#a while ago (like last year maybe?) I was down in Portland and got a stack of books from Powell’s that of course has sat unread since then

[nyhne]

.

[flemingsfreckles]

Replacement pt. 1

Jessie Fleming x Reader (enemies to lovers)

Synopsis: Jessie transfers to your team in Portland, while everyone else seems to be thrilled about her transfer, you see the girl as a threat to your position and playing time with the team.

Warnings: cursing

WC: 2.4K (this is just set up, the other parts will be longer)

A/N: this is a LONG overdue series I started writing when Jessie first transferred to Portland, I just have had some serious writers block with it. But I’ve finally been able to get some of it down. It is enemies to lovers, so it will be rough and angsty at the start but give it some time :)

Everyone had seen the rumors flying around. You heard the whispers of your teammates at training yesterday afternoon after they had all seen the supposed transfer news. Just like any other fan or team, you all loved the speculation. Your teammates loved it even more when it surrounded bringing a big name on to your team for once instead of Gotham like everyone else. Janine and Christine spent most of their practice trying to dodge questions about their fellow Canadian teammate, not giving away any details of what they did or didn’t know.

You couldn’t lie, you often fed into the spectacle of transfer rumors, chatting with your team about where people might be headed. Something about this transfer rubbed you the wrong way. Maybe it was because you felt threatened. You were a midfielder as well. If you’re being honest with yourself, your first season in the league, fresh out of college, had not gone to plan.

Being drafted second you were expected to perform well, and the transition into the NWSL from the NCAA had been anything but smooth. You had a few minor injuries, a strain here and there, with the addition of a minor concussion. You ended up with an overall disappointing season. It wasn’t due to your lack of effort, you pushed yourself as hard if not harder than most players, it just hadn’t yet paid off.

Jessies arrival meant you’d likely be finding yourself sitting on the bench more and more often. They were bringing in someone who could actually help the team. They were bringing in your replacement in the form of an incredibly skilled and experienced midfielder.

You tried to remember that they were just rumors, she wasn’t confirmed to being transferring. What small hope you had was quickly diminished when you got the team message from staff asking that you all arrive to practice 20 minutes early for a “quick meeting”.

So when you walked into the meeting room, slouching in your seat next to Sam and Janine with a huff, they both turned to look at you. They had both taken you under their wing when you joined the team, being your first friends in Portland. They would come over when you were injured, helping take you to and from training, and helping you get acquainted with the city.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of their bed, damn.” Janine looked at you with wide eyes. It was uncharacteristic behavior being so cranky, even with how poorly your season was last year, you were typically upbeat, trying to make your teammates laugh, keeping practice lighthearted.

“Shut it Beckie.” You muttered in her direction. Sam looked at you, wide eyes before slowly turning to face forward not wanting to get on your bad side. Your coach walking in shortly after, not giving Janine the chance to respond. You’re not sure she would have even had something to say as she just stared at you, mouth open at the fact that you had just talked back to her.

“Alright, quiet down everyone,” your coach held his hands up. “I’m sure everyone has already seen the rumors floating around our club. We hadn’t planned to announce it until she was actually here to introduce herself but as of a couple hours ago, we have officially agreed to terms with and will be welcoming another Canadian,” he shoots a look at Janine and Sinc, “Jessie Fleming will be joining us.” A couple of whoops and hollers scattered across the room. “She’ll be starting with us at practice in two days. I expect, as you all have with our other transfers and signings, that you welcome her to Portland.”

While the rest of the team seemed to be thrilled at the idea of Fleming joining the team, you dodged every conversation you could about her.

Thankfully training was short, with the season just beginning you were completing fitness testing, getting both benchmarks for the season and learning how well everyone had kept up with their fitness during the off season. After warming up, everyone ran the well known and well dreaded “beep test”. It may be dreaded to most, but as a midfielder you had some of the best cardio fitness. It was days like this where your confidence rose, feeling comfortable through the test, nothing to worry about except running.

By the end of the test, you were one of the only players still running, your lungs were burning with each breath you took, the lactic acid building up in your thighs and calves. You finally dropped to your knees, unable to run any further. You found yourself kneeling next to Janine before rolling over to sit. Placing your head between your knees you breathed, listening to your teammates around you also panting, some coughing, some cursing the test for existing. You laid back fully putting up one leg straight in the air. A smile crept across your face, something about the burning of your lungs and your legs nearly cramping felt so good, a small reminder of your hard work.

“You mind helping me stretch?” Reaching out an arm you smack Janine next to you. Easily convinced, she stands up moving over to you placing herself to hold the foot in the air. She gently begins to press it toward your chest, your hamstring straining as she pushes your leg further.

“You’re fucking crazy for smiling after that test.” Janine rolling her eyes at you, a small cough coming out after as she can still feel her lungs burning. “I can’t believe I’m going to have to deal with two of you now.”

“What does that mean? Two of us?” You send her a pointed look before laying back letting your head fall back against the grass. Janine drops your leg, grabbing the other one before repeating the stretching motion.

“It means, I’ll now have to deal with you and Jessie running circles around me and the rest of this team. Literally circles.” She huffs.

“Right.” You felt the smile drop from your face, you had been able to forget about your replacement’s arrival. Janine noticed instantaneous change in your emotions at the mention of Jessie. She made a mental note to check in with you later, not while you were still on the sidelines of the pitch with the entire team.

Once everyone cooled down from the test, you stretched more, before heading into the locker room. You grab a protein bar and electrolytes from the shelf before hopping into the ice bath. Janine follows you, hopping in as well, making a comment about how cold it was as she shivers.

“Hey, I know we usually go for coffee after practice. We can still do that, it's just that I had offered to help Jessie unpack. She got in last night and didn’t really get settled. I’m supposed to meet her at her new place in about an hour, so I won't be able to stay for too long. It’ll have to be more of a grab and go kind of thing.” Janine looks at you, you both standing in the ice cold water, your shirts held up to avoid getting them wet.

Part of you is annoyed at her. You two always grabbed coffee, it was an unspoken activity, occasionally another teammate or two tagging along. You two would get coffee, you’d vent to each other, chat about the tv shows you were watching, Janine would talk about her wedding. It was something Janine started with you when you were new to the team, she was doing it to make you feel comfortable at the start and it quickly developed into a genuine friendship. Now Jessie was going to replace you at work and in Janine’s life too.

“Just go to hers, it's all good. We can skip this week.” You try not to sound upset, already feeling replaced by Jessie’s arrival in the form of losing your coffee “date”.

“Sorry, I would have said something sooner but with the transfer not public yet, I just didn’t want to get her in trouble or anything.” She pauses for a moment. “Actually, why don't you come with me to Jessie’s? I really think you two will get on well, plus it’ll be a good way to introduce you two.”

“Oh, no, I wouldn't want to just show up, I mean I don't know her and unpacking her stuff would be a little personal, it just probably isn't the best time for me to meet her.” Coming up with the best excuse you could come up with without flat out telling Janine that you don't want to meet one of her favorite people. You had heard plenty about Jessie before from Janine, only before it didn’t bother you. Before it was just hearing about one of Janine’s best friends, now it had a different sting when she was brought up. Now she was talking about the girl coming to take your spot.

“Alright, well I’m still grabbing coffee because I thought we’d be going and I promised Jessie I’d bring her one. Come with me at least then we can split?” You know Janine has zero negative intentions, she still was trying to have your usual coffee while also being an incredible friend and going to help Jessie move in.

“Fine, twist my arm.” You add sarcasm into your sentence, it wasn’t too hard to get you to go get a coffee, it was one of your favorite drinks, you spent way to much time and money on it, even having your own espresso machine at home with a bean grinder and all. Janine always joked that you could just run your own coffee shop out of your apartment for extra money.

You get to the coffee shop, when you walk in the barista gives you a wave, you and Janine were frequent visitors, the baristas all knew you and your orders.

“Are we getting the usual ladies?” The girl behind the counter asks, already starting to punch in the order on her screen.

“I am, but can we get them to-go, thank you.” You tell her. She puts in the order for your cold brew with caramel foam.

“I am, but I’m also going to add another drink, can I just get a latte with the lavender syrup please.”

On a normal day, if you weren’t in such an upset and negative mood you would’ve mocking the way Janine says syrup, but you don’t. You also mentally gag at the coffee she ordered for Jessie, lavender tasted like old lady soap. You mentally added it to the list of reasons to avoid the new transfer. It was childish what you were doing but you didn’t care.

You reach to get your card out, Janine beats you to it tapping her card on the register. “Janine, no.” It was your turn to pay, the two of you alternated.

“Please it’s the least I can do given I’m ditching you today.” She shoots you a sympathetic look.

“Alright.” You rolls your eyes at her as you hear your name called from the other end of the counter where your drink was placed.

You grab your drink and turn to walk out of the shop. The shop wasn’t too far from your apartment, a couple of blocks, and you figured you could walk so Janine didn’t have to drop you off at your house before heading to Jessie’s.

“Hey, where are you running off to, I’ll drive you.”

“Oh, no I’m good, I don’t want to make your trip longer.” You also had enough social interaction for today, a short walk alone wouldn’t be the worst thing.

“Well Jessie’s new place is just across the street from yours, so I’ll be going that way anyway.”

Of course Jessie moved in right across the street, out of all the apartment buildings in Portland of course she found herself the closest one, besides literally being in your building.

Janine grabs hers and Jessie’s drinks and you both walk back to her car. The two of you chat again, complaining about the weather and how it couldn’t make up its mind if it’s was winter or spring yet. You both coo over a dog walking down the street and for a second the conversation is light, it feels normal again. Until Janine brings up Jessie again.

“Hey, would you mind if I give Jess your number? I just figured I’d maybe be nice, you guys live across the street from each other, if she needed anything while she’s still moving in, store or food recommendations, you could help.”

You wanted to say no. But the girl was going to end up with your number anyway, you had to be teammates, you’d have to be cordial with her, you couldn’t let your own pride be a problem for the team.

“Yeah, that’s fine I guess.” Your mood deflated, the words coming out of your mouth with a heavy sigh at the end, making it obvious you weren’t thrilled about the suggestion for her to have your number.

“Are you alright? You’ve seemed weird all day. Is it because of Jessie?”

“Why would it be because of her?” You ask, knowing damn well that your behavior was exactly her fault.

“I don’t know, just when she gets brought up, you seem to get annoyed.”

“No I don’t.” Your answer is quick, you get defensive. Unfortunately your defensive behavior likely tells Janine that it is in fact Jessie who’s on your nerves.

“Oh, I know what it is!” She slaps her hand over to your thigh, giving you a small smack.

“What?”

“You’re worried I’m going to start doing things with Jessie instead of you! You’re jealous!” Her tone is playful, she’s teasing you.

“I’m not jealous.” You cross your arms in the passenger seat, pouring like a toddler.

“Good, but if you were, you have no reason to be, yes she’s my friend, but so are you, our coffee dates will still go on, we’ll still hang out, you have nothing to worry about.”

“I wasn’t worried.” You say as Janine pulls up in front of your building. You climb out of the car, thanking her for the ride.

“You’re welcome, I'll always love you, she’ll never come between us!” She yells out the window making a slightly embarrassing scene, bypassers not knowing the joke she’s making. You turn back, shaking your head at her as you laugh.

“Love ya Janine, bye.” You wave at her and enter your building.

You get inside and go about the rest of your day, laundry, cleaning, a rather mundane but somewhat relaxing evening.

It’s when you’re crawling into bed that you receive two messages from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hi, this is Jessie, Janine gave me your number. She said you lived in the area.

Unknown: Sorry, Jessie Fleming, I should’ve clarified. Don’t feel obligated to text me, just Janine insisted I reach out.

You ignore the messages, you have a quick thought of blocking her number, but you know that’s not realistic. You’d have to see her in a few days and be her teammate you can’t block her phone. At least the girl gave you the permission to ignore her.

So that’s what you did. You closed your phone, putting it on silent and snuggled into bed, putting on whatever was showing on National Geographic at this hour and falling asleep shortly after.

[sevcasejay1chicago]

Welcome home- Matt Casey x Darden!Sister

Authors note: Sorry that it’s been so long since I posted!!! It’s been a crazy few weeks and I honestly just haven’t had the motivation. This is a continuation to a story I wrote a while ago containing these two love birds.

Summary: Kelly and Stella finally bring you back home.

Warnings: NONE; possible spoilers maybe.

———————

You and Matt Casey kept your relationship going even through your move to Portland to be with your nephews, the Darden boys. When Matt had the weekend off, he would often fly over to Portland and help you out with whatever you needed. Sometimes, all you needed was him.

About three years later, Stella called you and told you about her engagement to Kelly. You were thrilled. You always knew that they would get married. You never knew Kelly to love someone and to be so devoted to them like he was to Stella Kidd. That woman had Kelly Severide wrapped around her finger.

When you got a call from Matt later on in the night, you were surprised to find that this FaceTime was filled with many familiar faces.

“Hey Darden!” Kelly yelled over Matt’s shoulder.

Clamoring could be heard as Jay Halstead, Mouch, Hermann, Sylvie, and a few others from intelligence and 51 tried to get in the frame to say hi. You giggled as you watched Kelly take Jay in a headlock and demand your attention. Everyone was clearly VERY drunk.

Matt chuckled as he watched the scene unfold on his end, but most of his attention was on you and your giggling self. He has never heard a sound more beautiful than your laugh or seen anything brighter than your smile.

Once Matt was able to break away, he stepped outside and sat at a picnic table far from the outdoor bar. He stared at you for a moment as you wrote something down, biting your lower lip in concentration. All he wanted in that moment was to rub the knots, that he knew were on your shoulders from stress, away and catch your bottom lip in his.

You noticed him staring after a minute or two and immediately blushed, hiding behind the sleeves of the hoodie Matt left you the last time he came out to Portland. “What?” You giggled, pushing your reading glasses up while you hid behind your hands.

Matt shook his head and chuckled. “Nothing. Nothing. You are just too damn adorable.” Matt smiled shyly at being caught, but he was also doing his best to hide what you were doing to him just by being you. “God. I miss you.” Matt breathed, leaning against the picnic table and setting his phone against the napkin dispenser to rub his hands together in an effort to warm them back up.

You smiled sweetly back at him. “I miss you too honey.” You whispered, flopping back into your pillows. “Sooooo, did Kelly ask you to be his best man?” You asked, wiggling your eyebrows.

Matt chuckled, missing your antics. “Of course he did! Who else would be able to deal with Groomzilla?!” Matt joked, causing you to burst out laughing.

“True. True.” You said, struggling to catch your breath. “Stella asked me to be a bridesmaid, but I don’t know what things will look like around the time of the wedding, so I had to decline.” You explained, pouting slightly.

Matt hummed. “Well, I’m sure it’ll all work out. We have time.”

You nodded in thought before flipping onto your side and settling in for the night. You placed your phone on its upright charging port as you stared at Matt. “If you can, leave me on. It’ll be like I’m part of the fun.” You whispered, hiding a yawn behind your sleeve.

Matt knew you wouldn’t last much longer, so he easily agreed, standing up and carrying his phone around as he re-entered the crowded bar filled with your family.

———————

The day was here. Stella and Kelly were finally getting married. As far as Matt knew, you had to stay in Portland because Ben got himself into some trouble. Matt was kinda thankful for you not being here in this moment as everything seemed to be falling apart and he just knew you would be frantically trying to fix everything if you were here.

“Hey guys! A party boat just opened up and we can have the wedding there!” Cruz yelled from halfway down the block.

The wedding party all went running, eager to get there and get everything arranged. Once they arrived, Matt was pleasantly surprised and confused with how nicely the boat was decorated in line with Kelly and Stella’s wedding theme. That was, until you popped up behind him.

“Hey handsome.” You whispered, wrapping your arms loosely around his waist.

He knew those hands and that voice anywhere. He immediately turned in your arms and lifted you into his own, twirling you around. “Oh my God!” Matt yelled, chuckling as he spun you around. Once he sat you down, he swooped in to kiss you deeply. He only pulled back when he was desperately in need of air. “Wha- how?!” Matt asked, still trying to understand how you were here.

“Welllll.” You drawled out, leaning back slightly to get a better look at him. “I was really busy moving my stuff back into your apartment while you were at Kelly’s last night. Stella held her bachelorette party there while we unpacked my stuff.” You smiled, proud to have pulled one over on him.

Matt gawked at you, absolutely speechless.

“Then, when I went to start decorating this morning, I realized that the church was double booked and had this set up. Everyone helped get you here. We figured you deserved some good news after the tough year you’ve had.” You explained, smiling as everyone around you agreed.

“Plus, this is like the best wedding gift EVER. THE BAND IS BACK TOGETHER!” Stella yelled, pumping her fist in the air.

Everyone chuckled and immediately agreed.

Matt wrapped his arms tighter around your waist, burying his face in your hair. After a few moments, Matt pulled back and kissed you on the forehead before shouting, “LETS GET KIDD AND SEVERIDE HITCHED!”

As everyone began to walk to their seats or to their places, Matt pulled you into his side and gave you one more kiss. “Welcome home baby.”

———————

At the reception, Matt has you sitting in his lap with his arms wrapped around you. “So, where are Griffin and Ben?” Matt asked, kissing the side of your head.

“So, here’s the thing.” You began, turning in his lap to look Matt in the eyes. “Griffin got accepted into Northwestern and Ben was okay with moving home with you, so I brought Ben with me and Griffin is staying on campus.” You explained, toying with your necklace as you spoke.

“Wait, so Ben is here?!” Matt asked, immediately ecstatic.

You chuckled, calming down now that the biggest secret was out. “Yeah. Griffin is at the apartment with him now. He will be staying for the night before going back to his dorm so that we can have the night out. He expects Uncle Matt’s famous eggs in a basket tomorrow morning.” You chuckle, shaking your head at the fact that Griffin remembered his favorite meal that Matt made him as a kid.

Matt beamed, kissing you on the temple. “He can have anything he wants.” Matt assured, smiling proudly at the fact that Griffin remembered things from their time together. For the first time since you left, Matt was finally content.

[claudiajcregg]

Combating the negative vibes one ask at a time here - favourite fic of yours you’ve written? Also fic you think deserves hearts and flowers that didn’t get it at the time? 💜🥰

First off — thank you for the question! Feels weird to answer the one that should've gone first last, so let's do it while a few others sit in the inbox. I think I'd been avoiding it because I have a strange relationship with fic at the moment? (I had more on this but I'll put it under a cut later.) Definitely took forever to write this. I'm me, so these two simple questions have multiple parts and answers to them.

Favorite fic I’ve written?

My answer is always don't want you to go but I'll be okay, I think, and hilariously and unintentionally enough, I started writing four years ago! I felt like a lot of pieces came together as I was writing it, I got emotional about it, it had everything. Checking to see if I was close in assuming the date was right, I saw my quick beats outline and got all weepy for that time.

But I could honestly make a case for many of them! (I'm going to put a cut here because this has gotten too long. Would've been quicker to say what I enjoyed about each of them.)

The memoir fic (be it the multichapter that has never seen the light of AO3, the og idea I'd love to go back to, or the one posted) was such an inspired week, then months, of my life. (Coincidentally, also 2021. I wrote Portland and the Christmas fics right before finally finishing the multichapter.) I love that one, and I loved that it kept evolving for almost two years, because I felt the need to fill some significant gaps in between sections.

Recent ones… God, the most fun I've had this year is a fic I started writing shortly after my birthday, because a reel inspired me. It's so ridiculous but also sweet, I hope? But it's also so long and one can post so fast when editing takes me a while (and again, weird relationship with fic) and my beta only has some time, too. (I also sent the poor thing 3x 9-15k+ stories at once because I took forever to edit the older ones.)

But out of the few posted this year, I remember having a blast with if you feel like fallin', catch me on the way down. I think I was processing my grief about the double grandparental death whammy, that I just went wild. Is it good? Eh. I think it is fun if you buy into the silliness. (It's funny that I remember trying to figure out how to make an idea for the other claim to work during my grandpa's wake at the funeral home, since that idea was also about that.)

(I guess the AU was too, but I finished writing it when my life was in shambles, and I feel like so many weird things happened during the process, that I can't say it.)

I've said it many times but I just try to have fun writing, maybe because life doesn't seem so fun lately?

fic I think deserves hearts and flowers that didn’t get it at the time?

I'm honestly so bad at this. I'm assuming it's among mine, and I'm still helpless. Anyway: maybe it comes from my general insecurity, but I'm very much a “well, this will find the right people at the right time” but also “I'm aware this reflects the current demand for fic, and how busy everyone's lives are atm, and more timing related issues, but damn, I really think people are over me at this point. Fair enough.” (*) Just feels like the type of question everyone has an answer for and, meanwhile, I'm here all “ah, it's all good.”

I would have said anything but the most recent spin fics (I thought the article one is cute; I like the other one less… guess which one has done better in kudos! though the article has more comments) but I checked and all non-challenge fics from this year did pretty decently!

But in general… IDK. I think I expected last year's holiday exchange fic to do a bit better, though I don't think the numbers are bad per se. I did try my best to tailor it to Kat's taste, but I get why it wouldn't be everyone's.

The one bed, smutty version? I guess I always expect more, considering how I've been told by people how much they love it and go back to it (this sounds dirtier than I mean to because it's not that smutty). And how some smut I've read over the years does consistently better. I'm forever amused and grateful it didn't outright flop. Maybe I'll consider posting that one story that devolved into smut one day, lol.

God, I'm struggling to pick one. My standards are low, or I'm tired. Or both. From the old ones, maybe the aforementioned Portland fic or the Christmas 1999 business dinner? I love both dearly. Christmas was the first time I got a good comment response. (… And I'm now realizing that, as I mentioned, they are sister fics in that I wrote them back to back, in my attempt to write a fic during canon that wasn't AU… since the IM AU was post-show and AU, lmao.)

I will add the vignettes. Though I think they've gotten more props over the years, posting them to maybe one, two comments tops per chapter (if any!) was depressing. It's probably not the best, or how I'd go about it today, but I remember doing a director's commentary on it and just enjoying myself? Wild.

(And shout out to the pregnancy AU, almost at 100 kudos. Not underrated by any means, but another one that barely cracked a couple of comments per chapter at times but we carried on!)

anyway, all of them deserve better! maybe!

--

(*) Look, something I said lends pretty naturally into what I'd have pasted here to end on a bummer note! Feel free to skip any and all of this, the question is now over, lol. I'll probably delete this as soon as it's posted because this is too embarrassing 🫣

I'm pretty aware some of this is self-inflicted because, due to many different factors (most of them mental cages, no doubt), I cannot bring myself to read fic these days. I will get some weird anxiety about the pile I have to read (and then multiply that by the hours it takes me to write the long-ass comments everyone expects from me)… And I don't have the spoons.

I hate that it started as mostly being out of my control last year (not just ✨ drama ✨, but the computer being at the shop for a few days, being overestimated at work, which meant having to put hours, the bronchitis, vacation x2, more stress), then mixed with self-inflicted and also just the fucking anon that shattered whatever energy I had for fandom. Then we roll into more stress at work, feeling like I was no better than an emotional dumpster to people and easily discarded, my dad's worrisome heart attack on the other side of the world, and… I just became an online hermit who enjoyed buying and listening to records on vinyl and watching video essays. Unfortunately, I tend to be a bit avoidant when things pile up and I lose control. yikes.

tl;dr, and I hope no one did: I've failed everyone, and because I don't read theirs, they don't read mine, and that's okay. I still have a blast coming up with ideas and executing some of them, life permitting, but I feel a detachment about sharing them that I wish I didn't.

[againstme]

oh yeah the reason i'm going crazy is because i'm losing my housing by the end of the month at the latest, could be the 20th. who knows! totally normal things to deal with, totally normal things to be told 3 days ago like it was no big deal

did i mention i just got out of mental health residential treatment like 3 weeks ago, and i have no money or a job? and that i'm only living out of a suitcase because all of my belongings are in a shipping container up in portland where i don't have housing anymore?

having a great time. trying to see if anyone in my relative area or honestly back in portland too (talking to a friend about that rn) has a place for me to crash while i get on my feet, but that's such a big ask. my friend is down for me to be in portland tho if it works out cause he has space in his place.

it's maybe a long shot though. it's either that or try to see if i can survive trying to maybe crash at my mom's, even though she was the one to kick me out for being trans like 5 years ago. and things have been complicated and stressful. i don't know how long i can handle being in the same space as her, and i feel like i might have a huge setback.

she's also on the complete opposite side of the country, is in the middle of moving, and it's somewhere i've never lived and know no other people, and i'm just with her. i don't know. i really don't know. she's upset that i consider it a last resort

so, i'm stressed as all hell. and i don't have money for most basic things right now. that's why i'm making posts asking for aid.

god i feel like i keep failing at being alive.

[jc-lambert]

New Orleans

My name is John Lambert. I worked at Dixie Gyros in 2005 down in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina.

I used to live at 419 Rue Burgundy. It is currently marked 417 as I caused the FBI & CIA & every last bit of the gunpowder industry to follow me and investigate there. Here is a picture of the door. (Yellow Building) For me it is always the Crescent City and never the Big Easy. I'm an heir of the gunpowder industry & partial owner of IBM, so I am always busy having to keep the mafia stock going to keep everyone alive, while volunteering wherever and then finding whatever work in the meantime.

I have to touch base with all my work references and my people. 

So, it's a group email and Im pressed for time w/o proper equipment. I was mugged when I returned home to Wichita. I found your website while trying to look them up. I kind of need work. I kind of need to get out of town. Are you new owners? What happened to that Greek couple? Someone told me years ago they wanted them deported. I would tell you that's racist to deport a god/dess. I truly would. It would mean that nobody may use various buildings in the far north designed for persons who stand over 8 foot tall. HOWEVER...

food is food.

work is work.

money is money.

I'm off my meds. I was prescribed paliperidone (PAL3)

I've come to be an enemy of the state due to adverse politics and money when and where. You know, like when you sue a cop. I got kidnapped by my mom's old business associates which where my dads catty frenemies in the 1950s up in Portland Oregon. All the social workers were my state group home care providers as a child. (My people naturally often raise our non human persons & non-persons in Orphanages or Group Homes)

I used to hang out with Natalie Boos on the Fencepost behind the Saint Louis Cathedral. She would call me "Sr. John". She & Robert and Elizabeth at the Fairgrinds Coffee house would be a good reference if you've got 20 hours a week & can get me out of here with some moolah.

Do you want to adopt?

Kansas currently has a lot of children from an illegal genetic laboratory called the Lenexa Clinic. One of my old roommates is raising a clone of Sharon Zehr (my criminal liaison/psychologist from the Bert Nash Clinic). My niece was a surrogate of an orangutan zygote which has mitochondrial DNA fusion. As a result there is a very hairy ape that looks like her brother. We have had to get a human, animal, and mohawk rights activist as well as a Rabbi & Priest.  We are still missing my mom and niece��and we think my sister has died in Atlanta. She smokes lots of craque & methamphetamine and any other drug that has any human or french appeal. I have my mom's Cousin Dr. Richard Brown looking for her. He's the insect scientist in Mississippi. 

Also: a bunch of bitches decided to defraud my trustfund by claiming me as a father. This, while I was kidnapped in Oregon. They are being sued for custody of their children by the plastics industry and the pedophiles who work heavily with such stories which have all been called "Just VooDoo Stories" in the deep south. Everything they told you on Magazine about plastics and cosmetics having babies and midgets in it is true. Do you maybe want their boys? They were in a movie called "Methheads" on Amazon.com. The whole movie is of their family in a trailer located in Abilene Kansas conspiring to rob my bank accounts. Their house was bugged and most of the video is taken by the television micro camera.

Question...

Lawyer???

Do you want to sue everyone in Kansas on my behalf & buy a hybrid species orangutan off the state? My niece will forever be in the mental ward ostracized while her genetically altered offspring is objectified as an attempt to keep the orangutan population alive after the deforestation of some jungle (I donno which) by Mead 5 Star. This way I can have my great nephew and when my niece gets out of mental she can be with her child.

Those boys: I would suggest a clone or superhuman child, moreso than genetic ape species.

Too: can you create a big huge cashpot for me (John Clinton Lambert) to purchase that old address in NOLA? Perhaps out of all the cases I have against everyone which are on my website: jc-lambert.tumblr.com. It's a collection of failed communications while the police in Emporia keep me kidnapped and hostage and continue to do things like encourage the psychological abuses of myself and family, who are all under gag orders.

Natalie...

Where y'at?

We need a drink. I had to snitch on Ru Paul for the attempted theft of several gems...

however all the wealth of Kansas being stolen, I had to also snitch on all the stolen artifacts to the police, which means Ru & her teams might be able to score Egyptian and Buddhist artifacts off the global Police auctions in Poland. (Remember: Police means Polish Military) 

I understand you married someone in Wichita.

Do you want a building or anything? Cuz like my grandma died and she man Luinstra, he owned this whole town. He owned everyone in it and we all just he injun slaves. He even owned the priests butthole and where like he pimp. Why don't you and yours just come to Wichita and make some cute little midget babies, raise them with cute little pistols, have them educated to make nuclear bombs in gradeschool, and stay at war at all times with everyone witchy and humanist. Especially if they are something Osage, Cappo, Lakota, Mohawk or Cherokee.

Because seriously Natalie, our species called "short blondes" is what's for dinner in these parts.

He name Dutch

it translates to "Lucifer". So all the buildings are perfectly in a parallel dimension from my birth planet and plane of existence. In Kansas, never has datura ever grown nor can it... and I am seeing it planted and in bloom everywhere.

It must be the pollen making me hallucinate.

Ain't datura also called Angel Dust and PCP and all that shit!?

Aint that a felony?

What's your sissy up to and how be your mom and them?

Oh that reminds me: I is in the middle of a big fat divorce with like two actual wives and several identity thieves. We decided to marry me to a Hinjun in Hindustan and have all the bitches deported and sold into slavery.

It's like corporate war and right now ain't nobody christian.

So I might have to go back down to some New Orleans and visit my VooDoo Queen and pay for my soul and give it back to the appropriet divinity...

Which would make more of a sardonic witch of me...

I attended the Church of Sardis in Emporia.

So, I guess we has alway be voodoo. We TRY to be and stay Christian

but there is always a witch in witchita and there is always a necrophile in the woodwork and there is always cannibal byproduct on the shelf in the mall and true: marijuana is the devils weed.

I was baptised by Dr. Grosbol in Colorado in the 1980s, he was a televangelist,

Natalie...

Let's sue everyone and give away all Sam Luinstra's bullshit and all my grandpa's bullshit...

and move me somewhere in the French Quarter.

I can have all my old fashioned furniture remade by the Boston Teams.

You know, my design and my fabrics and this and that. Ive been going to 12 step meetings with people from India who make the most beautiful tapestries and fabrics.

I would paint the building new colors...

if okayed by the Vieux Carre commission.

Something Alkaline, dark deep slate navy blue:a color so inverted it is almost black...

something grey...

With house numbers....

in glow in the dark (neon/tritium)

Is that your art on the fencepost in Wichita?

So....

Yeah...

Let's work for awhile somewhere and meet some folks...

Let's sit down and sue everyone who done me wrong...

Let's sit and play Suzie Q. Homemaker and spend everyones money making fantastic everything....

Let's sit down and trade beads.

These beads are high-quality glass & 925 silver. They sell easily for 1-100$ each

They are bought off the terrorist cannibal demographic...

they are frequently made in S.E. Asia.

they are a mafia protection note: do remember some Canadians will kill you for wearing them & steal them. Just because they where bought off the internet.

Yeah...

I need a building in NOLA.

Both a storefront and an apartment complex.

I also need a lawyer and an accountant.

Natalie...

My grandmother's eyes got put out.

Lasik Surgery/Literacy Laws  (Doctor was Catholic. My Grandmother may not/must not read)

I have to hide from all the inbreeds who press literacy charges.

All of them are the family fighting my grammas husband for all they buildings.

I hope you and yours and your mom and them are okay.

So...

Let's all have a big fat drink off me and they...

Let's all have an internet shopping party...

[ritualoftheancients]

Ritual of the Ancients Chapter 11: Vampires, Yum

by Roan Rosser

This is a chapter of a complete vampire novel with a trans-masc main character and a gay romance subplot. New Chapters are posted every Sunday. If you like the novel and want to support the author, ebook and paperback copies can be purchased here.

*****

The building was fairly quiet; most of the residents worked nine-to-fives downtown, and went to bed early. The apartments were in a residential area, surrounded by single-family houses filled with families. I took Jack’s keys, making sure to lock Jack’s apartment door behind me.

I’d woken up around 8:30 pm, and it was around 10:00 pm now. At this time of night, the street was quiet, and I was alone as I strolled down the block to where I’d parked the car last night. This morning. Whatever. Vampire time was confusing.

I’d swigged down a bottle of water from Jack’s fridge, but I was still thirsty. Should I go hunting before going to see the officer? Or maybe I’d come off as scarier if I stayed thirsty. I wasn’t really paying attention to my surroundings as I walked, my thoughts consumed by how I should confront the officer and what I should ask.

A flash of movement in the corner of my eye was the only warning I had before something smacked into the back of my head. My chin cracked into my chest and I was thrown forward. I managed to turn the momentum into a roll, jumping up to land back on my feet. I spun to see who had hit me. Three people stood arrayed on the sidewalk in a loose semicircle, a woman flanked by two men. All three of them were very pale, and they all bared sharp fangs at me.

“Give it to us, Intruder, and then get out,” the woman growled in a low alto voice. She was blonde and wearing no makeup, and wore a loose-fitting tracksuit.

“Give you what?” I asked. What was she talking about?

“It calls to us,” the man on her left said.

“And you’re here without permission,” the man on the right growled. I lifted my eyebrows at that.

“As if I need permission.” I snorted. “And I don’t have anything, see?” I patted my pockets to show they were all empty. “I was already mugged a few days ago. They took my wallet, everything. I’ve got nothing left.”

“We don’t want your money. Give us the thing that calls to us,” the woman said in an imperious tone, holding out her hand palm up. “Then leave this city.”

“I don’t have anything,” I repeated. “And why should I move? I’ve lived in Portland for years.”

“Years?” She scoffed and shook her head, making her ponytail bounce. “That’s impossible. We’d have known. You came here to steal, but it belongs to us.”

“What?” I yelled back, cold chills coming over me. I’d only stolen one thing lately. Lights came on in the house next to us, and all the vampires’ eyes flicked to look. I took advantage of their distraction to turn tail and run for the car. Three against one. I’d played this game in high school, and knew I had no chance.

The three vampires gave chase, and caught up before I got two houses down. The first male vampire to get near me reached for me, but again it felt like time slowed down. I was easily able to dodge out of the way as I sped up, leaving him in my dust.

“Think you’re the only one who can do that?” the other guy taunted from behind me.

I glanced back. I knew I was still moving with vampire speed, as Jack called it, because the other male vampire and the woman looked like they were running in slow motion, falling quickly behind us. The one behind me moved at normal speed. He tackled me from behind with a wordless cry, and we crashed to the ground together, him on top. I took advantage of my smaller size and wiggled out of his grip. I tried to crawl away, but the guy’s long arms kept grabbing my legs and pulling me back.

The other two vampires continued to move towards us in slow motion while we grappled on the ground. My muscles burned, and my tongue felt like sandpaper. So thirsty. I could feel myself flagging, slowing down. I could smell fresh blood close by. So close. My fangs descended. The vampire wrestling with me had eaten recently. As I got thirstier, my sense of smell spiked. I could smell it on the other vampire’s breath, and a moment later sensed the fresh blood pumping through his veins. I was so thirsty.

The bigger vampire started to overpower me, yet all I could see was the pulsing vein on his throat. I let him pull me closer, pretending to go limp. When he pulled me to his chest, I opened my mouth and lunged for his throat, biting down hard.

Delicious blood poured into my mouth. It wasn’t warm, not like the blood I’d taken from Hubbs or Jack, nor did it taste good, but it was better than the microwaved blood from Jack’s work and it slacked my thirst.

“Are you crazy?” the guy I was biting yelled, beating at my head with his fists.

I hardly felt the blows, which trickled off to nothing after a few moments. My euphoria grew with each drop I drank. It might not have tasted good, but it revitalized me more than even the officer’s blood had. My head swirled, like a pleasant buzz after a few beers. More than revitalized. I felt better than I had in days.

Ever since I’d woken up, I’d felt like I had a low-grade flu, but now. Now I felt like I could take on the world. The guy under me screamed as I bit down harder, trying to get more of the delicious nectar which had slowed to a trickle. Distantly I heard bone cracking, felt it shatter under my bites. I felt hands trying to pry me off, but the blood pumping through me gave me more strength than them.

The blood flow stopped and I ripped and tore at his neck, hungry for more. But there was no more to be had. Snarling, I let go and sat up, licking a few stray drops off my chin.

The other two vampires stepped back, looking at me with horror. The woman covered her mouth, her eyes wide. The man’s nose was crinkled up like he’d bit into something distasteful as he glanced at their limp companion, and then back at me.

I shifted to stand, and as one, both of them turned and ran. I stared at their backs as they dashed away. What had just happened? I turned and looked down at the vampire I’d bitten. His head lolled to the side, pale as a sheet. The skin of his face shrunk and cracked, aging as I watched.

I might have killed him. I tried to feel bad, but I couldn’t. It had been him or me.

Maybe he’d recover after feeding. I didn’t know, and I was struggling to think. My head reeled like I’d had too much alcohol. I staggered away toward the car, clutching my forehead. I needed to get out of here before those other two vampires came back for their friend.

[selenitesdawn]

hi! could u write a robin buckley x reader where robin and the reader get paired up to look around the creel house in s4 and robin is just like a huge gay mess and can’t stop rambling LOL? thank u! i love ur work

What a Moment, my first request. First off: Thank you so much ! I love this idea and I hope you love reading this. <3

Thank Me Later

pairing : robin buckley x fem!reader

warnings : none

summary : y/n had always thought that robin buckley disliked her, since robin just seems to act weird around her. but when they get paired up to explore the house of the enemy, they are forced to talk to each other.

third person pov

Y/n entered the Creel house last, cautiously following the group inside. She was not a big fan of this entire upside down thing and had no experience with the strange stuff going on in Hawkins yet. In fact, y/n had just recently moved here with her family, since her dad got a job in Lindale and the rent in Hawkins was at an all time low. In retrospect, she should have known that something was off about that.

She quickly befriended Nancy Wheeler, since she was also part of the school’s newspaper. They got along really well and it didn’t take long until Nancy became y/n’s person of trust. They would hang out almost every day, sharing their deepest secrets with one another. One of them was y/n’s sexuality, which she kept to herself most of her life.

“You must probably think I’m a weirdo now. God, I’m so stupid-“, y/n started rambling. Nancy cut her off by giving her a tight hug.

“You’re not stupid y/n. And I don’t think you’re a weirdo. Who cares who you love. Boy or girl. It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re happy. I promise.”, Nancy whispered softly, making y/n sob a little.

A few weeks ago y/n also met Steve and Robin at Family Video. She immediately got along with Steve but with Robin it was just different. She really liked Robin from Steve’s stories, but it just didn’t match with the Robin she had met. Whenever the two of them were alone, Robin would either ignore y/n or she would make it painfully clear that she wasn’t interested in y/n’s life. Like at all. All interactions between them just seemed very confusing, so y/n concluded that Robin simply didn’t like them.

“So.. I just moved her from Portland actually.”, y/n told Robin as they waited for Steve to get back.

“Cool… Isn’t that where Steven King was born? I read a few of his novels. Some were really good actually. Carrie and Shining are super popular I think, you probably know them. But this man seems to have a lot on his mind or whatever… Yes. Very unique novels.”, Robin replied.

After that both of them just stayed silent.

Besides that, y/n’s life in Hawkins seemed to be going just fine. Well, until she was with Nancy when Fred Benson died, which started y/n’s inclusion in all of this mess. After that, Nancy decided to tell her everything that had happened in Hawkins over the past years. Although they did tell each other everything, Nancy just thought that it would be best for y/n to not know about all the crazy stuff going on, in order to protect her. But at this point, there was no point in lying any longer. And now y/n was standing inside the house that seemed to be the center of a strange monster killer who just a few hours ago made Max Mayfield float a few meters above the ground.

“Just great..”, y/n whispered to herself as she looked around the abandoned home.

“Hey, guys? You all see that right?”, Max spoke up, pointing her flashlight at an old clock hanging on the wall.

The group gathered around it, all agreeing to seeing it.

“Is this what you saw? In your visions?”, Nancy asked carefully.

Max nodded her head, making y/n let out a loud sigh. ‘This keeps getting better and better.’, she thought to herself.

“I mean, it’s.. just a clock. Right?”, Robin replied while walking towards it. She brushed some of the dust off with her hand. “Like a normal old clock.”

“Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks? Maybe he’s, like, a clockmaker or something?”, Steve asked confused.

“I think you cracked the case Steve.”, Dustin replied sarcastically. Steve just gave Dustin an annoyed look.

“All I know is the answers are here. Somewhere... Okay everyone stay in groups of two. Since we are uneven, I’m going with Steve and Dustin. Y/n, you go with Robin.”, Nancy commanded, making her way over to Steve.

“Woah, wait.”, y/n said as she grabbed Nancy’s arm. “Why me and Robin??”, she whispered.

“You’ll thank me later.”, was the only thing Nancy replied before leaving. She turned around once more to wink at y/n, and with that she was gone.

Y/n turned around to everyone being gone besides Robin, who just awkwardly stood in the hallway. Robin didn’t know what to do, so she just gave y/n a little wave. Y/n replied with a half-hearted smile and made her way to the stairs.

“Let’s go upstairs then.”, y/n suggested, walking up the stairs with Robin following behind her.

As they explored the house together, y/n got more and more scared. It reminded her of some horror movie setting and she just waited for something bad to happen. They entered a room which seemingly used to be a children’s room.

“If I wrote a book…about all of this, do you think it would do good? I think it would do pretty good, I mean no one would come up with the strange stuff that goes on here, right? I mean it’s out of this world. Literally. And I would call it.. let me think…”, Robin started rambling.

Y/n didn’t bother answering, knowing that Robin probably didn’t expect an answer anyways. But in some way she enjoyed Robin’s rambling, it was adorable really.

“I know. I would call it “The Strange Summer in Hawkins”. I mean the first book. There would be multiple of course. Maybe about three or four volumes and each one would have different characters and all. Or the same ones? I mean people would get attached to the characters, it would be stupid to replace them with each book. But some of them would have to.. you know. Die. Sooner or later. I don’t know yet.”, Robin finally said, still walking around the room.

Y/n started going through a box of old stuff, finding nothing that seemed to be helpful. Just a few pictures, some old creepy toys. Nothing out of the ordinary. The whole vibe in this house just seemed off. There were so many spiders crawling around and everything just seemed like it would fall apart any second. Y/n was about to give up searching through the stuff when suddenly she felt a presence right besides her, scaring the living hell out of the girl.

“Found something?”, Robin asked with her head over y/n’s shoulder.

Y/n jumped in shock, accidentally hitting her shoulder against Robin’s throat. Robin stumbled back and let out a loud groan.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”, y/n repeatedly said, putting her hands over her mouth.

Robin just laughed it off, holding her hand against her throat.

“That was my fault, sorry.”, she said while sitting down on a dusty chair.

Y/n collected herself, and sat down on a chair besides her. From this angle Robin was actually really beautiful, she thought to herself.

“You know, I got hit in the throat once before. By some russian guy actually. It was preeetty scary and all. I don’t know if Nancy told you but, there was this thing going on with the Russians and all. Yeah. Pretty scary stuff.”, Robin continued ranting.

Y/n just sat next to Robin, listening to her talking, and talking, and talking. Until she suddenly stopped. Y/n looked over to Robin who now rested her elbows on her knees and started fiddling with her rings. The silence that followed was louder than it should have been.

“I like your rings. They are pretty.”, y/n almost whispered, trying to break the tension.

“You don’t really enjoy talking to me, do you?”, Robin just replied sounding almost frustrated.

“What makes you think that?”, y/n said, furrowing her eyebrows.

“I mean, most of the time it just feels like I’m talking to myself. You don’t really.. try to hold a conversation you know.“, Robin answered, her eyes focused on her hands.

“Well Robin, most of the time it just seems like you don’t even want me to reply. Yeah you talk a lot, but.. it feels like you just don’t care what I have to say.”, y/n commented.

Robin lifted her head and looked into y/n’s eyes for the first time since they had met, making y/n blush a little.

“I’m sorry. I know I tend to ramble a lot when I’m nervous.”, Robin stated shyly.

“Nervous? Why would you be nervous?”, y/n asked sincerely, trying to hold eye contact.

Robin started blushing a little, redirecting her glance towards her hands which were still fiddling with her rings. She didn’t want to embarrass herself, so she just stayed silent. Y/n noticed that Robin tried to dodge the question, so she simply put her hand around hers to get her attention. Robin stopped playing with her rings and looked back to y/n, who was patiently waiting for an answer.

“You’re uhm… I don’t know. You’re just really.. really beautiful I guess. It makes me nervous.”, Robin finally replied, glancing between y/n’s hand on hers and y/n’s face.

“Did you just make that excuse up?”, y/n asked, raising her left eyebrow. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“See, I shouldn’t have said anything. God, I always mess these things up. Now you think I’m weird, right?”, Robin mumbled. She got up and started walking around the room, obviously upset. “I just don’t know when to shut up, it’s like my own curse at this point. And then this beautiful girl walks into my workplace and I just don’t know how to act. So I either say not enough or I say too much and embarrass myself and it’s so, so, so exhausting to be-”

Robin stopped her rant when y/n came up to her, embracing her in a tight hug. Y/n’s arms hugged Robin’s waist, her head rested on Robin’s shoulder. At first Robin got tensed and didn’t know how to react. But then she took a few breaths and finally relaxed inside y/n’s arms, hugging her back just as tightly. They just stood there for a bit, melting into each other.

“I don’t think you’re weird Robin.”, y/n mumbled into the girl’s shoulder. “I think you have a lot to say, and that’s totally fine. It’s interesting. I actually enjoy your rambling, I really do.“

Robin started smiling, feeling her heart race inside her chest. The hug suddenly felt more intimate than before.

“And by the way..”, y/n said as she separated herself from Robin. Their faces were now just inches away from each other. “I think you’re very beautiful too.”

Both girls started blushing wildly, unsure of what to do next. Luckily the decision got taken away from them, as Nancy entered the room.

“Guys, we found-“, Nancy started shouting.

Robin and y/n quickly jumped away from each other, both embarrassed by the sudden interruption. Nancy on the other hand started grinning from ear to ear.

“Sorry. But we found something, you should come with me.”, Nancy told them.

Robin just nodded and quickly walked past Nancy who was still smiling to herself. Y/n just sighed and walked up to her best friend, giving her an annoyed look.

“You planned that out didn’t you?”, y/n asked, rolling her eyes.

“Correction, Steve and I planned that out. And what about it? It seems like our plan worked out even better than we expected.”, Nancy replied smugly.

Y/n just blushed uncontrollably, putting her face inside of her hands.

“Thank you..”, y/n mumbled quietly.

“What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”, Nancy grinned.

“You’re so annoying.”, y/n replied, nudging Nancy’s shoulder.

“I told you, you’d thank me later.”, she grinned, wrapping her arm around y/n’s shoulder. “But now, we really have to go, come on.”

Y/n didn’t know if it were just the dreadful circumstances (including walking inside the house of a creepy killer) that just made her fall in love with Robin Buckley or if it was just her awfully adorable ranting. But in all honesty, she could have cared less. She just knew that the second they got out of this house safely, she would 100% ask her on a date. And let Robin explain what the hell happened with the Russians.

[riseofthecommonwoodpile]

I'm going to indulge myself for a moment and talk about why I've come to adore solo Craig Finn, especially the Faith in the Future / We All Want The Same Things / I Need A New War trilogy.

If The Hold Steady is all tragic and beautiful young people making their way through druggy parties and high drama, solo Finn is those people after the parties are over, 10, 20, 30 years later. Sometimes they're ok, sometimes they're not, though pretty much always it's a bit of both, of what it feels like to settle into a life that never became what you wanted it to be. It's all strip malls and shitty apartments, drug habits that stopped being glamorous a while ago, money problems that would be high stakes if they weren't so tediously, gratingly normal. The first time your electricity gets shut off, it tightens up your chest with shame and panic. The fifth time it does, you grab a flashlight and lean it against the wall so you can see when you take a shower.

"Magic Marker"'s narrator has been in bad enough situations for long enough that he mentions in passing things another songwriter would make a whole album out of. He fought in the first Gulf War; he did some probably not legal things and ended up with a pistol to his face in Portland for his troubles; he works at his Uncle's hardware store, and has trouble making change. Big things, small things, bar lights and cigarette-burned couches hanging around in your brain while you sit in your car and watch the sunset by the lake that ripples in the gap between two suburbs. It's a jagged story richly remembered by a guy who often isn't sure what to say or how to say it. He circumnavigates his way around the feeling because it comes before the words, comes without the words, and each attempt always seems to leave something important out.

And there would be so many ways to make that story and that feeling— this image of a midwestern self, run down but still running— oversized, didactic, moralistic, dramatic. Make that person into a symbol for something else, make his struggles mean something, maybe wallow in his pain if you've got the stomach for it. What's harder is to let that story sit there unresolved, to let it feel like what it would feel like to have lived it. There is no grand narrative or plan, there's no lesson to sum it all up, no instruction or glorification, no condemnation, no ruin. Here's how Finn ends it:

I'm still working at my uncle's place. Still driving round in darkness, but I'm mostly staying straight. There's pretty girls down at Independence Lake, but they don't seem to see me anymore.

I'm better with my numbers now. Parked down by the water. Stretching out the truth, trying to seem a little softer. I still roll around with my magic marker. Some nights it just feels good to write your name.

There's some victory in staying straight (mostly), in being better with your numbers, being able to make change at your uncle's store yourself. There's some sadness driving around in darkness, girls passing you by, having to massage the truth to make it seem a bit less bad when you tell it to someone. And there's a feeling I can't name but can touch as solidly as the skin on my arms about how some nights, it just feels good to write your name. You remember. You stop yourself from forgetting. Maybe someone else thinks of you when they see it, or thinks of the fact that you're not there to match up with those letters.

It's easy to read Finn's characters— his burnouts, also-rans, disappointments, fuckups, middle aged middle managers, last-call barflies, forever-renters, couch surfers, all the people whose lives didn't turn out like they planned them— as desperate losers, as heroes and victims of a particularly pathetic American capitalism, as something grand or mythic in how and why they struggle, and it's to Finn's credit that he doesn't. After enough years of barely scraping by, rock bottom loses its novelty and becomes just a place you've visited before, might visit again, might currently be renting an apartment in. His characters’ lives are worth documenting because they simply are, and not for the utility they might have in a metaphor or an allegory, for their thematic resonance. It's dad rock for people who know what it's like to be on food stamps, to sell something you care about to make rent or buy booze. Sometimes, it just feels good to write your name.

[no-stabbing-wednesdays]

The Conspiracy Job

I made a post about the “Eliot’s semi-famous identities” conspiracy here and @what---i-dated-a wanted a fic, which got my muse going. So, here it is, and also on AO3

An amazing version of the same concept by @copperbadge was linked in the notes and I recommend you all read that too! The Job Interview Job

The Conspiracy Job

“Oh, not again!”

The others, busy drawing up plans for their latest con, looked over at Hardison. 

“What is it?” Sophie asked.

He brought his display up on the large screen at the front of the room. 

“Someone’s just searched a bunch of Eliot’s old aliases, all at the same time.”

Parker frowned as she looked at the screen. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Eliot was on his feet immediately, concern clear on his face.

“Who is it? CIA? FBI? KGB? Mossad?”

“Give me a second,” Hardison said. “No, I don’t think so. They’re not being flagged on any databases. Someone’s just googling them.”

Eliot relaxed slightly and rolled his eyes. “It’s not those damn conspiracy forums, is it? I thought you got rid of those.”

“I did! They haven’t posted anything, they’re just looking. Oh, they’re here in Portland.”

Eliot tensed again at that, but Hardison shook his head.

“Relax, man. It’s a family house; a couple of dentists and a fifteen year old. If they post anything I’ll take it down, nothing to worry about.”

On the other side of Portland, Julia stepped into her friend Marcie’s bedroom and her eyes widened as she took in the scene before her. Marcie was connecting red threads between grainy, printed-out images on her corkboard and empty bottles of Gatorade littered the desk.

“You have to cool it with this, dude.”

Marcie turned to face her, her hair a mess and her eyes red from lack of sleep, and Julia sighed.

“You look like freaking Charlie Kelly!”

“There’s something here, Jules. I’m sure of it.”

“It’s a couple of athletes and a singer who happen to look similar. It’s hardly the scoop of the century.”

“Look similar? Look similar? Julia, they are completely identical! There are exactly three possibilities.” She held up three fingers in her friend’s face as she counted them off. “Triplets, clones or one ridiculously talented guy.”

“Okaaay, and which one do you think it is?”

“I don’t know,” Marcie answered, turning back to her board. “Triplets? Why would they have different names and hide it? One guy? He’d have to be able to sing and play guitar, baseball and hockey. Why wouldn’t you own up to having that kind of talent? Why go to different places with different names? Clones? I’m leaning clones.”

“Clones? Come on, Marcie.” 

“It’s the most logical explanation.”

“You think someone cloned a human being just to create a one-hit-wonder country singer and some short lived athletes?”

Marcie shrugged. “It could be a trial run or an experiment or something. And you remember that anything I ever said on the forums would mysteriously vanish? I went to look after Jacques Labert turned up and every single forum post was gone! Every one! Doesn’t that sound like a government conspiracy to you?”

“It’s weird,” Julia admitted. “But I think you might be taking this a little too far. If the government were making clones, why would they let them get famous so people could discover it?”

“But they weren’t that famous. Think about it, what were the chances that someone would connect them? There were only ever a couple of us posting on the forums. If I hadn’t happened to be visiting my uncle in Palmerston when Roy Chappell was playing and then gone to Saddle and Spurs for my birthday, I’d never have known.” 

Her eyes widened as a horrifying thought occurred to her . “Then Jacques Labert turned up in my city! What if I’m the connection?”

She swung back to the board and began to write her own name. Julia grabbed her hand.

“Marcie! You’re not the center of a government conspiracy! Besides, who’s this fourth guy again?” She asked, tapping one of the photos in the corner. “You didn’t have anything to do with him, did you?”

“No,” Marcie conceded. “And I told you about him, remember? He’s an animal rights activist who was on the news in San Lorenzo a couple of years ago, talking about dog fights in the Presidential Palace. And he’s Canadian. That’s why it’s so exciting that, after almost two years of nothing new, Jacques Labert, Canadian hockey player, suddenly appears. Was the guy on the news Jacques Labert? If there really is more than one of them in the first place!”

Julia grimaced, increasingly worried about Marcie’s obsession with this wild conspiracy. “He was on the news where?”

“San Lorenzo. It’s this tiny European country. Here look.” Marcie sat at her desk, tapped the name into Google and turned her laptop towards Julia. 

Julia scrolled through a few pictures of the idyllic Mediterranean island, then stopped suddenly and pointed at one of them. 

“Wait, who’s that?”

“Oh, that’s Rebecca Ibañez. It’s a tragic story,” Marcie explained, as she clicked on the link and showed her some clearer pictures. “A couple of years ago, the same time maybe-Jacques Labert was there, there was an election and her fiancé won. But, just as the results were announced, supporters of the former president tried to assassinate him and Rebecca stepped in front and took the bullet for him.”

“She was assassinated?”

“Yes, isn’t it awful?”

Julia shook her head. “She can’t have been.”

“What?”

“She’s my brother Zachary’s acting teacher.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I went to see his play last week and I met her. Her name’s Sophie Devereaux and she’s definitely not dead.”

Marcie looked at her in amazement, a grin breaking out across her face . “And she was in San Lorenzo at the same time as Jacques-Roy-Kenneth! There might be even more to this than I thought!”

Julia, almost as invested as Marcie now that her brother’s odd director was mixed up in this, pulled up a chair and looked on excitedly as her friend brought up another google search. 

Back at the Brewpub, the crew were working out the kinks in their plan while waiting for any sign of the internet sleuth trying to share their ideas about Eliot’s multiple identities.

When the computer pinged again, they all turned to see which of his aliases had been flagged this time, only for their eyes to widen in horror as the search term flashed on the screen.

“Rebecca Ibañez” “Sophie Devereaux”

Sophie gave a gasp that almost turned into a choke. “Wha- wha- what?”

Eliot turned to Hardison, furious. “Oh sure, just dentists and a teenager! Fix. This.”

“I’m trying!” Hardison said. “I can’t find any connections to anything. They look clean.”

“Then look harder!”

Wait, I have something. It’s the kid’s computer.”

“Who’s the kid?” Nate asked.

Hardison pulled up a Facebook page. “Marcie Taylor. She’s a sophomore. She used to post on those stupid Eliot forums that I had to take down every week after Memphis. It was pretty harmless, but I’ve no idea why she’s suddenly looking at Sophie’s aliases.”

He scrolled down the page looking for any kind of hint, when Sophie called out to him to stop.

“Who’s that with her? She looks familiar.”

A few more clicks and Hardison had a name.

“Julia Gutmann. She’s in the same class.”

Gutmann?” Sophie groaned. “I know why she’s familiar. That’s Zachary’s little sister.”

“Zachary? Your acting student Zachary?” Nate asked disbelievingly.

“Yes, she came to our play last week.”

Nate shook his head. “I told you to use an alias at that theater.”

“But I wanted to do this as me,” Sophie protested.

Eliot turned back to Hardison. “So, let me get this straight. The aliases and digital trail that you set up to be uncrackable by international governmental organizations are about to be blown apart by a couple of high schoolers?”

Hardison glowered at him. “They’re only looking at old aliases and they were all burnt when we had to leave Boston anyway. It’s not that bad.”

“Sophie’s still using Sophie,” Eliot argued, nearly yelling now. “And I was only just Jacques Labert and in this city. Now they’ve tied me and her together. How did they even do that? That’s way more than some fifteen year old girls should be able to accomplish on Google.”

“Okay, okay. Don’t panic. They were looking at photos of San Lorenzo. That’s how they found a picture of Sophie."

Sophie glared at him.

"Hey!" he protested. "You're the one who jumped in front of the cameras! I can't control the entire internet you know, and I think the people of San Lorenzo would have noticed if every image of their martyred heroine suddenly vanished.

“It’s just bad luck that Julia had met you. But why were they looking at…” Hardison groaned. “They found that video of Eliot and the puppy somehow.”

“Why didn’t you take that down?” Eliot snapped.

“It’s a thirty second feature on the news from two years ago in a country smaller than Iceland! It wasn’t my top priority!”

“Dammit, Hardison!”

“So, our cover’s going to get blown by kids?” Parker asked, incredulously. 

“No,” Nate insisted. “Well, maybe. But we can manage this. Hardison, don't let them post anything. Sophie, call Zachary. Let’s go steal ourselves some silence.”

[13uswntimagines]

The One Where Lindsey *Accidentally*Breaks the Internet (Lindsey Horan x Medic!Reader)

Request: reader is the medic for the thorns and her and lindsey are secretly together and lindsey accidentally lets it slip one day via instagram or something? and the the fans go crazy bc they’ve already been shipping them since lindsey flirts with R every time she can?

Author’s note: So this was super fun to write and there will totally be a sequel like way far down the road. I hope you enjoy it. I should also mention that the reader has an M.D and is the team doctor for the Thorns and the USWNT. 

Lindsey Horan was a lot of things. A fantastic soccer player. A loving girlfriend and a woman with a bad habit. She was a tease through and through, loving the effect simple actions could have on both you and the fans. And since quarantine, taking cute photos of you had gotten even easier. Though you hadn’t outright admitted to dating, the fans were nearly certain that the two of you were quarantining together. 

Sure they had been suspicious before, with all of your girlfriends flirting during both thorns and national team camp. The middy just couldn’t seem to help herself from distracting you from your medical staff duties, and the fans had noticed. But with Lindsey’s most recent post of you cuddled up with a cup of coffee on her balcony, the Portland skyline in the background, had just about sent them over the edge. It was also the reason for a very excited Somnett’s FaceTime ahead of their scheduled Instagram live. 

“So how had quarantining with Y/n been,” Emily asked with a teasing edge to her voice. Lindsey sighed, rolling her eyes and settling back on the couch of your shared apartment. A wide smile broke across her face at the sight of you set up with all your practice medical stuff at the kitchen table, your glasses perched on your nose, a pen tucked behind your ear. 

“Good, she’s so fucking adorable,” She said breathlessly, ignoring Emily’s loud cackle of amusement. 

“Have you seen the Instagram fans?” Emily asked sobering. 

“Yeah, they’ve been going crazy over photos from like 2 years ago,” Lindsey smirked, thinking of her most recent post, and how you had pulled out a photo of you and her in France to one-up her. 

“I mean, your girl did a post for Horan hump day…” Sonnett said raising an eyebrow. So maybe both of you sucked at subtlety. 

“She also did Tobin Tuesday and Sonnett Sunday,” Lindsey laughed, shaking her head. You may have been on the Medical staff for both the Thorns and the national team, but you minored in photography, and absolutely loved to show your photos off. 

“Yeah, but we’re talking about the picture of baby you two. Don’t act like you don’t love to tease them,”  Emily snickered, and Lindsey winced slightly. So maybe the photo that she had chosen was from college you on your trip to Paris the week you two met, and maybe in return, you had posted one of her just after you both made the national team in your respective fields. 

“I like to tease Y/n, the fans are just a bonus,” Lindsey shrugged, smiling at Emily’s laugh. The two of you were so gooey with your love, hence why the fans were very much onto you. 

“Hey babe, can you come help me for a second?” You called out from the table, glancing over the top of your glasses towards your girlfriend. 

“Duty calls,” She said in a dramatic voice, moving to hang up the phone. 

“Wait, I wanna say hi,” Emily pouted. She knew you could hear her, but she hadn’t actually gotten to see you. You were her best friend and it sucked that she was trapped in Georgia while you and her other best friend got to ham it up together. Lindsey rolled her eyes at the dramatic woman and heaved herself off the couch. 

“What’s up, baby?” She asked, setting the phone down on top of one of the many open textbooks so Emily could see you both and wrapped her arm around your shoulders. You sigh, leaning back into her. 

“Can you hand me that pack of thread?” You hum, pointing with your forceps hand towards a box on the other side of the table. 

“Are you sewing up a chicken?” Emily questioned, her face scrunching in disgust as she took in the scene before her. You were sitting in what the team had deemed your doctor garb (meaning your hair on a bun, glasses perched firmly on your nose, and exams gloves slipped over your hands) with a dismembered chicken in front of you. From the look of the tools on your hands and the half put together chicken, Emily could only assume what you were doing. 

“Yeah, I need to practice so I can do one on the fly,” You mumbled, gesturing where you wanted Lindsey to place the new needle and thread pack and puckering your lips to kiss her in thanks. 

“Didn’t you do that enough in med school?” Emily teased, her eyes shining. It was rare that the team got to see soft interactions like this between the two of you, and frankly how adorable the two of you were was criminal. 

“Hi to you too, Sonnett,” You stuck your tongue out at the woman, finally taking your eyes off your ‘patient’ for the first time. Her cackle brought a smile to your face. 

“I’ll just be in the other room. Sonnett and I are about to go live,” Lindsey miles, smoothing back the hair that had fallen in your eyes and kissing your forehead. 

“Okie Dokie baby” You smiled up at your girlfriend, pursing your lips for a kiss. She obliged with a giggle. “see you soon, I’ll be watching,” you laughed, wiggling your eyebrows. 

“You guys are sickeningly sweet,” Emily made a fake gagging noise that brought your attention back to the offending device. 

“Shut up Disani,” Both you and Lindsey snapped together. You loved the woman, but she sure knew how to ruin a moment. 

*****

“Come on Linessie, you know that I’m the best cook,” Emily snorted, ignoring the interviewers stupid question in favor of bantering with Lindsey. 

“Hey, I’ve gotten way better,” Lindsey huffed, pointing her finger at the blond and refraining from saying that you were most definitely the cook in your relationship. 

“Yet you still let Y/n practice her medical skills on your chicken before she cooks it,” Emily rolled her eyes, her hands gesturing wildly at the mention of her most recent phone call with the two of you. 

The interviewer froze, her eyes widening. She had been fine with Emily and Lindsey going off the rails a little bit and talking more to each other than answering the questions. The fans loved it and the stories they were telling were gold, but she couldn’t sit back and let this admission slip by. It was the only acknowledgment Lindsey had ever made to your living arrangements, and with the recent string of photos, it may have been the break she was waiting for. 

“Wait wait wait, Y/n as in Thorns med staff Y/n, since when were you guys roommates,” The woman interrupted Lindsey midway through her sentence. 

“Since we started dating like 3 years ago,” Your girlfriend shrugged offhandedly, returning to her point about her cooking (or lack thereof) ability, leaving the interviewer and a large majority of the fans to sit in shock. 

Lindsey paused at the loud pinging of the comment section going crazy. She paused, her eyes drifting towards the rapidly moving comments, smirking when she saw some of the comments from her teammates, and the fans crazy nonsensical comments in return. She winked at the camera, loving that she just broke the internet, and biting her lip unsure of what your reaction would be. 

*****

“Nice live stream babe, but I think we need to like to make an official post or something,” You smirked, plopping down in your girlfriend's lap after she ended the stream, poking her dimples, using your thumb to smooth out the worried lines in her forehead. 

“I just came out on live stream, and that’s what you say?” Lindsey scoffed, raising her eyebrow at you. 

“I mean I love you, and I’m happy we don’t have to hide anymore, but like don’t you think we should tell them we’re engaged?” You asked shrugging, pecking her nose with a smile. 

“I think we’ve broken the internet enough for one day,” She rolled her eyes at you, leaning up to peck your lips, tired of your shoty aim. 

“The team is going to be pissed when they find out we didn’t tell them you proposed,” You singsonged, laughing lightly. Sure they had posted enough coupily photos of the two of you to last the fans a while, but when they realized you were getting married, it was going to be a media frenzy. 

“I’m sure they’ll post enough photos to crash the site,” She laughed, wrapping her arm around your waist and pulling you closer. 

“Well, I know a few other things we can break,” You hummed, nudging her chin with your nose and placing a few kisses on the underside of her jaw. 

“Yeah?” She asked, tilting her head to the side to give you more room, moaning lightly when you found the spot you knew drove her wild. 

“Hmm, but you better not share this on fucking Instagram live.” You smirked against her skin, teasingly running your teeth along her pulse point, and placing a very wet kiss there. 

“I think you put the verb in the wrong place in that sentence-”  She breathed out, sighing at the delicious sensations you were sending through her. 

“Shut up and take your pants off. I think I need to practice my exam skills”  You smirked devilishly at her, and suddenly the team and the fans were the last things on her mind, even though she did just technically break the internet.

[jjmaybanksbaby]

Where It Leads (Rafe Cameron)

Summer II

Part 03: Been A While

series masterlist | previous part

summary: Your second summer in the Outer Banks becomes a whole lot more complicated when you realize a year away from Rafe hasn't changed your feelings for him at all.

a/n: And we're back with summer two - the summer before sophomore year whoop whoop! Writing this gave me butterflies so I hope you have the same feeling reading it! I always love hearing y’all’s commentary so don't be shy to scream about your favorite parts back at me.

word count: 2.5k words

Your mom reached over and tapped you gently on the arm.

"Put your phone away please, y/n. You can text Evan when we land."

"We're not even moving yet." You replied.

As if on cue, the pilot's voice echoed over the intercom. "Good morning passengers. This is your captain speaking. Welcome onboard Flight 4B7 with service from Portland to the Outer Banks. We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts at this time and secure all baggage..."

You stashed your phone in the pocket of the seat in front of you and closed your eyes, hoping that by the time you woke up you would be landing.

After the way last summer had gone, you were surprised when your mom announced that you were spending the summer in the Outer Banks again.

Frankly, you weren't that happy to be headed to North Carolina. Alice and Kensie, your two best friends back home, had opted not to go to camp this summer so the three of you had planned to spend every day at Alice's pool, biking to the Dairy Queen a few blocks away or begging of your moms to drive you to the mall.

Plus, there was Evan. Your boyfriend of six months. You'd both been cast as the understudies for the leads in the fall musical. Because of some freak food-poisoning accident, both you and Evan had to go on as Cinderella and Prince Charming in the final show. When he kissed you under the bright stage lights, it had felt like more than just a stage kiss. He'd asked you out at the cast party later than night and you'd been dating ever since.

Evan was great. He really was. He was thoughtful and cared about you. But ever since your mom had bought the plane tickets to the Outer Banks back in March, every time you kissed Evan you could only think of Rafe Cameron.

☼☼☼

You trailed behind your mother on the way to baggage claim, bent over your phone responding to the texts Alice and Kensie had sent in the group chat while you'd been in the air. Apparently, they'd bumped into Kensie's crush and need to analyze every detail. A feeling of jealously you hadn't anticipated crept into your chest, weighing you down. Even indoors, the muggy heat of the Outer Banks made it clear how far from Oregan - and from your people - you were.

You looked around the airport, searching for the baggage claim with your flight number and noticed an incredibly familiar head of blonde head of hair standing nearby.

"Sarah Cameron?" You asked.

Sarah spun around a joyful smile on her face. "Oh my god! Y/n!" She ran over, wrapping you in a hug. "Are you back for the summer?"

You nodded your head which elicited another excited scream from her.

"What are you doing at the airport?" You asked her.

"You'll never guess! We're getting a house in the Bahamas!" She gushed.

"Sarah!" A deep voice called. You looked up to see another older-looking version of Rafe headed in your direction.

Your mom froze beside you. "Oh dear," she whispered.

The man's gaze didn't leave your mom. "Heather," he said.

"Ward," she responded.

Oh, you thought. So that's Rafe's dad.

"It's good to see you," your mom continued. "You look," she paused for moment, "good."

"You as well," Ward responded.

The carousel behind you started to move and luggage streamed out.

"That's us," your mom said, pointing over to the moving carousel. "We should go."

"I'll tell Rafe you're back," Sarah whispered to you. "He's gonna be so excited."

You smiled down at her knowing that you'd already made a vow to yourself to avoid him all summer. You refused to let Rafe ruin what you and Evan had and the only way you could guarantee that was making sure you didn't see him at all.

☼☼☼

Sarah bounded in the front door of the Cameron's house. "We're home" she called out, her sing-songy voice echoing through the big house. Ward entered after her, carrying their luggage.

"Welcome home," Rose said, greeting Ward at the door with a kiss.

Sarah rolled her eyes at the exchange. It wasn't that she actively hated her step-mom, she would just have rather her dad not married her. Though he was buying her a house in the Bahamas as an anniversary present so maybe she wasn't all bad.

"Is Rafe upstairs?" Sarah asked.

"I think so," Rose replied.

Sarah ran up the stairs, skipping every other one, the way Ward always told her not to do. She came to a sudden stop in front of Rafe's closed door.

"Rafeeeeee," she yelled, knocking rapidly until his voice bellowed back at her through the wall.

"What do you want Sarah? Go away!" He yelled.

"Fine," Sarah said. "I guess you don't care that y/n is back in town then?"

The door swung open just a few seconds later. “What did you say?” Rafe asked.

“Y/n was at the airport. She’s back in the Outer Banks for the summer.” Sarah turned on her heel and sashayed her way to her own bedroom leaving Rafe in his doorway to process the information.

Maybe this summer will be a whole less boring, Rafe thought.

☼☼☼

The summer was going exactly how you'd expected. It was surprisingly nice to have your younger brother to keep you company and more importantly, keep you busy. You spend your days either on the beach, tanning, watching your brother splash in the waves, and making your way through the reading list of the Honors English class you had opted to take next year or at the Club's pool, eating chicken tenders for lunch and washing them down with the thick chocolate milkshakes.

Rafe's friends frequently made an appearance at the Club. You watched them sneak vodka from flaskes into cups of spirit from being your shaded sunglasses. So far, Rafe had yet to join them.

Currently, Phoebe was flirting hardcore with Sawyer, begging him to put sunscreen on her back so she wouldn't burn. It was all too predictable.

You turned your attention back to Nick Carraway and his descriptions of Gatsby's grand parties momentarily.

You heard Sarah's voice before she appeared next to you and plopped down on the chair your brother had been occupying before he decided he needed more ketchup for his fries and had ran off.

"Y/n," she started with the same youthful energy she always talked with, "has Rafe invited you to our Fourth of July party yet?"

"Umm," you hesitated. "No, he hasn't said anything about it."

"Ugh," Sarah threw her head back in a dramatic motion. "I told him to text you about it. He's useless. Anyway, we throw a huge party for the Fourth every year and you have to come. There are fireworks and everything..."

Sarah's monologue faded to the background as you looked up and noticed Rafe standing at the top of the steps that lead down the pool. Your stomach flopped in the same way it always did when you saw him.

Rafe started walking down the steps and a small panic set in. His own eyes wandered across the pool deck and it was only time before he recognized you. You shifted your body slightly, trying to use Sarah to block yourself from his view.

You turned your attention back to his younger sister, afraid that you'd accidentally make eye contact with Rafe.

Crap, crap crap, you repeated in your head. Rafe was for sure heading in your direction. Even as you forced yourself to focus on Sarah, you couldn't stop yourself from watching Rafe out of the corner of your eye and he was walking straight toward you. Your 'avoid-Rafe-all-summer' plan was going to be impossible now. With every step he took, you could feel your heart beating faster. It felt just like last summer.

Rafe stopped in front of the chair Sarah was sitting in and you couldn't stop yourself from looking up at him, a smile threaten to slide onto your face. The same warm but dangerous feeling you only got when Rafe was around took ahold of you.

"Sarah," he said, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Ward's looking for you."

She jumped up with a sudden spurt of energy, "Okay, I'll go find him!" She leaned down engulfing you in another hug. "See you around y/n." She said before running off.

"Bye Sarah." You replied.

"You know, you're like my sister's favorite person," Rafe said, still standing above you. "She mentioned you were in-town for the summer..." He let his sentence trail off.

But I hadn't seen you around. You finished for him in your head.

"Yeah, we got in about a week ago." You said. The tension that hung in the air between the two of you was exactly the reason you were trying to avoid him. The last time you had seen him he'd kissed you in a way you hadn't been able to get out your head for months afterward. It was a dangerous game. Nonetheless, here he was standing in front of you and you were barely holding it together.

Your phone began to ring and the photo of Evan kissing your check from homecoming popped up with the caller id. Rafe's eyes glanced over it and an unreadable expression crossed his face.

Right, it was 4 o'clock on Wednesday. The time and day you and Evan had decided you would call each other every week.

"Uhh, I gotta get this." You said to Rafe, reaching over and picking up the phone.

"Yeah, okay. See you later y/n." He replied before walking away from you and to his friends.

Your eyes followed him all the way even as you clicked answered and Evan's voice filled your ear.

☼☼☼

A feeling of nervousness set in as you approached the Cameron's, the absurd number of cars parked outside confirming you were at the right place. You glanced over each of your shoulders worried that your mom would pull up any second to drag you back home after you lied about where you were spending your evening. You felt decently bad about saying you were going to the Club to watch fireworks and coming to the Cameron's instead but you knew your family's stance on Rafe and his dad.

It seemed like the entire population of the Outer Banks was spread across the Cameron's backyard. Adults sipped festive cocktails as little kids, hyped-up onto much sugar, weaved in between their legs, chasing one another around. You looked around hesitantly, thankful when Sarah emerged from the crowd, frosting smeared across her face.

"You made it! I'm so happy you're here!" She screamed.

"Sarah," you laughed. "You have blue frosting all over you." You used your finger to wipe it from her cheek.

"Rose ordered the most delicious cake you've ever had. You have to try it. I can get you some. Do you want some?" She asked eagerly.

"I'm okay right now. Thank you though. Have you seen Rafe?" You asked. You were at his party, after all, it wasn't like there was any point in avoiding him now.

Sarah turned and pointed to the dock where Rafe and his group of friends were standing. "He's over there."

"Great. Okay! I'm going to go say hi."

"Have fun!" Sarah replied with a smile before running off in the same direction she's appeared in.

You made your way through the crowd to the dock, the groups' attention turning to you as you approached.

"Hey," you said, shyly.

Cleo and Riley jumped up from where they had been sitting with their legs dangling in the water.

"Y/n, right?" Cleo asked before leaning in for a hug.

"Yeah. Hi! It's good to see you guys again." You replied.

"You too! Rafe said you were back in town and I was wondering when you'd finally make an appearance." Cleo said.

You look over at Rafe to find him already watching you. He pushed through Cole and Milo and was suddenly in front of you

"Um, y/n and I need to get the fireworks." He said to the group. You watched Riley shoot Cleo a confused look but Cleo just shrugged it off.

Rafe grabbed your hand and pulled you along, leaving you no choice but to follow him. You walked in silence, other than the sound of your heart beating rapidly.

Rafe stopped at a small brick shed on the side of the house. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, pulling you in after. There were kayaks and paddleboards hanging on the walls and some old lifejackets littered the floor.

"Rafe-" you tried to start but he cut you off.

"Y/n, I seriously can't go one more minute without kissing you again."

Rafe looped his arm around your waist, cupped the back of your neck with his hand, and landed his lips on yours.

For a moment, you tilted your face upwards and leaned your body into his before your senses came rushing back to you and you shoved him backwards off of you. Surprise registered on his face.

"Rafe. No. I can't do this." Your voice broke, panic coursed through your whole body. "God, I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have come here today or followed you here."

"Y/n." Rafe said but held your hand up warning him to say quiet.

"I have to go. I have to go," you repeated. "Tell Sarah I'm sorry I missed the fireworks. I know she'll be disappointed. I have to go."

You turned to leave but Rafe grabbed your wrist and his eyes locked with yours, his expression begging you to stay.

"I have a boyfriend." You blurted out. The weight of those four words settled on Rafe's face and you jerked your arm out of his grasp. You spun on your heel and walked out the shed and putting distance between you and the boy making your life so complicated.

You crossed the Cameron's yard, trying to gather yourself and slow your chaotic, unsteady breathing. You hurried down the long driveway, making it to the road without any tears slipping out of your eyes.

Rafe had tried to kiss you. He hadn't tried, he had kissed you. And you sorta kissed him back. No, not sorta. You kissed him back. But then you stopped. You pushed him away. You realized it was wrong. You didn't want to hurt Evan. You weren't gonna hurt Evan.

The fireworks began to explode behind you, large booms thundered across the sky, their big colors illuminating the night. You didn't dare turn around watch them. They reminded you too much of Rafe: the boy pulling your head and your heart in two different directions.

taglist! @oreoenthusiast13 [drop a ☀️ in my inbox or messages if you want to be added]

[spencerreidslove]

Old Friends

A/N: This idea has been haunting my dreams for the past month and a half, so I sat myself down and forced myself to write it. I used 2 songs called ‘Portland’ by Bowling Shoes and ‘Backyard Boy’ by Claire Rosinkranz.

———-

Maybe if Spencer hadn’t been so distracted by trying to get the bartender to open up about the man he was looking for, he might’ve heard the whispers fluttering around the bar.

“I heard she has 7 new songs! 7!”

“Did you see her last show? She was amazing!”

“I can’t believe she’s here!”

Maybe if Spencer hadn’t been so distracted by telling Morgan everything he had learned, he might’ve noticed the posters coating the walls, advertising a show later that night.

Spencer only noticed the busyness in bar when he looked up from his phone to see Morgan staring at something over his shoulder. No, not something.

Somebody.

Spencer turned and spotted who Morgan was looking at.

At the exact same moment you looked up from where you were signing a peice of paper a girl had handed you.

A grin broke out across your face, and you said your goodbyes to the girl and made your way over to Spencer.

Before he could say anything, you wrapped your arms around him, and he smiled and wrapped his arms around you.

“What are you doing here?” Spencer asked.

“What am I doing here? I have a show. What are you doing here?” You asked.

“Work.” Spencer pulled away from the hug. “It’s been too long.”

Morgan cleared his throat from behind Spencer.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I just have to know who is so important that Spencer Reid breaks his germaphobe rules and hugs somebody.” He said.

Spencer flushed a little bit, clearly embarrassed about ignoring Morgan.

“Morgan, this is Y/N Y/L/N, we lived next door to each other when we were growing up.” Spencer turned twoards you. “Y/N, this is Derek Morgan, we work together.”

“Grew up together? You must have so many stories about Spencer.” Morgan said, smirking.

“Tons. This one time when we were four-“

“So Y/N, are you the reason everybody’s so excited around here?” Spencer said, cutting off your story.

“I guess.”

“You guess?” Morgan asked. “You’re the only thing people are talking about around here.”

At the moment, Morgan’s phone rang and he stepped away from Spencer and you to answer it.

“My show’s tonight. Maybe you could come?” You asked.

Spencer shrugged. “I’m here for work, if we can fit it in I’ll come.”

Your face fell a little bit. “Well, I’m here again tomorrow night too. See if you can make it.”

Somebody called for you from the back, and we quickly reached up to plant a kiss on Spencer’s cheek. He immediately flushed bright red.

“See you maybe.” You said, turning and going back into the sea of people.

“Pretty Boy.” Morgan said from behind Spencer. “Look at you.”

Spencer, who was still bright red, flushed even darker. “I-uh-shut up.” He said, pushing out past Morgan.

-

Spencer ends up missing your show by nearly three hours. When he gets back to the hotel, he falls back on his bed, knowing he won’t get any sleep.

The UnSub is still out there and Spencer has to be back at the station at early. Instead of sleeping, like he should, Spencer opens Spotify and types in your name.

He always knew you wanted to sing, and he kept up with your career in the early days, but things got busy.

You have around 20 songs on Spotify and Spencer spends the whole night listening to them. He never really liked music with words, but it’s different with you.

Spencer’s almost done with all your music when he reaches a song called ‘Portland’

The words are oddly familiar and something stirs in his memory.

-

“C’mon, Spencer, it’ll be fun!” You said. You’re both seventeen and Spencer’s on summer break from college.

“No! I will not drive you to Portland just because you want to.” He said, not entirely serious.

“It’s just one long drive!” You cried out, “if we leave now, we’ll get there by morning.” You stuck out your bottom lip.

Spencer wasn’t budging.

“Just one day?” You asked.

“Get your keys. We’ll leave in 10.” Spencer said, finally giving in.

-

By mid afternoon the next day they caught the unsub. They would’ve left right away for the airport, but it was pouring outside and it wasn’t slowing down. Hotch decided that they would leave first thing the next morning.

“Reid.” Morgan said, making his way over to Spencer. “Are you going to go to Y/N’s other show tonight?”

“Probably.” Spencer said. In his mind, he knew that he was already going.

“Probably? Pretty Boy please, I’m not blind.” Morgan said.

“What?”

Morgan sighed. “I saw the way you looked at her. And she’s very pretty.”

Spencer didn’t respond.

“You’re going to that show.” Morgan said.

-

Apparently you were a bigger deal than you made yourself out to be. The bar you were playing in was packed. Spencer had originally planned on going alone, but Morgan ended up telling the entire team that they heard about a show at the bar they went to yesterday.

Luckily, he hadn’t told the team that Spencer knew the main act.

The team ended up being a little late, and you were already a few songs in when the team found a spot by the bar.

Your eyes met Spencer’s and your face immediately lit up. This didn’t escape a group of profiler, who noticed the exchange.

A little while later, you announced that you were going to be playing a new song.

You strummed a few strings on your guitar before you started singing.

“5, 6, 7, 8

Dance with me in my backyard boy

Looking super fine in your corduroy

Drive me round the block

We can go in a loop

And we'll turn the volume up on some

Good boy band tunes.”

Like last night, Spencer immediately felt a connection to the song. Most days when you were younger were spent in your backyard, where you would force Spencer to play games with you.

Your show finished a couple songs later and as the team was chatting about the show and ordering another round of drinks, Spencer made his way to a door by the stage where he saw you disappear a few minutes ago.

Spencer went to knock on the door, and you quickly poked your head out. You opened your mouth to say something, but before you could, Spencer said: “Why didn’t you tell me you wrote songs about me?”

You closed your mouth and grabbed Spencer’s wrist. You pulled him back behind the door and down a hall until you reached the small room the bar told you you could keep your things in.

Once you were in the room, you turned to Spencer and crossed your arms. You looked at the floor and paused for a second before you answered.

“I didn’t tell you I wrote songs about you because...well... Jesus Spence it’s been like 6 years since I’ve seen you! I don’t even have your phone number!” You said.

“It’s been 6 years 13 days 7 hours and 52 seconds since I’ve last seen you.” Spencer said.

You rollled your eyes, but you were smiling. “Look, if you want me to take them down or something I will, but I wrote them cause then it felt like I was talking to you.”

“No, I’m not saying you should take them down, I’m saying...” Spencer trailed off.

“You’re saying...” you said, trying to get him to continue.

“I’m not sure.”

There was another pause.

“I should probably get back to my team. Here.” Spencer said. He pulled a pen out of his pocket, and with your prompting, wrote his number on your arm.

Spencer turned to leave, but stopped just before the door. “Just know that...that I spent pretty much every day of those 6 years missing you.”

When Spencer made his way back to the group, they turned their attention towards him.

“Do you know the girl?” Emily asked.

“Huh?” Spencer responded.

“The performer, Y/N?” JJ said.

“Oh, yeah. We’re old friends, we grew up together.” Spencer said.

That only sort of seemed to fill the questions the team had.

A few moments later they all decided to call it a night, as they had an early flight. As the group left the bar, a voice called out from the side alley.

“Spence, wait a second!” You called out.

“Y/N?” Spencer asked.

The entire team turned just in time to see you plant a kiss on Spencer’s lips.

“I missed you too.” You whispered, only loud enough for Spencer to hear.

You dashed off back down the alley before Spencer could respond.

There was a moment of silence before Morgan wolf whistled. “Just old friends huh Pretty Boy?!” He called out.

“Shut up.” Spencer said, pushing past the group.

-

Later, after Morgan recounts the events to Garcia over the phone, Spencer gets a text from Y/N that reads:

Why did somebody that claims to work with you just text me and say that she’s half she found nothing bad on me?

Tags! (Open)

@rexorangecouny @magnificentmgg @rachelxwayne @itsmyblogandiwillblogifiwantto @andreasworldIsboring101

[sherrybaby14]

Welcome Home

Summary:  You couldn’t take your controlling boyfriend, so you ran away.  He found you and hopes to change your mind, with the help of some friends.  

Warnings:  Smut, lost and found, very brief suicidal thought, I would not label this dub-con, but some might.  (I have not warned for every possible trigger.  Please read at your own risk).

Pairing:  Steve Rogers x reader

Words:   4200

A/N:  This is for @darkficsyouneveraskedfor​ challenge!  My prompt was “Safe in Hell”.  

   “There’s a real hottie in your section.”  Your coworker reached above you for the coffee pot.  “If he asks for your number you should give it to him.”  

   Your nerves went off.  Was this the day?  Did he find you?  You shook them down, trying to act normal.  

   “Right.”  You were trying to balance the tray of drinks for the rare family of four who walked into the diner. “Because I give it out to all the other truckers who stop in here.”  

   “Other truckers?”  She laughed. “You won’t even give it to me!  When are we going to get together for after work drinks?”  

   Another thing to worry about, people getting too chummy.  A sign to leave.  

   “Soon.”  You gave a nervous laugh as you rounded, hoisting the orange juices in the air as you went back into the crowded eating area.  

   Soon you would be gone.  Never stay in a place for longer than three months, never use your real name, cash under the table, save whatever possible.   No relationships, no attachments.  That was the advice handed to you.  It worked well the last eighteen months.  Were you getting sloppy?  Was the strange man finally him?  The tray wobbled, thinking about dropping it and running out the backdoor.  

   It wasn’t the life you had planned for yourself, but you were more free in your time on the road than you had been the two years before.  

   You spotted the “hottie” your friend talked about.  His back was to you, short dark hair, smaller shoulders, shorter.  Any sense of worry you had faded.  Wasn’t him.  

A lot of the men who stopped in here were good looking.  Ninety percent of them drove trucks back and forth across the country.  They would forget your face as soon as they left, stomachs filled with greasy food and an insane amount of coffee. He was just another.  It was the blondes that worried you.  

   Nobody questioned your secrecy until just now, most were in the same boat.  Part of you was sure one of the cooks was wanted for murder.  Your co-workers last names were Smith, Johnson, Washington, Jefferson.  A lot of presidents.  Made it hard to google Sarah Adams and get any pointed results.  

   “There we go.”  You handed out the orange juice to the road-tripping family.  “Gimme a minute and I’ll be back to take your order.”  

   Your coworker walked by, coffee pot in hand.   You handed her the tray and took the hot beverage without even asking. The solo man’s cup was spun upright and you began to fill it when you approached the table.  

   “Room for cream?”  You watched the dark liquid rise.  

   “I’d prefer a double whipped non-fat late, but I suppose cream will do.”  The voice struck a nerve in your cord and you dropped the coffee pot.  

   Everything was moving in slow motion.   You swore you saw the liquid following out, but the guest grabbed the pot in one hand while reaching out with his other and grabbing your wrist.  

   “Hi there.”  He smiled up at you.  “Have a seat.”  

   You were too numb to respond as he dragged your arm, pulling you into the booth behind him.   You started to hyperventilate, the noise of the crowd fading as your world started to spin.  How was this happening?  Was this real?  

   “Don’t forget to breathe.”  Tony let go of your wrist and took a sip of his coffee.  “Not bad.”  

   You couldn’t react.  You didn’t know how to.

   “Really, I thought this was going to taste like dirt, but there’s something so basic about it, I can’t put my finger on it.”  The billionaire took another sip.  “Did you make it?”  

   You grabbed on to the table, a shake in your body as you looked up.  Tony’s warm eyes had a hint of sympathy, but he smiled and it vanished.  Had you lost your mind?  

   “Don’t have a lot of time so speak up Princess.”  Tony flicked your arm.  

   A million questions ran through your head, but you spit out the first one.  Your main fear.  

   “Is he….here?”  There was a lump in your throat, could you outrun Ironman?  Were you insane?  

   “Don’t ask questions you won’t like the answer to.”  Tony’s eyes dropped to the table as he grabbed a packet of sugar.  

   Escape.  You had to escape.   All the ways out you had planned in your head didn’t involve a visit from Tony Stark.  How was that even possible?  They were the good guys.  Maybe they didn’t know?  Maybe you could reason with his friend, get them to see.  Put an end to this madness, get your life back.  

   “Listen to me.”  You grabbed Tony’s hand, not wanting to understand how you were capable of touching him.  “He is insane.  He is controlling and demanding and you need to help me.”

   “I know.”  Tony nodded.  “Trust me, I know.”  

   Your shoulders relaxed.  Tony knew he was insane.

“When you were in his life, you made him better.”  Tony laughed.  “SInce you’ve been gone.  Well, everyone else has had to deal with that side.”  

You recoiled.  

“He has saved a lot of lives.  He’s a good man.”  Tony let out a huge breath.  

“HE RUINED MY LIFE!”  You slammed the table.  “He...he picked out my clothes,  he made me quit my job,  he nit picked everything I did, he followed me everywhere, he destroyed my friendships, he controlled everything.”

“Did he ever hit you?”  Tony ran his hand over his hair.  

“What?”  You glanced over his face.

“Did he tell you what you could and couldn’t do?”  Tony leaned back in the booth.   “What was he holding over you? That you couldn’t leave?  That you ran away in the middle of the night?”

“I tried to break up with him.”  Your lip quivered.  “But he sabotaged everything, every job application, apartment,  bills.  He forced it so he was my only option.”  

That was how Steve operated.  He didn’t give ultimatums, he didn’t hit you.  He just twisted your life so you were dependent on him.  A master of emotional manipulation.  

“Well, when he had you to look after.”  Tony reached down next to him and pulled out some electronic device.  “He wasn’t so difficult to deal with, but since you left of your own free will, he has been a bit of a horror.”  

“Own free will?”  You were seething.  “I tried to leave at least ten times!  He always found a way to make me come back.  We were only together for a year,  I realized he was tricking me, messing with my mind.  I called it off then, it took me another year of forgiving and coming back before I had to vanish.”  

“Vanish?”  Tony raised an eyebrow.  “Hardly.”

He tapped a button on his device.  This place barely got cell service but a screen seemed to appear out of nowhere.  Your jaw dropped as you scanned what was in front of you.  Pictures, notes, dollar amounts.  Every place you’d been the last eighteen months.  

“I...I need to get back to work.”  You started to stand, planning to sprint out the back and run until you died.  

Tony let out a whistle.  All noise in the diner stopped.  The people got up from their seats, the staff stopped in place.  All of them left the building in a neat and practiced order.  

“Sit back down.”  Tony slid the screen over, but didn’t close it.  “Don’t make this difficult.”  

“I am leaving.”  Your chest was heavy.  “You can’t stop me.”  

“No, but I can call the police.”  Tony scratched his head.  “They will be here faster than you can get outside, ready with a pair of handcuffs.”  

“I didn’t do anything.”  Your legs started to shake.  

“In the last year and a half you have committed a staggering amount of crimes.”  Tony hit his screen and they changed.  “Identity theft, tax evasion, moving stolen property over state lines, not to mention the civil liabilities from the landlords you ran out on.”  

“Bullshit!”  You hit the table.  “I used fake names, I worked under the table, I was trying to hide.”  

“Well, there’s an admission to the tax evasion.”  Tony crossed his arms and leaned back.  “My personal attorneys have studied this and found every little thing you have done wrong.  It’s all here.  Those fake names, turns out some real people have them.”  

You knew how powerful the Avengers were, but you thought the only evil one was Steve.  Besides, there was the one other nagging thought.

“How?”  Your mind was so focused on Steve, you couldn’t focus on anything else.  

“With a good federal prosecutor and several amazing state’s attorneys, you will be bouncing from prison-to-prison for the rest of your life.  Would you like to have a seat now?”  Tony’s sympathy vanished.  

Yes.  You thought about life in prison.  Could you handle it?  Take it?  Would it be better than this?  

“I promise you it would not.”  Tony glared up at you.  “Now sit.”  

You crumbled back into the booth.  

“What does he want?”  You knew Tony was just the middle man. “Were any of the people here ever real?  Were you just waiting until you had enough on me?”

“Of course we were.”  Tony rolled his eyes.  “Steve found you a day after you left.  He has been trailing you nonstop.  I saw the bigger picture.  He’d convince you to come back and you would run again.  We tempted you with some major crimes by the way, kudos to you for not robbing that guy in Portland.  Those were marked bills.  Would’ve had you ten months ago.”  

“I’m going to be sick.”  You leaned over and clutched your stomach, all the precautions you’d been taking, your life.  It meant nothing.  

“Here’s what he wants.”  Tony slammed a little black box on the table.  “Not the most romantic proposal, but you know Steve.  He doesn’t want any of the dirty stuff on his hands.”  

“Oh God.”  You clutched your stomach, trying to ignore the sound of Tony opening the box.

“He loves you.”  Tony reached over the table and set it on your knee. “He will take care of you.  Your life will be better than this.”  

“He’s obsessed with me.”  You glared at him.  “That’s not love!”

“Sure it is.”  There was no humor on Tony’s face.  “Maybe not your definition.  But to him, it’s love.”

“He...he could have anyone, why me?”  Your reality began to set in and tears started to fall.

“If I had to guess,  your mind.”  

“I’m not a genius.”  You looked up at him with red shot eyes.  “I thought I was free and he, he never left me.”  

You thought back to all the good looking single guys in here asking for your number, the way your coworkers were in the same boat as you.  It wasn’t dumb luck.  It was a controlled experiment.

“You need to ask him these questions.”  Tony’s sympathy showed again.  “He is waiting for your answer.  Take a look at the ring.  Put it on your finger, or else except some less-than-pleasant jewelry on your wrists.”

The sound of Tony’s footsteps and the ding of the diner bell made you sob.  There was no doubt the building was surrounded.  You had a third option, but that wasn’t in the cards for you.  

Your life with Steve flashed in your brain.  The way he looked at you, the way he sent a tingle down your spine, the way he got you to try new things, and when you didn’t like them he would stop.  He was kind, to you, but any life outside of him, that’s when he showed his true colors.  

Without opening your eyes you knew what the ring would look like.  Large and heavy, a single giant stone that people could see from yards away.  Ownership.  That was Steve.  

Which prison did you want?  

You gulped down, and looked at the box.  Your heart raced as you brought your hand to your mouth.  It was small.  It was ugly even, a single pear cut diamond in a bronze band, but your heart filled with warmth.

Different memories came forward, pretending to be a bride with a pillowcase, talking with your father about walking down the aisle, watching your mother cheers at your graduation.  The ring on her finger.  

“How?”  Your parents were dead, a tragic accident, nothing was recovered.  It happened a year before you met Steve.  

The initial wave of comfort he had brought came over you again.  The way he listened, tried to help you.

“Photos.”  Nat’s voice made you jerk your head up.  “He had it recreated down to exact specifics.”  

“It's not hers?”  Your heart didn’t sink at the realization, in fact it panged with comfort.  

“He’s not a miracle worker.”  Nat slid into the booth.  “But he tries.”  

The strangeness of the last five minutes dawned on you again.  You wouldn’t go back, you slammed the ring box shut.  

“Please, we were friends.  Get Steve to let me go.”  You bit back a sob.  “Women-to-women, you saw how bad it got and…”

“I saw a devoted man, who might not have chosen a woman who understood all his traits, but awoke something in him.”  Nat leaned forward.  “He wants you.  Only you.  I sent a few incredibly good looking guys to hit on you, and you shut them all down.  Are you sure you want anyone else?”

“I didn’t...I couldn’t...settle down.”  You took a heavy breath.  “He could find me if I built a life.  I needed to keep moving.”  

“He’s always known where you were.”  Nat smiled.  “Now make the right choice.  He’s waiting.”  

“Wait, help me?”  You looked up at her with glassy eyes as she left the booth.  

“I already have.”  The sadness on her face was too much, you started to cry again.  “We both have.”  

You didn’t take your eyes off of her as she left the diner.   The door moved in slow motion, slammed shut.  

You tried to bite back the scream, but it came out.  The vision faded, the diner was filled again.  Ghosts vanished.    

The tray of orange juice hit the ground with a smash and a spill.  Everyone in the diner turned to stare at you.  Including the “hottie” your coworker warned you about.  

Tall, blonde, beautiful, controlling, manipulative, but also protective, caring, pushing, and instead of crying and running away you burst out into tears and ran toward him.  Not registering that everyone in the diner was watching.  

“I...I missed you so much.”  Steve scooped you up in his arms.  “I was wrong.  I was wrong on so many levels,  after we lost Tony and Natasha, I couldn’t lose you.  And I shouldn’t have tried to keep you the way I did.”  

You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.  Warmth, home,  everything negative flushed away.  

“Hey, you gonna clean this up?”  Your coworker held the coffee pot, looking pissed off.

You looked back at Steve, who was just as stunned from the kiss as the rest of the restaurant was from the sound of you dropping your tray.  

“I’ll change.  I miss you so much.”  Steve wrapped his arms around your waist.   “I’ve been changing.  Working on myself.  I can’t believe I pushed you that hard.  I wanted to keep you safe.”  

“I’m safe when I am with you.”  There was a fullness in your heart, one you didn’t realize you were missing.  “I didn’t do anything bad.”

“What?”  Steve laughed.  “You?  This was not the conversation I was expecting. The night you left,  I just, I realized my trying to protect you was overriding everything else. My trauma was creating trauma for you. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you let me.”  

“Please?”  You didn’t wait for a response when you put your lips to his.

Steve let out a grunt and held you tighter, your bodies pressed together as hard as they could be, your mouth devouring each other in the middle of the restaurant.  

He pulled away first, slowing down the kiss until he could press his forehead to yours.  

“Let’s get out of here.”  His gaze made your heart feel like it was going to beat out of your chest.

You nodded and undid the tie on your apron, throwing it on the table along with the orders and cash you’d received on your shift so far.  

Everyone’s eyes were on you as Steve took your hand and led you out of the place.  Nobody spoke a word.  It was like they weren’t even there.  

Steve walked you to the side of a pick up truck.  He opened the door and boosted you inside.

“You don’t understand how unprepared I was for this.”  Steve grinned as he buckled your seatbelt.  “I was ready to plead and beg, we were meant for each other.”  

As the belt clicked you grabbed his cheeks and kissed him again, moaning into his mouth.   The time apart now felt like a wasted lifetime.  This was right.  He was right.  Why did it take unearthly visitors to show you what was in front of your face the whole time.  

“We have to stop, or I won’t be able to control myself.”  Steve wiped his lips as he backed away, slamming the door shut.  

He rounded the front of the truck and climbed in the driver’s seat.  Buckling in and turning over the engine he whipped out of the parking lot.   You wasted no time sliding your hand up his thigh.  

“I missed you.  God, I missed you.”  He gripped the wheel.  “I can’t believe I let you get away.”  

“Well I’m back now.”  You let your hand climb father up his jeans, cupping the bulge of his pants.  “And I’m never leaving again.”  

You glanced at him, his eyes were fixed on the deserted road.   You went for the button on his pants.

“What are you doing?”  Steve looked to you with concern.  

“I can’t wait any longer.”  You yanked down the zipper and pulled his cock out.  “I need you, as much of you as I can get.”  

Steve let out a moan, approving.  You dropped your head and wrapped your lips around his cock.  Trying to drool as much as possible, wanting to take him deep.  

He shifted, and moved as close to you as possible without stopping.  His hand found the skirt of your waitress uniform and pushed it up.  He cupped your pussy, making you squeak with the realization of how wet you were, rubbing down hard.  

“I guess you did miss me.”   He dragged his fingers up and over the top of your panties.  

You lifted your hips and pulled them down, trying to concentrate on getting his dick as wet as possible, but eager for your own pleasure too.  

“I love you.”  His finger found your slit and gathered your juices.  “I’ll love you forever.”  

Your eyes popped open as he slid a digit inside you with ease.  You turned your body so that you were able to press your clit to the base of his palm as he flexed his finger inside of you.  

A moan left your mouth and his cock slid deeper.  

“You are my forever.  I need you.  I was a wreck without you.”  Steve grunted and his cock slid further into your mouth.  “I’ll never let you leave.  Never again.  I can’t...I can’t be without you.”  

You flicked your tongue and sucked harder, sliding down.  His knee popped up to touch the steering wheel and his other hand found the back of your head.  

“You’re like no other.”  He guided you further, his fingers working you into a frenzy as you humped against him, your clit coming to life.  “The only soul in existence who fits with mine.”  

His words made your heart flutter, but his hands were bringing you closer to the edge.  

“And you lied.  You did do something bad.”  Steve groaned.  “You left.  I never gave up.  I gave you your space,  but that’s over.  You’re my home.”  

You tried to nod as best you could, but you were more interested in controlling your gag reflex.  Your body was on fire, nipples tightening, hot and cold alternated all over you.   Why did you ever leave him?  None of that mattered now.  

“Now, be a good girl.”  Steve slid another finger inside and began working faster, sliding in and out, flexing against your inside while his palm ground into your clit.  “Show me how much you missed me.”  

Your body knew what he wanted before you mind caught up and you started to convulse around his hand.  Shots of pleasure firing off your entire being.  You fell forward, his cock hitting the back of your throat, but the orgasm made you unaware of anything but ecstasy.  

His hands vanished and you moved your mouth back, still unsteady from your release.  You needed to return the favor, but before you could get to work two hands were on your shoulders, pushing you up to sitting.  

You looked out the window and saw you were pulled over on the side of the road in broad daylight.  Steve went between your legs and yanked your panties off.  

“I need to have all of you.”  He grabbed your thigh and guided you to his lap.  

You nodded, straddling him as he guided his cock to your entrance.  

“Mmm.” You bit your lip as he stretched your quaking pussy.   “I missed you.  I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry.  I never should have left.”  

“Shhh.”  Steve pulled you down as he flexed up.  The burn it caused was beautiful.  “Our future is forever.  Welcome home.”  

You winced when you took him to the hilt.   Home.  That was the feeling in your heart.  

Tears stung at the corner of your eyes as you dropped your head, Steve grabbed your cheek and guided your lips to his. His other hand dug into your hip and guided your body as he fucked you.

You need him to take the lead, incapable of knowing what to do without his skill.   His tongue worked yours while his cock brought your pussy to life, rocking you while he slid in and out, short fast movements.  

“Oh God.”  You broke the kiss, unable to concentrate on it as he picked up the pace.  

Steve pulled you against him, his mouth finding your neck, he bit and teased at the skin as you turned into a mewling shaking mess.  

“You’re ready to cum.”  Steve nipped at your skin.

“No.”  You weren’t close, it was the after effects of the first one.

“Yes.”  Steve’s hands ran up your back and pulled your down harder.  “Don’t fight it.  Don’t fight me.  Give over.”  

“I’m…” You didn’t understand your own body.  

“Cum, cum for me.”  Steve tugged you down with so much strength you gasped.  “NOW!”

Your body responded.  The orgasm ripping through you out of what felt like nowhere.  The tears flowed as an inhuman noise left your body.   You were nothing, just a ball of pleasure, pure euphoria.  

Steve growled and joined you in finishing, coating your insides with his white foam.  You collapsed against him, wishing the clothes were gone.  

Consciousness was sneaking away, your eyes drifting shut.  Before you slipped into sleep you swore you saw Tony and Nat, both smiling at you.  You were home.  

~~

“Hey.”  Steve was shaking your shoulder.  

“Huh?”  Your eyes opened to see a dark sky.  

“We have to stop for the night.”  He lifted you out of the truck.  “You’ve been sleeping all day, but now I need some rest.”  

“Sorry.”  You wrapped your arms around his neck as he cradled you to his chest.  

“Something tells me you haven’t slept that well in a long time.”  Steve kissed your forehead as he carried you into the motel room.   “You needed it.”

“I needed you.”  You smiled as he set you down on the bed.  

“Always.”  Steve tossed a large bag he’d been carrying onto the floor.  “I’m going to take a quick shower.  You want to join me?”

“No.”  You turned on your side and cuddle the pillow.  “Too tired.”  

“Alright.”  He laughed.  “I’ll be right out.”  

Steve kissed your forehead again before going into the bathroom.   The second he was gone your eyes popped open.  You ran for the bag, unzipping it.  

It didn’t take long for you to find two things.   One was a Manila folder.  You opened it and saw everything Tony had shown you, just the old fashioned paper way.  Then you saw the little black box.  The ring on the inside was the one Nat forced you to look at.  

“Thank you.”  You looked up at the ceiling, hoping they could hear you.  

Steve was going to have you either way, but at least your visitors let you do it on your own terms.  You closed up the bag and stood up from the floor.

You glanced to the exit, seeing the keys to the truck sitting there.  Instead you smiled, and went to the bathroom, stripping off your clothes in the process.  You were home.  

[truecolorcollector]

Moving In || Solo

Timing: About a week ago Location: Rosalyn’s new apartment Summary: Rosalyn talks to an old friend and ponders what White Crest has in store for her. 

Nearly four straight hours of arranging boxes, jars, and bins, and Rosalyn had finally given herself a moment to lie down and rest. And that was, of course, the moment she got a phone call. She wouldn’t have picked it up if it was just some random number. She could do without hearing how her non-existent car issuance was running out for her non-existent car. And if it was a customer, well her store was technically closed for a few days while she got settled. But as she rolled over to check her phone she saw the name and knew she should probably pick up.

“You do know you can make these orders online, right? There is a place to leave notes if you have special comments.” She said as she got up and walked towards her work area. “Actually, I suppose the store is closed. Nevermind, talk away Taylor.”

She would have been a bit more professional if it was someone else, but old acquaintances and contacts didn’t need to be treated with retail customer kid gloves. And the spellcaster calling her right now was technically her oldest contact. Friend. Whatever you wanted to call them.

“Happy to hear from you too, Rosalyn,” Taylor said with a chuckle. “And maybe I wanted to say hi, hear your voice.”

Rosalyn gave them a neutral hum as she pulled out a pen and scrap paper.

“What are you looking for?”

“Werewolf dewclaw,” Their voice went back to their all-business tone, though Rosalyn doubted that would last long. The two of them always bickered, even if the actual friendship behind it felt mostly one-sided. Rosalyn didn’t mind playing along though.

“I’ll have to double-check.” She scribbled down the order, just for book keeping sake. She had an actual, professional binder and papers for this sort of thing but they were still among the clutter waiting to be found. “Everything’s still a mess from the move.”

Rosalyn scanned the shelves. One of them she had brought along during the move but the other was some shitty big box store thing she had bought and assembled yesterday. Already both of them were completely filled. Small boxes, envelopes, vials, jars, and other containers crammed up next to each other, each organized by species, some alphabetically for things that weren’t supernatural in nature. Or at least that was the intention. After a while of silence on Rosalyn’s end, Taylor started talking casually again. Small talk; the weather, their day, their recent magic escapades. Normally Rosalyn would be at least somewhat more engaged with this sort of stuff but she was distracted. Simple affirmatory noises and a few “yeahs” would do. And really, she didn’t have a need to listen that closely anymore. She learned early on that Taylor was a simple person, liked hearing their own voice, had sharp perception skills but a dull understanding of others. Their twinkling violet aura was easy to read. Once Rosalyn had mapped it out she lost a lot of her initial interest in the spellcaster outside of their business. Taylor, on the other hand, hadn’t.

“Found it.” She interrupted Taylor mid-thought. She had had to crouch onto the floor and dig through an unopened box meant for her jewelry supplies but she finally found it. A smaller box labeled “claws” holding even smaller boxes of various types. 

“Nice. Where’d you get a hold of that anyways?”

Rosalyn smiled on the other end of the line. “You expect me to give away business secrets as easily as that. Wouldn’t want you running off to some other seller.” A moment passed, and then: “Bill over in Bangor. You’d have to ask him how he got it.”

“Thanks, now I can cut out the middle-man,” Taylor teased. As if Rosalyn hadn’t just implied that a second ago. She rolled her eyes.

“You could try. I’m not worried though. Bill likes me more than he likes you.”

Taylor laughed as Rosalyn inspected the little box. She turned it toward the window and watched the sunlight glint off the sharp brown-black claw. Was a dewclaw the pinkie or the thumb? She couldn’t remember. She never harvested one herself. And she was never much of a dog person. Maybe she would google it later if she remembered. 

“Same address?” Rosalyn asked as she closed the box and stood up from the floor.

“Yeah, same address.” 

Rosalyn was about to say goodbye when Taylor spoke up again. 

“How are you settling into White Crest?”

“I need at least a day or two to breathe before I know for sure. I haven’t even fully unpacked. But so far it's good.”

“Surprised you wanted to move out to some nowhere town like that. Deciding to retire early?” There was the tiniest hint of resentment in their tone that only made Rosalyn roll her eyes again. But she kept the annoyance from her voice. 

“If I was thinking of doing that I wouldn’t be talking to you right now.” Her statement wasn’t completely a lie. Rosalyn placed the box on her desk and looked out the window. She could just make out the town common from her apartment. She had walked there the other day when she had grown sick of all the tedious moving chores. The auras she had seen just in passing... she imagined that it must be like how it feels to see a rainbow for the first time. 

“I don’t think it is as boring as you think it is,” She mused, straining her eyes to make out colors from the street below. She was much too far away for that of course, but she could imagine the fuzzy rainbow blur that might engulf it on a busy day. Maybe she’d take another walk instead of napping, get more of a feel for what a crowd was like here. An excited tingle ran up her spine, the prospect of it all making her feel like a kid in a candy store. Portland, by nature of being a city, meant there were always new people coming and going, new aura’s to see. But White Crest wasn’t some normal nowhere town. It was different. She could feel it as soon as she got here.

It would be worth the cost of moving, the cost of distancing herself from the connections she had made over the years. Anything that she lost by moving could be gained again tenfold, or at least she hoped. She’d be lying if she said it wasn’t at least partially motivated by a need for a change. Some new place to see, new people to meet. It wasn’t like she was shooting herself in the foot too much by moving. Her store wasn’t brick and mortar. Taylor was still keeping in contact despite the distance, if that was an indicator of anything in regards to her other customers and contacts. And even if it wasn’t, she was sure she could build new connections. After all, if anything she had heard about this town was true, she would have a lot more inventory to sell soon.

“I think this town might suit me just fine.” She continued with a smile. “It has a lot to offer.”

[yayeetsonny]

Leaving Home~Tobin Heath x Reader

Prompt: Tobin leaving to play at Arsenal 

Requested by: @dyingforacause​  

Welcome aboard the angst train! Please keep your arms, legs and all personal items inside the car at all times. Next stop Angst-Ville. Enjoy!

Tobin PRO//

I have a pretty big dilemma in my life right now and I’m not sure what to do. You see I currently live in the United States and play for the Portland Thorns in the NWSL and the United States Women’s National Team. It’s been great and I’ve passed some of the best milestones of my career playing here in the states. The problem is I was offered a deal to play with Arsenal’s Women’s team in the UK that I couldn’t refuse. It seems simple enough, right? Just move to the United Kingdom for the duration of your contract with them, play a season or maybe two overseas and then come home. I could remain on the National team and I could continue to attend camps (If I am called up) and tournaments or friendlies. Piece of cake. 

Except… It’s not. My girlfriend Y/N L/N lives here in the states and she is the most important person to me. Leaving her is not going to be easy and it could be the end of our relationship. The other thing is that I haven’t exactly told her that I’m leaving yet, and I leave in 2 days. 

Now I know what you’re thinking “You idiot! How could you not tell her you’re leaving yet? 2 days?!”

I know, I know but I was never able to find the right time to tell her. There isn’t one. I went for a walk to think and I was finally returning to our apartment in Portland. When I opened the door I saw Y/N asleep on the couch, smiling softly I quietly made my way over to her and picked her up. Carrying her to our room, she clung to me like a koala and it was pretty cute. I laid her down as gently as I could, covering her with a blanket I quietly made my way to the kitchen to make dinner. After I finished, I went to wake her so we could eat together and talk about our day. I also decided that I was finally going to tell her I was leaving. I really hope she forgives me.

“Y/N?” I said softly while shaking her awake.

“Wha- Toby?” She asked still half asleep.

“Yeah babe it’s me.”

“Back from your walk already?”

“I was gone for almost 2 hours, love.” I said chuckling

“I’ve been asleep that long?”

“Seems like it babe. Dinner’s ready, you ready to eat?”

“Mhm. Carry me, please?”

“Of course my love, anything for you.”

As I picked her up and carried her to the table I couldn’t help but think of all the little things about her I would miss.I’m going to miss her Y/H/C hair, I’ll miss her Y/E/C eyes, the way her nose twitches like a bunny when she’s going to sneeze, the way she tosses and turns in her sleep, only settling when she finds my hand and intertwines our fingers, her ever contagious laugh and most of all I’ll miss her beautiful smile. I know pictures, video chats and phone calls are a thing but none of them come close to the real thing.

“Here we are. We’re having your favorite. Y/F/D”

“Oh, baby. You’re so sweet. Thank you.” She said, caressing my cheek and giving me a gentle kiss.

“Anything for you.”

“Can we get ice cream for dessert?”

“Of course we can.” If you haven’t broken up with me by then. I thought

We ate comfortably, talking about anything and everything and laughing to our hearts content. We would share sweet kisses here and there and I found myself falling for her all over again. I suddenly didn’t want to go anywhere. Wherever she is, is where I belonged and I didn’t want to break her heart and mine by leaving but I knew I had to. She was just starting to pull me to the car to go get ice cream like I said but I stopped her in her tracks when I blurted everything out.

“I’m leaving!”

“What? What’re you talking about? Leaving where?”

“I’m-I’m leaving you. I’m not breaking up with you!” I said quickly as I saw her eyes fill with tears.

“Then what the hell do you mean by “Leaving me.” Tobin?”

She let go of my hand and shoved me away from her, she was already angry and I hadn’t even told her the whole situation.

“I was offered a deal to play for Arsenal and I took it.” I said quietly

“When do you leave?”

“Saturday.”

“Saturday?! Tobin, that’s 2 days from now!”

“I know, okay?!”

“How long have you known?”

“What?”

“I said, How. Long. Have. You. Known?” Her voice was dangerously low and I knew I had to tell her the truth. 

“Since the beginning of December.”

“December?! That was 3 months ago Tobin!”

“I’m aware of that thank you!”

“If you knew for that long, why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

“I was scared, Y/N! I was scared okay?”

“Scared of what?!”

“Of losing you!”

“Oh my god Tobin! So let me get this straight, you were scared that if you told me about Arsenal that I would break up with you?”

“Yes!”

“Then how is telling me 2 days before you get on a plane and fly a world away from me supposed to make it any better?!”

“I don’t know. Y/N, I’m sorry.”

She was crying now and knowing that I was the reason tore me apart.

“How could you do this to me?”

Her voice was quiet but full of emotion, she refused to look at me.

“Y/N… Please, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.” I said, reaching to take her hand but once again she pushed me away.

“Y/N…Please.”

I was trying but failing miserably to hold it together and I knew that if she told me to go I’d respect her wishes but I’d be leaving my heart behind.

“I love you. You are the love of my life but, I don’t think I can forgive you for this.” She said, her voice cracking and lip quivering.

“Y/N, no… please don’t do this.”

“I thought you would be honest with me Tobin. That was one of the promises we made to each other at the beginning of this relationship. You know how important honesty is to me.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I really am and I’ll keep saying that everyday until you forgive me.”

“No. I don’t want some stupid apology! An “I’m sorry.” Can’t fix this!”

“Can we please just talk this out? I’ll do anything. Anything, for you.”

“Stop! Don’t say that!”

“Don’t say what?!”

“That you’ll do “Anything.” For me.” 

“But I would. You know that!”

“I thought I did, obviously not.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Promising to do anything for someone you’re in a relationship with, means that sometimes you have to make sacrifices.”

“I’ve made plenty of sacrifices, what are you talking about?!”

I was shocked she was talking about “making sacrifices” if anyone had made any for this relationship, it was me.

“Really?! When was the last time you made one?”

“When I moved into this apartment with you! You know how important my parent’s house was to me but you made me sell it anyways to live with you!”

“Oh, please. Seriously Tobin? Who requested a transfer of teams, spent all of their savings to buy this apartment and moved all the way across the country so we could be together?!”

“I never asked you to do that, and you know it. That was a decision you made.”

“I wanted us to work!”

“We already were!”

“We never saw each other, and we fought constantly. I sacrificed everything I had, for you! For us!”

“Your career has flourished since you got here!”

“That’s irrelevant right now. Just don’t go, simple.”

“I have to. I already agreed that I would.”

“So call them and say you changed your mind.”

“It’s not that simple. This could better my career, don’t you want that for me?”

“Not if it means leaving me behind.”

“What? So everything is about you now?”

“I’ve made you more important than my career, why can’t you do the same for me?”

“I never asked you to!”

“You didn’t have to, you said it with you actions and how you treated me before I moved here.”

“At this moment, I have to put myself first. I have to take this chance. I can’t put you above my career, I’m sorry.” I said standing my ground.

“If you’re planning to marry me, which by the looks of the diamond ring I found, you are, you need to call them and tell them you’re staying here.”

“Wait, what?” 

I had hidden a ring in a place I thought she wasn’t going to find it way before I accepted the deal with Arsenal. She knows?

“Yeah Tobin, I found the ring.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying you’re sorry! What, were you planning on proposing to me and then leaving? Wow, what an engagement gift.”

“No! It’s not like that. I bought the ring before going overseas was even in the picture.”

“Either way, I don’t want anything to do with you Tobin. You broke my trust and my heart.”

“You don’t think my heart is just as broken having to do this?!”

“Not really! If it was, you wouldn’t go.”

“I have to! Why can’t you just let me?”

“I can, but if you do I won’t wait for you.”

“So you’re not even going to try to make this work?”

She turned on her heel and stormed into our room, taking the ring from its hiding spot. She came back and shoved it into my chest, that was enough for me to know that it was over.

“Get out.”

“I’m sor- I’ll go, but I need to come back for my stuff before I leave.” I said, grabbing my jacket and motorcycle helmet.

“I don’t care, just go.” She said.

She wouldn’t even look at me, having moved as far away from me as possible. I opened the door, and in what felt like painfully slow motion I turned to look at her one more time.

“I love you, Y/N L/N. You are the love of my life and always will be.”

I went through the door, closing it softly. Waiting for a moment, I listened, and through the door I heard her heartbreaking sobs, loud and full of anguish. I knew I had hurt her in an irrepairable way by doing this and for all the things I had said but it was too late to take it back. I rested my head on the door wishing, waiting for her to open it and forgive me but I knew it wasn’t going to happen.

“I’m so sorry Y/N.”

I left the apartment complex in a rush, my heart in pieces over the end of our 4 year relationship. I know I had messed up big time but I thought we would be able to work though it and handle the distance, but I guess I was wrong.

When I returned to the apartment 2 days later I was surprised to find my key still worked. When I went inside I noticed that all my stuff was in the living room in a several boxes. It was organized and there was a note sitting on top.

“Tobin,

I got all your stuff together for you so it’d be easier for you to take. I also ordered you a moving truck because I know you forgot. While I still love you and wish you the best at your new club, It was too hard for me to be in the apartment when you came to get your things. You won’t be seeing me again. I’m sorry things between us ended this way. I will always love you, but I hope you find someone new and that you are able to move on from this.”

-Y/N L/N

I crumpled up the note and threw it across the room. All my emotions from the last few days finally spilled out and I collapsed on the floor. I cried until I couldn’t breath, my head was spinning and I felt like I was dying. I laid there for what felt like hours (It was 10 minutes) before I finally gathered the strength to get up and start taking my stuff downstairs. True to her word, there was a moving truck waiting for me outside.

“Uhh… Tobin Heath?” The guy asked

“That’s me.”

After another hour or so I had everything in the truck and was ready to leave. I got on my bike and rode to my friends house and from there I would go to the airport where I would catch my plane to the United Kingdom. I was leaving my bike with a trusted friend of mine, Alex. Getting on that plane was one of the most painful things I had to do, aside from leaving Y/N behind. I knew I could move on like she said but it would take a long time before I was even close to that.

2 years later…

It’s been 2 years since I moved overseas to play for Arsenal and after initially being hesitant and struggling to get in the groove of things, I now found myself at home here. I had made friends quickly, and the team had no problem accepting me as a member of their squad. My best friend Jordan Noobs was my rock, my person. She helped me through my heartache when I first got here and has stuck by me ever since. We got along great and instantly connected, she was a crack up and constantly kept me on my toes. I still traveled to the states sometimes but only for national team duties, nothing else. My national teammates knew what happened with Y/N and some of them were mad at me for it but we’re working on our relationships and doing better. I did still think of Y/N from time to time but I had moved on from the unbearable heartache I had originally felt. I wasn’t dating anyone but I was happy where I was.

“Yo, Jordan! Pass it!” I shouted across the field, our chemistry on the field was unmatched and we almost always played together in games. We were in a scrimmage at training and as per usual we were making all of our passes to each other and helping each other score.

“Tobin! Head it!” She yelled back as she crossed the ball to me and I headed it passed the goalie, Manuela Zinsberger. 

“Nice, T! Way to nail em!” She said running over to me and crushing me in a hug. 

“Only thanks to you J!” 

After we wrapped up training Jordan, some of our other teammates and I all went out to eat. I was so engrossed in our conversation about which was better, Pepsi or Coke that I didn’t know my phone was ringing until Jordan pointed it out.

“Tobin?... You gonna get that?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Excuse me just a sec, I’ll be right back.”

I looked at the screen and my heart stopped seeing the name Y/n L/N flash across it for the first time in 2 years. I never found the strength in myself to delete her number. I almost let it go to voicemail, I was standing frozen to my spot by the bathrooms but I snapped out of it at the last second and answered it.

“Hello?... Y/N?”

“Hi Tobin, good to hear you voice again.”

“You’re calling because?…” It came out harsher then intended but I wasn’t open to feeling heartbroken all over again.

“I uhh, I’m in town and was wondering if you wanted to get coffee and chat?” She asked nervously.

“You want to see me?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Why?”

“I want to try to make amends for what happened between us.”

“I’m the one who left you.”

“Yes but I broke up with you, remember?”

“Okay, and?”

“Look, Tobin will you please just meet me somewhere... please?”

I was silent for a moment, mulling over my options. I was conflicted, I was happy here and I had finally gotten over losing her. But there was a part of me that wanted to see her, I had missed her and wanted to make amends too. So after another moment I finally agreed.

“Where?”

“The coffee shop down the road from the pub in mid-town. Be there at 8?”

“Okay, 8 o’clock. See you.”

“See you then.”

I returned to the table and did my best to conceal the shocked “Just seen a ghost” look I’m sure I was sporting. Jordan tried to ask me what was up but I just said I’d fill her in tomorrow and with that I grabbed my jacket and left to go meet Y/N.

To say I was nervous was an understatement but I wasn’t backing out now. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen when I saw her for the first time in 2 years, I could only hope I wouldn’t be left heartbroken again.

//

Wow. okay, I listened to some depressing ass songs in order to be able to write that. breaking my own heart in the process, whoops. I hope I did it justice. 

Sorry for any mistakes.

-N