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doitforbangchan · 3 months

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All Bark and No Bite 05

We're finally getting into some drama in this one (Yes i know it took forever) please enjoy!

Masterlist

Series masterlist

Chan x reader (y/n) x ot8

ABO!Nonidol!SKZ Alternate Universe

Previous - Next

Series Warnings: Fem reader, Smut, verryyyy nsfw, chan x reader, OT8 x reader, A/B/O, m/m/f smut, possessive! SKZ, possessive! Reader, anxiety and depression, reader is a CRYBABY, fluff, angst, virgin!reader, cursing, violence, pet names, dom/sub dynamics, Sub reader x mostly dom SKZ, misogyny and sexism, Ateez are depicted as terrible people (sorry Atiny!)

Chapter warnings: Suggestive, ABO, reader in heat, cursing, pet names, manipulation?

WC: 3k

MDNI 18+

Disclaimer: The names and faces used here are just that, names and faces, and in no way reflect the real people the characters were designed after. The views and actions of these characters do not reflect the real Stray Kids in any way shape or form. This is all for fun let’s keep it that way please.

There was an intense warmth covering your back when you awoke the next morning. It was so comforting you almost lulled back to sleep. That is until you heard a raspy voice in your ear,

“Good morning, Omega.”

Chan

“Mmm” you grumbled, too caught up in his warmth.

He smiled into your hair and pressed a kiss to the back of your head. You felt tingles all over your body at his affection.

It was still hard to believe yesterday even happened. It feels like a fever dream, one you never wanted to wake from. You dug yourself further into the alpha's embrace, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

You feel weird today. Still so, so happy, but there's an oddness you can’t quite place your finger on. All you know is that Chan being here is so comforting to you.

“How did you sleep, baby?” He kept his voice low, he himself still riddled with sleep.

You yawned, “Wonderful, Chan. I don’t think I have ever slept that good in my life.”

He hummed, “I’m so glad, omega. You needed your rest after all the stress you’ve been through the last few days.” He brushes the hair from you face and turns your body over to be underneath him now. “And you’ll need your energy for what's in store for you today.” He smirked at seeing your face turn full red with blush. Did he mean we are gonna…

He planted a quick kiss to your lips before he spoke again “We’re going into town today to get you new clothes and toiletries.” He rolled off the bed.

‘Oh, get your mind out of the gutter y/n.’ You scolded yourself mentally. Propping yourself up on your elbows you admired your alpha as he slipped his pj pants back over his hips. He must have taken them off to be more comfortable in the night. The thought of being in bed with him, when he has no clothes on, makes you wanna drool. Made you wish you knew, then maybe you could have done something about it. ‘Y/N what the fuck calm down’

Chan could feel your eyes on him, so he pulled up his bottoms extra slowly, being sure to give you a good look at his ass. He smirked when he turned around to you staring right at him.

“Come on, Baby. You gotta get ready, I’m sure the boys are almost ready to head out.” He walked to the door, opening it to find your clothes from yesterday neatly folded and waiting. “Seungmin washed these for you last night, so you had something to wear today.” He set them on the bed for you.

“Wow, that was so thoughtful of him!” You beamed.

If only you knew how many times Seungmin pressed your dirty underwear to his nose, drinking in the pure scent of you.

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

Chan left you to get ready for the day while he went and did the same. After you fell asleep last night him and the pack texted about today's agenda. A few of them needed to go to town so it was the perfect time to take you shopping. Chan was confident no one in their small town would try anything with you, especially if they saw the pack around.

There was a stack of bagels on the table waiting for you when you walked down the stairs about 15 minutes later. Jisung was seated there munching on his own when he noticed you and pulled out the chair next to him. “Hey my Baby! Wanna bagel?”

“Good morning Jisung,” You giggled. It was literal music to his ears. “I would love one, thank you. “

You took a seat next to him as he plated one up for you, with a side of cream cheese and butter.

“Are you ready to go shopping?” He asked with cheeks full of food.

You took your own bite, “Yes! Are you coming with us today?”

It was at that moment Chan entered the room, “Ah yes, actually Hannie is going to be the one to take you to get clothes. I have a few other matters to attend to in town.” He pressed a kiss to your head and lowered his voice when he sensed your anxiety “Alpha has some important things he needs to do, you’ll be a good omega and go shopping with Jisung, right?” He was pumping out pheromones to appease you and make you listen. It was certainly working.

You nodded along with his words “Yes alpha.”

He gave you a devilish grin “That's a good omega.” His words sent a deep shiver down your spine.

Jisung watched your interaction with interest. So far you were everything he’d heard about omegas. Sweet, respectful, beautiful. You really were a good omega. It made him want to take care of you.

“Who are we waiting on, Channie-hyung?” The beta asked after gulping down his bagel.

Chan pulled out your chair for you when you were finished, “Seungmin and Felix, they are probably already in the car waiting for us. Bin and Hyun are already in town, they took Changbins car. Bin wanted to get some gym time and Hyunjin is teaching his weekly art class.”

‘Aww Hyunjin really couldn’t get any more attractive’ You signed dreamily.

“Are Minho and Jeongin not coming with us?” You asked Chan.

“Nah Jeongin wasn’t feelin’ to well and Minho wants to get some house work in” You nodded.

“Seungmin will yell at me if we make him wait any longer so let’s go!” Jisung bolted for the door and you both followed right behind him hand in hand.

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

The ride to town took about 20 minutes, but it felt like it went by much quicker. You were sat shotgun while Chan drove, his hand resting on your thigh the entire time. His touch calmed the nerves you felt, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. You still can’t shake this odd feeling.

The 3 betas sat in the back, Seungmin bullying Jisung about making him wait and Felix laughing like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever seen.

“It’s not my fault Seung! Channie is the one who came down last, Baby and i were ready!” His eyes found yours when you looked back at him, “right baby?!”

“Hmmmmm” you pretended to think, Chan giving you an amused side eye, Jisung pleading with you to agree. “I don’t remember.” You gave him a cheeky smile. “Oh wait , I remember now! It’s all Alphas fault!” You pointed at Chan and Jisung let out a cheer.

Seungmin was not as amused, “Don’t cover for him y/n, he’s always the late one.”

A loud “Hey!” then a thumping sound was barely heard over all the laughter in the car.

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

In town Chan had Jisung change spots with him to take you to the boutique, while Chan and the other two boys attended to their own business. Your alpha gave you a deep kiss before departing, his smirk on display at your flustered state.

You and Jisung arrived a few minutes later at this small but very fashionable clothing store.

The door chimed as you opened it, a voice from behind a counter calling to you “Be right with you dearies!”

Jisung held onto your hand as you walked a little further in.

‘Wow there are so many options here!’ you thought, mouth wide open at the gorgeous selections.

“What can I help you -“ an older woman approached but paused at the sight of you.

You gave her a polite wave “Hello. I need some new

clothes please.”

She was an old beta woman, probably around late 60s, with graying hair and a green boho dress. She was a very pretty woman.

“Eun, this is y/n.” The woman only then seemed to notice Jisung with you. “She’s Chans mate.”

That seemed to snap her out of her daze, a bright smile gracing her features, “That sly dog went and got himself an omega huh? And a gorgeous one at that!” She approached you and grabbed your face, getting a good look at you. The blush returned to your face and you made eyes at Jisung next to you.

Jisung laughed and released your hand pulling you back slightly. “ Yes Eun, she’s new in our pack and needs a whole new wardrobe!”

The elder beta clapped her hands excitedly. “You’ve come to the right place then! I’ve got quite the collection for you to try my dear.” She disappeared into the back once again.

Jisung put both hands on your shoulders, giving them a rub to calm you.

“Don’t mind Eun, Baby. She’s a little eccentric. She’s an old friend Chans family. Watched him and his family grow up, so she’s a little excited.” Ah that makes sense.

Eun came rushing out with her arms full of clothes. She set them on a moving rack before shuffling it over to the fitting room in the corner. “I picked out a few things that I think you’ll love!”

She grabbed your hand and hurried you to the fitting room, chucking a few outfits into the room with you, then taking a seat outside with Jisung, both waiting for you to model all the clothes for them.

It took about 2 hours before you decided you had enough to last a lifetime. Actually you were done after picking one outfit, but Jisung just waved a credit card at you and told you to keep shopping. That he knew if you didn’t buy a lot then Chan would be mad at both of you. That made it easier to pick out stuff, knowing your alpha would be pleased.

It was when you were checking out with Eun that you started to feel the ache in your lower belly. And the fire in your veins. You clutched your stomach with one arm, the other holding onto Jisung so you didn’t collapse.

When Jisung went to ask you what was wrong, the most incredible scent he had ever smelled wafted out of you. His pupils were blown and his body went rigid.

He used both hands to ground you and keep you from falling. “y/n.. w-what is happening?” He managed to get out.

“She’s going into heat! You have to get her home now!” Eun had seen this before, she grew up with omegas.

“Me?! Shouldn’t we go pick up Channie-hyung first?” The boy asked in pure panic.

“No you need to take her straight home there is no time, don’t forget you're in a town with other alphas that can smell her just as well as you can.”

That seemed to snap him out of it, hauling you up and wrapping his arms around you.

“Eun, can you call Chan for me please? Just tell him I'm taking her straight home.”

Eun opened the door and helped Jisung load you into the car. “Will do! I’ll have someone fetch these clothes for her later. Be safe.” She shut you in and watched you drive off.

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

Chan had paid a visit to the police station to speak with the sheriff while you were out shopping. Now was the perfect time to see what could be done about your missing persons status.

He was assured by the sheriff that if you made a report that you're not missing, they can send the information over to the original sector and have you filed as not missing and end the investigation. Plus your current location would legally remain anonymous.

Chan felt relieved by that, one less thing to worry about. That is, he was feeling relief until he received a very panicked call from Eun.

“You need to get home right now Christopher!” She hollered as he answered the phone.

He winced at her loud voice, “Ah, Eun what's going on?”

“Your omega is in heat, that’s what the fuck is going on. She started right in the middle of checking out! Had to leave all the bags here!”

Chan felt his heart stop and gut wrench. His omega was in heat . “Where is she now?”

“Han took her home, I told him not to stop for you and go straight there to avoid any trouble.”

“Thanks for letting me know. I gotta make a call.” With that he hung up on her. He would apologize later. First he had to get a ride home.

The line rang a few times before Changbins voice answered, sounding out of breath.

“What’s up bro? Finally wanna come join me in a workout?” His voice was teasing.

“Changbin” Chans voice was hard, Alpha mode activated. “I need you to come get me from the police department right now. It’s y/n, she's in heat.”

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

Your senses were on overload. You could smell everything. Every trace of the boy’s previously in the car, every trace of Chan. And you could especially smell Jisung. Your hands kept finding his shirt, trying to tug him closer as he drove but he (regretfully) had to keep pushing you away. You’re gonna be the death of me he had said to you when the tugging began.

You hadn’t had a heat in years, not since you presented as an omega for the first time. After that you had been on high quality suppressants, causing you to not have a heat while taking them. That must be why this one came on so quickly. It had been days since you’ve taken any. Being in a house full of men, with your alpha, your body is going into overdrive. It was so bad, you felt as though you had no control over your body or urges. It was acting on its own at this point. It was making you delirious and feral.

Jisung sped as quickly as possible, while still keeping you safe, to get home. He made it there in record time, tires screeching to a stop outside the door. Even with you grabbing at him he managed to slip out of the driver's seat, bolting around the vehicle to open your door and gently guide you out. When his hands made contact with the skin on your waist when you shirt rode up, you let out a whimpering moan. You would be humiliated about that later.

Jisung felt his boner grow in his pants.

‘what the fuck what the fuck’ He was screaming internally, wanting to just take you there on the ground outside. He knew he couldn’t do that though. You were Chans first and foremost. His alpha. He would never disrespect him or you that way.

“Come on my baby, we gotta get you to your room.” At the mention of him taking you to your room you found your footing and let him lead you inside.

Stepping through the threshold the first thing you could sense was an alpha.

Jeongin made his way into the entry to see what the commotion was about , when he stopped right in his tracks. He didn’t know what was happening to him but he raced to your side.

“No no no no!” Jisung saw the young alpha coming at you and tried to stop him. “Jeongin wait, don’t!”

He didn’t hear a word though, pushing Jisung off of you and cornering you into the wall beside him.

At the presence of the alpha in front of you, you let out a long whine, hands reaching out and grasping his shirt.

Jeongin presses his nose into the gland on your neck where your aroma was emanating from the heaviest.

“Innie! You have to stop!!” Jisung yelled in his panic, but was only answered by the younger man’s deep growl.

“Omega….” Jeongin inhaled you, wanting to devour you whole. Never in his life had he wanted something more. He could almost taste you on his tongue.

“Jeongin!” Jisung screamed out again, “You have to st-“

“Stop!” Came a loud bellow, then strong hands ripped Jeongin from your body, tossing him to Changbin.

It was Chan. It was your Alpha.

Tears leaked from you at the sight of him. He was furious, not at you, but at the situation. At the sight of your dizzy appearance he hoisted you over his shoulder and headed up the stairs. Just in time for Minho to come running from his room upstairs.

“What the fuck is going on?” He demanded, but one look at the situation told him all he needed to know.

Chan yelled back to Minho “Help changbin get Jeongin out of here! In fact all of you need to stay out for a few days! We can’t have any repeats of what just happened.”

Minho nodded in agreement, “You're right. I'll make sure everyone stays away.”

Changbin was trying to force the younger alpha outside, into the fresh air away from you. It took all his will power to resist you himself, so it was a real struggle to try and reel in Jeongin. Changbin was lucky he had the self control he had, or he would be just like Jeongin. That's not to say it was easy for the alpha, no no, his body was aching for a taste of you.

Minho was herding them both along, Jisung following behind. “Come on guys, it’s alright. Let’s just get out of here and clear our minds huh?” He won’t deny he was affected by you as well. The tastiest thing he had ever experienced. It pissed him off that this ordeal was even happening, though. ‘I knew she would cause fucking problems’ he thought bitterly. Being the ever so responsible one, Min loaded everyone in the van and went to fetch the other remaining members. Time to find a place to crash for a few days. This blows.

A/N; Finallllyyy a little bit of drama! As always, I would love to hear what yall think!

Please do not copy or steal my writing and content! Reblogs, comments and likes are greatly appreciated tho!

doitforbangchan©

TAGLIST-

@chxnb97 / @butterflydemons / @zaggprincess2 / @stellasays45 /@uhhheather/ @walnutspie / @a-mistake-tbh / @meowmeeps / @realrintaro / @ihrtlix / @raehawthorne / @juskz / @freckleboilix/ @marvelsmarauder / @0325tiny / @iyeeeverydee/ @stars-garden / @boi-bi-ahaha/ @gini143/ @queenmea604 / @palindrome969/ @f9clementine/ @theysaidhush/ @kpophosblog/ @usercaiskz/ @honeym0chi/ @nobody3210/ @changbinswife10789 @5starluvr @usercaiskz/ @neyangi / @jiminssluttyminx/ @ayejaii/ @iknowleeknow/ @jeonginnieswifey/ @catlove83/ @upsidedownchaire/ @emmxxsworld/ @manuosorioh/ @igetcarriedawaywithyou/ @blondechanni/ @woozixo/ @ilovejeongin007/ @yaorzu-blog/ @theydy-madamonsieur

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lettersofalover · 6 days

Text

-> coffee in the mornin’ | blurb

p.b x fem!reader

genre: fluff, so sweet and tender

authors note: she’s a lover girl i know it

paige craved those long nights with you and the slow mornings that followed. she never knew that a love so simple would bring so much peace to her chaotic life. she didn’t know what she prayed for or if she even deserved it, but she was thankful for the abundance of joy you brought to her life each day. it was early in the morning, much earlier than you awoke. paige’s mental clock was hard wired for early mornings and late practices but you were slowly teaching her the importance of a balanced sleep schedule, alongside many other things - like the joy of coffee in the morning while in bed as the sun light beamed through your window. to just enjoy the little things in life

she managed to get out of bed and do her morning routine in the guest bathroom without waking you up. she slid a shirt over her head and didn’t bother with pants or fixing her hair. even though there was school work to be done and practice lingering around the corner, she wanted to soak up the lazy saturday morning before she reluctantly had to leave. as much as she craved you, she also craved the basketball in her hand while she ran drills and shot threes. the familiar whoosh of the net each time the ball successful went in. before you, she would have gone straight to the gym with no breakfast in her body, just pure adrenaline and an empty court waiting for her. but instead of her own needs she considered yours. you were just as tired as she was, if not more.

paige became accustomed to mornings with you. she decided that today was a day to let you sleep in. you were on the brink of tears last night over the stress of your internship and she wanted to make the morning easy for you. so, in the quiet kitchen, she hummed as she made breakfast. it was simple - a bagel, eggs, and bacon. the hardest part of it all was not letting your puppies eyes tug on her heart string and give the little guy a piece of bacon.

she was proud of her work and she carefully crept back into the bedroom, using her back to open the door with the little puppy trailing her. he immediately jumped onto the bed and she scolded him quietly as he began licking you in his excitement. you moved around under the covers, mumbling a good morning to the puppy which made him bark. you laughed from underneath the covers as page set the plate down. she held two cups of coffee in her hand with a proud smile on her face. your eyes peaked from underneath the blanket and she held the coffee mug outwards for you to grab.

you came of your cocoon of sorts and grabbed the mug and took a sip that made you loose a breath with a satisfied smile. paige outstretch her hand towards the plate of food on your bedside table as if it was a gourmet meal. it was. because she had made just for you. you mumbled that she didn’t have to do that but she wasted no time in letting you argue and immediately kissed your forehead and telling you good morning.

“thank you, babe.” you said “you didn’t have to do that.”

“i know,” your girlfriend said, “but i wanted to.” which made your heart melt into a puddle. you had never known a love like paige’s - she was the one you dreamed of and the one you assumed was unattainable. yet, there stood your girlfriend with her blonde hair in disarray, the rays of sunshine framing her body as she took a sip of her own coffee.

“look,” she began eagerly, turning towards the plate of food, “i made breakfast. well kinda, everything went in the toaster or in the microwave forreal. but i made breakfast!” she beamed. paige plucked a strip of bacon and took a bite before feeding the rest to you.

“that’s delicious.” you moaned.

“right, i think i got something going here. maybe basketball should be my plan b.”

“let’s not quit our day job just yet, i think the bacon was a bit overcooked.” you laughed, gingerly sitting up onto your knees. she smiled down at you and rolled her eyes.

“thank you for breakfast, baby.” you said and she nodded in return. “and thank you for letting me sleep in” to which she shrugged.

“some lady told be balance is key or something like that, can’t really remember” she joked and you placed the mug down and wrapped your arms around her. she placed her head in the nape of your neck, taking in the scent of your shampoo and she felt herself relax into the hug. she mumbled, “i love you.”

“i love you too.”

#paige bueckers #paige bueckers fanfiction #paige bueckers fic #paige bueckers x oc #paige bueckers x reader #uconn wbb

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bratzforchris · 2 months

Note

Hey! Can I ask for a request of Matt caring for you when you're sick? It can be fem or gender neutral reader, I don't mind :) I feel like he's just so soft and gentle and AHHHHH 😌 Thank you and I hope you're doing good!

Chicken Soup, M. Sturniolo

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ

Summary: In which Matt decides that the best way to help your cold is a big pot of homemade soup

Pairing: Matt x feminine reader

Warnings: None!

Word Count: 993

A/N: Thank you for request! Ya girl has COVID rn, so where is my Matt to care for me 🤨

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ

You rarely got sick. If you did, it was usually just a headache and the sniffles. Rarely were you ever sick enough to stay home from school or work, and hardly ever enough to be bed bound. Everyone was bound to get sick at some point, though, and that was how you found yourself at nine am on this particular Sunday morning.

You blinked open your eyes, noting the pain in your limbs as you stretched out from sleeping. It took less than ten seconds of you being awake to notice something was off. Your head was pounding, your throat hurt, you were shivering with body aches, and you let out a barking cough as you yawned. Too stubborn in your ‘I don’t get sick’ mindset to get up and get some medicine, you closed your eyes and snuggled closer to Matt, who was still asleep, brown hair feathered across his pillow.

The exhaustion from your illness kicked in, and it didn’t take you long to fall asleep again. You and your boyfriend stayed asleep for quite some time, until Matt woke up feeling too hot. As he shifted, he realized it wasn’t that he was hot, it was your cuddled frame making him feel that way. Being so in love with you, Matt was in sync with everything about you, and quickly noticed your congested sores.

“Phew,” Matt mumbled, pressing a kiss to your forehead to check your temperature. “You're burning up.” he whispered sadly.

Luckily, the movement didn’t wake you and Matt was able to slide out of bed, pulling the covers over you. He wandered into the kitchen, making himself a bagel and looking at the clock on the microwave. You rarely ever slept past eight-thirty, which only worried him more. As if his thoughts summoned you, you appeared in the kitchen beside him when he turned, wrapped in a thick blanket, shivering and coughing.

“Oh sweetheart,” he said sadly, pulling you into a hug. “You look miserable.”

“Well good morning to you too.” You mumbled, not losing your sass in your sickness.

“How long have you been feeling sick, babe? You’re burning.”

You didn’t protest when Matt picked you up bridal style and carried you to the couch, effortlessly laying you down against the soft cushions and then snuggling beside you. “I just woke up like this.” You whispered sadly.

That made Matt worry, but he tried not to let the anxiety crease his face. “What are your symptoms?”

“Fever, sore throat, body pains, headache, and cough.” You rattled off sadly.

Matt kissed your forehead with a soft ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘Be right back’. He quickly stood up off the couch and went into the kitchen, digging around for things that would make you feel better. You could hear him bustling around, followed by a large crash, but you were much too tired to care. You just closed your eyes and snuggled further into your blanket, resting your throbbing head against the couch cushions.

“I’m sorry,” Your boyfriend whispered, reentering the living room. “I dropped a glass.”

“I heard.” You croaked and coughed, opening your eyes to see Matt balancing a thermometer, medicine, your water bottle, and tea in his hands.

Matt carefully placed the items on the coffee table, trying to be gentle. He quickly took your temperature, frowning when the thermometer read 103.2 (39.5 C). “That’s high, baby. Let’s take some medicine, okay?”

You were too tired to do much else, so you just nodded, allowing Matt to dose you up on medicine and hand you the tea. You both continued to cuddle for the rest of the morning, despite your protests. Whenever you told your boyfriend he would get sick, Matt just responded with the cliché ‘I don’t care’. That led you to now, where you were cuddled up on Matt’s chest, coughing, while some trashy reality TV played. You had moved from the couch since this morning, and it was nearing one pm.

Matt didn’t feel very good about letting you sit here and burn up with fever, so he gently kissed your forehead, rubbing your back. “Hey hun? Why don’t you go take a shower and I’ll make you some food while you do that? It might help your aches and open your sinuses.” he explained gently, rubbing your back.

“Not hungry.” You mumbled.

“Not even for soup?”

That seemed to help make up your mind. You trudged to the shower after Matt planted a kiss to your cheek. Once he heard the water start and you step into the shower, Matt padded to the kitchen, pulling out everything he would need for soup. Though he didn’t look like it, your boyfriend was an excellent cook. He had been taught well, and continued to carry those skills into adulthood. As he poured the noodles, chicken, and vegetables into the pot, his heart broke as he listened to your congested coughs coming from the bathroom.

It wasn’t long before you had finished up in the shower and entered the kitchen, wrapping your arms around Matt from behind as he stirred the pot on the stove.

“Hey baby!” he smiled, kissing your head. “Feeling better?”

“A little,” You admitted, your cheeks blushing as you sniffled. “That looks good.” You peered into the soup pot.

“This is what my mom would do when we were kids and sick.” Matt admitted shyly, a blush dotting his nose.

“AWWWW,” You started, then coughed. “Baby Matt.”

Your boyfriend kissed you again, before patting your ass softly. “Go lay down, hun. I’ll bring it to you when it’s ready.”

And as you cuddled up on the couch, eager for Matt’s cuddles and famous, homemade soup, you couldn’t help but to think about how lucky you were that you had a lovely, caring boyfriend. The fact that he was an excellent cook who also served as a cuddly teddy bear was an added bonus if you had ever seen one.

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cozage · 8 months

Note

Hi cozage,

Congrats for 2k!!!🤧💖

SO, I was thinking about how Sabo would confess his feelings for his beloved one, or like, SHE would confess first? Being so oblivious and occupied with work like he is, maybe isn't crazy imagine that happening 👀✨

I loved the silent treatment one with him lol, I don't see a lot of imagines with him, I miss it rsrsrs

Thanks for lighting up my day with your stories 💖

Thank you! Writing Sabo is always fun, I enjoyed this one a lot :)

Characters: gn reader x Sabo Total word count: 1k

Subtle Realization

You knew you liked Sabo. You found him attractive from the moment you met him. But the second in command of the revolutionary army wasn’t as obvious with his feelings towards you.

You worked closely with him for weeks, a constant battle between hot and cold emotions from him. Sometimes, he asked about your day, your likes and dislikes, and many other things. Other days, he only barked out orders. It was confusing, to say the least. But there were a few moments that made you realize he was actually paying attention.

One morning, you were running late to a meeting, and you fully expected everyone to be pissed at you. You didn’t even have time to stop at your favorite bagel shop and grab breakfast.

But when you slipped into the meeting beside Sabo, he handed you a bagel with cream cheese and your favorite tea.

“How’d you know?” you whispered.

“I always see you there.” He shrugged. “Figured I’d just get your order for you since you weren't there this morning. That’s what friends do.”

Friends. That pesky word that he loved so much. He may have done one of the kindest things he had ever done for you- for anyone- but you were still just friends.

It was only a few days later when he asked you to dinner.

“We’re both working late, and you’ve been working so hard, I just thought it would be nice to go somewhere and talk away from work.”

“Sure.” Your voice was monotone, but your heartbeat quickened at the thought of the two of you at dinner. Alone.

It was a nice restaurant, far fancier than what you had dressed for, but Sabo complimented how lovely you looked, and the two of you had a fabulous time.

He learned about your past, and you learned about his-what he could remember of it, at least. He paid for dinner and even walked you back to your little cramped living space, like a true gentleman.

“Thank you for the meal,” you said. “Would you like to come in for a bit? It’s not much, but-”

“Oh no,” Sabo said quickly. “Dinner was lovely. We should do it again sometime.”

Were you reading too much into his words? Or was he trying to insinuate that he was feeling something more?

You smiled, trying not to let too much excitement show. “I’d like that quite a lot.”

“As would I.” He tipped his hat to you. “Since we’re coworkers, I think it’s important we get to know each other as much as possible.”

Coworkers. Somehow, it was worse than friends. You tried not to let your disappointment show, but once you slipped into your room, you couldn’t help but burst into tears.

A few weeks later, you were grumbling about your roommate. The set up was atrocious, and while you weren’t much of a complainer, your roommate and living space were both worthy of complaining about.

“Why don’t you just move in with me?” Sabo asked, not even bothering to look up from his writing.

You stared at him for a few moments. Surely you had heard him wrong. “What?”

“Move in with me,” he said again. “You already stay here well past midnight. Sometimes you even crash on the couch. I have a spare room. You should move in.”

You scoffed. “I can’t just move in, Sabo. Its-”

“Why not?” he asked, finally looking up at you. “It wouldn’t be much different than now. Nothing would change except where you call home.”

Home. With Sabo. Surely you were setting yourself up for heartbreak here. But you agreed.

Three days later, you moved in with him. And while you still referred to each other as coworkers or friends, you also went home together. You cooked dinner together. You shared a bathroom, and worked in the study together.

You never had a break from him, but you didn’t mind. In fact, on your off days, the two of you often went and did something together. You read books together and talked about them over dinner. You went on walks, and trained, and only when you said goodnight did the two of you go your separate ways. Sabo to the room on the left, and you to the room on the right.

It was awkward at first, but you quickly found a way to cohabitate. Cooking and cleaning was infinitely more fun with Sabo by your side, and he laughed a lot more in your presence.

Ten months after you first met him, he finally came to the realization.

You were sitting at dinner, just the two of you. You had made pasta, and you had managed to get some sauce on your face while the two of you were eating.

Without thinking, Sabo leaned over and gently wiped it from your chin, and suddenly the entire world simultaneously flipped on its head and made so much sense.

“Oh,” Sabo whispered, still staring at the place where the sauce had been. “I think I could do this forever with you.”

Your heart was beating so loud in your chest, you were certain he could hear it.

“What do you mean?” you whispered, scared to be hopeful.

His eyes darted up to yours. “I think I love you. And I don’t ever want to lose you.”

“Sabo-” you breathed out, but he lunged across the table, connecting his lips with yours.

He pulled away far too soon, afraid he had ruined one of the only friendships he actually cared about.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I know you might not feel the same way. I just realized and had to tell you.”

Part of you was certain this was a dream. But if it was, you never wanted to wake up.

“I feel the same,” you assured him. “I just wasn’t sure if you would ever…” You trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence.

He gave you a slightly devious smile, leaning back across the table to give you another kiss. “Well I do. And we have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

For the first time since you moved in, the two of you didn’t go separate ways for bed.

#one piece #one piece imagine #one piece scenario #one piece x reader #one piece x you #op sabo #revolutionary sabo #one piece sabo #sabo x reader #sabo x you #sabo x y/n #cozage #✧˚sabo✧˚

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plush-rabbit · 10 months

Text

Simmering and Smothering

Part 2 to It’s Always Coffee

Word Count: 7K

A/N: I’m soft for this guy rn. He’s so !!! Anyways, I um don’t know what else to say

- You stand with a group of people, a lanyard hangs from your neck, and you pinch at the plastic cover that holds a card reading “Visitor” stuck on it. People part of the group peek through windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the wonders behind the glass. You're sure at some point you saw Dr. Ohnn standing close to a coworker. He must have felt your gaze, because he looked up and you had to fist your hand to restrain yourself from waving at him. But when the scientist beside him puts their hand on his back, returning his attention to the project in front, you find yourself digging your nails into the flesh of your palms.

You look around, but nothing catches your eye as it should at Alchemax. While you knew that they wouldn’t show a tour group all the dark and gritty experiments, a part of you wishes that you were able to slip away to explore, but any chances of that were snuffed out with a warning at being kicked out and banned should you stray. However, you do enjoy getting to step foot into the building. The group is led through glass doors, and you hear a few people sigh in relief. Walking in, windows line the room and let in a nice glow of sun.

“Okay,” Dr. Octavius says with a clap of her hands, “this is the cafeteria where we will be having lunch. Those tables over there-” she points over to a cluster of tables that have been protected with stanchions- “will be where you all will be eating. Lunch is one hour, and if anyone needs to go to the restroom, please contact a security guard.” Her gaze is friendly, smile wide and tone with the slightest hint of superiority, she speaks to all, before her gaze lands on you, her smile falling ever-so-slightly. “If you fail to inform a guard, and are caught wandering, you will be immediately removed from the premises.” Smiling, you give her an “okay” symbol, and in response, she looks away from you. “Okay!” She chirps, taking a step to the side, she sweeps her arms towards the selection of food. “Enjoy your lunch.”

You’re at a cart, holding a tray consisting of fruits, and a bottle of juice. You peer over the selection of bread, holding a saran wrapped bagel. You pull your mouth into a line, wanting to put it back, but unsure if that’s okay to do so. Sure, it’s saran wrapped, but what if it’s not okay to place things back. You’ve already picked it up, and with a sigh, you place it on your tray. You look over the rest of the selection of the grains, and perk up at the sight of a muffin. Happily, you reach to grab at it before your wrist is grabbed at.

“Hey-” You bark out, pulling your hand out of the grasp and turning to look at whoever it was that clutched your wrist. You stop short when you realize that it’s Dr. Ohnn. “I feel like we talked about appropriate ways to greet others,” you muse, grabbing at the saran wrapped muffin.

“What are you doing here?” he hisses, and you frown.

Your eyes scan his face, and you fold the tray closer to you. “You’re upset,” you conclude, tilting your head with furrowed brows.

“Of course I am,” he hisses. Your ears begin to burn, and you look around the cafeteria, many of the patrons sitting down and ignoring you- including the tour group you are a part of. When you look back at him, he continues. “Why are you here?”

“I’m part of the tour.” You jerk your head over where your tour members sit behind the stanchions. “Fisk was promoting it- something to show off Alchemax and how family-friendly it is. But if you ask me, I think it’s just a cover to stop people from asking-”

“I don’t care,” he rushes.

You pull your lips into a thin line. “Okay, you don't have to be rude.” His eyes widen, and his shoulders rise. He opens his mouth, but you press forward. “Listen, I paid my way in, okay? If you’re upset with it, then I don’t know what to tell you.” He stays silent and you look back to your group. Turning back to him, you start. “Is that all, Dr. Ohnn? May I go sit down, or do you want to continue reprimanding me?”

He opens and closes his mouth, and when you turn on your heel, he calls your name. You turn to him with a waiting look. “I apologize.” You encourage him with a nod of your head. “I just-” he looks around, and grabs your wrist, pulling you to another station of food, grabbing a tray, and standing in front of the selection of fruits.

“You just?”

“I hadn’t thought that you would be here. I-” with his middle finger, he pushes up his glasses by the bridge- “I wasn’t aware there was a tour going on.”

“Does that matter?” You ask, grabbing at a cup of peeled mandarins.

“Scientists are usually the one to lead groups,” he says quietly, "due to the fact that it is our projects we are showcasing. We all take turns with it given that leading groups take time away from our projects. This should have been a group that I would have led. Dr. Octavius must have seen your name on the roster and decided to lead it for the day.” He gives you a look. “I’m surprised that she let you in.”

“I paid,” you shrug. “She isn’t happy about it or anything, but-” you end it with a shrug. “Anyways, I won’t bother your lunch or anything. I’m simply here to see the building and enjoy lunch.” You give him a smile as you lift up your tray. “Have a good day Dr. Ohnn.” You nod your head, ready to walk away before he stops you.

“Do you have to sit down with the others?” You turn to him, and look at him quizzically. “We um- We never finished our conversation from the other day.”

You tighten your grip on the tray. “Yeah,” you breathe out. “You kinda left without exchanging numbers. But I don’t think I’m allowed to sit elsewhere.” You look back at your group. “I’d invite you to sit with me, but I’m not sure if I could give you quite a riveting conversation as your work buddies.”

“You can. You have,” he says so, without any hesitation. “Our last conversation was entertaining.”

"You think so?"

He opens his mouth, before being interrupted by someone calling his name. "Jonathan," calls someone far too cheery from the door. A few heads turn to watch as another scientist- you think that they look familiar- and turn back around once the scientist enters the cafeteria. They turn on their heel to wave at another and it clicks- it's the scientist that touched his back.

You look back to the doctor, giving him a raised look. He has a sort of flush that colors in his face, and you purse your lips together.

The scientist walks toward the both of you, but their attention is solely on Jonathan. "Jonathan-" they say his name with a sickly sweet tone- "I thought you were going to wait for me so we can have lunch together." They smile brightly at the other and you watch as they reach over to squeeze at his bicep. "You hadn't forgotten, had you?"

"My apologies, Dr. Owens." You don't miss the way that he refers to the scientist by their last name while they refer to him by his first. A frown tugs at corner of your lips- they refer to him by his first name. You glance between the two and a pit settles in your stomach. "I hadn't forgotten, but I got distracted. It must have slipped my mind."

"You don't normally get distracted," they note, and their eyes dart at you. With the consequence of being acknowledged, you smile at them. "Ah. Part of the tour group, huh? No wonder you bothered our precious doctor." They're far too sweet with their words, it makes you uncomfortable. You open your mouth to apologize, but they continue on. “I was wondering if we could get the chance to go over our notes?” You feel as if you're in the middle of something. Standing besides Dr. Owens, you feel unsure of yourself. You clear your throat. They turn to you, and their smile is beaming. “Ah, I didn't mean to interrupt. While I’m sure Dr. Ohnn would love to engage with others about theories and his work, I do have to steal him away from you.” Their smile turns gentle, and you feel silly standing between them. “Sorry,” they apologize with a smile.

"Uh, yeah." You grit your teeth- that came out less eloquently than you would liked. "Sorry, Dr. Ohnn." You tap your heel against the ground. “I’ll leave you to it.”

"Oh- Um-” he looks at you, and you smile at him, shrugging your shoulders. He returns his look towards the other scientist, and you let your gaze drift down. You walk away, catching only a glimpse of their conversation. “What would you like to discuss?”

Sitting down at a designated table, the other tour members greet you. You smile and pick at your bagel, taking small bites, regretting not getting some kind of topping. You bite at your muffin, nodding along as the other group members talk about the experiments going on at the building.

It would make sense for him to have a partner. He's attractive, and has a good job. With the one conversation that you've had with him, he was well spoken. You eat your mandarins, letting the citrus fill your mouth. Dr. Owens isn’t unattractive and they certainly seemed nice. You do your best not to look at the doctor and his partner, keeping your head down as you listen to the other people in your group.

You know why you feel so bothered by it all. It’s dumb. You only had one actual conversation with him, but it was nice. He was nice- much nicer than you had ever given him credit for. You feel silly over being jealous of a man you only knew for a minute.

"Fuckin' driver," you mutter under your breath, your lips curled in disgust. Fixing yourself, you cross your arms and decide to walk to the train station. It's incredibly late and something that you actively avoid doing, but you don't want to risk yourself with another driver. "Now I gotta walk."

A part of you pays with the idea of putting in your headphones and at least having a calming walk, but you shake your head at that idea. You will not be murdered just because you wanted to listen to music.

Headlights flash by and you bite the inside of your mouth every time. A car passes by, and you watch as the red tail lights blink on. You stop in your steps, taking a look around. No one else on the sidewalk acknowledges the car.

“Okay”, you think to yourself, “I can't get abducted in front of other people.” You take a step forward and pause. “That's dumb. Yes, I can.” You scowl and tap your foot against the pavement, holding tighter onto the strap of your bag.

However, no one else seems fazed by a car pulling over, and that gives you confidence to walk further. At the end of the car, you see the passenger window roll down. You hesitate again. Sucking in a breath, you roll your wrists, and as you walk past the car until you hear your name being called.

You turn, and through the windshield, you see a familiar doctor waving at you. Looking around, you clutch onto the trap of your bag before making your way towards him.

"Dr. Ohnn?"

He smiles nervously. He looks far too tense for someone in their own car. "Hello," he calls you by your name. "I was sure you would have left ages ago."

"Tour ran late- one of the kids explored without permission," you explain.

"I'm surprised it wasn't you." You weren't aware he could tease.

"I wasn't in the mood for any trespassing charges. Maybe tomorrow." You shrug, and send him a grin. “Who knows? Night’s still young and all.”

He turns his head, and you follow his gaze out onto the street before the both of you. "Why are you walking?"

“People had their own rides, and I didn't. I took the bus. After the whole fiasco, I missed it. I got into a taxi, but uh-" you roll your eyes and cross your arms over your chest- "the driver was being too sleazy for my tastes so I decided to take my chances walking.”

“Oh- I’m sorry to hear about that.” He leans over the middle console of the car, with his hand pressed down on the passenger seat. “It’s quite late,” he tells you.

Your lips stretch into a thin grin. “Correct. It’s no wonder that you’re one of the top scientists at Alchemax.”

“You’re hilarious,” he deadpans.

“I try,” you tell him. The soft glow of the streetlamps casts him in a warm glow. “But I'd be more inclined to believe you if you were actually laughing.”

“Yes, well, I’ll try to laugh next time.” He rolls his eyes, and you smile sharply at him.

“Is that why you stopped? To hear my humor?” You tease, taking a step forward, and he tilts his head to look at you.

“No, actually. I thought it was you, and I wanted to know if you would like a ride?”

You’re taken aback. “Oh! Um- No, it’s okay. I’m okay,” you correct yourself. You turn looking down the street where the crowd of people slows. You look back at him. “I’m sure you have your own plans for the night. I wouldn’t want to intrude or interrupt or anything.” You twist the strap of your bag in your hand. “While I appreciate the offer, you don’t have to worry about me Dr. Ohnn.”

“You wouldn’t be interrupting anything. I don’t have any plans.”

You stay silent, weighing your options in your head. While you’d like to be in a car and taken to your home, you also can’t just enter his car. Even if he is the one offering. No. You can’t. There has to be a line. You have a crush on him- maybe. You’re attracted to him. Wait, that’s actually worse. You shake your head.

“I shouldn’t.” You bite your bottom lip and look at the air freshener that hangs down the rearview mirror. “I would want to get you into any sorts of trouble.”

“Trouble?” He says in a quiet voice, but alarm is still laced into his words.

“You know-” you wave your hand in front of you- “with Dr. Owens. Would they be okay with you giving me a ride?”

He gives you an incredulous look. ��What does Dr. Owens have to do with this?”

Your chest begins to burn, and it travels upwards to your face. “Would they appreciate you giving a ride to a stranger?”

“You aren’t a stranger,” the way that he calls your name has your breath hitching, and heart racing. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable with you walking so far to a station at night.”

“Okay,” you shrug. “But you have to put in the directions on your phone. I’m easily distracted and won’t be able to give you any good directions.”

“Fine by me,” he pulls away and the door unlocks. You open the door, and the window slowly raises. “Between you and I, I’m not entirely great with navigation.” The noise from the outside mutes as you close the door, the lock clicking down on itself. You click the seatbelt as you give him a look. “I get lost easily,” he admits. He grabs his phone and sorts through his applications, finally passing it your way with the map function on display.

“Don’t you have a PhD?” You enter your address, and return the phone, watching as he places the phone on the holder stuck to the car.

“Doesn’t mean a thing if a shopping center has me turned all sorts of ways,” he admits, setting the car to ‘drive’ and pulling away from the sidewalk. You laugh, it starts as a snort, and forms into a chuckle and it has you hiding your smile behind your hand, trying to quell the laughter.

You turn to look at him, the corner of your lips tilting upwards and wrinkling at your eyes. “I don’t even think I could picture you getting lost in a mall.”

He sits up straighter, and casts a glance through the corner of his eye. “It isn’t a particularly good image of me,” he confesses.

Humming, you lean back into the seat, fixing your bag onto your lap, playing with the zipper. “No, I’m sure it is,” you hum. “A renowned scientist, lost at a mall.”

“It can be quite traumatizing.”

“I’m sure it can be,” you muse, trying to hide the smile that slowly grows. "Many children often fear the mall for that same reason."

He scoffs at your remark. “Did you learn anything interesting on the tour?” He asks, and you cross your ankles.

“I think we learned about atoms?” He chuckles at that, and you feel warm. “I gotta be honest, I was hoping for something a bit more, ya know?”

“Atoms aren't enough?”

"Not nearly,” you tell him softly. “Maybe if they brought out some secret project or like showed some sort of light show, then I’d be impressed.”

“Oh, of course,” he says with sarcasm laced into his words. “A secret project shown to the masses, especially where one child had gone missing.”

“Explored,” you correct, turning our head to look at him.

The GPS voice speaks, and he misses a turn. He mumbles an apology, the application already rerouting him. “If you join another one, I’ll make sure that there’s a light show.” He casts a glance, and misses another turn, his hands tightening around the steering wheel. “I’m thirsty,” he tells you.

You blink at him. “You can stop somewhere and get something. I don’t mind waiting in the car.” The metal zipper of your bag shines under the passing streetlamps.. “You’re already doing me a favor by driving me home.”

“The coffee shop is still open. Would you mind accompanying me for a drink?”

“Oh! Uh, yeah- sure. I’d be okay with that. I still owe you that cup of coffee. You know, from when we met at the shop?”

He shakes his head. “Consider it my treat. I am inviting you after all.”

“But you did win that little wager, and you are driving me home. I could at least buy you a cup of coffee or something.” He shakes his head. “Come on-” you slap the back of your hand lightly against his bicep- “don’t make it difficult.”

“I’m not making it difficult,” he frowns.

The GPS continues to tell Dr. Ohnn to make a right when he can, and he fumbles with turning it off, grumbling under his breath until you offer your hand out. The phone is placed down, and you shut down the application. The phone is held in your hand, the application minimizing to show his background- a picture of- the phone is pulled out of your grasp.

“I don’t even get to learn what your background is?” You give a faux pout, leaning back against the seat. “Come on, I didn’t even get a chance.”

“Don’t worry too much about it,” he tells you. “It isn’t all that exciting.” You stick your tongue out at him in response and he fails to suppress a smile.

Pulling to the side of the road, you place your bag on the floor, snagging your debit card before zipping the bag up. Getting out of the car, you’re careful not to slam the door. You rush to beat him from opening the door. “Okay,” you draw out the vowel, slipping to move in front of him, “how about this. You buy my cup, and I’ll buy yours. I’ll even let you get a pastry- you know as a thank you for driving me home.

“You don’t have to. I offered to drive you home, it was completely my own volition.”

You give an exaggerated sigh. “Whatever you say, but the offer is there.”

As he orders his drink, you press your card against the payment terminal, telling the barista that it’ll be two separate transactions. You can feel his eyes on you and you can only smile, nodding when the barista confirms. Lacking your energy, he pays when you order your own. You’re sure that the barista is annoyed with the two of you, but at this point, you had a win that he was owed.

With the lack of patrons, the two of you find a table placed beside the window. The two of you sit across from each other, and wait for your drinks to be called. Tapping your hands against the table, you look out the window, watching the people and the cars.

“I was more than happy paying for your drink,” he comments.

You look at him through the reflection, and he meets your gaze there. “I know. But you’re already doing me such a favor by taking me home and stuff-” shrugging, you turn to face him- “might as well buy you a drink.”

“You didn’t have to,” he mumbles.

“I wanted to.”

Looking at you, he opens his mouth to speak, but closes it when he can’t find the right words. You nod, letting him take his time and to continue with whatever he is going to say. Clearing his throat, he can only get a breath out when the two of your names are spoken. You turn just in time to see the drinks placed on the counter as the barista walks away.

“I’ll go get them for us.” He stands from the table and you watch him. He takes long strides, his head bent and arms close to himself, as if trying to make himself to the public. You hadn’t realized that he had such squared shoulders. He almost reminds you of a rectangle.

Placing your drink in front of you, he takes a seat. His teeth bite at his bottom lip and he brings the cup to his lips. Placing the drink down, he clears his throat. “Why did you ask about Dr. Owens?”

Ah. Maybe you should’ve kept quiet about that. “What do you mean?”

“You mentioned that I would get in trouble with them if I had driven you home.”

“Oh um, yeah. It’s whatever, don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not worrying, I’m asking.”

“Okay,” you whisper, your gaze focused on your drink. “They just seemed into you is all. I thought there was something you know-” you lift your head looking at him- “between you and them.”

“You thought they were into me?” You choose to ignore the wonder in his voice. Opting to stay silent, you nod. “I can assure you, Dr. Owens is not into me.”

“It sure seemed that way,” you mumble into the rim of your drink. He stares at you, and you shift in your seat, hiding behind your cup. “What?”

“What made you think they were into me?”

Your molars grind against each other. The rim of the cup is brought to your lips, but you don’t take a sip, you only press your lips against the opening, before lowering it back to the table. “Oh gosh, are you into them? Look, that's sweet and all, but I’d rather not play matchmaker to some scientists.” He stays silent, and you look outside the window, watching a couple walk past by. “You really wanna know?” He makes a noise of confirmation, and you let out a held breath. “In that little time that I saw the two of you, they had no trouble touching you. And they call you by your name, too.”

“My name?”

Nodding, you twist and untwist your legs. “Yeah.”

“Is that usually an indicator?”

Lifting your hand, you make a see-saw motion. “Sometimes, I guess. Depends on how it’s used and all. Context, ya know?”

“I call other people by their names,” he counters. You nod, letting him continue. “I call you by your name.”

“Oh yeah- I um, I guess so,” you mumble, taking another sip of your drink, desperate to keep yourself busy.

“You never call me by my name.”

“I wasn’t aware that I was allowed.”

“Of course you are. Why wouldn’t you be allowed?”

“I always thought you found me annoying.”

“I did.” You frown, and he gives you an apologetic smile. His hand lifts up, grabbing at a strand of hair and twirling it around his finger. “That doesn’t mean that I disliked you. I have to admit-” he lets go of the strand and it falls back to place- “I always did find your drive admirable. You weren’t one to give up. You’re quite stubborn.” You stare at each for a few moments, heat blazing itself against your skin, making a chill over your body. He breaks eye contact and tilts the cup, making a circle with the bottom edge. “Do you really believe that Dr. Owens likes me because they call me by my name.” You nod, your mouth too dry despite the drink in your hand to even consider speaking. “Hm, okay,” he hums. His hand runs over his stubble, and you wonder if he’s growing out a beard. “You said that they touch me.”

“I um, saw the two of you in an office- while on the tour.” Your hand pulls up to scratch at your shoulder. You feel the need to hide from him.

His smile stretches even more. “I thought I was losing my marbles.” You take a sip of your drink. “I thought that after all my imagining about-” he clicks the last consonant, and you straighten yourself, leaning forward- “I thought that finally, after all of your incessant questioning, that I was beginning to imagine you.”

“Mhm,” you hum, taking another sip of your very diluted drink.

“You were saying.” He rolls his hand expectantly.

“When you turned around- when you saw me- they immediately turned you back around.”

“So? I believe we were discussing the recent project that we’ve both been assigned on”

Grabbing a napkin, you dab at the table where a ring of water from the condensation has formed on the table. “It was how they touched you. They touched your back and lingered their hand on you.”

“I’m not following.”

You make a noise of discomfort, and fist the wet napkin in your hand. “I can’t explain it in words. It’s- It’s in the details and stuff. The observer's point of view.”

“Can you show me?”

“Like?”

“Touch me.”

The napkin is clenched tightly in your hand, your nails ripping through the soft paper. Warmth flushes through your body, and you fear that he can notice the change in you. You know that he doesn’t mean it that way, but for him to say something so- so, intimate sounding, without meaning to, made your heart skip a beat. His eyes widen, and he stumbles over his words. “No- Not- Not like that. I hadn’t meant for it- I’m so terribly sorry-”

“It’s fine,” you reassure, waving your hand in front of you. “It’s cool,” you smile at him and he stops his ramble of words. There’s a rapid beat that bruises inside of your chest at his words- even if he did mean them innocently. “But you know, they touched you at the cafeteria too. They went up to you and touched your bicep.” You lift your hand, reaching over the table, letting it hover over his forearm. Glancing at him, he’s watching you, and you close your fist, pulling your hand back to you.

“And you believe that all of those actions are due to the fact that they like me?”

Shrugging, you suck in your bottom lip. “It’s just my theory,” you whisper, embarrassment laced into your words. “They wanted to eat lunch with you too.”

The two drinks remain untouched and outside, you can hear sirens. His hand lifts up to rub over his mouth, and he has this faraway look in his eyes. “Okay,” he mumbles.

“Okay?”

“Is there anything else that you want to add?”

You pout. “No.”

In the corner of your eye, you see a worker clean a table with a rag. You watch for a moment, and turn your head when chairs are fixed back into their positions, scraping along the floor. A part of you feels unsure about the conversation. While you wouldn’t believe that the scientist had a crush on you, you had at least humored the idea, but knowing that he isn’t interested in you, makes you want to go home.

You open your mouth to speak, and he beats you to it. “I’m hungry,” he states.

“I told you you could have gotten a pastry,” you point out.

“I want dinner. An actual dinner.” Sitting straight, it’s as if he has a new resolve. “Are you hungry?”

Blinking in surprise, you lift your shoulders. “Oh, uh, yeah. I guess I could eat something.”

“Good,” he nods to himself, and stands up, the chair squeaks against the floor. You follow his eyes, looking up at him as he adjusts the chair and stands by the table. “I’d like for you to accompany me to dinner.” Clearing his throat, his shoulders bunch together, and any confidence that he did have, is slowly evaporating. “That- That is if you want to, of course.”

You scoff with a smile. “Yeah, I’m game with that, Dr. Ohnn.”

“Jonathan. You can call me Jonathan. I don’t mind it if you call me that.” He twists his hands, interlocking them, and pulling on the back of his palm, his skin stretching thin over his knuckles.

Straightening yourself, you nod. “Okay. Jonathan it is. The same um, goes to you of course. You can call me by my name.”

“I already do,” and the way that he says your name, softly and tenderly, held with a smile, makes you turn your head and scratch at your neck in a desperate attempt to hide how wide your smile is.

“Mhm,” you squeak out. Standing up, you make sure to push the chair in and grab at the loose napkins and your drink.

Following behind you, he throws his drink into the trash. This time, he’s made sure that he stands in front of you, stretching his arm out to hold the door open for you. Mumbling, you thank him, standing beside the door as he goes to open the passenger side door.

None of what he’s doing is helping quell your attraction to the scientist.

Clicking his seatbelt, he starts the car, driving away from the coffee shop. “Do you have a preference?”

“On food?” He nods, fumbling with the radio that plays the song of the week. You tap your foot to the beat. “Um, I think I’m good with most stuff. Restaurants are pretty inclusive about diets and stuff most days.”

“There’s a burger place on the way to Alchemax, do you know the one I’m talking about?”

“With the really good burgers?”

“Yes. Would you like to go there?”

“Isn’t that too far?”

“They opened one relatively nearby.”

“Oh okay, yeah.” You nod. “I’m game with that.”

“Good. That’s good.”

The drive to the restaurant passes by quickly as you chat about miscellaneous things- the weather, work, different coffee shops. Uncomfortable with silences, you keep the conversation going, jumping from topic to topic, trying to make something stick. However, the driver seems to be content with silence, nodding and giving one-worded answers, only really contributing to the conversation when you give your opinion on something.

Pulling into the restaurant, he takes a glance at you, and you smile in response. He opens his door, and steps out, and you follow close behind. The door is held open for you, you order your own meal, and before you can pat your pockets to find your card, he’s already paying for the meal. You aren’t sure how to feel about the whole situation. You feel good- happy and flustered even- but you can’t kid yourself. It’s dinner. With a scientist who you have pestered for a good while about what exactly is going on within Alchemax. It’s dinner with a guy who you had coffee with- twice. That’s it.

When he sits in front of you, and smiles, you think you’re about to pass out.

Oh. He’s really cute.

No. Whatever feelings you’re having is a moment of weakness. Maybe you should download a dating app or something.

Your newfound emotions aren’t settled by the end of the meal where you tell him a story about an old job that you used to work. He’s an avid listener, expressive and laughing when you start to smile uncontrollably. He pushes his tray closer to yours, letting you snag what little left of fries that he has. Even with bags under his eyes, he remains attentive during your story.

“No, and like my supervisor tells me “Well whole milk is regular milk,” and I’m so adamant-” you laugh mid-sentence- “that two percent is regular milk. Or like can be qualified as regular milk.”

“Why were you so adamant about it?” He laughs softly, leaning forward.

“Honestly?” You lean forward, stealing a fry of his and plopping it in your mouth. “I just really hate being wrong. Anyways-” you wave your hand in the air- “we have this whole spiel about milk of all things. And I tell him that I like oat milk and he’s like-” you deepen your voice to portray your supervisor- “‘Oat milk isn’t even milk. How do you even milk an oat?’”

“How do you milk an oat?” He asks with knitted brows.

“I-” you pause and tap at the table. “I always thought you blended it. You know, like peanut butter?”

“Yeah, but people don’t drink peanut butter.”

“I bet you that there is at least one person in the world who does drink peanut butter.”

“Okay, you find me that person and I’ll buy you a coffee next time.”

“Yeah, yeah-” you wave your hand, trying not to let your competitive side leak out. “Anyways, I’m sure they make almond milk the same way. Blended.” You lift a hand and point with your index, swirling it in the air.

“I’m partial to oat,” he admits.

“I gotta be honest, I think all milk tastes the same,” you whisper out the confession, covering the side of your mouth with one hand.

“Oh, now you’re being difficult,” he says with a roll of his eyes, adjusting his glasses by the leg.

“I’m not, I swear! It just all tastes the same. Doesn’t stop me from asking for it at the coffee shops.”

“Even if it tastes the same?”

“I like feeling fancy,” you lilt, and he laughs.

“So you’re tricking your mind?”

“Oh totally.”

“With the fake milks?”

“Real, regular milk,” you counter. “Soy is fake- I think.”

“Oh, soy is fake, but the others aren’t.” He scoffs. “That’s where you draw the line.”

You laugh, taking the final sip of your drink. “Yeah, obviously.”

He joins your laughter, dipping his head down, and stray hairs fall in front of him. When he lifts his head, his smile is wide and open, and he has such a nice laugh- deep and the type that shakes his body. Pride makes your chest swell and heat burn over your cheeks at making him not only smile, but laugh. Fighting back the urge to move away the tray pieces of hair that have fallen, you clench your hand into a fist, your laughter slowly dying down.

A quiet moment befalls the two of you, and you both look at each other. You rub the bottom of your shoe over the top of the other, and check the time. With a click of your tongue, you gather your trash onto the tray.

“We should probably get going. It’s close to closing time for them,” you explain, nodding your head back to the register where two workers chat.

“Oh, should we?” Despite questioning you, he follows your example and gathers his own trash.

“As someone who used to work customer service jobs, yeah.” Tossing your trash into the designated area, you stack the tray overhead. “I’m pretty sure that the employees probably hate us by now.”

“Good point.” He holds the door open for you, and you follow him back across the mostly empty parking lot. Inside the car, he waits for the engine to heat, and he turns to you. “I apologize for keeping you so late.”

“No, this was,” you hesitate choosing your words, “fun.” You nod your head and pull your bag up onto your lap. “I had a good time.”

“I’m glad that you did,” he says softly, giving you a final look before he gives his attention to the road.

After a long day, you stand in front of your building, Jonathan joining you. You’ve always been much more comfortable with chatter than you have been with silence, but as you stand with him, you don’t feel as uncomfortable. You might even like the silence if it gives you reason to look at him. You stand on the steps leading to your home, finally looking him in the eye, and you hate the fact that he has such soft brown eyes.

“Thanks for driving me home. And getting me a drink.” You kick at the ground, scuffing up at the dirt that lays in a thin layer. “And paying for dinner.” A jitteriness falls over you, and you can only twist and grip onto the strap of your bag. “Thanks for all of that Dr.-” he gives you a narrowed look and you quickly correct yourself- “Jonathan.”

“You don’t have to add my title,” he tells you. Beside him, his hand twists at the hem of his shirt.

“Force of habit,” you say shrugging. Clearing your throat, you start. “Still, thanks. This was nice, Jonathan.” You like his name, and you hate the way that it makes you feel.

He nods, and raises a hand to scratch at the back of his neck. “Well, thank you for accompanying me to dinner. I had a good time.” He says your name delicately, rolling off his tongue, and you never thought that you would want to hear your name repeated over and over.

“No worries,” you answer breathlessly. You can’t think around him. Everything feels as if it’s too much- too hot, too close, too sweet.

It was one day- two technically- but it was a short amount of time. You wear your heart on your sleeve despite trying so desperately not to. All it took was one day with him, and you think that you might like him.

Oh, how you wish he was with someone else, then you could give yourself a reason to look away from him.

With cotton stuffed into your mouth, you don’t trust yourself any further. You think that you should go inside- that maybe you shouldn’t be taking up his time. A part of you wonders when you’ll see him again. Shifting your weight between each foot, you pat your hands on your thighs, drying off the clammy feeling. You wish he would start talking again. Or maybe you should. If you go inside, then this could all be over. You turn your foot, and wave your hand in a goodbye, when he starts to speak.

“Will you be joining another tour group?” There’s a hint of hope that’s weaved into his words. He’s looking at you, and you wonder if you look pretty.

“As much as I enjoyed it, no.” You think you imagine seeing his shoulders slump at your words. “It wasn’t really for me. It was nice, but much more kid-centered.” His glasses are slipping down his nose and you wonder if he’d get upset if you pushed them up. “Will you be going to the café tomorrow?”

“I work tomorrow,” he admits.

“Oh,” you clear your throat, and fighting away the burning feeling that is burning in your chest, you suck in a deep breath. It makes sense to do this now. You have to take a risk. It’s dumb and highly unprofessional, but you need to tell him something. He has to stick around, just for a moment longer, just so you could get whatever pink and sweet is in you, out. “Would-” he word comes out much softer than you would have liked- “Would you want to exchange numbers, maybe?” You hope he says no.

“Really?” He looks so shocked, and so happy. A grin tilts his lips upwards, and like seeing his smile.

Nodding, you rub the flat of your middle finger against your jawline. “Yeah. It would be a better alternative than meeting during lunch on a tour group or a random chance meeting at the café. Only if you’re okay with it.”

“I’m okay with it,” he says eagerly.

You nod eagerly, unable to fend off your smile. “Cool, cool.” You suck in a deep breath, and wait for a moment, before you start to pat your pockets, pulling out your phone and clicking at the ‘New Contact’ section. Holding the phone to him, he grabs the device and places his information.

Holding the phone tight in your hands, you tap your fingers against the back of the case. “I’ll message you later?”

“I’ll look forward to it.” He lifts his hand and waves at you. You watch his back as he steps into his car.

You can hardly believe that you even made it inside without dropping your keys from excitement and nerves. Behind your door, you clasp your hand over your mouth, pitifully trying to stop the smile that beams across your features. Oh, this isn’t fair. And oh, you can’t wait to message him.

375 notes · View notes

gellie-spo · 11 days

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MEALSPO

my fav low cal meals because who said ⭐️ving had to be boring!

rice cake with whipped cream cheese. 35cal for the rice cake and 50cal whipped cream cheese 85cal total also kinda tastes like a bagel if ure into that + u can even top w strawberries if ure feeling the xtra cals lol

grilled chicken and broccoli. 80cal for 1/2 skinless boneless grilled chicken breast and 30cal for cup of broccoli + around 20g protein. u can add seasonings like italian seasoning and pepper or garlic powder/onion powder and those are all 0cal!! 110cal total and super filling because of all the protein

nonfat plain greek yogurt w/ stevia + strawberries. 80cal for yogurt, 0cal for stevia, 25cal for strawberries. 105cal total and super great if you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to lead to a binge

super coffee mocha latte. not only is it only 80cal total but it also has 10g protein which is really good for coffee, has a sweet flavor so it can help w fulfilling a sweet/choc craving without binging, and has lots of caffeine so it’ll help fight the nausea or tiredness from not eating. tried it for the first time today and i felt so full and so much better after not eating all day lol

fruit yogurt bark. if you use nonfat plain greek yogurt, that’s 80cal + whatever fruits you use so strawberries (50cal for 1cup), blueberries (40 for 1/2cup), or even apples (60cal for 1cup) so around 130-150cal total for the entire bark and if u cut it into pieces it’s around 50-80cal total per serving. this can help if u need something lowcal w a crunch

if yall want some more recs lmk i have quite a few extreme lowcal meals up my sleeve because ⭐️ving doesnt have to taste bad <3 you deserve to be skinny and eat food that doesn’t taste like cardboard (although sometimes that’s the vibe LOL)

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onceuponaoneshotfanfic · 9 days

Text

We've Been On a Winning Streak

I'll Write Your Name Chapter 6

Roy Kent x Latina!Popstar!Reader

7.9k words

Warnings: Language, alcohol, kissing, let the pining begin...

I yawned as I padded into the kitchen, pulling a sweatshirt on. Normally, Sydney would have already pulverized my door open until I gave her attention, or, more importantly, food. This morning? Nothing but silence from the needy cat. All I could do was hope she hadn’t gone and bothered-

“Morning.”

Roy Kent was sitting on my kitchen floor, Sydney on his lap. He blinked up at me, tiredness on his face as he stroked the cat’s fur. All the memories of the night before- his song, kissing him, the pride on his face as he watched me sing ‘Nothing New’- came flooding back. All I could do was offer him a little wave before opening a cupboard to get Sydney’s breakfast.

Roy cleared his throat. “I fed your cat,” he announced when he saw me grab the canned food. “Hope that’s alright. She kept meowing and shit, so I figured…”

I replaced the can and offered him a tight smile. “Thanks, Kent.” I eyed the cat, who looked far too comfortable in the footballer’s arms. Traitor. “No wonder she’s in love with you.”

“She’s pretty cool,” he chuckled, eyes on the kitty, who was staring up at him like he was catnip. His gaze flickered back to me. “D’you need me to start taking off? I’m sure you’ve got shit to do.”

Some part of me wanted to say yes, to kick him out and have my house to myself to relax after a long night.

Instead, I shook my head and leaned on the kitchen counter.

“You hungry? I can call April and have her bring us some breakfast. She usually comes over the day after the karaoke party, just to check in.”

Roy set Sydney down and joined me at the counter. “Sounds great, sunshine.”

Ignoring the nickname that was apparently mine now, I tapped away on my phone. When it started ringing, I put it on speaker, tapping my foot as I waited for her to answer.

“Hello?” April’s voice was groggy and tired. I felt kind of bad and wondered if I’d woken her up; but she was usually an early riser, I reminded myself.

“Morning, April,” I said. Roy looked at me with raised eyebrows. “Are you coming over, babes? I was hoping you’d bring me and Kent some bagel sandwiches or something.”

She yawned in response. “Um, yeah, yeah.” Something in her voice sounded on edge, as if she was dreading something. “Let me, er, shower and, um, I’ll be there in about thirty-”

“Babe, where d’you keep your kettle?”

While I was still processing the familiar voice that came through the speaker, Roy’s eyebrows nearly flew off his face. He grabbed my hand roughly and pulled it close to his face so he could bark into the speaker, “Is that fucking Tartt?”

Oh. Oh shit. I covered my mouth with my free hand to stifle my giggle. Why was Jamie Tartt at April’s place so early in the morning? The morning after the karaoke party, where they’d been flirting all night?

As if it wasn’t completely obvious.

“Oh shit,” Jamie’s voice came through the phone. “Did I just hear Roy?” His voice was louder, as if he was closer to the phone now. “Mornin’, Coach!”

Roy rolled his eyes with a massive growl. When he caught my eye and noticed the way I was desperately fighting laughter, the corner of his mouth ticked upwards in a little smirk, the kind I was quickly becoming used to. “Yeah, it’s me,” he grumbled, still holding my hand in his. “And you better not get yourself a bagel sandwich, you’re in fucking training, pretty boy.”

I quickly said goodbye to April, struggling not to chuckle at the stammering and wavering of her voice. As soon as the call disconnected, Roy let go of my hand, as though he was just noticing that he was still gripping it gently. He hopped onto the counter, his eyes playful, the way they’d been the nights we played darts and scrabble.

“So, Tartt and April,” he hummed, shaking his head.

“Tartt and April,” I repeated with a chuckle. “Good for her, honestly. She deserves a sexy little plaything. God knows I work her hard enough.”

Roy’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “You really think Tartt’s sexy?” There was an edge of teasing in his voice, cut with something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

I shrugged, curious where this conversation was headed. “I guess. He’s a good-looking guy, you know? Talented and charming. And really cocky. Honestly, he’s the kind of guy I would normally go for.”

“What about me?”

My mouth went completely dry as I blinked at Roy and his raised eyebrows. What the fuck was he asking me? “What about you, Kent?”

He shrugged, shifting his gaze to my wandering cat. “D’you think I’m sexy?”

A scoff flew out of my mouth as I scooped Sydney up. “Do you ask your real girlfriends if they think you’re sexy?”

“Fuck no,” he snorted, reaching out to pet Syd behind her ear. “I know my real girlfriends think I’m real sexy.”

“Well then.” I smirked at him, tugging Sydney out of his reach. “Guess as your fake girlfriend, I’ll say I find you fake sexy.”

A loud laugh flew out of Roy’s mouth, filling the kitchen with a full, joyful sound. “Break my fucking heart, why don’t you?” He shook his head and moved to pull down some coffee from a cupboard; it was strange how quickly he was getting to know his way around my kitchen. “April didn’t have to bring breakfast, you know.” He shrugged. “I could’ve made something.”

“Oh, Roy Kent can cook?” I jeered.

He narrowed his eyes at me as he prepared some coffee. “Wow. First, I’m not sexy, now I can’t cook. That’s it, sunshine. Next sleepover, I’m making you dinner. Then you can eat your words and my famous risotto.”

Roy sighed and took a sip of his beer. He should’ve known this Jamie-April thing would find a way to bite him in the ass. Going on a double date with Tartt was most definitely not his idea of a good time, but some begging from his ‘girlfriend’ to give April the opportunity to spend time with the striker and get their own pictures taken had him sitting in a club with his arm wrapped around the beautiful popstar.

“Did you want to dance?” he asked over the music, dipping his head slightly so he could bring his lips to her ear.

She shook her head and gave his arm a little squeeze. “I’m good,” she replied. “If we were out there, April wouldn’t be able to be a dirty little dancer with Jamie. She knows I’d give her such a hard time if I saw her grinding on him.” She winked at Roy. “She’s down bad for your boy, you know that?”

Roy rolled his eyes, instinctively tugging her closer. “Do not call Tartt ‘my boy’,” he scoffed.

Her eyes were bright as she opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by April, hurrying over in her sparkly dress and high heels. Her expression looked less like the infatuated girl Roy and Jamie had picked up and more like the harried assistant he’d met when setting up his fake relationship.

“Apes? What’s wrong?”

April pulled the popstar to her feet and said something into her ear. He saw an eyeroll and annoyance on that pretty face, before she turned to face Roy with a pout on her lips. He stood before she even started waving him over, bringing her the drink she’d left behind and ignoring for the millionth time how good she looked in the tiny black skirt and boots she wore.

“Roy, you need to act like you’re in love with me.”

Roy furrowed his brows and cocked his head at her. “Isn’t that… the plan?” he asked stupidly.

She sighed and gave her hair a stressed little touch. “Everett’s here,” she huffed. “My Everett.”

Something tugged in Roy’s stomach at those last two words. “That ratty little wannabe rockstar you used to run around with? The prick that sucker punched that poor bloke and sent him to hospital?”

A tiny smile returned to her face. “Is Roy Kent really judging someone else’s violent tendencies? Didn’t you once fight Jamie- your own teammate- on the pitch?”

“I’m not averse to violence,” he chuckled, pleased to see her grinning again. “What I am averse to is picking a fight with someone whose back is turned.” He finished his beer with one final swig. “Seriously, sunshine. You sure know how to pick ’em.” When he saw her raised eyebrow, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “Alright, fine, doting boyfriend reporting for duty.”

He swore he saw something grateful on her face as she leaned into his touch. This was part of being a good friend, Roy decided as his thumb stroked the little peek of skin between her skirt and top, smirking a little when he felt her involuntary shiver. He wondered if maybe he could tell her the truth about Keeley… she seemed like she’d be up for some conspiring. Maybe help him make Keeley jealous, if the confident blonde was even capable of such an emotion. Or at least show his ex that Roy was still a very, very good boyfriend, maybe help her consider giving him another chance-

“Fuck, there he is,” April groaned, gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes. Roy was amused, realizing once again that the two women were more than boss and assistant; there was a genuine, intimate friendship between them. “I can’t even look at him. I’m gonna go find Jamie and get all of us another round of drinks.”

Roy was so busy watching April storm off he almost missed the approaching ex-boyfriend. But he definitely saw the dark sparkle in the man’s eye as he approached, as well as the too-tight jeans and unbuttoned shirt the man wore. Even before the guy opened his mouth, Roy knew he was going to be an absolute prick.

“Hey, beautiful,” the man hummed, waggling his eyebrows at the woman Roy now tightened his grip on. “How’ve you been? Alright after hearing about me and Cam?” His simpering little pout had to be one of the most obnoxious things Roy had ever seen, barring anything Jamie had ever done.

She sighed and looked up at Roy, holding his gaze like an anchor. “Roycito, this is Everett,” she said simply, using what Roy assumed was supposed to be her nickname for him; there was something sweet and homey about it, he thought. He wondered if he’d have to get used to hearing it. Clearly holding back a grimace, she turned back to the singer. “Ev, this is-”

“Oh, I know who you are,” Everett interrupted with a laugh, nodding at Roy. “Only been watching you my whole life.” The smirk on his face was so fucking punchable. “I think I was just learning to walk when you retired, Kent.”

Roy was used to old man jokes. Hell, he made them himself sometimes. He didn’t always mind them, not when they came from Keeley or his sister or even Jamie. But he sure as hell minded when the joke came out of such a weaselly-looking guy- Roy couldn’t bring himself to think of this as a man- who kept sneering at the popstar on Roy’s arm.

“Oh, I get it.” Roy let out a fake little laugh, as though barely registering the joke. “You’re younger than me.” He gestured towards Everett’s unbuttoned shirt. “Is that why you haven’t grown any chest hair yet, hmm? Still waiting to hit puberty then?”

A stifled giggle hit Roy’s ears as his ‘girlfriend’ buried her face in his shoulder. He fought the urge to smile, feeling a smidge of pleasure that he’d managed to make her laugh, despite the discomfort her ex obviously brought with him. Deciding to really commit to the bit, he planted a small kiss to the top of her head while stonily holding Everett’s gaze, the way he definitely would be doing if he was trying to stake his claim on her.

“Heard that new song of yours.”

Roy bit back a groan; could this guy really not take a fucking hint?

Her voice was patient. “It felt good to finally release it.” She cleared her throat. “Roy here liked it, didn’t you, babe?”

Before Roy could gush about how brilliant he thought it was- not a single fucking lie on that front- the skinny prick opened his mouth. “Guess you’ve run out of ideas, hmm? Releasing something you wrote almost a decade ago instead of something new?”

It was a good thing Roy’s hands were occupied, because he wanted to knock this guy’s lights out. Fucking really? The woman shares this personal, vulnerable song, something she’d apparently been mulling over and returning to for years, and that was what he had to say about it?

Once again, Roy marveled at her choice in men.

“I thought it was fucking brilliant,” Roy growled through gritted teeth. He’d have to apologize later for the nail marks he was probably leaving on her waist. “Probably one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, actually.” He cocked his head at the rockstar. “I’m sorry man, I can’t think of a single song of yours. Something whiny and shitty I assume?”

Everett puffed out his chest, surprisingly confident for a guy half Roy’s size. Annoyed by the mere sight of that this guy’s face, with his weak attempt at a mustache and the bags under his eyes, Roy let go of his ‘girlfriend’, ready to come to blows; maybe he was too old for this shit, fighting in a club over a girl, but he was also too old to let anyone insult the people he cared about.

And yeah, he admitted, he kind of cared about her.

Instantly, her hand was on his shoulder. “Roycito,” she said in a quiet voice with raised eyebrows. “Come on. Let’s go find April and Jamie.” She slid her hand down his arm until her fingers intertwined with his. Her eyes found the skinny rockstar, nothing but ice behind her gaze. “Tell Cam I said hello,” she said coolly. She turned and walked in the direction April had disappeared in, not letting go of Roy’s hand or looking back at the rockstar that Roy noted was definitely still watching her.

Still holding hands, the two of them maneuvered through the club and to a dark side exit. Roy allowed himself to be led out of the club into a tiny, surprisingly clean alley, the kind of spot a younger Roy Kent would definitely have taken a pretty girl like her for some heavy kissing and dirty whispering before inviting her to continue things at his place. Instead, he gulped a little as she whirled around on Roy, gazing up at him expectantly. The look on her face let Roy know that she was waiting for him to speak first.

“I could’ve taken him,” Roy grumbled, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “Probably be good for the prick, a little vacation to hospital, some time to reflect on how to not be a piece of shit.”

She was clearly fighting the urge to laugh as she shook her head at Roy. “And then you would’ve been in the papers for fighting my ex in a club, and I’d be back to square one trying to find a new fake boyfriend.” She gave Roy’s hand a playful squeeze. “He’s not worth it, Kent.”

Her words had Roy frowning harshly. “Then why’d you date him?” he blurted out without thinking. “Why the fuck would you put energy into someone who’s ‘not worth it’?”

He regretted his judgmental words almost instantly when he saw the way her face fell and turned thoughtful. He’d meant to insult Everett, not her. But he could tell she was taking his words to heart as she finally opened her mouth, eyes on the sidewalk instead of Roy. “Because the guys that are worth it,” she said slowly, “never seem to think I’m worth it.” She nodded, more to herself, meeting his gaze again. “And guys like that-” She gestured back towards the club. “-tend to be the ones I’m left with.”

Before he could consider his words, Roy spoke softly. “I can’t imagine any fella not thinking you’re worth everything.”

Time froze in that little alleyway as she gazed at him, her hair all haloed by the light above them and her eyes reflecting his own. Roy was suddenly incredibly aware of how close she stood to him, how tightly she held his hand, how badly he wished he could make her feel better, back to the laughter they’d shared before her ex interrupted their evening.

How blurry all the lines were becoming.

“Well,” she finally said, a soft chuckle slipping past her lips. “Maybe when this is all over, you can help me find one of those fellas.” She gave Roy’s hand another little squeeze. “That’s what friends are for, right, Roycito?”

Something tugged in Roy’s chest, the same tugging that he felt when Jamie expressed interest in the popstar, the same tugging he felt seeing her ex in the club. He didn’t know what it came from, or what the fuck it meant, but he knew this probably wouldn’t be the last time he felt it.

But instead of dwelling on figuring out what it was, Roy cleared his throat and offered what he hoped was a friendly grin. “Yeah, sunshine. That’s what friends are for.”

Roy stared at me with wide eyes when he opened the door and found me on his porch. “You… didn’t get my text.”

“Hello to you too, Kent,” I chuckled, brushing past him as I walked into the house. “What text?”

“OH. MY. GOSH!!”

On Roy’s living room couch sat a now screaming and bouncing little blonde. I recognized her from the photos I’d seen on previous visits to Roy’s house, as well as the lockscreen on his phone. While I had a ton of nephews and nieces to keep track of, assuring Roy that he didn’t need to learn their names until he met them later that summer, he only had one sweet little human to remember: Phoebe.

Phoebe, who was now sprinting over to me with a smile so large I was surprised it didn’t bounce off her face. “You’re here!” she shrieked, bouncing on her toes. “Uncle Roy, she’s-”

“You want some water?” Roy asked me pointedly, eyes shifting towards the little girl. “Pheebs can get you a glass.”

Taking the hint, I cleared my throat and nodded. “Oh, yes, that would be great.” I offered what I hoped was my kindest smile. “Thank you so much, Phoebe.”

She looked as though God himself had spoken to her. “She knows my name,” she murmured, turning towards the kitchen in a little daze.

Immediately Roy whirled around on me. “Her mum got called into work,” he whispered quickly. “She’s with me for the night.” He glanced towards the kitchen; we could hear her rummaging around for a glass. “I… hadn’t planned on introducing you two,” he admitted. “So I had texted you asking about canceling tonight.”

My mouth was dry. Meeting each other’s friends, coworkers, and exes was one thing. But we hadn’t exactly discussed our families. Families weren’t supposed to happen, at least not until my niece’s quince. And by that time, we’d have had ample opportunity to discuss how it would go, plus the attention would be on the birthday girl rather than us. We were absolutely not ready for this.

“I can go.” It was the proper thing to offer. The right thing.

Roy held my gaze steadily, the gears in his head clearly spinning. Finally, he sighed and waved me into the house. “It’s too late now,” he chuckled wryly. “Your little fan already saw you. She’d murder me in my sleep if she found out I let you leave.” He shrugged as he led me to the couch. “Already bought everything for that risotto I promised you anyway,” he added as Phoebe padded in, holding up a glass of water like it was a sacred object.

“Thanks, Phoebe,” I said with a wink to the little girl, immediately reminded of my own nieces. “Hope it’s alright if I hang out with you and your uncle Roy tonight. I heard he’s making risotto for dinner.”

Her squeal could wake the dead. “Really? That’s perfect. We can watch a movie, Uncle Roy said we could watch the old Freaky Friday.”

I cocked an eyebrow at Roy, whose eyes sparkled ever so slightly as he took in the joy and excitement on his niece’s face. “Freaky Friday, huh?” I grinned. “I love Jodie Foster.”

Phoebe’s face wrinkled in confusion. “No, the old one. With Lindsay Lohan.”

A snort flew out of Roy’s mouth when he saw the way my face paled. “Welcome to being old,” he teased, shooting me a wink. “I’ll be sure to order you a walker and a hearing aid. Should make your concerts loads of fun.”

“Don’t you have risotto to make?”

Within a half hour, the three of us were comfortable on Roy’s couch, risotto in hand and Lindsay Lohan on the television. Phoebe sat between us, that big smile never leaving her face. She kept glancing up at me, as if she wanted to say something, but then she’d glance at Roy and then direct her attention back to the movie.

Finally, about halfway through the movie, words came out of her mouth. “Are you and Uncle Roy really dating?”

I nearly choked on my risotto. Those little eyes were gazing up at me with pure curiosity, begging me to answer the question. I looked over her head at Roy, who was staring at me with the tiniest smirk on his face, clearly nothing short of amused.

This was his niece. Why was I answering her question?

“Did your uncle Roy tell you that?” I asked slowly.

Phoebe shook her head. “My friends at school were talking about it,” she explained simply. “They’ve all been asking if it’s true and if I’ve gotten to meet you yet.” She turned to Roy. “Am I allowed to tell them we had dinner together?”

Roy nodded at me as he swallowed a bite of the ice cream we’d all grabbed after dinner. “Up to her.”

Immediately, Phoebe whirled back to me. “Sure,” I chuckled. What else was I supposed to say to those wide eyes and that chocolate-covered smile?

As soon as the movie ended, Phoebe had the remote in her hands and was queuing up another one. “Can we watch Parent Trap now?”

“It’s getting late,” I murmured, my eyes flickering to Roy. “I should be heading home.”

“You can sleep over.” Phoebe’s face was bright with excitement. “And Uncle Roy can make us pancakes in the morning!”

I blinked at Roy, who did not seem at all concerned about this idea. “Oh, well-”

“You can stay.” Roy shrugged casually. “I don’t mind.”

Clearly we were not at the point in our friendship where we could read each other’s minds yet. “Phoebe,” I said slowly, “could you go get me some more water?” The little girl scurried out with my glass, leaving me with her uncle. “I assume Phoebe sleeps in the guest room when she spends the night?”

Roy nodded. “Yeah, of-” Realization finally hit that bearded face. “Oh.” He nodded. “Fuck. Right.” He shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t even think about that.” He scrunched his face for a moment. “You can stay,” he repeated softly. “In my room. I’ll… I’ll sleep on the floor.” He shrugged, looking up at me again. “For the job, right?”

Something in my stomach tightened at the idea of sleeping in Roy Kent’s bed. But still, I swallowed hard and nodded. “You don’t have to sleep on the floor, Kent.” His eyebrows flew up. “I mean, your knees are already messed up. Would hate to ruin your back too. Besides-” I spoke quickly as Phoebe’s footsteps approached. “-we’re adults. We can manage ourselves.”

Neither of us said another word about the matter as we settled back in for the second movie. Somewhere in the middle, Phoebe fell asleep, her head pressed against my shoulder. When Roy caught sight of his niece, he immediately cleared his throat.

“Sorry about that,” he whispered as he moved to scoop her into his arms.

I quickly shook my head and helped him gather her sleeping form. “It’s fine,” I assured him. “Want some help tucking her in?”

Roy nodded and gestured for me to follow him to the guest room, the room I’d slept in a couple times now. I quickly tugged back the blankets so Roy could lay Phoebe down on the mattress and pull them back over her. I lingered by the door, watching him make sure she was snugly in bed. When he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, my mind wondered about later in the summer, when he’d come with me to California. How would he be with my nieces and nephews? The boys would flip out over him, that was for sure. But wow, Roy Kent had a gentleness with Phoebe that I didn’t expect. Would he be this sweet with my nieces? I rarely introduced men to my family, and on the couple occasions I did, they didn’t interact much with my nieces and nephews. Roy would be a nice change of pace-

What the fuck? I took a step back, tearing my eyes away from the sight of Roy Kent making sure a night light was plugged in near the bed. Nope, nope. Roy would be civil and polite, maybe a little friendly with my family, but that was it. Anything more would just be confusing for them when the ‘relationship’ ended.

And we didn’t want to confuse anyone, right?

Once the guest room light was off, Roy nodded to me. “I’ll grab your bag.” He backtracked to the living room and picked up the overnight bag I’d brought, the one I usually took straight to the guest room. Instead, Roy carried it to his bedroom while I followed at a small distance.

On the few times I’d been over, Roy’s bedroom door had remained firmly shut. Now, I walked in, trying not to stare at his neatly made bed, the bed I’d be sleeping in, next to Roy. Instead, I focused on his dresser, his nightstand, his laundry basket, literally anything but the bed.

At least Roy looked just as uncomfortable as he handed me my bag. “You can change in the bathroom,” he mumbled, nodding to another closed door.

“Thanks.”

It felt way too soon when I came out and stood next to his bed, pretending not to notice the way he glanced at my bare legs. We both silently climbed into the bed, taking care not to move around too much or get too close to one another. After a pair of rushed “good nights”, we turned our backs to each other and remained silent until sleep claimed us.

I expected awkwardness. I expected silence and not being able to make eye contact.

But I didn’t expect Roy’s arm to be so warm wrapped around me in the morning.

My back was still to him, the way I’d laid the night before, but he had shifted during the night into a spooning position. And I’d apparently allowed myself to scooch back into his embrace, resting my arm on top of his.

Before I could figure out the least perceptible way to remove myself from his grip, Roy stirred, waking slowly at first, but quickly realizing the position we were in.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, removing his arm and taking his warmth with him. He sat up, rubbing his tired face with his hand. “I didn’t- I mean-”

“It’s cool,” I assured him, tightening the blankets around myself. “Don’t worry about it.”

Roy nodded absently, staring down at me for a moment. “I…” He cleared his throat and shook his head. “Pheebs is probably waking up,” he murmured, as though that was what he meant to say in the first place. “I’ll go make some pancakes.” He climbed out of bed, shaking his head, reminding me of my grandmother’s dog. “You can, uh, get dressed in here. Come out when you’re ready.” With an absent little nod, he was gone.

I laid in bed- his bed- and stared up at the ceiling. Why was my heart pounding so fast? And why was my stomach in knots? And why couldn’t I stop picturing Roy, all tender with his little niece? Why couldn’t I stop imagining the way his arms felt wrapped around me, on our dates, when he kissed me, when I woke up-

“Shit,” I groaned, grabbing one of his pillows and smothering my face with it.

Was I falling for Roy fucking Kent?

Roy sat on his couch, staring at the television but not really noticing the show that played on the screen. His mind was at Nelson Road, running through his lineup and plays and everything he knew about the team they’d be facing the next day. They’d had a good season, he reminded himself. Jamie and Sam were at the top of their game, and the rest of the fellas followed their lead. They were going to win, he assured himself with an absent nod. Surely, they’d win. With tomorrow’s victory they’d win the whole fucking thing.

His mobile vibrated next to him, interrupting his racing thoughts. Sunshine, the screen read. He smirked to himself, remembering when she’d grabbed his phone and changed her contact name after taking a selfie together at the Crown and Anchor, the selfie that was now her contact photo. Something in him liked seeing it light up his phone.

“Hey,” he greeted, his voice soft and gruff.

“Kent,” she hummed. “What’re you up to? Relaxing before tomorrow’s game?”

He slouched onto his couch, realizing he’d spent the last hour with a reality show playing on his screen while he paid zero attention to it. “Something like that. Yourself?”

Sydney meowed somewhere in the background. “Resting up before tomorrow’s celebrations.” Her voice was light and teasing; Roy could practically see her smile. “I’ve been partying with you Greyhounds for weeks. I can only imagine how wild you’ll all be after the big win.”

“Assuming we win,” Roy grunted.

“You’re going to win, Roycito.”

That little name brought a wide smile to his face; he wondered if she was picturing it. “You sound pretty fucking confident for someone who still calls it ‘soccer’, sunshine,” he teased.

Her twinkling laughter rang in his ear. “I’ve been watching you guys for weeks, remember? The guys are incredible, even I can see that. And I don’t know much, but from what I hear you’re a pretty amazing coach.” Her voice was gentle as she spoke. “I believe in you, Roy.”

Those five words were still flittering in Roy’s mind the next day, for the ninety minutes his team ran themselves ragged on the pitch. His voice was nearly hoarse from the nonstop shouting he’d been doing, and his eyes hurt from scarcely blinking. And fuck, his knee was starting to kill him, but he refused to sit for even a second.

But the moment the referee blew his final whistle, it was all worth it. He jumped around the pitch with his team, knee be damned, surrounded by the shouts and cheers of their ever-loyal fans. After hoisting the trophy in the air and watching the Greyhounds pass it around, Roy found himself back on the ground, wondering where Keeley had gotten to. Surely, she’d want to congratulate him, he thought. Surely-

“Roycito!”

His heart stopped for a second, seeing the most famous popstar in the world jogging towards him, confetti in her hair and a smile on her face. She threw her arms around him and pressed close to him, engulfing him in the now-familiar scent of her fruity perfume. He squeezed her tight, chuckling at the feeling of her custom Greyhounds jacket, the one with the giant number six on the back. She’d been excited to show it to him, sending him photos the moment it arrived. He had to admit- it looked damn good on her.

Knowing that there were cameras everywhere, many of them trained on him and the woman in his arms, Roy cradled her face in his hands and pulled her towards him, pressing his lips to hers gently. She smiled into the kiss, so sweetly he almost believed it. She tasted like the beer she’d probably been drinking all game long and felt so warm pressed against him. For a moment, he forgot all about the cameras, the cheers, everything but her and her taste and her smiles.

Fuck, he thought as her tongue flickered for a brief moment against his lips. If Roy wasn’t careful, he might actually start believing that this was love.

The club was pulsating with music and people dancing and drinking. Roy’s arm was loose and casual around my shoulder as we entered the party. He was clearly on cloud nine, walking lighter than I’d ever seen him. We were greeted with shouts and cheers from the Greyhounds who spotted us, who’d clearly already begun drinking. Someone shoved a shot in my hand; when I glanced over, I saw Roy had one too.

With a wide grin, the kind I didn’t know Roy could have, he tapped his little glass to mine and downed the alcohol. Unable to contain my own smile, I followed suit, shivering a little as the tequila slid down my throat.

After a few dances together, I found myself sitting in a little corner with Roy, who looked incredibly relaxed as he sipped yet another drink. He smiled at me, a little sloppy with his crooked smile and dreamy look in his eyes, and chuckled at nothing in particular.

Fuck, he was doing nothing to help this stupid little crush.

Maybe it was the alcohol in my system, or maybe it was my way of distracting myself from how damn good the man looked, but I couldn’t help the way my mouth opened and I blurted out, “Hey Kent, I’m sorry you have to spend tonight with me.”

His face was almost cartoonishly confused. “The fuck are you on about?” he scoffed, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees as his eyes bore into mine.

“I mean…” I shook my head. “This is a big night for you, you know? And instead of spending it with- with a real girlfriend, or someone special, you’re spending it pretending with me. It must… kind of suck. Not getting to celebrate with someone who matters to you.”

Roy frowned, thinking for a moment before opening his mouth and speaking slowly. “I’m fucking glad you’re here,” he said plainly. “You and I… we’re friends. Real friends, I think. And that means you matter to me.” He placed a hand on my knee and gave the tiniest squeeze. “So, I am celebrating with someone who matters to me. Alright?”

Thankfully, the dark lighting hid what I was sure was a furious blush. “Alright,” I conceded. “For what it’s worth, you matter to me too, Kent.” I covered his hand with mine. “I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Me too, sunshine.” He planted a kiss on my cheek. “Me too.”

Roy couldn’t believe how fucking happy he was. He was on top of the world, taking shots with his team, wearing these stupid matching tracksuits Keeley insisted on ordering for them, dancing with a beautiful singer. It felt like nothing could touch him; his knee could fall off for all he cared, and the next season felt ages and ages away. Hell, even the fact that there were cameras all over the place didn’t bother him. It was probably the alcohol, but for the first time he didn’t feel like he was putting any effort into the PDA he was expected to partake in. He pulled her close for dances, kissed her forehead freely, kept giving her what he was sure was the stupidest smile. And it just. Felt. Natural.

He sat with his arm around her, laughing and rolling his eyes at something stupid Jamie was saying. He snuck a glance at her, taking in the sight of her throwing her head back as giggles tumbled out of her mouth, a sight he was finding he really enjoyed.

“You two’re adorable,” Jamie slurred, shaking his head at the pair. “Seriously, don’t know the last time I saw Grandad this happy.”

Those bright eyes sparkled at Roy. “Roycito, are you happy?” she purred, peppering kisses on his warm face. Her laughter twinkled in his ear. “Shit, got some of my lipstick on you.” She reached up to wipe his cheek, but he caught her wrist.

Not knowing quite what came over him- probably the alcohol, he reasoned- he offered her his most flirtatious smirk, the one he hadn’t worn in a long fucking time. “Why don’t you add some more, sunshine?”

It was almost invisible, the way her smile faltered. For a moment, Roy sobered up, wondering if he’d gone too far, flirted too hard. But the tiny, almost imperceptible waver in her bravado quickly faded, giving way to a coy smile and batting eyelashes. “Anything for my champion.” She returned to his cheek, leaving a trail of kisses down his bearded face.

“Alright,” Jamie groaned, standing up with a slap to his thighs. “’m done being a third wheel. Gonna go find April before you two decide to put on a live sex show, ya perverts.”

Neither one of them acknowledged Jamie’s departure. Instead, she giggled in Roy’s ear as he tried not to react to how admittedly good her lips felt against his skin. After a couple firm kisses to his jaw, she pulled back, laughter tumbling past her now smudged lips.

“You’re a fucking mess,” she declared. She pulled out her phone and turned on the camera, pulling him close to show him her handiwork. Sure enough, his face was covered in her lipstick kisses. If he didn’t know any better, he’d be incredibly turned on by the idea of being marked up so brazenly. As he tried to hold back laughter, she made a silly little face and snapped a couple of pictures. Roy made a mental note to ask her to send them to him later.

They had fun together, Roy thought as he watched her giggle at the photos. And not just while drinking and taking selfies, either. Even just sitting in parks reading side by side made Roy feel… happy. Fucking content. Maybe they could try hanging out like normal people now that the season was over. No tweets or Instagram posts, no paparazzi, just two friends, enjoying each other’s company. Surely, she’d say yes, right? She agreed, they were friends now. Friends who spent the night at each other’s houses and covered each other’s faces with kisses and pretended to be in love, but friends nonetheless.

“You better post that.” Keeley plopped down beside him, smiling at the popstar. “Fucking adorable and hot. And it looks candid.” She winked at Roy. “You two’re doing a great job.”

Job. For some reason, that word hit Roy like a punch to the gut. Right, this was a job. They were going through this whole charade- because that’s what this was, a charade- for their careers. Sure, they were making the best of it by enjoying each other’s company, but at the end of the day, he needed to remember that this was work. That in a few months, they’d part ways and… what? Never speak again? Remain distant friends? Watch each other move on to real relationships? He wasn’t sure why the idea left him with a dry mouth and a twisted stomach.

Deciding he needed to shake that feeling out of himself, he gazed at Keeley, who was still grinning at him. Fuck, she looked happy, her hair wild and her face flushed from all the drinking, that Greyhounds tracksuit hugging her the way Roy wished he could. What the fuck did Keeley think when she looked at him? Did she feel the same pang, the same wistfulness? Did she see nothing but something she was glad to be done with? Or, fuck, something she wished she’d never done at all?

Keeley’s smile faltered as she glanced behind him, at the popstar who probably wasn’t used to being ignored. “You two should dance,” she suggested, nodding to the singer. “Be real cute, yeah?”

Fuck. He was so damn obvious, it was embarrassing. “Right, yeah.” Roy turned to the singer, who quickly dropped the frown she had been wearing. “Want to dance, sunshine?”

She plastered on that smile- not the cute, natural one she often wore when they hung out, but that too big, bright one that he saw when the paparazzi were around. If something was wrong, she sure as hell wasn’t talking about it. At least not with Roy.

“Let’s go, Kent,” she said flatly. “Publicist’s orders.”

No matter how silly Roy tried to be on the dancefloor, he couldn’t quite bring back her real smile. And for some reason, it was fucking killing him. After a couple of songs passed without much change, Roy felt tired of seeing this mask she wore. He excused himself and made his way over to the DJ, mumbled a few words over the music, and returned to a curious-looking popstar. At least curiosity was better than the fake smiles.

“You make a request?”

Roy shrugged, tugging her back to himself. “My guilty pleasure song,” he answered. “Whenever Phoebe plays it, i get it stuck in my head for fucking days.”

She scrunched her nose at him as she tilted her head. “What song-”

When a twangy pop tune blasted and filled the club, she threw her head back and rolled her eyes, laughter spilling from her lips.

“Kent. You fucking didn’t.”

You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upsetShe's going off about something that you said'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do

“What can I say?” Roy chuckled. “I fucking love this song.”

Whatever negativity she seemed to be feeling dissipated, giving way to soft giggles as she danced close to Roy. He couldn't help the way he gripped her hips and sang along to the song his niece frequently requested in the car; he knew every fucking word. However many times he’d heard it, he never in a million years imagined he’d be here, holding its singer close and drunkenly shouting the lyrics at each other.

And he especially never imagined he’d like it so damn much.

For the second time in the past few weeks, I sat on Keeley Jones’s couch with sunglasses on my face and coffee in my hands. This time, however, I didn’t feel an ounce of regret. Instead, I relished the fact that Roy looked as miserable as I felt after a night of drinking and dancing and celebrating with the Greyhounds. He slouched beside me as Keeley yammered on about how we’d trended on social media during and after the match, with videos and photos of us floating around on every major platform. As she gushed over a particular clip of Roy and me dancing at the team celebration, he reached over and took my coffee, helping himself to a generous gulp before slipping it back into my hand with ease.

It was scary how natural it felt.

“Now, it wasn’t all positive,” Lanie interjected. Always the optimist, my publicist. “There were of course some people that were all over that photo of Roy and Keeley-”

“The photo I took and posted,” I snorted.

Roy nudged me. “Not jealous, are you, sunshine?”

I smirked back. “You wish, Kent.”

Before he could open his mouth and retort, Keeley snapped her fingers. “Oi. There’s also the little issue of people thinking this whole thing is a PR stunt.”

“It is a PR stunt,” Roy and I said in unison.

A playful snort flew out of Lanie’s nose. “Spending enough time together, you two?” She shook her head and turned her attention back to her tablet. “Now, obviously, we know this is PR. But we need everyone else to believe this thing is the real deal.” She paused, biting her lip. “Now that Roy’s season is over, we’d like to see you two go on holiday together. Something cute, somewhere you could take lots of photos. Preferably somewhere you could be seen.”

Roy raised his eyebrows at me. “You’ve got somewhere tropical and fabulous in mind, I assume?”

I shook my head. “You pick, Kent,” I urged. “You had a long season, you just won your championship, you deserve this.” I shrugged. “Just tell me where we’re going so I know what to pack.”

A look passed between Roy and Keeley, something unreadable that made me blush and look away. Finally, Roy cleared his throat and nodded at me, a ghost of a smile on his face.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Doing my best to not stare at that little smile, reminding myself that I had no reason or excuse to kiss him in Keeley’s office in front of our publicists, I turned back to Lanie and cleared my throat. “Alright, so vacation together. What else?” I smirked. “Want me to write him an album or something?”

Instead of chuckling along like Lanie and Roy did, Keeley perked up, eyes bright and mouth wide. “That’s an amazing idea, babes!” she declared.

In an instant, Roy’s brows were furrowed. “You’re fucking joking. You can’t possibly ask her to write an album- that’s insane-”

“She doesn’t have to write one for real,” Keeley quickly clarified. “At least, not a new one.” She turned back to me. “You don’t release every song you write, I assume? Some of them stay in, like, a vault of some kind?” When I nodded tentatively, she went on, “You could take some of those songs, rework them, play with them a bit, and bam, one love album dedicated to Mister Roy Kent, proof of your undying love for him.”

Before I could even comprehend what she had just proposed, Roy sat up, shaking his head. “Keeley. She doesn’t have to do that.” His mouth was in a straight line as he shifted to face me. “Your songs, they’re probably personal, about your life. You absolutely do not have to butcher them for me, for any of this.”

The look on Roy’s face had my tense shoulders relaxing. His voice was so firm and reassuring at the same time. With his fists balled and his face stony, he looked… protective. Protective of me and my work. It felt good, having a man in my corner- especially this man. I didn’t think anyone I’d dated before, at least recently, would shield me like that. A warmth bubbled in my chest, bringing a smile to my lips that I couldn’t quite bury.

“I can do it,” I assured him. Quickly reminding myself of the other people in the room, I directed my gaze to Lanie and Keeley. “Gimme some time. I’ll get a few songs recorded, and we can release it during the tour. I can make it work.”

While Keeley’s smile was wide and excited, Lanie’s expression was more guarded, her eyes scanning my face knowingly. “You’re sure?” she asked in that skeptical voice I knew too well.

Stealing one more glance at Roy, taking in the concern in his eyes, I nodded firmly. “I’m sure.”

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