#tired of you weirdos doin that I’ll call her what I want

[what-the-fuck-khr]

gokudera siblings

#gokudera hayato #bianchi #katekyo hitman reborn #khr #khredit #khrgraphics #my shit #manga colouring #manga coloring #59 #88 #*whips* I thought these panels were super neat #and I’d already cleaned them for the first edit so here’s some colourings #try and tell me her name isn’t gokudera and you Owe Me Ten Dollars AUD #tired of you weirdos doin that I’ll call her what I want #please click for better quality #all my stuff is good quality unless I say so #it’s just tumblr doing. whatever that is

[supercorpkid]

Can you keep a secret?

Supercorp, Kara Danvers x Daughter!Reader, Lena Luthor x Daughter!Reader, Alex Danvers x Niece!Reader, Kelly Olsen x Niece!Reader

Word count: 2960.

For this to make sense, please read New Girl first

She kisses you. And you kiss her back. And your body feels out of control. Your heart races, your palms get sweaty, your breath gets caught in your lungs, because you’re kissing. You’re finally doing what you’ve been thinking about for at least a week.

You were too scared to admit this to yourself, because you know that in your life people don’t usually tend to give you a chance past your name, and you were sure Maya would get up and leave one day and never look back to the freaks she was once friends with.

A smile is stuck in your lips, even while you kiss. You are not dumb, you’re not a stupid, and you’re not a damn fool. She does like you, and she does see more than the Luthor name. And so, you’re kissing your only friend. Jamie’s only friend.

“Oh.” You say when she steps away from you, and she chuckles.

“Rao, you’re such a weirdo.” Maya has a smile on her face and you can see she doesn’t mean it like she meant yesterday. This time it’s not a bad thing. You feel your cheeks getting hotter and you know you’re blushing like a total loser.

“Oh God, you’re saying Rao now.” You smile back at her. You think about how the word ‘God’ just rolled out of your tongue so effortless. How kissing her was so easy, and good, and how right it felt.

You always thought your powers would kill you, but now, while you’re reaching for her hand and she lets you hold it, now you know it’s the normalcy that will kill you. This strong powerful feeling of just being -aside from all the strength and intelligence- this is what might make your heart explode in your chest and just kill you.

“Shall we go to class?” She asks, and you look at the dimples on her cheeks and you just want to kiss her more. And forever.

“If we must.”

You don’t let go of her hand and she doesn’t let go of yours. The whole school can stop and watch for all you care. They can throw tomatoes and call you freaks. They can tell you to kill yourself as much as they would like to, because for once, you don’t fucking care. You don’t.

“Where the hell were you guys?” Jamie asks when she sees both of you going inside the classroom. It takes her a few seconds to acknowledge your intertwined fingers. She drops her mouth comically low and you smile. “Shut up.”

“What?” You let go of Maya’s hand to sit on the same place you always do. She goes to the desk behind Jamie.

“I mean, I saw it coming, but-” Jamie says and you laugh. How the hell did she see it coming when you didn’t see it yourself? “Oh my God!” She talks a little louder. “I thought you were going to be single forever, but I’m the one who will!”

“Oh no, big-Danvers.” You put your hand on her shoulder. “You’re gonna find someone.”

“Yeah, Jamie!” Maya agrees, putting her hand on top of yours, making you blush again. “We can even help you, if you want.”

“Uh.” Jamie huffs. “How is it that you’re both already super annoying about it?”

You smile at the teacher who’s about to start the class. You smile at Jamie next to you. You smile at Maya. You smile at the window, and the colleagues that hate you. You smile at everyone. You haven’t felt like this before in your life.

Sure, you are loved by your moms, your aunts, cousins (Conner here included), and maybe even both of your grandmothers. But this is family. You don’t think Maya loves you, but she is interested, and she wants to get to know you, and that alone feels amazing and like being loved, especially because this is what? The first time?

“Quit smirking at me, I’m serious!” Jamie kicks your cast next to you and your smile widens, unbothered.

“Hey, don’t kick her. You’re going to hurt her.” Maya jumps to your defense, making you smile harder.

“I’m not smirking!” You defend yourself, while totally smirking at Jamie.

“Well, quit doing whatever it is that you’re doing with your face, dipshit.”

“This is me with a cheery disposition. A ray of sunshine in a mist of gloom. Don’t put a cloud over my sunshine.”

“Jesus Christ, you sound like aunt Kara.” Jamie says and you think about it. You do sound like your momma.

“Rain cloud.” You tease, but you stop smiling.

Your chemistry teacher is talking nonstop and you hear words, but they’re not processed in your brain. You have other things to think about. Better things to dream about. Are you actually going to be annoying about the mere fact that you’ve kissed a girl?

“Hey, there she is!” Kara says excitedly when you walk in the living room later that night. “Where were you?”

“School?” You half answer, half ask. It’s not a lie, you were actually in school, but you weren’t doing school’s stuff at all. Unless school stuff involves you kissing Maya all afternoon.

“Oh, how was it? I know you didn’t want to go today.” Kara says and your legs tremble and you flick your eyes to Lena for a second, hoping she didn’t hear what Kara said. Even though she is basically sitting on Kara’s lap, arms tangled around her shoulders, face buried in the crook of Kara’s neck.

“You didn’t?” Lena snaps her head at you, and she already sounds worried. “Because of that girl?”

“What girl?” Kara asks, sitting up straight, making Lena untangle herself from her. You see the crinkle on her forehead peeking out of her furrowed brows, and you just want to dig a hole and fall to the center of the Earth to make this conversation stop.

“No one.” You answer fast. “There’s no girl. There’s no reason, I was just tired and being lazy, and I thought it would work.”

That could be true. And you know that any other parents would think exactly that, if their kid asked to skip class. But then again, you are not any other kid, and your moms are not any other parents.

“There was a girl.” Lena comes back to it and you close your eyes, feeling your heart squeezing in your chest. Damn it. “We saw a girl from her school at the mall yesterday, and she politely said hi and the girl-”

“Mom!” You yell to stop her. “It wasn’t a big deal! She just said I was weird.”

“WHAT?” Kara stands up immediately at the sound of that.

“I AM weird!” You shrug and Kara puts each hand on your arm, squeezing them gently.

“You are not weird! You’re amazing! This girl is a bully and you shouldn’t listen to her.” Kara kisses the top of your head and you breath deep. Good luck telling them that you just spent the entire afternoon kissing the lips of this bully.

“Ok, whatever, listen-” You untangle yourself from Kara, but she holds your hand not letting you go far.

“No baby, you listen to me.” Kara puts one lock of your hair behind your ear. “You’re amazing! Anyone who can’t see that it’s not worth having by your side. So, forget about this girl!”

But you can’t. You can’t forget about her, and her smile, her dimples, her bright hazel eyes, and the way she rolls her tongue when she says ‘Rao’. You can’t stop thinking about the fact that she says Rao in the first place, and that she looks incredibly cute while doing so. You can’t stop thinking about her flushed face after you two kissed. The way she keeps asking if your leg hurts, and drawing little hearts on your cast.

“Okay?” Kara says squeezing your shoulder gently. You’re taken away from your memories and you look at her shaking her head in denial.

“You guys are making a bigger deal than it is.” You untangle your shoulder from your momma’s hand. “Jamie calls me weird all the time and no one makes a fuss about it.”

“Because Jamie says it as a joke.” Lena says, and you look at her rolling your eyes. “She wasn’t joking, baby.”

“Ok, whatever. I just can’t ignore everyone who calls me weird, nerd or freak, can I?”

“Wait, what? Is that, love, is this happening at school? Are people calling you those names?” Lena stands up too, and you brace yourself for probably the longest speech you’ve ever heard. But then your phone rings a text, and you look down to it and can’t help a smile that comes.

“Um, no.” You look back at them. “It was a hypothetical situation. Now if you two don’t mind, I have homework.”

They don’t even have time to answer and you’re going back to your room the faster you can run with your leg cast still on. You throw yourself in bed and look at the text you just got.

Maya: Hey you 😊

You: Hello right back at ya!

Maya: Whatcha doin’?

You: Trying to do my homework, when all I can think about is you.

“Kid.” Kara puts her head inside your bedroom and you look up from your phone. “How’s that homework going?”

“Huh?” You furrow your brows, it takes a while to hit, but you finally realize what she means. “I’ll start in a minute.”

“Sooooo…” Kara sits on your bed trying to read your phone. “Who are you texting?”

“Um, the only person I text?” Why are you lying? You don’t even know. Actually, you do know. How the hell will you tell your moms that Maya is not bad and she doesn’t think, well she thinks you’re a weirdo, but not like they are imagining.

“Little one.” Kara calls you again, and you raise your eyes at her. “You’ve mentioned the people from your school don’t like you.”

“Mhm.” Eyes flickering back to the screen, waiting for an answer.

“Do they call you names?” Kara holds your chin up, and doesn’t let go, even when she hears a little ring on your phone. “Hey, Jamie can wait. Please talk to me.”

“I just don’t understand why you’re so worried about it now.” You shrug. “It’s nothing new. And trust me, that girl, she-she is not bad.”

“How is she not bad? She could’ve just said hi.”

“I know, but… It’s her mom who has it for the Luthors. Not her.” You breathe deep.

“How can you defend people who can’t even see past your name?” Kara asks and you smile at her, almost laughing.

“Please, like you don’t defend people who do worst things?” You untangle yourself from her hands and kiss her forehead. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course!”

“I got this, ok? You don’t need to worry.” Kara reluctantly agrees with her head.

“Will you tell me if I ever need to?”

“Yeah.” You kiss her head once more. “For sure.” You get up from your bed and sit on your desk. “Now I’m actually going to do my homework.”

“Ok.” Kara gets up too. “Dinner in an hour.”

But you obviously don’t work on your homework. You text and flirt, and smile to yourself like a loser, and you feel so happy that if you didn’t have a cast on, you would probably just float away like a balloon.

The week goes by in a blur. Time moves fast when you’re having fun, isn’t it right? You have stayed after class every day. Hiding yourself away with your girlfriend, kissing under the bleachers, feeling like a real teenage girl. If your colleagues had something to say about it, you wouldn’t know. Basically, because when you’re around Maya, all of them just become background noise.

It’s Saturday afternoon, you’re watching TV in the living room with your moms, but you’re anxiously waiting for the Olsen-Danvers to show up, so your aunt Alex can remove your cast. When you hear the doorbell, you’re out by the door before Kara and Lena even have time to acknowledge where the sound came from.

“Oh my God, finally!” You open the door and your response is furrowed brows.

“Did you just say God?” Aunt Alex holds your hand for support, even though you don’t need it anymore, and you sit on the first surface you see.

“Take it off. Pleaaaaase, please just free me from this prison! Take it oooooff!” You plead exaggeratedly and Alex gets on her knees to help you. “I’ve been counting the minutes.” You see your moms going inside the kitchen to meet everyone.

“Kid, you didn’t even let them settle.” Kara notices everything Kelly is holding and helps her with the bags.

“I did.” You didn’t though. “I just can’t take this anymore.” You look back at Jamie. “We can go flying!”

“Oh please, you just want to go see your gir-OW!” She screams when she feels your elbow on her ribcage.

“See who?” Lena asks, but the sound is drowned down by your excited yell when Alex finally removes the cast and you see your leg.

“FINALLY!” You stand up in one movement. “Would you look at that, I’m as good as new!” You use your superspeed rounding everyone in the kitchen, getting different reactions. Kara and Jamie are cheering excitedly, Alex is yelling that you should go slow, Lena is telling you to stop using your powers inside the house and she’s scared you might break something, and Kelly is just watching it all play out. You stop next to Jamie and grab her waist. “Don’t wait for us, we’re going flying!”

And flying you go despite all the protests you hear in the background. You missed flying so much. For the first time in your life, you realize that you love your powers, even though you can’t control them perfectly, you love them, and you don’t want them to go away ever again.

“Stop, stop.” Jamie asks and you land in your training center, looking very confused. “You didn’t tell them. You finally found yourself a girlfriend and you didn’t tell your moms about it.”

“I didn’t tell them yet.” You roll your eyes. “It’s not like I’ll be able to hide it forever.”

Jamie was ready to talk back when her phone rang.

“It’s your momma.” She picks it up. “Hey, aunt Kara. Yeah. No, it’s fine. Ok. Sure, I’ll tell her. Ok. Yeah. Bye.” Jamie looks at you. “Well, apparently you’re going to tell them now, because you left your phone at home and Maya texted.”

“Oh no!” Your eyes grow big and before Jamie can even blink you already picked her up, flew home, and landed in the backyard.

“Never. Do. That. Again.” She bends over and forces a vomit, but nothing comes out. You usually fly at a slower speed so she doesn’t feel sick.

“Sorry. Now, please, act cool.” You help her up, and go inside the house, to the kitchen where they are all together. “We’re back.”

“Great! How was the flying?” Kara asks and looks at Jamie, looking green next to you. “Flew too fast?” You both agree with your head.

Your moms look at each other like having a telepathic conversation that no one else can understand. Is Kara who breaks eye contact first.

“Some girl named Maya texted you.” She says pointing at your phone on the counter. You look at Jamie. “And apparently she misses you.”

“Oh. That’s nice.” Aunt Alex is the first one to have a reaction. You just stand there unmoving for a few seconds.

“Cool, well, thanks.” You grab your phone from the counter and run to your bedroom so you can answer the text. But you know you left Jamie behind, and that they’ll make her talk, so you use your super hearing .

“Jamie?” You hear Kara’s voice. “Who’s Maya?”

“Maya? I’m not sure…” Jamie’s voice comes next. You smile at the fact that she’s still keeping your secret.

“Should we worry?” It’s Lena’s voice that comes now.

“No! Not at all. Nothing to worry about. Well, I’m gonna-Yep.” It doesn’t take long until Jamie walks in your room and you smile at her. “Make me lie again, and I’ll figure out a way to kill you.”

She throws herself in your bed next to you, but you don’t lift your eyes from the text on your screen. You have the biggest dopiest smile ever.

“I don’t understand why you haven’t told them right there.” She pokes you in the face, and you shrug.

“Why haven’t you told your moms that you’re not gay?” You ask her back and she huffs.

“Not the same thing.” Jamie mumbles and you agree with your head.

“Last time Lena saw a boy in my lab she threatened to fire him, told Kara, and Kara followed him around National City dressed as Supergirl. Now poor Luke thinks Supergirl wants to leave him in Siberia just because he talked to me.” You raise your eyebrow at her. “And you wonder why I haven’t told them.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about the Luke thing.” Jamie breathes deep next to you. She slaps the phone out of your hands, and it falls on your face, making her laugh uncontrollable. “I should have filmed it and sent it to Maya.”

“It didn’t even hurt.” You pout. It didn’t hurt, but you know you looked stupid. “Ok, you know what? I’ll tell them about Maya, and you’ll tell them you’re not gay.”

“Those things are not codependent.” She first says, but then sighs like she’s agreeing. “Ok, whatever. Let’s have the most awkward family dinner ever.”

“Oh, I love awkward dinners.”

Notes:

@itzyourgirlnat prompt idea was that Lena and Kara found out on their own, se here it goes :)

#supergirl #lena luthor #kara danvers #kara x lena #supercorp #kara x reader #supercorp daughter #supercorp fanfic #supercorpfamily #lena x reader #reader insert

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Top 5 Reasons Lee was the Best

Lee Everett is one of my favorite playable protagonists in any game I’ve played. Weirdly enough, I feel like he is somehow super loved yet under appreciated?? because sure, everyone says that they love Lee and talk about how he was just the best but like.... most times, they rarely go into details of why they love him and think he’s the best. 

Well, with today’s list, I wanna go into details about why I think Lee was the best. I tried to stick to more non-determinant things, but plenty slipped through, soo... it’s fine. I just wanna talk about Lee and why I like him so much.  

Also just wanna say thanks to @pi-creates​ for helping me out with these Top 5′s once again! We discussed a lot of these points and it was a huge help! :D

5. Lee is just... so funny sometimes. 

Not gonna spend too much time on this one because it’s more of a minor reason why I think he’s the best compared to the others but...

Lee is hilarious.

Like, even from the beginning, Lee knows how to make me laugh with his little “I’d fill that teacup with some bourbon if I could” line, and the fact that he is constantly falling down. The poor guy has to have at least three concussions by the end of ep1 alone. 

Also, his flirting skills...? Amazing. I’ll never get over, “You’re small.” 

He just has such a strange sense of humor about him that feels very dad-like... which makes perfect sense, but y’know. But even when he isn’t even trying, he still manages to get a laugh outta me for being such a weirdo.

Who goes up to a fence, looks at it, and is just like, “Hmmmm. Pointy.” 

Even after he’s bit, he manages to get a few painful laughs outta me when talking with Ben... though that laughter quickly dies when we reach then end of ep5 but..... y’know. 

4. His willingness to help those who have wronged him. 

Larry is a garbage man-- I think the mass majority of us would agree to that. From the moment we meet him, he’s all huffy and puffy, accusing Duck of being bitten and wanting to throw him out while taunting Kenny. 

But, no matter what, Lee is always the one to help Lilly break into the pharmacy to get Larry his medication. Because really, Lee could’ve said “Nope, not doin’ any of this, someone else help the asshole,” but he doesn’t. 

This is just a bigger example of Lee going out of his way to help people, even if they shitheads like Larry. Hell, even after Lee gets them the pills, Larry gives him a big thank you by punching him in the face and leaving him for death. Lee can hold a grudge about this, or he can let it go and do his best to get along with Larry for the better of the group. 

Another example with trying to help Larry despite him being the worst is, of course-- the meat locker. Now, this is determinant, but I feel bringing it up is important. 

Lee choosing to help Larry, even though Larry was just taunting him minutes before and Kenny’s being a real shitbird, says a lot about him as a person. 

Another example of Lee willing to help others he may not get along with would be Kenny, depending on your choices. When Kenny’s going through the hardest day of his life, Lee can take it upon himself to take care of Duck and comfort Kenny. 

Shit, what about Lilly? After she kills Carley/Doug right in front of everyone, he can still take pity on her and not leave her at the side of the road. 

I think because I have a really hard time helping those who have wronged me, I can look at this as an admirable trait that I wish came easier to me, y’know? 

3. Mourning the deaths of people he barely knew/didn’t know at all. 

This is an interesting one that Pi brought up, but there are several points within S1 where Lee will take small moments to mourn the deaths of those he either barely knew, or didn’t know at all, showing he has it in him to be really empathetic to other people's struggles and sufferings. 

Like, think about the woman at the motor-inn, the one you can give the gun to. Lee will stay behind no matter what to be with her, and you can see it on his face. He didn’t know her, didn’t get her name or anything. 

In Jolene’s camp in ep2, when Lee looks into the tent, he can find a stuffed animal and a picture of Jolene and her daughter and again, you can see it all on his face. He gives a sigh, and a moment of silence for them. 

Oh, the woman that Kenny wants to leave alone while they’re on a run to the drug store? This one is determinant, but if Lee chooses to shoot her, he does so to put her out of her misery-- he doesn’t want her to suffer anymore than she has to just so that they can grab an extra candy bar or two. 

Another big one would be the boy in the attic. Y’know, that chilling scene of the boy who starved to death/died of dehydration, became a walker, and then couldn’t even walk because he was so weak? Yeah, that one-- Lee carries that boy out to the yard and gives him a proper burial. He didn’t have to, but he did. 

Hell, he even mourns Brie when talking to Vernon in ep4, and that Anna woman that you see on the tapes after it’s revealed that she’s pregnant and has to give up her baby. 

Oh, and Chuck in the sewers? That one you can’t skip, and no matter what, Lee will stop and tell Chuck that he deserved better. 

Last example, but the dead couple in ep5-- this is one that everyone stands around in silence because it really is a chilling sight. 

This to me just shows a lot about Lee, especially in a setting where it’s easy for these characters to gloss over the deaths of those they didn’t know or to let others hurt for their benefit [y’know... Kenny with the bitten woman]. I’m sure there are even more examples, but I do have three other things to cover.

2. Taking responsibility for Clementine.

Okay, these last two are to be expected, but we’re gonna talk about them anyway. 

Listen, when Lee found Clementine alone at her house after she saved him from walker Sandra, he didn’t have to take her with him. He could’ve left her behind so that she didn’t “weigh him down” or “become a burden” since y’know, having a child in your care isn’t easy. 

But Lee didn’t do that. She saved his life, and he knows her parents are dead and not coming back. There wasn’t even a doubt in his mind-- he was taking this girl with him to ensure her safety. If he hadn’t, she could’ve ended up just like the boy in the attic, or worse. 

I also love that moment when they’re leaving the house and Clementine takes his hand. It’s sweet and shows us that they’re in this together now, and when Clementine shares her fears of leaving, he reassures her that he won’t leave her alone. 

Lee does his absolute best to care for her and give her what she needs. Hell, you can play as Scumbag Lee and most times, that doesn’t even matter-- he still expresses his care for her. 

Like... I don’t think game would work if the relationship between Lee and Clementine didn’t work, y’know? It’s strong and one of my favorite parts of S1 when I go back to it. I love seeing them grow from Lee being Clementine’s protector to Lee teaching her to survive and protect herself. 

Again, he didn’t have to do any of that. He could’ve pawned her off onto to anyone at the motor inn and called it a day, but he didn’t, and I love that about him. 

Lee goes through so much for a child that isn’t even his blood, but considers family nonetheless... which brings us to #1... 

1. Saving Clementine from the Stranger despite being bitten by a walker. 

Sigh.

Okay. I’m sure you’re tired of me saying this but... after Clementine is kidnapped by the Stranger and bitten by a walker, he could’ve given up. He didn’t have to go after Clementine-- he’s bit, he’s dying... he’s not gonna survive this, so why bother?

Because even though Lee knows he’s not going to survive the bite, he’s going to use the last of his time and energy to ensure that Clementine is safe. He’s gonna do whatever it takes to get Clementine the away from that madman who took her, make sure she remembers everything he taught her, make sure she’s armed, and make sure she knows where to go after he dies. 

Again, Lee didn’t have to go through this. He fought like hell and suffered plenty in making it to her. His last moments were agony for him, I’m sure. 

But he did it and you can tell he has no regrets because Clementine’s alive and going to make it. 

And y’know... that last damn scene in ep5 is just... a lot. 

I love it but I also hate it, and I believe I’ve mentioned this before but I’ve come to really love the ending where Clementine leaves Lee to turn. I know everyone gets upset because that means Lee will become a walker and [?] Everyone HATED that... but, I dunno... it shows something about Lee when you pick that choice. He’s more concerned about her than himself, y’know? Don’t waste the bullet, don’t risk the noise, don’t force her to physically kill him, let her walk away so she can remember her for what he was and not what he’s going to turn into... it’s reeeeal bittersweet. 

Then, of course, you can do the other choice and have Clementine shoot Lee which is just as great at making me cry, soo... thanks. 

Lee just goes through so much during this game-- he gets a second chance and everything he did, he did to ensure Clementine and his group’s survival and just... what a man. 

Lee Everett, you are the best and I love you. 

---

Honorable Mentions

-Not dropping Ben. Again, determinant, but I love a Lee who doesn’t drop children to their death because the mustache said so.  -Struggles with doors. Relatable.  -Is voiced by Dave Fennoy who gives a fantastic performance.  -Awkward flirt. Again, relatable. 

---

So what do you think? Do you agree with these reasons, or do you have any to add? Lemme know, it’s always fun to have character discussions. 

Have any suggestions for future T5F’s? Feel free to send ‘em in! :D

Next week’s T5F Top 5 GOOD Things About Season Two

#twdg t5f #twdg lee #twdg clementine #twdg kenny #twdg larry #twdg lilly #twdg carley #twdg doug #twdg duck #oop this one came out a little later than planned #but it's fine #twdg #twdg christa #twdg omid #twdg chuck #twdg ben

[dobrikdeadass]

i’m with you

word count: 1354

description: based on taylor swift’s lyric in the winter, in the icy outdoor pool. when you jumped in first, i went in too. i'm with you even if it makes me blue.

a/n: i love taylor, i love this song, i love the imagery from this lyric, i love the pre-chorus. it’s all a bop and tbh expect more. also. how are there 100 of you. wild.

November 2019

“Charlie, this is my girlfriend, Addie.” 

Charlie gave Addie a wide smile and shook her hand. “So you’re the one who puts up with all his crazy antics every day. I can only deal with him once a month.”

Addie laughed, “Just barely. I’ll probably be outta here before the New Year.”

“Heyyy,” David whined, pulling Addie closer into his side and turning his camera to capture their laughing faces. Addie smiled into the camera but mostly to David. The group talked for a few more minutes before Charlie’s manager and publicist approached them.

“It was great to meet you, Charlie,” Addie said as his team pulled him away. 

“You too, I’ll catch up with you guys later. And enjoy the new album.”

Addie took David’s hand and pulled him with her as she started wandering around the party. She saw her friends mingling with celebrities, mingling with their friends. She’d gone to events with David before, met Josh and John and some of the guests in his vlogs. But for the most part, she wasn’t involved in the more glamorous parts of his job. She was his normalcy, and this part of his life was still hard for her to comprehend sometimes. “Can’t believe this is your world.”

“Whay’d’ya mean?”

“All the people you meet. Getting invited to an album listening party because Charlie’s your friend, not because his publicist is using you to push content. I dunno, s’not the world I work in is all. I’m used to buttoned-up meetings, not drunk party nights.”

David laughed. “What do you think it is that I do for work?”

Addie shook her head at David, a smirk on her lips. “Whatever you feel like. I dunno, it’s just—it seems fun.”

David wanted to ask her what she meant by that—fun. But they had caught up with a group of their friends and had been sucked into a conversation. By the time Addie wrapped her arms around his waist and laughed at Natalie’s joke, David had forgotten about the conversation altogether.

A little later in the night, David had come up with an idea for the vlog and recruited Jason and Charlie to film the bit with him when he noticed Addie wasn’t by his side anymore. She was alone at the pool, standing with her feet in the water and looking up at the moon.

After David was sure he had what he needed from the bit, he made his way to her. He set his still-recording-camera down on a lounge chair and joined Addie, except he was sure to keep himself dry up on the deck. 

“Watcha doin’ weirdo? That pool is practically ice.”

“Just thinkin.’”

“Yeah, about what?”

“I dunno, you.”

David wrapped his hands around Addie’s waist and pulled her into him, the water splashing up as Addie moved. “Me?” he asked, goading her on.

“You,” she mimicked. 

“What did I do this time?”

She looked up at him, and David noticed for the first time that her eyes weren’t tired like he’d thought they would be when he found her alone. They were excited, daring almost. 

“Nothing yet.”

Addie pulled herself out of David’s grasp and went for it—usually, she would be the one following David but for some reason, she felt bold. 

“You with me?” she yelled as she jumped in, fully clothed. 

David shook his head laughing and ripped off his black sweatshirt, following her into the water. When he surfaced he pulled her into him, spinning them around in the pool. Addie laughed and even though David was shivering, he couldn’t help but smile. “Even if it makes me blue.”

“Dave!” Charlie yelled from across the pool deck. “Why?”

“We’re just chillin’!” Charlie laughed but followed the couple into the water. Soon enough everyone was jumping into the pool and what had started off as an elegant party meant to celebrate Charlie’s project devolved into a bunch of twenty-somethings splashing around in cold water.

Twenty minutes later they were out of the pool and sitting around the fireplace in Charlie’s house—his assistant had managed to round up enough towels for everyone but David could see that Addie was still shivering. He wrapped her up in his still-dry sweatshirt and called the rest of his friends over so they could head home. David had originally planned to take everyone back to his house so Addie could dry off and warm up, but Addie demanded David drop everyone off on the way. He had the heater cranked up, but when she asked to stop for In-N-Out after they were finally alone David knew she’d be sick in the morning.

They spent the next day in bed, Addie falling in and out of consciousness as she slept off her cold and David putting together footage for the Monday vlog. He had a bit of him and Natalie fighting about her moving out because Addie moved in that he had planned to use for clickbait, but when he saw the footage of him and Addie from Charlie’s party he couldn’t help but make her midnight swim the center of the vlog. 

He usually considered his vlogs a caricature of his life, showing only the funniest or craziest things he did. But there was something special about having his life recorded. And this was a moment he wanted to be able to look back on. 

He spent the day working the footage down to a minute clip, to be used right at the end. When Addie woke up, finally feeling like a human again, she asked about the vlog and David pulled her into his side. Addie watched the first three minutes of the vlog play out and laughed at all his scripted bits and jokes, encouraging him like she always did. 

As the vlog neared the end he watched her face, looking for her approval. They were public—Addie had been on his Instagram and in the background of vlogs but there hadn’t been an Addie vlog since the announcement video because she still had a job that required discretion and privacy and David respected that. But he so wanted to be able to show this side of her, share this memory with the world.

“Only if you want,” David said when the video switched to Addie and Charlie teasing David. She watched as the camera showed her alone at the pool, and then, “You with me?”

Their splashes were sped through and you could hear David say, “Even if it makes me blue,” before more splashes began and the pool party started.

Addie was silent when the video ended and she hadn’t reacted while the clip had played. The silence made David nervous and he started rambling to try and fix the situation. “If you don’t like it, I can use a bit of me and Nat, I just thought it was cute and now that we’re public and everything, that maybe it would be okay and—”

Addie pulled him in to kiss her, cutting him off. “Dave, use it. Please.”

David started running his fingers through his hair in the way he only did when he was stressed. 

Addie knew he was nervous. “You sure? Because I know you need to still be kinda private with the clerkship and everything and I don’t want you to feel like you have to—”

Addie twisted herself off of David’s chest and sat up, looking at him.“Baby,” she grabbed his hands and forced him to look at her. “I love it. I want you to post it.” David nodded, a small smile on his face.

“Okay, okay cool.” 

He scheduled the vlog to go live the next day and spent the rest of the night taking care of his girlfriend. He couldn’t decide what was better—quiet nights with his girlfriend where the memories were theirs alone or the recorded bits of their life, preserved for the rest of time. As he pulled Addie closer into his chest and wrapped the blankets tighter around her, he guessed it didn’t matter. Both were his life, and he’d have the memories either way.

#david dobrik #david dobrik imagine

[theshapeshifter100]

Outpost

(Day 9 of @thewatchau‘s prompts)

The year Hank turned 22 was the year the Watch moved in.

There was an old Mage’s hold, further up the Rúnach river and less than a day’s ride from Imforis. No one really went there, no real need, and there was the old children’s story about the place being haunted.

Imforis was barely a village, definitely bordering on a hamlet. Everyone knew everyone. So when a stream of people came through out of nowhere, it caught attention.

Hank could hear them from his house. He and his mother were drying herbs, when the rumble of carts and chattering of voices could be heard all the way from the road.

He and his mother had shared a look, before Hank left the house and jogged down the track to the road. Well, calling it a road was laughable, just a slightly wider track.

“Hoy, a local!” called one of them, spotting Hank. He was easy to spot, being as tall as he was. “We’re on the right track to the Hold right?”

“Far as I know!” Hank hollered back.

“Great! Some folks be coming by river by the way!”

“Noted, thanks!” Hank paused for a bit, and had peered down at the long train that was slowly walking by. “What are you doing?”

“Fixing up the old Hold for the Watch!”

“That what?” it sounded familiar.

“That Watch! The organisation that’s going to look into the Enemy.”

Oh, yeah. The Enemy, who was currently hiding in the Western Forest right now. The forest they were currently backed onto. Hank didn’t like to think about that too much.

“Is that old place really good for that?!”

“That’s what we’re hoping!” that person had gone too far now to continue talking, and no one picked it up again.

Hank just, watched for a while, as horses pulling carts of stone and wood clopped by, and people carrying tools marched on. They were really going to do this.

Well their problem.

This continued on and off for the next few months, and finally, the rush downed down.

For about a week.

Then began a smaller trickle of people passing through town. Most would just go straight through, some would stop and look.

Most of them weren’t impressed. They’d look around the small market, some of the old buildings that were barely holding together, then look uninterested and leave.

Hank was not a man prone to anger, but every time he saw someone turn their nose at his home, he wanted to punch them. He would fold his arms on his stall selling herbs and feel his fingernails digging into his arms.

Then, again, things started to change. Someone he didn’t know wandered up to his stall, looking nervous.

“Er, hi,” they said, their accent more eastern than western. “Um, do you have a bakery?”

“’course, just down there, turn left. Got a loaf a’ bread sign. Can’t miss it,” Hank pointed them in the right direction, being of a reasonable sort.

“Ah, great! Thanks!” the newcomer grinned and walked off the same way Hank had pointed.

That newcomer kept coming back. Every market day.

“The Hold get’s crowded,” they explained. Frank was their name. “And I’m not a fighting type, just, some miller, you know?”

“What’s a miller doin’ joining the Watch?” Hank leaned on his stall, hands relaxed now.

“An army marches on its stomach my friend,” Frank shrugged. “Hoped to see if any of the bakers here would be willing to help out.”

To that Hank chuckled. “We have one baker, who deals with the whole village. She doesn’t have a lot of time.”

“Or an apprentice?”

“Yeah, but they’re busy too.”

“Shame,” Frank nodded to himself before changing the subject. “You know, some of these old buildings could really do with some work.”

“I know,” Hank sighed. “Ya don’t need to tell me. We try ta work on them every now and again. Probably the only reason they haven’t fallen down yet.”

“Well,” Frank leaned an elbow on the stall too, avoiding the carefully arranged bundles of herbs, “there were a bunch of folks from the Order of Stone that came, and a few other unaffiliated builders and carpenters that fixed the Hold up. Maybe we could get them to work on those buildings?”

Hank blew out his cheeks and raised his hands. “Not my place. I just sell herbs and help out where I can.”

“Oh come on Hank!” Frank shook his head. “I’ve only been here a few weeks and I can already see you’re a man who loves this place. And people can see that. People trust you around here.”

“They also know all my embarrassing childhood stories.”

“All the more reason to trust you,” Frank moved off the stand. “I’ve got to head back, but, think about it okay?”

“It’s not my decision to make!” Hank called after the miller as he left.

“You must know whose decision it is!” Frank called back.

Hank did. And she was stubborn.

He presented the idea to her though. Knocked on her door and told her of Frank’s offer.

“I’m not getting some weirdo from the Order of Stone to fix up those buildings!” she snapped. “They don’t understand these things.”

“Like what? They know stone, they know how to build things, they’ve been refurbishin’ the old Hold, how’s this any different?”

He knew the answer, and she gave to him.

“They’re not us.”

“If they had one of us with them then!”

“Are you volunteerin’ Hank Greenwood?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He paused. Both his siblings had left home. It was just him and his parents to look after the pigs and to grow, gather and dry herbs. Both of these could be labour intensive, and his parents… they weren’t old. They could manage without him for a little bit.

“I am, yes.”

Her eyebrow went higher. “Well then. Let me know how you get on,” and she closed the door.

When he next saw Frank he told the miller what happened, and then everything happened, very quickly.

It didn’t take long for the builders to arrive, and Hank found himself co-ordinating between the builders from the Order and the handyfolk of Imforis. He wasn’t cut out of this! He was simple man, he prided himself on it! He wasn’t meant for giving orders like this!

But, here he was, running back and forth and trying to deal with arguments as the builders critiqued the old repairs and the local handyfolk taking that as an insult. The architects wanted to change the old buildings and were angrily and loudly shot down. Sometimes, both sides were just far too stubborn, but they slowly got something out of it.

No builder had managed to replicate the old Feadhainn architecture, and that showed. They tried to repair the oldest buildings, to make them habitable again, but some of them were too far gone. Those ones were torn down and new, more modern buildings out in their place, mostly made of local wood.

Hank could feel the ripple of anger throughout Imforis when this happened, and the new building felt like an unwelcome growth. Something you’d go into the nearest market town to see a doctor about.

He could see it from his stall, and he just rested his head on his forearms.

“Erm, excuse me?”

He lifted his head up, feeling a bit too tired to be dealing with an unfamiliar customer today.

“Yes?” he answered. The woman standing before him was clearly not from here, with curly red hair, bright blue eyes and pale skin. “Can I help you?”

“Could you tell me about some of these herbs? I don’t recognise all of them,” she said. At least she was polite, made a nice change.

Hank blinked for a second, trying to get his brain to work. Thankfully, he had learnt most of these while he was learning to read.

He rattled off a few of the more unusual ones, and the woman folded her arms, thinking before buying a few bundles.

“You look tired,” she commented as she handed over the necessary coins. “Long day?”

“Long month,” he sighed.

“Wow,” she looked around, “lots of work going on. Got anything to do with that?”

“Everything to do with it.”

The woman winced in sympathy. “I can see. It’ll be over soon enough, you’ll see,” she smiled, and then held her hand out. “I’m Fiona Flannail.”

“Hank Greenwood,” he shook. “Don’t tell me you’re involved with this lot?”

“Me? Oh no, just someone, wandering around. I’ve actually got work at the bakery,” she pointed in the right direction. “That’s what the herbs are for.”

“Never seen anyone bake with these,” Hank noted.

“Me neither!” her grin was giddy. “That’s what’s exciting!”

Hank found himself smiling too, her glee infectious. “Well, I hope you stay around for a while Miss Flannail.”

“We’ll see Mr Greenwood,” she had this odd smile on her face, which in his tired state, Hank couldn’t quite place. “Well, I’d better get to work. I’ll see you next time!” she waved and disappeared to the bakery while Hank waved back.

Fiona had been right, the construction didn’t last too long. At least, not on the old buildings. One of the builders had built up some rapport in Imforis, so built themselves a house, and became the local carpenter. Meanwhile, more people trickled to and fro from the Hold, and not everyone liked being there.

From what Hank heard, it was like a Guard base, but bigger, and not everyone wanted to live in a barracks. In fact, some people just, liked Imforis.

More houses were built. A school was built, which was a first, most people sent their children to the nearest town for schooling. All the old houses were clustered around the forest edge, but new houses built up on the north and south sides, arcing around to an extended business hub. A doctor popped up, so now they didn’t just have a herbalist.

Sitting at his stall now, with his daughter working on her school work beside him, Hank marvelling at the whole thing. In 15 years Imforis had changed into something twice, three times the size of what it had been.

It all happened, he supposed, because the Watch decided that the old tower just north of them would be perfect. How strange, that one decision could affect so many people.

(Phew, that might be the longest one I’ve done so far! To date it, well the Watch was announced May 1599, so I imagine construction would begin not too long after that.

I actually messed with my own timeline here, because Fiona wasn’t originally going to show up until 1600/1601, but given that the timeline is mostly in my head it’s pretty fluid and subject to change. Also yes, Fiona is slighlty flirting with Hank)

#The Watch AU #Hank Greenwood #Fiona Flannail #Ellie Greenwood #Imforis #House Marvin #Outpost #Runach Hold #Rúnach Hold #Watch Prompts

[morethanithoughtofficialblog]

Chapter 7: As useless as a broken mirror

In which you realize your life is crap... 

for now

*Your POV*

Talking with someone yesterday was good, I guess. I normally talk about work topics only, so it feels weird to have a casual conversation about... anything. And it was weirder, considering Sans was the one talking.

It would be today, though, the day where we would see each other again in order to discuss... more terms. They all deserve to know and I also need a few papers for them in order to get them into society. I just need the basics, though- report cards, previous jobs on the Underground, and I will put them some tests in order to see which educational level fits better each of them. But that will be later.

So there I was, waking up and trying to french kiss the morning as Bon Jovi does. And failing miserably, just as always.

I tried my best to keep a smile on my face. It didn't work out, either. I groaned loudly, realizing that it was four in the morning. So yeah, I just can't french kiss the morning when it isn't morning, you know. And so I felt stupid and went back to sleep...

...

Except I didn't.

No matter how many positions I tried or how many different pillows I took, I just couldn't get my head together. I was thinking about everything and, at the same time, about nothing at all. I felt numb yet desperate to be a normal person and fall sleep immediately, considering how freaking tired I actually was.

I sat on my bed silently and put on the lights. Bad idea, but I still do it every night like this.

I frowned remarkably and stood there until my eyes got accustomed to the light. And then I started to question what the hell was I doing, as usual.

I looked at my annoying digital clock again: 4:11 am.

Great, guess I'll stay like this until the day officially starts... or until I pass out, that is.

Maybe a good drink would have been great to forget it all. Then I remembered that I had work and that, besides, I don't drink. I groaned again.

I felt like crying, like screaming or like to go outside and let a fucking weirdo kill me or make me disappear forever...

That's the worst idea I've ever had.

I wanted to punch something; maybe a mirror, maybe that elegant flower vase with a dead daisy on it, or the TV. All of those were great options, honestly. But I wasn't up to clean the mess or to deal with angry neighbors, so I didn't move.

I shoot a glance at one of my bureaus, that only had an old book on its top. Maybe I could read. I tried to stretch my hand and get it, but I ended up falling out of the bed, making my head hurt like hell. Ouch. Maybe I couldn't, after all.

I, unsurprisingly, groaned again. If I had a cent for every time I have groaned in my life, I could probably have a car instead of taking that goddamn subway. Or I could get a house. Or a life...

Nah. That's way too expensive.

I eventually got up and stared at my drawer. Then, without thinking, I opened it. My heart sank when it did.

Medicines here, medicines there. Medicines FUCKING EVERYWHERE! There was barely any space left for even a fricking pill. This is not the first time I have seen this, though, but it still hurts to see how pathetic I am. This is just a small proof. There's more, that's for sure.

I stood there silently, anxiety consuming me over. I could even make a fucking drug store out of this drawer...

Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea.

I shook my head, resisting the urge to be sarcastic to myself... again.

But, yes, I had such a huge variety I could make a store out of it. Do you have anxiety? Well, Zoloft for you, that is! Are you depressed like me? Well here, took a Prozac pill! Come here and get your problems away...

And contribute to mine.

Oh my god, just end my suffering.

Thanks to my wonderful boss and work partners (including college and the monsters' case, of course), I forgot that I had emotional problems as well. And that means that I haven't been following my treatment. For months.

Shit.

Then I started to wonder when I had to see my psychiatrist again. I probably missed the date he gave me. Just wonderful, right?

I sighed and closed the drawer, feeling worse than before. I went to the bathroom to see my wound but there wasn't anything there. Thank God.

I ended up looking at my face, slightly frowning. People have said that I'm pretty, yes, but I think that's just out of sympathy. Therefore, I haven't been comfortable with my looks since... a long time ago.

My (e/c) eyes looked paler than when I was a kiddo. Ah, childhood. It was wonderful in its own way. No problems, no low self-esteem, no nothing. Just laughs and friends, videogames and nights playing Dungeons and Dragons with my dorky dad and my aunt. Those were good days.

I remember that I received a lot of comments, telling me that I would have a brilliant future. Hard to believe in that now, looking at what was happening.

I work in Congress and I am finishing my studies to finally become a biochemist. Being a scientist has been my dream, and I'm just a few steps before I can call myself "Dr. (Y/N)". And I'm just twenty.

When I was little, my dad took me to a neurologist in order to see my IQ. She said, in a few words, that I was super smart and super talented. I believed it but never used it as an excuse to think of me better than anyone else. Right then, I thought everyone had talents and intelligence. Now... I'm seriously doubting all those encouraging words were true. Because, even if I was a nerd, that never meant my future would be brighter.

A lot of my school partners and friends are being way happier than I am, having a perfect balance between emotions, college, and work. Me, who 'has it all' to become an important person, somehow has three mental breakdowns (at least) in one day, and it's struggling between having or not new friends, afraid of screwing up.

Is this what my parents would have wanted? For me to be a coward?

Well, surprise surprise. Your daughter is such a disappointment of a kid.

I'm a genius. That's what experts told me. They also said that this high IQ thingy may include problems socializing and, well, even mental illnesses. To be honest, I prefer being normal and not having these things than being a Leonardo Da Vinci and die internally every five seconds.

Then I noticed a warm feeling on my cheeks.

Oh crap.

I snapped back to reality and saw myself in front of the mirror, crying as if my life depended on it. Well, it kinda does, but that's not the point.

I tried to wipe them as quickly as possible, trying to banish that feeling instantly. But instead, I cried harder. And harder. And I felt more miserable than before, if that was possible.

My legs felt like jello and my eyes turned all red and puffy. My mouth was shaking, trying to transform itself into a smile. Why was I crying, again? Oh yeah, because I hate myself so much. I look awful, I'm just full of myself, lonely, and easily replaceable. There's nothing I can do about it.

I will finish my dream career, but all for what? To be more stressed? I don't know if I can quit at the Congress since I kind of accepted to be the ambassador of the monsters. Wow. I should have left someone more capable than I am to do the job. Now I'm going to disappoint them as well, whenever they see how weak I am. I mean, I'm crying while I'm looking at myself in the night... again. This is isn't new. But it just feels worst every time.

I gasped for air, almost forgetting how to breathe thanks to all that crying. I blinked a couple of times and took long breaths until I calmed down. When my vision wasn't blurry anymore, I saw my face again. All red and uglier than before. I looked like a baby losing its toy, like a child whining, or like a teenager who has an impossible crush.

I frowned, knowing I wasn't any of them. I was an adult, for God's sake.

Can this get more frustrating?

Can I be more pathetic?

I closed my fist and punched the mirror until my fingers went numb and my blood painted my whole hand...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Frisk's POV*

I woke up later than usual, rubbing my eyes at the incoming sunlight. I groaned at the clock, seeing it was 10 am. But deep down I knew that Toriel would come for me, and so I got up.

I took a quick shower and put into more presentable clothes. I colocated a cute ribbon on my brown hair, feeling quite silly yet pretty. I stared at the mirror and saw my look with satisfaction. I was looking great! I even made some silly faces and giggled a little before coming out, interrupted by an angry skeleton who wanted to take a shower.

"kid, just fucking get out of there! what're you doin'? takin' a trip to narnia?"

"Sans, behave yourself!!!"

"...sorry ari-mom..."

I contained my laughter, knowing that Sans would be really angry if he heard me, and I walked out of the bathroom. Just a second passed before a quick flash of white ran into the room and locked the door. Oh, Sans, since when are you this desperate to take a shower?

The ones who hadn't showered groaned impatiently. I would have too since Sans lasts a long time in the shower. One time I swear I heard him singing a popular rock song (so popular I don't remember its name) and then eventually creating a song of how much he loved ketchup...

...I must admit I feel worried about his future...

Eh... let's just hope for the best.

After a bunch of complainings towards him and more people showering, we could finally take breakfast together. Thank God they were pancakes, or else Undyne or Papyrus would be trying to find out the best egg combination (which, according to them, hasn't been found yet). At first, it is fun to hear their crazy ideas, but then it turns into a competition that I get somehow dragged into it. Most of the time voluntarily, though.

However, I was too excited to let all my energy be drowned into an egg fight. Today we will be seeing (Y/N) again, and honestly, I was looking for it! She's nice, and I've been waiting to be friends with her all this time. So now that everything was, well, settled, this was my chance!

We all ate rather quickly and head out of the house. However, Asgore stopped us before we could go running to... anywhere, actually.

"Let's wait here a moment, ok?" he smiled eagerly, making me suspicious.

So we waited there for five minutes or so until a simple-looking taxi made its way towards the house. Then a 5'5 feet tall woman got out of there, who I recognized immediately.

"(Y/N)!!!!!" Papyrus screamed unearthly loud, hugging (Y/N) immediately. She looked a little bit startled by such a sudden move but hugged back shortly after him.

"Hello, Papyrus. It is good to see you again...!" she tried her best to sound enthusiastic, but she felt somehow... different. Why, though?

"Oh, (Y/N) sweetie, I'm so glad you could make it!" Goat mom added with a smile, which (Y/N) returned it kindly. Maybe I was just imagining things, after all "But, hey, come in! We want you to see where we have been living all this time!"

Sans looked a bit tense but quickly relaxed. He must have forgotten for a second that Papyrus was his roommate. Therefore, there was NO WAY his room could be dirty. Since when he cares about that, though?

And so we gave (Y/N) a small tour through the small house. She behaved as always; shy, anxious, not wanting to intrude or sound rude, making small compliments and comments in amusement. She was just super nice! I think she's one of my favorite humans.

After making her laugh a bit and answer some of her own doubts about the Underground, we all headed off to the Congress, talking about the simplest of topics.

"Oh! I remember hearing a song called 'Imagine' one day!" I told (Y/N), keeping up with the musical topic (at Sans's petition).

"You have? Well, I mean... which artist are you talking about?"

"I think it was Marshmello"

"...then no, I haven't heard that one"

"Is there another song called 'Imagine'?" Alphys asked, curious about our conversation.

"well, there's john lennon's, y' know..." Sans added, smiling lazily.

(Y/N) seemed perplexed for a second, then smiled widely.

"Yep, John Lennon's 'Imagine' is my kind of... 'Imagine', you know"

Throughout all the way we all were talking about music. (Y/N) turns out to be a Rock N' Roll and Indie listener, similar to Sans's taste. She is kind of a music nerd, actually. She would give a casual comment of something history-related to music. I think Sans felt like he was on his own mind, opening up strangely. Then I realized he was just another music nerd, and that both of them were never given the chance to talk about this with others so freely.

However, I noticed an unusual expression on Sans's face. Not a good one, I must say. He wasn't suspicious or anything- by any chance, I think he was worried...

but of what?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Sans's POV*

It feels good to have someone to talk about these things. I mean, someone that at least can say who Slash is.

While I was talking to (Y/N), however, I noticed a wound on her right fist. Not to be rude, but she is a bit taller than I am, and I didn't want to look at a... private part of her body. Therefore, I ended up noticing a serious-looking injury on her fingers.

Should I ask?

I saw how happy she looked, talking about when she started to hear Rock N' Roll and watch concerts on TV.

Eh, I'll do it later...

Still, my mind wandered about that topic the rest of the road. And so, I didn't talk anymore, focusing on other things. Well, can you blame me? That looked like some serious shit happened.

When we arrived at the Congress, I noticed different looks from her work partners. I recognized one of the feelings on their looks: shame. They probably felt ashamed after hearing that we succeed. My smile grew wider, at least a bit, after thinking that.

We discussed a few things in her office like it was any day. Except it wasn't.

The human president made a public announcement on TV, radio, and social media, saying that monsters would be finally released and be accepted as legal citizens. Despite everything, I felt a bit uneasy. He might have been nice, but the others are clearly not like him. I just don't want to put Papy's security on risk.

We ended up leaving sooner than I thought, and for the first time in our lives, we used public transport. We received some glances, but in between, there were also kind smiles. Just like (Y/N)'s, just less dorky...

Did I just call the ambassador a dork?

I mentally groaned and took a seat, never erasing my apparently permanent smile. I felt like I was forgetting something, so I made a quick rewind on my head. But what would I have forgo- oh.

Oh.

You forgot to ask her, you idiot.

#sans x reader #more than i thought fanfiction #more than i thought #chapter 7 #sans #x reader #undertale

[wroteasongabouther]

Grumpy - A Harry Styles Imagine

PAIRING: Harry/Y/N

RATING: R

WORD COUNT:  16k  (!!!!what!!!!!)

A/N: im really really sorry about my absences with my series but ive been writing this over the past while and quite like it so i really hope you all like it too xx  feedback is always lovely

Harry’s smirk soon changes back to the usual scowl he had around you. His brows wound tight, green eyes narrowed to slits, while his mildly chapped lips formed a hard thin line. His one hand is holding up his towel while the other steadied himself, suppose it’d take a bit more than a hot shower to cure this hangover. Then before you can stop it, your eyes are drifting from the droplets in his hair to his wet chest. His towel is dangerously low, exposing his more defined v line and his treasure trail that leads to...

Harry clears his throat then, snapping you back to attention. There’s that smirk again. You raise a brow and mirror his smirk.

“Just checking there’s no new stupid tattoos,” you say, lying through your teeth. Harry knew it too. So you just roll your eyes again and turn on your heels. “Downstairs, twenty minutes,” you call over your shoulder before letting yourself out of his hotel room.

or 

The one when Y/N works for Harry who has one bad attitude.

(Find the next parts here)

The sounds of empty bottles smacking into each other fills the hotel room as you finally swipe the card through and get the door open. You have to stop yourself before spewing out a string of curses and groans. The room is a wreck though. Empties littered across the floor, clothes in piles, and you notice some obvious feminine articles as well. You roll your eyes and round the corner where the bed was and as you thought so, it’s not just occupied by one naked body but two.

“Oh god,” you gasp, covering your eyes at the sight.

“What tha-“

“Oh my god! Didn’t you see the do not disturb sign Jesus Christ I’ll call the front desk and get you fired,” the young woman in the bed shouts as she pulls the covers over her body. Suppose she was in for a surprise when she realized you weren’t housekeeping.

“What are you thinking, Harry?” you question harshly, eyes ignoring the dumb blonde and focused on the squinting young man beside her.

“What are the doin’ in my room?”

“You were supposed to be at breakfast thirty minutes ago,” you state.

“Fuck,” he mumbles while sitting himself up now. Thankfully when the girl moved the covers, they ended up over his junk - not that you haven’t seen it before, just that you weren’t entirely a fan of seeing it. You roll your eyes again and cross your arms at your chest.

“Who are you?” the girl asks.

“Who are you?” You counter back, narrowing your eyes at her.

“Um, my name is...” she trails off and looks to Harry, “what did you say my name was again if someone asked?”

You snort, having to bring a hand to your lips in order to not put right laugh at this situation. He still had the same stupid plan even after all these years. Damn idiot, he was.

“Oh god, you’re not his girlfriend or something are you?” she gasps suddenly.

“Oh sweetie, if I was his girlfriend you’d be dead right now,” you exclaim with a smile. She sinks down into the mattress. “No, don’t get comfy, you’re leaving now,” you bark out the order while motioning with one hand for her to get out of the bed.

“I’m naked!”

“Then get dressed,”

“Oh my god, look away or something you fucking weirdo,”

You only roll your eyes again, turning around so your back was to the bed now. Harry grumbles, you hear him flop down into his bed again as his company gets out from the hotel bed. The girl gets dressed silently but after she’s down you hear her whisper something to Harry, which she only gets a grumbly ‘goodbye’ in response. She walks passed you, avoiding eye contact, but you follow right after her.

“Your phone,” you say while holding out your hand. The girl turns around at the threshold of the hotel room.

“It’s been off since I got up here,” she says.

You shake your head, “prove it,” you order.

She sighs, taking the iPhone from her pocket and hits the home button a few times. The screen stays black each time and you have no choice but to believe her. You stand straight then, narrowing your eyes at her. She looked rather rough, hair all over the place and black smudged down her face - not to mention her shirt was on backwards.

“Speak a word of this to anyone and you’ll pay for it. Post any sort of photo or video and you’ll pay for it. Just keep this night to yourself, dream about it, relish in the thought you fucked Harry Styles and then get over it. They all have to,” you say. Then with that, you shut the door in her face and turn back to handle the real problem at hand.

“Way to make me sound like a slut,” Harry mumbles.

“You are,” you state bluntly. Harry glares from where he lays in bed. His hair was all sorts of messed up too, but he kinda made it work you guessed, while his eyes were slightly bloodshot and he was squinting at the daylight peeking through the blinds. All of this was a sight you saw rather regularly. This was your job, laying right here, hungover as shit.

“Are you ever going to grow up, Harry?” you question. Harry let’s out a groan in response. “No, seriously, because I’ve been kicking nameless girls out of your fucking hotel room since you were 19 years old now. Isn’t it getting tired? Because I can tell you it is for me,”

“Then leave,” he utters.

“No,” you say and cross your arms at your chest again. “It’s my job, doesn’t mean I can’t complain about my job. You sure as hell do,”

“Yeah I do,” Harry resorts, lifting his head from the pillow to glare at you again. “Now fuckin’ leave, m’tired,”

Can you believe you roll your eyes again? Bloody idiot he was, thinking you’d just walk out and leave. You manoeuvre around the mess on the floor and walk into the bathroom, reaching into the shower to turn it on as hot as it can. As it steams up the room you organize Harry’s toiletries that way he has one less thing to complain about once he gets his ass in gear. When you return to the bedroom, Harry has actually made some process, eyes glued to his phone screen.

“Get in the shower,” you command him. “Now!” You shout this time.

Harry tosses his phone off to the side of the mattress, wraps a sheet around himself and gets out of bed. But of course he’s sporting his best piercing scowl while doing so. You simply return the icy look with a tight smile. Just as Harry steps into the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door, you phone buzzes. It’s Jeff texting you for an update on what’s happening. You reply with a short summary of your morning affairs, assuring him that his number one client was up and at it now.

“Don’t take your time, car leaves in 30,” you state while leaning against the doorway of the bathroom. The glass door for the shower is fogged up, but you can see Harry moving around thankfully. Some days he liked to just stand there and waste everyone’s time.

Harry doesn’t respond, so your eyes fall back to your phone screen. You decide to triple check the itinerary for today. The flight from Basel to Paris was close to two hours long which meant Harry would have plenty of time to sleep away his hangover.

“Why don’t you just quit if you complain about your job so much?” Harry asks, talking loudly over the sound of the shower.

“Cause it’s my job, has been forever now,” you sigh.

“I think it’s cause you love me,” Harry says. You can hear the smirk on his lips, and then as the water turns off and the shower door opens you look away for a moment till he’s got a towel on. Low and behold there’s that precious smirk of his.

“Oh yeah,” you taunt, “Who wouldn’t love a man with your drinking habits and all the whores too. Oh and that attitude, ugh, ta die for,” you swoon jokingly.

Harry’s smirk soon changes back to the usual scowl he had around you. His brows wound tight, green eyes narrowed to slits, while his mildly chapped lips formed a hard thin line. His one hand is holding up his towel while the other steadied himself, suppose it’d take a bit more than a hot shower to cure this hangover. Then before you can stop it, your eyes are drifting from the droplets in his hair to his wet chest. His towel is dangerously low, exposing his more defined v line and his treasure trail that leads to...

Harry clears his throat then, snapping you back to attention. There���s that smirk again. You raise a brow and mirror his smirk.

“Just checking there’s no new stupid tattoos,” you say, lying through your teeth. Harry knew it too. So you just roll your eyes again and turn on your heels. “Downstairs, twenty minutes,” you call over your shoulder before letting yourself out of his hotel room.

How you got the privilege to work for the less than lovely Harry Styles is beyond you. One day you were an intern at One Direction label, being offered to tag along on tour, and then the next thing you knew you were the one keeping all five boys in check. And you did your job well. Always professional, but can also be personal when needed too, and you got shit done. So when the band decided on their hiatus, you kept contact with them all - but everyone knew Harry was the one who needed your help the most. Liam and Louis had grown up and had kids, while Niall was never a worry to begin with, it was just Harry who was still lost. So when his new manager, Jeff, called you one day to offer you a job you knew you couldn’t decline and leave him to deal with the mess that was Harry. He only ever listened to you, therefore he needed you.

“He’s up?” Jeff asks as you approach the group standing near the lobby doors.

“Sure is, and hungover and grumpy and an asshole but what else is new,” you sigh and glance down at your phone as it buzzes in your hand. It’s Harry ordering a large black coffee before he gets down to the lobby. “Anyone want to come get some coffee with me?” You ask, eyeing up the band and few others standing by.

“I could use a tea,” Clare shrugs and follows after you.

“Grumpy needs a coffee,” you state as you push open the door to the breakfast lounge - for a lack of better words.

“Of course he does,” Clare chuckles, “he and Mitch were out late last night.”

“I know,” you nod.

She doesn’t respond as you pour the coffee into the cup, putting on a lid and a sleeve before pouring your own next. Once you’ve got three packets of sugar and one cream, you and Clare head back to the group. You’re not surprised to see you’re still waiting on Harry.

“I told him twenty minutes,” you say defensively when Jeff gives you a look.

“It’s been close to,” he states.

“I can only do so much, Jeff, can’t hold his damn hand anymore,” you huff and bring your coffee to your lips. Of course it’s too hot and burns your tongue a little.

As you look at the usual few that follow Harry on his drinking nights, you notice none of them look in as bad of shape as Harry did. Suppose they’re starting to realize they can’t keep up to a young rockstar with a drinking problem. Didn’t matter how many stories good old Tim the lead crew had from back in the day of him drinking, he was tapping out after three beers as Harry downs his fifth drink of the night. If Harry were to stop at five then that’d be a good night. His typical limit was ten. But most nights he liked to exceed that lately. The guys should’ve been around when it all started, 19 year old Harry was even worse somehow. Miller, his bodyguard since the beginning, could vouch for you.

“There you are,” Jeff exclaims as Harry makes his arrival. He’s dressed in a black t-shirt and blue slim fit jeans with some Vans upon his feet and sunglasses adoring his face to block the daylight from his sensitive eyes. A usual look.

“Coffee,” Harry grunts and grabs ahold of one of the coffee cups from your hands. Before you can tell him he took yours, he takes a large sip and his faces says it all.

“That’s mine,” you state, switching them between your hands to give him the black coffee this time. Harry immediately washes away the taste from your coffee with his own.

“We’re getting late, let’s move people,” Jeff shouts loud enough for the group traveling together to hear.

There’s one van and one car for the handful of you left to head to the next stop on tour - Paris, France. You were rather excited to be back in Paris. Meant you actually had the excuse to speak French. Which was one of the five languages you spoke fluently. But also Paris was Paris and if you weren’t excited to be there you’d be delusional.

“Helene, I need you to send me the best shots from last night please,” you call up to where the tour photographer sat front seat of the van.

“Just stage photos or backstage too?” she asks, looking through her laptop.

“Uh a few of both maybe,” you answer. Harry, who’s sitting beside you in the back seat of the van, shushes you harshly. Turning your head to look his way, you see his brows pulled down which could only mean he’s scowling behind those sunglasses he’s got on.

“Quit being so bloody loud,” he says.

“I’m not-“

“Fuckin’ screaming in mah ear,” he mumbles, turning his body away as much as he possibly can. His hip knocks into yours, which makes you glare at him as he tosses around like a child.

“Sorry I’m doing my fuckin’ job, Harry,” you snap back at him. You only get a mumbled response, you don’t even bother to get him to repeat whatever comment he has. Instead you focus on your phone as you get an email from Helene containing the photos you had just asked for.

During a meeting a few weeks prior to tour starting back up, Jeff and yourself agreed it’d be good if Harry got more involved on social media. All you two asked of him was to post one photo from each show. But Harry asked as though you were asking him to sew you a damn dress after every night. This of course lead to you getting his social media passwords and having to do the simple task yourself. It was kinda upsetting to see his fans react to a tweet, thinking its send by their idol when in reality it’s just you.

“Look good or what?” You ask Harry, literally shoving your phone into his face. He surprises you, lifting his glasses and grabbing your phone from your hand.

“Black boarder, not white,” he mutters and hands you back the phone.

“Okay,” you sigh. Guess that was as much input he had on the post.

It’s not soon enough arriving at the private jet. Harry had continue to toss, nudging you repeatedly, through the remainder of the fifteen minute car ride. Then you’re helping Grumpy figure out the back seats and letting him stomp up the stairs of the plane.

In the air plane, there’s sort of a like a ‘picnic table’ set up to it. Two to four chairs would face each other, the groups of four had a full table between while the two chairs facing each other had an open space. Of course you took it upon yourself to sit across from Harry, seeing that you were one of the few people in the plane who could deal with his attitude. Harry immediately slumps down in his seat, buckles up for take off, and sits with his legs spread apart comfortably you hoped. You give him one more look, noticing he crosses his arms at his chest, before knowing he’s falling fast asleep.

You sort of wished he would’ve slept the whole flight, but half way through Harry wakes just as you’re feeling uncomfortable from the long flight. You’ve already tried to get up and wake around, talking to Clare and Sarah about some cafe they wanted to go to in Paris. But then you found yourself back in your seat, nibbling on your bottom lip while looking at your phone screen. That’s when Harry grumbles, sitting up finally and stretching. 

“Get enough sleep?” you ask, glancing up from your phone to meet his hooded eyes. He had pushed up his sunglasses to rub the sleep from his eyes. 

“I guess,” he mutters. 

“Your Instagram post is getting quite the buzz,” you state. 

“Cool,” 

“Cool,” you mock him, rolling your eyes too. In which Harry returns of course. 

It’s silence between you after that. You’re both focused on your phones, Harry bugs the flight attendant for a drink which you very quickly modify to just be a soda with no sorta of liquor at all. This earns a glare from Harry and some mumbling under his breath. 

Your legs are beginning to feel cramped up again, you seriously hated flights sometimes. When you had to travel longer distances you usually popped a gravel and passed out in order to not fumble around in your seat to get comfortable hours on end. You kick out your heeled black Balenciaga booties out till your toes hit Harry’s seat in front of you, your legs between his spread out legs. That’s not much comfortable though, just as you go to cross your legs Harry reaches down and grabs your ankle. 

“Just rest ‘em here,” he says while placing your boots on his thigh. 

You swallow the lump in your throat and feel your stomach do some kinda twist from the gesture. While Harry’s unfazed by it all, looking out the window of the plane while you cross your ankles on his jean clad thigh. He had the right idea though because you’re the most comfortable you’ve been the whole flight with your feet up. 

“Thanks,” you say with a tight smile. 

“No problem,” 

You look back at your phone, checking your own social medias for once. After people got the fact you worked for One Direction, your following grew an unbelievable amount. This only really meant you needed to hold onto a few media training skills you gave the boys for yourself, watching what you posted and what you said in order to not get backlash from the fans. But there was always backlash. 

“Are you goin’ to teach me any French?” Harry asks suddenly, bringing your gaze back to where he sat. He had rested his arm over your ankles and was hunched forward just a little. Seems that hangover really was fading away. 

“Yeah, I can,” you nod. 

“Just somethin’ simple I can talk to the crowd with,”

You nod again and think of something, anything really, and quick before this small nice gesture of Harry’s vanished behind another scowl. After his theatre tour last year everyone sat down and evaluated the shows. First thing that you brought up was the lack of interaction Harry gave to his fans. Yes, he was a stellar performer and his fans loved him for that but he barely said a sentence every night and it wasn’t going to cut it. Just yesterday Harry mentioned learning different languages and you loved the idea. 

“Bonsoir, Je ma’ppelle Y/N,” you say - you sure did miss speaking French, having learnt in your school days all the way up till your graduated at college.

One corner of Harry’s mouth twitches upwards just a bit before he clears his throat, “one more time,” he says. 

“Bonsoir, Je ma’ppelle Y/N,” you repeat. 

“Bonsoir, Je ma’ppelle Harry,” he echoes. 

“Good,” you smile, yes actually smile at Harry. “Uh, let’s go, J’appends le Francais mais je suis un peu lent.” 

Harry asks for you to repeat it again, the consecrated look on his face is kinda cute. Then he says it, mispronouncing only one word so you repeat it again and then he gets it down. Without you even asking or telling him anything else Harry puts the whole bit together with a small smile upon his lips. It just hits you that he hasn’t even bothered to ask what all of this you’re teaching him means, so of course you decide to poke some fun at him too. 

“Et je suis une douleur dans le cul,” you say, grinning at him now. 

“Et je suis une douleur dans le cul,” Harry repeats. 

Helene, who’s sitting close by, laughs loudly then which causes Harry to furrow his brows together and look her way. Everyone else around her is busy talking, have headphones in or are sleeping so it’s rather obvious she’s laughing at the little prank you’ve pulled on Harry. You two shit talked in French quite often actually. 

“What am I saying?” Harry roars out the question with annoyance in each word. You swear you see Adam jolt up in his seat 

You simply return the hint of anger with a smile, “Good evening, my name is Harry. I’m learning French but I am a little slow. And I’m a pain in the ass,” 

“Funny,” Harry grumbles, crossing his arms at his chest. 

“Thought so,” you smirk. There’s no missing the scowl that’s starting to take over Harry’s face, so you quickly kick out your foot and glare at him. “Don’t start, it was just a joke,” you say. 

Harry narrows his eyes at you but you notice the twitch of his lips again. It’s kinda sweet how he tries to not show you a smile sometimes. You run a hand through your hair, fixing the soft curls while letting out a small sigh. 

“Je suis désolé, s'il vous plait, ne me renvoyez pas,” you say, giving him a toothy smart-ass grin. Helene chuckles again before focusing back on her laptop to edit more photos you’d assume. 

“What’d ya say this time?” Harry asks, still as grumpy as ever. 

“I’m sorry, please don’t fire me,” you smile. 

Harry chuckles, “couldn’t even if I wanted to, love,” he mumbles before looking down at his phone. 

You roll your eyes but there’s still a smile on your lips. He was right. Even if you did something out right stupid, which you never would cause you’re the smart one here, Harry would never fire you. Plus Jeff wouldn’t let him. As you’ve said before, they needed you. Grumpy bugger would only listen to you. 

“‘Kay, minus the last part, speak French to me, Grumpy,” you tease. 

Harry rolls his eyes, “Bonsoir, Je ma’ppelle Harry. J’appends le Francais mais je suis un peu lent,” 

You’re staring, you know you are, but his voice sounds kinda nice. Smooth and still a little husky from his little nap. Harry speaking French was kinda hot. And you’d never admit it aloud. You’d be a damn fool to not find Harry attractive in even the slightest bit, over all these years there’s been certain times when you find yourself feeling drawn to him - but then he acts like a brat and fucks another fan for fun. You were too good for him, and he’d never see you like that anyways. 

“What?” Harry questions your staring, taking a sip of his drink. 

“Nothing,” you shake your head, “let’s add, um, merci d’etre avec nous ce soir. It mean’s thank you for being with us tonight,” 

“One more time,” Harry insists, face screwed up as he tries to remember what you just said to him. It’s kinda cute, his lips mouthing out the words before he says any just to be sure of himself. You repeat yourself one more time like he asked and of course, he’s got it no problem. The fans tonight in Paris were going to love him. Which meant you were doing your job right. 

⏤

Three shots of expresso in your second coffee of the day wasn’t your best decision, at the time of ordering at the cute little cafe with Clare and Sarah you were more concerned about the fact you were nearly falling asleep at the table. But now you had caffeine overdose jitters while walking around backstage. Jeff had you check out a few things with the crew, hand out some PIT tickets to a lovely fan and her family and now you were finally heading back to the dressing room. You shouldn’t be surprised when you open the door and see red wine being passed around, Harry drinking straight from the bottle.

Mitch and his red wine, and Harry and his drinking problem, right? You hold back the eye roll and walk towards the wardrobe rack that had been set up. There’s three options, as there is every night, from Harry Lambert for Harry to chose from. Then it was your job to text Lambert which suit Harry chooses and then he did his Instagram story thing. As you look at the suits, you really hope you can persuade him to wear the other sparkly YSL custom made one. It may be your favourite.

“Oi! M’not shit at ping pong, you are!” Harry barks back at Adam, followed by some laughter thankfully. Wine made Harry a bit more bubbly than some other liquors he enjoyed.

“I suck cause you suck,” Adam counters back.

“Shut up, I’m bettah then you’ll ever be,” Harry says. You do roll your eyes this time. Narcissistic grumpy boy, he was. You quickly make your way towards where he sat between his stupidly expensive Gucci pillows.

“Okay, that’s enough wine now,” you exclaim while stealing the bottle out of his hands.

“What the fuck,” Harry grumbles, turning in order to scowl at you.

You give him a smile before looking to the band, “Grumpy has to get changed, he’ll meet you out there,” you say. The four all stand and leave without a fight, Mitch taking the bottle of red with him as you hand it his way.

“You’re a buzz kill, anyone tell ya that before?” Harry quips, standing from his seat once the others are gone.

“Actually, you have, several times. Mostly after I kick your little whores out,”

Harry simply glares at you in return. Your expresso fuelled energy kicks in again as you rack your hand over the few suits for him to pick from. You immediately grab the hanger that holds the custom YSL.

“I think you should wear this,” you propose, smiling as you hold out the suit for Harry to take. He gives it a once over look, then does the same thing to you which causes your eyes to narrow.

“And why should I take fashion advice from you? You’re literally wearin’ a jumper and jeans,” he says.

“First of all, my shoes cost as much as my monthly rent. Second off, this sweater is your tour merchandise. And lastly these jeans make my ass look amazing thank you very much,” you counter back defensively with a snarl on your lips.

Harry smirks, “wouldn’t be able to tell if your ass looks good or not, love, you’re practically swimming in that jumper. You look bloody ridiculous,”

“I like to be comfortable, get over it and wear this god damn suit,” you growl and shove the suit at Harry. He’s quit to grab the garment before it hits the floor, raising a brow at you before you stomp off and sit on the sofa. Even though the pillows cost way too much, they were sort of comfortable. You bring your legs up on the sofa, tucking them to your chest while you lay your head on the pillow. Queue the start of your caffeine crash. Your fingers toy with the fringe along the pillow as you fight to keep your eyes open while waiting for Harry to change.

You must’ve nodded off for a few minutes, waking to Harry’s gently nudging you. Opening your eyes, you are met with so much sparkle it almost blinds you. But it makes you give a lopsided lazy smile, you were right Harry looked amazing in the suit. 

“Good choice,” you say. 

“Thanks, made it myself,” he jokes with a smug look. You roll your eye and lay your head down again. “Before you fall back asleep, can you go over the French again, I don’t really want to make a fool of myself out there,”  

“M’not going to fall asleep, just resting my eyes,” you say, followed by a yawn. 

“Right,” Harry drones. You smile while shutting your eyes. Suddenly you feel Harry’s large hands grasping ahold of your calves, lifting them before the sofa sinks under his weight and he brings your legs to rest across your lap for the second time today. 

“Ton costume a l'air très joli. Et votre français est bien,” you say sleepily. 

“Merci?”

“You’re welcome, Grumpy,” you smile. “Okay.. Bonsoir, Je ma’ppelle Harry. J’appends le Francais mais je suis un peu lent. Merci d’etre avec nous ce soir,” 

There’s silence from Harry. You’re almost too tired to open your eyes and see wether he had fallen asleep himself or maybe he was looking at his phone distracted again. Peeking one eye open, you see it’s nether. Harry’s looking at you, while his fingers are toying with the frays along the bottom of your jeans. You close your eyes again, wiggling your hips further into the couch for comfort. 

“Need me to repeat myself?” you ask, as smug as he had been before. 

“Uh, yeah,” Harry says and clears his throat, stilling picking at your fraying jeans. You fight back the smile and say the few sentences in French again. In order to keep from the caffeine crash you kept talking to Harry, trying to perfect the articulation of his words to the best you can. 

Then it was almost show time. You’re up, yawning the whole way through, and doing your job. From the dressing room to backstage, you can hear the fans singing along to the tunes as you follow behind Harry. Just as he gets to the stairs, he catches your gaze. You immediately notice he’s got a bit of a scowl on his face since someone mentioned the opening act running a little late. So you lift your pointer fingers to the corners of your mouth while showing him a big smile. Harry rolls his eyes but you can’t miss the fact his scowl is gone and there’s a hint of a smile on his lips now.

Like the show prior, you and Jeff stand off to ‘stage right’ to watch from the sidelines. Just before the lights go down and the rubix cube visuals cause a stir from the arena, you notice Harry mouthing the French you two had been working on backstage. Your lips curl up into a smile before you bring your to-go cup of tea to have another sip. Then the screen rises, the whole arena erupts in high pitched screams, and the band starts playing Only Angel. Your head bobbing along to the beat as Harry belts out the lyrics with all his might, performing had always been his favourite. Suppose your job wasn’t all that bad.

It doesn’t surprise you when you head backstage to the dressing room again half way through the show. You had yawned so much that Jeff told you to go nap till the show was over. So you did, sleeping till Helene is shaking you awake saying it’s about time to make the mad dash from the arena. 

⏤

“I’ll get a coffee please,” you say, smiling at the waiter before he nods and walks off. 

“It’s like 8 in the evening,” Sarah states from across the table. She, Clare, Helene and yourself had decided to have a late dinner at the restaurant in your hotel in Stockholm. 

“I have to stay up late, prepare for some upcoming promotion things and reviews of the last week of shows,” you explain, “plus Harry wants a new sofa bought for his LA home by the end of this week so I’m trying to do that while in a different country,” 

“A new sofa?” Clare asks, brows pulled together. 

“I don’t ask questions anymore,” you sigh, shrugging your shoulders just as your waiter returns then with everyone drinks. You’re thankful he brings a small plate with sugars and creams too, black coffee seriously sucked. After stirring your coffee, you take a long sip and hum contently. A nice little dinner in Stockholm was exactly what you needed after this long first week of tour. You thought after all these years touring and traveling along side Harry you’d be used to it, but you are already struggling it seems. 

The four of you girls are having fun chatting about the shows and the fans and all the places you’ve seen thus far. The three of them get a big more time to look around each city than you do - you’re always busy cleaning up Harry’s mess of alcoholic issues from city to city. Last night it was literally cleaning up the wine bottles from the dressing room before the flight left from Antwerp to Stockholm. Harry and the guys took advantage of the extra time at the arena to get drunk before the redeye flight. The night ended with you muttering things under your breath, Harry scowling, and you tossing red solo cups and empty bottles into the garbage as everyone else left. 

This morning you didn’t even bother to check up on him. Wether he drank himself to sleep again or somehow got another girl into his room in the middle of the night, you didn’t care. He was rude last night and you needed a day off before the show tomorrow.

“Is that Harry?” Helene questions, pointing her fork in the direction of the bar. You chew another bite of your meal and glance the way she’s gesturing to.

She’s right, of course she is. Harry’s leaning towards another blonde with long legs while seated at the bar. The blonde is loving the smirk Harry’s got across his face, throwing her head back with laughter at whatever he had said - you bet it wasn’t even that funny. You roll your eyes and set down your coffee after having a long sip.

“I’m not doing this again tonight,” you grit through your teeth, “if one of you pays for my meal I’ll transfer you some money later, I need to do my job it seems,” you sigh and get up from the table as all the girls wish you luck. This wasn’t about to be an easy one.

You approach the bar from behind Harry, glaring at the blonde as her dark eyes meet yours. She immediately stands up straight and widens her eyes, seems you’ve scared her a bit. This brings a smug look to your lips, just as Harry turns around to glance over his shoulder and see you. You decided you wanted to spice this one up a little, so you snake your hand across his should blades and bring yourself into Harry’s side which causes him to sit up a bit and look at you with confusion clear as day.

“Can’t leave you along for too long now can I, baby?” You ask, smirking while Harry’s eyes narrow as he catches onto your little plan. You glance back to the blonde, “he’s just too polite somedays, I swear, was he offering to pay for your drinks? What an angel he is,” you give her a tight smile.

“Something like that,” the Swedish accent is thick as the girl answers you.

“What? What was happening here, sweetie?” You fake gasp, fingers digging into Harry’s neck as you look his way. He’s got that lovely snarl ready to go. “Were you going to cheat on me? You dirty bastard, how dare you, I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you!” You whisper shout every word so it’s just heard by Harry and the blonde. Harry’s eyes somehow narrow even more into slits. But you can’t miss the tugging of his lips again, seems he’s entertained at least.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know-“

“It’s fine,” you snap back at her. “We’re leaving now,” you say to Harry while pulling him from the bar stool. Harry huffs, opening his mouth to protest but you’re quick to shut him up again. “Don’t you dare try and talk you’re way out of this,” you say dramatically, taking his hand and dragging him towards the doors back into the hotel lobby.

Harry lets out a low chuckle as the two of you get to the elevator, you lean over to push the button and wait. You glance his way and surprised by the fact he’s not scowling at you. Harry’s grinning, yeah it’s a weird sight to behold - he only really let out a grin while on stage cause he loved that bit of his job enough. Or when Anne was around, but never would he actually grin at you.

“What?” you question, eyes narrowed.

“M’starin’ to think,” he pauses as the elevator doors open and the both of you step inside, “that you’re acting out of jealousy, love,” he finishes with that same grin.

A loud laugh, right from your gut, erupts through the elevator. You hold your stomach, throwing your head back for good measure too. Finally you turn to look at Harry again and see he’s got that scowl back on thank goodness. You give him a smile, reaching over to touch his cheek giving it a quick tap before dropping your hand back to your side again.

“You’re a funny one, Harry Styles,” you say. The elevator doors open up at the floor both your rooms were on. “Now, order in some food and watch some shitty TV show, just don’t make my job harder please,” you breathe out.

“Is that what you’re doing?”

“That and ordering your new stupid sofa,” you answer.

“Mind if I, uh, join you?” Harry coughs, seeming to struggle with asking if he could hangout with you.

You chuckle under your breath, “yeah, sure, that way I don’t pick out a sofa and order it and then you decide you don’t like it and I have to return it and then order a new one all while on the other side of the world,” you ramble out.

“You’ve known me for years, I’m sure you would’ve made a great choice by yourself,” Harry says. 

You shrug, taking out your hotel room key and sliding it through till the door opens for the two of you to walk through. Immediately all you want to do it change back into the extra large tour sweater, some sleep shorts and get more comfortable. If it was acceptable, you would wear leggings and oversized sweaters everywhere - but you knew going to a restaurant meant you should wear a cute top and some jeans.

“Feel free to get comfortable, order some room service too but just know it will be charged on your card not mine,” you tell Harry while gathering your few items of clothing you were going to get changed into.

“M’kay,” Harry hums and you walk into the bathroom to get changed and use the toilet too. To be completely honest, you’re taking your time, even going to the length of brushing your hair since you had the time to. Harry could entertain himself, you heard the TV on already and then just as you’re opening the bathroom door you see he’s answering the door for the room service. First thing you notice is the bottle of red wine on the cart.

“Can’t go a day without something to drink now?” you question once the door is closed, rolling your eyes at Harry as he reaches for the wine first.

“Do you ever just relax and have a drink?” Harry asks, raising a brow while taking a seat on one side of the bed. Of course he sits on the side you would’ve liked.

“Yes,” you mumble. 

Harry seems to take that as his right to pour you as glass. It doesn’t surprise you when his is a bit more full than yours, giving him a look while taking the glass from his hands and having a seat on the other side of the bed. The TV has some weird local show on, looked like some crappy reality TV show but you didn’t have much time to care. You take a small sip of the wine and place the glass on the bedside table to your right. 

“Mind passing me my laptop, please,” 

Harry nods, swallowing a rather large sip of his wine before leaning over and grabbing your laptop that was sitting upon the other bedside table. You open it up and log in while Harry begins to eat and steak and chips he ordered for himself. Just as you open up some emails and the online order for the couch, you reach over and steal a chip. 

“Hey!” Harry shouts. You chuckle and chew it up with a smile. 

“Okay, you mentioned a dark fabric sofa but I think a white one would look much better with the interior design you have going back in your LA home,” you explain, clicking a few tabs open to show him the options you had found. 

“I like that one,” Harry comments, touching your screen with his dirty fingers as he leans over and looks at the sofas. 

“Me too,” you nod. 

It was an ‘older fashion’ compared to the other more modern ones you had chosen for him to pick from. It was sort of funny, you were thinking of ordering the matching chair to the sofa he had picked for your own apartment - too bad your current apartment was small and crowded and so not your favourite. It was about time you started looking for a new place actually. Suppose it would have to wait till after the tour. 

The two of you sit in your bed, chatting about how Harry felt the last few shows had went. You had noticed he was a bit more cheery with his fans, which was something you gave him praise for. Harry finishes the bottle of wine before you even get a second glass, it doesn’t entirely surprise you. But what does surprise you is how much you’re actually enjoying hanging out with Harry. 

“You know the fans are going to go nuts for Stockholm Syndrome tomorrow night,” you say. 

“Should I tease them a little bit? Say we’re goin’ to sing a different song, tell ‘em we forgot the cords,” Harry smiles. 

“Oh God, they’d lose their minds,” you chuckle and sit up again while adjusting the laptop in your lap. 

“They’d have my arse I think,” Harry says, bringing the last of his red wine to his stained lips, “maybe I’ll put the blame on you, point out where you’re standing so they attack you and not me,” 

“You’re fans adore me, they’d never believe your crap,” 

“You’re right,” Harry sighs, “they do really like you,” 

“They haven’t always,” 

“God, remember when that whole drama with you and I dating,” Harry laughs. 

You chuckle, “then there was literal magazine spreads about me seeing Zayn behind your back. God, every media outlet was running with some wild ideas, then I finally told the manager to suck it and tweeted about it all,” 

“You almost got fired,” Harry recalls. 

“And yet, here I am,” you say. Harry smiles too, nodding his head before finishing off his wine completely. 

“You’re welcome,” Harry smirks. “I went to Modest and told them if they fired you I’d be more of a public mess than usual,” 

“Oh, my drunk knight in shining Gucci,” you joke, causing the both of you to erupt into a fit of laughter. Harry’s holding his stomach with both hands, eyes crinkled tight as he howls away in laughter. You quite literally have to wipe away tears that formed at your eyes. It wasn’t really that funny, but it was most definitely one of those ‘i’m laughing harder cause you’re laughing harder’. And to be completely honest, you really liked Harry’s laugh. 

Once you two finally stop laughing, you continue to talk a bit more about the tour. You inform him how much the fans want Medicine and Anna to be released, Harry just kinda shrugs but has a smug look on his face as he leans back on the headboard of your hotel bed. After a few more moments, you start to realize Harry’s mumbling his responses a bit. Glancing over, you see his eyelids shut. 

“Harry, maybe it’s time you went to your room,” you say softly. 

“Yeah,” he hums. 

Harry reached into his left front pocket of his trousers first. Then into his right front pocket. You look away from your phone to see he’s got a frown on his face while lifting his hips and searching both his back pockets, pulling out his wallet to check it too. When he curses under his breath, you sigh and drop your phone onto your lap. 

“I don’t have my room key,” he states. 

“It’s too late, the front desk is closed already,” you exclaim, glancing at the red numbers reading it was well past midnight - seems time slipped by your two while you go chatting. 

“Uh-”

“Just stay here tonight, it’s fine,” you cut him off, sighing while getting out of the bed. You’re facing away from him, towards the open curtains of your room that shows the night lights of downtown Stockholm, and reach up to stretch out your back after being hunched over looking at your laptop so much. As a cool breeze hits the back of your thighs, you realize the sweater hiked up a bit more than you would’ve liked to - there was no doubt Harry was enjoying the little show he had gotten. You bring your arms back down quick and walk over to the bathroom. 

After you’re done brushing your teeth and washing your face of any makeup left from today, you stare at your reflection in the mirror for a moment while deep in thought. Harry actually wasn’t half bad tonight. Barely any rude comments and you managed to bring bad a smile anytime his bad attitude showed up. Now tonight you’d grab the small extra blanket and keep your distance while he slept beside you. Easy, right...

Suddenly there’s a knock on the bathroom door, followed by Harry, “are you almost done in there?” he asks, his voice surprisingly not bothered at all. You open the door and reveal him leaning against the frame, eyes flickering back up from the floor to meet your eyes. Queue the twist and turns in your stomach. 

“There’s an extra tooth brush in the drawer, I believe,” you say. 

“Okay, thanks,” Harry nods. You smile, walk passed him and get into bed.

Why were you so nervous all of a sudden? It was just Harry. Who was kinda your boss and was the biggest man whore you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. You let out a deep breath and bring the blankets up to your chin. Maybe if you got all comfy and tried to fall asleep before Harry got back to the bed it’d be easier to ignore the fact he was here all together. Or maybe you could actually act your age and not like some virgin school girl. 

Harry exits the bathroom, turning off the lights as he walks by so it’s just the lamp lit up now. Your stomach does another twist as the bed sinks under his weight after a few moments. Then the blanket is being yanked away, torn from your hands till it’s just barely over your torso. 

“Hey,” you grumble. 

“Don’t tell me you’re a bloody blanket hog,” Harry scolds. You roll your eyes and turn your head to look his way, seeing him snuggled right up under the blanket. 

“M’not a bloody blanket hog,” you state, “but you sure are,” you add under your breath. Harry lets out the blanket enough for you to cover up your body. 

“No, m’not,” Harry argues back. 

“Goodnight, Grumpy,” you mutter back, too tired to fight with him. Seems his bad attitude was back just in time. You turn your back to him and close your eyes, hearing the sound of him turning off the lamp. Harry turns in the bed, not touching you though, a handful of times before he’s letting out a soft chuckle. 

“What?” you question. You know he’s smirking or something, you just know it. 

“Just trying to remember the last time I shared a bed with a woman and hadn’t fucked her,” he exclaims. You roll your eyes, glancing at the clock quick to distract you from any other thoughts that popped into your head.

“Such a romantic,” you say. 

“Shut up,” Harry grunts. 

“Grumpy,” you mutter under your breath. 

Then you both go quiet again and thankfully it doesn’t take too much time before you’re fast asleep. But then you’re dreaming. Vividly actually. You’re in the dressing room, laying on the sofa with your eyes closed and at first you seem like you’re trying to sleep. But then your lips part, a small whimper falling from your throat and your fists gasp onto the first thing they can as the sensational feeling runs through your veins. Your fists find someones hair, thick and soft to your touch. You feel someones warm tongue between your slick folds, lapping at your wetness and flicking over your sensitive clit over and over again.

“Oh, God, yes,” you moan aloud, gripping at their hair some more as your body arches into their touch. 

“Not God, love, close though,” their deep voice vibrates against your sex. Your eyes spring open at the sound of his voice - Harry’s voice. Looking down you see it’s his brown curly locks in your hands and his face between your legs. His green eyes meet yours, lips curling up into a smirk before he dips back down to rapidly lap at your wetness again. 

He sure does know what he’s doing. Tongue moving quick till your body arches off the sofa again and your moans echo off the walls of the dressing room. It feels so good. Maybe even too good. Harry abruptly stokes a finger at your entrance. Not moving for a moment before his finger plunges into you, causing a high pitched gasp to fall from your lips. He’s not starting off gentle, he is slamming his finger into you right till the cool feel of his ring touches your skin. You’re almost blown away by his attention to your clit while fingering you. It’s bringing you closer and close to a release. 

“Keep going, please, please- Harry,” you beg with your eyes screwed shut. Your stomach bubbles before your legs begin to shudder, the wetness between them gets worse with your release. 

You’re body melts into the sofa after the orgasm stops. Then your eyes open open once again as you feel Harry move over top of you. His green ones are full of lust, lips in a smug look before his lips wrap around his finger that is slick with your cum. There’s no denying how fucking sexy it is though, the way he groans afterwards causes your stomach to flutter. 

“Always knew you’d taste so sweet,” Harry purrs before leaning down to latch his lips to yours. 

But just before he can kiss you, your eyes flutter open from the sunlight hitting them just right. You squint, bringing an arm up to block the morning sun, then just as your about to turn away you realize you can’t exactly. There’s a heavy arm draped over your waist, hand curled into your sweater so tight you really can’t move. Your eyes widen, unaware of when Harry had gotten so close during the night. 

“Holy fuck, your feet are freezing,” Harry utters suddenly. His voice hoarse as he’s just waking up. You then realize that his bare legs are against yours, your ankles tangled together. 

“Where did your damn trousers go?” you question a little more harsh than necessary. Harry rolls his eyes and brings his arm back to his side. 

“You’re not wearing any either,” he mutters. 

“Whatever,” you say. Just then, as you move your legs away from his, you realize how wet you are between your thighs. You swallow hard and are quick to jump out of the bed. “I’m showering,” you state before quickly making your way into the bathroom and swiftly closing the door behind you before Harry could utter another word. 

The water is hot, nearly burning your skin as you stand under the stream entirely too long. You’ve washed your hair and was just standing there now, thinking about the dream you had. The way his mouth felt against your sex, the warm breath from his nostrils while his tongue did magic you swore. If that was a dream, you couldn’t imagine what the real damn thing had you feeling like. You jerk as your own hand makes contact between your thighs. You can’t help it, the mere thought of your dream has you itching to be touched. Thankfully you know your body well, and there’s this one spot on your clit that if you have just a bit of pressure and rub circles frantically you...

Not any longer than a minute later and you’re coming undone. Your bud sensitive to your own touch so quickly that you have to slip your hand away before your knees buckle and you’re falling in the shower. Knowing you’re taking much too long, you quickly wash your body with your lavender soap and turn off the water before stepping out of the shower. 

You’ve got the white fluffy towel wrapped tightly around your body after you dried yourself off a bit. Staring into the steamed up mirror, you are shaking your head at yourself. There wasn’t going to be a real thing. Harry wasn’t ever going to touch you like that. And you shouldn’t be standing here wishing he would. 

“Shit,” you curse under your breath as you realize you had rushed into the bathroom so fast you didn’t grab any clean clothes. 

There was no way you were going to step back into your dirty clothes and defeating the whole purpose of you having a shower to begin with. So you took a deep breath, pushed back whatever stupid nerves you had about Harry being in your room still, and walked out of the bathroom. 

“Yeh really couldn’t shut the curtains-” Harry’s words get lost in his throat as he sits up in bed and sees you standing there in a towel. His eyes are wide for only a second before he’s smugness takes over. “Forget ya clothes, love?” he asks, in which you instantly roll your eyes at him. 

“No, I was going for a new look,” you joke, turning around to open your suitcase that’s sitting on top of the dresser. 

“Well,” Harry pauses, “I quite like the new look then,”��

You have the white t-shirt you’re planning to wear in your hands, clenching the fabric as you literally have to pause and inhale deeply while your thoughts go off again. Swallowing back the lump in your throat, you make sure you’re got underwear and a bra before reaching for some black jeans. You were running out of clothes already it seems, and you seriously hated doing laundry. 

“Get up, we’ve got to head to the arena soon and I’m starving,” you order before holding your towel with one hand and your clothes in the other. Harry’s eyes dart to the items in your hand, but you’re moving too fast into the bathroom again. 

You hope that Harry’s up and going as you finish getting ready, putting on some perfume just before you hear someone pounding on your hotel room door. Your brows furrow together in confusion. Who in the world could be knocking on your door this early in the morning? Well, besides someone from the crew but with such urgency? You open the bathroom door when you hear Harry answer the room door. 

“What the-”

“God, no, it’s not like that!” You shout immediately as you met Jeff’s narrowed eyes. 

“Please explain to me why he’s standing here in his underwear, and you’re getting out of the shower,” Jeff fumes at the both of you, stepping inside of your room to shut the hotel room door behind him for privacy. You see Harry roll his eyes then he steps back and walks away from the situation entirely. 

“We were just hanging out last night talking work stuff, it got late, and then Harry realized he lost his room key and the front desk was already closed for the night,” you explained, “he slept here, on the other side of the bed,” you add, peering back over your shoulder to see Harry jumping into his trousers. Harry’s gaze meets yours, eyebrows lifted as you tell Jeff a slight lie. 

“Right,” Jeff says. 

“It’s the truth, Jeff, don’t really care if you believe it or not,” Harry huffs and walks up towards the two of you. “I’m bloody starving, can we go eat now,”

Harry doesn’t wait for either of you two to answer, reaching for the door handle and ripping open the door to walk out of the room. Seems Grumpy was bad in full force this morning. You sigh, giving Jeff one last look, before grabbing your purse and room key from the small desk and walking out of your room with Jeff behind you. 

“Get his new room key before we leave for the arena,” Jeff says just as you two are approaching Grumpy who’s staring at his phone waiting for the elevator. 

“Yes, of course, had planned on it,” you mutter out. The three of you step into the elevator then as it arrives.

Harry looks up and catches your gaze. You’re tongue sticks out to quickly wet your slightly chapped lips - noting you have to stop into a close by shop and buy some chapstick. Maybe Harry needs some too. You can’t help as the thought crosses your mind and your eyes fall down to look at his lips. It only takes a second before they’re curling upwards just a bit into a smirk. You look back up and meet his gaze, glaring at him as he keeps the smug look upon his face. What was even happening between you two? All you did was share a bed last night and now you’re looking at his damn lips, ugh. 

⏤

“Wow that looks unreal,” you say in awe while looking at your phone screen. 

“I can’t even describe the big this crowd is, Y/N, like I can’t see the end of it,” your friend, Miles, tells you as he lifts his phone up again and shows you the sea of people in DC. You’re in utter awe of it all, jealous of your good friend as he gets to be such a part of history in this March for Our Lives back in DC. 

“I wish I was there,” you groan dramatically while bringing the phone close to your mouth. Miles chuckles, showing his face once more. “Also I seriously miss you,” you add with a smile. 

“I miss you too, you’ve been away for like way too long,” he says. 

“I know, and I won’t be back in LA till after Ireland and that’s in like a month,” you pout your lips. Miles mirrors your pout before his gaze switches to the crowd around him again. “You’re vlogging this right? Cause I need to see this footage,” you say. 

“Of course I am, this is going to make a great video with an even better message,” 

“All your vids have a great message, Miles,” you smile. 

“Thanks,” he grins before flipping the camera back around to the crowd as they start up another chant. You actually got chills, way over here in Germany.

“Y/N-” you turn at the sound of Harry’s voice, seeing him enter the dressing room. He’s still got an hour till showtime, which he’s spent with Jeff doing something you can’t exactly remember right now. Harry’s brows furrow at the sight of you FaceTiming someone. He walks up behind where you sat on the sofa and peers at the screen. “Is that DC?” he asks. 

“Yup,” you nod, watching him as he stares at the screen. 

“That’s unreal,” Harry breathes out, repeating the same words you had just said. 

“Miles, say hi to Harry,” you say to your friend. Miles stutters on a word before the camera is being flipped and you see his bright wide eyes. Sure, all your friends were aware that you worked for Harry Styles but that didn’t mean they were cool with the fact. Didn’t matter how much you bitched about his bad attitude, your friends were all swooning over him just like the rest of the world. 

“Harry, hey, wow, uh congratulations of the tour and the year you’ve had man,” Miles beams. He honestly looks so cute through the grainy phone, he’s got you smiling - while Harry’s straight faced and gives him one nod. 

“Thanks, and congrats on being apart of history,” Harry says. 

“Wow, thanks, yeah it’s great here,” Miles replies. 

Harry turns to look at you now, which makes you look his way too, “hang up your phone and let’s actually get to work,” he grumbles and walks off towards the three suits for tonight. 

“Sorry about that,” you say closer to the phone while rolling yours eyes. 

“It’s fine, cool actually,” Miles says.

“I have to go now, but keep filming and send me some footage later when you get the chance,” you smile. Miles says his goodbyes and you’re ending the call sadly before standing from the sofa. 

Harry’s scowling at the suits, shoving them around roughly and barely looking at them it seems. Or else he’d notice how great the red Givenchy suit with the black shirt with white embellishments on either side of the buttons really truly was. You had actually forgotten about it, it had been an option in Paris earlier this month but you were so in love with the sparkly YSL suit to even care. But now, this red suit was everything. 

“Miles your boyfriend?” Harry asks all of a sudden. 

Your head snaps up, looking at him with your brows pulled together. Harry only asks you maybe once a year if you were still single or not. But never had it sounded so... jealous? Or were you actually going crazy after that stupid sex dream. 

“Miles is my friend,” you answer, “what suit are you leaning towards?” you ask, clearing your throat. 

“Uh, the red one,” he says while grabbing the hanger off the rack. 

“Good, I like that one,” 

“Should I go for the white boots too?” Harry asks, his voice more soft than before. You smile and bend down to pick them up, admiring the Givenchy boots that weren’t even on the runway yet - cause that’s the power Harry has in the fashion world nowadays. You remember when his tour wardrobe consisted of black jeans and black t-shirts to match. “What’re yeh grinning at?” Harry asks, eyebrows furrowed while his own lips twitched upwards. 

“Just thinkin’ about your outfits for the Take Me Home tour. I wasn’t really around for wardrobe bits involving you, but I packed a lot of it up I remember,” you explain. 

“You weren’t really ‘round much back then, kinda hid out from the boys and I,” Harry states while he focuses on taking the suit off the hanger. You smile and take the metal wire from him as he hands it your way. 

“I’ve changed since then, was a bit more nervous, didn’t really understand all this stuff,” you admit. 

“And now you’re a boss at it all,” Harry says, smiling a little while unbuttoning the shirt he currently had on. 

“Someone has to tell your ass off,” 

Harry doesn’t respond or chuckle, which causes you to glance away from the wardrobe rack and to him. He’s staring at you, lips still tugging just slightly upwards, and he’s shirtless now. It’s a sight to behold really. The strange tattoos and the bit of chest hair he’s got. And his tummy, it’s actually kinda cute. But then there’s the v line and the trail of hair that makes your head all kinds of dizzy. You find yourself checking Harry out, snapping yourself out of it before he can make some snide comment. You’re rather surprised he’s not, and there’s no smirk on his lips either as you look at his face. He’s licking his lips, eyes roaming your body. Unlike your usual outfits, you’re dressing in your best pair of black jeans - showing off your ass of course, and a rather tight ‘March for Our Lives’ shirt because Sarah wanted the slightly bigger size and the small fit you fine. Overall, you weren’t going to downplay yourself cause you looked pretty good. 

“You’re the only person I’d let tell my ass off,” Harry states, eyes finding yours once more. You’re blushing, you have to be, while the palm of your hands are getting sweaty too. 

“What are you ever going to do without me?” you question, humming afterwards while giving Harry a smile. 

He chuckles, slipping his arms into the black Givenchy shirt. As he’s buttoning it up, you find your eyes trailing each movement and that’s your queue to walk away. You make your way to the sofa once more, grabbing your tea that you had forgotten about and taking a sip to find it’s cold. You frown at the styrofoam cup and huff while taking a seat on the sofa. 

While waiting for Harry to get ready, you sit there and overthink - as per usual. Ever since Stockholm things have been a little bit different between yourself and Harry. He’s been a bit more chirpy than usual. Happier maybe? But definitely still as Grumpy as ever. Like the shameless looking that had just taken place, there’s been more questionable things and motions happening. He’s let up his flirtatious side with you a little, but still giving you a bit of attitude after to make it less awkward you suppose. And the sex dreams, well of course those haven’t gone away. Just last night you dreamt of Harry fucking you in that hotel bed in Stockholm. The dirty thoughts cause you to shake your head just as Harry sits down next to you on the sofa. 

“Tell Lambert what suit I’m wearing?” Harry asks. 

“Yep,” you nod. 

“Gonna watch the show tonight or nap again?” Harry questions, leaning back into the sofa and throwing both his arms across the back of the sofa. 

“Did you want me to watch the show?” 

Harry keeps his lips tight, looking at the small coffee table before they flicker over to meet yours. There’s something different about his look, something a bit softer and more welcoming than other times. You give him a small smile and lean your head back against the sofa - to be honest, you could use a nap after last nights late night with the girls here in Germany. To sum it up, Clare could handle more beer than you thought she could but you could out drink them all. 

“I mean, I like having everyone out there supporting me,” Harry shrugs, “but if you need some sleep, just come see me off and watch Only Angel. I know it’s your favourite,” he says. 

“I’m really starting to love The Chain,”  you state.

“Then come back for The Chain,” Harry shrugs.

You smile, “have I ever told you how much my dad loves Fleetwood Mac? He wanted to marry Stevie for the longest time, even after he married my mom,” you say, chuckling afterwards at the memory.

“So you grew up listening to them?”

“Yup, and The Eagles a lot too,”

“Me too, my dad quite liked them both,” Harry states. You hum out in response, smiling at the fact you two were talking about someone other than work. Harry turns his head, matching how you were leaning back against the sofa. “Could you imagine, Stevie Nicks being your mum?” He says.

“She basically is your second mum!” You chuckle, reaching over to smack his arm lightly. “I’m still not over meeting her twice last year, she even remembered me the second time it was crazy,”

“Why wouldn’t she remember you?” Harry questions. You can feel there’s more he wants to say, it’s almost like you can see the wheels in his head moving as he licks his lips. Just then someone’s knocking on the door, Jeff opens it up and pops his head in. You make the move to get up first as you already knew it was close to show time. And Harry’s plan wasn’t so bad, you’d walk down to ‘stage right’ enjoy Only Angel and maybe Woman and then come back till the end of the show. 

“Hey,” you call out to Harry right before he’s stepping to the stairs to get on stage. He turns back around and meets your gaze. “Have fun out there, and keep up with the birthday thing they’re eating that right up,” you tell him with a smile. Harry mirrors your small smile and nods as you reach out and fix his suit jacket. “Break a leg,” you add before shooing him off. 

No one could wipe that grin off Harry’s face even if you tried. The moment Only Angel starts up, Harry’s prancing around the stage and hyping up the crowd like always. You can’t help but smile as you watch him, singing along yourself and swaying you hips to the beat - no matter how many times you watched this show, you’d always enjoy it. 

“He seems more cheery tonight,” Jeff says, leaning towards you in order to not completely shout over the music. 

“Yeah, I noticed that too,” you agree. 

“Look, I don’t know what you’re doing but keep doing it,” 

“I don’t know what I’m doing either,” you shrug. And it was the complete truth. Sure one night you two shared a bed, and things have been less snappy between you both since then, but otherwise you aren’t entirely sure it’s because of you that Harry’s been less of an ass lately. But hey, you’ll take the credit if it means you’re in Jeff’s good books again. 

⏤

Spain was hot. And you weren’t exactly feeling the best either, so the heat wasn’t doing you any good. You typically loved the summer time and the sun on your skin, it was nice. But not when you had this dumb flu that has been making your head pound and your nose run for the past 24 hours now. Through the years of touring with One Direction, you knew it was best to just lay in bed and sleep away the sickness. Too bad Harry had a different idea. 

“Get out of bed,” he grunts. 

“How the hell did you get into my room?” you ask, brows wound tight as you peer over your blanket to see him standing at the foot of your bed with his arms crossed. 

“Told the front desk I needed a key,” he shrugs. 

“Abusing your power I see,” you mumble before bringing the blanket back over your head in hopes Harry would get the idea and leave. But of course, he doesn’t. Instead he tugs on the blanket and you have to keep a death grip with both of your hands in order to keep yourself covered. “I’m only in a sports bra, prick,” you snarl at him. 

“Got no pants on, huh? Sleep naked when you’re not sharing a bed?” Harry questions you, smirking of course. 

“No, you idiot, I’m wearing shorts too,” 

“This is besides the point, get out of bed,” Harry orders you again. 

“No,” 

“Now, come on,” Harry tries again. 

“No, seriously, go away,” you bark at him. Harry tugs the blanket again and you really want to scream at him but you’re not feeling up to it honestly. You sigh and lay there on your back, not even caring about the fact Harry’s seeing you in your sports bra right now - it was like a bathing suit, right? 

“Funny,” Harry snorts, you turn your head and see him smiling, “the roles are reversed for once,” he states. 

“At least there’s not a strange man in my bed you have to deal with too,” you say, rolling your eyes while sitting up and throwing your legs over the side of the mattress till your feet hit the ground. Harry doesn’t respond, just chews at his bottom lip like he’s in thought or something. You sniffle and end up laying back down on the mattress while pouting. 

“Almost made it,” Harry sighs. 

“M’sick, what else can you expect from me?” 

“I expect that you’re willing to push through it since we’re all getting out of the hotel and doing something today,” Harry exclaims. You let out a long groan, rolling over to grab a tissue and blow your nose. “Cute,” Harry mumbles. 

“Shut up,” you say while sitting back up again. 

“Now look who’s the grumpy one,” Harry snickers. You roll your eyes and stand up, walking passed him to get to where your suitcase was laying open. Harry turns around, watching you as you’re trying to find something acceptable to wear out in this heat. 

“You,” you sigh, “you’re always going to be Grumpy,” 

“Meh, today’s been an alright day. Woke up earlier than I needed to, went down and got breakfast with Mitch and Adam, and then the others joined us and Jeff told me about this art museum here,” Harry explains his morning thus far to you. It’s honestly rather surprising, you couldn’t recall the last time Harry had been up before you and even had breakfast with any of the band. You furrow your brows and turn back around, leaning against the dresser while crossing your arms at your chest. He has taken a seat upon your unmade bed now, still watching you.

“You didn’t drink last night? Didn’t have any whores here in Barcelona?” You question him. 

Harry shakes his head, “only had some wine with Sarah and Mitch in their room, watched a rom com, and then went to sleep in my own bed,” 

“Are you becoming a changed man, Grumpy?” you tease. 

This earns you an eye roll from Harry right away. You only snicker under your breath and turn back around to grab the thin black tank top that you’d plan to wear with some high wasted jean shorts and some sneakers. Hopefully you wouldn’t die out in the heat with this outfit. 

“Okay, get out, I need to change,” you say, shooing at Harry but he doesn’t move an inch - only give you a bigger smirk than before. 

“What, no show today? Quite like the towel bit,” he jokes. 

“Yeah, you’re definitely not a changed man,” you mumble to yourself mostly. But Harry hears you and scowls. “Seriously, I’ll text whoever and meet you all downstairs,” 

“You know I have a key right, I’ll come right back in so don’t even think about layin’ back down,” 

“Yeah, speaking of, give me the room card,” you order him, flipping your hand palm up for him to give you the key. Harry only smirks again, digging into his front pocket and handing you the key. “I won’t go back to sleep, I might travel with a handful of tissues but you’ve got me up now, congrats,” 

“Grumpy,” Harry chuckles before walking out of your room finally.

Barcelona was beautiful. You had been here twice before while touring with One Direction actually, but had never really gotten the chance to look around the city itself. Now, as you stood outside under the sun and looked up at the art installation you were really glad Harry had gotten you up this morning. You sniffle some more, walking up beside Clare as you take in more of the museum. She’s telling you about the night she and Helene had last night, making sure she tells you a million times how much you were missed though. But you assure her you had a good night sleep. 

“Oh there’s some fans,” Clare says just above a whisper. You look up from the ground and see she’s right. There’s a handful of them all standing together waiting for Harry, who’s walking just in front of you with two bodyguards by his side. 

“Let’s hope this doesn’t go wrong and I don’t have to step in today,” you say. There’s been times when Harry’s bad attitude reflects horribly towards some awaiting fans and you literally have to step in and try to make the situation better. With your sickness, you really didn’t want to today. 

“Harry,” the fans thick accents can’t be missed while they grin at Harry. 

“Hi,” he says, giving them a smile. 

“Can I get a picture?” One asks, handing off her phone to another fan before Harry even gets to answer. And he doesn’t, he just stands beside her and gives the camera a thumbs up before giving her a quick goodbye and looking to the next fan. A girl wearing a jean jacket, how in this heat you don’t know, comes up to Harry next and asks for an autograph. It’s all really sweet, Harry’s not acting out or scowling at them, so you step by the whole ordeal and step back a few feet with one of the bodyguards while waiting for him. 

“Y/N?” Clare calls out. 

“You go on, I’ll wait,” you say, because you always did - mostly to be ready to do your job and do any damage control. The girls just nod and go on towards the awaiting van. 

“Can we do a group photo, I’ve just got people waiting now,” Harry says, pointing his thumb to where you stood off by Miller, Harry’s number one bodyguard through all these years you’ve known him. 

The fans all agreed and things went smoothly, they had grins upon their faces as they wave frantically when Harry begins to walk away from the group of them. Miller steps behind him, arm outreached to protect him in case any fans got any crazy ideas but thankfully none of them did and you stepped beside Harry easily while walking towards the van. You nudge him with your elbow, causing him to look your way instead of at the ground. 

“Good job, made that easy,” you noted. 

“I’ve been doing this for quite a while, Y/N, I know how to handle a few fans,” he says. You roll your eyes. 

“Somedays aren’t as easy as that was,” 

“Whatever,” 

“Whatever,” you mock him, stepping up into the van without giving him another look. Suppose it was your fault he was giving you attitude, maybe you just should’ve stayed quiet and kept your thoughts to yourself. 

The van ride is filled with everyone giving their opinion on what you had all just seen. You were keeping quiet, eyes shut as another headache started up. Although this day was pretty great and you loved everything you saw and learnt here in Barcelona, you just wanted to be back in your hotel room and get some more sleep even. So that’s what you did, upon arriving back to the hotel you gave everyone a quiet goodbye and excluded yourself from the group while making your way back to your room. 

Not even an hour later and there’s knocking at your door. You groan to yourself, hoping you don’t have to argue with Harry about how you’re not going out for whatever dinner they had planned tonight. You just couldn’t muster up the energy to be completely real. But when you open the door and reveal room service, your brows pull together. 

“I didn’t order anything,” you say. 

“This was ordered for you, ma’am,” she says, so you step back and let them push in the cart before she leave your room again. You’re rather confused, looking at the aray of things on the cart. Soup, chips, iced water, a bottle of Advil and a entire pot of tea. Then you notice the small note beside the tea pot. 

‘feel better love -Harry’ 

You are smiling so much your cheeks hurt, while your stomach is doing that familiar twisting thing it’s been doing a lot lately - every time because of Harry of course. This was so stupid of you. To feel this way about Harry. It was stupid and reckless and you couldn’t seem to do a thing about it cause he kept doing stupid things like this. He was talking to you more about personal things, about life and his feelings and it wasn’t helping you at all either. But you had to keep it professional, you had to step back and think for a minute. Did you really have feelings for Harry?

⏤

You had taken a moment, staring at the large table here at Osteria Francescana, and thought about where you were going to take a seat at this extravagant dinner with some people from Gucci. When Jeff told you you were joining him and Harry, you were a little shocked but then snapped into shape and got yourself ready. Wearing your trusty Balenciaga boots, some black high wasted wide legged Gucci pants, and a pink floral printed long sleeve shirt that wasn’t Gucci because you could only afford so much high fashion clothing items. With your hair pulled back into a tight bun, you were rather impressed with yourself for getting so glammed up in a hotel room. 

“Il tuo ristorante è molto carino,” you say to the owner who’s sitting at the head of the table. You decided that assuming Jeff wanted you here for your Italian, you take the free seat beside him and across from Harry. 

“Tu parli italiano?” he questions. 

“Sì, da quando ero un bambino,” you smile. You could thank your grandparents on your mothers side for the lessons in Italian. They were very clear from your infant days that they wanted you to know their mother tongue, so they taught you and it’s stuck ever since.

“Is she telling you all my dirty secrets?” Harry questions from where he sat, lips tugging into a smile as you meet his gaze. 

“I’m just letting him know how lovely this place is, and that I learnt Italian when I was young. From my grandparents,” you explain, saying the last bit while looking to the owner again. 

“Qual era il tuo nome di nuovo?” he asks, smiling at you. 

“Y/N,” you answer. 

“Ah, it’s so lovely to meet you my dear,” he says, switching back to English for everyone else’s sake you supposed. 

The dinner was going amazing, the staff was fantastic and the meal was probably the best you’ve ever had. Everything was great till Harry started to scowl across from you, unsure of why exactly. Someone must’ve said something to tick him off, or maybe he didn’t like the meal he was served. Regardless his bad attitude wasn’t about to ruin this. You kick out your foot and make contact with his shin, he screws up his face and glares at you. 

“Hey, m’wearing this suit tomorrow, don’t fuck it up,” he growls. You narrow your eyes at him for the harsh language in front of so many important people. 

“Outfit repeater, huh?” you tease him. Yeah, teasing wasn’t the way to go. Harry scowls at you, something you hadn’t seen in a while. You sink back into your seat, watching Harry across from you to try and figure out what’s got him so in his head. But then the waiter that’s been waiting on your table shows up again, leaning over you slightly to fill up your water cup. You smile, looking up to meet the sweet blue eyes of the rather cute Italian young man. 

“Nient'altro signora?” he asks softly. 

You’re blushing, you just know it, “no, I’m okay,” you reply. 

Once the waiter has moved on, you bring your water to your lips and look back across the table. Harry’s scowl hadn’t left his face, in fact it might’ve even gotten harder. You can’t help but roll your eyes at him. This dinner was amazing, incredible and a huge step for his career and yet all he can do it sit there downing his drinks and scowl at everything and everyone around him. Speaking of those drinks, Harry finishes off another glass of whatever liquor he’s been ordering - and of course he catches the waiter just in time to order another. 

“Hey,” you whisper shout to Harry as the owner was getting up, mentioning something about dessert in Italian under his breath. 

“What?” Harry grunts. 

“Slow down on the drinks, you’ve had like triple anyone else has,” you exclaim. Harry only glares at you. “Stop, I’m just doing my job-” 

“Well fuck off,” he grumbles, looking away from you and down at his phone screen. You blink a few times, thrown off by his attitude since it’s been a while since he’s been so bluntly rude to you. Taking a deep breath, you have another sip of water and look off down the table to see Jeff staring at you. He needs you to step up again, to get Harry to relax and quit drinking so much. 

But you can’t. No matter the amount of kicking of his shine or glaring you do, Harry ignores you scowls and drinks more and more. Finally when it’s time to leave you can tell he’s trying to get ahold of someone. You’re sitting in the seat behind him, reading briefly how he’s getting ahold of some Italian girl to warm his bed tonight. You lean back in your seat and stare out the window as it feels like someone’s punching you in the gut. This was why you shouldn’t have gotten inside of your own head this past little while, thinking all about how nice it would be if Harry maybe felt the same way you were - but after tonight and seeing him text some floozy, it’s obvious he could never. 

⏤

You were having a bad day. Since the moment you woke up, ignoring Jeff request to get Harry up, you haven’t been having the best of days. You had forgotten about doing laundry so all you had to wear were the same Gucci high waisted black pants from last night - which makes you feel hypocritical since you bugged Harry about being an outfit repeater. Plus all you could think about was how you managed to let your feelings get in the way of your work. 

So after eating something at catering with Clare and Helene, you ended up wandering the hallways. Jeff comes into view as you get close to backstage. He’s glaring, which makes you slightly nervous as you approach him. 

“Harry’s locked himself in the dressing room,” he states, “I don’t care if there’s a half naked lady or red wine staining those stupid Gucci pillows of his, get in there and get him going,” 

“Yeah,” you pause and nod, “okay, uh, yeah,” you mumble, turning around and slowly making your way towards the dressing room. You’re taking your time, nervous of what you’re about to get yourself into. Because you’re not entirely sure your heart can handle it after the past 24 hours. 

You’re pulling gently at the tour shirt you tucked into your pants. Kicking out your sneakers against the pavement floors up till you get to the looming door to the dressing room. Maybe you could just pound on the door, yell something and then run away like a little baby. You roll your eyes at yourself and lift your fist up to knock on the door. It was time to act your age, push away any and all feelings for Harry, and do your damn job. 

“Harry,” you say loudly with your face right up by the door. He doesn’t answer. “Harry, open the door,” you try again. 

You sigh in defeat. This was ridiculous, the show started in less than two hours and you knew he wouldn’t be getting ready in there by himself. He was probably getting drunk, or maybe he wasn’t alone at all and had found himself some hot blonde who worked at the arena. You find yourself frowning at the thought. You sigh again before bringing your fist to the door and knocking. 

“Grumpy, hello, open up,” you groan, growing rather tired of this already. 

Again no answer. You press your ear to the door, hesitate at first because if he really did find someone who worked here to have a quick fuck you weren’t going to like hearing that at all. But there’s nothing. It’s like he’s not even in there. You take a deep breath and reach for the handle, maybe Harry had left since Jeff checked up on him. But of course you’re wrong as you jiggle the knob and it doesn’t open. 

“Harry, seriously!” You shout this time, not caring about the few looks you get from crew members passing by. 

Then without any warning, the dressing room door opens and you’re being pulled into the room by Harry’s large hands. His one hand stays glued to your arm while the other shuts the door behind the both of you, he pushes you back till your back hits the door. You furrow your brows and stare up at Harry, meeting his wild green eyes. There’s barely a breath from either of you before he’s leaning forward and pressing his lips to yours. 

The kiss brings a warmth over your entire body. You feel like your chest is going to explode from the feeling you get. It only takes you maybe half a second before your brain kicks in and both your hands are tangled up in Harry’s hair while your lips move with his. Harry’s lips are hot against yours but it felt too good to stop. Next thing you know his teeth graze your bottom lip, causing you to open your mouth and let him slip his tongue in. Your getting dizzy now, grasping onto his shoulder hard while his hands feel cold against your warn skin, having made their back under your skirt and drawing up and down your back. You’re so in the moment, enjoying this way too much, but then it hits you. 

“Harry,” you breath out his name, pushing back his shoulder just a bit so his lips move further away from yours. “We shouldn’t,” you add in a low voice. 

“No, we shouldn’t,” Harry agrees, his words hot on your skin. But then he’s moving back towards your face again and your stomach is doing those god damn twists and turns. You practically melt into him as his hand firmly presses your hips into his, leaving your head to lean back into the door again as he kisses you. 

Harry’s hand lifts up to your jaw, thumb resting gently on your chin as he tips your head further upwards while he puts every bit of energy he must have into this kiss. You have never been kissed like this. Such urgency and desire, all while his touch makes you feel light inside. You breath out deeply through your nose, running a hand from his temple all the way through his hair. He’s massaging your hip when you finally snap out of the exhilarating kiss.

You move so quickly, pushing away his arms and stepping into the middle of the dressing room. It takes you a moment to catch your breath, your hand absentmindedly moving to your lips to just graze over them - they felt like they were vibrating. A million thoughts are running through your mind, the biggest one being what the hell just happened... 

“Last night, you - you slept with some whore and now you think you can just come onto me like this?” you bellowed. You had hoped your voice came out sounding less weak than you were feeling right about now. 

“I didn’t sleep with anyone last night,” Harry states. His voice sounding closer while you hear his boots smacking against the floor, softening as they meet the carpet you’re currently standing on.

“What the hell, Harry?” you hiss, turning on your heels to see he’s only an arms reach away. 

He looks as bewildered as you felt. His hair flipped to the left, a large piece falling over his forehead while the rest all stuck out funny. But of course he made it work. Those stupid green eyes are soft, there’s no scowl or glare or anything like you were so used to. You swallow back the lump in your throat and lick your lips as your eyes fall down to his - why did you want to feel them against yours again so desperately? 

“You were acting out last night, you were a proper asshole to me last night,” you say. 

“Last night,” Harry begins, his voice louder now, “it all fucking hit me like a damn truck, Y/N. You were flirting with that waiter right in front of me and speaking Italian to him and I got fucking jealous,” 

You’re chewing on your bottom lip as you take in each word Harry had just said. He was jealous. He was jealous over you. And now he kissed you. Harry kissed you. You blink rapidly at him as your brain was an utter mess. Then your gaze meets the floor as you try to think of what you’re going to say next.

“M’sorry,” Harry sighs. Your head snaps back up to meet his stare. “For being such an ass last night, and for kissing you like that. That wasn’t fair of me,” 

You open your mouth, ready to tell Harry that it was okay. Because you wanted that kiss, regardless how many times you tried to tell yourself you didn’t. But then your cell phone is going off in the pocket of your pants. It’s almost as though the sound brings you both out of some trans, Harry clears his throat and shifts on his feet while you take the phone out of your pocket. It’s Jeff. 

“Hey,” you answer. 

“Is he alive? What the hell is going on?” Jeff questions you. 

“Yeah, he’s fine,” 

Harry looks back to you as he grasps the fact you’re talking about him. He’s taken a seat on the arm of the sofa, staring at you as you listened to Jeff order you to get him ready - time was ticking before the show here in Bologna, Italy was to start. You give Jeff short answers while pointing Harry to the wardrobe rack. Harry rolls his lips into his mouth, waiting a moment before reluctantly walking over to the pink suit hanging up for him. 

“Yeah, 20 minutes, I got it,” you nod. 

“Thanks for getting to him, Y/N. Don’t know where we’d be without you,” 

“Uh, without a main act I’d assume,” you joke, chuckling under your breath. 

“Wouldn’t that be fun,” Jeff chuckles a lot more light heartedly than you. You hear him talking to someone else before he’s quickly saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. Taking the phone away from your ear, you look towards Harry and run a hand through your own hair at the sight of his. 

“20 minutes, please don’t lock yourself in here again,” you say. Harry holds your gaze and you swear you feel your heart ache in your chest. Once he gives you a nod, you turn on your heels and leave the room. There was no way you could just sit in there and hangout till he was ready. 

You don’t see off Harry before he walks on stage. But you do stand by Jeff like you always do, watching Harry before the screen rises up. His eyes are glued to the floor, not seeming to even realize when the fans start to lose their minds and scream for him as he’s revealed from behind the scene. You have your arms crossed at your chest, your head feeling like it’s about to explode from everything that had just happened in the past bit, maybe you should go back and take a nap.

“I’m heading backstage,” you tell Jeff. He nods to you and then you’re walking away from the stage to go lay down in the dressing room. 

No amount of rest could prepare you for the call you take as you sit on the sofa. It’s quiet in the room, no one else is around, all you can hear is the faint sound of Harry’s songs. As you have your phone pressed to your ear, you’re no longer thinking about the kiss or your feelings towards Harry at all. All you can think about is you needed to get on the next flight back home. 

⏤

“She left?” Harry questions Jeff as they walk backstage to the dressing room. He had immediately noticed your absence and asked Jeff where you had gone. He expected maybe you were having a little nap before the show was over. But he wasn’t expecting to hear you had gotten on a plane and left him behind. 

“Yes, she’s on her way back to the US right now,” Jeff states. 

Harry’s eyebrows pull together as he lets his thoughts overwhelm his head. He had done this. He had to go and kiss her like that and now she had run away from him. This was all his fault. How stupid could he be? You worked for him, you kicked woman from his hotel room too many times, why did he think you could possibly feel the same way he did about you..

Harry keeps quiet the whole ride to the private jet that’s waiting for him and the band. He takes a seat, staring at the empty one in front of him before he pulls out his phone. Harry stares at the screen, thinking of what he’d even say to you. Maybe he could just say sorry a bunch of times till you got annoyed and came back. He sighs and leans back in the seat as he hears the jets start up. 

“Sir, please turn your phone off,” the flight attendant asks, bending close towards him. Typically Harry would shamelessly check the young woman out. But not tonight. Right now, Harry’s itching for a drink.

“Bring me somethin’ to drink, somethin’ hard,” he orders her in a harsh voice. 

part 2 >>

#harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles smut #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #yeah this is a lot #but i hope you guys all enjoyed it #ive already been working on a part 2 #i kinda just wanna make this a 3 part mini series #i cant promise the other parts will be as long as this one lol #but ill try #pls give me feedback though #its always lovely to get #also im sure this isnt perfect cause i read over it so much i think my brain like ignored some spelling things lol #i had to edit the like cuts or whatever cause mobile tumblr SUCKS

[surrealredmoon]

Gaming AU - Sleepless Night

Soooo.... hey guys! Now that life is starting to chill a little I’ve found myself wanting to write again (yay \o/). Here’s a little something for the Gaming AU that was inspired by some very sleepless nights I’ve had recently. It’s set in the time before everyone met in person and before Weiss and Yang really began to hit things off. Anyway... ENJOY!

Weiss lay on top of her bed, staring at the patterns of moonlight filtering in through the open curtains onto the ceiling. Briefly, she glanced away to look at the clock on her bedside table, 2:45am. She’d been laying there for a good three hours now, her mind once again unable to switch off and let her get the rest she so desperately needed right now.

Sighing to herself, Weiss sat up. Well if her mind wasn’t going to let her rest, she may as well do something semi-productive… well semi-productive to her at least. She was sure her father would be shocked and appalled if he ever realised that his youngest daughter was exactly that type of person that made his business so successful.

Monitors blazed to life as she hit the power button on the PC, bathing the room in blue before the home screen loaded up. It didn’t take long before the all too familiar log in window popped up and the theme music began to play through her headphones. Quickly, Weiss entered her details and began loading in on Myrtenaster.

Once she’d loaded in though, she sat back and stared at the screen. She hadn’t actually considered what she wanted to do to try and pass the time. She opened up the Looking for Group list, scanning through each of the different game modes to see if there were and active groups, even though that wasn’t very likely given the time. She’d finally found a couple of groups looking for one of the high-end adventures and was about to join one when a whisper message popped up in the chat box.

(whisper from) Ember Celia: so… cant sleep again?

Weiss raised her eyebrow. What was Ember doing up at this time? And more importantly, how did she know that this wasn’t the first time she’d logged on when the insomnia made it clear she wasn’t going to get any sleep that night?

(whisper from) Ember Celia: ello?

(whisper from) Ember Celia: I knw u didnt fall asleep at ur desk cuz u jst logged on

Weiss rolled her eyes, even as a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and typed a quick reply.

(whisper from) Myrtenaster: You know, it’s getting harder and harder to believe that you’re not stalking me when you say things like that.

She could almost hear the chuckle and teasing tone in Ember’s response.

(whisper from) Ember Celia: well I dnt normally show as online this late

(whisper from) Ember Celia: stops the weirdos messaging me :P

Weiss’ small smile turned into a frown, concern growing in her that perhaps she might not be the only member of their guild who suffered from insomnia.

(whisper from) Myrtenaster: Are you often online this late? Or is this a one-off for you?

It took at little while for the response to come through, so Weiss began to reorganise her inventory while she waited.

(whisper from) Ember Celia: I guess probs more often thn I shld

(whisper from) Ember Celia: bt nt as often as u I bet

(whisper from) Ember Celia: btw Im runnin round doin sum gatherin n events if u wanna join

A party invite popped up on Weiss’ screen a moment later and she accepted. At least this would give her something to do, and it would be nice to just casually chat with someone. Even if that someone had a tendency to infuriate her most of the time. She opened up her map, found the marker indicating the location of her party member and began making her way over.

Ember Celia: so whts got u up so late?

She took a moment to decide whether or not she wanted to open up to her guild mate about what had been causing her so much trouble recently as she cleared out some Grimm that had crossed her path. Eventually, she decided to hold off revealing too much; after all, even though she’d been playing with her current guild mates for almost a year now she’d never dared to reveal anything about herself aside from the fact that she was from Atlas.

Myrtenaster: Oh just stressed about school work and such. All those normal young adult things.

Myrtenaster: What about you?

Myrtenaster: Actually, don’t tell me, I’ll guess. You probably have a report due tomorrow, but instead of focussing on an important assignment you thought it would be far more productive to play instead.

‘Dammit Weiss! This is why they call you the Ice Queen…’ Weiss sighed. ‘Ember hasn’t done anything except offer you some company and express some concern. But noooo… you couldn’t let your stupid walls down for one minute.’

She had just typed her response of “I’m so sorry Ember, that was out of line.” at the same time a response came through.

Ember Celia: Myrtenaster, when was the last time you actually slept? For like a whole night.

Before the irrational part of her brain could take Ember’s comment as an insult the rational side noticed the change in their writing style. The fact that Ember had put the effort in to use correct grammer, something they rarely did… much to Weiss’ distain, seemed to imply genuine care on the other gamer’s part. Weiss found herself in an internal struggle over how to reply; be honest and open up, or revert to her usual behaviour and strengthen her walls. The battle was still waring as the next messages popped up.

Ember Celia: I know it’s not really any of my business but I doubt this is all because of ‘normal young adult things’ and I get the feeling that if it’s as bad as I think it is you probably don’t have anyone to talk to about it.

Ember Celia: So I want you to know, I’m here if you need someone to talk to… because I look out for my friends.

Ember Celia: Even if they are an Ice Queen who can’t take a joke sometimes.

Weiss just stared in shock at the screen as Ember’s character ran off to fight a pack of Grimm that spawned nearby. She still wasn’t sure exactly what to make of the situation she was in; and yet she found herself typing.

Myrtenaster: Thank you Ember. That actually means a lot to me.

Myrtenaster: But I don’t think I’m quite ready to talk about it… yet.

She held her breath, anxiously waiting for a reply.

Ember Celia: No problem. How about we just play instead for now?

Ember Celia: I was thinking about doing some of the low-level dungeons to get some new clothing items.

Ember Celia: takes a lot fo wrk to keep this pretty ass lookin so fiiiiiiine!!!

Weiss snorted at the abrupt return of the crass and unabashed Ember she was used to. Yet she couldn’t deny the small smile once again tugging at her mouth.

Myrtenaster: Of course that’s where all your in-game effort goes. Ohm forbid you should show up to a raid wearing the same outfit as the previous one.

Ember Celia: AH! theres my ice queen!

Weiss’ smile grew.

She didn’t even realise how long they had been playing together until the first few rays of sunlight creeped across the room. Checking the time, Weiss noted she still had a little over an hour before her alarm would go off.

Myrtenaster: Well I should really try to get some sleep before school.

Ember Celia: That would be a good idea…

Ember Celia: And I should probably get started on that report I was avoiding!

Myrtenaster: EMBER!

Ember Celia: Whoa! I’m kidding!

Myrtenaster: You better be.

Ember Celia: Or what? You gunna freeze me Ice Queen?

Weiss narrowed her eyes at the screen, as if she could make the other feel her glare through it.

Ember Celia: I bet you have cold toes

Ember Celia: And I bet you’re the type to try and put those cold toes somewhere warm when you snuggle with someone…

Weiss glared harder, not responding.

Ember Celia: Alright, I might be a bit over tired…

Ember Celia: So I’ll leave that line of teasing for another night…

Ember Celia: I hope you get some rest.

Ember Celia: And don’t forget what I said before. Online or offline, I’m here if you need me.

Her expression relaxed enough for her to type out a reply.

Myrtenaster: Thank you Ember. Aside from that last comment… tonight was surprisingly… fun.

Ember Celia: Yeah, it was.

Myrtenaster: Have a good day Ember.

Ember Celia: Yeah you too. I’ll see you for raid tonight!

The smile was back on her lips as Weiss signed out and shut everything down, climbing into bed and preparing herself to try and fall asleep again.

As she began going through her mental exercises to try and shut off her brain she kept finding herself distracted by thoughts of what had happened and what Ember had said. She had the distinct impression that she would fine Ember online again at the same time tonight. That thought made her feel surprisingly content, even if she would have to deal with Ember’s teasing.

As she felt her eyes close, she curled up to fall asleep, noticing that her feet had come up as if to tuck between someone’s shins. Weiss’ last thought before sleep finally took her was just how annoyed she was going to be at Ember for being right about her cold toes… 

#freezerburn #weiss schnee #yang xiao long #rwby #gaming au #I wrote the draft for this whilst incredibly tired #and I'm out of practice #so sorry in advance if it's not great #xP

[the-roanoke-society]

Agent Succubus Origins

Coordinates Loading…

S.O.S signal Agent Whiskey code Roanoke…

“Whiskey?  What’s wrong?”  Ginger’s fingers flew across the keyboard.

“Get!---fucking---”

“Agent, your connection is breaking up I can’t access your feed.”

“I said we need Roanoke!  Are you fucking dumb and deaf?!  Roanoke!  They sent us into a fuckin’ den of bullshit that we aren’t qualified to handle!  I have a goddamn trainee with me, this was supposed to be a raid mission!”

“Understood.  Agent Seraphim and Lycan are on their way.” 

What was supposed to be a simple raid mission of an underground organization selling international intelligence and illegal/exotic goods had taken a nose dive.  Agent Whiskey and his trainee, Jason Bradshaw, who had taken the spot of Agent Tequila were now cornered in the dark compound and didn’t know if their fellow agents were alive or dead after the shit that had gone down.  The only upside being that the only suspect left and who was sending this demonic shit out to them was also trapped in the adjoining room.  The stand-off had lasted hours, both parties exhausted and just as there was a lull in the hell hounds and nightmarish visions the Roanoke agents finally made it in carrying supplies. 

“Sorry we’re late!  I had to bless all of this on the way here and you would not BELIEVE the way Phoenix flies that chopper when it was supposed to be his night off and he gets called in whooo, thought I was gonna die for sure, sweet lord.  But! I have some salt rounds and rope, wasn’t sure what to prepare for!”  Seraphim grinned at the two like they weren’t on the verge of a complete breakdown.

“Thank God y’all are here.  Fuckin’ get us outta here I cain’t-”  Tequila began but was cut off with Whiskey grabbing his shirt collar and giving him a solid punch to the jaw.   

“You gon’ let those fuckin’ weirdos come in here and do YOUR mission, boy?  Stop bein’ a pussy and get in there and fuckin’ take down whatever’s been causing us grief.  You were a rodeo clown, right?  Go get em” Whiskey shoved what Agent Seraphim had called Binding Rope into his hands.

With a shotgun loaded with blessed rock salt rounds the trainee pushed through the grimy door to come face to face with… a girl?  Dark clothing ripped and soiled from the confrontation that had taken place for the past 3 hours, buzzed hair giving off an intimidating vibe.  As she pointed a hand at him and opened her mouth to shout what he figured was another curse, he took the shot.  It caught her square in the chest, sending her to the floor with a strained gasp.  Tequila kicked her over and kneeled down to begin tying her hands together, but as soon as the witch felt her power decrease with the rope she hissed and jerked.

“Unless you want another buckshot of fucking rock salt in the back a your thighs you best stop fidgeting.”  Tequila panted, his knee pressed into the girls neck as she stared at him with wide eyes filled pure rage.

“Fuck you, hunter” She weezed, movements ceasing.

Hunter? “Ya, that’s what I thought.  Fucking witches, this was supposed to be my first goddamn mission, ya know?  And I get stuck rustlin’ a fuckin’ witch.”

He sat back on his heels to catch his breath and gave her ass a tired slap as if she were some fucking pig he had finally caught.  So, really when she was able to twist around and kick him in the face, he deserved it, but that didn’t stop his anger from boiling up again.

“Alright, I was gon’ just let ya walk on outta here with me with some dignity, but fuck that.”  The blood running down his chin from the broken nose dotted the white rope as he bent her legs back and looped the rest of the rope around her ankles, hog tying her.

Even with her chest wound the witch began a raw, ear splitting scream that shook him to his core, like a wild animal at its last few minutes of life.  The bandana from his pocket silenced that after he was finally able to get it around her head.  She had never felt more infuriated or humiliated in her entire life, this fucking cowboy was going to pay when she got out of this rope, she was going to ruin his fucking life.

“Now, I can either carry ya out… or you can keep on bein’ a fuckin’ bitch and I can drag ya.  So, which is, it gonna be sugar?”

 A few moments later Tequila emerged from the room with a witch thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes looking pretty smug despite the blood drying on his face and soaking into his shirt from her rock salt wound.  Whiskey bent down to get a good look at her and whistled.

“Oh, boy she is fuckin’ furious, ain’t she?  I can’t wait to see what Roanoke comes up with ta get rid of you.”

If being carried out of the compound wasn’t embarrassing enough now she found herself being paraded through an agency.  The one everyone referred to as Tequila and or Jason, was getting slaps on the back and congratulations on his first completed mission, usually followed by a comment about what a good “catch” she was.

“Boy, what the hell are you doin?  Put that girl down now.”

The rope was cut and replaced with rune inscribed cuffs as she stood in front of an older gentleman in a cowboy hat and a flawless woman that practically oozed power.  These guys were not hunters, something was going on here.  Monitors behind the two were filled with videos and information about her, including live feed of what had happened during his mission.  The woman spoke to her first.

“My name is Lilith.  You’re in Kentucky at the Statesman Head Quarters and Distillery, also home to the Roanoke Society, have you heard of us?”

She nodded slowly, “Roanoke stopped a pack of weres from getting executed last month in New York.  We couldn’t get there in time so we were thankful.”

“So, you know we aren’t here to hurt you?  Really I’m very impressed with how well your group covered up an underground Cryptid Protection facility by selling Russian secrets and pretending to be a Black Market.  However, I am even more impressed with you…”  She turned to the monitors now.

“Rae Clementine.  Clean record.  Good marks in school.  And these videos, well I must say it does take quite the sorcerer to perform Necromancy.  How did such a small town witch like you end up in a mess like this, hm?”

The witch had only been half listening because her eyes were glued to a corner of the screen where a video that she thought had been scrubbed from the internet was playing on a loop.  Rae, first year of college drenched in kerosene and tied to a tree outside of campus as a frat boy ex-boyfriend kneeled in front of her with a match in her face and his friends stood around watching.  There was no sound, but she could still hear the taunting laughter, feel the thick liquid dripping down her face and suffocating her as she screamed. 

“I wanted to make a difference, protect people no one else thinks of protecting.”

Lilith followed her eyes to the video just as the boy snuffed out the match and left her tied to the tree where she would remain for another five hours until a jogger found her, “It is a pity what men do to things they can’t control…Of course, for your illegal actions we would have to send you to prison, our Siberian location most likely, but Champ and I know potential when we see it.”

Champ gave her a grandfather like smile, “turns out Roanoke could use an agent with your skills.  We’d be happy to offer you a position instead of prison, you’d still need to go through the trainin’ a ‘course, but Lilith says you got a good heart and that’s all I need ta hear.”

“So, what’s it going to be poppet?”

Rae anticipated either a laugh or that they were joking, but as they stayed silent and waited for her to reply she finally realized it was real, this was a chance of a lifetime, a chance to actually make a difference and help the world.

“Yes.  Thank you, yes.  I’ll work off everything I may have caused damage to, I’ll uncurse all the agents I thought were hunters.  Oh shit I broke someone’s fucking nose I need to apologize-”

Needless to say several Statesman agents were none too pleased when they found out that the one who had cursed them all with nightmares and bedwetting was being made an agent.  Tequila in particular felt like he had been cheated out of a trophy for his first mission, but the warm smile and apology she gave sure did help to soothe it.

Two months later Roanoke inducted their newest member, Agent Succubus.  Specializing in gritty, old school Witchcraft with an emphasis on mind manipulation, great for interrogations was what Champ had said. 

Two weeks after that she was getting tied up by Tequila again, only this time it was mutual.   

[you-and-i-for-forever]

10 Things I Hate About You AU Chapter 4 (Part A)

Fandom: Be More Chill, Dear Evan Hansen

Ships: Boyf riends, treebros, richjake, Zolana, Pinkberry

Word count: 3.7k

Feel free the read this on my ao3 instead!

Read chapter 1 here, 2 here, 3 here if you’ve missed them!

-

“Are you lost?” Jake asked eyebrow raised.

Jared looked like a fucking idiot. He had tried his best to seem cool and confident as he swaggered across the lunchroom, towards the large group of popular assholes.

Fuck! Why were they all so tall and good looking? Jared had made his way past a few of them to sit down in a chair next to Jake. Jake had slowly looked up from his phone, with a face that asked what the actual fuck?

“No, actually, I just came by to chat,” Jared said, smearing a smirk onto his face.

“Uuuuh…we don't chat,” Jake deadpanned, wiggling his hand at him in a dismissive manner. A few of Jake’s friends snickered.

Jared forced his mouth into a smile, trying to seem nice, but really wanting to knock Jake’s phone out of his hand and walk away. God, what a complete douchebag.

He was doing this for Michael and he was not going to screw this up. “Well, actually, I thought that I'd run an idea by you. Just to see if you're interested.” Jared was gonna try and schmooze the hell out of this guy.

Jake blinked at him a few times before giving a disinterested “I’m not, thanks,” and turned back to his phone.

Jared held out his hands in front of him, almost like he was trying to calm a wild animal rather than trying to keep this idiots attention. “Well, hear me out. Now...you want to date Jeremy Heere, right?”

“Who?” Jake asked

Was he fucking serious?

“The uh…the new kid.”

“Oh yeah,” Jake said, having the decency to almost look just the slightest bit embarrassed.

“Okay, but he can't go out with you because his parents have a rule that he can’t date until his older stepbrother, Evan, dates, but no one will go out with him because he’s sad and weird, right?” Jared said, feeling like he was talking to a brick wall.

Jake rested his head on his hand, looking entirely done with what Jared had to say. “Does this conversation have a purpose?”

Jared didn't think he could roll his eyes hard enough.

“What I think you need to do is hire someone who'll go out with Evan. Someone who’s just as lame and invisible as he is so he doesn’t feel that way anymore and you can go out with Jeremy.” Jared said

“Why not just date the loser yourself then?” A guy from across the table snorted.

Jared smiled and flipped him off.

“Look I already figured out the perfect person,” Jared explained, pointing towards the windows on the adjacent wall. Connor was currently sitting alone on the far side of the courtyard, smoking weed. Jake squinted at him before his eyes became huge.

“That guy?” Jake asked, alarmed, “I heard he ate a live duck once.”

Jared nodded, he had heard that too. “Everything but the beak and feet. He’s a loser, Evan’s a loser; clearly, he’s a solid investment.”

Jake continued to stare at Connor, eyebrows furrowed. Jared could almost feel the wheels in this Neanderthals head start to turn.

“What's in it for you?” Jake finally asked, turning back towards Jared.

“Hey. I’m walkin’ down the hall and say hello to you. You say hello to me,” Jared smiled, quick on his feet to come up with a reason. It was probably pathetic, but he really wouldn’t mind if Jake actually did that.

“Yeah yeah. I get it. You’re cool by association.” Jake paused for a moment, before shrugging. “I’ll think about it.”

“Nice,” Jared said usual smirk returning to his mouth, relieved his plan seemed like it was working.

“We’re done now,” Jake said, raising an eyebrow.

Jared had overstayed his welcome at the table of beautiful, untouchable gods. Now to return to the world of the mortals.

“Yeah.” Jared nodded and got up and crossed the cafeteria back over to where he had left a very upset looking Michael.

“What are you doing getting him involved?” Michael asked, standing up to meet him, clearly upset. To be fair, Jared had just sort of just gotten up from the table randomly and walked over to Jake with no explanation of Michael. Thankfully Jeremy wasn't around today to see Michael's head almost explode.

“Relax. We let him pretend he’s calling the shots. While he’s setting things up, you have time with Jeremy,” Jared said sitting down at the table and grabbed for Michael’s Flaming Hot Cheetos. He began to chow down. Michael sank down next to him and opened and shut his mouth a few times.

“That is a good idea,” Michael replied, with the same tone and express as before.

Jared laughed and patted his back, “Yeah, I know.”

-

God Connor hated all of this. He had been able to force himself to get to every day of school so far but it was all a fucking horrible. All the whispers and the glances and the laughing. Someone had stuffed garbage into his bag when he wasn’t looking and had slipped a note into his locker telling him to kill himself.

He had tried to convince his mom to let him do online classes or homeschool but she had said that he needed to be around people his age, interact with others, try and make friends. She had no clue what this school was like though, how no one was ever going to want to be his friend, let alone talk to him.

He sat in the courtyard, blunt hanging off his lip, flipping through a history textbook. So fucking boring, but Connor really, really, needed his parents off his back so he was willing to do some homework to get that to happen.

Connor rubbed at his eyes, every part of his feeling tired and rundown but suddenly felt a presence and eyes on him. He jolted his head to look up.

It was some guy Connor didn’t know, he felt caught off guard.

What the fuck did this guy want? Connor tried to keep his anger from flaring up, but it was just his gut reaction.

“Hey, how ya doin’?” The guy asked him with a smile that was half nervous-half charismatic. Weird, Connor usually only got the full nervous smiles.

Connor glared at him then looked away, trying to ignore him. He really hoped he wasn’t going to get food thrown at him or something shitty like that.

“I had some great duck last night...” He said.

“Do I know you?” Connor finally spoke, looking back at him. God, he was annoying.

“I’m Jake Dillinger,” He said like Connor was supposed to know who he was.

“Cool, bye,” Connor said, standing up and starting to pack his stuff up. Better get out of here before this idiot made Connor do something that would wind him up in the principal’s office, or worse, that freaky guidance counselor’s office.

“Hey, wait! Uh, you see that guy?” Jake said, pointing out a familiar looking guy, making his way through across the crowded courtyard. It was the kid from the bathroom a while ago. From what he could see, he still had the cast wrapped around his arm.

“Yeah,” Connor replied, just the slightest bit curious.

“That’s Evan Hansen. I want you to go out with him.” Jake said

Connor’s expression twisted and he felt like ripping this asshole's face off. Connor shoved him hard instead, hoping he would fall to the ground. Jake barely lost his balance from the action, pissing Connor off more.

“Look. I can’t take out his brother until Evan starts dating. Apparently, his parents got this rule where they-” Jared said

Connor interrupted, “Touching story. Not my problem,” He pulled the strap of his bag over his head and started walking away, flipping Jake off.

“Would you be willing to make it your problem if I provide generous compensation?” Jake called, a certain tone in his voice.

Connor paused, mid getaway.

“You’re going to pay me to take out some guy?” Connor asked over his shoulder, not wanting to turn around and look the creep in the eye.

“Mmm hmm,” Jake said.

Connor’s eyes locked onto the Evan kid, still walking around. He looked awkward and sad and desperate and nervous.

“How much?” Connor asked

“20 bucks.” Jake offered

He watched as Evan bumped into someone, his face turned bright red and he seemed to stammer through a few sentences at the person he bumped into before he ran off.

“Fine. 30.” Jake said, quickly revising.

“75 bucks.” Connor threw back, finally turning back towards Jake. His parents cut off his funds a while ago and he was in desperate shape for pot money.

“This isn’t a negotiation. Take it or leave it, freak.” Jake said, looking Connor up and down.

“50 bucks and we’ve got a deal,” Connor snapped back, crossing his arms, scowling.

Jake shrugged and reached into his wallet, pulling out a 50 dollar bill. He handed Connor the money.

Stupid rich fuck

Connor allowed himself for a second to forget that his family was probably wealthier than this guy’s.

“I’ll be back for an update,” Jake said then turned and walked away.

Connor stared down at the easiest 50 bucks he ever made. He pocketed the money and rolled his eyes. If that moron seriously thought that he was actually going to do this, he truly was a moron. Connor snorted, he was just going to blow this whole thing off and that Jake guy could just kiss his ass.

Connor stuffed the money into his pocket then started to walk off. His eyes glanced over to where the girl Evan had bumped into stood, noisily gossiping about “the weirdo that just ran into her.” He frowned.

…Connor was going to need more money for weed pretty soon. 50 bucks really wasn’t going to last him long…plus he was going to need gas money to get to his dealer's house…

Fuck.

-

Evan kept chanting in his head that the day was almost done and he could leave school soon. Things had gone…alright, today. Nothing too horrible. He was happy to not have to lie to Dr. Sherman about it at therapy tomorrow.

Evan put his Spanish and calculus textbooks into his locker. He stuffed his binder and a few notebooks into his backpack then shut the door, pushing hard to make sure it closed all the way. He turned around and saw someone right behind him. Evan jolted back in surprise, hitting the lockers. Evan felt his face heat up in embarrassment. His eyes slowly slid up from the black combat boots all the way up to Connor Murphy’s face.

Connor gave an awkward, thin-lipped smile, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, n-no that's okay- it’s-it's okay,” Evan said, try to calm down his racing heartbeat.

Connor didn't move or say or do anything. They stood there for a second before Evan got uncomfortable and reached over to pick at his cast.

“Hey, you still got my name,” Connor said, pointing towards Evan’s arm. Evan glanced down then back up at Connor for half a second. His hand started to trace the lines of Connor’s name scrawled on his cast.

“Uh, yeah. I don’t- I don't get the, uh, cast off for a few more weeks or maybe even another month, the doctors haven't told me yet when it's gonna be yet but I'm sure I'll find out soon, hopefully pretty soon, and its sharpie so uh yeah...can't really take it off.” Evan said a mile a minute.

He couldn’t tell if Connor’s expression was annoyance, amusement, or both, “I was just kidding.” He offered.

“Oh huh…yeah, ye-yeah I knew that,” Evan said, hands pulling at the hem of his shirt, trying to laugh it off. He looked down at the ground, feeling stupid.

He chanced a glance back up at Connor. Why was he still standing there? This was so uncomfortable, he didn’t know what to say or do or think. He rubbed at his face.

“So, um, do you want to hang out sometime?” Connor asked, eyes glancing around the hallway.

Evan stiffened up and slowly tilted his head to eye at Connor.

He let out a small, uncomfortable laugh, in a very Evan fashion, “Um uh um, n-no thanks. It’s because um- it’s not because of any reason or anything. I’m-I’m-I’m just really busy right now and I need to um help my mom after school and do homework so I can't do that.” Evan lied a mile a minute, worrying his shirt again, avoiding eye contact.

There was another awkward pause. “Okay, well see you around,” Connor said with a shrug and a wave.

Evan watched him leave, staring him down in confusion. That was bizarre, to say the least. Evan had spent most of the school years trying to avoid Connor, and now in less than a month had interacted with him twice.

Connor was definitely different that sophomore year. Evan just couldn’t put his finger on why.

-

“We’re screwed,” Michael said, exasperated.

He and Jared had been trailing Connor the whole day, seeing when he was going to make his move on Evan. The interaction between Evan and Connor had gone about as well as expected. Why the hell did Michael think this was going to work? Everyone was terrified of angry Connor Murphy and all the vicious rumors, whether truthful or lies, that trailed after him.

“Hey, no, hey. I don’t want to hear that defeatist attitude.” Jared turned to him, putting his hands on his shoulders and shaking him “I want to hear you upbeat.”

“We’re screwed!” Michael said with mock enthusiasm.

“There you go!" Jared said, stooping to his level of sarcasm. "Just give him time. Evan just has to realize that Connor isn’t going to give up and he’ll eventually just go out with him to make him stop asking since it makes him uncomfortable or something like that.” Michael felt like Jared was trying to explain this to him like he was a small child that had no clue what was happening.

“I hope you’re right, man.” Michael sighed and quickly made their way to their separate classes when the bell rang.

-

Jeremy was walking down a hallway in the school, finally feeling like he was getting a handle on his schedule and the school layout. He was glancing down at his phone, shooting Michael a quick message about hanging out this weekend and happened to glance up as he rounded a corner.

There was Jake. Handsome as hell Jake. No one should be allowed to be that absolutely perfect looking and- Jake was looking at him. Jake was looking at him! Jeremy’s heart immediately leapt to his throat. Jake gave him a charming smile and sauntered across the hallway to him. Jeremy thought his legs might give out from under him.

“Hi,” Jake said, stopping right in front of him.

“Hey,” Jeremy said, feeling giddy as hell, but trying to be cool.

“Jeremy, right?” He asked.

“Uh yeah.” Jeremy nearly chocked out. Jake knew his name!

“You’re the new kid, right?” Jake asked, taking a step closer so Jeremy had to tilt his head up to continue to look at his gorgeous face.

“Yeah,” Jeremy said, brain not being able to come up with a more interesting response.

“Wow, that must kind of suck. I’m Jake by the way.” Jake flashed him another dashing smile.

Jeremy said, looking down at his shoes, “I…know.”

“Cool…Can I say something stupid? I heard that my friend Rich said something to you in the hallway to you the other day and I just wanted to say I’m sorry about that.”

Oh, my god, he was literally so nice, who just did that? Apologize for a friend? Just so attractive and nice? “That’s…not stupid at all.” Jeremy said with what he hoped was a coy smile.

Jake leaned against the wall and bit his lip. Jeremy wanted to scream.

“Cool. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime. Like to the mall or out to eat? I figured we could get to know each other. Alone. I could take you to my friend Rich and I’s favorite spot in the universe, Sbarro!” Jake laughed with a wink.

No one had ever asked Jeremy out before, certainly not someone like Jake Dillinger. He was about to start nodding rapidly but then his dad's rule came rushing back to him. Jeremy wanted to scream when he remembered.

“I, um, actually can’t.” Jeremy said, feeling like an idiot, “My older brother-”

“I know about your whole dating problem and have a guy working on it as we speak.” Jake raised his eyebrow and flashed a beautiful grin.

“Oh.” Jeremy was shocked. Jake must honestly, truly want to go out with him if he was willing to find someone to date Evan.

Jake reached out and ran a hand down Jeremy’s shoulder to his hand, holding it after. Jeremy's shuttered and goosebumps popped up all over his skin.

Jake looked down at their conjoined hands then back up at Jeremy through his lashes, “So how about it?”

“Sure, okay.” Jeremy managed to get out.

“Alright,” Jake said and handed Jeremy a slip of paper with his phone number on it. He winked and continued his stroll down the hallway.

Jeremy shuttered out a breath, feeling like he might explode, and watched Jake go.

-

Evan was curled up in his bed, just finished with all his homework for the night, scrolling through his phone. This was simultaneously the best and worst part of the whole day. School was over and Evan had the rest of the day to do whatever he wanted…the only problem was there was nothing for him to do.

He usually just went in an endless cycle of refreshing Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for hours.

Jared was usually the person who posted the most on all on social media. Game stats and scores, complaining about teachers and dragging classmates, stuff like that. Zoe posted pictures of her and Alana or videos of her jazz band playing. Alana liked to have friendly debates on threads and write all about her extracurriculars and studying. Chloe and Brooke put up selfies, vague-posted about everyone at the school, and reposted makeup tutorials, he wasn’t quite sure why he followed them, or the other popular people at his school. Probably just to fill time and space on his accounts.

He finished rewatching all the Snapchat stories, feeling a little bored.

It was kind of a weird feeling. Evan really wanted to be a part of what was going on, at all the parties he saw and all the events people posted about and hanging out with all the people he was friends with online. But at the same time, he didn’t feel like it would work out that well. He’d be too anxious to have a good time and everyone would think he was weird and it just wouldn’t end well.

He just liked to pretend that maybe it could.

For once.

Go well.

Evan got up out of bed and left his room to use the bathroom. He stared down at his phone as he went. He finally looked up once he reached one of the porcelain sinks.

He brushed his teeth and contemplated a shower. He’d have to wrap his arm up and tape it and that really didn’t sound that fun right now, so maybe just a shower tomorrow. Evan turned away from the sink and jumped in surprise. Jeremy was standing in the doorway.

“He-Hey Jeremy,” Evan said, trying to play off the fact that he had been scared.

“Hey,” Jeremy said with a nod.

Evan grabbed a washcloth from the counter and ran it under warm water. Jeremy moved up to the other sink, applying acne cream to his face.

They stood there in a silence. It probably wasn’t that awkward but Evan couldn’t feel a silence any other way.

“How was-” Evan started but stopped to wipe his face with the damp washcloth. “How was school?” He eventually got out.

“Classes were fine. Jake Dillinger talked to me today.” Jeremy said, trying to sound calm and casual but coming across as anything but.

“Cool. That’s-That’s nice.” Evan said, then rubbed the cloth in circles on his mouth so he didn’t have to say anything else.

More silence.

Jeremy finished up his routine with brushing his teeth and flossing before he turned to leave. He stopped and eyed Evan up and down.

“Have you ever tried something that wasn’t khakis and polos, Evan?”

Evan’s face was already bright red from scrubbing it for so long, Jeremy probably couldn’t see his embarrassment.

“Not…not really. I like…blue polos.”

“People at school would probably think you’re cooler if you did,” Jeremy said like it was a fact.

This was…bizarre. Why did Jeremy care if people thought he was cool? Was he really so embarrassing to be tethered to as a stepbrother that Jeremy wanted him to wear different clothes?

“I-I-I don’t- I don’t care what those people-people think,” Evan said, voice breaking a little.

Jeremy scrunched his eyebrows together, “Well maybe you should.” Jeremy walked out of the bathroom. Evan stood there, taken back by how random this was. Maybe someone had said something to Jeremy at school. Maybe Jake had said something to him. Maybe he was getting bullied by other people because of Evan. He suddenly felt really guilty. He hadn’t meant for that to happen.

Evan threw his washcloth in the laundry hamper and hung his head as he made his way back to his bedroom. He laid back down on his bed and pulled up Twitter again. He didn’t scroll. Who could be bullying Jeremy? There weren’t a ton of actual bullies at school, just people who were gossiping jerks. Evan stared at his phone screen until it timed out and the screen went dark. He told himself to just try and focus on something else.

School?

No…that’s where the jerks were.

Summer?

Not the best memories from that time.

Zoe Murphy?

Probably best to stay away from that for a while…

…Connor Murphy?

Wait! No! Wondering mind was a bad idea. Evan rolled over and pulled the blankets over his head.

Today at school, when Connor had asked him to hang out. That had to have been some kind of joke. Maybe Connor was trying to mess with him and get everyone to see that he was just a bigger loser than everyone already thought. Evan’s stomach filled with dread. That was probably it.

There’s no way Connor would – that anyone would – want to hang out with him.

#be more chill #dear evan hansen #boyf riends #tree bros #richjake #pinkberry #zolana #galaxy gals #deh #bmc #AU fanfiction #fanfic

[rin412]

Love Ballad (Chapter 1)

~ A Samurai Love Ballad Party Fanfiction ~ ~Warning! Samurais x OC pairings! If you don’t like my pairing, I don’t care. lol~ ~Future AU~ ~Definitely OOC so please prepare yourself to vomit~

So uhh... yay? lol

I finally update this, so I don’t know but... enjoy?

Huhuhu, I’m still trying to get my muse back, so please, put those tomatoes down before you throw them to me....!

Anyway, feel free to read previous chapter here:

Prologue

Now enjoy the new one!

…

…..

…….

All right, no words between us for… I don’t know… maybe a past few hours? I don’t see the rain is going to stop soon, and this situation is so awkward. I just… want to go home.

I take a look at him, and I see he finally finished his strawberry daifuku. He bought a lot before, so I guess he really likes it.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s annoying.”

“…..!”

Oops. I got caught. Ugh, how embarassing.

As if trying to change the topic and hide my embarassment, I ask him, “N-name…”

“Huh?” he looks at me confuse.

“W-we have been talking for a while, but I still don’t know your name, so…”

“Are you hitting on me?”

“Wha—?!”

“Don’t think that I’m such an easy man, stupid wench.”

“What the—?! I’m just being nice here and you just have to got on my nerve everytime!! Mrrggh!! Fine! I won’t ask anything anymore!”

“And who exactly told you to ask something to me?”

“Ugh….”

“You really are weird.”

“…….” Great, how the hell does he look at me now? I wonder if I really look weird to him? But hey, this is also your fault that I became a weirdo! N-not that I can say it out loud to him, though.

“The name…”

“Huh?”

“You tell me first.”

“Rin. Second year, E class.”

“Tokugawa Ieyasu. Just starting second year here in A class.”

“What do you mean just starting here—oh! I remember your driver said today is your first day! So you’re a transfer student, huh…”

“Your ear must be pretty sharp to be able to heard that. What a nice hobby you have there.”

“It’s not like I heard it because I want to, okay?! And anyway, where’s that driver of yours? I thought he should pick you up.”

“That old man must be confuse right now and all panic. Haha.”

“Huh? What do you—oh!! He supposed to pick you up in front of the school gate!!”

“Bet he’s running around the school ground. Getting all wet and dirty while looking for me. Haha.”

“You really are the worst!! Now come with me and let’s go back to school!”

“You don’t have the right to order me around, stupid wench!”

“I don’t care now just come with me!!” I pull his hand and I see he’s resisting me.

“Why the hell should I even come with you?! If you want to go all wet go ahead and do it by yourself!”

“I’m doing this for your driver’s sake too! What if he catches cold and gets sick because of you?!”

“And you think I care about that?”

“You SHOULD! Just how heartless can you be—“

“MASTEEEEEEEER!!”

Our banter got cut by the voice of Tokugawa’s driver. I see that black car is coming to us and finally he stops the car in front of the store. With a very panic and flustered movement, the driver comes out from inside the car while holding an umbrella, “I-I’m sorry for make you waiting, Master!”

Tokugawa looks so irritated, even though he’s the one at fault here, “You’re so slow. I’ll have your hair later when we got home.”

“P-please don’t! Anything but my hair!”

I let out a sigh looking at these two, “Apologize to your driver!”

“Huh?” yikes, now he’s glaring at me.

“I-I said apologize! You’re the one at fault here!”

“How dare you—“

The driver smiles, as if trying to reassure me, “I-it’s fine, Miss! It is my fault after all!”

“Huh, why—“

“See? You heard it yourself.” Tokugawa smiles in satisfaction. This boy, I swear…!

Just when I was about to step on his foot before he gets into the car, I see the rain finally stopped. Great, I can go home now. I feel like I’m going to become crazy if I stay around this rude guy longer.

“Oh!” as if I remember something, I call out to him before he leaves, “T-Tokugawa, your coat!”

“Huh?” he opens the car’s window and looks at me.

“I-I will return your coat after I wash it, okay?”

“It’s fine. You can just throw it away. I have plenty at home.”

“Ugh….”

“Also…”

“Huh?”

“Ieyasu.”

“W-what…?”

“Call me ‘Ieyasu’, stupid wench.”

“O-oh, sure… I-Ieyasu.”

“Hmph.” Then he quickly closes the car’s window, and finally his sight is nowhere to be seen.

Ieyasu, huh. It kind of tickles me to call him with his name. But.. somehow… it rings nicely in my ear.

*the next day*

I’m putting on a lot of files on a teacher’s desk, until finally I see a girl with dark brown long hair and red ribbon is peeking into the almost empty teacher’s room. I can see she’s looking at a certain teacher that’s currently busy writing something, and that teacher is Mr. Katakura. Well who else could it be since he’s the only teacher here? Does she has business with him?

Done with my task, I walk out from the teacher’s room and pats the girl’s back from behind, “Hey.”

“Waa!!! P-p-p-p-p-please forgive me!!!! I didn’t mean to—“ she looks up and finally realized that it’s just me, “Oh, a student. I thought another teacher..”

“Do you have something to talk about with Mr. Katakura? He may be busy, but I think he can spare some times for you.”

“I-i-it’s fine! I-I-I have to go anyway! Bye!”

And whoosh. That girl dashes out as fast as wind. What was that about anyway?

*then, after school*

I walk alone to the front gate, and I see that girl again. Now she’s hiding behind the tree and currently looking at Mr. Katakura that stands in front of gate to see the students off.

“Be careful on your way. Go straight to your home, okay?” Mr. Katakura smiles while waving his hand off to each students that pass by him.

I decided to just approach that girl and pats her back again, “Um…”

“WHA—!! I-I-I-I-I’M SORR—“now she finally looks up, “Oh dear, so it’s you again. Don’t scare me like that…”

“S-sorry… it’s just… you’ve been looking at Mr. Katakura for a while now, so I’m a bit curious.”

“D-did I look suspicious?”

“Do you want my honest opinion?”

“No, please don’t say anything. I can feel my face is burning already…!”

“Ahaha… oh right, how rude of me! I’m Rin, second year, E class. You?”

“Shiho Yukina. Just call me Yukina. Second year, C class.”

“Nice to meet you, Yukina!”

“Likewise, Rin!”

“So? Why are you looking at Mr. Katakura for a while now? Do you have crush on him or something?”

“Wha—?! N-n-no! it’s not like that!!”

“No need to be shy! A passionate love toward your own teacher isn’t a bad thing! It’s exciting! Besides, I heard he’s single and he’s a student from a very good university! Now he’s in training here, this is your chance!!”

“I-I said it’s not like that!”

“Eeeh~? Really?”

“Y-yes. It’s just… I’m doing this…. for someone…”

“Huh? What do you—“

“Oh!” as if suddenly notices something, Yukina pulls me along back to behind the tree, and now we’re looking at Mr. Katakura together, “Sssh. He’s coming!”

“He….?” curious and confuse at the same time, I look over the direction where Yukina’s looking, and there I see the famous One-Eyed Student Council President, Date Masamune, is approaching Mr. Katakura. If you’ve been wondering why we call him One-Eyed, that’s because he always wears eyepatch. Nobody knows why, but rumour said that he’s half blind. Though, I’m not really sure about that.

“Mr. Katakura.” Masamune said with a very flat tone.

“Oh, Masamune. Need something from me?” Mr. Katakura smiles.

“There is something I want to discuss. Your opinion about this and…..”

They’re talking about something, that’s for sure. Looks like Masamune came to ask Mr. Katakura’s opinion about whatever job he has in student council.

“Tsk.”

Yukina?

I heard that. I heard that she just ‘tsk’ to herself. What’s wrong?

Though, I feel like it’s not my place to ask, and this isn’t the right time either.

*a while later*

Tired of following Mr. Katakura around with Yukina, I decided to just went ahead and now I’m on my way to home. As I’m looking at the sunset in the horizon, I’m still thinking about the reason of Yukina who has been following Mr. Katakura around. I wonder why did she do that…

BEEP BEEP

Suddenly I received a text in my phone. I take a look at it, and I can feel that my expression immediately changed. Now what I see in front of me is no longer the beautiful sunset, but the text that I hate the most, and yet…

I still always have to receive it.

*the next day*

I’m on my way to my hell again. Yes, school canteen. Let’s hope that we will get plenty of breads now!

Though, on my way, I accidentally see someone in the school yard. There’s Masamune and he’s alone with a girl that I don’t know who. I decided to slow my pace down because of my curiousity. I mean, it’s that cold MASAMUNE, you know! And to think he’s actually alone with a girl! Don’t you find it interesting?!

“I’ve told you a bunch of times, I can’t.”

“But, Masa—“

“Now go back to your class. Lunch time is almost over.”

“I won’t go back to my class until you hear me out!”

“I heard you. Loud and clear. Now go, Myst.”

The girl named Myst looks up at Masamune. Whoa, look at her beautiful eyes. I feel like I’m looking into a rainbow. Err, maybe aurora? I don’t know. But one thing for sure, she’s so pretty. Did she just confess her love to Masamune? Now now, this is interes—

“You….”

“….!!!” I turn around and look at what a worst luck I have here. There’s Ieyasu! I repeat! It’s Ieyasu!!

“What are you doin—mmph!!”

I quickly cover his mouth with my palm and drag him to hide with me behind a pillar while peeking at Masamune and that Myst girl.

“Why the hell am I going along with you…?!” Ieyasu looks clearly irritated. But I can’t let him go away! He might tell Masamune and Myst that I was eavesdropping!

“Ssssh!! Can you shut up for a moment?!”

“How dare you to order me around!”

“I said ssshh!!”

“Why are you looking at those two anyway?”

“Huh? W-well…”

“I didn’t know you like gossip.”

“I’m not eavesdropping for gossip!”

“So you admit that you’re eavesdropping.”

“Ugh….” I seriously hate this guy!

Ieyasu looks up at Masamune and Myst, and suddenly he said, “That guy is this school’s student council president, right?”

“Oh, so you know..”

“Well, my homeroom teacher gave me a very thick book. He said it is like a guide or something..”

Ah… so he got it too. That sacred and thick guide book originally made and revised by our headmaster every year. When we were in first year, it became the unspoken rule that we had to bring that book around so we can get used to this school faster. If we forgot to brought that book, there would be a punishment. What kind of punishment? Well, depends on who was the teacher that caught us, apparently. Though, I never forgot that book so I didn’t get a punishment. Haha. I’m a good student, right?

“That bun-haired girl is also the part of student council, right?”

“Huh? Really?”

“You’re longer than me in this school and yet you don’t know about it? How stupid.”

“D-don’t call me stupid!” but wait, I didn’t know about it, seriously! Maybe I forgot?

Hmm, I should check it out later!

*then, in class*

I got back from the hellish school canteen just right on time before lunch time ends. There’s still some times left before the next class start, so maybe I better check it out to kill my curiousity.

I take out that thick book from inside my bag and quickly search for the student council members column. And when I find it out….

“…………”

No. That Myst girl hasn’t included yet here. She wasn’t the part of student council last year. So which means, she became the student council member just right around this year? But how? There’s still no election yet, how can she—

“Rin?”

“Huh?” surprised, I look up and I see Ane in front of my desk.

“Why are you looking at that book again?”

“N-no… it’s nothing. Ahaha.”

“Oh, it’s the student council members…” Ane smiles looking at each photos, as if remembering our first year here, “This brings back memories, huh…”

“Really. Haha.”

“Now most of the current student council members are third year. I hope they will do well for upcoming tests.”

Right….

Masamune is also third year, so I guess someone will take his place as the student council president soon.

Though, I don’t know why… but that Myst girl really makes me curious. Is she second year too? Or maybe third year? And why do I even care about it this much?! Aaaagh, I don’t get it!

*later, after school*

“Somehow I feel so tired today…” as I let out a sigh while walking out from class…

TAP

“…..”

“Huh?” someone block my path. I look up, and there, I see a very beautiful heterochromia eyes owned by a girl that stands in front of me. Lightened up by the sunset that comes down through the window, those eyes are like ice and fire that got mixed together. Sucking me inside.

“………..”

“Um… d-do you need something from me?”

“Rin.”

“Y-you know my name?”

“I hate dango.”

“Huh?” w-what the hell is wrong with this girl?

“But you definitely shouldn’t hate them”

“W-why…?”

“Because they will need you soon.”

“What….?”

And without saying anything, that girl turns around and walks off to her own destination. What was that about anyway….? I don’t understand at all.

But I feel like I have seen her somewhere……

Where?

Hm….

Mmmm……

Ah!!

Isn’t she Chise?!

Finally remember, I decided to just run after her to ask about that dango thing she said before. But when I was about to turn around the corner, I see two people that I know well and decided to just hide myself behind a wall.

It’s Mr. Katakura and Yukina. What are they talking about?

…..

Ugh, I’m eavesdropping again…

…..

“Mr. Katakura. I have something to ask.” Yukina looks so serious.

“What is it?” meanwhile Mr. Katakura just smiles, the same as usual.

“When will your training end?”

“Huh? Well… it’s still a while… maybe at the end of this semester? What about it? Why do you ask?”

“I want you to hurry and leave this school.”

“……”

W-w-w-w-wha—?!

D-did I hear that right?!

Yukina wants Mr. Katakura to leave this school soon?!

But why?!

Yukina bites her lips. As if trying to hold something back. Whatever it is, it must be hard for her.

Though, Mr. Katakura can only smile and say, “Even if you hate me….”

“……” ah, Yukina bites her lips harder.

“…..even if you want me to leave soon….”

“……….” She bites her lips again.

“I can’t leave yet. My duty hasn’t done yet after all.”

“Then….”

“……”

“Then hurry and finish it!! Stop making people suffering!”

“Huh? Shiho, wait—ah…”

Yukina runs away. No, she’s not running away from Mr. Katakura. She looks like she’s… running away from her own self.

Curious, I decided to follow her.

*later, in school yard*

“………..” there. I see Yukina’s sitting on the bench. The aura around her is so dark. Ugh, it’s so hard to get near her. But…. I just… somehow… can’t leave her alone.

Slowly I approach her and sit beside her, “Yukina.”

“……” she looks up, and my eyes widened in surprised. Those red eyes. She’s crying, isn’t she.

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay to you?” Yukina smiles. But I know that smile is a fake one. She’s strong, but also weak at the same time. I can tell that much.

“Sorry. That was a stupid question.”

“No, it’s okay.” Yukina wipes her tears. And when she finally felt calm, she asks, “You saw, didn’t you?”

“Huh?”

“Me.. and Mr. Katakura just now…”

“I… I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. It’s not like I’m angry to you. But… I’m angry at myself.”

“Why?”

“Because…. of my stupidness.”

“Why are you saying thing like that?”

“It’s the truth. I’m so stupid, that I didn’t even realize… how much I love Mr. Katakura up until now.”

“I see.” so I was right. She’s in love with Mr. Katakura.

“But you see… it’s too late now…”

“Why? There are still plenty of times before he goes back to university. If you want to confess, now is your chance!”

“Not after I said such things…”

“Ah, m-maybe you said those stuffs before because you can’t hold your feelings back anymore? I-I’m sure Mr. Katakura will understand if you apologize properly, so—“

“Ahaha…”

“….?”

“I’m such a bad liar…”

“…….”

“You see, actually I don’t want him to leave so soon…”

“Then why—“

“Because I’m afraid… I will make Myst suffer more…”

Myst….?

So… she knows about Myst too…?

Wait, does that mean… Myst likes Mr. Katakura too?

But.. what about Masamune?!

To be continued~

P.S Expect a slow update. Huhu,

#samurai love ballad party #voltage inc #fanfic #slbp fanfic #oc #tokugawa ieyasu #katakura kojuro #date masamune #sakai tadatsugu

[808lionfire]

Baby Blues

A Fairy Tail Fanfiction

Overview: Rated T for minor heat and some foul language. Modern!AU. Characters are in mid- to late-twenties. Fluff. The summary is low-key misleading. It sounds like there’s angst, but there really isn’t.

Pairing(s): Natsu/Lucy (Main), Implied Sting/Yukino, Implied Jellal/Erza, Implied Laxus/Mirajane, Natsu/Sting - Friendship, Sting/Lucy - Friendship, Implied Lucy/Yukino - Friendship. 

Summary: With all the kids his friends were popping out, he never really found the urge to have any of his own. That feeling, however, was long before knew how wrong it felt when his weirdo best friend approached him with a child (that looked a little too much like her, and both draped in baby blues) on her arm, and it wasn't his.

Word Count: 4,343

A/N: Cross posted on FanFiction.Net. Inspiration is fickle and I still have to update my other story but lmfao. I’ll get to that when schooling calms down... probably.

Baby Blues

Natsu Dragneel wiped the sweat from his forehead, a bright grin on his lips.

Excited shrieks of children laughing around him, a few grabby hands tugging at the hems of his shirt. He tried to pacify their eager calling, one of his hand lifted in surrender as he dropped the ball he was holding in the other. The toddlers around him scooted to the side when he gently shooed them away. With a falsely anticipated voice, he slowly counted to three before he lightly kicked the ball and chuckled when three different children gave chase.

The salmon-haired man gave an exhausted sigh and walked over to break them apart when the kids started to tumble with each other, the soccer ball ways away from their small tussle. He noted to apologize to Makarov the next time he saw the old man, only now realizing how much grey hairs they must've given him when they were brats.

"Natsu Dragneel?" A voice called teasingly from the other end of the grassy clearing. "Breaking up a fight, and not being the cause of it? Now I'm sure I've seen everything."

The man in question looked up from where he was holding the collars of two different shirts, the children struggling in his grip to get at each other despite the obvious difference in their and their captor's strengths. Natsu had readied a glare and a sharp retort for the speaker, only to stop when a familiar mop of blonde hair and a playful smirk on the other man's face registered in his mind.

Sting Eucliffe, always the confident individual, swaggered over to where Natsu was, hands in his pockets and a sort of tired tint to his face. Natsu grinned as he let released the two kids and stood up to greet the blonde with a clasp of their hands and a brief bro-hug.

"What're you doin' here?" Natsu asked once they separated. "I thought you guys were on the first flight back to Crocus."

"We were stubbornly invited," Sting answered with a chuckle, glancing at the children who quickly forgot about the two adults and their previous squabbling and started chasing after the ball again. "Lucy insisted that we at least stay for Juvia's baby shower before we left. I figure she just wants us and Hugo to enjoy all the doting before we set off."

"Oh?" The pinkette's smile dropped, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"Yeah," the blonde man nodded, "but by how excited she looked, you guys must have some sort of surprise for us."

Natsu sighed, one of his hands slipping into his pockets while the other pulled his scarf away from his mouth. "Luce really doesn't know how to keep a secret."

"So I was right?" Sting looked a little shocked but then burst out into laughter. "Oh, man! It's a good thing Yuki is pretty oblivious to that kind of stuff. I guess also it helps that she still hasn't gotten used to taking care of Hugo on the go. That kid is an absolute monster at night, seriously."

"You and Yukino made Lucy happy though," Natsu chuckled. "She was really upset when she couldn't make it to Hugo's birth."

"Yuki too," Sting sighed. "That's why as soon as we got the green light from the doc, we got on the next flight here. I don't think I've seen my wife or our child the entire time we were here. It took six months, but my little family finally feels complete with Fairy Tail backing us up."

"You can count on us for anything," Natsu promised with an easy grin. "If it wasn't for your job back in the capital, Luce would've pestered you guys to move to Magnolia."

"Please. You wouldn't have to pester us," the blonde man admitted with a laugh. "If I know my wife, the she wouldn't let Lucy question before jumping at the offer. Yukino knows how important taking over the guild is for me though, and it would be a difficult move with Hugo so young."

"Congrats, by the way," Natsu told him with a chuckle of his own, "for the job and for the baby. Yukino must be relieved that he's not as ugly as you."

Sting punched his arm. "Screw off, man. I'm beautiful."

The pinkette laughed and opened his mouth to say more but an exclamation of surprise stole his focus and his head whipped to attention. "Oi, Simon Louis Fernandez! Put that down!" Natsu shouted across the clearing to the scarlet-haired toddler. "Your mother is going to have my head if she finds out I let you eat dirt again!"

The child, Simon, froze from where his dirt covered hand was poised halfway to his mouth and stared at him rounded eyes. Natsu sternly folded his arms across his chest when the child refused to budge and gave him the well-practiced 'eye' that Lucy always gave him when they first met. Mere moments later, Simon relented with a sag of his shoulders and dropped the fist full of earth back to the ground.

"Jeez," Natsu sighed when the child started after the other children again. "These brats stir up trouble the second you take your eyes off of them."

"That's why Uncle Natsu is here," Sting drawled in the most patronizing tone he could muster and snickered when the pinkette shoved him. "Kids are exhausting, man, but so worth it," the blonde man yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "So?" He asked, "when are we going to see little Natsu spawns running around and causing havoc?"

Natsu snorted. "These spawns are enough," he admitted, gesturing to the group of three children in front of him. "Erza and Mira synced their pregnancies with Simon and Elysia, so it's not like havoc is really a shortage in Fairy Tail. Thankfully they behave... sorta, with Asuka around." Natsu scratched the back of his neck, "I don't know how Jellal and Laxus can put up with this all day."

"Guess it's just something you won't really understand until it happens," Sting shrugged.

"Probably," Natsu agreed, "but don't count on it."

Elysia's gleeful shriek cut Sting's response as the four-year old broke away from the small crowd of children. "An' Usy!"

There was a quieter, but equally gleeful response and Natsu looked for the light-haired child's sudden interest. He knew, of course, that 'An' Usy' meant 'Aunt Lucy' in the child's warbled speech. He knew that Lucy wouldn't cause any harm to the kids, but constant cautious experience for the little humans developed a habit to always check what had gotten the kids so excited. Just for safe keeping.

What he wasn't expecting, though, was the sudden glow surrounding her as she held a lightly bundled child in her arms, beaming brightly at the children that ran up to her. She knelt in front of the kids, moved her body so she could cast a shadow over the bundle, and shifted the baby in her arms so the other kids' curious eyes could peek inside. Natsu couldn't hear what was said, but the excitement radiating off of the children had been enough to guess.

"There's the light of my life!" Sting exclaimed when Lucy stood back up to make her way over, a trail of duckling-children following closely behind her.

The blonde woman laughed, shooting the man a teasing look. "I'm flattered, Sting, I really am. But I don't go for married men."

"Oh, har har, Lucy. You're hilarious," Sting mocked in amusement.

"The talent oozes," Lucy shot back haughtily as she stopped in front of them, her chocolate-brown eyes glowing happily. "Hey, Natsu?" She grinned, bringing the baby up to her face and pressing their cheeks together, "doesn't he look like me? If I were twenty-three and a half or so years younger, we could be twins."

Natsu raised his eyebrow at her, but couldn't help but agree. The baby inherited Sting's blonde hair, just a shade paler than Lucy's, and Yukino's dark brown eyes. It wasn't the first time he was struck by Hugo's eerily likeness to the blonde woman; however, it was the first time they were close enough to compare. If he was a stranger looking in, he could have mistaken Hugo for Lucy's son.

And that really didn't sit well with him.

The grin on the woman's face slid off her lips, a frown of concern replacing it. "Natsu?" Lucy asked warily, cradling Hugo back into her arms. "Are you alright?"

Natsu blinked at her, his eyes focusing onto her own. "Huh? Wha– yeah. Of course I am, you weirdo. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You had a strange look on your face," Lucy replied, years of knowing him tuned out the weirdo comment. "I can take over watching the kids if you need a break."

"Nah," Natsu replied, an easy grin slipping onto his face as he shoved both of his hands into his pockets. "It's almost time for lunch anyway, right?" Lucy nodded, still hesitant. "See? I got them, Luce. Don't worry about it."

"If you're sure," she mused, eyeing him for a moment before turning back to Hugo with a affectionate smile on her lips. "Alright, Hue, you wanna go back to daddy?" Lucy's smile grew when the baby's arms slid out from the blanket and wiggled his fingers in the air. "What about daddy, huh? You think daddy's ready to take you back?"

In reply, Sting held his hands out and wiggled his fingers, mimicking Hugo's actions. Lucy snickered before she carefully passed the baby to his father and gave a final farewell coo before removing her hands entirely. The blond man loosed the blankets around his son, letting the baby's hands curiously explore his face as he playfully nuzzled their noses together.

"Hey there, little light," the blonde man cooed to his son, a finger lifted to move the blanket away from the baby's face. "Did you miss daddy? Mommy must have been desperate if she gave you to Aunt Lucy of all people."

The golden-haired woman rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. "Yukino wants you to change Hugo's diaper," she informed, a smirk on her lips when Sting's quickly dropped. "I couldn't really smell it through the blankets, but if your son is anything like you, it's a stinker."

The children that were waiting faithfully behind Lucy finally drew her attention with their giggles and she missed the scowl Sting sent her at the jab. Natsu, however, chuckled at the expression the other man was currently wearing and could only smile in amusement when the (grown) man started to complain to the bundled baby. The pinkette turned back to his best friend just in time to see the children trying to drag her to where they caught an earthworm nearly an hour before.

Knowing Lucy really wouldn't take as smoothly to the wiggling worm as he had, Natsu quickly jumped forward and caught the blonde's wrist in his hand. "Hey, guys?" He addressed the children, ignoring the curious look Lucy sent him, "I really don't think Aunt Lucy wants to see the worm you three caught earlier."

"Aw! Uncle Natsu!" Asuka complained, a pout in his direction. "You ruined the surprise!"

Lucy's eyes rounded, her mouth popping open slightly. "A-Ah, well. U-Uncle Natsu has a p-point. "

"But is really big!" Simon tried to reason, his eyes widening up at Lucy. "Really, really big!"

Natsu's eyes shot towards Lucy's face, knowing the blonde was the biggest sucker for their wide-eyed attacks. As he expected, the blonde's chocolate-brown orbs melted under the stare. It also didn't help that Elysia, the more reserved one of the three, had started to tug at her other hand and gave Lucy the pout that Mirajane had most likely taught her to use on Laxus.

He could feel Lucy's hand weaken under his fingers as she quickly turned and shot him a panicked look. Natsu, who surprisingly doesn't fare much better against the visual assault when it's directed towards him, just shrugged back helplessly. He had to hide his amused smile at the comical look of betrayal that shot across her face.

Taking pity on his best friend, Natsu sighed and tugged her under his arm, giving the children a wary look. "Maybe later, yeah?" He asked with a grin. "It's almost lunch time, so why don't we get all cleaned up before your moms skin me alive?"

"Natsu!" Lucy hissed under her breath, elbowing him in the side. "That is not something you tell children!"

Natsu snorted, keeping a close eye on the children as they jumped and squealed over each other to get to the campground first. "Please, Luce. They each saw me get my ass kicked at least twice this week."

Lucy set harsh eyes on him. "Don't encourage them then, you dolt!"

"It got them movin', didn't it?" He asked with a noncommittal shrug. "And 'sides, it wasn't like I was lyin'."

"Oh, whatever," the blonde woman huffed, ducking under his arm to address the quiet father behind them. "Yukino's expecting you," she told Sting with a defeated sigh. "Are you guys sure you can't move here? I'm going to miss this little guy."

Sting laughed at this. "We have responsibilities back home, Lucy, but the wife would definitely take you up on that offer."

"Yeah, I know," she huffed again, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "That's why I didn't ask Yukino."

"Doesn't mean you can't visit us up in Crocus, though," Sting offered and then continued with a wink, cuddling his son closer. "Who knows? Maybe you might have started your own little spawn buy then."

"Right," Lucy snickered, leaning back to press herself against Natsu. The latter glaring at Sting before the words even fell from the man's lips. "I have enough of my hands full with this big baby," the blonde woman cooed, reaching up and playfully tapping the pinkette's cheek with her hand. "Isn't that right, Natsu?"

The man in question gave her a mocking smile. "I wonder who's takin' care of who, Luce," he returned, wrapping his arm around her again. "Wasn't it just last week when you was complaining that you were just too sick to move?"

Sting cut in through Lucy's sudden silence, a grin on his face. "I'm still expecting some happy news the next time we see each other."

"Don't hold your breath," the blonde woman grumbled. She then shook Natsu's arm away and separated herself from the group. "I'm going to go check on the kids. Only the stars know what kind of trouble they'll get into at the sinks."

"Check Simon, yeah?" Natsu asked her, catching her hand in his and tangling their fingers together. When Lucy turned to look back at him with curious eyes, he winced. "Kid tried to eat dirt. Again."

Lucy huffed out a knowing laugh, turning on her toes and lifting herself up to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I'll make sure there's no evidence," she giggled, dropping back on her heels. "You get cleaned up too, okay? Juvia wants to keep her baby blue tablecloths spotless and I really don't want to spend the night by my boyfriend's hospital bed."

"If she can catch me," Natsu snickered. Lucy just fondly rolled her eyes in reply before untangling their hands and bounded off to where the children disappeared.

"I don't know why you two are so against having a kid," Sting commented when Natsu turned back to him. "Having Hugo changed my entire life– and don't say it's because you're both too busy to have a kid, because I just inherited the guild and Yukino had her new internship at the office. I think Yuki and I know a thing or two about being 'too busy.'"

"It's not that," Natsu sighed, reaching back to fluff the hair above his neck.

Sting shifted Hugo in his arms, smiling down at his son when the child let out a happy giggle. "Did you ask her?" He questioned without looking, letting tiny fingers reach out towards his own.

Natsu blinked. "What?"

"Did you ask her?" Sting repeated, looking up this time. "Did you ask Lucy if she even wanted to have kids?"

"Well... no," Natsu admitted. "But– c'mon, man. You heard her earlier. She told you not to hold your breath."

"Geez, Natsu," the blonde man sighed. "Think about it. You've been together for what? Four years? Your friends are popping up babies left and right. There's no way that she hadn't considered having a kid with you. Women talk, man. One of the only women left in your group who hasn't had a kid yet is Levy, and it's not like it's for the lack of trying."

"Just talk it out, yeah?" Sting asked, clapping a hand on Natsu's shoulder when the other man stayed quiet. "We should get going. I still gotta change Hue's diaper and you gotta get cleaned up. I really don't want you to send us off in a hospital bed."

Natsu landed face-first in exhaustion, the crisp, soft sheets under him giving his aching muscles some reprieve from the harsh day. A laugh sounded from behind him him shortly before he was nudged aside and was joined in a similar fashion. Not caring that hot and humid the day was still clinging to their skins, he rolled enough to pull the equally exhausted blonde into his arms. He nuzzled his way to the side of her face and pressed a kiss to her temple. She giggled affectionately and curled closer.

"Hey, Luce?"

"Hm?"

Natsu lazily dug his fingers between her shoulders, easing the knots out of her back. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" Lucy asked with a satisfied sigh, tension easing from her shoulders.

"When you told Sting not to hold his breath?" The blonde woman froze at his words, her body tensing appropriately. Natsu only continued his fingers' dance on her back until she was somewhat relaxed again. "Well, did you?" He prodded, the smug bastard's words willing him to continue.

Lucy blew out a breath, the air hot on his chest despite his shirt covering it. "Well... I can't say that I haven't thought about it," she admitted, her hand drifting up to rest on the area above his heart. "But, between our guild jobs, your work at the firehouse, and mine with Sorcerer's, I guess there really wasn't much time to really think about it. I mean, that's no excuse. Jason wasn't exactly being subtle when he said we could get maternity leave..."

"So... why don't we?" Natsu asked casually, his fingers falling on the bed when Lucy lifted herself up to look incredulously at him.

"This isn't the weather we're talking about, Natsu," she scowled at him, "this is a life we're talking about here! A baby is a lot of responsibility! Don't ask that so casually!"

He snorted. "As if asking if Hugo had any resemblance to you was such a complicated hint." The blonde went red, spluttering protests that only had the pinkette smiling. He reached up to pull her back onto his chest, quieting her protests but not the flame on her cheeks. "I'm not gonna lie. He does look like you and that doesn't sit well with me. If you have some secret kid, Luce, you better tell me about it."

"Shut up!" Lucy groaned at his chuckling, burying her heated face into his chest.

"But seriously," Natsu smiled, letting his hand drift to her hip. "I've thought about having a kid with you before. I didn't want to push it, though. I didn't want you to scare you off by bringing up a kid so soon. You know you mean the world to me, Luce, but you can do so much better."

"That's a lie and you know it," Lucy scoffed and shifted so she could press a loving kiss to the underside of his jaw. "No one can love me the way you can," she whispered quietly when she pulled back to lay her head back down. "You couldn't scare me off even if you wanted to."

"Unfortunately," Natsu admitted and laughed when she playfully hit his chest.

He shifted their positions, his elbows resting on either side of her as he hovered a breath above. Even in the dark, Lucy's dark-brown eyes gleamed mirthfully into his. He always loved the blissfully happy look on her face, so no one could blame him when he dipped his head to press a full kiss on his girlfriend's lips. She responded in kind, as she always did, submitting every inch of her body and soul to him.

He loves her in the only way he could; with every bend and twist and bit of strength that he could to keep her tethered so greedily to him. Each time their skin meets, he tries to leave a mark on her; a mark so bright and blinding that she would be reminded of him every time she remembered, but only as an act of retaliation because she so effortlessly leaves one on him without even trying. She had called him a greedy, hoarding dragon a few times before, mostly in the heat of a kiss when he robs her of her very breath. It makes him laugh and love her that much more.

Lucy reached places in him that no one dared to touch before, breaking down every carefully built wall he placed. Even through soft, pliant kisses, he monopolized all she had to offer while leaving himself bare for only her to see. For only her to feel. No one could love him the way she could.

Because she could be pretty greedy too.

"I want every piece of you."

It was a confession, soft but demanding in the limited air between them, and Natsu wasn't sure which one of them said it. Judging by the hot, mildly surprised breath that caressed his lips after the phrase was said, then it must have been him.

"You already own every bit."

The breathy reply made a small growling groan push past his lips.

Natsu drifted his hands up her arms, pushing them over her head and lacing their fingers tightly. He parted Lucy's lips with his own and delved deeper. He lost himself to the harsh breaths from her nose as she stubbornly refused to move back for air, and fell with each wanton whimper and desperate tug on his hair every time his sharp teeth scraped against her lip. Sometimes on accident, most times on purpose.

Phrases like before always stuck with him. They were promises. Vows. Guarantees for more without it becoming too obsessive. First came an admission, and then the reply. Like confessing what they already knew, but just making sure that they were still on the same page.

An admission: "I need you."

The reply: "I'm not going anywhere."

She tasted like spit and a bit like the s'mores they roasted over the campfire earlier, but he could swear that he never tasted anything more addicting. His heated hands detached themselves from hers and trailed a languid path down her arms, past the dip of her waist, and then clutched her hips where they stayed for a long moment. One dipped under her body to pull her closer, the other gripped the rising leg at his side and helped its path around his hips.

He liked surprising her in these kind of situations. Where she could easily be caught of guard, and where her reactions is always true. He liked bearing his soul in soft whispers despite being a man for action. That's why he confesses in this sort of way. So he takes leaps, and jumps without reserve. To honor that thought, the next admission came.

Well... sort of admission.

"Have a baby with me."

Lucy pulled back abruptly, breaking their kiss as a loud, surprised laugh erupted from her throat. Natsu chuckled at her mirth, his hand never ceasing their small patterns on her thigh.

"Is that a no?" He couldn't help but cheek, a grin on his face.

Lucy raised an amused eyebrow in his direction, her laughter slowly dying. "You didn't even ask a question, Natsu. Oh my god..."

Natsu blinked. "So that's a no on the no?"

The blonde shook in silent laughter and pulled him back down for another kiss, this one a bit more elated and, somehow, loving.

Later that night, when she was asleep in his arms, content and relaxed, he realizes that he never got his answer. He softly ran his hand down her bare back, slick with a layer of sweat, but he didn't mind in the slightest. At least it didn't feel like a no, he admitted quietly in his head. Natsu chuckled at the thought as he cuddled his loved girlfriend against his chest and dropped an affectionate kiss on the top of her head, following her quickly in slumber.

It definitely didn't feel like a no.

#fairy tail #fairy tail fanfic #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #sting eucliffe #Nalu #nalu fanfiction

[mazmisc]

Selection from Fuck Factory by John Lunar Richey

BILL’S LAST STAY

    Bill’s a regular.  He and his girlfriend are practically weekers at the Triborough.  I, being the desk clerk, reach under the desk and hit the buzzer opening the door which allows Bill and some lousy fucker entrance to the office.  A forced joviality accompanies Bill’s usual wired state of urgency.  I hate his restless, coked-up chitter-chatter. Makes me nervous and throws my concentration.

    I grab the lousy fucker’s cash for a short stay.  The guy leaves the office with key in hand and retrieves his girlfriend from the car.

    I change the registration card and direct it towards Bill.  He waves it away. “I already got a room.” He watches the couple as they enter their room.  “I just have some time to kill. Thought I’d say hello…I got a line if ya want it…”

I think about it.  Change the subject, “You know, your girlfriend called.  Said her car was missin.” The same car Bill drove into the parking lot.

    “Yea!?  She forgot…I borrowed it…I got a joint too…c’mon.”

     What the fuck – it’s slow –  a few tokes, a couple of lines wouldn’t hurt.  Keep me going. “Sounds good…we’ll go into one of the empty rooms.”

    “Let’s go.”

     Locking the office door behind me, we walk through the horseshoe parking lot.  Bill keeps chattering on as I look into the pink sunset sky and remind myself to turn on the motel lights when I return to the office. 

“What room?”

    “Room 10.”  Bill follows me in, waving a joint.  “Here! Light it up. I’ll be right back with the coke.”  Bill opens the trunk of his girlfriend’s Nova and fishes around beneath a blanket.  I exhale sweet reefer smoke out the bathroom window as Bill returns with a tire iron.

    “Bill – what the hell are you doin?”

    “Give me the keys,” Bill says, hands gripped tight to the tire iron.

    I take another toke, laugh a bluff, “For a moment I thought you were serious.”

   “Seth,” he says looking me in the eye, “I am serious.”

   “Don’t do this,” I beg.

   “GIVE ME THE KEYS!”  Tire iron raised.

   “Okay.”  Bill has the master keys.

   “Now lie on the floor!”

   “What?”

   “LIE ON THE FLOOR!”  he shouts, eyes bulging, iron waving.

    “Can’t I lie on the bed?” I ask, eyeing the door.  Unable to get out the door, I figure the bed will at least cushion a blow.

    Bill’s white knuckles pull back on the tire iron – “LIE ON THE FLOOR!”

    Unable to get past him or overpower him – wanting it all to go away – I lie on the floor awaiting unconsciousness.

    “NOW DON’T MOVE!”

    Bill walks out, closing the door behind him.

    I rise to a crouching position in front of the window and watch Bill leave the office, pass my room, open the door to his girlfriend’s Nova, throw the tire iron into the backseat and drive away.

    I walk back to the office.  I stare in disbelief at the opened and emptied drawer.  My mind races. I wonder what to do. I call my boss and get his kid’s voice fooling around on the answering machine.  Cute. I hang up the phone and call up Frank. He works at the motel with me. I tell him what happened. I tell him it could have happened to him.

    “I don’t do drugs,” Frank says and tells me to call the cops.

    “What?  Bill’s off his rocker.  He’s a crazy crackhead.”

    “You’re being paranoid.”

    “I’m in the phone book!”  I protest against his straight sensibilities.  “He knows my car! The bars I hang out at! He’s a crackhead!  It’s best to get rid of him.  Otherwise he’s trouble on the run or on bail.  Don’t matter. I don’t want no drugged lunatic on the loose threatening my existence.”

    I hang up the phone and figure the damage to be only 220 bucks.

    I redial Frank who agrees to bring me a $220 loan.

    “After all,” I tell him, “It’s my fault for being fooled by such swine.  Filing police reports and answering their questions wouldn’t catch him…it would get me fired.”

    I let Bill ride…

_________________________________________________________________

HARMONY HILL

    Johnson University stands on Harmony Hill.  Uninitiated students moving from safe suburban streets to Harmony Avenue learn fast.  They become prey: harassed, mugged and sold beat drugs. Their apartments are broken into and ransacked.  Women asleep in their beds aren’t safe unless all windows and doors are locked. Harmony can be harsh and violent.

    And that’s just where I’m headed.

    Snore just got himself an apartment on Harmony Ave.

    On his corner prostitution reigns.  Biological women work one side – across the street transsexuals strut their sex – both harboring the disease.  Makeup conceals lesions and needle marks.

    Habits are fed two blocks away at the projects.

    Snore believes he is in heaven.  He’s a five-minute walk from a bag of dope.  He knows the deals and the dealers by name. Since the dealers are his friends, Snore’s house-warming party is open to the hood.  Junkies, whores, and dealers are welcome. They pop in. Use the bathroom. Scope out Snore’s friends. Encourage business.

    Snore’s friends fit right in – eccentric weirdos, artists, flaming queens, musicians, and bartenders – many sharing the same addictions while others only indulge on weekends.  It’s Saturday night. In dark corners of the living room drugs and cash are exchanged.

    In the bedroom…who knows?  The door is shut.

    Aurora, beautiful Jewish/Wiccan painter, Goddess of the Night, sits in the bright kitchen with an odd old friend named Tommy: a skinhead nazi guitarist for The Nihilists.  Tommy sits at the table with his cock out.  “I have to piss.”

    Tommy’s new girlfriend – he always has a new one – gets down on her knees, drinks his fleshy fountain.

    Aurora laughs in disgust and belief.  Tommy’s capable of anything.  She knows that.

    “Aurora can laugh,” Tommy says.  “She’s a Jew. And I hate Jews.  We all know that!  But she’s different.  Somehow she’s gained my friendship.”  Tommy smirks, “No lampshade or gas chamber for her.  She can be my sex slave.”

    “That Will Never Happen!”  Aurora shouts out loud. Her nervous laugh acknowledges that if Tommy’s Nazis were in power, she would be her on her knees.

    “You wait, my dear,” says Tommy with a menacing smile.

    “FOREVER!”  Aurora yells.

    The bedroom door opens.  A bare-chested blonde exits.  Someone’s fucking on the bed. A naked brown-skinned woman is on top.  Her back to us as she moans and rides upon milky white thighs. Closing the door, the blonde pulls her tube top over her large breasts and sits at the kitchen table.  She preps her glass pipe and watches Tommy’s girlfriend, still on her knees, giving head. Snore’s German shepherd stalks, sniffs. Tommy’s girlfriend pulls back. Smiles as the dog licks Tommy’s cock and walks away.  The girlfriend continues.

    The busty blonde lights up the rock.  Exhales, “I’m pregnant.” Takes another hit.

    I grab a beer from the fridge.

    “Can you get me one?” asks the new mother.

    “Anyone else?”

    Hands go up.  I grab a five-pack but its empty plastic ring and put it on the table.  Five beers pop open.

    The blonde mother shakes her head, “Damn – that guy in the bedroom offers me a tip, right?  Just wants to suck my ‘big titties.’  I say okay.  And he gets a mouthful.”  She drinks her beer. She hits the pipe…exhales.  Blankly stating, “I’m lactating.”

    Tommy’s girlfriend stands up.  Wipes her hand across her mouth.  Swigs a beer.

    Tommy begins his usual barrage about the superiority of Aryans Cursing “the scourge of our nation: niggers, Jews and spics.”  It wouldn’t surprise me if Tommy gets jumped by the Brothers standing by and listening. That’s happened before.

    I grab my beer and walk out on the second floor porch for some fresh air.  Jeff, trombone player and only white dude in the reggae band Respect is very pale, sweating profusely, swaying as the boom box blasts the old Supremes tune, “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

    “Oh man,” Jeff moans, leans over the banister and pukes…

    “Heads up!” I yell.

    “I don’t feel too good,” Jeff confides.

        “Done heroin before?” I ask.

    Jeff weakly shakes his head, removes his T-shirt and wipes his sweating face.  “I’ll be okay,” leans over the ledge…pukes.

    I back into the apartment.

    “Yo!” Doctor Crucial, the Cuban coke dealer with doctor bag, calls me over for some lines…nostrils numb…everything rings true, “Amazing.”

    The Doctor laughs, “Nooo credit.”  He’s high and as usual in his own movie.

    “I’m gonna buy a beer.  Want one?”

    “My boy,” Doc says snorting another line.

    I head for the fridge.

    The crack mom is pushing against the bathroom door.  “Hey let me in.” She leans in sideways. Looks down, “Hey!  This guy don’t look too good.” She backs up and gestures me over.  I lean in and take a look. Snore is blue-lipped, ashen, passed out on the floor.

    “Hey!  I Need Some Help Here!”

    Two of Snore’s junkie friends rush in – “Don’t worry!  We got ‘im” – Snore is raised up and sitting on the toilet seat.

    “Shit!”  The guy says, fingers on Snore’s wrist.  “No pulse…better call 911. On second thought,” he whispers, “we’ll take him around the corner.”  Gives me a hard look, “Gotta be done sometimes.”

    A panicky voice on the phone gives Snore’s address and plays dumb to questions.  “I don’t know!” She says. “He’s passed out. Just get here quick.” She hangs up the phone, “Ambulance On Its Way!”

    “And I’m on my way,” Doctor Crucial grabs his drug bag and heads down the stairs.    “Me too,” says another.The exodus begins.  Personal possessions are quickly gathered.  Whores, junkies, musicians, artists, and flames flee as the faint siren grows louder.

    Friends that stay scamper, cleaning the apartment of incriminating evidence.

    Snore stays slumped over the toilet seat.  A crying friend splashes his face with water.  “I feel a pulse!” She screams. “C’mon Snore! Snap out of it!”  She shakes him.

    “EMS,” a white uniform walks into the bathroom.  He rolls up Snore’s sleeves, sees the tracks. “Overdose,” he yells to his partner.  Holding Snore’s head in his hands, he lifts Snore’s lids and stares into his eyes. “What drugs has he taken?”

    No one says anything.

    “Give us room,” sighs the EMS partner.

    Snore is given a shot and strapped to the stretcher.

    Snore slowly awakens, “Get me off this stretcher.”

    “You’re coming with us, pal…You’re lucky to be alive.”

    Snore pleads with me, “Seth, come with me.”

    I sit next to him in the ambulance.  Snore calls me close, “Not Johnson Hospital.”  Makes sense. Snore works at Johnson Hospital. Snore whispers, “My name is Ted.”  Winks, “Ted Freeman.”

    “Take him to Saint Peter’s,” I tell the ambulance medic.

    “I’m not driving,” the medic responds.

    I yell up front, “Please take Ted to Saint Peter’s.”

    The driver says nothing.

    The ambulance pulls up to the emergency entrance at Johnson’s Memorial Hospital.

    ‘Ted Freeman’ is wheeled through the sliding and swinging doors and into a curtained partition in the ER.  He is wired to a heart monitor and connected to a glucose drip. “You can go now,” Snore tells me.

    “You sure?”

    “Yea.  I’ll be out in no time.  Wait for me at my apartment.  Make sure no one rips me off.”

    I walk out the swinging doors as Snore reiterates: “Ted Freeman…no insurance,” and gives a fake address.

    I make my way back to Harmony – a vampire remnant of the night – the sun burns through my squinting eyes as I pass the open shops, the students, and the business-attired.

    Inside Snore’s apartment the curtains are drawn.  People have passed out from opiates and alcohol or stagger around in coke-induced deliriums.  A dehydrated zombie asks from the white-crusted corner of his mouth, “Did you bring any beers?”  In afterthought, he inquires, “How’s Snore?”

    I shake my head, “He’s all right.  He’ll be back soon.” I slump into a couch and wait.

    A half hour later Snore walks in with a 12-pack of beer.

    “You’re a saint,” a stoner gives praise.

    The sleepy pin-eyed rally into the bright kitchen for a beer.

    Everyone listens to Snore’s story: “There I was, hooked up to IV and monitors using a fictitious name, Ted Freeman…”

    “The homeless dude at Johnson Park?”

    “Yeah.  His name just popped into my head.  Sounded good at the time.” Snore takes a drag from his cigarette, “Then, thereal  Ted Freeman walks into the emergency room.”

    “WHAT?”

    Snore nods, “I’m lying there on the stretcher when I hear, ‘My name’s Ted Freeman and I think I did too much coke.’  And then he starts goin’ on about his heart beating too fast and shit.”

    “No way!!” says Tommy.

    Snore puts his hand up – in oath – “I’m telling the truth.”

    “What did you do?”

    “I unplugged myself, threw my clothes on, and snuck out.”

    “Get the fuck out of here!” a single shrieking exclamation of disbelief.

    Snore raises his hand again.  “I took the elevator up to the lab.  Punched in. Told the crew I stayed at a friend’s house and bumped my head.”  Everyone laughs. Snore takes a healthy swig of his beer. “Then I told them I had to go home to take a shower and change my clothes.”

    “They were cool with that?”

    “I’m here,” Snore says grinning.  He raises his beer. We laugh and toast.  “But I have to get back to work,” Snore grumbles towards the shower.  Rushing out the bathroom, Snore grabs another beer and shuffles into his bedroom.  Dressed in lab blues Snore yells, “Bye!” and closes the door behind him.

    The beers are going fast.  I grab another. Then slump back into the couch, very tired, thinking that today I better call in sick to work.  Body heavy, exhausted, I finish my beer and fall asleep…

from WordPress http://bizarredatanoise.com/?p=3831

#Books & Lit #Fiction #bookslit #fuckfactory #johnlunarrichey #johnrichey