#as soon as you describe pasta having a ‘bite’ to it it’s time to pack it up and live by the river since you want to eat rocks so bad | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

angst-fairygodmother · 3 years

Note

Cliche prompt 48 or grumpy-affection 13 for Barba x reader? Plz. I need him.

A/N: Thank you so much for the prompts Nonny. I hope you enjoy the result! Word Count: 1785 Content Warnings: Panic attack/anxiety attack described in detail

Your hands trembled as you fumbled for your phone, tears blurring your vision and making it difficult to find his number. You felt like an elephant was sitting on your chest as you finally managed to make it to the right place in your contact list and click to dial. You pressed the cool glass of the screen to the side of your face and listened to it ring once, twice, three times.

“Come on, pick up,” you whispered desperately. “Please, please pick up.”

“Y/N?” he asked, voice distorted as it passed over the speakers but still undeniably, comfortingly him. “I did pick up.”

He sounded sleepy and with a glance over at the clock on your nightstand, you realized why. It was two in the morning, and he worked such late nights and long hours that he was probably just able to fall asleep before you disrupted him. Guilt twisted your aching stomach.

“Rafi!” you gasped, the thudding of your heart slowing minutely just hearing him. “Oh thank god.”

“What’s wrong?” there was a spike of panic in his voice and you could picture him as he sat up swiftly, sheets tossed aside and boxer-clad legs swinging down over the side of the mattress.

“I...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called. I shouldn’t have woken you up. It’s just...I didn’t know who else to call.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Just talk to me.”

“I have no right to ask, but could you...would you come over? I just really need somebody right now.” You shook your head, even though he couldn’t see it. “No, not somebody. I need you.”

There was a long pause. The world seemed to be spinning and you could hear the rush of your blood in your ears, crashing like the ocean but louder. The muscles in your neck clenched, practically screaming under their own tension.

“Rafael?”

“I’m on my way,” he assured. “It’ll take time for me to get there, though. Will you be okay until then? Do you need me to stay on the phone?”

“No, I’ll be alright. Just focusing on getting here, okay?”

“Of course.”

About half an hour later, there was a knock on your apartment door and you forced yourself to stand on legs like over-cooked pasta to answer it.

“I got here as fast as I could. I even offered to use the tip feature to bribe the driver to ignore the one-way signs so I could get here faster, but he wouldn’t do it. Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened? What’s wrong? What can I do?” he asked.

His statements and questions were more rapid-fire even than the worst grilling you’d ever seen him give the team, all of it spilling from his lips barely as soon as he had passed the door, a door which you clung to for support. He carefully hung his coat and scarf on the hook, knowing how particular you were about such things and turned to face you.

“Y/N? Please talk to me.” His hands reached out, hovering, waiting for you to speak, to consent, to tell him something before he dared to actually touch you. “Whatever it is, whatever happened, we’ll get through it. I’ll do whatever you need.”

“You’re talking too much,” you sighed, biting your lip. “Just shut up and hold me.”

Taken aback, he gaped momentarily at you before doing as you asked. Still a little hesitant, he placed his hands on your shoulders before rethinking it and sliding his arms further around you, pulling you close against his chest. You breathed in his sharp, clean scent and let it break down the last of your walls. Like cutting strings of a tangled marionette, all of the tension leached out of you and you all but collapsed, his strong arms and firm grip the only things keeping you off the floor. A soft sob wrenched from your lips and you clung to the soft fabric of his sweater, balling the no-doubt expensive fabric in your fingers tight enough to leave an impression.

Moving awkwardly, he guided you to your couch, never letting the space between you grow wider than an inch. You shifted to sit beside him and felt him tsk with a shake of his head, the only warning you had before you were pulled into his lap and your head was tucked beneath his chin. You felt yourself being gently rocked as he hummed a simple melody, running soothing strokes up and down your spine and for the first time in hours, you felt like the blackness might leave and things might be okay.

There was a click, somewhere in the background, and it startled you, making you jump.

“Oh! I forgot,” you said, pulling away slightly to look toward the kitchen. “I made a pot of coffee, since you were coming over and it’s so late...early…”

You moved to stand and go make him a cup when he stopped you with a hand on your arm. His eyes were crinkled with barely restrained laughter.

“You know me too well. But you stay here, I’ll get it myself. Do you want a cup?”

You nodded. Now that the panic part of your night was over, you were feeling completely drained and the little jolt of warmth and caffeine sounded perfect, just to keep you human until you could sleep. He shifted you gently off his lap and stood, leaning back over to place a kiss to your forehead and then headed into your kitchen.

You twisted, leaning your chin on the back of your couch to watch him as he expertly navigated your apartment, smiling at the implication held in his familiarity and comfort there. He was wearing jeans and a soft fleece pull-over. His hair was uncombed and stuck up at amusing angles, tales of his own restless sleeping before you called and his rush to come to your side. It took a rare person to be allowed to see Rafael Barba anything less than put together, and yet here he was, letting you see it all in high definition.

“At least you’re smiling now,” he observed as he set two large mugs on your coffee table and resumed his seat beside you. “Smiling is a lot better than crying.”

You felt a blush heat your cheeks and you bit your lip as you turned back to him, tucking your knees up to your chest as you faced him. You hadn’t realized you were staring, or smiling, until he pointed it out, but of course you were. Rafael was your rock, your anchor, your life raft, whatever metaphor you needed at any given time to say that he was the best thing in your life and the thing that made you feel grounded and whole and okay no matter what, and you loved him.

“Now that you’re feeling a little better,” he said, hesitating, taking a sip and then a second of his coffee to stall and work up the courage to ask. “Do you want to talk about it?”

You sighed, sipping your own drink — perfectly made to your preferences of course — while you gathered your thoughts, and then cradling the mug in your hands.

“It was just...I get anxiety attacks sometimes,” you explained hesitantly. “Especially when the cases are really hard. But it’s never been this bad before. I felt like I was actually dying and I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You thought you were dying and your first thought was to call me?” he asked, softly tilting his head and looking at you, with that gentle, comforting warmth in his green eyes that you knew he only reserved for you.

“Well...yeah. I lo...I mean you’re you. It just made sense in my head.”

You wanted to tell him the real reason you had thought first to call him. You wanted so badly to say those words that were poised on the tip of your tongue every time you looked into his eyes or saw his face or heard his voice. Instead, they died on your lips and you made do with what you could get out.

“I’ve never had them, so you’ll have to walk me through what I need to do,” he offered, “but I’ll help however I can. This time and any other time they come up.”

“They come and go so irregularly, and each one is a little different. I don’t know if I can teach you or explain it right.”

“Then start with right now. How are you feeling?”

“Okay. Better now. A little nauseous, and exhausted, but that happens a lot. I think the worst of it is behind me.” You felt guilty again and frowned. “It might have been ending on its own before you got here. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have dragged you out of bed.”

You didn’t admit that it was the knowledge he was coming that helped you calm down. You had already come too close tonight to saying something that it wasn’t the right moment for, you didn’t need to risk it again.

“Y/N, shh,” he soothed, plucking the mug from your hands and setting both aside to hug you tightly again. “There is nothing to apologize for. I don’t care what time it is, or what I’m doing. I want you to call me when you need me. For anything.”

“Rafi, I...thank you.”

“So, the acute attack is over. What do you need? What happens next?”

“I should set up a heat pack for my neck, since I tend to get stiff muscles after and don’t want to be sore in the morning. Then I should try to sleep.”

He nodded, committing the information to memory for the future. “Where do you keep the heat pack? I’ll get it for you and then leave you to rest.”

“It’s in the bottom drawer of my night stand. But...you don’t have to go.”

He paused, halfway out of his seat and nearly fell back to the couch cushions.

“I mean, you came all this way, and it’s late. We both have to get up in the morning. I don’t know if I’ll have a second wave. It’ll be better for everyone if you just stay, right?” you smiled sheepishly and he answered with a soft grin of his own.

“If that’s what you want, I would be happy to spend the night.”

“Good,” you smiled, standing and taking his hand. “I could use a cuddle after that. And Rafael?”

He hummed in question, prompting you wordlessly.

“Really. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For coming. For being here. For being you.”

#the two prompts worked perfectly together #good choices #panic attack tw #anxiety attack tw #Rafael Barba x Reader #Law and Order: SVU fic #I hope this is in character. I really really tried

69 notes · View notes

outoftownagain · 3 years

Text

The best restaurants in Santorini, Greece

This, of course, isn't a definite list. We didn't even try a fraction of what the culinary world of Santorini has to offer and I am sure there are plenty of equally fantastic or better places. But by these 5 restaurants stood out for us and came recommended by other travelers and locals.

Hope you're not hungry!

---

1. Μεταξύ Μας / Metaxi Mas 9FQ5+H2 Exo Gonia, Greece www.santorini-metaximas.gr

Metaxi Mas is a must whether you take a taxi, rent a four-wheeler, or simply walk from the charming village of Pyrgos. (We were advised very strongly against doing the latter by a very nice lady at a souvenir store: "It's not possible to walk, it's in the next village! But it is a wonderful restaurant, you must make it there regardless," she said. We did it anyway and it took about half an hour of walking downhill.) And just like pretty much everyone we spoke to about Metaxi Mas promised, it is absolutely amazing. You won't find your regular horiatiki and moussaka here, but by the time you make it here, you've most likely had enough of those and will be excited to take a quick break. You'll also have a change of view, because the cozy terrace is overlooking the airport and the less photographed side of the island, which may be slightly less iconic but gorgeous nonetheless. We started with Smoked Fish in a Chickpea Stew and the moment we tasted the dish, we knew that it would be the best meal on the island. We continued with Shrimp saganaki finished with ouzo, tomato sauce, fennel and feta cheese, which I will remember for a long time. And then, for a finale, a Spicy fried pork with Assyrtiko Santorini wine (which we were about to learn all about at a nearby winery, Santo Wines) with peppers, onion, garlic, Santorini cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and boukovo—red pepper flakes. Were we full? Of course. Did we want more? Absolutely! It was our last day on Santorini, so we knew we wouldn't have time to return to Metaxi Mas, so we asked our lovely waitress if she could suggest just one more, small dish, simply because everything was so delicious that we'd love another bite. She said that her favorite thing on the menu was Oven-baked asparagus with Cretan graviera cheese and estragon, and we thought that a little asparagus appetizer would be a perfect finishing touch to this feast. Little did we know that the "small dish" is in fact a huge plate filled with lots and lots of hot, melty, delicious cheese (with a little bit of asparagus buried deep under). It was way more than we wanted but way too delicious to leave behind and a taxi to take us to the wine tour at Santo Wines was already waiting. We might have burnt our mouths a little but we finished the asparagus and our wonderful waitress brought us a dessert packed to go because she knew we had to go. If you're in Santorini right now and looking for some delicious food, I couldn't be more jealous of you!

---

2. To Psaraki Vlichada Marina, Vlichada 847 00, Greece www.topsaraki.gr

Near the southernmost tip of Santorini, at the end of Perivolos beach you'll find the charming Vlychada port. Arguably the best place to view it from (and definitely the most delicious one) is To Psaraki taverna. You'll have to drive or take a taxi there but the place is worth the trip. The actual restaurant is very nice but you really want to sit at the bright blue terrace across the street, which overlooks the port and the sea. Eating at To Psaraki feels like finding a hidden gem andt also like being on a Greek postcard at the same time. The food is delicious and it starts from the very beginning—each table receives a bread basket and a portion of Santorini tomato paste with olive oil and oregano. (There is a tomato paste museum down the road, but it was still closed due to Covid when we visited.) We continued the feast with Fresh Greek mussels steamed with wine and spring onions (it's hard to imagine a more perfect dish to go with the view of sea and a distant smell of a seaport) after which a gorgeous Grilled Octopus arrived. Can't say that we were hungry anymore, but our main dish — fresh and homely amberjack was only about to be served. Accompanied by vegetables, tomatoes and a lemon, it was wonderful.

The restaurant overlooks the port and a short walkaway is Vlychada Beach with black sand, a beach bar and some amazing view of the cliffs, which makes it easy to spend a whole day in this small area.

---

3. Kokkalo 25is Martiou 25, Thira 847 00, Greece kokkalosantorini.com

We arrived in Santorini midday and after the initial shock caused by the overwhelming beauty of the view from the plane, then the taxi and finally from our suite, we were ready to eat. We picked Kokkalo purely because it was the closest recommended restaurant from our suite. It did take some climbing (everything in Santorini involves countless stairs and hills) and then a short walk along a busy, narrow street, but the place was 100% worth it.

We were greeted by a very friendly and quirky lady with a very particular sense of humor and a tray with 2 glasses of strong, local liquor. Day drinking it is! After hearing that we just arrived on the island, she was quick to recommend a local specialty—Santorini tomato fritters. "If you're going to have them, you need to have them here," she said, "we have cooking classes and we teach how to make them here." Tomato fritters are very tasty, but to be completely honest, it is one of those dishes that you try once and don't necessarily need to order again anytime soon.

We also got the Santorini Greek Salad and Chicken Souvlaki, which were both absolutely delicious and anyone could eat them every day for a long time. The presentation of the chicken deserves a special shoutout—it is definitely an attention-grabber when it arrives at the table.

Kokkalo is totally a great spot—it may not overlook the volcano, but staring into the flat side of Santorini with Anafi island in the distance is a pure pleasure! Mix that with great food, chilled wine and lovely service and you have a fantastic experience!

---

4. Roka Mpotsari 6, Oía 847 02, Greece www.roka.gr

I'm not gonna lie, Roka was a bit of an accident (a great one though!) We hiked from Fira to Oia and we completely underestimated the time it would take us to complete the hike considering all the stops for wine, snacks, photos and views. They say that the hike takes from 3 to 6 hours and it did take us 6 hours (we're fast hikers but we stopped A LOT along the way to enjoy the views and wine) so when we finally got to Oia, we needed to eat before the sunset and most places were either booked or still closed because of Covid. We basically ran to check out Roka and it is semi-hidden in a maze of small, charming alleyways so we got a little lost trying to find it. We were greeted by a man who looked like he could be in a movie about a mafia-ran restaurant: white shirt and a tie, a sceptical gaze, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, and a brutal silence. He turned out to be our waiter and luckily he turned out to be very friendly, much contrary to our first impression of him.

We were seated at the small back patio lit by the setting sun and overlooking the sea and some less touristy parts of town and the island. The food was absolutely delicious yet presented in a slightly pretentious but cheesy way. It is not taverna food and obviously the chef is aspiring to a higher level of a dining experience. To start we were served rusk with olives and delicious tomato paste, which we learned was typical of Santorini, famous for its cherry tomatoes. Then we continued with ‘Imam Bayaldi’ with eggplant, shrimps, ’Oyzo’ glaze and chilli garlic mayo and Mushrooms Ragout on a sourdough bruschetta with caramelized onions, cream and gruyere sauce. Those two appetizers were quite Huge And Totally Satisfied Our Post-Hike Hunger, But We Had Two More Dishes Coming - Main Courses This Time.

Skioufikta - Traditional Greek Handmade Pasta with Caramelized Onion, Eggplant, Zucchini, Tomato and ’Xinoturi’ From Ios, which was light, delicate and delicious. The shape of pasta is a bit like cavatelli and is a perfect vessel for the summer flavors of this dish. Fresh Dorado Fillet came with fantastic Parsnip Puree, Braised Leek that melts in your mouth with Hazelnuts and was topped with long, thin crisps that gave it an additional texture. Satisfied and excited, we ran to the nearby Castle of Agios Nikolaos for a spectacular and unforgettable sunset.

---

5. Naoussa Fira Santorini Next to the Central Orthodox Cathedral of Fira Town Mitropoleos Fira Town, Thira 847 00, Greece naoussasantorini.restaurant

When we arrived at this gigantic taverna, it was empty, with the only two guests eating at a table near the windows. We decided to sit at the other table with a view—right next to the couple finishing their dinner. It turned out to be a quite an unfortunate choice because those guests were an extreme example of a married couple who goes out to talk to other people in bars and restaurants. We spent the entire dinner listening about the wealth, success and amazing life of our co-diners, all the houses, apartments, businesses and countless trips all over the world were described in detail whether we wanted it or not. We also learned the history of their relationship including tidbits like: "Would you believe that after not seeing me for 2 weeks my husband chose to take me out to eat sushi instead of taking me to the bedroom straight from the airport?"

But back to the restaurant, the food was delicious and the sunset view (when we managed to look away from our interlocutors) quite terrific. We started with Dolmades, which are vine leaves stuffed with lemony rice and happen to be one of my favorite small dishes. The leaves are the best when they're delicate and not veiny, the rice needs to be moist and the entire thing is best served room temperature or slightly warm. So good! We also had a tuna salad with hard boiled eggs, which looked a bit like mess but was packed with unexpected flavor. We finished with a whole fish, which was absolutely perfect.

We did drink a lot of wine and we took our time eating, listening to the forced stories and admiring the sunset. At some point the initially empty dining room filled up completely and then it emptied again. It felt like we experienced the whole circle of sunset dining crowd.

3 notes · View notes

suicidalcatz · 5 years

Text

DOG DAYS ARE OVER : CHAP 7

Pairing : Jake Kiszka x reader

Genre : College AU

Previous parts : Prologue ; Chap 1 ; Chap 2 ; Chap 3 ; Chap 4 ; Chap 5 ; Chap 6

Masterlist : here

AN : You’re so gonna hate me for the ending. And the twins are Taurus just like me so I based some of their personality traits after some knowledge I have of our zodiac sign... I’m writing part 10 atm ! Please feel free to message me or tell me what you thought of this part! I can’t say it enough, thanks for the love and support ! Each week I’m more excited to post the new chapter.

Chapitre 7 : Won't you come over ?

Replying to Jake's texts after what had happened felt wrong, but I couldn't leave him on read. Our relationship was great so far and I couldn't sabotage it for a misunderstanding with Josh. What I could do, on the other hand, was talking to Josh. So I started testing the waters when I met Jake in front of the school the next morning. It was the last day we were giving out flyers. The festival was coming soon and then we were all on Christmas holidays so we had to give as much as we could today. It was exhausting but every minute spent with the brunette was worth of everything else.

- Just ask.

We were both quiet before he spoke out of the blue, leaving me confused. Did I think out loud ?

- I can see there's something bothering you, he said without looking at me. Shoot.

With a defeated sigh, I let myself slouch, taking a break from our activity. Jake did the same, sitting on a step and gesturing for me to join him. Not many people wandered outside at this time of the year, and the stone was so cold under my butt I felt a shiver run down my spine. A few more minutes sitting there and it'll get anesthetized. Jake must've caught it because he gently rubbed my back in a vain attempt to keep me warm. I couldn't feel it through all the layers of clothing I had on my back but it felt good nonetheless. His caring attitude always succeeded in making me feel better.

- Have you heard anything from Josh ?, I asked tentatively.

The boy next to me raised his eyebrows in a knowing way before interrupting his back rubs, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and politely offering me one. He lit his own when I declined his offer, and took his time blowing the smoke in the air before answering me.

- Not after his lunch extravaganza from yesterday.

The choice of words made me wince a bit. He didn't sound as patient as he had been the day before.

- I don't know what got into him, admitted Jake while admiring the park before us. He wouldn't talk to me when I got in our room after school, so we just kept silent. He can be very stubborn and never explains what upsets him, expecting you to guess. I tend to be the same, so I know it'll pass. Don't you worry about it.

Even if Jake's advice was to let it be, it bothered me too much to just wait for things to become less awkward again. Was it really siblings' rivalry ? I couldn't tell. And as much as I understood and respected Josh's choice of not wanting to adress the issue, it wouldn't solve anything at all. I couldn't possibly just sit here and wait for him to come talk to us. What if he did that with every little things we did that upset him ? We had to talk it out.

It was now my time to admire the scenery in front of us. The peacefulness of it calmed me a bit. When all the students were already lining in front of their classrooms, the quiet melody of the wind brushing the trees' leaves accompanying Jake's soft inhaling sounds put me at ease. The singular smell of tobacco didn't threw me off, in fact it mixed weirdly well with Jake's perfume. There was something very him in that mix. Tobacco, shampoo, incense, and something that I could only describe as his scent. Something I'd love to make a scented candle of. Sometimes, after spending entire hours together, I could smell it on my coat, or hair, and at times like these I'd smile to myself thinking how it'd be nice to sleep on his shirt, to bath on his scent.

- Mama are you listening ?

- I'm sorry, what ?

Daydreaming of him when he was just a few inches near made me embarrassed enough for my cheeks to turn pink and my voice to crack a little. As someone who tended to be lost in his thoughts a good portion of the time he didn't take offense in it and got on his feet, repeating the part I missed.

- I said you must be real popular because half of the flyers were taken by the Illustration Department.

Always the polite one, Jake offered his hand to help me get up and I took it this time, enjoying the light squeeze of his fingers under mine as he got me on my feet.

- Not really. But I manage to get along with everybody, curiously so.

- I don't think that is.

The brunette spoke seriously, stuffing his cold hands in his pockets as he lead the way to the nearest entrance. Can't say I was a fan of cryptic messages but I couldn't bring myself to ask him for precisions either. Truth to be told, deep down I understood the subtle praise but acknowledging it would mean falling for him even deeper than I had already. And it scared me.

Nobody came to what Mandy had baptised The Lunch Club today. And it wasn't because of the overly obvious movie reference but simply because the four of us weren't comfortable enough to eat or even hang out together given the current situation. Josh would probably skip it because he was still upset, and getting together without him just didn't feel right. Of all things it would just prove Josh's point, if I had understood it correctly. And I would lie if I said that eating in the dorms wasn't convenient. It had a lot of advantages. First of all, the heater. Comfort. And actual warm food.

Mandy came back from the workshop just as I was making pasta, already exhausted and looking like she didn't have a proper night of sleep in days.

- Are you alright ?

- I'm so tired you have no idea, I worked all week-end to finish a stupid dress.

Poor girl, she couldn't feel her fingertips and her hands were covered in band aids. She sinked into a chair and I patted her on the back to try and bring her a little bit of comfort while she explained everything that I missed over lunch, keeping me updated. We didn't have much time to talk these last few days since we were so busy working on our assignments, and also because I went home for the week end.

- By the way, she said with a mouthful of pasta, How's Jake ?

The death glare I gave her only made her grin grow wider as she set her plate aside. To be fair maybe I owed her an explanation because she got caught in that extremely awkward Kiszka situation last time and she doesn't even know anything about it. Well, she did know a bit of it but we didn't have time to properly gossip yet.

- Well... We text sometimes and he's... I don't even know how to put it into words dude, he's dreamy.

Mandy motionned for me to give her my phone so she could look at our texts and I did. There wasn't anything private in here anyway, just friends chatting. Sometimes getting cocky. Studying her face and biting my lip, I saw her blinking a few times, opening her mouth in false shock, or whistling.

- Oh my, you guys get along, don't you ?

I shook my head in disbelief.

- We do. But there's nothing that interesting-

- Not yet, she cut me with a raised finger. But I can tell you're going there, just be patient. Or maybe be more daring, you know ? Test the waters.

Of course I took note of that. Mandy didn't seem like it but she was of very good advice (most of the time). And she had way more luck with boys that I did. Hell, she even had luck with girls. Being more daring, noted. Jake himself, without being flirty, liked to tease and wasn't afraid to sound over-confident, so being bold wouldn't do me any harm, I guess. I'll show him that two could play this game. But right now, my mind was set on something else.

- Do you know where I can find Josh ? I'd like to talk to him.

Pausing, Mandy squinted her eyes, thinking hard. Every hint was good to take, the school wasn't as big as most campuses, but there was enough students to form a small town.

- Try asking Jake ? He must know, she shrugged. Last time I met him was this saturday night, he was carrying snacks and wandering around the school in his Pjs. Man he must love those cheese balls.

Although the last sentence was more rhetorical than directed to me, it made a lightbulb lit up in my brain. Without any explanation, I put my plate in the sink, excused myself, grabed a coat, my sketchbook, and stormed out of the dorms. Saying that I was running to my destination was a bit of an overstatement, but walking very fast was an accurate description. My coat was halfway wore and hung loosely around my shoulders, allowing the cold air to caress my neck and make my skin tingle. My hair must've looked like a mess because I had tied it while cooking, and don't even get me started on my panting, lungs frozen and cold sweat running down my spine because I hurried like someone was after me. By the time I got to the vending machine near the cafeteria, there wasn't anything I wanted more than to nap right here right now. But at least, I caught Josh on time.

- We need to talk.

Was it the heavy breathing or the way my back fell completely against the candy dispenser, I didn't know, but the boy jumped, letting go of his change in the process.

- Fuck you scared me ! What the hell are you doing, surprising people like that ?

- Trying to chat with my friend.

I kept my eyes on Josh as he knelt to get his money, studying his back tense and his movements stop. The boy let out an audible sigh before raising his head to me, searching for something into my eyes, probably sincerity. He couldn't hold my gaze more than mere seconds before focusing on his candy again, and a wave of panic started hurtling my body, setting in my stomach, tying it in knots.

- I'm sorry.

It wasn't me speaking, it was Josh. The boy nervously scratched his neck, refusing to look at me.

- I shouldn't have snapped at you, it wasn't fair. It's not about siblings rivalry or anything, you know ?, he murmured while idly twiddling his bag of chips. I guess I was feeling a bit left out, got a little jealous...

His voice was barely audible now, and seeing him looking vulnerable and ashamed to admit the truth had my heart tighten.

- I can't ask of you to tell me when you text my brother, I don't have any right to do that, it's just... It was stupid, I...

- Josh, I interrupted. It's okay. I'm sorry too. We should've included you or tell you. It wasn't fair of us, and I don't want you to feel left out.

My hand found its way on his shoulder, and I felt him relax a little under the comforting touch. Maybe he knew I was being honest, because he gave a small nod and a bashful smile, a look I didn't know I'd see on his face one day. It gave me the courage to keep up my momentum.

- You know what ? Why don't you drop by our dorm after school ? We'll chat and have a drink. Just the three of us.

Mandy wasn't bothered at all my our improvised get together, on the contrary. She loved the guy, in a friendly way. We both did. When I texted her this afternoon in the workshop she got so excited she said she'll buy some beer when she got out of her lecture. Josh and I had exchanged numbers too, so all misunderstanding was clarified now, and receiving both of their overly enthusiastic texts got me in the mood too. By the time the teacher said we could pack up, I was already at the door, jumping out of my shoes and tidying the room as much as I could before Josh's visit. He needed the key to enter our building, so Mandy picked him up while I was putting some music, and both were already very loud by the time I heard them climb the stairs, laughing and exchanging jokes while carrying huge bags of booze.

- Do you know it's an honor for you to get invited to our lair ?, said Mandy as she put the beers in the fridge. You're actually the first person we ask to come over.

- Are you serious ?!, Josh inquired, pretending to be shocked. Ladies, it's an immeasurable pleasure to be your first. I'll be worthy of it, I'll behave, and you'll be so amazed by my charming self that you'll keep asking for more afterwards.

The dirty joke made us snort real loud, and even made my cheeks color, as I yelled his name, outraged by his unabashed and salacious humor, looking very proud of himself. It was something Mandy and I often used to question a few weeks ago, his flirty behaviour. And whereas we thought he was a womanizer at first, it turned out that it was just his usual self. Josh was over confident, much to handle, loud, energetic, witty, kinky, and all over the place, but damn was he right. The boy was a delight to be around. We went from cracking jokes, to confessing shameful sexual anecdotes, to having passionate conversations about the meaning of life, all the while drinking, and it was amazing and fascinating. The more time passed, the more I was sure we were gonna be long time friends, and it filled me with an indescriptible sense of bliss.

- If you’ll excuse me ladies, I have to go to the bathroom, could any of you show me the way ?

Mandy got up to accompany him to the hallway where the public toilets were, and I took the opportunity to clean the mess we made on the kitchen, putting beer cans in a plastic bag and carrying it outside, with the rest of the dorms' trash. Living in the dorms wasn't exactly what you'd call quiet, since everybody invited everybody to stay for the night, have a movie, sex, or booze. What was great, on the other hand, was all the freedom we had. We were all 18 or above, so the school let us be, not being bothered by boys and girls mixing, or what we did in here, only sending a supervisor once in a while to check for any drugs or broken stuff. In times like these... we all were in trouble. Like a shitload of trouble. It happened a few times, of course, but most of it we behaved, only throwing some parties once in a while.

I put the trash in front of the building, then got back inside, gradually hearing their loud voices giggling maniacally the more stairs I climbed. They probably had way more drinks than necessary and didn't even bother closing the door to our room, voices so heavy I could hear them clearly one floor below.

- Come on, you're telling me you girls are single ? Can't believe it.

- Do you really think we have time ?, replied Mandy incredulously. Besides, she's more into long-haired, most-of-the-time-disconnected-from-reality brunettes.

Okay. This wasn't smelling good. I had a really bad feeling about this conversation. I didn't want to believe it, but deep down I just knew where this was going. Adrenaline rushed through me when I heard Josh's confused voice so out of it he didn't understand why Mandy was being so precise, and it was even worse when I couldn't hear them at all. My shaky legs ran, leading up the stairs, nearly tripping over at the last step and turning right to enter the dorm, not even taking the time to close the already ajar door behind me. They weren't in the kitchen. Why weren't they in the kitchen ? I heard noises and a low admirative whistle in the other room, where our shared bedroom was. Oh no, no no no no no no.

- Mama you've got some real talent, said Josh while glaring at something.

Lump in my throat, I took a step forward to see what he was intently staring at, only to discover a huge painted canvas of Jake's face. My heart skipped a beat, my eyes went wide. Mouth agape, I could feel all the color leaving my face, only able to stay frozen in place, watching our guest trace the outlines of his brother's long hair on the canvas with his fingers, admiring every bump of paint, every detail of the portrait I made. Never have I been so ashamed in this moment. All I wanted was to disappear, to go far, far away. There was no way he couldn't recognize his own twin. My brain, in a last attempt to save my dignity, did the only logical think it could think of at the moment. Lie.

- Why, thank you sir, it was a lot of work. Wasn't too pleased about forgetting all my magazine pictures at home, I had to use what was left. Unfortunately, a selfie of Jake. We should avoid telling him, by the way, he'll get too cocky.

It physically hurt, lying like that. First because I was keeping this secret from Josh, and second because it wasn't true. Jake would never be my last choice, ever. And speaking foolishly about him even if he wasn't here made me feel bad. It was bullshit. It wasn't a lot of work, and I didn't have a picture to look at. All of this, I painted it using my memory, only closing my eyes and remembering the glimpses I captured of him, relishing the memories... But even if it felt wrong to lie, I just couldn't tell him the truth. It was fucking creepy, he'd probably freak out or worse, tell Jake about it. Mandy must've realized her mistake because she went very silent and didn't dare contradict me when I gave Josh that false explanation. With a bit of luck, Josh won't even remember it tomorrow.

#gvf fic #gvf x reader #gvf imagine #gvf fanfic #jake kizka x reader #jake kiszka fic #jake kiszka imagine #josh kiszka fic #jake kiszka #greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet imagine #greta van fleet

43 notes · View notes

ilovemygaydad · 5 years

Text

Friends in Dark Places [ch 4]

pairing: eventual moxiety, eventual logince, background eventual remile, background eventual remy/emile/deceit

WARNINGS: food mentions, swearing, mentions of injury, anxiety, roman’s kind of a dick but he feels bad, a single flirtation, possibly something else

tag list: @hufflepuffgirl01 @cocobearthe4th @cas-is-a-hunter@band-be-boss-blog @theunoriginaldaisy

a/n: so i have to repost all of these in a different format! yay fucking me!!!! please consider reblogging these if you’re a fan of this series because it’s all fucked up now

first - previous - next - companions

consider buying me a coffee (please)

Roman didn’t know what he’d expected to see when he walked into Virgil’s hospital room, but it certainly wasn’t that. Patton was sitting in the bed with the pretty much stranger, eyes closed, arms wrapped around him, and chin resting on his head. Virgil was asleep, which, after the day’s events, wasn’t very surprising. He could hear Patton softly humming a son that he couldn’t exactly place.

“Hey, Pat! We brought you some spaghetti from the cafeteria and a gift for Virgil.” Roman made sure to keep his voice quiet, not wanting to disturb the sleeping teen just feet away. Patton opened his eyes and smiled an incredibly bright smile. He motioned towards the over-the-bed table tray thing (Roman couldn’t think of a single word to describe the atrocity on wheels). Roman gave Pat his dinner while Logan set to organizing the luggage they’d brought with them.

“Did we have any Comm Arts homework tonight?” Patton quietly asked between bites of pasta.

“No,” Logan told him. “But we do have to do a page in the Physics packet. It’s only five problems, but they’re pretty long, and that’s coming from me.”

Patton groaned in response.

Roman added, “I also talked to your Child Guidance teacher, and she told me that your class was having a test tomorrow on Chapter Six. You should probably email her and ask if you’d be able to take it at home since I don’t assume you’ll be leaving Virgil alone.” He shot a knowing look to Pat as he said this. It wasn’t news that Patton was basically the dad friend; he was always caring about everyone else’s well being and stayed committed to them when they need support, even if that person was someone he’d just met. Especially if that person was someone he’d just met.

“Neither of us had time to ask your Psychology teacher about homework, but I’d just send him an email that explains your situation, and I’m sure he’ll give you a break. We know how worried you get, and we don’t want any excessive stress about school on top of that,” Logan added with a small smile.

“Thanks, guys! You’re the best friends I could ask for.” Patton had somehow finished his entire plate of food in the less than two minute conversation and had opened up his phone to email his teachers.

The instant the phone had been turned off, Logan spoke up once more. “Patton, I know you want to look after Virgil, but have you gotten any sleep in the past twenty four hours? You look like a figurative zombie.” Roman couldn’t help but agree. Intense bags had formed under his friend’s eyes, and he looked as if he would fall asleep at any moment.

“I’m okay, guys. I promi--” Patton’s words got cut off by an intense yawn.

“Point proven. We’ll look after him while you rest, okay? Roman, get out the blanket that we packed.” Logan’s words, although could be taken as harsh, were very gentle and kind. Patton wiggled out from under Virgil, being careful not to wake him up. Roman handed over the blanket and guided him to the padded bench in the corner of the room. Almost as soon as Patton had set his head on the blanket, he was out. The two remaining teens smiled at their loving friend.

“Who the fuck are you two?!” Virgil screeched. Upon waking up, he had found himself in his hospital room with Patton asleep in the corner and two random guys playing what looked like chess three feet away.

“Welcome back to the living, Creeping Beauty,” muttered the smaller guy in the red short sleeved button up with little white hearts, not looking up from the game.

“My name is Logan Christiansen, and this is my friend Roman Patrick. We’re friends with Patton, and we have been tasked with watching over you while he gets a little sleep.” The guy in the tie, Logan, adjusted his glasses and made a move on the board in front of him. “Check mate, Roman.”

Virgil sighed and looked around the room for something to do while Logan and Roman were playing chess. He spotted his suitcase and instantly got a little happier.

“Did you guys happen to bring my phone and headphones?” Honestly, he didn’t care if he sounded like a little kid in a candy store. He’d been craving the ability to listen to something loud so that he could wash out all of the bad thoughts in his mind.

“Yeah,” Roman answered. “It’s in your backpack. Give me a second to find it.” He got up and rummaged through the black backpack a few feet away until he found what he was looking for. He dropped it on the lap of Virgil and went right back to playing his game.

Navigating a phone with barely any of his fingers unbandaged was a task, to say the least, but Virgil eventually got open the music app and put it on shuffle. The first song to come up was “Novocaine” by Fall Out Boy. A smile spread on his face. He closed his eyes and let the music soothe him until he fell back to sleep.

Roman glanced at where Logan had fallen asleep in the middle of a physics problem and sighed. He’d accidentally left his phone in the car and was hopelessly bored. The teen dramatically propped his feet up onto the hospital bed and threw his head back.

“Hey, Drama Queen. Is there any way you could get me some food?” Roman’s head snapped to look at Virgil, who was looking at him with disinterest.

“First of all,” Roman started. “I am not a ‘Drama Queen.’ Second, I think that the cafeteria closed at eight, and it’s well past ten right now.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Awesome. Truly, how could this day get any better? An astounding ending,” the boy muttered as he ran a bandaged hand through his hair. Admittedly, Roman felt bad for the kid. He’d had a really rough day, and not being able to eat was probably weighing on him. With a sudden change of heart, Roman stood up and grabbed his wallet.

“Would you rather stay here, or do you want me to grab you a wheelchair so I can push you around on a quest for food?” For a second, Roman almost swore that he had seen a hint of a smile flash across Virgil’s face.

“Wheelchair.” Virgil swung his legs until they hung off the side of his mattress and slowly sat up, taking hold of his IV stand in the process.

It only took Roman a minute to find a wheelchair that he could use. Virgil hopped off the bed, almost eating shit in the process, and plunked himself into the wheelchair. Their quest for some sustenance started with very few setbacks until they reached the elevators.

“Oh, shit! I forgot that I’d have to take the elevator. Fuck.” It took all of Roman’s self control not to laugh at that comment.

“Afraid of elevators, Dr. Disasterology?” Roman teased.

“Shut up, asshole.” Virgil sneered. “Look, there’s a lot that could go wrong in an elevator, not to mention that it’s fucking tiny.”

“Well, it’s too late to turn back now.” Roman pushed the wheelchair into the elevator and hit the button for the third floor. All color had drained out of Virgil’s face as soon as the elevator had started to move. It only took a second for Roman to realize that his actions had been a dick move.

“Virgil, are you going to be okay? We can abort the mission and just go back if you nee--”

“No. We’re going,” Virgil said through clenched teeth. The elevator dinged, announcing they’d reached the correct floor, and Roman pushed them out as soon as the doors were wide enough to allow for them to pass. He could visibly see Virgil calm down, which was both relieving and mildly terrifying at the same time.

“Let’s see if any of the vending machines are on. I think there are a few near the cafeteria, and they looked like they had some okay choices.” Roman murmured as he tried to gather his thoughts while they wandered around the hospital.

Virgil pointed to his left. “That looks kinda promising.” There was a lone vending machine tucked away in a corner. Its lights were on, but it didn’t look like it’d been touched in ages. Roman dramatically made racecar noises as he turned the wheelchair and pushed them towards the machine. He didn’t even need to be looking to know that Virgil had rolled his eyes.

Virgil scanned the contents of the machine once they’d arrived. It was full of options, and it looked like nothing had been bought.

“Alright, Prince Charming, can you buy me some of those veggie straw things and a cinnamon bun?”

Roman obliged, especially since he only had to spend a total of two dollars on the meal.

“Thanks, dude,” Virgil said as he tore open the bag of veggie straws.

“No problem. At least you’re not a food vacuum like Patton. He ate his entire plate of pasta in less than two minutes.” Virgil couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“Is that a challenge? Because I will totally fight him on that title of ‘food vacuum.’” He shoved a giant handful of chips into his mouth, immediately reaching for another. Roman had to pause navigating their way to the elevators to physically stop Virgil from stuffing his mouth.

There were exactly three other incidents were Virgil tried to shove copious amounts of food into his mouth, and the third happened to be at the same moment that they were arriving at the room. Roman opened the door to be greeted by a worried Patton, who was staring straight at Virgil as he ate a full handful of the chips.

Patton’s face instantly grew cheery as he saw the pair. “I was so worried about you two! I’m glad you’re okay; although, Roman, it was irresponsible to not leave a note explaining where you went. I almost woke up Logan and made him come with me to search for you!” Patton’s words were flying out of his mouth at a speed that was barely comprehensible.

“Sorry, Pat. I should’ve left a note. Virgil was really hungry, so we went to get him some--VIRGIL I SWEAR TO GOD DO NOT SHOVE THAT WHOLE CINNAMON BUN INTO YOUR MOUTH--food. Glad to see you got some sleep, though.” Roman gave Patton a quick hug before helping Virgil back into the bed.

“You and Logan should probably head out. I don’t want you two to be tired for school tomorrow.” Pat once again took a seat at Virgil’s side. Roman nodded and began to lightly shake Logan’s shoulder.

“Hey, sleepyhead. It’s time to get up so you can drive us home.”

“...What?” Logan asked, voice laced with tiredness.

“It’s around ten thirty, Lo. We need to get home and sleep in an actual bed, not on a chair. C’mon, dear heart,” Roman coaxed. It took Logan all of thirty seconds to actually process the information, and in that time Roman decided he’d be driving them to Logan’s house and staying there for the night.

After the duo packed up their things and said goodbye, Virgil and Patton were left alone in the dreary hospital room, where the only sounds were Virgil softly chewing on his cinnamon roll and the EKG machine.

“Did you have a good nap?” Virgil asked after a few minutes.

“Yeah, I did. How was your food adventure with Roman?” Patton was really curious. Out of Logan and Roman, he’d expected Virgil to dislike Roman’s dramatic nature far more than Logan’s intense intelligence.

“It was… interesting. Roman is totally dramatic, so it was way funnier to mess around with him and see his reactions.” Virgil thought back to the numerous times he’d messed around just to fuck with Roman and laughed. Seriously, Virgil, he’d scolded. I don’t want you choking on food on our way back up. Patton would literally kill me.

“Well that’s good, kiddo! And how are you feeling? Do you need me to get you anything?”

“I’m good, Patton. Really. I feel better than I have in a while, to be honest.” There was no lie in what Virgil said. He really did feel better than he had in a long time. All of the things that the trio of friends were doing for him made him feel really happy. Like, maybe he did actually matter.

“That’s wonderful!” The two sat in silence for a while before Virgil spoke up again.

“Thanks for everything you’re doing, Patton. I’ve been kind of an ass to you today.” Virgil focused on his hands. He was really embarrassed that he’d ended up in the hospital when everything could’ve been avoided if he’d just shut his fucking mouth and listened to Patton.

“Don’t worry about it. I told you earlier today that I’ve been in some rough times as well. It’s really, really hard on a person, and sometimes they do things they don’t really mean.” Patton reached up and ruffled Virgil’s hair, to which he protested. The duo broke out in laughter. Virgil really could get used to this whole having-friends thing.

“Do you want to listen to some music? I have some not-super-punk songs if you’d rather listen to something lighter.” Admittedly, “some not-super-punk songs” meant things like “20 Dollar Nosebleed” and “This is Gospel,” but technically they weren’t as punk rock the rest of his collection.

“We can listen to whatever you want, Virge. Don’t let me stop you from listening to the music you enjoy.”

Virgil shrugged and unplugged his headphones, turning up the volume at the same time. He hit shuffle on his playlist and let the sounds of “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” fill the room.

The two teenagers sat there for a long while before both of them eventually fell asleep.

#sanders sides fic #m writes things #logince #moxiety #virgil sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders

17 notes · View notes

a-splash-of-stucky · 6 years

Text

Priorities | Two

Pairings: Bucky x Reader

Summary: Bucky breaks his promise.

Warnings: Implied smut, nudity, language. Angst. The ‘baby talk’

Word Count: 3.2k

Notes: Written for @buckyofthemyscira‘s 5k Disney Writing Challenge.

I said the angst would get worse and it does! Brace yourselves :D

Series Masterlist | My Masterlist | Tags are open, add yourself here

“Let’s have a baby,” says Bucky.

You’re about five minutes post-orgasm, still trying to catch your breath and calm your galloping heart, so it takes a few seconds for your brain to actually register and process what he’s just said. You lift your head from where it’s pillowed on his chest and look at him through narrowed eyes.

“You wanna what-now?”

“A baby,” he repeats, as he rolls onto his side, forcing you to scoot back and give him some space. Bucky slings an arm over your waist loosely, fingers idly tracing the bare skin at the small of your back. You prop your head up one elbow so that you can look at him properly.

“Why?” you ask.

Bucky shrugs. “Maybe ‘cause we’ve been married for almost two years? I dunno, I just feel like...we’re in a good position financially, Tony’s all but guaranteed me a promotion, your business is thriving — maybe it’s time, y’know?”

You bite your lip as you mull over his words, not yet convinced. “I dunno,” you mumble, “Having a kid is a pretty big commitment.”

“I know, but—we’re in a good place, aren’t we?” he asks, shifting forward to press his forehead to yours.

“I guess so,” you reply hesitantly. “I just...I need some time to think about this, okay? I want that with you, don’t get me wrong but...I’m not sure if I’m ready, yet.”

Bucky smiles at you, soft and tender. For a moment, he looks exactly like the boy you fell in love with, all those years ago. “Of course, honey,” he murmurs, bending to press a gentle kiss to your lips. “I’m not saying we gotta do it now — whenever you’re ready, doll. It’s no rush.”

You flash him a smile in return, and pray that he won’t see past the mask that you’ve painted on your face.

Sensing that the conversation is over, you slump into the pillows, groaning in relief as you stretch out your pleasantly-exhausted muscles. Bucky rumbles low in his chest as he slides his hands down your naked back, stopping to cup the swell of your ass.

“Maybe...maybe we could start practicing, though?” he asks hopefully.

You bark out a laugh as you turn to glare at him playfully. “You’re insatiable, Mr Barnes,” you tease.

“Can’t help it, when I’ve got such a pretty wife,” he replies, moving to cage you in with his forearms, forcing you to roll onto your back. You hum as you loop your hands over his neck and tangle your fingers through his hair, bringing him in for a filthy kiss.

“Perhaps you should try your best to convince me — I might make up my mind, sooner,” you say huskily, as you nose along his stubbled jaw.

Bucky pulls back, eyes dark with lust and gleaming with promise. “Challenge accepted, sweetheart.”

—

a-sprinkle-of-sunshine posted at 2.36PM: Kids??

I know I don’t usually make posts on a Sunday, but something’s just happened and I’d really like some advice.

In my last post, I talked about the current status of my marriage (btw, many thanks to everyone who left a supportive comment/piece of advice!). Today, I’d like to share with you a further development.

This morning, my husband brought up the subject of children. Specifically, he brought up the subject of us having children. Basically, hubby said that he wanted to have them. I should also say that he wasn’t in any way pressuring me to have them soon, which I appreciate.

Why am I telling you this?

Well, you all know that I’d like to have some children of my own, one day. I want to raise kids with him, but I do have some reservations.

A friend of mine sent me an interesting article a couple of weeks ago (link), which it got me thinking. From observing my friends and acquaintances, I think that this is an issue that applies to many of us in long-term heterosexual relationships.

So many women are basically “married single mothers”. They’re single mothers, despite having a husband or male s/o at home.

Let’s assume that mom and dad are both working (as is the case for hubby and I). In most families, when dad comes home, he puts his feet up on the table and chills out by playing on his Xbox or phone or whatever. He doesn’t offer to help with the dishes, he’s not cooking dinner, he’s literally just sitting there. Sometimes, dad doesn’t even come home until it’s almost midnight.

Meanwhile, mom’s there trying to make sure that dinner’s on the table, that the kids have done their homework, that they’re doing okay in school, that they’ve packed their bags for the next day — looking after the kids, basically. My point is, in most heterosexual families as I’ve described, there’s a clear gender split in terms of child-raising responsibilities.

I don’t want that. Yes, even though I work from home and could devote a lot of time to child-upbringing, that’s not what I want. I want my husband and I to raise a child together, to have equal responsibility, to share the burdens and joys. I don’t want my children to see my husband as a stranger, y’know?

But, with the way that hubby is getting busier and busier by the day, well — I think it’s quite likely that, if we have kids, I’m gonna end up as a married single mom. In my heart of hearts, I believe that our marriage will suffer if we have a baby now. I’m scared that my husband won’t be there to watch them grow up

I know, I know — I NEED TO TALK THIS OUT WITH HIM, and I will, I promise. I’m just...I don’t know what I’m gonna say. I need to think about it, for a bit.

Anyway. Any and all advice on this matter would be much appreciated, especially if you’ve been through a similar situation.

—

Sundays are for chilling out, but apparently, Bucky didn’t get that memo.

You’ve been trying to get him out of the house all day, to no avail. The two of you had rolled out of bed at around lunchtime and, after sharing a long shower, had wandered to the kitchen to cook up some pasta. In the middle of your meal, Bucky had gotten a call from Tony, which was filled with clipped sentences and terse voices. Since then, he’s stationed himself at the kitchen island, laptop open and papers spread out in front of him, frantically making last-minute changes to his designs.

“I’m sorry, honey — maybe later?” he’d said, when you’d suggested going out for a walk.

“Sweetie, I’m busy right now, I’m sorry,” he’d said an hour later, when you’d asked him if he wanted to watch a movie with you.

“Sorry, doll, this code’s got a major bug in it, I gotta try and sort it out, I can’t go right now,” he’d said, when you’d asked if he wanted to go somewhere for dinner.

You want to scream at him in frustration.

You know that you need to confront this issue sooner rather than later, but you don’t have the strength to deal with it right now. After ordering dinner from a nearby Chinese takeout place, you curl up in front of the TV for — yet another — quiet night in, alone. The fact that you’re having dinner by yourself is kind of ridiculous, given that your husband is literally sat twenty feet away from you.

Since you’re not getting much company from Bucky tonight, you decide to head to bed early.

You sigh as you curl up on your side of the king-sized mattress, frustrated by the fact that your husband just — doesn’t seem to have time for you, anymore. A part of you feels guilty for being angry at Bucky, given that he’s only working so hard so that he can save up more money and give you a good life. Nonetheless, you can’t help thinking that there must be a limit to how much he should be working.

It takes two to have a marriage, after all.

You lie in bed, dozing in and out of dreams whilst you wait for your husband to call it a night. Sometime after eleven, you’re awoken from your light slumber by the feeling of the bed dipping with Bucky’s weight as he climbs in. He presses a kiss to your temple as he slides under the covers and curls himself around your back, slipping an arm around your waist to pull you closer. You reach back to give his hip an affectionate squeeze.

“Hey, doll, sorry — didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispers.

“S’okay,” you mumble sleepily. “You got your work done?”

“Yeah,” he replies, burying his face against the back of your neck. “Sorry our Sunday got ruined, though. Tell you what — my schedule’s free on Tuesday evening, why don’t I make a reservation at Giovanni’s and take you out for dinner, huh?”

You hum in agreement, lacing your fingers with Bucky’s where they lie over your stomach. “M’kay,” you murmur, “G’night, Buck.”

“Sweet dreams, doll.”

—

When Tuesday evening rolls around, you find yourself sitting at your dressing table, putting the finishing touches to your eye makeup.

You’re in a good mood, today — you had a productive meeting with Peter earlier this afternoon, and he’d gone away promising to look into some of the problems that you’ve been having with your website. Your supplier has gotten back to you with a reasonable price quote for the limited edition notebooks that you’re selling for autumn/winter, and you’ve scheduled the blog post that’s supposed to go up tomorrow.

All in all, a fulfilling day.

Despite being buoyed by your high spirits, there’s a lingering seed of worry in your gut. Your reservation for Giovanni’s is at seven, and Bucky still hasn’t texted you to say that he’s left work, even though it’s already half-past six.

You’ve dressed up nicely for the occasion, putting on a blue dress that compliments your skin tone and fits your body perfectly. You’ve paired the dress with some strappy heels, and have put a little extra effort into your hair and makeup too.

Your phone rings just as you’re swiping on your lipstick.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sweetheart,” Bucky says breathlessly. “I just checked the time.”

“Are you on the way?”

“Uh...no,” he says slowly, “I’m still tied up at work.”

You set your tube of lipstick down on your vanity, his sentence settling in like a boulder at the bottom of your stomach.

Of course he’d say that. Of course he’d have to go and ruin what was otherwise a good day.

“You’re coming home late?” you ask, voice a little shaky.

Bucky sighs. “Yeah, honey. I really can’t wriggle my way out of this one.”

You purse your lips. “Okay. I understand.”

“You do?” Bucky asks, sounding relieved.

“Yeah, of course. Your work’s more important than your wife, I see that,” you say sharply. It’s a low blow, but you’re pissed off, and you want your words to wound him deeply, just as he has hurt you.

His sharp inhale on the other end of the line tells you that you’ve achieved your goal.

“No, sweetie, c’mon, just try to understand what I’m—”

“No, you try and understand how I’m feeling, James,” you hiss, fighting to hold back the hot tears of anger brimming in the corners of your eyes. “Am I not — important to you?”

“No,” he says fiercely, “Sweetheart, don’t think like that, I’m just making sure that when we have kids—”

“Oh, when?” you say angrily, “It’s a ‘when’, now? We’re having kids, that’s confirmed, is it? Are you even gonna be there to watch them grow up?”

Bucky exhales harshly. “Honey, we’re not having this conversation on the phone—”

“No? Then when the fuck are we gonna have it, James Buchanan? Hmm? Because you’re hardly ever home, and even when you are, you’re too busy thinking about work to listen to me, anyway.”

“Doll—”

“No, don’t fucking ‘doll’ me. I just—just whatever,” you sigh tiredly, as you scrub your hand over your face, the fight suddenly bleeding out of your system. You’re tired of this. You don’t want to deal with this shit anymore.

“Our reservation’s at seven,” you say, “I gotta go, or I’ll be late. Bye.”

You hang up before he gets a chance to reply.

You want to hurl your phone against the wall. You want to scream and shout and tear your hair out. You want to rip this fucking dress to shreds, all because of Bucky. He’s just so — ugh.

With an exasperated harumph, you turn back to the mirror and fish a tissue out of your makeup bag, using it to dab at your eyes. You won’t cry, right now; Bucky’s not worth your tears. You finish putting on your lipstick, spritz on a little more hairspray, then pick up your purse and flick off the bedroom lights.

Bucky might not be coming on this date night, but you might as well treat yourself. God knows you deserve it.

On impulse, you pull out your phone and speed dial Wanda. Natasha’s on a business trip to Milan this week, so she won’t be able to join you, but you haven’t caught up with Wanda for a while — this might be a good way to salvage a bad situation. You’ve known Wanda since high-school, and you consider her to be one of your closest friends.

“Hello?” she answers, after a few rings.

“Hey, it’s me,” you say, “Listen, I know this is kinda random, but are you busy tonight?”

“Uh...like now? No, why?”

“You wanna go out for dinner with me?”

“Uh...Wait, like now now? Where? Why?”

“Giovanni’s, and I’ll tell you why when we get there.”

Wanda pauses as she thinks over your offer. “Yeah, why not, they’ve got good wine — lemme just text Vis and I’ll be right over, ‘kay?”

“Cool. Reservation’s for seven, under the name ‘Barnes’.”

“Okay. See you in a bit.”

—

“So, you gonna tell me what this is about?” Wanda asks, as the server clears your menus and re-fills your wine glasses. “You’re all dressed up, but I have a feeling that that’s not for me.”

“Bucky was supposed to take me out on a date,” you reply, as you take a sip of your wine.

“And? What happened?”

You shrug your shoulders indifferently. “He got caught up at work.”

Wanda leans back, folding her arms across her chest as she looks at you critically. She’s wearing a black shift dress, and has piled her long brown hair into a loose bun on top of her head. In addition to her favourite lace choker, she’s also wearing her signature dark lip and smoky eye-liner.

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there somewhere. You’re not telling me something,” she says, after a long pause.

You chew on your lip hesitantly as you fiddle with the edge of your napkin. “It’s nothing, just—we kinda had a fight over the phone.”

Wanda clicks her tongue sympathetically as she leans forward to rest her elbows on the table. “What was it about?”

You shake your head, unwilling to talk about the fight when it’s still so fresh in your mind. “It’s nothing, forget about it.”

Wanda arches an eyebrow, clearly displeased by the fact that you’re bottling up your emotions. “I mean...if it was actually nothing, I wouldn’t be here right now, would I? Something’s clearly up. C’mon. Spill.”

You sigh, internally admitting defeat. “Well...okay. He’s been working on this big project, and — uh...actually, it’s not just that.”

She waits patiently as you try to find the right words.

“He’s busier lately...like, a lot busier. It’s been getting worse the last few months, but it all started about a year ago, I’d say. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for him, and I know that he’s doing this for both of us, but—I feel like I’m not the most important thing in his life anymore.”

You huff dryly. “That seems ridiculous to say, ‘cause if you think about it, he’s working so hard because he wants to give us a good life, but...I feel like he went and did this without me, y’know? Without talking to me, I mean. Like, I don’t need a fancy house with a backyard and a garden and whatever — I just want my husband, at home, with me.”

Wanda nods sagely. “He’s doing what he thinks is best, which — fair enough, that’s great, but that’s not necessarily what you want or need from him.”

“Exactly.”

Wanda hums thoughtfully as she takes a sip of her wine. “Sounds like you guys need to have a heart-to-heart.”

“I know, but he’s never home!” you whine, “How am I supposed to talk to him if he isn’t there for me to talk to?”

Wanda sighs as she shakes her head. “I dunno, babe, I can’t help you there.”

“I know you can’t,” you sigh, “It’s okay, we just need to work things out between us.”

She nods in agreement. “So was this date night supposed to be his way of making things up to you?” she asks.

“No. Well — kinda. He was busy doing work on Sunday, and he said he’d take me out tonight, but, well. I guess that didn’t happen, huh?”

“So that’s why you had a fight?”

“Basically,” you reply. Just then, the server comes over with your food. You get one whiff of the fragrant, delicious smell and already, your stomach rumbles in anticipation.

“Well, babe,” Wanda says, as she digs into her pasta, “If you ever need a place to stay — like, if you need to be away from him for a while or whatever, you’re always welcome to use our spare room.”

You smile at her gratefully. “Thanks, Wan. I hope I won’t need to, but thank you for the offer.”

“No probs. Are we getting dessert after?”

“Sure, why not. I’m paying for this using his card anyway, let’s cash out.”

She cackles gleefully.

—

Bucky doesn’t get home until it’s half past midnight.

He’s exhausted from a day dealing with catastrophe after catastrophe, but more than that, he feels like shit for not taking you out like he’d promised. You’d sounded really upset on the phone earlier, when he told you that he couldn’t make it. Bucky’s tried calling you about half a dozen times since then, and left you several texts, but you haven’t responded to anything.

He’s not sure what kind of mood you’ll be in.

When he shoulders open the door to the apartment, Bucky is greeted by pure darkness. With a weary sigh, he toes off his shoes and turns on the lights.

His eyes are immediately drawn to the blanket and pillows piled up at the end of the sofa, clearly meant for him. You’ve been kind enough to leave him a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to change into, but there’s no note or anything else with the items.

He knows that if he were to try the door to your shared bedroom, he’d find it to be locked.

Well then. A night on the couch it is.

#sams5kdisneycelebration #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky x you #bucky barnes x you #bucky angst #my writing #fic: priorities

855 notes · View notes

tertiaryembarrassment · 6 years

Note

I hardly ever see any sam stuff so I'd love to read 130 with him.

130: “Oh my god! You’re in love with her!” 3580 words

request a prompt

(for the purposes of this we’re gonna pretend Sam never imprinted on Emily because female friendships are important and I’m not about to write some bull ‘emily hates reader bc she stole her bf’) (and i’ll put it under the cut bc i clearly went 3000 words overboard)

“Y/N,could you pass me the salad dressing?”

Youreyes follow the line from Emily’s pointed finger to a bottle of dressingsitting unopened on the counter beside you, grabbing it and tossing it into herwaiting hands. She smiles in thanks and turns back to focus on the large bowlof greens before her, slowly unscrewing the bottle and upending it into thesalad. You continue to chop away at the pile of vegetables laid before you,sharp knife gliding easily through a mound of onion.

The twoof you move in harmony through Emily’s kitchen, passing ingredients back andforth, offering taste test spoonfuls to the other, sharing pointers and tipsfor the next step in the recipe. In the past weeks, this dance had becomeroutine for you, spending afternoons pouring over large dinners for the pack ofhungry shapeshifters she so often hosted. The pack harboured the largest ofappetites on their best days, but lately they were coming home completelyfamished, tired and sore from the extra patrols Sam had planned for them.Apparently, new Cold Ones in the area, these ones seemingly unlike the Cullenfamily that lived in Forks, had the boys on edge. Whatever the case, you’resure the pack can handle whatever the vampires can throw their way – theyalways have.

It’ssometimes strange, you think to yourself, to think of how you got yourself intothis in the first place. You sweep a mountain of chopped onions into your handand pour them into the frying pan on the stove, a soft song erupting from thepan as they simmer in the oil. Sam was the first one from the pack that you’dmet. You remember that day very clearly – it was only a few months ago, afterall – when you were sitting quietly in the coffee house, reading to yourself,when you momentarily locked eyes with Sam Uley just in time to see him fumblewith his drink, spilling its contents across your table and into your lap,soaking right through your copy of Prideand Prejudice. You helped him clean it up, and he offered to buy youanother book as an apology. It would be weeks before he’d let you in on thewerewolf secret – but you’d been close friends ever since.

Hebrought you to meet the other shapeshifters soon after that, and in thefollowing weeks you would find yourself settling in comfortably to this odd,unconventional little family. You uncover a jar of tomato sauce, pouring itslowly over a pan of frying onions and meatballs. To your right, Emily leansover a tray of bread slices, applying a coat of butter and garlic to each,readying them for the oven. Emily, although not a shifter, was clearly thematernal figurehead of the group, and had welcomed you so warmly when you firstmet. All of them did, you think, a small smile creeping across your lips at thethought of your friends. They were the most close-knit group you’d ever been apart of, and you counted yourself lucky to be found among their ranks, each oneof them bringing a close friendship you hadn’t experienced in too long – some,closer than others.

“Whatare you smiling about?” Emily says, and you jump. You had hardly realized you weresmiling, let alone that she had been watching.

You biteyour lip, banishing the expression sheepishly. “No reason. I’m just… happy.”

Shesmiles, nodding her head and turning back to work on the garlic bread. “I see.Well, keep working, Happy, we have hungry werewolf mouths to feed.”

Laughing,you obey the command, stirring the sauce in its pan and pulling shakers ofherbs and spices from the cupboards. It’s not long before the food is done, thesavoury smell filling Emily’s small house and wafting out the open front doorwith the summer breeze. A stack of glasses in your hands, you leave the sauceon low and turn to set the dining room table, pulling out placemats and cutlerywhile Emily oversees the oven. With two pairs of hands, the work goes quickly,and the table is set in no time, a full spread of pasta, salad, and garlicbread awaiting it’s devourers. You’re opening your mouth to ask Emily when theboys said they’d be home when you can hear whoops and hollers from the streetoutside – roughhousing and laughter, the telltale signs of the pack.

“Incoming,”Emily laughs, moving towards the door to greet the boys as they come in. Youstand straighter, uncrossing your arms and smoothing down your shirt.

Youcount the pack members as they file in, clapping Emily on the back or throwinga one-armed side hug over her shoulder. She’s all smiles, greeting each one asthey move past her. “Hey Quil, Embry, Jacob,” she starts. Seth enters next, agrin spread across his face – not unusual for Seth – and throws both his armsaround her in greeting. “Hi, Seth!” Leah crosses in after, not stopping togreet Emily, as she’s already occupied with her brother, instead throwing a nodand a tight-lipped smile over her shoulder. “And Leah,” she finishes.

No oneelse enters.

You tryto hide your disappointment, a frown settling on your brow as you curl your lipin. “Where’s Sam?”

They’vealready taken up seats around the table, shoveling piles of food onto emptyplates. Jacob answers you, his words muffled by the mouthful of garlic breadrolling in his cheek. “He didn’t want to leave the perimeter unguarded while weate. With the Cold Ones out, and everything. He’s staying back until we’redone, he’ll come get some when we relieve him.”

“If there’sany left,” Emily teases.

“Jaredand Paul stayed behind too,” Quil notes, eyebrows raised pointedly at you. “Notthat you’d notice.”

A blushheats your face at his comment, and you swing on your heel towards the sinkbefore one of them can point it out. You scrub off a few dirty dishes, gratefulfor something to occupy your attention.

“LeaveY/N alone, Quil,” Emily scolds, moving to lean on the counter beside you. Thepack’s conversation quickly diverges from you to the new vampires in the area,the boys each positive they could take down the coven single-handedly. Soonthey’re shouting over one another, easily drowning out your voice as you speakto Emily in a hushed tone.

“It’snot like that, you know,” you say, eyes glued to the soapy water that coversyour hands, dirty saucepan gripped tightly in a balled fist. “We’re justfriends.”

Emilynods in understanding. “I know,” she agrees, the corners of her lips tugupwards, and her eyes flicker to meet yours. “But just so you know? I don’tthink he’d mind if that wasn’t true.”

Confusionspreads across your face. You open your mouth, about to ask for clarification –what could she mean by that? – when she pushes herself from her place leaningon the counter to join the others at the table.

–

In thenext few hours, the pack has ravaged the meal, leaving little for the threelatecomers, and made their way back into the forest to continue their patrols,grateful for their full bellies before a night of long work. Apparently, thenew coven was more of an issue than you had assumed, the boys telling you abouttheir strength and power, the violence in the vampire’s nature, over dinner.You felt a pit of nervousness grow in your stomach at the thought of Sam beingout there alone.

When thelast of them were gone, you and Emily begin to gather empty plates and glasses,filling the dishwasher. You take three clean plates, filling them with the lastof the food and setting them aside for Sam, Paul, and Jared, before continuingto help clear the table. You’re wiping crumbs from the tabletop with a clothwhen the three boys stumble in, exhausted and sweaty from their long shift.

Youcan’t help the smile that spreads across your lips. “Hey, Paul, Jared,” you nodin greeting, which they return. Your eyes flicker to Sam, who crosses thethreshold a moment after they do, ducking as he passes under the door, hismassive frame almost too tall for the entrance. “Sam.”

Hissmile matches yours. “Y/N.”

A breathof relief escapes you, in part thanks to the knowledge that he’s alright, butalso due to the comfort his presence brings. You’d never been able to describeit – never even tried to say it out loud – but whenever he’s near, things justfeel more… right than when he’s not.As if a part of you stays with him when he leaves, and the rest of you longsfor the missing piece when it’s gone.

“Hey,guys,” Emily calls in greeting from the kitchen sink, up to her elbows in dirtydishes and bubbles. “We saved as much as we could for you. Those boys areanimals.”

“Wolves,” Jared laughs, earning a clap onthe back from Paul. The two move towards the table, uncovering their plates andtearing in, as if it’s been years since they’ve had a good meal. You know for afact that’s not true – you’d cooked for them just last night, they act likethis every time.

Sammakes his way to the table as well, squeezing your arm as he passes you.“Thanks so much, girls. We really appreciate it.”

“Anytime,”you assure him, taking an empty seat between Jared and Sam. You don’t see it,but Emily shakes her head, a playful smile on her lips, at the sight of youabandoning her with the dishes. You turn your attention between the wolves,watching them gulp down food like they’re not sure where their next meal willcome from.

“So,Y/N, did the other guys tell you about the coven that’s been lurking aroundForks?” Jared says, excitedly, through a mouthful of pasta.

Youshake your head. “Only a little – that they’re more powerful than youanticipated. They seemed confident that they could take ‘em, though.”

Samsmacks his lips, interjecting without looking up from his food. “Cocky, you mean. Too much confidence isdangerous when you’re dealing with a powerful enemy.”

“Arethey that dangerous?” You ask, worry dripping from your tone.

“Vampiresare always dangerous,” Paul says.

Jaredfinishes for him. “But these ones are some of the strongest we’ve ever seen.There’s not many of them, but they’re expert trackers and they’re incrediblyfast. Not faster than us, but still – I’d be scared if I were a human-”

Samshoots him a sharp glare. “Don’t scare her, idiot,” he scolds, his voice deepand stern. He shifts his attention to you, his eyes softening. “Don’t listen tohim. We’ve got everything under control.”

Fromhere, Sam leads the conversation away from talk of Cold Ones and danger,instead opting to comment on the deliciousness of the food, for which hereceives sincere thanks from you and Emily. Jared and Paul get to talking aboutsome new action movie coming out that they’re dying to see, and eventually youexcuse yourself from the table, remembering you were supposed to help with thecleaning.

“Sorry,Emily,” you apologize, grabbing a towel and a clean dish, beginning to dry. “Ijust wanted to sit down for a minute.”

Shedoesn’t tear her gaze from her hands, deep in the murky water, running a clothover a submerged dish. There’s a smile in her voice when she speaks. “Oh, don’tworry about little old me,” she laughs, flickering her eyes to you, and then tothe boys around the table. She lowers her voice, leaning towards you. “I hearthe company over there is much moreexciting.”

“I toldyou it’s not like that!” You protest, voice shrill but hushed in a loudwhisper. Your laugh, smile, and blushed cheeks betray you. “I… like him. But we’rejust friends; I like being friends.”

Shepresses her lips together, an unconvinced nod of concede. “I believe you,” shesays.

“No, youdon’t,” you say.

She laughsagain. “I really don’t.”

–

Before long,the three have finished their dinner and helped with the finishing touches onthe cleaning. The group exchanges a round of thanks, for the food, for thetidying, for keeping the reservation safe. It’s Sam who first says they should returnto patrol to help the younger wolves, but his indominable sense ofresponsibility is met with groans of protest from not only Paul and Jared, butEmily.

“Actually,I made dessert,” she says, and you furrow your brow. She hadn’t mentionedanything about a dessert to you, and she hadn’t offered it to the other half ofthe pack. “It’d be a shame to let it go to waste.”

Paul leapsup to Emily instantly. “What kind of dessert? Where is it?”

She batshim away. “Give me a second, and I’ll get it ready. The point is, you’ll allstay a bit longer?”

Jarednods eagerly, but Sam hesitates. His face, handsome, with thick brows and asharp jaw, sets in to a frown, knowing of his duties, that he should check onhis pack. He is alpha, after all.

You didn’tmean to, but you’re staring at him now. When his eyes flicker to meet yours,you instantly dart your gaze away, but it’s a moment too late. He’s seen your pleadingface, selfishly hoping he’d choose to stay.

“We canstay,” he answers, finally. Paul and Jared both let out cheers, but Sam onlylooks at you. You smile, eyes downcast.

“Perfect!”Emily exclaims, clasping her hands together. “Y/N, could you do me a hugefavour and grab me the strawberries? I left them in the fridge downstairs.”

“I canget them,” Paul offers, turning to head down the hallway towards the basementdoor.

Emilythrows a hand in front of him, barring his path. A glare clouds her typicallycheery face. “Nope. You, stay.” She turns to you. “You, go.”

Confusionsettles on your brow, but as Paul backs off you figure it’s easier to complythan to protest. You shuffle away from the group, cocking a brow at Emily, whoseems to ignore you.

You pushopen the basement door, making your way downstairs, flicking on the overheadlight and bathing the cool room in a warm glow. You hadn’t spent much time downhere, but the fridge was easy enough to locate, though you couldn’t imagine whyEmily would have left the strawberries down here. To think of her even needinga second fridge for all the food she holds for the pack makes you laugh – they oughtto start paying her grocery bills, at this rate.

Takingthe strawberries in hand and nudging the door closed with your hip, you startslowly back up the stairs, balancing the box in two hands. Flick the light backoff, close the basement door. You’re about to round the corner back to thekitchen when your name catches your ear.

“Y/N’sgreat – I mean, she’s really great – but we’re just friends. That’s how theimprint works, you do what your imprint needs. And Y/N needs me to be herfriend.”

You stumbleback, catching yourself before you make a noise, holding in a breath. That wasSam’s voice, and that was your name but… he couldn’t be talking about you.Could he? No, of course not. You only knew a little about imprinting – hardly anyof the pack had experienced it yet – but surely, you would have known if Sam had…he would have told you. He’s your friend! He would have told you. You pressyour back to the hallway wall, listening intently.

“How doyou know that’s all she wants? You’venever even told her you imprinted on her!” Emily. You should have known. Kind,supportive, well-meaning Emily. She always wanted the best for you, even if shewas convinced she knew what that looked like better than you did.

Paulsighs. “She has a point, Sam.”

“Stay outof this.” Sam says.

“Sam,everyone can see it but you. She’s so into you! How can you be so blind?” She continues,and you draw in a breath. Were you being obvious? Sure, you liked Sam – but youthought Emily was the only one who could tell. Embarrassment blooms in your stomach,and you press a hand to quell it.

Sam letsout a breath. “It’s… more than that. Evenif she does like me, imprinting is… really intense. What if it’s too much forher?” There’s a beat, but you can’t see what he does. Suddenly, his voicereturns, wavering with emotion. “I can’t lose her. I can’t risk it.”

“Oh mygod,” Emily whispers. “You’re in love with her.”

There’sso answer this time, but a feeling of understanding washes over the group. Whatdid he do? Did he nod? If only you could see him.

“Thentell her,” Jared says.

“Seriously,man.” Paul.

The embarrassmentin your stomach has tied itself into a knot of anxiety, sitting like a rock inyour middle. What did any of this mean?

Emily’svoice is softer, full of comfort and kindness. “You won’t lose her. If eitherof you could stop being so goddamn oblivious, you’d both know that.”

You hearhim laugh now, a deep, rich chuckle that softens the knot a bit. “Is it thatbad?”

A chorusof agreement erupts from his three companions. “Awful,” Emily confirms.

“Gross,”Paul laughs.

“Disgusting,”says Jared.

Samsucks in a deep breath, righting himself, banishing the emotion from his voice.“Okay, okay, I get it.” He clears his throat. “Stop being a coward, tell Y/Nhow I feel. Right?”

“He getsit! Finally!” Emily cheers, earning laughs from the boys. “You could start by helpingher with the strawberries.”

Panicsettles in as you realize what that means. Footsteps grow nearer, and you shiftyour eyes to the package of red berries in your arms, backing slowly towardsthe basement door. Turn the knob…

“Y/N?”

Youwince, squeezing your eyes shut and turning your face to the voice. You don’tneed to open them to know it belongs to Sam.

“Howlong have you been standing there?”

Youreyes shoot open, greeted by Sam, a giant of a man, looming over you, deep linesof worry and embarrassment you can only assume match your own etched into his handsomeface. Behind him, Jared and Paul exchange glances, obviously taken aback seeingtheir alpha in such a vulnerable state, and Emily, a hopeful grin spread acrossher lips.

“Notvery long,” you answer.

“Longenough?” He asks, voice cracking.

You nod,tearing your eyes from him to examine your feet.

Heswings around to address your audience, who back off suddenly, as if to pretendthey hadn’t noticed you. Paul shoves his hands in his pockets, feigning whistlingas he pulls Jared and Emily out of sight, back into the kitchen. Same turnsback towards you, leaning in and lowering his voice. “Can we… talk? Privately?”

–

“I’msorry I didn’t tell you,” Sam leans against Emily’s porch railing, his eyescast up towards the sky, counting constellations in the moonlight.

You pullyour sleeves down, balling the hems in your fists to cover your hands, andcross your arms. Leaning against him on the railing, his warmth seeps into you,fighting with the chill of night. “Why didn’t you?”

“Ithink,” he says, sucking in a breath, “you already heard that part.”

You letout a soft laugh, nodding, biting the corner of your lip. “What does it feellike?”

Heblinks, chewing on your words. Finally, he speaks, voice soft, but confident,like he’d thought of his answer long before you asked the question. “Like you’reeverything. When I met you, it was like everything else just… faded. It allbecame dull in comparison. You became why I do what I do everyday – to see moreof you, to make you smile, to make the world better for you,” he pauses, rubbinga hand on the back of his neck. He turns his head from the stars to face you,but his expression doesn’t change. All the wonder and awe that the infinity ofthe galaxy inspires, he still looks the same when he looks at you. “Intense, right?”

You blowout a breath. “A little.”

“I wantto be a part of your life no matter what that means,” he says. He shifts,leaning one arm on the railing now instead of two, taking hold of your hand nowwith his free one, warm fingers enveloping yours. “Don’t let this change howyou feel.”

A nervouslaugh, and the something banishes the knot in your middle. A moment of courage,you suppose, as your words escape past your lips. “I don’t have to.”

Beforeyou can rethink it, you’re cupping his face in your hands, bringing him towardsyou as you press a kiss to his lips. Without a moment of hesitation, he’s returningit, locking strong hands around your waist, pressing your body against his, dancinghis lips over yours. His warmth consumes you as you lean into him, two forms movingas one, suddenly, feeling the most whole you had since the day you met him.

As ifthat missing piece had finally come home.

949 notes · View notes

thisislizheather · 3 years

Text

April Activities 2021

The major news of the month? I can’t believe I get to be fully vaccinated. It’s hard to describe how incredible it feels but I’m so ready to really start this next phase and I can’t wait for everyone I love to feel this feeling soon. Here’s what went down last month.

Here are my favourite tweets from last month. Also, I’ve decided to compile the best tweets list every two weeks rather than only once a month mostly because I love re-reading them and want that sort of joy in my life twice a month, not just once.

I did Nathan’s podcast and we talked about Rogers, sex robots & god only knows what else.

Two new nail polishes that I bought and love: English Lavender by butter and Cold Brew Crew by essie. Beautiful colours.

I’ve made this lamb ragu from Alison Roman twice so far, it’s so luxurious but somehow easy to make. I’ve put it on tagliatelle as well as zucchini noodles and both have been wonderful. Small tip: it does get better after it sits in the fridge for a bit, for some reason. (Also, the recipe doesn’t call for it, but I added basil at the end. I tend to add basil anytime something calls for parsley because it’s just so much more flavourful and fun.)

Above Photo: Alison Roman’s lamb ragu

I want to buy new underwear and I’m looking for any suggestions that aren’t Victoria’s Secret, Aerie or The Gap. I might just bite the bullet and try the ones from Blush (love love love the models they use).

I tried the strawberry short cake soft serve from Milk Bar and it was heavenly. The soft serve is even better than the strawberry cake (although the cookie crumbles within the cake always make my knees weak). In fact, I’ve yet to try a Milk Bar soft serve that I didn’t love (their vegan apple pie soft serve was out of this world), should I have been buying their pints this whole time? Yes.

I gave a chance to Ouai’s Air Dry Foam and it didn’t impress me or anyone else for that matter, so I guess I’ll just stick with the Wave Spray instead.

The rain boots that I bought a few years ago from Winners have disintegrated and I’m in search of new ones, but please don’t recommend Hunter ones. I hate Hunter. Open to any other suggestions!

Influenced by a TikTok video, I bought Falscara and holy shit. I know I promise this a lot, but I’m going to do a video on it so you can see how good a product it is. So many videos are coming, I vow.

There milk chocolate coconut almonds from CVS are UNHOLY.

I tried a sample of Glamglow’s Glowstarter moisturizer and was pleasantly surprised at how it really does give you a pleasant glow. What’s that about.

It’s uncivil how expensive body suit/swimwear hangers are. Who is this benefiting? I just want to hang my delicate bodysuits and carry on with my day.

Trader Joe’s has started selling their own vodka and I’m hoping they’ll start to sell it in New York soon. Seems weird that they don’t already.

I tried a small sample of Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Elixir and discovered that the true magic behind the elixir is how she got anyone to believe that it does anything at all. Makeup products truly enrage me at times.

Nathan and I went to a movie theatre and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. We saw Godzilla vs. Kong and I found myself beaming through every inane scene. Perfect movie to see after a year of no theatres. Would I ever watch it again? Good lord no.

I bought a lotion bar from Gift Box on Broadway in Astoria and I love it. I think I’d use it more if it were slightly smaller and more manageable, but I love it nonetheless.

I tried Rao’s spaghetti and it was incredible, so now I’m forced to seek out their other types of pasta. Such a quality pasta.

I ate at The Pineapple Club and the basil fried rice and frozen pina coladas were both outrageously good.

I bought this bag from Zara and I’m honestly nervous to even wear it out for some weird reason. Like, am I the person who would have a bag like this? Do I want to be that person? Am I feeling this way because of having nowhere to go for so long? Have I always been this fearful? Some of these questions I shouldn’t answer, I realize.

Just bought these shoes in tan and I think I have my life all figured out now. Now if I can just leave the house wearing said shoes and holding said bag.

Speaking of shoes, I truly can’t decide if I love or loathe these slippers.

Last shoe thing: head over HEELS (not sorry) in love with these feet hugging sandals. Should’ve bought four more pairs.

I made these chocolate banana muffins and they were great but the real standout is the recipe at the bottom for the salted honey butter. Christ, you should make that butter.

I perused Molly Baz’s new cookbook and it’s a big one. Some standout recipes: The Big Italian salad, a dilly horseradish cream sauce for shrimp, and of course her caesar salad recipe.

I never thought I’d be the type of person to buy fake plants, but this one is so lifelike and pretty that I had to get it. Plus it’s perfect for the top of a bookshelf.

Above Photo: Fake plant from Target

It’s ramp season and I couldn’t be happier about it, you’ll hear more about my ramp creations next month.

I watched This is a Robbery on Netflix and don’t waste your time. Yes, it’s an interesting story, but save yourself a few hours and go read this instead.

I’m watching The Nanny and loving it. I’ve only ever watched a few episodes growing up, and I thought I would hate it because of how much everyone makes fun of Fran’s voice but her voice is fine! It’s wild that anyone ever said it was annoying. Also, the theme song is catchy as hell.

I rewatched Speed and it’s, of course, still great. What can’t Keanu do.

I watched the 90s movie The Crush and it’s really weird that movies like that would never have a chance being made today.

I’m all caught up on Riverdale now and… it’s hard to remember when it was really good. Maybe it was all Skeet Ulrich? Was that the main draw in my mind? I can see that making sense. In any case, it’s taken a turn.

There’s something so inviting about having good washroom rugs, I just got these soft-as-hell Threshold ones and I’ll never buy another brand again.

I visited the midtown Ideal Cheese Shop (been meaning to forever) and it’s such a great spot for NYC delicacies as well as, obviously, cheese. They had pre-packed bacon from Peter Luger and salmon from Daniel Boulud.

Things are already changing fast with new restrictions loosing in NYC, but did you know you can rent out a bar for an hour?

I tried the breakfast Beyond Meat sausage patties and surprise, surprise, they’re great. There’s nothing this company can do wrong. I’m becoming suspicious.

I got drinks and some small bites at Bar Dalia in Astoria and what a sweet little place! Would go again.

I finally got my hands on the kitchen-scented mini candles from Trader Joe’s (the scents are lemongrass, tomato leaf, fresh mint). They fill me with joy, unfortunately. I also got their grapefruit scented body butter, which goes on very smoothly but I’ve noticed it has a scent that’s slightly off-putting over time. I will not dwell on that fact further.

Had no idea that Banza made a pizza crust but I tried it and it’s wonderful.

I love seeing what promotional giveaways are planned for the upcoming baseball season but since we’re technically still in a pandemic, the Mets are only releasing what the promotions are each month (makes sense). So I’ve bookmarked the page to go look at on the first of each month.

I don’t eat a ton of fast food, but I’m sorry, some of these are genius ideas.

I’ll regret it if I don’t buy a box of these, right?

I know that it’s common to read an article about something and feel “that’s me!” but this one really resonates with me: “There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing.”

The best brand at Target: A New Day.

Love and fully agree with all of this woman’s questions about things that don’t make sense.

I was walking past a Home Depot in Queens and the smell of the sandwiches at Rocco’s was heavenly. I had just eaten, otherwise I would have leaped into line. Must remember to get a Philly cheese steak here next time. The Yelp reviews are calling me.

I bought this earring organizer from The Container Store and it’s perfect. Fully recommend. I also finally got a purse organizer and some shoe boxes that make me feel like I might be a successful woman in her prime.

Above Photo: Earring Stand from The Container Store

Above Photo: Left: purse storage holder, Right: shoe storage boxes, Not Shown: me, opening & closing my closet door ten times to bask in my new found organizational skills

I had no idea Zara had a home section. I wish I didn’t have this knowledge, but now that I do, you must too. Literally ALL of these glasses are gorgeous. Tempted to go smash each glass in my kitchen cupboard right this instant.

This Artist Faked Being a Billionaire to Photograph New York City's Best Views - such a great idea, such great photos. How was it not me who came up with this?

Some more spring recipes I’m dying to make:

Ramp & Ricotta Tart

Grilled Asparagus Caesar Salad

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Scallop Risotto with Lemon & Sweet Peas

Grilled Caprese Skewers with Halloumi and Sourdough

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: the new/final season of Shrill comes out this week (!), I might be going to a Mets game (!!), dying to eat at Under The Volcano, really want to visit the new Dippin' Dots store, I’ve been craving a good club sandwich for months so I might try to get brunch at Mark’s Off Madison, I know it might be early but I can’t wait to go tan on Governors Island soon, and at some point I’d really love to take one of these pasta cooking classes.

Above Photo: The club sandwich at Mark’s Off Madison, photo courtesy of Front of House

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in March over here.

#monthly roundup #this is liz heather #Liz Heather #April 2021 #things to do 2021 #NYC #best of NYC 2021

0 notes

sunbaebes · 7 years

Text

L’appel du Vide : One

The call of the void, the desire or attraction to an immediate, dangerous, or non logical act like jumping off of a building or in front of a train. You never expected it will also describe Kim Seokjin. (best friends/friends with benefits au)

pairing: Kim Seokjin x Reader

(M) for eventual Smut

Today, rent was due.

You split a seed between your teeth, followed by a faint taste of coconut; sweet and salty mixed. A bowl rests on the arm of the couch, a small pile of shells starting to form in its center. You take another seed from the bag, perching the shell between your teeth.

Crack. The wind carries a faint scent of summertime in the city. It’s putrid and sweet even up here in this rooftop apartment, filtering in with the sound of evening traffic that rushes below. The air conditioner hums back in your bedroom, and you can barely feel it in the living room where you have to turn up the volume to hear over its ancient ticking and clicking as persists but fails to keep up with the heat. On hot nights like this, you can only stand to wear over-sized shirts, but even they don’t help the sweat that dusts your brow as you’re flicking through channels, settling on a cheap horror movie. You thrust your hand back into the bag on your lap.

As your fingers feel through the bag of seeds you wish for the taste of watermelon. Unfortunately, when rent was due, fruit became a luxury. Things could be worse you presumed, at least you had something to snack on. Instead of dwelling, you settled into your couch cushions, immersing yourself in the movie.

It is just passed twilight when feet sound on the rusted steps outside. The movements are quick, still, their sound and style are one that you could recognize in your sleep; on a crowded street, in foot prints on the beach. These feet stop at the door, dirt and small stones scratching against the ground as his body fall against the door with a lazy thud.

“Ppalli, ppalli!” He yells. “This is a lot heavier than I thought!” You let out a sigh, slinking from the couch and shuffling slowly to the entryway.

“You’re doing this on purpose!” he moans from the other side, “I said quickly!”

Following orders, you pull the door open quickly, setting Jin off balance and stumbling as he tries to regain his footing.

“Aish!” he balances himself, grocery bags swinging haphazardly as he readjusts something large in his arms,

“What’s all this?” you look at the swollen watermelon in his arms, enthusiastically going to release him of its burden.

“Rent was today, yeah?” Jin walks further into the apartment, slipping off his shoes and heading towards the kitchen.

You can only nod to his question as you follow him into the kitchen, cradling the watermelon like a precious child. He opens the fridge, his tongue clicking as he looks back at you,

“There’s hardly anything in here!”

Setting the melon on the counter, you go to Jin, looking to relieve him of more groceries. “I got sick last month, medicine isn’t cheap you know.”

Jin passes off some of the bags on his arms to you.

“It’s a good thing you’ve got a handsome oppa to make you dinner.”

“Ew,” you cringe, backing away from him to take a peek inside the bag. “I hate when you say that.” Jin laughs at your disgust, filling the fridge with various necessities. You grab a pepper from one of the bags in your hand and lightly toss it at his back.

“Ya!” he pulls away from the fridge with eyes rounded in shock, “and to think, I was going to make you dinner!”

You laugh as Jin continues to exaggerate his ‘back injury’, pulling cans and produce from grocery bags and stocking your cupboards. When Jin finishes with his bags he walks over to the stove, grabbing a pot from the shelf above it to fill with water.

In these between times, when he’s not fooling around or flashing finger hearts at you, is when you find him to be the ‘handsome oppa’ he claims to be. His broad shoulders flow elegantly with each breath as he begins cubing chicken breasts. He always looked so good in a kitchen.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“I’ve got the chopping if you’ve got the seasoning, you’ve got garlic for the chicken?”

You already know the meal he’s making, fire chicken with carbonara pasta, a favorite between the two of you. Just as you’re pressing the garlic the water comes to a boil, pulling Jin’s attention away from the vegetables and chicken to the box of pasta sitting by the stove. You hear the dry crack as Jin splits the angel hair in half and drops it into the water before turning back to the cutting board with a gentle hum.

“I hear you’re making a comeback soon,” you say, bringing the mixed ingredients over to the stove where Jin’s started to toss meat and onions into a frying pan.

“End of the month,” he says quietly, his focus completely on making sure he doesn’t burn the chicken or the cream sauce that’s starting to simmer on the back burner.

“You must be tired,” with Jin taking over all the cooking you move to the sink, grabbing dirty dishes and utensils as you go.

“I’m fine,” he looks at you from over his shoulder, his nose wrinkling as a smile lights up his face, “I feel a lot better now that I’m with you.”

You turn back towards the sink and make a retching sound, “Does that actually work on girls?”

He lets out a squeaky laugh, and you take the time to settle your heart.

“It works on most people; you seem to be the only one invulnerable to my charms.”

“Yes well, I’m one of the few people that knew you before you hit puberty.”

Jin lets out a gasp, balking at your words. “I was born handsome and you know it!”

“Sure, sure.” You laugh,

“Sure sure.” He mocks, “Drain the pasta,”

“Not so charming now,” you huff, going to grab the pot from the stove. Steam curls away from the pot as you slowly begin pouring the water down the drain, behind you Jin is talking under his breath,

“I don’t even know why I’ve hung out with you all these years, I come over and make you food because I know you’re letting yourself go hungry. I mean what were you eating? Those stupid sunflower seeds again? Who eats seeds for a meal? At least buy yourself some rice-“ his voice fades out at the remainder of the water swirls down the drain, the pasta safely transferred into a strainer. Steam clings to the side of the pot, an indication of dangerous heat. You haven’t burnt yourself in years, and the idea makes you anxious. How much would it hurt to brush your finger across its metal surface? The fear pulls at your curiosity, what if you touched it, just for a moment? You finger extends…

it wouldn’t really hurt that much right? Just a second wouldn’t hurt too much, it wouldn’t even leave a burn mark…

Your finger gets closer and closer and your anxiety grows, you shouldn’t do this, what was the point of knowing how much it hurt? You close your eyes, pressing your finger straight for the pot and your stomach drops.

Your body whirls away from sink, your wrists held securely by Jin as his fingers guide your own to clasp around the lobes of his ears.

“Did you touch it?” his eyes are blown wide, searching your face and looking back over at the sink, “Your fingers don’t feel hot, does it hurt? Are you hurt?”

Your breath catches at the close proximity, Jin’s face is too close, and his hands feel soft and warm.

He pulls your hands away from his ears, turning them over to inspect your fingertips.

“I didn’t touch it,” you say quietly, removing your hands from his. “You’ll burn the chicken.”

Turning back to the sink, you hear Jin curse under his breath. You reach for the strainer, shaking out the pasta a few times before walking over to the stove and dropping it into the cream sauce.

“Thank you,” Jin’s voice is soft, his arms tense as he tosses the spices and chicken together in the skillet. “Can you bring everything outside? It will be cooler out there now that the sun’s down.”

“Okay.”

You help him pile everything onto plates and then bring them to the low table outside. Jin brings with him a six pack of beer in one hand and a plate of sliced watermelon in the other. The mood is still heavy as he sits down, cracking open two cans and handing one to you. Taking a long sip, the beer fizzles down your throat and gives your chest some much needed warmth. You let out a deep breath and try to dispel the embarrassment you felt from trying to touch a burning pot.

It’s “L’appel du vide”; the call of the void. It’s an attraction to an immediate, dangerous, or illogical act. It isn’t the first time you’ve answered to the call, and it’s not the first time Kim Seokjin’s been there to pull you back.

You twirled pasta around your fork, never taking a bite. It had been a long time since you’d had thoughts like the ones back in the kitchen, a true testament to how much stress you’d been putting yourself under.

“Don’t play with your food,” Jin spoke around a large mouthful. “Eat.” He grabbed a piece of chicken and held it out for you, “Don’t think I can’t eat all of this by myself.”

You take his offering, pairing it with your own forkful of pasta. The spicy and creamy flavors mix, and you let out a content sigh.

“How many jobs are you currently working?” he asks between bites, shoving food into his mouth until his cheeks are round and full.

“Three,” you say around a mouthful, “I’m going back to two starting next week.”

“What happened?”

You shrug, “It didn’t work out.”

“Which one was it?”

“The barista job, I didn’t like it that much anyway.”

“You can’t clean houses for the rest of your life.”

“Why not?” You place the last piece of chicken onto Jin’s plate, “It’s good money, plenty of people clean houses.”

Jin takes the chicken up with his fork and firmly plants it on your plate, “You can get a better job, I know you can. You should let me ask around, I’m sure I could find you something permanent, something that won’t make your hands wrinkled before you’re thirty.”

“I’m doing fine on my own.” You protest, placing the chicken back on his plate, “It’s my own fault I’m stuck in this place, I’ll pull myself back out.”

Jin looked at you, reading the determination on your face before finally letting out a sigh. Driving his fork into the last piece of chicken, he splits the piece in two.

“There’s nothing wrong with getting a little help when you need it. You should at least let me pay your rent for a while, give you time to save up.”

“The groceries you keep sneaking into my fridge are enough.” You smile, taking the small piece of chicken Jin offers you. “Especially the watermelon, I really wanted something sweet.”

Jin sends you a wink, “Fool, that’s why I came over.”

Things with Jin were always that simple, it was something you always wanted to thank him for. Even though your back hurt from vacuuming and your fingers had split from cleaner, Kim Seokjin took the burden with a smile and a warm meal. Even now, as you reclined to look up at the starless city sky things felt easy. A cool breeze moved your hair away from your face as you leaned down for your third slice of watermelon.

This moment, and moments like it felt so familiar, reflections of your childhood. Jin had been taking care of you since your parents had first gone to jail when you were eight. Back then, you couldn’t look at him due to shame. The tall pre-teen with perfect grades and shining future had no reason to hang around with someone who bounced between relative to relative.

It never seemed to bother him, however, and it was that summer when you’d felt so alone that Jin first came to rescue you. In the years following, and many more summers with your parents simmering away in county jails, Jin taught you how to play basketball, let you be player one when you played Mario Kart, and dragged you on random adventures. Even now, as adults and with your own circles of friends, you still considered Jin to be your best friend.

“Look at you eat,” he scoffed, opening the last can of beer, “I should have grabbed two watermelons..”

Even if sometimes you wanted to kill him.

“There’s plenty left,” you said, taking a large and juicy bite, “you’ve just been focused on emptying your beer.”

Jin tapped his new can against yours, “Cheers to that.” He took a long sip, letting out an exaggerated sigh, “What I really need is a good party to get drunk at.”

“I doubt you have the time for that,” you say between bites of watermelon, discarding the rind for another slice, “Don’t you have another concert in like, a week?”

“There’s always time for a party,” Jin smiled at you, “You should come.”

“You don’t even know if you can find one!”

“Of course I’ll find one, I’m sure Jungkook could find us one.”

“We’ll be the oldest ones at a Jungkook party,” you smirk, “Well, you’ll be the oldest….”

“You wound me,” Jin put his hand to his chest, “and you’re avoiding the question.”

“I don’t think you actually asked me a question.” You took your final bite of watermelon, flavor exploding sweetly as juice spilled from the corner of your lips.

Jin leaned over, using his thumb to wipe away the mess you’d made on your face.

“If I find us a good party, will you come with me?”

Your heart stopped, Jin brought his thumb to his lips and sucked it clean of any juice. The moment was over in the blink an eye, but it had felt like a tiny eternity. Your breath had frozen painfully in your lungs and throat, and you had to cough to get your head thinking clearly again.

“Don’t be gross,” you mutter, wiping away at your mouth to try and erase the feeling of his skin. It’s while trying not to focus on Jin that you become aware of just how little your sleeping shirt actually covers. Butterflies enter your stomach, and while Jin’s distracted by the last slice of watermelon, you move your body slightly, just enough to let your shirt travel farther up your thighs. Will he notice?

He turns back to you, practically shoving the whole triangle of watermelon into his mouth,

“We’ve been sharing popsicles since the fourth grade,” he says while trying to swallow, “so stop avoiding the question and just agree to come to this party with me.”

“I’m not avoiding the question,” you huff, readjusting your shirt to cover more of your legs, “I’m just thinking.” Of course he didn’t look. It was a fact amongst friends that Kim Seokjin was a sucker for a great set of legs, but your set was something he’d never even blinked at.

“What’s there to think about?” Jin cleared away the beer cans and dirty plates to lay out on the table, his legs and arms spread as he let out an exaggerated breath, “you used to love going to parties.”

“I still like to party,” you mumble, rolling your beer can between your hands, “but I’ve been working..”

“Nope, not an excuse.” Jin cuts you off, turning his head to give you a credulous look, “if I can find the time and energy to get drunk with my friends, so can you.”

You wanted to tell him that you still went to parties, almost every weekend in fact. You wanted to tell him that Eun-bi and yourself would stay out til dawn some nights, leaving you hungover for most of the next day while you were at work. What you didn’t want to tell him was why you didn’t want to go with him. You didn’t want to explain to him that the last two times he’d asked you to go out and you’d left early had nothing to do with work or feeling sick. Most importantly, you didn’t want to tell him that while he only ever saw himself as your handsome big brother, you’d been in love with him for as long as you could remember.

“I guess I could go for a bit,” you down the last of your drink and throw it into the small pile of other discarded cans. You take your usual spot at Jin’s side, resting your head on his outstretched arm. A smile breaks across Jin’s face, rounding his cheeks and breaking your heart. Above all else, you didn’t want to go to a party with Jin in fear of what had happened four years ago.

Jin ushers you in closer to his side for a one-armed hug, completely oblivious to your hammering heart,

“That’s my girl.”

Turned out, Jin had no problem finding a party for the two of you to go to. It was on a Thursday, which happened to fall right between shifts, making it impossible for you to back out of. What was worse, all your other friends planned on attending the party as well, meaning one way or another you’d be dragged along.

“Why are you being such a stick in the mud?” Nayeon said, brushing out her long hair, “I don’t think I’ve ever had to ask you twice to come to a party.”

“It’s because Jin will be there,” Eun Bi sighed, patting at her lips to form the perfect cherry gradient, “she hates going to parties with him.”

“You’re attached to the hip every other day, why does it matter if you’ll be at a party?”

“There’s a million reasons I don’t want to go with him,” You say, zipping up the fourth dress you’ve tried on tonight. “For starters, the girls, do you know how many drinks have ‘accidently’ been spilled on me? Every girl sees me as a threat, even if they know how Jin and I work.”

“Can’t blame them,” Nayeon winked at your reflection, “You look great.”

You inspect your current outfit, a red velvet dress that’s practically a second skin, its off-the shoulder design shows off your delicate neckline and narrow shoulders as it plunges down your back.

“Shoes?” you question, turning slowly so your friends can get the full effect of the outfit, your long flowing hair, and smoky makeup.

“Heels, for sure,” Eun Bi nods her head with certainty.

“Those black ones you have, with the thin strap and thick heel.” Nayeon chimes in, jumping off the bed to search through your closet.

“You really think this is okay?”

“You look hot,” Nayeon brings the shoes over to you, “Who are you trying to impress?”

Her question makes you blush, “No one, I just have to keep up with everyone. I’ll probably be one of the only people there that isn’t an idol.”

“That’s not true!” Eun Bi shoos away the thought with her hand, “don’t be so critical, it’s just a bunch of people having a good time. Besides, you know most of them anyway.”

She was right about that, most of your friends over the years had either been through Eun Bi or Jin and his group members. And, if you were being honest with yourself, it wasn’t the idols that had been making you anxious about tonight, but your best friend.

“I still don’t get it,” Nayeon wined, finishing her hair and double checking her reflection, “If you and Jin are so close, why don’t you like going to parties with him? It can’t just be the girls.”

She’s right, it wasn’t just because of the girls, and if she and Eun Bi were going to be any help to you tonight, they needed to know why.

“Four years ago, Jin and I went to a party and got really drunk and…we kinda hooked up.”

Nayeon screamed, but Eun Bi was able to keep it to a simple jaw drop.

“Hooked up like, hooked up hooked up?” Eun Bi’s lips moved like a fish, eyes still wide with shock.

“I dunno, we made out. What counts?”

“That counts!” Nayeon came over and hit you on the shoulder, “Why have you never told us!?”

“It’s humiliating!”

“Making out with Kim Seokjin is hardly humiliating.” Eun Bi comes to slap your shoulder on the other side, “We’re your friends, we already know all the other embarrassing stuff about you!”

“You guys don’t get it,” you tried to dodge their barrage of slaps, “and cut that out, it hurts!”

Eun Bi gives you one final shove, causing you to go a bit off balance and to fall onto the bed.

“We’ve got twenty-five minutes until the boys get here, now spill.”

#Jin #Jin smut #bts smut #jin fanfic #bts fanfic #bts scenarios #jin scenarios #seokjin #kim seokjin #l'appel du vide #fan fiction #kpop scenarios #kpop fanfiction

36 notes · View notes

ares3beck-blog · 7 years

Text

“Chris, you and I need to talk about a few things.”

Chris paused, one hand over a vacuum packed tray of food (spaghetti, which was his favorite even though it tasted nothing like it did back on Earth.) His original greeting of ‘Heya, Commander’ had been ignored, which he hadn’t taken personally - afterwards he’d noticed the headphones Lewis had on as she sat at the table, and he’d had taken that as a clear ‘don’t bother me.’ Apparently, though, she had something that she wanted to address with him.

“Sure.”

Following through with his original intentions, Chris opened up his tray of food and popped it into the microwave for a minute. While his food heated up, he grabbed himself a bottle of water, and a fork.

“Mark’s asleep right now,” he continued. He assumed that whatever it was that Lewis needed to talk to him about involved Mark in one way or another, and so he started giving her a rundown or his progress. “I had to give him something to put him out. He didn’t get a lot of rest last night, and he really needs it. His ribs are still hurting, and his coughing isn’t helping.”

He sees Melissa nod slowly, considering it all. “He's going to be okay. I trust you,” she said, which made Chris’s shoulders relax just a little. When had they become tense in the first place? “And the doctors at NASA say the same when they email me. Just-” She broke off, shook her head. “...But along with what you were saying- and I don't like this, either- the psych team wanted me to make sure that you have all medications locked down. Only you and I should have access.”

Chris tightened his jaw - he knew about that. He’d gotten the email, too. He just didn’t like what the implications were, and the awful possibilities that it inspired in his tired mind. Mark was most definitely not in the best of shape, and his condition was far from excellent, but he wasn’t suicidal. Not as far as Chris could tell. And he was looking. He’s hyper aware of every move Mark makes, every meal eaten and water pack drained. There’ve been no warning signs, otherwise Chris would have brought it to Lewis’s attention immediately, and she knows it. So rather than answer (really, what would be say to that anyhow?) Chris nods and opens the microwave just as it rings out an alert.

Lewis broke the silence between them with a sigh just as Chris took up a seat across from her at the table. “But that's not anything I think we need to worry about. He seems to be doing well, and I know we can deal with what's going to come. We can't fix that until it happens, so right now, I'm worried about you.”

“Me?” Chris paused for a moment, caught stirring his pasta and sauce together with his fork. His shoulders and neck were tense all over again. “Why?”

“You're not taking care of yourself, and believe it or not, you're just as important to this mission. And to me. You're working yourself ragged, and I don't want to see you burn yourself out when we could be helping you take care of Mark.”

Chris isn’t entirely surprised by the statements made; he knows she’s right. He is exhausted, and ‘burnt out’ is a fantastic way to describe his current state. He feels his face warm up under her intense gaze, and clears his throat around the lump that’s formed there.

“I just,” he began, continuing to stir his food absently, “feel like I’m right where I need to be. This is my job. I’m supposed to keep everyone on board healthy - and I couldn’t prevent this bout of pneumonia, but...I need to make sure I see Mark through his recovery. I’ll be alright, commander.”

“You've been doing your job phenomenally well, Chris.” Lewis said. “I've seen you work, and I know you'll make all the right calls. Everything you've been doing so far has been the right thing to do. This isn't your fault. We can all see that.” In a rare moment of physical affection, she reached over the table and squeezed his free hand, offering a slight smile.

“I'm speaking as your friend here, not as your commander. Can you trust me on that?” She continued, and Chris met her eyes. “I know this has been incredibly hard on you. I know how rough it can be, seeing someone you care so much about so vulnerable. But I swear to you, it's okay to take a break. Hit the gym, go watch a movie...something. You just have to get out of that room. I'll take your place. Please? I'm worried about you.”

Her sincerity was touching, and Chris can’t help but smile back and nod. She’s right about him needing to get out of that room. It was becoming claustrophobic inside of such a tiny bunk shared with another grown person, and he can’t even imagine how Mark feels about the whole thing. But Mark is sleeping. And Chris wouldn’t mind going to the gym and running a few miles on the treadmill. Maybe he’d get in a quick yoga session. Something to help him not think for a while.

He did wonder, though, as Melissa pulled her hand away, just how much she knew about him and his feelings for Mark. Did she know, or did she just see them as friends? Which they were. Of course. But...a part of Chris couldn’t help but wonder if Lewis was on to him. If she is, she’d never say anything as long as Chris keeps things professional - he knows that much. So he tries not to worry, and instead gives her hand a brief squeeze and says, “Thank you, commander.”

They pulled apart, and after a comfortable while of silence between them, the earlier stress starts to slowly ebb as Chris eats. He’s nearly done with his meal when Melissa speaks up again. “I think it’s a good idea for the crew,” she said, “and myself to be more involved in Mark’s recovery process. I know I can't be the only one feeling guilty about it all.”

That made Chris look up in surprise, briefly making eye contact with Melissa before they both shift their gazes elsewhere, something heavy and unspoken suddenly weighing them down.

“We want to help, however we can.” Melissa continued. “For you, it's medical. The rest of us don't have that. But we can at least hold his hand and say it'll be okay. Give us that.”

Chris thinks about that. “It’s not just medical...I…” He swallows. It’s suddenly a difficult task to complete. “I can’t stop thinking… I pronounced him dead. I was the one who called it, and we left because of that. I know the facts, and I know that I couldn’t have known any better. Logically, I understand that. But emotionally? I just...can’t stop blaming myself for this whole situation. For leaving him behind. For all of his suffering, which I can’t even ease now. Now that he’s here…”

“Now that he's here, we can find a way.” Chris glances up just as Melissa shifts her gaze down to her hands. She bites her lip. “I know this won't help, as much as I want it to. And I know I can't claim to know how you feel. You made that call, so you're the only one who knows what that position is like. That also means you're the one who has to find a way to live with it. But I can say I understand what that feels like.” She glances up, briefly. “Because I'm the one that confirmed your call. I'm the one who decided to go ahead with the evacuation. And that puts me with just as much blame.”

Chris isn’t sure how to respond to that for a long time. He knows that he isn’t the only one feeling like it’s all their fault. He’s thought of this before - if he feels like absolute garbage for making that call, then how must Lewis have felt, listening to him and following his recommendation that they leave Mark’s body behind? How hard must it be to sleep at night, knowing that you left one of your charges behind? Because Chris hasn’t had one restful night’s sleep in over eighteen months. He imagines it must be the same for Lewis.

“He doesn’t blame you, you know? For leaving. He’s said that a million times.”

It takes a while before she responds. Chris is getting used to the pauses between them as their exchange continues. It’s not an easy conversation to have with her, or anyone for that matter, but he feels lighter somehow, just by speaking the words.

“It's like you said,” Lewis finally begins again, “logically, I know that. And I know that I would want the rest of you to do the same, if it had been me out there. But that just doesn't help, does it? It's one thing to know it, and another to, I don't know, feel it? We just have to watch out for each other. One way or another, we’ll get through it. We always do.”

Chris considers the magnitude of their situation. The first space mission to turn around and make another trip without scheduled maintenance. The first u-turn in space, as Martinez likes to call it. The first space rescue. Mark surviving eighteen months alone on a planet that can’t even host life. It’s one extreme after another, and yet now...here they are, peacefully coasting back to Earth with all six passengers. It’s wondrous.

The crew would pull through, like always. The guilt would ease, in time. Mark would heal, with some help. They would be home soon, and they can finally start to move past this period in their lives where Murphey’s Law royally screwed them over. Lewis’s calm positivity comforted him in a way that he didn’t know he’d been craving, and he breathed out slowly and nodded. “Aye, Commander.”

Another break in conversation envelops them, and they spend a few careful minutes just sitting in silence, observing different parts of the room. Eventually, Chris clears his throat to speak once more, as he slowly pushes himself up out of his seat. “I think I’ll go to the gym after all. For an hour, maybe an hour and a half. Mark’s resting, so...he should be okay. You’ll...you’ll call me, if he needs something?”

Melissa smiles, seeming relieved, and gives a brief nod. “Sure.”

#narrative #the martian #the martian rp #chris beck #melissa lewis #mark watney

25 notes · View notes

espanakatie-blog · 7 years

Text

3 marzo

Okay, so now it’s been a really really long time since I’ve written. Sorry about that. In my defense, I wasn’t doing anything that new or exciting until Italy this past weekend. And my converter didn’t work in Italy so my laptop was muerto (dead). Since nothing of superb interest has happened since my last writing and Italy, I’ll just write about Italy (my very first solo trip!)

Day 1: Sevilla > Bologna

I got to the airport early because in America that’s what you do for international flights. Show up even earlier than normal. But I went to check in and the woman behind the counter (not so) nicely told me the Bologna flight wasn’t open yet so I should sit and wait off to the side. So I did, where I listened another (not so) nice couple bicker. Eventually I got to check in behind what I’m 95% certain was a sugar daddy/sugar baby situation. For a sugar daddy he was pretty cheap, flying Ryanair and all. In any case, I checked in and got through security to find that they wouldn’t announce where my gate was until about 40-45 minutes before take-off. This is a quality I’ve found happens more often than I realized and becomes particularly annoying for someone accustomed to waiting at their gate. All is fine though, I made it on time and got my seat.

While I was waiting for my flight, however, I was starting to wonder if I was going to regret traveling by myself. I was sitting next to a group of girls flying to Bologna as a group, excited for their girls’ weekend. I was pondering how comfortable I was really going to be alone for the weekend. Luckily, I finished a book right before going to Bologna called “What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding” by Kristin Newman. It’s a memoir about all her travel stories, group trips and alone, while all her friends were settling down and having kids. This book played a much larger role in my psyche during this trip than I expected. On a vacation to Russia with a friend, Newman describes being the only person at the dinner table unable to speak Russian. She felt out of place, but learned how important it was to be okay with just your own thoughts. I remembered this and tried my best to channel Kristin Newman. So, I got on the plane and went to Bologna.

Day 2: Bologna

I soon discovered that my converter didn’t work in Italy. So, I spent the first part of my morning walking around Bologna in hopes of coming across a store that would have converters (and a new phone charger because mine so conveniently broke while trying to charge my phone from what was left of my laptop battery!). It was a bit chilly (but manageable) in Bologna that day. While I was comfortable in a light cardigan, Italians were piled in layers upon layers and scarves and looked at me like I was crazy. I think they’re the crazy ones. Just yesterday I walked to the store by my apartment without a coat, while a Spanish woman wore a winter parka. Whatever your body is adjusted to, I suppose.

Anyway, my first day was nice but slightly boring as I bought lunch and went back to my hostel to eat it. I overestimated the amount of English speaking there would be in my hostel. As English is the lingua franca, I assumed people would speak it with each other in the hostel. While it would make an appearance sometimes, most people spoke Italian with each other while I was there. So I ate my lunch by myself and took a siesta because I am very adjusted to Spanish hours. This would come to bite me in the butt when it came to dinner. I stopped getting hungry for dinner before 8:30 PM, but a lot of restaurants in Bologna closed around 9. I ended up eating some middle eastern food because that’s how I am as a person. Goes to Italy, land of some of the greatest food in this world, and ate some of the greatest food in the world from somewhere else.

Now, I have been sick for quite some time now. But I had improved and just had a slight cough. However, in Bologna I conveniently got my deep, guttural cough again. It was worse when I was lying in bed and I think it’s because of the position I was in. Walking around I wouldn’t even notice that I had a cough because it wasn’t that often. I could tell the people sharing the room with me weren’t thrilled with my coughing but what can you do? I tried my best to suppress it, I took meds, I drank a lot of water, and still I was coughing. Oh, and my left ear was completely plugged up.

Day 3: Bologna

I decided to do the things you’re supposed to do in Bologna because the weather was better, I had a charged phone, and I was ready for what the day would bring me. I started by going to the tower in Bologna, to get the best view overlooking all of Bologna. I underestimated quite how tall it would be. I’m glad that this tour was hard for everyone, and I wasn’t just another out of shape American. And because the tower was made when people were much smaller, SOME STAIRS WERE EXTREMELY SMALL. I climbed all 29 stories (in 5-7 minutes might I add) to get an incredible view of Bologna. The climb was well worth it, but I would recommend bringing a bottle of water. After the tower I got one of the best slices of pizza I’ve ever had in my life in a nearby shop. It was gigantic and just two euros. I sat on the curb of the street and tried to take in that I was in Italy, by myself, eating a slice of pizza, and just had the most incredible view of Bologna. I was getting up to start finding the hidden canal views in Bologna when I was approached by a man who wanted me to buy him food. I could barely hear him and started to wish I knew any obscure language so I could’ve pretended to not understand him. Or that I was a man. Because men don’t deal with the creepy old men. I told him I had to go and used the best RBF that I have to seem more unapproachable to anyone else who would try to do the same.

Anyway, I started to look for the little canal views and found a few. My favorite is this little window in the street that has a view of the canal and some houses built along the sides. I also tried to do things in the old Jewish ghetto, but everything was closed. By the time I got to the Jewish museum I realized it was a Saturday (you know, the holy Sabbath day) and nothing was going to be open in the old Jewish ghetto.

I came back for another siesta and walked around Bologna and I settled for a bowl of spaghetti alla carbonara and I couldn’t even finish it. I can’t tell if it was because it was so rich or because the last time I got spaghetti alla carbonara I had awful food poisoning and threw up 14 times throughout the night :-). Luckily this time, I kept everything down.

Day 4: Bologna > Venice

I bought a train ticket to Venice the night before and set an alarm for 7 AM so I could walk to the train station (about a 25 minute walk) with plenty of time to eat breakfast and get ready. I don’t know if I slept through my alarm because of my plugged ear or if I was so tired that I don’t remember turning it off, but I didn’t wake up on times. I think my train was at 9:00, and I woke up at 8:35. Which was the time I needed to leave the hostel to just (barely) make it on time for the train. So I hopped out of bed, changed as fast as I could, grabbed my stuff and ran out the door. I basically sped walk/ran to the train station and made it with 2 minutes to spare before the train left. The perfectly manicured Europeans didn’t seem to thrilled with my makeup-less face and unbrushed hair. I did my makeup on the train, where someone sitting next to me asked if I have bronchitis. I think. He said something like bronchitia. I told him I don’t speak Italian (in English, lol). He, his wife, and the person next to me went on to say something in Italian and then laugh. Love it. I now have to try to make an appointment for the doctor here because I may or may not have acute bronchitis.

I got to Venice and entered a state of absolute euphoria. I have wanted to go to Venice since before I can remember, and I was finally there. I ate a lot of dessert that day too, which definitely helped. After finding out a gondola ride would cost me 80 euros, I was taken aback a little. But during lunch, I remembered that Kristin Newman says to always do the thing you’re supposed to do in the place you’re supposed to do it. That little piece of encouragement reminded me that my fantasy of being in Venice ALWAYS included a gondola ride, and I was gonna ride in a gondola even if it killed me. I went to the nearby gondola stop and got my own private gondola ride. My gondola person (driver? captain? what do you call these people?) told me a few facts about Venice in a thick Italian accent that I did not always understand, but I just nodded and gave a few “oohs” and “ahhs.” I am sure I am in at least 80 photos from my one ride, as every tourist took a picture of this gondola going down the canal. At one bridge, we came across my gondola person’s friend where they said something, and then his friend said hello to me and blew me a kiss. Again, I awkwardly wished I was a man because he was probably in his thirties. This kind of stuff only happens to me outside of America. I’m starting to question if foreigners are just that much more vocal or if American boys don’t appreciate the absolute beauty that I am (lol, I can sometimes be modest...ish).

I got off the gondola ride and walked around a little more and got gelato so I could sit on the edge of the canal in peace and soak in all that was Venice. I was in a more quiet part of Venice and I was feeling such bliss. It was carnaval in Venice and it was PACKED. Some of the main bridges took three to five minutes to cross because there were SOOOO many people. I would really love to come back when there are less people and take a more detailed, historical tour of Venice. But, I was content just buying a cookie and sitting by the edge of the canal watching gondolas go by. I know now you’re thinking, “Katie, that’s a lot of pasta, pizza, and dessert you’re eating. How did you manage?” Let me just tell you there are quite a lot more stairs than I had anticipated basically everywhere I went in Italy. I walked about 10 miles everyday because I didn’t take public transportation anywhere (except the trains between cities) and I think it’s fine and I encourage you to do the same. Indulge in all the beautiful Italian carbs because you’ll be walking everywhere anyway.

Before I left I grabbed a latte from a cafe and people watched by the canal. Kristin Newman talks about how she longed to be the girl who could sit alone in a cafe at Paris and enjoyed it. She did, and I’m glad she wrote about it because it inspired me to be that same girl, just in Venice.

Now this is when I discovered just how annoying the whole delayed announcement of where the gates/platforms is. They announced where the train would be not too much before the train was scheduled to leave, and people were RUNNING. It was HOARDS of people running toward the train. I didn’t think much of it because I was like “I don’t need any specific seat, I’ll be fine” and luckily got a seat. However, there were people standing in the aisle for the two hour train ride back to Bologna. I didn’t realize how packed the train was, and that’s why people were running.

When I got back to Bologna it was after 9 PM and the only thing that was open was an American diner by my hostel. I went in and soon discovered they had several hot sauces, that when combined, was HEAVEN. FINALLY SOME SPICE IN MY LIFE. It was magical, it was beautiful, and my life had changed for the better.

Day 5: Bologna > San Marino (?)

I woke up and decided I wanted to go to the Republic of San Marino. Unbeknownst to me, the Republic of San Marino and San Marino are not synonymous. I bought train tickets to get to what I thought was the Republic of San Marino. It would take 2 train changes to get there, and I thought I got it down. I missed my second train though, because the platform was “pf” which was not a real place? So I went to customer service to get a new train ticket and they didn’t say anything about the fact that the Republic of San Marino and San Marino are different, leaving me to not think anything was wrong. On my second train, the conductor scanned my ticket and asked “You are trying to go to the Republic of San Marino?” and I said “yes.” He chuckled and the rest of the conversation went like this:

Conductor: You’re on the wrong train

Me: I’m going to get off at the end of the Bassano del Grappa stop and from there would go to San Marino

Conductor: No no, the Republic of San Marino doesn’t have a train station. That San Marino is a small town of about 50 houses and nothing else. I don’t think you want to go there

Me: Oh

Conductor: A lot of tourists make this mistake

Me: So what should I do?

Conductor: To go to the Republic of San Marino, you need to go back to Padova, get a train to Bologna and from there you can take a train and then a bus to the Republic. Where are you staying in Italy?

Me: Bologna...

Conductor: [chuckles]

Me: Yeah...

Conductor: What did you want to do in the Republic of San Marino?

Me: Just walk around, see what it’s like

Conductor: By the time you get there, it’ll be 5-6 PM. You can get off at Bassano del Grappa, the last stop of this train. It’s a very nice town.

Me: Okay, I’ll do that instead then. Thank you.

So, that is how I bought a ticket to the wrong San Marino but ended up in Bassano del Grappa. This was the best thing I could’ve done for myself. I fell in love with Bassano del Grappa. I felt such a euphoric bliss in Bassano del Grappa, even more than I had felt in Venice. The best part about this mix up was that I got to decide on a whim to see Bassano del Grappa. I didn’t have to check in with anyone to see what they wanted to do, I did whatever I wanted to do when I got there, and no one was complaining. I walked past a cafe in Bassano del Grappa, and just walked in! There was no “do you want to eat here? Do you want to keep looking?” I just chose what I wanted. I spent an unnecessary amount of time by the river skipping rocks and no one could get annoyed with me for being happiest by the water. I walked wherever I wanted, bought tickets to whatever museums I thought were interesting, and I was happy to just walk around and see what Bassano del Grappa had to offer. I already started planning a trip back in my head, maybe with some family. I know where I want to stay, for how long, and what I want to do. Bassano del Grappa was hands down the best mistake I made and my favorite part of the whole trip. And there were no creepy men!

Day 6: Bologna

It was my last day in Bologna, and I tried to do things in the old Jewish ghetto but it started to rain and I didn’t want to have sopping wet stuff in my bags so I hung out in my hostel. I got another gigantic slice of pizza for two euros and was extremely happy about it. I ate one last cannoli in the Bologna airport and headed home.

I’m so glad I had this adventure alone. I honestly came back feeling more confident, even with it being just a couple days. I learned in those few days how to be comfortable with just the company of myself and my own thoughts. I’m capable of solo travel and I owe a big thank you to Kristin Newman for being an idol for how to do it. And a thank you to my mom for buying to book for me. And everyone who gave me money for travel for making this trip financially possible.

#travel #study abroad #italy #bologna #venice #venezia #bassano del grappa #solo travel #adventure #kristin newman #what i was doing while you were breeding

2 notes · View notes

instantdeerlover · 4 years

Text

Where To Have Your Birthday Dinner added to Google Docs

Where To Have Your Birthday Dinner

Birthdays are different for everyone. Some people will micromanage every detail of an entire weekend, and others will request to crawl into a hole with the lights off and play Enya on loop until the day is over. No matter how you choose to celebrate another lap around the sun, you and your friends will have to eat at some point. Here’s where to go.

THe spots Emily Kan Waypoint $ $ $ $ Seafood in Cambridge , Harvard Square $$$$ 1030 Massachusetts Ave 8.7 /10

Walking into a dark room and having friends and family yell “Surprise!” can be pretty lame three consecutive years in a row. Convince them to take you to Waypoint in Harvard Square instead, where there are much better surprises. There’s a lot of seafood on the menu, but none of it is what you would expect. Order the tuna crudo, and it’ll come on an unleavened curry chickpea pancake. The salmon steak is served with what looks like a sauce but is actually creamed bitter greens. Each dish will keep everyone guessing, and that’s definitely safer when the lights are turned on.

Natalie Schaefer Ilona $ $ $ $ Mediterranean in Roxbury , South End $$$$ 783 Tremont Street 8.5 /10

Dressing up for your birthday can be fun, but velvet sport coats and vintage fuschia dresses can feel out of place at your neighborhood Legal Seafood. That’s why you should head to Ilona, a beautiful high-end Mediterranean spot in the South End. You’ll fit right in with the pink suede seats, and you and your well-dressed friends can also enjoy some great mezze plates, like tempura-style eggplant and fresh pasta stuffed with lamb.

Lolita Cocina $ $ $ $ Mexican in Back Bay $$$$ 271 Dartmouth St Not

Rated

Yet

You can only celebrate your birthday once a year (unless you’re the type that also celebrates half-birthdays), so you should make that day special. At Lolita Cocina in Back Bay, you can sip tequila and eat habanero chicken quesadillas with a side of flavored cotton candy in what is essentially a dungeon with metal bars and extravagant chandeliers. That should be drastically different to how you spend the other 364 days of the year, unless you live in a medieval castle or moonlight at Restoration Hardware.

Natalie Schaefer Neptune Oyster $ $ $ $ Seafood in North End $$$$ 63 Salem St 8.5 /10

For those Enya-types, Neptune Oyster may be the perfect reprieve on your birthday. It’s one of the best places to eat in the city, but more importantly, it’s so small that it significantly decreases the chance that you’ll run into someone you know. Sit at the bar, order a whole platter of raw seafood, and listen to the soaring violins until your birthday is over and all is right with the world again.

Tina Picz Tanám $ $ $ $ Filipino in Somerville , Union Square $$$$ 1 Bow Market Way 9.0 /10

If you have nine non-imaginary friends that you wouldn’t mind spending two hours eating with on your birthday, count yourself luckier than Wall-E . You and those nine friends should also reserve the whole table at Tanám on kamayan night, where you can have a communal meal of pork belly, lobster, and fried chicken. Better yet, you can also order cocktails like the Pandan Punch with coconut-infused rum and coconut milk. There’s no better private dining experience in the city.

Sorry—looks like you screwed up that email address

INFATUATION NEWSLETTER Get our newest guides & reviews first,

plus more restaurant intel you won't find anywhere else. ATL ATX BOS CHI LDN LA MIA NYC PHL SF SEA DC Subscribe Smart move. Excellent information will arrive in your inbox soon. Do you have friends and family who also eat food? Enter their emails below and we’ll make sure they’re eating well. (Don’t worry, we won’t subscribe them to our newsletter - they can do that themselves.) Help Your Friends No Thanks Well done. You’re a good person. All good. We still like you. Want to quickly find restaurants on the go? Download The Infatuation app. Tina Picz Boston Chops $ $ $ $ Steaks in Downtown , Downtown Crossing $$$$ 52 Temple Pl 7.8 /10

Sometimes you want a night at a fancy, dark steakhouse where you can pretend you’re very important. Boston Chops at Downtown Crossing provides exactly that, along with a lot of mirrors and other reflective surfaces for you to look upon all the plebeians who don’t have a birthday to celebrate. Obviously you need to eat steak here (the 18 oz. bone-in ribeye would be a good choice), but the fish and pasta dishes are well-executed too.

Marliave $ $ $ $ French in Downtown , Downtown Crossing $$$$ 10 Bosworth St Not

Rated

Yet

This Downtown Crossing restaurant is a throwback to a time when most people only went out to dinner for really special occasions and then spent all night describing the oysters as the bee’s knees. Whether you want to use 1920s slang when you’re in here is up to you, but regardless you should still get the oysters and duck liver ravioli. It’s particularly great to have your birthday here if you’re the type of person who’s celebrated turning 29 more than once, because you can take comfort in the fact that Marliave is way older than you.

Trillium Brewing $ $ $ $ American , Bar Food in Fort Point , Seaport District $$$$ 50 Thomson Place 8.0 /10

Trillium in Forth Point easily could have kept their focus solely on the beer - some of the best in the world - and this would still be a worthwhile destination. But they actually put effort into the food too, making this one of the best all-around restaurants in the city (try the bone marrow if you don’t believe us). They’ve got plenty of room for all your friends, and a roof deck for when the weather’s nice. So come here and drink much better beer than whatever you had on your 21st birthday.

Natalie Schaefer Sarma $ $ $ $ Mediterranean in Somerville , Winter Hill $$$$ 249 Pearl St 8.8 /10

No one wants to feel lonely on their birthday. If you go to Sarma, a Mediterranean restaurant in Winter Hill that’s packed every night, loneliness is definitely not going to be a problem. There’s a big menu here, but even if you explore only a small part of it you’ll be fine - the flavors of each dish are so intense you’ll be satisfied after only a few plates. We recommend starting with the lamb sliders, and then keeping an eye out on the specials that are carried around the dining room on trays.

Emily Kan Alden & Harlow $ $ $ $ American in Cambridge , Harvard Square $$$$ 40 Brattle St 8.0 /10

The good news about celebrating with a big group at a great small plates place is that you get to order everything on the menu. The bad news is that you might only get one bite of each thing. Luckily, this place in Harvard Square also has one of the best cocktail menus around, so you can handle your conflicted emotions with alcohol. Get the rabbit, tuna, and definitely enjoy a few of those drinks. This is a big, fun restaurant that’s almost always buzzing, so feel free to stand up at the table and sing Happy Birthday to yourself - it’ll just add to the atmosphere.

Natalie Schaefer Pagu $ $ $ $ Japanese , Spanish , Fusion , Tapas in Cambridge , Central Square $$$$ 310 Massachusetts Avenue 8.7 /10

If it was our birthday, we’d wrangle 10 friends and reserve the suckling pig roast at this fun Central Square spot. But if the people in your group are picky, this place also serves Japanese food, Spanish food, and New England food all under one roof, so you won’t feel guilty forcing a whole pig onto anyone’s plate. There’s also a good cocktail list here featuring drinks made with Japanese ingredients like matcha and persimmon.

Natalie Schaefer Yvonne's Supper Club $ $ $ $ American in Downtown $$$$ 2 Winter Place Not

Rated

Yet

The dining room in this Downtown Crossing spot is big enough to host an entire steamship’s worth of robber barons - and it looks the part. You may not have as much money as Cornelius Vanderbilt, but you can pretend you do when you split a ribeye steak. It’s pricey, but that makes it an even better place to hit up on the one day of the year when you’re definitely not the one paying.

Natalie Schaefer Uni $ $ $ $ Japanese in Back Bay $$$$ 370 Commonwealth Ave 8.6 /10

If you’re the type who might feel guilty about ordering a single spoonful of food that costs $16, then save Uni for your birthday when you can slurp down this mixture of quail egg, sea urchin, and caviar with zero shame. This Back Bay izakaya is a fun, sceney spot that works for either dinner or late-night ramen after you finish at the bars. Luckily, you can usually get a reservation the day before, so even if you’ve been pretending that your birthday isn’t actually coming, Uni’s an excellent option.

via The Infatuation Feed https://www.theinfatuation.com/boston/guides/best-birthday-restaurants-boston Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://trello.com/userhuongsen

Created February 27, 2020 at 11:28PM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

0 notes

onewheelneil · 6 years

Text

Spain last day

Today I was lazy and didn't get out of bed till 11:30. I did my morning routine and started walking towards another art museum that looked interesting. On the way I stopped at a restaurant that had a take out station where I got a yoghurt cup with bits of fruit in it a slice of lemon cake and a chocolate croissant. It was delicious and I ate it all up. The fruit and yoghurt had strawberry jam mixed in with the yoghurt which I thought was interesting. I was eating outside which was nice but there were a lot of brave pigeons walking around me with the occasional flying right onto the table but I quickly shooed them away. After I finished I was right around the corner from the museum. I entered the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum and bought my ticket where they told me a Picasso and Lautrec temporary exhibit just opened up. I was excited now. Only thing was I wasn't allowed to take photos in here as well. I got a little pamphlet with the paintings in it so I'll take photos of that. The other temporary exhibit was a hands on one. It was called a lesson in art and it had different pieces on shy learning about art at a young age is important. One was a really cool light show on ribbons hanging from the ceiling. Once I had seen the temporary exhibits I went to the main collection. They had 3 floors of paintings starting with the old masters in the 12th century and then ending with modern 20th century art. They had everything you could think of. Every famous painter in each period with a vast variety of styles. It was incredible and never boring. They even had a Jackson pollock which I think is pretty good for a Spanish museum. All the plaques describing the paintings were in Spanish and English so I could actually know what the name of the painting was. I loved it and on the ground floor they had three Rodin sculptures. It was a very well put together museum and I enjoyed it immensely. After I was finished I then walked over to the museum of archeology which had artifacts from all over Spain. It started with mankind's start about 1.2 million years ago when the first ancestors of our species started immigrating out of Africa into Europe and the Iberian peninsula. It went along the years teaching the readers all about the different ages and the different empires of the olden times. Then it got all the way to modern times and minting of currencies. It was a very interesting museum with lots of statues and pottery and jewelry. Anything you could think of that you would find at an archeological site was here. It was also very well organized as well. Once I finished I was starting to get hungry but not many restaurants were open at this time so I went back to my room to relax. Once it was later in the day around 6:30 I went out in search for dinner. I went out of my hostel a different way and found a very nice Mediterranean restaurant. It had a very nice menu and was very affordable. I went inside being the only customer I was seated immediately (it was still early in Spanish culture for dinner). I got a beer which was all it said on the menu "beer" no brand name or anything. It was very tasty with a creamy foam so I knew it was nitro injected. It was a pale beer but couldn't decipher if it was a lager or a pale ale. Anyway I ordered the pesto gnocchi and they also gave me olives to munch on while I waited. Soon enough my gnocchi came out with a perfect amount of pesto (I like a lot of pesto on my pasta) and some Parmesan to sprinkle on top. I ate happily and enjoyed the wonderful creation that is pesto and gnocchi. It was so good I don't think I breathed between bites. Once I finished I was still a little hungry so I ordered their "home-made cheesecake". I couldn't resist the temptation. They also had homemade apple strudel which I wish I could go back and try. It came out shortly with dollops of strawberry jam around it. The cheesecake was unimaginably good. The best cheesecake I have ever had at a restaurant by far. It was so creamy and delicious and taking a little bit of strawberry jam with it made it so good as well. Honestly it was perfect without the jam but who doesn't like a little strawberry with their cheesecake (I used to not like berries growing up but now I love em). Once I finished the last bite I wanted to order another one but I knew I wouldn't finish it so I paid for my dinner. It only came out to 15 euros which I was surprised about. Once I was finished paying I said my tanks and went on my way back to the hostel. Tonight was my last night in Spain as tonight I would be heading to Lisbon Portugal. Once I got back to my hostel I had an hour to relax before I packed all my things and checked out of my hostel. I then took the subway all the way to my train station that I would be leaving from. 15 stops later I got to the train station found my platform and found my seat since I couldn't get a sleeper. Oh well last overnight train of this trip so I won't complain. I settled into my seat and fell fast asleep. Thanks for reading!

0 notes

hellojasonisaacs · 7 years

Text

Kilometres walked – 27.2

Podcasts listened to – 5

Sandfly bites – 1000000

Sunburn sustained – 3rd degree (sorry Mum)

New Zealand’s ‘Sun City’ didn’t get off to too hot a start, the walk to the Geographical Centre of New Zealand boasted views of green and grey and my hopes weren’t high as the forecast for the next four days in the place was similar. I needn’t have worried I soon fulfilled my destiny of being sunburned everywhere I go. Worst hit was my hairline and left eyelid, where a blister formed along my lashline. Who puts suncream on their eyelids anyway? How is this not a more common complaint?

The hostel was an odd one, and started the unbreakable streak of be lumped with the top bunks. ‘Lump’ is certainly the word to describe this mattress; it had a massive dip in the middle of the kind you get stuck in and have to sleep in the position you fall into it in. The German girls in my room were working in the hostel and had a definite open-door policy until I got up and slammed the it in the early hours of the morning. As the future posts in this blog will show the trip turned me into even more of a passive-aggressive anti-social bitch than I was before. I HATE HOSTELLING.

With no regard to my father’s advice to ‘make friends’ on the trip I tried my best to be polite but not encourage conversation and doing the same was the biggest man I have ever seen. He was German and the other people in the hostel had dubbed him ‘The Mountain’ from Game of Thrones but I swear he was bigger. Very nice guy though, also met him in Punakaiki, Greymouth and Franz Josef, I feel like talking to him outside the buses gave me a sort of status like ‘don’t mess with me I have massive friends’. Dinner was usually me, The Mountain and silence but I was eating the British classic of Heinz spaghetti and toast one night which attracted the attention of a horrified Italian guy who heavily judged me for eating a disgrace to pasta. I heavily judged him and he must have noticed me suspiciously eyeing his puffy red eyes, he claimed conjunctivitis, I claim bullshit, he was high af.

The ‘sun’ part of the city’s slogan came out with a vengeance the first full day and walking up the main street I was oddly reminded of Europe. The up-market cafes and restaurants with awning and outdoor seating would have fit right into central Budapest, and the Saturday market was heaving with locals. Nelson is definitely a good place to live permanently even if its not packed with stuff for travellers and tourists to do. One of the weirdest things Nelson has got going for it is The World of Wearable Arts museum. A selection of the costumes from the yearly fashion show are displayed in an eerily dark and still exhibition which I wouldn’t recommend going to alone. You could film a really traumatic Doctor Who episode in there. Nevertheless the imagination and craft that goes into each piece in impressive, the video of the show doesn’t portray the huge scale and extravagance of some of the items.

My favourite place in Nelson and my favourite beach in all of New Zealand was a 10 km round trip walking from the hostel but I’d do it again and again for Tahunanui. I spent so much time there I’ve seen it in all weathers. Blinding sun, hence sunburned eyelid and ankles shredded by sandflies, driving rain, ruined a pair of shoes too too early for a three week trip, and a wind that lifted the soft sand a foot of the ground in great waves, I was safer standing in the sea while the sand competed with sandflies for which could most effectively destroy my skin. I walked up and down, paddling, plugged into my iPod (The Kermode and Mayo Film Review podcast), happily petting random dogs, occasionally sitting down to read a bit (Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel), and it was just generally perfect. For all the negativity of this blog post I loved it all.

Tahunanui – silver sands

Nelson main street – continental

Stormy sunset over an island

Tahunanui – perfect but WINDY

Nelson City Kilometres walked - 27.2 Podcasts listened to - 5 Sandfly bites - 1000000 Sunburn sustained - 3rd degree (sorry Mum)

#new zealand #nz #roadtrip #travel

0 notes