#always a fan of Jake reaching out to anyone in need and helping in whatever way he can | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ashcal99 · 4 days

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Certain Things : Leah Clearwater XIII

Chapter Thirteen

"Something about you, It's like an addiction, Hit me with your best shot honey, I've got no reason to doubt you, 'Cause certain things hurt, And you're my only virtue"

Summary: Conner Swan moves to Forks Washington in hopes to help his sister Bella through her breakup with Edward. In hopes to find happiness again. He finds much more.

Warnings: (18+ only), descriptions of pain and violence, mentions of death, depression, loss, general angst, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of abortion and child loss

Words: 3.2k

A/N: Last Chapter!!! Hope you enjoy! x

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——————

September 7th, 2006

“Sam is going to kill you.”

Jacob’s words seemed to ring throughout the air, Conner’s eyes trained on the tree line where the wolf had retreated. Seconds ticked by, his gaze unwavering as the inevitable sank in. Shit was about to hit the fan, no doubt about it. They were now all in danger, he suspected, sure that the treaty would mean little to nothing to the pack once the news broke out.

Warm fingertips brushed against his stiff shoulder, breaking his gaze. His eyes turned to Leah, jaw clenching as he took in the sight of his wife, belly swollen with his unborn child. The last thing he would have ever wanted was to hurt anybody in the pack, but he knew that if anyone were to threaten the people he loved most, his sister, his wife, his child, he would not hesitate to do whatever it was he needed to do to protect.

Conner’s hand reached upward, gently grasping Leah’s palm in his own, bringing it to his lips, leaving a cool kiss to the blazing skin. “He’s right.” He muttered, looking deep into her eyes. “Things are going to get a lot more complicated here soon.” He said.

A deep frown etched itself onto Leah’s face, “I won’t let them touch you.” She said sternly.

Conner shook his head at her words. “You, Bella, and the babies are the priorities here, not me.” He stated, head whipping around to the direction Jake had ran off to, an earsplitting howl ripping through the air. A horrible feeling sink into his cold chest

Turning on his heal, he lead Leah back inside the glass home to discuss the inevitable fight that would be heading their way soon. The conversation was in full swing by the time they made it back to the living room, all of the pale faces, etched with worry. They were a powerful group, no doubt about it, but the likelihood of being able to make it out of this with everyone alive was very slim and they all knew it.

Dread began to take over Leah’s mind as the reality of the situation began to sink in. Would she really be able to face her brothers in a fight to the death if that was what it came down to? She knew the answer would be yes, because at the end of the day, protecting her imprint was what she would always choose, but that didn’t mean that she would ever be able to forgive herself for hurting anybody else that she loved in the process.

Her heart ached as her thoughts continued racing on. Not only her pack brothers, but Seth too. Tears pricked her eyes as she pictured his face, the little brother that despite her teasing she loved with all of her heart. She knew deep down that if he were to get hurt in all of this that she wouldn’t be able to cope. First her father, and now Seth? She couldn’t be responsible for two of her loved one’s deaths.

The conversation hadn’t been going on for longer than ten minutes when footsteps came quickly approaching from the woods, Edward and Conner speeding to the balcony to see who the visitors were. Jacob’s figure appeared from the tree-line, Seth not far behind.

“Get ready.” Jake said ominously, a cold look covering his face. “They’re coming for Bella and Leah.” He said, the words ringing in Conner’s ears.

Conner stepped forward, determination clear in his voice. “They’re not going to touch them.”

“Agreed.” Jake said bluntly.

——————

Jake sat on the edge of his seat, the many stone faces surrounding him, hanging onto his every word as he spoke. “Sam’s lost the element of surprise, and he doesn’t want to take you on outnumbered, so he’s not going to come at you head on.” He explained. “He’s got the place surrounded and he’ll wait for his opportunity.” He continued.

Leah looked up to her imprint’s amber eyes, squeezing their intertwined hands as her fingers began to shake slightly. The fear of what was to come beginning to overwhelm her.

Conner glanced down at her, brow furrowing in concern as he felt her fingers twitch in his hold, bringing her hand to his lips to place a comforting kiss to the warm skin, hoping to help ease her oncoming panic.

Emmet’s voice boomed through the room. “He won’t get through without a fight.” He said determinedly, squaring his shoulders as if to dare someone to try to fight him.

Carlisle’s head whipped around to look at his adopted son. “No fights.” He stated. “We won’t be the ones to break the treaty.” He said, turning to address the rest of the room.

“The treaty is void,” Jake interjected. “At least in Sam’s mind.”

“Not in ours.” Esme said simply, her want for peace clear in her eyes as she spoke.

Emmet stepped forward, “Carlisle, no one’s hunted for weeks.” He said, the words seemingly igniting the flames that crawled up Conner’s throat. The need for blood coming to the forefront of his mind. He shook his head, this would not, could not be is priority right now. He would not let his thirst control him when Leah was in danger. He would not let the monster control him.

“We’ll make do.” Esme said pointedly. Conner gulped the flames down, refusing to give the burn anymore attention in that moment.

Carlisle looked towards the wolf. “You’ve done us a great service, Jacob. Thank you.” He said sincerely, looking over the family who he loved and wanted more than anything to keep safe.

Leah stood from the couch, letting Conner’s hand drop as she retreated to the room they had been given for the time being. Conner followed, closing the door softly behind him as he came up to her from behind. She stool at the far edge of the room, palms flat on the dresser that was against the wall, looking into the mirror above, worry and dread written all over her tanned face.

Conner’s fingertips brushed her waist, encircling his stone like arms around her to the front of her swollen belly, resting his chin on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, seeing the pain in her eyes through her reflection.

Tears prickled her vision as she looked ahead to the image of herself. Swallowing hard, she turned in his grasp, grasping his shirt as she let her tears begin to flow, burying her face in the fabric. Silent sobs shook her frame, the sadness radiating off of her body like tidal waves.

Conner’s dead heart broke as he held her shaking body, venom stinging his eyes as the sorrow flooded the room.

——————

September 9th, 2006

Minutes turned into hours and hours into days as the Cullens continued their effort in researching what these fetuses could mean for the two young women. Edward’s hope spiraled the drain as each answer showed more and more dread, his frustration growing by the second.

Esme had made sure to make Seth and Jacob as comfortable as possible given the situation, giving them meals whenever they were hungry and even offering them beds to sleep in, despite both rejecting the offer. Having Seth there with her had seemed to lessen Leah’s stress just slightly, happy to at least be on the same side of the inevitable fight as her brother.

Conner was happy to see the comfort Seth was providing for her, relieved that something was going their way in all of this, even it if it was something small given the big picture. Despite things going better with Leah, however, things continued to get worse for Bella as time ticked on. Bruises scattered, her thin lifeless frame, pain covering her hallowed face as Carlisle informed her that the baby had broken another one of her ribs. Conner gave her hand a small comforting squeeze, trying to show her that he was there for her, despite her husband not being.

“It’s crushing you from the inside out.” Edward snarled, the corners of his lips curling down into a frown. “Carlisle tell her what you told me.” He urged. “Tell her.”

Silence rang throughout the room as Carlisle looked between the two. “Carlisle, tell me. It’s alright.” Bella reassured, giving him a small nod.

The doctor stepped forward towards her fidgeting body, eyes scanning her face once more before speaking softly. “The fetus isn’t compatible with your body.” He informed her gravely. “It’s too strong.” He continued. “It won’t allow you to get the nutrition you need. It’s starving you by the hour. I can’t stop it and I can’t slow it down.”

Tears came flooding into Bella’s eyes as she blinked hurriedly trying to fan them away before they broke through. “At this rate, your heart will give out before you can deliver.” He stated, Conner looking to the floor as his heart cracked just a little bit more.

Bella gulped before speaking, trying to swallow the fear in her voice. “Then I’ll hold on as long as I can and then-“ She tried, Carlisle interrupting her words.

“Bella.” He spoke softly, laying a comforting half on her shoulder. “There are some conditions that even venom can’t overcome.” He informed her. “You understand?” He asked lightly, as if speaking to a terrified child. “I’m sorry.” He said, looking down to the floor, a grave expression covering his features.

Conner looked to Edward, giving him a pressing look, begging him internally to not hurt her heart further by the conversation he knew was coming as he left the room quietly.

Letting out a deep breath that his body didn’t need, he sped quickly through the halls back to his room, finding his wife where he had left her, in a deep sleep the mattress the occupied the middle of the room. Despite the despair he felt about the likelihood of losing his only sister, he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t equally letting out a sigh of relief that Leah wasn’t in the same boat. The pregnancy had been progressing smoothly mostly, apart from the occasional symptom that would be considered normal for even a human pregnancy.

Of course, the relief had stopped there, because there was still a pack of angry wolves determined to ruin things. Although he doubted Sam’s ability to hurt Leah, the same did not go for his own safety as well as the safety of his child. If Sam truly thought of the baby as nothing else other than a bloodthirsty monster, then Conner knew Sam would try to take the child away from them. As much as he knew that to be true, he also knew that Sam would be putting the blame of whatever pain he inflicted on Leah emotionally on him rather than himself.

Conner knew without having to think for more than a second that if it came down to it, he would give his life in place of the Leah’s or the baby’s and as he looked down at his wife’s sleeping form, he couldn’t help but feel at least a little bit of peace in that fact. The fact that as long as he was alive, or as alive as you would consider his current state, that his little family he had created would be safe.

——————

September 10th, 2006

It was just a day later when the inevitable happened.

Shit hit the fan.

Bella had just told Jacob the baby names she had chosen, while he tried his best to hide the obvious disdain for her choices. Edward had just filled her cup with the blood that had been giving her nutrients for the past day, Leah muttering something about being glad she didn’t have to resort to such a disgusting diet, no offense to Conner of course.

Rosalie had picked up the styrofoam cup, reaching her hadn’t out to hand the container to Bella when it all happened in a flash. Conner watched in horrifying slow motion as the cup hurtled to the ground, Bella’s body literally crumpling after it, spine cracking on the way down.

Conner stood, frozen in his living nightmare as he gave his sister one last look as they rushed her away. Of course this had to happen the one night Carlisle had been gone hunting. Of course the one person that had the best chance of saving her fragile life was nowhere to be found in that moment, miles away. He gulped, snapping himself out of his trance as he scooped Leah into his arms, rushing to their room.

Howls ripped through night air, echoing throughout the trees. He sat Leah on the edge of the bed, getting down on his knees in front of her. “Please stay here.” He begged, grasping her hands desperately in his own. “They’ll be here soon, and I know you want to help, but please stay here. I’m begging you.” He said, pleading with her with his eyes as tears flooded her own.

“Conner, n-no.” She stuttered out, panic filling her chest. “Stay here, please.” She begged.

He shook his head lightly. “I have to go make sure that Seth is okay, make sure that they stay away from you and the baby.” He said, voice filled with despair. He brought his hand to her now damp cheek. “I love you, Leah. More than anything in the world.” He muttered, crashing his lips to her own, needing the feel of her, the taste of her one last time.

The comfort of her kiss engulfed him, wrapping him in her love so tightly it took everything in him to pull away from her touch, and as he did, his heart gave its’ final break, shattering as he gave her tear stained face one more look before speeding outside. Although being turned into a vampire was the most painful thing he had ever been through, he knew that the pain of the venom didn’t do anything in comparison to the pain he felt in every step he took away from her.

Shaking the image of Leah’s heartbroken face from his mind, it dawned on him that he could no longer hear his sister’s heartbeat. His chest gave a feeble ache, incapable of feeling anymore pain in that moment. She was gone. Bella was dead.

He shook the though from his mind as he joined the rest of the coven on their front lawn, facing up with the snarling beasts in front of him. The wolves burst from the trees. The large black one coming straight for his neck in an instant. Sam. He wrapped his arms around the beast’s neck. Holding it back from himself as he pushed back against its strength.

The wolf wriggled itself free from his grasp, knocking Conner swiftly onto his back. It snapped its jaw menacingly, its large paw holding him down before lunging in for his attack. Conner’s hands shot outward, holding the jaws open and away from his face as his eyes darted to the side, seeing Seth frozen, looking at his former pack brothers. “Seth!” He shouted, gaining the boy’s attention. “Go protect Leah.” He pleaded, watching as he shook himself out of his trance and ran into the home.

Sam bared down on Conner, forcing all of his strength into his bite, as his sharp teeth got closer and closer to ripping his face off.

“Stop! It’s over!” Jake yelled, voice ringing throughout the trees. “If you kill her, you kill me.” He stated.

Sam lifted his head, looking at Jacob before lunging in his direction, knocking him back ten feet.

Jake burst into his wolf form, snarling back at the pack before him as Edward spoke. “Jacob imprinted.” He spoke, stopping Conner in his tracks. He stood in shock, starring at the russet wolf before him. “They can’t hurt her. Whoever a wolf imprints on can’t be harmed. It’s their most absolute law.” He explained.

Sam paused, dumbfounded, eyes flickering between them all before huffing. His eyes settled on Conner, the fading red still present in his own eyes as he saw him for what he really was, a monster. Was he really going to sit by while this man continuously put the woman he was once in love with in danger, time and time again? The man that would ultimately cause her death by the atrocities he had committed. Fuck laws and treaties, he couldn’t let this go on any longer.

He lunged forward once more, catching Conner by surprise as he sunk his teeth into his shoulder, a loud yelp ripping from his stone chest.

“Sam!” A scream rang out.

Leah stood there on the balcony her white knuckles gripping the banister so tight it began to crack under the pressure. “Please, Sam, leave him alone.” She begged, tears streaming down her red cheeks.

Sam looked up, hesitating as he saw the pain in her eyes. He stepped back taking in the full view of her. She looked… healthy, much different than Bella had looked in Jacob’s mind. Maybe this wasn’t a death sentence for her like it was for Bella.

“Please, can’t I have happiness too?” She asked, voice cracking. Sam’s eyes lingered, seeing the pain in her eyes, no doubt caused by him, and suddenly felt an overwhelming shame come over himself. Conner hadn’t been the one to hurt her over and over; it was him. He was the guilty one. He was the monster. He gave the man before him one last look before turning and retreating into the woods, the pack behind him as he returned to La Push.

——————

September 12th, 2006

It had only been two days since the big fight. Bella had still not awoken from her transformation. Conner’s shoulder still held the scar left from the bite from Sam, and was most likely never going to go away. Though the battle was far gone, there he was again, terrified. This time because he was about to become a father.

Leah had gone into labor, thankfully much less dramatically than his sister just as the sun had set that Tuesday. Conner stood at her side, letting her squeeze the life out of his hand as she pushed with each contraction. Carlisle coached her through every second, assuring her that she was doing a great job.

Before they knew it, there she was. His daughter. A perfect copy of him and his wife, lying there in Leah’s arms, blinking slowly as she took in the new world around her. He saw right then that this love would never leave his heart, this astounding, world crumbling love for his child. There was nothing like it he had ever felt before, and as he stood, with his little family wrapped in his arms, he knew that whatever life had to throw at him in the future, whatever it had left to hurt him with that as long as he had them by his side he would be okay.

Because certain things would hurt, but they would be his virtue.

THE END

#twilight #bella swan #edward cullen #eventual smut #leah clearwater smut #leah clearwater fanfic #la push #leah clearwater #Charlie swan #fo #forks washington #breaking dawn #vampire #jacob black

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sooblvr · 3 years

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love magazine

pairing soccer player!sim jaeyun x gn!reporter!reader // genre fluff // warnings none // word count 0.9k

“when you write something worthwhile” “when you prove yourself” “when you start taking more initiative”

you had heard it all. your pieces, although nothing revolutionary, had spent some time in the trending section and had generated a considerable amount of revenue for the company

still, everyone treated you like the new kid, giving you no task further than getting your coworkers’ coffee orders

when the olympics neared, almost every other magazine secured interviews with athletes who were gaining the highest popularity.

twitter became a game of who could get their article trending first, who could work with the most exclusive athlete, who could stay trending the longest

perhaps this was your shot at a breakthrough

if you could get the team everyone liked the most for one piece, followed by a series of elite athletes, this could be the golden opportunity

it didn’t take long for you to set your eyes on the most sought after player: sim jaeyun from the australian soccer league. he had been trending week after week for his good looks. it was speculated that every game he played had an insane rating

it truly was a shame that his team didn’t allow interviews

your seniors wanted initiative, and you didn’t disappoint. as soon as you were done with your daily responsibilities, you searched for everyone’s information

the american rugby team, a korean swimmer, a japanese surfer, an american gymnast, the entirety of the japanese volleyball team- they were all either making their popularity increase through social media or through their games streamed on tv

you spent whole nights reaching out to the athletes themselves, looking for managers’ numbers, pulling strings from your minimal influence in the field, all so you could get exclusive pieces. some of them were quick successes, others took some convincing, and a few were rotund declines

with extensive bargaining and borderline begging you were able to sit your team down for a meeting. you gave everyone the contacts they needed, as you would never have enough time to talk to the players, write and revise, and figure out how to reach jaeyun

one of your friends from college had gone into sports journaling, so he was your first chance at even being in the same room as australia's most popular player

“c’mon, it’ll just be this one time i promise” “it’s not up to me, (y/n)” “if i don’t convince him on the first try i won't bother you again” “you sure are stubborn, aren’t you?” “you can set it up as a blind date or i can come with you and watch them train, you can come up with whatever you want” “i’ll ask… but no promises”

gratitude couldn’t encompass the sentiment you felt when you were formally introduced to jaeyun

“jake, this is (y/n), a friend from college. they’re a huge fan of yours” your friend winked at him before leaving you alone. you extended your hand, complimenting his skills

it was now that you thanked your dad for commenting through every soccer match you watched together

because you were at a popular plaza, he offered to buy you lunch. while eating, he mocked your friend’s persistency and mentioned how difficult it was to sneak off with a journalist without anyone knowing

“you know it’s really crazy that they don’t let you do interviews, especially with how famous you are” “it’s not just me, it’s the whole team. our manager always says it’s our skills that speak for us”

the meeting went smoothly, but it wasn’t very productive. it seemed like he tried flirting with you, hinting at wanting to see you again. you went along, but worried about the potential outcome. you wondered what exactly your friend had told him

days turned into weeks, and it seemed like the only place you were getting with jake was a semi platonic relationship. the more you knew him the more you developed feelings for him

on one of your “dates” he tried to get you to play soccer with him

“i can’t believe you missed the ball like that” “oh i’m sorry mr professional player” “let’s try penalties- you’ll kick wherever you want, and i’ll be the goalkeeper trying to read your mind so i can catch the ball”

he definitely let you win, but that didn’t mean he didn’t compliment you and called you the next face of the nation’s olympic soccer team. it kept you up at night to imagine his reaction when you came clean about your intentions

so when your boss began holding you accountable with your goals, you decided you couldn’t avoid the conversation anymore. you sat jake down, showed him all your research, and hoped your explanation made sense to him

his reaction was oddly positive, which you didn't expect. he knew from the beginning you were a journalist

“i played dumb so i could spend more time with you, hoping you’d go along with me”

and just like you convinced your boss, coworkers, and college friend, you convinced jake to talk to his manager. with the help of his coach, you were sure you could get the team to agree on something. even if it was a small piece

after you suggested you did a piece on the team’s routine as they prepare for the olympic games, jake brought you to practice so you could talk to both the coach and the team’s manager. you were thankful for jake’s influence, as you were certain that he was a key factor in their agreement

jake reached out to you as soon as you published the article,

“you missed one detail in my routine” “no i didn’t, i checked the rough draft with you” “please just ask me what you missed” “fine, what did i miss, jake?” “the part where i take you out on a formal date”

#enhypen headcanons #enhypen fic #enhypen angst #enhypen fluff #enhypen reactions #lee heeseung #jay park #park jongseong #sim jaeyun #jake sim #kim sunoo #yang jungwon #nishimura riki #enhypen ni-ki #enhypen jake #enhypen #enhypen drabbles #enhypen scenarios

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dlwritings · 4 years

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Moving Out (and On?) | Tom Holland

masterlist found here

pairing - Tom x reader (ft Niall Horan) word count - 3,618 warnings - language A/N - for the anon who requested x | this edit was fun to make | ya’ll love a secret dating gone wrong fic

summary - You’re sick of being Tom’s secret girlfriend, always coming in second to his career. But you didn’t want your relationship to end. When everything goes up in flames, you turn to your favorite Irishman to give you some support.

It was basically the most cliche issue you could have when secretly dating a celebrity. If the world doesn’t know you exist, interviewers are going to ask about other women. After almost two years of dating Tom Holland, you still weren’t quite used to it. For a while, it was always about Zendaya. Then, it just became any famous girl he was seen with. But Tom wasn’t with any of them. He was with you. And you were getting a little tired of hiding it.

You did your best dealing with it. You loved Tom, and you didn’t want to ruin what you had just because you wanted to go public and he didn’t.

Tom was away on press for The Devil All the Time, and you were missing him a lot. You talked on the phone every night, but it didn’t make you miss him any less. To make up for his absence, you were keeping up with the videos different news outlets were posting from his press tour. You were pumped to see that he had done another Wired autocomplete interview. His previous one had been with Zendaya and Jacob, so you were kind of excited to see him do one alone.

Tom introduced himself, and you couldn’t help but smile at his voice. Once he was handed a board, he was quick to begin. “What is Tom Holland’s,” Tom read, peeling off a strip, “phone number.” He laughed. “Uh, I won’t pick up my phone, but you can try calling my husband, Jake Gyllenhaal at (213) 406-6007.”

You laughed at his joke and continued watching. Some of the questions were interesting (What house is Tom Holland in? got him on a Harry Potter kick), but others just made you laugh some more (Is Tom Holland a dad? was a good one).

“Is Tom Holland,” he read after laughing over the previous question, “dating anyone?”

You took a deep breath and let it out through your nose as Tom was able to maintain his poker face. “Tom Holland is enjoying his 20s right now,” he answered, “and he is very focused on his work. So you could say he is dating his career.”

Your mood shifted significantly after that question, and even though you continued watching the video, you enjoyed it much less. If you were any normal couple, he would’ve been able to say yes. Give the real answer. But this was you and Tom, and apparently the public wasn’t ready for that yet.

Just as you finished the video, as if he knew, Tom called you. You answered and tried to sound cheery. “Hi,” you said. “How’re you doing, Tommy?”

“Tired,” he answered honestly. “S’been a long day.”

“I’m sorry, love,” you said. Tom was quiet for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“What?” you said. “Nothing. What’re you talking about?”

“You sound upset,” he said.

“I’m not,” you said.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” you said again. “I’m just tired, too.”

“Why’re you tired?”

“Can’t I just be tired?”

“You’re not usually tired.”

“Well today I am.”

“You’re lying.”

“Why do you think I’m lying?”

“Because I know you.”

“It’s fine, Tom.”

“(Y/N), just talk to me. I hate knowing you’re upset-”

“I’m not upset!” you shouted. You took a deep breath and sighed. “I just miss you. That’s all.”

He sighed as well. “I miss you too.”

“I was watching some of your interviews,” you told him.

“Yeah?” he said, his tone lightening up a little. “Which ones?”

“I just finished your Wired autocomplete,” you said.

“That’s always a fun one,” he said. “That board though-” He made a sound like he shivered. “-like a nail on chalkboard to me.”

You laughed dryly. “I know.” Tom was quiet for a moment.

“Can you talk to me?” he asked. You could tell he was hesitant, like he didn’t want to upset you any more than he already had. “There’s something else going on. I can tell.” You didn’t want to fight with him, so you decided to tell him the truth.

“I don’t want to hide our relationship anymore,” you said. “I’m tired.”

“(Y/N),” he said with a sigh. “We’ve talked about this.”

“And you tell me the same thing over and over again,” you said. “That you’re just not ready and that you don’t think I can handle it. I can handle it, Tom.”

“We’re not having this talk again.”

“Yes we are!” you said.

“(Y/N)-”

“In the interview, you said you’re dating your career,” you told him. “And you know what? That’s what it feels like sometimes! I feel like I’m falling to the backburner, because if I’m a secret, I don’t affect your career, and if it’s not about your career, then it doesn’t matter. Not to you. Not right now. You feel like a different person right now, like you’re living and breathing your work.”

“What, so you want me to stop?”

“Of course not,” you said. “Don’t be stupid. I just want you to be proud that we’re in this relationship. To value me as much as you value work.”

“I can’t just put down what I’m working on to make you feel important,” he said.

“That’s not what I’m asking you to do!”

“I’m not going to keep having this conversation with you,” he said. “This isn’t the first time you’ve brought this up, that I don’t care about you or this relationship or whatever. Frankly, (Y/N), I can’t handle this right now. Every time you bring it up it just raises my stress level. I can’t afford to be stressed right now.”

“So what does that mean?”

“It means if you really feel this way, then I’m done.”

“You’re done,” you repeated.

“Yeah,” he said. “I can’t keep babying you so you can feel secure in this relationship. I’m done.”

“Tom-”

The dial tone on the other end cut you off, and you felt tears come to your eyes. This hadn’t been your intention. You just wanted to have a conversation, and hopefully come to a better conclusion than you had every other time you brought it up. Maybe it was your fault. Maybe you should’ve just let it all be. Maybe you shouldn’t have mentioned it over the phone when he was busy with press. Maybe you had just lost the love of your life because of one rash decision.

You were quite young still. 21 wasn’t old. You still had your whole life ahead of you. But you were certain you and Tom were going to live happily ever after. So what were you supposed to do now?

You did the only thing you could think to do: call Niall.

Tom had gone golfing with Niall Horan a couple of times, and he would invite the Irishman over for dinner afterwards. You had been hanging out at Tom’s flat the first time he brought Niall over, and you were shocked when he walked through the door. You had always been a big fan of One Direction, and you were obsessed with Niall’s solo work. Luckily, after dating Tom for so long, you were a lot better at talking to famous people. Plus, Niall was crazy nice, and the two of you clicked instantly. After that, you considered him a good friend. A best friend actually.

So you gave him a call.

“‘Ello!” he said cheerily. “How’s it going?”

“Hey, Ni,” you said, your voice cracking. “You got a minute?”

“Always got a minute for you,” he said. “What’s wrong?” You opened your mouth only to close it again once you could tell you were about to break down into sobs. You sniffed a few times and finally composed yourself.

“Tom broke up with me,” you whispered.

“Ah, shit,” he said. You could hear him moving around a bit on his end. “You want me to come over?”

“Do you mind?” you asked, looking over at the clock. It was already 10:30.

“Course not,” he said. “I’ll be over in a bit.”

“I’ll leave it unlocked,” you said.

Niall was over in a few minutes, ready to lend a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. “What happened?” he asked as you cuddled up to him on the couch.

“I just-” You were sniffing, practically blubbering. “I told him I was sick of, of keeping our relationship a secret. And that I didn’t want to keep, keep living in the shadows. He got mad, and, and he told me that he didn’t want to do it anymore.”

“Do what?”

“Have the same conversation we’ve been having,” you explained. “I bring it up all the time. I just want him to, to-” You cut yourself with a sigh. “I don’t know, Niall. I just felt like I was second best to all the work he’s been doing. And I’m not trying to sound unsupportive, but-”

“You don’t sound unsupportive,” he said. “Sounds like you want to be in a relationship that makes you happy, and Tom wasn’t doing that.”

“Most of the time he was,” you said. “But you know how he gets when he’s got a new role. It, it’s like it consumes him.” Niall just nodded and massaged the top of your head with his fingers.

“Maybe it’ll all work out,” he tried to offer. “Maybe it was just a fight.”

“We don’t ever fight like that,” you told him. “I try to be optimistic, but this is just-” You swallowed back more tears and shook your head. “This felt final.” Niall sighed and placed a kiss to the top of your head.

“You know I’m here for you,” he said. “However and whenever you need me.”

“I know,” you told him, putting your arm around his stomach to hold him closer. “Thank you.”

You spent every day with Niall for the next two months. He helped you move out from the flat you shared with Tom and let you stay with him until you could get back on your feet. You didn’t hear from Tom once. Niall was the perfect friend. He did everything he could to boost your spirits, constantly getting you ice cream or takeaway, and forcing you everyday to get out of bed and take a shower. He knew you well. Knew you’d mope and stop taking care of yourself if he let you.

After two or so weeks went by, you forced yourself to put on a brave face. You didn’t want Niall to have to keep babying you. Tom wasn’t coming back, and there was nothing you could do about it. He hadn’t reached out to you once, and his Instagram stories were proof he was doing just fine. You were able to convince Niall you were okay with your fake laughs and pretty smiles.

Or so you thought.

Niall wasn’t dumb. Everyday, he saw you staring blankly at your black phone screen like you were waiting for it to light up with a call or text from Tom. He heard you crying in your room most nights, and he saw the redness rimming in your eyes every morning. He wasn’t sure you were even sleeping. But what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t reach out to Tom. He couldn’t help you if you didn’t want it. So he gave you space and let you recover however you needed to.

At the two month mark, Niall took you out for breakfast at your favorite cafe. You agreed eagerly, especially when he said he’d pay. In no world would you turn down a free breakfast.

Across town, Tom’s flight had just landed. He pulled out his phone and decided to scroll through some social media before Harrison picked him up. When he opened Instagram, he clicked through the stories of people he was following. He clicked through them absentmindedly, but his thumb froze when he saw a picture of you. You had your hands wrapped around a coffee cup and a huge smile on your face. Instantly, his heart dropped. Had you really moved on so soon? To Niall? He thought back to that day two months ago. The day he broke up with you. The worst day of his life.

“So what does that mean?” you asked him.

“It means if you really feel this way, then I’m done,” he said.

“You’re done,” you repeated.

“Yeah,” he said. “I can’t keep babying you so you can feel secure in this relationship. I’m done.”

“Tom-”

He hung up before you could finish your sentence and threw his phone against the wall. His case would protect it, he knew. He put his forehead in his hands and clenched his jaw. “Fuck!” he shouted. He meant what he said. He was sick of having the same conversation over and over again. He wasn’t ready to go public. End of story. Why did you keep having to push it? He just couldn’t handle it anymore. It was raising his stress level, and after filming his most recent movies, he couldn’t afford to be any more stressed than he already was.

Now, two months later, he was questioning everything. Had he overreacted? Deep down, he really thought you’d end up getting back together. That this was just a fight, and that you’d reach out to him. When months went by and you didn’t, he knew he had really fucked up. Maybe it was his place to reach out, but at this point, he felt like he didn’t have the right. You had already moved on. How could he just push his way into your life again?

But he had to. He had to talk to you. To say he was sorry. To get on his knees and beg to have you back, if it came to that. So, he made a snap decision. When Harrison brought him home, he asked if Tom wanted to hang out, but the ladder said no. He got in his car and headed off to Niall’s house.

You and Niall were sitting on the couch watching Harry Potter when there was a knock at the front door. You groaned and reached for the remote, but Niall just laughed. “Don’t pause it,” he said. “I’ll go check.”

“You’re going to miss Sirius’ death,” you said with a pout.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” he said back. You scoffed and nodded, adjusting the blanket you were using and turning back to the TV. You couldn’t hear who was at the door, but you could make out the muffled sounds of Niall speaking with someone.

When Niall opened the door, the last person he expected to see was Tom. Niall turned to look over his shoulder and make sure you hadn’t crept down the hall, and when he saw it was clear, he turned to his friend. “Hey,” he said awkwardly.

“Hey,” Tom said back, just as uncomfortable. “Is (Y/N) here?”

“Yeah,” Niall said. “She’s been staying with me since you two-” He cut himself off. Tom hung his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, Tom, I don’t know if she’s ready to see you.”

“Come on, mate,” he said. “I’m begging you. Just let me talk to her.” Niall studied Tom. He could tell he was broken up, and he felt bad for his friend. But he felt bad for you too. He had been with you through all of this, and it hadn’t been a pretty picture. You still weren’t yourself, and he knew seeing Tom again would just bring you back to square one. But maybe you needed this closure. Who was he to stand in the way of that?

So he stepped to the side and let Tom in.

You heard footsteps approaching, so you turned to see who had stopped by. When you saw Tom, you sat up a little straighter. “What are you doing here?” you asked. Niall shoved his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat awkwardly. You shot him a glare.

“I’ll be in my room,” he said. Tom nodded, and Niall left you alone. You pulled the blanket a little closer to you like it could be a barrier between the two of you. Tom noticed and took a step closer to the couch so he could sit on the opposite end.

“What are you doing here?” you asked again.

“I just want to talk to you,” he said.

“About what?” you asked.

He hesitated. “You been living here long?”

“Since you broke up with me, yeah,” you said. “I needed a place to go.”

“So you moved on that quick?” he asked, his voice small. You raised your eyebrows.

“What does that mean?” you asked.

“I break up with you, and the next day you’re with Niall?”

“I’m not with Niall,” you snapped, realizing what he was implying. “I needed a home, Tom! You broke up with me! I had to move out! I couldn’t move back home, I couldn’t afford a place by myself! Niall was here for me!” Quickly, you added, “And even if I was with him, what right do you have to be upset about that? You broke up with me! At least Niall isn’t scared of posting pictures of me! Of people knowing who I am. You know how refreshing that is? I’ve been hidden for two years. Going out in public with Niall is like-” You let out a dry laugh. “It was like a breath of fresh air.”

“Well, then be with Niall!” Tom shouted. He was getting frustrated, but more with himself than with you. He deserved everything you were saying, and it just made him mad at himself.

“I don’t want to be with Niall!” you shouted back. “I don’t love Niall! I love you! But you didn’t want to make it work!”

“I never said that!” Tom said.

“You didn’t want to take the next step!” you said. “You, you keep hiding me, Tom! Why are you so ashamed of me?” Tom didn’t answer for a moment, too taken aback by your words.

“Is that what you think?” he said. “That I’m ashamed of you?”

“I don’t understand why else you would hide me like you had for two years,” you said.

He started stuttering through his response. “(Y/N), I’ve, I’m, it’s not that at all.” You didn’t say anything, and he sighed. “I’m scared of what could go wrong.” You furrowed your eyebrows and shook your head.

“I don’t understand,” you said.

“It’s easy right now, you know?” he said. “It’s easy, and it’s safe, and there’s no chance of someone hurting you or you getting, getting too overwhelmed by everything.” It still wasn’t clicking to you.

“I don’t understand,” you said. “So, so you-” You sighed and pressed your fingers to your temples. “Why didn’t you just talk to me about it? Instead of shutting me down every time I brought it up?”

“I don’t know,” he muttered. “I just wasn’t ready to talk about it.”

“Jesus, Tom,” you said, feeling a lump rise in your throat. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “If I could take it all back, I would.” You looked at him just as he lifted his head to look at you. His eyes were brimmed with tears, and you knew yours were too.

“I won’t be in the shadows anymore,” you told him. “I won’t.”

“I know,” he said. “I swear, you won’t be anymore. I’ll tell everyone. I’ll shout it from the rooftops, whatever you want.” You couldn’t help but giggle a bit, which made Tom’s face light up. “Move back in with me?” he asked. Your smile dropped a fraction, and you looked down at your hands.

“Can I stay here a while longer?” you said. “If it’s okay with Niall? I just-” You sighed. “I just want to take this slow moving forward. I need time to, to get back to where we were. I still love you,” you added, “but I just-” You took a shaky breath. “I’m not there yet.” Tom nodded in understanding.

“Okay,” he said. “Whatever you need. Just-” He moved a little closer to you and stroked your cheek with the back of his hand. “-know that I love you so much, and however you want to go public, I’m game.” You nodded, and Tom smiled and leaned forward, hoping you’d meet him halfway for a kiss. You did. He smiled against your lips and put his hand on the back of your head, keeping you close to him.

You pulled away from each other when you heard a dramatic clearing of the throat. You turned your head and saw Niall leaning against the doorframe with his arms across his chest. “I see you lovebirds patched things up,” he said. You and Tom both chuckled, and Tom hung his head as the tips of his ears turned pink.

“Is it okay if I stay a little longer?” you asked Niall.

He nodded without hesitation. “Stay as long as you need.” He paused. “You guys wanna get some food?” Tom looked at you, and you bit your lip and hung your head.

“I think we might head back to my place for a while,” he said. “You know, catch up a little bit.”

“Ah, ah, ah,” he said, covering his ears. “I don’t need to hear anymore. I get the picture.”

You and Tom said goodbye to Niall, and as soon as the door shut, Niall put his hands on his hips and sighed. He thought for a moment and reached into his pocket for his phone, clicking on the first contact name that came to his mind.

“Tommo! You up for some Nandos?”

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

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cloveroctobers · 3 years

Text

GENEVIEVE ALIU —

IG info/bio: @/genevealiu1 | 19k followers | currently on a journey as a junior doctor living in 🇦🇺🤎 | blm.card.co🖤 | sk💛

26 years of age

Born and raised in Glastonbury, England

Pisces sun? + libra moon?

Mother is Guyanese and works for a non-profit organization

Her father is Nigerian and works in property management

has one older brother who is a Prosthetist and resides in Nigeria with his pregnant fiancée

She can’t wait to be a auntie!!!

And a younger sister who is a medical laboratory technician

To say the least, their parents were happy that their children fell into the medical field. Based on their cultures it was a honor to have their children in these professions

Vieve grew up with a sassy demeanor and her parents have old videos on their camcorders to prove it lol, it never fails that the pair brings out the embarrassing vids during the holidays but vieve genuinely appreciates them

Although thanksgiving is a RACIST American thing, vieve never misses the opportunity to share what she’s thankful for in life and counts all of it as blessings! But it’s still fuck the pilgrims

Has held a friendsgiving before, loves any moment where she can host gatherings or attend them! either is quite fine. She loves being around people

the only time she likes to look back on the past is to see how she and her family carried themselves then and how the evolved into who they are now, it’s interesting to see

Loves “how it started vs how it’s going” posts and might have participated in a few

Always knew from a young age that she wanted to help people in some way, she was always doing something to help around the house and especially her aging/sickly grandparents

Felt offended that many people around school that she thought were her friends would stab her in the back labeling her as this “fake saint” since she rather spend her time volunteering instead of going to house parties in hs

Don’t get it twisted, she still went to those too & had her fun but definitely felt like it was the same routine and nothing ever felt fulfilling at these functions after awhile

Well known with all the cliques around school but had her own group of friends that fit into many of those cliques but she never felt obligated to stick to one social group. If you were nice and cool with her, she was the same to you, if you weren’t? Depending on her mood, she’d ignore you/say things under her breath or be “fake nice” as a form of being the bigger person

Has a curly hair routine that she consistently follows (after struggling to find the right products to make them flourish) and gets annoyed with if her curls don’t turn out the way she knows they can, it’s always frustrating when things don’t turn out the way you want them to but isn’t afraid to at least try

Three times is the charm! Is one of her mottos

loves bright colors, flowy attire, big hats, brimmed hats, bucket hats, berets, etc...

Has faced racism/prejudices and bullying growing up in public spaces—mostly school/uni & some of those same hatred actions online now that she’s dating seb

Because of that there were times where she felt insecure but deff grew to forgive, heal, and rise above the hate, she knows her worth

Has never been happier in a relationship than she is with seb, he’s her “moody long-haired, soft-hearted bby”

they’re both complete fools for each other and vieve is more vocal about her being in love/finding her soulmate whereas seb doesn’t mind showing it rather than speaking it—even tho he’s on a podcast but we mind our business okay?!

Seb is thinking of moving to Australia with vieve, he’s ready to risk it all for this woman, HIS woman 🤩

canon: gives more than she should/taken advantage of/not reciprocating in relationships... ex) how she dated a guy that she did everything for! especially financially and also struggled to find her worth but once she did? Her aura shined brighter than before— Ik chill out there Rocco

Also believes in loving yourself first to attract what you need in this world and found that in her career and seb. I hope they’re endgame! Since they’re the only couple I rooted for this season? Except for tai & ciaran maybe? They’re probably not endgame but whatever

They still get nervous/shy around each other even tho they’ve been together for months now + are in a long distance relationship which is too cute! I think since they’re in this for the long game they can look back on moments and still feel the way they felt in that moment. You know if you get the chance or have already heard elderly people talk about their relationships and how they get all starry eyed? That’s vieve & seb, that shit gets me right in my feels ew

Vieve’s love language is quality time, it’s what she shows and likes along with acts of service from her partner

Makes the best jollof rice & her fav dish is Metemgee

Trying to be on a plant-based diet only but will have her cheat days on occasion—mostly when she’s drunk and forgets her diet plan lmao that’s me getting double cheeseburgers or anything with dairy drunk af

now living in Australia, she tried to like vegemite but...the it’s a no for her, respectfully ofc! She never wants to disrespect anyone

besides the food, the atmosphere is much nicer since she feels like she’s on a holiday almost everyday and that there’s much more to see and do when she has the time

Loves the beaches and is thinking about surfing lessons

yes she enjoys those doctor shows and can agree that most scenarios are not the same as rl ofc but great question!

Since she’s a junior doctor now, and on her way to graduation! She feels so accomplished and having this chance to complete what she’s wanted her whole life in a different place, makes her super emotional

All those stressful all-nighters will be worth it. She mostly did it on her own but is nothing but humble and Is thankful to those that have helped her along the way, what kind of person would she be if she didn’t mention them?

and when COVID hit, she was one of many already on the frontlines. Her studies became altered but this wouldn’t stop her for her mission on this earth, this was her purpose and she knew we would conquer it all—but definitely has empathy and gets angry with how it’s being handled from time to time

She’s been exposed to it first hand which aboustely worries her parents, seb, her friends, and friends from the villa

Keeps up to date when all medical news, has a whole app dedicated to health

Learning French with some of her free time and is doing well at it

It was only natural for her to become closer to elladine since their men are homies and have a podcast together

They’ve hung out a few times on a double dates before the boat vacation & once just as girls before vieve left to Australia

Vieve is always offering advice but knows that every relationship is different and what works for her and seb won’t work for elladine and Nicky, she loves them together and knows everyone has bumps in the road

feels there’s some sort of tension between her and Harry now? Which she found a little off putting since they were supposed to be friends but she realizes that Harry has a condition but it’s also not an excuse for him to treat her shitty sometimes which he does and feels like it comes out of nowhere most times but he always apologizes yet vieve is slowly getting tired of this unhealthy habits

So they’re talking less these days, which he notices!

She wants Harry to find his happiness too! If he hasn’t found it in mc first that is

has met Tim— he’s a great laugh and seems like a nice guy—they follow each other, talia and jake in person when she was out with seb—they were also super nice and congratulated them on their win, she went up to miles once on a night out—he’s still a arsehole, priya reached out to her via dm about her new boutique that she wanted her to model in someday, Hope was just as stunning in person along with Siobhan, Chelsea & mc s2 were also kind, and a couple of the guys also wished her and seb well

She’s also noticed some of the shit talking coming from Elisa, Allegra, Lucy, and mc s1 (subtle shade from mc, basically about how vieve reacted if mc decided to give Harry a go but that was only brought to her attention thru fans) online but again, vieve peeped it and felt majority of it didn’t require a response. She was too happy in life rn and she had a man and they don’t

Plans to get a komondor, thinks they’re super cute! — seb does not “if you love me, you’ll love our child.” “It’s a bloody mop dog! And I’m a cat dad, you know that!” “Don’t talk about him like that, he’s got feelings just like your cat babies!”

I feel like she’s a matcha & Frappuccino lover, tries to keep her drinks simple and feels guilty when she has to make adjustments but the heart wants what it wants

Mini Countryman owner, she also drives like a “granny” better safe than sorry! She hates fast drivers, there’s absolutely no need for it!

Minimal makeup: eyeshadow, moisturizer, & a nude lip and she’s good to go

Secretly obsessed with among us, second life, and SIMS!!!

Celeb crushes? Heath ledger, Tyler posey, KENDRICK SAMPSON, Jordan fisher, Algee smith, Donald Glover, Mack Wilds, Khleo Thomas, Robert Ri’chard, Tahj Mowry, & Hasan Minhaj

Listens to: DaniLeigh, ABIR, Mary J. Blige, TORI KELLY, Us the duo, 11:11, Jacob Latimore, fifth harmony, joya mooi, & Greentea Peng, etc...

Anthem: The Cheetah Girls — Cinderella

#litg #litg3 #litg s3 #litg genevieve #litg moodboard #litg headcanons #litg headcanon #litg seb #litg Harry #litg mc #litg oc #litg elladine #litg Nicky #idk if I did her justice but my apologies to her and y’all if not lol #litg Tim #litg talia #litg jake #litg priya #litg hope

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imperialstark · 3 years

Text

choke on me—chapter four

breathe me in (prequel fic)

chapter three

chapter five

a/n: this is a pretty chill chapter, and chapter five is going to be the exact opposite so have fun with this one while you can ;) also for my bilingual readers, if i have any, please excuse my shitty Italian in this chapter, i'm literally just working off of google translate

rating: pretty gen...this time

warning(s): n/a

—————

Carmen couldn't have picked a better day for a carnival; It's not too hot out for it to be August nonetheless. A slight breeze ruffles Tony's ungelled hair, sending his bangs into his eyes. He smooths the hair back with a huff. So much for keeping it casual today. His brief irritation dissipates when he looks, truly looks, at his surroundings.

The scent of cotton candy and funnel cake and something smoky, no doubt barbecue, carries on the wind. There are two long lines of booths, rides, and rest places alike stretching for a good yard. The other volunteers are zooming about, dressed in bright red tees like the Avengers, finishing up last-minute preparations.

"She doesn't half-ass anything, huh?" Clint says. He sounds impressed and…a little excited. Tony can't lie...he's excited too.

"I'll say," Steve says, and there's no hiding the awe in his voice. "I can't believe some of these rides even exist."

Out the corner of his eye, Tony sees Thor lean down to whisper something in Bruce's ear, blue eyes dancing. Whatever he said makes Bruce laugh, a real one, not the sharp little chuckle that's usually full of self-loathing or sarcasm or both.

They're off to a good start. Even Natasha looks pleased, or as pleased as she can be, with her arms crossed in front of her. She's taking in their surroundings too, but Tony knows that a part of her isn't doing it for fun. She's looking for enemies, escape routes, any possible threats to her and the others.

"You can take an agent out of the field," he thinks. He hopes that maybe she'll loosen up by the end of the day, preferably without anyone getting hurt.

"Where's Solomita?" she asks. "I want to know what we’re doing.”

"I know where she is," Tony says and leads the way, picking out Carmen's chirpy voice, throwing out orders and praise with a megaphone, Jesus Christ.

"Make sure you're at your booths in ten minutes! The kids are going to be arriving soon!"

She's crossing things off on her clipboard when Tony and the Avengers following behind him pull up in front of her.

She hasn't changed a bit since Tony's last seen her. She's still tan, still short, shorter than Tony. Her dark wavy hair is pulled back into what she used to call her "business braid" for when she had "shit that needs to be done."

Tony clears his throat, and Carmen looks up, her big brown eyes going wide before a grin breaks across her face and—

Carmen pounces on him, full-on throwing her arms around Tony's neck. Tony catches her no problem and—Carmen's mood is so infectious—gives her a little twirl before setting her down.

"Jesus Christ," Clint says under his breath. "She almost took him out."

"Did not," Carmen says, and Clint has the good sense to look bashful. "This is normal for us. Especially when someone hasn't reached out in two. Years," she says, slapping Tony on the arm twice for emphasis.

"Ouch," he says, rubbing his arm. "I've been busy."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Save the world a few times, and suddenly you have no time for your friends," she says, grinning, so Tony knows she's joking. She turns to the Avengers, who've all been standing there awkwardly like they're the new kids in school.

"All jokes aside, I'm thankful for you guys, all of you," she says. "Who knows where we'd be without the Avengers." She sticks out her hand for them to shake and for a split second, nobody moves. Maybe it was the genuine gratitude in Carmen's voice, or the others were still trying to process Carmen's everything, but the smile on her face starts to waver at their hesitation.

Steve is the first to act, taking Carmen's hand in his own. "Thank you, ma'am," he says. "I know I speak for everyone when I say that we're glad the team exists, and we'll help out any way we can."

"Thank you," Tony mouths to him, and Steve gives him a slight nod, letting go of Carmen's hand.

Thor steps up next and, in true princely fashion, bows, bringing Carmen's hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm. "A pleasure to be here, my lady," Thor says.

Carmen's face is red when Thor straightens back up, releasing her hand. After that, it's like the others shift into gear. Clint apologizes for his comment. Bruce offers her a kind hello until it's just Natasha who steps up until she's right in front of Carmen. Even though they're the same height, Carmen stiffens up, looking at Natasha like she's about to get chastised.

Natasha simply...sticks out her hand. "It’s nice to meet you,” she begins.

Carmen takes Natasha’s hand slowly like she’s expecting some trick.

“I’m actually a fan,” Natasha says. “I saw your work this February while undercover. Very nice.”

"Thank you," Carmen says. If she blushes anymore, Tony’s going to start worrying about her health. "I was actually inspired by your suit. The leather and the bodycon silhouette paired well with Fall and Winter."

"Oh, really?" Natasha says, raising her brows. Natasha looks her up and down, and Carmen, much to her credit, holds her gaze. "I have ideas for your spring collection if you'd like to hear them."

And just like that, the Avengers have won Carmen over forever. And Tony didn't even have to make any threats. Maybe today won't be a disaster after all.

"Yes, please," Carmen says, her voice coming out high and reedy. "I mean since you're offering—"

“Carmen,” Tony interrupts before she starts melting under the full force of Natasha’s undivided attention, “what’s the game plan for today?”

"Game plan. Right. We're here to work." Carmen clears her throat, a flush still staining her cheeks, and flips through some of the pages on her clipboard. "Okay, Tony, you're easy. You're running the basketball booth."

Basketball. He can do basketball.

"Mr. Rogers," Carmen says. Natasha starts humming "Won't You Be My Neighbor" until Steve shoots her an exasperated look.

"Sorry," Natasha says, not sounding sorry at all.

"Please, call me Steve," Steve says. "She already has that song set as my ringtone."

"Steve," Carmen says. "I know you're an artist. Think you could do caricatures slash portraits?"

Steve nods. "Easy enough."

The rest of the assignments go quickly. Natasha gets the sharpshooting booth, Clint's over Ring Toss, and Thor and Bruce will oversee the sack race. Now that introductions and assignments are over, there's a thrum of excitement to the air. Or anxiety. Tony's not sure yet.

"Nervous?" Carmen says to him. She's tucked her pen behind her ear.

"Maybe," he says. "Maybe not. It could just be indigestion."

"Gross," she laughs, wrinkling her nose. "I'm sure it'll be fine. I meant what I said, you know. I'm glad you guys showed up. You know how much A Helping Hand means to me."

Of course, he does. Carmen's like him...in more ways than one. She had been orphaned at nineteen when her parents' plane had gone down over the Atlantic.

And at twenty-one, she had also found herself the sole heir to a family fortune and no family to share it with. She got the idea for A Helping Hand after Tony's own parents had died.

Tony repeats what she had told him all those years ago. "Us orphans gotta stick together."

"Damn right," she says. "Siamo famiglia."

"Siamo famiglia," Tony echoes.

"Congrats on your new additions, by the way," Carmen says.

Tony's brows furrow. "What new additions?" he asks.

Carmen tilts her head at him like she used to whenever she thought he had said something stupid. "You're telling me that those five supermodels you call teammates just came here for shits and giggles?"

"They needed a day off," Tony explains. "I offered. Nothing else to it."

"They came because you asked them, dumbass. They're your friends."

Tony's not going to argue with her, mostly since the others have stopped talking amongst themselves and are looking right at them.

"Anyway," he says pointedly, "can you point me in the direction of my booth?"

*********

For the next three hours, Tony shoves Carmen's words from his mind and throws himself into teaching anyone who steps up to the basketball booth about physics. It wasn't cheating per se; Tony simply calculated the angle the kids would have to throw the ball along with the perfect amount of force. The looks of shock followed by unabashed glee after they made a basket more than made up for any guilt he was feeling.

His break comes faster than he wants it to, but he has to take one eventually and decides the best way to do that is to take a walk. His fellow volunteer, a young man named Jake, says he'll be able to hold down the fort while Tony's gone. Maybe Tony will check on the others, see how they're faring.

“It’s a great day to fly,” he thinks. The sky is a soft pale blue that soothes his heart. Cirrus clouds, like pulled apart cotton candy, lazily make their way across the horizon. Maybe after the carnival is over, he’ll take the suit out for a ride and cruise through the skies.

He wanders without direction, letting his feet carry him wherever they fancy. Seldom does Tony get quiet moments to himself like this. There was always a fire to put out, a project to work on, kittens to rescue from trees, that sort of thing. Not that he ever doubted her, but maybe Pepper was right. Maybe he did work too hard.

The sound of children squealing pulls him from his thoughts and brings a smile to his face. Carmen had spared no expense, not that he expected any less, as he takes in the Tilt-a-Whirl lifting its arms higher and higher. The riders throw their arms up in the air, their laughter carrying on the wind. For today, they would get to fly too.

Tony continues on, the shouts and whoops and laughs fading into the background; he's made it to a quieter part of the carnival where they tucked off all of the arts and crafts booths.

There's the finger painting table where plenty of toddlers and adults alike are flinging paint onto sheets of canvas. One kid rises from the face painting table with Cap's shield emblazoned upon his cheek and a booth over...there's Steve, drawing caricatures for the kids. There's a curve to his lips. Steve's biting back a smile at the little boy trying (and failing) to sit still in his chair as he draws him. Tony's heart jumps at the sight. He's tempted to slide into the line for Steve's booth himself, but something holds him back. It could be the look of contentment on Steve's face or the kid's near infectious excitement—Tony feels like he's intruding on something private. Someone else's life. Someone else's dream.

His heart pangs in his chest as the little boy jumps as soon as his drawing is finished and throws himself into Steve's arms. Steve startles but recovers quickly, giving the kid a polite hug back.

For some reason, Tony thinks of the kid he met not even a year ago when everyone thought he was dead: Harley. Tony didn't hug Harley. He didn't have it in him to hug Harley. The kid deserved it, though, for dealing with Tony's shit. Tony liked kids well enough, but having one of his own? He would never admit it out loud, but it scared him. And Steve...Steve deserved more than a coward.

There's less energy in his steps as he turns around and walks right back to the basketball booth.

He knows he still has time left on his break, but for some reason, he can't bring himself to care.

He finishes his shift with little fanfare, the carnival-goers opting for the rides and fair food after loading up on prizes for the day.

His head's all foggy like he just got up from a nap. He's so out of it, he doesn't even realize that the others are walking up to his booth. Tony blinks slowly, trying to ignore the pressure building in his forehead, a sure sign of a headache.

"Hey," Steve says when they make it to his booth. "You about ready?"

Tony winces, prompting the others to look him up and down.

"You okay? What's bothering you?" Clint asks.

"Just got a headache," Tony says, stepping out from his booth, giving Jake a wave. Jake waves back, trying his best not to look starstruck at the sight of the other Avengers.

"Did you eat at all?" Natasha asks, and as soon as she says something, his stomach growls.

"Guess not," Bruce says.

"You must eat," Thor says gently. "A warrior such as yourself must maintain your strength."

He knows they're right, but being confronted by all of them at once has his hackles rising. Carmen's words are getting all tangled up with Pepper's, and he can't. Stop. Thinking.

"I will," he says, aware that they're watching him more closely now. He hopes that he doesn't look as unsound as he feels. "But why leave just yet? Don't you guys want to check out some of the booths or rides before we leave?"

Steve starts to object, but Natasha is one second faster. "I did want to beat Clint at Shoot 'em Up," she says with a smirk.

Steve looks ready to protest, but Clint cuts him off. "Oh, you're on," he says. "Loser has to do the other's paperwork for two weeks."

"Prepare to drown in files, Barton," Natasha says, catching Tony's eye.

Tony nods at her. A Thank you.

She flips her hair over her shoulder. You're welcome. He doesn't know when they learned to read each other so well.

Clint and Natasha make their way to the sharpshooting booth, Thor and Bruce walking along behind them.

"You sure you're okay?" Steve asks, scanning Tony from head to toe. Steve can see through him so easily, his skin might as well be made of glass.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tony says. "Come on. Let's catch up before they kill each other."

*********

Natasha and Clint tie in Shoot 'em Up. Since Tony is on a team that consists entirely of children, they extend their competition to every booth in the carnival. Steve warms up as the day goes on, even joining in on their little competition along with Thor. Tony and Bruce are just content to watch.

Thor ropes Steve into the strongman game, which attracts a crowd, but who would turn down the sight of two handsome, well-built men lifting heavy things and showing off their muscles? Tony certainly couldn't, and given the way Bruce eyes the bulge of Thor's biceps, neither could he.

Steve rings the bell easily and wins, of all things, a Captain Ameribear for his trouble.

"Aw," Tony says. "It has wings on its helmet too."

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that it came with a shield pillow?" Clint asks.

Steve blushes, but it's all in good fun. Thor, of course, breaks the game, the bell flying clean off the top of the tower. The game runner in awe (and a little bit of fear) gives Thor a prize regardless. Tony promises to compensate the man as soon as possible. Despite all of that, his headache has receded slightly. He needs to eat now, and that barbecue is starting to smell better and better.

Tony's so caught up in drooling over a rack of ribs or some trashed wings he barely notices the others walking off to the next booth, Steve lingering behind to wait on him.

"Sorry," Tony says. "Guess I'm out of it. You...you don't have to wait on me, you know."

Steve shrugs. "No one's forcing me. Spending time with you isn't a chore. This actually works out."

Tony smiles despite himself. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing," Steve says. "I just wanted you to have this." Steve hands the bear over to Tony, and Tony...Tony melts because Steve is so fucking cute and sweet, and how did the hell did he end up in Tony's life?

Tony takes the bear, and maybe it's the lack of food in his system, but the urge to cry at Steve's kindness strikes him. The bear is cute with Steve's signature red, white, and blue suit and the shield to go along with it. "Thank you," Tony says. "You sure you want me to hold onto this?"

Steve looks at him from underneath his lashes. "Tony," he begins, "it's a gift. I want you to have it."

"Okay," Tony whispers, feeling like the air is closing in on him. It's hard to breathe when Steve looks at him like that, like Tony means something to him.

"Besides," Steve says, leaning in close to him. "I'm gonna clean the booths out. I'm trying to beat the super spies. Can you keep him safe for me?"

Steve's breath, cool and minty, washes over his face. Tony has to blink a few times, processing what just happened before he can even think about speaking.

"Are you guys coming, or are you just going to gaze into each other's eyes?" Clint shouts from the next booth over.

Tony jumps and hurries to rejoin the others, Steve right behind him, staring into his back.

True to his word, Steve cleans out every booth they touch, until he's practically drowning in stuffed animals. They attract a crowd as they make their way to the food court. Tony's feet are aching, and his stomach is outright roaring for sustenance. He and Thor get the biggest plate of ribs they've got to offer. The meat's so tender it's falling off the bone and smoked to perfection. The sauce they used is homemade, all tang and smoky sweetness. He eats until his stomach is about ready to burst.

Thor's singing the cooks' praises and their delicious Midgardian cuisine and rises to go get seconds, Bruce trailing after him.

Clint runs off to the bathroom, and something catches Steve's eye. Tony follows his gaze to the herd of children trying (and failing) to watch them eat without freaking out. Steve rises from the table, taking his prizes with him, leaving just Tony and Natasha behind.

"Sometimes, I can't believe he's real," Natasha says, breaking the silence. There's no need to wonder who's the "he" she's talking about. Tony thinks it himself sometimes.

It's hard not to when kids start lining up single file for their turn to receive a stuffed animal from Steve.

"Me neither," Tony says. "Howard...he'd tell me all these stories of Steve and the 'good old days'...Steve single-handedly storming a HYDRA facility. Throwing himself on a grenade to give others the chance to live. I always thought he was embellishing a little. Making war stories more digestible for a kid, you know? But seeing him, knowing him? You can't help but wonder how someone can be so good."

"He's not like you," Natasha says. He doesn't even have it in himself to be offended. She's right. Steve isn't like Tony and will never be like Tony. A little rough around the edges. "He's not like me, either," she admits, catching Tony by surprise.

"He's the best of us," Tony says. He glances at her. Natasha sits forward, resting her head upon her palm. Her face is smooth, her cheeks still tinged pink from their rowdy tramping through the fairgrounds. She looks...raw. That's the only word to describe her. Raw and real and human. Not the robot switching personalities and names and appearances like most people change clothes.

"You make him that way," she says, shocking him again. His stomach drops, and whatever peace between them quickly disintegrates. What does she mean by that? What could she possibly know about him and Steve and all the complexities of their relationship?

“I don’t know what you mean,” Tony says, his voice coming out thin.

Something in Natasha’s face softens, and she tilts her head at Tony. “I’m not going to pretend I know all of the details, but…you’re good for him. And I think he’s good for you. You’re both...softer. You look happy.”

It’s like someone’s dumped cold water down Tony’s back; he’s so in shock he can barely register what Natasha is saying. He swallows. Natasha knows. Of course, she knows, and if it weren’t her job to gather intel and pick up on context clues, he’d be a lot more worried that the others knew. But she wasn’t blackmailing him or threatening him to stay away from Steve? She...approved of them? He remembers that debriefing after they had defeated Loki, what felt like a lifetime ago, and her casual dismissal of Tony and his relationship with Steve. He wants to bring it up, to confront her, but what’s there to confront?

He brings it up anyway. “Still think he wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole?”

Natasha tilts her head at him again, and he hates how sweaty his palms have gotten, and the hummingbird beating of his heart, like his relationship with Steve hinges on her opinion.

“No,” she says slowly as if to weigh her words. “He wants you too much. I don’t think he could give you up even if he wanted to.”

As if summoned, Steve comes bounding back to their table looking boyish and vibrant in the evening sun before Tony can process her words.

"What I miss?" he says with a breathless grin, holding onto one last stuffed animal.

"Nothing much," Tony says before Natasha can say anything incriminating. His eyes dart down to the last stuffed animal in Steve's arms. It's an Iron Man bear, of course, all done up in the telltale red and gold of Tony's suit. "What's the deal, no one wanted him?" he says, nodding to the bear.

Steve looks down at the Iron Bear, and what he says next might actually make Tony melt into a puddle. "Nah. Couldn't bear to give him up."

Tony ignores Natasha's pointed look and hopes that his face isn't as red as he thinks it is.

“Clint, you’re riding with me on the Ferris wheel,” Natasha declares when everyone makes it back to their table, and Steve has successfully made Tony as red as his suit.

“A Ferris wheel?” Thor asks, arching his brow.

“It’s a carnival classic,” Clint says. “It’s a giant wheel that lifts you into the air. Perfect way to end the day.”

“It’s older than Cap,” Natasha throws in helpfully, smirking at Steve when he shoots her an exasperated look.

“Your Midgardian traditions are so strange,” Thor says. “Interesting, but strange.”

“I’m not hearing a no,” Clint says.

“Hm.” Thor turns to look at Bruce, who looked surprisingly (and thankfully) content with himself. “Would you like to ride with me, Doctor Banner?”

Bruce reddens, and Tony doesn't feel so alone because it looks like Bruce has his own beefy blond problem he needs to deal with. "Sure, since you asked," Bruce responds, leaving just...Steve.

Steve shares a look with Natasha, and Tony gets the sneaking suspicion that they planned this. Who knew that the fall of SHIELD would lead to one of the most dangerous alliances Tony had ever seen?

"Tony," Steve begins, sounding like he's about to propose, he's so serious. "Want to ride with me?"

His heartbeat quickens, and he's not sure why. It's not like it's a public declaration of love to ride with someone on a Ferris wheel.

It'd look weird if he takes too long to answer, so Tony says, "Yeah. Sounds like a plan."

They toss their trash and pick up their respective prizes they won throughout the day, Natasha with her light-up sword, Clint with his stuffed dog. Thor's lion hat from the strongman game sits proudly atop his head. Tony wants to make a joke about Hercules, but he also doesn't want to deal with the guaranteed headache he'll get when Thor replies with some mind-bending statement like he and Hercules are gym bros or other. Tony and Steve walk side by side, far behind the rest of their little group, bears in one hand, their free hands brushing with each step.

Part of him knows that if he just reached over...if he took that extra step for Steve's hand...Steve would let him. It'd be so easy…

The line to the Ferris wheel isn't too long, and by the time Tony works up the courage to take Steve's hand, the volunteers are strapping them in.

One of the volunteers lowers the bar over their heads, making sure that they're secure, and that's it. Tony's trapped. He's stuck on this Ferris wheel for the next ten minutes, and Steve is so goddamn close he can feel how hot his skin is from being out in the sun and—

"I'm not gonna bite, you know," Steve mutters when they start to ascend. He won't meet Tony's eyes. "I...I know you're afraid of me."

Tony swallows, his stomach twisting into knots at the thought of Steve thinking he feared him.

"I'm not...Steve, I'm not afraid of you," Tony says. Steve's still looking down. He doesn't know where he gets the courage, but he cups Steve's face and makes him look at him. "You hear me? I'm not afraid of you."

Steve's eyes have always been a weakness of Tony's, and right now, when they're so big and blue and so fucking sad, it doesn't do him any favors. They're almost at the top of the wheel. A stray breeze rustles a lock of Steve's hair, and Tony feels like he's on a cliff's edge.

"Then why—" Steve begins, only to be cut off by Tony's lips. Tony closes his eyes and answers Steve the only way he knows how.

It's cliche, but Tony swears he can see fireworks going off behind his eyelids. Steve's lips are warm and soft and pliant against his. Tony deepens the kiss and slides one of his hands into Steve's hair, the other remaining on his face. He can taste the remnants of cotton candy on Steve's mouth.

They break apart because, unfortunately, air is necessary to live. Tony has half a mind to invent a way for humans to survive without air if it meant he could spend the rest of his life kissing Steve.

This high up, with the sun setting behind them, Tony wishes he had at least brought a jacket.

Steve lifts his arm, "Here," he says. "Lean into me." Tony does just that and tucks his body into Steve's side, his arm is a reassuring weight around him.

The others are too far back to see Tony and Steve. It's easy up here, easy to forget that Steve's Captain America and Tony's a barely functioning former alcoholic with a slew of mental issues.

He looks at Steve out the corner of his eye, takes in his features shamelessly and selfishly, the allure of being above everyone reeling him in. He loves Steve's face, the cut of his jaw, and his long, pretty lashes and those eyes. It's painful looking at him. Sometimes it feels like his heart's gonna swell up and pop right out of his chest when he looks at Steve.

In that moment, he's glad they went to the carnival if only to forget the world for a little while.

#stony #stevetony #steve x tony #steve rogers #tony stark #marvel #mcu #stony fanfic #stony fic #stony fanfiction #superhusbands #my fic #my writing #imperialstark fic #choke on me

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contextualizd · 3 years

Text

So it's my first time ever to try writing a short story/fan fiction. I'm a huge fan of B99 and I've read so many amazing fics here and on AO3, so I tried writing one. I love the jealous/pining Amy plot cause I feel like we don't see that a lot on TV, so that's what I went for. This is a little sad but hopeful. I've read some fics of the same plot so I may have gotten some inspiration from them. I also used Of Monsters and Men's version of the song ”Circles” as inspiration: Run away, but we're running in circles.

And again, it's my first time EVER to write a fictional short story so please bear with me. I mostly just write poems and essays so this is all very new to me. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts though. But please be gentle. Haha. Anyway, here it goes...

NOTE: Also posted here and on AO3.

"Run away, but we're running in circles"

Plot:

Set after Det. Majors, where Amy told Jake about her rule of not dating cops, and before Johnny and Dora.

Caroline, another detective friend of Jake's from his old precinct comes to the 99 to work on a research.

They reconnect and Amy learns from Caroline herself that she really liked Jake and now that he's single, she's hoping that something could finally happen between them. And Amy starts regretting her decision of telling Jake about her stupid rule.

Amy looked up from her computer for the nth time. The desk opposite her is still empty. It's almost lunchtime and Jake hasn't come in yet. She's wondering if he's called in sick or something. She can just text him to ask of course, but since that day she told him about her rule of not dating cops, things have been kinda awkward between them.

She doesn't want to ask Charles cause he'll just tease her. He hasn't stopped teasing her since he found out she had feelings for Jake. It's not really helping with the way things are right now.

Rosa probably won't mind but she's certain that she doesn't care so much about Jake's whereabouts either.

Terry is out on a workplace seminar.

And she's too intimidated to talk to Gina.

Her only other option is to ask Captain Holt, but he's not in his office as well. Something about a meeting in One Police Plaza.

Why does she care so much anyway? Oh yeah, it's because she still likes Jake. But she can't tell him because of her stupid rule. She keeps telling herself that it's for the best. She doesn't want to risk whatever friendship they have just because of a stupid crush.

After about an hour, the elevator dings, and out came Captain Holt with Jake and a very pretty blonde girl.

She's so pretty and her face is so charming. Her hair is so straight and swishy. Her eyes crinkle when she smiles and she has a tiny dimple on her left cheek. She seems to be leaning closely to Jake while talking and laughing animatedly. Amy was so focused on her and how she seems to know Jake so well that she didn't even notice that Captain Holt was talking to the squad.

"..and so we agreed that they can research the system in a number of preselected precincts via observation. Which is why Ms. Caroline Gomez here from the Information Technology Bureau will be joining us for a few days to observe and study our day-to-day processes. Do make her feel at home."

"Thank you, Captain." Caroline smiles sweetly at him.

"I hope you'll find the squad to be helpful for your research. You could maybe start by taking a tour around the precinct. Detective Peralta can help you with that."

"You got it, Captain." Says Jake.

"I'll be in my office if you need anything. Good luck."

After Captain Holt retreated to his office Jake started to introduce Caroline to the squad. It turns out that Caroline was an old friend of Jake's from his old precinct. She's been transferred to the Strategic Technology Division and is researching a project that her team is working on. She reached out to Jake when she found out that he's working at the 99 to see if they can arrange a meeting with Captain Holt. The project is confidential but it was discussed with Captain Holt during the meeting. Jake came with him to One Police Plaza out of curiosity but he was "excluded" because according to him, "They probably thought they won't be able to handle my inputs."

"You remember Gina?" Jake asks Caroline.

"How could anyone ever forget Gina?"

"I know right? What's up girl?" Gina winks at her.

"I'm great. This is great. I'm so lucky that I at least knew some people here. I was so worried about doing this research cause I don't know how the precincts would feel about an 'outsider' snooping around."

"Nonsense! You're not an outsider. Plus Captain totally approves of that project. Whatever the hell that is. Anyway, come on, I'll show you around. First up, the best part of the precinct: the breakroom." Jake says, pulling Caroline to the direction of the breakroom.

"She hasn't changed one bit. She still runs after Jake like a little puppy." Says Gina while shaking her head slowly.

"What do you mean?" asks Amy.

"I remember when they were still working together, I'd be hanging out with Jake at Nana's apartment, the one where I live now, and she would just show up out of nowhere talking about work or something. Then she'd just stay there and hang out with us completely forgetting about the work thing. Jake kept saying they're just friends but I know there's something between them. Sometimes she would stay behind even after I left. I bet they hooked up a lot." With that, Gina left.

Charles turns to Amy with a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Amy tells him, though she's not entirely sure if she is.

First on Caroline's To-Do list that day was to study about the 99's process when it comes to reports and paperwork, so Captain Holt assigned Amy to help her.

Amy loves talking about paperwork but for some reason, she feels uncomfortable about this task. But Caroline was actually really sweet and funny, so she started to slowly feel at ease.

"I'm so sorry. This is probably too tedious for you," Caroline tells Amy.

"No, not at all. I love paperwork. Like you have no idea."

"Really? That's so cool. Although Captain Holt did say that you're the best person for this task."

"Really? Captain Holt said that?"

But Caroline wasn't able to answer her cause she was too busy looking at Jake who just passed by engrossed in a case file.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?"

"You and Jake are pretty close huh?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Though, we weren't able to keep in touch after he was transferred. That's why I was so excited when I found out that he's here at the 99. I missed him a lot."

"Do you... like him?" Amy blurted out, immediately regretting her question.

"What? Oh god. Am I that obvious? Haha."

Well... Amy just shrugged.

"I.... do. Yeah. I've always liked him. Even before, when we're still working together. I just never thought I was his type. Do you think he'll like me back?"

Oh. "Um...." She didn't have any problem admitting it huh. If it's so easy for her why am I finding it so hard? Amy thought to herself.

"I'm sorry that's a stupid question. But.. do you know if he's single? Is he dating anybody? I mean, I was kinda hoping that maybe something could happen between us this time."

"Uh.. yeah... I think so. None.. that I know of."

"I'm so sorry about my silly questions. I should be focusing on my research. It's just that I think you guys are so close. And I felt super hopeful especially now that we're hanging out again. It's amazing. We're actually heading out for lunch. You wanna join us?"

"Oh. No... no... I'm fine. Thanks."

"You sure? Well, it's almost lunchtime, I'd better go check if he's ready to go. Thank you so much for your help."

"Sure thing. No problem at all."

"Okay, see you later."

Amy watched as she goes to Jake who immediately put down his case file and got ready to go. They left the precinct laughing at something, probably a clever joke that Caroline told him, while she just stared at them till the elevator doors closed.

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

The next day, Jake.. and Caroline are nowhere to be found. Amy hasn't seen them since she came to work this morning.

"They went on a date."

"What?! What are you talking about Boyle? Also, why are you sitting so close to me??" Amy tells Charles who's suddenly by her side.

"You're looking for Jake and Caroline, right? I'm pretty sure they went on a date last night. That's probably why they're coming in late today. I'm telling you, Amy, you should do something. I mean, I like Caroline but I like you better for Jake." Charles said with a wink.

"Okay, first of all... I'm not looking for them. Second, never ever wink at me again. And third, I'm not gonna do anything because I made up my mind and I would never date a cop again. Let him date Caroline if he wants to."

"Fine. If you're gonna choose to break your own heart, then fine." Charles tells her leaving her thinking once again. Is that what she's doing? Is she really breaking her own heart?

At around 10:30, they finally arrived together and Jake is carrying Caroline's bag.

Such a boyfriend move. Are they together now? This girl works fast. Amy thought to herself.

Gina who seems to be thinking the same thing as Amy is, went to Jake's desk while Caroline went straight to Captain Holt's office.

"So I guess, chivalry really is not dead huh?"

"Hmm? What's that now?" Jake asks her.

"You carrying her bag when you came to work together. I didn't know you were such a gentleman. Are you like this with all your girlfriends or just her?"

"What? No-no-no. I mean, of course, I'm a gentleman with my girlfriends, but Caroline is not my girlfriend. I'm just carrying her bag because it has the files about this 'confidential' project that we picked up from One Police Plaza this morning. I was hoping I could get a peek but I never got a chance. I am dying to know what this project is about!"

"You picked up the files for her?" Amy couldn't help but butt in.

"Well, I volunteered, but she wouldn't let me pick them up myself. So I just accompanied her this morning to get them. And when I saw that they look heavy, I saw an opportunity. So I offered to carry the bag but I never had the chance to take a look. She's watching it like a frigging hawk!"

Still a boyfriend move. I wonder if he’d carry my bag for me if it looks heavy. He probably would if I was his girlfriend. Which I’m not. Amy thought, once again imagining what might have been.

"Well, this has become a work story, I'm no longer interested. Buh-bye!" Gina says as she returns to her desk leaving the two of them staring at each other. And for some reason, things have suddenly become awkward again.

"Classic Gina," Jake tells her with a shrug and a shy smile.

"Yeah. So.... are you guys dating?" Amy asks him, unable to help herself. She just really wanted to know.

"Me and Caroline? No." Jake answered almost too quickly.

"Why not? I think she likes you."

"What? I mean, I dunno. I think she's great but I never really thought of her that way before."

"Maybe you should ask her out."

"Oh... You think so?" Jake looks genuinely surprised by what she said. And to be honest she's surprised by her own question as well. Maybe she really is breaking her own heart.

"Ooh! You think she'd tell me about the project if we end up being together?" Jake asks her.

"Jake!" Amy scolded him shaking her head at him. Though that actually made her smile a little bit. He's such an idiot sometimes.

"No. Yeah I know. That's such a dick move. But seriously... do you really think I should ask her out?" Jake asks her again but this time there's something in his eyes as he stares at her. Like he's looking for something. Confirmation maybe? Like he's asking her if that's what she really wants him to do.

"Mhmm. Yeah." Was all she could manage.

"Okay. Yeah.. maybe." Jake answered, much to Amy's dismay.

And they both fell silent after that. Focusing on their computer screens, trying to avoid the longing gaze from each other's eyes.

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

That night, Amy went out for drinks at Shaw's with the squad. Except for Jake and Caroline. Jake had to work on a case and Caroline kept him company. She cares for him a lot. She's really perfect for him.

But I can do that too. I also care for him a lot. I wanna be the one waiting for him while he works on a case. Maybe even help him cause we work so well together. I wanna be the one he comes to work with and the one he goes home with.

She's always wanted to be that person for him. When he broke up with Sophia, she saw that glimmer of hope once again. The feeling that something might happen between them. If she's being honest that feeling never really went away. She's just too scared to face it. Plus she's certain that his feelings for her were all gone now, after she turned him down twice because of Teddy. Though every once in a while they share a moment that makes her think maybe there's still something between them. But anytime that happens, one of them seems to pull back, too scared to jump in.

Amy tries to shake those thoughts away. Rosa finds her with her bottle of beer that's no longer cold.

"Hey. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Is it Jake? What's the matter with you two? Why are you not dating still? You both like each other. Just go out already."

"It's too complicated Rosa. Dating a cop is too messy. It could ruin everything like how it ruined everything with Teddy. I don't want that to happen between me and Jake. Plus there’s Caroline now. I’m sure he’s better off with her.”

"You're the only one that's making it complicated with your stupid rules. You keep pushing him away. Then you'll realize that you really like him. But then he's already with someone else. You guys are running around in circles. Now you're sitting here looking so lonely. You look pathetic."

"Gee. Thanks a lot."

"Look if you don't want to date Jake because it's 'too messy', maybe you should go out with someone else. That guy looks cute."

Rosa points to a guy sitting alone at the other side of the bar who does look kinda cute.

"Yeah. Maybe I should."

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

It was Caroline's 3rd day at the 99 and Amy had to help her with some case files that she needed to study. There's only the two of them inside the evidence lock up and it was getting kinda awkward, for Amy that is, so she tried to start a conversation.

"So how's it going with you and Jake?" She couldn't think of anything else to talk about. Unfortunately, Jake was the only thing she can think of that they have in common.

"Oh... it's great. He finally asked me out. We're going on an actual date tonight." Caroline tells her.

She's so happy and giddy, Amy couldn't help but feel happy for her as well. Though she knows that a part of her wants to be in her place.

"I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, I really can't wait for tonight. I'm so excited."

Amy tried to give her the best smile she could muster.

When Amy went to the break room to get some coffee, she found Jake eating his breakfast.

"Hey" Jake greeted him awkwardly.

"Hey. Um.. so I heard you finally asked Caroline out."

"I did. Yeah."

"Great. Good for you." She can tell that Jake isn't comfortable talking about this either.

"Thanks."

"I'm also going out on a date tonight."

"Really?" Jake was genuinely surprised. And for a moment Amy thought that she saw a hint of something in his eyes. Is it sadness? Pain?

"Who's the unlucky guy?"

"Someone I met from the bar last night. He's actually really nice. We talked a lot. So he asked me out on a proper date."

"Well, good for you as well then. Did you check if he's a cop? You know, because of the rule."

"No. Yeah, I probably should do that. Better be safe, right? Haha."

"Well. Um.. have fun."

"Yeah, you too."

Truth is, she doesn't really have a date. She didn't even know the name of that guy from the bar. He was cute and he seemed great but she just couldn't find her interest in dating anyone else right now. She just said that to make Jake think that she's totally fine with him going out with Caroline. And that she's not regretting her stupid rule about not dating cops for even a second.

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

"So how's the date?" Amy asks Caroline the next morning.

"It was great. But..."

"But what?"

"Well.. he doesn't like me back."

"What? Why? What happened?"

"It was really great. We talked a lot the whole night. We laughed so much. It was fun really. But when the night was over and I tried to kiss him.. he didn't kiss me back."

"Oh god. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. He was actually really sweet about it. He apologized to me, and he said he was genuinely sorry. Said he thinks I'm amazing, but that he just couldn't find his interest in dating right now."

"He said that?"

"Yeah. But to be honest, I think he likes someone else."

"Really? Why would you think that?"

"I dunno. I just kinda felt it. Like he's longing for someone but he can't be with her and he just doesn't want to date anyone if it's not her."

"He told you this?"

"No. I don't think he'd ever tell me anything about it. But I can feel it. I can see it in his eyes."

They were both quiet for a while.

"Um... I don't know what to say. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Caroline smiled at her.

Amy feels bad for her. She really does. But in a way, her heart feels light with relief to know that Jake doesn't want to date anyone else either.

When she went back to her desk, Jake was burrowed deep in paperwork. But he looked up when she sat down and smiled at her.

"Hey, so I heard the news from Caroline. What happened?" Amy asks Jake trying to find out what he's gonna say about it.

"I dunno. I guess I just realized that maybe you're right. Dating cops can be messy. I didn't want to ruin what we have." Jake shrugged.

"Right. Of course. No dating cops. The best rule, right?"

Jake stares at her for a while before answering. "Sure...Yeah."

Amy wanted to say something. She wants to take it back so badly. She wants to tell him that it's all bullshit and she doesn't care how messy it could get just as long as she's with him. But she didn't.

She doesn't know what's holding her back. Maybe she's too scared. She's never felt like this before. She's always been sure about her decisions. Always calculated every step. But with Jake, her entire system just seems to fall apart. It's so bizarre and it feels good but it's also so scary. Because for the first time in her life she's not sure what to do next.

They didn't say a word after that and just went back to focusing on the work in front of them. Trying not to think of what could have been if they were not cops working together and falling for each other. Or if they would just stop running around in circles.

#brooklyn 99 #b99 fic #fan fic writing #b99 fanfic #fan fiction #jake and amy #jake peralta #amy santiago #jealous amy #pining amy #pining peraltiago #peraltiago #pre peraltiago #b99

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scottybrock · 4 years

Text

Petty & Pettier - Colby Brock

A/N: Requested by a lovely anon: “arzaylea rodriguez saying something online or in an interview about reader thus starting a feud between them and the whole gang not really knowing whose side to take? maybe arzaylea is threatened by reader and colbys friendship? ohhh and maybe to add fuel to the fire reader might befriend one of arzayleas exes? just a whole bunch of drama cause I’m in a dramatic mood “

You usually weren’t a petty bitch.

Okay, so you were. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially because you used your powers for good, for your friends, rather than yourself. When it came to defending yourself, you didn’t really care for it. People could think whatever they wanted about you; you knew what was true and what wasn’t. It didn’t bother you. You didn’t really give a flying shit if anyone said anything about you. You were used to it- you hung out with some pretty big content creators, and you were just a lowly nobody, according to what people said about you. You weren’t a Youtuber, and you kept yourself out of the spotlight. People didn’t understand how you became friends with the people you were friends with, but it was really no one’s fucking business.

However, when it came to defending your friends, you were a shark that had caught a whiff of blood- earnest to draw even more, if need be. It was something your friends loved about you- how much you cared about them, loved them. Colby, especially, appreciated your fierce and unyielding devotion to your friend group. You loved your friends, and you would do anything for them. Putting a few bitches in place was the very least of what you would do for them.

The bitch in question this time around, was none other than Arzaylea Rodriguez. You knew all about her. She went for the clout chasing option when searching for future boyfriends. Unfortunately this time, she had her sights set on none other than Colby Brock.

You had heard about what she had done to Luke Hemmings, lead singer of the band 5 Seconds of Summer. She had gotten him into harder drugs, tried to isolate him from his best friends and his fans, and nearly succeeded. Luckily, Luke pulled his head out of his ass long enough to finally dump the clout-chasing parasite on her ass.

Arzaylea prided herself on chasing after boys who had a following, a steady fan base. Colby was too big-hearted to really notice Arzaylea’s true intentions. His heart was too kind, too pure to be able to really see what a horrid person she really was. She was nothing like the flower of her namesake. The rest of the group had seen the destruction she left behind from all of her exes.

Tara was all for the speedy destruction of the possible blossoming relationship between Colby and Arzaylea. Sam, being the sweetheart he was, wanted things to end as peacefully as possible. Jake seemed torn between wanting you to end her, and wanting things to remain as un-messy as possible. Corey and Devyn seemed indifferent, but also displeased with the blossoming relationship, especially because it involved Arzaylea. Katrina seemed to want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but was leaning towards discovering that the she-devil was trash. Kevin, Mike, and Reggie point-blank didn’t like her, which was where Aryia, Xepher, and Cassie stood.

“Dude,” Sam’s voice was one of shock. His bright blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, his jaw hanging slack. “She just roasted you.” Arzaylea, threatened by your friendship with Colby, had taken to Twitter as usual. She sent out a slew of defamatory tweets, bashing not only your character, but your looks as well. She called you an attention-seeking whore. “Pot, meet kettle,” You scoffed in response when you saw that particular tweet.

“It’s not like any of those tweets are true!” Tara protested vehemently, fuming on your behalf. Jake just stared at his phone screen, his jaw clenched with anger. Katrina seemed to be near-tears on your behalf, her lower lip quivering with indignation and hurt. Her glassy eyes rested on you, and she offered you a shaky half-smile.

You just shrugged, nonplussed with the tweets. As long as she wasn’t going after your friends, you didn’t necessarily give a flying fuck. Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing a rather disheveled looking Colby on the other side. His bright blue eyes were aflame with complete and utter rage. He stalked across the room and plopped down on the couch next to you, his handsome face set into a fierce scowl.

“She tried to make me choose,” His voice was gruff, and quivering with barely suppressed anger. “She told me to choose either you or her, and I chose you.” His eyes settled on your face, some of the anger leaving it. He offered you a strained smile. “Obviously, I chose you.” His voice softened on the word ‘you,’ Your cheeks flushed, and you ducked your head. “Clearly, she didn’t take it so well.” Colby’s smile dropped, his scowl replacing it.

You shrugged again. “As long as she doesn’t say anything about-” Tara cut you off, her big brown eyes wide with fury on your behalf. “She’s not going to get away with this,” Her voice was sharp, tight with anger. Jake piped up, “Aren’t you still friends with Luke?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “Fight fire with fire, just this once.” He begged, clasping his hands together and tucking them under his chin, wide eyes staring at you.

Your lips curled up into a smirk. If Arzaylea wanted to play dirty, you could play even dirtier. Katrina beamed, her tears disappearing. “Call him,” She instructed. Sam watched you, looking nervous, but excited. You reached for your phone, your smirk never leaving your face. “That’s your murder-face,” Colby observed, raising his eyebrows. “What exactly is your plan?”

Your smirk just grew wider, to the absolute delight of Tara and Jake. “You’ll see!” You sing-songed. The glint in your eyes spoke volumes. You were getting ready to win the fucking war.

Sure enough, Luke had seen the tweets. He was just as angry as your group of friends, and you watched him bemusedly as he threw things around his hotel room, shouting obscenities about what a rat Arzaylea was. He yeeted yet another pillow across the room, storming around like a tornado. Finally, you held a hand up and let out an ear-piercing scream. Luke stopped what he was doing immediately, and turned to face you. His bright blue eyes reminded you of someone else, and your heart panged in your chest.

“I have a plan,” You announced. Luke stood in the middle of the room, his gorgeous face untwisting from the scowl that it was previously set in, to a lovely smirk. “I’m in,” He replied. You wrinkled your nose at him, smiling amusedly at him. “I didn’t even tell you what it was yet!” You protested playfully. Luke grinned, and his dimples deepened. You stared at him, transfixed. Your heart was set on someone else, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t admire the work of art standing in front of you.

A few days later, several demands from your friends on when you were going to strike, and a few dozen mysterious smirks from you later, your plan was revealed. “Turn on channel six,” You instructed Sam, who immediately scrambled for the remote. The television flickered to life, and Sam immediately hit the number six.

Sure enough, Luke was sitting on a plush chair, looking somber. He was sans bandmates, even though Michael begged him to let him come along, so he could roast the absolute shit out of the Krusty Krab. Luke denied his request, ignoring your hysterical laughter in the background during the phone call.

“So,” Ellen Degeneres began, looking sympathetically at Luke. “You’re here to talk about your toxic ex-girlfriend today?” Luke nodded, his somber expression intensifying. You stifled a laugh. “Yeah,” Luke replied. “Because it’s not only me, that she’s hurt. It’s been several people, and she won’t stop until she’s called out, like she likes to do to so many other people who frown upon her actions.” You bounced on the couch gleefully. Sam was stifling his laughter from behind his hand. Katrina and Tara were outright cackling. Colby looked impressed.

Luke went on to detail his relationship with Arzaylea, explaining in detail the way she would cheat on him with someone else who she thought had a bigger following, and the way she would beg herself back into his life. The way she urged him to try cocaine, and got him hooked. He went on to detail the way she chased after attention, the way she had left him as soon as there was someone else higher on the food chain.

Colby’s eyes were wide when Luke was finished with his story. The room was silent, and you swore you heard some sniffles from the audience. You mentally applauded Luke for not only his bravery, but his willingness to do this for you. It was something he’d wanted to do for years, but never knew how to go about it. You hoped that he felt freed from her now.

You silently clicked the television off, then turned to face your friends. The instant you moved, you were engulfed in Colby’s arms, and he was hugging you tightly. “Thank you,” Colby’s voice murmured softly. “For looking out for me.” You snuggled into his embrace, melting against him. “Always,” You replied, your voice just as soft. “I’ll always look out for you, Colbs.” His arms tightened around you in response.

You pulled back and looked at him searchingly. “I’m sorry if you really did like her,” Your voice remained soft. “I just didn’t want you to get sucked into her cycle, like Luke did.” Colby’s eyes met yours, and his expression warmed instantly. “It’s whatever,” Colby shrugged. “She wasn’t the one for me. But she helped me pull my head out of my ass, and made me realize that the one for me is closer than I think.” His gaze was meaningful, and you grinned in response. Colby’s lips curled into a soft smile. “In fact, she’s sitting right in front of me.”

Your cheeks flushed, but you nodded, a sweet smile gracing your face. “Yeah,” You replied softly. “She is.”

#colby brock fanfiction #colby brock #colby brock imagine #Sam and Colby #colby brock fanfic #xplr #traphouse #tara yummy #katrina stuart #sam golbach #jake webber #luke hemmings #cole robert brock

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lettersinscarlet · 4 years

Text

Tattoo (Jake Webber Imagine)

Merry Christmas! I know this isn’t Christmas themed, but I already did one yesterday so I can post whatever I want today. Jk jk, but yeah I just wanted to post this one. I hope you all have a wonderful day today, and know that my ask box and my messages are always open to anyone (unless it’s a scam or something) but if you guys want to talk to me I’m here to listen! I might take a minute to respond, but I’ll respond as soon as I can. My requests are open for Sam, Colby, and Jake, as well as Damon for the Vampire Diaries fans. Enjoy!

P.S.: Way way back, this was a request for @daddydobrock and I’m not really sure what the request was anymore but oh well

——————————————————————————

You had always been the quiet one. It’s not that you didn’t like any of the guys, you just didn’t always have a lot to say. You love it when they invite you over and they do some crazy stuff, you just never put a lot of input in it. You seemed to be more responsible, but there was a side of you they didn’t know just yet, but you were getting more and more comfortable each day.

Today, Jake has invited you over so you could help him film one of his videos. You were excited to go over because you always laughed he hardest whenever you were with Jake. His video was going to be something insane and he wanted you to film it. On your way over, you packed a first aid kit, because you were never sure what he was going to get into.

You pulled up to the building and you walked up to his apartment.

“Come in! It’s open!” he called from inside. You turned the handle and sure enough, it was unlocked.

“One of these days, someone’s going to be looking for unlocked doors and they’ll find yours and then you’ll end up missing,” you say as you walk in. He just laughs and brushes it off.

“In this video, you are gonna film me TPing Sam’s apartment,” he said with a giddy smile. You laughed so hard you practically rolled on the floor.

“He’s going to kill you,” you tell him as you get up.

“I know! And you get to get it all on video!”

You both laugh for a while longer and then he loads you into his car to drive to get the toilet paper. You guys ended up cleaning out the store’s supply and all of it barely fit into the car. When you got back, you went to Sam’s apartment because he wasn’t there. He had ended up meeting Kat for lunch, so you had plenty of time.

You had the camera and filmed as Jake completely covered Sam’s apartment in toilet paper. He wrapped the couch, covered the stairs, the bathroom, the TV, the shower, the closets, the bedroom, the balcony, everything. Jake even filmed you as you helped contribute to the mess that was going to be a major pain to clean up. When you two were satisfied with your work, you turned the camera to look at Jake.

“So how long are we gonna have to wait?” you asked him and he smiled in return.

“Not long,” he said and pulled out his phone. He called Sam and put it on speaker.

“Hey, Sam” Jake asked, kind of sounding a little nervous. He winked over at you as he waited for Sam.

“Jake?” Sam replied, already sounding a little suspicious.

“You need to come home, like, right now.”

“Why?”

“I saw some really sketchy people outside of your apartment when I got home. I went to ask you if you wanted to do something, but then I remembered you were meeting up with Kat. I called as soon as I got home”

“Oh crap. Yea I’ll be on my way now. Thanks for letting me know,” Sam said hurriedly, then he hung up. Jake immediately looked at you and started giggling. You laughed, too, and then you calmed down.

“Where should we be when he comes in?”

“We should definitely be sitting right on the couch when he walks in. Then, you can film his reaction and it will be hilarious.”

You guys got in position and waited. You head the door knob turned and you pointed the camera at Sam.

“What. In. The. World,” he said as more of a statement than a question. You and Jake were both laughing so hard that you were crying as Sam looked around and noticed all the toilet paper. “Why?” he asked as he still turned in circles.

“Don’t worry, brother,” Jake said as he put an arm around Sam’s shoulder. “I saw you were running low, so I stocked you up. You’re welcome,” he answered with a smug smile. You could barely hold the camera straight because you were laughing.

“Well, it’s time for us to go. Bye Sam!” Jake said as he led you out the door. When he closed it behind him, Jake smiled at the camera and started laughing again. The both of you walked back to Jake’s apartment and filmed his outro. After he was done, you walked over and patted him on the back.

“That was a good one,” you chuckle out as you look at Jake. He laughed and smiled back at you. “I’m thirsty brother let me get some water.” You walked over to the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge. You found a cold one and picked it up, but it slipped out your hands. You reached down to pick it up. When you got up, you set it on the counter and turned to Jake.

“Want something while I’m over here?”

He looked stunned and his eyes were staring straight ahead.

“Hello?” you asked and waved your hand in front of his face. He muttered something but you couldn’t hear it. “What?”

“Oh, um, no I’m good I don’t want anything,” he stammered out and went to go to the couch.

“Oh no you don’t,” you say and you walk closer to him. You turn him around and you ask, “what’s wrong?”

“I just never knew that you had a tattoo,” he says quietly. You think for a moment and realize he must’ve saw when you went and got the water.

“Oh, yeah, I have a couple. They just aren’t visible because of what I wear.”

“Oh,” he says, barely audible.

“What’s the big deal? Most of you guys have tattoos.”

“That’s true. It’s just, I kind of thought of you as this innocent girl, but seeing that tattoo, it makes, uh, it makes me-“

“Makes you what, Jake?” you ask exasperatedly.

“Makes me wanna do things,” he says and lowers his voice. You suddenly get the idea and then you walk even closer to him. You put your hand on his chest and slowly run it down.

“Do what things?” you question seductively as you lean up on your tiptoes.

Just as he was about to answer, Sam burst through the door holding rolls of toilet paper and started pelting you guys. You quickly ducked behind the counter and Jake dove to the floor.

Sam ran out of ammo and started laughing. “Got you guys! Don’t mess with Golbach!” he screamed and slammed the door behind him. You got up from your hiding space and glared at Jake.

“I told you. You should LOCK THE STUPID DOOR!”

Jake laughed and jogged over and locked the door. He cane back up to you and you hopped on the counter and put your arms around his neck.

“Now, what things did you want to do to me?” you ask and suddenly you feel his lips on yours.

———

Taglist:

@sp00kybrock @yikes-xander @daddydobrock @trapbrock-local @thenameisbabe @far-to-many-bands @lyssaholic @wacky-webber-458

#jake #jake webber #jake imagine #jake webber imagine #jake x reader #jake webber x reader #jake fanfic #jake webber fanfic #jake fanfiction #jake webber fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #imagine #x reader

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zankivich · 5 years

Text

Neighbors: Shawn x Plus Size Reader Chapter 12.5

a/n: I just wanted to pause and revel in Shawn and y/b getting to be in London and in love for a little bit. I wasn’t ready to let that go, so that’s pretty much all that this is. I hope you like it. Let me know if you do? K bye.

Warnings: smut. fluff. love. We real cute over here.

*Shawn’s pov*

“What in the hell are you wearing?” his girlfriend gasped him.

He looked up from tucking his shirt into his jeans as she stared at him in horror.

“What’s wrong? I really like this outfit.”

“I’ve never seen you in blue jeans before. Oh my god, Shawn. They’re so...tight.”

His worry quickly turned to a little bit of a self-satisfied grin. He could always count on his girlfriend to give his ego a little boost.

“What? You think I’m sexy, aye?”

She rolled her eyes. “No! But turn around and grab my purse would you?”

He did as she asked, immediately recognizing her ulterior motives when he turned around and she was staring about three feet too low for his eyes.

“Subtle, babe.”

“We must get out of here.”

He snorted and wrapped his arms around her from behind as they made their way to the door.

“You’re so dramatic. If you want to ravish me at any point just let me know.”

“Shut up with your face.” She muttered.

They all go out to explore the city together. And he gets to hold her hand and take pictures of her in front of pretty buildings where she smiles at him and the wind blows in her hair and he’s never been so in love in his whole entire life. There are fans about and people stop them for pictures, but nothing can burst this bubble. He can’t stop reaching out for her, can’t stop checking around him to make sure she’s pressed against his side. It’s needy and annoying to everyone around, and he just really doesn’t give a fuck.

Josiah suggests they go up to the roof of the building where rehearsals were hosted, to take pictures. It’s a rare day of sunshine and so it’s kind of the perfect moment. The second they get to the edge of stepping onto the roof though, y/n stops and refuses to move.

“Hey babe, what’s up?” He asked tugging slightly on her arm.

“I’m not going up there. I’ve seen this movie, the fat woman falls through the roof!”

He rolled his eyes. “Honey, you’re not going to fall through the roof. It’s metal. How heavy do you think you are?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t give a damn. I’m not taking my fat ass up there, Shawn. And that’s final.” She said sternly, hands perched on her hips.

*five minutes later*

“Try not to look so miserable, we’re trying to capture our love here.” He murmured as Josiah lined up the shot with his camera.

She pouted at him and he couldn't help but take her adorable cheeks in his hands. Wow, she was perfect.

“If I die up here, it’s all your fault. And, I expect you to pay for my funeral.”

He smiled. “Whatever you want. You can have everything.”

“K. Good.” She whispered. “You can kiss me now.”

“K.”

She wore a baby blue dress that day and a denim jacket that matched his jeans by coincidence. He fists his fingers in the fabric and kisses her softly. It’s gentle and nurturing and he can’t even remember ever being mad her. And when she giggles and tries to pull away from him, he kisses her cheeks instead. His heart feels endlessly full. Just like that. Just that instantaneously.

“You’re so pretty.” He sighed.

“You’re so pretty.”

“This is actually disgusting to watch!” Brian called from off to the side.

And that’s how Josiah gets a picture of him flipping Brian off while she kisses him.

They all huddle up around the camera to look at the shots and he’s just a bit of obsessed. There’s this one picture where she’s smiling down at the ground and the sun is hitting her cheekbones, and he’s smiling down at her like he loves her as much as he knows in his soul that he does. He kind of wants to get it framed.

“Babe, can I post this one?”

Her eyes widened slightly. “What like...like on insta?”

“Yea? I just think you’re beautiful. But, if you don’t want that, I won’t do it.”

Despite attending the grammys and the out and about of LA, their relationship was still kept pretty underwraps for the most part mostly due to her and what she wanted. If it was up to him, he’d be shouting his praises for her from the rooftops with a megaphone. In hindsight perhaps there was a reason his girlfriend kept a lid on him.

“Well like...would this be the only thing you post, or like would you post the other pictures too?” She asked nervously.

He peered around at everyone else wondering if anyone else was absolutely overcome with how damn cute she was. No one? Really?

“I’ll post whatever you want me to post.”

She peered down at the picture again before peering up at him nervously. When she nods it’s like they can both breathe a little easier. And so along with the pictures of him in the sun with the tea, which is all well and wonderful, he uploads the picture of them together, as a separate post entirely. There’s no caption besides his signature heart, he just sort of leaves it there to exist and to share with the world. And it feels important to him to share. So, when they head back down to the rehearsal space he tugs her a little farther behind everyone for just a moment to thank her.

“Hey. You sure you’re okay with the photo?” He murmured swinging their intertwined fingers back and forth in the space between them.

She nodded softly. “I--I think so. I mean it’s not like people don’t know right? And I don’t want you to ever think that I’m not like...proud to be with you or something.”

“I wouldn’t ever think that. I just want you to be comfortable, and I want you to know that you can count on me you know? About anything.”

“I do know.” She smiled. “I know.”

“Do you wanna go to dinner tonight? Just the two of us? I had Andrew pull my schedule through May. I figured we could get wine drunk and pick mini vacations.”

“Only if when we get back to the cottage you spank my ass a little more.”

His eyes widened. “That really did it for you huh?”

“More than your testosterone filled body could ever, ever understand.” She giggled.

Their sex life was wonderful as it was. She brought him pleasure unlike anyone he’d ever been with. She was attentive and passionate and...bendy. And he liked to think that he gave it as good as he got if those beautiful moments post orgasm when her eyes just fluttered and her lips couldn’t form words were anything to go by. But, he knew he'd give her everything, would be anything if it meant making her feel good. If she wanted to be spanked, a spanking is exactly what she would get.

“Maybe when we get back to the cottage I could bend you over and spank your ass so raw, you’ll think twice about asking me to spank it again.”

He may have heard her mumble something about god under her breath as he walked back down to rehearsals, but who was keeping track?

***

There are some fans outside the cafe. They hadn’t managed to find his hotel yet, and he thought that might have something to do with him staying at a different place than his crew. May he needed to get away with his girlfriend more often. Jake gets them in the line and he starts taking the selfies. Connor, Brian, and Josiah walk on ahead, but y/n stays behind off to the side because for some reason she loves him more than he could ever begin to deserve. And he can’t help but notice the interaction that occurs while he’s taking pictures.

Usually Jake helps navigate the crowd so that people are moving on after they’ve gotten their photo. This time he must have been at the end of the line making sure people weren’t pushing, because a group of girls got their photo with him and then subsequently moved on to his girlfriend.

“Hi! Uh, we were wondering if we could maybe take a picture with you?”

He looked over his shoulder to see her stare blankly at them in confusion.

“Me? Why me?”

“We just think you’re wicked! And all of us want to go to uni and like be successful in our lives, and knowing you did, well that’s just brilliant isn’t it?! Girls like us never get to see women be successful who aren't celebrities or instagram models.”

He certainly should have kept going with the pictures, but he couldn’t help but stop and watch. She looked every single one of them in the eye, the shock still clear on her face. He would have given anything to know what she was thinking in that very moment. She was scared of them, she was scared that at any moment someone might point out all of these parts of her that they thought were flaws, even if she didn’t. After everything there should have been zero expectation there that she would do anything she wasn’t comfortable with, and the fans were a large part of that. So, when she nodded softly and let them all pile in for a selfie, he’s a little shocked and lot filled with warmth as the thought. It was the kind of interaction he’d always expected with fans, and it was maybe a little nice to know that he wasn’t completely dead ass wrong.

“We’re gonna keep moving guys, but thank you so much for coming out. Have a wonderful day!” He smiled when he’d made it to the end of the crowd.

There was a chorus of byes and smiles and he couldn’t help but notice when someone said goodbye to y/n as well. It was wild, every part of it.

She’s quiet for a while as they walk together. And he can tell she’s in her head, but he wants to give her time to process. So they walk around and explore the city with the rest of the crew and she holds his hand, but it sort of feels like he’s simply holding the string to her balloon. If he wasn't holding on she’d surely float away. Every now and again, he couldn’t help but look over in her direction in the thought that maybe she’d done it anyway.

It isn’t until they’re at lunch and everyone else is absorbed in their own conversations that he can get her all to himself. She’s staring off at the sky through the window of the cafe and he reaches to tuck a curly strand of hair behind her ear. It gets her attention and makes her smile. Win, win.

“Hi.”

She smiled softly at him. “Hi.”

“Do you wanna float back down from the clouds for a little bit?”

She bit her lip and peered at the rest of the table to make sure they weren’t listening.

“How’d you know?”

“I know you.” He shrugged. “Is it good stuff, or bad stuff?”

“Mostly good, I think.”

“Well I’d love to hear some of it, if you’re willing to share.”

Her mind always felt simultaneously like his greatest challenge, but also the greatest beauty he’d ever seen. She struggled immensely with letting people into her head. And he’s figured out that unless he pushed her sometimes, he was going to miss really important pieces of who she was. Their friendship had started out on a constant balancing act between him wanting her to know everything because he trusted her and wanted to confide in her, and her not reciprocating in the way that he maybe wanted her too. When they were just friends--if they’d ever just been friends--he had struggled so hard with that, and struggled to feel like she cared for him the way that he did her. He was a little less naive now. It wasn’t that she didn’t care, it was more so that she had just never done it before. Sharing intimate pieces of yourself with someone is hard. So, he had learned to simply give her those moments to internalize before he could hopefully pull a little bit of what was going on in her head out into the open, for just the two of them.

“I guess those girls today just shook me up a little bit.” She admitted hesitantly.

She leaned on her folded arms on the table and he matched her stance so that their faces were closer together.

“In what way?”

“I wasn’t ready for them to be so...nice. And no one has ever really looked at me and said good job before. I mean obviously I work really hard, and I’m super kickass at what I do, but I didn’t get to where I am by someone putting a gold sticker on my homework at the end of the work day. It just felt nice to know that there’s something valuable in what I am.”

He frowned at her thumb coming out from the fold in his arms to push her chin a little higher in the air.

“There’s so much value you in everything that you are, sweetheart. You’re absolutely incredible.” He whispered.

She smiled. “No, I know. I didn’t mean it in a self-deprecating way. I just meant...it’s important to know yourself and your worth and to validate that for you and nobody else. But, that doesn’t mean that validation from others can’t feel really good. I guess I thought I knew that, but I wasn’t ready for how good it might feel to be a little more accepted by your world.”

“Well, I’m really glad and happy that you care enough to want to be accepted. And I’m sorry that you didn’t get that feeling sooner.”

“It’s okay. We’re okay, that’s what matters.”

“K. C’mere.” He sighed having gone way too long without kissing her.

She did that thing where she gripped his chin and completely dominated his mouth and he’d never felt so submissive and so in love and so on the cusp of a semi in public before. He was entirely fucked for her, always.

“You know one day your lips are gonna get stuck like that!” Brian yelled from the other end of the table completely ruining this absolutely wonderful moment for him.

“Do you think if we get him a blow up doll, he’ll stop cock blocking us so much?”

His girlfriend rolled his eyes. “Why is it always cockblock, anyway? What, is my vagina unblockable? Your language is so not inclusive.”

“I’m sorry. Your vagina is absolutely blockable, babe. I’d block it. I’d build a whole wall for your vagina.”

“You were doing so well until you got all Donald Trump-y on me.” She sighed.

“Well at least your expectations for me are achievable. I’m definitely not being set up to fail here or anything.”

They grinned at each other and laughed at their own hilariousness because that’s just the kind of couple they were. Brian was gonna have to work a little harder to ruin their vibe.

***

“Alright guys let’s take five, and then we’ll run it again!” He smiled stepping away from the mic.

The band all high fives each other before going to get water or grab snacks from the catering table. Y/n is curled up on the couch where she had the perfect view of the mini stage they’d set up, and he quickly made his way over to plop down on top of her with all of his weight.

“You are actually suffocating me you giant!” She snorted.

He rearranged his limbs slightly just to give her a little more space, but still wrapped himself around her quickly.

“What do you think of the show so far, babe? It’s gonna be a hundred times better with the lights and the explosions and everything.”

“You sound incredible. When you do the high notes in particular taste I’m pretty sure I immediately got wet. I can only imagine the pheromones that will be in the air at these shows.”

“Funny. Very funny.”

“Actually I was waiting for you to take a break...I was gonna head back to the cottage a little early if that’s okay with you?”

He frowned. “What’s wrong. Are you not feeling well?”

He immediately placed his palm over forehead to check for fever.

“I’m not sick. I’m just a little tired. And I know this is you working but...this is kind of my vacation. I figured I could go back and sleep and then by the time you got back we could go out to dinner or something.”

He couldn’t help the deflated feeling in his chest at the moment. He’d been waiting all week to play these songs for her. He wanted her to know that so many of them, whether they’d been originally written about her or not, felt so completely different now that they were together. He wanted to tell her that he couldn’t sing Fallin’ without thinking of their first night together as more than friends. Couldn’t sing Particular Taste without thinking of her naked at least once. And Why...well why just broke his fucking heart every time he thought about them not being able to communicate, and tell each other how they felt. So, he tried not to be hurt by his girlfriend simply wanting to go lay down at their hotel, but that was a tad bit easier said than done.

“O--Oh. Oh, okay. Yea. Just let me go ask Jake if he’ll ride with you.”

She shook her head at him. “I don’t need a bodyguard, honey. I think I’ll be okay. I wanna stop at a store anyway, don’t need to waste Jake’s time.”

“Okay. Well we’ll still go to dinner though, yea? Just the two of us?” He asked trying to keep the slight whine out of his voice that was threatening to bust through.

She gave him that look that said he’d been busted and he froze as she got off of the couch to step between his legs. For a while she just hugged him, and so he wrapped his arms around her hips and leaned his head on her chest as she ran her fingers through his hair. It was so soothing that for a second he was able to pretend that she wasn’t going to leave him.

“We can do absolutely anything you want tonight. I’m here for two more days, yea? Don’t get sad on me just yet.” She whispered.

Totally busted.

He nuzzled deeper into her skin and sighed until she hugged a little tighter. He sort of liked that she was willing to take care of him, just as much as he was her. It made him feel wanted, made him feel like she could see him for everything that he was.

“Okay. I’ll do my best. Can’t make any promises though.” He chuckled. “Kiss?”

She pecked softly at his lips hands holding sweetly at his cheeks as she slid her tongue along his. It just might tide him over.

“Love you.” She grinned.

“I love you too. Get out of here.”

He swatted playfully at her ass only for her to turn those eyes that could turn his insides upside down right on him.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Mendes.”

“Baby, I assure you I can always finish.”

She pushed playfully on his forehead and told him to get away from her before she made him finish right there in the middle of the rehearsal space. He just barely lets her leave.

Rehearsals goes for another two hours as they work through transitions, jam out alongside each other, and work to create the show in the manner that he envisioned it. It all felt right. And he could only imagine how the fans would react. He always wanted to give the best thing that he could to them, and he loved every aspect of performing. He’s sitting on the floor with the band and Connor and Brian just dicking around when Andrew comes in to check on them. He starts going over the expectations for the next day when Shawn’s phone starts to buzz. He’s hopeful that is y/n asking about dinner, because Andrew's updates tend to bore the fuck out of him.

y/n: I think you should hurry back to the cottage.

Shawn: I will honey. We’re finishing up now. Did you think about what you want for dinner?

y/n: I was kind of hoping you might decide what you want to eat.

He was just about to tell her that he’d ask one of the guys for a suggestion when a photo popped up in their message stream

His whole body froze as he was suddenly faced with his girlfriend dipped in very thin, very sheer lace. Her nipples were hard and taunt against the fabric, and she was biting her bottom lip like actual sin. And suddenly it was time to go.

“Welp! I simply must go now. Jake can you ask them to pull the car up to the back please?”

Brian and Connor looked at him like he was crazy.

“Who lit a fire under your ass?” Brian asked.

Andrew nodded. “I was still sort of going over the plan for tomorrow.”

“I will happily read the email you send of these meetings every single time once I’m in the car. I do have to go though.”

Shawn: I’m on my way. Don’t move.

“Shawn? Two minutes, huh? Can you spare me two minutes?”

He peered down at his phone and leaned his weight from foot to foot impatiently.

“Fine.” He sighed.

Fifteen excruciatingly long minutes later he’s climbing into the car to head back to the cottage and there’s another text from his girlfriend. This time she’s lying back and her hand is simply resting underneath the thinnest band of underwear he’s ever seen. Jesus.

Y/n: got you a present only for you to not come and open it.

Shawn: I’m coming. Jesus, I promise I’m coming.

y/n: every minute you make me wait, I make you wait when you get here.

“Fuck...Sir, can this car move any faster by chance?”

The driver peers at him through mirror and glances back at the road.

“I’m kind of driving as fast the speed limit allows, sir.”

His girlfriend was surely turning him into an idiot.

“Of course. Yea. Sorry about that.”

By the time he burst through the door to their room he was out of breath and sweaty without even having had, nor given an orgasm. It was a hard life to say the least.

And there his girlfriend was, lying in the middle of their bed fingers poised inside her and those thighs so tense and ready for worship. God he was obsessed with her.

He made a step towards her and her eyes fluttered open, still hooded and sultry in every way. When he goes to take another step she shakes her head at him and it causes him to freeze.

“Mmmm… You’re still gonna wait.”

There’s a whine that’s in the pit of his chest that he’s convinced is unlike any sound that he’s ever made before, but when she hears it her hand moves to rest against her pubic bone as she plunged deeper inside herself.

She moaned softly. “Take your clothes off. I think I deserve to see your Calvins too.”

“Jesus, you can see whatever you want.” He muttered practically tripping out of his jeans.

There had never been such a test on his patience than watching his girlfriend get off without him. He liked to think he was a giver, and honestly her pleasure in bed was seventy-five percent of what got him to reach his own climax. To not be allowed to touch. To be punished with the visual of her fingers working to an orgasm that he couldn’t, was perhaps the worst kind.

He stood by the bed fingers tracing her ankle as her hips bucked lewdly against her hand. He grabbed at himself through the underwear and practically melted when she moaned a sa result.

“Do you want me?” She asked.

“Yes. God, yes. Can I--Please let me touch you, baby.”

“I like watching you beg.” She giggled.

Jesus.

“If you want to touch me, then touch me. But make it good.”

He reaches for her thighs, first slowly and methodically mapping out her flesh. Everything about her is soft and when he squeezes at the inner part of her thighs, her back arches and he’s completely gone.

“Can I finger you?” He whispered, fingers edging toward her heat.

She bit her lip and nodded taking one of his hands in her own to lead him right where she needs it most.

“You’re so wet...warm.” He sighed as he stretched her lightly with two fingers. “It’s like this pussy was made for me.”

Her eyes closed and she smiled and hummed and oh my god I am so fucked for her.

He didn’t want to waste any time lest she decide to not let him touch anymore, so he quickly curved his fingers up in search for that spot that makes her cry out for him every time. It’s his favorite sound that she makes because it’s completely involuntarily. She can bite those full ass lips of hers all day long and try to muffle it in the pillow, but he always ends up hearing her eventually. And this time is no different.

“Uhh! Fuck, how do you do that?” She whimpered thrusting back against his fingers.

He keeps searching, keeps rubbing and curving until her voice goes up an octave and he knows that he’s where will get her there fastest.

“Just wanna please you baby. Only wanna make you feel good.”

He’s on his knees in front of her one hand on her knee for leverage while the other plunges deep within her being. Her hips leave the bed the faster he moves and she starts chanting for him to keep going, to push inside of her with all his might. He likes looming over her this way because he can see the way his necklace bumps against his neck and the way that her flops with every movement of her body. It makes him feel so connected to her in this most intimate of moments where everything is about connection. And when she starts to fall in on herself, when her pleasure is mounting to something incredible, he feels like they’re floating. Together.

“W--Wait, wait, wait. You can’t. You can’t make me squirt right now.”

“Why not?” He whined fingers not stopping.

“Oh my--fuck! The sheets, Shawn. The sheets!”

“I don’t care about the fucking sheets, I wanna see this pretty pussy squirt.” He grunted. “I’ll buy a whole new bed if you squirt for me.”

“Jesus Christ that’s hot!”

When she releases it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. The sounds that she makes. The tears in her eyes. The tremble in her thighs. Every part of it gets him going in ways he never thought possible. She’s absolutely stunning in pleasure, even more so than usual. For a moment he just stares at her in wonderment and overwhelming arousal. The visual is tantalizing, but he’s also so full of warmth for her too. The happiness that comes with making her feel good, even sexually, is insurmountable.

“See. Now was that so bad?” He huffed.

“Can’t. Move. Give me five minutes.” She gasped. “...Ten. Give me ten minutes. My fat ass was not made for this.”

*two hours later*

“If there’s an olympic medal for orgasms in an hour, I think you just won it.” She mumbled still out of breath.

“Well I think there actually is one for gymnastics and if they saw the way you were bending you’d surely win gold.”

“Yes compliments on our sex game. Go us.” She snorted raising her hand.

He quickly clapped his hand against hers before they collapsed back in bed together. Go them.

She laid her head on his chest and snuggled close to him and it was everything that he’d been missing and then some. His fingers trailed up and down her back trying to draw shapes of flowers and hearts that would tickle and make her laugh because the sound was so beautiful to him.

“Can I ask you something?” She hummed her own fingers playing with his chest hair.

“Anything.”

“Were you scared to put your calvin covered crotch out there to the world?”

He snorted softly and reached to play with her hair. “I mean..Of course. I was so fucking nervous about putting it all out there. I guess I just, I wanted to do something new and I wanted to feel confident in myself. I thought it might be the kind of thing that people would think I’d never do.”

“I most certainly never saw it coming. How come you didn’t tell me? Didn’t want me to see you in your calvin’s?”

“I always want you to see me in my Calvin’s. I was gonna tell you. I guess I didn’t know if you might think it was douchey? I’m gonna be honest, sitting on the edge of a bed with someone rubbing oil all over you while someone asks you to smolder more? Made me feel a little douchey.”

She leans up on her arms so that she’s hovering a bit above her and her eyes are so soft and warm that he just falls into them. He feels vulnerable and open and yet he knows that she’s not gonna let him fall, that she’d never let him fall.

“There is nothing douchey about you feeling confident in your body and in yourself. You looked so damn good babe. You’re so incredibly beautiful, do you know that? I mean, shit Shawn. You’re gorgeous. There’s no rule that says you’re not allowed to feel that just because you’re a man or just because you’re a rock star. You should let yourself feel that.” She murmured feverently.

He smiled up at her completely at a loss for words. All he could think of was to kiss her, and hope that it could somehow let her know just how good she made him feel.

“I love you.” He whispered.

She smiled. “I love you too. My fucking pretty ass man.”

“Stop it.”

“No. You’re so damn pretty. Come let me show how pretty you are.”

“Baaaaabe,” He whined. “We have to get ready for dinner soon.”

She had already begun her descent beneath the sheets. There was no stopping her. And he really didn’t want to. He just wanted to be her pretty man for a little while longer. Dinner be damned.

***

Their time together in the cottage tells him something he wasn’t sure he knew before. He knew that he loved her. Hell, he even knew that he loved her more than any other woman he’d ever been with. But, something about waking up to her in a different continent. Something about holding her hand on his way to rehearsals, about making breakfast together in nothing but robes, made him feel even softer somehow. He was envisioning a future with her. Long winters in toronto visiting his parents, and hell maybe even her brothers. Vacations to the ocean where they could get sunburned together and drink wine and make love. So much love. He was struggling to see a point where his life ended and hers began. They had become so deeply intertwined at that point. And after their fight, after their ability to be kind and rational and work through things together, he couldn’t help but wonder if that’s what the future actually held for them. God he hoped so.

When it’s time for her to leave he feels hesitantly optimistic. It had nothing to do with it getting easier. In fact, he had a feeling it was gonna kill him to watch her leave. Instead it was the interconnectedness of them as people that had him feeling as though it didn’t matter how hard it was. He couldn’t leave her even if he tried.

“Three weeks. And then we’ll have Amsterdam and then...I--I’m gonna stop in Toronto before New York so you don’t have to keep flying back to me, okay?”

It was airport time. Maybe the worst moments that he could come across now adays. When all you had left was the moments between when the flight was called and when fans had figured out that he was there. And you could hope that maybe they’d line up, but you never fucking knew. Jake was on standby just incase as they shared their last moments together.

“We’ll figure it out.” She murmured squeezing at his hands. “It’ll be okay.”

“Do you believe that? Really?” He mumbled.

“‘Course I do. It’s you and me against the world, isn’t it?”

“Yea. Yea. I love you. C’mere.”

He kisses her there with zero care in the world of who might see, of who might be lingering about to get the photo. He just wanted to show her that he loved her, that he was a hundred percent in this with her. They were gonna be together somehow with him on the other side of the world, and somehow it was all gonna be okay. He had to believe that or he might go mad. But when she leaves his arms and she goes off towards the gate, he already misses her touch. And he has to let Jake lead him back to the car instead of buying a ticket back to toronto. It’s much harder than it should be. He just hopes that maybe it's hard for her to leave too.

Hiya. I’m hoping if you read this far that you like the content that you got? I made a ko-fi. It’s just a way for y’all to support if you’re able and willing. I love writing, it makes me happy, but the kid is broke. Help me out if ya like here!

Taglist: @kitykatnumber @lou-and-me @ourlittleshawnie @mutuallynotmutual @wanderingmendes @peacedolantwins2 @chels-nyc @@illloveyouforever1 @justbeingoceana @grittyisathot @hayyitsfayy @claredolphinbear24 @september-lace @grittyathot @literallyshawn @mchutchmendes @liliane106 @standingandstaring @trappedinfairytales

#shawn mendes #Shawn mendes fic #Shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes smut #Shawn mendes fanfiction #Shawn mendes fluff #Shawn mendes angst #Shawn mendes au #Shawn mendes one shot #Shawn mendes series #Shawn mendes blurb #Shawn mendes x you #Shawn mendes x y/n #Shawn mendes x reader #Shawn mendes x fat reader #neighbors fic

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erintoknow · 4 years

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one by one

Spiraling - A Fallen Hero: Rebirth Fan-fiction

Nights drinking with Dr. Mortum have become equal parts business and pleasure. You never know where you’ll find a new lead. [Fake]

[Read on AO3]

“Jane…?” Dr. Mortum’s voice is quiet compared to the noise of the bar. Busy night at Joes again.

“Mm?” Jane blinks, jerking her head up. “Sorry, sorry. I was a million miles away.” You need to stop thinking about Ortega. This is getting dangerous.

“Penny for your thoughts, mon amie?”

“Oh, uh…” She scans the floor, looking for something to sidetrack the conversation. “What do you make of that modded woman over there?” Jane nods her head in the direction of the game tables. A heavily scarred Latina woman with mods down the back of her head is in a heated argument with an Asian man with a crisp pressed suit. South-east Asian maybe? “Does she have any sense of self-preservation? That’s not the kind of guy I’d want to cross, personally.”

“Not the kind of person you would cross?” Mortum laughs, “What makes you say that?”

“Look at him.” Jane gestures in their direction, a quick motion. Hopefully not noticed by anyone but the doctor. “That suit? In this dive? Guy’s some kind of made-man.” She shakes her head. “Just asking for trouble.”

“You are not wrong.” Mortum nods her head in agreement. “I do believe that is one of Hollow Ground’s men.”

“Hollow Ground?” Jane frowns, drumming her fingers on the table. “Huh.”

Now that you think about it, you’ve seen him around here once or twice. Hollow Ground has a finger in just about every criminal enterprise in Los Diablos, so it’s to be expected, really.

“Do you think Hollow Ground is a real person, or is he like… some sort of shadow cabal?”

Mortum shrugs, suddenly interested in her drink. “I find it does not pay to ask that kind of question, mon amie.”

“Hrmmm…” Sooner or later, you’re going to end up crossing paths with Hollow Ground, whatever they are. In another life, you’d listen to Ortega talk about her theories, try to help her track down likely clues. Not once did either of you turn up anything material. Who or whatever they are, their grip was rock solid. Anyone that wanted to talk had a habit of catching a case of sudden death.

Ortega was convinced there was a singular person behind it. Someone that had murdered her mentor, Marshal Hood.

It was never your favorite subject. Something about the whole thing just… seemed off.

Funny to think you might stand a better chance of finding out the truth now, when you could never tell Ortega. “What are the odds you think it’ll escalate into a fight?”

Mortum doesn’t even look up. “Seventy-six precent.”

“Did you just make that up?”

“Of course, mon amie.” She winks at Jane. “Did you expect me to say something like, ‘somewhat likely’ like some kind of hack?”

“Ugh. Scientists.” Jane rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I wonder how much of your stuff is just bullshit.”

“Madam, you wound me.”

Jane doesn’t offer a retort, watching the argument slowly escalate in volume. Maybe you can get a sense of this guy’s abilities. Two-to-one he’s some kind of Enhanced. Rosie approaches the modded Latina, trying to talk her down.

To little success.

With a sigh, Jane pushes herself up from her seat. “Alright, I’m gonna go pull Rosie’s ass out of the fire.”

“I would have thought she could handle herself, but suit yourself mon amie.” Mortum eyes the scene, then flickers back to Jane with barely concealed curiosity.

“You know me.” Jane winks, a smile on her face.

Sauntering over to the table, Jane keeps her hands on hips as she surveys the scene. It’s a quantum roulette table. Numbers generated using quantum uncertainty to make an ‘uncheatable’ game. The wide variety of different boost abilities out there have forced gambling to take a few extra steps in order for casinos to stay on top.

The scarred Latina has left her seat to come around and prod Hollow Ground’s guy, who has in turn gotten out of his seat and is staring down at the shorter woman with an air of bored amusement.

Hrm. Doesn’t look like she had much money left. Good sign.

Rosie tries to reach for her friend’s shoulder, pull her back. “Mecha… please. Don’t start anything.”

“I don’t care! I’m sick of this cheater!”

Jane siddles up next to Rosie. No one else looks about to interview. The Croupier watches with a blank expression, as if expecting things to resolve themselves. The other players look to be quietly collecting their winnings. “Hey, Rosie.”

“–Jane?” Rosie glances to the side, face brightening up once catching sight of her friend. “Oh, hey Janey.”

“How’s the luck running?”

“Not bad – well, not as bad as…” Rosie makes a face, nodding towards Mecha.

“I heard. Along with the rest of the bar.” Jane eyes Mecha, who has not once stopped ranting at her supposed ‘cheater.’ “What’s the problem here anyway?”

Rosie drops her voice into a whisper, guarding her mouth with a hand. “Mecha thinks Jake here is cheating.” ‘Jake’ huh?

“Seriously?” Jane raises her voice. “She’s really going to accuse Joes of running a crooked game?”

That gets Mecha to turn, snarling. “No I’m not.” She jabs a finger at Jake’s chest. “I’m saying he is cheating!”

To your relief, Jake brushes the finger off, his expression unchanging.

“So… let me get this straight,” Jane frowns. “You’re saying–”

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business!”

“You’re loud enough to make it my business.”

Rosie winces, “She’s not wrong.”

“Look.” You sigh, shoot a glance at Jake. “You really want to say someone that works for Hollow Ground has to stoop to cheating? Really?”

“I…” Mecha grinds her teeth, balling her hands into fists and then letting go. “I see your point.” Oh good, so she’s not suicidal. That’s nice. Mecha spares one last glance at Jake. “But…”

“It was a bad losing streak.” Rosie cuts in. “Legendary.”

“I… guess.” Mecha groans.

Jake shrugs, “Bad luck. It happens.”

“Whatever.” Mecha throws up her hands, stepping away from the table. “I’m out of here.” She doesn’t even stop to collect her meager winnings.

Rosie watches her leave with a sigh. “Well, that could have gone better.”

“Hey,” Jane winks. “It could have gone a lot worse too.”

Jake sits back down at the table, taking stock of his large pile of tokens. “You gonna play then?”

Would it be weirder to say yes or no? Jane glances at Rosie who shrugs, unhelpful. “Alright, well. There’s a free seat, so why not?” With a smile she takes the open seat and sits down. Guess maybe a round or two won’t hurt right?

It’s a weird sensation as Jane sits down. Like this has all happened before. Someone laughs as a new song comes on the radio. The numbers finish cycling, landing on red twelve.

Okay.

That was unsettling.

The croupier looks at Jane, blank faced. “Place your bet miss.”

Jane pulls a few bills out of her purse. As she does, someone laughs in the background, a new song cycling onto the radio. Okay. That’s weird.

A moment of hesitation and then –

Jane puts the fifty dollar bill on the table. “Put in on red twelve.” You did this before, didn’t you? Or were going to? Or was always going to have done? It doesn’t quite feel real.

“Jesus.” Rosie groans behind Jane, watching over her shoulder. “You don’t put that much on a single number, Janey.”

“Beginner’s luck.” Jane can’t stop the grin as she watches the numbers cycle. It’s all for show. The actual randomization takes an instant. But what is gambling without pagenty?

Hrm. No wonder so many villains gamble.

The croupier does not sound surprised as he speaks, but he looks in Jane’s direction, curious. “Red twelve, Miss Jane wins.”

Behind her, Rosie gasps, slaps Jane on the back. “Hot damn! I can’t believe it.”

“...neither can I.” Jane watches the small fortune shoved her way, wide-eyed. “I was just… the beginner’s luck thing was bravado.”

“Hey, guess drinks on you tonight, huh Janey?”

“...sure.” Sitting across from her, Jake watches Jane intently. He’s not the only one. Might have outstayed your welcome sooner than you expected. Robotically, she splits off a handful of bills and presses them into Rosie’s hands as she gets up from the table. “Have ten of them.”

“See, this is why we’re friends.”

“Uh-huh.” Swallow hard, throat dry. What the fuck was that?

Dr. Mortum is still waiting when Jane returns. Face a little more ashen then when she left. Purse significantly fuller.

Mortum raises her glass in greeting. “Still in one piece, I see?”

Jane’s smile as she sits back down is more brittle than you’d planned. “Disappointed?”

“Of course not, mon amie!” Dr. Mortum looks genuine enough as she says it. “I was mostly… curious what you were up to.”

“Worried?”

“More…” She takes a drink to stall for time. “Wondering why, I suppose.”

Jane shrugs. Would prefer to move on from this topic sooner rather than later. “I guess I wasn’t eager to see a friend of Rosie’s get put in an early grave.”

“Is that so?” Mortum raises eyebrows, not buying it. “That is a noble goal.”

“Probably futile, if we’re honest.”

“I was not going to say anything.”

Jane shrugs, keeps her back turned on the roulette table. Could swear you feel Jake’s eyes digging into Jane’s back. Without your telepathy, you can’t actually know that if that’s true or if you’re just being paranoid.

You’re not sure which answer you’d prefer.

“Do I really need a goal?” What Jane needs is a new drink. “It was fun, I guess. Nothing more to it.”

“Fun?” Dr. Mortum winks. “Perhaps you are in the wrong line of work, mon amie.”

“Oh don’t start with that again.” Jane scowls, “I felt like doing it, so I did.”

“Fair enough.” Mortum leans back in her chair. “I suppose that’s just life. Chaos and impulse until it all goes black.”

“Bleak.”

“But true.”

“I don’t know about that.” Jane’s smile is grim. “Nothing’s truly random.”

What was up with that table? How did you know that? Come to think of it, haven’t you felt that before? In the past. It was always easy to brush off before.

“There’s always a pattern,” Jane presses on. “Someone pulling the strings. If you know where to look.”

“And you do, mon amie?” Mortum smiles back.

It’s an open question how much the doctor knows. Enough, at least. More than you’d like, almost certainly. Concerns for the future. As long as her friendship with Jane keeps her on your side, you’ll make use of her skills. And there’s always a call for that. Each new day offers new opportunities. New strings to pull.

#fallen hero: rebirth #fallen hero fanfic #fanfiction #fhr/Ariadne #i'll post a bonus chapter tomorrow for my birthday i think

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caeows · 4 years

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jeon jeongguk . cis male . he/him ／ graeme bae just pulled up by blasting dirty little secret by all american rejects --- that song is so them ! you know , for a twenty three year old actor , i’ve heard they’re really gullible , but that they make up for it by being so tenacious . if i had to choose three things to describe them , i’d probably say tousled hair , triple dog dares and a closet full of black . here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble !

hello ! i’m deni ( she/her pronouns , gmt+9 timezone ) . i’m best reached on discord at gayfairy#6371 for plotting . below the cut is ... a ridiculous amount of keyboard smashing but it was a holiday and i was feeling inspired so !! i included a few TLDRs for some quick scanning . there’s also some plots at the bottom i’d LOVE to see . looking forward to writing with you all !

* ☆ ·˚ background.

you could say he was destined for the spotlight .

an only child , he grew up watching his parents performances on the stage , accepting their kisses and gentle smiles before they set off for tours around the country and left him with his cousins . sure , they were absent --- but they tried --- and graeme knew he wanted to be just like them . when his parents delighted in his little home-staged sets he presented , they quickly enrolled him in acting classes and coached him through first auditions , even moved back to korea when it was clear some american roles wanted to confine him to one note . after gaining exposure , graeme shared the screen with one of the biggest names in the american industry in a dramatic hit that led to some ridiculous fanmail being sent to him as a kid , then excitedly landed a role in a revamped science fiction film he was stoked af abouy !!! unfortunately , the film was met with an absolute brutal blowback from fans , some of that hot , petty anger taken out on graeme , and at thirteen years old , his parents made the decision for him to step back and focus on school . ( he still holds onto those spiteful letters------ all that hate from grown ass adults thrown at a child )

performing arts high school , but graeme stayed away from the public stage for a bit . worked on some sets as a tech to get a better idea of the film making process . kept a low profile occasionally caught by curious paparazzi at a basketball court or baseball game . recognizable , but not to the point where he couldn’t be seminormal . there were a few bumps in the road :: leaked photos of a beer at a high school party , couple of fake friends sliding in for clout , people pushing questions like when are you returning ?? how does it feel to ruin one of the most important films of all time ??? shitty . but , with the help of his parents , friends and coaches , graeme returned to student films to grow more comfortable in front of a camera . his official comeback was in the background of a friend's directorial debut , a lady-love drama critics salivated over but failed to earn is’ nominations . still , graeme’s name was back and out there . jumping headfirst into the thing that scares him , graeme’s slated for teen flicks , romantic dramas , action films . a diverse portfolio . people love a comeback . ------as if there was something wrong with what he did before .

TLDR. former international child star who took a break after experiencing a massive fan-driven backlash . pseudo retired , did the performing arts school thing . popped back on the screen about a year ago and working his ass off since . early career inspiration : jake lloyd , natalie portman , yeo jingoo

* ☆ ·˚ current.

suddenly getting all this praise and earning cash , living on his own in a sprawling city of work and sin . hasn’t stop busting his ass , no , but maybe he’s found outlets for all his stress in . . . less than healthy outlets . some of the headlines are way off the mark , some a little too close to home . either way , it’s not something his parents or his management company are thrilled about ( doesn’t he want to be taken seriously as an actor , they say ) and he does . of course he does . but what else does he have to sacrifice to be taken seriously ? and how serious does any twenty-something year old wanna get ?

late hours on dance floors , strips of things he doesn’t know the name of on his tongue , lips on any pretty , wanting pair he can find . he’s young , virile and at the top of his game . who can blame him ? it starts with a string of tabloid images , a rumpled and sleepy-eyed graeme leaving apartments that aren’t his in clothes he was spotted in the night before . zoomed-in , fan-cropped photos on twitter of hickeys and swollen mouths and unbuttoned shirts . america’s sweetheart ? maybe , but clearly not around the clock . him , scaling rails of hotels and dancing on top of cars . grabbing mics at clubs and taking over DJ boots at parties . twitter explodes when he moonwalks through the airport one time and baristas trend his insane coffee orders .

and even though he’s got his own name --- and a variety of different spellings , hashtags , and whatevers --- blacklisted on social media , every now and then he’ll run along a stream of grueling comments , petty nitpicks about his performances , his looks , his voice , his goddamn smile and it’s----- it’s rough , even for someone who grew up in that environment . there’s days where he’ll hole up in his apartment and refuse to see anyone , refuse to leave . the guy in the interviews with the wide smile and sparkle eyes is so , so far away and people almost forget that he’s human , too . he pushes himself out of that mindset , sometimes with help , but it’s always a shadow on his back , waiting to catch him at his weakest .

TLDR. tabloids gossip about speculated hookups and strange behavior . potential alcohol abuse . pushback from management and parents . anxiety towards social media . current career inspiration : ansel elgort

* ☆ ·˚ tidbits.

sporty as fuck —— basketball , soccer , skateboard , swimming , climbing . says he would’ve been an athlete if not for movies . fit as fuck despite a steady diet of ramen and pizza . claims to like horror movies the most , but he’s a total schmaltz snob . can hold a pretty tune well enough to pass . has a private twitter account for the memes , public accounts are all operated by a social media manager so he doesn’t have to read comments . watches college basketball championships religiously . has very strong opinions about scented candles . likes sugary drinks more than coffee but claims to be a connoisseur . loves biopics . punk and 2000s emo rock fan . gets anxious easily , suffers through interviews and avoids personal topics as best as he can . is rumored to be difficult to work with , but keeps to himself on sets save for a few opinions about blocking and lighting . pan as fuck and fairly open about it . mom and dad are chill , but don’t understand much of anything past bi . they get on to him more for his diet and job . when not on the court or working , spends free time rewatching anime in the safety of his bed in an threadbare pair of boxers , eating Doritos by the fistful and leaving his manager on read .

even his underwear is black . occasionally, he’ll change it up with a screen printed vintage t-shirt and wears whatever kind of fancy thing his stylist squeezes him into . otherwise wears by a black or white t-shirt , black pants and combat boots . seventy percent of his sneakers have sharpie drawings on them and he’s got a lot of holes in his ears and another in a place you’d be lucky ( or unlucky ) to see . loves dangy earrings and wearing his hair loose , a bit long with a mild perm . silver on his wrists and friendship bracelets from yesteryear but no rings . tattooed up ! recently collaborated to design a line of temporary tattoos . extensive collection of sunglasses . hit up a lot of music festivals in the past but that’s died down in recent months due to a busy schedule . swung his way into VIP passes before . he was a total Warped kid in the past , no shame . no longer does fan conventions because of a negative experience a few years back , and even fan meets are a little awkward , but he manages to push through . can’t drive worth a damn but he’ll kick your ass at any arcade game . occasionally , he’ll stream over twitch but that’s becoming less and less common . was banned from several dave & busters before he made it back on the screen . moody as fuck .

* ☆ ·˚ plots.

so . bonds . there’s a best friend who may not have been there since the beginning , but they’ve been there when it matters . the friendship is new , fresh , and maybe graeme shouldn’t be as dependent on it as he is , but he can’t help it . clinging to them like crazy --- let’s hope it doesn’t fall to the wayside . ( ? / 1 ) there’s several of his idiot friends who , after being stranded on too many red carpets , a hundred hotel rooms , and hours of press junkets , have learned to survive by snapchatting each other random dares throughout the day . ( 1 / unlimited ) there’s a few childhood friends who , like him , grew up either in or close to the spotlight and they have this , like . . . support group kind of situation . i don’t know . graeme checks on them from time to time , even as they’ve grown apart . ( 2 / unlimited ) he’s got some partying buddies who may not have his best interest at heart --- who may or may not stop him when he’s slurred out and whining about twitter trolls . some gaming partners he teams up with over stream , but lately they’ve drifted apart .

it’s such a cliche that his management’s set him up for a fake dating situation . if graeme wants the dramatic , serious roles , then he needs to show he’s a mature and capable young man . how else to do that than jump headfirst into a few awkwardly orchestrated dates with another hotshot on the radar ? ( ? / 1 ) but they’re not serious . so , he hasn’t stopped hooking up , or thinking about a one night stand that totally rocked his world . ( ? / 5 ) and ( ? / 1 ) media and fans definitely know about a few of these . the jury’s out for how they feel about it . then there’s his competition , actors in the same demographic targeting the same roles . it’s a tough business and they know it , but the press picks up on all these weird quotes and posts that twist shit into beefs . what other misunderstanding will cause the casket to blow ? ( ? / unlimited ) there’s some co stars on old and upcoming films . people who see how hard he works and how much effort he puts into what’s seen on the screen . they tough out hard days on set and the press circuits during promotion . see him at his worst and best . ( ? / unlimited )

#excess:intro #tw flashing gif #tw anxiety mention #going back to SLEEP c u l8r

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hockeyluver-1995 · 5 years

Text

Chance Meetings- Morgan Rielly Story Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Work count: 3.6 K

New Years Eve

Every single day since Morgan posted that picture of us I have been receiving messages from some of Morgan’s fans. I would wake up to messages and I would fall asleep to messages judging me. I never expected that when Morgan announced our relationship to the world that I have received a mixed bag of reactions from the fans. I had always heard from the other significant others about the negative messages they received but I never though that I would be on the receiving end of them.

I guess I was naive to believe that everyone would be happy for the two of us but I was now learning that it’s almost like a rite of passage when you are with an athlete. Some of them were encouraging, while others were very rude and demeaning. Saying that Morgan deserved better than me and that I didn’t fit the profile or stereotype of what a Hockey player should be dating.

According to them I needed to be skinny, blonde, and a model. That’s not to say that I didn’t get encouraging messages from the true fans, saying they were glad that I didn’t fall under the typical hockey players girlfriend stereotype and that Morgan looked truly happy with me.

I brushed the negativity aside, and didn’t let it affect me because I knew that they were just jealous. I wasn’t going to let a couple jealous fans get inside my head or affect my relationship with Morgan. I was a lot stronger than most people believed and I all knew was that I was not going to let anything get in the way of Mine and Morgan’s relationship or happiness.

I ended up talking to Lucy, Aryne, and Steph about the messages when we went shopping for our New Years Eve outfits. They explained that every significant other has received the same treatment one way or another throughout the years and they gave me some really good advice on how to handle the situation.

Morgan called us an Uber and we were on our way to the hotel to get ready for the New Years Eve party hosted by the maple leafs organization in the ballroom at the Royal York. The place that has significant meaning for Morgan and I seeing as it was at the Royal York where we first met. Morgan rented us a room in the hotel that way we could enjoy the night without worrying about getting back to his house.

When we walked into the lobby of the hotel we were greeted by smiles and friendly staff. Morgan smiled at me as he squeezed my hand guiding me over to the front desk.

“Welcome to the Royal York, Mr. and Mrs. Rielly. We have your room ready.” Smiled the older man as he typed on his computer.

Morgan gave me hand a squeeze three times as soon as he called us husband and wife, a sign that Morgan was okay with what had just happened seeing as that was or sign for I love you. But I’m sure my cheeks went red as soon as she called me Mrs. Rielly.

The lady handed us our hotel key and Morgan placed his hand on my back once more and let me towards the elevator whispering, “Right this way Mrs. Rielly.”

“Thank you Mr. Rielly!” I teased as we stepped into the elevator. Morgan quickly pressed the 44thfloor button and attached our hands once more.

Once in the room we placed our bags on the table and started getting ready for the party. We took turns taking showers because we both knew that if we tried to shower together it would result in a couple rounds of shower sex. And as much as we both really wanted that to happen we both knew we didn’t have enough time to do that as well as get ready for the party.

I looked in the mirror as I was putting the finishing touches on my make up. I smacked my lips together after putting on a coat of nude lips stick and smiled into the mirror. I sprayed some hairspray into my loose curls and make my way into Morgan’s bedroom to grab my outfit for the night.

Morgan had just walked out of the bathroom his towel hanging low on his hips. Water droplets slowly running down his chest, hair spiked up from him running the towel through it.

I bit my lip teasingly as I walked passed him wearing only my matching lace bra and underwear set. I felt his arms wrap around my waist as he pulled me into his body.

“Morgan, you’re getting me all wet.” I giggled as I struggled to get out of his strong embrace.

“Well, I hope I always make you wet,” Joked Morgan as he winked at me.

I shook my head laughing before kissing his lips and escaping his arms.

I walked over to Morgan’s bed and grabbed my red top crop top I had placed on his covers, pulling it over my black lace bra. I then pulled my high waisted red skirt over my hipsbefore stepping into my beige high-heeled shoes.

I heard Morgan whistle from behind so I spun around and gave him a pose before walking towards him and kissing his lips gently being careful to not get his lips covered in my lipstick.

Morgan was wearing black dress pants, a white dress shirt and a red tie with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“You look so handsome,” I whispered before kissing his lips once more.

Morgan grabbed my hand, and laced them with his before walking me towards the door, holding it open for me.

Walking to the elevator, we pushed the ballroom button on the panel making our way to the ballroom.

Walking into the ballroom it looked similar to when we were here for the season ticketholder event in September. The only difference being it was winter wonderland themed, they had fairy lights all over the room, fake snow covering the room.

As soon as we walked into the ballroom, I could see Steph beckoning me over to where she was getting drinks.

“I will see you right at 11:59pm for my midnight kiss,” I teased Morgan as I slowly walked away. Making sure to sway my hips, as I knew Morgan eyes would be glued to me like a hawk catching his prey. I mean A little teasing never killed anyone right?

“Really hails?” Joked Morgan as he shook his head. Jake waving him over to where he, John and Freddie were about to start a game of beer pong.

Once I got to Steph I saw that she had ordered us some tequila shots “Cheers, to 2019 ladies! This is going to be an amazing year with even more amazing friends.”

Lucy and Christina joined in as well as a couple more Lady Leafs. We all raised our glasses and lifted them to our lips, tipping our heads back as the liqueur slid down our throats.

“I still don’t understand How that is your favourite shot? It’s so disgusting.” Teased Lucy as she shook her head, reaching for her wine to chase the taste of tequila.

“Haha Katie tells me I’m like Meredith Grey.” I replied as I laughed.

“Haha because you love tequila?” Joked Steph

“Haha that! And apparently because I’m dark and twisty,” I joked.

“God, I love you,” Lucy said as both her and Steph started giggling.

Before I knew it I was in the middle of a group hug. Steph and Lucy both squeezing tight, as Aryne joined in.

“I am so glad we have become best friends. We are all so lucky, but I think Morgan will say he is the luckiest.” Lucy said as she blew me a kiss.

“Cheers to that.” Steph said as she turned to face the bartender again to order another round of shots, this time a round of Jell-O shots as well as the shot called screaming Orgasm.

“Hopefully we all will have screaming Orgasms tonight... and not just the shot.” Joked Steph as we said cheers’ and downed the shot.

I stood by the bar talking with the other ladies, as we caught up on everyone’s Christmas. I kept locking eyes with Morgan from across the room as he was talking with Jake, John Freddie, Mitch and Auston.

I turned towards the bartender and ordered a vodka and cranberry juice. Locking eyes with Morgan who had just won the game of beer pong against Jake and Freddie. Aryne looped arms with me as we made our way over to where he was standing.

“Hails, and I will play you guys next.” Aryne said as we got to the table.

“But you can’t drink, your pregnant babe.” John said as he smiled, looking at Aryne as if she was the only one in the room.

“What? You scared we are going to win?” Questioned Aryne as she looked between both her husband and I smirking.

“I really don’t think that will be an issue, seeing as we are going to kick your butts. But I will take one for the team and drink for both me and her if it comes to it.” I chirped as I high fived Aryne who was laughing both Morgan’s and Johns reaction.

John looked at Morgan and whispered “it looks like you may be having to take care of her tonight, from all the extra alcohol she is about to consume.”

Morgan shook his head laughing as he locked eyes with me and winked at my direction.

Aryne and I made a good team as we both sank our shots one by one. But seeing as John and Morgan were teammates on the ice they also made good teammates off the ice as well.

The game was tied, both teams having one cup left. I was definitely feeling loose from the shots and the extras drinks from the game. Morgan’s and I locked eyes as we both threw the balls at the same time.

I held my breath as my ball circled the rim of the red solo cup before falling into the cup. Morgan’s call hit the rim at the same time; lucky for us his bounced out.

“Woohoo,” shouted Aryne as she pulled me into a big hug being careful of Aryne’s mini baby bump.

“Girls rule,” shouted both Lucy and Steph as they joined the hug.

Morgan shook his head pretending to be mad. However I was pretty sure that since he lost to his girlfriend that he would be on the receiving end of the boys chirping him

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug whispering, “you know I let you win right?” before kissing my lips slowly.

Giggling I replied, “whatever helps you sleep at night babe.”

“You help me sleep at night, when I have you wrapped in my arms, your little snores” Morgan whispered as he kissed my neck.

“your lying,” I gasp as I hit Morgan’s arm lightly “I know for a fact that I do not snore.”

Laughing Morgan replies, “I know you don’t, I was teasing. However you do talk in your sleep and it’s the cutest thing ever.”

A blush started to form at Morgan’s confession as he put his arm on my back softly guiding me to a table beside the dance floor. Once sitting down Morgan lifted his glass of wine towards me as we clinked our drinks together.

“To our first New Years Eve as a couple.”

We both took a sip of our wine before he wrapped his arm around the top of my chair as I leaned back into his embrace. Jake was sitting beside Morgan telling me a story about Morgan’s first couple years in the league, and all the mischief they got into as Roommates. Lucy would cut in throughout the story adding her own comments about what she witnessed the boys’ do, when she stayed with them when she visited Jake.

Last year for New Years Eve, I spent it curled up on my couch, wearing my pajamas, eating take out. This year was already so different; I was definitely drunker than I was last year that’s for sure.

From the way Morgan looked in my eyes, I could tell that he was making sure he was not going to crazy with the alcohol, so that he could take care of me if needed. The same thing could not be said about me, it was only 10:30pm and I have already done at least three shots and drank endless amounts of mixed drinks,

It was nice to have the chance to let loose and enjoy myself with the girls, knowing that Morgan wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. Growing up I was what you would call a goody two shoes, always followed the rules, and never got drunk, I even was dubbed the mother of the group when going out with friends. I was always the responsible one in the group, always making sure everyone was okay.

Since meeting Morgan, I’ve finally given myself the okay to let myself go, to have fun, and to not get in my head and think to much. I was always the responsible one when I went out with friends; I would be the one taking care of everyone making sure everyone was being safe. However tonight the roles were reversed and I was having the time of my life with Morgan and our friends. I trusted Morgan, the girls as well as his teammates 100 percent and I knew that they wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.

The night was going amazing, and I was having so much fun with my new best friends. It was hard to believe I had just met them a couple months ago, and I was now ringing in the New Year with a group of new best friends. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be sitting beside my professional hockey playing boyfriend, and ringing in the new year with his teammates and their significant others I would have thought you were crazy. It’s funny how fast, things change and how people become such an important part of your life in such a short time.

It was moments like this, moments when I’m sitting in his lap with his arms wrapped around me, my head tucked into his shoulder as I leaned into his embrace where I truly felt like I belonged. A permanent smile on my face as I watch the people around me having such as good time. It’s true what they say about hockey families, they truly become your family. The people you lean on in good times and bad. The people you go to when you need support, especially the women. No one understands the lifestyle better than them, they are the ones you lean on when who are always thereyou need support no matter what.

He locked eyes with me as he slowly leaned down to kiss my lips. Just as our lips were about to connect Steph came over and grabbed my arm.

“Hails, Lucy, Aryne we need to take some photos together. I hear they have another photo booth.” She exclaimed as she grabbed my hand and pulled so that I was standing.

After the photos with both the girls as well as Morgan were taken Lucy and I walked up to bartender and ordered the carnival cruiser drink. While we were sitting at the table, she mentioned that when her and Jake went on a cruise one year that the bartender on the cruise made her the best drink.

Lucy explained the drink to the bartender, and he made us the drinks.

The drink was good but deadly, since it had 4 ounces of alcohol. The problem was that the pineapple juice and the fruit punch that was mixed with the alcohol masked the potent taste of the alcohol. Which resulted in Lucy and I drinking two very quickly before heading out to the dance floor.

The DJ started playing the song ‘don’t you know your beautiful’ by one direction and my eyes instantly lit up.

“Hailey! It’s our song!” Exclaimed Lucy as she grabbed my hand and pulled both Steph and I to the dance floor.

We laughed and jumped around the dance floor as we sang the lyrics at the top of our lungs.

We barely had time to catch our breaths from jumping around when the music from the iconic dirty dancing movie started playing. I’m not sure if it was the drinks talking or just plain stupidity, but as soon as we heard the song, both Lucy and I shared a look. That look however resulted in me running towards Lucy who had her arms ready to lift me for the iconic lift scene. We were going to do it; we were going to attempt to do the dirty dancing lift, key word being attempt.

As you could imagine, it was a disaster waiting to happen, both of us were extremely drunk, and obviously hadn’t thought about what would happen in the lift didn’t work.

Resulting in both of us laying on the ground, myself laying on top of Lucy as we both burst out in giggles.

“It’s so comfy down here,” slurred Lucy as she grabbed my arm and held on to it, giggling some more.

“Love you bestie,” I slurred back as I started giggling as well.

“Doggy pile!” Shouted Steph as she jumped on both of us.

I looked up from my position on the ground, to see that Morgan was standing above us shaking his head as he laughed.

“I can only imagine what they get up to when we are on the road,” Muttered Morgan to Jake as they both reached down to pick us up from the floor.

“They are crazy together, they both bring out a side in each other that no one has ever seen.” Jake replied as he shook his head grinning.

“That’s because, we are best friend, No SOUL MATES!” exclaimed Lucy as she threw her arms around me once we were standing up, causing us to wobble a bit. Morgan quickly threw his arm around me to steady us both, so that we did not end up on the ground again.

Morgan shook his head as he pulled me closer into his arms, leaning down to kiss my forward. “You okay?”

“I’m more than okay MoMo, I haven’t had this much fun in a while.”

As we were standing there in each other’s arms, I could hear the song “yours.” By Russell Dickerson started to play.

Morgan pulled me even closer than I thought possible as we swayed to the beat as Morgan sang the words into my ear. Once the song was over he kissed me on the lips and it felt like fireworks were going off in my body. There were so many unknowns about our life together but it was in this moment that I realized that Morgan was my home, no matter what happens or where in the world we are as long as I had Morgan by my side I would be home.

I was lost in Morgan’s eyes as we swayed to the music. We could faintly hear the countdown to Midnight as we continued to be lost in each other’s presents.

A waiter was walking by with champagne flutes so Morgan grabbed two for us.

“Follow me,” he whispered as he grabbed my hand and led me over to the balcony.

We stepped into the cold winter air as we could hear everyone on the streets bellow us celebrate.

Morgan wrapped his arm around me as he pulled me in close as we swayed in each other’s arms. We could faintly hear the countdown in the ballroom as we enjoyed the moment of it just being the two of us. Morgan whispering, “three, two, one… Happy new years my love.” Before placing his hands on my cheeks and pulling my head towards his as he softly kissing my lips.

Both of us pulling away from the kiss smiling, “Happy New Year Babe.”

“Hailey, I love you so much. Meeting you and having you in my life is one of the best things that has happened to me in 2018. I am not sure what kind of adventures we will get up to in 2019, but I do know that as long as you are by my side it will be memorable.”

“Too an unforgettable year with my love.” I said as I raised my champagne glass.

Morgan raised his as well as we clinked our glasses together before taking a sip.

We stood outside in the freezing cold weather for a couple more minutes. I was in the comforts of Morgan’s warm body as we watched the fireworks go off with the CN tower in the background.

“as much as I would like to stay out here with you for the rest of the evening, I think we may freeze.” Morgan stated as he kissed my lips once more.

“Wait? I though you would be used to the cold.” I teased as I bit his lip seductively.

“That’s it!” exclaimed Morgan as he picked me up and carried me back into the ballroom.

Once we were back into the ballroom Morgan placed me back on my feet before joining our hands together once more. “We will say goodbye to our friends then head up to the room. Honestly I just want to lie in bed with you in my arms. It will be the perfect ending to a perfect night.”

“There is no other way I would like to start off the new year,” I muttered as I kissed his lips.

#morgan rielly #morgan rielly fanfiction #morgan rielly imagines #nhl imagines #nhlfanfiction #torontomapleleafsimagines

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bluesfortheredj · 5 years

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Modern Romance Pt. 13

The blissful silence as we continue to lay with our half naked bodies tangled together is broken by the rude awakening of my phone going off with notifications, and when I manage to reach it without losing too much contact with her skin, I spot that it’s all Ben’s fault. Typical. A quiet hum emanates from her lips as she shuffles closer to me from where I moved, but she leaves me to check my phone without any questions. There’s the photo on instagram that everyone is going wild over; Ben, (Y/N), and myself from earlier. The comments speculate who she’s with, who she is, if she’s been seen with one of us before, whether she was part of the crew from our film, and I roll my eyes before locking the device and placing it down on the floor next to the bed.

“Everything okay?” she asks.

“Yeah, Ben put up that photo of us though. I can ask him to take it down if you want.”

“Can I see?”

I pick up my phone and return to the page but position it so that the comments aren’t in view, and I dip it down in front of her face.

“Oh, cute,” she chuckles, “I take it from the amount of likes that his profile is very much public...”

“Yes, he definitely doesn’t have that many friends,” I tease.

“I should give him a follow really, shouldn’t I? And you as well for that matter.”

“Where’s your phone? I’ll direct you to my private account instead.”

She wriggles over to the other side of the bed and digs around in her bag until she finds the thing, then slides back over to me, being careful not to reveal too much of herself as she settles back against my torso and I feel her soft breasts warming my skin once more. After a quick unlock of the phone, she opens up the app and hands me control without a second thought. I go to Ben’s profile first and hit the follow button for her, then search my lesser known private profile and also press the same button there. Ben’s follow request comes through within seconds and I narrow my eyes at his quick reactions to seeing her name pop up on his notifications.

“Should I accept or deny Ben Hardy’s follow request?” I ask.

“Ha! What a question. One I never thought I’d hear in my life… Accept please,” she replies as she smiles against my chest.

“Done, now my turn,” I say as I switch between our devices.

“Guess it sort of comes with the territory then, having a private profile and all?” she thinks aloud.

“Sometimes. I post a lot of family photos and such, so when I started getting a bit more attention on social media I made it private and created a separate page for the fans really. I like to share things with them, just not everything.”

“Completely understandable. Thank you for allowing me into this sacred part of your life,” she says sincerely.

“How could I not? You’re part of it now,” I smile as she tilts her head up to meet my loving gaze.

“That’s nice to hear,” she grins, then her face falls as she continues to look at me, “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“Not half as much as I’m going to miss you,” I sigh.

“I’m sorry, I’m not making this any better am I? Maybe it’ll be a good thing though, being as we’ve moved quite quickly so far… It’ll slow us down a little,” she reasons.

“I don’t want to slow down...” I admit.

“Neither do I… Absence makes the heart grow fonder though, doesn’t it?”

“I’m not sure I could be any fonder of you.”

“Gwilym,” she smiles, “you’re far too complimentary, I’m not sure I deserve-”

“You do. You deserve everything, and I’m going to make sure you know how special you are every day.”

She moves up my body again and when our lips meet I see stars straight away, then my hands lose all control as they start to explore her body, and my fingers tremble as they feel their way around her, the feel of her soft flesh not helping my increasingly aroused state. Her thigh moves over my hip and when it reaches my inconvenient reaction to this situation she springs apart from me with a gasp.

“I’m so sorry!” she says while her hands stay on my cheeks.

“Don’t be,” I chuckle, “who can blame me when I’ve got you draped topless across my body?”

“I didn’t think I’d ever have that effect on anyone to be honest,” she half laughs, but the self deprecating humour only makes me frown a little and she notices my expression, “sorry… I retract that statement. Do you want me to…?”

“No! Well, yes, obviously, but not now, it’ll go away on its own eventually. I don’t want our first sexually intimate encounter to be because of an awkward erection.”

She pouts playfully then leans in to kiss my neck slowly.

“You’re too good to be true,” she whispers, “shall we make something to eat? All this nude snuggling has made me hungry.”

“God yes, I’m starving!”

She sits up with a smile, not bothering to try and cover herself this time, and my eyes grow wide at the quick glimpse of her beautiful breasts before she turns around and slides off of the bed to retrieve my shirt; only bothering to fasten one button on it, much to my delight. Her bare feet pad their way over to the window where she looks out onto the street below while I get up off of the bed and slide some joggers over my legs.

“What are you thinking?” I ask as I walk up behind her and slide my arms around her waist.

“How lucky I am,” she says quietly, placing her hands on my arms.

“I’ve been thinking that too, funnily enough,” I smile before placing my lips against her neck.

She turns around in my arms and reaches up to link her hands at the back of my neck, then pulls me down for a kiss while my hands rest comfortably on her bum.

“Let’s go eat,” she grins when she pulls away.

Not a second goes by when I’m not smiling as we dance around each other in the kitchen as if she’s always been here, and the only silence that falls over us is when our mouths are full of the creation we made together. My mind wanders to tomorrow and the eventual goodbye that would have to last for over three weeks, and I feel my heart sink at the thought of it all, but she’s there to lift my spirits straight away as if she knows what’s going on in my head by just looking at me. When dinner is over and everything has been put back in its place we make our way upstairs once more and resume our position in bed; putting on a film until we both drift off to sleep with our bodies so close that it’s hard to determine where I end and she begins.

The first thing to wake me is my phone as the notification of movement outside the house rings through, and I unlock it to look at the screen with sleep misted eyes to see four very familiar faces making their way towards the front door. The next thing that really wakes me, and her, up is the doorbell going and the letterbox fluttering thanks to the two sets of smaller hands that are obviously excited about this visit.

“Who’s that?” she panics as she sits up and clutches the sheets to her chest.

“That would be my brother, his wife, and my niece and nephew...” I say with a wince, “I completely forgot they were coming over, I’m so sorry.”

“You forgot your own brother was coming over?” she laughs, “you’re an awful person!”

“Shit, I really am. Shit, shit, shit!” I repeat as I scramble out of bed and into my pyjamas as the door rings again, “fuck!”

She chuckles as I hop around trying to get my jogging bottoms up my legs as quickly as possible and I laugh along with her when I catch her eye, then I rush around to her side of the bed, leave a hard kiss against her mouth, then run downstairs to answer the door.

“Hello! I absolutely did not forget you were all coming over today,” I pant as I stand to one side and greet everyone as they file in past me.

“You absolutely did,” Owen replies, “but whatever, it’s only your beloved family coming to visit you before you jet off to the other side of the world, no big deal.”

“Is someone here?” Kelly asks as she spots boots and a coat that definitely did not belong to me.

“It’s her, isn’t it?!” Owen gasps.

“Shh!” I whisper as I usher everyone into the living room and shut the door.

“Well your messy hair and back to front top suddenly make sense now...” Kelly giggles.

“It’s not like that! We just slept in. Anyway, how are my favourite niece and nephew?” I grin as I turn my attention to the kids in hope the adults would forget about everything.

“Aren’t we your only niece and nephew?” Lily asks with a questioning gaze.

“Doesn’t mean you need to be my favourites though, does it?” I wink.

They both hug me and I close my eyes as I savour the feel of these two little treasures in my arms; they were both growing up far too quickly, and I definitely didn’t see them enough these days.

“Right, well how about you lot make yourself at home and I will get changed into something that isn’t back to front!” I suggest before Kelly and the kids head towards the kitchen, “I’ll, uh, talk to-”

“Invite her down,” Owen interrupts, “it’s as if I know her already the amount you’ve been talking about her. Her little cousin’s the same age as Jake, right? I’m sure she’ll get along with the kids just fine.”

“You sure?”

“I know you, remember? I can see the love in those big soppy blue eyes of yours, it’s completely sickening of course,” he teases, “now go get your woman and bring her down to meet us mad lot. We won’t put her off of marrying you at all.”

I give him a playful shove for that last remark then head upstairs to see her standing shyly by the bedroom door now fully dressed with her small suitcase in hand.

*Please note that all names of family members are fictional*

#gwilym lee #gwilym lee imagine #gwilym lee fanfic #gwilym lee x reader

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harryandmolly · 5 years

Text

The Emancipation of Ginny ~ 1

summary: shawn and ginny could’ve ruined everything six months ago, and sticking together despite their past could make or break them now as ginny stays on as his personal assistant. but what happens on tour doesn’t stay on tour.

warnings: Language, dental health vs. mental health, Longing (TM)

WC: 4.6k

“Shawn, gum.”

He shuffles over sheepishly and spits his sugar free Dentyne Ice into the garbage can with a metallic ping. He makes a face at her and turns away.

The morning doesn’t look much like morning. It’s so absolutely dark at 3:30am as they huddle in the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge. There isn’t a single soul in there that doesn’t work for Andrew Gertler, so the team, a.k.a. Andrew himself, Shawn, Cez, Josiah, Brian, Jake and Ginny, are spread out over every available surface. Most of their cast of misfits is asleep. Andrew checks email on his phone, Jake is fighting a cold and snorts into a tissue every few minutes. Shawn and Ginny are the only others conscious.

The only reason they too haven’t passed out before their 5am flight to London is because Shawn has a call-in interview with a radio show in Paris. When they’re in full single promo mode like this, these kinds of squeezed operations are not uncommon. Ginny has to stay on the ball.

Maybe she’s nitpicky, but she just winces at the idea of some snotty Parisian gossip blog making comments about the tacky Canadian kid smacking his gum on air. It would get to Twitter, then Insta, then Tumblr, then god knows where else and she’d really rather just… not.

Shawn’s crisp, clear voice cuts through her fog as he tries to gamely repeat phrases in French (“vous les vous couchez… hey, don’t try to trick me, I know that one!”) for his beloved French listeners. Even at this ungodly hour, he can put on the charm when he needs to. And he rarely complains.

Ginny sighs, tipping her head onto her fist as her elbow props her up on the skinny arm of a terminal seat. She blinks slowly, listening to him laugh and try to pronounce French names as the fog takes her back.

Shawn and Andrew have fought time and circumstance for a week to sit down and have whatever this talk is about to be. Shawn leans forward in the armchair, sitting on his hands and bouncing his knees as Andrew wraps up his phone call. Before his thumb hits the “end call” button, Shawn is on him.

“So what’s up?” he chirps.

Andrew chuckles, exhausted. “Sorry, man. It’s been crazy.”

Shawn nods eagerly for him to proceed. Andrew eases into the chair across from him and rubs his stubbled chin. He smiles wearily, a man exhausted.

“I need some help, dude.”

Shawn’s gut lurches. Andrew’s never asked for his help before. Andrew doesn’t seem to need much of anyone’s help, the way Shawn sees it. Andrew’s his own personal superhero. Shawn’s eyes widen and he nods for him to continue.

“I mean, you’ve seen us lately. We haven’t had 45 seconds to catch up and get our heads on straight since before we started recording. Our world is changing. I think we have to expand to keep up.”

Shawn narrows his eyes and bobs his head again.

“I think we should bring on an assistant. A right hand for you to help you with all the stuff you don’t really need me for, you just need someone. Someone to help keep the schedule going, help with travel, deal with your personal stuff. Someone young who I can lean on too, and help train. Someone interested in artist management who I can help groom from the start of a career.”

Shawn shifts in his seat and sighs. It’s not that he doesn’t want to help Andrew. It’s not even that he doesn’t think he needs a PA -- he accepts that he probably does. He just… the chemistry of the team is so good. He gets hesitant about adding new ingredients. He’s grown so very attached to his people and how they all work together.

He’s about to voice this concern when he looks up at Andrew, his partner, the guy who reached down and hauled him up from Vine and YouTube and gave him the best chance he’s ever had. Andrew, wizened and worn to the bone, though he wears it well. Shawn’s heart swells.

“Of course, yeah, dude.”

“Ok,” Andrew sighs, shifting his glasses against the bridge of his nose, “Security says there are about 40 girls outside.”

Ginny doesn’t have to look to see (or hear) Jake wince. Her nose twitches in response, displacing the little gold hoop in her septum. Shawn just nods like a quarterback taking direction from his coach.

“So, they’re gonna lend us a hand to get us out to the cars. I’ve got Shawn, Ginny and Jake. Cez, Josiah, Brian in car two. You’re heading for the hotel.”

“The party car,” Cez chuckles, raising his eyebrows at his travel buddies. Brian and Josiah agree with a laugh and start hauling their bags over their shoulders in preparation to sift through the crowd.

“Hey, what time is it?” Shawn murmurs from just above Ginny’s head. She’s sifting through texts from Tiffany about scheduling Shawn’s next fitting. She cracks a smile.

“You don’t have time, mate,” she answers softly, reading his mind.

Shawn wrinkles his nose. “Just to say hi. Take a group selfie?”

“Might be late as it is,” she grunts under the weight of the backpack she’s overstuffed. Shawn helps her with the other strap and adjusts it against her back with a tap.

“Ok,” he says. It’s a little despondent with a candy coating. Ginny knows the voice well.

“But we’re gonna have time after Grimmy to say hi to the fans outside the Beeb,” she adds as they begin stalking off down the corridor toward the hulking men in black jackets waiting to escort them out to arrivals’ ground transport.

That seems to perk Shawn up. She snickers at his change in demeanor and flicks at a curl over his forehead. He wriggles his fingers by her face, widening his eyes as he slowly reaches for her hair. She smacks his hand away with a gasp.

“You wouldn’t,” she gripes, drowned out by the resounding shrieks of some very happy British girls as the automatic doors slide open. Shawn wiggles his eyebrows and smirks at her for a moment before he converts it to a billion-dollar rockstar grin and a double-handed toddler wave.

Ginny keeps her head down. It’s easier this way. In the beginning, she thought engaging with the fans would be fun, and Andrew encouraged it at first, thought it would be a good way for her to feel welcomed into the team, but things got out of hand quickly. As the only female on Shawn’s travel team, interest heightened to a level that none of them could handle. After Ginny’s personal Instagram was hacked for the third time, they sat down and had a meeting about her pulling back and becoming a face in the crowd. It was the right thing for everyone. Plus, she’s always really hated the flashes of the paps. If she isn’t expected to be photographed, she slides away from them more easily.

Andrew gets into the passenger side of the first blacked out Range Rover. Shawn and Ginny climb into the back after Shawn throws out a few more waves and “THANK YOU!”s.

With his gaze down at his phone as he thumbs through Twitter, Shawn mumbles, “I don’t know what the fuck they were saying, but this is definitely the fun car.”

Ginny’s lips twitch. Shawn looks over. She giggles. He giggles back. Andrew smiles down at his phone.

Ginny stares with her top lip squeezed under her teeth. She forces her dry, cracked hands between her knees and blinks quickly.

“You know I’m sorry, Gin,” Hannah moans, sitting forward to plant her tiny dark hands on Ginny’s legs, urging her to look up at her.

“No, I know, listen, it’s fine. It was going to happen sometime,” Ginny reasons politely over the smashing of her heart against her ribs.

“But listen, this is better for you!” Hannah hisses, shaking Ginny like she does when she’s trying to get something through her thick head, “If you’d stayed with me forever, you’d never have grown, never have learned anything new. This way, you’ll have direct artist management experience. And Shawn Mendes is one of the biggest acts on the planet. This is invaluable.”

Ginny hears it all, and she knows Hannah is right. But it doesn’t make being fired by your best friend any easier.

Ginny Dresden and Hannah Dyer have been best friends since primary school when they were sat next to each other because they were the only two little girls of color in their class at the tiny posh school in Bedford Park. In the back of their classroom, they colored each other’s hands purple and planted them on construction paper, giggling when they realized even though Hannah’s skin was much darker, they made the same color handprint.

As children, they sang in choir after school until it was no longer cool and then they sang in Hannah’s basement and recorded each other for when they became famous someday.

Now, Ginny waits for the day those tapes will become useful. Because Hannah isn’t just famous, she’s practically iconic.

Hannah, at exactly the right place and the right time, was discovered singing (though underage) at a bar in Fulham and within a few months was signed to a contract with Sony. As her star rose, she took Ginny with her in the hopes that her oldest and dearest friend could explore the world with her and find where she belonged. So she put Ginny on the payroll and off they went.

For four years, they took the world by storm. Ginny was a regular star of Hannah’s Snapchats -- “I’m building your brand,” Hannah would tell her. Ginny was happy to be along for the ride and took an interest in artist management as she saw Hannah cycle through a few different ones, the good, the bad, the ugly.

And then came Marcus. Marcus is the keyboard player of a group called “Bend Daylight” that played the festival circuit with them two years ago. From that first day of Pukkelpop, Ginny knew, even if Hannah didn’t. Marcus was the one.

Hannah and Marcus were married last summer. Four months ago, Hannah announced her pregnancy. And it’s not like Ginny didn’t expect things to change, to slow down. She just didn’t expect to be let go completely. But Hannah wasn’t about to throw her out into the world empty handed. She had set up a gig for Gin through a friend of her manager’s who knew Andrew Gertler from Shawn Mendes’s team. Andrew wanted an experienced PA who was looking to be educated out of her position into artist management. It’s the perfect fit.

Ginny agrees to a meeting. Her hesitance is clear by the furrow in her brow. Hannah reaches across the coffee table and over her swelling belly to plant a kiss between her best friend’s eyes with a wet smack.

“... and you love it here in London, don’t you, Shawn?” spouts Nick Grimshaw in that brilliant Mancunian accent that always makes Ginny feel at home wherever she is in the world. As she sits in a seat against the wall watching Shawn and Grimmy volley banter back and forth live on BBC Radio 1, she feels Shawn’s eyes. She lifts her head from her notebook and smiles warmly.

“Yeah, yeah I do, I really love it. I’ve thought about getting a place out here, actually.”

“Oh yeah?” quips Grimmy, leaning into the mic that he’s gripping with his bony fingers, “Where would you look?”

“Ahhh, I dunno,” Shawn begins, again looking to Ginny, who raises her eyebrows and shrugs as if to say, ‘you’re on your own, pal.’ Grimmy picks up on the gesture.

“Does Ginny have a say in this?” Grimmy laughs, his grin wide and toothy. Ginny shuts her notebook and sits up, shaking her head.

“Ginny, my assistant, she’s from Bedford Park in West London,” Shawn explains proudly, a smile in his voice, “So her vote would be somewhere over there, I’d guess.” He glances to Ginny for confirmation.

Ginny rises from her chair and steps toward the mic Grimmy is waving her toward. A producer hands her headphones. Ginny props her hands on the desk and leans down toward the mic, eyeing Shawn.

“I’d want you to get a posh bachelor pad in Mayfair for us to rage at, actually,” Ginny jokes, winking at Grimmy. Shawn rolls his eyes as Grimmy cheers, “way-hays,” and chants “lads, lads, lads!” Ginny joins him.

“Yeah, definitely my style,” Shawn snarks, lifting his chin at Ginny, who shrugs and settles back in her seat.

“Nice that your team knows their way around, though,” Grimmy concedes with a final smile toward Ginny before he gets back down to business.

“So, this new single…”

As things work out, ever so bizarrely, as is the norm in the Mendes camp, Shawn and Ginny’s first meeting is for a flight from Toronto to New York. By themselves. It’s circumstantial -- Andrew left earlier for New York for a few meetings and Shawn stayed behind in Toronto for his dad’s birthday. Jake, Josiah and the rest of the squad are absent for various reasons, so it’s just… Shawn and Ginny.

“How do I know what she looks like?” Shawn mutters to Andrew on the phone, knowing Andrew won’t judge him for his anxiety over this, as his car pulls up to departures.

“She’s tall. Like, really tall. Just… oh, hey Mike, can you wait up for a second? Hey… yeah, hi, sorry Shawn, just look for a tall, beautiful black woman with a septum piercing. I gotta go. Safe flight. Call me when you land.”

He hangs up before Shawn can say anything else.

Shawn’s gotten over his hangups about bringing on a new team member. He’s had a phone interview with her to make sure he didn’t hear anything crazy in her voice. And he trusts Andrew’s judgment the way he trusts that of his parents. All that remains now is the awkwardness of meeting someone new that’s meant to wait on you day in and day out as their profession. And she’s a tall, beautiful black woman? Why couldn’t they have hired a dude? A scruffy, old dude who Shawn didn’t have to worry about growing close to?

Andrew said she’d be waiting by the Air Canada check-in counters. When Shawn walks through the doors to the airport flanked by a couple security guys in lieu of Jake, he sees one person pacing back and forth in front of the counters on the phone, rolling a sleek red hard-covered suitcase that was absolutely silent as she tugged it around.

It seems almost everything about her Andrew had mentioned was an understatement. She’s tall. Yeah, she’s fuckin’ tall. She’s at least 5’11” but the height of her hair adds at least a few more inches. Shawn doesn’t often interact with women as tall as he is. So that’s new.

And beautiful. Yeah. Also probably undersold her a little.

She’s lithe and thin in that yoga-doing way. She’s wearing leggings that crop at her ankles and show off a truly stunning pair of legs, paired with a plain white t-shirt and a worn old jean jacket, the kind that even the most hipster store couldn’t replicate the cool of. Her hair is a bouncing, living whirl of tight, pencil thin curls that don’t have an ounce of frizz, somehow. She’s got a pair of aviators tucked up in there behind her ears. She doesn’t look to be wearing any makeup beyond a striking red lip color that makes Shawn lick his. Her face is angular but warm with a sweet little nose and a little dip in the center of her chin that reminds him of his own. Her eyes are a dark, clear brown and look like the kind of eyes that reflect every thought in her beautiful head.

Shawn’s chest deflates. He pastes on a friendly smile and tries not to imagine how complicated this could get.

“Shawn, gum!” Ginny calls from the back of the group of troops heading out from the Radio 1 building to greet the fans waiting outside.

Shawn raises a swallow-emblazoned hand and waves it at her as a thank you. She watches as he darts out from the pack to spit his gum into a bin and fall back in line. Ginny hears when they come into view of the crowd because it starts with a collective gasping of teenage breath and becomes a steadier, louder wail that Ginny knows well by now.

Jake looks to Ginny for a nod. She gives it. He shadows Shawn as he strolls over to meet and greet them, taking selfies, doling out hugs, signing and signing until he looks down at his pen with a frown. Before Jake can even look back to Ginny, she’s got a fresh Sharpie at the ready and hands it off to Jake, who hands it to Shawn. The minor interruption is noticed only by Andrew, who grins at the efficiency and shakes his head.

Thank god for Ginny Dresden. He thinks it to himself at least once a day now.

The crowd is only barely dissipating as it becomes time to wrap up. Ginny glances down at her watch and back up at Jake for the nod. Jake nods back and leans into Shawn for the heads up. Shawn does his bowing and praying hands as he backs away from the reaching, grabbing hands. Cameras flash. Ginny ducks her head. They pack themselves into the Rover for the next stop, a dinner at the Connaught Bar with some Island Records people who want to celebrate the new single, “Against the Noise.”

Shawn drops into the seat next to hers with a heaving sigh. She fights her instinct to dip her head onto his shoulder and snuggle into him. Instead, she smiles gently.

“You good?” she hums.

Shawn blinks over at her sleepily. He nods, “‘m good.”

What do I even say? Ginny wonders, trying not to look up at him from her Spotify, but he’s got one of those faces that’s hard to look away from. She knew, obviously, that he was criminally good looking, but Hannah neglected to warn her how overwhelming he is in person. She wants to put her nose right up against his jaw just to feel how sharp it is. What a weird instinct. She blinks hard to rid herself of the notion.

They’re in business class. He’s got his recliner out and is drumming his fingers against his thigh that Ginny’s also trying not to look at because his black jeans look like they’ve been painted the fuck on and his quads are magnificent and she would know because she’s got a very fine pair herself from yoga and pilates.

They’ve been in the air for 20 minutes. The fasten seatbelt sign just went off. Shawn has free WiFi because he probably has enough Air Canada miles to, well, buy Air Canada so he’s looking through his phone. He generously shared his code with her but it got lost somewhere between his big hazel-ish eyes and soft pouty lips and Ginny’s ears. She was too shy to ask for it again, so she pulled out her book instead.

She didn’t have to do this last time, the bonding thing. She and Hannah had been so bonded they were practically attached. But Shawn is essentially her new boss, though she’s technically employed by AG Artists, and she needs to make a good impression.

She’s studying a pathetic mental list of small talk starters that really should be longer given the British peoples’ propensity for chat when Shawn pipes up out of nowhere.

“Hey, where did you get that suitcase from? The red one?”

She looks up from her tragic cuticles and sees him looking at her curiously. Did his eyes get bigger? Warmer? Sweeter? Fuck.

“It’s a Victorinox,” she spits out, “It’s a great case. Super durable. And light. And the wheels are--”

“They’re like, silent,” Shawn interrupts, his voice hushed like he’s talking about magic.

Ginny smiles slowly and a giggle rises up from deep in her chest. And Shawn thinks maybe that really is magic.

Ginny likes the idea of the guerilla bookstore acoustic set better than the reality of it.

The planning was a headache. She and Andrew have been on the phone for a month planning it with the label -- which bookstore would get the honor? Exactly when? What would security be like? Would they drop hints? Would they do a treasure hunt? Would Ginny like to design and manage to execute the treasure hunt from a continent away? Please and thank you.

But Shawn’s excited. So she’s excited.

They crawl out of the Range Rover and traipse over slick pavement into the back entrance of the Waterstones in Piccadilly. Ginny picked it for practical reasons -- they agreed to the contract with the label, their chain could handle the security, it was a central location.

But Ginny’s grandmother used to take her here as a little girl and pick out books every third Sunday of each month like clockwork. She told Shawn this in a hushed voice beside a flickering candle at a business dinner in Century City a few weeks ago as he smiled and gushed over what a great idea it was, how sweet that she planned it to be there.

“It’s always nice to be home with you, Gin.”

Shawn runs the pad of his thumb along the sleek cut of her jaw. He doesn’t worry like he used to about getting her lipstick all over him. He’s living proof that it really is very long wearing. Instead he focuses on drawing out that sweet little noise from the back of her throat that he’s obsessed with.

Ah, god, there it is. It’s so perfect.

Just as soon as he gets it out of her, she pulls away. He grunts and chases her down, pinning his lips to her cheekbone. His fingers trail the seam of her jeans on the outside of her hip while he listens to her pant.

“We’re telling Andrew today. Or it’s done.”

Shawn swallows and he worries for a second his tongue will go down with it. He backs off her cheek and licks his lips with a firm nod.

“Yeah. Yeah, ok.”

It’s Ginny that spearheads the sit down. Andrew doesn’t even look surprised when Shawn reaches over for her hand mid-shaky explanation that they’ve been working together six months now, and they know maybe it’s unconventional, maybe it seems like a bad idea, but this is how they feel and they want to pursue it.

Ginny, to her credit, is not a shrinking violet about it. Her jaw is set, but her eyes are as warm and welcoming as ever. Andrew slumps into his chair and removes his glasses to rub his face.

“Guys…” he groans through his hands, “The thing is, I can’t tell you no. And I can no sooner kick Ginny off the team. Both of those things will lead to immediate chaos. And… and Shawn will be miserable.”

Shawn lifts his eyes from Ginny’s blunted round fingernails.

“I am trusting you both to be adults. Please, god, please don’t make me regret it. If this runs its course, it cannot explode in our faces. We cannot afford that. So if you’re doing this, do it smart. What the fuck am I saying? You’re in love. There’s nothing smart about it. Just… try to minimize casualties.”

He stalks off with his phone. Shawn and Ginny hold each other’s limp fingers, dumbfounded.

Ginny glances over. Shawn meets her gaze. She lifts her eyebrows. He lifts the corner of his mouth.

“Ok.”

Shawn’s smile is glorious after he plays a set, any set for anyone. He could be in a field playing an acoustic for the three blind mice and he’d be beaming like he just got offstage at Madison Square Garden. It’s beautiful. And it’s addictive.

Ginny follows him closer than usual as they leave the bookstore. Her general rule is to trail around the back of Shawn’s entourage. Any time she was photographed within five feet of him, they’d hear about it. But tonight, after he played under an arch where she used to curl up with the Chronicles of Narnia and the Series of Unfortunate Events, it’s harder to stay away.

She indulges the whim and walks beside him through the hoard of paparazzi flashing their cameras and hollering “Shawn! Oi, Shawn!” for a glance from the wonderboy. He notices her presence and offers a subtle smile, a moment he hopes won’t be plastered across the front page of The Sun in the morning. Perhaps that’s naive. But he doesn’t actually care that much right now.

They climb into the car, finally on the way to the hotel. Shawn sits back and tilts his head against the headrest, watching the Thames go by.

Ginny shifts and slides something out of her back pocket. Shawn hears plastic and foil crackling.

“Shawn, gum?”

He turns to see her holding a packet of sugar free Dentyne Ice. He grins.

“Please,” he begs, voice shaky with unshed tears, “Please don’t leave. Please. I know it’s fucking unfair to ask. I hate myself a little. I really do. But, fuck, please, I can’t do it without you, Gin. Not because… because I’d forget to fuckin’ put on pants in the morning if you didn’t tell me to, but because you’re… Jesus Christ, you’re my best friend. I can’t lose you like this.”

The conversation the night before had been quick and so, so painful. It had to be, coming out of nowhere like that. Ginny was blindsided, having woken up naked under him in the morning with his lips on her ear only to shuffle off to her own hotel room for the first time in two months because he wanted to focus on his career and their relationship had become… too distracting.

She really can’t blame him for that, she supposes. Things had gotten pretty mad. They were obsessed with each other, refused to spend even a few hours away. It was easily negotiable, given that he was the artist and she was his personal assistant. But the energy around them for those two months, it was like an overstretched coil waiting to snap and send the whole team back to 14th century Verona for a full-on Romeo and Juliet scenario.

Snap it did. Ginny was packing quietly in a daze, ready to tell Andrew she was leaving, that she was sorry, but that he’d made the choice. Instead Shawn knocked on her door and she let him in like she always had.

Ginny’s dry cheeks sting with her tears. She sniffs and toes at the floor, locking her arms over her chest. “Don’t really want to leave, you know,” she murmurs, “This is a good opportunity for me. I’m learning a lot.”

“So don’t leave,” Shawn pleads, lurching forward. She adjusts, taking a step back. Shawn notices and shivers, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Don’t leave. Stay. I think we can do it. I honestly think we can. We were best friends first, remember?”

She remembers. She remembers being in love with her best friend until that first night in Germany where he kissed her under the table in the Hofbrauhaus and they didn’t turn back.

Until now.

I know Brits love tea but consider buying me a Ko-fi (link on my mainpage)!

Taglist: @smallerinfinities @the-claire-bitch-project @achinglyshawn @infiniteshawn @stillinskislydia @singanddreamanyway @alone-in-madness @abigfatmess @shawnitsmutual @awkwardfangirl2014 @september-lace @accioarmenian @sinplisticshawn @mutuallynotmutual @rollingxstone @yslsaint @randi-eve

#shawn mendes #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes fan fic #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes fan fiction #shawn peter raul mendes #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes fluff #shawn mendes angst #shawn mendes series

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mystery-deer · 5 years

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Kevin and Jake bond in the safe house and it's emotional?

“Detective-” “You can just call me Jake you know. You don’t have to keep up the whole ‘detective’ thing.” Kevin stared at Peralta to discourage him from interrupting again. The other man seemed to panic under the silence and began blabbering more, a nervous smile spreading across his face. “I mean!! Detective’s cool yeah yeah yeah worked my whole life to be- well not my WHOLE life because-” “I shall not be calling you Jake. I have only met you once.” “We’ve…you’ve seen me!” “When?” “Uhh, when Holt got stabbed!” “Ah yes. You dragged me around the city and instigated a fight between me and my husband.” “That’s..not how I would describe it.” “Pray tell.” “…What?” “Pray, tell me how you would describe it.” “Who says ‘pray tell?’ and I wasn’t gonna mention it but shall not?” “…..” “I mean are we in a Shakespeare play?” “Goodbye, Detective Peralta.”_______________________

“So….” “………..” “…we gonna sit here in silence or?” “……….” “Kevin buddy? I’m getting a bit worried here.” “……..” “…Keeev? Kevvie? K-” “What.” Kevin’s voice was like choking on ice and Jake’s stomach tied itself in a knot. He hated this, he wished he’d just let them switch who watched Kevin. He obviously didn’t want him here and he honestly didn’t want to be here anymore. “Do you want to talk about it?” “I do not.” “Yeah yeah cool cool cool like I get that buuut.” “…..but what!?” “What?? Why are you yelling?? What’d I do!?” “You left the sentence incomplete. Open-ended like my time spent here in this hell hole of a ‘home’ with you!” Jake grit his teeth, feeling weeks of annoyance and anxiety bubble up to his lips as anger. “Like it’s such a picnic being stuck here with the most humorless robot man on the planet!? Leaving the outside world behind, in this shitty fake house I get dumped here-” “Danging participle.” Kevin murmured. “…What now?” “Your participle’s dangling.” Kevin repeated, now turning around so his back was facing the other man. Jake got the feeling that he’d lost the argument although he wasn’t sure how it turned into an argument or exactly how he’d lost it._______________________________“So how are things going with Kevin?” Amy asked quietly, once the man in question had fallen asleep. He went to bed at eleven o’clock like clockwork it was unbelievable. If Holt was a robot then his husband was an alien whose biology had no room for emotions. Or a heart. But then he remembered Kevin’s hurt. “How could you not know that? Raymond, you are unbelievable.” and he felt bad for thinking it. Jaked cursed himself for being so good morals-wise…and face wise. “He’s great! No, I lied, he’s the most difficult person on earth. All we do is argue and life’s a living hell.” “What!? That’s awful!!” Amy sat up and reached for her phone, eyebrows scrunched up in worry. “I’ll tell Terry that we should go ba-” “No no no no Ames it’s way too late for that! If we have a bunch of random dudes coming in and out now it’ll be hella suspicious! I was exaggerating, it’s not that bad!” Amy looked at him, doubt splattered across her face. He’d always been a horrible liar, again, he’s so damn moralistic he can’t help it, also he has a cute smile. Which wasn’t vain to think, Amy had told him that. It’d made his week. “We just need to..click, you know? Get to know each other better! I’m gonna ask him to watch some movies with me tomorrow.” Amy sighed and laid back down, cuddling into Jake’s side which made his heart feel warm and skip-y. She kissed his chest. “Alright…just, a word of advice?” “Hm~?” “Don’t show him any like, Die-Hardy movies? I don’t think he’d like them.” “Yeah, of course not Babe! What, you think I’m an idiot?” he said, laughing stiltedly and thinking about the pile of exclusively Nick-Cage films he’d bought with him. Maybe having a theme would make it more artsy? In the darkness Kevin kept his eyes closed and his breathing steady as he has at eleven o’clock every day since being locked away in here, if only to get the illusion of a moment alone. He kept his eyes closed and longed for Raymond._____________________________________“I will admit this is…not terrible.” “Saying you’re enjoying yourself isn’t like, against the law you know? I won’t arrest you for having fun.” “…….” “Also, you just tore the movie to shreds for the entire hour. Are you the man behind cinemasins?” “Cinema what? What are you talking about?” “Oh my god you know what?…that’s kinda cute.” Kevin made a gesture that Jake had come to understand meant he was close to getting up (getting down?) and leaving (crawling) so he changed the subject as quickly as he could. “My dad used to like this one Adam Sandler movie- he’d like, watch it al the time and it was basically just about being a shitty dad and not caring.” And he’s stepped right into an emotional landmine, a lot of those popping up lately. “So I guess he found a kindred spirit in him. Only it wasn’t nearly as funny when my dad did it.” And there it was, the explosion. “……..” And his toro was near the door and his arm was on the ceiling fan and his foot was directly in his stupid idiot mouth. “Let’s watch this one next.” They watched four more movies in a quiet that slowly grew more and more noisy as whatever thoughts Jake’s words had pulled around Kevin’s head dissipated. It turned into a sort of a game, Kevin pointing out the smallest inconsistencies or “logical gaps” and Jake vehemently defending them. They fell asleep like that, and for the first time in nearly a month it wasn’t plagued with nightmares.Not the bees!! Not the beeeesssss!!!!_____________________________________

“I believe my father shared some similarities to yours.” Kevin said primly one day. They were sitting in the ‘kitchen’ and Jake was nursing coffee like a dying man nurses water. Kevin was drinking nothing, having finished his morning water. “He also liked Sandler?” “Oh absolutely not. He was a very well respected surgeon and was never there for me or my brother.” “Too busy saving people’s butts?” Jake slurred deliriously. Kevin had woken him up at eight am, which was when he woke up. Every. Day. “Was he a butt surgeon Kevin?” “…….” “No ifsandsor…ohhhh….god it’s so early.” Kevin stared at the nearby wall, sun-dappled and bare. Jake groaned, resting his head against the cool wood of the table. Later Jake would realize, after having injested his coffee and taken a four hour nap, that Kevin had been trying to do something. So he waited for him to try again, swearing he’d be on the lookout for it._____________________________________ One night after they’d both awaken from independent nightmares, Jake had had to wrestle Kevin to the floor to prevent him from crawling out a window. There’d been a lot of screaming and a lot of tears and mournful wailing for escape escapeescapepleaseletmegopleasepleasepleaseimsorryimsosorrypleasebequietpleasepleasepleaseple They were silent now except for heavy breathing, both of their tears drying on their cheeks and pajama shirts. Jake was holding Kevin down like a corpse in a coffin, arms crossed and pressed together so he couldn’t use them to climb out windows or hit him for stopping him from climbing out windows. “Do you think your father ever loved you Jacob?” Kevin said, voice faraway. “Uh…I think so. I think he still loves me, as much as he can love anyone? He just doesn’t…care. About me or anyone.” He responded. He had a headache and he was worried someone had heard their fight. He wasn’t thinking about his words, or Kevin. He was thinking about death. “My father would hate to see me crying. He always hated that.” “…….” “I hate him so much.” “…..yeah, I hate him too. My dad I mean. And…yours too, I kind of hate him too now.” “I hate your father as well.” “Thanks.” “I miss Raymond.” “You saw him like earlier to-” “I miss him.” and Kevin’s voice was so strangled and broken Jake had to take care not to cut himself on it. He felt his throat knot. Kevin began to sob and then cough, wet and awful because he was sobbing on his back, eyes up on the ceiling and it was choking him. Jake let go of his arms and watched as he immediately curled up into a ball like a time lapse of a flower wilting. The safe house was silent and undisturbed but neither of them slept that night, spending their time in the darkness wandering around the house like spirits, wailing and weeping for their lost loves._____________________________________ “In one minute Kevin and I will finally be able to leave this awful place!”“And yet we’ll never be free of the nightmares.”“Nope, those shall haunt us for always.”“Whoa..things got really intense in here, huh?”“Oh yeah, got dark. This place is a Hellmouth.”

#Q&A #anon #Thank you!!! I love angst #kevin cozner #jake peralta #angst #b99 #my writing

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