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hearts-hunger · 30 days

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evergreen — part two

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Series Summary: Jake takes you on your first vacation to the cabin the gang stays at every year. When memories of past relationships loom heavy, will this vacation send cracks through the foundation of safety and trust you have in each other?

Chapter Summary: You're trying to let the past stay in the past, but Jake keeps making it difficult.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Josh x Baby, Sam x Danny | Genre: fluff, angst, emotional h/c | Word Count: 4.4k | Warnings: smoking, sexual innuendo, mentions of infidelity

A/N: Hehehe more Jake being and idiot and Sparrow struggling emotionally. We're in for a little more before the end, but at least Baby and the boys are there for them ♡

You woke to a late morning sun, dappled daylight shining as well as it could through the trees growing right outside the window. Jake was on top of you, as he always was, his legs tangled with yours and his arm snugly around you, his face tucked into the crook of your neck. You absently brushed his hair back from his face, trying to take stock of yourself as you became aware of a vague, constant achiness.

Oh, right — margaritas strong enough to down a grown man, one cigarette too many, sleeping in a bed you'd felt completely uncomfortable in. All that was why you felt like you'd been run over by a truck. You needed to shower and take something for your headache and get out of this bed you hated with every fiber of your being, but you couldn't face trying to move just yet.

Jake stirred and moved closer to you, if that was possible.

“Sparrow,” he mumbled. “You awake?”

“Yeah,” you said. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself.” His morning voice was deep and raspy. “What the hell did we drink last night?”

“The whole liquor cabinet.”

He gave a soft laugh that trailed off into a groan. “Yeah, I guess so. You feel okay?”

“Oh, I feel super,” you said. “How do you feel?”

“Like roadkill.”

You snorted. “Sexy.”

He propped himself up a little, looking down at you with a scrunchy, dazed kind of smile.

“If you say so,” he said. “That reminds me. We were gonna do some swashbuckling last night, weren't we?”

“We sure were,” you said, “before you passed out.”

“Right.” He gave you a quick smooch good morning, as he always did. “Sorry about that. I can make it up to you right now if you want.”

You gave a doubtful hum. “We need to shower. And brush our teeth.”

“Oh, come on,” he coaxed. He kissed your neck. “Napoleon told his wife not to bathe for three days before he came home and ravished her.”

Though you usually wouldn't have minded some sweaty, tangled-up morning sex, there was no way you were doing that in this bed.

“Too bad you're not Napoleon,” you said sweetly.

He didn't get the hint, perhaps too absorbed with kissing your collarbone. He was still dressed in his clothes from the day before, but you were in nothing but your underwear; you couldn't exactly blame him for exploring what was usually available for his enjoyment, but no part of you wanted him to touch you like that in this bed.

“Jake,” you said, gently pushing him off you. “Let me up, babe.”

He did, respecting your less subtle cue but giving you a wry smile. “You must really not feel good,” he teased.

It wasn't your hangover that was killing your libido, and you were a little annoyed that he didn’t know that. You sat on the edge of the bed, touching a hand to your pounding head.

He ran a soothing hand over your back. “You feel sick, honey?”

You didn't answer that. You did, but you didn't want to tell him why. You wanted him to use his brain and figure it out himself.

“I’m gonna go shower,” you said. You blindly grabbed a shirt from the drawer, and it happened to be Jake's “I'm the reason all the rum is gone” tee.

“Oh, now you’re just teasing me,” he said with a smile.

“I'm not teasing anybody,” you said, and you surprised yourself with how harsh it was.

He raised a brow. “Okay, sparrow. I’m just messing with you, baby. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.”

You wanted to say that not meaning to didn't make it any better; in a way, it made it worse. Where did he keep his brain sometimes? You felt it was stupid for him to be so oblivious, or maybe you should be thankful that he was. If he wasn't thinking about Izzy, why should you be?

You gave him a half-hearted nod, raw with guilt and discomfort. “Okay. I’m just... not in a great mood. Sorry.”

“You’re allowed to not be in a great mood,” he said kindly. “Go get a shower, honey. You want coffee?”

His gentle care for you wore down your frustration. “Yes, please.”

“Okay. It'll be ready for you when you get out.”

You gathered up some clothes and headed for the upstairs bathroom, but you heard the shower running in there already, so you made your way to the downstairs bathroom. Sam was in the basement fooling around on the mellotron, and you were mildly embarrassed to be seen in your current state of undress.

“Sorry,” you said bashfully. “Just going to shower.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “All good.”

You laughed. “Thanks. You're a gentleman and a scholar, Sam.”

“Oh, I try.”

You took a long time in the shower, letting the hot water ease your many aches. Even from the basement, you could smell the promised coffee brewing, and you came into the kitchen to see Jake and Danny working on breakfast.

“For you, my dearest,” Jake said, handing you a cup of coffee made just the way you liked it. “Danny reminded me that we're switching rooms, so I went ahead and moved our stuff.”

“Oh,” you said, pleasantly surprised and relieved. “Thanks, honey.”

“Sure.” He kissed your cheek. “I’m gonna go shower. You look like you're feeling a little better.”

“I am,” you said truthfully. All of your worries had been very quickly assuaged with a simple room reassignment, and you felt a huge weight come off of you.

He smiled. “I'm glad, honey.” He slapped a bottle of ibuprofen into your hand. “Eat up.”

You huffed a laugh and boosted yourself up onto the counter. Danny was working on pancakes, his hair up in a claw clip and a dishrag over his shoulder.

“Thanks for mentioning the room thing,” you said.

He smiled. “No problem, sparrow. I didn't say why, just asked him if we were still switching. I'm sorry you had to stay in there last night. You could have moved our stuff.”

“He forgot, and he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow,” you said. “I figured it was easier to stay put.”

“You're a good man, Charlie Brown,” he said. “I’d be climbing the walls in a room Sam had been in with his ex.”

You gave a rueful hum around a sip of coffee. “I almost was. He wanted to get into some... extracurriculars, shall we say, just now, but you can probably figure out how that went.”

“Not the way he pictured it, I imagine.” He added to the growing stack of pancakes. “He still doesn't know why you don't want to be in there?”

You sighed. “I guess not. Maybe I should be glad he’s not thinking of her, but I can't get her out of my head.”

“Who, me?” Baby came into the kitchen wearing one of Josh’s shirts and sleep shorts. “Sparrow, tell me it's me. I need an ego boost.”

“Girl, I'd rather it was you. But no, it’s Izzy.”

She looked over at you as she made herself a cup of coffee. “You didn't tell me you were into masochism.”

You and Danny laughed.

“They stayed in Jake’s old room last night,” Danny explained.

Baby's expression scrunched. “Oh, ew. Why?”

“Ask the genius,” you said wryly. “I guess it just didn't occur to him.”

She sighed and leaned against the counter. “Well, the Kiszka boys aren't famous for being the world's most observant on some things. Are you switching rooms?”

“Yeah, we kicked Sam and Danny out,” you said. Danny walked past you to take the plate of bacon to the table, and when both you and Baby reached out, he stopped and let you take some.

“Go round ‘em up,” Danny said. “Everything’s ready.”

You did as he said, and when you were all gathered at the table, the six of you enjoyed a leisurely breakfast peppered with mentions of how bright the sunlight was and requests to pass the ibuprofen. Jake sat next to you, one hand on the back of your chair, his thumb occasionally skating across your back in a soothing motion. That was one of your favorite things about him: those little, unobtrusive touches that told you he was there, that he was tuned into you even if he wasn’t talking to you directly.

“I heard you working on something earlier, Sammy,” he said. “Sounded very orchestral.”

Sam gave him a lopsided smile. “Yeah, it's just something I’m messing around with. Maybe a cool opening for Josh's ‘Heat Above’ song.”

“You want to put the mellotron on that?” Josh asked, animated.

“I was thinking kind of like Age of Man,” he said. “I can show it to you if you want.”

Josh was up out of his chair and down to the basement before anyone could stop him, if they'd been trying to, and Sam followed with a proud smirk on his face. All four brothers tried to impress each other with their new ideas, and you knew that Sam was pleased with Josh’s eager anticipation to hear what he’d been working on.

At the other end of the table, Danny and Baby were talking about their plans for a Chopped-style cooking competition. You and Jake sat in companionable silence, nursing your coffee and enjoying each other’s closeness.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said after a moment. The sun caught in his hair, bringing out the hint of red in it. “I really was just teasing. You know I don't want anything from you that you don't want to give.”

You touched his cheek. “I know, honey. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I’m sorry too.”

He gave you a gentle kiss. “Love you, sparrow.”

You smiled. “Love you too, Jakey. I think I’m gonna read out on the porch for a little bit. You wanna come and be bored to death?”

He breathed a laugh. “If you want me to, sure.”

“Or you can go jam,” you offered. You patted his chest. “Actually, go do that. I know you'd rather be playing music than watching me read.”

He considered that. “Okay, what if — and here's another one of my theories — I bring my guitar out and play while you read?”

“Again, not a theory,” you teased. “But sure. If you want to, I’d like that.”

He left to get his guitar and you grabbed your book and refilled both of your coffees, heading out to the porch swing. He came out with a throw blanket and his acoustic guitar, and he tossed the blanket at you and managed to cover your head with it.

“Ah, I get it,” you said, your voice muffled. “You don't want to see me while you hang out with me.”

He chuckled and rearranged the blanket so it lay over your lap. “Sorry. My toss was a little over-zealous.”

He sat next to you on the swing, playing an aimless tune that eventually made its way into Jackson Browne's “These Days”. You tried to focus on your book, but his voice was so warm and soft as he sang that you couldn't help but watch him play.

He noticed and looked over at you, giving you a bashful smile. “What?”

“Nothing,” you said. “I just like watching you play.”

His cheeks pinked. “Lucky you got a guy who does nothing but play guitar.”

You smiled. “Yeah, it is lucky.” You watched as he effortlessly picked out the solo in skillful, intentional movements of his fingers across the strings.

“You know this is kind of our song,” you said.

He nodded in that distracted way you liked, when he was focused on playing but still listening to you. “Yes ma'am. I remember.” You'd danced to this song at the wedding where you’d been reunited last winter, the same wedding where you’d finally done something about the feelings both of you had had for each other even after years of being apart.

“You know the words,” he said. “Sing with me.”

You blushed. “Oh, I dunno. I'd rather hear you without me screwing it up.”

He shook his head. “Your voice could never screw anything up, sparrow. Sing with me.”

You couldn't say no to him, not when he was so sweet to you. He started the next verse, and you offered a quiet, tentative harmony.

“Well I’ll keep on moving, things are bound to be improving these days.”

His smile was impossibly tender. “See? I told you. Beautiful.”

You leaned close and kissed him, slow and gentle and so in love with him.

“Say you love me,” you said softly.

He touched his nose to yours. “I love you, sparrow. More than you could ever imagine, and more than I could ever tell you.”

—

He went to join the guys downstairs after a while, and you felt a warm glow in your chest long after he’d left. You didn't know why you’d been so upset about the whole Izzy business — of course Jake was just being oblivious, and there was no malicious intent in his absent-mindedness. You decided to put the whole thing out of your mind and not let the idea of her intrude on your picture-perfect vacation to a beautiful mountain cabin with the ones you loved so dearly.

Putting a bookmark between the pages of your novel, you ventured inside after a bit to find everyone downstairs. Baby made room for you on the couch and shared her gummy worms, and you snacked contentedly while the boys worked on a song that wasn't entirely coming together.

“I don’t know, it feels a little boring,” Danny said. “It need something like — ” He played a driving beat on the drums, making ample use of the cymbals. “Something brighter.”

“It’s a ballad,” Jake said, shaking his head. “A love song. It just needs the bass drum and the toms, maybe.” He strummed a few chords, and Sam scrambled to join him on the bass. You watched, amused, as Jake was wholly absorbed in playing the tune at a blinding volume while Danny didn't play a single thing.

Jake looked up. “Yeah, like that,” he said.

Danny lazily twirled a drumstick. “Well, I wasn't playing anything, so...”

Jake gave him an abashed smile. “Oh. Well, maybe it doesn't need any drums. It's just an acoustic thing.”

“You’re cranked up to the loudest, crunchiest tone possible,” Danny pointed out. “Play it on acoustic and I’ll see what I can do with that.”

Jake sigh was half irritated groan. “Maybe we should just scrap it.” He tied his hair up in a bun, and you knew he must be getting frustrated — Jake never put his hair up when he was playing unless he was fed up with it and needed a little less sensory input.

“I don't know, man,” Josh said. “It’s not terrible. I like the chord progression.”

“Okay,” Danny offered, “what if i build up with the drums, like start off with just the bass and come in later on the snare, but keep it soft, and give it a few splashes? Or — ” He extended his hand to Sam, and somehow Sam knew to toss him the egg shakers. “I’ll do some kind of maraca thing, and you can do a beat on the body of the guitar like that Iron and Wine thing.”

“So many things,” Sam teased. “Is that the technical term, Daniel?”

Danny shook a maraca at him. “Yes. Don't question the master.”

Sam put up a hand in surrender. “I wouldn't dare.”

Jake unplugged his guitar and slung the strap over his head. “Let me think about it for a minute. I might decide I hate it.”

His brothers were content to let him take a break, changing tacks to work on the song Sam and Josh had played around with earlier. It was obviously missing a guitar, but it didn't sound half bad with the mellotron and a bright, splashy drum beat to accompany Josh’s voice.

Jake all but collapsed on the couch next to you. “Hi.”

You smiled. “Hi, honey. Rough day at work?”

He ran a hand over his face. “I guess. That song’s not my best work, but I thought we could try it.”

“Don’t give up on it,” you said. You handed him a gummy worm. “Here. A little something to take the edge off.”

He snorted. “Thanks.”

You brushed back a few wayward strands of hair that had missed the bun. “When did you write that song, anyway? I don't think I've ever heard it.”

“Sometime last year,” he said. “Summer before last, I think. I don't know.”

You tried to ignore the creeping doubt that you'd promised yourself you were done with. “Before you met me?”

“Well, not technically,” he reminded you. You’d been friends in high school before you’d lost touch for a few years. “But yeah, before we got together.”

“Right.” You hated the uncertainty in your tone. “And it's a love song?”

He sighed. “Trying to be, anyway.”

You bit the inside of your cheek. A love song that he'd written before you were together, presumably with someone else in mind. Izzy, namely. You felt a nudge from Baby, and you interpreted her sympathetic look to mean something like I’m sorry he keeps being stupid and you can't really blame him for it at the same time.

You let out a long breath. You knew you couldn't hold his past relationships against him, but it didn't exactly feel great to know he was working on an old love song he’d written for her. You wondered how terrible a girlfriend you would be if you told him to scrap it like he wanted to.

You steeled yourself. No, you remembered, you weren’t going down that road. The past was in the past, and you’d let it stay there, where it belonged, buried six feet underground.

That was a little morbid, granted. You didn't want Izzy six feet under, though you did wish for some karmic payback for the pain she’d caused Jake. But it wasn't yours to deliver, so you'd support this song if he really wanted to make a go of it.

You patted his thigh. “Come play some Pac-Man with me.”

“Ooh, me too,” Baby said, getting up to go with you to the game on the far side of the basement crowded with a pool table, a pinball machine, and a foosball table. Jake followed somewhat reluctantly, but you knew him; he couldn't pass up an opportunity to beat the pants off of you in any game. He was usually successful, except in spades, which he was terrible at for some reason; then, he always insisted on being on your team and letting you carry the two of you to victory.

As you played, he tried to give you pointers, but you were resigned to being awful at it.

“Come on, honey,” he laughed. “It’s kinda like skipping stones, remember? All in the — ” Your Pac-Man dissolved and died. “All in the wrist.”

You let him have a go, and he was much better at it; you and Baby watched intently as he moved up a couple levels before he lost.

“Damn,” he said, looking at the high scores. “Who's that at the top? That was one of us, right?”

He looked to Baby, and she fidgeted a little beside you.

“I think... I think it was Izzy,” she said cautiously.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and you listened with baited breath for how he would react.

“Huh,” he said finally, his tone as even as could be, as if revisiting a pleasant memory. “Yeah, I think you're right.”

As stupid as it was, you couldn’t stop the hot spark of frustration that flared to life in your chest.

“Guess she knew all about the wrist technique, or whatever,” you said flatly.

He shrugged. “I guess. She was good at that sort of thing.” He stepped aside to let Baby play, and she glanced over at you with an uncertain expression.

“You want to get beaten in foosball too?” Jake asked you, a playful smile on his face.

“No, thanks.” You turned to Baby. “Does Josh have any cigarettes hidden away somewhere?”

“Yes, and I’ll show you where,” she said, “because it’s a dumb hiding place where he thinks I won't get at them.”

She gave you a conspiratorial smile and looped her arm around yours, abandoning her game.

“You’re gonna die!” Jake protested.

“Sparrow needs me,” she said tartly. “Besides, who cares about a score on Pac-Man?”

You were glad she could sass him when you couldn't quite get up the nerve to, and you let her lead you upstairs to the room she and Josh were sharing.

“Holy shit, is he dumb or what?” she asked, rooting through Josh's backpack. She put on an affected voice. “Oh, she’s so talented and good at that sort of thing that you're bad at. What a moron.”

You couldn't help but laugh, thankful for her lighthearted tone and collusion with you in your frustration. She reached elbow-deep into the backpack and finally found the pack of cigarettes, holding them up triumphantly.

“Ha! Take that, Joshua.”

The two of you went out to the porch, leaning against the railing as you smoked. The air was chilly and fragrant with pine, and you closed your eyes and let the breeze soothe your riled emotions.

“Am I overreacting?” you asked. “Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing.”

She shrugged. “I don't know, sparrow. I was lucky Josh never brought anyone else here.”

You blew out a thin stream of smoke. “And Josh never had any serious relationships before yours, did he?”

“Not really, which is also lucky.” She looked a little wistful then. “We were too busy pining over each other to worry about anybody else, I think.”

Though you’d all been friends your last year of high school and the summer after graduation, you knew Baby had practically grown up with them. You hadn't been surprised to find out that she and Josh were together when you met up again last winter, and it also didn't surprise you that they'd spent a long time secretly in love with each other without saying it.

“Did you ever have a crush on the other guys?” you asked. “Even just a little thing?”

Her smile was telling. “Not really. I guess I thought Danny was a looker when he grew out of his awkward middle-school phase, but I like my guys a little shorter and weirder.”

You laughed. “I guess we have similar tastes.”

She flicked her cigarette. “In that way, yeah. But Jake and Josh are as different as night and day, you know that.”

“Sun and moon,” you said, remembering with fondness the comments you'd seen on social media posts featuring the twins.

She smiled. “Yeah, sun and moon. Sometimes a dumbass sun and moon, but hey.”

You sighed and put your cigarette out. “I don’t know what to do. Sam said I should tell him.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that advice from him before,” she said wryly. “Tends to be solid, but it’s easier said than done.”

“No kidding.” You heard the sound of Jake’s guitar join the song drifting from inside. “Would you tell Josh? If he was doing something like this?”

“Well, I'd like to think I wouldn't have to,” she said. “But... yeah, I would. I trust Josh. And I trust Jake, and I know you do too, even if he’s being an idiot.”

You scuffed your shoe against the railing. “Yeah.” You did trust Jake; you trusted him with every part of you, even the most vulnerable ones, and he’d cherished and honored that trust every time it had been put to the test. Why was this time so hard for you?

Baby gently bumped her shoulder against yours. “Why are you scared to tell him? You know he’d understand how you feel.”

You crossed your arms over your chest. “I don't know.” You hadn't talked to anyone about this before, not even your best friends who would surely have listened and given you advice, but you wanted to try and talk to Baby about it now.

“We’re out of the honeymoon phase, I guess,” you said. “Not that that’s a bad thing, and not that I expect us to break up or anything, but...”

“It's hard,” she said kindly. “I get it. The first time Josh and I had a big fight, a few months after we got together, I cried the rest of the night. I went super crazy and catastrophized the whole thing.”

That was a familiar feeling. You'd bickered more with Jake these past few months than you ever had when you first got together, and sometimes it had devolved into an actual argument. You hated it, but it was a natural part of relationships.

“I’m not used to that sort of thing,” you confessed. “Me and Jake... this is my first serious relationship, and I don't know what the hell I’m doing. I want to marry him, and I think he’s that serious about me, but... he was probably that serious about Izzy too.”

She didn't say anything for a moment, and you felt your heart sink. “He was, wasn’t he?”

She sighed. “I don't know. I won't lie and say he didn't love her. And I guess she loved him too, as much as you could love a person while still being able to cheat on them, which maybe isn't much.”

She put her cigarette out. “Jake’s like a totally different person with you, sparrow. He lights up like a firefly whenever you're around. I didn't know if he’d ever recover from Izzy, but he has with you, and he loves you like you're his heart.”

You swallowed around the tightness in your throat. “Really? You're not just saying that?”

She took your hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “No way, sparrow. You know me — I’m a straight shooter. And you fit with us like you were made for us, just like you do with Jake.”

You squeezed her hand back. “I love you.”

Her smile was a little wobbly. “Aw, sparrow, I love you too. I'm so glad you're in our family.”

“Me too,” you said softly.

She kissed your cheek. “I think Sam’s right. Go talk to Jake. You’ll feel better, and Jake will stop being so dumb, and then you can have super great celebration sex.”

You laughed, really laughed, and she laughed with you.

“You know I’m right!” she said. She gave you a gentle push towards the door. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

You stopped at the door and looked back at her.

“I’m really glad you're my friend,” you said.

Her smile was warm and very kind. “Me too, sparrow.”

taglist: @viagvf @allieisacrybaby @itsafullmoon @spark-my-nature @anthemheatwave @xserenax-13 @musicspeaks @mountain-in-springtime @stardustsecret @alwaysonthemend @madneedshelp @josh-iamyour-mama @dannythedog

and some cabin fever besties who were excited for this one :) @shutupdevvie @gold-mines-melting @earthlysorrows @brooke-gvf

join my taglist here!

#don't worry. jake is so not done being dumb <3 #jake kiszka x reader #jake kiszka fluff #greta van fleet fanfiction #gvf fluff #evergreen fic #jake kiszka angst #cabin fever fics #maddie writes stuff!

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antilocaprine · 3 months

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Slowly but surely plugging away at the conclusion of Evergreen. Things will get worse before they get better.

#hlvrai #my words #fic snippet #behind the scenes #evergreen fic

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thyme-in-a-bubble · 11 months

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sour summer

a/n: this is a prequel to my story the murder at evergreen university. if you haven’t yet, then i highly recommend you to go read that one first.

summary: “were you really always this pretty?”

warnings: Ari Levinson x reader, smut, prequel to this story (so beware that it does contain some spoilers), childhood friends to lovers, neighbours, family friend!Ari, cop!Ari, shy!reader, virgin!reader, slight age gap (in my head reader is 18 and ari is in his mid 20's), pining, cheating, kissing, loss of virginity, corruption kink, size kink, fingering, penetrative sex, protected sex, dirty talk, multiple orgasms, squirting, manhandling

word count: 6301

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

masterlist | join my taglist | evergreen university masterlist

After rifling through your closet from top to bottom, you finally gave up on the wild goose chase and stormed out of your room.

“Hey mom?” you called out as you neared the kitchen, “have you seen my cardigan? The grey one with the-,” your whole body froze as you crossed the threshold and saw the unexpected figure leaning against the kitchen island, “oh my god…”

“Y/n,” your mother smile, setting down her mug of amber tea, “look who stopped by for a visit,” gesturing to not only the accustomed visage of Mrs Levinson, who had always been more of an aunt to you than a next door neighbour with how tight-knit your families were, but more specifically focusing your attention on the other much more surprising visage that instantly made the sweater hunt become a task of the past.

“Ari?” the warm sound of his name gushed out of you and spread over every inch of your form, causing goosebumps to erupt as your eyes raked across his brawny figure, “what are you doing here?” you darted to steal a hug, nearly tripping his bulky frame over in the process.

Curiously, he too seemed taken aback by your appearance, almost as if he hadn’t quite recognised you till your mom had called you by your name.

Completely stunned, it took a moment before his tree trunk-like arms hesitantly enclosed around your form, “Y/n?” you pulled back and took in his speechless expression, “um, hi,” he exhaled hazily, vibrant eyes dancing over every change that had appeared since you last saw each other.

“You could have called first,” you light-heartedly shoved his broad chest, his warm palms still glued to your waist, “give a girl some warning.”

“Sorry,” he chuckled in return, “I didn’t know going home to visit my own parents required an official warning or something.”

“Sweetie,” your mom ripped your attention back to the task at hand, “I think you might have left that cardigan out back.”

“Oh, thanks!” you smiled before snatching up one of Ari’s hands and stealing him with you. His palm felt so big in yours, so warm and wide, engulfing yours completely. Dragging him along, you quickly became thankful that he couldn’t spot the flush the buzzing contact caused to erupt across your cheeks. “So,” you hesitantly let go as your toes touched the freshly cut blades of grass, “how have you been?”

Sucking in a much-needed breath, he answered, “I’ve been fine, I’ve been good.”

“Arrested a lot of criminals lately? Anything cool? A serial killer maybe?” you asked excitedly as your eyes scanned the garden, searching everywhere from the raised patio to the majestic oak in the bottom corner that accommodated a treehouse worthy of any child’s dream.

“No, no,” he chortled, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “no serial killers, just everyday boring stuff, you know…”

A giddy squeal emitted from your lungs as you finally spotted the lightweight, crumbled, grey knit draped over one of the white chairs slotted to the oblong patio table.

“So, what about you, huh?” Ari asked as you sloppily tied the cardigan around your hips, the rays of sun kissing your exposed skin warmed you up enough not to need it out here.

“Have I arrested any serial killers lately?” you jested.

“No,” he smiled, “what’s new with you?”

“Well, my mom properly already told you,” a bubble of excitement tickled your belly at the news, “but I got into Evergreen University.”

“No way, really?” he exclaimed, both of you naturally shifting to continue the conversation seated.

“Yeah, I start in a little under two months.”

“Is it still psychology that you wanna study or has that changed?”

“No, it’s still that,” his recollection caused your smile to grow, though in that moment it also dawned on you how intensely he was staring, absorbing every micro change to your features, and heat began to rise in your cheeks, “what?”

Not halting his vision’s lavish journey, he hummed, “huh?”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

“No, it’s just-…” his words came out sounding spellbound, “did you always look like this?”

“Um…” you genuinely thought about it a moment, scrambling your brain for a logical answer, “I got a haircut about a month ago, maybe that’s it?”

“No,” a smile tugged at the corners of his lips as his piercing gaze carried on, “it’s definitely not that…”

Positively flustered, you awkwardly changed the subject, “so, uh, do you maybe wanna do something fun while you're home?” shifting in your seat as you proposed, “we could go to the beach or something, like we used to.”

“Sure, I’d love that,” he uttered genuinely.

“Cool,” you gracelessly nodded.

Your attention directed to the fluffy, sheep-like clouds got swept away as a figure appeared in the window opposing to the one in your bedroom. All of the air escaped your lungs as your eyes did a double take on the glistening visage closing the bathroom door behind him into his own childhood room.

To say that you were pleased that your childhood crush had returned was an understatement, to say the least.

Fresh out of the shower, there he emerged. White towel wrapped low around his hips, you could almost make out the water droplets still clinging to his brawny back as he yanked open a few drawers in his dresser in search of a crisp set of clothing.

Cursing softly underneath your breath, your jaw hit the floor as he, with his back still turned to you, let the towel fall before stepping into a pair of black boxers. Rotating gently as he tugged the underwear up into place, you swore you saw just the hint of the part of him that made your centre throb most of all, though you had to lean on your overactive imagination to fill out the rest of the masterpiece.

Dreamy head cocked to the side as you peep, it took you a second to realise that he was now facing the window, facing you. Not taking a moment to even check if he actually had spotted you, your knees instinctually buckled and sent you soaring down towards the floor, your hands just narrowly catching onto the windowsill for support.

“Hey, honey?” the voice of your mother shot through the house to find your flushed ears, “can you give me a hand setting the table? The Levinsons will be over in a bit!”

“Y-yeah! Yeah!” you shakily replied, cautiously unfurling from the tense ball you had become underneath your window, “I’ll be right there!”

Mild evening air rustling your hair, you dangled your sandal-clad feet over the edge of the slim deck area that wrapped around the western side of the treehouse. With a part of the fence safely slotted in between your thighs, your eyes were busy raking across the blushing skies that stretched over your neighbourhood as a voice from below suddenly caught your attention.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” your vision flickered down to spot Ari at the base, ready with one hand on the sturdy ladder, the other one dexterously balanced two frosty cones as he offered, “might I interest you in some ice cream?”

The sinful peepshow you had caught earlier that day had made casually sitting across from him at dinner rather overwhelming, both your families' presents not helping to make it less awkward. So as soon as you’d scarfed down your last bite, you excused yourself and ducked up into the treehouse, in hopes of a chance to finally cool down.

“How is that even a question?” you called down, watching as he carefully made his way up the tree.

“Okay,” he exhaled as he settled in beside you, his warm leg ghosting against your own and causing goosebumps to erupt underneath your dress, “so, I’ve got one strawberry and one that’s-,” you didn’t need an introduction to deduct that the other one was exactly the rich chocolate one you always gravitated towards. Snatching it up with an eager squeal before he could even get the words out, he simply laughed, “oh, you’re just going right for it. I don’t know why I even bothered to offer you a choice,” watching as you hummed in delight, the frosty treat being just what you had wanted. Having a nibble at his own, he twisted his torso slightly and took in the familiar playground, “man… this place really hasn’t changed one bit.”

Peaking over your shoulder as well, you shrugged, “of course not,” his attention jaggedly returned to you as your tongue swiped out to lap up the coco droplets already melting down your hand, “this is our place, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” he uttered distantly, a warm smile blooming on his lips at the memories of the favoured game back when he used to babysit you, “our little kingdom. What was the name of it again?”

“Uh, it was-, it was…” you scrambled your brain with no success, “I actually don’t remember anymore,” you squinted back at him, too wrapped up in your own thought to feel your ice cream melt further down your forearm, “I feel like it might have started with an E or something?” eyes growing wide, your body suddenly froze up as Ari’s forefinger unexpectedly reached out and swiped up the thawed treat, cleaning the milky streek and bringing it back up to his own lips. “D-do you want a taste?” you blinked, chest heaving as you hesitantly offered your flavour, his intense gaze melting you faster than the ice cream could even keep up with.

Eyes locked on you, he uttered, “I still can’t believe you haven’t got yourself a boyfriend.”

��What?” you giggled breathily, the subject haven come up rather quickly after his yearned for return.

“I mean, look at you,” you felt your palm grow clammy around the cold cone at his affectionate words, “were you really always this pretty?”

Your face surely resembling a tomato at this point, you averted your gaze, “I literally have ice cream all over myself.”

“Y/n, you’re-…” your eyes flickered back up to meet his dusky ones, “it’s just insane to me that there isn’t a line from here till Timbuktu of people trying to get with you.”

Utterly stunned, you found yourself suddenly leaning in, letting the overwhelming high his compliments infused in you push you to press your lips against his own in a chased and timid kiss. Reeling back practically as soon as there was even a fraction of contact, a storm swiftly assaulted your mind.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” you gasped, fighting the urge to scream at your own hormonal instincts getting the best of you, “please just forget that ever-”

But your mortified apology was hastily cut short as you felt Ari’s free hand find the back of your head and lead it back towards him for a ravenous kiss. It felt like he had just flipped your world upside down, twisted everything you thought was wrong into the truth. In your eyes, there hadn’t ever been anyone but him. Not that you hadn’t tried after he moved away, you had, but no boy you stumbled upon could ever compare to how he made you feel.

Or how he used to make you feel, because what was coursing through your body now was nothing like you’d ever felt. A kiss had never been so sweet, so hypnotic, so dangerous…

Sensing the cone of ice cream fall from your slackened grasp, the dull sound of it spattering against the grass below ceased to reach your ears. Like a man starved, Ari’s tongue met yours in a flowing dance, your arms timidly coming up to drape around his neck for support as he too tossed his pink ice cream without a care in the world.

Arms around your form, wide palms nearly burning through the material of your thin dress, he then tipped the both of you to the side, sending you farther away from the edge and further inside the interior of the cosy treehouse.

Even sprawled out on your sides, his lips never ceased, staying glued to yours in the heated make-out as if it was oxygen to him. Gripping you tight, his broad palms felt you up, causing your toes to curl in your sandals and a muffled moan to vibrate against his lips, a sound that only kindled his inner flame that much further.

In one smooth motion, he rotated your tangled forms, rolling on top of you and with a firm grip at your bottom, just shy beneath your dress, hauled your shorter form further up beneath his, allowing your lips to remain at an equivalent height.

Fingers digging into your thighs, you clenched them tightly around his hips, lending you to feel even more of the palpable tent that had been so intoxicatingly nudging at your pantie-clad centre, your flowy dress haven already ridden all the way up and granting you to feel that much more.

Mind already two steps ahead of yours, his hips rolled against your own, both of your elated noises melting into one.

Nevertheless, right as his fingers tore one of your straps down your shoulder, a matronly voice called out from the garden below, “hey, Ari? Hon?” both of you froze up at his mother’s shout, effectively rousing you from your fever dream, “your phone is ringing.”

Breathless, you both blinked back at each other as he mustered an answer, “alright,” his voice thick and his eyes still dark, “I’ll be right down.”

How were you ever going to fall asleep? Every single molecule in your body still buzzed of the adrenaline from what had transpired earlier that evening.

Catching sight of yourself in the mirror that hung on the wall, you couldn’t help but giggle as you still felt your lips tingle in remembrance. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a light flicker on in the neighbouring window parallel to your own. Your breath hitched as you spotted your childhood crush already gazing back at you.

Raising your hand, you offered him a small wave, one which he swiftly mirrored, the silly notion conjuring a noticeable chuckle to rumble within his chest.

You still weren’t fully convinced that it had actually happened. Not only had you kissed him, but he had actually kissed you back in such a manner that it was sure to erase any form of doubt about what his intentions might be.

Averting your gaze for what only felt like a moment, your head light-heartedly shaking in disbelief as you blinked down at your nightgown, the material bunched up at your thighs as you sat on the bed, the next thing you knew, the sound of a pebble hitting your window caught your attention.

Had he climbed out of his own window? Went through a door? You couldn’t tell, because all you could focus on was the dimly lit visage of him coming to rest his folded arms against your windowsill.

Getting up, you hastily worked at pushing it open, “h-hi,” you giggled nervously, a hand swiftly shooting up to muffle your laugh.

“Hi,” he smiled, readjusting his grip on the ledge, “can I come in?”

“You wanna come in?” your eyebrows briefly shot up before you attempted a nonchalant, “y-yeah, sure,” your heart hammering against your ribcage at an impossible speed.

Expecting him to walk around to the front door and sneak his way in, he instead just pulled himself up and crawled directly into your room.

“Hey,” he breathed as he found his footing.

“Hello,” you chuckled back, “you already said that. How many times do you plan on greeting me tonight?”

“As many times as you want me to,” he smirked, carefully catching your hands in his and consequently making your breathing become a little more difficult to manage with such dizzying contact. Staring down at your conjoined palms, he then weaved his fingers with yours and spoke frankly, “so, about earlier…”

“Yeah?” you breathed, trying to prepare yourself for the worst.

“That was-…” he cut his own sentence off with a long exhale, a fuzzy smile overtaking his features, his head lightly shaking as his eyes finally lifted to meet yours.

Biting down on your bottom lip, you hoped that you had caught on to the unspoken message, “…it was?”

Vision flickering down to your bitten lips, he nodded softly and confirmed, “it was,” though the kiss he then pulled you into was really what sealed the deal for your youthful brain.

“This is crazy,” you managed to utter between hungry pecks.

“Too crazy?” he pulled back a bit, hands rooted on either side of your head.

“No, just-…” you felt in that moment as if you could faint, “you have no idea how long I’ve dreamed about this…”

“Oh, yeah?” he breathed out a smile before softly capturing your lips once more.

With your hands rooted tightly in his shirt, his hot skin burned through the light cotton, “is this really happening?”

“What do you think is happening?” he challenged playfully, his hands descending, running down your spine.

“Are we really about to-, you know…” you uttered nervously.

“Only if you want us to,” he replied, only for your heightened nerves to finally sink in, “wait, have you not-…” cheeks burning up, you shyly shook your head, “ever?”

“No…” you confessed, an automatic, “I’m sorry…” swiftly leaving your timid lips.

“No, no, that’s alright, that’s okay,” he rushed to reassure you, a hand flying up to cup your flush cheek.

Searching his eyes in the moonlight, “you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t mind?” your brows furrowed, doubting his unexpectedly copious comfort.

Attempting to hide a smirk, he disclosed, “actually find it really hot, so no, Y/n, I don’t mind.”

“Oh…” you breathed, eyes growing wide, “okay.”

Watching you gingerly, he checked once more, “but, you do want to?”

“Yes,” the reply flew from your lungs out of fear that he would take it back, “please.”

“Okay,” he smiled softly, pulling you back in, “but please promise that you will tell me if you’ve had enough, wanna slow down, pause, anything,” eyes flickering up to the corner of the ceiling to list off, “kick, scream, whisper, I don’t care how, just let me know, okay?”

Letting your actions do the talking, you reached up and tugged him down to seal it with a kiss, “okay,” you eventually smiled against his own. After stealing a few additional propitious pecks, your hands trekked down his torso, feeling his muscles flex beneath your travelling touch as they eventually came to a halt at the bottom of his shirt, your fingers weaving in the fabric before you pulled back to ask softly, “may I?”

A gentle chuckle fanned out across your features as he promptly raised his arms up enough for you to tug the soft cotton over his head. It was in no way the first time you’d seen him shirtless, but it sure felt like it as the shirt hazily drop from your fingers at the breathtaking sight.

Running his palms reassuringly down your upper arms, your eyes then flickered between his own and the belt he wore, asking him for permission with your glances.

When his pants hit the floor, so did your jaw, a reaction in which he couldn’t help but smugly flourish in, your eyes glued to the intimidating tent tight within his black boxers, he adoringly plucked up your speechless face and softened the blow with a kiss that took your breath away.

His lips then began to wander, over your jaw, down your neck, and when your heavy lids blinked open, you saw his towering presence begin to shrink down onto his knees before you. Fingers tightly fisting the flowy fabric of your nightgown, he nuzzled his face into your softness on his slow descent, practically growling as he gently nipped at your covered boobs, inhaling your scent in deeply as his fingers came up to lightly teased the pebbly nipples poking him through the material.

Slowly exploring your form over your clothes, gazing up at you with his soulful eyes, he soon settled on his knees. Keeping his eyes locked on yours, he slowly began to plant fluttering pecks all across your exposed thighs, his palms likewise gently caressing your legs. The comforting contact of his slowly ascending touch soon found the hem of your nightgown, gradually lifting it up and granting his lips the access to dance up towards your hips, the kisses occasionally coming dangerously close to soaked panties, though never quite meeting either.

Leaning back, one hand held up your sleepwear as he took in the sight of what effect he had on you. Dragging his other over your goosebump-ridden flesh, he then boldly slid a few of the fingers under the strip of your underwear that stretched over your left hip, securely hooking them there before extending his broad thumb and swiping it over the wet patch adoring your panties.

“Has anyone ever touched you like this?” he asked huskily as your brows knitted together at the pleasure of his teasingly grazing your covered clit, your wayward arms curling up against your chest, unintentionally pressing your tits together for him.

“N-no,” your breath hitched, eyes fighting to stay open.

Leaning forward, he placed a gentle peck over your covered slit, your pussy throbbing beneath his kiss as he glanced up to gauge your reaction, “is it okay?” his hot breath fanned across your centre.

Finding it impossible to speak when he flashed you that look, you simply nodded eagerly and whimpered as his thumb pressed down harder, rolling your swollen pearl over the soaked cotton.

Growing impatient, though also fearing that he’d make you cum before any of your clothing came off, you fervently lowered your fingers and began to tug your underwear down, Ari swiftly catching on and finishing the job himself.

“Fuck,” he stared, the sight nearly knocking the wind out of him, “you’re incredible…”

Nerves still growing under his adoring gaze, you found yourself promptly pulling his physique back up, tugging him close enough for your lips to crash against his own out of hope that it could soothe your understandable tensions.

Fingers still tangled in your nightgown, palming you hungrily through it as your lips ravaged each other’s, your bodies were so close that you nearly climbed him like a tree, though as you then momentarily parted for a breath of much-needed air, he impatiently yanked the shift up over your head and tossed it to the floor where most of his clothing lied in a crumbled pile.

Plucking you up with surprising ease, you felt as your core soaked his bulge on the short journey to your bed. Cradling you against him as he sat down on the edge, his tongue danced over yours as you settled on his lap, the light night breeze, blowing through the still open window, washed over your nude body, though the mild summer air wasn’t to blame for the shiver that ran down you spine.

Giving your tits a needy squeeze, he then murmured, “I feel like my eyes have been closed my whole life,” a hushed moan rushed out of him as you rocked your centre against his, the hardness so deliciously nudging against you, “how have I not seen that you’ve been right under my nose this whole time?”

“I was just a kid,” you stated, threading your fingers in his hair, “we both were.”

“Yeah, well you’re sure as fuck not that anymore,” he snaked a hand down between your tangled forms, sighing longingly as your abundant arousal soaked his fingers. “Has no one really ever touched you here before?” he asked you brashly as he strummed your clit, “not even just a little bit?”

“No, never anywhere,” your nose bumped against his, “only ever kissed, but it never felt like this,” your lips grazed his once more, pointing out the spark.

A sharp gasp left your body as Ari’s middle finger breached your trembling opening after teasingly nudging it for what felt like an eternity. Already being agonisingly fired up before your clothes even hit the floor, now that you felt his thick digit tenderly pumping inside of you, working you up for more of his fingers, as well as his hot breath tickling the rabid pulse clear on your neck, it seemed like an impossible task to stop the crash that was about to transpire.

Broad thumb steady on your puffy clit, he just managed to slide his ring finger in beside the other before your world came tumbling down around you.

Crumbling down, your face nuzzled into his sturdy shoulder as your pussy clenched onto his now motionless fingers for dear life. With his free hand gently stroking up and down your back, he breathed, “you wanna keep going or was that enough?” tilting his chin to plant a soothing peck on your hairline as you regained your breath.

“More,” your hazy voice vibrated against his skin, “I wanna feel you, I wanna feel all of you.”

“Well, you should probably know that I don’t have any condoms with me,” he reluctantly informed you, “so we can still do a lot of fun stuff, but we properly shouldn’t do everything-,” the rest of his sentence then crumbled as you hastily jumped up and yanked open the small drawer in your bedside table, “what are you doing?”

Pushing aside the books you used as a cover, you picked up a slim, flashy box containing the lacking item in question and showed it to him, “one of my friends gave it to me as a joke for my last birthday,” you explained in an adorably timid manner.

Blinking back at you, he then let out a genuine laugh, the warm and relieved sound rumbling within the room as you felt the sensation of your juices running down your inner thighs.

“You’re so amazing, you know that right?” he bubbled, pulling you back into his arms and capturing your lips in an adoring kiss.

Hooking the tips of your fingers in the waistband of his boxers as you kissed him back, it took you a second to muster up the courage to tug them off. Peeking down, you swiftly let out a breathy, “oh my god,” as you watched his intimidating girth spring out. Blinking up at him with wide eyes, then back down again, he attempted to swipe the small box from your hands, but you wouldn’t let him, determined to try yourself.

“You’re not gonna hurt me, baby,” he poked fun at how feathery and careful your touch was as you gingerly rolled the latex on. Gentle pride blossomed on your face in the form of a smile as you successfully finished the task, Ari then promptly scooted you both back further onto the mattress, a manoeuvre that caused your torso to drop down, your back melting into the mattress from the way he had manhandled you into place.

Resting on his knees with your legs draped over each of his thick thighs, he smiled down at your molten form and yanked your hips closer, “come here,” he uttered hoarsely over the giggle the rollercoaster of a move triggered within you, although the laugh quickly faded away as the hefty weight of his dick in his hand came down to tap your puffy clit.

Watching with heavy lids as a dollop of spit dropped from his lips and down upon your already sodden folds, he then lavishly spread it around your pussy with his hard length, coating the excess over himself. Fucking your petals, parting the mess, and nudging your clit till you were wiggling out of your skin, his hands then slid under your spine and pulled you back up into his lap.

Hugging your arms around his neck, your eyes never left his as you gently lifted yourself up, one of his burly forearms swiftly scooping under your bottom in support as he dragged the flush head of his cock through your dripping heat, your forehead dropping down against his at the buzzing bliss.

So slowly that it felt as if time had stopped itself, you sank down, gasping as only the tip stretched you out.

“Shit,” he uttered quietly, fingertips digging into your ass to control himself from not just slamming you down all the way. Forgetting how to breathe, overwhelmed by what little you had received, by what little you felt brave enough to conquer, you gazed back at him as he whispered, “you feel so good…” sensing your pussy clench around his vast girth at his silky words, your eyes fluttered closed at the intensity, “so fucking warm…” he sloppily planted a few comforting pecks along your flush cheek, “gripping onto me so good…” the hand not under you drifted up to trace the curve of your spine, your lungs jaggedly expanding underneath his palm.

Unhurriedly, your body eventually relaxed and gently began to move, shallowly fucking the very tip of him, even though just that already felt like more than you could handle, the way the bulbous head stretched you out being unimaginable.

“Oh my god,” you whined as the hand on your back slid around your form, sweetly coming up to brush the wild hair out of your face as he stared deeply into your eyes, “it’s so much!”

“Is it too much?” he asked, burying his face in the swell of your tit.

“I don’t-, I-,” you choked out, incapable of deciphering the correct answer at this staggering moment, “it’s just so much!” blubbering as his lips captured your pebbly nipple, “you’re so much, you’re just so-, oh my god!”

On the verge of cumming again, your hand shot down to rub your clit, his enthusiastic words crashing into you like a wave, “yeah, rub your clit,” grunting as he craned his head to look at the crude vision, “rub it, make yourself cum, come on, I can feel how close you are.”

With lewd moans reverberating off the walls, your body trembled in his grasp as your pussy clamped so tightly that it completely expelled his throbbing tip. Hearing him quietly curse into your ear, you slumped down against his form, your cores still aligned just right for the essence of him to slip back into place, your limps desperately clinging onto his shoulders as you caught your breath.

“This doesn’t even feel like real life,” you mumbled into his skin, the tip of his cock still feeling like a rock inside of you.

Gently tilting your head back, his eyes found your dazed ones as his deep voice washed over you like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night, “it is real life.”

Lip trembling with emotion, you asked, “you promise?”

With the hint of a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth, he let his forehead meet yours as he verified softly, “promise,” thumb soothingly sweeping across your cheek, “you need me to pinch you or something just to make sure?”

Giggling airily at his bad joke, the rumble then swiftly morphed into a hiss as your sensitive cunt consequently contracted around him, “oh fuck, how are you still so big?”

“Uhm,” he chuckled, “I’m sorry?”

“I just wanna feel all of you,” you whined light-heartedly, “but I don’t know how I’m ever gonna get there because it already feels like you’re all the way up here,” you motioned in the direction of your solar plexus.

You knew that you could technically just let go and sink down, but it felt too much like standing at the end of a diving board, too scared to jump even though you knew you’d be okay, the rush of the drop was just too much and led you to chicken out every time.

“You really wanna feel the rest?” he asked, readjusting his hold on you.

Staring back into his eyes, you exhaled into a pout, “I do. I really, really do.”

Capturing your lips in a kiss, you then felt the world tilt as Ari dipped you both down until your back hit the mattress. Distracting you with his tongue, dancing it against your own, he abruptly began to move his hips, fluidly thrusting them forward till his pelvis nuzzled against your own. All the air in your lungs was knocked out as his kiss muffled the loud moan you let out.

“There you go,” he smirked down at you, settling his arms on either side of your face, caging you in and declaring him as your entire reality, “that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Incapable of replying in a more eloquent way than just primal moans, your thighs trembled on either side of him as he slowly pulled back out till just the memory of him remained. Brows knitted together, you glanced down to take in the striking sight of his fat girth splitting you apart.

“Look at how good we look together,” he followed your eye line, strings of your mess keeping his pelvis connected to yours like a carnal spiderweb, even when he slid out, reaching down to briefly glide the underside of him through your sloppy petals, ending by giving your puff a tap so rude that your entire body jumped beneath him, “such a good girl, taking it like a champ,” he buried himself once again, groaning lowly in bliss at the pleasure, “fucking knew you could take it,” he then emphasised each word he uttered next with a merciless thrust, “every god damn inch,” rocking into you so hard that the bed rattled beneath you.

With his dark eyes fixed upon you, absorbing the way your features contorted in ecstasy, the desperate sounds of your wetness were more overbearing than the clapping of skin colliding.

Sneaking another breathless kiss, he then dipped down and nipped along your neck, “fuck, you feel so good,” he moaned, lips wandering up to graze the shell of your ear, “sucking me in so fucking good,” fingers trailing down your quivering form, they dug into your thighs and primally tugged them up, resting your legs upon his sturdy shoulder and bending you in half like a pretzel, “best fucking pussy ever.”

“A-ari!” you whimpered, completely spellbound by the intense sensation of how impossibly deep he went, shaking under him like a leaf as you felt yourself tumble over the edge again.

Tilting his head to catch your eyes, watching how hard they fought to stay open, “I know, I know,” he simply murmured, “don’t push me out, I know you’re gonna cum, but please keep me inside, I wanna feel it, I wanna feel you,” not changing his speed one bit as you felt your pussy begin to shower him with love, soaking the sheets below as your cunt choked his cock.

You didn’t even register how obscenely loud you got as the overwhelming orgasm seemed to go on forever, his own selfish efforts in relishing in the sensation did nothing but draw it out even further, his rhythmic thrusts stayed steady till he’d emptied himself in the latex and you had nearly passed out from pleasure.

Peering up at him through your wispy lashes, tangled in the dewy aftermath, you began to giggle softly.

“What?” he chuckled groggily.

“I-… no, never mind,” you squashed the thought, “it’s silly…”

“What is it?” his palm slid up against the side of your cheek.

Vision flickering from one of his eyes to the next, you timidly spoke from the heart, “it's just that my wish came true. I always wanted you to be my first,” an unreadable expression crossed his features at the softness of your confession. He didn’t say anything, simply reached out and kissed you bittersweetly, though your blissed-out antennas didn’t catch onto that detail in the slightest, “you know, Evergreen isn’t too far away from where you work…”

You didn’t know what hour you had finally fallen asleep, but apparently, at some point, you had, as you now found yourself stirring from your dreams, soar and a hazy smile still plastered upon your lips. Gliding your hand over the covers in search of your neighbour, you didn’t bump into his form and blinked open your eyes to find that he had gone.

Trying not to freak out, you figured that maybe he didn’t wanna get into a sticky situation if your parents were to spontaneously waltz in at the crack of dawn and had therefore sneaked out.

Though when you peeked out your window to spy through his it was completely void of any sign of life. Could he unexpectedly have gotten called forcing him back to work or was there another reasonable explanation for his absence?

Shrugging on the minty, terrycloth robe that hung on the knob of your closet door, you strolled out of your door. Entering the kitchen where your mother already sat, she glimpsed up from her newspaper and flashed you a bright smile, “good morning, honey.”

“Morning, mom,” you cracked open a cupboard, seized a glass and held it under the tab which you swiftly turned on.

“Oh,” she excitedly perked up from behind you, “have you seen what finally came in the mail?” glass full, you turned to see the opened envelope she was referring to, the swirling words that were scribbled upon the cracked open card instantly made you’re your blood run cold and the glass nearly slip out of your grasp, “I still think it’s silly that they actually sent out ours with everyone else’s and didn’t just toss it over the hedge, but sure, I do get that there is something very romantic about sending and receiving wedding invitations in the mail.”

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callsigncurse · 7 months

Text

strange happenings (jake seresin x reader)

Summary: A trip to the falls with the Dagger Squad turns into a story told around a bonfire. You learn about Evergreen Falls' interesting history & you nearly break the promise you made to Jake.

Warnings: Brief mention of an animal attack.

A/N: Based off of a poll I did, the reader's Dagger Squad nickname will be Pepper! Congratulations on becoming the newest member. :)

Without further delay, I present to you part two of Evergreen Falls.

←prev.

It was shaping up to be a good day. The sun had risen far above you; it was pleasantly warm, and your friends were lounging around your porch as you packed a bag for your trip to the falls. You would have done it sooner, but Jake had absolutely insisted on taking you for breakfast, and the conversation had run long. You found it easy to get lost in his eyes, and apparently the same could be said for him.

You'd also had to run errands, and he'd tagged along while you ran to the store to get paper plates and napkins and while you purchased candles and a new charger for your cell phone. He didn't say much while you walked around the store, but you figured that was just how he was. People had watched the two of you curiously, the newcomer and the huge, quiet woodworker. You'd paid them no mind as you paid and left, your tall shadow following close behind you.

"Let's go, Pepper! We're wasting daylight!" Bradley complained, and you grabbed the paperback book you'd started and stuffed it into your backpack. The nickname he’d bestowed upon you was the result of you threatening to kick him in the nuts for a comment he’d made about seeing you in a bathing suit. It was all in good fun, but he’d laughed and told you that you were “a feisty, spicy woman” and the nickname ‘Pepper’ was born.

Taking one last look in your mirror, you smoothed your hair down and adjusted the straps of your bathing suit top. The color is a lovely red, striking against your skin, and you shimmy your cutoff jean shorts back on. You’re a little worried that the cut and the color were a little too much for such a small town, but it was all you had on such short notice. Besides, you really liked the way you looked in it.

You feel eyes on you when you walk out of your house, turning to make sure the door is closed and locked securely. Sure, this was a small town, and crime happened very rarely. But the motions were ingrained in you after spending so many years in San Diego, so you did them anyway for your own piece of mind before you turned around to face everyone.

Jake was standing nearby, his hypnotic eyes trained on your every movement. There was something in his eyes, and whatever it was made your stomach erupt into butterflies. The way he made you feel just by looking at you was both mystifying and incredible.

The others were already gathering their things, with Bob and Bradley dragging coolers while Javy, Mickey, and Reuben walked ahead in their own little group, each carrying two camping chairs slung across their backs. Besides Jake, they knew the forest best and would lead your little friend group up to the falls. Nat walked on your right side, chattering with you, while Jake took his place on your left. He was walking in the grass rather than on the path, and he’d insisted on carrying your backpack in addition to two camping chairs. He seemed happier than he had this morning, even if he’d been roped into carrying chairs. Not that he struggled with that – the guy was extremely strong.

"So I've been thinking." Nat was playing with her hands nervously, looking down at you as you walked.

"That sounds dangerous." You quipped, and you dodged her hand when she reached out to swat at you. You brushed up against Jake doing so, and you ignored the little shivers his warmth gave you. "Kidding, kidding. What's on your mind, Phoenix?"

"I've been wanting to talk to you about possibly becoming my partner. With the business." Your head shot up, your eyes meeting Nat's with confusion and a little worry. "Not like that; the business is doing totally fine financially. I'm wanting to work out a plan to expand it, you know? I want it to be a cafe and bookshop, and I thought maybe you could help with that part. Obviously you wouldn't have to work full shifts, just help me with planning, chime in with ideas, etcetera. I can pay you. Plus, I figured, you're here now, and books are your thing since you're an English major, and-"

"Phoenix." Your voice broke her out of her nervous rambling, and while you were stunned, you were also ecstatic. On one hand, this opportunity meant you'd be able to get out of the house and spend time with your friends. On the other, it might leave less time for you to write. Regardless, it was an easy choice to make. "You know I don't need the money, Nat," You murmured. She knew about the inheritance your parents had left behind for you. "But I'd be happy to pitch in. A bookshop sounds magical."

"Nonsense." She waved a hand, dismissing the very idea of accepting your help without some sort of payment offered. "I will absolutely be paying you. Stop by Top Bean on Monday, and we can talk more about it, okay? That way, we can have fun this weekend without thinking about work." When Nat set her mind to something, you knew there was no changing it. Not without a long, well-thought-out discussion.

You finally nodded. “Alright, fine. You got yourself a deal. And a business partner.” This part didn’t worry you. You knew that Nat would make an amazing business partner; she was well organized, focused, and driven. Yeah, this might just be the thing you needed. Another good change—something to focus on. Something you could be passionate about. What better way to start over than to start over in a place where your best friend was trying to help make a home for you?

“Awesome!” Nat threw an arm around your shoulders, dragging you in so she could squeeze you against her side. The affection had warmth blooming in your chest, and you did the same, slipping an arm around her waist. It was so nice to be with her again after having spent so much time apart. You had mostly survived on texts, the occasional call, and video chat. There was nothing quite like seeing her in person, bright, smiling, and happy to see you.

A hand touched yours, and you looked to the side to see Jake smiling softly down at you. “Do you hear that?” Sure enough, when you stopped chattering with Nat and really listened, you could hear the faint sounds of a flowing river. “We’re near the falls. This is about the halfway point from your cabin to the top of the falls.” He explains, his free hand gesturing toward the treeline on his left side. “This is the most beautiful part of the Evergreen Forest, but this is where it gets darkest at night. Very unsafe.”

You nod, studying your surroundings as you follow your friends. It doesn’t seem so dangerous, especially not when there’s a path that’s pretty clearly marked. Part of you wonders why Jake is so adamant about keeping you out of these woods, but the other part remembers the fact that you promised you wouldn’t come here alone. You wonder if you’ll ever find out why Jake seems so scared of this place or why he’s so worried about you.

Nat once again grabs your attention, telling you about the first trip to the falls of the summer. She tells you all about how they had made burgers, had a small campfire, and about how the boys had played football too close to the river, and a fumble from Fanboy caused the football to fly off into the water, never to be seen again.

“That was not my fault; Coyote threw it over my head! I’m just a little dude compared to you guys.” A ripple of laughter traveled through the group, and you even heard Jake join in. His laugh is deep; there's a rumble in his chest, and it makes you smile just to hear it. You vow then that you’ll do your very best to make sure you hear that sound again, as many times as you can. “Besides, I bought a new one, and we’ll stay further away from the river.”

Another few steps revealed a break in the foliage. Up ahead, the river flowed peacefully, dancing over large rocks and under tree limbs. It sparkled beautifully as it went, the sun bouncing off into fractals. It was a gorgeous sight to behold, and you stayed behind just a moment to really take your fill of the landscape. You’d never lived somewhere so beautiful—sure, San Diego had the same ocean, but the views here were just indescribable. The falls were a little further upstream, but the place the group decided to settle was perfect – not too loud, and a huge clearing off the sides for tossing the football around, and a little bank so you could wade into the river.

Jake hovered just beside you, his green eyes studying your frozen form. The soft upturn of your lips had his heart racing, and the way the sun touched your hair, your bare shoulders and arms made you glow. Watching you, he wondered if you knew just how much you resembled an angel. He’d known from the second that his skin first touched yours that you were meant for him, but he also couldn’t deny the fact that you deserved so much better than what he had to offer.

“Jake?” The sound of your musical voice broke him out of his quickly spiraling mind, and he glanced back down at you. “You wanna come help me set up a spot? I think I’ll get some sun and read for a little while.” You didn’t really give him a second to answer you; you were just too excited to be here. You hurried toward the group, adjusting your sunglasses as you watched the guys start setting up. Nat grabbed a space between you and Bob, so Jake settled on setting his chair directly next to yours on your other side. As soon as that was settled, he reached up, took his shirt by the collar, and did that hot thing guys do when they slide their shirts off just like that.

You very nearly whimpered. You caught yourself in time, biting down on your lower lip so hard that you swore you nearly drew blood. But God, he was gorgeous. He was just as tan on his chest and belly as he was everywhere else, strong muscles moving under the surface of that golden skin as he moved to carefully fold his t-shirt. And the trail, holy shit. It was the same dark honey shade as his beard, and you wanted to swoon. And he had a tattoo on his left arm, the dark imprint of a forest wrapped around his bicep. You wondered when he’d gotten it. You suddenly had the urge to kiss all over his skin and feel how warm he was with your fingertips.

Instead, you duck your head and move to sit in your chair, digging around in your backpack for the book you’d dropped in there earlier. It was easier to breathe when you weren’t looking at him, but the thing was, you never wanted to stop looking at him. There was something about him that just drew your attention to him whenever he was nearby. Which was a problem because this was a small town and you shared a friend group.

“Pretty girl?” When you looked up, Jake was looking at you with a glint in his eyes. It looked like he was up to no good. “You’re sitting directly in the sun at half past noon; you maybe want to put some sunscreen on before you get pink all over?” That was a good point. You dive back into your backpack, dragging out a tube of SPF 50 and uncapping it.

You felt his eyes on you as you squeezed some into your palm, and then as you slowly started working into your skin. It took everything in you not to pretend that it was his hands doing all the work instead, loosening knots in your muscles as they worked their magic. So instead, you started counting backwards in your head, rubbing more sunblock into your legs, your belly, and your chest. When you finally looked back at him, you were startled.

He looked, for lack of a better word, hungry. His seafoam green eyes were several shades darker, and his hands twitched from their place in his lap. It was like he was holding himself back from reaching out to touch you, and a shiver raced its way down your spine. You understood how he felt, because you were feeling the exact same way towards him – that undeniable pull tugging at you, making you want to touch his skin and press kisses to his lips.

“Here, Pep, let me get your back.” Bob was suddenly there, completely oblivious to the tension between you and Jake that was currently making the air hard to breathe. “Gotta make sure you’re covered, yeah?” You knew Bob meant absolutely no harm, he was just sweet like that, but Jake looked absolutely murderous as your friend took the bottle from you and gently covered your back in the sunscreen. His hands were warm and soft with small calluses on his fingertips, most likely due to the fact that he was the high school’s music teacher. You’d heard from Bradley that he was damn good at playing the guitar.

When he was done, he handed the bottle back. “There you go, all set.” He declared, and you thanked him with a gentle squeeze of the hand. He really was one of the sweetest people you’d ever met, and you were happy to know him. “I’m gonna go help Bradley set up the grill so we can get lunch going. Come over if you get hungry, okay?”

With that, he wandered off toward Bradley, and you turned back to face forward. Nat had watched the entire thing, and she noticed the dark look on Jake’s face. In all her years of knowing him, she’d never seen him look downright dangerous before. She wondered what all that was about.

You weren’t oblivious to what was happening. You saw the way he was looking at the ground, and his jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle was twitching. It was almost like you could feel what he was feeling—the jealousy building in your gut. You wonder if you're having some sort of hallucination or if you’re just going a tad bit insane. There’s no possible way that you could actually be feeling what Jake was feeling, right?

You’re broken out of your thoughts by the sound of your friends starting up a game and the boys tossing the football around. So you push aside whatever the hell you think is happening to you and follow Phoenix over to the excitement to watch.

By the time the sun starts to go down, you’re a little sore, and your skin is just the slightest amount of pink from too much sun. But the river had been nice and cool, and it felt like you’d really bonded with ‘the Daggers’ as you’d come to learn that they called themselves. You were a part of them now, and nothing felt better to you than knowing that this incredible group of people liked you and wanted you around.

Now you were seated in your chair, watching Javy, Reuben, and Mickey chow down on snacks while Bradley and Nat talked quietly. Bob was watching the fire, and Jake seemed to be in his own world. The flames threw his features into a gorgeous shade of gold, and you couldn’t help but try to discreetly watch him. You wonder which parent he got those beautiful green eyes from, and you study the way he taps the fingers of his left hand on his thigh like he’s playing the piano.

“You know, I think it’s time that Pepper here knew a little more about her new home, don’t you guys?” Mickey pipes up, and you turn your head at the mention of your nickname. “Has Nat ever told you about the legends around this place, Pep?” The others are looking at you, and you feel your eyebrows furrow as you sit up straighter in your chair.

“No, she didn’t, but I love learning about myths and legends." This is actually of particular interest to you, being that you’ve studied and read a lot of stories based on myths and legends. “What do you guys have here? Spirits? Cry baby bridges? Bigfoot?” Jake snorts, and you laugh, too. “Sorry, this is just super interesting to me.”

“I mean, Bigfoot is a given; you live in the PNW now,” Bob points out, “but our legends are a little cooler than Cry Baby Bridges or just plain old ghosts. How familiar are you with werewolves?”

You cock an eyebrow, meeting Bob’s gaze from across the fire. "What do you mean, like, ‘turning under the full moon and silver bullets kill us’ type of werewolves?” You didn’t particularly believe in the supernatural, as fascinating as you did find the legends and stories surrounding them. “That’s a little far-fetched, isn’t it?” Part of you wondered if your friends were just trying to scare you or something.

“Not that kind of werewolf.” The soft reply came from beside you, and you knew without looking that it was Jake. “These wolves, the ones from our legends, are different from the ones in your storybooks, pretty girl.”

The rest of the Daggers seemed content to let Jake tell the story, so you turned in your chair as much as you could to watch him as he told it. “Our town was founded a very long time ago, not long after the Oregon Trail. Back then, this land was wilder and harsher. And, little did the town’s first settlers know, a lot more occupied.”

He pauses for a moment, like he’s searching for the right words. “The ones that shared the land here were born as werewolves. Part man, part beast, but they lived as though they were beasts all of the time. They lived in the forests like animals; they hunted, fought, and bred like they’d never been humans in the first place.”

“And then humans started arriving in droves, taking over their land, and the wolves felt threatened. They fought back.” Jake’s eyes have a faraway look in them. “As much as they could, at least. They sabotaged the town, chased people away, and once, a man was bitten by a wolf. Of course, he was treated for it, and no one thought much of it. At least, not until the next full moon. It’s said that when the Bitten first turn, they have no control over it. The man that had been bitten fell to the floor in front of a clergyman, and the clergyman said that it seemed like every bone in the man’s body broke, just these horrible snapping sounds coming from him until he was nothing but a heap on the ground.”

Jake pauses for a moment before he continues. “And then fur started taking over his skin. Black as night, and then his teeth elongated and his nose and mouth turned into a snout and suddenly, in front of him, where the man had been, there was a wolf. And that wolf snarled at him, and the clergyman fled. Ran as far and as fast as he possibly could.”

“No one ever saw the man that had supposedly turned into a wolf again, not after that night. And of course, eventually, the rest of the wolves were forced to leave when yet more humans came. Some say they never returned to this area, but others say that they’ve heard the howls at night.” The corner of his mouth twitches, almost like he’s about to smile. “Nothing truly remains of those times but word-of-mouth, because the town’s archives mysteriously burned along with the first library back in 1901. There’s no way that we can say for certain that the stories are true."

His eyes refocus, and he studies you with those gorgeous eyes. “But then again, most legends are based on facts, so who’s to say the monsters in our legends aren’t real?"

You’re quiet for a moment, your gaze meeting his, and then you snort and roll your eyes. “Yeah, yeah, neat story, guys. You’re not going to scare me that easily. I lived in San Diego, in case you didn’t remember. Nothing scares me anymore.”

The others laugh, with Nat pushing your shoulder good-naturedly as she giggles. Mickey has a shit-eating grin on his face since this was his idea, and Bradley looks disappointed that the stories didn’t seem to rattle you.

Jake is too busy staring at you again, and his expression is entirely unreadable.

It’s not long after the story that the Daggers decide to start packing it up. The boys grab the chairs, and once again, Jake grabs your backpack. He seems to hesitate for a moment before he offers you his hand, too. “It gets real dark out here,” he explains quietly, almost shyly. “Wouldn’t want you to trip and fall.”

You slip your hand into his, and his skin is so warm against yours. A shiver skitters its way down your spine, and you avert your eyes before you once again get lost in his. “Thanks, Jake," you murmur in response, threading your smaller fingers through his and giving his hand a squeeze.

The walk back is quieter than it had been on the way in. A day in the river and under the warm summer sun had pleasantly worn you all out. Bob, Javy, and Reuben walked at the front of the group, while Bradley and Mickey were discussing something that you couldn’t quite hear. Nat walked just in front of you, seemingly content to be walking alone. You were content too, at Jake’s side, with his hand in yours.

When your cottage comes into view, everyone starts saying their goodbyes. Nat gives you a hug, Reuben and Mickey give you high-fives, Bob waves, and Bradley bumps your shoulder with his and gives you a wink. Javy gives you a cute little two-fingered salute and wanders off after Nat.

Soon enough, it’s just you and Jake left, standing in front of your home. Finally, you turn to look at him, just as he leans down and presses a sweet kiss on your forehead. While your face warms, you lean into his touch. “Today was amazing." Your voice is soft, but you mean it with all your heart. “Hanging out with you all day was the best.”

“I agree.” His free hand, the one that isn’t holding yours, brushes a loose lock of your hair behind your ear. “Thank you for insisting that I come with you all today. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken a day to just hang out with friends. It's been even longer since I had a breakfast date with a beautiful woman."

“It’s been years since I’ve been on a date.” You admit, and you're getting lost in those green, green eyes again. “Not that I thought it was a date; I’m sure you were joking about that. I mean, we just met, and you’re unfairly handsome, and I’m sure you could have any girl you wanted–"

“Hey.” He cuts off your rambling, his voice soft as he lays his large hands on your shoulders. “I wasn’t joking when I said it was a date. I want it to have been a date because I like you. And I like you because you’re smart, insanely beautiful, and so interesting, and I’d really like it if I got to keep getting to know you. It’s been a long time since a woman has captured my attention the way you have.” You could swear your heart just stuttered in your chest at his words, and you nodded.

“I’d really like that too, Jake.” His touch is warm, and you lean into him a little more. “I knew I was going to be happy to move here since Nat was here. But meeting you guys—the Daggers—has been the most amazing thing. I feel like I really belong here.”

One of his hands touches your cheek, and he smiles serenely. “I think you do belong here, sweet girl.” The new nickname sends a pleasant shiver down your spine, and an answering smile flickers on your lips. “Getting a little late. I should probably let you go so you can get some rest.”

You’re about to argue—maybe invite him in for a cup of coffee—but a yawn overtakes you, and yeah, you’re exhausted. Moving took a lot out of you, and you’d only managed a few hours of sleep the night before. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow? I don’t have much of a plan since it’s Sunday, but if you want to stop by or anything, I wouldn’t mind the company.”

“I have a few things to work on at the shop." His hands leave you as he readies himself to leave, and you mourn the loss of his warmth. “But that should only take me a few hours. Maybe I can swing by in the evening? I can even cook you dinner.”

You have to suppress a smile at the idea. “That sounds perfect, Jake. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Goodnight, pretty girl.” He murmurs, and he waits until you’re safely inside the house to start the half-mile walk back to his place.

You’re still smiling to yourself when you get in the shower, washing the river water, sweat, and sunscreen off of your skin. You let yourself dwell on the fact that Jake admitted that he liked you and that he was planning on seeing you again tomorrow. It almost felt like a dream.

It’s nearing midnight when you’re pulling on your pajamas, and you’re just about to turn out your light when it happens.

Howling.

It’s coming from behind your house, and you remember then about the howling you’d heard the night before, just before you’d fallen asleep. You’d chalked it up to exhaustion and an overactive imagination, but you knew for certain now that it had been real. Just as real as it was now.

Your heart was pounding as you grabbed your phone, and yeah, what you did next was probably extremely stupid. Instead of crawling into the safety of your bed, you turned around and crept down the stairs, your phone’s flashlight lighting your way.

Each new howl sounded closer, and you tiptoed through your kitchen to the backdoor. It sounded so close, and you knew that Jake would not be happy if you went out there, but your curiosity was getting the better of you. Wolves, you knew from your biology class in high school, were less likely to attack than say, a bear or a moose. So where was the harm in seeing one for yourself?

The door creaked when you pushed it open, and your feet touched the soft grass of your backyard. You knew that the path that led back into the Evergreen Forest was just a few feet ahead of you, but the night was pitch black and you could only see a few inches in front of your face with the help of your phone’s flashlight. All is mostly quiet now, just the sound of the wind rushing through the trees around you. It was almost eerily silent, like all of the other creatures around you were too afraid to make any noise.

You find yourself moving toward the treeline, your phone gripped tightly in your hand. Half of your brain is screaming at you to get back inside, take refuge in the safety of your bed, but the other half is curious–you can’t help but remember the story from tonight. The werewolves, the legend that was perhaps based on fact, and Jake’s expression when you told him that you didn’t believe the story.

Another howl cuts through the air, closer than before, and your phone chimes with a text.

Jake: Don’t go in the woods tonight.

A strange feeling pools in your gut, and you turn and flee back into the house.

Taglist;

@twsssmlmaa

@mamachasesmayhem

#jake seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #hangman x reader #top gun maverick fic #tgm fic #evergreen falls

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underthetree845 · 6 months

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Underneath the tree (You're all that I need)

Armin/gn! Reader (drabble/oneshot)

Cws: gn! reader, established relationship, christmas tradition, decorating the tree, childhood memories, implied modern au, tender moments, fluff

About 1.1k words

Summary: Just a sweet drabble of Armin and Reader decorating the tree for Christmas together <3 Armin being a really sweet boyfriend.

A/n: I hope all you lovlies can have a good holiday/winter season! And here is @/estrelinha-s requested credit for the second set of Christmas dividers ^^

The faint crackling of a woodwick candle on the coffee table. Wax a deep maroon, scented cinnamon, the faint glow of the flame matching those of lights wrapped around the tree. Each little bulb twinkling as if to the rhythm of a heart, not so different from the stars outside that hang lithely above a blanket of fresh snow. Tilting your head, you slipped the ribbon of another ornament onto another branch, jumping slightly when a pair of warm arms encircled you from behind. You immediately relaxed, that familiar warmth creeping into your chest, similar to the one enveloping the room with a gentle glow.

“I made us some tea, Angel,” the blonde boy mumbled, resting his chin on the crook of your neck with a dreamy pair of eyes. “Thank you Armin,” you cooed in response, shifting to place your hand on his cheek and plant your lips on the other, lingering for a moment before moving over to approach the two steaming mugs on the coffee table. Armin smiled softly and knelt down to pick up his cup again, blowing on it with care. “Careful to not burn yourself,” he told you with a light breath as you picked up the tea, “I just made it, so it’s kind of hot.” You nodded slightly, allowing your breath to pass over the drink for a moment before sipping the warm liquid down your throat. It formed a comforting heat in the pit of your stomach. “Mm, Love, did you make my favorite?” you hummed softly, noting the way a small grin tugged on Armin’s lips. “Maybe,” he replied, lowering the mug from his face, “Do you like it? I tried to make it the way you prefer.” “I don’t like it,” you started, noticing the beginning of a pout on your boyfriend’s lips, “I love it.” Your smile was warm, the soft lights from the tree illuminating you so perfectly; Armin couldn’t help but blush.

“How far did you get with the ornaments while I was gone?” he asked, glancing over at the tree. “I’m almost done, I’ve just got one box left,” you replied, standing up again and pulling Armin along with you by the hand. “Which box?” he inquired as you turned to grab it from the floor. Taking it from you curiously, he opened the lid and you saw a million different emotions flash through his eyes. “Oh,” Armin breathed, “this box.”

The first ornament was one made from a pinecone. Two clay arms jutted out unevenly from either side, a pair of googly eyes hot glued to the front. A red scarf (a few pieces of yarn) ran around the neck, and a bent paperclip had been forced through one of the seed pods on the top to function as a hook. Armin ran his thumb over the toy ornament fondly. “God I remember this,” the boy didn’t trust his voice any louder than a whisper. The corners of his lips crinkled into a smile. A tender one, the one he always made before he was about to cry. “Oh Sweetheart, come here,” you beckoned him softly. Armin barely took a step forward before being swallowed in your embrace; his chest rising and falling shakily. Your fingertips dragged up and down his spine, soon his breathing turned steady and he pulled back from the hug, a single tear escaping the corner of his eye.

Armin held the memory of his parent’s last Christmas with him delicately as he hung it from a branch of evergreen near the top of the tree.

A few childhood ornaments and paper snowflakes later, you came across a memory that made you giggle.

A distorted snowman-shaped ornament, its coat of paint shiny under the lights of the tree. Cracks in the white glass that had long since been mended by a bottle of super glue and two tiny pairs of hands. You still remember what the ornament sounded like when it shattered. The way you and Eren scrambled to pick up the pieces and carry them upstairs. Thankfully there weren’t many, the snowman had broken into five main chunks. The frantic whispers and hushed panic when glue stuck to your hands.

Your mother hadn’t noticed the newly odd shape of the ornament until January when the time came to pack everything away. Her eyes studied yours and Eren’s with suspicion, and it wasn’t until the following year when decorating the tree again that the two of you took responsibility for your mishap. By then it was a laughing matter, and a light scolding on how it’s better to tell the truth upfront to avoid further conflict. You settled the ornament deep inside a hollow in the tree branches, a place that ensured it would not fall again. The chair was held steady with a firm grip as you teetered on the edge to wiggle the star into its proper place. Twisted flakes of metal and glitter to reflect the lights; it was the housewarming gift Armin’s grandfather had crafted when he heard you and his grandson were moving in together. He even built the wire frame himself. Craftiness really did run in the family. There were five points; two slightly lopsided and one a little too short, but it was perfect in your eyes. The star smiled down at you and Armin as you admired the tree with a soft grin on each of your faces.

You let out a sigh and fell back into the couch, half draping a red and white blanket over your body and beckoning the blonde boy closer. You tilted your head when he sprinted off to your shared bedroom and raised your eyebrows when he came back carrying a small box, neatly wrapped in your favorite color and bearing a pretty bow on top. “You’ll get to open it soon enough, don’t worry,” he gave a small smile as he slid the gift beneath the branches and came to join you on the couch. He pulled the candy cane blanket over himself and snuggled his body close to yours, allowing his head to rest on your collarbone. You draped your arm over his shoulder and tangled your hand in his blonde locks. He listened serenely to the constant beating of your heart; a sound that had lulled him to sleep on more than one occasion. “You know, you still haven’t given me any clue as to what you want for Christmas,” you pointed out. Armin hummed as you began to run your fingers through his hair. “But I told you, I don’t really need anything,” he replied, and you sighed through your nose. “Yes I know,” he could hear the pout on your lips, “but I want to get you something. You’re special to me, you know that.” Armin shifted his head up to meet your eyes, the lights of the tree reflecting brilliantly in his blue irises. “Angel, you’re all that I need,” his voice was soft as he hugged you just a little bit tighter, “Promise.”

A/n: Thank you for reading! I hope you sleep well tonight and can bundle up nice and cozy.

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lesamis · 6 months

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being a fic writer is so funny. i just gave my phd thesis into print and literally my first thought looking at the final word count, the culmination of 3+ years of agony and research and blood and tears etc., was "well that's substantially shorter than the exr college au i wrote as a 19 year old in a depressed haze over six months"

#''did my yaoi stickers arrive!!!! ...... it was my bachelor's degree :/'' type vibe #like this thesis falls thirty. thousand. words. short #in writing evergreen in 2k15 i have created my own white whale. nothing i write will ever be this much or this fast. ever again #also @ everyone who's ever commented that they read that fic in the space of a day and night: what 😭#i didn't realise how long it was! it took me weeks to proofread my thesis! and that was apparently just three quarters of evergreen!#longfic readers are so strong and interesting and also i hope they're ok. love you kings

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training4theapocalypse · 1 year

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Masterlist

training4theapocalypse on AO3 💖 = my favourites ⭐️ = reader favourites

Adrian Chase - Peacemaker DCEU

Thirsty (Adrian Chase x civilian fem!reader)

One shot ⭐️

Never Been Kissed (Adrian Chase x 11th Street Kid fem!reader)

One shot ⭐️

Tiny Stitches (Adrian Chase x civilian gn!reader)

One shot

And They Call Me Crazy (Adrian Chase x civilian fem!reader)

One shot

On Her Majesty's Supersonic Service (Adrian Chase x MI6 agent fem!reader)

Chapter 1: For Your Ears Only

Chapter 2: Bird After Reading

Chapter 3: The Spy Who Came out in the Cold

Chapter 4: No Time to Cry

Chapter 5: From Gotham with Love

Cormac McLaggen - Harry Potter

Finders Keepers (Cormac McLaggen x Ravenclaw fem!reader)

AN: I find JK Rowling’s views abhorrent. I know that a disclaimer doesn’t change the fact I’m writing porn about one of her characters but I do not support her in any way.

Chapter 1: Amortentia

Chapter 2: Confundo

Chapter 3: Poster Girl

Chapter 4: The Invitation

Chapter 5: Firewhisky

Chapter 6: First Name Basis

Chapter 7: Fine ⭐️💖

Chapter 8: Incendio

Chapter 9: Real 💖

Chapter 10: Electricity

Chapter 11: Blood Traitor

Chapter 12: Cold, Hard Facts

Chapter 13: Dunkirk

Chapter 14: Preparations

Chapter 15: Freedom

Chapter 16: Relax

Chapter 17: Purpose

Chapter 18: Calling

Chapter 19: Quidditch

Chapter 20: Avada Kedavra

Bonus: Finders Keepers Slytherin/Hufflepuff headcanon

A Nest of Vipers (Cormac McLaggen x Slytherin ofc)

Chapter 1: Smudge 💖

Chapter 2: Struggle

Chapter 3: Service 💖

Chapter 4: Skill

Chapter 5: Suffocate

Chapter 6: Slughorn's Party

Prince Friedrich - Bridgerton

A Royal Misunderstanding (Prince Friedrich x female reader)

One shot

Jeffrey Steinberg - Hidden Signal Evergreen, Podcast

Pushover (Jeffrey Steinberg x fem!reader)

Chapter 1: Pushover 💖

Chapter 2: Nice Guy

Yes, chef (Jeffrey Steinberg x fem!reader)

One shot

Deactivated (TW: Dark)

(Jeffrey Steinberg x fem!reader)

One shot

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that-ghosts-art · 11 months

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There isn’t enough demonology gang art so I decided to try fixing that :3

#transcendence au #tau #art #my art #alcor #Maria Dewitt #Thomas strange #Tyrone evergreen #Eduardo noguerra #brad hallman #so you want to be a demonologist #sywtbad #seriously there is not nearly enough art for this fic #especially considering how popular it is #this was also done to celebrate my irl friend reading it :3

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punkshort · 11 days

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I feel like sharing a little snippet of an upcoming series Evergreen because I wrote a bunch of chapter one yesterday and it's got me feeling sad for the old man - the angst will be angsting

When he passed by the food court, he saw a few solitary older men sipping coffee and reading the paper or people watching. Joel huffed under his breath, wondering who on earth would come to the mall just to read a paper but then he realized he was no better. Was he going to become just like them one day? Would he come to the mall to nurse a coffee just so he wouldn't feel so alone? The thought had his throat closing up. He paused and leaned against a railing overlooking the bottom floor of the mall, pretending to be looking for someone when in reality he was struggling to breathe. His heart was fluttering too fast in his chest and his vision was narrowing. "Shit," he whispered to himself, rubbing his eyes and trying to focus on taking deep breaths. It was like reality crashed down around him all at once: Sarah was moved out of the house. Tommy was happily married. And he was going to die all alone.

#evergreen fic #snippet #happy friday?

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hearts-hunger · 27 days

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evergreen — part four

Read on AO3 | Masterlist | Cabin Fever Masterlist | Join my taglist here!

Chapter Summary: It's raining, and you wake up alone.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Josh x Baby, Sam x Danny | Genre: fluff, angst, emotional h/c | Word Count: 2.3k | Warnings: sexual innuendo

A/N: You voted not to make Jake and Sparrow suffer any more, so I only put in a teensy bit more angst. Let the comfort part of the hurt/comfort commence ♡

You woke with a start, listening to the steady roll of thunder that washed over the sound of the heavy rain in the darkness. The window was still open; you could feel the cold, wet breeze and heard the way it had started to settle in your chest with congestion. You shivered and lay in bed for a long while, watching the way streaks of lightning lit up the room in brief silver flashes.

Jake’s side of the bed was empty. You didn’t know whether to be relieved or bereft that he was gone; part of you wanted to let yourself be held, but the other part of you was ashamed to even be near him. This whole mess was your fault, and you were sick with guilt and regret as thoughts spiraled and spun their wheels in your head.

What had gotten into you? Talking to Jake like that, fighting with him, using him and letting him use you — all of it made you bleakly ill, a rockiness of the mind rather than the body. For its part, though, your body ached and protested every moment; neither of you had been gentle, and the consequences of it made themselves known in the soreness of your muscles and the tenderness of places you knew would be marked on your skin.

You wished Jake were with you, if only so you could let him brush his fingers over the places he’d left bruises and hickeys and red stripes from his nails. To feel his touch be gentler, to return it with a soft glance of your own fingers over his marks; you thought it might help. It felt wrong, unfinished, to leave each other without the conversation and soft laughter and tenderness you always shared after you slept together. Like a puzzle missing the middle piece.

You looked at your phone to see what time it was, and under the glowing numbers reading 7:43 pm, you saw a text from Jake.

Went for a drive, he'd said. I hope I'm back before you wake up, but if I'm not, I love you. Don't be upset, sparrow. We'll talk when I get back. Love you love you.

You felt a weak smile surface as you read it. “Love you love you” was an inside joke, started when you accidently sent the same message twice a few months ago. You set your phone on the bedside table and rose to take a shower, examining the marks on your skin as the hot water ran over them; you hurt all over, in your heart as badly as anywhere physical.

Out in the living room, you found Josh and Baby on the couch, unsurprised to see Dirty Dancing playing in the background as they worked on a puzzle spread out on the coffee table. Danny and Sam were in the kitchen making what smelled like cookies, and you heard the kettle whistle before Sam took it off the heat.

Josh looked up at your entrance and nudged Baby. She looked up too, and their twin looks of concern and mild panic could almost have been comical if you’d been feeling any better.

“Hi, honey,” she said, patting the spot next to her on the couch. “Come here.”

You did as she said, sinking into the overstuffed couch and gratefully accepting the blanket she spread over you. She brushed her hand through your tangled hair, very gently.

“How are you?” she asked.

You shook your head and buried your face in the blanket.

“Okay, sparrow,” she cooed. “Sit tight.” She got up and asked Danny to make you a cup of tea; when she returned, she sat on your other side, squeezing you between her and Josh, and started to brush your hair.

“Joshy?” she asked. He hummed in answer.

“Will you go get your conditioning spray from the bag in the bathroom?” she asked. “I didn’t think to grab it.”

He went to get it for her, and Danny and Sam came in bearing several mugs of tea and a plate of Danny’s famous chocolate chip cookies.

“Here, sparrow,” Sam said, handing your treats to you. “Might be a little warm.”

Josh came back with his fancy, expensive conditioning spray and handed it to Baby.

“Are you sure?” you asked.

His smile was a touch bemused. “‘S just hair stuff, sparrow. I don't mind if you use it.”

The five of you settled in around the coffee table: Sam sat in the easy chair with Danny at his feet, playing with Danny’s hair; Josh sat on the floor to keep working on his puzzle, giving your knee a comforting pat as he did; Baby gently brushed through your hair in slow, methodical movements.

You felt your throat get tight like it did before you started crying. You were so thankful for your family, for their patient and selfless care even when you’d been the one to start all the trouble.

“Jake went out earlier,” Baby told you. “In case you were wondering where he was.”

You nodded. “He texted me.”

“Oh. That's good.” She started to gather your hair into sections to braid it. “He didn’t say when he’d be back, but... maybe you're okay with having a little break, huh?”

You chewed on your bottom lip. “Maybe.”

When your braid was finished, she tilted your head back and kissed the crown of your head. “It’s gonna be alright, sparrow. He can't stay mad at you.”

“Oh, I don't know,” you said weakly. “This one was a doozy. You heard it yourself.”

Josh arranged a set of edge pieces into place. “Yeah, but you... you made up, right?”

The pink in his cheeks made you blush, knowing that your “making up” had been loud enough to be broadcast to everyone else.

“Well, it was sort of... It wasn't really...” You trailed off, embarrassed and sick with yourself. “It was a mistake. Not that we didn't mean to do it, but... we shouldn’t have. Not like that.”

Baby ran a comforting hand up and down your arm. “Yeah. It happens. Heat of the moment and all that. You’ll feel better when you talk to him.”

You gave a bitter, heartsick laugh. “That’s what started the whole thing. I tried to talk to him about the bedroom thing, and... you heard what happened. It was my fault, really. I made it a huge mess.”

Josh frowned. “What bedroom thing?” He looked around and saw that everyone else knew what you were talking about. “I’m out of the loop.”

“Jake picked his old room yesterday,” Danny said, a little dazed and dreamy as Sam played with his hair.

Josh grimaced. “You mean his one from last year? Why? Even I could have told him that was stupid.” He looked up at you. “Now I get why you were yelling at him.”

You couldn't help the tears that spilled over then. As foolish and oblivious as Jake had been, the real fault was with you for not saying anything.

Josh’s expression softened. “Aw, sparrow. I didn't mean to make you upset. I’m sorry.”

You only cried harder, thankful you’d heard that from Josh, wishing desperately that you'd heard it from his twin. Jake had every right to be upset with your passive-agressiveness, but you couldn't help but need some kind of understanding and apology from him.

Josh came to join your on the couch, taking your hands in his. “Sparrow. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I mean, yeah,” you said pathetically, “but I really need to talk about it with him, and he's not here.”

“He shouldn't be gone too much longer,” Sam offered kindly.

“Did he say when he'd be back?” you asked hopefully.

“No, sparrow. I'm sorry. Do you want me to ask him?”

“No,” you said miserably. “Let him go drive around creation for all I care.”

If you hadn't been too busy crying, you would have seen Danny slip his phone out of his pocket to text Jake. Your dear friends, your family, watched you with careful, worried gazes and tried to ask each other silently what to do.

Baby took the lead, maybe in tune with your feminine needs more than the guys could be. She leaned back on the couch and pulled you close to her, stroking a hand over your neatly braided hair.

“Okay, sparrow,” she said gently. “Let’s just sit for a while. You want to watch something else?”

You shrugged helplessly, burying your face against her shoulder.

“I know what we should watch,” Danny said. He pulled something else up on the tv. “This’ll work, right?”

You heard Sam give a soft laugh. “Yeah. Worth a try, anyway.”

The unmistakable sound of the Bluey theme song started to play, and you gave a watery laugh and managed to lift your head from Baby’s shoulder.

“Now you’re just trying to see how much I can cry,” you joked, and you got four sympathetic smiles in return.

“I tried to pick a funny one,” Danny said. “But it’s okay if you want to cry some more, sparrow.”

You settled in to watch a few episodes, and as you laughed together at the antics and tender moments of the show, you decided Danny’s choice had been a good one. Tea mugs were refilled, another batch of cookies taken out of the oven; the only thing that was missing was Jake, and if he’d been there, despite everything, you would have been content.

At the end of the fourth episode, all gazes turned towards the door to see a wet, bedraggled Jake come inside. It was clear he’d hoped to sneak in unnoticed, and when he saw he hadn't, a dull blush showed under the shadowed look on his face.

“Uh, hi,” he said awkwardly.

Josh cleared his throat. “We’re watching Bluey.”

“I see that.” He ran a hand through his damp hair that had started to curl. “Can I... can I borrow sparrow for a minute?”

They all looked to you, and you felt your face heat. Jake was watching for your response with some kind of need you were helpless to resist, not knowing if you could meet whatever need it was but determined to try.

“Sure,” you said, untangling yourself from the blanket and the protective care of your friends to go to the one who needed you, your partner, the love of your life no matter what had happened between you. His look of relief cut you to the quick, and you came close to him and hoped your face showed how much you wanted to love him like he was asking you to.

“Can you get dressed in something warm?” he asked quietly. “I want to... well, I have something to show you.”

“Okay,” you agreed. He could have asked you for the moon, looking rain-soaked and tired as he did, and you would have tried to get it for him. You gave his hand a quick squeeze and left him to get dressed, hearing a quiet conversation between him and your friends drift down the hall.

Dressed warmly as he’d asked, you rejoined him at the door and gladly accepted his hand when he offered it. He led you outside and stood on the porch with you, looking out at the rain.

“You up for a little walk?” he asked.

“Sure,” you said. Anything for him.

You walked together in the rain, holding his hand as he led you through the darkness. You didn't ask where he was taking you; he could be leading you out for a late-night swim in the freezing cold river and you’d still go. This was your apology, your assurance that you trusted him, your reminder that you would stick with him in the rain and the dark as willingly as you would on a bright, sunny day. He seemed to know and kept you tucked close to his side, safe and warm and loved, always.

You stopped short when you saw where he was taking you, that sad, strange something that had twisted inside you in bed now untangling into something warm and deep and heartsick with love for him. Under the sheltering canopy of the evergreen trees stood a little tent, snug and cosy and lit with fairy lights, a safe haven in the middle of the storm.

“A love nest,” he said. His voice was hesitant, unsure. “A real one. For you, sparrow.”

You swallowed. You didn't know what to say.

“You don't like it,” he said. It was a statement, not a question, and it broke your heart.

“No,” you said quickly, softly, turning to look at him. He was soaked and cold and tired for love of you, and you felt you could never really tell him how much you loved him.

“A love nest,” you said. You touched his cheek. “For sparrow and her Jake-bird.”

He gave a watery laugh, desperate and sorrowful and so, so relieved. “Yeah. For sparrow and her Jake-bird.”

Your little love nest was only a few paces away, but he needed you here, in this moment, and you wouldn't have denied him for anything in the world. You pressed close and kissed him as the cold rain fell on both of you, and he gave a shuddering sigh as he held your face in his hands and gave you all the love you needed, more love than you could ever deserve.

“I love you, sparrow,” he said. “I’m so sorry. For everything. I love you.”

“Jake.” You hugged him tight, resting in his warmth and safety and the feeling of home he would always give you. “I love you too.”

and some cabin fever besties who were excited for this one :) @shutupdevvie @gold-mines-melting @earthlysorrows @brooke-gvf

join my taglist here!

#almost cried writing this i'm not gonna lie #i hope you like it!#jake kiszka angst #jake kiszka fluff #jake kiszka fanfiction #gvf fanfiction #greta van fleet fanfiction #cabin fever fics #evergreen fic #maddie writes stuff!

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antilocaprine · 15 days

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i need the evergreen update so bad 💔

Well hey there, today's your lucky day (even though this ask was sent weeks ago). Check it out here.

#askbox #on anon #fic link #evergreen fic #hlvrai #my words

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anghraine · 2 years

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Maybe it's just because I'm sleepy and my brain is tired and irritable, but I do wish fandom in general weren't so absolutely intent on casting all familial or quasi-familial relationships into some near approximation of US nuclear family idealization.

Acting as a caretaker for a child doesn't automatically make someone their "real parent" or "adopted parent" or "any parent at all" if the child doesn't see them that way. These caretaking relationships can be messy, begrudging, or essentially coercive (in both fiction and IRL, and in life, forcing children into situations where "they'll be taken care of" is often coercive and/or predatory).

And sometimes a caretaker adult, whether a natural parent, adoptive parent, some kind of guardian, or more amorphous caretaker, is ... bad, actually. It's understandable for the children they take care of (whether literal children or now-adult people who experienced it previously) to have had negative experiences they have complicated feelings about, to have complicated feelings about their caretakers that may not distill down to "real parents", to be capable of harsh criticism of their former caretakers, even if they love them.

Sometimes it is the simpler scenario where a child is adopted and it looks very much like a conventional "nuclear" relationship (though even then, the child can have more complex and inconvenient feelings than they're often supposed to have). But—okay, I may be biased from coming from a family that was licensed for foster care, which saw a lot of children essentially forced into foster care with varying complicated feelings about it that didn't always equate to "this person who looks after me is my mother"—even after a long time, sometimes.

And there's frequently a nasty pressure on children placed in "care" to either reach out to their birth or adoptive parents, or to wholly turn their backs on them and accept their current caretakers as the only parents who matter. But usually things are messier than that. You can care about a caretaker, you can respect and love them, and still not feel like you're their child. Or maybe you do! It just depends.

This can happen with siblings as well, especially when there's a big age difference—yeah, one of the siblings may be functionally filling the shoes of their parents as well as they can, but it doesn't necessarily make them actual parents in the eyes of their younger siblings (or themselves). It can, but doesn't have to. Or maybe it's something messier, like when the relationship is almost parental, but not quite, and the exact nature of the dynamic is hard to pin down.

There's also the case where the relationship may have been parental at one point, but one of the parties (usually the caretaker) burned bridges so badly that the child (often an adult at this point) cuts ties and doesn't deny that the caretaker filled a parental role back then, but wholly rejects it as any kind of current reality. This can happen with biological family, but also with looser caretaker relationships as well (esp the cultier ones).

I'm thinking of a lot of fandom examples of these kinds of indeterminate caretaker-child (or former child) relationships, where either we know or have good reason to believe the child doesn't regard a former caretaker as exactly the same as a parent, or we just don't know what the nature of the relationship is, and fandom will be absolutely insistent that the only possible way to read it is parent-child.

And also, sometimes there's nothing wrong with the caretaker relationship, but it's still not parent-child. It simply doesn't map onto this parental mold that fandom tries to box all adult-child caretaking relationships into, because family is more complicated than a single, very simplistic model allows.

#i know i've grumped about this before—both the trend and specific instances of it #but it never goes away so my annoyance is evergreen #i've always thought it interesting that austen persistently characterizes georgiana's perception of darcy as /almost/ a father #they're close in this caretaker-child way that could be parental but isn't /quite/#i also think that elrond loving aragorn as much as he loves elladan and elrohir is incredibly touching #but also that fandom tends to overlook gilraen's influence and how her being as much elrond's niece as arathorn was his nephew #may have played into the family dynamic at rivendell #i also wish there was more fic exploring the difference between how leia feels as an adopted daughter and luke as a loved nephew #because luke so emphatically identifies with anakin and considers padmé their 'real mother' and says he can't remember his #like ... it's very clear that he's not thinking of beru as his mother even though he loved her #but bail and breha are totally leia's parents!#it's okay for things to be complicated and messy in ways that a strict nuclear family structure doesn't account for #anghraine rants #general fanwank #long post #for the tags:#austen blogging #austen fanwank #legendarium blogging #legendarium fanwank #sw fanwank

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callsigncurse · 6 months

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in your bones ( jake seresin x reader)

Summary: A disagreement causes tension between you and Jake, and a story is told. What happened the night Jake was turned? Why do you feel such a strong connection to him? You're about to find out.

Warnings: Description of an animal attack. Mentions of child neglect, and depression. Really sad Jake. Words: 5K

Without further adieu, I present to you: Evergreen Falls, part three.

←prev.

The strange feeling doesn’t dissipate when you get inside. In fact, it seems to linger in your bones as you lock the door behind you. The hair is standing on the back of your neck, and you can’t shake the feeling that you’re being watched. It had to be Jake playing a joke on you, right? How else would he have known to text you at that exact moment? There was no other way for him to have known you were out there; he’d left to go home half an hour ago.

You know he’s still awake, so you shoot off a text in response.

He doesn't respond for a minute, and you lean back against the door while you wait. The bubbles move on your phone, and you stare at it while you wait.

You didn't respond to that. This was all too strange for you. You'd felt an instant connection to him the moment you'd met. The connection only seemed to grow stronger, and today (well, yesterday) it felt like you could feel his emotions—so deeply, as if they were your own. Something beyond weird was happening, and you were determined now to find out what.

In the middle of your quickly derailing train of thought, your phone had started ringing, and you glanced at the screen. Of course he was calling—could he sense that you were freaking out, like you could sense his jealousy earlier? Of course, that thought was frankly ridiculous, but you were starting to think that not everything in this town is what it seems.

“Hello?”

“I told you not to go near the woods; you promised me you wouldn’t. So why did you go out there?”

You were taken aback by the slightly gruff tone he had going on. From the moment you’d met Jake, he’d been so sweet, his voice soft and low when he talked to you. This new tone was… different. Not bad, but definitely different.

“You realize I’m a grown woman, yes? I can make my own decisions.” You realize that mouthing off to him might make the situation worse, but you were always a tad stubborn, and even if he was the sweetest and most good-looking man you’d ever met, you still had free will.

“Well, sure, but you shouldn’t be making bad ones, especially since I took the time to warn you about what would happen if you went out there on your own!” He sounded exasperated, and you could picture him, maybe wearing a t-shirt and PJ pants, his hand pressing his phone to his ear, the other sliding through his already messy blonde hair.

“You’re not my dad.” ‘God, Pep, could you possibly have sounded more juvenile?’ You were actually cringing at yourself. “I didn’t get hurt; whatever it was ran away when my phone chimed because you texted me. Okay? No harm done.” You didn’t want to continue this conversation, in case you opened your mouth and said something else to make yourself sound even more like an idiot.

“We’re going to talk about this tomorrow, Pepper.” He sounded stern, and you rolled your eyes at how schoolmarmish he sounded. “I wasn’t kidding when I said it wasn’t safe, especially not for someone who didn’t grow up here. Imagine if you’d gone further in! You could’ve gotten turned around and lost. Do you realize that you could’ve gone missing tonight? How would Nat and the guys feel if you just up and vanished without a trace? How do you think I would feel, huh?”

“I’m going to bed.” You’d had just about enough of being lectured, and you pulled your phone away from your ear and ended the call. It had been a long day; it was nearing half past midnight, and you were exhausted.

So you marched yourself back up the stairs, turned your phone on Do Not Disturb, and plugged it in. If Jake still wanted to see you tomorrow, he was more than welcome to come over and see you. But until then, you were going to bed. So you turned off your lamp, slipped into bed, and closed your eyes.

The sunlight was coming in at an odd angle when you opened your eyes. Blinking the sleep from your eyes, it took you a second to realize that it wasn’t morning and that the light you were seeing was from a very full moon, and it was so close that it almost didn’t seem right.

And your phone wasn’t there when you went to check the time. In fact, your bedside table was completely barren, and you were so confused because you’d set a glass of water down on the table before bed. Now there was nothing there at all.

You slipped out of bed, heading slowly over to the window. Halfway there, you heard it.

Howling.

This time, you knew it was coming from your yard. And when you got to the window and looked down, it was waiting for you. The creature was huge—bigger than any wolf you’d ever seen. It made the ones at the San Diego Zoo look like chihuahuas.

It was looking at you, and the moon was so bright that you had to squint to see it. The beast’s coloring was so familiar. It was a dark honey color, and even from a distance, it looked soft. You got the sense that this creature was not a threat to you, and you relaxed a little.

And then you heard the movement from behind you.

Turning, your eyes caught sight of yet another creature. This one was equally as big, but its coloring was darker—more an oaky brown, earthy—and its eyes were a startling shade of blue. There was nothing soft or comforting about the color.

They were electric, hypnotizing, and dangerous.

The wolf showed its teeth; they were so long that you knew that even one bite would kill you.

You didn’t have time to even think of an exit strategy because it lunged.

And you didn’t have a chance to scream.

You shot out of bed so fast that you nearly launched yourself right out of it. Your heart was racing, and your pulse was hammering away in your throat. You were covered in sweat, and nausea had your stomach rolling. It took you a full minute to breathe through it.

It had been awhile since you’d had such a bad dream. A few months, at least—you'd had a few after your parents’ deaths—but this one had been different. It was so surreal, like it was something that you’d experienced or were going to experience.

Rubbing a hand over your face, you reached out and grabbed your phone from the bedside table. The time read 8:15 AM, which was a little earlier than you’d wanted to get up on a Sunday morning, but you didn’t think you’d be able to get back to sleep, not after that nightmare.

You had several missed calls from Jake and a few texts from him and the group chat, too. Jake had just griped at you some more, which reminded you that you were annoyed with him. He really had some nerve, calling you up to berate you like that and then continuing to text you about it after you’d hung up on him.

But at the same time, you could understand his concern. The woods around here were huge, and you remember walking on the path with your friends yesterday. Everything looked the same, so you could also understand how people got lost out there. Maybe he had a point.

Well, there was no time like the present to apologize. Kicking the blankets off, you rolled out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom to get ready—you had plenty to do.

About an hour later, you were stepping inside Top Bean. You were dressed in another pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt that fit you rather nicely. Your favorite pair of sneakers and sunglasses perfected the ensemble, and you were really feeling yourself as you walked in and waved to Javy.

“Hey, Pep.” He greeted you happily. “Whatcha up to today?” He looked a hell of a lot more awake than you felt, and you were a tiny bit jealous of that fact. Those bad dreams were no joke.

“Nothing much. I was just gonna pick up some coffee and hang out with Jake. Can I maybe get his usual and an iced Red Eye?” You were already pulling out your wallet and grabbing your card so you could pay. “I’m so tired.”

He rang you up, waving your hand off when you tried to stuff some cash into the tip jar. “Still not sleeping well, huh? I guess getting used to a new environment can screw up your sleep schedule pretty badly for a while. Have you tried tea?” He turned away, working on your order while you hung out by the bar stools.

“You mean like sleepytime tea, or something?” You asked, leaning against the counter. “I’ve never been much of a tea person, but at this point, I’ll try anything.” Which was true; you hadn’t really had a good night’s sleep since you’d left San Diego.

When Javy turns back around, he’s got a little box in his hands. “Sorta. Nat makes her own tea blends, and her most popular is her all-natural sleepy time tea. It’s got real valerian root and chamomile in it. She grows the chamomile herself, and she goes hunting in the woods for the other ingredients. It’s actually pretty tasty, especially if you add a little honey."

He hands you the box, and you turn it over in your hands a few times. “Huh. Interesting. Well, I guess I’ll try it. How much?”

“On the house. That’s just the sample size. Try it tonight, and if you like it, come back for the big box.” He turns back around, sliding over a cardboard holder with two coffees and a bag of baked goods. “And there is your order. Tell Jake I said hey and that it was good to hang out with him again. It’s been too long.”

You wonder what the story is behind that, but you don’t ask. You merely say goodbye to Javy and exit Top Bean. The sun is out from behind the cover of clouds, and you take a moment on the sidewalk to absorb it. You knew it was set to rain later, but that didn’t mean you could enjoy what you had now.

South Pine Street wasn’t hard to find. It was around the corner from Main Street, and you decided to just leave your Jeep parked on Main and walk over to see Jake. It was nice to walk, you decided. It gave you a chance to observe more of the town, and it was nice to wave and smile at people that you recognized from your first few days in town. There was Maverick and Penny, walking an aging golden retriever, and you could see Mickey in the window of the record store as you passed by. He waved and smiled at you too, and your heart warmed.

Jake’s office was beautiful. It was a red brick building, just as old-fashioned as the rest of the town. On the big window to the left of the door, in red and white paint, a sign read:

Jake’s Carpentry & Woodworking Services.

The calligraphy reminded you of an old 1960s font, and you smiled to yourself as you walked up to the door and popped it open. Just like at Nat’s place, a bell above the door chimed when you entered. You were surprised to see an old man sitting at the front desk, and he looked a little surprised to see you there, too.

“Well hello.” He greeted you, closing the book he’d been reading. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you around this town before.” He looked kind—bright blue eyes, a pair of glasses resting on his nose, and a big and friendly smile on his lips. His hair was interesting; it was mostly black, with gray at the temples, even though he had to be well into his eighties, judging by the wrinkles on his face.

“Hi there, I just moved here.” You step in closer, letting the door swing shut behind you. You offer your name with a smile. “But everyone around here calls me Pepper. I was looking for Jake; is he around?”

“I’m Bernard, but everyone calls me Bernie! Or Grandpa B, whichever you’re more comfortable with. Jacob is in the workshop, just through this door to my left.” He waves his hand to indicate where you should go. “So, you’re the girl who’s captured my boy’s attention? Well, he certainly has an eye for beauty.” You felt yourself blush as you thanked him. “You go on in, but don’t sneak up on him, dear. I think he’s using the handsaw.”

You promise that you won’t, giving him another sweet smile as you slip through the door to the workshop.

Jake has his back to you, working on something, and sure enough, you can hear the telltale sounds of a power tool. So you set the coffee and pastries down on the counter beside you and sit down on the chair to watch and wait for him. It doesn’t take very long—you wonder if he can somehow sense you—before he shuts off the handsaw and turns around.

He’s wearing a red t-shirt today, and he seems surprised to see you.

“Pep?” He takes off the safety glasses, tossing them onto the table beside him. “What are you doing here?” You were hoping he’d act a little more happy to see you, but then again, maybe he was still a little annoyed by what had occurred last night. There were still a lot of questions that had yet to be answered, and a little annoyance was left inside you too, so you understood that.

“I brought coffee.” You answer quietly, gesturing with a hand at the treats you’d brought. “And I know we were supposed to hang out later, but I think we really need to talk.” You watch as he leans back against the counter behind him, crossing his thick arms over his chest. Those beautiful green eyes are staring at you, and for a moment, you completely forget about what you want to say to him.

“Okay.” He finally says, and his beautiful voice fills the silence between you. “So talk.” And that little attitude in his voice just woke up your annoyance from last night. For a man who had been nothing but kind and gentle with you, he sure was being such a man right now.

“I think you’re treating me like a child.” Walking closer, you watch as he tries to open his mouth—you know he wants to argue—but you cut him off before he can. “I get it; you’re the protective type, and I love that about you. It’s one of the many, many things that I adore about you, Jake Seresin. You’re kind and gentle, and you’ve made me feel like I really belong in this town. But you can’t call me up and yell at me when I do something you don’t like.”

He sighs in response, one hand swiping down his face. “Look, Pepper.” His eyes are so intense when he looks back at you, and it makes your stomach erupt into butterflies. “I’m not trying to treat you like a child. But there are dangerous things in this world. People, animals, and even the forests around here. That’s why I warned you not to go out there alone, and less than sixteen hours later, you’re breaking the promise you made to me.”

He has a point. “Look, Jake.” You’re standing just a short distance away now, mirroring his stance, your eyes narrowed in a challenge. “I get it; I broke the promise, but wouldn’t you be curious too? I mean, there was a wolf behind my house. And it’s not like they go out of their way to attack people–”

Before you can finish that sentence, warm hands are touching your face, angling your chin upwards so you’re staring into two dark green eyes. “Please, baby. Don’t go back into those woods without me, okay?” His face is so close to yours that you can taste the mint on his breath. He’s so warm and so close that you completely forget that you were even angry with him in the first place. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. Tell me that you understand, sweet girl.”

A shiver drives its way down your spine, and warmth pools in your stomach. It was honestly unfair how attractive he is. “I understand.” You finally say, after a long moment of just staring at this unfairly beautiful man. “I’m sorry.”

“Good girl.” His voice is husky, so deep that you can feel the growl of it from where his chest is pressed against you. “That’s my good girl.”

You hate the fact that this turns you on. But it does. And it’s like he can sense that—you're sure your pupils are blown, because his lips pull into a self-satisfied smile. “You like that, sweet girl? Like being my good girl?”

You nod quickly—a little too quickly. “Yes.” Your hands come up to rest on his arms; he’s still holding your face in his giant hands, and his thumbs are brushing over the apples of your cheeks. You’re honestly enjoying this a little too much, but you can’t help it. You’re completely infatuated with him.

When he leans in, his lips brush against the corners of your lips, and you whine—it's not enough; you want to feel his lips against yours completely. You want him to devour you, take your breath away, and make you completely forget any other man who has kissed you in the past. “Jake, please.”

“Not here, sweet girl.” He mumbles against your forehead, pressing another kiss there. “I don’t want our first real kiss to be in my workshop. Not exactly the romance you deserve.” Your heart constricts because that’s such a sweet thought—that he wants to make your first kiss together special. “Tonight, when I come to see you, I’ll give you a real kiss.”

You make a disappointed sound, but you understand. “Okay.” You lean into him again, and he wraps those strong arms around your frame and pulls you in so close that you can hear his heartbeat thudding under your ear. It’s a soothing sound, and the scent of him surrounds you. He smells like a man, like cloves and cedarwood, and you bury your face in his chest. “You smell so good.”

That pulls a chuckle out of him, and he kisses the top of your head. “I really do have things I need to work on, sweet girl.” He pulls away slightly, looking down at you with a half-smile. “If I could spend all day with you, I would, but there are people counting on me to finish up their orders.”

You nod, stepping up on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He has to lean down to meet you, and your lips press against his bearded cheek. “Okay,” you agree. “I’ll see you tonight though, right?”

“Of course. I’ll be there as soon as I finish up here, I promise.” One last kiss to your forehead, and he lets you go. You mourn the loss of his touch immediately.

You say goodbye as you grab your bag and your coffee, and you can feel his eyes on you as you leave.

The walk back to your car helps to relax you because your heart is still racing from the vestiges of Jake's touch. You can feel the traces of his work-worn hands on your skin, and you ache for him.

The drive back to your house is short, but it gives you time to think about what you want to do when Jake arrives. You want to tidy up a bit; maybe sweep and put away the many, many books that are piled up. He wants to make dinner for you. He wants to have an intimate date with you, and you could swear on your life that you've never been so excited to see a man before.

Time drags on. You find yourself wandering around the house, straightening things up here and there, dusting windowsills, and making your bed. You wanted everything to be perfect by the time Jake got to your place.

You're curled up in your windowseat in the living room, paging through a book. Just like the weatherman had predicted, it was raining now. It was comforting to hear the sounds of raindrops against your window.

You're relaxed and happy when a knock comes at your door. Before you can get up to answer it, the door pops open, and Jake is slipping through it. In his large hands is a bouquet of wildflowers, and he looks so good. Raindrops drip from his hair, and his green eyes are warm and wide when he smiles at you. "Hey, sweet girl."

Something squeezes in your chest, and you push aside the book and stand, meeting his gaze with soft eyes and an even softer smile. "Hi." You answer shyly, and when he comes to you, you don't move.

Setting aside the flowers, he crowds in on you and leans in.

It seems as though he was as eager for this as you were. His lips were warm when they touched yours, and the feeling that comes with it—it feels as though you're coming back to startling life. You hadn't felt this good in so long, and it felt like you could really breathe again.

His teeth are sharp, and he nips at you. He swallows your gasp and takes the chance to slip his tongue into your mouth, and it's almost like he's trying to make you forget everything but him and his touch, and it's working. For a minute, you forget your own name. When he breaks away, it's only to trail kisses over the curve of your jaw, down the side of your neck, to the space between your neck and shoulder.

He bites you there—not too hard, but enough to leave a mark. And then his lips, tongue, and teeth are worrying at the bruise he's surely leaving, and you can't help the moan that escapes your lips. His answering sound is something akin to a low, gruff growl. The sound makes you shiver, and you lean into him and gasp his name in his ear.

The change is instantaneous—he turns his head, and his teeth are impossibly sharp, longer than any human's had any right to be. His green eyes are darker, so dark that it looks like his pupils have completely taken over. He growls again, and it's longer and deeper than the first one.

You're confused, and then you snap out of your lust-filled haze and scream.

His hands drop away from you immediately, and he moves so fast that he blurs. In the next moment, he's standing on the other side of the room with his hands up, palms toward you, his expression worried. "Baby, don't be scared. Please, don't be scared."

You're pressed against the wall across from him, staring at him with wide eyes. Your chest is moving quickly with rapid breaths; panic is gripping you. "Your teeth. Your eyes. How?" Something about this reminded you of your dream and of the story that he'd told you the night before. Some instinct deep inside you told you that you shouldn't be afraid of him, but self-preservation told you the opposite.

"I'll tell you everything." He takes a step forward but stops when he watches you skitter back away from him. "Please, just let me explain. Pep, I promise I won't hurt you. Don't run."

You're shaking, but you stay still. "Okay. But you better start explaining, Jake. I'm freaking out here." You don't move closer to him, but you do move to sit back on the window seat. He doesn't move toward you; he just stays where he is.

There's a beat of silence, like he's trying to think of what to say, and then he begins.

"Growing up, my parents fought. A lot." He leans back against the wall behind him, his arms crossed over his broad chest. "Most of the time, they were so busy tearing into one another that they never actually paid me much attention." The idea of young Jake being alone in the world made your heart ache, but you didn't say anything. You just listened.

"It got especially bad when I was a teenager. I didn't have anyone besides Bernie. But it's not the same, you know? No kid should have to wonder if his parents actually love them. I spent a lot of time locked in my room, just sleeping. Sleeping meant that I could have peace, that I wouldn't have to deal with them bitching and being passively aggressive toward one another."

His tongue swipes over his lower lip, and he continues. "One night, when I was seventeen, I got tired of it. They'd been arguing all day, well into the night, saying awful things to one another. So I packed a bag and snuck out of my bedroom window. I headed to the one place that seemed like a sanctuary to me. I went to the falls."

You sit up straighter, head cocked to the side, as you listen. "Did they notice you were gone?"

He laughs a humorless laugh. "No, they didn't. It was midnight when I left. I grabbed the two-man tent from the garage and headed up to the falls. It was the night of the full moon, and the whole time I was walking, I felt like I was being watched. I chalked it up to anxiety, you know? I never expected what happened."

"What happened?"

His expression twists into one of pain. "You remember the story from last night, don't you?"

You pause, your eyes meeting his from across the room. "Yeah, of course." You're not really sure where he's going with this, but at the same time, you're pretty sure you know exactly where this is headed.

"Pepper, I was attacked that night." He shudders, as if he's scared of his own memories. "I'd just gotten to the falls and started setting up my tent when he arrived."

You moved to the side, patting the space beside you. He didn't hesitate to cross the room, settling into the window seat gratefully. "What happened to you, Jake?"

"It was huge. It was black, and it had these horrifyingly blue eyes." You don't react to that, even though you know he's about to describe the creature from your nightmare. "It was too big to be any normal wolf. And it was angry, and I wasn't fast enough."

Your hand finds his, your little fingers intertwining with his. "It bit you?"

"It did." He relaxes at your touch, relief coloring his voice. "It tore my arm open. I guess the thing thought I wouldn't survive, because it just left me there. I'd have died that night if Bernie hadn't heard me. He was out camping too, and when he heard my screams, he came running. Scooped me right up and took me to the hospital."

You hadn't noticed any scars, and you can't help but wonder about that. "What happened next?"

"I turned. The wound closed up mere days later, and I turned into a wolf and tore my room apart. "You can feel his eyes on you. "Pepper?"

"I saw him in my dreams. The wolf. He had silver on his muzzle and a scar under his left eye." You tell him, recalling your dream. "I think I saw you too, but he attacked me before I could move."

His hand leaves yours, choosing instead to wrap his arm around your shoulders and drag you to him. "That won't happen. I know he's still out there; that's why I don't want you in the woods alone, especially not at night." There's pressure in your hair, and you know he's kissing you.

"The connection between us—does this have anything to do with the whole werewolf thing?" Any other time, you'd have ditched a guy telling you some crazy story like this. But your instincts told you he wasn't lying, and you'd seen and felt enough to believe him.

"You're my mate, Pep." He murmurs into your hair, "Every wolf has one, usually another wolf. Very rarely does a wolf mate with a human."

You hum at that, and you feel as though you're floating. Most likely in shock, you think. You lean into him, burrowing into the warmth and safety he offers. "I knew there was something between us; when I first saw your eyes, I knew. It was like a chain connecting me to you, like this was always meant to be."

"You know I'd want you no matter what, right?" His warm fingers find your chin, tilting your head up so he can see your eyes. "Fate or not, sweet girl, I know you're the one for me. Hell, I'm still surprised that you like me."

Those gorgeous green eyes take away the rest of the tension in your body. "What's not to like about a kind-hearted, handsome gentleman who works with his hands? This is going to be… strange, trying to figure out this dynamic, but I can't walk away from you, Jake."

His face relaxes, and you're surprised to see tears forming in his eyes. "Thank God," he mumbled, and you watch as he struggles to keep his emotions in check. "I thought I was about to lose you for good. I just… my life is crazy, and I never wanted to involve you, but I couldn't stay away. I had to know you."

Your heart constricts. "It's okay, Jake. I'm not going anywhere, okay? We're going to figure this out together."

He's still shaking when you kiss him, but you can feel his relief when his hands touch your face.

my taglist loves ❤️

@mamachasesmayhem, @sailor-aviator, @roger-that-cap, @yuckosworld, @sky2nd, @nouis-bum, @mycobrakai1972, @book-dragon-90

(some of y'all ain't getting tagged for some reason when i put up your username, so idk what do lol)

add yourself to the taglist here!

#jake seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #evergreen falls.#hangman x reader #top gun maverick fic

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