#and this spot is over a mile from the stadium

[sweetercalypso]

Uncharted Territory (Abby Anderson)

Word Count: 2.7k

Summary: Stranded on patrol with the person you hate most, there’s not much to do besides fuck out your feelings

Notes: 18+ only, minors dni; enemies to lovers, hate sex, thigh riding, tribbing, semi-public sex, mean!Abby, switch!Abby, mentions of weapons/cordyceps (general tlou references), lots of swearing.

The fear settling in your gut should serve as a reminder of where you are.

Truthfully, it reminds you of where you are not. You are not sleeping peacefully in your bunk, or eating in the cafeteria with your friends, or anywhere under the protection of WLF and its adherents. You’re forced to focus on the places you’re not because you don’t actually know where you are.

You, and your patrol partner, Abby, are lost.

Your blonde counterpart walks five paces ahead, never bothering to look over her shoulder to see if you’re in tow. It’s your responsibility to keep up, she’d told you earlier in the day. I’m making it back – with or without you.

Now, you focus on her braided ponytail swishing between her shoulder blades in an effort to distract from the pain in your muscles and the burning ache in your calves.

The two of you have been walking for hours, not entirely sure of the direction or the destination. Abby seemed to be following a trail, but what was once eroded by familiarity now offers only bare traces of the path underfoot. It’s been a long time since anyone’s been where you are now.

Tall, heavy spruces block the view of the horizon, limiting the ability to gauge how far you’ve travelled or how close you are to the city.

While you’re surveying the thicket of trees around you, a root sticking up from the dirt catches you by surprise and sends you stumbling forward with a muttered oof.

Abby stops in her path, turning sharply to stare at you. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“I tripped.”

She scoffs. “Yeah, I know. So does every other person lurking in the fucking woods.”

Your eyebrows pinch together, heat rising to your face as you struggle to maintain your composure. “Abby, there’s no one around for miles.”

“You think I don’t know that? I’m talking about the infected – what if you just woke up a hoard because you fell over their roots?”

“It was a tree root!” you spit back, offended that Abby would consider you to be so careless. “You could’ve warned me about it, by the way. Or you could at least tell me where we’re going.”

“I told you,” she seethes. “I’m going back to the truck.”

The two of you had been a part of a larger group of WLF members sent out to survey an area east of the city. Beyond the stadium and the neighborhoods surrounding it, there was an unkempt expanse of evergreens that stretched hundreds of acres deep. A few days ago, whisps of smoke were spotted rising through the treetops a couple miles in, and Isaac had prepared a group to investigate.

Ten people rode out to the location, including yourself and Abby. Most of the group suspected a small fire in the midst of Washington’s dry season, and a few others figured it was a group of stragglers setting up camp under the cover of the dense forest. Either way, there was little cause for alarm.

The group was split into pairs and instructed to search in small areas before reporting back to the vehicles with their findings. Provided with a crudely hand-drawn map and not much else, you and Abby left in search of whatever person or thing had caused the fire.

Somewhere along the way, you’d missed a turn or walked too far along a path and the two of you got lost, venturing deeper into the woods than you were supposed to. When you suggested that you retrace your steps, nothing on the map seemed familiar, and there was nothing to indicate that another group might be nearby.

You should’ve known something like this would happen. Anytime Abby was around, it was bad news – and she thought the same of you. Your mutual hatred was something the entire WLF base had heard about, and many had witnessed the arguments and shouting matches first-hand.

When the two of you were paired together by Manny, you could see the snickers on the faces of the other group members. Abby had huffed under her breath before shoving the map in your hands and flipping Manny off as she stomped in the opposite direction.

You were in charge of the map, but Abby ultimately had the final say in the direction you took, and you both blamed each other for the position you were in now.

“Abby, we’re walking in circles. How much longer are you going to pretend like you know where we’re going?”

Sweat rolls down the side of your neck and the strap of your gun digs uncomfortably into your shoulder. It’s clear that Abby’s in the same state of exhaustion as she adjusts the heavy holster on her hip. She hadn’t even bothered to count the bullets left between you – you’d die anyway without a way out of the forest.

“M’sorry, do you have a better plan?” she asks, cocking her head to the side. “It’s your fault we’re lost, anyway.”

“My fault?” You stomp towards her, uncaring of the dry branches that snap under your feet. “How s’it my fault, Abby? You were the one in charge.”

“You had the map,” she insists, shoving her finger into your chest when you stop in front of her. “You should’ve been paying more attention.”

“Yeah, well you were the one in front. You must’ve led us the wrong way.” You say, enjoying the way Abby’s jaw tenses in frustration.

“When we get back, I’ll make sure Isaac knows that his favorite little lap dog is incapable of following directions.”

Abby’s expression morphs into that of rage. She pushes you away, sending you stumbling back a step.

“Fuck you,” she pants, puffing out her chest.  

You react without thinking and shove her back, much harder than either of you had anticipated.

The shock sends Abby thudding onto the ground, her hands catching her weight before her ass hits the dirt. She kicks out in retaliation and swipes your feet from under you, sending you toppling over her form and driving you both onto the ground.

Landing against her chest, you’re forced to plant your hands on her shoulders to keep yourself upright. Abby’s chest heaves against yours and she scoots her hips to buck you off, unintentionally jostling you closer as you wrap your thighs around her waist to keep from being thrown onto the ground.

She grabs your hips and squeezes roughly in an effort to keep you from squirming any closer. When you stop to look at her, you’re astonished by the view. Her pupils are blown wide and strands of hair stick to her flushed cheeks and you can’t help but imagine that this is what she looks like when she fucks. Her breath comes in short puffs against your face and she licks her lips before tucking her chin to her chest to avoid the closeness of your position.

Overwrought with adrenaline, you follow the tilt of her head and smash your lips onto hers roughly. She pushes back after the surprise wears off, kissing you with fervor until you’re both forced to part for air.

“What the fuck was that?”

“I-I don’t know, I just thought –.”

Abby cuts you off by pressing your lips together again and curling one hand around your jaw.

“Don’t” she murmurs against your mouth. “Don’t think. Just take your fucking pants off.”

With her free hand, she works to remove the holster at her hip and you’re suddenly aware of the weapon still secured across your chest. You break the kiss to undo the strap from your shoulder, setting the gun to the side before yanking your shirt off and throwing it somewhere behind you. Your bra follows shortly after, and when you return your attention to Abby, she’s watching you with hunger in her eyes.

“S’pretty,” she says, cupping your breasts and running her calloused fingers over your smooth skin. The warmth of her hands paired with the humid summer air melts the uncertainty from your bones and you press yourself into her touch without restraint.

“Who knew such a pest could have such nice tits.”

There’s a playful bite to her words and it’s reflexive the way you respond with the same fire.

“Always knew I’d be the one on top,” you quip, moving over her with a sugary voice and a faux roll of your hips. “Y’wanna take charge but you never do. You’re all bark and no bite.”

She bucks her hips up to jostle you in your place, grinning slyly when you lose your balance. “You’ve thought about this before then, huh?”

“Thought about what? Putting you in your place? All the time.”

Your hands go to the hem of Abby’s shirt, shucking the material up to her chest. She takes the hint and raises her arms up, letting you tug the fabric over her head. She reaches around her back to undo her bra, pulling it off and adding it to the mess of clothes around you.

Abby sits up with you in her lap and puts one hand on the back of your neck, bringing her lips to your throat to plant kisses anywhere she can reach. While she’s busy marking your flushed skin with her lips and grazing teeth, you work open the button of your pants and shimmy the thick material down your hips.

You remove yourself from her lap just long enough to pull your pants off while Abby takes the chance to do the same. When you’re bare to each other and the silent forest around you, she pulls you back on top of her and runs her hands up your sides.

“Y’gonna let me taste your pretty pussy? Huh? Gonna come on my mouth? Or d’you want my fingers instead? Bet you’re so pretty when you s—.”

You groan out loud, putting a hand over Abby’s mouth playfully. “Stop talking and fuck me.”

She laughs heartily against your palm, a chirpy sound you don’t think you’ve heard from her before. “Yes ma’am.”

Your hands move to her shoulders as Abby slots one of her thighs between yours, creating a divine pressure between your legs. Shifting your hips experimentally, you stutter over the muscled expanse of her thigh. The stimulation proves to be too much for your frantic mind and you struggle to keep a steady pace.

“Abby-” you choke out, thoughts too static to think of a better plead.

She grunts in acknowledgement, seeming to understand what you’re asking for. Her grip becomes pinching on your hips as she slides your cunt over your toned thigh, flexing her muscles in a way that sends an unexpected tremor through your clit.  

The sudden pleasure makes you cry out, furrowing your brows together and throwing your head back as Abby leads your movements.

“S’that all it takes to get you to quit running your mouth? Y’just needed to get fucked, huh?”

Abby closes the space between the two of you, leaning in to kiss you again. She nips at your bottom lip, sinking her teeth into the gentle skin there and tugging sharply. A broken moan escapes your parted lips and she takes the opportunity to slip her tongue into your mouth.

A sheen of slick glistens against her skin where you slide your puffy clit over her thigh. It takes all of your energy to remain upright as she ruts your hips over hers with a pace that blurs the line between pleasure and punishment.

You pull away from her mouth to suck in a breath of air, taking the chance to warn Abby of the tension building in your core.

“Gonna come, mmph – please.”

“That’s it,” she grunts, eager eyes transfixed on your tits bouncing in front of her face. “Let go – make a mess, baby.”

Pleasure overrides your senses, flooding your veins with a rich intensity and filling your chest with warmth. Your cunt throbs against her thigh, slick dribbling down her skin in sappy rivulets. She lets you ride out your orgasm for a minute longer, still grinding your hips against her thigh until you become too sensitive to continue.

“Too much,” you rasp, letting your hands rest on top of Abby’s as she slows the pace of your hips.

You gently squeeze her fingers in appreciation and the intimacy of your touch is almost too much for Abby to handle. She feels her own cunt clench at the sudden realization of your position – Abby might be the one making you come, but the way you command her through subtle touch lets her know that she’s not the only one capable of taking charge.

“S’my turn to make you feel good.”

Your voice snaps Abby out of her thoughts and she watches you reposition yourself between her legs to press your slick cunt against hers. Abby lets you have control, leaning back and resting on her elbows while you hover over her on your knees.

Your hands grasp at her thighs, forcing them further apart to make enough room for you to move. After a moment of adjustment, you find the perfect angle to rub your sensitive clit against hers, causing you to hiss from the feeling of bittersweet overstimulation.

The silence from Abby is unfamiliar and you can’t help but taunt her as you rock your hips into hers.

“Always got something smart to say – where’s that energy now? Cat got your tongue?”

Her expression is foreign, somewhere between needy and content, and you want to study her features until you’ve discovered every detail you’ve missed in willful ignorance.

“Lemme hear you,” you say, coaxing her into a comfortable state. “Don’t hide from me now.”

Abby breaks from her stoic mask for just a moment, allowing herself to openly enjoy the drag of your clit against her delicate bundle of nerves. Her moans are raspy and guttural and pure heaven, and you move against her cunt faster in hopes of drawing more sounds from the blonde underneath you.

The air is thick with your shared pants and the lewd sound of your cunts grinding together. Your combined slick wets the insides of Abby’s thighs and travels up to your naval, smeared over your skin like a translucent haze.

Abby glances down at where you’re connected, humming appreciatively at the sight. “So fuckin’ pretty” she says, mind reduced to nothing by the pleasure coursing through her body. “Next time, you’re putting that pretty pussy on my face.”

The promise of something more is what pushes you over the edge for the second time, sending you forward onto Abby’s chest with a pitiful cry. Abby wraps one arm around you and bucks her hips wildly, finding her own climax as you pant against her mouth.

Her muscled legs tighten around your thighs when she comes against you, pulling you impossibly closer as she comes down from her high. The shwick of your cunts rubbing against each other falters as her movements come to an end.

The stillness of the forest engulfs the two of you in awkward silence, neither of you entirely sure of what to say now that the adrenaline has worn off. You open your mouth to speak, but before you can say anything to relieve the awkward tension in your chest, you’re interrupted by the sound of branches breaking underfoot.

Your eyes widen in shock to find another pair of WLF members standing a couple yards away, looking like they’ve stumbled upon the implausible.

Manny wears a devious grin, like he’d foreseen this exact outcome when he sent the two of you on patrol together. Nora stands beside him with her gun in hand, and you can imagine she was expecting something else waiting beyond the trees by the look of shock on her face.

“Now that’s something I thought I’d never see.”

Abby groans and hides her face in your neck, growing more flushed with each second spent under her friends’ scrutiny.

Manny howls with laughter, patting Nora on the shoulder as they turn their backs to give you the privacy to get dressed and find your composure. You mumble a string of curses under your breath as you slowly remove yourself from Abby while trying to block out your friends’ awkward presence. Manny’s voice breaks through the hands you have pressed over your ears, still rumbling with laughter as he shakes his head.

“You two are never gonna live this down.”

#calypso writes #abby anderson #abby anderson x reader #abby anderson x you #abby anderson smut #abby anderson fluff #abby anderson drabble #the last of us #tlou #the last of us x reader #switch!abby #switch!reader #sub!abby #mean!abby #abby smut #abby tlou #enemies to lovers

[forlix]

𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞・l.f.

— felix misses you a little extra tonight; good thing you're way ahead of him.

words・1.7k pairing・idol!felix x gn!reader warnings・brief mentions of the ocean, drowning imagery genres・fluff, angst, established relationship, pining, hurt/comfort, lots of (happy) tears

a/n・i had exo's "been through" on repeat while writing this; pls give it a listen it's beautiful and so underrated and captures the fic perfectly. enjoy <3

When Felix steps into Tokyo's night air, he can still hear the remnants of tonight's concert in the distance, the occasional car horn and the low thrum of conversation floating over the dome of the stadium. But for the most part, it is quiet, and Felix is finally able to think.

He thinks about how he's happiest after performances: leftover adrenaline warming his skin, strobe lights still dancing across his vision, heartbeat still drumming against his ribs like the heavy bass that shook the stage prior. He thinks about how much he loves leaving each venue knowing that, even if only for a few hours, he owned the place; set it utterly ablaze.

But he mostly thinks about you.

From the moment Felix started loving you, his happiness became yours. A bite of brownie fresh out of the oven, met with widened eyes and a delighted mmm; every funny story relayed to you later that night (poorly, because he keeps interrupting himself to laugh); photographs, so many photographs—an especially rotund pigeon he spots on the way to practice, a new pair of earrings that’s way too expensive but looks way too good on him, cute texts from his mom—inevitably making their way into your camera roll.

He can’t help it. He only wants to experience the best parts of the world with you by his side.

So it is in his happiest moments that he feels your absence the strongest. And now, Felix so badly wishes you were here that he physically aches. It feels a bit like his heart is being swallowed by seawater, nothing in any direction for miles, nowhere to go but down.

Only when Chan materializes next to him does Felix manage to steady his feet on the cement once again.

“It’s not here yet?” Chan surveys the lot for their tour bus, to no avail. “Good thing, I guess. Everyone's taking their sweet time.”

The older boy gives Felix a glance thoughtlessly, looks away, and then looks back, his gaze lingering on the side of his face for longer this time, and Felix knows that Chan knows exactly what’s going through his head. For a second, Chan seems like he wants to say something, but Felix averts his eyes to his shoes, takes out his phone.

Not now.

“I think I left something inside,” Chan says instead, though he never leaves anything anywhere. Felix manages an appreciative smile. Without another word, Chan claps a hand to Felix’s shoulder and disappears back into the building, as quickly as he came.

A few seconds pass. Then, as naturally as if by muscle memory, Felix taps on your contact and holds his phone to his ear.

It rings once, twice, thrice—and then he hears your voice, but not in the way he yearns for.

“Hi, you’ve reached Y/N! I’m unable to come to the phone right now, but please leave a message and I'll get back—”

He ends the call, his brow furrowed. You knew he had a concert today. And you should've known to anticipate the call that would come right after, as faithfully as the sun’s rise and fall.

He calls a second time, hoping this was an obstruction of ‘do not disturb’ and nothing more, but is met with the voice message again.

The call of the ocean's depths becomes louder.

As he sits through the automated response, Felix leans against the wall behind him and tilts his head back against the plaster, his gaze moving over the night sky. Then, he hears the beep, and starts to speak.

“Hi, my love. I called, and you didn’t pick up, and I got worried. Is everything alright? Maybe you’re busy, or asleep? Remember to take care of yourself first and foremost—everything else pales in comparison. Everything."

His voice feels far steadier than he feels.

“Ah, I miss you, darling. The concert went super well; the energy was unreal. We have a few hours to explore Tokyo tomorrow before heading to our next stop, and I’m excited as hell, but I wish you could be here more than anything in the world. I haven’t stopped thinking about how much you’ve always wanted to visit this city since we got here—Seungmin even said he'd save his visit to the Pokemon Center for whenever we come back with you. All of us are thinking of you, babe. Me especially. Me hopelessly.

"One day, you and I are gonna travel the world together, responsibilities and schedules be damned, and we'll spend as long as you want wherever you want. As long as I can be next to you. God, I fucking miss you. I said that already, right?”

A short distance away, the building door opens again, and Felix quickly ducks his head out of view, suddenly conscious of his watery eyes and blurring vision.

“I gotta go. I think the members are ready to go back to the hotel. Call me back when you get a chance, okay?”

The next words catch in Felix’s throat, and he has to wince and take a long, shaky breath in order to get them out.

“I love you to the ends of the universe, angel. Share some of your light with the moon tonight, yeah?” He presses a kiss to the receiver. “I love you, I love you, I love you. Bye.”

With that, Felix hangs up, drops his phone into his pocket, and presses both sleeves tightly against his eyes, willing himself to calm down.

No, he thinks, shoulders quivering with the effort, it really never gets easier.

It takes a while for it to strike Felix as odd that it’s still quiet outside; he could’ve sworn that he heard the door open and close, that he should be hearing the tired chatter of his members by now. Apprehensively (obliviously), Felix lifts his face from his hands and turns around.

Chan, so solemn and quiet before, now wears a Cheshire grin that instantly devolves into a breathy laugh when he meets Felix’s eye. Hyunjin stands behind Chan, holding his phone up, evidently filming. Felix’s lips part in confusion, a question forming on the tip of his tongue. There are enough videos of me crying my eyes out on the internet, no?

But then his eyes fall on the person standing in between the two men, their arms piled so high with flower bouquets that their face is almost concealed entirely, and he forgets what he wanted to say; he forgets every language he knows.

“So we were contacted by a fan the other day,” Hyunjin says, beaming. “Kept calling you their boyfriend. Forced us to fly them out to Japan and everything.”

“It'd be real bad if we got the wrong person,” Chan adds, and a stifled laugh comes from behind the petals—one that Felix would recognize in every corner of the world, in every lifetime. “They look familiar?”

The bouquets part, and behind them you appear, cheeks visibly flushed even under the lot’s singular streetlight, smile so bright that it’s turned your eyes to crescent moons.

"Surprise," you say softly.

The empty lot finally erupts into laughter, Chan and Hyunjin no longer able to restrain themselves. Can't believe we pulled this off, they're saying to each other triumphantly, but everyone, everything around Felix vanishes save for the person he adores most in the world, holding more flowers than they should be able to carry, looking at him as if he's made of pure starlight.

And Felix's heart starts kicking upwards, towards the rays of moonlight filtering through the murky water, as fervently as if his life depends on it—and, in this moment, it does.

“Hand 'em over, fool,” Chan says to you. And as you start transferring the heaps of flowers into the leader’s arms, Felix has never moved faster in his life.

In the span of a few seconds, his hand finds the small of your back, and yours the nape of his neck. “Holy fuck,” Felix whispers, and then he’s pulling you against his chest tightly, desperately. There is no word that can describe the way you melt into one another except for destiny, one of your hands curling in his hair and the other running over his shoulder; his face burrowing in the crook of your neck, fingers lacing together against your spine.

His pulse is so loud that he hears it in all directions, in all parts of him. Felix squeezes his eyes shut against the material of your crewneck, his whole body shaking with silent sobs as the overwhelming array of emotions he'd harbored prior finally spills over. And he stops thinking entirely, simply loses himself in all that you are: the smell of your laundry detergent, the sound of your laugh, the feel of your embrace, so secure and warm as if promising him you’ll never let go.

“I love you, Lee Yongbok,” you murmur, the words only for the two of you to hear.

With the sound of his full name, Felix's heart breaks through the ocean's surface at last. Not only that; it performs a triple axel on the shoreline, and it sure as hell doesn’t stick the landing, slipping and sliding and fighting to regain its balance as you continue on.

“Forget the ends of the universe. You are the universe. You are everything that has ever existed and everything that ever will. And I couldn’t bear to be away from my galaxy for a second longer.”

Felix shakes his head from where it remains buried against you, his voice a broken rasp when he answers, “I’m not whole without you, angel. I never will be again.”

“I'm here, baby,” you reply, your hands tightening around his hoodie, among his long locks. “Whether I'm right next to you or on the other side of the world, I'm always with you. And I will be tomorrow, and the day after, and eons from now. That—”

Your lips find the shell of his ear, then his temple.

“—is a promise, my sunlight.”

Chan is standing with bundles of flowers still piled high in his arms, silent tears streaming down his face, and Hyunjin’s expression is contorted into a terribly suppressed weep, his still-recording phone long forgotten in his pocket. They don't have it in them to tell you to get a room. Not right now.

𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? please consider reblogging, commenting, or sending me an ask to let me know; or, read my other works here. thanks so much for the support ♡

© 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐱 (est. 090323) · all works are pieces of original writing and all characters and relationships are purely fictional. please do not repost or reuse for any reason.

#felix x reader #lee felix x reader #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #lee felix imagines #lee felix fluff #felix imagines #felix fluff #stray kids fluff #skz imagines #skz fluff #stray kids scenarios #skz scenarios #felix scenarios #*minific #lee felix angst #*writing #:'''''') #hahahahaha i am so in love

[roronoaswifey]

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑!𝐀𝐂𝐄…

pairing. portgas d. ace x f!reader

warnings/tags. explicit content, alcohol consumption, substance consumption, mentions of past cocaine consumption, sex under the influence, mentions of groupies, dubious snap of reader’s facial, ace has tattoos and a tongue piercing, and reader has nipple and belly piercings.

kazu’s note. i’ve been on guitartok for months now. sorry but i’m definitely projecting here 👁️‍🗨️

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑!𝐀𝐂𝐄…

who’s been trying for months to get you to come to at least one of his gigs. he sees you around quite often since you’re good friends with his younger brother, and figures it’s a good enough excuse to get you to see him in his element. but whenever he tries to corner you in the kitchen and shoot you an invitation, you always turn him down with a gentle shove as you make your way around him, claiming rock music simply isn’t your style.

who’s determined to make rock music your style. on days where he isn’t seen performing in front of crowds, he’s back home with his brothers, where he knows you’ll eventually be. with his electric guitar set in place and firm in his grasp, his fingers drum at the strings as the chords flow into a riffing melody. he works and practices really hard into his music, so the thin layer of sweat coating his inked chiseled body is nothing unexpected. though, what does seem to catch him a little off guard is seeing your figure leaning back against his bedroom door, closing the wooden piece behind you, arms crossed over your chest with your cup of coffee resting at your lips. your eyes tell a tale; you’re interested, and he’s all in for it.

who after a series of brutal and long months, finally manages to get you to see him perform. he’s more pumped than usually, his band mates notice, as he pregames with lots of tequila shots. he ignores the looks he gets from his stylist, focusing on the way he’s going to need his wavy hair tied back into a bun if he’s going to end this night with what he’s wanted with you for the longest. he can only smirk, the bitter taste of booze lingering on his tastebuds, setting his body ablaze in major contrast to the cool feel of the ball of steel pierced through his tongue.

who gives it his all the second he shows up on that stage. the adrenaline running mixed with the shots he took earlier has him feeling on edge, calloused fingers expertly drumming at chords as he sings through the mic, his voice roaring into the stadium. through the immense crowd, he spots you in the middle of his younger brother and friends. dressed in a skimpy black outfit, a smirk is pulled onto your lips as you bob your head to the rhythm. it’s a tune you’ve heard him practice before, so surely it stuck to you, but seeing you in person right before him made his blood run a mile a second, and god he wanted to take you backstage and make a mess out of you.

though the performance is over and he’s greeting fans and groupies, he’s now got his wife beater on with some grey sweats. he’s usually thrilled to meet his supporters, but his mind is entirely consummated by you. he wants you wrapping your arms around his neck, snuggling your soft breast into his chest, arms wrapped around his waist as you giggle and congratulate him on his show. he could care less about the groupies that always come to see him, and he’s far less interested in getting their pussies in favour of yours. he even decides to refuse the mini plastic cocaine bag he’s usually quick to snatch, since he had absolutely no business entertaining them, when he only wanted you.

rolling up papers into blunts after his gigs, slightly drained from hours of performing despite the buzz mowing at his brain. he’s finally backstage, bringing the blunt up to his mouth to lick at the paper when you show up amongst your friends, congratulating him for his outstanding performance. he knows this all, though he still thanks their support, but most of all he wants to hear it from you, wants to know what you have to say since this was your very first experience after all.

watches as you walk up to him, breast spilling in your tight top, leaning forward to snatch the rolled up spliff and placing it between your lips. you grab a lighter from your cleavage, spark it up and blow the smoke in his stunned face. “not bad.” you chuckle with low lidded eyes, before placing the blunt back into his parted mouth. your friends are long distracted, busy bothering his other bandmates, but ace couldn’t be bothered enough to care about them. not when he feels the sudden urge to pull you onto his lap, to feel the heat of the warmth of your legs straddling over him, and grab a strong hold onto your ass beneath your taunting miniskirt. the sloppy kiss he receives in consequence to his actions aren’t unexpected.

who feels his pants tightening painfully hard at the sounds you make when his jewelled fingers come to wrap around your throat, drool pooling at the corner of your mouth from the ball of steel in his tongue clashing with the roof of your mouth. he can taste the casamigos in the warm cavern, figured he shouldn’t be too surprised since he himself is quite buzzed, but wishes everyone would fuck the hell off somewhere and let him get what he’s wanted forever.

who puts you in every fucking position. from your sweaty bodies grinding into one another on the couch, to having you pressed up against the wall and pounding into your tight cunt, to have you bent over his vanity and watching from the reflection of the mirror as he pounds into you, teeth nipping at your neck. you fuck like wild animals, the bottle of tequila uncapped by his fangs and poured into your open mouth as you moan at the alcoholic taste. once he’s assured you’ve got a good fill, he’ll poor the rest of the contents on your sinful ass, watching the liquid lubricate your ass cheeks, the recoil from the forced point of contact between both your bodies only amplifying as tequila splashed between you both. the whine you let out when a rough hand comes to slap your slippery ass cheeks is incomparable to any tune he’s ever heard.

who has you pushed up against the wall, legs wrapped around his neck and rested onto his shoulders, as he eats you out like his life depended on it. you tasted so fucking good, more intoxicating than any booze he’s had in his life, and the way your acrylics run deep into his scalp tugging so harshly onto his hair as you moan and whine for more, messing up his bun and watching as the locks fall out of place. his tongue drags up and down your lips, mouth salivating as his spit drools past his lips and past your pussy onto the floor, sloppily getting his worth of fill, grinding his erection into the wall as he awaits on his sweet reward that’s bound to splurt on his face if he nibbles at your clit— “just like that.” spraying him in the face with your essence.

who pulls out his phone with a deep groan and snaps a picture with the flash on of your cum covered face, sat on your knees with his dick tapped against your pink tongue, the wet muscle wrapped all over his tip as you milk him of his worth. the pearly white droplets may have ruined your makeup entirely, but ace isn’t sure he’s seen a prettier sight than this. you, allowing him to finish his load onto your skin, in which he can’t help but stretch an arm and smear his nut on your face with his thumb, to which you so gracefully slip in the digit in your mouth and moan, which definitely hardens his dick back into place.

who’s seated on the couch, blunt pressed at his lips as he watches you bounce up and down his cock, riding and milking him for what he’s worth. he’s already on edge, can barely stand the sight of your pierced nipples bouncing in sync at your hips’ movements, so he distracts himself by bringing his mout around a bud and his large hand cups the other mound. he moans against the jewel, his own tongue piercing clashing against the pretty heart shaped diamond and his silver ring brushing against your other hardened nipple. the blunt now in your mouth, you grind back and forth as you let the ecstasy ripple through your body, smoke filling in your lungs and clouding your mind, your clit bumping against his pelvis when you lean down at a specific angle.

definitely places a drumstick into your mouth, to gag you up as he fucks into you. he doesn’t want to muffle your beautiful sounds, he honestly doesn’t care if the whole audience hears the way you crumble on his dick. he just can’t help the way he feels waves of arousal ripple through his limbs all liquidy hot, when he seems the dazed look in your eyes, jerking up from each intense snap of his hips rutting into you. your knees touch your ears, your anklet chiming right at his own ear, as he presses a kiss into your ankle. in consequence, he decides with a jewelled hand wrapped around your neck, a new angle in his rough thrusts, that he’s going to record your fucking moans one day and put it as adlibs in a track.

who pulls out and watches as his cum trickles down your fucked out pussy, staining his couch white of evidence. with two fingers, he grabs the sticky substance and shoves it back into you, eyes nearly rolling back at the broken cry you let out, body all sensitive from back to back orgasms. still, he has a mind of his own and very selfish desires, and simply cannot let you go after tonight. you’ve given him a teasing taste, and he knows he’ll be back for more.

who reaches to grab your phone and unlocks it with your face id, before punching his own number in it and ringing himself. he needs you to come back after this, he’s not sure how he’s managed to survive without you here with him this entire time, but it’s never too late to try. he wants you seated in vip, supporting him and filming him up on stage as he finally has the heart to sing the songs he’s dedicated for you, and to be able to carry you into his backstage room and fuck you yet again endlessly. yeah, sounds like a dream but as for now, he’s good with resting his head onto your chest and listening to your steady heartbeat as it lulls you both into sleep.

bonus point++ definitely gives you an personally signed autograph of his name in black permanent sharpie right above your pussy and below your pierced navel, marking your gaping cunt as his forever and always.

ignore how i barely talk abt him being a rockstar and i mainly just wanted to write smut for ace <3

#roronoaswifey.exe #kazuha’s works 📂 #‘thinking bout’ series #one piece #one piece smut #portgas d ace #portgas d ace x reader #portgas d ace smut #x reader

[deepouterspacecandy]

Ex Machina

I received so many requests for period sex with Abby. This is a sensitive topic, difficult to write with the intention of fitting a wide array of readers, as our experiences with our bodies are all so different. Anyhow, this is my interpretation of Abby and intimacy during your time of the month. I hope I did it justice. Thank you for reading. 18+ only.

From the moment you crawled out of bed, a stubborn headache has plagued you, a dull throb pulsating behind your eyes. Sunlight floods your apartment, drenching the lush green leaves of all your plants while simultaneously intensifying the pounding in your head.

You glance out into the stadium and spot Abby leading the new recruits through drills on the field below. All week they’ve been running late, and although she’s usually home by now, it seems like today will be another exception.

Perhaps it’s for the best since you’re teetering on the brink of a bad mood.

You realize you should eat the breakfast she’s prepared for you, but your stomach is churning. Exhaustion burdens every inch of your body, as if your bones themselves are weary, the brain fog and bloat leaving you miserable.

While some months are more challenging than others, your period is never a pleasant ordeal. Growing up, the focus was on survival rather than on understanding the intricacies of womanhood and how to navigate them. Now, the demands of being actively involved in the WLF have made it difficult for you to prioritize and manage your health. It doesn’t help that your superiors interpret any actions that undermine your performance or distract you from the objective as a sign of weakness.

In this arena, Abby is an absolute godsend. With her background as a trained medic, and raised by a phenomenal doctor, she is also a highly empathetic partner to you.

Next to your breakfast, Abby has thoughtfully prepared a thermos of ginger tea, its peppery aroma offering respite from your nausea as you drink it down.

Abby’s concern about how much you’ve been pushing yourself has reached a peak, and given how awful you feel, you’re starting to see her point.

This time around, it’s pure luck that your days off align perfectly with your desperate need for them. Counting your blessings, you drag yourself to the shower, hopeful that the hot water will alleviate some of your agony.

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

Abby strolls through the door in the late afternoon, and you immediately catch a whiff of citrus and jasmine as she places a vase of fresh flowers on your bedside table. They’re a gesture of peace to make up for being gone so long, but she’ll always find an excuse to bring you fresh flowers. 

“I’m sorry it ran so late today,” she says, letting out an exasperated sigh as she kicks off her boots. “God, what a shitshow. Let’s run away together, yeah?”

“Ask me again in a few days,” you say.

While you dig through your shared drawers, she observes you swapping your pajamas for one of her roomiest shirts. The corners of her mouth lift in a devilish grin, giving her an air of playful wickedness.

“Still feeling rough?” she asks, plunking herself onto your bed.

“I think it’s worse this time around,” you explain, your hands cradling your sore stomach, finding comfort in the soft fabric against your skin. “Everything aches, and I’m so bloated. It really sucks.”

“Well, you look beautiful,” Abby says.

You go the extra mile to give her the most over-the-top eye roll you can manage. She’s a sweetheart, but her words can’t mask the overwhelming sense of detachment you feel from your body, intensifying your self-doubt.

“I’m serious,” she says, reaching out to pull you closer. “Have I ever lied to you?”

You can’t recall a time when she’s made you doubt her—the integrity of this woman is unwavering. Her straightforwardness knows no bounds, often leaving others taken aback. It is ultimately one of the traits you admire the most in her.

“I don’t feel very beautiful, I guess.”

Abby’s fingertips glide down the back of your thighs, tickling the sensitive skin behind your knees, before trailing back up to toy with the hem of your shirt. Her shirt, technically speaking.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asks.

Her question carries a familiar undertone, one you’ve been meaning to address for a while now.

During Abby’s cycle, her sexual desire intensifies to an unprecedented level, and she’s insatiable.

One night, after your shift let out early, you walked in on her. The blonde wisps of hair framing her face were curled with sweat as she touched herself under a blanket on the couch. You recall vividly her delirious gaze, head tilted back on the plush armrest as she rode the waves of her pleasure, filling your apartment with the sweetest sounds.

It was in the early phases of your relationship, and you were so surprised when you entered the room that you hesitated—torn between quietly leaving to let her finish or offering to help her. Luckily, she decided on your behalf.

Instead of panicking and hurriedly covering up her deed, Abby continued without missing a beat—beckoning you to join her. It was one of the most sensual experiences of your life, and the memory of it still makes your heart race.

But for you, it’s different.

It’s a constant battle of messiness, discomfort, and frustration. When your hormones are fluctuating and you feel a spike of arousal, the thought of Abby seeing you in that state halts your excitement.

In the past, she mentioned how her lifestyle influences her body’s bleeding patterns. She attributes her active lifestyle and high stress levels to a lighter flow. But she also understands that certain conditions are beyond control for many women, affecting their relationship with their cycle and the way their body reacts to it.

“How the heck do you do it?” you ask, your fingers connecting with hers as you delicately flip her hands over to trace the deep lines etched on her palm. “You get so confident.”

Every day, without fail, you find yourself entranced by the beauty of her ethereal blue eyes as she seems to peer directly into your soul. There’s a special intimacy in truly knowing someone, beyond the flaws and all the fears.

She has a keen sense of what you’re grappling with, often before you can articulate it.

Her brow quirks as she rakes her teeth over her pouty bottom lip.

“Horny, you mean?” she smirks.

“Is that what it is for you?”

“Not always,” she explains, as her fingers move to brush against the front of your thighs, igniting a tingling warmth between them. “But I listen to what my body tells me. It’s how I heal.”

“What does your body tell you?” you ask.

“It depends,” she says, looking up at you through her soft lashes. “Sometimes it tells me to rest—other times, I need a little more than that. But I have bad days, too.”

You reflect on your relationship with your body and how Abby’s presence has transformed your self-perception over the years. She empowers you to find security in your own skin, even when you’re clawing the walls of your existence.  

Even on the toughest days to practice self-love, she’s right there by your side, offering that extra boost to keep you going.

“It doesn’t gross you out, the thought of touching me when I’m like this?”

Abby lets out a surprised chuckle, gently placing her hands on your hips for a reassuring squeeze.

“Baby,” she says with an air of certainty. “There’s nothing you can do that would ever disgust me. This just reminds me how much of a badass you are. I’m a pretty big fan, if you haven’t noticed.”

You nod in acceptance as your fingers weave into her hair, gently tugging the long braid that rests on the nape of her neck. She fixes her busy gaze on you, brimming with an unmistakable and sincere affection, patiently awaiting your next move.

“It fucking hurts,” you say.

“Inside?” she asks.

“Everywhere,” you whisper.

Her lips meet the swollen part of your stomach as she leans forward, pressing kisses from your belly button to your hips. Her methodical nature shines through, ensuring she leaves no tender spot untouched.

When she glances up at you again, her eyes are heavy with hunger.

“Do you want me to make it better?”

It’s a lot to consider, and she watches you closely, anticipating your reaction as you try to process it all. If it bothers you, it will surely bother her, too—but can the reverse be true? If you have a pleasant experience, is it possible that Abby will also have a good time?

“Can we sleep on it?” you ask. “I’m just, you know—worried, I guess.”

Abby invites you to sit on her lap and when you oblige, she snuggles into the curve of your neck, sighing happily.

“Of course we can.”

Noticing your musing, she leans back to get a solid look at you. When your eyes meet, she crinkles her nose, a silent, impish signal she frequently uses to let you know she’s with you, even from across the room.

“What’s going on in that pretty head, huh?” she asks.

“I’m just glad you’re wearing dark pants right now,” you snort. “This cup thingy you got for me is working okay, though.”

“Well, thank God for that!” she huffs. “What would I ever do with bloodstains on my pants—can you imagine? Not this girl.”

“You’re on a roll today, aren’t you?”

Abby’s tongue darts out, lingering at the corner of her mouth until you dig your fingers into the ticklish spot at the small of her back, causing her to squirm with laughter. She quickly unravels under your ministrations, her voice transforming into something high and wild as she reprimands you through wheezing breaths.

“See, I warned you about teaching me how to lift weights!” you giggle, your grip on her wrists unforgiving as you pin her hands behind her. “Game over, Anderson.”

“You think so?” she chuckles breathlessly. “Hey—can I show you something?”

“You can try!”

Abby regains control of her hands and flips you onto your back with such ease it renders you utterly defenseless.

“Now what?” she asks.

She has you trapped, pressing your body and hands firmly against the mattress, careful to avoid your abdomen. It gives you an advantage, an edge to steal the upper hand, and with a sudden burst of energy, you buck into her, entangling your legs with hers in a fierce grapple. By the end of your wrestling match, your muscles burn from exertion, your focus shifting solely to the simmer of adrenaline working its way down your spine.

You leave behind any awareness of your physical state or appearance in favour of being in her arms, and she’s delighted to have you there.

Her rugged hands rest on your belly, rising and falling in sync with your breathing, and you’re weightless. The pain that had been radiating at your core all day has subsided, the niggling headache lifting from your temples as Abby works out the tension at the base of your skull with her fingertips.

Prominent veins pulse along her powerful arms in thick blue vines and as you trace them, her nostrils flare. The most innate manifestation of life and simply being alive underneath your touch.

“Let’s grab some dinner, yeah?” Abby pants, dropping a playful, squeaking kiss between your brows. “I’m starved. I need sustenance.”

“What else is new?” you tease. “You’re my God and my freaking machine.”

“Quit beating me up then,” she groans, a smile dancing on her lips. “If you build up my appetite, it’s only fair to replenish me. Do you want me to waste away or what?”

“Listen to you!”

She turns her face away, attempting to hide her jubilance.

“Bullying me—using up all my energy,” she says, jutting out her bottom lip. “Poor Abby is what they all say. You should hear them!”

“You literally started it,” you blurt. “I’m so done with you.”

Before you can roll off the bed, she quickly snatches you up and buries herself against your chest. Trying to suppress your triumph, a whirlwind of flutters spins between your ribs, like a miniature tornado poised to absorb everything in its path.

“Please don’t ever be done with me,” Abby murmurs. “Okay?”

Tendrils of soft hair spill out from her braid, and you can’t resist the urge to twist the golden threads around your finger, stroking her freckled shoulders with your other hand.

“Forever is a long time,” you murmur.

“It sure doesn’t feel like it,” she says, wrapping herself around you.

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

After months of waiting, the chow hall is finally serving your favourite meal, and you’re in a state of pure bliss as you savour it with your friends and comrades.

Manny is on his grind, recounting the funniest stories he can think of, causing uproarious laughter and taking harmless jabs at everyone at the table. Among her squad, Abby truly shines, earning admiration for her ability to treat everyone as equals, regardless of her superior position.

She is a leader in the field, but at home, she’s everyone’s trusted friend.

As you reminisce about a time before you knew her, the thought of living without the familiar scent of pine soap and the comforting feeling of her arms around you while you sleep becomes hazy and indistinct. The sensation of her breath against your neck as you wake up each morning is a treasured gift that you never want to lose sight of.  

Under the table, you give Abby’s knee a gentle squeeze. She instinctively laces her fingers with yours, fully focused on Manny’s irrational fear of a girl storing her toothbrush in his apartment.

Only when your hand glides up her thigh does she split her focus, giving you a knowing sidelong glance.

Abby subtly adjusts herself to accommodate you, widening the space between her legs as the edges of her ear takes on the prettiest pink hue.

You toy with the button on her cargo pants, trailing your fingernail along the zipper, and despite her best efforts to focus on the surrounding conversations, she’s fading fast. Absentmindedly nibbling at the dry patches on her lip, she blinks with a slightly delayed rhythm, absorbed by your attention.  

With each seductive surge, the intensity of your pain subsides, smoothing out its sharp edges.

“It’s your fault,” Manny explains, addressing Abby directly, the tines of his fork slicing the air. “I never had these problems when you were my roommate.”

Foreseeing a mental showdown, you slowly retreat to your lap, but Abby immediately tugs your hand back.

You know precisely what is going through her mind.

“Don’t blame your mommy issues on me, Alvarez,” Abby retorts. “Shit or get off the pot.”

Your fingers scratch a torturous path across her hard thigh, only stopping to pay special attention to the rigid seam of her pants before traveling back to her knee. Abby clears her throat and straightens up, indicating that she’s about three seconds away from a polite excuse to refuse dessert and propose an early night.

You beat her to the punch by deftly gathering your trays, offering a nod of farewell to everyone in the room and letting your girl know it’s time for her to take you to bed.

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

Rain trickles in silver ribbons along the panoramic windows of your apartment, flashes of lightning illuminating the night sky as the occasional rumble of thunder punctuates a mounting storm. Abby places candles on every tabletop and surface, creating a dim, flickering glow in anticipation of a possible power outage.

The crackling hiss of each match strike pulls you deeper into a state of relaxation.

She abandons the matchbox and, in one fluid motion, lifts her sweater up and over her head, tossing it onto the rocking chair in your reading nook.

Her back is a tapestry of sculpted muscles and you’re eager to feel them twitch and flex. It’s time to put an end to the silence that has been lingering between you since dinner.

“Abby?”

She hums, spinning around to face you, her expression lifting with an affectionate smile.

“What’s up?” she asks.

“I trust you.”

All traces of her tough exterior vanish as her determined strides carry her across the room, closing the distance between you. It’s a compliment that you know she will hold in high regard.

“I’m glad,” she whispers. “You’re always safe with me, okay?”

Abby’s eyes are a fragment of the ocean, a world of mystery and depth pulling you in. Her touch is gentle as she cups your jaw, delicately tilting your chin toward hers.

“I mean it,” she says.

The moment your lips meet, the taste of her intoxicates you, the room a dizzy blur of raindrops and candlelight. Her eager hands greedily explore the curves of your body, and the languid pace is torment. Taking her lower lip between your teeth, you suck her gently into your mouth, rocking against her for relief.

“Please let me take care of you,” Abby says.

You guide her hand between your legs, giving her the freedom to ease your pain. The surface is so slick that her fingers glide over your smooth folds, circling your swollen clit until you’re whimpering against her throat.

“Fuck, you feel good,” she whines. “You’re so wet, I can’t even take it.”

“Keep this up and I won’t last long,” you giggle.

Abby lifts you and sets you down on the bed, and that’s when you see it for the first time. Faint streaks of you staining her fingertips.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” you say.

“Look at me,” Abby murmurs, trailing kisses up your thigh. “You are so incredibly sexy like this.”

#abby the last of us #abby x fem!reader #abby x reader #abby tlou #abby x you #tlou abby #lesbian

[mydearesthrry]

A Compilation of Y/nrry on Stage - h.s.

a/n: self indulgent, once again. been watching a couple of old 1d concert vids lately and this just came to me like i think i wrote all of this in about 20 mins? enjoyyyyyyy

🎀 warnings/cw: nothing, fluff, cursing?

🐇 pairing: 1dbandmember!yreader x fratboyera!harry

💐 wc: 1.2k

summary: 3 moments during the take me home tour where ynrry shined through on stage.

Y/N could sense mischief from a mile away. From the second the fans screamed to looking over at where they were pointing, she knew she was fucked. Clad in a light pink shirt and crop top that only showed an inch about her torso, she tried to run away from Louis but the stilettos on her feet gave her no opportunity to. 

“Louis! Louis stop, don’t!” Her pleading seemingly wasn’t enough because, within a blink of an eye, she was drenched in cold water. The two of them immediately knew what this meant. 

It meant war. And she was determined to get all of her bandmates on her side to defeat Louis. 

At first, she tried running after him, but when she realized it was no use since he was so fast and she was in heels, she called Harry over and immediately told him to turn around and crouch to help her. Harry, who had seen the entire interaction, was immediately down and got down without question. She hopped up on his back, motioning at Zayn for him to throw her a water bottle, Harry immediately started running toward Harry. 

As he ran, her in-ear monitors made her remember that she was to sing soon, and she raised her mic to her lips, singing softly. “And if we get together, yeah get together, don’t let the pictures leave your phone! Do you guys think I can beat Louis?” She screamed, following her lyrics, giggling at the loud cheers from the crowd. Harry continued running, and Y/N looked down to see that Niall and Liam were running with them, water bottles in their hands as well. 

Louis glanced over his shoulder and saw them running after him, pulling a face and running away faster. Unfortunately, he was too slow, and they all eventually caught up to him. Zayn too, who was right behind him and making sure he didn’t run away. Liam and Niall caught Louis by his arms, holding him still so their best friend could get her revenge. Harry stalked over to them and set her down, Y/N still singing as she had Harry crack open her bottles. Giggles instead of melodies filled the stadium speakers as she poured the water over his head. The rest of the boys handed her their water, and she continued to pour water on Louis. 

“Paybacks a bitch, Tommo.” She grinned, grabbing him by the back of his neck and into a hug, pushing him away when their cue came in to start doing the rowing dance move. They all stood in a staggered line, laughing loudly while they danced. 

Everyone else flared away, but Harry stayed. He bent down, mouth close to her ear as he popped out her in-ear, and very softly, whispered, “Good job on your victory, Princess.”

—

The band sat in their respective spots, the soft guitar for Summer Love filtering through the air. In front of Harry, a little off to the side was Y/N, who had the brightest gleam in her eyes, admiring the crowd. It was during songs like these that she allowed herself to bask in the feeling of fame, one that often consumed and overwhelmed her. She giggled when she waved at a few fans and they started screaming and crying in response to her. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Harry had seen that, and smiled wider when she saw he already had a grin on his face. 

Raising the mic to his lips, he followed Zayn’s lyrics, and since Y/N was already looking over at him, she twisted on her bottom, being careful of her skirt. Her eyes traced all of Harry’s features, them being nearly enhanced due to the bright spotlights on him. Finishing his part of the first verse, his eyes flicked back to her, nose scrunching cutely. She blew a playful kiss back, laughing when his cheeks became overtaken by a pinkish hue. Jumping down from her spot, she walked over to the back of the stage to retrieve her phone, before jogging back to her spot, confusing Harry when she passed it and instead beelined for him. 

Plopping down next to him, she swiped on her phone until she got to the camera app, holding it up to be level with their faces. They pulled a couple of funny faces before she tossed her phone over to Liam and Niall to the right of her, who grabbed it with ease. They started snapping pictures too, Liam turning to face his back to the crowd, taking a selfie with them too. The mic was on her lips, and they motioned her to catch it, but she shook her head no. 

They tossed the phone back to her anyway, but she missed the catch and clenched her eyes shut, only for them to snap open again when she felt two taps on her thighs. Opening her eyes, she saw Harry grinning at her with a shit-eating grin, holding her phone in his hand. 

She rolled her eyes, grabbing it from him and unlocking it again. She pulled up her camera roll app, looking at the pictures of her and Harry. She smiled and set one of the funnier ones as her home screen background. She turned her phone to Harry, and he grinned at her, trying to subtly move his arm behind her back to rub it. Turning to him, she held up a hand to block the crowd from seeing what she was whispering into his ear. 

The crowd screamed when they saw this, but they would never know that the words she whispered into his ear were ‘I love you’.

—

 As Niall talked to the crowd, Y/N and Harry pulled their in-ears out of their ears to talk to each other, something that was extremely common at their concerts. 

“What d’you wanna order from the hotel when we get back? ‘M starving and I miss you. I feel like I’ve not seen you all day.” Harry said— shouted, knowing she could barely hear over the volume of the crowd. She turned around, shrugging her shoulders. Harry rolled his eyes, and she tiptoed, the heels on her feet not being enough to be able to reach his ears. 

“I‘ve been craving pizza since this morning, maybe that if they have it. We can cuddle when we get back to the hotel, but you have to shower, you’re all sweaty. As for the pizza,” She questioned in his ear. “I’m not sure what toppings yet, but maybe we can agree on some?” 

He nodded, giving a thumbs up, “Wanna join me in the shower?” She looked at him with an annoyed expression, but he had a boyish grin on his face.”‘M putting olives on the pizza.” 

“Oh, absolutely not, are you serious? Harry, that’s disgusting.” She pulled a face of disgust, putting her hand on his face to push him away. He had the biggest look of offense on his face, and she giggled. He didn’t get far from her push, only about 1 foot away. She laughed when she heard him scream ‘Say sorry!’, and she shook her head no. 

“You know I hate olives! I’m picking all of them off and giving them to you.” She grinned back, and he rolled his eyes again, but with the look he gave her, it was obvious that he would do anything for her.

#harry styles #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fluff #harry styles x reader #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles x y/n #harry <3 #harry styles blurb #harry edward styles #famous!reader x harry styles #harry x 1dbandmember!reader

[sourholland]

based off of taylor swift’s song style

a/n → well i bet some people didn’t expect this story to be updated again, however here i am and here it is. this is chapter 4. what mostly inspired me to try and finish this series is the continuous love i have received through it. there were a lot of people who told me how much they enjoy it and who am i to deny them. however i know that it’s been a year since i’ve updated this so if you want off of the taglist because of disinterest, please let me know!!! same goes for wanting to be on the taglist, just lmk 🩵

summary → he’s the quarterback of the cincinnati bengals, a worldwide heartthrob with an ego the size of lake erie—but does he have the heart to match it? you’re the bengals newest cheerleader, desperate to prove how much you deserve your spot on the team. it doesn’t take much to catch the eye of joe burrow, however that isn’t necessarily a good thing when you’re told that any romantic relations between cheerleaders and players is strictly prohibited.

warnings → strong language, nsfw content - oral sex

word count → 3.4k

reblog and leave some comments if you enjoy!!!

SERIES MASTERLIST

Chapter 4

“He’s fucking obsessed with you,” Sydney reasoned with you, listening to you finally debrief everything that had gone on between you and Joe over the last few weeks. “If you seriously start with all of this self-sabotage bullshit, I’m gonna kill you.”

Lena sat criss cross on the floor, silent and turning over the information you had given her carefully. Sydney was sitting on the couch beside you, knees pulled up to her chest as she spooned more ice cream into her mouth. It had been days since you slept over at Joe’s and besides a few text conversations and fleeting glances at the stadium, nothing more had happened between the two of you.

“She’s right,” Lena finally chimed in, her mass of curls held up in a claw clip she’d stolen from you during freshman year. “He’s obsessed.”

With a roll of your eyes, you turned over dramatically and buried your face into the throw pillow on your couch and screamed into it. If he was so obsessed, why hadn’t he called? Maybe because you completely overreacted after seeing one text on his phone like a psycho bitch, you thought to yourself begrudgingly. He probably thought you were crazy and territorial over guys you weren’t even with.

“I think I ruined it when I left the bar,” you sighed, considering screaming into the pillow again like a child.

“Oh my god, shut up. Men are so simple and literally do not care about stuff like that, I’m telling you. If he told you he let it go, he let it go. There’s no reason to overthink it,” Sydney assured you with a half-full mouth of chocolate ice cream. “Do you remember when I was fucking with Josh sophomore year and found out he was still hooking up with that one girl on the lacrosse team? Lily or whatever the fuck her name was–whatever, not the point–but do you remember when I deadass asked the front desk of our dorm building for a pair of scissors and walked a mile to where his car was parked and slashed three of his tires. Yeah, well he still hits me up. Men do not give a fuck.”

Lena had begun clutching her stomach in fits of laughter, rolling onto her back and shaking her head with tears prickling the corners of her eyes. You clapped a hand over your mouth, kicking Sydney and recalling how feral the three of you had been during your freshman and sophomore year. Moments like these made you wish the three of you were already living together again, as you had the prior three years. Well, Sydney shared a suite with you and Lena sophomore year and the three of you got an apartment junior year. After you told your parents that you planned to stay in Cincinnati after graduation, they knew you would need a place and gave you your graduation present early–a down payment on an apartment and your first month's rent. 

Cheering with the Bengals and substitute teaching on the side allowed you to save a little, but most of your money went towards bills. Lena and Sydney were planning to move in and split the cost three ways as soon as your prior lease was up. They had agreed to take on your portion of rent when you moved out of your previous apartment two months ago, knowing they wouldn’t have to put any money away for the down payment when they did move in with you. They still had about three weeks left until the lease was up, but you had all spent weeks packing up the other apartment slowly but surely. There were enough rooms for each of you to get your own, one was just significantly smaller than the other two. Lena had volunteered to take the space immediately, claiming she didn’t mind the lack of closet space or squeaky door.

Lena never had it in her to mind anything like that, she always just brushed it off and said it didn’t bother her one bit. She told you she was just excited to live with her two sisters, making you cry on the spot and tell her how much you appreciated her. Sydney would have taken the small room, she just wouldn’t have been happy about it and somehow both you and Lena knew she would find closet space one way or another. 

“I can’t wait for Joe Burrow to be sitting in my kitchen,” said Lena, letting Sydney spoon ice cream into her mouth now. “Or what about when you guys are fucking–”

“Lena!” You took the pillow you had been yelling into and pressed it into your flaming cheeks.

“Okay wait, answer honestly and don’t be modest. How big?” she swallowed, clasping her hands together in front of her, ready to inch them apart. “Tell me when to stop.”

“You’re both insufferable!” 

Lena, however, only continued to move her hands apart from each other with wide eyes when you still hadn’t said to stop. She hit the solid length, you nearly wheezed the word out with tears freely streaming down your face as all three of you clutched your abdomens in hysterics and girlish giggles.

“Do you need a third or what?” Sydney joked, already having pulled Joe’s Instagram up to stalk for the millionth time.

“Obviously,” you gave her a playful once over and winked, sending the three of you into fits of laughter again. 

⋆------------⋆

Practices leading up to the next preseason game against the Giants were brutal. Coaches were through with putting up with excuses and mistakes, leaving most of you on the team crying by the end of the night. When they wanted you to suffer, you suffered. Some of the senior girls who had been cheering with the team for a few years tried their best to ease the anxieties of the less-veteraned girls.

Everything hurt, all the time. Your back and legs mostly, but the soreness in your thighs and glutes made even warmups painful.

“Y/N!” Coach Traci’s voice bellowed. “What are you doing with your arms? How many times have I told you that if you can’t get this, I’m moving you back for our sideline dance sequences so you’re less visible?”

“Multiple times,” your voice came out as a little more than an embarrassed squeak. “I’m sorry, Coach.”

“Don’t be sorry, be better.”

You had to get your mind straight, shaking off the criticism and putting everything into the next time you ran the dance. Coach Traci nodded at you, the only acknowledgement of improvement that you would get for tonight. After the shitshow that was the Cardinals game, you knew better than to balk or disrespect anyone during practices. Everyone was strung out and tired, it was during a water break when you realized Joe was perched in his usual spot, headphones around his neck and running through some easy sprints. 

Good fucking god, had he heard your scolding? The thought brought you back to high school, the feeling of getting a question blatantly wrong in front of your crush or being reprimanded in front of the class for talking too loudly during a lesson. That same flutter of uneasiness left you feeling uncomfortable within your own skin, distracted again but pushing the thoughts aside in order not to repeat the whole embarrassing ordeal.

Joe was doing his absolute best job of casually sitting in on as many cheer practices as possible. The last thing he wanted was to cause trouble for either of you, but he would have been lying if he said he wasn’t using the fact that he is who he is to do his workouts wherever he wanted around the facility without a second glance from anyone. There were very few people meandering around, telling Joe what to do. With his injury, he was just now getting back into light conditioning and drill work so it wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to remain at the stadium to workout after practice had ended. He was watching from the sidelines most practices, occasionally being able to do a few workouts and passing the football around while everyone ran plays. 

He would take advantage of the opportunity to watch you while it was the most inconspicuous.

Practice unsurprisingly went late. Joe had disappeared back inside at some point, to finally go home you assumed. Once you were heaving and your body felt like pure jelly, you were finally allowed to go and grab your things and head in to shower. There were two text messages from Joe, delivered fifteen minutes prior.

Joe: Text me when you’re done

Joe: Actually do you wanna do what you gotta do and meet me in our locker room??

This boy is genuinely idiotic if he thinks you’re just waltzing into the team locker room, facility still far from emptied out. You ignored the messages until you got into your own locker room, sitting on a bench and shaking your head at his idea once again. Joe had absolutely nothing to lose here, that much was obvious from the start. You were a completely different story, though.

Y/N: Joe omg

Y/N: There are cameras everywhereeeeeeeee

Y/N: Can you just call me later?

Joe: No

Joe: Just go around the long way, don’t take the hall Emily’s office is on and come around from the other side. 

When you didn’t respond right away, he texted again.

Joe: The security camera isn’t facing the door, it’s facing who comes down that main hallway

Joe: I swear no one is gonna see you, the cameras will literally only get you taking a different hallway to walk out of the building and we can leave out of different doors

Y/N: You’re actually insane

Y/N: How do you even know what ways the camera faces???

Joe: I just walked out of the locker room and looked

Joe: I basically walked the whole thing, everyone went home 

Joe: Obviously not your team but yk what I mean, your coaches office is on the complete other side of the building 

Y/N: Go home, Joe :)

Joe: Please

Your thumbs hovered over the letters ‘N’ and ‘O’, but there was a part of you that couldn’t deny how excited the idea of seeing him again made you. The sneaking around had your gut twisting in a way that had all of your rational thoughts going right out the door. You’re pathetic, you told yourself as you glanced over your shoulder to make sure no one watched you type your next message.

Y/N: You need to see me so bad that you’re saying please?

Joe: Desperately

Y/N: Oh you’re good lmao

Joe: So I’ll see you in fifteen

Liking the message, you put your head in your hands for a moment and huffed a laugh as you finally turned on the shower and stripped yourself of the now sweaty practice clothes. Most of the girls showered at home after night practices, so only a few remained readying to leave. You took your time, double shampooing and ensuring as many people as possible had departed from the practice facility. 

“Good night, girl!” Carolina called out, walking out the door and leaving only you.

“Night, Carol!”

With shaky breaths, you brushed your wet hair once again and looked into the mirror. You had no makeup on and wore shorts and a Bengals hoodie now, which did nothing for your confidence as you walked out of the locker room with your bag in hand and cast your eyes downward. In your attempts to look unsuspicious, you took the long back hallway that wrapped around the inside of the stadium. There was the muffled sound of the janitors' speakers, but they were far from where you were and each office and support center looked desolate and left for the night.

The door to the players’ locker room was slightly ajar, leaving you to glance around again and double check Joe’s camera assessment. He was right, there was a camera on the end of the hallway, but it faced the opposite direction and caught whoever took the main entrance inside of this part of the building. Quickly, you slipped into the much nicer locker room and shut the door behind you. 

“That was twenty-five minutes,” Joe’s voice sounded from behind you.

“This is a stupid idea,” you cast him a playfully annoyed glance and locked the door behind you, turning to find him in shorts and a black T-shirt. “You’re a really bad influence, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told,” he walked towards you with such ease that you wouldn’t have believed he was just bed-ridden from surgery. His fingers found the hem of your hoodie, smirking down at you in his usual arrogantly charming manner. “I’m still glad you came, though. Even if I compromise your moral judgment so badly.”

He is so fucking hot, you thought as he continued fiddling with your sweatshirt. How is it possible to have this much sex appeal? How is it humanly possible for anyone to resist a look like his? Your entire body was on fire, swallowing hard and wondering once again how you wound up here with him.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he confessed. “I know I keep saying that and you’re probably sick of it. It’s true, though.”

The pads of his thumb and index finger brushed your bare torso, the circular motion leaving you breathing a bit heavier. His touch was less feverish than usual, more gentle and fleeting like he wanted you to know how much he wanted you. Hardly blinking, you let the tense silence guide you towards him in a way that left you practically flush against each other. Joe’s breathing hitched, giving you those sultry bedroom eyes and stupid smirk.

This time it was you who could no longer resist, kissing him softly as if to say that you, too, could not stop thinking of him. He slid his arms around your lower back, allowing you to wrap yours around his neck. Your back arched slightly at the long kiss, his right hand lowering to grab your ass and squeeze. He somehow maneuvered the two of you farther into the locker room between open-mouth, breathy kisses. Your back collided with the wall to the right of the sequence of open lockers, his mouth on your neck and biting gently at the skin of your collarbone. 

He pulled your hoodie off, throwing it somewhere behind him. Your fingers found his hair, tugging as he marked your chest up ravenously. A problem for later, you pushed the thought away and let your head roll to the side as he palmed both of your breasts through the fabric of your sports bra, occasionally leaving a hum of pleasure against the soft skin between your breasts. He kissed down your stomach and held you roughly by one hip, sinking to his knees looking up at you asking permission. 

“Did you know this was going to happen when you texted me?” You teased, still holding onto him by his hair. 

“When I texted you,” he started, letting out a breathy chuckle. “I prayed to god that this would happen, but I figured you were gonna tell me to fuck off.”

With a playful shove of his head, you looked away with blazing skin and blown pupils. Joe pulled down your shorts in one quick motion, running his hands down your hips and thighs with a lustful expression. He kissed you over the fabric of your underwear, fingers digging into the flesh of your ass. There was no denying the arousal dripping from you, wetting your panties, leaving Joe to raise an eyebrow and flash you an egotistical grin. A breathy moan escaped you and he stopped, causing a near-whimper to come from you.

“Quiet, baby,” he chided softly, “I need you to be quiet or we’re both fucked.”

The fact that he had called you baby was something to dissect tomorrow, you only inhaled sharply at his words. He looked up at you again with hair falling over his forehead, “can you be quiet for me?”

If he kept looking at you like that, you would do just about anything for him. You gave him a nod and he kneaded the flesh of your thigh now, finally pulling your underwear down and discarding them carelessly. He wrapped your right leg around his shoulder, on his knees before you.

“Can’t say that I’m complaining at this sight, right where you belong,” you whispered, cheekily.

“You’re hilarious,” he rolled his eyes and pinched your backside. “I’m on my knees for you anytime, just say the word.”

He didn’t give you even a second to respond, tonguing you with such desperation that your toes curled the second he put his mouth on you. Your slick had already coated his mouth and chin, his tongue running between your folds as his nose brushed the bundle of nerves. You struggled to keep quiet, eyes squeezing shut as you rocked your hips into his mouth and relished in each breathy moan that escaped him and reverberated against your center. 

His thumb went to your clit, rubbing feverishly at the bud and watching you turn to putty in his hands. Your legs began to shake violently, wondering how much longer you could stand the tight coiling in your belly. One of your hands remained in his hair, the other gripped the hard wall for any semblance of steadying as he devoured you. 

He grunted against you, picking up his pace and letting his hands explore as you bit back each and every sound you wished to make. He steadied you as you came undone, panting and unable to move or see. Stars clouded your vision, black spots causing you to close your eyes and breathe for a moment as you regained feeling of your body again.

The handle of the door shook, someone was trying to get in.

“Fuck,” you whispered at Joe, who was already carefully dropping your leg and reaching back to grab your shorts and hoodie. 

You slid the shorts on, throwing the hoodie over your head and letting Joe silently lead you farther back into the locker room where the showers were. He gave you a look that said to sit tight and make no noise. He didn’t look nearly as nervous as you, legs still gelatin and causing you to have to lean back against the wall to ensure your balance.

“Anyone in there?” A man’s voice sounded, muffled slightly from the distance now between you and the door. 

“Yeah!” Joe called out as casually as possible, he sauntered over to the door and flicked the lock and opened it. A janitor stood before him, cart beside him to clean. “Hey, Phil. I stayed late tonight, I don’t know why I locked the door. Must’ve been a reflex.”

Phil nodded slowly, he looked into the locker room and saw it all emptied out. Joe rubbed the back of his neck, swallowing and waiting for the man to say something. Phil only coughed and averted his eyes when he saw the lilac underwear balled up on the floor. He met Joe’s eyes and muttered that he’d come back around once he left, but not to be more than ten more minutes. Joe gave him a gracious thanks and sighed in relief as the man retreated down the hallway and brought his cart into another room, shutting the door behind him and turning his radio up considerably louder than he’d ever heard him play it.

“You can come out now,” he said, turning around and seeing the panties on the ground. He had no clue if Phil had seen them, but he also had no doubt that Phil was no busybody or gossip at his ripe age of at least seventy. 

“Do I get to keep these?” He asked as you came out from the showers, holding them up and smirking.

“Did I or did I not say that this was a stupid idea?” 

“Is that a yes or a no?”

once again, let me know to be taken off of or added to the taglist

taglist - @humannoodlesoup @nikkisimps @teasandcrumpets @chmpgnnlace @hummusxx @rivivie @madsblogsstuff @nngkay @raeofsunshine629 @siutforjjmaybank @alternativemadchen @ryiamarie @ohreggieboy @coldheartedmar @obsessed-fan-alert @buckystwilight @dessxoxsworld @manic-pixie-bitch2 @hallecarey1 @heyitskay-21 @joselyn001 @stylesyourmine @toterry @countryday @adventuremood @blu3jeanbaby @sriusun @mikeyspinkcup @kittyhorror777 @riverdalexvixens @hornyforherbert @nhlbabes @unsaidjaelinrose @joselyn001 @littlelou22

#joe burrow fan fic #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow smut #joe burrow imagines #joe shiesty #joe burrow angst #joe burrow x yn #joe burrow blurb #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow fluff #joe burrow fic

[coffeeineedcoffee]

Moving But Not Moving On

(Alexia x Reader)

“Stop it” you huffed out in annoyance to Sofie. The young midfielder didn't let up that easy and continued to prod about why you were dreading playing your former team so much. While yes she understood that it is always hard playing your old team you had kept a tight lip on any personal matters or reasons for leaving such a big club in the prime of your career. It didn't matter though as you were now back in Barcelona for the first time since signing with Rosengard 6 months ago.

The rest of your teammates were busy staring in awe at the historic stadium and the seemingly mile high stretch of stands. For a moment, so did you. And in that moment it was as if you never left, like it was before your life fell apart. You could still hear the roar of the crowd as they screamed your name, you could feel your foot striking the ball perfectly and the electricity that coursed through you. The voice of your coach broke you out of your daze as you jogged over to the rest of your teammates. 

You enjoyed playing in your home country of Sweden and while Rosengaurd was a great club it wasnt home anymore. You knew you would soon be playing the reason why you were wearing jackets in November instead of shorts and that when you did, you would need to be ready. 

The next day during training your mind raced but you managed through the training sessions and various meetings and before you knew it you were once again in the locker rooms. During warmups you forced yourself to concentrate but you can't help but pick her out in the crowd. You watch, hopefully inconspicuously as she talks to her team. The familiar passion in her eyes that often accompanies football sends butterflies in the pit up your stomach. You would probably have stayed there entranced by her if not for the ball hitting your shoulder and a smirk from Sofia. 

You're soon staring at a blue and white kit. It was the same name and number you always had yet it didn't feel like yours, nevertheless you quickly toss it on before walking towards the tunnel. Before even entering the tunnel you knew where she would be standing. It was the same spot she would always lead her team from.

You could see from your spot in line by her posture that she meant business, her shoulders square as she looked forward, her gaze fixated. But you also noticed how she played with the fabric of the pennant behind her back and realized that she must be nervous under all that bravado. You had become an expert at reading her mannerisms over the years so it was no surprise that you still could.

You continued to avoid eye contact as you walked out into the noise of the stadium. The game is hard fought especially when your opponent knows you so well not to mention the crunching tackles sent your way. 90 hard fought minutes later, you look at the grass in disappointment as goals from Claudia and La Reina herself would leave you going home with a 3-0 loss.

You now stood around midfield chatting with Frido, one of the few people who knew the full story. It wasn't long before you felt someone jump onto your back with a laugh and aren't surprised to see Aitanas playful smile when you look.

What does surprise you is when Barcelona's famed captain apprehensively approaches. A soft smile set on her face as she made her way through the mass of players. “Good game” she says in lieu of a greeting. You nod awkwardly as Aitana hops off your back to give you some space. “So how's Sweden been?” she asks. You bit your lip for a moment in shock at the casual conversation. “It's been good” you try to respond convincingly. She nodded but showed no intention of moving. “Y/n we've missed you, i've issued you” she said softly as if she wasn't the reason you left. “Alexia don't” you say. Her full name felt foreign on your lips as you tear your gaze away. “I'll see you in Sweden” you said quickly before heading back towards the rest of your teammates, missing the way she longingly watches your frame recede into the tunnel.

You had signed with the Catalan club 3 years ago and you spent most of that time loving the midfielder. She was the first person you met and offered to show you around the city. She asked you out a couple months and many awkward moments later. You had agreed to keep it a secret in the beginning but as the media continued to follow Alexia it became clear it would continue that way. She would act like a stranger to you in public or with the team.

You always thought it would change but you couldn't take it anymore, how could she talk about forever with you if you couldn't even hold her hand. Eventually you had come to the realization that you were just her dirty little secret, the arguments became too much and you asked your agent for a couple things. A team somewhere cold along with a quieter atmosphere. And even though you got what you asked for, it didn't fix you, not when nothing could.

#alexia putellas #alexia putellas x reader #alexia putellas imagine #espwnt #woso x reader

[bradshawssugarbaby]

Take One For The Team (One) - Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

A/N: we did it! part one! I'll be posting links to the parts on my Take One For The Team masterlist. pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x OC! Emily Parker warnings/content: mentions of smut/allusions to sex, swearing, Bradley throwing punches, anger issues. word count: 2k. taglist: @mamachasesmayhem, @floydsmuse, @avengersfan25, @whatislovevavy, @nerdgirljen, @dizzybee03, @mrsevans90, @djs8891, @averyhotchner, @bellaireland1981, @katfanfic, @dckweed, @kmc1989

The scorching California sun beat down on the sprawling expanse of the Los Angeles Stars' baseball stadium, casting long shadows across the meticulously groomed field. Amongst the buzz of anticipation, Bradley Bradshaw, the newly acquired star pitcher, stepped onto the hallowed ground of the pitcher's mound. His arrival, however, was not without its shadows of doubt and whispers of controversy. 

Just months prior, in the heart of Philadelphia, Bradley had been embroiled in a notorious incident that had shattered his reputation. A game-ending brawl erupted after a heated exchange with an opposing batter, ending in a display of unbridled fury that left both dugouts emptied and headlines ablaze. It was a moment of weakness that cost Bradley not only his composure but his place in Philadelphia. 

Not that it was entirely Bradley’s fault, of course. 

Just hours before game time, he’d walked in on his considerably younger girlfriend, Brittney, and the opposing team’s star hitter, Jordan Kazansky in a compromising position behind the dugout. How else was Bradley supposed to react when he came out smirking at him with a devious grin, knowing exactly what he’d done?

Bradley knew that Brittney was nothing more than a cleat chaser, purely out for the money and her fifteen seconds of fame that would come with dating a professional athlete, and Kazansky had just signed a new deal that promised him an obscene amount to start, and gradual increases each following year. 

It shouldn’t have come as a shock to see her getting fucked by another man, especially not one who was younger, paid better, and had a baseball dynasty behind him. And yet, despite all this, seeing her with Jordan Kazansky was enough to make his blood boil. 

When Jordan was at bat, Bradley had already managed to strike out two of his teammates, leaving Jordan as New York’s last hope to get a player on base that inning. Bradley lobbed him two relatively easy pitches so far, and the tally sat at two balls, no strikes. A third lazily tossed pitch made it so that the next one could be an easy walk to first base without Kazansky needing to make contact with the ball. Bradley, now feeling a little overly confident about luring his rival into a false sense of security, lined up for the next pitch. Instead of the half-assed, half-hearted throws he’d been sending to the plate, this time, Bradley wound up and threw a fastball that easily clocked in at 95 miles per hour. If aimed differently, this pitch could have set Kazansky up with a home run, however, Bradley, whose temper was rising every second that he spent having to stare at the opposing player, aimed the ball squarely at Kazansky’s outer thigh. 

Jordan Kazansky dropped to the ground in a matter of seconds, clutching at the spot where the ball made contact. Bradley took his glove off and threw it to the ground, storming over to where Kazansky was now kneeling in the dirt.

“That’s for fucking my girlfriend,” He spat, shaking his head as he loomed over Kazansky.

Bradley grinned down at the injured player by his feet, raising his eyebrow as Kazansky refused to retaliate. Bradley was seeing red, beyond any reasonable amount of anger, and as the umpire began to attempt to diffuse the situation unfolding, Bradley’s aggression worsened. Now, as other players began to emerge from the dugouts, arguing and brawling with one another, Kazansky stood up right, squaring off with Bradley. Bradley couldn’t help but laugh - at 6 ft 4 and weighing in at about 210lbs, he wasn’t small by any stretch of the imagination, and compared to Kazansky’s 5 ft 10in, 175lbs frame, he practically engulfed the player in his shadow. As Kazansky tried and failed to land a right hook to Bradley’s jaw, Bradley returned the punch with one of his own, making contact with Kazansky’s face. 

Now, faced with a game ejection, a fine, and a disciplinary hearing, Bradley knew one thing was for certain - his career was fucked. At his early thirties, most players his age are facing retirement, and on the higher end of 32, at any point the season he’s playing could be his last. He knew it better than anyone - the threat of a forced retirement hanging over him like a guillotine, waiting to end his career. Sure, plenty of players end up doing sports commentary when they leave, but Bradley wasn’t a commentator. In fact, Bradley barely spoke when forced to take part in press conferences, and when he did speak, he read whatever the team’s reps had handed to him. The truth was, he didn’t give a shit about anything outside of the field. 

Bradley’s one saving grace after this incident? Pete Mitchell, the general manager of the Los Angeles Stars, a relatively new team that was entering its third season in the league. Pete had begun as Bradley’s coach when Bradley was a rookie, and was one of the few members of the team personnel at the time who believed in his skill and ability, rather than fearing whatever outlashing might occur if someone made a bad call against him. 

When Philadelphia put Bradley up for trade following the Kazansky incident, as the press dubbed it, Pete snatched his contract up faster than the ink could dry. Bradley, grateful for the last-chance effort from Pete, resolved to try his hardest to pull his shit together and play the game. That was, until Pete gave Bradley an ultimatum. 

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Bradley huffed, shaking his head.

“The league says you do. The team owners say you do. And, most importantly, I say you do. Besides, she’s not a babysitter. She’s not here to make you lunch and wipe your ass, Bradley. She’s here to help you boost your image. Fix that reputation you’ve earned yourself. Maybe even get you traded to a team that can afford to pay you more for your last seasons.”

“I don’t need her help, Pete. I’m fully capable.”

“It’s not up for discussion, Bradley. The team owners have decided you do this with Emily’s help, or you don’t play. And I don’t know about you, but something tells me after you knocked Kazansky out, there’s not a lot of teams interested in adding you to the roster at the moment.”

Bradley sighed and looked out the window of Pete’s office, staring down at the baseball diamond below. He shook his head before darting his eyes back to Pete, giving him a look of pure defeat.

“Fine. When do I meet her?”

“There’ll be a team meeting to introduce her at around 2 o’clock, ahead of tomorrow’s big game.”

“Great, fantastic, wonderful, can’t fucking wait,” Bradley quipped, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“Bradley,” Pete sighed as he put a hand out, gesturing to Bradley to keep himself calm, “listen, she’s just here to help you make sure you don’t throw what’s left of your career away.”

Pitch after pitch, Bradley was in the zone, laser-focused on his performance in today’s game to distract himself from his first encounter with Emily earlier that afternoon. 

She stood tall, her blonde hair cascading into a messy ponytail, wisps framing her face in a way that suggested effortless beauty. Her green eyes scanned the team with a confidence that Bradley sensed was a façade, a shield to protect her vulnerability. 

As she began introducing herself, each mention of the team felt like a veiled criticism directed at him. Bradley couldn't help but scoff and roll his eyes, recognizing the subtle digs concealed within her words. He felt under attack with each thinly veiled criticism of his behaviour, his jaw clenching in frustration as he listened to her talk. With a silent challenge in his gaze, Bradley contemplated how he could make her job a living hell if he so chose.

Watching from the management box in the stadium, stood Emily, in her tailored khaki pants and her pale blue blouse, nervously biting at her fingernails as she watched Bradley’s game play. This afternoon’s introduction to the team she’d be overseeing could have gone better - in fact, there wasn’t many ways in which it could have gone worse. 

Despite her outward appearance of confidence when she entered the locker room, Emily couldn't shake the nerves that fluttered in her stomach as she stood amidst the buzzing energy of the stadium. Assigned to handle Bradley Bradshaw's notorious temper, she had expected their first encounter to be tense, but the reality surpassed even her apprehensions. Each eye roll and scoff from Bradley felt like a personal affront, a reminder of the uphill battle she faced in gaining his cooperation. Yet, beneath her frustration simmered a determination born from years of hard work and perseverance.

Emily hadn't landed the position of PR rep for the Los Angeles Stars by chance. Graduating top of her class with a degree in communications, she had diligently climbed the ranks through internships and assistant positions, her eyes always fixed on her ultimate goal. When the opportunity to join the Stars' organization arose after a successful internship there the previous summer, Emily seized it with unwavering confidence, although she had no idea exactly what the position would involve.

She’d entered into her initial meeting with Pete and the rest of the team’s management with her head held high, feeling excited about her new role with the team. She’d been a baseball fan her entire life, and Pete Mitchell was at one time, one of the greats. The team’s roster was phenomenal, filled with rookies and a few veteran players with strong, solid careers. The task of making the team appear well managed was one that practically did itself for her. That was, until that morning, when the team’s newest trade acquisition was finalized.

“Bradley Bradshaw? The guy who drilled someone in the leg over, quote unquote, “fucking his girlfriend”?” She asked incredulously, blinking in disbelief.

“That’d be the one. Listen, we need a good pitcher. He’s one of the best. And we can afford him. He needs us as much as we need him. Your job, is to make sure he keeps his nose clean and doesn’t explode and throw a bat at someone for looking at him the wrong way.”

“Which will now be exponentially harder given his recent scandal. I mean, everyone in the league is commenting on it. On the subway in this morning I heard four different people discussing the Kazansky incident as if it’s the next Watergate scandal.”

“Exactly,” Pete nodded, pointing to Emily with his pen casually, “And you’re one of the best at what you do. Your resume was the most impressive out of all the ones we received. I’m confident you can handle this.”

Emily nodded once, trying not to audibly groan at the prospect of having to babysit a 30-something year old grown man who couldn’t keep his temper tantrums under control. 

That night, she’d resorted to watching videos of Bradley in press junkets on the internet, trying to make notes of key points to work on. His uninterested answers, his unwillingness to maintain eye contact, his scowling glances and nonchalant posture, suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but there. A couple videos, dating back to when Bradley’s career was just taking off, showed a different side to him - a gentler man who genuinely just enjoyed playing baseball and wanted to be there.

As she watched Bradley's imposing figure on the mound, Emily couldn't help but wonder what had led him to this point. Rumors of his temper tantrums and locker room clashes had preceded him, painting a portrait of a man both fiercely talented and dangerously unpredictable. Emily knew that her success in taming Bradley's fiery spirit would not only define her career but also shape the trajectory of the team's season. She knew she had her work cut out for her when it came to Bradley - he was hard-headed, stubborn, volatile, and explosive - every public relations team’s worst nightmare. 

Emily, however, had a plan. 

#bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #bradley bradshaw x ofc #bradley bradshaw fanfic #bradley rooster bradshaw x oc #bradley rooster bradshaw x ofc #baseball au #top gun #top gun maverick au fic #top gun maverick #top gun: maverick #top gun: maverick au fic #rooster fanfic #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw imagine #top gun fanfiction #top gun imagine #top gun maverick fanfiction

[infernalodie]

𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 || 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐄𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡

“𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨?“

Inspo: Belle - Million Miles Away

Pairing: Billie Eilish x Black!Fem!reader

Summary: She may have messed up, but you would always be the one to bring her back...

Warnings: Angst and fluffy as hell.

Words: 1546

“Why are you always like this, Y/n? It’s the last show. Why can’t you just wait?” Billie’s annoyed tone stung like a heated blade to your flesh. Delicate and sensitive to the pain she may not have intended to inflict on you. It wasn’t purposeful, but it still hurt nonetheless.

“I- I just can’t help it!” You wept. “I don’t like being alone.”

Billie huffed, moving around to the door. She was late for her show and she couldn’t deal with you right now. She was tired and ready to take a needed break from touring before she would have to start working on her next album. Whatever problems you had would need to be put on hold.

But right before she could exit, you caught her wrist. And without much thought, Bille ripped her hand from your grasp, accidentally hitting you. It took a long pause of Billie staring down at you. Her eyes were wide as she caught yours filled with tears whilst holding your cheek. A tight rope wrapped around her throat as she choked and stumbled over her words. Mind unable to process her own action.

By the time she figured out and was able to construct a string of words, you were already sprinting out of the green room. Tears spotted across your cheeks that hit the floor. Leaving a trail that Billie had no hope of following to make up for her mistake. And in a single moment, she saw every little moment spent with you flash behind her eyes. Your smile, laugh, voice, and beautiful eyes. Your voice rang through her head like a broken record repeating her name. “Billie. Billie. Billie…”

“Billie!” The superstar flinched at her brother’s sudden entrance into the green room. Her hands were tight around her phone as she looked up at Finneas. He jutted his thumb over his shoulder with a frown. “We got the show- What’s up with you?”

“Nothing. Let’s just get this over with.” Billie brushed past him, and down the rather narrow and dusty halls.

It’d been a year since you left without a trace. You had booked a flight home back to Toronto after the incident. Billie tried to call and text, but you had changed your number without any chance for your girlfriend to apologize. She wasn't even sure if she had the right to call herself a girlfriend after what she did to you.

What she was sure of was the fact that she should’ve stayed with you a little longer. Gave you her time and attention to get whatever you needed off your chest. The separation had always been hard for you and she wished she took that into account before she ever went on tour.

This particular tour was ending with the stadium you had always wanted to perform in, Great Strahov in Prague. After this, she could be back in L.A. sitting in her own self-pity and feeling like absolute shit for losing something as sweet as you. Because if she was being honest, nothing had been the same since you left. Her life was on a constant loop. Each day began to fade into one another and look the same- it was breaking her down. And the time away from touring would only make it worse.

And going on stage was beginning to seem more like a hassle than it did before. At least when you were here, she didn’t have to hide her feelings from her fans. Now, she had to keep herself together until she was done where she would sob in her green room. Thinking of how good it would’ve been with you backstage waiting for her. Wondering how you would react to the stadium being jampacked and sold out. Your dream performance. She wishes you could see this. The countless phones in the sky and the sheer earth-shaking volume of the fans. Would you cry? Would you perform one of your songs on stage? Share this special moment with her. She wasn’t sure, but she wished she could have the answers.

She just missed everything you brought to her life. The countless great memories you gifted her were like a little orb that would begin to break off with each memory experienced. But she felt like there was so much more than what she had. An entire life with you that had yet to happen because of her actions. Did she deserve it; no. But she did believe that you deserved the world and everything in it. If she had the chance, she would give up the money just so she could have you back.

Now, that was all gone and she had to try and carry this guilt on her shoulders until she got over you and accepted herself. But she didn’t think she deserved that for herself. The images of you and her with kids living on a farm somewhere didn’t help either. They may be fantasies, but they were very true for a short time.

The show was slowly beginning to come to an end and Billie was sweating. Trying to give everything to the fans for this last show before she would be away working for a while. But in some way, she thinks the fans know that she was going through it. The news of her breakup shocked the world and it sent a shockwave through her fanbase that she hadn’t seen before. So, as much as she tried to give, they were given right back.

Billie took a moment and sat on stage. Panting as she tried to catch her breath. But the lights began to slowly fade, which made her glance around in confusion. She saw a few girls near the front reaching into their pockets and pulling out a small little orb. Whispering to one another as Billie’s frown deepened.

“Like glimmers in a flower. Like jewels in a dream.” An angelic voice played through the speakers and in Billie’s ear. The crowd began to scream in excitement for something that Billie had yet to understand. When she glanced back at her brother, she found him away from his instruments and standing nearby. A soft smile on his lips as he motioned for her to continue to watch. “The sky breathes life, love to everything.”

Looking forward, Billie saw a faint orange glow in the distance with one of the headlights above starting to glow brighter. “At times I've thought "I'm not enough". The chains that tied my heart.” That single orange glow moved down the center of the stadium in a slow walk. Billie had no idea who it was or what was going on, but she was beginning to relax. The voice soothed her to a rather tired and emotional state that was causing tears to sting behind her eyes. ”But there's still a path that lies ahead for you and I.”

The crowd's screams were growing louder, but they were masked by the instruments and voice that continued to project through the speakers. “Memories fade away. Clouds of yesterday. With no one to love. Is this life worth living?”

“Come back to me, and stay by my side. I feel my heart shake. Come, ease this ache.” Unable to comprehend or understand what was happening until the first glow got closer and finally met the small walkway. Slowly walking up the steps whilst singing. I'm standing over here, reaching for you. A million miles away, come back and stay.”

The large screens on either side of the stage slowly turned on with you there, singing. Here. Right now. Standing at least 10 feet away, it felt a whole lot more. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you stared at Billie with the happiest smile she had ever seen you with. Billie couldn’t contain the grip of her mic falling from her grasp as she placed both her hands over her mouth.

“No matter how far the memories may be. When I close my eyes, you're all that I see,” you sang, growing closer to Billie, who shook her head in disbelief. “Come back to me. A million miles away, come back and stay.”

Standing face to face, Billie couldn’t help but latch onto you. You did the same, beginning to sob into her shoulder as your arms tightened around her. “I love you. I never stopped loving you, Billie.” Your reassurance only made her break further as you held her up. Like you always did and would continue to do.

Pulling away and holding her face softly. Her eyes filled with tears as she hesitantly looked up at you. Seeing you smiling softly as your thumbs brushed across her cheeks, ridding the tears from her.

“La-la-la-la,” you sang softly, voice cracking as Billie joined in. “La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.”

Lights across the stadium from the little orbs those girls had pulled out started to glow brightly. Creating an ocean of lights that took Billie’s breath away when she looked. The entire crowd began to sing the same melody. Only faint keys from a piano playing faintly in the background.

Cupping her face once more, Billie looked up at you. “No matter how far we may be. No matter what happens, baby. I’m always going to love you.”

#billie eilish x reader #billie eilish imagine #billie eilish fanfiction #billie eilish x you #billie eilish x black!reader #billie eilish x black!fem!reader #billie eilish x black fem reader #billie eilish x black reader #Billie Eilish #x black reader #x black!reader #x black!fem!reader #x black fem reader #poc reader #x poc reader #x fem!reader #billie eilish x fem!reader

[ahgastay]

Petals

Hi, everyone! Here is part one of two to my ‘Petals” fic. Hope you enjoy!

________________________________________________________________

I could spot him from a million miles away.

And maybe it was just the way that his smile could light up even the darkest room, or how his eyes shined just a little bit brighter than everyone else, but I swear in a stadium full of people, my eyes would always find his first.

He and I have been friends for about 3 years now, but he likes to say different. ‘Its like we’ve been friends our whole lives.’

For me, I feel like quite the opposite. I feel like we have just met a few weeks ago, because the feelings I feel for him still feel like I am a young schoolgirl who is crushing on a boy she met in class: stomach in knots, not able to make eye contact, still stumbling over some of my words. Three years later and I still look down at my phone every 2 minutes because I am waiting for him to call.

It took me quite a while to figure out that what I felt for him wasn’t a normal feeling to have towards someone who is a ‘good friend of mine’. In fact, I had to have that conversation with a close friend of ours, and he had to tell me that the feeling wasn’t a platonic feeling, but something a hell of a lot more. I remember driving home that night in tears, because what else was I supposed to do? I knew what was coming soon, because I could already feel it spreading in my chest and up my throat.

“You can’t keep ignoring him forever, you know that, right?” Felix said, placing a bottle of water in front of me as he sat on the open spot next to me on the couch.

“I can try my best.” I replied, pulling the blanket tighter around myself, not removing my eyes from the TV playing in front of us.

“He’s asking about you, you know? He keeps asking if any of us have seen or heard from you. I can’t keep lying to him like this.” I could tell Felix was getting upset about it.

“What else am I supposed to do?” I leaned up and grabbed the water, opening the cap and taking a quick sip while looking over at my friend.

“I don’t know but hanging out with him for a day won’t hurt you anymore than you’re already hurting now.”

Oh, if only he knew.

I could feel tears starting to arise in my eyes as my chest began to heat up and my throat close. I was trying as hard as I could to keep it down. I couldn’t let him figure out about this. I just couldn’t. But he must have seen the tears in my eyes.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to upset you.” He went to sit up and rub my back, but the second his warm hand hit my back, I rose to my feet and ran as fast as I could to my bathroom. I closed to door and hit the lock as to make sure he couldn’t get it. I hunched over the toilet and coughed as much as I could. As I looked down into the toilet bowl, I saw little flower petals; white with rosy pink tips. I felt slightly better after a couple of seconds and dropped myself against the wall.

“(Y/N)? Are you alright?” Felix said as he knocked on the door.

“Yeah,” I replied, slightly out of breath. “I’ll be f-“

The same feeling rose again in my chest, and I found my spot against the toilet bowl again. After I got out as much as I could, I slumped against the toilet and, as gross as it was, let my forehead rest against the cool glass of the bowl.

“Oh, (Y/N) ...” I heard from behind me.

With all the energy I had left in me, I turned my head to the side to see Felix standing stagnant.

I no longer had it in me to keep this to myself and broke down as he silently sat behind me and brought me into his chest. I tucked myself into him and I let out sob after sob as I wrapped myself as much as I could around Felix and let him hold me, almost like a mother holding her child after their first heartbreak. I could feel his chest trembling along with mine and looked up at his face after a few minutes of letting myself release my pent-up emotions. He also had tears on his cheeks and chin shaking.

“Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

“What was I supposed to say? It wouldn’t have made any difference.”

“I could have at least been there for you and helped take care of you when you were like this.” I brought his hand up and wiped the tears from my cheeks. “(Y/N), you have to say something to him.”

“It’s not going to make a difference, Felix. He’s never going to love me the way that I love him, and I must come to terms with that and live with it until all this ends.”

“… What do you mean by ‘until all this ends’? You’re going to get the surgery, aren’t you?”

I looked down and slightly shook my head, letting him know silently I had no plan on letting go of these feelings, even when it’s going to kill me.

“(Y/N), please, I am begging you. Don’t do this, please just get the surgery and you can keep living. You cannot do this to us. What am I supposed to do, how am I supposed to keep living knowing that you’re going to die any day all because you decided this stupid crush isn’t worth living for?” Felix said, voice angry.

I took my hands and shoved him away from me, looking him in the eye and pointing my right index finger directly at him.

“Don’t you ever say ‘stupid crush’ again, because you know good and well that this wouldn’t be happening if that was all it was. YOU are the one who told me what I was feeling wasn’t a friend thing, that what I felt was love. So don’t you dare to sit here and yell at me.” I stood up, walking out of the room.

“Wait, (Y/N), I’m sorry, please …” I heard him get up and follow me outside of the room. He grabbed my hand and turned me back around to face him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. Its- Damn it, its just really hard to sit here and try to understand the fact that one of your closest friends is dying and you can’t do anything about it.”

“I understand that, Felix. But please realize that this is my choice. I have decided this and there is no going back for me.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Its okay. I can understand why you’re upset. But please, for me, try to understand that I don’t think life is really worth living without this feeling.”

He nodded, but I could see tears developing in his eyes. He looked up and blew out a deep breath and tried to blink back his tears. I walked over to the couch, sitting down and crossing my legs. Felix came right behind me, sitting to my right and placing a hand on my knee.

“All I have ever wanted was to be happy. And I am. Even though I know that these feelings are never going to be reciprocated, I am happy. Over the moon. I hope one day, you love someone as much as I love him. Because even in the end, I am going to go out knowing that I loved. And that I loved hard. I know how I feel. I understand how I feel. Nobody else is ever going to get that. I get that its hard for you, Felix. But please understand that this is for me.”

“But what about everyone else?”

My stomach dropped.

I never really thought much about what would happen after I was gone. All I could think about was the feeling that grew stronger and stronger inside of my chest daily. I never thought about the repercusions of my actions. Before tonight, the boys would find out that I was gone, and never understand why. They would live a long life, filled with happiness and love, while I would live a short one filled with the same. But now that Felix knows, he would have to be the one to tell them. To break the news on my passing. And he would have to tell him why.

“What about the fact that I am going to have to live… every single day for the rest of my life knowing that I couldn’t help you? That I knew this whole time and never did a single thing?”

“There is no way to help me! Please, I am begging you to understand that there is NOTHING in this whole world that could change my decision. Not even him.”

I’m pretty sure that hit him, because he looked down and his lap and took a shaky breath.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” I questioned.

“Okay.” He looked up at me. “I’m sorry I kept pushing.”

“Its fine, I get it.”

I smiled at him as he smiled as me, a bright smile that one of the prettiest I had ever seen.

“You still need to see him, or at least talk to him.”

I sighed and nodded my head. “You’re right.”

“How about this? We have practice in a few days, do you want to come with me? It doesn’t have to be long, but just let him know you’re still alive. I’m so tired of hearing him go on and on about how you haven’t said anything to him in two weeks.”

I let out a light laugh.

“That sounds fine. I’m just worried about the whole ‘coughing up a garden’ thing.”

“If you need to, just run out of the room. I’ll come up with some sort of excuse for you.”

I laughed, thinking about the fact that Felix was no good with excuses.

“And if it is okay with you, maybe I can stay here with you. Just to make sure you’re okay. But that’s only if its okay with you.” He had his hands up in a defensive position, like he was trying to stop someone from coming at him.

“That sounds fine with me. It’ll be nice to has some company around here.” I smiled at him.

We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the moment we both had together right now.

“(Y/N)?”

“Yeah, Felix?”

“I don’t want to be a downer, but … I’m really going to miss you.”

I could feel my chest tighten again, but not from the petals.

From sadness.

I thought that within a span of a months, I would never seen Felix again. Or any of my friends.

I would never see Chan ever again.

Two days passed by quickly, Felix staying at my place, helping when my coughing got to a point where I couldn’t handle it. I was dreading arriving at the company, dreading seeing his face again. I contemplated backing out, but there was no way in hell Felix would let me get away with that. I had to suck it up and deal with whatever was bound to happen the second I stepped foot into the practice room. The whole ride there my knee was bouncing wildly and couldn’t help myself but to bite my nails. I jumped slightly when I felt Felix place a hand on my knee.

“You’re shaking the whole car; you know that right?”

“I’m sorry,” I brought my hand down as I answered his question. “I’m just nervous.”

“I can understand that, but please I can’t take the shaking anymore.”

I laughed at him slightly, apologizing under my breath.

“Do you want to talk about it, or do you want to talk about something different? I can’t handle how quiet you’re being.”

“What else could there be to talk about? I’m literally dying, Lix; that’s a pretty hard topic to not talk about.”

He took a deep breath in before stating harshly, “You know, you don’t have to be so harsh about it, I was just trying to fill the silence.”

I immediately felt guilty and could feel tears rising in my eyes. I turned a little towards to window and closed my eyes, silently begging my tears not to fall.

“(Y/N), you alright?”

“I’m such a shitty friend to you, why are you even putting up with me?” I questioned him shakily.

“You are NOT a bad friend. You’re literally choking on flower petals, for Christ sake, you’re 100% allowed to be upset. If anything, I need to stop giving you snippy remarks. I’m just having a hard time coming to terms with everything. You of everyone don’t deserve this. You should be living a long, happy life, not having to put up with this.” I could hear him getting slightly choked up from his own words. “I’m really sorry, (Y/N), I understand that you have already made up your mind, but I’m not going to stop begging you to change it.”

“Felix, please don’t cry. I can’t handle that.” I turned more towards him and placed a hand on his knee. “Plus, you’re driving and I really don’t want to die in a car accident after dealing with this for so long.”

He laughed and wiped some tears from his eyes. He looked towards me for a second and gave me a stunning smile that made the one on my face grow.

“Promise me this will be the last time we talk about this.” I asked, raising my pinky towards him.

He looked down at it, visibly looking like he was in anguish. He coughed slightly before intertwining his pinky with mine.

“Yeah, I promise.”

“Good, now let’s get this thing done and over with.”

“I hope you know how happy he is going to be to see you. He’s going be so surprised; I can’t wait to see the look on his face.”

I looked towards him, slightly confused. “He knows I’m coming, right?”

He shook his head overdramatically. “Nope,” He said, popping the ‘P’. “Not a soul knows you’re coming.”

“Felix!” I snapped. “I don’t want to just drop in on your practice! That’s so rude!”

He looked at me like I had grown another eye. “(Y/N), you know for a fact that nobody is even going to bat an eye because you’re there. If anything, it’s more comfortable when you’re there. You’re the only one who isn’t afraid to tell us how if is when we mess up.”

“I don’t know, Felix. I think I would have rather him know I was coming than to surprise him after not saying a word to him for almost 3 weeks now.”

“He’s definitely going to be upset, but he’s Chan and you’re (Y/N). He’s never mad at you for long.”

I slouched in the seat and looked ahead, ignoring the fact that as much as I hated it, I knew he was right. Chan and I were never in a rough spot long. One of us would fold not very long afterwards and apologize, all because we couldn’t go long without being in each other’s company.

“Trust me, as upset as he’ll be, he’s going to be absolutely over the moon to see you.”

“I sure hope so.”

I could feel my heart racing as we walked towards where the door that would lead us straight to the boys.

Straight to Chan.

I stood behind Felix as we finally approached the door, him pushing it open with me trailing slowly behind him.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late. Had to pick up a friend really quick.” Felix said, moving over slightly to show my figure. Hyunjin and Changbin were both laying out on the floor parallel with each other, while Jeongin’s head was resting on Hyunjin’s thigh. Seungmin and Han were taking selfies in the mirror, and Minho was scrolling through something on his phone. Almost like Chan was, expect for Chan was tucked in the corner of the room, tapping at something on his phone until he brought it up to his ear. That was when I felt the vibration start in my pocket.

“(Y/N)!” Hyunjin and Han said, almost in sync with each other, but I didn’t look at them. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the boy who spun around so fast, I thought he was going to fall over. I must have pressed the ‘cancel’ button on his phone, because I felt the vibrating in my pocket stop as he rushed over to me and squeezed me into a tight hug.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! You can’t just go all AWOL on me like that.” He mumbled to me as he pushed me away from his body. “Why haven’t you called me back or answered my messages?”

He wanted me to answer his question, but all I could think of was his warm hands on my arm and waist, and the way his eyes were looking down on me. I could already feel my chest starting to get full, like I had just drank the hottest coffee on the planet. I went to answer his question, but I couldn’t get the words out.

I heard a rough cough from behind me and turned to see Felix standing with his closed fist to his mouth. When he finally looked up from the ground, he looked at me and then at Chan, almost signaling me to say something. I turned back around to look at Chan and smiled slightly.

“I’m sorry, I just haven’t been very well and didn’t want to worry you.”

I didn’t technically lie, did I?

“Well, you did anyways. I thought I did something to make you upset with me.”

“I’m sorry, Chan,” I lifted my arm to place my hand on his shoulder. “I really am. I just know you worry all the time about me and I don’t want you to.”

“It’s alright, I guess. I’m just a little upset.” He looked behind me at Felix. “But why were you with Felix if you were feeling well?”

I felt nervous suddenly, knowing that finding a quick excuse would all be on me.

“He wasn’t with me the whole time; I just called him this morning and asked him to pick me up so I could surprise you.”

That seemed to do the trick, as Chan smiled and nodded his head slightly.

“Alright. But have you been feeling better?”

“Somewhat.” I turned to look at Felix who looked almost as uncomfortable as I did.

Chan walked back over to the rest of the boys, getting the few on the ground up and ready to practice. I turned to look at Felix, whose face was almost as red as mine was.

“You good?” I asked him.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Just nervous he wasn’t going to except that excuse.”

“Same here.”

“Just stick by me and you’ll be okay.” He said, placing a hand on my shoulder and bringing me into a side hug. I wrapped my arm around his waist and felt how he ran his hand up and down my arm. When I went to turn to go sit on one of the small black couches, I noticed both Chan and Han looking in mine and Felix’s direction with odd looks on their faces. I ignored it and sat down on my phone, listening as they started their practice and danced their hearts out. I had seen Chan dance so may times, but each time seems like it gets better. He moves with no effort, yet seems like he puts all his energy into it. I could see him meet my eyes in the mirror every once in a while, flashing me a smile that would have brought me to my knees had I not been sitting down. I smiled back at him, trying to mask the discomfort I felt as my chest began to heat up and tighten. I swallowed as best as I could, attempting to keep it down as long as possible.

After the practice ended, everybody laid themselves out on the ground, all except for Chan and Felix. Felix was making his way over to me, but Chan was just a bit faster. He practically threw himself on top of me, forcing me to lay across the couch. I freaked out, trying my best to get him off as me, as I knew if physical contact lasted too long, I would get sick again.

“Chan, get off of me! You’re too sweaty!” I tried my best to make an excuse to get him to move, but he didn’t flinch. If anything, he out his full body weight on top of me, burying his face as deep as he could in my neck.

“But whyyyyyy,” he complained. “You’re so comfy!”

I began to get warm, a little too warm, and the urge to gag became almost overwhelming.

“Chan, move!” I all but yelled, and used my entire body to throw myself up and knock him onto the floor beside me.

As bad as I felt, I couldn’t help but stand up as quickly as I could and run out of the door, running around like crazy trying to find a bathroom. My hearing was echoed and my eyes saw tunnel vision as I ran around, tears tearing up from how hard I was holding back. Once I finally found a bathroom, I ran into the largest stall and slammed the door shut, ensuring I locked it unlike I did the first time around at my home with Felix. I began to hurl into the toilet, watching as nothing but whole flowers began to come out of my mouth, and I practically doing the best I could to wrap my arms around it like it was my saving grace. Well, looks like this is progressing a lot faster than I had anticipated it would. After a couple of minutes, I felt better and slumped back against the wall, tearing pouring out of my eyes as I sobbed into my hands. I’m not quite sure how long passed after that when I heard the door to the bathroom open.

“(Y/N)? Are you in here?” An Australian accent said.

As hard as I tried to hold back, I couldn’t help but release another sob from my mouth.

“(Y/N), are you alright? What happened?” Chan asked from the other side of the stall door.

“Get Felix, please.” I replied in a monotone voice.

“What? (Y/N), let me in so I can he-“

“Get Felix, Chan.” I demanded.

“Plea-“ He tried one more time.

“Now, Chan.”

I could practically feel the energy drain from him as he turned around and left the bathroom. I kept my legs spread in front of me as I buried the fats of my palms into my eyes and cried just a little bit more. It wasn’t long until I heard foot steps running down the hall, and Felix’s voice booming through the bathroom.

“(Y/N)? Are you okay? Where are you?”

I reached up as best as I could to unlock the stall door, letting it swing open to reveal me to him. He looked down on me with a sad look on his face.

“Oh, don’t pity me.”

“I don’t pity you, lovely. I just hate seeing you like this.” He knelt down besides me, placing a hand on my knee. I looked him in his eyes and could see how upset he was.

“I want to go home, Felix.”

“Okay. Whatever you want.”

He helped me up from the ground and held my hand as we walked back out to where he was parked.

“Don’t you have to say bye to the boys?”

He opened the door for me, allowing me to get in and closing the door. He walked to the other side of the car and got in before answering my question.

“I’ll just call them and let them know we left.”

He called one of the boys and waited until they answered the phone.

“Hey, Felix. Where did you guys go?” Han questioned.

“(Y/N)’s not feeling well, I’m going to take her back home and make sure she’s alright.”

“Does she want me to come over and take care of her?” Chan yelled from the background.

“Why do you always put me on speakerphone, Han? And no, she’ll be just fine with me.” Felix practically snapped back through the phone. “I just wanted to tell you we left. I’ll see you guys in a few days.”

I hung up the phone and threw himself back into his seat. He looked and me and I looked at him. We sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound was of Felix clearing his throat a few times.

“This was a bad idea. I’m so, so sorry.” He spoke.

“No, Felix. This isn’t your fault whatsoever. Please don’t be sorry. I should have known this wasn’t going to end well.” I looked down.

“Hey.” His hand landed on the back of my head. “Want to go get some lunch?” He tried, hoping to cheer me up.

I smiled as him, happy to know that I had somebody on my side.

“Please.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

We ended up at the burger place that Chan and I used to frequent. I felt bad knowing I was coming here with someone else, but if I wanted a burger, I was going to have a burger. But, I felt bad after Felix said his tasted funny and barely ate any of his food. I apologized by getting us milkshake, and couldn’t help myself but laugh when Felix ended up with a whipped cream moustache. I was so incredible happy to have a friend like Felix, who genuinely only wanted the best for me. But couldn’t help but feel bad about the choice I was making, because I know if the tables were turned, I would do anything to keep him around as long as I could.

After we finished lunch, we made our way back to my place. The ride there was silent, but a comfortable silence. One where we really didn’t need words in order to make the atmosphere feel like a safe space. Once we arrived, I opened the door to get out, but Felix stayed put inside. I scrunched my eyebrows, asking him what was wrong and why he wasn’t getting out of the car.

“I’m not feeling all that well all of a sudden, I think that burger got to my stomach. I’m going to go home for the night and I’ll be back tomorrow, okay?” He stumbled over his words; I could tell by the look on his face that he was in some pain.

“Are you sure? My bathroom is closer.”

“No, it’s alright. I promise I’ll be back with you soon.” He said, looking like he was getting impatient with me keeping him.

I sighed but understood. I bid him adieu and sent him on his way, not wanting to keep him in pain much longer. I watched as his car drove away from me and then turned to head into the building, stopping by the lounge area to speak with some of the other occupants that I had grown to know over the past few years. Once everyone decided to head back to their apartments, I made my way into the elevator and pressed the button to my floor. I looked at my phone and saw two text messages from two different people. The first one was from Chan about half an hour ago, a simple:

“Where are you???”

I decided to ignore it for now, planning on texting him back later when I was more in the mood to. The second one though was from Felix, that came in just a few minutes ago.

“I’m sorry.”

I knew he would feel bad about it, but it wasn’t his fault his stomach started to act up. The doors to the elevator opened and I began to type back to him while walking, letting him know to not feel bad at all and I would call him tonight once I got settled in, but right before I hit send, I heard a voice coming from down the hall.

“(Y/N).”

My head snapped up at the husky voice, eyes meeting Chans immediately as he stood about 10 feet away from me.

“What are you doing here?” I stated, not in the mood to deal with him at the moment.

“I came here to know what the hell is going on with you ghosting me. Did I do something wrong?”

I pushed past him to head towards my door, hearing his footsteps behind me. We moved inside and he closed the door, quickly stalking his way over to me where I had plopped on my couch.

“I want to know what is going on and I want to know now.”

“And what if I don’t want to tell you, Chan? What if it isn’t any of your business to know?” I came back, getting irritated at the fact that he started interrogating me.

“You’re my business, (Y/N).” My stomach dropped. “We’re best friends and I love you and I want to know why you’re acting like this. Like I don’t exist to you anymore.”

I ducked my head down and could feel the tears rising in my eyes, not knowing if it was from the emotions I was currently feeling or from the pain in my chest and stomach.

“Chan, please. I don’t want to tell you. I don’t want to tell anyone.”

“Oh, but I bet you told Felix.”

My head snapped back up quickly.

“You keep him out of this, he’s been helping me.”

“I could have helped you, (Y/N)!” He shouted walking away from me while running both hands through his hair and then turning around to look at me again. “That’s what I am trying to say! I have been there for you through EVERYTHING and then to just have you ghost me like this is killing me.” He got quiet towards the end.

“Chan… I promise it isn’t you.” I lied. “I’m just… I’m sorry.”

I finally folded, not able to keep my tears back anymore. I tucked my chin into my chest and started sobbing and could hear Chan’s feet patting against the ground as he came back around to sit next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him. I let myself cry and cry and cry until I couldn’t anymore but still using all of my might to keep what I felt coming up in my throat down. I looked up at him as he started to speak again.

“Please don’t apologize, (Y/N). I shouldn’t have pushed like that. I forget sometimes that you have other friends and that maybe you don’t have to tell me everything. I have secrets that I’ve kept and you do too. I just… you really are my best friend and it’s hard knowing that you and Felix are so close. Because you were my friend first and I’m afraid that I’ll lose you to him someday.” He stopped looking directly at me and looked down at the ground when he said the previous sentence. “Its like jealousy almost. But I need to get it through my head that you are allowed to go to whoever you want when you’re having issues. Please forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive, Chan.” I finally jumped in. “This was all my fault. I needed someone when I was going through something and he was just.. there. I promise its nothing against you. I love you Chan. You’re my best friend and I never wanted to hurt you.”

We remained silent after I finished, just the sound of my sniffling and his hand brushing against the fabric of the back of my shirt. After a while when I had calmed down, I felt a lot better than before; no pain in my chest and a full stomach. Chan reached for the remote and flicked on the TV, flipping through channels.

“Well, that was dramatic. Want to just hang out and watch TV?” He asked.

“That would be nice.”

We got comfy on the couch, and it felt like old times. This was the first time in a while that I had felt 100% okay, no pain or feeling like I was going to get sick. We sat together for about 20 minutes before the TV went mute.

“(Y/N), I need to ask you something. It’s killing me.”

I grew both nervous and confused.

“Yeah of course, what’s up?”

“Is there something going on between you and Felix? I’ve been wondering all day and it’s going to kill me.”

I jumped back a little bit in a shock, confused about how he got to that conclusion.

“Oh God, no, Chan. Nothing like that.” I shook my head at him.

He looked a little upset.

“Oh. Alright.” He unpressed the mute button and looked back at the television.

I wasn’t going to let that one go so fast. I grabbed the remote and hit the mute button again and he looked back over at me.

“Where did that question come from? Why do you ask?”

He looked around at everywhere but me and I moved closer to him to grab his face.

“Chan?”

He looked me in the eyes and sighed.

“It’s really not my place to say,”

My heart dropped into my stomach and tears rose to my eyes when he finished his sentence.

“But I thought maybe he finally confessed to you.”

He what?

#stray kids #skz #stray kids imagine #skz imagine #bangchan #felix #my writings #lee felix #chan #bangchan imagine #bangchan x reader #felix imagine #felix x reader #chan imagine #chan x reader

[brighter-by-the-daly]

Rachel Daly x Reader

Child’s Play

Posted: 16/04/23 Edited: 09/07/23

It was the day of the second round of the Arnold Clark Cup. The squad aren’t allowed their phones before the game so you were anxiously scouring social media to find out where Rach was going to be playing, if at all. She came off the bench up front the last game and you know how much it means to her to be up front for her country. She lies and says she’s happy to play anywhere, which is true but what she really wants is to be a striker. The squad list was announced as you were making your way into the stadium but you still couldn’t tell where she was going to be placed, making the whole ordeal more exciting. You all found your seats and waited for the girls to start warming up, your friends and family had their flags and face paint on. You were wearing your Daly shirt of course - your girlfriend doesn’t let you leave the house on match days without it.

Hearing the studs tip tapping along the tunnel as you saw your team appear, Rach and Millie laughing like always as they travelled over to their corner to warm up. You wandered over to where they were with some other fans who had accumulated and watched them from the sidelines, utterly besotted with your girl like the first night you met. They finished the first warm up and as they went to the next set up you called her name, just as other people were doing but she could tell your voice a mile away. Her face lit up as she spotted you “where you playing?” you shouted to her. Rach didn’t say a word except quickly raising her eyebrows which you immediately understood to mean she was playing up front, a huge smile spread across your face knowing your girl will be elated. “You better smash it babe!” you shouted to her from the sideline. “Plan on it baby” she gleamed as you mouthed ‘love you’ and blew kisses to each other.

“Excuse me” you heard as someone tugged on the bottom of your shirt, turning around to see a very small girl and her mum who mouthed ‘sorry’ to you. Your face looked confused, “are you Rachel Daly’s girlfriend?” the girl asked, “I am, yes” you replied crouching down to her eye level. “Will you be getting married?” her words nonchalant which made you blush, “ah, I think that’s a question you’ll have to ask her yourself” you smiled. “I like that girls can marry girls if they want to” she said innocently, “I think that’s pretty amazing too” you grinned at her. “Can I have a photo please?” she pointed at mum’s phone, “with me?” you questioned with surprise as she nodded at you. “Of course you can, what’s your name?” picking her up for mum to take a photo. “Amerie” she said proudly. “What a beautiful name!” you announced to her, “Rachel’s her favourite player” mum said as Amerie nodded to confirm that her mum is indeed correct. “Mine too!” you laughed “can you see her?” Facing the girl towards the pitch you pointed out Rachel who was already looking in your direction and waving, you and Amerie waved back. “Mum! Rachel waved at me!” she exclaimed as you put her back down. Her mum said thank you as they went to find their seats.

Rachel’s perspective:

Trotting out onto the pitch and over to the corner I was laughing with Millie about something or other. I spotted my lady walking towards where we were warming up long before I acknowledged she was there and tried to stay focussed on the set up. Trying that little bit harder to get my legs higher and my runs faster as I knew she was watching. When I heard her call my name it was like music to my ears, the way she says my name with her accent is adorable. She asked where I was playing but was told to keep it a secret so made a little gesture only she would know. She told me to smash it, so that’s what I will do. I always do better when she’s watching as I want to make her proud. Blowing a kiss and jogging towards the centre of the pitch for the next warm up my eyes remained firmly on the love of my life. I saw her talking to other people as she was asked to take photos for fans, then I noticed her holding a little girl waving at me. I made sure to remember where the girl was sitting so I could give her my shirt later. She looks like she was made to be a mum with the girl balancing on her hip like a laundry basket, it suits her. We haven’t talked about children yet and that could be a deal breaker, I definitely want children.. and lots of them.

The girls won the game easily against Italy, Rachel scored two goals for her country which surely must cement her as a striker in Sarina’s books now. She came bouncing over to you before you left, leaning over the barrier all giddy. “Do you want children?” she blurted out of no where and catching you off guard. “Wow okay, getting into this now?” you watched the blonde bun on her head flop around as she nodded frantically. “I haven’t really thought about it to be honest” you replied to her sudden questioning. “Would you want kids with me?” her speech was fast and rushed like she needed the answer now and wasn’t going to stop until she got it. “This is a deep conversation to have in a stadium babe” you laughed nervously, “I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I watched you with that girl” she said eagerly awaiting your response. Placing your hand on her cheek, “Rachy, if you want kids we’ll have kids. If you don’t want kids we won’t” causing your girlfriend’s face to turn pensive. “I saw you give your shirt to Amerie, she’s your biggest fan” you prodded her breaking the silence, “yeah she told me! She was cute. She also asked if I’m going to marry you” which made you blush. “Oh yeah what did you tell her?” twirling your hair between your fingers with curiosity. “Well that’s a secret between me and Amerie” she winked making the butterflies wake up in your stomach. Jumping over the barrier to kiss you one last time before running off with her team.

#rachel daly #rachel daly x reader #woso masterlist #woso x reader #woso fanfics #lionesses x reader

[elmaestrostan]

In the refurbished gym at Aston Villa’s training ground, players are regularly put through their paces, spend time building up their strength and flexibility and develop the team bond that is such a key part of their incredible current form.

Another regular sight in the gym has been head coach Unai Emery putting in the miles on the treadmill. But unlike most people, who listen to music or a podcast while working out, the man behind one of the biggest turnarounds in recent Premier League history uses the time to watch recordings of their upcoming opponents’ games.

He’s looking for patterns, for holes, for weaknesses for Villa to exploit.

Paywall jump under the ✂️🫡

Emery then relays his findings and key messages to the players in lengthy video analysis sessions, which have been known to run up to an hour and fifteen minutes.

Focusing on and improving the small details has been the underlying theme of the 13 months since Emery’s appointment, with Villa now a club transformed. Beating champions Manchester City and their title rivals Arsenal back-to-back in the space of four days this week is a period that rubber-stamps their progress.

This is how Villa turned their form and fortunes around, including how:

Emery warned players to never make the same mistakes after previous Arsenal defeat

He compiled a dossier on each player before joining, calling on his backroom staff to put together clips

Players noted a transformation between training under previous boss Steven Gerrard and Emery

The squad were pushed through pain barriers in pre-season

A ‘best-in-class’ mentality has emerged throughout the club

Co-owner Nassef Sawiris was recently pitchside and clapped every player off the pitch

Emery takes training ground staff out for meals

Villa’s overall infrastructure has been improved.

Seconds away from becoming the only manager in Villa’s 149-year history to win 15 successive home league games, Emery raised both hands in the air and outwards, cranking the crowd’s volume even higher.

It was apt that Villa crossed into unprecedented territory against Arsenal. Ten months ago, the Gunners were the previous Premier League visitors to leave the stadium with three points.

Since then, West Midlands walls have been fortified. The successive 1-0 victories inside four days over the sides to finish first (City) and second (Arsenal) in the 2022-23 Premier League and are likely to contest the title again this season — described as “the most difficult week” by Emery — were taxing, but ultimately ended in glory.

Fortress Villa Park has proven the symbol of the club’s remarkable resurgence, establishing them as one of the Premier League’s best and most effectively-run football clubs.

The improvement from the final days of predecessor Gerrard — where only goal difference kept them out of the top flight’s relegation places — is as drastic as it is exceptional, with Villa now firmly in the hunt for a Champions League spot next season and perhaps even more, with Pep Guardiola endorsing their title credentials only last week.

Emery regarded February’s 4-2 home defeat against Arsenal as a turning point. Irrespective of what he said publicly, that showdown with his old club was one he was desperate to win. So he was consequently infuriated with his side’s manner of collapse after the scores were level until the final minutes. Post-match and across several meetings, he told his players, in no uncertain terms, that such errors could not be repeated.

Emery remarked that they had kicked the ball long on too many occasions, with his defensive players continuing to clear to safety, as opposed to retaining possession and stamping their authority on the game. He preached that seizing control would lead to the concession of fewer goals. Even after the wins against City and Arsenal this week, Emery recalled that painful loss to the latter, unprompted, in his press conferences.

“The players are more united with each other, this is their primary strength,” says one source close to the dressing room who, like others in this piece, spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships.

That match almost 10 months ago was the last time Villa lost at home, and marked the start of a shift in mentality. Their performance against City on Wednesday was one for the ages and underlined just how far many of those same players who faced Arsenal in February have come in terms of composure, organisation and general quality.

Final preparations for City’s visit had been different to the usual routines.

Emery wanted his players to train on the morning of the game, keen to drill extra detail. The session he conducted was low-intensity, chiefly working on various patterns of play and team shape, ensuring the starting XI knew how to exploit the areas Emery’s analysis had told him City were vulnerable in.

A fluid, spinning midfield four overloaded City in central areas and provided additional passing lanes when playing out from the back. This proved essential in victory and highlighted the forensic lengths Emery and his coaching staff go to.

Before his official switch from La Liga side Villarreal late last October, Emery compiled detailed dossiers of each player from his home in Spain. He called on the backroom staff who would be joining him in England to put together footage of previous games and clips of individual players. He swiftly recognised the blindspots in the team he was inheriting from Gerrard, with defence a particular issue — Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash were all concerns.

Elsewhere, Emery knew his methodology would enable specific plans for his attackers, but felt more firepower was needed. Contrary to reports regarding Moussa Diaby being his top target, Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams was the player Emery initially wanted.

“With Gerrard, training was just training,” says a source close to a Villa player. “But Emery is so detailed, as he was at Arsenal. He coached them (the players) and continues to coach them in every facet of football every single day, and regularly reinforces good habits on the training ground — until the point where it starts working on the pitch. The players then believe in his methods and start doing exactly what he’s asking them to do every game — confidence and belief then kick in — and this is the result.”

This included the development of first-choice centre-backs Mings and Konsa. Emery wanted both to become better on the ball and protect their zones defensively. Through detailed coaching in what Emery expected from the pair in their parts of the pitch, greater clarity and confidence have been provided.

Players noted an immediate contrast in training between Gerrard and Emery, with the content of sessions transformed overnight. It tied in with the notion that there was a completely different level of leadership between the two coaches — Emery knew exactly what he wanted, while Gerrard, in comparison, was seen to be looking for a “moment of magic” from an individual player.

Gerrard sat, a broken man, alongside assistant Gary McAllister towards the end of a 3-0 defeat away to Fulham in October last year, with neither man, realising they had reached the end at Villa, offering little direction to the players. The lack of communication became so bad that striker Ollie Watkins — usually a reserved, quiet character — took it upon himself to organise a huddle on the Craven Cottage pitch in a bid to restore some semblance of order.

By contrast, Emery is a constant presence up on the touchline, instructing his team through every passage of play. Figures close to Villa say it is a small window into his all-consuming personality, where those in his inner circle describe him as “obsessive” in wanting to extract each possible marginal gain.

In his early days at Villa, Emery would work on at Bodymoor Heath, Villa’s training ground, until as late as 10pm. His close friend, and now the club’s director of football, Damian Vidagany accompanied him and joked how their nocturnal habits would drive security staff, desperately hoping for sleep, to despair. While those hours have now slightly reduced (Emery tends to work 7am-7pm these days, but is prone to staying later to study for the next game) his intensity has not.

Emery’s exhaustive methods meant getting results quickly was important in terms of getting senior players onside. Players subsequently saw purpose in his prolonged preparations and have continued to adhere to his plans. “He’s naturally confident but he loves Emery,” said a source close to one key player. “The coach always asks him never to be afraid to play.”

The first pre-season under Emery this summer was energy-sapping. Lots of travel (including a three-game U.S. tour) with lots of warm-up matches afforded little opportunity for downtime and pushed players, in terms of physical exertion, far more than they experienced in their one pre-season under Gerrard. There were aches and pains before the final friendly away to another of Emery’s former Spanish clubs Valencia but, among players and staff, there remained total buy-in.

Pushing through physical barriers was illustrated once more in Emery opting to go with an unchanged side on Saturday, less than 72 hours after the final whistle against City. “I was thinking about changing the starting XI,” he said, “but yesterday every player said they were perfect to play.”

Emery wanted to build a best-in-class mentality throughout the club. Senior figures involved in non-related footballing matters at Villa say other aspects are having to play catch-up in matching the progress shown under Emery’s leadership. This was also reflected in Villa’s recruitment, where Emery and Vidagany made concerted efforts not to be content with signing “second-rate” players for the sake of it.

In January, Emery’s first window with the club, Villa wanted to give him one new player and sanctioned the Spaniard’s priority target — experienced Real Betis full-back Alex Moreno. With Emery having no prior knowledge of Jhon Duran and despite Villa being far down the line towards his signing from MLS side Chicago Fire — a deal pushed by their then sporting director Johan Lange — the transfer was only finalised once he’d watched footage of the teenage forward and agreed there was potential that could be refined under his coaching.

Emery’s sacking from Arsenal in November 2019 hurt him deeply, given it was a development he did not see coming. He felt blindsided by the collapse of faith in his project after only 18 months.

Therefore, in his second crack at the Premier League, Emery intended to build a structure around him that was robust enough to withstand dips in form and, more significantly, to forge the club he joined in his image. Both he and Vidagany share the viewpoint that a settled environment is more important than having money to spend.

Co-owners Sawiris and Wes Edens were enthused by Project Emery and wanted to deliver a supportive network. And having watched him guide Villa from the relegation candidates he inherited to Europa Conference League qualifiers in less than a full season, they gave Emery greater autonomy in bringing aboard more Spanish-speaking staff, including president of football operations Monchi.

On Saturday, Emery thanked Edens and Sawiris for their contributions to Villa’s historic run of home form.

The new coach’s influence became increasingly tangible in recruitment and contracts, where he pushed a new deal for Mings, having been won over by the England international after his early reservations. This was the first sign of chief executive Christian Purslow becoming sidelined, and he left the club in the summer.

Similarly, Lange moved away from the day-to-day running of the club to assist the owners in their plans to build a multi-club stable before leaving Villa to join fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in October. Although he helped to develop Villa following his appointment in the summer of 2020, current staff are so confident in Emery’s project and their standing that Lange’s exit has not been a cause for concern.

Before Emery, neither of Edens and Sawiris attended many Villa fixtures. This changed, however, because of their extremely strong affection for him and because they see a team who are winning. After a recent match, Sawiris was pitchside and clapped every player off the pitch and during the November international break, Emery, Vidagany and Monchi attended a Milwaukee Bucks game, the NBA basketball team co-owned by Edens.

In their desire to give Emery what he wants, Edens and Sawiris’ holding company, V Sports, announced a partnership with lower-league Spanish club Real Union last month. In June, Emery and his brother, Igor, acquired a controlling stake in the club from their native Basque region, who their grandfather and father both played for. Strengthening ties improves Real Union’s footballing set-up, with Villa now in a position to share ideas, including coaching and data — something that naturally appealed to Emery.

Even though there are concerns externally as to whether Villa’s owners are giving too much power to Emery and his Spanish appointments, their unwavering view is that he will succeed and will not be leaving.

“You don’t know how lucky Aston Villa are to have these owners,” said Vidagany. “Coming from a traditional club in Spain to Aston Villa, which is self-proud and has a very big history, the owners understand. This is not easy because the interest of investors sometimes is bigger than the understanding of the club.

“What we found here are owners who are committed financially and embrace Villa’s heritage. We knew from the first moment we were not going to be Manchester City or Manchester United, but we knew that if we are professional and explain the plan, the owners will be committed to the plan.”

One of the first phone calls Emery made before joining Villa was to Vidagany, who initially came with him as his personal assistant. Vidagany is tasked with handling the aspects of management away from the training pitch, connecting multiple departments at the club and ensuring alignment throughout. After the subsequent arrival of former Sevilla colleague Monchi, he and Vidagany take care of transfer negotiations and act as sounding boards for any queries.

Vidagany is a transparent and frank communicator in his dealings with players and agents, informing them via email and in meetings if they should seek another club. This summer, he told certain players they could leave provided they came to Villa with a buyer, outlining the sort of fees the club were looking for in each case.

Emery, Vidagany and Monchi have formed a ‘triangle of power’, and are charged with making the key football-related decisions. They have a close relationship, eating breakfast together and working from a shared office that is split into three rooms. The trio travel to games together on the team coach and although Emery will not make such statements publicly, there is a belief between the club’s three main decision-makers that Villa can be contenders, even if there is a disparity in resources between them and the domestic elite.

Emery has hired several Spanish-speaking staff whom he trusts implicitly, including assistant Pako Ayestaran, who had worked in the Premier League before, under Rafa Benitez at Liverpool from 2004-07 — when they won the Champions League. Ayestaran’s appointment is being regarded as one of Emery’s shrewdest decisions, with his experience adding an alternative voice to other trusted assistants.

Another relied-upon staff member is goalkeeping coach Javi Garcia. While first-choice ’keeper Emiliano Martinez had a close relationship with the role’s previous occupant Neil Cutler, it is understood he is working with Garcia even more. Martinez invited Garcia to the recent Ballon D’or ceremony where he was named the world’s best goalkeeper. Garcia is open to using different technologies and data to vary training and achieve marginal gains in Martinez’s shot-stopping and distribution.

Emery likes to take staff who work at the Bodymoor Heath training ground out for lunch and dinner, which has helped to foster a spirit of unity at the team’s day-to-day home on the northern outskirts of Birmingham.

The support network away from the training pitch has also been crucial in the club providing a stable base for Emery.

Phil Roscoe, who leads the player care department, is well-liked among the squad and their families and is available to help at any hour. Sofia Allen, Villa’s player care officer, speaks multiple languages and has helped new signings from overseas settle in. Diego Carlos, for instance, knew little English when he joined from Sevilla under Gerrard in the 2022 pre-season. The Brazilian centre-back then sustained a significant injury (a ruptured Achilles tendon) in just his second appearance for the club in the August, while having to help his family settle after the move from Spain and find schools for his children. But Villa were on hand to help and subsequently eased the transition.

There is a sense among senior contacts that Villa, in regards to infrastructure, have seriously got their act together in the past year, coinciding with Emery’s arrival. The club now boast a refurbished, state-of-the-art training facility, have an operational inner-city academy complex — though it’s not yet open to the public — and are pressing ahead with plans to increase Villa Park’s 42,000 capacity to 50,000.

Such growth might have not been quite as swift if Villa had been unable to offer the level of stability given to Emery, with observers close to the situation pointing to the current dysfunction elsewhere in the Premier League at Chelsea and Manchester United.

The players were given two days off in the afterglow of their record 15th straight home league win.

That historic feat is another sign of new ground being broken and of the progress being made under Emery and throughout the club.

#unai emery #wish my work meetings were a whole 75mins lol #brb googling how long it takes to be some kind of sports professional so I can work at BMH and have dinner with Unai #aston villa #utv #he’s lighting a fire under my backside too

[farchanter]

Jon Bois: 20020

This guy is a dumbass.

yeah he rules

For as much fun as I had with 17776, there are some significant flaws at play. That story is about its protagonists interrogating an essentially static world until they embrace it, conceding that an eternity of play is better than just about anything anyone else could come up with. As such, it kind of overstays its welcome, spending too long driving its point home.

As such, I was surprised to hear that there was a sequel, 20020, focused exclusively on college football in the eternal, post-scarcity America. If 17776 exhausted its material before it was itself even over, how could 20020 possibly find something new to say?

Friends, 20020 is much better, much more exciting, and much more tense.

I don't know that I would go so far as to say it could be read as a standalone, but this is the best version of the world Bois imagined.

Shortly after the events of 17776 (just a few centuries, really) the eternally young, football-obsessed people of the United States devise a new structure for college football: by drawing lines from each endzone of their stadium until that line hits a national border or ocean, they create a network of school territories criss-crossing the nation. Each school starts with one football. If any team can gather all of the footballs by marching onto their opponents' stretched field and forcing a turnover, they are the national champion.

Husbands Manny and Nick live together in a nice apartment in Atlanta. They have a happy life, an All-American love story. One day, however, the two make the discovery of a lifetime.

And, in a world where no one can die, that's an incredible thing to say.

You see, Manny and Nick are football players. They play for San Diego State, perhaps the only two real San Diego State players left in the country. Their apartment is on the elongated field of Georgia State— meaning they have never stopped playing. And they have just discovered where Georgia Tech keeps all nine of their battle-won footballs. If they can somehow get these balls all the way from Atlanta to San Diego, it will be the greatest shift in the game in centuries. Between them and home are thousands of miles and thousands of hostile college footballs players. To pull this off would be a true Odyssey.

20020 is, in a sense, a form of procedural storytelling. By starting with this central premise— what if a college football field was extended as far is it could possibly go? (an idea which has returned in a number of Bois stories, from The Tim Tebow CFL Chronicles to 17776 to even a form of the concept in The History of the Atlanta Falcons), Bois then reads the thousand-miles long pick-up sticks like they're tea leaves and searches for stories to tell, relying on the power of coincidence to imagine what this world would be like. For example, did you know that San Diego State is the one school in the country whose line would not intersect with any other DI school? Did you know that Alabama-Birmingham shares a line with a lighthouse on the Great Lakes? Did you know that the lines of Georgia Tech and Michigan State almost— but not quite— touch in Tennessee?

All of these seemingly extraneous facts, these geographic curiosities, become essential tactical facts in this universe. Bois takes this coincidence-hunting one step further by taking his map and steeping it in the facts and curios of Americana. For example, that spot in Tennessee where the lines almost— but not quite— touch? Did you know that there was a runaway train there in 1910?

Did you know that the intersection of those facts is going to make your heart stop partway through 20020?

By taking these geographic oddities, choosing what stories to tell around them, and relying on our nigh-spiritual need to connect ourselves to the people who once tread these same spots, Bois has procedurally crafted a compelling American road trip novel.

If there's one criticism to be levied, it's that we don't get a full experience here. We get a riveting action scene to end 20020, but the story's not over yet. Part of how we remember 20020 is going to be how we feel about 20021, now two years delayed. I hope we get to see it, because I'm now really invested in this impossible journey of Manny and Nick.

#completion list #books #completed #todo #review #20020 #jon bois #17776 #science fiction #sci-fi #speculative fiction #sports #comedy #football #college football

[kylo-wrecked]

🥂{💋} It's minutes after some hour she can't really read on her watch because she's lost her glasses.... Again.

And when he saunters into his demesne something like the spirit of Morrison possessing a sleek sort of panther, all swagger that is only really exhaustion attempting to outrun itself ~he learned long ago how to fake it to the very last~ Beth is really glad he doesn't have... company. Instead of boots ten miles too high and a ransom of neon spandex, in place of black glossy vinyl that would be forced to make mountains out of molehills only with the right corsetry, she stands in oversized fuzzy flannel pyjama bottoms and a faded Red Hot Chili Peppers tee-shirt {Stadium Arcadium tour, sixteen years in the past}. She offers him up a little plate, on it toast that is still just that, melted butter and honey dripping down the sides. She thinks it's funny. "Happy New Year."

{ 🎁 You know you want: Music!Ben }

His swagger could be an anthem in faking it till making it or just how drunk he is. He smells like a bar. Tobacco, cedar wood, the bite of something medicinal. Every lacquered plaster wall in his moon desert pad rings with the sound of another all-new year, or that could be his ear. Would be gnarly if that was the ear.  

Ben Solo haunts his own apartment, a slow-moving, glitzed-out ghost. 

After stumbling into some chalky owl's burrow to drink from a tap, he stumbles into the sight of Beth Riley standing in his living room like a single mast of light, one leg tucked meekly behind the other. Wide-eyed in her flannels and band shirt, with a china doll smile and a china doll's way of presenting a plate, three-quarters turned. 

Ben leans the square of an allover sequin embellished viscose shoulder into a surface he knows isn't solid at all. He moves his palm up and down the wall, closes his eyes. Shadows hide the marbles of broken blood vessels. 

"Happy New Year." 

Could be January first or January third. Special k was a time-bender that way. New year, new moment. He couldn't remember five hours ago—success. But he could still remember the shrill on I-15. The smell, not unlike toast at first. 

It is funny. 

The little plate is funny. Beth. Funny. Ben doesn't remember inviting her over, leaving her here, but he must have. He must have moved stupid quick and given her his door pin, or she wouldn't be here, in her little PJs, offering him a slab of honey butter toast on a doll-sized stoneware plate in her little hands.

He approaches gradually. There's music in his hesitance, too, though the shine is all shirt, not him. He's death in designer duds, looking for blood. 

"Why are you so small?" He considers Beth with a smile in his eyes that has made other women threaten violence. He considers the toast. "Maybe I'm just too much. Just too big."

But he couldn't possibly have said that—it's not something he'd ever say. 

Ben bites a crust off the treat; warm honey runs down his lip. He swallows and wipes at it with his hand but misses the bead in the corner of his mouth. Not like he doesn't know it's there. 

Till the very last breath could be a toast. 

He laughs at the shirt. 

"Take that off," he slurs, bends to do away with it, and clumsily yanks it up Beth's stomach, revealing her sleek obliques and narrow belly button, the silver knobs of each piercing. Ben does smile when he spots those. (* He doesn't know if he wants to suck on them or if the desire is a memory. His mind is a tunnel, too.*)

As he and Beth struggle over the hem, the collar pulls a little, the faded iron-on tents and warps in their grappling. Beth's heels lift off the floor. She drops the plate, and it bounces on the space-grey carpeting and rolls and clatters on its face in the dark, but she won't let go of his hand. 

They both know Ben could rip off the shirt as easily as he could toss Beth across the room. Still, even in their scuffle, a game is at play. If she won't let him, he won't do it.

Somewhere in that blue night scuffle, their mouths meet with the taste of honey and powdered metal.

@brooklynislandgirl

#brooklynislandgirl #m. au | music!verse ben: nowhere man #seasons greasons #queue de la k #tw: drug mention

[kmpac]

➸ Rated All (For part 1 at least)

➸ Summary: You have work to do, but a certain mascot keeps dropping in to brighten your day. OR how you fell for a professional football mascot.

➸ Word count: 7K

➸ Pairing: JK x reader

➸ Genre: Rom Com Meet Cute stuff, but will get spicy later

➸ Warnings: I don’t limit my language, and so my characters don’t either. Awkward OC. Takes place at a blood drive…?

➸ A/N: So this is kind of based on real life events, if they got flirty. LOL.

______________________

It was just your luck that all the parking spots on the street were already taken. 

You weren’t one to mindlessly rove the aisles to find the closest spot to park. Usually, you just pulled into the first spot you came across and walked from there, with little regard for how far away it was. However, when you were going to the stadiums, it was either park on the street or you may as well park a million miles away for how long you had to foot it. And this wasn’t an ordinary day, anyway. Forget the fact that you were at the local football stadium, which was a rare event for you anyway (not that you didn’t like attending games, but gosh those tickets were expensive), this was a unique situation for many reasons.

Parking a million miles away, you turned off your car and could already hear the wind and feel it whipping your car. Checking your watch, you were right on time, which really meant you were 15 minutes late because of the walk you had ahead of you, so you decided to pull up your big girl britches, as your mom would say, and fling the door open.

Before you were even fully out of the car the obscenities were already flying and you didn’t have the energy or the interest to check to see if anyone was around to hear you. You were here in a work capacity, but you always had that toxic trait that extreme discomfort always overrode any other considerations in your brain. 

The street parking was looking even better about now, as you flung open yet another door on your car to grab your overlarge satchel bag, the yard signs, and your backpack from the backseat. Fumbling as you normally do, you did your best to perform as though you had ten arms instead of two as you tried to hold your composure and look perfectly put together like the boss bitch you were. Unfortunately, it very quickly crumbled when you reached to grab your keys to lock your car and everything fell out of your arms.

“Great, y/n. Nothing like being bent over the dirty cement in a skirt with 90 mile per hour winds,” you grumbled to yourself. Completely on brand, you managed to drop everything 3 more times before you got fully situated to make your way to the door in your sensible heels. 

For about the 50th time since you took this job, you wondered if you would have taken it had you understood what all it entailed. I mean, sure, you worked for the leading Children’s Hospital in the Tri-State Area, for the head of Marketing and Communications, in a field and for an organization that saved people’s lives, and not just any people, but babies! It was incredibly rewarding work and meant that you went to bed each night feeling accomplished and emotionally fulfilled. That was never the problem. It was more the side effects of being a clumsy, ridiculously awkward, annoying introvert and working as the personal assistant to the most glowing and un-awkward human alive. And you swore, the harder you tried to act normal, the weirder you would act and the more embarrassing you would be. Like Elyse Meyers, but not as charming.

Today was an important day though, because your boss was hosting a blood drive in partnership with the local sports teams for an informational initiative surrounding sickle cell patients. Your hospital was the smoking gun because children always spoke more profoundly to the public. You all were expecting hundreds of donations of blood before it even struck Noon.

By the time you made it to the building your fingers were numb and your knees were knocking, but you immediately started thawing upon entry, only to be mauled by your boss.

“Where have you been?” Before you could answer she was launching into more commentary as you sat your things down on the entry desk next to your teammate who obviously arrived before you and looked smug. “The editor of the Times is already here, as are all 4 main news affiliates. You should have been here before them. You know this.”

“I’m sorry, I had to run back to the office to get all the materials. Then, I hit traffic and once I got here all the front spots were gone and I had all of this to bring in,” you said, indicating the signs and tools for the check in table.

“Those aren’t in the ground yet?” Your boss practically yelled at you when her eyes landed on the signs.

“That was the next thing on my list of to dos!”

“Please, I’m begging you. Get it done immediately and get back in here. We have interviews and I need you taking photos for our Facebook and IG pages. Go!”

You rushed off to do your boss's bidding. You knew it would be hell to pay when you got there. Your teammate, the aforementioned smug-faced bi…brat, also known as Jane, had left behind the packet of materials the last time she was in the office and called you with zero time to spare to ask if you could stop by to get it because you lived closer to the office than she did. You couldn’t argue with the logic, though you wondered how much of an “accident” it truly was. You weren’t generally a grudge holder, but you were going to watch that one.

As Jane had been assigned front desk duties for today, she sat quietly gossiping with Event staff, while you were taking 3 signs out to put in the ground to indicate to donors where to enter. 

The wind hadn’t calmed even slightly, but you only had enough time to partially thaw anyway, so what difference did it really make anyway? You found a good spot and started working the sign into the frozen ground to the best of your ability. Struggling, more like, as you also tried to hold the other two signs under your arm as you shoved the first with all your might into the ground. The cold metal burning through your skin like a brand, but you ignored the pain in favor of the goal. 

You finally decided to throw the other two to the ground as you jumped up on the cross rungs on the first sign to try to use your own body weight to push it into the ground. No dice.

With another rough gust of wind, you finally got the first sign in the ground, just as the first two took flight from the gust and began running away from you across the street.

“No!” You shouted feebly, until a hand reached down and caught the two signs and lifted them toward you.

Staring down at you from a short distance, was a ridiculously tall silent visitor with the head of an animal and giant googly eyes.

“Oh, hi Wolfie,” you said in introduction to the man in the mascot costume. This particular mascot face was as familiar to you as the team he represented. As a local for your whole life, it was a welcome and calming face to see, even frozen in a fake smile. “Thanks for your help.”

You reached for the signs and as you took them he mimed shivering to indicate that you must be cold.

“Yeah, it’s a bit chilly, but I’ve got to get these in the ground before donors show up. Are you staying for the event?” You asked. Wolfie ignored the question. Instead, he took one of the signs back from you and started walking to the other side of the street as though to continue your work for you.

“Oh, that’s nice of you but you don’t have to do that!” 

But there was no deterring him. You had to admit though, after determining the best place to put it, it took him less than a second to get it into the ground, as opposed to your own struggle to do the same.

“Wow. That was impressive.”

At that he rushed back over in his oversized shoes, with the wolf gloves on his hands to take the other sign from you and quickly march over to the other side of the sidewalk to input the third sign. He pointed to one spot and then another and then another spot again and then tipped his head in question in a way both hilarious and adorable and you showed him where to go though you objected to his help even as he was putting it in the ground. His antics had you giggling, and he seemed to enjoy it because he continued to act silly to make you laugh.

After he was done, he ushered you back toward the building with aplomb, and with a laugh you preceded him in. The staff and your teammate sitting inside seemed surprised to see you laughing and chatting away with a 7-foot-tall mascot, especially as he continued to stay silent but for the sound of his googly eyes shaking. The instant self-consciousness returned and before you even had time to mentally process it, your whole being had already transferred back to professional mode. Checking your watch and finding the nearest staircase, the anxiety of the moment returned and a To Do List repopulated in your brain. 

With anxiety in every pore of your body you remembered your priorities and went diving in your bag for your phone and clipboard of photo consent forms and talking points, so you could get back to work.

Just before you left to take the escalator behind the front desk, you glanced back and saw Wolfie there, still smiling the fake mascot smile, but somehow you read deeper thoughts going on behind those googly eyes. He had helped you, graciously, kindly. He hadn’t needed to. He simply did. You always knew you liked that adorable wolf face, but now you knew the person behind it was a sweetie too.

You smile and wave and say, “see ya ‘round, Wolfie.” And then you head off to get more work done.

_____

It is some hours later after interviews are over, donors are flooding in, photos have been taken, consent forms received from those photographed, that you are taking a quick break to get a bite to eat in the commons area. It is quiet at this time, since it isn’t anywhere near lunch time. You rarely ever eat during regular lunch hours anyway, so you feel right at home. You are watching a video on your phone about ancient aliens because you love conspiracy theory stuff even though you don’t believe any of it. You are eating a banana chip and humming lightly to yourself when you hear a crash in the kitchen/concession booth across from where you are sitting. You become aware that you aren’t alone and turn the volume down on your phone, but when you look up to see who it is, all you see is an empty room. That is until a familiar pair of googly eyes appear from above the counter to the concession booth.

You instantly laugh as he shakes his head making the googly eyes shake. The funniest part is knowing the man’s actual face is in the throat of the giant mascot head, meaning he is miming all of this without being able to see anything other than the back side of the kitchen counter. That thought alone makes you laugh harder, and his (actual) head clears the top.

In true professional mascot fashion, he plays to the laughter as he mimes one of his famous dances and rolls onto the counter. He then proceeds to fall off the counter in front of the kitchen and try to brush himself off and act cool. All of which has you in stitches, not least of which because you know it is all an act. He clearly carries himself like someone very coordinated and put together, who uses that performance gene to really play up his own physical comedy. You know this being someone who is not very coordinated OR very put together but has to actually try hard to look like you do. It is almost like a sixth sense to note the opposite trait in another person. Or maybe you are just able to pick up on his unspoken body language because you also know without doubt that he is smiling widely as you giggle at his display.

“How is your day going so far?” You ask, even knowing he won’t answer with words. He shows you the thumbs up and nods his head dramatically.

After helping you with the yard signs, you saw him often during the interviews and photo ops, because he’s the mascot, after all. He has to run around making everyone cheery and laugh and he was good at it. But every once in a while, he would look your way, and wave or do something silly to catch your attention and make you laugh. He even once distracted a group of reporters when you dropped your clipboard and scattered what felt like 100 pages of paper across the floor that you, embarrassed and ashamed, had to pick up and sort before your boss called you over for more photos. And he did that just to draw eyes away from you and let you wallow on the ground in peace.

“Gosh, you are positive,” you say in awe. “I can’t imagine it is very comfy inside that suit and you’ve been here as long as me…or longer, I guess. I don’t know exactly when you got here.”

He waves you off as if to say it’s no big deal.

“No, I’m serious! I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off and here you are enjoying yourself and being positive.”

He tips his head to his hand that rests on the table and just stares at you. It is at once unnerving, but also incredibly comfortable. A weird, unsettling combination.

“Well, anyway.” You smile widely in answer. “It’s a good reminder! And I appreciate it. I appreciated your kindness and positive energy this morning. It was a whirlwind and you helped make it less stressful.”

He stuck his hand out to give you a high five and you couldn’t help but laugh again before you enthusiastically smacked your hand against his.

As if to change the subject, he leaned across the table as if to see what was on your phone, without actually taking a peek, as if he was miming the question without actually intruding.

“Oh gosh, don’t tease me, but I’m watching Ancient Aliens. I love this show, it’s so weird and these guys really do their research, even though it is all hocus pocus…” you said as you continued to babble and showed him the phone, describing the latest episode and theories on the use of gold deposits to fuel ancient aircraft. He didn’t seem to mind, if anything he seemed quite comfortable listening to you babble, so you just kept going.

“Have you had lunch?” You ask him when you feel you’ve exhausted the subject and are probably annoying him like you do to everyone. He still makes no sound aside from the jiggle of his googly eyes, but he shrugs his shoulders in answer. “Just because you are in a mask doesn’t mean you don’t need to eat.” You pass him your uneaten cookie, “Here you can have my cookie.”

Something in your tone or demeanor seems to surprise him with that statement, as he nearly breaks character, turning his head and coughing. It’s the first indication of a voice from him and at least now you know it definitely is a male under there.

“If it makes you feel better,” you say in response to his cough, “I’ll look away so you don’t blow your cover.”

You laugh as you push the cookie across the table to him and cover your eyes. “Your secret is safe with me!” 

But the silence that meets your laughter is followed by a pair of fuzzy gloves grabbing your hands to pull them away from your eyes and when you open them, you see his head tilted to the side in question. The warmth of his hands in his gloves combined with his quiet confidence and calming presence stops the giggles and you can’t look away from where you know his eyes are looking back at you. His actual eyes, not the googly eyes. 

There is something in the silence like understanding, from both sides, that is charged with some unnamed energy that at once makes you nervous but equally makes you want to laugh, because, I mean, he’s a grown man in a wolf costume.

But is he a grown man? Maybe he’s a teenager or a college kid, or any level of immature man baby, you don’t know. You don’t even know what he looks like under there, but somehow it doesn’t even matter because the way he has treated you today has been spectacular. 

It seemed like every time you saw him so far this morning, he had gone out of his way to brighten your day, and it had worked. So did it really matter what he looked like? Not really.

“Y/n, are you in here?” You heard your boss’s voice from the entry to the commons. Your head and Wolfie’s both swiveled around together to see your boss rushing toward you in haste.

“I’m sorry, I know you are on lunch break, but the players just arrived and Channel 8 wants an exclusive interview between Paul and the players. We need more marketing coverage for the website and socials, and Jane has already left for the day.” Honestly, how does that girl still have a job, you thought, but would never say out loud. Paul, meaning the CEO of the Hospital who had arrived only a few hours ago and who literally held your entire career in his hands, waited for no one. Lunch or not, it was time to get back to work, which meant leaving Wolfie once again.

You acknowledged your boss with a “I’m done anyway.” A lie. And proceeded to throw the rest of your uneaten food back into your bag. Wolfie gave you judgmental eyes through it all, which you could feel, though you wouldn’t be able to see it, even if you looked at him. But just before you left, he waved in front of your face and when you looked at him, he drew a smile with his fingers in front of his real face, breaking character for sure this time, and you smiled at the sentiment.

Smiling widely to reward him for his efforts, you grabbed your bag to leave. Resting your hand on his arm in thanks, you took your leave in the same silence he inhabited.

____

It was another hour or so before the talent and your C-Suite level boss left and you could finally breathe. Not only were you in the presence of your skip skip skip level boss, but you were also star struck from the players in attendance. A Hall of Famer that you grew up watching on TV as well as one of the hottest new players on the current team were in attendance and donating too! It was all quite overwhelming for you and your humble sensibilities. 

You had also spent time talking to donors and hearing stories of how donations had impacted their own lives and it reminded you of why you loved what you did for a living, even as it overwhelmed you. Your boss had talked at length with you about the stats and impact of the work you all did today so far, and you could tell. It was amazing how each time a news station went live on TV you immediately felt the impact in the boost to walk-ins.

It was nearly 10 hours into the day and there had already been 4 pickups of donations when you and your boss were finally taking a load off at the front desk. You hadn’t quite kicked up your feet or anything, but you may as well have for how relaxed you both got. Your boss could be tough, but she was equally easy going when the times called for it. Slouching in your seat and closing your eyes for a while was not only encouraged at this point, she equally participated in it.

Event staff for the stadium made up the background music as your eyes were closed. Their quiet laughter soothed your mind as they discussed the autographs they got from the players who were on site. It was like a family barbecue rather than a job as they discussed different players they had met over the years and different funny anecdotes from each encounter. You couldn’t help it, but you were almost asleep after the long day, and the quiet chatter. It was like a lullaby to your exhausted mind.

“What the heck is he doing?” Your boss asked in a whisper, not necessarily to you, but close enough that your curiosity got the better of you.

As you opened your eyes, you saw her looking through the windows that looked into another entry space of the stadium where a group of people were looking around confused as if trying to find something in particular. But suddenly you saw your friend Wolfie running up to them, waving his arms and doing his signature dance moves. The group were clearly laughing and waving phones in the air in a way that meant they were asking for photos with him.

“Oh, Wolfie is so nice.” One of the staff said. “They do tours of the stadium, but Korey Ann was running late for her shift, so I think he is keeping them busy until she gets here.” 

You couldn’t hide your fondness from your smile, nor did you want to. 

“By the way, did you find his…um….gift from earlier?” The same staff asked, looking directly at you. Confused by the question, you looked around trying to find who they might be talking to but found only other faces looking directly at you and laughing.

“Gift?”

“Check your photos on your phone.” Another staff shouted from across the lobby.

Confused, you pulled out your phone and unlocked it, and immediately saw exactly what they were referencing.

Your camera app was still open because you had been taking pictures all day, but in the preview in the bottom corner you didn’t see a thumbnail of a donor or your CEO or even one of the players who came to donate.

No.

The picture was of Wolfie. Wolfie holding up two fingers like a peace sign in a typical selfie pose.

“Oh god,” you said as the room around you started laughing, even your boss. You couldn’t open your photos fast enough. What greeted you were probably hundreds of selfies of the Wolf mascot, in various locations in the stadium hall.

“You really shouldn’t leave your phone unlocked and unattended,” your boss said with a laugh.

“You knew?” You asked her. She only laughed in response. You thought back to the few times throughout the day that you placed your phone down whether to grab something, help someone, or do really anything that required more than one free hand and you immediately put all the dots together. You had long ago set your phone to have no timeout mode from inactivity, so if you sat it down without locking it, it would just remain open indefinitely. It was a setting you deliberately chose because you spent so much time reading on your phone and the timeout drove you insane. It was a setting you now instantly regretted. 

Your phone was FULL of photos of the mascot. Each one was funnier than the last. Some photos were of him alone, others included staff of the stadium or the hospital; some were posed, some candid. No wonder everyone knew about it except you. The more you looked through the photos, the more incredulous you got. And yet, conversely and somehow equally, the more you looked the more impressed you got. How did he manage to get this many photos? Your phone wasn’t unattended THAT long. Not to mention, the difficulty of using the touch screen in a pair of thick wolf gloves!

You glanced into the adjacent entryway to see Wolfie silently miming a cackling laugh as he covered his mouth with his hand and raised his shoulders repeatedly in an over-dramatization of laughter. Clearly, he was witnessing your discovery of his little present.

You over-dramatized anger back by pouting and putting your hands on your hips aggressively. This only seemed to make him laugh harder, but this time much more naturally as his shoulders and posture relaxed back and he rolled onto the heels of his feet.

The room around you laughed as well and erupted into stories of how he narrowly missed getting caught by you on multiple occasions. You couldn’t take your eyes from the man in the Wolf suit, though. He was trying to mime to you to keep looking through the photos, but you were more interested in getting him to come over to answer for his crimes. His responding miming indicated he was a bit busy with tour groups. You couldn’t help but be even more endeared by it. Damn him.

Even as he was waving his hands around to show he was busy a little girl came up tapping him on the leg to get his attention. He instantly went into entertainment mode: making his googly eyes jiggle, doing his game day dance, and patting the little girl’s adorable cheeks with his fuzzy gloved hands. 

You melted at the look on the little girl’s face, a look both nostalgic and magical, remembering your own personal feelings upon meeting mascots when you were a little kid. And Wolfie was perfect, just as he should be at that moment. He made the little girl laugh at just the right moments, and posed for endless photos with the little girl, letting her practically climb all over him as he sat on the ground to be at her level. Her parents scolded her for doing so, but he waved them off, clearly enjoying the adorable display.

You felt your (admittedly imaginary) irritation disintegrate, and you were left with only feelings of fondness and curiosity. You can’t believe you are even thinking it, but you think you have a crush on a man in a 7-foot Wolf costume.

Just as the thought enters your head, his eyes swivel to yours, but you aren’t looking at the googly eyes, you once again are drawn to where his true eyes are, hidden in the mesh at the neck of the Wolf costume. It snaps you out of your trance and you hop up. Cutting off the laughter of those around you, you act (emphasis on the word act) as though you are cool as a cucumber.

“Well, it is nearly quitting time, boss,” you say in a forced casual tone to your lounging boss, who looks back quizzically at you with tired eyes. “I’ll get the signs and forms from all the tables and the yard signs from outside. Should I grab anything else to bring back to the office? I’ll just stop there before I go home.”

“No, I think that should do it,” she answers as though she is asking a question, seeming confused at your sudden change. She goes to stand slowly, but you wave her off and tell her you’ve got it covered.

“You should head home.” You tell her. “You’ve been here since 5am.”

She nods in agreement and starts to slowly get out of the chair as she pulls together all her things and puts her coat on that was folded neatly on a shelf behind the desk.

“See you tomorrow?” She asks and you nod once quickly before she thanks all the event staff for their help and then proceeds out into the cold night air.

You decide to rush off to get the numerous remaining information materials you had scattered about in the building. Phlebotomy staff would truly clean up the drive, but all the marketing materials and additional promotions were all your responsibility. You flitted from table to table, trying not to think about the absolutely absurd butterflies in your stomach each time you thought about the man in the mascot costume. 

How sad are you, y/n? You asked yourself. Has it been so long since you’ve been in a relationship that even a man you’ve never seen, nor spoken to outside of soliloquy can make you feel like this?

Another part of your brain raised the possibility that if he could make you feel like this without words or an actual FACE, then GOD, what a freaking MAN he could be.

Your pessimistic nature wouldn’t let that sit, though. You had learned in life that things were generally too good to be true, so instead you told yourself, louder - to your inner monologue, he could be a real uggo.

At this point, though, who were you kidding, ugly or the most gorgeous man alive, it didn’t really matter. You were smitten with googly eyes!

“What a fucking weirdo.” You whispered to yourself as you turned to grab the last of your materials, only to find Wolfie standing there. Silent as ever.

“Shit.” You said surprised by his sudden appearance. “You scared me.” You said as you tried to hide your blush and avoid his eyes, busying yourself with your tasks. You felt embarrassed by your thoughts, feeling transparent, like he could read you like a book with little effort. If you had looked up, you would have instantly noticed confusion in him, though you couldn’t see his face. You somehow had become attune to him. A fact that made him not just curious but fascinated with you.

It was weird. Jungkook had been a mascot for several years. He started when his college rock band went under and he needed a way to pay his bills. He was always an athletic guy and liked the idea of it when his roommate’s brother mentioned he had the right build for it and how much it paid.

Nowadays, Jungkook only performed as Wolfie when he decided to pick up an event on the weekdays since his career as a professional dancer had really launched. Despite his parents’ predictions, he had consistent jobs thanks to his skills and his good reputation. He never wanted to give up Wolfie, though. It was fun getting to be faceless and silly with absolutely no regrets. Anonymity has an odd power to liberate, and he never felt freer. Plus, he was addicted to the stars in people’s eyes when they saw him in the suit. Not just kids either. Adults were just grown-up kids too when faced with a mascot. It was a special kind of magic that he got to wield when no one could see his face.

Today was the first time in all these years that he regretted any of it. Of all the things he agreed to when he put on the costume, he never realized that the clause about protecting the character’s mystery by not revealing his face or voice at any time during his shift would be the hardest to fulfill on this particular day. 

He had heard about the event and knew he would do anything to be there. The cause was one he was passionate about. He had been volunteering in the cancer ward of the Children’s hospital since he was a kid and his father used to bring him along to teach him “civic responsibility”. He liked going these days for story time to read or sing to the kids. So when he heard the event was for the hospital, he signed up immediately without even paying attention to how long of a day it would be.

A few hours was a long day in the costume, so originally he had been meant to leave in the early afternoon, but you had changed all his plans.

When he first saw you out in the cold and the wind, he had mostly been entertained and curious about you. He could not for the life of him figure out what you were doing as you struggled to wrestle the yard signs under one arm while forcing with sheer will to get the other in the frozen ground. Your outfit was so incredibly out of place in these conditions too, with your blazer and flowing skirt. Even your sensible bun knew that it wasn’t in the right place as it fought to escape the coif you had put it in. He had outright laughed at the vision of you. He was charmed immediately. Especially when you cursed loudly into the wind.

By the time he saw into your fathomless eyes, he was a goner. 

So by 2, when he was supposed to go home, he decided to stay instead. It was a weird thing being in the hot heavy wolf costume for 10 hours, but at least he had the locker room to himself when he needed a break or to take a leak. He just knew, with complete certainty, that he absolutely could not leave without getting up the courage to talk to you. To REALLY talk to you. Not mime at you to make you smile that gorgeous winning smile you had. Or distract people so that you could get a moment's peace and he could make your day. Because he knew that if anyone deserved to have their day made, it was you.

He had watched you all day, and it had convinced him that he had figured you out. He watched you help donors with such care and kindness as you rarely sat down for the whole 10 hours of the drive. He watched you place yourself wherever you were needed, working hard and effectively, juggling multiple tasks with an air of professionalism he admired. He had even watched you make a fool of yourself on occasion with your clumsy adorable antics as your face went beet red. So he knew you were a good sort of person, and one who was damn good at your job. He had always been attracted to people who were good at what they did, so it was no surprise that his eyes were glued to you, and not just because you were pretty.

Because you were definitely pretty.

But the most important things he learned about you were when he was up close and personal with you. As a mascot, he was used to people treating him a certain way. Not in a rude sense, but when you had a cartoon face and googly eyes, people tended to talk around you rather than to you, like you were an object rather than a person within the costume. It was one thing when kids did it, but adults would do it too. It was a weird automatic knee jerk reaction type of thing. You weren’t like that though.

From the moment you met him, with your shining eyes and beautiful smile, you addressed him like a person. You asked him questions, even when you knew he couldn’t answer in so many words. You made considerations for him like worrying if he had eaten, offering him your cookie. Though, admittedly, that particular offer had him blushing at the dirty thoughts it conjured in his head thinking of other sweet things you might have to offer him.

Probably most profoundly though was how you looked him directly in the face when you spoke with him. You probably weren’t even aware that you were doing it or how unsettling and oddly sexy it was. All his years as a mascot, people always looked at the face of Wolfie: that giant foot-tall cloth head that sat upon Jungkook’s actual head like a hat.

But not you. No, you looked directly into that obscured disguised mesh neck of Wolfie that offered Jungkook’s view out into the world. You looked directly where his eyes were, to the point you made him feel almost naked to your gaze, like you could see him in his totality. Like Wolfie wasn’t there at all.

And all day long he had been drawn to you like a moth to the flame at the absolute magnetism of that steady, kind, understanding gaze. 

Little did he know you were having the same problem as him. Feeling self-conscious, and inadequate. I mean, you were feeling silly for liking a guy you had never seen or heard speak but imagine being the guy in the suit right. Never in a million years would he imagine you would be crushing on him as much as he was on you.

But here you both were. Two fools in “like”.

You were almost done collecting your things and there was a certain energy to your movements that spoke of hesitation. Jungkook could feel his window of opportunity closing and he was nothing if not an action taker. So despite his nerves, and despite his feelings of inadequacy, he was ready to shoot his shot.

You both were in a more secluded area of the event hall that led to a narrow hallway to the suites and donors were mostly gone anyway. The only people left at the venue were event staff for the stadium and hospital staff cleaning up in the main area of the blood drive, so you were both effectively alone. The day was over, so he wouldn’t be breaching contract by speaking to you or removing his mask, though it was still fairly frowned upon to be in a public space revealing his identity while still in the wolf suit. It was a risk he was willing to take though because he knew he didn’t have time to go back to the locker room to change. If he did, you would be gone by the time he got back.

So he took a deep breath, and cleared his throat so he wouldn’t squeak or do something equally stupid after not using his voice for a full day. Your head immediately came to attention at the sound of his voice, and he knew it was now or never.

You watched in awe as Wolfie removed his giant Wolf head with a flourish to reveal a head of dark, wet hair. You had a moment only to process the thought that his hair must be wet from sweat from being in that suit all day. And then, the man attached to the head of hair looked up.

To say you were surprised would be an understatement. Looking back at you were the biggest brown eyes sparkling with what looked like galaxies within them. Beneath that was a straight nose with gentle curves on the end. Beside that were two soft high cheekbones that were currently standing out as the pretty mouth beneath those was smiling. It was a mouth full of the cutest teeth that seemed to want to escape his pretty curved lips that wrapped around them. It reminded you of a bunny somehow. You were struck by tanned skin and two beauty marks, one on the bridge of his nose and one just below his bottom lip. And you were frozen in time as you looked upon the prettiest male face you had ever laid eyes on.

Inappropriately and somehow perfectly in character, you followed the beat of silence with an awkward laugh at the completely irrational turn of events. Slapping your hand to your mouth in embarrassment instantly. You could already feel your cheeks blushing, but you rushed to explain so you wouldn’t offend him.

“I don’t know why I laughed just now, you just surprised me, I guess…?” You babbled as he opened his mouth as if to speak. But in true y/n fashion, you couldn’t leave well enough (or embarrassed enough) alone. “Like, wow. You have an actual face!”

“Yes, I do.” He rushed to get a word in edgewise, but you were really gone by now and couldn’t seem to stop the word diarrhea that had to escape.

“And what a face!” 

Great, y/n, going for full embarrassment today. Lovely.

“Sorry. That was…I don’t know what that was,” you said as you felt like your entire body was going to erupt. What was wrong with you? Why couldn’t you shut up?

But he was moving closer, tucking the mask under his arm all the while and smiling bigger with each passing word of stupidity you uttered.

“I just mean that I’m surprised! Normally, you would think a guy who wears a full body costume for a living would have something to hide, but that is definitely not true of you!” Ever your own worst enemy you couldn’t help but notice his strong shoulders and forearms too as he took off the gloves and unzipped the front of the costume to get more comfortable. GOD he was hot. Maybe that was why you were so effectively making a fool of yourself.

But he didn’t seem to mind as he giggled and extended his hand toward you, revealing a hand full of tattoos.

“Are you shitting me? Hand tattoos?! Hot AND cool, how is that fair?-“

“I’m Jungkook,” he said with a laugh as he effectively shut you up. “I’m going to save you from yourself here and just offer that we save the rest of the ego boosts for our first date. What do you say?”

His hand was still extended to take your hand in introduction and somehow your brain couldn’t process words but moved your hand to slot into his by route memory alone as you sounded out the word: date.

“Yes, date,” he said to what you thought had only been a question in your head, but obviously was spoke out loud.

“What do you think? Will you give a guy in a Wolf costume a chance at a date with you?”

“I guess that depends.”

“On?”

“Will you be wearing the suit on the date?”

“Which answer will get you to say yes?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Then, sadly, the suit will be taking that night off.”

You paused for a full beat, in complete disbelief at the turn of events of the last few minutes. An hour ago, you were embarrassed to say you had a crush on a man in a Wolf costume. Now you are being asked out on a date by 2023’s “Sexiest Man Alive” winner, as far as you were concerned. It was a little too much to handle, but then again…

“So are you free this weekend?” You asked in a moment of boldness. He just smiled and told you to open up your photos again and look at the first photo he took on your phone.

Turns out he had originally stolen your phone for a purpose besides just making a joke by filling your phone with selfies. The first photo he took was of him holding up a piece of paper with a phone number on it and in a rushed script below it, he had written:

“Would love to meet you face to face. Friday?”

You huffed out a laugh but didn’t answer in words, as you navigated out of your photo app. After a few soundless taps on your phone screen, a buzz sounded from somewhere within Jungkook’s outfit. When he pulled out his phone, he saw a text from an unidentified number on the screen.

“Friday sounds great. Drinks and Dinner?”

#fics by me #under the mask #jungkook #jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook #jungkook fluff

[echantedtoon]

Love Doesn't Do Encores Ch26 The Semifinals

(See if you can spot the Juno song reference. The song lyrics Piers and Marnie sings is from Feel Invincible by Skillet. Link to the song is below. Also apologies for this taking so long to get out, it's a lot longer than other chapters so it took  while. ALSO IMPORTANT! What do you guys want to see Piers and the reader do for Christmas??)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf9NSd_2avA

What felt like a dream was really two days that went by fast. The first day was mostly missed because you fell asleep a little bit after you all got on the train, having been exhausted still from the previous day from all the hard lifting, deep cleaning, and staying up late to pack everything up for your trip in the early morning, AND having been woken up very early in the morning to catch the train. You had fallen asleep just a few minutes after sitting down holding your bag with Silver inside in your lap before waking up around near the end of the day. Thankful the others had just let you sleep for a while. The second day went by as usual and you all were back to traveling as you usually did on these trains. At least it wasn't high in the sky with the windows open like in those Corviknight taxies. Well two days turned into three and three turned into day four as the lot of you were sitting there. Hop was sitting next to you on his phone as you chewed on some kind of trail mix energy bar made of oats and berries to satisfy your hunger. Silver poked his head out from the bag and feeling generous you let him have the rest of the bar before he disappeared back into your bag. You yourself  had just been sitting there until Hop finally spoke up.

"We're finally headed to Wyndon!,'' Hop cheered spooking you for a moment blinking as he continued looking at Gloria, "There's a lot I want to check out there! There's that big tower and the monorail and Wyndon Stadium! Where the whole of Galar....No. The whole world is gonna be watching us!! You get it, right? You and me are gonna make our match the greatest match that ever was!!"

"HECK YEAH!," Gloria agreed totally fist pumping with him!

"What's Wyndon City like anyways?" You couldn't remember it too well from the games.

"Oh! Here!'' Answering your question Hop quickly took his phone and you watched patiently as he tapped the screen a few times before turning it to you and the picture on the screen was what looked like a town square with a corviknight statue. "This is the entrance to Wyndon City! It's the largest City in Galar at five hundred miles and where most of the operations of the League ensue." Five hundred miles!? That was just a little bigger than New York City! He swiped to the next picture which was the base of some building. "And that's Mr. Rose's tower! Where most of the companies he manages operates." Another swipe and this time it was of a GIANT pink stadium! Jeepers! If you thought the Motostoke Stadium was large then Wyndon Stadium was GIGANTIC!! Definitely the kind of stadium a giant city would have. "And that's Wyndon Stadium where the top Challenger will battle against all the gym leaders and then hopefully the Champion!"

"What happens when the top Challenger loses to one of the gym leaders?," you asked as Hop pulled his phone away.

"Then they're out of the challenge for good. And then whoever gym leader wins gets to Battle Lee for the title. And THAT has always been Raihan...And Kabu once I think. And they've always lost to Leon anyways."

Ah! So Gloria would have to remake her way through all the gym leaders again! That part you did remember about the game...Still. You couldn't shake the feeling that you were forgetting something very VERY important..Oh well. No matter anyways. Your journey was almost over anyways.....And somehow that still didn't make you any happier. Well soon after four days turned into seven days and it reached December Twenty Second. And early in the cold morning you were sound asleep leaning against the window clutching silver in your bag when you were again all of a sudden shaken awake roughly by the others for you to get up and reluctantly you did..Again. The sun wasn't even out at this time which meant it must've been very early morning again. You were barely able to heave the heavy bag over your shoulders as the three of them ushered you out the door and into the cold. The feeling of the frost and still falling snow hitting your face immediately made you jolt wide awake now going through the standard train station and then out the doors into a winter wonderland outside. You ended up shivering and pulling your hood over your head, tucking your hair into the hood with it. The others were all bundled up as well looking around as the fairly still early dark morning still blocked their view. Click! You blinked and held up your hand to your eyes as a sudden light hit you all in the form of Victor's flashlight. He shined it around you all before it landed on a road sign with the number ten.

"So this is Route Ten?," Hop asked seeing the sign through the snowflakes dropping, before looking up the path and the faint hill you'd all have to walk on, "It's like a wall made out of snow! Bet there'll be Ice Type pokemon crawling out of the woodwork in a place like this!" He turned back to Gloria. "Come on, Glory! Reckon we'll be able to train ourselves up to new heights here before the Champion Cup starts? "

Gloria nodded gazing through her scarf covered face at the hill. "Sure will. If we don't turn into icicles first."

"I believe in myself and the pokemon on my team, and I know we'll get loads stronger. So....." He smugly smiled before giving Gloria a playful push before running off. "I'm off! See you in Wyndon, Mate!"

..And Gloria ran off after him again into the dark snow. "HEY!! GET BACK 'ERE!!"

.....!?

You felt a sinking feeling in your guts watching them disappear into the darkness. "HEY!! YOU TWO COME BACK HERE!!"

You and Victor caught up to them half way up the hill as they heaved for breathed winded up running uphill through the snow. Victor scolding them before leading the way with his flashlight. By now it must've been at least six something in the morning. Your feet felt like they were weighed down with heavy blocks of ice as you trudged uphill through the snow, the lights of the train station disappeared downhill and through all the snow coming down. You shivered and rubbed at your arms trying to warm yourself up. Hopefully Silver is warm in that large backpack of yours. You all walked and walked up hill breathing heavily, as the sky slowly changed from dark to just cloudy with snow clouds and snow continuing to fall down around you. Up and Up and up you all climbed....before getting to the very top and the sight astonished you. From at the top of the hill you all looked out at the sight of a GIANT brick wall going as far as the eye could see. The horizon blocked off my what must've been hundreds of skyscrapers and some kind of spiraling tower. IT. WAS. HUGE!! A real city alright! From your place upon the giant hill you could see all the shiny buildings lit up in the early winter morning light making it look almost heavenly. It was beautiful. 

"All right! Wyndon City!," Hop suddenly cheered pointing to it, ''This is the place where I become a legend at last!! You get it don't you, Mate?" He asked turning his head to Gloria again. "After all I'm about to become the new Champion of the Galar Region! That's it! I'm headed straight for Wyndon Stadium!!" He exclaims started to trudge through the snow again. "C'mon! Don't waste too much time, Glory! You should head there yourself!"

"OH RIGHT!!" Gloria suddenly started trudging carefully down hill behind him. "We have to register before tomorrow!''

"Tomorrow?," you asked following after them.

Gloria nodded in front of you. "Tomorrow's the Challenger Matches ta see who gets ta be the one to compete in the Champion Cup on the Thirty First o' this year! They wanna decide the winnin' challenger before Christmas! That's the day after tomorrow!"

" If we don't register before today's over we'll be considered forfeit!," Hop added.

Oh. Well that WAS a problem. You four ran down hill through the snow trying not to fall over which was hard for you and Victor having heavier bags than the rest of your group. The closer you came the BIGGER the brick walls were. These walls were at least four times taller than the walls of Hammerlocke! The first one to reach the entrance was Obviously Hop, followed by Gloria as the two disappeared through the entrance, followed by you and Victor breathing heavily from the cold and crisp air. Through the archway you four went and stopped on the other side and stared at what astonished you. 

"Holy SMOKES!!"

IT WAS MASSIVE!! The city square was just like in the picture Hop showed you days earlier, but all covered in Snow that continued to fall around you. ...And REALLY NOISY!! The square in front of you had the corviknight statue surrounded by smaller bird pokemon statues, Loads of tall houses with Sky scraped seen towering further behind them, at least five streets leading off into even more streets, a faint train sounding off somewhere, and LOTS of black dots flying through the sky. You had to squint through the snow to see but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out they were Corviknight Taxies. At least ten to fifthteen of them at the moment flying about above you- MMMUUURRRFFF!! You yelped when Gloria suddenly pulled you back and you realized why when a MASSIVE horse-..Er. Horse looking pokemon walked right in front of you carrying at least four people all bundled up in winter wear as you stared. The orange and black horse pokemon shook it's tail as it trotted past, some kind of collar and logo around it's neck, as it passed. 

"Hey. Isn't that a mudsdale?," you asked gesturing to it as it walked away down a specifically marked lane. Like a bicycle lane.

"OH THAT'S RIGHT!!" You turned to Victor. "Wyndon City's the biggest one in all of Galar. That means they have more than one transport systems here."

You blinked. "Really? What kinds?"

Victor gestured to the retreating mudsdale. "There's the subways and train cars, and of course regular cars. But those are used more further into the city where there's MUCH more people. But there's trained musdales and taxies that can take you around some parts of the city too. In fact they're some of the most popular transportations. Other than the monorail of course. It's all in part of the effort of combating the energy crisis."

Well that was certainly a way to do it! Hop pointed forward. "Come on! The first thing we should do is head to the stadium! The sooner we sign in the more time we'll have to explore the city! We might even see Lee here! All participants in the Champion Cup are supposed to be here before tomorrow!"

You nodded at the idea. "Great!" Your f/c eyes scanned around the place through the snowflakes. "So uh...Which way to the stadium?"

Everyone paused.."Uh...I'm not sure." Hop lowered his hand also looking around. "Never been here before so I'm not sure where to start."

"I think I've got an idea!" Smiled beamed gesturing her hand over on the other side of the square and you four looked over to where she was-....OH NO!! Sitting there near an alley was a parked taxi and a corviknight who cawed out before unfurling his massive wings to flap and shake all the loose snow off of him that had fallen over his ink black body. "How 'bout we jus' catch a cab there instead of wonderin' about like a couple headless pelippers?"

"Glory you're a genius!" Hop quickly agreed before making a 'follow me' motion. "C'mon! If Lee's here then we might be able to catch up to him!"

You didn't want too but reluctantly followed with a groan. You hated heights! Hopefully this'll take just a small trip. Whelp! Thirty minutes later with you death gripping your bag to yourself all buckled up and cold wind hitting your face, with the others looking out the windows in amazement at the city (you couldn't bring yourself to look outside until you landed), you all finally landed with a thud outside a VERY VERY BIG pink building. As you all filed out,(you will wobbling noodle legs like after every other time you get into these darn taxies-) you noticed that there was a whole lot of stands being set up around you all leading up to the entrance to the building which caused a shadow to fall around almost everyone. 

"...Hey, what's all of those for?"

Hop hummed looking around. "They must be setting up some merchandise stalls to sell things before the semifinals tomorrow." He pointed out one particular stall towards the right with a blue and white them. "Looks like Nessa's selling some of her brand items this year too. Pretty good last minute Christmas present. C'mon Glory." He nodded to Gloria. "Let's go in and sign in real quick." 

"I'll stay here." Victor retreated further into his coat with a sour look. Oh right. Your forgot he hated the colder weather. "I wanna take some pictures o' the stadium and stands. 'sides we're not allowed in unless we're registered challengers." He had a good point. You guys weren't probably allowed in unless you worked for the league or were a challenger. "Hurry up n' t-t-then come back as fast as ye can! I wanna get ta the hotel as soon as possible!"

The two nodded and off they ran towards the stadium up the many stairs. You opted for getting back into the taxi to wait for the two. And after Victor took a nice round of shots, he also joined you in the taxi to await Hop and Gloria's return. Both of you all bundled up as best as you could waiting in the cold before they FINALLY returned. Both bounded over towards the taxi and got it, Gloria asking the driver to take them to The Rose of Rondelands. You didn't know what that was but it sounded fancy. Regripping the seats as you took off you opted to talk to Hop sitting next to you, to distract you from the high distance. 

"S-So how'd it go?"

"I'm all sorted and ready to battle Gloria on the biggest stage of them all! We saw Marnie in there too. It looked like she was waiting for someone."

"Really?"

He nodded. "But it looks like Bede couldn't make it. Hard luck. Somehow I didn't think he'd just take being disqualified lying down. You know what I mean? I guess it is what it is." He smiled. As if the thought of Bede not coming around (Gloria-) you all pleased him, and you had a feeling why. But little did he know Bede would be making at least one other performance soon. 

"Oh, I wouldn't put it past him not showing up just yet," you said in a casual way, "You know. We went through a whole lot of surprises this year. And the event isn't until tomorrow right? There's still time for him to make an appearance."

Hop hummed but you could tell he didn't like the idea from the frown formed on his face. As the corviknight flew you all eventually landed in front of a LARGE and FANCY looking building. Piling out you looked up at it and followed the three on into the building. The inside lobby was MASSIVE and fancier than the inside. Golden accents decorated most of the things around you all with the floor so polished you could see your reflections in it but the warm air from the place was more than welcome to your cold skin. Passing all the fancy furniture you all approached the front desk as the man behind it smiled. 

"Welcome to the Rose of Rondelands, Ladies and Gentlemen," he greeted the four of you with a big smile, "Here we pride ourselves on offering five star service that is beloved throughout the world. How may I help you this fine day?"

"We would like two rooms for the night please?," Hop asked.

The man smiled more. "But of course! Say. Would any of you fine folks be registered for the semifinals tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Two of us actually. Why?"

"Oh! Marvelous! Then we might've been expecting you two!" You all exchanged confused glances as the man hummed a cheery tune and opened a book in front of him on the desk. He skimmed through it a bit flipping some pages before stopping at one. "Ah. Here we are. Challenger Reservations bought and paid for by the Marco Cosmos company for Challengers Three and Four. Names marked as a Ms. Gloria and Mr. Hop with extended company. We've been awaiting your arrival here. Provided you are the people who are listed here?"

"Really!? That's great!"

"Indeed. But I'll have to ask for identification please. Can't have anyone swindling free rooms now." Understandable. You waited patiently as Gloria and Hop went digging through their packs and pulled out their league cards to show the front desk man. After confirming that it was them the man handed the two back their league cards with a smile. "It's all cleared!" With a snap of his fingers a young woman with blonde hair stood up with a smile. "I'll have Daisy escort you all to your rooms."

You all followed the woman into one of the golden doored elevators and up, up, up you all went to nearly the top floor. But instead stopped at the twelveth floor. When the doors opened back up you four followed the woman down the long, long fancy looking hallway and stopped at a door presenting it to you and Gloria and the one across the hall from you as Hop and Victor's. You went inside and it was BIG!! You looked around the fancy looking single room with soft rugs, a giant window view, queen sized bed, fancy furniture including a golden chandelier, AND A LITERAL FIREPLACE!! A small fire was safely inside it behind safety bars giving the room a cozy holiday feel contrasted to the snow still falling down outside. Gloria had the same 'WOW!' look you had as you all looked around the room before her eyes landed on a small gift basket filled with goodies she bounded over too. 

"Look at this!," she called over to you and held up the pretty looking basket to you, "Complimentary stuff too! This is shapin' up ta be a real sweet deal!"

You nodded. "Sure will!" You smiled at your reflection in the mirror as the snow continued to fall. It would be fun. You'd get to spend the last nine days left of the year until the thirty first when Gloria won the championship match and you got to go back to your mother. ....And her rules. ..And a college degree you didn't want now that you thought about it. You loved music but not the angle. Leaving your friends and Silver behind- CHIRP!? You blinked and looked down only to find two eyes peeping out of the bag staring at you. Silver squirmed around in your bag obviously wanting out. "Oh sorry!" You quickly placed the bag down and out crawled Silver in that little hoodie of his. Shaking himself out he looked around the place before stopping at you. "Glad to see you were ok."

"I can't wait for tomorrow!," turning your head you saw Gloria flopping herself down on the giant bed smiling. "Hop's gonna be bloody brilliant out there!"

You nodded again. "I'm sure both you guys and Marnie's going to be fantastic! I know it's still pretty early in the day today, but maybe we should have a small break before tomorrow."

Gloria nodded agreeing and held up something black. Took you a moment to realize that it was a TV remote. "Let's order some chow n' get some grub! I bet a lot of good flicks are on 'night!''

You agreed and let your worries melt away joining her in watching some movies and ordering some of the food from the hotel as the hours passed. Eventually hours passed as you enjoyed yourselves but soon the sky darkened and yawns were exchanged signally it was time to retire for the night. After all you both had a big day tomorrow. Retiring to sleep Gloria taking the bed and you once again resorting to your sleeping bag with Silver curled up next to you to await the following morning. Surprisingly you had no dreams that night as you slept before waking up to the sounds of Gloria walking around. Which was also surprising since you usually were such a heavy sleeper. With a yawn you pushed yourself up from the sleeping bag and blinking the blurry sleep away as Gloria paused in her movements of tying her boot noticing you had sat up.

"Mornin'!," she greeted with a smile.

You nodded back with a yawn stretching out your arms and back. "Good morning. What time is it?"

"Nearly seven thirty in the mornin'. The matches don't start till nine o'clock but you woke up before I could wake ye up myself. So it'll help save time."

"Oh yeah. The semifinals!" You blinked now moving to get up from the sleeping bag, stirring Silver to poke his head up with a curious noise at your movements. "Where's the others?"

"Waitin' for us in the lobby. There's already a taxi waitin' for us so ya better hurry!"

That got you to scramble up, almost tripping and falling on your face as you scrambled about. Throwing on your clothes and coat and quickly making yourself look presentable as fast as possible before rushing after Gloria who by now had finished tying on her boots, and was zipping up her own coat against the cold as she called out to you to hurry. With Silver scrambling at your heels you quickly ran out into the fancy hallway closing the door behind you. The three of you made your way to the fancy elevator and got in, Gloria pressing the bottom floor button and with a ding sound the doors slowly closed around you. It was a smooth trip down to the lobby and as soon as you stepped into said Lobby, it was easy to make out the two bundled up forms of the two boys. It was hard to miss with Victor bundled up more tighter than a lock, and Hop impatiently tapping his foot before seeing you two approach and perking up towards you both. 

"There you are! We've been waiting all morning!," he said obviously nervous throwing his arms out towards the both of you. "The taxi's not gonna wait forever y'know!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," Gloria apologized. "But we're here now."

"Then we should leave now." Victor interrupted gesturing for all of you to go out to the awaiting taxi. "The sooner we get to the stadium the sooner we get back into somewhere warm." 

You couldn't agree more. Bracing yourselves the four of you walked out towards the entrance. Silver gave off a noise when you all of a sudden picked him up and whilst carrying him shoved the small hoodie over his head to help keep him warm. If he was insisting on following you around then he was going to keep this on. Sure enough to their word there was a taxi waiting for you all in the parking lot the corviknight perched on top of the taxi and the driver turned towards your party as you all approached.

"Gym challengers?," He asked from his spot on top of the giant bird pokemon. With nods you all answered and he gestured to his pokemon. "I was sent by Mr. Rose to take you all to Wyndon Stadium. Hop on!"

Not wanting to stand out in the cold much longer, you all climbed in. First being Victor and then all of you. he wanted to quickly get out of the cold you guessed. As soon as you were all settled he took off. You gripped slightly harder onto Silver as he sat in your lap when you all took off and flown through the air with a giant caw from the corviknight. You hated this part of any journey and definitely wouldn't be missing THIS when you went back. You swore as long as you lived you'd NEVER live in any high places or took any airplanes anywhere!! It felt like an eternity when in reality it might've only been twenty to thirty minutes for you all to arrive at the stadium. And the first thing that hit you other than the sounds of the corviknight's wings and the whooshing air was the fact that there seemed to be the faint sound of something you've grown familiar too now. The sound of a GIANT crowd. Despite your better judgement, you dared to have yourself peek over the edge of the window....and your jaw dropped for two reasons. 1. YOU WERE SUPER FREAKING HIGH AND COULD BE DROPPED ANY MOMENT WHY DID YOU FORCE YOURSELF TO DO THIS OH GOD- 2. THERE WAS MUST'VE BEEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND ON THE STREETS LOOKING LIKE SWARMS OF TINY ANTS MAKING THEIR WAY TO WHERE YOU ASSUMED THE STADIUM WAS!! Slowly you retracted your head back in and leaned back firmly against the seat, getting a light feeling in your feet from what you just saw. Pleaselandsoonpleaselandsoonpleaselandsoon- You got your wish when the driver's voice back up. 

"We'll be landing within the moment shortly!! Everyone please hang on!!"

You didn't have to be told twice as Silver gave off a loud noise as you suddenly pulled him to you upon decent, squeezing your eyes shut as you did. Feeling the sudden stoop the metal taxi gave as you felt it suddenly descend. YOU HATED THIS SO MUCH!! The sudden decent was all of a sudden stopped when the sound of a crowd suddenly got louder and with a loud metal thud and jolt you felt yourself be put back down on firm solid ground. THANK ARCEUS!! You wanted out as soon as you can so you made to stand quickly but surprisingly it wasn't you who excited the taxi first. With a gasp, Hop's eyes suddenly went wide as plates and a smile appeared. You've seen that smile before. He only smiled like that when he saw-

"LEON!!" Faster than you had EVER seen them move before Hop practically THREW himself out of the taxi, sending the door open with a loud metal slam followed shortly by Gloria and Victor. ....You blinked before shaking your head and looking out the window. And your eyes were met with a surprising sight. Right outside the taxi...was LEON!! The purple haired man was laughing all jolly and was hugging and ruffling the hair of the three younger kids who had run out to cling to him like he was Arceus himself in the flesh. Hop in particular was staring at his brother with glee in his eyes. "I knew we'd see you here sooner or later!! Did you come all the way here just to see us fight!?"

Leon gave off another loud but happy round of laughter and nodded firmly as you managed to slowly step out of the taxi at last. "Of course I did! I wouldn't miss watching you both battle for the world!"

You blinked and looked around you. You all were directly in front of the doors in front of the VERY big Wyndon Stadium. Around you all blocking the LARGE crowd of hundreds of people was more security making a space big enough for the taxi to land and made sure to keep the crowd of people pointing, shouting, or taking pictures of the Champion standing there as you blinked and looked around. Eventually slowly walking over to the small group with Silver still in your arms. You weren't really used to the loud sounds of a city yet, but it wasn't as loud as you expected. Yet at least. Faintly the merch stands in front of the stadium could be seen past the loads of people. 

"Alright! I'm totally pumped n' ready for the show!," Hop confirmed holding up a fist to Leon who placed his hands on his hips raising a brow. 

"Well then I suppose we should all head on in and get you set up! There's only an hour left until the semi finals start so it'll be a good idea for you two to on ahead and get ready."

"Right!" Hop turned to Gloria. "Come on, Glory. We should head to the locker rooms."

"I'd better go find a s-s-spot in the stadium," Victor added as his twin sister nodded and the two began rushing off towards the stairs. "S-S-So I c-can get some good pictures o-of t-their battles."

Victor blinked when Leon patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about that." Leon smiled widely. "You're being treated to the V.I.P lounge and watching the semifinals with me this year!"

Victor eyes widened as you smiled. Ah. That's the Leon you know. "No way! You're serious!?"

Leon chuckled and nodded. "Yep! I've already promised myself to make sure you three would experience a Champion Time and nothing can be more so than joining me to watch the matches. Besides, I couldn't let you sit out in the stadium knowing how much this isn't your type of weather."

"A-Alright! That sounds amazing!"

With a smile you turned towards the ever growing crowd yourself. There was TONS of people here. If you wanted to get a good seat you'd better go get one. "I think I'd better go and get a seat then." You finally spoke finally catching the attention of the Champion who perked up seeing you again. "Wouldn't want to miss out on seeing those two battle it out." Although you already knew who was going to win, you still wanted to be supportive and watch their matches, which meant getting a stadium seat before the giant crowd over took them all....Though Silver might not take the cold so well-

"Y/n!" You blinked snapping over to Leon who smiled back at you holding Silver. With a giant smile he gestured his hand out to you. "Wow! It's been such a long time! I see you've been taking care of that pokemon real well! He looks like a real healthy drizzle!"

....You smiled and nodded back. "Thanks. But he has a name now. Silver."

Leon blinked at Silver who chirped out an answer when you spoke his name. "Silver huh?...Hmm. I think that name suits him real well." he complimented you.

"Thanks. How have you been?" Your eyes scanned back over the crowd. "Seems you really stirred up quite the crowd."

He chuckled and waved a hand. "Well I do try to make everyone as happy as I can as Champion. OH! But while I have the chance, I also wanted to thank you for all the help you gave Mum. It can be a chore for her trying to do everything herself since Gran and Gramps aren't always in the best shape to help."

Your face gave a look of surprise for a moment. "Wha- How'd you know about that?"

"Hop and I talk to each other on the phone all the time. Same with Mum and I. They've all said some really good things about you and how helpful you were!"

You stood there for a moment before chuckling bashfully. "Well it wasn't a big deal. It was the least I could do for how much she helped me out." You then pointed one hand towards the stadium. "I better go get a seat before they're all taken by the crowd."

"Hey! Why don't you come join us?," Leon offered have you stare at him taken aback.

Before you held up a hand. "What!? Oh no! Leon I couldn't ask that of you, you know that. It wouldn't be fair to everyone else around here." As if to get your point across you gestured to the crowd and Leon looked to where you were pointing. You didn't want to just take him up on his offer no matter how nice it was. It wasn't fair to everyone else who couldn't have this chance. "It's much appreciated though. It's fine really."

"But I insist." you paused as he turned back to you with a giant smile. You opened your mouth to protest but he held up a hand.  "You've helped my mother a lot. You've helped to keep my little brother and his friends safe. And from what I've been told from the incidents in Stow-on-Side and Spikemuth, you've also risked your safety a few times as well to do so." You still stared at him as he returned his hand to his side. "Part of being a Champion is being able to know people. You've done a lot and haven't asked for anything in return or taken advantage of the fact you've been around my friends and family. That's the signs of a good person. And the least I can do to repay that kindness is making sure you have a Champion Time like the rest of us." He smiled friendly to you. "And I can promise that none of the others would mind either."

You rose a brow confused. "Others?"

He nodded. "All the gym leaders come to watch the semifinals and stay until the end of the year for the Champion Cup! And now I'm extending that invitation to you and Victor here. So how's about it?"

You hesitated for a moment. Wow..This was...REALLY nice for Leon to offer you, and you really did appreciate it. But...You didn't know. Was this allowed for him to do? After all it wasn't fair to everyone else. ...But then again, the warm air would probably be better for Silver instead of standing out in the cold, and it was offered to you when you didn't ask. So it would probably be ok to accept. Plus you might get to see some of the other guys you've met! Like Alister! And Nessa!

So after a moment you smiled. "You know what? I'd love to join you guys!"

Leon smiled widely. "Great!" With a turn he made a 'follow me' motion with his hand. "Follow me! You guys are gonna really like the view!"

Victor didn't need anymore encouragement to follow and after another look to the crowd, you followed behind them too. Leon walked right up to the doors with security and after telling them you both were with him, they let you pass and on into the warm stadium. THANK GOODNESS!! Victor gave a loud sigh at the feeling of warmth washing over him as you all continued to follow them along. The inside of the stadium looked exactly as you expected it would have, with lots of security running around with other workers carrying papers, or cleaning supplies, or something along those lines as you both followed Leon past the register desk and to an elevator. Once there he hit a button on the panel outside it and with a ding it opened. You both followed him in and after he hit another button from the inside, the door closed with a ding sound and up you three went. You looked around the small elevator as it went up, up, and up and it made you nervous for a little bit. Still a bit whiplashed from the wild ride here in the taxi. ...Wait...Did that mean Raihan was gonna be here too- Ding! You have a small jump at the ding the door gave and the door opened to a floor. As Leon stepped out you and Victor followed him again and when looking around, you noticed this floor had a hallway leading both ways with lots of doors on either side of them. More workers were there too walking up and down the halls as you followed the Champion, walking past you or going in or out of the many rooms. But you all were going to one room in particular. Leon lead you to one door that was being guarded by two security guys who instantly snapped their attention to both you and Victor behind Leon.

Leon waved them off with one hand and the other grabbed the doorknob as he turned back to both of you with a smile. "Are you two ready to get the best view in the whole stadium?" After receiving your enthusiastic replies he chuckled. "Well then welcome to the Gym Leader's Suite!" With one mighty push, Leon pushed the door open and walked right in. "Hey, Everyone." He called back into the room. "Sorry I'm late!"

"Leon. Don't tell me you got lost again! I thought one of us were gonna have to rescue you like last time.," came a woman's voice that sounded familiar from the inside, "I swear sometimes you're more confusing than a spinda."

You both slowly shuffled in as Leon chuckled a bit embarrassed. "C'mon, Nessa. That's a bit harsh." Shaking his head he smiled behind him as you brought up the rear. "I got a bit distracted on the way here and invited some friends over." 

You stepped in and blinked at what you saw. The room you were all in was almost as big as Gloria's hotel room but less fancy. Warm thankfully, with some couches, a table with a few chairs, a big flat screen TV, and over in one corner was some kitchen stuff. By kitchen stuff there was a counter with a few cabinets, a sink, full sized fridge, microwave, and a coffee maker. And within the room around you was all ten gym leaders!! Ms. Opal was sitting at the table with a cup of presumed tea with Kabu who seemed to be meditating or asleep by the way he was just sitting there eyes closed and arms crossed. Gordie had been standing by the fridge leaning against the wall, but looked up from his drink when the door opened. Melony standing with him. Nessa sitting on the couch next to Bea, and across from them on the other couch was Raihan glancing at you with a surprised look with Alister sitting next to him on the opposite side of the couch. Milo was the closest one standing to you all looking to have been in the middle of eating some kind of doughnut in his hand when you walked in, and last but not least there was Piers. He had been the only one visibly standing and looking out the window as the stadium was filling up with people, but had side glanced over his shoulder just seeing Leon before turning back to the window before he could see you walk in behind him. Disinterested in whoever Leon brought with him. Oh if only he knew. And...HEY! It was the three trainers of Raihans. Sebastian, Camilla, and Aria. The triplets were encircled around the fridge most likely getting something to eat also.

''Good morning," Victor greeted politely and a bit more confidently than you as he waved. "It's really nice to meet all of you."

You were going to say hi as well. Most probably to Nessa since you've spoken to her before or maybe Ms. Opal and ask how Bede was doing. Or....maybe Raihan if you were feeling a bit more brave. But it was one soft voice that interrupted all thoughts.

"Y-Y/n." 

A lot of everyone around you (you included-) looked surprised as ALLISTER of all people spoke out and you watched in surprise as he slowly scooted himself off the couch until his feet hit the floor. With a turn of his head towards you he slowly walked towards you...and you smiled. 'y/n. Piers instantly paused. His electric blue eyes going wide all of sudden...before he blinked and looked over his shoulder. And his brows instantly shot up upon seeing YOU of all people standing there next to Leon.....YOU!? HERE!? WHAT WERE YOU DOING BACK HERE?! WITH LEON!? HUH-

"Hey, Allister." You greeted and to everyone's surprise you instantly lowered yourself to sit on your knees finally placing Silver down to your side to be eye to eye with Allister. This seemed to make him more comfortable to talk with you as he slowly walked up to you now being closer to his height. "Wow. You look great! Did you grow taller from the last time I saw you?"

He instantly nodded his hands into fists in front of his chest. "Uh huh. L-Leon s-s-said I grew three inches this year!"

You gave a small gasp. "No! That's so cool! You're growing up fast. Soon you're going to be even taller than him."

"Y-You think so?"

You nodded again smiling wide. "Oh yeah. A big strong person like you? I bet you'll be the tallest person I know!"

That seemed to make him happy as he smiled from behind his mask at you before reaching around to his pokeballs. You watched patiently as he fumbled before holding up a pokeball. "I-I made a new f-f-f-friend! W-Would you like to meet him?"

Still smiling you nodded. "I would love to meet your friend, Allister." You gestured to Silver next to you who chirped when you acknowledged him. "I want you to meet my friend too. Allister this is Silver. He's been with me for a while now. Say hello, Sil."

In response Silver have off some kind of noise towards Allister who stared for a moment. "H-Hello..." Before turning back excitedly to you. "H-Here! Y-You're gonna really like him!" You knew that you would either way. Everyone was now staring at you two in surprise. Even Kabu had opened his eyes to peer over at what was going on. A flash of bright light from Allister gave way to something white, floating, and very pretty. And you smiled wider realizing what exactly what it was. Floating there by Allister in all it's white glory, was a Froslass. "I m-m-met him w-w-when it snowed by the stadium. He really likes playing hide and s-seek with us."

"Ooh.  He's absolutely beautiful." You turned to the pokemon, and as if he was another human, you greeted him. "How do you do? It's very nice to meet you, Sir."

The pokemon blinked at you seeming to be taken a back a bit but made some noises while smiling proudly at itself. Allister slowly pointed at him. "H-He s-says you're v-very polite and i-it's n-nice to see s-s-someone recognize h-h-his looks."

You chuckled. "Well thank you! I'm glad he thinks so." Slowly you stood back up to stretch your legs still smiling. "I'm glad to see you're making new friends to play with. Are you here to watch the semifinals too?"

Allister nodded again before pointing over to the couch. "B-Bea's going to take me to the h-h-haunted houses in the c-c-city for Christmas."

You glanced from him to her and smiled. "Well doesn't that sound great!" You waved to her. "Hi. I don't think we've met. Or seen each other really."

Bea seemed to still be staring at you totally bewildered but it was nessa who spoke up next. "Oh yeah. I remember you." More surprised glances were sent between her and you as she gestured towards you. "You were Sonia's friend with the sobble! Er.." She glanced between you and Silver who shook off snowflakes. "Well, it looks like he's not too much of a sobble anymore."

You gave a couple laughs before reaching over to pat Silver's head. "Nope. My lil guy's practically all grown up now. Takes a lot of love and care and food, but Silver's worth it." You waved a hand to her. "But it's good to see you too Nessa. Hope things been well. My friend showed me your new line in the ads." You added remembering Gloria showing you a magazine with an article of her. "I really like the 'Sea Emerald Delight' dress."

She smiled your way before turning her gaze to Raihan who blinked at her. "I told you. Green dresses will look good on anyone all year round." the Dragon Gym leader rolled his eyes in response and stood up. 

You also shook your head...but paused feelings eyes on you. And it wasn't just the others around the room. Your head turned over towards the windows and you paused seeing Piers staring right back mouth a bit agape, brows raised at you. You both stared at one another for a moment before you went back to smiling, crossed your arms, and rose a brow back.

"Hey, Hot Pink. Long time no see." You greeted taking a few steps towards him. 

Leon stared for a long moment before leaning towards Victor. "Psst. Hey. Did she just use a nickname on Piers?"

Victor sighed before shaking his head. "I'll catch you up on everything later."

You stopped in front of Piers smiling and raising a brow. "You're here to watch Marnie compete right?"

Piers seemed to finally snap out of whatever surprised trance he was in when you stopped in front of him. "Uh..Y-Yeah!" he seemed to straighten up a bit going back to that blank neutral look. "Yeah. My whole team's 'ere to cheer her on."

"Ah." You nodded. "I'd expect nothing less from you all. It's real sweet of you to be here to support her." With a small smirk you asked. "So....Raihan tell you any interesting stories about me lately?"

Piers rose his brow at you for a moment.....before a smile split across his face and a small chuckle escaped from his throat. "Well I dunno." With a hum he faked thinking back and a hand came up and tapped his chin his eyes looking up. "A woman with a shiny drizzlie suddenly pullin' the hood-..I mean wool over Rai-Rai's eyes and then running off like a spooked rapidash. .... Nah." he looked back to you with that smile. "Must've been a different woman who told him to tell me hi."

You chuckled and you would've said something back if a voice didn't startle you. "Oh I'm sure it was her.~'' You jumped with a yelp and backed away from the taller guy that walked up to you two. Raihan smiled that fanged grin of his as you blinked at him. "You laughed for a whole half hour straight over the phone and then again when I told you about her guard-pokemon." His gaze shifted from Piers to you as you blinked. "Hey there, Sassy.~ Wasn't expecting you to come rolling up here with Lee! You have a knack for hanging out with famous people?"

You blinked a moment before raising a brow. "Not really. Leon just offered to be nice and I didn't want my water type out in the freezing weather."

"Aw. And here I thought you came all the way to see me.~" He faked sadness making you roll your eyes. Piers was interested in your interactions now, glancing between you both. "Y'know if you're free sometime that dinner date's still up for the taking!"

"No thanks."

"You never really gave it a thought? Really?" Raihan asked blinking surprised for a moment as you shook your head no before he smiled and leaned down closer to you making you lean back. "Well that's a first I've heard. Usually I'm something people can't get off their minds.~ You've certainly been on my mind for a while.~"

.......You reached for a nearby magazine. "Uh huh. I'm ....flattered I guess but dude. You might as well be flirting with a rock." 

Behind you all Nessa gave a small snort which Bea slapped her shoulder. "Aw. I guess you're right. But I can see why Piers likes you a lot.~" He gave that smirk that could've made anyone swoon. You raised your magazine. "You're like a short cute firecracker making my heart explo-HMPH!?"

Piers yelped when you all of a sudden you grabbed his arm and pulled him in front of you. With you now half hiding behind him now, you brandished your rolled up magazine like a sword....A harmless sword but something to ward him off non the less. Raiham blinked having been bonked harmlessly by you. You scowled using your Piers-Shield and Magazine-Sword to swing at him a couple times. Piers blinked wide eyed at you not sure what was going on.

"Bad Gym Leader! Down!,'' you firmly said scowling swinging at him, "Go to h0rny jail!"

"Wha- Jail??" He asked but held up his arms from your harmless magazine attack. "H-Hey! I was joking, Sassy! Seize fire there!"

"Silver help!!"

Raihan's eyes suddenly went wide before snapping his head when he heard a loud chirp and stumbled back when Silver eye narrowed starting walking towards you. "Hold it hold it hold it!!" Raihan held up his hands to Silver and ended up having to literally jump over the couch he was previously sitting on and stood in front of the lady gym leaders to avoid Silver who now stood between you and Piers and the couch. He narrowed his eyes at Raihan and gave a loud chirp. "Geez. You weren't kidding when you said he was protective."

Piers stared out blankly...before slowly turning his eyes to you as you peered around from behind him at Raihan....His lips quivered. And suddenly a smiled pulled at his face. "SNRK!!" Everyone looked at Piers as he turned his head away for his bangs to cover his face. One hand coming up to cover his mouth as his shoulders began trembling as a couple snickers escaped him. 

Feeling him shake from his snickers you looked up at him...and frowned at him. "Oh don't you dare-"

"PFFFFTTT!!! AHAHAHAHA!!" Too late. The flood gates opened and you stood up as Piers turned and leaned over. His hands coming to clutch his stomach as a torrent of laughs left his body as you frowned and crossed your arms. "AHAHAHAHA!! S-S-SO- *GASP* I F-FINALLY SEE IT M-MYSELF!! Hehehehehehe-"

"OH haha it's very funny! I just love it when Raihan flirts with me!"

"Really?!"

"NO!!" You shot at Raihan who....somehow...didn't look mad or anything.

 Instead he gave a knowing look between you and Piers who continued laughing in his state. Everyone around you looked surprised. Even Kabu and Ms. Opal who usually never showed any emotions as Piers continued smiling and laughing which ....was so out of character for someone like him. One moment he was his typical quiet self watching through the window waiting to see Marnie, and the next he was laughing like his funny bone was hit by a ton of bricks....More exchanges were made between everyone.

"....Seriously," Leon looked at Victor again, "What did I miss?"

"Trust me, Lee. It's a looong story."

"Uh....H-HEY!!" Leon clapped his hands a couple times to gain everyone's attention back onto him again, thank goodness, as Piers started to slowly come down from his small giggle fir. "I don't everyone's been properly introduced. Everyone." He then put an arm around Victor. "This is Victor. He's been Hoppy's friend for years! In fact his sister's competing in the semifinals today."

Victor waved and Raihan was the first to wave back. "Oh yeah. I remember seeing you with Lee's Little Bro. I'm guessing that girl who looks like you is the sister."

Victor nodded and Leon looked back to you still giving Piers a frown as the long haired finally leaned himself up into a standing position. He gestured over to you his other hand reaching to rub his neck. "And this is a newer pal of mine. But I guess a couple of you already met Y/n already. She's been a real big help lately." You perked back up hearing your name....but waved politely at everyone. "Now that we're here, has anything excited happen yet?"

Bea shook her head. "Nah. The matches don't start for another forty five minutes or something, Lee. For once you made it early without getting lost on top of the stadium again."

"Ah c'mon. You too, Bea?" Leon shook his head and sighed. "Well anyways, while we're waiting what's everyone's plans for Christmas while you're here? I'm thinking about taking Hoppy and his friends to the Christmas fair later this week."

You smiled at the small exchange before shaking your head with a sigh. Well at least the attention was finally taken off you for the moment...well all attention except for one guy in the form of the long hair rock star who went back to his neutral look except now just the smallest of smiles were curled up from his lips. "So, we ended up meetin' again after all." You blinked looking at him as he slightly smiled at you, tilting his head with a raised brow. "I gotta be honest, I really wasn't expectin' you to just walk on up with our Undefeated Champ in tow. I guess you're full of surprises." His blue eyes glanced over to your shoulder and he paused smile disappearing for the moment. Silently his hand came up but didn't make any move to touch you. "How's uh...How's your shoulder been?"

You blinked. "Oh. This?" You asked looking at your shoulder too but shrugged when looking back too Piers. "I'm perfectly fine! It's like it never happened." To make a point you rolled your shoulder and stretched your arm out. "No soreness or anything. And...Piers it's perfectly ok." He blinked surprised when you gently reached out to push his hand back to him. "You don't have to worry about me because it's not your fault." He looked down to your hand as you patted his shoulder before pulling your hand back. Piers was a genuinely nice person. You didn't want him feeling responsible for you when he already has the entire town of Spikemuth and Marnie to worry about. "You've been more than kind enough to me anyways. Besides you already have enough on your plate as it is. How's Spikemuth doing?"

Piers still stared at you for a moment, blue eyes looking down at his hand for a moment flexing it open and closed, before looking back to you. A sigh escaping his nose before his hand grabbed onto his choker again. "It's actually going a lot better now than I expected."

"Really?," you perked up. Well this certainly WAS a surprise.

he nodded closing his eyes for a moment. "After Marnie and your group left I realized I..I h-had to at least try to sort things out. You were right. I had to start taking more responsibility. And even if it's not the best solution it is something. " Blue eyes opened at you slightly to peer at your surprised face. "My crew and I's taken to start cleaning the streets and fixin' things up with Leo's assistance. There's still barely any power, and we had to pause progress because of the snow...and we're not that fair to being done yet, but it's a step in the right direction."

"Piers!" you smiled widely full of happiness. "That's amazing! I didn't expect you to actually ask Leon for help though."

"I didn't. Someone reminded him of the power crisis affectin' us down in Spikemuth and been sending us supplies and things to fix up the place."

Someone reminded Leon of Spikemuth's crisis? Who could've-.....OH!! You're mind flashed back to that meet up you and the others had with Leon and Sonia. And how you might've asked about the power crisis. That must've been when you accidentally reminded Leon of Spikemuth's situation and Leon being the kind man he is, of course helped as Champion. Whoops. But hey! It looks like what you did turned out to be a good thing in the end for everyone involved. You glanced back outside the frosty window and by now the whole stadium had been filled up with some snowflakes still falling down but not as much as yesterday. From down before the green battle field was speckled with white. And...well you really didn't MEAN to say the comment out loud. You were just talking to yourself anyways. Not to piers or anyone else, but for a moment forgot he was standing right next to you also returning to look out the window with you. It was such a pretty view even if it wasn't a landscape or anything really beautiful like that. And to think this would be one of the last things you'd get to experience before you went back. Not being able to celebrate with any holidays anymore, no more traveling, no more hanging out with friends or Silver, or having freedom or privacy. Heck. You probably wouldn't celebrate Christmas with anyone. No offense to them but you doubted that they would say no to hanging out with Leon on Christmas and you didn't feel like tagging along this time. After all they deserved to spend some time with him after not seeing him for so long. Well you guessed you could spend it with Silver watching movies at the hotel. And that's when the comment spoke from your lips. Soft enough for just you....and Piers to hear.

 "Heh. Well at least your home's better than mine." In an instant his eyes snapped over to you still keeping that neutral look but his brow raised quickly taking not you hadn't noticed him glancing at you yet. "Bet Christmas is really nice with all your friends."

"Yeah it is." You flinched and snapped to him as his eyes pierced through the glass. "It's Marnie's favorite holiday, and mine. But not 'cause of the fancy lights, or the food, or preasents. It's getting to see Marn-Marn so happy and smile. ...I'm not the best gym leader, my town's state is proof of that. But sometimes..." You stared at him as he sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm not a good big bro but then...I see her smile. ..And I can rest easy knowing that at least I'm doin' something right." You watched as he turned his eyes slowly towards you. "What's Christmas like where you're from then?''

....Your head shook before you returned your now crestfallen eyes downwards to the glass, not even able to look at your own reflection. The fabric of your coat felt rough as you ran your hands over your sleeves. Piers rose a bold brow, clearly taking note of the sudden change in mood so fast. ".....I don't remember. My mom never celebrated Christmas since I was just twelve." The rock star blinked at you, fully turning his face to you now. "I never had any gifts or christmas tree or stockings...Yeah. I GET that's not what Christmas is about. It's about spending time together and stuff. " You scowled down at the glass your fists digging into your sleeves' fabric. "But would it have hurt her to at least get me a candy cane? A sweater? A small card?! I GOT!!...." Your body deflated along with your face. ...That's...That's right......As long as you could remember it was always your dad or friends when you had them that got you a couple gifts. "....I never got anything from her." And you never did get anything again after that. Your mother became so obsessed with working and making you work and study that you....You never got to experience much of anything. Holidays lost meaning. Easter, Christmas, Halloween, YOUR BIRTHDAY!! ...They all just became regular days filled with you either working or studying enforced by your mother. Even small celebrations like proms and school dances were a 'Waste of time!' because.... because...

 "You should be studying for college! I won't be able to house you forever! Who's going to take care of me when I'm old!? I put so much work around here to keep a roof over your head! Be happy you're learning to take care of yourself like a responsible young lady!! And don't you even THINK about dating until you graduate college or do anything stupid like party!! I didn't raise you to do such horrible things! Once you get yourself settled then we can find you a husband with a respectable job and stable life! You had terrible tastes from those games rotting your brain! When I have grandchildren I expect them to be raised better than that! ...Well don't stare at me like that! Don't you have the night shift tonight! I swear you're such a heavy sleeper!"

Piers stared as your arms flopped to your sides. ".....She n-never did want to celebrate holidays. T-There was a-always some k-kind of money problem..."

"...She never wanted too...Or did she not just ever let you?," Piers asked softly and you froze, your reflection's face mirroring the giant bomb that was just suddenly dropped onto you by Piers as he watched you. But his head immediately lifted up high as he saw the telltale signs of your eyes becoming shiny, and not in the sparkly kind. More like the 'Im about to cry' signs showing. AW RAPIDASH CRAP!! Great going Piers! You just goofed up again as always. Some gym leader you were for making a girl cry. He wanted to smack himself and groaned. What was he thinking!? Instead he...reached up a hand, hesitated for a moment when you didn't respond from the movements, and then gently grabbed your shoulder. Of course you jumped at the touch and snapped to him wide eyed to him. "Hey. Come off it now. Ya shouldn't cry now. Look at this. Your mum's not 'ere is she?" No..Of course she wasn't. She was back in the other world. That shouldn't be relieving to think about but it was. "Ya can celebrate Christmas now with your mates however you want can't ya?"

.....Sniffling you shook your head no and reached a hand up to wipe at your eyes. Embarrassed that you'd have to start crying now. PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER Y/N!! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPY TIME FOR EVERYONE!! "I-I'd l-love to...But I can't?''

"And why not? Those kids seem to 'ave taken a real shining to you." He slowly let go of your shoulder and looked over his shoulder at everyone. No one was looking at them. Thank goodness. Everyone seemed too busy talking with one another or eating to even bother noticing you. Not even your pokemon who at the moment was letting Allister rub his head curiously. Guess that was a relief. "Heh..And I can see why."

"B-Because they're all spending Christmas with Leon," your gaze turned back down sadly. "As much as I'd like to spend the holidays with them, I can't just invite myself with them all the time. Besides they deserve a chance to just hang out without me being tagged along with them, especially with their own family...And you heard Leon. He said we was taking them. Not me. I can't invite myself onto something that I wasn't even invited too."

"What about your dad? Dontcha have any other friends to hang out with?"

"No!," you shot back at him but somehow no one noticed again. "I don't! Because of my mom all my friendships sort of just...faded when when I didn't hang out with them and then they went off after highschool to who knows where! My dad's gone and my mom is...a-also...gone. ...I don't know where they are. Heck! I didn't even have Silver until Leon gave him to me this year! I-....I haven't had anyone for a l-long t-time ok?" You let out in a shaky voice and looked back away staring back out the glass. YOU WERE NOT GONNA CRY!! "I'll be fine! I was fine then and I'll be fine now, Piers."

You might've not meant to sound so harsh towards Piers but to his credit the pale man didn't even flinch when you had snapped at him. Why? You had no idea, but another silence resumed where you two slacked and he went back to looking out the window himself. 

".....Hey. Y/n?" You hummed but didn't look away from the glass as Piers spoke your name. "Have you ever been to a concert?" he asked not looking away from the glass. "Like a REAL live concert? Not what you walked into back with the shoulder incident."

...You looked back to him raising a brow and sniffling again. No. What kind of question was that? Of course you've never been to a concert! Your mother would've never allowed it! But you answered with a shaky, "N-No. I...I haven't. ..W-Why?"

He still didn't look up from the glass when he asked you, "I'm doin' a concert for the Wyndon Christmas Festival and Parade this year. Figured it'd be a great chance to get Spikemuth more attention. As of right now we'll need all the help we can get. ...How'd ya like to come and help me out a bit?"

You stared at him mouth agape suddenly and eyes blown wide at the sudden offer. Unknown to the both of you Raihan seemed to be giving a knowing smile towards Piers not that either of you noticed. "Wait...You want ME to have front row seats to your concert? Are you serious?"

Without looking at you still he nodded again. "Yeah. It'd be a nice change of pace to have someone like you around, and who knows. You could help out if another speaker ends up busted again."

You turned to him and was about to answer but someone interrupted you over the intercoms. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF ALL AGES!!" That caught everyone in the room's attention as they turned to the window with you and you watched the crowd instantly starts roaring with delight as the voice continued. Leon coming to walk up and stand next to you. "WELCOME TO THIS YEAR'S SEMIFINALS OF THE WONDERFUL AND GRAND POKEMON LEAGUE GYM CHALLENGE!!! TODAY THE THREE LUCKY CONTESTAINTS THAT MANAGED TO MAKE IT THIS FAIR SHALL COMPETE TO SEE WHICH ONE OF THE LUCKY TRIO WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO COMPETE WITH GALAR'S GREAT GYM LEADERS TO COMPETE FOR THE TITLE OF GALAR'S NEW CHAMPION!!" The crowd roared even MORE as the speaker continued on and Leon next to you smiled and crossed his arms. "PLEASE WELCOME GYM CHALLENGER GLORIA FROM POSTWICK AND MARNIE FROM SPIKEMUTH!! CHALLENGERS PLEASE REPORT TO THE FEILD FOR BATTLE!!"

You noticed immediately Piers perked up next to you and his blue eyes laserfocused on the field as one young girl with black hair walked out onto the field. That must've been Marnie! But then...Where's Gloria? Leon seemed to notice that too and rose a brow, turning his head back towards the area where Gloria was supposed to appear as Marnie reached the middle of the field. That's really strange. She should've come out onto the field around the same time Marnie did. Your face nearly pressed into the cold frosty glass as you leaned over to stare at where Gloria was supposed to appear...and slowly she did appear. Which made you sigh in relief..unlike Leon who's brows rocketed up on his face seeing Gloria. Head staring down at the ground as she slowly made her way over to the center field where Marnie was already waiting as the crowd cheered them both on for battle. The two looked like they exchanged a few words on the field before the intercom speaker spoke up again as the referee walked onto the field with them.

"CHALLENGERS PLEASE GET IN PLACE!!" Both turned and slowly walked to their placed on the field. Here we go. "POKEMON AT THE READY!! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!"

And you all watched as the battles took place. First Round was Marnie's Liepard vs GLoria's Raboot. Gloria won. Second round was Marnie's scrafty vs Gloria's raboot again. Marnie won. Third round was Morpeko vs Roselia. Gloria won. Fourth round Toxicroak vs Corviknight. Gloria won again. Final round match. Which meant it was time to dynamax as the man over the intercom had said with excited the crowd to no end. You had ended up wobbling when both sent out their dynamaxed Corviknight and grimmsnarl and almost fell back on your behind, luckily Leon had caught you by the arm and pulled you back up to stand with them.

"Thanks!," you told him once you were back on your feet and he nodded before turning back to the battle.

"C'mon Marn-Marn," Piers spoke just enough for both of you to hear but you did end up glancing at him when he placed his hand onto the glass face becoming more focused onto Marnie's battle. "You can do it."

You hadn't noticed the attentive look Piers had been giving the entire battle too focused on watching Gloria work her way through. But now that did, Piers wasn't the only one cheering her on. You blinked as...horns?? Began sounding out, and you too a moment to peer downwards through the glass below. They were kinda hard to spot at first but there was at least a giant spot of twenty or thirty people near where you watched blowing horns of dark magenta and cheering loudly.

"HEY, MARNIE!! HEY, HEY!! HEY, MARNIE, HEY!! HEY, MARNIE!! HEY, HEY!!  ROCK 'EM, SOCK 'EM!! THAT'S THE WAY!!  HEY, MARNIE!! HEY, HEY!! HEY, MARNIE, HEY!! HEY, MARNIE!! HEY, HEY!! LET THE DARKNESS SEE THE DAY!!", Team Yell cheered very rather loudly along with those loud as heck horns.

You weren't expecting them showing up here, but then again it made perfect sense. These guys went as far as to attempt to stop trainers (and most likely succeeding since there was only three challengers competing-)  for her and acting as bodyguards of sorts, they would totally be here to cheer her on. You somehow managed to stay up standing during the dynamax battle which ended in Marnie's Grimmsnarl winning against Gloria's corviknight as both in flashes of bright red light returned to their normal height. The crowd cheering in victory in Marnie's fifth round win. But considering Gloria had won three out of the five rounds it was clear who had really won. 

"THE MATCH BETWEEN THE FIRST TWO GYM CHALLENGERS IS OVER!! THE WINNER IS GLORIA FROM POSTWICK!!" The crowd roared as the winner was announced. Next to you Piers let out a sigh and leaned his forehead against the glass. Poor Piers. He must've wanted Marnie to win and it did guilt you a bit knowing that she wouldn't have won anyways, but in the end Marnie did do a really good job getting this far. "THERE WILL BE A TWENTY MINUTE BREAK BEFORE THE FINAL MATCH BETWEEN THE LAST CHALLENGERS!! PLEASE EXIT THE FIELD FOR REPAIRS!!"

As the two girls began walking off the field Piers turned silently removing himself from the glass and scooting past other around you gathered to watch through the windows, made his way through the door. You blinked watching him go. "Hey, Piers." He paused with the door open. "Tell Marnie I really enjoyed watching her battle." ....he nodded silently, hair shaking with his head, before silently leaving and closing the door behind you all. Most likely on his way to go see Marnie. She'll be fine, she has her big brother to help her.

You resumed your position of standing at the window arms crossed next to Leon but this time Silver joined you having to stand on tiptoes to peek out the frosty glass. Everyone else had either sat back down for the twenty minute wait or started to talk to one another. You stood there mind blank for a long moment watching the employees of the stadium rushing around in the cold for the repairs. As you continued to stare and watch Leon had left for a moment, only to return and making you blink when all of a sudden a cup from held in front of you, the smell of hot coco hitting your nose. You blinked looking at it before towards Leon who smiled holding his own drink, which you accepted after a moment with a smile.

"Hey. Thanks," you said smiling again and accepting his gift to you.

"Of course! Everyone could use a cup of hot coco this time of year," he said before taking a sip from his cup. 

You also took a sip of yours, the hot but sweet sting of coco and peppermint hitting your tongue,...before you looked back to him. "Hey. Shouldn't you go check on Gloria after that battle?"

he paused for a moment before shaking his head and jabbing a thumb behind him. "Victor already went to make sure things are alright." You looked and noticed Victor was gone...Huh. Neither was Bede now that you were looking. Wouldn't he be with Ms. Opal? "He said he'll be back before the next match but I have to remain here. With the Chairman and Oleana unable to make it here it falls upon the Champion to make sure the semifinals go smoothly for everyone." He turned back to the glass watching the display below. "Which means keeping tabs on what's going around the field, but I'll hopefully be able to meet up with the both of them after their match."..He smiled. "Besides. Wouldn't want to be late to cheer them both on!"

You couldn't disagree with that...Although it was a bit strange the Chairman wasn't here. Not too long after Victor had return, the repair crew had finished, and the voice from the Intercom returned. "THE FINAL MATCHES BETWEEN THE LAST TWO CHALLENGERS SHALL NOW COMMENCE!!" Once again the crowd roared and everyone in the room turned their attention to the TV or got up to come over to the window with you and Leon. Your f/c eyes focusing on the two that were walking onto the field, Hop and Gloria met at the center of the field and just like with Marnie before they seemed to exchange a few words. "CHALLENGERS PLEASE GET TO YOUR PLACES!!" Both turned and walked to their places. Here you go. "POKEMON AT THE READY!!" Leon recrossed his arms taking another sip from his drink focused. "BATTLE BEGIN!!"

And thus it began. First round between the two was Hop's wooloo vs Gloria's Raboot. Hop won. Raboot must've been too tuckered out from Marnie's battles. Round two was between Gloria's roselia and Hop's snorlax. Hop won again. Ouch. That roselia would definitely need a look from Nurse Joy thanks to the massive body slam it received knocking it out cold. Third round was pincurchin vs Gloria's frosmoth. Huh. You didn't know she had one. Must've gotten it from those abandoned rotomi boxes at the center. Either way she won. What surprised you on the fourth round that both tossed out full grown corviknights. Hop must've gotten his from a rotomi box too. Either way Gloria won again. Both were completely tied now. But now was the fifth and final match. You decided to reach one hand out to hold onto something in order not to fall over as both dynamaxed their corviknight and rillaboom. Your drink emitted ripples as the two duked it out making the entire stadium shake and shiver until at final last. Gloria won. Just like you knew she would, and both pokemon soon returned to their natural original sizes in more flashes of bright red. 

"AND THE VICTOR OF THE SEMIFINALS, THE CHALLENGER WHO HAS WON THEIR WAY THROUGH ALL OF THE MANY HOPEFUL TRAINERS IN THE GYM CHALLENGE, IS CHALLENGER GLORIA!!" You decided to chug down the rest of your drink as Leon still stared ..before turning around, and you noticed. Blinking you quickly swallowed down your beverage before following after, Silver immediately trailing after and Victor bounding up right behind you two. No doubt Leon was on his way to meet up with the two, and you were going to them too.

As you three went back down the hall you eventually piled into the elevator again and you watched in anticipation as Leon once again pressed the button to take you all downwards. Once again the doors closed and you descended back downwards towards the bottom. The battle didn't take too long to get there, as you excited you all had another surprise in the form of a crowd. Not too big not too small. Around fifthteen or so newsreporters or people with camera immediately shoving themselves into Leon's face and your's and Victor's by default. Leon said nothing pushing himself through the crowds you and Victor following ignoring the other people pushing themselves into your faces as your bodies pushed past and flashes of the camera made you blink. Eventually someone grabbed your arms and Leon pulled the both of you to safety within a group of security who made a barrier between the three of you and the reporters still calling out to Leon right in front of a different elevator. Sighing in relief you thanked Leon to which he nodded and turned back to the other elevator expectantly. You weren't sure what he was waiting for at first until the elevator let off a ding sound, and the door opened. Your face went from smiling to concerned in an instant when Gloria and Hop came out. Only that...Gloria didn't look too good. She looked...really nervous. One hand clutching her shirt and the other grabbing Hop's who looked to be doing his best to be comforting her. Behind you the sudden loud voices of the reporters and camera flashes became more frequent. Oh no- Gloria froze. A deer in headlights look completely taking over her face as she stared at them crowd. Hop gave them all a light frown and increased his hold on Glory pulling her closer slightly. You blinked as a cape swished in front of your face as Leon did his famous Champion pose.

"Gloria!," Leon greeted and Gloria flinched her eyes darting to him, distracted for the moment as he walked up to her arms out welcoming. ''That was incredible. Brilliant! Honestly there were tears rolling down my face before I knew it. And you were amazing Hoppy! Absolutely stunning work out there by you!" He smiled wide. "To think that the two of you set out together from the same town, built up the greatest teams, and arrived here at this point to throw everything you had at one another. That birning desire to win! Those moves filled with undefeatable passion! It was battling at it's very purest in every possible way! Even though there were some trainers who weren't sure whether you were fit to be endorsed for the gym challenge at first."

"That was you, Lee," Hop pointed out.

His brother chuckled. "Well then all the more reason! My team members and I will give everything that we've got in us to defeat our challenger! And the challenger before us might well end up being you, Glory! In fact that's precisely what I'm hoping for!"

"That's right, Glory! The real challenge is what's coming next-" Hop paused. The force upon his hand where Gloria gripped increased making him look at her and the fact she looked about ready to faint at any moment made him quiet. "Uh.......A-And I'm completely exhausted!" He looked back up to Leon. "I just want to head back to the hotel and rest." He made a not to subtle not at Leon which Leon followed. "You know, Lee. Just away from prying eyes for a while."

Leon to his credit seemed to catch on really quick to what Hop was saying and quickly agreed. "That's not a bad idea, Hop.best to refill your energy stores first. Say! Why don't we get dinner together?" He offered seeming to perk Gloria's attention a bit as he smiled. 

"I wouldn't say no, but...you never care at all what food tastes like, Lee. And..." He turned to Gloria with a questioning look and it took her a moment to nod yes to him. "...A night like this deserves more than rubbish takeaway so at least pick something good.  How about that curry place you told me about?" he looked back to leon. "Curry's Glory's favorite dish. I'm sure it'll help."

Leon nodded in agreement. "That sounds like it'd be the best place for her-..I mean. To celebrate with her. *ahem*.." He slowly leaned down to try and look her in the eye. "Psst. Hey, Glor." She blinked at him. "You taking things alright there?"

.....She nodded. "I-I think I j-j-j-just wanna go back to t-the hotel, Lee."

He gave a concerned look at her before he nodded and straightened up. "I have things to take care of here and a meeting with the Chairman after, but it's still early in the day. You two head on back to the hotel and I'll meet you there around four. Ok?" Hop nodded for the both of them. "Right...Hoppy, I think maybe you should take her back to the hotel now. I try to keep the press back for a bit." Leon paused for a moment before looking at you and Victor and gesturing towards Gloria as Hop turned her away. "I know I shouldn't ask any more of you..but could you make sure they get back to the hotel alright? There should be a taxi waiting for all of you out in the front." You nodded before grabbing Victor and pulling him along Silver still at your heels as Leon turned back to the cameras with a smile. "SO! I understand you folks have some questions?" 

It was an immediate reaction from most of the press to turn their attention to Leon as you all left. It didn't take long at all to catch up with them as you literally dragged Victor along with you so he could keep up with your pace to catch up with Hop. Gloria still kept her head down with Hop speed walking his way through the stadium and out the door with a few press still on his heels. In a moment of quick thinking, you forced yourself and Victor between the both of them and the people with cameras following after giving them a dirty look as you shooed the three along and out the stadium doors. .....Where a TON more people were waiting. Whether they were press or not you didn't care, you ended up letting go of Victor and stepping next to Gloria's side to block her side view off from any of the other thousand people cheering out. Thank GOSH you walked out to the waiting taxi within a circle of security ready to go. ...You never thought you'd be happy to get into a flying taxi but you'll make an exception for this. 

"It's ok. It's ok," you assured Gloria speed walking her over to the giant metal Taxi. The cold nipping at your face. "You'll be fine. Just get to the taxi." Once getting to the taxi you immediately grabbed the door swinging it open and ushering everyone it. Gloria, Hop, and Victor before you scooped up Silver in your arms and hopped in yourself. The door slamming shut behind you. "HEY DRIVER!!" You shouted quickly shuffling over and plopping yourself into your seat. "THE ROSE OF RHODENLANDS!! AND STEP ON IT!!" ...You never thought you'd say this again, but THANK GOODNESS you guys were able to take off into the air again. You weren't even bothered too much by the sudden take off this time. Just immediately looking at Gloria who by now had stopped crushing Hop's hand, but was leaned back in the seat breathing heavily as if she had just ran a marathon. Hop patting her shoulder with a concerned look.

"Are you alright, Glor?," Victor asked dawning the same concerned look as everyone else as he took in his sister's state. 

.....She eventually nodded. "Y-Yeah...I-I hate b-b-big spotlights." She glanced at Hop for a moment before looking back down. You could have sworn a flash of what looked like guilt flashed on her face for a moment but you couldn't be sure. "I-I just r-really wanna get back to the hotel."

"That's probably a good idea...Hey. How about when we get back the four of us grab some lunch and watch some movies together?" You offered which made Hop smile.

"Yeah! We hotel has your favorite movie! We can totally have a great time before meeting up with Lee later!''

Hop's smile seemed to get her to relax a bit, and she gave a small smile. "Y-yeah. Sounds good."

You smiled at how she seemed to be calming down from her chronic stage fright, but your bad luck was far from over. Long story short, you four had arrived back at the hotel which thankfully didn't look very crowded but you took notice of Gloria pulling her hoodie over her head and pulling her scarf over her lower face. Most likely to disguise herself. You all landed and quickly scurried into the hotel. Thankfully not a lot of people were there....Except for a blonde haired woman reporter holding a mic and a camera man bolted right up to your group making you drop Silver when they pushed you out of the way and Gloria froze as a Mic was pushed right up into her face.

"CHALLENGER GLORIA!!," the woman beamed at Gloria's pale face. "Hey, Challenger Gloria! Got time for some questions?" Gloria didn't even get  chance to answer before a mic was nearly touching her face. "First question! You and challenger Hop were both endorsed by the Champion, making the two of you rivals in a sense wouldn't you say? How does it feel to have defeated your rival?"

The boys helped you back onto your feet from the fall as Gloria sputtered. "I-I-I m-mean...W-Well.." She shrunk into her scarf. "I-It d-doesn't q-quite feel r-real yet...I mean..."

"...Right." The woman ignored her look. ''Question number two! If you wanted to tell Challenger Hop something right now, what would it be?"

Her eyes widened and Hop's attention looked back over to her as you leaned back down to pick Silver back up. "I-......I-.....W-Well....I'd s-say t-that h-he was jus' the r-r-rival I k-knew he w-was..A-An' real smart-"

"Question three!" The woman cut the terrified girl off. Silver gave an angry chirp her way. Not that you blamed him. "Level with me, kiddo. Your honest thoughts here. Think you can win the Finals too?"

"I-....I-I'm n-not sure..."

"What do you mean?" She suddenly leaned forwards making Gloria flinch. "Do you not think you're strong enough? Or perhaps you're worried that you'll meet defeat at the hands of one of the gym leaders?"

"Alright! That's enough!" Gloria gave a small squeak of terror when all of a sudden Hop pulled her back and placed her at his side with a firm hand around her shaking shoulders. Giving a glare towards the two. "Gloria's already tired from battle! And you've been asking rather rude questions. We've got dinner plans with my brother so sorry, but clear off already would you?"

The woman's smile increased as the mic was then shoved at Hop. "Ah! The Champion's younger brother right? Tell me how are taking that bittersweet-"

She didn't get to finish. The blonde reporter woman gave a gasp when all of a sudden her hand with the mic was yanked away from the two's faces and her face looked up to meet your frown. "Back. OFF!" The woman blinked at your hard tone and you released her hand. "You're being rude. And it's clear they don't wanna be bothered. Take a hint and go interview one of the Gym Leaders instead."

The woman looked at you for a moment before backing off. "Yes, yes. I understand." She smiled again. "Looking forward to seeing the birth of a brand new star." You gave her a hard look watching them leave finally with Silver giving them a hard look as well.

"Phew...Famous people sure have it rough, eh?," Hop asked jokingly to try and cheer the shaken girl up...giving a frown when she didn't respond. "....Anyways. I hope Lee gets here soon. I could eat my own arm about now." he tried instead to change the topic. 

"It'll be a while before he gets here," Victor chimed in, "He still has to oversee the field repairs and stadium crowd. So it's going to be a while before he gets here. And it's still relatively early. I say we go back to one of our rooms and take a break for a little while and grab lunch before dinner time rolls around."

Everyone agreed and back to your hotel room you four went. Gloria seemed to calm down finally back to her regular self once you got back and sat down. Time went by as you four ordered room service and played some kind of action movie that made Gloria laughed. You were glad she had relaxed from her stage fright. A few movies later and empty plates, three thirty rolled around and Hop suggested grabbing their coats and heading down to the lobby to wait for Lee. You decided to go too, but not to join them. After all Leon had just invited them not you, but you wanted to see them off just in case more paparazzi showed up. With Silver following you all turned off the TV, grabbed your coats, left the dishes where room service could get it, and left to the lobby through the elevator. And in the lobby you all waited...and waited...and waited. Three thirty turned into four o' clock. Four o' clock turned into four thirty. And Four thirty turned into five o'clock. You all stood around waiting for an hour and a half by now. Where was Leon?

"This is absurd," Hop said. he had resorted to pacing back and forth as you waited, "Even Lee's never this late. Something's not right."

"Maybe he got caught up by the paparazzi or Champion duties."

He shook his head. "No. He always does what he says he'll do. As a kid he promised me he'd become Champion one day and he went and did just that. He ought to be able to keep his own dinner plans."

"We should be patient," victor chimed in, "Lee could've gotten lost and ended up on someone's roof again."

"ALL THE MORE REASON TO GO FIND HIM!!"

You were going to say something to calm Hop's worried self down, but a voice interrupted all of you. "Kid's sure got a mouth on him, huh?" All four of you turned over, and your eyes widened in surprise as PIERS of all people came walking over towards you all. Stopping at the top of the small flight of stairs. What was he doing here? "If you were that noisy durin' battle, you'd unleash a whole new level of power y'know."

"Oh pack it in, Piers!," Hop insisted one hand on his hip, "I'm seriously worried here! So I don't need your smug mug looking like you're having a go at me, even though you act like you're giving advice." 

"Judgin' by appearances? No wonder you lost to your mate." Hop paused and Gloria noticibly flinched.

"HEY!!" Piers visibly jumped hearing you suddenly yell and he blinked when you pointed at him. "That was pretty rude of you, Hot Pink! I don't appreciate it!" Piers...blinked when you then turned to Hop. "Hop. Don't be rude ok? I understand you're worried but let's not lose our heads alright?" Hop mumbled something and you turned back to Piers. "But what are you doing here?"

Piers resumed his regular resting face. "If you're lookin' for the Champion, I saw him headin' to Rose Tower."

"Rose Tower?"

"That's where the Chairman's headqourters are in Wyndon City," Hop said, "But he should've been done by now. Why would he go there?"

"Dunno what he's up to, but I ran into him at the monorail platform. He said to tell you that he had somethin' to do at Rose tower, so he'd be late to your dinner." 

"But why Rose Tower?," Hop asked crossing his arms, "What could he have to do there at this hour?" He then looked at Piers. "Piers, do us a favor. Take us to Rose Tower would you?"

"WHAT!?," Victor asked snapping to his best friend.

"Neither of us know the way," Hop reasoned back.

You sighed. "Well if you three are going so am I." You placed your hands on your hips. "Someone has to make sure nothing goes wrong." Earning you a disbelief look from Victor.

"You too Y/n!?"

"Sheesh. What rude siblings. Always so demandin' of others."...his eyes turned to you and you blinked back noticing him- he quickly looked away clearing his throat and turning his head up. "Though I s'ppose...it's a real problem for me too if the Finals are held up for any reason. And I don't really hate the two of you little runts. You were good enough to beat me after all."...All of a sudden he chuckled and a smirk appeared on his face as he looked back to you all. "So I think I'll invite Team Yell along, and we'll all have ourselves a bit of fun. Shall we?"

"Brilliant!," Hop agreed fist pumped, "You're the best, Piers! Let's cause a real ruckus!"

"HECK YEAH!! LET'S SHAKE WYNDON FOR LEE!!," glory agreed.

"Are you three bloody INSANE!?,"Victor asked grabbing his head.

You turned to Piers and nodded at him. "Alright, Hot Pink!" You smiled. "Let's see what you can do, Rebel Man!"

"NOT YOU TOO, Y/N!!"

Victor could only watch...and then follow with a groan as you three followed Piers when he turned and walked out of the hotel. You followed Piers out of the hotel and blinked when another person in a black and hot pink winter wear was there. In the form of Marnie and at least two members of Team Yell. She turned to you all piled out there before sighing under her breath.

"Man. Why am I here for this? I'm totally exhausted from that battle you, Gloria..." She looked at Gloria who blinked. 

"We decided that team yell will cheer you on, Gloria," Piers explained, "Let's help out together."

Gloria blinked at Piers then to Marnie...before smiling. You smiled too. That was....extremely nice of Piers to do! ...Sadly a voice you dreaded all too well spoke up.

"What a beautiful display of sibling love," you all looked over at the voice. And froze at the woman in high heels walking up to your group followed by a League worker. ..and you instantly frowned as Oleana stared down at Piers. "However it is entirely unnecessary."

"Ms. Oleana?," Hop asked vocally your group's thoughts.

"Chairman Rose is with the Champion in a very, very important meeting," She explained in that uninterested monotone voice completely ignoring Hop, "There is no way I'll let anyone interfere. After all only authorized personnel with the proper key can ride the monorail to Rose Tower. That means as long s Chairman Rose is in the tower no one can disturb him." She turned away from all of you to face the monorail entrance near the hotel. "I have hand selected a member of the league and given them the key. Chairman Rose does enjoy these kind of menial games after all. Tell me. Do you think you can tell the difference between normal league staff and the one I chose?" You GLARED as a smile perked on her lips as she smiled and walked towards the monorail entrance. "Good luck to you and your menial friends."

"Do you think you can find me?" Before anyone could do anything, the man turned and BOLTED away.

"HEY!! Get back 'ere ya bloody kook!!," Gloria shouted after him.

You glared down at Oleana as she walked into the monorail untrance and soon after pressing a button disappeared up the elevator like shoot. Marnie had been watching too and had turned to Piers. "What should we do?"

To his credit, Piers stayed level headed and replied instantly. "Tch. This isn't good...But I got this one!" He turned back to your group with a wide smile. "Team yell's yellin' will handle this!"

"No! This is brilliant!" Hop agreed...before taking off blindly. "I'll search around the front of the stadium!!''

"HEY!! HOP WAIT UP!!," Victor called out before running after him.

"Guys wait!,' you called for them holding out an arm....before growling under your breath and making a fist. OLEANA!! That....That....HORRIBLE WOMAN!! But-...You blinked. Wait a minute...of course!! Your eyes widened as the memories flowed back to you. THIS WAS A GAME MECHANIC!! Piers stared at your oddly silent face before raising a brow and looking at Gloria gesturing towards you. Gloria shrugged back. That's right. In the game Oleana tried to stop the player and Hop from reaching Leon by hiding the key with a worker and then they would team up with Piers, Marnie, and Team Yell in order to corner the guy and get the key..Which means that he was- You snapped to Piers. "I know where that guy's heading!"

His blue eyes widened at you. "Really? Where?''

You pointed. "He's heading towards the plaza! Call your team mates to get there as fast as they can!" You gave a determined glare off towards the plaza's direction. "We're going to show that ladder disguised as a human that we're not gonna be playing into her mind games!"

Piers blinked surprised at you for a moment before giving his own smug look in return whipping out his phone. "For now we should try to head to the plaza together right?" you nodded. "Alright. Let's all work together and head for Rose Tower."

With Piers dialing some number, you dawning a determined looked started to march off with Silver at your heels towards the plaza, Piers following you starting to talk now with someone at the other end. Gloria turned to Marnie who blinked and gestured for her to follow. "Let's go too. Trust me. Ye don't wanna miss the action when Y/n gets angry."

There was still lots of people walking around having been just after the semifinals but you pushed past everyone face determined through the cold stomping your way towards the plaza. Oleana may have thought she was smart, and yeah she was probably smarter than you. But there was one thing the woman didn't have that you did. Gamer's insight on the story and game play. So you knew EXACTLY where he was heading. Past hoards of other people, stop lights, mudsdale rides, stop signs, and a few slippery patches of snow you FINALLY came to the plaza. Pausing in front of the corviknight statue and looking around with your hands on your hips glaring. Piers pulled up beside you a moment later dwarfing you with his height and with girls trailing up after.

"BOSS!!," Piers turned over as a woman in Team yell gear strode up to him. With a sigh she saluted to the rock star. "We got here as fast as we could! We're already got our guys tailing the league workers 'round the plaze place!"

To her smile Piers nodded at her. "Good job!" Before he looked around with you. "There was a few visible league workers walking around and some team yell grunts you could see past the other walking people. "Let's find Oleana's league staff member. That bad one was wearin' those lame shades right?"

the woman paused...before humming and rubbing her arm. "Gee. I dunno Boss. All of them have tacky shades and dreads."

"Well what now then?," Gloria asked looking around. "That bloke could be anyone 'ere!"

"Working on it!" You frantically looked around eyes peering this way and that looking between all the visible league workers...until your eyes landed on one staring at your group. He seemed to flinch as you glared at him hard enough to crack a diamond...and you CHARGED towards him with the speed and power of a mudsdale ready to tackle him if needed. Your action made the man dawn a look of panic and as a result turned and fled. You thought you heard someone yelling your name behind you but in your anger you didn't bother to look back. You bumped and smacked into people getting looks thrown your way following the white dashing away until your broke through the crowd of people breathing heavily and stopping on the edge of a street as a bike whisked past you. Almost hitting you. You flinched pulling back and blinking as the biker yelled to watch where you were going. You paused...looking left and right as people walked around you. the sky was starting to get dark now making it harder for you to see everyone as lights of the city was the only source. Feeling dizzy and turning this way and that looking for the man. ...Until realizing he was gone. ...."RRRRRRR!! UGH!!" You glared at nothing and picked up a pile of snow next to Silver up into the air. GREAT!! He got away- !? You flinched when someone grabbed your shoulder. Whipping around, you saw that it was Piers in his black scarf and pink earmuffs looking at you calmly.....You stared at him before looking around one more time as the girls pushed through the crowds catching up to you two as well...Before frowning and looking back to him. "Piers. That guy is heading for the monorail."

"Are you sure?," he asked calmly.

You nodded. "I'm positive! You need to call your boys and tell them to get to the monorail station FAST!!"

Without questioning it he nodded and once again whipped out his phone as you turned to Gloria who panted from running. "Gloria! Call Victor and tell him to get himself and Hop over to the monorail station as fast as they can!" To her credit Gloria didn't question it either and pulled her own phone from her pocket. your head returned to looking around the place as the sky darkened more. "Now which way is the monorail."

"I know the way," you looked to gloria who calmly stared back before pointing left. "I was here with Piers yesterday. The monorail is in that direction." 

"Are you sure?" She nodded. "Do you think you can show us the way?" 

She nodded and began walking off. As you all began following her you heard Piers speak into the phone. "Team Yell go find Hop! We'll corner that league staff member at the station together!"

Following Marnie through the crowd and dark, you steeled your anger for now and tried to focus on just getting that key! Eventually you all reached the station and Marnie began jogging towards it. You still followed spotting to your right a head of purple hair and a familiar beanie. HOP AND VICTOR!! Hop was farther in front of Victor making Marnie and Hop the first one to go inside the station running past people followed by Victor, and the rest of you trailing after. Thank goodness the inside of the monorail station wasn't too crowded.

"Hop!," you called out making the boy yelped and whirl around to you breathing and walking up to him. You looked head and saw four men that looked exactly alike. And you knew exactly which one you wanted.

"Y/n!," Hop responded seeing you. "I'm sorry. We didn't get to see where he went." He apologized giving a sorry look. "We were too late."

.....You pointed right at him with that frown. And instantly the man on the far right flinched. "It's HIM!"

Everyone looked between you and the man. "...Are you sure?''

You nodded. "...Now...How are we supposed to get the key is the real question- !?" You paused again as Piers grabbed your shoulder and you turned to see his smile.

"You did a crackin' job cornerin' that bad league staff member, mates." He patted your shoulder a bit before letting go of you and walking forward a few steps in front of your group eyeing the men a bit in silence before speaking again. "Let me sing you a song fittin' of your rockin' deeds." 

...You blinked confused. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. you're gonna do what?"

he didn't turn to you. "The only thing a humble singer can do is sing a humble song." he replied before inhaling and letting out a small breath. "Maybe I can't cheer someone on just with the tunes I play. Maybe my songs don't make anyone happy. Maybe I can't help." Marnie gave her brother  look. "But still the only thing I can do is sing. ..Sing my humble song."....In an instant blue eyes snapped open with the bite of a snake and it was a blur as Piers suddenly moved his arm- WHAM!! You all blinked when he slammed down a full mic stand (where did he get that thing?) and smirked at the four men like he was in a full battle with narrowed eyes and a smirk. "When you all get an openin'. Take it!'' Before you could ask what he meant, he held up a hand and snapped his fingers. "SOUND IT OFF!!"

W H A M!! You all jumped and whirled to the sight of one of the beefier Team Yell men heaved a giant stereo in (SERIOUSLY! Where the heck did they get those out of nowhere?!) slamming it too the ground before kicking it with his spiked boot. The stereo made a record scratch noise before all of a sudden rock noise came from it. Was Piers gonna sing-.....OH!! That's right! You glanced back to Piers who was already tapping his foot to the beat. RIGHT! Piers's song distraction while in game!

"Target on my back!~ Lone survivor lasts!~ They got me in their sights!~", Piers sang out amplified on the mic and it instantly grabbed your attention. The league men in front of you looking absolutely bewildered and not sure what was going on. "No surrender!~ No trigger fingers!~ Go livin' the dangerous life!~" What was singing going to do tho? You turned to Gloria when she tugged on your sleeve, before pointing behind you and you looked towards the entrance. Eyes nearly buldging out of your head as people were starting to walk towards the entrance hearing the music...then up towards the second floor balcony as a good twenty people were looking over and a couple had their phone out. It dawned on you....PIERS WAS BLOODY ABSOLUTELY FAMOUS!! Of course people would flock to him hearing his voice!! Marnie stepped closer to her bro and the mic. "Hey, hey, hey!~ Every day when I wake I'm tryin' to get up!~ They're knockin' me down!~"

"Chewing me up!~ Spitting me out!~," Marnie unashamed joined Piers leaning towards the mic and he didn't mind smiling and leaning back to give her room to join before taking back the mic.

"Hey, hey, hey!~ When I need ta be saved you're makin' me strong!~ You're makin' me stand!~"

"Never will fall!~ Never will end!~" WOW!! Marnie's voice was absolutely splendid as well! You guessed personality and blue eyes weren't the only thing the siblings shared. It was singing talent too!

"Shot like a rocket up into the sky!~ Nothing can stop me tonight!~" Piers took back the mic wholey all of a sudden as the beat picked up loud from the stereo. "YOU MAKE ME FEEL INVINCIBLE!!~ EARTHQUAKE POWERFUL!!~ JUST LIKE A TIDAL WAVE!!~ YOU MAKE ME BRAVE!!~ YOU'RE MY TITANIUM!!~ FIGHT SONG!! RAISING UP!!~" Piers's voice rang loud and proud echoing around the small station and people started moving from the top balcony towards him. here they come!! "LIKE A ROAR OF VICTORY IN A STADIUM!!~ WHO CAN TOUCH ME CUASE I'M!!~"

"I'M MADE OF FIRE!!~"

"WHO CAN STOP ME TONIGHT!?~"

"'M HARD WIRED!~"

"YOU MAKE ME FEEL INVICIBLE!!~ I FEEL, I FEEL IT!!~ INVICIBLE!!~ I FEEL, I FEEL IT!!~ INVINVIBLE!!~" 

Marnie stepped back fast back towards you as the crowd came thundering down the stairs. The league guys looked horrorified as they yelled, swept away from the crowd. NEVER underestimate the power of music!! ....But to be fair you guys were too. You barely had time to snatch Silver into your arms to keep him from being trampled by everyone as all of a sudden the singer resumed his blank face again as people pushed you all away inorder to snap pictures of him or call out to him. You held up Silver above your head to better step around and through the crowd towards the stairs again with the others. All of a sudden marnie pushed her way onto the stairs stumbling a bit, something that looked like a credit card in her hand. Straightening up, she turned back to you guys and held it up. SHE MANAGED TO GET THE KEY!!

"We got the key, Piers!," she called out to her brother, "We can take the monorail to Rose Tower now!"

"GLORIA!! HOP!!," Piers shouted through his mic, "All of ya! Now's your chance!! GO!! Get outta here!!"

All four of you quickly waded your way through the crowd and ran up the stairs behind Marnie. She ran up and slid the card through a small slit. With a ding the door opened and you and the four kiddos (and Silver-) crammed yourselves into it. With a whirl sound the doors closed shut behind you and up you went leaving Piers and his crowd of fans behind.

With a sigh of relief you took a moment to relax...before looking at Marnie. "Hey." She hummed and looked at you from her spot next to Victor. "Nice job getting the key. And absolute smashing job at singing!" You smiled widely. "I guess Piers isn't the only one with a beautiful singing voice." marnie looked down shyly but mumbled a thank you. "Oh hey. Do you still have that card key?"

"Yes."

"Here. Hand it over to me. I don't want ya caught with it."

She handed you over the key nd you pocketed it. Ok. Only one more obstacle to face now. Oleana. But first you had to get to her as well...And you already formed a plan. You five rode the monorail around the dark city and finally arrived. it was completely dark now and when the monorail stopped in was in front of a HUGE tower. The glass and metal looked dark blue in the dark other than the snow covering it in the middle of winter giving it a menacing sorta look. The door slid back open and you five piled out with hop in the lead. Running on the street in front of the building before stopping in front of the pathway to said building and looked up at it.All of you stopping behind him.

"So this is Rose Tower," Hop awed looking up wide eyed at it. You were all able to see your breath in the cold air. "Just how tall do you think it is? I can't even see the top up there in the clouds!"

"So what should we do?," Marnie asked. "Team yell is gonna have their hands full holdin' up those bad league staff members. They won't be catchin' up anytime soon."

"Yeah, Y/n!" Hop looked at you. None of you noticed someone else coming in through the monorail. "What should we do?"

"Let's go ahead!," you immediately said pointing forward. Get this over with.

Hop nodded. "Good thinking. Let's go collect Lee and get out of here! Without him there's no Champion for Glory to challenge in the Champion Cup!"

Marnie agreed. "You all cleared the way to Rose tower. Now all you gotta do is charge on ahead. " Her gaze looked up towards the tower. "An employee's an employee I guess...Seems that exec lady hid the monorail key to try and impress the Chairman. Chairman Rose's been keepin' the Champion holed up inside. Wonder what he's plottin'?" That was a very good point-

"Times like this." You all looked over as the sound of footsteps approached you in the form of Piers. When did he get here? "When tension and passion run high. Reminds me of Spikemuth in the old days. Some right wild concerts we had back then. But no encores!" his gaze turned from the tower to all of you. "Wait. You're still here? You better get goin'. I'll send some support your way with a yell."

Marnie nodded. "Gotta stick around to make sure my bro doesn't do anything crazy right? Come back if you need anything."

Hop nodded with a determined look to the twins. "Let's go guys."

Piers bowed as Hop took off with the twins right behind him. You made to go after them but paused...and looking behind you at the two Spikemuth siblings...You turned around and walked back towards them putting Silver down. Piers stood back up, and blinked in surprise as you walked right up to him. You two silently stared at each other for a moment, before you suddenly spread your arms out and delivered a hug to the taller man. Marnie's eyes widened in surprise as did Piers as he felt your Warmth pressed against his colder body completely frozen...And his full blown eyes slowly tilted down towards you. After a moment you pulled away and gave a genuine smile. 

"Hey. I know it's out of the blue...But thanks so much for helping out me and my friends." Your bright smile met him..and Piers...Piers felt himself gulp for no reason still wide eyed. "I don't care what anyone says. You're a really good guy and I can see why so many people rally around you." With another smile you turned and jogged a few steps away-

"Y/N!," Piers suddenly called out to you reaching an arm your way. You paused turning back to him. He silently stared at you for a moment looking down and his hand reaching to fiddle with his choker. "....Meet me at the plaza early in mornin' on Christmas. I'll have one of my crew pick you up before my performance."

You blinked but nodded. "Take Marnie and your guys and get outta here while you can. Don't worry. I'll make sure you all don't get in trouble. I promise." You then turned and ran after the others with Silver on your heels. Piers watching your form disappear.

Marnie silently watched you go..before looking at her brother then back to where you disappeared into Rose Tower. "So that's the gal that's been able to make you laugh so easily?...I like her." Piers gave a hum before sighing and closing his eyes. "So how long have you been seein' your new girlfriend?"

.....he suddenly snapped to her wide eyed. "W O T!?"

You had caught up to the three in the tower and the first thing you could say about the place was that it was DARK!! Just like outside at nighttime. The four of you looked around the giant metal place wide eyed. 

"Whoa! It's huge in here!," hop awed looking around as the four of you approached the elevator...you picked up Silver again remembering something and getting him ready. "What in the world is this place meant to be?"

"I h-have no clue," victor replied looking incredibly nervous around the place. "W-We shouldn't even be in 'ere! We're gonna be 'n so much trouble."

"Calm down, Vic!" Hop looked to Gloria. "Listen Glory. Don't know if you knew this already, but I've heard Rose Tower was built on a power spot. Yeah. You know what I'm saying. When we get up to the roof and have a bit of space we can dynamax our pokemon. Which is all well and good." He spoke as your four approached the elevator. "But less certain is whether this lift can get us to the top. Rose Towers has like a hundred floors, right-"

the doors flew open making Gloria and Hop gaso and jump back from the employee walking out of it. "You'll be leaving right now,so there's no reason to worry about the lift!"

"INTRUDER ALERT!! INTRUDER ALERT!!" You looked up as an alarm started blaring making Victor even more pale as Oleana's voice cut through the speakers like you were burglers!! "ALL STAFF ARE ORDERED TO HELP REMOVE THE INTRUDERS FROM THE PREMISIS AT ONCE!!"

the man chuckled. "See? If Ms. oleana says so, then it looks like this the end of the line-"

"Silver use water gun!"

A stream of water immediately shot out from the water pokemon's mouth past the kids who jumped out of the way and hit the man square on. He gave a yelp at the cold water hitting him all of a sudden and waved his arms about but you didn't let up until he ended up slipping to the ground soaked to the bone and sputtering on the floor.

"GET IN THE LIFT NOW!!" You ordered and immediately moved pushing the three kids forwards into the lift stepping over the man as the lift doors opened and then closed behind you. Once the doors closed you turned around and upon spotting the button panel pressed the top button. "The Chairman and Lee's at the top!" You said turning around. "We should head there." .....They stared at you. "...What?"

"WHAT!? WHAT!?" Victor threw his arms out towards the door as the lift began moving. "YOU JUST HOSED A BLOODY WORKER!! WE'LL BE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!!"

"No we won't."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW!?" Victor yelled gripping his beanie. "WE'RE SO DEAD!!"

''Because it was self defense. that man was going to send out a pokemon after you all" They all blinked back to you as you looked behind you. "I'm not going to let anyone get hurt. Gloria. Got your Corviknight on you."

She blinked. "Uh...Y-Yeah. Of course. Why?"

You pointed towards the three other entrance ways in the lift which was big enough to house  corviknight. "There's gonna be some employees under Oleana orders coming through one of these three doors trying to battle you in order to force you all back out. Get out your corviknight and make him stand in front of the door I point at. Order him to scare the daylights out of the people when the door opens and I'll press the up button to get us moving again. If we do that then we can get there and to Leon faster."

"That's a plan!," Hop agreed. "Alright! We're nearly to Chairman Rose! Hold on, Lee! We're coming!"

Gloria brough out her corviknight and ordered him to do as you asked, and you motioned for her to make the scary big bird stand in front of the middle one as you stood by the button panel waiting to press it. Soon after the elevator stopped like you knew it would. You placed a hand on the up button as the elevator doors opened. CAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWW!!! Screams rang out from the elvator doors and you pressed the up button. Making you get moving again without any battles. PERFECT!! Then again to the left. A caw and more screams as the doors opened and you pressed the up button. And rinse and repeat to the door on the fair right! This was perfect! You four were almost there!!

"Looks as though we're nearly there, Guys!," Hop said looking up, "Look sharp! let's do this!''

You nodded. "Oleana's going to be waiting for us at the top. She's gonna have a couple pokemon to battle you guys with. Froslass, Milotic, Salazzle, Tsareena, and Garbodor. So get ready to fight those pokemon guys!" All three nodded to you and you increased your hold on Silver before walking up to join them as they stood closer to one another. Gloria returning her corviknight for the moment. "You stay on guard too, Silver." he chirped an answer back.

With new tenseness in the air you four stood guard close to one another. You all better get to leon fast! the lift kept going up and up and up. Until you all finally came to a stop. And the middle doors opened. Revealing a GIGANTIC room. And standing there in the middle of it with her back towards you was Oleana. All three kids paused for a moment before looking at each other uncertainly before looking at you and with your nod you all started forward. Slowly. Your footsteps echoed out in the silent and dark room as you all slowly made your way towards Oleana. Your hold on Silver increasing in case you'd have to defend these guys from the crazy woman. Eventually you all stopped a few yards from her. 

"....Glory. Stay on guard," Hop whispered and Gloria gulped.

"...Welcome to Chairman Rose's exclusive space. Here nearly a thousand feet above the earth. So you got through all of the special staff that I had ordered to stop you?," she asked and  you glared. "I would expect nothing less of the trainers handpicked by Champion Leon himself." She finally turned to all of you. "But I am afraid it is now time for you to go home...Because.." It was like she went from zero to crazy within a moment as her expression completely changed as she yelled to one of anger even you had to admit looked scary on her. "I will not allow anyone to disturb the great Chairman Rose! You shall be the first, Gloria!" Gloria's eyes went small and she suddenly backed up behind Hop and Victor as both boys took a stance in front of her. "If I beat you to pieces then the Champion will have no one to battle and thus lose heart! In that state, he'll listen to anything the Chairman says!"

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LAY A BLOODY HAND ON MY LIL SISTER!!," You snapped your eyes to Victor wide eyed. A glare you had never seen before on his face and there was only one way you could describe it. Pure Blooded Big Brother Protective Rage!! You had never seen Victor glare at someone with such hate as he held up a pokeball. "IF YE WANT 'ER THEN YA GONNA HAVE TO PRY HER FROM ME COLD DEAD HANDS!!" He growled out in a thick scottish accent. 

"AND MINE TOO!!," Hop chimed in also holding up a ball. "There's no way I'm gonna sit back and let you get anywhere near Glory after what she's been through!"

Oleana let out what could only sound like a rage filled scream and Gloria backed away. Out of instict you grabbed her and pulled her behind you too glaring placing Silver down as he growled. "AND ME TOO!! YOU'VE CAUSED ENOUGH TROUBLE FOR HER!! YOU WANT HER!? JUST TRY IT!!"

She let out another scream similar to the first and sent out the pokeball. Oh boy here you go. Both boys did too and it was Victor with a Bewear, Hop with his Rillaboom, and Oleana with her Froslass. Hop was first to make a move against Oleana as you stayed back and held Gloria's petrified form behind you as you watched them battle it out...Hop one. Oleana sent out her Milotic. Victor won. Oleana set out her salazzle. Hop won again. Oleana continued three more times...You watched with satisaction as both boys attacked her for the last time before her gardoder could even dynamax. Both boys fuled by the determination to protect the girl cowering right behind you as they both tag teamed Oleana down. Oleana let out one last scream of frustration....before deflating in defeat.

"*sigh*....I wasn't able to win. Oleana you really are a hopless woman. ARGHHH!!" She hands balled into fists as she looked at all of you. "This is inexcusable. What was I thinking? Any gym challenger who made it this far would be no pushover. Under normal circumstances I would have tried to delay you further.".....She inhaled and calmed a bit. "However all the necessary Wishing Stars have been collected. Do as you wish. There is nothing to be done now. Everything I did, I did to further the Chairman's own goals...

".....Heh." Hop gave a smug smile turning to Victor. "Typical Vic. You and bewear were unstoppable!"

Victor lifted his hand to return the bewear before huffing glaring daggers at the older woman. "NO ONE threatens my family."

"Whoa!," they turned to you as you strode up with Gloria, "Leon wasn't wrong about you being a top notch trainer too, Vic. Were you always able to battle like that?"

"Yeah! How else did you think he was able to help me practice battling when Glory couldn't?" Hop answered before ponting ahead on the fair side of the room and another door. "But enough chit chat. We gotta get to lee!"

Not wanting to waste time, you four raced past Oleana, you only pausing a moment in front of her to glare and shove the key card into her hand. "Here. You're lucky I didn't decide to hide your hey in one of the rooms for you to find. After all." You smiled so politely and spoke in a polite tone. "The Chairman loves menial games like this." Just like Oleana told you earlier.

Oleana's jaw dropped at the audacity of what you said before you ran off after the others. You four ran to the door on the fair side of the large room with Victor hanging onto Gloria's hand. BANG!! What sounded like a gun shot went off when Hop THREW the door open and your group charged in. On the other side was Leon who had whirled around in shock from the noise, and next to him was the Chairman who also looked surprised to see the four of you standing there panting and tired from the wild ride.

"Hop!?," Leon asked in shock looking over your faces, "And Gloria and Victor and Y/n!?...How-...What are you doing here?!"

"L-Lee, "Hop gasped between breaths releived to see his big brother, "You never showed when you were supposed too, so I got worried that s-something had happened.  Piers and Marnie and all those Team yell Oddballs...They helped us out to get here."

Leon stared not sure what to do for a moment but the Chairman interupted with a cough. "I must apologize to you, Hop, if we've made you worry at all." You looked to the older man. "There are times when adults just can't seem to have an honest discussion with one another. Sometimes our pride gets in the way."

Hop gave the Chairman a raised brow look but Leon stepped between them interrupting anything he might've said. "Never mind any of this, Hop. Glory. Everyone." He quickly said holding up his hands. "I'm sorry I made all of you worry so much. Let's head back to the hotel and we'll all grab dinner together. Ok? It's on me so you can order anything you fancy." Leon paused looking at Gloria for some unknown reason for a moment...before looking at the Chairman and in a stern tone said. "if you'll excuse us, Chairman Rose. And i do hope you'll watch this year's match. it's sure to be one for the history books."  Turning back to the four of you Leon held out his hands and began shooing the kids back. "Come on you three. You can tell me what trouble Piers got into this time over dinner."

You began to follow as Leon seemed to suspiciously herd them away a bit too fast to change the subject ..but eventually stopped..and turned back to the Chirman. Who had his back to you and looking out the window....You approuched him.

"One for the history books," he mumbled, "You still don't understand, Young Champion. We...No. I am going to change the course of history-"

"*AHEM!!*"

The Chairman paused...before turning his head to you as you gave him a frown and crossed your arms. the older man blinked for a moment before smiled. "Ah. Ms. Y/n. You weren't eavesdropping were you?"

"No." You lied but you didn't have time for what he said. You had something more important to do. But he seemed to sigh in relief. "I have something to tell you."

He smiled. "By all means my dear lady!" He turned to you smiling. "How can the Chairman help you?"

"By keeping your asistant on a leash!"

He blinked surprised at your words. "Oleana?" You nodded and he sighed. "My oh my. What did she do this time?"

"She. Threatened. My. FRIEND!!," you pointed at him and he seemed surprised, "Now look here, mr. Rose. I understand you're very busy but that assistant of yours is getting too troublesome for my liking! She just threatened to beat my friend from the challenge and personally I DON'T LIKE her treatment of my friend or Bede...In fact. I dont like YOUR treatment of Bede!"......He blinked. "You treated him absolutely horribly! Don't you have any idea how you made him feel!!" You...proceeded to go off on the Chairman. "You took him in and put so many expectations on him and then you let THAT WOMAN put so much pressure on him that he thinks he has to do whatever possible to please you or he's useless! And then have the audacity to through him out with NO WHERE to go and NO ONE to turn to!! By Arceaus what is WRONG with you two!> I don't have ANY idea what you two got into your heads but that treatment of those children better stop right here and now! If Oleana gets into her head to try anything off I'll personally make sure Officer Jenny takes her away in hand cuffs even if I have to sit on her to stop her!"....You leaned back away from his speechless form before sighing inrelief anf then glaring at him. "Mr. Chairman..If you want to truly help people then, start with making sure Oleana doesn't get in over her head and end up hurting someone."

The Chairman still stared at you for a long moment...before sighing through his nose and nodding. "...I see. ....Ms. Y/n, you have my word that I will talk to Oleana."

You rose a brow. "What about my friends? Are they in trouble for coming here?"

He held up his hands. "No trouble at all."

"And Piers and his crew?"

"Wouldn't expect anything less from him. *sigh* He'll be fine as well."

.....You nodded. "Thank you for your time mr. Rose. Have a VERY merry Christmas." With one last frown, you turned and stomped off after Leon with Silver at your heels.

Mr. Rose watched you go silently...before raising a brow and humming. "What a very strange woman. Very strange indeed...But also surprisingly fascinating."

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