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psychewithwings · 3 years

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Bitter Taste: Iwaizumi x f/reader Pt. 1

pt. 2 here

THIS IS SO LATE and I’m a fuck up hahahaha (kinda ironic this was 2 weeks late for Mental Health Awareness month)

I am crediting my girl @kuso-deku for giving me Iwaizumi brain rot to begin with. I am also crediting @gixxie and @idonotagreebitch for helping me talk through my ideas... and crediting @doinmybesthere for the wonderful idea of a mental health awareness collaboration the link is here. PLS READ THE REST OF THE WORKS. Everyone deserves the love.

TW: manipulative male/female relationships, gaslighting?, subtle shit head crap that most men do (don’t worry Iwa is a peach as always tho, it’s Ushijima that’s the problem)

Iwaizumi stands and stretches in the cinema. The movie had been good, but long, he figured it was a little after midnight. “What’d ya think?” Kuroo asks as they exit the theatre. “I hated the ending…” Oikawa gripes, “I hate endings where everyone just dies.” “You are such a princess Tooru, I swear, it’s a metaphorical ending… did you not catch all the symbolism in the opening credits?” Iwaizumi sighs and turns his phone back on, trying his best to ignore their bickering. Slowly, notification after notification pops up… all from you. He blinks, surprised. You had declined his offer to join him for the film, stating you had previous plans attending a close friend’s birthday.

Iwa opens the messages from you. He sees first the selfies. You look beautiful, extravagant even. Your dress is beautiful, it compliments your figure perfectly with the corseted bodice. It’s white and so is your lace mask. Broad, feathered angel wings rest on your back. Angelic would have been a word he’d used to describe you before, but now, it was confirmed. He wants to keep staring at the photos but Kuroo and Oikawa are starting to become too curious about the contents of his phone. He scrolls and relaxes his face to look more casual. But it’s hard when your intoxicated messages are so darn cute.

hope the movie is good!

okay so I guess there’s an open bar? Is it my birthday too?

if you wanna come by after the movie I’msure you coul

this partyyyy suckssssssss assssssssss

wish id gon wiht u xx

You are clearly drunk and he laughs to himself before Kuroo peers over his right shoulder. “Well she’s thinking about you at least,” he smirks. Oikawa peers over Iwaizumi’s left shoulder, “ooo play the voice message.” Oikawa taps the message before Iwaizumi can give him an answer.

“Hiiiii Iwaaaaaa, hope you like the moovie and you’re having a good time, cuz I’m having a preetyy good time, they gots free margaritaaass. Okay byeeeee”

The guys laugh and Oikawa presses the next one.

“Hey Iwaaa, I made up a song about you, ready?

Iwaizumi

Doesn’t know what he does- to me…

Sshfhsijknfhahaha I cant remember the rest som’n bout… som’n I dunno. Byeee”

“Okay, Ushi says that I need to say sorry for sending so many…” you pause and then whisper, “drunk messages, but I’as only tellin’ ya I ssink ‘r awesome ‘n you should totally come to this party and hang out with me… you’re awesome, okay byeee”

Oikawa and Kuroo pause and look at Iwaizumi. “Ushi?” Oikawa asks, “like Ushiwaka?” Oikawa’s eyes are narrowed and he gags dramatically in disgust. Iwaizumi nods and walks to exit the theatre. “Wait… that’s her friend who’s having the birthday party?” Iwa grimaces as Kuroo chuckles. “No wonder you’ve had a stick up your ass all night.” Iwa glares at him, “they’re just friends… apparently… I don’t know, she said they’ve known each other for a really long time…” Kuroo claps Iwaizumi on the back. “I think you should definitely go to the party.” Iwaizumi starts to object but the ring of his phone draws attention, and he answers it. “Heyyy you're outta th’moviee, heheeheheha,” you slur. Iwaizumi laughs softly and smiles, “yeah, I’m out of the movie now, are you… good?” There is so much background noise, it almost drowns out your sweet sleepy voice. “I’m soooo good… … I just-” he can hear your voice drop to a drunken whisper. “I’z just hoping to see you today,” you mumble finally.

Iwaizumi can feel his heartbeat quicken, his head reeling. “Oh really?” He plays cool but then instantly regrets it when you give him a serious answer. “Yeah, I was really hoping you’d come to the party, even for just a little,” you murmur. Iwaizumi can’t help but chuckle. You were pretty cute like this, not normally so transparent. You were actually quite hard to read, so sweet but guarded and teasing too. You were a friend of Oikawa’s first and he had met you through him. He’d liked the way you sat cross legged on the couch smiling, chin in your hands while you asked questions and listened to his answers. Your eyes sparkle when you hear something you like, and your face lights up when you talk about things you find interesting.

“Ya don’t have to, I can just see ya another time,” you add. He’s been silent too long which causes him to speak without thinking. “No, I’d love to see you, I’ll head to you now.” Kuroo and Oikawa are silently cheering him on and Iwa turns away in embarrassment. “Really? Okay! I’ll drop my pin… as the kids are sayin’ these days hahaha.” “See you soon, drink some water okay?” “Mhm, I will, see ya soon!”

You were at a club owned by Ushijima’s family. A place called ‘Eagle’s Nest’. He’d only known you for a few weeks but he couldn’t help his infatuation. It was immediate, the night he had gone to Oikawas for game night. You spoke to him so easily not knowing him at all and laughed at his little side jabs to his long time friend. The way you looked at him… Iwa knew then that he wanted to see you smile, hear your laugh, and that he would be happy to assume the responsibility of making that happen.

He was surprised when you had declined his offer for the movie, feeling that you both had some definite chemistry, but Iwaizumi was even more surprised when you had said that you had prior plans with his old time rival Ushijima Wakatoshi. Iwaizumi hadn’t seen him since high school but they knew a few people in common, Oikawa being one of those people. Oikawa could sure hold a grudge but Iwaizumi took all of his comments with a grain of salt. Ushijima often came off entitled and cold, which would leave Iwaizumi with a bad taste in his mouth. Maybe Oikawa had the right idea holding a grudge… But grudge or not he wanted to see you, hear your voice and admire you all dolled up.

When Iwaizumi arrives at the club he is met with a large security guard. “Invitation?” he grumbles. Iwa remains calm but a small trickle of fear runs down his back. Iwaizumi gives the guard a casual smile before he starts to answer but he is interrupted. “Iwaaaaa,” you cry from the top of the stairs. The mask you’d had on is now resting on top of your head, the delicate features of your face now exposed. The floofy skirt of your dress bounces with your excitement as you run down the stairs. You crash into him, throwing your arms around his neck. You bury your face in his collar and still momentarily. Drunk and bubbly, you melt when Iwa wraps his arms around your waist in return, avoiding your costume’s wings. “Mmmm,” you hum, breath hot against his skin, “you smell good.” You pull back and stare into his wide eyes. “You look incredible,” he offers, a slight pink tint to his cheeks. You grin in return and simply take hold of his hand. “He’s with me,” you beam at the guard. Iwaizumi is doubtful this trick will work here. But he is surprised when the guard steps aside saying, “as you wish Miss L/N.” You giggle and pull Iwa towards the doors. “I’ll bring you some cake later, okay Jurou?” Jurou laughs, “just have fun darlin’.” “You’re the best,” you call behind you as you push open the doors. Iwaizumi can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy knowing that you are on a first name basis with one of the body guards at the Wakatoshi’s club. How close were you with Ushijima?

Blue and purple lights illuminate the vast space while black tiles make up the main floor. The dance floor is sunken, in the middle of the club with a small set of stairs leading down to it. It’s made entirely of glass, beneath is a saltwater garden of different plants and coral.

“You’ll need one of these,” you explain, swiping a simple black mask from the welcome table. You hand it over to him and pull yours down over your eyes. Iwaizumi adjusts it to where he can see. “You look so handsome,” you admire. He grins, “what about you? You’ve got wings!” You laugh and adjust your mask back on top of your forehead. “I’m a swan, and Ushi said I couldn’t be a swan without wings!” You spin for him, trying your best to flap the feathered wings. Small pieces of confetti glitter rain from the skirt of your dress. Iwaizumi takes in your face illuminated by the lights of the club. Blue and pink dancing over your cheeks as you smile up at him. “What?” you giggle nervously. Just a few weeks but he is mesmerised by your everything. He shakes his head and tries to move on. He wanted to tell you how he felt but this wasn’t the right time. It should be when you’re sober, when you can take in his words properly.

You coax him down towards the bar. “You’re sure it’s okay to sneak in uninvited guests?” Iwa questions. “Well, I asked Ushi ‘nd he said it was okay, so yeah!” You grin but notice Iwaizumi’s reserve. “It’s really okay, I promise, let’s just get a drink,” you suggest and take his hand. “Only if you drink more water,” he smirks. You roll your eyes at Iwa, “I drank some water before you got here actually.” You look back at him as you both head down to the bar. “I’ll prolly regret that yurr seeing me like this tamorow, ya know,” you call over the blaring music. “It’s cute, you’re cute,” he assures as he leans against the bar, “I didn’t know you thought about me this much until I saw all the snapchats and voice messages and texts.” You cover your face in humiliation, “I knowww, I’m sorry but you were on my mind a lot, alot alot, and couldn’t stop think about ya, and the booze told me to keep on messaging…” You trail off, finding the last shred of your filter to keep you from talking. The bartender hands you your water and you take a long drink.

“Iwaizumi,” a voice projects over the baseline. Ushijima stands tall advancing towards where you both stand. His expression is neutral though, his eyes keep darting to you and then back to Iwaizumi. Ushijima is dressed as a knight, his silver mask hangs languidly around his neck. “Ushiwaka,” Iwa acknowledges, “this is a hell of a birthday party.” You giggle and point at Ushiwaka, “he’s 28 today; getting sooo old.” In that moment, Iwaizumi watches him do something he had never seen him do before. Smile… and then laugh. Ushijima wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer. “You’re just a baby, you’re only-” You wave your hand in front of Ushiwaka’s face, shushing him. “No, no, Iwa doesn’t knowww, don’t tell him,” you plead. “She’s only 23,” Ushiwaka says. You hold your face in your hands once more and groan. Ushijima pulls your hands from your face, “just barely twenty three too.” You glare at him and look back at Iwaizumi embarrassed. “Did she not tell you her age?” Ushijima asks Iwaizumi. Iwa shrugs, “She didn’t, but I never asked,” Iwa shrugs casually, addressing you now, “didn’t seem important since you carry yourself so well.”

You turn to Iwa, mouth open like you’re about to respond but Ushijima swipes the glass from your hands before you can finish. “Drinking water?” You look up at him. “But it’s my birthday… and this is a party… you need something stronger…” Ushijima beacons the bartender with a single flick of his hand. The barman pours three double shots of a clear liquid from a foreign looking bottle. Ushijima takes a glass and hands it to you, before handing another to Iwaizumi. Ushijima gives him a wink as he loops his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. He raises his glass, the violet lights illuminating the liquid. Iwaizumi follows his lead. “To my Juliet, the belle of the ball,” Ushijima bellows. You smile slightly and shake your head. “No no, to you Ushi, it’s your birthday, not mine, we are celebrating you!” Your eyes find Iwa’s, but you leave your glass raised. Ushijima grabs hold of your hand that’s still wrapped around the glass. “Cheers,” He tips the glass towards your lips and you swallow the clear liquor as he feeds it to you. You down it all in one go and Ushiwaka smiles wide once again. “She’s good, huh?” With that, Ushiwaka clinks his glass to Iwaizumi’s, “to you brother,” he assures. Iwa is surprised with the sudden sentiment. “And to you,” he replies before downing the shot. The liquor is surprisingly smooth, expensive, and strong. Iwa can feel his head starting to get light from the small portion that was in the glass and Iwa wasn’t a light weight. “Strong huh?” Ushijima smirks. Iwaizumi nods then turns to the bartender to signal for a water.

Ushijima turns to where you stand swaying slightly with the music. “Look at her, she gets drunk so easily,” Ushijima smiles. “How are you feeling, princess?” he shouts over at you. Iwa turns away and downs his water in disgust. ‘Princess?’ Ushijima shouldn’t be calling you that if you’re both just friends. You blink and give him a smile and a thumbs up. There was a natural innocence about you, a childlike wonder and curiosity, the embodiment of sanguine. Ushijima’s air was sometimes sinister, like he was taking advantage of your natural trusting nature. Iwa watches as Ushijima’s large hands rest on either of your shoulders and he pushes you back and forth like a pendulum between his palms. You giggle and try to push him away, “Ushi stooopp.” He laughs with you and continues pushing you around, “you’re so cute and small though, see?” He places a hand on top of your head and you still. “I said to stop,” you mumble. “And I did,” he retorts before letting you go.

Iwa watches the sudden weight of gravity find you as you stumble in your heels. He catches your arm just in time. Your arms find their way around his neck once more, your face in the crook of his neck. You pull away and Iwa examines your foggy eyes. “You okay?” You nod, pushing off of Iwa’s chest. You fix your hair, “it’s fine, he just messin’” you turn to Ushijima, “and someone doesn’t know when to quit.” You’re pulled away into Ushiwaka’s arms. He sways you back and forth, your back held against his chest while he says soft apologies. He whispers something to you and you nod. Iwaizumi wanted to pull you away from him. Not because he was jealous, but because the way that Ushiwaka was behaving with you was odd.

“Y/n is a little bit tired, why don’t you join us in VIP?” Iwa smiles and gives his thanks, trying his best to hide his scowl. Iwa follows after you and Ushiwaka, upstairs and under velvet ropes hoping that he will find a good moment to pull you away. But instead you are pulled onto the couch beside Ushiwaka. He lights a cigar and offers one to Iwa, but Iwaizumi declines with a simple, “no thanks, don’t smoke.” It’s strange the way that Ushiwaka keeps whispering in your ear, giving you sips of his drinks, and blowing smoke in your face. “Ushi, stop please, the smell is making me sick,” you whine. But he just pulls you closer to him, chuckling all the while and does it again. You’re laughing and poking his face, but it’s not out of joy... Watching Ushijima interact with you the whole night has been like watching a cat toy with a mouse.

Iwa grimaces when Ushiwaka tickles you. “Stop-stop-don’t-stop,” you giggle and howl. “She said to stop!” Iwa raises his voice. Ushijima’s eyes shoot towards Iwaizumi while you squirm off the couch. Your eyes are heavy as you walk towards a dark hallway and disappear into the shadows. Iwa’s eyes flick to the entrance to the hall. Ushiwaka sits in a contented silence, sipping a drink, “she’s so dramatic,” he sighs. He continues smoking, arm rested over the back of the purple velvet sofa. Ushijima takes a sip of his drink, swirling the ice in his glass. Iwa doesn’t move to break the silence no matter how expectant Ushijima’s expression was. He stamps out his cigar in the tray before addressing him.

“She’s awfully talkative, and incredibly fond of you…” Ushijima starts, an odd smirk painting his expression. Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow in intrigue and Ushijima’s face hardens. “She won’t shut up about you since she met you… it’s annoying...” Iwaizumi, remains quiet, the silence settling over the men like a thick fog. The only sounds are muffled club music and the ice tinkling against Ushijima’s glass. “I’m going to be honest as a friend… bad idea.” Iwaizumi can feel the rage bubbling inside his gut, “I don’t think that what’s going on between us is any of your-” He’s cut off by Ushijima.

“I’m really looking out for you Iwaizumi, girls can break hearts and Y/n is kind of known for that… she’s just a sweet soul, makes friends easily, but love? That’s harder for her… doesn’t have the best taste in men I’m afraid, I want to protect her and you from a situation where I can already see the conclusion… I get that you like her, everyone does.” Iwazumi leans forward, “does that include you?” Ushijima is stone faced, then gives a cold laugh. “You’re funnier than I remember, Iwaizumi.”

Iwaizumi rises and heads towards the hall you disappeared down. If he sat in front of him any longer he was going to say something he regretted… and you still haven’t come back. He slips into the dark hallway as you’re exiting the bathroom. Your mask has been removed and even in the dim lighting you look pale. “Hey, what’s happened?” You look up at him embarrassed, your dress almost as wilted as you are. “Got sick…” you mutter. You’re shaking slightly, arms wrapped around yourself. “Oh Y/n, are you alright?” he sighs. His arm starts to reach for you but he thinks better of it, pulling it back to rest by his side. His eyes widen as he feels the warmth of your hand in his. He didn’t figure that you would want to be touched right now. But your fingers interlace with his, your skin soft. “Are you good to drive?” you whisper. His hand instinctively tightens around yours protectively. “I only had whatever Ushijima gave us, it was strong but I’ve had water- yeah I’m good.” “Would you mind taking me home?” you ask, as you start to walk back towards the VIP room. “Sure, course,” Iwaizumi replies gently. He feels how your thumb brushes over the back of his hand in silent gratitude. The gesture has his heart beating hard against his ribs. Iwa walks forward, his eyes on you and nothing else. Your brow is furrowed and your expression painted serious which was unusual from how he knew you to act.

“Iwa’s taking me home now,” you announce and walk towards the stairs. Ushiwaka’s face hardens, “I can take her home, you shouldn’t trouble yourself,” he addresses Iwaizumi. You smile and turn around facing Ushiwaka. “But Ushi, ‘s ur birthday, you can’t leave this party jus’ ‘a take me home,” You turn to Iwa now. “Let’s go,” you say and Iwa nods, still holding your hand. “Where’s my hug, princess?” Ushijima calls after you. You stop in your tracks and close your eyes, taking in a deep breath. You drop Iwa’s hand slowly, hesitantly. You walk back slowly and stand before his open arms. He lifts you and you groan. You’re still hugging him tightly but not quite with the same intimacy as before.

As Ushijima places you down you turn to look back at Iwa when Ushijima catches your face with his large hand. He coaxes your face back towards him then leans down. Ushiwaka locks eyes with Iwaizumi as he whispers something in your ear. Then he presses his lips to your cheek, still not moving his eyes away from Iwaizumi’s. Iwa tries his best to remain neutral but he can feel his lip creeping upwards in contempt. Ushiwaka is too prideful for his own good it seems.

You take Iwa’s hand again, leading him towards the exit. An exasperated look rests on your face. “What did he say to you?” Iwa asks. You sigh and shake your head. “‘S nothin’, ya shouldn’t worry your pretty lil head ‘bout it.” Iwa can’t help but allow a smile. He raises an eyebrow at you, “think my head is pretty?” he asks. He’s met with your hazy gaze, “I do,” you say simply. Iwa wasn’t prepared for such a straightforward answer to his question.

Once out of the club, the valet pull Iwaizumi’s car around. He’s careful not to let you walk too far on your own. Sick, in those ridiculous shoes and still quite drunk, he opens the car door for you before hopping into the driver's seat. “Will you put your address in?” Iwa hands you his phone and you type it in as asked. “Thanks for doing this,” you sigh. “Yeah of course,” he says as he puts the car into gear. A few streets of city light pass by in silence. Your hands are resting in your lap but your body is still trembling. “I can- umm- pull over if you need me to…” You wave the thought away with your hand, “it was the smell of the cigar more than anything…” Iwa’s gut begins to boil again. Your voice is soft, almost defeated. He speaks before thinking better of it. “Does he always treat you like that?” You look at Iwa and make eye contact briefly before his attention is back on the road. “He was being a little extra weird today, maybe because y’all used to play volleyball together or… I dunno really, he just gets like that sometimes…” You trail off, allowing your thoughts to fade into the rearview. The silence is deafening and you feel the need to break it. “He’s really nice too though, don’t get me wrong, he cooks for me and calls to check in, he even gets me little gifts, so I know he cares.” Iwa shakes his head, “if he cared he would have stopped when you asked him to.” You take a breath, “I know but he was just having a night I guess…” Iwa pulls into your driveway as the GPS notifies him that he has ‘arrived at the destination’. He puts the car in park, “you don’t have to make excuses for him… it’s okay to be angry, if that’s how you feel.” You start to open the door, your fingers on the handle. “I’m not angry though, I’m just kinda hurt.” You open the door and start to get out, “okay, maybe a little angry too.” You laugh to yourself but not out of joy. It’s an ironic laugh and Iwa can hear the pain ringing inside of it. “Let me walk you inside.”

#iwaizumi #iwa #hajime #hajime x reader #iwa x reader #iwaizumi x reader #haikyuu #hq #hq x reader #haikyuu x reader #iwaizumi hajime #pls protect me iwa

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suckitsurveys · 3 years

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What is a fruit that you might eat in the morning? Bananas.

Do you enjoy any food combinations that others might consider to be weird? I mean, probably? I can’t think of anything right now.

What is a green vegetable that you enjoy eating? Spinach.

Name something you might find in a salad. Anchovies.

What is your favorite type of sandwich? One someone makes for me, lol.

Which condiment do you use the most often? Good question. I don’t think I use any more than others, tbh. Like, I dip different things in different sauces. Name a chocolate bar that you enjoy eating. Kit Kats.

What is a meat that you do not eat - ever. Veal.

Are you lactose intolerant, or have any other sort of food allergies? Nope.

What was the last food that you burnt your mouth on? It happened recently but I cannot remember what the food was now.

Which brand of soup do you eat? I don’t really eat a specific brand?

What are some flavors of ice cream that your enjoy? Butter pecan, anything caramel, vanilla, chocolate chip cookie dough, various Ben and Jerry’s flavors.

What is the best type of cookie, in your opinion? Pillsbury sugar cookies with the holiday shapes printed on them.

Would you rather have popcorn, pretzels, or chips as your salty snack? Chips. I prefer my popcorn more buttery than salty. Also, oddly enough, I’m currently eating pretzels.

Have you thought about going on a diet & actually went through with it? Fuck diet culture.

When you woke up today, was there anything on your mind? I don’t remember.

Who was the last person you interacted with for the first time? Someone at Starbucks when I picked up a drink the other day.

What colour was the wrapper of the last snack you ate? Green.

Do you have a favourite mug to drink from? What does it look like? I have a mug with bats on it.

What was the last thing you used, that came in a spray can? Lysol. Just 2020 things!

What colour is your favourite bra? Beige.

Who was the last person you went to for advice about something? My husband.

Have you had a deep conversation with anyone lately? Sure.

What was the last compliment you recall receiving from someone? Mark said I was cute.

And the last compliment you gave to someone else? I said Mark was cute. Lol.

What kind of bread did you eat most recently? Garlic.

What was the last sound you heard, that you found pleasant? My cat meowing.

How many books do you think there are in your house? Take a rough guess. Like, 50 ish?

Of all the books you own, which do you think has the most pages in it? I dunno.

^ And how many pages is that? I don’t knowwwww.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema? What did you think of it? Frozen Two in an actual theater over a year ago. Hocus Pocus at a drive in back in October.

In the last book you read, what was the main character’s name? Hfhdksfhdkfhdkfdfs

What was the last song you heard, that meant something to you? 34+35 by Ariana Grande :P

How many people do you know whose name begins with Z? I can think of 1 person right now but I’m also tired af so who knows.

What do you expect to be doing at this time tomorrow? Probably trying to sleep. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are my last days of work until I am off for two weeks and they are going to be STRESSful.

Did you start listening to more Michael Jackson after his death? No.

When was the last time that you played hide and seek? Recently with my niece.

Who was your first celebrity crush, if you can remember? Ash Ketchum.

Do you worry about money? Uh huh.

Have you ever had to beg for a second chance? No.

When was the last time that you sent an actual letter through the mail? I just sent out a bunch of holiday cards!

Are you excited to return to school? I’m done with school.

Do you hate Internet abbreviations? No.

What was the last insult you gave out? idk I probably called Mark an idiot.

What’d you last look up on YouTube? I don’t remember what the last thing I searched for was but the last thing I watched was a recommended video about 25 facts about Bob’s Burgers.

Are you texting someone really awesome right now? I’m not texting anyone right now.

Do you know when to be serious and when you shouldn’t be? Yes.

Do you think that you’re funny? Sure.

Have you ever sent a secret to Post Secret? No.

What movie do you really want to see in theatres right now? There aren’t any showing in theaters in right now or for most of this year. I miss going to the movie theater.

Have either of your parents shown affection for you today? Yes, my dad said he loved me before I left his house earlier.

What’s the last thing that you sang out loud? Christmas songs.

Is there a word that you always misspell? Sure.

What was the last thing that you bought that someone else benefited from? I mean, a buncha Christmas presents that will be opened next week.

Has someone ever made you a really great mix CD? Yeah.

Have you ever been on Omegle.com? Yes.

Did you talk to someone cool there? I didn’t talk much, I just went on there to check it out.

What song reminds you of your best friend? The White Stripes always do.

Who was the last person to hit on you? My husband.

What’s on the paper nearest you? a list of things I need to do next week.

Do you have a set of lyrics that you really love? A ton.

Did you get an A in your last English class? Probably not.

What did you last use scissors for? My niece and I made a paper chain to count down to Christmas.

Did you ever secretly hate a friend of yours that thought you liked them? No.

What do you think of when I say “boat”? Uhhh, a boat?

Would you ever get a tattoo sleeve? I want a half sleeve.

Do you know any really fake people? Yes.

What does the last blanket you used look like? I’m using one with the logo of the college I work for on it right now.

Do you have appreciation for graffiti? I’ve seen some really cool graffiti artwork.

Why don’t you drive? I do drive.

Does it annoy you when your printer runs out of ink? If I had one, yes.

Have you ever drank anything from a thermos? Yeah.

When was the last time you played in the snow? Earlier this year with my nieces.

Do you know any ignorant people? Yes.

What is the coolest name you’ve ever heard? Lots of cool names.

What did you last argue with someone about? I don’t recall.

Is there anyone that you dislike for no real reason? No, I have reasons.

Have you had a good day? Yes.

Are you going to have a good night? I mean, I am right now.

#surveys #quarantine

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samsylviasmoustache · 7 years

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Happily Ever Afters - Chapter 2

The first time he sees her in make-up he bursts out laughing.

“Thanks,” she says drily. “That’s the effect we’re going for here.”

“No, I just… this is why science fiction television is ridiculous. That little…crinkle on your nose is supposed to somehow convey essential alien-ness. It’s ridiculous.”

“Right, because the special effects in your movies are all about realism?”

“Alright, alright. Are you going to show me around or what?”

“I dunno, are you going to take what we do seriously?”

He raises his hands in surrender. “Total seriousness. I promise.”

“Hmm.” But she gives him the benefit of the doubt, and together they leave her trailer to tour the set.

“Wow,” he says, all alien crinkles forgotten. “This is amazing.”

“I know, right?” She runs a hand along her console. “They’ve got a budget…”

“… that most filmmakers can only dream of.” He sighs. “This is going to make Hot Guns—”

“You can’t still seriously be calling it that?”

“What? It’s like a pun on—”

“I know, I’m not an idiot. It just… sounds ridiculous. What was wrong with The Gunslinger?”

“Ah, the studio doesn’t like it. They don’t think it ‘captures the essence of the project’.” He makes air quotation marks with his fingers, clearly pained.

“What… a film about a lone-ranger gun-slinging her way across the West to avenge her family’s murder? Huh.”

“Look, I’m doing what I can, alright? You know how tough it was to sell a relatively unknown female director to them on a movie with no real male protagonist? I’ve already called in a lot of my favours.”

“It won’t matter if you let them sell it as some kind of… softcore jerk-off western.”

“I know, I know! I’m dealing with it, okay? Jesus.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“No, I am. I’m sorry. You-you know what you’re doing.”

“Yeah,” he says, sadly. “I do.” He takes in the bridge of Space Station Six and shakes his head. “Why I’m still doing it, on the other hand…”

She punches his shoulder lightly. “Don’t go all morose on me. Come on and meet some of the others.”

“Alright.” He rubs his arm pointedly, but follows her through to where the production team are assessing the dailies.

“These are our producers, Bob and Rick,” she says, making introductions quietly, “Guys, this is—”

“Holy fuck,” says Rick. “Sam Sylvia.” He pumps Sam’s hand enthusiastically. “I fucking love your movies, man.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Studied them in film school. Fucking art. My girlfriend loves ‘em too. Third date she made me watch Gina The Machina.”

“Right…” hazards Sam, “and you stuck with that, after the whole meat-grinder vagina thing? You’re a brave man.”

Rick explodes with laughter. “Right, right! I know, man. Did Ruth show you around the main set already?”

“Yeah, she—”

“Ah, cool. Cool. Hey, are you still making films?”

“Uh, yeah. Got one that we’re just wrapping at the moment. Kind of a twist on the great sixties western.”

“Oh, man. Can’t wait to see that. Well, if you get back in to the TV gig, you’ve got to let us know.”

“Really? Why’s that?”

Bob and Rick exchange a look. “We use guest directors from time to time,” says Bob. “After what you did with GLOW—what Ruth’s told us about the way you worked—we’d love to have you on board.”

“Really?”

He gives Ruth a sidelong glance and she smiles, a little sadly. “Always happy to help,” she mutters, unheard.

“Are you nervous?”

“I was going to ask you the same question.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, I’m nervous. Premieres always make me nervous. I hate the red carpet. All that who-are-you-wearing fawning crap. But you’re an actress. Isn’t this what you live for?”

She finished fixing her earring in the mirror over the mantelpiece. “How long have you known me, Sam?”

“Four years.”

“And outside of work, how often have you seen me wearing make-up? Or a dress?”

“Okay, okay, point taken. It’s all about the art for you. I get it.”

She turns on the spot, red dress unfurling, sequins flashing. “On that note, how do I look?”

He folds his arms. “As if you don’t know.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t hurt to hear it. Occasionally.”

An overly dramatic sigh. “You look fantastic. Can we go now?”

She sweeps over and he swallows convulsively, but she’s only coming to fix his crooked velvet bow-tie. “Very dapper,” she says, grinning like a shark at her small victory. She extends her arm. “Let’s go, then.”

Justine catches up with her in the dark auditorium of the cinema, away from the flashing cameras and shouting.

“Hey,” she says, impossibly beautiful in her tailored tuxedo, “thanks for doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“Crisis-sitting Sam?”

They glance over to where the subject of their conversation is draining a shot of something at the bar and ordering his second. Perhaps more worrying, Debbie is doing the same.

“Um… Are they a bad influence on one another?”

“Only when they’re being competitively cynical.”

“Huh.” Ruth squares her shoulders. “It’s okay,” she says. “We’ve got this.”

But she can’t shake the feeling of inevitability when it comes to the twin tidal waves of Sam and Debbie. The torrent has to fall somewhere, the only choice is where it lands.

The bar is thronged, music blaring so loud every conversation is a shouting match. It’s hot, and everyone else is drunk. She should go home. Instead she’s sipping diet coke through a straw, watching Debbie hold court. Gracious and beguiling as ever, surrounded by tuxedoed idiots.

Once, a long time ago, Ruth might have been jealous. As it is she can see the weariness under Debbie’s mask of charm. She knows, if she were to join the throng, Debbie would whisper in her ear: “I wish I was at home with Randy.” This is just a job. One she’s good at, but work nonetheless.

She can’t see Sam and that is more of a problem. The options range from just nipped outside for a cigarette to just slipped into cocaine induced psychosis. Tonight, her money is on the latter – something in the sloping lines of his shoulders when they left the theatre betrayed a deep misery, entirely at odds with current events.

She finds him finishing a bottle of bourbon in the parking lot. “Ruth,” he says, voice a deep burr.

“Uh-huh. You okay?”

“I’m fine.” He finds her eyes and gives her one of his trademark sad smiles. “Just dealing with success in my usual way.”

“Yeah,” she says, voice tight. “Never did quite understand this part.”

“Oh, it’s ‘cos I’m a shitty person—”

“Don’t say that.”

“No, no. It’s true.” He takes a final swig, throws the bottle into the dark. “I’m really fuckin’ proud of you all… and really fuckin’ jealous.” He digs in his pockets for a cigarette packet long since discarded. “What kind of person does that make me?”

Ruth sighs, coming to sit next to him on the low wall. “A normal human one?”

“You don’t have to be nice to me—”

“You’re right, I don’t.” She shrugs. “Look, we all feel like this sometimes. It just means it’s time to go before you make a bad decision.”

“Yeah,” he says eventually, “alright. You wanna share a ride?”

“Sure, Sam.” She glances back wistfully at the bar for a second, but it’s time to follow her own advice. “Let’s go home.”

#sam sylvia #ruth wilder #netflix glow #fanfic #fanfiction #post show #au i guess #plumbing new depths making my own manips now #but damn this headcanon is one i'm weirdly attached to

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lilieevans-blog · 7 years

Text

Build-a-Daddy (2/3)

or “the college au where lily is a single mom struggling with finishing school and raising a child, and james discovers he quite likes babysitting” (AO3)

(p.s.: thank you to ria aka @gxldentrio for taking some time out of her free one to beta read this and for always having amazing commentary that makes me laugh, 10/10 human being)

Chapter 2/3 (Ch. 1)

When Lily gets off the train, the first thing she hears is his voice, one she could recognise in the loudest of crowds.

“Mama! Mama!”

She turns instinctively towards Harry who’s trying to wiggle himself out of his grandmother’s arms and, once he succeeds, nothing can stop him from wobbling as fast as he can towards his mum, like nothing can stop Lily from letting go of her bags and running towards him.

Mother and son meet again.

It’s barely been more than a week, but Lily feels like a lifetime has passed since she last held him in her arms. His laughter fills her ears like music and she kisses his cheeks until his little hands push her face away to take in the eyes that are just like his and have always meant comfort to him. To her, it feels like being reunited with a part of her body that she felt achingly missing all along.

Harry clumsily wraps his arms around Lily’s neck and puts his head under her chin, deciding to stay there permanently.

“He’s been asking about you non stop since we told him you were coming,” Lily’s dad says, having just picked up her bags.

Lily settles Harry on her hip and embraces both her parents, rejoicing in the familiarity of their arms.

“It’s good to see you, sweetheart,” her mother says, kissing her cheek. “Although I do wish I was seeing more of you. Have you been eating enough? You look tired. Have you been sleeping enough?” she says, frowning at the circles beneath her daughter’s eyes.

“I’ve been sleeping just fine,” she lies.

“I don’t see how. Harry has the most abysmal sleeping pattern. He cries at least twice a night.”

“That’s strange. He sleeps like a rock usually.”

“Might be because he misses you. Good thing you’re back then,” her dad says, planting a kiss on her forehead.

“Yeah, good thing,” she says more to herself than anyone else as she wraps her arms closer around Harry and smiles at her parents, happy to be home again.

∞

“Just stand still for a moment!” she says, holding her phone up, her hands shaking with laughter. “I’m trying to take a picture for James!”

Harry, who has been prancing on his feet in the living room and babbling to the tune of Christmas carols suddenly halts, making the bells on the antlers he’s wearing chime, then stop.

“Wame?”

“Yes, James!” she says, nodding quickly.

“Wame! Wame! Wame!”

He starts jumping on his feet again and eventually falls on his bum, but it doesn’t wipe the smile off his face, and Lily takes the opportunity to snap a picture. She opens James’ contact and pauses at the gif he sent her a few minutes ago. Of the four people standing in front of the Christmas tree, there are three she doesn’t know, but from all the times James has talked about them it’s not hard to recognise them; Peter, the shortest and chubbiest of them all, but most adorable by far with his boyish face and rosy cheeks; Remus, tall and lanky, thin-faced, a full head of brown curls and a sarcastic smirk painted on his face, but eyes that scream kindness; and Sirius, the most attractive of the group - male-underwear model level of attractive - with his long, dark hair that falls casually on his shoulders, his sharp but elegant features, tall and fit, an eternal leather jacket wearer; then James, standing in the middle of them, like a fish to water.

She can’t help the smile spreading across her face when she looks at him; he’s wearing the antlers and red nose, and the camera caught him feigning annoyance with his eyes turned up to the ceiling, although the corner of his lips betray him. Sirius is pinching the side of James’ cheek while making kissy faces at him and Remus’ head is thrown back with laughter while Peter is kneels in front of all of them and holds up a banner which says “Thanks Lily! We owe you one!”

My friends have started calling me Prongs and every single old lady in a one mile ratio pinches my cheek when I go outside. I hope you’re happy. x

She opens the picture of Harry she just took and sends it to him.

Prongs Jr. supports you. And he’s got it worse. Little old ladies pinch his cheeks even when he’s not wearing antlers. x

“What are you smiling about?”

Lily jumps. She hadn’t noticed her dad coming into the living room with a bag full of torn wrapping paper.

“Wame! Wame! Wame!”

“What’s a ‘Wame’?”

“A person.”

“You know someone named Wame? Poor kid.”

“No, he means James.”

“Is he from Hogwarts?”

Lily nods and her dad raises his eyebrows at Harry’s outburst of excitement.

“Harry seems to be fond of him.”

“Fond of whom?” Mrs. Evans asks, walking into the living.

“Of James,” Mr. Evans says.

“James who?”

“James from Hogwarts.”

“James Potter,” Lily adds.

“Wame, Wame, Wame!”

“Harry seems to like him,” says Mrs. Evans, looking down at her prancing grandson.

“That’s what I just said,” Mr. Potter adds.

“How does Harry know James?” her mum asks.

“He visits sometimes and he helps out too. He’s really good with kids. He’s a friend,” she says, anticipating potential questions from her parents.

“A friend?” Mrs. Potter says, looking at her husband, her eyebrows raised.

Mr. Potter shrugs which makes Lily rolls her eyes.

“You two are insufferable,” she says, walking out of the living room.

“We didn’t say anything!”

“Did you see that smile on her face?” her mum whispers, thinking she’s out of earshot.

∞

“Hey Evans!“

Lily lets go of the doorknob she was about to twist and turns around to see James, his glasses askew and his hair unrulier than ever, navigating through the crowd to reach her.

“Evans! Check these out!” he says, lifting in front of her face what looks like two movie theatre tickets. “Tickets for The Force Awakens!”

Lily puts on a puzzled expression.

“My mates wanted to go watch it tonight and they asked me if you wanted to come. The thing is, I already bought the tickets, so now you have to come.”

“How convenient.”

“So… Are you coming?”

Lily can’t help but smile at the slight blush on his cheeks.

“Er, dunno. I was planning on staying in to study for a bit.”

“But, come on! It’s Friday!”

“Will you be going out afterwards? Because I can’t come back late and I definitely can’t be hungover.”

“No, it’s just a dinner and a movie. I swear. Come on, you can’t say no. Plus, you have enough money for the babysitter thanks to my present.”

He looks at her jutting his lip out.

“Fine,” she sighs. “I’ll come.”

James shakes his fist in victory. “I’ll pick you up at 6 p.m. then. Gotta go! See you tonight!”

The bell rings and he breaks into a run.

∞

“Want some popcorn?” James asks after having gotten their tickets checked.

“Do you even have to ask?”

James reaches in his coat for his wallet, but Lily stops him.

“I’ll pay though.”

“But -”

“Come on, James. You’ve already paid the tickets. And the babysitting, technically.”

“That was a Christmas present!”

“Call it what you want. I’m paying.”

“Fine,” he says giving in. “Is it alright if I wait for you here while you go buy it? I told Sirius we’d meet here.”

Lily nods and walks over to the counter. When she comes she notices James surrounded by his friends and she self-consciously walks over to them, hoping that she won’t trip and spill all of the popcorn. When she arrives at James sides, he absentmindedly puts his hand on her shoulder.

“Lily, this is everybody. Everybody this is Lily.”

Five smiling faces look back at her and she feels her face turning the colour of her hair.

“Glad we get to meet you finally,” says Sirius, coming forward and shaking her hand casually. “I was starting to think Jamie here was making you up.”

James jabs him in the ribs.

“Well, I’m here. In the flesh. You could try running a hand through me, but I’m afraid it would hurt both of us.”

“He won’t shut up about you. It’s starting to get annoying,” says the pale and lanky boy next to Sirius, who Lily is a hundred percent sure is Remus.

Lily laughs nervously. “I’m sorry… I guess?”

“Nothing to be sorry about,” says Sirius waving it off absentmindedly. “It’s him who should be sorry.”

“Look! The prat is blushing!”

“Oi, you shut it Marlene!” James says, messing up his hair.

Marlene, a dark-skinned curly-haired girl, cackles in return. “I’m Marlene, as you might have figured out,” she says, shaking her hand too. “And this would be Hestia, but a little bird tells us you too already know each other.”

“That’s right. We have loads of classes together,” says Hestia, smiling.

“And I would be Peter,” said the boy in question, bowing his head.

“If you’re all done making fools of yourselves, we should get going. The film starts in five minutes,” James says, trying to push them towards the cinema room.

They enter room five which is already significantly packed with people and Lily ends up being seated between James and Sirius. The two boys animatedly pick at each other while the ads play and Lily can’t help laughing at their jokes. James reaches out to grab some popcorn, but Lily smacks his hand away.

“What’s that about?”

“You can’t eat the popcorn until the movie starts!” she says, looking at him as if it were obvious.

“But the ads have started already!”

“So? Do you want to be already halfway through the bag when the actual movie starts?”

“I gotta say, she’s right about this Prongs,” Sirius says, never wasting an opportunity to provoke his friend.

“Man, I didn’t know popcorn came with a set of rules.”

“I’ll let you read the rule book next time.”

James crosses his arms and grumbles, feigning to be annoyed, and Lily picks out a single piece of popcorn, holding it in front of him.

“You can have one popcorn.”

James looks at her from the corner of her eye. He sits up and takes it into his mouth, without using his hands, which makes Lily blush and thank the people in the control room for having already turned off the lights. The signature opening crawl starts to play and A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. appears in blue letters in the screen. James grabs a handful of popcorn defiantly.

∞

“Are you crying?” she says, barely managing to hide the amusement from her voice.

“No, it just have a bit of dust in my ey - of course I’m crying, Lily!” he says, sniffing “Han Solo… Love of my life… Father of my children…”

“You’ll be alright,” she says, patting his arm.

“You’re so insensitive.”

Sirius shushes him.

∞

“You know what? Kylo Ren sort of looks like you, Sirius,” Remus says as they come out of the movie theatre into the cold evening.

“No way. My hair looks much better than his,” he says, flipping it.

“But will it look as good after this?” Marlene says, creeping up behind him. She jumps on him and messes up his hair, making him shriek.

“Get off, you animal!”

Marlene runs away snickering.

“Good one, Marlene!” James says, high fiving her.

“So, Lily. James here tells us you have a little boy named Harry at home,” Marlene says, coming up next to her.

“Are you suggesting I kidnapped him?” she says, cocking an eyebrow.

“Dunno. Maybe. Gotta make you pass the test first to see if you’re honest and worthy.”

“So there’s a test?” Lily says, eyeing James.

“Hey, don’t look at me, I had no clue!”

“Can we see a picture of Harry?” Hestia says, with honest interest.

“Of course. I’ve got about a million of them. But don’t worry, I won’t make you see them all.”

“Do we have to pretend he’s cute if he isn’t?” Sirius asks.

James smacks the back of his head, but Lily giggles at his joke.

“If he looks anything like his mum I don’t think we’ll need to pretend at all,” Marlene says.

Lily searches through her phone for a cute picture of Harry, until she finds one where he’s laughing at James who has baby food spilled all over his jumper. She hands it to Hestia and the others huddle around her.

“Hey, I think there’s something wrong with your baby! It’s overly grown and has way too much hair,” Sirius says, squinting at the picture.

Remus shakes his head. “It’s frightening really, I would have him checked by a doctor.”

“I know babies are supposed to be messy, but this one’s something else,” Peter says, with a grave look. “He’s got food all over his front.”

Lily laughs as James yanks the phone out of their hands.

“Tossers.”

“He’s sooo cute,” Hestia says in awe.

“Thanks, Hestia. Warms my heart,” James says, giving the phone back to Lily.

“I was talking about Harry.”

“Not that I don’t love picking on James, but is anyone here hungry?” Remus says, patting his stomach.

Four hands shoot up.

∞

Thanks again for the movie ticket! Your friends were lovely

(Seen 23:03)

No prob! I’m glad you could come :)

Don’t ever say that to their faces btw it’ll go to their heads

(Seen 23:05)

Well they were

Too bad I made a fool of myself haha

(Seen 23:06)

Whaat?

No you didn’t you were your charming self

(Seen 23:06)

“You could run a hand through me but it would hurt us both”

Who actually says that in real life??

(Seen 23:06)

Hahahah

That’s fine it’s endearing

You should hear all the stupid shit that comes out of their mouths

(Seen 23:07)

Plus I spilled my drink on Sirius’ leather jacket at dinner

He seems to be very fond of it

Does he ever take it off?

(Seen 23:07)

Forget about it

He actually has a huge collection and that wasn’t even his favourite one

(Seen 23:07)

I’ve just asked him and he says there are no hard feelings

And no he always wears a leather jacket

Even in the shower sometimes

Not that I’ve seen him in the shower…

(Seen 23:08)

You mean you guys don’t take baths together?

I must admit I’m surprised

(Seen 23:08)

Unfortunately the bath isn’t big enough for the both of us

(Seen 23:08)

Of course you’ve tried fitting both of you in there

Idk why I even ask

(Seen 23:08)

Actually we tried fitting the four of us

But Remus is too tall so he hogged all the water

Plus Pete tripped and banged his head so we didn’t do it again

(Seen 23:09)

Damn Peter for ruining the fun for everyone

(Seen 23:09)

I know we were mad at him for like a week

Lilyy i love u your so pretty muah muah kjdbhsfouerishfdjkny

(Seen 23:09)

Sorry that was Sirius

Tosser

(Seen 23:10)

Hahahah

You should try putting a lock on your phone

(Seen 23:10)

Clever girl

(Seen 23:10)

Just don’t make it your birthday

He probably knows that

(Seen 23:10)

Probably?

We’ve been mates since we were 11

He better bloody know my birthday

(Seen 23:10)

I wouldn’t put it past him…

Just kidding

He seems like a good lad

(Seen 23:11)

Well only most of the time

(Seen 23:11)

They’re shouting at me bc I spend too much time on my phone

I think I’m going to have to leave to make them shut up :/

(Seen 23:12)

Hahah no problem

The babysitter managed to put Harry to sleep so I was going to bed anyway

(Seen 23:12)

Alrighty

Good night :)

(Seen 23:12)

Good night :)

(Seen 23:12)

∞

“Okay, your turn, Sirius!” Peter says after downing his glass of beer. “You have to go over to that blonde bloke standing by the bar and get his number by saying ‘You know what’s on the menu? Me-n-U’.”

Sirius grins. “It’s a done deal,” he says, grabbing the nearest menu.

Six pairs of eyes follow Sirius to the bar. Lily doesn’t believe he can do it, but then again he’s about the most attractive bloke she’s ever met. She watches how he strides to the guy who at first looks surprised and a little bit reticent, but is eventually eased into the conversation. He leans closer to Sirius and laughs at what must have been a terrible joke. Barely a minute later, Sirius is back with a number written on a napkin and an insufferable smirk painted on his face.

“Cheers, Pete! That guy is fit,” he says, admiring his new acquisition. “Your turn to down my beer.”

Peter sighs and grabs his glass.

“Okay, who’s next…” Sirius says, examining everyone on the table with hawk-like eyes.

“I’ll go,” Lily says.

Six pairs of eyes turn towards her.

“You haven’t an ounce of alcohol in your blood, Evans!”

“That, Black, is because I don’t need it to unravel my charm. Point me.”

“Fine, suit yourself.”He looks around the pub and, a smirk painted on his face, finally points to a tall, dark-haired guy who could easily be the most gorgeous bloke in the whole place.

“You don’t believe I can get his number?”

“Way out of your league. Sure, I could get it. But you? I don’t think so.”

Lily raises her eyebrows at this statement.

“Don’t get me wrong, you have the looks for it,” he says. “No doubt there. But you don’t have the attitude.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll make the judgment of that. What’s my pickup line?”

“Oh, I know!” says Marlene who had been biting on her straw. “‘Are you a parking ticket? Because you’ve got «Fine» written all over you.”

Lily gets up feeling her cheeks flush with excitement and ignores the snickers and giggles coming from their table. She doesn’t remember when was the last time she had flirted with guys, or even gone to a bar on a Friday night for that matter, and it makes her feel like a seventeen year old girl all over again. She walks over to the guy as confidently as she can and clears her throat.

“Hey there,” she says, with what she hopes is a suave tone of voice. “Are you a parking ticket? Because you’ve got ‘Fine’ written all over you.”

She can barely keep a straight face, so she bites her lips, hoping that it will make her look more seductive. The guy looks at her, his face torn between confusion and interest and she catches him quickly looking her up and down.

“Er, hullo.”

“So, did it work?” she asks, expectantly.

“What? The pickup line? I’m not gonna lie to you, it sort of did… although mostly because girls never come up to me. I usually have to go up to them.”

“Poor baby. Must be hard, eh?”

“You have no idea… I’m Dominic, by the way. And you are?”

“Lily.”

“I feel like I’ve seen you around,” he says, his eyebrows knitting together.

“Is that really the best you can do?” she says, rolling her eyes.

He laughs. “I’m serious! Do you come here often?”

“Oh, yeah,” she lies, nodding vigorously. “I’ve come loads of times.”

“Well that must be it.”

“Hey, Dom!” a guy shouts from the door. “Are you coming?”

Dominic looks back at Lily, clearly not wanting to leave.

“Come on, Dom!”

Lily, however, doesn’t want to miss her opportunity to prove Sirius wrong.

“Could I have your number?” she blurts out.

Dominic looks relieved. She hands him her phone and he types it in. “Bye, Lily,” he says, smiling at her before joining his friend. “I’ll see you around.”

She waves and turns around, triumphantly walking back to the table where she’s welcomed by wolf-whistles and pats on the back.

“Bravo,” Remus says, doffing an invisible hat.

“I don’t know how you did that,” Hestia says, admiration written all over her face.

“I must admit I’m impressed, Evans.”

“Why thank you, Black.”

She looks at James from the corner of her eye and sees him fingering a whole on the table, his eyes fixed on it. She sets her phone on the table and deletes Dominic’s number. Six pairs of eyes turn to her again.

"Why did you do that?” Marlene says, slamming her palms on the table.

“I don’t know what world you live in, but most uni guys I know don’t exactly react well when I tell them I have a one year old baby. Besides, he’s not really my type.”

“Why are you smiling like an idiot?” Marlene says at the sudden appearance of a wide grin etched on James’ face.

“What? A bloke can’t be happy spending time with his mates?” he says, unable to wipe the smile of his face. “So, who’s next? Marley, you still haven’t had a go. I want you to get someone’s number with the iconic ‘Do you have a mirror in your pocket? Because I could see myself in your pants.’”

Lily can’t help but feel a rush of satisfaction at the sudden shift in James’ mood and it takes her all the willpower she has to not close the space between them or place her hand on his leg. She tries not to think about how much she wants to trail her fingers through his unruly hair at the nape of his neck and, to make it up, she accidentally bumps their knees together, which makes him glance at her with a half smile that she would love to kiss off his face.

∞

When James had invited her to go to the movies with his friends, she would have never guessed that she would be in a pub with them playing one of their favourite drinking games only three weeks later. Her welcome in the group had been smooth and steady from the beginning. She had had no trouble catching up on their antics and inside jokes, and was even able to partake in them due her quick wit, which made them adopt her as if she had always been their friend.

Unfortunately, she isn’t able to see them as much as she would have liked. She still has a lot of coursework and Harry is still just as demanding, which means that she can only have a twenty minute lunch with them from time to time and sometimes spend a couple of hours with them on Friday night. The rest of the week remains as routined as ever, which means she still sees James just as much. But routine also means classes and labs and essays and stress of receiving her first term finals and also not a whole lot of sleep.

To make matters worse, Harry gets bronchiolitis a couple weeks into February. He starts coughing and crying on hours end at night for a couple of days and she ends up having to take him to the hospital when he starts having trouble breathing.

Is everything alright?

(Seen 00:53)

More or less

We should be able to see the doctor fairly soon

(Seen 00:53)

Is Harry alright?

(Seen 00:55)

He’s crying and coughing a lot

But the nurses have already given him some medicine so he should be fine

It’s just the queue to see the doctor that’s huge

(Seen 00:55)

Do you want me to come down?

The hospital’s not that far away

(Seen 00:55)

No really everything’s fine here

You should stay home and get some sleep

(Seen 00:55)

Are you sure?

(Seen 00:56)

Yeah really

Don’t bother

We should be able to see the doctor any minute now

But thank you

(Seen 00:56)

Okay

Call me if you need anything

(Seen 00:57)

∞

“Knock knock,” James says, poking his head through the open door of Lily’s flat.

“Hey, come in. James, this is Cindy by the way, Harry’s babysitter,” she says, nodding to the petite, dark-haired girl holding Harry.

James runs a hand through his hair then puts it out to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you,” he says, flashing his characteristic half-grin.

“Likewise,” she says, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

“So, is Harry ready to go?” he asks.

“Yup. Everything he might need is in this bag,” Lily says, handing it to him.

James slides it up his shoulder.

“I don’t know if I’m going to regret this,” Lily says, shaking her head.

“Regret it? What better company could Harry have than Sirius, Remus, Pete and I? He’s going to have loads of fun.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. He won’t want to come back to his mama afterwards.”

“I’m not gonna lie, that’s quite probable. But you can always bribe him with sweets. Never underestimate the power of sweets. So, are you ready for your slumber partaaay?”

Lily rolls her eyes. “Don’t ever use that word. Marlene said that we should have a sleepover, so I invited her and Hestia over. That’s all.”

“Slumber partaaaay,” he says, throwing his fists in the air.

She throws Harry’s coat at his face. “Ouch! I feel like I’m not welcome here anymore, so if you’ll excuse me, Harry and I will leave.”

He picks Harry out of Cindy’s arms and wraps him in his coat. “Say bye to Mama, Harry.”

“Wames!” he says, jumping excitedly in James’ arms.

“You see!” Lily says, shaking her head. “He’s forgotten all about me already.” She sets her hands on James’ forearm and stands on her tiptoes to kiss Harry’s cheek. “Bye, Harry. Be a good boy.”

“Ba-bay, Mama.”

“So, we’re off then.”

“Okey dokey.”

“I need my arm Lily,” he says looking down at her hands, a cheeky gleam in his eyes.

“Oh, right - yeah, sorry…” she says stepping away from him. “Just… don’t give him a sugar rush, okay?”

“Yes, Lily.”

“And call me if you have any questions. And be sure to give him his medicine if he starts coughing. It’s in the bag.”

“I will.”

“And - ”

“Everything will be fine. Bye-bye, Lily,” he says, closing the door behind him before she has the chance to say anything else.

“Oh. My. God,” Cindy says ,mouthing dramatically.

“What?”

“Him. James, right?” she says, pointing to the closed door.

“Er, yeah… What about him?”

“He’s fit.”

“Er, I guess.”

“He is. Are you two a… couple?” she says, pointing back and forth at Lily and the door.

“No bu - ”

“Does he have a girlfriend?”

“Not that I know of… No, I mean. He doesn’t.”

“So he’s completely free?”

“As free as they come!”

“So that means that I could like maybe ask for his number?”

Lily bites her lip to keep a straight face.

“Aha.”

“Oh, that’s great! Too bad he’s left already!”

“It’s okay, he can’t be that far away. You could still catch him. Here! Just pretend I forgot to put this in Harry’s bag,” she says handing her a nappy.

“Great idea!”

Cindy thrusts her arms into the sleeves of her coat and throws her bag over her shoulder before running out of the door.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lily! I owe you one!”

“Don’t worry about it! Good luck!” Lily says before closing it.

Lily chuckles. She had hesitated to lie to Cindy and tell her that James was actually seeing someone, but it wouldn’t have been fair to him. If she’s still as determined to not date him, she can’t stop him from dating other people after all. However, it’s much easier for Lily to tell Cindy that he’s single, due to the fact that she’s three years younger than him and still in high school, than it would have been to tell any other more eligible girl, and she’s only sorry that she won’t be there to actually see how it happens. It would have been very entertaining and right now she needs all the entertainment she can get.

She lets herself crash onto the couch and grabs the paper sitting at the top of the pile on the coffee table. She can’t help but stare at the 39/100 written in big red numbers next to her name. Her blood boils at the thought of it. If only she had had one more point she wouldn’t have failed this bloody test.

After receiving it, she remembers having gone to her professor to see if there was any way that he could find one extra point to raise her average, but he hadn’t wanted to hear anything about it. Lily didn’t bother to tell him that she hadn’t been able to study for it because she had spent several sleepless nights dealing with Harry’s bronchiolitis, and a whole night at the hospital, waiting for their turn to see the doctor, only to have her look at Harry for two and a half minutes and send them home with some medicine. She didn’t want her professor to raise her average because he pitied her.

She clenches her fists and crumples the paper throwing it at the wall. She doesn’t want to think what this test will do to her already low average, so she pushes the thought to the back of her mind, then slams a pillow against her face and screams at the top of her lungs. All she wants is to call her parents and hear their comforting voice telling her that it would be okay. Or her sister’s voice. But she won’t speak to Lily anymore. She didn’t even come to the Christmas dinner at their parents house because of her. She had come up with a lazy excuse and rung them at the last minute, and Lily had tried to believe her - really, really tried - but she knew that the only reason they weren’t coming was because Petunia and her husband didn’t want to be around “a slutty little whore who had a baby out of wedlock”.

Lily hears a knock at the door and peels herself from the couch to open it.

“Hey there,” Marlene says, her forehead puckered. “Is someone getting murdered in there, I heard someone screaming.”

“Er, no, it was just the kettle. Come in, come in,” she says, stepping aside.

“Your kettle has a great lung capacity,” she says, ambling into the flat and dropping her bag on the floor. “Hestia’s not coming by the way.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, her parents surprised her by coming to visit so she’s spending the evening with them.”

“Good for her.”

“Yeah, right,” she says sarcastically. “Oh, gosh you’re being serious. I guess some people get along with their family.”

She bends over and starts rummaging through her bag before throwing something into Lily’s arms. “Catch!”

A bag of uncooked popcorn lands into Lily’s open arms.

“Catch!”

A DVD lands on top of the popcorn.

“Mamma mia, baby!” Marlene says doing a little dance. “Get your laptop! We’re watching it now!”

∞

“‘Friday night and the lights are loooooow, looking up for a place to gooooo’,” Marlene says, singing into an invisible microphone. Lily can’t stop herself from giggling at her impersonation of Julie Walters and Christine Baranski.

“‘Where they play the right music, getting in the swing, you’ve come to look for a king’,” she sings, her voice dropping an octave at the last verse.

Lily’s phone buzzes and she unlocks it to find a new message from James.

So I had an interesting conversation with cindy your babysitter

(Seen 21:59)

Is that so?

(Seen 21:59)

Yup. Funny girl that Cindy

Remind me how old she is?

(Seen 22:00)

I think she told me she was 18

(Seen 22:00)

God she looks about fifteen and a half

(Seen 22:00)

So what did you talk about?

(Seen 22:00)

Don’t act like you don’t know

(Seen 22:01)

“‘Anybody could be that guuuy! Night is young and the music’s hiiiigh…’ Come on, Lily! This is the best song!”

“Just a moment!”

Like I don’t know what?

(Seen 22:01)

You know exactly what i’m talking about lily

(Seen 22:01)

I’m completely in the dark here

Help me out

Plus Marlene is belting out the lyrics of dancing queen so I’m having trouble concentrating

(Seen 22:01)

“‘YOU ARE THE DANCING QUEEN, YOUNG AND SWEET, ONLY SEVENTEEEEN…’” she sings while jumping on the couch like Meryl Streep.

So you have nothing to do with the fact that she asked me for my number??

(Seen 22:02)

Really? I didn’t know she had it in her

(Seen 22:02)

You’re such a bad liar

You’re telling me that you have nothing to do the fact that she gave me an extra nappy although there were already about 6 in the bag you gave me?

(Seen 22:02)

You can never be too safe, right?

(Seen 22:02)

So what did you tell her?

(Seen 22:03)

Tell who?

(Seen 22:03)

Don’t play dumb

What did you tell Cindy?

(Seen 22:03)

I gave her my number

(Seen 22:03)

“‘YOU CAN DANCE, YOU CAN JAH-IVE’”

Are you being serious?

(Seen 22:03)

What? She’s cute

(Seen 22:04)

She’s still in high school

(Seen 22:04)

So what? Age is just a number, right?

(Seen 22:04)

Are you taking the piss?

(Seen 22:04)

Nope i’m being serious

In fact I might text her right now

(Seen 22:04)

Are you still there?

(Seen 22:06)

Yes

Just trying to process the fact that you’re going to go out with a high schooler

(Seen 22:06)

She’s 18! She’s legal!

(Seen 22:06)

“‘You’re a teaser, you turn them oooon…’ Man, too bad we don’t have a feather boa.”

It’s still weird

I mean

She’s Harry’s babysitter

(Seen 22:06)

So what?

It didn’t seem to bother Harry when I gave her my number

(Seen 22:08)

Har har

(Seen 22:08)

Are you jealous or something?

(Seen 22:08)

Me?

Why the fuck would I be jealous?

(Seen 22:08)

Dunno

Just thought you’d be happier for me

(Seen 22:08)

I am :)

(Seen 22:09)

Doesn’t sound like it

(Seen 22:09)

Well texting is not always the best way to communicate emotions

(Seen 22:10)

Lily?

(Seen 22:10)

I’m messing with you

(Seen 22:10)

I didn’t give her my number

(Seen 22:11)

Tosser

You just made me look like an idiot!!

(Seen 22:11)

“’Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeeeeah!’”

Does the fact that it was quite amusing make it any better?

(Seen 22:11)

Didn’t think so

(Seen 22:12)

So what did you actually tell her?

(Seen 22:12)

Tbh I didn’t really understand why she was asking for my number

I might have asked her if she wanted me to babysit her

(Seen 22:12)

You. Didn’t.

I know I shouldn’t be laughing but I can’t help it

And it has little to do with the fact that Marlene just burst into a dance routine

Although that’s quite amusing too

(Seen 22:12)

You’re evil

I feel bad

Idk that’s the first thing that came to my mind

She looked so young too

And she got all flustered and embarrassed

Send me a vid of Marlene

Payback baby

(Seen 22:13)

I bet you handled it like a gentleman

(Seen 22:13)

Hell yeah I was raised right

But I’m going to be avoiding her from now on btw

(Seen 22:13)

You chicken

Marlene stopped dancing

Sorry :/

(Seen 22:13)

I’m heartbroken

(Seen 22:14)

“Lily! You’re missing all the best parts!” Marlene says peering over her shoulder. “Oh, you’re texting James. Well that explains a lot.”

“Yeah, just checking that Harry’s alright,” she says, aware that she’s blushing.

“You’re lying!” she squeals with delight.

“No!”

“Gosh, you’re such a liar. It’s okay though. So am I,” she says, pausing the film on Lily’s laptop.

“How do I know if I can trust you then?” Lily says, cocking an eyebrow.

“You can’t. But that’s why it’s so much fun. I’m full of surprises,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows. “You know I can just send a text to James and ask him if that was really what you were talking about.”

Lily sighs. “Fine, you win. We’re not talking about Harry.”

“I knew it. He seems very fond of you. James, I mean,” she adds as an afterthought with a knowing smile on her face.

“Well, he’s fond of a lot of people.”

“Nah. Just a handful of people that he’s known for a while.”

“Have you known him for a long time?”

“Oh, yeah. James and I go way back. We used to take baths together. We’re practically brother and sister.” A mischievous smile pulls at the corners of her lips. “Okay, he’s going to kill me when he finds out, but do you want to see an embarrassing photo of him?”

“Do I?” Lily says, eagerly leaning closer to Marlene’s phone.

Marlene quickly scrolls through her camera roll and shouts “Ha!” once she finds the desired picture. Lily lets out an ebullient laugh at the sight of it. An eight year old James with an unfortunate bowl haircut smiles at her with a wide, front-toothless grin. He’s wearing football shorts that look about four sizes too short and knee socks that go up to his thighs. Lily quickly snaps a picture of it and sends it to James.

“Gosh, he’s going to hate me for it,” Marlene says, although she looks far from repentant.

Soon enough her phone starts buzzing furiously.

“He can wait,” she says, tossing it on the couch. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Yeah, older sister. Her name’s Petunia.”

“Did your parents have a flower thing? Don’t tell me your mum’s name is Rose.”

“It actually is, funnily enough.”

“Jesus. And are you close? With your sister, I mean.”

“Not really. We used to be, but she doesn’t really talk to me anymore.” She clears her throat to cover up the faltering in her voice.

“Well, that’s her loss, right?”

“Right,” she says unconvincingly. “Do you have any siblings?”

Marlene scoffs. “Yeah, a younger sister. She’s sixteen.”

“You don’t get along?”

“So, so. It’s just a little hard when she’s Little-Miss-Perfect and I’m the family disappointment. I doesn’t help that she’s stupidly sweet either. I swear she could start talking to birds and mice one day and I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“She doesn’t sound too bad.”

“That’s because you’ve never had your parents blame you for everything your angel sister did. Bet you wouldn’t be too happy about it either.”

“Yeah, I guess. Still, it’s nice that you still talk.”

“So why won’t your sister talk to you?” she blurts out. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“She and her husband have a very catholic approach on what constitutes a proper way to raise a child. Getting pregnant after a one night stand and raising your child as a single mum doesn’t in any way fit their definition. They think I’m ruining Harry’s life. And that I’m a slut.”

“What a bunch of idiots.”

Lily shrugs. “Nothing I can do about it. Although, something that never fails to cheer me up is thinking about the fact that my sister married a human walrus.”

“You’re kidding,” Marlene says, her eyes alight with glee. “Please, please, puh-lease tell me you have a picture.”

“Lily scrolls through her phone and shows her sister’s wedding picture to Marlene, who howls with laughter when she sees it.

“You weren’t kidding. His mustache is excellent, it looks like a rat died on his upper lip.”

Lily covers her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing. “You’re awful! And it’s not like he has a nice personality either. He’s the most condescending, idiotic, rude, blinkered bloke I’ve ever met. I don’t know what she sees in him. My poor nephew will grow up to be just like him.”

“Don’t tell me he’s procreated. One of his kind on this earth is enough!”

“The worst part is that he looks just like him too.”

“Poor kid,” she says, shaking her head. “Do you want more popcorn? I’ll go get some in the kitchen.”

When Marlene comes back to the living room she stops in the doorway and bends down. “What’s this?” she says, picking up Lily’s crumbled up test and flattening it out.

“You’re a curious girl, aren’t you.”

“Curious, I like that a lot. People usually say I’m nosey.”

Lily chuckles. “It’s a test I sat. I got a 39/100.”

“That’s not that bad. I mean, sure, you didn’t pass the test, but it’s happened to me before. No biggie.”

“Yeah… I dunno.”

Marlene studies the paper for a few seconds, twisting her mouth. “Hey, if you ever want me to babysit for Harry when you have to study for a test you can always call me,” she says, setting the bowl on the table and sitting next to Lily. “I mean I know James looks after him a lot, but he also gets busy and, believe it or not, even he has to get some work done from time to time. And I know what you’re thinking, I’ve never had experience with kids, but how hard can it be? You feed them, you change them and when they cry you give them candy!”

Lily chuckles. “It’s a little more difficult than that.”

“Practice makes perfect, doesn’t it? I’m serious. You can call me.”

“Thank you.”

Lily doesn’t know what makes her do it, but she leans forward and hugs her. Marlene tenses up at first, but she eventually wraps her arms around her and Lily can’t believe how nice it feels to have a girl friend again.

∞

James falls flat onto his bed, cursing himself for signing up for morning and evening classes on Tuesdays. He doesn’t care if it’s barely 9 p.m., he has every intention of taking a nap and not setting any alarms until tomorrow. Unfortunately, his phone has other plans for him and starts ringing in a way that he swears sounds like a fire alarm, so he places his pillow over his head to block the insufferable sound of it. The buzzing continues. He groans and digs through his bag, then answers it without bothering to see who’s calling.

“James? Would you mind coming to my flat?”

It’s Lily. He sits up on his bed.

“Yeah, sure. Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just - please come.”

“Sure. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

∞

James knocks on the door and it swings open almost immediately.

“Hi, is - ”

“Shhh,” Lily says, putting a finger on her lips and pulling him inside. “Harry’s sleeping.”

They tiptoe past his crib and into Lily’s room, shutting the door behind them.

“So, what’s up?”

“I’ll kill her!” Lily says out of nowhere, clenching her fists, while her face turns a vivid crimson.

“Wait, who?”

“Petunia!”

“Your sister?” James says, his forehead puckering. “What about her?”

“I hate her!”

“What’s wrong?”

“That”s wrong!” she says, pointing with a rigid finger towards a stack of letters and an unopened present sitting on her bed.

“What is it?”

“All the letters I’ve been writing to Petunia for the last six months,” she says, her arm dropping like a slack rope. “Unopened. And the birthday present I sent her last week. Also unopened. I thought she would like it,” she says, her voicing growing smaller every second. “I spent so much time thinking about what I could get her a - and she didn’t even open it.”

James is lost for words. He had always known that Lily was heartbroken by the fact that her relationship with her sister had been ruined, but he had no idea that she was trying so hard to rebuild it.

“And that’s not even the worst part… I mean, I knew she wasn’t replying to my letters, but I thought she would at least be reading them! She sent them all b - back and she sent me this too.” She rummaged through the pile with trembling hands. “Look, she wrote me a note. How nice of her, right? ‘Don’t write to me again’. That’s what she wrote. L - lovely, isn’t it?”

She clasps a trembling hand around the note.

“I - I don’t know what I did wrong, James. I - I - ”

She breaks down crying and James immediately takes a step towards her, his arms wrapping around her as she clutches his sides tightly.

“Hey, hey, hey, you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong,” he says with the most soothing voice he can muster. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“She hates me!” she says, crying against his chest.

He tucks her head under his chin. “Of course she doesn’t hate you, she’s your sister.”

“W - why does she treat me like this, then?”

“I don’t know, Lily. People are confusing sometimes.”

“I don’t understand, I’m doing the best I can! But it’s not good enough! She’s right, I’m ruining Harry’s life. He doesn’t deserve to be raised like this.”

Her shoulders start shaking and he hugs her more tightly. “Hey, you’ve got to listen to me. You’re the best mum that Harry could ever have. I’m serious. He couldn’t possibly be more loved by anybody else. And you work so hard to give him everything he needs. You’re an incredible mum.”

“I don’t work hard enough! It’s never enough! I’m failing my tests! I - I’m failing, James! I’m wasting my parents’ money!”

“You’re not failing! It’s not too late to catch up. Listen, from now on I can take care of Harry all the time if you want. My grades can afford to get a little lower and that way you’ll be able to study more.”

“B - but I’m his mum. I should be able to do all of this.”

“Lily, you’re a human being, you need other people’s help. That’s what people do, it’s okay. People need people.”

Her breathing slows down a bit.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” he says, stroking the back of her head.

Her cries have almost completely stopped, except for an occasional hiccup.

“You should probably get some rest.”

She nods. “Do you mind staying, tonight?” she says, her voice barely a whisper.

“Of course. I’ll be careful not to wake Harry.”

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch. You can sleep here, if you want.”

“Okay.”

She lifts her head from his chest. “Sorry for getting your shirt wet,” she says, wiping the tears from under her swollen eyes.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“I think I’ll go to bed now.”

“Of course. I’ll go check on Harry. I’ll be right back.”

He slips out of the room and Lily changes into her pyjamas. When he comes back, he finds her already tucked under the covers and he toes his shoes off, then lays down next to her. Lily edges towards him. He slides his arm underneath her, tucking her under his arm, his other hand stroking her shoulder. Her deep breaths settle him into a peaceful state and he’s about ready to fall asleep when she lifts her head and plants a kiss on his lips, her hair tickling his bare neck. But he doesn’t kiss back and Lily pulls back.

“I’m sor - ”

She doesn’t have time to finish her sentence before James kisses her softly, his lips brushing against hers for a few, slow seconds. However, he breaks the kiss before Lily has the time to react, pushing her away gently, but firmly, then plants a kiss on her forehead. Seemingly satisfied, she rests her head on his shoulder again. James knows that Lily is exhausted and he doesn’t want to do anything that she might regret tomorrow.

∞

When Lily wakes up, she doesn’t question the fact that she’s tucked under James’ arm, her own wrapped around his torso, so she keeps her eyes shut and lets herself relax, her breathing falling into step with James’. Something nags at the back of her mind, but she pushes it away, enjoying the stillness of the moment. James takes a deep breath and stretches, indicating that he’s waking up, so she looks up at him and sees that he’s opened his eyes.

“Morning,” she says, her voice thick with sleep.

“Morning. How are you feeling?” he says, a slight crease between his brows.

The thought that she had been trying so hard to push away comes crashing through the fogged sleepiness of her brain and she sits up, her brows knitting together. She remembers what happened. “Er, alright.”

James sits up on his elbows. “Did you sleep okay?”

She nods. “What time is it?”

James checks his watch. “7:36.”

“Harry hasn’t woken up yet? That’s strange,” she says getting up from the bed.

“I haven’t heard him.”

“He usually wakes up about now. I’ll go check on him.”

James catches her wrist before she can leave the room. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says wiggling herself out of his grasp. “I have to go check on Harry.”

James follows her out and watches her peer into Harry’s crib.

“He’s still sleeping,” she whispers. “That’s weird.”

“It’s no biggie.”

“I know. It’s just unusual. He usually wakes me up like an alarm clock.”

“Maybe he’s just tired.”

“It’s still unusual,” she says, walking back into the room with James at her heels.

She starts poking through her desk, straightening papers out, stacking her books up and adjusting her pens, then picks up stray pieces of clothing. James sits down on her bed and watches her, his forehead puckering.

“You’ve already straightened that pile,” he says when she starts picking at her desktop again.

“Do you have any classes?” she says, turning sharp on her heels. “You shouldn’t miss them.”

“Yeah, I have one at 8:30.”

“You should probably go then. Especially if you want to change out of your clothes.”

“Er, yeah. Sure,” he says, sitting up from her bed and putting his shoes on. “Walk me out?”

Lily pauses, her hands hovering over the letters and the birthday present she sent to her sister. She grabs them, opens her closet door and chunks them at the bottom with her shoes before pushing the door shut with her foot.

“Sure,” she says, with a forced smile on her face.

They walk out into the living room and James opens the door.

“Is it okay if I come back later?” he says, one foot in the doorway.

“Sure, you know where the key is.” He nods.

They haven’t really touched each other since they woke up and James is concerned about how distant she’s being. Without thinking, he leans in and presses a quick, but soft kiss on her lips, then closes the door behind him, leaving Lily with a lingering feeling on her lips. She brushes her thumb against them, her thoughts wandering astray. She snaps back into the present moment and strides into her room, then grabs a pen and a blank sheet of paper and sits down at her desk.

∞

James walks into Lily’s building and heads to her apartment on the first floor. He stops in front of her door and lifts the doormat, expecting to find her key, but instead, his fingers wrap themselves around an envelop. He picks it up, his heart beating slightly faster, and notices his name written on it on Lily’s rushed and scraggly writing. He opens it.

Dear James,

I’m going to take the train with Harry to my parent’s house and by the time you read this I might be gone already. I don’t know when I’m going to come back and I would ask of you to please not try to contact me. You’ve done nothing wrong; far from it. You’ve been absolutely wonderful. I just need some time away. I hope you understand.

Thank you for everything.

With love,

Lily

By the time he finishes reading it the fourth time, he can’t tell if he’s spent five minutes or half an hour in front of her locked and empty apartment.

187 notes · View notes

placetobenation · 4 years

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WRESTLEMANIA 36 – ALONE IN IT’S ROOM

WWE says that Wrestlemania 36 will take place without fans due to the coronavirus. April 5, in Tampa Florida, at WWE’s Performance Center, Wrestlemania 36 will occur to an abundance of empty seats. Now that’s a big money hit, but it’s not a total loss because it will be on PPV, and on the WWE Network, so Vince will still be making some money – it just won’t have the excitement of a Wrestlemania.

If you have been watching recently, you noticed that both Smackdown and RAW were playing to no crowds and were held at the Performance Center in Tampa. The wrestlers still played to the empty seats, I guess because that’s what they are used to, but it did feel weird and awkward.

That’s kind of what we are in for with the big one, Wrestlemania. I’m sure there will still be plenty of spectacle and plenty of celebrities and superstars, just no roar of the crowd and no applause.

Europe to Help Entertainment Industry

Germany, France, Spain and Italy have all pledged support to the battered entertainment industry. With productions shut down, and movie theaters shut down, the movie biz is definitely being tried right now.

Some of the options that are being thrown around are tax relief packages, stimulus packages and just straight up bail out money. Italy announced they were already prepared to spend over 25 billion to keep their industry afloat. Germany has pledged “unlimited cash” to their industry, let’s hope it’s nothing like our Unlimited phone plans here in America. Spain has pledged 15 billion to help out their industry. Europe really seems to care about their people and truly do not want their entertainment industry to fail. Let’s see what we do here at home, and hope we can compensate for all the losses and out of work people we are dealing with during this pandemic and truly hard times. I’m sure the movie biz is not the only industry that’s going to need a healthy hand out.

SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED

Two of the biggest movie theater chains in North America have closed all their doors indefinitely following the suggestions of the CDC and medical community. AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas have closed all their doors nationwide, all across America. This is a huge blow to the biz and definitely signals a slight pause in releases and productions of films and movie studios around the globe. Hopefully this will not effect our super summer blockbuster lifestyle and things can get back on track before May or June. I could not imagine a summer without the movies. Of course this is the time for streaming services to make their mark and gain some ground, some customers and some trust with the people. Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney+, all now have their time to shine. Make sure your service is reliable, provide plenty of blockbuster films, plus favorite classics and some good tv shows, and this could be the chance to show everyone why they should finally cut the chord. If streaming services can not do it now, I don’t see when they can.

So far 120,000 jobs seemed to be lost or at the very least, put on hold. That is according to the Cinematographers Guild and Motion Picture Editors Guild.

The National Association of Theater owners requested a bailout from the government. This is movie theater owners, not Broadway. Not much has been heard form the Great White Way except, Sorry, We’re Closed. Although Rosie O’Donnell is doing a fundraiser for The Actors Fund. Don’t worry, no one will be in the audience. Even the guests will appear from their homes. You can watch it on YouTube and on Broadway.com and will be on Sunday, March 22.

NOT HELLBOY, BUT HELL…GIRL?!

Mike Mignola, creater of Hellboy is expanding on one of his properties. Lady Baltimore will be a new 5 issue series, courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. Lady Baltimore was the companion of Lord Henry Baltimore, a soldier who was determined to rid the world of monsters. Once he is gone, Lady Baltimore is determined to continue the battle against evil, nazis and creatures of the night all by herself. I dunno about you, but anything Mike Mignola writes, I want to read. This sounds like a Laura Croft meets Indiana Jones meets Van Helsing kind of deal, and I am all in for that!! Comic books and digital release are set for June 10. Mark your calendars and get your flashlight’s ready.

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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purplesurveys · 5 years

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398

Do you like Florence + The Machine? I don’t listen to them, but I fairly enjoy a couple of their best-known songs.

Did you know that Audrey Hepburn had a pet doe? Yes! She got Pippin on the set of one of her movies. When filming wrapped, she was supposed to part with the deer, but it got attached to her by then so she ended up keeping her.

Would you like to have a pet doe? I’d rather have them roam in the wild.

Obama or Romney? Obama. Isn’t Romney an awful human being if I remember correctly?

Did you watch the presidential debates? I watch the Philippine ones. I couldn’t care less about the ones in America.

Did you get along with your past English professors? Eng 10: I was a freshman, so I was too scared to mingle with profs. Didn’t have much of a relationship with him but I definitely kept my distance. Eng 11: She was nice! I like to think I was one of the better students in the class cos I took her requirements seriously. She’s a complete professional though, and isn’t really one to joke around with students.

Do you call them professors or teachers? I called them teachers in grade school and high school; professors in college.

Have you ever met a professor that looked like Kevin Spacey? No. What a random question.

Do you believe teachers teach because they can’t do? That is such an ignorant way of thinking. Without teachers, there isn’t anyone that can do. They’re the first people who learned to do.

What does your warmest winter coat look like? I have no use for a winter coat.

Are you opposed to wearing thick, fluffy coats? I don’t feel anything for them.

Do you ever watch Dr. Phil? It used to be aired in one of the local channels when I was like 11 and I would sometimes watch it. When I see snippets of it these days it’s because PewDiePie makes videos about the show haha.

Does it bother you when people smoke (cigarettes) around you? YES. I turn into a complete asshole and cover my nose and mouth and cough loudly in their presence and walk away. No apologies though, I hate smokers.

Do you watch Sons of Anarchy? Nope.

Has an older sibling ever patronized you or talked to you like a parent? I’m the eldest, and I have to talk like that to my siblings sometimes to get them to listen to me.

What are/would you like to study at uni/college? I study journalism, but I also wanted to take up history or psychology.

Did you see the movie Katy Perry: Part of Me? It aired on HBO for a while so I would see snippets, but I never sat and watched the whole thing.

Do you keep the 3D glasses after seeing 3D movies? Idk am I the only one who finds 3D movies a waste of money? It’s the same experience as 2D except you get dizzy and it’s a couple bucks more expensive. But to each their own, I guess. Anyway, I don’t watch those so there are no 3D glasses to keep to begin with.

What’s the most disappointing movie you’ve seen in theatre lately? I don’t watch in the cinema unless it’s a film I’ve been meaning to watch, for the very reason that I don’t want to potentially waste money over a disappointing film haha. Cinema or not, I don’t think I’ve recently seen a film I found to be a disappointment.

Have you seen Silent Hill 2: Revelations? (It’s horrid) No. Film adaptations of video games are generally bad so I ignore them, and I’m not surprised this survey says it’s horrid hah.

Do you think it’s silly for older kids (13+) to go trick-or-treating? I mean, isn’t that kind of for little kids? 13 is an older kid??? That’s practically a baby. Plus I would still drag my 20 year old ass to trick or treat – you’re never too old for it.

Do you use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner? Uhhhh I dunno. :(( I just use it because it smells nice.

Have you ever been attracted to a guy who sported a beard? CM PUNK!!! The one of only two guys I am attracted to (the other being Mark Ruffalo).

Are you typically unattracted to people outside of your race? Nope.

Have you had a Cantina Bell (bowl?) at Taco Bell? I don’t think so. I’ve only been to Taco Bell twice and I got a burrito both times.

Have you ever barrel-raced? I don’t even know what that means.

Have you ever ridden bareback on a horse? i dunno horse...terminology lmao so I’m not sure how to answer this, but I have been on a horse before, I just don’t know what bareback means.

Have you ever ridden any animal other than a horse? I rode an elephant in Bali, which I now kind of regret because those pure little sweehearts deserve so much better. I’d feel better knowing if they’re taken of properly in that place we went to.

What do you eat on your typical sandwich? I don’t have a go-to combination, but I prefer sandwiches with pulled pork.

Have you ever been on birth control? Never.

Do you have any relatives behind bars? I don’t think so.

Do you like Urban Outfitters? We don’t have that here so I can’t be the judge for that.

Do you brush your hair when it’s wet? Yes. It gets really fizzy if I don’t.

#survey #surveys

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3one3 · 7 years

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The Sequel - 880

Roadhouse

André Schürrle, Juan Mata, other Chelsea/BVB players, and random awesome OC’s (okay they’re less random now but they’re still pretty awesome)

original epic tale

all chapters of The Sequel

“Hiiii. You look so hot. What the fuck?”

“Thank you? I think?”

“Get back in the car! We’re gonna be late.”

Christina wanted to give herself plenty of time to get from the airport to Natasha’s birthday party in Soho, but she wanted to see André after training more. It was his first day back with the full squad, and she had to see for herself, on his face and in his energy, if it went well and encouraged him or if it was really rough on him and got him down. So she ended up on a flight that got her to London just 20 minutes before the party. Juan picked her up, and the sight of him waiting outside his Mercedes SUV sparked a lot of feelings. The first was just sheer happiness, because she missed him, and, regrettably, Juan in greater London was still home to her, and the feeling of being home is always a happy one. Then she felt slightly surprised and a bit excited, because he looked really, really good in a dark turtleneck, small blazer, fitted jeans, and his favorite brown suede boots. The look really worked for him. The rider and part-time model thought the footballer and part-time model looked very much a real model. And then there was panic, because the clock was ticking. She hopped in the car and decided they could waste one more second though.

“Kiss! Kiss first,” she demanded as he shifted the big red vehicle into reverse to make room to get out of the line of waiting cars. Juan leaned over the console to give her a hello smooch, or perhaps a welcome home one. “Thanks for not making me take a taxi.”

“Thanks for being so happy to see me.”

“Thanks for being so happy to see me. I got you a present! Want me to describe it to you since you’re driving?”

“I hope you remembered to get a present for Natasha.”

“Duh. Yours is better though.”

“Qué es eso?

“A book! That’s my Roger Bennett “what are you putting in the emporium, Rog?” voice, from the Men in Blazers.”

“Okay.”

“It’s poetry.”

“Aww...”

“That’s how much I love you. I bought you poetry. I even got it in a store, in front of people, and the cashier and everything. Très embarrassing.”

“Dr. Seuss?”

“No.” Christina rolled her eyes and fished around in her pretty well stuffed “L’Aveugle Par Amour” Gucci backpack, which was black canvas with some embroidered flower patches, the titular French phrase across the top flap and the bottom of the front, and comfy padded straps in the classic signature green and red stripe. The buckles at the front had the stripes too. The bag was her favorite item of the moment. Juan’s book was in there because she originally planned to save it for later. Natasha’s gift, by contrast, was in her purse. But the Spaniard seemed so happy to have her back when she gave him a drive-by hug and ordered him behind the wheel, and she just wanted to prolong his delight and the feeling it made within her. Also, she’d been anxious and eager to see how he’d like her book selection. “It’s Frank Bidart. Have you heard of him? It’s his highlights from 1965 to 2016.”

“No, I don’t think I know him. What sort of poetry?” the Gucci-scented driver asked. He stole some glances as the paperback in her lap when traffic allowed.

“Well apparently he’s sort of known for...embodying others? I don’t know,” Christina chuckled. “I read some hoity toity poetry critic stuff in the New York Times Book Review, and- Okay well this is a random aside, but earlier the day I found it I was watching a clip of my favorite cable news show host from the night before and he quoted St. Augustine of Hippo and I wasn’t familiar with the quote and it intrigued me so I Googled, naturally. Then hours later I’m in the bookstore and looking at the Times review of this collection of poems and it says the poet “interpolates his life with those of such figures as St. Augustine of Hippo, Maria Callas, Benvenuto Cellini, and Walt Whitman”. Isn’t that bizarre? I’d never even heard a single thing about St. Augustine of Hippo and then bam, twice in one day. I love/hate when that happens. Anyway, I don’t even really know what the critic was trying to say, but what I took from it is that he does a kind of vocalization, and interrogation. I didn’t really care about the explanation, to be fair,” she digressed, anxious still to get to the good part- the part that did matter to her. “I just liked the poems. Just a few lines of some of them, even. I tagged a couple for you that I’ll let you read on your own. Can I read the thing that grabbed me? I think you’ll like it. It’s only three lines.”

“Yes, please do.” Juan was smiling at the road and Christina missed the fond, amused expression because she was a touch shy about the gift. Poetry wasn’t her thing, though she wrote what her teachers and several literary contest judges deemed very good poetry as a high schooler. She seldom took it seriously, though she actually owned a whole moving box of poetry books.

“This is from one called “Guilty of Dust”. “Love is the distance/Between you and what you love/What you love is your fate.” And then there’s another stanza that I don’t like as much, and then, “Then the voice in my head said/Whether you love what you love/Or live in divided ceaseless/Revolt against it/What you love is your fate.” I couldn’t think of, let alone write, a better verse about you and me- about how you love me, and how you know we’ll be together, and how I never know anything, and both things are our fate. It’s so true. It’s the same thing. I couldn’t believe I found something so...relevant, in a book I picked up off the table just because the cover has a statue of a guy with a huge knife, holding up a severed head. It made me think of Thrones,” the rider admitted, blushing for a multitude of reasons that had little to do with her ridiculous Game of Thrones obsession. “I just flipped through a little. One of the ones I bookmarked for you is almost even more relevant. You’ll see.”

“Stop rush-talking.”

“What?”

“You’re doing the thing with the talking so much, and so fast, because you’re nervous about what I would say if I could get anything in.” Her friend looked over as he slowed the car to a stop, and that happy smile persisted. He held his hand out for the book. In the momentary pause while Christina tried to load up a comeback or dismissal for his accusation, he showed her that she didn’t need one. “I can’t wait to read. Those are beautiful thoughts, you just read. The best things are the accidental finds like this, I think. Especially for you. Things find you, cariña. Something finds you and then you go learn everything about it, and then it’s part of you, or shows you something about you, and you have it with you from then on.”

“Okay now you’re sounding like a cheesy poet,” she quickly shot back. But oooooo damn it I love when he says stuff like that, she was thinking inside. He’s so right. Things do find me this way. It happens all the time. This is how I know so many random things. I have accidental knowledge. That’s what I was thinking about when the St. Augustine thing happened. It happens to me all...the...time. The player handed the book back after thumbing through it at the traffic light. Christina was careful about slotting it back into its spot in her bag, where it could be flat against the back part.

“What did you get for your girlfriend?”

“Nat got “Eat What You Watch” which is a cookbook with recipes from classic and cult movies, because she’s always texting me for cooking help and I think Eden likes movies and I know he likes food. And I got the new DeMille, because I loooove DeMille and it’s set in Key West and Cuba this time and as you know, I’m having Havana feels lately.” Both of the hardcover books were produced from her handbag for illustrative purposes. One was wrapped in pineapple-print paper and had a big green bow. The other had Juan’s 2012 London Olympics hotel card key sticking out of it. She never returned the good luck talisman to him after the games, and had no intention of ever doing so. He used her Nations Cup medal as a bookmark, and she was using his card key.

“Nice. Are you wearing a new perfume?”

“Sort of. Schü got me this new Burberry scent last Christmas. He thought it was one I already use, but it had literally just come out so I dunno where he came up with that. I don’t wear it much,” Christina shrugged, pulling on her leather jacket sleeve and the cream-colored one underneath that to sniff her wrist. “I’m out of my Chanel at the moment. I like this one though.”

“I got you a present too. It’s in the bag in the back.” Juan nodded over his shoulder and she reached behind his seat into a plastic bag. There was a small rectangular box in it, among other things, and he said to grab it. What is...

“Summer’s Eve...Douche? Juan! You bought me a douche kit?” she complained loudly and incredulously, eyes wide, nostrils flaring, jaw gaping open. The footballer was laughing hysterically. She figured he meant for her to use the cleansing product for a different part of her body than that for which it was intended.

“Open it!”

“No.”

“Just open it! For me, please, cariña?” He tried to subdue his laughter enough to make a pouting face at her but it didn’t really work. What did compel the rider to open the light blue and white box was its weight. I’ve never bought one of these things before but I find it hard to believe it’s supposed to be this heavy, she reasoned before sticking her finger between the top flap and the box to open it up- tentatively, almost as if she was afraid of what might be inside. It was roasted peanuts.

“Nuts?” she questioned skeptically.

“I went to the cinema with my sister the other day when she was here. We wanted to take the peanuts with us to eat, and she thought no one would check the douche box.”

“You snuck outside peanuts into a movie theatre in a douche box? What the fuck, man. You two are weird.” Christina shook her head and sniffed the contents of the box. The sugar was kind of tempting. “What was she even doing with a douche kit? Who goes to visit their brother for two nights and thinks, “I better bring a douche”? I wouldn’t even want my brother to know I’d ever been in possession of one.”

“Why? You’re acting like it’s some shameful thing,” Juan chuckled. “She uses after her period.”

“Why do you know that?” His friend’s incredulity was ceaseless.

“I grew up in a house with her. I shared a bathroom with her. I don’t know,” he shrugged. “It’s not weird to me. You prudish, embarrassed American girls are weird.”

“We’re products of our environment.”

“Speaking of American girls, do you still talk to Samantha?”

“Occasionally. Why?��

“Just wondering.”

“How does Paula like Iceland?”

“She loves it.”

“That’s good.”

“I’m happy you’re here.” The Spaniard’s tone was finally serious and sincere, and somewhat quieter. He reached over to grasp her right hand, and fit his fingers between hers. Their hands sat together on her black velvet pants.

“Me too,” she smiled back at his profile. “I’ve missed you extra since Sid’s interview came out.”

Sid Lowe published his story in The Guardian two Mondays after the interview with the subjects. It ended up being mostly about Juan, and his Common Goal project, but a big chunk really examined his symbiotic relationship with the American-turned-German girl parachuted into his life when she started dating his Chelsea teammate. He explored the theme that she presented and talked about most in that interview. He focused on their mutual quest for clarity and freedom of mind so that they could use their natural feel and instincts to do their best on the pitch and in the saddle. To Christina, that was the most important aspect of their friendship, and in some ways, the most important thing in her life. She was sort of proud that someone like Sid, whose writing she adored for its intelligence and interesting point of view, far from the usual sports journalist’s work, latched onto something she put forth as key in their interview.

He also wrote about midfielder’s admiration for rider, and the unusual nature of it. He wrote that it’s normal and customary for footballers to be big fans of other major stars, like tennis and NBA icons. He called Juan’s appreciation for show jumping something unique, and special, and telling, and based those characterizations on the whole thing Christina brought up about skills not being so important, and work ethic maybe not even being that important compared to being open and receptive and acting on feel. He wrote about his experience watching her, and how he had to look her up on YouTube to get the full sense of what she did on horseback, and that when he watched her compete with Dirk it was like a different manifestation of watching a magical, gifted, intelligent player do magic on the pitch. And he did say it was like watching Messi. He described it as Messi doing a solo performance for performance’s sake, separate from the ends he did his magic for, separate from goals and points and cups. Juan told him that watching Christina and Dirk at their best left him hungry- wanting more- wanting the show to go on for longer, just the way he felt watching some of the game’s best players, and by best he meant Messi, sure, but more than that, Xavi and Iniesta.

Sid traversed from there into the Chelsea man’s affinity for Iniesta, and his insistence that Iniesta makes everyone else on the pitch better, and always makes the right decision, and always sets up the next three players with his one pass. Juan thought Christina did that. She always made the right decision on course, and what she did three strides before any obstacle was intended to help her horse clear the next four jumps. Scoring a goal was the best feeling for him, but he reveled in any successful manipulation of his teammates like that when he managed to do it- when his vision played out. From there, Sid got into Juan’s vision for the entirety of the football industry automatically giving 1% of its earnings and profits to his Common Goal charities, and emphasized just how long term that vision was, and how ardent and unflappable his faith in reaching the goal was.

Christina was always obsessed with that faith, and belief. She couldn’t empathize with it. It was foreign to her. The closest she could come to that kind of commitment to a future reality was her belief in Dirk, but she was much too cynical and pessimistic to ever aim as high as her friend did, be it in his ability to affect change and help hundreds of millions of people around the world, or his assured insistence that he’d live out his days in happiness at her side. Sid brought her to sedate tears with that stuff, even without knowing the parts about Juan believing he’d end up with her, because she recognized how beautiful the faith in being able to corral the football community that way for such a wholly good and important purpose was, and how he saved his extraordinary faith for only the most tremendous things in his life like that goal, his own ability to perform, and in their future together. To be up there on the podium with those things felt so immense to her, and swelled her heart. She told him so, in a quietly tearful phone conversation.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place? We’re so...wrongly dressed. Who are all these people?” Christina questioned when she and her party escort arrived at the American roadhouse-themed restaurant. Natasha described it as a classic American diner to her, so she wasn’t expecting women in denim hotpants and ripped fishnets, blaring hard rock music, and a general ambiance of Harleys, cowboy boots, and tequila. The birthday partying was happening in a segregated area, and it was full of people the rider didn’t recognize.

“The girls are the partners of the new players. That one is Zappa’s girlfriend, I think, the one next to Natasha is Marcos’ partner-“

“He has a girlfriend? You didn’t tell me this.”

“Does it matter?” Juan chuckled.

“Yes. I mean no. Well...yes.” She furrowed her brows and almost stomped her foot. There’s like a whole new group, she realized, sad. Thorgan’s wife and lots of other Chelsea girls and old friends of Natasha’s were around, so it wasn’t like she didn’t know anybody. There was plenty of Chelsea players present that she knew too.

“Let’s go say hi to Natasha,” her favorite Chelsea player suggested, a hand on her lower back to urge her up the two low stairs to the party area. There was one long table with old school metal napkin holders and empty beer bottles acting as anchors for lots of birthday balloons. The walls were covered in highway signs and foam fingers. A separate table was set up with plastic cups for beer pong. Christina wondered if at any point during the party a waitress would pull a chair out to dance on and pour a pitcher of Bud Light over herself to “Pour Some Sugar On Me”.

“Chris! Hey!” the woman of the hour exclaimed happily when she spotted her best friend from out of town. She had a plastic crown on, and was visibly drunk. “I miiiiiissed you!” The two girls hugged, and the Belgian complimented the German’s subtle peplum sweater and her incredibly thin-heeled stiletto booties. The German complimented the Belgian on her drunkenness. Juan told her she looked like a teenager, and then departed to talk to his friends. “What do you want to drink? We have like a punch bowl over there full of vodka, elderflower, cranberry juice, and prosecco, or you can order a cocktail, or a beer. Whatever you want!”

“What have you been drinking?” the rider questioned knowingly.

“Something called a Caipiruski. Or roska? Something Russian. It’s like a caipirinha but with vodka. Russians do vodka in everything. Take your jacket off!”

Christina and Juan were the last guests to arrive, so just a few minutes after they began mingling with their friends, everyone sat down to look at the menu and order food, though their team of Coyota Ugly-ish waitresses assured them they could get up to socialize again or play games after. Natasha reserved a seat next to her at the head of the table for Christina, which made Christina very happy. Her first reaction to seeing her friend laughing and having a good time with a bunch of new people was jealously, or whatever one feels when it seems like they’ve been replaced. She was introduced to the new faces while she perused the menu. Everyone seemed nice enough. Everyone was a model or lifestyle blogger. Everyone was somewhat flummoxed by the menu. It was full of things like nachos smothered in cheese sauce and sour cream, chili cheese dogs, hamburgers, and bbq chicken, and everything came with fries. It wasn’t very model friendly, and Christina was sure lifestyle bloggers only got food like that to take pictures of it, not eat it. The birthday girl, of course, was not either of those things.

“I think we should order all of the sharing boards to start with, don’t you think?” Natasha asked, consulting her former partner in crime. The two non-models and non-lifestyle-bloggers were delighted by the food offerings.

“I’m not eating any crispy cod but chicken wings and nachos and sticky ribs I am down for,” the equestrian star nodded, eyeing the guys at the other end of the table to gauge their reaction to the exclusively unhealthy menu. It took a good week to reacquaint her stomach with solid food after she got over the flu, and the birthday party was the first opportunity to really try anything heavy. Christina hoped her digestive system was up to the task. Her hunger certainly was. I’ll try a little of everything, but I’ll order the steak because that can’t be too greasy, salty, sticky, or spicy, right? Also... Her appraising glance arrived on Juan, who was sitting amongst the other Spaniards. I don’t want to be sick or in a food coma later.

“Will you get a little drunk and be really American with me?” Natasha implored beside her, recalling her attention. “You’re never offensively American but I know you can fake it! I think you should have beer. We’re going to do karaoke with the rock band later.”

“I’m afraid to get drunk because I’m still taking antibiotics,” Christina explained sympathetically. “I’ll have a beer though, for you, because it’s your birthday. And I’ll definitely do karaoke if you do it with me. Or Eden. I didn’t even get to talk to him yet. I still need to congratulate him on that performance at Atleti.

“Everyone wants to do it. I bet you know some good 80’s rock songs to do.”

“I can think of a few. I should make Juan play guitar with me...”

“He’s so happy lately,” Natasha whispered. “Eden says so, and I see it when we do things with this crew. We think he has a secret girlfriend. I’m afraid he’s screwing Lex again or something. Would you know if he did?”

“No secret girlfriend. No Lex. He’s just happy that his charity thing is going so well.” The girl with the long and sleek ponytail inadvertently hit Marie in the head with it when she snapped her head around to smile reassuringly with her answer. I wish I could tell her I’m the secret girlfriend, she was thinking inside. So many people already know. It seems ridiculous that my best girlfriend doesn’t know the truth.

“It figures Juan Mata would try to save the world,” that friend snorted.

“Am I still giving the boys a lesson tomorrow?”

“Yeah! Do you need me to come collect you or are you borrowing a car from Juan?”

“I’m definitely commandeering the DB9.”

“Oh! Tell me about the Ferrari! Is it amazing? Do you love it? Is it a dream come true?”

The girls caught up with each other after settling the food questions with the whole table, and even while other people got up to chat and play beer pong. They talked and texted a lot, but sitting next to each other with a couple of drinks, fun music, and enough going on in the background that no one paid any attention to them was just better, and more satisfying. They could make dramatic faces at each other to react to news, or gossip. Watching other people around them reminded them of things they wanted to talk about that just didn’t come up normally, like Christina’s wanting to get the dirt on all the new Chelsea girls. Some of them ended up joining the conversation at different times, so she got to know them directly a little bit too, and they got to know her. A couple of old timers brought up the charity WAG tournament and lamented that there was no one left to organize it, and no natural athletes left to play in it. Discussing that event, and the people involved in it, made Christina feel a long way away from that past. Dortmund and BVB and Olympic medals felt like a decade from the good old Chelsea days.

The population at the table fluctuated when the appetizers arrived, but a lot of people just picked up a chicken wing or tortilla chip and went back to what they were doing. It took a really long time to get the main course, which was fine with the partygoers, and maybe even planned that way on purpose. The food was okay. It was certainly better than diner food, though Christina loved authentic diner food anyway. She stopped eating before she felt really full, just in case. She braved a second Corona after dinner too, just to get in the mood for singing and making a fool of herself. Juan gave her her space for most of the night. They weren’t there “together”. He just happened to pick her up from the airport, and she just happened to be going home with him after. It was a lot of fun to hang out with Natasha again, and the others were fun to laugh and joke around with as well, but by the time she was done trying to sing “Night Moves”, and her bottle was empty but for the lime rind, she wished the Spaniard were around more. He could be really fun too. All the party was missing was a boy to flirt with.

“How are you, cariña?” he asked after taking a seat next to her near the beer pong table. He’d been summoned there by text. “Tired yet?” He definitely thought she was going to say she was close to ready to leave.

“Yeah, but I’m okay,” she shrugged. The place really was like a roadhouse. Some ladies were dancing on the bar, and the people drinking at it were shouting and throwing cash at them. Others got really into the rock band karaoke. It was all a little fake, however, like a Las Vegas attraction. The scene was kind of overwhelming. Christina had to lean in close to be heard. “I think you should do a song.”

“I’ll pass.”

“Oh come on! I did a song!”

“You and 5 other girls who fought over the mic so much we didn’t have to actually hear any of you.”

“Pfft.”

“You should go on the bar and shake your ass around. It’s better than theirs.” The player nodded toward the center of all the commotion.

“I’m wearing velvet pants. I’d die if someone got beer on them.”

“Do for me later then, without the pants.”

“Deal.” I want to kiiiiiss him, Christina groaned to herself. Grr. “Let’s go find Eddie, speaking of asses. Also, you should tell Alvi and Marcos how awesome I am so that they want to be my friends.”

“Can I tell them you want to have-“

“No.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

“You know, all this party needs is a Juan and Chris duet.”

“No.”

“You’re more handsome when you’re laughing.”

“You’re beautiful all night.”

“Awww.”

“That’s the truth. I watch. When was the last time you had fun with friends?”

“Tokyo. I don’t have friends to have fun with at home.”

“That’s why London should still be your home.”

“Oh,” Christina smirked. “Is that the reason?”

“Just one of them.”

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