#call me everyday Chris brown

[stanforbreezy]

Call Me Everyday - Chris Brown ft. WizKid

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[g5ty]

-TY

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[cutthroat-coquette]

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[naijalanded1]

Chris Brown ft. Wizkid – Call Me Everyday Lyrics

Chris Brown ft. Wizkid – Call Me Everyday Lyrics

Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to Billboard, Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contemporaries as the “King of R&B”. Artist: Chris Brown Featured artist: Wizkid Album: Breezy Released: 2022 Genres: R&B/Soul, Afrobeats Lyrics Come rewind o Girl I get the money wey…

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[macronwill]

Video : Chris Brown Call Me Everyday Ft Wizkid

Video : Chris Brown Call Me Everyday Ft Wizkid

Chris Brown, an American Singer, Song writer and dancer teases yet another brand new song Call Me Everyday featuring Wizkid. Chris Brown Call Me Everyday Ft Wizkid video, Audio and lyrics is now on board for your listening pleasure. Chris Brown Call Me Everyday Ft Wizkid Video Enjoy Breezy’s Latest New Single featuring Nigeria Best Singer, Wizkid. Chris Brown Call Me Everyday Ft Wizkid…

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[gkingmusik]

Chris Brown Ft Wizkid “Call Me Everyday” vs Dababy Ft. Davido “Showing Off Her Body” – Which Is The Dopest Jam?

Chris Brown Ft Wizkid “Call Me Everyday” vs Dababy Ft. Davido “Showing Off Her Body” – Which Is The Dopest Jam?

Hello Music lovers, It’s a beautiful afternoon and I want to engage you all that understand music in a very beautiful discussion so you all can tell which song is more doper.. NOTE:- If you know you don,t really understand music, abeg waka pass jejely before I change am for you. Chris Brown and Wizkid came back with another master piece titled “Call Me Everyday” years after the duo had…

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[dreamwidegh]

Chris Brown - Call Me Everyday ft Wizkid

Chris Brown – Call Me Everyday ft Wizkid

Listen to this brand new song by “Chris Brown – Call Me Everyday ft Wizkid” Chris Brown – Call Me Everyday ft Wizkid mp3 Download. Talented Act and songwriter, Chris Brown releases this brand new song dubbed “Call Me Everyday” Talented Musician and Songwriter, Wizkid makes a guest appearance on Chris Brown’s song “Call Me Everyday”. The song “Call Me Everyday” is a wonderful number which is a…

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[babatundebase]

(MUSIC) Chris Brown ft Wizkid – Call Me Everyday

(MUSIC) Chris Brown ft Wizkid – Call Me Everyday

Download Mp3 Chris Brown ft Wizkid – Call Me Everyday Chris Brown released another hit single which the Tittle of the song was called Call Me Everyday feature Wizkid much Lovely tune ever. He included the vocal powers of Wizkid, a fantastic Nigerian singer, composer, and Star Boy Leisure boss, on this superb music. The present single could also be a perplexing tune to take heed to. So, in the…

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#Call me Everyday #Chris Brown #Wizkid

[evelynsturn]

Forgive Me?

Parings: Matt Sturniolo x Fem!reader

Summary: Matt hasn’t been spending time with you for a few weeks and it was really starting to bother you

Warnings: cussing , a bit of angst , slight smut at the end , mentions of y/n ,

Your boyfriend is always on the game. Always. Normally you wouldn’t have a problem with it but its been becoming a routine for him. He’d leave during the day to go run errands or to film with his brothers and stay out for hours but once he comes back, he just turns on his computer and gets on the game with Chris and Nick.

It was fine at first since you knew how busy he was and didn’t really get time to himself but now its starting to bother you since Matt hasn’t been paying much attention to you. Yeah he’ll say good morning and go to sleep with you but by the time him and his brothers get off, you’re either extremely tired or already asleep and you were getting tired of him not acknowledging you and not giving you attention but you didn’t say anything since you didn’t want to come off as clingy.

You were laying on Matt’s silky brown sheets with his blanket wrapped around you as you scrolled on your phone and tried to distract yourself from how loud Matt’s screaming at his brothers on his mic was. Having to listen to Matt screaming everyday really did annoy the shit out of you so you always did something to keep you entertained and help drown out your boyfriends screaming, even if it was sitting on his bed reading or picking up the house a bit but no matter what you did, you were just getting more annoyed by the second.

You turned your phone off and leaned against his bedframe as you stared at the back of his head and his monitor, trying to fight the courage to say something, but Matt felt your stares and pulled his headset off one of his ears so he can hear you before he asked “you okay?” You didn’t reply to him.

You felt annoyed by him and a bit mad that this is how its been for the past two weeks. You just continued to stare at his head and stayed quiet.

“y/n?” He said and you didn’t answer again. He sighed and put his headset back over his ear before he turned his attention back to his game, not that he ever turned his attention to you in the first place.

You were a bit hurt that he couldn’t even look at you for even a second and just decided to lay back down before you pulled the blanket to your face and let a few tears fall out your eyes until eventually you fell asleep.

You woke up a sudden movement behind you and felt arms wrapped around your waist, you didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Matt. You tiredly pushed his arms away from your waist and scooted closer towards your side as you pulled the blanket over you.

“y/n?” You heard your boyfriend say in a bit of a tired voice. “hm.” you lazily hum. “whats wrong?” he asked, obviously sensing you were upset. “nothing.” you said flatly before Matt just sighed again. You thought was going to be the end of it but you suddenly felt his hand on your waist and before you could blink, you were pinned down against his mattress with his hands wrapped around your wrist with Matt towered over you.

“What the fuck Matt” you tried you move your wrist but he had a strong grip on them. “You’re not gonna go to sleep acting like a brat, so you can either tell me whats wrong or you’re not going to sleep at all” his tone was a bit harsh and a bit raspy because of how much he screamed at his brothers and his tone kind of scared you but him calling you a “brat” pissed you off.

“why do you want to start giving me attention now.?” you asked in a monotone as you stared up at him.

“What are you talking about?” He asked cluelessly and a bit annoyed since he’s tired.

“Matt. You haven’t given me attention in weeks because you’re too busy gaming. You haven’t even realized it bothered me until right now” you admitted in a tired tone. Matt went quiet for a minute as he started to realize he really hasn’t been showing you much affection recently.

He looked down at you for a minute before he let go of your wrists and flipped you guys over so he could rest you on top of him. You didn’t resist, you just allowed yourself to be held by Matt since you’ve wanted his attention for a while.

Matt ran his fingers through your hair as you buried your head in his chest and wrapped your arms around his neck. “I’m sorry ma. I didn’t realize it bothered you that much” he whispered in a gentle tone as he rested his chin on your head.

“of course it bothered me” you mumbled, not picking your head up from his chest.

“I know, please forgive me” he whispered again and gently rubbed your back. You hesitated for minute, unsure if you could forgive him but right as you were about to reply but you looked down and saw the imprint of his dick through his sweats and it gave you a idea.

You brushed your thigh against him and earned a small sigh from him. Your ears perked when you heard him and just continued to rub your thigh against him as you slightly picked up your head from his chest and watched his facial expressions while he groaned. He looked down at you with a slightly confused look and you gave him a slight smirk before you whispered “I don’t think im ready to forgive you yet…”

a/n: This is my first time writing and posting a fic so bare with me😭

#matt sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #matt sturniolo smut #sturniolo triplets #chris sturniolo #nick sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #nate doe #matt sturniolo fanfic #chris sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo #the sturniolos #matt sturniolo imagine #matthew sturniolo x reader

[lexisecretaccx]

Valentino Pt. 1 - Chris Sturniolo

I’ve chosen to not continue this series I’m really sorry y’all I just don’t feel drawn to the storyline! I will write more Chris fics but this one’s hard to get into writing❤️😞

(Fem reader x Chris sturniolo, not smut)

“Why do you even want those shoes?” I look up at my friend Lizzie and I don’t say anything. “They just seem like a waste of money, money you don’t have.” She huffs before continuing to eat her fries. I put down my burger before saying “Firstly they aren’t just any shoes! Have you seen them? and you’re wrong, I do have the money for them I just got my bonus. So I’m gonna spend my well earned money on them.” She rolls her eyes and finishes up her food. “I’m gonna head off now, but don’t come running to me if you lose all your money on stupid shoes.” Before I get to say anything back she walks away.

Bitch.

Who is she to tell me what to spend my money on? If I want to blow 1000$ of my money on some shoes then I can and will. She’s just jealous because she got fired for stealing from her job. Okay the more I think about it the crazier my decision sounds. 1k for shoes? Fuck it, I want the shoes so I’m gonna get them.

I walk into the Valentino store and I feel like I shouldn’t be here. I’m wearing lowrise jeans and a cami top, most the women in here are wearing fancy dresses and are with men who look like they walked straight out of The Godfather.

I know exactly what I’m going to buy so I head over to the shoes.

There they are ‘VLOGO SIGNATURE SATIN SLINGBACK PLATFORM PUMP 120MM’ I look at the price tag. 1300$. Shit I hope I have enough. I should right? I start getting nervous and I’m getting glared at by some lady standing with her husband. If looks could kill I swear I’d be carried outta this shop on a stretcher.

I get to the cashier and straight away I get judged by the man behind the counter. What’s up with judgy rich people. “You’re buying this?” The man asks and I look up with an offended face. “Yes I am, why do you seem surprised?” He just shrugs and adds up the total. I can feel someone waiting behind me and I don’t want to hold up the queue.

“Insert your card please.” The man says impatiently, I put my card in and type the pin before removing it again. My worst fear comes true when the card reader says ‘DECLINED’. My heart drops and I feel my face go red and I start shaking. “Sometimes it does that, try again.” The man repeats but this time he sounds even more annoyed. I try again. ‘DECLINED’.

“I’m so sorry I..” I stutter and can’t get words out because of how embarrassing this situation is. I feel someone’s brush past me before the person who was behind me inserts their card into the machine. “What, no don’t do that! It’s a lot of money and-” “I got it.” It’s a man’s voice and I go to turn to face him my mouth still open in shock at how easily he paid for it.

“Um ok, here’s your bag miss.” The man behind the counter hands me my bag with the shoes inside. “Thanks” I mutter. When I turn back the guy who paid for me is walking away. “Hey!” I call and he stops and turns on his feet to face me, he’s got brown hair, blue eyes and cheekbones that an everyday man could only dream of having. “Yeah?” He looks at me with confusion plastered across his face. “You didn’t have to do that back there, that was so much money I-” he smiles slightly. “Yeah well you looked like you were about to curl up into a ball and cry, I felt bad so I paid for you is that a problem?” He tilted his head slightly and a strand of hair fell into his face.

“I just don’t want you to waste your money on someone you don’t know.” I say with concern.

“Don’t worry bout it, what if I got to know you, then I’m not ‘wasting my money’ on a stranger?” He smirks at me and I look at him surprised at what he had said, “are you like asking me on a date or something?” He chuckles “yeah I guess I am, wear those pretty shoes I bought you.” My jaw drops. This feels like it’s straight out of a movie, he’s gorgeous and.. “Are you gonna accept the date or just keep gawking at me?” I feel my cheeks go red, “uh yeah I accept.” I laugh nervously, he gets his phone out and hands it to me.

“Put your name and number in there.” He says while smiling and I type my details in before handing his phone back to him, I can’t help but notice his veiny hands and how much bigger they are than mine. “Y/n.” He says. I look up at him, “yep that’s my, uh name.” I chuckle nervously again before looking away. He chuckles at my awkwardness.

“I’ll text you about the date, and I’ll send you my details so you can pay me back.” He says with a stern look. “Oh yeah of course, I was gonna ask you about that I can-” He interupts me by laughing “I was kidding don’t worry about it, you paid me back by agreeing to go on a date with me.” He smiles, “wow that is, cheesy to say the least.” I smile and start laughing with him “yeah I don’t know why I said that sorry.” We both laugh and he looks down at his phone, “I gotta go meet my brothers but I’ll text you!” “Yeah thank you so much again.” He smiles “no worries” and he starts walking off.

I can’t even fathom what just happened, I look down at the bag of shoes and realise that I have my dream shoes, 1000$ and a date with a hot guy.

Suddenly a text pops up on my phone ‘unknown number’ that must be from him.

A/n : Omgomgomg this is my first fic in a while and I kinda love it. I really hope you guys enjoy and I don’t know if this is good so imma reread it a few times to check for mistakes🤍 I don’t really know how to write fics but hopefully this will go good!!

#sturniolo triplets #sturniolo #chris sturniolo #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolos #chris sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo smut #matt sturniolo #Valentino #series #part 1 #fanfic #triplets #christopher sturniolo #nick sturniolo

[spotsandsocks]

Something Worth Staying For

🥳Happy Birthday to the wonderful creative supportive @cowboy-buddie who makes this fandom so much fun for me. Love ya Kels Please accept this little gift, my attempt at an enemies to friends to lovers AU. 5 chapters 1 coming at you everyday (so I have time to finish the last chapter🤣)

Chapter 1 2.4K Read on AO3

Living in a small town wasn’t for everyone but Eddie liked it. When he and Chris had settled here he hadn’t been sure but slowly the place had gotten under his skin and now he was as good as a local. Well almost, Chim still called him cowboy sometimes, but Eddie had decided ignoring that was the best plan and it had mostly worked. Chim only called him that these days when he wanted to be particularly annoying. Not that he doesn’t love Chim, the man has become like his brother. In fact he’s built a small family for himself and Chris here. It turns out taking a job at a small town newspaper was the best idea he’s had in years. He’s never quite gotten over the surprise of his new boss, the paper’s editor waiting for him with his wife outside Eddie’s new front door on the day they arrived.

Bobby and Athena had been there from the start ready with a home cooked meal for their first night in town, helping them unpack, and essentially making him and Chris feel more welcome than Eddie had ever expected when he’d nervously said yes to a fresh start  and moved himself and his son halfway across the country after his divorce was finalized. 

Now he’s made a home here and has an extended family he loves dearly. It’s almost perfect. Except, he does get a little lonely sometimes, Chris is getting older and  when he’s busy and Eddie’s all alone in his house he sometimes wishes that he had someone to share his life with, he’d dated a few of the women in town but nothing had clicked. Not that he was especially bothered by the failure, he hadn’t actually really liked any of them but it would be nice to have someone special.

He’s been here almost three years now and it seems pretty unlikely that he’s going to find his dream partner, after all what are the chances of the  perfect person just turning up in Eagle Creek one day and being interested in a thirty year old single dad holding down a quiet job writing local news stories for a small town paper. 

“Eddie?”

Eddie looks up and takes a breath. 

Whatever he’d been expecting when Bobby said his name it wasn’t to see the man standing next to him. He’s tall, well built to say the least, with sandy hair which might have been blonde or brown depending on the light, and extremely blue eyes. There’s a mark of some kind over his left eye and he wonders if it’s a bruise or something more permanent. It doesn’t diminish the man’s good looks in fact in Eddie’s opinion it enhances them. Frankly he’s gorgeous. Eddie knows he finds men as attractive if not more attractive at times than women but he’s never particularly felt the urge to investigate where those thoughts could take him. He’s not a casual kind of guy and the trouble with gorgeous people is they so very often know it and in his personal (and relatively limited) experience that does very little for their personality. 

This  guy is so pretty he’s probably a complete jerk. 

Despite those warning bells as they  look at each other the stranger smiles and Eddie can’t help how his eyes flick down then back up again almost immediately, it's a nice smile. A little shy, almost sweet even. The guy isn’t giving off any particularly arrogant jackass vibes. Eddie wants to but he doesn’t let himself look again, turning his head to focus on Bobby instead.  Actually the new guy looks a lot like Bobby, maybe he’s his nephew or something, just visiting. 

Eddie returns his boss and friend’s smile, feeling strangely apprehensive for some reason. Maybe it’s because Bobby looks guilty. Eddie recognises the slightly shifty expression on the older man’s face. What has he done?

He finds out quickly.

“Eddie this is um, Buck. He’s uh…  he’s going to be working here.” Bobby won’t look at him and is rubbing his hand across his chin nervously. 

Well that’s unexpected. Eddie can’t help the sudden sharp furrow of surprise and suspicion on his brow. Bobby hadn’t mentioned anything about someone new. Do they really need someone new? Eddie hadn’t thought so in fact he’s mildly irritated by the news. Why hadn’t he been told? He looks at this ‘Buck’ person again with fresh eyes. Maybe he does look like a bit of a jerk after all. 

Jerk or not he’s still ridiculously good looking and Eddie can just imagine the stir someone who looks like Buck is going to cause in town. Nightmare, he can expect a stream of people asking him for the new guy at the paper’s number. Urgh... Just what he needs.

Bobby’s still talking, “so Buck is gonna be helping with some stuff, improvements I guess you could call it.”

Blue eyes sparkle and the man beams.  What kind of name is Buck anyway?   And really who needs to be that handsome, it’s just excessive. And wait did Eddie just hear Bobby say improvements? A sinking feeling hits him, oh no,  he didn’t actually do it did he? Bobby’s been threatening to do something about the computers since before Eddie arrived, surely he hasn’t finally done it has he?

The scowl on Eddie’s face deepens and he fails to notice the smile slipping from his new colleague’s face.

“Buck and his sister have just moved here, Maddie’s a nurse and Buck here is…” Bobby pauses and Eddie’s suspicions grow. Bobby can’t quite meet his eye. Yeah he has a bad feeling about this, there can only be one reason Bobby’s springing this on him now. Only one thing this guy is here to do. 

Still looking anywhere than at him, Bobby takes a breath and reveals Buck’s role  at the paper.

“Well Buck here, he’s well, he’s a bit of a computer whizz and kind of a social media consultant.” He says those three words quickly and moves on. “He’s going to upgrade our IT, get us online and run the “socials.” Bobby  glances  proudly at Buck for getting the word right. 

Eddie doesn’t register the responding shy and pleased smile from the younger man all he notices are the air quotes dropping in around ‘Socials’ 

The word is unfamiliar and unwelcome on Bobby's lips. Frankly he feels a little betrayed, why hasn’t he been told? He bets Karen knew  which means Hen knew and that means Chimney does as well. They’ve all probably been very  amused about how badly he’ll take it. He also thought Bobby felt the same way about the perils of the internet as he did. It’s not that he can’t use it. He has a smart phone, he can download apps just fine thank you and while it’s a running joke around here that Eddie doesn’t ‘do’ technology he’s not actually an idiot. If he wants to, he can use computers just fine, he’ll accept that the internet is vaguely useful and if he wanted to have ‘socials’ he would. He just doesn’t choose to because it stupid and pointless and you can’t really trust the internet,  no one's ever been able to convince him his phone isn’t listening to him.

Buck draws his attention back from Bobby when he speaks for the first time with what Eddie considers an unnecessarily smug quirk of his mouth,  “I’m here to drag you all into the 21st century.”

“I’m fine where I am, thank you.” His voice sounds cold even to himself.

Despite glaring at new guy he catches Bobby's wince out of the corner of his eye. He knows he sounds positively hostile but he’s annoyed. The newest member of the team obviously recognises that too because the smile vanishes.

Eddie doesn’t feel bad for being unwelcoming. Not even a little bit.

Bobby sighs wearily, “This is why I didn’t tell you. You know we need to modernize. It’ll be good for us. We can reach more people, be faster, it’ll make things easier for everyone.”

Bobby pauses obviously hoping for something back. He doesn’t get it so he just shrugs, “It’s going to happen Eddie .”

“You’re the boss Bobby.” There that was neutral, mostly.

Eddie stands, avoiding eye contact with both men. “I’m going out to get lunch.” 

He doesn’t offer to get anything for anyone, which he knows is rude but he doesn’t care much right now..

Eddie lets the door behind him slam on his way out.

Bobby sighs dramatically next to him as  Buck keeps his expression as blank as he can; that did not go well. That went very badly indeed.

“That was actually ok, I was worried he’d take it worse.” 

Buck turns slowly to stare at his new boss a little incredulously. Bobby thinks that went well? Shit how bad does this Eddie guy get?

When they’d walked in Buck had been taken aback by the man sitting behind the desk. His dark hair and soft brown eyes had looked inviting for a moment. He’d smiled softly and something had tripped and fluttered in his chest. He was a damn attractive man and then when he’d started scowling at him well Buck’s always liked a challenge but he’s not stupid. He knows instant dislike when he sees it.

It’s too bad he would have liked to have made a friend. At least he has Maddie to keep him company.

“He’s not particularly friendly is he?” 

Bobby chuckles dryly,  “He is, once you get to know him. He’s a really great guy.  I think you too could be good friends.” Another sigh as Bobby looks towards the door,  “It’s my fault, I did surprise him. I’ve been putting off telling him about you. it’s just  he really does hate computers.”

Buck arches an eyebrow at the door the hot angry man had just walked out of.

“I can tell.”

“Whoah man! Mind my door.”

Chimney looks up from behind the counter where he’s just finished pouring a coffee. 

“What’s got you all twisty.”

Eddie glowers at him, “Nothing, just come for my lunch. Is that a crime?”

“Delightful mood I see?”  Karen’s voice floats over from where she’s working on her laptop at one of Chimney’s tables.

He turns, as expected she’s staring  at him, unimpressed. She fixes him with a penetrating stare which he avoids. He’s very aware he’s in a bad mood and she should know why,  after all everyone else has been told. 

He can’t help the snap in his voice, “So why aren’t you in the office to greet our new colleague.”

Karen’s eyebrows lift eloquently. He knows she knows but will she admit it?  God he’s annoyed. He doesn’t really know why he’s so upset either. Except maybe there was a moment when he looked into blue eyes that he’d felt something only to have it washed away by Bobby’s words and his rush of irritation.

Karen sips her latte coolly, “I’m a free spirit Diaz, I go wherever I want and right now I want to be here because I like it here, I get to see my wife and she brings me coffee and I get to eat Chimney’s pastries. 

She pauses and looks at him with far too much insight.

“So he’s here then.”

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Chim retreat.  

He knew, she knew! Everyone but him, his irritation rises again, he can just imagine it don’t tell Eddie, he’ll freak out! He’ll make a fuss.

He ignores the tiny voice inside him saying 'and were they wrong? You’re not exactly winning employee of the month right now are you?' He ignores that and  lets the comforting haze of indignation wash over him. 

“So you did know! Charming.” Karen’s admission really does nothing to improve his mood.

Karen rolls her eyes at  him. “Oooh you really are in a snit aren’t you? Poor guy can’t have upset you already. He’s not even been here a day.”

“And…” she says with a waggle of her finger “you can’t blame Bobby for putting it off. Every time he’s so much as mentioned going online you pull a face.” She nods at him, “Yeah that one.”

 He quickly wipes the expression away,  “and you sulk for at least a day.”

“I do not.”

Another voice joins in, “You do.”

Chimney’s contribution is as unwelcome as this ‘Buck’ back at his office is.

However Chimney is as resistant to his glaring as Karen is. 

“Ok so maybe I do a bit,” he admits it reluctantly “But we don’t need to go online and we certainly don’t need that guy.”

“I’ve heard he is very good at his job annnnnd…” Karen adds nonchalantly, getting somewhere close to the hidden heart of his discomfort  “I’ve seen his picture, online , “ he throws her yet another narrow eyed glare for that jibe “and if I wasn’t a happily married lesbian I’d say he’s hot. He’s going to be a popular boy round here!” 

She laughs at the noise he makes.

“He’s not that good looking” he lies because he can, “and I don’t have to like him.”

Karen stands up folding her laptop as she does. She looks more serious, teasing gone. 

“No you don’t but you do have to work with him. And the poor guy’s not done anything wrong.”

He hangs onto his resentment justified or not, he’s no longer so sure, and answers with a single surly word and sits down.

“Yet.” 

“Eddie,” Karen sighs his name, “You’re being unreasonable and you know it.”

“Perhaps I like being unreasonable.” He leans back in his chair and folds his arms then unfolds them because it looks too defensive and he doesn’t want to prove her right.

Karen shakes her head, “Go play nice with the new kid or Bobby will put you in time out.”

Eddie ignores her. He’s not sure why but this Buck guy is already under his skin. 

Karen moves towards the door, “I’m going to go meet him, you’ll be back soon right?” 

He mutters “Sure” and accepts the warning look he gets from his friend. “I’ll be polite, promise.”

He can be polite to this new guy, he is  a professional  after all and it’ll be fine. He probably won’t have  too much to do with him anyway. 

Eddie waits for his order and wonders how annoying can one guy be? 

#buddie #911 fox #eddie diaz #evan buckley #buddie fic #happy birthday kels #911 on fox #911fic #911 fic #buddie au #enemies to lovers

[k-evans-reads]

Playing With Fire

Chapter 12 - Part One

Summary: After a change of heart nearly ten years into her career as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse, Ellie Maxwell has moved back home and returned to her old job at the local bakery, where the regulars are the firefighters from down the street. When sparks begin to fly between Ellie and the guarded, closed-off Chris, will anything come of it?

Pairing: Firefighter!Chris Evans X OFC Elizabeth “Ellie” Maxwell

Word Count: 7,891

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: Emotions. Some Angst!

Previous | Main Masterlist | Playing With Fire Masterlist

“Alright Hazel Basil, it’s just about bedtime,” Chris told the little curly-haired girl with a sigh as he moved to let Dodger inside from the backyard, turning off the porch light and locking the back door before he turned back around. 

He stifled a laugh as his eyes met Hazel’s wide, tired brown eyes, but what amused him was the tiny fists on her hips as she insisted, through a small yawn, “But I’m not tired yet!” 

“Really? Because you were looking really sleepy to me,” Chris muttered as he rose a single eyebrow, recalling the way just moments ago she didn’t even argue when he brushed her hair and put it into a loose ponytail, something that normally didn’t happen without a multitude of tears, or the way she rubbed at her eyes nearly every minute. 

Her small shoulders rose and fell as she looked away, quiet for a moment before she insisted, “No, I was just pretending.” 

“Well then you’ll just have to pretend to be asleep when I tuck you in,” Chris sighed, nodding his head towards her.  “C’mon, Hazelnut.” 

With a small pout, she did as he said, collecting her stuffed animals in her tiny arms as she started trudging behind him. Chris felt like a mother duck with Hazel trailing behind him and Dodger behind her as he walked through the bottom floor of the house, turning off the lights and checking that the front door was locked. Once he confirmed that it was, he turned around to scoop up the little girl in his arms, her round cheek resting against his shoulder, stuffed animals pressed into his chest as he took hold of a few in his spare arm, and her tiny hand resting on his neck while she asked, “Daddy, why do you lock the doors?” 

“To keep us safe,” he whispered, watching as Dodger sped up the stairs as he - and Hazel - slowly followed him. 

He felt Hazel nod, her cheek pressing into his shoulder as she, in a serious tone, whispered, “Oh yeah, so no dinosaurs get in our house.” 

Chris let out a short, loud laugh as he shook his head, straining his neck to look down at his little girl and press a kiss to her forehead. “Well yeah, I mean, we couldn’t let dinosaurs get inside and eat us, now could we?” He asked, smiling as she shook her head back. 

They stopped on the landing at the top of the stairs, Chris setting Hazel down and telling her to brush her teeth quickly before he met her in her room. Once he heard her turn the water on, he headed into her room to put the multitude of stuffed animals on her bed. He was still snickering to himself as he thought of Hazel’s simple words just a moment ago about dinosaurs getting inside, prompting him to pull out his phone and send what had just happened in a text to Ellie, smiling widely when she immediately responded with, “That just made my night. Hazel is just too funny!”

He sent back a quick text, telling her that he’d call her once he got Hazel to bed before slipping his phone back into the pocket of his sweatpants, a different feeling in his heart than there was a few minutes ago. It had been so long since he felt something like this… that feeling of just getting to share little moments from his everyday life with someone. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized he hadn’t ever really had that with Ashlee, even before Hazel. Their relationship had never been like that, but what he had with Ellie was so different. He wanted to share every moment of every day with her, even the boring bits. And he never had to feel as though he was sharing too much or was coming on too strong because Ellie loved getting to hear these bits and pieces, and did the same in return. He knew about the customer who called for a birthday cake earlier that afternoon, what flavor muffin Ellie was thinking of doing for Valentine’s week, and the cake she spent nearly the entire night decorating the previous day. 

Just talking to her felt so good, let alone when he got to spend time with her and it had become his normal routine to call her every night once Hazel was in bed, the two of them talking about everything and nothing until they were about to fall asleep. He knew that he only wanted more in this relationship. More time with her, more moments to share together, and just more of Ellie. He knew if that was going to happen, he had to talk to Hazel about it and let the two of them get to know each other even though that thought terrified him because of his past hurts. 

Ever since he had come back from his weekend with Ellie in New York almost two weeks ago, he had known he had to talk to Ashlee about his relationship with Ellie. He had been avoiding the conversation that he knew would be a point of contention until this past Sunday when he picked up Hazel and sent her to gather her toys from her room while he talked to Ashlee and although she had been upset at first about the prospect of him introducing Ellie to their daughter as his girlfriend, she eventually reluctantly relented and agreed to it. 

But for some reason Chris had yet to have that conversation with Hazel. It was Wednesday night, his last night with her before he dropped off Hazel at school in the morning and went to work and he knew that he had to tackle this conversation tonight. He couldn’t figure out if he was nervous for Hazel’s reaction, or if he was more afraid of the possible outcome, knowing he could bring Ellie into her life only to one day have her leave. He felt solely responsible for the hurt in Hazel’s life regarding the divorce, knowing that although Ashlee’s cheating wasn’t his fault, it was his fault for marrying someone he should have never been with in the first place. Chris carried such a weight on his shoulders in regards to his life choices that had brought pain to his precious Hazel and didn’t want to bring in more than necessary. 

But he loved Ellie. 

He loved Ellie more than he thought possible and didn’t want to have these two separate lives. He wanted to bring them together… to have a family. And he wasn’t going to skirt around the issue anymore, deciding to tackle the situation when his curly headed daughter walked back in the room, showing him her teeth and declaring they all were clean now. 

“Alright Basil, which stuffed animals are sleeping in bed with you tonight?” Chris asked, pulling her blankets back and watching as the little girl picked up her duck stuffed animal before she moved to climb into bed, surrounded by the animals that Chris had carried up the stairs. 

“Mr. Duck needs a turn,” she declared, then she pushed the well-loved lion into his hands. “And Lenny the lion needs to sleep in bed with you to protect you from the dinosaurs.” 

“I’m sure Lenny will do a great job protecting me in case any of those pesky dinosaurs get in,” he chuckled, moving to sit on the edge of her bed, his back against the white wooden headboard and his legs stretched in front of him. His hand found Hazel’s small back as the little girl moved with a small sigh to lay down, her head in his lap. “Hey Hazelnut, I want to talk to you about something before you go to sleep,” he murmured, his hand moving in small circles over her striped pajama top. 

Her fingers moved to pull at a loose thread on Chris’ sweatpants, her other hand rubbing on her pale green baby blanket. “What, daddy?” 

“Well, you remember my friend Ellie don’t you?” 

He watched as she nodded, a small smile on her face as she remembered, “Yeah she makes all the yummy cookies.” 

“She does make yummy cookies,” Chris agreed, a similar grin appearing on his lips easily before he turned his attention back to his main goal, his fingers moving to tap her back intermittently instead. “Do you remember when she came over and helped you feel better when you were sick?” 

She gave a nod as she hummed, “Mhmm.” 

“Honey, do you like Ellie?” 

“Yeah, she’s nice,” Hazel shrugged, rolling onto her other side so she could look up at Chris with a smile on her lips again. “And she always smells good.” 

“Well I like her a lot too,” Chris admitted, smoothing a hand over Hazel’s head and tucking a stray strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail back behind her ear. “I like her so much that now, um, well sweetie, Ellie’s my girlfriend now.” 

“Your girlfriend?” Hazel asked quietly after a moment with furrowed brows. “Oh, well Ellie’s my girl friend too.” 

With a small chuckle at the innocence in Hazel’s declaration, telling her, “It’s not exactly the same thing.” 

A deep frown appeared on Hazel’s lips, only further amusing Chris as he looked at her tired eyes as she asked him, “How?” 

“Well you know how mommy has had some of her special friends she introduced you to? Well Ellie’s my special friend,” he tried to explain, struggling to find a way to make her understand the weight of the relationship. Ashlee and Chris had filed for divorced the month Hazel had turned two, so she had no memory of seeing her parents in a relationship. And with so much of Ashlee’s life happening in New York - and Chris’ lack of dating up until this point - she’d never been exposed to relationships in this way except for by extended family or her peers’ parents.  

Hazel’s frown deepened a bit as she worked through the new dynamic Chris had explained, pointing out, “But mommy’s special friends lived in New York.” 

“I know, but Ellie lives here and sometimes now when you come to my house, Ellie might be here too for a little while,” Chris explained as he gave her a smile, trying to phrase it in any way possible to make her see this as a positive instead of something negative, and in a way that a four-year-old would understand.  “Or you know how we’re going to the zoo next time you have your Sunday with me? Well Ellie’s going to come with us.” 

Hazel nodded, moving her eyes to look at the worn quilt, her hand dropping from Chris’ sweatpants to rub at the material of the blanket. “Okay,” she whispered, a yawn escaping her.

Chris nodded as he watched her play with the quilt in her hands, quiet in case she spoke up again. “Basil, how does that make you feel, honey?” He asked when her silence had gone on. “Are you okay with the idea of Ellie being with us more or do you not like that?” 

“...I like it. I like Ellie,” Hazel decided, her wide brown eyes blinking owlishly as she met Chris’ curious gaze again. 

“I do too, sweetheart,” he told her with a smile, adjusting himself on the twin-sized bed. “And Ellie likes you too.” 

Hazel smiled at his words, asking him, “Do you think she’ll bring me a cookie when she comes to the zoo with us?” 

Chris laughed as he gently lifted Hazel from off of his lap, slipping out from under her. “I’ll ask her, but right now you need to go to sleep or you’re going to have trouble keeping your eyes open at school tomorrow,” he chuckled quietly, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead as they said goodnight to each other, Chris taking the lion as he shut off the bedside lamp, made sure her night light in the far corner of her room was on, then slipped out of the room, leaving the door cracked behind him. 

Chris made his way into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him and shaking his head at the lion toy. He placed it on his nightstand, scratching Dodger’s head as he made his way past the sleeping dog. Once he was in his bathroom, he pulled his phone back out of his pocket and dialed Ellie’s number, washing his face as he listened to the phone ring. 

“Hi honey,” he greeted once she picked up, but quickly the sound of Ellie laughing had Chris smiling widely.

“Chris, I’m still laughing at the dinosaur thing Hazel said!” 

He nodded in agreement, telling her, “I know, she was killing me tonight.” 

“I take it that since you’re calling me though that you successfully got her to go to bed despite the dinosaurs,” she laughed, and Chris could picture her sitting on her couch under a thick blanket, a cup of tea next to her as she spoke to him.

“She did give me her lion stuffed animal so that he’d protect me,” he admitted, a sheepish blush tinting his cheeks once he caught his reflection in the mirror. “But I actually had a long conversation with Hazel before she went to sleep.” 

“Oh? About what?” 

“About you,” he whispered, a smile beginning to spread across his lips.

“Me?” 

“Yeah,” he replied. “I told her that you were my girlfriend and she didn’t exactly understand what that meant but she knows you’re going to be around now.” 

“Was she okay with it?” 

“Yeah she seemed pretty happy about it actually,” Chris remembered, but then shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “I mean, I think some of it she can’t quite wrap her mind around, but she said how much she likes you and told me that you were her girl friend too.” 

“I’ve just won her over with cookies,” Ellie muttered sarcastically, and Chris could practically see the way her nose was scrunched as she spoke, even from three miles away. 

“Oh she mentioned those too,” he remembered, laughing with her.  

“I know the way to a four year old’s heart,” Ellie sighed. “But Chris, I’m really glad you had that conversation with her. I know it wasn’t easy but I’m really looking forward to getting to be with both of you.” 

He smiled, looking down at the sink, making a note to himself to clean it when he had a minute on Sunday. “I am too, honey,” he whispered. 

“I love you so much Chris.” 

“I know, I love you too Elles,” he replied, sighing as he made his way back into his room. “I honestly didn’t picture myself in this situation for a long time with Hazel because I just couldn’t imagine myself falling in love but you just… make it so easy.” 

And those words stuck in his heart as he climbed in bed and kept talking to Ellie, the two of them changing their call into a FaceTime, letting him see that gorgeous smile of hers and the more time went on, the more he knew how true his words were. Ellie made being in love and loving her just so effortless. It just felt good and although that concept was brand new to him, he was getting used to it pretty quick. 

The only sound in the empty bakery during the late morning in January was the steady hum of the mixer that was busy stirring up the buttercream frosting Ellie needed to finish the elaborate cake she was busy working on. The day had started off well on the heels of Chris telling Hazel the night before, with Chris coming by that morning with Dodger to say hi to Ellie before he headed into work for the next two and a half days. She smiled at just the thought of that gorgeous face coming in and greeting her with a sweet kiss, loving how he always made sure to go to work with enough time to see her. 

Ellie couldn’t help but feel that hopefulness inside her for their future with Chris having told Hazel about their relationship, which Ellie knew would only allow them all to grow closer. She knew that this all hadn’t been easy for Chris, so much hurt from the past causing him to build so many walls and sew distrust inside of him, but she could visibly see how much had changed. There was so much love between them, something she was reminded of when after a while she heard the sounds of the fire truck’s siren passing by the bakery and made her feel a rush of anxiety, knowing Chris was on it but she willed it away, knowing that feeling was something she was going to have to get used to. 

The back door to the bakery opened, letting in a rush of cold air as Dottie stepped out of the winter chill and into the back kitchen of the bakery. “Hi Dottie, how are you?” Ellie asked, looking up at her with a wide smile.

“Apparently tired! I can’t believe I overslept so long,” the older woman laughed as she took off her puffy winter coat. While Ellie was the usual opener - and sometimes also the closer - during the week for the bakery, Dottie was normally there not long after Ellie to handle orders and customers, and although Ellie wasn’t concerned when Dottie hadn’t shown up this morning, she was a more than welcome sight. 

“Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t busy this morning and I’ve just been working on all the custom orders,” Ellie assured her, and it was true. Ellie had been in the back since opening, handling the mountain of orders for the next few days while Julie, one of the college-aged employees, handled the counter and the busy work Ellie assigned while no customers were here. 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you Ellie. It’s so nice to know someone is taking care of everything here,” Dottie sighed, her shoulders hunching with relief as she came to look at the cooling bakery racks that held the cakes and cookies Ellie had spent the morning getting ready. 

Ellie felt her cheeks warm with the praise, shrugging sheepishly and changing the subject as she told Dottie, “You work way too hard Dottie, you need to take more time off.” 

“My body is reminding me of that more and more everyday. Apparently the bakery business isn’t for someone who’s turning 70 next month,” Dottie groaned as she shook out her limbs, and Ellie knew what she meant. It was hard work, especially given they were both on their feet all day, but especially for an older woman. And while Ellie had - essentially - never not had a career like this between nursing and working here, she saw the toll a lifetime of this work took on someone when she looked at Dottie, at the chronic back aches she had, the extra-supportive insoles in her shoes, and the anti-fatigue mats all littered around the bakery.

Ellie tutted with a shake of her head, asking the older woman, “What ever happened to your daughter taking over the bakery?” 

“Well you know she was a secretary and was going to quit to do the bakery but then the company got this incredible new boss and I guess they all just love her and she asked my daughter to be her personal assistant,” Dottie told Ellie, and while her voice was full of pride, Ellie could see the disappointment in her eyes. “She just loves it and so now she doesn’t want to give that up.” 

“I can understand that,” Ellie nodded, leaning her hip against the metal prep table. Dottie had told Ellie about the several long conversations she and her family had had over the years about the legacy of the bakery and its future, and all signs had always pointed towards her daughter taking it over - in what Dottie had hoped was always the not-so-distant future. “Do any of your grandkids want to do it?” 

“Not really and I’m fine with that, I want them to do what they love,” the older woman shrugged. “But I’m certainly getting too old for all of this so I’m going to need to figure out something.” 

“Well I think not coming in at five in the morning most days might be a good start,” Ellie suggested with a raise of her eyebrow.

Dottie laughed before she nodded in agreement, admitting Ellie was right before pulling out the stack of custom orders to sort out. Ellie just kept focusing on churning out beautiful cakes and pastries, boxing them up and putting them on the completed orders table throughout the day. She had just finished sealing a box and went to wash the icing off her hands when she heard the sound of the kitchen door opening, making her turn her head to see Julie looking at her. 

“Someone named Mark is asking for you, Ellie. I put him on hold,” the young girl told her with a slight shrug and an almost helpless expression on her face. 

Ellie’s brows furrowed, almost wondering if Mark was calling to put an order in for something Chris had forgotten to mention. “Okay, I’ll take it in just a second,” she told Julie, watching as the girl went back out front. She headed up the short staircase to Dottie’s office, picking up the office phone to Mark’s call as she reached for an order form. “Hi Mark, this is Ellie.” 

“Ellie, don’t worry, he’s going to be okay but I just got to the hospital with Chris,” the man’s voice was rushed, Ellie’s stomach dropping at his words. “He got hurt during the fire we were putting out.” 

Her eyes screwed shut as she listened to his words and the way Mark was moving on the other end and the muffled sounds in the background. “Oh my god, okay, I’m coming right now. Text me where you’re at and I’ll be there as quick as I can,” she told him, patting her pockets before she remembered she’d left her phone in her bag by the backdoor. 

“I’ll text you as soon as I hang up.” 

She thanked him profusely, silent as she caught her breath before she quietly asked him, “Mark, are you sure he’s okay?” 

“Yeah I’m sure, trust me Ellie. He’s just fine,” Mark reassured her before he told her that the doctor was coming in soon just before he hung up with a promise to text her the hospital and room number. 

With only a hurried explanation to Dottie, Ellie headed across town to the hospital, rushing past the front desk and into the room where Mark was seated next to Chris, who was laying on a bed in a baggy fire company shirt and too-long sweatpants, likely someone else’s clothes that had been on the truck. 

“Oh my god, Chris,” she sighed as her eyes took him in, the pale coloring of his skin and the wires coming out from under his clothes, listening to the reassuring beeps of the machines, the numbers telling her his oxygen levels and heart rate were normal, something she’d been worried about with the risk of smoke inhalation.

But her idiot boyfriend only smiled when he met her eyes, his brown hair an absolute mess on the top of his head as he said, while pointing accusingly at Mark, “Thank god you’re here Elles, this fucker has zero sympathy that a burning staircase fell out from under me today.” 

“Ellie, your boyfriend is a big fat baby,” Mark groaned good-naturedly, rolling his eyes as Ellie met them with a smirk. “The doctor just came in and said he has a few burns, sprained ankle, and a couple cracked ribs. I swear I hurt myself worse when I roll off the bed at night.” 

Chris scoffed with a shake of his head, shifting with a grimace and shooting back, “Nice to know that my best friend is so sympathetic.” 

“How about having some sympathy for me? I’m the one who had to drag your ass out of that building and let me remind you that you’re not light,” Mark retorted as he sat back in the all-too-uncomfortable looking chair. “Besides, you got your girl here now so you don’t need me to stroke your bruised ego anymore.” 

Ellie sighed as she grasped Chris’ hand lightly, full of relief that he was breathing, joking around, and in what seemed like good spirits. “Thanks for calling me, Mark,” she whispered with a furtive glance over to the other man. 

“You’re welcome, but don’t let that brat whine too much to you,” Mark murmured, before he told Ellie that one of the guys was waiting in a truck outside for him and slipped out of the room, leaving what little of Chris’ things he’d had on the truck with him in a bag on the other chair in the room. 

Chris explained what had happened to Ellie, telling her that he’d been climbing the staircase to make sure there were no people or animals left in the burning home when the stairs collapsed from under him. And while his gear had protected him from the worst outcomes, the fall left him with what he’d described as minor injuries, but it still hurt Ellie to see the discomfort written all over him. She squeezed his hand tightly from where she sat on the edge of the bed, knowing he was hurting a lot more than he let on and couldn’t stop herself from leaning in to kiss him sweetly, more from her own relief than anything. 

They didn’t have to wait long until Chris was being pulled into some scans to check him out, getting fully looked over and were given a prescription for some painkillers before being released. Once he had gingerly gotten into Ellie’s car with a long sigh, she squeezed his hand again, telling him they’d head to the pharmacy first before going to pick up his things and Dodger from the station. 

“Honey, did you want me to text your mom or Ashlee for you?” Ellie asked as she watched him shift with a grimace as he gently shoved Dodger’s face away from him as the dog retreated into the backseat of the Jeep again. 

Chris shook his head, reaching for his phone on his lap and tapping it anxiously as Ellie drove towards Chris’ home. “Nah, Mark already texted my Ma for me at the hospital,” he told her quietly.

“What about Ashlee? Do you want me to let her know what’s going on?” 

He shook his head again, a ghost of a smirk on his face when Ellie glanced over at him at the stop sign. “No I’ll do it, these painkillers will actually make her tolerable,” he huffed out a laugh, frowning when it strained his cracked ribs as he pressed his phone to his ear. “Hey.” 

Ellie turned down the radio, unable to hear Ashlee on the other end of the call. “No, no, she’s okay. She’s at school,” Chris whispered, his voice clipped in a way she’d never heard from him before. “I just wanted to tell you that I got hurt at work today…No, I'm fine. Well I have some broken ribs and some sprains. I just got released from the hospital and I’m on the way home.” 

His head leaned back against the headrest, his eyes screwed shut tightly. “No...I just, no Ash. I just thought you’d want to know, that’s all,” he sighed, quiet as he listened to her speak on the other end. “Okay, yeah, that was it. Bye.” 

He hung up with another long sigh, silent as he stared out at the road. “That didn’t sound like it went too well,” Ellie murmured, reaching for his hand with her own as her eyes stayed on the road.

Chris stifled a short laugh as he turned to look at Ellie, asking her, “Are you kidding? That was virtually painless compared to most of our conversations lately,” 

Ellie felt her heart clench, knowing his words were likely true. Once they’d turned into Chris’ neighborhood, she began to ask, “Do you need me to grab you anything after I take you home?” 

“...Can you just stay?” 

“I didn’t want to overstep but I’d love to stay,” Ellie told him truthfully, her shoulders relaxing with pure relief. “I love you.” 

“I love you too, baby,” Chris smiled, giving her a slightly dopey smile as they met each other’s eyes briefly. “And that’s not just the painkillers talking.” 

Ellie just laughed, shaking her head at his joke before she finished driving the rest of the way to his house, pulling into the driveway. She let Dodger out of the backseat, the sweet pooch running up to put his nose against the door, ready to go inside while Ellie walked slowly alongside Chris, her hand on his back while he hobbled up the concrete pathway. 

When they got inside, Ellie helped him onto the couch, propping a pillow under his head before she went upstairs, finding a pair of sweatpants and a flannel button-up shirt in his closet. She headed back downstairs with the clothes and pillows from his bed in hand, slowly aiding Chris in getting into the clothes before she arranged the pillows on the couch around him, and with a couple kids ice packs over his flannel shirt on his ribs. 

After tucking him in with the warm blanket she had made him for Christmas with a bottle of water next to him and turning on a random movie, she could see Chris’ eyelids growing heavy and encouraged him to get some sleep. She stayed sitting by him until he was snoring softly, Ellie then pushing herself up and working on cleaning up around the house, doing the dishes, letting Dodger run around in the backyard, throwing in a load of laundry, and vacuuming upstairs where the noise wouldn’t disturb his sleep. 

And a few hours later - once they’d ordered dinner for delivery from the local pizza place, Ellie had run home to grab things, and she’d convinced Chris to take a shower with her help - Ellie was in the laundry room, folding Hazel and Chris’ clothes as Dodger danced under her feet, occasionally scratching at the door to the garage immediately next to her while Chris was watching The Office in the living room. “I’ll take you out in a minute, Dodgie. We’ll go for a little walk,” she promised with a smile, but at the sound of closing car doors she paused, a small smile on her face as she listened to footsteps approaching the house, walking through the cluttered garage and to the door. The handle turned and the smile on Ellie’s face grew as she moved a few feet away from the door, balancing the laundry basket on her hip as she anticipated Lisa poking her head into her son’s home, but quickly Ellie’s eyebrows shot up in shock. 

Ellie didn’t recognize the short haired brunette looking back at her at first, not knowing who she was but once the wheels in Ellie’s mind started turning, she put together who this had to be and her suspicions were confirmed when a little curly head appeared in the doorway. 

Hazel’s face was bright as she gasped in surprise, her coat-covered arms flailing out as she nearly yelled, “ELLIE!” 

Ellie gave a tight smile, smoothing a hand over Hazel’s wild hair as the girl threw her arms around Ellie’s knees. “Hazie! I didn’t know you were coming over,” Ellie replied, shoulders slouched under Ashlee’s stare. 

“I wanted to see Daddy,” Hazel smiled as she rested her chin on Ellie’s leg, giving Ellie a smile as she gazed up at the blonde-haired woman. “Mommy told me that he got hurt.” 

Ellie patted her back and stood up straighter, nodding her head towards the living room and telling Hazel, “He did, but he’s alright. Just be gentle with him, okay?” 

As the little girl scampered off and they heard the echo of their chatting, Ellie timidly moved her eyes back to Ashlee as the other woman said, “So, you must be Ellie.” 

“I am, and I’m assuming you’re Ashlee,” Ellie replied with a kind smile, before genuinely saying, “It’s nice to finally get to meet you.” 

Ashlee nodded as she finally shut the door behind her, silent as Hazel’s laugh and Dodger’s excited barks carried into the room. “Where’s Chris at?” She finally asked Ellie. 

Ellie stuck her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of Chris and Hazel, telling her, “In the living room.” 

She watched while Ashlee took long strides across the floor, her heels clacking with each step while Ellie slowly walked behind with Dodger at her side. From the loud chatter, she could tell that Hazel had already found Chris and that was confirmed when she rounded the corner behind Ashlee and saw Hazel perched on the edge of the couch with her hands on Chris’ bearded cheeks. As cute as the moment was, Ellie’s full attention was on Ashlee, seeing her for the first time and suddenly a wave of self consciousness washed over her. 

This was Chris’ ex-wife. She was tall and lean, not a hair out of place that fell around her perfectly angled face. She was dressed in a beautiful silk blouse tucked into the perfectly tailored black work pants that seemed to fit her perfectly, ending right at her ankle to show off the - no doubt expensive - heels that finished out her picture perfect outfit. Ellie glanced down at her own appearance, hating that she had just chosen to throw on one of Chris’ old college tee shirts, her baggy sweatpants and fuzzy slippers after they’d gotten out of the shower earlier. She had washed off all her makeup and the ends of her blonde hair were still wet from where they were messily pulled up into a bun. This certainly wasn’t the impression she had wanted to make on Chris’ ex-wife the first time she met her and she felt self-conscious sitting in the same room as her. 

Ellie’s eyes were fixed on Ashlee as she walked across the room and sat down on one of the empty chairs, informing Chris, “We were on our way to dinner but Hazel was worried about you so I figured we’d just swing by so she could see you. I didn’t realize you had company.” 

And suddenly Ellie felt both Ashlee and Chris’ eyes on her, making her wish a hole in the floor could open up and swallow her whole. Ellie found herself putting herself up against Ashlee, someone who had clearly deeply hurt Chris, but in any test except the moral ones - because cheating on your spouse multiple times is certainly not a great character trait - Ellie came second to her. Ashlee had her life together, had a wildly successful career in public relations, the put-together life, appearance, and sense of self-assurity that Ellie had never held. And she had all of this, which Ellie so desperately craved, even despite having her world turn upside down at twenty-three. 

Ellie already had felt like a failure, being too tender and emotional to be able to continue nursing, causing her to move back here and work in a bakery at thirty years old. If Ashlee hadn’t gone on to have a successful career, it would make sense. She had an unexpected pregnancy right out of college, but she still had managed to balance everything in her life and succeed. Meanwhile Ellie had none of the responsibilities or stress Ashlee did and she couldn’t achieve any of that, or even manage to look halfway decent this first time they met. She tried to nervously tuck the stray hairs back up into her bun while she sat in the other empty chair, her teeth nervously grinding together as she watched the interactions of the group who once were a family. 

“Daddy, are you okay?” Hazel’s tiny voice asked, a frown on her face as she watched Chris take the nearly-melted ice packs off of him and place them on the side table gingerly. 

Chris rushed to reassure her, nodding his head as he carefully sat back against the fluffy couch cushion. “Yeah, I’m okay Hazelnut. Don’t you worry sweetheart,” he promised. 

Hazel nodded carefully, her hand moving through Dodger’s brown fur as she quietly asked, “Are we still going to get to go to the zoo next week like you promised?” 

“Is that all you’re worried about? You just want to know if I’m going to be able to take you to the zoo!” Chris smiled with a small laugh, shaking his head with a sigh. “Wow some daughter you are. I’m going to have to trade you in to get a new one.” 

“You can’t trade me in!” Hazel giggled as she clamored up onto the couch, her hand plucking at the koala toy that had been lying between cushions. “So are we going to get to go to the zoo?!” 

“If we can’t on Sunday, I promise we’ll go another day,” Chris promised, eyes soft as he watched his daughter. 

Ellie smiled fondly as she watched the interaction, but when her watch buzzed against her wrist. She stood up quickly and told her boyfriend, “Oh Chris, it’s time for your next pill,” hurrying out of the living room, thankful for the little breather and distraction of getting the pills and a glass of water. 

And although the voices were low, Ellie could still hear them as they carried through the open-concept space as she got him more water. “Well… looks like you lucked out on having a private nurse, didn’t you?” Ashlee asked with a slight chuckle, her eyes moving over the thickly woven blanket, the plate of pizza next to Chris still from dinner, the various pillows and things all around him, and the extra long phone charger plugged into his phone. 

“Ellie took care of me when I was sick and made me feel better,” Hazel supplied, her voice all too eager for Ellie’s anxiety surrounding Ashlee.  “She even let me make cookies with her at the bakery when I got better!” 

“Oh did she?” Ashlee asked, her tone casual and as Chris nervously cleared his throat from his spot on the couch. 

“Ellie makes the best cookies ever,” Hazel declared, and Ellie felt her cheeks warm at the easy praise as she plucked a single pill from Chris’ prescription bottle before carefully stowing it in its spot on a high enough cabinet shelf that Hazel could not reach. “And she does Elsa braids!” 

As she turned, pill and glass of water in hand, she saw Chris smiling as he recalled, “Ash you should have seen that Elsa braid, Hazel sat so still and didn’t even cry when Ellie brushed her hair.” 

As Ellie passed the pill and glass to Chris, giving him a smile as he took them easily, Ashlee’s brows raised in surprise, quietly saying, “I don’t think there’s been a night where she hasn’t cried when I try to brush her hair.” 

“It doesn’t hurt when Ellie brushes it,” Hazel shrugged before she turned to Ellie with a smile. “Ellie, can you give me an Elsa braid now?” 

Ellie blushed, biting her lip as she sat on the arm of the couch next to Chris. “Oh um, I don’t know Hazie, you’ll need to ask your mom if you have time.” 

Ashlee shook her head, eyes locked on Hazel as they avoided Ellie’s own tentative gaze. “That’s fine, but after that we need to go, Hazel.” 

“Okay we’ll do it really quick!” Hazel said as she pushed herself up, rushing to grab the extra hairbrush, water spray bottle, and ponytail holders from where Chris stored them in a drawer in the kitchen. As she rushed back into the room, her face fell by a fraction, telling Ellie, “Nana took me to the bakery yesterday but you weren’t there.” 

“Really? Well that makes me sad because I didn’t get to see my favorite customer,” Ellie replied as she slid off the couch, sitting on the ground as Hazel plopped down in front of her, pushing her hair onto her back from around her face. 

“How come you weren’t there?” 

As Ellie was carefully dividing Hazel’s hair into sections and spraying the bottle - which she was secretly relieved to see, since she’d suggested it to Chris as a possible aid for Hazel a few weeks ago - on her hair. “I was delivering a really big birthday cake to a customer so I had to leave. That must have been when you and your Nana were there,” she informed Hazel. 

“I wished you were there,” Hazel sighed, her legs folding in front of her as she rested her chin on her knees. Ellie was all-too-aware of Chris’ careful and Ashlee’s scrutinizing gazes on them, feeling their eyes boring into her. “I got a brownie but it didn’t taste as good without the extra sprinkles you put on them.” 

“Next time you come I’ll make sure to put extra extra sprinkles on it, does that sound good?” Ellie smiled, forcing the expression onto her nervous face for Hazel’s sake as she carefully began brushing the hair there and started the braid. 

Ellie stayed quiet other than softly talking to Hazel as Chris and Ashlee quietly worked out some scheduling things, finally getting to a place where they were able to figure out a way to get Ashlee’s week free so she could keep Hazel until Chris was feeling better. By the time the braid was finished and the exes had decided on the informal custody agreement for the next week, it was time for both Hazel and Ashlee to go. Ellie kept herself busy after they left, finishing the last of the dishes in the kitchen and the final load of laundry she had been working on before Chris announced he was ready to head up to bed. 

Feeling exhausted from the emotionally tough day, Ellie went up with him, helping him up the stairs and into bed before she shed her sweatpants and slippers before climbing underneath the blankets on the other side. She ignored Chris’ gaze on her while she fluffed the pillows and wiggled underneath the blankets to get into a comfortable spot, not laying still until Chris reached over and rested a warm hand on her arm. 

“I’m sorry about Ashlee coming by,” his low, quiet voice whispered. “I didn’t know or I would have told you.” 

Ellie nodded, despite knowing he couldn’t see her do so in the dark. But as tears flooded her eyes, she couldn’t repress the sharp gasp that filled the air, informing Chris of what was going on internally for Ellie. 

“Elles, honey what’s wrong? What’s going on?” He asked, Ellie knowing he hated not being able to move closer to her thanks to his ribs. 

She waved a hand as she shook her head, wiping her tears away harshly with her hands as she told him, “I’m just upset.” 

“About what?” 

“Everything,” she cried, gasping for breath as her tears intensified. “I’m just so upset that you got hurt and realizing that it could happen every time I see that fire truck go by scares me half to death. Then tonight your ex-wife comes over and I meet her for the first time looking like shit and she’s so perfectly put together and successful and is just all the things I’m not and I can’t compete with that.” 

He struggled for a few moments as he tried to push himself up, Ellie rushing to touch his shoulders as he let out a groan of pain and frustration before he carefully dropped back down to the mattress.  “Elles, what are you talking about? You don’t have anything to compete with,” he ground out, but his eyes were nothing if not concerned as they looked at her, the light Ellie flickered on only intensifying the expression. 

“Yes I do. Ashlee is everything that I’m not,” Ellie cried, reaching for the box of tissues on the nightstand which had quickly become known as Ellie’s. “It was like a joke tonight seeing the way she looked while I sat there looking like I did.” 

Chris’ face was nothing if not heartbroken as he once again tried to reach out for her but his body prevented him, Chris pleading,  “Ellie, honey, come here.” 

“No, I don’t want to hurt you,” Ellie whispered, trying to make herself as small as possible on the bed. 

“Just c’mere Elles,” Chris nearly begged. Once Ellie acquiesced, laying shoulder-to-shoulder with him, he told her, “Just because she was still in work clothes and you were comfortable doesn’t mean one thing.” 

“But she’s just… she’s so successful and can balance being a mom and a career woman I just can’t compete with her.” 

“Well that’s pretty easy considering you don’t have to,” Chris whispered, leaning over ungracefully to press a kiss to Ellie’s cheek. “Ellie, you don’t have anything to compete with. Ashlee and I were over two years before I met you. We never were a good match, we always fought a lot. I was immature and Ashlee made everything difficult and still does. We never were a good couple but after the cheating, any feelings I had for her were gone.” 

“I know but-” 

“Elles, listen to me…in no way do I ever hold you in comparison to Ashlee,” he told her with no room for argument, sighing before he admitted, “If I did, trust me sweetheart, you’d win every single time.” 

Ellie nodded, staring down at their linked hands and squeezing his gently. “I’m probably just being emotional from this whole day,” she murmured with a shrug.

“And that’s okay if you are.” 

“Yeah, I guess…”

“Ellie, I know I’m not always the most vocal with my feelings but I really want you to hear this,” he breathed, pausing to collect his thoughts and speaking once his voice was far stronger, far more reassuring. “I want you to know that you have everything that matters to me. I mean that. I don’t give a shit if you have a successful career or if you dress nice. I fell in love with you because you’re the most loving, tender and kindhearted person I’ve ever met. I was terrified to get into a relationship again but it was worth it because of you. You’re the best person I know, and I couldn’t be happier to be with you.” 

Ellie restrained herself from collapsing onto his chest and into his arms, being extra mindful of his injuries as she leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. As her thumb swept across his cheeks and a soft, tired, slightly loopy grin spread across his lips - showing that the painkillers had fully set in - a yawn escaped Chris. With one last kiss, they settled into the bed once again, the exhaustion of the day letting them fall asleep easily, with nothing but trust in their hearts. 

A/N: We can't wait to hear your thoughts! As a reminder, we are posting an Ellie and Sam chapter next week, so Part 2 of this chapter will post next Thursday! After that, we will be going on a break from June 26th - July 10th to allow us some time to catch up on writing after hitting a major road block last month :) Thank you for all the love and support on that post by the way! We appreciate you guys more than you'll ever know.

#playing with fire #chris evans writing #chris evans fic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x ofc #chris evans x oc #chris evans #chris evans story #chris evans x original female character #chris evans fanfic #chris evans ff #original female character #real person fanfiction #real person fiction #chris evans au #firefighter!au #firefighter chris evans #firefighter!chrisevans #dad!chris evans #dad! chris evans #dad chris evans

[ymifune]

口の慎み

3月10日。できたことを中心に。 3月5日にCD Babyから入金があった。153.91 USD。今回はすぐ日本円にしてゆうちょに送金してもらった。円安が続き、この金額でも日本円で22007円になった。 給料日で、今月は134602円が給料だった。今現在の預金残高は363699円と出ている。 つみたてNISAの口座開設が完了した。ようやく。ネットだけで済むものかと思ったら、意外とそうでもなかった。iDeCoは結局、スルーすることにした。とりあえずつみたてNISA一本で投資を始め、今後どうなるか見守ろうと思っている。4月1日に最初のつみたて購入が始まる。毎月5000円、SBI証券の全世界INDEXのものを買っていく。先進国のものも、日本のものも、発展途上国のものも入っているものだ。どうなるか、見守ろう。 有給が取れて、3月29日金曜日から4月2日火曜日まで京都に行ってくる予定である。ホテルを検索してみたのだが、ホテルの値段があまりに高騰していたので、驚いた。カプセルホテルでも1泊1万円するレベルだ。流石に泊まれない。去年もだいたい同じ時期に京都へ行ったのだけど、その時は本当に京都滞在が始まる直前にドタキャンが入ったであろうビジネスホテルを1泊6500円ぐらいで予約したのだ。今年も一応それは狙ってみるつもりではある。が、まあそんなに期待せずにやろう。春休みにモロ被りしているし、桜のシーズンとも被ってしまっているのだから。 毎週こんなことを書いている気がするのだが、体組成計の結果が振るわず、今週は筋肉量が-1.2kg、体脂肪量が+0.6kgと出ている。体重は今82.2kgと、だいぶ1月から減ってしまった。まだ2ヶ月終わったところだし、夏はこれからなのだから、こちらも弛まず粛々と続けよう。 昨日から少し時間があり、新曲のスケッチに着手できている。Chris Brownの"Call Me Everyday"のビートをお借りしている。何度もループさせて聴いても飽きがこないビートさえ作れれば、なんというか、あとはどうとでもなるものだなと改めて思っている。飽きが来るビートを作ると、逆にどう上物を重ねても魅力的に感じられなくなるのだ。 新曲の仮タイトルは"Monday Love"と付けた。ダンクラとして知られる"Saturday Love"のオマージュである。が、結構ダウン系の曲になってきていると思う。ブラコンの香りは残って・・・いる？ちょっとわからない。真っ先に耳に入ってくるコード進行にEmulatorを使っていて、若干サンプルベースなのだけど、ダウン系のPadを使っている。 少なくとも、新曲・・・それもシングルカットできるかもしれない曲が作れていることがとても嬉しい。 来週も少しは作る時間が持てるだろう。 来週の週末は結構楽しみな展覧会が目白押しで、うれしい悲鳴である。アピチャッポン・ウィーラセタクンの新作にはぜひ行っておきたい。渋谷のBunkamura跡地でも、Anomaly所属作家の何かインスタレーションが始まると聞いている。 金曜日に国立新美術館で、かなりグサっと来るグループ展を見た。遠距離現在というタイトル。いくつかあるのだが、Belanciegeという労働者のためのブランドを作り、Balenciagaとベルリンの壁崩壊後20年の資本主義のあり方をめぐる考察の作品、デンマークにおける孤独死をテーマにした作品、憂鬱なプロットをAIに学ばせることでイメージを作り続ける作品、ネットミーム的な画像をとにかく大量に敷き詰めた空間など、ヒリヒリしてすごかった。会場にいる間、こんなものを見て、これからどうやって微笑んだら良いのかわからなくもなった。Belanciegeのインスタレーションの部屋で今の笑えなくなってしまった自分の顔を撮影してみたのだけど、驚くほど目が落ち窪み、眉間には皺がより、肌の色が土気色をしていた。カタログまでは買っていないのだけどね。コンセプチュアルなものだけで構成されたグループ展で深く刺さるものが多かったのは結構久しぶりだったように思う。 今日は筋トレ中少し、苛まれの状態に陥って窮した。そこまで深くはないのだけど。雑駁にだけど、書いておきたい。 使う言葉、口にする言葉には全力で気をつけないといけないんだなと改めて思っている。主語が単数のものは主語を単数のままにとどめ、大きい主語を使って全体化しないこと。そうなってきたとか、そうなっていくとか、累加の表現をできるだけ避け、今はそうであるという現状認識だけがドライに表現できる言葉を極力選んで使うようにすることとか。流れや潮流があるかのように考えないし、かつ口にしないことで、自分の現状認識が「今／ここ」からずれないことがとても大切。 また、結構前々から言われていることではあるけれども、他人の話す言葉はそれを話す本人自身に向けて発される言葉を他人に投影しているだけで、良くも悪くも向かい合った私に言われたことだと引き受けてはいけないということ。そういう厳格さや言葉の厳密さ、口の慎みが自分を含め、結構多くの人を救うんじゃないかと思っている。 土曜日にはフランスのCと会ってきた。最近、Cは口腔内のケアをきちんとするようになったようで、口が臭くなかった。が、今も若干かそれ以上にCの行動原理というか、言動の根本にあるものはわからない。何回か書いたことがあると思うのだが、Cは一度俺との縁を明確に切ろうとしたのだ。が、その数ヶ月後、Cからメールがあり、なんの���はなしにメールを返し、会うようになったところ、なぜか俺への評価が180度変わっていた。セックス自体はもちろん大好きだし、楽しいのだ。セックスをきちんとすることでしか満たされないものがある。少なくとも自分には。結局これが2024年初のセックスとなってしまったし。 寝よう。 なんにせよ、幸せな週末だった。 今週も生き延びるので、どうか見守っていて欲しい。 これを読んでくれた人がいたら、どうか平穏無事な1週間を過ごしてもらいたい。

#journaling #ジャーナリング

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Random Jobs/Occupations (2) Masterlist

part one

1-800-GET-SOME - gorgeousdan

Summary: One night, Chris drunkenly suggested that Dan call a phone sex line to figure out his sexuality. Since then, Dan has been hooked on a person who works there, with a gorgeous deep chuckle and the name of Phil.

Acrylic Payments - undressrehearsal

Summary: Phil has his own art shop where Dan works in at the weekend in exchange for kisses (Dan won’t admit this, though).

A Day In The Life Of A Fast Food Employee - nebulous-frog

Summary: Phil works at McDonald’s and just wants to go home when a huge family comes in and orders obnoxiously, but it’s okay because Uncle Dan is incredibly attractive.

Beautiful Scars On Critical Veins - whalefairyfandom12

Summary: In which Phil works at a cinema to pay off his university fees and Dan is the student he finds sprawled on the floor with deadened eyes and a love for alcohol and fireflies.

Better than kittens (ao3) - LiterallyAmazingPhan

Summary: Dan works at an animal shelter and Phil comes in everyday just to play with the kittens and Dan thinks Phil is super cute but can’t work up the courage to talk to him but eventually he does and you go from there. Phan, drabble, fluff.

Blossom - crescendohowell

Summary: Phil is a rich businessman who decides to leave the city in favor of buying a house in the country. He expected to find beauty in the house and the surrounding gardens, but he didn’t account for a cute gardener who loves flowers and hates him.

Buying Chocolate At 3:00 AM (ao3) - shallowlives

Summary: It’s just another late night working at Walgreens, until Phil walks in asking for chocolate recommendations.

Disney World Mishaps (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan works at Disney World, and Phil is a single parent who loses his son while on a trip to Florida. Phil loses his son, and goes to Dan for help.

Flower Boy - phanerys

Summary: punk!phil meets pastel/lushemployee!dan.

Fritillaria meleagris (ao3) - TsingaDark

Summary: Tattoo Artist Dan moves and opens up a tattoo parlour opposite Phil’s flower shop.

Get Your Workout On - phanetixs

Summary: the story of reluctant fitness trainer Phil Lester and the hilarity of imagining Dan Howell voluntarily exercising for him.

give this thing a try (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan is a cashier at a grocery store, and Phil is his supervisor. One evening at work, Phil surprises Dan by asking him out on a date, and of course Dan, who’s had a crush on Phil since forever, says yes. Cue, the freaking out and comfort ensues.

How To Football (You Tell Me) (ao3) - phanetixs

Summary: Or, based off the prompt: Dan is a football manager and Phil is his bumbling assistant who helps him out in more ways than one.

I've Lost My Daddy - sexyassphan

Summary: Phil works at a holiday site, working onstage and introducing acts and entertaining the audience. Dan has a son- who is lost.

lead me into the light (ao3) - itsmyusualphannie (itsmyusualweeb)

Summary: Dan and Phil are part of a crew of space explorers currently embarking on a dangerous mission to check out a supposedly lifeless planet far away from home.

Sliding To You (ao3) - Evening42

Summary: Dan takes his best friend’s son Jordan to a water slide park for the day. He meets the cute park manager, who is initially flirting with him but then suddenly cool. Dan wants to know why, as he’d very much like to keep flirting with him.

Sugar (ao3) - lovergalore

Summary: Phil works at a bakery and Dan is a single Dad.

The Chef - fiction-phan

Summary: “You’re a highly known critic and I own a restaurant but you’re the kid I used to tease in high school and oh sweet rosemary, you’re reviewing my restaurant?”

Trading Harsh Bars for a Warm Embrace - phandabbydosey

Summary: Phil works for a charity that rescues nekos from the widespread cruelty still rampant despite the laws forbidding it. After saving a certain, brown haired neko from horrible conditions, Phil’s reminded of just why he does his job.

what lies beneath the waters (ao3) - watergator

Summary: prompt: cryptids

phil works at the loch ness monster museum where he meets a boy named dan

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phanfic #phan #masterlists #work #work masterlist #au

[patricia-von-arundel]

I need new books to read this year... can you recommend your favourite history books? Any era/subject pre-1900!!

Oh, boy! Fun. Okay - !

One of the best historical writers I've ever read is Barbara Tuchman. Not only is her research top-notch, she can also pull you along like a story. A lot of her books are about the 20th century, but A Distant Mirror is about the 14th century, an absolutely wild 100 years of warfare and social upheaval and - of course - a heaping helping of Yersinia pestis.

One of my professors when I was working on my first degree (in history) was Dr. Carole Rawcliffe. She is one of the experts on the history of medicine, and her Medicine and Society in Later Medieval England is an excellent read despite the rather dry title.

Another absolute classic along those lines is by William Manchester. Like Tuchman, he's better known for his books on the 20th century, but he wrote an excellent book about the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. A World Lit Only by Fire is considered a historical classic for good reasons!

Another I thoroughly enjoyed - and then I'll leave the Middle Ages, I promise! - is Chris Wickham's The Inheritance of Rome, about the first 600 years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Thomas Cahill - who unfortunately recently died - wrote a ton of books on lesser-known people/places in the historic record, but my favorite by him is Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, a wonderful little glimpse into Ancient Greece. His other books are good as well (the ones I've read, anyway), but that was the one I liked most.

Robert K. Massie is probably best known for his classic Nicholas and Alexandra, but he also wrote an amazing book about Peter the Great (literally called... Peter the Great) about the tsar who dragged Russia kicking and screaming into being a more "European" culture. St. Petersburg, the city he founded to be closer to European neighbors, is named for him.

Late Victorian Holocausts by Mike Davis is a very rough read, but also an important one. It looks at how colonial rule in the late 1800s impacted the colonized lands, particularly India. It's brutal, but well worth a read. Along the same lines, King Leopold's Ghost, by Adam Hochschild, looks at the impact of colonial rule in the Congo.

John Keay has written extensive books on the history of China and India. I haven't read the one about India, but the one on China is superb.

A History of Private Life (various authors) is a 5-volume set covering the Classical period up to the modern day. It's more academic than the pop history I've mentioned so far, but fascinating. I love thinking about everyday lives far more than a list of important names and dates, y'know?

A People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn) and Lies My Teacher Told Me (James Loewen) both well earn their reputation as the books criticizing the way American history is learned in the US. They cover a lot of ground before 1900, but do go into the 20th century. I'm not super into US history, but The American West and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (both by Dee Brown) are very good. (If you're familiar with the fictional Lonesome Dove, the Goodnight-Loving trail covered in The American West is the inspiration.)

The Eternal City by Ferdinand Addis is one of the few English-language books that covers Rome beyond the ancient empire and WWI. I'm a little biased towards Rome these days (and spend a whoooooole lot of time there 😅), but I promise the book is good! 😉

After the Ice (Steven Mithen) and Eve's Seed (Robert McElvaine) are both looks at truly ancient history, and well worth a read. (Full disclosure, McElvaine was also one of my professors.)

Rabid by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy is a history of - you guessed it! - rabies. It's both eminently readable and terrifying, as you could probably guess. Plagues and Peoples by William McNeill more broadly covers epidemics through the years.

Some interesting and more obscure topics: Death by Drama and Other Medieval Urban Legends (Jody Enders) is more academically dry than the title suggests, but still very interesting! Madame Blavatsky's Baboon (Peter Washington) is about the rise of spiritualism in the 19th century. Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones, and Einstein's Brain (Harvey Rachlin) looks at the history of culturally-important artifacts. And along those lines, there's always learning a little more about the people who dealt with such artifacts, like Gertrude Bell in a book by Georgina Howell (literally just titled Gertrude Bell).

A few other favorites: The Victorians (A.N. Wilson), A Gentle Madness (Nicholas Basbanes; it's about the history of book collecting), The Tudors (G.J. Meyer), Medieval Lives (Terry Jones), and Blood and Roses (Helen Castor, using the Paston Letters as a central theme in a broader history of the Wars of the Roses). (When I was in England, I lived where the Pastons did.) And just thought of another: Nabokov's Butterflies (Rick Gekoski) is a nice little collection about authors and books.

Oh! And The Lion in the Living Room (Abigail Tucker) is great fun - it's a history of cats!

With a few exceptions, these are pretty broad overviews. If you'd like anything more specific, let me know!

(For fascinating, well-written-but-not-always-factually-sound takes on history, Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything and At Home are both great reads, but... don't accept everything he says as fully true and accurate. The same is true of Daniel Boorstin [The Discoverers, The Creators, The Seekers] - really great reads, but flawed.)

(If you want fiction that gets the history right: The Daughter of Time [Josephine Tey; covers late 15th century England], The Crimson Petal and the White [Michel Faber; covers the 1870s in England - but be warned, there's some graphic sex in it], Doomsday Book/To Say Nothing of the Dog/Blackout/All Clear [Connie Willis; cover - in order - the 14th century, 19th century, and WWII in England), Pachinko [Min Jin Lee; it's 20th century, but about Koreans in Japan, which I knew almost nothing about before reading], The Luminaries [Eleanor Catton; 19th century New Zealand], and the aforementioned Lonesome Dove [Larry McMurtry; 19th century US] are all excellent reads as well! Oh, and Hilary Mantel's books about Thomas Cromwell in 16th century England [Wolf Hall/Bring Up the Bodies/The Mirror and the Light] well deserved the awards showered on them, including two Booker Prizes. The Inquistor's Tale [Adam Gidwitz] is a book for kids and has magic, but it's super cute, well-written, and fun. Plus it has Guinefort, the only dog to become a saint! [Well... unofficially a saint.] I've recently gotten The Books of Jacob [Olga Tokarczuk], so haven't read it yet, but it's set in 18th century Poland and the author won the Nobel Prize in Literature! Speaking of good research and heaps of awards: Adam Johnson's The Orphan Master's Son is phenomenal. It's set in modern North Korea, but I'd still count it, especially as it covers a place many people know little about. In the same vein, Anthony Marra's A Constellation of Vital Phenomena does the same for modern Chechnya.)

Hope something piques your interest! Happy reading! 😁

[afrobeatsindacity]

AFROBEATS CITY PRESENTS TOP 60 SONGS FOR 2022

2022 was an amazing year for the Afrobeats scene and we are happy that we have been able to keep you all entertained with the latest and hottest African music.

We can't wait to see what 2023 has in store for not just the Afrobeats scene but also Afrobeats City. Make sure you stay tuned to Afrobeats City and be sure to catch all of the latest right here.

In true Afrobeats City style, we have finally put together a list of our favourite Afrobeats songs released during 2022.

The list which features 60 singles is split into two sections, the top 1-30 are rated in order of our favourites and the rest of the list (tracks 31-60) is rated in no particular order, just songs that we the team enjoyed the most this year.

Repost, message or tweet us your favourite song(s) for 2022. Enjoy!

Listen to the full playlist on Spotify Now

Burna Boy - Last Last

Oxlade - Ku Lu Sa

Rema -Calm Down

Asake ft Burna Boy - Sunga (Remix)

Kizz Daniel - Buga (Lo Lo Lo)

Pheelz ft BNXN fka Buju - Finesse

Fireboy DML ft Ed Sheeran - Peru

Fireboy DML ft Asake - Bandana

Asake - Peace Be Unto You

Ayra Starr - Rush

Wizkid - Bad To Me

Black Sherif - Kwaku The Traveller

Zinoleesky - Personal

Mayorkun - Certified Loner (No Competition)

Ruger - Girlfriend

Burna Boy - It's Plenty

Asake - Terminator

CKay ft Davido, Focalistic & Abidoza - WATAWI

Seyi Vibez - Chance

Asake ft Tiwa Savage - Loaded

Rexxie ft Niara Marley, Skiibii - Abracadabra

Mavins ft Crayon, Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Magixx, Boy Spyrce - Overloading (OVERDOSE)

Chris Brown ft Wizkid - Call Me Everyday

Kizz Daniel - Cough (Odo)

Pheelz ft Davido - Electricity

Ruger - Dior

Raybekah - Ex Boyfriend

Lojay ft Sarz, Chris Brown - Monalisa

A30 - Your Body

Ladipoe - Big Energy

Davido ft Focalistic - Champion Sound

1da Banton ft Kizz Daniel, Tiwa Savage - No Wahala (Remix)

JAE5 ft Dave, BNXN fka Buju - Propeller

BNXN fka Buju ft Wande Coal - Kenkele

Bayanni - Family

Zinoleesky - Call of Duty

Omah Lay - Woman

Victony ft Tempoe - Soweto

Ruger - Asiwaju

Adekunle Gold ft Lucky Daye - Sinner

L.A.X - Waist Drop

Davido ft Sunday Service Choir - Stand Strong

Mr Eazi ft Falz, Major League DJz, DJ Tarico, Joey B - Patek (Remix)

Spinall ft Asake - Palazzo

Wizkid ft Skepta, Naira Marley - WOW

Carterefe, Berri-Tiga - Machala

Ruger - Snapchat

Reekado Banks ft Fireboy DML - Ozumba Mbadiwe (Remix)

Rema - Soundgasm

Fireboy DML - Playboy

Young John ft Davido - Dada

Kwamz ft Sona - Yeah Yeah Yeah

Burna Boy ft Popcaan - Toni-Ann Singh

Camidoh ft Mayorkun, Darkoo, King Promise - Sugarcane (Remix)

Omah Lay ft Justin Bieber - Attention

Skibii - Trenches

Rotimi ft Nektunez - Make You Say

Yemi Alade ft Kranium - My Man

Skip Marley ft Ayra Starr - Jane

Naira Marley ft Lil Kesh - Melanin

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