#Needed to make something with my big feelings about Good Luck Babe! and ended up rewatching Bend It Like Beckham just to make this | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

evansbby · 1 year

Text

𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 (𝐏𝐎𝐘𝐓 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧-𝐨𝐟𝐟)

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: alpha!Bucky Barnes x naive omega!Reader, also featuring: dark alpha!Steve Rogers

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Misogyny, a/b/o dynamics, dubcon, dark Steve, poyt!Steve (yes, he is a warning), mentions of smutt, 18+ minors dni.

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: It’s your first day at college and Bucky, a popular alpha, asks for your number. (This is a spin-off of my fic Preying on You Tonight, exploring what would have happened if Bucky had gotten to omega before Steve. You do not need to read that fic to understand this one).

𝐀/𝐍: It’s finally here! As the writer, all I sincerely ask is for you to read it till the end. I put a lot of hard work into this and it’s been a long time coming. I really hope you give this fic a chance, and I hope you enjoy! This is 16.8k words.

It’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna be okay. You quietly chant under your breath as you make your way into the intimidatingly large lecture hall. World Politics. It’s a senior class, mostly males, majority alphas. But you’ve managed to get in – the only freshman who was accepted – and it makes your heart flutter with excitement. Maybe they’ll all be impressed, you think to yourself, clutching your bookbag tightly as you make your way inside.

Everyone’s already sat down or milling about in groups. You shoot a few smiles here and there, hoping someone might smile back – but everyone seems busy catching up with their own friends. You sigh – of course, you don’t expect to make friends right away. But you probably will soon.

There’s a pack of intimidating looking guys in the back of the room, they draw your attention because of how loud they’re being as they laugh and joke around. Football players, you think to yourself – they’re all wearing blue jerseys with the university emblem. And they’re all so big and broad. There’s a blond one who seems bigger and scarier than all of them, and there’s also a brunet – also big and intimidating but he looks slightly more laid back than the others.

You snap your head away as soon as he looks in your direction, feeling your cheeks heat up. You’re confident you’ll make friends, but it probably won’t be anyone from the resident campus jock group. Not wasting any more time, you make your way to the front of the lecture hall and take a seat in the very first row. Hopefully, someone else would join you and you could strike up a conversation.

You’re arranging your pens in colour order when your phone vibrates.

Peter: Good luck, babe! I know first days can be hard, but you’re gonna smash it! See you tonight!

Smiling softly, you text your boyfriend a quick response before putting your phone away – the lecture is about to start and you don’t want to miss a single word.

A chorus of loud snickers makes you look back over your shoulder. It’s the group of jock alphas – they’re only a couple of rows behind you now, laughing over something while they look in your direction. You suddenly feel self-conscious, looking over your hoodie for any stains, eyes scanning around your vicinity for anything remotely funny.

You’ve just given up and gone back to opening your notebook when you feel a tap on your shoulder. It’s the brunet alpha, he’s standing next to your desk with a cocky smile on his face.

“Hey, newbie.”

You smile shyly, “Hi.”

“YOU’RE SUCH A DOG, BARNES!” One of the alpha jocks hoots from the back and all the rest of the pack guffaws too, some even making barking sounds. It causes the smile to freeze on your face.

The brunet laughs in his friends’ direction before turning back to you, “Ignore them. You a transfer student or something?”

“No. I’m a freshman. This is my first day.”

“Freshman, huh?” He licks his lips. He’s got nice lips; you think to yourself before inwardly shaking your head in alarm. You have a boyfriend, you remind yourself. But the brunet in front of you also has nice eyes, you can’t help but notice. Light blue and shining, along with scruffy brown hair and a smattering of facial hair. “What’s a little freshman like you doing here? You realise this is a senior class? Are you lost, newbie?”

“No, not lost, I’m meant to be here.” You tell him firmly, “I was interested in this class so I applied for it. I was the only freshman to be accepted.” You hope it doesn’t sound like you’re boasting, you can’t help but feel proud about it.

The brunet nods thoughtfully, “No kidding. You must be very smart.”

You shrug modestly.

“What’s your name, newbie?”

You tell him and he nods, repeating it to himself slowly as if he’s savouring the word.

“I’m James.” He says, “I mean, everyone calls me Bucky but you can call me James.”

You giggle nervously, “Wh-Why do I get to call you that?”

His smile is lop-sided and lazy, and you can’t help but stare. It brightens up his whole face, painting an image of mischief across his features. But he’s not intimidating, not like his friends who continue to hoot and yell behind him. You feel fire on your cheeks because he looks kind of… cute.

Wait. What?

“Pretty girls like you are allowed to call me James.”

The professor chooses that moment to clear his throat as he begins to start up the PowerPoint presentation.

“Well, anyways, newbie. I just came over to say hello. And while I’m here, I was wondering if I could borrow a pen. I forgot mine and you seem to have… a lot.” He gestures to your collection of pens – you have one in just about every colour of the rainbow.

You nod eagerly – you hadn’t expected an alpha jock to be the first one to speak to you at college, but you weren’t complaining.

“Sure! Take your pick,” You say enthusiastically “The blue one doesn’t work too well, but the rest are all good! If you prefer ink pens over ballpoint, I’ve got those too!”

“What about this pink one?”

“Oh,” Your response is less than enthusiastic, “I mean… I always use the pink one. But if you really want it–”

He laughs, reaching out and patting your hand softly. And the touch, despite being seemingly innocuous, sends thrills up and down your spine. You can’t help but think how much bigger his hand is than yours.

“That’s alright, sweetheart. You use the pink one. I’ll take this one instead.” He grabs a green pen, and that’s when you get a strong whiff of his scent. Smoky yet dewy – like a cosy fireplace on a winter morning. Fresh like snow mixing with the earth, like cold rain mingling with a special kind of musk.

Bucky seems to notice how you suddenly pause, your nose twitching as you repeatedly inhale his scent. He chuckles softly, waving a hand in front of your face, “Hey, you still there?”

You shake your head, giving yourself a moment to gather yourself before looking up at him, “Yeah, uh. Yeah, I’m here.”

“Good. Because the lecture’s about to start, and you look like someone who doesn’t want to miss a word.” He winks, and you’d be lying if you said it didn’t send shivers of excitement up and down your spine, “Well, thanks for the pen, newbie.”

And then he goes back to join his friends, leaving you with a lightness in your heart, a spark in your eyes and a smile on your lips. You’d always thought jocks were mean, but Bucky – James – had been nice. Maybe it was a sign, a sign that your first year of university perhaps wouldn’t be as daunting as you originally thought.

You risk a glance back at him. He’s sat a few rows behind you, next to his blond friend. The two couldn’t be more different – with Bucky sitting back, relaxed and laughing, the pen you gave him dangling out of his mouth like a cigarette. The blond sits up straight with rigid posture, and he looks sullen, a touch of a scowl on his face as he looks at Bucky. And then he turns, piercing blue eyes glaring right at you.

You turn back to look in front. That can’t be right. This blond jock doesn’t even know you. Sighing, you begin to take notes, the world of politics taking over as you excitably fill page after page.

You’re immensely satisfied when the class ends – it was everything you wanted it to be and more. With the risk of sounding like a nerd – and you are a nerd, you’ll happily admit it – you’d enjoyed every second of the lecture, soaking in every word like a sponge. If this is what all university classes were going to be like, you’d stay forever.

“You look happy, newbie.” It’s Bucky again; the rest of his group is milling around by the exit, and you can’t deny the thrill you feel at the fact that he hung back with you.

“I am happy, wasn’t that just the most fascinating lecture ever? I mean, I’d heard things about this professor, that he’s so mesmerising to listen to. And it’s true!” You sigh almost dreamily, hugging your fresh notes close to your chest, “I feel like I’ve learnt more in this past hour than I did in the entirety of my high school history class.”

Bucky just stares at you, a smile on his face that reaches all the way up, making the sides of his eyes crinkle.

“What?” You ask consciously when he continues to just… look at you.

“Nothing. You’re just very cute, all bright-eyed and enthusiastic. Not like us jaded seniors.”

“BUCKY, LET’S GO.” As if on cue, the blond alpha bellows across the lecture hall.

Bucky seems wholly unperturbed, even as you jump from the loudness of the blonde’s tone.

“Your friend’s calling you,” You shuffle from one foot to the other, unable to ignore how the blond alpha is glaring at the pair of you all the way from the doorway, “He seems really impatient.”

With a wave of his hand, Bucky dismisses this claim, “Oh, don’t mind Steve. He’s just pissy these days because his girlfriend’s being a bitch.”

Oh. You have no idea what to say to that, so you just continue to pack up your things.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“I’m gonna head over to the library,” You answer excitedly, “I’ve heard it’s really, really big. One of the biggest in the country. I got a glimpse of it during orientation, but I’ve got the rest of the day free so today I’m gonna sit in there and catch up on some reading, and may–”

“Why don’t I walk you there?” The brunet offers. And it’s his quiet confidence that gets to you, the way he’s got this small smile on his face, as if he knows you won’t refuse him, “I have a class in that direction anyways. Steve does too. We could both walk you there.”

You glance once more at Steve, who – believe it or not – is still glaring at you. Or are you imagining it? You’re about to respond when a tall blonde girl in a cheerleading uniform skips up to him. They kiss, and then leave the lecture hall hand-in-hand. You turn back to Bucky, who shrugs.

“Well. Scratch that. I guess it’s just you and me then, newbie. C’mon. I’ll give you a campus tour.”

Talking with Bucky is surprisingly simple. He’s easy-going and laidback, completely cool in the way he makes conversation. Talking about himself but at the same time asking you questions about your life. You’ve always been shy but you find yourself at ease with him, you find yourself laughing at his jokes… You even catch yourself staring at him more than a few times, completely captured by his pretty eyes and lazy smile.

“I’m mostly friends with everyone on the football team, but Steve’s my best friend,” He nods at the blond alpha who’s walking a few paces ahead of you two, hand-in-hand with the cheerleader who you assume is his girlfriend. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. And then there’s Sam, but he’s hungover so he didn’t come in today.” Bucky’s eyes crinkle as he laughs, “Classic Sam.

The walk to the library is over a little too soon.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you in the next lecture. Thanks for walking with me.” You say, backing away but not wanting to completely leave just yet.

“Princess, wait.” He grabs your hand, yanking you back till you’re only a few inches away from him. And maybe it’s the shock due to the fact that he called you princess, but you just… let him do it. He grins down at you.

“You’re not gonna leave without giving me your number first, are you?”

You giggle nervously, and you’re surprised that you have to swallow down the words ‘yes, I’ll give you my number’ which are on the tip of your tongue. Instead, you shake your head slowly, “I, uh, I have a boyfriend.”

The alpha blinks, hand freezing midway through running through his hair. But then he relaxes, and that familiar lazy smile returns to his face. “So? Can’t friends save each other’s numbers? We’re friends now, aren’t we?”

You feel heat rising up your neck and spreading to your cheeks, “Oh. Of course. I guess we are. Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed–”

“No worries, princess.” He takes your phone, quickly putting in his number and texting himself from yours before handing it back to you. “Your boyfriend’s a lucky guy, by the way. But I’m sure he won’t mind if I text you tonight, right?”

Bucky doesn’t wait for an answer, instead just winking at you before taking off. And you stand outside the steps of the library and watch him for a second. He catches up with Steve and gives him a hard thump on the back before falling into step next to him. Steve still has a scowl on his face but it slowly dissipates, and you watch for a moment as the two alphas talk animatedly. Even if Bucky hadn’t told you earlier, it was clear as day that the they were best friends.

It takes you a while to realise that you’re staring, and you quickly retreat into the library, the magical pull of books and knowledge sucking you in and making you forget about everything else.

***

“I’d say it was a good first day, as far as first days go.” You deduce, walking into the living room with a bowl of popcorn in your hands. You hand it over to Peter, who’s scrolling through Netflix in search of the perfect movie. Which is an impossible task since the two of you had seen practically everything Netflix had to offer – you guys had more movie nights then you did date nights. Actually, you can’t remember the last time you and Peter had gone out on a date. The thought seemed weird… you were much more comfortable sitting on the couch and gorging on popcorn and talking the night away with him – like you were right now.

“That’s good. Did you make any friends?”

You think back to Bucky’s twinkling blue eyes and feel a jolt of electricity run through you. Bucky was your friend, right? He’d said so. But for reasons you don’t quite understand, you only clear your throat and shake your head. “No. I talked to a few people but that’s all. I mean, it’s only day one, right? Nobody makes friends on day one.”

“True.” Peter agrees, his mouth full of popcorn. “Okay, so, I’m thinking it’s a teen dystopian movie kind of night. Hunger Games or Divergent?”

Your brow furrows while you think, “I don’t like Divergent and I’ve seen The Hunger Games way too many times.”

“Okay, how about Catching Fire?”

“The ending of that one makes me sad.”

You bicker back and forth before settling down with Alice in Wonderland, and the popcorn is half finished by the time the beginning credits start rolling. And that’s when your phone vibrates.

James: Hey, princess. You busy?

A smile touches your lips before you cast a quick glance at Peter. He’s half laid down on the other end of the couch with his eyes locked on the screen. You swallow down the guilt – you know Bucky is just your friend but it still feels kind of wrong to be texting him when you’re meant to be watching a movie with Peter. But there’s a large part of you that wants to answer, and it doesn’t take long for that part of you to win the inner conflict inside your head. You quickly text back:

You: Hey! I’m currently watching a movie with my boyfriend.

Your text is truthful, but you hope Bucky doesn’t think you’re dismissing him. His reply is almost instantaneous:

James: Aw, how cute. What movie is it?

You: Alice in Wonderland. Have you seen it?

You mentally kick yourself after you press send. What a dumb question – of course he’s seen it! Who hasn’t seen one of the most recognisable Disney movies of the last decade?

James: I have. I didn’t know you were such a big fan of cartoons, princess.

You feel the ends of your mouth tugging into a smile before you give Peter another glance. He’s polishing off the last of the popcorn, engrossed in Alice as she tumbles down the rabbit hole. You grab the empty bowl and stand up. “I’ll go make some more popcorn.”

Peter nods, “You want me to pause it?”

“No, that’s alright.”

You float into the kitchen and put another bag of popcorn in the microwave before taking a deep breath and looking down at your phone again.

James: Maybe we could watch a movie sometime? I’ve got a flatscreen in my room ;)

You feel a shiver go down your spine when you read his text, and you let yourself imagine it for a split second. Watching a movie with Bucky. In his bedroom. On his bed? You’d never been to a boy’s room before – except Peter, but he’d been your best friend all through high-school. Sure, he was your boyfriend now but you always do the same things you guys did when you were friends – just with added kissing and sometimes touching.

“Babe, you done?” Peter calls for you as if on cue.

Once more awash with guilt, you quickly type out a text:

You: I’m sorry, I should get back to the movie. Good night :)

You switch your phone off for the rest of the night, trying to focus on Alice’s adventures in wonderland, but the thought of Bucky dwindles at the back of your mind as if it’s there to stay.

***

You plan on avoiding Bucky the next day but that proves to be an extremely flimsy plan. You’re sitting in the front row when him and Steve and another guy – you assume it’s Sam – walk in. You get a pleasant whiff of Bucky’s scent before it’s overpowered by something stronger – the smell of firewood and a hot summer day. They walk by you, with Bucky giving you a small smile and a wink and Steve sucking in a breath, his nostrils twitching as he walks past you. Strange. What was his problem?

You still feel guilty about the previous night. Peter was your first ever relationship so you might not be the biggest expert on these types of things, but you’re sure that getting giddy over another guy texting you is not good girlfriend behaviour. You need to put a swift stop to it, starting now. You spend the rest of the lecture taking notes diligently, stuffing the thought of Bucky to the back of your mind.

When the class ends, you try to scurry away to the library. But you don’t get too far down the corridor before a hand encloses around your wrist and tugs you back.

“Princess, wait up. Where are you hurrying off to?”

“I – uh – I need to go to the library to print something.”

Bucky raises an eyebrow, “I’ll walk you.”

“Oh no, that’s okay.”

He looks at you for a handful of seconds before sighing and taking a step back, “This is about last night, isn’t it? My texts scared you off?”

You bite your lip, “James, I have a boyfriend.”

“I know, I know.” He runs a hand through his messy brown hair, shifting from one foot to the other before those icy blue eyes settle on you again. “I’ll be honest, princess. You’re so pretty, I thought I’d shoot my shot anyways.”

Your jaw drops, “B-But I have a boyfriend.”

He shrugs, looking virile and handsome with his facial hair and lazy smile, “That’s never stopped me before. I mean, it’s not really a big thing with me and my friends. If we want a girl, we go after her, boyfriend or not, it doesn’t matter to us.”

“Oh.” You don’t know whether to stay or just leave, and you’re debating over just that when Bucky pipes up again.

“Look, princess. I like you. And I have a hunch that you like me too. And as I said before, I usually don’t care if the girl I like has a boyfriend. But you’re different, I want to do right by you.” He strokes the palm of your hand with his thumb and it’s like you’re mesmerised by the feeling. “I’d really like to take you out sometime. But I can give you time to break up with your boyfriend first.”

You gasp, pulling your hand out of his grasp, “James Barnes! That’s so wrong. You know how awful of a person that would make me? And I barely know you!”

“Just think about it. I really like you.” He says earnestly, blue eyes sparkling and locking with yours as he grabs your hand again, “And breaking up with him will spare this guy the embarrassment of being with a girl who’s no longer into him.”

Your jaw drops open at his audacity, “That’s not true–!”

“Bucky, we have practice.”

Steve rounds the corner, stopping short when he sees the two of you so close, his eyes narrowing as they zero in on your intertwined hands.

“Gimme a sec.” Bucky answers, not even sparing Steve a glance, eyes unblinking as they stare at you meaningfully.

For the second time, you snatch your hand out of his grip. “I-I – uh – I have to go!” You do the easiest thing you can think of, backing away and getting the hell out of there. Bucky’s just dropped a huge bomb on you and Steve’s intimidating as hell, so you deem it best to put some distance between you and the two alphas as you speed-walk away from the situation.

“Why are you talking to that trashy omega?” You hear Steve mutter as you turn your back on them, and the hurtful words make your heart jolt.

“Hey, don’t call her that.” Bucky answers, and that’s the last thing you hear before you round the corner and escape into the comforting clutches of the campus library.

***

So, Bucky liked you. He liked you. As in, he wanted to take you out on a date. This information has you feeling giddier than it should. You’ve never known anyone to like you like that (except Peter) and never so brazenly. You can’t help but feel all light inside. A popular, handsome senior liked you!

But then, the flowy lightness inside you is overtaken by wracks of guilt, showering down on your heart like hard, jagged rocks. You’re with Peter. You like Peter. You can’t get happy over Bucky liking you when you’re with Peter. That’s just a fact.

You lay low for a couple of weeks, avoiding Bucky like he’s the plague. But you know his eyes are on you, glued to the back of your head during every lecture, when you keep your face pointedly facing forward and never look back at him. You can’t. You’re in a relationship. You have to respect it.

But then, things take a different turn than you ever expected them to.

Peter scores an internship at Stark Industries, which means he has to move to New York immediately. And you’re so happy for him, it’s what he’s been working towards and dreaming of for as long as you’ve known him. His goal of tackling the tech world is similar to your own goal of being the first person in your family to earn a university degree. You’re thrilled for him. But sitting on his bed and wistfully watching him pack, it’s like you both know what this means.

The break-up is mutual. Peter says that he’ll be busy with work, and you agree that you’ll be busy with college assignments too. And after one last movie night and a tearful goodbye, you both agree to try to remain best friends. He promises to come see you when he’s got a free moment, and you tell him you’ll travel up to New York once you’ve saved enough money to be able to afford it.

And then he’s gone. Off chasing his dreams and you couldn’t be happier for him.

But now you’re single. And what does that mean for you?

***

Bucky approaches you after spring break, sporting a healthy tan and messier hair. You’d overheard him and his friends talking earlier, so you knew they’d all flown to Cancun for the past week. Lucky them. You’d spent the break studying in your room, making notes for the next set of lectures to make sure you were well-prepared for them.

“Hello, princess. You’re looking extra beautiful today.”

You look down at your old hoodie and ratty leggings and wonder if he’s joking with you. “Uh, thanks?”

“I’m serious. You’re glowing, which can only mean one thing. You broke up with him, didn’t you?” Bucky leans down over your table, giving you a strong whiff of his wintery scent. It’s like freshly powdered snow and warm fire logs, enveloping around you like a welcome hug after your lonely spring break.

You purse your lips together, focusing on your notes except the lecture hasn’t started yet so you have nothing to write down except the date. But you’re determined not to look at him, “Actually, it was mutual.”

Bucky’s grin only gets wider, and to your surprise, he plops down on the empty seat next to you. Your eyes widen, “Wh-What are you doing?”

“What? I can’t sit next to you? Is this seat taken?”

Well, of course it wasn’t. You usually sat alone. Nobody really spoke to you apart from Bucky, but that was okay. It’s not like anyone was ever horrible to you either. Except Steve with that one comment that he’d made the other day. But you must have overheard him wrong.

“So, what did you do over spring break?” He asks.

You shrug, “I read up on the next few chapters on our syllabus.”

Bucky nods, “A quiet week, huh? Well, I wish I’d stayed back too.” He chuckles when he sees your raised eyebrow, “Hey, don’t get me wrong. Cancun’s beautiful, but it gets tiresome after a while. All Steve and Sam ever did was hook up with different girls. Constantly. Me? I just didn’t feel like doing that this time around.”

You frown, casting a short glance at Steve, except you quickly look away because he happens to be staring right back at you. But why was Steve hooking up with other girls? Didn’t he have a girlfriend? You mull over it for a second before you register the other thing Bucky had said. “Y-You didn’t feel like hooking up with anyone?”

The brunet clasps his hand over yours and shoots you a sparkling smile, “Why would I? When my girl wasn’t there with me?”

Bucky takes you out the following weekend. And you don’t know why you agree, when it’s so soon after your breakup with Peter. But when he asks you out, it just feels right, and the word “yes” is flying out of your mouth before you have the chance to think about it. Peter’s probably seeing other people too, you think to yourself. And the thought doesn’t bother you at all, because why shouldn’t Peter have his fun? He was single. And so were you.

Bucky presents you with a bouquet of pink tulips at the start of your date, and sits on your bed with an amused expression on his face while you quickly tend to them. Trimming the stems and finding a vase before setting them on your windowsill. “You look beautiful, princess.” He comments, making your cheeks feel like they’re on fire before he grabs your hand and takes you out.

The diner he takes you to is casual and pretty, only a few minutes outside of campus. The evening sunlight spills down through the window while Bucky brazenly holds your hands in his over the table – even when the waitress is taking your order! It makes you squirm, but in a pleasant kind of way. And he tells you about himself while you eat, how he knows he’s from a privileged family but always felt different growing up.

He tells you about all the mischief he and Steve got up to when they were kids, and then teens, and now young adults. And you can’t really imagine Steve, all stoic and mean and preppy-looking, getting up to any kind of mischief but you smile and nod anyways, loving how Bucky tells his stories in such an easy-going and charming way.

You’re a bit more guarded when he asks you about your childhood, though. You keep it brief and simple, outright evading certain details because you don’t want to get into it right now. But Bucky seems to understand, squeezing your hands before grabbing a napkin and wiping a spot of sauce on the side of your mouth.

He takes you to a nearby park after that. He buys a small loaf of bread so the two of you can feed the ducks. And he never lets go of your hand, and you can feel him watching you as you focus on the ducks gobbling up the pieces of bread. And then he grabs your chin and gently turns your face to him and he kisses you. And it’s sweet. Sweeter than it is with Peter. And you kiss him back, because you like how light and fluffy and exciting it feels to kiss Bucky.

It feels like you’re on cloud nine.

The dates get more frequent after that. Bucky walks you to class every day, holding your hand and talking to you about anything and everything. Like the latest report your class has been assigned, or his football team winning another game, or any new books you’ve read. You find yourself giggling and opening up a lot more, every shy bone in your body relaxing when you’re talking to him.

The kissing and touching becomes more frequent too. Often, he comes to your dorm room and things get hot and heavy. And oh, it’s so exciting feeling Bucky’s hands on you, and his expert kisses leave you breathless! He really was an incredible kisser, taking control and moving his tongue so lazily and perfectly against yours. But something within you always stops him before he can go any further.

“Bucky, please. I just got out of a relationship and I don’t know if I’m ready for sex.” You tell him truthfully one evening while he’s got you pinned down on your bed in the middle of a particularly passionate make-out session.

Bucky lies back down beside you while you fix the buttons of your cardigan which he’d almost had undone. He reaches down to adjust his boner through his jeans, “Princess, you’re killing me here. I want you so bad.”

You swallow, “I’m sorry, James. I just don’t think I’m ready.”

Light blue eyes smile down at you as the alpha sits up and grabs your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t apologise, princess. I understand.”

“I just feel bad, I don’t want you to think I’m leading you on.” You duck your head, but he grabs your chin and lifts it up again, making you look at him.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve gone out this long with a girl without sleeping with her.” Bucky confesses, scratching his head with a sheepish look on his face. “I haven’t been a great boyfriend in the past, and my motives have usually been selfish.”

Your eyes grow wide, but you don’t say anything.

“I’m telling you this because I care about you, princess. I think you’re different.” He tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear and chucks you under your chin till you smile. “I like talking to you and spending time with you. You’re smart and beautiful and I know we haven’t been together long, but I really see a future for us.” He kisses you sweetly, and you’re too busy trying to tame the butterflies in your stomach to respond properly, but you try your best anyways.

“What I’m saying is, you can take all the time you need till you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll wait as long as I have to till you’re ready to have sex.” Bucky finishes earnestly, and you can’t help but wrap your arms around his neck and plant a million kisses on his face. He’s saying all the right things, everything a girl wants to hear from her boyfriend.

“You really mean all that?” You ask him softly.

“Yes, princess, I mean it. You’re my girlfriend, and I’ll wait for you for as long as you need.” Bucky looks earnest and sweet, and you hug him hard. You feel a mix of thrill and nervous energy flutter through you. It’s something you’ve never felt before. But it’s a good feeling, and you welcome it with open arms as Bucky continues to leave tiny kisses all over your face. Till you’re giggling against his lips and hugging him close, feeling lighter than a feather.

***

Being the girlfriend of a popular senior was not something you’d envisioned happening to you at the start of university. But Bucky made it feel so natural, introducing you to all his friends, holding your hand all the time and including you in all his plans. His friends are nice enough: Sam was a bit cold at first but he warmed up after a while. Thor was loud and funny, Ransom acted overly smart and confident but seemed to have a sensitive side too. Curtis was mysterious and Andy was kind of dopey, and they were all friendly with you.

But then there was Steve.

The blonde alpha glowered at you any chance he got. Whenever you were in his presence, you could feel his steely blue eyes boring holes straight through your skin. You always kept out of his way so you were unsure why he seemed to hate you. Bucky just said not to take it personally, that Steve was just going through a rough patch with his girlfriend and he didn’t hate you at all.

One day, you’d gone over to Bucky’s house where he – unfortunately – lived with Steve and Sam too.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Steve had demanded when he’d opened the door and seen you standing there.

“Uh… James to-told me to meet him here after my morning classes.” You explain, feeling oddly nervous around the big alpha. You’re naturally shy but you’d come out of your shell quite a bit ever since you’d started dating Bucky. But Steve was just so intimidating, standing there in just a pair of grey sweats that are slung low over his hips. You avert your gaze to the ground in a bid not to stare at his bare chest.

Steve regards you suspiciously before stepping aside and letting you in. And you feel his heated gaze still on you as you brush past him to get inside. And that’s when you hear him inhale sharply, a low rumble coming from his chest before he stumbles. You whip around just in time to see him recover, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Are you okay?”

Steve scoffs, “Why the hell wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Uh… You kinda just tripped?” You point out hesitantly, and the blonde alpha’s pale face goes crimson before he clears his throat.

“I did not trip.” He glowers through gritted teeth.

Okay then. You decide not to question his rude and erratic behaviour. “Where is James’ room?”

Steve glances upstairs before leaning against the kitchen counter, his intense gaze locking on you as his frown relaxes into a smirk. “He’s taking a shower right now. You should wait for him down here.”

“Okay.” You sit down at the kitchen table. The house is big, spacious and minimalistic in the way it’s decorated. The kitchen is modern and it’s clear that there’s only boys living here, because you can see a ton of takeout containers and microwave meals strewn across the countertops. Once you’re done observing your surroundings, you notice Steve still staring at you.

“So, you’re Bucky’s girlfriend now, huh?” He breaks the silence.

“Yes.”

“Strange. I never thought he’d go for someone like you.”

Your brows knit together into a frown as a pang of hurt echoes inside you, “Wh-What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugs, and you try not to focus on his broad, muscular shoulders. But it’s not easy to just look at his face either, because he’s so intimidating. He runs a hand through his light hair, “Nothing, omega. Don’t worry your little head over it.

Your jaw drops open, “Don’t call me that, please. I have a name.”

“As if I care.”

God! It was like talking to an eight-year-old. You had no idea that Steve was this immature and rude, and it makes your blood boil. You’re just about to get up and find Bucky’s bedroom yourself when you hear a pattering of light footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Steve, I have to go. But promise you’ll text me tonight?” It’s a girl. You recognise her from college – you’ve definitely seen her around campus somewhere. But she’s definitely not Sharon. She skips up to Steve and plants a kiss on his cheek, and the alpha only responds with a grunt. You get a weird feeling inside you as you watch this exchange, but try your best to shake it off.

The girl stops to shoot you a smile. “Hey, you’re Bucky’s girlfriend, aren’t you? Nice to meet you!”

She leaves before you have a chance to reply, and you’re left staring at the back of her head as she shuts the door behind her, getting an eyeful of her hair which you vaguely notice is the same shade as yours. And it’s only when she’s gone that you realise your mouth is open in shock, and you slowly turn to Steve who looks wholly unbothered.

“Aren’t you going out with Sharon?” You can’t help but blurt out.

Steve raises an eyebrow, but says nothing as he continues to just stare at you. You feel hot all over, and you don’t know whether it’s because of his eyes on you or because of the sudden anger you feel at the blatant display of cheating you’ve just witnessed.

“That’s not fair on your girlfriend, Steve.” You whisper.

And all Steve does is stare at you, to the point where you feel waves of heat on your face. And then suddenly you’re hit with this overwhelming scent of burning firewood. A freshly mown lawn with a strong sun beating down on it, and smoky wood on a hot summer’s day. Your eyes widen as the intimidating alpha walks over to you, leaning down at the table where you’re sitting.

“I don’t remember asking for some lowlife omega’s opinion on my private business.” He says softly, but there’s danger and threat embedded in his words and it makes your blood run cold. But your nose can’t stop twitching as it takes in his heady scent, and you feel your mind cloud over and your limbs grow weak like jelly and–

“I’d appreciate it if you’d put a shirt on in front of my girlfriend, Stevie.” Bucky chuckles, elbowing past Steve and making his way over to you. He helps you up and plants a firm kiss to your lips. You’re still rattled by the blonde alpha, though, and distractedly kiss your boyfriend back. You can still feel Steve’s eyes on you, and it’s unnerving to say the least.

“You ready to go, princess?” Bucky tugs at your hand and you nod, allowing him to pull you out of the house. It’s only when the fresh outside air whips against your face that you seem to snap out of whatever trance you’re in. You swallow and shake your head as Bucky leads you to his car, and you only speak once both of you are inside.

“Steve did something awful.” You breathe.

Bucky frowns before squeezing your arm, “What? Did he touch you?”

“N-No, he…” You shake your head, feeling a wave of anger overtake you momentarily, “He had a girl over, James. He was cheating on his girlfriend!”

“Oh.”

The silence is louder than ever as Bucky starts up the car and backs out of the driveway. He puts his arm over the back of your seat as he looks over his shoulder, and it’s not until he’s on the main road that you huff:

“Is that all you have to say?”

Bucky grimaces, keeping his eyes glued to the road, “Look, Steve isn’t exactly in love with Sharon.”

“But she’s his girlfriend, Bucky. He shouldn’t be cheating on her either way!”

“I know, I know. What can I say?” He pauses, as if mulling over how to say his next words. “Look, princess. Steve’s young, he’s only in college. It’s what us guys do. Why have one piece of the pie when you can have the whole thing, you know? That sort of thing.”

It only takes Bucky about three seconds to realise the error in his words. You turn to stare at him in utter shock and horror. Was this really James? Your James? Who had said all the right things and been so sweet and gentlemanly all these weeks? Who had respected your boundaries and never questioned you or lashed out for wanting to wait?

“Is that why you’re so okay with us not having sex?” You say quietly. “Because you’re getting it from somewhere else?”

“What? No, sweetheart. No, that’s not it at all.”

Bucky turns into a random lane and stops the car before turning to you. You try to bat him off but he grabs both your hands in his, bringing them up to his lips and pressing kisses on your fingers and palms before yanking you into an embrace.

“I’m sorry. That was a terrible thing for me to say.” He mumbles into your hair, and you try to find solace in his scent but it’s not strong enough right now. He kisses the top of your head before drawing back to make eye contact. “Princess, I’m not seeing anyone else behind your back, that I can promise you.”

“But how can I believe you? When it was so easy for you to justify what Steve’s doing?” You sniffle.

Bucky sits back in his seat and sighs, but he doesn’t let go of your hands. “Look, it’s no secret that us alphas are all a bunch of assholes. We don’t really hide it, either. Steve’s cheating on his girl because, well, it’s almost normal for a lot of us to do that. And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t slept with multiple girls without them knowing about each other in the past.”

You bow your head, not liking this at all. But Bucky grabs your chin gently, lifting it up so you look at him.

“But I’m past all of that now, okay? I really like being in a serious and committed relationship with you, princess. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a girl, and I would never even think of being with anyone else.” He cups your face and strokes your cheek, and his eyes are so pretty and blue, and you can feel your heart melting already as he gives you a peck. “I guess I just wasn’t surprised by what Steve did because I’m so used to it.”

You nuzzle your face into his palm, “Can’t you tell him that it’s wrong? That you’ve grown out of doing stuff like that, and that he should too?”

Bucky chuckles, pressing your cheeks and nose with more soft kisses, “I could. But Steve is extremely stubborn and bossy, in case you haven’t noticed.” He pauses, smiling fondly at you when you giggle softly in agreement, twining a piece of your hair around his finger. “The way I see it, we should just focus on our relationship, and let Steve do whatever it is he’s doing since it’s got nothing to do with us. It took meeting the right girl for me to recognise the error of my ways. Maybe soon, he’ll find someone that he’ll want to be better for too, right?”

You nod, despite that weird feeling surfacing inside you once more. But you shove it back down and give Bucky a smile as he pulls you in for another long kiss.

“Well, let’s get to that movie, shall we? We’ve probably missed the opening credits and I’m gonna have to cut the line to get us our snacks, but I think we can still make it.”

You spend the rest of the evening at the drive-in movie theatre with Bucky. He reclines his seat and makes you climb over the console to sit in his lap while the two of you watch Gone with the Wind on the big screen with a bag of sweet and salty popcorn and a bar of chocolate to share. Once the snacks finish, you sleepily rest your head on his chest and let him stroke your back through your hoodie. And you almost fall asleep like that, Scarlett O’Hara’s indignant dialogues lulling you into a peaceful slumber until your nostrils are unceremoniously invaded with the scent of burning firewood and a hot summer’s day.

Opening your eyes slowly, you peak out the window to see another car pull up beside Bucky’s. And your heart sinks down to the depths of your chest when you see who’s inside. Steve. And Sharon. She’s talking to him animatedly, but he seems sullen and unresponsive as always. That is, until they start making out, and you have to forcibly look away when Steve’s eyes meet yours and you feel this burning feeling in your chest.

You swallow harshly before cuddling up to Bucky even more.

“James, I’m sleepy,” you say softly.

“Yeah? You wanna go home, princess?”

“Yes, please. If that’s okay?”

“Sure, princess.” He lifts you up and places you back on the passenger seat before pressing a kiss on your forehead. “Close your eyes and rest. I’ll tuck you into bed once we get back to your dorm.”

And he does just that, carrying you all the way back into your dorm room and helping you change before putting you to bed. And you can’t describe whatever it is you’re feeling but all you can do is clutch at his shirt when he goes to leave, pulling him into bed with you. And he rains your face with a billion kisses before you both fall asleep in each other’s arms.

***

Life at college continues. You’re still in contact with Peter, despite the two of you being so busy. But he sends you updates about his internship and all the cool technology he’s being exposed to. You tell him about your classes and all the interesting things you’re learning. You also, very tentatively, tell him about Bucky. Surprisingly, Peter seems supportive, and the conversation between the two of you grows easy once more.

The romance between you and Bucky seems to blossom with every passing day. He carries your books to class and takes you out on cute dates that make your heart flutter. Picnics, scenic walks, movies, restaurants – he takes you everywhere you’ve ever dreamed of being taken. And how your heart had skipped a beat when you’d seen he’d had a bouquet of yellow roses delivered to your dorm room! There was no note or tag attached, but you knew they were from Bucky. Who else could they be from? And they were the prettiest flowers you’d ever received, and the butterflies in your tummy fluttered at his perfect choice.

It was also in the little things he did, like kiss you on the forehead reassuringly or squeeze your hand when you’re feeling nervous. And slowly, you feel yourself coming out of your shell more and more. You find yourself laughing out loud and voicing your opinions that usually you would’ve kept silent.

Being Bucky’s girlfriend meant hanging out with his group of friends, too. And it thrills you that you’re able to hold conversations with some of them, and have them be genuinely interested in what you have to say and not just write you off as a “dumb omega”.

One day, you find yourself sitting on Bucky’s lap in the campus courtyard between classes, a number of his friends surrounding you. You still feel nervous around this many people (especially intimidating seniors) but with Bucky squeezing your hand reassuringly, you find the task less daunting than you normally would, as you grow to feel more comfortable with them.

Well, most of them.

“…and then I told her to fuck off, because who knows what kind of diseases she was carrying. I mean, she’s fucked half the football team after all.” Steve says cockily, taking a drag from his cigarette while the alphas around him all laugh as if he’s cracked the funniest joke of the century. Even Bucky chuckles before you shoot him a look and he stops, a sheepish look on his face.

“I mean sure, she’s got a great ass, but there’s nothing attractive about a slut who spreads her legs for any man who looks her way.” The blond alpha continues, and it irritates you how all his friends seem to hang on to his every word, looking up to him like he’s some sort of God.

Having been with Bucky long enough, you had somewhat cracked the hierarchy of his friend group. And Steve was definitely the leader, the one they all flocked to and tried to impress. Well, not Bucky – he and Sam were the only ones who would keep Steve in check. But the blonde alpha’s ego was through the roof, as were his misogynistic ideals and derogatory views towards omegas and women in general.

And you hated how shy you were, especially around him. You felt sickened by Steve’s gross statements but you could never say anything against him. A part of you just wanted to be liked and accepted by Bucky’s best friend, but Steve only alternated between glaring at you or pretending you didn’t exist.

“HI, BABY!”

A high-pitched squeal knocks you out of your reverie, and you watch as Sharon jogs up to Steve in her pretty blue cheerleading outfit. Together, they look like the perfect couple. Head cheerleader and the captain of the football team. Perfect. You feel that weird feeling bubbling up inside you again but do your best to keep it at bay.

Steve rolls his eyes before Sharon launches herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting her lips on his. Steve, however, remains stoic.

“Gosh, baby, could you please put that cigarette out?” Sharon says, pushing a wayward lock of Steve’s blonde hair off his forehead.

“No.”

She giggles, shaking her head before turning to you. “Men, huh? Stubborn as ever. I’ve asked him to stop smoking about a bajillion times, but he never listens.”

You smile and nod, feeling stupid and awkward as ever because Sharon is pretty and popular and you don’t know how to act.

“I like your pin.” Sharon points at the World Politics Society pin on your bookbag, “I couldn’t even dream of getting into that class. You must be really smart.”

Steve snorts but everyone ignores him.

“Thank you, I find the subject really interesting,” you reply.

You watch Sharon as she talks to everyone in the group. She’s kind, confident and beautiful – everything you wish you were. But that weird, indescribable feeling keeps surfacing inside you every time she locks hands with Steve, or brushes his hair back, or smooths the wrinkles on his sweater.

“And Mister Barnes, how come I’ve never met your girlfriend before now? When she’s practically my sister-in-law?” Sharon hits Bucky lightly on the arm before shooting you another bright smile. “We should organise a double-date. Me and Steve and you both. That sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

Steve scoffs but everyone ignores him.

“Epically fun, Miss Carter.” Bucky gives her a charming smile before tugging you close to his chest. “We could go bowling or something. If His Highness is up for it.”

Steve takes another drag of his cigarette, saying nothing. In fact, he’s barely said a word since his girlfriend joined the conversation, and you find that to be weirdly peculiar. Why was he even with her if all he did was cheat on her and ignore her every time she spoke?

“Looking forward to it!” Sharon smiles before checking her phone, “Okay, I gotta go now or else I’ll be late for practice. I’ll see you tonight, baby?” She gives Steve a peck on the lips, which he also doesn’t return.

“Sure.” Steve answers, finally seeming to snap out of it as his hand meanders down to squeeze her ass. You feel your own hand clench into a fist but you quickly relax it and hope no one saw. What the heck was that? Why had you reacted that way?

“What a fuckin’ bitch.” Steve resumes once Sharon is out of earshot. “As I was saying, I told this other whore who was all over me the other day that I just wasn’t interested in sluts like her, and she said–”

“Could you stop being such a misogynistic jerk?!”

You can’t believe the words have left your mouth, and your hands start shaking immediately once you realise they have. Never before have you raised your voice at someone like this, let alone a formidable alpha who’s about twice your size.

Steve’s cold blue eyes rest their steely gaze on you, when up until this point he’d been content on pretending you weren’t there. You dare peak up at him and see his jaw tick, and a vein protrude from the side of his forehead.

“What did you just say to me?” He asks softly.

“Hey, leave her alone.” Bucky says warningly, but you sit up straight.

“I’m… I’m sorry, but I just don’t like how you talk about women.” You say, hating how your voice shakes and how you can’t look Steve in the eye.

“And I don’t like the tone you’re taking with me right now.” Steve’s intense gaze bores holes straight through you before he looks at Bucky, “Haven’t you taught her not to speak to her superiors like that?”

Your jaw drops open in pure shock, “H-How dare you–”

“Okay, let’s go.” Bucky hoists you to your feet while your whole body seems to shake with shock, anger, and a tiny bit of fear. The brunet alpha holds you tightly by the arm before evenly glancing back at his best friend. “Steve, don’t speak to my girl like that. In fact, if you’re going to be rude, then don’t speak to her at all.”

You and Bucky don’t stick around to hear Steve’s retort, and it’s only when you round a corner and are hidden from the rest of the group by a brick wall, that you burst into tears.

“He’s – so – awful!” You cry, your heart pitter-pattering in a mix of fear and hurt. You hated being spoken to like that, like you were beneath him. Bucky holds you close and you sob into his chest, hugging him as hard as you can. His solidness and wintery scent is a source of comfort to you, and so is his hand which rubs your back soothingly.

“He shouldn’t have spoken to you like that, princess. I’ll make sure to speak to him about it later.” Bucky promises you, pressing soft kisses to your hairline while you cry, leaving splotchy tear-stains on his shirt.

“Why is he even with Sharon when he doesn’t seem happy with her at all?!” You burst out, desperately wiping at your teary eyes except it doesn’t stop you from crying even more. “He’s just…I just… Oh, I hate him, James! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!”

“I know, sweetheart. I know. I’ll talk to him, don’t you worry.”

Looking into his earnest eyes, you can tell Bucky’s intentions are good. And you don’t know if he talks to Steve or not, but you do receive another delivery of yellow roses to your dorm room that very night. This time, there’s a note attached too. “I’m sorry” is all it says, and you can’t help but smile as you hold the roses up to your nose and take in their delicate scent. Bucky was obviously feeling bad about the whole situation – and it wasn’t even his fault!

But clearly, your boyfriend knows you well, because the flowers do lift your mood up a little bit. You place the second bouquet of yellow roses caringly next to the first one. They look expensive and beautiful, and have your entire room smelling heavenly and sweet. It makes you smile and clasp your hands together, and you’re just about to call Bucky when you hear a rustling from outside your window, followed by a series of heavy footsteps.

Strange. Who would be out at this time? And in the bushes outside your dorm room, no less? You decide you’ve probably imagined it, but you close your window and draw your curtains anyways before calling Bucky.

“You’re the best, you know that?” You tell him, a huge smile plastered on your face as you take one last whiff of the roses before flopping down on your bed on top of all your pillows and stuffies.

“I do know that, sweetheart, but it’s nice to hear you say it.” Bucky laughs from the other end of the phone. “It’s also nice to hear you sound so happy.”

You grab your stuffed rabbit and tug his ears mindlessly, “Yeah, I know I acted like a huge cry-baby earlier today.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to worry about it, princess? Anyways, I spoke to Steve.”

Your heart skips a beat, “You did?”

“Yes. Look, he’s set in his traditional ways and he’s stubborn as hell. But he did look like he regretted speaking to you that way, and I don’t think he’ll do it again.”

You breathe a sigh of relief, “Well, that’s all I want. Thank you for speaking to him, James.” There’s a pause, and then you pipe up hesitantly: “And what about Sharon? Is he still going to stay with her?”

“Uh, yeah. Why wouldn’t he?”

BECAUSE SHE’S NOT RIGHT FOR HIM! The omega inside you screeches, and the sheer vitriol you feel makes you sit up straight, eyes wide and hands shaking. What the heck? Where had that outburst even come from?

“Hello? Princess? You still with me?”

You clear your throat and physically shake your head to rid yourself of that weird feeling that seems to be bubbling inside you so often now. But never before had it manifested into your inner thoughts screaming at you like how they just had. You feel hot all over, and quickly place your palm on your forehead to check if you have a fever before remembering Bucky is still on the phone.

“I’m here. Sorry, I just…” What can you even say to him? Without sounding crazy? You take a deep breath. “Thank you for talking to him, James. I’m just glad he won’t be mean anymore. Everything else isn’t really any of my business.”

“That’s good to hear, sweetheart.”

***

True to Bucky’s word, slowly but surely, Steve becomes a lot more bearable to be around. He’s still awful in his misogyny but at least he no longer glares at you or makes you feel unwelcome and uncomfortable when you’re with Bucky and his friends. You still catch him staring at you sometimes, but you must be imagining it because you know he hates you. You try not to care though, and only focus on Bucky.

“I want you to meet my parents, princess.” Bucky says to you one day. The two of you are in your dorm room where you’d just completed an intense study session. Well, you’d been studying while Bucky grew distracted after about ten seconds of staring at his textbook, and proceeded to kiss and touch you while you laughed and batted him off. “And I would like to meet your parents too.”

The smile drops from your face almost instantaneously, and you nervously grab your stuffed rabbit and pull its ears. “Oh, I… Uh…”

“I mean, we’ve been seriously dating for a while now, haven’t we? It’s only right that I get to meet the parents of the girl who captured my heart.”

You smile uneasily, heart feeling like it’s about to beat out of your chest. “What are your parents like?” You blurt out, trying to deflect.

Bucky lies back on your bed, “They’re great. My dad’s a lawyer so he’s always working. My mom is usually at home, though. She makes a great apple pie and she’s also great for when I need advice.”

You smile softly, “She must really love you.”

He blinks. “Of course, she does. All parents love their children.”

He goes on to tell you about how his dad used to take him golfing at the country club when he was younger, and how much he hated it. But he’d always get treated to ice cream afterwards, which was why he agreed to go every time. He tells you about how his mother values family over everything, which was why he went home every other Friday to have dinner with his family, and how he’d love for you to join him on one of those dinners soon.

You nod and agree, but you feel like crying on the inside. There’s a sense of yearning inside you that you can’t seem to get rid of no matter how hard you cuddle into Bucky or how much he kisses you.

His hands slowly slip down to your hips, squeezing gently before meandering up under your hoodie. His touch is tentative yet confident, and usually it excites you. But you always stop him before he goes too far, hoping and praying he doesn’t get mad at you. Which he never does. Instead, the two of you lazily make out on your bed until you fall asleep in each other’s arms. And then the nightmares commence, but when you wake up, you can’t remember them at all.

***

“Ooh, look at the pink bowling balls! And the powder blue ones. Aren’t they cute, Steve?” Sharon clutches Steve’s muscular bicep, her perfectly manicured nails scraping lightly against his pale skin. Steve only grunts in response before shaking her off as him and Bucky go up to the counter to pay for one session of bowling for all of you.

Through Sharon’s pure will and determination, the four of you find yourselves on a double date at the bowling alley. She seemed blissfully unaware of the fact that Steve hated you, or that you didn’t particularly like Steve either, and had practically begged Bucky to organise the date. Bucky had said you didn’t have to do it, but what harm could one night of bowling actually do? Especially since Steve hadn’t really been mean to you for a while now.

“Do I seriously have to wear these ugly bowling shoes?” Sharon complains, gingerly holding up the dirty shoes and making a face.

“Don’t wear them. Let’s see what happens.” Steve pipes up.

Bucky laughs, “Unless you want a broken toe, you better put them on.”

It’s Steve and Sharon against you and Bucky. You’ve bowled a few times, so you’re not embarrassingly bad or anything. Bucky is fairly good too. Surprisingly, Sharon turns out to be extremely skilled at bowling, getting a strike on her first try.

And then there’s Steve.

“Another gutter ball, Rogers!” Bucky doubles over in glee, practically in tears. You try to hide your amused smile and even Sharon can’t help but laugh.

“Shut up!” Steve seethes, looking redder than a tomato as he jams his hands in his pockets and walks back to the bench you’re all sitting on. He casts a quick glance in your direction, his nose twitching. “There’s too many distractions here.”

“What distractions, bro? You’re just a bad player.” Bucky mocks, jabbing his elbow into his friend’s ribs and laughing even harder when the blond gives him an absolutely murderous look.

Bucky gets up and stretches, “I think I need a beer. You want one, Steve?”

Steve flips him off.

“I’ll take that as a yes. You girls want anything?”

“Maybe a strawberry milkshake? Or iced tea sounds good. And I think we should also get some food for Steve before he implodes. Maybe nachos? Or curly fries. I’ll go with you, since that’s a lot to remember.” Sharon gets up.

Bucky presses a kiss to your forehead, “Think you can hold down fort and keep us in the lead until I get back, princess?” He whispers.

You giggle, “I think so. I just need to get a minimum of one pin.”

They leave, and you get up to do your turn. Making your way over to the contraption where they keep all the bowling balls, you can feel Steve’s eyes on you. God, without Bucky and Sharon here, you felt all shy and nervous. Not to mention his scent, which was so overpowering as it settled into your nostrils. Just ignore him, you think to yourself before absentmindedly selecting a bowling ball.

You’ve taken one step towards the bowling lane when the ball slips from your sweaty palms. It’s a lot heavier than you anticipated, and you can’t take the weight as you watch it fall down almost in slow motion. There’s a flurry of movement, Steve moving quick as lightning and batting the ball sideways before it completely crushes your foot. It ends up bouncing on the tip of your toe with a loud thud before rolling away under the table.

“What the fuck inspired you to choose the heaviest ball available? You could have really hurt yourself!” Steve shakes you angrily by the shoulder as you remain frozen in place, still registering what just happened.

“I…I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” You stammer before suddenly becoming aware of your toe throbbing from where the bowling ball had fallen. Most of its weight had been absorbed by your shoe, but your toe still hurts. And you hate being such a baby, but your lower lip can’t help but quiver, and you feel your eyes well up with tears.

You don’t really register it as Steve’s fingers encircle around your wrist, and he tugs you back to the bench, forcing you down before crouching in front of you.

“Did you hurt yourself? See, this is why little omegas like you shouldn’t be carrying heavy things. I told Bucky bowling was a bad idea.” At the mention of his best friend’s name, Steve instinctively whips his head towards the snack counter, and you do too. Bucky and Sharon are still in line, and with their backs turned and so many people around, you doubt they can see you.

You sniffle, “I didn’t think it would be that heavy.”

“Of course, you didn’t. You’re just a baby omega, and sometimes you don’t think about things like that. Here, let me see.” Before you realise what’s happening, he grabs your ankle with one big, warm hand; and uses the other to unstrap your shoe. You gape at him, the scent of smoky firewood and a freshly mown lawn making you swallow harshly and freeze in place, letting him slip your shoe off.

But it only a takes handful of seconds for you to come back to your senses, and you shake your head and cringe backwards.

“Uh, th-that’s okay, Steve. It stopped hurting now, I think I’ll be fine.”

But his grip on your ankle doesn’t loosen, your shoe falling to the ground and his blue eyes zeroing in on your foot which is covered by just your lacy white ankle sock. The air feels thick around you both, and you feel your breathing start to get laboured as you watch his Adam’s apple bob in his throat as he swallows.

Slowly, tentatively almost, he strokes your foot with his other hand. And a part of you is so acutely aware of how weird this is. You boyfriend’s best friend tending to your injury in the middle of a crowded bowling alley – while Bucky and Sharon were in the same vicinity!

“You’ll be alright.” Steve says gently (the gentlest you’ve ever heard him speak), as he continues to stroke your throbbing toe, “You just need to be more careful, okay?”

You find yourself nodding, your entire body buzzing with some sort of strange energy that you’ve never felt before. “I guess I just got distracted.”

Steve’s hand remains rubbing your toe, but his eyes look up to meet yours. And you almost forget how to breathe, feeling like there’s a bubble encasing the two of you, and everyone else is far, far away. All you can feel is his burning gaze and his hand touching you.

He clears his throat, “Yeah, I’ve been distracted all night too.” And you can’t help but notice how long and dark his lashes are, how they contrast so deeply from his pale hair and skin, how they fan against his cheekbones as he blinks up at you almost earnestly. “Maybe I should drive you home.”

That knocks you out of whatever reverie he’s pulled you into. Drive you home? While his girlfriend and your boyfriend stayed here? Was he insane?

You forcibly tug your foot out of his grasp, quickly putting your shoe back on before he can grab it again. And Steve stays in his crouched position in front of you, almost as if frozen in place. He’s staring at his hand, the one that was holding your ankle, before he looks up at you. There’s a fiery look in his eyes, one you can’t fully explain. You also can’t fully explain why your heart is beating like mad, and there’s a warm feeling spreading through your chest.

“I’m fine, Steve. Really. Thank you for uh… Just… Thanks.” You mumble.

Steve blinks, opening his mouth to speak before he shuts it again when he looks beyond your shoulder. He coughs, standing up to his full height and moving away from you suddenly. And you watch him whip his phone out, pretend he’s texting someone, and all the while your heart just won’t calm down. And then you feel a tap on your shoulder.

“We’ve got snacks!” Sharon announces, skipping over to Steve and handing him a bunch of things, “Here you go, babe. These cheesy fries are literally to die for. Me and Bucky picked at them on the way back here. Oh, and here’s your beer.”

You watch as Sharon simpers at her boyfriend, grabbing his hand and leading him to a nearby bench. Feeding him fries while he bats her hand away, instead grabbing his beer and taking a long swig. His face is still red, and his eyes are still bright, and–

“You okay, princess?” Bucky sits down beside you and puts his arm around you, giving you a tight squeeze. “You look troubled.”

You force a smile, “I’m fine, James.”

“Did Steve say something to you? Do you need me to talk to him again?”

Rapidly, you shake your head. Subconsciously, you’ve already made the decision not to tell Bucky about the weirdness that has just transpired. And the guilt is already eating you up from the inside out, despite the fact you hadn’t done anything. Or hadn’t you? Why had you not pulled away sooner? And why was Steve acting this way? Why was he so gentle, so tender? When every other instance between the two of you has been either him ignoring you, or being rude towards you?

Suddenly, your head hurts.

Bucky seems to understand that something is off with you, because he tells Sharon and Steve that he’s tired and wants to cut the night short. You hug Sharon goodbye, feeling like you want the ground to eat you up whole, before your boyfriend leads you out of the bowling alley.

“Princess, please tell me what’s bothering you.” He says moments later when the two of you are in his car.

You force a smile, “Nothing!”

His light blue eyes, so piercing in the darkness of the car, stare at you as if they can see right through you. But all he does is draw you in for a hug, and you feel your body sag into his. Bucky feels so cosy and safe, so dependable and good. All your worries and concerns dissipate for a moment as you hug him back almost fiercely.

“Well, why don’t we go get some ice cream?” He asks kindly.

You bury your face in his chest, not quite done hugging him yet. Maybe you were just overthinking whatever had happened back there with Steve. Maybe the blond alpha was just trying to turn a new leaf and be kind for once. Maybe his actions had been innocuous after all. You sniffle before looking up at your boyfriend and pressing a long kiss to his lips.

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

Bucky gets a double mint chocolate chip cone and you get a vanilla strawberry swirl. He licks the ice cream that you accidentally smear on the side of your mouth as you dig in, and then you both kiss some more. Sweet kisses and sweet touches laced with giggles. And then he takes you on a drive, and you roll the windows down and let the breeze hit your face as if you’re the main character in an indie film, allowing the cool night air to wash away any remnants of guilt. Bucky’s got one hand on the steering wheel and the other one holding steadily onto yours, squeezing every few seconds and shooting you lovesick smiles that you return.

He parks outside of your dorm building and pulls you over the console and into his lap. And you let him kiss you and touch you and try to lose yourself in it. Try not to think of a hot summer’s day and freshly mown grass. You don’t even stop him when he pushes his hand down your leggings and past your panties, and you gasp into his mouth when you feel his fingers brush against your hot core.

“Are you sure about this, princess?” Bucky breathes against your lips, and you want to cry at how sweet he is. How patient and kind. You don’t deserve him at all. You nod your head to indicate that yes, you are sure. You kiss him doubly hard, trying to drown out the feel of wanting to cry. Because actually no, you’re not sure about this. You don’t know if you’re ready. But you feel so bad, so bad for what happened with Steve.

You didn’t even do anything! The rational part of your brain screams. So then why did it feel like you had?

Bucky moves his fingers expertly inside you, his thumb rubbing your bundle of nerves in a way that does make you momentarily forget about anything else except for his touch. You mewl his name, clutching the fabric of his shirt and rutting against him. His large hands rub up and down your back, his lips warm against your ear as he coaxes you, “That’s right, princess. Let go for me, I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”

You come hard, body shaking and spasming on top of him as he holds you close to his chest. Praises you for being so good for him, for being so beautiful and perfect. And it’s crazy, because you feel anything but those things right now. But you sob out his name softly, and let him stroke your hair back as he continues to talk you through your orgasm, “That’s it, princess. You’re such a good girl for me, aren’t you? Such a good girl. Thank you for letting me in, sweetheart. Thank you for being so perfect.”

He lets you recover, all the while kissing you. And then he walks you to your room and bids you goodnight. He tells you he’d have stayed the night, but he has to drive home to pick up an important document for his father. You manage a weak smile, and return his kisses before waving goodbye.

And then you shut the door and burst into tears.

And you don’t even know why, because nothing had happened between you and Steve! Nothing at all. But you cry for all the confusion within you, the unresolved feelings of guilt that you can’t understand for the life of you, and how you can’t seem to shake this yearning sadness inside you. Oh, why did Steve have to be so different tonight? Why had his eyes reflected such tenderness? Why had he held your ankle like that? Why hadn’t he let go?

Why did you care so much?

You take a long shower and change into clean, comfortable clothes before trying to distract yourself with Netflix. And that’s when you hear a knock on your door.

It’s another bouquet of yellow roses. You smile at the delivery man – you recognise his face at this point, since he’s been to your dorm room three times now. You marvel at Bucky’s quickness, because he’d only dropped you home about an hour ago. He must have paid for express delivery or something. And this time, the bouquet is accompanied by not only a note, but also a small package.

I really enjoyed our date tonight, baby.

You smile softly at the short but sweet message, before your eyes shift to the package. It’s brown and unsuspecting, with a yellow ribbon holding it together. You gently rip it open.

Coal black eyes stare up at you. A furry little face. Tan coloured fur and a light blue bow-tie. It’s a teddy bear! You can’t help but crack a smile, heart feeling lighter than it has all day. Oh, it was so cute! Like a furry little baby. You hug it close to your chest, the butterflies fluttering happily around in your tummy. You don’t receive gifts too often, and this was a total surprise. And definitely one that was helping lift your lousy mood.

You fall asleep with the teddy in your arms, and no nightmares come. Instead, you dream of warm sunlight splashing down on your skin, and green grass so fresh you can almost smell it. And the silhouette of a shadowy figure who holds you close and promises to keep you safe. And the yearning feel goes away. And you feel content.

***

“Okay, do you want the good news first or the bad news?”

“Uh oh.” You bite your lip, immediately assuming the worst as your hand freezes in the middle of tossing a folded shirt into your overnight bag. Today was the day you and Bucky were driving down to Bucky’s family house, where you were finally going to meet his parents and stay for the weekend. “They don’t like me, do they?”

Bucky snickers over the phone, “Wrong, sweetheart. My parents love you. Well, they love the pictures of you that I showed them from my phone. That’s the good news, actually. They seem genuinely excited to meet you. My mom’s planning a whole five course dinner.”

You resume packing, putting in your pyjama bottoms, an extra hoodie, your plastic bag of toiletries, as well as your new favourite stuffed teddy bear. You force out a chuckle, hoping he can’t detect your anxiety and nervousness over the phone, “That’s good. I really hope I don’t let them down.”

“Let them down? How?”

You chew on your lip and whisper, “By not being good enough…”

“Princess, you’re the prettiest, kindest, sweetest and smartest girl I’ve ever dated. I don’t want you putting yourself down like that, okay?”

“O-Okay.” He was right – it wasn’t healthy to keep thinking of yourself in such a negative light. And it wasn’t like you enjoyed feeling sorry for yourself or drowning in self-pity, you just sometimes let the doubts you had about yourself creep in and take over your mind. Despite the fact that since day one, Bucky had been reassuring you about how perfect you were.

But would a perfect girlfriend be feeling as guilty as you were?

“What’s the bad news?” You ask, trying to push your thoughts to the back of your mind and focus on the conversation with your boyfriend.

Bucky sighs, “So, I had to actually stop by my dad’s office to sort out some paperwork. He only trusts me to do it, and since I’ll be working at his firm once I graduate, I figured it would be a good chance for me to show him that I’m actually competent with stuff like that.”

You nod, “That makes sense.”

“But that means I’ll be tied up all morning, so I won’t be able to drive you back to my house in Brooklyn.”

“Oh.” You let the words sink in. “That’s alright, James. I can just take the train.”

“Uh, I don’t think so, princess. But listen, Steve is going home for the weekend too, and his parents are practically neighbours with mine. He offered to give you a lift.”

You feel your whole body begin to shake as soon as his name is mentioned. It’s been a few days since the double date, and since what you’ve dubbed in your head as “the ankle incident.” Even now, your heart flutters at the memory, and you can still feel his warm fingers brushing over your foot as he’d held it in his hands and stroked you so softly. And when you close your eyes, you can see that earnest look on his face, and–

“Bucky, I really don’t mind taking the train.”

“Sweetheart, I know you don’t mind. But I mind, I don’t want my girl taking the train when you could easily just drive there.” There’s a pause as Bucky inhales deeply, “Look, I know you and Steve aren’t exactly the best of friends. But I really think he’s trying to turn a new leaf and be a nicer person. I mean, he actually volunteered to drive you, which is progress. And if I’m being honest, it would really give me peace of mind if I knew you were in the car with one of my friends instead of alone on a crowded, dingy train.”

“James, I really don’t think–”

“Please, sweetheart? For me?”

You exhale slowly, clasping your hands together to stop them from shaking. If Bucky had so much faith in Steve, then maybe it was you who was overthinking everything. Maybe Steve genuinely was turning a new leaf, and who were you to deny someone when they were doing you a favour? The drive down to Brooklyn would be long, but not too long. And Steve hadn’t been mean to you for many weeks now, so maybe it would all be okay?

“Okay, Bucky. If that’s what you want.” You agree softly.

“Great! Steve told me to tell you that he’ll pick you up at 3.”

***

Steve arrives outside your dorm at 2:55pm. Actually, you see his car pull up at around 2:45, and then you watch him park it and sit there drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. And then he gets out of the car and paces around for a while before finally making his way over to your door and knocking on it rather loudly. You give him a quiet hello and he gives you a grunt in return, the exchange giving you a sick feeling in your tummy – would it be this quiet and awkward for the whole journey? Before you can worry some more, Steve takes your overnight bag from your hands and leads you to his car.

“Put your seatbelt on.” He orders you the moment you sit down in the passenger seat.

“I was just about to.” You respond, a tad defensive because he hadn’t even given you a chance to breathe before he’d started ordering you around.

“Just do it.”

“Okay.”

He doesn’t start the car until your seatbelt is firmly in place, and then you sit there twiddling your thumbs in silence because Steve doesn’t even have the radio on. You wonder if you should start a conversation, but you feel too shy. Which is crazy, since you’d really been starting to come out of your shell these past few months. But not with Steve. He was way too intimidating and scary and just… intense.

“How’s your toe?” He asks you gruffly out of the blue about ten minutes into the journey.

“It’s all good, thank you for asking.” Your response is cordial, and you wonder if you sound bitchy or clipped. It certainly isn’t your intention, but you’ve definitely got your guard up and you don’t really know how to speak to him.

Steve sighs, and there’s another fifteen minutes of silence before he pulls into a traffic jam, and that’s when he turns to face you.

“I broke up with Sharon.”

Your eyes widen and you feel your heart skip a beat, “Oh…uh…Oh.”

He nods, “Yeah. I took your advice.”

That makes you snap out of whatever momentary shock his sudden revelation had put you in. “My advice? Wh-What do you mean?”

The car starts moving again, and Steve takes his time to reply, and you wonder whether he can hear your heart pitter-pattering loudly in your chest as you anticipate his response.

“I’ve heard you, you know. All those times you complained to Bucky, asking him why I was with Sharon if I clearly didn’t care about her. And you were right, so I took your advice and I dumped her.”

You clear your throat, nervously tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear, “I didn’t mean… Well… She deserves better, Steve.” You inhale deeply and turn to look out the window – either out of awkwardness or because you can’t seem to meet his gaze. But he’s got a weird pull about him, practically reeling you back in and you can’t help but look back at him once he starts speaking again.

“I told her I wasn’t interested in her anymore. That I was in love with somebody else.” Steve takes a turn off the highway, and you sit there frozen in shock as he takes quick left and right turns, eventually driving into a small, deserted street, where he parks the car. You swallow, but there’s a huge lump in your throat that you can’t seem to get rid of.

“Wh-Why are we stopping here, Steve?”

“I like how my name sounds when you say it.” His hand creeps over the console in a bid to grab yours, and you quickly move back. Your back slams against the door as you cringe away from him, eyes wide and heart racing.

“Wh-What are you doing? Stop!”

Steve scoffs, “Please. Don’t play dumb, I know you like me too. And the sooner you stop denying it, the easier all of this will be for you.”

You can hardly believe what you’re hearing, it’s almost like your own ears are playing tricks on you. As if you’re Alice falling down some weird rabbit hole into a dimension where nothing makes sense. Was this a joke? Was he pulling some sort of prank? But he’s got that same earnest, honest look in his eyes, the look he’d had at the bowling alley. But you swallow and shake your head rapidly.

“Steve, no, I’m with James. He’s my boyfriend, I don’t like you like that –”

“DON’T LIE!” Steve bursts out, and the sudden explosion of anger makes you jump out of your seat, and the panic that ensues in your heart has you grabbing the door handle in a desperate bid to get out of the car and away from him. But of course, the door remains locked, and now you can really feel the cold terror and dread as it overtakes your body.

Steve exhales slowly, running a hand through his blonde hair, “Don’t. Lie.” He repeats, reaching over to forcibly grab your wrist. And his touch alone sense goosebumps up and down your arm. “I knew we had a connection from the moment I saw you. And then at the bowling alley on our date, I knew you felt it too.”

“Y-You mean our double date,” you say slowly, incredulity dripping from your tone, “where you were with your girlfriend and I was with my boyfriend.”

Steve shakes his head, his grip on your wrist tightening, “You were the only one I could focus on that night.” And then, as you watch in horror, he brings your hand up to his lips, kissing it as his eyes flutter shut, almost like he’s savouring kissing your skin for the first time. And you feel every cell in your body, from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes, flutter as he does it. He locks eyes with you, “And I saw how you reacted that night when you opened my gift, that’s how I knew you liked me too.”

His gift? The terror in your veins seems to triple in less than a second, and you feel like you might throw up. You think back to all those bouquets of yellow roses with no name on the notes that accompanied them. And your favourite stuffed teddy with the coal black eyes and blue bow tie. No. No, it couldn’t be. And he’d watched you open them? How?

“N-No, those were from James!” You bat at him, trying to get him to let go of your hand. You suddenly can’t breathe, can’t think. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. “Those flowers were from James!”

“Sure.” Steve snorts, “Is that why you never even mentioned them to him? You knew deep down they weren’t from him, omega. You knew.”

“No, no, no–”

“And how could they be from him? He doesn’t understand you. Not like I do.” He tries to cup your cheek with his warm hand but you dodge him, shaken down to your very core by all the revelations hurtling towards you at top speed. Steve narrows his eyes at you for a second, before grabbing your hand again. “You think he doesn’t tell me everything, omega? You think I don’t know that you haven’t even let him fuck you yet?”

You feel you’ve just been doused with a bucket of ice-cold water, and all you can do is gape helplessly at Steve, any words you may have had on the tip of your tongue now firmly lodged in the back of your throat.

Steve smirks, “That’s right. He told me you haven’t let him fuck you, and it’s been what, three months since you guys started going out?”

“I wanted to wait till I was ready.” You whisper.

“You keep telling yourself that.” Steve laughs bitterly, “But you and I both know the truth, which is that you’ll never be ready. Not for him. Because you don’t want him to fuck you, you don’t want that intimacy with him.” He yanks you closer with the hold he has on your wrist, till your foreheads are almost touching and you’re frozen in place by not only your fear but something else too. Something warm and inviting.

“If you were my girlfriend, you’d already be three months pregnant.”

Your jaw drops open, only a tiny squeak making its way out past your lips. It’s as if he’s stolen all the air from your lungs, and all the thoughts from your brain. You feel hot all over, but also numb. You feel nothing yet everything all at once, and you can’t believe what he’s saying.

“But that’s okay, we still have plenty of time for that.” Steve nods determinedly, his eyes clouding over with an almost wistful, faraway look. “Baby, I have a plan for us. I’m graduating soon, and I want you by my side as the mother of my children. You’re perfect for me, and I’ll give you the family you crave.”

It’s like he’s lit a candle inside you. A tiny, almost minuscule candle of hope fuelled by the picture his words paint, but it flames fiercely nevertheless. Until you forcibly snuff it out and shake your head once more, and deliver more futile pushes to get him to let you go.

“Y-You’re crazy! I don’t want that, Steve! I don’t want any of that!”

“You do.”

“No, I don’t!”

“Yes. You do.” Steve sneers, twisting your arm when you grow more desperate, your movements ceasing as you stare up at him helplessly. But his face remains stoic, and a wild piece of blonde hair flops down over his forehead. “I told you; Bucky tells me everything. How you never really fully open up to him, how you get closed off and distant and sad sometimes and he can’t figure out why because you never tell him.”

“Th-That’s between me and him–”

“Don’t you get it?” He grabs you by the shoulders, shaking you as if he’s had an epiphany and wants you to have it too. “I’m the one who knows you, omega. Not him.” His hand reaches up to cup the wide of your face again, and this time he succeeds because you’re frozen in place. His voice softens, “I know you feel like your mother doesn’t care about you. I know you feel lonely despite being in a relationship with Bucky. I know you felt like this even in your previous relationship before Bucky. And I know you don’t have a dad, and I know it hurts–”

“No, no, no, no!” The tears are welling up in your eyes now, and you feel like you can’t breathe. Like you’re hyperventilating and there’s no escape and you can’t run away because this stupid car is locked and you’re in the middle of nowhere and you’ve never told anyone about your dad! You never talk about that with anyone. You don’t even think about it! How did he know?!

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Steve rubs his wrists over your face, and the tranquil effect of a hot midsummer afternoon warms you from the inside out. You feel your heartbeat go back to normal, and you’re able to breathe again. You look up to see Steve’s face inches away from yours, and all you can feel are the pads of his thumbs slowly stroking your cheekbones, and for the life of you, you can’t explain why you just let him do it.

“Do you ever get that yearning feeling, baby?” He asks you softly, so softly that you almost don’t hear it. His blue eyes sparkle with determination and earnesty, and he holds your face so carefully in his hands. “Tell me, do you ever get that feeling? Of wanting something so bad but you can’t seem to figure out what it is?”

“Yes.” You whisper hushedly, dropping your head in shame. Your heart throbs with the same guilt that you’ve been feeling for days now. Horrific, unforgiving guilt that washes through your body in taunting waves.

Steve kisses you then. And it feels like everything around you seems to stand still. Every particle, every atom, every hair, every speck of dust freezes in place. You close your eyes, and it’s like the sun itself descends down to the earth, making everything bask in its addicting glow. Fireworks and explosions behind your eyes and all around you, his warmth enveloping you like a hug. An embrace of delicious heat that feels like you’re home. Really home, and it’s something you’ve never felt before.

And then you start crying.

“I can’t do this to him.” You pull away, and the panic you feel is almost immediate. “Steve, I… We can’t do this to Bucky. He’s so good to me, he doesn’t deserve this! We can’t, we can’t–”

“He’ll understand.” Steve says firmly, keeping a tight hold on you. “It’ll be hard for him, but once he sees that we’re in love, he’ll understand. And it’s good for him too, because this way he can find a mate who is better suited for him.”

Through the haze of Steve’s smoky firewood and hot summer day scent, you think back to Bucky and his crinkled smile. How he’d been the first one to speak to you on your first day, how he’d walked you to the library and how at ease you’d felt with him. How his lopsided smile, sparkling eyes and effortless charm had reeled you in. All the nights spent cuddling or watching TV or just talking and talking and talking. How respectful he’d been of your boundaries; how sweet and patient and intuitive he’d been any time you felt uncomfortable or upset.

How he’d complimented you every chance he got, building up your self-esteem through his love and adoration. How his easy-going nature made you feel so comfortable… But yet not comfortable enough to let him in. And that’s when the guilt seems to attack every cell of your body, killing you from the inside out. Why? Why couldn’t you just let Bucky in? Why couldn’t you just love him? Why, why, why?

Why did it have to turn out this way?

“No.” You shake your head, trying to shake away the thick haze of Steve’s scent which seems to be corrupting your every sense. And when you next speak, your voice is firmer, and you wipe the tears from your face, and you sit up straight, and you shrug his hands off of you. “No, Steve. We can’t do this. I need to get out, I need to–”

Steve’s eyes narrow once more, “Omega, listen to me–”

“Let me out of this car! Just let me out, okay! I’m not doing this to him! You’re wrong, Steve! You’re wrong, wrong, wrong! I don’t like you like that!” You rattle the door handle desperately, but of course it doesn’t budge. “Let me out, Steve! I can’t think in here, I need to get out! I need to speak to Bucky, I need to… I need to…”

You feel yourself going lax in his arms, your limbs turning to jelly as he places his hand on your mating gland, fingers pressing down. It sends thrills and shivers up and down your body as he draws you back to him, closer and closer till he’s embracing you.

“I’m your alpha.” Steve whispers in your ear, and the possessiveness in his tone rocks you to your very core. “You’re my omega, all mine. It’s like you were made for me. And that’s all that matters.”

You’re about to protest once more, and then you feel his teeth graze against your mating gland. It feels peculiar, thrilling, dangerous all at the same time. But the threat of his action doesn’t register immediately, and it takes you a second too long to realise, and then–

“No, Steve, don’t! Don’t!”

A blood-curdling scream leaves your mouth. Steve’s teeth are sharp and unforgiving as they clamp down on your mating gland. And his bite if so painful, like he’s chipping and tearing away at any traces of autonomy left in your body. The sensitive skin of your neck breaks and tears along with the last remnants of your independence.

Everything stills around you. Everything but Steve. He’s all you can feel now. His heartbeat, loud and wild. Or is that your heartbeat? Everything feels different, nothing is the same. It’s all Steve. All of your senses are Steve. All of your feelings are Steve.

“I’m never gonna let you go.” Steve whispers against the fresh wound on your neck, licking at his handiwork which will soon turn into a mark that brands you as his forever.

His presence around you is infinite. The intense heat of his aura mixed with his addictive scent, hitting you from all angles like a tidal wave.

And, like a bittersweet film coming to an end, it washes away the memory of Bucky before you even have the chance to say goodbye.

SDKGKSLAG OKAY.

So.... did I just present y’all with a Steve x omega fic disguised as Bucky fic?? Despite hyping the Bucky fic for MONTHS? Well... *dodges tomatoes* Yes. Yes I did. I’M SORRY BUCKY GIRLIES. STOMEGA FOREVER. This was the plan from the start, because it doesn’t matter if Bucky asked for omega’s number first - she would always end up with Steve. In any AU. In every AU. ANYWAYS. GUYS. I hope you liked it and I hope you’re not mad! I really really really would love to know what yall thought! Like genuinely, I jsut NEED to know what you guys thought of this bc honestly... I am not so sure AHHHHH. okay i’ll shut up now. Bye.

#bucky barnes #steve rogers #bucky barnes x reader #steve rogers x reader #dark steve rogers #sebastian stan #chris evans #sebastian stan x reader

1K notes · View notes

silly4sillinger · 26 days

Note

can you do a part 3 with Hughes sister and Matt Rempe?

"Together!?" pt3 Pairing: Matt Rempe x Twin Hughes Sister!Reader

YOUR POV

April third. The day you've been dreading. Luke promised to try and talk Kurtis out of trying to fight Matt, but Luke said it doesn't seem like he is budging.

You sit on Matt's bed and watch him tie his tie in the mirror.

"Please be careful." You say for what feels like the thousandth time for Matt.

"I will. You have nothing to worry about, babe."

"I just know he's going to try something. He won't let the idea leave his head."

"I'll be ready for whatever happens. If he does decide to start something it will probably be during a face off."

Matt fixes his collar and turns around to face you. "I got to get going. Good luck kiss?"

You nod and stand up from the bed, making your way over to him. He pulls you into a hug and lifts you off the ground a little bit to kiss you. "You have nothing to worry about. I promise everything will be fine."

You kiss him again and he puts you back down. "I love you."

"I love you too."

MATT REMPE POV Putting the both of us in the starting line up was definitely a set up.

We weren't even lined up for the face off yet and he was already trying to start shit.

"You want it?"

"No."

We lined up for face off and I could see him look over at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Your girlfriend will eventually realize how big of a pussy you are and dump your ass. Enjoy it while it lasts, Rempe."

The puck hit the ice my gloves were off and I went straight for him. We started throwing punches and the rest of the players started fighting as well.

After what felt like forever, we were all finally separated and escorted off the ice.

I could still feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I ripped off my gear.

"You think your girl is going to be pissed, Remps?" Jacob asks.

"At me? No. At her brothers' teammates? Definitely. She already knew he was going to try and fight me. I turned it down at first and then he kept running his mouth."

YOUR POV The game ends and you go to meet Matt.

K'Andre notices you and bumps into Matt, making him look up from his phone. "Catch ya later."

"Yeah, later. Hey." Matt tells you as you walk up to him.

"What the hell happened?! I saw you tell him no at first."

"He couldn't keep his fucking mouth shut and it pissed me off." he replies.

"What did he say?" You ask, grabbing his hand as you guys walk towards the exit.

"We'll talk about it when we get back to my apartment, okay."

"Alright."

Back at the apartment you let Matt unwind a little bit before bringing it up again. "Can you tell me what he said?"

"He basically just called me a pussy and said that you'll eventually realize and leave, to enjoy it while it lasts. Which yeah, I shouldn't have gave into him, but part of me started to wonder if it was true."

You shake your head no and lean into him. "It's not true. You're not a pussy and I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me now."

Matt slightly smiles and pulls you in for a kiss. "I love you. Way more than you know."

"I love you too."

You're back in Newark and Jack and Luke have some of the guys over.

They've been trying to get you to come be social for the last ten minutes.

"Y/N!!!!" You hear Nico yell, probably from his usual spot on the couch.

"They aren't going to leave you alone until you go out there." Matt laughs.

"But I want to talk to you."

"We can talk later. Go hangout with them."

"But my bed is so cozy."

"Now I know you're just making up excuses, babe. Your bed is the most uncomfortable thing ever."

"Okay, you caught me, but I don't know who all is here."

"So go see. I need to go to the gym anyway. It will give you something to do while I'm gone."

"Fineeee. I'll talk to you later. I love you."

"I love you too."

You end the call and make your way out of your room.

Dawson and Nico look away from the tv when they notice you walk in.

"Sorry, I was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Ignoring you guys like usual. Where's Rowdy and Luke?"

"They went to get food and the three of us didn't want to go." Dawson answers.

"Three…?"

"Yeah. I'm here too." You hear Kurtis behind you and you turn around to see him leaning against the doorway, arms crossed.

"How's your face feeling?" You ask, earning laughs from Dawson and Nico.

"Fine. Just a little sore. You know, after your boyfriend decided to take a swing at me."

"He wouldn't have if you hadn't provoked him."

"Provoked him? Please, he's just a hothead with no self-control."

You roll your eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Kurtis."

Kurtis scoffs and pushes off the doorway. "You know, he's not the knight in shining armor you think he is. Eventually, you'll see that. But hey, don't let me ruin your fairy tale romance."

With that, Kurtis walks away, leaving you pissed off.

#matt rempe x you #matt rempe x y/n #matt rempe x reader #matt rempe #matt rempe x hughes sister!reader #baby giraffe 🤍🦒

132 notes · View notes

q1ngqve · 2 months

Note

Your aventio fic got me in a chokehold and now I'm frothing??? I'm being tormented by the same principal but with Jing Yuan and Dan Heng. Reader being the anxious babe that they are avoiding them at ALL costs outside nessasary things since they don't think that their pursuit is genuine (or that they're pretty or smart enough to be with them) Anti-stalking x 100. Like "hello??? The GENERAL and IMBIBITOR LUNE, interested in me??? Sounds fake af" but their also secretly down bad as well, and having bracelets corresponding to them at all times? A subtle marking of their claim over you by your own volition would probably stir something within them.

I'd think the general would enjoy the hunt while Dan Heng tries to not but can't help but be lured in by readers sweetness. A hidden archive dedicated to you is kept by Dan Heng and updated regularly, Jing Yuan sends his retainer to check up on you from time to time. And if they discover what the other is doing??? Would they team up? Mayhaps, and If so, good luck since you have a LION and a DRAGON, pursuing you. Isn't that perfect? But good luck, once your in their grasp you are not leaving untill the only thing you can remember is their names.

I'd find it even funnier if they got access to their fanfic reading list. For me that's sacred but for them it'd be a GOLD MINE, especially when it comes to readers kinks (praise kinks, marking??? Oral??? Oh~ breeding? Now thats jnteresting) WHAT ABOUT THE FANFICS WRITTEN BY XIANZHOU NATIVES??? BRUH READER HAVING SO MANY FEATURING THEM SAVED AND HAVE WRITTEN SOME THEMSELVES CONFIRMS THE FEELING ARE MUTUAL.

Waiting untill the perfect time, they pounce. Conveniently bumping into Dan Heng during the Lunar Festival celebrations and making small talk before the General bumps into the two before suggesting getting food to celebrate the new year's. Timidly excepting the rimvife dinner goes normally untill it doesn't. The restaurant is small yet not busy despite the festivities. (they call reader nicknames (darling) that were used in readers fanfic that make reader flush) (giving genuine praise and watching them flush. Eventually Dan Heng suggest staying at the attached inn due to how crowded it is Outside " oh no! There's only one room remaining! I guess wr have to share a room. How unfortunate." 🤔 and thus all three end up getting one conveniently large private suite.

Once the door is closed they Sandwich reader between the two as Jing Yuan and Dan Heng confess their feelings, trapping reader so they dont run away. When reader objects, Flustered and in disbelif Jing Yuan cant help but tease about their "little findings" while Dan Heng eyes the bracelets on their arms. Posessiebess blooming at the epiphany of the btacelets meanings as their vidyahara traits peak out. If the insecurities come out to? Then they'll have to make sure that reader (and their body) remembers their love by devouring them whole.

( Even better if those findings are used against reader. Awe is their darling shy? And theyre tryjng to muffle their moans and hide their face? Don't worry, those two make sure reader drowns in so such pleasure that it'll be the furthest thing from their prettty little mind)

If reader ends up cover in marks almost impossible to hide and unable to walk for days after and having to be carried out of the suite the next day? Then that's none of our business.

(Sorry if this is long, I'm frothing at the mouth and losing my mind. That aventio fic has rewired my brain in the best way possible and I need to get this out of my mind ajdbdhdindkdn)

✒️

hello anon…? you are so big brained and for what 🤭ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི i had a good time gobbling this shit up

#this is a whole fic on its own 🤭#✒️ anon!!!!!#hsr #honkai star rail #jing yuan #dan heng #jing yuan x reader #dan heng x reader

108 notes · View notes

grapejuicestyless · 24 days

Text

Good Luck, Babe!

Harry Styles x Fem!reader

Summery: Harry could run around the world in search of a replacement to fill the void that you left, but he’s better off coming to terms with the fact that he’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.

I’m okay knowing I won’t ever get to call my future lover my high school sweetheart. It’s hard to stay committed to someone for decades as an adult, let alone at sixteen. But it pulls at my heart strings just to know little me would be so devastated knowing the boy who used to string up fairy lights and scribble on big bubbles letters on poster boards for our prom decided I was too boring for his massive life and left once the glitter from all the glamour of fame got in his eyes.

It’s funny to think about, ten years thrown away forever because my stable life wasn’t worth living when he could offer me anything I could ever dream of. God forbid I want to settle down with some little ones to teach nothing but love in a world where everyone can only ever teach their children hate. God forbid I wanted that with him.

No, my dreams were stupid compared to those of his own. Children mean nothing to him if he’s not taking home another award for his excellence. Settling down is a laughable dream, how could I expect him to ever even try when it seemed like with every single chance to start trying he was at a new peak in his career.

When I left him, he didn’t even look sad. Not even when I turned to face him as I walked out of our front door with all my things stuffed in a bag slung over my arm. He looked distant, sure, but not sad and that made me sad, for me but mainly for him.

Three years ago if I had even shown signs of unhappiness he would have stopped the world to fix our issues, ironed it all out real nice to make sure that I never felt that feeling again. Now I could beg on my knees pleading for him to hear me and my cries would fall on deaf ears.

But I don’t regret leaving him in the end. It hurt at first, leaving behind all I ever knew, letting him go after I wasted away all my youth on him, but life goes on and my heart would heal the longer we were apart.

Occasionally he would reach out, letters with the same swooping letters that I recognized as his own handwriting, the same writing that once wrote me love letters, all addressed to me with the hopes of meeting up.

But I knew myself better than that, I knew Harry better than that. If I met him, even only for coffee our night would end with me back in his arms and his head between my legs. We weren’t ever meant to split, but then again no one who’s ever felt the same kind of love like young kids is ever made to walk away from something so sweet.

I was better for it, between each letter there was a new girl. A model who resembled me in the most vague ways. I wondered all the time if he ever accidentally called any of them my name. If he chose them with my eye color so when he looked into their eyes he could see mine for just a second. It felt like each week he was caught leaving some bar with some other girl, someone else’s lipstick staining his jaw.

I got over him slowly, never fully, but enough to love again. I had room to give once more and enough strength left to keep fighting for the love I deserved. I earned the right to be able to hold someone who would call me “baby” with pride, without the slightest hesitation or embarrassment.

Harry could kiss a hundred girls and boys in bars, drink away his twenties and sing to his fans across the world, and I would be here chasing my own dreams. After all, he always needed the spotlight, he lived for it. All I needed was a little love, and somehow in his search for glory, he lost any kind of that he had and I had found it again.

I saw Harry a couple years later, the small bar in Brooklyn with the good music and sweaty bodies. He looked good, he always did. His hair looked a little grey and I must admit, I almost drooled, but looks were the only attraction I would ever feel for him. Emotionally, I was cut off, even when he leaned up close and pressed me into a bone crushing hug.

With a cool smile on his face he asked me confidently what I was doing here and how I’d been. I told him a friend of a friend had invited me along to come celebrate an old friend’s birthday, that I didn’t really want to drink tonight and was just trying to enjoy myself.

I could see his hesitation when an arm slung itself over my shoulders, curly brown hair tickling my cheek and a kind smile flashing towards him and somehow in our conversation, I forgot the most important update in my life, one I’d make sure he’d never forget.

“Who’s this?” He asked kindly, ready to introduce himself even though we were all well aware everyone in the room knew him by name.

“Oh, Harry, how rude of me!” I laughed at the time, but I’m still not sure if he could hear it over the music. I hope he did, because it would have been the last time he would hear it.

“Harry, this is my girlfriend.”

#harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #harry styles imagine #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #yn x harry #harry x reader #harrystyles #harr

70 notes · View notes

enluv · 9 months

Text

008: THE CONCERT — THAT’S THE THING!

– genre: written content & smau! (after the first 3 slides stop to read then look at the end slides!)

– wc: 2.1k+!

– warnings: ANGST, mc & soobin talk about their failed relationship, insecurities, (feelings of) not being enough, needing time, being/feeling alone, infidelity, deception, please tell me if I missed something!

“If you keep biting at your lip it’ll bleed Y/N,” Sunwoo reminds you for the fourth time today.

“She’s just nervous about performing for the first time in a while, leave her alone,” Keeho swats at Sunwoo, leading him out the room so you can get dressed.

This concert is the very first one where you’d perform your newest album, all the songs that you’d held so close to your heart finally getting their own time to shine and be heard. However, that wasn’t the reason you were nervous, they knew why but tried their best to not mention it.

The real reason was currently sitting in the VIP section near the stage, fidgeting with his phone and bickering with Beomgyu.

“Babe, if you end this concert and decide you don’t want to talk to him anymore, just know I’ll do everything in my power to help you sneak out, or if you do want to talk to him still I’ll make sure Keeho and Sunwoo don’t ease drop. Either one is up to you, but seriously, we’re all here for you no matter what happens and no matter what you decide.” Yeji sends you a wide smile after finishing the last bit of your hair, she’d insisted on doing it to kick off the tour, ending her small speech.

“Thank you. I honestly appreciate you all for this, I know my past with Soobin is basically what got me here now but I just can’t go on and continue this way if I don’t get closure from him. I need to tell him how I feel and get that ending I deserve because if I don’t, I can’t see myself ever moving on seriously. No matter what he says to me today, I know it’ll bring me closure and I can finally have this weight lifted off my shoulders. I need to do this for me.”

Yeji nods smiling even wider, she’s waited for this for a long time, having known Soobin back when you were all friends, she always had an inkling there was more to his story but stayed true to you as a best friend, she only hopes now that she’s right and he can finally give you the closure you deserve.

“Alright this whole I love you and stuff is cute but they’re calling Y/N up and as her manager I need to walk her over there so I’m breaking this up, sorry Ji say bye to her for now.” Sunwoo’s voice breaks you two apart as he excitedly pulls at your hand, he’s probably the one most excited about tonight.

“Have a good show! I’ll see you up there later for our surprise! Good luck baby!” Yeji sends a kiss your way, quickly sitting herself in the chair to get ready for later.

“You’re gonna do so good kid! Have fun, don’t worry about anyone else! Only you tonight!” This one comes from Keeho who waits outside leaning against the doorframe, his only concern is about the boy you’ll be seeing tonight but he keeps it to himself.

Just before heading on stage, Sunwoo stops, never being one to be so vulnerable around others he takes the opportunity of just you two to turn and talk, “I’m really proud of you, and I know I don’t say that a lot, or like in a serious tone, but I really am proud of you. I know it’s been a mixture of ups and downs for you but it’s all gotten you here, and for those reasons you deserve it all, you deserve to be here performing and making people happy. I know you’re nervous because this is your first big show but trust me you’re going to do so good. No joke, I don’t think I have ever seen anyone more right to do what you do. Good luck and just remember that I am always here for you, if you need me just look to your right, I’ll be there for anything. I love you, go have fun out there.” And at that he pats your shoulder and ushers you on stage.

Soobin’s anxiety increases as he watches you finish off the last song. The crowd is too loud, the stadium’s lights are too bright, and the feeling he’s getting now is starting to settle at the pit of his stomach.

All day he’s rehearsed what he’d say to you once you finally gave him the chance to explain but all that is forgotten now. He’s left with nerves and fidgeting hands as he and the boys walk down the long hallway to get to the backstage area.

The first person he sees is Sunwoo and his heart begins to pound even harder. Soobin used to be good friends with the people you’d surrounded yourself with, having met through you but both Sunwoo and Keeho had taken a liking to him and quickly he’d become like a brother to the two boys. Of course that all changed when he’d broken your heart, and Sunwoo had never gotten past that.

Soobin sense his eyes on him, he knows he’s being watched even as Taehyun and Hueningkai go in to hug Sunwoo, his eyes never leave Soobin.

Before he can even speak up he’s cut off by another one of your friends, Yeji.

“Y/N is waiting in the dressing room, you can head there now. I think the rest of us should go get dinner started somewhere.” A whine falls from Sunwoo’s mouth but Yeji is quick to shut him up. She turns to the group of boys standing next to Soobin and nods her head in the other direction, they get the hint quickly and walk away, leaving Soobin alone.

The door to Y/N’s dressing room is slightly ajar, almost as if it’s already inviting Soobin to walk in, but he still knocks out of respect, mainly though because he’s too scared to open the door himself.

A small, “Come in,” sends his mind back ten steps, is he really ready to do this? Will you actually believe what he has to say? He can’t be sure of the outcome until he tries, so he takes that leap, and opens the door, walking through it straight to you.

As you sit in front of Soobin, his hands begin to pick at the skin around his nailbeds, they turn pink and red staining them as he digs deeper and deeper, you fight the urge to pull his hands away from one another, this is a habit he’s possessed for a long time.

“You did really great up there by the way, just wanted to make sure I told you that,” Soobin speaks first, his words are fast and flustered but sincere.

“Oh, wow thank you. I appreciate that.” You’re surprised to hear your voice sound so small, it’s never like this.

“I’m really nervous right now, do you want to go first or should I?” He’s picking at his nails again.

“You should go first. I think I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

The breath he’s holding in is finally let out and he nods at you, and then slowly he descends into what he told the boys just a few weeks earlier.

“When I told you that night after lowkey was released that I couldn’t give you a real relationship I think I meant it, but not because I wasn’t committed to you, more so because I knew I wanted to be able to provide for you, to be there when you needed me but in all honesty I couldn’t do that. I wasn’t happy with myself yet, I wasn’t taking care and consideration of my own person so I wasn’t confident that I would be able to do that for you. That was my own fault though, you always made me feel like I was enough Y/N but truthfully I could never believe in it because I didn’t believe in myself.”

He lets out a sigh and moves closer to you, placing his hand on your own, he wants you to face him, see him eye to eye.

“I loved you, I think a part of my actually still loves you. I know that night when we fought I lied to you, I told you I was seeing someone else, but that wasn’t true I only ever wanted you, I can prove it if you need me to, and I know I told you I wasn’t ready, that much was true but what I should have also said was that I wanted to grow and be ready for you. I should have told you that if you could just wait a bit longer, I would grow to be ready. I knew asking you to wait was horrible because you’d do it, and I couldn’t do that to you, I couldn’t hold you back. I needed to work and grow, but you’re kind and you loved me and I knew you’d wait. I’m ready now, I know it’s been a long time but I’m ready now, and I’m sorry I put you through so fucking much. You have every right to tell me no and to just leave me right now but I do thank you for giving me the time to explain myself. I love you sincerely.”

The look in his eyes is enough to tell you he’s telling the truth, and a small feeling runs through you at his touch. His fingers rub the back of your hand cautiously, gently soothing you as you prepare to speak up.

“I’ve hated you for a long time. Recently I learned though that it wasn’t hate I felt for you, it was longing. I longed to be part of your life, to be the girl you said you’d been seeing, to be the person you wanted. I longed to have you in my life the I had you in the past. I appreciate you being honest with me, I think after a while I’d accepted a lot of what you’d told me that night and I tried to move on but it always came back to me. We were stuck together like glue, always with one another twenty four seven, so when you said you’d had someone else it hurt so much, because I never saw a time when you could have snuck away and went to see them, and you’re telling me this now and it’s a bit of a relief but also I feel like I’ve wasted years hating a ghost. I’ll need time to heal from that. Insecurities are hard, I’ve been there Soobin, there are nights and days when I feel like my music is the worst thing in the world, where I’m sure no one is listening to it. I know how they can eat you up inside and I know they’re hard to push away, to unlearn them. I’m sorry you had to go through that alone, I wish I’d been able to help you but I understand that talking about insecurities makes them all more real to one so I know it must have been hard. I’m not saying that’s completely an excuse and everything is fixed now between us but I know that I understand you, and I understand why you did some of the things you did. I appreciate you sharing this with me, I’m sure it was hard. Thank you for trusting me. I love you still, I know that may be hard to believe given the songs I’ve written about you and the things I’ve said but it’s true, and I don’t think I can keep the feelings to myself anymore.”

The air surrounding you two feels lighter, it’s not as stuffy as when you’d both first sat down. It’s in a way, soothing.

“I think maybe we should start over, I’m not saying forget anything that happened because that helped us grow and it brought us here today but it’s been a while, we’ve grown, how about we get to know one another again?” Soobin suggestion hangs in the air as he waits for your response.

“I’d like that a lot,” a small smile beams on your face and up at him, “Wanna get dinner with me?”

“I’d love that.”

MASTERLIST / PREVIOUS / NEXT

coco’s ♡ note: this chapter was really sad for me to write because I love ttt soobin, i know i mess with him a LOT but he’s so adorable, he just wants his girl back 😭 anyways I hope you all enjoyed this! as always, feedback & reblogs are always appreciated!

TTT TAGLIST! - @jmin-s @stealanity @iijwon @invuwrld @igotkpoops @telesvng @whippedforbeomgyu @l0ve-joy @envirae @neozon3nha @meiiiwa @kangtaehyunfan029 @chaerybae @ch2won @cinnikoi @wccycc @run2seob @stariszn @haew0nz @neoculturewhat @hyuk4ngel @ddeonubaby @oulspvs @sullystraw @liliyaaaaas-library @rainbowszi - Want to be added? Send an ask or dm to be added to the taglist!

244 notes · View notes

lassoways · 9 months

Text

true blue

chapter one: say anything

word count: 3.5k

warnings: cursing, suggestive content at the end but no actual smut, reader and jamie are grumpy and need hugs

masterlist | series playlist

say anything - girl in red

“So, will I be seeing you at Sam’s party tonight after the game then?”

Keely asks, playing with a strand of your hair affectionately. The two of you are standing in the hallway outside of your office at Nelson Road. You lean against the wall beside you, giving her a noncommittal shrug.

“I don’t know. I was thinking of just staying in tonight.”

She frowns at this. “Oh, come on, babes! We have to support Sam’s new restaurant and besides,” she leans in and whispers as if she’s about to tell a salacious secret, “I was gonna invite a client of mine who is proper fit and I think you two would just hit it right off!”

You groan. “Oh, Keely, no! I told you no more match ups.”

You cringed at the thought of the last bloke she tried to set you up with. He cared more about your footballer brother than anything to do with you and the night eventually ended with you telling him to ‘fuck off and go date my brother if you love him so much’.

Keely’s frown deepens, puppy dog eyes staring straight into your soul. “Will you come if I don’t invite him?”

You sigh, looking down at your paperwork on the clipboard in your hands, chewing the inside of your cheek. You glance back over to her, those big puppy eyes still working their magic and you give her a weak smile. “Okay, fine.”

She squeals, pulling you into a hug and you smile into her shoulder. You pull away, about to make a comment about how you have nothing to wear to the party tonight, but you’re interrupted by an annoying voice emerging from behind.

“Good morning, Keely!” Jamie Tartt strolls down the hallway, a sports bag slung over his shoulder. He pauses in front of the two of you, giving Keely a cheeky grin before turning to you with a less than enthusiastic face and a curt nod, muttering your name as a greeting. You grunt in response.

You’ve known Jamie ever since you started as AFC Richmond’s physiotherapist just a few months before he left for Man City, and you have never gotten along since - though your dislike for him goes even further back than that. Jamie and your brother have a rather public and long-going distaste for each other, and as a loyal sister, you have a distaste for anybody that is a prick to your family. And so, you and Jamie are constantly at each other’s necks, doing whatever to get under the other’s skin.

“Hi, Jamie!” Keely greets, chipper as ever.

You resist the urge to roll your eyes, and instead look him up and down, keying in on his regular clothes and bag. “Are you just now getting here? It’s a game day.”

He scoffs, holding his hands up. “Chill. The star player just needed a couple more minutes of beauty sleep, is all.”

You feign confusion, “But Zava’s already here, and he looks plenty rested.”

Keely jumps to change the subject. “Jamie, you know my client, the one who runs that sock company! Don’t you think they'd hit it off?” She motioned towards you and you mentally curse at her.

He looks you up and down and you start to scowl at the smirk taking form on his face. You already know he’s going to say something stupid. He looks at Keely and shakes his head, looking so smug. “Nah, I don’t think he’s into nagging know-it-alls.”

Keely jumps between you two before you can open your mouth to fight back. “Okay, Jamie, good luck today! Bye!”

She turns to face you as Jamie walks away. “I take it you two still hate each other?”

She started her own PR firm recently and hasn’t been around the office much. She hoped the two of you would have magically worked through this shit by now, but that clearly wasn’t the case. She knew Jamie had grown so much lately, but for some reason, he was still the same old prick to you.

You scoff. “I’m a professional, Keely. I don’t hate any of my patients.”

She gives a knowing look. You feel like you’re being scolded or something.

“He’s gotten so much better lately, though.” Keely reasons.

You hum, uninterested. “I’ve yet to see all these ‘improvements’ everyone speaks of.”

“Come on, just give him a chance. You two might surprise each other.” She sighs, giving you a squeeze on the shoulder. “I should go meet Rebecca upstairs. We’ll see you after the game, yeah?”

You give her a reassuring smile before returning to your office. Game days meant you had to be ready at the drop of a hat in case an injury happened on the pitch. Putting your headphones in, you focused on getting all of your supplies in order for the big day.

It was no surprise that Richmond won. With Zava joining Richmond as their true knight in shining armour, the team had been victorious once again, continuing their win streak. And while you were very pleased for your team, especially since nobody came out of the game with any serious injuries, you knew this meant there was no way you could bail on the party tonight. With everybody in the mood to celebrate, it would be impossible to stay under the radar and not attend, not if Keely had anything to say about it.

So that’s why you were at Ola’s, nursing your second glass of champagne in a black slip dress that felt all too uncomfortable compared to the sweatpants you wish you were in on your couch. Keely and Rebecca babbled on next to you about one of Keely’s recent photo shoots for a client of hers, and you offered a chuckle or a gasp when necessary, otherwise remaining silent beside your friends.

“Alright, that’s it.” Rebecca sat her drink down, pointing a beautifully manicured finger at you, “What on earth has gotten into you lately? You’ve been loafing around for weeks.”

“I have not been loafing,” You had definitely been loafing. “I’ve just been feeling… a little uninspired with life lately, I suppose.”

“That break up really got to you, eh?” Keely inquires, a sympathetic smile on her face. You shake your head.

“No, it’s not that.” You pause, looking down at your drink. “Okay, maybe a little. It’s not like we were together long or anything, but now I’m just in such a funk and I can’t get out of it.”

Rebecca nods, “I totally understand. But that guy was a twat, and you, my dear, are a bad bitch.” She turns to Keely with a sly grin. “Keely, do you know the best way to get out of a funk?”

Your two friends turn to you after sharing a glance, suspicious gleams in their eyes. Keely wiggles her eyebrows as she declares, “The best way to get out of a funk is to have absolutely mind-blowing sex!”

You snicker. “Eh, I think I’m going to take a break from dating for a little bit.”

Rebecca laughs, grabbing your hand from across the table. “My dear, you don’t need to be dating to have mind-blowing sex.”

You roll your eyes, standing from the table and out of Rebecca’s grasp. “I know, I know. I’m going to get another drink, I need a break from you filthy lot.” You chuckle to yourself as they gasp, but escape to the bar before they can argue with you.

With a fresh drink in hand, you glanced around the restaurant. The entire team and their friends were scattered throughout the restaurant, the sounds of laughter filling the area. Your brother sat in a booth adjacent to you, and when you met eyes with him, he raised his glass to you with a smile (well, as much of a smile as Roy Kent can give). You raise your glass back before taking a large swig of your drink. Turning, your gaze fell on a table off in the corner, with a miserable looking Jamie Tartt sitting by himself.

You sauntered over. If anything could make you feel better, giving Jamie some shit would certainly do it. When you sit beside him, he barely looks up from his plate, too busy scooting around a piece of meat with his fork.

“It’s not polite to play with your food.” You tease.

He pauses before dropping his fork with a loud clatter against the plate. “Piss off.”

You reach over to poke at his grumpy face and he swats you away. You frown. “Didn’t you guys just win? Shouldn’t you be happy?”

Jamie shakes his head, leaning back into his chair with an exasperated sigh. His eyes narrowed, looking past you. “Not much to be happy about right now, eh? I ain’t done nothin’ to help ‘em win.”

You followed his gaze and your mouth made an ‘o’ when you saw the target of Jamie’s glares. Zava, Richmond’s new star player, had undeniably been stealing Jamie’s thunder since he joined the team and was largely responsible for Richmond’s uptick in victories. You know Jamie was jealous of this, you’d heard your brother mention it here and there, but you had no idea it was getting to Jamie this badly.

You turned to face Jamie, still slumped in his seat. On a normal day, you would have helped dig him deeper into this hole with a snide comment or two about how much better Zava was than him, but as you watched him sit there looking so sad, so pathetic, so absolutely miserable, your best friend's words rang in your ears. Just give him a chance.

You took another big sip of your drink. Liquid courage. You sigh. “You’re a great footballer, Jamie. I think you can be better than him. And besides, he’s a moron.”

His eyes softened, staring at you in disbelief. Maybe the alcohol was tricking your brain, but you could have sworn there was a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. He started to grin, “Wow, two Kent siblings nice to me in one night? ‘M I being punked right now?”

You reach over and hit his shoulder. It wasn’t hard by any means, but he still rubs at the spot with a feigned hurt. “What did Roy say?”

“He offered to train me.” He sits a little straighter in his chair. You could tell he was trying to hide his smile.

You gasp, “Is hell freezing over?”

He lets out a laugh, probably the first genuine laugh he’s had all day. It makes you smile. “That’s what I’m saying!” He exclaims.

The two of you stay like that for a while. Off at the corner table in what felt like your own little world, joking about your sour puss of a brother, or how much of a self-righteous twat Zava is. You felt a pang in your chest as you began to realize that Keely was right, maybe Jamie really has changed. For the better. And you were just constantly tearing him down, never giving him a real chance to show you he was different now.

Jamie noticed your face falter, his eyebrows scrunching in concern. “You okay? You look like someone just pissed in ‘ya wheaties all ‘a sudden.”

You shake your head, taking the final sip of your drink and setting the glass down. “No, no. I just.. I think I'm gonna head home. I’m pretty tired.”

“Do you like ice cream?”

His question catches you off guard and you think it must be the beginning of a bad joke or something. You search his face, but when you don’t see any signs of humour, you realize he’s serious.

“I love ice cream.”

“Me too, and your cunt of a brother says my diet starts tonight but what he doesn’t know won’t kill ‘em, right? ‘Cuz I am absolutely craving ice cream right now.” He’s still looking at you intently. You feel like it’s starting to get too hot in the restaurant.

You nod.

“So what I'm thinkin’ is we go grab some ice cream at that shop around the corner and then I can walk you home.”

He says it so matter of fact, like it wasn’t a big deal at all. Like the two of you have been friends all along. You smile, “You don’t have to walk me home.”

Jamie waves you off. “Nah, it’s on me way so there’s no reason for me not to.”

“How do you know where I live?”

He laughs. “Don’t act all panicked or nothin’, I just remember havin’ to pick up Keely from your place one time, is all.”

Your eyes narrow. “Sure, Jamie. But if you’re gonna murder me, the least you can do is buy my ice cream first.”

He stands, looking down at you. “I was already planning on doin’ that, love.”

You ignore the way that pet name makes you feel, the way it spreads heat all through your body. The champagne was definitely getting to you. You stand too, tilting your head up at him with a sly smile. “Oh, you’re pannin’ on murdering me?”

He shoves at you playfully and you shove back. “Meet me out front. I gotta go say bye to Sam.” He says.

You nod, going your separate ways in the restaurant. You walk up to Roy and give him a hug, telling him no, you don’t need him to walk you home and yes, you will let him know when you get home safe. After quick hugs and kisses with Keely and Rebecca, you were standing outside Ola’s and beginning to feel incredibly stupid as you waited for Jamie.

Were you really about to go get ice cream with Jamie fucking Tartt? Were you trying to pretend you were suddenly best of friends or some shit, when just this morning you despised him? Looking around, you wondered how bad it would be to just start walking home without him.

“‘M so fuckin’ excited for some ice cream.”

He shoots you a wide grin as he walks out of the restaurant, starting off towards the ice cream shop. When he realizes you aren’t walking with him, he spins on his heel, lips pursed. “You comin’?”

You shake yourself from your thoughts, moving fast to catch up with him. “Y-yeah, I’m comin!”

As he said he would, Jamie pays for your ice cream. He gets two scoops of rocky road, his favorite he says, and he calls you “diabolical” when you pick mint chocolate chip. You walk in step with him towards your apartment, enjoying your dessert and to your surprise, the company. It was amazing how well you got on with Jamie when you weren’t busy pissing eachother off. The whole thing still gave you a nasty feeling in the pit of your stomach and you knew you had to apologize for your shitty behavior.

After a while, your conversation enters a lull but you feel comfortable in the silence, happily eating away at your ice cream. He draws your attention back with the clearing of his throat, and you can feel his eyes on you. “Er, can I ask you somethin’?” He asks.

“Sure, what’s up?”

You can tell whatever he’s about to ask, he’s thinking of the best way to say it, chewing on the inside of his lip for a moment. “What’s had ‘ya feelin’ so down lately?”

It catches you off guard and it must have shown on your face. He continues, “Oh, c’mon. Everyone has been noticin’ how down in the dumps ‘ye are.”

You sigh and take a bite of ice cream. “I suppose I just haven’t been feeling like myself these days. It’s just a funk, I’ll get out of it.”

“It’s ‘cuz of your break-up, yeah?”

You snap your head towards him. “How do you know about that?”

Jamie scratches the back of his head sheepishly, “I overheard Roy and Keely talkin’ about it the other day - about how he was an asshole to ‘ya.”

You couldn’t disagree. Your ex might be the biggest asshole you know, and that’s saying a lot coming from someone related to Roy Kent. Nodding, you say, “He was an asshole.”

He hums in agreement, not pressing you any further, taking another bite of his dessert. The two of you are silent again until you finally speak up. “I guess, yeah, I have been a bit sad lately.” You stop walking, gathering your thoughts and he stops too, turning to face you. “I’m not so much sad that we broke up because everyone’s right, he was an asshole, but he was so good at making me feel like shit and now I don’t know how…” you pause. “I don’t know how to not feel like shit anymore. And that makes me sad.”

Finally getting that off your chest feels nice, and your amazed at how much better you feel just telling someone, anyone, even Jamie fucking Tartt. His gaze is soft and you can tell he feels bad for you. You look away. You can feel your body folding in on itself, arms crossing your chest.

“You know, someone told me once that the only thing worse than being sad is being sad and alone.” Jamie says, and you peel your eyes off your shoes to look back up at him. “And I guess I just wanna say that ‘ya not alone, ‘ya get what I mean? You have Roy, and Keely, and Rebecca, and uh.. I’m here too.”

You smile, beginning to walk again. You reach over, giving his shoulder a light push. “You know what, Jamie? You’re not so bad.”

“Oh, why thank you!” He flashes you a big, cheeky grin as he pops you on the nose. “I actually pride meself on being the ‘not so bad’-est.”

When you reach your front door, you turn to face him, swallowing hard as you go over the apology you had been writing in your head the whole walk home. He beats you to speak though, nervously scratching the back of his head.

“Listen, I, uh, I wanted to say I’m sorry for being such a prick to ‘ya. I’ve been trying so hard to be a better person lately but I dug meself in such a deep hole with you that I didn’t know what to even do, so I just kept bein’ an asshole and it was shitty and you don’t deserve that and-”

“Jamie,” you try to interrupt him but he doesn’t let you, continuing his rambles.

“And I didn’t mean what I said this mornin’ neither. You’re not naggy or a know-it-all. You’re smart and good at your job and-”

“Jamie,” you say again, louder. You step closer to get his attention, grabbing him by the sleeve on his wrist. You can smell his cologne, cedarwood and citrus. “I’m sorry, too. I’m always a dick to you, I never even gave you a chance to show me you’ve changed. And you have, by the way. You’ve changed.”

His eyes soften. You can see on his face he’s relieved, happy that you’ve acknowledged how hard he’s worked to be a different person, a better person. He speaks quietly, just barely above a whisper and you wouldn’t have been able to hear him if he wasn’t so close to you right now. “Thank you.”

The two of you stay like that for a moment too long, eyes boring into each other. You’ve always known he was handsome, but right now on your doorstep, the moonlight shining on him, he was breathtaking. You hadn’t realized he took a step closer until you could feel his breath on your face, the smell of his cologne becoming even stronger. You watched his gaze go to your lips for a split second before looking back into your eyes and you knew right then you were fucked.

In an instant, you close the gap between you two. He wastes no time kissing you back, his hands grabbing your waist, yours wrapping around his neck. The kiss doesn’t last nearly as long as it should, and you don’t miss the small noise he makes when you pull away, your hands pushing gently on his chest. “I’m-i’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

Jamie cups your face, forcing you to look up at him. “No more apologies, yeah?.”

And his lips were on yours once again. This time your hands were scrambling all over each other, desperate to touch as much as you can. His hands are everywhere, the nape of your neck, your hips, sliding down to cup your ass through the fabric of your dress. When you gasp, his tongue enters your mouth and you’re overwhelmed by the taste of him, the smell of him, the feeling of him.

One hand reaches up to the hair at the back of his head, giving it a soft tug. You can’t help but smile against his lips at the moan he lets out, and he responds by pushing you up against your door, his lips moving to your cheek, your jaw, your neck, peppering kisses everywhere he can reach until he’s kissing your lips once more. You break from the kiss, just barely, and through heavy breaths you ask, “Do you want to come inside?”

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt #jamie tartt fic #ted lasso #roy kent

212 notes · View notes

imagineredwood · 11 days

Note

College assignments are stressing me out 😩 some hc’s for the mayan boys on helping their girl destress from exam season or anything similar?

Good luck babe!! It'll all be worth it in the end 💕

Angel/Coco goes more on the distraction route. He's never much liked academics, so as much as he may love you, he's not the type to sit and help you study. He does love helping you chill though. He'll take you out for dinner then ice cream. Take you with him for a ride with nowhere specific in mind, just letting you relax and enjoy the fresh air. He also definitely uses sex as a rewards for being so hard working and determined. He brings you to club parties even if you're tired and don't really feel like going, just so you can enjoy a night out and drink and dance and get your mind off the stress and demand from school.

EZ likes for you to be pampered. Books a couples massage. Pays for you to get a facial and your nails and toes done. He'll take you for nice romantic dinners. He just wants to do whatever he can to spend time with you and get your mind off the stress. He knows its for a good cause and it will all pay off in the end, but that doesn't mean he likes to see you worked up. He loves to help you study and that helps to take the edge off sometimes because he makes it fun and different, but he's the first to mandate breaks when he seems you need it.

Bishop hates seeing you stressed. He's always stressed, so he knows how it feels. Especially when its something that you can't just ignore, like the club or in your case school. He's more about doing whatever it is that you want. Where ever you want to eat, he's making reservations. You want to go to the beach? He finds the nicest one he can find. You want to spend the day out shopping? He's right there holding your bags. You just want to stay home and eat snacks and cuddle? He's got your favorite movie and treats at the ready. Whatever it takes to help you settle and calm down.

He spoils you like you wouldn't believe. Has offered more than four times to just bribe your teachers into letting you pass so you can not worry but you decline. Doesn't mean he won't ask a fifth. He spoils you like crazy. With each passed test or efficient study session, there's a gift. A ring, a necklace, a bouquet of roses, lingerie, a special painting. love notes, you name it. He's beyond proud of you and makes sure you know it. He books lavish vacations when you're on break, expensive restaurants after a big exam, massages after your shoulders stiff from studying. He'll do anything to make sure you feel that you are his pride and joy.

General taglist

@piccasoe @ateliefloresdaprimavera @gemini0410 @woahitslucyylu @my-rosegold-soul @that-chick212 @everyhowlmarksthedead @glimmerglittergirl @fanaticfangurl21 @encounterthepast @svintsandghosts @starrynite7114 @destynelseclipsa @queenbeered @iamthegraham @emoengelfurleben @otomefromtheheart @rosieposie0624 @papa-geralt-of-cirilla @beeroses @weirdosandhopelessromantics @kola95 @cruzwalters @myakai13 @mrsstevenbuchananstark @lyly00 @kaystacks17 @cole-winchester @alexxavicry @savagemickey03 @fanfic-n-tabulous @choochoo284 @xbloodyxangelx @carma-fanficaddict @gillysoldlady @choochoo284 @whitetxilwxlf @ravennaortiz @flowercrowns-goodvibes

Mayans MC taglist

@dazzledamazon @abunnykisses @briana-mishell24 @angelreyesgirl @wrcn9fvlcver @peaches009 @capt-canadian @thesandbeneathmytoes @krysiewithak @darklingveracruz @appropriate-writers-name @cind-in-real-life @blessedboo @montanaraed @kkim120 @megapeacelovemusic-blog @emoengelfurleben @blowmymbackout @abby-splace @kola95 @black-repunzel99 @redpoodlern @xonickibaby @myakai13 @cruzwalters @yosoynicolexo @mrsstevenbuchananstark @danimals1096 @po3ticb3auty @lyly00 @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @kaykaysuh @angel-121 @fanfic-n-tabulous @90sisthenew80s @lovelytricia @carma-fanficaddict

#mayans mc #miguel galindo #angel reyes #coco cruz #bishop losa #headcannons #headcanons #mayans fx

33 notes · View notes

willalove75 · 1 year

Note

Could I request a Rebecca welton x reader angst please ?

Absolutely!! Sorry for the delay, I've been brainstorming this one for a few days, I hope you like it!

~~~~~~

*beep beep beep beep*

Your alarm wakes you up and you roll over to shut it off. You turn back, your eyes still closed trying to savor the last few seconds you have before you have to get up, and reach your arm out to find the other side of the bed empty. You sit up and look around, you see your beautiful girlfriend Rebecca standing in her closet picking out her outfit for the day

"Well you're up early, good morning love"

"Good morning darling" she flashes you a quick smile and returns to her closet.

You have to admit, you're a little disappointed you didn't get the usual morning snuggles before you both get out of bed for the day, but things have felt different since you came back from your work trip you took last weekend. She seems, distant.

You wrap your arms around your knees sitting up in bed admiring the gorgeous woman standing in front of you. She always looks so invested in what she's doing, even just picking out an outfit for the day. That's one of the things you love most about her, how everything she does, it's intentional. She holds up two dresses against herself in the mirror, still unsure of which one to pick.

"The one on the left" you say, admiring her from the bed.

"You think so?"

"Definitely, plus it makes your ass look amazing" you say playfully

She gives a smile and compares the two again

"I think I'm gonna wear this one" as she holds up the other dress

"That works too, you look amazing in everything you wear anyway" you say as you get out of bed. You can't deny that that stung a little, but you wave it off and get dressed.

You meet in the kitchen, Rebecca is sitting at the island, sipping her tea and scrolling on her phone. You make yourself a cup and sit across from her.

"You have a busy day today babe?" you ask

"Mhm" she mumbles, her eyes not leaving her phone

"Hey, is everything okay?"

She looks up from her phone at you "of course love, why do you ask?"

"I don't know, you seem a little distant lately. It feels like things have been difference since I got home" you say with concern

Her face drops, a look of guilt crosses her face

"I'm so sorry darling, no I'm fine I promise" she says, as if she's trying to convince the both you and herself "I just have a big meeting this afternoon that's taken all of my attention"

"Okay, but you know if there's anything you ever want to talk about, I'm here, okay?"

"I know"

You two finish getting ready and get into the car and head to Richmond. The car ride is pretty silent, Rebecca on her phone, you look out the window, your fingers loosely entangled with hers, trying to figure out what changed between the two of you.

You get to work and head into the building, the two of you stop in your usual spot, hidden away from the doors and parking lot to get any last-minute kisses in before you head into the building.

"Good luck with your meeting today babe, you're gonna do great"

"Thank you, love"

You share a quick kiss and walk into the building. Usually her kisses are soft, passionate and intentional. This kiss seemed almost rushed, you swallow the lump growing in your throat and head to your office.

The day drags on, you can't wait to see Rebecca, you're hoping it was this meeting that's been making her act differently, but deep down you know there's something else going on. You begin to worry that you did something wrong, or that maybe she just lost interest in you.

The morning turns into the afternoon, the afternoon turns into the end of the day and you pack up your things and head to Rebecca's office, like you do every day, to walk to the car to go home.

As you climb the stairs, an anxiousness begins to rise in your belly, you so desperately need to know that everything is okay between the two of you. You hear giggling and chatting coming from her office, you pause before you get close enough to the door to listen. You saw Keeley and Roy leaving so you know she's not with Keeley.

You can't hear what's being said, so you take a deep breath and quietly walk towards the door. You get to the doorway and see Rebecca sitting on the couch with a beautiful woman you don't recognize, both talking and giggling. You freeze taking it in, Rebecca had kicked her shoes off and has her legs curled under her with a cup of tea in one hand, while the other hand is gently resting on the woman's hand, resting on Rebecca's thigh.

You swear you could hear your heart shatter as you stand there in shock. Rebecca looks up and sees you standing there

"Oh shit,"

Tears begin to fall down your cheeks as you turn to run out and Rebecca jumps off of the couch.

"Wait y/n, it's not what it looks like!" she jumps up off of the couch "fuck, god damnit Rebecca" she says to herself. Barefoot, she begins to chase after you.

You can hear her calling after you, but you quicken your pace and head towards the door, you pass Coach Lasso

"Woah there, where's the fire?!" He says playfully, you ignore him and your quickened pace turns into a jog.

"y/n!!" Rebecca yells down the hall. Coach Lasso turns to see Rebecca running around the corner after you. She stops when she sees him, then watches you run out of the doors. "fuck" she says defeatedly. Coach Lasso looks at Rebecca, whose eyes are filling up with tears, with a confused look. Rebecca shakes her head and heads back to her office to grab her things and leaves.

You get about a block away from Richmond before your jog turns back into a walk, you put your sunglasses over your eyes, even though it's dreary outside, so no one can see you crying.

You head towards your flat, you haven't been there in about a week since you've been staying primarily at Rebecca's house. About half a block away from your flat, a car pulls up next to you and the back window rolls down.

"y/n, I'm so sorry, it's not what it looked like"

You ignore her and keep walking

"Please love, talk to me"

You keep walking and the car pulls ahead of you and stops. The door opens and Rebecca gets out and walks up to you and tries to stop you.

"Honey please"

You hear her voice crack and you look up and see tears welling up in her eyes, some small mascara marks under her eyes, as if she had been crying before.

You push past her and pull out your keys and unlock the door to your flat and walk in. You pause for a second, debating on slamming the door in her face. Rebecca notices you pause and stands outside the door, waiting for you to slam the door on her. You push the door open and walk in. Rebecca follows you in and closes the door behind her.

You put your bag down, take off your sunglasses and jacket and toss them onto the table by the door. The pain in your chest surges and you grab the table and take a big, shaking deep breath. You turn your face away from Rebecca as she takes a step towards you. You walk away towards the living room. You sit on your couch, grab a pillow and curl into the armrest. You can't control your tears anymore as they flow down your cheeks, you try to cry silently but a few sobs break through. Rebecca sits on the opposite side of the couch as you silently as stray tears fall from her green eyes.

She reaches out to place her hand on your arm and you pull away. You can feel the hurt as she slowly pulls her hand back. She takes off her shoes and jacket and kneels in front of you on the floor.

"You don't have to say anything," she begins "you can kick me out but please, honey just let me explain" she says through tears. "I know how bad that looked, trust me I do."

"Are you cheating on me with her?" You say through sobs

"Oh god love no, I'm not I promise. My meeting was with her and we just started chatting and I completely lost track of time"

"Oh please you were flirting with her!!" you yell, Rebecca is taken back, she's never heard you raise your voice like that before and she hangs her head.

"You're right, I was."

"Why? What did I do? Why am I not good enough? Why wouldn't you just leave me if you didn't want to be with me"

Rebecca looks up, tears streaming down her face, she cups your face in her hands "y/n you are enough. You're everything I ever wanted"

"then why?!" you pull away from her hands "why would you do that?! Why have you been so distant since I came home? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything" her beautiful, teary green eyes look into yours "it's me. I got scared. I realized when you were away this weekend, I never want to spend another day without you. Every day you were gone I wished you were home with me. I didn't realize how badly I need you in my life until you left, and it fucking terrified me." she takes her thumb and wipes away the tears from your eyes. "I started pulling away because I'm so scared, he hurt me so badly," she begins to cry "I don't think I can survive that again"

You adjust yourself on the couch, pull the pillow off of you and wipe away her tears "I would never hurt you"

"I know, but you can, and it's fucking terrifying. But I know what I've done isn't fair to you, and I know I hurt you, and I am so, so sorry." she looks deep into your eyes and tucks a stray piece of hair behind your ear. "I love you, y/n." you feel like your breath was taken from your lungs for a moment, she's never said that before. "And I completely understand if you never want to see me again, I do. Hell I don't know if I would ever speak to me again if I were you. But I need you to know I'm so sorry and I love you so deeply and I'm so, so sor-"

You lean in and your lips meet hers, she's taken by surprise for a second but quickly melts into the kiss. Her lips are soft and salty from her tears. You gently nibble at her bottom lip, asking permission as she parts her lips and your tongue dances around hers. Stray tears fall from your eyelashes onto her cheeks, the kiss intensifies as she guides you up and turns you around, she sits on the couch and moves one hand to your hip and pulls you onto her lap, not once breaking the kiss. Your hand slowly moves from her cheek to the nape of her neck, entangling your fingers into her hair. You take a deep breath of her gorgeous perfume, you've never been more in love than you are in this moment. You break the kiss and look into her eyes, wiping away the streaks of mascara cascaded across her cheeks.

"I love you Rebecca."

She pulls you in for another passionate kiss, as to say 'thank you.' You kiss down her sharp jawline, down her neck, you pull the collar of her shirt aside and place small, soft kisses across her collarbone. Her hand gently grabs the hair on the back of your head and you nuzzle into her neck. She wraps her strong arms around you and leans into you. You both breathe sighs of relief, this is the safest you've ever felt, in the arms of the woman you love.

#hannah waddingham #rebecca welton x reader #rebecca welton #ted lasso #rebecca welton fanfic

101 notes · View notes

inari-zaheer · 2 years

Note

HII!! Just sending a request to you lolol, i love this character a ton so why not request it then?? so here i am anyways… so I’ll get started and you definitely know who he is lolol…

Can you do Any Arcane Characters you know with a reader who has a Eddie Munson Personality from Stranger Things??

thanks !!

Oh do I know our pretty metal boy, thank you for the request!

Jinx, Ekko, Caitlyn, Ran and Vander With Eddie Munson!Reader

Pairing:Jinx x Reader; Ekko x Reader; Caitlyn Kiramman x Reader; Ran x Reader; Vander x Reader

Tw:Mention of drugs, slight references of Arcane Act3

A/N:Just wanted you guys to know that I’m working on all the asks, just have a little patience ya girls computer just died and now I’m only on my phone lol🥲

—————————————

Jinx

Jinx would love you let me tell you

You worked for Silco as a shimmer dealer, and although at first she didn’t use it, after Act 3 she came often to you and a relationship bloomed from this

She loved your creativity to tell her storys when she needed a distraction from the ghosts of her past

She'd have the same music taste as you, often going to songs that have lound instruments to drown the voices in her head

Even after she was taken under Silco's wing she still felt as an outcast, so having you around makes her feel better

She loved the theatrical speeches you gave on the bar tables and often joined you after a successfully mission

Expect her to steal your rings even if they’re way too big for her slender fingers, she always says that they give her good luck

If D&D was a thing in this universe she'd be so invested in the campaings that she'd make special props just for you

She'd ask you to play guitar for her when she was working on a new invention saying that you playing was the best white noise machine she could ever have

Maybe she asked you to play while she was doing some dangerous stunt, just to come up to you and be like "Babe that was the most metal battle ever!!"

Ekko

He didn't like you that much at first, ya know, with all the drug dealer thing

But when he saw that it wasn’t exactly something you liked doing but you didn’t had much of a choice he got a soft spot for you

The first time he brought you to the Sanctuary you noticed that they weren’t judging you like other Zaunites did, they had better things to do than picking at you for your style

But the kids in particular loved you, you told them stories and thought them how to play board games

Ekko would definitely want to learn how to play guitar or some other instrument that would complement it when he had spare time

If you had a band that played in any bar in Zaun he'd change his mask and would sneak out to go and cheer for you

He also likes wearing some jewelry pieces and would definitely steal some for you when he was in an assignment in Piltover

If you somehow where in combat with him he’d be the one telling you that there was no shame in running

Your intimidating figure would be useful for when he talked with Silco’s goons, even using your bad reputation in his favor

At the end of the day he’d enjoy taking all his gear off and you taking all your jewelry off and just chilling in bed with the firelights illuminating the outside

Caitlyn

Yeah I’m a sucker for opposites attract trope lol

You two met after Vi was released from prison and went to you for information

Not having seen someone as pretty and stylish as you she was mesmerized

The way your rings moved as you talked with your hands, your loud remarks and your bitchin style? Girl fell hard

She also didn’t appreciate your job, but after spending time in the lanes she understood your side and kept your deals away from the enforcers

I can see her as someone who knows how to play violin or cello, so duets like Sixteen by Demon Hunter where she could play delicately in the background and you could go absolutely feral with the guitar are common date plans for you

You gave a speech about loving Cait in one of her family dinner party’s, which was not appreciated by Cassandra, but made Tobias know that you really loved their daughter to confess it to the whole world

She already has kind of a steampunk style going on, so don’t be surprised if she stole one of your belts or chains to compliment her outfit

She’s a bookworm, so every piece you wrote she’d be happy to be first in line to read it

After the events on Act 3 she would find difficult to sleep that fast, so she’d ask you to tell her a story or sing her to sleep

Ran

The both of you worked for Silco, so it was easy to get to know each other and have lots of things in common

After assignments they would come to you and ask for something to make them relax, and you made sure to always save the best stuff for them

Getting high together and having heavy makeout sessions

Even though they have a simple style, they wear piercings and earrings that you gave them and also stole your belts and necklaces

Every time that you’d perform at The Last Drop they’d be right beside the stage screaming the lyrics with you

If you knew each other when you were younger you definitely helped yourselves on getting stick and poke tattoos

When they had insecurities about their hand you’d always made them feel better with your compliments and maybe some of your rings to make it even cooler

I don’t think they’d know how to play any instrument, but they’d love to sit on your lap while you play guitar for them

Having pool competitions against each other with the promise of paying the winner’s drinks for the rest of the night

The only type of jacket they’d ever wear is the one you gave them once it was cold outside the bar when you were smoking and they kept it because it smelled like you

Vander

I love the metalhead Vander AU so much

That maybe in his young days before the rebellion he had a band with Benzo and maybe even Silco called the Hounds of The Underground

So when he met you he immediately took a liking to you

You helped sometimes at the bar to make extra money but quickly something else happened between you

He knew how hard things were in Zaun, so he never said anything about your deals but asked you to don’t let the kids get close to the drugs

Speaking of which it always made his heart warm how you would put the kids to sleep with fantasy storys or would always play with Powder when she felt left out

He liked your speeches, he always thought that they gave the people some kind of hope for a better future

On special occasions he’d buy some pieces from Benzo so he could make some jewelry and gift it to you

I can see him being a drummer but also having a beautiful deep voice for singing and also screaming, not going as hard as when he was younger but it was still sick

If you had a hard time sleeping he’d offer to sing for you while caressing your hair

#jinx x reader #ekko x reader #caitlyn x reader #ran x reader #vander x reader #arcane x reader #arcane #arcane fanfic #eddie munson #arcane jinx #arcane ekko #arcane caitlyn #arcane ran #arcane vander #jinx #caitlyn kiramman #ekko #ran #vander

172 notes · View notes

titlemewickedwonderland · 11 months

Text

Dream of Me (Ghost Band x Oc)

Summary: This is a longer version of a dream I had the other night of going to a Ghost concert and getting stuck at the venue. Some parts of filled in because I don't remember them very well but I hope you enjoy reading it anyway! It's kind of long but I didn't feel up to making a part two! So here you go!

Support my Work!

It was insane, completely and utterly insane. She hated crowds, hated them with such a passion she really didn't like leaving the house. But, by some kind of stroke of luck she found out her favorite band Ghost was in her town of all places to do a show at the Hollow's Eve Festival. Fuck it that it was going to be outside in mid-October and it's cold out. Fuck the fact that she was going alone. This was one of the one-in-a-lifetime opportunities and if this was to be her first (and maybe last) concert then she would pull up her big girl panties and go. Because for once in her life, she will do something she wanted to do and not do it for anybody else but for herself.

Holly was a college student on holiday break, living on campus just a few hours away from where the festival was going to be held and she had to practically beg her roommate to drive her there. Since Holly lived on campus she didn't have a need for a car; all her shopping needs and food places were within walking distance from the campus so she never needed to go anywhere that involved a car. Anytime she did, her friend and roommate would take her because hey, Holly didn't have many friends so that worked just fine with her, but this was important to her and her friend knew it.

Unlike those who Holly figured went to the Ghost concerts in the past, she didn't wear anything too revealing. She dressed practically with a slight flare of her own style. Cold didn't bother her as much as most people would think for someone as slim and slight as she was. She was pale and didn't see the sun much because of her lack of interest in leaving her room half the time. But she did well in the cold. So, instead of wearing things like fish nets, shorts, and a gaudy top that showed too much cleavage (A feat she gave credit to those who could pull off.), she wore a pair of form-hugging ribbed white washed jeans, a pair of her favorite combat boots, and a long sleeve sweater that was designed to look as if she, if was threadbare and torn in that edgy sort of look, with a tube top bra underneath to finish it off. She kept her long caramel-brown hair in natural waves after her shower and just snapped a ponytail holder around her wrist just in case she needed it - she was set to go. After grabbing her jacket in case it got too cold for her to handle or start raining as the forecast predicted she headed out towards her friend's car and hopped in feeling the jitter of excitement inside of her belly doing flip-flops.

"You got everything you need, babes?" Carol asked turning to check out her friend as she climbed into the car.

"I think so!" Holly replied plugging her phone into the car to charge.

"No purse?" Carol raised a brow in judgment.

"Don't need it! All I need is my wallet, my cash for a bus ride home, and my phone." Holly replied with a grin. The less she carried the less she had to worry about losing or being stolen.

"I could always just pick you up girlie you know that!" Carol started the car and pulled out of the parking lot to head down the road following the GPS on her phone.

"You're literally going to be driving 2 hours extra from your grandma's to come to pick me up! I'll just take a bus, besides the festival won't end until pretty late. I'm not going to burden you like that." Holly replied giving her a pointed look and was glad when Carol didn't argue, it would have been very much out of her way to drive to pick Holly back up but she was worried for her friend.

"Alright, but if you need anything call me yeah?" Carol gave her friend a side glance and relaxed a bit when she got a firm nod of agreement from the brunet.

"Good.'

After being dropped off Holly wandered around the festival and checked out stalls, food, and souvenirs all the while keeping her eye out on the time for whenever her favorite band would come on. She didn't mind the other few bands that had been scheduled to play there as well but she was here mainly for Ghost and so when she heard the announcement from afar that Ghost would be playing shortly she was quick to go snatch a spot up front; weaving her way between other people who were trying to leave who didn't want to stay for this part of the festival.

The crowd screamed when Ghost came on and Holly was jumping up and down in excitement; shouting out her approval and support along with the others as they started. Their playlist was lit as always and Holly found herself enjoying her time a lot more than she had thought. She swore she even made eye contact with Sodo when he came to her her side of the stage; he did his signature reach out to the crowd and she was compelled to reach back out to him, her arms were shorter than a lot of the others but she was at the front so that gave her some leverage even by an inch. She was amazing though when her fingertips actually met warm skin as her fingers grazed Sodo's. Had he reached out on purpose? He never let anybody touch him! She smiled up at him as he tilted his head and quickly backed off to go to a different part of the stage to play. When she noticed Copia dressed in his usual blue suit come over to her side she flashed him a brilliant smile and gave him a heart symbol which he received and returned by blowing her a kiss before moving on with his eccentric show to another part of the stage.

When she had a moment to breathe she turned her head to look around the crowd enjoying the show as much as she was when she noticed a girl dressed less than herself and looked as if she was cold despite the mass of bodies all around her; the chill of the October air cooled the sweat produced on her skin and caused goosebumps to appear on her skin. Thinking it over Holly gently pushed through the crowd to be able to sidle up next to her and unwrapped her jacket without a second thought, nearly yelling into the girl's ear because of how loud it was that she could borrow it. The girl looked grateful as she slipped on the jacket that was warmed by Holly's body heat and gave her a thank you before Holly made her way back to her spot. She didn't realize it but the bandmates had watched this unfold so whenever she came back to her spot she didn't notice that they were interacting a little bit more on her side of the stage; not thinking too much about it as she enjoyed the show.

After Copia's funny little speech in between songs, one of Holly's favorites began to play, Circe. The crowd calmed down and got in the groove as the song progressed towards the part where Papa would come by to pick a fan to circe them. She looked up from her spot through the phone screen she was recording to realize Copia was standing right in front of her. She made eye contact with him before he suddenly kneeled down and reached his hand out toward her. Surprised Holly reached out and felt the warmth of his gloved hand encase her own as he sang the song to her keeping eye contact that felt too intimate (as it should feel, she assumed). She was further surprised when he turned her hand around and kissed her palm before finishing off the song with another well-placed kiss to her knuckles and then stood back up to finish the show.

Holly felt her cheeks flush a bit and smiled to herself at the little moment, hey dreams do come true it seems! For being her first concert she was happy with her interactions and would cherish them forever! But the setlist was coming to a close as Papa began his last speech to dismiss the show with one last song. Right as it was ending the girl from earlier found her again and handed back her jacket with a grateful thank you again before disappearing through the crowds. Even after the show ended and people began to leave to make room for the next band Holly stuck around playing games and watching different people play. She was one of the last few groups to start making their way out once the Festival began to close down.

It was already past dark and she was standing by the parking lot checking her phone for bus times when she stuck her hand into her pocket absently and froze. Her pocket was empty. She frantically checked her other pocket and then went further to pull the pockets to find both empty. Her money for her bus trip home….was gone. Fuck! That girl must have taken her money! Feeling the panic rise Holly shoved it down and pulled up her friend's contact info before pausing just moments before hitting call. No, she wasn't going to call Carol to drive at one in the morning to come get her. But who else could she call? She didn't have money…but she did have her wallet and thus her Cash App card was in there. That at least hadn't been stolen because it was tucked away in her jeans pockets. So instead, she dialed up her mom feeling so foolish as it rang. Her mom loved watching the late-night shows so she was sure to still be up.

It rang and rang before being picked up. "Mom?!"

"Holly? What's the matter, honey?"

Worrying her lip between her teeth Holly looked down at her toes just when she noticed the dark droplets hit the pavement, shit it was starting to rain and she was here alone! "Um, is there…shit, I mean…um.."

"Holly?"

The girl sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Could you send me some money for a bus ticket?… I err…forgot mine and I don't have enough funds in my cash app to pay for one." she lied

Her mom didn't need to know she had her money stolen. But as a single mother, she worked long hours and it was always a hit-and-miss whether she would have the money because of bills and supporting Holly's younger brother.

"I'm sorry honey, I don't have the money for that. It was bill day today and I barely have enough money for gas for this week to get me to work." her mom's voice came in regretfully through the end of the line and Holly's heart sank.

"That's okay…I'm sure I can call someone. Thanks anyway, Mom, go to bed!" Holly ended the call with a playful chide before leaning her back against the wall and sighed feeling her clothes begin soaked with rain.

"Shit…" she pocketed her phone and stared out at the parking lot wondering what she was going to do. It was only when she heard footsteps coming her way did she began to stagger to her feet thinking it was a security officer or something and was well prepared to explain her predicament.

But instead of finding a security officer…she came face to face with a familiar group of figures. Her heart leaped in her throat and she shifted on her feet; tucking her hands into her pockets and trying to act casual realizing how utterly ridiculous and weird it probably looked like to find a fan just…waiting outside like this. They probably got this all the time with fans trying to get to see them past the appropriate time.

"Is everything okay? Are you having issues with your car?" the familiar voice spoke up; tinged with an Italian accent

Holly forced a small smile to her face and waved a hand around lamely. "Got to have a car to have car issues." she laughed nervously. "I uh, I kinda got stranded here. My money got stolen for a bus ticket so I was just checking in with people I know to come pick me up." she explained realizing how vague that sounded.

Copia tugged at his sleeves subconsciously. "Would you like for us to call you a Uber perhaps?" he suggested.

Holly shrugged. "I don't know an Uber who'd drive 3 hours out of the way to drop me off."

"You live 3 hours away? Damn!" Swiss grinned

"Yep, 3 hours and… 7 minutes if I remember correctly." Holly laughed a bit and rocked on her feet. "It's okay though, I'll find a ride, if not I'll park my ass on a bus bench for the night." she joked, but was she really joking? What other option did she have?!

"Aw, come on that's not safe!" Phantom called waving his hands around in the air. "You're in a pickle aren't yah?"

"He's right, it's not safe for you to be out here in the rain alone!" Rain added softly as he turned his head to look at Copia who was watching the girl with a certain look on his face.

"You look familiar…." he murmured taking a step closer.

"Duh, she's that girl you circe'd." Sodo added tilting his head.

"Ah! I remember now, you gave that one fan your jacket in the middle of the concert. That was very kind of your, Tesero!" Copia said realizing who she actually was. "Oh no," the man took a step closer and leaned down as if to stage whisper to her. "Did they take your wallet Tesero?" his eyes were wide with shock and sympathy.

The look on Holly's face must have been an answer alone as he leaned back with a click of his tongue. "That is not good. Not good at all! Come come! You'll stay with us in the bus for the night and we can see about transportation for you in the morning so you can get home."

"What no!" Holly nearly shouted much to the surprise of the others. Wouldn't fans just jump at the chance that was being given right now?

"I mean, I appreciate the offer, any fan of yours would jump at the chance but I don't want to be a burden to you guys. It's not your responsibility to come to my rescue!" Holly tried to defend.

Swiss wouldn't take that as an answer as he pushed past the others and swooped in; picking the girl up bridal style making her let out a little shriek of surprise and cling to the tall man.

"What the fuck! Omg, Swiss put me down!" she smacked his shoulder but he only laughed.

"It's raining Blossom, it's best we all just quiet down and get inside as soon as able." Mountain made his presence known behind them for the first time since they found her.

She hesitated and looked behind at the others around them as they strode across the parking lot towards the back where a few buses were parked; most likely the other bands parked for the night.

"But, aren't I going to be a burden? Like, won't I cramp your style and shit?" Holly asked softly

"Cramp our style? Kid, don't ever say shit like that ever again." Sodo grumbled tilting his head towards her and she could see the flash of his eyes behind the goggle of his helmet even through the glare of the parking lot lights shining down on them as they passed.

"It's really no issue mi cara," Copia added as he led the way ahead of them. "It's just for one night! You'll catch your cold out here if we just left you."

Holly bit her lip and rested her head on her arm as Swiss continued to carry her. "Are you sure…positive?" she asked again looking up at Swiss who tilted his head down and gave her another Swiss-style smile.

"Positive sweet cheeks."

They boarded the bus which was oddly roomy despite the fact 6 men were staying on the bus it didn't feel cramped at all. She was set down on her feet as others went deeper inside and she was left standing on the doorstep looking around curiously. She'd never been on a bus like this before.

"Alright, honey! Why don't you take the shower first and get warmed up! We'll wait out here for ya when you're done." Phantom spoke up as he began unlatching his helmet.

"Whoa wait! Y-you guys are okay with this?" Holly held her hands up pointing at the helmets."I mean, like…taking your helmets off in front of me?"

"Yeah, what not? Everybody already knows our identities." Swiss snorted as he tugged off his and ruffled his hair.

Holly stared at them as they each took off their helmets and set them down before getting themselves comfortable by taking their shoes off and harnesses while she just stood there watching in amazement. Mountain pushed his way to the back of the bus waving her over and held open a door for her to look inside.

"Here's the shower, we'll get you some dry clothes to change into once your done." he said motioning her in.

"Guys are you sure-" Holly began again and Sodo pointed a finger at her; for someone who wasn't taller than herself he was intimidating even without the mask on.

"Ask us again one more time kid and so help us-" Swiss shoved down the accusing finger just as Copia smacked him over the head with a disapproving curse in Italian.

"Go on honey, we're sure." Phantom told her flashing a smile her way.

Holly bit her lip and nodded as she grabbed the door from Mountain and slowly slid it shut behind her.

The rain was heavy, pounding at the window that she was staring out of as she sat on the couch in the darkness of the bus. True to word, when she had opened the door a crack to peer out into the bus she found the others sitting on the couches and chilling with each other; talking and shooting the shit with a few beers. Upon noticing her head poking around the corner, Mountain had hopped up from his spot and grabbed a stack of clothes that rested on the countertop to give to her. There was a pair of black sweatpants, a white T-shirt, a pair of socks, and a pair of boxers resting together folded neatly. They looked as if they'd fit her so she assumed it was Sodo's clothes since he was the one closest to her height. Even still, the sweatpants had to be tightened as far as they could and then rolled once or twice to make sure they wouldn't slip. They smelled good too, whatever cologne Sodo usually wore clung to the clothes and she would probably have been embarrassed if they knew she'd taken a minute or two sniffing the fabric before putting the clothes on. Still, she appreciated the clothes as she put them on, at least she wasn't wet and cold anymore. When she entered the living area section of the bus with no small amount of shyness she had been greeted by smiles.

And then came the debate of where she would sleep. The men had offered her to take one of their bunks but Holly had refused immediately not wanting to kick them out of their own beds. That started an argument.

"You can take one of ours, none of us mind sleeping on the couch for a night!" Phantom offered.

"No! Absolutely not! I've intruded enough as it is and you guys have been so kind as it is I wouldn't feel right stealing one of the bunks especially sink you guys had just a long tour! Ya'll are exhausted I'm sure so just sleep in your own bunks!" Holly had insisted.

"You could always sleep with one of us in the bunks." Swiss added with a playful wink but Holly was quick to shut that notion down with a literal hand crossing in an 'X' shape.

"No! They are far too small for two people." she had insisted; not that she would have minded taking the chance to literally cuddle one of her favorite band members.

"Sodo or Phantom don't take much room, tiny creatures that they are." Rain joked earning him a growl from Sodo in response.

"Copia please say something! Back me up here!" Holly had turned to the lead singer who was ping-ponging between the members as they argued.

"Let the girl sleep where she is comfortable." she'd breathed a sigh of relief and that was that despite the grumbles of some others within the room.

And so she sat, leaning against the soft leather of the couch; peering out into the rain beyond the glass of the bus. A spare blanket draped across her lap and a pillow behind her back as she sat in the darkness. The bus was filled with snoring from the men but it wasn't that which kept her up. She really just couldn't sleep. Not because she was surrounded by men or because she was on the bus with one of her favorite all-time bands. Sleep just evaded her. The men had taken turns showering before saying their goodnight after she had been made sure was comfortable and now she left alone.

A movement behind her made her jerk her head to the side to see the shadowed figure of one of the musicians coming from the dark hallway. it was only when they spoke that she realized who it was.

"Can't sleep?" Rain asked

Holly smiled slightly and shook her head as she tucked a stay piece of hair behind her ear. "Not really. I don't sleep very well in strange places." she confessed.

"Ah, are you afraid we'll do something in your sleep?" Rain joked

"Of course not!" Holly gasped at her dramatically."It's not you guys, this couch is actually more comfortable than my own bed at my campus. But I always have trouble sleeping in places I'm not familiar with, same thing with camping." she shrugged in the dark and watched as he came over to her.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Feel free." she tucked her legs up against her chest to make room for him to sit down next to her.

In the faint light of the parking lot lamps outsides, he could see he was wearing similar attire as her with black sweatpants and a white T-shirt while being barefoot. His hair was dark and slightly curled as it rested against his shoulders and even in the dim light, she could make out the strong nose and scruff on his jaw as he watched the rain too. It was a compatible silence as they sat together until Rain finally spoke up again.

"You mentioned a campus earlier? What are you studying?" he asked turning to look at her.

Holly looked down not wanting to be caught staring and absently wiggled her toes beneath the blanket. "Currently I'm working on Vet tech! I wanted to be a veterinarian." she laughed a bit. "Kinda silly huh?"

"Not at all! I love animals. I actually have a dog too. Swiss has a cat and Sodo loves dogs." he smiled at her softly in the dark.

"Really?" she smiled. " I love animals too! Growing up I had 2 cats and my boyfriend at the time was a big exotic animal lover and had owned a bearded dragon, a gecko, and even a 9 foot boa!" her smile was fond.

"You say that in the past tense?" Rain's face was curious.

"Yeah, we broke up before I went to college…I stayed at my local college because that's all I could afford and well…he went out of state." she shrugged. "Long distance wasn't something we were willing to try because nobody really did well long term when it came to stuff like that. Still, I'm happy. I actually have up a lot of money from my shifts to be able to come to the show tonight. I work as an apprentice in a vet clinic a few blocks from my campus." she explained.

"Well, we appreciate you stopping in and seeing us! You enjoy the show?" Rain grinned.

"Oh yeah." Holly laughed and rested her head against the couch as she shyly looked away. "I've loved this band for the last few years. I never thought I'd get this chance because well…I'm not a fan of large crowds and loud noises but I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if I missed out when you guys came to town!" she sighed wistfully

"Well, we appreciate you coming to support us." Rain nudged her foot with hers and they shared a smile. "I suppose it was fate!"

Holly chuckled but it was interrupted by a yawn that she covered with a hand and Rain motioned at her. "Why don't I leave you to go get some sleep okay?" he offered as he began to rise but she reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"W-would you mind staying…" she asked shyly wondering if perhaps she'd pushed it a little too far with her request. "I like the company…."

Rain studied her a moment before he nodded and sat back down. "Sure." he replied watching as she got comfortable on the couch again.

Holly didn't realize, but sometime during the night Rain had fallen asleep beside her, his long legs stretched out in front of him as she curled up on the other end of the couch and when Copia woke up in the morning to start a pot of coffee, he walked in on quiet a sight. Throughout the night, their guest had gotten comfortable and his ghouls had gotten comfortable with her because instead of having just Rain sprawled out on the couch, Phantom had snuck out of bed and made himself comfortable beside Holly, Sodo too had made it out to the living room and was being used as a body pillow as Holly cuddled against his side with her arms lazily draped around his waist in her sleep. Mountain had taken positioning on the couch opposite to them with his long legs outstretched across the floor and Swiss was slumped against the back of the sofa with his head hanging on it's edge while he held onto one of Holly's arms that wasn't dropped around Sodo that was hanging over Swiss's shoulder and he held on with a hand around her wrist as he held it against his chest.

Copia smiled at the sight and stepped over the ghoul pile before making himself some coffee, not wanting to wake up the sleepers as he listened to them snore. There was something special about this Holly girl and the ghouls seemed to enjoy her company. He didn't imagine they would be leaving her without some sort of promise or contact info for the future. He could not deny there was just something so genuine and sweet about the girl that made him choose her for his Circe performance. Perhaps it was her earlier display of kindness to a stranger, maybe it was the innocent eyes of someone who was fresh to a Ghost Ritual, or maybe it was simply just Holly's charm as she interacted with the band but he imagined…they wouldn't hear the last of her. And he honestly didn't hate that thought in the slightest.

#ghost #ghost ghouls #the band ghost #ghost fandom #ghost band #rain ghoul #swiss ghoul #mountain ghoul #phantom ghoul #sodo #sodo ghoul #random one shot #papa copia

16 notes · View notes