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starkidmunson · 3 months

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glitter & crimson

Realistically, Steve knows the band won’t hang around Chicago forever. He knows they’re out promoting a new album; knows they’ll have to move on and that Eddie has to go with them. It doesn’t stop him from wanting Eddie to stay; to live in the quick familiarity he’s built within Steve’s little found family.

Eddie and Robin seem to have already created their own secret language, all gestures and movement and eye contact Steve picks up on but can’t quite read. He’s already picking on the Party like he’s known them their whole lives; ruffling Dustin’s hair, elbowing Mike, throwing his arm around Will’s shoulders, and giving Lucas little shoves.

It’s easy; so easy to get caught up in how charismatic Eddie is. Steve has a hard time keeping his eyes off him, and Eddie knows. He keeps making comments, throwing winks in Steve’s direction, seeing right through every wall he’s ever built around himself and Steve is caught between being obsessed with it and terrified.

He stops drinking after the one beer, worried he’ll make things weird if he gets anywhere near tipsy, opting to stay as far away from the possibility as he can. If anyone notices, they don’t comment.

Lucas is chatting animatedly with Jeff, Max sitting close by, twisting braids into El’s hair. Dustin, Mike and Will appear to be grilling Gareth and Freak about dungeon and dragon campaigns Eddie used to run. Nancy has her arm looped through Robin’s, but her attention is on the phone in her hands, as Eddie and Robin talk about what touring is like.

“Where else are you going on this tour?” She asks as Steve tunes back into the conversation.

“This isn’t really a tour, we just haven’t been on the road in a while and we just stopped the album, so we lined up a few shows to get our feet wet before we hit the road for real this summer. One more show out in LA on Tuesday, then we’re done until May, for now.” Eddie explains.

“We’re in LA on Thursday!” Robin exclaims, and Steve’s stomach drops because, yeah. LA on Thursday. He trains his eyes on the glass in front of him, not willing to actually look at anyone they’re around.

“We could totally meet up again if you guys are able to swing it?” Freak offers, and Steve forces a little smile onto his face and nods.

“We can figure it out later,” Eddie says after a few beats, and Steve is grateful for how the conversation rolls onto the next topic. When he finally looks back up, though, Eddie’s still looking his way. Steve hits him with what he hopes comes off as a reassuring smile, but it doesn’t seem to pay off the way he hopes.

Once the tab is closed and the staff is tipped well, Steve catches Eddie’s elbow on their way out the door. “I would like to meet up in LA, if you’re interested. I didn’t mean to get weird about it, it’s… I’ve been in my head a bit about that game since it was announced.”

“Oh, hey, no worries. We’re in LA the whole week, then we’re heading home. So no pressure, honest.” Eddie hooks his hand over Steve’s softly.

“Well, we should get in Wednesday, but we could totally do something after the game or even Friday?”

Eddie smiles and nods, patting over Steve’s hand. “Text me about it.”

“I can do that. How much longer are you guys in town for, anyway?” Steve asks.

“Ah, the dreaded question comes,” Eddie’s playful, and it makes Steve’s face heat up. “We’ve got just under another 24 hours in the Windy City before hitting the road again.”

“Oh,” It pulls his chest in a way he wasn’t expecting, in a way that shouldn’t be happening for a rockstar he was adjacently aware of in high school. “Are you busy tomorrow?”

“Harrington,” Eddie’s teasing again, and it does nothing to help the blush on Steve’s face. “You can’t possibly miss me this much when I haven’t even left yet.”

“Shut up,” Steve shoves him away then, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout, only for Eddie to pull him in with an arm around the shoulder.

“We can grab brunch or something? We leave around 8 to avoid rush hour, so I’ll have to be in the bus by 6, or I’d say dinner.”

“Brunch works for me.”

~~~~

The trip back to the hotel doesn’t go as Eddie expects; everyone is silently chatting amongst themselves, nodding and tapping along to the music and not causing a scene. He almost points it out, but elects not to bring unwarranted bullying upon himself instead. The guys had been giving him shit about Steve near constantly, so this was a nice change of pace after the last few days.

There was actually quiet as he made his way back to his room. A hot shower finally restored warmth to his bones the hockey arena had stolen, and he was drying his hair when he heard his phone vibrate with a text notification.

Steve: anything you're craving for brunch tomorrow so I can pick a place?

It’s practically too easy to flirt with Steve; he sets up lines without even seeming to realize. But Eddie still can’t get a real gauge on how Steve feels about the flirting, so he sidesteps the easy pass he could have made about Steve being enough of a meal, in favor of actually answering.

Eddie: French toast?

The next series of texts come before Eddie even moves his hands back to the towel over his hair.

Steve: sick, I’ll pick you up around 10:45

Steve: you mentioned going home, did you mean like, back to Hawkins?

Eddie twists his hair up in the towel, and lays down on the side of the bed he doesn’t sleep on before firing off an answer.

Eddie: nah, I’ve got a place in Nashville and no reason to go back to Hawkins anymore. My uncle moved to Indy, so that’s usually as close as I get.

Steve: any reason you moved to Nashville?

Eddie: are we playing 20 questions?

Steve: sorry.

Eddie bites his lip, and only hesitates for a moment before flipping over onto his belly and hitting the FaceTime button. Steve answers on the second ring, looking embarrassed, but Eddie doesn’t let him get a word in.

“My mom was born and raised in Memphis, but she always told me her favorite city was Nashville. I was there with her a few times when I was little and she’d just, like, light up. And music is so heavily engraved into every inch of the city, it’s hard to not find inspiration everywhere you turn. So. I bought a place in Nashville the minute I had enough saved up, and it’s kind of my home base now.” Eddie explains, watching as Steve’s face softens and he relaxes into his chair listening to Eddie’s answer. “Do I get to ask a question now?”

“I really wasn’t trying to be annoying, “ Steve looks ready to keep going with an apology, but Eddie cuts him off.

“Why do you play hockey?” It stops Steve dead in his tracks, and he genuinely looks confused for a moment. Eddie almost offers to drop the topic, but Steve fumbles his way into an answer.

“My, uh. My dad wanted me to play before I was even born. Because he played. Professionally for a few years when I was growing up, then he went on to coach.” Steve explains, and it sounds a little rehearsed. Eddie’s sure it’s something that comes up often if his father played and coached. “Gotta keep the Harrington legacy alive, I guess.”

There was a bite to Steve’s words that wasn’t lost on Eddie. “You don’t sound too thrilled about it.”

Eddie can see Steve working over how he wants to answer before he shrugs and sighs. “Because it’s all a show for him. The part we don’t talk about is how I got hurt and benched most of my senior season and he cut me off when I didn’t get full rides. Convinced me it was better to not go to college at all, despite the other scholarship offers, than to not get promised a spot on the ice. Convinced me to self-sabotage so I had to fight tooth and fucking nail to get into the league at all.” Steve pauses, then, and lets out a quiet laugh. “Sorry, that’s so unbelievably whiny of me. I love getting to play professionally, and I don’t take the opportunity for granted.”

“Not whiny. Dads can be the fucking worst.” Eddie offers, gently, and is grateful when Steve doesn't press on that particular bruise.

Instead, he takes his turn to ask a different question. “Why music?”

“This is lame, but the answer is once again my mom.” Eddie rolls his eyes at himself, but he smiles. “She was a musician. There were always instruments around and music was always playing and we traveled for her to perform. I knew my whole life I wanted to be a musician like her, but it wasn’t until after she died that I figured out that songwriting… telling stories and painting pictures with words and melodies and making people feel something…” Eddie trails off, lost in the thought.

“I’m sorry you lost her. It sounds like you enjoyed your childhood with her.” Steve offers, hopes it doesn’t sound like a forced nicety, but Eddie smiles and his nerves ease.

“She was a force to be reckoned with. Firing on all cylinders at once, chaos and home bundled into one.” Eddie’s soft a quiet for a moment, and Steve appreciates the silence by taking in how relaxed the other is to be talking about his feelings; it’s a refreshing break from many of his experiences with teammates or opponents who don’t know how to get emotional in a healthy way. Eventually, though, Eddie clears his throat. “Anyway. Back to 20 questions,”

“I wasn’t trying to start a game, really, I just… like talking to you,” Steve admits around a blush, tucking his chin into the collar of his shirt in an effort to hide the shade of his cheeks, but Eddie’s smile says his cover is blown.

“ANYWAY!” He announces louder, then taps at his chin. “Favorite and least favorite teams to play and why, go.”

“I’m not a dog.” Steve laughs but thinks about his answer anyway. “Favorite is probably the Flyers in Philly. Their fans are absolutely brutal, and their mascot is hilariously terrifying.”

“I have seen many a Gritty TikTok, so I completely understand,” Eddie gives him a few beats before he prompts. “Least favorite?”

“The Kings. LA. Billy Hargrove.”

“The…, what the fuck? How many guys from Hawkins are professional hockey players?” Eddie asks, because honestly, how had he not known there was more than Steve?

“He’s technically from LA, which is why he went back, thank God.” Steve mumbles, before dropping his head back against the wall behind him. “But, for whatever it’s worth, there’s me, Billy, and Tommy Hagan in the league.”

“Well isn’t that a fun bunch to surround yourself with,” Eddie muses out loud. Tommy and Billy were two of the biggest assholes Eddie had ever met, and it sounded like Steve wasn’t too fond of the other pair either.

“I actually…” Steve trails off, before trying again. “I was going to invite you guys to come to the LA game, but I’m really not sure it would be a good idea, so I’m… I’m actually going to ask you guys not to come, if that’s not too much of a dick move? I can get you tickets to literally any game you want for the rest of the season, just. I don’t think it’s worth it to get Billy started, and if he’s heard any of the press about us, I’m already going to hear it even if you’re not there.”

“Homophobe extraordinaire still, then?” Eddie guesses, and Steve chokes out a laugh, before covering his mouth and holding up a finger to ask for a moment to compose himself.

“He's… a lot of things.” Is the response Steve opts for, but Eddie can tell there’s more there. Whatever the two of them are doing, it doesn’t feel like Steve is ready to elaborate, so Eddie moves on.

“I think it’s your turn.”

~~~~

Nothing changes after Corroded Coffin leave Chicago, though. Not in the ways Eddie had expected, at least.

Steve still texts him throughout the day, answers his Facetimes whenever he’s available. Eddie makes him the playlist he promised, and Steve gives feedback on which songs he likes and which ones he really doesn’t, after Eddie promises to not take Steve’s opinions personally. Which, to be fair, he tries really hard not to.

The concert in LA comes and goes, and Steve seems to send him every TikTok he comes across from the show. It’s a refreshing break, as every few videos in Eddie’s feed are of him cheering for Steve at the game, or Steve watching from sidestage in Chicago.

A text from Robin eventually confirms their arrival in LA, and Steve and Eddie make plans to meet up after the game. Since Steve had expressed concern about Eddie going, he decides to just watch from the bar they agree to meet at. Televised games make it easier to track the puck, but Eddie decides he likes being there in person better.

Eddie’s sipping absently on his beer and in the time it takes him to look down at a text from Chrissy, several of the people around him react to something. Eddie looks around to make sure someone in the bar hadn’t passed out. When he looks back at the screen, absolute mayhem has broken out on the ice. The refs are trying to separate players from one another, and Eddie’s scanning through the numbers on each Blackhawks jerseys before he finally spots Steve, slightly off to the side from everyone else. The camera pans away from him, zeroing in on the fight, now between a Blackhawks defenseman and none other than Billy Hargrove.

Billy’s helmet and gloves are off, teeth shining with blood as he grins like a psycho and starts to skate in Steve’s direction. One of the refs pulls him back, though, escorting him into the penalty box while another Kings player gathers his helmet, stick and gloves and clears them to the bench.

The camera finally pans back to Steve, who is now sitting with his back against the boards. He’s got a gloved covering the lower half of his face, but his white jersey is covered in blood. A ref and the Blackhawks goalie are kneeling on either side of him as someone else speaks with him. The camera zooms in as the TV crews work to make out what is happening, just in time for Steve to lower his hand and shows off a gnarly gash along the side of his face. He leans forward a little and spits out blood onto the ice, and the TV jumps to the announcers in the booth.

The volume is off, but they show a slow-motion replay of the few moments Eddie’d missed; Steve passes the puck off to another player on his team, just before Billy slams into his side. The impact sends both of them into the boards and down onto the ice. Billy swings his stick around and cracks Steve in the face with the blade heel. Steve reacts, throwing his whole arm into Billy’s face, before a sea of white Blackhawks jerseys sweep in and suddenly Billy’s a few feet away, with players from both teams piled up.

Eddie’s hand hovers over his phone; has no idea what to do in this situation. Texting Steve is useless; it would likely be hours, if not days, before he even thinks about looking at his phone. He doesn’t want to bother anyone, but he’s… well, he’s stressed. Even if Steve isn’t interested in him the way Eddie’s interested in Steve, they’ve still built a weird little friendship and that was an awful lot of blood.

So, Eddie ends up firing off a text to Robin. It’s just a simple 'let me know if there’s anything I can do,' but his phone lights up with a call immediately.

“How bad is it?”

“I’m not back with him yet, but just… meet us at the hospital, if you can?” She asks. While her voice waivers a bit, she’s calmer than Eddie expected her to be.

“I’ll be right there.” He agrees, hangs up and exits the bar before the game even returns from commercial break.

#hockeyplayer!steve harrington #steddie #rockstar!eddie munson #stranger things hockey au #glitter & crimson #sorry this took like 2 weeks #we're going to try to keep the momentum going here #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #platonic stobin #corroded coffin #steddie fanfic #starkidmunson writes #oh i almost forgot #one of the most important tags for this one #anti billy hargrove

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aphroditesbaby1616 · 9 days

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Patchouli - (C.B. oneshot)

♡ Summary: carm is a munch. What else do you need to know?

♡ W/C: 1300

♡ Posted Date: 4/20/24 (blaze it)

♡ A/N: pure porn lol (prequel to Peonies)

♡ Warnings for BTC: smut. Pussy eating ass smut. this is fully unedited because I’m a lazy sack of shit we die like men.

➵ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 ♡

➵ 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 / 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵 ♡

Carmy was nothing short of addicted to the taste of your pussy.

Like - he nearly found it embarrassing for Christ’s sake. He would get hard thinking about it, Jesus, his fucking mouth watered.

He’d tried the best food in the whole world- the most talented chefs would nearly beg for him to taste their art - but nothing was more decadent than your homemade liquor on his tongue.

He worked extra late on Friday evenings, since it was the busiest night at the restaurant. Date nights, birthday celebrations, any celebration- really that was big enough to warrant going to one of the only Michelin star restaurants in Chicago usually happened Fridays.

Carmen would stumble in - long after you’d fallen asleep, albeit cursing himself for not being home earlier before you’d fallen asleep to your true crime shows, so you’d kneel at his feet as you usually did, and untie his sneakers for him, before gently coaxing him out of the shoes like the earth-ridden angel you were since his back was fucking aching after his near 16 hour day.

He would silently slink into the bathroom, take a quick shower - just enough to scrub off the dirt, sweat, and kitchen smell from the day. Before he’d carefully pad to bed and do whatever he could to assure you felt oh so good to start off your solo-weekend together.

Carmy would come into the bedroom, damp, dripping curls from his shower, and ever so gently crawl between your sleeping supple, thick thighs. He felt welcome. As if you were asking him- no. Begging him- to devour your sweet silky luscious heat as soon as he’d got through the door.

This was coming home, at least to him- his true home was between your thighs, sucking and lapping at your folds until the both of you were sore. When you’d whine about it in the morning, he’d kindly make up for it and place the gentlest, most filthy kisses to your mound and nether lips, whispering sweet sorrys to your cunt and ‘promising to be gentler with her next time’ - he never was.

He hummed gently, dragging his heavy, knife calloused fingers over your clit. Your hips inadvertently jerked into his hand, it was only natural.

There would be times he would just simply lay there after an orgasm of yours, in a filthy, horny trance, thrusting his expert fingers oh so carefully into your seeping (embarrassingly wet) and over sensitive hole - slow and light due to the muscle being so so overused, almost achingly so - before taking them out and spreading the digits to see how sticky and messy you were.

“mmm someone was playin’ with herself before I got home?” He said, just barely a whisper.

He pressed his lips to yours, before gently taking the right one into his mouth and sucking the overly sensitive flesh between his lips. His tattooed hands gently rub over your thighs, squeezing the skin, hard enough to leave bruises, and his eyes fluttering shut, every stress of the day melting away. It was as if the man had an oral fucking fixation with your clit, with your folds. The way he’d suck and flick and kiss them - it was like he was playing a goddamn game.

He eagerly spread your lips with his ring and middle finger admiring how wet you were. “Absolutely - how dirty mmm? My filthy little girl” he he whispered, tonguing the wetness over your weeping hole and holding back a moan at your sweet, musky flavor.

Carmy relished in the way your core clenched around nothing, and the sweetest most gentle whimper fell from your lips. “Shhhh” he cooed, placing a kiss to your clit that made your thigh twitch

“I’m takin care’f ya’ - don’worry” he said softly, licking a hot wet stripe from the curve of your ass to the very top of your slit, flicking his tongue over your clit in the way that made you shiver.

Even in your sleep, you widened your legs for him to give better access to the delicious sensation that was lapping up the moisture that was starting to drip and tickle. It wasn’t long until you were roused, a small sleepy smirk coming to your lips.

“Mmmm thanks Bear” you muttered, lazily finding his curls and gently pushing them off his forehead. He reached his hand up to your stomach, palm up to you, lightly wiggling his fingers on your flesh. Allthough you refused to open your eyes, you felt the action and knew what he wanted.

You found his hand easily, lacing your fingers together and pulling his hand to your lips, kissing each knuckle as he kissed and sucked your folds. As he nudged your clit with his nose you gasped lightly, looking down at him in the dim light.

“Yes- like that baby- feels good, work ok lovey?” You gently tug his curls and he looked up at you, lustblown eyes and a wet nose he looked like a puppy this way.

“Mm. Ok. Marcus f’got a huge cake order. Kinda’a mess” he muttered before sticking out his tongue, slack jawed and adorable, slobbering over your pussy like a man starved.

You nearly giggled at the action but couldn’t as a moan passed your lips you couldn’t hold in if you tried. “Such a good puppy” you moaned quietly “so good t’me Carmy, I fuckin love you” you gasped, thighs nearly smushing his cheeks as he nipped at the sensitive flesh

“That’s new” he hummed, kissing your clit as he reached down with his other hand and slipped 2 fingers easily in your dripping entrance. Your back arched off the bed, electricity shooting through your thighs and abdomen, core clenching around his fingers, nearly sucking him in.

“Cus’y so good bear. Such a good boy” you praised, gasping as he starts flicking his tongue over your clit “shhh-ahh! Mmm! Thas’it. Thaaaatsit” you slurred, the coil in your stomach heating up and threatening to snap- and soon.

He moans into your clit, the vibration causing your hips to jerk and he leans his strong forearm around your luscious hips. “Still” he mumbled the order, thrusting his tongue into your hole.

“Jesus fuck! Don’t fuckin st- ohhhh” you let out nothing short out of a pornographic film like wanton desperate filthy moan

“Cmon, cum f’me pretty girl” he urged gently, replacing his tongue with his fingers and nuzzling your clit with his nose like a man starved as he sucked and nibbled your folds.

You whined, squeezing the hand you were still holding tightly. “N-now-nnnmmmmhhh” your orgasm washed over you like a tsunami, the aftershock being the strongest part. His lightest touch was causing you to jerk and twitch under him at the overstimulation.

“Shhhh angel. Relax. Relax” he coaxed, rubbing over your stomach with a light touch. “Such a sweet girl. My sweet girl” he caressed your thighs with a sweet touch for a few minutes, pressing gentle kisses to your skin before getting up.

You’d inevitably whine and beg him to come back, your core feeling cold and neglected without his presence. “Time f’sleep gorgeous.” He’d gently pet your hair, pulling you into his chest.

“I want French toast for breakfast.” You muttered softly, nuzzling into his chest, smiling to yourself at his tickly chest fuzz.

“Ye?’ We got bacon too, went shoppin’ fore I came home” he muttered into the skin of your neck tiredly.

Now that he’d fulfilled his daylong craving- he was exhausted and ready to sleep as soon as he could.

“The best boyfriend. Can I wake you up t’morrow with my mouth?” You asked, gently rubbing your hand over his half hard bulge.

“Please. Y’never gotta ask princess”

Fin

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fluentmoviequoter · 2 months

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Keep Living with Me

Requested Here!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x Andersen!cop!reader (r's mom is Captain Zoe Andersen)

Summary: You fell in love with Tim Bradford quickly, and he receives your mother's blessing to propose. After you watch your mother's murder, his plans are thrown off and he gives you a place to heal.

Warnings: spoilers for ep 1x16 "Greenlight," parental death (Captain Zoe Andersen), grief, panic attacks, nightmares. comfort at the end! not proofread

Word Count: 4.6k+ words

Picture from Pinterest

“Good mornin’,” Wade greets as he enters roll call. “Before we get started let’s give a warm welcome to our newest Andersen. Welcome, all the way from Chicago! I know your mom is here so we’re all too scared to give you any grief, but I hope LA treats you well.”

“Thank you, sir,” you reply, nodding to the officers beside you.

“Andersen?” Tim whispers.

“Captain Andersen’s daughter,” Bishop answers. “She was working her way toward detective in Chicago but transferred a few weeks ago. Wanted to be closer to her mom, from what I’ve heard.”

“Meaning that if you want to lay some Bradford charm on her, you’d have to answer to your boss,” Angela adds.

“Cute,” Tim replies, giving Angela a fake smile.

“You said it.”

✯✯✯✯✯

“Officer Bradford,” you call, jogging to catch up to him. “I just wanted to say thanks for the assist back there. I don’t know how that second guy got past me, but I’m sorry for not paying attention.”

“It happens,” Tim offers with a shrug. “And it’s my job to have your back.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t deserve some thanks every once in a while. I’ll let you get back to your rookie, but, seriously, thank you.”

“No problem.”

Tim doesn’t know exactly when it happened, but at some point, after you arrived in Los Angeles, he got attached to you. Now, he keeps an eye out for you and shows you a side of himself that very few people are lucky enough to meet.

Calling your name, Tim beckons you back to his side. “Let me buy you dinner? As a thanks?” he asks, squeezing his hands together nervously.

“Why would you be thanking me? You saved me,” you remind him.

“Just-“

“I’d love to. But I’m paying,” you answer, smiling before walking away again.

“Doubtful,” he murmurs to himself before returning to his shop.

✯✯✯✯✯

Two weeks after your first date with Tim, you smile at him over your shoulder in roll call. You haven’t told anyone about your feelings, and Tim is just as happy to keep your relationship private for now – that’s something he made clear from the beginning, private not secret.

“Bradford, Andersen, the captain wants to see you,” Wade says as he enters the room. Neither you nor Tim move until he adds, “I think that means now.”

Once the door is closed behind you, you promise, “I didn’t tell her.”

“Relax,” Tim demands. “It’s probably not about us.”

He opens the door to your mother’s office, and she points for both of you to sit. Pulling your hands into your lap, you fiddle as she looks at a paper on the desk before her.

“Care to explain?” she asks.

“Explain what, ma’am?” you reply.

“You’re in here as my daughter, though I’m not thrilled to learn you and another officer are dating without my prior knowledge.”

You look at Tim, but he seems content observing this confrontation.

“Mom, I-“

“It better be a good reason,” she interrupts. “Because it’s been weeks since Tim asked me if it was allowed.”

Looking over at Tim, your mouth gapes before you accuse, “You told her!”

“I had to,” he answers. “I wasn’t dealing with her wrath, as captain or your mother.”

“So, you’re not mad?”

“Why would I be?” your mom asks. “You chose the best of them.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Tim says happily.

“Don’t think that makes you infallible,” your mother threatens. “I have a gun and I can fire you, and what I choose to do depends entirely on you.”

Tim nods severely, and they both chuckle when you release a relieved sigh.

“Congratulations,” your mom tells you. “I’m glad you’re happy, and I’ll see you both at dinner on Friday?”

Tim leads you out of the office, and you ask, “What’s Friday?”

“Probably a chance for everyone who loves you to threaten me.”

“Sounds fun.”

Tim reaches out for you, but you turn away quickly.

“You told my mother without telling me. No hugs for you until Friday.”

Smirking, Tim replies, “Yeah, you try holding out that long.”

✯✯✯✯✯

✯✯ 1 Year Later ✯✯

“I’ll be back in a few,” Tim tells you, kissing your forehead.

“Where are you going?” you ask, looking up at him from your spot on his couch.

“To get your favorite breakfast,” he answers. “Because I love you.”

“Be careful. I love you.”

After a year of dating, you and Tim easily acknowledge the depth of your feelings for one another. He makes you feel important, loved, and like the center of his world. It was easy to fall in love with Tim, yet every moment spent with him makes you happier.

While you wait on his couch, Tim heads to your favorite café. Fiddling with the box in his pocket, he smiles as he thinks of you. You’ve gotten to know him so well you have become practically impossible to surprise. (At least since he first told you he loved you, holding you close under a starry sky in the California desert.) This, though, should be the best surprise yet.

The bell over the door chimes as Tim enters, and he quickly finds the woman he’s here to meet.

“Good morning, Captain Andersen,” he greets, sitting across from her. She looks at him until he amends, “Sorry, Zoe.”

“It’s been a year, Tim, you’re going to have to get used to it at some point,” she teases.

“I will. I actually asked you to meet me here because I have a question about my future with your daughter.”

Zoe’s smile grows, sure that she knows where this is going. Tim removes the velvet box from his pocket and slides it across the table.

“I want to propose, ask your daughter to spend the rest of her life with me, but I refuse to do that without your permission. So, Zoe, my question is, will you allow me to marry your daughter? I can’t bring her half as much happiness as she brings me, but I will love her until my dying breath.”

“Tim,” Zoe begins, pressing the ring box back into his hand. “I would love to have you as a son-in-law; of course, you can marry my daughter. And if your proposal is anything like that, I can’t imagine her saying anything other than yes.”

“Is she going to cry?”

“Most likely,” Zoe answers with a laugh. “But you should get going before she gets suspicious.”

Tim stands with Zoe, pulling her into a hug as he thanks her. She reminds him that the family is having dinner together on Friday, and his standing invitation still stands.

“We’ll be there,” Tim promises. “And I’ll let you know when I pick a date.”

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim knocks on Zoe’s door a week later, entering her office and closing the door behind him.

“I’m proposing this weekend,” he tells her, smiling as he thinks of you.

“Take it easy this week, then. You want everything to be perfect,” Zoe reminds him.

“Yes, ma’am.”

✯✯✯✯✯

“Are you okay?” you ask Tim. “You’ve been… different.”

“I’m great,” he promises. “Just ready for the weekend.”

You nod, unconvinced by his brush-off answer. Trusting Tim is easy, so you know he will tell you when he’s ready. As the day progresses, with IA reversals, celebrities, and an attempt on Nolan’s life, you’re not sure you and Tim will be able to talk about whatever bothers him.

✯✯✯✯✯

When you hear about the shots fired and the greenlight on Nolan, you don’t hesitate to meet your mother at the scene. Not telling Tim yourself wasn’t a conscious decision, simply the result of your adrenaline surging and concern for your fellow officers. Lucy is talking to Nolan as you approach, walking behind your mother, and you notice Tim standing to the side, sending him a concerned look.

“According to intelligence, you’ve bee greenlit by Southern Front,” Captain Andersen – no longer acting like your mother – announces.

“How’s a rookie get greenlit before me? I gotta step up my game,” Tim adds.

“It’s not a badge of honor, Bradford,” you reply, giving him a stern look.

“I was kidding,” he promises, his full attention on you.

Listening to the facts and learning why Nolan is being targeted, you know that finding the gang in a city as big as LA will be next to impossible. As your mom and Nolan leave, you rush to catch up with them.

“I’m coming with,” you announce.

“Officer Andersen, no,” your mom argues.

“I have more gang experience, I assisted in countless cases in Chicago. You need to let me help.”

Shaking her head, your mother gestures for you to join them. You know you’ll get yelled at, lectured, and, if you’re lucky, encounter the wrath of a concerned mother rather than an undermined captain when you get home later.

✯✯✯✯✯

“K-9 unit already swept the property,” Zoe says as she leads you and Nolan into his place.

“Uh, no, Ben left for New York yesterday. So, what’s happening here?” he replies.

“The DA approved a VARDA alarm. It bypasses 911, sends a red alert to all the cops in the area.”

“So, what’s next?”

“That’s up to you.”

“I mean, I can’t just go to work, right? I’d be endangering everyone who came within five feet of me.”

“Being a cop is being at risk.”

“You’re saying I should just report for duty, act like nothing happened?”

“I think we tell the criminals what to do, not the other way around.”

“No matter the consequences?”

“No matter the consequences. But, look, it’s up to you. No one is gonna judge you either way.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Nolan, this isn’t about bravery. You have a family. Any cop who’s ever worn a badge understands that. It seems the system is up and armed. We have a unit parked out front. Try to get some sleep.”

“I’ll stay,” you offer. “And I’m sure West and Chen are on their way.”

“You call me if anything happens,” your mom demands. “And make sure West and Chen know that, too.”

✯✯✯✯✯

The next day, when you and Nolan enter the station, Tim gives Nolan a nod of approval. The rest of the officers break into a round of applause, and Tim’s eyes move to yours.

“You need to be careful,” Tim mouths.

“I promise,” you reply silently. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

✯✯✯✯✯

Riding in the backseat of the shop, you listen to your mom and Nolan while thinking about Tim. Being careful has always been a priority, but knowing that you risk not going home to the man you love puts everything into perspective.

The radio comes on as dispatch announces, “7-Adam-15, possible 459 in progress, 1936 Kristol Lane.”

“7-Adam-15, show us responding,” Nolan responds. “I hate this. Feels like everyone’s fighting my battle for me.”

“City still needs policing,” your mom points out.

An engine revs behind you, and you glance out of the back window, quickly noticing the nondescript van behind you. “Uh, mom?”

She nods once, removing her gun from its holster as the van moves into the lane beside the shop. You and Nolan similarly prepare to defend yourselves. The van sits beside the shop momentarily before turning onto another road.

“Uh, that was…” Nolan begins.

“Exilirating,” your mom finishes.

“I was gonna say ‘terrifying.’”

“What if we meet in the middle and say ‘dangerous,’” you recommend.

“That’s a good choice too.”

“7-Adam-15, go to channel 2 for Sergeant Grey.”

“Andersen,” Zoe calls after switching to the proper channel.

“It worked,” Wade says. “Midas forced Cole to lift the greenlight.”

“I guess you are back to being just another rookie,” Zoe tells Nolan as he takes a deep breath.

“But maybe keep your guard up for a few more days,” you suggest. “Just because there’s no greenlight doesn’t mean you’re safe.”

“Does this mean this little partnership is over?” Nolan asks.

“We got a burglary call to take,” Zoe answers with a smile.

✯✯✯✯✯

Following your mom and Nolan into the open door of the burglary location, you take the left side as your mother goes straight, and Nolan goes right. Nolan turns off a radio before a flashbang is thrown into the room. You cover your ears and move toward an assailant before he throws you onto the floor, taking advantage of your disorientation as another man sticks a cattle prod to Nolan’s chest. You’re unsure where your mother is, but as your eyes close, you hope she proves she’s always been the best cop in your family.

✯✯✯✯✯

You regain consciousness first, but the men don’t seem to care about you as they watch Nolan. Handcuffed to wooden chairs with your backs to the pool, you don’t have many options to break free, so you can only hope that your fellow officers have noticed how much time has passed since you radioed a code 6 upon arrival.

Nolan groans as he wakes, and you can’t warn him to stay quiet before he’s noticed.

“Look who’s awake,” Cole says as he turns toward Nolan, holding up the electrical prod. “Packs quite a kick, doesn’t it? It’s got four times the voltage as LAPD uses. Could probably cook the eyeball right out of your skull.”

Leaning back, Nolan replies, “Look, look, I did not intend to disrespect Astrid, okay? Or you, okay? And I would be happy to apologize.”

“Too late for that now. Only way this ends is with you dead.”

Your mom chuckles, and your head snaps toward her as she continues, “Yeah, I, uh, I’d heard that you were dumb, but it is shocking to see it in person.”

“Dumb?” Cole repeats.

“Dumb,” you say with your mother.

“Who lured you into an ambush with a false surrender?”

“Does your father know that it was false? Huh, junior? I can’t imagine that revelation’s gonna go too well, huh?”

“I think it’ll go fine.”

“Oh, he’s dubmer that I thought. What’s my rank?”

“What?”

“Her rank, idiot,” you interject. “You should be able to tell by her uniform.”

“Who cares?”

“I have a feeling you will.”

“You put a hit out on a rookie,” your mom adds. “But two bars and a badge that says ‘Captain’? You’ve just crossed a line that anybody with half a brain would run screaming from. A line that even your father might whack you for crossing. Understood? So, let me tell you how this is gonna go. You and your little goonies are gonna-“

Cole lunges forward, pressing the prod against her. You pull against your restraints as she yells in pain.

“Hey! Cole! No!” Nolan yells. “Hurt me! Right? I’m the one you want hurt, right? Killing me, that’s trouble you can handle, okay? But not her. You need to let her go.”

“Do you think I’m dumb, too?”

“No.”

Cole looks back and forth between Nolan and your mother. When he moves toward her, you and Nolan yell, “No!” but can’t stop him from kicking her chair into the pool.

“No! No! No!” Nolan chants, fighting the handcuffs.

While you pull as hard as you can, attempting to break free, you begin tipping your chair back toward the water.

“If the line’s already been crossed, then there’s no going back. Which means non of you are walking out of here. As long as your bodies never turn up, the murder can’t be pinned on me,” Cole says.

Twisting in your chair, moving onto two chair legs, you watch your mother struggle underwater through blurry eyes, your vision affected by your tears.

“No, you’re wrong,” Nolan answers before offering to make a video apologizing to Astrid. “Just get her out first. Right now,” he adds after Cole agrees.

“No, you got to make the video first. Come one!”

“Nolan!” you grunt, hoping he makes this quick.

Turning back to look at the pool, you think your mother’s arm is free, and as she swims to the surface, pulling one of Cole’s “goonies” into the water, Nolan tips his chair to tackle Cole to the ground. You move toward the other man, unconcerned, when he points a gun at you. Headbutting him once you’re on the ground, you flinch when a gunshot sounds in the pool.

“No, no, no,” you repeat lowly, turning toward the water’s edge.

Your mom raises over the edge, shooting the man standing above you.

“Mom, no!” you warn as Cole reaches for his gun.

You and Nolan struggle against the cuffs, and when a bullet hits your mom’s neck, time seems to slow down. She presses a hand to the wound before she lowers back into the water.

“No!” you scream, your voice cracking with emotion. “No, no, stay up!”

“No, Cap-“ Nolan calls.

“Mom!”

Nolan breaks his chair and dives into the pool as you watch helplessly.

“Come on,” Nolan repeats, beginning chest compressions.

“Nolan,” you whisper, sobbing against the wet concrete beneath you. “It’s too late.”

✯✯✯✯✯

Nolan tells you to stay still while he breaks your chair, but with your attention on your mom, that should be the least of his concerns. He frees you, pulling one end of the handcuffs away from the chair so you can move.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers.

“It- it isn’t your fault.”

You begin crying again, looking at the bloody water as you kick the pieces of the chair away from you. Releasing a pained yell, you move to your knees, sitting beside your mom as sirens approach.

Nolan is beside you, unmoving, until Wade places a hand on his shoulder. Tim rushes to your side, kneeling beside you as he pulls you up.

“It was Cole,” Nolan says.

Tim leads you away from the pool as the coroner moves your mom into a flag-covered coffin. As you follow the procession through the line of officers, you stop beside Tim, waiting for his nod before you continue.

After the coroner leaves and Wade dismisses everyone with instructions to find Cade, you avoid looking at Tim. You can’t fall apart until you catch her killer.

✯✯✯✯✯

When you walk into roll call the following morning, Bishop offers you her seat, and you gladly take the place beside Tim. He slides the black strap over your badge before taking your hand under the table. You stay behind the roadblock, letting Nolan and Tim approach Cole to make the arrest. Once he is in cuffs and in the back of a shop, you holster your weapon and keep your eyes on Tim.

He rushes to you, pulling you into his arms, holding you close as you cling to him.

“I’m sorry,” Tim says against your hair. “Do you want to go with them?”

Shaking your head, you move toward Tim’s shop, and Lucy nods as she finds another ride back to the station.

“I- I don’t know what I’m supposed to do without her, Tim,” you say when you’re alone.

“The hurt never goes away, but it lessens,” Tim promises. “And I’m right here.”

✯✯✯✯✯

Somehow, you manage to get through the funeral without falling apart. The moment you prepare to go home, to begin a life without her, that changes. You freeze on the sidewalk, looking back to the headstone.

“C’mon,” Tim murmurs as he approaches you. “You’re not staying alone tonight.”

“I can’t do this, Tim.”

“Yes, you can. Look at me. She loved you, and she wanted you to live and love, and do what you wanted to do. Do not let that monster take your life, too.”

Tim cups your cheeks, kissing your forehead as you nod.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. It- I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but you’re not alone, okay?”

“I know,” you whisper. “Thank you.”

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim holds you against his chest until you fall asleep, but you don’t get much rest before a nightmare wakes you. Slipping out of Tim’s arms, you walk into his backyard and close the door behind you. Sitting on his deck, you feel like you’re back in Cole’s yard, frozen and unable to do anything more than scream. Why didn’t you take action like Nolan? Get the gun somehow before Cole got away from Nolan? … Why didn’t you save your mother?

Pressing your hand against your mouth, you attempt to silence your cries, but you should have realized that Tim would notice the moment you left his side. He closes the patio door softly, sitting beside you.

“Can I come closer?” he asks softly.

You shake your head quickly, and your thoughts spiral. So many things could have been done differently, and maybe this is a sign that you should have never come to Los Angeles, never have become a cop and that you are the reason she is dead.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Tim calls, demanding your attention as he grabs your hand. “Breathe. Breathe with me.”

As Tim grounds you, you crawl toward him, letting him hold you as you fall apart in his arms. Crying into his chest, you eventually fall asleep again, and Tim whispers a promise that he will always be here for you.

✯✯✯✯✯

The first few weeks are the hardest as reality sets in, and you relive the moment. Tim never leaves your side, though, offering a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, or a reminder that you are not to blame. As the time between tears grows longer and you can look at pictures of her and smile, you decide you’re ready to return to work.

“Are you sure? If you need more time, that is completely understandable,” Tim replies.

“I’m sure. You told me not to let Cole take my life, and I’m ready to start living again.”

“Still room for me?” Tim asks with a smile.

“Loads of room for you,” you promise, leaning against him.

“Then I’ll be by your side the whole time.”

So, when you walk into work three months later, you assume that Tim is responsible for the round of applause and the “Welcome Back” banner hanging in the bullpen. You and Tim are both surprised by how easily you return to the station, smiling as you greet your friends and able to walk past your mom’s office with nothing more than a sad smile.

✯✯✯✯✯

After practically moving into Tim’s house after the funeral, you know where everything is. So, when he spills a drink while watching the game, unable to draw his eyes from the screen, he asks you to get him some dry clothes.

“Sure thing,” you reply, smiling at him.

Tim yells when his team scores, and you shake your head in loving amusement as you enter his closet. Moving a small basket to get a shirt from behind it, you accidentally knock something onto the floor. When you stand after picking it up, you realize that it’s a jewelry box. Opening it, you see the one thing you didn’t expect.

In the other room, one of the teams calls a time-out, and commercials begin playing. Tim realizes that you’ve been in the bedroom for a while, so he stands, stretching as he sets out to check on you.

“Did you fall into a-“ he begins, freezing when he sees you staring at the engagement ring.

“Sorry,” you say, snapping out of your shocked stupor as you close the box and put the ring back. “I knocked it off and didn’t think, uh, here’s a clean shirt.”

Tim grabs your hands rather than the shirt, stopping you before you can walk around him.

“I’ve had it for a while,” Tim explains. “I just- I could never find the right time to ask.”

Wiping a tear from your cheek, you press the shirt against Tim’s chest and ask, “Can you get dressed, please?”

“For what?”

“I need a hug, but you’re really wet.”

Tim laughs, changing right beside you before pulling you toward the bed. He rolls onto his side, looking at your face as you reach for him.

“What about the game?” you whisper.

“Who needs a game when I have you?”

“Well, if you’re not using the tv,” you begin, trailing off.

Tim sighs, kissing your cheek as he reaches over you for the remote. He turns on your favorite movie, inviting you to lay against his chest as you cuddle against him.

“Yes,” you say a few minutes later.

“Yes what?” Tim asks, looking down at you.

You pause the movie, rolling toward Tim to look up at him as you lay your chin against his chest. “If you proposed, I would say yes. No matter when or where.”

Tim smiles, and you decide to watch him rather than the movie.

Considering what his proposal may be like, you whisper, “I wish my mom was here.”

“A few months ago, I left to get breakfast, and then I was acting different the rest of the week. Do you remember that?” Tim asks. You nod, and he continues, “I went to see your mom that day. I showed her the ring and asked for her permission to propose. She told me that I had her blessing and she’d love to have me as a son-in-law.”

Tim smiles as he remembers Zoe's excitement after learning about his plans.

“I was going to propose the weekend that – that she died.”

“She loved you,” you remind him as he brushes his thumbs over your cheeks.

“And I love you.”

✯✯✯✯✯

“Get dressed,” Tim whispers in your ear as the movie ends.

“What?”

“Put clothes on. Unless you want to go to dinner wearing that,” Tim replies, gesturing to your well-loved pajamas. “Not that you don’t look beautiful, of course.”

“Move,” you mumble, pushing past him to reach the dresser he emptied for you after the funeral.

As he drives you to dinner, you watch Tim’s profile, feeling like the luckiest, most loved woman ever. He stops at a park, exiting beside a tree covered in fairy lights. Walking to the passenger door, he takes your hand and helps you out of the truck.

“Tim, what is this?” you ask.

“Something I should’ve done before,” he begins, kneeling. He looks into your eyes, reflecting the lights above you as he speaks. When you say yes, crying just as Zoe said you would, Tim stands, pulling you into his arms before sliding the ring onto your finger.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Hi,” you greet, lowering to sit in the grass. You look at the sparkling ring on your finger and smile. “Tim proposed. I- I wouldn’t have seen it coming if I hadn’t found it in the closet.”

The wind blows, wrapping around you like a comforting hug.

“He told me that he went to see you and you gave him your blessing. I know you loved him, and you knew how much I loved him, but… sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve him. He singlehandedly held me together after that day with Cole. And I don’t want to receive more than I give.” Leaning toward the headstone, you read your mother’s name and ask, “What do I do to show him I love him?”

“He knows,” Tim answers, approaching with flowers. “May I join?”

You smile, inviting Tim to sit with you at your mother’s grave. He lays the flowers against her headstone before wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

“What are we talking about?” he asks.

“Us.”

“That’s my favorite topic.”

As you fall back into conversation with your mom, and Tim joins you, you feel like your mom is sitting across from you. With her love and Tim’s, plus all the love you have to give, you know you will be okay. Great even, you think as you lean against Tim, and the sun glints off the ring on your left hand.

#tim bradford x reader #tim bradford imagine #tim bradford the rookie #tim bradford #requests #fem!reader #tw: death #cw death #tw parent death

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sgtmickeyslaughter · 3 months

Note

68 + 96?

68 Husbands In Love + 96 “Take That” Kiss/“Shut Up” Kiss

Hello!! Thank you for sending, I know the prompt was husbands in love, but I've been writing husbands non stop and was feeling nostalgic for boys in love (and denial) and thought i'd have a little fix it fun

as always my fics exist in my own cinematic universe where the cta is not a centrally organized transit system and is actually the most convenient form of public transit to use

“Did you just kiss me to shut me up?” Ian asked suddenly.

“Jesus Gallagher, keep asking pussy fucking questions like that and you’re going to get us kicked out for being underage,” Mickey huffed lightly, picking at his beer bottle.

Ian flushed with anger and indignation. Mickey was the one being a fucking pussy, he kissed Ian before robbing Ned’s house, he ran back to the van and kissed Ian like he fucking meant it and for a few minutes while they robbed Ned’s sleeping wife blind, Ian’s mind spun out of control with the possibilities that kiss opened up.

He’d ridden that high the whole drive back to the Milkovich house, running home like he promised to help dig up the body in his backyard. He even avoided a near disaster with the CPS workers waiting innocuously on the sidewalk, turning the misnamed Gallagher charm up to ten and convincing them to come back later in the week.

“It’s just that the county is doing rolling water shutoffs this week-and I know it will be a demerit if we don’t have water. But it’s unfair to put us at risk for something entirely under the county’s jurisdiction.” Ian reasoned easily, trying to make sure they don’t walk onto the property as soon as someone unearthed Aunt Gingers rotted corpse.

They agreed to come back after Friday, because Ian could be incredibly persuasive when he needed to be. And thank god for it because the scene he walked into was a fucking horror show, and that was before Fiona walked in with a femur in her hand.

They’d all hustled to make the house presentable and keep it that way, and his whole family left to find Frank, so he would actually show his ugly fuckin’ face when they called to talk with the social worker, so Ian was the only one home when he heard a knock at the door.

The last person he expected to see was Mickey Milkovich waiting wide-eyed on his porch. He was wearing jeans and a clean teeshirt with he sleeves in tact. They stared at each other for a moment before Ian finally opened his mouth to ask if Mickey wanted to come in.

Mickey just scowled and nodded his head towards the street to say come on, Gallagher. Like it was obvious and Ian was the one being difficult, but Ian was just shocked to see Mickey on his porch. Not trying to blend in with the shadows on the street, but standing under the flickering porch light, so he just followed the shorter boy.

Mickey led him up the stairs to the L, then over the turnstiles and onto the train, they leaned on the pair of train doors and got two stops before Ian worked up the nerve to ask where they were going.

His question was met with a non-committal shrug, “already pawned a couple of the overpriced trinkets we stole from naughty grandpa, figured I could buy you a beer for bringing us into the deal.”

From the way Mickey was looking up at him through focused eyes, rocking from the wobbling train car, his answer was a long winded way to say I’m taking you out to a bar, please be cool about it for once in your fucking life, Gallagher.

Ian grinned, ducking his head and trying to play it as cool as he possibly could. They got to the bar okay, it was divey little place on the Westside that Ian couldn’t believe Mickey would ever set foot in. Sure, it wasn’t very nice, but Ian wasn’t emitrely sure Mickey knew there was a whole city beyond Chicago’s southside.

The bartender tried to give Ian a funny look but Mickey just stood in front of him with a nasty glare until she handed over a couple of Old Styles.

The question came when they sat down at a table tucked cozily in one of the corners, Mickey grunted and mumbled at Ian when he tried to coax him into a normal fucking conversation, like they usually did when they hung out at the convenience store. His eyes were bouncing around, scanning the room anxiously, or boring into Ian in a way that made him want to squirm in his seat.

He seemed cagey, uncomfortable in the bar and in Ian’s presence, so the question was: “Did you just kiss me to shut me up?”

Mickey’s eyes snapped back to his face, searching and evaluating. “If I wanted to shut you up, kissing wouldn’t be my first option.”

Ian rolled his eyes, “whatever, I just don’t really get what we’re doing here. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you kissed me because you’re jealous and you brought me out here on a date.”

He watched Mickey’s face twitch as the word date fell out of his mouth, so he sighed and continued after a sip of his beer “but I do know better, you kissed me to shut me up and I don’t know why the fuck we’re here. You don’t need to worry about me fucking off completely just ‘cause I like going out with Ned, you’ve got a great ass and we have fun. If that’s all you’ve got for me, I can live with that, but don’t jerk me around like you’ve been doing today.”

Ian finished his beer and moved to get up. He was playing it a lot cooler than he felt and knew he would probably crumple when he got home, but in that moment he didn’t really care.

“Gallagher, wait- just sit down” Ian looked at where Mickey was staring up at him with a hand outstretched on the table, finally he added a quiet “please.”

And because Mickey was wearing his hair in that slicked back, pretty boy way Ian liked, looking up at him with pretty blue eyes and worrying his pretty bottom lip, Ian sat back down hesitantly. He tried to stare him down from across the table, but doubted he could pull off threatening to someone like Mickey. To his surprise, Mickey’s bitchy, nonchalant expression crumbled into something sad.

“I don't want to shut you up or anything, you’ve got it all wrong. I did want to… go out with you tonight, like that” Mickey admitted. “But I’ve never really - I don’t date. I don’t have a lot of friends, or hobbies. I’m not very smart, or funny and I think that as sad as it is, my life is going downhill from here, so I’m not really sure what we’re doing here either.”

“I’m a fucking asshole” Mickey looked up at him finally, daring him to disagree “and this, this thing we’re doing is stupid, and dangerous but I kissed you because I wanted to.”

Ian sat in shock, his mind spinning. Of all the things Mickey could have said, that was nowhere near what he was expecting.

“I think you’re really funny” was the first thing he could think to blurt out “and probably pretty smart, if you actually tried to use your head for anything.”

Mickey stared at him with a blank expression and the air turned awkward around them, Ian exhaled a quiet sigh “Can you just be normal with me? I like you, a lot. I would want to be your friend even if we weren’t hooking up, so let’s just hang out. Can we do that?”

That earned Ian a grin, finally. Mickey was easy to talk to when he wasn’t so deep in his own head spinning himself into agitated circles. He was surprisingly non-judgmental of Ian’s blunt, stupid humor and unusual moralistic view of the world, as much as he had a worldview at sixteen years old.

Ian got buzzed off three beers and they left when the bar closed down. The streets were pretty empty since it was a weeknight, and Ian boldly grabbed his wrist in a hard grip and pulled him into a darkened ally.

Mickey pushed a little but mostly allowed himself to get backed against the warm bricks of a nearby building by two of Ian’s strong hands snaking down his sides to settle on his hips. It felt like he’d wanted to do this a hundred times before, so Ian took just a second to grin, joyful and a bit gloating, before leaning in.

Hope you had fun!! :)

#gallavich #shameless #mickey milkovich #sgt says #ian gallagher #gallavich fanfic #prompt game

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girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 3 months

Text

tuesday again 1/30/2024

a good 60% of my brain is screaming in unemployment terror at all times so these will be somewhat abbreviated until that situation resolves itself

listening

sleeping on the ceiling by friday pilots club. this is a song by a five-piece alt-rock band from chicago that could EASILY open for mid-aughts fall out boy. i would like to think it is from the point of view of a freshly-turned vampire. listen this slot isn't about the best song i heard this week it's about the one that got stuck in my head the most

Hey, I swear I'm okay Honey, I been sleepin' on the ceiling all day Yes way, like hey I swear I feel great Looky, looky, love the feeling of being okay Yes way

spotify.

youtube

reading

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and the Amulet of Power by Mike Resnick. it was in a dollar book bin and i got it as a joke gift for a friend. mike resnick is a remarkably prolific writer who's done a lot of tie-ins. i don't have anything particularly notable to say about his star wars books but they are a sort of minimum viable product? they feel star warsy and don't annoy me on every page.

this book was published in 2003 and treats the people of the Nile delta and their beliefs with all the delicacy you might expect from a 2003 video game tie in novel. i do think the twist is being telegraphed way too hard. perhaps i should say instead of sending a telegram mr resnick has simply set the telegraph office ablaze as a signal fire. the titular triangle-pointed woman herself ms croft is VERY insistent she's just as good as the boys. this is pretty on par for my experience of 2003 empowering womens' feminism AND my experience in a male-dominated field so i can't really ding it too hard? aside from the racism, in the notably racism-free fields of archaeology and video games and archaeology video games, this book is aging a little strangely overall. i do not know if i will finish it before i mail it out to my friend, but despite its sins it is a very fast read.

watching

watched the four dungeon meshi episodes. it's cute! ProzD was an unexpected delight! it made me want to make something fancy for dinner but alas i still have to go food shopping!

some posts on my dash were talking about how the episode with the mollusks inside the living armor really got them hooked and i have to agree. i also saw the full potential of the show's speculative biology unspooling before me. i don't know if i currently have the brainwidth for the manga but it is going on my reading list for after i finish berserk. which is kind of like saying i'm going to watch chopped after i finish up hannibal

playing

forgot i had an original gen switch, given to me through a complex series in a complex series of friend barters back in uhhhh late '21? early '22? i got through 3/4 of the divine beasts the first time around and then could not crack the camel. it was well past time to create a new switch profile so i could start a new game without losing the old one.

omg twinnsssssssss

i did forget how goddamn big the map is. i have just now unlocked the camera and the memory quests, i have not really. done much more than basic tutorial and beginning of game stuff.

making

anxiously junebugging between a whole bunch of shit. finally figured out the correct charger/extension cord setup for my bedroom. replaced all the fluorescent lightbulbs and took them to be recycled. fixed the hall door enough so it latches closed and an irritated cat can't claw it open. tidied up the balcony and patio and repotted the surviving houseplants.

in textile news, started this cross stitch. this is a Bless This Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy Star Wars themed sampler, i have made two as gifts and had to throw out a mostly-completed one i made for me bc of the moths. but i now know exactly where this will go in this apartment and i already have the frame and i bought all the floss pre-being fired, so might as well? the real bitch of the situation here is backstitching the buildings. it's so start and stop. it's so much tan. i talked about this on the weekly siblingchat facetime and now my brother has requested one lmao. that's his christmas gift settled. i suppose.

i had somehow forgotten how loadbearing textile crimes are for me. i haven't done much of anything since the moth debacle, and that was almost two years ago. last night i found some suspicious holes in a camisole and i'm really really hoping it's just cat claws and not moths or carpet beetles or any other fun things that eat clothes.

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem #feeling unsettled. feeling petulant.

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mybrainismelted · 9 months

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ok, so this is my first publish gallavich fic - please go easy on me! A.U.gust Day 9 - College @gallavichthings

Ian is pretty sure he's never been this nervous in his life. The first day of College shouldn't be THAT big of a deal, right? But he's got butterflies he can't shake, and he thinks he might sweat right through his shirt before his first class is done.

"Breathe" he reminds himself as he searches for just the right seat - not too close to the front, not in the middle, and not too far back so he can't hear. Choosing a seat is serious business to the redhead.

Finally finding his perfect spot, he gets settled in and pulls out a notebook and pen. Finally taking some time to look around he feels his heart sink at the realization that everyone else seems to have fancy new laptops out and open. Shit.

"Ok, if I can have everyone's attention please?" he hears from the front of the room. "My name is Professor Micheals, but you can call me Brian. This is Mickey, my assistant. He will be available to answer any questions you may have."

Looking at where Brian is pointing, Ian feels his heart stop and then start racing at the sight of one of the most gorgeous men he has ever seen. Inky black hair, one eyebrow arched perfectly, and just a hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth as he waves to the assembled class.

As the class moves on, Ian struggles to stay focused on scribbling notes as fast as he can, while his eyes keep wandering to see what Mickey is doing. Usually sitting and apparently paying attention to what Brian is saying, but occasionally Ian has to quickly avert his gaze when Mickey turns to scan over the students.

When the class finally ends, he scrambles to get out of the room, not wanting to risk giving himself away and causing problems for himself on the first day of class. This continues for the next few weeks, Ian unable to keep his eyes off Mickey in class, and spending his nights scolding himself for his ridiculous schoolboy crush. Unfortunately, there comes a day when Ian realizes he is going to have to talk to the man - they have a paper due, and he's pretty sure it has to be emailed. He's just not sure how to make that happen given his lack of access to any kind of computer.

After the next class he takes a deep breath, steels himself, and approaches the ever-so-delicious looking object of his nightly fantasies.

"Ummm, hi Mickey?" he mutters, not 100% sure he actually said it out loud. Mickey turns around and quirks that perfect eyebrow. "Yeah, hey Red, what can I do for you?"

Ian explains his dilemma, and that he needs some help figuring out how to get his assignment in on time. "Ok, yeah, I had that problem my first year too." Mickey explains "There's a laptop loan program through the library, but you have to sign up pretty early. Let's walk over there now and I'll show you how it all works, see if there is one available."

"Uh, yeah, ummm… sure" Is all Ian is able to stumble out as the shorter man packs up his stuff and turns to lead the way out of the room.

Mickey does his best to engage Ian in some small talk as they walk, obviously sensing that he is uncomfortable about something. As they talk, they are both surprised to realize that they are both from the South Side of Chicago - and probably knew a lot of the same people growing up. "Sure explains the no laptop thing" Mickey says as they approach the doors to the library "Not many from our neighbourhood can afford that kinda stuff when they first get here"

Unfortunately for Ian, as Mickey had suspected, there are no loaner laptops available for the next 2 weeks, which means Ian definitely can't get one in time to turn his paper in this Friday. "shit, shit, shit" he mutters, wracking his brain to see if there is a way he can scrape together the money to buy a used junker from someone and hope it works.

Mickey looks at him for a minute, scratching his eyebrow with his thumb, and finally blurts out "look, I don't normally do this, but if you wanna come by my place on Friday you can use my laptop to type it up and send it."

"Yeah?" Ian whispers, completely overwhelmed by the offer. "are you sure? I can bring beer and pizza, I'll find a way to pay you back for this, I promise!" At that, he thinks he sees a flicker of something in Mickey's eyes, right before he winks and replies "Oh I'm sure you'll think of something, man"

Ian feels himself flushing, and can't help but think as he takes down Mickey's address and phone number that maybe, just maybe, College isn't so scary after all.

#gallavich #gallavich fanfic #a.u.gust 2023 #college au #eeek #am I really doing this

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spicysix · 10 months

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「eddie munson X gn!reader • roadtrip!AU」

2.7k words | prev | next | masterlist | ao3 warnings: trauma bonding! mentions of violence, of torture and of near-death experiences. also, they're both kinda in a bad mood. a nightmare will do that to ya songs of the chapter: ambrosia - carole king • move on - david bowie • i wanna be somebody (and the entire self titled album) - W.A.S.P.

Friday, July 25

Eddie Munson was a hard-headed prick.

Not completely, no, you’d find out already he could be convinced at some point, but it took a while. And you figured the morning after your night in Sioux Falls that he was actually being really nice until then. Because on topics that were more important to him, the man was tougher to break than a brick wall.

One of those topics? His van.

Because Eddie’s back was still not completely recovered from the night he’d spent on the front bench of the van, and because of his nightmare that had kinda ruined his night, you told him you should drive the van to your next stop so he could get some more rest.

And, oh boy, was he relentless about that.

He wasn’t like Steve and the Bimmer, it wasn’t about jealousy or fear of you breaking something or getting something dirty. No, it had to do with the mechanics.

You had both woken up early, thankfully, for he had spent almost an entire hour speeching and groaning and basically throwing a tantrum about how the van was old, bratty, difficult, damaged, faulty. And how the van needed certain specific things to engage, to accelerate, to break, to park. And how the van had tricks and wiles and gimmicks to work.

You heard it all silently, nodding, not doubting him for a second even though his dramatics were off the charts. Only after his show was over and he had thoroughly explained everything about the van’s problems more than once, only then you asked him to show you, and if you could try. He showed you, also complaining the whole time, and then you tried.

And managed it just fine.

“Shouldn’t doubt my expertise, Eddie,” you winked at him — your grandma would call you smug — and he grimaced with a blush to his ears while you left the parking lot you were practicing on and headed for the road. You were cackling the whole time.

You took the I-90 and headed east, as Eddie had been doing since Chicago — on purpose or not, you didn’t know. Leaving the prairies behind and welcoming the great plains’ monotony, the beauty of the Missouri River once you crossed it again, the sun high and almost oppressive above you.

You were still a little tired yourself, but Eddie let you choose the music once again, bobbed his head to Bowie’s voice and hid a wide grin behind his hand as he stared at the window’s landscape, took a nap after two or three songs, and it was all right.

── ⇌ • ○ • ⇋ ──

“You ever been to Yellowstone?” he asked, reading a pamphlet while you gathered some food supplies into your basket.

You had stopped around midday in a town right by the border to Wyoming for a bathroom break and to get some snacks for lunch and for the rest of the road. The mid-summer brought its peak, and so the little town was unusually full of people going and coming from all kinds of nature adventures and travels.

“Do I look like someone who has ever been to Yellowstone National Park on a family vay-cay, Eddie?” you answered without sparing him a look, an abnormal tone of sarcasm in your voice because, yeah, maybe family vay-cays were a triggering topic to you. And you were a little hungry, which in turn got you a little over-annoyed.

Eddie didn’t know any of that, though, and you instantly regretted the way you said it.

“I don’t know you very well, sweetie,” he retorted just as ironically, the nickname raised in pure poison, and it hurt more than you cared to think about in depth. “All I know is that you’ve probably worked at every single retail job in Hawkins, that you go to mine’s to buy… stuff every four months or so without much small talk, that you, Harrington and Buckley are glued at the hip and that we’ve stopped the world from ending together. Nothing else.”

You stopped your strolling through the market’s aisle and turned to him, sighing.

“I’m sorry, Eddie, that wasn’t nice of me. No, I’ve never been to Yellowstone. I’d really like to, though.”

He seemed to be caught off-guard by your sudden sincerity and stuttered some words that he couldn’t completely form.

“And I’m sorry if I never stopped for a conversation when I went to buy stuff from you. I should have.” You took a step further, getting closer to him, and he looked truly startled. Was he really this unfamiliar with apologies?

“Yeah, no, I-” He closed his eyes and sighed loudly, “You’re alright. I was just thinking about it…” He went back to the initial topic, maybe not wanting to linger on the emotional aspect of the conversation since he’d been enough emotionally vulnerable the night before, and waved the pamphlet about tourist spots in Wyoming right in your face.

You caught the pamphlet in your hands, handing Eddie the shopping basket for him to hold instead, and examined it. You went through its pages quickly but with enough attention to catch the most important pieces of information.

“We could give it a call and see if we can make a reservation? It’s unlikely since we’re in high season, but we can give it a try?” you asked, looking at him again and he was still looking at you as if you were a hard puzzle to solve.

He cleaned his throat, “Yeah, sure, we can do that.”

“Not like we have anywhere specific to be or a deadline to meet, right?” You winked, handed him the pamphlet and took the basket back, continuing on your shopping spree, back with your enthusiasm. “We gotta stop by the camping supply store!”

His laugh reverberated through the isle and into a little warm space between your ribs as he went after you with a muttered ‘Fucking Yellowstone, man’ under his breath; following your plans once again, giving you his trust so openly, and you wondered if you even deserved it. Probably not, but you’d take it either way.

── ⇌ • ○ • ⇋ ──

Everything fell into place perfectly in a summer miracle as you used a payphone to call the reservations number for a camping ground on Grant Village, a last-minute cancellation from a couple that had given you and Eddie the opportunity of a lifetime — you were also able to make a reservation for dinner on the Grant Village Dining Room for your first night. And as it seemed, the entirety of South Dakota’s population had decided to go camping all at once and left you and Eddie the final tent to buy at the store. You also bought other basic camping supplies that you didn’t have and deemed important. That government hush money was making itself very useful.

Eddie assured you he was fine to drive and so he took the wheel for the rest of your trip for that day — it was too early to stop yet, but Yellowstone was too far away still, so you’d find another place to spend another night. Your reservation in the National Park also didn’t start until the next day, so you’d have to wait anyway.

You were once again delegated to co-pilot duties, reading the map and giving Eddie directions. You also picked a tape of his own for the soundtrack this time.

Not even an hour in, something caught your eye on the map in your hands. “Eddie, what do you think about a lake day?” He chuckled and shrugged in response. “Look, there’s a lake less than ten miles from here.”

“Let’s go, then.” He didn’t take his eyes off the road to check where you were pointing at the map, just followed your instructions.

You drove for just a little while until you reached an exit with a plaque that read ‘Pine Haven’. In about 20 minutes, after a few more turns, some decision-making about which way to go, and the payment of a fee for entering the State Park, you were the closest you could get to the lake, in what looked like a growing little town with a few houses built. Eddie parked the van a little further away from the road and you both left it, you stretching your arms and legs as he went around to meet you on your side.

A man approached you, introduced himself as Coop, pointed at his house — told you to knock if you needed anything — and then pointed to the best way to the lake (actually a reservoir). He told you all about the region, the State Park, the reservoir, his family; and you and Eddie were enchanted by his hospitality, the fact that he barely batted an eye about the weird combination that the two of you were. So when he invited you to stop by later for a shower and dinner, you didn’t hesitate to say yes.

After that, you and Eddie changed clothes to more appropriate ones in the back of the van and walked a few more minutes until you were finally facing the reservoir waters. Eddie found the nearest tree and rested under its shadow in no time, taking his notebook and a pack of cigarettes from his jeans pocket. You came to leave your supplies by his side and looked around. There were a few families, not many, it was very quiet and you were glad. On the other margin, though, you could see a few more people — Coop had told you the roads were more accessible and the state park was first established there, making it more popular. But you liked that you were on a more recluse part of the reservoir.

You stripped to the top and sports shorts you had changed into — intuitively, subconsciously, somehow you had brought many useful clothes so far — and covered yourself in sunscreen. Eddie had sunglasses on and seemed to be invested in whatever he was scribing in his notebook, but you felt his eyes burning on you from time to time as you turned your back to him. It made you smile for some reason (your grandma would call it wishful thinking).

He was still wearing dark jeans, they seemed more ripped, but less tight than the ones you had seen him using before, and so he rolled the hems up, took off his Reeboks, and buried his feet in the rocky sand. On his torso, he had a white tank — a surprisingly bright color, but you guessed an all-black look would make it unbearably hot for him. The scars on his neck that went up the left side of his jaw to his cheek were pink in the sunlight, but he didn’t seem to mind showing them off.

You approached him and offered the sunscreen: “You should take care of those battle scars, Eddie. They’ll likely be more sensible.”

He looked up at you, eyes still hidden behind the sunglasses (unfortunately, for he had pretty eyes you’d like to be seeing) but he accepted your offer and protected his scars and uncovered arms.

“How come you don’t have any battle scars yourself, soldier?” he asked, still spreading cream while you stretched your limbs.

“Mine are just covered.” You pulled up the hem of your shorts on your left leg and showed him the bite marks you had received from the bats on your first encounter with them when you all went after Steve into Lovers Lake. Turned around and pulled the fabric of your top that covered the bites on your right shoulder blade as well. “I was the one who got Dustin and Erica out back in Starcourt, so. No Russian torture for me as well, luckily.”

You draped a towel on the sand and lied down on it, ready to catch a tan. Your sun marks wouldn’t look pretty, but you weren’t so worried about that.

“If you hadn’t cut the rope, maybe we would be matching,” you said finally, before closing your eyes and enjoying the burning on your skin.

Eddie didn’t answer you. You didn’t intend for it to come out in a mean way, but maybe that’s how he interpreted it. And maybe you weren’t sorry for that — he could use a little snarl.

You were on his team with Dustin in the final battle. You were there because you had been able to protect Dustin once before, and you were trusted to do it again.

Which you did. You kept Dustin safe.

But you couldn’t keep Eddie safe, because he had cut the rope made of sheets after you fell through the portal, and left you and Dustin in the Rightside Up as he went back and faced those demonic bats all by himself in the Upside Down. If he hadn’t acted so impulsively, maybe you could have gone with him. Maybe the two of you would have been a more fair fight against the swarm of bats. Maybe he wouldn’t have almost died, maybe you wouldn’t have to see Dustin crying over his limp bloody body, maybe you wouldn’t have your own nightmares about that night.

You tried not to dwell on it.

You tried not to blame Eddie for it.

You tried not to blame yourself for it.

“You slept on my bed last night?” he chose to ask after a little while in silence, his voice a little shaky, and you bit your lip to stop your own eyes from tearing up before answering. You didn’t like talking about it, and maybe neither did he.

“No, I waited until you slept and went back to mine.”

You left out the part that you watched him sleep for hours, he didn’t need to know. You didn’t need to scare him like that. To make him aware that you were afraid he would stop breathing at any second, that his skin would go cold and his heart would stop beating. Like it had happened before.

No, he didn’t need to know that his worse nightmare was the same as your own.

He made a noise in acknowledgment and you took a deep breath and focused on the sun kissing your skin and the laughter of the kids playing in the water a few feet away. He focused on whatever he was doing, and you kept it to yourselves whatever was plaguing your thoughts. The air was crisp with tension, and you hated it, but you tuned it out. You could talk about it later.

── ⇌ • ○ • ⇋ ──

You didn’t talk about it later.

You didn’t talk about how neither of you dared to go diving in the lake, how you lingered on the margins, only going as further as to where the water reached your knees.

You didn’t talk about how Eddie didn’t take off his tank top.

You didn’t talk about how a couple walked past the two of you and stared too openly and too rudely at Eddie’s facial scars.

You didn’t talk about how you asked just as rudely what the hell they were staring at. But he smiled gratefully at you for it.

You didn’t have to talk about it. You knew how each other felt.

So he dragged you to a more hidden part among the trees and shared a joint with you. You laughed about nonsense together and went back to Coop’s house still giggling. You shared a towel for your showers because Betty (Coop’s wife) only had one to spare and you didn’t mind. You shared a couch during dinner because the table was already filled with Coop’s family and some other welcomed tourists, and you both received tight hugs from Betty before you went back to the van for the night.

You thought it best not to take the tent out of its package, both of you too high and afraid you wouldn’t be able to put it back later — and forgetting about the entirely available back of the van. Oh, well.

You both agreed to sleep on the same mattress, as much space between you as possible, backs turned to each other. After what felt like enough time, after you noticed that he was already asleep, you turned slowly not to wake him and stared at his back for a while. The repetitive movement of his muscles was soothing, and you matched your breath to his. The warmth of his skin still radiated and reached you somehow, even with the distance still fairly big between you two. And his calm, even breathing rhythm scared away your fears.

None of you had bad dreams that night.

end notes: i've made way too much research about this area of Wyoming for this chapter. Pine Haven was actually only Incorporated as a town by december of '86. I have no idea how the town looked months before that, so I didn't describe it a lot, made it vague on purpose. fun fact: Coop is the actual name of the guy who, alongside his wife Betty, founded Pine Haven back in the 50s - at least that’s what the town’s official website told me lmao. i obviously have no idea if they were actually this nice, but i wanted them to be a very wholesome and welcoming couple for the sake of the fic. also! let's suspend our disbelief, i know the chances of them being able to get a last minute reservation on what's probably the most popular national park in the US was very unlikely if not completely impossible. but everything is doable in a fic-world, right? right. to yellowstone we go, then

taglist (is open!): @amira0303 @rupsmorge @wyverntatty

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fluff #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #lui writes #ifligh

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copperbadge · 1 year

Photo

The images don’t actually indicate this but my morning escalated so quickly.

I got up this morning and threw together a second batch of gluten-free mini bagels for little T, my coworker’s kid, who (if these work for him) will get to have bagels for the first time ever. I kind of enjoy how the bagel dough holds the form of my fingers after I’ve pushed it into the bowl. While that rose I was going to clean...

NaClYoHo for the day was supposed to be about crafting supplies. I had my craft supplies scattered over what I thought was four locations:

craft organizer boxes under the craft/sewing desk

a bin of stuff I am currently working on in the baker’s rack

a drawer in my hall cabinet

an end-table that has drawers that aren’t normally accessible because of the way it’s situated, which I thought was long-term craft storage

Turns out that I had, at some point, taken the craft stuff out of the inaccessible end table and filled it instead with stuff I thought I wouldn’t want access to very often -- mainly some ball caps and some less useful kitchen stuff (a tea set my gran owned, serving trays, etc). But I had a moth issue over the summer (resolved now) and I didn’t realize the moths had gotten into those drawers, so EVERYTHING needed washing. Gross.

Still, I cleaned all the stuff in the drawers or packed it in a plastic bag for washing later. While the dishwasher ran, I got to work on my craft stuff, mainly the fabric. You can see the organized “fabric drawer” in the photo above. There’s some unusual fabric (lace, t-shirts) that I’ll need to go through but I want to store elsewhere; this also doesn’t include fabric for specific projects, which I sorted into separate bins, or cross-stitch stuff, which went into its own pile.

But by the time I was done going through every container and sorting JUST the fabric and organizing it all, I was mentally unready to address the real nonsense that is all the smaller craft stuff -- beads and findings and art markers and such. A lot of my craft stuff won’t need much organization (the glue-and-paint box, the origami box, etc) but sorting through all the smaller stuff is going to take more time and energy than I want to expend today, so the craftageddon will have to continue into next week.

I felt like I really should push on, but I stopped to review how much I’d done and I really did spend significant time working this morning. I listened to “A Historically Bad Year To Retire” and “The Taylor Swift Ticketmaster Debacle” from The Journal, Friday’s episode of City Cast Chicago about property taxes and legal weed, “What’s Up Doc” from Radiolab which was a delightful and extremely touching tribute to Mel Blanc, and an episode of True Crime Obsessed (Finding Andrea Part 4) which did inspire me to go buy tickets to Patrick Hinds’ book tour reading in Chicago next year. That didn’t seem like a lot because they’re mainly short episodes, but all told it was an hour and forty minutes of work, so I feel accomplished timewise if not taskwise.

Dearborn, whose motto is “no legs, no problems” kept an eye on me to make sure the fabric didn’t maul me when I tried to fold it. Polk often makes herself scarce when I clean, and especially if I’m throwing boxes around....

[ID: Three images; the first, top left, shows a bowl with the lid lifted and a stiff-looking gluten-free bagel dough inside. Visibly imprinted into the dough are several finger marks. Second image, top right, shows my now-organized fabric drawer, with a bunch of fat quarters in a cardboard box set into the drawer, and larger pieces of fabric visible outside the box. Final image is Dearborn the tortie, sitting on the back of the sofa, all four legs tucked under her, chillin’ while she watches me work.]

#food #naclyoho #cleaning #dearborn and polk

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halstead4l · 3 months

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I Miss You, I'm Sorry (Part 2)

I’ve officially been in Chicago for a week. I still haven’t been to the district as I have been spending this first week back getting organized and settled in a new apartment-again. I feel good about everything again.

It’s a Friday night, so there’s no better way to then celebrate a good unboxing and move at the one and only, Molly’s.

Sitting at Molly’s being welcomed back by Hermann, he’s already told me that all my drinks are on the house.

“So, you ready to kick ass in Chicago again?” Hermann asks. I sip my beer.

“Come on Hermann, you know I am! D.C. was nice and all, but I’m not meant to sit behind a desk and fill out paperwork.” I tell him, smiling and taking another swig of my beer.

“You ready to see everyone?”

All I do is nod my head, showing a genuine smile.

“Well, well, well! Look what the cat dragged in! Only the best Intelligence Unit in Chicago!” Hermann greeted Antonio, Kim, Adam, Alvin, Voight, and Kevin. The only two missing were Erin and Jay. I could feel my heart sink. I guess that’s what I not only get but deserve too.

Everyone was shocked once they saw me. I was instantly greeted with hugs, a few squeals from Kim, kisses on my head and cheeks, and all smiles. I didn’t let my sadness show once I realized Jay was probably with Erin-it was expected and I was told that they would be each other’s new partner. Too, everyone loves Jay, he’s just that guy, THE guy.

“Alright, hey!” Hermann got our attention. “First round is on me for you guys, as a Welcome Back, Welcome Home (Y/N) but then, you’ll have to pay up! (Y/N) is covered for the night…understood?” Hermann tells us.

We all understood, starting our night out.

I walk over to Kim, Antonio, and Adam, pulling Kim aside.

“Hey, have you heard from Jay? Or Erin?” I ask her.

“Uh, Adam heard from him a few minutes ago. He said he’d be in a few minutes.” Kim reassured me. She could tell I was letting my emotions get the best of me. I missed Jay.

Minutes go by and everyone turns towards the door. There he is. Jay Halstead. I just look at him, taking everything in, emotions high. Erin is following close behind him, looks like they are finishing up a story; maybe about a case they recently closed or their upcoming schedules or plans.

I’m sitting on the inside of the table. Kim sitting next to me, Adam and Antonio sitting across from us. He doesn’t notice me, but I see him kiss the top of Erin’s head as she makes her way to our table and Jay heads to the bar. That was all it took. My heart shattered.

“Oh my gosh! (Y/N)! Hi! What are you doing back here?!” Erin asks me, hugging me.

I hug her back, “I am back in town! For good. I start with Intelligence again on Monday!” I tell her, smiling.

I see a tall, dark, handsome boy, heading for our table. Two beers in hand. It takes him a minute to notice but, he does. He’s shocked. I know him well enough, like the back of my hand, to know that his emotions are running at 100 miles/minute. The love, the hurt, the laughs, memories, heartbreak. All of it.

“(Y/N) …” is all he can manage to say to me.

“Hi Jay…” was all I could manage to get out, finishing the last sip of my beer.

Intelligence could tell there was some catching up to do so, they left us alone at the table. Erin squeezed Jay’s shoulder, walking away with the rest of the group.

“How…how have you been? How was D.C.?” He asked me.

It takes me a second to gather my thoughts because even though D.C. was good to me, I thought of Chicago and my people the entire time.

“D.C. treated me good, well. I missed Chicago and all of you guys the entire time though.” I told him, honestly, looking up at him.

“What brought you back home?”

“I told you. I missed all of you and Chicago. Besides, I think I’ve busted my ass enough to do more than just sit at a desk, filling out paperwork.” I tell him, showing a small smile. “Enough of me…how are you” I ask him.

He takes a sip of his beer, not breaking eye contact. “You know how I am. I’m always good. Keeping my head down in work, kicking it here at Molly’s, sports.” He tells me.

“And how is everything with Erin?”

“What do you mean? We’ve been partners.” He looks at me, confused.

“Oh, come on…I saw her squeeze your shoulder when she walked away AND when you guys walked in, before you went to the bar, you kissed her on the head. Partners don’t do that; boyfriend and girlfriends do that. You’re not as slick as you think you are anymore.” I tell him, taking another sip of my beer, preparing for my heart to shatter even more.

He coughs, clearing his throat, not knowing I saw what I saw earlier.

“Uhm, yeah. We’ve been together for a couple of months now. Three, almost four.”

I could tell that that was hard from him to tell me. I could tell that he didn’t want to tell me. He didn’t want to hurt me. It did hurt but, I deserve it. I left him, the both of us heartbroken.

I slowly nod my head. Thinking. I take another sip of my beer and push it away.

“Good, good! I’m glad you’re happy and doing well.” I tell him, faking a smile. “Well, on that note, I think I’m going to call it a night.” I tell him, slowly getting up from the small table.

“(Y/N) … Jay calls after me.

I smile, walking away, walking to the group.

“Alright you guys, I’m headed out, calling it a night.” I tell everyone, getting hugs from everyone. “I’ll see you boys and girls on Monday morning.” I tell him, smiling, and hitting Antonio’s shoulder as I make my way past them.

I can feel the tears threatening to spill. I turn back around once more, at him. He’s looking at me. I nod my head and walk out the door, into the cold Chicago air, a tear sliding down my cheek.

It’s not long before I hear Molly’s door swing open, letting the music blast outside for a second or so. I don’t turn around, but I notice the voice.

“Why did you really come back to Chicago? Why?”

Jay.

I gulp before turning around.

“I told you already…”

“That might be true, and I do believe you but, what’s the real reason (Y/N)?”

I feel a few tears slip. I quickly wipe them away.

“I wanted my life back. I wanted to work with the people that mean the absolute most to me. Chicago is where I made myself, it’s where I grew up. It’s where I met you. It’s where I fell in utterly, complete love with you. It’s where you are.” I get out, not holding anything back.

Before he can say anything else, I finish my thoughts, my truth.

“I’m still in utter, complete love with you. I never wanted to leave you. I hate that I left you the way that I did. Quick, short notice.”

The more I ramble on, the more I feel more tears threatening to spill. Jay doesn’t say anything, yet. I just suddenly feel his embrace, his warmth.

“I miss you, I’m sorry.” The last thing I say before I hug him back, letting the tears fall. Catching my breath.

#jay halstead #chicago pd #chicago #fanfic #halstead #jay #requests open #dms open #anon ask #flood my inbox #Spotify

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citygirlcharlotte · 2 years

Text

The Sister Halstead (Part 1)

Masterlist

Pairings: Hank Voight x Female OC, Jay & Will Halstead x Female Sister!OC.

Warnings: None

“Jay hates me Will, I don’t know what to do anymore” I complained as I sat with my newly found brother Will Halstead.

Let me back up a little bit. My name is Charlotte Lahey and up until 2 months ago, I didn’t know I had two half-brothers. Turns out, my mother happened to catch the eye of Pat Halstead 30 years ago and now I exist. Unfortunately, or fortunately, for me, mom took off when she learned she was pregnant and married the incredible man I know as my actual father.

When I was 16, I found out about my birth father but it never changed anything for me. I was the daughter of Charles & Ava Lahey and that was that. For my 25th birthday however, I had a PI do some snooping into my biological fathers side of the family and low and behold, 2 brothers.

Having split my time between Chicago & New York growing up, I never realized I had brothers just walking around the city I love. I decided 6 months ago that I would move back to Chicago to take over my father’s business there and at the same time do some snooping. It was surprisingly hard to figure out how to introduce myself to my brothers. Thankfully I didn’t have to because I ended up in Will’s care at Chicago Med when I fainted on a job site and nearly cracked my head open.

Which brings me to today. From the beginning, Will and I got on like a wildfire. This might have been because we’re both strawberry blonde & a little naive though. Jay however, did not take a liking to me at first or even now. He did not appreciate me insinuating that our father cheated on their mother with mines but after a while the evidence was irrefutable, thanks to the DNA test.

“He’ll come around.” Will coaxed, looking at me with a sad expression.

Luckily for me, will accepted me with open arms and we tried to get together often. With his work schedule as a doctor and mine as an engineer, it was difficult but we made it work.

“But what if he doesn’t? He just sees me as a little brat.” I lamented.

Our introductions didn’t help when Jay and Will realized that I got the tall end of the stick when it came to life. I think Jay resented me for that, giving that their upbringing in the south side of Canaryville wasn’t exactly peaches and cream. I was fortunate that my father Charles was an accomplished engineer who worked his butt off for his wife and daughter and in turn had much to show for it. I do admit that I’m the typical daddy’s money, high maintenance, city girl but since becoming an engineer myself and taking over our Chicago office, I’ve really made a name for myself. Not that jay cared anyway. He couldn’t get past the boarding schools, the gifted penthouse or fancy car my father afforded me.

“Just give him some time. You know he already had a difficult relationships with dad, this just adds another pile of dirt to his grave.”

All I could do was shrug. Eventually, Will’s lunch break was over and I drove him back to Med before deciding to drink some problems away. It was fuck it Friday after all. I ended up in a less than impressive establishment somewhere near the south side, drinking my worries of never having a relationship with my oldest brother away.

“Double scotch” a voice said beside me at the bar.

I glanced sideways once to see a guy in a leather jacket sat next to me at the bar. Only there were plenty of open seats not directly next to me.

“The bar top is nearly empty, why the hell have you decided to sit next to me?” I asked the guy.

He looked over at me with a slight scowl before taking a drink.

“Definitely the company sweetheart.” He said sarcastically and downed the rest of his drink.

“You think you’re tough because you can shoot scotch?” I laughed.

“Beats that bottom shelf tequila you’re drinking.” He shrugged, motioning to the bartender for a refill. Intrigued, I motioned for one too.

As the drinks were brought over, I offered a cheers to the guy before shooting back a double scotch and nearly spitting it up.

“That’s fucking disgusting.” I choked, trying to will myself not to throw up.

“You got some balls kids. Hank.” He introduced.

“Charlie. Hank is such a terrible nickname, I’m assuming for Henry?”

“Yeah, you don’t really get to choose your nicknames. Charlie short for Charlotte?” He asked.

“Yeah. Well nice to meet you Henry.” I smirked, offering my hand.

“You too Lottie.” He laughed, returning the gesture.

We ended up at a booth slamming back liquor and making small talk. Thankfully, we never asked any questions about each other besides our names and mostly complained about Hockey.

“Fuck, I better head out. Didn’t realize how late it was getting.” I groaned, seeing as it was almost 2 am.

“Nothing but sketchy cabs at this time sweetheart. C’mon, you’re better off taking my couch.” Henry motioned as he closed out the both of our tabs and grabbed my arm.

“A little forward don’t you think?” I laughed, stepping outside into the cold Chicago weather.

“You wish.” He smirked with a roll of his eyes and offering me his jacket. I gladly excepted as we trudged our way through the streets until I found my car.

“What about my car.” I whined. He stopped in his tracks, turning his head toward my vehicle.

“Get in, you can park it in front of my house.” He informed me as I happily handed over my keys and got into the passengers seat.

“Don’t crash her.” I warned.

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to know what it would cost to replace her if I did.” He laughed.

Before I knew it, I was climbing the stairs to his house and happily kicking my way out of my shoes.

“You can take my room.” He told me, pushing me towards the staircase.

“Not necessary, just give me a blanket and I will happily crash on your couch.”

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you do that sweetheart?” He smirked.

“The kind who really doesn’t want me to climb anymore stairs after shooting scotch.” I laughed, making my way to the couch and getting comfy.

Seeing as it was nearly 3 am at this point, I set an alarm and began to get ready to knock out.

“Here’s a blanket and a hoodie and sweats you can sleep in.” He told me, coming back from the upstairs in a t-shirt and sweatpants. He looked good casual.

“You’re the best. Turn around, I’m too lazy to walk to your bathroom.” I informed him, before slinging his leather jacket back to him and stripping down.

“Stripping down on the first date?” He laughed.

“You wish Henry. I never did catch your last name.” I asked, finishing my task and walking towards him.

I touched his shoulder as he knew it was safe to look at me and turned around. He didn’t reply but pointed to the inscription on his hoodie.

“Last names Voight sweetheart.”

“I’m Charlotte Lahey. Nice to meet you Henry Voight.”

#chicago pd #hank voight #hank voight x reader #jay halstead #jay Halstead x reader #will halstead #will Halstead x reader #chicago fire #chicago med

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julessworldd · 2 years

Text

Cheerleader and future rockstar part 2

Warnings: arguments, cussing, running away, smut, Izzy being a cutie pie 🥰. Should be it. It’s a little shorter than i planned on but she’s here! Hope you guys enjoy:))

I pulled away from Izzy, looking up at him. His brown eyes were so gorgeous up close, swirls of chocolate candies dancing. “It’s rude to stare”, Izzy brushed a strand of hair out of my face. “Sorry”, I blushed and backed away some. Izzy grinned, “But a pretty girl like you it don’t matter” I kissed his cheek.

We walked into one of diners my father owns, “Hi how many? Judith!”, Traci got startled. “I’ll work a weekend so you can have time with Paul. Just don’t tell dad okay”, I smiled. Traci sat us down and smiled as she walked away. The whole restaurant was gonna know little Channing brought a boy in. Whose daddy is gonna shit when he finds out who it is. “You work here?”, Izzy asked. “Sometimes but my dad owns this one and two more by the interstate. He owns Wilson’s pharmacy, the record store downtown. Some stuff in Indianapolis and Chicago too”, I said waiting for Annie to come up.

“Damn you are rich”, Izzy laughed. “Mommy and daddy are rich not me”, I spat back. “Hi I’m Annie. Your daddy is gonna have your head, what can I get for you?”, Annie looked like she seen a ghost. Izzy giggled.. “Annie, this is Jeff. I’ll take my usual”, I giggled back. She took Izzy’s order, “Tracie is busy in the back. But she wanted me to tell you, she ain’t a snitch so you don’t have to work”, Annie sat beside me. “I said I would” “She doesn’t have Paul this weekend and she needs the extra money”, Annie said. I nodded. We left have we ate, Annie and traci made everyone swear they won’t tell my dad that I was skipping with a mystery kid. “You actually work for them?”, Izzy asked. “Sometimes, not just to keep them quiet when father comes in. He don’t care either way, he’s likes my brothers and little sisters more”, I said.

Two weeks after graduation

Izzy told me he was leaving for LA this week and he still wants me to go with him. “I understand if you don’t want to, but I really would like to have my girlfriend with me” “I’ll come with you, why wouldn’t I?”, I giggled. “I have 500$ saved up, we can live on that until we get a place.” Izzy said. “Okay”

We were leaving Friday morning in my car to California. Two weeks with driving the map said.

There was a small knock on the door, “Come in”, I said looking up from my vogue magazine. My little sister, Jackie walked in. “Hi Jackie, what’s up?”, I smiled as she plopped on the bed. She sighed. “Jackie” Another big sigh, “What is it, Jacqueline?”, I threw my magazine down. “I heard you and Jeff on the phone. Are you leaving me and Katie?”, she looked at me with sad eyes. “I told you to stop listening to my conversations!”, I sighed and rolled my eyes. “You are leaving us! Why??”, Jackie screamed. “Jackie! It’s just a vacation, Izzy wants to go see Hollywood. He wants me to go”, I grabbed the little girl so she could look at me. I know I’m lying to her but I might come back. “Okay, long as you come back”, She smiled. “When’s daddy coming home?”, she asked. “I don’t know, soon enough”, I smiled.

Friday morning came along, I was finishing packing when a knock came through the door. “Just a minute.” I slammed my bags under my bed. “Come” “Hi darling! So sorry we missed your graduation, we got held up in Chicago”, my mother walked in. “It’s okay Mom. Glad you’re back”, I smiled. Shit!! I was gonna sneak around to the maid’s quarters and run to my car. “What’s wrong darling?” “Nothing, just tired”, I lied. She smiled and walked away. I called Izzy’s, “Come on come on” “Isbelle residence”, Kevin picked up. “Kevin! Is Izzy is busy? Hurry!” “Jeff, it’s your girlfriend”, Kevin yelled. “Hi baby” “Izzy! My parents showed up don’t leave yet. I’m sorry but can we leave tonight instead?”, I sighed. “Of course, Jude. You okay?” “Just worried, but I’ll manage. I love you”, I replied. “It’s gonna be okay. Love you too”, Izzy grinned. “I’ll see you at 11”, I said.

It was dinner time soon enough, I stayed locked up in my room the whole day. “Where have you been, Judith?”, Father asked as I sat down with Katie. “In my room, I got another headache”, I said. “Did Nancy get you some meds?”, he asked. “Uh I had some in dresser still. Lucky me”, I smiled. “That’s good, buttercup. I want you to come to office with me tomorrow”, Father said as he drank some of his whiskey. “What for?” “I want you to get the feel of owning a business, well managing them”

“Daddy! Sissy has a boyfriend”, Katie interrupted. “That’s nice Katie. Now Judith, I think you would like the store in Chicago. She has a what?”, Father was saying. “Judith Monroe Channing!”, Mother gasped. “He was in my English class this year. He’s nice, daddy”, I panicked. “I would like to meet him, after work tomorrow. If that’s okay with you”, he smiled at me. “That’s perfectly fine with me, Daddy”, I smiled back. Fucking Katie! Jackie looked like she was gonna burst at the seems to tell them I’m ditching town soon. After dinner, I finished packing. Jackie walked in, “I’m gonna miss you”. “Awh honey. I’ll be back to visit”, I pulled her into a hug. Everyone was asleep, my parents were drugged up on quaaludes and ppainkillers.

I pulled up at Izzy’s house, his mom was working a late shift at the hospital. Izzy jumped in, “Hi gorgeous” he looked around, “Where’s the dogs?” “I couldn’t risk them barking and waking everyone up. Besides the twins will need someone to play with”, I sighed. “Baby, if you don’t want to go with me it’s okay I’ll catch a bus”, Izzy grabbed my hand. “No I wanna go with you. Just that Jackie knows I’m leaving and god. The look on her face when I told her it was a vacation” I started to cry.

We made it to LA in 10 days, it was so different here. I could tell we make this our home soon. “I think I found a place in Huntington Beach”, I said. “Really how much?” Izzy asked. “200 a month”

Izzy and I were making out on the couch, he had his hand behind my head as we kissed. Izzy was shirtless, trying to pull down my shorts without pulling away. “Mhm, Iz” I pulled away needing air. I pulled my shorts and shirt off, leaving me in my bra and panties. “‘Now that’s more like it, Channing”, Izzy grabbed my ass. “No it’s not, take your pants off”, I smirked. Soon enough I was braless on top of Izzy. “You sure you handle me this way?”, Izzy rubbed my nipple. “Mhm, I’m a big girl” “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya, princess”, Izzy smirked like a smartass. I put my hand on his mouth, “You talk too much”, I slide down him.

“That’s a good girl”, Izzy said bucking his hips into mine. I kept bouncing on him, feeling my tummy knot up. He reached in between us, rubbing my clit. I fell forward to his chest as he rubbed me. “Mhm don’t stop”, I moaned at his ear. Someone knock on the door, as I was close. “Fuck really? People now!”, I whined getting off of Iz. We got dressed before Izzy opened the door. “You’re lucky I got the manger to leave”, Bill smirked. “Fuck! Not you”, Izzy sighed. “Hi Bill” I laughed. “Hi Princess. It’s Axl now”, he waddled in. “Nice place. Are these Izzy’s or yours?”, Axl had my red panties dancing on his finger. “Gimme that”, I blushed as took them away from him. Izzy was banging his head on the door frame, “Stop banging that pretty head of yours, see if he has a place. I’m gonna go shower”, I kissed his forehead.

March 1986

Izzy and Axl had someone coming for the bass position of the band. Izzy drugged me along. “What the hell are you doing with a punk dude?”, I asked. “Branching out, princess”, Axl said as he took a drag from his cigarette. “Uh huh”, I rolled my eyes, this band had so many members come and go it was insane. “This is Axl, the singer and that’s my girlfriend, Judith”, Izzy walked with this 6’3 blonde kid dressed in a Johnny thunders tee. “Does the child have a name?”, I asked. He couldn’t be no more than 19. “Duff and I’m 21”, he smiled. “My apologies”, I replied. Izzy walked over and hugged me, “Stop being mean. Tracii said he was really good”. “I’m not being mean” “Sure you’re not, baby. I seen the resting bitch face”, Izzy kissed my neck. “I’m like with new people. Okay quit Izzy!”, I giggled as he nibbled on my ear. “Ax! Test out your mic now” one of the sound techs said. Axl walked up and let out his infamous screams. The look on Duff’s face was hilarious. “We’re still waiting on the results to see if he’s part banshee”, I told him. He just nodded. Soon enough Steven and Slash joined.

“Is Ax always this angry?”, Steven asked. “Long as I’ve known him”, I said. Steven nodded and Duff grinned. “How long have you and Izzy been a thing?”, Duff asked. “Six years in May” “Damn the longest I’ve had was a year”, Duff said. “3 months for me”, Steven giggled. I patted his shoulder, “you’ll get a girlfriend soon enough, Stevie”.

“Izzy!”, Axl busted in. “Izzy! Where the fuck is your husband?” “First off. Don’t bust in my place like that and he’s at the store. So sit your manic ass down!” I gave a scowl. “Sorry Jude”, Axl sat next to Duff. “Why are you so goddamn happy anyways?”, I scoffed. “I need my guitarists here for this, princess” “My apologies, my lord”, I rolled my eyes. “Hey don’t shut the door, ass wipe!” Slash yelled as Izzy walked in with bags. “Fuck! Who die?”, Izzy looked around as Slash slammed the door behind him. “Will you guys stop slamming my door like you own the fucking place? Nobody died, Iz I don’t think”, I walked to him taking some bags to the kitchen. “Judith! So you guys remember that dude that claimed he worked at the a record company?”, Axl stood in front of us, I stood in the frame of the kitchen. “Yeah Tom something”, Slash said. “Well, he actually does. He talked to his boss showed him the demo I had. Anyways this Greffen dude wants to sign us, a 4 album deal, tour with Motley Crue this summer”, Axl said. The room was silent as we all looked at the ginger singer. “Ax, shut up”, Izzy grumbled. I grinned, holding my tongue.

The phone rang as Izzy was in the shower, I laid on the couch watching a rerun of Mash. “Hello?” “Hi I’m looking for a Izzy. This David Greffen, I’m sure Axl has told everyone about the deal. Is Izzy around.” “Yeah hang on”, I laid the phone on the table. I busted in the a bathroom, jerked the curtain, “Get your fucking ass now! Axl wasn’t lying, the Greffen dude is on the phone. Hurry!”, I pulled his hand. “I have shampoo in my hair still”, Izzy sighed grabbing a towel as he ran to the phone. “Yes, I’ll be there” Izzy ran back to the shower to rinse his hair and body. “I’ll be back soon as I can”, Izzy ran to the door. “Excuse you, Jeffrey”, I spat. “Oh fuck. I love you, bye bye”, Izzy kisses me and my cheeks.

Sure enough Izzy’s ginger counter part wasn’t lying about the deal. The boys had been in the studio for two months non stop. Izzy was finally a rockstar, playing in band like Keith Richards. The 18 year old I started going out with be so fucking happy that he actually got his dream. Of course I was happy for him, he worked so hard to get here.

They were filming their first music video for MTV for Welcome to the Jungle. It was a fan favorite on the strip and was really good. Izzy was nervous, he was afraid he couldn’t fake play right, panicking if he chose the right outfit for this. I was talking to Steven’s girlfriend, Adrianna. She wasn’t my favorite person even before she cheated on him with Axl. Can’t believe he used them fucking on Rocket Queen, the parents would love that one.

Suddenly she smiled, I turned around to see Duff standing behind me. “What is it, Duff?”, I asked looking up at him. “Iz wants you, he’s in his dressing room”, Duff smiled. “Thanks”, I patted his shoulder as I passed him. I was gonna knock on his door, when he pulled me in. “Izzy! What the hell?”, I yelped as I went face first into his chest. “Judith Judith, sweet Judith. Did Duff tell why I wanted you?”, Izzy smirked. “No, he’s probably half lit”, I said, running my hand down his chest. “After all this time, you’re still so innocent”, he kissed behind my ear. I whimpered, “Better hurry, you only got 15”. “Perfect”, Izzy reached between us and got to my panties.

Izzy had pinned down on the floor as he pounded from behind. “Mhmm! Fuck go harder”, I whined. “Go harder? I’ll end up breaking you, kitten”, Izzy keep thrusting in and out of me. “Please”, I turned my head to look at him with puppy eyes. Izzy reached down and rubbed my clit around. I grabbed my panties, biting down on them as my stomach tightened. “Good girl” “4 minutes!” A roadie yelled. My stomach was cramping up, I felt different before my release. It hurts but doesn’t either. I moaned so loud, “Izzyyy!!” I came but felt like I pissed myself. Izzy laughed, laying his head on my back, “Yes, you squirted kitten. Told you we had time” “Fuck you” I whined as he pulled out. “Cute! I did fuck you, Kitten. You good?”, he rubbed my back. “No I’m embarrassed”, i blushed, now I was facing him as he held me. “Don’t be. It was hot, I really enjoyed myself with you. Come on I’ll help you”, Izzy kissed me. Izzy managed the best he could to clean me up and the mess on the floor. I looked down, “Why is not thick?” Izzy snorted, “I don’t know, love. Turn around” Izzy cinched my dress back up, “There”

“Just sit on the amp, you can still see me”, Izzy kissed my temple. “Hey. Love you”, I smiled. “Love you too, kitten” “Hey slut”, Duff’s girlfriend, Mandy smiled. “You heard?”, I asked, sorta blushing. “We all did. Was it good?”, She asked. “Yes it always is, but this time was different”, I said as Axl looked over at us. “What do you mean?” “Towards the end, i uh felt different”, I started tripping on my words. “Lemme guess you squirted. Yes it’s normal but it won’t happen always.”, Mandy smiled. “Oh thank fuck! She’s not broken”, I sighed. Mandy laughed, “Hey girls”, Adrianna smiled. “Oh hell. Hiya”, I giggled. “What are you two so giggly about?” She asked. “When she was with Izzy, she squirted for the first time”, Mandy said, smiling as Duff looked her way from the stage. “Oh welcome to the club, whore”, she kissed my cheek. “Is it that big of a deal?”, I asked. “Kinda”, Adrianna smiled.

After they filmed the video, they were an overnight stars. Every teenager, kids our age heard them, they wanted to see them. They were over the moon, but they had an album to finish. Axl was starting to become a diva and everyone walked on eggshells.

The door opened, “Hey Kitten”, Izzy smiled. “Hi, how was it today?”, I smiled, getting up to kiss him. “Better. I kinda blocked him out. Get dressed I wanna take you to dinner”, Izzy kissed me back. After dinner we were walking around. “You still happy here, love?”, Izzy asked. “Yes why do you ask that?”, I said. “I don’t know I’ve been thinking.. still thought you wanted to go back home”. “Jeff, home is wherever you are. I would be in Chicago taking care of dad’s businesses”, I rubbed my thumb across his hand. Izzy smiled, “I love you so much! Thank you for driving cross country to support my dream”, Izzy kissed me. “Love you too, handsome”, I giggled, nipping his ear playfully. Izzy gently pushed me against the brick, “You are so beautiful, my love” “mhm kiss me?”, I smiled. Izzy started to kiss me, but someone yelled my name. I finally seen my sister, Jackie. But she wasn’t nine anymore but looked to be 15. “Jackie?”, i walked towards her. She hugged me, “What are you doing out here? Where’s Katie?”, I hugged her back trying not to cry.

“Jackie! There you are, don’t take off like that. Judith?”, our mother said with Katie behind her. “Hi mom”, I smiled. She stood there stunned, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you or dad that I was moving. Can’t believe Jackie kept a secret this long”, I said as she walked towards, she was pissed. “Oh Judith, my sweet girl!”, she brushed my hair out of my face. “It’s okay. You should have told us, we would have funded your trip well move”, she smiled. She hugged me. “Cheryl! Why did Jackie run away?”, I heard my father walk up, I tensed up. “Daddy, it’s Judith”, Katie said.

“Hi dad. Miss me?”, I smiled. “You’ve grown up on me”, he looked like he was about to cry. He pulled me into a hug, “Thought I lost you for good, Judy” I almost cried at that, always thought I wasn’t his least favorite child. Izzy stood there, unsure what to do. “Who did you run off with anyways?”, he asked. “Remember Katie telling you I had a boyfriend the night I left? Well it was him”, I said looking at Izzy. Izzy walked up behind me, “Oh you’re Sonja’s oldest, uh?” “Jeff but I go by Izzy”, He shook my fathers hand. “Thank you for taking care of my baby”, my mother said. “Not a problem at all, she’s great”, he rubbed my arm. “Is your singer single?”, Katie asked. “Katelin!”, I huffed, rolling my eyes. Izzy giggled, “Uh hard to tell anymore” “Izzy”, I looked at him. My parents and sisters had to leave that night, they spent the whole week trying to find me.

“Your parents are nice, Katie reminds me of you”, Izzy said taking his shoes off. “You didn’t talk to me when until senior year, Iz”, I giggled. “So? She still does”, Izzy stuck his tongue out. “You’re annoying, you know that?”, I giggled as he crawled into bed. “I’m aware, love”, Izzy smirked. “I love you forever”, I raised over and kissed him. “I love you too, kid. Until death do us part”, Izzy rubbed my shoulders. “Did you hint that you might propose soon?”, I bit my lip. “Go to sleep, Baby”, Izzy got at his spot. “You are planning on, you bitch!”, I gasped. “Good night, Judith”, he huffed. That fucker wants to marry me, I knew it!

#izzy stradlin x reader #izzy stradlin smut #Judith Channing oc!#guns n roses fic

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lite-aid · 7 months

Text

splinterstained

There was a boy in my class; Billy Henderson.

We didn't ever talk at school. I talked to everyone there, he sat quietly in the back, disappeared during lunch. It was an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object thing, I suppose.

To be honest, I didn't really notice him until the winter he broke his ankle. He showed up one day with a cast, let nobody sign it, wouldn't say how he'd gotten injured.

When I was walking home from school, I saw him trying to skate with it. His crutches were laying crossed off to the side. He was getting on his board, pawing his overgrown blonde hair out of his face, kicking off, then he'd get unbalanced by the cast or his knee would just cave and he'd crumple to the ground. He'd lay still like an armadillo, hands cramped, the tendons lining it visible from my distance, scrawny as he was, his face contorted in agony.

Then he'd get up and try again. I stood transfixed for I don't know how long until he spotted me.

I yelled at him, called him stupid, asked why he was doing that. He shrugged. When he didn't move, I came closer. The docks were always empty, there'd be no-one for miles. The only reason I was walking by was because I wanted to take the shortcut to get home and play with my new Nintendo. For some reason I can't remember, I wasn't afraid of Billy.

I asked him again why he was going on that damn skateboard with his leg all mangled like that. He shrugged again, but this time he said "Someone has to."

That made me take pause. I realised I'd never hear him speak before then, didn't even know he had a thick Chicago accent. We all had a country drawl, to some degree, so hearing him was like being transported into a movie for second, one where everything is familiar but wrong. He just stood there, no challenge in his amber eyes. Just a defensive wall behind lashes.

I took his skateboard, he didn't resist. I looked him in the eye as I put it down. I rolled away. 20 feet later, I stopped. Saw him still looking. I skated back to him.

40 minutes later I was still skating, hoodie discarded. He didn't look away once. Sat down buried in the chain link fence, but kept looking, following.

I took the shortcut on Monday, but he wasn't there. That Friday I went again. He was there, red-faded-orange shirt trailed with sweat down his spine. Getting on, kicking off, crumpling, cramping, freezing, getting up. He had bruises on his face I hadn't noticed during class. Getting on, kicking off, crumpling, cramping, up again. This time when I took the board he went and sat right away. I skated for an hour, we went our separate ways, his board under his armpit as he crutched.

We did this strange ritual every week. We still didn't talk in school, there wasn't much to be said. We knew where we'd end up that Friday. We did start walking to the docks together. A silent parade, but not a lonely one.

After his cast came off over spring break I still waited for him by the exit. We walked to the docks. He took off when we got there. I sat in the chainlink. He was rabid, wild, skating in circles, in long lines, strokes of action, smart, practiced tricks. He wouldn't fall. He did fall, but got back up in one smooth motion like he hadn't, like the blood was part of it, like the skin skimmed off was always going to belong to the pavement. I sat and watched and understood. I understood everything. I understood how he hadn't gotten bored of watching me skate, I understood every movement, pause and contemplation, swing of his hair in his mouth, I got it. Eventually he'd hand his board to me, and I understood it was my turn.

He'd beat the board when we were done. Work up a sweat all over again smashing that thing into the pavement over and over and over in a beautiful clash of loved wood and splinters and stone and upset wheels and sound. It didn't break. Wouldn't.

For once, for an hour every week, I would go to the docks and understand, and be understood in return. It was simple, it was like air. I needed it. I wanted it to be like that all the time. It wasn't, and it was good, so it had to be stopped.

We moved. I held a presentation on it in front of my class. I would have looked at Billy had he looked away from me. We went to the docks that Friday. Sun beating down, wind pushing at what was on wheels, pavement firmly in place. I watched him fly, dance, perform and breathe, he watched me back. Halfway through smashing the board, he slowed, stopped. Breathed. I took his skateboard, he didn't resist. I smashed it until a wheel gave and rolled off, he kicked it cracking in half, I took one half and beat it into the concrete until I could tear one wheel off and put it in my pocket, he lifted his half over his head and threw it down, picked it up, threw it over and over and over and then I walked away.

I stepped in my family's Ford Escort that night and clutched the wheel in my hoodie pocket. I never left those docks.

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thefloatingpickle · 1 year

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All Shook Up part 2

A bored, lonely librarian gets a break from the mundane when a night out leads to a meeting with Tom Bennett. Tom!FemOC Older woman (not by much)

No triggers for this part. Please forgive grammar errors and the like, I’m still shaking off some dust.

The following Tuesday at Central was passing like moss as Addie flipped through a rather large tome about one of the many french revolutions. She hadn’t seen the girls since Friday with them only coming in Tuesdays and Thursdays to do their shelving, but she was curious to hear how the rest of the party had gone. If she was being honest with herself she was also anxious to find out if Tom had spilled the beans about their walk home to Tilly as well. Not as much the way it ended, but she wasn’t elated by the thought of them knowing she had gotten herself caught by two idiots because she was too snared up in her own thoughts to be aware of her surroundings. In all of her time walking home alone on the streets of Chicago she had learned to be wary of being alone in the dark and she felt in a way like she had let herself down. She was starting to zone out rereading the same passage about peasants breaking into royal housing to forcibly remove the current head of state when the doors to the non fiction section were thrust open and the sounds of Tilly and Becky’s laughter filled the air.

“Addie!” Tilly shouted as she skipped across the room to lean against the large wooden desk. “Did you have fun on Friday? Everyone said it was great fun having you round for the night.” “She smiled up at the girl. It had occurred to her over the weekend that, even though she hadn’t admitted it to herself previously, the two girls were really her only friends in the area. She hadn’t been kind enough to treat them as such. “I did, your friends are a fun group Tilly. I am glad you seemed to be having fun.” “She was until Tom left her hanging again.” Becky popped up from behind her with a teasing tone. “He did not! Tom and I aren’t anything, for the last time.” The newly twenty year old young woman turned her attention back to Adaline, “Though he did have a lot of questions about you when he came around on Sunday.” Addie felt heat rising to her cheeks as she fought back her interest. “Oh? That’s curious, we hardly spoke at all.” “Right…” Tilly’s face shifted to a look of disapproval. “Until he walked you home that is?” She was busted. “We ran into each other on the way back, it wasn’t anything intentional.” “Well he said it was a nice conversation, wanted to know just about everything I had to tell about you.” trying not to panic she moved to sus out exactly how much he had spilled about their walk together. “It was a nice talk. Short though, only a few blocks. He caught up to me near the alley on Beaumont street.” Tilly let a small smile cross her lips “He said you were a bit turned around, so he showed you the way back to yours. He likes to be helpful like that when he can, ‘specially if he thinks it may impress a lady.” With that she shuffled off to find Becky and the two got to work.

There was no way to tell if she knew they had kissed, not much had been given away by her brief explanation of his telling of their time together so on lunch Addie decided instead of hiding in the office and trying to blow the smoke from her cigarette out the small window like normal she would probe the conversation further. “I was surprised to see him on the road after the party, the two of you seemed to be well engaged when I left.” She added an air of teasing interest over the comment as she inclined her back against the stacks opposite the blonde. “Nah, that’s just Tom being familiar. We’ve known eachother since we were kids. But he said he had mentioned as much while you were walking.” Clearly caught, Addie decided just to be blunt. “What else did he say about the walk?” Tilly seemed a bit annoyed now, “Just that you came across one another on the road, you were lost. He offered to help you home, you asked him about how we knew one another. Then he said he mentioned coming by the library to see you and that you cut it off saying he was too young.” She felt an instant relief.

“He is too young.” “Well that’s a matter of your point of view I suppose. Tom has always liked them older, it’s gotten him in some trouble over the years.” “Trouble?” Tilly grinned over at Addie, aware of the interest in her voice. “Yeah, when we were seventeen he got himself caught up with a married woman. She was only twenty, but her husband didn’t like catching him in their bed none. The girl was married to a man who was nearly thirty, treated her like dirt too. Tom was sweet with her, I think it was the only time I’d seen him really invest in someone.” Tilly was aware of the curious silence in the air. “He’s not bad Tom, just rough. His mom died young, and his dad wasn’t one for raising younglings. Most of it fell to his sister, so he was allowed to rampage from pretty young. It gained him some experience past his age. Though I wouldn’t call him a picture of maturity or anything.” Tilly put her books down then and turned to face Adaline full on, “But he is good when he wants to be, and kind. Has a lot to give someone just keeps himself from giving it, if you catch my meaning.” Addie nodded and turned to leave but Tilly had one more thing to add. “Don’t blow him off just cuz he’s a bit younger than you think you want. He could surprise you.”

Back at the desk after eating the day continued to mull by at a snail's pace. Addie couldn’t stop thinking about her friend's words. Maybe she had dismissed Tom too harshly, twenty was young, but he’d been near taking care of himself for years from the sound of it. Besides that she had to admit to herself she hadn’t been able to keep the thought of their kiss from her mind for more than a moment or two since Friday night. He’d been so sure of himself, and she’d liked it. A group of students in looking for books on the last war gave her something to keep her mind occupied until it was time to punch out for the day. Walking down the main steps from the employee lockers to the front door she ran in to the girls again. “Off home for the night then?” Becky asked looking a bit devious, “Yes, I am. I don’t know what else a person would do on a Tuesday night.” “Well if you want to have a bit of fun we are meeting some of the lads from Friday and a couple girls you don’t know in the park for a couple rounds.” “You’re just going to sit in the park and drink?” She couldn’t help sounding a bit judgemental. “Well the boys are having an arm wrestling tournament. The last time we had one in the pub they were kicked out for fighting over one guy cheating.” The two young ladies giggled as they crossed arms walking towards the park. “There will be some older chaps there, for the tournament, they’ve set up prizes and everything. Might be better than another afternoon alone.” Tilly looked hopeful as they baited the older girl. Addie thought about how she had enjoyed having company on Friday, and how she had told herself she would do more to enjoy her time in London after spending another boring Saturday morning trying to find anything other than her library work to report home about in the several letters she had penned. Arm wrestling sounded like it could be fun, and besides it couldn’t hurt to meet some men her own age. “Alright then, to the park.” Surprised to find herself smiling, she caught up with the girls and they made their way down.

________

“Well if it ain’t the loveliest ladies of Central Library.” A boy she remembered as Nathaliel greeted them. “And Addie, you’ve come to join in again too!” Adaline tried not to be offended by clearly not being one of the loveliest ladies mentioned before. “Nice to see you again Nathaniel.” “Agh now call me Nate, all my mates do.” “Good to see you Nate.” Addie smiled back. The boy wrapped his arm around Tilly’s neck, and another she remembered as Luke came up and put his arm around Becky’s waist, greeting her with a kiss. “That’s brand new, started the night of my party,” Tilly leaned in with a whisper, “If you would have asked me to put money on it happening I would have lost out by a million.” Addie laughed and the pair found a seat on a picnic table surrounded by near strangers. Tilly took the time to tell Addie everyone's names, but they came at her so fast she hardly had time to pair them to the faces. “Who's up first?” Tilly asked looking to Nate, “No one yet in an official capacity,” Adaline couldn’t help but smile warmly at the boy's now serious tone in regard to the tournament. “But there are a few pairs warming up, everyones real serious since Tom got most of the lads to put in a crown towards the prizes.” Addie felt a lump gather in her throat. “I suppose I should’ve mentioned he’d be around here somewhere.” Tilly fained an apologetic look. “I suppose you should have.” Was all Adaline could get out in response.

“Right then, you can take yourself home and we’ll keep the crown if you’re going to be a cheater you twat.” The shout came from a couple tables over, buried in the crowd past view. “You tell’em Tom. We won't have any of that shit round these parts.” Nate yelled back. Tom's head popped up from his spot on the bench and he made his way over to them, shock clearly coming over him as he locked eyes with Addie. “Well ‘ello then lasses. Set free from your books I see.” He came to a halt just in front of the two women, a smirk growing. “Can’t keep us forever. Besides we have to start getting Addie out more or she may turn into one of the statues round the park.” Tilly let out a hearty laugh and the boys followed. “Surprised to see you here, and on a Tuesday nonetheless, with work in the morning.” The arrogance in his voice ground Addie's sense of propriety and she snapped back. “Not surprised to see you as the ringleader to this little game.” Annoyance passed over his features. “Well it may not be the sort of posh get together you’ve grown accustomed to throwing for yourself in your flat alone, but we make do.” “Tom!” Becky smacked him in the back of the head. “Do you know how hard it was getting her out with us in the first place? Don’t be rude now.” He rolled his eyes as he turned away. “I’m going to find a drink.”

Addie considered leaving for a moment but decided that the chance of meeting new people outweighed the aggravation of dealing with Tom’s immaturity. Several of the guys competing were rather good looking and Tilly made sure to introduce Adaline to as many as she knew. One particular man named Buck, with dark hair and eyes asked Addie if she would cheer for him as the night went on. “I always do my best with beauty at my side.” He was smooth and charming, so she agreed. Standing next to him at whichever table she watched him make his way through four rounds of wrestling. He was strong for his size, though none of the men could be considered particularly muscled in stature. When he beat his last competitor Luke, the boy Becky had been cheering for the youngen simply smiled, announced he’d done his best but he would be taking home a prize anyway and grabbed Becky by the hand to lead her into the nearby woods.

“You and me then Buck.” came from behind Addie as Tom plopped himself on the bench to her right. “You and me for it all Tom.” Buck had a cheshire grin and he put his arm on the table and readied himself for the challenge. Tom clasped his hand in Bucks and on the count of three the first of the rounds began. She could hear Tilly and Nate cheering for Buck playfully from the side but Addie found herself silent, watching intently as the two men struggled back and forth, it was a while before a flag went up on Buck's side of the table as he smashed Tom’s fist to the wood.

“That’s round one to me.” Buck said with a laugh as Tom looked irritated. “Yeah, yeah. I just lost my concentration a bit. Don’t go patting yourself on the back yet mate.” Tom shook out his arm and placed it back in position. Round two started with a shout and just before the men began their struggle Addie caught Tom’s eye watching her. He broke the glance almost immediately though and put himself to his task, smashing Bucks arm down fast enough to startle most standing to watch. “Right then, round three for all the crowns! Last chance to place bets on a winner.” Nate hollered from the sideline, the crowd scrambled to place their bets as the men shook out their arms for the last time.

Addie was watching Tom ready himself when Buck spoke up “Hey beauty, ain't heard a word from you since the match started.” Addie looked to Buck trying to find something to say as Tom spoke up, “Maybe she realized she picked the losing team Buck, can’t hold it against her if she wants to switch sides.” “I doubt that ya wanker, maybe the cat's got her tongue is all.” Addie rolled her eyes at that. “I assure you I speak perfectly well, just got caught up in the competition.” “Well then Addie who is it? Me or Buck, after all, someones gotta give the winner a kiss.” “I haven’t agreed to kiss anyone thank you!” Addie laughed out, taking a sip of the beer she’d been nursing most of the evening. “Leave her alone and get to your last round boys, it’s clear she’s not looking to kiss either of you, no surprise with the way you're acting.” Addie turned to the unknown girl in the crowd and gave her a thankful nod. “Right then, shall we?” Tom put his arm back at the ready and Buck followed. The call rang out and the match started with both men putting in all they had. Back and forth they pulled each other, both getting to the point where it seemed they had the other beat till at last Tom banged Buck’s hand against the wood so hard it let out a crack. “And the tournament goes to Tom!” Nate bellowed above the roar of applause and Tom stood smiling. Someone from behind handed him a fair sized sack clacking with coins and he reached across to shake Bucks hand. “Almost had you there mate, good win.” Buck was all smiles as he disappeared in the crowd to find a drink.

Everyone had broken off into clusters after the games ended. Addie was with Tilly and a few people she’d met during the evening having fun, but decided it was about time to be heading home for some real food and dinner before it got too late. She said her goodbyes and headed towards home. Coming out of the trees towards the entrance to the park she heard someone running up behind her.

“Hold on a bit.” Tom called out from a few yards back and after considering it a moment she stopped and waited. “Did pretty well for myself back there ey?” He said as he strode up beside her. “Yea, you surprised me to be honest. Congratulations.” “Surprised you?” He put his hand to his heart in pretend offense. “Don’t let my size lead you wrong, there's strong arms under this jumper.” Grabbing his biceps he grinned at her. “Have you eaten?” He changed his tone and met her eyes. “No, I was just heading home to make something.” “Let me take you somewhere? I’ve just won all this,” Shaking his cloth sack of winnings he finished, “and if I don’t use it well it’ll be wasted on pints.” She thought about it for a second and remembered Tilly’s words in the library. “We can grab something on the way, but I do need to get home. I have to feed my cat.” “Oh a cat, I love cats. There's a good spot thats quick at fish and chips on the way back to yours from here, we can pop in and grab some to go. And maybe some beer to have with it at yours?” She hadn’t really intended to have him up, she was hoping they would have found something they could eat as they walked, but he seemed over joyed that she had agreed and she didn’t have it in her to turn him away now. “We can have one beer, and eat. Then I need to get ready for bed.” “That’s a good deal to me.” He grinned, taking her hand in his as they made their way down the street.

He wasn’t wrong about the chips, they were done in just a few minutes and she stood awkwardly trying to think of a conversation. Finally she settled on asking more about his family, since Tilly had peaked her interest with her small telling of them earlier. “ Tilly says you live with your father and your sister?” “Yea, dads alright, Fancies himself a pacifist. My sister, well she’s great. All I’ve ever had looking after me really. And she’s a singer, damn good one too. Though her taste in men leaves something to be desired.” Addie laughed at that. “And what's wrong with the men she dates?” “Well I’d wager the same thing that's wrong with the men you date. Posh sorts, all noses up. This most recent bloke has her in a real tissy though.” “Why do you dislike posh people so much? Having money doesn’t make them bad.” “Don’t make ‘em any better than me though, does it? And they’ll sure act like it does.” They came up to her building quickly so she decided she’d let the subject drop. “Here we are.” Pulling open the main door to the lower floor then guided him up to her third floor flat.

She looked around in horror as they entered the room, empty cans of cat food from the weekend that she hadn’t thought to pick up yet, and dishes in the sink. “Sorry for the mess.” He didn’t seem to notice though, at least not enough to care. He was too busy drinking in his surroundings. Looking at the pictures she had hung on the walls, the magazines on her table, and most embarrassingly the novel she’d left sitting on the side table next to the couch. Open to one of the saucier passages. “So this is what fancy nonfiction librarians get themselves up to reading when they’re not at work ‘ey?” He didn’t look at her as he said it, instead reaching down to trace his fingers along the words in the passage. “That’s been there for weeks,” she lied, “one of the older women at work recommended it, I had no idea it was a romance,” “Uh-huh.” He grinned up at her as he made his way to a seat at the table.“Shall we then?”

She got plates and cups from the counter and he portioned out the food as she poured the drinks. “It’s a nice flat though, having the whole attic is a good get.” He looked around some more as he piled food in his mouth rather hastley. “Yeah, I was lucky to find it. The landlord is a bit of a pain, but it's got a good view from the bedroom, and it has a good sized tub.” His brows rose as she mentioned the tub, but before he could get out whatever had come to mind there was a thump, and her large orange tabby leapt up onto the table. “Sorry” she sighed as she took the cat off, “Over here Simon, I know it’s dinner time.” Pulling a can from the cupboard she ushered the cat over to a nearby window. “Well he’s a handsome chap innit he?” Tom got up with a wide smile and bent down near the tabby. Simon was more than happy to welcome the pets, totally distracted from his meal. “Yea, funny enough he came with the place. I moved in and he just kept running in behind me, so finally I let him stay.” “He knows a good thing when he sees it.” Tom looked up at her with a smirk. “I suppose so.”

Sitting back in front of her food she began eating with a bit more speed. “Rushing to get rid of me now are you?” He looked at her as he took his seat again, a bit of deviousness coming through his eyes. “No, I just, well it’s getting late.” “It’s only half past eight.” Pointing to the clock behind. “Do ’ya mind if I smoke?” “No, um, just at the window if you would.” She pointed to a smaller table next to a window with an ashtray and a game of solitaire started. He held one out to her in an offer, she joined him at the window leaning against the table as he stood against the wall. “Thank you for dinner. It was kind.” “I’m not always an ass, just mostly.” He joked, standing straighter as he caught her glance.

“I’ve been thinking about kissing you a lot.” She pondered how she wanted to move forward and decided to be honest. “I’ve been thinking about you kissing me alot.” He smiled then but not with as much confidence as she had expected. “I’ve been thinking I wish I’d done it differently.” “How’s that.” She bit her lip as he exhaled a cloud of smoke out the small window. “Donno, just wish I had done it more proper like. A good one.” “Well, I thought it was rather good if I’m being honest. If not surprisingly so.” He did look confident after that. “Oh yeah? Didn’t let you down with it then.” “How would a kiss let me down Tom” He laughed. “Clearly you haven’t had many kisses.” And it was true, she hadn’t.

She’d only had one serious boyfriend back in Chicago and while they had done about everything two people could do, she could think of only three or four other guys who had ever tried to kiss her. “No, I guess I haven’t.” She felt embarrassed then, so she put out her smoke and headed back to the table. “It’s a shame that, a woman like you should have so many kisses she can’t remember them all. Anything else seems a waste.” Taking his seat. “You know you’re a real sight to see Adaline.” His voice was nearly a whisper. “Am I?” She said not looking up. “Best I’ve seen, that's for sure.” He said placing one of his hands on her chin to bring her eyes to his. “I’d like to kiss you again if that’s alright?” He seems shy now in a way she hadn’t noticed before. “I think it would be.” He looked surprised, but didn’t give her the chance to change her mind before he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

It was softer than he’d been the first time, he gave her time to relax into it before softly flicking his tongue against her lips to gain access. She let him in as he pulled her closer, nearly on to his lap, wrapping one hand around her waist and the other around the back of her head. Threading his fingers through her hair. He still tasted like beer and cigarettes but she decided she liked it as she leaned forward closing the space between them. Her tongue found his and he let out a soft moan as their breath got heavier and the kiss deepened. She grabbed a handful of his sweater and held tight while he tightened his grasp on her hair, tugging just a little. She let out a small coo of her own as he pulled back slowly. “That’s how I should have done it.” He was slightly breathless as he ran the tip of his nose up the bridge of her own. “Yeah.” Was all she could get out as she fought to even her breathing.

“Do you still need to go to bed?” The question shook her from her trance state and she fought to regain her sense of self control. “I, uh, I do.” He was clearly let down, but sat back in his chair and grabbed his fork from his plate. “We should finish eating then huh?” He began picking at the now cold breaded fish and potatoes. “Tom,” She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say but she felt like she needed to say something. He didn’t look up from his plate so she continued. “I like kissing you Tom.” That caught his attention again. “I like kissing you, I’m just not sure about it.” He stabbed at a piece of fish hard enough to make her jump a bit. “Bloody hell Addie, I’m not trying to marry you. It’s just a bit of fun is all, nothing to get your gears turning over.” “Oh…” “No now come on.” He leaned forward and put his hands on her thighs. “I don’t mean it like that. I just mean it doesn’t have to be so serious so fast is all. It’s not like we have to run around telling everyone and making it a big deal.” She looked at her lap unsure.

He put his knuckle under her chin to make her look at him again. His face was soft, eyes gentle and brows slightly tight as he gave her a weak smile. “I’m saying we can keep kissing, and all that, but it doesn’t have to mean you have your mind made up about me.” He sat up, running his hands through his hair clearly trying to piece together the right words. Then like he’d had a stroke of genius he looked at her and grinned.

“Just let me show you. Let me stay the night, or even just a while longer. You call the shots, you tell me when it’s enough. And at the end of it, if you’re still not sure then I will leave you alone to make up your mind. But if it’s okay, if you feel okay about it. Then we just keep it close for a while. We hang out here, or with everyone like normal, but I don’t do anything to let on what's happening until you’re ready.”

Addie mulled it over, kissing Tom felt better than almost any experience she had had with a man before, and she could only imagine what more with him would be like.She liked the idea really, mostly for Tom, but also because there was a part of her that had felt like she was withering away in her flat night after night. She was twenty-five years old and had hardly any life experience. So she made up her mind, looking over to him, now pacing in front of the open window with a smoke in his hand she gave him her answer. “Okay Tom.” He stopped dead in his tracks, “What?” Shock coming from his eyes, and slightly agape mouth. “I said yes, you can stay.” He got the look of a predator on his face then as he crossed the room to her and reached to pull her from her chair. “We should clean up this dinner mess then.” He bent down and kissed her again, a quick kiss, then moved to begin clearing plates. Adaline wasn’t sure what she had just signed herself up for but she was equally nervous and excited.

#ewan mitchell #tom bennett #world on fire

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