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tonystarkhasaheart · 3 years

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You Know Who I am

Tony Stark X Reader

Word Count: 2,741

Summary: Y/N a stripper who has a day job at Stark Industries and her boss pays her a pretty generous visit

Author's Note: Even though this is my first fanfic it will have 4 parts, hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Part 2 is on it's way soon.

I look up at myself in the mirror, eyes heavy from the weight of my lashes, dark, smokey.. yet sensual. Lips plump and red, a deep red nothing too bright.

I take a moment to glance at the room around me, girls in and out the velvet curtain, changing clothes, spraying perfume and adding last-minute glitter. I look at my phone to check the time 12:46am.

“Hot date tonight?” I hear from my left, I don’t need to turn to see who it is, most of the girls here don’t talk to me, except for Siren. Not her real name of course, but I guess when you have a real-life outside of this you don’t want anyone to know it. I don’t blame her.

I set my phone down and look at her with a gentle smile and turn to the bag I keep under my station between rounds, pulling out my book to read. I can feel Siren’s breathe over my shoulder. “Just some light reading?” She asks.

I laugh lightly “The lightest I’ve read in a while actually.” I smile to myself as I run my fingers over the title on the cover of Quantum Physics and Theories of the Mind.

“Don’t want to spoil it for you” she said scooting back a bit with her hands up feigning surrender.

I smile again, I forgot I actually like her sense of humor “It’s okay,” I look up from the cover, “I already know the ending.”

Before any more words can be exchanged, I hear my stage name being called by the house mom. “Bambi, you’re up sweets!”

“Thank you, Cassandra!” I place my book back in its place and grab my money bag turning to Siren one last time, “Why don’t we ever hang out, outside of here?”

“Because you’re too busy being a smart ass in the real world,” Siren says with a smile.

I wink at her before walking through the velvet curtains where it is almost pitch black, except for the neon lights circulating the room and spotlights on the main stage. I scan the crowd as I listen to my heels click on my way up to the DJ booth. A number of regulars and just as many new faces but the back of one man’s head stood out. I couldn’t quite place it at the quick glance that I got, but he was sitting front and center so it wouldn’t be long before I figured it out.

A dancer by the name of Scarlett was finishing up and I gave the DJ my song. He looked and me and shook his head laughing “You never fail to surprise me” I smile and look back at the stage to see Scarlett doing her best and receiving money from plenty of customers, but she was focused on one, and he looked like he couldn’t care less. Front and center with a profile that could kill, elbow on the arm of his seat with his head in his hand and his sunglasses pointlessly resting on the bridge of his nose. And then it hit me, not only was he like the richest man alive; he was also, indirectly speaking, my boss. Tony Stark.

I had only briefly met him once after my orientation at Stark Industries, so I wasn’t worried about being recognized. It was the fact that he was the man I wanted to wake up to every morning to study his brilliant brain. Now that, that did the trick. I felt heat spread through my body starting at my core and working its way to my neck. I rubbed the back of my neck as I shook off the nerves. I got this, just another customer, just one with a lot more money than most.

As the music faded from Scarlett’s song, I watched her pick up her money and try and shove it in her bag. The DJ started talking to the crowd and hyping up Scarlett as she walked around collecting some final tips. She got on her knees in front of Mr. Stark and leaned in real close. Without a single change in his demeanor, he pulled a single bill from the inside of his suit jacket and handed it to her between his middle and index finger, as if he was trying to shoo her away. But even I could see it was a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill. She looked at the bill offended and snatched it from his fingers before finishing her way around the stage. Once she was done, she passed me with a huff, practically cussing the billionaire out as she exited the stage to the back with her bag overflowing with money from the other customers. Something about being a ‘cheap micropenis douche who wouldn’t be able to appreciate a good dance if it hit him in the face. I shook my head pushing the waves of my hair over my shoulder as the DJ started to introduce me.

“If you thought Scarlett was good let the bar know and you might be able to get a private dance before she leaves tonight. But you might not want to leave just yet because next, we have our very best. A woman who can turn any type of music into your new favorite song. Here to prove it once again, the seductress herself, Bambi!”

I laugh to myself at the length of his introduction, but it’s true I like a challenge and today I picked a song that I normally wouldn’t have. “Back in Black” by AC/DC started playing and I couldn’t help but notice a certain man in the front’s ears begin to perk up at the first couple of notes. Maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me but I swear I even saw him sit up a little straighter.

I took confident, sexy strides towards the front of the stage and swayed my hips in a circle once I got in front of the pole. I held it as I circled it scanning the crowd. I dropped my hips and rose sensual making my ass bounce to the beat before turning my back to the pole and rolling my hips. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mr. Stark lean forward in his chair hands clasped, elbows on his knees. He was invested and I wanted to give him a show.

I started to climb the pole and as I did, he slid his sunglasses off his face, looking directly into my eyes, staring deep into my soul with the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. But I knew tonight I wouldn’t get to see the pain or trauma he’s overcome through his eyes because tonight, they were filled with lust.

Lust, passion..Possession.

As I slid down the pole his eyes never left my body. I gracefully landed on the floor and crawled to the edge of the stage. I turned to lay on my back letting the waves of my hair cascade off the edge, I arched my back looking straight at him. In a swift motion, almost a blur, my view was clouded by the storm of papers falling from the sky. Now standing directly over me with his hands firmly pressed against the stage on either side of my face. As lay there on my back I realized what just happened. I just made a billionaire rain hundreds upon my body and his face hovering over mine, was him making his claim on me for the night.

I sensually brought myself back to my knees slightly rolling in the thick layer of money that covered the stage. I twirled my ass in a way I know would make anyone weak and I didn’t have to look back to know he was all in. Crawling my way back to the pole using it to stabilize myself as I try to stand, simultaneously trying not to trip on the stage that I couldn’t see anymore. Now this wasn’t my first time getting rained on at the club, however when I looked down, the most notable difference between now and any other time it’s happened was that it was normally a slew of ones, maybe some fives, occasionally a couple stray twenties. But this... was all hundreds. Strictly Benjamin’s scattered across the whole stage to the point you couldn’t see anyone else’s money that was thrown during my set. I’m definitely going to need a bigger money bag.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Three trash bags, four security guards and five songs later, I just about collected all the money Mr. Stark threw for me. Now usually, we don’t get help picking up our money, unless it’s a VIP room shared by three or more dancers. However, because of the sheer amount of money and the fact that I was the club’s best dancer, they played favorites tonight. Not to mention girls from the back started to pick up bills that had overflowed from the stage onto the floor. Even some of the customers started pocketing some of the cash and honestly, could you blame them?

I immediately gave the bags of money to our house mom so she could cash me out for the night, but as I handed her my bags she told me I had a VIP room and she would put the bags in her safe until I was done. My heart sped up a bit as I hoped it was the very generous billionaire, but what are the odds that he would get a VIP room with me right after throwing a million dollars at me, literally. Technically I could’ve turned it down, I mean I definitely made more than enough money tonight, but part of me wanted to see who it was.

I touched up my makeup, ran a brush through my hair and freshened up a bit before changing my heels to a more comfortable black pair. As I walked through the curtains to the main floor, I could see Siren on stage dancing to “Body Party” by Ciara. I took note that the front row seat was occupied by another man. My heartbeat quickened as I turned towards the VIP rooms down the hall.

The closer I got I could hear the voice I dreamed of waking up next to. I took a deep breath primped my hair and opened the door to the room. His back was turned to me as he talked into his phone. He seemed unamused and inconvenienced. I took the moment to admire his figure as he hung up, not noticing my presence yet. He ran his hand over his face and through his hair, oh how I’d love to lace my fingers through those tresses, before throwing his phone at the coach.

“I heard you were looking for a private dance,” I say as I entering the room further making my presence known.

Unfazed by this discovery, he turned around with that signature smirk. All doubt and suspicions placed aside I was standing in front of the Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist himself, Tony Stark.

“And I heard you were the best,” taking a step closer to me.

“Depends on who you ask,” mimicking his actions.

“I trust my sources,” he said looking me up and down “, they’ve never failed me before.”

“Once or twice is not never,” I scoffed remembering the time my team had to cover a minuscule mistake in one of the details for a new clean air prototype we were working on that could have cost the company millions because one of his “sources” said it looked good enough.

“What are you-” I cut him off, closing the distance between us and reach for his tie to play with between my fingers. The way the fabric felt between my fingers let me know it was no clip-on, job interview tie. It was probably custom-made and imported from France or something ridiculous like that.

“So are we going stand here and banter or did you want that dance. Or was that an excuse to get me alone?”

“You better watch yourself, princess”

“Oh,” I tilted my head to the side challenging his very existence “, or what?”

“You know who I am.”

“Hmm, so maybe I do, but we have rules here,” I push him back on the couch “, Sir.” I smirk before climbing on him and straddling his lap placing my hands on his chest on either side of his arc reactor. I feel him tense slightly as I touched his chest, maybe an insecurity. I scanned his eyes, easily reading everything that fed into my suspicions. He looked as if I would turn and run in fear that he was some sort of monster, at any second just because it was there. I bring one of my hands to his cheek and stroked it in reassurance, silently letting him know I wasn’t going anywhere and not just because he was paying me to be here. He let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding and regained his cockiness. All traces of the vulnerable moment we shared gone as I slid my hand down his neck to rest on his shoulder.

“So, it looks like I’m getting my dance after all,” he said running his hands up my thighs and resting them on my hips.

I started to roll my hips in circles, biting my lip so I wouldn’t enjoy the touch of his hands on my bare skin too much, “It would appear so.”

“What does a girl like you know about AC/DC?”

“I’m offended Mr. Stark, a girl like me?” I grabbed the hair at the base of his neck pulling lightly, tilting his head back. He groaned as I rolled my hips harder for emphasis.

“That’s not what I—fuck.”

I smiled as he squeezed his eyes shut, admiring the twisted expression his face held. I took the hand that was resting on his chest up his neck to his face running my fingers over his lips, they parted instinctively, before cupping his cheek and leaning in close to his ear whispering, “Mr. Stark I’m afraid you know nothing about me and the type of girl I am.”

His hands slid further up my waist gripping me tightly. At least I’d have a couple bruises to remember him by. He opened his eyes and for the split second I saw them, they were pitch black. He growled slightly pulling me into the most animalistic, passionate kiss I have ever shared with anyone. Quick to reciprocate, I wrapped both my arms around his neck, lacing my fingers in his hair, desperately trying to grasp on to any bit of sanity I had left. He bit my lip asking me for the permission that I granted him oh so quickly and without hesitation. He moved swiftly and his presence was so strong I was intoxicated by his scent, he was everywhere and nowhere at once, flooding my senses with everything that was him. I pulled away reluctantly needing to catch my breath. It came out in gasps, but he didn’t miss a beat sliding down to my neck feverishly, desperate to have my flesh between his lips.

“Mr. Stark,” I moaned.

“Call me Tony,” he said.

“I-I can’t,” I gasped, fighting another moan.

“Why not, princess?” barely letting his lips leave my neck even for a second, not seeming fazed by my answer. I could feel the smile on his lips, I couldn’t give in.

“I just, I can’t tell you.” Whatever spell he had me under was about to have me sleep with my boss without him even knowing he was my boss. Not that it wouldn’t be consensual but I still wouldn’t want to raise any problems at work.

He hummed against my neck and licked from the base of my throat to my ear then peppered kisses back to my lips before saying, “You’re trying to hide something from me, but I’ll figure it out.” He started to stand and I slid off of his lap still in his tight embrace. He leaned down kissing the corner of my mouth and whispered in my ear, “You know who I am,” and with that, he straightened his jacket grabbed his phone and left the room.

There I stood lipstick smudged, high off the intoxicating drug that was Anthony Edward Stark.

#tony stark #iron man #tony stark has a heart #robert downey jr #rdj #rdj x reader #tony stark x you #tony stark x reader #fanfic #mcu #you know who i am

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lunar-writings-love · 3 years

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College!AU - Hongjoong (ateez)

ahaha so i’m baaaack ;; super sorry for all the inactivity babes life has been weighing down on all of us i’m sure and i needed some time! This is the next installment of the college!au ateez series, and although i had planned to have hongjoong last, y’all requested him so much i wrote him next and changed the order around!

Author’s note: Bullet fic,

Warnings: like a drop of angst if u squint ?? the word sh!t appears one time i think

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Hongjoong:

he’s so cute i’m Sad

ok so Joongie is just so loved, so treasured by everyone ,, every time he enters into a room everyone just 🥺

he’ll walk into a room looking all sleepy in overalls or something and literally everyone’s parental instincts awaken from the depths of college emotional indifference and suddenly ,,

there’s world peace it’s a sight to see

so, our Hongjoongie is actually a double major!!

he’s a world lit major, and he’s minoring in gender studies so his emphasis is on analyzing feminist texts

more often than not, the best way to find hongjoong is to just go to the library on the south side of campus at odd hours at night and you’ll usually find him buried underneath a pile of books ;; (and more often than not he’ll also be sleeping because baby can’t stay awake to save his life ://)

But he really does love his major ,, and If u let him , he’ll rave hours and hours about literature; analyzing them through historical context, societal reflection, the role of women, writing style.....

....he just loves what he does and it makes everyone around him love him for it too!!

He always has extensive talks with Yeosang (an english major who took a lot of lit classes with hongjoong hint go read the yeosang!au) on american 19th century feminist writings

they started their own book club and it’s literally just them two, no other members allowed, and all they do is eat finger sandwiches and shit on misogynistic men we sTAN

HoWEVer, although hongjoong’s work in literature is impressive and respected, he’s probably better known for his second major:

music composition!

music is the love of his life ,,, no buts there’s nothing he’ll love more than his art (except maybe you aha ha ha ;)

and people knew him around campus becaaaauseeeeee ,,,,, he would usually ,,, dj at frat parties...

it wasn’t something he particularly liked, but hey money is money.

in all seriousness though, when hongjoong wasn’t reading or writing papers, he was glued to his mac producing tracks and writing lyrics

the only thing was ,,, he didn’t actually sing any of what he wrote

he never thought his own voice suited his songs, and would much rather sit on the sidelines moving along the creative direction

and although the boys usually are the ones to sing his demos,, joongie always felt like something was still ,,, missing

this is where u come in wink wonk

you’re just a lowly econ major who surprisingly !! doesn’t !! want !! to start your own fortune 500 company :DD !! wow so rare :)

anYWaYS,, you’re just doing it cuz your parents pressured you into pursuing a career with stable job opportunities and you’re kinda good at math and graphs soooo

....why not

but to be honest, you always felt trapped

you were never able to stop that feeling of impending doom when you’d open your macro-econ textbooks ,,,

or how your heart hurt when you think about the fact that your life is headed straight to an incredibly mundane future :

a desk job, an overpriced apartment that barely has enough room for you, living in constant air pollution from the city’s high carbon emissions, never finding true love, dying alone with 50 cats, taxes...you get the drift

you usually pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind, negativity isn’t productive and right now you had a world economics midterm to study for

but..

not that you’d ever admit it, your true passion had always been music

you weren’t the best composer, you knew just enough piano to get you but; but you had a set of PIPES dAmN

your friends could usually find you at the dorm’s music rooms ,, and whenever you felt stress or needed to unwind, you’d usually head over to those rooms

now ,,, these rooms are soundproof // but the trick is you actually have to close the door cuz if u don’t......

everyone can hear you

and by everyone I mean the entire floor

you were doing your usual thing at the music room one night when one of your friends came in to let you know everyone would be heading over to dinner soon,, u promised only one more song before meeting them upstairs on your dorm floor

hoWEVeR, U DIDN’T REALIZE THAT WHEN YOUR FRIEND WALKED AWAY THEY LEFT THE DOOR OPEN

and soo ,, when u started singing again //// everyone heard

and by everyone i mean ???!?

hongjoong :))

and it was love at first sight ,,, or rather

,, love at first listen??

he won’t ponder over the semantics, all Hongjoong knew was that he had been looking for a voice like yours and needed you on his tracks

this man barged into the room and begged you to lend your voice for his songs

...on his knees :00

you were in shock like what were you supposed to do?

this random man stormed in and got on his knees ,,

what was next ??

marriage ????

u didn’t really say anything for a while just kinda looked him in his eyes

but then your uwu instincts kicked in--u don’t know what it is about this dude but u just wanna like give him candy or something

and so you hesitantly asked for his name

and that’s when hongjoong realized he was an IDIOT

because not only was your voice heavenly, but of course you were cute too and he just presented himself like a complete and utter maniac and He Didn’T eVEN bOTHER To TelL You hIS NAme!

he wanted the ground to swallow him up but alas

he got off his knees and shyly stuck out his hand and told you his name

you looked at him once again ,, and surprisingly

you took his hand with a small smile on your face

you ended up totally forgetting about dinner with your friends at the dining hall

because hongjoong sat beside you on the piano bench and showed you his songs and lyrics, and you....fell in love <3

you’d never connected with anyone on this type of emotional level before and it was almost sort of overwhelming

it also kinda gave you hope too ,, because here was Hongjoong ,, someone who managed to get the best of both worlds : a music and a lit degree

and you thought that maybe ,, you could do something with music too

you guys exchanged numbers and scheduled to meet at the university’s recording studio that weekend

Hongjoong composed a track and you added your own lyrics with his help--after two weeks of mixing, mastering, producing, and recording ,,, you guys officially released a single!!

you really weren’t expecting it, but hongjoong was a bit of a social butterfly and so the song became a hit on campus

people were uploading it to their social media, sharing it with friends, playing it while they worked out, it was kinda ridiculous to you

the student paper even wrote an article about it (and later you found out that the journalist was one of hongjoong’s friend’s girlfriend ,, (hint go read the yunho!au)

And when the song reached 10,000 streams, that gave you the confidence to do what you had always wanted to do

you called your parents up on a Saturday morning to tell them you were picking up a vocal performance major

you were extremely anxious for this conversation, so Hongjoong decided to stay by your side for moral support

As both of you waited with baited breath for your parents’ response, Hongjoong was also right there just ,, holding your hand so sweetly,, and that was driving YOU INSANE

(because in these past couple of months you had gotten to know Hongjoong you had mostly definitely, absolutely, completely fallen head over heels for him)

after a long moment of silence, your parents agreed

they weren’t too happy about it, but they also weren’t as against it as you thought they’d be--the only condition was that you’d continue with econ and instead double major

it would honestly be hard considering the amount of mandatory classes and performances required of the vocal performance major, but you were too happy to care

after your goodbyes with your parents, you looked over to Hongjoong with the biggest smile on your face

and it just,, absolutely melted his heart

before he could stop himself he just wrapped his arms around you and twirled you around

and then :) he gave you the softest kiss on your cheek

of course, after it dawned on him what he had done, he instantly turned red and started chucking nervously as he stuttered his words

but for you, the newfound confidence and ADRENALINE after your successful phone call with your parents, you grabbed both sides of his face and asked him if you could kiss him

Hongjoong was wide-eyed but LIKE HELL he would pass up this up

so after muttering out a shy yes, y’all kissed awwww :))

and after that, you guys became a couple!

you’d show up to the frat parties he would DJ at and would always dance like an idiot with wooyoung in the corner of the room

and you and hongjoong would always partner up for music composition and performance projects: Hongjoong would write the tracks and you’d sing for them

you guys were honestly such a soft couple

you also picked up the habit of studying sleeping at the library with hongjoong because double majoring was hard and it required a lot of work

and it just, now became a thing for people to always find you along with Hongjoong sleeping under a pile of books

you guys kept on releasing more singles after that, and are currently working on an EP!

and honestly, you were so incredibly happy

you had the most amazing boyfriend, and you were pursuing your passion

and you felt just a little bit better knowing that your future was unclear

you no longer pictured yourself at a desk job, living out an absolutely dreadful life

instead, you finally realized the multitude of opportunities at your disposal

and with Hongjoong by your side, you just knew everything in life would work out in the end!

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

FEEL FREE TO REQUEST!

Love you guys! Stay safe and healthy!!

- Luna

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guildedlily6 · 4 years

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You Plus Me Equals Soulmates Part 3 (Peter Parker x Reader Soulmate!AU)

Summary: Y/N gets invited to her best friend Liz’s party. When Peter Parker, Liz’s crush, shows up and spends more time interested in Y/N, things get tense. Does Peter confess his feelings for Y/N? Does Y/N believe Peter is her soulmate?

Author’s Note: Hello I’ve been writing practically all day for Part 3 and 4. Part 4 is almost done being written so in the mean time I’m posting Part 3, but hopefully Part 4 will be up soon. If you haven’t read Part 1 and 2, click on the links below to do so.

Part 1 || Part 2

Word Count: 2,267

Warnings: swearing, angst

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High school parties have never really been that exciting for me. Whether it’s the dumb underage teenagers acting drunk from the non-alcoholic punch or the pounding music that makes my heart feel like it’s going to beat out of my chest, I don’t know.

At the moment, however, I would do anything to get my best friend back. After the fight I had with Liz last Friday, she ignored me for the entire next week. She’s always been a little bit dramatic, but this is a little unusual.

So here I am. After being invited to Liz’s party via text, I am standing in heels and a burgundy dress outside of Liz’s house.

“Hey Y/N, you gonna join the party?” Flash struts up beside me, drowning me in his obnoxious cologne. “We could dance.”

“Yeah, no thanks, I’m good,” I answer, walking past Flash and his look of disappointment. The music is pumping and the lights set the mood with a purple-ish tint.

I look around for Liz. She’s standing in the kitchen talking to some girl in a blue skin-tight dress. I swiftly walk over to her.

“Hey Liz.” I try to say it with warmth so that she knows what I want to talk about, but instead it comes out cold and stiff. Blue Dress Girl takes one glance at the look on my face and scurries away.

“You came,” she observes. “I didn’t think you would. You don’t like parties.” Then why did you invite me, I think, but don’t say aloud.

“I’m sorry for what happened last Friday Liz. I wasn’t trying to take Peter from you, or something, and we probably don’t have the same tattoos anyway,” I say, getting straight to the point. “It’s not my fault he was looking at me.”

Liz’s expression turns sour as soon as the last words leave my mouth.

Shit. Why did I say that?

“Yeah. Okay. Speaking of Peter, there he is. Leave him alone and we’ll see what happens.” She nods towards something over my shoulder. I turn around and make immediate eye contact with Peter Parker. I look away instantly, trying not to provoke anything further between me and Liz.

“Fine,” I agree, silently hoping she won’t bite my head off.

Of course he’s here. Not like he could just not show up after what he said today.

Peter’s been talking about this Stark Internship lately and today he let slip that he knows Spider-Man which then led to Peter promising that Spider-Man would make an appearance at Liz’s house party tonight.

Spider-Man is pretty awesome, if you ask me. But the chance that Peter Parker knows Spider-Man is pretty bullshit to me. I don’t even think the Stark Internship is real. Peter’s smart, but is he Stark Industries smart?

Some girl walks up to Peter and Ned. I think her name is MJ? I’m not sure, she’s the quiet kid who sits in the back of my chemistry class. MJ walks away and so does Ned, who’s obviously more interested in the food rather than the people at the party.

Peter wanders over to us and Liz stands up straighter.

“Peter, hey! You’re here! Do you want to dance?” Liz jumps into conversation brightly, making Peter and I cringe slightly.

“Uh, yeah sure,” Peter responds, sounding unsure. Liz takes him by the arm and leads Peter out to the living room where people are jumping around and dancing.

“AYE PENIS PARKER IS HERE! PENIS PARKER, WHERE’S SPIDER-MAN?” Flash shouts from his place on the DJ stand. People cheer and raise their red solo cups into the air.

“SPIDER-MAN SPIDER-MAN SPIDER-MAN,” people chant. Peter’s expression is that of a deer caught in the headlights.

Peter says something to Liz who nods excitedly. But instead of leaving to go and supposedly fetch Spider-Man, he approaches me.

“Hey Y/N. I-uh… I have to talk to you about something,” he says, barely audible over the music that’s been turned up a few notches.

“Yeah sure. What’s up?”

He says something, but I can’t decipher a single word coming out of his mouth. He waits expectantly after he finishes talking, perhaps waiting for my response.

“What?”

He says something again, but it just sounds like a jumble of sounds under the music.

What is so important that he came to me instead of going to embarrass himself in front of everyone after explaining he doesn’t know Spider-Man?

He seems timid and scared of what I’ll say, which makes me feel bad about having not heard him once again. I smile awkwardly. The song that was playing ends, so that there's a second of silence.

“I’m sorry… I uhh- I have to go,” he stutters with a pained expression. He turns, walks away, and leaves out of the front door.

I feel bad. What was he trying to tell me?

___________Peter’s POV____________ “So I kinda actually meant to ask you out to homecoming, not Liz. I really like you, Y/N. And uh… I guess this is me asking you to homecoming? I don’t know what I- uhh what I’m going to do about Liz, but I promise I’ll fix it.” There. I finally said it. It feels nice to have finally told her how I feel, but I’m also extremely scared of the rejection that’s most likely coming next. She opens her mouth to speak and I turn on my enhanced hearing to better understand her over the music.

“What?” She asks, obviously oblivious to what I just said.

“I really like you, Y/N.” I say again, a bit less confidently. She smiles apologetically and the song ends.

That was awful. She probably heard me and didn’t know what to say. I’m so dumb. Why did I think she would feel the same? She probably isn’t even my soulmate.

“I’m sorry… I uhh- I have to go,” I explain before turning around and leaving the party through the front door. My stomach is in a panic-filled knot as I grab my backpack from behind a bush.

I take out my suit and quickly get changed.

After hopping onto the roof, I contemplate the dangers of what I had promised for the party.

“I know Spider-Man.” Really? I have no control over my own words. Let’s add this as a close second on my list of dumb-things-I’ve-done-on-accident.

I look for Y/N through the glass on the roof. I can’t find her.

Where did she go? __________Y/N’s POV__________ After waiting for a couple seconds, I leave through the front door after Peter. Once I get outside, I scan the front yard, but I don’t see him anywhere.

He probably bailed while he still could. Smart move. I turn around, preparing myself to join the party again, but I spot something in my peripheral vision. I tilt my head to look up on the roof and my mouth drops open.

Spider-Man?

What? He’s actually here? Peter wasn’t lying. But then why did he leave?

I stand and stare in shock for a few seconds before Spider-Man whips his head around to look at me, startling me.

“Are you real or was there actually alcohol in that punch?”

__________Liz’s POV___________ “I have to go and um… get Spider-Man then,” Peter shouts over the music.

“Oh, okay,” I reply, nodding. I don’t really believe that Peter is a Stark Intern or that he knows Spider-Man, but it’s okay because he’s cute.

Peter walks away, but not towards the front door. My eyes follow him as he makes his way over to Y/N.

You have got to be kidding.

I watch as they have a conversation. They don’t look like they're flirting, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s ignoring my request for her not to talk to him. I don’t take action to interrupt them. I simply watch and wait to see what happens.

Peter says something and finally leaves. After a few short seconds, Y/N follows him out the door.

Hell no.

Clutching my cup of punch, I march after Y/N after the door shuts.

__________Y/N’s POV_________ Spider-Man puts a finger up to his mouth, or at least where I guess his mouth is, signaling me to shush.

I tiptoe over to the side of the house, putting my hands on the wall and looking up at him.

“Are you actually friends with Peter Parker? Does Peter really have a Stark Internship?” I whisper-shout.

Spider-Man looks between the party, then me, then back at the party. Then he shifts his head, seeing something behind me. He shoots a web somewhere to his left and leaps away.

I hear the front door open behind me.

__________Peter’s POV_________ Why did she follow me?!

“Are you actually friends with Peter Parker? Does Peter really have a Stark Internship?” She whisper-screams at me.

Does she not believe me? I feel slightly hurt, but not surprised. I guess Spider-Man seems a lot cooler than me, especially since she doesn’t know I am Spider-Man.

I dart my eyes between her and the party through the glass a few times, unsure of what to do or say.

Then I spot Liz coming through the front door, unbeknownst to Y/N. I use this as my chance to escape my small problem and point my hand out, shooting my webs and leaping away.

Once I’m a few blocks away, I hear talking.

I peek over a bridge to see three men loading suspicious weapons with purple-glowy-things into a van.

___________Liz’s POV___________ I step outside into the fresh night air, examining the front yard like a hawk. Y/N is up by the wall, her hands resting on the brick. However, it’s too dark for me to tell if there’s anything between Y/N and the wall. She’s just finished whispering something.

Anger fills me.

She snuck out here with Peter, didn’t she.

I stride over to where she is, cup in hand.

I grab her shoulder, flipping her to face me. I bring back my hand that’s holding the cup and for a split second, I realize Peter isn’t against the wall and she wasn’t doing anything with anyone.

But it’s too late.

The contents inside the almost-full red cup splashes all down the front of Y/N’s dress, soaking her in the sticky, cherry-smelling liquid.

“What the hell!” Y/N screams. The noise attracts the people from inside and they rush over to the window to watch.

“You bitch! Where is Peter? Is he too busy getting undressed around the corner? I told you to lay off. Hell, you said you would!” I yell at her. She’s broken our promise. Two years ago we promised each other we would never ever interfere with each other’s relationships.

“What? Are you blind? Do you see Peter anywhere? I don’t give a fuck about Peter Parker! I don’t know where he went, Liz,” she explains, pissed off and inspecting her ruined dress.

People inside the house laugh and take out their phones.

I glare at them, but it only encourages their excitement at the new drama. Y/N and I have always been known as the inseparable duo. The school best friends. And I just tossed some cheap store-bought juice on her.

“Whatever. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to talk to you or Peter ever again,” I declare.

“Over some boy? Liz, who are you? I’m sorry, okay? I don’t know why I should be, since I didn’t do anything but-”

“Ever since freshman year, you’ve known that I like him. You’ve always been the friend who has to one-up me, anyway. The second something good happens, you have to make it yours.” It’s not entirely true. Y/N doesn’t try to one-up me or take things away. It’s just in this moment that fire fills my veins, like I’ve activated a switch that’s labeled Super Bitch Mode. “He asked me out, not you, Y/N. It’s time to grow up.”

__________Y/N’s POV_________ “He asked me out, not you, Y/N. It’s time to grow up.”

Are you fucking joking? At this point, I feel bad that Peter has to go to homecoming with her.

“Excuse me? You’re telling me to grow up? Look around, Liz. You’re getting angry at your best friend who’s been beside you since the 5th grade. Over a boy.”

Peter is cute and nice and quite amazing, if you ask me but-

Wait, what? I did not just think that.

Liz glances around uncomfortably. Something in what I just said hit home. “Whatever. My mind hasn’t changed. Go home, Y/N,” Liz demands with a hint of regret in her voice.

I smile bitterly. “Gladly.” I shoot her the coldest glare I can muster before showing everyone through the window a gesture that relies heavily on my middle finger.

I stomp down the steps and to my car, getting inside and slamming the door. I start the engine and zoom away from the house.

Technically, I don’t have my license and the fact that my mom had enough trust in me to let me borrow her car and drive it alone should warn me to drive slower, but at the moment I don’t care.

I can’t help but let tears slide down my face as the anger leaves me and the realization sets in. I want my best friend back. I want her to forget everything that’s happened.

However, I can’t help but think about my newfound feelings for Peter and my growing curiosity about the tattoo on his wrist.

------------------------

Sorry this is a slow burn so far, but the next part definitely has some action in it :) Thanks for reading!

Part 4

@disfunctionalcellmembrane @marvel4geeks

#part 3 #part 4 coming soon #peter parker #peter parker x reader imagine #marvel universe #soulmate au #just wait for the next part :)#update #i have seriously been revising all day #imagine #peter parker fanfiction

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secretradiobrooklyn · 3 years

Text

Get In Moses Edition | 2.13.21

Secret Radio | 2.13.21 | Hear it here.

art by Paige, liner notes mostly by Evan, *means Paige

1. Chantal Goya - “Tu m’as trop menti”

From the movie “Masculin feminin,” a DVD we borrowed from Tim. This is the film where Godard was whispering the lines into a headset of the actor, so they were learning their lines literally as they were saying them. This is the opening song. Not particularly Valentine’s Day, in that it’s about lying too much… but still there’s a dissatisfaction that is undeniably a part of French romance.

2. Human League - “(Keep Feeling) Fascination”

Such a square song! But the keys hook is so immortally beautiful, with its crucial warble. The rest of the song is sweetly and innocently ‘80s. It reminds me of being in art class in high school, fully participating in the aesthetic crimes of the era.

3. Marijata - “Break Through” - “Afro-Beat Airways”

Analog Africa is just now releasing a repress of this long sold-out collection. I’d listened to it before, but I guess that was before I knew about Marijata (thanks again, Jeffrey!) because it was a shock to discover a track by one of our very favorite Ghanaian discoveries. So far as I knew, Marijata only released one album of four songs — which is fantastic — and then eventually started backing a guy named Pat Thomas. Those records, unfortunately, are nowhere near as vital and fascinating as their own record. So finding this song was a welcome revelation! I should also say that, no surprise, the whole collection is a banger from front to back, and will definitely show up again on the show.

4. Philippe Katerine (avec Gérard Depardieu) - “Blond”

This strange guy is a kind of joker songwriter in French pop, as far as I can tell. This song is all about what one can get away with if one is blond. He’s a really fascinating character, a tiny bit like Beck maybe, in the sense that he seems to have made a successful career of taking unexpected directions. He’s also an actor, working with Claire Denis (!), Jonathan Demme and Gille Lellouche among many others. He was also in “Gainsbourg - A Heroic Life,” which is an excellent movie that we highly recommend. (We had no idea who he was when we saw it at the St. Louis Film Festival.) Also, he appears to be married to Gérard Depardieu’s daughter, which would seem to explain this particular guest star.

- The Texas Room - “Cielito Lindo”

Several years ago, a producer in St. Louis put together the amazing album known as “The Texas Room,” which brought together immigrants from all over the world who currently lived in St. Louis. That meant Bosnians, Cameroonians, Mexicans, and native-born Americans… including Andy Garces, a fellow Paige went to high school with — His mom was Paige’s voice teacher as a matter of fact — who recorded this strange and excellent version of “Cielito Lindo.” The release party for the album was one of the greatest nights we spent in that or any city, dancing our faces off to all kinds of music. At one point the Bosnians got so excited they took over the room, shouting along and hoisting up their guy in the air. Basil Kincaid did the art for the album, and I think that’s the night we finally met. We have one of his collages on our studio wall right now — right over there!

5. The Modern Lovers - “I’m Straight” *

When we got the current SK van (circa 2015) we were super excited because we could finally bring out other musicians on the road and we could also have folks from other bands that we were out with jump in the van with us for a stretch. That February we were on tour with Jamaican Queens, and our friend Andy Kahn came out with us to play guitar. Not only is Andy a rad musician and great guy to be around, but he was an excellent road DJ. Somehow I made it to 30 without getting into The Modern Lovers (I know, crazy!) Andy has great taste and had a well appointed iPod so he was the official van DJ pretty much right away. He put on this record one day and I just lost it. The thing is, after that I was like “Play ‘Roadrunner’ again!” all the time. When I hear this record I still think of that tour. Andy in the back seat DJing, Ben and Erik jumping in the van to come with to Baltimore, graduating to “truck” in the Holland Tunnel queue, so much snow, host Bentley, “Go cats?”, Aaaaaahhhhh!

6. Frances Carroll & the Coquettes - “Coquette / When I Swing My Stick / Jitterbug Stomp”

I think we learned about this band last year, when Coquettes drummer Viola Smith died at 107 years old (in Costa Mesa, not Silverlake, Paige would like you to know — her bad). The video link below is highly recommended — the whole band swings hard, and the interaction between them and Frances Carroll is well worth the watch. They were considered a curiosity at the time, being an all-female band, and man they could play. Viola Smith in particular had an insanely long career, playing from the 1920s straight through into 2019! She played with Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb, and in the original Broadway production of “Cabaret.” Her particular innovation was having two toms at shoulder height, on either side of her head, which she would roll and ricochet shots off. Very cool style, never copied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFDD_NxtKZ4

7. Pierre Sandwidi - “Boy Cuisinier”

Born Bad Records is one of the world’s coolest record labels, with a huge array of vintage discoveries as well as African albums as well as contemporary pop and noise bands. “Boy Cuisinier” is off Pierre Sandwidi’s album with them. It bears some definite relation to Francis Bebey but takes its own turns just as often. Sandwidi hails from Burkina Faso, known as the Upper Volta when he was growing up. We’re just now learning about him and his scene — I confess I didn’t even know Upper Volta was African; I thought it was Slavic — so I wouldn’t be surprised if some more Voltaic music shows up here soon.

8. Evan Sult avec Tracy Brubeck - “The Cats Won’t Stay In”

Paige’s mom Tracy called while we were in the middle of the show, and they paused to have a conversation about, you know, whatever — the snowstorms, the neighbors, the news. She was on speakerphone so that we could all talk, and eventually I just started taking notes as fast as I could. This is the result. I find it fascinating. That’s Paige singing lead on the Marty Robbins tune.

9. Kil Monnower Alimunna, Grup Hindustanbul - “Tadap Tadap”

Years ago I saw the movie “Monsoon Wedding” by the director Mira Nair. It really stuck with me, particularly the gorgeous opening credits in maroon and orange and sky blue. I was trying to tell Paige about that sequence, so just in case we could catch a glimpse of those colors, we watched the trailer. This song is the soundtrack to the trailer. It’s really an amazing track — so Indian, of course, but with definite Western points of contact, like when it goes to the major chords unexpectedly in the post-chorus, which sounds practically American. And the final outro minute or so is full of delayed, reverbed vocals in a psychedelic style, til it reaches the strange and intoxicating sound that he makes with his voice as the song fades into the distance.

- Martial Solal “New York Herald Tribune” - “A bout de souffle” soundtrack

10. Gillian Hills - “Tut Tut Tut Tut”

Gillian Hills, probably more famous for “Zou Bisou Bisou.” This track is great, listen for those syrupy slides and harmonies. I just learned that she is English, and the music video for this song is definitely shot in Angleterre. Full of famous red phone booths (now famous little free libraries.) When we were doing this week’s show I asked Evan “Is this song too obvious?” He said no, it wasn’t too obvious. If you know why I’m asking, then you know. So is it?

11. Jacques Dutronc “La Compapade”

We’ve been into Jacques Dutronc for many years now, because he’s a brilliant French songwriter and composer. But this one track has been a baffler for many years now. It shows up out of nowhere and sounds like… what? What the hell IS that? Is it African? It sounds African, but — is it? Is it just some strange lark on his part? Paige was apprehensive about playing it on the show, even though we both really enjoy it, because we couldn’t tell if it was somehow demeaning to someone. But eventually I argued that we don’t know what the hell most of the singers are saying in the songs we play, or which cultural taboos they’re transgressing, and the same is true in this case. If it is somehow offensive to anyone, I hope it’s clear that wasn’t our intention. But… I don’t know. I don’t think it is. I think it just comes from a cultural heritage and context that is French in a way Americans cannot understand or appreciate. In any case, it’s an amazing performance and recording!

12. K. Frimpong & His Cubanos Fiestas - Me Da A Ɔnnda”

Research into African rock and styles eventually brought us to K. Frimpong and His Cubanos Fiestas, which has turned out to be a satisfying step into the Ghanaian highlife/Cuban scene. I love the keyboard hooks in this one and the way the patterns just roll on and on with each other like a river, in no hurry but pulled forward by their own currents. He was also a visual artist — his art appeared on the cover of last episode’s Nyame Bekyere album. This was also the first time I’ve encountered the character “Ɔ” in the wild. I have zero idea how it is pronounced.

13. They Might Be Giants - “Birdhouse In Your Soul”

“Not to put too fine a point on it / Say I’m the only bee on your bonnet / Make a little birdhouse in your soul.” I remember when I first realized that was a feeling I was feeling — hoping to build a birdhouse in the soul of another, to be inside one another in a little protected place. The rest of the song is a nerd-rock dream palace I love as much as any other nerd, but the chorus is where I discovered an emotion I hadn’t suspected was there when I first heard and fell for this song and this band in high school (thanks, Jeremy Peterson!).

Paige adds: This song is blowing my mind. I don’t like writing lyrics, my ratio of melodies and harmonies to lyrics way out of whack. Evan brought this song back into our lives this week when Sleepy Kitty was asked what our favorite love songs are on a real radio show. We’ve been listening to it a bunch since Thursday and damn, these lyrics are good. It’s really reminding me that you can write about ANY.THING. Blue Canary in the freakin’ outlet by the light switch. Looking at the lighthouse picture. It’s a clinic. I learned something, and I can go home.

On the original topic, I love thinking of this as a love song. If you hear a love song, it’s a love song. It’s a love song.

14. Sleepy Kitty - “Tu veux ou tu veux pas” *

I took two years of French in high school and missed out junior and senior year because of a scheduling lulu that made 3rd and 4th year French conflict with advanced painting which was the primary reason I was taking French in the first place. I’m still not over it. Years later, I’m at Electropolis (in my memory) and I hear this Brigitte Bardot song on Tim’s excellent sound system and I can understand…most?…some…of it! I fell in love with this song and with French again and started stumbling, scrabbling at it again. We started working up this cover. Thank you Suzie Gilb for helping with the pronunciation. We did a 7” of this song and it’s a rare SK track with me playing trombone on it.

15. The Velvet Underground - “I Love You” *

I don’t really have much to say about this track except that it reminds me of flying to Germany because I got the 5 Disc set with all the extras on it a few days before leaving for a high school foreign exchange program. I was so happy to have those discs to absorb on the long flight, and come to think of it, it really inflected the whole trip.

16. Secret Song - “African Scream Contest”

The genesis of our love for African rock/funk/whatever (if for a moment we don’t count the profoundly influential “Graceland”) is the immortal collection “Legends of Benin,” put out by Analog Africa. As soon as we dug further for our favorites from that collection, we found “African Scream Contest” vols 1 and 2. I was drawn to the second one because it had a killer track by our hero Antoine Dougbé, but eventually spent as much time with the first volume. Both are absolutely fantastic. Part of what I love so much about them is learning how much of an impact James Brown and his band had on African music, which is super apparent throughout these collections and especially this track. The drums and the grunts and the hard stops and the horn blasts — it’s all there.

One of the finest elements of these records is the hidden track at the end, tucked five or so minutes back from the last song. These are often some of the hottest tracks on the album, well worth the wait, and this mystery song is no exception. Unfortunately, though, that means we don’t know who made this track or what it’s called. Oh well — that only makes it cooler!

- Adrian from Brooklyn

17. The Beatles - “Dizzy Miss Lizzy”

We watched “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” recently (totally worth a watch), and we were struck all over again by how insane their lives must have been at that time. Yes fame, yes sudden fortune, yes global supremacy, yes yes yes — the thing that I can’t get over is the shrieking, and how it wasn’t just present at their shows, it was EVERYWHERE THEY WENT, AT ALL TIMES ON ALL DAYS, EVERY SECOND THEY WERE OUTSIDE. How completely unsettling that must have been, to be the center of that howl, day after day, year after year.

18. The Fall - “Sing! Harpy”

Dedicated to Adrian from Brooklyn and all those young women and men losing their minds over the Beatles so completely that all they could do was shriek, even at shows where the crowd’s sound completely obliterated the sound of the band they so desperately loved and came to hear.

(This is also some of my favorite violin playing in any rock music, right up there with “Boys Keep Swinging” and The Ex’s “State of Shock.” I would LOVE to work with a violinist in this mode.)

19. T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - “Gnon a Gnon Wa”

So intense! That constant chord strike throughout the song is a kind of high-note drone that we find ourselves drawn to. It kind of reminds me of the sound of a casino, where you walk in and all of the machines are chiming the same note, promising to just take your mind away and keep it safe until you need it again.

- Tommy Guerrero - “El Camino Negro” - “Road to Nowhere”

20. Black Dragons de Porto Novo - “Se Djro” What a slinky number! I love how spare the instrumentation is, but how much power is contained in that one guitar part. This is side A of a 7” put out on Albarika Store, the label that T.P. Orchestre called home for many albums.

21. Helen Nkume and Her Young Timers - “Time” This is (so far) the closest we’ve gotten to reggae on WBFF. I know nothing about the band or the music other than their fantastic name and sound — oh, and the fact that she is known elsewhere as Prophetess Helen Nkume. She appears to be Nigerian, or anyway her record label is. I love the guitar hook on this song, it just sneaks in and steals the show.

22. Anne Sylvestre - “Les Gens Qui Doutent”

23. Parvati Khan - “Jimmi Jimmi Jimmi Aaja Aaja Aaja Re Mere” A lucky find! Someone in one of my Facebook groups posted a video from this album, so I took note and returned later to check it out. This is from an Indian movie called “I’m a Disco Dancer” that looks like a real kooky thrill. The actors appear to have only the vaguest sense of what “disco” might be — or what a guitar might be, for that matter. It kind of looks like someone saw a single photo of a disco night and extrapolated a whole movie from it. Nonetheless, Parvati Khan is entrancing in the song and in the video, and we HAVE to see this movie, with or without subtitles. The smoldering look alone really requires investigation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUdJQSUcK_Y

24. Nancy Sit - “Love Potion #9” * One thing I’ve always known about Evan is that he doesn’t like the song “Love Potion #9.” When we stumbled across this, I thought it was awesome but I didn’t want to make Evan listen to a song he doesn’t like on Valentine’s Day! Evan says this song has little to do with “Love Potion #9” which makes me wonder, Evan, what’s the part you don’t like about “Love Potion #9”?

Evan adds: I honestly can’t remember what my issue with this song was. I swear, it was like… it was around the time of “Melt With You,” which I also found inexplicably irritating (and still do). I suspect now that there was an inept cover version that first steered me wrong… but luckily there’s a strange Chinese version to steer me right again! Oh life.

- Michel Legrand - “Solange’s Song (Instrumental)” - “The Young Ladies of Rocheforte”

25. The Velvet Underground - “I’ll Be Your Mirror” * This is the song that I said was the best love song of the western world on the real radio. I think it’s so beautiful and so adult. I don’t even know if I would have thought of this as love song a few years ago. When first got into the V.U. I thought it was a pretty song – a neat song, but I didn’t really know what it meant, what it could mean. What’s funny is when I think of this song, I have a Lou Reed version in my head – his voice, the harmonies. When I revisited the Max’s Kansas City live version (which as far as I know is the only one besides other more recent live versions and surely what I’m thinking of?) I realized that the version in my head is essentially that one but cleaned up, remastered, different EQ, and as far as I know entirely imagined.

Evan adds: (Paige has been playing this song recently around the apartment. I don’t even have to tell you how lovely it is.)

*p.s. If you want to hear the piece about musicians talking about favorite love songs on KWMU it’s here: https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2021-02-11/listen-love-songs-to-keep-you-warm-on-cold-winter-nights

Super fun getting to talk about this stuff and in such good company!

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writeroutoftime · 5 years

Text

the scoops troop

pairing: tony stark x reader

summary: it’s Halloween and you want to do a group costume, but Tony isn’t onboard with the idea (”let’s do a couples costume)

warnings: none

words: 1558

a/n: this is for @sourpatchkidsandacokecan‘s challenge and I’m so excited for this story! this might be really cheesy or dumb, but i think it turned out well. also as I started to write this, I just got so into it and kinda forgot the prompt line and had to go back and add it later lol. anyway, please enjoy and have fabulous day!

oOoOo

“No, I am not wearing that out in public.” Tony said, barely looking up from his workbench as he fiddled with the helmet of his Iron Man suit.

Sighs left both yours and Peter’s lips at Tony’s response. Why was Tony so against a Halloween costume when he paraded around in a metal suit almost everyday. Not to mention, you and Peter had the perfect idea for a group costume this year ever since you had binged watched the third season of Stranger Things together.

“But, Mr. Stark, the group won’t be complete without you dressing up!” Peter argued, his eyes pleading for Tony to reconsider.

“Peter’s right, Tony.” you responded. “Come on, let’s do this couples costume! Who would Robin and Dustin be without Steve Harrington? He’s like the hero of their group.” you explained, hoping your description would appeal to Tony’s ego and he would agree.

Now Tony was the one to sigh as he set down the helmet. “Babe, I’m just not a costume person, and you know this.” he stated.

This was something you knew, but you had hoped this year would be different. Although Tony didn’t often admit it, you knew he had a soft spot for Peter, and he normally would do anything to make you, his wife, happy. Apparently, the line was drawn at costumes.

“For God’s sake, Tony. You are the one hosting a costume party, yet you refuse to take part in it. Please tell me, genius, where the logic in that statement lies.” you said, your anger slowly rising.

Instead of answering, Tony merely shrugged and picked up another part of his Iron Man suit that needed repaired. “You know what, that’s fine. I hope you enjoy your Halloween, alone!” you shouted in frustration and stormed out of his lab.

There was an awkward silence that settled between Tony and Peter after you left as Peter looked between his mentor and the door where you had left in a hurt and angered state. “Maybe you should reconsider. I mean it’s going to be a lot of fun, plus it would make Mrs. Stark really happy.” he spoke up, hesitantly.

“And maybe I should reconsider the new upgrades I’m adding to your suit.” Tony spat back in misdirected frustration.

Peter’s eyes widen in fear and he started to stutter. “I-uh-I’m just gonna do, uh, homework!” he spoke rather quickly and ran straight out of the lab, not wishing to test how serious Tony was.

Once he was completely alone, Tony tried to keep working on his suit, but after the third time he nearly stabbed his hand with the screwdriver, he threw the suit away from him with a loud, dramatic sigh. “(y/n) will get over it.” he tried to convince himself. “Though, maybe - no I’m not dressing up!” he said to himself with conviction, and turned to another project that would keep him in the lab all night.

oOoOo

A few days passed and things weren’t necessarily tense between you and Tony, but there was a still cloud that loomed over the both of you. It was now the day of the Halloween party, and both you and Tony had been busy rushing around all day, preparing for the scores of people who would be entering your home in a few short hours. While Tony dealt with the entertainment and drinks, you made sure there would be enough food to go around, that all decorations were in place, and talked to security about the evening.

After everything on your end was settled, you headed back to your room to start getting into costume. Even though Tony didn't want to be apart of your group costume, you and Peter had decided to still go ahead with the costumes because it was something that was special to the both of you and you knew it would be a lot of fun.

Once your hair and makeup were complete, you went to your closet to grab your costume, but your heart sank for a moment as you looked at the matching ‘Steve Harrington’ costume that hung next to your own. However, you pushed that feeling aside because you would still have a good night. With a quick glance at the clock, you rushed to get into costume because the party was scheduled to start in fifteen minutes, and you wanted to be downstairs before any guests showed up.

The baggy, navy blue shorts and navy and white striped shirt with the matching navy vest looked cheesy as hell, but you smiled as you pulled on the white, knee high socks, and added your ‘Robin’ nametag and ice cream scooper to tie the whole costume together.

Costume complete, you made your way to the main room where the party was about to be held, and said your hellos to the Avengers who you had invited to come before everyone else. A smile crossed your face as you took in all their costumes, but cocked your head to the side when you realized Tony wasn’t in the room. Normally, he would already be in the room, a drink or snack in hand.

“Have you seen Tony?” you whispered to Wanda, who only shook her head in response with a small, sad smile on her face.

Before you could respond, you heard a shout from behind you. “What’s up, Robin? Ready to kick some Demogorgon ass?” Peter asked with a bright smile.

There wasn’t anything you could do but laugh in response as you took in his costume, and noted how accurate it was. An orange, graphic t-shirt, with cargo shorts, and a ‘Camp Knowhere” hat on top of his hair that he even tried to make curlier than normal. Your heart swelled with pride and love at how excited Peter was, and you pulled him into a hug and asked Natasha if she could take your picture.

Not long after that, the party officially started and people began to pour through the doors. From there, you put on your best hostess face and started to make your rounds, saying hello and making small talk with everyone you recognized. Throughout most of the night, Peter stuck to your side and nearly everyone you spoke to complemented your costume. Some even went as far to say that the only thing you were missing was a Steve.

Each time someone made that comment, you couldn’t help but scan the room to see if Tony had shown up yet. The party had been in full swing for over an hour, and no one had caught sight of the host for the evening. It wasn’t until the music stopped and you heard the microphone switch on, that you heard Tony’s voice for the first time that night.

“How’s everybody doing tonight? Enjoying yourself?” he asked the crowd from offstage, to which there was a loud cheer. “Good, good.” he replied. “Now, I know I’ve been absent from this party so far, but, you know me, I had to spend hours getting ready.” he joked. “But I’m here and ready to show all of you people my costume for the evening.”

At his words, you furrowed your brows together in confusion, and turned to Peter to see that he had a similar expression. It was then that Tony stepped out on stage and the crowed went wild while your jaw dropped in surprise.

There stood Tony Stark with baggy, navy blue shorts, a navy blue top with a red ascot tied around the collar. He was even wearing white, knee high socks, similar to your own, and to top it all off, he had a ‘Steve’ name tag on his chest, and a white, sailor’s hat that read ‘Scoops Ahoy’ across it.

Quickly, you pushed your way through the crowd as Tony made eye contact with you, his ever present smirk on his face. Tony returned the mic to the DJ, who turned the music back on, and made his way down the steps of the platform and went to meet you halfway. Once in armlength of him, you threw your arms around Tony and hugged him with a tight grip, and despite your best efforts, your eyes glossed up.

“You wore the costume.” you whispered, not trusting your voice.

He pulled away and placed a chaste kiss against your lips. “I would do anything to make you and the kid happy.” Tony admitted. “I’m sorry I was a dingus.”

His choice of words made you laugh and you leaned in for another kiss, which only lasted a few seconds before you were interrupted by another voice.

“Gross!” you and Tony heard before you turned to see Peter standing there with a grin on his face. “This seems pretty out of character for Robin.” he joked as he referred to the kiss you and Tony had shared. “Mr. Stark, you look great!” he said with such happiness that you knew Tony couldn’t resist.

“Thanks, kid. You don’t look shabby yourself.” he said as Peter started to geek out about the show and all the science behind it.

As the two of them spoke, you watched on with a content smile, and knew that this was going to go down in the books as the best Halloween yet. In fact, you made sure to have Steve take yours, Tony’s, and Peter’s picture in character, which you would later frame with ‘Scoops Troop’ written above.

#ldatfwc #tony stark x reader #tony stark imagine #marvel imagine #marvel x reader

122 notes · View notes

ecriter · 4 years

Text

Keep You Warm

Word Count: 1.8k Warnings: light cursing Pairing: The Mandalorian x Reader Summary: In the warm comfort of the Razor Crest, you and a certain brown-eyed bounty hunter are no longer able to resist each other. Authors Note: My first imagine! Enjoy!

There were many things worse than being stranded on an ice planet, though you couldn’t come up with anything at the moment. You could hardly think in the frigid cold that seeped into your bones, through the thin cape you wore fastened around your neck and the many blankets layered on top of you. Your last bounty mission had badly wounded the ship; thrusters had just begun failing once you and Mando had landed on this godforsaken planet, the auto-nav had been disabled, and, worst of all, the circuits of the temperature regulator had been shot dead.

It was the perfect recipe for a shitty situation.

Mando had wandered off the ship into the barren, white wilderness to look for a village a while back. His thick beskar armor wasn’t enough to protect him from the wind chill, so the warrior had taken the only thick jacket on the ship, promising he would be back soon.

Yeah, right.

You’d been waiting on him for hours. The Child was snoring away in his pod, seemingly unaffected by the harsh climate, but you were freezing, even from inside the ship and protected from the elements. At this rate, you’d be a popsicle before Mando got back. Your relationship with the guarded Mandalorian was complicated. The two of you had met when he’d landed on your planet for a bounty and instead had left with you. In exchange for some supplies and a hostel he had needed you’d begged to join him on his ship. You’d always dreamed about flying through the stars, but never had the means nor the credits to do it. By the mercy of the Maker, he’d allowed you on. That had been a year ago. Since then, you’d helped him capture numerous bounties and stitch up endless wounds. Often, the two of you didn’t speak. Body language was what Mando was fluent in and he showed he was grateful for your presence in small moments--a touch on the shoulder, a long look. His sincerity always set your body humming with infatuation. It was impossible to not be attracted to the Mandalorian. He was an elite fighter, a kind partner, and a stand-up guy. Plus, the way he interacted with the Child was enough to make the most frigid heart melt. You knew you could never act on how you felt, or else you'd be inevitably booted off Mando’s ship when the attraction wasn’t returned. It wasn’t Mando’s way to find romance in the small things. He was practically a robot when it came to attraction and there was no sign that he’d be abandoning the Mandalorian path for a girl like you.

Maker. It was enough to make you feel a little down.

Swept up in the long consideration of your thoughts, you found your eyes getting heavy. You tried to get comfortable on the cot you reclined across (on the opposite side of the ship from Mando--simultaneously too far and too close for comfort). You’d make the best of the little warmth you had for now and nap until Mando came back. Who knew how long that would be. In your sleep, you didn’t hear the beskar warrior return to the Razor Crest. He’d walked far to find any inhabitants of this cursed planet, and had been in luck. They’d supplied him with a few of the materials he’d needed--namely, something to keep warm. He’d start repairs tomorrow, but right now he was exhausted and admittedly a bit anxious to get back to you and the Child. He’d been gone for way too long, in his opinion. When he’d returned he’d listened for the signs of you within the ship--clumsy clattering on the metal floors, the rasp of cloth-on-blaster, your soft voice conversing with the Child. To be met with empty silence set Mando on edge. Setting down the thick coat he’d purchased from the village, as well as a pile of scrap metal and circuitry, Mando traversed the narrow interior of the ship. When he saw you, bundled up to the nose in every blanket his ship possessed, his heart ached. It didn’t feel like a secret that Mando was completely and hopelessly in love with you. From the moment you had first boarded the Razor Crest, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Mando had pined. When you smiled, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. When you laughed, Mando had to resist betraying his religion to kiss you. The small moments you felt he never noticed were the ones he thought the most about. Gods, he was hopelessly gone for you and you never even realized. And never would realize, he hoped. You deserved better than him. You deserved a man who wasn’t swept up in the risk and violence of his job, someone who could take their stupid helmet off. Yes, he was gone for you. And seeing your red nose peeking from beneath the blankets wasn’t helping his situation at all. Mando crouched, removing his gloves and helmet. His cheeks were flushed from the long walk to and from the village and his fingertips tingled with warmth. He allowed himself a moment of trailing them over your cheek, down the bridge of your nose, exploring the minute details of your relaxed face. Seeing it slackened with the peace of sleep was as captivating as seeing it wild with laughter. Standing, Mando turned to go. His head was foggy with you and he needed to clear it. A weak hand latched to his before he could leave. “Mando…?” You mumbled, burying your face into the curve of the pillow. You were only half-awake, Mando noted with relief. You didn’t seem to know you were even grabbing him but the instinct of the action made him giddy. He tried to delicately remove your hand, but you had a stronger hold than he had realized and Mando resolved to the fact that he wasn’t going to escape without waking you. Which, by looking at your scrunched nose and pouted lips, seemed almost criminal. Reaching up to the latches of his armor, Mando let the beskar fall to the floor to join his helmet. He would just lay with you a bit until you relinquish your hold and he could leave. Besides, you were shivering beneath the thin blanket, the cold far too intruding. “Only for a second,” Mando whispered to himself, trying to steel his resolve. The bounty hunter’s soft fingers fell into the curve of your waist. His nose brushed the back of your neck, smelling the scent of your shampoo, feeling the intimacy of the moment. Close enough to feel your warmth and hear your breath. It seemed that staying in the small cot with you for just a second would be a lot harder than he thought. Just a second turned into just a minute, which turned to just an hour. And by that time, Mando had succumbed to the exhaustion of his journey and the comfort of your skin.

You awoke to soft light bleeding into your room from the small port-hole like window. You felt cozy and drowsy, tucked deep into the pillow beneath you. Your nose tingled with the cold, but your limbs feel heavy and warm. A weight across your hip pressed you into the bed and you furrowed deeper into its warmth. The rise and fall of the pillow beneath you was soothing and-- Your eyes flew open, meeting the face of the sleeping man in front of you. Dark lashes fluttered across tan cheeks, chocolate curls spilling across his forehead. Patches of unshaved grizzle were sprinkled across an angular jaw and it took your sluggish mind a second to process who this incredibly handsome man was and what his business was keeping you warm and comfortable in your cot. When everything clicked, it was like a bomb going off. “Mando!” You cried, nearly flinging yourself to the ground in your haste to leave the bed. Your hands flew to cover your eyes, the image of his face already ingrained in your memory. You stumbled to your feet, breathing hard, skin prickling from the sudden change in temperature. Startled shuffling came from the bed, then the languid (but perhaps also nervous?) laugh of Mando. “You can open your eyes,” He assured you. Warm hands found your wrist, pulling your hands from your face. Adamantly, you kept them closed. “Mando, your path. The Way,” You insisted. “You...you can’t let me see--” “It’s ok, sweetheart,” said Mando. “I...I want you to see me. For a long time I’ve felt something I know I shouldn’t feel but something I want to feel,” The warrior exhaled, thumbs circling the pulse point on your wrist. “You're my Way, now. I need to show you this side of me, need you to see...me,” Your heart thrummed in your throat. You couldn’t think straight, couldn’t focus. This must be a dream. There was no way in the galaxy that the bounty hunter you’d been in love with for months was telling you that he felt the same. It had to be impossible. Your eyes opened slowly, nervously. Mando was bathed in pale winter light, hair messy from sleep and deep brown, beautiful eyes murky with anxiety. He wasn’t used to hiding his emotions, so they stood nakedly on his face. “Mando-” “Din,” He interrupted. “My name...It’s Din. Din Djarin,” You licked your lips, tasting the name. “Din…” You raised your hands to trace the sharp features of the bounty hunter in front of you. “Din Djarin,” His name from your lips was like black velvet, luxurious and heady. Maker. “Say it again,” Din whispered, pulling close and brushing his nose against yours. Eyes coy, you breathed it out again, feeling a rush of wanton lust through your belly. “Din Dj-” Like a whip, hot lips were against yours, urging, nibbling, needing. You let out a noise of surprise before settling into the warmth of Mand--Din’s embrace. Your teeth clashed in the heat of the kiss, tongues insisting at each other's mouths. Your hands slid from his face to clutch at his broad, freckled shoulders, gripping the rough woolen cloth of his shirt. The kiss was messy and desperate, but as you fell into its easy rhythm, neither of you seemed to care. Porg feathers blew through your stomach, body tingling with charged energy. His mouth was delicious, insistent, and somehow better than you had ever imagined it could be.

Inevitably, the need for breath came. The two of you separated with a wet noise, lips tingling and swollen, hot from the kiss. Your hands still scrunched Din’s shirt and so you loosen your grip, flushing a bit. An easy smile tottered on Din’s lips, wrinkling the corners of his eyes. The cold of the ship didn’t seem so insistent and paralyzing when Din was here with you, broad hands against your hips, keeping you warm.

#the mandalorian #mandalorian #mandalorian imagines #din djarin #din djarin imagine #star wars imagines #star wars #dyn djarin #dyn djarin imagines #baby yoda #finn #poe dameron

18 notes · View notes

roughsexwithgaga · 5 years

Text

Love Will Tear Us Apart pt.3

Continued from: “Alone together.”

You met me when I had no light.

"I can't believe you left with him!" Bo said. Her eyes were glowing and she squeezed the steering wheel like it contained all the juicy information. "Is he in love?"

"Why the fuck… I just-" Lady Gaga pushed her sunglasses up her nose.

"Did he want to see you again?"

"Yeah, well. He asked, so yeah!"

Bo grinned and laughed and Gaga looked at all the messages on her phone. You better work, bitch, she thought. One night off and her phone blew up. "Christian, Christian, Christian… what the fuck," she muttered as she scrolled.

"What is he saying?"

"He's apologizing and he's full of regret." Gaga let her hands drop to her thighs and exhaled. "He actually thought that he could get back at me by ignoring me? And now he won't shut up!"

\o/

Gaga could overhear Bobby and Bo talking about things they would never say to her face.

Bo said, "She's hurting herself."

Bobby said, "She's fragile."

She exhaled and wondered how much they were lying about to her face. Fragile? She wanted to object but when she opened her eyes and mouth she realized that she had fallen asleep over the mixer board. Their conversation felt so real in her dream. She looked around the room and noticed that she was in the studio and music was streaming really loud through the speakers. Maybe she subconsciously wanted people to tell her off. Her eyelids felt like they were glued shut and she blinked a few times and yawned. She turned the music off and realized her phone was buzzing.

She didn't even get a chance to say hi before Bloodpop laughed into her ear. "Guess who's here!"

"What?" was all she managed to say in her halfway between asleep and awake state.

"I thought you slept more like a princess all curled up and sweet but MISTER BURNS here says you sleep like a construction worker after a 14 hour shift and 8 pints of Guinness."

She heard Matt shout in the background. "I'm so sorry, Stefani, I did not say that. He's ruthless!"

"What the fuck is going on?" she said, more to herself than the producer who was laughing into her ear. He eventually stopped and she heard a muffled sound like he tried to cover the mic in a dramatic way.

"So you lied to me? I'll remember that. You told me she-"

She heard Matt's voice again, a little louder. "I promise we haven't even discussed you!"

"You don't even know what that looks like!" Gaga shouted. Feeling her cheeks heat up now, recalling how she had woken up at the DJ's place. It would be typical of Michael to joke about it to try and get a reaction out of Matt and he probably didn't know how spot on he was. She hated when people talked over her head and made her seem like she was out of the loop. She was in control, always. Even when she pretended that she wasn't.

Two days had passed since she met Matt Burns and she had been working in the studio as well as with her stylists. Michael finally got to the point and said he and Matt had been putting their heads together for a whole day and it sounded great but he didn't know if she would be interested. She promised she would come over to the Shangri-La studio as soon as she was back in Malibu.

It was getting dark outside so she closed the MacBook and collected the papers scattered in front of her. She had been making notes and going over papers and somehow fallen asleep in the middle of it all. She was so happy most of the awards season already was finalized.

"Oh, you're awake." Bo noticed the music had stopped and approached her with the phone in her hand.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Gaga asked and felt like her whole face still had imprints of knobs and sliders and rubbed her cheek.

"You looked like you needed it," Bo said and first now Gaga noticed how sad she looked. "It's Ryan, the vet has been over and I'm sorry but it's not… good news."

Gaga inhaled and took the phone and interrupted herself mid thought about Bo letting her sleep on the sound board. "Oh my god," she whispered instead and blinked when she felt her throat get thick. "Ryan?" she said and waited for the man to deliver his message. In short her horse was sick, and getting worse. Gaga had to go to Malibu to see her, but there was also the Critics' Choice awards tomorrow. She had to go home anyway and then back again.

She told Bo she wanted to leave immediately, and her friend put the things that she wanted with her in a bag and carried it out to her car. She sat with her head in her hands basically the entire ride back to Malibu. Her headache was soaring like a dull knife through her head and she had taken enough pain killers to knock out an elephant.

When she arrived it was dark outside and the mansion seemed deserted. Her driver stopped by the stable and she pulled herself out of the car. Bo took her bag and walked over to the house.

"I'll come inside in a while… In case she's on the safe side." Gaga said.

Bo looked at her friend's tiny shoulders pulled up to her ears and the baggy sweat pants that seemed like they would drop off her hips any second. Her feet were shuffling through the gravel like she wanted to avoid reaching the stables because she didn't want to know how bad it was.

She put the bag down and ran over to her, put her arm around her shoulders and followed her inside the welcoming warm light in the stable. "It's gonna be OK," she whispered against her ear.

"I hope you're right," Gaga mumbled and reached for Bo's hand when she saw Arabella lying down in her stall. Suddenly the horse looked so tiny, barely taking up any space on the floor. Gaga's staff had made sure she was as comfortable as she could be. Lots of straw and the mattress of shavings underneath her were new and soft.

Gaga's lack of proper sleep would most likely knock her out any second. She could feel her muscles protest every time she moved. The warmness of the animal, her shallow sleep. Gaga caressed the neck and listened to the hollow sound of the breaths. The horse noticed her, tried to raise her head and welcome her, but the effort was too much. Instead she sniffed her hands when Gaga put them over her mule and caressed her.

"They put her on a steady IV-drip to keep her calm," Ryan said and Gaga nodded. Her focus was solely on the horse by her side.

"Beautiful baby," she whispered and saw the ears wiggle, listening to her voice. "I'm so sorry."

\o/

"I know it's in a fucking hangar, but it'll be OK." Gaga tried to pose in front of the mirror. "The only thing not making this dress fall to the floor are my nipples!" she said.

"We can change it if you want to," her stylist Sandra said and pulled her eyebrows together and Gaga thought it looked like she felt sorry for her.

"No, I like it. I want to wear it. It'll be interesting if I step on it," she laughed and pulled it up a little. "Let's just pray they stay hard." She exhaled. "I can't breathe," she added and tried to take slow breaths. "I'm so nervous."

Everyone looked at her and she felt like they pitied her. Like she was being ridiculous.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so…" She felt her throat get thick and went 'no, no' in her head.

"Don't worry. Just enjoy the night. You already won." Bobby stroke her back and put his arms around her.

"Just let me know if anything happens. I don't want to be left in the dark," she said.

Bobby promised any updates on her horse Arabella would go straight to her and then they made themselves ready to leave the hotel for the award show.

Christian met her outside the hotel and she smiled at him. "Hi," she said and held his hand when she sat down in the car. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he replied. "You look fantastic. Listen, I-"

"Thank you," she said to cut him off.

We can't even have a conversation anymore she thought and looked out the window on her side. Christian held her phone and bag with her notes.

"I've been so busy I haven't had time to memorize anything. I mean I have made notes and if I have to get up there and accept an award I will have to look at a fucking piece of paper and I just…" She made a resigned gesture with her hands and shrugged.

Christian looked at her. "You will do great. I'm sure of it. It won't matter."

…

"Best Song…"

"…Shallow."

She heard the whispers from people around her but was still in shock by how amazingly the song resonated with people everywhere and the massive impact it had with the help of the movie.

Refusing to take any of these award winnings for granted she felt overwhelmed when the song was announced as the winner in its category. Having her feelings on the outside of her skin all night, she didn't have to search inside to get emotional over the win. They were all extraordinary and a testament to how hard work and dedication paid off.

Each time the song got acclaim and praise she felt like a valve was turned and letting some steam out. All winter everyone expected it to sweep and once all this started and she could start checking things off she was more and more relieved. If people thought she was extra then so be it, it was their problem. She got spoiled once and the next second she had it all thrown into her face. She was aware of how deceiving the business could be, and how they could screw you over for no reason at all.

"I don't know what is going on, but you could at least pretend to be happy for her." She heard the whisper behind her when she sat down after returning to her seat. She didn't see who it was, but saw how Christian's neck turned red and how he started shifting in his seat and looked to his other side, away from her.

Gaga thought how it probably was hard for him. He didn't know his place in all this, and felt removed from her. "You're part of the team," she whispered. "Enjoy the night at least." His scent somehow made her relax even if she felt like she was on the edge of a breakdown.

He looked down and felt her hand on his. She looked so different. He realized she had been stressed these last few days. But she always worked hard and seemed to be completely swallowed up by things she was so invested in. He just wasn't one of those things right anymore and he could sense the detachment. It was so evident and he realized she was distancing herself more than ever, even in public. People are gonna see we're not a couple, no matter what, he thought and noticed that he once again was somewhere completely else when he heard Best Actress being announced and felt her grip get harder.

Gaga was ready for another resignation like at the Globes. It was the award she wanted, what she had worked for several years in a row now.

Glenn Close - again, she didn't know if she was supposed to be happy for her or feel like a failure and sat there confused and empty for several seconds before it sank in that it was a tie. Then she felt her heart make frantic double somersaults inside her chest.

The possibility that it could be her turn made her go completely deaf during Glenn's speech when she waited for the other announcement. Her pulse kept hammering so loud when the name 'Lady Gaga' was read out loud that she could barely hear it. Everything happened so fast. Her heart felt like it shot up through her throat and she had difficulties breathing. She saw the Oscars in front of her and her mind was elevated into some blissful cloudy heavens. You're not there yet, she thought while her chest cramped.

Christian's arms shot up in the air, and she suddenly didn't know where to turn and then she stepped on the dress on her way to the stage. For a fraction of a second she feared it would be her Jackson Maine moment, that her dress would drop to her hips and she would stand there completely naked. Not that it bothered her, but the moment could hardly be any worse.

You're an actress now, she said to herself. But you're also Stefani and this is your dream. She swallowed, tried to gather her thoughts that were darting back and forth inside her brain and put them into words. She had longed for a moment like this. Yes, she was grateful for all the awards, but this… this was- and then she noticed they had the nerve to try and play her off the stage and she barely knew what she was talking about but that piano snapped her back into reality real quick.

She angrily turned her head to announce to the people on the side stage that she could definitely do this with a piano background. Her lips moved by themselves ahead of her brain and her hands trembled with the note in her hands.

…

When she returned from the press room, Bobby took her aside. The look on his face scared her. "What is going on?" she asked, firmly gripping the two awards.

"Arabella is getting worse by the minute."

Christian overheard them. "What's going on?"

"Arabella is getting worse," Bobby said.

Gaga covered her face in his hands and decided to leave straight away.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Christian asked.

"Do as you like, I don't give a fuck." Gaga hurried past him and tried to keep a straight face.

\o/

The whole night was a torture. The horse weakening every second and Gaga being torn between wanting it to end and for it to never end. At one point Arabella started breathing faster and her dark brown eyes seemed to roll around like she was panicking. Gaga felt the horse's heart beat faster and cried out for help.

"I think she's in pain," she shouted. Her tears streamed down her face. "Please, please, make it better." She let her hand stroke along the neck of the horse, trying to comfort and calm her down.

The vet increased the doze, Arabella calmed down but got weaker every minute. Gaga wanted to make her wake up, but by the morning she could see the light in the horse's eyes fade slowly and Gaga dug her fingers into her mane, pulled it and cried against the lifeless body.

…

Christian woke up and noticed that she had not slept on her side in the bed. He could still somehow sense her presence and looked towards the windows. Gaga sat outside with her legs against her chest and a cigarette between two fingers. Her hair fluttered a little in the slight breeze and the ash looked like a long gray twig, ready to fall off any second. She seemed lost in her own thoughts and twitched when he opened the doors and sat down next to her.

She raised her head and he looked into her bloodshot eyes. "Hey," she said and wiped her cheeks in case there were still tears.

"How is she?" Christian asked.

Gaga exhaled. "She's gone, Christian. She's…" Her voice cracked. "I saw how the life faded in her eyes. It was so… heartbreaking how I couldn't help her. I just sat there and I-" she choked up again.

"You know how human touch can calm people down, people who are lying in hospital beds, you can literally see how their bodies react to human touch, how they calm down and I'm sure she could sense all the love you poured over her. I'm so sorry, Stef."

"I don't know what to do," she said and he put his hand on hers. It was resting next to her on the couch and to his surprise she didn't pull it away. "I just didn't want her to feel any pain. She was so scared." She turned around and wrapped her arms around him. The tears made his t-shirt wet and he could feel her fingers dig into his shoulder.

He felt his throat get thick, thinking of how much Gaga had loved the horse and how he had laughed at her crazy but adorable ideas. How a void would be left when an animal you were used to passed away. He held her and let her cry until she felt like there were no more tears left. She pulled the collar of his t-shirt, started brushing it and apologized for making him wet.

How could he tell her how lovely it felt having her touching him, turning to him at this moment? He had to tell himself that he was comforting her, and it was his job even if she seemed so sick and tired of him right now. He was afraid that if he told her that he loved her right now, she would let him go. She would remember that she didn't want him anymore and leave him. Fuck, he was so desperate to keep her it was pathetic.

He wrapped her arm around her back and let it glide up to her nape and raised his chin to smell her hair. It was stiff from all the products she had used yesterday and wasn't washed. She turned her face up and let her lips nudge his. The stubble was rough against her soft, swollen lips and it made her feel something. His scent was familiar and comforting.

She pulled her head away. "No, stop. I can't. I just… it doesn't work that way."

"I love you, Stef." He said it anyway, nearly in panic, and raised his hand to her face.

"No, you have this idea of how we're supposed to be and it just isn't like that."

"This is exactly what I told you the other day!"

She raised her head and looked into his eyes. "Yeah, so maybe we have different views on what love is." Her voice was hard. "Do you think this is the right moment for this?"

Christian looked at his hands and started to pick the hairs on his arms. "I was just trying to comfort you."

"Right," she muttered and turned away from him.

He didn't want to leave her side so he sat there quietly while she lit another cigarette and stared at the sea.

\o/

Work. Always the best way to keep your mind busy when it wanted to stray into areas you didn't want to be. Gaga stepped off the plane and got into the car. It was early morning and she was scheduled to perform at Park Theater later that evening. Christian followed right behind her, suddenly having gained a bit of confidence back the last few days. Not that they had spent a lot of time together since The Golden Globes. Gaga was pretty much done with the whole thing and Christian lingering around her was getting on her nerves.

She subconsciously thought of ways to annoy him and considered going out or spend time with her band and dancers just so she wouldn't have to be alone with him and his prying eyes and questions. She noted that he had started to suspect something. Justin was texting her, Burns was texting her. But somehow he had developed a fixation on what the tabloids wrote. She had to laugh at the fact that when they did the press tour he did not care no matter how much she buttered Bradley in front of the press or how many rumors they started.

Some people had shown that they did not approve of the whole thing, but they really sold that movie and it had worked wonders.

She tossed the car door opened and got out of the vehicle. The air was chilly and dry. She wanted to get inside as quickly as possible and pushed the sun glasses up her nose and dove right into her villa inside the Mansion. Barely acknowledging the flowers on the table inside the massive hallway she made her way to the bathroom. She grabbed a bottle of water and noted that the massage table was already set up. She would have a bath and massage and then it would already be time to get back in the car and basically just travel across the intersection to Park MGM.

…

It felt so awesome to be back on stage and hearing the fans lose their shit while she gave them everything. After some aftercare, since her body apparently was falling to pieces, she would meet some of them. She did her usual strut inside the room and posed for their pics for a few minutes before it was time to get back to the Mansion again. Some wouldn't shut up and some didn't say two words but she was used to both and carried a tiny conversation even with the most star struck ones.

It was mind numbing and nice. She soaked herself in the compliments and smiled even if it already felt like she was on her third show of the week. She looked over her shoulder and waved at the few ones who still stood behind and collected their bags with merchandise. None of them looked at her and she sighed internally at how fickle the attention was. They got their moment, now they wanted to share it with their friends.

Bobby was right beside her. "Killed it," he said and gave her a wink as they entered the elevator to go back down.

She laughed and gave him a soft nudge with her elbow. "Thanks Bobby," she said.

Freddie took the wig as soon as she sat down inside the dressing room. Then she undressed and sat down on the couch in the middle of the room. The adrenaline was still pumping inside her and she felt a comfortable buzz.

\o/

By Sunday she had decided to get wasted after her jazz show and booked a whole bar and activities for her team. She showed up at midnight after everyone else had been busy for about an hour. She had looked exhausted after the concert since every minute she was awake she spent working and after that she gave it all for two hours on stage.

She wore a tight black dress that glittered in the lights by the bar. After all it's Las Vegas. The thin shoulder straps rested across her tanned shoulders and the low cleavage was tight and gave her tits a lift that she was especially content with. Her make up was subtle but still enhanced her cheek bones and made her lips look swollen and pouty. She smiled and sat down between Sarah and Bobby. Christian stopped behind her when there was no chair close to Gaga he walked all around the bar to the other side to find a place to sit.

She crossed her legs and let her thigh be visible through the slit. The dress reached her ankles but was a little bit too long, but she wanted to wear it anyway. Her eyelids had a glittery pinkish color and thin eyeliner. It really worked wonders and she looked more alive than she had done all week. She had her hair up in a bun and tiny little diamonds in her ears. She ordered a margarita and started chatting with Sarah.

…

After about 45 minutes she had managed to get hammered and could barely sit on the bar stool without slipping off it. At first she had not noticed anything and then the alcohol hit her like a ton of bricks. She started repeating herself and noted that her memory started to deceive her. When she went to the restrooms she had to support herself against the wall. When she looked into the mirror she told herself to "get a grip" – as if getting completely tanked wasn't her goal from the start.

When she came out, Christian waited for her. "You might want to consider slowing down."

"Oh really," she said and noticed that it was hard to articulate the words. And that was all it took for the argument to take off. Christian blamed Gaga for being an irresponsible drunk, throwing everything away and not being serious about anything, and Gaga told him to keep his nose out of her business. Several combinations involving the word 'fuck' left her mouth and even if she managed to keep her voice low it was impossible for people nearby to miss what was going on.

It all ended with Christian leaving her standing by the wall. He walked away with his eyes firmly focused on the pattern of the carpet on the casino floor so he didn't have to look anyone he met in the eyes. Gaga took shallow breaths and leaned against the cold wall. "Fuck," she spat out and closed her eyes. After that she disappeared into a haze of alcohol.

\o/

Gaga woke up and refused to open her eyes. Her whole world already consisted of different colors spinning around like a merry-go-round without her having to take in the surroundings using her eyes as well. Her mouth felt like it had been lined with sand paper and her forehead like she had banged her head against a concrete wall a few hundred times. She swallowed and instantly regretted it since she noticed how nauseous it made her. Lying completely motionless would be the best solution.

She opened her mouth and took shallow breaths trying to ease down her stomach. It was making subtle cramps and her mouth suddenly watered. When the worst nausea had settled she opened her eyes. She turned her head slowly and to her surprise she noticed someone sleeping face down in the pillow next to her. She squinted her eyes and tried to focus. A cold tingling feeling drilled down her back as she didn't recognize the features of the person next to her immediately. Her hand crawled out from underneath the comforter and scrambled across the bedside table for her glasses.

"I'm fucking blind," she mumbled and finally got her hands on them. She pushed them up her nose and looked at the man sleeping next to her. "And just who the fuck are you?" she whispered.

The man made a little snoring sound, turned around and faced the other way but didn't wake up. She continued to stare at him and raised herself up on her elbows and looked around the room. The massive bedroom revealed no other secrets so she got out of the bed and walked inside the bathroom. She was butt naked and glanced at her phone on the way. It was 10 am and she had a feeling she had been drinking until early morning.

When she sat down on the toilet she got memory flashes of how the night unfolded. She tried to recall the bar. "Oh no, Christian," she remembered and buried her face in her palms. He had left after their heated argument. She didn't recall if he came back, but only had to look at her phone again to see his hundred messages to realize that it had not happened. She had not opened any of his messages so it was safe to say she had not replied.

She vaguely recalled returning to the bar, even sitting on the bar, eventually also getting behind the bar and making drinks for everyone. She recalled making up some kind of rainbow cocktail and trying to make it layered, and doing so extremely well. Who had she been talking to? A face appeared in front of her and when she realized who it was she exhaled loudly and closed her eyes.

He had been on to her since he got assigned to her Las Vegas residency. The monitoring guy with the in-ear pieces that he couldn't shut up about. She even remembered his name; Dan Horton.

Fuck.

Gaga cleaned herself up a bit because she felt like she could feel the hangover seeping out of her pores. It was like breathing a little new life into her body when she washed her face. She didn't feel like she had sex, but still felt a little uneasy about dragging anyone back to her hotel.

She walked out into the kitchen and noticed the breakfast carriage that had been wheeled in through the staff entrance. She looked through all the plates. There were some bacon strips and slices of fruit that she picked out and hungrily stuffed into her mouth. She drank juice directly from a bottle and walked back into the bedroom with the bowls and plates.

She sat down on the bed and rested against the wall, still chewing on the bacon strips while she looked at the man next to her, wondering if Christian would come walking right in any second. Strangely enough it didn't even worry her or make her nervous. It's about time, she thought when Dan raised his head and looked at her through squinty eyelids.

"Good morning," he said while he exhaled and turned it into a yawn.

"Is it?" she said and put the plate down on the bedside table.

"How can you eat?" he muttered with his head buried in the pillow.

She scooted down a bit so she was closer to his face.

"You passed out," he said. "Nothing happened."

"That's a shame. And this room is supposed to be magic." She was somehow relieved he confirmed that they didn't have sex, but wondered how many guys her passing out would've stopped from carrying on anyway.

She smiled and moved closer. "I'm awake now." She raised her dark eyebrows so they turned into thick upside down v's above the frames of her glasses and Dan stared back into her eyes as if he couldn't believe who he had next to him.

She was naked apart from the glasses. The black frames had slipped down her nose and she pushed them back up. Her make up looked really lived in with the smudged eye liner and some lipstick remaining. He could see how her lips had been slightly overdrawn and the swollen lips parted when she smiled.

"Listen, umm…," he said and bit his lip. He had gazed upon all her naked glory yesterday. But even if it was mostly a blur, he still recalled how she had tasted and felt when they kissed. How soft she was and how she had laughed and pulled him along with her.

"Is it Christian?" she asked. She was lying on her side with her chin resting in her hand.

"No, you said it's over so I-"

She raised her perfect eyebrows again and he hesitated.

He narrowed his eyes again and rolled over on his back. "This is so fucking weird," he said and turned his face towards hers. She laughed, a deep, low, chuckling laughter. He was happy that she was happy, looked at her face and the loose hair falling down her cheeks and collarbones. He raised his hand to remove the hair from her cheek and then she stopped laughing and sucked her lip and looked into his eyes.

He reached behind her nape and pulled her close. Felt her lips against his and opened his mouth. His tongue felt coarse, but she didn't seem to mind. She put her hands on his shoulders when he raised himself up on his arms.

"I have a confession to make," she said and he paused halfway on top of her. "I don't remember a fucking thing from yesterday," she snorted out a laugh. "I'm sorry."

"OK," he said and let her go. "So we have to start over sort of?"

"Why are you here, Dan?" she asked.

"Oh, but you do know my name," he said and looked at her with a distraught smile. Then he continued, "You asked me to come with you." He was just about to get started and now she was asking questions. It was a little annoying.

"No, I mean, what made me ask that? Something must've caused a little spark." She raised her hand to her face and removed her glasses.

He watched her lying there, nearly drowning among the pillows and bedsheets. She was so beautiful. Her skin was without a single tan line, her visible collarbones and the slight dimple between them. He had kissed her there yesterday and she had giggled and the salty taste of her sweat had spread inside his mouth like a sweet drink.

"Honestly, I don't know," he said eventually. He felt her naked body against his. Her hands moved down to his boxers. "I complimented you a lot, I think." He raised his short, kind of sad eyebrows and looked like he was thinking hard. "What's not to compliment? You're smart, you're funny, you're beautiful and you're sexy." He sucked his lip and squinted his eyes at her.

"Fuck off. I would never have fallen for that," she said and looked into his eyes. They were really dark brown and his eyelids a little puffy.

She had an amazing smile. The lines by her cheeks and a little dimple on her right side.

"Did you chip your tooth?" he asked.

The smile disappeared and she licked her lips. She sighed and slipped under his arm and out of bed. He watched her narrow frame, the sculpted shoulder blades and the tattoos on her left side. He felt her tits against the inside of his arm and resisted the urge to touch her and pull her back into the bed.

She stood up and he watched her round butt as she walked over to a chair and picked up a nearly see-through robe that she swept around herself.

"Where are you going?"

She looked at him over her shoulder. "I'm gonna take a shower. Wanna join?"

He stared at her fully visible, perfect ass through the thin robe as she walked out of sight. "My god, you're such a tease," he muttered and tossed the comforter away and followed her into the bathroom. She dropped the robe on the floor and stepped into the shower.

She made it clear that she would not make any more invitations but he had to step forward if he was interested.

He opened the glass door after he had taken his boxers off and immediately let his hands glide down her shoulders. The warm water hit his back and she moved closer to the wall. He put his hands on her hips and she turned around. The warm drizzles bounced off her face when she raised her chin with her eyes closed. He kissed her while his hands moved up her belly towards her tits and the hard nipples. Bending forward, he placed his mouth over one and licked it. He caressed her body, everywhere he could reach. Felt her flawless skin and searched for imperfections that were't there.

His tongue inside her mouth, her gentle movements. The light moans when his fingers found the slit between her thighs. He moved two fingers against her clit, slowly up and down, a little lower with each stroke until he felt how the friction nearly disappeared and his fingers moved inside her. He felt her vagina tighten around his fingers and his thumb rubbed her pink nub as gentle as he could.

He kissed her neck, made her turn around and moved the hair away from her nape. It was very obvious that she enjoyed what he was doing as she let him move her around how he pleased and didn't object. In his head a thousand thoughts danced around, things he wanted to ask her, to talk to her about, he wanted to know all about her at once. But right now he had to settle with getting to know her body. Which obviously wasn't a bad thing.

She suddenly gave him a soap. A hard soap. "Don't drop it," she said and closed her eyes as he started to lather her entire body, down to her feet and between her toes. All the time he was so hard he thought he would pass out due to blood loss to the brain soon. He was thorough when he reached her butt, making a big deal out of stroking her cheeks and between them.

His hands moved over her belly, felt the little pout below her belly button and let his hands glide up to her tits. His fingers slipped underneath the fold and he noticed that her breasts felt more full than they looked. He cupped his hands and squeezed them and felt the soft flesh fill his hands and his thumbs gently rubbed over her nipples. Fuck, he wanted her.

Gaga felt his hands move gently across her body and didn't want it to end, even if she soon was so turned on she thought she would mentally bring herself to an orgasm just by anticipation. He knew exactly how to treat every tense spot on her body. It was like a massage. He knew when to go hard and when to play softer. She noticed that she was breathing through her mouth and how relaxed she was.

"My turn," she said when she considered him finished. He made a strange grunt and inhaled while he mentally prepared for her hands wandering all over his body. She let her hands glide across his chest and kept eye contact. He held his breath. Couldn't stand here with a belly pout, could he. She noticed and waited for him to exhale out of spite, then she grabbed his shaft and her lathered hands continued down, under his ballsack and he started taking controlled breaths.

The water ran between his asscheeks and down the back of his legs. She was standing out of range of the water when he made her lean forward and put a hand on her shoulder. She thrusted her ass towards him and he slowly penetrated her from behind. He put his hands on her hips, held her and pulled her towards him. The sensational feeling multiplied with each stroke. He pumped her as hard as he dared to, afraid that he might slip if he lost focus.

Her magnificent ass bounced against his crotch. Each shove ending deeper inside her. He moved his hand up to her neck, felt her hair between his fingers and grabbed it. The harder her fucked her, the more sounds she made.

His cock felt like it was inside her guts towards the end, the rapid movements and his grip in her hair. She could hardly move and when she came, and he continued his thrusts it made her nearly lose control. With nowhere to go she tried to keep her legs stable when the orgasm showered through her vagina and up through her belly. It felt like a thousand contractions rippled through her spine, down to her ass and pussy. The warmth spread like wildfire almost all the way up through her throat.

Dan pulled out and she heard him breathe faster, the wet thuds when he pulled a few last strokes and let his cum spill over the glittering wet tattoos on her tanned hip. The warm water hit her back and erased all traces within seconds, but he still had the beautiful image on his mind when she put her hands against the glass door to push herself up and turned around. She stepped closer and while he tried to calm down he put his hand on her cheek and kissed her.

"That was… undeniable the best… shower I ever had," he panted.

Gaga smiled that alluring smile she had been giving him since yesterday. The one he couldn't put his finger on what it meant. He was still breathing too fast when she turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She tossed a towel into his arms and wiped herself dry. It took some time, like it was a meditational procedure not to be taken lightly upon.

Dan couldn't take his eyes off her. He stood there and wiped his chest without really knowing what he was doing. “You’re so damn perfect,” he said and made her look at him again. He stroke her hair and cheek and kissed her wet lips. She became soft in his arms and enjoyed his gentle kisses before she made him let her go so she could finish what she was doing.

She put the robe back on and started to struggle with a pulling a brush through her tangled wet hair while she walked out into the bedroom again. Dan heard noises from outside. It sounded like a door opening and footsteps and then he heard voices so he walked out with the towel around his waist to see what was going on.

"Where the fuck have you been?" was the first thing Gaga said when Christian appeared in the doorway.

"Have you even looked at the time? It's nearly 12 and you've just woken up? We're leaving soon. I have been calling you for an hour."

Their argument took off right where they left it yesterday. She glanced down at her phone on the table.

"Fine," she said when she saw the additional rows of missed calls and texts. She thanked the heavens she had it muted. "You could've come over here yourself or asked someone else if you're so concerned," she muttered and pulled the belt tighter around her waist.

Dan stood by the wall inside the bedroom with his underwear in his hands and snuck his legs into them. He was trying to blend into the decorated walls so he didn't disturb the other two. He felt like he was inside some massive Versace brain orgasm, gold and heavy curtains and vases and ornaments everywhere. He put his shirt on and started buttoning it when he noticed that Christian's eyes swept past the wall where Dan was standing. It was like it took a few seconds for the man's brain to register what he saw and when he did he turned towards Gaga.

"What the actual fuck, Stef!" he said. Even louder than before. "What the fuck happened here last night?"

"Nothing happened," she picked up a pillow and found her thong. She tossed it in the pile of clothes she had worn yesterday and looked up at Christian. With raised eyebrows she truthfully added, "I passed out."

Christian looked like he didn't believe that for a second. He pretended Dan didn't exist. "Maybe. But the intention was…" he said but didn't finish the sentence. He was worried, angry and hurt. This was not how it was supposed to end. He didn't even get a chance to make it right. "Can we talk about this later, without an audience?"

"There is no later, Christian. We're done." She had her back turned and looked for something to wear.

He, in turn, also turned away from her, refusing to accept her words and muttered, "Just get ready." He looked at Dan and pressed his lips together. "You work on the show. It's Dan, right?"

Dan nodded from his corner. Christian stood in the middle of the floor and looked like he wished he could undo the last 2 weeks by snapping his fingers.

Christian left them and walked out the door, firmly closing it behind him.

"I'm sorry about that," Gaga said and had eventually put clothes on from the rack by the windows. She looked stressed, but not because they would leave without her - as if that would ever happen. She wore sweatpants and a large hoodie and Dan was amazed at the fact that she could wear anything and still look like a gazillion dollars.

"It's so typical of him to just walk out instead of trying to sort it out." She was aware she had been doing the same thing these last few days, but it was easier to blame him now that she had a solution right in front of her in the shape of a man.

Dan stroke his fingers across his head and tried to make some kind of decent look out of the still wet hair.

"I thought you were… I mean you said-"

"Never mind, I'm glad it happened." She put her hands up and chopped once into the air in front of her.

"It's just a few days. Why are you leaving?" Dan asked and sat down to put his socks on.

"I want to go home."

"Won't he be there?" He nodded towards the door where Christian had left.

Gaga laughed. "He doesn't live with me. I would never let a man inside my palace." She gave him a glance and he noted her dark lashes and her massive eyelids. Her eyes were huge and glittered green when she met his gaze. Her wet lips were dark pink and soft. He saw her tongue when she pressed it against the inside of her teeth and looked thoughtful. She reached for her glasses on the table and put them on.

"I just need a smoke and I'm ready to go," she picked up a pack of cigarettes and put her feet into a pair of Uggs. She walked towards the front door and put her head down as she lit the cigarette and pushed the door open. The car was waiting outside and she took a long greedy drag before she placed her ass in the front passenger seat. She turned her head towards Dan who pulled out a phone from his backpocket so that he wouldn't look like an idiot just standing there.

She put the cigarette between her lips and took the phone out of his hands. She opened the app for messages, made a new message and put her number in. Then she gave him his phone back and blew a kiss. "See ya later," she said and the driver closed the door right in front of the speechless man.

Pt. 4: “I’m stuck in this bed you made.” |

#Lady Gaga #fanfic #fanfiction

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chloes-yellow-cup · 6 years

Text

Nowish - Part 7

Bechloe. Staubrey. Bellas Squared/Stechlobree.

A story in which I convinced myself by accident that this could work. Let me try and convince you too.

Nowish Master Post - Everything on one page.

A Shared Lifetime - All my fics

Recommended Mood Music on Spotify. Artistic license taken with song release years.

Note on the links: The ones about music lead to YouTube vids for fun. Rest are GIFs or links to whatever gift idea I have.

Bella Reunion 2017

~B~

Saturday, June 24th, 2017

Beca settled heavily into a chair. “Oh god, I don’t think I can dance anymore.” She had never been more thankful she’d decided to go with her sneakers for the reunion.

“What’s the matter, Shawshank? Married life making you slow?” Amy frowned and eyed her as Beca laid her head on the table for a second. “I’d have thought it would have taken a few more years for that to happen.”

“Unlike some people, I have been dancing for the last three hours.” Beca sat up and flagged down one of the wait staff and ordered a beer. “It’s now time to drink.”

Amy nodded sadly. “And turned you into an alcoholic. As expected.”

“What do you mea—Never mind.” Beca shook her head. “I know how this goes. You make weird statements and confuse me and I end up confessing something embarrassing by accident.”

“Aw, but that’s the fun part.” Amy sighed. “And without Bumper here, you know I need to keep distracted until I can get back to the hotel and-“

“Do not finish that sentence if you don’t want to wear my beer, Amy.”

“You don’t have your beer yet.”

“Damnit.”

“But I’ll take it easy on you. Don’t want you to get all worked up thinking about my sexy ass.”

Beca rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Thank you, Amy.”

Amy slammed back the rest of her drink and pushed up out of her seat. “Time to see a man about a horse.”

Beca watched her walk away then looked back out at the dance floor, smiling at the rest of her Bellas. They were the biggest knot of people on the dance floor, though, surprisingly, not the loudest. The reunion this year was back at Barden, so there was a bigger than normal turnout, with many former members jumping at the chance to see their old stomping grounds.

Beca smiled as Legacy’s mom showed off her signature move which shifted to laughter when she noticed Emily standing to the side with a slightly horrified and embarrassed expression on her face when Chloe jumped next to her and copied it exactly. Katherine Junk was probably one of the coolest parents she had ever met, though Beca never wanted to make her mad after she’d heard about the chokehold over George Michael.

It was weird, being back on campus and not having to run off to class. Or rehearsal, she thought idly as Stacie and Aubrey swung past her line of sight. She had to admit, she sort of missed the radio station. Not the CD stacking part, but when Luke had finally let her DJ regularly her sophomore year. That she missed. She even, sort of but not really, missed Jesse and his movie chatter. They didn’t get to talk nearly often enough.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Cynthia Rose dropped down on her left and Beca smiled.

“Hey. Nothing, really. Just thinking of what it’s like being here and not having to…” her fingers waved through the air. “Rush anywhere. Do anything. Be…”

“Responsible? So tired you can’t see straight?” Cynthia Rose paused. “Not like that last was a problem for me, exactly.”

Beca nodded and laughed. “Exactly. Adulting is weird.” Her beer arrived and she dropped enough money on the tray to cover a generous tip. “They just… turn you loose. Like you’re just… ready. Done baking. Go forth into the world, young student.” She shook her head. “I so wasn’t ready.”

“You seemed to have landed on your feet.”

Beca smiled again, softer this time. “I got lucky.” Cynthia Rose snorted. “Not like that, perv.” But she grinned with her. “I knew I had you guys if I stumbled. Even if I’d had to do it without those 3 lunatics I drove across the country with. I knew I had support, even from my dad, there at the end.”

“Married life mellowed you, Becs.” Cynthia Rose told her. “This is the longest, most positive thing I have ever heard you say.” Her expression turned sly. “Except when Stacie recited that speech you made to Aubrey on her birthday.” She laughed when Beca pushed on her shoulder.

Beca picked at the label on her beer, but continued. “I also got lucky with my job. This could have been a lot harder than it was.” She sipped from her bottle. “Should have been harder. So, I’m grateful to all you aca-bitches for not kicking me to the curb when I was an insufferable…”

“Smart ass? Cynthia Rose raised an eyebrow. “Tiny dictator who made us all run laps when she was in a bad mood?”

“That all works.” Beca tipped her bottle at her. “Legacy always said her mom told her that kind of stuff all the time. ‘The Bellas will be your family.’ I was so glad that she wasn’t wrong. And that my… fear? That seems to fit my main emotion our senior year… didn’t cause us to lose the chance for upcoming generations to be Bellas.”

“Well, most of that was Muffgate, but… I get what you mean, though I didn’t think of that until we were at Worlds.” Cynthia Rose sat back in her chair. “I thought I knew. But it took seeing all the other Bellas there, ready to give their all for us, who almost lost it all over a stupid mistake, before I realized, really realized, what we had become.”

Beca said it with her. “Family.”

“That’s beautiful.”

Cynthia Rose and Beca both jumped at the new voice and looked to their left. Cynthia Rose put her hand on her heart. “Lilly! Jesus! Where did you come from, girl?!”

Beca tried to stop her own pulse from racing. “I’ve given up asking. She just kind of… appears.” It was also usually the only time Lilly’s voice was audible without leaning closer than you really wanted to. Lilly smiled, like she knew what Beca was thinking. ‘Oh god, have you been a mind reader all this time? I’m so sorry for all the dirty thoughts I have ever had about Chloe when you’re around!’

Lilly just stared at her before she looked away, saying something Beca couldn’t hear this time. She looked over at Cynthia Rose who was closer.

“She asked about TWA™ and if she showed up this year.” Her eyes cut right and looked back at Beca. “And then something about having plastic sheeting stashed in the basement at the Bella house if we need it.”

Beca swallowed hysterical laughter. “No, she’s not here. Stacie says it’s because she’s afraid of me. Apparently my rant that first year was noticed.”

Cynthia Rose cocked her head and gave Beca a Look. “It was in the middle of the bar, at full volume, after your fifth drink. You jumped on your chair and yelled - I’m going to paraphrase here – ‘Where is That Whore Alice™? Bitch is a hoor’ – which you totally pronounced that way, Becs – ‘and I’m going to punch her in the tits for being mean to my best friends for three years.’”

Beca smirked. “Yeah that. Stacie heard from Aubrey that it got around, and may have scared her off.”

“Good. Though, if you need some help.” Cynthia Rose leaned forward. “I know people.”

Beca growled. “To take out the trash? Psh, nah.”

“Trash?”

Beca looked up as Jessica and Ashley took seats across the table, Jessica smiling after her question. Before she could answer, arms wrapped around her neck. She wondered what it meant that she knew it was Stacie by the size of the boobs against the back of her head as a chin rested on the top of it. “If Beca’s talking about trash at a Bellas reunion, we’re talking about That Whore Alice™.”

Flo walked past Stacie and sat down at the table. “In my country, the man that bought her would be trying to get his goat back.”

Beca laughed then patted the arms looped in front of her. “Aw, Stace. You do get me.”

“Stop sweet talking me when our wives are out of earshot.” Beca felt Stacie jump after a sharp smacking sound. ”Oops.”

“Sweetie, stop sweet talking Beca when your wife walks into earshot.” Aubrey took the seat on Beca’s right. “You know it makes Beca adorably flustered.”

Stacie shrugged around Beca’s head. “She is cute when she’s flustered.”

Beca just grinned and watched as the rest of her Bellas found spots at the table, dragging over chairs as necessary. Amy came back with a half empty bottle of tequila and a stack of red Solo cups.

“Oh god, no. Amy. Not…” Beca trailed off as the rest of them cheered. “I mean. Yay.”

Stacie kissed her cheek. “C’mon Becs, it’ll be like old times.” She let Beca go and pulled a chair over beside Aubrey.

“If I puke in the bushes ‘like old times’ someone is going to pay.” Beca noticed a look flash between Legacy and Cynthia Rose, whose eyebrow went up just a fraction. She hoped she’d remember to ask Legacy about it later but the outlook wasn’t good now that Amy was pouring ‘shots’ into the cups. They looked overly generous to be legitimately called ‘shots’.

“Don’t worry; I’ll hold your hair.” Chloe’s voice whispered in her ear before she settled herself on Beca’s lap, who immediately wound an arm around Chloe’s hip to hold her in place. “Again.”

“Thanks babe.”

As Amy passed out the drinks, Mrs. Junk (because really, Beca couldn’t call her anything else) came up. “Ooooh, tequila!” When Amy passed her a cup, she gave it to Legacy who gaped. “What? Don’t be shocked. You turn 21 soon enough. One won’t kill you.” The rest of the Bellas cheered as Amy poured another one for her. “I know this isn’t your first drop of alcohol, Em. I’m your mother, not blind.”

“It’s my first tequila?” Emily squeaked out. “If it helps?”

Once everyone had their cups, they all looked at Beca. She raised her glass, feeling love rising over her like a wave from all directions.

“Bellas for life!”

“BELLAS FOR LIFE!”

Beca shook her head and tossed the shot back, thinking that she almost didn’t have this in her life.

How stupid she’d been.

“Gross!” Emily stuck out her tongue. “Why would you ever…” She gulped the water her mother handed her.

How very lucky.

#bechloe fanfiction #bechloe #staubrey #bellas squared #wlw #beca mitchell #chloe beale #aubrey posen #stacie conrad #anna kendrick #brittany snow #anna camp #alexis knapp #stechlobree #Pitch Perfect #bechloe fic #bellas fluff #Nowish #A Shared Lifetime

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angelcakes12332 · 6 years

Text

Life in the Fast Lane

Gif is not mine

Chapter 5 (Chapter 1, 2, 3, & 4) Also up on Ao3 & WattPad

Liyah eyed the address for her borrowed route with trepidation. When Keith, her co-worker had asked her to fill in for his usual she’d agreed but now, remembering the amount she was being paid, she was nervous. This person either had money to burn or they were important. Or both her brain supplied.

The address causing her tremulous emotions lead to Stark Industries and she could only pray, as she pulled to a stop in front of the building, that the chauffeur wasn’t for Tony. The traitorous butterflies in her stomach hoping for the opposite. They hadn’t talked since their date going on four days ago, she figured he was probably busy but still, a text would have sufficed.

She fixed her pantsuit before coming around to the passenger side. No doubt the guard at the gate had already notified her passenger of her arrival. A flash of red hair had her stomach unclenching. It was the woman from the mansion.

“Take care, Ms. Potts.” The man called after he’d held the door for her.

“Thank you, Andre,” she returned over her shoulder. As she turned to face the car Ms. Potts froze just outside the door clearly searching for her usual driver before she schooled her features.

Liyah opened the back door for her with a smile. “Ma’am,” She trilled.

“Thank you.” The woman returned stiffly as she stepped into the car. Liyah waited until her legs were clear before closing the door and returning to the driver’s seat.

As she entered the address into the GPS, she breathed a sigh of relief at the destination, nowhere near Tony’s pristine mansion.

In the back, Ms. Potts mumbled a few curses and Liyah glanced at her from the rear-view mirror.

“Is something wrong?”

Ms. Potts grimaced with a nod, “I don’t have Tony’s signature on the papers I told him to sign. That man I swear.” She let her head drop to the seat. “He’s already left the office and God knows when I’ll be able to get him back in there.”

She stayed silent as the woman seemed to mull over her decision, her hands growing sweaty as the seconds ticked by.

Ms. Potts’ head popped up as she looked to Liyah, “Could we stop by his house? It will only take a minute.”

Liyah forced a smile, “No problem, what’s the address?”

Ms. Potts frowned “I thought…” she trailed off, confusion marring her features.

“We weren’t coming from this direction when I drove him home and we were mostly there when I’d found him,” Liyah explained calmly.

“Found him?” She asked, clearly confused.

Liyah tried not to roll her eyes “He didn’t tell you?”

Ms. Potts shook her head.

A sardonic smile formed on Liyah’s lips. “Figures, Mr. Stark was standing in the middle of the road when I almost ran him over.” Her smile turned more genuine at the memory before dropping to a frown. “Of course, then he was almost mugged.” She huffed looking back at Ms. Potts through the rearview mirror. “I offered him a ride. I.. I didn’t know who he was at the time.”

Ms. Potts sent her an apologetic look. “Oh, I … I just assumed.”

Liyah shrugged, what can you do, it read.

Ms. Potts gave her the address without more preempting.

Well into the drive Liyah glanced into the side mirror as she switched lanes, her brow raising as three identical black sedans mirrored her. She sped up switching lanes twice and watching as the black sedans dove between cars to catch up.

“Shit,” She breathed.

Ms. Potts looked up from her paperwork, “Sorry?”

“You may want to buckle up,” Liyah warned.

“Why what’s wrong?” she asked alarmed, buckling her seatbelt.

“We’ve got a tail,” Liyah explained.

Ms. Potts glanced out the window, just as the three sedans took up the three lanes of the interstate, a clear line between them and the cars they’d cut off. “Shit,” She repeated.

Liyah thanked whoever was listening that they weren’t in the usual Limo because her plan would never work otherwise.

She pushed the gas pedal to the floor, the tires screeching as she pushed the Audi to its max speed. The car shot off down the stretch of road, the Sedans slow to catch up as she neared the next bout of cars on the high way. Liyah slammed her eyes shut as she cleared her mind.

“Umm?” Ms. Potts fretted from the backseat.

Liyah didn’t hear her as she forced a real-time vision. Not opening her eyes, she used two of the lanes to make a U-turn, she pushed down on the gas and the Audi shot forward. The sedans swerved and she used the momentary surprise to weave between them. She continued weaving in and out of the oncoming traffic. Where was it? she searched the vision.

“There!” she breathed, her eyes flying open as she jerked the wheel, the car slid down the narrow shoulder before she swung it through a break in the barrier usually reserved for police. She merged seamlessly into the traffic pattern with a sigh of relief.

She spared a glance at Ms. Potts only to find her clutching the door.

“Um, we… We uh loss the tail.” Liyah offered sheepishly. God, she was going to lose her job. She should have found another exit, she could…

“I’m keeping you. Can I keep you?” Pepper asked breaking out into hysterical giggles.

“You mean? I’m not... You’re not firing me?” Liyah asked still holding her breath.

“Do you know often I get tails? The number of people who think they can use me to get to Tony or hold me for ransom? It’s ridiculous and you… where’d you learn to drive like that?”

“My brothers and sister showed me the ropes… getting into trouble was a thing I did often… had to figure out how to get out of it?” Liyah shrugged, relaxing minutely as she checked the directions the GPS had rerouted to.

Ms. Potts smiled. “Would you like a more permanent job, Linah was it?”

“Aaliyah Toretto,” She offered. “And yes, I’d like that, Ms. Potts.”

“Please, call me Pepper.”

With all that had happened Liyah had forgotten to be nervous about where they were headed. But as they pulled up to the gate and Pepper called to the same entity Tony had, the gates swung open and she found herself once again facing his home.

Opening the car door for her boss, she debated the merits of staying with the car.

“Come on,” the woman urged when she realized Liyah wasn’t following.

She tossed her driver’s hat back into the car before following after her. She forced her shoulders straight as she followed her new boss into the large house. Loud music greeted her, reminiscent of the loud parties her brother usually threw. Through the glass of the back window, she could see a rally of people around and in the pool drinking, and partying to their heart's content.

Ms. Potts let out sigh before stealing her spine, she followed the woman to a back set of stairs that led directly into the thick of the party. She seemed to eye the crowd at the bottom of the stairs with barely concealed malice.

“Ma’am.” Liyah offered, walking past her. She steeled her gaze, her air turning into one of boredom. “Move.”

The girls looked to her surprised as if they hadn’t noticed her. She made an impatient noise and they immediately parted. “Thank you.” she huffed the words sounding anything but.

Ms. Potts stayed on her heels as she maneuvered through the crowd.

Dominic was usually the center of attention at these things, whether he wanted to be or not and as cheers rang out, she made a beeline towards the ruckus. She made a few louder impatient noises shouldering past people before the man himself came into view, black swim trunks on and his bare chest exposed; he wasn’t chiseled but he was toned, her mind noted of its own accord. He stood by the DJ’s booth mic in hand as he hyped up the party.

Ms. Potts squeezed between her and the crowd. “Thank You,” she called, making her way toward him.

“Sure, no problem” she managed to force out, her mouth suddenly dry. A flash of a vision of a girl being pushed into the water cut off her haywire thoughts.

The girl was nervous, timid even at the crowded party, probably dragged here by fake friends given that in the next moment a group of girls simultaneously pulled the top string of her bikini loose before pushing her into the pool.

Liyah didn’t have much time to debate her own reaction as she noticed the girl bobbing along to music at the edge of the pool. She saw the hands reaching out for the string and she found herself moving, darting in front of the girl. Liyah winced as they were suddenly forced forward into the pool and she gripped the girl tight around the middle as they dropped into the cold water, it splashed around them as they broke the surface.

The girl came up with a flailing gasp.

“I’ve got you.” Liyah shushed, keeping the girl covered with her own body. Luckily the water was below her chest. She was a head taller than the girl she realized as her brown eyes met those of green, freckles Peppering the bridge of her nose. She seemed so small in her grasp.

With an arm still around her waist, Liyah sent her a grin before shrugging out of her suit Jacket, she held it around the girl waiting as she retied her suit. Bathing suit in place Liyah eyed her quickly dulling eyes, thinking of how naked she must feel now in the bikini.

She offered her jacket and the girl was quick to shrug into it. Noticing the looks they were receiving and how far away the stairs were, Liyah led the girl to the closest pool edge.

“Up you go,” She grunted, lifting the girl around the middle and onto the edge, the girl blinked slightly startled at being lifted. She bit her lip nervously as she continued to sit on the edge of the pool her eye beginning to brim with tears.

Liyah sent the girl a bright. “Hey, don’t let them get you down.”

The girl nodded leaning forward to wrap her in a hug, as she pulled back she pressed a quick kiss to her cheek in gratitude.

Liyah sent her a soft smile before pulling herself out of the pool, made harder by her clothes weighing her down.

People were still staring when she pulled herself out, she must’ve looked a drowned mess but, she couldn’t bring herself to care that her white shirt was probably see through. She searched the crowd for Ms. Potts, finding her wide gaze already focused on her.

She sent her shrug and a half smile before her eyes found those of Tony’s, his hand frozen above the papers Ms. Potts must have needed to be signed. Good.

“I’ll be at the car!” she called to the woman before disappearing into the crowd.

Opening the trunk, she grabbed the towel usually reserved for keeping the car clean and dried her face. She pulled her hair loose from its now hanging bun before dragging the towel through it to get rid of the excess water. She eyed her dry after work change of clothes longingly before grabbing them.

Making sure all the cars in the driveway were empty she climbed into the back seat. With great difficulty, she removed her wet pants, breathing a sigh when she finally had them off. She roughly yanked on the dry clothes before slipping from the car, just as Ms. Potts came into view, Tony on her heels.

“Of course, she’d want to see me Pep!” he called, his eyes finding hers over Ms. Potts shoulder. “Besides according to you she works for me now.”

Liyah grimaced at his words.

“No, No, she works for me,” Ms. Pott’s corrected. “And we have places to be. So, say goodbye, Tony.”

Liyah bit back a chuckle at his annoyed expression. “See you around Mr. Stark,” she called instead. She opened the door for Ms. Potts before opening her own door and reclaiming the driver’s seat.

Before she could close it, Tony forced himself between the door jam.

Startled, her stomach jolted as he bent his head into the car, “You just let anyone kiss you?” he breathed.

Liyah shrugged, “She was cute, green eyes? Definitely my type. She might have even slipped me her number.” She added, with a grin

Tony gaped at her “You’re a lesbian.”

He sounded so sure.

Ms. Potts made an alarmed noise from the backseat. “Tony!”

Liyah reached towards him grabbing the dip in the door panel, the movement bringing her face to face with him. “There is a term called bisexual,” she breathed before pushing the door out of his grasp and moving to slam it.

It did the trick and he moved out of the way as she pulled it shut. “Are you ready Ms. Potts?” she asked.

Pepper sent her a smile, “Thank you, Ms. Toretto, Yes.”

She sent Tony a salacious wink before pulling off.

By the time, she dropped off Ms. Potts, dropped the Audi off at the yard, and picked up her own car, it was dark outside. As per usual the house was loud and full of people, bottles littered any available surface.

As she changed she grabbed her phone before plopping onto her bed. She had three texts. She started with the one from an unknown number, guessing who it could be.

“Just saw the footage, Pepper told me what happened. Didn’t believe her until I saw it.”

Liyah huffed, reading the second text he’d sent.

“Bisexual, so that means I’m still on the roster”

Liyah let out a laugh, unable to help the smile on her face. Unable to resist teasing him she typed out her reply.

“You were on the roster?”

Hitting the back button, she clicked on the next text message. It was from Jesse.

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this Liyah.”

Liyah’s heart clenched at the words. She quickly dialed his number. “Pick up.”

He picked up on the third ring music pulsing in the background.

“Liy?” he slurred.

“Jess?! Where are you?” she asked already pulling her shoes back on.

“Where are you? I thought you were going to meet me here?”

“God, I completely forgot. I’m on my way now.”

“No S’okay, I’ll find someone to spend time with,” He returned.

“Jesse No!” she hissed, as the line went dead.

Throwing on her jacket she checked the pockets for her keys before trudging back up the stairs.

She was beelining for the front door when Dom shouted her name.

She turned as he made his way over.

“Where’re you going, didn’t I just see you come in?”

She tried not to tap her foot impatiently. “I need to grab Jesse.”

Dominic raised an eyebrow “Jesse? Something going on between you two?”

Liyah fought back an eye-roll, instead choosing to give him a blank stare. “Is there something you wanted? I’m kind of in a hurry?”

“Saw the news today, a car drove right into oncoming traffic.”

“Sounds wild?”

“Sounds reckless if you ask me,” he said pointedly.

“I had three sedans tailing me, I lost them.” She shrugged.

“You need to be more careful.”

Liyah nodded “Sounds good, see you later.” She turned away closing the distance between her and the door.

#iron man #iron man fanfic #iron man fic #tony stark #rdj #mcu #mcu fanfiction

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kootenaygoon · 4 years

Photo

So,

Chris was asleep in my passenger seat, wearing a leprechaun dress.

We’d connected on the last day of Kamp Festival, the pair of us haggard and semi-conscious in my fold-out chairs. Chris was monologuing about her festival experience. She told me she jumped off a cliff, she overcame her fear of heights, she was proud of herself. She told me that these grown-ups playing in the colour games had legitimately reverted to their childhood bullying ways, making things all ultra-competitive instead of fun. Of course.

“But I’ve met some amazing people here,” she said. “Like I think I’m going to remember these people for a long time.”

I could tell by how long-winded and earnest Chris was being that she was on something strong, maybe acid. She was about to crash hard, and everyone was packing up camp to leave. Becca had left for the coast with a Victoria DJ she knew, so I was all by my lonesome when it came to paying for gas. Chris offered to pay $40 for a ride home, but I didn’t accept it. I just wanted to make sure she got home safe, because she wasn’t going to be sober any time soon. I couldn’t imagine leaving her with a stranger.

Once we pulled out of the Kamp venue on to the highway, we were pretty much immediately stuck in a line-up. Chris put down the window and stuck her bare feet out into the wind. A minute or two later she’d slumped into herself, snoring gently, her head lolling slightly from side to side. I knew it wasn’t a big deal, that people did drugs like this all the time and woke up fine, that she wasn’t necessarily going to overdose in my passenger seat. My legs vibrated along with the music as I ground my teeth in concern. What if she had taken fentanyl or something? What if I arrived backed in Nelson with a corpse for a passenger?

“Hey,” I said, taking her arm. “You’re feeling okay? You’ll let me know if you need to puke or anything?”

She nodded. “I’m good. I’ve got some water here. I think I’m just going to sleep, if that’s all right. You can keep the music up, if you want. I like it when there’s music playing while I sleep. It fucks with my dreams.”

Did she she say that, I asked myself, or did I?

Aussie Chris lived with Chelsea up in Rosemont, and knew Blayne from before. She was a server at Vienna Cafe, a night club kid in her early 20s. She was biracial, half-asian, with a smattering of freckles under her eyes and shoulder-length brown mermaid hair. She was on a one-year visa and was looking to hit every music festival she could while she was in the country. When it came to partying, she was a professional. I liked her style a lot. She had a busy intellect.

As we sat idle during the ferry crossing, I reflected on the last few days. The thing with Becca had ended on a bad note. We’d never spent this many days together in a row, and she was starting to realize what a drag I was. She was also less than thrilled to hear me talk about Paisley non-stop, whining that I would never get over her or that I was still processing things.

“I don’t mean this to be patronizing, because I do think you’re awesome, but I think you should consider therapy very seriously. It seems like you’re in a dark place, and I don’t know how to help you.”

“I never said I needed help.”

She laughed. “It’s like you have this giant sign over you that reads: NEEDS HELP. In an adorable way, but it’s alarming too. That you’re living in this constant state of desperation. Honestly, I think Nelson might be bad for you.”

While I pulled off the ferry and back on to the highway, I nudged Chris to pull her legs back into the cab. We needed the windows up. I thought about my job at the Star, and how repetitive the work was becoming. We’d hit all the available topics when it came to your typical small town goings-on, but we lacked depth. The real story was all these fucking overdoses, but they seemed to be outside our reach. There was a shroud of silence over these deaths, so they didn’t end up having a public record. I wondered how much was being kept from me, what angle I’d been missing. Why all this secrecy?

I wanted to help.

The reason I named my UBC thesis manuscript “Whatever you’re on, I want some” was because I was despairing about a friend lost to heroin addiction, also named Chris. We had grown up together, gone to the same youth group and camp together, but somehow he’d ended up trapped on the Downtown Eastside, en route to becoming a derelict soul. I gave up on him. That’s what made me feel guiltiest, was that I abandoned him. At a certain point I realized it just wasn’t healthy for me to know him anymore, no matter how close we’d been as teens. Addiction had defined our relationship, had ended it, and I wanted to understand why.

“I’ve been really into the paintings you’ve been posting,” Chris said, stretching out her arms as we slalomed through the woods. Slocan Lake looked just as infinite as ever. I turned down the music. “All the self portraits.”

I nodded, pretended to be embarrassed. “Yeah, I’ve just done a few now. I was inspired by this painter John Cooper, who I interviewed for the Star. He’s this guy in his 70s with like hundreds of students in the Kootenays and he’s a fucking legend. He knows Tom Robbins,” I said.

“His colour choices are really trippy, like lots of purple and crazy bursts of the whole rainbow for mundane things. Like he’ll do a rusted out car but suddenly it’s neon green with purple highlights, you know?”

She nodded, looking out the window. “I like paintings that have psychedelic elements like that. Paintings that take you somewhere beyond natural.”

I lit a joint. “And the guy’s crazy. You can just feel it in his work, this extra electricity. When I interviewed him he kept me on the phone for like 45 minutes talking. He tells all these crazy stories about the 60s and he’s just fucking hilarious. He’s known as the Toad Road painter because he’s painted the same rock like a hundred times.”

“Hilarious.”

“Oh, and naked ladies. He paints lots of naked chicks.”

Chris had heard about my photo shoot with Blayne, and had talked to Chelsea about appearing as a model in one of my shoots. She had experience, so she would be completely comfortable in front of the camera. I’d been amassing subjects over my years in the Kootenays, shooting every kind of woman I met every way that I knew how.

I loved them all.

From there we continued to weave and dip, the RAV humming along like a space ship, as we worked our way through the joint. Chris told me about how she’d watched Joe Nillo live-paint at Kamp and how incredible it was to see him channel the festival’s energy into his canvas. She was roommates with the subject, Kylie, so she could see through all the goddess window dressing.

“It’s hard to tell whether he’s in love with her, or the painting.”

I laughed. “Why can’t it be both? He can channel his love for her into the work, even if they’re not together, right? He can remember the good things about her, the things he fell in love with. Those things don’t become irrelevant the moment you break up. There’s still meaning there.”

Chris looked at me, bemused. She knew I was talking about Paisley. “Listen, man, I’m just saying Joe’s got this way of channeling whole narratives into these images. They’re the sort of paintings you can sit down and read them like a book.”

“Like they have little details you have to look for?”

“Exactly. And that one you’ve seen isn’t his trippiest painting by far. We’ve got a bunch of his pieces still back at our house, I’ll show you. His paintings sing.”

Eventually Chris fell back asleep, as I was passing through Winlaw. From there I hurtled through South Slocan with my music back up, and back on the highway to Nelson. I thought about Joe Nillo and John Cooper, how they each embodied an approach to art that I could try to emulate. Like Joe I could produce work that was spiritually-infused, so that engaging with it feels like a religious experience. And like John I could gleefully go mad, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all while revelling in the universe’s exquisite beauty. I was sick of being just a journalist, of being constrained to reporting facts. I wanted to be a painter, an artist. I wanted to tap into the magic of the Kootenays and shoot it into my veins.

“I’m so full of love I feel like I’m going to paint the walls with my gore,” Chris said, but by then she wasn’t Chris anymore. It was the other Chris, from my childhood. He stared straight ahead from his passenger seat, angry.

“You remember that time we had a contest to see who could stay in that freezing lake longer, up my cabin. Do you remember that?”

“Yeah, I won. But you hogged the warm shower for like half an hour.”

“So who was the real winner?”

“I don’t even know what to feel about you, man. Like at least you’ve found a clean supply so I don’t need to read your headline yet.”

He laughed. “You act like you know how this is going to end, but you don’t.”

“This ends with me punching you in the head as hard as I can.”

“The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club.”

I turned back in my seat, and rubbed my forehead with a knuckle. It was Bob Dylan playing, so I stuck with that for a moment. It was a song I associated with my high school drama teacher, Mr. Van Camp, who sang this drunkenly on the last night of our provincial theatre festival: People are crazy and times are strange. I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range. I used to care, but things have changed.

“If you were a character in The Wire,” I said to Chris. “You would be Wallace.”

“And what would that make you? Poot?”

I smiled and glanced over my shoulder to where Andrew Stevenson was sitting surly, his muscled arms crossed as he looked out the window. Beside him was Ryan Tapp, listening to an iPod with his sunglasses on. If things got bad, these two were always nearby to step in. I had more power than people realized, than even I realized, but I was still figuring out how to harness it properly. If my life was The Wire, I wanted to control which character I was going to be.

“Are you, kidding?” I said, reaching behind my seat to grab my grey shotgun. I felt the cold barrel in my palm as I pulled it into my lap, pointing it in Chris’ direction. I brought the barrel to his lips, and then his chest, and finally to his groin. I snickered with sinister pleasure.

“Bitch, I’m Omar.”

The Kootenay Goon

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ohsotiny · 7 years

Text

Karaoke Confession

This idea had been stuck in my head for months and I finally had the guts to write it. Inspired by the song I Will Survive.

Also found on AO3.

“Forehead, we are not doing this today!” Ino shouted through the closed door of Sakura’s room of their shared two-bedroom apartment.

For the last few weeks, Ino had been trying to get Sakura to go out with her. Each time, Sakura had come up with some lame excuse or told her that she was simply too tired. She loved her best friend but Sakura wasn’t like Ino who thrived on letting loose. Sakura enjoyed the simple things – like staying home, reading, and catching up on her favorite television shows.

Grabbing a pair of clean panties Sakura made her way to the door, only to find Ino standing in her way. She had her hands clasped in front of her chest, puppy dog eyes and pouting lips.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Sakura contemplated standing her ground and staying in tonight, meaning Ino would be pissed for the next two days. Or conceding, which meant she should expect to wake up with a killer hangover.

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. At that same moment, she heard Ino squealing. The blonde really did know how to push Sakura’s buttons. “Don’t. I know what you’re doing and I don’t approve. But you already knew that or you wouldn’t keep pushing.”

With a victorious smile, Ino stepped out of the way making room for Sakura to pass through. Just as she was about to close the bathroom door, she heard Ino respond. “He lost this one, Forehead.” With that, Sakura was left with her thoughts as she undressed and stepped into the warm spray of the shower.

***

The SheNoBee was the bar. If you were looking to get fucked – drunk or other, the SheNoBee was the place. It was loud, filled with smoke, and smelled like sweat every time she went. Unfortunately, it was the only place with good liquor so she’d learned to deal with the downsides. It was the bar that everyone wanted to get into.

A line with awaiting people stretched long enough to continue along the side of the building. Fortunately for her and Ino, they’d never had to stand in the line. She’d treated the bouncer’s kid at the hospital once and thanked her by giving her immediate entrance anytime she went.

As soon as the duo made their way through the large, double doors, Sakura could feel several hungry eyes on them. This was going to be a long night. Leaning into the blonde beauty, she yelled over the ear-splitting music. “I need a drink. I’ll be by the bar.” With a nod, she watched Ino squeeze through the flood of people onto the dancefloor, as she made her way to the bar.

She had taken up a seat at the bar, furthest away from the deafening speakers. Her head already ached. There was no need to be make it worse by being inches from the stage. As soon as the bartender had turned to grab her drink, she became aware of the chocolate-colored eyes on her. She knew he was there but there was no way she was about to acknowledge him.

She felt his presence behind her but made no move to turn around and face him. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Haruno. Where’s your man?” She hated when he said her name like that, as if he was insinuating something.

As if on cue, the bartender handed her a drink. She downed it slamming the glass onto the wooden countertop. “Can’t a girl have a drink without being bothered. What do you want, Shiranui?” She had been open to dating for the past year but hadn’t gone on a single date. Not until four months ago when the person she least expected had asked her out to lunch. Since then, they had gone out on several dates, either out to eat or just staying in and really getting to know each other. They hadn’t put a label on it, but everyone gossiped and knew better than to try to snatch up the pink haired medic, not that she would allow it.

Taking the open seat next to her, Genma filled both their empty glasses and placed the bottle of liquor between them. Genma was the type of person that liked to drink in silence. He would always pay for bottle after bottle if he wasn’t bothered with useless chit chat. As much of a wisecrack as he was, she’d come to realize that Genma only drank when he was dwelling on the past. She had seen it a lot in the older jounin and understood it. They had grown up in a war-torn era, were taught to be child soldiers, and sent out to war.

***

After several drinks, Sakura stood from the stool, facing the senbon wielder. He looked up from his own drink to meet her emerald eyes, waiting. “Thanks for the drink, Shiranui, but it’s getting a bit gloomy over here. If you happen to see my man, let him know I’ll be on the dancefloor. See ya.” She winked at him before disappearing into the crowd and onto the dancefloor.

She thanked the liquor, for she would not have joined the swarm of people without it. She had been enjoying herself quite a bit when she felt strong hands grip her waist from behind. Turning her head slightly to see who dared touch her, Sakura’s eyes widened. “Sasuke.” Turning her body to face him, she noted the sly smirk on his lips.

“Sakura. You look…ravishing.” The predatory look on his face as he eyed her up and down, landing on her exposed legs longer than she liked, made her uncomfortable. He’d been back from his three-year absence for the last month, and she had done everything in her power to avoid him. And here he was, taking a step closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist again and pulling her close to him, as if claiming what was his. Leaning towards her, he brushed his lips next to her ear and spoke loud enough for her to hear. “Dance with me.”

Sakura, could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was about to agree when a familiar silver head caught her peripheral. She didn’t want to dance with Sasuke, not now, not ever. Placing both hands on his chest, she gently pushed him away, looking up at him with a mischievous smile. “You just wait right here, Sasuke. I think you will really enjoy the show.” Giving him a coy smile, she turned away from him and headed straight for the stage.

It was known the SheNoBee had an open mic policy. A lot of bands performed throughout the night, but when there was a DJ, he would allow a couple of people a night to sing. Now more than ever was she grateful for those drinks. Stepping onto the stage, she leaned into the DJ and told her what song she wanted to perform while taking the mic from him.

Sakura felt lightheaded as the previous song came to an end and the first few notes to her song began to play. She was feeling nauseous but there was no turning back now. Sneaking a glance to where she had been sitting next to Genma, Sakura could see Kakashi occupying her seat, looking up at the stage – at her. As the first few words came out of her mouth, she turned her full attention back to Sasuke, making sure he was focused only on her, and sang.

She had no idea that singing in front of so many people could be so exhilarating. Forgetting about Sasuke, she lost herself in the music. It felt as if a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders as she neared the end of the song. Searching for the dark haired Uchiha, she made sure to make eye contact with him as she sang the next line. “And now you see me, somebody new. I’m not that chained up little person still in love with you. And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free. But now I’m saving all my loving for someone who’s loving me.”

Finished the last lyrics of the song, she could hear the crowd in an uproar. There was so much adrenaline pumping through her body that she barely recalled handing the mic to the DJ. Sakura was so focused on her target that she didn’t notice the shocked expression on Sasuke’s face as she made her way towards the bar – right into Kakashi’s arms. Lifting a finger to hook it in his mask, she pulled the black cloth away and pressed her lips to his.

He ended the contact and she was about to complain when she heard his voice, low and husky, in her ear. “What do you say we get out of here?”

Pulling him to his feet and interlocking their fingers, she yelled over the music to him. “There’s nothing I would love more.”

#my writing #kakasaku #1500 #tiny writes #haruno sakura #yamanaka ino #shiranui genma #uchiha sasuke #hatake kakashi

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 3

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school. They don’t exactly run in the same circles and they have one hell of a history. What happens when the names and facades disappear and all that’s left are words blinking on a screen? Modern day, College/Pen Pals AU. I’m sorry I suck at intros. Rated M for Language, Adult Situations, and future sexual situations.

Chapters 1 | 2

Just five more minutes 'til freedom.

Natsu was almost ready to erupt from his seat. As much as he didn't mind being a Teacher's Assistant for Makarov, he was itching to get to the party. He knew the rest of the brothers would be pre-gaming while the old geezer was still rattling on about the importance of utilizing his office hours (especially if they were a cute, barely legal co-ed, but they didn't really talk about that). Every other professor let out early on the first day of classes, but the grad student should have known better than to expect that from Makarov. He watched the clock on the wall tick down to 7pm and his alarm was a room full of college sophomores running towards their own escape.

After checking in, and being lectured again on 'being late', Natsu took off towards the Fairy Tail house like a bat out of Hell. He knew he could have taken the campus trolley, but with his motion sickness? He wasn't that desperate to make it home. Knowing he could shave a couple minutes off the run, the pinkette made a mad dash through the bottom floor of the library, colliding with a caffeine-wired senior who chewed him out for sending his work flying across the carpet. He helped clean up the mess, apologizing for the struggle. The time he'd saved on the shortcut he'd ended up spending twice as long dealing with the consequences. Story of his life.

Natsu was running up the fraternity house’s front steps when he could hear the mayhem that was already ensuing. The block hadn’t opened up yet, all the front doors to all the houses still being closed. The Row was set up in more of a horseshoe really, with Fairy Tail anchoring one end and Sabretooth on the other. Honestly, they were probably doing the same exact thing as his brothers were doing, preparing. His cheshire grin was ear to ear when he burst through the door and was immediately greeted by raucous laughter and a fresh can of beer. Everyone was already on a decent buzz, Gray challenging Loke to shots off the bar, Laxus and Bickslow were currently racing against Gajeel and Romeo in their own game of Flip Cup, everyone seemed to be gearing up for a fantastic night.

“Yo! Flame Brain!” Gray called out, shaking his head after his most recent shot, Loke bending over the bar groaning quietly. “Did you bring the provisions?” Natsu made his way over and immediately dropped the glass bottle on the table, cracking it open at the same time. Luckily he’d been able to go off campus to procure it between his seminar and his last stint in Hell. If he hadn’t, Gray probably would have killed him. It was a time-honored tradition between the two of them, Loke sometimes if he was on their good side at the time.

“Calm your tits, Ice Dick,” Natsu replied, grabbing two glasses and pouring about two fingers worth for the both of them. They knocked it back with practiced skill and went for round two without a second thought. The raven-haired man dropped the bottle behind the bar on the ‘Brother’s Only’ shelf. Hopefully, the sacredness of the shelf would keep their semi-private bottle safe. They both knew the only exceptions were dates or pledge brothers.

Before long, there was shouting from the street outside the house indicating the beginning of the block party. Reedus, being closest to the door, was commanded to open theirs so that people knew they were participating. Luckily this wasn’t a campus-wide event so it was limited to other greeks and their dates, meaning way less foot traffic through the house. As far as atmosphere, Fairy Tail had decided to go with a casual bar feel with popular dance music. Mermaid Heel was doing a “Slow and Sexy” party, playing nothing but sensual, partnered kind of music. Lamia Scale was utilizing all their party lights and had two rivaling Techno DJs, one inside their house and one on the front lawn to supply the block with music as well. Quattro Cerberus went absolutely wild, Natsu able to hear them while he was running home. From what he could tell, they were playing nothing but energizing music and supplying copious amounts of booze. Sabertooth was throwing a costume party, each of them dressed in all sorts of elaborate (or scandalous) outfits. Blue Pegasus chose a much more elegant theme, their members all dressed to the nines like they were straight out of a movie premier. Lily Heart had thrown a bubble party, their house and lawn covered in technicolor foam. The other, smaller, organizations were throwing smaller parties but all in all, there were twelve houses opened up and ready for party goers.

A couple hours of passed by and Natsu was ready to give the other houses a shot, especially after Gray had found his company for the evening in a woman with striking blue hair, continuously referring to herself in the third person. A few minutes of that mess and Natsu was ready to pull his salmon hair out by the roots. He was on his way out when he ran into Gajeel and his girlfriend, Levi or something. Unfortunately, he was also greeted by a familiar blonde who was already trying to run away.

Grinning to himself, rubbing the back of his neck, Natsu looked down at her and tried to ease the ever-mounting tension. “Hey, aren’t you that Lily Heart girl?"

Gods the library could be boring at night.

The afternoon had flown by as Lucy worked the book depository, filing them into different categories before making her rounds of the floors to return them to their rightful place. Unlike some of the others, she actually enjoyed the busy work. She loved losing herself in the stacks, her earbuds firmly lodged in her ears as she listened to her rather eclectic playlists. She’d even managed to find a couple of spots that she knew would be good studying spots for her and Levy.

The freshman had been enjoying herself so thoroughly that she didn’t realize it was time to switch over to her front desk shift until she heard her name over the library PA system. The only downside to that task was the fact that she couldn’t listen to her music. However, she was allowed to work on her homework which was a huge plus. It was almost like getting paid to study! Granted, after paying for her school expenses, she only received about five dollars an hour but it was still more than nothing. She’d heard of other on-campus jobs, like the Catering team, and had made a mental note to check it out when she had the time. Her Chemistry class already had homework so she began that while sitting at the desk, answering the random people that would appear before her.

It was about five minutes until the library was supposed to close when it happened. In he ran like a pink blur, immediately colliding with one of the students that had been glued to his seat for the past couple of hours before finally heading home. Lucy couldn't help but giggle as Natsu got told off but nonetheless watched as he helped clean up the mess he’d caused. She couldn’t help but smile softly at the nice action. And just as quickly as he’d appeared, the frat boy was gone.

Lucy shut down her laptop, cleaned up the desk, and put the ‘Closed’ sign out on the desktop before heading out with the rest of the library staff. She sighed remembering that Levy had wanted to go to that Greek Row party. Both she and her new boyfriend were affiliated somewhere and Lucy shuddered at her memories of her own attempt at joining the brainless automatons. She was glad things hadn’t worked out...right? All she’d wished is that things had ended way differently.

The blonde, upon reaching her dorm, texted her friend and agreed to go out that night. She immediately went to her bag (as she hadn’t fully unpacked yet) and pulled out some of the hottest clothes she had. They were some things that her ex-stylist Aquarius had picked up for her when she’d first gotten accepted to M.C., causing the girl to smile at the memory of the mostly-vile woman. While she missed her life back in Crocus, the life of an heiress, Lucy was beyond grateful for her independence. It hadn’t all be sunshine and flowers but she could definitely say she had learned a thing or two about more than just school.

After about an hour and a half, with one last text message and a final application of lipstick, Lucy felt ready to take on the world. She was ready to face the people that had been so very cruel to her and show them that they hadn’t broken her down. Part of her wished to run into Minerva and her minions but a majority wanted to avoid her like the plague. Her phone made a soft, twinkling, bell-like sound to indicate Levy’s alert that she and Gajeel had arrived outside her dorm to drive her to the party.

It wasn’t a long drive but it felt like an eternity while the freshman grew more anxious in the backseat. She remembered something that Master Scorpio had told her once, that even if she was afraid that she was never to show fear. She was to funnel whatever energy it was into her attack. This was no different. A drink at the six major houses and she’d head back to her dorm. She’d start with Fairy Tail and make her way to Sabertooth where she was already friends with one of the brothers. Plus, she figured it’d be nice to see Sting if he wasn’t “otherwise occupied”. Once they parked Gajeel’s Mustang in the parking lot of Fairy Tail, the three of them walked inside, only to be met by none other than Natsu Dragneel himself. It certainly didn’t help the situation when he brought them up.

“No, I’m not affiliated with those girls,” Lucy hissed, her grip tightening on her handbag. Flashbacks of the party kept swirling in her head, the worst ones causing her heart to race uncontrollably. “Apparently I wasn’t their brand of ‘witch’”. That earned her a glare from Levy and a grin from Gajeel. He liked the blondie, she definitely had spunk.

Natsu sputtered, the alcohol obvious on his breath. “I- uh--” he murmured, grabbing a shot from a passing tray and downing it swiftly. “Sorry, had no idea. I just remembered that you and Minerva used to hang. My bad.”

The fact that he even insinuated that he didn’t remember what else that had transpired between them before drove Lucy crazy inside. With a huff, she apologized to Levy and broke away from the group, making her way to the bar. She didn’t even look back, she just focused on the prize, hoping she’d have the strength to make it to the other five houses.

#nalu fanfic #nalu fic #ftfanfics #ft fanfiction #nalu #let me know what you think y'all #:d #cyber space is always sweeter #;csias

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