johnny. “You’re impossible.” You laughed as Johnny jogged to keep up with you before standing in your way.

“Just ask me.” He winked. You looked up at him and tutted, “Fine. Truth or--”

“Dare. I’ll do dare.” Johnny interrupted you which made you scrunch up your face and your mind couldn’t come up with one to satisfy Johnny’s risk-taking approach to life. “I don’t know!” You gestured, “I can’t come up with one right now, ask me later.” You tried to walk past him and continue protecting your earth.

“I’ve got one!” Johnny exclaimed. You wondered if Johnny had known this whole time what he wanted to do, maybe even while he was fighting, bored out of his mind that it spiralled into this. “You should dare me to take down this guy in under three minutes.”

You tilted your head, “Why would I do that?” 

You watched Johnny scan the area, obviously not thoroughly because he failed to see the bright orange Thing in the corner of his eye, before he leaned down to whisper in your ear, “If I do it then I believe I deserve a reward tonight.”

You raised your brows, “And what would that reward be, Johnny?” A smile crept up onto your face as Johnny looked at you as if the answer was obvious.

“I think you know, Y/N.” Johnny winked and you nodded at him, agreeing to his dare. He chuckled and looked back at you one more time before flying off to complete his mission; only suggesting it in the first place because Johnny knew he could do it in under three minutes.

If he was being honest, he could do it in under one minute. But he had to stay humble, for once.

Ben shook his head at Johnny who chose the wrong time to flirt, but confused by his proposal. Would your reward to him be those personal cookies you made so well that had everyone in Baxter Building asking for more. They had the recipe, it just didn’t taste as good as yours.

Ben’s train of thought was cut short as more threats came his way, deciding to prioritise the earth’s safety over Johnny and his painfully obvious flirting with you, but of course, you would never date him!

Sure, the reward was personal as Ben had suspected. Just not the… type of personal he had initially thought.

And Ben would find that out later that night as he sat with Herbie and tasted the sauce the pair had made. “Is that too strong?” Ben turned to Herbie, his chirps and beeps a valid enough answer for him.

He lifted his head as he saw you and Johnny burst into the building, not seeing The Thing in the kitchen part of the room. 

Johnny’s arm was slung over your shoulder and you were lent into his side, clearly just coming back from the debrief after the mission. “So, I did it in under three minutes.” Johnny’s hand twisted into your hair and you tilted your head back to look at him.

“That’s right…” You hummed. “Can I cash my reward now?” Johnny licked his lips and watched as you pretended to deliberate on the question. “You know you can.” You whispered.

Across the room, Ben heard your answer and shuffled stuff on the kitchen countertop to make room for you and your ingredients, still thinking you were about to offer Johnny your famous cookies.

Ben turned around and his smile was wiped off his face as he saw Johnny lean down to connect your lips, ducking down and catching the back of your thighs as he picked you up. You kissed Johnny back and threaded your hands through his blonde hair and smiled as he groaned into your mouth.

Herbie practically malfunctioned from across the room as Johnny placed your back on the couch and hovered over you. Ben felt like this really wasn’t the time or place for you and Johnny to make mini superheroes, so bravely spoke up, “Guys!”

You and Johnny separated in rapid time, “Ben?!” The pair of you gasped and flung yourself to opposite sides of the couch.

Ben held back a smirk at your flustered expression and how pale the Human Torch had gone, making a mental note to mock him for it afterwards. “What were you two doing?” Ben knew exactly what they were doing, he just wanted to have a little fun with the situation.

Your mouth opened and closed, “Johnny was just…” You shook your head for an excuse, “He was just checking my temperature! I haven’t been feeling good the last few days.” You lied and widened your eyes at Johnny, urging him to follow along.

Johnny flicked his eyes between you and Ben, trying to understand what you were doing. ‘Oh!’ He mouthed, “Right, I was just checking in on my girl-- the girl!” He corrected himself and shuffled closer to awkwardly place the back of his hand against your forehead.

Ben nodded slowly, “Did you check her throat aswell?” Johnny looked at you and shook his head, “No, of course no. Why?”

“Well, you had your tongue stuck down it so I thought it would be a double feature.” You choked on nothing as Ben laughed. Johnny’s face grew bright red and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“That’s… Yeah, I was…” Johnny stuttered out, realising there was no recovery in this situation.

You stood up from the couch and walked towards Ben, “Hey, do you mind not telling anyone about… this? Us?” 

“We already know.” Reed and Sue laughed as they walked into the room.

Johnny jumped from the couch and stumbled over to you, “I don’t think we were all that good at hiding it now that I’m thinking of it.” You rolled your eyes and elbowed him lightly, but him being dramatic, yelped.

Reed and Sue entered further into the room and went to sit on the couch, before the pair of them cringed at the reminder of what you and Johnny were about to do on the exact seat, and decided to sit on the chairs tucked into the dinner table.

“You guys are just the worst at keeping secrets.” Sue laughed as she bounced Franklin in her arms. Reed agreed and coddled his baby.

“I don’t know, they managed to keep it a secret for more than an hour, that’s impressive for them!” Ben shrugged and continued working on his sauce.

Johnny furrowed his brows, offended, “Come on! We weren’t that bad!”

Ben raised his eyebrows, “Flame Boy, you proposed that you and Y/N should get married when you’re older when we were fighting Galatus!” Johnny groaned and threw his head back, watching you laugh with them now, “Don’t encourage them, Y/N!” He whined.

“I can’t help it!” You chuckled and shuffled closer to him, settling your body into his. As everyone relayed their previous experiences about you two, you looked up at your boyfriend who you could proudly show off now, and vice versa. After everything, you were happy.

yipee hope u liked my first johnny fic! would u like more?

[tomsparkyr]

johnny storm in that burgundy shirt 🫦🫦🫦🫦

[tomsparkyr]

٠ ࣪⭑ state of grace

‎pairing: clark kent x reader (6.0K words)

summary: when another metahuman decides to relocate to metropolis, how is it that clark always gets swept up in situations like these? aka, how does clark kent end up falling head over heels for the invisible woman?

warnings & content: metahuman!reader, invisible woman!reader but not sue storm reader just has her powers oops, clark is actually whipped, guy is a d1 hater, significant use of swear words mostly from guy, small mentions of the cw flash show, its canon in my heart, eventual mutual pining, third person but you see both reader and clark's thoughts, some mentions of superman (2025) plot, yes i'm aware national city isn't where flash is from i just chose my favorite city

There was one thing Clark hated more than anything. Yes, more than bad pancakes and mean-spirited people. It was a creature that he couldn't contain.

Defeat is a harsh word. That implies killing—and Clark isn't about brutally killing anyone or anything. Emphasis on the thing.. because what was this thing?

It was giant, standing at the height of the buildings around them. It was sort of like that one creature Lex Luthor set free while he infiltrated the Fortress of Solitude. However, this thing was much, much different. It had zero blind spots that Clark, nor the Justice Gang, could locate. It had keen senses, almost like foresight, and was impeccably strong.

Which lead them all to now.

Hawkgirl was circling what she deemed The Abomination, trying to distract it while Mister Terrific tried to do some digging on what this could possibly be. Guy was just trying to beat the shit out of it, which was failing horrendously, but not that he would admit it. Metamorpho was trying all sorts of different things, fire, water, anything he could conjure to stop it. It also failed. Clark was currently trying to evacuate.

Why did people love to stand around when there was a giant monster crushing buildings and roaring? The world may never know.

"I don't think we're stopping it!" Guy yelled, his green wrecking ball doing absolutely no damage.

"Really?" Hawkgirl sarcastically called back. Clark could practically feel the roll of her eyes from however many hundred feet apart they were.

Once he moved one last person, Clark was back in the sky. "We've gotta distract it. Everyone, take a different side!"

They scattered—Hawkgirl veering left with a sharp beat of her wings, Metamorpho sliding into a pillar of smoke and reforming on the right, and Guy zipping overhead, grumbling something about doing all the heavy lifting around here.

The Abomination didn’t flinch.

Its head swiveled slowly, deliberately. Not like a mindless beast, not even like a predator. Like something aware. Something watching.

Clark could hear it now, the sound it made��not just the booming roars, but the low, guttural thrumming beneath it, like the growl of a world about to crack open.

"We’ve got nothing on this thing,"Mister Terrific said in his comms, breath quick. "Nothing in the archives. Nothing in the Watchtower database. Not even in Kryptonian logs, and you guys usually write everything down."

"That’s comforting," Clark muttered, eyes narrowing. He rocketed upward, cutting through the clouds, then shot back down like a missile, both fists forward, crashing into the creature’s chest with a thunderous crack.

It didn’t move. No stumble. No flinch. Just a slow pivot of its head toward him. Clark froze.

Its eyes—if they were eyes—were pure white, blank and unblinking. And in that second, he felt it. Not pain, not fear. Something colder. Something that reached past muscle and bone and found whatever existed beneath.

"Superman!" Hawkgirl’s voice snapped him out of it. She dove at the creature, swinging her mace with a shriek of battle, striking it across the jaw.

That, at least, made it move. Its head turned with the blow, just slightly, but the rest of its body stayed rooted like a mountain. "Got a reaction," she called, swooping back. "Barely."

"Keep it coming," Clark said, voice firm. He turned toward Metamorpho. "Try acid next. Corrosive. Anything."

"On it," Metamorpho replied, shifting into a sickly green gas and funneling toward the creature’s arm. It swatted the cloud away like an annoying fly and looked at him. 

That was when it happened.

The ground beneath them cracked, deep and wide. And from it, a low hum began to rise, vibrating through the air. Streetlights shattered. Windows exploded in a sharp cascade.

Clark clenched his jaw, fighting the pressure pushing into his skull. Guy grunted over the comms, "Okay, did anyone else get a brain earthquake, or was that just me?"

"Everyone felt it," Mister Terrific said grimly. "This thing’s broadcasting telepathically on a level I didn’t even think was possible."

Clark hovered in place, breathing heavy. "We need to figure out what it wants. Why it’s here."

And then, before anyone could respond, the creature’s head turned again, but this time, it seemed to freeze. It turned its head again, then again. After a moment, it was looking around like it had been blindsighted.

"What's it doing?" Clark turned to ask Mister Terrific.

"I don't know," he slowly answered, just as confused as the rest of them.

"Is it.. blind?" Hawkgirl asked, circling cautiously.

"I didn’t do that," Metamorpho muttered.

"Neither did I," Mister Terrific chimed in. "Something’s messing with its vision. Or whatever that thing uses for vision."

Clark squinted. There—near the edge of a crushed construction site—he caught the faintest glimmer. A shimmer of distortion, light bending around nothing.

And then a voice crackled on the comms. "Maybe stop standing around and hit it while it’s blind?"

Guy groaned. "Oh, fuck off. Not you!"

"You know her?" Clark asked, already diving back into the fray.

"Unfortunately."

The voice chimed in again, dry as ever. "Glad to see your grudge is still going strong, Gardner."

"She’s from National City," Guy burgudgenly explained. "Metahuman. Ran into her last month while I was tracking a dimensional rip. She got in the way."

"I fixed your mess."

"You freelanced! I had it under control!"

"Oh, yeah? What part of screaming and flailing was your strategy, exactly? My city, my problem!"

"Can we do this later?" Hawkgirl snapped. "We have a kaiju that can smell our intentions and slap us into next Tuesday."

The mystery woman didn’t respond. Instead, she acted.

Another ripple shimmered across the battlefield, barely visible. A wave of force shifted under Clark’s feet midair. The Abomination’s foot sank into the street unexpectedly—caught in a trench that hadn’t been there a second ago.

A sudden slam of a dome of force, unseen but solid, locked around the creature’s upper body. Its arms flailed uselessly against the shield.

"Who is she?" Metamorpho asked.

"I don’t know," Clark said quietly. "But she’s buying us time."

A moment passed. Then you shimmered into view, just barely. Still half-cloaked, eyes locked on the beast as you held the field steady with both hands. "I’m not going to hold this long," you said through clenched teeth.

Clark finally saw you clearly. Not one of his team. Not someone from the Watchtower. But she was here, and she was saving their asses.

"Then let’s make it count," he said.

It took an impressive six minutes and thirteen seconds to take down The Abomination. Once it was down, you walked over to the group who landed together like a clique. "Sorry," you said, slowly turning visible before their very eyes. "One of ours."

"Of course it is," Guy scoffed.

You pointed at him, giving him a look of confusion. "Says the one who couldn't stop it until I got here."

"What the fuck are you doing here anyways?" Guy said. "This is Metropolis."

"I'm very much aware of that," you replied, dusting off your hands. "I'm moving here." You ignored Guy's very passionate and loud groan. "National City has no room for me to grow in my career, so I thought I'd give Metropolis a try."

Guy scoffed, "Does Flash know you're abandoning ship?"

"Yes, he does," you confirmed. "And he's very happy for me. Plus, with all the metahumans running around National City after the particle accelerator exploded, I think it'll be just fine without me."

"Shit," Hawkgirl smiled, "I've seen you on TV. You're Invisible Woman; you can make forcefields and turn invisible."

"And she can generate, if I’m reading the residual energy signatures right, concussive bursts with enough kinetic output to level small structures." You tilted your head at Mister Terrific. "Hi, Mister Terrific," he added after seeing the look on your face.

Guy frowned, "She's not that cool, guys."

"The grown ups are talking," you shot back, making Guy's mouth fall open as he sputtered out that's mean! "And I know all of you, which is really cool. Metamorpho, Hawkgirl, Guy, Terrific, and.. Superman. Hi."

Clark swallowed.

You smiled—just slightly—but didn’t hold his gaze long. Instead, you looked back at the now-smoldering crater where The Abomination had been. "His name used to be Frank Albright. Frank here was affected by the accelerator while transporting a truck full of reptiles to National City Zoo. You.. can guess what happened to him after. I've handled him before, but I think you guys accidentally made him stronger somehow. It was like holding down a building with my hands. He's.. also never this.. big."

Clark did not hear a single word you said. He was a little busy watching the way your hair blew in the wind and the way your mouth moved as you spoke.

"You kind of did," Metamorpho said, still catching his breath. "That shield trick? That was nuts."

"She has a name, right?" Hawkgirl asked, glancing between Clark and Guy.

"Yeah," you said, brushing a speck of dust off your jacket. "But Invisible Woman’s fine if we’re staying professional."

"We’re not," Guy mumbled.

"I vote professional," Mister Terrific added quickly.

Clark stepped forward, almost a little awkward. He didn't want to butt in. "You said you’re moving to Metropolis?"

You nodded. "New job offer. Labs in the north end. It’s more theoretical than hands-on, but.. I did not get it, so.."

"And you just happened to show up in the middle of a monster fight?" he asked, not accusing, just.. wondering.

You tilted your head. "I was already here. Interview finished twenty minutes before the big guy was on every Metropolis news channel. Thought I’d walk off the nerves, grab a coffee. Then the big guy showed up and ruined my latte."

Guy let out an exaggerated groan. "She always does this. Shows up, takes over, insults me, and somehow still looks like the reasonable one."

Hawkgirl smirked. "You make it easy."

Mister Terrific pulled up his T-Spheres, scanning the area. "Well, regardless of how she got here, the data doesn’t lie. That blindfield she put around its head? Brilliant. You disrupted its sensory matrix. The force cage? Custom density modulation. Your control over energy structuring is unlike anything I’ve seen. Especially from someone unaffiliated with a league."

You blinked. "I mean, thanks, but I’ve literally emailed you twice about the research at STAR labs."

"Wait. You’re her? The gravity-lens force shell theory? That was your email?!"

"Guilty."

Guy threw up his hands. "Oh great, now he’s starstruck too."

Clark smiled a little at that. He really didn't know you, but gee, did he really want to. Everyone was making you sound fantastic. "Sounds like we’ve been overdue for an introduction."

You held out your hand, giving him your name. "I'm sort of a scientist. I just learned a lot from my friends at STAR labs. I'm really a journalist—er.. trying to be one. I'm a blogger, really."

"Clark," he smiled. "Clark Kent."

The way your jaw dropped was near comical. "Clark.. Kent. Daily Planet journalist Clark Kent? The one with all the Superman—oh my god, that's how you get all the interviews!"

Clark laughed. Not a heroic, public-facing laugh, but a real, honest one, soft and almost shy. "Sorry. I don’t usually lead with that."

"You mean to tell me the man I’ve been quoting in articles is also the man who just suplexed a building-sized monster?!"

Guy muttered, "I tried to tell her that last time, too. She didn’t believe me."

"I thought you were being sarcastic! You said, Clark Kent is Superman, like you were making a joke about his glasses! Also, why on Earth would you actually tell me who Superman is, you idiot!"

Guy threw up his hands. "Because I was trying to warn you! You were going off about how he writes with bias and how it’s suspicious he gets all the Superman scoops—like I was just gonna let you spiral into a conspiracy blog!"

"I stand by that observation," you snapped, pointing accusingly at Clark. "Because it’s true! You were basically interviewing yourself! That’s not journalism, that’s—that's a loophole!"

Clark held up his hands. "In-In my defense, I do ask myself the hard questions." It was hard to ignore how gorgeous you were. Your words had Clark's cheeks turned pink in an instant.

"Oh my god," you muttered, dragging a hand down your face.

Guy grinned like he had just won the lottery. "So, are you gonna apologize for calling me a dumbass when I told you the truth?"

You shot him a glare. "Absolutely not."

Throwing his hands in the air, Guy turned away, literally kicking a rock angrily as he grumbled to himself. Metamorpho just carefully followed behind, almost like a babysitter of sorts. Imagine that, Green Lantern has a babysitter.

"So, you said you didn't get the job?" Hawkgirl curiously continued.

"Yeah, I wasn't what they were looking for," you awkwardly responded. "I'm gonna try some other places, see what I can get. Actually, this is my first day in Metropolis. You guys know any good hotels or anything?"

And that was exactly how Clark Kent found himself with a temporary roommate.

Sure, offering you a place to stay felt like the right thing to do. You were new in town, clearly resourceful, a hero, and let’s be honest—after wrangling a twenty-foot mutant lizard formerly known as Frank, you’d earned a soft bed and some clean towels.

But now, with you sitting cross-legged on his couch, laptop open, typing furiously about metahuman media bias in urban reporting while wearing an oversized Daily Planet t-shirt he swore he didn’t give you on purpose—

Now he was rethinking things.

Because you were brilliant. And sharp. And you called Guy out without hesitation, which was... actually kind of hot. And for some reason, the way you chewed on your bottom lip while editing made it very difficult for him to concentrate on the news broadcast quietly playing in the background.

"I can try and get you an interview at The Daily Planet," Clark blurted out suddenly.

You looked up from your laptop, blinking like you weren’t sure you’d heard him right. "..What?"

Clark cleared his throat, suddenly very aware of how loud the tea kettle wasn’t. "I mean—if you’re still looking for jobs. You said earlier you didn’t get the lab one, and I just thought—since you’re already writing, and blogging, and clearly have a voice—and you’ve already been published online, right? I could talk to Perry. I mean, you probably wouldn't start out as a journalist, maybe something else, but—"

"Clark."

He stopped mid-ramble.

"Thank you," you said softly, a small smile on your face. "You really think Perry would give me a shot?"

"I really think he’d be an idiot not to."

You stared at him a beat longer, then let out a breath, the kind you only exhale when something finally clicks. "Well," you said, stretching a little. "Guess I should update my resume."

Clark smiled at your words. After a moment, he asked, "How did you get them?" You looked up, head tilted at him. "Your powers, I mean. You said they were from the STAR labs particle accelerator explosion, but.."

"That’s a big question," you said.

Clark tilted his head, hands relaxed on his knees. "You don’t have to tell me."

"No, it’s okay." You set your laptop aside, drawing your knees up a little on the couch. "Just.. not something I talk about a lot. Most people assume I got lucky. That I was some random bystander who just happened to walk through a cloud of science and come out gifted."

He didn’t say anything—just waited, quiet and open.

"I was in the sub-levels," you continued. "At STAR Labs. I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was following up on a tip, some whistleblower said the lab was hiding preliminary safety data. I was freelancing then, trying to get noticed, and I thought.. if I exposed them, I’d finally get taken seriously."

Clark’s brows furrowed slightly. "And then the explosion happened?"

You nodded once, eyes distant. "I was right next to the core when it ruptured. Radiation, energy discharge, everything. I should’ve died." You paused, then gave a half-laugh. "I actually did for like.. two minutes. Clinically. But then my heart jump-started itself. Literally. That was the first time a forcefield triggered—my own body keeping everything out."

Clark’s eyes widened. "That’s.."

"Yeah. Terrifying. Weird. Physically disorienting. You know. Super normal." You smiled a little, then shrugged. "After that, it took months to get control. For a while, my hair and my hands kept phasing invisible and wouldn’t come back. The STAR Labs team that remained helped stabilize me, ran diagnostics, taught me how to regulate it, but I never really fit in with them. They became friends, good friends, but really.. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Clark’s face was unreadable, but his eyes—those damn, kind eyes—held steady. "They were lucky to have you."

You gave him a look. "You don’t even know me."

"I know enough," he said gently. "You risked your life today to stop something no one else could. You didn’t hesitate. And you’re sitting here now, not demanding praise, but quietly updating your resume and thinking about a new job."

Your throat felt a little tight. "I didn’t want powers," you admitted. "I just wanted to write. Tell the truth. Make people listen. Ironically, my powers make me literally invisible."

Clark smiled softly. "Then maybe now you can do both."

You stared at him a moment longer, then looked away with a breathy laugh. "Are you always this nice?"

He looked down, sheepish. "I try."

You stood up slowly, fingers brushing your laptop as you picked it up. "I’m gonna go shower now, before you say something else that makes me question my emotional stability."

Clark grinned. "Third door on the right."

As you walked down the hall, you called back, "And don’t go reading my resume while I’m gone, Kent!"

He chuckled, sinking back into the couch. But the truth was, he didn’t need to read your resume. He already knew you were something extraordinary.

Which was exactly how you got your job as a journalist for The Daily Planet. Clark wasn't entirely sure how you got the job. Maybe it was how you called Perry Perry and not Chief from your first introduction.

Or maybe it was how you walked into the bullpen like you already belonged there, laptop under one arm, confidence under the other, and zero fear in your eyes even as every other person looked you up and down, analyzing your every move.

Maybe it was the way you handed in a trial article the same day you were hired, titled The Myth of Superhero Objectivity: Are We Getting the Full Truth? and still somehow walked away employed.

Or maybe, Clark thought, it was the moment Perry read the piece, raised one eyebrow, and muttered, "Well, hell. Someone finally decided to grow a spine around here."

Clark remembered watching the whole thing unfold from his desk, completely bewildered by how quickly you had settled into the newsroom like you were born for it. One second you were apologizing for stealing his mug—again—and the next you were in a heated debate with Steve Lombard about metahuman ethics and whether or not vigilante reporting should fall under sports or crime.

You won. Loudly.

And now? Now you had your own desk across from his. A stack of post-it notes, coffee rings already staining the edge, and a cracked screen on your tablet because apparently forcefields don’t protect against clumsiness.

"Hey, Kent." You peeked over your monitor, holding up a file. "Does Perry like exposés with footnotes or without?"

Clark glanced up from his own article, lips twitching. "With. But only if you’re prepared to explain every single one."

"I live to explain footnotes."

"You live to argue."

You grinned. "Same thing."

And Clark just smiled.

Because even if he couldn’t quite explain it—how quickly you’d become part of this life, how easily you’d carved out space in both his home and his work—he didn’t question it.

Neither did you.

To you, Clark Kent wasn't Superman. Superman was Clark Kent.

In all honesty, if just a few months ago, someone were to ask you who you liked better: Clark Kent or Superman? You'd say Clark Kent. He was a master journalist with more front pages than you could ever imagine yourself having.

Clark was also never freaked out by your invisibility. In fact, he always chuckled whenever something embarrassing would happen and you'd have to hide some part of yourself that had gone invisible. Slowly, Superman and Invisible Woman were nearly always seen working together to help save the city.

Perry’s front pages even started pairing your names.

Superman and Invisible Woman Prevent Tidal Catastrophe

Justice Pair Save Metropolis from Interdimensional Breach

Forcefield and Flight: The New Dynamic Duo?

Not that anyone knew what that actually meant. Not yet. Not even you.

Because Clark was still Clark. Gentle. Steady. The kind of person who saved the world and still offered to do the dishes. And you were still you. Deflecting with sarcasm, writing exposés by day and deflecting plasma beams by night, pretending like you didn’t feel something tighten in your chest every time he called you partner.

But it was there.

And every time he looked at you like you were more than just part of the job, more than a byline or a backup, you wondered how much longer you could keep pretending.

You told yourself it was just admiration. Just the thrill of working alongside one of the most iconic heroes in the world. Just the adrenaline of sharing a byline with Clark Kent, Superman.

But late at night after the rooftop rescues, the deadline sprints, the spontaneous pizza on the fire escape, there was a part of you that knew better. It wasn’t about the cape. Or the headlines. Or the city that never seemed to stop falling apart.

It was about the way he looked at you when you weren’t invisible. And even when you were.

Because somehow, Clark always saw you. Even in the silence between conversations, in the moments when your forcefields slipped, when you were too tired to be clever or guarded or strong—he saw you. And he never looked away.

"You ever miss Krypton?" You asked one night curiously, a half eaten slice of pizza in your hand.

Clark looked up from his seat across the couch, surprised. It wasn't by the question itself, but by the way you asked it. Casual. Soft. Like it had been sitting at the edge of your tongue for weeks, waiting for a quiet enough night to slip out.

The room was lit only by the lamp near the window and the flickering light of some old black-and-white movie playing in the background, but neither of you really watching it. The kind of night where the city felt quiet.

Clark leaned back, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don’t know if you can miss something you never really knew," he said after a moment, voice low.

You didn’t respond right away. Just nodded slowly, the slice of pizza forgotten in your hand.

"But sometimes.." he continued, "I think about what it would’ve been like. Who I might’ve been. Who my parents were. What they dreamed of. If they would’ve been proud of me."

You turned your head, eyes meeting his across the narrow space between you. "They would’ve loved you," you said quietly. "They would’ve been so proud."

Clark blinked, taken aback—not by the words, but by how fiercely you meant them. He offered you a soft, grateful smile. One of those half-smiles that didn’t reach all the way to his lips, but burned in his eyes.

"You think so?"

"I know so," you replied. "Because I know you. And if they were anything like you.." You shrugged. "Then Krypton was lucky to have them."

The comfortable silence between you stretched. You set your plate down on the coffee table and shifted a little closer, pulling your knees to your chest.

Clark’s voice was even softer now. "You ever think about what life would’ve been like if the accelerator hadn’t exploded?"

You breathed out a quiet laugh, but it wasn’t really funny. "All the time."

"Do you wish it never happened?"

You looked down, fingers brushing along the edge of the blanket draped over your lap. "Yeah," you softly said. "I wish it never happened.. the fact that it happened because someone covered up data and didn’t care who got hurt. But the powers?" You glanced back up at him, catching the way he was watching you again, like you were made of stars and secrets. "I think they found me for a reason. I just don’t always know what that reason is."

Clark nodded slowly. "I think you’re still figuring it out."

"I think I’m terrified of that."

He smiled again, gently this time, like it wasn’t just okay to be scared, it was expected. "I am too."

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding. Then, after a moment, your voice barely above a whisper, "Do you ever feel.. alone?"

Clark’s gaze didn’t waver. "I think so. Until I met you. Felt like a whole new chapter in my life. You living here, working with me, being my best friend."

The room went still. The movie in the background didn’t matter. The pizza had long gone cold. And suddenly, your heart was loud in your chest.

You swallowed hard. "Clark.."

But he didn’t lean in. He didn’t move a muscle. He wished he had. So did you.

Over the next few weeks, it was almost like the tension was building up.

It sat in the spaces between words. In the brush of your shoulders at the office printer. In the way your mugs were always side by side in the kitchen sink. In the late nights where you both stayed too long at The Planet, pretending the deadlines were why.

It was in the way Clark looked at you a second too long when you laughed. In the way your voice softened when you said his name. In the fact that neither of you ever brought up that night on the couch.

Not once. But the air changed around you.

He stopped knocking before walking into the living room. You stopped apologizing for falling asleep on the couch with your laptop open. He started learning how you liked your coffee—extra cream, no sugar—and you started keeping two spare ties in the hall closet just in case.

You never called it domestic. Neither of you would dare. But it was. Quietly, undeniably domestic.

The missions didn’t help.

Superman and Invisible Woman were a tag team now. The public started calling you the Sky and Surface. There were headlines, photos, footage. A whole Reddit thread dedicated to your dynamic, most of which you definitely didn’t scroll through at midnight while Clark was asleep down the hall.

He would hover close when you took a hit in battle. You would always know where he was before he said your name.

And still, no one moved. That was until now.

It was just some Imp from somewhere across the vast universe, but it was strong enough that you were tired. Clark was frustrated. He wasn’t angry at you. He never was. But he was frustrated because you were tired.

And the Imp—what was it this time, Mxyzptlk’s cousin?—was playing a game neither of you had the patience for. Looping physics, rewriting gravity mid-punch, and cackling like a cartoon villain as your forcefields cracked under the pressure of keeping civilians safe.

"Enough," Clark growled, low and warning.

He blurred forward, a red-and-blue streak of controlled fury, tackling the creature mid-air and sending them both crashing through a billboard high above the city. You landed below, hard on your knees, catching your breath, your fingers buzzing with strain.

"Need some help?"

You sighed, "You’ve gotta be kidding me."

Guy, along with the rest of the Justice Gang, grinned from ear to ear as they hovered above you. He looked as smug as ever. "Seems like this guy’s giving you hell," Guy replied, looking over to where Clark was trying to freeze it with his breath. 

You grunted. "He’s been rewriting the laws of thermodynamics for twenty minutes. I’m working on fumes here."

"Hey, no shame in that." Guy grinned. "I figured you could use a hand. Or five."

Hawkgirl rolled her eyes. "Let’s be honest, Guy’s just here to make snarky commentary."

"Which is emotionally vital to team morale," he fired back.

You shook your head. "Please. Just hit the damn thing."

"Gladly." Hawkgirl launched herself into the sky, a golden streak of righteous fury, and slammed her mace into the Imp’s path just as he tried to blink away.

Mister Terrific landed beside you a moment later, his T-Spheres hovering protectively overhead. He took one look at your face, pale, jaw clenched, hands still trembling from overuse, and frowned. "Stay here," he said, gentle but firm. "Catch your breath. Your field’s flickering."

You opened your mouth to argue, because of course you did. But he raised a hand before you could get a single word out.

"I know you can keep going. That’s not the point." His voice lowered, calm and even. "But you’re running on fumes, and I need you at one hundred percent in case this thing gets worse. So take the break. Recharge."

You hesitated, guilt bubbling under your ribs like static.

"I’m serious," he added. "Let the rest of us carry the next few minutes. You’ve done more than enough."

You finally let yourself sink to the curb, one knee drawn up, fingers pressing into your temples. The cool concrete felt almost good against your skin. Your forcefields wavered, then shimmered out completely. Rest mode.

Clark touched down beside you a beat later, crouching low enough that his shoulder brushed yours. "Hey, hey. You okay?" His voice was soft. Too soft. 

You nodded before you even processed the question, which probably gave you away.

Clark’s brow furrowed. "You’re shaking."

"I’m just—" You inhaled sharply, fingers curling into your lap. "I’m fine. Just hit my limit. It’ll pass."

Clark didn’t say anything right away. He shifted so he was fully facing you now, one knee on the ground, hand braced against the pavement. You couldn’t look at him. Not like this. Not with the exhaustion catching up to you and your adrenaline crashing hard.

"I’ve never seen you drop your field like that," he said quietly. "Not even when we fought Parasite."

You finally glanced at him, your throat dry. "This guy hit different."

Clark’s eyes searched yours like he was trying to read between the lines. "You don’t have to prove anything, you know that, right? Not to me. Not to them."

"I’m not," you said, and it wasn’t a lie exactly, but it wasn’t entirely true either.

He saw it. Of course he did.

"You don’t have to save the whole world by yourself," he added, even gentler now. "That’s kind of.. my thing."

You let out a weak laugh, one that cracked somewhere in the middle. Clark reached out slowly and rested his hand on your knee. Just pressure, presence.

"I hate seeing you like this," he said. "And I know you hate being seen like this."

"So let’s not be seen."

Clark couldn’t even get a moment to protest when he realized a barrier had gone around the two of you, making you invisible. He blinked at the sudden shift in light, the rest of the world fading into a soft blur beyond your invisible forcefield. Just the two of you, tucked inside a bubble of silence and bent light, the chaos and smoke of the battle muffled outside.

He didn’t speak. Not right away. Just crouched beside you, still and steady.

The hum of your field buzzed gently between your palms, the glow faint, flickering—like the heartbeat of something private. Something sacred.

"I just needed a second," you said quietly, finally breaking the silence. "Not to hide. Just.. to be. Without all of them looking."

Clark nodded. "Yeah. I get it."

Your eyes flicked toward him, a hint of surprise there. "Do you?"

He smiled, just a little. "I think we both spend a lot of time being what people expect. Sometimes you just want to take the cape off for a minute."

You let out a breath, soft and tired. "Exactly."

A few beats passed. Your forcefield crackled gently above you, and from the outside, no one would’ve guessed the world’s strongest man was sitting on a broken curb with someone who could barely hold her eyes open.

But in here? It was enough.

Clark shifted just slightly closer, the warmth of him grounding you. "You did good today."

"Barely."

"You did," he insisted, gentler now. "You always do."

You looked at him—really looked—and for a moment, it wasn’t Superman staring back at you. It was Clark. The man who made you tea when you had a migraine. The man who knew your coffee order better than you did. The man who never once asked you to be stronger than you already were.

"I think," you said softly, "this might be my favorite part of the job."

"What part?"

"This. Right now. Just.. you and me."

Clark's gaze didn’t waver. "Then let’s stay a little longer."

Clark sat close enough that his knee brushed yours. His hand was still on your leg, thumb gently moving back and forth like he didn’t even realize he was doing it. You looked at him again.

Not the suit, not the symbol, not the myth. Just the man. With the unruly hair and the soft eyes and the weight of the world tucked behind a smile that was always just for you.

Your voice, when it came, was almost a whisper. "Do you ever get tired of waiting?"

Clark tilted his head. "For what?"

"For the right time."

He didn’t say anything. But his eyes said enough. So you leaned in—just slightly. A test. A question.

And he met you halfway.

It wasn’t urgent. It wasn’t desperate. It was slow, almost cautious, like neither of you wanted to break the moment you’d spent months circling. His hand slid up, resting lightly against your jaw, thumb brushing your cheek. Your fingers curled in the fabric of his suit. And when your lips finally met his, it felt like exhaling for the first time in hours.

The kiss was soft. Sure. Familiar in a way it had no right to be.

Clark pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against yours, his smile blooming so gently it hurt.

"Your forcefield is.." You looked up to see what he meant. It was flickering, the rainbow’d look of the energy was dancing around the waves of energy.

"I’ve never seen it do that before," you whispered.

Clark smiled, forehead still resting against yours. "Maybe it’s responding to you."

"To us," you corrected softly.

His hand found yours—fingers lacing without hesitation—and you let yourself lean into him, the exhaustion melting just slightly at the edges of your ribs. "Think it’ll hold a little longer?" he asked.

You looked at the glowing field around you both, then back at him. "I think it’ll hold for as long as we want it to."

Clark smiled, leaned in again. While ignoring the swears from Guy, the screeches from Hawkgirl, and the loud grunts of the imp, the moment was perfect.

You two were perfect.

[tomsparkyr]

Aw man imma need a Johnny Storm x Reader where he tries to tell everyone about the alien language thing but no one listens to him except y/n please 🙏🏼

ೃ⁀➷ ⋆·˚ ༘ * ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ೃ⁀➷ ⋆·˚ ༘ * ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ೃ⁀➷ ⋆·˚ ༘ * ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

a/n: keep sending these requests people, absolutely infatuated with johnny rn

warnings: fantastic four: first steps spoilers, suggestive ending but no actual smut, reader is mentioned to have powers, johnny being an irresistible menace per usual

masterlist ✶ requests are open!

Always By My Side

"Guys!" Johnny exclaimed, speeding into the lab where the rest of you were sat.

Nobody heard him, or maybe they did and were just ignoring him. "Guys!" He says again, standing in front of you all now.

You turn to look at him, taking your attention off of Reed's rambling in front of his chalk board, "What is it, babe?" You ask.

"I did something, you guys need to come see this." Johnny rambles, clearly caught up and excited in whatever it was that he's done.

"Not now, Johnny. We're kind of busy here." Ben tells him.

Sue nods, readjusting Franklin on her lap, giving her brother an apologetic smile, "Sorry Johnny, Ben's right though."

Johnny lets his arms fall to his sides, a sigh escaping him, "Alright." He mutters before walking out of the lab.

You let your eyes follow him as he walks out, a slight frown on your face. "I'll be right back." You tell Sue, excusing yourself as you leave the room. You make a beeline towards yours and Johnny's room, knowing that's probably where he's at.

You slowly creak the door open, stepping in slowly before clicking the door shut behind you, "Babe." You call, seeing Johnny sitting in the arm chair, headphones on. There's papers all over the floor, he takes his headphones off, looking at you. "What did you figure out?" You ask. Johnny smiles at you, getting out of the chair and urging you to sit down. You oblige, as Johnny grabs his space helmet, "Okay, put this on." He says, helping place it over your head. Once he has it on you, he flips the visor down, pressing a few buttons to show you the video of that mysterious silver alien that the helmet had captured.

It was quick video, it was Johnny asking what she had said to him a few weeks prior in her own language. She responded, telling him what it meant, then the video ended. Johnny quickly took the helmet off of your head. He unplugged the headphones from the record player, playing you the audio of her language that Reed had captured before this all went down. You looked at him quizzically, "So what does this mean?" You ask.

"I've been listening to all of these recordings over and over again." He pauses, coming to kneel down in front of you, "And, I've been working on trying to translate everything. I finally did, I've figured out her language." He speaks.

You grin at your boyfriend, "Johnny, this is incredible. We have to tell the others."

Johnny shrugged, "Well, they didn't seem to take me very serious."

You stand up, pulling him up with you. You rest your hand on his cheek, "I think they're just worried, we all are." You say softly.

He nods, "I know. I just wish they'd take me seriously here and there. They just think of me as Johnny. Johnny who loves women, Johnny who's mischievous, Johnny who isn't smart."

"You are smart, Johnny. You just translated a whole unknown silver, naked alien language." You scold lightly.

Your boyfriend just smiles at you, "Thank you." He pauses, "Thank you for taking me seriously, for always being by my side." Johnny whispers, letting his hands rest on your hips as he pulls you in for a kiss.

"Always, Johnny." You smile, wrapping your arms around his neck.

"Jesus, I love you so much." He murmurs, pressing your foreheads together.

"I think you're going soft on me, hotshot." You laughed.

Johnny raised an eyebrow, "You sure about that?" He asked, that boyish grin on his face.

"Yeah." You whispered.

"Guess I got to prove you wrong then." He grinned, picking you up bridal style, throwing you onto the bed as he hovers above you.

"Johnny!" You giggle, "I promised Sue that I'd be right back."

"Hmmm..." Johnny pretended to think, tapping a finger on his chin, "Nope, don't think so. Think I gotta keep you right here and show you how much I love ya'."

You shook your head lightly at his antics, "Guess I can't say no to that."

"I know, I'm irresitiable." Johnny murmured, bringing his lips to yours again, slipping his tongue in. You sighed into it, quickly flicking your hand to lock the door with your powers, before wrapping your arms around his neck.

[tomsparkyr]

hey guys! just posted the inside fic on my wattpad along with a new until dawn one i’ve been brewing up for some time (random right? just roll with me!) and i’d appreciate if you gave it some love over there! love you all🤍🤍

wattpad: -hmustilinski

[tomsparkyr]

no strings attached... unless?

pairing: clark kent x fem!reader

summary: what was supposed to be a simple no-strings hookup between best friends turns complicated when feelings inevitably get involved. huh. who would've thought?

wc: 11.4k (i'm just as shocked as you)

genre/tags: fluff/minor angst (miscommunication trope tbh)/smut (TWO smut scenes woohoo!), best friends to lovers, protected sex (condom/bc), p in v sex, oral (fem & male receiving), size kink (clark has a huge dick, but y’all know that 😝), slight praise kink

"just one night," you had said. "no strings. no feelings." you liar.

you were the one who proposed it – all cool and casual, as if it wouldn't ruin you. and now? you can't even get through a bowl of cereal without thinking about the way clark kent sounded when he moaned your name.

it's been a week. one whole week since he wrecked you and then kissed your forehead like it was nothing.

(it was something. it was everything and you hate him for it.)

because now? you know no one else will ever come close.

you scroll through tinder like a bitter old woman; this guy's too short. that one uses the wrong "your." one says their most irrational fear is "women." (kill me.)

all the while, a tiny voice in your brain that you wish would just shut up whispers: clark would never.

and thanks to that voice, you end up mentally replaying that night for the thousandth time – back when it all started. back when it was just popcorn, a movie and a stupid, stupid idea.

– thursday, 9:42 P.M.

it had started the way movies nights at your apartment always did: clark stretched out on one end of your couch, his arm over the back of it, a bowl of popcorn sitting between you, and you on the other end, your socked foot tucked under his thigh, claiming the space like it was normal (which it was). you're halfway through some cheesy drama neither of you were really watching, spending most of the time catching up on life other than the daily planet.

you lean over, tossing your half eaten dragon roll from the takeout sushi platter onto the coffee table, before returning back to slumping against the couch, eyes scrutinizing the t.v.

then came that scene – hot and heavy kitchen counter action, complete with frantic kissing and someone getting hoisted onto the marble and you can tell it's a scene the actors had to practice at least three times by how seamless and graceful it seems.

you scoff, reaching for popcorn from the bowl between the two of you. "god, i miss that."

clark glances over at you, a brow quirking upward. "being thrown onto a kitchen counter?"

you popped a kernel into your mouth. "being kissed like that. hell, being touched like that. my last date ended with a side hug and apple cash request for half the appetizer."

clark winces, face visually contorting. "ouch."

you sigh dramatically, leaning your head back against the couch. "i'm in a dry spell so bad, it's actually concerning."

clark laughs. your transparence was something he had to get used to at first but over time, he realized that's just how you were. unfiltered. bold. honest in a way most people weren't. it didn't scare him. if anything, it made talking to you easy.

he nudges your leg. "join the club. last girl i dated told me i was 'too polite to be hot.' whatever that means."

your brows furrow, internally scolding the woman for ever saying a thing. "it means she had no taste, clark. trust me, you're hot and polite. some of us are into that, y'know."

clark flushes a little at that, lowering his head to conceal his shy smile but you see it anyway.

maybe that's why you said the thing. because of his dumb, stupid, clark smile.

you reach for another handful of popcorn, keeping your eyes fixed on the movie screen even though you've completely lost the plot. you may be blunt at the best of times, but even you have a little shame, so you cover it up well. "you know," you begin, tone softening considerably enough for clark to look over at you again, "we could fix that."

clark tilts his head, confused. "fix what?"

"the dry spell." you glance at him now, meeting his eyes. "you and me. just one night. a mutual exchange."

his mouth parts, just slightly, and then it opens and closes like a blubbering fish. you can practically see the gears turning in his head, the way his jaw flexes before he clears his throat. "are you serious?"

you shrug like it's no big deal, like your heart isn't hammering against your ribcage. "sure. we're both adults. good friends. we trust each other. and we're both painfully single. why not?"

he says nothing for a moment. you can see him doing that thing that he always does: thinking it through, being careful, considering every angle, every potential consequence.

your nails dig into the rough fabric of your couch, dwelling on the proposition you just made. with every second that passes, regret sinks heavy in your stomach.

you open your mouth, ready to backpedal and make a joke of it. you'll laugh it off, blame the movie or your hellish dating era–

clark cuts you off before you get the chance, his voice low. firm. certain.

"okay."

your breath catches, brows lifting slightly.

his eyes are on you now, his expression steady, unreadable but darkened in a way that makes your skin prickles and goosebumps rise on your arms. "if you're sure," he adds, softer this time. "i'm in."

you blink. "yeah?"

he nods. "yeah. just two pals keening for mutual relief." despite the joke in his words, he delivers it a little more seriously.

you nod along. "exactly. just sex. no strings. no feelings. we're still friends after this."

"right," he agrees sharply, adjusting the black frames on his nose. there's something different in his expression now, something unreadable. it's times like these when you wish you could read his mind. you share a planet with a superalien and yet, there's no accessible device you can use to know exactly what clark kent is thinking. pity.

"okay," he says again, resting his palms against his thighs. one of his thighs presses to yours. did he scoot over? "so, when do we start?"

your eyes flutter, startled at the sudden shift.

"um... now?"

and then he looks at you, really looks at you in a way that sucks the breath from your lungs, his gaze drags across your face like he's memorizing every detail he's never let himself linger on too long.

a beat passes.

"now works," he murmurs, nodding to himself and you're unsure if you're seeing things but you think you catch his adam's apple bob in this throat.

he turns to face you and there's another moment of silence between you, darting eyes looking into each other's with neither of you sure how to make the first mood. the tense air falters slightly when you both laugh, visibly shaking as if trying to fray the nerves you feel.

"you're allowed to kiss me, clark." you crack a smile, further easing the tension and giving him the go-ahead.

clark nods, reaching his arm up. his hand comes up gently, fingers brushing along your jaw, like he's hesitant in case you pull away. but you don't. you can't. you're frozen in place, heart pounding in your ears as clark kent, your best friend, your coworker and lunch break buddy, closes the distance and kisses you.

it starts slow and you shouldn't be surprised.

he's soft, tentative, like he's testing the waters, but the second your lips part and your hands slides up the back of his neck, feeling the curls at the nape of his neck, it's like a dam breaks.

the kiss soon turns hungry, almost desperate in a way that makes you feel dizzy.

he groans into your mouth, deep and guttural, the sound vibrating through your chest when you gently tug at his hair, pulling him closer to you. his hands find your hips and he grips them tightly as he sits beside you.

your free hand trails down to tug at his shirt. he's quick to lift it off, breaking the kiss for a mere second, tossing the fabric somewhere behind the sofa.

you don't remember how you ended up in his lap, only that you're straddling him now, grinding down over the thickening length pressed against his jeans.

your hands aren't shy in the way they glide across the newly discovered fair skin of his torso. he's on the fairer side but you can imagine the farmer's tan he'd probably sport had he stayed home and not moved to metropolis.

you knew clark was a big guy. everyone did. he's a tower of a man, standing over you at six-foot four-inches, yet with the most gentlest of demeanors.

there's nothing gentle about clark's body though. you have half the mind to ask him when he finds time to go to the gym consistently but the other voice in your head tells you it'd ruin the moment.

clark's hands travel everywhere, too: up your thighs, your waist, your back. he touches you like he's been waiting for this. starving for this.

he hides pent up energy a lot better than i do, you think to yourself.

your teeth scrape against his bottom lip, holding the soft flesh between them and he exhales sharply, like you've knocked the wind out of him.

"bedroom?" he pants against your mouth when you release his lip.

you nod breathlessly. "please."

he stands with you still clinging to him, lifting you like it's nothing (seriously, what can this man bench?), and in a matter of seconds, you're in your room.

it's not the first time he's been in your room. it's not even the tenth. he's helped you assemble ikea furniture in here. he's helped you hang picture frames and fix a broken drawer. he's sat on your bed, fully clothed, eating pad thai while you struggled to find what to wear for a particular date.

but this...

this is different.

this time you're underneath him, flat on your back, watching as he looks at you like he's never really seen you before. granted, he hasn't. not like this.

his hands smooth under your shirt, eyes trained on the faded material. you're about to ask what he's staring at when he murmurs softly, "this is mine."

you glance down, eyeing the oversized fabric plastered with the logo of an indie band you know nothing about. a distant memory flashes in your eyes. "y'gave it me after that big storm," you remind him, your tone matches his. "never asked for it back."

"so you decided to steal it?" he asks, eyes flitting up to yours, a hint of amused challenge in his eyes.

"more like long-term borrowing," you correct him firmly. "i was going to return it eventually," you add.

"eventually," he echoes, like he doesn't believe you for a second.

his fingers toy with the hem of the shirt, brushing along the bare skin of your navel. it sends a shiver across your body, not only by his touch alone, but how he looks at you.

you swallow. "you want it back?"

clark hums, leaning in, nose brushing against yours. "eventually," he teases.

he kisses you again.

it's slower this time, like he has all the time in the world to taste you. his hands skim your sides, pushing the shirt up gradually, savoring each inch of skin he reveals. your arch to help him, letting the fabric slide up off your arms, over your head and get tossed somewhere beside your bed.

clark sits back just enough to look at you, really look at you, and the look on his face makes goosebumps raise your skin. his eyes drag down your chest, still clad in a bra.

"um, may i?" he asks, voice strained.

a smile cracks your features, warmth blooming in your chest at the his display of shyness during your moment of intimacy. you nod with a hum of approval, grateful that the bra you decided to wear today had the clasp at the front between the two cups.

clark breathes out a quiet sound of relief, like he's also grateful for the simplicity. his fingers find the clasp easily, but he doesn't rush. he hesitates for just a second, giving you one last chance to change your mind, even though your body is already arching toward him in invitation.

the clasp clicks open with a soft snap and you bra loosens against your skin.

with a bated breath, you feel clark slide the straps from your shoulders carefully, until the bra has been tossed aside to join your – his – shirt on the floor. you blink up at him as he finally takes you in fully, his breath catches.

"you're beautiful," he says simply, like it's a fact. not a line, not flattery. just the truth.

you swallow hard, unable to speak, so you reach for him instead, pulling him down into another kiss, your hands wrapped around the back of his neck. this one is deeper, messier. your tongue slide together, desperate and hot enough to make your thighs press together.

clark groans into your mouth, feeling the movement of your legs, as if he knows exactly what it means. his hands slide down your sides, settling on your hips, thumbs tracing slow circles, just under the waistband of your sweatshorts.

then he shifts, dragging his mouth along your jaw, down your neck, pressing slow kisses to every inch of skin he can reach. you gasp when his lips find the sensitive spot below the corner your jaw, your fingers tightening in his hair as he sucks softly.

"clark," you whisper, barely able to get the word out.

he lifts his head slightly, eyes searching yours. "tell me what you want," he murmurs.

you bite the inside of your lower lip, feeling the heat pool in your lower belly. "i want you to touch me. really touch me."

he lets out a breath, nodding.

clark moves lower, trailing kisses down your chest, pausing to mouth at your breast, his tongue flicking over your nipple until you arch beneath him with a croon. you moan softly when his lips close over your nipple, sucking at the stiffened flesh. your eyes flutter shut as his large hand gropes the breast that's not in his mouth, before it begins to trail down.

his hand coasts down your stomach, slipping beneath the waistband of your shorts, and then he goes lower, beneath the cotton of your underwear.

your breath hitches when his fingers brush over your slit, already soaked and his breath stutters against your skin. he releases from your nipple with a soft 'pop,' eyes meeting yours.

"oh my," he groans, "you're so wet."

you whimper, half-embarrassed, half-desperate. "yeah, well... you're kind of hot."

he huffs to himself – maybe a laugh, maybe it's out of disbelief – and presses a kiss to the slope of your breast before slipping a finger between your folds, circling your clit with a precision you don't want to know from where he learned. your body jerks at the contact, a soft moan leaving your lips.

clark watches your expression closely, trying to read your pleasure.

"like this?" he asks lowly, swallowing the lump in his throat.

you nod frantically, your fingers tangling into his hair as you pull him closer. "mhm... just like that."

his touch grows more confident, smiling to himself as he coaxes another croon from you when he pushes the finger inside your velvet walls.

you gasp, hands moving to clutch his shoulders, eyes fluttering shut at the slow and deliberate stretch of his digit inside you.

he hums in approval at the feel, like the warmth of you is enough to drive him crazy. his thumb moved to your clit, circling in tandem with the curl of his finger, drawing sounds from your lips he's never heard before. now that he has, he doesn't think he'll ever forget them.

your hips buck up to meet his hand, your breath hitching as his finger begins to move faster and with more purpose. he carefully adds a second finger, watching your reaction closely.

"oh, clark," you pant, voice breaking.

"does it feel good?" he checks in softly, continuing to crook his fingers inside your gummy walls.

"y-yeah, real good," you nod, lashes batting.

your body burns and your pulse pounds in your ears, thighs trembling as he works you closer and closer to the edge with just his fingers.

"clark, i'm– oh my god–"

you're at the precipice. he can feel it, too.

"mhm, go ahead, sweetheart," he hums against your temple, his thumb circling faster over your clit.

you're unsure if it's his fingers or the pet name that triggers your orgasm but you cum with a sharp cry, legs tensing and back arching as waves of pleasure roll through your body. he doesn't pull his fingers out until you're gasping, twitching and whimpering from the overstimulation.

when you finally open your eyes, you look at his expression: tender. a littler in awe.

you pull him into a kiss before you can overthink it, your lips a 'thank you' for the orgasm he gave you. one of your hands drift down and feel how hard he his through the denim of his jeans.

"your turn," you murmur against his lips.

clark shakes his head slightly, kissing your jaw. "we're not playing a board game."

you arch a brow, still catching your breath. "clark."

he grins softly. "okay, fine. 'm not going to argue with you."

you laugh breathlessly tugging at the loops of his jeans before your reach the button of them. he lets you unbutton his jeans, finding the zipper and pulling it down.

clark hisses when the zipper comes in contact with his bulge, separated by the cotton of his boxers. you glance up at him, eyes flitting to his face, just in time to see him bite down on his lower lip and knit his brows together.

you push the denim down his hips and he helps, standing off the bed momentarily to tug the rest of them down his legs and kicking them aside.

"those, too," you murmur, eyes zeroing on his boxers, more specifically the hard outline behind them.

clark exhales sharply, his cheeks tinting a faint pink as he hooks his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers and leans over to slide them to his legs before stepping out of them and leaving them in the pile on the floor.

your breath catches as he straightens again, fully bare now and yeah... you're in awe.

your eyes roam over him and he shifts slightly under the weight of your gaze. he's not bashful per se, but he's something close to it.

"jesus, clark," you whisper.

"what?" his ears flush a darker pink and that makes you grin because of course he's shy about it. it's so him, it almost makes your chest ache.

"you, clark," you smile, chuckling through your nose. "that," you add, nodding toward his cock, hanging thick and heavy between his legs.

he sucks in a breath and you find his reaction dear. of course the guy with the biggest dick you've ever seen is modest about it. and of course it's clark kent of all men.

"c'mere," you beckon him over, sitting up in your bed. "wanna make you feel good."

he kneels at the edge of your bed, voice strained, raspy with want. "you don't have to," he murmurs but the twitch of his cock says otherwise.

"i want to," you answer softly, gently tugging him by the arm until he's settled against your headboard.

"sweetheart..." he trails off.

there it is again. that damn pet name.

"let me," you ask, practically beg, eyes boring into his with desperation. "please."

his lips purse as if he's holding something in and then he's nodding. "okay."

you wrap your fingers around him, heat returning to your belly when you realize your hand barely encircles his entire circumference. you stroke him once slowly, and clark's eyes flutter shut. his jaw tenses, tossing his head back against the headboard.

"god," he breathes, the sound low and guttural, like the air's been vacuumed from his lungs.

you smirk a little to yourself, tucking the moment away in your memory.

your hand moves again, slow and steady, watching his every reaction. you watch the way his chest rises and falls a little faster now, and the way his brows scrunch together while his lips part with a groan when you twist your wrist just the right way.

"feel good?" you ask.

clark's eyes flutter open, glassy and dark with heat. "yeah," he rasps. "feels... feels great."

you beam at his words, pride filling your chest.

you shift lower on the bed, settling between his legs and placing a hand on his thigh for support. his breath catches when he realizes where this is going and you don't give him a chance to overthink it.

you run your tongue along the underside of his cock, slow and deliberate. he lets out a sound that's part groan and part whimper, hips twitching up instinctively.

he moans your name softly, pressing the back of his head harder against the headboard. part of you wishes you could take a picture.

you hum around the thick head of him as you take him into your mouth, swirling your tongue and easing forward until you feel the weight of him on your tongue, nearly overwhelming in girth. his hands twitch at his sides before one reluctantly moves up to your hair.

clark doesn't push. doesn't guide. he just holds, like he needs something to ground him.

you set a rhythm, bobbing your head and stroking him with one hand what you can't take. you relish in the way his moans grow louder, more broken, a sound you want etched into your mind forever.

"sweetheart," he calls, voice tense with strain. "you have to wait– i'm–"

you glance up at him, eyes wide and pupils blown, trying to read his expression.

"you're going to make me cum," he warns, voice cracking.

why does he say that like it's such a bad thing?

you double-down, sucking harder in response, flattening your tongue along the underside of his cock again, and that's it.

clark groans, loud and low and helpless, as he comes, hips bucking once before he stills them. his hand fists your hair while the other attempts to cover his mouth as if he's afraid of waking the whole building (too late, you think).

you ease off him slowly when his thigh trembles beneath your hand, lifting your head up and wiping your mouth with the back of your hand as you look up at him.

he looks completely and utterly wrecked. his hair is mussed, his skin is flushed pink and damp with sweat. his eyes are still dazed, slowly blinking at you as he comes down from his high. he looks... so pretty.

"jesus," he pants softly. "you really didn't have to do that."

"i know," you murmur with a small smile, crawling up his body until you're in front of his face. "i wanted to."

and then he smiles at you, a dazed one that sucks the breath from your lungs that you cant help but lean in to kiss him. he reaches up to cradle your jaw, uncaring at the fact that he can taste himself on you. his other hand drifts to your waist, pulling you closer and against him.

your tongues meet each other's, gliding together in almost a lazy manner. his kiss is languid, almost reverent, like he's trying to memorize the inside of your mouth.

you sigh into it, boneless and content as your body arches into his, bare chests pressing against each other's.

his hand drifts to your hip, toying with the hem of your shorts. "can't believe these are still on," he murmurs against your lips.

"you're the one who fingered me without taking them off first," you remind him with a chuckle.

"mm, my fault," he muses, beginning to tug down the material. you let him, allowing him to slide down your shorts until they're low enough for you to kick off and off the bed. "and these?" he asks, fingers playing with the lacy hem of your cotton panties.

you pull your head back slightly, eyes darting between his. "you want to?" you ask softly.

he swallows as he looks at your face in the dim light, just as flushed as his. "if you want," he answers, fingers still idly pinching the lacy fabric between his fingers.

you nod once with certainty. "yeah," you answer in a breath. "i do."

clark leans in to kiss you again, hands gripping your waist to flip you and ease you onto your back. he pulls away, his hands skimming your sides as he hooks his thumbs into the waistband of your underwear. his eyes meet yours once more, another silent check.

you lift your hips up in answer.

he slides your panties, soiled from your first orgasm, down slowly, tossing them aside into the growing pile on the floor.

you let him pull your thighs apart, exposing your core to the air and his gaze.

"you're so..." he trails off, but he doesn't finish, like the words fail him.

you look up at him, curious despite feeling so vulnerable before him. "so what?"

he smiles softly as if he's amazed. "just... beautiful."

your breath hitches at his words. it's so clark for him to say; it's so earnest and devastating at the same time, it makes your heart stutter in your chest.

he takes another glance down at your pussy before he snaps out of it, scooting away to reach for something on the floor. "i think i've got a condom in my wallet," he murmurs, a little hurried.

you choose not to dwell on wondering how often clark gets propositioned with sex to regularly carry a condom in his wallet.

it's clark after all.

any woman would be lucky to be with him.

you stop him, your voice calling out, "i've got a box somewhere in my nightstand."

the look on his face as he turns to look at you is boyishly flustered and adorable. you watch him crawl back over to you, hovering over you as he reaches in your nightstand drawer and retrieves a foil packet.

clark kneels up on the bed, leaning back against the back of his calves and carefully opens the packet. he rolls it on his hardened cock and you swear your brain circuits watching him do something so mundane and yet so intimate.

is this how you usually reacted to a date rolling on a condom?

then, he's hovering over you and his hand moves between you both, wrapping around himself and dragging the head of his cock slowly throughout your folds, gathering slick.

you whimper softly, hips twitching instinctively.

"you're sure about this?" he asks through gritted teeth, like he's not pressing his tip against your entrance, his restrain a hairline away from snapping. his glasses are already fogged and you hate to admit to yourself that it's one of the hottest things you've ever seen.

"yeah," you nod, letting out a breath.

he nods back at you, maybe to himself, before pushing inside you.

you cry out softly at the invasion, the head of his cock stretching your walls as he sinks into you. your hands scramble to find something, anything, to hold on to. they end up gripping his shoulders, nails digging into his warm skin as your breath stutters.

clark is big. thick. huge as he fills you in a way that feels overwhelming yet perfect at the same time.

"'s tight," he rasps, staying still as your walls flutter around the two inches he has inside you. "'m sorry."

"don't apologize," you pant, your eyes fluttering. of course he's apologizing for being too big. "i can take it."

he groans at your words, unable to resist pushing deeper inside you, another inch entering your tight walls. "sweetheart, y'sure? i don't have to go in all the way–"

how sweet.

"please," you whine, legs wrapping around his waist and pulling his hips closer to you, not letting him pull out.

he grunts at your eagerness as you urge him in closer, deeper as he sinks another inch into you, the stretch burning just enough to make your toes curl.

"fuck," he breathes, like the sound is punched from his lungs. is this the first time you've ever heard him swear? you think stars form your pupils just because he sounds so pretty when he curses.

you feel so full, so deliciously and impossibly full and yet you still want more, knowing there's a little more of him to go. you babbles something along the lines of 'more' and 'please' and who is clark kent but the man who'd grant your every wish?

with one final roll of his hips, he bottoms out, cock fully seated inside you. he lets out a low groan, feeling his pelvis press against your slick fold. the breath in your throat hitches at the pressure, the fullness you feel.

for a moment, the two of you stay sill like that, bodies locked together and foreheads touching. clark removes a hand from your hips to gently brush your jaw with the pad of his thumb.

"you okay?" he murmurs, voice so soft it makes your chest ache.

you nod, nails pressing into his back, but your grip loosens slightly. "yeah," you manage to say, a little breathless. "just... give me a second."

clark kisses your cheek, then your temple. "take all the time you need."

and so you do. you catch your breath. you adjust, the dull ache between your legs slowly becoming one of pleasure. you give him a nod, tilting your hips, silently inviting him to move and he takes the cue.

he starts the thrust, slowly at first but it's deep. so deep. every movement is unhurried and almost reverent. his gaze remain on you, maintaining an intense eye contact through every thrust, his lips parted as soft groans leave his lips.

"i can feel you everywhere," you whisper, half-dazed. "you're everywhere."

his pace stutters for a beat at your words. he lifts his head to look at you, to really look at them. you think you see a flicker of something raw in his gaze but you can't be sure.

he leans down to kiss you and it's messy, deep, and needy, while his hips roll into yours with a growing urgency. his hips pick up their pace, moving harder and faster now, each thurst enough to make your vision blur with pleasure.

you clutch his back tighter as the coil in your belly gets tighter. your walls flutter wildly around him, desperate for release.

"sweetheart," clark pants, his voice ragged. "i'm so close."

you nod, voice barely a whisper, "me, too."

clark buries his face in the crook of your neck, breath stuttering as his body tenses. you feel him twitch inside you, his release crashing through you like a tidal wave, your own orgasm ripping through your core in response.

you cling to each other as your breathing slows, skin slick with sweat and hearts pounding in your chests. clark stays inside you for a moment, catching his breath, and you’re both too dazed to say anything.

then he presses a kiss to your forehead.

and that’s when you know.

you’re fucked.

totally, completely, emotionally fucked.

the next morning, you blink awake to an empty bed.

the sheets are cold and tangled where he was only hours ago. the faint scent of his cologne lingers, but the warmth is gone – vanished with him.

your hand instinctively reaches out, only to find the space beside you painfully vacant. no familiar weight. no slow morning breath against your skin.

you sit up slowly, heart hammering in your chest, eyes scanning the room. you notice the faint imprint on the mattress where he had lain, and your hands brushes over the cold sheets.

his clothes are missing too. no sign he'd ever been there.

you swallow the lump in your throat, running a hang through your messy hair and check the clock on your nightstand: 7:02 A.M.

how could he just... leave? no goodbye?

your mind races but you push down the swirl of panic, reminding yourself: no strings. no feelings.

you shake your head bitterly.

but the ache in your chest says another story.

your morning routine is quiet, your mind muddled with the memories of the night prior: the way clark's hands skimmed your skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake, the way his mouth moved so smoothly against yours, the way he practically engraved himself in your gummy walls.

you expected some form of conversation when you woke up that morning. then again, what would you even say? good job, clark! maybe too good of a job haha... ha.

maybe not.

but still!

a text. a note. something.

you keep glancing at your phone like it'll buzz with a text from him. but your screen stays blank. almost mockingly silent.

it was supposed to be uncomplicated. it was to just be physical. fun, even. and that's all it was – right? so why does it feel like he permanently carved himself into you and then disappeared, making you feel hollow?

you try not to spiral, really. but it's hard when your body still aches from how he held you, how he was inside you. you continue relaying the night like a film reel with a stuck stop button.

within an hour, you arrive at the daily planet still shaken, though you pat yourself on the back for looking otherwise; your hair is neatly done, lip gloss on and blazer crisp over your shoulders. your stomach is still in knots but you're hoping the distraction of news will take your mind off it.

you half expect clark to avoid you completely, given how he left your apartment. instead, he's there, at his desk (early for once) and as chipper as ever.

"morning," he greets, offering that charming grin that usually makes your chest warm. today, it makes you want to scream.

you manage a polite smile, your throat dry. "morning."

he holds up a to-go tray, offering you the contents in it. "got your usual. extra shot of espresso. thought you might need it – perry's been on edge all morning."

your fingers wrap around the warm cup, but your heart twists at the casual way he says it. thought you might need it. not because of perry, but maybe because he spent the night buried inside you.

he moves on, heading over to jimmy's desk to talk about the recent superman sighting.

apparently there'd been some alien creature on the clinton bridge – some grotesque, hulking thing with four arms and acidic spit, according to eyewitnesses. superman had swooped in early enough before any casualties were made, defeating the alien. you suspect clark is the key reporter on the case, given his connection to the superhero.

still, since when did clark go to jimmy first about stories?

you stare down at the coffee in your cup as if it'd give you an answer.

the morning drones on. perry barks headlines across the office, jimmy's frantically pacing the tiled floors while chewing a pen cap and clark... clark is perfectly normal. he's chatting with interns, bouncing article ideas off perry, tossing you a smile when he passes your desk.

around noon, you're about to get up for lunch when he beats you to it, strolling over with a brown paper bag and a casual, "hey, got you that turkey pesto you like. hope that's okay."

you blink at him, startles as you crane your neck up to look at him. "oh. yeah. thanks." you glance toward the break room. "are you...?"

"nah," he cuts in, shaking his head. "swamped with edits. gonna eat while i finish the luthor piece."

and just like that, without waiting for you to respond, he's gone.

you try to not let it bother you. you try to convince yourself that this is how it was always supposed to be. always supposed to be before your big mouth ruined it.

but all you can think about is how warm he was in your bed. how soft his eyes were in the dark. how different he felt.

and how different everything is now.

what you don't see is the way clark watches you from his desk. how he catches every flicker of confusion on your face, every little sigh when you assume no one's listening.

the weekend creeps by in slow and dragged hours.

with no deadlines hanging over your head (no perry yelling in your ear about headlines), nothing to dive into, nothing to keep your brain from looping over every moment of that night – the silence is so loud.

you try to distract yourself. you do laundry, you achieve some cleaning, all while some old rom-com plays in the background – which just makes matters worse because even that couple seemed to check in on each other the morning after.

clark hadn't.

by sunday evening, you're mostly numb to it. not okay, but dulled around the edges. detached.

if clark could carry on so easily, so seamlessly (as if sleeping with your best friend was no big deal), then so could you. you'd have to.

monday rolls in with a dreary drizzle and a headache you can't shake, despite the two aspirin you'd taken already. when you step into the planet, clark is already at his desk, tapping away at his keyboard with the same focused expression he always wears.

he looks up when you enter, lifts a hand in greeting and gives one of his clark boyish smiles. "hey," he says, like nothing is different. "usual on your desk."

you blink. "thanks," you murmur.

the coffee cup is still warm when you pick it up. the lid has your name scribbled on it in his handwriting – something he does when he picks up coffee for everyone else in order to remember whose is who. your lid was always different – special – though. a smiley face is scrawled beside your name, just like always.

now, the smile seems like it's mocking you.

you shuffle into the morning meeting and take the seat farthest from him. clark barely notices. he doesn't even look at you.

at least not that you can tell.

lunchtime comes and goes. he stops by your desk with a neatly packed container of leftovers. "made extra this weekend. figured you wouldn't say no to pasta."

you look up at him, then the container in his hand. you can smell it from here. you love his cooking and you can feel your stomach rumble at the sight of it.

"thanks, but i brought mine." you give him a pressed smile, pulling out your own container from home. it's got a sad excuse of a sandwich in there but still, you're too proud to accept his.

you see something flicker across his face, so subtle and brief you're not sure if it was ever there at all, but he recovers fast. "oh. okay. cool." clark pats your desk softly before walking away.

by wednesday, your strategy of coping has been reduced to silence and sidestepping. an absolute shutdown.

you haven't looked clark in the eye once.

not really.

you pretend he's not there, except when you have to acknowledge him. and when you do, you do it with the same kind of politeness you'd give a coworker you don't really know.

you've been packing your own lunch consistently now, every day. it's not because you're being petty, but because you can't keep accepting his gracious offers.

today, he hovers by your desk with a paper bag and a hopeful smile. "brought you that chicken teriyaki over rice you like," he says. "figured you might not have had time–"

"i packed something," you cut in, before he can finish. you plaster a polite smile on your face. "but thank you."

you don't wait for his reply, turning back to your computer and after a moment too long, he sets the bag down and walks off.

you don't touch it.

today 7:15 P.M.

and that leads you to where you are now, scrolling on tinder in hopes – desperate hopes – for something, anything to distract you from your mood.

but there's a knock at the door.

you thought, no, you hoped clark would skip movie night. you really did. after days of keeping your head down, of ducking out of rooms the moment he walked in, of dodging any and every attempt at closeness, you figured he'd get the hint.

you freeze on the couch, bowl of half-eaten cereal in your lap and an oversized hoodie swallowing you whole, phone in the other hand, screen still showing off a man’s dating profile. you consider ignoring the door. you could pretend you're asleep, or not home, or–

"hey," clark calls from the other side of the door, his tone gentle. "i brought thai. they were out of the dumplings you like so i got extra spring rolls."

your stomach flips.

you set the bowl down on the coffee table, standing from your seat and slowly pad over to the door, hesitating for a moment before you open the door.

there he is.

normal as anything. stupidly handsome in a soft blue henley and worn jeans, his hair a little messy from the breeze. he holds up the takeout bag with a hopeful little smile.

you can't believe it took you sleeping with him to realize just how handsome clark kent is.

"movie night," he says simply, raising the bag for emphasis.

you blink, mouth opening and then shutting.

"i'm... not really feeling up to it tonight," you say, pulling the sleeves of your hoodie over your hands. "sorry. kinda under the weather."

it's a decent lie. passable. you even sniff for good measure, eyes avoiding his.

clark doesn't say anything right away.

behind his glasses, his gaze dips over you, scanning the faintest tension in your shoulder, the steadiness of your pulse, the evenness of your breath, the warmth of your skin. they're all signs that your body is just fine. signs that you're lying.

he doesn't call you out on it. he just lets a slow nod carry his chin. "okay..." he murmurs quietly, frowning. he hands you the bag of takeout anyway. "you can text me if you need anything, alright?"

you nod and start the shut the door.

he turns to leave, letting the door shut behind him and you move to place the bag on the coffee table.

but then clark stops. you don't even hear his footsteps on the stairs before they pause and double back to your door. the knock is softer this time.

you open the door again, brows furrowed in confusion.

clark stands before you, his own brows knitted. "did i... do something wrong?" he asks, his voice careful.

you freeze.

"what?"

"you've been avoiding me," he reveals gently. "not just today. all week."

your mouth is dry and it takes a second for you to swallow. "i've just been busy. tired," you answer weakly.

clark exhales through his noise, eyes narrowing slightly. he doesn't buy it. you can feel him not buying it. the air between you tenses but he still doesn't push you.

you sigh and rub your hand over your forehead in attempt to buy time and think of some excuse for your detached behavior that doesn't make you seem pathetic.

"i just needed space," you say finally, eyes still averted.

clark shifts his weight. "so i did do something."

"no!" you manage, too fast. too loud. then softer, you force calm into your tone. "no. you didn't... not really."

clark waits. patient. unmoving.

the silence is long enough that your embarrassment starts to rise hot in your cheeks. you should shut the door. thank him for the food. tell him you'll see him at work tomorrow and crawl back into the shell you've spent the last week building around yourself.

but you don't.

you lean your shoulder against the doorframe, staring off to the side.

"i just thought it'd feel different," you admit, voice so quiet and just above a whisper, you're unsure if he hears it.

clark's brow creases. "different?"

"afterward," you clarify. "i thought..." you sigh. "i don't know what i thought." your words trail off and clark doesn't rush you to elaborate.

he waits.

"i guess i didn't expect you to act so normal," you finally settle on. "and then i didn't expect me to care so much that you acted so normal."

clark's eyes darken, and something in his jaw tightens. "i wasn't trying to brush you off."

"you didn't," you say quickly. "that's the worst part, clark. you didn't do anything wrong. you were just... being you. sweet and thoughtful and friendly and perfect."

with a calm tone, he murmurs, "well, apparently not if you're not okay."

you finally meet his gaze, though your head remains slightly tilted downward, looking up at him through your lashes.

"i was the one who said it'd just be physical. i made a whole thing of it. i joked about it. and then i–" you catch yourself. the words tremble on your tongue, about to slip.

clark doesn't look away, his gaze settled heavily on you. "you what?"

you hesitate, swallowing the lump in your throat.

"i caught feelings," you admit, the confession dragging out of you like you're wincing. "i said no strings but i lied. not on purpose, but... i did."

a beat passes.

you avert your gaze, too afraid to see his expression.

here's where your mouth moves before your brain can compute, attempting to fill in the excruciating silence.

"i didn't expect to feel this way," you say, quieter now. "but i do. and i just... i don't know how to be your friend and pretend like that night didn't change anything for me. i... i'm just sorry."

clark's eyes search your face, his face unreadable for long second.

then, he finally says your name. and the way he says it is so soft, so full of emotion, it feels like a kiss. he takes a step closer to you, crossing the threshold into your apartment.

"i didn't want to leave that morning," he says suddenly, voice low. "i had to."

that makes your head shoot up. you blink, head shaking slightly. "had to?" you echo.

his eyes flicker, almost like he regrets saying it, but he nods. "there was something... urgent. i should've left a note. i thought i could just... make it up to you. you know, the coffee, lunch, the usual clark stuff."

"i didn't know how to act," he continues, his head tilting down as he looks at you. "i didn't want to assume what that night meant to you since you brought it up in the first place... hell, i even asked steve about hookup culture and what was the appropriate thing to–"

"clark." you snap your head up to meet his eyes with incredulity. "you asked steve? for dating advice?"

clark huffs, shaking his head. "no, not dating advice. hookup advice," he corrects, matter-of-fact-ly.

"oh my god," you mumble to yourself. "you asked steve, the guy who has a horrible track record when it comes to woman for advice."

"well, i couldn't ask jimmy. he'd know it was about you and then i'd never hear the end of it."

you blink, stunned, your mouth opening slightly before you let out a short, surprised laugh. "you are so bad at this."

clark shrugs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "yeah, well. sue me for trying to respect your boundaries while quietly losing my mind."

you're taken aback. "you were losing your mind?"

his hand drops, and he takes another step closer to you. "you seriously can't believe i just walked away from that night and felt nothing," he murmurs, voice quiet and earnest. "i've been thinking about you nonstop. i couldn't be around you for more than a few minutes because every time i see you i..." he trails off, gulping.

"you what?" you ask softly, your breath halting.

"every time i see you, i want to touch you," he says, voice low, almost like he's confessing a sin. "i want to pull you into the nearest room and kiss you. touch you. hold you. have you."

your breath hitches in your throat.

clark takes another step forward, so close now you have to tilt your chin to meet his eyes. "and it's not just physical. i think about how you laugh when you're half-asleep. how you hum when you're focused. i think about things i shouldn't know after one night."

you swallow hard, your throat suddenly dry. "clark..."

"let me be clear," he says quickly. "i do feel the same. maybe – probably more."

you glance up at him, noting the sincerity in his expression, the barely restrained tension in his frame.

"i'm not going to pretend it was just sex," he says. "not when every second of it felt like something i didn't want to end. not when i still think about the way you sounded – how you looked under me."

your breath stutters, legs nearly giving out at the memory alone.

his voice dips even lower, if that's possible. "not when i've had to physically stop myself from calling you every night since, just to hear your voice while i–" he cuts himself off, swallowing the words.

your stomach drops and a familiar heat grows. "while you what?"

"i think you know."

"every night?" you ask, your voice a small murmur.

he exhales sharply, face flushing but his eyes are still as darkened as ever. "yeah."

your chest tightens at the confession. there's a beat of silence where the air between you feels heavier than ever, thick with things you never thought he'd say. never thought he felt.

"i tried to respect the line you drew," he says softly, almost apologetically. "but i crossed it the second i touched you and i haven't been able to stop wanting you since."

your heart pounds in your ears. you want to speak, say something, but your throat is dry and your mind is racing too fast to catch a single coherent thought.

so you choose to act instead.

you surge up, gripping the collar of his henley, and kiss him.

it's clumsy at first, all heat and urgency and too many feelings shoved into the kiss. his hands immediately find your waist, anchoring you as your fingers tangle in his shirt, wrinkling the blue material between your fingertips. you're already tugging at him. tugging him further into your apartment – he takes the hint and kicks the door behind him.

he groans into your mouth when your hands slide uo under his shirt, palms brushing over warm skin. his muscles twitch beneath your touch, like he's been waiting for this.

he lifts you effortlessly – god, you missed his strength – and your legs wrap around his waist like it's second nature. your back meets the wall with a soft thud, and his mouth never leaves your. it's greedy, relentless. it's like he's making up for lost time. granted, he is.

his hands roam with a desperate urgency, memorizing every curve and contour of you with free reign. the heat between you is palpable, a built up tension bursting at the seams. you cling to him, breath hitching as his lips trail down your jaw to your neck, nipping softly.

"you don't know how much i've missed this," he murmur against your skin, voice rough with need.

you shiver, fingers threading into his hair as he kisses lower, just beneath your ear, along the line of your throat. his breath fans hot against your skin. you're practically melting into him, undone by the weight and warmth of his body.

"i thought about you every night," he confesses, his pressing forward, still hoisting you up against the wall, making your breath hitch. all the while he presses open mouthed kisses to your skin. "your laugh." kiss. "your face." kiss. "your body." kiss.

you whimper, the memory of it rushing back all at once. you feel yourself clench around nothing, the heat in your belly pooling.

the words are stuck in your throat. you're too embarrassed to admit what he already seems to know: it was supposed to be just a hookup and you thought you could keep your heart out of it. but you failed. spectacularly.

so, instead, you lean in, teeth catching his bottom lip in a kiss that's filthy. needy. his groan rumbles against your chest, hand squeezing at the flesh beneath your thighs as he carries you, sliding up to your ass.

"i need you," you whisper finally.

his eyes darken at your words. "you have me," he rasps, and then his mouth is back on yours.

he carries you with effortless strength toward the bedroom, only breaking the kiss to make sure he's not bumping into anything in your hallway. your legs still stay locked around him, arms around his shoulders, fingers still tangled in his hair like you're afraid this moment isn't real. like he actually isn't here.

when his knees hit the edge of the side of your bed, he lowers you onto the mattress with a care that contradicts the heat in his gaze.

"tell me to stop," he murmurs against your lips, his forehead brushing nose, voice barely holding back restraint. "and i will."

you shake your head. "please don't."

and that's his green light.

his mouth is back on yours as his hands trail down your body. they slide along the curve of your waist, the dip of your hips until they find the hem of your hoodie. you easily slip out of it as he helps pull it over your head, tossing it aside. he pulls away for a moment glancing down at the shirt your wearing.

"what?" your question cuts through the tense air.

"you look better in my shirts," he murmurs, pinching the material between his fingertips.

you smile – grin, really – finding amusement in his words. "you should give me some more then," you answer, arms hooking around his neck. he lets you pull him in, smiling against your mouth as you attempt to press another kiss.

his hands grow more eager, tugging the shirt up and over your head in one swift motion.

he lets out a sigh, eyes raking over your chest with reverence and hunger all tangled together. his large hands cup you through your bralette, thumbs brushing over the lace.

you whimper beneath him, fingers tugging at his henley until he stands over you, yanks it over his head. that was hot.

you'd forgotten just how solid he was. all broad chest, sculpted arms. smooth skin over muscle. the kind of body that made you ache.

your hands glide over his chest, fingertips trailing down the dip of his sternum to the line of his abs. his muscles twitch under your touch, and then he's lowering again, mouth hot and wet against the swell of your breast as he works your bra off.

he mouths at you, tongue flicking and teeth scraping enough to make you gasp, "clark." your lashes flutter, fingers reaching to tangle in his curls. one of his hands stay at your chest while the other slips between your thighs, cupping you through your shorts, your heat unmistakable.

he groans, like it hurts. "oh my," he breathes, pressing his forehead between the valley of your breasts for a moment, like he's taking a moment to pull himself together. but then his fingers are moving again, sliding beneath the waistband of your shorts and underwear in one slow motion. he drags them down legs, eyes never leaving your center.

you're wet. he sees it. you feel it.

"sweetheart," he murmurs like a prayer.

that damn pet name.

he knows you like it, he can tell by the way it makes your heart stutter in your chest. clark makes a mental note to continuing calling you it.

then he sinks to his knees on your floor between your spread legs, your calves dangling off the edge of your bed. his hands grip your thighs, thumbs brushing reverently along the inside, like he's committing this to memory.

you're also committing the sight to memory. despite the obsceneness of clark kent kneeling between your les, there's still something so pure in his face: the adoration shining in his ocean eyes behind those glasses.

he presses a kiss to the inside of your knee, then higher and higher.

you suck in a breath when his lips ghost over the skin of your inner thigh and his glasses nudge you slightly. it unintentionally reminds you that it's him, still him, still the clark who holds open doors open and rambles about his dorky interests.

except now his hands are parting your thighs further, spreading you open.

"d'you wanna take off your glasses?" you murmur softly, swallowing thick.

he's quick – almost too quick – to shake his head. "mn-hm, wanna see you clearly," he answers, not revealing the real reason. he exhales shakily, seeing you up closes and the sound alone makes your core throb.

"so, so pretty," he says, almost to himself. he drags his thumbs along your folds, gentle at first. "

you drape your arm over your eyes, too flustered to answer and he smile – you can hear it in his voice, "don't hide from me now."

before you have a chance to answer, his mouth on you.

you gasp as his tongue licks a slow, careful stripe through your slick. when you whimper, hips shifting, his hands tighten on your thighs to hold you steady.

he eats you like he's starving, like you're the only thing he's allowed himself to have after months of being denied. his tongue flicks, circles, presses just right against you and he groans every time your body jerks against his face.

"been wanting to do this," he grumbles against your clit, pressing a chaste kiss to the sensitive bundle of nerves. "thought about it for days."

you gasp, back arching when his tongue plunges into your center, nose rubbing between your folds.

"clark," you whine, nails digging into his scalp as you push him closer to you, keening at the sheer pleasure from his nose and tongue. you don't know how long he's pressed to you like that but you're sure it's longer than a person can be before they need air.

he finally pulls away. "dunno why i didn't last week," he huffs to himself, as if he's scolding himself, breathing a puff against your twitching core, making your walls flutter.

he dives back in. he works you open with patience and purpose, like he wants to unravel you right here, right now, just with his mouth.

and you do start to unravel, your hips rolling and thighs tensing around his shoulders, his name slipping past your lips in broken gasps. you're close.

so, so close.

he pulls back.

your protest is immediate, a whimpering sound of frustration leaving your lips, but he's already climbing up over you, kissing your jaw, your cheek, your lips and murmuring softly, "i know, sweetheart."

you eagerly reach between your bodies, palming his through his jeans. he's already hard, straining, almost painfully so, and the sound he makes is low and guttural.

"clark," you pant, squeezing him through his jeans.

"yeah," he hisses, sucking his lower lip between his teeth. "yeah." he repeats with a nod, reaching down to unbutton his jeans with one hand, the other braced beside your head. you hear the rasp of the zipper being pulled down and then he's fumbling to shove them down just enough to kick off. his boxers follow and you can feel the weight of him slap against your thigh.

"normally, i'd want you to cum before i get inside you," he murmurs through a breath, swallowing hard. "but i just can't wait."

"it's okay," you say quickly, looking into his eyes, heat filling your gaze.

he glances around, reaching for your nightstand drawer and you stop him, grabbing his wrist.

with furrowed brows, he turns to look at you.

"i'm on the pill." you whisper, "and i promise i'm clean."

clark's jaw ticks and then he nods, only once, before you feel the deliberate roll of his hips as he lines himself up.

"you sure?" he asks, voice rough like gravel, like he's barely holding himself back.

you roll your hips back against him, nodding with a soft croon as the head of his cock glides between your slick folds. "y-yes," you breathe out.

"i'll have to go slow because..." he starts.

"–you're huge," you answer for him, a ghost of a smile on your face.

his face flushes. "i was going to say i had little time to properly prep you but i guess that also works."

you giggle, the sound a little breathless, a little wrecked as you lay plaint beneath him as he stands before you. "i mean... both are true."

clark huffs a quiet laugh through his nose but there's a brewing darkness in his eyes. "okay, sweetheart," he murmurs, lowering his voice. "deep breath."

you inhale and then he starts to push inside. the head of him prods against your velvet walls, barely squeezing through your entrance. the stretch is instant. it's hot, thick, overwhelming, just like you remember it but it's oh, so different now without the barriers of latex between you. you feel him more than ever, the bare skin of his cock sliding and rubbing against your walls.

"f-fuck," you whisper, fingers clutching the sheets.

"i know, i know," he pants, lifting the underside of your thighs up to anchor him as he struggles not to shove himself in in one push. "god, you're–" the glasses on his nose, fog up as he pants and slowly sinks another inch into you.

"so good," you whisper, your words a little slurred as you blink ip at him.

clark's jaw is clenched, tendons straining in his neck as he watches your face with utmost focus. it's like he's mapping your pleasure in real time.

"you're doing so good, sweetheart," he croons, squeezing the fat of your thighs. "so tight, warm... christ–"

you whimper, overwhelmed by the stretch and the praise. the way he's only barely in but you already feel full.

it takes a while for him to push himself in, whispering praises and sweet words your way all the while.

then, finally, he bottoms out.

a shaky sound spills from your lips as he buries himself to the hilt, pressing against a spot inside you that has you cumming in seconds without warning.

clark feels your walls spasm around him and he groans, throwing his head back. "shit, baby," he rasps, voice trembling. (mentally, you add another tick to how many times you've made clark swear). "did you just–?"

you nod, dazed, still catching your breath, your whole body twitching from the aftershocks as he stays buried inside you. "i... i didn't mean to," you mumble, blinking up at him, lashes wet.

his smile is crooked and fond as he looks down at you, pupils blown wide. "oh, that's alright sweetheart," he says, leaning down to press a kiss to your temple. "you okay?"

you hum, looping your arm around his shoulders, keeping him close. your legs wrap around his waist, making his arms move from holding your thighs up to brace beside either side of your body. "better than okay."

he grunts at your closeness, rolling his hips just a fraction. "sweetheart, you're squeezing me s'tight."

"sorry," you whimper, attempting to unclench around him. "y'can move," you add softly.

his eyes soften as he looks down at you. "you're not overstimulated?" he asks.

you must have the kindest man inside you right now.

"i need you more than that," you answer, looking into his eyes with determination.

he sucks in a breath at that, experimentally bringing his hips back slightly before pushing back in. your walls are slick with your orgasm so it becomes easier for him to slide between your walls. at your soft moan and fluttering lashes, he starts to move.

clark pulls out a few inches and thrusts back in with a slow, deliberate snap of his hips. you gasp, nails digging into his back and he hisses softly.

the rhythm he sets is measured and patient, but every stroke presses right against that devastating spot inside you that made you fall apart the first time. he doesn't look away from your face, like every flutter of your lashes, every gasp and tremble is something sacred.

"you feed so good, sweetheart," he mumbles, dipping his head to kiss along your jaw. "could stay here all night. buried inside you. just like this."

you shudder from beneath him, his words sending another wave of heart in your belly. "you can," you murmur.

"yeah, you'd let me?" he grunts against your neck, needing the confirmation between every slow roll of his hips. his glasses press against your cheek to the point you're worried they might snap.

"mhm, we could'a been doing this every night since last week," you whimper, squealing when he deliberately snaps his hips against yours out of rhythm.

"then, i guess i have to make up for lost time," he murmurs against your skin, picking up his pace.

you cry out, legs tightening around his waist as he begins to fuck you harder. it's still tender but it's deeper now. it's more insistent, like he's trying to imprint himself inside you (you think he already has from the week prior).

“fuck,” you breathe, wrapping your legs tighter around his waist, anchoring him to you. “clark—”

he groans at the sound of his name, mouth trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along your throat. “say it again,” he pants. “say my name like that.”

“clark,” you whisper, and he gives a sharp thrust in return that has your back arching, the pleasure overwhelming. you whine when he pulls his torso away from you, leaving your hands to grip the sheets beside you instead.

his fingers curl under your knees, pressing them up toward your chest to angle you open for him. the new angle has him hitting that spot with merciless precision, and your moans dissolve into something breathless and high-pitched.

“look at me,” he murmurs, brushing your hair from your face with a tenderness that contrasts how deep he’s fucking you. “wanna see your eyes when I make you cum again.”

your eyes flutter open, teary and half-lidded, and the moment they lock with his, noticing his blue eyes blown behind his fogged-up glasses, you shatter.

your walls clench around him, your cry muffled by the way he kisses you through your orgasm. it's the kind of kiss that feels like everything. it feels like home.

“that’s it,” he whispers against your lips. “good girl. you’re perfect. perfect.”

your body trembles under him, but he doesn't stop. not yet. he keeps thrusting through your aftershocks, voice low and ragged. “can I cum inside, sweetheart? please... need to feel it. need to feel you.”

you nod, dazed and desperate. “please, clark. want it.”

with a strangled groan, he pushes deep one final time, hips stuttering as he spills white ropes of cum inside you. he holds you tight, face buried in the crook of your neck, catching his breath.

you don’t say anything for a while, your limbs heavy and boneless as his weight settles over you. clark’s still inside, still pulsing faintly, and your body feels like it’s humming, buzzing with the aftershocks. he carefully pulls your legs back down from your chest, letting them dangle off the bed again.

"you okay?" he asks softly.

you nod, a dazed smile on your face as you look up at him. "yeah."

he cups your jaw, thumb caressing your flushed skin softly. "sorry if i went too hard at the end," he murmurs.

"it's okay," you quickly reassure him, turning your cheek to kiss the palm of his hand.

clark smiles at the gesture, basking in the warmth of you and being inside you. "can i stay over?" he asks, breaking the silence that falls between you.

the way your eyes narrow makes his heart stutter in his chest, second guessing everything that just happened prior. but then you speak.

"are you going to leave in the morning like i was some dirty mistress?" you ask, tone mostly teasing.

his shoulders relax and he laughs through his nose, leaning down to kiss your cheek. "sweetheart, i'm sorry," he apologizes, smiling against your skin. "i swear it was urgent. i didn't mean to do a walk-of-shame on you."

"mm, yeah okay," you hum along as if you don't believe him.

he pulls back to look down at you. "i'll spend the rest of forever apologizing to you for it," he promises.

"you better."

sure, tonight he won't tell you the real reason he left in a scramble and without a word that morning was because of the alien monster wreaking havoc on the clinton bridge that he had to deal with as his alien superhero counterpart, but until then, clark will do whatever it takes to make it up to you.

for now, he'll be right here and by your side until morning light.

ʚĭɞ reblogs and interaction always appreciated! ʚĭɞ

[tomsparkyr]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓-𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐘

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

summary: the internet reacts to y/n and george down the line and how he’s always looked at her the same way, the look of love.

george clarke x fem!reader

smau! fc: tate mcrae

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y/n just posted!

liked by georgeclarkeey, livvydimartino and 467.351K others

y/n new video out now with my fav! go watch it now… or not… it’s fine. whatever.

tagged: georgeclarkeey

view all comments?

user OMW🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

user oh george you’re looking GOOD

⤿ liked by y/n!

italianbach #needthat

⤿ georgeclarkeey Thanks babygirl x

⤿ livvydimartino ?

user guys just kiss like we all know

⤿ user LITERALLY

⤿ user did u guys see how he was looking at her the whole vid?😭😭

⤿ user no what happened?!?

⤿ user check twitter rn

⤿ chrismd10 looking now

⤿ user @chrismd10 GET OUTTA HERE

y/n just posted!

liked by georgeclarkeey, arthurtv and 1.8 million others

y/n eyes on me.

tagged: georgeclarkeey

view all comments?

user IS THIS A HARD LAUNCH ????

user wait a damn minute

arthurtv why did you put george on both slide 2 and 3?

⤿ georgeclarkeey Blocked.

livvydimartino cute! …but you’re mine…

⤿ y/n ok! whatever u say darling!

⤿ georgeclarkeey @y/n wtf?

user HEART-EYES CLARKEY

user obsessed with you

⤿ georgeclarkeey Is this my burner account?

user may a love like this attack me

⤿ chrismd10 real

⤿ user @chrismd10 did u like our twitter thread?

⤿ chrismd10 the screenshots are on the gc rn x

bonus! (bc it was literally my inspiration…)

[tomsparkyr]

When is the next part of your Inside fic coming outtt I miss it sm😭😭 xx

right freaking now! go and enjoy my lovely!🤍🤍

[tomsparkyr]

𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

currently writing, in my drafts, requested.

𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬

camaraderie

heart-eyes clarkey

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

inside (george's version):

⤿ 001, sparks fly!

⤿ 002, i think he knows!

⤿ 003, how you get the girl!

⤿ 004, lavender haze!

⤿ 005, king of my heart!

⤿ 006, the 1!

⤿ 007, imgonnagetyouback!

series masterlist link

[main series complete!]

more coming soon…

[tomsparkyr]

@end-of-the-earth @mattslefttoenail @sunflouer04 @cuntessaiii @hey-there9-its-me @bowielovesyou @hypn0fl3ct @coffeehurricanes @golden-hoax @mgmoore @magicalfurykoala @oliviaohanessian1 @rosieposie88 @rosieposieeeeeee @coffeehurricanes @tatumrileyslover @onlyangle1 @the-internets-girlfriend @sebby-staan @courtjjade @nyxisnotok @elliespider

𝐈𝐌𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊!

following episode seven of 'inside' — george clarke x fem!reader

(last chap on them in the house what if i cried)

(oh hey guys… did someone call for a surprise upload after i’ve been itching to finish this but a levels (😒😒😒) got in the way?)

(also yes i changed some things that happened in the show bc obvs i wanted to make it more around you and george so don't kill me for changing the ending a little bit xx)

wc: 7.4K

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Your head hurt from crying, the throbbing pain in your temples relentless as you tried to rub away any sorrow you were feeling for yourself. Your cheeks were painted with tears long gone but the pain was lingering ever present.

You ran your hands through your hair and sighed, staring at your reflection and how tired your eyes looked; nothing compared to how your mind replayed that moment with George over and over again, on rewind despite you trying to force it out of your memory.

Footsteps behind you caused you to look past your reflection, seeing Cinna leaning against the doorway of the bathroom. “Hey…” She said softly, a small and apologetic smile sitting almost awkwardly on her face. “I know the timing kinda sucks but can you come with me to the living room?”

You furrowed your brows at her question but silently agreed, nodding your head, your entire body too tired to protest at this moment. Cinna walked towards you and placed a hand on your lower arm, tugging you lightly out of the room. “It’s not bad, I promise.” She nudged you.

You looked up at her and tilted your head, clearly not believing her reassurance. Cinna sighed, “Alright, not really. But I need everyone with me.” She gave in, you bit your lip and followed where she led you.

Fear ran through your body as you edged closer to the living room, knowing everyone would be in there, the same exact people who had seen you break down and the fabric of whatever you had the George be torn out underneath you.

And he was in there.

Probably sitting there all smug, arms slung behind his head and legs spread as he relaxed on the couch. You expected him to smile at you as you walked in, not worried about any pain or embarrassment he had caused you; because as he inferred, there was no relationship between you two.

Except he wasn’t like that.

Past the pitying eyes of everyone trained on you as you walked into the space, you spotted him sitting away from everyone and head hung low; unable to bring himself to look at you as all his mistakes and guilt would come rushing back to him.

You sat down by yourself, choosing not to bump shoulders with anyone as they would place a gentle hand on your shoulder and whisper, “Are you okay?” You really couldn’t deal with that right now, so opted for your own sanity.

Cinna smiled at you as she stood up in front of everyone, “Because I am immune, they called me in there and made me have to eliminate somebody, which is so sad.” She rubbed her eyes as she began to tear up.

Your eyes widened at her statement. You obviously knew you wouldn’t be going home due to the close relationship you had with Cinna, but you couldn’t help but worry for the others. Someone to be specific.

You knew you shouldn’t hope he stays, but this house without George would feel weird. You cursed yourself as if you should be screaming for George to leave, that his absence would be a weight off your shoulders ahead of the final; but you couldn’t bring yourself to feel like that.

“First of all, I’d like to say, it’s really great you guys made me immune cause you made me have to do this, so thank you, PK and Jason.This is the worst person to do this.” Cinna laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

After Cinna’s reasoning for who she had to eliminate, she rubbed her hands together and looked up, “I had to eliminate you, Whitney. I’m sorry.” 

Everyones heads turned to the woman on the sofa, her face neutral, “It’s fine, babe.” She shrugged. 

Cinna and Whitney hugged and you watched Cinna’s face as she pulled away, seeing her eyes filled with tears and hands shaking. As the girls separated, you hopped up and pulled Cinna into a comforting hug.

“I feel so bad.” The American whispered into your shoulder, you shook your head and pulled her in tighter. “Don’t feel bad, you couldn’t help it.” You reassured her, “Whitney knows that and no one will blame you, Cinna.” You pulled away and smiled at her.

Cinna sniffled and laughed, “You’re the best.” She then shook her head and grabbed both of your shoulders, “Oh, God! I should be comforting you! My thing is so minor compared to yours--” 

You shook your head and shrugged, “No, no. It’s fine, I’m fine.” You lied through your teeth, “I’m just gonna keep my head down and reach the final.” Cinna looked at you, her questioning on the tip of her tongue, “Really, Cinna. I’m fine.” You interrupted her thoughts early and tugged her away to bid farewell to Whitney.

time skip!

You walked into the shop with the group, arms linked with Mya as PK stormed forward and pointed at the screen. “Twenty minutes with a puppy!” You gasped and looked around, “Please can we get it?” Mya laughed at your excited face.

George walked forward and tried to meet your eyes, but you failed to notice his pleas for attention. “Yes, yes, yes!” He opted for supporting your decision of the purchase.

You turned towards Cinna and begged her to buy the time with a puppy for you, she sighed and turned to the camera. “Can we confirm 20 minutes with a puppy?” You smiled and jumped up and down waiting for the doors to open.

Cinna was told she could spend the time with two other people and immediately turned to point at you, understanding that you would have snuck your way in even if she hadn't picked you anyway. She debated her second choice, sparing a glance at you and sending you a sympathetic facial expression, “And, I’m gonna pick George too.” 

George was surprised by this, not expecting your new friend to pick him and force the awkward tension into a small room for 20 minutes, neither budging to leave as you both couldn’t say no to the puppy.

Your smile faltered slightly, clearing your throat and you glanced at Cinna. She mouthed, ‘I’m sorry’ to you, your response was sending a mocking smile her way with wide eyes.

The doors opened slowly to reveal the awaited puppy you longed to spend the bare minimum time with, because the lack of normality within this house was getting to your head.

You recognised the golden fur that peaked through the crack and titled your head to the side, “No way…” You muttered, not allowing your mind to get ahead of itself and higher your expectations; but the thought was lingering and made your heart race.

The similar thought had clearly struck George too, “Wait, is that…” He squinted his eyes. Cinna’s confused face flickered between the pair of you on other sides of the room.

You gasped as your puppy from back at home circled on the table, his light blue lead trailing behind him and his happy trot. His sweet face looked up at you as you covered your mouth with your hands in shock, the feelings overwhelming you all of a sudden; his familiar chirp barks falling deaf on your ears.

”Y/N, is that your dog?” Cinna exclaimed excitedly, a broad smile etched onto her face. She understood your nod to be a decent answer and her heart swelled; the pet you had gushed about since day one was here in front of you and flaunting to the strangers around his innocent face.

You skipped up to scoop your puppy into your arms and cooled it, “I’ve missed you!” Your voice went an octave higher and scratched behind his ears, your dog's tail wagging rapidly. Cinna joined you and stroked the retriever’s golden fur, “Aren’t you a cutie?” She smiled and copied your voice.

George stood to the side and watched the scene, not wanting to intrude due to the recent tension caused by his own actions. He wanted to go up to the dog who he loved and had met multiple times before; but if he was honest, he wanted to go up to the person holding the dog more.

You bent down to sit cross legged on the floor and placed the dog in front of you, laughing at his excitement as he began to chase his tail on the spot. The pair joined you on the floor and watched the scene in awe, understanding that in the minimal time you had been here, you had missed your dog immensely.

As you went to stroke him again, the puppy turned away from you and ran towards the only other familiar face in the room. That being the one person you really didn’t have the heart to face right now.

‘Of course,’ You sighed mentally, realising that with the amount of times you’ve asked George to dogsit while you were out, or how many times George has been round your apartment that your little retriever would remember his face. 

George smiled as your puppy approached him and reached his hand out for him to smell, but the retriever had other ideas and hopped onto his lap and curled up in the space.

Cinna awed at the sight but you stayed silent. You felt conflicted, you so badly wanted to shuffle closer to the man opposite you and act like a little happy family and pretend that everything awful that had even gone on in this house didn’t happen; but unfortunately, reality stepped in.

George looked up to meet your eyes and seemed guilty, either for him blatantly lying to you a day ago or for stealing the attention of the one person you missed the most being in this house. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but you interrupted his apologies before they could spill out, “It’s fine.” You mumbled, “You’re one of his favourites, so…” An awkward smile slipped onto your face, realising this was the most you’ve spoken to him since walking out on him in the dressing room.

A small smile itched onto his face and he sent a subtle nod your way, understanding your wishes to no longer press on the situation and begging it to become any less awkward than it already was.

Cinne cleared her throat beside you, “I love you guys, but this wasn’t bonding time. I wanna cuddle this sweet little puppy of yours!” She smiled and called the dog over, the retriever hopping up and catching the ball that Cinna chucked towards him. 

You laughed lightly at her and looked at George one more time, your pitiful smile falling and swallowing hard before you spent the remaining time left in here with your favourite person and the one you wished you never left behind; still feeling George’s stare on you, opting to ignore it.

time skip!

“Congratulations on making it to the final.” The voice rang out inside the living room, everyone looking at each other with surprised faces. A couple of them cheered and high-fived each other, you looked at Cinna with the most genuine smile on your face for the first time today.

“For the next 30 minutes, there is a flash sale on in the shop.” She finished after presenting the prize fund on the screen, everyone feeling overwhelmed that the money in front of them could be their own by tomorrow.

Everyone leaped up from their seat in the living room, you linking arms with Cinna as the pair of you led the group, hearing their laughter and bounding footsteps behind you.

”Premium alcoholic drink!” PK shouted and shook his head laughing. Your eyes widened and a smile crept up on your face as you read the list.

’Y/N, what are you feeling?” Cinna nudged you. You raised your eyebrows, “I’ve never needed a glass of wine more in my life than right now.” You snorted, your answer completely honest after the couple of days you had previously experienced.

”Please can I confirm £200 of profiteroles, please?” George tilted his head up to the camera in the corner of the room. He turned his head around to make eye contact with you and you furrowed your brows.

”Why’d you order two portions?” You mumbled, silently cursing yourself as you realised you had paid attention to George despite your attempts to freeze him out; Mission failed!

George looked at you as if you should’ve known the answer, “They’re your favourite, no?” He cleared his throat while smiling softly at you.

You hummed and nodded at him, appreciating that he knew the little things about you, but the constant reminder of what he did lingered and intercepted any kind gesture he did.

After picking up your wine, you left George to collect his double order of profiteroles because at this point, it was the bare minimum for him to do.

George sighed as you left the room, understanding that he might have to grovel and yearn more. PK tutted and shook his head, “You’ve gotta do more than that, Georgie…” 

George nodded and looked downwards, thinking of all the ways he could admit that he was wrong and in a way that you would actually hear him out and his apology; how could he prove he was all in it for you?

Back in the living room, you sat yourself down on the couch with Cinna and sipped on your wine. The American tapped you on your thigh which brought you out of your daze, “You alright?” She asked.

You scrunched up your nose, “I’ve been better,” You admitted, “But, it could always be worse, right?” You tried to joke but Cinna saw through your defence mechanism.

”He’s trying, you know that?” Cinna’s voice quieted, leaning closer to you to keep this conversation private from everyone in the room. 

You nodded and didn’t say anything, just watched the man in question walk solemnly to the table and place the plates down, his usual bubbly personality gone.

”When we were in the shop, did you see what he tried to buy first?” Cinna questioned, you shaking your head again. “He ran up to the camera, didn’t look at the list and said, “I’d like to confirm more time with Y/N’s dog!” And when it wasn’t confirmed, he said, "To make her happy, please can I confirm?”

You raised your brows at the confession and kept your eyes locked on George, seeing him try and converse with Jason but his heart wasn’t in it, and his gaze kept lingering from the boy chatting to him.

“It feels weird.” You spoke up. “Why?” Cinna pressed for an answer. You sighed and rubbed your eyes with the palm of your hands.

“It’s like I’ve been attached to him this whole time and now we’re just… not. Like, I can’t even hold eye contact with him now, it’s weird, it’s awkward.” You shrugged your shoulders, feeling slightly better to vent this information finally.

Cinna nodded intently, “And you have to remember that it’s his fault. Don’t blame yourself for feeling like this.” She rubbed a hand up and down your shoulder.

You bit your lip and silently agreed, “You’re right…” Your voice trailed off and stayed quiet for a moment. Cinna could see you were holding back from saying something else and she raised her brows to encourage you to finish your train of thought.

“Then why do I still wanna go back to what we were with him? After all that?” You said honestly, voice lower so no one else would hear you two.

Cinna looked around the room, “Do you want my honest answer?” Your eyes widened, “Please.”

“I think what you and George have, or had going on was real and genuine. There were more than feelings there, like you’ve known him before coming in here and now you’ve had the time to explore this with him without any pressure, it almost feels like a long time coming… if you know what I mean?” Cinna explained.

You listened and let your eyes trail to the man in conversation, “He’s crazy about you. And I can’t explain why he did what he did but I can assure you one thing. Y/N, I’m 100% sure that George is in love with you.” She finished.

Your heartbeat picked up and your cheeks flushed a red as you tried to retain this information, was he really in love with you? You convinced yourself after everything had gone down that all his feelings or attraction to you was heightened from being in the house but you never put love on the cards. Cinna could see your mind spiralling from where she sat and gave you a comforting hug before leaving you to have a moment alone. “Just think about it.” She whispered before leaving the room to find the others.

You sat for a moment and watched George sat alone at the table with two plates of profiteroles, keeping quiet and his head hung low.

Your body moved before your mind could comprehend what you were doing and you found yourself standing beside George’s hunched figure. You cleared your throat and saw his head snap around to you, his eyes widening and his hands rushing to fix his messy appearance. 

He swallowed, “Hey.” His voice came out more hoarse than he had expected but he failed to care as this was the closest you had been to him since the fall out. You nodded, “Hey.”

George stuttered and he opened his mouth to ask you why you were here before you interrupted him, “Care to share?” You muttered and gestured to the two plates of treats begging to be eaten.

George nodded eagerly and stood out of his chair, “Yeah, yeah! Sure, you can have this.” He pushed his chair to you and offered you his seat, which you accepted and he bought another chair for himself.

You smiled at him but it came across stiff as you still felt a sense of awkwardness around him for obvious reasons. You cleared your throat and tugged the plate closer to you, seeing from the corner of your eye that George’s gaze hadn’t left your face since you made an appearance.

“He likes you, you’re one of his favourites.” You broke the silence and brushed hair out of your face, George’s brows furrowing, “Sorry, who?”

“My dog. He recognised you in there and you know that.” You referenced back in the shop, where your dog's eyes lingered to the only other he knew. George shook his head, “I wouldn’t say I’m one of his favourites…” “Don’t act humble, you love him just as much.” You laughed lightly, George’s eyes lighting up as he finally heard your sweet laugh and you adoring smile. He laughed also and said, “You got me there, I’ll give you that.”

The pair of you laughed and you felt a sense of comfort and what had been missing the past day. It felt like you had gone back to when it was so much easier, when it never got complicated and everything was alright between the two of you; forever cursing past you for not taking advantage of what you didn’t know you could lose.

“I was one of the first people to meet him, right?” George shuffled closer to you, the smile still etched onto his face. You nodded and locked your eyes with his, “The first.”

His brows raised, “Really?” You hummed and let your smile linger on your face. George’s eyes travelled around your face, like he was memorising your features so he could never lose you; again, that was.

“I’ve missed you…” He mumbled, face falling into seriousness. You broke the gaze, looked down and shook your head. Panic flooded George’s body, “What? What?” 

You sighed, “We’ll talk about that later. Not now.” George was about to say something in response but DDG’s voice rang around the room.

“But I want y’all to know, I’m coming for your heads tomorrow. Don’t be afraid to snake me out. ‘Cause I’m gonna snake you out.” You laughed at his honesty and nodded in respect.

“Tomorrow’s the day of serpents. Remembrance Serpents Day.” PK branded the day and you held in your chuckle as Cinna looked at him next to her with a shocked face.

“Cheers to being snakes.” DDG stood with a glass of alcohol and proposed a toast. You joined and raised your brows at George, “Someone might be ahead of schedule for that day.” You smirked at his face falling and shook your head mockingly as he tried to apologise again for his mistakes, “Later, George.” You tutted.

“Cheers!” Everyone said together and you settled back down next to Cinna on the beanbag. She turned to ask you how it went with George and you shrugged, “We’ll see later, I guess.” You whispered and she scrunched up her face, you shrugging and feeling a sense of nervousness at the result that’ll come in the next couple of hours.

time skip!

“Can we talk now?” You felt a tap on your shoulder as you brushed your hair after a long day now in the bedrooms, turning to see George fumbling with the bottom of his hoodie. You nodded, “Yeah, let’s go.” You led him to sit on the double bed that the pair of you had accompanied the past few days.

He sat on the other end of the bed as you rested your back against the wall, “Can I start?” George mumbled, watching your reaction as you nodded slowly, chewing on your lip to contain the vent that was already brewing.

“Y/N, I can’t even explain how sorry I am,” He started, looking you dead in the eye, “I need to you believe me when I say that I genuinely have no idea why I voted you out and if I could go back and punch past me, I would and I’d knock him out.” He chuckled dryly, but stopped when your face didn’t move as his attempted humour. 

You squinted your eyes at him, “I like you so much and everything I’ve done up until that moment was real and it’s everything I’ve wanted to do before we had come into this house. I thought that because it was just us and in our own time, that I could finally muster up the courage I’ve been needing for months before this to finally make a move on you and confess how I feel about you.” George said, searching your eyes for an answer. “Y/N, I need you to believe me, please.”

You sighed, “But your actions contradict everything you’ve just said.” George’s mouth opened to deny you but you kept going, “Like, in my head I thought that whatever was happening between us wasn’t a game to you.”

“It wasn’t a game--” “Again, why did you pick it over me then?” You cut him off, repeating what you had said with less tears this time. 

“It’s the fact that you lied to me really bothers me. You could have told me and I wouldn’t have had to find out in front of everyone, did you not think that would be humiliating for me? They’ve watched us be all over each other the last few days, then see that you actually wanted me to go home throughout all of this, did you not think about that?” You tilted your head at him, your voice stern.

George shook his head and cast his eyes downwards, “And we spoke that one night and you said, ‘I think being your friend would kill me because I want to be so much more than that.’ Was that another lie?”

“No. It definitely wasn’t.” George mustered the courage to answer you.

You sighed and looked past him, “I just don’t think that I want to follow through with your statement if in the back of my mind I’m always gonna be thinking and questioning if you’re lying again.”

George’s head shot up and his eyes widened, “Are you saying that--” “I’m saying that what we had in here was fun, but I think that’s pretty much it.” You cut him off.

“No, no. Y/N, please tell me what I can do. This can’t be it.” He shook his head frantically and his hands reached out to hold yours. “I like you so much--” “And I do too, but you’re hardly showing it, George!” Your voice raised slightly. “What?” George furrowed his brows.

“You’re saying all this but clearly your words don’t mean a lot. I want to feel like you actually want me, you want to be with me but you’re not making a statement; you’re not showing it like you really mean it!” You shook your head in anger and upset, your words not correlating to him and his mind.

George stayed silent and you could practically see his mind reeling, yet making no attempt to prove your words. You sighed and closed your eyes, hoping that your words would make him put an effort into getting you back and back to feeling what you felt a couple days ago; but George didn’t move, he didn’t meet your eyes.

You smiled sadly and nodded slowly, accepting that this really was it between you two as the effort was clearly too much for George; Cinna’s words gave you false hope that he was in love with you, but apparently you were a good time, not a long time.

As the silence stretched you stood and patted George on the shoulder, “Good chat.” You muttered sadly and left the room. 

Cinna was sitting on the sofa and laughing with everyone until she locked eyes with you. She mouthed, ‘How did it go?’ You smiled weakly and shook your head, the American’s eyes closing in defeat and she gestured if you wanted her comforting company, but you politely denied, deciding you needed some time alone.

You decided you needed to focus on the final tomorrow, not on some boy who you had barely dated for a couple days; you’d prioritise the games, just like George had.

time skip!

You sat on Cinna’s bed in the morning, your head resting on her shoulder as her arm was slung around you. “What happened last night?” She whispered as people left the room gradually to wake themselves up.

You let out a deep breath and pouted, “It sucked, Cinna.” You scoffed, covering your emotion with a pitiful laugh. She sighed and rubbed her arm up and down your shoulder, “What did you say to him?”

“I made this point that if he really meant what he said, he should make a statement of it, because God forbid a girl wants to feel wanted, right?” You shuffled closer to your friend, “And if I’m honest, I thought he would. I was fully expecting to do something, even the bare minimum. But he said nothing so… I guess that’s that.” You shrugged for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.” She whispered and hugged you. “It’s fine. It’s just gonna be awkward as hell once we get out tomorrow, but that’s for a different time.” You sat up and pulled the duvet off of you, the American following behind.

“You’re allowed to be upset.” She grabbed your hand and squeezed it. You nodded and blinked a couple times to cover up your emotions, “I know. I just don’t want him to see me upset.” You nodded your head towards the living room where George sat with his breakfast, he didn’t deserve to see you like this.

Cinna nodded at you and smiled, tugging you into the living room to await your day. Clearly it wasn’t far away.

‘Insiders, please head to the Challenge Arena.’ The screen read, your heart plummeting into your stomach. “Oh, fuck.” You muttered, everyones head turning to the screen as they realised this was the big moment they had waited a week for.

“It’s time ladies and gentlemen!” PK shouted as you all strolled to the Arena, the nerve beginning to settle in as you entered the room for the final time.

“Insiders, welcome to The Pyramid Scheme.” Simon said, rocking back and forth on his feet beside Josh, the pair of them smiling at you and you waved at them.

“You have all made it this far, but who will make it to the end? Only two of you can.” Simon finished, everyone looking between each other, trying to suss the other out. “As you can see, there are six gold pyramids.” Josh gestured behind him.

“Two of them say ‘safe’ inside, the others say ‘eliminated’. The boys are in the living room right now. They will randomly select one of you to come up and choose a pyramid. Once you have chosen your pyramid, you will place it on the podium. Once at your podium, you’ll take a look inside and check what it says. The boys will then randomly select another person to face off against you. It’ll be your job to either convince them to take your pyramid or let you keep it.” The boys explained, your eyes drifting between each pyramid wondering which one will determine your fate, but you felt someone's eyes on you instead of the prize.

After a couple rounds and losing PK and Jason so far, you had failed to be selected so far, your nerves refusing to settle so far. 

“The next randomly selected person to choose a pyramid is George.” Simon announced and you watched the man stand up and wipe his hands on his joggers, his fingers shaking in the process, his body screaming with nervousness. 

He strolled around the stands before selecting a pyramid, walking back and placing it on the stand, looking anywhere but you. 

“We need to pick the next person!” Vik pointed out back in the house with the other boys, JJ shuffling the cards in front of them. Ethan pointed to the one he wanted out and JJ slowly lifted it up to reveal the person up against George.

“Fuck!” Harry shouted and placed his hands on the back of his head, pacing around the room. “No way!” Tobi gasped and looked between his friends, wondering if they could actually believe this coincidence. 

“This is gonna be fucking insane!” JJ covered his mouth and everyone's eyes locked onto the screen in front of them awaiting the chaos, laughing slightly as Josh’s eyes widened hearing the name through his earpiece.

“The person randomly chosen to face off against George is Y/N.” Josh announced.

All the contestants gasped and whipped their heads to you who sat there frozen in shock, “Of fucking course.” You mumbled before slowly standing up and facing George on the other stand.

Everyone’s eyes were on you as you stared at George, seeing him swallow hard and fiddle with the edge of the stand, waiting to open the pyramid. “George, please look inside your pyramid.” He nodded and hesitantly opened it.

You watched as George’s eyes scanned the words in front of him, his gaze flickering up at you who watched intently, face paling as you realised this could be your final moment in the games.

“Your two minutes starts now.” Josh looked between the pair of you.

“Y/N, take it.” George said immediately. “What?” You were taken aback, your brows furrowed instantly and your mouth opened and closed in shock.

“Take it, I’m being serious. It’s safe.” George said confidently, his eyes never leaving yours. 

You shook your head and looked around the room, leaning against the stand, “Fuck, you can’t do that.” Your voice muffled as you covered your face with your hands.

“Do what? What do you mean?” George was now the one confused. “You can’t do this to me after we had that whole conversation about trust and how you lied, George.” You licked your lips and picked at your nails.

“How do I know you’re not lying right now?” You adjusted yourself and looked straight at him, his mind searching for a reason for you to believe him.

“You need to believe me, Y/N. Just this one time.” George pressed his hands against the stand and stood up straighter.

You scoffed in disbelief, “I just said--” “Y/N, this pyramid reads safe. I’m in love with you and I want you-- No, I need you to win this whole thing because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and I know winning this would mean the world to you, and if you’re happy then so am I.” George confessed, leaving the room completely silent.

Your mouth hung open, heart beating wildly in your chest. “This is it, Y/N. This is my statement, my grand gesture to prove that I want you and I’m in love with you, even though I clearly didn’t hide it very well.” He laughed and looked around the room, at Simon and Josh who tried to hide their beaming smiles but nodded in agreement.

“Believe me that I didn’t plan this to be my big confessional moment, I had this whole thing planned for when we got out of here but-- You know what, that’s a story for another time!” Everyone chuckled in the room but George’s eyes never left you.

“When we get out of here and you have the money because you will take this box,” He said confidently with a smile on his face, “I will do anything and everything to prove that I love you. You’re it, Y/N. Believe me.” He finished and stood back from the stand, his hands shaking once again.

“That is your two minutes.” Simon said, watching your frozen expression and lack of words since George’s confession. “Y/N, what is your decision?” Josh said.

“I--” You felt like you forgot how to speak, mind reeling from everything George had just said; it was everything you had wished for.

You nodded, “Yeah,” George’s smile widened and his eyes glistened at you, “I’ll take it.” Your voice shaky and eyes blinking rapidly to try and not cry in front of everyone.

“So, Y/N, that is now your pyramid.” Josh said. “And your George now, apparently.” Simon said under his breath but you didn’t hear past your locked eyes with George.

“George, please reveal Y/N’s fate.” He turned the pyramid around and pulled the door open, reading the words ‘Safe’.

You gasped and covered your mouth, your feet immediately moving to run up to George, his arms already open for you. You couldn’t hear everyone clapping around you as you lunged into George, his arms tightening around your waist and body relaxing into yours, like it was made for you.

He tucked his head into your shoulder, a hand cupping the back of your head and he muttered, “I love you, I’m so serious.” Just for you to hear. You leaned back to cup his face in your hands, bottom lip wobbling as you tried to suppress tears. You opened your mouth to say what you had been feeling for ages and reciprocated George’s words, but he shook his head. “Don’t. You don’t have to tell me now.” He brushed loose hair behind your ears, “You’re so beautiful.” He grinned before pulling you back into a hug, rocking the pair of you back and forth.

“Y/N, you are now safe.” Simon clapped and ushered you to a separate room. You looked behind you one last time and nodded at George with a smile on your face, tear stains on your cheeks a symbol for the rom-com you had practically experienced. He winked at you before you fell out of his sight.

interview room!

“What the fuck just happened?”

“I can’t believe this stupid reality show just beat all the romantic comedies that Netflix has ever put out. And I was in it… I was Jennifer Aniston in Just Go With It. I was Lily Collins in Love, Rosie. I was Julia Roberts in--”

“You get the idea, I guess I’ve got a final to win. And a man when I get out of here.”

You sat alone in the shop, feet tapping nervously on the floor and mind running wild as you tried to guess who you would be up against, or who you would team up with.

You knew who you wished it was, but he had a target on his back. People wouldn’t want him through due to him cruising through so far, his smarts proving to be a threat to the others; and when money is on the line, apparently all morals go out the window.

You got called back into the Challenge Arena once it was set up and was met by two stands once again with two boxes on top of them. The Sidemen looked on proud on either end of the room, watching you as you approached the stand.

“Don’t look at me like that.” You said as JJ’s expression was one of smugness, his laugh the only response you got as you stood uncomfortably behind the boxes, eyes flickering between the two.

The door opened to signal your rival was about to walk in and your palms immediately started to get sweaty and clammy. You titled your head to get a better view as the tall frame entered your vision.

“Oh, my God!” You gasped and left your spot to hug the man you loved.

George laughed and jogged towards you, picking you up with his arms around your waist, fingers gripping tight as his forehead rested against yours. You ran your hands through his hair and cupped his head, “You’re fucking insane.” You laughed at him as he settled you back on the floor, his hands travelling from your waist to your lower back.

He nodded at you as you opened your mouth, “I love you.” He sighed in relief and chuckled, “Good to know.” He shrugged nonchalantly. 

You opened your mouth in shock as everyone around you laughed at his joke and the timing of it. George laughed before pulling you back into a tight hug and kissing the top of your head, “I’m joking, you know I love you, too.”

You pulled back from his chest and stared up at him, “I do know.” You smiled as he cupped your jaw and pulled you into a long-awaited kiss, his lips soft against yours as you sighed into the contact, hands gripping his hoodie.

Hearing a wolf-whistle behind you, you broke contact and turned to see Ethan laughing with Simon. “You guys are cute and all, but the game isn’t over.” Vik laughed and gestured for you two to step behind the stands. “Sorry!” You chuckled and separated from George.

A smile was stuck on both of your faces as you stood opposite each other, both already knowing what the outcome was gonna be.

“The total prize fund is £293,672.” JJ announced and you covered your mouth in surprise that all of you hadn’t managed to blow the fund by an extortionate amount. JJ and Harry continued explaining the rules but your focus was on George opposite you, who sent you a wink as his hand lingered on one case, the exact same one you were picking also.

“Do you all understand the rules of the game?” JJ looked between you and George. “Lads, what's the point in doing this? We all know what the lovebirds are gonna pick!” He shouted and ditched the cue cards.

Everyone laughed and George nodded enthusiastically in agreement. “Let’s play Split or Steal.” Harry said through laughs, “Or just Split or Split.” He shrugged and you threw your head back laughing alongside everyone else.

You opened your case to reveal the one you wanted and closed it before placing your hand flat on top of it, smiling with confidence. You looked up to see George already in position ready, “You not gonna look at the other one, George?” JJ asked behind him, “Don’t need to.” George grinned and winked at you.

The remaining Sidemen took the other case away, “George, Y/N, your cases are now locked in.” Harry said, “Please turn them to face your opponents. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. One whole week has come down to this. There is £293,672 on the line.”

“On my count, please open the case and reveal your decision.” JJ started, “Three, two, one. Open the case.”

You opened your case in sync with George, both reading a proud ‘SPLIT’ on the inside of your boxes. You beamed and wanted nothing more than to run into his arms but knew you’d have to wait for your cue.

“George, Y/N, you have both chosen to split. You have each won £146,836!” JJ shouted.

George took this as his cue to leave his position and run up to with, his lips colliding with your own. His hands settled on your hips as your own cupped his face, moving his head to the side so you could deepen the kiss, not caring about the other clapping around you right now.

“Congratulations!” JJ laughed with Harry as they watched their friends finally happy together.

You broke the kiss and remained in George’s hold, “No fucking way we actually just won that!” You shook your head in disbelief. “I’m gonna spoil you so much.” George laughed and hid his blushing face in your neck, not believing that all of this and your journey was caught on camera soon to be aired to everyone.

“How does it feel?” JJ smiled at you two. “I don’t even know--” You started but Ethan shook his head at his friend, “JJ, shut up! Let them kiss, they’ve been holding this in for fucking years!”

You blushed profusely and curled in George’s grip more, your hands moving up and down his back and subtly feeling the muscles you couldn’t wait to become a regular occurrence. 

The door opened again and it revealed all the eliminated Insiders, your eyes immediately falling on your blonde friends you missed dearly. “Milli!” You shouted and lunged out of George’s hold, Milli cheering at you and filming the entire interaction.

You hugged her, “What the fuck did I miss?” She laughed loudly, “You don’t wanna know.” You chuckled and pulled her back into a hug as the two of you jumped up and down, the reality that you had won finally hitting you.

Mandi tapped you on the shoulder, “I told you that you’d fucking win!” She grinned and ruffled your hair, “I’m so proud of you!” You thanked her before reuniting with the other Insiders you had missed from the very beginning.

You were conversing with Whitney before a strong pair of arms wrapped around your waist from behind and lifted you up off your feet, spinning you around before placing you back on the ground. “Hey, beautiful.” George’s breath tickled your ear.

You turned around in his hold and looked up at his height towering over you, “Hey, handsome.” You winked back.

“Did I forget to tell you that I love you?” George tried to suppress a smirk. You hummed and shook your head, “I don’t know, I think you might have to repeat it.” He laughed at you and pecked your lips.

“I love you.” He whispered against your lips. “I love you, too.” You said as he pulled away. George slung an arm around your shoulders as everyone repositioned for the final scene of the show, “I knew I was gonna get you back.” He whispered as he leaned closer to you.

You smirked up at him, “You always had me.” George couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, pressing his lips against yours once again and pushing your closer to him via his hand on the back of your head, intertwined with your hair

Someone clearing their throat beside you broke the two of you apart as you posed for the outro, still in disbelief that all you and George needed to confess long-term, friends-to-lovers trope, was the damn Sidemen and their silly reality TV show.

“And that is it. That has been season two of Inside.” JJ started.

“Thank you for watching. Thank you to all our contestants. Take care, and peace!”

‘And there we have it. Season two is finished. What a ride. I guess we can say that the bouquet toss proved to be right about George and Y/N being the next ones to get married, save the date for their Summer Wedding! All our little Georgie needed was the Sidemen for some encouragement! I’ve been Stephen Tries, and you’ve been, well, alright, I suppose.’

wtf do u mean i've finished this story... someone say sike rn...

taglist: (for one last time i'm weeping)

@wherethezoes-at @sidemenslver @multifanxtvshows @bibissparkles @le-le-lea @tiamonetsworld @dopeysunflowers @viagracex @rebeccaw05-blog @sundarksposts @sabbrriiinnaa @lovingaphroditesworld @evisceratedmuke @youtubewag @happyclifford @liz140569 @addiemb8332 @isabellem2909 @madforgeorge @pookietv @georgeclarkeyscakeyass @marijas-stuff @maggie-readss @bambidollstar @lottiewills @lmaowhathaha @sukimoves @randomstufflol29 @isabelle-2934 @sophiexxclarkey @levidazai @smogballsstuff @loveheart-123 @alysbaby @octopusoptimusprime @mylillstuff @landoslvr @essieswurld @swaggerjagger2014 @isla-finke-blog @amyissocool @k0ul1ss @musicforsnoopy @bowielovesyou @fly-me-away @7leb-kakaw @je33123 @theresglittleronthefloor @geliophobias @w2sfever @grantgustluv @yourfavartistsfavartist12

[tomsparkyr]

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𝐈𝐌𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊!

following episode seven of 'inside' — george clarke x fem!reader

(last chap on them in the house what if i cried)

(oh hey guys… did someone call for a surprise upload after i’ve been itching to finish this but a levels (😒😒😒) got in the way?)

(also yes i changed some things that happened in the show bc obvs i wanted to make it more around you and george so don't kill me for changing the ending a little bit xx)

wc: 7.4K

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Your head hurt from crying, the throbbing pain in your temples relentless as you tried to rub away any sorrow you were feeling for yourself. Your cheeks were painted with tears long gone but the pain was lingering ever present.

You ran your hands through your hair and sighed, staring at your reflection and how tired your eyes looked; nothing compared to how your mind replayed that moment with George over and over again, on rewind despite you trying to force it out of your memory.

Footsteps behind you caused you to look past your reflection, seeing Cinna leaning against the doorway of the bathroom. “Hey…” She said softly, a small and apologetic smile sitting almost awkwardly on her face. “I know the timing kinda sucks but can you come with me to the living room?”

You furrowed your brows at her question but silently agreed, nodding your head, your entire body too tired to protest at this moment. Cinna walked towards you and placed a hand on your lower arm, tugging you lightly out of the room. “It’s not bad, I promise.” She nudged you.

You looked up at her and tilted your head, clearly not believing her reassurance. Cinna sighed, “Alright, not really. But I need everyone with me.” She gave in, you bit your lip and followed where she led you.

Fear ran through your body as you edged closer to the living room, knowing everyone would be in there, the same exact people who had seen you break down and the fabric of whatever you had the George be torn out underneath you.

And he was in there.

Probably sitting there all smug, arms slung behind his head and legs spread as he relaxed on the couch. You expected him to smile at you as you walked in, not worried about any pain or embarrassment he had caused you; because as he inferred, there was no relationship between you two.

Except he wasn’t like that.

Past the pitying eyes of everyone trained on you as you walked into the space, you spotted him sitting away from everyone and head hung low; unable to bring himself to look at you as all his mistakes and guilt would come rushing back to him.

You sat down by yourself, choosing not to bump shoulders with anyone as they would place a gentle hand on your shoulder and whisper, “Are you okay?” You really couldn’t deal with that right now, so opted for your own sanity.

Cinna smiled at you as she stood up in front of everyone, “Because I am immune, they called me in there and made me have to eliminate somebody, which is so sad.” She rubbed her eyes as she began to tear up.

Your eyes widened at her statement. You obviously knew you wouldn’t be going home due to the close relationship you had with Cinna, but you couldn’t help but worry for the others. Someone to be specific.

You knew you shouldn’t hope he stays, but this house without George would feel weird. You cursed yourself as if you should be screaming for George to leave, that his absence would be a weight off your shoulders ahead of the final; but you couldn’t bring yourself to feel like that.

“First of all, I’d like to say, it’s really great you guys made me immune cause you made me have to do this, so thank you, PK and Jason.This is the worst person to do this.” Cinna laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

After Cinna’s reasoning for who she had to eliminate, she rubbed her hands together and looked up, “I had to eliminate you, Whitney. I’m sorry.” 

Everyones heads turned to the woman on the sofa, her face neutral, “It’s fine, babe.” She shrugged. 

Cinna and Whitney hugged and you watched Cinna’s face as she pulled away, seeing her eyes filled with tears and hands shaking. As the girls separated, you hopped up and pulled Cinna into a comforting hug.

“I feel so bad.” The American whispered into your shoulder, you shook your head and pulled her in tighter. “Don’t feel bad, you couldn’t help it.” You reassured her, “Whitney knows that and no one will blame you, Cinna.” You pulled away and smiled at her.

Cinna sniffled and laughed, “You’re the best.” She then shook her head and grabbed both of your shoulders, “Oh, God! I should be comforting you! My thing is so minor compared to yours--” 

You shook your head and shrugged, “No, no. It’s fine, I’m fine.” You lied through your teeth, “I’m just gonna keep my head down and reach the final.” Cinna looked at you, her questioning on the tip of her tongue, “Really, Cinna. I’m fine.” You interrupted her thoughts early and tugged her away to bid farewell to Whitney.

time skip!

You walked into the shop with the group, arms linked with Mya as PK stormed forward and pointed at the screen. “Twenty minutes with a puppy!” You gasped and looked around, “Please can we get it?” Mya laughed at your excited face.

George walked forward and tried to meet your eyes, but you failed to notice his pleas for attention. “Yes, yes, yes!” He opted for supporting your decision of the purchase.

You turned towards Cinna and begged her to buy the time with a puppy for you, she sighed and turned to the camera. “Can we confirm 20 minutes with a puppy?” You smiled and jumped up and down waiting for the doors to open.

Cinna was told she could spend the time with two other people and immediately turned to point at you, understanding that you would have snuck your way in even if she hadn't picked you anyway. She debated her second choice, sparing a glance at you and sending you a sympathetic facial expression, “And, I’m gonna pick George too.” 

George was surprised by this, not expecting your new friend to pick him and force the awkward tension into a small room for 20 minutes, neither budging to leave as you both couldn’t say no to the puppy.

Your smile faltered slightly, clearing your throat and you glanced at Cinna. She mouthed, ‘I’m sorry’ to you, your response was sending a mocking smile her way with wide eyes.

The doors opened slowly to reveal the awaited puppy you longed to spend the bare minimum time with, because the lack of normality within this house was getting to your head.

You recognised the golden fur that peaked through the crack and titled your head to the side, “No way…” You muttered, not allowing your mind to get ahead of itself and higher your expectations; but the thought was lingering and made your heart race.

The similar thought had clearly struck George too, “Wait, is that…” He squinted his eyes. Cinna’s confused face flickered between the pair of you on other sides of the room.

You gasped as your puppy from back at home circled on the table, his light blue lead trailing behind him and his happy trot. His sweet face looked up at you as you covered your mouth with your hands in shock, the feelings overwhelming you all of a sudden; his familiar chirp barks falling deaf on your ears.

”Y/N, is that your dog?” Cinna exclaimed excitedly, a broad smile etched onto her face. She understood your nod to be a decent answer and her heart swelled; the pet you had gushed about since day one was here in front of you and flaunting to the strangers around his innocent face.

You skipped up to scoop your puppy into your arms and cooled it, “I’ve missed you!” Your voice went an octave higher and scratched behind his ears, your dog's tail wagging rapidly. Cinna joined you and stroked the retriever’s golden fur, “Aren’t you a cutie?” She smiled and copied your voice.

George stood to the side and watched the scene, not wanting to intrude due to the recent tension caused by his own actions. He wanted to go up to the dog who he loved and had met multiple times before; but if he was honest, he wanted to go up to the person holding the dog more.

You bent down to sit cross legged on the floor and placed the dog in front of you, laughing at his excitement as he began to chase his tail on the spot. The pair joined you on the floor and watched the scene in awe, understanding that in the minimal time you had been here, you had missed your dog immensely.

As you went to stroke him again, the puppy turned away from you and ran towards the only other familiar face in the room. That being the one person you really didn’t have the heart to face right now.

‘Of course,’ You sighed mentally, realising that with the amount of times you’ve asked George to dogsit while you were out, or how many times George has been round your apartment that your little retriever would remember his face. 

George smiled as your puppy approached him and reached his hand out for him to smell, but the retriever had other ideas and hopped onto his lap and curled up in the space.

Cinna awed at the sight but you stayed silent. You felt conflicted, you so badly wanted to shuffle closer to the man opposite you and act like a little happy family and pretend that everything awful that had even gone on in this house didn’t happen; but unfortunately, reality stepped in.

George looked up to meet your eyes and seemed guilty, either for him blatantly lying to you a day ago or for stealing the attention of the one person you missed the most being in this house. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but you interrupted his apologies before they could spill out, “It’s fine.” You mumbled, “You’re one of his favourites, so…” An awkward smile slipped onto your face, realising this was the most you’ve spoken to him since walking out on him in the dressing room.

A small smile itched onto his face and he sent a subtle nod your way, understanding your wishes to no longer press on the situation and begging it to become any less awkward than it already was.

Cinne cleared her throat beside you, “I love you guys, but this wasn’t bonding time. I wanna cuddle this sweet little puppy of yours!” She smiled and called the dog over, the retriever hopping up and catching the ball that Cinna chucked towards him. 

You laughed lightly at her and looked at George one more time, your pitiful smile falling and swallowing hard before you spent the remaining time left in here with your favourite person and the one you wished you never left behind; still feeling George’s stare on you, opting to ignore it.

time skip!

“Congratulations on making it to the final.” The voice rang out inside the living room, everyone looking at each other with surprised faces. A couple of them cheered and high-fived each other, you looked at Cinna with the most genuine smile on your face for the first time today.

“For the next 30 minutes, there is a flash sale on in the shop.” She finished after presenting the prize fund on the screen, everyone feeling overwhelmed that the money in front of them could be their own by tomorrow.

Everyone leaped up from their seat in the living room, you linking arms with Cinna as the pair of you led the group, hearing their laughter and bounding footsteps behind you.

”Premium alcoholic drink!” PK shouted and shook his head laughing. Your eyes widened and a smile crept up on your face as you read the list.

’Y/N, what are you feeling?” Cinna nudged you. You raised your eyebrows, “I’ve never needed a glass of wine more in my life than right now.” You snorted, your answer completely honest after the couple of days you had previously experienced.

”Please can I confirm £200 of profiteroles, please?” George tilted his head up to the camera in the corner of the room. He turned his head around to make eye contact with you and you furrowed your brows.

”Why’d you order two portions?” You mumbled, silently cursing yourself as you realised you had paid attention to George despite your attempts to freeze him out; Mission failed!

George looked at you as if you should’ve known the answer, “They’re your favourite, no?” He cleared his throat while smiling softly at you.

You hummed and nodded at him, appreciating that he knew the little things about you, but the constant reminder of what he did lingered and intercepted any kind gesture he did.

After picking up your wine, you left George to collect his double order of profiteroles because at this point, it was the bare minimum for him to do.

George sighed as you left the room, understanding that he might have to grovel and yearn more. PK tutted and shook his head, “You’ve gotta do more than that, Georgie…” 

George nodded and looked downwards, thinking of all the ways he could admit that he was wrong and in a way that you would actually hear him out and his apology; how could he prove he was all in it for you?

Back in the living room, you sat yourself down on the couch with Cinna and sipped on your wine. The American tapped you on your thigh which brought you out of your daze, “You alright?” She asked.

You scrunched up your nose, “I’ve been better,” You admitted, “But, it could always be worse, right?” You tried to joke but Cinna saw through your defence mechanism.

”He’s trying, you know that?” Cinna’s voice quieted, leaning closer to you to keep this conversation private from everyone in the room. 

You nodded and didn’t say anything, just watched the man in question walk solemnly to the table and place the plates down, his usual bubbly personality gone.

”When we were in the shop, did you see what he tried to buy first?” Cinna questioned, you shaking your head again. “He ran up to the camera, didn’t look at the list and said, “I’d like to confirm more time with Y/N’s dog!” And when it wasn’t confirmed, he said, "To make her happy, please can I confirm?”

You raised your brows at the confession and kept your eyes locked on George, seeing him try and converse with Jason but his heart wasn’t in it, and his gaze kept lingering from the boy chatting to him.

“It feels weird.” You spoke up. “Why?” Cinna pressed for an answer. You sighed and rubbed your eyes with the palm of your hands.

“It’s like I’ve been attached to him this whole time and now we’re just… not. Like, I can’t even hold eye contact with him now, it’s weird, it’s awkward.” You shrugged your shoulders, feeling slightly better to vent this information finally.

Cinna nodded intently, “And you have to remember that it’s his fault. Don’t blame yourself for feeling like this.” She rubbed a hand up and down your shoulder.

You bit your lip and silently agreed, “You’re right…” Your voice trailed off and stayed quiet for a moment. Cinna could see you were holding back from saying something else and she raised her brows to encourage you to finish your train of thought.

“Then why do I still wanna go back to what we were with him? After all that?” You said honestly, voice lower so no one else would hear you two.

Cinna looked around the room, “Do you want my honest answer?” Your eyes widened, “Please.”

“I think what you and George have, or had going on was real and genuine. There were more than feelings there, like you’ve known him before coming in here and now you’ve had the time to explore this with him without any pressure, it almost feels like a long time coming… if you know what I mean?” Cinna explained.

You listened and let your eyes trail to the man in conversation, “He’s crazy about you. And I can’t explain why he did what he did but I can assure you one thing. Y/N, I’m 100% sure that George is in love with you.” She finished.

Your heartbeat picked up and your cheeks flushed a red as you tried to retain this information, was he really in love with you? You convinced yourself after everything had gone down that all his feelings or attraction to you was heightened from being in the house but you never put love on the cards. Cinna could see your mind spiralling from where she sat and gave you a comforting hug before leaving you to have a moment alone. “Just think about it.” She whispered before leaving the room to find the others.

You sat for a moment and watched George sat alone at the table with two plates of profiteroles, keeping quiet and his head hung low.

Your body moved before your mind could comprehend what you were doing and you found yourself standing beside George’s hunched figure. You cleared your throat and saw his head snap around to you, his eyes widening and his hands rushing to fix his messy appearance. 

He swallowed, “Hey.” His voice came out more hoarse than he had expected but he failed to care as this was the closest you had been to him since the fall out. You nodded, “Hey.”

George stuttered and he opened his mouth to ask you why you were here before you interrupted him, “Care to share?” You muttered and gestured to the two plates of treats begging to be eaten.

George nodded eagerly and stood out of his chair, “Yeah, yeah! Sure, you can have this.” He pushed his chair to you and offered you his seat, which you accepted and he bought another chair for himself.

You smiled at him but it came across stiff as you still felt a sense of awkwardness around him for obvious reasons. You cleared your throat and tugged the plate closer to you, seeing from the corner of your eye that George’s gaze hadn’t left your face since you made an appearance.

“He likes you, you’re one of his favourites.” You broke the silence and brushed hair out of your face, George’s brows furrowing, “Sorry, who?”

“My dog. He recognised you in there and you know that.” You referenced back in the shop, where your dog's eyes lingered to the only other he knew. George shook his head, “I wouldn’t say I’m one of his favourites…” “Don’t act humble, you love him just as much.” You laughed lightly, George’s eyes lighting up as he finally heard your sweet laugh and you adoring smile. He laughed also and said, “You got me there, I’ll give you that.”

The pair of you laughed and you felt a sense of comfort and what had been missing the past day. It felt like you had gone back to when it was so much easier, when it never got complicated and everything was alright between the two of you; forever cursing past you for not taking advantage of what you didn’t know you could lose.

“I was one of the first people to meet him, right?” George shuffled closer to you, the smile still etched onto his face. You nodded and locked your eyes with his, “The first.”

His brows raised, “Really?” You hummed and let your smile linger on your face. George’s eyes travelled around your face, like he was memorising your features so he could never lose you; again, that was.

“I’ve missed you…” He mumbled, face falling into seriousness. You broke the gaze, looked down and shook your head. Panic flooded George’s body, “What? What?” 

You sighed, “We’ll talk about that later. Not now.” George was about to say something in response but DDG’s voice rang around the room.

“But I want y’all to know, I’m coming for your heads tomorrow. Don’t be afraid to snake me out. ‘Cause I’m gonna snake you out.” You laughed at his honesty and nodded in respect.

“Tomorrow’s the day of serpents. Remembrance Serpents Day.” PK branded the day and you held in your chuckle as Cinna looked at him next to her with a shocked face.

“Cheers to being snakes.” DDG stood with a glass of alcohol and proposed a toast. You joined and raised your brows at George, “Someone might be ahead of schedule for that day.” You smirked at his face falling and shook your head mockingly as he tried to apologise again for his mistakes, “Later, George.” You tutted.

“Cheers!” Everyone said together and you settled back down next to Cinna on the beanbag. She turned to ask you how it went with George and you shrugged, “We’ll see later, I guess.” You whispered and she scrunched up her face, you shrugging and feeling a sense of nervousness at the result that’ll come in the next couple of hours.

time skip!

“Can we talk now?” You felt a tap on your shoulder as you brushed your hair after a long day now in the bedrooms, turning to see George fumbling with the bottom of his hoodie. You nodded, “Yeah, let’s go.” You led him to sit on the double bed that the pair of you had accompanied the past few days.

He sat on the other end of the bed as you rested your back against the wall, “Can I start?” George mumbled, watching your reaction as you nodded slowly, chewing on your lip to contain the vent that was already brewing.

“Y/N, I can’t even explain how sorry I am,” He started, looking you dead in the eye, “I need to you believe me when I say that I genuinely have no idea why I voted you out and if I could go back and punch past me, I would and I’d knock him out.” He chuckled dryly, but stopped when your face didn’t move as his attempted humour. 

You squinted your eyes at him, “I like you so much and everything I’ve done up until that moment was real and it’s everything I’ve wanted to do before we had come into this house. I thought that because it was just us and in our own time, that I could finally muster up the courage I’ve been needing for months before this to finally make a move on you and confess how I feel about you.” George said, searching your eyes for an answer. “Y/N, I need you to believe me, please.”

You sighed, “But your actions contradict everything you’ve just said.” George’s mouth opened to deny you but you kept going, “Like, in my head I thought that whatever was happening between us wasn’t a game to you.”

“It wasn’t a game--” “Again, why did you pick it over me then?” You cut him off, repeating what you had said with less tears this time. 

“It’s the fact that you lied to me really bothers me. You could have told me and I wouldn’t have had to find out in front of everyone, did you not think that would be humiliating for me? They’ve watched us be all over each other the last few days, then see that you actually wanted me to go home throughout all of this, did you not think about that?” You tilted your head at him, your voice stern.

George shook his head and cast his eyes downwards, “And we spoke that one night and you said, ‘I think being your friend would kill me because I want to be so much more than that.’ Was that another lie?”

“No. It definitely wasn’t.” George mustered the courage to answer you.

You sighed and looked past him, “I just don’t think that I want to follow through with your statement if in the back of my mind I’m always gonna be thinking and questioning if you’re lying again.”

George’s head shot up and his eyes widened, “Are you saying that--” “I’m saying that what we had in here was fun, but I think that’s pretty much it.” You cut him off.

“No, no. Y/N, please tell me what I can do. This can’t be it.” He shook his head frantically and his hands reached out to hold yours. “I like you so much--” “And I do too, but you’re hardly showing it, George!” Your voice raised slightly. “What?” George furrowed his brows.

“You’re saying all this but clearly your words don’t mean a lot. I want to feel like you actually want me, you want to be with me but you’re not making a statement; you’re not showing it like you really mean it!” You shook your head in anger and upset, your words not correlating to him and his mind.

George stayed silent and you could practically see his mind reeling, yet making no attempt to prove your words. You sighed and closed your eyes, hoping that your words would make him put an effort into getting you back and back to feeling what you felt a couple days ago; but George didn’t move, he didn’t meet your eyes.

You smiled sadly and nodded slowly, accepting that this really was it between you two as the effort was clearly too much for George; Cinna’s words gave you false hope that he was in love with you, but apparently you were a good time, not a long time.

As the silence stretched you stood and patted George on the shoulder, “Good chat.” You muttered sadly and left the room. 

Cinna was sitting on the sofa and laughing with everyone until she locked eyes with you. She mouthed, ‘How did it go?’ You smiled weakly and shook your head, the American’s eyes closing in defeat and she gestured if you wanted her comforting company, but you politely denied, deciding you needed some time alone.

You decided you needed to focus on the final tomorrow, not on some boy who you had barely dated for a couple days; you’d prioritise the games, just like George had.

time skip!

You sat on Cinna’s bed in the morning, your head resting on her shoulder as her arm was slung around you. “What happened last night?” She whispered as people left the room gradually to wake themselves up.

You let out a deep breath and pouted, “It sucked, Cinna.” You scoffed, covering your emotion with a pitiful laugh. She sighed and rubbed her arm up and down your shoulder, “What did you say to him?”

“I made this point that if he really meant what he said, he should make a statement of it, because God forbid a girl wants to feel wanted, right?” You shuffled closer to your friend, “And if I’m honest, I thought he would. I was fully expecting to do something, even the bare minimum. But he said nothing so… I guess that’s that.” You shrugged for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.” She whispered and hugged you. “It’s fine. It’s just gonna be awkward as hell once we get out tomorrow, but that’s for a different time.” You sat up and pulled the duvet off of you, the American following behind.

“You’re allowed to be upset.” She grabbed your hand and squeezed it. You nodded and blinked a couple times to cover up your emotions, “I know. I just don’t want him to see me upset.” You nodded your head towards the living room where George sat with his breakfast, he didn’t deserve to see you like this.

Cinna nodded at you and smiled, tugging you into the living room to await your day. Clearly it wasn’t far away.

‘Insiders, please head to the Challenge Arena.’ The screen read, your heart plummeting into your stomach. “Oh, fuck.” You muttered, everyones head turning to the screen as they realised this was the big moment they had waited a week for.

“It’s time ladies and gentlemen!” PK shouted as you all strolled to the Arena, the nerve beginning to settle in as you entered the room for the final time.

“Insiders, welcome to The Pyramid Scheme.” Simon said, rocking back and forth on his feet beside Josh, the pair of them smiling at you and you waved at them.

“You have all made it this far, but who will make it to the end? Only two of you can.” Simon finished, everyone looking between each other, trying to suss the other out. “As you can see, there are six gold pyramids.” Josh gestured behind him.

“Two of them say ‘safe’ inside, the others say ‘eliminated’. The boys are in the living room right now. They will randomly select one of you to come up and choose a pyramid. Once you have chosen your pyramid, you will place it on the podium. Once at your podium, you’ll take a look inside and check what it says. The boys will then randomly select another person to face off against you. It’ll be your job to either convince them to take your pyramid or let you keep it.” The boys explained, your eyes drifting between each pyramid wondering which one will determine your fate, but you felt someone's eyes on you instead of the prize.

After a couple rounds and losing PK and Jason so far, you had failed to be selected so far, your nerves refusing to settle so far. 

“The next randomly selected person to choose a pyramid is George.” Simon announced and you watched the man stand up and wipe his hands on his joggers, his fingers shaking in the process, his body screaming with nervousness. 

He strolled around the stands before selecting a pyramid, walking back and placing it on the stand, looking anywhere but you. 

“We need to pick the next person!” Vik pointed out back in the house with the other boys, JJ shuffling the cards in front of them. Ethan pointed to the one he wanted out and JJ slowly lifted it up to reveal the person up against George.

“Fuck!” Harry shouted and placed his hands on the back of his head, pacing around the room. “No way!” Tobi gasped and looked between his friends, wondering if they could actually believe this coincidence. 

“This is gonna be fucking insane!” JJ covered his mouth and everyone's eyes locked onto the screen in front of them awaiting the chaos, laughing slightly as Josh’s eyes widened hearing the name through his earpiece.

“The person randomly chosen to face off against George is Y/N.” Josh announced.

All the contestants gasped and whipped their heads to you who sat there frozen in shock, “Of fucking course.” You mumbled before slowly standing up and facing George on the other stand.

Everyone’s eyes were on you as you stared at George, seeing him swallow hard and fiddle with the edge of the stand, waiting to open the pyramid. “George, please look inside your pyramid.” He nodded and hesitantly opened it.

You watched as George’s eyes scanned the words in front of him, his gaze flickering up at you who watched intently, face paling as you realised this could be your final moment in the games.

“Your two minutes starts now.” Josh looked between the pair of you.

“Y/N, take it.” George said immediately. “What?” You were taken aback, your brows furrowed instantly and your mouth opened and closed in shock.

“Take it, I’m being serious. It’s safe.” George said confidently, his eyes never leaving yours. 

You shook your head and looked around the room, leaning against the stand, “Fuck, you can’t do that.” Your voice muffled as you covered your face with your hands.

“Do what? What do you mean?” George was now the one confused. “You can’t do this to me after we had that whole conversation about trust and how you lied, George.” You licked your lips and picked at your nails.

“How do I know you’re not lying right now?” You adjusted yourself and looked straight at him, his mind searching for a reason for you to believe him.

“You need to believe me, Y/N. Just this one time.” George pressed his hands against the stand and stood up straighter.

You scoffed in disbelief, “I just said--” “Y/N, this pyramid reads safe. I’m in love with you and I want you-- No, I need you to win this whole thing because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and I know winning this would mean the world to you, and if you’re happy then so am I.” George confessed, leaving the room completely silent.

Your mouth hung open, heart beating wildly in your chest. “This is it, Y/N. This is my statement, my grand gesture to prove that I want you and I’m in love with you, even though I clearly didn’t hide it very well.” He laughed and looked around the room, at Simon and Josh who tried to hide their beaming smiles but nodded in agreement.

“Believe me that I didn’t plan this to be my big confessional moment, I had this whole thing planned for when we got out of here but-- You know what, that’s a story for another time!” Everyone chuckled in the room but George’s eyes never left you.

“When we get out of here and you have the money because you will take this box,” He said confidently with a smile on his face, “I will do anything and everything to prove that I love you. You’re it, Y/N. Believe me.” He finished and stood back from the stand, his hands shaking once again.

“That is your two minutes.” Simon said, watching your frozen expression and lack of words since George’s confession. “Y/N, what is your decision?” Josh said.

“I--” You felt like you forgot how to speak, mind reeling from everything George had just said; it was everything you had wished for.

You nodded, “Yeah,” George’s smile widened and his eyes glistened at you, “I’ll take it.” Your voice shaky and eyes blinking rapidly to try and not cry in front of everyone.

“So, Y/N, that is now your pyramid.” Josh said. “And your George now, apparently.” Simon said under his breath but you didn’t hear past your locked eyes with George.

“George, please reveal Y/N’s fate.” He turned the pyramid around and pulled the door open, reading the words ‘Safe’.

You gasped and covered your mouth, your feet immediately moving to run up to George, his arms already open for you. You couldn’t hear everyone clapping around you as you lunged into George, his arms tightening around your waist and body relaxing into yours, like it was made for you.

He tucked his head into your shoulder, a hand cupping the back of your head and he muttered, “I love you, I’m so serious.” Just for you to hear. You leaned back to cup his face in your hands, bottom lip wobbling as you tried to suppress tears. You opened your mouth to say what you had been feeling for ages and reciprocated George’s words, but he shook his head. “Don’t. You don’t have to tell me now.” He brushed loose hair behind your ears, “You’re so beautiful.” He grinned before pulling you back into a hug, rocking the pair of you back and forth.

“Y/N, you are now safe.” Simon clapped and ushered you to a separate room. You looked behind you one last time and nodded at George with a smile on your face, tear stains on your cheeks a symbol for the rom-com you had practically experienced. He winked at you before you fell out of his sight.

interview room!

“What the fuck just happened?”

“I can’t believe this stupid reality show just beat all the romantic comedies that Netflix has ever put out. And I was in it… I was Jennifer Aniston in Just Go With It. I was Lily Collins in Love, Rosie. I was Julia Roberts in--”

“You get the idea, I guess I’ve got a final to win. And a man when I get out of here.”

You sat alone in the shop, feet tapping nervously on the floor and mind running wild as you tried to guess who you would be up against, or who you would team up with.

You knew who you wished it was, but he had a target on his back. People wouldn’t want him through due to him cruising through so far, his smarts proving to be a threat to the others; and when money is on the line, apparently all morals go out the window.

You got called back into the Challenge Arena once it was set up and was met by two stands once again with two boxes on top of them. The Sidemen looked on proud on either end of the room, watching you as you approached the stand.

“Don’t look at me like that.” You said as JJ’s expression was one of smugness, his laugh the only response you got as you stood uncomfortably behind the boxes, eyes flickering between the two.

The door opened to signal your rival was about to walk in and your palms immediately started to get sweaty and clammy. You titled your head to get a better view as the tall frame entered your vision.

“Oh, my God!” You gasped and left your spot to hug the man you loved.

George laughed and jogged towards you, picking you up with his arms around your waist, fingers gripping tight as his forehead rested against yours. You ran your hands through his hair and cupped his head, “You’re fucking insane.” You laughed at him as he settled you back on the floor, his hands travelling from your waist to your lower back.

He nodded at you as you opened your mouth, “I love you.” He sighed in relief and chuckled, “Good to know.” He shrugged nonchalantly. 

You opened your mouth in shock as everyone around you laughed at his joke and the timing of it. George laughed before pulling you back into a tight hug and kissing the top of your head, “I’m joking, you know I love you, too.”

You pulled back from his chest and stared up at him, “I do know.” You smiled as he cupped your jaw and pulled you into a long-awaited kiss, his lips soft against yours as you sighed into the contact, hands gripping his hoodie.

Hearing a wolf-whistle behind you, you broke contact and turned to see Ethan laughing with Simon. “You guys are cute and all, but the game isn’t over.” Vik laughed and gestured for you two to step behind the stands. “Sorry!” You chuckled and separated from George.

A smile was stuck on both of your faces as you stood opposite each other, both already knowing what the outcome was gonna be.

“The total prize fund is £293,672.” JJ announced and you covered your mouth in surprise that all of you hadn’t managed to blow the fund by an extortionate amount. JJ and Harry continued explaining the rules but your focus was on George opposite you, who sent you a wink as his hand lingered on one case, the exact same one you were picking also.

“Do you all understand the rules of the game?” JJ looked between you and George. “Lads, what's the point in doing this? We all know what the lovebirds are gonna pick!” He shouted and ditched the cue cards.

Everyone laughed and George nodded enthusiastically in agreement. “Let’s play Split or Steal.” Harry said through laughs, “Or just Split or Split.” He shrugged and you threw your head back laughing alongside everyone else.

You opened your case to reveal the one you wanted and closed it before placing your hand flat on top of it, smiling with confidence. You looked up to see George already in position ready, “You not gonna look at the other one, George?” JJ asked behind him, “Don’t need to.” George grinned and winked at you.

The remaining Sidemen took the other case away, “George, Y/N, your cases are now locked in.” Harry said, “Please turn them to face your opponents. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. One whole week has come down to this. There is £293,672 on the line.”

“On my count, please open the case and reveal your decision.” JJ started, “Three, two, one. Open the case.”

You opened your case in sync with George, both reading a proud ‘SPLIT’ on the inside of your boxes. You beamed and wanted nothing more than to run into his arms but knew you’d have to wait for your cue.

“George, Y/N, you have both chosen to split. You have each won £146,836!” JJ shouted.

George took this as his cue to leave his position and run up to with, his lips colliding with your own. His hands settled on your hips as your own cupped his face, moving his head to the side so you could deepen the kiss, not caring about the other clapping around you right now.

“Congratulations!” JJ laughed with Harry as they watched their friends finally happy together.

You broke the kiss and remained in George’s hold, “No fucking way we actually just won that!” You shook your head in disbelief. “I’m gonna spoil you so much.” George laughed and hid his blushing face in your neck, not believing that all of this and your journey was caught on camera soon to be aired to everyone.

“How does it feel?” JJ smiled at you two. “I don’t even know--” You started but Ethan shook his head at his friend, “JJ, shut up! Let them kiss, they’ve been holding this in for fucking years!”

You blushed profusely and curled in George’s grip more, your hands moving up and down his back and subtly feeling the muscles you couldn’t wait to become a regular occurrence. 

The door opened again and it revealed all the eliminated Insiders, your eyes immediately falling on your blonde friends you missed dearly. “Milli!” You shouted and lunged out of George’s hold, Milli cheering at you and filming the entire interaction.

You hugged her, “What the fuck did I miss?” She laughed loudly, “You don’t wanna know.” You chuckled and pulled her back into a hug as the two of you jumped up and down, the reality that you had won finally hitting you.

Mandi tapped you on the shoulder, “I told you that you’d fucking win!” She grinned and ruffled your hair, “I’m so proud of you!” You thanked her before reuniting with the other Insiders you had missed from the very beginning.

You were conversing with Whitney before a strong pair of arms wrapped around your waist from behind and lifted you up off your feet, spinning you around before placing you back on the ground. “Hey, beautiful.” George’s breath tickled your ear.

You turned around in his hold and looked up at his height towering over you, “Hey, handsome.” You winked back.

“Did I forget to tell you that I love you?” George tried to suppress a smirk. You hummed and shook your head, “I don’t know, I think you might have to repeat it.” He laughed at you and pecked your lips.

“I love you.” He whispered against your lips. “I love you, too.” You said as he pulled away. George slung an arm around your shoulders as everyone repositioned for the final scene of the show, “I knew I was gonna get you back.” He whispered as he leaned closer to you.

You smirked up at him, “You always had me.” George couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, pressing his lips against yours once again and pushing your closer to him via his hand on the back of your head, intertwined with your hair

Someone clearing their throat beside you broke the two of you apart as you posed for the outro, still in disbelief that all you and George needed to confess long-term, friends-to-lovers trope, was the damn Sidemen and their silly reality TV show.

“And that is it. That has been season two of Inside.” JJ started.

“Thank you for watching. Thank you to all our contestants. Take care, and peace!”

‘And there we have it. Season two is finished. What a ride. I guess we can say that the bouquet toss proved to be right about George and Y/N being the next ones to get married, save the date for their Summer Wedding! All our little Georgie needed was the Sidemen for some encouragement! I’ve been Stephen Tries, and you’ve been, well, alright, I suppose.’

wtf do u mean i've finished this story... someone say sike rn...

taglist: (for one last time i'm weeping)

@wherethezoes-at @sidemenslver @multifanxtvshows @bibissparkles @le-le-lea @tiamonetsworld @dopeysunflowers @viagracex @rebeccaw05-blog @sundarksposts @sabbrriiinnaa @lovingaphroditesworld @evisceratedmuke @youtubewag @happyclifford @liz140569 @addiemb8332 @isabellem2909 @madforgeorge @pookietv @georgeclarkeyscakeyass @marijas-stuff @maggie-readss @bambidollstar @lottiewills @lmaowhathaha @sukimoves @randomstufflol29 @isabelle-2934 @sophiexxclarkey @levidazai @smogballsstuff @loveheart-123 @alysbaby @octopusoptimusprime @mylillstuff @landoslvr @essieswurld @swaggerjagger2014 @isla-finke-blog @amyissocool @k0ul1ss @musicforsnoopy @bowielovesyou @fly-me-away @7leb-kakaw @je33123 @theresglittleronthefloor @geliophobias @w2sfever @grantgustluv @yourfavartistsfavartist12

[tomsparkyr]

𝐈𝐌𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊!

following episode seven of 'inside' — george clarke x fem!reader

(last chap on them in the house what if i cried)

(oh hey guys… did someone call for a surprise upload after i’ve been itching to finish this but a levels (😒😒😒) got in the way?)

(also yes i changed some things that happened in the show bc obvs i wanted to make it more around you and george so don't kill me for changing the ending a little bit xx)

wc: 7.4K

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Your head hurt from crying, the throbbing pain in your temples relentless as you tried to rub away any sorrow you were feeling for yourself. Your cheeks were painted with tears long gone but the pain was lingering ever present.

You ran your hands through your hair and sighed, staring at your reflection and how tired your eyes looked; nothing compared to how your mind replayed that moment with George over and over again, on rewind despite you trying to force it out of your memory.

Footsteps behind you caused you to look past your reflection, seeing Cinna leaning against the doorway of the bathroom. “Hey…” She said softly, a small and apologetic smile sitting almost awkwardly on her face. “I know the timing kinda sucks but can you come with me to the living room?”

You furrowed your brows at her question but silently agreed, nodding your head, your entire body too tired to protest at this moment. Cinna walked towards you and placed a hand on your lower arm, tugging you lightly out of the room. “It’s not bad, I promise.” She nudged you.

You looked up at her and tilted your head, clearly not believing her reassurance. Cinna sighed, “Alright, not really. But I need everyone with me.” She gave in, you bit your lip and followed where she led you.

Fear ran through your body as you edged closer to the living room, knowing everyone would be in there, the same exact people who had seen you break down and the fabric of whatever you had the George be torn out underneath you.

And he was in there.

Probably sitting there all smug, arms slung behind his head and legs spread as he relaxed on the couch. You expected him to smile at you as you walked in, not worried about any pain or embarrassment he had caused you; because as he inferred, there was no relationship between you two.

Except he wasn’t like that.

Past the pitying eyes of everyone trained on you as you walked into the space, you spotted him sitting away from everyone and head hung low; unable to bring himself to look at you as all his mistakes and guilt would come rushing back to him.

You sat down by yourself, choosing not to bump shoulders with anyone as they would place a gentle hand on your shoulder and whisper, “Are you okay?” You really couldn’t deal with that right now, so opted for your own sanity.

Cinna smiled at you as she stood up in front of everyone, “Because I am immune, they called me in there and made me have to eliminate somebody, which is so sad.” She rubbed her eyes as she began to tear up.

Your eyes widened at her statement. You obviously knew you wouldn’t be going home due to the close relationship you had with Cinna, but you couldn’t help but worry for the others. Someone to be specific.

You knew you shouldn’t hope he stays, but this house without George would feel weird. You cursed yourself as if you should be screaming for George to leave, that his absence would be a weight off your shoulders ahead of the final; but you couldn’t bring yourself to feel like that.

“First of all, I’d like to say, it’s really great you guys made me immune cause you made me have to do this, so thank you, PK and Jason.This is the worst person to do this.” Cinna laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

After Cinna’s reasoning for who she had to eliminate, she rubbed her hands together and looked up, “I had to eliminate you, Whitney. I’m sorry.” 

Everyones heads turned to the woman on the sofa, her face neutral, “It’s fine, babe.” She shrugged. 

Cinna and Whitney hugged and you watched Cinna’s face as she pulled away, seeing her eyes filled with tears and hands shaking. As the girls separated, you hopped up and pulled Cinna into a comforting hug.

“I feel so bad.” The American whispered into your shoulder, you shook your head and pulled her in tighter. “Don’t feel bad, you couldn’t help it.” You reassured her, “Whitney knows that and no one will blame you, Cinna.” You pulled away and smiled at her.

Cinna sniffled and laughed, “You’re the best.” She then shook her head and grabbed both of your shoulders, “Oh, God! I should be comforting you! My thing is so minor compared to yours--” 

You shook your head and shrugged, “No, no. It’s fine, I’m fine.” You lied through your teeth, “I’m just gonna keep my head down and reach the final.” Cinna looked at you, her questioning on the tip of her tongue, “Really, Cinna. I’m fine.” You interrupted her thoughts early and tugged her away to bid farewell to Whitney.

time skip!

You walked into the shop with the group, arms linked with Mya as PK stormed forward and pointed at the screen. “Twenty minutes with a puppy!” You gasped and looked around, “Please can we get it?” Mya laughed at your excited face.

George walked forward and tried to meet your eyes, but you failed to notice his pleas for attention. “Yes, yes, yes!” He opted for supporting your decision of the purchase.

You turned towards Cinna and begged her to buy the time with a puppy for you, she sighed and turned to the camera. “Can we confirm 20 minutes with a puppy?” You smiled and jumped up and down waiting for the doors to open.

Cinna was told she could spend the time with two other people and immediately turned to point at you, understanding that you would have snuck your way in even if she hadn't picked you anyway. She debated her second choice, sparing a glance at you and sending you a sympathetic facial expression, “And, I’m gonna pick George too.” 

George was surprised by this, not expecting your new friend to pick him and force the awkward tension into a small room for 20 minutes, neither budging to leave as you both couldn’t say no to the puppy.

Your smile faltered slightly, clearing your throat and you glanced at Cinna. She mouthed, ‘I’m sorry’ to you, your response was sending a mocking smile her way with wide eyes.

The doors opened slowly to reveal the awaited puppy you longed to spend the bare minimum time with, because the lack of normality within this house was getting to your head.

You recognised the golden fur that peaked through the crack and titled your head to the side, “No way…” You muttered, not allowing your mind to get ahead of itself and higher your expectations; but the thought was lingering and made your heart race.

The similar thought had clearly struck George too, “Wait, is that…” He squinted his eyes. Cinna’s confused face flickered between the pair of you on other sides of the room.

You gasped as your puppy from back at home circled on the table, his light blue lead trailing behind him and his happy trot. His sweet face looked up at you as you covered your mouth with your hands in shock, the feelings overwhelming you all of a sudden; his familiar chirp barks falling deaf on your ears.

”Y/N, is that your dog?” Cinna exclaimed excitedly, a broad smile etched onto her face. She understood your nod to be a decent answer and her heart swelled; the pet you had gushed about since day one was here in front of you and flaunting to the strangers around his innocent face.

You skipped up to scoop your puppy into your arms and cooled it, “I’ve missed you!” Your voice went an octave higher and scratched behind his ears, your dog's tail wagging rapidly. Cinna joined you and stroked the retriever’s golden fur, “Aren’t you a cutie?” She smiled and copied your voice.

George stood to the side and watched the scene, not wanting to intrude due to the recent tension caused by his own actions. He wanted to go up to the dog who he loved and had met multiple times before; but if he was honest, he wanted to go up to the person holding the dog more.

You bent down to sit cross legged on the floor and placed the dog in front of you, laughing at his excitement as he began to chase his tail on the spot. The pair joined you on the floor and watched the scene in awe, understanding that in the minimal time you had been here, you had missed your dog immensely.

As you went to stroke him again, the puppy turned away from you and ran towards the only other familiar face in the room. That being the one person you really didn’t have the heart to face right now.

‘Of course,’ You sighed mentally, realising that with the amount of times you’ve asked George to dogsit while you were out, or how many times George has been round your apartment that your little retriever would remember his face. 

George smiled as your puppy approached him and reached his hand out for him to smell, but the retriever had other ideas and hopped onto his lap and curled up in the space.

Cinna awed at the sight but you stayed silent. You felt conflicted, you so badly wanted to shuffle closer to the man opposite you and act like a little happy family and pretend that everything awful that had even gone on in this house didn’t happen; but unfortunately, reality stepped in.

George looked up to meet your eyes and seemed guilty, either for him blatantly lying to you a day ago or for stealing the attention of the one person you missed the most being in this house. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but you interrupted his apologies before they could spill out, “It’s fine.” You mumbled, “You’re one of his favourites, so…” An awkward smile slipped onto your face, realising this was the most you’ve spoken to him since walking out on him in the dressing room.

A small smile itched onto his face and he sent a subtle nod your way, understanding your wishes to no longer press on the situation and begging it to become any less awkward than it already was.

Cinne cleared her throat beside you, “I love you guys, but this wasn’t bonding time. I wanna cuddle this sweet little puppy of yours!” She smiled and called the dog over, the retriever hopping up and catching the ball that Cinna chucked towards him. 

You laughed lightly at her and looked at George one more time, your pitiful smile falling and swallowing hard before you spent the remaining time left in here with your favourite person and the one you wished you never left behind; still feeling George’s stare on you, opting to ignore it.

time skip!

“Congratulations on making it to the final.” The voice rang out inside the living room, everyone looking at each other with surprised faces. A couple of them cheered and high-fived each other, you looked at Cinna with the most genuine smile on your face for the first time today.

“For the next 30 minutes, there is a flash sale on in the shop.” She finished after presenting the prize fund on the screen, everyone feeling overwhelmed that the money in front of them could be their own by tomorrow.

Everyone leaped up from their seat in the living room, you linking arms with Cinna as the pair of you led the group, hearing their laughter and bounding footsteps behind you.

”Premium alcoholic drink!” PK shouted and shook his head laughing. Your eyes widened and a smile crept up on your face as you read the list.

’Y/N, what are you feeling?” Cinna nudged you. You raised your eyebrows, “I’ve never needed a glass of wine more in my life than right now.” You snorted, your answer completely honest after the couple of days you had previously experienced.

”Please can I confirm £200 of profiteroles, please?” George tilted his head up to the camera in the corner of the room. He turned his head around to make eye contact with you and you furrowed your brows.

”Why’d you order two portions?” You mumbled, silently cursing yourself as you realised you had paid attention to George despite your attempts to freeze him out; Mission failed!

George looked at you as if you should’ve known the answer, “They’re your favourite, no?” He cleared his throat while smiling softly at you.

You hummed and nodded at him, appreciating that he knew the little things about you, but the constant reminder of what he did lingered and intercepted any kind gesture he did.

After picking up your wine, you left George to collect his double order of profiteroles because at this point, it was the bare minimum for him to do.

George sighed as you left the room, understanding that he might have to grovel and yearn more. PK tutted and shook his head, “You’ve gotta do more than that, Georgie…” 

George nodded and looked downwards, thinking of all the ways he could admit that he was wrong and in a way that you would actually hear him out and his apology; how could he prove he was all in it for you?

Back in the living room, you sat yourself down on the couch with Cinna and sipped on your wine. The American tapped you on your thigh which brought you out of your daze, “You alright?” She asked.

You scrunched up your nose, “I’ve been better,” You admitted, “But, it could always be worse, right?” You tried to joke but Cinna saw through your defence mechanism.

”He’s trying, you know that?” Cinna’s voice quieted, leaning closer to you to keep this conversation private from everyone in the room. 

You nodded and didn’t say anything, just watched the man in question walk solemnly to the table and place the plates down, his usual bubbly personality gone.

”When we were in the shop, did you see what he tried to buy first?” Cinna questioned, you shaking your head again. “He ran up to the camera, didn’t look at the list and said, “I’d like to confirm more time with Y/N’s dog!” And when it wasn’t confirmed, he said, "To make her happy, please can I confirm?”

You raised your brows at the confession and kept your eyes locked on George, seeing him try and converse with Jason but his heart wasn’t in it, and his gaze kept lingering from the boy chatting to him.

“It feels weird.” You spoke up. “Why?” Cinna pressed for an answer. You sighed and rubbed your eyes with the palm of your hands.

“It’s like I’ve been attached to him this whole time and now we’re just… not. Like, I can’t even hold eye contact with him now, it’s weird, it’s awkward.” You shrugged your shoulders, feeling slightly better to vent this information finally.

Cinna nodded intently, “And you have to remember that it’s his fault. Don’t blame yourself for feeling like this.” She rubbed a hand up and down your shoulder.

You bit your lip and silently agreed, “You’re right…” Your voice trailed off and stayed quiet for a moment. Cinna could see you were holding back from saying something else and she raised her brows to encourage you to finish your train of thought.

“Then why do I still wanna go back to what we were with him? After all that?” You said honestly, voice lower so no one else would hear you two.

Cinna looked around the room, “Do you want my honest answer?” Your eyes widened, “Please.”

“I think what you and George have, or had going on was real and genuine. There were more than feelings there, like you’ve known him before coming in here and now you’ve had the time to explore this with him without any pressure, it almost feels like a long time coming… if you know what I mean?” Cinna explained.

You listened and let your eyes trail to the man in conversation, “He’s crazy about you. And I can’t explain why he did what he did but I can assure you one thing. Y/N, I’m 100% sure that George is in love with you.” She finished.

Your heartbeat picked up and your cheeks flushed a red as you tried to retain this information, was he really in love with you? You convinced yourself after everything had gone down that all his feelings or attraction to you was heightened from being in the house but you never put love on the cards. Cinna could see your mind spiralling from where she sat and gave you a comforting hug before leaving you to have a moment alone. “Just think about it.” She whispered before leaving the room to find the others.

You sat for a moment and watched George sat alone at the table with two plates of profiteroles, keeping quiet and his head hung low.

Your body moved before your mind could comprehend what you were doing and you found yourself standing beside George’s hunched figure. You cleared your throat and saw his head snap around to you, his eyes widening and his hands rushing to fix his messy appearance. 

He swallowed, “Hey.” His voice came out more hoarse than he had expected but he failed to care as this was the closest you had been to him since the fall out. You nodded, “Hey.”

George stuttered and he opened his mouth to ask you why you were here before you interrupted him, “Care to share?” You muttered and gestured to the two plates of treats begging to be eaten.

George nodded eagerly and stood out of his chair, “Yeah, yeah! Sure, you can have this.” He pushed his chair to you and offered you his seat, which you accepted and he bought another chair for himself.

You smiled at him but it came across stiff as you still felt a sense of awkwardness around him for obvious reasons. You cleared your throat and tugged the plate closer to you, seeing from the corner of your eye that George’s gaze hadn’t left your face since you made an appearance.

“He likes you, you’re one of his favourites.” You broke the silence and brushed hair out of your face, George’s brows furrowing, “Sorry, who?”

“My dog. He recognised you in there and you know that.” You referenced back in the shop, where your dog's eyes lingered to the only other he knew. George shook his head, “I wouldn’t say I’m one of his favourites…” “Don’t act humble, you love him just as much.” You laughed lightly, George’s eyes lighting up as he finally heard your sweet laugh and you adoring smile. He laughed also and said, “You got me there, I’ll give you that.”

The pair of you laughed and you felt a sense of comfort and what had been missing the past day. It felt like you had gone back to when it was so much easier, when it never got complicated and everything was alright between the two of you; forever cursing past you for not taking advantage of what you didn’t know you could lose.

“I was one of the first people to meet him, right?” George shuffled closer to you, the smile still etched onto his face. You nodded and locked your eyes with his, “The first.”

His brows raised, “Really?” You hummed and let your smile linger on your face. George’s eyes travelled around your face, like he was memorising your features so he could never lose you; again, that was.

“I’ve missed you…” He mumbled, face falling into seriousness. You broke the gaze, looked down and shook your head. Panic flooded George’s body, “What? What?” 

You sighed, “We’ll talk about that later. Not now.” George was about to say something in response but DDG’s voice rang around the room.

“But I want y’all to know, I’m coming for your heads tomorrow. Don’t be afraid to snake me out. ‘Cause I’m gonna snake you out.” You laughed at his honesty and nodded in respect.

“Tomorrow’s the day of serpents. Remembrance Serpents Day.” PK branded the day and you held in your chuckle as Cinna looked at him next to her with a shocked face.

“Cheers to being snakes.” DDG stood with a glass of alcohol and proposed a toast. You joined and raised your brows at George, “Someone might be ahead of schedule for that day.” You smirked at his face falling and shook your head mockingly as he tried to apologise again for his mistakes, “Later, George.” You tutted.

“Cheers!” Everyone said together and you settled back down next to Cinna on the beanbag. She turned to ask you how it went with George and you shrugged, “We’ll see later, I guess.” You whispered and she scrunched up her face, you shrugging and feeling a sense of nervousness at the result that’ll come in the next couple of hours.

time skip!

“Can we talk now?” You felt a tap on your shoulder as you brushed your hair after a long day now in the bedrooms, turning to see George fumbling with the bottom of his hoodie. You nodded, “Yeah, let’s go.” You led him to sit on the double bed that the pair of you had accompanied the past few days.

He sat on the other end of the bed as you rested your back against the wall, “Can I start?” George mumbled, watching your reaction as you nodded slowly, chewing on your lip to contain the vent that was already brewing.

“Y/N, I can’t even explain how sorry I am,” He started, looking you dead in the eye, “I need to you believe me when I say that I genuinely have no idea why I voted you out and if I could go back and punch past me, I would and I’d knock him out.” He chuckled dryly, but stopped when your face didn’t move as his attempted humour. 

You squinted your eyes at him, “I like you so much and everything I’ve done up until that moment was real and it’s everything I’ve wanted to do before we had come into this house. I thought that because it was just us and in our own time, that I could finally muster up the courage I’ve been needing for months before this to finally make a move on you and confess how I feel about you.” George said, searching your eyes for an answer. “Y/N, I need you to believe me, please.”

You sighed, “But your actions contradict everything you’ve just said.” George’s mouth opened to deny you but you kept going, “Like, in my head I thought that whatever was happening between us wasn’t a game to you.”

“It wasn’t a game--” “Again, why did you pick it over me then?” You cut him off, repeating what you had said with less tears this time. 

“It’s the fact that you lied to me really bothers me. You could have told me and I wouldn’t have had to find out in front of everyone, did you not think that would be humiliating for me? They’ve watched us be all over each other the last few days, then see that you actually wanted me to go home throughout all of this, did you not think about that?” You tilted your head at him, your voice stern.

George shook his head and cast his eyes downwards, “And we spoke that one night and you said, ‘I think being your friend would kill me because I want to be so much more than that.’ Was that another lie?”

“No. It definitely wasn’t.” George mustered the courage to answer you.

You sighed and looked past him, “I just don’t think that I want to follow through with your statement if in the back of my mind I’m always gonna be thinking and questioning if you’re lying again.”

George’s head shot up and his eyes widened, “Are you saying that--” “I’m saying that what we had in here was fun, but I think that’s pretty much it.” You cut him off.

“No, no. Y/N, please tell me what I can do. This can’t be it.” He shook his head frantically and his hands reached out to hold yours. “I like you so much--” “And I do too, but you’re hardly showing it, George!” Your voice raised slightly. “What?” George furrowed his brows.

“You’re saying all this but clearly your words don’t mean a lot. I want to feel like you actually want me, you want to be with me but you’re not making a statement; you’re not showing it like you really mean it!” You shook your head in anger and upset, your words not correlating to him and his mind.

George stayed silent and you could practically see his mind reeling, yet making no attempt to prove your words. You sighed and closed your eyes, hoping that your words would make him put an effort into getting you back and back to feeling what you felt a couple days ago; but George didn’t move, he didn’t meet your eyes.

You smiled sadly and nodded slowly, accepting that this really was it between you two as the effort was clearly too much for George; Cinna’s words gave you false hope that he was in love with you, but apparently you were a good time, not a long time.

As the silence stretched you stood and patted George on the shoulder, “Good chat.” You muttered sadly and left the room. 

Cinna was sitting on the sofa and laughing with everyone until she locked eyes with you. She mouthed, ‘How did it go?’ You smiled weakly and shook your head, the American’s eyes closing in defeat and she gestured if you wanted her comforting company, but you politely denied, deciding you needed some time alone.

You decided you needed to focus on the final tomorrow, not on some boy who you had barely dated for a couple days; you’d prioritise the games, just like George had.

time skip!

You sat on Cinna’s bed in the morning, your head resting on her shoulder as her arm was slung around you. “What happened last night?” She whispered as people left the room gradually to wake themselves up.

You let out a deep breath and pouted, “It sucked, Cinna.” You scoffed, covering your emotion with a pitiful laugh. She sighed and rubbed her arm up and down your shoulder, “What did you say to him?”

“I made this point that if he really meant what he said, he should make a statement of it, because God forbid a girl wants to feel wanted, right?” You shuffled closer to your friend, “And if I’m honest, I thought he would. I was fully expecting to do something, even the bare minimum. But he said nothing so… I guess that’s that.” You shrugged for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.” She whispered and hugged you. “It’s fine. It’s just gonna be awkward as hell once we get out tomorrow, but that’s for a different time.” You sat up and pulled the duvet off of you, the American following behind.

“You’re allowed to be upset.” She grabbed your hand and squeezed it. You nodded and blinked a couple times to cover up your emotions, “I know. I just don’t want him to see me upset.” You nodded your head towards the living room where George sat with his breakfast, he didn’t deserve to see you like this.

Cinna nodded at you and smiled, tugging you into the living room to await your day. Clearly it wasn’t far away.

‘Insiders, please head to the Challenge Arena.’ The screen read, your heart plummeting into your stomach. “Oh, fuck.” You muttered, everyones head turning to the screen as they realised this was the big moment they had waited a week for.

“It’s time ladies and gentlemen!” PK shouted as you all strolled to the Arena, the nerve beginning to settle in as you entered the room for the final time.

“Insiders, welcome to The Pyramid Scheme.” Simon said, rocking back and forth on his feet beside Josh, the pair of them smiling at you and you waved at them.

“You have all made it this far, but who will make it to the end? Only two of you can.” Simon finished, everyone looking between each other, trying to suss the other out. “As you can see, there are six gold pyramids.” Josh gestured behind him.

“Two of them say ‘safe’ inside, the others say ‘eliminated’. The boys are in the living room right now. They will randomly select one of you to come up and choose a pyramid. Once you have chosen your pyramid, you will place it on the podium. Once at your podium, you’ll take a look inside and check what it says. The boys will then randomly select another person to face off against you. It’ll be your job to either convince them to take your pyramid or let you keep it.” The boys explained, your eyes drifting between each pyramid wondering which one will determine your fate, but you felt someone's eyes on you instead of the prize.

After a couple rounds and losing PK and Jason so far, you had failed to be selected so far, your nerves refusing to settle so far. 

“The next randomly selected person to choose a pyramid is George.” Simon announced and you watched the man stand up and wipe his hands on his joggers, his fingers shaking in the process, his body screaming with nervousness. 

He strolled around the stands before selecting a pyramid, walking back and placing it on the stand, looking anywhere but you. 

“We need to pick the next person!” Vik pointed out back in the house with the other boys, JJ shuffling the cards in front of them. Ethan pointed to the one he wanted out and JJ slowly lifted it up to reveal the person up against George.

“Fuck!” Harry shouted and placed his hands on the back of his head, pacing around the room. “No way!” Tobi gasped and looked between his friends, wondering if they could actually believe this coincidence. 

“This is gonna be fucking insane!” JJ covered his mouth and everyone's eyes locked onto the screen in front of them awaiting the chaos, laughing slightly as Josh’s eyes widened hearing the name through his earpiece.

“The person randomly chosen to face off against George is Y/N.” Josh announced.

All the contestants gasped and whipped their heads to you who sat there frozen in shock, “Of fucking course.” You mumbled before slowly standing up and facing George on the other stand.

Everyone’s eyes were on you as you stared at George, seeing him swallow hard and fiddle with the edge of the stand, waiting to open the pyramid. “George, please look inside your pyramid.” He nodded and hesitantly opened it.

You watched as George’s eyes scanned the words in front of him, his gaze flickering up at you who watched intently, face paling as you realised this could be your final moment in the games.

“Your two minutes starts now.” Josh looked between the pair of you.

“Y/N, take it.” George said immediately. “What?” You were taken aback, your brows furrowed instantly and your mouth opened and closed in shock.

“Take it, I’m being serious. It’s safe.” George said confidently, his eyes never leaving yours. 

You shook your head and looked around the room, leaning against the stand, “Fuck, you can’t do that.” Your voice muffled as you covered your face with your hands.

“Do what? What do you mean?” George was now the one confused. “You can’t do this to me after we had that whole conversation about trust and how you lied, George.” You licked your lips and picked at your nails.

“How do I know you’re not lying right now?” You adjusted yourself and looked straight at him, his mind searching for a reason for you to believe him.

“You need to believe me, Y/N. Just this one time.” George pressed his hands against the stand and stood up straighter.

You scoffed in disbelief, “I just said--” “Y/N, this pyramid reads safe. I’m in love with you and I want you-- No, I need you to win this whole thing because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and I know winning this would mean the world to you, and if you’re happy then so am I.” George confessed, leaving the room completely silent.

Your mouth hung open, heart beating wildly in your chest. “This is it, Y/N. This is my statement, my grand gesture to prove that I want you and I’m in love with you, even though I clearly didn’t hide it very well.” He laughed and looked around the room, at Simon and Josh who tried to hide their beaming smiles but nodded in agreement.

“Believe me that I didn’t plan this to be my big confessional moment, I had this whole thing planned for when we got out of here but-- You know what, that’s a story for another time!” Everyone chuckled in the room but George’s eyes never left you.

“When we get out of here and you have the money because you will take this box,” He said confidently with a smile on his face, “I will do anything and everything to prove that I love you. You’re it, Y/N. Believe me.” He finished and stood back from the stand, his hands shaking once again.

“That is your two minutes.” Simon said, watching your frozen expression and lack of words since George’s confession. “Y/N, what is your decision?” Josh said.

“I--” You felt like you forgot how to speak, mind reeling from everything George had just said; it was everything you had wished for.

You nodded, “Yeah,” George’s smile widened and his eyes glistened at you, “I’ll take it.” Your voice shaky and eyes blinking rapidly to try and not cry in front of everyone.

“So, Y/N, that is now your pyramid.” Josh said. “And your George now, apparently.” Simon said under his breath but you didn’t hear past your locked eyes with George.

“George, please reveal Y/N’s fate.” He turned the pyramid around and pulled the door open, reading the words ‘Safe’.

You gasped and covered your mouth, your feet immediately moving to run up to George, his arms already open for you. You couldn’t hear everyone clapping around you as you lunged into George, his arms tightening around your waist and body relaxing into yours, like it was made for you.

He tucked his head into your shoulder, a hand cupping the back of your head and he muttered, “I love you, I’m so serious.” Just for you to hear. You leaned back to cup his face in your hands, bottom lip wobbling as you tried to suppress tears. You opened your mouth to say what you had been feeling for ages and reciprocated George’s words, but he shook his head. “Don’t. You don’t have to tell me now.” He brushed loose hair behind your ears, “You’re so beautiful.” He grinned before pulling you back into a hug, rocking the pair of you back and forth.

“Y/N, you are now safe.” Simon clapped and ushered you to a separate room. You looked behind you one last time and nodded at George with a smile on your face, tear stains on your cheeks a symbol for the rom-com you had practically experienced. He winked at you before you fell out of his sight.

interview room!

“What the fuck just happened?”

“I can’t believe this stupid reality show just beat all the romantic comedies that Netflix has ever put out. And I was in it… I was Jennifer Aniston in Just Go With It. I was Lily Collins in Love, Rosie. I was Julia Roberts in--”

“You get the idea, I guess I’ve got a final to win. And a man when I get out of here.”

You sat alone in the shop, feet tapping nervously on the floor and mind running wild as you tried to guess who you would be up against, or who you would team up with.

You knew who you wished it was, but he had a target on his back. People wouldn’t want him through due to him cruising through so far, his smarts proving to be a threat to the others; and when money is on the line, apparently all morals go out the window.

You got called back into the Challenge Arena once it was set up and was met by two stands once again with two boxes on top of them. The Sidemen looked on proud on either end of the room, watching you as you approached the stand.

“Don’t look at me like that.” You said as JJ’s expression was one of smugness, his laugh the only response you got as you stood uncomfortably behind the boxes, eyes flickering between the two.

The door opened to signal your rival was about to walk in and your palms immediately started to get sweaty and clammy. You titled your head to get a better view as the tall frame entered your vision.

“Oh, my God!” You gasped and left your spot to hug the man you loved.

George laughed and jogged towards you, picking you up with his arms around your waist, fingers gripping tight as his forehead rested against yours. You ran your hands through his hair and cupped his head, “You’re fucking insane.” You laughed at him as he settled you back on the floor, his hands travelling from your waist to your lower back.

He nodded at you as you opened your mouth, “I love you.” He sighed in relief and chuckled, “Good to know.” He shrugged nonchalantly. 

You opened your mouth in shock as everyone around you laughed at his joke and the timing of it. George laughed before pulling you back into a tight hug and kissing the top of your head, “I’m joking, you know I love you, too.”

You pulled back from his chest and stared up at him, “I do know.” You smiled as he cupped your jaw and pulled you into a long-awaited kiss, his lips soft against yours as you sighed into the contact, hands gripping his hoodie.

Hearing a wolf-whistle behind you, you broke contact and turned to see Ethan laughing with Simon. “You guys are cute and all, but the game isn’t over.” Vik laughed and gestured for you two to step behind the stands. “Sorry!” You chuckled and separated from George.

A smile was stuck on both of your faces as you stood opposite each other, both already knowing what the outcome was gonna be.

“The total prize fund is £293,672.” JJ announced and you covered your mouth in surprise that all of you hadn’t managed to blow the fund by an extortionate amount. JJ and Harry continued explaining the rules but your focus was on George opposite you, who sent you a wink as his hand lingered on one case, the exact same one you were picking also.

“Do you all understand the rules of the game?” JJ looked between you and George. “Lads, what's the point in doing this? We all know what the lovebirds are gonna pick!” He shouted and ditched the cue cards.

Everyone laughed and George nodded enthusiastically in agreement. “Let’s play Split or Steal.” Harry said through laughs, “Or just Split or Split.” He shrugged and you threw your head back laughing alongside everyone else.

You opened your case to reveal the one you wanted and closed it before placing your hand flat on top of it, smiling with confidence. You looked up to see George already in position ready, “You not gonna look at the other one, George?” JJ asked behind him, “Don’t need to.” George grinned and winked at you.

The remaining Sidemen took the other case away, “George, Y/N, your cases are now locked in.” Harry said, “Please turn them to face your opponents. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. One whole week has come down to this. There is £293,672 on the line.”

“On my count, please open the case and reveal your decision.” JJ started, “Three, two, one. Open the case.”

You opened your case in sync with George, both reading a proud ‘SPLIT’ on the inside of your boxes. You beamed and wanted nothing more than to run into his arms but knew you’d have to wait for your cue.

“George, Y/N, you have both chosen to split. You have each won £146,836!” JJ shouted.

George took this as his cue to leave his position and run up to with, his lips colliding with your own. His hands settled on your hips as your own cupped his face, moving his head to the side so you could deepen the kiss, not caring about the other clapping around you right now.

“Congratulations!” JJ laughed with Harry as they watched their friends finally happy together.

You broke the kiss and remained in George’s hold, “No fucking way we actually just won that!” You shook your head in disbelief. “I’m gonna spoil you so much.” George laughed and hid his blushing face in your neck, not believing that all of this and your journey was caught on camera soon to be aired to everyone.

“How does it feel?” JJ smiled at you two. “I don’t even know--” You started but Ethan shook his head at his friend, “JJ, shut up! Let them kiss, they’ve been holding this in for fucking years!”

You blushed profusely and curled in George’s grip more, your hands moving up and down his back and subtly feeling the muscles you couldn’t wait to become a regular occurrence. 

The door opened again and it revealed all the eliminated Insiders, your eyes immediately falling on your blonde friends you missed dearly. “Milli!” You shouted and lunged out of George’s hold, Milli cheering at you and filming the entire interaction.

You hugged her, “What the fuck did I miss?” She laughed loudly, “You don’t wanna know.” You chuckled and pulled her back into a hug as the two of you jumped up and down, the reality that you had won finally hitting you.

Mandi tapped you on the shoulder, “I told you that you’d fucking win!” She grinned and ruffled your hair, “I’m so proud of you!” You thanked her before reuniting with the other Insiders you had missed from the very beginning.

You were conversing with Whitney before a strong pair of arms wrapped around your waist from behind and lifted you up off your feet, spinning you around before placing you back on the ground. “Hey, beautiful.” George’s breath tickled your ear.

You turned around in his hold and looked up at his height towering over you, “Hey, handsome.” You winked back.

“Did I forget to tell you that I love you?” George tried to suppress a smirk. You hummed and shook your head, “I don’t know, I think you might have to repeat it.” He laughed at you and pecked your lips.

“I love you.” He whispered against your lips. “I love you, too.” You said as he pulled away. George slung an arm around your shoulders as everyone repositioned for the final scene of the show, “I knew I was gonna get you back.” He whispered as he leaned closer to you.

You smirked up at him, “You always had me.” George couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, pressing his lips against yours once again and pushing your closer to him via his hand on the back of your head, intertwined with your hair

Someone clearing their throat beside you broke the two of you apart as you posed for the outro, still in disbelief that all you and George needed to confess long-term, friends-to-lovers trope, was the damn Sidemen and their silly reality TV show.

“And that is it. That has been season two of Inside.” JJ started.

“Thank you for watching. Thank you to all our contestants. Take care, and peace!”

‘And there we have it. Season two is finished. What a ride. I guess we can say that the bouquet toss proved to be right about George and Y/N being the next ones to get married, save the date for their Summer Wedding! All our little Georgie needed was the Sidemen for some encouragement! I’ve been Stephen Tries, and you’ve been, well, alright, I suppose.’

wtf do u mean i've finished this story... someone say sike rn...

taglist: (for one last time i'm weeping)

@wherethezoes-at @sidemenslver @multifanxtvshows @bibissparkles @le-le-lea @tiamonetsworld @dopeysunflowers @viagracex @rebeccaw05-blog @sundarksposts @sabbrriiinnaa @lovingaphroditesworld @evisceratedmuke @youtubewag @happyclifford @liz140569 @addiemb8332 @isabellem2909 @madforgeorge @pookietv @georgeclarkeyscakeyass @marijas-stuff @maggie-readss @bambidollstar @lottiewills @lmaowhathaha @sukimoves @randomstufflol29 @isabelle-2934 @sophiexxclarkey @levidazai @smogballsstuff @loveheart-123 @alysbaby @octopusoptimusprime @mylillstuff @landoslvr @essieswurld @swaggerjagger2014 @isla-finke-blog @amyissocool @k0ul1ss @musicforsnoopy @bowielovesyou @fly-me-away @7leb-kakaw @je33123 @theresglittleronthefloor @geliophobias @w2sfever @grantgustluv @yourfavartistsfavartist12

[tomsparkyr]

oh hello any remaining survivors of my inside series, final chapter upload in t-minus 15 minutes… it’s go time!👀👀

apologies for the delay! went out last night to celebrate chelsea's (unexpected) win but she's back and sober!

[tomsparkyr]

ALERT! the inside chapter IS happening within the next 2 hours, i’m just behind schedule right now but i’m OBSESSED with writing this chapter i keep adding more than i actually need😭😭

but don’t worry, it’s happening and it’s happening very soon! love you all🤍

[tomsparkyr]

Babe u have left us in such a cliffhanger for the Inside fic😭😭😭 when is the next part coming out?? 💙💙

i know i know !!! and i’m so sorry for it🫣🫣🫣 the next part will be out sunday / monday and i’m excited for it !! i’m worried it’ll be anticlimactic so i’m banking on my bonus chapters to fulfill anything i didn’t cover or i wish i added in these chapters lol but anyways!

[tomsparkyr]

Hey!!

Hope you’re well xx

Just wanted to know if you’re going to update the Inside fic at all?

I’ve just finished binging it for the 6th time and am hanging on by a THREAD to see what happens 😂

Sending all my love 💕💕

hi my love, all is well here !! i was writing more of the chapter today and it seems to maybe be a bit shorter than i imagined so far, BUT it’ll be out this sunday / monday yippee !! finally got back into the rhythm of writing so hopefully will put more out soon, lots of love xxx