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#grayson hawthorne x fem!reader
mrswarnerxo · 6 days
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❪ ✦ ❫ grayson’s morning routine.
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𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: grayson hawthorne x fem!reader.
𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒: grayson hawthorne has a long routine for the morning; but his half-asleep-willing-girlfriend will make it all better.
𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: fluff, pet names, sleepy, female reader, forehead kisses, waking up early, swimming (are those even warnings?), use of Y/N, softie grayson (?)
𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒: 1073
𝐀/𝐍: bro reader is me. also idk i saw this on a fanfic or like a headcanon with grayson but i forgot who made it?? TRLL ME WHO IT IS SO I COULD KNOW AND TAG THEM GRAHGG??
𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓. 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄.
𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃: ✓
𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒: @reminiscentreader @nqds @never-enough-novels @ilyiwdtpyiwmyhmtkys @evaswarner @sc11vb @sophiesonlinediary @starrynightsxo @f4iry-bell @his-littlefox @viivdle
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grayson hawthorne has a strict morning routine. wake up at 5 to swim, swim until the others wake up, take a shower, get dressed, get coffee, and do whatever grayson does.
now, having a girlfriend who hates mornings, though, makes his routine have some… holes in it. though, whenever she said she wanted to do it with him, he couldn’t lie that he was happy with it.
“are you sure you want to wake up with me tomorrow, love?” he asks, looking at you nervously. you grin at him. “yeah, i’m sure. plus, i’m tired of not waking up with you in bed, so…” you trail off.
grayson lifts an eyebrow before sighing. “okay, but if you’re too tired to, just tell me and you could go back to bed, okay?”
“i know, don’t worry!”
now, you know that he wakes up early. but you never knew how early.
“love,” grayson says as he lightly shakes your shoulders. you groan tiredly, turning on your side. “Y/N, you said you wanted to wake up with me.”
“yeah, but i never knew how early…” you mumble, your eyes still closed. he chuckles lightly. “you said you wanted to, right?”
“mhm.”
“then come on.”
sighing, you blink your eyes open before rubbing the sleep from your eyes. you look up at the blond above you and hum.
you wrap your arms around his neck and close your eyes again. “‘cmon, pick me up,” you mumble, digging your face in his neck. grayson tries to hide his smile as he puts a hand behind the small of your back and picks you up with him.
you wrap your legs around him as he walks to the walk-in closet and sets you down again.
you yawn, rubbing your eyes as grayson gets out his swimming trunks and your bathing suit. “do you want to swim with me?” he asks, looking up at you from his crouching position.
you shrug and say i don’t know with your mouth closed. he rolls his eyes at you, amused as he takes the swimming clothes.
you watch him as he takes his swimming trunks and walks into the restroom with them. you frown. you’ve already seen everything, why does he need to change in the bathroom?
but, you suppose that him sleeping without a shirt is a reward itself already. even though the reason why, was a whole nother conversation that you two already had.
soon, he comes back out with his swimming trunks on and you grab your swimming suit and walk into the restroom.
you tiredly—slowly—change into your swimming suit, the feeling of the fabric against your dry skin making you feel weird. of course, it’ll feel better once you're wet, but still.
you toss your dirty clothes on the wall, where a piece of it opens and takes the clothes before closing again.
you snort and roll your eyes. rich people. walking back out, you see grayson making his bed with two towels on his shoulder and if you were any other person, you’d find this weird, cleaning while he’s in his swimming trunks.
if you were any other person.
he spots you walking out and straightens his back, offering his hand to you. smiling—still tired, surprisingly—you take his hand.
he smiles back and takes you out of his room and to the swimming pool. he swims until everyone else wakes up, he told you. you wonder how long that exactly takes.
all of the rooms are still dark as he makes it to the swimming pool, sliding open the see-through door.
still holding your hand, he steps outside and to one of the pool chairs, putting down the towels on top of it.
you hum and sit on the chair, bringing your legs to your chest.
“do you want to stay here?” grayson asks, lifting an eyebrow at you. you nod at him. “i’ll go in later,” you say, making him form a little smile at you.
he was never one to smile, but he always does when he’s with you. it brings toy joy; especially when it’s a full-blown smile, one of those rare ones.
you watch as he gets into the pool and begins to swim, going from the end of the pool to the other end of the pool, swimming in laps.
you watch how his back muscles move as he moves his arms, his biceps flexing. you blink and look away from him before he can see you staring.
even though you two are official now, you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed whenever he caught you staring at him.
especially in situations like this one.
it was a little while later when you got up from your chair and stepped to the edge of the pool. grayson glanced at you sitting down, before making his way to you.
he’s over there before you even got your feet in the water, putting his hands on either side of your thighs. you put your hands on top of his own and lean down, kissing his wet forehead.
he wraps his arms around your hips and puts his head on top of your chest, making you wrap your arms around his wet neck.
“do you want to come in now?” he asks, his words slightly muffled from your chest. “yeah,” you hum, moving your legs back and forth in the water, both beside his hips.
he nods and trails his hands down to your bottom, pulling you towards him before he backs away from the ledge, bringing you with him.
you squeal as you wrap your legs and arms around him, the cold water making you freeze. “it’s freezing!” you exclaim, squeezing your eyes shut. “jesus—how are you not cold, gray?”
he chuckles and kisses your forehead. “i’ve gotten used to it, flower.”
a few moments later after swimming, kissing, and hugging, avery walks out with jameson by his side.
“stop flirting and come eat. breakfast is ready,” jameson says, smirking at his brother. grayson glares at him and slowly brings you down from where you were.
you had tried to see how long he could not breathe from underwater, but of course, he had to try to impress you and was under there longer than he should have.
of course, he didn’t tell you that, though. after all, he needs to beat you in the pool games tomorrow—which, of course, he’ll never admit to liking.
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92 notes · View notes
berystraw · 28 days
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Love Leaves Scars: The Memories That Haunts
[L.L.S Masterlist] | [Main Masterlist] | [G.H Masterlist]
Warning: none
Pairing: Oc!Reader x Grayson Hawthorne
W.C: 2k
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When I mentioned wanting lunch, ice cream never crossed my mind. Yet here I am, seated in a local ice cream store, eating ice cream with Nash Hawthorne.
The cold spoon rests delicately between my fingers as I idly swirl the melting ice cream before me. I can't bring myself to take even a small bite. The chill in the room should make me shiver, but I am unaffected by the cold.
When we were younger, Nash had a habit of whisking me away for ice cream whenever I'm upset. I think he still does. It should bring me joy. Overwhelming happiness. Reuniting with people you haven't seen for years should elicit elation, especially when they've had a significant impact on your life. But I feel none of that. Maybe I do feel it but choose to ignore it.
"Are you okay? You haven't touched your ice cream," Nash's voice, accompanied by his accent, snaps me out of my trance. "Yeah, I just haven't had lunch yet. I don't want to spoil my appetite," I reason. "Oh, you could have told me," I shake my head, gazing down at the now liquefied ice cream. "It's okay. What's on your mind?" he asks. I hesitate to answer, opening my mouth but failing to produce any words. The cycle continues—open, close, open, close. No words emerge. It wasn't this difficult with Nash before. Before. This is now, the present.
"You seem uncomfortable, don't you?" Is it that obvious? Of course it is. "I'm sorry," I apologize as if my discomfort is my fault. Maybe it is. Nash shakes his head, offering reassurance. "No worries, I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have surprised you like that. A little warning would have been considerate," Even if there had been a warning, it wouldn't have made a difference. I would have disregarded it. I would have ran away, as I always do.
"He visited you, didn't he?" Nash inquires, causing me to raise my head and meet his gaze. "The Hawthornes do love their surprise visits, huh?" I joke and he chuckles. I'm not sure if I should miss the sound of his laughter. Silence envelops us once more. No words exchanged, just the two of us sitting in silence.
Until Nash breaks the silence. "I'm not angry at you for leaving. None of us are," Nash assures me. Lies. "If you think that will persuade me to return, you're making a pathetic attempt," I retort. Nash shakes his head and reaches for my hand, resting on the table, but I swiftly withdraw it before his touch can make contact.
"Please, don't touch me, Nash."
His hand retreats to his side of the table, perhaps realizing that his touch wouldn't offer any solace. Not like it used to. "I didn't mean to bring it up," he says, and I scoff in response. "Then you shouldn't have broached the subject," I reply. The jingle of the shop's doorbell signals someone's arrival or departure. "Verity!" a high-pitched voice calls out, instantly recognizable.
"I received your text— Oh! H-hi! Verity, you could have mentioned you were on a date," Asnid whispers the last part as she sits down beside me. Nash snorts, clearly having overheard her. "He's not a date of mine," I clarify. "Verity is not my type, unfortunately," Nash adds.
"Oh! I'm sorry if I interrupted an important conversation. I just got worried about you, Vers. I thought you were kidnapped," Asnid says. "Knowing Verity, you should be concerned that the kidnapper is the one being held hostage," Nash jokes. Asnid giggles and nods in agreement. "That's true," she concurs.
I observe their interaction, feeling a surge of jealousy rising within me. I suppress it, concealing my emotions. "I believe we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Nash," Nash extends his hand, introducing himself. I watch as Asnid extends her hand and shakes his. "Asnid, Verity's roommate and best friend," best friend. The term evokes unwelcome memories.
"Promise me I'll be your best friend forever?"
"I promise!" A broken promise.
"Nash's grandfather passed away, and I need to go with him for the will's reading," I cut to the chase and inform her. "I'm sorry for your loss, Nash. When are you leaving?" Asnid asks.
"Tomorrow—"
"Today—"
Today? I look at Nash, confused. "Tomorrow would be preferable," I interject, leaving no room for negotiation. This isn't up for negotiation. If he wants me to return home, he must adjust to my conditions. My rules.
"Enough time for both of you to pack your belongings," Nash smiles at Asnid. I feel her hand squeeze mine. Hawthornes always have that effect on women. I know because I was once susceptible to their charming smiles. Not Nash's, though.
"She's not coming with us," I refuse to bring Asnid along. I refuse to witness my best friend interacting with the people who inflicted wounds so deep that three years have not been enough to heal them.
"Ignore her. I'm coming with you guys," I attempt to change her mind, but Asnid glares at me. She rarely gets angry, but when she does, it's quite intimidating. I can only remain silent and watch them negotiate.
I must look like a child whose mother told them to be quiet while she talks to adults. "I'll book the tickets, then," Asnid says. "I'll cover the expenses. It's the least I can do for the trouble," Nash offers.
A few more details are exchanged, but I struggle to recall them. I find myself captivated by a homeless man playing chess with a brunette on the street. I watch as she defeats him in just five moves. He slumps his shoulders in defeat, and his lips move, likely accusing her of cheating or something of the sort.
"Verity, let's go," I turn my head to Asnid. She and Nash are already standing by the door. I grab my backpack and follow them out of the shop. The ride back home is uneventful. Nash falls silent in the backseat, while Asnid drives alongside me.
The only sound is the music playing on the radio. Suddenly, I find myself back at our apartment, in my room. My suitcase is laid out on my bed, with all my belongings scattered around it.
It's a mess. I can't bring myself to pack anything inside the suitcase. I continue to stare at it. Questions run nonstop in my head. Is this the right decision? Returning there? The place I fought so hard to escape, only to come back?
I place clothes inside the suitcase—undergarments, shirts, pants, socks—only to remove them again. Put them in, take them out. Repeat. A heavy sensation in my chest makes it difficult to breathe. My fingers tremble as I hold onto the sweater Asnid gave me for Christmas last year. I shouldn't be affected by returning there. I shouldn't feel like this. It's been three years. Shouldn't three years be enough?
"I already booked the flights," Asnid opens the door but stops her sentence once she sees the state of my room. "Why are you crying?" She asks, wrapping her arms around me. I didn't even notice that I was crying until she pointed it out. I bury my head into her shirt and let myself sob and cry.
"Let it all out, Vers," Her voice is gentle and soft. Her touch is as gentle as her voice. She runs her fingers through my hair, untangling the knots. Minutes later, I finally calm myself down, but Asnid never stops her calming and gentle touches. My breathing starts to regulate back to normal, and I can think properly now. "Are you okay now?" She asks me, and I nod, feeling myself brush against her now wet shirt. "Do you want me to help you pack?" I nod again.
She waits for me to release myself from the hug before helping me pack. While packing, I can sense that she wants to ask me why I was crying but hesitates to do so. "I just remembered something, Asnid. I'm fine," I assure her as I pack my toiletries in the pouch of my suitcase.
I know she doesn't believe it, but she still chooses not to ask anymore. Even after three years of knowing each other, I have never opened up about what happened before we met. I could never bring myself to talk about it. I wasn't protecting her; I was protecting myself. As soon as the clock hits five, we are done. "I'll go make dinner," Asnid kisses my cheek before leaving my room. With my suitcase packed and the plane tickets already taken care of, I have nothing else to do now. I put on my headphones and play music.
The whole night is a complete blur, even the morning at the airport. The only thing I can remember is Asnid and I meeting up with Nash at the airport. Now, all three of us are sitting in business class, courtesy of Nash. Thank you, Nash.
"I bet the people we're going to meet will be big shots. I hope they aren't those mean rich people," Asnid says. Who's telling her that they are? Oh wait, I should be the one to answer that.
"Don't get your hopes up, Asnid," I tell her. "They might be those rich mean people," Asnid sighs in disappointment. After that, Asnid falls asleep. I never really liked airplanes. They aren't exactly comfortable enough to make me sleep or enjoy the flight. So, as much as possible, I never wanted to fly to places in or out of the country.
A few more uncomfortable hours later, we finally arrive in Texas. Nash helps with carrying our suitcases and loading them into the car. "I'm nervous," Asnid announces, her leg shaking. "Calm down," I say, placing my hand on her knee to stop her from shaking.
The car ride is short and quiet. For the first time on the whole trip, I fell asleep in the car. I guess that's why I thought it was quiet and short. "Verity, you need to wake up, we're here," Nash says, shaking me to wake up. I give him a sleepy nod before rubbing my eyes.
I can feel the luggage being unloaded from the trunk. When my body is awake enough, I decide to get out of the car and help with the luggage.
I take my suitcase and one of Asnid's carry-ons and follow Nash inside. The Hawthorne House. Where most of my happiest and worst memories were created. I feel a swirling feeling in my stomach. I hate it. This place makes me remember all the memories I want to forget. Every corner of this place is haunted by memories. From the gates to the rooms. The stairs, the gardens, the portrait, and the ceilings. All haunted by a memory, not even 3 years, could make me forget.
"Home already, Nash?" I hear someone ask. The voice is familiar. I raise my head and see a tall man in front of us. 6'0? 6'2? "Hi, Xan," His face is no longer filled with confusion but with happiness and surprise. "Verity!" He runs towards me and wraps his arms around my small figure. He has to crouch down a bit to reach my small height. "You're taller now," I tell him once he has placed me down on the floor. "And you've shrunk!" He is still cheerful.
"Hey!" I protest and smack him on the arm. "No hugs for me?" I look to the side and see Jameson. I open my arms, and he happily walks over to me and spins me around. "Jamie!"
"What's going on?"
Jameson places me down on the floor. I feel my smile falter when I see who the owner of the voice is. Grayson Hawthorne.
He looks the same. Tall, blonde, with piercing, cold eyes that could make you do whatever he wants you to do. The same eyes I once fell in love with. Maybe still in love with.
"Hi, Gray," I send him a small smile but receive nothing back. Nothing but hatred and anger swirling in his grey eyes. "What are you doing here?"
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priniya · 4 months
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hii can i request jameson hawthorne x fem reader who is kind of like his aunts or grandfathers intern? ans j like them w a super flirty relationship and tension. ty!!
˗ˏ` INTERNSHIP! 🎞️ ´ˎ˗
pairing. jameson hawthorne x intern!reader
summary. jameson’s life seems to get undeniably more boring than ever and alisa comes with a rescue.
author’s note. i LOVE jameson hawthorne. i felt like i needed to say that. idk if this is flirty enough but i hope u like it <3 thank u so much for the req, i love my boyfriend 🫶 not proofread! i wrote it at night so might be lots of typos or grammar mistakes 👎👎
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EVERYTHING WAS BORING, college was boring, annoying grayson was boring, which truthfully made jameson feel as boring as ever. it almost felt as if his life lost its true meaning. it reached the point, where avery would poke fun at him, saying things like nana probably threw a spell on you, or look at that, jameson hawthorne has nothing to do, the world is ending, which was, well… amusing, although he couldn’t admit it.
jameson’s life was getting more and more monotonous each day and for the first time, he didn’t know what to do with it. there was no thrill, no adrenaline rushing through his veins, nothing — and as a certified middle child, he was going absolutely crazy, becoming almost insufferable. xander thought it was funny, seeing him all worked up, but not at all at the same time.
it would go on until alisa brought an intern, who — as it turned out later — was the girl he met on a trip to tuscany during his gap year. someone he had an incredible connection with, but back then, jameson didn’t want any strings attached, which… resulted in a wave of regret, because he couldn’t let himself get your name.
hawthorne could feel his throat getting dry as his eyes scanned your outfit. the light beige shirt with the top button undone, so it wouldn’t suffocate you, the pencil skirt hugging your hips and thighs, exposing your legs almost perfectly. if he was even more unhinged than he usually is, he would probably had his mouth full of foam.
what was even worse than the outfit, which made him extremely feral, was that you didn’t even flinch when alisa introduced you and your eyes fell upon him. maybe he was wrong and mistook you for the tuscany girl? maybe you were just a random girl, who looked incredibly attractive in her work attire, that looked extremely similar to other girl he met in italy? so many questions, yet so little answers.
a long sigh has left your lips, the second you ran your face with cold water. of course, your luck had to bring you to the house of the guy you spent the best month of your life with. how was that even possible? neither of you had ever believed in the ‘we’ll meet again if we’re meant to be’ type of thing. you always said that life is made by coincidences, nothing is ever planned for you beforehand and as long as you’ve the money, no one will care what you’re doing. but here you were, in his house, wearing pieces of clothing you wouldn’t wear if you knew, feeling like a crap from pulling an all nighter the night before.
jameson winchester hawthorne has looked as good as you remembered him. dark, velvet dress shirt embracing his toned stomach and muscular arms that once (or twice) were wrapped around you. though, after all this time, he still wore the rings you bought him, which made your heart race.
you genuinely thought that the racing of your heart would stop after some time, especially since the internship at mcnamara, oren and jones had you spending an excruciating amount of time in the hawthorne house with jameson always being somewhere around. he’d often find you in the hallway, hardly ever exchanging more than few words, though always making sure to brush against your skin slightly.
“you’re agitating.” you muttered, when his back leaned against the counter, while you were fixing yourself a coffee, which unlike at the company, was truly amazing. “don’t have anything better to do?”
“c’mon, yn.” he sighed almost playfully, rolling his eyes at you. “can’t even crack a smile for me?” jameson’s tone coated your mind, sending a warm wave to your cheeks. it was the most thrilling thing to him these last couple weeks. seeing you get so flustered over the smallest act gave him the same feeling like when he cliff dived.
“i’m working, jameson.” the way his name rolled off your tongue made him smile. “it’s not tuscany. i need to get stuff done.”
“you remember tuscany, huh?”
this man was driving you insane. the way he smirked at you, the way his words had such an effect on you, the way he always knew what to say to make you flustered. “you’re such an idiot.” was all you said about his last comment, rolling your eyes at him as you noticed the red lipstick stain on the white mug.
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YOU COULDN’T REALLY PINPOINT THE MOMENT when the strictly–formal conversations with the hawthorne brothers and grambs sisters became so casual. you couldn’t wait for the hawthorne days as you called them, when you could leave the bureau and the paperwork to join alisa with whatever she was doing there. most of the time, xander would steal you away to ask you the stupidest questions about law enforcement and law in general just to leave you fifteen minutes later.
as much as you tried to push jameson away to not raise any suspicions of the history you had, he was irresistible. always making sure to tease you in some kind of way. unfortunately or not, you started caving in, just like he predicted.
before you know it, your thighs were met with the cold surface of the bathroom counter in some fancy restaurant, the fabric of your emerald silky dress has ridden up as jameson pushed his right hand up your thigh, the left one squeezed your waist. his lips were pressed against yours, moving with a rough, possessive manner. some would say it was the tense atmosphere building up, when he couldn’t get you where he wanted.
and in that exact day, exact moment, jameson had you right when he wanted. it was a casual hangout, just him, his brothers, libby, avery and her friend, who also happened to be soon to–be–girlfriend of his youngest brother. but to jameson’s pleasure, everyone grew so fond of you that avery suggested you should go with them.
the theme was comfort, but elegant. so, the outfit of your choice was the silky dress that was accompanied by the necklace you got back in italy. the first words that came out of jameson’s mouth was a stutter. the sight of you made him stumble over the sentence he tried to make.
“you look — so amazing.” he groaned as his lips made a trail down your neck, sending a shiver down your spine, when his teeth had bitten the sweet spot right above your collarbone. “so fucking gorgeous.” the chain of praises was never ending.
your hands got on the collar of his shirt, gripping it as he continued to leave marks on your collarbones and shoulders. as much as you enjoyed his actions, you missed the feeling of his lips on yours. you pulled him up, hungrily crashing your mouth into his.
fifteen minutes later, the red lipstick was nowhere to be found on your face. on the other hand, there were lots of it on jameson. you were still sitting on the marble counter, legs wrapped around hawthorne’s hips. his mood was definitely better as he was zipping up your dress.
“a quickie in the bathroom, when did you turn so naughty, hm?” a chuckle escaped mouth as he watched you wipe the excess of your lipstick off his chin and bottom lip. “i met this cute guy during my vacation in europe. a real charmer.” you replied with a smirk, fixing the lacy strings of the dress as you jumped off the counter.
your chest was touching his, but neither of you moved away. you were still a little breathless from the unexpected activity and to be completely honest, it wasn’t enough — just looking at his stupid, handsome face made you crave him even more. you weren���t the only one though, considering that hawthorne couldn’t take his hands off of you as he brought one to your chin, tilting it upwards to have an easy access to kiss you again.
an involuntary grin hovered over your lips as his fingers brushed your cheek in a tender manner, before fixing his messy hair and leaving the bathroom. he closed the door just to open it again to wink at you and leave to get back to his siblings.
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YOU COULD TELL that everyone already knew about the tiny thing going on between you and jameson. nevertheless, pretending like it wasn’t true was easier than admitting it. as long as alisa wasn’t asking any questions or forbidding you from showing up to the hawthorne house, you didn’t really care.
it was early, maybe even too early for your liking, when the alarm in your phone went off, earning a hoarse, incoherent groan from jameson, whose arm only tightened around your naked body. the only things covering you from flashing someone accidentally were the white sheets that kept you warm at night.
“turn it off.” another groan escaped his throat. he knew what this meant, it was five o’clock and you had to get to your dorm to get ready for the bureaucratic nightmare, as he liked to call it, at the law firm, which always handled all his familial issues. “gorgeous, there are lots of your stuff here, just go back to sleep. you can get ready here.”
“i can’t.” you replied, planting a few sweet kisses on his bare shoulder. “everyone will know i was here if i left later.” you added, your voice soft. your fingernails gently scratching the back of his neck.
“you act like they don’t know already.” you could swear he just laughed, his sleepy demeanour made him even more attractice at this point. “sorry to break it to you, gorg, but once you start, you forget all about quietness.” ironically, this shut you up immediately, red already spreading all over your cheeks.
“you know what’s funny?” a question rolled off his tongue, catching your interest, even though you couldn’t quite make out his words as his face was buried in the white pillow. “xander texted me to ask you to moan a few decibels less.”
“oh god, i am never leaving this room again.” you said embarrassed, hiding your face in hawthorne’s arm.
“i like that idea.” he laughed, pulling you even closer, shifting a little to shut your phone off completely. “make it my early christmas gift.”
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wildesqdreams · 11 months
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strip bowling
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pairing - jameson hawthorne x fem!reader.
summary - y/n and jameson finally spend time together by playing one of jameson's favorite games.
warnings - maybe spoilers from the book "inheritance games" ??? making out + shirtless people.
navigation | masterlist | request | taglist
a/n: i promise that a grayson hawthorne x reader fic will be coming after this. but enjoy this one for now ;)
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y/n sat on jameson's bed, leaning against the headboard, as she read a book.
since avery's arrival, she found herself more often spending time in different rooms, reading or writing, and she couldn't help but notice, that every time she was almost alone.
alone. a funny, but hurtful feeling.
the girl wasn't the jealous type, and she didn't have anything against the mystery girl. but she did feel a sharp pain in her heart, every time she saw jameson leaving. because she knew that he was going to her. to meet avery.
every.
single.
time.
her thoughts were interrupted when the door opened, and the brown-haired boy walked in. he immediately went to lay down beside the girl, and snuggled into her - his hand around her waist, pulling her closer, and his head in the crook of her neck.
"what's up?" y/n's hand found jameson's hair, and she started to run her fingers through it.
"alisa had other plans for heiress, so we had to cancel our plans, and so the investigation will continue tomorrow."
a small 'hmm" was the only thing that the girl could reply with.
jameson had nicknames for everyone. but still, the sinking feeling in her stomach from hearing about avery couldn't leave her. not to mention how stupid she started to feel, that now when he's bored, he will waste some time with her because heiress has other plans.
she felt a light kiss be placed on ber neck, "don't think that."
"what?"
y/n y/l/n hated the fact that jameson hawthorne could understand what she was thinking and feeling. he was a game player - puzzles and riddles, to solve, were easy for him. and like a game, the girl, was easy to read for him, too.
he trailed soft kisses up her neck, towards her jaw, "you know what," he pulled back, as he gazed into her eyes, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "you're my girl. my favorite girl. so, please, stop the thoughts infecting your gorgeous brain."
a small smile appeared on her face, as he leaned in and pressed a small kiss to her lips, "how about this," he got up and grabbed y/n's hands, as he pulled her up, "if you guess the number i'm thinking, we'll do whatever you want... if you don't," he smirked, "i'll choose."
"hey," y/n stated with a smile, as she saw jameson grab a marker and a piece of paper, "i'm not good at this, like, at all."
"well, good for me," he caught her still watching him, "hey, no, cheating," jameson put a hand over her eyes. the girl rolled her eyes and smacked his hand away.
when jameson was done writing the number down, he hid it behind him and looked at y/n with a big smile, "i'll make it easier for you, love. the number is between 1 and 10," he glanced at her lips and then back to her eyes, "now the only question is, what is the number?"'
y/n y/l/n already knew she would lose. she hadn't grown up as the hawthorne brothers had. her grandfather didn't make her do puzzles and riddles or solve mysteries. but she took the time to think. and it was indeed hard when beautiful green eyes were gazing at her.
"seven."
"sorry, to be the one to say this," and the girl already knew, "but you have lost," jameson showed her the paper, "the right answer was three," his pretty big smile was annoying, "i guess the winner, once again, is me."
"yeah, yeah... so riddle boy, what will we be doing?"
a wicked smirk replaced the victory smile on the boy's face, "strip bowling."
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"are you doing this on purpose!?" y/n frustratedly sighed as she saw the bowling ball once again land in the gutter.
since they had started playing, jameson has been poking her or pressing kisses on her neck and even whispering things in her ear, making her lose.
the boy smiled at the girl, who looked at him, "what me? and cheating? of course not, don't be funny, love," he walked towards her and grabbed the bottom of her shirt, "but you should take this off now."
"idiot," y/n murmured, as she took of her top that revealed her black bra.
the hawthorne boy pressed a kiss to her shoulder, "it's your turn," the girl said.
jameson just hummed as he continued to lay soft kisses on her skin, his hand pulling her closer by the waist, "later," he trailed his kisses towards her ear.
"but james-"
"god, woman," he sarcastically sighed, which made y/n let out a small giggle. he pulled back with a smile, looking in her eyes, "just let me love my girl."
"yeah, yeah," y/n stated and wrapped her arms around his neck, as she pulled him into a kiss.
and like that, the world disappeared. just them. no one else.
she sighed when she felt him pull her closer, her chest to his bare one. while her hand lightly tugged at his hair, his soft lips moved to her jaw, "i love you," he said in between the kisses, "never forget that."
missing his taste she turned her head and pulled him back into the kiss. his hands slowly started to go down from her waist to the back of her thighs, so he could lift her, but before he could do that, the door shot open.
"JAMESON DID YOU EAT THE LAST BLUEB- oh," xander stopped when he saw the scene in front of him.
y/n smiled, when she heard jameson groan, as he pulled back from the kiss, moving his hands away from her legs.
"you horny bastards should find a room... a private one."
"Alexander-"
"just saying," and with that the youngest hawthorne brother left the room, closing the room.
"so," the girl smiled, as she grabbed a bowling ball and handed it to her boyfriend, "it's your turn."
jameson groaned even louder, as he took the ball.
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please do a part to the Grayson Hawthorn head canons maybe where he meets eve and that whole mess.
the moment i knew
grayson hawthorne x fem! reader
you're confident in your relationship with grayson hawthorne. that is until a girl who look exactly like emily laughlin shows up at the mansion.
(part of these hcs )
a/n: im SO glad someone requested this bc i had ideas while writing the hcs for this scenario. get ready for some drama and grayson being dumb💯 also finally happy to be back to posting!! been hectic but now i have free time <3 ty to everyone for being so understanding ur all amazing. listened to my sad playlist for the fighting part LOL also i wanted to make this fic format but i was already way too deep into the bullets to fix it.
word count: 7.2k (wayyy longer than intended)
warnings: angst (i love and hate it), swearing, eve, fighting, death threats, final gambit spoilers but also plot changes
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dating grayson hawthorne was truly the most beautiful feeling. you would even consider it better than finding out you were going to inherit billions. that's not true, but dating grayson is a close second still.
he was a fantastic boyfriend who cared so deeply for you, and you greatly got along with his family.
the two of you had occasional fights, but it was never anything that lasted more than an hour of being mad at each other. plus, he always caved in first whether you were right or wrong.
life was truly straight out of a movie for you. you were going to be a billionaire, run a foundation, and have a boyfriend. freshman year you would never be able to believe it, especially the boyfriend part.
it was almost too perfect. you should've expected an event to come crashing down at some point. because, after all, this still was the hawthorne family you're dealing with.
the road to disaster was initiated the moment grayson hawthorne left the house. he'd gotten into the ivy league of his choice, harvard and you were more than thrilled for him. but you were unsure of where it put the two of you at. he would be leaving the mansion, while you were forced to stay.
your's and avery's contract had yet to end, you still had a few month to bypass - so you couldn't leave the residence for more than 3 consecutive days.
grayson assured you the long distance thing would work, and he'd visit you as often as possible, then when you passed the year mark, you'd be able to visit and stay with him for long periods.
the plan he formated has eased your worries about your relationship. however, a small, but growing wall had formed between you, and you feared him leaving would lengthen it. you'd begun to notice a distant feeling from grayson at times, it was as if he was still concealing a part of himself. it was a build-up of all the unresolved emotional stresses he's faces - mainly from the death of both emily and tobias.
there were moments when you had attempted to get him to open up - but he either never got the hint or desperately wanted to remain ignorant. you'd decided to leave it as is, and perhaps that was your first error.
before leaving the family had put together a party as a 'farewell' gift. since the night began, you sensed the distant feeling had returned and grayson wasn't entirely there.
when a young girl had fallen into the pool, and grayson was quick to save her, jumping right into the pool in his suit and tie. you were quick to approach them with towels; even after the girl was returned to her family, grayson stayed still with a distant look in his eyes. you called his name and shook him a few times before he finally snapped back. but before you could question anything, he sought off into the house - leaving you on your own.
you gave him time alone since that was what he obviously wished for. you were relieved to see avery return with grayson, so relieved that you were insensible to the tension between the two.
thought things weren't resolved when grayson left, you were still hopeful for the both of you.
it started off great; frequent texts, late-night calls, occasional visits, and even gifts delivered to you. you felt silly for not having faith in the long-distance thing.
but your doubts returned when those daily calls turned into weekly texts and updates and those every other weekend visits shifted to seeing each other once a month.
grayson's excuse had been he was adjusting and had a hard time getting a grip on balancing everything in his life. had it been anyone else, you'd believed it better, but because it was grayson hawthorne, who you knew could effortlessly take on any task - you were growing suspicious. but you had yet to have a serious with grayson about it.
your silence broke the moment avery sat you down and revealed what had gone down in the wine cellar with grayson the night of his party.
she started with her concern for grayson, then ventured onto what happened after grayson ran off. avery had been in the wine cellar getting a bottle at jameson's request when grayson stumbled in. she immediately noticed he was in distress, and it wasn't long before he started breaking down. avery did her best to help, but he just insisted she leave, then went on a tangent about seeing hallucinations of emily and all the stress caused by being a hawthorne. avery's first thought was to get you, but he begged her not to tell him, which is why she was silent until that moment.
you were too occupied on the information regarding your boyfriend to even get a little mad that avery withheld the information. you had an inkling grayson wasn't well, you hadn't known it had gotten as bad as it did, and it was probably much worse by now.
you made an urgent call to grayson the as soon as you got to your room, and it took a couple tries to get him to answer. he answered a bit agitated, but you didn't care and started hounding him for an explanation on everything avery had told you.
at first, grayson was taken aback by both the interrogation and avery betraying him, then he finally confirmed that avery's words were true.
your heart grew heavy, and he confirmed everything. it was silent on the line for a second before you spoke up again. the first thing you asked was 'why?' why didn't he tell you about his trouble, especially the fact he was having nightmares and hallucinations about emily, his ex- girlfriend. and why, why had he confided in someone else instead of his own girlfriend.
you weren't jealous of avery nor did you fret over something happening between grayson and avery, but it hurt like hell to know she was the first he opened up to, whether it was intentional or not.
grayson repeated apologies over the phone, but by then, you were over it and wished him goodnight before hanging up. and once the line went dead, you curled up in bed and cried til you were tired enough to pass out.
grayson called multiple times the following day, and you declined them all. when calls were a bust, he turned to a flux of texts hourly, all consisting of the same mantra of sorry's and 'call me back'. you still didn't budge. you continued that behavior for a week or so, still upset at him.
however, you couldn't help but feel bad - the last thing you wanted to do was add stress to this place. nonetheless, your emotions were also valid; no one likes their boyfriend keeping things from them, telling said secrets to another woman he used to live with at that.
what you didn't expect on your monday morning was grayson to show up behind your bedroom door when you opened it. knowing he came all that way just because you were ignoring him made your heart flutter, however, you kept you solid composure.
grayson begged you to hear him out, so you hesitantly let him into your room and sat on the bed, waiting for him to say something. then grayson gave permission, he spilled his guts.
he revealed to you all of the difficulties he was going through, and you listened with an open heart. by the end of it he was crying, and you didn't hesitate to comfort him in his arms, a gesture he gladly accepted.
when it was safe for you to speak, you told him he didn't have to face all of it alone, there were many people in his life who cared for him.
"hawthorne or not, i'm your girlfriend. you are free to run to me when things get hard. then we can take it on together, okay?"
"you still want to be with me even after i've cried on your shoulder like this."
"the crying actually makes me like you more." you joke, and he gives a small smile at that.
you felt everything had gotten better after that. you'd manage to knock down another wall grayson had built, and now the two of you were closer than ever. avery's birthday was soon, so any two weeks after that, you'd be able to see grayson much more.
you were going to surprise your boyfriend by telling him you'd been looking at apartments in cambridge and landed on the perfect apartment for yourself. so, as soon as the year was up, you were moving there. yes, it was a huge step for someone you hadn't even been dating for over a year, but there was no place you'd rather be than by grayson's side.
avery's birthday had been, as jameson described, an "introvert's ball." and to be frank, you'd prefer it that way. after the way the last big party ended u, you were happy to have it just be immediate close friends and family.
everyone had a great time, grayson had made time to attend, and the both of you danced almost all night long. by the end, you're feet were blistered and bruised, but courteously swept you off your feet and carried you in his arms and into his bedroom. you were out like a light, but not before hearing grayson say 'love you' when he thought you were sound asleep. you went to bed with a smile etched on your lips.
you would've never left his bed had you known what was in store for you both the next day.
you'd just eaten breakfast with avery when you had both been informed by oren of a visitor name eve. avery looked anxious about it, and you didn't wait for her permission to follow her to the gates.
from the distance, you'd assumed it was rebecca, but as you approached, you realized that wasn't her. the girl in front of you was an exact copy of emily laughlin, more than her own twin.
"what the hell."
you were stunned to see a version of emily in person, and not just from photos you'd seen. avery was shocked, but it wasn't because of her appearance, more so due to her appearance at the manor. you were highly confused and began to think you were still sleeping.
avery had no choice but to confide in you everything that had gone on with toby and grayson's father, and how eve was toby's daughter. it was all much for your morning brain. but you processed enough to know the hawthornes, mainly grayson, seeing eve was the last thing needed. a part of you wanted to halt the meeting for selfish purposes. but the issue with eve being at hawthorne mansion meant a bigger issue; toby was taken.
oren, you, avery, and eve were discussing how to proceed, but there was little time to discuss the matter because the first person to come outside was grayson. the last person you'd wanted to come out of the mansion.
"emily?"
he was, understandably, pale as a ghost. it wasn't every day you saw a replica of your ex-girlfriend. you ran up to him with no plan of action. what could you possibly say? 'oh, this isn't emily this is eve, who just happens to look exactly like emily. and she's toby's daughter. oh, and by the way, your father is actually dead.'
grayson walked closer to eve, the resemblance becoming clear as day. looked to you to verify if what he was seeing was real or another figment of your imagination. you could only nod in response.
grayson didn't look away from eve, even when you tried to pull him back into the house. eve was annoyed by his trance and demanded to be taken inside for a shower after all she's had to deal with for the day.
so it was decided that everyone would gather in avery's room while eve used her bathroom. jameson had already been in avery's room when you four entered. he obviously noticed eve but made no comment until she was into the shower. since eve locked herself in the bathroom, grayson's eyes didn't move from the door. you couldn't lie and say it didn't create a sour feeling inside of you.
you knew it was horrible to make your boyfriend's trauma about you, but you couldnt help it. you were worried eve having the same face as emily was going to bring back unwarranted feelings. you bit back your envy, seeing that jameson was unaffected by eve's face, in contrast to grayson who stared longingly.
"tell me everything, heiress one and two."
avery briefly went over eve's appearance and toby's disappearance. she believes toby being taken has to do with a disk he gave her, one eve didn't know about. she ended it with an open discussion on ideas on how to get toby back.
jameson was the first to recognize how little you all knew about eve, and if you could truly trust her. you were glad someone had similar thoughts and you wouldn't be the first to voice them.
"we have to help her."
you turned to grayson at his words, your lips turned slightly down. jameson and avery also looked at the brother weirdly. was he seriously defending eve because she was an emily dupe?
"gray, we don't know her."
"it doesn't mean we should leave her to her own devices."
eve stepped out of the bathroom with clothes provided by avery,and grayson now had a look in his eye you coulden't identify. you had just about enough and lamely excused yourself to your room.
a part of you stupidly hoped your boyfriend would follow, but he never did.
as you busied yourself in your room reading books of fantasy lands to forget your own reality, avery knocked at your door. you hollered at her to enter, and she did. you continued reading, waiting for her to speak first.
"what do you think of a few welcome festivities?"
you raised a brow, "what did you have in mind?"
"how does chutes and ladders sound?"
chutes and ladder did not sound very fun, and frankly you'd never heard of it until that moment, but avery needed everyone in the game to get eve on board. you were even less enthused finding out grayson had been where eve was.
'you trust your boyfriend. you trust your boyfriend. you trust your boyfriend.' you repeated over and over. maybe you would believe it at some point.
as everyone gathered in the study and took a seat, you took your usual place next to grayson. you clenched your fists in your lap as you witnessed eve do the same.
as xander droned on about the rules of the game, you subtly side-eyed the pair beside you. your attention shifts back to the game when xander instructs the first person to go is the person with the best-kept secret. so that meant each of you had to confess something.
grayson took the liberty of starting off, not before sparring a guilty glance at you, "a girl tried to kiss me at harvard."
your head snapped, "what?"
"seriously, it was nothing."
"i can't believe you wouldn't tell me, i thought we agreed no secrets!"
"i didn't think it matter, it obviously pushed the girl away."
"it was enough of a deal for you to choose it as your secret."
you got up from your seat and opted to sit between avery and maxine. grayson grabbed your arm in an attempt to stop you, but you shook him off and took your new seat. grayson attempted to throw apologies, but you disregarded them.
to lighten the mood, maxine continued revealing she had a tattoo and xander continued telling the room he found his birth father; most of you gasped and asked for more, but xander kept his mouth shut. avery went next, heartfelt, saying she felt tobias made a mistake choosing her. you couldn't deny you didn't feel the same at times.
then eyes shifted onto you, awaiting your confession. you had a plethora to give, but you settled for one that matched the vulnerability of avery's.
"not to speak ill of the dead, but sometimes i think tobias hawthorne is a coward for leaving a game in his will instead of an explanation."
the room was silenced by your voice. you and avery each gave a look toward one another in understanding. you couldn't bare to turn your head in grayson's direction for his reaction. plus, you were still upset at him.
eve took the moment to finish the circle of secrets with her own. she disclosed her relationship with her family and their resentment toward her. you didn't fully trust eve, but you sympathized with her story. part of that sympathy was broken off as you saw grayson lean closer to her without a second thought. you started to think you would explode if the game didn't start any sooner.
as you wished, the game commenced - no surprise to you when eve was decided to go first. then the rest of you followed, and the race began.
you truly had no intention of trying that hard for a game, but it seems your inner competitiveness took the lead when you noticed eve ahead and grayson trailing right behind her.
maybe your anger and irritation spurred you on, but in everyone's, including yourself, surprise - you were right on eve's tail climbing up the ladder behind her.
your next move was a dirty one, maybe even callous, but in all honesty, you hadn't meant to do it. you think.
trying to grab onto the next rung as fast as possible, you managed to also grab the heel of eve's foot - causing her to misstep, lose her balance, and hang off the ladder by an arm and a foot. you utilized the time eve had to stabilize herself to then slide past her. you shot her a sorry look on the way up, and opened the hatch to the rooftop, declaring you the winner.
eve was right behind, grayson and jamseon after, and avery after two minutes. eve shot you a glare but didn't say a word about the incident. grayson was making his way in your direction, but you steered the other way to where jameson and avery stood.
jameson chuckled, "i didn't know you had it in you to play dirty."
"it was an accident, she tripped!" you defended.
jameson gave you a knowing look, but raised his hands in surrender and walked away to where xander and maxine were on the verge of entering. (they got sidetracked by a pillow fight)
you told avery you were off to shower and change; you hadn;t realized how sweaty you got until that moment. she nodded and you made your way to the hatch, but before you went down, she grabbed your arm.
"between you and me, was it an actual accident?"
"it was... if you count grabbing her foot and dragging her down as an accident."
avery shakes her head, "can't say i wouldn't have done the same given the opportunity."
walking down the hall, you heard your name being called. on instinct, you turned; grayson was behind you. you figured avoiding him wouldn't work forever.
"can we talk?" he asks, interwining his hand into yours.
you open your mouth the respond, but he cuts you off - "actually, you don't get a choice. i'm going to talk, and you're going to listen."
his tone left no room for argument, so you conceded. grayson went on to apologize for the 'almost-kiss' incident and for the lack of telling you.
"forgive me, angel. it was idiotic of me to assume it wasn't a important matter to communicate to you. you are the only girl i'll ever want to kiss."
you were a sucker for sincere apologies, and his piercing eyes made for a compelling argument. you sighed, "okay, i'll forgive you. but next time a girl tries to kiss you and you don't tell me, i'm kicking your ass, then hers."
grayson smiles and leans in for a kiss, which you accept. as his lips ignite with yours, you can't help but think of how much of a hypocrite you're being by not telling him your emotions regarding eve. 'it wasn't the right time,' you told yourself. it was only her first day, you were jumping to conclusions too soon. everything would work out.
the morning made for a rude awakening; threatening note sent to the gates hadn't been on your to-do list. avery shook you so hard you jumped out of bed, thinking it was an earthquake and smacked grayson's face in your alarm. (he wasn't pleased at that)
the threat contained a photo of toby, and a crypt message you all decoded. everyone started to think of suspects for the culprit behind the kidnapping. number one being skye hawthorne.
however, the investigation proved to be fruitless because she didn't have toby, and the other suspects led to a dead end. the threats hadn't stopped either.
you found yourself sleeping in grayson's more frequently. grayson didn't feel comfortable leaving you in your room, but you also knew it was because he secretly loved cuddling you at night. he held off going back to harvard, claiming he couldn't leave while there was danger lurking. it made you feel safe, but you also wondered if eve had anything to do with it. part of you didn't want an answer to that.
on this night, the two of you were in the pool past midnight. now that you learned to swim, grayson wouldn't stop challenging you to races. you knew what the outcome would be, but you accepted everytime, telling him you'd beat him eventually. (doubt, but it was nice to dream). for every win, you'd award him a kiss per his demand.
on his fifth victory, you leaned in to kiss him, only to ambush him with water to the face. grayson pretended to be annoyed and claimed revenge. you quickly swam away, but it didn't take long for him to catch up to you. he hands attacked your sides, and you were tortured by the ticklish sensation. you begged for him to stop, but he refused and wanted an apology.
you were stubborn, but finally threw in the towel, and accepted defeat. even after he stopped, grayson kept you in his arms as you calmed down from your fits of laughter. for a moment, it was just the both of you gazing into each other's eyes lovingly. at the same time, you titled you heads and reduced the gap between your lips.
before your mouths made contact, the lights, alerting the presence of another, shone. you both quickly turned toward the direction of the light, and grayson made a swift move to push you behind him. you were half expecting it to be another hawthorne brother, or worst-case scenario - the kidnapper.
but instead, there stood eve. she wore a silk lilac nightgown with a small slit that stopped midthigh. you immediately recognized it as your own by the small tear on the strap. 'when did she get this from my room?' had she stolen it or did grayson give it to her? both answers made your blood boil.
grayson relaxed as he recognized her, but you stayed tense. eve apologized for the intrusion, she was walking around the grounds and hadn't realized there were others awake. despite hating the interruption, you assured her it was alright, and she should be careful roaming around at night.
you thought that was that, and she'd just wander off, but it wasn't.
"do you mind if i swim, too?"
"well we-"
"not at all."
you turned your head to your boyfriend and gave him a questioning look, but he ignored it. his attention was now on eve. you had no choice, but to go along with it.
eve was quick to remove her your nightgown and reveal a one-piece swimsuit under. you were a bit confused, didn't she say she was just roaming the grounds, why did she already have a bathing suit on? but you stayed silent.
she jumped from the edge of the pool and landed a few feet away from where you and grayson. for a moment she struggling to reach the top, likely from not expecting how deep the pool actually was. grayson, ever the hero, swam to her aid, grabbing her hand to reel her back to the surface.
at this point, you couldn't even blame eve for these little accidents. you were getting upset at how grayson never failed to aid her when she was in need.
eve laughed, and thanked him for the gesture. then they started conversing about a topic you didn't care to pay attention to. had you just become a third wheel? 'no, no. he's just being friendly. gray will come back to you any second, then you'll both return to his room.'
except that didn't happen. eve asked grayson to race her, and he gladly accepted. even teased her about how badly she'd lose. not once did he turn back your way. no, but as eve swam to the edge, she gave you glance, obviously noticing how you awkwardly floated in your spot waiting for grayson. but she didn't speak a word, and continued to race in preparation for the friendly competition.
you had more than enough at that point. you swam to the pool's railing and pulled yourself out. you stomped out the swimming area, not even bothering to get a towel, and walked back into the mansion. you'd apologize to the cleaners for the wet mess later.
you were more heartbroken than angry. which was worse in your book. you'd been trying not to act like a jealous girlfriend who couldn't trust her boyfriend, and you took grayson's trauma with the emily situation into account, so you made excuses for all of grayson's actions toward eve. but sometimes, you shouldn't deny what's right in front of you.
now, you were cold and wet. you just wanted to go to bed. taking on threatening notes seemed so much easier now.
with all your deep thinking, you missed the sound of running feet from behind you. when a hand grabbed your wrist so suddenly, you were startled, and on instinct - you hand went flying at whoever stood behind you.
seeing now that it was grayson, you gave a small apology, seeing him clutch his face in pain. but you weren't that sorry at all. you probably would've done the same thing if you knew it was him.
grayson collected himself like nothing, "why did you leave?" he gently asks, wrapping a towel, you just noticed he brought, around your form.
you feign innocence, "oh, you actually noticed i was gone? 'figured you'd be too busy racing your new best friend."
"what are you acting like this?"
"i'm tired. tired of standing by as you treat eve like she's a damsel in distress. eve's no better; she clearly knows the effect she has on you."
"you're misinterpreting the situation. eve is one of us, we have to protect her."
"i'm sorry, did we forget you launched a full federal investigation on avery and i as soon as we got here? even after the will reading, i don't remember getting this warm welcome from you."
grayson lips form a straight line, frustrated, "that was different. eve has no one else-"
"she's not emily, grayson."
"trust me, i know that."
"i dont think you do! you see her as your second chance. news flash grayson, she isn't, emily is dead!" you venomously spit out. you hadn't intended for the harsh words to come out, but you wanted to hurt him as much as he was hurting you at the moment.
grayson's fists clench at his sides, he eyes brim with rage toward you, "jealously isn't a good look on you, y/n." the blow cut deeper than you had wished.
"neither is ignorance." you bite back.
you angrily turn your back and storm off in the direction of your room. luckily, it was only less than twenty feet away. you hoped grayson got the hint to not follow.
"we owe her our loyalty, y/n." grayson calls out one last time in a calm voice - different from the aggravated one from a second prior.
you enter your room and turn to him, deciding your final words before closing your door, "your loyalty was to me first."
part of you expected an apology the following day, but it never came. you were unsure where the two of you stood, and you weren't going to waltz up to grayson door to ask.
you confided your feelings in avery and libby, both defended your stance. avery was also wary about eve, and libby just loved any chance to bash a hawthorne.
you were sure the whole house was aware of the argument, likely the laughlins and thea calligaris as well. news travels easily around here. you didn't even want the know eve's point of view on the whole thing.
you steered clear of grayson, and busied yourself with toby's kidnapping along with everyone else. (which honestly should've been the most important matter.) you ensured avery everything was fine because you felt selfish making it about you when toby was in serious danger.
even without being in the same room with grayson, the tension was painfully evident. you could always sense when his gaze was on you, and it took everything to not return it. when you both were in the same room, you made sure to stay on opposite ends. everyone else had trouble deciding on how to handle the situation, but there were no direct comments, at least not that you heard.
there were nights when you wished grayson would show up at your door and just apologize. you wanted a reenactment of those cheesy romance movies where the guys begs the girl for forgiveness, and then they kiss and makeup. truthfully, you would've taken him back in a heartbeat. but this wasn't a movie, and he never showed up at your door.
you wondered if he even felt half of the heart ache you were going through. by the way eve was still hanging around him, even after the argument, you were starting to doubt it.
the more the investigation ensured, the more you and avery grew suspicious of eve. though whenever you thought you had a smidge of proof, it never followed through. it only succeeded in making you look like the villainous ex girlfriend and eve the innocent protagonist.
you and grayson were in a forced proximity when you had to investigate the wine cellar, along with avery and jameson. it was an awkward situation for all four of you, especially pertaining to the event with avery and grayson. but nonetheless, it proved to be useful because the final clue was hidden in the crystals of the chandelier. 'DON'T TRUST ANYONE'
you shouldn't had been so surprised that it was another vague message.
after critical thinking, you and avery came to the same conclusion - eve. the game started with her, she had to be the one tobias was warning about.
however, jameson and grayson weren't convinced by the conviction. both inferring that it would've stated 'her' instead of 'anyone'. but you persisted, avery backing you up.
jameson sighed, "i think recent events are affecting your judgment, y/n." you were taken aback by the claim, especially it coming from jameson. hadn't he been suspicious of her as well?
"i'm not acting out of jealousy. the old man knew of her, even made a plan in the event she arrived to the mansion, yet failed to mention her to anyone. why is that?"
"y/n." grayson spoke to you for the first time in awhile, "this isn't like you to act so rash. if you gave evie a chance-"
"evie? what, you guys have fucking pet names for each other now? don't you see how she's played you since the beginning!"
"y/n, you're not thinking straight."
you shake your head, "no, i don't think it's ever been clearer than right now. so, i'm going to give you one last chance grayson. to, for once, take my side over eve's. because if you don't, you're going to lose me."
there was silence, a hairpin being dropped could be heard. grayson put his head down and said nothing. and yet, it told you everything. you laughed at yourself for expecting a different outcome.
you scoffed with a humorless grin, turned around and walked away. you heard avery call out for you, but you ignored it. you didn't want to see the pity she'd have in her eyes after that embarrassing debacle.
you made it all the way to your room before crying into your pillow. you finally got the answer of whether or not it was over. the pain of the night at the pool seemed like an easy feat to face compared to your anguish now.
when you calmed down a few hours later, you looked out the window and saw the pool. a flashback of pain seared in you at first, but then you noticed something peculiar you failed to notice before. there was a part of the tiles that weren't aligned with the rest. you likely would miss it if you were close to it, but from far away it was noticeable.
something inside you told you to investigate. maybe it was the need for a distraction, but you followed your gut, not even stopping to change attire.
once getting to the pool, you jump straight in to create enough force to reach the bottom of the pool more efficiently. there, you observed the tile for a second before attempting to move it. nothing happened, and you readied yourself to get a breath of air -but suddenly, a key popped out from a compartment under the tile. you got it and returned to the surface.
without the chlorine in your eyes, you were able to immediately know where to put the key to use; the chapel tobias built for nan hawthorne. you rushed there, not caring for how soggy your hair and clothes were.
luckily, nan wasn't anywhere in sight. you rushed to the statue in the center of the room and eyed it for a moment before finding the intended target, the statue's mouth. you fit the key inside and wiggled it around before hearing that 'click' to let you know it was unlocked. a second later, a small plate popped out and with it it contained a usb. you'd never been prouder of yourself for figuring out one of tobias's stupid puzzles without avery's help.
you pulled out your phone and pressed on avery's contact, and started ringing her. she picked up in an instant, "hello?"
"avery! you won't believe it i-"
your sentence was rudely cut off due to your phone being shot of your hand. by a bullet.
you gasped and snapped your head to the entrance of the chapel. you saw the gun at once and its owner; eve.
"sorry, i think you're going to need a new phone," she says innocently.
you let out a cheerless laugh, "i knew it, you psycho bitch!" obviously not the best choice of words to say to the person pointing a gun at you, but god, did it feel good to be right about eve.
eve rolled her eyes, "i suppose you did, but it wasn't like anyone believed you. i'll admit you and avery almost, just almost, got me. but eventually, i was able to fool her too. now give me the usb and i won't shoot you." she got you there.
you gripped the usb tightly in your palm, "why do you want it?"
"i'm getting what's owed to me, what was taken from my family by that stupid old man. god, was it easy to infiltrate the hawthornes. especially grayson." you flinched at the mention of his name and eve took note of it.
she laughs, "right, he's your boyfriend- i mean ex-boyfriend, oops." there's no sincerity in that apology. "you know, when i heard you two were dating i was prepared to work twice as hard to get his attention.. but it was proven unnecessary because as soon as i stepped on hawthorne mansion - i had him." ouch.
"enough chatting, now walk over here slowly and hand me the drive." eve commanded, emphasizing the gun in her hands.
where was your bodyguard when you needed him?
you followed her commands, and took slow steps to her. she took on hand off the trigger to open her palm toward you. you made a motion to place the usb in her hand, but then quickly charged at the gun.
you both struggled back and forth, moving the gun. suddenly, the weapon flew out of both of your grasps and landed in front of the angel statue.
with the usb situated in your pocket, you ran to retrieve it, but eve was quick and tackled you from behind, causing you both to land on the ground. you were both rolling up and down the aisle, trying to get the upper hand. eve roughly situated herself ontop of your waist, immobilizing you. then her hands slithered to your neck and squeezed hard.
it was getting harder to breathe, but you were a fighter. your armed flayed at her, grabbing whatever was closest. as a last resort, you clawed at her face.
"bitch." you mutter as your nails scratch across her face.
it worked, eve howled in pain and retracted her hands from your neck. you briskly shoved her off your body. having little energy from the lack of oxygen, you still take your chance and crawl toward the gun. but eve had recovered, and dragged you back by your heel. 'talk about karma' you thought.
you're crazily moving your feet to shrug eve's hands off as you continue to painfully crawl. but suddenly the gun is lifted off the ground, both you and eve look up to see grayson now clutching the gun. you're both relieved and worried.
you stand up on your feet, eve does the same. grayson waves the gun toward both of you and both hold your hands in front of your forms.
"gray, thank god you're here. i came here looking for a clue, and found a usb, but then y/n showed up.. s-she took the usb from me then pulled out a gun and tried to kill me." her voice was no longer diabolical, now it was full of vulnerability and fear.
"grayson, she's lying, she almost killed me!"
"y/n's been working with vincent blake, she plans on giving that usb to him."
"oh, you little liar!"
"look at what she did to my face!" eve points at the bloody scratch on her face, starting from her left eyebrow and ending at her lip.
grayson eyes went back and forth in observing both you and eve. the gun was pointed in the middle, still deciding its target.
his eyes landed on yours, as does the gun. "y/n. give me the usb." your stomach drops.
"grayson." you plead.
"y/n. now." he held his hand out. you knew that tone. it meant 'no room for argument'.
if he didn't believe in you even now, then you had no choice. you took steps toward him.
"careful, gray, pretended to give the usb to me and then attacked me." eve warned. you shot her a nasty glare.
grayson doesn't say anything and waits for your move. you drop the usb in his hand.
"thank you." you say nothing.
grayson turns his head to eve, "i've always known who to believe." eve smiles at that, "i just had to stall long enough for john to show up."
in an instant, eve is brought down to the floor. oren is behind her, holding her arms behind her back long enough to put handcuffs on her wrist.
you let out a large breath you didn't know you were holding. grayson believed you in the moment that mattered most.
grayson tosses the gun to the ground and engulfs you in a hug. you accept it, and grip onto him like your life depends on it. his hold triggers your emotions, and tears spring out from your eyes. you can't help it when you start crying into his shoulder. he soothes you, cradling his hand on the back of your head.
"im sorry." grayson muttered into your hair. "you were right. i can't let emily rule my life any longer."
"you're an idiot." you say in the midst of tears.
"i am." he agrees
"and i'm still super mad at you."
"i know."
"you're going to have to work really hard to earn my forgiveness, like beg on your knees and hold a boombox outside of my window type stuff." you croak.
"i will, baby." grayson smiles.
for now, you were happy to feel safe and protected in his arms.
bonus:
"is this really necessary?"
"very," avery confirms, "you broke boyfriend code, now your penance must be fulfilled."
"you guys only made up those codes a day ago," grayson counters.
it was true, after the whole eve fiasco grayson was willing to do whatever to earn your forgiveness. you were ready to forgive him, but you also wanted to give him a hard time. it might've been a little evil of you, but you thought it was well deserved. after a girl talk with avery and libby, you came up with a new set of rules you liked to refer to as 'boyfriend code.' inspired by the code the brother share.
"exactly why we ought to use you as an example for future culprits," xander justifies waving a hand in grayson's direction.
grayson groans, looking up at the ceiling, "i love my girlfriend. i'm doing this for my girlfriend." he murmurs to himself.
"that's the spirit" nash cuts in, he lifts his drink up.
avery looks around, "where is y/n, anyway?" she asks.
"here!" you announce, walking out from behind the stage, "i was just preparing the song." you take a seat next to jameson and grin mischievously at grayson, "you'll love it."
graysons eyes narrow, "i have a feeling i won't."
just then, the beginning of a song plays out from the speakers.
grayson eyes widen, and he looks at you, "no."
your smile widens, "oh, yes."
"c'mon gray, we're all waiting." jameson hollers from his seat.
everyone starts egging grayson on, cheering for him to commence.
he takes a deep breath, "guess i have no choice."
as grayson starts to sing the lyrics of "shake it off" by taylor swift, jameson leans over to you.
"gotta say, this is a brilliant punishment for him."
you nod in agreement, "and it'll be even better after when i reveal, i have ten other taylor swift songs for him to perform." specially, 'ME!' was next.
"yikes. remind me to never break boyfriend code."
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f4iry-bell · 13 days
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Grayson x sunshine fem reader??
Mews (Grayson Hawthorne x sunshine!reader)
i hope you like this.
Grayson and her were walking down the park after their lunch together and suddenly she stopped and ran towards the park bench. Grayson was confused but followed her.
“You ran away from me to see this cat?” He asked once he saw what was on the bench.
“It's not a regular cat, Gray! It's chonky!” She exclaimed and picked the cat up. “It's a he” She informs him and starts petting the cat.
“I don't care,” Grayson said. It's true he couldn't care less about the cat's gender, he just wants to spend time with his precious girlfriend who has an obsession with cats.
“Maybe you should,” She said. He had an idea of where this is going, but he's not sure.
“And why is that?” He asked.
She just looked at him with a longing stare and puppy eyes.
“No” He immediately said.
“Please, Gray. He's so adorable!” She points.
“Don't care. I'll get you a new pair of shoes instead. Let's go” He tried compromising her.
“Get me a pair of shoes and let me have this little guy” She pouts as the cat purrs.
“There's nothing little about this thing” He told her. If he lets her have this cat, she'll barely pay any attention to him.
“We’re leaving,” Grayson announced.
“With Mews”
“What— Don't name it!”
“Please, please, please, please”
“Fine,” He mumbled.
“What?” Her eyes widened with joy.
“Don't make me change my mind” She was already kissing his cheeks by the time he was done with his sentence.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you” Her happiness was contagious. He smiled and relaxed.
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Note
Grayson hawthorne x fem!readers period comfort?
Love you <3 !
Grayson Hawthorne x Reader
A/N: Love you too! And thank you for the request!
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You groaned in pain as another cramp shot waves of pain throughout your lower abdomen. Grayson pulled you in even tighter to his chest. He kept a hand on your lower stomach, softly massaging.
You sighed into his arms. Letting your eyes flutter shut, you nuzzled your head into his shoulder. He softly kissed the top of your head.
"Do you want me to go get you anything?" He murmured softly. If you were able to see his face, you would have been able to see the concern was very visible. He cared deeply for you.
You shook your head, "No, just want you." You mumbled against his skin.
Grayson smiled before kissing the top of your head again. He moved his hands to softly rub your lower back. He hates seeing you like this.
"I love you," He mumbled against your hair. He didn't want you to feel like a burden. He knew how your mind got when your hormones were running like this.
You smiled against his skin before pulling back to look at him. Despite the pain in your stomach, he made it all better. Anything was easier to handle with Grayson at your side.
"I love you too," You said softly before once again, curling into his side. He pulled you onto his chest easily, and resumed rubbing your back gently.
The scent of his cologne, the one he got from you for his last birthday, filled your senses as you buried your head into the area between his neck and shoulder. It brought a smile to your face.
It was difficult for you to understand what you had done to deserve him. He always treated you perfectly no matter what. He was always patient when you weren't feeling the best. He was perfect.
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A/N: Sorry it's so short!
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cadiacore · 1 year
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pic credit: @azriels-angels
every day, starting on December 1st, 2022, I will post a fic that correlates with the chosen Taylor Swift songs with different characters from different fandoms!
playlist here!
LINEUP:
❀ anti-hero | poly!nessian x fem!reader {dec.1st}
❀ afterglow | azriel x fem!reader {dec.2nd}
❀ willow | azriel x fem!reader {dec.3rd}
❀ i know places | wrath x fem!reader {dec.4th}
❀ the lakes | nash hawthorne x fem!reader {dec.5th}
❀ ivy | poly!nessian x fem!reader {dec.6th}
❀ bigger than the whole sky | ruhn danaan x fem!reader {dec.7th}
❀ starlight | grayson hawthorne x fem!reader {dec.8th}
❀ you're on your own, kid | cal calore x fem!reader {dec.9th}
❀ heartbreak prince | wrath x fem!reader {dec.10th}
❀ begin again | cassian x fem!reader {dec.11th}
❀ enchanted | azriel x fem!reader {dec.12th}
❀ love story | cardan greenbriar x fem!reader {dec.13th}
❀ lavender haze | ithan holstrom x fem!reader {dec.14th}
❀ long live | connor holstrom x fem!reader {dec.15th}
❀ paper rings | azriel x fem!reader {dec.16th}
❀ wonderland | cassian x fem!reader {dec.17th}
❀ this is me trying | hunt athalar x fem!reader {dec.18th}
❀ you belong with me | ruhn danaan x fem!reader {dec.19th}
❀ mad woman | nesta archeron x fem!reader {dec.20th}
❀ vigilante shit | azriel x fem!reader {dec.21st}
❀ haunted | tristan flynn x fem!reader {dec.22nd}
❀ tied together with a smile | azriel x fem!reader {dec.23rd}
❀ dear reader | nesta archeron x fem!reader {dec.24th}
❀ long story short | cassian x fem!reader {dec.25th}
*send in some more of your favorite taylor songs and I'll create extra chapters to them*
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azureseacloud · 9 months
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Failed Escape
Grayson x Fem!reader one-shot
Warnings— swearing
Summary—After securing the inheritance, you try to get away before the Hawthornes stop you. Unfortunately, Grayson gets to you before you can get out. Oh, and he’s pissed.
This is my first post on tumblr so yayyy!! I hope I’m doing this right. This is from my AO3, under Azure_Sea_Cloud. Anyway, enjoy!
This was a bad idea. This was my only idea. I couldn’t stay any longer, I had to make my escape. I finally had the money— all 48 billion of it. Straight in my bank account, inherited from someone I had no previous obligations or even interactions with. I, a stranger with no ties to the old man, had been chosen over his three grandsons. To inherit his fortune.
And fuck, they were pissed.
He was pissed.
I tore my thoughts away from him before I was swept up in my feelings. I had the money, now it was time to run. To disappear. To escape. If they came after me I was prepared. I had information now, that I had learned during my time as the Hawethorne’s reluctant guest. Blackmail, if they weren’t able to leave me alone.
I ignored the twinge of guilt I felt at the thought of using their secrets. Of using his secret, the one he had confided in me during a moment of shared trust. Should I really be doing this?
I swept another hand through my hair as I swung a bag over my shoulder. The key I had stolen weighed heavily in my pocket. The light that filtered through the lavish drawn curtains was a grim reminder that I had to hurry. Slipping away under the darkness would have been tremendously easier, but circumstance had not allowed it. They could be coming to confront me any moment now. I had to leave before they could catch me.
Sticking me head out of the door to my room, I scanned the hallway. It was clear, and pausing a moment to listen confirmed there were no sounds of another person. I wasn’t sure where all the Hawthornes were—but luckily for me the only ones that were in this house right now was Xander, Jameson, and him. Grayson.
I strode out into the hallway before I could change my mind, pushing away the thoughts of the second eldest. It was eerie, the way the house was so quiet and every step of mine seemed so loud.
It was relieving to reach the front door at last, with no sight of any of the boys. I breathed a sigh, reaching into my pocket for the brass key.
My hand pressed against the handle as I slid the key in. Through a section of glass around eye level, I could glimpse a small crowd of paparazzi lurking outside. They clutched their cameras, eagerly awaiting for something photo-worthy to happen.
Anxiety clawed at my chest. If I went out there, they would no doubt see me. This would be a massive blow to the Hawthorne’s status—an unrelated girl snatching up their inheritance only to turn and run at the first opportunity. The media would have a field day on tearing their reputation down.
My grip on the door faltered momentarily as I continued staring through the glass. Should I be doing this?
My eyes snapped to movement as a paparazzi raised his camera, interest replacing boredom as he looked straight at where my eyes were peeking. I jerked back. They’d seen me. It was now or never, then it was over and I would be free.
I twisted the key only for a hand to wrap tightly around my wrist and wrench my hand away from the lock, pinning it to the door above my head. My body twisted so my back was against the door as another hand enclosed around my other wrist. I let out a gasp of surprise and shock.
I was met with Grayson, his body close to mine as he pinned me against the door. His piercing grey eyes were narrowed dangerously as he tilted his head to regard me.
His normally pristine blonde hair was bordering on messy, with stray strands hanging down around his eyes. The white button up he was wearing was disheveled and the top few buttons were undone. His grey jacket that matched his slacks had been flung on the rack beside the door, likely moments before he had grabbed me. He must have come through the passage. His sleeves had even been rolled up to his forearms and they flexed as he held an iron grip on my wrists, his hands encircling them like shackles.
My mouth dropped open as my heart accelerated. I’d always dreamt of Gray having me in this position, but under very different circumstances. And now my brain was going haywire as I wondered what it would be like to run my lips along the curve of his collarbone that was peeking out from his shirt. At the same time, my legs felt weak just from the close proximity. Oh, and the fact that he was furious.
“What do you think you’re doing, darling?” The words rolled off his tongue in a controlled way, though there was a menacing edge that was barely concealed.
I swallowed uncomfortably, scrambling to think of something to say. A lie, a distraction, anything.
His gaze dropped down to the bag that had fallen off my shoulder and was now resting at my feet. I could tell that he knew exactly what I had been planning as his grip on my wrists tightened. I forced myself to stay still, even as my body tensed.
His eyes skimmed slowly upward until they reached mine again. Only then did my tongue seem to loosen.
“Listen, Gray, I’m sorry but—“
“Don’t,” he growled, cutting me off. “Don’t call me that like we are friends.”
“Grayson-“
“Was this your plan all along? To use me, my brothers—all of us—then steal our inheritance? You didn’t really care about me—us. This was all some elaborate scheme of yours. You planned it from the start.” Grayson was leaning in close, his face so close to mine. The scariest part was that he was quiet, his voice sharp but not angry and loud.
With each breath my chest tightened. His shin was flush against my knee and his grip was not loosening. I didn’t say anything. How could I even explain it? What could I say that would make this better, that would make him feel better? I didn’t mean to hurt him? That I hadn’t faked any of my moments with him? He wouldn’t believe any of it anyway.
So I settled with matching his own hostility instead.
“There’s paparazzi outside,” I said quietly, making my voice as cold and emotionless as I could. “I doubt they would have a hard time stirring whispers of, unappealing actions against your name, Mr Hawthorne, should they snap a picture through the door. I’m sure they’ll also find it very strange for me to be sighted here ready to leave only for me to never make it outside.”
He narrowed his eyes, betrayal and darkness lurking in their depths, alongside a calculating cold.
“Are you threatening me?” He asked slowly as he shifted his weight to his one arm above my head, leaning in closer still and tilting his head so he could whisper in my ear. “You are not in control here. And I am certainly not letting you run away, Miss L/n.”
I took shallow breaths, tensing as a small shiver of fear—or maybe even desire—trickled down my spine.
Grayson used his other hand to reach into his jacket pocket from where it rested on the rack. Metal glinted as he withdrew what he was looking for without ever breaking eye contact. At the last second my eyes darted over to see what it was.
Handcuffs. What the fuck?
“What are you doing?”
Grayson smirked, opening one section of the slim metal band. I reacted slowly, too stunned at what he was doing, that gave him enough time to let go of my wrists with his other hand and fluidly slip the cuff on one of my wrists. It closed with a smug snick.
I tried to push Gray away, but he kept his grip on my wrist and spun me around , locking the other side of the cuff around the clothing rack.
It all happened so fast. He must have planned that.
“Grayson, what the hell?” I growled, tugging at the restraint. The rack was solid metal, some kind of artistic piece, and barely moved. Pulling at it with my other hand, I tried to slip my wrist out but the shackle was too tight.
He shrugged, casually unrolling his sleeves. “We shared our darkest secrets with you, and you break our trust by running away the first chance you have. I’m not going to let you go and destroy the reputation I have worked so hard to build. You don’t get to run away with the fortune that should be mine.”
He smoothed out his shirt and buttoned it up all the way.
“You can’t keep me here. That’s not how this works.” I said defiantly, but I wasn’t so sure. I’d never seen Grayson like this, so unhinged and betrayed. I hadn’t wanted it to end like this.
I watched as he slid on the jacket then ran a hand through his messy hair until it was neater. He did another quick check of the paparazzi waiting outside. What was he going to do?
I had my answer when he grabbed the side of the cuff that was attached to the stand. He unlocked it, then slipped the key into his jacket’s inside pocket. Then he closed the metal around his own wrist.
I stared, open-mouthed, at Grayson as he slid his sleeve over the cuff. No words could seem to leave my mouth—why would he do this? I’d never seen this side of him before, the side beneath all his charm and charisma.
Grayson tapped my cuffed hand with his, catching my stare with a calculating look of his own, a sly smirk hinting at the edge of his mouth. He tugged at the jumper sleeve until it covered the cuff, then grabbed my hand in his. The contact jolted me out of the shock and I finally managed to find words.
“Grayson what the hell are you doing?” His hand was surprisingly soft and wrapped around mine perfectly.
He sighed loudly, running his free hand through his hair one final time. “You and I are going for a drive.”
“A drive to where?” I demanded.
His grey eyes met mine. “Somewhere we can talk, privately.”
He lowered his head, whispering in my ear. “Now be a good girl and play along. You do that, darling, and I’ll let you go.”
Heat rushed to my face and a quiet gasp escaped me. Holy shit.
I barely had time to linger on his words and how they made me feel when Gray flung open the doors and strolled out, tugging me along at his side.
The paparazzi pointed and began lining up shots as soon as they saw the two of us. I looked up at Grayson to see a smile on his face and none of the betrayal that had been so clear just moments before.
“Smile love,” he said quietly, not taking his eyes off the press. I smiled bashfully—it was easier than I thought, considering the cool metal that enclosed my wrist.
I could get out of here easily. All it would take is for me to show the handcuff, and Grayson would be caught. His reputation destroyed. I would be free.
I couldn’t do it.
His words from the doorway lingered in my head and I fought back a blush. I didn’t want him to know the effect those words, his words, had on me. I knew it would be hard to leave him behind, but now, when I could easily escape, I didn’t want to. Shit.
I had played him, and now he was playing me, just as effortlessly. And I liked it.
The wave of cameras and thrown questions passed in a rapid blur. We pushed through them, smiling and nodding, but politely declining any questions.
We finally cleared the wave of paparazzi and reached a black BMW that had pulled up. I guessed this was our ride, from the way Grayson guided me to it.
This was my last chance to escape, to run and get away. Freedom was so close. But was it freedom at all?
“That’s a good girl,” Grayson said in a low voice, as I slid into the car with him.
I had made my choice.
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ilyiwdtpyiwmyhmtkys · 13 days
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Grayson hawthorne x sunshine fem reader please? I feel like it would be very cute
heyy i don't do x reader loll i'm just like really bad at it
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kaldurahms-lover · 3 years
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Paper Rings || Grayson Hawthorne x Reader
Pairing: Grayson Hawthorne x Fem Reader (she/her pronouns), pre-established relationship
Warnings: fluff, pet names (love, darling, princess), shitty writing, grayson probs being out of character, as usual for me: probably too much straight dialogue
Word Count: 173 words
A/N: based on the song paper rings by Taylor Swift, rumors have been going around that a certain Grayson Hawthorne is planning on proposing to his girlfriend, n/n=nickname
Tag List: @eccedentesiastlife @apinkfied @averykyliegrambs @s1xthirty
Y/N had been drinking. That was the first thought that entered Grayson’s mind when she stumbled in giggling, interrupting his conversation with Avery and Jameson.
"Y/N? Are you okay, love?"
"I think i am" she slurred with a smile as she stumbled into him a bit.
"You know Gray, I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings"
"Is that so?"
"uh-huh, thats right, you're the one i want."
Grayson smiled as she paused
"I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this"
"You're drunk darling"
"am not!"
"yes you are, come on, lets get you to bed N/N"
"only if you stay in bed with me"
"that's fine by me, you just need to get some rest."
"okayyyy"
After taking Y/N to her room, and the both of them putting on some more comfortable clothes, they crawled under the covers.
"Hey Gray?"
"Yes, Y/N?"
"I love you"
"I love you too princess, now go to sleep, you're going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning."
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mrswarnerxo · 1 day
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guys ive decided. I’M FONNA POST A GRAYSON HAWTHORNE FANFIC SERIES ON HERE (though it’ll be a little short and slow ass updates because of exams (IM SO CLOSE I JUST NEED A FEW MORE WEEKS TILL SCHOOL ENDS COME ON) and because of laziness and my books tho)
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berystraw · 3 months
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LOVE LEAVES SCARS: INTRODUCTION
Sypnosis: In which! Due to a letter calling her to go back to Texas Verity Rosewood goes back to the place she spent years trying to forget. While she is there, she tries to reconnect with the people she left. Her family, friends, and especially the person she loved most.
[L.L.S Masterlist] [M. Masterlist] [G.H Masterlist]
Case file #1:
[Name]: Verity Rosewood
[Nickname(s)]: Veri
[Age]: 20
[Date of birth]: August 22, 2000
[Gender]: Female
[Sexuality]: Bisexual
[Eye color]: Brown eyes
[Hair color]: auburn
[Height]: 5'6
[Date of birth]: September 15, 2002
[Playlist]: Top of my school 【Katherine Lynn-Rose】 Pov 【Ariana Grande】 You're on your own kid 【Taylor Swift】 Brutal 【Olivia Rodrigo】 Little Miss Perfect 【Write out loud】Lose you to love me 【Selena Gomez】 All I want 【Olivia Rodrigo】 Dollhouse 【Melanie Martinez】 Be myself 【Why don't we】 I wanna be yours 【Arctic Monkeys】 Consequences【Camila Cabello】 Mess it up 【Gracie Abrams】 Control 【Halsey】 Elastic Heart【Sia】Applause 【Lady Gaga】 Thumbs 【Sabrina Carpenter】 In my mind 【Lyn Lapid】 Happier than Ever 【Billie Eilish】 Not strong enough【Boy genius】 If Only 【Dove Cameron】
Case File #2
[Name]: Grayson Hawthorne
[Nickname(s)]: Gray
[Age]: 19
[Date of birth]: August 23, 2001
[Gender]: Male
[Sexuality]: heterosexual
[Eye color]: pale gray
[Hair color]: blonde
[Height]: 6'0
[Playlist]: Looking at me【sabrina carpenter】Can I be him【James Arthur】Labyrinth 【Taylor Swift】Daddy Issues【The neighborhood】Ador You【Harry Styles】If I killed someone for you【Alec Benjamin】Man of the House【Marilyn Hucek】Money, Power, Glory【Lana Del Ray】I bet in losing dogs【Mitski】Angels like you【Miley Cyrus】Surface pressure【Jessica Darrow】People Watching【Conan Gray】I ain't perfect【IV of spades】Mistakes like this【Prelow】Mirror ball【Taylor Swift】Favorite crime【Olivia rodrigo】Feelin good【Michael Bublé] Lay all your love on me【ABBA】All of the girls you've loved before【Taylor Swift】Set fire to the rain【Adele】
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Verity Rosewood
—The one who absquatulated
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"I never wanted to leave, but I had to. For me."
Being the heir of the Rosewood family, Verity has been training and learning how to manage her family's company even at such a young age. She went to different kinds of classes, may it be public speaking classes, business management, dance classes, and many more. She had to be different, to be perfect. The pressure of being the best and perfect heir was exhausting, but she had her friends, right? The Hawthorne brothers have helped her cope with all the pressure and stress her family and everyone else pressed on her. She thought she could handle it, but everyone had their breaking points.
Grayson Hawthorne
—The Heir Apparent
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"And that made me hate you even more."
Grayson had been considered as the "Heir apparent" of the family for as long as he remembered. As a Hawthorne, he was taught many things, and that included never showing emotion. He had to learn how to not cry or show signs of weakness. Being one of the oldest siblings didn't help with that at all. In fact, it just added even more pressure on him. Having to be the older and more responsible brother out of the rest. It was difficult. Trying to make yourself look as if you're not broken. He is broken and hurt, yet he makes sure not to show anyone even a second of his true emotions. He was not raised to be like that.
Verity + Grayson
—The never ending story
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"In this toxic and suffocating world, we had each other."
The friendship of the Rosewood and the Hawthorne family has lasted for years now. So Verity being friends with the Hawthorne grandchildren was no such mystery. The group was always seen together during classes, tea time, playing outside on the grounds, or even skipping classes together. They were inseparable, but there were 2 children in the friend group that were much closer with each other than the rest; Verity and Grayson. The two consider each other as their safe places, the person who brings comfort to each other. Due to the pressure of their families, both of them really understood each other and considered one another as the place that they could bring down their walls and become their true selves. They felt safe, comforted, and peaceful in the presence of each other. Because for once, they felt as if they had one place they didn't have to pretend as if they're perfect.
[Playlist]: Back to December【Taylor Swift】Play date【Melanie Martinez】Tattoos forever【lauv】Love song【Why don't we】Make you mine【Public】Somebody to you【The Vamps】You and I 【One direction】That way【Tate McRae】Runaway【Aurora】If the world was ending【JP Saxe, Julia Michaels】Your name hurts【Hailee Steinfeld】Why's you only call me when you're high【Arctic Monkeys】Talk too much【Coin】Overdrive【Conan Gray】The one that got away【Katy Perry】House of memories【Panic! At the disco】Back to you【Selena Gomez】Midnight Memories【One direction】Still the one【One direction】Lover【Taylor Swift】The way I love you【Taylor Swift】Favorite crime【Olivia Rodrigo】I love you so【The walters】WYD now 【Sadie Jean】Somewhere only we know【Keane】Afterglow【Taylor Swift】Kiss it better【Rihanna】Kidult【Seventeen】No one can fix me【Frawley】Fall for you【Sarah Kang, Jesse Berrera】Remember that night【Sara Kays】
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berystraw · 2 months
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Love Leaves Scars: New hope
[L.L.S Masterlist] | [Main Masterlist] | [G.H Masterlist]
Warning: none
Pairing: oc!reader x Grayson Hawthorne
W.C: 1.8k
Note: FINALLY, THE FIRST CHAPTER IS RELEASED! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter. I wanted you all to meet Verity before the boys get mentioned! It's been a while since I last created a story, so please bear with me!!! I promise to try and update faster next time😔
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As a child, I was never doted on. So clearly, being independent and acting older despite such a young age would become the result of it. "No Rosewood was once a child." My father would always say to me. Thus, living alone at the age of 18 never became a problem.
" 'Not a problem,' you say, look at this mess, Veri!" The high-pitched voice of Asnid echoes in the room. "This is not a mess, Asnid," I tell her, swatting her hand from grabbing the papers scattered on my desk. "Will you look at this place, Verity? It's a total jungle in here. I don't understand how you call this your 'ideas room'," Asnid says, crossing her arms in front of her and putting on a disapproving look.
To me, she looked hilarious. I could never take her glares seriously with how small she looked. She looked like an oompa loompa trying to prevent you from taking their precious cacao beans. No offence, Asnid.
"It's organised for me," I snickered at her. The way she rolled her eyes and scoffed in irritation caused a small laugh to pass through my lips.
"I couldn't stay here anymore, goodbye!" She huffs in defeat before stomping out the door and towards the kitchen. To be honest, the whole place is a mess. But for some unknown reason, it helps me think more. Constantly worrying about the organization is much more infuriating than having a messy place.
I clenched my eyes shut and took deep breaths to calm me down and clear my head. I grab my headphones from my desk and place them on my head. A playlist I made to help me concentrate on my work blaring in my ears. I grab my drawing pencil and my sketchpad to sketch my desired portrait, the music drowning out all the noises that would prevent me from focusing. For once, I felt calm and relaxed.
I hardly noticed the time and how late it was not until Asnid told me it was almost midnight. As soon as I peeked at my clock, I immediately realized how tired I was. Without a second thought, I gathered the materials used and secured the painting I'd be presenting to my art professor. I bid Asnid good night before retiring to my bedroom.
A sigh escaped my lips as I finally felt the relaxing comfort of my bed. I close my eyes in hopes of removing all possible thoughts that would disrupt my peaceful sleep, and with one final sigh, I let sleep envelop me in its warm, soothing embrace.
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I could feel the sun peeking through my blinds and hitting my skin. The birds quietly chirp from outside. My bed felt so warm and cosy to the point that I barely even wanted to get up. I opened my eyes and allowed myself a few moments to adjust to the lighting before looking over my shoulder to check the time. 8:34.
"Verity!" As if on cue, my bedroom door flies open, revealing Asnid with her hair looking like a literal bird's nest and still in pyjamas. We both stared at each other with wide eyes. "WE'RE LATE!" We both yelled out loud. Asnid ran out and ran to her bedroom while I jumped off my bed and ran towards my bathroom. I could hear the clock ticking with every passing second, which made me even more agitated. With 15 minutes remaining, I dashed out of my bedroom and school clothes all disordered. My skirt was sideways, half of the buttons on my blouse were unbuttoned, and my tie was just messily thrown around my neck. My backpack gripped in hand, I sprinted towards my ideas room and grabbed my painting before leaving.
"Everything ready?" I asked Asnid, who was frantically fixing her hair in the mirror near the door. She nodded her head, and we both ran towards her car. "Don't go too fast, you might crash," I tell her while buckling my seat belt. She gives me a nod before driving out of the driveway.
My heart pounds against my chest. 1 minute. I run as fast as I can. My legs burn as I continue to run to the art room. I silently pray that I make it in time. "Almost there," I tell myself while panting. I ran down the hallway to the art room before one of the doors opened, and Ms Hudgins, the English professor, walked out with a cup of coffee in hand and a stack of papers in the other.
Before I could even stop myself, I collided with her. Everything felt like it was in slow-mo. Her papers and cup of coffee were thrown in the air with my canvas. She let out a scream while we both fell to the floor. I watch as Ms. Hudgin's coffee spills on the canvas and the floor.
I sat on my heel and stared at the now-ruined painting in pain. My chances of getting into Yale were ruined.
"Miss Rosewood! What were you thinking running in the halls!" Miss Hudgin's piercing voice echoes throughout the hallway. I open my mouth to answer her, to give her a valid reason, but nothing comes out. Not even a single sound. I continue to stare at my ruined painting. What am I going to tell Mr. Rivera?
After Miss Hudgings had calmed down, she only gave me a warning to not run in the halls and ordered me to clean up the mess in the hallway to which I obeyed not wanting to get into more trouble than I already was. I walked into the art room with my shoulders slouched and a blank expression.
Mr. Rivera stops midway through his sentence. From what I understood, he was explaining the result of our last project for his class. The last project that I just ruined mere moments ago. He turns his attention to me just like everyone else.
"Miss Rosewood, glad you could join us today," His voice didn't hint at any kind of sarcasm or disappointment. His usual soft and kind smile plastered on his face. Mr. Rivera had been teaching at Branford College for over 30 years now, and his experience could be seen in his features. For a 50-year-old teacher, he still looked 10 years younger. A few wrinkles adorned his face, and all of them became very evident when he smiled, which is very often.
Most teachers at his age are strict and harsh towards their students, but he was the exact opposite. He was kind and gentle towards his students, which was the reason why he was so loved by his students not only by the art majors.
"Please sit down, Miss Rosewood. Ah! Before that, may I please see your artwork?" He asked, extending his hand. My heart clenches because of this. "I'm sorry, I don't have it," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. I thought that I didn't even say it with how quiet it was.
"What did you say, dear?" He asks, lowering his head slightly to reach my height. "I don't have it," I say a little louder this time. He looks directly into my eye and gives a nod. "Stay after class, Verity. Let's worry about your project later," He instructed and gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze before allowing me to take my seat.
He goes back to talking while I take my seat. I felt uncomfortable. It felt like there were thousands of eyes looking at me right now. I hear them talking in whispers, which I try to drown out. I try not to look at any of them for fear of seeing their faces. I could just imagine it. Their faces turn into an expression that gives away their thoughts about you. Their disappointment and disgustment.
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Later on, the bell rings, indicating the end of the subject. Students around me gather their things while I continue to sit in my seat, barely moving and paying attention to anything or anyone. As soon as the last student walks out the door, I stand up and walk over to Mr. Rivera. "Sir," I start, but he just raises his hand, signalling me to stop, and I do.
"What happened, Verity?" He asked, and I lowered my head in shame. I could hear the disappointment in his voice now. "You said you were almost done when I last asked you about your progress. What happened?" My lips tremble, and I fear that if I speak, the tears that are threatening to fall from my eyes will all come running down my face.
"I am quite disappointed, Verity," He says. There it is. The words that I feared he would say. My heart drops to my stomach. Disappointment is an understatement. "I'm sorry," I sobbed while bringing my hand to stop the tears from flowing down but failed miserably. Mr. Rivera took a box of tissues out of his drawers and pushed them towards me, which I thankfully took. "I finished it, I promise. It's just that I woke up late, and then I crashed into Ms. Hudgins and her coffee went all over the canvas," I explained. It was hard to speak with all the sobs and hiccups that kept escaping my mouth. I bet I looked pathetic crying in front of him.
There was a moment of silence on his end. The only thing that could be heard in the room was my sniffling and the occasional hiccups. "I believe that you have finished your project in time, Miss Rosewood. Accidents are bound to happen," He comforted me. He lets out a sigh before continuing, "I am giving you the chance to prove yourself worthy of receiving the same grade I would have given you if you had passed your last project," my head jerks up at his words. "R-really?" I asked him, not believing his words. "Yes, but if you think this is some easy project, you have gravely mistaken," He adds.
"I am giving you until the end of the school year to pass a painting that answers this question, "Who are you?". If you succeed in answering this question, then you shall pass, but if not, you are to have a failed mark on your card. Do you understand me, Miss Rosewood?" I smiled and nodded, accepting his challenge. "You may leave now, Miss Rosewood. You wouldn't want to miss lunch, do you?" Mr. Rivera says. I smiled brightly at him before packing my things to leave.
Hope washed over me at the thought that I would still be able to get into Yale. I walk towards the cafeteria and eat with Asnid.
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The rest of the day was all a blur to me. All that I could ever think of was what to do for my project. I wouldn't let Mr. Rivera down. Not this time.
As Asnid and I arrived at our apartment hours later. I was beyond exhausted that I faceplanted myself on the living room couch as soon as we both got in. "Hey Vers," Asnid taps on my shoulder. I hummed in response, not in the mood to lift my head from the couch.
"You got a letter,"
"From who," my voice muffled by the couch's cushion.
"Tobias Hawthorne,"
21 notes · View notes
berystraw · 30 days
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Love Leaves Scars: The Wild West
[L.L.S Masterlist] | [Main Masterlist] | [G.H Masterlist]
Warning: None
Pairing: Oc!Reader × Grayson Hawthorne
W.C: 1.2k
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It has been a few weeks since Tobias visited my home, and he hasn't returned since. I'm relieved that he hasn't. That evening, I found it difficult to hold back my tears. What made it worse was discovering the letter he left behind. Like the previous one, I tore it into pieces and discarded it. I refuse to read it and be manipulated by him once again.
Right now, I'm sitting in class, pretending to listen to whatever the teacher is talking about. Images of finding Tobias Hawthorne in my living room keep flashing in my mind, making it challenging to focus on anything. I glance at the clock nailed to the wall above the whiteboard. Thirty minutes until 1 o'clock. Just thirty more minutes until lunch.
"Attention, Ms. Rosewood. Please come to the Principal's office," a woman's voice announces over the speaker.
All the students' attention, as well as the teacher's, shifts toward me. I notice the teacher stops talking and puts down his marker. "Miss Rosewood," he calls out, grabbing my attention. I start to hear everyone else whispering to each other. I close my notebook, grab my backpack, and walk out of the door. 
Being called to the principal's office is a rare occurrence for me. I try to maintain a low profile and stay out of trouble as much as possible. Having the last name Rosewood already attracts enough attention—I don't need any more of it.
The hallways are mostly empty, except for some students transitioning between classes. Most stare, while others pay no mind to me. The principal's office is located at the end of the hall. Before I know it, I'm standing in front of the door. I feel the cold doorknob in my hand, take a deep breath, exhale, and twist the knob, opening the door.
As I step into the room, a blast of cold air from the air conditioner hits me. The walls are entirely white, devoid of any other color. It resembles a doctor's office to me. Cushioned chairs are arranged along the side, and two chairs are placed in front of the principal's desk. However, the principal is absent. In the meantime, I decide to make myself comfortable.
I let my eyes wander around the room. There's a picture of the principal's family sitting on his desk. His gold-plated name shines on the desk, indicating his meticulous cleaning habits. A bookshelf occupies the left corner of his office, filled with books mostly from 19th-century authors and biographies of unfamiliar people. I spend a few minutes in the silence, patiently waiting for the principal.
Then, I hear the lock on the door click open. I stand up and turn, ready to greet the principal in our school's traditional way. "Good after—" I stop mid-sentence. My eyes widen, and my body freezes as I stare at the person standing before me. I can't move or even breathe. It's as if some kind of magic has immobilized me. All I can do is stare in shock. And the reason? Standing next to Mr. Harlow is none other than Nash Westbrook Hawthorne, the eldest grandson of Tobias Hawthorne, wearing his stupid cowboy hat.
"Miss Rosewood, will you just stare at me and my visitor all day long?" Mr. Harlow says, snapping me out of my trance. I shake my head and continue what I was about to say. "Good afternoon, Mr. Harlow and visitor," I say, leaning forward to give them a bow. Bowing while greeting is one of the traditions at Red Crest International College. "Good afternoon to you too, Miss Rosewood," Mr. Harlow replies before gesturing for Nash and me to sit down. He walks behind his desk, takes a seat, folds his hands, and leans slightly forward.
"I've been wanting to speak to Verity alone, Principal Harlow," Nash says in his thick Texas accent. Mr. Harlow appears somewhat surprised, but he quickly covers it up with a cough. It seems being kicked out of his office does not excite him. "Very well, Mr. Hawthorne. You may see me when you are finished," he says, then slowly exits the room. I continue staring forward, not acknowledging Mr. Harlow or Nash. We both hear the doorknob click, indicating Mr. Harlow has left the office.
Nash waits for about 30 seconds before speaking up. "How are—" he begins, but I quickly cut him off. "What are you doing here?" I ask, my tone harsh, and I notice him flinch from my peripheral vision. I still refuse to look directly at him. He remains silent, likely expecting another verbal blow. "If you're going to ask me to come home, I won't do it. So save your breath and leave," I tell him. "I can't do that," he replies. "There's nothing a Hawthorne can't do."For the first time since we sat down, I turned to Nash. His soft brown eyes were already fixed on me, pleading for my attention. "The old man's dead, Verity," he revealed.
I was taken aback. No remorse or sadness washed over me. Perhaps deep down, they lingered, but I refused to acknowledge them. Tobias Hawthorne didn't deserve my tears not my pity. "My condolences, Nash. To your family as well. If that's all you've come to say, then you've said it. Now, please, leave me be." I stood up abruptly, snatching my bag. I was ready to walk out, but Nash seized my wrist.
"You need to come home," he insisted once more, his grip firm.
"I will never return there," I snapped, wrenching my wrist free and striding toward the door. Just as I reached for the doorknob, Nash's voice pierced the air again. "Your name is written on the will. We can't decipher it unless everyone's present," he revealed.
His words ignited a fire within me. All the anger and hatred I had suppressed since laying eyes on him now erupted. "You want me to come home for your ludicrous will reading? So you can inherit billions from that madman?" I shouted, my bag crashing to the floor as I confronted Nash head-on. "You are as selfish and arrogant as your grandfather," I sneered, my finger jabbing at his chest.
Our faces were mere inches apart, and through his eyes, I saw my reflection—a visage filled with anger. The anger wasn't reflected in his eyes, but in my own. I resembled my mother. The woman I swore not to become. Yet here I am. 
I stepped back, maintaining the distance between us. Nash continued to gaze at me, his eyes still soft, filled with concern and worry. He reached out to hold my hand, but I recoiled, refusing to let his touch affect me. "I have no interest in the money," he assured me, his voice gentle. He wanted me to believe that the inheritance or any wealth he might acquire wasn't the reason behind his plea. "You'll only be there for the will reading, and once it's done, you can go home. I promise to shield you from any further disruptions," he vowed. I looked up at him, searching for sincerity.
"Besides, you're not the only non-Hawthorne —except for the Laughlins and Oren—named in the will," Nash revealed, and my curiosity was piqued. Why would Tobias Hawthorne name an outsider in his will? "Who else?" I inquired.
"A girl named Avery Kylie Grambs."
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berystraw · 1 month
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Love Leaves Scars: Wounds Re-opened
[L.L.S Masterlist] | [Main Masterlist] | [G.H Masterlist]
Warning: none
Pairinh: Oc!Reader × Grayson Hawthorne
W.C: 1.7k
Note: IM SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! It was exams, and I couldn't find the right time to post😭 BUT HERE IT ISSS!!!
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I felt as if all the blood had been completely drained from my body. My chest tightened, and my heart started pounding loudly within my chest. I could hear its thumping in my ears. I felt myself stop breathing, and I knew it wasn't because my head was buried against the couch's mattress.
"Vers, are you alright?" Asnid asked, gently pushing my head up from the couch. Her eyes brimmed with concern and worry. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she chewed on her lips, a habitual gesture when she was anxious. Placing a tender hand on my head, she softly stroked my hair, attempting to soothe my nerves.
I never understood Asnid's ability to calm me down with a simple touch of her fingertips. It was as though she possessed some kind of superpower. Gradually, my breathing began to steady, and a sense of calm washed over me. We sat in silence, and she continued to stroke my head in a soothing manner.
Once I regained my composure, Asnid's question resurfaced in my mind. Tobias Hawthorne. A name I hadn't heard in the past three years. I had stopped following the news, fearing the mention of his name or my family's. It was fortunate that Asnid and I rarely watched the news.
"Are you okay now?" Asnid inquired, her comforting gestures never ceasing. I nodded faintly, and her hand gently rested on mine. "You should read it; it might be important," she suggested, taking my hand and placing the envelope in my palm. Planting a tender kiss on my forehead, she gave me a soft smile and left to change into her room.
As soon as I heard her door close, my gaze fell upon the envelope in my hand. Should I read it? Should I leave it unopened? Why had he suddenly reached out after three years? I sat there in silence, uncertain of my next move. In chess, every move must be calculated strategically. One wrong move could lead to losing the game, losing everything you have.
The only sound that filled the room was the ticking of the clock. I had been staring at the envelope for five minutes now. I felt frozen, unsure of what to do. Memories from my younger years flooded my mind. The days Tobias Hawthorne would open his home to me on Saturdays. We would solve riddles and play games with his grandsons. Some days I would win, and some days I would lose. Every Saturday followed the same routine: playing a game, either winning or losing, and receiving a lesson from Tobias on our mistakes.
I mustered the strength to rise from the couch and succeeded. My feet guided me to the kitchen and the trash bin. I had moved on from everything that happened in the past. I had no need for a reminder of that life, the life that had shattered me in ways I never thought possible.
I tore the envelope into pieces, crumpled them in my hand, and tossed them into the trash bin. I stared at the shredded fragments and felt curiosity bubbling up in my chest. Determined, I closed the bin, turned away, and suppressed any hints of regret or curiosity that threatened to consume me. I tossed my backpack into my room, then collapsed onto my bed, drowning out the nagging questions and thoughts in my head with blaring music through my headphones.
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Every Saturday, I received an invitation to Hawthorne House from Tobias Hawthorne himself. Like clockwork, his four grandchildren and I would gather there in the morning to solve the riddles he had prepared for us. Today was no exception. It was a scene of utter chaos.
Nash, Xander, and I watched as Jameson and Grayson tumbled and grappled on the floor. Jameson had suggested a wrestling match, with the key to a locked book we had discovered on the shelf as the prize. "Shouldn't we intervene?" nine-year-old Xander asked. Nash and I shook our heads in response. I uncrossed my arms, removed a hairpin from my hair, and used it to retrieve the book with the help of a stool.
With the hairpin, I skillfully picked the lock, and the book clicked open. Inside, we found nothing but a solitary rook chess piece nestled in a hidden compartment. Grayson and Jameson, having abandoned their feeble wrestling attempt, approached to see the revealed item. "You could have spared us the wrestling match," Grayson remarked, slightly irritated. "I wanted to see a little show," I shrugged, seizing the rook.
"That piece could be from one of the chess sets," Xander observed, examining the chess piece. Before his words had even left his lips, his three older siblings had dashed off. I heard him sigh in annoyance, and his hurried footsteps followed theirs until I could no longer hear it. Clutching the chess piece tightly, I glanced behind me to ensure none of the four Hawthorne children had remained. Then, I darted out the door and made my way to Tobias's study.
Upon entering, I found Tobias seated at his desk, a chessboard spread out before him. "I expected you would be the one to solve it," he said, flashing a faint smile that revealed the wrinkles of age. I took a seat in front of his desk and carefully placed the rook in its designated spot. "White moves first, my dear," he reminded me.
Minutes later, in the midst of our game in Tobias's study, the door burst open, and the four boys stumbled into the room, panting and disheveled. "You're all late. I was beginning to wonder when you would join us," Tobias remarked. "Checkmate," I declared. Tobias glanced down at the chessboard, and once he confirmed my victory, he beamed with pride. "It was a pleasure playing with you, Verity," Tobias said, shaking my hand in congratulations.
I turned to the boys, who still stood there gazing at us. "Well done, kid," Nash congratulated me.
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"Verity? Verity!" I was jolted awake from my slumber by Asnid's voice and her rough shake. "You fell asleep and missed dinner," she informed me. I rubbed my eyes and nodded sleepily, propping my head up with my hand. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned. "Yes, just had a dream," I replied, my voice hoarse. "Well, there's an elderly man in the living room who insists on seeing you," Asnid said, helping me tidy up my disheveled hair.
The drowsiness dissipated from my body the moment those words escaped Asnid's lips. I stared at her, my eyes widening. I felt rooted to the spot, unable to move or speak, stunned by the possibility that it could be him. But it couldn't be, could it? Why would he be here?
"I don't think I'm in the right state to entertain guests right now, Asnid," I told her, feeling the initial shock subside in my body. Countless possible answers to my question raced through my mind. I refused to believe that Tobias Hawthorne would be sitting in the living room of my apartment at this very moment.
"I already told him that, but he's quite stubborn," Asnid replied. That old man is still the same. I sighed and rubbed my temple before giving Asnid a brief nod. "I'll remain here. It seems like you have something important to discuss," she said and sat down on one of the bean chairs in the room. "Don't touch anything while I'm gone," I reminded her before heading towards the living room.
And there he was, resplendent in his presence. I positioned myself a few meters away, deliberately avoiding proximity. I straightened my posture and held my head high, attempting to intimidate him and convey the sense that he was intruding. Yet, I knew Tobias Hawthorne wouldn't be swayed by my actions.
"It's quite impolite to keep your visitors waiting, my dear Verity," his tone remained unchanged from the last time I saw him—still arrogant and self-assured. "You haven't been responding to my letters," he informed me, taking a sip from the drink Asnid had brought him. "I consider them of no importance," I tried to maintain a firm and strong voice. I heard him chuckle, aware of my feeble attempt to appear strong, knowing that he could see through my facade.
"You've grown into a beautiful young woman, my dear. But you've forgotten everything you learned from me," he remarked, placing the cup on the coffee table before him. "Sit," he commanded me. I scoffed at his audacity. How dare he order me around in my own home? "Sit," he repeated, this time with a firm tone, realizing I hadn't complied the first time.
"Why are you here?" I asked him. "I would be delighted to tell you if you choose to sit down instead of standing there like a child on the verge of a tantrum," he responded. Reluctantly, I took a seat in one of the chairs situated at a comfortable distance from him. "Come back home," he said, folding his hands over his knee. I laughed at his feeble attempt to coax me into returning. "Do you think those two simple words would be enough to make me come back home? Am I that easily manipulated in your eyes?" I retorted, feeling offended.
"You are not, but I don't care for begging, Verity. So I am merely asking you to return home," he tried once more. I rolled my eyes and stood up. "Leave," I glared at him with anger in my eyes. "Now," I added, pointing towards the door of my apartment. "You'll change your mind soon enough, my dear," he remarked, and I couldn't help but let out a derisive laugh. "You're not a very skilled seer, Tobias," I told him. "Goodbye, Verity," he bid me. "For now," he added before closing the door behind him. I heard his footsteps recede as he walked away from my apartment, and I felt my knees give way as I collapsed to the floor.
Clutching my chest with both hands, tears streamed down my face. I hadn't realized how much I had wanted to cry until now. I sobbed and gasped for air, my cries echoing through the room. A door creaked open, and Asnid quickly rushed to my side as soon as she spotted me on the carpeted floor. "Take a deep breath, Vers," she enveloped my shaking body in her arms, whispering soothing words in my ear, attempting to calm me. I clung to her clothes, continuing to sob and gasp for air as if it would never be enough to fill my lungs.
What I hadn't noticed at that moment was the envelope lying on the floor in front of the door. T.T.H.
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