Tumgik
#so every few months I have these bursts of being me for a few minutes
five-rivers · 3 days
Text
Cracked Clay Cup Chapter 13
@greatbigolhampuckjustforme
.
“Okay,” said Danny rubbing his hands together.  “I’m going to do the big group next.”
“Group number four?”
“Yeah, them.  Why’re there three of them, anyway?”
“You’ll have to ask them that,” said Clockwork.  “Au jus?”
“Yes, please,” said Danny, reaching for the small bowl of sauce.  “Your sandwiches are always really good.”
“Thank you,” said Clockwork.  “Will you be leaving after lunch, then?”
“Yeah, I think that’ll be best.”  Danny sighed.  “No offense, but I’m kind of going a little bit stir-crazy, being inside all the time.  I didn’t really realize until Pandora said something, but she was right.”
“That’s quite reasonable,” said Clockwork.  “The trial has lasted for nearly a month and a half.”
“Really?  I think I’ve only been with each person for about a week, and there’ve only been four people.  Five, if you count the Observants.”
“Yes, but you’ve spent a good amount of time here as well.  Those in-between days add up.”
“Huh.  I guess so.”  Danny took a bite of his sandwich.  “I guess it sort of snuck up on me.  A month and a half…  So two weeks here.”
“Yes, but please chew with your mouth closed.”
“Oops,” said Danny, covering his mouth.  “Sorry.”
Clockwork nodded and patted Danny absently on the head before making a small sandwich for himself.  They ate together quietly.  
“Three of them, though,” said Danny.  “Are they all together, or something?”
“You will–”
“Have to meet them and find out.  I know, I know.  Should I brush my teeth first?”
Clockwork raised an eyebrow.  
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Danny.  “That’s probably too much effort.  But I should put in some effort, shouldn’t I?”  He nodded.  “Yeah.  Toothbrushing.  Toothbrush.  One minute.”
.
Danny had been in a lot of places over the last month and a half.  A cute little house, two mansions possessed by people with questionable understandings of humanity, a warren of ice caves, an ancient Greek palace, and, of course, Clockwork’s purple place.  He’d imagined a lot of others.  Like open skies, broad fields, mountains, islands… horrible mad science labs…
However, he hadn’t imagined a place like this.
“Um,” he said, looking around the… stage?  Rats' nests of cables were strewn about in every direction, and next to the curtains hunting trophies were hung.  Heads, horns, antlers… hair?  A tail?  Whatever, this was weird, and there didn’t seem to be anyone around.  “Hi?”  He stepped forward over a tangle of cables.  “Hello?  Anyone–”
“BEHOLD!  I, TECHNUS, MASTER OF ALL TECHNOLOGY–”
Danny leaped backwards, to hover over the seating area, startled by the ghost rising out of the cables.  The stage lights came on, spotlights centering on the ghost.  He had long white hair, green skin, sunglasses built into his face, and a tattered lab coat.  
Music blasted out of speakers, rock and roll, screaming guitars, thundering drums and cymbals.  A young, gray-skinned woman with fiery blue hair rose up from under the stage.  She held a guitar painted with blue and pink flames.  
“HEYA, BABYPOP!” she shouted into a microphone that appeared in a burst of fire.  “WELCOME HOME TO MAMA EMBER, YEAH!”
“Hey!” whined the first ghost.  “You said I could do the introductions!”
“I never said that.  You said that.  I was always going to do the intros.  You think I’m going to leave it to you, when you just drone on and on and on and on and–”
“As if you’re any better!”
“I come with a sound track, audio jack,” said Ember.  
“My god, you two are so loud, and you didn’t even bother to introduce me,” said a deep, slightly hollow voice.  Danny startled again, twisting to see a ghost completely covered with silvery armor.  
“I thought you didn’t care about introductions,” said Ember.  She played a quick few chords on her guitars, then continued to use her music to punctuate her words.  “Because big, bad, baddie, bad, hunky, hottie, hunter Skulker doesn’t need an introduction.”  She leaned forward over the guitar.  “His name speaks for him!”  She started laughing so hard she floated up off the stage.  Music continued to blare from the speakers.  
“I, TECHNUS, MASTER OF ALL TECHNOLOGY, CAN TAKE YOUR SO-CALLED MUSIC OFF THE AIR!”
“We’re not even on the air!”
“I can’t believe I’m associated with these two idiots,” said Skulker.  
“I’d like to know how you’re associated with me,” said Danny, trying to smooth down his fur.  
“Isn’t it obvious, babypop?” asked Ember.  “We’re you’re parents!  Yeah!”  
“Uh,” said Danny, looking at the very strange trio.  “I don’t know about the other two, but aren’t you a little… young for that?”  She couldn’t be all that much older than Jazz.  
“I’m dead, kiddo.  Son.  Boy.  Little man.  I was a teen mom and all that.  Totally radical rockstar living.”
“With, um,” said Danny.  His eyes slid back and forth between Ember and Skulker.
“Skulker, duh,” said Ember.  “Techy here is Skulker’s boyfriend or whatever.”
“It’s not whatever.  I am his trusted–”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“We’re all dating, except when we’re broken up,” said Skulker, bored.
“Okay,” said Danny.  “So… you’re both…”  He shrugged at them.  
“What does this–” Technus also shrugged, “--mean?”
“I don’t know,” said Danny.  “You tell me.”
“Hm, the amnesia did not do favors for his intelligence!  I liked him much better before!  Do you want to see the lab?”
“The lab?” repeated Danny, backing away from Technus a little more.  
“It really didn’t help your intelligence.  Sad!  Perhaps some electroshock therapy might help?”
“Hey!” said Ember, kicking Technus’s tail.  “What did we say about electrocuting the flesh baby?  What did that narc say?  The tall purple one?”
“I know you know that Clockwork isn’t a narc,” said Skulker.  
The three of them started to bicker.  Danny watched in mixed fascination and horror.  
White hair on Technus.  Green eyes on Skulker and Ember.  Human-like appearances.  A mad science lab.  Jazz’s belief that Danny would buy the absurdly youthful mother story.  Frostbite’s conviction that his parents were abusive.  Heck, Danny could even see them meeting Vlad in college, if he fudged the ages a little.  He didn’t have any idea how old Vlad was, after all.  
Were these his actual parents?  Like, his actual, biological parents?
“Anyway, babypop,” said Ember, throwing a hand around Danny’s shoulder, “we heard about your predicament through the grapevine–”
“Through the grapevine?  Weren’t you just saying you were my mother?”
“Yeah, but I was on tour, Skulker was hunting, and Technus was… Being Technus.  We were, like, estranged.  Separated.  Because of the whole alive thing.  Fell out of touch.”  She waved a lazy hand.  “Anyway, we heard about the Observants putting you through hell, and we were like, that’s not cool.  So, we put our names in the hat, all that stuff, babypop, ‘cause we love you, y’know?  And we’re going to have so much fun.  I’ll turn you into a proper rocker yet.  You’ve got a great set of pipes, kid, and you’ve got to use that.”
“But first!” shouted Technus, at only a slightly lower volume than before.  “The GRAND TOUR!”
Danny took back that thought about the volume being lower.  
“TO THE LAB!”
Danny cringed away from Technus.  This was going to be a pain.  
.
“Okay,” said Danny, floating a few feet over the floor to avoid the wires.  “We’ve seen the stage, the sound room, the… conservatory?”
“Never say that I don’t have taste, babypop.  You’ve got to have a good piano in a house.”
“Yeah, then workshop, and the server room, and the lab.”  Which had, frankly, been horrifying.  Just a massive mess of electronics.  The sense of electricity in the room made his hair all stand on end.  “And the weapon room.  Then the… hunting.  Place.  And.  Um.  Zoo.”  Which was also horrifying, but for different reasons.
“Yes,” said Skulker, “our space may be limited, but you will soon know the joy of the hunt.”
“... right,” said Danny.  “But, like, is there a… kitchen?”
“Kitchen?” asked Ember, blankly.  
“We don’t,” said Skulker.  
“We mostly order out, when the great hunter here can’t catch anything!”
“Can anyone… get in to order out?”
Ember, Skulker, and Technus stared at each other.  
“Crap,” said Ember, finally.  “Crap.”
“What?” said Technus.  “It’s not like we have to eat.”
“I kind of do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I do.  Everyone else has been feeding me.”
“Yeah, no, we’re ghosts, even you,” said Technus.  “We don’t need to eat.”
“I can kill off some of the game I’ve already caught,” said Skulker, “if we really need to.  I’d like you to hunt for them, though.  A little extra incentive!”
“Right.  Sure.  Whatever.  Bedroom?” asked Danny.
“We don’t need to sleep, either,” said Technus.  
Fine.  Danny wasn’t touching that.  “Bathroom?” he tried.
“Gross,” said Ember.  “Who’s spending their afterlife peeing?”
“Uh.  Me?”
“Ew.  You’ve got to quit that.”
Danny didn’t think that was a thing he could actually quit.  He made a face.  “You’re not actually my parents, are you?”
“Of course we are,” said Skulker, mechanically.  
“Okay, well, that right there, that’s a lie,” said Danny.  “That’s definitely a lie.”
“It’s not,” said Technus, stridently. 
“Look, maybe some fighting would knock him out of his funk,” said Skulker.  “Knock him right out.”
“Yeah, some of that misplaced aggression kind of thing he’s always on about,” said Ember.  
Danny had no idea what he was talking about.  “You guys do know that if I can’t have a place to go to the bathroom, I’m going to leave, right?”
“Maybe even a good hunt,” said Skulker.  “For old times’ sake.  Give him a good chase, get rid of some of that anxiety.”
Danny really hoped he wasn’t related to these three.  He grabbed the pocketwatch.  
“Wait, ghost child!” 
“Okay, yeah, that’s not something you call your kids,” said Danny, pointing at Technus.  
“Oh, yeah, yeah, you caught us,” said Technus.  “Real sharp of you, ghost child!  Real sharp and groovy.”
“Oh my god, you don’t know what any of those words mean,” said Ember.  “Stop using them.”
“BUT!” shrieked Technus.  “What you don’t know is that we’re your RIVALS!”
Danny grimaced.  “What?”
“We fought you, like, a bunch of times,” said Ember. 
“And… now you want to adopt me?”
“Better us than some of the nutjobs that want you.  We’d just let you do your own thing, hang out, fight a bit when you get touchy about your stupid city, or too wound up about school, all that stuff.”
“But we’d NEVER make you go to SCHOOL!” said Technus.  “I could teach you in the lab!”
“Wow, that’s, uh.  Touching,” said Danny.  “But the bathroom thing is, in this case, a dealbreaker.”
“Aw, come on,” said Ember.  “At least have a good fight with us, first.  Skulker’s been practically moping since you’ve been out of commission.”
“My latest hunts have been… flavorless,” said Skulker.  Danny sighed.  “Fine.  But I’m going right after.”
74 notes · View notes
grumpypixistix · 5 months
Text
The lab assistant
Scientist!Miguel O’Hara x Shy!Reader
Warnings- Face sitting, slight corruption kink, slightly perverted!Miguel (if you squint), co-workers being dickheads, semi-public sex (let me know if I missed anything! )
MINORS DNI 18+
Tumblr media
You had been working at Alchemax for a few months now. A few of your colleagues were generous enough to introduce you to the workplace and the other workers, but there was one person you couldn’t keep your eyes off of.
Miguel O’Hara.
When you first introduced yourself to him, he had already taken a liking to you. Something about how shy yet sweet you were made his pulse quicken and his cheeks burn. The way you smiled at him as you tried to introduce yourself, nervous about your first day at Alchemax. But you quickly felt at home when Miguel began to bond with you by taking over your “tour” of the place, making great conversation. Soon enough, your shell had cracked and you started talking about your personal interests, how you got hired, etc.
About a week after that day, he went home and couldn’t stop thinking about you for some reason. He didn’t know what to make of it, thinking it wasn’t too serious.
But then you started appearing in his dreams.
Miguel would dream about leaving marks everywhere on your body to claim you as his, fucking every ounce of innocence out of you.
And when he would wake up in a cold sweat, his cock was nearly on the verge of exploding, precum dripping everywhere. He felt guilty about it afterwards, it was just wrong for him to think about his colleague like that.
But you plagued his mind consistently. The dreams slowly turned into daily thoughts that he finally caved into, fisting his cock at least four times a day to the thought of your body. But you had no clue what he was doing after he got off of work. You just assumed that he only saw you as a co-worker and nothing else, maybe even a good friend.
But God, were you so far off from the truth.
As you entered the building for another shift of the week, your boss had approached you with some new information.
“I’m really sorry this is a last minute notice, but I need you to stay a little later. I tried to get some other people to stay instead, but all of them couldn’t do it… but on the bright side, Miguel volunteered to stay, so you won’t be completely alone.”
Great, just what you needed. A longer shift after your horrible week.
Even though some of your colleagues were nice to you, there was a group that wasn’t as generous as them. Some of them claimed that you were too clumsy or stupid to be an assistant, others claimed you were like a lost dog or a prude. Whatever they said, you tried not to pay attention to it too much. But there were days where it would get to you, and this week happened to have a bunch of those days.
You just nodded at your boss and shot him the best smile you could muster up.
“Alright then, that shouldn’t be a problem, sir” You said in a friendly tone.
“At least Miguel will be here with me… maybe I can talk to him, get my stress out” You thought to yourself as you walked off to start your shift.
When you walked into the lab and took your coat off of the hanger, you could hear some voices from the other side of the room.
“Oh great, look who’s here.”
“God, I don’t even know why she’s still here. She should’ve been fired months ago, she doesn’t even know what she’s doing.”
“I’m surprised Miguel even hangs out with her, she’s such a prude.”
“Hell, you should’ve seen the look on her face yesterday. She practically bursted into tears when we called her useless.”
The other comments stung a little, but what got you the most was the part about Miguel. Sure, you had developed a small crush on him, but that had nothing to do with your guy’s friendship. The fact that the other colleagues had judged your bond just to get a laugh hurt you more than you felt it should’ve.
God forbid if they ever found out about your feelings for Miguel… you couldn’t help but become paranoid over the idea.
As you tried to ignore the group across the room and focus on your tasks, it seemed that one of them had read your mind and called you over.
Shit.
“Hey, newbie! Come over here real quick, we gotta ask you somethin“ One of your colleagues called out.
Your heart pounded hard inside your chest, quietly gulping before walking over to the group with a small sigh.
“What do you need?” You asked gently, silently praying it was something work-related and not just making fun of you again.
Some of the others chuckled and chattered a little bit before falling quiet.
“Sooo, you’re friends with Miguel, right?” The female colleague from before asked.
Your palms began to grow sweaty as sirens went off in your mind, biting your cheek before answering.
“Yeah, why?” You raised your brow at your co-worker.
Your co-worker slowly smiled. Oh no.
“Well, we were just thinking… with the way you act around him and all… you definitely have a thing for him, don’t you?”
Your whole chest sunk to your stomach, wishing this was just some horrible dream and that you would wake up soon. Trying to play it off, your eyes widened at the question and you shook your head vigorously.
“What?? No, he’s just my friend-“
“That wasn’t my question. I asked if you have a thing for him” She cuts off coldly.
Some of the others snickered quietly, making your throat close up as you tried to hold your emotions back. Your face contorted into confusion at the strange question, the others taking notice of it.
“Oh my god, she’s clueless” One of the colleagues muttered with a small chuckle.
Your co-worker lets out a small laugh as she noticed your face, clicking her tongue and shaking her head.
“Here, let me dumb it down for you: do you ever fantasize about having sex with Miguel?”
Your whole face flushed bright red as it clicked into your head, slowly shaking your head.
“N- No… that’s… that’s wrong” You stuttered, looking at your co-worker.
She stares at you with a raised brow, not believing you at all.
“Okay, sure… but you still like him, right? Being a prude and all, surely you at least have a crush on him.”
“Please, don’t call me that-“
“Or what? Huh? You gonna run off to your little boyfriend and cry in his arms? I’m sure he’ll baby you, he does every time he sees you” She hisses.
The feeling in your throat grew even stronger, your eyes slowly beginning to water. But you didn’t want to prove her theory, so you just stood there silently, not knowing what else to say. As the silence grew more, some of the colleagues just laughed.
“Wow… you really are stupid, aren’t you?”
“Who’s stupid?” A voice emerges from the entrance of the room, making everyone fall silent.
It was Miguel, standing with his arms crossed and his brows furrowed. The group of colleagues weren’t laughing or smiling anymore- instead, they actually looked nervous. The female coworker looked over at you for a quick moment before flashing a smile at Miguel.
“Oh, nothing! It was just something we were talking about from yesterday. Right, hon?” The co-worker said in an overly sweet tone, forcing herself to smile at you.
You froze, not wanting anymore conflict with the group, so you just went along with it. You quietly nodded your head and looked over at Miguel, giving your best smile.
“Mhm, it was just stuff from yesterday” You mustered up as your voice shook a little.
Miguel didn’t buy it at all, seeing how your eyes glistened, tears threatening to leave them at any second. He shot your co-worker a glare before looking back at you, a sigh leaving his lips.
“Ah, alright then… do you have the paperwork from last week? I just wanna make sure everything is right” Miguel spoke to you, his face softening a little.
You quickly nodded and walked away from the group to your clipboard that was in one of the desk drawers, skimming through the pile of papers to look for the documents. The group just watched as you eventually found the papers Miguel was referring to, handing them to him. He took out his glasses from his coat pocket and put them on, reading the sheet of paper. After a few moments of silence, Miguel took off his glasses and looked over at you, handing the paper back.
“This is perfect. Thank you, sweetheart. I don’t think I’ve ever seen paperwork better than this and I’ve worked here longer than anyone else has” Miguel praised, a gentle smile formed on his lips.
“Thank you, Miguel. That means a lot to me” You hummed in appreciation, returning the smile.
The praise alone made you forget about the whole situation from earlier, but the smile comforted you even more. Your cheeks burned up as you felt your whole body tingle, a small smile creeping up your lips. The feeling Miguel made you have was insatiable, you just couldn’t get enough of it. You wanted more of him, to have his lips on yours…
You almost forgot that there were other people in the room. Almost.
The sound of low muttering made your head turn towards the group, the co-worker giving you a dirty look before the group parted separate ways. You set the paper on the table and Miguel leans down to whisper in your ear.
“We’ll talk about this later.”
Your head spun when you felt his warm breath tickle your skin, almost not realizing what he just said. When you finally processed it, you looked at Miguel and nodded a little. For once, you were actually kind of glad your boss made you work later.
After hours of working and following Miguel around for assistance (as he asked for your presence), it was time for the others to go home. Usually, you would be getting off at this time, but since you had to stay later, that meant you would have to pick up dinner on your way back home. You didn’t really mind since it would save you time and energy to make food at home.
Plus you didn’t mind since it meant you could spend more time with Miguel.
Speaking of which, you couldn’t help but notice something was a little off with him. You assumed it was because of what happened earlier, because he seemed a little more tense than normal. But after everyone had left, he looked over at you, glad that the two of you were finally alone. You were finishing out today’s paperwork, slouching over the desk as you tried to fight off your tiredness. Miguel walked over to you and gently took the pen out of your hand, turning your chair around to face him.
“Everyone left, it’s just us. Now… about what happened earlier…” Miguel started, bending down to your height, “Tell me. What exactly did they say to you?”
Your face burned up a little as his face was inches away from yours, struggling to find your words. He just stared at you, waiting for an answer. But after a few moments of silence, his face softened and he let out a small breath, resting his large hand on your thigh.
“I won’t say a word to anyone, I promise. I just want to know what’s wrong… when I got here, you were on the verge of tears” Miguel spoke softly.
The feeling of his hand on your thigh made your chest flutter and your stomach turn, trying to keep your composure as much as you could. He was only just trying to comfort you… right?
“They… they were asking me questions…” You began, still debating whether or not you should leave out a few details.
Miguel hummed a little as he listened to you, his other hand now on your other thigh as he gently caressed your skin. Your stomach felt fuzzy and warm, avoiding eye contact with him.
“Questions about what? C’mon hermosa, you can tell me” He coos, tucking a small strand of hair out of your face.
You swallowed hard and bit your lip hard before answering hesitantly.
“They were… questions a- about you.”
Miguel stopped and looked at you, gently grabbing your chin and forcing you to look up at him.
“What did they ask about me?”
You stared up at him for a few moments and finally spoke again.
“They… they were asking if… I liked you” You whispered quietly.
That caught Miguel off-guard.
His eyes widened at you just the slightest, analyzing your face to see if you were messing with him. Once he noticed your flushed cheeks and nervous look, he knew you weren’t joking. After a moment of tense silence, Miguel licked his lips and started talking.
“…Do you?” Miguel asked lowly, looking down at your lips and up at your eyes.
His question had you in a slight panic, weighing out the odds. If you told him how you felt, it would either change your entire friendship or you would be stuck working alone for the rest of your time at Alchemax. Either one of those options sounded horrible, but if you didn’t tell him now, you were certain the group from earlier would do it eventually. Your heart raced so quick, Miguel swore he could hear it clearly. A shaky sigh left your lips and you nodded at him.
“Yeah… I do” You mumbled, scared that he would react negatively.
But instead, Miguel just chuckled softly and smiled at you, his hand cupping your face and his thumb dragging down your bottom lip.
“That’s good to know… because I’ve also liked you for quite some time now” Miguel responded, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.
Your eyes widened at his response, a look of hope on your face as you slowly smiled.
“Really?” You squeaked.
Miguel chuckled again and nodded at you, his eyes flicking down to your lips.
“Of course I do… how could I not?” He whispered, his face slowly inching closer to yours.
Your face flushed all the way to your ears, finding yourself drifting towards him. Closer, closer and closer until you finally feel his warm lips on yours. It felt like hundreds of fireworks were exploding in your chest, slowly wrapping your arms around him and holding Miguel close. You were almost afraid to let go, and he seemed to notice this. Miguel gently moved his hands down to your waist, pulling you up out of the chair and into his arms. The more you kissed him, the harder it became for Miguel to keep his composure. He wanted to take things slow with you, not wanting to scare you away. But God, was it a challenge for him to just keep his hands on your hips.
After a little bit, Miguel finally broke the kiss to catch his breath, already panting softly. He looked at you and let out a groan that awoken something inside you.
“Shit, do you have any idea what you do to me?” Miguel huffed quietly, his thumbs barely peeking up the hem of your shirt and rubbing the bare skin of your stomach.
You just stared up at him, your mind still foggy from the kiss you two had shared moments ago. You shook your head with a quiet “No…”
Miguel sighed and looked down at your chest, his cock twitching inside his pants. He didn’t even bother hiding his erection anymore, moving your hips against his to show you the effect you had on him. You let out a gasp at the strange feeling, your fingers digging into his shoulders as your whole body felt hot now.
“I can’t help it… you’re just so fucking sweet… you haunt me in my dreams, I swear to god. Every night when I go to bed, all I can dream about is you and that fucking body of yours… all just for me.”
Your eyes widened at his words, not expecting him to say those kind of things to you. Normally, you’d be freaked out or even scared… but something about the way Miguel looked at you made you feel different. You weren’t sure if it was from the kiss earlier or your feelings for him in general, but you felt… ready in a sense. When Miguel saw your eyes widen at his words, his face dropped as he suddenly became worried.
“…Was that too much?” Miguel whispered gently, his brows furrowed together.
You slowly shook your head and placed a soft kiss to his cheek.
“No… I- If anything, I… I sometimes have dreams about you, too…” You admitted with a quiet tone, looking away.
Miguel nearly went off the rails when you told him that, his pants feeling tighter around his dick. He moved you closer to him once more, moving your hair to the side.
“Mierda… Tell me about your dreams…” Miguel mumbled against you, pressing slow kisses to your cheek and down your neck.
Your thighs pressed together as a wet patch formed in your panties, your stomach flipping as you felt his lips against your skin. A shaky breath left your mouth, nearly moaning from how good it felt to have Miguel treat you this way. It was definitely wrong, but it felt so right. If anyone else had stayed with you two during the late shift and caught you like this, you’d be fired on the spot.
But nobody else was here. Just the two of you.
“S- sometimes I dream about you k- kissing me like this… and even…” Your voice faltered as you quickly grew shy again, biting down on your lip.
Miguel kissed and nipped at your neck, leaving little marks on your skin.
“Go on, Cariño…”
You swallowed before speaking again, letting a soft moan slip out.
“Even… touching me…”
Miguel moaned at that, causing your head to spin even more. You felt so hot that you swore you were going to pass out, but luckily you didn’t. He moved up to place a firm kiss on your lips, pulling away to look at you.
“Have I done anything more than just touching you in your dreams?” Miguel muttered lowly, his lips wet and raw.
You thought for a second before slowly shaking your head with a small breath.
“I always woke up before… before I could find out…” You answered Miguel.
Miguel frowned at that, looking at the marks on your neck before making direct eye contact with you. He sighed and shook his head, clicking his tongue.
“Well… do you wanna know what I’d do to you in my dreams?”
You nodded at him, genuinely curious as to what he dreamed about when you weren’t there with him. His forehead pressed against yours as his lips were centimeters away from your lips, his hands trailing from your waist down to your ass.
“In my dreams… I’d have you sit on my face and I’d make you cum over and over again until your legs give out..”
The image Miguel just gave you nearly made you collapse. You felt weak to your knees, a gentle whine escaping your lips. Miguel squeezed your thighs and kissed you once more, his hands moving up to the hem of your shirt. He parted from you to look at your face.
“Can I?” Miguel asked, wanting to make sure you were okay with this before he went any farther.
You looked at him for a few moments before making a decision, whispering out a small “Yes” to him. He took that as his green light and gently took your coat off first before moving to your shirt. He rolled the material up your body and over your head, helping you take your shirt off. Once you were topless in front of him, Miguel’s eyes scanned your chest. He muttered something quietly in Spanish before letting out a breathy sigh.
“Have I ever told you just how beautiful you are?” He coos softly.
Your face burned up as you felt vulnerable in front of him, but when Miguel spoke, you slowly started to become more comfortable. A bashful expression appeared on your face as you just shook your head.
“Not entirely…”
Miguel hummed gently as he pressed a kiss to your forehead, reaching towards your back to unclip your bra.
“Well… I think you’re the most gorgeous person I’ve ever met… every time I see you, it’s always hard for me to look away. Shit, baby, it’s even hard for me to look away in my dreams. I wouldn’t give it up for any other view… you’re so fucking beautiful, sweetheart” Miguel spoke in between kisses to your face and lips while gently kneading your exposed breasts.
You couldn’t help but moan at his words mixed with his touch, kissing him back each time he placed a kiss onto your soft lips. Miguel couldn’t get enough of the sweet sounds you made, craving even more from you. His hands moved down to unbutton your pants, taking off every last piece of clothing on your body before leaving you completely naked in front of him. Miguel’s breath hitched as he looked at your body.
It was even better than he imagined in his dreams.
Miguel placed small kisses down your neck and collarbone until he made it to your breasts, gently kissing and sucking one while his hand toyed with the other. The sensation made you moan a little louder, biting down on your lip to contain yourself. Miguel seemed to take notice of this and removed his mouth from your nipple.
“You don’t have to be quiet, muñeca… it’s just us. I wanna hear your pretty moans.. god, I’ve been dreaming about this for so long…”
As soon as he said that, his hands gripped your hips and he stared at you with nothing but lust in his eyes. Suddenly, he placed you on top of him as he laid down on the large table in the room. You could feel the tent in his pants right against your wet pussy, a low whine leaving your lips which caused Miguel to groan softly.
“Want you to sit on my face, querida… please…” Miguel begged softly, his hands still on your hips.
You let out a whimper at his request, reluctantly moving so your hips were directly above his face. You were hovering over him, not knowing what else to do. Miguel let out a quiet sigh, not wanting to wait any longer. He wanted to taste you… he had to taste you.
“You’re hovering, sweetheart. Lower your hips for me, ‘kay?” Miguel instructed, looking up at you from between your legs.
You looked down at him, slightly embarrassed from the position you were in. Regardless of how shy you became, you obeyed Miguel anyways, slowly lowering your hips a little.
“Is this g-“ Before you could even get your question out, Miguel’s mouth immediately attached to your clit.
You let out a loud gasp and moaned, Miguel’s tongue exploring your folds and licking up your juices. He let out a low growl that sent vibrations through your body, making you squirm and cry out.
“Joder, nena, sabes tan dulce… todo para mi~” Miguel moaned, his head moving up more to lick and suck on your clit again.
You whimpered as he sucked on your clit again, afraid that you would crush him if you moved your hips any lower. Miguel’s hands moved up to your ass and groped it tightly, his tongue poking your hole and sliding inside of you. The warm and wet feeling made your hands slam down on the table, trying not to drop your hips directly onto his face. Small pants left your mouth as his tongue fucked your hole and his nose brushed up against your sensitive clit, moaning as you kept your eyes shut tightly.
That’s when you felt Miguel’s hands grip your hips and his tongue slips out of your pussy, making you whine in response. You gasp as he pulls your hips down with such force, your eyes widening as you look down at him.
“Ay, Cariño, what did I tell you ‘bout the hovering? Stop hovering and sit on my face” Miguel scolded, spanking your ass as he goes back to licking and sucking your poor abused clit.
You cried out as you felt a new wave of pleasure form inside you, sobbing as he hit all of your spots with his mouth.
“Miguel~! Mig-“ You gasped, pulling his hair with one hand as the other stayed on the table for support.
But Miguel could care less if you suffocated him. Hell, he wanted you to. The sound of his name coming from your lips nearly made him cum in his pants right then and there. Every pretty noise that came out of your mouth was better than his dreams alone, not wanting you to stop. Miguel kissed and teased your clit more, savoring your taste as much as possible. His breath grew heavier and heavier as sweat trickled down his temples, burying his face in your pussy.
Miguel’s mouth left your clit with a small ‘pop’ as he re-entered his tongue inside your soaked hole, making you rut your hips against his face. The way his nose bumped your clit and his warm tongue stuffed inside you made your eyes roll back, your legs twitching already.
“God, don’t stop~ please don’t stop, Miggy~ feels s’good~” You begged pathetically, your shy demeanor now leaving your body.
Miguel moaned against you and spanked your ass hard once more, his fingers digging into your thighs. His own hips twitched against nothing as he listened to your pleads and moans, fucking you with his tongue relentlessly. With the way you begged so nicely for him to keep going, Miguel swore he could feel his precum seeping through his boxers and pants. How could he refuse you?
“Miguel-! I- I think I’m-“ You tried to warn him that you were close, your legs nearly giving out on you.
If it weren’t for Miguel’s large hands holding your hips up, you definitely would’ve collapsed on his face. But you were so desperate to cum, continuing to grind on his face as he licked a fat stripe from your hole to your clit. He caught his breath and looked up at you for a moment, his eyes dark and full of arousal.
“Go ahead, princesa… cum for me” Miguel moaned, going back to sucking your clit.
With just those words alone, the coil inside your stomach broke. You cried out loudly as you came, chanting his name over and over again. Your legs shook and you nearly collapsed onto him, Miguel catching you just in time. He licked up every drop of your release, making sure to not let it go to waste. You whimpered as he continued to lick your sensitive pussy, becoming overstimulated from his tongue. Your hands pressed down onto the table to hold yourself up, catching your breath as you carefully crawled off of his face.
As you sat down on the table next to Miguel, he sat up straight and faced you, panting heavily. Your eyes widened as you saw his chin was soaked from your juices, a dark blush forming across your cheeks. Miguel noticed your face as he finally caught his breath, a small laugh leaving his lips.
“How do you feel?” Miguel asked, licking his lips and wiping his chin off with his coat sleeve.
A soft breath left your mouth as you looked at him, a sheepish smile forming on your face, “I feel… I feel like that was the best thing I’ve ever experienced..”
Miguel chuckled and leaned over to you, placing a tender kiss to your lips. You melted against him and returned the kiss, slowly pulling away to look at him.
“I’m glad I could make you feel like that… say, uh… our shift actually ended like… 10 minutes ago” Miguel spoke as he checked his watch.
Your eyes widened as you looked around for your discarded clothes, Miguel quickly grabbing them before you could get off of the table.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I got it. Just sit for a little bit, catch your breath” He mumbled, putting your clothes back on for you.
Your chest fluttered as he did so, smiling at him in a loving way. Miguel noticed this and chuckled as he helped you put your panties back on.
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing… I was just wondering.. do you wanna stay the night at my place?” You offered, moving your hips a little as Miguel clothed you.
Miguel grinned widely at the offer, placing a peck to your forehead and nodding.
“Of course, I’d like that… I’ll buy dinner for us on the way there. My treat for this” Miguel hummed, putting your shirt on and placing soft kisses to your knuckles.
Your smile widened as he said that, pulling him in for a kiss. Miguel wrapped his arms around you as he kissed you back, his forehead pressed against yours as you two pulled away. He helped you off of the table and the both of you made your way out of the building, holding your hand and rubbing his thumb across your skin.
“Oh, by the way… I heard everything that happened with your co-workers. I was listening the whole time” Miguel admitted, looking over at you.
Your head whipped over to him, a surprised expression on your face. “You were-??”
“Yeah, but don’t worry about it. I actually got promoted as a manager a few weeks ago, so…”
Your eyes widened as a small gasp left your lips. “Wait, so that means-“
“That means you won’t be having to deal with them for much longer. I know those assholes have been messing with you since you got here… plus, everything they said about you is wrong. You’re the best worker this place has to offer and those dickheads have been here longer than you have” Miguel responded to you, placing a kiss to your temple.
A grin formed on your lips as joy filled your chest, squeezing Miguel’s hand.
“Thank you, Miguel… that means everything to me.”
“Of course. I gotta make sure my girl is okay.”
You let out a laugh as he said that, placing a soft kiss on his cheek as you walked with him down the street.
“So, is that your way of saying I’m your girlfriend now?” You chuckled.
“Only if you want to be” Miguel answered with a smirk.
You gently smacked his shoulder with your other hand and scoffed playfully, earning a laugh from him.
“Of course I do, Miguel.”
“Good. Because I’m not letting you go.”
3K notes · View notes
suguruplsr · 7 months
Note
ex geto as you roommate (love your work🩷🩷)
Ex suguru as your roommate!
✰ ✰ ✰ roommate!ex!suguru headcannons !
જ⁀➴ mind was racing, heart beating, thighs quivering, toes sh****** — when i saw this <3 and ty ilyyyy
,,roommate!ex!suguru x ex!fem!reader , suguru is toxic a bit , and a asshole , he brings girls over , soft sex , idk 🧍🏾‍♀️
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who you broke up with after finding out he was talking to multiple girls on campus. even a few you knew and smiled to your face while their nudes were in their messages with him. but you didn't have any choice but to stay with him, only as his roomate of course.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who finds the changes in not only how you two act with each other, but how you live together, a nuisance. his room no longer cluttered with a few of your belongings, the smell of your body wash fading away in his sheets, (he didn't wash them and his pillow case for nearly 3 weeks), your voice waking him softly, the sound of the front door closing right as he wakes up with no aroma of food, all of it was gone.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who can't handle it. hearing your voice through the thin walls, talking to some guy over the phone. he's sure he knows the guy. a goodie two-shoes with absolutely no game at all. at least in suguru's opinion. it's bewildering that the guy even got you to the point of talking to him in that oh so sultry voice that you used to use on suguru himself. even if it was directed towards him. just hearing it made his heart, and something else jump.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who starts waking up early. up at 8 am, drinking a cup coffee, (his 4th cup), with nothing but a dark pair of sweats on, and his hair messy and untied. he’d scroll through his phone, not responding to his messages of girls he hasn’t talked to after the break up. all just to see you up and ready for a good 15 minutes before you leave for nearly 12 hours, and he's sure you're not that busy, you're so cute avoiding and ignoring his existence.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who's just so nosy, and doesn't know what to do with knowing that you're actually moving on from him. so he begins to tell you little lies, "that guy? no, the really smart one. yea, he's just fucking the psychology professor for a good grade.", "i heard some guy got your number yesterday. don't worry about who told me- he has herpes!" , "did you hear about that rumor of him and his sister? yes i saw that clown kissing her” he can’t let you leave him just yet, maybe he should start threatening people?
Roommate!Ex!Suguru whose lies are just so funny to you. you know what is true and what’s not. and you also know he’s just being a huge dick. but you can’t help but indulge him just a tiny bit and cut off a few guys just to see how his eyes twinkle, with a small, “i told you so.” it makes you feel jittery, desperately wanting to just, ‘burst his bubble’, and call him out on his bull.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who begins to realize that despite you listening to his words, you aren’t as affected as he wishes you were. he knows it’s wrong to be upset that his, not-so-good, actions aren’t enough to push you over the edge. over back to him. he can still hear you talking to that one guy. you met him like a month ago and you’ve been going on dates with him every single week. he knows his ego is too big, especially to think that he’s better than some smart, preppy, cute guy. but he can’t help it.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who begins to get petty. talking to new girls and finding quick fuck buddies whose names he can’t remember. but what he eventually did, which definitely pissed you off, was bring them home. sneaking them in the house and fucking them closer to your shared wall. acting clueless when you cuss him out in the morning. you never showed your face to them though, knowing that he picks a new girl every week so it was best just avoid the temporary girls. maybe he never saves their numbers because even he finds their shrills annoying. it makes you facepalm, the dick is never that good.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who actually hooks up with one girl more than once. surprising you when she walks out his room, finding you, who was making a bowl of cereal before you get ready for work.
“And who the hell are you..?” you sigh at the sound of her snob tone. but you can’t blame her. “i’m his roomate, and i’m leaving.” short and sweet. respectful. and yet she just had to open her mouth, “of course. geto wouldn’t fuck someone like you..” she trails off under her breath, making you whip your head with a roll of you eyes. “oh please. suguru, has fucked me more times than i can count. and you aren’t going to disrespect me where i live, so good day ma’am.” you open the door, a smug look on your face as she stomps out.
“did you really have to do that..” suguru slumped out of his room with a yawn, feigned annoyance on his pretty face, but you could tell he felt rather happy from the crinkle of his eyes. you aren’t sure why he’s obviously deriving some joy from seeing you kick out one of his hoes. but it makes your lips curl in a smile. “stop having sex with girls while i’m here. plus i think her wig was slipping.” your eyes soften at the sight of him covering his croaky laugh. you follow in suite with a few chuckles as you two actually continue the conversation, talking for nearly an hour before you have to go.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who you begin to get more comfortable with compared to before. the tension between you two lessening within weeks. you two even continued having your late night horror movies, which you stopped after breaking up, or talking to each for hours about gossip that you two bring home. hell, both of you spent two hours talking about the guy you’ve been seeing, piecing up to the fact that he may have been a bad ex of some girl you knew. suguru was fairly happy when you called the guy and broke things off.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who starts to change as your friendship heals. becoming more involved in things he actually likes, cutting off on his smoking and drinking habits, getting good grades, working out. you knew he was genuine about his growth in becoming more healthy from him doing it unconsciously and without question.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru whose change slowly attracts you. its refreshing. but you knew from his glances and small intimate touches, that he still wanted you. you thought he’d be over you after nearly 5 months but you’ve decided to wait. maybe he’s caught on to your own fleeting actions? anytime you’re touching him, he makes it a mission to have your hands on him longer than they should be.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who gets bolder after a small incident of him accidentally cornering you…
“that’s the salt.” “oh..” you sigh playfully as he puts the salt back, searching for the sugar again and moving around you. you admit, it was kinda scary how his taller build just towered over you. large arms going around your head and— wait what?
pausing, you place the knife down on the cutting board and look up. suguru’s jaw was way above you, one of his long and large arms around your whole body to reach up to the cabinet as he searched for the sugar shaker. turning, you tried to move away but his other arm blocked your way.
and of course. with the way your kitchen was styled, part of the counter blocked the other side. “suguru….” your voice comes out quieter than you wish it did, so meek and quiet. “suguru..” you say it louder, making him halt and look down at you. god, you looked adorable, your eyes trying to look anywhere but him, biting your lip. gesturing to the sink, you stammer, eyes flickering up to him only to look away. “you’re kinda..” “oh- sorry”
suguru immediately moves away, watching silently as you wash your hands. he could tell how nervous you were from how you had let your hands stay in the water a little longer than needed, taking a deep breath. so cute.
Roommate!Ex!Suguru who lets his hands linger on you more, sometimes guiding your body when moving around you, or helping you out. “your bonnet’s falling a bit, lemme fix that right quick.” and you know it doesn’t take that long to adjust your bonnet. you know it doesn’t take that long to get a piece of lint off you. you know it doesn’t take that long to fix your necklace. you know. yet you never speak out on it. but maybe that’s why he keeps doing it.
Roomate!Ex!Suguru who makes small innuendos when you least expect it. loving the small gasp that escapes your lips, head whipping to him with traces of your ice cream on your lips. “what? i’m just saying~” he’d tease, wiping off the ice cream and licking it off his thumb. the tension quickly easing as you slap his shoulder with a huff.
Roomate!Ex!Suguru who knows you both aren’t shy of knowing each other's bodies. but you two can’t help but act like little virgins who can’t handle being near each other without getting nervous. it’s like falling in love all over again, but with sexual tension. and it's killing him. you both know what you want so why not act on it and try again. together.
Roomate!Ex!Suguru who works you up, annoying you and turning you on all in one day only to shut you up with a kiss. which leads to both of you eventually stumbling onto the couch..
“m’so sorry baby.. should’ve been better” you huff as suguru mutters the nth apology, his feather like kisses on your neck numbing the pain of his cock sliding into to you for the first time in what feels like forever. “i know— um, oh fuck.. sugu, please, it’s okay! i..” your whimpers make suguru’s eyes lock onto you, leaving little scratches on his chest.
he was in deep. cock pushed to the hilt and right at your sweet spot. just pressing it. but he just wouldn’t move, your pussy was so tight, so he could just grind into you and he’s sure he’d cum. “s-sorry baby. i’m just so sorry n’ i can’t think. fuckin’ pussy is a-amazing..” suguru closes his eyes tight. his voice having an undertone of a whine as he slowly rocks his cock in and out of you.
“uh— mm, your so deep suguru~ just like this.. still need ta’ get used to it” your moan has a chuckle leaving his lips. both of you were in a drunk haze of sex and emotions, unable to even fuck properly. “yea? o-ok. that’s fine. but please tell me you’re gonna take me back after this. fuck. really wanna be with you again. i love you so much and—“
you cut him off like a small kiss, a ditzy smile playing on your lips, “of course you idiot. i don’t just let anyone fuck me. not on a couch of all things. a-and i love you too.” your nails dig into his shoulder at the feeling of his cock dragging in slowly. it made you feel delirious, and him leaning down to continue the kisses topped it off, speaking between them, “then i’m not fucking you. i’m making— ha, love to you..”
1K notes · View notes
kingtomura · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
Uber Eats
synopsis: What a crappy Friday night! You’re the only driver for your restaurant and you have to deliver to this Tomura S. guy. The worst part? He never tips. wc: 2.7k content: tomura shigaraki x female reader, quirkless au, oral (f! receiving), overstim, degredation, vaginal fingering, mdni cross posted to ao3
You hated this guy. 
He ordered every week without fail, like clockwork. 
“Do I have to make this delivery?” You ask your manager, wishing the ticket in your hand would burst into flames. 
It did not. 
The black ink only stared back at you as you stewed in your own misery: 
Tomura S. 
“You’re the only driver we have!” Your manager calls back to you, tossing some rice around in a wok before dropping it into a takeout container. “But after this, you’re good to go.” he placed the next order into the wok and the hiss of the food only added to the bustle of the restaurant.
You sigh, accepting your fate and crumple the receipt in your hand. It was the last delivery of the night so you find solace in at least being able to leave once you were done.
This guy was a known regular, and better known for not leaving a tip. Ever. It didn’t matter how big the order was and it didn’t matter what the weather had been outside — Tomura S. would not tip. And unfortunately for you it seemed he was more likely to order on your shift so you had to be the one to deliver. What awful luck.
Your manager waves you off after he finishes packing Tomura’s order and you step outside to your bike. It was about a fifteen minute bike ride, and the sweet promise of going home was all the motivation you needed to get it over and done. You put the order in the front basket of your bike and were off, hitting more than a few bumps in the road on your way.
Once you reach the apartment complex, you set your bike aside and head up to his door.
You’ve been here many times before, but that doesnt stop the nerves. 
Tomura was an… interesting fellow. Never a smile on his face and rarely a thank you. 
You steel yourself at the door of his apartment, taking a breath before raising your fist to knock. Maybe today would be different, you ponder, shifting your weight to cool your nerves. Maybe he would tip generously and send you on your way.
Everything could all be a big misunderstanding and you start to feel yourself get a little hopeful. He could be a nice guy under that rocky demeanor — maybe you’ve misjudged him.
The door opens with a little too much force and a vermillion glare meets your eyes. 
You feel yourself falter under his gaze. “Um, Tomura?" You put on the best smile you could and extend your arm, the bag of takeout presented to him. "Here’s your order.”
He looks down at the bag and then back up to you — carmine eyes giving away ill hidden boredom before ripping it from your hand and turning on his heels. The slam of his door making you jolt as you strained to hear his muttered thanks. So quiet you’re sure you may have imagined it. 
It would be generous to say you were shocked, but tonight had not been a kind night to you. A few too many potholes on your way here and a few too little tips given out has your lips pursed and fists clenching in anger. You had just about had it with this man. 
What was his deal? You come all this way, make sure his food is hot — hell, you even smile and that's still not enough. Well, you were done playing nice and found your fist tapping against his door before your brain could process your actions.
In less than a few seconds the door swung open, this time a much more annoyed Tomura greeting you. 
“What?” He rasped, face turned down into a scowl, much different from his earlier indifference. 
You don't waver, “What is your deal?”
His brows shoot up in surprise, “Excuse me?”
“I said, what is your deal? I’ve been delivering to you for months and not a single time have you tipped me! You know that's how I make a living right? It's just unfair.” you huff, exasperated.
This seems to surprise him further, and if you weren't crazy you would think that was amusement on his lips. “Tip? Is that what you want?”
You are surprised, but you nod. 
He huffs, taking a step back, “Fine.”
And then he’s gone. 
You’re not sure if he intends for you to follow him inside the apartment, but you have an idea that he wouldn't leave his door open otherwise — so, against your better judgment, you go in. 
It's dark in the apartment, and not very spacious. The dim lighting gives you little to work with but the blue light from the idle game screen playing on the tv in the living room helps you make out what you're looking at. Tomura has already gone deeper into the home, no doubt to his bedroom or wherever he may keep his money. You decide to stay where you are in the living room and look around a little.
The space wasn’t… awful, messy — yes, but not disgusting. It looked average to what any other twenty-something living alone would look like. 
You try not to make a habit of getting to know customers you deliver to, but judging from the nintendo switch docked near his television, it seems you may have a little in common. 
What surprises you are the anime figurines and plushies lining the bookshelf near the television. He didn’t strike you as a plushie enjoyer. Finding yourself smiling, you walk over to one. A green dino with goofy teeth and cute eyes. Cute. You reach out to touch it, the plushie feeling as soft as it looked.
The sound of footsteps on hardwood break your focus and you look back to see a grumpy Tomura, looking through his – assumedly empty –  wallet, “I don’t have any cash on me.”
His hair is fluffy and white, but looks a pale blue in the hue of the paused game on the television screen. His frustration is prominent in his scowl and you take this moment to really look at him, carmine eyes focused and brooding. He was taller than you originally thought and his black shirt was loose around the collar area, exposing his collar bones and you find your eyes drifting lower. You could tell he was toned under the thin black shirt he wore but you had never had a chance to really notice. Unconsciously, you lick your lips.
“Did you hear me?” 
Your eyes snap up, cheeks flushing, “Y-yeah!”
He huffed, irritation obvious but continued anyway, “well, what do you want?”
You don't know what you want anymore. If he doesn't have cash then it doesn’t matter. This seems like it may have just been an oversight on his part, so you may be better off letting this go. Maybe he would order again and tip you extra next time.
You take a few steps forward, every intention to walk by him and get to the front door when you stop, finally responding to his question, “nothing, just remember next time.” Your gaze catches his and then drifts lower, to his lips. Tomura catches the trail of your gaze and it forces you to look away. You swore there was a hint of a smile on his lips but maybe you were tired, it has been a long day. 
You shift your weight, ready to continue on your way out when Tomura reaches for your arm, grip tight and demanding. It takes you by surprise, but surprises you even further when he dips down and crashes his lips into yours, rough ones meeting the softness of yours. The kiss is not smooth or slow, but needy and hungry, Tomura playfully nipping your bottom lip before pulling away. 
“I have an idea,” he breathes and pulls you by the hand to his couch, falling ungracefully onto it and in an instant he's on top of you. 
Your cheeks are burning as you place both palms onto his chest to halt his movements, “H-hey, what are you doing?”
His laugh is low as if you should already know the plan. “I’m going to give you your tip.” 
And then he's down again, lips warm and demanding. A moan escapes your throat and you fist a hand in his hair, overwhelmed and desperate to get more of him. His tongue swipes your bottom lip and you waste no time letting him in. His large hand trailed down your side, and you pressed closer to him. He felt intoxicating, and arousal pooled in your belly as Tomura pulled away, panting. He was just as flushed as you knew you were, the wild look in his eyes only making the arousal between your thighs slicker.
Tomura trailed kisses down your jaw and neck, leaving soft bites in between licks. A particularly hard bite made you gasp, gripping his shoulder and turning your head, giving him better access to your neck.
He only chuckled, sitting back and looking down at you, “You look like whore.” he spat, teasing tone in his smile. “All spread out on my couch like this.”
His hands moved to your pants, popping the buttons and pulling them down. You should stop him, tell him to wait because you barely know him and it's a little soon, but his words have you biting your lip and lifting your hips to help him get your pants down and off. 
That only makes Tomura shake his head in disbelief, a pleased smile betraying his false disappointment. 
He reaches down and presses his middle finger to your clothed cunt, rubbing soft circles and laughs, “You’re soaked. Didn’t take you for such a slut.”
The words only spurred you on, spreading your legs further and closing your eyes. It felt good to finally get some kind of contact – he was right where he needed to be. Until he pulled away, leaving you more desperate and a complaint on your lips. You stop in your tracks though as Tomura leans down, tongue licking you through your panties. 
Your hands fly to his hair, moan erupting from your lips. You’re unsure how thin his apartment walls are, but you don't care. The feeling sends pleasure shooting up your spine and your heart picks up its pace.
Tomura laps at your clothed cunt, fabric muting the full feeling but giving you enough to cry out. You find yourself grinding closer, body begging him to keep going and he obliges, only for a moment. He gives your cunt one more kiss before pulling back and pulling your soaked panties down and off, tossing them across the living room. 
He wastes no time diving back in, tongue licking a strip from your hole to your clit and your back arches. The hold you have on Tomura’s hair is so tight, you're sure it’s painful at this point, but he only groans, wet muscle lapping your clit eagerly. Your thighs reflexively try to close, but Tomura is faster, hand stopping them and thumb rubbing soothing circles. 
“Oh, god,” you squeeze your eyes shut, the pleasure building quickly and you will yourself not to go over – not yet. That would be embarrassing. 
You feel the pressure in your abdomen tighten and it's clear you won't last much longer. Tomura took that moment to suck your sensitive nub and you spill over, mouth open in a silent moan and thighs quivering.
Tomura rides you through it, only pulling away from his ministrations once you catch your breath. “That soon, huh?” There's no bite to his words and you only give him a halfhearted glare, heavy lidded eyes still reeling from your orgasm. 
You’re distracted and don’t notice Tomura’s not finished with his antics. It wasn’t until you felt a digit pressing at your heat, slipping in slowly and making you mewl in pleasure. You were soaked, and the pressure making your head loll onto the armrest of the couch. It felt so full already. 
“Ah!” you gasped, feeling the familiar glide of Tomura’s tongue against your oversensitive clit once more. 
It was almost too much, your cries reaching new heights as he pumped his digit in and out of your sopping cunt, juices from your arousal mixing with his saliva. He was taking his time building your next orgasm, moving slow and steady, making your toes curl in pleasure. 
The push of a second finger against your hole had you tapping Tomura’s shoulder, “t-too much! Tomura!” 
Your cries fell on deaf ears as he continued, tip of his tongue flicking your clit as the second finger pushed in to join the first, waisting no time fucking you in earnest. His fingers were thick and the feeling of being so full made you dizzy, pleasure spiraling as you tried to ground yourself mentally. You grabbed Tomura’s shoulder, fisting his shirt in your hand as you lost yourself in the pleasure once more. 
Tomura’s motions ceased as his eyes met yours. You could only imagine how blissed out you looked in this moment, breath ragged and sweat clinging to your brow. Tomura wasn’t much better off — he was as desperate as you, hair splayed in wild directions after your hands ravaged through it. You open your mouth – impatient words on the tip of your tongue and Tomura curls his fingers, digits hitting that spongy spot inside that made you see stars.
He flattens his tongue, giving your clit a final lap and it sends you over – for the second time tonight. 
Your back arches and your legs shake as your orgasm washes over you. The feeling sends waves of pleasure throughout your body, eyes squeezed shut and mind buzzing. 
Tomura watches as you come apart, palming his erection in awe. You meet his eyes once you come down from your second high of the night and Tomura wastes no time in crashing his lips to yours, clumsy and wet. You could taste yourself on his lips and groan when he pulls you closer. 
There's a trail of saliva linking the two of you once he pulls away, but Tomura’s heavy gaze is only on you. He leans back in once more to give you a much softer kiss, before pulling away again and giving the same soft kiss on your cheek — heat rushing to them for reasons entirely different from what just transpired between you both. 
It was very… intimate – in a way you did not expect from someone who had just called you a slut. 
It makes you want to reach out for him when he pulls away further, eyes seemingly pondering something you’re unaware of. He looked down at you one more time, before looking to his television and his unopened takeout bag on the coffee table. 
“My show is about to start, so…” he starts, picking up the remote to change the channel of the television, screen lighting up and noise filling the room. You stare as Tomura sits back and gets comfortable, opening his takeout bag and removing the contents. 
Was he… was he kicking you out right now? Seriously? 
Your brows fly up, eyes widened in disbelief — his lack of reaction at your scoff only proves you right. He was kicking you out. Bullshit. The humiliation is evident as you scurry to find your pants, not bothering to find wherever the hell he tossed your underwear earlier, and get the hell out of there before you said something you would regret. 
The only thing on your mind was the front door as you brushed by Tomura one last time. 
“Hey!” he called, gluing you to your spot. Your heart jumped as you turned back to him vaguely hoping he would offer you to stay a little longer.
That small flame of hope died as soon as it came because Tomura was only extending your long forgotten phone to you. 
You snatch the device from his hand and make your way out the door, face burning and legs still tingling from the way he made you come undone mere moments before. 
Once you reach your bike you find yourself huffing in annoyance. What else did you expect? Him to offer you some of his takeout? That would just be silly. You’re walking your bike to the sidewalk, ready to hop on and go back to the restaurant – sure your manager is worried sick about his only driver – before your phone buzzes in your back pocket. 
Tomura S.
Your eyes widened as you read a text from the name you knew you hadn't saved in your contacts before. 
You forgot my drink.
498 notes · View notes
roosterforme · 2 months
Text
It Won't Be Long | Rooster x Reader
Summary: How are you supposed to tell your family that you have to leave? Especially when everything still feels new and flawless and beautiful? Bradley knows it will be rough to break the news to you, but telling Everett will be so much worse.
Warnings: Swearing, fluff, angst, adult language
Length: 3600 words
Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female single!mom Reader
This is a Batting Practice one-shot but can be read alone! Check out my masterlist for more!
Tumblr media
"Oh, shit."
Bradley's heart sank as he read the paperwork that Maverick just handed to him. "Fuck," he groaned, fighting the urge to crumple up the pages. The sounds of conversation buzzing around him in the rec room faded to a dull noise that set his teeth on edge as he thought about how he was going to explain this to you. And even worse....how he would tell Everett. 
"Sorry, Rooster," Maverick replied, cuffing him on the shoulder, but Bradley didn't move except to shake his head a fraction of an inch. He should have known this was coming. He should have been prepared for this, but it felt like a slap in the face. You and he had only been married for less than six months, and he still felt like this was very much the honeymoon phase. How the hell was he supposed to spend a single day without you and Everett, let alone one hundred of them?
He'd been planning to take the three of you up to Disneyland for a little overnight trip during spring break. Kind of a precursor to a longer vacation to Disney World in Orlando in the summer. Well, now he'd be missing all of spring break. And he was going to miss opening day at Petco Park, too.
He vaguely registered that Maverick dismissed him early, and he heard Bob calling his name as he headed for the door. He stopped but didn't turn around as he told his future brother-in-law, "I'll call you later." He'd have to tell Bob and Molly soon, because you and Everett would need them if anything happened while Bradley was deployed, but he didn't want to talk about it with anyone until he told you himself. 
When he got home before you, it gave him plenty of time to mope while he got dinner in the oven. He decided to take a long shower, suddenly wanting nothing more than to change out of his fucking uniform. The Valentine's Day card he gave you a few days ago was still propped up on your dresser, and he sighed when he looked at the pretty flowers still blooming beautifully in the vase next to it. When he opened the card and read what he'd written, he wasn't surprised to find that he had it practically memorized after spending hours agonizing about what to say to his wife on a day dedicated to being in love.
Kitten, 
You changed my life and everything in it for the better last spring, and not a minute goes by that I'm not thinking about you. I hope you'll let me love you every Valentine's Day for the rest of my life. I hope you'll love me back for all of them. I'm so happy you're my wife.
Love,
Bradley
P.S.- How do you feel about wearing your collar, leash and your bodysuit tonight?
He set the card down again with a soft groan and stripped out of his uniform. The shower felt amazing, and he treated himself to your expensive body wash before he rinsed himself off. When he put on his sweatpants and started looking for a tee shirt, everything in his drawer seemed to have Top Gun or Navy Waves printed on it. He just wasn't in the mood for any of it since he knew he was about to have two conversations he'd really rather skip, so he pulled on the Phillies shirt that he got for Christmas from you and Everett.
The kitchen timer started going off at the same time he heard your car in the driveway, and Bradley ran back downstairs to get dinner out of the oven. "You're home early!" you said, bursting through the front door with Everett by your side, and for the first time since this morning, everything seemed more colorful and loud in a good way.
"Dad! I aced my math test!" Everett said as he came running into the kitchen, waving a sheet of paper in the air. "A hundred percent!"
Bradley's heart clenched as he picked Everett up in a hug and buried his face against him. "I'm proud of you, kiddo. That's what happens when you stop rushing through your homework."
He held onto his son a little longer than he normally would before kissing his cheek and setting him down. You eyed him closely as you dumped your work stuff on one of the chairs. He must have done something to give himself away, because a second later, you said, "Ev, you promised you'd take ten minutes to clean your room before dinner."
"Fine," he replied, his voice right on the edge of whining. Normally Bradley would remind him not to talk to you that way, but he let it slide right now. Everett headed for the stairs, and once he was out of sight, you were in Bradley's arms. 
"What's wrong, Coach?" you asked, running your fingers along his cheek before pushing them through his damp hair. "What's bothering you?"
When you gently kissed him, he didn't stop you. And when it took him a minute to reply, you didn't rush him. "Baby... I'm being deployed."
Your grip on him grew incrementally tighter as you whispered, "Oh. When?" 
His forehead met yours as he forced out the sentence, "I have to leave mid March, and I'm due back on Ev's birthday."
When you nodded, he could tell you were still letting his words settle in your mind. You took a deep breath and huffed out a little laugh as you whispered, "That's a long time."
Bradley swallowed down his guilt. "It's too damn long. I don't want to go fourteen weeks without you and Ev. I don't even like going a whole day when I can help it. I'm supposed to be here with you."
You nodded, and when you spoke, he could hear the tears in your voice. "We managed without you before, we can do it again. At least you'll get home on his birthday."
He collected you tighter against his body as he groaned. He would rather do almost anything other than miss his son's eighth birthday. "Kitten. Sometimes the dates aren't accurate. Sometimes the carriers run behind schedule. One time I returned a week later than I anticipated." 
You made a soft sound that left him reeling. "Well, if that happens, then I'll explain it to him. And we'll deal with it."
"Fuck," he grunted, slipping out of your grasp and gripping the edge of the countertop with both hands as his anger flared. "I don't want the two of you to have to deal with me missing out on celebrations. I already bought tickets for Ev and I to go to see the Padres on opening day! I was going to let him skip school! If I miss his birthday, I swear I'll be fucking sick, Kitten! And if Molly doesn't have the baby before March fifteenth, then I won't get to meet him until he's three months old!"
"Bradley," you whispered, ducking under his arm so you were right there between him and the counter. "Listen to me," you said, taking his face in your hands and kissing him. "This is why we love you so much. Because you love us so much."
You had tears in your eyes that matched his as he muttered, "I still feel like we just got married. Like every day with you is so exciting. And Ev didn't grow up with a military dad. He's not used to my lifestyle. I..." Bradley paused and dipped his head down, staring at your work shoes as he said, "I feel important every day because both of you rely on me for things around here. More than just my income. Ev and I do his homework together, and I like helping you cook meals. And I live for taking him to the park to play baseball. I live for it, Kitten."
With two firm hands under his chin, you shifted him so he was looking at you. "I said we would be able to manage without you because we did it before. We know how to do it. Not that we would enjoy ourselves, Bradley. My heart will hurt with worry every day that you're gone, and Everett will miss you because you're essential to his happiness. But this is part of your career, and you're very good at it."
Bradley knew he was crying now as he said, "I'll miss the beginning of his baseball season. He's the only one from his old team who is going to play real ball again this spring instead of tee ball."
You smiled and kissed his cheek. "All thanks to you. And I'll take a million videos for you to watch. I'll email them so you can scrutinize his technique, and then I'll help him improve. I mean, look how much more I know about baseball since I first met you."
Of course your words made him feel a little better. They always did. You always validated his place in this family when he started to doubt himself. "You've come a long way, Kitten. And it's a good thing, too, because I don't think Ev is going to lose interest in baseball any time soon."
You smiled as your lips skimmed his. "I really hope not since the two of you turned the extra bedroom into a Phillies shrine."
"Why are you both crying?"
Bradley's gaze snapped toward Everett who was halfway between the bottom of the stairs and the kitchen with a concerned look on his face. "Ev," he started, unsure how to handle this conversation. Part of him wanted to wait until after the three of you had eaten dinner, but right now, he looked very upset.
"Is Aunt Molly okay?" he asked softly. "She was crying the other day when she said the baby was hurting her back."
When Bradley still hesitated, you said, "Aunt Molly is fine. She texted me a picture of her swollen feet at lunchtime." Then you leaned in closer and whispered, "Do you want me to talk to him?"
"No," Bradley replied immediately. "No, I'll do it." But it was harder than he thought it would be to get the words out in a way that would make sense to a seven year old. Why had he convinced himself that he'd be good at this parenting thing? He didn't even know what the hell to say right now. "Grab our gloves," he told his son. "Let's go out back and toss a ball around before we eat dinner."
Everett perked up immediately and ran off, only to return with two well worn baseball gloves and a baseball. "Okay."
Bradley slipped on a pair of shoes. "Okay."
Wordlessly, they threw the ball around for a bit, the quiet space soothing the part of Bradley that was terrified of fucking this up. "Hey, Kiddo?"
"Yeah, Dad?" Everett asked as he threw a scorcher to Bradley.
"You remember how we talked about deployments before?"
"Yeah." His voice was softer this time, and his face fell a little bit. "I remember. It's when you have to go way out into the ocean and fly off of an aircraft carrier."
"Yeah," Bradley croaked, squeezing the ball as hard as he could in his right hand. "I'm going to have to leave to do that in a few weeks."
He watched as his son tried to be strong and keep it together, but then Everett's face crumpled as he started crying. "But you said that lasts for months," he said as he looked at the ground, and Bradley rushed toward him. "And I heard Jayden in my class say deployments are really dangerous."
"Ev," he replied, dropping the ball and his glove and kneeling right in front of him. He swiped at the tears with his fingers as he said, "I can't stand it when you cry. It breaks my heart." 
But Everett just cried more. "I don't want you to leave now. You just got here!"
"Kiddo," he whispered, wrapping him up in a hug. "I'll be back soon. It won't be long. Nothing we can't handle."
"But what if something happens to you?" 
Bradley's heart shattered and was immediately put back together. He hated making you and Everett worry about him, but the fact that you both loved him enough to care made him feel whole. He kissed his son's tear streaked cheeks and said, "The only thing that's going to happen is me flying around in my jet for a few weeks before I come right back home. Sounds pretty boring, right?"
He nodded against Bradley's shoulder. "Yeah, I guess so."
Bradley kissed his forehead and whispered, "I'll be so bored without you. I'm going to need you and Mom to take a bunch of photos and videos and email them to me all day long. And I'll need you to ace all your school assignments and be well behaved for everyone except your Aunt Molly. You think you can do that?"
Everett shrugged, but when his glove slipped off of his hand, he hugged Bradley around the neck. "I'll try, Dad. But I'll miss you."
A tear slipped down Bradley's cheek as he managed to say, "I'll miss you, too."
-------------------------
"It's not time yet," you told Everett as he sat on the couch with the iPad on his lap, staring at it longingly. "Ten more minutes. Why don't you finish your math homework while you wait?"
"Because I like doing my math homework with Dad," Everett explained as he looked at you like you were absolutely ridiculous for even suggesting such a thing. "I want to solve the problem with him."
Even though it meant you would have less time to talk to your husband about other things, you'd let Everett do math homework with him over FaceTime. It wasn't like Bradley was going to complain. They were two peas in a pod. Everett even had the Phillies current pitching stats printed out and ready to share. 
"You'll have to show him your countdown, too. We're getting closer."
Before Bradley left, he and Everett cut up countless strips of paper and wrote numbers on them so Everett could conduct a countdown until his eighth birthday. Until the day Bradley was supposed to return home. There had been a gigantic paper chain snaking through the house, but now you were down to your final ten loops. Just ten more days without Bradley.
When the iPad rang, Everett nearly dropped it in his excitement, and you ran in from the kitchen. "Dad!" he said as Bradley's handsome face filled the screen.
"Hey, Ev," he said, sounding exhausted and relieved. "I miss you, Kiddo. Where's Mom?" 
"She's right here." 
Your son tilted the screen, and Bradley sighed. "Kitten."
"Bradley! We miss you. Ten more days!"
A crooked smile broke out on his face, and he kept his eyes on you for a beat longer while Everett started telling him all about baseball practice with his new coach and how his baby cousin Charlie threw up yesterday and about how the Phillies won three games in a row. You lost him to your son just like you knew you would as soon as Everett asked him for help with his homework. 
You sat quietly on the couch while Bradley looked at the math sheet and helped him work through the problem. Then Everett showed him the remaining length of the paper chain countdown, and as soon as that was finished, Bradley said, "Great job, Kiddo. Now why don't you go clean your room up before bed while I talk to Mom?"
"Okay. Love you, Dad!"
"I love you, too," he promised. "And I'll see you on your birthday."
Everett handed you the iPad and ran upstairs to his bedroom. "After all that, I only get three minutes alone with my husband this week," you said with a little smirk.
Bradley groaned and shook his head. "I can guarantee when I get home, I'll be on you nonstop. Don't worry about that, Baby. We won't sleep for days."
You bit your lip and laughed as he groaned. "What do you want for your birthday, Coach?"
He glanced around the small room where he was sitting before he said, "You can find that information written in your Valentine's Day card. Maybe throw in some vanilla frosting, and I'll be all set."
"Sounds good," you replied, and his smile grew. "We'll count down to Ev's birthday, and then we'll count down to yours."
"Speaking of which, did you get his present ready? All wrapped up in a box?"
You nodded as your heart fluttered. "Exactly to your specifications," you promised, picturing the package you had stashed in the linen closet.
"Perfect. I need to make it up to him for missing opening day for the Padres. I hated disappointing him."
As you glanced around your living room at the remaining countdown numbers and Everett's completed math homework, you said, "Something tells me you could never truly disappoint him. See you in ten days, my love."
-------------------------
"Dad!"
Bradley rushed through the crowd on the dock and headed for his family. You looked beautiful, and somehow Everett looked like he grew six inches in three months, but everything was perfect again once he had an arm wrapped around each of you. He kissed your lips and squeezed you to his side. "I missed you, Kitten," he murmured, knowing you wouldn't be too mad if you weren't his main focus until later tonight. "Happy birthday, Kiddo," he said with a smile as he released you to hug his son. "I missed you, too."
Everett clung to him when Bradley knelt down, and he stood up again with him in his arms. "Last week, my new coach said I have a heck of an arm. And school's already over. Mom took a video of my last day on Friday. You have to watch seventeen new videos from last week. We can watch them together tomorrow before we go out for pizza with baby Charlie and Aunt Molly and Uncle Bob."
Bradley buried his face against Everett's shoulder, excited to hear him talking a mile a minute in person. "Absolutely. But first, let's get home and open your birthday present."
The ride in your car was filled with your voice and Everett's, and Bradley sat back with a smile on his face and his fingers laced with yours. "How was the aircraft carrier?" Everett asked.
"Boring, loud and uncomfortable. And they never showed the Phillies games on TV."
"We can watch the game recaps!"
Bradley was already daydreaming about taking a few days off work, lounging on the couch with Everett until lunchtime, going to the park to play baseball, and then making love to you all night.
"We can definitely watch the game recaps," he promised as you pulled into the driveway next to Bradley's prized Bronco. "But first, I really want you to open your birthday present."
He didn't change out of his uniform. He didn't even remove his boots. He just gave Everett the box wrapped in red and white paper after you handed it to him, and he watched his son tear into the paper while your hands came to rest on his chest. "You are the only birthday present that kid wanted," you whispered.
Bradley felt the flush rising in his cheeks as you kissed his neck, but Everett had the lid off the box now. "I don't know about that, Kitten. I think he'll like this one," Bradley replied as Everett put the Phillie Phanatic hat on his head and read the paper he found in the box out loud.
"Three tickets for the Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park! On the Fourth of July! Behind the dugout! That's where the Phanatic dances! We can see the Phanatic for real! In Philadelphia!"
"Told you," Bradley whispered against your lips as Everett ran around the living room, already thrilled for his first trip to Philly.
But you were shaking your head and looking up at him with the most sincere expression as you said, "Just wait for it."
And you were right. A few minutes later, after Everett's excitement for his Phillies tickets tapered off a bit, he asked, "Dad, can we build a blanket tent and watch Toy Story and eat popcorn?"
Bradley paused where he was unlacing his boots and smiled. "Under one condition."
Everett smiled back and shrugged. "Okay. What is it?"
Bradley tossed his boots aside and said, "We change into our matching baseball pajamas and grab the stuffed Phanatic from your bedroom. And Mom gets to join us, too."
"Deal."
An hour and a half later, Bradley was watching one of his favorite movies with two of his favorite people. You were feeding him popcorn and teasing his hair as you lay with your head on his shoulder in the blanket fort. Everett was sound asleep, draped across Bradley's chest, and it felt so good to be home, he almost started crying. 
"I missed this so much," he whispered, kissing Everett's forehead. "Missed my family."
You hummed softly as you raked your fingers through his hair. "Like I said, going to the Phillies game will be great and all, but having you home today was the only thing he really needed for his birthday."
Bradley grinned and asked, "And does my Kitten need me, too?"
You popped up from his shoulder and whispered, "Why don't you carry Ev up to his bed, and then I'll let you find out."
-------------------------
I love emo Coach Bradley, and it was definitely time to check in with the three of them. He never wants to be the reason Everett cries, but that kid loves him so much, it's unavoidable. Let's check back in with them again soon. Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls
@hotch-meeeeeuppppp
@chassy21
@solacestyles
@daisyhollyxox
@wintercap89
@blog-name6996
@bcon24
@chaoticassidy
@avada-kedavra-bitch-187
@katiebby04
@marantha
@averyhotchner
@abaker74
@heli991113
@k-k0129
@noz4a2
@shanimallina87
@little-wiseone
@ccbb2222
@xoxabs88xox
@thedroneranger
@cherrycola27
@fanboyswhore9
@xomrsalliej4787xo
@desert-fern
@sylviebell
@wkndwlff
@horseslovers2016
@gennyanydots
@mattyskies
@hookslove1592
@blahehblah
@sadpetalsstuff
@local-spidey
@schoollover
@lex-winchester
@magicalmorg
@nicole01-23
@jessicab1991
@happyrebelruins
@samsgoddess
@ughthisisntright
@bellaireland1981
@sagittarius-flowerchild
@mygyn
@yuckosworld
559 notes · View notes
sunflowergirl522 · 2 years
Text
Angel Face
Pairing: Eddie Munson x Henderson!Reader
Summary: Eddie takes Dustin to pick up his sister from the airport and is surprised with seeing his long ago best friend.
Word Count: 3395
Eddie Masterlist
Tumblr media
“You know Henderson, I didn’t know you had a sister.” Eddie turns his head slightly to glance at the younger boy in the passenger seat. He had found out about her when Dustin gathered everyone up in a meeting to announce the news that she was moving back.
“It’s not like it was a secret.” Dustin shrugs before turning his body to face Eddie. “Thanks again for driving to pick her up. It means a lot to my mom and I that you said yes when I asked.”
“Why couldn’t your mom do it again?” Eddie wasn’t complaining, he owed his friend one after he dragged him out of the upside down, though he would’ve driven him even if he hadn’t.
“She had to work because her dick of a boss wouldn’t let her take off.”
“Bummer. Tell me about this famous sister of yours that everyone knew about except for me.”
“Oh she’s the best! She’s the coolest, kindest, most caring person I know. Whenever she would come visit she’d always bring gifts for not only me but the guys too. And she was constantly sending me new dice in the letters she sent me. She’d ask me all about my interests and if I mentioned something just once she’d bring it up again in a couple of months asking if I still enjoy it. She was so quick to bond with everyone when she first met them and it wasn’t a shock that they all basically adopted her as their sister too. I mean she was there for Will in ways that I don’t even know about and I know that she had been in communication with him while they were in California more than the rest of us. And you’ve seen how Nancy and Mike interact. They don’t have the best sibling relationship so she had tried to give him the closest thing she could to what we have. And Lucas and Erica adore her completely. I get most of my best qualities from her.” Eddie smiles as he listens to Dustin ramble on about his sister. He could tell how much he loved you when he asked him to pick you up. It was obvious in his voice and his eyes how excited he was and how much he adored you. It’s why Eddie had said yes without asking questions or double guessing. Sure he had to cancel band practice but it was worth it to see Dustin so hyped up.
“She as annoying as you too?”
“Haha, very funny. I actually think you’ll like her.”
“Well the Henderson clan does seem to have a hold on me.” What with Dustin being his best friend and his mom taking a liking to him and constantly inviting him over for dinners.
Dustin practically jumps out of the van while it’s still moving as Eddie parks it in the airport parking lot. If it wasn’t for Eddie grabbing onto the back of his shirt he would’ve. Once it’s stopped fully Eddie has to rush to catch up with his friend who’s almost running to the entrance. When he finally gets him to slow down Dustin bounces with every step he takes closer to baggage claim. Eddie can’t help but smile at his excitement. Admittedly he’s excited to meet the sister that had the whole gang so excited. They had all burst into excited gasps and cheers when Dustin had brought her up and Eddie couldn’t help but feel left out at not knowing why everyone was so excited.
At the baggage claim Dustin bounces up and down in his spot while he tries to spot you in the crowd. This is easily the most exciting day of his life. His sister is coming home permanently! When you called him up to tell him that he swears it could’ve been the best day of his life. He hasn’t seen you for a few months because of school and dad not letting you visit when you normally would once a month. And while he’s upset for you that you flunked out, you had been so excited to get your degree, he’s glad you decided to continue it at a school close enough to Hawkins that you can live at home.
You spot Dustin in the crowd within minutes of getting to baggage claim. It was hard to miss the thinking cap you sent him months ago disappearing and reappearing over people's shoulders. 
“Dusty!” You squeal and shoulder your way through the crowd so you can bring him into a hug.
“Y/n/n!” He flings himself into your arms and you could cry at the warm feeling of his arms around you. You were losing your mind being stuck with your dad for so long. The only thing you regret about flunking out was that you hadn’t instead dropped out forever ago and moved back. 
“You’ve gotten so big, oh my god.” You pull away from Dustin still holding him at arms length to get a good look at your growing brother. While the two of you talk Eddie finally gets a good look at you and his eyes nearly bug out of his head as he recognizes you.
“Y/n?!” The sound of his voice has you whipping your head around to see him. His voice is deeper than the last time you heard it but you’d still recognize it anywhere.
“Eddie?! Is that you?”
“You know it, Angel Face.”
“Oh my god!” You abandon Dustin to jump into Eddie’s waiting arms. “What are you doing here?”
“Brought Dustin to pick up his sister which turned out to be you. Didn’t even know he had one till like a week ago. I thought your brother went with you when you moved.”
“We have the same dad but different moms. Dusty got lucky with dad honestly. You know Dustin?” Your face is still buried in his neck and he holds onto you tight.
“What is going on?” Dustin asks, breaking out of the shock of seeing his sister wrap herself around his friend that she’s never met.
“Eddie was my best friend before I moved away with dad. But we lost contact after high school started because we got busy with life.” You finally let go and turn towards your brother while Eddie keeps his arm around your shoulder afraid if he stopped touching you you’d fade away like a good dream.
“She got busy with school and friends while I got busy with the band and Hellfire.”
“Is the band still around?”
“The members have changed a bit since the last time you were around but yeah, Corroded Coffin is still kicking. We even play at the Hideout sometimes.” You turn your head to look at him and gasp when you really take in how much he’s changed. You’d been too shocked at him being here to really notice anything before.
“Whoa Eddie your hair got so long.” You pull a strand between your fingers while he goes to rub the back of his neck.
“I know, I should probably get it cut.” Dustin's mouth gapes at that. Every time someone had suggested that to Eddie, even as a joke, he would yell at them to shut up. He never thought he'd see the day where his friend actually agreed with that statement.
“No, I like it. It’s very metal.” As the goofiest grin Dustin has ever seen spreads across Eddie’s face he realizes two things. One, that Eddie’s obviously absolutely smitten with you and two, he’s gonna have to let Steve know that his chance is gone because with the way you’re smiling and playing with Eddie’s unruly hair you obviously have some sort of feelings for him too.
“Jeez how much stuff do you have Y/n?” Dustin asks as he spots your suitcases coming towards him on the conveyor belt.
“I brought everything I could fit in my bags. All my clothes, books, records, important memory stuff. I had to buy two new suitcases.” You grab two of them off of the belt while Dustin grabs the other two and Eddie swings your duffel bag that you dropped when you hugged Dustin over his shoulder. “I shipped a few things over before I left too. They should be showing up at home over the next few days.”
“What about your car?”
“I sold it.” You shrug. “I’ll miss Bessy but I can just buy one here once I find a job instead of having a friend drive her down and have to drive them back.”
“I can drive you around till you get one.” Eddie offers while taking one of the suitcases from your hand.
“You don’t have to do that Eddie bear. I’m sure you have better things to do.” Dustin watches as Eddie practically melts at the nickname. His shoulders slouch like all the tension he’s been carrying around just disappeared completely, his head drops so it’s leaning towards your own, and he gets the most relaxed smile.
“Better than hangout with my Angel face whenever she needs to go somewhere? Never.” You giggle at that and shove his shoulder in a playful ‘stop it’ kind of way. 
“Alright can we go now?” Dustin's had enough of watching Eddie flirt with his sister.
“Yeah, let me take one of those for you Dusty.” You go to take one of the suitcases from Dustin since Eddie took one of your own but as soon as you get it in your hand he takes it from you. “You don’t have to do that Eddie, you’re already doing so much.”
“And yet not enough. Now come on Hendersons lets go.” Eddie starts walking away with a suitcase in each hand trailing behind him and the duffel swung around so it rests on his back leaving you and Dustin no choice but to follow behind him.
Once you get to the van Eddie packs everything into the back not letting you do any of the work, trying to shoo you away when you tried to help. Meanwhile Dustin had just dropped off the suitcase he was carrying at Eddie's feet before moving to the passenger seat.
“Get in the back Dustin. Let your sister sit up front, I’m sure she’s had a long flight.” Eddie says as he opens the door for you just to find Dustin already in the seat.
“What about the rules of shotgun?”
“I don’t mind sitting in the back.”
“You’re not sitting in the back Angel face.” Eddie leans on the top of the van with one arm while leaning closer to you. You sigh and roll your eyes feigning annoyance as you cross your arms and lean back on one foot. Dustin just groans at the scene in front of him before climbing into the back hoping it stops whatever this is. Once you’re in Eddie shuts your door and runs around the front to his side. You spot the familiar bandanna as it flows away from him as he goes.
“Is that the bandanna I sent you?” He nods in response as he starts the van up. “You still have it?” There’s butterflies swarming in your stomach at the thought of Eddie holding onto the little memories of you the same way you had him.
“This old thing?” He reaches behind him pulling it out of his back pocket to show you. “It’s only one of my favorite possessions along with this.” He then hooks his thumb around the chain hanging from his neck pulling the guitar pick necklace out of his shirt. You gasp when you see it and lean over excitedly grabbing it to inspect it closer.
“Is this the pick I got you when Wayne got you your first real guitar?”
“Yep.” You smile wide before excitedly fumbling to grab one of the chains on your own neck that has the ring he gave you before you left on it. You’ve only ever taken it off maybe a total of six times since then. “No fucking way! Is that-”
“Your ring? Yeah.”
“Hey guys can we go now? Everyone’s waiting for us.” As much as Dustin was genuinely enjoying two of his favorite people being so excited and happy and learning the origin story for certain trademarks of  each of you he didn’t want to keep everyone waiting much longer all because neither of you could keep it in your pants.
“Everyone?” You turn to look at Dustin, your eyebrows scrunched together while Eddie pulls out of the spot.
“Shit!” He wasn’t supposed to say anything. “Y/n you have to act surprised when we get home. You’re not supposed to know they’re all there.”
“Okay, I can act surprised.”
The drive back home is filled with you and Eddie catching up after all these years. He explained how he knows Dustin from school and how he invited him to Hellfire which led to their friendship. And then Dustin had brought up all the Vecna stuff and how Eddie’s a hero to which Eddie's eyes had gone wide because he had been thinking that you wouldn’t believe him or think they were crazy. But you had shocked him by understanding everything and telling him that you wish you could’ve seen his mini concert. At the questioning gaze he held you had just shrugged and told him about how you were around last summer and went through something like that, though your adventure was more Russian based.
When the van is parked in front of the house Dustin jumps out and runs to get inside to let everyone know you’re here with Eddie yelling at him to get his ass back here and help with your stuff. You just laughed and told him it was fine while opening the back doors. You grab two suitcases while he grabs what he had while leaving the airport.
“Hey Eddie, I didn’t expect that when I moved back we’d be reunited but I’m super glad we were.” You send him a smile so wide it causes your eyes to close while he shuts the doors and it stuns him for a minute.
“Yeah, yeah me too.” He licks his lips and starts making the short trip to the door. “Don’t forget to act surprised.”
“I won't, I won't.” Eddie opens the door and gestures for you to go first.
“Welcome home!” Everyone screams as you enter the living room.
“Oh wow! You guys are all here!” 
“Damnit Dustin, you told her?”
“Why do you have to be so bad at acting Y/n?”
“Sorry Dusty. Now, I’ll hug everyone once all my stuff is in my room alright? If I don’t take it now they’ll stay in the doorway forever. This way Eddie.” You start to lead the way out of the room to the bedroom that’s been yours since the first time you visited Claudia’s new house.
“Why’s Munson following her like a lost puppy?”
“Yeah so apparently they’re long lost childhood best friends or something. They’re so painfully into each other though.”
“No way, he would’ve known her then instead of being shocked you even had a sibling.” Dustin shrugs at Mike.
“He probably didn’t realize we were related because she looks like a spitting image of her mom instead of anything like dad. You should’ve heard them though. Oh Eddie, your hair has gotten so long I like it, it's sooo metal.” Dustin raises his voice to mock you before deepening it to mock Eddie. “I’ll drive you around till you get a car, let me carry all of your bags Angel face, I should probably cut my hair.” Robin gasps at those last words.
“No way he said that! Eddie like loves his hair to death. He’s always yelling threats at us when we joke about cutting it while he sleeps.”
“Oh but he did, the moment she commented on how long it was. And the man melts when she calls him Eddie bear.”
While they all talk about you you’re peacefully rolling your suitcases into the corner of your room and telling Eddie to just leave the others wherever and the duffel bag can go on your bed. Once all that is down you sit on your bed and fall back so you’re laying there with your legs dangling off the bed.
“You tired?” Eddie asks, leaning over you.
“A little.”
“Want me to tell everyone you don’t feel good or something and send them home?”
“No it’s fine, I’m excited to see everyone. It’s just been a long day.”
“Alright well c’mon then, you’ve got people to see.” He holds his hands out for you to take and pulls you up once you grab them. You keep a hold of one of them as he pulls you back to the living room.
“How was the flight in?” Steve asks as he pulls you into a hug.
“It was alright no screaming babies this time around.” 
“That’s good.” You’re not really paying attention to Steve anymore though as your eyes spot Will from over his shoulder.
“Will!” You rush over to the boy giving him a bear hug. “I’m so excited you guys have moved back too! I was planning to fly out to Cali to see you guys again when Dustin told me you were back permanently.”
“I’ve missed you so much.”
“God I’ve missed you too bud. C’mere Johnny boy.” You hold out your arms for Jonathan after separating from his brother. “I’ve missed you too.” You murmur into his shoulder before separating and greeting Nancy with a nod and kind smile since the two of you have never been as close as you were with everyone else though maybe now it’ll be different. “Bring it in Sinclairs!” As Lucas and Erica embrace you in a group hug Eddie admires the way you interact with everyone and the big smiles on everyone's faces. You embrace Robin next, the girl pulling you into a hug as soon as you were done talking to Lucas and Erica. After you greet Mike and El you move back to Eddie's side. 
The two of you sit on the couch with you staying as close to him as possible. While you talk to everyone you absentmindedly play with his rings which you don’t even notice you’re doing until he moves his hand away from you to grab the bag of chips Dustin had been offering. You would’ve stopped then too if it wasn’t for Eddie placing his hand back on your knee for you to keep going.
“Do you need someone to drive you back up to get your car?”
“I sold it before I left.” You shrug while answering Steve.
“Oh, you can always call me if you need to get anywhere.” Eddie’s heart drops at that because why would you pick him and his beat up van that slightly smells like weed over Steve and his nice clean BMW.
“I appreciate the offer Stevie and I’ll call you if I need you but Eddie already offered to drive me around. Right Eddie bear?”
“Y-yeah.” He smiles wider than he ever has before and he tilts his head down as he looks at you, your foreheads almost touching. “As long as I’m not working I’ll drive you anywhere you wanna go, Angel face.” Steve looks over at Dustin wide eyed because he hadn’t believed him when he was talking about how obvious they were. The boy fake gags at the two of you and misses Steve's stare.
“You heading home Eddie?” Dustin asks once he’s the only one left over. 
“Yeah, I’ll see you later Dustin.” He ruffles the kids hair and starts to make his way to the door with you trailing after him.
“I’ll probably pass out after you leave.” You yawn through your words. “So unpacking will have to wait till tomorrow.”
“Yeah you should get some rest.”
“Do you wanna come over tomorrow and help? We can listen to a bunch of my new records and catch up some more?”
“Yeah of course. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He brings you into a hug and when the two of you separate you lean up and kiss his cheek feeling bold.
“Good night Eddie bear.”
“Night Angel face.” Once you shut the door and he’s heading towards his van his hand goes to his cheek in shock before another big grin takes over his face.
Eddie Taglist: @phluffybunny-blog​ @sadbitchfangirl @notbeforelong​ @kenzi-woycehoski​ @celestialsxturn​ @daisyellsong​ @urmomashleyyy​ @ofherscarlettwitchways​ @munsonswhore86​ @katsukis1wife​ @violet-19999​ @navs-bhat​ @that-chick212​ @dixontardis​ @ruinedbythehobbit​ @pikapickabitch​ @emotionaldreamer​ @kodakoalabear @chaoticevilbakugo​ @thatsamegirl​ @fromasgardandback​ @lupinpetersclearwaterodairparker​ @fangirl199812 @greenclues​ @isshecrazyorissheclever @rockchickrebel​ @yourdailymemedelivery​ @magicalchocolatecheesecake​
Everything Taglist: @munsonsmuse​ @starbxcks​ @bubsonnobx​ @practicalghost​ 
7K notes · View notes
cookiescribble · 5 months
Text
Show Me How To Be Whole Again
Tumblr media
A/N: hi everyone! This is the fic I've been working on for eight months 😮‍💨. I hope it came out as well as I hoped it would 😅 - mod angel
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader
Summary: When Spencer is abducted, you rush to the team to make sure you're there when they find him. After you get home, Spencer's behavior starts to get more and more concerning, and you're desperate for answers. (based on 2x15 and the aftermath of that episode)
Word Count: 7.1k
CW: Mentions of abduction, violence, drug addiction, withdrawal, arguing. some angst in the middle but i am incapable of writing something without a happy ending.
~~~~~
The call came early in the morning. They said they called you as soon as they could. 
If you were thinking rationally, or if you could stand being alone for 5 minutes after hearing the news, maybe you would’ve stayed home. But you couldn’t stay put knowing Spencer was in trouble. 
You quickly threw a few days’ worth of clothes in a carry-on bag and took the first flight out of the nearest airport. You were trying so hard to keep yourself together and not break down crying on a crowded airplane, but the thoughts just kept rushing in your head. You were so worried about him. 
When you landed, you called the team and told them you were going to the police station and you were going to stay there until they found him. You wouldn’t let anyone argue with you. You wouldn’t be able to calm down until they found him anyway, so being anywhere else didn’t make sense. 
You didn’t really think of what you’d do when you got there. You’d just been on autopilot since you got the call. You were hoping someone would meet you there. 
When you frantically burst through the doors of the police station, JJ was standing there waiting for you. You dropped your bag and hugged her tight. 
“It was my fault,” she choked out, sobbing. “We were together and… we split up… I shouldn’t have split up…”
You shook your head vigorously. “No, no, you’re not the one who abducted him. It’s not your fault.” You were also sobbing now. You tried taking deep breaths to calm yourself, but all you could think about was what could possibly be happening to Spencer right now. 
You calmed down enough to ask, “Where is everybody else?”
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath herself. “We set up at the unsub’s house. He took Spence to a secondary location, and Garcia set up there to get to his computers.” She looked down. “I really should be getting back there.”
You nodded while she talked. “I’m coming with you,” you announced. 
She looked at you, concerned. “We can’t risk you-“
You cut her off. “I am coming with you. I’m staying with you until we find him,” you stated forcefully. 
She didn’t argue further. She could see the desperation in your eyes, you’re sure. Even someone who didn’t analyze behavior for a living could see that. “Alright. Let’s go.”
You arrived at the house. You couldn’t tell how long the car ride took; every second felt like an hour. 
When everybody saw you, they took turns giving you a hug. You could tell they were concerned that you were here, but they could see how devastated you were. You think they understood. 
You hung around while they all did their jobs and tried to find Spencer. You sat next to Penelope and watched as she tried to do whatever she could to help find him. 
Time passed. The team was coming in and out of the room as they needed to. Derek was probably in here the most, giving his moral support to Penelope. 
Suddenly, the monitors in front of you lit up. 
“What‘s happening?” Derek asked. 
“I… don’t know,” Penelope answered. 
Your heart dropped as an image popped up on the screen. 
It was Spencer. He was sitting in a chair, his hands tied together. He was wearing the clothes you watched him pack on the morning you last saw him. 
He looked so scared. 
“Guys! Get in here!” you heard Derek yell. 
You couldn’t look away from the screen. 
The rest of the team rushed in, faces dropping as they saw what was happening. 
Someone was talking in the background of the stream. You couldn’t hear them. Your heart was thumping so hard you could hear it in your ears. Spencer was replying to whatever they were saying. Through your loud heartbeat, you could hear his trembling voice. Your eyes started to water. 
After a few moments, you heard someone near you say something and suddenly you were being pulled away from the screen and into another room. 
When you realized what was happening, you looked up to see Hotch holding your shoulders, pushing you away from the horrific scene unfolding on the monitors. 
You started sobbing. “I have to see him,” you tried to say, but your voice was cracking. 
“No. You saw that he’s alive. That’s all you need to see.” he said firmly. He was protecting you from seeing something that would truly break you. 
You couldn’t argue. What you saw shook you to your very core; you couldn’t go back in there. You squeezed your eyes shut and nodded. “You’re going to find him and bring him back safe.” It wasn’t a question. You knew they’d find him. They had to. 
You took a step back, telling Hotch he could go back to the team in the other room, and that you were okay out here.
You sat at a table, laying your head down and covering it with your arms. You had started crying, and you couldn’t stop. How could they do this to him? He’s never done anything to hurt anybody. All he does is help people. How could someone look at him and feel anything other than warmth, comfort, and love?
You heard footsteps come into the room. The girls came in and sat around you. You picked your head up to look at them, your eyes already swollen from crying so much. 
“What happened?” you asked frantically. Your heart was racing again. 
“He’s okay,” Emily said quickly. “He’s alive. The unsub… made him choose a victim to keep alive, but there’s going to be more victims… and then the camera cut off.” She took a deep breath. “It looked like making that decision let him live.”
You buried your face in your hands. This was so cruel. you knew he dealt with bad people every day, but… this was so heartbreaking. How could someone feel so little remorse for other human beings that they force an innocent person to decide someone’s fate?
You took deep breaths to try not to cry again. “I can tell he’s in so much pain right now… He’s going to blame himself for all those people’s deaths. The guilt is going to eat him up inside. He’ll feel horrible even if he does make it out of this.”
Everyone took turns patting your back to reassure you. “He is going to make it out of this. He’ll be home soon.”
You nodded, forcing yourself to believe it. You had to believe it. If you didn’t believe it… you would break down more than you ever have before. 
You stayed in that room for what felt like an eternity. The team took turns keeping you company when they weren’t busy. They gave you vague updates to let you know that Spencer was still alive. They didn’t tell you details of what they saw. You didn’t ask. Seeing the somber looks on their faces told you all you needed to know.
Eventually, everyone came rushing out of the room, putting on their coats and practically running out the door. Penelope came to sit with you, her eyes wide and full of hope. “They found where he is. They’re going to him now.” She hugged you tightly. “He’s going to be okay.”
Tears leaked out of your eyes again. This time they were happy tears. The immense rush of relief you felt was enough to render you speechless for a while, until you finally choked out, “They’re going to call us when he’s safe?” She nodded eagerly and you let out a huge sigh of relief. 
The wait felt like forever. You were still nervous. What if they don’t get to him in time? What if they’re just barely too late?
Finally, finally Penelope’s phone rang. She answered quickly, nodding at what she was hearing. Eventually she hung up and looked at you, smiling. “He’s with them now. The unsub is dead. They’re rushing an ambulance but his injuries seem minor considering… what’s been happening.”
You closed your eyes and took another big sigh of relief. “I’m going to meet the ambulance there,” you declared.
Penelope looked at you quizzically. “I don’t know if-“
“You said the unsub is dead,” you cut her off. “There’s no more danger. I’m going to him.” You saw keys to one of the FBI vehicles that was left over since they had multiple people to a van. You picked them up and tossed them to Penelope. “You know their coordinates. You drive.”
She caught the keys and nodded at you, unable to argue with your logic. You both rushed out to the van and sped over to the location. 
You saw the ambulance as you arrived there. You barely waited for Penelope to put the car in park before you were running out the door to where the ambulance had parked. 
You saw Spencer sitting at the edge of the back of the ambulance with a first aid blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He was beaten up, but he was still conscious and alert. You were relieved his injuries weren’t worse. 
“Spencer!” you shouted as you ran towards him. He looked your way, his eyes widening as he saw you. 
You threw your arms around his shoulders when you reached him. His shock quickly turned to something softer as he relaxed into your arms, wrapping his arms around your waist. 
You nestled your face into his neck for a few moments, unable to stop your sobs of joy. “Oh, sweetie…” you cooed into his ear. 
He moved so his forehead was touching yours. Tears were streaking down his face. “I’m sorry…” he started. 
You shook your head vigorously. “No apologies. You’re okay now.” You kissed him on the forehead gently and threaded your fingers in his hair “Everything’s going to be okay.”
He nodded and tightened his grip on you, kissing you firmly. He kissed you for a long time before finally pulling away, resting his forehead on yours. “I love you,” he whispered.
You smiled warmly, whispering back to him. “I love you, too.”
You stayed like that for a few moments before everyone started pushing Spencer to get in the ambulance so he could go to the hospital. You rode with him, of course. You held his hand the whole way there. 
He wasn’t in the hospital for too long. They were able to treat his wounds relatively easily. The team waited in the waiting room while you followed him into the examination room. 
When you came back to the waiting room, hand in hand, everyone rushed to greet you before you all headed to the jet. 
You sat in the corner of the couch to the side of the other seats, motioning for Spencer to lay his head in your lap. He followed eagerly, curling up on his side and nestling his head in your lap. 
You ran your fingers through his curls as he began to fall asleep. He must’ve been exhausted. You couldn’t imagine him sleeping during any of that. 
You stayed like that the whole ride home, him asleep and you petting his hair softly. 
You gently woke him up when you landed. “C’mon, baby. We’re going home.”
He sat up and rubbed his eyes. You kissed his cheek before standing up, taking his hand as you went to the parking lot. He obviously wasn’t in any condition to drive, so he handed you the keys to his car and let you drive home. You insisted on stopping and getting some food on the way back. He said he didn’t feel hungry, but once he started eating, it seemed like he’d never stop. He must’ve been starving.
When you walked into your apartment, he grabbed you and hugged you tightly to his chest. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, relaxing into him. 
“I missed you so much.” He was crying again, sniffling softly. “I thought about you every waking moment. I knew I had to make it through because you were waiting for me.” He leaned down to kiss your forehead, closing his eyes and savoring the moment. 
“I missed you too,” you said quietly, looking into his eyes with a soft expression. “I knew you were going to make it back.” You hugged him tight again. “I didn’t see everything. The team… made sure I didn’t see anything that was going to hurt me.”
He nodded, leaning down to stroke your cheek gently with his thumb. “I’m glad you didn’t have to see me like that.” He touched his forehead to yours. “What matters now is that I’m here with you.” He kissed you slowly, pushing your hair out of your face. 
You kissed for a long time, slowly making your way to your bedroom. You smiled up at him after a while. “As much as I would love to continue this…” You gestured to the bed. “You need to sleep.”
As if to prove your point, he let out a quiet yawn. You smiled as he sat down at the edge of the bed. You grabbed his pajamas from the drawer and helped him get changed and settled into bed. 
He lay his head on your chest and you stroked his hair gently, just like you did the whole way home. “Go to sleep, baby,” you whispered as his eyes closed. After a moment you heard his breathing slow as he fell asleep. 
“Goodnight,” you whispered, kissing the top of his head before relaxing to fall asleep yourself.   
After that night, things got… bad. 
Spencer wasn’t acting like himself anymore. He was… distant. Cold. He had never acted this way towards you before. Or anyone, for that matter. 
You had never had a problem with intimacy before, but suddenly he refused to touch you. Any time you would reach for his hand, or try to put your arm around him, he’d just shrug you off of him and move away from you. It always ended in you mumbling an apology and putting some space between you. 
He never explained why he didn’t want you to touch him. In fact, he didn’t talk a whole lot anymore. You often sat in silence, completely apart from each other. You always used to be able to count on him to fill these silences, but now he just stayed quiet. 
When he did talk, he was a lot more cold to you than he used to be. You had never fought before, but now it felt like any time he talked it was to argue with you about something. It felt like he was always angry lately. 
He didn’t even like to sleep in the same bed as you anymore. Most nights, if not every night, he slept on the couch. You started begging him, telling him that you would never cross over your side of the bed, but he shrugged you off saying he just needed to be alone.
All of this was really taking a toll on you. You tried not to show it, because you knew he was going through a hard time, so you only let your feelings out in places you could be alone. Which meant you spent a lot of time crying in the bathroom.
This went on for months. You thought that, surely, he had to tell you what was going on eventually. He had never hidden anything from you before, so you didn’t really know what to do, or how to handle this. You didn’t want to push him into talking about things he didn’t want to talk about, but something was very clearly wrong. 
After a particularly bad argument one night, you couldn’t take it anymore. You had to go to someone about this. For Spencer’s sake.
The next morning, you set an extra early alarm, quietly getting dressed and tiptoeing past Spencer, who was asleep on the couch, and silently leaving your apartment. 
As you got in your car and started driving, you started arguing with yourself in your head. Part of your brain was trying to say that this wasn’t going to help, and that this was just like being a little kid and tattling to a teacher. But the emotional part of your brain was saying that just telling anyone would be able to help Spencer. And that little shred of hope was all it took to convince you to do this.
You shoved open the doors to the BAU, hoping that Spencer’s stories about his boss barely leaving his office were true. When you looked around, you saw an office with a light on, making you breathe a sigh of relief.
You bound up the stairs, knocking on the office door, a little more forcefully than you had intended. Hopefully it would help get your emotions across.
“Come in,” a familiar voice ordered. 
You took a deep breath before opening the door, seeing Hotch sitting at his desk with a bunch of paperwork in front of him. You wondered just how much paperwork this job required, and if he was always here hours before everyone else.
He looked surprised to see you. He would probably be surprised to see anyone at this early hour, but considering you don’t even work for him, he probably wouldn’t have even considered the possibility of you coming here. “Is there something I can help you with?” He asked. 
You opened your mouth to say something, but nothing came out. You didn’t really think this far; you just figured that surely someone who works so closely with Spencer had to know something, especially since he was a profiler. 
You thought about everything that had happened in the last few months, trying to find the right words to properly articulate your concerns. But all the thoughts about Spencer pushing you away and refusing your affection, mixed with remembering what your relationship was like before that fateful night of his abduction, overwhelmed your mind so much that you just couldn’t stop your emotions flowing out. Tears welled in your eyes before starting to streak down your face. Here you were, in Hotch’s office, completely unannounced and uninvited, and you were just standing there crying.
After a few moments of crying, and of Hotch looking very concerned at this scene playing out before him, you decided it didn’t matter that you couldn’t form the perfect words. You just needed to say something. 
Through choked sobs, you finally managed to blurt out, “What’s wrong with Spencer?”
Hotch looked at you, his expression as unreadable as always. “What do you mean?”
You took a deep breath, too emotional to think about how you shouldn’t be saying all of this to your boyfriend’s boss. The words just started coming out in a rush. “Something’s wrong. We had never had a single argument before, and now the only time he ever talks to me is to pick a fight. He’s never present, he barely speaks, which I’m sure I don’t have to tell you is very strange behavior for Spencer. He never smiles anymore, he won’t let me touch him anymore, he won’t sleep in our bed anymore, he only sleeps on the couch…” 
You covered your eyes with your hands, trying to stop the tears from coming out. Finally, after some shaky breaths, you finished by saying, “I just wanted to know if there’s anything you could tell me about this. If you know why he’s acting this way. If there’s something he’s not telling me.”
Hotch hesitated before gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. “Do you want to take a seat?”
You looked at the chair, and you noticed you were shaking. You nodded, and sat down in the chair, trying to calm down. But you couldn’t help being extremely restless, your leg bouncing rapidly while you sat.
Hotch leaned forward, moving some paperwork out of the way and placing his hands on his desk. His expression was slightly softened. “Working in this field, you go through a lot of traumatic things. Reid’s abduction was one of the worst things an agent can go through.” His voice was low and steady, which was a welcome contrast to how frantic your own words had come out. “Anyone would struggle after that.”
You sighed. “I know, but-”
He raised his hand to cut you off. “That being said, we’ve all been able to tell that Reid has been a little off.” He saw you raise your eyebrow and added, “Okay, a lot off.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “We have some… theories, but we can’t know for sure what’s happening with him unless he tells us. And since he’s already struggling, we didn’t want to make it worse, especially since he’s technically just a subordinate or coworker. But if he’s not telling you either…” He looked at you sympathetically. “I’ll try to talk to him.”
You nodded, taking a deep breath. “... Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m so sorry I came here out of the blue.” You stood up, taking a step forward as if you were going to hug him, but for once your rational thoughts took over and you stayed where you were.
He stood up after you. “You’re welcome. It couldn’t have been easy to come here and talk about this.” He reached out to shake your hand, and when you shook his hand back he put his other hand over yours and spoke softly to you. “I’m going to try to get through to him. I promise.”
His gentle hands and soft-spoken words were enough to reassure you, at least for now. You nodded, thanking him again before leaving his office. You were able to leave with a lot more composure than you came here with.
It was getting late by the time you left Hotch’s office, and there were a lot more people here now. As you came down the stairs, you looked up to see Spencer staring at you. He wasn’t angry, thankfully, but he looked… kind of dumbfounded. Which made sense. You had no reason to be here at all, let alone a reason to be talking to his boss.
As you walked towards him to get to the door to leave, he turned to you. “Hey…” he started, his voice soft.
You didn’t know what to say, his soft voice sounding nothing like what you’ve been hearing these past few months. So you just kind of waved to him awkwardly, pointing to your watch to indicate that you had to get to work, and you left the BAU. 
When you got back in your car, you took a few minutes to process everything that had happened. You closed your eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to convince yourself that everything was okay. You believed Hotch when he said he’d help. It felt like Spencer was in capable hands.
Later that day, you had been in the bathroom when Spencer came home, and you didn’t hear the door open and close. When you came out, you saw him standing awkwardly in the front of your apartment. It made you jump a little bit. “Hi… I didn’t know you were home,” you muttered awkwardly.
He stood there looking at you, his eyes moving a little as if he was thinking of what to say. After a few moments, instead of saying anything, he walked over to you and hugged you, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist.
You just froze for a moment, not sure how to react. But he kept his tight hold on you, as if you were the only thing keeping him up right now, and you finally started to hug him back just as tightly. You both just stood like that for a few minutes, holding each other.
Finally, he spoke up. His voice was soft, barely a whisper, and he sounded so fragile. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He was starting to cry now, making soft sobbing sounds into your shoulder.
Hearing him cry broke something in you, and shortly you were also in tears. “Oh, Spence…” You squeezed him a little tighter, rubbing soothing circles on his back. “It’s okay…”
He sniffled and shook his head, pulling back a little so he could look you in the eyes. “My behavior has been abhorrent lately. I’ve been struggling, and I’ve been bottling everything up. I didn’t realize just how much this was hurting you.” He took a deep breath, trying to keep up with his thoughts. “I guess I figured, if I didn’t tell you about my problems, then they couldn’t affect you. But I was wrong. It just made it worse.”
You looked at him sadly, one of your hands moving to gently stroke his hair. “You can always come to me with anything. I’ll always try to help you. You know that.”
Some more tears started falling down his cheeks, and you started to wipe them away with your thumb. “I guess I felt like… I didn’t deserve the help.” He took a few shaky breaths as he tried to calm down. “Like I didn’t deserve you being so nice to me.”
“Spencer…” you started, trying to make your voice sound as soothing as possible. “What’s wrong? What’s so bad that you can’t tell me?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. “I… I don’t know if I can talk about it yet. But I promise I’ll tell you soon.” He looked at you determinedly. “Until then, I promise I’m going to try to be better to you.” As if to prove his point, he grabbed your face and captured your lips in a soft kiss, making your heart flutter.
After years of dating, you didn’t think you’d feel that flustered, shy feeling of butterflies in your stomach again. But, after these past few months of having no physical contact, this kiss almost felt like it was your first kiss all over again.
You couldn’t help but hold the back of his head to try to bring his face even closer to yours. You were craving his touch, and you needed his affection. On the off chance that this was a one-time thing, and that he would start to distance himself again after this, you figured you had to make it last.
He showed no signs of letting up, though, moving you both so you were laying on the couch, with him hovering over you. His lips never left yours the whole time, and his hands were moving around your face as if he was trying to remember what it felt like. 
He broke the kiss to look at you, before closing his eyes. His hands trailed from your face down to your neck, moving slightly under your shirt to your shoulders. He wasn’t just touching you, he was feeling you. As if feeling your skin would jog his memory of you. His breathing was soft and even as his hands moved down to your hips, his fingers gentle and slow on your waist as he started to lift your shirt up. 
Your breath hitched when you felt cold air suddenly hit your stomach. “Spence…” you spoke quietly, a soft blush on your face. 
He looked at you, his voice quick and reassuring. “I don’t want to do anything like… that. It would be a little too much for me right now.” He quickly flashed you that awkward little smile he had sometimes. “I just want to see you, to feel you.” His voice went a little quieter when he added, “I missed you.”
You looked at him sadly, reaching up to touch his face. “I missed you, too.” You leaned in to kiss him again. “I missed you so much.”
The soft, slow kissing resumed, and Spencer very carefully pulled your shirt over your head, his hands gently gliding over the newly exposed skin. You let out a dreamy sigh. You hadn’t realized just how touch starved you had been over these past few months. This is exactly what you had been needing. 
You just stayed on the couch like that for a while, his lips and hands on you, the gentlest of touches. After a little while longer, you started to unbutton his shirt, because you wanted to do the same to him.
He completely froze, sucking in a breath. You immediately pulled your hands away. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” You trailed off, worried that you just ruined any progress that had been made tonight. 
He shook his head, sitting up and pulling you up with him. “It’s okay, I just… I don’t want you to see me with my shirt off.” He looked at you with pleading eyes, as if he was begging you not to ask about it. 
You hesitated, but instead of asking about it you tried to be a little more lighthearted. “I’ve seen you without a shirt plenty of times, Spencer.” 
He gave you a slight smile before the worried look came back to his face. “I just…” he started, “I can’t right now. Please understand.”
You nodded, taking his hand and giving it a slight squeeze. “I understand.” You stroked his hand gently with your thumb. “I’m not going to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You can trust me.”
He squeezed your hand back, giving you another little smile. “I know you won’t. I do trust you.” He let out a little yawn and started to rub his eyes. 
You looked at the clock, not realizing how late it had gotten. “Come on, let’s go to bed.” You leaned over to kiss his forehead. “You should get some sleep.”
You worried he would still insist on sleeping on the couch, but he just nodded, his hand still tightly holding yours as you both stood up and walked to your bedroom. He grabbed his pajamas and headed to the bathroom to change.
You sat on the bed and watched him for a few moments before he closed the door. You started to get dressed yourself, wondering what this problem was about. He had been a little shy around you when you two first started getting intimate, but you thought he had gotten over that. Had these past few months apart made the shyness come back?
Your thoughts were interrupted by Spencer coming back into the room. You stood up so he could get in bed. He looked so tired; you could see just how bad the dark circles under his eyes were.
He crawled under the covers, curling up and closing his eyes. You got in the other side of the bed, gently rubbing his back to soothe him. You didn’t want to push any boundaries, so you pulled away after just a moment.
He turned around, looking at you with those big eyes of his, and grabbed your hand, lacing your fingers together. He closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath, as if soothed by your touch. You smiled softly. He looked more peaceful than you had seen him in a long time. It made it easier to close your eyes and relax.
It was silent for a while, and you thought he had fallen asleep. But then, you heard him speak very softly. “I love you.”
You opened your eyes to see him looking back at you. You squeezed his hand gently. “I love you too.” You leaned in and kissed his forehead, making him smile. “Get some sleep. I can tell you need it,” you whispered.
He nodded and closed his eyes again, moving a little closer to you before wrapping his arms around you and nestling his head in your neck. You hesitated for a moment in shock before cradling him in your arms. You kissed the top of his head. “Goodnight, baby,” you whispered to him. Soon, you could hear his breathing soften, and you just listened to the quiet sounds of him sleeping for a few more moments before falling asleep yourself.
Things didn’t magically get better after that, but they did improve. 
Spencer went back to sleeping in your bed, though he seemed to have a hard time sleeping nowadays. He was always tossing and turning, and you usually woke up in the middle of the night to either try to soothe him to sleep or to keep him company when he couldn’t sleep. 
There was a lot more talking, and a lot less fighting. You could have more comfortable conversations, and he would politely tell you when he didn’t feel like talking. It was a lot better than him yelling at you to leave him alone. 
There was still some arguing, but usually only when you were trying to get him to eat. He was always saying he wasn’t hungry, and you had to try to push to get him to eat, saying he needed some kind of nutrition. Sometimes he would snap at you, saying he would eat if he was hungry and that he didn’t push you when you didn’t want to eat. He’d always apologize, though, and try his best to explain that he was either feeling nauseous or he just didn’t have much of an appetite anymore. It seemed to get a little better after a few days.
He didn’t mind a little more physical contact. He wasn’t always up for it, but he didn’t seem to mind it as much. It was always trial and error, almost like trying to pet a skittish cat. You’d start by putting a gentle hand on his, and he’d tense up for a second, and he’d either pull away and explain he didn’t want to be touched, or he’d take your hand and hold it gently. A big improvement. It was just little touches: holding hands, an arm around his shoulder, a hug… it never went past that.
He didn’t talk about what it was that was bothering him at first, but you trusted that he would tell you when he was ready. After about a week, he was finally ready to talk about it.
You both were sitting on the couch, in one of your quiet moments. You were reading a book, like you usually did when Spencer felt like being quiet. The silences were starting to get more comfortable, making it easier to just do quiet activities next to each other.
After a few minutes, Spencer cleared his throat, making you look over at him. You bookmarked the page you were on and turned to him. “What is it?”
He hesitated, as if he wasn’t sure how to start this conversation. He closed his eyes for a moment to put his thoughts together, before opening them again to look at you. He spoke very softly.
“When I was…” he started, swallowing and taking a deep breath to compose himself before continuing, “... When I was abducted for those few days back in February, a lot happened. The man who took me had dissociative identity disorder, and dealing with all his personalities was difficult. But there was one of his personalities that was… nicer than the others. More helpful than harmful.” He closed his eyes again, and you knew this was really hard for him to talk about. You placed a gentle hand over his, and he let out a breath, grabbing your hand and giving it a squeeze. He continued on, his voice still soft and sad.
“Unfortunately, one of the ways that he helped me was to… give me something to help numb the pain the others were causing.” He closed his eyes again, and he slowly rolled up his sleeves for you to see his arms.
You stared in shock. His arms were covered in needle marks. You covered your mouth. “Oh, Spencer…” You looked back up at his face, but his eyes were squeezed shut, as if he didn’t want to face this. You squeezed his hand to let him know you were here to support him.
“He would come to me saying Dilaudid helped with the pain, and after a few times, it started to feel… good.” He took another deep breath, his eyes still closed. “After he died, I took the bottles he still had. And when things started getting hard to handle… all the flashbacks and memories of what happened to me, I just needed to numb myself. And it worked, for a while. But eventually, I just… couldn’t stop.”
“Spencer…” you started, your voice gentle. “You could’ve come to me, I could’ve tried to help you-”
“I didn’t want that,” he cut you off. “I tried to convince myself that what I was doing wasn’t wrong. That it was just medicine that was helping me. But, obviously, I knew that wasn’t the truth. And I knew that if I told anyone about it, they would say I needed help. But I didn’t want help. I just wanted to live in this unrealistic world where everything I was doing was fine.” He finally opened his eyes to look at you. “That’s why I was lashing out. I didn’t want anyone to help me, and I also felt like I didn’t deserve anyone being nice to me.”
He looked at you very seriously. “I thought, if I didn’t tell you any of this, it couldn’t hurt you. I know how sensitive you are to other people’s emotions and problems, so I figured if I didn’t tell you, you couldn’t worry about me. Obviously, I was wrong, and that was a naive way of thinking.” He reached out and gently touched your face. “When I saw you at the BAU, I knew it was because you were worried about me, and I saw that you looked like you had been crying. And it just snapped me out of this false reality I had created for myself. And that’s when I came home and apologized, because I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep hurting you.”
You listened to him silently while he talked, letting him get out everything he needed to say before responding. “Why didn’t you tell me that day? Or the few days after that? Why did you wait until now?”
He nodded as if he was waiting for this question. “I read that withdrawal symptoms peak within 12-48 hours, and that it usually takes 5-7 days for the symptoms to resolve. So I wanted to wait out those 7 days just to make sure.”
You gave him a sad look. “But if I knew you were having withdrawal symptoms, I could have helped you. I really wish you would have told me.”
He sighed. “I wanted to do it on my own. To prove to myself that I could do it. That I wasn’t just going to quit halfway through and relapse.”
You nodded sympathetically. “Well, I’m really glad you told me now. We can get through this together.” You gave his hand a little pat. “You know this isn’t the end of it, right? It’s not just over when withdrawal symptoms stop. You still need to work out these issues that made you start this in the first place.”
He nodded. “I know. I want to try to get help now. I… I think I’m ready. I want to look into going to therapy, and maybe some support groups if I need them.” He squeezed your hand again. “I know I can make it through this, because I know you’ll be by my side.”
You smiled softly at him. “I’ll always be by your side.” Your hand trailed up his arms, looking back at the needle marks. “Do they… hurt?” you asked softly.
He shrugged. “Only when they first appear. They don’t hurt right now.”
You nodded, and you gently touched the marks on his arm. You looked at him, and you slowly brought his arm up so you could give every little mark a gentle kiss, to let him know that everything was going to get better soon.
He looked at you with big, loving eyes, and he started tearing up a bit. He pulled you in for a tight hug, sniffling as he buried his face in your neck. “I love you so much,” he said with a shaky voice.
You held him tight, rubbing his back to comfort him. “I love you too, Spence. Everything is going to be okay.” Your voice was calm and soothing. “I’m here now.”
Things started to get much better after that. Spencer was way more comfortable telling you when things were feeling more difficult than usual. Typically, it would be when he came home from a particularly emotional case. You were always there to hold him and to soothe him. There was no more aversion to your touch or need for extended silences. He felt comfortable in your arms, and he knew he could talk to you when something was bothering him.
He started seeing a therapist, and you always went there with him. Usually, you just sat outside the office for his sessions so he could have the one-on-one help he needed. Sometimes, if he was having a particularly rough week, he would bring you in with him for extra support. And you were always there when he needed you.
It took a bit of time, but you learned how to help with whatever he needed you for. If he needed a distraction, you could always come up with some activity to get his mind off of things. You played a lot of board games, and started learning to bake so you could just pull out a new recipe to try and he could focus on getting everything just right. When he just needed someone to listen to him, or a shoulder to cry on, you didn’t mind being that person for him. And sometimes he just wanted to be held, saying that the physical touch grounded him. You were always happy to hold him. 
Over time, things got easier and easier to deal with. Eventually, things seemed to be fully back to normal. You both knew that this was always going to be a struggle that could come back, but you knew how to handle it now, and you were certain that you could get through any struggle that ever tried to get in your way.
495 notes · View notes
mugiwarahostclub · 8 months
Text
Some of the one piece men as boyfriends
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤluffy, zoro, sanji, ace, law,ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ shanks, bartolomeo editionㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤmale/fem/non bi reader ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤone piece world setting
— LUFFY
He'll interact with you the same way he does with his closest friends, but he would probably be careful when he carries you around just like he does with Robin. You'll have to initiate every hugs and kisses, cause he'll only jump on you and hug you first if you two haven't seen each other for a month or more. Over all, I think he'd treat you as a bestfriend rather than a lover, trying to make you laugh, making you the first person he shows random things to, etc.
Y/n: Hi Luffy~ Happy 3rd anniversary!
Luffy: ... Eh? Anniversary?
Y/n: Wh- Luffy, we've been dating for 3 years now...
Luffy: Yosh ! Anniversary ! Let's have Sanji cook *stretches himself to kitchen*
— ZORO
This guy values man codes or whatever, so he'd probably be the type to show affection towards you through actions, not words. Sick? Would quickly find the nearest pharmacy and give the medicine to Chopper. Hungry? Would kill the largest fish present and give it to you, it's up to you to cook it though. Sad? Well, he's not very good at comforting and will just end up telling you about the harsh reality of the world, then give you some wise advice afterwards like most grandpas do.
Y/n: Love you, Zoro
Zoro: Hm *cooly smirks with his eyes closed*
Y/n: ... I love you, Zoro
Zoro: *continues to smirk in a cool way, still staying silent cause he knows that you're aware deep down that he loves you back*
Y/n: Man.. just say it back
— SANJI
Boyfriend material. Would gladly simp and swoon over you. Sanji likes to make every woman feel like a princess though, so he'd still fanboy over girls and treat them well too. He would immediately reassure you after complimenting/serving a girl in front of you. Kissing them is where he'd draw a line. I mean, I would hope so.
Sanji to a random woman: Oh, your hair is just lovely~
Sanji: A-ah..! *quickly stands next to Y/n* Of course! Your hair is very lovely as well, Y/n! Oh~♡⁠ how the faint scent of your welcoming shampoo just wraps me around and— (he goes on for a few minutes)
— ACE
He'd be a supportive and loyal boyfriend, affectionate and would recklessly fight anyone who'll drag your name in the mud. Though he'll tell you a lot of stories about his little brother Luffy even though you didn't ask for them. If Luffy's around, he will probably not spend as much time with you like he'd normally do.
[ Y/n and Ace on a date ]
Ace: and then.. Luffy ran away, so me and Sabo also ran away! Hahahaha!
Y/n: Ahahahaha.. that's sooo funny... (has heard that story a million times already)
— LAW
It'll be hard to communicate with this guy, he's not the type to say what he's feeling at first. Though, as his feelings build up inside of him, he'd just eventually burst it all out soon in an angry manner. He'd probably give you physical affection with a straight face if you asked for it. I think he'd watch over you closely from time to time, walking up behind you just to tell you if something could damage your health. He won't force you to take care of yourself, but he will say 'i told you so' when you later suffer the consequences.
Y/n: *grabs chocolate from the fridge*
Law: *comes up from behind out of nowhere*
Y/n: Wha-? Law??? Where did you-?
Law: Chocolate at midnight is not very good... *walks away*
— SHANKS
I think he'd be a cute and shy boyfriend when he's sober. When he's drunk, maybe he could be a bit more honest with his feelings. Goodluck getting this guy to spend more time with you though, cause he'd probably use him being a captain as an excuse to not give you affection, when really he's just shy. He only tells you that he loves you when he's about to leave.
Y/n: Shanks! Let's go on a date!
Shanks: *blushes* .. oh.. haha, sorry Y/n, captain stuff-
Y/n: What? but you just got here
Shanks: Gotta go! Bye! *is already in a distance* Love you!
— BARTOLOMEO
Your relationship will consist of you, him.. and his unhealthy obsession with the strawhats.
Bartolomeo: Y/n, have you seen my limited edition Luffy figurine?!?!??
Y/n: Honey, it's 2 in the morning.. go back to bed....
Bartolomeo: ITS LIMITED EDITION, Y/N!
ㅤㅤ
873 notes · View notes
talaok · 7 months
Note
I love your writing! And because of that, I thought of something that I would like you to create for us, the reader and Pedro are dating. they have been separated for a few months due to recording some of Pedro's projects, in the middle of these recordings he gave some interviews and in one of them the interviewer flirted with him, and he kindly(?) and habitually flirted back, the reader is now leaving the airport and arriving at the hotel where they would meet and her cell phone keeps beeping with fans (and nasty people) who are tagging her in the flirty part of the interview... she arrives at the hotel and confronts him, this is a little anguish? I leave the ending in your hands, thank you for your incredible stories!
Pairing: Pedro Pascal x reader
a/n: thank you for reading them, babe!💗💗
Tumblr media
"hi sweetheart" he smiled, as soon as you opened the door, wrapping his arms around you "I've missed you so much"
You had to take a deep breath to not tell him to fuck off right there and then.
Look at him, acting so sweet and kind while your phone was blowing up with clips of him flirting with another woman.
The perfect fucking boyfriend no?
"Hi daddy" and although the word would have usually sounded hot and sexy, you made sure it was traced with as much annoyance as possible.
"Uhm... ok?" he frowned, leaning away.
"What? You seemed to like it so much when Lidia said it" You shrugged, walking in and dropping your baggage at the door "You don't like it as much when it's your girlfriend saying it?"
He closed the door and leaned his back on it as he tried to understand what was going on.
Everything was fine when he talked to you this morning, what could have changed in only a few hours?
"I'm- I'm sorry, who's Lidia?"
You shot him a look, looking just as done as you were feeling.
"Don't play dumb Pedro, you know very well who she is"
He looked around the room as if a clue on what to say would just appear any minute.
"sugar, what are you talking about?"
"oh my god," you sighed "the interviewer, Pedro!"
"the interviewer? What interviewer?"
"You gotta be kidding me" you exhaled, pinching the bridge of your nose "The one you spent a full ten minutes flirting with yesterday!"
And at that, his eyes widened in realization and puzzlement combined.
"Flirting? I wasn't flirting" he said, walking toward you 
"No? So you go around calling mama every woman you see?" you asked, "You tell every woman they're beautiful and that their dress looks really good on them? Is that it?"
"No baby, but-"
"but what?" you cut him off "How would you feel if I did that? If I flirted with the men who interview me huh?"
"That's different I-"
"Oh fuck off" you muttered, turning away from him. You couldn't stand the sight of him anymore.
"Baby, it's part of the job!" he burst 
Your hands curled into fists at your sides as you turned back around.
"Flirting is part of the job!?"
"No- you know what I mean, I have this whole persona online, and I..." he sighed not really knowing what to say
"That's not a good enough excuse" you spoke "Just 'cause people expect certain things from you doesn't mean you should do them. I told you I was fine with the whole daddy thing, but now you go around calling people mama? that's a bit much, don't you think?" you said "And I don't know... I didn't like how you were talking and looking at her, it didn't make me feel good ok?"
He swallowed, taking in your words "Ok, I-I'm sorry, really, but I was just being polite, it didn't mean anything"
You only needed to shoot him a look to make him rethink his choice of words.
"No, you're right." he cleared his throat "I went too far, I-I won't do it again, I promise" he spoke more softly now, as one of his hands reached your cheek to stroke it "I'm sorry baby, please forgive me"
You looked up at him, biting the inside of your cheek as you decided what to do.
"It didn't mean anything?" you asked
"No, of course not baby, I love you, I only have eyes for you, you know that"
"I know..." you bit your bottom lip "It's just that she... well she was really pretty"
A soft smile pulled at his lips 
"And you're the most beautiful woman in the universe" he promised, "so what?"
A shy blush crept up your cheeks as your lips involuntarily twitched into a smile.
"Ok" you nodded, as his other hand settled onto your waist
"Ok?" he smiled, hopeful "You're not mad anymore?"
"nope" you shook your head
A smile from ear to ear spread on his lips
"oh thank god" he breathed "'cause I've missed kissing you so fucking much, sweetheart"
444 notes · View notes
hope-drunk · 1 year
Text
- crush | a. anderson
| abby walks in on you at the wrong (or right) time
| content warning: inexperienced but not naive reader, female masturbation, oral (r receiving), strength kink kinda, pet names (sweetheart, baby), idrk this is pretty tame, probably ooc bc my first time writing abby, a lot of the word patrol
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
After doing a long, long day of rounds, all you wanted to do was relax. There were more infected than usual at the checkpoints. Once you finally get back to base, you’re quick to strip off your dirty clothes and take a hot shower. After you get out, you put on an oversized t-shirt and a pair of soft shorts.
Happy to be back in your room, you lay down, shimmying under the covers rapidly. Your muscles were heavily fatigued, and you felt drowsier with every passing minute, but you knew something that would get you to sleep even faster.
Using one hand to rub your nipple, you move the other down, teasing the seam of your underwear before sinking your hand lower to rub your clit. A soft sigh creeps out of your mouth as you feel instant relief. You speed up slightly, not wanting to rush yourself, but naturally chasing your high. While you focus on your pleasure, your mind drifts to a memory.
Abby was running her calloused hands through your hair. She had been begging to braid it for a few months, always going on about how convenient it was. You eventually caved in, you were never able to say no to her for long. While your fingers were hard at work, you imagined Abby’s, gently pulling your hair, making sure the braid was tight.
She kept complimenting you while she did it.
“Your hair is so soft.”
And also reprimanding you.
“Can’t believe you’ve never let me do this.”
You had to squeeze your legs together then, to dull the ache her words and actions were giving you. Between the thought of Abby and the pace of your fingers, the coil in your stomach was wound tight, ready to break at any moment.
“Hey, I found this mov– oh shit.”
You let out a gasp at Abby’s voice, quickly pulling your hand away from your heat and covering yourself with a blanket that had fallen off of you. Abby had her hand covering her eyes, while also facing the door that she just burst through.
“Abby! Whatever happened to knocking!” you said. You were flushed all over, embarrassed about being caught in the act. 
“I know, I’m sorry! I was excited about the movie I found; wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.” She was still facing the wall. 
“You can turn around, I have clothes on.”
She turned slowly, hand rubbing the back of her neck in an awkward motion. She stands by the door, not sure if she should go or stay, you weren’t really sure what to do in this situation either.
“What movie is it?” you say, trying to break the ice.
Abby walks over to your bed and sits down by your legs, handing you the DVD case. It was some old movie about an apocalypse.
You laugh at her. “Don’t you think it’s a bit ironic?”
“I thought that’s why it would be fun.” she says sheepishly. “Y’know, compare their apocalypse to ours.”
Your laughter intensifies, and you nod your head 
“That would be fun.”
You looked up at the same time, you didn’t realize how close you had moved to her, it felt like you were naturally pulled to her. Abby’s brows were pulled together, she had the same look on her face that she did during patrols. 
“I could help, if you want.” she says, not breaking eye contact.
“Help? With what.” you ask.
“You know, with what I walked in on.” Abby answers, no shyness left in her tone.
“Oh I don’t– Abby, I’ve never…” you say, blood rushes to your cheeks as you try not to break the intimidating eye contact.
“You don’t have to. You can tell me to fuck off right now and I’ll never speak of this again. But, I would really like to make up for ruining your orgasm.”
 Her crass language makes you impossibly redder, causing you to look away. When you turn back towards her, Abby is scanning your face for a sign. Her blue-gray eyes go from your lips to your eyes.
You feel like your throat has dried up, unable to give her verbal confirmation, you nod your head at her.
“No.” She says, taking your chin in her hand. “Need to hear you say it.”
You sit up straighter, nervous of the repercussions that these few words will have. 
“I want you to help me, Abby.”
She lets out a sigh, and pulls you in. Naturally, you let her tongue guide yours. Abby grabs your hips, pressing your body up against hers. Gently moving her kisses towards your jaw and down your neck, hitting a spot on your collarbone that has you moaning
“There it is.” she whispers.
Abby spends a few moments on that spot, long enough that you knew there would be a large purple mark there by the morning. Stopping for a second to remove your shirt, she then lays you down onto the bed. Moving her mouth lower, she keeps your legs propped open with her knee. You moan as she wraps her lips around one of your nipples. 
She comes back up to look into your eyes.
“Does that feel good?” she questions, looking down at your hips.
You cock your head at her and look down, realizing you had been grinding your leg over her knee. But she doesn’t laugh at you, in fact, she seems very serious about it all, she left no room for you to be embarrassed.
“Yeah.” you reply, barely a whisper. 
“I bet it does, sweetheart.” she says, nodding her head sympathetically before removing her leg from your heat.
You let out a light whine, as she whispers an, I know, I know, quickly removing the plaid pajama shorts you were dressed in, making a note in her head to tease you about them later. Moving her cruel kisses right above your mound, you think she’s finally about to give you what you're aching for, but instead, she moves her mouth even lower, to focus on your thighs next. You wanted to tell her to get on with it, but you couldn’t find it in you to actually say it.
Abby was so intimidating, and she always got what she wanted. After many, many, patrols with her, you knew that it was her way, or the highway. Finally, she places an open mouthed kiss to your clit through your panties before taking them off. You instinctively lift your hips for her. 
“Please.” you whimper.
“Hm? What do you want?” Abby answers, teasingly.
You move to put your hands over your face, embarrassed by the thought of begging. But Abby is quick to catch your wrists, the show of strength making you clench around nothing. 
Shaking her head at you she says,. “C’mon, shy girl, tell me what you want.” 
Wriggling your hands in her grasp, you try to get away. It was all a game to her, and it was to you, too. You knew you couldn’t get away, and you were barely trying, but it was fun to try, to pretend like you had a chance against her. Abby laughs at your weak attempt.
“Just tell me what you want, you know I’ll help you, I said I would.”
You suck in a breath. “Want you to touch me, Abs.”
It’s not loud enough for Abby’s liking, but she figures she made you wait long enough. Moving down between your thighs once again, her broad shoulders push your legs far apart, and she licks a long stripe up your cunt. You let out an inhuman groan, and Abby laughs again, sending a vibration from your cunt all the way up to your chest.
You move your hands to the top of her head, trying to grip something, but her tight braid makes it hard. Moaning as her nose bumps your clit, you feel Abby’s middle finger you, which only causes your noises to become even louder.
She comes up for a breath, her finger still steadily going in and out of you.
“What were you thinking about?” She says through panting breaths.
“What?” you question, glassy eyes coming up to meet hers.
“When I walked in on you, what were you thinking about?” She adds another finger, throwing your train of thought out the window. “Answer me, baby. I wanna know.” 
“Was– was thinking about when you braided my hair.”
Abby smirked, she knew what you were talking about. You thought she didn’t notice how quiet you got right when she started lacing her fingers through your hair. How you would only shake your head in response to her questions, and how you crossed your legs the first time she gave your head a light pull.
“Yeah? You were thinking about me while you touched your pretty pussy?” 
Whimpering, you nod your head at her. She moves back down to your cunt, sucking at your clit causing your hips to shoot up, trying to grind on her face. But Abby is quick to put her strong arm over them, forcing them down.
“Quit that.” she mumbles. The show of dominance sends a wave of arousal through you.
You didn’t know how long it had been since she had started, but it felt like it had been hours. Your head was becoming fuzzy, your hearing muffled, it felt like your ears had been stuffed full of cotton. All you could focus on were Abby’s fingers lazily going in and out of your hole, and her mouth on your clit, she gave it a quick nip with her teeth every once in a while just so she could see your hips jolt again.
You were positive you were being too loud, but you couldn’t seem to care, your stomach was in knots, the ruined orgasm from before was building up again quickly. 
“I need– I’m gonna-” you tried to finish your sentence, but nothing worthy was coming out.
Abby took her mouth off of your cunt.
“I know, it’s okay. Let go for me, baby. Let it all out.” She says, kissing your cheek and forehead.
Her words send you flying over the edge. Abby connects her lips with yours, muffling your moans. You were floating, your vision stark white. When you came back down, Abby’s fingers were still moving inside of you. Groaning, you try to push her away.
“Alright, okay, I’m done, promise.” 
Abby removes her fingers and you let out a weak sob, she was quick to shush you, planting another kiss on your jaw before leaving the bed. You watch her go into your bathroom to find a towel to clean you up with. Once she was satisfied with her work, she moved in beside you, murmuring small praises the whole time. She showed her strength once more by propping your fatigued body on top of hers, quickly grabbing a blanket to cover you both up with. 
“Thank you.” you whisper, looking up at her from your position on her chest, your shyness naturally creeping back in.
 Giving you a small smile, she kisses the top of your head.
“It was only right. Couldn’t just ruin your night like that now could I? We’ll talk about this later, get some rest.” Abby says quietly, rubbing soothing circles on your back.
With that, you drift off, feeling content in her arms.
2K notes · View notes
kelcemenow · 11 months
Text
Hey Daddy.
Pairing Travis Kelce x Reader
Words 3381
Warnings Some strong language and mentions of miscarriage, blood, losing a family member. There's a bit of angst and lots of fluff though!
Another Anon request! This is my first Dad Travis/pregnancy related fic. As someone who has never been pregnant and doesn't plan on it in the future, I've avoided writing this sort of thing. But this is why I love getting requests as it brought me out of my comfort zone and I really enjoyed doing it! So, thank you Anon for making me branch out into a different style! "Can I request some dad Travis/pregnant reader? Travis has to travel for an away game and his wife (reader) is 9 months pregnant who has to stay home - unable to travel due to being so close to giving birth. She gets very anxious lately whenever Travis has to leave because she can go into labor any day now. Game day is here and the reader is not feeling well at all. She's curled up on the couch with a blanket and some tea, to watch the game. During the game, the reader's water breaks and she goes into labor. Travis' mom is in touch with her. Travis' mom notifies the team staff what's going on... and then they notify Travis during the game."
Tumblr media
"Baby, I miss you." Travis' warm voice made you melt as you held the phone close to your ear.
"You only left this morning!" You giggled as you clutched at the blanket and pulled it up to your chest, "You can't miss me already?"
"Yes I can! Are you saying you don't miss me when I leave?"
"Of course I do, Travis." You winced slightly as you shifted on the sofa.
Travis heard your slight noise of discomfort, "What? Are you okay? What's wrong?" He immediately sounded concerned.
"Relax, baby. I've just got cramp. I'm fine."
You heard him sigh in relief, "Man, I hate leaving you. I hate leaving you anyway, but you're sick and you know...ready to burst."
"Not long until the little guy is here." You gently rubbed your swelling stomach.
The Chiefs had a game in Dallas against the Cowboys and Travis had travelled to the game alone for the first time since you had been together. You only had 2 weeks left until your due date and luckily, Travis had had a bye week and two home games in a row, meaning he was around to take care of you. You hadn't been feeling 100% for the past few days however, meaning he was more worried, especially as he was about to be 500 miles away from you. You tried to keep him calm, reminding him that it was only an hour's flight home and he would be back before he knew it.
"Well, try to keep him in there until I'm home."
You laughed, "I don't think I'll have much of a say!"
Travis hummed into his phone, "And remember, you can call my Mom at any time."
You snickered slightly, "Travis, I'm fine. I'll be here on the couch with my snacks and my herbal tea, watching you kill it."
Travis sighed again, "Okay, okay. Baby, I gotta go. But please, take care until I get back, alright?"
"Alright. I love you, Travis."
"I love you, Y/N."
You hung up the phone and reached for your ginger tea, sipping it gently, the hot steam tickling your cheeks. A strong stab shot through your lower back again, causing you to stretch your chest upwards in an attempt to relieve any pressure. You had been having these pains for most of the afternoon but you didn't want to worry Travis. You picked up your phone from the arm of the sofa and texted Travis' Mom, Donna.
"I've had a few more of those pains, but I don't know how much more ginger tea I can have. I'm running the the bathroom every two minutes!"
Donna must have had her phone in her hand as they three grey dots appeared almost immedately.
"Just wait till you're at my age, sweetie!"
You smiled at her message, pulling the bowl of nacho chips onto your lap, enjoying the pre-game interviews. Your eyes danced across the room, cards from friends and family wishing you well for your pregnancy dotted around the surfaces. A brand new crib was located near the window, a bright blue bow secured on top; a gift from Travis' brother Jason and his wife Kylie. Your heart fluttered as thoughts of you and Travis becoming parents filled your mind. He was fantastic with his three nieces and they adored him just as much as he did them. You picked up your cup of tea, but as you brought it to your lips, you felt your bladder sting, groaning as you lifted yourself up for another trip to the bathroom.
By the second half of the game, you were out of chips and the Chiefs were down by 7 points. You grumbled to yourself with the dull ache that was radiating across your back and stomach. Gripping onto the blanket you opened your latest message from Donna.
"Keep up with those breathing exercises, honey. Have you got the birthing ball?"
Your eyes scanned over to the large, blue gym ball in the corner of the lounge. You knew that it would help with your pains but just the idea of getting up from the sofa was enough to tire you out.
"Yeah I have. I'll get on it now. I could really do with a Momma Kelce hug, that would make me feel better!"
"You only have one week to wait and you can have all of the Momma Kelce hugs you want!"
You smiled as you put your phone back down and slowly rose to your feet, one hand lightly supporting your large bump. As you settled down on the ball in front of the TV, the third quarter was beginning. You gently bounced, breathing deeply and feeling some of the pain release before your core tightened again.
Travis' face flashed up onto the screen as he was settling into position for the first play of the quarter and you smiled, feeling an immense combination of love, pride and respect. Your relationship had developed over a few years, through your friendship with his teammate Eric Fisher and his wife Elizabeth. When Travis was drafted to the Chiefs, he was invited to numerous parties, dinners and barbeques that you had attended and a close friendship blossomed. Travis eventually asked to take you out on a date and you agreed, with a little persuasion from Elizabeth and Eric. He was kind, caring and attentive to you, with staunch manners and an incredible sense of humour. He made you laugh, made you feel safe and always put you first when he could. The two of you had married after 4 years surrounded by your family and friends and it was truly the happiest day of your life. You couldn't believe how lucky you were, staring up at the handsome man who was promising the rest of his life to you. It was a mutual decision to start trying to have children, and you got to work almost immediately after the wedding.
When you found out that you were pregnant, Travis was overjoyed, choking up as he kissed you repeatedly, crying "Thank you" into your lips. You prepared the house for your new arrival, painting the nursery and spending your Monday nights building new furniture. Everything was falling into place until during your second trimester, you suffered a miscarriage. You had been putting some groceries away when you felt a strange sting deep in your abdomen. You grabbed onto the kitchen counter and doubled over, clutching your stomach with your other hand. You breathed through the intense pain and when Travis walked through the door, he rushed to your side. Picking you up and moving you to the sofa, his face turned white when he saw the trail of blood that ran behind you and he quickly drove you to the hospital.
The next few months were numbing. You felt that you had let Travis down, that it was your fault that you had lost his first child. He insisted every day that you had done nothing wrong and stuck to your side as you grieved.
Just as you were beginning to heal, life threw you another cruel blow. You had invited your Mom for coffee and you knew something was wrong with her. She was quiet and fidgeting so you pushed for answers. You wished you hadn't as it was then when she explained that she had found a lump in her breast and was awaiting for the results from the Doctor. Only days after you saw her, she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and she passed away soon after. Coming from a single parent household, you and your Mom were extremely close. She was your rock and was elated on your wedding day, constantly telling Travis how happy she was for the pair of you. You had felt like your life was falling apart around you but the one constant support you had was Travis. He would hold you close as you cried yourself to sleep. He would stay with you when you were too drained to leave the house. He took a year off of football to help you and to care for you. You were undeniably grateful to him and when you fell pregnant again, he was reasonably cautious. Reading baby books, attending lamaze classes with you and checking up with you every hour when he wasn't with you. His attentiveness made your heart burst with love, seeing a glimpse of his parenthood skills.
Your attention was brought back to the screen when you heard the commentators begin to raise their voices. Travis was sprinting down the field, the football safely cradled in his arm.
You sat up further, clenching your thigh muscles, "Go on, baby! Come on, keep going! Go!"
Travis made the touchdown with ease, dropping the ball as he raised his hands to the sky, blowing a kiss in your honour, as he always did. You clapped your hands and shouted with happiness until you felt a sudden wetness release in your sweatpants. You stopped, slowly standing up from the gym ball. Feeling the smooth texture with your fingers, you looked down with an initial sense of panic. The liquid was clear and you froze on the spot. Your water had broke.
You immediate reaction was to call Donna.
"Hey honey!" Donna sang down the phone.
"Uhh Donna, I think the baby is coming." Your voice was panicked.
"What?"
"I was cheering for Trav and my water broke."
"Oh shit. Okay, stay calm, relax, I'm gonna call Travis' team staff. Have you called the hospital?"
You paused, "Umm...no. I called you straight away."
"Okay. Call the hospital straight away."
You swallowed hard, "Donna, he's not supposed to come for another 2 weeks."
"I know, it's okay though."
"I'm scared. I'm on my own and I'm scared."
Donna sighed, "I know you are, but trust me, everything is going to be fine."
You nodded your head against the phone, "Yeah, yeah. Thank you so much Donna."
"I'll speak to you soon, sweetie."
You paced the floor with nerves, unsure of what to do. Usually, Travis would be the one to keep you calm so you looked towards the screen. The game was still playing and you stared as Travis was completely unaware that his wife was in labour.
You called the hospital, clutching at your stomach, explaining that your water had broken two weeks before your due date. The call handler explained calmly that they would be sending an ambulance as soon as possible but that you were still in the early stages of labour and not to panic.
As the current play ended, you saw Travis sitting down on the bench, breathing heavily and watching the action on the field as he sat this one out. A member of the Chiefs staff approached him from behind and tapped his shoulder. The camera panned away and you groaned through what you assumed was a contraction, waiting to see your husband on the screen again. When his face finally appeared, his eyes were wide and his head was whipping from side to side, anxiously shouting to everyone around him before he was quickly ushered out of the stadium.
You felt restless. Glancing out of the window, you tried to slow your breathing down in an attempt to relax. You watched the trees swaying with the breeze, almost replicating the movement with your own body and taking deep inhales. Closing your eyes, your hand instinctively cradled your baby bump just as another stab of pain shot through you.
"Come on, just stay in there until Daddy gets back." You muttered.
You hunched your back over and pressed the palms of your hands against the wall for stability as your phone started ringing. Without checking who it was, you answered the call.
"Hello?" You groaned.
"How are you doing, sweetie?"
You winced as you sat down on the gym ball, "I don't know if these pains are contractions but they're kicking my ass, Donna. Did you speak with the team?"
"Yeah, they're getting him out of the stadium now and onto a private jet to bring him home as soon as they can."
You sighed with relief before letting out a throaty cry, "I need him here."
"He'll be there, honey. He isn't missing this."
Your phone beeped in your ear, signalling that another call was trying to get through. You pulled the phone away to look at the screen, seeing a selfie of you and Travis on your wedding day, a huge smile on your face as he pressed a kiss into your cheek.
"He's calling me now, Donna. I'll have to go."
"Okay, call me later on."
You switched the call over quickly, hearing Travis' breathless voice.
"Baby, baby! Are you okay?"
You smiled, "I'm fine, it's painful but I'm okay. They're sending an ambulance as soon as they can."
"I'll be home in an hour and a half. Just sit tight and keep breathing. I love you so much."
Your voice shook, "I love you too, I can't wait to see you be the best Daddy to this little guy." You held your baby bump tenderly, feeling movement through your sweater.
Travis cleared his throat, "I'm getting on the jet now, I'll see you soon."
"Bye, baby."
You dropped your phone on the sofa and began pacing the floor again, grasping at your back as the sharp stab began to change into a dull ache. Your groaned through the pain, gritting your teeth and scrunching your eyes.
It wasn't long before an ambulance arrived to take you to the hospital. You were anxious about having to do this first step on your own but knowing that Travis was on his way eased your mind slightly. He was your birth partner and knew what to do to keep you relaxed, the correct breathing exercises to do and you were desperate to have him by your side.
Once you were in the hospital, you were quickly brought to your private room, your husband wanting only the best for you. It was bright, comfortable and quiet, just what you needed. A cheerful nurse appeared in your doorway with short grey hair and a wide smile.
"Mrs Kelce, my name is Heather. I'll be looking after you today." She beamed as she made her way to your bed.
"Hi Heather." You whined quietly, "My husband is on his way so please could he be let straight in when he gets here?"
She nodded and picked up your notes that were hanging on the end of the bed, "Of course, anything you want. Now, how is your pain."
You scrunched your face, "Manageable at the moment, I guess."
Heather stretched on a pair of gloves, "You just let me know if you would like any help with the pain, but first thing I'm going to do is check how far along you are, if that's okay?"
You nodded as she made her way to the end of the bed, lifting your gown up. You shifted as she examined you, trying to relax.
"Okay, so you're around 4 centimetres so I'm afraid we've got some time to wait, Mrs Kelce."
"Please, call me Y/N."
Heather smiled as she removed her gloves and placed them into the bin, "Now, can I get you anything?"
You pointed down to your bag that you had had packed and ready for the last 2 weeks, "Could you hand me the book that's on the top, please? I figure now would be the perfect time to get some reading in."
Heather reached into the bag and pulled out a large hardbacked book and passed it to you, winking, "Good idea. I'll be just out here. If you need anything at all press that buzzer and I'll be right in."
You smiled at her, your fingers brushing over the pages of your book. You held your breath as another wave of pain brushed over you, but this time it was longer and more intense. You clenched your jaw and closed your eyes to try and deal with the pain, not keen on taking any drugs throughout your labour. Squeezing your eyes further shut, you gripped the book in your hands as the pain began to subside.
Your knuckles were turning white when you heard gentle footsteps. You opened one eye to see Heather set down a cup next to you on the bedside table and lower herself into the nearby seat.
"Ice chips." She said with a smile, "You'll get a dry mouth, especially in this heat."
You took hold of the cup, "Thank you."
She placed one hand on yours, "First time?"
Your face relaxed as the pain subsided, "Yeah." You said with a slow exhale.
"I bet your husband is excited?"
Your lips curled upwards, "You could say that." Your eyes drifted to your phone which had lit up with a notification and was now showing your background of you and Travis on vacation together. "He's going to be an amazing Father."
Heather gave your hand a squeeze, "You'll need to buy an 87 jersey!"
You lowered your eyebrows in confusion.
"My husband is a Chiefs fan, I know who your husband is." She laughed.
"Well, I'm sure I can hook you up with an autograph...ohhhhh." You groaned in agony as Heather started to put her gloves on.
"Oh sweetie, let's just have a look and see what's going on here." Heather said calmly as she began to examine you, "Oh, someone's impatient."
Your eyes widened, "What? What does that mean?"
"It means your baby is coming." She smiled as she removed her gloves and discarded them.
You placed your hands either side of your hips and lifted yourself up slightly, "What? Now? No, Travis isn't here. I need him with me."
Heather took hold of your hands in hers, "Honey, this baby isn't going to wait. He's like his Papa, quick off of the mark." She laughed as she grabbed some charts and unlocked the brakes on your bed.
You closed your eyes, willing the tears not to start falling down your cheeks. You took a few shaky breaths before frantic footsteps in the hallway caused you to open your eyes and your breath hitched when Travis bounded into your room. His face was red and sweaty from rushing around and his expression softened when he saw you.
"Baby, I'm here, I'm here. Is everything okay?" He leaned down and kissed you gently.
You smiled into the kiss, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad you're here. I think they're taking me now."
"What, now? Right now?" His voice was panicked.
Your eyes filled with tears, "Are you ready to be a Daddy?"
His thumb brushed over your forehead, "Absolutely."
Heather appeared in the doorway, "Are we ready?"
You pressed your lips together and nodded quickly, "I think so."
______________________________________________________________
Your eyes flickered open and the room slowly came into focus. You swallowed with difficulty, your dry throat scratching. As you turned your head on the pillow, you saw Travis standing at the window, looking outside. You could hear him mumbling with a low voice, but it was too quiet to hear what he was saying.
Clearing your throat a little first, you croaked, "Hey Daddy."
Travis turned around, a bundle of blankets nestled in his arms. He looked up at you and smiled before looking down again, "Look, Mommy's awake."
He came close to you, leaning slightly so he could place the tiny baby on your chest. You looked down at a pair of large blue eyes blinking up at you.
"This is crazy." You whispered.
Travis grinned, bending his knees so that his face was lined up with yours. He pressed a gentle kiss on your forehead, his stubble grazing your skin, "I am so proud of you, baby. You are amazing."
You sighed, "Thank you for getting here in time, I don't think I could've done it without you, baby." You voice shook.
Travis cleared his throat, his emotions taking over, "You are so strong, you can do anything. You hear me? Anything. And I am so happy to start this new chapter of our lives together." He leaned further, kissing his sons forehead, "Our little family. You, me and Dashiell Kelce."
______________________________________________________________
My show is finished now so I'm back to writing. The requests are piling up but I promise that I'm going to try and get through as many this week as I can! If you want to be on my Taglist, please do let me know!
Taglist @kkrenae @keiva1000
627 notes · View notes
yelena-bellova · 8 months
Text
Heartfirst: A Ted Lasso Story - Chapter Fifteen
Tumblr media
Chapter Fifteen: Wembley
Plot: After a devastating blow is dealt to Y/n and Keeley, Jamie invites Y/n to join him for his England debut.
Word Count: 6.4k
Warning: f!reader, language, alcohol, allusion to smut
A/N: GUYS WE HAVE ARRIVED. I had to take an unexpected month break because I was just burning out. Thanks to all of you for staying patient and being so kind. But y’all, I’ve been looking forward to this chapter for a long time. I won’t say too much or else I’ll say everything so relax, sit back, and enjoy 💖
——————
Y/n wasn’t sat at her desk refreshing her inbox every fifteen seconds.
Absolutely not.
She wasn’t.
Except she was.
She knew full well that Ted had the list of which Greyhounds would be playing during international break. She could pop downstairs and probably hear the announcement. But it wasn’t her place to barge in on the boys’ moment. And that was fine with her. Totally fine.
“Come on, come on, come on,” she mumbled, waiting for the league’s PR department to end her suffering.
Finally, it arrived.
Y/n leaned closer to her laptop screen and flew past the pleasantries. The names…
She exclaimed something between a gasp and a scream.
Without another thought, she leapt out of her chair, flew through the hall and down the stairs. Luckily, the team was just heading out for practice.
“Let’s go, Greyhounds!” Y/n cheered, an echoing chorus following.
She hugged and congratulated Colin, Dani, Van Damme and Bumbercatch, all of them giddily accepting her thanks. Y/n had a new appreciation for each of the Greyhounds after observing so many training sessions. They put their hearts and soul into their craft and deserved every bit of their success.
As the boys headed out to the pitch, Y/n stayed in the hall, waiting for one player in particular to emerge.
Finally, Jamie came out of the locker room nearly bursting with joy.
As if she could feel the air change, Y/n spun around, grinning. The two of them collided in a crushing embrace, Jamie lifted her off the ground.
“Oh my gosh,” she squealed into his shoulder, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Jamie said. He’d taken an extra long minute fixing himself for training. He’d heard Y/n’s voice in the hall congratulating the lads and wanted to share his own moment with her away from everyone else.
He finally set her down, giving Y/n the chance to properly face him. “Jamie,” she bounced a little, gripping his shoulders, “England. Fucking England.”
Jamie laughed, still holding onto her hips.
“Fucking England,” she said once more, looking him over proudly, “This is amazing.”
They stood there, inches away from being back in each other’s arms, til Ted and Beard’s distant voices grew closer. They dropped their hands just as the coaches came out of their office.
“Hey, Y/n,” Ted greeted as he walked past. Beard nodded.
“Hey,” she smiled.
Jamie shot her an apologetic look as he trailed after them, wishing nothing more than to stay in the hall, just the two of them. Y/n smiled at him once more, sending him off with something he could hold to the rest of the day.
A 10-game streak, a stacked international break…somewhere months ago, Y/n would have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. A plane to fall out of the sky. Some natural disaster to hit.
No, all was well. And it felt damn good.
—————————
It all came crashing down a few days later.
Keeley and Y/n had met for a morning coffee before work. Keeley was back to her normal self, post-leak and post-Jack. Y/n was glad for it, the universe felt unbalanced if Keeley wasn’t her usual sunshiny self.
At the KJPR office, they waited for the elevator. Once it arrived, a casually dressed man pushed a dolly of boxes past them.
“Didn’t know anyone was moving out,” Y/n commented as they got in the car.
“Me neither,” Keeley replied.
The doors opened on their floor and they exited, coming around the corner only to nearly get clipped by two movers with a couch.
“Shit!” Keeley exclaimed, grabbing Y/n’s arm as they jumped out of the way.
Y/n eyed the rest of the room. All the desks were covered in boxes and most of their furniture had disappeared.
“Keeley…” she said lowly.
Dan, a man Y/n had only met properly once or twice, walked up to them. He was carrying a box of desk supplies in both hands.
“Keeley,” he addressed, “You are the nicest boss I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you, Dan,” Keeley replied, brows knitted in confusion.
“And definitely the hottest,” he finished.
“That’s a complicated compliment.”
Dan left with a thanks, moving past the two women.
“What…” Y/n trailed off.
Keeley led them to Barbara’s office, who was also packing up her desk.
“Barbara, what’s going on?” Keeley asked, “Are we being slowly robbed?”
“Oh,” Barbara ceased her packing, “Wait, I’m sorry. You haven’t spoken with Jack?”
“I haven’t heard from Jack in weeks.”
Barbara stammered, “But she emailed me last night to say that she was gonna reach out and tell you.”
Y/n’s stomach clenched with familiar dread.
“Tell me what, Barbara?” Keeley asked.
Barbara, for all the grief she’d given Keeley, didn’t appear to take any pleasure in delivering the news. She had to steady herself even. “The board of the VC have decided to pull funding. They’re shutting down KJPR.”
Y/n’s breath left her chest.
“What?” Keeley whispered, “When?”
“Oh, well, don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of time,” Barbara reassured, “We don’t have to be out till Friday.”
Keeley was barely audible, “It’s Wednesday.”
Barbara faltered, “Yeah, I suppose that is…quite soon, isn’t it? Especially if you didn’t get an email last night.”
When there was nothing else to say, Barbara awkwardly went back to packing her things, leaving Keeley and Y/n dumbstruck.
Somehow, Y/n made her feet move out of the office and into the main space. Her head was spinning. It had taken less than a minute to crack her world open and split it in two.
“I need a minute,” Keeley mumbled.
Too stunned to reply, Y/n wandered off into the conference room. The table and chairs were still there, she sunk into one of them.
As one of the employees, Y/n should have gotten an email like anyone else. The only factor that could have changed that was Keeley. Jack knew they worked closely together, they could be considered friends. If this was revenge on Keeley for their break-up, Jack wouldn’t hesitate to take it out on those closest to her ex. And just like that…Y/n became collateral damage.
She rested her elbows on the table, running her hands over her face. The first job she’d ever loved, and it was gone. Every part of working for AFC Richmond that she adored, had just been taken from her. No more training, no more time with the fans, no more overseeing pressers and interviews, no more coming down the hall and seeing the boys…
The tears came quick.
A few moments later, Keeley knocked on the door and entered at Y/n’s mumbled ‘yeah.’ Both women had wet eyes and snot under their noses.
“I’m so sorry,” Keeley managed over the lump in her throat.
Y/n sniffled, her hands covering most of her face. If she was being honest, there was a small part of her that resented Keeley. Never get involved with someone from work, that was corporate 101.
“Me too,” she replied. Regardless of her bad judgement, Keeley hadn’t deserved to lose the company. She wasn’t the one at fault.
Keeley took the chair next to Y/n’s, feeling like a stray tree in the wind. Swaying, ready to break at the slightest gust.
The very thought of what had to be said sent a stabbing pain through Y/n’s gut.
“I’ll, uh, I’ll pack up my things this weekend. At Richmond.”
Keeley didn’t think she could handle any more, but knowing that Y/n was losing the place that made her happiest just worsened the blow.
“Thank you,” Y/n whispered, “For…coming up to me in that bar.”
It was that sentiment that sent Keeley back over the edge, the gentle sobs returning. On cue, Y/n’s followed and the two of them twisted to grip each other’s hands, sitting knee to knee. They mourned all they had built, together and apart.
—————————
Eight months after her last sacking, Y/n was in the exact same position: sat at a bar, drinking a glass of red wine.
This time, the bar was her flat. Being anywhere around people sounded horrifying. She was content to wallow in the apartment she already feared she’d have to give up.
Unlike the other times she’d been let go, Y/n couldn’t bear to think about the next steps. The minute she’d told Keeley she’d get her things from Nelson Road, she’d banished the thought. She couldn’t bear the thought, the pain of telling the boys, Rebecca, Ted…of leaving the parking lot for the last time. Every time her mind began to try and think practically, she took another sip of the merlot.
The depressing silence was broken up by a ring of her doorbell. Y/n let her head drop as she dragged herself off the barstool. She couldn’t come up with the name of a single person she wanted to see at the moment.
Trudging down the last of the stairs, she looked through the peephole, seeing a familiar mop of mussed up hair and sharp cheekbones.
Y/n quickly wiped under her eyes, praying her waterproof mascara had done its job. If she wasn’t ready to tell anyone the news, Jamie was in a category of his own. The thought of not seeing him every day was crippling.
She opened the door, Jamie flashing a smile as soon as he laid eyes on her.
“Hey,” Y/n grinned thickly, “I thought you were supposed to be up in Stafford.”
“Yeah, just got back,” Jamie glanced back to the street where his car was parked.
“How was it?”
“Fucking,” Jamie shut his eyes, still beaming, “Mental.”
Y/n genuinely chuckled. At least one of them was doing well. “That’s great.”
“Yeah,” Jamie finally got a good look at Y/n. Her face was drawn, despite her smile. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and her gaze was distant, despite being zeroed in on him. “You alright?”
Y/n thinned her lips in an exaggerated frown and shrugged, “Yeah, fine.”
Jamie wasn’t convinced, “You sure?”
Clearly months out of practice from hiding her feelings had left her skills dulled. Y/n sighed, leaning up against the doorframe, “It’s just been a long fucking day.”
“What happened?” Jamie’s brows knitted in worry.
“Nothing specific,” Y/n lied straight through her teeth, “Just tired.”
Jamie nodded, slightly assured that he could move onto the reason for his visit.
“Well, hey, I think I can cheer you up,” he took a breath as if preparing for something big. “Come with me to the match.”
Y/n tilted her head, “What?”
“The Wembley match. They’re puttin’ us up in a hotel tomorrow night, and the game’s on Friday,” Jamie explained, hope glistening in his eyes, “Come with me.”
If they were discussing some random away game, Y/n wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But this…this was England. This was something Jamie had dreamed of since he was a child. This meant everything to him, and he wanted her to share it with him. Y/n didn’t take a word of it lightly.
“I can get ya an extra room,” Jamie took her stunned silence as doubt, “I’ll tell ‘em I need my publicist with me.”
“I don’t think being the club’s publicist gets me that kind of privilege,” Y/n tried to ignore the ache in her chest. That title didn’t belong to her anymore.
“Does if you’re with me,” Jamie smirked.
Y/n chortled, “Right. I’m rolling with the big dogs. Forgot.”
“Look,” Jamie took a step closer, his hands resting in the space between them, nearly reaching out to her. “I really want you there. Really.”
There was a softness to Jamie’s stare that he always saved for Y/n, and a determination he wore any time he stepped on the pitch. If she didn’t want to come, he wouldn’t force her, but he wasn’t going down without fighting his hardest.
Y/n really had no reason to say no. She wouldn’t be at work, she had no commitments…and honestly, getting away sounded nice. To step outside of Richmond for a little while and get some distance before she had to deal with the reality of her situation. And more than anything, she wanted to cheer on Jamie.
“Okay.”
Jamie’s brows shot up, “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Y/n smiled, her first true one of their conversation.
“Great,” Jamie grinned and fiddled with his hands, “Okay, uh, I’ll pick you up tomorrow, 12-ish. Drive over together.”
“I mean, I can drive myself,” Y/n replied, “You don’t need to be picking me up with everything you’ll have going on.”
Jamie shrugged, “I know.” There was no discussion to be had.
“Okay,” Y/n conceded, “I’ll be ready.”
“Okay,” Jamie smiled, awkwardly holding the silence. He didn’t want to let the conversation end, but there was nothing left to say. “Well, uh, I’ll let you get back to your night.”
“Go,” Y/n gestured to the street, “Rest. You’re only representing the whole country.”
He laughed, walking backwards to steal one last glance at Y/n. If someone would have told Jamie that eight months before, his ex-girlfriend’s new hire would end up meaning enough to him to share his England debut with, he wasn’t sure what he’d have thought. But he wouldn’t have believed it. “See ya.”
Y/n gave a small wave, matching his warm smile until the distance forced them to break. She was still neck deep in shit, but for a moment, the sun felt like it was shining.
—————————
Y/n supposed as she packed her overnight bag, that if she forgot anything important, she could just Uber back to her flat. For whatever reason, she was afraid she was leaving something off the list.
The initial excitement she’d felt when Jamie had invited her had long since died. It seemed the depression that set in after losing your job took twenty four hours of fermenting to truly come to life.
She was nearly done packing when she was sorting through a drawer of t-shirts, spotting a brightly colored blue and red one she had tucked at the bottom. She pulled it out and unfolded it.
The jersey Jamie had gifted her for Christmas.
A small smile pulled at her face, remembering the night he’d given it to her. True to her word, she hadn’t worn it to any matches. She couldn’t possibly give him that satisfaction.
Through the insanity that was working at AFC Richmond, there had been many constants. Ted’s awful jokes, Roy’s sour mood, weekly tea with Rebecca…but Jamie had l become the most unexpectedly steady thing in Y/n’s life. A safe place to land in any situation. If it wasn’t for Jamie, she wasn’t sure how she would have made it thus far.
She smiled.
Without a second thought, Y/n folded the jersey back up and tucked it in her suitcase. Jamie was the focus, and she’d amplify his joy however she could.
Her phone pinged with a text alert, the man himself messaging her that he was parked outside. Y/n zipped up her bag, grabbed her purse, and headed downstairs.
Jamie was propped against his car, spinning the keys in his fingers. He supposed he should have felt nervous, twenty four hours away from his England debut, but he felt at peace. He wasn’t entirely sure why until he spotted Y/n’s figure coming down her street.
“Jamie Tartt, do do do do do do,” she sang once she got close enough, “Jamie Tartt, do do do do do do…”
“Lovely,” Jamie chuckled before reaching out for her bag, “Let’s have it.”
“There’d better be room for it,” Y/n handed the suitcase over.
Jamie popped the boot, “How much you think I travel with?”
“I mean, hair products alone has to equate to two carry ons,” Y/n replied, “Jewelry, trainers, socks, that’s another two…the ego’s gotta take up, what, four?”
Jamie shut the boot, leaning on it as he listened. “I’m happy to leave you here. Watch the match on Sky Sports.”
“Sorry, too late,” Y/n smirked as she rounded the car, Jamie met her on the passenger side. The two of them stood with mere inches between them. “You’re stuck with me, Tartt.”
Their smug smiles melted into something far more warm, the emotional weight of the trip was too overwhelming to be ignored too long.
“Not a bad deal,” Jamie said softly.
“You’re playing for England,” Y/n whispered.
Jamie’s grin spread up his cheeks, reaching to tug Y/n into an embrace. Gentler than the one they’d shared after the news had broke, but matching in enthusiasm.
“Right, gotta get going,” Jamie broke away and went to the driver’s side, “Check-in’s in an hour.”
The traffic they hit made it so they’d arrive just at their appointed time. On the way, Y/n avoided any topic that could tie them back to work, and Jamie recounted a party he’d attended two days before.
“Wait…” Y/n laughed, “You’re telling me that Roy Kent - Roy Kent - has to wear a tie-dye shirt?”
“Swear down,” Jamie replied.
“Roy Kent,” Y/n repeated. The image was too insane to imagine. “Growling-in-the-halls, leather-jacket-wearing, black-coffee, black-clothes, black-everything Roy Kent.”
Jamie nodded.
Y/n fell back against the seat, “I don’t believe you.”
“I’m not playin’ ya,” Jamie laughed, one hand resting comfortably on the steering wheel, “Saw it with me own eyes.”
“And I can’t believe it till I see it with mine,” Y/n shook her head. “So, wait, you left training because Phoebe called you and invited you to a party for a pretend holiday for the man who makes your life a living hell?”
Jamie wasn’t sure how to explain it. How his relationship with Roy had gone from childhood idolization to rivalry to tolerance to mentor/mentee to…something almost, nearly, bordering…friendship? But when he’d gotten the call from Phoebe and her mum, Roy’s niece inviting him to Uncle’s Day, he hadn’t needed to give it a second thought. He’d even taken the time to track down a gift meaningful enough to crack Roy’s stony exterior.
“Dunno,” he shrugged casually, “Didn’t want to disappoint her.”
“Mmm,” Y/n nodded, pretending to buy it, “Nothing to do with the fact that you two are actually…friends?”
Jamie looked out the window, checking the space around them, “Right, you can walk from here.”
Y/n snorted, crossing her arms across her chest. Beyond the teasing, she found it incredibly sweet that Jamie would drop what he was doing not just for Roy, but for Phoebe. It echoed the same kindness he’d shown to Henry when he’d visited. She supposed it came from Jamie’s childhood, the same drive she had to make sure any kid she came across was happier than she’d been at their age.
“It’s cute.”
Jamie quirked a brow as he switched lanes, “What?”
Y/n shrugged, “Jamie Tartt’s got a soft spot for kids.”
The tingling in his chest confused Jamie. But knowing Y/n thought him admirable was…nice.
He played it off, of course, “Haven’t even told you about the play.”
Y/n slapped her hands together, “Oh, please God tell me it was interactive.”
“It was fucking Shakespearean,” Jamie laughed, before launching into the multi-hour long production Phoebe and Roy’s sister had staged.
Once they arrived at the hotel, they checked-in separately. It was an easy way for Y/n to keep herself out of any photo sightings of Jamie and she was extra happy she’d thought it out when some of his teammates arrived. She headed to the elevator while Jamie greeted them, loading into the car. Once he saw she was already off, Jamie rushed through goodbyes to catch the lift with her.
“Right,” Y/n said as they landed on the 10th floor, looking between her key and the door numbers, “I’m 502.”
“507,” Jamie replied, “End of the hall, I think.”
They found Y/n’s room first and paused outside the door.
“Right, so dinner tonight?” Jamie suggested, “I mean, it’ll mostly be me watchin’ you eat, but…”
“Jamie, no,” Y/n screwed her face, “We can have dinner literally any other night. Go be with the team.”
He knew that was what he was expected to do, and part of him wanted to go bond with the boys but…she was here. And as much as he wanted to hang with his teammates, everyone drifted to second priority when Y/n was around.
“You sure?” Jamie asked.
“Yes,” Y/n insisted, reaching out and taking his arm, “Go enjoy this. You earned it. I’m just gonna get room service and get to bed boringly early.”
Jamie chuckled, looking down at the ground. His skin jumped to life under her touch. “Alright,” he smiled up at her, “I got a ticket reserved for you at will call.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
“And…” Jamie searched for something, anything else to say, coming up short, “Yeah. Think that’s it.”
“Hey,” Y/n squeezed his arm, beaming with pride, “You’re gonna kill it.”
Jamie’s smile grew in the way only she could harvest out of him. Something about her belief in him made him feel like he could play the whole fucking match himself.
“I’ll see ya tomorrow,” he said, though he didn’t move.
“See you tomorrow,” Y/n echoed, rubbing his shoulder before breaking apart and unlocking her door. Jamie took it as his cue to drag his own suitcase down the hall, five doors down.
Y/n did a lap around her room, taking stock of where everything was. It was a nice fucking hotel, though she shouldn’t have expected anything else. She set her suitcase in the corner, there was no need to go to the trouble of unpacking for a two night stay.
She dropped onto the edge of the bed. With Jamie off and the room mapped out, there was nothing to do but sit with her thoughts.
Y/n sighed, her chest returned to feeling hollow, knowing this life was about to disappear. No more traveling with the Greyhounds, the endless chatter on long bus rides, her room being sandwiched between two of they boy’s and dealing with their late night shenanigans that typically resulted in a large check being written to the hotel…
She grabbed the bedside phone, dialing the corresponding number on the paper below it. She couldn’t deal with being sad sober or on an empty stomach. “Yes, room service? Can I have a bottle of wine and the chef’s special delivered to room 502? Thank you.”
It was going to be a long night.
——————
The next morning, Y/n took advantage of getting to sleep in on Friday. The game wasn’t until noon, she set her alarm for ten. She ordered breakfast to the room and ate in bed. Sadness went well with pancakes, she found.
Eventually, she got dressed for the match. She smiled to herself as she slipped the ‘#9’ jersey over her tank top. It would be the first, and most likely only opportunity she’d have to wear it.
Wembley was close enough to the hotel that she didn’t bother ordering an Uber, choosing instead to join the crowds and walk. She’d forgotten just how massive the stadium was when she arrived at the ticket booth.
“Hi,” she greeted the guy working will call, “There should be a ticket under the name ‘Y/l/n.’”
The man fished through a few envelopes before reaching into one and slipping a ticket under the glass window. “Enjoy the match, love.”
“Thank you,” she smiled.
It had been years since Y/n had been to Wembley, the last time for a concert fresh off of graduation. She couldn’t remember the section numbers and locations to save her life.
Once she got inside, she found a security guard. “Excuse me? Could you point me towards section…” she read her ticket once more, “120?”
The guard glanced at her ticket before pointing her towards a massive staircase. “All the way down, midfield.”
“Okay,” Y/n headed off, calling back to him, “Thank you.”
She melted into the crowd and followed them down the stairs. She kept looking between her ticket and the descending rows of seats, realizing when she hit the ground that Jamie hadn’t just gotten her a seat…he’d gotten her one in the front row.
Y/n made her way down, past families and groups of friends, finding her seat was on the aisle. It allowed her a perfect view of the field, Jamie would most certainly be able to spot her.
The atmosphere before the match was a welcome cheeriness, Y/n couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement of it. It was hard to be depressed with 90,000 people around you cheering and singing.
The teams marched out onto the pitch, their respective fans standing and screaming. Y/n was on her feet as soon as England was out, spotting Jamie towards the back. He was on the reserve squad and came out near last. She hoped he would get at least a few minutes on the field.
Jamie was caught up in the moment enough that he didn’t search for Y/n. Knowing she was there was enough.
By the second half of the match, England was up by a point, but Jamie still had yet to get on the pitch. Y/n was fidgeting more with each minute that passed, hoping that this would be the point that #9 would tire out enough and Jamie could sub in.
Finally, it happened. Jamie came off the bench as one of the refs held up the board, announcing Jamie’s arrival and his number. #24.
Y/n pressed a hand to her heart, her lips falling open in a loose smile. It was a hell of statement after their #24 had been passed over for the Nigerian league. But more importantly, it was an incredibly touching gesture. Sam had to have been beaming shyly, wherever he was watching from.
Jamie got onto the pitch and first ended up assisting in one goal. When the clock came down to the last five minutes, he shot across the field, catching the ball from one of his teammates and running it down the pitch.
“Come on, Jamie,” Y/n muttered under her breath, her eyes glued to him. He could make it.
Faking left and spinning around to the right, Jamie power kicked the ball toward the net, evading the goalie and landing a perfect shot.
Y/n shot out of her seat with the rest of the crowd, screaming as loud as she could.
Jamie looked pleased, his nearest teammates slapping him across the back in congratulations. He turned to the crowd and grinned, soaking in the moment he’d been waiting for since he was a kid. The whole stadium was cheering for him.
His eyes floated to section 120, finding the furthest seat and the woman occupying it. Their eyes met and Jamie caught the unmistakable Greyhound blue underneath her coat, his chest suddenly swelling with something deeper than pride. She’d worn the fucking shirt.
Y/n grinned at him, raising her fists above her head. Jamie patted his chest, just above his heart, smiling right back at her.
England ended up winning, of course, and Y/n felt like she was floating. She couldn’t get up the stairs fast enough, hurrying through the concourses till she found two doors with ample security stood outside.
“Hi,” she said, nearly out of breath, “I work at AFC Richmond. I need to see Jamie Tartt,” Y/n pulled out her phone as she saw the guard inhaling to turn her away, “I have proof of employment.”
She pulled up an email exchange with Higgins and held up her employee ID, matching the signature to the card. The guard nodded, “Come with me.”
Y/n followed down the hall, stopping outside the locker room as the guard instructed her to wait. The commotion inside could be heard all down the hall, chants and cheers from the boys echoing off the walls.
A few seconds later, Jamie emerged, soaked in champagne and sweat.
Neither of them hesitated to launch into one another’s arms, Jamie full on lifting and spinning her around. They were a mess of laughs and squeals and smiles.
“You did it,” Y/n grinned, her arms tight around Jamie’s neck.
“We fucking did it,” he growled happily, still twirling her in the air.
“Jamie,” Y/n laughed as he finally dropped her. She held his face in her hands, “You were incredible. You were fucking amazing.”
Jamie beamed, finally feeling whole. He’d been waiting all day to hug her.
“My gosh,” Y/n smiled, on the verge of tears.
“Not a bad seat either, yeah?” Jamie smiled.
“You just fucking played for England and that’s what you wanna talk about?” Y/n exclaimed as she lightly shoved his chest.
Jamie’s hands fiddled agaisnt Y/n’s waist, the adrenaline from the game still pulsing through. He rubbed the extra material of the shirt, his shirt, between his fingers.
He cocked a brow, “Thought you said you’d never wear this.”
Y/n shrugged playfully, “I had a compelling reason.”
There was enough electricity running through them both without the added crackling of their hands, the pure lightning that was striking between their eyes. It was a moment so full of emotion, if it lasted much longer, it stood the chance to naturally lead to something…
“Oi! Tartt!”
Jamie and Y/n dropped their hands, the outside presence causing embarrassment they didn’t know they felt. Jamie nodded back at one of his teammates, “Yeah?”
“Get the fuck back in here,” he gestured back to the room. The celebration hadn’t stopped in Jamie’s absence.
“Yeah, be in a minute,” Jamie distractedly smiled before turning back to Y/n, “Right-“
“Jamie,” Y/n shook her head, smiling knowingly, “Go. Go celebrate your moment.
He hesitated, truthfully, he didn’t want her to be so encouraging. “Yeah, but we gotta celebrate too,” Jamie reached out for her hands.
“And we will,” Y/n replied, squeezing his palms, “But now, you’re gonna go in there, you’re going to get absolutely shit-faced and create a million horrible headlines for me to issue a million and one apologies for.”
Jamie snorted and stared down at their intwined hands. Half of him was itching to get back in the locker room, the other stayed right where he was.
“Go,” Y/n repeated.
Jamie tugged her back to his chest, the two of them fitting together as perfectly as ever. He was so unbelievably glad she’d said yes to coming. Looking out into the stands, seeing her cheering for him had boosted his spirits in a way nothing else could.
Even as he broke away, he left backwards. “I mean it,” Jamie pointed at her, “We’re fucking celebrating.”
Y/n just laughed and shoved the air, staying till he disappeared back into the locker room. Jamie’s ecstasy was feeding her, the victory lifting them both up sky high. She was so glad she hadn’t turned him down.
The security guard escorted her out to the concourse and she found her way back to the hotel. Each street was echoing with chants and cheers for England, the whole of London was buzzing. It was beautiful.
Y/n got back to her room, turning on the TV to Sky Sports and watching the recap. Jamie, of course, made the conversation, both his goal and his kit number were heavily discussed.
Y/n smiled when Sam’s name came up, pulling her phone out and sending an array of appropriate emojis to the young Nigerian along with his number. He fired back a few red hearts in reply.
Roughly an hour had passed when there was a knock at the door. Y/n slid out of bed confused. She hadn’t ordered dinner yet.
She opened the door to find Jamie, hair combed, showered and out of his kit, leaning against her door frame.
“I thought I told you to go spend time with the team,” Y/n chuckled in surprise.
“I did,” he shrugged, “Now it’s our turn.”
Y/n rolled her eyes but couldn’t kill the growing grin. She wanted the day to be everything Jamie wanted, but she couldn’t deny the ever-present desire to stay in his field of gravity. If he was here willingly, she wasn’t going to fight him.
She matched his posture and leaned against the frame, “What’d you have in mind?”
“Dinner, club,” Jamie listed off the options, “Go to the top of the Shard, scream as loud as we can.”
Y/n laughed, “I can do that.”
“Good,” Jamie smiled, looking down at his watch, “You got twenty minutes.”
“Clearly you learned nothing dating Keeley,” Y/n scoffed, “Put thirty on the clock.”
“Fine,” Jamie relented, “I’ll be back in thirty minutes exactly. That’s it. Not waitin’.” He couldn’t even pretend to be that strict, a smile contradicting his words.
Y/n gave a two fingered salute, “I’ll be ready.”
She shut the door, hearing him shuffling down the hall. In her suitcase, she’d packed a dress, knowing the chances of Jamie and her going out after was a distinct possibility. She also thought she was crazy to assume that at all. Yet still, she’d gone to the trouble of picking one out, laboring over the choice far longer than it should have taken.
Within thirty minutes, Y/n managed to shower, do her hair and light makeup, slipping into the dress and her sneakers at the twenty-nine minute mark. She gave herself a once over in the mirror, giving herself a pat on the back for exceptional work in such a short time frame.
On cue, there were three knocks at the door.
Y/n grabbed her purse and unlocked the door, Jamie once again stood in waiting.
He wasn’t quite sure what he’d expected when he’d told Y/n they were going out for a night on the town, but whatever it was…wasn’t what he got. Y/n was stunning, gorgeous, in a strappy pink dress, her hair tied up. It was all in stark contrast to how she usually dressed around Nelson Road, all business attire or jeans on a casual day. This was…this was something.
“Wow,” Jamie managed, his eyes running up and down her form.
Y/n took an honest look at Jamie for the first time of the night. His usual floppy hairstyle and headband had been swapped for a blow dry and a neat side swoop. A deep blue dress shirt was unbuttoned a bit further than other men’s and a dark textured blazer layered it, finished with dress pants, actual shoes and a gold chain. He looked good.
“No trainers,” Y/n was lost for anything else to say, “It really is a special occasion.”
Jamie chuckled, still unable to tear his eyes off of her. It was going to get awkward if he didn’t stop soon.
He offered his arm, “Shall we?”
“We shall,” Y/n slipped her arm through Jamie’s and they strolled down the hall.
Once they’d slipped out the lobby, they hailed a cab and Jamie gave the driver an address. They arrived at a five star rooftop restaurant and bar and made their way to a table, the thumping music and chatter of the weekend crowd enveloping them. A fair amount of the other patrons were celebrating England’s victory heartily.
“Look at this,” Y/n smiled, a group of people excitedly describing the game as they passed their table, “You did this.”
“Wasn’t just me,” Jamie replied.
“Yeah, but you were part of it,” Y/n corrected, shaking her head, “Jeez, Jamie…you scored a fucking goal.”
“I did, yeah,” Jamie grinned and admitted, walking the line between humility and cockiness as only he could.
Y/n waited a moment, admiring the joy in Jamie’s eyes as his eyes followed the fans. It was childlike, pure and wild.
“You didn’t tell me you were gonna wear #24,” she eventually said.
Jamie nodded, “Just felt right. It’s mad they didn’t pick him.”
“It is,” Y/n agreed, looking out at the darkening London sky, wondering how Sam was actually holding up. “But that was brave, wearing it. Like you were giving whoever didn’t choose him the middle finger.”
He chortled, his eyes lingering on her longer and longer each time they found her. Jamie was losing the battle to look away.
Y/n was the first to drop her gaze. Like always, there were ghosts dining with them. She’d been itching with concern for Jamie all day, but hadn’t said anything.
“So…how was it being back? At Wembley?”
Jamie caught the meaning instantly, it wasn’t exactly far from his mind. As much fun as he’d had, being back in the locker room had inevitably triggered unpleasant memories.
“Bit weird,” Jamie admitted, “But…I don’t know. I think I was too distracted to think about it too much.”
“That’s good,” Y/n gently smiled, “Of course, now I’ve brought it up and…”
Jamie reached out and took her hand reassuringly, “And nothing.”
Y/n’s lips tugged upwards slightly, squeezing Jamie’s palm.
A horribly timed interruption caused them both to have to tear his gaze away, the waiter returning with their drinks. He took them both and handed Y/n hers.
“Alright,” she scooted forward in her seat, “What’re we drinking to?”
Jamie sighed, thinking a moment, “Well, to me, obviously,” he got a laugh out of Y/n, “To the team. To England. To Richmond,” he swallowed, “To you.”
Y/n raised a brow, “To me?”
“Yeah,” Jamie smiled coyly, “You comin’ here, cheering me on. Knowing you were there…”
The humor of the moment was gone entirely, replaced by sweet sentiment. Jamie and Y/n’s friendship had come to mean more to them than they could have guessed that first night in Sam’s restaurant. Or the time they’d run into each other at the Crown and Anchor, spending an hour pouring over apartments for Y/n. They had become each other’s north star. They were a part of one another, reflecting the best of each other back.
“To having a good night,” Jamie continued, unable to finish his last thought, “And not worrying about anything. Not thinking about anything. Just celebrating.”
Not all of the time they spent together was so serious, but one of the basis of Y/n and Jamie’s bond was their mutual pain. So many of their conversations somehow traced back to her parents, his dad, how they were the way they were because of their failures. Not to mention, Y/n had the news of KJPR’s shutdown weighing on her back. She’d have to break the news to Jamie come morning.
But tonight, tonight was a night for none of it. They would drink, they would laugh, and they would revel in Jamie’s accomplishment.
Y/n clinked her glass against Jamie’s. “To not thinking.”
And that’s exactly what they did. They didn’t think as they ordered a second round of drinks.
Or a third.
They didn’t think as they went to a club, pulling one another close to dance.
They didn’t think as they giggled their way back to their hotel.
And they certainly didn’t think as they stumbled into Y/n’s room, a collision of roaming hands and eager lips.
—————
Heartfirst Taglist: @lalla-04p @optimisticsandwichgladiator @makingmunson94 @taytaylala12 @storysimp @sokkigarden @lightninginab0ttle @poohkie90 @alipap3 @verra-nerevarine @shineforever19 @spaceagechimera @burnafter-reading @qardasngan @cyberpvnk-enthusiast @sogoodtoheritsvicious @buckybarnex @angelsunflxwer @blueanfield @thewildestwonderland @sablecities @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @strawberryacethingz @mentalistfan @tortilla-maria1 @katdahlali @for-fuck-sake-im-alive @glitterquadricorn @jamieolivia27 @imvibin69 @katlizada @lil-tracys @fanaticalfantasist @heyitz-julia @cactajuice @peachyy-tea @notalxx @rockchickrebel @anxiety-prime-max @loveforaugust @jellycolors @actuallybarb @heletsmelovehim @lovinnscarletknight @imfalling-inlove @leslieiscrying @meg-ro @littlemisssunshine192 @beboldbebravethings @maydayfigment @spencerreidsbookclub @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @lemoonandlestars @im-a-weirdo-for-life @mindless-rock (tags cont. in comments ❤️)
435 notes · View notes
narafeedee · 2 years
Note
Top 10 weight gain hacks?
In no particular order:
1. Replace everything you can with the higher calorie version. This may seem obvious but also consider alternative ingredients and increasing quantity of ingredients, for example swapping milk or water with heavy cream, adding double the butter that’s called for, etc. I know that that’s a no-brainer but it really does make a difference if you’re cooking a lot at home.
2. Surround yourself with snacks. When I shop and get a bunch of snacks, I just leave the grocery bag next to where I sit on my couch. Cookies, chips, poptarts, pastries, hand pies, you name it. So any time I’m feeling peckish or I’m just bored and need something to do, I have something within arms reach. I can mindlessly pack away an extra couple thousand calories a day this way and not even notice.
3. Create smaller goals. This one can be a little challenging, of course we all want to hit our ultimate goal as quickly as possible. But it’s so easy to get discouraged when you’re looking at a number that seems so far away. Breaking your goals up into manageable chunks makes the process quicker and more successful than lamenting over not gaining “fast enough” and losing steam. It also gives you reason to celebrate more often than if you’re only looking forward to the next 50-100lbs. For example, say you’re starting on 01/01 at 300 and your ultimate goal is 350. For the month of January your goal is to hit 310, for February it’s 320, and so on and so forth. That way you’re only really “pushing” for the gain for a few days at a time, if you even need to push at all. I hope that makes sense lol
4. That belly tapping thing actually works, lightly tap above your navel and continue tapping as you move from center to left. It may take a couple rounds of this, but in less than a minute you should feel your stomach start feeling empty again. It really really works, it’s also great for when you’re stuffed to the point where another bite will make you sick - just do the tapping thing and the pain and nausea dissipates. I don’t know the science behind this but it’s something I use on a weekly basis and has been a lifesaver.
5. Diet soda. I’ve always been a Diet Coke addict but I’ve found in my gaining journey that the days I drink Diet Coke I am OBSESSED with sweets and sugary treats. Otherwise I’m not too into sweet things, but when I’m chugging aspartame? Oh god it’s game over, I’d eat straight sugar if I had to.
6. Buy the bigger clothes in advance and wear them. This one is hit or miss, cause I love feeling my clothes bursting at the seams, but on the other hand it takes a lot of effort to get super fat and maintain it, so being comfortable as possible is also a must. I do wear the super tight ones still too, but I alternate depending on the day. If you have clothes that are (temporarily) loose on you, not only will you be comfortable but you’ll also have the added benefit of feeling yourself outgrow those too, which to me is more impressive than outgrowing something that was already a little snug.
7. Preset meals; if you’re a fast food junkie like I am and eat every one of your meals out of a greasy brown bag, this is a game changer. Spend a little time making lists of what you like from fast food places and their respective calorie counts. Then come up with realistic 2000+ calorie meals from that. Not stuffings so much as just a casual everyday lunch. So if you know that you need to hit a minimum calories per day, it’s super quick to order exactly what you need and you don’t have to put any effort into it. A lot of apps let you save your favorites to a separate list anyhow.
8. Fast food apps. If you don’t have a rewards app for every fast food place in a 20 mile radius of your home, are you even a feedee? All jokes aside, the amount of free or deeply discounted food I get every day is insane and I am so proud of my points balances lol this is one of my top hacks, I eat so much fast food anyway why wouldn’t I reap the rewards from that?
9. Eat before bed. Most of my eating happens within 2 hours of me falling asleep at night. I would conservatively say half of my daily calorie intake happens in the evening. It works, do it.
10. I’ve been gatekeeping this website for the last 9.5 years, but this is the most accurate calorie calculator I’ve ever used. It tells you your estimated weight over the next few months based on your body metrics and estimated calorie intake (or rather your daily goal lol) and has been consistently accurate for me in my gaining. I use it to plan my gains/other feedees gains and our daily and weekly calorie goals 😉
4K notes · View notes
bosbas · 4 months
Text
Chapter 12: did you wish you'd put up more of a fight?
series masterlist previous part || next part
Tumblr media
pairing: benedict bridgerton x best friend!fem!reader WC: 4.1k words
Warnings: period-typical gender roles, idiots in love being idiots in love, mutual pining, physical altercation (nothing serious but a few mentions of blood), mentions of sex if you squint, benedict being so so stupid
Summary: You and Benedict have been best friends since childhood, but things change dramatically once you come out in society. You’re struggling to find someone you’re as compatible with and who knows you as well as Benedict, all while trying to quell your ever-growing feelings for him. Shenanigans ensue.
A/N: guys idk anything about physical fights sorry if this is super unrealistic LMAO
Tumblr media
August 12, 1814 - But, dear reader, I cannot fail to mention the upcoming gathering hosted by the Bridgertons at Aubrey Hall. Those lucky enough to receive an invitation are surely busy preparing for the eventful trip ahead. Every year, the Bridgerton country party proves to be an excellent hunting ground for ambitious mamas with daughters of marriageable age. Will this year's party bring forth new proposals? Whispers around the ton indicate that a certain Bridgerton brother might propose to Miss Y/N Beaumont, and that would certainly be the news of the season. Fear not, for this author shall keep the ton abreast of any and all developments.
"I beg your pardon?" he spoke, tone low and venomous as he breathed heavily. "What the bloody hell did you just say?"
Benedict saw you exchange a nervous glance with his older brother and his blood boiled at the sight. It was him you should be exchanging glances with. Not Anthony, of all people. He could hardly believe it. In fact, he didn't believe it at all. This had to be some sick joke, some cruel prank that you and his brothers and perhaps even your brothers had all been in on to rag on him for disappearing to the countryside for a month and a half. He desperately wanted you to burst out laughing and start making fun of him for believing that you and Anthony were to get married. But as the seconds ticked by, it became more and more unlikely that this was the case.
Interrupting your prolonged eye contact with Anthony, you looked down at your hands anxiously. This was not how it was supposed to go. There was no nature walk, no time alone with Ben, just an angry Benedict standing at the door to Anthony's study, waves of fury rolling off of him. A small part of you had hoped he would be angry, yes, but now that you were seeing him, unmoving, you wanted nothing more than to disappear from the room. You wished Ben had come ten minutes earlier, where you would have greeted him with a hug instead, feeling his strong arms make themselves at home as they wrapped around you. Benedict was not often angry, especially not at you, but when he was, he usually voiced his displeasure quite loudly to anyone who would listen. However, knowing he was standing there, stock-still and seething, you weren't quite sure how he was going to react.
"How much of that did you hear, exactly?" you asked meekly, trying to gauge how much damage control you would have to do. You kept your gaze firmly on your hands, unable to meet his eyes and slightly fearful of his silent anger.
"Enough to know that my brother is the man you're marrying," Benedict responded, sounding angrier than he was when he first walked in, if that was possible. "I see it's been quite a productive season," he added in a clipped tone.
Your head snapped up at his last comment. You felt Anthony tense beside you as he felt your anger rising, but you didn't care. How dare Benedict blame you for finding a husband after he so unceremoniously walked away from you? Meeting Ben's intense gaze and flinching as you practically felt the daggers shooting from his eyes, you yelled back, "What did you expect, Benedict? You walked away from me and I did exactly what you wanted me to do. I found a husband. I don't know what more you want from me."
Try as you might to keep your voice strong, a wobble at the end had betrayed your true feelings. You had sounded more pleading than anything, but you were beyond caring. You were absolutely crushed, and you could see that Benedict was hurting as well. After years of looking into his eyes, you could recognize that he, too, was hiding sorrow behind his anger. Trying to remain composed, you bit the inside of your cheek as you felt Anthony reach over and place a comforting hand on your shoulder.
"I didn't–" started Benedict, unable to continue once he saw Anthony's hand on you. It was true, then. The courtship. Or the proposal. Or whatever else you two had been doing while he was in the countryside five seconds away from tearing his hair out in desperation because he loved you so much. Suddenly, it was difficult to remember why exactly he hadn't wanted to marry you. Marrying you couldn't have been worse than what he was feeling right now, the devastating realization of having truly lost you. Surely nothing could be worse than this.
Carrying the unspeakable grief that came with losing one's best friend and soulmate all in one evening, Benedict turned around to walk out of Anthony's office. He couldn't bear to be there any longer, watching the woman he loved be caressed by his brother. Without a second glance at the two of you, he closed the door behind him and made his way to his own room. He would have been better off going there in the first place, he thought. Then he could've had a few more moments of peace before he found out what you and Anthony had been up to in his absence.
Looking at the closed door, Anthony's hand dropped from your shoulder as he stood in shock at what had just happened. "Are you alright?" he asked you, knowing the answer but needing to reassure you anyway.
You shook your head, holding in tears that were threatening to spill. "Someone should go after him," you said pressing your fingers to the corner of your eyes. What you really meant was, you should go after him, Anthony, but you wanted to give him a chance to say no. To decide he wasn't going to clean up yet another mess you had made because of your stupid feelings for his brother.
But Anthony, ever the eldest child, nodded in agreement. "Just stay put for a bit while I get him into his room. I don't think it would be the best idea to have the two of you talk right now."
Aubrey Hall had already seen too much chaos today without what he expected was going to be a shouting match between you and Benedict. If only the shouting match could lead to the two of you realizing that you did, in fact, love each other very much and that you would, in fact, be very happily married. He gave you one last squeeze on the shoulder and took off determinedly to find his brother.
Benedict saw Anthony catching up to him out of the corner of his eye but didn't stop or slow down. He couldn't bear to stop now, he needed to get to his room. Or really anywhere that was stripped of every trace of you. Benedict could barely think, the moment when Anthony placed his hand on your shoulder replaying relentlessly through his mind and preventing him from thinking about anything else.
Feeling Anthony stop right behind him, Benedict turned around to face him. The two brothers stood, staring at each other, for several moments. Anthony trying to think of what to say and Benedict getting angrier by the second.
"If you had–" started Anthony, only to be cut off by Benedict immediately.
"How could you do this?" Ben shouted, voice raw from holding back the string of curses he wanted to direct at Anthony right now. Anthony bit his lip, grimacing. He knew Benedict would be mad, but he had been unprepared for the magnitude of his fury. In a way, he felt bad for Ben. Anthony could tell that you were the love of Benedict's life—it was ridiculously obvious—and it couldn't have been easy to see you with someone else. But enough was enough, and Anthony had seen you heartbroken for long enough to know that Ben had only brought this upon himself.
"Might I remind you that you left, Benedict? After she asked you to marry her, no less," shot back Anthony, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He could see Ben waver at his words, face blanching slightly at the realization that you had told Anthony about your quasi-proposal.
"And you think you're better than me? Anyone with half a brain knows you don't want to marry for love. Did that change in the last four weeks? Are you now suddenly unequivocally in love with her? Is that what happened?" asked Benedict, an unfathomable bitterness on his tongue. His words were mocking, but deep down he did want answers. Did you and Anthony really fall for each other while he was gone? Had he been that foolish, to ever imagine the possibility of having something beyond friendship with you when his older brother was right there?
Anthony rolled his eyes, "Come off it, Benedict. You can't play the victim every time. She's aware that I don't want to marry for love. After some very negative experiences with the men of the ton, you included, she's decided she is perfectly fine not marrying for love either." Seeing Benedict's brow furrow in protest, Anthony continued, "Honestly, I promise I didn't force her into anything, I only gave her the option. She decided all by herself that this was what she wanted. And if you'd stop being a prick for about two seconds you'd realize this is what's best for her, anyway. That I'm what's best for her." And sure, Anthony knew he had probably gone too far with his last comment, but Benedict was being incredibly frustrating at the minute that Anthony didn't care.
However, Benedict didn't want to stop being a prick for two seconds. Especially because you were about to get engaged to his brother, who was being a massive dick right now. So instead, he chose to give into his anger, pushing against Anthony's shoulders so he was knocked against the wall.
"That you're what's best for her?" he scoffed. "I've been best friends with her for two decades but suddenly you're the one who knows exactly what she needs? Seems quite logical," finished Ben, pure poison dripping from his voice.
Undeterred, Anthony pushed Benedict back. "What is so wrong about our courtship? You left her so she could find a husband and that's exactly. What. She. Did," he yelled, accentuating every word with a shove at Ben's shoulders, who responded by swatting his hands away.
"She was off limits, Anthony. You knew that! You never should've done that," cried Benedict, grabbing his brother by the collar, and growing more frustrated by the second. However, whether he was angrier at Anthony or himself was unclear.
Exasperated, the elder Bridgerton reached over to slap the side of Benedict's head. "Off limits? Why would she be off limits? She seemed pretty on limits when you said you couldn't marry her and fucked off to the countryside for half the season," came his response.
"Because she is my best friend," Benedict roared back. Hearing Anthony's mocking laugh brought out a level of anger Ben did not know existed within himself, and he found his fist flying to make contact with Anthony's mouth. Ignoring the metallic taste on his tongue, Anthony responded by kneeing Benedict in the groin until he doubled over and slammed the fist that had just hit him into the wall.
Ben cradled his hand against his side, wincing as he saw his grazed knuckles, but he was unrelenting. It was like all of the pent-up emotions of frustration and uselessness he had been feeling in the countryside were finally bubbling over now that he had someone to direct his anger toward. "Because she is my best friend and you know that I'm in love with her. I know you know, Anthony, you cannot pretend otherwise," he said, desperation evident in his voice.
Fairly done with the conversation and itching to go sort out his busted lip, Anthony tried to straighten out his collar as he spoke to Benedict, "Well, even if you are, it doesn't do her much good if you have no intention of marrying her, does it?"
Benedict was stunned to silence. Anthony was right, of course, but Ben couldn't find it in himself to concede to the man who was going to take away Benedict's best friend and the love of his life all in one go. So he just stared at his brother, breathing heavily and searching for words that would not give away just how destroyed he truly felt.
"I am proposing to her in a week. You have until then to fix this, otherwise, you will truly have lost her forever." And with that, Anthony walked off without a second glance, leaving Benedict to grapple with his thoughts.
Walking upstairs in search of something to stop the bleeding at his lip, Anthony couldn't believe that Benedict had admitted his feelings for you. The intensity of the argument between the two brothers had most likely been the catalyst for the confession, but Anthony hoped that this might be what allowed Ben to finally see right by you and love you the way he so obviously wanted to. Regardless, Anthony couldn't help the protective instinct that surged within him. He cared about you, and he was acutely aware of the heartbreak that awaited you if his brother didn't come to his senses.
Too caught up in his thoughts, Anthony missed your presence entirely as he made his way past your room. "Anthony, your lip!" you exclaimed as you closed your bedroom door behind you, bringing him out of his musings. He touched his hand to his injury, hissing in pain slightly as he was reminded of the blood coming out of his cut lip.
He waved his hand dismissively, "It's alright, just a scrape," he assured you.
You seemed doubtful but nodded anyway. "I was going to ask how your talk with him went but I think I have a very clear idea," you said, earning you a short laugh from Anthony.
He cleared his throat, looking at you up and down with a mix of concern and determination. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, charged with the aftermath of the confrontation with Benedict.
"Look, I gave you my word, and a gentleman's word is his bond. I fully intend to honor our agreement," Anthony began, his tone steady and resolute. "But, I also think it's crucial for both you and Benedict to have a conversation, to sort out feelings on both sides."
You looked at him nervously, not ready to confront your feelings for Benedict, let alone any that Benedict might have for you.
He gave you an encouraging smile. "If you decide you still want to marry me afterward, that's perfectly alright, and I'd be delighted to do so. But I think it's only fair that you both have a chance to speak your minds before we move forward." He met your eyes, sincerity evident in his gaze. "Talk to Benedict. I think he went to his studio. I'll give you both the time you need."
You knew he was right, unfortunately. So you nodded, giving him a grateful hug before he excused himself to go clean up his injury and you headed down the stairs to go look for Benedict.
---
In the solitude of his studio, Benedict wrestled with a storm of emotions he was feeling as he paced the room. He couldn't believe that he was going to lose you to his brother. Even if you and Anthony were not in love with each other now, it was only a matter of time, he reasoned. You were, at the very least, the most extraordinary woman he had ever encountered, and surely Anthony would see it that way eventually. Especially if the two of you had children. His heart dropped at the thought of you and Anthony in bed together, but he pushed the image away once he heard a knock on his studio door.
Seeing your face poke into the room, he couldn't help the butterflies that erupted in his stomach, even despite his tumultuous thoughts. "Well, hello," he greeted you curtly, lifting his hand to run his fingers through his hair nervously, knowing a difficult conversation awaited him.
But you gasped before you could respond, immediately distracted by his bloodied knuckles. "Benedict, what on earth...?" you trailed off as you rushed to grab his injured hand in both of yours.
Benedict's breath caught in his throat as he felt your hands on his. The tenderness with which you turned over his hand made a previously dormant warmth rise in his chest, and he bit his lip to keep from shivering. You looked so beautiful, face pinched in focus as you ran your finger over his injury, and he inhaled sharply as your finger traced over his open wound.
"So this is what you and Anthony were doing instead of talking, then?" you scolded, looking into his eyes but not letting go of his hand. It didn't matter that you were still furious with him, it felt too good to have the heavy weight of his fingers half-intertwined with yours after so long of having him away.
"It's nothing," Benedict responded, shaking his head. Then, remembering why his knuckles were grazed in the first place, he added bitterly, "Why don't you go check on Anthony instead?"
Your face fell immediately and you dropped his hand. He hadn't meant to upset you, and he certainly hadn't meant to make you let go of his hand, but it seemed like his anger and jealousy had taken the reins today. But even when you were angry with him and looked about three seconds away from hitting his other hand, he couldn't help but marvel at you. He was completely enamored, looking from your furrowed brow to your narrowed eyes to your full lips. And his eyes stayed on your lips because it seemed that no matter how angry you were he couldn't ignore the ever-growing urge to kiss you right then and there, consequences be damned.
You rolled your eyes, anger bubbling up inside of you once again. "Benedict, I simply don't understand why you're so upset. If anything, marrying Anthony is a better option than marrying anyone else. Our families will remain close and you and I can still see each other fairly often. And once you're married–"
"I'll never marry," he interrupted, voice clipped. He was appalled that you would even suggest that, although he reasoned that you had no reason to believe that he wouldn't marry.
You look at him, confusion written all over your face. "I– What? What do you mean you will never marry? Benedict–"
"I love you," Ben blurted out. "I love you in a way that even words cannot express. I would rather remain unmarried than be with someone who isn't you," he added, needing to make sure that you understood that he loved you beyond what the boundaries of your friendship allowed. He had thought that you might fall in love with some other man, and he would be fated to watch you be besotted with someone else. However, now that he knew that you intended to marry Anthony, who you were most definitely not in love with, he needed you to know that he was the one who had loved you for years now. And he hoped that you might love him, too.
But you did not swoon like he expected. And you did not rush into his arms to kiss him or confess your undying love for him. You didn't even smile. "Are you joking?" you said angrily.
Benedict's eyes widened, shocked by your response. "I'm not– Why would I be joking?" he stumbled over his words.
"First you tell me you won't marry me, which is fine by the way, and then you leave so I can find a husband, which is also fine. Except," you let out a disbelieving laugh, "once you find out that your older brother is the man I'm going to marry, you are suddenly in love with me." You're still staring at him, daring him to challenge you. "It's a little too convenient, don't you think?"
He was panicking, horrified that you thought his confession was merely a way to get back at you for going after his brother. Guilt was coursing through his stomach in an entirely unpleasant manner, and he was struggling to find the words to convey his love for you in a way that you deserved to hear.
"It's not like that! I do love you. I want you and I don't want anyone else," he said desperately, reaching for your hand so he could reassure you.
But you were having none of it. After all this time, you couldn't believe he had the nerve to show up at Aubrey Hall, get into a fight with your future husband, and then confess his supposedly undying love for you. Feeling his hand clutching yours, a feeling so familiar, brought tears to your eyes. You ripped your hand away from his, not able to parse the gentleness with which he held your hand with his careless words.
"Stop it! Having you leave after I asked you to marry me was painful, but this might be the cruelest thing you've ever done, Benedict," you said, tears blurring your vision. "You can't just march in here after weeks of being away and demand that I stop my plans so that you can get back at your brother."
Benedict's eyes welled with tears, reflecting the pain that echoed in your own. He couldn't believe you still wanted to marry Anthony after all this. You were his one big love. There was no one else. And it was all too much to think that you didn't feel the same way.
So he pressed, "Is my love not enough? I have been falling apart on my own from the magnitude of my love for you. Should that not be enough? To know that I love you with every fiber of my being, more fiercely than I've ever done anything in my entire life?"
Tears were running unobstructed down your face now and you choked back a sob. If Benedict had told you this about six weeks ago, you would have dropped everything to be with him. But it was too late now.
"It's not enough when I had been feeling the exact same way and you still walked away from me," you responded, clutching his hand for comfort even though he was the one who had caused you pain.
He pulled you in fully, wrapping his arms around you and rubbing your back comfortingly. Benedict put his chin on your head as you buried your face in his shirt, breathing in his familiar scent that never failed to make you feel at home.
"I'm sorry, darling. I'm so sorry," he murmured, hugging you tighter when he heard you sob. "I suppose being in love with you feels so natural I didn't quite realize what it was until recently." He kept rubbing your back, tracing patterns on your skin.
"And– And I thought I was ruining our friendship. When I wanted you, I kept thinking I shouldn't have been," Ben added, cringing as he realized the gravity of his misunderstanding.
You were overwhelmed by his confession, barely believing that he actually reciprocated the feelings you had struggled to keep hidden for so long. You couldn't help the steady stream of tears running down your face, and you burrowed deeper into Benedict, needing to be closer still. You felt one of his hands lifting your face to look up at him and the other keeping you pressed firmly against him. Your tear-stained eyes met his as you sniffled, struggling to breathe normally.
You watched, almost in slow motion, as Benedict's eyes fluttered shut and leaned down, lips slightly parted as he leaned down toward you. This was everything you wanted, wasn't it? In the rose garden, you had wanted him to kiss you more than you had wanted to keep breathing. You had probably spent hours looking at his lips, wondering what it would be like to taste them. To have them on your lips and enjoy the feel of them as they moved against yours. To know what it felt like to have Benedict be truly yours.
But that was then, and you wanted different things now. So you broke free of his grasp and pushed him away, breathing heavily as he opened his eyes in shock and looked to you for an explanation.
"You can't just do that, Ben! We haven't resolved anything, and it certainly won't be resolved by you kissing me," you exclaimed, playing up your anger to hide your pain.
So you turned on your heel, exiting his studio as quietly as you had entered, and he was left, for the second time that day, speechless as someone walked away from him. 
previous part || next part || buy me a ko-fi!
Tag List (lmk if you want to be added!):
@bellahadidnt16 @like-gabriel-and-castiel @riverraingrayworld @5sos-calm @elissanatok @titanicnerd-blog @noonenuts @moonwayne @lilasblogg @mmontgomeryb @fulltacoparadise @joyfullymulti @sopanngon @fanfiction-she-wrote @aureolinb @ambitionspassionscoffee @bbubbllejisoo @marvelspogue @avengersgirllorianna @loliakeoghan23 @cierrajhill
313 notes · View notes
milequaritchsslut · 10 months
Text
Chapter Two—Never Enough
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Chapter Summary: Miguel comes back into your life, leaving you no choice but to except your fate with him.
Pairing: Ex Boyfriend Stalker!Miguel x Fem!Reader
Warnings: blackmail, dark themes, forced relationship (?), yelling, pet names, teasing, non-consensual photographs/ videos, mentions of stalking and watching, itsy bitsy mention of masturbating, one sided attraction kinda,
Series Masterlist
Tumblr media
“Don’t give me those eyes mami” a smirk dancing onto his lips, walking past you and into your living room. He had a large black backpack on him, dirt covering the sides. He looked different then the last time you saw him, he looked bigger, his muscles showing through his baggy hoodie and his hair seemed longer.
You were speechless, just letting him walk in. You turned around and blinked your eyes in disbelief as you stared at him, trying to figure out of this was happening or not. But you quickly snapped out of it and stormed towards him, glaring up at his tall form.
“Get out Miguel” you hissed, eyes narrowing as your hands found their way to your hips.
“Aw c’mon don’t be so cold mami” he teased, before throwing his backpack on the couch. He snaked his hands around your waist and smirked down at you, canines showing through his plush lips.
“I know you missed me princesa” admiring your eyes as they stared up into his. He missed being so close to you, having his arms wrapped around you like this. He missed your soft skin, the goosebumps that grew on your skin when he got close to you just proved his point.
You hadn’t heard that name in awhile, nobody else had called you that in months. You forced yourself to hide your smile and blush, he just had this way with words that got under your skin. You rolled your eyes, your lour growing brighter as you had that cute little nose scrunch.
“Did you not hear me? I said move, get outta here! Scram!” You yelled, scowling at him. He shook his head and smiled at you. Like he knew this was going to happen. He walked over to the couch and grabbed his bag, placing it on the kitchen table and motioned you to come close to him.
“Come here pretty girl” he chuckled, opening his bag and spread thousands of pictures on the table. Pictures of you. You gasped as your eyes widened at the display in front of you. There were so many, pictures of you walking to work, brushing your teeth, even one of you sleeping. But your attention stayed on the naked pictures of you, bare with nothing on. A blush grew on your face, your expression turning embarrassed right away.
“I never really left ya know, you just couldn’t see me” he smirked out, satisfied with your reaction and expressions. You didn’t say anything, going through all the photos he had. Blinking and trying to comprehend that you had a stalker for the last 3 months. He handed you his unlocked phone, opened in the photos app. He played a video of you showering, and one of you doing well ya know. Your gasp became louder at the sight, the volume being turned on all the way.
“Turn that off!” You shouted, pushing the video away and hiding your blushing face as you tried to catch your breath. He smiled and did as you asked, putting his phone back into his pants. He watched you the whole time, proud of his months of work and effort. He waited a few minutes before he spoke again.
“So, im gonna need something from you baby. A very very small agreement from you. That ok?” He asked sarcastically as his leer grew more and more by every word. You turned your attention to him finally, and gave him the nastiest glare.
“Get out of my house right now!” You screamed anger rising at the situation and him.
“If you don’t accept my offer I might just have to send these to your work, and maybe even” he got close to your ear and smirked. “Your family” your eyes practically burst out of your sockets at his words, mouth hanging open as he backed away and stared down at you.
You couldn’t believe he was actually blackmailing you right now, or all people you hadn’t expected your ex boyfriend to be blackmailing you. You didn’t really have a choice, you pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed, trying to weigh out your options. After a moment or two you finally looked up at him and rolled your eyes.
“What’s the offer?” You sighed, arms crossing with an obvious annoyed expression forming on your features.
“You get back with me, follow my rules like you were supposed to before we broke up. And in turn these photos and videos wont ever see the light of day” hands coming to place the pictures back into his bag.
You just glared at him, giving him the nastiest look as you stared him down. You were so done with him, and his bullshit. He was really getting on your nerves and now he’s blackmailing you.
“Be so fr rn Miguel” he groaned, rolling your eyes as you stared at him, leaning onto your hand placed on the table.
“I don’t lie to you mami” he chuckled throwing his bag to the ground and snaking his hands around your waist again.
“C’mon I know you missed me baby, I heard you that night when you-“
“Shut it” you scolded, letting out a hard sigh as you rolled your eyes. Your annoyance levels were rising higher and higher by him just being here.
“Is that a yes?” He teased, his fondness of your little attitude growing bigger the longer he admired you. He genuinely missed you so much, his nights were long, he only saw you through his camera or in his dreams. You were an angel to this man, a being sent from the heavens above. He would do anything and everything in his power to have you, you could call it obsession or love, nonetheless he would do anything for the woman in front of him. He would beg and get on his knees for you, he would tear the sun itself from the sky if you asked him to. He was head over heels for you, though you would never know just how much he loved you, he showed it in the only way he could.
You stared at the ground as your tongue poked through your cheek in thought. You finally looked up at him and let out a frustrated sigh. A small and quiet yes fell from your lips as you rolled your eyes.
He smirked down at you, cupping your cheek knowing he won this time. He kissed your lips gently, his lips were surprisingly soft and the passion in it was half expected. As he pulled away he pulled you into him and hugged you tightly, holding his soulmate as close as he possibly could.
“I love you mami”
Tumblr media
Taglist: @lavender-223 @pix-stuff @theandromedastar @blank33 @all4koo @22carolina08 @ionly-luvhim @ghost1yd3mon @clzt4 @uziasiwa @asrt5 @2cciberrylee @tena17 @myartistrash02 @urmotherswhor3 i @day-dreams-posts @hayley1623 @gl0r10us @mx-mekla @bratty-b1tch @iytatsworld @imaginarydreams @tobanditto @elizabeth-von-winken-universe @rin-matsuoka345-blog @keenzinemugstudent @downbadforurmom @khamanix @simp-legend @dragid0ll @ehminitia @sikrettt @insanely-creative-things @brypp @charlie-xo @amb3rrz @simpingforsero @loveamongstmortals @dorypaxx @spicymochiroll @aaicaa@steevengrant@foxymask001@insanelycrazyanddelusional @sapphire-and-ruby-shipper-blog @selenenyx0124 @gejo333 @sakunasenpaisupremacy @quemirasboboandapaya@silassinclair @cecespizza01 @namjooningera @risinglightmoon @syd-vixious
846 notes · View notes
luveline · 1 year
Note
OK THE STEVE ZOMBIE AU BUT HE DOES FINALLY MIRACULOUSLY FIND ROBIN OR MAYBE DUSTIN OR LITERALLY ANYONE FAMILIAR. Our girl is happy but also like 👀 u finna ditch me now?
theres literally no zombies in this lmao </3 apocalypse au with new (but not really) boyfriend steve wherein you reunite with some old friends and find a community (and worry steve is gonna break up w u) fem!reader 7k words
The border between Indiana and Michigan is quiet. Nothing denotes its location besides a Welcome to Indiana sign. 
Steve's hand tightens around yours. You stand there for minutes, wind breezing past your tired bodies and ruffling his limp hair. 
"Do you think this is our last time seeing Indiana?" you ask quietly. 
There's no need to shout. The town surrounding the border is abandoned. 
He drops your hand. You miss his touch and the soothing effect it gives to hold it immediately. 
"Maybe," he says. "Does that bother you?" 
It fucking scares you. Staying there wasn't really an option anymore, not with the infestation of geeks dribbling away from Indianapolis or the lack of food. And besides that, you'd wanted to get to Michigan badly. Steve and his friend Robin had been planning to come here together before their untimely separation. Half of Hawkins had been aiming for Michigan after the news broke all those months ago — Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky overrun by flesh-eating monsters. 
But if you leave Indiana, you're admitting it's a lost cause. That the lives you led there are gone, candles snuffed out by a sudden ripping gale. 
"I just…" You look over your shoulder at Michigan. "Can't believe we're here." 
"I think I'm glad we're here." 
You cock your head toward him. 
"Not just to find Robin," he clarifies. "But, no offence? Indiana was kicking your ass." 
You grimace at his implication. Indiana was kicking your ass. You've rolled your ankle more times than you can count. You'd fallen ten feet through the floor and given yourself a major concussion. You've been snarled at, robbed at knifepoint, and almost eaten. 
"Fucking Indiana," you say. 
"Fuck Indiana." He turns on his heel, but not before he's wrapped a hand around your arm to drag you with him. "Michigan better be nice to my girl, or we're going to Canada." 
You've already let him walk you a couple of feet when you have the bearings to splutter, "Your girl?" 
He ignores you, the smallest hint of a smile playing on his lips. You’re pretty confident in being his girlfriend, but something about being ‘his girl’ makes your head rush.
You'd found a gun a little ways back but no ammunition for it. It's a good prop regardless, so Steve keeps it in hand stuffed into the pocket of his windbreaker ready to scare off anyone with enough wits to find guns scary. You're sitting ducks otherwise, armed with one small penknife and the metal baseball bat that Steve keeps in the strap of his rucksack, so you stick to the side roads. Being out in the open is risky. You're used to this mode of living, adept at slinking and skulking in dimly dark places. 
"Steve?" you ask, a murmur in the ringing quiet. Cicadas chirp in the trees, leaves rustling with each burst of wind. 
"Yeah?" he asks shortly, distracted by the door in front of him. 
He's attempting to pick the lock of a convenience store's sidedoor. You're standing guard.
"Where do you think Robin is?" 
He doesn't answer for a while. He works a delicate job, the slim pick in his hand creaking formidably with every wrong move. He's too forceful, and you're the better locksmith, but your wrist still twinges from your fall in the woods a few days ago. Steve's too protective for his own good. 
"I don't know. But she's smart, and-" He hisses, hair falling into his eyes. "I'm hoping she's still here." 
"If I were her, I'd wait for you." 
He tips his head back to meet your eyes. "If you ever stay somewhere dangerous waiting for me, I'll fist fight you." 
Usually you'd burst into laughter at his familiar abrupt absurdity — you've grown to adore his jokes now that you know there's no real malice behind them — but you want him to hear what you're saying. You want to know if he'd do the same. 
"I would," you say softly. 
The lock clicks open. 
Steve grins at you. "You won't need to. You're stuck with me like glue." 
Inside of the store is a sorry sight. While the shutters had been down, a good sign, the interior is much less promising. Sunshine filters in through the smallest cracks, casting a scarce light over what's left of the aisles. Two are crushed to one side as if a huge hand has swept them away. Smashed booze bottles litter the floor. Glass like snow crunches underfoot, and a sticky sour smell is heavy in the air. 
You ease into the room on pins. 
"There's gotta be something," Steve says, pulling his pocket-sized torch out to give you a better view. 
Where the shelves have collapsed, there's a small tunnel to the front of the room. You bend down to assess it. 
"I think there's cookies over there." 
"Where?" Steve demands. You point to aforementioned treats.
He army crawls through the gap and pops out on the other side. Those few seconds where you can't see him are unsettling, and from the speed with which he looks at you, he may have felt the same. 
"Keep an eye out," he says. 
You turn to the door. You've closed it tight but it won't lock without a key, and anyone might assume what you have and come inside. 
Steve hisses an excited, "Yes!" 
"How'm I s'posed to keep watch when you're doing that?" 
"Babe, there's fucking Chips Ahoy." He loves them.
"I'm sick of Chips Ahoy," you mumble to yourself. "I miss carrots. And potatoes. I miss pasta. Pasta." 
"Should I be jealous?" 
"Definitely. I'd trade you for a full, home-cooked meal any day, handsome. Fresh made pasta, sun dried tomatoes. Garlic bread." You could cry thinking about it, all those rich flavours together. 
"Call me crazy, but I think we could make you some pasta. Look-" He holds up a small jar. "Crushed garlic." 
You brighten. "Where'd you find that?" 
Garlic is a great flavour to make literally anything taste better, like all the canned stuff people don't always take: artichoke hearts, asparagus, aubergine. 
"Holy shit, score.” Steve holds another tin up, torch held between his chest and his upper arm. 
Your eyes turn round as saucers. 
That night, you decide to stay in the convenience store. You'll be cornered if somebody tries to get in, but you'll be safe from geeks and the elements. Two out of three isn't bad. 
You and Steve share the only fork, chowing down on his amazing find of tinned vegetable soup and dumplings. It barely registers in your head that it's cold, it's so nice to be eating something that isn't spaghettios. You could've built a fire outside to warm it if you weren't scared of being spotted by scroungers. Or worse, cannibals. 
"Maybe we should go outside. Look for smoke," you say. Smoke means people.
"Good idea.” He urges you to take what's left of the soup, stands, and kisses the top of your head as he does.
You're pretty sure there's bliss like the light of a star radiating off of your skin, elated at his easy affection. You're almost as happy to get to finish the soup. 
While he's gone, you open your bag and scrounge for what little self-care you have. Toothpaste is abundant in every store no matter how looted, as is soap, but soap needs water, and you're running low. You brush your teeth with toothpaste alone and use a little bit of water on a rag to wipe the oil off of your face, guilty and thankful at once. If you don't wash yourself when you can, you'll go crazy. 
You apply another layer of roll on old spice and hope it'll hold out until you can find another lake, river, or tributary, which shouldn't be impossible. Michigan is surrounded by water, a fact that had put you off coming here at first. 
You go where Steve goes, though, so Michigan it had been, and Michigan it is. 
Your first night’s already proved fruitful. There's more than enough food here if you're willing to get weird (and you and Steve usually are). More food than you could carry. 
Which is a little suspicious, now that you think about it. 
Nobody thought to look here? 
Is there anybody to look? 
You push all your stuff aside and scramble onto your knees, suddenly paranoid. Steve's taking too long, what if this place is a trap? A honeytrap to lure in mindless ants. What if they've already grabbed him, and– 
"Oh, Jesus," Steve says as he opens the door, voice uber loud in the night time stillness. "You scared me. What's the matter, need to pee?" 
"I thought somebody kidnapped you," you say, trying for joking and missing by a mile. 
Steve leans against the door. He's regained his controlled volume and demeanour, "Safe and sound. I'm serious, do you need to pee?" 
You and Steve pad out your corner of the store against the pilfered chip aisle. He lets you use his chest as a pillow, and when he turns off the torch there's nothing to do but listen to his breathing and feel his chest move under your ear. 
You rub his sternum with the heel of your hand. "You could use me as a pillow sometime. If you wanted to." 
"Yeah? You're softer than me, I think I'd love that." 
You draw a short line to his navel, thinking. Lucky to have found him. Lucky to like him this much, and lucky that he likes you. You're 'his girl', and you get to sleep on his chest and sometimes when he's not worrying himself to the bone he'll tell you secrets. You know him better than you’ve ever known anybody.
He curls his arm around your shoulder and takes your upper arm into his hand, the heat from his fingers seeping into your skin. You've taken off your coat because it's uncomfortable. Steve will fold it over your chest when you fall asleep. 
"It was a good day, right?" He sounds terrified of jinxing it. 
You kiss his chest, or his t-shirt, so lightly he likely doesn't feel it. A kiss for your sake rather than his. "It was a good day." 
He holds you close. His heart thrums in your head. 
"Floor's like a fucking ice cube," he mutters. 
You cover as much of him as you can with your arms, sleep tugging at your eyelids. "I'll keep you warm," you promise as they close. "Wake me up when you get too tired." 
"Alright." He massages your arm in his hand gently, and you fall asleep. 
Steve flinches awake at the whisper of a sound outside. A younger Steve, one who'd known nothing about geeks, or people, really, how awful they can be, wouldn't have woken. Hell, Steve could've slept through a hurricane when he was in high school, all those years where he'd stayed up too late playing hooky and smoking Malboro's behind the Big Buy. He looks back now and wonders how much sleep he missed out on in his king-sized mattress, up to his eyeballs in cushy sheets and fresh linens. Why had sleeping felt like such a chore? 
And after that, when he and Robin would stay up watching shitty movies and eating the free stale popcorn from the video store. Though he wouldn't trade any of that away. 
Fucking idiot, he thinks to himself scathingly. He was not supposed to fall asleep. He checks you over quickly. In your sleep you've slid off of his chest and onto the tarp next to him, but you’re unharmed.
He sits up and scrambles for his penknife. Weak dusk light breaks through the store's shutters, dust motes disturbed by his movements diving between rays of light like lightning bugs. His joints click with the force and speed with which he springs up to protect you. 
What sound was that? It had come as loud as a crack of thunder, but could've been something small, a squirrel over a tree branch. 
He should wake you up. If it's one person, even two, you could help him. But if it's more, and they find you… 
He shoulders open the door and walks out into the morning light. 
— 
You wake to hands on your shoulders. 
You're scared instantly. Steve usually wakes you reluctantly, a shake and a whispered, "Up," or, "Up, baby," if he's especially tired. 
"It's me," he says, his voice burning with something you haven't ever heard before. "It's me. Time to wake up." 
You peel your eyes open, horrified at the sight above you. Steve face hovers over your own with his hair tucked behind his ears and a blazing smile, daylight behind him haloing him in gold. 
"You didn't wake me." You bring clumsy hands to his rough cheeks. "Why didn't you wake me? You look so tired." 
He looks electrified, the bags under his eyes no match for his smile. You can feel it as he leans down, as he plants a kiss firmly to your unsuspecting mouth. He kisses you all over, a joyous chuckle bubbling out between them. 
You laugh yourself, tickled as his stubble scratches your cheeks, your neck as he works his way down. 
"There's- There's people," he says. "My people. Fucking Robin-" 
"What?" 
You're a half inch from headbutting him unconscious. Luckily he's already veering upward, stuffing what you'd left on the ground back into your packs. 
"I haven't seen her yet, but there's this other girl we went to school with, Darcy Mulligan, and she said this is an outpost, right? They keep all this shit here for people who need it, and then they watch to see if you're dangerous-" 
"They were watching us?" 
He plows onward, ignoring you, "And they saw us and I went out thinking they were gonna shoot me but-" 
"Steve, we can't go with these people." 
His smile fades a little. "No, we aren't. I told them already, we aren't that stupid. But," — he grabs your arm — "they said they're gonna bring Robin." 
You don't want to keep fighting him. To shoot down this newfound hope, this lightness you've never seen him shine with before, feels cruel. But you don't want him to get ahead of himself. 
"What if they're bringing back reinforcements?" 
He swallows and nods, reassuring your conjectures. "Right, I thought that too, but- I don't know, baby, Darcy was with a guy, and they both had guns. They could've shot me. 'N' if they were empty, the guy could've just knocked me over the head with it, you know?" He crawls impossibly closer than he'd been, hands rubbing your arm unthinking. "I think this is real." 
I want it to be real goes unsaid. 
You're ashamed that you can't find any excitement to wear with him. Dread licks over your skin as you smile at him, as you cup his cheek in your hand, and as you stand up to help him pack away his things. You feel like you're going to your death. 
Steve can read you well. He grabs your shoulders. You're selfishly hoping he'll say you can run. He doesn't. "You trust me?" he asks. 
You deflate, shoulders falling. "Of course I do." 
"Thank you." He tries to pull you in for a hug but you're reeling, distracted, he has to persuade you, and he does so sweetly. "Hey, c'mere, come on." He pulls at you. "Come here." 
You flop into his chest with all the grace of a shored fish, arms limp. He smells like sweat which probably means you do too, but he smells like himself, and that's what's important. 
"Nothing bad is going to happen to you." 
"What about you?" 
"If Robin's here, I have to take the risk. She's my best friend." 
You understand that. You'd never ask him not to do this, because you'd do it for him. If you'd ever gotten separated, you'd spend months looking for him. Years, maybe. He's the only person left. 
You have no clue if he'd do the same for you.
He scrubs at your back roughly. Such a boyish kind of hug. 
"You have your knife?" he asks. 
You have it. Rather than let them corner you in here, you both make your way out into the woods. Steve shows you the short path he'd taken to find Darcy Mulligan and the man she'd been with, evidence of their stakeout left in the embers of a small fire. You stand frozen with a tree trunk to your back and Steve stations himself in front of you, pack secured on your back. Steve has his baseball bat in hand. What good will it serve against a possible group of gunmen? You start to panic, really panic, and you're a hair's width from begging him to run with you when his grip on the bat falters. 
"Fuck," he says softly. 
Three people turn the corner; a dark haired girl with twin pigtails and a rifle hanging at her side; a boy, presumably the man Steve had mentioned; and a shorter girl with light brown hair, her expression — her entire body — lit with happiness, elation, and her laugh loud enough to prove it. 
"Holy shit," Steve says. 
You forget to be scared. You forget to worry. Steve lets the baseball bat drop out of his hand, and then he's taking three weak steps forward to meet her, and that's it, it's her, Robin throws her arms around his neck and nearly barrels him to the ground. His hands come up to meet her. He's shaking so hard you're surprised he can grip her waist, his face crushed to the side of her head. 
Tears well in your eyes. To get to see this, so soon, when you'd thought maybe Steve might never see his best friend ever again, is a blessing. It's a fucking miracle. 
Your tears bite back when the boy moves forward and hugs him too. 
You tighten your grip on your knife and pull it from your pocket, confused and alarmed that Steve's about to get gutted, but Steve starts to shake worse. 
It takes you a second to realise he's crying. 
"Henderson," he says. 
Oh. It's Dustin. You've heard enough stories about him to know it. He has the same curly hair, and while he's taller than you'd thought, Steve had only ever talked about one Henderson. 
Steve's relief is a knot in your throat. You wipe your cheek quickly with the back of your hand and shove the knife into your pocket. 
Over their heads, the dark haired girl narrows her eyes at you. 
"I can't believe you're here," Steve says, voice raspy with emotion. 
You have never heard him cry. 
"Where have you been, Steve?" Robin asks hoarsely. 
You take a step toward him without thinking, and he hears it despite everything and looks up at you with a teary-eyed smile. 
"We got lost," he says, holding your gaze. 
"Lost? It's been months. We thought you were zombie mulch, you shithead." 
"I'm here, aren't I?" He rolls his eyes at you, like he's saying Get a load of this guy? 
It's a reassuring gesture even if he doesn't mean for it to be. You're still a team. 
"Hi," Robin says, her hands clasped in Steve's shirt, but her attention fully yours. "I'm Robin." 
You don't have a chance to introduce yourself. Steve does it for you, and he says, "She's my girl. Saved me this entire time." 
What the fuck does that mean?
Robin looks at you again. "No fucking way." 
"Only took an apocalypse for Steve to get a girlfriend," Dustin says. 
There's something about their playful arguing that makes you want to cry again. It's the relief they've padded it with. You can imagine how brilliant it must feel to make fun of somebody you'd thought long dead. 
"Don't worry, Y/N," Robin says gravely, "there are tons of dudes at camp. You have options." 
Steve steps on her foot. 
"We should head back," Darcy says shortly. 
On the walk, Steve feels very far away. He keeps looking at you to check you're there, but his thoughts are months ago, recounting the details of your survival to his friends in short. You and Steve had been together since basically the very start when you'd saved him from a horde, and he tells that with pride. So much so you feel heat blooming behind your neck and at the tips of your ears. 
"We fucking floored to to the meeting point but you guys weren't there-" 
"Sorry-" 
"No, it's okay," he says. "I get it. It was rough." All of you shiver at the memory. Hawkins had been hit hard, a close knit town with nowhere to hide.
"No we- we should’ve fucking waited- I begged them to wait," Robin says. 
"Who did you get out with?" 
And there's the list of survivors. It's short. The amount of orphaned kids is extremely depressing, and for a while there's silence. All those people. Dustin's mom, Robin's dad. 
"Hopper's here, though," Dustin adds after a while.
"That explains why you're still alive." 
"Actually, dickhead, we're alive because I'm awesome. The radio-" 
"How many people are there?" Steve interrupts. 
"It's a whole new world, Harrington." 
It's better. 
You turn onto what looks like an old college campus and suddenly, there's people. So many people you walk backward and almost tumblr off of the curb, because fuck. There's noise, and smells, and sounds. There are little kids running around in a closed off area of the quad, laughing and chasing after one another. There are guns on guards patrolling makeshift walls. 
Your ears start ringing. 
"Think your girlfriend's gonna pass out," Darcy says. 
You're the last one to figure out she's talking about you. 
"Oh, hey. Hey," Steve says, stepping toward you. 
You take another step back. 
"Baby," he says softly. 
"There's people here." 
"So many new boyfriend's to choose from," he jokes. He's tentative, but he offers his hand like he knows you'll take it. "Come on. I promise I won't get jealous when you run off with somebody cooler." 
"I don't want somebody cooler," you say. 
"Okay, awesome, 'cause I was lying. I'd be super jealous. I'd feed myself to the geeks." 
"Don't say that." 
He grins at you, hand hovering in the gap between your bodies unwavering. Trust me, it says. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. 
You take Steve's hand. 
The world is more than you and Steve against it. There are people to answer to. 
Chief Hopper actually recognises you when he sees you. He recognises Steve first, and he gives him a pat on the back. You aren't expecting any hellos, figuring you're barely a memory to him, but Hopper smiles at you like you've just told him you have the antidote for zombification in your rucksack. 
"It's good to see you, kid."
That night, in the dining hall, you get a small welcome between shift announcements. Hundreds of heads turn your way, and while some house cagey unsurety, the majority are happy to see you. 
You sit with Steve and his friends (plural, a growing number, because nearly all of them are here), torn between stopping him from crying his eyes out with happy tears and listening to the older woman sitting beside you. Her name is Mallory, and she offers a generous gift. 
"You have any questions at all, sweetpea, and you can come to me. Or if you just wanna talk, my shoulder's right here." She pats it for emphasis. 
"Thank you so much." But, you want to say, I have Steve.
"Young love, and in a time like this." Mallory's smile is genuine, if a little haunted. "It's amazing." 
You indulge her, turning from Steve just slightly. "But?" 
She brushes a strand of hair behind her ears. It's three colours, a faded red at the middle, a mix of grey and brown at the top. "Listen, I have some unsolicited advice for you hon, but I'm not trying to offend you when you just got here." 
You shake your head. "No," you say hurriedly, "of course not. I wouldn't think that." 
She digs around in her pocket and opens her hand covertly under the table. When you look at it, she hisses. "No, don't. Keep your eyes up." 
You right your gaze accordingly. The canteen is simply that — the college's canteen. Every night there's something cooking, and every morning if they can afford it. Although you'd been told some people eat at home, most people come here, because this is the only place with a reliable generator. From where you're sitting, you can see everybody, and you suspect Steve had chosen this vantage point on purpose. 
Hopper stands at the front of the room behind another man, who's moved from the important stuff and is now lamenting at the book club's low attendance. They have a fucking book club. You can't believe it. 
Mallory drops something into your hand. A hard-boiled candy.
"My advice," she says, the two of you watching as Hopper and the second man confer, "is to try and be in both worlds at once." 
"You've lost me." 
"That's not a good sign, I've barely started," she jokes, laughing so much that the men sitting across from you laugh too. She carries on, "What I mean is, this isn't home. It probably never will be. We fight so hard to make it home, we plant trees, 'n' we sleep warm every night, but…" She squeezes your shoulder amicably, a light, quick touch. "I know how it felt when I got here. Me and my husband, we kept to ourselves. And we were right to, not everybody here can be good. But when he died, I had nobody." 
You let your eyes drop to you plate, a small portion of a soup that's not the best and a sandwich that's marginally better. You get what Mallory's trying to say — don't put your eggs all in one basket, not when the basket might get mauled to death any day coming. 
You get what she's trying to say. You don't appreciate it. 
"Thank you," you say weakly. 
She nods, and Steve saves you from anymore conversation with an arm hooked through yours. 
“You okay?” he asks. Unmistakably fond. 
You can feel the eyes of all of his friends. All these people you knew too, or knew of, and should be happy to see. You should be so fucking happy right now. 
So why aren’t you?
You turn your face to his and take him in. He’s got a red rash of skin over the top of his head from prolonged sunburn and a scar under his left eye from a cruel tree branch. He looks different than the Steve you’d met at school, and he looks different still from the Steve you’d saved on day 1. 
But he’s your Steve. 
You drop your forehead into his neck, love like a warm blanket encapsulating you when he presses a kiss against your forehead. 
“I know,” he says, moving back, forcing you to sit up again. “It’s crazy.”
You return his smile, though you aren’t sure you're on the same page. 
Little Hawkins makes you want to curl up into a ball and cry. It’s a floor of rooms in the campus dormitories, and Robin shares with a couple of other people your age. She only has a mattress and her things on the ground in one room, but soon Steve and another guy are dragging another mattress from across campus while you watch. 
"No offence," Steve says, "but I'm trying to spoil you right now. Can you stop pouting? I'm giving you a breather." 
"I don't believe you." 
He and the unnamed man lean the mattress up outside of Robin's door. 
"Well," he says warmly, and you're starting to feel lovesick with how sweet he's being, nearly enough to forget how scared you are, "maybe you should try." 
Steve is nice. He's always been nice, ever since you met him, even if that nice was strapped down and buried under one layer of derision, one layer of sarcasm, and another layer of sternness for prosperity. But this is another level. Ever since he woke you up he's been ridiculous (he's been the kind of affectionate you've secretly ached for). Steve's sparing with affection but you wouldn't ever complain — can you expect him to play doting boyfriend when each day he's hardwired and on the fritz trying to make sure you both don't die agonising, gross deaths? 
This is fucking crazy, though. 
Steve pulls you bodily by the waist into his front and talks into the highest point of your cheek, words muffled by your skin, "When was the last time we slept on a mattress? Gotta be months ago," — you lean into him entirely, he takes your weight with zero qualms — "when we were in that house by the lake with all the soaps." 
"So many soaps," you murmur, melted by his closeness. 
He laughs. He giggles, all boyish and pretty and you can't help yourself, you lift your chin, practically begging for a kiss. 
You get a short one. Steve's too busy laughing. "And the canned pickles. I know they were, like, doomsdayers, but what did we count, like-" 
"Fifty seven-" 
"Fifty seven jars of pickles," he finishes. 
If this is what Steve is like here, you can make the trade. You don't trust anybody that isn't him, and it feels like you're surrounded by people who could easily hurt you, but his easy joy right now is contagious. 
Robin's voice comes loud from inside her room. "Hey, lovebirds! Are you coming in? They turn all the lights off in like, twenty minutes." 
It's obvious how much Steve trusts Robin. You get the mattress in her room through a series of squeezing and hoping, and she shows you her fancy little sink with running water, nothing short of pride in her eyes. 
"It's freezing," she says, "but you can wash up." 
It genuinely doesn't bother you that it's cold, emotionally. Physically you get the jitters, and it's worth it because Steve pities you and wraps you up tight to rub your arms. He and Robin talk a lot, so much that your brain has given up on listening. It's not something you're happy to hear anyhow, your perilous journey. Steve is generous on your account, leaving out all your most embarrassing moments. 
You sit on the end of the mattress and wonder if you can take your shoes off. 
"Robin?" you ask. 
Both turn to look at you, surprised. 
"Yeah?" 
"Does the door lock?"
She brings her legs up to her chest, chin on her knees. "There's no deadbolt, but you need a key to open it from the outside. So kind of?" She watches you for a moment, and then she nods towards the desk covered in books. "I used to put the chair under the handle when I first got here. You can do that, if you're worried." 
You nod uselessly and get up to do just that. 
"Thanks, Robs," Steve says. 
"Yep." She flops into a ball on her side and pulls the blankets up and over her face. "Goodnight, then." 
Steve laughs and steps over your legs so he can get to her. "Robin," he says, pulling the blankets down. "I- I really missed you." 
She holds out her arms and they hug. She pats his back. "Missed being a pain in my neck, maybe," she mutters. He pushes away from her in mock disgusts and they smile, a shared smile that douses you in an unfair jealousy. You shrug it off pretty quickly when he sits down on the mattress beside you, looking content and, shockingly, really tired. 
He encourages you up to the top of the mattress beside him and folds up the blanket from the rucksack for you as a pillow, sliding it under your head. When he seems confident that you're comfortable he blows out the candle burning on Robin's desk. 
This part's easy, you and Steve in the dark. You're practised in the art of moving around one another. 
Your heart pounds in your ears as Steve pulls a heavy blanket over the both of you, his arm strewn across your stomach haphazardly. 
"Are you okay?" he whispers. 
You turn your face to his though you can't see it. "Of course I am. Are you okay?" 
"I know this is weird." 
Weird doesn't feel like the right word. Surreal, maybe. Something out of a dream. 
"I think my back aches more on the mattress, I'm so used to twisting myself into knots between your legs." 
He snorts. "That doesn't sound right." 
You cover his arm with your hand. "Pig." 
"You can lie on my chest, if you want." 
"Think it's your turn to use me as cushioning." Your voice is coloured by your smile. 
He exhales into your shoulder. 
"Mm. This is nice," he murmurs. 
"You want me to take the first shift?" 
"I don't think we need shifts." 
You can't agree. Steve trusts Robin and you trust Steve, but you do not trust Robin. She seems lovely, and through Steve's stories you know she's a good person, but he hasn't seen her in a year. She could be anybody, and she's locked into a room with you.
You don't mean to be deceitful. "Alright," you utter, "no shifts." 
"You smell nice," Steve says. His lips move against your skin, and he lifts his head enough to kiss your jaw, three kisses in succession. "Goodnight, honey." 
You raise your hand to his head. "Goodnight." 
He falls asleep to you carding through his hair. Even when you're sure he's dead to the world you keep going, the feeling of it between your fingers calming. 
You don't sleep a wink. 
It becomes a mantra. Steve is happy here. Over and over and over. 
You're happy too by consequence; Steve is a new person, still the man you know but with this emanating happiness rolling off of him in waves. 
Chief Hopper has promised to get you and Steve a place together if you want one. This had scared you half to death, because you want one bad, but you'd been expecting a little resistance from Steve (or, admittedly, a lot). Because… 
You're starting to think maybe you aren't scared of the people here. You trust Hopper to run a community that's safe if he says it is, and as the days stretch into a week, two weeks, you start to feel secure. Steve's never far, but that's the terrifying part. 
You're worried Steve is going to leave you. 
It sounds dramatic. It is dramatic. But you're scared shirtless that Steve is going to wake up and realise he doesn't owe you a thing, that he doesn't harbour the affection for you that he thinks he does. You're worried that Steve had gone soft on you because you'd been there, like a habit. 
Your feelings for him only grow, despite this. He's fucking handsome when he's clean-shaven, clean in general. Somebody's mom gives him a haircut and you can't believe it, because he's always been good looking but you can tell he's more confident like this, and the confidence makes him golden. 
He's also super handsy. 
You love it, and you get it. You know you look prettier clean, even more so after somebody's mom gives you a haircut and you've managed to scrub the perma-dirt from under your nails. The want to kiss him is dialled up by a thousand because you always have clean teeth.  
The nagging fear remains even when he's got a mouthful of your neck. 
"Ouch," you moan, hands in his hair, legs spread enough to accommodate his figure between them, "s'like a geek, nibbling on me." 
Steve bites a little harder. 
You gasp at his show of force and push your head away from him. "Steve," you say with a laugh.
"Sorry, sorry," he apologises, pulling back. Elbows at your ribs, he holds his weight off of you though there's no reason to. "My teeth missed you." 
"What the fuck." 
"All of me missed you." He strokes the side of your face mildly. "I hate this." 
You wiggle under him, mattress springs digging into your back. He doesn't bother explaining what he'd meant, only leans down to kiss your cheek, your chin, the tip of your nose. 
You stare at him. 
"What do you hate?" 
He scrunches his nose up like it's obvious, and you're stupid for not knowing. "Us being on separate schedules. It's fucking shitty." 
You don't have an answer for him. It seems more than lucky that he would assuage your worst feelings considering you haven't told him anything at all. You haven't told him about staying up at night to make sure Robin's not gonna kill him, or how worried you are that he's gonna realise he can leave you now you're safe, now you don't owe each other anything. You haven't told him how much you love him, and how much that would hurt. 
Somehow, you get the impression that he knows anyway. 
"This is really nice," you say eventually. 
He rests his face against yours. You close your eyes. 
"What's nice?" he asks. "Our separation? You're sick, babe. I'm trying to bare my heart here and you're stomping all over it." 
"Not our separation, dummy. This. You lying on top of me. It feels really nice." 
His small laugh warms your cheek. "I know. Why'd you think I let you climb all over me for months?" 
"'Cause otherwise we'd freeze to death?" 
He kisses a line down to the skin under your ear. "That, too. But mostly because it feels good." 
You wrap your arms around him and press your nose to his hair, smelling him for your own self-indulgence. He lets his weight press down on you, shifting his arm so they're digging behind your shoulders. 
You hook a leg behind his. 
"Steve, I…" 
"I love you." 
You stiffen. 
He hugs you that tiny bit tighter. "I love you," he says again. "I should've told you before, but I- I was so afraid that you'd-" He clears his throat quietly. "I was fucking terrified that I was going to let you down. You kept almost dying on me, and I kept realising I wouldn't be able to do this without you." 
"I love you too," you say, shell-shocked. 
He kisses your cheek slowly, softly, and then he lifts himself up so you're face to face. 
"I love you," you say, because he'd said it twice. 
His smile is gentle, eyes creased with a loving amusement. "I know." Steve steals back one of his arms so he can thumb under your eye. "I know you're not sleeping." 
"Steve-" 
"No, listen. I know you don't trust Robin-" 
"I do-" 
"You don't, and it's okay." He cups your cheek. "It's okay. You know, Hopper said it wouldn’t take long to find us a room. A couple more days and you won’t have to worry. And you know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“I know,” you say, voice softening to match his own. 
He squeezes your cheek. “There’s a lot of stuff I should say to you and I’m kind of trying to hang onto my last shred of dignity here, but I mean it. More than I’ve ever- More than anyone. I love you.”
Your lips fall into a self-pitying pout. You won’t cry, though you feel like you could, because this is possibly the happiest you’ve ever been in your life. Steve loves you more than anyone, plain as day. He wouldn’t say that if he were going to swap you out for a new apocalypse girlfriend anytime soon, ‘cause Steve doesn’t mess with feelings. He’s earnest. 
“Ever since we got here, I’ve been waiting for you to break up with me,” you say. 
Which is funny in itself. You and Steve kissed each other every now and then for weeks before you had the conversation — it feels juvenile to think of boyfriends and girlfriends in life or death, and, paradoxically, it feels really important. The label means a lot to you. The ‘I love you’ means the world, even if he’s been showing it everyday since he met you. 
He makes a sound that’s a combination of a scoff, a snort, and a pitying sigh. “You’re ridiculous,” he says. 
You laugh so loudly it surprises you both. “I’m ridiculous? Get off of me, rich boy.”
Steve hunkers down. “What? No way. I live here now.”
“Seriously, Harrington, get off. I'm sick of you. Robin promised she’d find me a new boyfriend. Maybe I’ll get one with compassion.”
He laughs. He’s trying not to, and it comes out warm and soft to spite him. “Fine, let’s break up.”
“Fine.”
He tilts his head toward yours until your foreheads are touching, staring into your eyes. It takes a lot of willpower to hold in your laugh. “Wanna go on a date with me?”
You lift your chin and kiss him through giggles. “Yeah, okay. Options are pretty limited here, anyway.”
2K notes · View notes