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janicho88 · 4 years

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Falling For You -Part 2

October

Pairing- Eventual Dean x Female!Reader, Dean x Lisa(past), Female!Reader x OMC Justin(past)

Word Count-4008

Warning- Mentions of cheating, little angst, some swearing, fluff. This is going to be a bit of a slow burn. Haunted woods. Talk of trying to fake a pregnancy, manipulation, trying to steal from significant other/ falsify documents, Lisa is awful, Justin isn’t much better, talk of being pressured into doing things you don’t want to. I think that is it

A/N- I had an idea for a one shot, and giving a backstory to Dean and the Reader meeting took on a life of its own. This story is AU, and un beta’d.

Summary- After being burned before you had sworn off finding love for now. Coming home from work one night there is a strange man pounding on your door. Neither of you knew what this meeting would lead to.

Series Masterlist

The next week kept you busy at work and not giving you much free time in the evening. Coming or going you always kept an eye out for your new friend though, not seeing him again till the weekend. Heading back to your apartment after your Saturday morning workout you ran into Dean coming out of his brother’s apartment.

“Hi stranger, how is everything coming together for you?”

“Hey Y/N, it’s coming. I found a job, starting a week from Monday. Still looking for a place though, guess I’ll be crashing with Sam a little longer and putting my stuff in storage up here till I find something. Work slow down for you yet?”

“Congrats on the new job! No, not yet. A family emergency came up, and our new person can’t start till next week. At least there is a light at the end though. I hate to run on you, but I’m supposed to be meeting Meg, and I really need a shower. Talk to you later?”

“Sure, see ya around.”

With the wedding dress found it was time to find Bridesmaid dresses. Hopefully this went a little better. Her wedding colors were red, black and silver, you would be happier with a black dress, but Meg was thinking red. The color of fire, this wedding was going to be hot she said.

Thankfully you and the 2 bridesmaids Ruby and Sarah were on the same page about finding one and getting done. None of you wanted to try on tons of dresses. Meg actually approving of the third one you found. They were free to leave after that, you got to go help her set up a gift registry. Your fingers were crossed these next six months until the April wedding went fairly quick. Done for the day, she suggested meeting up with Cas and his best man so you could finally meet him.

The guys were meeting you at a local pizza shop so you could grab dinner and talk. Walking in with Meg you quickly saw Cas, and getting closer to the table, recognized the spiky sandy brown haired man across from him. Sliding in next to Dean you mentioned how he never said anything about being the best man, when you said you were the maid of honor.

“Sorry, I think my head was still on other topics then.” He answered you with a small smile

“Wait, you two already know each other?” Cas questioned looking between you both.

“Yeah, I live across the hall from his brother, remember Cas?”

“I do now.”

“No one ever told me that you and Sam knew each other from Kansas though.”

“I guess we didn’t think about it.”

It was an enjoyable evening out with your friends. You found out more about Dean’s new job, he found a small auto shop hiring a head mechanic. The owner, Bobby, had done most of the work himself but was looking to cut back and possibly retire in a few years. If Dean was still around then and interested he might sell the shop to him. There was a part time mechanic working there also, Benny. Dean seemed to think they would get along well.

Dean gave you a ride back so Meg could take Cas with her since they lived in the opposite direction as you two. “I don’t think I told you last week, but I really like your car.”

“Thanks, Baby is my one true girl.”

“Baby?”

Patting the top of the dash Dean glanced over and smiled at you, “That’s her name.”

You just smiled back, “It’s very nice Dean, I hope the two of you will be very happy together.

Closer to home Dean told you he was renting a car and leaving for Kansas tomorrow. He would turn the car in there and drive a Uhaul back with Sam the following weekend. Apparently his brother wasn’t the best driver and he didn’t trust him to drive that far with his car or the uhaul filled with his belongings. Sam was flying home later in the week to meet up with him. Giving him a quick hug outside your apartment door you wished him safe travels and good luck, telling him you would see him when he got back.

Quickly entering your apartment and shutting the door, you were trying to figure out why you hugged him, and why you suddenly were overthinking it. You were friends, friends hugged right? No reason to give it a second thought.

Friday night there was a knock on your door, but you weren’t expecting anyone. Opening it you were surprised to find Jess on the other side with a pizza box and a bottle of wine.

“Hey, I thought I’d see if you were up for some company. Sam and Dean started the drive back this afternoon, so it’s just me over there.”

“Sure! Come on in.” The two of you spent the evening watching bad romance moves and talking about the brothers. Jess had known Sam since they were in undergrad at Stanford, and had a few stories to tell you about both of them. It was nice to learn a little more about Dean.

When Jess had more wine in her she opened up about Dean’s breakup. “I met the cheating bitch a few times and never cared for her. She thought she was better than everyone, always pushing Dean to buy her things, jewelry and fancy clothes. Apparently she started asking Dean some questions that he thought were weird but told himself she must have been taking an interest in things he liked for once.”

She paused to take a drink of wine. “When Dean was packing up after he kicked her out he discovered some stuff in his safe had been moved around, insurance papers, information on stocks he owns, and even his will was in a new place. I guess he didn’t think much of it; he was too caught up in the cheating mess, till a lawyer's office called the house like a week later and left a message saying they needed to come in and sign the last paper. Lisa had either made a copy of his signature or forged it and was trying to put things in her name and change his will for her to inherit even if they weren’t married. He called Sam because he needed legal help to straighten the mess up and make sure she got nothing.

Sam went down one weekend and helped him clean it up. They were looking up something on Dean’s laptop and one of them typed in a wrong word or start of one and some crazy past searches came up. They looked for more and found searches relating to Dean and what he owns, what his business was worth. There was even a search on how to fake a pregnancy test. Sam thinks she was going to try and trick Dean into marrying her if she couldn’t change the papers on her own. She was stupid enough to use Dean’s computer. His parents don’t know, he doesn’t want them too.”

“The first night I met Dean I called him by his last name and he asked something about how I knew and if I looked him up. I get why now.”

“Dean’s a lot more guarded now.” She gave you a lot of information to take in, no wonder he wasn’t looking to date again.

The next afternoon a commotion in the hall drew your attention. Opening the door you found Sam and Dean struggling with some boxes they were both carrying across the hall. You asked if they needed help, but neither heard you over Sam complaining about Dean not knowing how to pack a box. Dean was in turn instructing Sam to be careful with the valuables. Seeing you just before he turned inside Dean gave you a wink and said he would talk to you later.

A few hours later a knock at the door had you hoping for a green eyed man on the other side. Opening it you had gotten your wish. “Hey, I was heading out to grab some dinner. Give Sam and Jess some time together, thought I’d see if you wanted to join me?”

“I actually have lasagna in the oven, it should be done in 20. Would you like to join me here?”

Dean’s eyes lit up at the thought of a homemade meal and he readily accepted. Entering your apartment he removed his coat and asked if he could help with anything. Handing him the drink he asked for, you told him everything was all set. Salad was made and the pasta and bread were in the oven. You washed some dishes while waiting and Dean grabbed a towel to help dry. The two of you working together easily and talking about Dean’s trip back to Kansas. When dinner was ready you dished it up setting Dean’s infront of him. You noticed he wasn’t a big fan of the salad though.

“This is great, my mom isn’t much of a cook so it’s simple meals or take out at their house. Sam and Jess cook, but it’s not real food. He gets these plant or veggie burgers, kale and some green shakes. I need real meat and carbs.”

“Well, you are welcome to stop over here when it gets to be too much. I’m sure I could find something that would save you.”

“Thanks sweetheart, I may take you up on that.”

When you were both finished and everything was cleaned you invited Dean to stay and watch a movie. It was to give Sam and Jess more time alone you told yourself. Dean was just a friend, you were hanging out with.

A short time later your oven timer went off again and you disappeared to pull out the desert you had made. Grabbing some ice cream from the freezer and cutting into the hot treat you once again plated it up and took some to Dean warning him it was still hot. You didn’t think Dean’s eyes could go any bigger than they did when you handed him the fresh baked apple pie. Taking a giant bite his eyes almost rolled back in his head.

“This is incredible, one of the best I’ve ever had. Trust me I’ve had a lot of pie.”

“I’m sure it’s not really that special, but thanks anyways.”

“No, I’m serious. Love me some apple.”

“Fall is a good time for apples here. I would love to go to the orchard some time and pick my own, or even just hang out there one day. I’ve gone a few times as a kid, but I haven’t been in years.”

“You just want to go hang out with apple trees?”

“Not exactly, there is a lot to do this time of year. Apple picking, pumpkin patches, corn maze, hayrides and a store where they sell baked goods, fresh produce and other things. I just think it would be fun sometime. Maybe next year, I’ll find someone to go with me.”

“Tell you what, you pick a weekend next year and I’ll go with you. Speaking of weekends, do you have anything going on next Saturday?”

“Um, a baby shower for a friend in the early afternoon. Then catching up on some work around here, why?”

“One of Jess’ friends is having a big Halloween party, she invited me in hopes of getting Sam to lighten up about it. He’s not a fan of Halloween. Anyway she said I could bring a friend if you want to go. It’s a costume party in some old barn.”

You thought about it for a minute. Was he asking you out, neither of you were supposed to be looking to date right now. He did say bring a friend though. “I think I can manage that, I’ll have to see if I have a costume.”

“Great! I think she said it starts at 8, there’s supposed to be some haunted woods too. Not a corn maze, but it can still be fun. I’ll let you know what time she wants to leave, you don’t care if we ride together right?”

“Nope, not at all.” At least if you were with his brother and Jess it wasn’t a date. Why were you so worried anyway? Dean left a short time later and you cleaned up and got ready for bed.

The new girl you were training, Anna was finally starting to catch on in her second week. This meant you were able to get more of your work done, and not have to stay too late. You needed to find a costume and a baby gift sometime before Saturday. Running into Jess in the hall one night, you asked if you needed to bring anything Saturday. There wasn’t anything, and she was just happy that you were joining them.

Since you had just over a week until Halloween many of the costumes were already picked over, you weren’t looking to meet up with anyone so you were also trying to avoid anything too revealing. Plus it was outside in the evening, and temps were falling so you didn’t want to freeze either. Finally finding something you deemed would work at the third store you tried.

Saturday came faster than you had hoped. The shower went well, Kelly was so excited to meet her little boy in a few short months. You couldn’t wait to spoil him! Doing a quick grocery store run, you headed home to try and clean a little before you had to get ready. When 7:30 rolled around you were ready for the knock on your door.

Opening the door you bit back a laugh at the sight before you, “Howdy Sheriff.”

Dean shook his head sending you a fake smile, “This was one of the few adult costumes left.”

“That’s what you get for waiting till yesterday to get your outfit Dean,” Sam rolled his eyes, also trying not to laugh at his brother’s attire. He and Jess were dressed as Sandy and Danny from Greece.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had this awesome Batman costume, but it’s in one of the boxes in storage and couldn't find it. Oh well, cowboys are awesome too.”

“Yeah, but Dean you're a toy cowboy,” Sam wasn’t able to hide the smile that time.

He sent Sam a glare before turning back to you, “I’m still a cowboy and a sheriff, I can still protect the princess here. All ready?”

“Yep, I’m good to go.”

You rode in the back with Jess, Dean pouting up front because Sam decided to take his own car instead of riding in Dean’s. Jess was telling you Sam didn’t want to dress up at all, but she was able to talk him into Danny since it was his own clothes except for the leather jacket and just some hair dye and gel.

Arriving at Jess’ friends you and Dean followed behind as they led the way to the barn. They had definitely put a lot of work into the decorations. There were pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns everywhere. Some real, some plastic and other scary Halloween creatures along with orange lights strung all around.

There was a dance floor with the DJ already playing and round tables and chairs set up around the floor and a buffet in the back.

You had never been to a Halloween party this big before. Jess introduced you and Dean to some of her friends who Sam already knew. Dean grabbed the two of you drinks and you sat down at a table taking everything in. This was a little more than you were expecting.

Sam found you a short time later, Jess was ready to go through the haunted woods they had set up and wanted to know if you two wanted to join.

“I’m game. How about you, Y/N? Sheriff Dean will protect you.”

“Who can turn that down?” Scary things weren’t your favorite, but you had a feeling if you said no Dean wouldn’t have gone either and you didn’t want him to miss out. Justin had hated how some things would scare you, and you wouldn’t want to do something. According to him you would ruin his fun, you weren’t going to do that to Dean. If you were with the three of them it shouldn’t be too bad.

Wrong, wrong, oh so wrong! You were going to have nightmares for a month after that. Most of the actors scaring you had come from the front or side, so you had ended up in the back hiding behind Dean to avoid everyone. Jess had turned around to say something to you when you noticed her eyes getting bigger. Quickly turning around you were certain they could have heard your scream in Ohio. There was a creepy looking person behind you wearing a mask with a white face, green teeth and red eyes holding a giant knife above your head. You never heard him come up or had any idea he was following you.

Hearing you scream Dean turned and pulled you close to his chest and then turned the two of you back around so you were no longer facing that character. He kept you close until you were out of the woods. When you went back to the barn he took you over to your seat before grabbing you some water. Kneeling down in front of you, his green eyes carefully looking you over.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m great.”

“You want to try that again? Especially since you are still shaking?

“I’m really sorry. I’m not the biggest fan of scary things. That really caught me off guard.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to ruin it for anyone else. I’ll be fine, really.”

“Sweetheart, we need to work on your communication skills. First that bar, now this. If something is going to affect you like this, you gotta say something.”

“I’m okay, really. Sorry to ruin it.”

“You didn’t ruin anything. Sit here a minute I’ll be back.” Dean walked off coming back a few minutes later with some food for both of you.

Sitting next to Dean you stared at the plate he put in front of you before talking.

“Justin took me to Cedar Point one day with some friends of his, all other couples. I’m terrified of heights and dropping too, he knew this beforehand. I’m more of a spin me girl, as long as it’s not too far off the ground. They were all excited about going on the biggest coaster there, I told them I would watch everyone’s stuff while they went. This one takes your picture on the way down, one of the girls said if I wasn’t there some stranger would be in the picture with all of them. Justin took me aside and said when I don’t participate in these things it makes him look bad and ruins his good time. I should be a better girlfriend and do what he wants.”

“I would really like to introduce your ex to my fist. If something is bothering you, I really want you to speak up, no matter what, okay.”

“Okay, thanks Dean.”

When Sam and Jess caught back up to you, she pulled you out to the dance floor with her since her fiancé wasn’t interested. The guys watched as the two of you enjoyed yourselves.

Arriving back at your apartment that night, Dean followed you in to make sure you were going to be alright. You assured him you would be fine. What you didn’t tell him was you were going to be sleeping with the lights on tonight. He did a quick check of your apartment before going back across the hall.

Halloween was the following Friday, Meg invited you over to her and Cas’ place to hang out while they handed out candy to the trick or treaters. Cas had also invited Dean, Sam and Jess. He must have told Dean you were coming because Dean offered to drive you over with them.

The phone in your pocket started going off snapping you out of your daydreams, “Hello.”

“Hey Y/N, are you still home?”

“Yeah, why what’s up Dean?”

“I’ve been knocking on your door for a few minutes now, everything okay?”

“Yeah,” looking down you saw the time on your watch. “I’m sorry I lost track of time. I was sitting on the patio and didn’t hear you.” Rushing inside you locked the door behind you before quickly letting Dean in.

“Sorry, let me grab these and I’m good to go.” Grabbing your Halloween sweatshirt and the two containers sitting on your counter you were headed back to the door.

“What’s in there?”

“Oh I got bored last night and made some Halloween sugar cookies and pumpkin cake bars with apple cider glaze for today.”

Dean just looked at you as you rode the elevator down to meet Sam and Jess, “What is that look for?”

“Well, are you going to give me one?” You were a little lost and just stared back. “Oh sorry, forgot the magic words, trick or treat. May I have my treat now?” He asked, pointing to the containers.

“Oh sorry, sure, the bars are a little crumbly, but you can have a cookie now.

He took a big bite of the orange pumpkin shaped cookie. “It’s not your apple pie, but it’s very good, sweetheart.”

The guys disappeared into the basement when you arrived, apparently there was some horror movie marathon on, you were just fine avoiding that. You three ladies hung out in the living room so you would hear kids coming to the door, and watched the Halloweentown movies on TV. Meg and Jess compared wedding notes and talked about their different frustrations. Jess and Sam were getting married in July.

You were happy for your friends, but if you were being honest, also a little jealous. They had found great guys, been with them for years, now they were getting ready to walk down the aisle to them. You had thought by the time you were 27 you would be settling down too. Instead you were swearing off dating right now. Your Mr Right seems to have taken some wrong turns somewhere and wouldn’t ask for directions. Apparently you zoned out from the conversation because both girls were looking at you. “Sorry, what’s up?”

“I was saying I’m not sure I would be cut out for the matron of honor duties when you get married. We all know I don’t have the patience. You could have Jess, and we know Sam would be the best man, it would work out great.”

Yep, you definitely missed something. “Wait, when and who am I marrying, and why is Sam already the best man?”

“Really Y/N?” Meg giving you her best bitch face, “when you and Dean get married.”

“You guys make such a great couple! I’m so glad he found you! Lisa was just awful to him from the start, and to cheat on him like that.”

Lisa must be the reason he left Kansas, no one mentioned her name before. “Guys we’re just friends, we aren’t a couple or even dating. Neither one of us want to get back out there right now.”

“Y/N, you can’t let Justin ruin your chance at happiness, it’s been over four months now. At some point you need to get back out there. Deano is one of the good ones, you are going to regret it if you let him go.”

“Meg, Dean doesn’t want to date anyone either. We really are just friends, just hanging out.”

When you walked away to hand out candy, Meg turned to Jess, “any idea how long those two are going to stay in denial about how they feel?” Jess just shook her head as they both stared after you.

Part 3

Thank you for reading!

Tags- @talesmaniac89 @katehuntington @winchest09 @flamencodiva @whatareyousearchingfordean @waywardbeanie @deanwanddamons @smol-and-grumpy @emoryhemsworth @anathewierdo @malfoysqueen14 @superfanficnatural @jensengirl83 @atc74 @sandlee44 @akshi8278 @fantasydevil2002

Falling For You tags- @halesandy @abuavnee @hearteyes-j2 @vicmc624 @440mxs-wife @wonder-cole

#dean x female reader #dean winchester #supernatural #FallingForYou #dean x reader

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calif0rnia-lovers · 4 years

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It's funny how you haven't changed a bit, but you're twice as pretty.

Summary: Despite your relationship ending years ago, Bishop has spent your time apart repairing your car in hopes it’d allow him to see you again.

A/N: Randomly came up with this idea a while back when thinking about the lack of backstory for Bishop. Probably trash but...I’m doing whatever I can to drag you nonbelievers into the most deserving Mayan’s lane.

Pairing: Bishop Losa x Reader

Warning: I know I said there’d be fluff but all I got was angst.

Request: Bishop x his ex reunite.

Words: 1.7K

You sit on the steps of your front porch. Your elbows rest against your bare knees, your chin in the palms of your hands. The passing cars and teenagers laughing and strolling beneath the streetlights hold your attention.

Despite the setting sun, the air is humid. Your hair is pulled up, resting at the top of your crown, your shoulders are nearly bare-apart from the thin straps of the sundress you wear.

You've been waiting in the same spot for nearly fifteen minutes.

Leaving now. Headed your way.

The message from Bishop was one you'd been waiting for all day. He'd stopped by your job at the start of the week. Unannounced. Your arrival back to town had come as a surprise. He was the first person you thought about once you pulled your uHaul truck into the driveway of your house.

Was he still here?

Your answer arrived three weeks later when you bumped into him at the store.

"I was hoping I could see you, Friday. I have something I wanna show you." He'd shared when he stopped by your office this Monday.

You're waiting for the roar of his bike, maybe that's why you don't notice that he's arrived until a set of headlights shine across your driveway. Beneath the streetlights, you can make out the black car he’s driving. The familiar grille and license plate halt your action of getting up.

Cutting the engine, Bishop climbs out, the grin on his face growing as he takes in your expression.

You open your mouth to speak, but all you can put together is a soft laugh of disbelief.

The last time you saw the 1969 Dodge Charger RT, in driveable condition, you were twenty years old. Going into the summer before your junior year at Berkeley. Spending summers with your dad was something you'd done ever since you were a kid. He'd told he'd pay for whatever car you wanted. You'd picked out the abandoned Charger sitting in the yard of Mr. Gonzalez’s home. He had a problem with collecting vintage cars, and never actually paying to get them fixed. Your dad spent a pretty penny to get it out of Gonzalez’s lot but left it to you to fix it up.

Naturally, you had to figure out the cheapest way.

You stopped by Romero Brothers Scrap in hopes of finding the needed parts, and someone who knew enough to fix the car. Instead, you found a 27-year-old mechanic who thought teasing you about the “scrapper” was the best way to flirt.

With a portion of your earnings from your summer job and the granting of one date, if the car could actually drive out the lot, you left the Charger in Bishop’s hands. He'd spent the entire summer fixing it up.

Did he know much about fixing up old muscle cars?

Fuck no, but he figured it out.

In all honesty, you hadn’t expected much, but Bishop somehow managed to get a car that had been parked for nearly 15 years up and running again.

I guess the possibility of getting to take the pretty girl out was one hell of a motivator.

That car sparked a whirlwind relationship that spanned across the entire summer. It even spilled into the first semester of your senior year. He had to work on the car when he wasn’t working his actual job. This led to a number of late nights, you keeping him company under the lights of the garage. Bishop even taught you enough to learn your way around beneath the hood, and how to get it running again if it ever broke down.

Even as you'd both moved on with your lives, the car was the only thing you kept from your time with him. Everything else went in the trash the moment he decided he’d rather enlist then stay with you.

The Charger stayed with you for years, until the accident after your graduation from grad school. The passenger side had nearly fully caved in from the impact. Instead of paying the money to have it fixed, you left it at the same scrapyard that helped with the initial repairs.

Bishop first saw it, abandoned in the yard, after he returned home once his stint with the military was finally complete.

"I can count on my hand the times I've ever made you speechless." Bishop watches as his words pull your attention from the car. Your eyes meet his, the smile that lights up your face awakening something inside him he hasn’t felt in a long time.

You blink before shaking your head.

"I didn't know you knew how to drive a stick," you giggle as his hands wrap around yours. “I thought you only knew how to ride a bike.”

Tugging you to your feet, Bishop arches his brow as he releases you.

"I'm pretty sure I taught you how to drive a stick," he recounts, the memories causing you both to share a smile. Taking in your sheepish expression, he chuckles. “Who buys a car they don’t how to drive?”

Your shoulders shrug as you lightly push him aside.

“Someone hoping to attract cute guys with their badass car.”

Bishop softly shakes his head.

“Hey,” you smile as you turn on your heels. Your playful eyes meet his. “Worked on you, didn’t it?”

Bishop’s eyes follow you as you send a wink his way before moving to walk around the car. You run your palm along the surface of the hood before ducking your head into the driver seat window for a look at the interior.

“It wasn’t the car,” he admits as you glance up to meet his gaze.

Biting back your smile, you push your weight off the door before nodding towards the hood.

“Does she still ride like she used to?”

Bishop shrugs, his arms crossing over his chest.

His eyes meet yours, the corner of his lips turning up into a smile. “Wanna go for a ride?”

If asked about it tomorrow, you’ll blame it on the car. All of the shared memories must have caste the two of you in a shower of nostalgia. One responsible for the butterflies which flutter every time he steals a glance towards the passenger seat. The easy nature of the conversation that fills the car with the laugh you’d fallen in love with back when you were twenty, and still trying to figure out if you actually believed in soulmates.

It is also responsible for your destination.

It’s not until you’re two hours deep in conversation that you glance out the window to realize you recognize your surroundings.

The secluded spot is one you can still find, blindfolded, after all the time that has passed.

It is your spot.

At least that’s what Bishop told you the first time he took you there.

It provides a perfect view of the town you both tried to escape when you were younger. The distant lights and muffled sounds always seeming prettier from here.

The silence which fills the car is one that only comes from the comfort of being alone with someone you love.

You’re seated in the passenger seat, legs crossed, back resting against the door. Your eyes steal the changes of Bishop in segments out of the fear of attracting his attention for staring a second too long.

His head rests back against the seat, his left arm dangling out the rolled-down window. His fingers tap against the door along to the tune of the song playing quietly from the radio. His eyes focus on the view of the city just past the windshield.

“It’s funny how some things never really change,” he notes.

As your eyes pass from him to the windshield you can’t help but wonder if the view is what he’s referring to.

Because from where you sit, all you can think of is how he’s right. At least when it comes to the heat radiating across the surface of your skin each time you look towards the driver’s seat.

The last time he was behind the wheel of your car you two were in a much more compromising position, yet coincidentally in the same location.

Your eyes drop down to your fingers as you concentrate on trying to smooth out the skirt of your dress.

The action isn’t enough to suppress the image of his fingers pressed against the softness of your hips, yours wound tight in his hair. The way his skin shone beautifully beneath the moonlight, how the cramped driver’s seat never seemed to allow you both to get close enough.

When your eyes lift they find he’s watching you. The faint smile on his lips lets you know you’re not the only one who remembers.

You shift forward in your seat.

Your fingers lift to trace the worn leather of his kutte, trailing to the patch resting against his chest.

“This is different,” you note, your fingers outlining the stitched lettering. “I expected a much different uniform if I ever saw you again.”

“Yeah,” he huffs, his eyes dropping down to follow your fingers.

His gaze lingers, his touch brushing against the knuckle of your bare ring finger.

As his finger rubs against the soft skin, he notes the lack of a tan line.

His brow furrows, and you think he’s gonna ask the question on his mind but he doesn’t.

There’s no need for him too.

You shift uncomfortably in your seat, a sigh leaving your chest as your mind briefly drifts to your bedside table. The overpriced ring presented to you during the summer after your senior year still lays tucked beneath the contents of the drawer. Your nose scrunches in irritation as you think back on the man who gave it to you.

“Yeah. Well, that definitely didn’t last as long as I thought it would.” You admit.

Bishop’s gaze lifts to study your features as you remove your hand from his. Your expression doesn’t provide any insight as to exactly how long it lasted. He also knows he has no right to ask. Not when he’d said he’d rather you accept another man’s proposal then wait around for him to return to a town he wanted to escape.

“It was his loss.”

“I guess so...Anyway.” A tiny smile finds your lips as you motion around you. “Thank you for this. I can’t believe you actually thought to do this for me.”

Bishop returns the smile, his fingers finding yours.

His words come out quietly as his lips press a kiss against your knuckles. “Pienso en ti siempre.”

Releasing your hand, he gives you a final smile before shifting to refasten his seatbelt. You move to do the same as the engine roars back to life.

Just as you’re about to fasten your seat belt you lean over the gear shift.

Your lips press against the warmth of his cheek, the action stopping him from shifting gears.

His touch is warm against the back of your neck, the pressure he applies willing you to decide if its best to pull back or tilt your lips to meet his.

#what's a story without a little angst #let me know what you think?#imagines #bishop losa #bishop losa x reader #mayans mc #mayans imagines

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topsytervy · 3 years

Text

Mob Rafe: The Series

Part 1

I still couldn’t think of a title after a month so it’s just going to stay as Mob Rafe: The Series

You can read the prologue here

Word Count: 4,096

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drinking, i think that’s it

~~~~

It was almost 10:30 when you stood in your kitchen, staring into your fridge that was practically empty, trying to figure out what you could make for breakfast. You finally decided on eggs after googling how to tell if they were still good or not and decided that they were fine. After all, JJ had eaten moldy bread before. What’s the difference between that and eating eggs a couple of days past their best by date.

As the eggs cooked in the pan, you grabbed the Aleve and a glass, filling it with water, before walking into the spare bedroom and setting them on the nightstand. You smiled as you watched JJ hug a pillow to his chest, looking rather serene.

In about half an hour, he’d be complaining though and you’d have to listen to it until he left.

You went back to the eggs, stirring them around as you glanced out your kitchen window. You leaned closer and squinted, trying to make out the faces of the people who were going in and out of the place next door.

That house had been up for sale since a week after you moved in, the old lady that lived there deciding that it was time to go into a home.

Well, her family decided. She screamed every curse word underneath the sun as her things, and herself, were being moved out.

That was almost a year ago. You tried convincing JJ to buy it but he said ‘I’m not living near a bunch of people who think my business is their business’. You tried to figure out who exactly was moving in but it was hard to tell considering it could’ve been any of the three guys who were exiting and entering the house.

You sighed before turning your attention back to the eggs that were close to done, hearing JJ groan from the guest room.

“Who the fuck made the sun so bright?” You heard him say, voice muffled.

“Depends on the religion of the person you’re asking!” You hollered back.

“Well, I’m not religious so make it non-religious.” You heard a thump come from the room and you assumed that it was his feet hitting the floor.

“Then the Big Bang.”

“Like the show?”

You closed your eyes and pinched the bridge of your nose, taking a deep breath. “You know what? Sure. Like the show.”

JJ emerged, rubbing his face with one of his hands, the glass of water in his other.

“Oh, fucking hell. My head is pounding.” He mumbled, sitting down at the little kitchen table you had.

“I wonder why.” You asked, sarcasm lacing your voice as you plated the eggs.

You brought the eggs over to JJ and set them down with a fork. JJ shot you a smile as you sat down across from him before he began to eat. “Where’s your food?” He questioned, eyeing the empty place in front of you.

You shrugged. “Not that hungry.”

JJ rolled his eyes.

“I’m just not hungry in the mornings’ JayBird. You know this.”

“You should eat in the mornings. Even if it’s just a toaster strudel or a pop tart.”

Now it was your turn to roll your eyes as you stood up and walked over to your almost empty pantry, rummaging around for anything. You managed to find a pop tart hiding away and you opened it, taking a bite from the pastry. “Happy?”

“When’s the last time you went grocery shopping?”

You shrugged. “I’m planning on doing a little run today.”

“You didn’t answer my question Y/N.”

You walked over to him and placed both your hands on either side of his face. “Don’t worry about me JJ. I’m not starving. Mom dropped off leftovers and I finished them an hour before you showed up last night. She’s been giving me so many leftovers, I just haven’t had the need to go grocery shopping in a bit. Besides, I finished off the potato salad she gave me two days ago at like 5 a.m. this morning when I went to go pee. So I technically had breakfast.”

“What was last night’s leftovers?”

“Tuna casserole. The week before that was a chicken pot pie. And the week before that was stir fry. And the week before that was-”

“Okay, I get it.” He cut you off.

You smirked as you sat back down in your spot. You were pretty sure that your mom was dropping off food just so she could get some time with you. Between work and classes, you didn’t really have time to go over and visit as much as you should. If you weren’t doing either of those things, you were either catching up on sleep or doing as much of your homework as possible. You were lucky you had a fenced in yard so Blue could run around for a while for those days you didn’t have the energy to take him out for a walk.

This also meant you definitely didn’t have the energy to drive yourself to the store and figure out what you needed for food and then drive back home.

So, you were living on your mom’s leftovers that she brought over since she seemed to forget that there was one less person in the house so she didn’t have to make as much food.

“You want me to come with you?” JJ asked, scooping more eggs into his mouth.

“You really don’t need to. I think I can do a simple grocery run myself.” You smiled.

“Don”t say I didn’t offer when you’re making more than one trip.”

You took another bite of your pop tart as you looked down at the floor where Blue and Piper laid, looking at you and JJ for any scraps. JJ was the one to break, giving the two dogs his last bits of breakfast before he leaned back, interlocking his fingers together as he placed them behind his head.

“What do you think the others did last night?” He asked.

You just shrugged, giving him the other pop tart which he reluctantly took after you wouldn’t bring it back to the foil after he shook his head no. JJ felt bad for taking it after just having eggs but if you were so persistent on him having it, he might as well just take the damn thing.

He took a bite and looked out the kitchen window and, through a mouthful of pop-tart, asked, “Who’s moving in?”

You shrugged once more. “I’ll let you know later today when I find out.”

******

“You guys whine more than anyone I know,” Rafe told Kelce and Topper as they brought the couch through the door.

“Yeah. I wonder why. It can’t be because we woke up with massive hangovers and someone made us get up at 8:30 in the morning.” Kelce grumbled.

“I told you guys that you might want to take it easy on the alcohol considering we’re going to be up early tomorrow and the sun’s going to be shining all day. I also told you we'd ve working until we had everything moved in. It’s your fault that you two didn’t listen.” Rafe stated, looking behind him so he could see where he was going. "And think of this, you won’t have to go to the gym tomorrow."

“You sound like my mom. Shut up.” Topper grunted, looking at the floor.

As far as Rafe was concerned, it was Kelces and Topper’s fault. He did, after all, tell them what was happening and what day he was moving in. And he provided lunch for them and was also providing dinner so why were they whining. He would've been better off recruiting Sarah for this job. She would've complained less.

“I’m losing grip. Down. Down.” Kelce told the two.

They set the couch down on the floor and caught their breath, leaning against the piece of furniture. Rafe checked his watch.

4:30 pm.

He sighed as he noticed the hunger in his stomach for the first time since 11 when they ate lunch.

“It was nice of Rose and Ward to give you all their old furniture,” Topper commented, causing Rafe to look at him.

Rafe scoffed. “They only did that so they could have an excuse to get new furniture.”

“Even if that’s true, at least you didn’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get furniture.”

Rafe sighed. Topper had a point and he had to admit, he was a bit grateful to his father and stepmother for deciding their furniture was outdated. Even if it was only 2 years old.

“Kelce, wanna grab the water bottles from the truck?” He asked.

Kelce nodded, heading outside to retrieve the drinks as Rafe readjusted his grip.

"Oh, we're gonna finish this without Kelces’ help," Topper said, catching on after a couple of seconds of Rafe staring at him.

Topper readjusted his grip, nodding to let Rafe know he was ready.

"Yes, Top. And then we're gonna order a pizza." Rafe grunted as they lifted the couch once more.

"You're paying right?"

"Yes, I’m paying. Now angle it more towards the right so it doesn’t hit this corner."

"You're right or my right?"

"My right."

Topper did as he was told, happy for the free meal that would be provided. Rafe was just happy that this was one of the last things they had to move in.

They placed the couch down underneath the window as Kelce came back in, water bottles in hand. The brunette tossed a water bottle to each of his friends as Rafe grabbed his phone from his pocket.

"Dominos or Little Caesars?" Rafe asked, looking between his friends.

"Dominos cause I want a sandwich," Kelce stated.

Topper looked at Kelce. "But little Caesars. Besides we had Firehouse Subs for lunch."

"Did I stutter? I want a fucking sandwich to go with my pizza, Topper."

The blonde stared at Kelce before sighing. "Fine. Dominos."

****

You looked into your trunk, trying to figure out if, no not if, how you were going to get everything in one trip when one of your neighbors approached you.

You looked over at her. "Hey, Mrs.Keling. How are you?" You asked, grabbing one of the paper bags.

"Fine Y/N but how are you?" She asked.

Mrs. and Mr. Keling lived across the street and four doors down from you and never really came over and talked to you. It was usually just the usual wave and smile, maybe a hello and a how are you. But that was only if you ran into each other.

You raised an eyebrow. "Um…fine. Why do you ask?"

Mrs.Keling glanced at the house next door, the Uhaul still parked there. You followed her glance before commenting. "Wow. They're still not done moving. They've been working since I woke up."

"Aren't you worried about living next to him?"

Those words made a chill go down your spine but you ignored it. "Should I be worried?" You set the bag back down in the trunk.

Mrs.Keling sighed. "Do you not know who's next to you?"

You shook your head. You hadn’t caught a glimpse of the mystery neighbor yet. You had noticed, however, many of the neighbors peeking through their windows or standing in their yards as they talked amongst themselves all day.

Mrs.Keling moved in closer and you looked at the middle-aged woman, slightly scared of who she was going to say moved in.

"Rafe Cameron." She whispered before stepping backward.

You felt yourself relax a bit, scared that it was going to be someone horrible.

Granted Rafe Cameron wasn’t exactly a saint.

His past wasn't the best and his past consisted of terrorizing you and your friends but, from what John B, Pope, Kie, and Sarah had told you and JJ, he's pretty tolerable now. His hotheadedness, which probably was a result of his coke addiction, seemed to have died down immensely and he didn't really pick fights out in public anymore.

This was probably because if he got in trouble with the law for something stupid like speeding, his criminal activity would be uncovered.

Rafe Cameron may have looked like he turned a leaf and became a law-abiding citizen overnight but that’s why you never judge a book by its cover. Because, if anything, he got dirtier.

People on the Island knew about Rafe’s new family that he got involved with back when he was 20, no thanks to Wheezie and her mouth.

She told one person to leave her friend alone or else her mob brother would take care of him and that’s all it took. However, no one could arrest him for any illegal activity cause, from what they saw, there was none. He was perfectly clean. Not even the scent of weed to cause them to suspect anything. Eventually, Shoupe had decided that everyone was pulling his leg considering Rafe always lets them search the place and no one had ever caught him doing anything that he could be arrested for.

You let it go, deciding that it was a rumor that could die. You were never much for the gossip that took place within the subdivision you lived in, let alone the island.

"Rafe Cameron lives next door now?" You asked, “As in the man who once climbed a tree to help get a child’s kite down?”

Mrs.Keling nodded. "He’s not as good as he seems Y/N and some of us are worried about you. There’s something about him that’s just...off."

You managed to hold back a scoff. Sure, some of them were worried and you knew they were but it was usually the seniors. The others just wanted to fake it to see if they could get some dirt on the others.

You shrugged as you looked into a bag, seeing the pie at the top, remembering that you picked it up for the new neighbor. "I'll be fine. I have a Blue." You reassured her, grabbing the pie.

You walked across the patch of grass separating your house and, what is now apparently, Rafe’s house. You raised a fist and knocked on the door. Looking around, you saw the neighbors staring at you as you stood there. You grinned and waved at everyone before turning back towards the door.

You heard laughter and footsteps before the door opened, revealing Rafe Cameron himself. He stood in the doorway towering over you, giving you a once over.

"I did some grocery shopping today and decided to pick up a welcome pie. It’s probably not that good considering it was in the clearance section but, ya know, as my dad always says "When you have a cheap pie, have a cheap beer with it"." You smiled, extending the pie towards him.

Rafe smiled back, taking the pie from your hands. "Your dads a wise man."

"Indeed, he is." You grinned.

Rafe looked past you and towards the people watching from their yards.

"Do you want to come inside? Have a slice of this pie you bought? It'd be unfair to not share." Rafe offered.

You smiled but shook your head. "Thanks for the offer but I'm going to have to decline. I've got to go get ready for my shift at work and get my groceries inside." You told him, turning to face your neighbors.

You turned back to the man in front of you and leaned in. "Don't mind these guys. They're, sadly, just your stereotypical suburban moms and dads who like to talk shit about others but hate it when others talk shit about them. Except for Bonnie. She's sweet." You said, waving to the old lady across the street who was tending to her roses. "Anyway. See you around, Rafe." You smiled, waving before turning around and heading back to your driveway where Mrs.Keling still stood.

Rafe watched as you exchanged a few more words with Mrs.Keling, no doubt in his mind that it was about him considering the older lady kept glancing his way.

"Well, she's cute."

Rafe turned around to see Kelce and Topper standing off to the side where they could see outside. Rafe rolled his eyes at his two friends, both of whom wore a smirk, and shoved the pie into Kelces hands.

"You two wait for the pizza." He told them before walking pit the door and to your driveway. He smiled at Mrs. Kelsing who immediately bid you goodbye and scurried off to her home.

You looked at Rafe, a bag in each arm as you waited for him to say something.

"You brought me a pie. Let me at least help you bring in groceries if you're not gonna have a slice of the pie."

****

Topper and Kelce watched from the living room window as Rafe grabbed a couple of bags and helped you bring in your groceries.

"Why is he helping her?"

"Cause that’s what you do when a nice cute girl brings you a pie. You help her with whatever." Kelce answered.

"And you leave your best friends unattended with the pie? A poor choice really." Topper stated, flipping open the box the dessert was in.

"A poor choice indeed." Kelce agreed, opening a box labeled kitchen and pulling out a couple of plates and forks.

Kelce served each of them a slice, clinking their forks together before digging in.

****

"Wait. My brother lives next to you now?" Sarah asked as you brought your friends the drinks they ordered.

It was probably 3 hours into your shift when JJ asked if you had met whoever moved in next door. And when you told the group, their jaws hit the floor.

"And he helped you bring in groceries? You sure that’s Rafe?" JJ raised an eyebrow as he immediately brought his bottle of beer to his lips.

You nodded as you tucked the now empty tray under your arm, looking at your watch. 15 minutes left of your shift.

"That’s so weird," Kie stated.

"Is it though? I mean, he has been wanting to have his own place for a while. It doesn’t help that Topper doesn’t pay attention to what name is on the sticky note when it comes to food." Sarah rolled her eyes, remembering all the times she called Rafe for something and heard an argument break out amongst the two boys.

And all she had to say was poor Kelce for having to put up with their bullshit.

"Yeah. I know that feeling." Pope commented, glancing at JJ.

The blonde immediately pointed his finger at Pope. "You don’t write your name on shit. You specifically said that we aren’t going to do the whole this is my food, this is your food." JJ defended himself.

"Uh, no. I never said that. Why would I say that, JJ?"

"You tell me cause those words came out of your mouth."

"Oh did they? Cause I don’t remember that. In fact, I remember you saying we should put our names on our food so we know what belongs to who but then you broke that rule." Pope glared at his best friend.

"No. I said we should label the to-go boxes from restaurants when we dine in then take our leftovers home so we know what belongs to who."

"Okay. Pipe it down and quit the squawking." You told them, giving both of them a light smack.

"You two fight worse than me and Sarah and you two aren’t even together like that." John B shook his head.

"You don’t know that for sure," JJ smirked, bringing the bottle up once again so he could take a drink.

Pope sighed as the rest of you stood there staring at JJ before you shook your head. "I’m going back to work and in 15 minutes you all better be ready to leave." John B held up the keys to the twinkie and you snatched them from his hand. "And I'm driving."

You had driven to John B’s in your car and parked it there once you heard from Kie that everyone was planning on going out for drinks, opting on being the designated driver. This wasn’t the first time you did this, having them have their night out at the bar you worked at so you could drive them home safely after your shift. It gave them plenty of time to get shit-faced and you were able to make sure no one did something dumb while still being able to work.

It was kind of like Nani and Lilo’s situation of Nani bringing Lilo to work.

The pogues were Lilo and you were Nani.

*****

Rafe took a swig from his beer before setting it down harder than he needed to.

He was currently swearing under his breath as he sat on the floor, attempting to assemble an entertainment center he bought from IKEA as his two best friends sat on the couch, each enjoying another slice of pie as they had a beer themselves.

“I’m telling you, man, you should’ve had them to assemble it for you,” Topper told him.

Rafe rolled his eyes. “I can do it myself thank you very much.”

“You couldn’t do it sober. What makes you think you can do it drunk?” Kelce laughed.

Rafe turned around and sent him a glare. “I will have you know that it’s going to take more than a beer and a half to get me drunk.” He looked down at their plates to see them both halfway done with their pie slices. “Is there going to be any pie left for me?”

“You mean the pie that the cutie pie from next door brought over? There’s a slice left.” Kelce told him.

“And I’m not taking any chances,” Rafe muttered, slamming down the allen wrench and standing up, walking into his kitchen to retrieve that last slice.

He grabbed a fork and the box that the pie rested in, not bothering with a plate, before walking back over to his spot on the floor.

“You know,” Rafe started, using his fork to cut a piece of pie off his slice before letting his fork hover in the air, “you two having been pigging out this whole time, yukking it up and whatnot while I have been doing all this work.” Rafe punctuated his sentence by placing his fork in his mouth.

“Not true. We’ve been providing you moral support.” Topper defended.

“Well if you two aren’t going to provide physical help, then you can walk your asses out the door.”

Topper and Kelce looked at each other before nodding and getting up. “See you later, buddy.”

“Yeah. Oh, btw, Sarah said something about throwing you a little ‘congrats on getting a house’ party at John B’s on Friday since she didn’t want to throw it here and upset your neighbors!”

Rafe opened his mouth to speak but the door shutting cut him off.

"Thanks for helping." He muttered.

He picked up his beer and took another sip, checking his watch as he brought the bottle away from his lips.

12:30 AM.

Rafe sighed as he continued to eat his pie and drink his beer, deciding that once he was finished with his snack he’d head to bed.

He got up to put his fork in the sink and throw away his garbage when headlights caught his attention.

He looked out the window, confusion on his face. This wasn’t the type of neighborhood where he expected people to go out until midnight. Hell, they didn’t even seem like the people who’d be out until 10.

It made a lot more sense when he saw the car pull into your driveway and you getting out of the car. He watched you walk up to your door and unlock it before walking in, closing the door behind you.

He shook his head before walking away from the window, continuing his way towards the kitchen. He threw everything away and tossed his fork into the sink before shutting off his lights and heading into his bathroom. He brushed his teeth before changing into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, heading into his room, and flopping down onto the mattress that laid on the floor with a groan. He suddenly regretted ordering his new bed frame online and not paying for two-day delivery.

He let his eyes close, his breathing steady as he worked his way to sleep, letting darkness completely take over in a matter of minutes.

~~~~~

Taglist: @oleariaux @popcrone818 @void-sadie @diverrdown @teenagekook @acvross-the-universe @poguemackin @bibliophilewednesday

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iamknicole · 3 years

Text

New Leaf (2)

HAHN AU

After having lunch with her mom, Amanda went to visit her brother, Wyatt, at his rehab facility. Him and her didn't have a very good relationship but she wanted to go see him since it had been so long. She had gotten the address of the facility from her dad under the guise that she wouldn't give the information to her mother which she agreed to simply because she knew her mother didn't care to know in the first place.

The nurse led her to his room and opened the door for. When she stepped in, she spotted him sitting out on his closed off patio. She sat her purse on his desk before going out to where he was.

"It's a nice day, huh?" She said plopping down in the seat next to him.

"If you say so, Amanda. What are you doing here anyway?" He asked barely glancing at her.

Taken back by his tone, Amanda took a few deep breaths to keep from going off on him and smiled once again. "I came to see you. I just moved back yesterday, wanted to let you know."

Finally he looked over at her.

"Where are you staying?"

"At home. Where else would I stay?" She chuckled.

"That's dumb. Why go back there? Those people don't love you, they just wanna control you."

"Wyatt ... no they don't. I get it, you're mad that you're here but I think you should be grateful anyone was willing to help you. They could've just let you keep going until you overdosed. Or they could've let you go to jail for killing that little girl."

Wyatt shot a sharp glare at her and she gave him the same back.

"That look does not scare me. We all know what you did, you're just lucky the right people couldn't prove it." She huffed standing up from her chair. "You know, I know you're pissed at them because of what happened to us at camp but that wasn't their fault, they didn't know that would happen. And you feel like they owe you something, especially mom, because of what happened but mom doesn't owe you a damn thing. You're just spoiled and ungrateful."

Wyatt snorts and rolled his eyes waving her off. "That's easy for you to say. They don't do you like they do me."

"What? Wyatt, before I moved to Atlanta all they did was put all of their attention on you. I barely got a glance. You were always in trouble or in the hospital. They did what they did because for some reason they think you're worth saving."

"And you're saying I'm not?" He asked looking up at her.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm getting out of here and don't expect me to come back. Good luck on getting clean."

Ignoring his yelling and insults, Amanda went back into his room and grabbed her purse. She tossed the gift she'd gotten him on his bed then stormed out of the room leaving the door wide open.

After dropping her uhaul off, Lainey ubered to her father's garage. It was one of two of his businesses, the other being his construction company. This is the one he was at today. While she waited in his office, a couple of his employees came to talk to her. When he walked in she was sitting on top of his desk laughing and talking with them standing near her.

"Now I know yall asses got some work to be doing." His voiced boomed making the two of them jump. "Get away from my daughter before you don't have a job or eyes anymore."

Lainey laughed as they scurried out of the office. "Pop, why you so mean to them?"

He kissed her head then pushed her off his desk and walked around to sit behind it. "First, don't be sitting on my desk. Second, cause they asses don't have no business in here talking to you. Especially when it's so much work to be done. What you doing here anyway?"

"Ew, rude, Pop." She laughed sitting in one of his chairs. "I just came to see you. I can't come see my father that I missed so much and that I love so much."

Caleb started at her with his brow raised. "Your mama put you out, didn't she?"

Lainey laughed loudly. "You know she did."

"What did you do?" He asked laughing.

"Well...I had invited her to come with me to drop the truck off and I would run errands with her. I was tryna help her and provide her with entertainment while she got ready. And do you know what she told me, Pop?"

He chuckled. "No, what?"

"She told me I get on her d-a-m-n nerves so I simply told her that she's a Christian and she not supposed to be cussing. She must ain't like that too much cause next thing I know there was a shoe coming my way and she told me to get out and leave and not to come back to later. So... here I am."

Caleb couldn't help the loud laugh that came out. He could hear his wife's voice perfectly in his head. "And I know you're proud of yourself. Want me to take you to get your car?"

"Very," she nodded. "No, Amanda is gonna pick me up. We're gonna go find her an outfit for tonight."

"Where you two going?"

"A friend of hers is hosting a party at a club tonight so we're gonna go. Might find you a son on law while I'm there."

Caleb stared at her, "Alright ... don't get nobody shot, Lainey. Why don't you invite your brother? I'm sure he'll wanna go."

"You want him to go so he can scare people off so no. But he has a date anyway," she said with an eye roll.

"Oh right with that girl from ya mama church. Something about that girl ain't right."

"Same thing I said but Mama told me hush my mouth."

Across town, Benny and Mitch day in their shared office doing paperwork and talking. They had a very busy morning that tapered off into a calm afternoon.

"How's your brothers, man?"

"They good, they good. Two more months left then they gon be home." Benny told him with a smile. "I can't wait."

Mitch looked up smiling, "That's what's up man. I know they're ready, it's been a long time coming."

"Hell yeah been six long years. I know Mama gon be shouting and praying when they get out. You know her," he laughed.

"Yeah, you know it. You ready for your date tonight?"

Benny huffed loudly and laughed. "I'm ready to get out over with. That girl is weird, something is wrong. I been turning her down politely for months then he ass turn around and go through my mama."

"Knowing Ms. Hanna not gon let you say no."

"Exactly. Ima take her to dinner then ima take my ass home. She not about to get my caught up in nothing."

Mitch frowned a little, "What you mean?"

Benny put his pen down and leaned on his desk, "Something about the way she be looking at me and looking over my shoulder, like she paranoid or something. Ion really like that shit."

"Keep your eye out when you're out with her. You picking her up?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I was gonna have her meet me there but you know."

"Yeah, Ms. Hanna wasn't having that. Just let me know when you pick her up and when you drop her off."

Later that night, Benny sat across the table with his date for the evening, Gia. He had been texting his best friend on and off to give him updates.

"You okay? You seem a little distant."

He raised a brow at her. "I'm cool just hungry. Waiting for my food."

She laughed a little nodding, "Yeah, me too. They're a little slow tonight. So how was work?"

"Work was work," he answered watching her look around for the fifth time, "Aye, what or who are you looking for?"

"Hmm? Oh nobody, nothing. Why did you ask?"

"Cause your ass keep looking around. You got a man or you running from someone. Which one?"

She shook her head laughing a little. "Neither, neither. I just like to watch my surroundings."

Benny hummed not believing her. If it's one thing he could do, it's sense when some shit wasn't right. And nothing about Gia seemed right.

"What did you say you do again?" He asked knowing she had never told him.

"You weren't listening to me?" She asked smiling.

He chuckled rubbing his hands over his beard. "I'm a lil forgetful sometimes. Tell me again, sweetheart."

Gia took a sip of her drink which Benny paid attention to. She was stalling.

"Oh I am a uh consultant for a bridal shop." She stuttered out with a smile.

"Oh really? Which one?" He asked leaning back in his chair.

"Mmm I don't wanna talk about work, Benny," she laughed, "Work is stressful and I wanna leave it where it's at. I'm gonna run to the restroom really quick."

Nodding, Benny watched her hurry off to the bathroom with her phone to her ear. He pulled out his phone to text his best friend and his father to let them know something was feeling off with her. Meanwhile, Gia was pacing back and forth talking on her phone.

"What?" The voice on the other end snapped.

"I think I messed up." Gia panicked.

A loud groan came through the receiver. "What the hell did you do?"

"He noticed me looking around a lot and I don't think he bought my excuse. And he asked me what I do and I told him at a bridal shop."

"Dammit! That is not what I told you to do! You just better hope you don't fuck this up for me! Cause if you do.."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"Not as sorry as you will be if you fuck this up. Get back to that table and stop being so damn paranoid!"

Gia assured them that the rest of the evening would go according to plan and hung up. Before leaving the bathroom she fixed her make up. Benny looked up from his phone when he saw her come back to the table, giving a half smile to her wide one.

"Ooh our food came. This smells and looks good," she commented sitting in her seat. "What did you get again?"

"Steak, roasted vegetables and a loaded potato. You good?"

"Yup, I'm good," she smiled. "Would you like to taste my pasta?"

Benny looked up from his food for a moment, "Nah, I'm good. Thank you though. So the consulting thing. You like a independent contractor?"

Gia thought quickly before nodding. "Yes, that's its. They call when they need me and I go in to help on already scheduled days every 30 days."

"So you make your own schedule and all that? You always wanted to do that?"

"Be my own boss," she laughed a little, "Yes. Consulting, no. It's not the last stop but it's a stop. I love fashion and all that."

Benny hummed listening to her talk. He couldn't care less about what she was saying, he just wanted to keep her talking. Caleb taught him if you kept someone taking long enough, they tell on themselves without you having to do much.

"Cool so what's the next stop?" He asked eating some of his food.

She smiled and shrugged, "Haven't decided yet but something big. I hear your sister is back in town. You excited?"

Benny frowned, "How you hear that?"

"You know your mama told everybody at church," she laughed. "And we know some of the same people."

"Mmhm. Yeah that's my lil baby of course I'm excited."

Gia nodded. "A friend of mine wanted to know if she was dating anybody. He's been crushing on her since they were in high school."

"Nah," Benny answered cutting his steak, "She not dating nobody. At all. Whoever it is can keep crushing cause it ain't gon happen."

Gia laughed mixing her pasta a bit, "Awe you're protective. That's cute."

Lainey left her room with her clutch and phone, heels clicking down the hallway to her parents' room. She walked into the room dancing a little bit and adjusting her dress. Hanna sat in her bed against the headboard watching tv.

"Mama, come on and tell me I look good so I can go." Lainey laughed.

Hanna looked over at her and chuckled. "You missing straps and fabric at the top and bottom of your dress. Where you think you going?'

"Mama ... its a halter dress is not supposed to have straps. And it's almost mid thigh, that's long enough."

"Who told you that you could wear that?"

Lainey laughed a little, "I dunno if you know but I'm grown, Mama. Plus I'm cute and it's cute."

Hanna hummed. "Yeah okay, cute. Your daddy seen what you wearing?"

"Nope and ima leave before he does."

Just as Lainey turned to leave she bumped into Caleb. He looked her up and down then chuckled.

"You gon be late to ya party, go get dressed, Lainey."

Lainey looked down at her dress and heels then back at him. "I am dressed, Pop."

"Where you think you finna go in that?"

Again, she started to dance and laugh. "I'm about to go cut a rug, Pop. Shake what my mama gave me."

"You shake too much and you gon be showin what your mama gave you. You not wearing that."

Lainey sucked her teeth, "Pop, its cute."

"Uhuh, cute, I don't care. Go change."

Pouting, Lainey stomped out of the room back to her bedroom. She started to pick another outfit then grabbed her long sleeve jean button up shirt and put it on over her black dress. She left it unbuttoned and fixed it in her mirror then left to go back to her parents room. When she walked in they were kissing which made her frown.

"Hey, ew. Stop that. I don't wanna see that." She complained. "Is this better? Can I go now?"

They pulled away laughing.

"Much. Leave that on, don't take it off. You staying with Amanda or coming home?" Caleb asked.

"Staying with Amanda. Text yall when I get to where I'm going and when we're back at her parents."

Caleb nodded, "Alright, babygirl. We love you. Have fun but be careful."

Lainey went to kiss and hug them quickly before leaving the room. Once she was in her car, she pulled out of the driveway quickly heading for the Cryer house. Halfway there, her phone rung.

"Hey, Manda! I'll be there in like 15 minutes."

"Ugh I can't go," Amanda groaned, "My dad neglected to tell me that we're having a dinner party tonight. My mom tried to help me out but no dice."

Lainey pouted sitting at the red light. "Damn it. That sucks, I was looking forward to the party. Well call me when it's over and we can chat."

"Okay, I will. I'm so sorry about this. What are you gonna do?" She asked still sulking.

"Uuuh, I don't know," Lainey said quietly. "Probably go see my aunt or get food and go back home."

"Okay well I'll call you. And I'm sorry again."

"Girl you're good. I understand."

When they hung up, Lainey drove around for a bit trying to decide what she was going to do. While she rode around her phone ring again. She smirked seeing who it was.

"You must've known I needed something to do," she laughed.

Mitch's laughed echoed through her speakers. "I have great timing. Thought you had a party to go to."

"Plans got canceled. So now I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Lainey."

She laughed a little. "This is when you ask me if I wanna come over, Mitch."

He laughed. "I was getting there. You wanna come over? I'm not doing anything, my best friend is on a date. I could use the company."

"Well good then. What's your address?" She asked happily.

Mitch gave her the address, then talked to her until she got to his house. While they talked, Mitch straightened his living room up then pulled his car out of his garage so she could park there.

Lainey looked around his living room while he went upstairs to change. He noticed pictures of him and a very familiar older woman who resembled him. She knew she had seen the woman before but couldn't remember from where. Mitch had changed into gray sweats and a black t-shirt before coming back down. He noticed her looking as he took a seat on his sofa sitting with his legs wide.

"Those shoes look nice on you but they can't be comfortable to stand in."

She turned to smile at him and went to sit at the end of the sofa. "They're not uncomfortable yet but I did want to sit down."

"Good. I don't know if I told you but you look beautiful."

"Thank you, Mitch." She smiled fixing her dress a little.

He nodded looking over at her. "How long do I have the pleasure of your company?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I was supposed to be spending the night with Amanda so didn't plan on going home."

Mitch stretched his arms out on the back of his sofa, he's knees fanning a bit. "Well if you wanna stay a few hours, I'm good with that and if you wanna spend the night I'm good with that too. Up to you."

Lainey eyed him. Looking from his open legs to his face then his outstretched arms. She hadn't realized just how much of him it was until now and she was not disappointed at all.

"I um ... I'm gonna stay the night. If that's okay with you."

Mitch smiled at her. "Like I said, I'm good with what you wanna do. We can order food and watch a movie."

Realizing he was about to get up, Lainey stopped him and pulled out her phone. "Wait ... we can use my phone. You don't have to get up."

He chuckled softly taking her phone. "No problem. My uncle's restaurant delivers, I'll order that for us."

"Okay um we should ... we should talk and get to know each other while we wait."

"Wanna talk about this stuttering thing you're doing," he asked concentrating on ordering their food. "You didn't do that before."

"That was before I noticed how much of you there is." She said louder than she intended. Covering her face, she laughed nervously. "Oh my God ... I was not supposed to say that so you could hear me."

Mitch laughed looking over at her briefly, "It's okay, honesty is good. Did you not realize how big I was when we met?"

"Honestly, no. I was so tired from the drive and unpacking that I didn't realize it."

"Even when I walked up on you in the kitchen?"

She shook her head looking at the side of his face. "No. Happened so fast and I didn't want my brother to come in so I was looking at the doorway."

"Tell you what, when I'm done ordering the food I'll stand up for you so you can look again. Deal?" He asked.

"Deal."

"Good then I wanna see this outfit," he added softly, "without the shirt that's covering it."

Once the food was ordered he gave back her phone then stood from the sofa. He fixed his shirt and sweats before smiling at her. Lainey raised a brow starting at the moon in front of her. There were so many things she wanted to say and ask but nothing came out but a small, barely audible, "oh." Laughing a little, Mitch pulled her up from the sofa and looked down at her.

"I'm wearing six inch heels and I'm only at your chest. How is there so much of you?" She asked staring up at him.

"I dunno. Genetics, I guess, Lainey." He laughed and sat back down. "Your turn, beautiful."

Lainey removed the shirt she was wearing on top of her dress tossing it aside into the love seat. She adjusted her dress a bit then spun around so he could see the entire thing. Mitch had to restrain himself from reaching out to touch her when she turned her back to him. He smiled at her once she was was facing him and pulled her to stand between his legs.

"You look beautiful. This is a beautiful dress on you as well. I like it."

"Thank you, Mitch. At least you like it, my parents didn't."

Mitch chuckled grabbing her hands. "They're not supposed to. It fits you very, very well. You wanna take these off?"

Lainey raised a brow and laughed. "Wait ... take what off?"

"The heels, Lainey." He laughed. "The heels. Do you wanna take them off?"

"Oh, oh," she laughed, "Yeah, I do."

Mitch started to help Lainey take her heels off. They got one off successfully but the buckle on the other got stuck. Between both of them pulling and tugging, Lainey fell into Mitch's lap. He caught he'd around the waist, her face inches away from her as she laid her hands on his chest to catch herself. There breathing increased slightly.

"You good? I got you." He said softly searching her face.

She nodded tucking her bottom lip momentarily. "Yeah I'm good. Thank you."

Using his free hand, Mitch finally got the buckle loose and tossed the heel aside. His hand slid down her waist to her thigh keeping his eyes on her.

"You got goosebumps. You cold?"

"No," she answered shaking her head. "No, not cold. Just ... you."

A ghost of a smile graced his face. "I can take a hint."

Pulling her further into his lap then leaned up to kiss her. She fell into his rhythm putting her arms around his neck. The two of them kissed until Mitch's phone vibrated in his pocket making her jump and pull away.

"Sorry," he said softly going into his pocket for his phone, "It's Benny. He's been updating me on his date."

Lainey nodded staring at him, waiting. That was fine that they were keeping in contact with each other but she didn't care. When he tossed his phone to the side, she launched herself at him kissing him hard. While they were kissing Lainey's phone was vibrating on the other end of the sofa being ignored. She's forgotten to text her mama so she was calling.

"She probably just having fun with Amanda and forgot. You know how they are," Caleb assured his wife. "She'll text."

Hanna sighed hanging up. "She better. She knows I worry."

"She's a big girl now, she's okay, lil lady. Let's finish this movie."

#hahn au #new leaf #have and have nots au #mitch & lainey

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blazehedgehog · 3 years

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So rather than attach it to the last (rather large) post thread, I’ll start a new one. If you didn’t catch it on Twitter, friends managed to raise some money through nothing but sheer good will and I ended up booking a stay at the same hotel we should have gotten for free.

I’m starting a new thread because I want to ask a question, but first I want to clarify and provide a better timeline of everything that’s happened. This isn’t exact, but it’s as close as my memory can remember right now:

Late 2019/Early 2020: Whoever owns my apartment complex sells it to a new company in California. The complex is in Nevada. It’s a big apartment complex; it used to be two separate ones that were right next to each other and they merged to create a “project” that houses something like 150-200 units. If you consider families, somewhere in the realm of 300-700 people live here.

April/May 2020: We get a notice on our door announcing that our new owners want to renovate the complex. Every single unit. It’s such a big ordeal that they have to put in to get funding from the State of Nevada to do it. The initial claim is that they will move us out of our apartment unit in to a new unit for up to a month or two (at no cost to us) while they renovate. More information will come in summer 2020 during a town hall meeting we will attend in person. I expect that with the pandemic starting and “shelter in place” orders going out that there’s no way they’d be dumb enough to go through with any of this. The notice ends with them pleading with people not to take this as a cue to move out. In the months to follow, we spied at least four people who were smart enough to get out before the renovation hit. We considered it, but the housing authority we have to rent through went dead silent the moment the pandemic ramped up and have yet to say even a single word to us (even now).

Late October/Early November 2020: The town hall meeting finally happens, online, in a Zoom meeting. Three people in California dictate to the 40 or 50 tenants (maybe more) that attend the meeting how this is going to go. Plans have changed: the renovation will take place across ten days. Very tight schedule. In and out as fast as possible. In batches of 4-5 units at a time, going alphabetically across the complex, units will be renovated. New paint, new carpet, new cabinets, new sinks, new toilet, new shower, new appliances, redone balcony. Renovation teams will come in at 8am and work until 5pm. After 5pm, we will be allowed to return to our unit and sleep there. We will be allowed to keep one bed (per person) and one TV, which the renovation team will move out of the way during the day and return to our unit when they leave. We are also told we will be getting a sealable plastic tub to store personal items (toiletries and such) that the renovation team will also handle. We are assured they will be adhering to rigorous sanitization standards, with multiple temperature checks daily, masks, and gloves. During the day, we are free to go wherever, but the complex will be setting up what they call a “hospitality trailer” -- a communal space for everyone currently effected by the renovation to hang out inside, together. There will be port-a-potties and wifi. We’re told meals will also be provided, possibly in the trailer, but details are unspecific. We’re also told some landscaping will be done. All told, between renovating units and landscaping, they say the whole process from beginning to end will take 18 months or more. Tenants in the Zoom call ask questions -- if we don’t want to stay at the hospitality trailer, we’re told we should consider staying with family during the day. They ignore multiple questions from people asking if this will cause the rent to go up.

December 2020: Renovation begins, starting with apartments in the A block. We’re somewhere near the middle of the alphabet, and going by the ten-days-per-unit estimate, we’re expecting the renovation to hit us around March-ish, maybe even as late as April. I develop an ugly toothache; my face swells up. I do a phone visit with a dentist and he prescribes me antibiotics and schedules me for an appointment on January 18th to pull the tooth.

Early January 2021: Going to check the mail one day, I notice it feels like they’re spending a long time on the first few sets of units. Then, all of a sudden, renovations surge ahead, and units worryingly close to our letter start putting tarps up over their balconies, signalling they’re either mid-reno, or at least packing.

January 18th, 2021: Tooth is “fine” (big cavity, no pain) but we discuss options for pulling multiple bad teeth with this problem tooth, since a lot of my upper teeth aren’t in great shape. Will require multiple rounds of surgery to remove them all and set up replacements. First round of surgery is on February 24th. I immediately wonder if we’re going to get called early for renovation and it’ll land simultaneously with the surgery. I try not to think about it.

January 30th, 2021: We receive a notice that our apartment’s number is due. It’s post-dated, which means the notice is late. We’re supposed to have 45 days notice, and the move-out date listed in the notice is February 23rd. By the 45 day rule, this notice should’ve arrived January 9th. There’s also a degree of confusion: the notice was delivered to our apartment, but the notice is addressed to the apartment below us. Parts of the notice still mention our apartment number. We call the front office for clarification, and they tell us that the notice was indeed meant for the people below us. According to them, we’re in the clear for now. “You’re close...” tells us the person on the phone, “But it’s not your time yet.” We consider preparing early, but it sounds like we have to use the provided packing materials for organizational reasons when the movers come.

February 5th: I record my Patreon Podcast. I mention the renovation. If you consider 10 days per renovation, based on when the notice was actually delivered, I’m expecting we’re going to get our notice in the next few days.

February 8th: We get a knock on the door. A man from the front office is checking in with us to see how packing is going. Packing because the notice was actually for us. It was for all four units in this block. We tell him: we called. They said it wasn’t our time yet. He just kind of shrugs and asks if we need boxes. Of course we do. Our 45 day notice has been cut down to less than 14 days. On top of that, we’ve got doctors appointments and things coming up that’s going to eat in to this time. He says everything has to be in the office-provided UHaul boxes. Even if we have items already in cardboard boxes, they have to be specifically repacked in UHaul boxes.

February 13th: After days of trying to contact my dentist office via email, I finally get a hold of them via text. I try to reschedule my appointment, but the receptionist tells me it’s just another consultation, not surgery. I hope she’s right. The stress of all of this is making it hard to get packing as fast as we need to.

February 15th: My Mom tells me she’s managed to book an appointment for her first round of covid-19 vaccinations. Unfortunately, it’s on February 23rd, the day we’re being moved out.

February 16th: We talk to the people below us, an elderly couple. They’re panicking about packing because they have so much stuff. They mention that the front office booked them a hotel for the duration of their renovation. All they needed was a doctor’s note proving they needed it. Given that my 75 year old mother has a doc appointment literally the next day, this seems like extremely good timing. After doing curbside pickup for a grocery order that day, we pass the movers on our way back in as they are loading a unit in to their Ryder truck. None of them that I see are wearing masks or gloves.

February 17th: Doc visit happens, she implies that he kind of blew her off. She’s had chronic pain in her hands and knees for years, and in particular, the pain in her hands has been getting bad, fast. She wraps her thumb in sports tape because bending it hurts. She used to be a waitress, she used to be a cake decorator, she did data entry for a couple years, and now she’s dabbling with painting. Her carpal tunnel is severe and its accentuated with arthritis. Doctor just kind of shrugs it off, tells her if it gets worse to come back in a few months, even though arthritis can kill people if not treated properly. Still, he writes her a cursory note for the apartment front office. She talks to them and they’re very glad she contacted them about this; it sounds like the kind of thing that’s only available to people who ask, since presumably the owners don’t want to shell out $900,000+ rooming the entire complex in a hotel. Either way, we’re excited; maybe this renovation won’t be so bad. They tell us the name of the hotel and where its located.

February 18th: While doing laundry in anticipation of packing things up for the hotel/renovation, we happen to catch someone in the laundry room who just got back in to her apartment after her reno finished. She tells us a horror story: everything they told us in the Zoom meeting was a lie. They are renovating way more than 4 units at a time, they aren’t going alphabetically anymore, and she theorizes they’re going with a cheaper renovation team because half of her apartment straight up wasn’t done. The new tile was cheap plastic, which was already gouged by the time she got there. No new fridge, no new shower or tub, no new toilet. “Those will be happening this summer,” she tells us. Sinks got replaced, but the new sinks are apparently bigger than the old ones, leaving less counter space (a particular problem in the bathroom). Carpets were new, but already a dirty mess because of the movers. She had to go around and pick up nails stuck in the carpet that were left behind by the renovators. Since they didn’t take the fridge, she got to keep her food in there, which was important for her because she had special dietary food that needed to be refrigerated. The bad news? Some of that food was stolen. She had a broom and a dust pan stolen, too. She mentions how poor communication has been. We mention the hotel, and she lights up. She didn’t stay in her apartment either, they put her up in the hotel, too. So at least there’s that silver lining. Though she regrets it, because they damaged her TV while she was away. She finally helps clarify the food situation for us, too: we’ll be receiving a “food voucher” to pay for our meals, whatever that means.

February 19th: My Mom was supposed to call the front office to confirm we got the hotel, but in all the confusion, she didn’t get around to it. We’ll have to wait the entire weekend to get confirmation. But if the elderly couple below us got a room, and the lady we spoke to at laundry got a room, it sounds like we’re a lock.

February 22nd: The front office checks in on us again, shrugs their shoulders at how behind we are on packing, and offers us more boxes. They only give us large boxes; we need small, medium and especially rolls of packing tape. They mention they’ll have more later once they open the storage unit, but we never get any. Across this entire ordeal, we’ve only gotten a single roll of packing tape. We bought several rolls of our own after being tired of waiting. Front office guy says our fridge is being replaced, but we can still keep food in our old one and we’ll just “come in and change it out.” Whatever that means. Later, after getting off the phone, we learn we were rejected for the hotel. The doctor’s note wasn’t good enough and the head office in California denied our request. My Mom tries to contact her doctor again to get a more detailed note, but he doesn’t return her call. We’re going to be living out of the car for the next ten days. We talk about protesting this; by stopping packing right now and refusing to leave, but eventually decide that would be a bad idea. We don’t want to risk the movers breaking any of our things. A couple friends start spreading around my paypal.me link in the hopes of raising money for us to stay at a hotel. They raise a little over $200, but it’s hard to justify spending that on a hotel.

February 23rd, Morning: By this point, we’re running on empty. No sleep, physically exhausted, stressed out of our minds. Both of us on the verge of tears several times. With everything going on, we’re a little over halfway done packing and there’s no time left. We quickly move from “pack everything” to “pack what’s important so the movers don’t have to touch it.” Whatever we can’t finish, the movers will pack for us. At 7:30am the movers arrive, and they knock on the door at 8am. They are very polite. They are all wearing masks and gloves. We tell them they are nowhere near ready, and they offer to do our unit last. We do the best we can and leave the rest to them. On our way out, we talk to the elderly couple that lives below us, who claim the moving truck won’t be enough to hold everything in their apartment. It’s a big truck and a small apartment. I find that hard to believe. We go park somewhere and doze in the car until my Mom’s vaccination appointment at 10am. More friends, some of them with very large followings, start spreading the paypal.me link around. Momentum begins to build.

February 23rd, Midday: We get to the vaccination place only to realize we forgot some things at the apartment. We quickly jog back across town and plan to ask them if it’s okay if we can go in to the apartment and retrieve it. When we get there, they’re still unloading the couple below us, and I notice they aren’t just taking UHaul boxes, but regular cardboard boxes, too. Given it’s been almost two hours, this might be second truckful, maybe even the third. I grab the stuff we’re missing and we head back to the vaccination park. Afterwards, we hang out at my brother’s just in case my mom has an allergic reaction to the vaccine and she needs help. She’s fine, and by the time we’re through there, it’s getting to be time to head back to our apartment for the night at 5pm. Before we leave my brother’s, I use their wifi to check my Paypal account. I joke, “I’m worried that I’ll open my account and it’ll say $2000.” Combined with the little bit of money I already had in my Paypal, the donations have pushed my account close to $2200. I burst out laughing. “YOU WANNA GO GET A HOTEL?!” I shout. We agree we’ll spend the night in the unit tonight and decide what we’ll take with us to the hotel in the morning.

February 23rd, Evening: It’s close to 6pm and the movers are still there. They were supposed to clock out almost an hour ago. I browse Tripadvisor and Expedia in the parking lot and decide to just book the same hotel they dangled in front of our faces, since reviews specifically point out it’s clean and has extremely good quarantine practices. Expedia lets me pay with Paypal directly, but there’s a problem where it won’t connect to my Paypal account. As I go to transfer the money out of my Paypal and finish booking the hotel, the wifi dies. The movers just unplugged our modem and packed it up. They probably weren’t supposed to do that, and they picked the worst time, too. We spend the next 45 minutes driving around town trying to find free wifi so I can book this hotel. We end up parking at my brother’s place and leeching his wifi from the driveway. Hotel booked, check-in is at 3pm on the 24th. For now, it’s back to the apartment to decide what to take with us.

February 23rd, Night: Upon getting back to the apartment around 7pm, we find it’s... a disaster area. They spent so long unloading all the other units, they did not have time to finish packing and unloading what was left in our unit. There’s garbage everywhere, it’s mixed in with the stuff we want to keep, some of it’s broken, it’s horrible. It looks like they just swept everything off the tables on to the floor. TV remotes and mail are spread out all over the place. They didn’t leave us any lamps, so the only lights in the apartment are the front door light, the kitchen light, and the bathroom light. They might have left us our mattresses, but they didn’t leave us any pillows or blankets. Still, we spent the better part of the night sorting through the “trash” and separating it out in to the stuff we wanted to keep. We pack up most of the apartment with whatever materials the movers left behind, but we eventually run out of boxes and tape. We still managed to pack 99.9% of what was left. From 7pm to 2:30am.

February 24th, Morning: At 7:30am I'm woken up by the movers pulling up. I can hear them joking in the parking lot about who gets the honor of being called "papi" and cracking rude jokes about "assuming gender." They probably think nobody's around to hear them. We ask them for more time so we can wake up and get dressed. As we're loading up the car with stuff to take to the hotel, we overhear the movers complaining about how they are being made to wait because we were supposed to be out of here by 8, and it's close to 9. My Mom gives them an earful about how little time we had to pack compared to how long we should've had. "That's been happening to a lot of people here." one of them tells her. My whole body hurts after days of little sleep and packing extremely heavy boxes. I’ve had a throbbing headache for almost 48 hours. With the dentist appointment at 3pm that afternoon, we go to a park and I doze in the car for another five hours.

February 24th, Afternoon: Dentist appointment goes smoothly; they offer to start surgery, but I explain to them what happened with the renovation and they are perfectly fine postponing until a later date. By now, my feet hurt where the soles of my shoes have been rubbing. My ankles and knees are hurting from being crunched up inside a car for two days. My back hurts from all the lifting. I’m beyond miserable and realize there’s no way I could bare to spend 10 days living in this car. Thankfully, with the dentist appointment out of the way, it’s check in time. The hotel room is nice, but given I’ve never stayed in a hotel before, I don’t have much of a comparison. But when I fall asleep that night, I sleep harder and longer than I have in years.

February 25th: The elderly couple that lived below us at the apartment are here at the same hotel we are, and we talk to them. Turns out, the lady has the same doctor as my Mom, and they were rejected from his note, too. The approval they got for the hotel came from her husband’s doctor, who wrote an extremely detailed note about his oxygen needs. They mention that people living in our complex with disabilities weren’t housed here and they don’t know where they are or what happened to them. They also claim that the food provision stuff from the apartment front office is apparently some kind of a $45/day meal credit we get at the end of the renovation. But again, it’s still not clear, and the apartment itself has never clarified. That night, we return to the apartment again to raid our fridge for stuff to bring to the hotel. Now, if you remember, we were supposed to be able to sleep at the apartment every night. The apartment we returned to was in such a state that it would have been impossible to sleep in. No sinks, no toilets, no stove, no running water of any kind, and all of the outlets stripped down. Literally the only thing we could have done was sleep there; nothing else was possible. And even then, remember: no bedding. No pillows, no blankets, and it’s still winter out there.

Update on things I forgot: Also on the 25th, elderly couple in the unit below us also told of how the movers had thrown their $950 couch outside and left it in the dirt for multiple days, asking if it was “trash” because one of the washable seat covers had a single pet stain on it. (When we visited the apartment that night to raid the fridge, we even saw it) Not only that, but last year, our bathroom tub had been leaking in to one of their closets. They had to shut our water off for several days and fix the pipes. Apparently this caused black mold in their apartment that wasn’t discovered until they started hauling boxes out. Upon bringing it up with the renovation team, they got told “there’s black mold everywhere! it’s in the grass! it’s fine!” The husband went in to take pictures of the black mold, but by the time he got over there with the camera, the renovation team had already painted over it. Apparently another tenant on the other side of the complex had mold problems so bad that she’s been paid to stay at this hotel for more than a month already while they deal with it.

Which brings us, roughly, to today.

Now, the question I mentioned way back at the top: what are my options here, legally? A lot of friends have told me up and down that this is either illegal, or should be illegal, but I have no idea where to start with any of this stuff and frankly I’m a little gun shy. I don’t know what Nevada housing law is like, what renters rights are, and I don’t want to risk being evicted. But I also know that the threat of being evicted is also what keeps people complacent.

All I really know is that basically everything they originally told us was a lie, and they never informed us of most of these changes. As for the rest, well... just read for yourself.

Whatever you know, I’d like to know.

#renovation #timeline

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writethehousedown · 4 years

Text

caught out in the rain. (jackie/gigi) -- lily

summary: gigi is getting adjusted to moving to toronto as she begins training with manila and her skaters. jackie is good at help in more ways than one.

author's note: please laugh at me, so many au's I could've done and I stick with my lane. title stolen from a skating program I've actually done, I recommend the listen. this story is not my best but I wanted to participate! blog is @leljaaa, hope it's decent!

thank you @hy-jinkx for being the best sister and my favorite, amazing beta for this stupid silliness of a story.

— *.✧

"Last box?"

Gigi's ears perked up as she gently put down the small container filled with jewelry on the bedside table. She replied with a thumbs up before sighing aloud as she took a good look around the apartment.

"I'm pretty sure, you got just about everything."

Jackie grinned, pushing back the hair that stuck to her forehead as she glanced around the now cluttered apartment living room. It seemed there was a box in every square inch possible, though the Persian woman still managed to step her way over to Gigi, holding out her hand.

"Since you are in my country I feel it's only fair I take you out around the city for a bit."

The Los Angeles native was hesitant though the idea of being alone anywhere with Jackie would be enough to put a grin across her lips. "I mean if you're so kindly insisting that we go on a date you could just say so."

The older skater laughed, amused that her new training partner and rinkmate was so intent on the idea. "I'm so honored you would accept my request," she teased before grabbing Gigi's hand as the brunette flinched, though she held on twice as tight.

It was truly a full circle moment, considering the rampant crush she had on her fellow skater since their junior competitions.

All the pining and long glances were anything but subtle, though Jackie clearly, understandably was trying to focus on her career and not her love life that was nothing short of well— interesting.

When Gigi had finally decided to take Manila up on the training offer in Toronto she knew that this would entail being side by side with Jackie, and though that wasn't the only reason she said yes to her new coach, it was a pretty damn good factor in moving.

Dumbfounded was a good word to describe how Gigi had been adjusting to Team Cricket. Everyday there was the constant feeling of complete inferiority to her former competition.

She finally understood the pressure of being on such a level-headed team with one of the best coaches in the skating world. The first week had been a lot of watching and training off the ice.

This, however, meant she could watch the Persian do what she does best and listen to all of Manila's notes. Her recovery had been spectacular and she seemed ready to finally be back doing what she was born to do.

Gigi was happy to watch. It felt like a fever dream seeing her idol, and now close friend, perform an entire program in front of an audience that was only accounted for by her.

Watching her EDEA skates takeoff from the back edge of one foot, seeing her rotate four times before the Persian landed the quad salchow. Though it seemed her coordination after her accident was still uneasy, managing to land the jump she then immediately lost balance on the next move and crumbled to the ice.

"Don't push yourself, especially with quads, you just got out of recovery," Manila would say, referring to her concussion and broken ankle that kept her off the ice for the last nine months.

The American snapped back to reality, feeling Jackie throw her apartment keys in her hands as she told her to hurry it up because she heard there was going to be a good chance of rain today.

Exiting the building they skipped down the stairs, and Gigi asked how she was feeling, knowing the answer would be something along the lines of exhausted after all the training.

"Liberating. It's not fun to be in the hospital and physical therapy for nine months with your entire career on the line."

Jackie huffed seeing the muggy skies and she covered her face, pulling up her hoodie she had received from World Championships as she looked around, making sure that no one was nearby.

"Welcome to Toronto. Windy as all get out."

Gigi smiled, just happy to be in a new country and to be standing next to Jackie, even if she was taking every effort to cover herself up from the public despite there seeming to be very few people out on the street.

"You look great."

"Gigi, I'm wearing a hoodie and training leggings," she laughed, now officially revoking her teammate's title as the fashion queen and stylist of Team Cricket after that comment.

The younger skater could make it just fine in Toronto with no kind of worry of media exploitation,with just a few young fans here and there asking for pictures.

Jackie, however, was a huge source of national pride and had to keep much more on the down-low when in public.

She explained it wasn't awful, but after the news that she was out of recovery and going to compete at nationals to go to the Olympics, everything seemed to implode on itself.

They walked down to the nearby neighborhood barely a block away, sneaking through the park as they walked through the grass patches together hand in hand.

Jackie's eyes occasionally drifted off from Gigi to check out the sky above them, trying to make sure there wouldn't be a rain check on the proposed "date".

Feeling rain droplets begin to splatter across her hoodie, Jackie groaned. "I knew it!" She yelled as she stared at the grey clouds above her. Gigi shrugged, admitting she wouldn't be bothered if the rain started to pour.

The Canadian shivered. "No way."

"What? Do you hate the rain?"

Jackie nodded, explaining it was always a thing in her household to never get your hair wet because then you'd get cold and sick right after.

"It's a superstition!" She exclaimed, defending herself as Gigi chuckled.

They managed to run back to the apartment complex before the rain truly began to pour across the city violently. Both of them were panting, never having ran that fast before as they leaned against the wall beside the steps.

Jackie patted her head as she felt her dry hair, relieved before taking off the hoodie and turning to Gigi whose hair looked drenched compared to the Persian.

"I've never seen so much rain since being here."

"It doesn't happen too often but there's some bad storms once in a blue moon."

Their shoes squeaked up the steps as they managed to finally make it inside Gigi's apartment and jump over all the scattered boxes, both of them sitting on the floor as they stared at the heavy rain and wind through the balcony window.

"Well, the date was ruined for today." Jackie was the first to comment as the brunette beside her laid on her lap, simply happy that the Canadian had even come out of training to help her unpack her uhaul worth of boxes from home.

"It was no problem. Anything you need, I'm here for you."

"Flirt."

"It's not flirting if I'm being a decent human being Gigi," Jackie commented as the two grinned at one another, the American shushing her.

"Let me dream a little."

The silence filled the room as Gigi laid aimlessly, arms around Jackie's waist, trying to enjoy the few minutes of quiet despite knowing that they still had training again in a few hours.

Jackie's fingers brushing through her hair as the American smiled, feeling an odd euphoria erupt in her body.

"If you wanna get up just tell me," Jackie hummed quietly, staring down at the brunette who made eye contact for a brief second before closing her eyes once more.

"I have no complaints."

"Perfect."

#rpdr fanfiction #gigi goode/jackie cox #gigi goode #jackie cox #lily #figure skating au #lesbian au #is anyone shocked at this point bc i am not #spring fling week 2020 #day 1: storm #submission

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let-it-raines · 6 years

Note

Okay, this may sound silly, but I've always thought it would be fun to write a fic where Killian kinda playfully in retaliation for all the times Emma has cuffed him, goes back to one of those places and uses her handcuffs on her in return. (I thought about writing a canon divergent where he goes with her back to NYC to get stuff she and Henry left, and they go to the same park bench where she cuffed him for police and he cuffs her. ;) They'd go after dark so if things got frisky in public, well

(…ran out of room!) well, he’d have planned ahead for that! ;) Or, she’s hurt fighting some baddie or something and ends up in the hospital, so he cuffs her to the bed (as she did him in s2!) to make her stay long enough to relax and heal. (Of course they could still get up to mischief…) I’ve read more modern au from you than canon divergent, so may not be your thing but since you’re taking prompts, thought I’d throw it out. I’ve never been sure enough of my smut skills to try it myself

I have had this written for a week, and I just found it when trying to find another document. So sorry about that :D I hope this is what you were looking for @snowbellewells! I think it pretty much is, but I’m just going to go hide in a corner lol.

“Swan, you have to go get all of your belongings. It’s been months.”

“I can buy new belongings. Those are…tainted.”

“How are they tainted, love? They’re from your year with Henry. I’m sure a lot of love went into those.”

She sighs, sitting down on the bed and putting her face in her palms, and she feels the bed dip down as Killian sits beside her, his scent invading her as his hand running up and down her back in small circles. Her parents are talking downstairs, something about if Neal’s (God, why in the hell did they name him Neal?) bathroom habits are normal. She loves them. She really does, but living with her parents is getting old. That’s why she needs to go back to New York. Her things are there, her clothes, her furniture, her memories, both fake and real, of Henry. If she ever wants her own place, she needs things to fill it with. She just doesn’t want to go because as happy of a time as that was, it wasn’t all real. She didn’t keep Henry when he was born and raise him, and as thankful as she is that Killian came to save her so that she could be reunited with her family (and with him), she wishes she didn’t have all of these conflicting memories.

And then there’s the fact that she almost married a damn evil monkey. Like, what the hell? How could she have been so blind to all of that? Maybe she wasn’t. Maybe that’s why she didn’t say yes to his proposal. Deep down she must have known that, well, that there was a man in the life she didn’t remember, a man who she may have…had strong feelings for.

Killian had said a man who she loved, and while sometimes she thinks those words when it comes to him, she can’t…she can’t say them out loud. She can’t even really think them. How is she so screwed up that she can’t even think the words? He loves her, and the thought of that causes a shiver to run down her spine where his fingers her touching her, her body slightly shaking at the thought. He loves her, and that scares her. It’s not that she’s scared to be loved, though she was for a long time. It’s that he loves her so truly and so deeply, and what if she can’t return the same level of his affection? What if he gets tired of her not loving him in the same way that he loves her?

She knows that’s ridiculous. He’s loved her for over a year, a part of that time thinking he’d never see her again, and his feelings didn’t waver. His feelings didn’t waver then, and they didn’t waver when she treated him like shit. If that’s not terrifying, she doesn’t know what is.

So she likes him, really likes him, and while New York causes conflicting feelings for her, she’s excited about the prospect of the two of them getting away for a weekend. It’s been difficult for them to be together, even in these weeks of relative peace, with her parents downstairs and Henry often sharing the top floor of the loft with her. Sometimes she’ll get a chance to sneak away to his room at Granny’s, sneaking out of the loft so that she doesn’t have to deal with her dad’s obnoxious disapproving look, and those nights are incredible, the sounds of the old mattress at the bed and breakfast creaking as they move on top of it, the sounds of moans and grunts mixing with skin sliding together and laughter echoing throughout the small bedroom.

But there are people sleeping next door, people who often give her disapproving looks, similar to the ones her dad gives, the next morning when they’re eating breakfast at the diner, and she wants time with just she and Killian and no one judging them. She’s an adult woman. Shouldn’t she be able to spend time with her boyfriend without interruptions? Without disapproval?

Why the hell is she being stubborn when she keeps thinking about all of the reasons to go? Don’t the good outweigh the bad?

“They’re just…” she groans sitting up and resting her head on his shoulder, his arm further wrapping around her and pulling her a little closer to him, “…it’s complicated. But we’re going to go and get the things I want to keep. I’ve just got to do it. Maybe we can even go on a date or something.”

“Oh, love, I think a date would be wonderful. I’ve even got a surprise for you when we get there.”

“A surprise?”

She looks up to him to see him raising an eyebrow, the black brow high on his forehead causing his skin to wrinkle the slightest bit and the one eye that’s widened become incredibly blue. His lips are closed in a smirk, the left side raising with his brow, and whatever this surprise is sounds both intriguing…and terrifying.

But in a good way.

They take her dad’s truck for the drive, her bug not big enough to cart around all of the things they’re bringing back, even with the Uhaul, and this long drive is much more comfortable than the first one they shared when they traveled the same distance but in the opposite direction. She guesses that things with them are a bit opposite now, too.

The radio doesn’t work, so Killian entertains her with tales of the sea. She doesn’t fail to notice that most of them seem pretty tame, and not a single one is from the missing year. She’s heard enough of those to know that it was incredibly difficult for him, heartbreaking he’d said once under the influence of alcohol and under the cover of the darkness, and so if he wants to keep to lighter tales of mishaps on the Jolly and non-violent thieveries of other ships, she won’t complain. In return, he asks to know a little more about her, about things he doesn’t know yet, things she hasn’t shared.

“What do you want to know?”

She glances over to see him running his thumb across his bottom lip, the rings on his fingers glistening in the sunlight piercing through the window, and that’s not distracting at all when her attention is supposed to be on the road. It seems like forever before he finally responds, and she blushes at his answer…or his question really.

“How old were you for your first kiss?”

“What?” she laughs, glancing over at him again quickly before turning her eyes back to the road, heat still flaming in her cheeks even at the innocent question. “Why would you want to know that?”

“It seems like a popular question to ask when dating someone.”

“What did you do? Google questions to ask on a first date?”

“Google?” he inquires, his voice raising in pitch. “What the bloody hell is google?”

She knows that he can’t help it, that he wasn’t raised in modern times so modern terminology is still baffling to him, but she giggles a bit anyways. He huffs in frustration, and she releases the steering wheel to reach over and grab his hook, holding onto the cool metal and bringing it to rest over her thigh.

“Google is when you look things up on the internet. On the computer. You can look up…research whatever you want, find out almost any information.”

“So like a library inside of the computer?”

She smiles. “Yeah, exactly.”

“Huh,” he contemplates, scratching at his chin, and he’s brilliant. People don’t realize it, but he’s utterly brilliant. If her time in the Enchanted Forrest taught her anything, adapting to a new world with new (and old) technologies is no small feat, and he’s done it with barely any help time and time again. You don’t live for as long as he has without being a cunning, intelligent being. “Well, I’d like you to teach me how to do that when we get home, aye? But I didn’t google that. I read it in a book actually.”“What kind of book?”

“I think one meant for people Henry’s age, but I thought it would keep the conversation light. I can tell you first, if you’d wish.”

“Sure. Tell me about your first kiss, Killian.”

“Well, I am a dashing rapscallion and have always been devilishly handsome, so it should come as no surprise that I was young.”

Cocky bastard.

“How young, babe?”

Oh shit. The endearment just slipped from her mouth. She’s never called him anything but Hook or Killian before. She knows that he uses every endearment in the book for her, but would he like being called by a pet name? Where did that even come from? How long has she wanted to call him that?

“Well, I was certainly not a babe. I was fourteen. Liam and I had just gotten to spend a day on land when the ship we were currently…residing on was docked. I met a lass, though, I don’t remember her name, and she kissed me while Liam was buying us some food.” He bends toward her without her realizing it, his breath hot against the shell of her ear, and there’s that damn shiver again. “You can call me babe whenever you want, love. Don’t refrain from saying it on my account. It’s…alluring.”

He pulls away from her like he didn’t just turn her on in the middle of a hellishly long drive, and he’s going to be the death of her. He really is.

“So how old were you, Swan?”

The sun has set by the time they get into Manhattan, and after finding parking near her apartment and switching out Killian’s hook for his prosthetic hand, they make their way to find something to eat, her stomach grumbling in protest of its emptiness. Killian offers to take her somewhere nice, but neither of them are really and truly dressed for it. And as wonderful as going somewhere all dressed up sounds, she kind of likes the idea of just running in somewhere and grabbing a bite before walking around New York with Killian and chatting some more, telling happy stories from their lives even if they’re all a bit tinged in sadness. It’s nice to be able to walk around somewhere, sightseeing and people watching without them actually being the people who are being watched by the residents of Storybrooke.

She’s the one who lived here for a year, but Killian is the one who leads their walk, the two of them occasionally passing his flask between them when they can get away with it. She wonders how he knows his way around, but he did wander around Manhattan until he found her, didn’t he? Maybe one day she’ll ask how exactly he found her, but she doesn’t really want to reminisce tonight, not when she’s got so much ahead of her.

Suddenly Killian stops, tightening his grip on her hand, his fingers twitching, and turning her to face him, a mischievous smirk gracing his lips. “Close your eyes, Swan.”

“What?” she giggles, the rum from Killian’s flask hitting her a little more than she thought it would. “Why would I close my eyes? Does this have to do with that surprise you were talking about?”

“Aye, now close your eyes, love.”

She listens even having no idea what’s going to happen next, but she trusts him. She trusts him, and she’s sure that this plan can’t be nefarious, not with Killian. Everything is black as he guides her to wherever they’re going, his hand and prosthetic placed on her shoulders to guide her, and after what feels like several minutes of blindness, she’s guided to sit down, the cold wood of what must be a bench seeping through her jeans.

“Keep them closed for just a minute more, love.”

She does, he she smiles when he takes her left hand, pressing kisses against each of the individual knuckles like the gentleman he is…and that’s when she feels the cold of metal and the familiar sound of handcuffs closing together, locking into place with an audible clink.

Her eyes shoot open immediately, her vision taking a moment to adjust to the blackness that still surrounds her from the inkiness of the night, and even through her blurring vision and the lack of light, she sees Killian standing before her with his arms crossed and the cockiest smile she’s ever seen formed on his lips.

“What the fuck, Killian?” she gasps as she tries to loosen the cuffs, the metal cutting into the skin of her wrist. Yep. This thing is secure, and she cannot believe this is happening. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined tonight turning out like this.

Though, she has had some wild dreams vaguely similar to this.

“Do you know where we are, Swan?”

Her eyes dart around, her vision fully returned to normal while her heart beats erratically in her chest, and it takes her less than a minute to realize where they are. She handcuffed him to this very same bench when she didn’t remember him and thought he was some kind of lunatic, and it looks like some kind of payback is in order…but why would he want payback? What would he even do to get payback? It’s not like she’s an enemy of his who he wants vengeance from. And he’s not exactly into the whole vengeance thing anymore. So what? Is he here to torture her? That doesn’t make any sense. He’s enamored by her. He wouldn’t torture her.

And that’s where she’s wrong.

The smirk never leaves his face, and he takes a step forward, squatting down in front of her and running his hand and prosthetic up her thighs, his hand stopping right at the top and rubbing against her skin, inching closer and closer to her core, and when did she stop breathing? Because she’s most definitely not breathing right now.

“Killian,” she whispers, and his eyes have never fallen away from hers, his contact unwavering while his left arm moves up her side and rests just below her breasts and his hand continues to tease at her leg, causing a coil to tense in her belly and flush to rise in her cheeks, invisible under the darkness of the sky.

“Killian,” she whispers again, her voice a little louder this time as he moves up her body, his hand sneaking under the hem of her sweater, his hot skin mixing in with the cold of the air, and moving higher and higher until he’s touching her breast through her bra, her nipple already hardening as his ringed thumb runs over the cotton cup. “Whatever it is you’re doing…you can’t – you can’t do it in public.”

“There’s no one around,” he breathes against her lips, his so close that she can almost touch them. She can almost kiss him. She wants to kiss him.

“It’s New York. Someone’s always around. The city that never sleeps and all that.”

He moves away from her and turns side to side, checking their surroundings, and when he looks back to her, he leers while he palms her breast, his rough hand kneading her soft flesh. “Not right now. But don’t worry, Swan. I’m only doing this to tell you a little story. And yes, this is my surprise for the night.”

He presses a kiss against her jaw, much more tender than she would expect, before beginning his tale. “I came back to save you, and while I didn’t want to be the one to put all of that pressure back on your shoulders, all of that heartache, I knew that I had to. And it wasn’t for me or for my feelings for you. It was for your parents. For Henry. For you. You might not have wanted to remember your past, but you deserve to live in the truth, love. You don’t deserve to live a lie.”

When she drank that memory potion, it was like waking up from a really good dream only to have everything she knew crash down around her, but she doesn’t regret it. It wasn’t her life. This is her life…being handcuffed to a bench by her boyfriend, Captain Hook. It sounds like some kind of manic dream, but it’s not. It’s real. This is real.

“Why are you handcuffing me, though?”

He intensifies his smirk, lips curling further up, before tapping at breast with his forefinger. “Ah, ah, ah, love. We’re not there yet in the story…So you hated me for awhile – ”

“I didn’t hate you.”

His smirk turns into a soft smile. “You did, love, but that’s okay. Look where we are now.” She raises her eyebrow, and he chuckles. “Okay, maybe not right at this moment, but in general. You’re happy with your life. You’re happy with me, I presume?”

She smiles, something akin to joy rushing through her veins. “I am.”

His soft smile turns brighter, his eyes crinkling in amusement. “And so I thought that we could have a little fun. And while I don’t believe in my revenge anymore, I do believe that some people deserve a taste of their own medicine.”

“And I’m one of those people?”

“That you are, love.”

“So what’s my payback?”

“When I came back her to save you, I tried to kiss you to make you remember, and you refused me.”

“Killian – ” He’d tried a true love’s kiss, and it didn’t work. They don’t work when someone’s memory is altered. Would it had worked had her memory not been altered? Are they…are they true love? Does she get to have a true love other than Henry? Is that possible for someone like her?

“Think nothing of it, love.” He looks pained when he says it, but he soldiers on like he always does. “You didn’t know me, which was exactly the problem. I knew you, but you weren’t you. I couldn’t have you. I couldn’t speak to you like I normally would, and I couldn’t touch you. That’s your payback. To be tied up in bed…in the good way.”

She gulps, desire rushing straight to her core at his plan, and this is a surprise she can get on board with. If all of her paybacks were like what she’s imagining, she would do more things that caused her to deserve it. That’s probably not normal, but Killian has lowered his voice, his words coming out in a smooth, dulcet tone that he often uses when whispering dirty little nothings in her ear, whether that be during sex or when they’re sitting in a booth at Granny’s. It’s intoxicating, and she wants more.

She reaches up with her free hand to grab the collar of his coat, pulling him into her so that she can press her lips against his, sliding their mouths together but not pushing it any further than that, thrusting him back with eyes blown wide and parted lips searching for air.

“You forget,” she breathes against his lips, resting her forehead against his and gripping onto his lapel a little bit harder, “I have a free hand.” She caresses his face just to prove a point, and she sees his eyes flutter closed, eyelashes hitting his cheek. “I can still touch you.”

“Aye, but you won’t be able to when we get back to the apartment.”

Holy fuck.

He let her touch him as they were making out when they first got back to the apartment, stumbling across the hall, running into the furniture they have to pack up, shedding clothes while their lips hungrily slanted over each other. He didn’t even give her a chance to look around, to feel the memories of this place, and through her haze of lust she realizes that must have been his plan all along, the sneaky bastard. He’s disguising whatever this payback is to keep her tainted memories away, only replaced with good ones, and he seems to do a lot of that. He’s always helping her, even when she doesn’t realize it, and her heart pounds in her chest and something catches in her throat just thinking about it, about how kind he is.

But that kind man has also got her sitting in bed with nothing on but a pair of handcuffs…her handcuffs to be exact. She didn’t realize that until now, the lightness of the room making them visible unlike the darkness of the park outside. How the hell did he manage to swipe these off of her?

“Roll over, sweetheart.”

He’s been working his lips up and down her body, spending an extraordinary amount of time lavishing at her breasts with his tongue, lapping her up and swirling the tip of it against her tits, bringing them to hard peaks with his tongue and his hand, his stump running up and down her side, the jagged edges of it sending shockwaves through her. She didn’t realize how much she needed to touch him until she couldn’t. Sure, she’s got her legs and a bit of movement in her hands, but she can’t roam the lines of his body with her hands, with her fingers. She can’t grab onto his hair and direct his ministrations. She just can’t, and it’s killing her.

It doesn’t help that she’s absolutely soaked, and while he’s working her up, he’s not working her up in all of the right places. Just, like, right…adjacent.

“Roll over, love,” he repeats, his voice a bit more demanding than she expected.

She kind of likes it even if this isn’t their usual way of going about things.

She likes it, so she complies, rolling over on her stomach and lifting her arms above her head so that they rest near the headboard. She knows that’s what he wants with this whole thing, and even though it’s a little difficult to think straight with all of the absolutely indecent thoughts running through her mind, she knows that the faster she complies, the faster they get this thing on the road.

She feels him kiss down her spine while his hand and stump hold onto her hips, roaming a bit closer to her ass, and with every kiss, his scruff rubs against her skin, the harsh hairs of it sending a prickling sensation right to her core, her entire body shivering in anticipation. It’s a lot of sensations all at once, and she needs him to pick one. She reallydoes because she might just combust right here and turn into a million little Emma pieces.

“Your skin is like silk,” he murmurs at the base of her spine, his hand palming her ass, and she moans at the sound of his voice when he speaks and the way that the hot air hits her skin. “I’ve never felt anything like it, and I can’t quite believe that it’s mine to touch.”

She shudders at his words, especially as his lips move to kiss her ass, and she twists her neck to look at him as much as she can, only seeing a bit of his dark hair and his arms holding her thighs up, her ass high in the air. To her disappointment, she can’t really see him, but she can feel him moving down her body and hear his groans as his knees hit the hardwood floor. He’s so close to where she wants him, and the anticipation runs through her like nothing else has ever done before, especially when he uses the strength of his arms to lift her ass higher in the air and then breathe against her glistening folds.

Just…damn. Her entire body practically pulses in pleasure, in desire.

He’s almost there. So, so close, and she can practically already feel the vibrations of his tongue touching her, but then he pulls back so suddenly that she thinks she might have whiplash, her head spinning and her body groaning in protest.

“This is okay right, Emma?” he questions. Gone is the confident Captain who always takes charge, and out of his shadows appears the gentle man who cares for her and comforts her at all times, no matter what he’s feeling.

She smiles, her entire face softening at finally getting to see his blue eyes again and his soft, kiss swollen lips. She nods her head, a smile breaking out onto her own face, and they must make quite the sight. “Killian, if I wasn’t okay with this, I’d have stopped it long ago.”

“You sure, love?”

“I’m sure.”

Those are apparently the only words that he needs because without hesitation he’s back between her thighs, his tongue assaulting her dripping folds with such ferocity that it’s almost like he’s not the same sweet, caring man he was a moment ago. Of course, not all men do this, so even with its filthiness (such sweet, sweet filthiness), this a damn sweet, caring man. God, he’s good at this, the way he flattens his tongue to eat at her only to curl it inside of her entrance, quick little flicks of it to tease her, bringing her higher and higher only for everything to come crashing down around her. This entire night has been like one big tease, the pressure in her stomach building so much that it’s painful, and even if she can push her hips into his face, she can’t really do anything to hurry this along, simply having to lay there and go along for the ride as the onslaught of his tongue and lips continues.

“Killian,” she moans as he thrusts into her entrance, her walls fluttering the slightest bit around his tongue, “please.”

“Please what, love?” he speaks against her folds, his lips gently touching her swollen flesh, and even that sends shocks through her.

“Please let me come. Please do something. This is…this is…”

“Payback?” he suggests, a dark chuckle escaping his lips while his hand leaves her ass and moves around to rest at her stomach, his fingers inching closer and closer to her bundle of nerves, all of her senses heightened so that she can feel every place where Killian is touching her body.

It isn’t enough.

It’s torture.

“Yes,” she gasps, and that’s when his fingers find her clit, rubbing roughly as soon as the calloused pads of his thumb make contact, and there’s some many differing sensations happening that her mind starts to go numb. His thumb is rough against her nerves, pushing hard and tightening the coil in her stomach, but the rings on his fingers are cool against her flesh, making her shiver under his touch as his hot mouth starts eating at her again, his scruff rubbing into her skin with each movement. It’s too much. It’s all too much, and before she knows it the coil unwinds and her entire body turns into a quivering mess, her legs slipping from their position and falling to the mattress only to be held up by Killian’s mouth as he continues to work her through her orgasm, lapping up her juices while she’s just absolutely…boneless, her body twitching in the aftershocks.

She thinks she hears Killian mutter delicious. He’s going to kill her, and she’d let him without question.

There’s the sound of a zipper coming undone, and that’s when she comes back to herself, twisting her body over onto her back so that she can look at him, a dopey smile on her face while she brings her arms down to rest on her stomach, the cool metal of the handcuffs shocking compared to how warm she is all over.

“You ready to set sail there, Captain?”

He laughs before shucking his pants, his cock bobbing up against his stomach, and it shouldn’t be surprising that she can laugh during such intimate moments with him…but it kind of is. She wonders when she’ll get used to this feeling of happiness, of trust.

“Why, love?” He starts stroking his cock, his fingers moving up and down the velvety length. “You like my vessel?”

Her face scrunches in amusement (and cringes a little at his return of the bad pun), her eyes closing and her stomach moving with laughter, and she doesn’t realize that Killian is leaning over her lips until he presses a kiss against them, the taste of herself all over his scruff and his tongue. She moans into the kiss, and he does the same, the vibrations of them mixing together. Right before he pulls back, she can feel his smile.

“Well, it is quite the vessel you captain there, Jones. I hear you’re a hell of a captain, too.”

He laughs before quickly pressing another kiss against her lips, this one much more innocent than it has any right to be. “You’re a marvel, darling. Truly.”

When he slides into her a few minutes later, his length filling her in the way that she’s grown used to in the past few weeks, she can’t help but smile even as she gasps at his slow, shallow thrusts, hitting her clit with every movement and every swivel of his hips. He gets into a good rhythm, his hips doing most of the movement, but then he nudges her legs further apart so that he can settle himself more fully into her, sheathing himself to the hilt. And when he does, he rests his fully body weight over her chest, the coarse hair there rubbing against her nipples while his hand holds her arms far above her head to stretch her entire body, the handcuffs still intact, and he kisses her nearly the entire time, the slow slide of his tongue matching up with the slow slides of his length in and out of her.

“You’re so perfect for me, love,” he growls into her ear, dipping his tongue inside, and she’d give anything to touch him right now. To hold onto his shoulders, her nails leaving crescent moons in his skin, marking it with scars that’ll leave pleasant, pleasurable memories. “Like a perfect fit that I never want to leave.”

“Don’t,” she practically sobs, and the words mean more than just sex, and the way that Killian pulls back to gaze in her eyes makes her realize that he knows it too. “Don’t leave.”

“Never,” he promises, devouring her mouth while his hips piston into hers, hitting her so hard and so passionately that she doesn’t think she’ll be able to walk tomorrow. “You feel too good, too tight, to bloody wonderful. You’rebloody wonderful.”

She wants to say something back, to say something as seductive and yet kind to him, but everything gets caught in her throat and comes out as a moan while he drives himself into her, his thrusts slowing even more, long drags in and out of her that make her breath hitch with every single pump of his length. All she can do is mutter little half words, mixtures of his name and cries of pleasure while he works inside of her, her muscles contracting around him while his weight continues to push her into the mattress. Fuck, this is good, and if it could go on forever, she’d let it. She’d let Killian push her higher and higher until she does actually combust into a million little pieces of Emma.

A bead of his sweat falls onto her eyebrow, the salty water dropping down past her lashes when he leans down and presses his lips there, capturing his sweat and a bit of hers before kissing her eyelid, his hips swirling and causing him to hit spots inside of her that make her vision blur and her body convulse while his lips move up and down her neck, trailing hot, wet kisses on her over heated skin.

She’s never made love to someone before, but that’s what this feels like. He’s got her handcuffed and was doing absolutely filthy things to her earlier, but as her walls flutter around him, her heart flutters in her chest, doing something that she doesn’t think she’s ever felt before, not like this. It would scare her…it should scare her, but she’s not scared. Not tonight. Tonight she’s going to let Killian make love to her, and she’s going to return all of his affections in equal measure.

When she falls, it’s in more ways than one, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world, their bodies coming together while her heart tries to catch up through its erratic beating in her chest, finally calming when Killian slants his lips over hers right before he falls, too.

“So how exactly are the two of us supposed to move this couch down all of these stairs with just us? Two people and three hands don’t exactly make for the best movers. Though I do work pretty well with one hand, as you and you only know.”

Blush rises on her face at his lewd suggestion, and she turns back to the kitchen cabinets to hide it while he moves his eyebrows across his forehead. It’s Saturday morning, and she’s blessedly sore in all of the right places, beard burn all of her body and only the slightest bit of red marks around her wrists from the handcuffs. They did actually come to New York for a reason, and whether she and Killian like it or not, it wasn’t simply to be able to fuck each other into the mattress and into oblivion with no one around…though she does hope that her elderly neighbor wasn’t wearing her hearing aids last night.

“Maybe I should just buy a new couch?” she suggests, not really meaning it, just feeling particularly lazy at the daunting task of moving her stuff. She and Henry somehow amassed more in a year than she has in the entirety of her life. “We only have so much room in the truck and in the Uhaul, and I never liked it that much anyways. It looks nice, but it’s kind of stiff.”

“Is it?” Killian questions, cocking his head to the side and studying it before he goes to sit down on the leather, bouncing up and down as he tests it out, his face schooled in concentration. “C’mere, love. I think you need to try it again. I don’t want you throwing out perfectly good furniture.”

She sighs before putting down the box of kitchen wares that she was packing up, knowing that she’s never going to use them, especially since she doesn’t even have her own place yet. God, how does she not have her own place yet?

“I sat on that couch for a year. I know what it feels like.”

“Swan, just come here.”

She listens, but she grumbles about it, walking over to the couch and going to sit down only for Killian to grab onto her ass and pull her onto his lap, her bottom hitting the firmness of his thighs with only the slightest bit of shock.

“I’m pretty sure this isn’t the couch, babe.”

He quirks his eyebrow before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. She’s only a little bothered that she let the endearment slip from her lips again. With time, it’ll come naturally, without hesitation.

“No,” he whispers, kissing her cheek before moving along to her jaw, nibbling at the skin there, “but I thought I’d show you what wonderful things can be done on this couch to encourage you to keep it.”

“You know this is going in the living room of my non-existent apartment, right? And Henry will use it…because he lives with me. And these things can’t happen with him around.”

“Aye, but only part of the time. It’s a pity this isn’t like that blasted park bench. I can’t handcuff you to it.”

A thought she had last night comes to her, one she pushed down in the heat of the moment, and she pulls back from him so that he can’t distract her with his lips and the way he smells like her vanilla body wash because he forgot to bring his. “How’d you even get my handcuffs anyways?”

He smirks, that cocky grin back on his face, and he is a man of many talents, obviously, his expressive emotions one of them. His thievery another. “A good pirate never tells his secrets, especially when he finds some good booty.”

He smacks the side of her ass he can reach from the way she’s sitting on his lap, and she stifles her laugh at the side of his neck, pressing several long, wet kisses there, biting at his skin as she gives him a bit of payback of his own.

Yeah, she’s keeping the couch…if they ever get around to packing.

#cs prompt #cs fic #captain swan #cs smut #canon divergent

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mydailybullshit · 4 years

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October 13th 2020

Actually getting around to starting to type this a bit earlier in the day so that it won’t have to be so much for me before going to bed and doing a whole recap of my day. So today was Erys’ moving day and I got there just before 8 am. They had loaded some of the truck by the time that I got there. It was cool that her parents were helping but I could tell that they weren’t exactly happy that their daughter was growing up and moving out. They had a few arguments but that’s typical with Erys. Finally got everything loaded and we were able to head to her new place near the American River. That was cool that she lives in that early but definitely surprised she went for that kind of house. It is a 3 bedroom 2 bath so that’s pretty sweet. Unfortunately she had things to attend with Joey whom she is dating again but I’m not a fan because of her thoughts about him as well as Ricky’s but I digress since I don’t know the full story or his side either. Trying to remain more open about people. We had to unload quickly because of some unfortunate news for Joey and Erys wanted to be there with him. Finally headed back to drop off the UHaul and then take her home. We said our goodbyes and agreed to meet up on a future date for pizza and beers as promised for helping her move. She really appreciated my help and I was glad to help her. After I dropped her off I went to pick up my nephew Anthony because they had assigned him more homework and we needed to get that shit done. So I felt like I pushed him a little too much today but I’m glad he understood. At the same time my mother asked me to make the ribs. So I made two racks of ribs. One in the oven and the other in the slow cooker. Also attempted to do laundry but I feel burnt out at the moment. Just want to chill so I’m going to David’s a bit to relax with some hard seltzers. Today was an eventful day but I didn’t get to go for my daily walk to play Pokemon GO. Although helping Erys move was very active so I suppose that makes up for it. Now I’m about to head off for a bit hopefully I get back at a reasonable hour but most likely not. I do have to get up since I’m helping one of my mother’s friends' children with their school stuff tomorrow around 9 am. Uhhh I’m already dreading it. Also got around to having a quick couple of messages with Sam and Bryant about New York in December. Finally for the tickets booked. Super stoked about that. Had another discussion with Sam about it all and we decided to fly from SFO with Bryant and extend the trip another week since Sam found a really good deal on an AirBnB. Had a chill time with David. Just a few hard seltzers as planned and only stayed 15 minutes more than I had intended so that’s always a positive. Usually I would just cave and stay til 2 or 3 and even on occasion had to spend the night because of how late we decided to chill. Only annoying thing that happened today was my toothache came back but that was on me. I kept messing with it. Considering how packed full my day was today I’m glad how it turned out. It was an extremely productive day. So that’s always a plus. I am not looking forward to helping out tomorrow because I honestly want to sleep in but I already agreed to it so might as well follow through. If not they will just keep nagging my mom and she will end up hassling me. It’s funny that I know the bare minimum for all of this and yet and I’m always the go to. Guess it helps that I’m patient. Either way, time for bed on my end. So goodnight Bullshiteers!

#newtrend #new perspective #new me #blog #blogger #blogging #pokemon go #trying to stay positive #pokemon #friends #helping friends #my #daily #bullshit #mydailybullshit #Bullshiteers!#2020

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little-goose · 7 years

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Okay, so I’ve put it off for a long time, because I just needed to wait or not think about it or what have you, but I am going to briefly chronicle my 2016 as the personal hell year for roommates. Just so I have it down somewhere.

So let’s start at the tail end of 2015. I was a few months into my college program with Disney, settling in and making plans for staying on once the internship was done, when the news that my current roommate was planning to move home to finish school. So around late November/early December i was very much like a passenger on a sinking ship, scrambling for a lifeboat. It didn’t matter if it was the nicest, or had the best people, it could’ve had a hole from which we had to keep bailing out water, but it would’ve been something.

A girl who worked in the same restaurant as me knew my situation but continuously never offered me a spot, instead telling me how she’d been apartment hunting with a few other girls and hoped I’d find something.

For now, let’s call her Vacation Bible School (henceforth; VBS) because that was very much her. She didn’t know I was bisexual and within 10 minutes of meeting her I knew I couldn’t tell her that, which was fine, I’m very used to that now. However, she was very critical of the fact that I, as a 24 year old, drank socially. She would occasionally make comments like, “well if anyone here has done drugs, it might’ve been you.” In the way of someone who is trying to make a joke of it, but is 100% judging you for that. She also asked, first if I was Christian and when I said that I was agnostic, immediately asked if I went to church. Gonna let you think about answer number one for a minute, VBS. She also saw me bring some alcohol into the house and because it was more than one bottle of wine, told our roommates that she was worried that I was an alcoholic.

Anyways, we were friendly enough and I asked if she wouldn’t mind throwing my name out to any of the CPs also staying on after our internship ended on the 2nd of January. She said she would.

Who I found was a girl I did not know well, and didn’t particularly care for, because my first conversation with her included the classic, “Well, with d*sney, assume a guy is gay until proven straight.” But again, I was on a sinking ship, and I figured I could just live amicably enough and not talk about anything except the weather and Harry Potter. Let’s just call her M.

Problem is, in Southern California, you can’t afford to have less than 2 or 3 roommates in a 2 bedroom apartment, working for somewhere like Disney. So I still needed something else.

In comes VBS, halfway through December saying two girls dropped out of her living plans (why didn’t you notice, past Julia?) at the same time and she wanted me to fill those spots.

Long story short, I ended up in an apartment with VBS, M, and another girl from my restaurant I didn’t know, who was Batshit™ Crazy (BS). Due to an error on VBS’ part, because she INSISTED on being the primary name on the lease, we lost our 2 bedroom for the first month, and we were four people in a one bedroom. For one month, until another 2 bed was available.

We move in and oh boy wasn’t that fun. Because I was the only one who had furniture from living more or less on my own in Washington, I had a small uhaul brought down. Which is fair, since most of the furniture was stuff that we needed and did not have to buy.

Right off the bat, VBS was telling other people “can you believe she brought a uhaul for all her stuff? all our furniture is either her or BS’ I feel like I can’t use it.” As a side note, I was determined to make that situation as easy as possible, and enthusiastically (stupidly) said I was happy to share pretty much all my stuff with them. In retaliation, VBS personally allotted us spaces in all the closets and cupboards we had, when we weren’t home one day.

Our first month is nearing its end and me and BS have been getting along better once we find some similar interest and briefly talk about changing our rooming situation when we move, since we get along a little better. Plus, she had a loft bed and I had a queen, so practicality dictated this made the most sense.

And surprise, it did because 2 bedroom apartments in SoCal are TINY. So BS and I agree to speak to our respective planned roommates (VBS-BS, Me-M) about this. I send M a text briefly explaining the space situation and I would like to find time to talk in person, before we move to hash it out.

She chooses not to reply. And to also not speak to me for the next 3 days. We sat in a room with all four of us, and I was just not there to her. I thought it was weird but didn’t press it then.

Cut to the day before move-in. We get the go ahead to move in a day early because of my renter’s insurance (I was the only one with it, since it was only necessary for one, and I already had a plan that I could easily change). At which point, M and VBS finally deign to talk to me about the situation. They wait for BS to take a load of stuff across the complex before approaching me to say that they think it was a, “shitty, passive-agressive thing to do,” and I had a chickenshit way of approaching my problems and that wasn’t a conversation to have over text (I didn’t, of course). And apparently, BS is in no way to blame or involved in this, she just keeps saying she wants to move in. Doesn’t support me, or deny me but still moves both of our things into the same room. We stop for maybe an hour and a half to have this conversation between me, M, and VBS in which I am tired from moving, I want to just have a room in which my bed isn’t pressed against my roommate’s and a person I can stand talking to.

M finally lets it go, but only after she claims the “master” bedroom for herself and VBS, and grudgingly lets go of extra storage space for herself as compensation.

The next move in day, M decides that the day we’ve all set aside to finish moving is the day she needs to go on a tinder date, and leaves around noon, expecting us to move her things into her apartment for her. We all leave it there, with her new keys and go to a movie. Come home that night to a facebook post about fake people and real friends. Because you know, we didn’t move her shit while she went on a date.

From February to maybe June, the most she and I interact is when she gives me her share of bills which I pay (consistently a few days late).

The trouble there, stems from BS and VBS. I was comfortably going along assuming how great it was that I made a friend like BS, who I knew well and could share things with. (Turns out she consistently posted about me on twitter for pretty much the whole year). The worst was probably in late april, when I think I subconsciously realized how much stress my living situation was beginning to cause me but couldn’t put a voice to, because I had a full breakdown on my floor and she came in to “help me out” and I ended up opening up to her, stupidly assuming I could trust this girl.

And why shouldn’t I? While we were still on speaking terms (circa march 2016) she was telling me how awful VBS really was. How she’d lied to BS that M and I were such great friends and wanted to live with them. How I was some alcoholic party kid who was so sarcastic and rude. I mean, she was so wrong, I was a good friend. And my traumatized ass, who can count all my healthy relationships on one hand, was weak to someone going “I love this girl” when I said something funny. Who laughed at my jokes and brought me starbucks at work. I genuinely wanted to believe that this girl and I could be friends for a long time.

But around late April, early May, I suddenly was not on speaking terms with any of my roommates. No warning, one morning BS and VBS were gone, and BS had blocked me on all forms of social media. It was only once I’d logged out of twitter and wandered to her account that I’d seen all the things she’d been saying.

This continues through summer, while at the same time drama was starting at work (that’s a whole different can of worms tbh but what a story that is too). When I realized that my roommate situation wasn’t great, a group of kids (R2P2) kind of welcomed me into our group, where they didn’t welcome VBS. And again I felt so relieved that I was making friends. And in reality, they are all a lot younger (19-20) than me and I can’t fault them for how things went. But they came over one night when I was seriously frightened by a text BS sent me about “want to tell me about how all of our restaurant thinks we’re the worst roommates ever when i get home?” And they took me out when she came home and stayed over night in our living room. Politely and quietly. We left before anyone was up, and halfway through breakfast with them, I get a text saying that I wasn’t allowed guests unless my roommates were told beforehand and approved of them coming. Not entirely unreasonable, until you consider that it’s not the courteous heads-up she wanted, but the ability to flat out say “no you can’t.”

I spent a week sleeping on my friends couches because the stress of being at home when people slammed doors to let you know they were there, moving your shit, waking you up when they decided you’d had enough sleep (even though you work til 3 am some nights), and never knowing when they’ll break their vow of silence to tell you what shit you were doing wrong, was too much.

Then they stopped paying me their shares of bills in July. Until the remote for my television in the living room disappeared for a day and a half. Not misplaced. Gone.

It was brought back when I told them the internet password. They still hadn’t paid me.

But not to worry, almost every day I woke up to notes on the fridge or notes that would fall out of cupboards when opened, letting us all know about who shouldn’t touch what and how much everyone should clean. Because, of course, M wouldn’t want us to be passive-agressive about things.

It took a group text to get them to do so. And my telling them that I can remove privileges to my possessions when necessary. Even so, I began to notice things of mine were getting misplaced and when I’d ask BS, assuming she didn’t flat out ignore me, she didn’t know. Of course she didn’t. Til I found some of my stuff in her drawers. I didn’t ask.

On the morning of my birthday, I wake up next to a card from BS, which took a whole page to say she didn’t know why we grew apart, but she thought it might have been a little bit her fault and she wanted to make amends. And clearly she did a great job. Her bandaid birthday present to me was a sheet of cat stickers.

And somehow we returned to a tentative talking situation and I clung to it because it was better than finally admitting that I had signed a 13 month lease with the Bitches of East End, and I was only halfway through. She didn’t unblock me–where else would she complain about me—but she definitely talked to me to complain about our roommates. Apparently she could only stay friends with VBS for 3½ months. She was a big fan of throwing the first stone, then letting other people take over so she could seem like the nice, reasonable one. Idiot Julia didn’t catch on quick.

But I did finally realize that I needed to get out. I started looking for new apartments, but I couldn’t post anything on a roommate facebook page where VBS and M were members, because I didn’t want to say anything about leaving until I knew I had a safety net. It was a lot of hunching over apartments.com listings like they were porn, from september to december.

All while peppered with continuous notes from M and BS, though the latter, she promised, was not directed at me. By november at least BS and VBS started paying me for bills again, though never paid me back the months they just elected to ignore my presence. M, however, wrote me a letter in which she detailed why she did not have to pay me for either renters insurance or back months of internet. She even did the (incorrect) math, to show me how much I should be charging her, not that she ever paid me more than a third of it. When I agreed to let her out of paying for the last few months, in which I never gave her the password again, VBS insisted I still charge her, because it was unreasonable to split a payment between three of us. So she tried to get out of paying again. In the end, internet won out for her.

Turns out though, in January, no one felt the need to communicate their living plans, so M tried to keep our current apartment without telling us, which she couldn’t without our approval, VBS was going to leave early to move home, and BS wanted to keep our apartment too. Nothing like having your landlords comment on the drama in your apartment every time you try to pick your mail up. I also don’t recommend hearing about your roommate’s moving plans from your landlord first.

The good news is I did find a place to live, and a friend of mine was ready and willing to move down two states to live with me, the only tricky bit was moving out.

Mostly because VBS moved out a week early, and opted to not do any cleaning or repairs before she left. She also left with one of our keys, and expected us to help her pay the fine. Cute.

In the end, I was the last one to officially leave, because I had to move essentially all my stuff out and into a uhaul by myself, after a friend left after an hour of help. And then move it to storage for a week. But because of this, they left me with a kitchen and living room full of odds and ends garbage to throw out and clean. Despite the fact that they still had a day to come back and finalize it all.

And while there were plenty of awful conversations, texts, and notes in between this, I made it out, with most of my stuff. They did damage some things, including a mug I’d had for years and a tablecloth I’d inherited from my Oma, and I still find small things missing now and then. But I made it out. And I live with an amazing friend.

The downside is, of course, after having been in survival mode for essentially 14 months, and finally being in a safe place, the depressive episode hit hard and fast. And even that I wanted to deny, because it didn’t feel fair that I finally had a good thing going and now my depression was back. But it was, and still is, and I’m finally working on that. The good news is unlike last time, it didn’t take a year and a half for me to recognize it for what it was and try and get help again.

So, if you read all that, I hope it clears up some of my vague posts from the last year, some of my absences or weird tags. I feel bad that I did have friends reach out and offer support, but I just couldn’t say it at the time. And I want to blanket thank you all those people, several of which are on here, who tried to support me as best I could, even when I downplayed how I was feeling. It’s been months and it’s only now that I wanted to face it in its entirety and realize I wasn’t overreacting, and I wasn’t always in the wrong.

Sometimes, it really isn’t you, it’s them.

#personal things #sooooooo there's that

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