#but her hair would be lighter at the top wouldn’t it

[un-lawliet]

WHAT IF teen!Gojo and teen!reader are best friends teetering on the edge of lovers but they get into a petty little argument and start ignoring each other right???? so reader goes on a date with someone else to be petty and Gojo internally freaks out. So, him and his friends get in disguises as Gojo tries to sabotage the date without being noticed but instead he accidentally helps the other guy look great and impressive every time💀

Geto, shoko, and Nanami don’t help Satoru. They just watch and laugh😭 good fluffy ending though pls

THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST !!!!! i loved this idea so so much- i kinda tweaked the request slightly but i hope this is ok <3 i love you and thank you for your patience !

“Normal”

- in which you’re on a date with someone that isn’t Gojo.

“Does this count as stalking?”

It absolutely did count as stalking.

Gojo, Shoko, Nanami and Geto were currently huddled in a dimly lit booth hunkering down as to not be seen by you…or your pompous looking date sat opposite you.

“It’s not stalking.” Gojo splutters, glaring at Geto through the top of his sunglasses, “It’s just..just-”

“You tracking Y/N down and making us watch her on a date.” Shoko muses, rolling a cigarette between her fingers, reaching for her lighter.

“Exactly!”

Nanami groans, his head falling backwards, hair falling over the curve of his eyebrows, hiding his face slightly.

Shaking his head, a small grin dances across Geto’s calm face, watching as Gojo pouts and glares at your table, eyes completely trained on your face.

“‘S’not even that good looking, she just has a thing for guys that flatter her.” He grumbles under his breath, flicking the fancy wall he leaned on.

“Think most girls enjoy feelin’ pretty Gojo.” Shoko replies, hand still feeling around in her pocket, “Oh fuck sakes, I’ve lost my lighter…Hey- Geto, you wouldn’t happen to have a spare one on ya?”

Geto nodded, tossing her a purple lighter from across the table, smiling gently as she thanked him.

“You shouldn’t smoke inside.” Nanami mutters, now staring down at the menu in-front of him, finger tracing along the prices in thought, seeming to pause on the brownie section.

“No one can see, we’re fine.” She sighs, taking a drag and blowing it towards Gojo, grinning as he dramatically clutches his chest, gasping for air.

“What’s the point of us even being here Gojo.” Nanami huffs, side eyeing the bakery stand parallel to their table.

“Because, I need to show her that this..this loser is nothing compared to me!”

“I don’t know Satoru.” Geto muses, taking a sip of his camomile, “Y/N seems pretty into him.”

“Suguru!” Gojo gasps in horror, betrayal dripping from his voice and on to the curve of his disgusted face.

Shoko wiggles her eyebrows teasingly, inhaling before continuing. “He has a point Gojo, I mean look, you ever see her smile like that?”

Gojo whips his head around to stare at you, and Shoko covers her mouth to hide a poorly restrained giggle, sharing a glance with Geto.

“I make her smile like that- She smiles like that with me!!” He whines, and Nanami rolls his eyes.

A waitress smashes a glass from behind the café’s counter, you jump slightly in your seat and turn to look over at the sound, you don’t notice the group of strange looking teenagers ducking down at your movement, concealing themselves poorly in their seats.

Your date laughs at you, you blush and turn back to him bashfully, excusing yourself for being so on edge.

Gojo glares.

“So what’s the plan then Gojo.” Nanami drawls, resting his face on his palm.

“Yes! The plan!” Gojo splutters, looking away from your pretty, pretty face to look at the three of them.

He hesitates and Shoko groans.

“You do have a plan don’t you?”

“Of course I do!..So, the plan..the plan um, well-”

“He has no plan.” Geto interrupts.

“Jesus Christ Gojo.”

“Does that mean I can leave?”

“Shut up!” Gojo exclaims, “I’m thinking give me a second would ya?”

“Nanami if your leaving I’m coming with you.”

“Wanna go now Shoko?”

“Guys!”

Gojo slumps forward in his chair, his face resting on the table as he whines.

Geto rests a hand on his back and chuckles, shaking his head at the two other sorcerers.

“It’s ok Satoru, we can all figure something out ‘kay?”

“Yea?” Gojo replies, his voice muffled by the table.

“Yea.”

Instantly, Gojo springs up, his eyes as wide as his smile.

“Ok let’s brainstorm.” Geto suggest, his voice like honey as he removes his hand from Gojo’s back and reaches back to his tea.

“What if we spill tea over him!” Gojo gasped, pointing towards the cup in Geto’s hand, a sharp look crossing his face.

“Stupid. Y/N would see us.” Shoko grumbles.

“No- See Shoko, the point of a brain storming session means we make suggestions and listen without judgement.” Gojo argues, crossing his arms.

“Yea but your idea was stupid.” Nanami concludes, watching as Shoko nods.

“You suggest something then Nanamin!”

“I’m suggesting nothing, this whole idea is foolish.”

“OoOoh “Foolish” is it?”

“I’m leaving.”

Nanami stands up reaching for his bag, scowling at Gojo.

“Hey, hey Nanami c’mon ignore him he’s just..” Geto pauses with a quick regard to Gojo, “He’s just Satoru.”

“An idiot.” Shoko chimes.

“Yes, an idiot.”

Nanami sighs as he sits down, placing his brown bag back at his feet reluctantly ignoring Gojo’s grin.

“…What if we trip up the waitress as she’s bringing them their food.” Shoko suggests, twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

“That could work!”

“No, Satoru, that just causes trouble to the waiting staff.”

“And?”

Geto rolls his eyes, “We don’t need to cause anyone any trouble just because you’re too afraid to just ask Y/N out.”

“I am not afraid!” Gojo moans, putting his face in his hands.

“Uh huh, that’s why you fell out with her when she told you about the date.” Shoko laughs, wiping off ash from her arm.

“What was I supposed to do?” Gojo queries, frowning.

“Talk to her?” Nanami deadpans, “Like a normal person.”

“Our Gojo isn’t normal though.” Shoko winks, nudging an unamused Nanami.

“Focus guys.” Geto says, clapping his hands twice to draw attention.

Your sweet laugh echoes through the cafe, and Gojo pouts, shoulders slumping.

You were supposed to be sitting opposite him laughing.

It was supposed to be his food with which you shared.

And yet one petty argument about some random guy you had met in returning from your last mission asking you out, had ruined everything.

The shared glances between you and Gojo, how you leaned on his shoulder when you slept in classes, the way he would always keep an eye on your cursed energy when joining you in battle.

All those little moments had dissolved in the bitter moments after you informed him of your date, a small smile dancing in your eyes.

“He said I was pretty Toru’” You had said, your eyes wide, and Gojo wanted to cover the love sick gleam glistening in your eyes with his hand.

“I always think your pretty.” He mumbled, watching you cock your head in confusion.

“What was that?” You questioned, leaning towards him slightly, trying to recall his quiet words.

“Nothin’.” His curt response didn’t phase you as you moved backwards, a charming skip in your step.

“Think he sounds stupid.” Gojo was never good at expressing his true feelings, and in that moment, Gojo’s sheer panic over you leaving him overpowered his aloofness.

“You think someone thinking I’m pretty is stupid?” Your shoulders fell, and you turn to him, a small lour crossing your face.

“What? No? That’s not what I-”

“It what’s you said though Toru’” You sighed, and Gojo cursed at himself for the glimmer of insecurity that appeared to vex you in that moment.

“It’s just- Well he’s just stupid.”

“So you are calling him stupid for telling me I’m pretty.”

“No! He’s stupid! Not his words!”

“That’s the same thing Gojo!”

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

And now Gojo’s watching as Geto summons one of his smallest and weakest curses to push your stupid dates chair over, sunglasses off and held in his fist.

“Oh so we’re actually going with this plan? I wasn’t imagining it?” Shoko muses, stealing a forkful of Nanami’s brownie.

“Nobody else had any better ideas.” Gojo silenced, waving a hand in her direction, practically clamouring on top of Geto to watch.

“Satoru watch it, I can’t see where my curse is going with you on me.” Geto scolds, brushing the white haired man off.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Nanami’s disinterest oozes out from his voice, nudging his plate over to Shoko who smiles brightly at his offer.

Geto flexes his hand, ensuring that the curse went unnoticed by you, it ducked under a table and weaved between chair legs.

“Make sure Y/N doesn’t see it!” Gojo panics, his hand covering his mouth.

Geto pauses, and looks over his shoulder towards Gojo, eyebrow raised.

“…Sit down Satoru.”

And Gojo immediately drops, hands on his legs.

The curse bobbles over to under your dates chair, and Geto smiles, before releasing his hold.

.

.

.

The sound of your dates chair toppling over boomed through the cafe, and with a swift flick of his finger, the curse dissapears, and all four of the sorcerer’s immediately drop their heads.

“Oh my God? Are you ok?!” Your concerned voice follows, and you stand up instantly, rushing towards your date, who grins at you from the floor.

“Oops, must have slipped.” He smiles, accepting your hand in helping in up, wiping the memory of his fall off of his jeans. “At least I have a pretty lady to help me in my moment of weakness.”

You giggle, and push his shoulder, “Oh shush you tease.” Bending over to pick up his chair.

“Oh no don’t worry I got it.” Your date winks, helping you lift the chair.

“How??!?!” Gojo groans, watching you swoon, “What is happening?”

“Man.. She must really like him eh?” Shoko offers, sharing a cheeky smile with Geto.

“Maybe it’s hopeless.” Nanami chimes in, “Do you want to finish this?” He asks Shoko, gesturing to the half eaten brownie.

“Actually?”

“Yea go on, you seem to be enjoying it.”

“Maybe.” Geto cuts in, “Maybe we should just leave them be? Let it fizzle out naturally?”

“What if there is no naturally Suguru.” Gojo mopes, kicking the leg of the table.

“Gojo it’s obvious she likes you, and it’s obvious you’re both smitten.” Shoko says, her voice muffled and she finishes Nanami’s brownie.

“..You think?”

“Everyone thinks.” Nanami replies, “Haibara thought you two were dating when we first joined the school.”

“How is Haibara by the way?” Geto questioned, “Why didn’t he join us?”

“Not sure, he said something about needing more sleep before his first solo mission.”

“Isn’t that next week?” Shoko adds.

“He likes his sleep.”

“Come on guys! Focus!!” Gojo exclaims. “I’m in a dire situation here!!”

“A dire situation that could be solved with a conversation, Gojo.” Nanami rolls his eyes.

“Try the curse again Suguru.”

“Satoru it didn’t work once, it probably won’t work a second time.”

“Ugh.” Gojo slumps back, a sigh escaping his lips. “If you’re all so sure Y/N likes me, then why is she with that loser right now?”

“She probably got tired waiting for you to make a move Gojo.” Shoko replies.

“Yea the “will they, won’t they” becomes tiresome after a while.” Geto agrees, pushing his empty cup towards the middle of the table.

“Ah!” Shoko says pointing over at you.

“They’re leaving Gojo.” Nanami affirms, joining Shoko in pointing.

“What?!?” Gojo gapes, “No!”

Geto laughs, shoving Gojo to his feet, watching you leave the cafe. “Go get her Satoru.”

“But how?” Gojo moans.

“Just go!” They all exclaim, and Gojo pauses for a split second before he’s bounding towards the door.

By the time he’s outside, you’re waving goodbye to your date, promising to call him as he walks the other way.

You look happy he thinks, and suddenly feels very out of place.

Gojo’s begins to turn to go back into the cafe, admitting defeat, when he hears your voice behind him.

“Gojo?” You gasp, disbelief permeating from your voice. And Gojo freezes, turning around awkwardly to face you.

“Hi.” Gojo replied, scuffing his shoes against the ground as he approaches you, hands in his pockets attempting to appear cool.

You look at him, your mouth slightly agape as you fiddle with the sleeve of your jumper, processing his appearance.

“You followed me to my date?” You ask accusingly, glancing around.

“He didn’t offer to take you home?” Gojo chooses to ignore you, refusing to acknowledge the implication of your words.

“I told him I could go back by myself.”

“Some guy.”

“Satoru.” You pause, lifting a hand to stop him, “Why are you here?”

A car drives past the pair of you, it’s headlights cast shadows across his perfect face and your hold yourself back from staring.

He stalls, looking at you for a moment. “C’mere, I’ll walk you home.”

“Satoru.”

You’re tired of his deflections, for once you just want to talk.

You both stare at each-other, silence decorating the air between you.

And Gojo shakes his head, stepping backwards and looking away.

“You look good.” He mutters.

“Good?”

“Pretty alright? You look pretty, he was right.”

“My date?”

Gojo’s sunglasses fall down the bridge of his nose slightly as he leans down to look at you.

“Who else?” He muses.

You don’t understand, your heart fluttering pathetically in your chest as you prove further.

“Why are you telling me this now?” You ask, your voice light, scarce of hope.

“Because.” Gojo hesitates, hating how unsure he sounds in this moment. “Because you are.”

You step towards him, it’s a slow movement and Gojo watches you almost cautiously.

“It took me going on a date with someone else for you to finally say something?” You tease, your hands shaking despite the confidence in your words.

“Would have said something without him, y’know?”

“..Really?” Your eyes widen, a tiny grin crossing your face.

Gojo nods, and you take another step and hug him, burying your face in the warmth of his chest.

And Gojo’s smile almost hurts his cheeks as he wraps his arms around your figure, pulling you in closer.

“You’re an idiot.” You mumble, looking up at him.

“But you like me.” He replies, cockily grinning down at you, blue eyes sparkling.

“Yea, I do.” You whisper, clinging to him, moving your head backdown to face his chest, face burning with your confession.

A small kiss is placed on the top of your head and you hold back a giddy laugh, pulling away from his embrace completely.

“So…Does that mean you’ll let me take you out?” Gojo questions, taking your hand and pulling you gently along to walk with him.

“Hmm I don’t know..Are you asking?” Your head leans on his arm, grabbing his arm as you walk.

“I would take you somewhere much better than that shitty cafe.”

And you’re laughing, “You love that cafe Toru.”

And he laughs with you, a long arm circling around your shoulders, pulling you impossibly closer to him.

And Geto, Shoko and Nanami watch from the window of the cafe, shaking their heads.

“Idiots.” Shoko says.

“Completely.” Nanami agrees.

Masterlist <3

Feel free to leave a request !

A/N : HELLLLLOOOO PEOPLE !! ABBY’S BACK !!! thank you for the request sweets this is literally one of my favourite concepts ever I cannot cope!!!! I love teenage Gojo so much :( BUT ALSO Shoko <333333 — i hope everyone is happy and healthy, i finished this at 2am and i have school tmrw pls kill me rn i hope a car hits me when i walk in, genuinley this no longer a joke.

LOVE YOU

#gojo x reader #gojo satoru #jjk gojo #gojo satoru x reader #jjk manga spoilers #jjk leaks #jjk #soft gojo #gojo fluff #gojo comfort #jujutsu kaisen #gojo x y/n #gojo smut

[daycourtofficial]

I Know Something You Don’t Know

Summary: Everyone else finds out you and Azriel are expecting a baby before you and Azriel do.

Author’s note: this is something? Isk where it came from, just went with it.

Cassian loved calm mornings. Coming home from training, cleaning up, and enjoying a few hours of calm to himself. He usually just lounges about the house, in various rooms, soaking in the silence, thinking about his day, his family, anything really.

He was sure this was to be one of those mornings, until he hears you bustling down the stairs in a quick pace.

Upon seeing Cassian at the table, calmly eating his array of sausages and bacon, you give him a nod.

The general laughs at his brother’s mate, whose arms are full of supplies to do mother knows what.

“Do you still have a body under all that stuff or are you just a tent with legs now?” He asks, laughing.

“Har har,” you reply, walking briskly through the room, “I told my nephews I’d teach them how to set up a tent and I’m running late. Can you open the door for me?”

Cassian rises, obliging your request. He loved ribbing you, but he also adored you as a person and as Azriel’s mate. You and Feyre were the best people to have as in-laws, a sentiment his brothers likely don’t share about his own mate.

“Well, I hope you all have a great time camping, don’t get eaten by any bears, please.” He says, opening the door for you.

“Ah, we’ll just be in my sister’s backyard camping, but it’ll be loads of fun. See you later, Cass!” You say, walking through the door.

Once the door is shut behind you, Cassian freezes as your scent lingers in the doorway. Your usual scent, of course, with a very soft, delicate undertone of flowers mixed in. So soft, he didn’t notice it while you were here.

Pregnant.

-

Cassian got the relaxing morning he thought he would. No one else came back to the house for several hours, an opportunity Cassian would usually relish and take delight in. Today his thoughts would only allow him to think of his brother and you and your babe.

His first thought was if Azriel knew, and knowing his brother, if he had any inclination you were pregnant, he wouldn’t have let you leave alone.

When the two of you mated, Azriel was insufferable. He was certain you would die from suffocation due to his hovering. On your first time seeing everyone after the frenzy, Cassian went to hug you and Azriel growled at him. You were incredibly patient and understanding, recognizing that it came from a mixture of his instincts to protect and his fear of anything happening to you.

It got so bad at one point you started bringing a spray bottle and would spray him when he was being too territorial.

Nesta and Feyre had walked into the house to find Cassian sitting at the table, pulling on his hair, a mixture of excitement and concern on his face. It was obvious he’d been sitting there for hours, his long forgotten breakfast gone cold hours ago.

“Cass, are you alright?” Feyre asks, coming to sit next to him.

Feyre’s voice breaks him out of his stupor, “Pregnant,” is all he can muster.

Fwyre looks at Nesta, “no no, not me,” Nesta replies, sniffing the air, “not you either.”

Feyre looks back at Cassian, “are you the pregnant one, Cass?”

“Azriel is.”

Feyre’s smirk drops from her face, “w-what?”

“Well okay not Azriel, but she is. She’s pregnant. They’re having a baby!”

Cassian feels ten pounds lighter being able to share this with someone. He jumps from his chair, standing in front of Feyre and Nesta.

“They’re having a baby, and neither of them know it.”

-

This day was absolutely rubbish for Azriel. Boring meetings, messy work, and stupid paperwork had him leaving early and staying incredibly late. All he wanted was to come home, eat dinner, and lay in bed with you on top of him.

He walked into the doors of the house, not expecting to find anyone, let alone finding his whole family in the foyer bickering like children.

“Okay but where will the banner go!” Cassian yelled at Mor.

“We already have a banner, we don’t need yours!”

“Yeah but I hand painted mine! I want them to know I was the first to know and that I’m the most excited for them!”

Feyre scoffs at Cassian, “if you’re the most excited, then why have Rhys and I already hired a team of nursemaids and nannies and have been gathering nursery supplies all day?”

Cassian rolls his eyes at his sister in law and high lady, “okay fine, you’ve spent the most money on the child, but I’ll teach them how to fly and all the best swear words.”

Mor starts to rebuttle, “yeah but I’ll be the best aunt, we’ll go shopping and,” she pauses, the first to notice Azriel’s return home, “Az, you’re home.”

All eyes snap to Azriel in the doorway, and he is no closer to figuring out what he’s looking at. Balloons are strewn about, as are streamers, there’s confetti, cakes, and what look like two banners that he can’t see what they say.

“What’s all this? Is it someone’s birthday?” He asks, walking forward and swiping some icing off a cake as Elain tuts at him and swats his hand.

“Uh,” Cassian replies, “it will be someone’s birthday.”

Azriel looks at him, “what does that mean?”

Cassian walks towards his brother, his arms outstretched, clamping down on his shoulders.

Looking him the eye, Cassian says, “do not freak out in that Azriel way you do when big things happen.”

Azriel scoffs, trying to shrug off Cassian’s hands. “I do not ‘freak out’,” his last words in air quotes.

Cassian continues speaking, “yeah says the guy who hid for two weeks when the mating bond snapped for him.”

Azriel opens his mouth to argue, but Cassian continues. “Speaking of, I saw your lovely mate as she left this morning.”

Azriel looks at Cassian, waiting for him to continue. “And after she left I realized there was a… scent.”

Azriel stiffens, his instincts kicking in as he responds, “what kind of scent?”

Cassian immediately shuts down Azriel’s thoughts, “whoa nothing like that, no. She’d never smell like another male, she’s too obsessed with you. No, it was a-a baby. She’s pregnant.”

As Cassian’s words were registering in his brain, Mor slowly lifted the banner so he could see that it said “Congratulations Bat Baby!”

Azriel looks at Cassian, deep-rooted fear of allowing his hopes to rise just to have them taken from him, “you’re sure? Absolutely sure?”

Cassian, unable to gauge Azriel’s reaction, replies with a quick, “yes.” Azriel wastes no time, sweeping Cassian up into a hug, lifting him off the ground. This show of affection was abnormal for Az, especially initiated by him, but Cassian gladly enjoys the moment.

Cassian can feel Azriel laughing into his chest as he sets him down, and everyone in the room is smiling at him, feeling his joy.

Azriel looks at Cassian, “but wait - do all of us know? Except for her?”

Cassian looks a bit sheepish, “well… maybe?”

-

Walking back towards the house, you walk through the open markets of Velaris, loving the smells of all the flowers and fresh bread. Walking through the vendors, several of them stop you, giving you gifts. You try to decline them, unable to accept their flowers, their chocolates, their breads. But they won’t let you give them back, and they absolutely refuse to allow you to pay for the gifts.

“I can’t just take these without paying!” You tell one vendor you frequent, Lila.

Lila scoffs at you, “it is called a gift! Have you never received one before?”

You roll your eyes, “of course I have, but this is different-“

Lila interrupts you, “it is not different. This is a gift. Accept it. Congratulations.”

You look at her in bewilderment, but a customer comes in at that moment and takes Lila’s attention. You walk through the market, your arms full of gifts from the vendors you frequent, confused as to why you have them.

You walk up the steps into the townhouse, toeing open the door after spending several minutes trying to find your keys.

“Honey?” You call out, removing your keys from the door. “The people of Velaris have gone nuts.”

You start making your way into the living room, still carrying what feels like 50 pounds of flowers. “They kept giving me things. We have like 20 bouquets and 10 loaves of bread!”

You feel him approach, helping grab things out of your arms and setting them down. “Did something happen and I missed it? Lila even congratulated me-“ Your words stop as you see the banners over the doorway.

“CONGRATULATIONS BAT BABY!” in beautiful writing, with little bats painted all over it.

Another one reads, “CONGRATS ON THE BAT!”

One written in what appears to be Cassian’s handwriting says, “I’M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!”

You look at Azriel, still not understanding. “What’s happening?” You finally take a good look at him, and he is on the verge of crying.

“When you left this morning, Cassian smelled you. I didn’t want to get too excited until I smelled you myself, but oh gods.”

He wraps you in his arms, deeply inhaling you. “You’re pregnant,” he laughs into your shoulder.

“Pregnant?” You ask him, clearly not having heard him correctly.

You and Azriel stopped taking contraceptives a few years ago, knowing it would probably be a century before you had a baby of your own.

“Me? Pregnant?” He laughs, “yes.”

He pauses, thinking about something. “Is this still something you want? We jumped the gun a bit with the decorating, but I assumed because we talked before.” He looks into your eyes, “if you’ve changed your mind, that’s okay. We’ll figure something out. It’s-“

You cut him off, “I haven’t changed my mind, I’m just..” you trail off, looking around you, “amazed I’m the last one to know!”

The both of you laugh, Azriel grabbing your face and kissing you deeply. When you pull away, all of the inner circle has winnowed in, Cassian shooting off confetti.

“Surprise!” They all yell, laughing. The joy thrumming through the bond with Azriel is all consuming from both ends, and you’re sure everyone around you can feel it.

Cassian approaches you, embracing you in a big hug. He kisses the top of your head, then crouches down so he’s eye level with your stomach.

“Hi Cassian Jr.” he says. Azriel scoffs, pushing him so he falls on the floor.

“What? I figured it out, I get naming rights!”

“I don’t think that’s how it works, dummy.” Mor tells him, giving him a pointed look as she sweeps you into a hug.

“I’m so happy for you,” she says, pulling back to look at you. “Me too,” you tell her. She looks at Azriel, who has let the happiness fade enough for his instincts to kick in, “not happy to deal with him during your pregnancy.”

You laugh, “it’ll be a miracle if he lets me leave the house.” He scoffs, as if he’d ever let you out of his sight again.

Feyre approaches you, cradling Nyx in her arms. “They’ll be, what, a year and a half apart?” You smile at her, cooing at the baby in her arms. “They’re going to be best friends,” you tell her.

All of you spend the evening laughing, drinking, eating all the sweets Elain baked, and soaking in all the joy from the newest addition to the family.

#acotar fanfiction #azriel #azriel x reader #azriel x you #azriel fanfic #azriel fluff

[yellowharrington]

sugar sweet -- carmy berzatto x reader

pairing + fandom: carmen "carmy" berzatto x reader, the bear fx

word count: ~2.5k

warnings: brief mention of body image issues (not towards reader) and suicide (mikey's death), eating dessert and a lot of food talk, gn!reader (but mention of wearing heels), use of y/n briefly in texts. reader is mentioned as an accountant or adjacent professional person and smoking is mentioned (reader and carmy). please let me know if i missed anything :)

a/n: hey team !! i hope y'all enjoy this fluffy little blorbo about carmy's birthday bc i needed to write about being soft to him. this is an old wip i finally finished so pls rb and leave feedback and comments ily

summary: it's carmy's birthday and you want to make it special for him again.

-`♡´-

It’s not that Carmy doesn’t like his birthday.

No, it’s not that. 

It’s just that he’s never had a good one.

When he was 9, his mom tried to make him a birthday cake. French vanilla, with buttercream icing, multicoloured sprinkles on top. But she had somehow managed to get so frustrated that she had thrown the whisk across the kitchen, the burnt cake thrown in the sink, and taken to the backyard for her millionth cigarette of the day. She was breaking down, as usual, and Carmy was the one that had to go out and rub her back and tell her it was fine. That he was fine, that he didn’t matter, and no, she didn’t ruin his birthday. 

When he was 13, he ended up spending the afternoon consoling Natalie in her bedroom, after his mom had again, made a backhanded comment about her body. That yeah, she’d gained weight in her midsection, and yeah, the stress was showing on her hips. She was sobbing into her pillows, clutching her pink sheets and wailing, leaving Carmy with nothing to do but kiss her on the cheek and leave her alone. He assured her, again, that he was fine, that he didn’t matter, and no, she didn’t ruin his birthday. 

And when he’s 24 and scrubbing the floors of The Beef at midnight, sweat dripping down his forehead and into the collar of his shirt. Michael had just died, so yeah, it was a little raw. The fluorescent lights were beating down on his back as he dumped hot soapy water on the floor and scrubbed everything away. Scrubbed away his memories, every Christmas with his brother, every screaming match. He let it all go down the drain. He’s assured himself that he’s fine, he didn’t matter, and no, Michael’s fucking suicide would not ruin his birthday.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

He meets you later that year. Sitting in the park, doing a crossword at 7:00am, your BEC and hot coffee cooling off on the bench beside you. You’re obviously a professional of some kind: tight black slacks and a matching blazer, white dress shirt stretched over your torso, hair pristinely styled. Black heels, he notices, that you’ll switch out in the middle of the day because they squeeze your toes. 

When he sits beside you, you don’t pay him any mind. He’s disheveled, sandy curls pushed back on his head, a grey crewneck sweater over a white t-shirt, collar peaking through at the neck. He sets his identical breakfast next to yours, taking out a cigarette and slipping it between his lips. You look over when he flicks his lighter, a soft exhale leaving his nose. “Oh, sorry,” he takes the cigarette from his lips and wafts the smoke away. “I forgot not everyone in this city smokes.”

You smiled tightly, nodding, letting yourself relax onto the back of the bench. “I don’t mind.” He nodded back to you, letting his hand rest on his knee as he took another drag. “Anything worth reading in there today?” He gestures to the newspaper balanced on your knee. You look at him again, shrugging your shoulders, only to tap your pen against the side of your leg. “No, there never is. I just do the crosswords. You wouldn’t happen to know a 4 letter word for ‘kitchen second in command’, would you?”

He laughs a little, taking another slow drag. “Sous?” You look down at the newspaper, penning in the small boxes, sitting back to smile at him. “Thank you,” you raise your coffee cup to him. “‘m a chef, over at The Beef in River North,” he has a mouthful of his sandwich now, as he points in the general direction of the restaurant. “Oh, yeah, I think you guys catered one of our events one time. It’s like, sandwiches and stuff, right?” He nods, taking a sip of coffee. You follow after him, letting the hot coffee touch your lips. 

“Yeah,” he laughs. “I, uh, just took it over. It’s kind of a shit show right now but we’re tryna fix it.” You unwrap the sandwich and sink your teeth into the soft bagel, covering your mouth before beginning to speak. “What happened to the guy who used to own it? Did you just buy it off of him, or what?”

“He died,” he says, deadpan, letting the cigarette come between his lips again. “He was my brother and uh, yeah - he died.” You nod at your own embarrassment, at the thought of asking a random stranger about his dead brother by accident. “Oh, I didn’t-uh, God - sorry,” you stammer, letting yourself turn towards him. “It’s fine,” he waves the smoke away again. “It’s not a big deal.” You almost laugh at his demeanour, so nonchalant. You pull a cardholder out of your blazer pocket, the small clasp opening. Cream cardstock, black writing - a business card, handing it over to him, but not before scribbling your personal number on the back. “If you need anything, accounting related or otherwise, call me.” He takes it and looks for a second, raising his eyebrow at the pristine card. “I can’t afford you,” he laughs. “No charge. Thanks for the help on the crossword…” you wait expectantly for a name. “Oh, Carmen. Carmy,” he finishes. “Nice to meet you.”

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

It had been a few months since your first meeting. Now, you chose to spend almost every Sunday with him - his one day off. He’d usually make you breakfast, sometimes an omelette with gouda cheese and chives, or fluffy pancakes with a berry compote and homemade whipped cream. For a man that cooked all day, every day, he certainly didn’t mind making any meals for you, especially when you woke up next to him in his old t-shirt and nothing underneath. 

You’d known Carmy for long enough now to have pieced together the whole story - a few nights here and there coming around The Beef after closing had granted you the pleasure of meeting Richie, who Carmy affectionately called Cousin. “He’s a little fucked up,” Richie had told you behind the slightly ajar door of the office, as you sat and waited for Carm to finish up. “With Mikey and everything. He won’t let ‘ya know, but he is. I’m happy he’s got somebody,” he looks back at the kitchen, the usual pots and pans clanging behind him. “You didn’t hear it from me, but it’s his birthday on Sunday,” Richie gets closer to you, his hand coming closer. “Back up Richie,” “Sorry. Force of habit. Do not tell him I told you. Take it to your grave. He likes red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing like a little bitch boy, they’re his favourite, alright?” You nod, looking to see if he was anywhere near. “Heard.”

You catch Marcus on the way out while Carmy fucks with something else in the kitchen. “Hey, Marcus,” you grab his arm, right before he’s about to put a headphone in and start on his way home. “Hey, what’s good?” “I need a red velvet cake recipe. And a cream cheese icing recipe. And a walk through of how to bake a batch of cupcakes. Please.” He nodded slightly, looking down at his phone. “I’ll text you what I’ve got. Is it a special occasion?” You look over at Carmy, who was wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Yeah, uh, it is.”

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Marcus had let you borrow a few cupcake pans and a package of liners, as well as his KitchenAid stand mixer for the batter. You’d gathered all of the ingredients from the recipe he’d given you, set everything up in your tiny apartment kitchen on the Saturday before Carmy’s birthday, furiously mixing wets and drys in different bowls, sifting flour and separating egg whites from yolks. The cigarette was taught between your lips, tank top strap falling off your shoulder as you slowly began to mix the batter together. 

[Carmen] 11:18pm

Hey

How are you baby?

Just finishing up here

You flicked the cigarette ash onto the fire escape as you nodded your head in rhythm with the song on the speaker, letting the batter mix in the background as you started to sift the powdered sugar into the clean bowl. You weren’t even looking at the time until you heard the familiar chime of your phone, sticky floury hands grabbing your cell phone to see the text from Carmy. 

“Shit, fuck,” you turned the mixer off, putting the remnants of your cigarette out in the sink. 

[(Y/N) personal] 11:26pm

Hey, just busy right now

Will text in a bit

Love you

When Carmy reads the text he’s a little… surprised to say the least. For you to have plans on a Saturday night was not unheard of by any means, but it wasn’t what he was expecting. Anxiety creeped up a little, because what could you be doing at 11:30pm?

[Carmen] 11:27pm

Love you too

You ok?

[(Y/N) personal] 11:27pm

Of course

Come over when you’re done

A smile tugs on the corner of his lips as he continues to wipe down the stainless steel counter in front of him, nearly spotless already. Most of the other crew has gone home, save for Marcus in his station proofing his donuts for tomorrow and Richie texting someone at the expo line. He slips his phone in the pocket under his apron, undoing the knot on the back and dropping it in the hamper by the back door. “You guys can lock up, yeah?” Carmy calls, seeing Marcus nod at him and bid him goodnight with a small wave. “Heard,” Richie calls. “‘Night, cousin.”

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Carmy had called a few times, your phone ringing and ringing, but the chaotic kitchen had forced you to miss the calls. It was past midnight now, and you’d spent your whole day in the kitchen, the night getting away from you way quicker than you had intended. You had a small box in your bedside table, a thin gold chain you hadn’t wrapped for him yet, and your apartment was a fucking mess. Pans and bowls strewn across every surface, flour on the floors and walls, and somehow, and you had cream cheese icing under your fingernails. It was a bit of a mess.

When the icing was done, you managed to squeeze some on the tops of the cupcakes just in time to hear the lock on your door click. You stood, silently, as you heard Carmy quietly kick off his boots. He thought you might be sleeping.

Ha, far from it.

“Babe?”

When he rounded the corner, it was a sight to see for sure. Your hands twisted around a makeshift pastry bag, which was really a ZipLoc with a hole cut in the bottom. Apron tied in a bow around your waist, only accentuating the curves of your body. Carmy drinks you in.

“What are you doing?”

You looked at him like a deer in the headlights.

“Baking.”

“Yeah. I see that.”

He stepped forward tentatively, an amused smile on his face. His hand reached to the small of your back, a kiss adorning your cheek. 

“Why are you baking?” He takes a finger to the end of the bag, sticking it in his mouth and marvelling at the taste. “Why are you killing it at baking?”

You smiled. “Don’t be mad.”

His eyebrow cocked, noticing the desserts in front of him, really, for the first time since he stepped in the door.

“Fucking Richie,” his hand found his forehead. “Fucker.”

“Happy Birthday, Carm.” You let the bag of icing flop on the stovetop, while your arms wrapped around his neck. You pressed a soft kiss to his lips, slotting them together to quiet the thoughts in his mind. You started to pepper kisses all over his face and neck, giggling between them, before he couldn’t help but burst into laughter himself. 

“He told me they were your favourite, and I asked Marcus for a recipe and I haven’t tried one yet, even!” the words tumbled out of your mouth as he pulled you impossibly closer, swaying a little with you in his arms. 

“Sorry. Richie told me not to make a dig deal, I just thought,” you shrugged, letting your hands slide down his biceps and tracing the faded tattoos there with your pointer finger. “I thought we could make it special again. If you want.”

The wild look in your eyes was enough to have him push forward again, lips crashing into lips, the amalgamation of all the tastes from his day on your tongue.

“Thank you.” He peers over your shoulder at the cupcakes, still in the tin, suddenly very interested in tasting the fruits of your labour.

“Should we try these?” His hand drops effortlessly to your waist, letting his body push past yours. He picks up a cupcake, handing one to you and ‘cheers’ing them playfully. He unwrapped the foil on the outside, sinking his teeth into the soft, sweet dessert. 

“Mmmh,” he moans, letting his eyes roll back into his head slightly. “Wow,” the red colour coats his teeth. “Yeah.”

You nod along with him, your own teeth sinking in. “Oh yeah, I kinda killed it with these.” 

“Hm, wait,” you put the cupcake down, pushing past him. You take the opportunity to put your hand on his broad back, feeling the muscles underneath.

When you return, he’s licking the rest of the icing off of his fingers. The way his lips wrap around his fingers makes your breath hitch.

“Before you say anything, it’s just small, if you hate it you can return it, blah blah blah…” you trail off, but you can’t hide the excitement across your features. 

He pulls open the clamshell box, the gold chain reflecting against the warm lights of the kitchen and dancing along the walls. His lips part slightly, forming an “o” shape, with surprise. 

“You’re…” he seems genuinely speechless. Carmy usually isn’t a man of many words, anyway, but this was noticeably different.

“Do you like it?” Your bottom lip is folded under your teeth in anticipation, eyes flickering up to meet his. 

“You’re perfect,” is all he can say, and you swear you can see his eyes get a little glassy.

“Aw, well, don’t get soft on me now,” you let your arms wrap around him once again, pulling him into a hug this time. Your head fits perfectly into his chest, smelling the distinct scent of his signature cologne, long now covered by the smells of the restaurant. Him.

His nose fits perfectly into the crook of your neck as he leans down, deepening the hug to pull you in impossibly close. His lips latch onto the soft spot beneath your ear, enraptured by your presence. 

For the first time in his life, Carmy is actually going to have a good birthday. 

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

#carmen berzatto #the bear #carmy berzatto fanfiction #carmy x reader #carmy berzatto #carmy berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto x you #carmen berzatto fanfiction #carmy x you #the bear fx fanfic #the bear fx fanfiction #the bear fanfic

[ageofevermore]

OH, LORD SAVE ME

SUMMARY — after a night out with the girls, wanda gets possessive after learning maria couldn’t keep her hands to herself. oh, lord save me my drug is my baby i’ll get using for the rest of my life.

WARNINGS — nsfw minors dni, alcohol consumption, marijuana and cocaine usage, smoking a blunt, biting, face slapping, ass slapping, strap-on usage, vibrator usage, blowjob, brief nipple play, scratching, fingering, doggy/missionary, degradation, mommy kink, orgasm control, overstimulation, multiple orgasm, dom/sub dynamics, brat shenanigans

A floral aroma hits your nose the second you enter the bedroom. The rest of the house holds the scent of weed, and the scattered lighters in the living room tell you enough. The lights are low, and a nature documentary is paused on the television screen across from the bed, but no trace of your girlfriend is visible from the doorway. Remnants of white powder cling to the oak furniture you recently bought, and her credit card lies beside the evidence of a chased high. Wanda D. Maximoff is stamped into the card, already an obvious give away as to who the perpetrator is. The room spins as you walk deeper into it, and clumsily your body collides with the bedpost.

The fan is running in the bathroom, and the faintest tinge of yellow peeks out from beneath the door, shining into the room like slivers of sunlight hitting a prism. The shower isn’t running, and neither is the sink, either of the two an indicator that she’s ready to call it a night. It’s approaching two am now, and the sunlight that filled the bedroom before has turned to inky midnight. The spontaneous night out with some girlfriends from work has left you giggly, artificial cherry on your lips as your tongue swipes across them. You don’t bother knocking as you enter the bathroom, though the seconds you spend fumbling with the doorknob are enough warning that you’re coming in, not that she’d mind either way.

The sight of her, sprawled out on the floor, brown hair scattered about and bloodshot eyes staring at the ceiling gives you a pause for a second before you burst into giggles that shake the gold chains holding your dress up. The skimpy black number was one of Wanda’s personal favorites, but your girlfriend hadn’t been home when you left to comment on it. If she had been, your neck wouldn’t be as clear as it is now, only soft, healing hickeys remain from nights prior, not too bad for your usually bruised up appearance. Wanda startles at your added sound, but her eyes never peel away from their concentrated dedication to the fan on the ceiling. There’s an abandoned bowl laying next to her, and your customized red lighter is left on the countertop next to a bottle of water. Having to hear her whine about how dry her mouth is when she’s high is a nuisance, so you’ve begun to leave bottles of water in her favorite smoking spots, and clearly, it did you some good.

“Baby!” Your voice drags, slightly slurred together and raised in pitch as you tumble to the floor to lay beside her. Hating when your hair ends up in your face, you’d been proactive for a change, and had decided to braid it for your night out, and as you fall to the ground, it whacks Wanda in the face, but you don’t notice, too absorbed in trying to see what she’s so interested in. “I missed you!” When the fan no longer interests you, because why would it, you roll on top of her effectively elbowing her in the chest, and it’s enough of a commotion to finally break her concentration. The second her eyes are on you, a darkness blooms in the typically evergreen centers. Her huff of surprise for the air being knocked out of her lungs is only a half second long, before she's scanning your smudged makeup and biting down on her bottom lip that's in desperate need of some chapstick. “You smoked without me!”

“You weren’t home.” The accented edge to her words sends warmth spiraling down your bones. The alcohol having already flushed your cheeks and tickled your belly only amplified the desire that burned in your bones, igniting a flame so hot you were sure tomorrow wouldn’t see the light of day. “You look hot.” Her hands leave where they had been lying flat on the tile floor, grabbing your ass in rough handfuls that make you giggle.

“Mmm, wore your favorite dress. Maria got a little handsy. I think it’s a fan favorite.” You taunted her, dancing your lips across hers before pulling away to look at her face fully. Cocaine is still clinging to her porcelain skin, dusted between her nose in what looks like an attempt to wipe it away. Whatever makeup she’d been wearing before was gone, only a faint stain of black below her eyes that indicated she’d been rubbing her eyes before she took her mascara off. You shouldn't be so bothered by the state of her, but the combination of her wandering hands and hungry eyes was pulling you apart piece by piece.

Wanda growled at the mention of your mutual friend who was known for her wandering hands and sultry commentary, though it didn’t bring Wanda any amusement to hear about her interest in the dress. Not when she wasn’t around to remind Maria that you were hers. Your attention drops to Wanda's exposed neck, and your teeth find a home sinking into the soft flesh. Hints of her perfume twist with the scent of cocaine and marijuana, and it's entirely intoxicating. “Maria needs to learn to keep her hands to herself.”

“And what if she doesn’t?” Mischief swims in your eyes, and you sink your teeth into a particularly sensitive spot on Wanda’s neck, just beneath her ear. Her breath hitched, her hands grabbing at the fabric of your dress around your hips. Her entire body shudders, and for a moment, she freezes entirely to just enjoy the sensation that travels through her previously numb limbs.

Your tongue soothed the bite, dancing circles around the marks you’d left. Wanda’s eyes fluttered shut, bunching your dress up around your hips in favor of twisting the ridge of your lace panties between her delicate fingers. “Do I need to remind you who you belong to?”

“Why don’t you remind me?” You nipped her neck a final time before pulling away to watch her process your words, which were more like a silent invitation for her to have her way with your body.

Wanda shoved you off of her messily, a growl crawling from the depth of her throat as she watched you smirk like you’d been caught with your hand in the cookie jar. “Get in the bedroom.”

“What? Don’t want to fuck me on the bathroom floor? Again.” Your breath tickled her wet skin, a cold shill crawling up her spine that she very narrowly avoided reacting to. “I’m sure Maria would.”

“Go.” Her tone left no room for arguments this time, and you scrambled to comply, although clumsily with your still strapped heels and spinning vision. Giggles spilled from between your lips when you rammed into the doorframe, completely absorbed in completing Wanda’s direction and not noticing how she spent a few extra minutes fumbling for something in the bathroom.

Your body sank into the soft bed, black sheets blending into the tiny dress you squeezed yourself into. The skin tight material still bunched around your hips in messy folds, exposing the front of your lacy black thong that left little to the imagination. Suddenly aware of how desperate you were without Wanda’s neck as a distraction, one hand slid between your legs while the other fumbled to grab your breasts through the thin material. Your panties were soaked through, sticking to your folds uncomfortably. Your thighs spread without any invitation, and you pulled them aside desperate for attention where you most needed it.

Eyes fluttering shut at the first stroke against your engorged clit, you didn’t hear Wanda shutting the cabinets and turning off the bathroom lights, only feeling her presence when a hand grabbed around your neck and startled you enough that your antsy fingers stilled between your legs.

“Did I tell you to touch yourself?” She growled, leaning over you with a dominating presence. Your head shook side to side quickly, your pussy abandoned. You ached for something more, but words failed you as you stared back at her. Something landed beside your head, but before you could look to see what it was Wanda was demanding more from you. “Use your words, you had no problem doing that before.”

“N-No.” You spluttered, fighting to keep your eyes open the longer she held your neck. Her fingers tightened, and it was then you realized she was still wearing her rings, the metal digging into your skin harshly.

“No, who?” The words pulled the breath out of your lungs, and you’re sure you looked like a fish out of water scrambling to find the right words to answer her. “Huh? Don’t make me wait. No, who.”

“N-No, Mommy.” You managed, gasping for breath when her hand finally left your neck, and it was only then you realized she had dug out your red strap, and her hand was holding the base tightly.

“Stupid slut.” She scoffed, moving backward so she was standing farther from the end of the bed. “Since you had so much to say before, I figured we’d put that mouth to use. Get on your knees.”

You dropped to your knees so fast you were sure they’d be bruised by the morning, but the only thing you could think about was how badly you wanted to feel her in your mouth. Bracing your hands on her thighs, you waited for her to instruct you to begin, knowing you were already playing a dangerous game. A smirk crept onto her lips at your clear impatience, and she was no stranger to making you wait. Spitting on her hand, she brought it down to the silicone cock, spreading it around teasingly. You whined, silently begging her to stop her torture and let you have a taste.

“What's wrong? See something you like?” Your girlfriend taunted, throwing her head back as she stroked the silicone cock, your favorite of the collection you’ve acquired since getting together a few years ago.

“Please.” You begged with hooded eyes, wanting to be the one that was turning her on and giving her pleasure.

“Please what?” Wanda cooed, voice dripping with lust as she watched you writhe in front of her, desperate for anything she wanted to give you. “Do you want to suck my cock? Feel it against your tongue? Let me fuck your mouth? Is that it?”

You nodded, tears pooling in your eyes the longer she made you wait. Your thighs pinched together, looking to relieve the aching in where you needed her most. She didn’t say anything about your actions, and for that you were grateful, but it wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy you and she knew that. “Please. Please let me suck your cock, Mommy.”

“Get on with it then.” You wasted no time, one hand holding onto the base of the strap while the other stayed in place on her thigh. Her salvia has slickened the silicone, making it easier for you to take more of it quickly. She was heavy against your tongue, and for a second, you just enjoyed the feeling, before you began working the length with your hand and your mouth, hollowing your cheeks and letting the bulbous head ram into the back of your throat, desperate to please.

Wanda’s hand fell onto your head, a guttural moan leaving her lips watching you take her length. The strap wasn’t small by any means, one of your bigger ones, and yet you devoured her. Your eyes watered when she began to thrust at first shallowly, but losing her reserve the longer she watched you endure it. You gagged when she forced your nose to her pelvis, the cock practically down your throat, but she didn’t pull away, forcing you to feel her and remember who owned your throat. She pulled away with a pop, ready to absolutely obliterate your pussy.

“Strip. Panties and heels stay on.” You scrambled to comply, rising to your feet with shaky movements, not only from the anticipation of finally getting what you want, but the alcohol that was still coursing through your system. “Hands and knees. Ass up.”

Your dress ended up in a puddle on the floor to be dealt with later, and the bed sank with your weight as you got into position, impatiently pushing your hips backward to meet the scarlet strap. A slap left your ass cheek tingling, your body jolting forward in shock.

“Patience.” Wanda demanded thickly, sokovian accent twisting her words into something dangerous. Your entire body shuddered in anticipation, keeping your eyes forward knowing how much she likes it. You jumped when her fingers found your panties, tracing the lace design before slipping lower. Wanda groaned at how wet you are, thighs glistening with your arousal and panties clinging to your folds. She pulls them to the side, fingers toying with your lips and narrowly avoiding your clit each time she makes a pass around your pussy. “What got you this wet, moya lyubov'? Hmmm?”

With shaky breath, your head dropped onto the comforter, fists balling up the cotton material, “Y-You, Mommy. You did. You got me this wet.”

Her fingers pressed against your weeping entrance but never farther, pushing you farther and farther toward the edge of desperation, and from experience, you knew it was a steep fall. She wanted you at you breaking point, she wanted you to remember who owned you the next time you decided to fuck around. “Not Maria? But I thought you liked her touching what's mine?”

Brattiness tempted you to fuck with her, but your desperation to be touched was winning the fight, and you bit back your sarcastic answer in favor of finally feeling her and being given some relief. “N-no. I like when you touch me. I’m yours.” You gasped when she slipped two fingers inside of you, giving you a second to adjust before she began to scissor your sopping pussy. Every ridge of your pussy fit her fingers like a glove, and Wanda yearned to hear your whimpers as you sought out pleasure at her control.

“You gonna let Maria get handsy with you again when I’m not around?” Her fingers were set at a brutal pace, but still she avoided your aching clit that was begging for attention. Your hips stuttered, your eyes pinched shut so impossibly tight you thought you were seeing starts. When her fingers caressed the sweet spot inside of you, all thoughts vanished from your mind as you whined for more and less at the same time. “Are you. Going to. Let her. Get handsy. With you. Again?” Wanda repeated, annunciating each word with a harsh stroke against your g-stop.

“N-no! No I’m n-not! Please. Please!” You needed more. You needed her cock in your pussy, pounding you into the bed, or her fingers on your clit, you needed something more than just her brutal pace going in and out of your cunt knowing full well you wouldn’t be able to cum from just that.

“Please what, moya lyubov'?” She taunted, stilling her fingers all together but not pulling them out, just leaving you full enough to want more.

“Fuck me already!” You sobbed, turning your head to meet her eye, watching how she enjoyed breaking you down for her to play with.

“Are my fingers not enough for this slutty pussy? You need more? Desperate whore wants to get fucked?” She teased, pulling her fingers away from you completely and watching strings of wetness bead between her knuckles as she plays with your slick. She moans when she tastes you, fingers running your wetness across her tongue. “Get on your back.”

You watch as she walks away, pulling out a pre-rolled blunt and a lighter she stole from Natasha the last time the redhead was over. The black design stood out in the otherwise near darkness, the gold snake that wrapped around your favorite design in the stolen collection you both kept adding too. Wanda lit up, grimacing at the first hit that burnt the back of her throat. She blew the smoke out in a near perfect o shape, taking another drag before she came back to you. She passed off the blunt, climbing over top of you when you accepted it and took a drag. The grungy taste of smoke filled your mouth, adding to the heaviness in your limbs almost instantly.

“You ready?” She asked, positioning the bulbous head of the dildo with your entrance. You nodded, taking another drag before offering it to her. Her lips wrapped around it angelically, a stark contrast to how filthy the both of you were being. Wanda wasted no time, burying the dick in your pussy in one thrust, and setting a brutal pace as she fucked you.

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head, the blunt burning a hole in the comforter as ash fell off. You gasped at her brutal pace, reaching to set the blunt in the ashtray on your bedside table, immediately bringing your newly free hands to her back, digging your nails into her bare skin. Her tits bounced with each thrust, hanging over you with an invitation to pinch her perfectly pink nipples. Wanda's hands squeezed at your hips, gliding down your body until they reached your thighs. Pulling your legs further apart, the head of her cock rammed into your cervix, shooting white ropes of pleasure through every nerve in your body. Your back arched off the back, nipples pointed to the sky as you searched for more. The pebbled buds taunted your girlfriend, who leaned down hungrily and took one between her teeth, pulling at the sensitive flesh that was a one way shot to your clit.

“Please Wands, touch my clit.” You begged, tears welling in your eyes as pleasure built. Wanda's pace was brutal, and you were impossibly full, but she had still yet to touch your clit and every nerve in your body was burning with need.

“Hand me the vibrator.” She grit out through clenched teeth, leaving your nipples in favor of pointing to the scarlet vibrator she’d thrown on the bed before. Your hand fumbled to grab it, limbs shaking not only from the power of her thrusts but from desire. “God, I love this pussy.”

Wanda switched the vibrator to its second highest setting, settling it right on your sensitive nub. A sharp whine left your lips, back arching and hands searching for her skin. Your nails dragged marks down her back, your orgasm approaching quickly as she worked your over sensitive body.

“O-Oh, o-oh! Right there, r-right there!” You gasped, digging your nails into her hips, hips writhing to meet her thrusts and fall over the edge that was just out of reach. A hand slapped your cheek before moving onto pinch your nipples, your body alight with so many sensations you didn’t know how to react. “I-Im gonna cum! Mommy! O-oh I'm so close! I'm so close!”

Wanda slapped you again, shaking her head with pinched shut eyes, “Hold it.”

“I can’t!” You moaned, head thrown back and neck perfectly exposed for her to grab. Her fingers wrapped around your soft skin, squeezing in all the places that made you melt and worked you up simultaneously. Your head felt so heavy, your limbs each weighing a couple hundred pounds as they dropped onto the sheets and grabbed handfuls. “Wanda! Wanda I’m gonna cum! Im gonna cum!”

Minutes passed without a response from your partner, and the coil in your belly was desperately close to snapping with or without her permission, but before you could warn her, she was speaking, “Cum for me. Cum for me, slut.”

You came with a screech, but Wanda’s thrusts didn’t stop, they only seemed to amplify as she worked you through your climax and fought for her own, switching the vibrator to the highest setting despite the tears already falling from your eyes. “It’s too much. W-Wands it too much!”

Your body was alight will the combination of marijuana and alcohol, and your second orgasm was being pried from your body with a force that could break bones. Your teeth bit into your bottom lip so hard you could taste the metallic tell of blood, but the pleasure was so intense you didn’t care. “C-cum with me! Cum with me, dorogoy. Fuck. F-fuck.” The both of you exploded with a scream, Wanda dropping the vibrator somewhere on the bed and falling on top of you, heaving to catch her breath. The clock on your wall said it was after five am, and the drugs mixed with general exhaustion was pulling on her muscles.

“I love you.” She gasped, pressing soft kisses into your skin and wiggling until her feet weren’t dangling off the edge of the bed anymore. Her thighs were sticky from her orgasm, but neither of you cared to clean yourselves up. You kick your heels off, and Wanda undid the strap, throwing both objects somewhere in the room to clean and put away later.

Shimming out of your soaked panties, you grimace as the cold wetness brushed against your sensitive clit. “I love you too.”

A beat of silence fills the space, and you think she’s fallen sleep before she speaks again, “Did Maria really grab your ass?”

A giggle rustles your chests, and you shake your head while brushing your fingers through her tangled and sweaty hair. “She was too preoccupied with Nat to spare me a second glance.”

“You could’ve just asked to be fucked.” Wanda laughed.

“This was more fun.”

#wanda maximoff #stoner wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff smut #wanda maximoff fic

[cartoon-brainrot]

I posted these on Twitter one by one, but I was waiting to have the full collection to post them here!

I saw a lot of people draw the MLP as trolls, so I wanted to give it my own spin!

You’ll notice I didn’t just slot them in the main 6 genres, mostly because I just tried to find the genre that would fit them the most! As much as I love funk fluttershy or rarity, I don’t think their music style fits them <3

Fluttershy was the first one! I went with Classical-Metal, (although I debated for folk for quite some time) mostly because I thought that would suit her the most- and because she’s a metalhead in EG! Her hairstyle is taken from one of the outfits she used when she models for photo finish!

PinkiePie was so obviously Hyperpop I didn’t even think about it twice! The music, the colours, the style, the excessive accessories- it all fits her so well!

Applejack is country, I couldn’t take that from her. Just pure old country! I had some trouble with her hair, cause I wanted it to be big and poofy like Delta or Holly’s, but the first sketches weren’t quite right. I changed it at the last minute and I’m glad I did, because now I absolutely love it! And yes, her hat is more like a hairband, it’s missing the top- that’s where she slides the ponytail into!

Twilight was classical- I had no doubts from that, but I thought being a mix between techno and classical would fit her very well! I gave her a sort of gown-like tailfin, and her wings also work as extra fins! All in all, I wanted her to look like a mix between an angel and a jellyfish! Her hair is lighter because it!s always subtly glowing- and also because dark hair wouldn’t work for either classical (who have cotton candy shades) and techno (whose hair is always glowing)

Rarity is still a debate between Classical-Pop and Swing! I thought classical pop was great for her, especially because of her songs, but swing was SUCH a good style and genre for her! A lot of her outfits always have that vintage vibe, and her hairstyle reminded me of the headdresses they used in the 20s-30s!

Rainbowdash is PopRock, obviously. She has goggles for when she flies and her earrings are clear! The pop trolls are all brightly coloured so I kept the rainbow hair instead of using less colours, but I dimmed them so that she would blend in better with the rock theme!

And yes, all 6 of them have their elements on them! It’s just that they’re not all visible!

Twilight has it on her chest, Applejack and Rainbowdash have them on their belts! Pinkie pie has it on a hairclip, Rarity has it on a pin on her dress and fluttershy has it on her back!

#my art #my little pony #trolls art #trolls fanart #trolls au #trolls world tour #trolls #rainbow dash #twilight sparkle #rarity #applejack #fluttershy #pinkie pie #mane 6 #mane 6 redesign

[mapiforpresident]

Our Little Family

Part 1

Mapi x reader x Alexia

warnings: throwing up, pregnancy

Summary: You and your wives decide to expand your family.

This is the first part in this series and is more of a setup to the next parts. Feel free to request any scenario relating to this universe!!!

~~~

You, Alexia, and Mapi had always known that you wanted kids. All three of you looking forward to the day you would become mothers. It was decided early on that you would carry them, well at least the first one, because you always wanted to have that experience of bringing a new life into the world. You had also all agreed upon the method of reciprocal IVF so that you would be able to carry one of your wives’ child. You had let them decide who would be biologically related to your first child and them being them, they decided to have a football competition of whoever could score the most penalties. It ended up being a tie after almost an hour so you made them put a stop to that and sat them down like the adults they were to talk it out. You had suggested it be random so no one knows who is the mom biologically related to your child and they jumped at that idea. They both went through the process of egg retrieval and froze the eggs that wouldn’t be used if/when they decided to have another child. The doctor then did some process where he randomly selected one of the eggs. Your wives were constantly by your side the entire process, going to every appointment, helping you with every shot, and they were there when the pregnancy test came back positive, all three of you letting out tears of joy.

~~~

You woke up that morning feeling a little nauseous tucked in between your peacefully sleeping wives. Alexia always got hot while she slept so she was only holding onto you by your hand, still wanting to be close to you. Mapi on the other hand was a very very clingy sleeper. Right now she was practically lying on top of you, head tucked into your neck slightly snoring. Her arm was also splayed out so it was resting on Alexia’s back. Originally at the start of your relationship, Mapi was the one who usually slept in the middle, but Mapi clung onto Alexia during the night one too many times, so you decided you would start sleeping in the middle to keep Alexia from throwing Mapi off the bed in the middle of the night.

You felt the nausea increasing with each passing minute, deciding you needed to get out of bed and to the bathroom quickly. You rolled Mapi over and carefully let go of the really heavy sleeper. You then carefully let go of Ale’s hand knowing she was the lighter sleeper and you didn’t want to wake her up yet. You then got out of bed and made your way to the bathroom, closing the door before turning on the light. You sat down on the floor leaning against the bathtub starting to feel like you were going to be sick. As soon as the contents of your stomach had been emptied, you heard movement outside the door.

“Amor, are you ok in there.” You knew it was Alexia.

“No,” You let out weakly, not being able to say anything else. She immediately opened the door and was quick to pull your hair back as you got sick again.

“Oh mi amor, it’s ok, I've got you, you're ok.” She rubbed your back with her other hand as you slowly sat back up leaning into her more. She then grabbed you a cool washcloth that immediately made you feel a lot better.

You guys sat there in silence, her still rubbing your back. After a couple minutes you felt a lot better and stood up to brush your teeth. She stayed right next to you the entire time, but you could tell she was thinking about something.

“You don’t think you're… you know… pregnant do you?” Alexia asked softly, not wanting to get either of your hopes up. You hadn’t really thought about it because you had felt so awful, but it makes sense. You don’t think you had food poisoning and you had no other symptoms.

“Oh.. I don't know, maybe… Do you think it's too early to take a test?” You replied as she pulled you into her arms and felt your forehead for a temperature. 

“It can’t hurt amor.”

“Well then when we go out later, we can stop at the store and get some.”

“Um about that… I may have bought a couple at the store the other day. I walked past them and I thought it couldn’t hurt and you never know. They are the medicine cabinet downstairs.” You laughed once she admitted this. It was such an Alexia thing to do and you found it adorable.

“Ok why don’t you go grab them and I’ll go wake up miss dead to the world over here. I don't want her to miss it when I take them.” Alexia then pecked your forehead as she headed out of the bathroom towards the kitchen to go get the tests. You walked over towards Mapi’s side of the bed preparing to wake her up this early in the morning. You started by gently rubbing your hand up and down her back, to which she only shrugged it off and rolled over. 

“Wake up bebé, I need your help.” You pecked her forehead a couple times as you said this and continued rubbing her back. 

“S’too early,” she grumbled. 

“I’ll play FIFA with you later,” she mumbled something incoherent to this as she opened one eye and groaned looking at the clock. Just then Alexia walked back into the room and saw that Mapi was still asleep.

“Get up Maps, it's important.” Once Mapi still didn’t respond to Alexia’s stern captain voice, Alexia yanked the covers off Mapi and picked her up over her shoulder and carried her to the bathroom. Mapi just tucked her head into the crook of Ale’s neck, still fighting waking up.

“Y/n woke up sick this morning idiota. She is going to take a pregnancy test and we wanted to wake you up so she could be here when she takes it instead of snoring like a grandpa,” Alexia told Mapi as she sat her down on the counter and handed you the bag of pregnancy tests. You decided that three was a good number to take ensuring that there wouldn’t be a false positive or negative. 

“Really,” Mapi said, fully awake now. “You might really be pregnant. Hey wait, I do not snore that loud.”

“Yes you do amor,” you and Alexia said at the same time. You then peed on the three sticks sitting them on the counter next to Mapi face down so you couldn’t stare at them and Alexia set the timer. The three of you stood, while Mapi sat, there hugging not really knowing what to say. The minutes passed by incredibly slowly, but eventually the timer rang out.

“Ready,” Ale said as both you and Mapi nodded. You each picked up a test and turned it over at the same time and held them out. Positive. All three were positive. Happy tears all started streaming down your faces.

“We’re having a baby. We’re going to be moms,” Mapi laughed out happily, pulling you in for a kiss as Alexia kissed yours then Mapi’s foreheads.

~~~ 

Your wives came to every doctor's appointment, were there for every scan, for everything. One thing you found incredibly adorable was that they each carried around a tiny copy of the most recent ultrasound in their wallets. Once you entered the second trimester of your pregnancy you decided to tell the team. You had stopped playing a couple weeks ago due to a ‘torn rotator cuff,’ so the team had no idea. After the team's most recent win, you meet your wives in the locker room ready for the announcement. You decided to use a tiny Barcelona jersey that said ‘newest signing’ on the back. The team was overjoyed and incredibly excited for all three of you. Patri and Pina requested to throw the gender reveal/ baby shower to which Alexia reluctantly agreed knowing it would probably be better than if Alba hosted it. 

The party was lots of fun. Friends and family from all over came. Patri and Pina pulled the party off without a hitch and it was revealed that you were pregnant with a baby boy. All three of you were so excited to welcome your son into the world, although Alexia and Mapi both went a little overboard with the amount of things they bought and how nice they were. They bought the best carseat, stroller and crib they could find and more clothes than was needed for triplets. They also took care of your every need and were there for you through everything, especially when you felt insecure about your weight gain or no longer being able to tie your shoes.They were also there for your expected and unexpected cravings. You went into labor at 39 weeks. Your wives rushed you to the hospital before you welcomed your son to the world.

~~~

You were napping in the bedroom when you felt your water break. You called out to Mapi and Alexia trying to get their attention and tell them it's time to go to the hospital but you received no response. You then heard a low moan ring out across the house, realizing why your wives were not answering you. You slowly got out of bed and waddled down the hallway, having to stop once because of a contraction, and as you finally rounded the corner and got a view of the couch your suspicions were confirmed. Alexia and Mapi were in the middle of an intense makeout session that started only recently because they both were still fully clothed, but Mapi was grinding down on Alexia’s thigh. You threw a pillow from the armchair next to you at their heads, both of which snapped to you immediately.

“If you two would stop being horny teenagers for two seconds you would have heard me call out to you that my water just broke and your son wants to make an entrance soon. So Mapi go get the hospital bag please and Alexia if you would please help me out to the car I would greatly appreciate it.”

They both sat there for a second in shock before immediately hopping up. Mapi went to grab the bag that Alexia had packed and repacked several times over the last couple of weeks, making sure nothing was forgotten. Alexia was at your side quickly helping you walk out the door and into the front seat of the car. “Mi pequeño, are you ready to make an entrance into the world? I can’t wait to meet you.” Alexia said after she had gotten in the driver's seat and helped you buckle up. Mapi was in the back seat next to the car seat that was already installed.

~~~

They both were amazing throughout the entire labor process. Alexia was a lot more calm and held your hand tightly the entire time being an anchor through all the pain. 

“You got this mi amor, you are doing so amazing, just a couple more pushes,” Alexia said as Mapi was on your other side asking a lot of questions to the doctor about if everything looked ok and how much longer it would be.

When you gave the final push, the three of you heard the most beautiful sound, the sound of your son’s voice. Mapi cut the umbilical cord as Alexia placed your newborn against your chest and he immediately stopped crying. Leaning down, she kissed your forehead and rubbed the hair out of your face. All three of you looked at him in awe. He was so tiny and precious. You knew from that moment on that the three of you would give him the best life you possibly could and love him unconditionally.

~~~

yourusername

Liked by: alexiaputellas, marialeon, and 276,429 others

yourusername: Welcome to the world Hugo Juame Javier Putellas Leon. I can't wait to watch you grow!!!

Comments Limited

alexiaputellas: You are so loved mi pequeño.

marialeon: I love you mi hijo precioso.

claudiapina: I cant wait to meet you mi pequeño hermano.

patriguijarro: A future barça midfielder.

#woso x reader #fcb femení #mapi leon #alexia putellas one shot #alexia putellas imagine #alexia putellas #mapi leon imagine #mapi leon x reader #maria leon #fcb femení x reader #fc barcelona femeni #woso imagine #woso #woso fanfics #alexia putellas x reader

[unadulteratedsoulsweets]

A DC X DP IDEA#10 Their Humanity

Imagine dis…

It is always Talia, Damian, and Ra hiding the fact that either they have another child of Batman that died due to the fight to the death between siblings. It is always either Danny faking or is at the edge of death to escape the League. But what if in this universe it is quite the opposite?

…

It came as a surprise to Talia that she had just given birth to twins, with her Father on her side exclaiming that they were blessed to have the Al Ghul have twin heirs.

The midwife first presented the first newborn as well as the one to come out first. Tan skin as well emerald green eyes and a mop of spiky hair on top of his head are what they saw naming him Damian as the firstborn as well the future Demon Head. Crying and screaming his heart out, Ra deemed him worthy enough of being the heir.

But the moment the two laid their eyes on the second child made them feel that their heart had just beaten.

The second one was not crying just sleeping quietly and peacefully, light skin and blue eyes are what had greeted them, and with bated breath, they look intently at the second born.

With wide eyes, Talia named the child Danyal in the quietest and softest voice she could muster. Her Father, on the other hand, his eyes stayed on his 2nd grandson as something foreign and unknown inside him stirred, something warm that he could not describe the sensation. Carefully reaching out his hand to take a good look at the boy’s face, Talia would have never thought in her life but her maternal instincts are now screaming at her to protect Danyal from her own father if he ever dares to harm the boy which confuses her, as in her entire life there had been not a single moment of such frivolous emotions arise, not even when she seduced Batman for the sake of creating the ultimate heir yet here she was, still weak after literal moments after giving birth add to the fact she felt indifference to her firstborn so what made Danyal special to the point she was ready to fight her Father for Danyal’s safety?

Ra didn’t comment when he saw the rigid form of Talia and continued reaching out to the newborn. Now take note that he had taken multiple bathes using the pits, also it is a well-known fact that babies tend to know things or even read the mood. Babies are also known as the most innocent creatures on this planet aside for toddlers and kids, so when Ra reached towards Danyal he had expected the child to be scared and start crying but his grandson who was merely minutes born did the impossible.

Danyal had reached out, gave the tinniest grip a newborn could do, and giggled as if he already knew that whoever that man is, he just knew that he felt safe just by being around him.

Ra widened his eyes at the action and merely hummed in approval or dismissal Talia never knew.

But that day whether they knew or not the world the of cruelest assassins who wouldn’t bat an eye whether they kill children and newborns for the sake of their cause had just their world had just been shifted towards this newborn.

…

During the early years of both children, the League had changed to something of the past Ra would rather die or even commit seppuku than see the changes in the League.

Ra and Talia both interacted with Danyal, using the milk that was produced from her very own body to nourish Danyal while Damián was in the care of his wet nurses.

Ra would look question at the tiny infant, does this child possess some sort of meta ability that made him likable?

Unlikely, the number of tests that the child had to face to ensure his health reveals no gene or mutation of any sort.

Talia would express a foreign expression to her and those around her every time she interacted with Danyal, every time he smiles, giggled, cooed, and laughs she felt lighter and happy. On the other hand, every time Danyal cries or even has even the lightest traces of being upset she would immediately gets rid of the source.

Ra would very often come to the twin’s chambers to observe Danyal, and every time he would take a brief visit Danyal would immediately stir awake and try to reach out to his grandfather.

Each time Ra would leave with unclear thoughts and mind as he still has that current yet foreign feeling in his chest.

Each time that Ra would leave the chambers Danyal would always steal a small piece of the cold man’s heart.

Until one day those walls that were built using the strongest materials that surround their Icey cold hearts, slowly crumble and melt at the mention of Danyal

New toys, new robes that were made with the finest silks, and gifts that were made for a king were all presented and gifted to Danyal who was barely a month old and barely able to hold his own head on his own.

…

Growing up Damian had noticed the amount of personal attention his younger brother has received through his grandfather and mother. For someone who had done the League’s utilization of basic forms at a young age under the tillage from his personal trainers. Danyal on the other hand was a bit of a slow learner, he was not born to be an assassin a thought that passed his mind.

Damian witnessed the acknowledgment and praise that came from both his grandfather and mother when Danyal had perfected a certain form that he had already perfected a month prior.

At first, Damian is bewildered at the amount of attention and personal gifts that were given to his younger brother.

Is he not the heir of the League? Is he not the first-born grandson of the Demon Head?

At first, he held anger and resentment towards Danyal in his mind he is a competition for the privilege of being trained personally by the two greatest warriors in the League.

Even though he had vocally and physically informed Danyal his displeasure towards him didn’t deter Danyal from him from training with him, fighting alongside him, looking at the stars with him, and creating a bond with him. To the point that Danyal had dragged Damian to a private training session with the attendance of the two people whom Damian had respected.

As he progressed alongside his younger brother, he finally learned why he was cherished and treasured.

Danyal is fresh cool water in the desert sands and scorching sun that surrounds the Nanda Parbat.

That day he swore to protect Danyal from the harms of the world to the point that the majority of his kills are either child rapes, or child abusers in any shape or form as he alongside his grandfather and mother that together they will make a world a better place for Danyal.

…

All but one person held annoyance and offense towards the unofficial prince of the League, Deathstroke, a few months before turns to be a defect to the League, he had originally planned to plant bombs around the base to be blown sky high but all of his plans went to the drain when Danyal Al Ghul had confronted him ad disabled the bombs he spent months to place in places that no one would ever think off.

Deathstroke admit it, he thought that Danyal Al Ghul is nothing but a sheltered spoilt prince but clearly the skills he had shown to Deathstroke to the point he Deathstroke was very impressed at the raw skill and talent this boy held at the mere age of 7 made him almost feel guilty, almost.

Deathstroke is a grown man with 10 years of experience in his belt, he easily overpowered the child after dealing with countless injuries that he had obtained when fighting the child.

Grabbing Danyal by the neck, he ponders what would he do to the child when Ra Al Ghul alongside his daughter and grandson with plenty of assassins behind his back looks enraged at the mere scene before him.

Deathstroke pondered at his predicament he could escape but he needed a distraction, looking down below he saw the glowing green waters of the Lazarus pits.

Letting go of the unconscious child he watched gleefully under his mask as he watched the unaltered horror etched on each Al Ghul's faces as they watch Danyal fall towards the pits.

…

It will be fine Ra assured himself, with his little side project of Jason Todd, he raised the teen from the dead using the pits, he had also used the pits to ensure his longevity.

But when Danyal hadn’t reached out to the edges of the pool he began to think the unimaginable.

Damian his first grandson at the very edges of the pits looking for any signs of his brother, Talia barking orders to the rest of the assassins to look for the prince.

Minutes turned into hours as Danyal hadn’t reached the surface.

That day something inside of all of them died as anger, resentment, grief, and depression at the mere fact that Danyal Al Ghul is no longer with them.

…

Danny had always known that he wasn’t the son of Jack and Maddie Fenton, he knew that the Lazarus pits had somehow transported him to an alternate dimension, those nightmares that his “sister” and “parents” used to tell him that was only a figment of imagination were his memories, using the skills he had learned he searched for any whispers of the league or even his father but so far his search led him to an unknown dimension.

Clinging to only the memories he had to ground him, to remember himself that they are waiting for him.

Pretending to have amnesia and acting to be a scared little boy who was abandoned in the forest was easier as of now he needed to make a new identity. On the papers, he was named Daniel Fenton, a shy and quiet young boy who was found in the middle of the forest suffering from multiple injuries, hypothermia, and amnesia.

The only reason he had picked the Fenton’s as his fosters is due to the fact that they have an advanced and unrestricted vault of weapons as well their studies are well aligned at the Lazarus pits.

Pretending to be a meek boy who was bullied by a larger child, who was best friends with two of the natural outcasts in the population as well sabotaging his own grades in order to remain unseen or normal.

Dying at the age of 10 was not even part of the plan, he had read that children who are about to enter their teen years are doing something childish or even stupid. Nor becoming alive once again or even becoming a vigilante like his father, even getting attached to his supposed friends as well as sister to the point he would rather die for the second time than see them hurt.

When he became the crowned prince of the Infinite Realms, he had ordered all of the ghosts and rogues to stay in the Realms as it was getting dangerous for all ghosts as the GIW and the Fenton’s have not only doubled their efforts as well became more brutal in terms of handling ghosts.

At the age of 13 there we see Danny running toward the Infinite Realms all bloody and injured. Jack and Maddie had found out and they were in the middle of dissecting him when his two best friends and the woman whom he is proud to call his sister all to burst into a hidden GIW location which is where he is being held and practically all of them prepared to lay their lives for him. All three of them not only rescued him but also destroyed all research and weapons they possibly have about the Infinite Realms.

As he was trying to create a portal a natural portal randomly opened in front of him, leaving no choice he immediately jumped.

…

It had been 6 years since Danyal had died, during this time the previous 10-year-old Damian Al Ghul was introduced and stayed with his father who was Batman in Gotham.

Ra Al Ghul had been revived secretly and started to rebuild the League. Talia had finally captured Slade and finally slit the man’s throat after hours of continuous torture.

Ra along with Talia was looking somberly at the pits as this was the final resting place of Danyal, as it has been years since the pits had taken and had not returned the body of Danyal.

Suddenly the pits started to glow brighter and brighter unable to stand the brightness both Ra and Talia covered their eyes. The moment they take a moment to discern what made the pits reacts like that, a loud splash was heard around the cave.

Talia just needed a second to see who dared to use the pits to suddenly see herself swimming to retrieve what had just disturbed the pits.

The moment she reached the shores she didn’t dare to wish for, there she is, cradling a 13-year-old bloodied and injured version of Danyal.

Disbelief is written on the faces of the Al Ghul’s, Ra didn’t want to be taken advantage of and immediately requested a DNA test that came back positive.

Relief and happiness flowed like air to the two Al Ghuls.

Thus, the journey of healing and family.

…

It has been months since Damian had started to act differently Bruce thought.

His 13-year-old son started to go out more in the guise of spending time with his siblings, but when the said siblings denied ever spending time with Damian made him worry. According to the parenting books he had found online, teens especially Damian’s age tend to be more rebellious to find the place where they belong.

This prompted them to follow him when he had requested to have a week out of town with a “sibling”, Batman along with Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin is following Damian in his civilian clothing to an expensive hotel and resort surrounded by the desert sun.

As they were going around inside the said resort and hotel, they saw Ra and Talia Al Ghul which made them immediately on the defensive as they start to wonder over the comms what could the hotel or this resort has that warranted the attention of the two deadly assassins.

As they hide in the shadows, they saw a child collide with Ra, they were almost afraid of what Ra would have done but what Ra have done made them drop their respective jaws.

Ra just smiled, SMILED, the assassin that even Batman has trouble defeating as well as holding the title of the cruelest assassin in the world, smiled, and hugged the child.

Looking closely, they swore they saw a mini Bruce in that teen. Blue eyes with a mop of black hair that rests on top of the teen's head.

Another clone? Was an immediate conclusion up until they saw Talia approach the pair with a soft smile, as the child ran up to Talia screaming mother.

Damian who entered alongside Talia, didn’t seem to bother by the supposed clone, the Batfam knew his deep hatred towards clones, so when Damian just looked at the teen with soft eyes made them fear the worse.

Damian was being blackmailed by the League or else their new brother might just suffer the consequence of refusing.

Batman was distraught about another child that has hidden from him and was right now being held against his will, Red Hood exclaimed that he was sure he saw the Demons spawn with blue eyes not green.

Now they fight about who has the rightful custody of Danyal Al Ghul Wayne.

…

PS: If someone out there wants to continue or make a fic about this you are free to do so don’t forget to tag me though.

#dp #dc #dc x dp prompt #dc x dp #batman #Danny Phantom #damian al ghul

[a-little-unsteddie]

stuck in your throat || 1.5

1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | [here]

ahhh!! the final part of chapter one! hope the wait was worth it <3 i’ll be posting the full chapter on ao3 tonight, so look out for a post with that link! i’ll also start a master post that i’ll pin to the top of my blog later. eventually. it’s on my to-do list.

i’ll start posting chapter 2 sometime in jan/feb, depending on when i fjnish writing chapter 3, which i’m about a third done with!

happy christmas! i hope everyone enjoys the final part to chapter one!

Steve hadn’t received a response from Eddie, but he wasn’t really expecting one anyway. He sipped his chai and checked the time every minute or so, and even though it felt like he’d been waiting for ages, only a few minutes had passed when a man walked into the café. He had long, dark curly hair, that was in a messy bun. He was wearing a grey band shirt with ripped black skinny jeans and chains hanging off of them. He appeared to be holding the hand of a little girl who had a mane of wild curls that were a few shades lighter than her dads. She was wearing a purple dress and a poofy blue jacket that appeared to do nothing to slow her down as she seemed to move even as her dad ordered.

Steve couldn’t stop the smile that formed at the sight, but assumed that this wasn’t who he was waiting for. He didn’t think his client would bring his pup with him to the interview. He found no harm in watching them for a bit while he waited for Eddie to show up.

After the man placed the order, he turned to look directly at Steve, who flushed in embarrassment at being caught looking and ducked his head. Which meant he didn’t see the man approach with his daughter in tow, but he did smell him, a sweet, musky scent filled his nose as the alpha approached, it reminded him of the forest. He lost himself in it for a moment before subtly shaking his head to clear it. He looked up with wide eyes as the man stopped at his table, hazel eyes meeting brown.

“Steve?” The alpha—Eddie?—asked, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. Steve blinked as he took in the sight of the man, trying to figure out where he knew him from. He looked familiar, but he couldn’t pinpoint why. He was sure he would have remembered meeting an alpha this handsome.

“Huh? Oh, yes, sorry,” Steve stammered, cheeks suddenly flushed. He stood abruptly to properly greet the alpha, “That’s, um, I’m Steve.” he thrust his hand out to shake Eddie’s, who took it and shook firmly. Steve ignored the way his stomach swooped at the firm grip the alpha had.

“..I’m Eddie,” he responded, and opened his mouth to say something else but a small voice interrupted them.

“I’m Elodie!” the pup said cheerfully, trying to replicate the action of shaking Steve’s hand. He was immediately enamored with Elodie and allowed her to shake his hand.

“It is so nice to meet you, Miss Elodie.” he said sincerely, grinning as she giggled in response. The three of them quickly sat, with Eddie and Elodie on one side, and Steve on the other.

Steve wasn’t sure where to start, now that he knew they were going to be joined with the pup he would be taking care of if he was chosen. To be fair, he probably wouldn’t have known where to start even if she hadn’t joined them.

Elodie seemed to be taking this seriously, sitting next to her father with her hands together on the table. She had taken out a notepad and had it opened to a blank page with her colored pencil next to it. She looked like she was trying hard to look stern, and failed miserably at it, which was just an adorable sight. Beside her, Eddie looked uncomfortable but still polite. Elodie also seemed to not have the same problem as the adults, immediately launching into questioning.

“Will you take me to the park?”

Steve glanced at Eddie, who looked fondly exasperated the moment Elodie started talking, so Steve figured it wouldn’t hurt to answer her question.

“If your dad is okay with it, sure,” he agreed easily, trying not to show his amusement in his tone, but sure his scent was giving it away as it sweetened. He was glad that pups didn’t fully develope their understanding of the different scents until they were a bit older than Elodie.

Elodie nodded firmly, writing it down on her little notepad, which upon closer inspection, Steve noticed had stickers of what appeared to be dragons and unicorns decorating it.

Eddie seemed content to let her do her questioning, sitting back and watching the pair. Steve wondered if this was the interview, to see how he and Elodie got along.

“Will you give me treats?” was the next question that Elodie had for him.

Steve leaned forward to stage whisper to her, “Only every day,” as if it were a secret. She brightened at that answer, giggling. Steve tried not to wince as her feet kicked into his shins, hiding it with a grin.

Elodie looked up at her dad, “Alright. I think we have a winner.” she said firmly, and Steve couldn’t withhold a grin from taking over his face, just barely holding back a laugh. She had all of two questions for him, neither of which were entirely surprising for a pup to ask.

Eddie rolled his eyes fondly at her, patting her head, “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Odie?” Elodie nodded rapidly, eyes wide and begging. “Let me ask him some questions, and I’ll take your vote into consideration. Sound good?” Elodie looked like a bobble head as she nodded wildly again.

“Okay! Can I go play now?” she asked, looking out the window where there was a park across the street.

Eddie looked as though he was about to say no, so Steve took it upon himself to try to convince the alpha.

“There are picnic tables on the far side, you can’t see them from here, but we could sit at one of them and keep an eye on her,” Steve offered, Eddie’s gaze snapped over to him in surprise.

Elodie looked at her father with wide brown eyes, lip jutting out in a pout. “Please?” she asked, stretching the word out until Eddie heaved a sigh.

“Alright, let’s go,” he gave in, standing from the table. Steve’s cheeks hurt from how much he was smiling from this little encounter, and stood to follow them out. Elodie immediately held her dad’s hand, and reached a hand out to Steve to hold one of his as well. Steve glanced nervously at the alpha, but allowed her to take his hand, too.

“Bye, Steve!” Will called as they walked to the door and Steve knew he’d be receiving a load of texts from the other pups he used to babysit about this.

“See you later, Will,” Steve called back, bracing himself against the chilly air as they stepped outside. Almost immediately, Elodie tried to race ahead of the pair, but instinctually, Steve tightened his hold, as Eddie lightly scolded her.

“Elodie Mae, you know you have to hold my hand to cross the street,” he said, frowning at the pup. Elodie pouted, but held their hands and walked with them across the street to the park.

Once they were safely across, Elodie took off towards the park while Steve led Eddie to the picnic benches on the far side. Steve nervously glanced at the alpha, trying to figure out how he was doing so far. He seemed relaxed, but wary of their surroundings, glancing around them frequently, as if nervous to be seen. Steve felt his hackles rise, and furrowed his eyebrows. Could the alpha be embarrassed to be seen with him? Surely not, Chrissy wouldn’t have let him move forward to this stage of the hiring process if Eddie wasn’t going to at least consider him for the job.

“Here are the picnic tables,” Steve said needlessly as a way to fill the silence that had grown between them.

Eddie hummed in response and sat at one of them, and Steve followed his lead, sitting across from him. The picnic table was positioned perpendicular to the park, so Steve sat straddling the bench to keep an eye on Elodie. He may not have been hired yet, so he still wanted to prove that he was capable of the job.

Eddie was silent for a while, but eventually he seemed to figure out what exactly he wanted to say. “This wasn’t my idea,” he started, watching as Elodie ran up to another kid playing at the park.

“I figured not,” Steve admitted, smiling as the two pups ran off together to play.

“But Chrissy is right,” he continued, looking at Steve, “being on tour is a lot and watching an eight year old while performing is pretty much impossible. So, I had two options: leave her at home with a nanny, or bring her with and hire a traveling nanny.”

Suddenly the reason why Eddie seemed so familiar became abundantly clear, he was Eddie Munson. Rockstar, Eddie Munson. Corroded Coffin lead singer, Eddie Munson. Heart-throb alpha, Eddie Munson.

Steve tried to grapple with this revelation silently, hoping that Eddie wouldn’t notice as he didn’t want the musician to think that Steve was being unprofessional. It was fine, really, it just wasn’t something that Steve had been expecting, is all. He wasn’t even a fan of the music, but he knew that Dustin and his friends—including Will—were massive fans. He was glad that Will didn’t flip out when they were in the coffee shop.

“That would be a lot on anyone’s plate,” he finally said, once he was sure his voice wasn’t going to give away his realization. “And I would be more than happy to take some off of it. I’ve already started planning some classwork, actually,” he admitted shyly.

Eddie looked at him in surprise, but it didn’t seem like a bad reaction, so Steve considered it a win.

“Really?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “Even though you weren’t guaranteed the job yet?”

“I was stressing about today, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared,” Steve shrugged, not looking at the alpha, instead watching as Elodie and the other pup raced from the monkey bars to the swings.

“That’s impressive,” Eddie told him, and when Steve looked at him, he was smiling tentatively.

Steve scoffed slightly, brushing off the compliment. “Even if I don’t get the job,” he felt a pang of sadness hit him at the thought, “it’s still good practice.”

“Oh, you have the job,” Eddie said nonchalantly, so much so that Steve didn’t process the words for a second.

“I do?” he asked, whipping his head to look at Eddie so abruptly that he felt his neck crack once.

“Yeah, Elodie got the final say,” he smiled vaguely in the direction of where Steve knew Elodie and her new friend were playing.

Chrissy’s earlier amusement about not making the choice of candidate made sense, now.

“Thank you,” Steve said, unsure if that was the right response, but not knowing how else to express his gratitude about being hired.

Eddie smiled vaguely at Steve, shrugging slightly. “As long as she didn’t choose an obvious asshole, I’m more than happy to hire whoever she wants. Means she’s gonna be more likely to listen to you.”

Steve nodded, “That…makes a lot of sense, actually,” he said softly.

“I’ll get Chrissy to email you the official offer, and whatever else needs to be sent,” he hummed, smiling at him.

“I look forward to it,” Steve said honestly, already looking forward to telling Robin that he got the job. He thought of the NDA, and wilted slightly. He wasn’t sure how much he was allowed to actually share with her about the job. He knew he’d be able to tell her that he <i>got</i> the job at least, but not much more than that. Maybe he’d ask Chrissy if they were hiring for something else, because like hell he’d be sued for talking to his best friend.

The pair spent another two hours or so watching Elodie run around and play, but eventually they had to leave.

“Bye, Miss Elodie,” the omega said, laughing as the pup hugged him tightly.

“Bye, Mister Steve,” Elodie mumbled into his sternum before she pulled away and took Eddie’s hand.

“Goodbye, Eddie,” Steve said, looking up at the handsome alpha through his eyelashes. Eddie smiled, but it looked tense, and Steve was reminded that this wasn’t Eddie’s idea. In fact, he seemed to be mildly against the whole affair.

After they said their goodbyes, Steve watched Eddie and Elodie get into a black car with tinted windows, and watched as it disappeared around a corner before he started the longish walk home, feeling a pep in his step as he did.

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[silkscream]

CHAPTER 4: EYES WITHOUT A FACE

ੈ✩ gojo satoru x reader, geto suguru x reader

He’s never known what to do with his feelings, always choosing to bury them where no one else could reach until all of it would rot by itself. It didn’t concern him. It was why he lived life somewhat carelessly. Avoidant.

He’s never known what to do with his feelings about you, either.

ੈ✩ chapter cw/tags: explicit content, angst, dub/noncon, underage alcohol usage

ੈ✩ wc: 4.3k

ੈ✩ a/n: chuckles nervously... the plot thickens

playlist ✸ read on ao3 ✸ series masterlist

November, 2008

You are downing your third gin and juice when you start to feel your bones loosen. Anxiously, you had already downed a glass of wine before you arrived at Satoru’s house, and that wasn’t enough to settle your nerves. You’d only been here for about an hour and a half and had mingled with a few classmates you recognized from school, otherwise keeping to yourself amidst the chaos.

That is, until a wired Shoko slings her arm around your shoulder, nearly tripping over herself.

“You came!” she beams. You’d only met her a few times, mostly in passing, each time at Satoru’s house while you were with your mother working and not as a guest. 

She’s deer-like, with a dazed, sleepy expression on her face and a joint hanging out of her mouth as opposed to her usual Seven Star. She leans on you close enough for you to smell the smoky scent of her hair, which is currently adorned with small black devil ears.

“Happy birthday, Ieiri-san,” you smile, fishing a small box out of your coat.

“Oh, you didn’t have to get me anything! Those idiots only got me like two cases of beer as a present, anyway,” she laughs. She unwraps the gift to reveal a zippo lighter with a scorpion design on it.

“I thought cigarettes would’ve been too on the nose,” you shrug.

“I love it,” she smiles, hugging you. “Suguru always steals my lighters. He’s definitely not getting a hold of this one.”

“Do you know where he is? Or Gojo-kun?”

She looks at you, then, with an unreadable expression. Something of simultaneous confusion and amusement.

“Probably doing something illegal. I’d guess upstairs or outside, maybe? I just saw them.”

You snort. There wouldn’t be one without the other. You blame your eagerness to drink on why you hadn’t caught them earlier, though when you check your phone again for the fifth time tonight, there are no messages. Satoru is inconsistent in his texting anyway – either silent for a few days, then blowing up your phone in the middle of the night with his random thoughts.

“Thanks.”

“Hey, let me know if you need anything, okay?” She squeezes your hand like a friend would. “Don’t be a stranger.”

“Thank you, Ieiri-san,” you nod. 

You explore the kitchen, frowning at the clear spills on the countertop and the nearly empty cabinets that used to be full of glasses and mugs. You roll your eyes at your immediate thoughts of cleaning up. Always your mother’s child, never a real guest in a place like this.

You don’t think you can handle another gin and juice, though the drunken devil on your shoulder still goads you to drink more. You were a lightweight, less so than Satoru, but enough to feel blurry at the moment. You settle on a forgotten bottle of plum wine, justifying it with its lesser alcohol content.

The taste is sweet, sickeningly so. Something that Satoru would like. It tastes like he would.

You ignore the slight ache in your head. The music is too loud, blasting in your ears, and the number of people who have arrived at the party since you’d spoken to Shoko has multiplied tenfold. 

You stare at your phone again. Nothing.

You’re too warm in your coat now, huddled shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers. There’s probably a safe chance that the boys were upstairs, and even if they weren’t, you could take a breather in Satoru’s room and leave your coat there.

It’s humid once you get to the top of the staircase. Your hair sticks to your back a little as you carry your coat in your arms. The black slip dress you decided on feels too thin, suddenly, but you think it suits your body. Shows just the right amount of skin because of how short it is. Satoru would like it.

The door to Satoru’s bedroom is slightly ajar. You hear more than one voice – a round of them, boisterous. There are several bottles of alcohol on the floor that you can see, a full ashtray, and a small group of strangers that you assume to be Satoru’s friends, though you realize they’re all women. When you tilt your head, you can see him.

He’s sitting on Suguru’s lap, laughing. You notice the way Suguru’s hand rests on Satoru’s stomach, while Satoru absentmindedly taps his fingers along Suguru’s thigh. He’s sprawled out on the boy, taking up space the way he always does, and it looks… intimate. Like they belong to each other.

Satoru whines when Suguru bites at the exposed skin of his collarbone playfully, swatting him away. It’s a similar gesture you do to him when he sneaks up behind you at school. When he gets you alone. When he gets you to follow him home until you end up in his bed.

You know that Satoru is a touchy drunk, but you’ve never seen such adoration in his eyes before. It makes you feel sick. 

But you can’t find it in yourself to be angry or shocked. Rather, you feel a bit pathetic. Looking from the outside in, in a place you practically grew up in, feeling more alone than ever.

You want to watch them for longer. Like a voyeur. 

There���s an itch in your body that wants to see if the boys will kiss. Satoru has never been this touchy with you in the presence of others. With Suguru, it looks like muscle memory.

Your knuckles pale as you grip the bottle of plum wine in your hand. You chug the rest, not caring about the taste making your insides swirl. After discarding your coat in one of the hallway closets, you take a deep breath and retreat downstairs.

Shoko bumps into you in the middle of the dancefloor. The way her face lights up almost dissipates the pit in your stomach. Almost.

“Hey, baby! Come dance.” 

“I need a smoke, actually, but I will after.”

“I didn’t know you smoked,” she says, handing you one of her Seven Stars cigarettes and her zippo.

“I can get matches from the kitchen, don’t worry.”

Once you’re outside, the music is a dull ache in the back of your head. The November air is colder than you expect considering the recent days of decent weather, but the alcohol keeps you numb. You inhale smoke, eyes fluttering at the memory of intimacy. 

“If you guys drank all my birthday sake, I’m seriously going to castrate you both.”

Shoko pulls the bottle out of Satoru’s hands while he’s in the middle of sipping. He nearly chokes from the force of her, liquid dripping onto his chin. Suguru wipes it off and laughs.

“This isn’t your birthday sake, dumbass!”

“Gross,” Shoko says, wrinkling her nose at the off-brand label. It’s cheap and sweet, just the way Satoru likes it.

Fiending for more alcohol, Satoru frowns when he examines the other liquor bottles scattered around the circle of them, only to find that there’s only hard liquor. He drinks from a bottle of Sprite instead to satiate his craving, in addition to stealing a maraschino cherry out of Yuki’s cocktail. 

“You finished every bottle of sake, Satoru,” Suguru frowns.

“Great! Let’s play spin the bottle.”

“No,” Utahime interjects. She throws an empty beer can at Satoru’s head.

“Yeah, I’m downvoting that, too,” Shoko adds. She takes the joint that Suguru finishes rolling and lights it. “It’s my birthday and I’m not letting this idiot try to fuck everyone like he does at every party.”

“That’s because his type is everyone. He’s a whore,” Yuki chuckles.

“I don’t try to fuck everyone–”

“Go find your girlfriend if you want to get your dick wet so bad,” she interrupts, mumbling with the joint in her mouth. “We should find her and get her to play poker with us. She looked a little sad when I saw her.”

“Huh?” Satoru blinks.

“Oh, and why does she call you by your last name? Is it because she technically works for you?”

“No fucking way Gojo found a poor soul to be his girlfriend,” Utahime mutters. She settles her head on Shoko’s lap in the bed, stealing the joint out of her mouth. “Do you pay her?”

“No, she’s like a servant or something, right?” Yuki says.

“Gojo! That’s sick. The poor girl.”

“Stop, you’re making her out to seem like she’s my fucking concubine,” Satoru asserts, a bit too fiercely than he means to. His lips twitch at the mention of you.

Suguru raises his brows at Satoru, knowing the boy is too drunk and too befuddled to know what to say. The girls stare.

“She’s not my girlfriend, either.”

“You should fuck her, then,” Shoko slurs. “She’s so cute.”

“She’s our friend,” Suguru drawls, tipping back vodka like it’s water. “You haven’t seen her yet, Satoru?”

Satoru shakes his head. His heart pounds quicker now that you’re the topic of conversation. That feeling comes back – the one that makes him panic, as if he’s discovering that something he owns is lost. It twists in his stomach, knowing how selfish it is. He wants to keep you in a way that’s separate from the rest of his life because you were his.

He gets up and mumbles something about going to the bathroom. In the hallway, he opens his phone and stares at your contact. Your photo hasn’t changed in years – a goofy close-up that he took when he was thirteen. 

When he calls you, his heartbeat quickens the longer the phone rings, only to realize that he hears the sound of your ringtone from behind the closet. He finds your phone and your coat, but there’s no trace of you.

It sobers him up considerably. The lights in the house flicker.

The temperature drops as the night drags on, which is why you have the firepit to yourself. The fire is still glowing, warming your bare legs. 

Fuck. You want another cigarette.

You jump at the sound of another’s presence. When you turn, you see your classmate, Haru, nursing a half-empty bottle of wine in his right hand.

“Getting up to trouble, I see,” he grins.

You laugh. It’s more of a scoff, but you smile at him.

“Yeah, some crazy delinquent activity. Some might even call it mischief.”

The joke makes him laugh, which makes you laugh, genuinely. Haru had the demeanor of a puppy, always excitable and easy to please. It used to be a little annoying when you were first years but he’d mellowed out since then, it seems.

Under the glow of the fire, he looks handsome in a boyish way. His hair has gotten longer over the year, like Suguru’s, but he lets it fall to his shoulders. You scoot over on the patio couch, welcoming him to sit.

“You look very pretty, by the way. I like your dress.”

“O—Oh,” you stammer, surprised. “Thank you.”

He offers you the bottle of wine in his hand and you accept, taking a swig of pinot grigio. Future you is going to kill you for mixing so many different alcohols in your stomach. Current you is basking in the warmth of your surroundings.

“Sorry if this is awkward, but uh—” He fiddles with his fingers, but the eye contact he makes with you feels oddly intense. “Are you, like, seeing Gojo?”

His name makes your face burn. You almost choke on the wine.

“Uh, no. Just—um, what made you think that?” 

“He just seems possessive over you,” Haru shrugs. 

“Yeah, right. He never talks to me in school.”

“But he does, sometimes, and I notice it. He looks at you in a certain way. S’why I was kind of scared to approach you, actually.”

You furrow your brows at the idea of Satoru scaring other boys away. Other boys didn’t talk to you, never have. You didn’t think you were exceptionally attractive in a way that made other people pine over you. You were always focused on academics anyway. But has Satoru always driven other boys away?

“He’s not my bodyguard or whatever,” you try to joke. “And I don’t bite. Unless you’re into that.”

Haru widens his eyes. You curse yourself in your head. It’s the wine talking. It has to be.

“I think I might be.”

When did he get so close to you? You notice you’re both thigh to thigh. Your stomach drops when Haru caresses your jaw. His touch doesn’t feel right. It’s not what you’re used to, not what you want.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, face inches from yours. You freeze when you realize what’s happening, closing your eyes to accept it. A drunken kiss won’t hurt anyone. Maybe it’s what you need.

He’s soft at first until his tongue pries your mouth open. From there, there’s spit and teeth, his hand squeezing your throat the tiniest bit in a way that makes you whimper. The sound of it encourages him. He has his other hand on your thigh, underneath the hem of your dress.

You’re brainless. A used toy. Your head is swimming rapidly, too messy to register all of it. The panic subsides into blankness as your body surrenders. Everything feels so heavy.

“H-Haru–”

“I’ve always liked you,” he mumbles in between kisses. How is his grip on you so tight?

“Haru, I don’t–”

You can’t get a word in with his tongue down your throat.

You’re barely kissing him back now, but he takes from you anyway. Licks your teeth and inches his hand higher and higher up your thigh. When he finally releases your mouth, he has his tongue on your neck instead, and it feels sordid. You are numb and he is molding you in his hands.

Satoru’s voice is in your head calling you weak.

You recoil when you feel calloused fingers grazing your core. You make a weak attempt to push him away, small fists to his broad chest. When your gaze drifts, you see a pair of burning blue eyes.

“The fuck do you think you’re doing—”

Haru’s hair is yanked, and his body is pulled backward and thrown onto the ground. It’s all too fast—a whiplash of crushed bone and bloody knuckles. White hair and burning blue eyes.

“What the fuck, man–”

You watch in horror as Satoru kicks the boy on his side. You don’t even notice that Suguru is pulling you away with a hand on your waist.

You’ve never seen Satoru so angry. Never seen him be violent outside of playfighting Suguru in the grass. He’s a whole other being in front of you now, and it scares you, and it’s somehow… beautiful.

“Touch her again and I fucking kill you,” he seethes, spitting on Haru’s cheek. “Get the fuck out of my house.”

He’s breathing heavily and glances at you. There’s a look of betrayal and disbelief that you see briefly before Suguru sweeps you away. When you’re back inside, you let go of his hand to run to the bathroom and vomit.

Your eyes fucking ache.

It’s the dried tears and strained pupils underneath the disgusting overhead light of the downstairs bathroom. Your head pounds. You don’t remember when you came to, but you find comfort from the arm around you. Shoko sits next to you and runs a reassuring hand through your hair.

“I’m sorry,” you croak. “I ruined your birthday.”

“Are you kidding?” Shoko chuckles. “That was entertaining as hell. Even if I only saw half of it. Leave it to Satoru to steal all the attention on my birthday.”

You frown, staring at her. How can she be so nonchalant that someone left her party with a broken nose? 

The ghost of Haru’s touch makes your skin crawl, making you reflexively shut your thighs together. The bathroom floor is cold underneath your skin.

“I’ve never seen him so mad before,” you lament quietly.

“Neither have I,” she exhales. “It takes a lot to work him up. He had no room to be jealous, though. He said you weren’t his girlfriend.”

Her words prick you like the blade of a dagger. Slowly. Drawing blood. 

“I– I wasn’t trying to hook up with that guy,” you say. “I was so drunk. I didn’t want it.”

Shoko looks at you with pity. “Oh, fuck.”

When she wraps your arms around you, you’re too numb to cry. The door opens and the boys enter. Your eyes stay on the floor. Your gut twists inside out.

“How is she?” you hear Suguru ask.

That again. Talking about you instead of to you.

Shoko mouths something, you think. A soundless gesture as she rubs your back soothingly like a sister would. 

“You want a ride home, princess?” Suguru asks.

“She can sleep here. There’s a room for her.”

You look up at the sound of Satoru’s voice. His face is cold, unreadable. You don’t expect him to lift you and carry you to his room, but he does. There’s a pang in his heart when you wrap your arms around his neck.

“Take this.” He tips your head back for you and parts your lips with his hands so he can get the painkillers on your tongue. Water down your throat. 

“Good girl.”

“I can take care of myself,” you grumble, curling into yourself on the edge of his bed. 

“Clearly you can’t, otherwise you wouldn’t have fucking blacked out.”

“I’m sorry, Satoru,” you say with dejection. “Just—please don’t be angry with me.”

“I’m not angry. Not with you.”

But he is, just a little. The mere idea of someone else touching you makes him see red, and having it be real and at his fucking house made him livid beyond repair. How dare that piece of trash touch you. Like you aren’t Satoru’s and his alone. 

He’s also upset at himself because he knew it wouldn’t have happened if he’d found you sooner.

He lays on his side behind you and pulls you close. 

“I don’t understand you,” you say, weakly. Your nose feels fuzzy again the way it does before you cry.

“I don’t, either,” Satoru sighs.

You turn to face him, then, and the look on your face devastates him.

“I shouldn’t have gotten so drunk. I didn’t know what was happening. I mean, I did, but I didn’t—I didn’t want all of that,” you sniffle. “Didn’t want him to touch me.”

You say it like you’re confessing. Pleading. Guilt swallows him whole.

What you want to ask: Why am I only something to you when someone else touches me?

“I’m so sorry,” Satoru whispers. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to stop it and that you had to see me like that. I’ll never let anyone hurt you like that again. Okay?”

Touch her again and I kill you.

You nod weakly, smiling. He holds you and lets you cry until you fall asleep. It feels like he’s committing a crime to be able to hold you like this.

Satoru closes his eyes and breathes through his nose. He’s never known what to do with his feelings, always choosing to bury them where no one else could reach until all of it would rot by itself. It didn’t concern him. It was why he lived life somewhat carelessly. Avoidant. 

He’s never known what to do with his feelings about you, either. 

He didn’t think they would come back. Ideally, you both would’ve finished school and he would go to Jujutsu Tech and forget about you. Maybe you see you on the off-occasion he’s home, but he doesn’t plan on being home that often. But he’s young and stupid and hungry, and when you were there for him on a platter, he wanted to take you. Consume you.

He feels powerful when he knows that you want to consume him, too. He can’t live with himself knowing that that power will only hurt you in the end. 

He almost wishes you were angry at him. You could scream at him if you wanted and it would be justified, but you’re here in his arms again instead. Apologizing.

Something ugly twists inside of him. He remembers what you said in bed the other day. 

You could do anything you wanted to me and I think I’d let you.

It made him sick with desire then, but it makes him sick with remorse now.

November, 2008 (Three days later)

“Is she okay? She hasn’t responded to my text,” Suguru asks.

“You text her?” 

Satoru tries not to look annoyed. Instead, he looks away and kicks away a discarded Ramune bottle across the pavement. On Mondays, he liked to skip his last class and force Suguru to accompany him for a late lunch that usually consisted of konbini sweets.

“Not really. She has my number, though,” Suguru says, taking a puff of a cigarette. Shoko’s influence. “Why, you jealous?”

“Fuck off.”

“You are.” Suguru gives him a sly grin. “That’s why you knocked the lights out of that guy.”

“He was assaulting her.”

Satoru sighs, sprawling his legs on the bench (which is too short to fit the length of his body) and puts his head in Suguru’s lap. He flinches when Suguru pokes his nose.

“She’s okay, though?”

“I don’t know, to be honest.”

Satoru thinks of your dejected gaze and the limpness of your body when he touched you the next morning. He was softer than usual given the situation, and you bound yourself to him like you always do. Clung to him, almost. He blushes at the memory of your face after he made you cum from his mouth. 

You seemed fine at breakfast Saturday morning when Satoru treated you to pancakes. But even with your sarcastic remarks and usual banter, the light in your eyes seemed dimmer.

It had barely been 36 hours since then, but he missed you.

“I think I would’ve done the same thing as you,” Suguru says.

Satoru sighs crankily, throwing an arm over his face to block the sunlight.

“I probably would’ve killed him if you guys weren’t there,” he grumbles. “Sometimes I want to kidnap her, I swear. Never leave her out of my sight. I shouldn’t have gotten so fucking drunk.”

Suguru looks down at him, raising his brows. One of his usual looks – astute and slightly shaming. 

Satoru is grateful for the darkness of his lenses, though he knows that regardless, Suguru can easily tell what expression he’s giving him. He’s looking away, anyway, examining a stray cat on top of the roof of the konbini.

Satoru takes a moment to trace his eyes along the sharp lines of Suguru’s jawline. Clenched at the thought of you being hurt, a similar sentiment that Satoru’s had for the past few days. His fists burn with the ghost of that bastard’s blood. He wishes he could do it all again—punch his fucking teeth out harder than his nose.

While he thinks of you and the fragility of your far-away stare, he also thinks of your skin. At the moment, the thought is subtly replaced with Suguru’s hands absentmindedly scratching his head. It’s funny — you and Suguru had the same habit when it came to giving Satoru affection.

Prodigies, the two of them. Their abilities would rank them as Grade 1 by their first year of Jujutsu Tech, special grade by the time they complete their first few missions. Satoru really did see Suguru as his other half. It was why your inclusion made him uneasy despite how much he cared for you. 

It wasn’t anything personal. He was simply wrapped around Suguru’s finger first. They had drunkenly kissed two years prior, fresh-faced and seventeen, and would continue to on random occasions that weren’t dictated by anything other than hormones and energy shifts in the air.

Maybe Satoru would consider Suguru as his first love, if he knew anything about it. He didn’t know what you were, yet. He couldn’t describe his feelings for you. It was something beyond words, which scared him.

“Do you think you’re going to take her to the New Year’s Party?” Suguru’s voice shakes Satoru out of his thoughts.

“What? I think I’m taking Mei Mei or something. Mother’s orders.”

“Mother’s orders?”

“Dude, I don’t know. She was like, assigned to me months ago. I still don’t get why it’s such a big deal for the clan, but Mei Mei and her family are close to the family or whatever.”

“I just thought you would bring Y/N, s’all.”

“Why?” Satoru asks.

Suguru smiles, giving him a knowing look before he rolls his eyes.

“You like her.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to lie to me, dude. I figured you were fucking her since she started hanging out with us.”

“She’s… my friend,” Satoru defends. His brain feels fucking scrambled. “My oldest friend.”

“Okay,” Suguru chuckles. “I was kind of thinking of asking her, then.”

“To– to what? The party?”

“Yeah.”

Satoru sits up from Suguru’s lap.

“It’s not really her scene.”

“She hangs out with you, I’m sure she can handle a little party thrown by your family.”

“It’s not little. It’s—fucking annoying and extravagant. I literally only go because I have to and there’s always an open bar,” Satoru prattles. “I thought you’d take Shoko.”

“Jesus, then I’d have to take care of her drunk ass. She’d probably want to get wasted with Utahime anyway. You know how much she wants to fuck her.”

Satoru is screaming in his head. If his worlds collide more than they already have, he might just break open completely. He straightens his posture in an attempt to not appear particularly haughty, though he knows Suguru can probably see right through him. 

He makes a non-committal noise, stone-faced when he looks at his friend. He hides his face as he rolls his eyes. 

His tone is bored, lips quirking in a bitter smile.

“Right, okay,” Satoru yawns. “Do whatever you want.”

#gojo smut #gojo x reader #gojo satoru x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x reader #jjk smut #geto x reader #geto suguru x reader #gojo satoru x you #jujutsu kaisen x you #jjk x you

[addisonnie]

you, me, mary-jane, & some sharks! (3)

summary: dealer!ellie has an interesting date idea… certainly it has nothing to do with fish.

warnings: cursing, weed, edibles, smooching, bad jokes

request: “loves part 2!!! what if dealer!ellie’s first date with reader was to an aquarium and they take edibles beforehand👀”

a/n: yeah im fucking insane what about it! simply can’t stop writing it’s actually funny at this point. im down so fucking astronomically horribly terribly unequivocally bad. im sorry i got high and fucking pumped this out dealer ellie style. it would be a crime to NOT smoke and write this. it’s true i fear. enjoy!

part 1 —> part 2

———

Sleeping with Ellie is…interesting.

She’s a human starfish, also a human furnace. Yet, also a human ice cube? Her favorite pastime is pressing the bare soles of her freezing cold feet onto your legs and she vehemently refuses to move them off because “you’re so warm, baby!” Another favorite of hers is angrily ripping the covers away from her body in a sweaty, sleep-induced rage, then proceeding to curse you out for stealing all of the covers.

“Babe. Give me the fucking blanket. You’re a hoarder!” She moans and groans all night. She talks in her sleep. And, to top it all off, she is a stage five clinger.

And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

The sun tries its best to slip through Ellie’s blackout curtains, to no avail. Family Guy on the tv provides the only sliver of light throughout her overtly messy room, aside from the singular strand of almost burnt-out string lights. ‘For the ambiance’ she tells you.

Ellie is wrapped happily around you while she sleeps. One of her legs is bent and pressed in between your thighs and her arm is folded and shoved under your head, bent at the wrist to tangle her fingers in your hair. Her other arm somehow made its way under your shirt as she slept, hand cupping your breast. She’s pressed so tightly to your back that your breathing easily melds with hers, pert nipples pressing harshly into your back; The feeling has you grinding down onto Ellie’s thigh.

She stirs for a moment, tugging on your hair and squeezing at your breast, “stop fuckin’ moving.”

Oh, yeah. Ellie is also not a morning person.

You hum happily and turn around in her arms, she opens her eyes and immediately rolls them, letting out the loudest, most obnoxious groan you’ve ever heard in your life. Her hands resituate themselves, one moving to squeeze your ass between her fingers, the other bending around your neck and pulling you into her.

“Good morning my Ellie Bellie!” She rolls her eyes again.

“No. Too fucking early. Will you pass me that joint behind you?” She points to the bedside table behind you and nods her head in the general direction.

Your body contorts in her arms to be able to reach the joint and for someone who literally asked you to get it for her, she’s awfully pissed off that you had the audacity to move from her grasp. When your fingers wrap around the rolled paper and, conveniently, the lighter sitting next to it, she yanks you back into her chest and smacks a kiss to the crown of your head.

“Here, baby.” Ellie grabs the joint from your grasp, and, for a moment, you think she’s going to light it for herself. Wrong! She holds it between two fingers and presses it to your lips, “for the Princess.”

Like always, she lights it for you and holds it while you inhale, “hang on, wait—“

She grips your chin between her long fingers and pulls your face toward hers, “—sharing is caring.”

You inhale the smoke fully before moving your lips to ghost over hers, exhaling the smoke into her mouth. Ellie maintains eye contact while she sucks in the smoke, breaking it only to turn her head and blow the smoke off to the side, “thanks, baby.”

Fuck, that was hot. Like, really hot.

And, again, the joint is being held to your lips. Inhale, exhale, Ellie’s turn.

You’ve moved to sit in between her bent legs, facing her while resting your cheek against her knee. She’s intently watching the episode of Family Guy playing behind you, the joint is hanging from her parted lips and you admire her for a moment. Her eyes widen suddenly and she sucks in a gasp—immediately choking on the smoke she was supposed to be inhaling.

“Jesus—babe! Let it out.” Your hand roughly pats her on the back while she continues to cough out smoke, her eyes still glued to the tv.

The coughing fit lasts a few minutes before she’s standing up with a force so strong you’re immediately knocked over on the bed. She quickly strides to stand beside the tv, her eyes are wild and her eyebrows are almost touching her hairline. Lips parted, she’s panting while pointing to the tv.

“Look at it. LOOK. At it.” She’s making wild pointing gestures to the scene playing on the tv and you’re extremely confused,

“Ellie…what have we been smoking. Are you okay? Are you on something?” She scoffs immediately.

“Babe! Look at the fucking tv! Aquarium! Edibles! You! Me! We!”

“Actually, that’s Lois and Peter.” Another scoff, followed by what could be the largest, most dramatic eye roll you’ve ever seen.

She drops her hands to her sides and gives you an are-you-fucking-kidding-me-right-now look, “well. It should be us. It could be us! Today!”

Ellie holds both of her hands up in a ‘stop’ motion and gestures for you to wait right where you are. She quickly runs out of her bedroom —you are suddenly very, very grateful that she has no roommates because where are her pants?— and runs down the short hallway leading to her living room. Just as fast as she leaves, she returns. A plastic bag is gripped in one of her hands, it’s full of brownies.

“These. Aquarium.” The bag is flown, full force, at your head and she laughs when it bounces from your forehead onto the duvet.

“You are, like, way too excited over this. What happens when you’re tripping balls and boom there’s a shark? What then? Because I’d be pissing my pants.” She clambers onto the bed and quickly straddles you, holding your face in her hands.

“Babe. Baby. Please. Pretty please! I swear to fucking god I’ll protect you from the shark. From all the sharks, ever.” Alright, it’s official. There’s no way to win an argument against Ellie Williams because the minute she pulls those goddamn puppy-dog eyes it’s over. She’s won immediately.

“Oh, fine. Gimme the fuckin’ brownie.” She smiles like a kid in a candy shop and drags your face to hers, pressing wet and sloppy kisses anywhere she can reach. Her fingers are digging into your cheeks and she annunciates each kiss with a ‘mwah’ sound before moving on to press a different kiss in a new location. You’re giggling before you know it, the annoyance of being smacked in the face with a packet of brownies at 9:37am immediately dissipates with each kiss.

She crawls out of your lap and presses a final kiss to your forehead, “get dressed, mamacita! It’s trippin’ time.”

You cringe, “mamacita? Trippin time? Who are you and what have you done with Ellie?”

“Oh, for fucks sake. You are hard to please, woman.” Her rant is followed by the twentieth eye roll of the morning. How can someone be so chock-full of sass this early in the morning?

She bounces over to her closet and rips the folding doors open, “hm. What to wear.”

Her fingers take over the several options in her closet before landing on a gray sweatshirt, then a pair of baggy blue jeans. She pulls them both on before turning back to face you. Nothing has changed. You’re still wearing her flannel from the day before and your underwear—and you’re still cuddled up in bed! Under the covers, too!

“Get your lazy ass up! The clock is ticking, babe! Aquarium time!” It’s your turn for an eye roll. You move to sit on the edge of the bed and take a glance toward Ellie’s open closet.

“Pass me a flannel? Please?”

“Anything for the Princess.” She rips a random blue one off of its hanger and gets on one knee in front of you, bowing while she holds out the raggedy clump of clothing.

“Ah, why thank you, my kind jester.”

Her head whips up immediately, “jester?! I’m a fucking jester to you? Rude.”

You’re both giggling while she unbuttons your current top, slipping it off of your arms.

“Oh—and can I borrow one of your tank tops, too? A white one, it’ll match better.”

She smiles and shakes her head, “stealing my entire closet, are you?”

A white wife beater is fished out of her drawer and she motions for you to lift your arms, slipping the tank top onto your body. She adjusts the fabric over your chest and pauses when she notices your nipples poking through the fabric, “you’re so fucking hot.”

Her thumbs brush over both of your nipples and you shiver, “free the nip and all, but put this on. I’d like to keep those nipples to myself, thank you very much.”

She grabs the new flannel and drags it up your arms, buttoning a few of the buttons in the middle and letting one side of the shirt slouch down your shoulder, perfect for pressing stray kisses. Her hands grab yours and she quickly pulls you to stand up in front of her, “pants time!”

Your jeans are crumbled in the corner of her room and she swiftly retrieves them before skipping back over to you. She squats down and taps your thigh, signaling you to lift your leg and slide it down into the jeans she’s holding open for you. While squatting, she drags the pants up your legs and presses a sweet kiss below your navel before she zips and buttons your jeans.

She takes a step back, “ah! Look at that pretty girl!”

You blush and turn your face away from her, “quit it.”

———

There is no time to slip your shoes on before Ellie is dragging you out of her front door and into her car. Both of your converse piled on the floor of the passenger side, waiting to be put on in the aquarium parking lot.

If there’s one thing anyone should know about Ellie Williams, it’s that she can’t drive for shit.

She’s much more focused on having her hand on your thigh, running up and down the length of it. Her other hand often leaves the steering wheel to change the song playing, which forces you to lean across her body to steer for her. She hits curbs. She slams on the breaks (and, yes. She does the soccer-mom arm thing. Knocks the wind out of you every single time.) She has the most intense yet hilarious case of road rage.

“Fucking asshole! He just cut me off! Did you fucking see that, babe?!” She’s gesturing wildly at the car in front of her and you’d be lying if you said watching her get fired up like this didn’t make you the slightest bit horny.

“I saw, babe. That guy’s an asshole.”

She nods, “dickhead. Massive, huge, big-fat-dickhead.”

Road rage looks good on her.

She can’t park for shit either. You’re sure the people next to her will leave some rude note about how she should go back to driving school or burn her license.

Her car is almost completely out of the lines and she doesn’t bother to check or back up to fix it, she simply unbuckles her seatbelt and leans over the center console to unbuckle yours as well.

“A brownie for you, malady.” She holds the bag open and passes it over to you, “should we split one?”

She nods, “yeah, probably a good idea.”

You rip the brownie in two and pass her half, “well. Here we go.”

————

It’s embarrassing when you realize you’re the annoying amusement-park-line-couple that everyone on the internet shits on for being clingy and PDA obsessed. You’re walking inside the aquarium, one hand holding Ellie’s, the other arm reaches across your body to hold onto her (rather toned) bicep. She constantly leans her head down to press a kiss to your forehead and at one point you watched a small child pinch up his face and make a gagging sound.

“Fucking kids, man. That’s shark bait, right there.”

You bark out a laugh and grip her arm, “Ellie Williams!”

She laughs in response and drags you in the direction of the aquarium tunnel, “this is gonna be so sick, babe. I can feel it.”

It’s a long, long tunnel running under a massive fish tank. Would you even call it a fish tank? There’s way more than just fish. Sharks, stingrays, crabs, is that a mermaid? Oh, you are so high.

“Ellie. Babe.” You’re turning to face her and tugging on her arm like a child. She’s completely enthralled in the exhibit surrounding her: jaw dropped open, eyes blown wide.

You tug on her hand again, “baby.”

She blinks a few times and turns to you, “woah.”

Honestly, you forgot what you were going to say to her. You drop her hand and walk over to the glass, pressing your palms onto it and staring into the water before you.

“Oh my god. I’m so gonna break you guys out of here.” Ellie frowns at the loss of contact and moves to stand next to you. She pauses for a moment before pressing her face into the glass. Her nose is pressed so far into the exhibit that it bends and folds into her face,

“We’re gonna fucking break you all out. Oh my god. Jailbreak. Babe, I’m like…I’m like fucking AquaMan.” She removes her face and turns to face you, eyes glazed over and droopy. The glass beside her is smudged and you can clearly see the imprint of her face on it.

You remove your hands from the exhibit and turn to face her, “you good?”

“I’m so fucking good—holy shit!” A squeak leaves her lips and she immediately surges forward to grab you as a massive shadow passes overhead. You look upward and cower into her arms when you spot an absolutely huge, scratch that, gargantuan, mantaray passes overhead. Holy. Fucking. Shit.

“Babe…can we go to the penguin exhibit instead?”

Ellie nods immediately and drags you out from the tunnel.

———

The penguins are much more entertaining and much less terrifying than those fucking sharks and whatever else was in that tank. You and Ellie sit side-by-side happily in front of the penguin exhibit, her shoulder is pressed into yours and her hand rests on your knee.

“This is much less terrifying.” You nod.

“I actually think I did pee myself a little bit.” Ellie nods back and responds, “me too, if I’m being honest.”

She leans her head on your shoulder, “you peed your pants? You said you were gonna protect me from the sharks. You can’t do that if you’re pissing yourself too!”

You rest your head on top of hers and she scoffs at your outburst, “I can fight and piss myself at the same time. It’s called multitasking.”

“I might be really fucking high right now but I also think that I am in love with you.” The words tumble from your lips and in any other situation you would slap the absolute shit out of yourself for confessing your love on the first date, but in this moment, right here, it was the only thing on your mind.

Without moving or looking up, Ellie responds, “I’ve been in love with you since you made a breaking bad joke about your old dealer. I wasn’t lying when I told you I couldn’t sell anymore ‘cos I’d fall in love, yanno.”

What a strange way to confess your love, you think. Here you are, with your plug-turned-girlfriend, sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the floor of an aquarium, high out of your fucking mind, watching a couple juvenile penguins get their daily fish treat. It’s perfect.

Ellie finally moves her head to look at you, she smiles softly and leans forward to press her lips to yours. It’s a sweet kiss, sweeter than any candy you could ever try, and sweeter than those god awful pot brownies you shared earlier. Her nose squishes into yours when she attempts to deepen the kiss and you giggle into her mouth. Your eyes are half open and you can’t focus fully on the kiss when you catch a glimpse of the penguins behind Ellie. Now… wait a minute.

Did that penguin just fucking wave at you? You swear to god it fucking waved.

You pull back from Ellie and gawk at the penguin looming over her shoulder, behind the glass.

“Ellie, I swear to fucking god that penguin just fucking waved at me.”

She is in shambles immediately, laughing so hard that she’s clutching her stomach and gasping for air. Salty tears slide down her freckled cheeks and she slaps your knee over and over while she tries to calm herself down.

Her fingers scrub at her cheeks while she tries to wipe the tears away, “alright. Time to go home.”

You make her promise that you’ll never, ever, go back to the aquarium while high again. Not if there will be penguins involved, at least.

#im crazy i know #dealer ellie 4lyfe #i keep feeding u guys so good #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams #tlou #ellie tlou #ellie williams x you #ellie x reader #ellie williams x y/n #ellie williams x female reader #WOOOOOHOOOO

[ghost-bxrd]

Correction. Jason fucking hates school.

Those fucking elitist assholes keep staring at Dick and him like they’re goddamn monkeys in a zoo. One had tried explaining the fucking concept of laptops to them earlier, like they’d been raised in the fuckin’ ass end of nowhere.

That guy had changed his tune real damn fast after Jason pointedly pulled out his own unreleased Wayne tech laptop and fired it up with a harsh glare.

Frankly, Jason wouldn’t be so ticked off if it was just him, but they keep. Targeting. Dick. After they realised that, wow, Jason isn’t the poor back alley rat with an IQ barely high enough to let him breathe correctly and take their shit lying down, they kept trying to crowd Dick.

After the third time some spoiled girl had tried touching the skittish talon in some guise of “Oh wow, your hair looks really soft!“ and Dick’s eyes had done the deer-in-headlights expression where he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to fucking say no Jason had snapped and nearly bit the offending hand off.

The surprised scream he got in retaliation was so fucking worth it, even if he’s pretty sure B will have choice words to say about it once they get back to the manor.

Sadly, Dick had also taken that reaction to mean that Jason felt threatened by the girl, which was… less optimal.

At least Jason had managed to keep him from literally tearing into her. If barely.

“I fuckin’ hate these snobs,“ Jason growls, opening their Alfred issued lunchbox with a bit more force than strictly necessary.

Dick coos inquisitively, back to his bird sounds in the relative privacy of the abandoned classroom they’ve been hiding out in since the fiasco during second period.

Jason hands him one of the sandwiches with peanut butter and jelly he loves so much and chooses one with with cheese and ham for himself, taking a vicious bite to vent his frustration in a way that won’t immediately get them expelled. “All these people thinking we’re some new and shiny toy. Wanna bet they think we don’t even know how to fuckin’ read?“

Dick eats at a more sedate pace from where he’s perched in a crouch on top of a desk, watching Jason rant with attentive eyes.

He doesn’t say anything, but that’s ok. Jason’s spitting enough vitriol for them both, and at least he knows that Dick is listening. Even if Jason were to suddenly switch topics and babble nonsense about the Teletubbies, Dick would still hang onto his every word. It used to be a bit creepy in the beginning, but now it’s… nice. Especially since he’d figured out how to interpret all the bird noises Dick makes.

“Really, if any of these privileged asswi-“

Dick’s head snaps up, body suddenly tense like a bowstring, and Jason whirls around so fast he almost gives himself whiplash, heart in his throat.

His eyes immediately lock onto the previously closed door where a wide eyed boy is standing, laptop under one arm, mouth agape, and looking more like a displaced toddler than a student with the pudgy baby fat clinging to his cheeks.

Dick makes a low tittering sound deep in his throat, wary but not yet hostile, and Jason takes one look at the tiny child that looks like he might start crying under the heavy stare of two older boys and exhales a groan.

“You need something, kid?“

The boy’s wide, blue eyes snap to him and Jason has to blink a bit at how similar they look to his own, if perhaps a few shades lighter.

He shuffles on his feet, clutching the laptop against his chest, “Uh, n-no. I was just- uh- homework.“

— Owl Song pt. iii Preview

#owl song #sneak peak #preview #snippet #drabble #batfamily #dick grayson #batfam #bruce wayne #robin #batfam fic rec #jason todd #tim drake #fic #talon dick grayson #court of owls #accidental child acquisition

[loveshotzz]

There’s a place for me

Eddie Munson x Fem!reader

Chapter 1/?

Summary: On the run for wrongful murder charges, Eddie finds himself stopping in a sleepy ocean side town far enough from Hawkins where he can lay low for awhile. Running from the people that want him dead, his only hope is that his past doesn’t catch up to him. Especially when he meets the pretty eye’d waitress up the street.

Word count: 5.7k

Warnings: slow burn, angst (Eddie hates himself for running) eventual smut, strangers to lovers. My blog is 18 plus.

A/N: this concept was sent as a request by my irl friend @elthreetimes and as soon as I read it, there was no way it could just be a one shot. It needed to be a series. I feel so lucky that you trust me to bring this story to life, and I hope you enjoy this. Also I couldn’t have done this without my hellfire crew @myobmaya @boomhauer @subparwritersuperbreblogger @sweetsweetjellybean for bouncing ideas and characterizations with me. I seriously couldn’t have written this with out you guys. This is the most ambitious story I’ve ever tried, so here goes nothing. Also bonus points for anyone who guess’s who which character Ron is based off of.

*comments, likes, and reblogs would mean so much if you enjoy my work 💘

For days it felt like all Eddie did was drive, the passage of state signs was his only measurement of time. The hours blending together like the lines on the highway, tangerine skies bleeding vermillion the colors remind him of Chrissy eyes after they exploded inside her head. The beauty of it all being taken away as the image of her crumpled body replays over and over in his mind. With no destination he was driving on auto pilot, only deciding where he was going the third night in.

Hair dripping from the storm outside, his fingers feel bruised from switching out his plates for the third time. Sitting in the back of his van tucked away on the side of a dirt road somewhere in West Virginia, it was the first time in his life he was thankful his dad had taught him a thing or two about evading the law. Stripping off his wet jacket he knew he needed to find somewhere to go. He couldn’t keep driving aimlessly, he didn’t have the money for that. The only cash he had was whatever he’d gotten from his deals earlier in the week, thankful he didn’t spend it on the re up that was suppose to happen the night before everything changed.

He’d never seen the ocean, an elusive place he could only visit in his dreams. Stopped on the boarder between West Virginia and Pennsylvania he wasn’t that far from the east coast. Using his lighter to illuminate the road map he’d found stashed in a messy wad in his glove box he guessed it was maybe a 10 hour drive from the coast. Throwing the idea of sleep out the window with wet clothes making it impossible for him to get comfortable he decided to do what he’s done this whole time, drive.

Watching the early morning sun slowly seep into through the storm clouds the grey sky fades to a more comforting cerulean. Eddie drove with the kind of determination that he wish he’d used to pass high school. Maybe he wouldn’t even be in this mess if he’d just graduated when he was suppose to. Convincing himself he would have been long gone playing guitar in any city that wasn’t Hawkins, he lets himself wallow in self pity till his tires bring him to the ocean.

——

Finding his way into a nameless town that wasn’t even listed on his map, it made Hawkins look like New York City. A small strip set on top a broken battered road - he swerves to miss the never ending onslaught of pot holes. The few shops they had were attached to a single grocery store, the sides of the buildings eroding away from the misted wind. Snorting to himself - of course this is where he ends up, a beach side ghost town. Eddie catches the Help Wanted sign hanging in the window of the diner that lay nestled at the end. Sticking out from the rest, the way it’s lit almost makes it look like it glowing against it’s drab surroundings. It was also the only place he’d seen with any sign of human life.

The lights of The Sleepy Hill motel greet him like the four seasons, when his tired van pulls into the mostly empty lot. The flashing vacancy sign is a promise of a bed, his bones worn down and sore the weight of everything finally kicking in. When his dirty white Reebok’s hit the ground his arms reach for the sky in a kitten stretch of his whole body, eyes closing he relishes in the pops he feels in his spine.

Inhaling a deep breath the salt in the air stings his nose, the mist off the shore making his bangs stick to his forehead. Pulling a runway strand of hair from his cheek he finally takes everything in. On one side of him there was nothing but an endless expanse of tumultuous waves raging against the shore line. The storm clouds he had out run were making their way back through, the lingering bitterness of winter still hanging thick in the March air. It wasn’t like the kind of warmness he’d seen on the postcards, or the in the stories that Rick told, this wasn’t Venice Beach. The sight of a light house in the distance brings a slight feeling of comfort when he watches the strobes of light break through the purple hues of the darkness starting to set in over the horizon. Eyes lingering he lets himself sit in it for awhile watching the waves crash into the broken brick holding it up from falling into whatever laid in the water beneath it. When he turns his attention back to the town that took him less then a minute to drive through, the red “EAT HERE” sign that spun on top of the diner mocks his stomach when he realizes it had been almost a whole day with out any real food.

Slamming his car door shut, he takes quick strides to the back making a mental note to drive to the next town over at some point tomorrow to switch out his plates again, it was too risky to try to do it with any car in a town like this. Eyes darting nervously he opens his back doors with shudder that rings out over the sound of the waves. Furrowing his brows in concentration he starts digging though the blankets in the back searching for the outfit he’d found balled up a few nights ago. Forgotten about after a sleep over at Gareth’s, the memory of a time where his life wasn’t like this hurts in a way that he can’t explain. Maybe he wasn’t as miserable as he thought he was — all the little things he took for granted now at the forefront of his mind.

He hadn’t let himself think about Wayne. Maybe it was the adrenaline that kept his mind from going there, or that thing he’d heard about when your own mind blacks things out to protect you, but he hadn’t thought about what that must’ve been like for him to come home to that.

A life less mangled girl he didn’t know and a nephew that no one was going to find. Eddie just ran without a single thought as to what that would mean for him. Scowling to himself he blames the Munson blood that runs through his veins. Images of his Uncle slumped over with tired shoulders, shuffling into the trailer in the early morning hours when the sun is just peaking through the trees. Boots heavy from another double at work, walking right into the nightmare that Eddie left him with.

Eye’s burning he holds back his tears grabbing the balled up shirt and jeans giving them a sniff. They didn’t smell clean but they smelt better then what he was wearing now and that was just going to have to do. Fingers crossed the motel clerk would let him rent a room with out an ID, he was desperate for a shower. Shoving the garments into his backpack he takes another deep breath ignoring the sting this time, closing his eyes he fights away all the emotions that are ready to spill out. Clearing his throat he cracks his neck before slamming the metal doors shut.

Half way across the pavement Eddie stops in his tracks when he see’s the guy behind the counter. Not much older then him there was something oddly familiar about him, when he glances up catching Eddie in his line of sight. Shaggy brown hair parted down the middle and big teeth protruding from below his upper lip, his beady eyes squint as he tries to figure out what Eddie was doing. The sound of a distant boat horn is what makes his feet finally move again, the boy behind the counter standing up as Eddie closes the distance.

There’s a small chime when the glass door swings open, the warmth of the lobby heats him in a way he hadn’t realized he missed until its hits his skin. There’s an awkwardness that hangs thick in the air when the door closes behind him. Eddie hadn’t talked to another living soul in days besides mumbling the amount of cash and on what pump at gas stations. The man behind the desk who’s name tag said ‘Ron’ was staring at him like he was trying to pin point something familiar about the metal head, and it was making Eddie’s palms sweat. The anxiety of being caught tightening in his chest. Scratching the back of his neck he clears his throat.

“Hi — hey, man I’m uhh- I’m looking to get a room?” He tries to hide how startled he is at his own voice having not heard it in hours.

Ron’s silence doesn’t break much to his dismay as he takes in Eddie’s appearance. Dark eyes trail over his disheveled form before flicking back towards his van in the parking lot. It wasn’t just his palms that were sweating now.

“What’s your deal? You some kinda rockstar or something?” Ron finally breaks his silence, stunned it takes Eddie a minute to comprehend what exactly he’s being asked. When he finally wraps his head around the question he has to actively stop the snort that threatens to come out.

Looking down at his wrinkled hellfire shirt, the cotton is stained with a mixture of dirt and grime from the nights in his van. The whites of his Reebok’s barely visible under the dried up mud from last nights storm. Having caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass of the door on his way in, he knew his wild mane looked like a bird had laid nest in it.

“Excuse me, what?”

Ron sucks his teeth shrugging.

“You just look like that Van Halen guy, but there’s no way you’d be here if you were actually him I’d reckon.” He says matter of factly before sitting back down in his desk. “And he wouldn’t look like he just rolled around in a pigs play pin. Or maybe he would? I don’t know the life style of a celebrity.” He adds with a wave of his hand.

Stunned and completely unsure of how to respond to the man in front of him, the conversation was not going a direction Eddie had even seen coming. Opening and closing his mouth a few times, he finally finds his voice again.

“Yeah, not Eddie Van Halen. My name is Eddie though, Eddie umm Henderson.” He winces internally when Dustin’s last name leaves his mouth.

“Eddie Henderson? That’s not very rock and roll.” Ron tuts before looking up at Eddie from his computer.

Feeling his frustration start to reach it’s tipping point, his fists clench at his sides before they release. Running a hand over his face he exhales sharply through his nose mustering up enough self control to answer politely.

“Sorry to disappoint.” Eddie pointedly looks at his name tag before adding with a curt smile. “Ron.”

Arching a brow, the man at the front desk brings his attention back to the computer screen with a hum. The awkwardness from before becomes almost suffocating in the small room. The growing silence between them lasting long enough that Eddie starts to panic.

“Look man, I’m just trying to get a room for a few nights then I’ll be out of your hair okay? I’m not some rockstar who’s gonna trash the place. I’m a nobody.”

Eyes never leaving the screen the sound of the mouse clicking is the only noise filling the space.

“Got an I.D. Eddie Henderson?” Ron’s tone is flat when finally looks up at eddie through the hood of his lashes, his own irritation clear on his blemished face.

The question he knew was coming still stiffens his body when it leaves his mouth, but the thought of another night sprawled out on the damp blankets on the metal floor of his van is enough for the burning sensation of tears to sting his tired eyes again. Shuffling on his feet, he readjusts his backpack.

“I’ve got cash, I can pay for at least two days up front.” Stepping closer to the desk his fingers drum against the counter top nervously, doe eyes pleading to show him a shred of mercy.

“No, I.D. No ro—“

Digging the 200 of the 250 he had left from his pocket, he slaps it on the desk in a crumpled lump. His survival instincts kicking in with a new level of stubbornness he didn’t know he had. He wasn’t leaving until he had keys to a bed and a shower.

“Please, man. I’m begging you.” The tears that had been threatening fall finally breach his strong hold, a single droplet landing onto his bottom lashes. He wipes it away quickly with the back of his hand, sniffing he closes his eyes collecting himself again. “I’ll keep to myself, you won’t even know I’m here.”

Ron’s eyes soften at the desperation is Eddie’s voice, despite policy there was something sincere about the mysterious stranger standing in front of him.

“200 will get you three nights.” Reaching over the counter he grabs the crumbled up bills before standing up, turning to the wall of keys behind him.

Relief floods his body as he watches Ron’s fingers skim over the glistening metal dangling from the dark blue wall. Blinking back tears the tense muscles in his shoulders release some of the stress they’d been carrying for the last 700 miles.

“Room 10, it’s at the very end. No parties rockstar.” Handing over the single key, it hung from a round burgundy keychain, a faded gold 10 stamped onto the plastic. Eddie can’t help but actually laugh this time, his mood lifted for a fleeting moment.

“Seriously, thank you. You won’t regret this I promise.” Snatching the key before he had a chance to change his mind, he clasps both hands together in front of his face bowing slightly in appreciation.

“There’s free coffee in here every morning. If you bring your key to the diner up the road you get a ten percent discount. We don’t have laundry but there’s a laundromat next to the grocery store, it’s open weird hours you’ll have to check the sign.” Ron prattles on, his voice becoming more professional now that Eddie was a paying guest.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Walking backwards Eddie kicks the door open, the chill in the air sending a shiver down his spine.

“Nice to meet you Eddie Henderson.”

—

The walls of the motel room match the ones in the front office, the sapphire paint chipping at the edges of the ivory trim. The single bed in the middle was covered in a crimson duvet, two fluffed pillows propped against the black head board tempting him enough that he almost throws the idea of a shower and food out the window. Toeing off his shoes, the socks that should be a crisp white are the color of ash and it reminds him just how dirty he really is. Dropping his bag on the floor he starts peeling off his clothes making his way to wash off the last 72 hours.

A satisfied groan falls from between his chapped lips when the heat of the water hits his skin. Tilting his head back he lets it run through his thick tangled waves, pooling at his feet the water is tinged brown. Turning he faces the stream with closed eyes letting it wash over his face as he tries to find peace in his thoughts. The fear seeing Chrissy suspended in the air every time he closed his eyes was what prevented him from the sleep his strained body needed.

After spending longer then he should wrapped up in the warmth of the shower, he can’t ignore the growling in his stomach, remembering the discount at the diner he forces himself out.

The cheap blow dryer makes his hair frizz with more volume then he was used to, holding it down with both hands on either side of his head he sighs exasperated when he lets it go and it bounces back with more force.

Whatever, he didn’t know anyone here and he wasn’t going to be around long.

Changing into his cleaner clothes, he pats down his jeans feeling something in his back pocket. Reaching behind him his fingers come in contact with the thin plastic foiling of a crumpled half full pack of cigarettes he’d left in a drunk mess one night.

“Fuck. Yes.” He mutters to himself feeling a little more like a person rather then just a passenger in his own body for the first time in the last three days.

Grabbing his jacket off the bed nimble fingers search for his lighter once the leather is wrapped around his shoulders. Smirking when he finds it, he heads for the door grabbing his key off the off the dresser. Turning around before he leaves he takes one good look at his new home for the next few days. It wasn’t much but it was better then hiding off on the side roads begging to get caught.

——

The rocks crunch under his feet as he walks up the wounded asphalt towards the diner, the mist in the air taming the poof in his hair as he struggles to get the cigarette lit. The hint of tobacco on his tongue teasing him as the gust off the shore snuffs out the flame every single time.

“Jesus fucking Christ.” dangling in his lips he stops for a second to switch positions so his back was facing the direction of the wind. “You’ve got to be shitting me.” Grumbling he snatches it out of his mouth in a huff before shoving it back in his pocket. Keeping his hands dug in into his jacket his face is set in a hard glare as he hits the parking lot of the diner. The inside gleams brightly and it’s the stark contrast to the dark moody-ness of his thoughts and the outside.

There’s families gathered in the windows laughing in the warmth of the light and he does his best to ignore the pang in his chest. Shoving down the realization of just how alone he really is now, he wasn’t ready to mentally unpack that yet.

Opening the single glass door of the entrance, the sound of the oldies station plays under the low hum of everyone’s chatter. Red vinyl covering the seats, a row of booths line the outside, the white walls barely visible decorated, covering almost every inch in various collectibles. The long bar attached to the kitchen extends down the length of the restaurant lined with stools.

Unlike the booths, the bar was filled with truckers and waderers. Hunched over their food alone in their thoughts. Taking a seat where he belonged the chain of his wallet clinks loudly against the metal of the stool.

The menu was already laid out on the formica counter top, just a page long the corners of the lamination are creased after obvious years of use. His eyes strain to read the red words that pop out against the white of the paper, the sleepless nights slowly catching up to his body. He tries pulling it further from his face to get a better look completely unaware of the pair of eyes watching him.

“Need some help with the menu?” A melodious voice breaks his concentration. Looking for the owner he comes face to face with you.

Almost as if someone knocked the wind out of him the softness of your features stuns him enough that he can’t find his voice. The dress you wear as a uniform wraps tightly around your curves and he fights his eyes from wandering. Hand on the counter in front of him you lean into his space, the smell of maple syrup hits his nose — sickly sweet he wants nothing more then to close his eyes and bask in it. Your warm gaze lands on his face and it feels like he’s looking up at the bright sun on a summer day. You didn’t look like you belonged here.

Realizing he hadn’t answered you, he clears his throat trying to shake his nerves. He was never good at talking to girls, especially not girls that looked like you and definitely not under these circumstances.

“You’re new around here.” You grin eyeing the slightly disheveled boy in front of you.

“Do you have burgers?” Blurting out his question he closes his eyes embarrassed when he realizes he’s ignored your observation too caught up to think straight. “Sorry.”

Laughing sweetly you take the menu from his hands finger tips brushing against his, the connection making his cheeks blossom pink.

“Sure do, how do you want it?” Pulling out your pocket sized note book from your apron, his eyes catch the red of your nail polish and for some reason it makes his cheeks deepen to match.

“Medium is —uh, is fine.” Scratching the back of his neck he watches the way your pen swoops gracefully against the paper.

“Fries okay?” Looking up at him from under your lashes his breath hitches loud enough for you to hear, the reaction making you bite your lip in a smile.

“Yeah, fries are, fries are great.” Exhaling loudly he gives you a tight lipped smile wishing he could bury his head in the sand.

“Anything to drink?” Ripping the page you turn around slipping it through the small window of the kitchen behind you. The line cook grabs it with a curt nod before you bring the full force of your stare back to him.

“Water is fine.” The sentence is short but he gets it out with out a hitch at least. Rubbing his hands nervously on his thighs he catches the mischievous glint dance around your eyes.

A small knowing smirk plays on your lips before walking away to the drink station at the other end of the long bar.

“Real fucking smooth.” Eddie grumbles to himself catching the attention of the trucker seated next to him.

“If that makes you feel any better son, I think she thought it was cute.” The gruffness of his voice reminds him of his Uncle, the few moments with you had made him almost forget about why he was here in the first place. Guilt slowly starting to eat away at him as he tries to re focus his thoughts, the familiar sting coming back to his eyes.

Before Eddie has a chance to respond your sliding the glass in front of him, eyes never leaving his as you pull out a straw from your front pocket. This time he’s strong enough to hold your gaze even if the red on his cheeks spreads to his neck.

“It’ll be like 15 minutes, Freddy’s pretty quick.” Nodding back towards the kitchen, Eddie tries to listen to you but he’s too focused on the sheen of your lip gloss. A sharp elbow to his side snaps him out of his trance, his new friend trying to help him out.

“Oh— okay, thanks.” Dropping his eyes down he brings all of his attention to unwrapping his straw, silently scolding himself for being even less smooth then the first interaction. The only reason he knows you’ve walked away is the loss of sweetness that settles in the air in your presence.

Shoving the straw in his drink, the ice clinks loudly against the glass before taking a big gulp. When the water washes over his tongue in a wave of rejuvenation, he closes his eyes humming in satisfaction sucking more then half the glass down before pushing it away with a wipe of his mouth. He can feel what the needed hydration does for him in his finger tips, his brain function starting to sharpen.

Chocolate eyes finding you again, he watches the way you move around the restaurant with ease. Everything you were doing seemed second nature, bending down to meet the kids at eye level he watched the families stare up at you with the same adoration on their faces. It wasn’t just him you effected like that, it was every one.

Cleaning off one of the booths, he watches you bend over the table — selfishly letting his eyes wander your body in the way he’d fought off before. Expertly stacking the dirty plates in your arms, you shove the cash tip they’d left in your apron. Turning on your heel you catch his stare, stopping for a brief moment before your lips tug up in a way that makes him avert his gaze — but even he knew it was too late. He’d been caught.

Closing his eyes when you walk by he inhales deeply, chasing the comfort your scent brings. You smelt like Sunday mornings with his mom, the only childhood memories he was fond of. He watched as you disappeared through the double doors of the kitchen, loud voices greeting you once you were hidden in the back. It was obvious you’d been here for awhile. The urge to try and piece together your story is a welcoming distraction from his own.

You aren’t back there long before you push back through with a toothy grin, shaking your head in amusement. An irrational hint of jealousy settles deep in his gut at whoever was making you laugh like that. The high pitch ding of the kitchen bell brings his attention back to the small window, a burger and fries so warm he could see the steam coming off the bun sit waiting for you to collect. Brain going empty he can feel himself start to salivate, his hunger taking front and center in his mind now.

Too focused on his food he has better self control of his eyes when you go to grab it. Sliding the plate in front of him Eddie mumbles a thank you before snatching the burger, ignoring the way it heats under his finger tips.

Taking a giant bite he immediately opens his mouth at the shock of the burn, his initial reaction to spit it out is stopped when he looks up to see you watching him with crossed arms as you lean against the back counter.

“I would have told you to give it a minute, but I thought that was obvious.” Teasing him, Eddie fans his open mouth searching for reprieve only swallowing it when the pain subsides. Taste buds inflamed and seared he takes another gulp of water basking in the way it soothes his mouth.

“Sorry, I haven’t really eaten all day.” Grabbing a fry he dunks it into the small ceramic cup filled with ketchup before tossing it into his mouth. Curious eyes land on yours making him wonder what’s keeping your attention as he eats with out manners.

“So, what are you running from?” Choking on his food at your question his eyes go wide, maybe the news had made it’s way over here.

“W-what do you mean?” Swallowing loudly his appetite suddenly disappears.

“I mean, I’ve never seen you before. People either move here to run from something or they’re just passing through.” You shrug as if your question was nonchalant. “So are you a runner or a wanderer?”

“What are you?” Eddie counters back arching a brow before taking another sip of water.

The smirk you give him is almost devilish when you push yourself off the counter invading his space again. The smell he can’t get enough of swirling around him in a dizzying effect.

“I’m a runner.” There’s something hidden behind your eyes that he can’t decipher when you give him your answer unashamed. “I told you mine, it’s your turn now.”

Of course you weren’t from here, how could you be?

“Runner.” He says simply already nervous he shared too much. Averting his eyes he plops another fry in his mouth before he remembers that this 15 dollar meal was gonna put a significant hole in his remaining funds.

Looking back up from his food he sees you’re already half way down the bar walking he hasn’t even asked you about the Now Hiring sign dangling from the window.

“Hey! — I mean wait.” Eddie’s outburst catches you and half the diners attention and despite his embarrassment he doesn’t miss the way your lips curve up when you make your way back to him.

“Yes?” Raising your eyebrows in question you plant both hands on the counter top in front of him leaning forward a stance that keeps his Eddie swimming.

“I saw your help wanted sign in the window.” Clearing his throat for more confidence “How would a runner apply for said job?”

“You haven’t even told me your name, and you don’t even know what we’re hiring for.” All valid points leave your mouth and he nods with a scratch of his head.

“It’s Eddie, Eddie Henderson.” He said it once and now he just has to roll with it, he’ll apologize to Dustin if he ever sees him again. “I’m not picky, I’ll do anything. Just in desperate need for some cash.”

“Well Eddie Henderson, I guess that means you’re planning on staying here long enough to get work huh?” Tongue poking the side of your cheek he can tell there’s ideas bouncing around in your head.

“Yeah, for a little bit.” Eddie didn’t want to tell you that his time here was numbered in the single digits or that he needed the work so he wouldn’t become completely homeless in the next few days while he ran from the law.

Blowing out a loud breath, you drum your hands on the counter before turning around towards the white board behind you with various names and schedules scribbled on it. He wondered which was you. Grabbing an application from the stack that was pinned on the board you turn back around around pulling a pen from your pocket. Clicking it open you set it down for him to fill out.

Eddie wastes no time in scribbling out his fake information, chest swelling with excitement. He didn’t think it would be this easy and despite your stare making him nervous he could feel his own smile pull at his lips just for a moment.

“I’m just gonna need an ID to show my boss.”

The sentence leaves your mouth and Eddie wants to fucking scream, his grip on the pen becoming so hard he was close to snapping it in half. It was an issue at the motel why wouldn’t be an issue here? It’s not like he didn’t have one, it just had all of his real information on it. Information that had the potential to get him caught.

“I- I don’t have one.” It’s quiet when it leaves his mouth voice shaking and defeated. Meeting your eyes again he notices how they soften as if you could read his mind.

“You moved to a new town without any ID?” You question is gentle when it comes out watching the way his shoulders slump. The first smile you’d seen grace his handsome features slowly fading away.

“I’m afraid I can’t give this to him with out some kind of proof as to who you are.” It’s lame when it comes out of your mouth and you wish it could be different when you watch his big doe eyes glass over.

“It’s fine, I’ll figure something out. I appreciate the help none the less.” Eddie gives slight nod pushing the application away, his brain already starting to reel with no back up plan lined up. He feels fucking stupid.

Unsure how to comfort the cute mysterious stranger you shove your pen back in your pocket giving him your most apologetic look. The air shifting into something that felt like you should give him privacy— you walk away as he digs for his wallet.

Throwing a twenty on the table, he’s too embarrassed to even ask for the discount. He takes one last big bite of his burger before goes to stand up, the sudden urge to sleep becoming over powering with the hope a better idea would come to him tomorrow.

“Hey, actually.” Your honeyed voice drips through his very obvious despair.

Stopping him before he had a chance to leave, Eddie’s chestnut eyes meet yours in question.

Biting at your bottom lip, he can tell your nervous to ask him whatever was bouncing around in your head.

“Do you know anything about cars?” The thought of your late grandmothers car sitting motionless in your drive way comes to mind and how desperate you were for a pair of working wheels.

“I mean I’m no mechanic, but I can do the basics.” He offers back with a shrug.

“Good enough for me, I live by the beach not far from the motel down the road, it’s a shitty yellow house you can’t miss it. I’ve got a car you can come look at tomorrow, if you think you can fix it I’ll hire you myself.” Eddie doesn’t know why you’re being so nice to him but he’s not going to turn you down the offer. Even if he can’t fix it, he sure as shit was going to figure out how.

“Alright, sure yeah, I’ll come by.” Trying to contain his excitement the smile you’d already missed comes creeping back to his face.

“Perfect, I’ll see you around 10? I’ve gotta work at 4 so that should be plenty of time for you to come take a look yeah?” Not wanting to tease that six hours is plenty of time to do a normal check up on a car he just nods instead.

“I’ll be there at 10.” With a nod of his head and the first genuine smile on his face in days, he pushes back out into the developing storm.

——

Head swirling with the events of the day the cheap motel bed moans under his weight as he stares up at the water marks on the ceiling tile. The feathers of the pillows underneath him bring back the heaviness of his eyelids as all the muscles in his body finally relax. The fear of sleep slowly slipping to the back of his mind when the softness of your smile replays on a loop behind closed eyes.

——-

Taglist: @newlips @bimbobaggins69 @munsonology @triplethreat77 @edsforehead @manda-panda-monium @emotionaldreamer @eddiesprincess86 @micheledawn1975 @lil-graveling @b-irock @munsonmunster

If I missed anyone please let me know!

#eddie munson #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson smut #eddie munson angst #eddie munson fan fiction #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #eddie x you #eddie x fem!reader #eddie x y/n #eddie munson series #eddie munson slow burn #joseph quinn

[setsugekka]

❥love language (m)

↳ abandoned at the bar by your friend and harassed by the bartender just across the way, maybe wooyoung can offer you a save to this night after all.

jung wooyoung x fem!reader — strangers to lovers, explicit adult content. [4.7k wc] cws: sex in public, protected penetrative sex, dirty talk, alcohol is consumed but no one is intoxicated, jung wooyoung has a Big Dick.

“So, what’ll it be, Little Lady?”

Maybe if you hadn’t already been here against your will, and as a result staunchly annoyed by your whereabouts already, the comment wouldn’t be so grating. Something about it and the way it feels in your ears — through the loud murmurs of the bar surrounding you that reminds you something of nails on a chalkboard.

Glancing up from your phone to give the man across the way your attention as he waits intently for your answer to the question, you briefly listen in to your friend to the left of you as she laughs excessively at a comment from the person that she’s speaking to, assuming it to not be worthy of the kind of response being offered from her, but again, you’re irritated, and most likely projecting your lack of enjoyment on all of the things going on around you as a result.

Narrowing your eyes at him, there’s a part of you that wants to ignore it — but of course, there’s a bigger part of you that can’t help but engage.

“Do you address all of your patrons with such silly little nicknames?”

The mans demeanor doesn’t change much as a result of your rebuttal; palms pressing into the polished wood of the bar that stand between the two of you in a lean with gaze still cast upon you.

“Don’t like it when men are cute with you? I can be meaner instead, if that’s what you like.”

The reply earns an immediate scoff from you — accompanied by a roll of your eyes and the sudden twist of your bar stool to face away from him — in the time it takes for your vision to leave, you manage to catch the glimpse of another person sliding in from the side, presumably taking the place of the fuckboy who has seemingly all but made it his mission to make the evening as insufferable for you as humanly possible.

Getting a drink isn’t worth engaging with him, that much is for sure. Not that you are all that in the mood for drinking tonight, anyways. Rather, being out tonight is a favor to your friend: on the hunt for some fun and games for herself and not wanting to go alone (nor would you prefer her to be out on her own, either), you tag along and do your best at not being the wet blanket of a friend nestled off in the corner with just how much of an awful time you’re having written all over your face.

Mission probably failed, but with the way that your bestie is carrying on, you suppose she’s well past the point of worrying for you by now, anyway.

This much is fine, you don’t need to be babysat — and besides, the quicker she find her results, the quicker you can get the fuck up out of this bar.

“Sorry about that fuckin’ guy,” another voice suddenly chimes in from the same place that the original had. This time, however, it’s different — lighter, gentler, airier. Most definitely not the same person, and for that much at least, you are thankful.

You begin your stool spin back to face the new person, at the very least to thank him for intervening, but he continues his thought before you’re able to make your way back around.

“He’s been a problem for a few months, I’ve been trying to get him out of here but we’re short on staff, so now on top of bartending, I get to play babysitter.”

You can relate.

When you finally do make it back around, you’re at the very least pleased by the sight: on top of it not being the same man so intent on ruining your lack-of-good-time, this one is far better looking, too. Black suit jacket that bares flesh underneath, black middle parted hair and a charmingly pointed freckle just under one of his eyes.

“Hi.” He says plainly. You answer him the same in return.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Depends,” you start. “Are you going to aggressively hit on me in the meantime?”

“Only if you want me to.”

A single eyebrow quirking upwards, you can’t help but allow a grin to form at the playfulness of his reply. “Doesn’t this sort of count?”

“I don’t think it’s very aggressive, but if you tell me what you want to drink I can simply retrieve it and fuck off back to the other side of the bar from where I came.”

With eyes glued to one another, you know that your smile gives you away — little point in bothering to keep up a charade on the matter. Truth is, even if this one is hitting on you, he’s much better at it, and has already earned himself a few points prior to getting here, anyway.

“Can you make an Amaretto Sour?”

He scoffs at the question with a gentle toss of his head. “What is it that you think I do here, exactly?”

“You’re funny.” You say simply, watching him reach around for the required necessities in making your beverage. “What’s your name?”

“Don’t you think we’re moving a bit fast?” He mocks, pouring ice into a small glass. “Who’s going to rescue me from your aggressive flirting?”

You’re intrigued. Sure, men like this are typically quite annoying and in ways, this one is no different; but you’re stuck here, and he’s certainly a fun time in the moment, so what’s the harm in playing along, really?

“Wooyoung.” He says shortly after the comments just before. “And I’m just joking, you can aggressively flirt with me if you want, occupational hazard.”

“Is that so? That must be really tough.”

The evident sarcasm in your tone has the man across the way curling his lips into a grin to match yours as he finishes up your drink and delicately places it in front of you atop a small, white, napkin.

“Are you going to tell me your name or do I have to find out from your credit card?”

“Creepy,” you comment lightly. “Maybe I should have stuck with the other guy, after all.”

“Hey! I literally have to see it when I ring up your check, don’t make it weird.”

Granting Wooyoung the knowledge of your name, you take a small sip of the glass placed in front of you — somewhat surprised by how good it is, your eyebrows perk up, and he catches it instantaneously.

“Good?” He asks, hands busy at work with a towel and glass in hand.

“Yeah, actually.” Setting it down again, you glance over at your friend beside you to check on how it’s going — silently counting down the seconds until you no longer have to be inside of this establishment.

“You do not want to be here, do you?”

Quick on the uptake, isn’t he?

Snorting out a chuckle as you turn your attention back to him; lips pulled thin into a tight grin as he looks at you with a drop of compassion in his features, you shrug and offer him a gentle nod. “Gotta do what you gotta do, sometimes.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“Sorry I won’t be much in ways of patronage tonight, I won’t be drinking anything past this so don’t feel obligated to hover, I’m sure you have higher tippers to accommodate this evening.”

It’s a simple but truthful offering: while enjoying his company far more than you may have anticipated, the entirety of your statement is true. After all, this man is here to work and make money — entertaining you only a small portion of the job of bartender, and only really time well spent when the entertainee has intentions of spending money.

Wooyoung seems kind, and you don’t want to waste his time more than you already have. However, he has other plans.

“It’s a slow night,” he starts, picking up another wet glass to dry and shine. “Besides, looks like things are going well with your friend and…her friend, so you might be out of here quicker than anticipated. At this point, I think you’re rescuing me from the monotony of work.”

“No other women to lift personal details from at checkout?”

Banter.

“Eh, no need, already stuck babysitting the cutest girl here, anyway.”

The comment is bold, given the way that the interaction between the two of you has started, but Wooyoung is also right on the money in knowing the perfect timing on when to deliver — as well as your receptiveness to it.

And you are receptive.

It’s only twenty or so minutes later that your friend informs you of her intentions in leaving the establishment with the lucky partner of the night — you wish her well on her journey and try to ignore her light-hearted pestering when you inform her that you plan on staying just a bit longer to chat with the handsome guy just down the bar.

Somewhere along the way, your plans for the evening have shifted, as well. May as well make use of the time spent to make yourself presentable tonight, after all.

A quarter until midnight, Wooyoung announces last call — gathering empty glasses and collecting bills to check people out and have them on their way. You wait idly as you watch him carry on until he finally takes notice of your lack of movement despite the closing hours quickly approaching.

Bending down to rest his chin against his arms as they cradle him against the wood of the countertop, the man cocks his head and gazes up at you with pretty, narrow eyes before coyly addressing you once again.

“Waiting for something?”

“Want to walk me to my car when you’re finished up here?” You ask him with a bit of a flirtatious tone. There’s intent behind it, and you more than expect for the man to catch onto it.

He does, of course, but not without carrying on with the games that led the both of you here to begin with. “You good to drive home?”

“I’ve been nursing this drink for four hours, and it became undrinkable after the first, what do you think?”

With a wide smile, Wooyoung brings himself to a standing position again — a distinct look of understanding gracing his handsome features that lets you in on the fact that the both of you are very much on the same page about where the rest of this night is headed.

“Give me twenty minutes, then we can go.”

Leading you out of the back and through one of the employee entrances, you find yourself surrounded by grey concrete and the frequent flickering of a dull, overhead light that threatens to offer you its last moment of illumination at any given time. You think to yourself briefly how relatively ill-advised it is to land yourself in such a position with a man that more or less is a stranger to you, but as the metal door closes just behind and the gentle thud of footsteps enter the corridor behind you — instead, there’s a certain comfort that comes from the delicate press of his hand against the small of your back and just out of sight.

“Should we go?” He says in nearly a whisper, urging you to begin the descent down the staircase and towards the parking lot.

One floor down and after the most casual of work complaints from Wooyoung, you sigh into the cool air as your feet find flat ground once again.

“Couldn’t we have taken the elevator, not much of a gentleman, are you?”

And just as quickly as the words leave your mouth, you find yourself in a quick spin with your back pressed into the cold stone — barred in place by an arm on each side of your head as Wooyoung effectively cages you into place in front of him right then and there.

His face dips down closer to yours, warmth of his breath cascading across the flesh of your cheek as he dangles the possibility of physical contact in front of you like a carrot on a stick.

“But then we wouldn’t have had nearly as much time together.”

Heart racing, you try to bite back how much you want him; how much you’ve wanted him all night, now. You figure that he knows well enough and that that is the entire reason that the two of you find yourselves like this here and now, but still — nothing wrong with a little cat and mouse game if the outcome already decided, anyway.

“Is that why you brought me down here?” You begin, lifting your chin to close even more distance between the two of you without making any contact just yet. “Wanted to get me alone?”

“Do you even drive? Or did you ask me to take you to your car for the same reason?”

“I do.”

The reply comes out in nothing more than a breathy whisper, Wooyoung’s lips only inches from your own and his eyes honed in on them in particular as you give him your answer. Glancing up to you for visual contact, you begin to feel the feathering of fingertips on the inside of your thigh, just at the hem of your dress.

“So,” he whispers in turn, plush, full lips now ever so lightly dragging at the corner of your mouth in a way that drives you crazy in want to feel and taste him. “Do you want me to fuck you in your car, or here?”

The question must be rhetorical with the way that his head turns to finally kiss you — though you don’t doubt your ability to make an amendment to the situational goings on, you suppose you sort of like the idea of being taken here — the taboo of it all, as well as the threat of being caught — it ignites something of a burning desire within you that you haven’t quite felt up until this very moment.

Parting your legs to grant his journeying hand more access, you revel in the way he nips and tugs at your bottom lip — a kiss full of teeth and tongue and a fervent need to have and touch and taste — you realize that in all of the hours you’ve spent with him at the bar engaging in playful banter, that had been the real beginning of the foreplay between you.

The power of words, all too evident in the grin that forms across his lips when his finger finally makes contact with your slit from the side of your panties.

“Have fun tonight?” He chides, pressing up the slick of your folds to toy at your clit ever so slightly.

Reigning in the desire to buck against his hand, you instead focus the energy on a pointed bite into his bottom lip.

“Is talking all you’re good for? I was kind of hoping for a bit more this evening.”

A daring retort from you, but bestowed upon the perfect partner for it. Wooyoung groans into the feeling of your teeth in his flesh as he reaches for one of your hands and places it upon the fullness welling at the front of his trousers.

“How’s that for ’a bit more’?”

You’re going to have to send your bestie a ‘thank you’ text in the morning.

With Wooyoung’s finger trailing back down and towards your opening — fingertip carefully breeching you with a slow, steady drive to test just how much he’ll need to prep you for taking him, your hands simultaneously work at the front of his pants: the sounds of metal resonating through the empty halls as his belt jingle, fingers making quick work of the button and zipper thereafter, because at this point — you sort of just want to see it.

Kissing at your jaw and side of your face as your eyes slip down to take in the sight of him, all the while trying to push back the already dizzying feeling of him being two fingers and last-knuckle deep inside of you with promise of what’s soon to come — it’s dark already and his choice of attire is matching with black boxer briefs that leave far more to the imagination than you’re happy to find.

But a perfectly timed and brightly lit flicker of the light above grants you the eye-full that you’ve been hoping for — even hidden behind fabric, the more-than-prominent, and thick outline of the man that you’ve been engaging in games with all evening.

“Christ.” You can’t help but exasperate at the visual. Chuckling against you, Wooyoung decides upon adding a third finger pressed against your walls as if timed entirely purposefully given the circumstances.

“Gonna tap out on me already?” He asks, but you shake your head just as quickly. “I’m not a quitter, just don’t know if I’m going to be walking out of here now when we’re finished.”

Lips pressed to the shell of your ear, Wooyoung’s voice drops to a whisper to quell your concerns. “I’ll carry you out of here if I have to, how about that?”

It’s somewhat humiliating knowing that he feels the way you clench down around his fingers at the utterance of the words, but suppose there’s no reason to dwell on such a thing now, either.

Wooyoung pulls away from you so suddenly that you find the loss of enveloping warmth somewhat jarring, but your vision quickly finds him at the feeling of emptiness from between your legs, as well: squatting down in front of you and skillful fingers curling at the hips of your panties as he quickly pulls the fabric down the length of your legs, a quick “foot” comes from his mouth that takes you a moment to process before you realize that the man is asking you to step out of the undergarment so that he can pull them off of you properly.

In doing so, he brings himself back to standing before you, stuffing them into his back pocket and resuming his overwhelming presence against you all over again.

“Don’t want them dirty on the floor.”

He grants you no time to offer a response to the concern before his mouth is hard against your own again, this time much more needy and desperate than the first. Hands wrapping around to find the hem of his pants, you grow tired of waiting by now and quickly motion in an attempt to bring them down his hips — a mission that requires his help, he’s more than happy to accompany you on the journey, however, hand slipping into the pocket opposite of your underwear and fishing out the only other thing necessary for an endeavor such as this.

By now the both of you are sloppy in movement: your hands coming up and around his neck to dig hands into fluffy, black hair and Wooyoung slipping his pants down his thighs just enough to give him the range of motion necessary to fuck you — his face pulls away from yours for a second only to bite into the packaging in hand, then glancing down to ensure proper usage —  it’s right back to devouring you. Part suffocating and part intoxicating the way he drinks you down, Wooyoung presses himself firm and hard against you and as a result, your back against the wall with the simultaneous lift of your leg into his grasp.

With the tip of him just barely grazing your entrance, he instead takes a moment to trail lips down the column of your neck — sucking and biting gently into the skin to revel in the way you desperately moan and gasp for him.

“You know, for someone who didn’t want to come tonight, you sure seem like you want to now.”

A play on words, and at a time like this? Wooyoung truly is a fucking criminal.

The initial drive into you is slow and steady: a man very aware of his size and how to use it to the both of your benefits, he remains close to you to listen to every sound you make — the hitching of your breath at the stretch he provides, and incredibly attuned to any potential changes that may signify his need to be slower, gentler, less to any degree.

A pleasant sting of fullness Wooyoung provides as he sinks into you with shallow, fluid motions of his hips. Mouth hung slightly ajar at the feeling of him prying you open on his cock; you, as well, revel in the sound of his unsteady breath as he inches his way inside of you until no more space lie between you and him.

He gives you a few moments to adjust, seated perfectly still between your walls as he once again finds your mouth to kiss you deeply. With no protest from you, however, he pulls back and slowly sinks back into you with a single, flowing stroke.

“God.” Is all you can manage to whine, but it brings him amusement, nonetheless.

“Not my name, but I’ll take it.”

You’re a little shocked by how much care and interest he’s taking given the fact that the two of you are strangers and most certainly short on time, but as Wooyoung settles into a more comfortable rhythm against you, any and all inquisitiveness leaves you in favor of nothing more than the immense, dizzying, fullness that the thickness of his cock provides with every deliberate press of himself into you.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he admits in something of a whisper and a groan combined. “Wish we had more time, if I got my way I’d have my mouth on every fucking inch of your body.”

Granted, you don’t know this man, but with few more thoughts rattling around in your head by now except for whatever the hell the promise of that would mean for you, you have half a mind to tell him to finish up quick and get in the fucking car.

Changing his stance just slightly as well as the grip he has on you, you question the purpose of it until the next drive of his length into your body — tip of his cock perfectly brushing against that perfect spot that has you loudly whining out into the emptiness of the halls, Wooyoung nearly laughs out loud at the sight of you as he shuffles his elbow to prop himself up and against the cement just next to your head so that he can grant his hand the freedom in covering your mouth for the foreseeable future.

“Hey! You know the fun of stuff like this is just the illusion of getting caught, not actually getting caught!”

Nodding briefly and eyes rolling back as he continues fucking into you despite his words, you can’t even help the continued whining into the muffling of his palm.

“God, I want nothing more than to watch you cream all over my dick but can I trust you won’t alert the entire city if I do?”

The mixture of humor and lust in his tone as he delivers the question to you — hooded eyes that gaze down on your fucked-out facial features, you offer a quick nod despite not knowing how much truth there is to your answer, really.

But you kind of don’t care, either.

Wooyoung dips his head down to the side of your face again and propping his hand back in it’s original place to grant you the ability to speak again — kissing just under your ear before presenting you with yet another question:

“Tell me how to make you come.”

You appreciate him anticipating having to put in far more work than really necessary: a thorough and thoughtful lover that takes his sexual expertise quite seriously. However, you’re more than halfway there, and the tightness in your gut is more than enough evidence of that.

“D-don’t stop, fuck,” you pause, finding the giving of instruction at a time like this far more than mildly complicated. You whine half in frustration at attempting to speak, and half in the fact that it really might not be all that necessary, anyway. “Hand.”

It’s the best you can do, but as expected, Wooyoung is on it, regardless.

Body pressed hard and firm against you to make up for the lack of propping himself that his hand offered, he brings it down to rub between the limited space between your bodies — experimental circles dense against your clit as he continues fucking you hard against the wall, your vision goes blurry if only for a second at the additional stimulation provided at a moments notice.

“Like this?” He asks. You find it almost annoying how much it doesn’t matter what he does at this point, and yet he keeps asking.

“Yes, yes, yes—” you sigh, fingers gripping hard into his hair and shoulder as your orgasm looms. “I’m close, don’t stop, fuck—”

“I can tell,” he playfully snips back at you, punctuating the words with a deep groan before carrying on with the rest of the thought. “Get so demanding when you want to come, don’t you?”

“Wooyo—” You whimper, body tightening in preparation for release as he continues relentless drives into you paired with the gentle, expert rub of his fingertips just above where his cock leave you pried open for him.

“Yeah, come for me, lemmie feel it.”

Part of you figures it doesn’t make much of a difference what he says in that moment as your orgasm tears through your body — a nearly painful tightening of every muscle within you as you come hard through gritted teeth and bitten back groans — Wooyoung continues fucking you through it all the while; expertly managing to hold off his own through the vice grip of your walls on his cock until you’re at the tail end of your release before allowing his own to take him with a louder-than-expected, throaty groan and a hiss through his teeth as he empties into the barrier placed between you.

Wooyoung’s head falling just a bit to the side, the heat of his sweaty forehead pressing against the cool of the wall just behind you, he gently lets go of your leg and slowly pulls his softening length from its place nestled inside of you before pulling the condom from himself, tying the top into a knot, and rolling off to the side of you to match your stance as the both of you attempt to catch your breath in the aftermath of far riskier sex than you’d normally find yourself engaging in.

With one eye shut and only a few moments passed between the two of you, he finally turns to cast his gaze upon you, lips pulled tight in something of a happy-stupid grin.

“You okay?”

Thoughtful, even still. Better bedside manner than you’d expect, given the circumstances, that’s for sure.

“Yeah,” you answer in a heavy exhale. “Can I have my underwear back?”

“Oh! Yeah.”

Handing the fabric to you, you carefully slide them back into place, but remain relatively still against the wall as Wooyoung finally tucks himself back into his pants.

Turning to face him again, a thought crosses your mind — and figure, you’ve already boldly gone where you never find yourself going before, so what’s another step in the same direction.

A single corner of your lips pulling upwards, Wooyoung already catches the hint of mischievousness to you as he awaits whatever it is that you’re soon to offer him.

“You work tomorrow?” You finally ask, and the question quite evidently throws the man through a loop — not having expected this particular line of questioning. Watching him mentally switch gears to answer the inquiry, he shakes his head.

“Nope, what about you?”

But instead of carrying on with the casual discussion, you choose to call back to a comment made in the heat of the moment not all that long ago.

“You said you wished we had more time,” you say in a sultry whisper, hand snaking up the front of his coat to dig fingers into the fabric and pull him closer against you again. “Sounds like you’re free all night.”

Wooyoung leans down to kiss you again; slower, passionate, taking in the moment and the taste of you in a way that isn’t so desperate as before, then slowly pulling off and gazing down intently into your eyes.

The words match your own in tone as his fingers lace into yours at the delivery of them.

“Get me in that fucking car, now.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ hope you enjoyed! please check out my navigation for more (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

—this is a oneshot, there will be no part 2.

#wooyoung smut #wooyoung x you #wooyoung x y/n #wooyoung x reader #ateez smut #ateez x you #ateez x y/n #ateez x reader #wooyoung imagines #wooyoung scenarios #wooyoung fanfic #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez fanfic

[sweet-villain]

He Remembered ~ E.M

Warning : Angst

  You stared across the room as he laughed with his friends, throwing his head back while he squeezed one of his friends right shoulder. The corner of his eyes crinkled as the sound of his laughter could be heard booming off the walls. 

Strands of his hair had fallen into his eyes but he ignored it and let it be messy.

Your breathing picked up seeing an unknown girl sit in his lap with her fingers dancing down his chest.

It’s been years since he has looked at you, said a word, uttered a sentence and even spoke your name. 

The grip on your glass tightened along with your jaw. Your eyes were glazing over, not because you were wishing that girl was you. But he wouldn’t want you.

He wouldn’t want a heart that is damaged. 

It was a really hard pill to swallow watching him be happy, without you. You had spoken the words to him long ago that you wished he would look at you the way he used to look at her.

The same girl he thought once he had a chance with, he had hoped and then she wasn’t there. He made a choice those years ago. 

A choice that was what came to, today. You were watching him from across the room and you weren’t a part of his life. You were just a foggy memory to him.

He never once took a glance over at you when he walked through the doors. He was busy swooped by his friends calling his name. 

Back when the two of you were in high school, he was the very first person that made your words stumble, your palms sweat, your heart race as if it was running a marathon, his dimple smile along with those brown eyes of his made you weak in the knees. 

You downed your drink, letting the burning feeling run down your throat as if it was going to help you for the rest of the night.

Your heart was on the edge of the cracks as you scanned his face when he got up to pat his pants looking for his pack of cigarettes. 

The glimmer of his guitar pick catches your eye. He kept it on all those years and it is still there. 

He put one cigarette in between his lips and he looked around for someone with a lighter.

Anyone.

His brown eyes finally scanned the room he was in and boy, you swore your breath hitched when his eyes skipped over you. But they went back for a brief moment, your eyes locked with his and there it was.

The look.

He knew. 

You wished your chair swallowed you in the hole right there. It didn’t. You gulped hoping he wouldn’t walk over here to talk to you.

You saw the flash of panic behind those brown eyes as if he was fighting a war in his mind.

Was he thinking of coming over here? Was he going to?

You bite down on your bottom lip knowing soon enough you were going to make it bleed. As if that mattered right there and then. 

He sees you. You see him. 

Your eyes closed feeling the tears coming and you were mad at yourself when one of them slipped down your cheek down to your chin. You weren’t going to cry here.

Not now. Not over him again. He wasn’t in your life. 

You turned to put the glass on top of the bar with a bill underneath paying for the drink.

Your hands slipped your jacket off the back of the chair feeling his eyes on you. He was watching you.

Completely forgetting about his cigarette and the girl besides him who was huffing and puffing about not having his attention. His friends called his name, too. 

But it was like he was in a chance or something. 

Your eyes look over to the door, ready to go home. The lump in your throat was there and it felt like a scratch.

You weren’t going to face him. He had made his choice in the past to leave you. You weren’t going to wait for him.

He didn’t need you. He made it clear years before. Even though you thought he was your person at one point. 

If you were the first one to leave, then you wouldn’t get hurt? You really thought after him, that you weren’t going to fall for anyone else. You try to get over him as much as you can.

But you wondered if you were gone, would he know? Surely, his friends knew you. They saw you. You stood out and people noticed you. 

You wished he did. 

If people looked really closely and stood staring straight into your soul then they would know.

You felt alone. 

You always kept yourself distracted with work, helping your parents, visiting his Uncle and looking after him and work, again. You worked night shifts, day shifts and even the holidays. 

But all you have had on your mind was his smile and laughter. It broke you. 

Your feet carried you to the door, passing through drunk people and guys calling out to you.

But you didn’t bother. You were ready for another night to get lost in your thoughts and think about him. 

You felt like some loser hoping to get the guy when he was in the same room as you.

Those brown eyes, the dimple smile and that laugh. His brown curls were held back by a messy bun with some stands. He had a slight stubble from where you noticed.

His arms were filled with ink and he was taller. But you knew it was him. 

He looked older and better, well he always did. 

But he grew up and you did too, but your heart remained damaged. Everyone always asked you why you were so hung up on a guy like him. 

You always gave the same answer. 

“ He made me feel special, like I was a rare diamond that was found” 

He knew that you would always say that.

He heard it from his friends. 

He heard it himself. 

It gave him a feeling, a feeling of happiness. 

The wind felt like it was kicking you in the face when you walked through the doors.

You zipped up your jacket and before you put on your hood to cover your ears from getting cold. You heard it. 

Your name. His voice. 

Your heart raced with panic. He knew it was you. He remembered. 

“ Y/N” He said it again. It felt like music to his ears. 

You looked over your shoulder seeing him standing there with his hands in the front pocket of his pants as he waited for you to say something. Anything. 

“ I’m sorry, you got the wrong person,” you said. The words breaking your heart and his. His eyebrows crinkled together in question. 

“ Oh, I’m sorry” he says and looks down. You mentally slapped yourself and screamed at yourself on why would you say that to him when he was standing there. 

“ Have a good night” your mouth moves and speaks to him. He raises his head back and his lips are in a thin line. 

“ Yeah, you too” He responds back but in his hands is a card. Not just any card. 

“ Um…” you look at him and look back at him. 

“ If you’re ever lonely or need to talk. My number is on the back” He says like he doesn’t expect you to call him or anything for that matter. 

“ I’m not-” he shakes his head and puts the card in the front pocket of your zipped jacket that is opened. 

“ I know, but use it or not. Just know I know how it feels to be lonely” He says. He shrugs and turns his back.

You didn’t know you were holding your breath until now. Your cheeks hinted red and eyes blinked as if that just happened.

He remembered.

#Eddie Munson #Eddie Munson angst #jewls writes #stranger things #stranger things angst #Eddie Munson x you #Eddie Munson x y/n #eddie munson x reader

[gretavangroupie]

Vigilance (Chapter 16)

Word count: 25.6k

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x OC

Warnings: 18+ as always, drinking, smoking, language, fluff, angst, smut, talk of violence and abusive situations, violence, blood.

This story is a collaboration with my best pal @gretavanmoon.

DECEMBER 2021

JAKE POV

Your eyes open, dry and scratchy, the morning light peeking in from around the curtains. You blink the sleep away and roll to your side, seeing her still asleep next to you. Her hair is splayed out behind her on the pillow and tangled in the straps of her silky pink tank top. 

You resist the urge to reach out and touch her, wanting to let her sleep in for once. It was her birthday after all. You laid there for a while, scrolling through your phone, making a to-do list of all the things you needed to tackle before dinner tonight. 

You gently pulled the blankets off of yourself, tucking them around her, as you slid out of the sheets and padded to the bathroom. You quietly shut the door behind you, before turning on the shower to let the water heat up. It was shockingly cold in Nashville this week, with a cold front pushing through, dragging the temperatures down into the twenties. The tile of the bathroom floor was cold on your feet, sending a chill through your body. 

You brushed your teeth as you waited for the water to steam up the bathroom, smiling as you caught sight of her toothbrush in the cup with yours. It is what you told her you wanted, right?

Placing your toothbrush back into the cup, you stripped off your boxers and your t-shirt and threw them into your clothes hamper before stepping into the steamy water. 

Closing your eyes as you let the water wet your hair, you tried to decide what you were going to make for her birthday dinner tonight. The both of you decided on a quiet dinner with just each other, before the chaos of Christmas ensued. You couldn’t think of anything better than having her all to yourself, spoiling her in every way possible. You had hidden her gift very well, almost forgetting yourself where you stashed it. The nervousness was growing in your chest at the thought of giving it to her. Would she really like it?

You opened your eyes reaching for your shampoo bottle only to be met with the sight of hers sitting next to it. Again, you smiled to yourself seeing her things mixed with yours. Slowly but surely more of her things were appearing in your everyday life, making their way into your routines. It felt real. It felt like she really wasn’t going anywhere this time. She was here. 

Scrubbing the suds into your hair you closed your eyes letting your fingertips dig into your scalp. As the bubbles rinsed down the drain you lost the battle with yourself, finding your hand reaching for her body wash and flipping the cap to smell the familiar fragrance you’ve come to love. But it wasn’t lost on you that she suddenly started to smell like your body wash instead of her own, and as your bottle grew lighter, hers remained the same. But you wouldn’t tell her you noticed. You’d just keep buying it, in hopes that she would keep using it, wordlessly telling you she loved you.

As you spun the handle the water stopped and you pulled the clean towel from the hook, pressing the soft fabric to your face before wrapping it around your body. You stepped out wondering if she was still asleep, and tried to figure out how you were going to convince her to not join you on your errands. You knew she would want to join you, but you couldn’t ruin the surprise.

After a quick shave, you opened the door and stepped back into the bedroom, seeing her in a different position than you left her in, but still asleep nonetheless. You couldn’t remember the last time she slept later than you. A grin settled on your lips as you slipped into the closet and pieced together an outfit for the day. A few of her things hung in the closet and you found yourself wondering what your closet would look like with all of her things inside. Surely brighter with a lot more color, but more than that, it would feel full. She would inevitably take over your half of the closet, and you’d gladly let her. 

Pulling on your coat you turned off the light and shut the closet door. You made your way over to the side of your bed, seeing her completely tangled into the mass of feather pillows and linen sheets. You sat gently on the edge of the bed, brushing the hair out of her face as she stirred beneath your hand. 

“Good morning….” you whispered.

You were met with a groan, as her hand searched for yours. Her hand was warm, still shrouded in the heat of the sheets, as she twisted her fingers into yours. 

You leaned down to whisper in her ear, “I’m going to run to the office for a bit, but I won’t be long, okay?” 

You hated lying to her, but you knew it would be better in the end. 

“You’re leaving?” she asks, voice thick with sleep.

“Just for a little. But I will be back soon, I promise. We can do whatever you want when I get home.” you offer.

“Also, happy birthday my love.” you say, pressing a kiss to her forehead and standing from the bed. 

“Thank you, love you.” she replies, rolling to her side to look at you.

“I love you. I’ll be back.” you say, slipping out the bedroom door. You carried yourself upstairs and into the guestroom, opening up the desk drawer and digging around for a few minutes until you spotted the old tattered notebook. You pulled it out and flipped through the pages, smiling to yourself as you saw the old memories flash by. You closed it and made your way back downstairs, placing it into your backpack and grabbing your keys from the bowl by the door. 

Stepping out into the cold air, you feel the goosebumps form on your skin as you make your way to your car. You knew you had a few things to get done today, and not a lot of time to do it, so as you threw your car into reverse, you hit the road determined to make this her best birthday yet. 

—

You rapped your knuckles against the wooden door a few times, knowing good and well Sam was still in bed at this hour. You shoved your hands into your pockets and waited, staring off down the street as one of his neighbors walked their dog. You couldn’t hear any stirring behind the door, but you saw his car in the driveway. After a few minutes you pulled your keys from your pocket, and found the dull looking gold house key he gave you when he moved in. You had only used it a handful of times, the last time being the morning you found him with Y/N.

As you twisted the lock the door opened, and the house was silent. You walked down the hallway to his bedroom door, knocking gently a few times in hopes of stirring him awake. 

“Sammy…” you called into the crack of the door.

“Jake?” he answered, voice groggy.

“Yeah, come out when you get a second.” you replied, making your way into his living room. You grabbed one of his acoustics from the wall, and took a seat on his couch, gently strumming as you waited for him to join you. 

A few minutes later, a disheveled looking Sam sauntered into the living room, pulling a shirt over his head. “Why are you in my house so early on a Sunday morning…” he asks.

“I need a favor from you.” you reply, setting the guitar down on the couch. 

“Okay…” he replies, tilting his head. 

“You remember that notebook I used to carry around back in the day. I would write in it all the time…” you ask.

“Yeah, the one you would never show us…” he answers bitterly.

You laugh, “Yeah that one. I never let you guys see it because it was just all ramblings and shit I wrote about Y/N. Drawings, and affirmations and stuff like that. But mostly, it was songs. All songs I wrote about her, all through those years.” you explained.

“Okay so…How do I play into this?” he asks, waving his hands.

“There are photos in the notebook. Old ones, from our days at the lake, the nights we would all fall asleep together on the couch, all that. Before everything…” you paused. “You always took those photos. Back in Chicago, you forced us to take that picture together…”

“Oh, yeah! I just got all that film back a few weeks ago.” he replied. 

“Yeah. I need it. For this notebook. I’m going to give it to her for Christmas– and before you say anything, yeah maybe it is kind of lame but I think she will like it. I have some special stuff to put in it.”

“No, Jake…I actually think you’re right. She’s going to love it. Think about it. If Flower Power and You’re The One made her cry, imagine what a book of songs about her is going to do to her.” he trailed off laughing. 

“I have collected up pictures from all the way back, and was hoping to get my hands on the most recent one, the one you took, to finish it out.” you said.

He smiled at you, nodding his head as he stood up and walked into the kitchen. He pulled a white envelope from a shelf and started going through the pictures, pulling the one you requested and returning back to you. 

But what he hands you is actually two photos. The one you asked for, the both of you side by side, your pinky twisted with hers, and one that you didn’t even know existed. The two of you tangled together on the couch, fast asleep in each other's arms. An almost exact recreation of the photo that got you through those first years of touring. The last minute addition as you slipped out the door. The photo that lived in that note book for years.

“When did you take this?” you asked, running your finger over the glossy image.

“The Fourth, sometime early. Something like one in the morning?” he answers.

You furrowed your brow as you looked at him.

“I snuck off to talk to Elle, came back a while later and found you two like that. Snapped the photo. Knew it wouldn’t be long.” he smiled.

“Thanks Sammy, I– I don’t know what to say, other than thank you.” you said, placing your hand on his shoulder. “This will be perfect.”

He smiled, and nodded. “Isn’t today her birthday?” he asks.

“It is, which reminds me I have about a thousand other things to do.” you laughed.

“Better go, sounds like you have a full day…” he says, standing from the couch.

“I do. Thanks again. For everything. You know….” you trail off, hoping he was catching your drift.

“You’re welcome.” he says, a look of genuine love painted across his features. “Make her happy.”

You nodded as you stepped through the front door and closed it quietly behind you, making your way back to your car with a heart full of pride for your little brother. 

—

You pushed the shopping cart through the aisles racking your brain for an idea of what to make her for dinner tonight. You knew all of her favorites, but you wanted to do something different. Something you hadn’t done before. Letting your eyes scan over the produce you start to gather a few different vegetables, placing them in the plastic bags as you go, your brain beginning to formulate a plan. 

You make your way down each aisle, collecting the things for your makeshift pasta, filled with all of her favorites, smiling to yourself as you select each item. Making your way back to the front of the store you pass the alcohol, and stop yourself. You collect three bottles of wine, and a bouquet of local wildflowers, and decide that your shopping is complete. 

You make small talk with the cashier, explaining that everything was for your girlfriend's birthday and suddenly you found yourself blushing saying the words out loud. You could talk about her for hours, but for now, a few minutes would do. You slid your card through the reader and collected your receipt before heading out the door, flowers in hand. 

After one last quick stop you pulled into your driveway, ready to unload the car full of items. As you spun the lock on your front door you could hear that she was up and about milling around in the kitchen as a record spun in your study. You grinned as you dropped your keys in the dish, and hummed along to the chorus of the song as you walked into the kitchen. You placed the bags on the counter as she spun around to meet you. 

“Well there she is…” you smiled.

“You’re back! That wasn’t too long.” she replied. 

“Got you something…” you said, handing her the bouquet of multicolored flowers.

Her face lit up as she took in the vibrant colors. 

“I thought wildflowers were a little more fitting for you. Don’t know why, but they just felt like…you.” you said. 

“Me? A wildflower?” she teases.

“You. You’re beautiful, wild, and free, and even in the most… unlikely of circumstances you always find a way to bloom. A thing of pure wonder.” you offer.

“So poetic, Jacob…” she laughs, “Thank you…”

“I’ll buy you flowers everyday if I can see you smile like that.” you smirk.

“Oh hush, what else did you get?” she asks.

You lay your arms over the bags, not wanting her to peek at your surprise, “Nothing, shoo, shoo. I’ll be done here in a minute. Leave the flowers, I will put them in a vase for you.”

“I can do the flowers, I–” she begins, but you abruptly cut her off. 

“What gift is a bouquet of flowers if you have to do all the work to see the reward?” you say.

She smirks, and hands them back to you, sauntering off down the hallway in her silky pajamas. 

You spend the next few minutes trimming the stems and placing the flowers into a vase, displaying them proudly on the kitchen table. You put away the ingredients for dinner, and heard the record come to a stop. As you made your way into your study, you saw her standing at the turntable, ready to flip the album. 

“A good choice, one of my favorites…” you offer. 

She turns away nervously flipping the black vinyl, “I just heard of him a few months ago… Sam…showed me…” 

Of course.

“He has good taste. Wonder where he got it from?” you rub your chin knowingly as a smile sneaks across your lips.

She turns around to face you as the music starts up again. “He’s always wanted to be like you, you know…” she says, wrapping her arms around your neck.

You settle your hands on her waist and pull her close as you nod your head. “And I love him dearly for that...”

“What would you like to do today? Anything you want.” you say.

“I think…I’m going to take a shower, since someone decided to have one without me this morning, then I thought I might go do a little Christmas shopping.” she answers. 

“You want to go buy gifts for people on your birthday?” you laugh.

“I do it every year. A birthday is only really special if you can share it with the people you love. What better way to share it than to buy them gifts?” she says.

“You are one of a kind, my girl.” you smile back.

“But, that being said, you can’t come. I also might get a pedicure. Haven't decided yet.” she giggles.

You reach into your pocket and pull out your wallet, flipping through for your debit card, “Well, here… Take this, get your nails done too.” you say, handing her the shiny plastic card.

“Jake, no… I can get it… I couldn’t possibly…” she shakes her head, pushing your hand away.

“Baby…please. It’s your birthday…” you plead.

“Jake, that’s your money! I can’t accept it.” she begs.

You grab her hand and pull her down next to you on the couch, “Y/N, listen to me. I’m only going to say this one time, so listen, okay?” you pause, twisting your fingers with hers, “Everything that I have… Everything… is also yours now.”

“Jake–” she starts.

“Ah, ah, I’m not done…” you interrupt, “I’m no millionaire by any means, but I live pretty comfortably. We will live comfortably, as long as you let me do that for you. I want to do that. Don’t want you to ever worry about anything. The money that comes with the job is just an added bonus to getting to do what I love. Okay?” you ask, treading lightly. “So please. Let me buy your damn pedicure. Let me spoil you a little bit. You deserve it. Plus, you know that if you were letting me come with you I would just pay for it anyways.” you smile cheekily.

She leans over and places a kiss on your lips, a smile growing on her face. “Fineeee……” she trails off. 

You bring her hand to your lips and kiss her knuckles, “Thank you. Now, about that shower…” you say, raising your eyebrow. 

—

As the clock hand slips over another hour, you anxiously prep the vegetables you bought earlier, knowing she is on her way back to you and will walk through the door at any second. The card is signed, and the gift is wrapped, sitting next to the flowers on the table. You must have rearranged the card and gift twenty times, anxiously waiting for her to finish her day of shopping. 

You were able to keep yourself occupied all day, spending some time reading, practicing, and doing a few household chores you’d been neglecting. But when she sent you the text that she was on her way, you sprung into action to begin prepping the dinner you had planned. 

Tossing all of the chopped vegetables into the pan, you let them saute as you filled a pot with water and set it to boil. You heard the chime on the front door sound, and you couldn’t help the smile that snuck up on you. You threw the kitchen towel in your hand, to rest over your shoulder as you shuffled to the door to greet her. 

“Alright, let’s see...” you said.

She held up a few bags, and spun in a circle, the scarf around her neck catching the wind as she spun. She dropped the bags on the floor, and held her hands out to you, showing a dark crimson shade coloring her short fingernails. 

“One of my favorite colors…” you say, flicking your eyes to hers. 

Her cheeks are pink from the cold air outside, as she smiles, “Almost like… the exact color of your guitar, huh?” she winks.

You let out a small laugh, as your fingers tickle her sides, “Oh you think you’re cute? You think you’re funny? Huh?”

Her laughter rings through the house, perfect and echoey, before she calms down and wipes the tears from her eyes. She lets out a deep breath as she regains her composure, “I actually did try to find the color closest. I know it’s not the same color as your number one, but your number two made for a better nail color.” she laughs. 

“It has a name, you know…” you say, returning to your vegetables, stirring them with the wooden spoon. 

“What does?” she asks, leaning her elbows on the island. 

“My number one. The brownish one…” you answer. 

“And what would that be…” she asks. 

You chuckle softly, “You’re going to laugh…It’s gonna sound stupid…” you trail off. 

“Tell me….” she presses, “I won’t laugh.”

“I like to refer to it as ‘The Beloved’…” you answer. 

“You going to elaborate on that, or…” she jokes. 

“Well, that specific guitar is the one that got me to where I am now. It was a loan from a place in Chicago. I had never heard anything like it. Had to have it, until…I saw the price tag. At that point we hardly had two pennies to rub together. But, the owner, Andrew, told me to take it. Pay him for it when I could. He believed in me. In that guitar. Trusted me. Y/N, I’m telling you that day changed the trajectory of my career. I did eventually pay him back, with interest. Been collecting them ever since, but nothing will compare to my first girl.” you answered.

“Jeeze, sounds like I have some competition.” she giggled.

You pour the pasta in the water, and add some salt before turning to look at her, “No, there’s ‘The Beloved’, and ‘My Beloved’. Huge difference.” you wink.

“And I’m guessing the ‘My’ takes precedence?” she asks, cheekily. 

“For as long as you want the title…” you say with a smirk, turning back to your cooking. 

“What are you making for us?” she asks.

“Pasta Primavera. Has all of your favorites in it.” you reply. “Should be ready in about 10.”

“Okay, I’m going to go put this stuff away, and I will be right back.” she smiles, her voice trailing down the hallway. 

A few minutes later as you are plating up the pasta, you hear her return back to the kitchen. You quickly grab two wine glasses and pour up two overly full glasses of her favorite white. 

“For my lady…” you say, extending the glass to her, letting your finger brush hers as she accepts. 

You walk over to the table, pulling a chair out for her, and ushering her to sit. You grab her plate and silverware, setting it down in front of her, before grabbing your own and joining her. 

“Happy birthday my love. To many more…” you toast, tapping your glass to hers. 

The pasta turned out far better than expected, both of you agreeing to keep this recipe in rotation for nights when neither of you knew what you wanted to eat. It felt very domestic in a way, planning meals for the future. Every part of you was screaming to ask her to move in, but you knew it was too soon for her. At least you thought it was.  For now, you would just let her come and go as she pleased, which was mostly her spending almost every night with you, but to her, having her own place made her feel more secure. You were fine with that, you even understood where she was coming from. But the fact still remained that you wanted her here, always. 

You cleared the plates from the table, and topped off her wine, before taking your seat next to her once again. 

You sipped your wine, pursing your lips together as you turned to her, “You ready for your gift?” 

She grins and nods her head, as she places her wine glass back on to the table.

“Go ahead…” you say, gesturing to the bag. 

“I saw this, and…I knew it was made for you. I hope you love it.” you smile nervously. 

She begins to pull the paper from the tiny purple bag, and you can feel your heart rate start to increase. She makes her way to the little black velvet box, and looks over to you. You nod your head for her to keep going, and as she begins to open the lid as you feel your heart pounding. 

As the lid opens fully, you hear her breath catch. You swallow nervously, as her fingers run across the tiny metal pendant. A single white daisy, missing one petal, sits on a thin silver chain. 

“Jake…” she breathes, almost a whisper. She turns to you, eyes filled with tears as she wraps her arms around your neck. 

“She loves it, she loves it not?” you ask playfully, kissing the side of her head. 

“She loves it! She loves it! Jake, it’s perfect. It’s beautiful I, I—” she stammers. 

“Here, turn around.” you say, grabbing the small box from her hand. You remove the necklace from the box, and take the clasp between your fingers. You brush her hair over her shoulder, and bring the necklace around to the front of her neck. 

You let your fingers rest on the back of her neck as you work to fasten the chain around her. 

You let it go, and let it lay flat against her skin, before pressing a soft kiss to her neck. 

“Do you remember the night in Bridgeport… I asked you to hold my necklace during the show?” you whisper against her skin. 

She nods, turning around to meet you face to face. You let your eyes travel to the perfect daisy situated at her collarbones. You reach out, letting your fingers grasp it, centering it against her skin as you continue, “You came to my room, wearing it. It was so…perfect. Almost told you to keep it. Liked seeing you in something that was mine.”

“This is so so much better. My daisy. My wildflower.” you breathed, letting your thumb trail over her cheek bone. 

“I love it more than I could ever tell you. I’ll never take it off…” she promises. 

“I love you more than I could ever tell you.” you reply. 

“Show me…” she breathes, placing her hand on your leg, letting it slide towards your hip. 

“Show you? Want me to show you?” you say, grabbing her hand and pulling the both of you to stand. 

“Mhmmm…” she hums, pressing a kiss to your neck as she begins to walk you backwards out of the room. 

You turn and lead her down the hall to your bedroom, shutting the door behind you as she strips out of her clothes. You close the curtains and turn on a lamp as you begin to rid yourself of your own clothing, working yourself a few times before meeting her gaze.

She throws herself backwards onto the fluffy sheets, her matching set luring you in. How the fuck did you get so lucky?

“Come on, it's cold…come warm me up…” she whines.

You crawl onto the bed, hovering over top of her, looking down to see her shiny new necklace collecting around her throat.

“So pretty…” you whisper, leaning down to nip at her skin.

You feel her hands come up around your waist, fingers digging into the skin at your sides. 

“Tell me what you want, baby.” you groan, feeling yourself growing increasingly harder as your eyes travel over her body. 

“I want you… Want you to throw me around a little. I love when you get a little rough with me.” she says nervously.

“Is that right?” you smile smugly. 

She nods, “But if you don’t touch me in the next five seconds I am going to burst.”

You cup your hand over her heat, feeling the soaked through lace on your fingers, “Where? Here?” you ask.

“Yes, please Jake…” she begs, arching into your palm.

“What if I don’t want to be rough with you? What if I want to be sweet and gentle and slow?” you ask playfully, running your fingertips under the hem of her panties.

“Okay whatever you want, just keep going, please!” she whines.

“Tsk, tsk…so eager.” you say, hooking your fingers into the fabric and tossing them to the floor. “I’ll give you what you want, my love. Just how you want it.”

You feel her shiver beneath you, and you grab the comforter pooled at the foot of the bed, pulling it over the two of you. Your fingers trace the lines of her bra, the lacy blue fabric a perfect compliment to her skin. You lower your mouth to press open mouthed kisses to the swell of her breast, dragging your tongue across the lace edges of her bra. 

She’s breathing heavily now, her chest heaving into your mouth. You snake your hands underneath her, unclasping the hooks of her bra and sliding her arms out of it. You return your lips to her chest, before taking a nipple into your mouth and swirling your tongue around the hardened bud. Your hands grip into her ribs, holding her in place beneath you as she breathes heavily. 

You drag kisses across her tits, sucking the underside of her perfect flesh into your mouth. You suck on the skin, releasing it with a pop, and you smile at the faint pink mark left behind. 

Her eyes study you, “Do it.” she says. 

Your eyes flick to hers in question. 

“Do it. Leave a mark. Show me who I belong to.” she purrs.  

Fuck.

You reattach your mouth to her breast, sucking a perfect purple mark into her delicate skin as you hear her moan at the sensation. 

She drags her hand up to the side of her other breast, pointing at the skin above her nipple, “Here…” she breathes.

You shift your weight to focus on her other side, first kissing the soft skin before taking it into your mouth. With another mar to her skin you feel her hand sliding between the two of you, resting on her hip bone, “Here…”

“Baby…” you question.

“It’s winter, no one will see. No one but us…” she begs. “Don’t you like it? Seeing me all marked up with pretty little love bites from you?”

You let out a groan at the thought. 

You wind your fingers into hers as you lower yourself over her body, letting your tongue travel over her stomach and swirl at the apex of her hip bone, sucking the skin into your mouth. You hold onto her hips, pulling her impossibly closer to you as you hear her whine into the dimly lit room.

As you pull away you see the deep purple mark settling into her skin, matching the two you left on her tits. 

She reaches between the two of you, grabbing your cock in her fist, pulling you towards her, “Now, from the inside…”

“Jesus Christ…” you groan. Her words are almost enough to send you over the edge. 

You grab your base, sliding your tip through her dripping folds, collecting the wetness before rutting into her with a grunt.

Her hands grip into your ass, pulling you further into her, where you’re sure you felt the place where she ends. “Baby…fuck…” you breathe. 

You pull back, sliding out of her, before starting to snap your hips into her in an unrelenting fashion. She’s writhing beneath you, holding back the moans that so desperately want to escape. 

You grab her chin with your fingers, snapping her face to meet yours, “No, fuck that. Let me hear you.” you say, forcefully pressing your pointer and middle finger into her mouth. 

Her lips close around your fingers, sucking them further into her mouth as her tongue swirls over them. You can feel your dick twitching inside of her, as you bottom out time and time again. Her mouth opens and a loud cry escapes her lips as you meet her cervix with a gentle brush. 

“God damn, I felt that.” you breathe. “Don’t want to hurt you baby…”

“No. Again…” she begs, garbled from your fingers.

You pull your fingers from her mouth and place your hand on her shoulder, pulling her down for more leverage. As you continue, rhythmic whines leave your sweat drenched chest, your eyes trained on her tits, bouncing with every meeting of your bodies. 

“I can’t believe you’re mine…” you groan, snapping your hips into hers forcefully. You grab a pillow from the headboard, and pause your movements, tapping her side so she will lift her hips. You quickly slide the pillow underneath her. Just as she settles back into it, you let out a devious laugh, and use all your strength to swiftly spin her onto her stomach. You adjust the pillow beneath her waist, and as she settles onto her forearms, she turns to look at you over her shoulder.

You let your flattened hand connect with her ass, watching the skin ripple on impact, “God damn…”

She gasps, and wiggles her ass silently begging you to come back. You grab her right leg and hitch it up near her waist, before pressing back into her with a groan. 

This new angle is bliss, and with the slight incline of her hips, you find yourself brushing her g-spot with every stroke. You begin long calculated strokes into her, bringing her to the edge of her release, as she chants your name into the sheets below her. 

You can tell that you are close, and as her walls begin to flutter around you, you scoop your arm under her stomach and pull her up to her knees. You pull her back flack against your chest as you continue to fuck up into her. Your hand finds purchase around her throat, her daisy charm pressing into your palm. 

With a few more pumps of your hips, she is teetering on the edge. You bring your left hand around, placing it flat against her pelvis, pushing hard into her skin to bring her closer. “God, I’m there baby. Right fuckin’ there. You feel me?” you ask.

Her walls start to contract around you and you know she’s about to let go, and with a little added pressure from your fingertips to her throat, you growl into her ear low and dark, “Give me what’s mine…”

With a gasp, she tightens around you, her body stiffening in your arms as you work to hold her up as you let go with her, flooding her with your release. You groan her name as the bliss washes over you, both of you caught in a moment you never want to leave. 

She pulled off of you, and spun to your front, wrapping her arms around your neck as she pulled the two of you down into the sheets. She immediately connected her mouth to yours, letting her tongue slide into your mouth, as you spun onto your back. You pulled her on top of you, and let your mouth part from hers. 

“I love you, Y/N.” you breathed, still panting. 

“I love you Jake. Forever.”

“Stay here.” you said, pulling away from her and slipping out of the bed. You made your way to the kitchen, and opened the fridge, pulling out the single vanilla cupcake you bought from her from her favorite local bakery, just down the street.

You removed it from the pink cardboard box and placed it on a plate, inserting one single candle and striking a match. 

You cupped the flame as you entered the bedroom, gently humming the tune of ‘Happy Birthday’ as you saw her face light up and her eyes fill with tears.

“Jake…” she cried out, sitting up in bed.

“I know it's almost midnight, and it’s not a peanut butter and jelly, but it’s from that place you like. You don’t even have to share. All for you, my love. Happy Birthday.” you said, holding the plate to her, as she blew out the candle. 

She swiped her finger through the frosting and tapped your nose with a giggle, before pressing her lips to yours. 

You smiled at her and knew you wanted to spend every birthday with her for the rest of your life.

—

HER POV

Finally, a little bit of normalcy again. You made your way into the office with a little pep in your step, halfway excited to regroup and recenter at your desk. It feels like it’s been years. 

Your hands were full with your purse, work bag, laptop, coffee, and keys, and you struggled to get the door open without dropping at least one thing. You walked by the front desk worker Jenn, giving her a sweet smile and wave after not seeing her for a while. 

“Hey Jenn! Good to see you!” You said as you passed her. 

“Oh, hey, Y/N! Yeah, good to see you…” she looked surprised to see you, then went directly back to work on her computer. 

You made your way through the maze of hallways and offices, finally finding your old trusty desk, and as tiny and hidden as it was, it felt like home. You placed your laptop down and opened it, connecting back to the wifi. You opened your emails, expecting to find at least 50 or so to file through for the day. Instead, your inbox only held five unread. Wow, that’s odd. 

You flipped through them, taking your time and trying your best to update yourself with the company’s monthly newsletters. After a half hour or so, you realized you’d only seen three or four people walk through the office, none of which stopped to speak. It was oddly quiet for a Monday morning. 

There was tons of paperwork to be filed, and you knew that you had to go and finish up every single report for each show. Your day would be busy, but drawn out nonetheless. Though you missed Nashville while you were gone, you found you’d grown to love being on the go; bouncing between hotels, bossing the guys around, and taking care of everything backstage. 

You began to think about your next tour assignment, and who you would be working with. The thought made you anxious and you knew being away from Jake was going to prove difficult. But, this career is what you have always wanted, and excitement quickly overtook your anxiety. 

“Morning, Y/N! How was tour?” A familiar voice startled you from your daydreams. Jeffrey, another coordinator that started about a year and a half before you, came and sat on the edge of your desk, coffee mug in hand. 

“Hey Jeffrey! It was amazing, had a blast. Actually learned so much.” You said, stretching your arms above your head. “I’m so ready to find out where I’ll be next. Speaking of…I only came back to five emails…is that normal?”

He pushed his glasses up from the bridge of his nose. “Uhhhm, it can be! I think…maybe they just didn’t have much to pass along to you?”

You glanced back to your inbox. “Maybe…you’ve been on three tours, right?” You asked him. 

He shook his head. “Mmhm.”

“How much time was there between your assignments? Did you normally get your official pairing email like, months in advance?” You asked. 

“Um, the company typically sends you notification of your next assignment at least 3 months before the first show. And all my assignments were back to back, if I remember right.” He said, sipping his coffee. “I think it also depends on demand, and how many coordinators are hired at the time.”

Three months. You were still kind of in the correct time frame, but in the grand scheme of things, their first show was more like two and a half months away, if you were looking at it realistically. 

You looked back to your laptop with a puzzled expression. 

“Don’t worry, it’s the holidays. I’m sure things are just...busy.” Jeffrey said. “Your email will come.” 

“Thanks Jeffrey. Oh, have you seen Allison?” You asked, remembering that you also have had little to no contact from her the past few weeks. 

“No, but I think she’s coming in later.” He slid off the desk, shaking his coffee mug toward you. “Gonna get a refill, talk to you later!” 

You continued your day as normal, answering what few emails you had and trying to reorganize your work life as best you could. Lunch time rolled around quickly, and you decided to see if Jake wanted to grab something to eat. 

The phone rang out, and you heard his sweet voice answering the phone mid-laugh. 

“Hey baby, what’s up?” He chuckled. 

A huge smile crossed your face hearing him happy. “Whatcha laughing at?”

“Josh is an idiot, nothing new. What are you up to?” He said. 

“Was gonna see if you wanted to get some lunch, but sounds like you might be tied up?” You asked. 

“Ah, actually, Josh, you wanna go eat?” He paused. “Care if he joins us, babe?” 

“Of course not, he’s always welcome.” You said. 

“Ok, but we’ve gotta come back. We’re in the middle of something really good. It might be one of those late nights.” He said, laughing again. 

You knew exactly what he meant. When those two got together, it could be hours upon hours until they got their thoughts on paper. 

“Hey, I’m not trying to interrupt your process. Just trying to feed you!” You said, an idea popping into your head. 

“We’ll meet you at your office in ten. Love you baby.” 

“Love you too!” You hung up the phone, knowing that tonight might be the perfect night to execute your idea for Jake’s Christmas present. Well, the first half of it. 

Your plan was to transform a little upstairs space in his house into the art studio he never got to have. The area was untouched, basically being used as storage at this point. So you had been quietly cleaning it out and moving things around slightly to make room for a large table in front of the window. Plenty of natural light and a nice quiet place he can get away from it all. 

You’d finished up a quick lunch with Jake and Josh, and they were hastily heading back to the car to get back to work. 

“What exactly are you guys working on?” You asked Jake as you walked through the parking lot of the restaurant. 

“Ah, I don’t know, actually. It’s always just something, ya know?” He giggled. “Sometimes when we’re writing, we can both tell when something really good and solid is happening. And this is one of those times. It’s a feeling we both get and we have to stick with it until we hash it out. I think Sam and Danny are coming, too.” He went on. 

“Ah, must be serious then!” You grinned as he took your hand and leaned you against the passenger door, bringing his face close to yours. He lifted his sunglasses to meet your eyes, and gently pressed his lips to yours. 

“It’s very serious…” he whispered as a side smile threatened his face. He laid another kiss to your mouth before pulling away. 

Josh honked the horn, rushing him on. 

“How about you go back to my house after work? So that I can have something to look forward to when I come home…” he said as he reached for the door handle and raised his eyebrows. 

“Hmm, I suppose I could do that.” You answered. 

Perfect, you were already going anyway. But now you had an even better excuse than the lie you were going to have to make up. 

“And how would you like to find me when you return, sir?” You asked, turning on the sass. 

He brought his mouth to your ear. “In my bed, wrapped up in my sheets, with absolutely nothing on. Think you can do that for me, baby?” He growled in your ear before kissing the side of your head. 

Damn. 

“Yeah, yep I can do that.” You breathed as your eyelids fluttered on their own at the raspy sound of his voice in your ear. You wanted to surprise him with his gift as soon as he walked in the door, but this plan sounded a bit more intriguing at the moment. His gift would be there after. 

“Oh, Jake! What’s your security passcode?” You remembered that you actually had no idea. 

“I’ll text it to you.” He said as he climbed into the passenger seat, sending you a wink before they pulled away. 

After leaving the restaurant, you went back to the office to finish up your tasks for the day. You planned on leaving just a little bit early to make it to the craft store before they closed. The list of duties dwindled, and you opened your email to check it again. Nothing. Maybe this is normal for a coordinator right after a tour...no plans to be made, no deadlines to meet. Maybe everything just wraps up. 

Suddenly, you heard Allison’s voice traveling through the front door of the office. She came in through the hallway, seeing you at your desk. 

“Hey! Long time no see!” You called to her. 

“Hey Y/N, how was everything? Did you have a good time?” She was uncharacteristically cool. 

“Yes, it was amazing. Everything was very smooth.” You stood up, walking closer toward her. “Hey…I wanted to thank you for letting me have this opportunity right off the bat. I really love this job, and I feel like I’m getting my footing being so new. I just wanted to say thanks for all your help and guidance through it.” You said. 

She looked at you with a tiny smile. “You’re welcome, Y/N. I’m glad everything was smooth for you. Hey, I’ve got a bunch of stuff to do, I’ll talk to you later?” She scrunched her nose as she waved to you, and then she was gone. 

She’s awfully busy. 

After a couple more hours of work, you closed your laptop and placed all your things back into your bag before you grabbed your purse and keys, and headed out to your car. You had all evening to create Jake’s Christmas present to perfection, and you intended on doing just that. 

The craft store provided. You found tons of felt tip pens, ballpoints, paintbrushes, acrylics, and tons of colored pencils on sale for the holidays. But you knew that was just the start. He would eventually fill his table with sketch pads and canvases and all types of media before long. You couldn’t wait to see his face tonight. After seeing his face when he finds you in his bed. 

You rushed home to your apartment quickly, running inside to grab some clothes and things for the next day or two. Five minutes later you were back on the road, trying to beat the workday traffic and make it to Jake’s house to get started. 

You pulled in his driveway and unloaded the bags. You reached into your pocket and grabbed your phone, bringing your texts from Jake up to key in the numbers to his security system. It was double locked down. Wow, can’t be too safe, I guess.

You suddenly felt giddy being in his house all by yourself. It was always so comfortable, homey and welcoming, but it felt different without him there.  You ran up the stairs and dumped all the bags onto the floor. You stood back, assessing the room and how you wanted to arrange it. You pushed the big wooden table that was already there to sit in front of the window, satisfied when you saw the dimming sunlight hitting the tabletop perfectly. 

You took a minute to unpackage all the pens and pencils, placing them neatly in cups and containers. The giant sketch pad went in the center of the table, the felt tips to the right. The paints went on a little shelf toward the wall, and all brushes fit into a tall glass that you’d found downstairs in the pantry. 

Last but not least, you pulled the single most important part of the gift from your bag. You’d special ordered a thick, black leather-bound sketchbook for him, with a gold imprinted image of the Little Dipper right in the center. You grabbed one of the metallic pens from the container, opened the book, and wrote on the inside:

Christmas 2021

Nashville, TN

Merry Christmas to my one and only. I hope you’re filling this book with all your beautiful art for years to come. 

I love you, and I’m so proud of you. 

You signed your name at the bottom with a tiny heart, and placed the book standing up on its end right in front of the window. 

You stood back, admiring your work and arrangement. Still needs something. 

You ran downstairs and into the basement, rummaging through old cardboard boxes for something you knew he had to have somewhere. You felt a bit intrusive, but it was for a good reason. 

Ah, jackpot. 

You stumbled upon a box of old Christmas decorations sitting in the corner collecting the tiniest layer of dust. He had mentioned you helping him decorate his home just a little for Christmas, but everyone had been so busy that you hadn’t had the time. You pulled out a strand of white lights, and bounded back up the stairs. 

Hanging the twinkly lights across the top of the wall and down by the windows was exactly the finishing touch the little studio needed. It looked perfect. Clean and organized, everything in its place only to be destroyed and utilized by the artist that was going to throw himself into the space in no time. He was going to absolutely love it. 

You pulled your phone from your pocket to check the time. 6:30. Jake would most likely not be home for a few more hours, so you decided to rummage through his kitchen and fix a little something for dinner. 

Chicken and rice, perfect. As you stirred the concoction together in the pan, you found yourself feeling overwhelmingly happy to be making Jake’s dinner in his home. How domestic of you. It’d never dawned on you that this could be your life, one day. It felt strange, given his lifestyle, and your ever-changing new lifestyle. But, it felt right. It felt good to be here, doing this for him. 

You knew he would still be a while getting home, so you decided to dig in. After you were full, you opted for a shower to rinse off the day, before hopping into Jake’s bed to wait for him to come home. You let the mirror get steamy before stripping off your work clothes and climbing inside. You smiled when you saw all your things in the shower next to his, still ignoring your own body wash and instead using his. You wondered if he’d noticed yet. 

It was nearing eleven o’clock when you heard the security system beep, alerting you of Jake’s presence. You must have drifted off after your shower, finding yourself exactly where he wanted you, undressed and tangled up in his sheets. You suddenly felt antsy, excitement bubbling up in your belly for some reason. It felt a little bit odd to be waiting for him like this, taking up his space. But he asked you to. And you loved him, so you did. 

You heard his keys clank in the dish by the door, and his footsteps coming down the hallway. 

“Honeyyy, I’m home!” His voice bellowed into the house and echoed off the walls. 

You suppressed a giggle as he opened his bedroom door. 

“Hey there, sweet thing.” He said as he tossed his things on to the table in the corner, and began undoing his already halfway unbuttoned shirt. 

“Hey darlin’. There’s dinner if you’re hungry!” You replied through a yawn, rolling over to face him. 

He began unbuckling his pants and let them fall to the floor, kicked off his socks, and flipped off the light. 

In seconds, he was under the covers with you, his still-cold hands grabbing at your body as he entangled himself with you. Immediately connecting his lips to yours, and pulling your leg up to hitch across his…his fingertips burying themselves in your thigh and working the muscle. It felt like his entire body was heated, a stark contrast to his cold fingers. 

“I am hungry…but dinner can wait.” 

He rolled his body so that you were on top of him, knees at his sides and mouths still connected. He brought his hand between you, immediately pressing his icy fingers to your warm center. The temperature change made you squirm, chills immediately covering your body. 

He tapped the backs of your thighs, signaling you to move toward the headboard while he moved lower toward the foot of the bed. 

“I need an appetizer first. Climb up, baby. Hang on tight.” 

You giggled and put your hands on the headboard and sat low on his face, letting him take you on one hell of a ride. 

——

The two of you quietly climbed the stairs, still completely nude from your earlier escapades. You were too excited for him to see his gift, so you grabbed his hand and pulled him from the warmth of his bed to go upstairs. When you approached the door, you turned him so he was facing it, brought your hands to his eyes, and covered them tightly. 

“Ok, no peeking! Open the door.” You whispered from behind him. 

He blindly felt around for the doorknob, finally finding it and twisting it open. You shuffled him forward to the back of the room, making sure not to bump him into anything. 

“I’m nervous.” He laughed. “Is something gonna jump out and scare me? Because I am very naked…” 

“No, I promise.” You reassured him, smiling hard. You stood him directly in front of the table, taking one last look to make sure everything was in place. 

“Okay ready? 1, 2, 3!” You pulled your hands from his eyes, and came around beside him to see his reaction. His jaw fell slack, his eyes scanned the table, and he let out a tiny exasperated huff. 

“Baby, are you serious? This is…wow…” he breathed as he walked closer, taking everything in. 

“You used to be so into this, I figured, why not give you a place to maybe pick it back up again? If you wanted to, of course…” you stumbled. 

He grazed his fingertips over the books and pens, picking things up and inspecting them gently. 

“It’s...absolutely perfect.” He met your eyes, a genuine look of happiness adorning his face. “Thank you, so much babe. I’m so excited.” 

You watched as he looked through everything again, waiting for the leather sketchbook to catch his eye. 

When it finally did, his eyes lit up, and he immediately reached for it. 

“What’s this?! You’re kidding...” his voice was full of excitement, his fingers slowly drifting over the golden constellation. He opened the front cover and read your message, his face softening at the sentiment.

“Just a little something special, wanted you to have something nice.” You grabbed at your daisy necklace, latching your fingers onto the flower as you spoke. He put the book down and brought his hands to cup your face. 

“Y/N, this is so perfect. How did…how did you know I was actually thinking about going to the craft store and getting a few things? Ever since our conversation in my parent’s basement…and looking at our old posters…I’ve kinda had a hankering to pick it back up again.” You smiled as he brought his lips to yours. “It’s like you read my mind. Thank you, love.”

“You’re so welcome, Jake. I hope you create the most beautiful artwork here.” You pressed your lips back to his. “But, until then…” you pulled away and laid your naked self across the old vintage couch in the corner, dramatically posing yourself. “I want you to draw me like one of your French girls…” 

He threw his head back and laughed, joining you on the couch. “Okay Rose, I can try, but I’ve never been good with charcoal.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck.  “Well, practice makes perfect, hm?” 

——

You woke up fairly early the next morning, finding yourself wrapped up in Jake’s arms, still neither one of you with a stitch of clothing on. You were facing each other, your arms draped around his neck. His face was still relaxed and poised, his lips just barely open as he breathed. His eyes danced behind his eyelids, darting back and forth as he dreamed. You could stare at him for the rest of your life…

“Jake….baby wake up...” you whispered, hating to wake him from his dream. You tapped his lips with your fingertips, and gently tickled his face as he started to stir. “We’ve gotta get on the road.”

He rolled and stretched, letting out a groan. “Josh will be late anyway, five more minutes?” 

You giggled as he cuddled himself into you, nuzzling his face into your neck as he took a deep breath. “You always smell so good.” He mumbled, still half asleep. “Let’s let them go home. Me and you stay here…” he was drifting off again. 

You let him snooze for a few more minutes until his phone started buzzing on the nightstand, earning a grumble from his chest. “It’s fuckin’ Daniel, just let it ring. He’s just waking me up.”

“Ah!” You said. “Did fuckin’ Daniel forget that it was literally my job for months to wake you guys up? Does he have no faith in me?” 

He laughed into your shoulder. “You’re off the clock, babe.” 

An hour later, you were all packed up and waiting for everyone to pick you up; you’d decided to rent a car again to fit everyone together in one vehicle. 

“You excited to go home again?” You asked Jake as you sat at the kitchen island sipping your coffees. 

“Yeah, I am. I never thought I would be, again, but. I’m itching to get back there for some reason.” He said, giving you a knowing smile over his mug. 

“Good. Me too. Hey, is Sam okay? I haven’t talked to him in a while...he’s been weird toward me since Thanksgiving.” You asked him. “Gosh, it's been almost a month now…”

“Yeah, he’s okay! Seems very normal to me, actually. Why is he acting weird?” He asked. 

“I’m not sure.” You took a deep breath, feeling comfortable enough with Jake to have this conversation. “We kind of… talked about our...little span of time together for the first time since it happened. We hadn’t really brought it up because, well...” you signaled between the two of you. “Was a little bit of a serious conversation...I don’t want to bury it like it never happened, I guess?”

“I think you guys should talk about it, no need to keep it hidden away. I get it. Sometimes the past comes up in conversation.” He answered, trying to make you feel better. “Did he get upset with you for bringing it up?” 

“No, I don’t think so.” You chose not to tell Jake every detail of the conversation, seeing as how those were secrets shared in confidence between you and Sam. “But ever since that night, he’s been almost ignoring me.” 

Jake put his head down in thought. “Maybe he’s just…trying to concentrate on spending time with Elle? They seem really happy, maybe he’s giving you space? Still not an excuse to ignore you, though.” 

“Yeah, it’s okay. Elle and I talked too, I’m just glad we keep everything out in the open and there are no weird feelings. I just hope Sam isn’t upset with me over something…” you went on. 

Just then the horn honked out front, and the two of you stood to grab your things. You pulled your suitcases to the front step while he dumped your coffees into the sink. 

“I’m going to go make sure all my windows and doors are locked, I’ll be right back.” He said. 

“Babe, you’ve already done that like, twice. I think it’s okay…” you said, watching him dash down the hall. 

“Can’t ever be too safe, love!” 

—

Arriving back home in Frankenmuth was almost an exact repeat of Thanksgiving, tons of rounds of hugs and tears. It felt good being back again, and even better knowing you had longer to stay this time. It was still a week until Christmas, and you’d planned on staying a couple of nights with your parents, too. 

Sam didn’t speak much to you on the long drive, only jumping in on conversations and answering your questions in agreement. He wasn’t being rude, just…distant. Not your normal Sammy. It had been going on long enough. And staying in this house all together again is what normally brought you closer. You decided to talk to him about it as soon as possible. 

Karen and Kelly had cooked a big dinner, and after stuffing your faces, you all retreated to the garage instead of the basement. You and Elle took your normal spots on the old couch, cuddling up together like you always had. Suddenly, Danny came bursting through the door with two cases of beer in hand after visiting his folks for a bit. 

“You just can’t stay away from us for too long, can you Daniel?” Sam asked, plugging his dad’s old bass into the crackly amp. 

“Uh, no. I can’t. Plus I need to hit something. Really hard.” He slammed the cases of beer on the ground, ripped open a box, removed a can and chugged its contents. “Might as well take it out on my shitty old kit.”

“Uh oh, trouble in Heidi paradise?” Jake asked with caution. 

“Always trouble in Heidi paradise, bro. Her flight was supposed to arrive tomorrow morning. Had plans to go get her and everything. She called just now and said she couldn’t find a flight and didn’t want to drive. Just another line in her laundry list of bullshit excuses.” The room went quiet while he finished the beer, and crumpled the can up. “Let’s play some fuckin’ music.” 

“Yeah, let’s play some fuckin’ music…” Josh glanced at you and Elle, widening his eyes with surprise. You watched as they messed around, playing nothing that made sense at all.  You felt bad for Danny; you used to hang around with Heidi a good bit back in the day, but never really enough to get to know her too well before everything happened. 

“I haven’t talked to Heidi in ages…” Elle said into your ear over the music. 

“Neither have I. But seeing how she treats Danny all the time, I don’t think I want to.” You responded, laughing. 

You looked over at Jake, watching as his fingers worked tirelessly over the strings, walking around the garage slow and calculated. It was always so funny watching him play here or at home as compared to when he was on stage. His body language did a complete 180 as soon as he got in front of a crowd, leaning his body back, flipping his hair and yelling along with his instrument, completely taken by the sound he was creating. Watching him on stage was like watching another version of him that only existed when he was enraptured by the music and energy of the fans. Here, at home, he was quiet and normal, calm and cool. 

You watched as they did their thing into the wee hours of the morning, your memory flowing back and forth to many years ago as compared to now. Who would have ever thought? 

Elle had begun to drift off with her head laid across your lap, your fingers pulling through her waves mindlessly as you watched them begin to put their instruments to sleep. 

Sam came over quietly, taking Elle’s hands and pulling her up to stand and walk with him back to the house. He met your eyes for the tiniest second, giving you nothing but a shy smile. You’d had it. 

“Sammy.” You said quietly. You waited until he looked at you fully.  “What did I do?” You were almost tearful. 

His face filled with surprise, then instantly fell. He shook his head. “You didn’t do anything, Y/N.” he said dryly, dismissing your question. He sent you a tiny wink, signaling that you would talk later. 

Your stomach instantly went into knots seeing his expression go from surprise, to sadness, to forced reassurance. You knew him. You knew him so well that you could communicate with nothing but looks and body language. It had only been amplified after you slept with him. He was lying. 

“See you all in the morning.” Josh yawned. “Big day in town!” 

Jake came over quietly, noticing your upset stature. He lovingly wrapped his arm around you, and you were off to bed. 

——

The next morning, you joined everyone for a light breakfast in the kitchen before making the final plans for the day. 

“Ok, so, let’s finish helping mom decorate the tree, then Bronner’s around noon?” Josh said. 

“Yes, then you kids are going ice skating, aren’t you? Tell me you’re going ice skating…” Karen added, knowing it had been years since you all had skated at the rink in town. 

“I think that’s the plan, Momma.” Josh said. 

Jake turned towards Karen, “Where’s the old box of ornaments? Have you gotten them down from the attic yet?” 

“No baby, you’re the only one who was ever brave enough to go up there and get them every year.” she answered wistfully. 

“Well then who got them down the years I wasn’t here?” He asked passively. The room quickly fell silent. Jake stopped and turned to meet everyone’s eyes. You watched as the group suddenly became uncomfortable. 

“Who got them?” He pressed, and was yet again left in silence. 

“You’re telling me no one went up there? No one got them?” Jake’s words caught in his throat when he realized. 

“You…you guys never decorated the tree?” He spoke through a strained voice, pain written across his features. 

It was silent for another beat before Karen spoke, “It never felt right without you here, honey. It was always your thing….Braving the scary pull-down staircase to the attic. It was your job since you were little…to go get them.” She replies quietly.

“Didn’t feel right, someone else going to get them, so we just…stuck with lights.” Josh continued. 

You wondered why every Christmas you came home that their tree wasn’t adorned in hundreds of old ornaments like it was when you were little. Just the colorful twinkly lights. It was because Jake never came home. He never went and got the box. Because you were there in his home. 

You met Jake’s eyes, both of you feeling simultaneous overwhelming guilt that you’d come so accustomed to feeling as of late. He gave you a tiny smile. 

“Well, I’m here now. And I’m going to the attic.” He said, turning and pulling the old string to drop the steps from the ceiling. 

—-

A couple hours later, Jake held your hand as you strolled through the giant Christmas store, looking at decorations and gifts and the like. He had happily stopped to take a few photos with fans, and you wondered if they had seen the other three guys anywhere in the store. 

“Thank you for taking our pictures, you guys are so adorable together!” the girl said to you as you handed her phone back to her. 

“Oh, you’re so sweet! You’re welcome! Happy holidays!” You replied, continuing your stroll through the store. 

“See anything we need?” Jake asked nonchalantly as your mind began to wander. 

“Jake, do you ever wonder what would happen if your fans posted pictures of us together in public, and Collective saw them online?” you asked.

He paused for a second, obviously thinking. Quickly, he turned around and went back to the girl, stopping her and having a quick conversation. She smiled and nodded, and he came running back. 

“What was that?” You asked him. 

“I asked her if she would care to make sure she didn’t post any photos with you in them, that you preferred to stay off of social media. She said she absolutely respects that and not to worry.” He said. 

You breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Should we…stay separate tonight?” You hated to even ask the question, but the thought had honestly never crossed your mind. He bit his lip, taking it into consideration. 

“If you think that would be best…we can blend ourselves together with the rest of the group?” He answered. 

“Maybe, just in case. That’s the last thing I need is someone posting sneaky pictures of us and Allison finding them...” you replied, sadness taking over you that you might need to stay in hiding a little bit. 

“Alright baby. Let’s go find everyone. You just...stick close to Elle.” He said. 

“Okay. Thanks for understanding.” You said, sending him a wink. 

“If anyone understands, it’s me, love.” He quickly took your hand for one last squeeze before exiting the store. 

—

Once you found the group, you positioned yourself close by Elle, telling her about your predicament. 

“Shit. I didn’t even think about that, Y/N. Well, stay with me. We can go get some fudge?” She said. You nodded in agreement.  

The rest of the day was spent meandering in and out of stores, avoiding Jake but sharing sweet smiles to one another when you’d pass. You managed to pick up some extra wrapping paper, and a few gifts for your parents throughout the day. It started to get dark, and you could feel snow coming in the air. The streets were filled with people, and the true Christmas feeling was taking over your senses. You wished you were walking the streets with Jake, but Elle was a very welcome replacement for now. 

“Do you know what Sam is getting me for Christmas?” She asked, taking you by surprise. 

“Um, no I don’t actually. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you?” You said, laughing. 

“Ugh, I hate surprises. I always have. And you know he’s always messing with me, so he keeps telling me he’s getting me these outlandish gifts whenever I ask him. I’m already getting a pony, a Lamborghini, and a million gumballs.” She said, shaking her head. 

You burst out laughing. “Elle, you’re so funny. Of course he’s not going to tell you, silly! He’s going to surprise you.”

“I knowwww, but. I just know it’s still going to be something goofy.” She whined. 

“Why do you think that?” You asked her. 

“I dunno, he’s been acting a little weird lately. Nothing bad, just kind of, distracted since after Thanksgiving.” She said. Ah. So it wasn’t just you, then. 

“Don’t worry Elle, I’m sure he’ll get you something spectacular.” You reassured her, hoping that you were right. 

She pulled her phone from her back pocket. “Oh, they’re heading over to the ice rink now. Let’s go! They’re going to have fans everywhere…I’m sorry you can’t skate with Jake…” she trailed off, her face falling into a frown. 

“It’s ok! I’ll just stick with you. We will be near each other and that’s good enough for me.” You smiled. 

——

The guys were all waiting at the rink, leaned against a table sharing a giant pitcher of beer, intertwining their arms as they sipped from the glasses. 

“Hello, ladies. Find any treasures today?” Danny asked you. 

“Yes, a few actually! We took our bags back to the car already. Are we skating?” Elle said. “And where are our steins, you beer hogs!”

“Geez, demanding little lady!” Sam scoffed. You laughed at their discourse, quickly catching eyes with Jake. It felt like you were flirting again, watching each other from afar like you did when you’d all come here and skate as kids. His face blushed when you smiled at him, the cold air blowing his hair in front of his face. 

You all quickly and privately shared another pitcher of beer before heading over to rent some skates. You stuck by Elle’s side, ignoring Jake the best you could while fans approached them to take photo after photo. When you finally were all laced up, the alcohol had begun to hit your bloodstream. Yikes, it had been years since you’d skated on this rink, let alone put a pair of skates on. But, it was like riding a bike, and your legs remembered how to move without even a thought. 

Elle took your hand as you did a few loops to get used to the ice. You laughed together, sliding and slipping and falling. Your face was red with the chill of the wind, the alcohol, and from laughing so hard you couldn’t breathe. 

After some time, you and Elle both found yourselves sitting in the middle of the rink, exhausted and worn out. 

“Elle, I’m sorry you can’t be back in your hometown for Christmas.” You admitted to her. 

“Ah, it’s okay. It honestly feels almost exactly the same, remember?” She grinned. “Except for the cold, of course. All that’s missing is my dad. But, I have you guys. And you’re more family to me than my actual family ever was anyway.” She leaned back on her gloved hands, looking toward the sky. 

You suddenly felt sad for her, but happy at the same time that she had found Sam. You realized right then that he had better not ever hurt her, or else he would have to answer to you. 

“I’m glad you’re my best friend, Elle. You’re like the sister I never had.” You said finally. 

“Don’t get sappy on me, Y/N!” She said, shoving her shoulder into yours. 

“I’m serious!” You laughed. 

“I love you, too.” She said after laughing through her sigh. 

“Now go skate with Sam. He’s looking for you.” You said, nodding your head toward the group. 

She stood up, holding her hands out to help you up. “I know your job is riding on it, but if I were you, I wouldn’t spend another minute not shouting your love for Jake from the rooftops. He’s crazy about you, Y/N, and I know you are about him too. Fuck your company if they find out. Life is so short. God forbid people believe in true love anymore, hmm?” She said matter of factly before skating away. 

You made eye contact with Jake from afar as he stood by himself and watched you, people crossing quickly back and forth between your lines of vision. He was stoic, handsome as ever, and looking at you like you were the only person in his realm. You felt a fire burning in your gut, churning away and turning your brain into fuzz. You felt like the space between you was miles long, and in that moment you knew nothing but closing it. 

Your legs began carrying you quickly, gliding with ease across the ice towards him. You zeroed in, keeping your eyes glued to his as you got closer. 

Fuck it. 

You got within ten feet, five feet, two feet…your heart was racing a million miles a minute. 

Finally you crashed into his sturdy, waiting arms like a freight train, lips pressed into his like nothing else mattered in the world. He pulled you in tightly as you gripped your hands around his cheeks. You kissed him with fervor for a few seconds, not caring who saw. Finally you felt his lips turn into a smile on yours, giggling into your mouth as you came back down to earth and realized what you’d just done. 

Finally you separated, meeting his eyes and feeling almost everyone in the entire rink’s on the two of you. 

Suddenly the whole group erupted in cheers, yelling loudly and pushing their fists into the air. 

“About damn time you said fuck it, Y/N!” Elle yelled, coming over to hug the two of you together. 

Jake looked back at you, smiling ear to ear, still holding on to your hips. 

You grabbed his face, pulling his forehead to yours. “Yeah, fuck it.”

——

You skated for just a little while longer, holding Jake’s hand as you went round and round. Something had switched in you when you heard Elle’s words. Life is short. You were completely head over heels in love with this man, and you wanted nothing more than to show the world.

“You guys ready to go home?” Josh asked, skating up to the two of you. 

“Yeah, I think so. Been a long day.” Jake answered. “We’ll meet you back at the skate rental.” 

Everyone turned their skates in and headed back to the parking lot, ready to crank the heat up and head home. Danny started the car and let it warm up while everyone filed in, taking their seats and shivering in the cold cab. 

“Turn the heat up!” Josh called from the back. 

“The engine is still cold, idiot. It’ll be like blowing A/C. How long have you been away from Michigan?” He yelled back as he climbed into the driver's seat. 

You found yourself sandwiched between Sam and Jake in the middle row, Elle choosing to sit up front with Danny. Jake naturally placed his hand on your knee as he looked out the window at the houses decorated with Christmas lights. You felt Sam sigh heavily. 

Finally, you got brave enough to turn and look him right in the eyes, raising your eyebrows in question of his attitude. He shook his head, looking out his own window. What the fuck? 

“I think I’m going to have some tequila when we get home. Anyone want to join?” Josh asked the group. 

“Yeah, actually, that sounds excellent. I’ll join.” Sam answered almost immediately. He crossed his arms over his chest and sat back. Ok, he’s definitely being weirder. You couldn’t wait to get home and out of this car. 

As the car pulled into the driveway, you could see the breeze whipping the trees around gently. Everyone filed out and was walking down the walk to the front door ahead of you when you felt a hand grab yours, pulling you back toward the car. 

You turned to find Jake, spinning you around to look back down the road the way you came. 

“Look, baby.” He said as he pointed over the hillside. Through the dim streetlights, you could see giant snowflakes beginning to gently fall to the earth, slowly making their way toward you in tiny wisps. 

You turned your head up to the sky as the big fluffy flakes fell onto your face. “Wow, it literally just started snowing, didn’t it?” You asked. 

“Yes, it did.” Jake said as he took you in his arms from behind. The snowflakes had gathered into apple-sized clumps, falling slowly and silently to the ground. “It’s gonna stick, too.” You could already see it piling up on the grass. 

You both stood and watched in wonder, your head rested back on him as he swayed with you. “It looks like the sky is falling, doesn’t it?” You asked him as you watched in amazement as a thick fog began to fall, making the space between the earth and the sky appear much smaller. He brought his lips to your ear. “Yeah, it really does...” he whispered. 

“Babe, I’m really proud of you, for what you did tonight. It felt…really nice not having to hide you and ignore you.” Jake finally spoke quietly, squeezing you in his arms. 

You let out a sigh. “I’m still not sure I made the best decision, but…” you turned and faced him, bringing his cold cheeks into your hands. “I don’t care, Jake. I love you, and I want everyone to know it. I don’t want to pretend anymore.” You admitted, watching his lips form into a smile. 

“I love you too, baby. And I truly don’t think it’s going to get back to your company. And even if it does, we will be okay, you will be okay.” He answered reassuringly. You nodded your head in understanding, feeling confident that you were safe. 

You continued to watch the steadily falling sky and sway in Jake’s arms, taking in the beautiful moment with your beautiful love, feeling thankful he pulled you back to experience it with him. 

——

SAM POV

Tequila. The perfect holiday drink.

Ok, not really. But. It was the best choice to get you on the fast track to getting very drunk, so as to maybe get your racing thoughts out of your head for a little while. 

It was still happening. Ever since your stupid dream about you and Y/N hooking up a whole month ago, your mind has been secretly muddled with thoughts of her. Some days you thought the feelings were going away, but then they would come back full force. A pull toward her, a need to be near her, ever-present and unyielding. And it sucked. 

You wanted to rip your brain out of your own skull, trade it out for a stranger’s, pull your own heart from its strings in your chest and throw it off the closest high cliff. Those old feelings you had for her were back, though you told her they were gone. It hurt to lie to her, to your best friend. But there was absolutely no way you’d tell her this. Ever. You were disgusted with yourself and your emotions. 

Elle was there. Elle was tangible. Elle was beautiful and perfect and yours. And you were wild about her. She was more than everything you could ever want in a partner, saving you from yourself day in and day out. Keeping you in line, on your toes and on the straight and narrow while simultaneously inspiring you to be the very best version of yourself, playful and youthful and free. She loved every facet of you. And she accepted all of you with open arms every single day. And it hurt. 

What hurt even worse was that you couldn’t help it. As much as you tried to suppress it and forget about it, there Y/N was, the person you knew the best in the world, being positively head over heels for your brother, and he for her. And it hurt your soul like a dagger to the chest. 

So, tequila. 

You wanted to hug Josh for suggesting it tonight; for some reason watching them skate together made your unreasonable jealousy spike to a high level…and then when she publicly kissed him in front of God, 100 of your fans, and everyone? You felt like passing out. Everyone cheered for them, finally so happy she felt comfortable being open about their relationship. But you stood back and watched, seething silently as your girlfriend hugged them both. You felt like you were in the twilight zone. And your self loathing was only growing. 

You’d managed to get fairly intoxicated with Josh, the two of you gathered in the basement passing the bottle back and forth while Elle slept sprawled out on the couch beside you. 

You were surprised Josh was letting you drink with him, as things were still a little tense from Thanksgiving when he confronted you about your dream. You hadn’t spoken to him much since then, still feeling embarrassed and upset about your altercation. Actually, you had hardly spoken to Y/N either, feeling as though space between you was the best option until your weird headspace subsided. 

“Are you still mad at me for pushing you last month?” You finally asked, handing the bottle back to him. 

He took a swig. “Nah, I’m not mad at you. I was just pissed off.” He set the bottle down. “Listen, just make smart decisions, okay? Think about this six months from now, and where you want to be, and where you want Jake to be.” He was whispering, in case Elle were to wake up. “Do you want to jeopardize everything? You’re happy, he’s happy right? And vice versa…” 

You nodded, looking at Elle with her face half buried in the couch. 

“S’just fucked up dude. I can’t force it away. It came out of nowhere and my brain is in overdrive. I hate myself right now.” You admitted to him. 

“I can tell you’re going through it. I’m not going to yell at you, because I can see that you’re already doing that to yourself. Just think about it this way…would you rather lose all three of them completely, or be happy with her being in your life for a long, long time? Just not the way you want her to be?” He asked. 

You thought for a second while your thoughts swam in your head. “I can’t lose her, Josh.”

He pursed his lips together, studying your expression. “Can't lose who?”

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. 

Your phone was ringing on the table. It took a few seconds for you to realize what was happening, the tequila taking more effect after Josh got you in your feelings again. 

“It’s Daniel. What the fuck is he calling at 2am for? Hello?” You picked up the line. 

“Hey dude. I know it’s late but have you looked outside? We got so much snow, man.” Daniel responded. 

You hopped up from your seat to peek out the window. “Holy shit! We really did! That was quick!”

“Do you guys want to go sledding at our spot?” Daniel asked. “I know it’s late but we used to go every Christmas, and it’s not snowed like this in years…”

You looked over to Josh. “Josh and I are the only ones up, but I think we could make that happen. Give us 30 and we’ll meet you there.” 

You hung up the phone. “What was that about? Where are we going?” Josh asked. 

“Did we forget that we go sledding every Christmas or are we just too old to have fun now?” You replied. 

You squatted down to shake Elle awake, gently saying her name as you ran your hand over her face. “Baby, wake up. We’re gonna go sledding, do you wanna come?” 

She stirred awake, sending you a scowl. “What time is it?”

“Way too late. Or early, not sure. But I promise you won’t want to miss this.” You told her as she sat up and began rubbing her eyes. “Josh, you go get the tub of snow clothes, I’ll go wake up Jake and Y/N.” 

“Thankfully I’m too intoxicated to say no to this!” Josh yelled, slapping his hands on his knees. 

“Be right back, Elle. Try to wake up a little. This is a tradition we kind of forgot about...” you told Elle as you turned to dash up the stairs. 

A few seconds later you landed at the top of the stairs, feeling excitement growing in your bones. You slowly approached Jake’s bedroom door, knocking a few times then listening through the door. You knocked a few more times then slowly opened the doorknob, sticking your face in with your eyes closed. 

“Jake…hey! Wake up!” You said into the room. 

“What? What the fuck do you want?” He said, his voice groggy. 

You opened the door a little further. “Are you two decent?” You asked. 

“No we’re not fucking decent you asshole, what do you want?” He said threateningly. 

“We’re going sledding at the spot. We’re leaving soon. Wake up, Daniel’s meeting us.” You said. 

“Oh my god, I forgot we used to go sledding every Christmas!” You heard Y/N say, making your heart flutter. “Let’s go Jake!”

A few minutes later, they sleepily joined you downstairs, and everyone began digging through the old tub stuffed full of snow pants, bibs, long johns, hats, and gloves. 

“Wow, how old is this stuff?” Elle asked, pulling up a pair of bib overalls over her sweatpants. 

“Mom and dad have been collecting this stuff for years. Those were mine, actually!” Josh replied to her, smiling and pointing to the old tattered pair of coveralls. 

“Yeah, make sure you layer up, babe. It’s gonna be frigid out there.” You warned her. 

When everyone was dressed in their layers, you all trudged upstairs to find snow boots. 

“I can’t believe you drug me out of my warm bed and away from my hot girl for this…” Jake said, sending you a joking smile as he pulled on the ankle-high boots. 

Your stomach sank. “Hey, you didn’t have to come...” 

“I’m just kidding.” He said as he took the back of your neck in his hand. “I never turn down a good time.” 

“Shh! Don’t wake up your parents!” Y/N said as Josh opened the door and barreled toward the garage, looking for more alcohol and the old sleds, you presumed. 

“You going to snowboard, Jake?” You asked him. “I couldn’t find my old boots…”

“Yeah, I found mine. I hope I still remember how.” He laughed. 

After manning everyone with sleds and snowboards, the five of you took off walking down the road through the knee-deep snow, high stepping your way toward the special spot. Everyone had grabbed a sled, and Jake had even grabbed a few trash bags for even faster trips down the hillside. The snow was still coming down, and showed no signs of letting up. You had truly missed this. 

“So where exactly are we going?” Elle asked the group as she came to your side. 

“There’s a spot right off the road about a quarter mile this way, we’ve been sledding here for years. There’s a cutoff right between some trees that leads down a huge hill, straight into a clearing surrounded by a bunch of pines. Perfect layout for sledding. And, this snow is heavy and wet. Once we get it packed down, it’ll be like riding on ice.” You told her, feeling out of breath already from the harsh trek. 

Her eyes widened. “Riding on ice? Won’t we like, go too fast?” 

“Yeah, it’ll be like a frozen chute.” You cheesed toward her. She hugged into your side, with only her eyes and nose peeking above her scarf. 

“I’m excited.” She breathed, pulling harder into you. 

When everyone finally made it to the spot, Danny was already there waiting. 

“Took you guys long enough!” He called through the thick snow, leaning on his snowboard. 

“Oh fuck off, you don’t have as far to walk.” You said back to him, pushing him down into the snow. 

He quickly hopped back up, tackling you to the ground, which was only a few feet to fall into the fluffy white powder. The two of you tussled in the snow, finally rolling all the way down the steep hill and landing at the bottom in fits of laughter. 

“You asshole.” You laughed as you stood, reaching your hand out to help him stand again. You both looked up to the top of the hill to the rest of the group laughing as you knocked the snow off yourself. 

“Who’s next?!” Danny yelled. 

The group continued to take turns traveling down the hill, Jake and Danny trying their best to teach themselves how to snowboard again. Elle and Y/N finally got the hang of steering the saucer sleds, carving out a flat pathway and packing down the snow in such a way that you didn’t need sleds anymore. 

Thankfully, Josh and Danny had both remembered to stick plastic quarter pints of liquor into their jacket pockets, so you continued on your high from earlier. It was nearing 4:00am, and everyone was still having a good time romping in the snow. 

At one point, you found yourself alone at the bottom of the hill with Y/N waiting as everyone caught their breath after walking to the top. The snow had begun to lighten up, and she plopped backwards onto her seat, looking up into the darkened sky. You watched as her eyes flitted open and closed as the tiny snowflakes met her face. 

“You going to talk to me now that you don’t have a choice, Sam?” She asked suddenly, not moving her eyes from the sky. “I can tell that you’ve been ignoring me and avoiding me. But, would you look at this... Us sitting here alone. In an awkward silence.” She finally met your eyes. 

Shit. 

You knew this was coming sooner or later. You pulled the bottle from your pocket, nipping at the head before passing it to her. Your eyes had blurred and your movements were in slow motion; you’d allowed yourself to get way too drunk. 

You truly didn’t know what to say to her. You couldn’t tell her the truth, that would ruin literally everything. You weren’t mad at her, but it probably seemed that way from the outside. Your stupid emotions had taken hold of you, and they weren’t letting go. So you stayed silent, afraid to say anything at all. You felt like you were about to combust. 

“Alright then. Suit yourself. I thought we were able to talk through things, after all our years of friendship but. I guess not.” She said, standing back up to meet Josh who had started coming down the hill. She turned back around to face you, her face almost in tears. “Look I don’t know why you’re mad at me, and I’m sorry if anything I said to you at Thanksgiving was overstepping any boundaries, but I just need you back Sam. I need my friend. Please don’t shut me out, ok?”

Her eyes bored into yours, searching for any type of reprise to show her that you were still in there somewhere. After a long pause that felt like hours, you finally choked out the only words that came to your mind. 

“I’m still here, Y/N. I promise.”

Josh came tumbling off the hill, hitting the bottom at a high speed. You watched as she helped him stand, the two of them laughing and gripping at each other’s arms for balance. 

Behind him came Danny, finally getting the hang of his old snowboard and making it to the bottom in one piece.

“Hey, let’s build a fire! I’m freezing!” He said as the rest of the group landed nearby. 

“Yessss, that sounds wonderful. Please please please. My hands are about to fall off.” Elle said through chattering teeth. You immediately went to her, wrapping your arms around her and moving your hands up and down to warm her. 

“Aw, is Georgia having a hard time staying warm?” You teased. 

“Be quiet, Samuel, and help your brothers build us a fire!” She laughed. 

You and Danny took on the task of heading into the woods to find kindling while the rest of the group worked to clear the snow away from the ground on the edge of the forest. The thick pines and evergreen had shielded the snow from piling too high here, making a bed of dried pine needles the perfect spot for a campfire. 

As you traveled deeper into the woods to find the driest wood, you could tell Daniel was struggling to start a conversation. 

“Just say what you need to say Daniel, I know you’re trying to tell me something.” You slurred. 

He stopped walking, turning toward you and stopped you in your tracks. 

“I broke up with Heidi earlier.” He said, the words falling from his mouth quickly. 

You were stunned. “Oh, shit man. I– are you okay? What happened?” 

He sighed heavily, pulling his arms above him to rest behind his head. 

“I don’t know, dude. I called her three times today before she finally picked up. I just wanted to tell her Merry Christmas...ask her what she was doing tomorrow. But she couldn’t even hear me overtop of the music that was playing in the background of wherever the hell she was. Didn’t even try to step outside to talk…say she would just text me…nothing. Just got off the phone with me really quickly. Said she’d call me later. Well. Later never happened.” He let his arms fall as he turned to keep picking up broken sticks from the forest floor and pile them in your arms. 

“It was just snowballing, you know? Left and right, our relationship has become one-sided. I don’t think she loves me anymore, man. I dunno. I’m kinda over it, to be honest. So anyway, I got my shit together and stopped feeling sorry for myself, picked up the phone and called her back. She answered, and I told her it was over. I was done. Honestly feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.” 

You felt horrible for your friend, feeling unable to give him any comfort when he needed it most. “Fuck, man. I’m so sorry, are you alright? Do you wanna talk about it?” You pressed. 

He shook his head, piling more sticks into your arms. “Nah, nothing to talk about really. Maybe later, once I get over the initial shock. So, rain check on that. So many years…down the drain…” he trailed off. You stood in silence, feeling truly proud of him for holding himself together. 

“Anyways. Enough of my drama. We’ll save it for later. Tell me what the fuck is wrong with you?” He asked. Damn, you were afraid of this. 

“Nothing is wrong with me, Daniel.” You lied. 

“You’re lying.” He answered. Hah. Okay. 

You turned behind you, checking to make sure you were still alone. You took a deep cleansing breath, the cold air hitting your lungs. 

“Did Josh tell you to talk to me?” You asked him. 

“Mmm, he mentioned that you were acting weird and that maybe you needed to talk. But, no. I noticed too.” He said. 

You shook your head. “Then you probably think I’m a fucking idiot too.”

He walked up to you, landing a few more sticks into your grasp. “I’m not stupid, Sam. I’ve seen you like this before, when we were younger. When you were…you know..” 

You felt rage boiling up in your gut, horrible unreasonable rage at no one but yourself as Daniel brought into light the thoughts you had barely spoken to anyone. 

“When I was what, Daniel? Hm? Feeling things for  Y/N? Because yeah, I guess it kind of looks that way again, doesn’t it?” You spat. 

“Sam. You can’t. You do understand that, right? You literally cannot. She doesn’t belong to you anymore.” Daniel said through his teeth. 

“Aha, no shit! I’ve been fucked up for a month because I’m so damn confused at why I’m feeling this way again. I didn’t ask for it! God, you don’t even understand...” You continued. 

“No, I don’t understand, Sam! Why don’t you explain it? Because I don’t see why you’re having such a hard time with this.” He said, raising his voice. 

“Because you’ve never been here, man!” You yelled quietly. 

“Been where, Sam?!” he snapped.

“Been in love…with two people at the same damn time, Daniel. Okay? Have you ever felt that? Every single day I’m falling more and more crazy in love with Elle, while fighting my demons trying to stop falling back in love with Y/N!” You began pacing beside him, trying to keep your admission quiet under the cover of the trees. “It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I know that. But I can’t deny it. It makes me feel absolutely insanely guilty, constantly. So yeah. I’m sorry if I’ve been an asshole.” You turned and began walking back toward the edge of the woods. 

“Sam, stop. Listen to me. You have to end this right now. If you fuck up things with her and Jake, the band is over. Dunzo. Do you get that? He will never forgive you this time. Not to mention your relationship with him. And with Josh. And with Elle. This is not just your future you have to think of here, you hear me? I love you, man. But you actually need your ass kicked for even thinking that you could make that work.” He laid his gloved hand on your shoulder, looking into your eyes to make sure you heard him loud and clear. 

Fuck. 

“Goddamnit. Yes. I hear you. You’re right, and I know all these things. I’ve just, really been going through it. I feel like you really should kick my ass for it. It might help.” You said through a half-hearted laugh. “But I hear you. And I heard Josh when he told me, too. I’ve just...got to try harder. For Jake. Elle doesn’t deserve this. She deserves all of me.”

“She deserves the fucking world, dude. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” He joked, taking a few of the sticks from your arms. “Y/N is always going to love you. That much was proven the minute you, her and Jake could forgive each other and live normally again. But you need to show her the type of love she needs. And that’s being her best friend again. And, you need to show Elle, too. Step up and be a man for her, you know?” Daniel went on. God, when did he turn into an expert on relationships?

You sighed heavily. “Thank you, Danny. Seriously. I needed to hear that. Tough love, I guess.”

“Did you just call me Danny?” He asked, puzzled. “You’ve literally never once called me Danny in almost twenty years…”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m still a little intoxicated. But. I think you cleared my head a bit, man. Seriously… I think I know exactly what I need to do.”

The two of you returned to the group, hoping they didn’t notice you were gone for a little longer than you should’ve been. 

JAKE POV

The room was cold when you woke up, even through your long sleeve shirt you could feel the chill in the air. You turned to your side, seeing Y/N still asleep next to you. You placed your hand on her cheek, to see if she was as cold as you were, but to your surprise, she wasn’t. She was warm and soft, and wrapped in your old flannel pajamas you never thought you’d see again. 

You snaked your arm through hers, pulling yourself closer into her, hoping to leech off some of her warmth. You nestled your head into her neck, breathing in the scent of her, still a little smokey from sitting by the fire last night. As you laid there with her, feet tangled together in a mass of cabin socks, you thought back to last Christmas. Sitting alone in your house, sipping a glass of brandy as you watched the flames crackle in your fireplace. Wondering if that was how the rest of your life was going to be. Sitting there alone, thinking back on the days when you didn’t even know you had everything you ever wanted. You wished you could tell him that his luck would change, and that next Christmas he would be home, with the love of his life, tangled up with her in his favorite old pajamas. 

Your eyes must have fluttered closed because the next time you opened them, she was stirring next to you, swiping the hair out of your face. 

“Well, hello…” you groaned.

“Good morning lover. It’s Christmas Eve…” she grinned.

“Mmm, that it is. Did you have fun last night?” you asked, clearing your throat. 

“More fun than I’ve had in a long time. Did you?” she asks.

“Oh yeah, definitely a story for the kids one day…” you laugh, but a flash of panic washes over you when you realize what you’d said. You sit up, and rub your chin, “Anyways, what do you want to do today?”

A pink blush had crept over her cheeks, “Well, I have to wrap a few gifts, and I told your mom I would help her bake. I think my parents are coming over later tonight too. What do you have planned?” she asks.

“Not much, just need to finish up a few things, wrap a few presents. Then I have a long standing tradition of helping my dad with the mulled wine…” you answer. 

“Oh my gosh, I haven’t had that in years!” she says.

“None last year?” you ask.

“They didn’t make it last year. Haven't made it really at…all…since…” she trails off. 

You wrap your arms around her and pull her in for a kiss, “Damnit. Well, we will have it this year. All you want.”

—

A few hours later, you watch from the couch as she sneaks down the stairs with her perfectly wrapped boxes, piled high in her arms.

“Need some help, sugar?” you call up to her. 

“Nope! You stay there, and no peeking.” she giggles. 

She makes her way over to the trimmed tree, and distributes the gifts underneath. 

“I thought Santa was supposed to come tonight?” you ask, cheekily.

She pops her hip out and places her hand on her waist, “Aren’t you a little old to still believe in Santa…”

You laugh and shake your head, “Anything I can do to help?” you ask.

“No, just make sure you pour a little extra Brandy into the wine tonight...” she winks, returning back up the stairs. 

Josh joins you on the couch, after completing his last minute errands, finishing out the end of the movie you were half paying attention to. 

“Did you finish it?” he asks.

“Finish what?” you reply, turning your attention to him. 

He looks over his shoulder, “The notebook?” 

“How do you know about that?” you ask.

“Sam told me?” he says, realizing he slipped up.

“Figures. But, yeah, I finished it up this morning when she was down here with mom. Turned out pretty good. I think she will like it. I know it’s cheesy or whatever, but…I think it was always meant to belong to her.” you say.

“Goddamn Jake, you have gone completely soft.” he quips.

You throw a pillow at him, to which he returns with another pillow in your direction. 

“Boys!” your mom calls from the kitchen, hearing the noise flowing out of the room. “Basement or front yard if you’re gonna fight. You know the rules.”

You both laugh and continue to silently throw pillows at each other, trying to see who would crack first. 

After a few minutes, your mom peeked her head around the corner, and both of you immediately stopped, “And by the way…I’m happy you’re home.”

—

You watched as your dad poured the dark red wine into mugs with the ladle, as you added the orange slices and cinnamon sticks to each one. You grabbed two of the warm mugs and made your way out into the living room, seeing everyone talking and laughing on the couch. You began distributing the fragrant wine to those who wanted it, and after a few minutes everyone was sipping away at the festive beverage. 

You took your place next to Y/N on the couch, wrapping your arm over her shoulders as she leaned into you. ‘White Christmas’ was playing in the background, arguably your favorite Christmas movie, but you hadn’t seen it in a few years. Never really feeling the Christmas spirit, home alone. The fireplace was roaring as you all drank and reminisced on years past. The house was filled with love and laughter for the first time in years, and as you glanced out the window you watched the snow start to fall. 

You leaned over, and whispered into her ear, “Look, it’s snowing again…”

“Didn’t you get enough of the snow last night?” she giggled, cheeks pink from the wine.

“You know, it’s something I never thought I would miss, but being here at Christmas with snow falling just seems…right. Want to soak it in before we go back to Nashville.”

A while later after another round of drinks, and a heartfelt round of goodbyes, and see you tomorrows, everyone is making their way home before the snow gets much worse. As the door shuts behind them, you all return to the kitchen, standing around making plans for tomorrow. 

Y/N makes her way into your arms, clearly feeling the alcohol in her system, as she wraps her arms around your waist, “I want to make a snow angel…” she giggles into your neck.

“What are we waiting on? Let’s go…” you say, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the door. 

You grab your empty mugs and deposit them into the kitchen sink, before grabbing both of your coats from the tree by the door. 

No one even notices the two of you slide out the front door, pulling your jackets on, and zipping them closed. The temperature had dropped significantly since this morning, and you were both shivering from the wind. 

“Go ahead, you first.” you smile, gesturing to the fresh fluffy snow.

Next thing you know she is laying down into the freshly fallen flakes, gliding her arms and legs to make a perfect snow angel. 

“Oh, take a picture!” she says, digging around in her jacket pocket for her phone. 

She reaches out to you, and you grab the ice cold device, putting in her password and opening up the camera. 

You snap a few photos of her, before joining her on the ground, pulling her close to you and taking a few more. You knew these would be something you would look back on in years to come. 

You stand back up, and just as you go to lock the screen of her phone, it buzzes in your hand. Instinctually you look down at the notification, and you furrow your brow as you see the message come across.

Unknown

9:47pm: Don’t you just love Michigan at Christmas time? 

Fuck. 

You open the message and block the number, swiftly deleting the text before handing her phone back to her. Luckily the wine had made her a little less aware of her surroundings, granting you enough leeway to delete the evidence of the unwanted message.

You look around for any sign of him, knowing that if he sent that message, he knows exactly where she is. As you look you see nothing but darkness blanketed by snow. Your skin crawls at the thought of him here, watching, and suddenly you want to get out of sight. 

“Let’s go inside, baby.” you urge, pulling her up from the ground. 

You usher her in through the door, and take her wet coat from her, before making your way upstairs. The both of you change out of your cold wet clothes, opting for warmer, flannel options to warm your bones.

She crawls into bed, with a yawn, hugging the pillow to her chest as she reaches for you.

“I’m sleepy baby…” she yawns, as you pull the comforter up over her shoulders. 

“I know sugar, that wine will do that to you.” you laugh, smoothing her hair over her head. Her eyes start to shut, and you kiss her cheek. “I’m going to go down to the basement with Josh, okay? You come down there if you need me. I won't be long though.”

A garbled ‘love you’ leaves her lips, and you smile, knowing that tomorrow you finally get to give her the gift you’ve been working on for weeks. 

—

Leaned back in the recliner, you strum the heavily worn out strings of your dad’s old acoustic, as Josh rambles on about something from the couch. 

Sam and Elle joined you for a while, but Elle surrendered to the same fate as Y/N, nearly passing out in Sam’s lap. After promising he would be back after putting her to bed, you and Josh knew better, and you were right. He didn’t return, leaving just you and Josh to burn the midnight oil.

The two of you just existed in this space together, feeding off of each other in a way you always have. You didn’t have to say much, just being near each other was enough. It was harder to come by now that the two of you lived separately, so when the opportunity arose to recharge your batteries together you always took it. 

“I’ve been thinking about what you said. About going back to our roots…” he said, quietly.

“Yeah?” you said, turning to look at him. 

“I think it's brilliant. I already have ideas swirling around…” he trailed off. 

“Can I…play you something?” you ask hesitantly.

He nods, and you sit up a little straighter, playing the beginning notes to a song you wrote months ago. 

The melody rang out through the small basement, the emotion palpable with every note. The chords bending and weaving into a delicate string of perfectly placed moments. The bridge tugs on your heart strings, the feeling behind it still so raw and fresh. As you finish out the final few notes, it grows softer until it's complete.

“Fuck Jake… that was…I don’t know what inspired that, but we need to dig deeper and see what else we can get.” he said, struggling to find the words.

“It doesn’t have a name yet. I just know it’s… about her. She caused that one.” you pause. “It’s lived in that notebook for a long time.”

“I think… I would like it to be on the next album. If we do go with the whole roots thing…” you confess. 

“Do you have any lyrics in mind, or…” he asks.

“I haven’t gotten that far yet. How do you find the words to describe the situation I found myself in? How do you put to paper how someone can bring you back to a life you thought you lost? Something you searched for, waited for, never knowing if you’d get it back? Letting lifetimes pass before finally seeing a shred of hope…” you pause.

“I just… have a feeling about this one Josh. I think we need to see it through. You’ve always been able to put the words to my feelings, and I… need you for this one.” you plead.

“You’ve kind of done this with every album…wrote your feelings into a song for her…” he ponders. “Why stop there though?” he laughs. 

“What do you mean?” you ask, placing the guitar on the floor.

“Well, how many songs have you written for her? Five, ten, twenty?” he pauses. “What if you went bigger than that?”

“Like, how?” you ask.

“What if you, I don’t know, dedicated the album to her or something…” he rambled.

“I doubt everyone would be on board with that…” you laugh.

“It’s your band Jake. Always has been…” he said. 

“I don’t know, I…” you pause. “I love her so much, I can’t stop myself from writing about her. For her. To her…”

“Just think about it. Maybe we don’t even say anything. Maybe we just pick a title that resonates with you. With both of you.” he says, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yeah, maybe. I will think on it.” you reply.

“What better gift than something that will live on long after we are gone….” he says dramatically. 

You nod your head. He is right, what better gift than something that will last forever. 

A while later you dragged yourself back up the stairs and quietly crawled into bed next to her. She stirred slightly, feeling you join her, and cuddled into your side. You’d grown to love this. Her, attached to your side as you slept. You found yourself feeling almost empty on the nights she wasn't there. Tossing and turning all night without her presence, deeply relishing in the nights she was.   

You pulled her closer to you, practically sharing a pillow at this point. Her skin was still warm from the alcohol, and you could feel her breath on your neck as she slept soundly in your arms. You closed your eyes as you held her tight, and for the first time in years, you couldn’t wait to wake up on Christmas morning. 

HER POV

Christmas morning was always your favorite…waking your parents up as early as you were allowed to by sneaking in their room and jumping on their bed until they grabbed you and pulled you under the covers with them. 

‘Did Santa come, babygirl?’

‘Yes! And he ate ALL the cookies I left out for him, too!’

Times had changed as you’d gotten older, but you didn’t feel sad about it. You’d planned to spend the next couple of days with your parents to make up for a little lost time. 

Waking up on Christmas morning with your love was something new, that felt ancient. You’d woken up with Jake on Christmas this way before, but it still felt innocent back then. Now, it felt real. Waking up any other way wouldn’t be right. 

You forced yourself to wake Jake up from his sweet slumber again, the both of you coming to life with a little bit of impatience to get downstairs with everyone. 

You poured your coffee as you watched Sam hand out gifts from under the tree one by one, a genuine smile on his face that you hadn’t seen in weeks. 

There was a tiny knock on the door as Danny came in, followed by his family and your parents, carrying piles of wrapped boxes and gift bags. 

“Merry Christmas, everybody!” More hugs and more coffee, more gifts handed out and more sweet stories being told. It was traditional in the family that everyone opened their gifts individually, so as not to rush through too fast. Karen and Kelly had used this method to keep their young kids from ripping and tearing into presents, and it had stuck around. 

“Ok, Josh, you first. This is from me.” You said as you watched him dig into the bag and pull out a long narrow box. He unwrapped it, revealing a whole slew of incense and a brand new burner. “Oh my gosh! Yes! I was almost out! Thank you, Y/N.” He walked over and kissed your head, smelling each stick as he did so. 

“It’s from the store at the end of the road, they still hand make them! Oh, check the bottom of the bag.” You said. He pulled out another box and removed the lid. He pulled out a long string of beautifully strung white and tan mala beads. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He put it on immediately, adoring the beadwork and the tassel at the bottom. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” His smile seemed to radiate. 

Next was Danny. You’d gotten him three vinyl records that you knew he would love, and a new cleaning kit, of which he was very excited about. 

“Hell yeah, Y/N! I’ve actually been searching for this one! How did you know?!” He exclaimed, his gorgeous smile making your heart do flip flops. 

Elle was next. A brand new pair of sunglasses that looked absolutely perfect sitting on her cherub face, and a piece of paper with a written note. She read it aloud. “This is a voucher for one girls’ trip to visit Helen, Georgia. Whenever you want. Ahhhh!” She stood and ran to you, hugging you hard in her arms. “So we’re really going to go? Just us? We’re gonna have so much fun! I can’t wait to make all the plans, and show you around. Oh man, I’m ready to go!” 

Sam’s gift was simple; he’d always been the easiest to shop for. It felt strange, him opening it in front of everyone when you hadn’t really spoken to him in so many weeks. A leather camera strap with some extra rolls of film, a soft old oversized sweater you’d found while thrifting, and last but not least, a necklace with the Aries zodiac sign on a silver chain. You knew he’d love it when you’d seen it at a flea market back over the summer. 

“Wow, Y/N. Thanks, girl. These are all excellent.” He sauntered over and gave you a small side hug, very different in comparison to the normal full-body embraces he usually gave you. “Maybe I’ll wear this necklace on tour...”

“You’re welcome Sammy. Yeah, maybe you could.” You gave him a soft smile. 

Last but not least, you let Jake open his. Tons of extra art supplies, and a thick navy blue corduroy coat you’d found the day you found Sam’s sweater. 

He immediately slipped it on, finding that it fit perfectly, and he would now be ‘wearing it every single day’. You didn’t doubt him. 

Lastly, you gave him a circular box with a lid. “Hmm, this is interesting...” he said, inspecting its outside. He slipped the lid off to find a perfectly worn-in black hat, wide brimmed and already looking like it had been to hell and back. His eyes grew wide with excited surprise, and he grabbed it up immediately, sitting it on top of his bed-head hair. 

“How’s it look?” He asked the room, turning his head side to side. 

“Damn Jake, that looks good. That might be your new signature piece!” Elle said. 

“Does it fit okay, babe?” You asked. 

“Perfectly, I swear.” He moved his head quickly from side to side. “Thank you, my love. I’m ecstatic about this.” He pecked you on the cheek. 

Elle was right, he did look really good in that hat…

Next, Jake handed you a shoebox, all wrapped up in old newspapers, taped haphazardly together and wrapped in a twine bow. So very Jake of him. 

The smile on his face as he watched you unwrap it was like a kid waiting for his turn at the ice cream shop, overly giddy and excited to get to the good part. 

You lifted the lid off to find more newspaper. You uncovered the contents, finding an old and tattered spiral notebook, the edges torn and ratty, things sticking out of the sides, and the thickness way more than a normal notebook should be. It looked fragile, and you were scared to touch it. 

“Get it out of there babe! Take a look!” He said, shaking the box. You were sure it would disintegrate into a million pieces at the slightest touch, but you persevered anyway. 

It looked like a normal notebook you would have had in middle school history class, full of notes and doodles, but the red outside cover had been ripped in half at some point, and taped back together with black electrical tape. There was a circular stain of some kind on the front, like a cup of coffee had leaked over the edges of a mug and set directly on top of the notebook. The metal spiral was bent, and had come unspun a little bit from its holes in the paper. The initials ‘JTK’ were drawn on the front in black ink pen, and there were tons of tiny scribbled little dipper constellations all over the back cardboard. 

You looked at Jake with a puzzled expression, unsure of what to think. 

“You don’t have to look through it all right now, but you can skim through…I’ve had this notebook for as long as I can physically remember. It’s where I first started writing songs, and guess who my muse was? Remember that book full of songs I told you about? This is it.” He peered at you from the tops of his eyes, his black hat still perched perfectly on his head. 

You smiled shyly, slowly flipping through the pages of written sheet music, pencil sketches, lyrics, poems, and clippings from magazines. You flipped to a page with an old dried up flower stem, gently taped right on the inner edge of a page. 

“Jake, no way. Is this…”

“Oh, yeah. The daisy that fell out of your hair that day we jumped in the lake, where we remembered we used to play ‘she loves me’...” He answered. 

“Oh my god, you kept it? How in the world–” you were completely stunned he was able to swim back to shore, and keep it in his possession after all this time. 

“It didn’t have any petals left, so I just tucked it behind my ear, and put it in my car when we went back. It rode on my dashboard for a long time until I could get it back to this book.” He explained. 

Everyone had diverted to their own conversations at this point, giving you some privacy. 

“Jake, this seems…really personal…are you sure you…” you asked, feeling like you were reading his private diary. 

“Yes, I’m sure. There are probably twenty five songs written in there, more or less. Some of them are complete, some aren’t. Some are on our albums…” he smiled hard at you at that last part. “This is where it all started, and I want you to have it. I can play you some of them when we get back to Nashville.” 

You grinned from ear to ear. “Wow, Jake, this is…so perfect and so meaningful...thank you...” you felt overwhelming emotion come over you, as you sat there and opened what was basically his heart, right there in a cardboard box. 

“Here, check this out.” He flipped to near the back of the book, landing on a few pages with photographs glued in. 

“This is the first one I ever had of us when we fell asleep in the basement all those years ago. It sat on my desk in my room for ages, until we went on tour and I kept it with me. That’s why it’s all ripped and bent…then I brought it home and glued it in here. Seems like it needed to live in this book.”

You smiled as he flipped the page, his fingers confidently turning the paper between them. 

“This one is the one Sam took of us in Chicago. Remember, we weren’t speaking when he took it?” He laughed. 

“Yeah, then you took my pinky and told me you still loved me...I almost passed out after he snapped the photo.” You admitted through a laugh. 

“Well, you look happy, at least.” He smiled. “This one is the most recent of when we fell asleep on the couch together again on the 4th…thought it was cute it was on the same couch as the older photo. Like time repeated itself.” 

“This one is of a rainbow I literally pulled the car over to take a photo of, the day we left to drive back home for the Fourth of July. I hadn’t been up that early in ages, and it made me think of you. I didn’t even know you were coming back home, too, remember?” He asked, his mouth close to your ear now. 

“Yes, you got so mad at Sam.” You laughed. 

“I did...” he laughed too. “These are just some random ones of flowers and dewy leaves from my morning coffee walks in my yard...” 

“Your what?” You asked. 

“I like to go outside early in the mornings and walk around and see what cool things I can find while I have my coffee. Started doing that right before we went on tour...the rainbow was a bit of inspiration…” he went on. 

“We can look through the rest later. There’s probably a million stories in here. I’ll tell you all about them one day.” He put his hand up to brush your hair, giving you a genuine smile. 

“Jake, this is truly the best. Thank you, babe.” You said, bringing him in for a tight embrace. “I love it so much.”

After everyone had opened every gift and drank way too much coffee, things started to die down as everyone sat gathered in the living room, sprawled on the couches and all over the floor. 

“What a perfect Christmas. All my kiddos and friends in one place again…I didn’t think we’d have this until we had little grand babies running around!” Karen said, cuddling into Kelly on the loveseat. You felt yourself blush at her words.

“Oh, wait! I forgot one thing.” Sam said, springing up from his seat on the floor and running into the next room, returning quickly with his hands behind his back. He walked over to Elle, sitting back down on the floor in front of her, and pausing to meet her eyes. A silence fell over the room as everyone watched his actions. 

He slowly pulled his hands from behind him, presenting her with a tiny cardboard box with a red bow on top. 

“What’s this, Sammy?” She asked him, sitting up to take the box. 

“Just open it...” he said, watching her with hope in his eyes. 

She slowly and gently took the lid off of the box, wrapping her fingers around a small gold object that sat inside. 

Her mouth fell open as she looked up to him, tears filling her eyes. 

“It’s a key to my house. I…want you to move in with me. If you want to, of course…” he said bashfully. 

She stared at him with her jaw on the floor for what felt like an eternity while the rest of the room held their breath waiting for her response. In seconds, she had her arms wrapped hard around his neck, pushing him backwards as she peppered his face with kisses. 

You felt your heart swell with pride for them, but also felt a twinge of something else…you flicked your eyes to meet Jake’s, but he was already looking at you. He held your gaze while the two of you silently spoke, your heads both filling with wild aspirations that you prayed one day would come to life. 

“Of course I want to move in with you, dummy.” She said through a laugh. You watched as your two best friends looked at each other with more love and admiration than you’d ever seen either of them have for one another. 

Finally Sam was standing up for her, making big moves in his life, and you had never been more proud. 

HER POV

Later that night you took your seat at the table next to Jake, flanked by Elle, and the rest of the ever expanding group of people you called your family. This Christmas had been one of the greatest you’d ever spent around this table. The love that filled the room was undeniable and you found yourself basking in the warm and comforting feeling swirling through air as laughter rang through the house. 

Much of the dinner was spent with Jake’s hand resting on your leg, his thumb swirling patterns into the sheer black tights. You would occasionally rest your hand on his, feeling his fingers grasp into yours as he spoke of plans for tour, new music, and the like. His brothers joining in jovially, assisted by the ever flowing bottles of wine being passed around the table. 

As dinner came to an end, you could feel the warmth in your cheeks, and you could see it in his. The perfect red blush painting the apples of his cheeks. His lips slightly stained and his eyes glossy. 

Everyone began to make their way back to the living room to continue their conversations around the tree, but as you stood, Jake grabbed your hand and leaned into your ear, “Come with me…”

You followed him through the dining room, through the kitchen and to the back door. He grabbed your coat and held it up for you to slide into, before pulling on his own. He opened the back door, and you both slid out into the cold Michigan air. 

“What are we doing out here?” you asked, gripping your hand into his. 

“I have one more gift for you…” he answered, blinking slowly. “But this one isn’t shared. This one is just for us.”

“Wasn’t the last one just for us?” you asked.

“I mean, yes. But They all knew about it. I didn’t tell anyone about this. Only you and me.” he replies.

He removes his hand from yours, and pulls out his phone, flicking through the pages of apps, until he finds the one he is looking for. Opening it as secretly as he can, you watch his warm breath swirl into the cold air. 

“Okay, here we go.” he says, looking up into the sky. He grabs your waist and spins you around to face away from him. He pulls you backwards and rests his chin on your shoulder as he brings the phone in front of you. As you glance down to look at the phone you see a screen with coordinates.

“Can you find it? Where is our little dipper?” he asks, directing you to look up at the sky.

You both spin around looking for it, and you catch sight of it. “It’s right there!” you say pointing to the cluster of stars. 

“Okay, now…” he pauses, holding his phone camera up towards the sky. The screen refreshes and zeros in on an area. “Do you see that? Let me double check…” he says, referencing his phone.

“Okay, yeah, that’s it.” he says excitedly.

“What?” you ask, confused. 

“Look at the tail of the little dipper. Count over four places, then down, one, two…” he says, pointing at a glowing white star, almost flickering in the dark sky.

“Yeah? I see it…” you ask.

“It’s yours. I bought it for you.” he whispers into your ear. 

“You what?!” you ask, spinning to face him, eyes quickly looking back to the sparkling sky. 

“It’s yours. All yours. I…bought it for you. The closest one to the little dipper I could find. I have the paperwork, and regist–” you cut him off, pressing your lips to his, ice cold from the frigid air. 

A single tear sneaks out of your eye as you let the feelings rush over you as you pull away from his lips. “You–You bought me a star? Jake…” you cry. “I–I don’t even know what to say…I…”

“They would all be yours, if I could…Maybe I can’t catch them for you, but I can give you one to call your own.”

“Ours.” you correct, a small smile forming on his lips.

“I know it’s not something you can hold in your hand, but…I just thought…” he trails off. 

“Jake…I love it. It’s the best gift I have ever gotten. You’re so…thoughtful, you know that?” you said, another tear falling from your lashes. 

“Don’t cry…” he begs. 

“It’s happy tears. I just can’t believe I get to love someone like you. There’s no one I would rather share this life with. I’m really so thankful I’ve gotten to wake up to you these past few days…” you say, blinking back the tears.

“I can’t believe I get to love you. Merry Christmas my love.” he replies, kissing your cold hands. “And, you know… you can wake up to me every morning, back home, if you want.”

You turned in his arms and as you both stared up at the twinkling star, your thoughts drifted back to the other morning and the comment that slipped from his lips. 

“I know…Jake?” you breathed. 

“Hmm?” he hummed in response. 

“Did you…mean to say that… the other morning? About…telling your kids stories?” you asked nervously.

“Why do you ask?” he questions.

“Well…I just thought…I don’t know. I guess I just never imagined you wanting kids.” you replied. 

“Honestly, I never really saw that life for myself. Figured I would be ‘the eternal bachelor’. I’d have my music and my brothers and that would be enough to get me through. But, recently…I have been feeling like that won't ever be enough. Not now that I have you. I want everything with you. Whatever you want, I’ll give you. But I only want that with you. So, I guess what I’m saying is, yes. I did mean it. Not right now, but someday.” he answers. 

You smiled at him and nodded your head, “Someday…” you whispered, the wind carrying your words off into the perfect sparkling night.

—

JOSH POV

The drive home left you all weary and ready to sleep in your own beds. Returning to Tennessee was a drastic change in climate. While it was still cold in Nashville, it was nowhere near as cold as Frankenmuth. You had to admit you were growing more accustomed to the southern temperatures. 

You spent a few days home by yourself after you all returned, just lounging and watching your favorite movies, with no one to interrupt or give their opinions. A rain storm had moved through, providing the perfect ambiance as you pressed play on the remote. The score began to play in the background as you relaxed into the plush cushions of your couch. 

Thunder rumbled in the distance and the trees swayed outside of the windows, a sense of calm washed over you, but that would be short lived as your phone began to vibrate on the pillow next to you. 

You picked up your phone and flipped it over to reveal a familiar name on the screen. You slide your finger across the screen and held the phone up to your ear. 

“Hey Allison! Long time no talk! How are you? How was your holiday?” you asked, cheerfully. 

“Hey…Josh. It was good, it was good. Hey, I…just need to speak with you…I have the unfortunate job of calling you with some news.” she said, hesitation in her voice.

You sat up straight from the couch, resting your elbows on your knees as you listened. 

“Sadly, the board has come to the decision that Y/N’s employment with us will be terminated effective next week. We will have to deny the request paperwork you sent in back in October.”

“I’m sorry what, now?” you ask, heart pumping out of your chest.

“Well, it was brought to our attention that she has been in non professional relations with one of your band members...And as you know, that is against our company policy and in direct breach of the contract she signed.” she says. 

It’s exactly what she was afraid of. 

You are unable to find the words to speak, your mouth suddenly dry. “I–I…It came to your attention?” you ask, confused.

“We were… provided with undeniable evidence… that she was in fact breaching her contract with someone on your team, yes.” she answers.

“Allison, it’s Jake…He and Y/N…they… we have known each other our whole lives… it’s not what you think… They–they’ve been…” you stammer.

“The manner in which it manifested is unfortunate, I’ll agree. If Y/N had been up front about their relationship in the beginning maybe the contract could have been altered…things could have been different. But unfortunately that is not the case, and now, the board has to take action to find a resolution so that all parties are taken care of. Because of this decision, that means we will be actively looking for a new coordinator for you. If there’s anyone else yo–”

“No. It’s her. It has to be her, Allison.” you say, cutting her off.

“Josh. I’m sorry…The board has made their decision and the paperwork is done. We will be letting her know next week.” she says. 

“No, please. There has to be some way to fix this… If they can just explain…” you beg.

“Josh, I’m sorry, there really isn’t anything you can say.” she explains. 

“Who else knows? Has anyone spoken to Jake…” you ask.

“No, you were our first call.” she says.

You let out a grateful sigh, “I see, well. Let me tell Jake, if you don’t mind.” you ask.

“Sure, and listen Josh, I’m really sorry. I really liked Y/N, unfortunately rules are rules, and in a business like this, they exist for a reason. I will be in contact with you next week to go over a few new potential coordinators.” she says.

“Great.” you quip.

“Talk to you then, bye bye.” she says, ending the call.

You threw your phone to the end of the couch, cursing into the air.

Your mind was spinning. You were pissed off, confused, and defensive. How could this have gotten this far? This is exactly what she always feared, and it was actually happening. 

You couldn’t let it happen. You had to take matters into your own hands. You quickly retrieved your phone, pulling up the contacts to get back to the correct chain of command. You decided to skip right over all the reps, and go straight for HR. You hoped they knew who you were. 

After buzzing through a couple of transferred calls, the phone rang out to the head of HR for the company. You cleared your voice as you stood from the couch, and began pacing around the house. 

A voice picked up on the other end. 

“Hello, this is Johnathon Myers, how can I help you?”

“Hello Johnathon, my name is Joshua Kiszka, I’m with Greta Van Fleet, one of the bands that your company works with. How are you today?”

It was silent for a beat. “I’m good, Joshua, thanks. Uh, I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’ve gotten a direct phone call from a band member in a very long time…I know who you are...Is there something I can help you with?” he asks. 

Nerves coursed through your body. You cleared your voice again, “Well, I hope so, sir. You see, it’s come to my attention that our on-site tour coordinator that I specifically requested is being fired. Um, I’m not sure if you’ve heard...”

“I have been made aware of that situation, yes.” he answers, shortly.

“I was calling to see if there was anything you could do, anything I could do to change that decision, and keep her with us.” you ask.

“Well Josh, I know you know why we made the decision to terminate her employment, she breached her signed contract and broke company policy by fraternizing with a band member. It’s not something we tolerate as professionalism and we were forced to come to a resolution.” he says.

“I understand that sir, but… I’d like to explain that she did excellent work for us, Mr. Myers. She never missed a beat, kept us all on track, truly one of the best coordinators we’ve had thus far, it’s not an easy job, I’m sure you know, and the situation between her and Jake is more complex than it seems.” you continued.

You heard him sigh on the other end of the line as you tried plead your case. 

“I fully understand and respect your policies, sir-” you start.

“But she didn’t.” He interrupted you. “We have photo evidence, Joshua.”

You thought for a second. “Photo evidence? Of what? From who?”

“The two of them together while on tour when she should have been staying in the assigned crew lodging. Your photographer turned in photos of her and your brother acting…unprofessionally, from as far back as September.”  He replied, aggravation growing in his voice. “Listen, I’m really not even supposed to be talking to you about this, but you’re our main point of contact, so just know she will be notified soon. I’m truly sorry you’re losing a good coordinator, but my hands are tied. I’m just doing my job. The paperwork has been signed.”

“So there’s nothing I can do?” You asked, feeling extreme defeat, your heart racing. 

“I’m sorry, there isn’t. Please contact me at any time if you have any other questions concerning the band. Have a good day, Mr. Kiszka.” The line clicked. 

“Thanks…” you said to no one. 

Fuck. You dipped your head low into your hands and fell back on your couch. She is going to be devastated. 

You sat for a few minutes racking your brain. You got the idea to call Danny, knowing that he was always the voice of reason. You clicked his contact and waited for him to pick up. 

“Hello?” his voice rang through the line.

“Hey, you wanna go get an early dinner? I’m starving. And I need to talk to you about something.” you reply.

“Yeah, man. Sure. Give me half an hour?” he asks.

“I’ll pick you up.”

——

Forty-five minutes later you and Danny were waltzing into the tiny backstreet restaurant, one that you’ve found you can hide away from fans fairly easily. 

You made small talk, asking how things were going after getting back home from Michigan. But as the conversation reached a lull, you sat back with a sigh.  

“Alright, what did you need to talk to me about?” Danny asked as he leaned one arm over the back of his chair and sipped his cocktail with the other. 

You leaned back forward, folding your hands on the table. 

“They’re firing Y/N.” You said quietly. 

He nearly spit out his drink. “What?! Why? You’re kidding me!” 

“No. They called me and told me she breached her contract by being with Jake.” You replied. 

“Shit man. This is what she was terrified would happen. Damnit.” He said, shaking his head. “Is there anything we can do?”

“I already tried. I went straight to HR, to the top of the food chain. Nothing I could say helped.” You said. 

“So she doesn’t know yet? Jake doesn’t know?” He asked. 

“No, not yet.” You replied, defeat and guilt filling your gut. 

Danny sighed deeply, putting his face in his hands. “So this is why she hasn’t gotten her next assignment yet, huh.” he asks, voice thick with realization.

You nodded. The two of you were silent for a few minutes while you picked at your food, suddenly losing your appetite. 

Danny pushed his plate away. “Wait, how did they get proof? Don’t they need solid evidence?”

“Yeah, he told me they have photo evidence of them acting unprofessionally while we were on tour, just the two of them, I guess. I don’t know.” You said. 

“Photos? So… Summer took those photos?! With her company owned camera? You’re telling me she…followed them whenever they were acting ‘unprofessionally’, and took photos of them without their immediate consent? Without their knowledge?” He said, dumbfounded. 

You hadn’t quite thought about it like that. “Yeah, shit. I guess you’re right. It would’ve had to of been her…what a sheisty…” you bit back your words. 

“Yeah Josh, she was… kind of a bitch. Hitting on Jake like that all the time in front of everyone…She physically touched him more times than I could count. But Y/N is the one getting fired? Sounds like some petty jealousy bullshit to me.” He spat, crossing his arms across his chest. “I’m telling you right now that when they learn about this, Jake will want to see those photos.” 

You nodded. “Yeah, fuck, he definitely will. What should we do, should we… tell them? I don’t know…”

He shook his head side to side. “I mean, yeah, I think we should, but we’ve got to–” he stopped talking, quickly whipping his head to look out the window to the street. He stood up quickly from his chair, almost knocking it backwards. He made a mad dash to the front door, with you on his heels. 

“Daniel, what? What is it?!” You called from behind him. “Where are you going?”

He continued out the front doors, and turned to look down the street. You pushed through the double doors, finding him a few buildings down already. 

“Where the fuck?!” He held his arms up in question, spinning around. You were walking to him still confused as ever, you could hardly keep up with him. 

He kept walking, then suddenly darted right down an alley. You took off in a full on sprint following after him. Next thing you knew, you heard his voice, threatening and loud echoing off the sides of the brick buildings surrounding you. 

“Hey, motherfucker! Turn around! Come back here...” Danny yelled. When you finally caught up to him, you looked down the alleyway to find it blocked off by a fence and dumpsters. 

And there standing in front of it all, was Andy. 

You watched as Danny walked toward him quickly, bowing up and confronting him. 

“Stop fucking running from me, you coward! Turn around and talk, I just want to talk.” Danny said. 

You made your way to stand beside him. “Oh well… if it isn’t my sister in law’s stalker! Back again to follow us around, asshole?” You said, nerves coming into your throat as your spat, you could feel the rage flowing off of Danny’s body onto your own. You’d both been waiting for this. 

Andy stood silently with his hands in his pockets, just looking at the two of you. “Hey, fellas.” He finally spoke, smiling and showing his teeth. “What a pleasure seeing you here in my new hometown! In an alleyway, nonetheless. If I would have known I’d been seeing you in such a rough part of town, I would have dressed nicer, being in the presence of rock and roll royalty.” He seethed, laughing to himself. 

“Shut the fuck up, man. We know you’ve been following her...we’ve seen you at shows all over the country. So, do you have a problem or are you just turning into that big of a fan, hm?” Danny said, stepping closer, meeting his energy. 

Andy stepped closer to him, not needing to crane his neck much to meet him, as they were about the same height. 

“You’re making an awfully serious accusation my friend...stalker? That seems like a really big word…” Andy said in an almost whisper. 

“Yeah, stalker. We’ve fucking seen you. We aren’t stupid. We know what you did to her all those years ago, so don’t play fucking dumb.” You added, trying to break him down. 

“You’re right Josh, it takes one hell of a man to put his hands on a woman over and over…no matter how much she asked him to stop...” Danny added, putting his face dangerously close to Andy’s. 

Andy stepped backwards, calm and cool as ever, laughing to himself, “It’s really cute watching you two come at me in an empty alleyway without your scrapper brother Jake here to defend you. How is his hand these days, anyway?” 

Danny stepped toward him again, forcing his back into the dumpster. “Oh, you son of a bitch... I am not scared of you...you best believe that.” Danny said through his teeth. You could feel the situation heating up, and you were half tempted to let it continue. 

Andy clicked his tongue, “Tsk tsk, you going to put your hands on me now, Danny? That wouldn’t be a good look for your pretty little drummer image. And I know Jake wouldn’t be too happy to hear about that either. Does Y/N know I’ve been coming to your shows? I really am starting to become quite a fan…speaking of Y/N, how are her nightmares? Haven’t heard her screaming in quite some time…” 

Danny couldn’t take it, he shoved his back into the dumpster even harder, practically begging him to react. “You really are just fucking crazy, aren’t you?”

Andy lurched back, shoving Danny backwards. “How’s the single life, Daniel? You enjoying fucking around Nashville?”

Danny came at him again, forcefully shoving his shoulders back. “How the fuck would you know about that? What else do you know, huh? Tell me what else…” 

Andy stumbled forward at the counter effect, pushing into Danny’s chest. You remembered the night in the bar, that Andy could fight. But, Danny could too. 

“Hey, stop it Daniel! He’s just trying to get into your head! You’re giving him what he wants…” you yelled. 

Danny stumbled backward at the force, and finally snapped. They began fighting, an almost exact replay of that night in the bar. You jumped between them, trying your best to pull them apart but not having any luck. They fell to the wet ground in a fit of fists. It was blurry and quick, but Danny held his own, having just a bit more reach and stronger arms than Andy. You caught sight of Danny’s face at one point, covered in blood and a busted lip. 

“Tell me what the fuck else you know! Why are you here?! What do you fuckin’ want?!” Danny yelled, looking as though he was trying to end the fight and hold Andy back. 

“I know a hell of a lot more than you think…” Andy said, finally standing up and separating himself from Danny’s hold. Quickly, Andy reached in his pocket and flipped a shiny silver object out, wielding it directly toward Danny, within inches of his throat. “…But I really don’t think you want to find out, do you Daniel?”

Danny stepped back at the sight of the knife. “You really are a fucking child, aren’t you Andy?” He wiped the blood off his lip as you stepped between the two of them again, holding your hands up to them both to attempt to de-escalate the situation. 

“We’re fine Josh, he won’t do anything with that knife. He isn’t that stupid.” Danny said as he spat blood on the ground in front of him, both of them panting and out of breath. Andy’s eye was already blackened and his cheeks were scuffed and bleeding from rolling on the asphalt. 

“Just leave our families the fuck alone, do you hear me? Stay away from us, or we’re going to be forced to do something a lot more drastic than this... Fuck, we probably already should have...” You said as you took Danny’s arm pulling him as you began to walk away. 

Danny walked backwards watching him as the two of you made it back out of the alleyway, seeing Andy hop up a few stairs, open a door on the side of a building, and begin to make his way inside. 

“Oh, and uh, hey…” Andy called back to the two of you, “Enjoy Y/N as much as you can... Your time with her is… limited.” 

And with that, he threw his head back in laughter and disappeared into the building. 

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Chapter 17

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[ashesofivory]

NIGHT-TIME NICOTINE 🚬

Pairing: Javier Peña x f!reader

Summary: Javier knew cigarettes were bad for his health, but still, he smoke a few a day, due to the stress his work carried over. The thing is- he never expected that the same stuff that was slowly killing him, would led him to meet his new addiction.

Warnings: smoking, mention of drugs, third person, use of she/her, swearing, Javier just being the natural flirt he is.

A/N: God, this scenario has been stuck in my head for some days now, and a friend encouraged me to write it down, despite me not knowing how to write this kind of stuff. But I guess I have nothing to lose? Here goes nothing. (Also, English is not my first language :(.)

Javier had been standing outside for a while, his gaze focused on the flickering street laps all around the neighborhood. He took a drag of his Malboro cigarette, a cloud of smoke coming out of his lips in the following seconds. It had been a long day, without much progress in Escobar’s case, but still, a long, exhausting day. And for Javier, all he wanted now was for him to enjoy his cigarette, and the ones that would come after.

He looked up to the sky, the stars shining above and for a moment- he felt the world disappear. All his troubles seemed to fade away, except only the smell of nicotine and the visible smoke surrounding him.

The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his daze, out of that moment of peace and quiet. He turned his head, in the direction where the footsteps were coming from, the cigarette still in his lips.

“Evening.”

“Evening.” A woman with gorgeous shiny hair said, her voice quiet, like velvet to his ear.

She leaned against one of the street lamps, the one just in front of Javier. She was wearing a white tank top, and some low-waisted jeans- still, that didn’t mean the shape of her body couldn’t be noticed. She reached into one of her pockets, and took out a single cigarette, much thinner that the one he had between his lips, and lit it, the momentary fire of the lighter lighting up her face.

Peña let his gaze travel over her, starting with her head, then moving onto her face for a couple seconds, before finally landing on her hips. The Texan cleared his throat, and looked into her eyes while speaking.

“…You lost?” He chuckled a bit at the end of his sentence, before taking another puff of his cigarette.

“No, not lost. But hey, thanks for caring.” The woman answered, winking at him, before taking a drag of her own cigarette, the smoke soon surrounding her.

“You sure? There’s a lot of people who would love to do you bad around here…” Javi’s gaze was still on the woman, as his hand gripped onto the barrel of his pistol. “And I wouldn’t allow a fine looking woman like yourself get hurt. Not on my watch.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to get hurt.“ She lifted up her shirt just a bit, revealing a small pistol on her belt.

It was common for some women in Colombia to carry weapons like that one, due to the amount of threat and danger they constantly were at, especially at night.

“But it’s nice to know someone has got your back.” She said, taking another drag, this one a bit longer.

Javier’s hand slowly loosened his grip onto the barrel of his weapon, raising and eyebrow and his lips curving up a bit at the side of her forearm. “That’s nice” He said, a crooked grin spreading across his face as he chuckled. “You got some guts carrying around a gun in a country like this. But I won’t tell anyone. Our secret” he rasped, along with a wink.

“Our secret” She repeated, winking lightly back at him, as she took another drag. The light of the street lamp flickering on top of her every now and then.

“May I ask; why are you out this late?” The DEA Agent asked, his eyes shifting over to look at the woman, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“I don’t like smoking inside my house. Smoking itself is already pretty bad, so I prefer the damage being done just to my lungs, not also to my furniture.”

“Well, seems like it’s reasonable enough.” He grinned, shaking his head at the idea. “It you don’t mind me asking, a gorgeous lady like you has to have a pretty name, right?” He asked, his eyes not leaving hers for a moment- he loved eye contact, and he was well aware he had an effect on women doing that.

“Y/N.” She answered, bringing her cigarette once more to her lips, taking another puff from it, leaving a slight lipstick stain on it.

For a split second, Javier wished he was that cigarette, her lips all over him, leaving marks with her beautiful lips on his tanned skin.

“Javier Peña. Nice to meet you, Y/N.” He said, her name leaving his lips sensually, as if he could repeat it a million times, and never get tired of it. “What brings you out here, gorgeous?”

“I live in the apartments just at the end of the street.” She then looked at the end of the street, her cigarette hanging at the edge of her lips.

“Is that a fact? Is it nice there?” Javier grinned, rising an eyebrow.

The truth is- he didn’t give a fuck about the apartments, he just wanted to hear her voice, her sweet, soft voice. It was like music to his ears, and he had heard many women’s talk before, even moaning his name into his ear, but for him, Y/N’s voice was unique, and he loved it.

“It’s nice, yeah. I mean, there’s nothing much to say. Just a bunch of apartments.” She laughed a bit at the question, at the silliness of it, before taking another drag from her cigarette. “What’s a man like you doing here so late in the day?”

“Well…” Javi sighed, “It’s been a long day. I’m a DEA Agent, so sometimes work just gets… overwhelming. And I know this neighborhood is pretty calm and quiet at this time, so I decided to walk for a bit while smoking.” Javier shrugged, looking away for a moment. “What brings you out this late, aside from wanting to smoke outside?”

“Nothing, really. Just smoking. I always smoke one cig before going to bed. How come I never see you around this neighborhood? Seems like you come here often.”

The Texan bit his lip at the question. He knew this neighborhood because many of the hookers he slept with lived here. But he couldn’t tell her that, he didn’t want to scare away the possibilities of spending some more time with him.

“Ah, so this is routine for you. Well, I don’t make myself seen a lot. I tent to blend in with the shadows.” He lied, before looking back at her. “Unless I see a pretty girl like you.” He winked at her, taking a drag from his own Malboro.

“Fair enough. You know, drug’s a problem in this neighborhood, just so you know. There’s almost a drug dealer in every corner.” She said, looking down at her feet.

“Really? If that’s the case, I’ll make sure to stick around, so none of these people come near you” He took some steps closer to her. “You won’t need to worry about these guys coming near you, not as long as I’m here.”

“I though you said you were a DEA Agent, not a personal bodyguard?” She smirked, before taking another drag.

Just when Javi though she couldn’t get any better- she also had a sense of humor, and a slight hint of teasing in her voice.

“That’s true. You got me.” He smirked. “But seems like I have to play bodyguard for you, now. I’ll take on the responsibility.”

“Thank you, Javi” she winked at him, before taking her last drag from her cigarette.

When he heard his name come out of her mouth, he felt the urge to push her against the street lamp, and take her there, his lips on hers, on her neck, on her collar bone. He could already feel his hands on her skin, going all over her body, on her skin, him just burning at the touch of her skin. He desired her, but not like he desired other woman. It was beyond what he was used to- and he couldn’t get enough of the feeling.

“Sadly,” her voice took him out from his thoughts. “I better be heading back now, my cigarette’s over.”

“If you say so, princess. Are you gonna be alright? Don’t you want me to walk you to your place?” He asked, with a wink.

“I’m gonna be alright, don’t you worry.” She threw her cigarette to the ground, stepping on it. “But thanks for the offer, bodyguard.”

“You have nothing to thank, gorgeous. As long as you’re safe. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

As he talked, she walked over to him, and took his cigarette from his mouth, bringing it to her lips, and taking a long drag from it, leaving a stain on it, before placing it back between his lips.

Javi was caught off guard, as his cigarette was taken from his lips and was now in hers, but he couldn’t avoid smirking at the view. “You’re such a tease.”

“I know. Now, you have the taste on my lips in that cigarette of yours. You’re welcome.” She said, placing a hand to his chest as she talked, before removing it and walking away, to her apartment, slowly disappearing into the shadows, out of Javier’s view.

He let out a sigh, and took a drag from the cigarette, her taste in it- sweet, perfect with the strong one coming from the nicotine. He shook his head with a chuckle.

“Damn… you really got me, princess.” He mumbled to himself.

Javier’s eyes stared ahead of him, as his hand went to his pocket. He had a look of playfulness and amusement still in his eyes, as a large grin was on his face. The Texan chuckled once more to himself. The though of having her taste on the cigarette, and now in his tongue was definitely going to make him go wild for the rest of the night.

“She was really something else.”

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