#after loading the lot they were shown arriving in and exiting their car

[fruk-choosing-a-username]

"sims 4 cant have cars bc its not open world"

me:

[imaginesforyourfandom]

Heal My Heart - Chapter 3

December 2007 (Y/N) POV

“To the left (Y/N), to the left…oh my god! Do you not know what the fucking left is?” I rolled my eyes as Blake turned and glared at me. “We could’ve had that you know…”

“I am so sorry.” I muttered as she continued glaring at me.

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m not.” I grinned as the other girl shook her head. I sat the controller down standing up at the knock on the door. I opened to see a smiling Alex Morgan. I grinned back at the girl as I moved aside to let her into the room.

“Hey guys. I am getting ready to leave. My mom is here.” Blake and I both nodded as we gave the girl hugs.

“Merry Christmas Alex.” I said as she hugged me tightly.

“Merry Christmas (Y/N). If I don’t see you before you leave for camp, good luck and I believe in you.” I smiled at her as she turned to exit the room. “Bye! I love you!”

“Love you too.” Blake shouted back as she turned to set up a new game.

I went back and sat by her as we continued playing. After playing for another few hours, I realized it was almost time for me to go do my last shift at the coffee shop before I had to head home for the holidays.

“Are you excited to go home?” Blake asked me as I laid in my bed.

“Yeah. I miss my family and it will be nice to spend some time with my mom. What about you?”

“I’m excited. I missed my dad.” I nodded my head before getting up and getting ready for work.

Things have been a little better lately. I finished the semester strong with A’s and B’s and I’ve been a little bit better. I still haven’t really talked much with Christen after the whole Kelley thing. We both apologized and made up, but I still feel awkward about talking to her. I guess a part of me is still hurt by what happened. Blake has helped me a lot through it. I don’t think I realized how much I needed an actual friend to talk about stuff with until I started to open up to her.

We have a lot in common and it feels like we have known each other a lot longer than we have. I opened up to her about my dad and how he left. She told me about her mom who passed away when she was younger. She has shown me that I can’t let the whole Christen situation stop me from living my life.

“Do you love me?” I turned towards her as she lifted her head up.

“What do you want?”

“A doughnut.” I laughed slightly, grabbing my phone before turning to exit the room.

“Glazed?”

“Yes please…you’re the best.”

“I know.”

I made my way towards the shop as I contemplated what the next few months would look like. I thought that it would be nice and chill since soccer season is over, but with the call-up to the national team coming into play. Well, I wasn’t getting to fully relax like I wanted to. Everyone flipped out when they found out about my callup. The girls took me out drinking which was an experience. My mom cried on the phone with me when I told her.

Three of my friends got called up to the team alongside me so I felt really good knowing I wasn’t going into it alone. I don’t know what I would do without Tobin, Amy, and Lauren being at camp with me. I feel like my journey in my career so far has featured them heavily and I hope we get to have long careers on the senior team together like we did in the youth teams. Amy was lucky enough to have been called up before as was Lauren, but this would be Tobin’s first camp so I was mainly sticking with her.

I had yet to tell Christen that I got called up. It kind of goes along with the whole not talking to her thing. She was the first person I wanted to call when I found out, but with everything that has happened it just didn’t feel right.

“What’s got you thinking so hard?” I turned towards Tati who gave me an odd look.

“Just how busy the next couple of months are going to be.” I said as she nodded her head.

“Yeah, the call up to the national team is insane.”

“It is.”

“You deserve it though…you’re an incredible player and they are lucky to have you.”

“Thanks Tati.”

“Plus, you get to feel good knowing I am not going to fire you because of how much you won’t be around.”

“Lucky me.” I said sarcastically as she laughed. Our shift seemed to pass by slowly given that most people were gone for Christmas break. I was leaving the next day to go home and I was so looking forward to being back with my family.

The rest of the night continued with me making sure all my stuff was together for when my mom arrived to get me. Blake was planning on leaving the same night as me because ‘being in the dorm by yourself is weird’ and to be honest I can’t argue with that. The next day when my mom arrived, I took a little time to load up the car and introduce my mom and Blake. They seemed to hit it off as I noticed them laughing a lot. They didn’t even offer me any help because they were too busy talking to each other.

“I love your mom.” Blake said as I gave her a look. “You lucked out in that department”  

“Yeah, everyone tells me that.” I commented as she grinned at me. We stood for a moment before I gave her a somber look. “So, I’ll see you after break?”

“Yes. I’ll be back before you, but I won’t hold that against you.” I grinned pulling her in for a hug. She groaned slightly before reciprocating the hug.

“I’m gonna miss you.” I admitted as she squeezed me tighter.

“I’ll miss you too. You have my number if you need anything though.” I nodded my head before letting go of her.

“Merry Christmas Blake.”

“Merry Christmas (Y/N)” I gave her a wave before heading towards my mom’s car. We got in and began to drive. It was silent for a little bit until my mom spoke.

“So, Blake seems nice…” I looked at her giving her a confused look before realization dawned on me.

“EW! Gross. No. Hell No!” I said as she laughed. I gave her a disgusted look before responding again. “Blake is like my best friend. There are no feelings there.”

“You said the same thing about Christen.” She defended as I gave her an offended gaze.

“I love Christen. I am actually in love with Christen. I am not in love with Blake.” I said feeling offense at the thought of loving anyone other than Christen.

“How is Christen?”

“Um…I wouldn’t know actually…we haven’t really been talking. Not since the Kelley incident.”

“Didn’t that happen at thanksgiving?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you two made up?”

“We did, but it still isn’t the same. I don’t know. I mean…I am sure we will hangout when we are both on break.”

“I hope so. It would be sad if you two weren’t friends anymore.” I nodded my head along with her knowing that it seemed like torture to ever have to live without the other girl.

The drive felt like forever as we soon made it home hours later. I wasn’t so surprised to find my aunt and grandma at my house as I got big hugs from both of them. My grandma wanted to go out to dinner to celebrate both my coming home and my call up to the national team. I could never decline free food, so I happily accepted.

The next couple days after that were spent sleeping around the house. The laziness in me had really come out as I really only moved to go to the bathroom. Watching tv and texting the girls was how most of the days were spent. I had a little money saved up, so I planned on doing a little Christmas shopping for my family. Since my dad left, our Christmases haven’t really been the same. We used to have these big Christmas parties where all my family on both sides would come over, but after their divorce. It has only been my mom, grandma, and aunt.

I was broken out of my thoughts by a knock on the door. I glanced at the clock noticing that it was only 2:34 pm which meant that it was far too early for anyone to be knocking on my door. I stood walking over and opening it.

“Hey!” Christen beamed as I stared at her in shock for a moment.

“Hi” I said as her smile faltered at my non-enthusiastic response.

“I didn’t know when exactly you were going to be home from school so I thought I would chance it and see if you were here.”

“Yeah…I got back a few days ago.” I responded as she nodded her head. We stood there for a moment before I moved aside to allow her into the home. We went to the living room as I fell back onto the couch. She took a seat in one of the chairs next to the couch as we were both silent. I think we were both trying to figure out what to say.

“Are you happy to be home?” I turned to look at her as I nodded my head.

“Yeah, I missed my family so much. Also, sleeping in my bed just feels better when I am here versus being there at the dorms.” I turned to look back at the tv trying to focus on the show.

“Yeah same…why have you been avoiding me?” My head snapped towards her as she gave me a sad look. “I thought after our conversation at Thanksgiving that things would be better between us, but it still feels like you’re avoiding me.”

“I’m not-” she cut me off with a look as I stared at her. I looked down before continuing. “I don’t know. I thought I was over it, but I guess I am still a little hurt.”

“I don’t think I really expected you to forgive me so easily, but I am really sorry (Y/N).”

“I know.”

Things fell silent again as we both seemed to fall lost in thought. I know it isn’t fair to her to continue holding this against her. She doesn’t know that her dating Kelley and not telling me hurts more than anything else I have ever experienced. She doesn’t know that I wish it was me every single day and it’s not fair for me to continue hurting her because she chose to live her life.

“I’m sorry Christen. It’s not fair to continue being weird about this whole thing….can we just move on from it? I’ll be better I promise.” She moved from her seat to sit on the couch. I sat up and moved my legs, so she had room.

“I don’t want you to just forget about it because you think it’s going to make me feel better…” I stared at her as I sighed. “I lied to you and that wasn’t cool.”

“You didn’t lie.”

“Lying by Omission is still lying.” I stared at her as I shook my head.

“No, it’s fine. Seriously, I just want things to go back to the way they were before.” She nodded her head as I opened my arms for a hug. She didn’t hesitate to hug me as I enjoyed the feeling of her in my arms.

When we pulled away, she gave me a genuine smile. I smiled back as she leaned back on the arm of the couch and brought her feet up to tuck between me and the couch. I leaned back against the other arm as I let my feet hang on the side.

“You really stay invading my personal space…” I commented as she laughed. I grinned as I moved the pillow to settle on top of her feet. We both continued watching tv for a little bit before she decided it was time for us to catch up.

“I won’t even talk about Kelley.” She said as I shook my head.

“No, it’s not a proper catch-up if you don’t say everything.” I said as she nodded her head.

“Okay. Well, it has been great…” she then proceeded to go on for a little while about how great Kelley is and how much she likes her.

“So…like are you in love?” I asked as she seemed to think for a moment before shaking her head.

“I wouldn’t say I am there…or that I could ever get there with her…” she responded as I nodded my head. “It’s fun. That’s what it is supposed to be is fun. I don’t really think either of us are looking for something super serious. I think we are just enjoying each other’s company for now.”

“That’s…awesome.” I said as she smiled.

“What about you?” I was responding to a text from Alex as I looked up at her.

“What about me?”

“Has anyone caught your eye?”

“No. I have too much going on to date anyone right now.” Unless, it’s you.

“What do you have going on?” she asked as I stared at her with confusion before remembering she doesn’t know about the call-up.

“Shit! That’s right. I did not tell you. I got a call up to the senior national team.” Her eyes widened as she surged forward to hug me. I grinned and laughed at her reaction before having an internal meltdown at the fact that she was basically in my lap.

“How could you not tell me?” she had her hands on my shoulders as she hovered above me beaming with excitement.

“Well…” I was at a loss for words partly because she knows why we weren’t talking and partly because she is extremely close to me. She seemed to catch my awkwardness a little because she backed off and fell back onto her side of the couch. I let out a little sigh of relief as she smiled at me.

“Right. Well, I am so proud of you. I knew a call-up was coming for you. When is the camp?”

“January.” I responded as she nodded her head.

“I can’t wait to cheer you on. I knew you would make it. I never doubted you.”

“That means a lot.” I said as she grinned at me.

The rest of the day was spent hanging out together. Things were slowly going back to normal and I was grateful for that. I didn’t like being in an awkward position with her. It didn’t feel good. The following weeks were spent doing my Christmas shopping and hanging out with Christen. I figured out a new form of torture was listening to her talk about Kelley. I was torn between being a good friend and wanting to rip my hair out. I usually would text like Blake or Alex during those conversations. They were a good distraction from the pain.

Christmas had come and gone before we were bringing in the new year. Christen had been invited to a party with Kelley and so our usual plans for a movie marathon during the new year was axed out and that was fine. It was a major bummer to not spend it with her, but I respected that she had other plans. Luckily for me, I had also managed to get invited to go out for the night.

Alex came through with the invite to a New Years Party. I was hesitant to accept at first because I definitely wouldn’t know anyone, but she seemed excited and I found it difficult to say no to her when she gets excited like that. That would be where I currently am at the moment.

“I appreciate you going with me.” Alex said from the passenger seat as I looked over at her.

“Yeah no problem…I didn’t really have anything else going on.”

“Still….you didn’t have to.” She said as I smiled at her.

“Seriously…it’s no big deal.”

Once we arrived, Alex immediately started introducing me to all of her friends from high school. They all seemed cool enough and accepted me for the night. I stayed pretty close to Alex since she was the only one, I really knew. The house we were at was pretty nice. As the night continued on, I got separated from Alex and decided to go find some air. I found a place of solitude on a balcony overlooking the backyard and the view had a pretty good view of a festival that wasn’t too far away.

“Hey…” I turned to see the forward coming out onto the balcony. She had two drinks in her hand as she handed me one.

“Hey yourself.” I said as she gave me a smile.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” she questioned as I looked to the sky. It was a nice night and I was thankful that I hadn’t stayed in.

“Just needed some air. Big parties aren’t usually my thing.” I admitted as she laughed.

“You and Blake are so alike.” She grinned as I shook my head.

“Sorry we would rather enjoy a night in.” Her smile widened at my confession. “I’m actually glad I came tonight. I feel like I’ve been in a slump and it was nice to get out.”

“Well, then I am glad I could help you out of your slump.”

“Yeah…thanks!” she gave me a smile before turning back towards the party. “Seriously, I usually spend new year’s watching movies with a friend, and I guess I never really knew what I was missing…”

“It’s not about what you’re necessarily missing…you should spend your time doing what you want. You said it yourself. Parties aren’t really your thing and that’s okay.”

“Still…I had only one person in high school that I really was okay being friends with and so most of my time was spent with her. All my traditions spent with her and I never really experienced the whole going out thing all the time.”

“Well, I don’t go out all the time. I like to for certain occasions. This is definitely one of them.”

“I wish I was as much of a risk taker as you are.”

“I don’t. I like your laid-back personality. You’re the chill I need in my life.” She joked as I grinned. “Plus, you work hard for what you want and with the call up to the senior team…I have a feeling it’s all about to pay off for you.”

“Maybe. I still have a lot of respect for you Alex Morgan.” I smiled at her as she stared at me shaking her head.

“Keep playing and I might just make you my new years kiss.” I laughed at her as a thought came to mind.

 “I don’t really think I would mind if you were my new year’s kiss, but um…speaking of kissing…have you talked to Tati at all?”

“Ha-ha very funny. Actually, we have been talking a lot more lately and I have been really enjoying it. I’m not going to lie. I think I might be in love with her.”

“Oh, you used the L word…it must be super serious.”

“Don’t make fun of me you dick…” I grinned, shaking my head as she continued whining.

“I’m not. I am genuinely happy for you! I think it’s great that you’re in love. You should go for it!” I said as she gave me a nervous smile.

“You think so?”

“Yeah for sure…” I offered her a supportive smile

“I just don’t know if she feels the same…”

“Alex���she would be crazy not to. You’re an amazing person. Anyone would be lucky to have you by their side.”

“You really mean that?”

“Of course, I do! You are genuinely one of the most amazing people I have had the privilege of knowing.”

“It’s amazing that you don’t have a girlfriend with how sweet you are.” She commented as I shrugged my shoulders.

“I guess we will never know.” I took a sip of my drink as she laughed. We spent a little while longer listening to the music of the party and talking before we could hear the countdown begin. Usually, Christen and I would be together for the countdown and we would try to time a dramatic moment in a movie to match the new year, but obviously that wasn’t going to be happening this year.

“Can I just say…I am really glad I get to spend the New Year with you.” I said as she grinned at me.

“Me too.” We heard the countdown reach one before the fireworks went off. We watched them and continued sharing stories with each other before she offered me a toast.

“To hopefully a kickass year.”

“To a kickass year.” I said as she grinned at me. We headed back down to the party to rejoin everyone else and continue having a good time.

We stayed for a little while longer before leaving. I didn’t really drink because I wanted to make sure she got home safely. Her family was nice enough to let me stay the night with them due to how dangerous the roads could be at this time. The days following New Years were wild due to having to get ready for my first senior camp. I was extremely nervous as I was constantly texting Cheney, Amy, and Tobin about what I should be packing.

Before I knew it, it was time to leave for camp. The camp was being held only twenty minutes from my house so that was a relief that I wasn’t having to travel too far. Amy was going to be the first out of my friends to get there since she also lived in California. Tobin was coming from Jersey and Cheney from Indianapolis so it would take them some time.

Hours later saw me sitting in my room with the girls as we caught up with each other about our holidays. We had about half an hour before we had to report for the team meeting, so I was taking the time to try to stay as relaxed as possible.

“How were your holidays?” I focused back in as the three stared at me expectantly.

“Boring. I didn’t really do much.” I admitted as they all gave me a look.

“Well, that’s a bummer.” Tobin said as I nodded my head.

“You didn’t do anything fun?” I shook my head as Cheney rolled her eyes.

“I’m going to call your mom and ask her.” Amy said as I gave her a confused look

“You have my mom’s number?”

“No. I would just call off your phone…”

“oh.”

“Idiot.” Tobin joked as we decided to get up and head down to the meeting.

When we walked into the room, it seemed somewhat tense which caused me to look around in confusion. There was something off, but I couldn’t quite place it. I didn’t notice that the other three had left me standing by myself before I noticed I was alone. I jumped slightly when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I tried not to internally scream as I came face to face with Christie Rampone. She gave me a smile as Kate Markgraf came up from behind her.

“You must be one of the rookies!” Kate said as I nodded my head.

Yeah. I’m (Y/N) Torres!” I held out my hand as they both smiled. They shook my hand as Christie seemed to think for a moment.

“Left back right?” I nodded my head as she grinned. “Great!”

“I love when defenders get added to the team.” Kate said as I laughed.

“Come on. You can have a seat with us.” I followed them taking a seat next to them and Heather Mitts. I was surrounded by some incredible defenders and I was having a hard time not losing my shit. Behind me sat my other three friends who had been joined by Ali Krieger and Heather O’Reilly. Tobin gave me a wide-eyed look as I nodded my head. We were both a little starstruck.

Once I sat down though, I noticed why the room had seemed so tense. It was obvious that not many people were making an effort to sit with Hope Solo. I would be an idiot to not know about the drama that had gone on at the last world cup. There were many conflicting stories about what happened afterwards, but the message that not everyone was pleased with the goalkeeper was loud and clear at this moment.

I stared at her for a moment noticing Carli sitting next to her before turning my head towards Pia who had just entered the room. The team meeting seemed to go by quickly as we talked about camp expectations and what she wanted to see from the team. She seemed to emphasize that she didn’t care about team drama and that she was focused on putting out the best team to get the best results which was something I respected.

After the meeting, we had about half an hour to get our stuff together before we would go for our first training session. Tobin and I had already agreed to be bus buddies because we didn’t know anyone else. Though, we were given advice from HAO to wait until everyone else got on the bus to figure out which seats weren’t taken. HAO also said that we needed to not be afraid during the practice session because no one else was going to go easy on us.

The training session seemed to come and go, and I felt good about my performance. Kate and Christie both seemed impressed with me. So did Pia which was a great feeling. My highlight of the session came when I was able to lock down Abby Wambach which was the most surreal feeling in the world. She is one of the best forwards in the world and I successfully managed to stop her attack.  

The rest of the day was pretty chill and ended with us hanging out with some of the vets. We had got dinner with them and they seemed to like me which was a major plus. I know that off-field chemistry is just as important as on-field chemistry, so I needed to make a good impression with them.

“With your skills, I am seriously surprised that Berkeley didn’t make it farther in the season…” Abby said as I shrugged my shoulders.

“I can only do so much in the defense. Our forwards are incredible though. It just happened to be an unlucky season.” I said shrugging my shoulders as they all nodded their heads.

“Still you have a lot of great skills and the potential to grow is there.” Christie said as I grinned at her.

“Thank you! That means a lot.”

I headed back to my room with Tobin and them as I tried not to freak out from the excitement of the day.

“The vets really seem to like you.” Amy said, giving me a slightly impressed look.

“Probably because she almost killed Abby during practice.” Tobin said with an amused look as I shrugged

“I was doing my job.” I laid down on my bed as I looked over at them.

“Exactly why they like you.” Lauren said as I nodded my head. They both then said goodnight leaving me and Tobin there. We didn’t stay up much longer as we knew the next few days would be hectic, and sleep would be a necessity.

The next morning, we got down to breakfast as we made our plates, we looked around for a place to sit. I noticed some empty seats next to Hope and Carli as I moved to make my way over towards them. We were intercepted by Kate though who brought us towards a table with her and some of the others.

“That would have been a mistake.” She said to me as I stared at her.

“Sitting with Hope?” Tobin asked as I noticed some of the other girls get uncomfortable looks on their faces.

“Yeah. We typically try not to sit with people who throw their teammates under the bus.” She responded as I stared at her.

“Okay I get that.” Tobin responded as I nodded my head. I looked over where she was sitting noticing that truly everyone minus Carli was avoiding that table like the plague.

I couldn’t help but feel bad for the goalkeeper. It probably didn’t feel good to have everyone being rude to you and not talking to you in these kinds of moments. The next couple days I felt my interest in Hope continue rising as I felt the need to get to know the goalkeeper.

“Hey, we got invited to go to dinner with some of the other girls. You up for it?” Tobin asked as I thought about it before shaking my head.

“I’m not really feeling it.” I lied as she nodded her head. “You guys go without me. I think I am just going to chill here.”

“Okay text us and maybe we can bring you something back.”

“Okay.” I said as she turned to leave with Lauren and Amy. I waited a few minutes before exiting the room and walking towards the goalkeeper’s room. I knocked on the door and waited until it was pulled open.

“Hey” I said as Hope stood there giving me an odd look.

“Hi”

“I was just wondering if you wanted to hangout.” I said cautiously as she raised an eyebrow at me.

“What are you doing here kid?”

“I want to…hangout?”

“Why?” she gave me a skeptical look as I tried to come up with something that didn’t make me sound stupid.

“I don’t really know to be honest. I just…wanted to get to know you. I like to be friends with my teammates.”

“I am almost positive you’ve been given the warning on being friends with me.”

“I have and I don’t really care.” She gave me a surprised look as I continued. “I am not going to let them decide who I can and can’t be friends with and I want to be your friend. I have a lot of respect for you.”

“Come on in.”

I followed her into the room where she and Carli were hanging out. The following hours were actually a ton of fun as she seemed to open up with me just a little bit. It was mainly stories about the stupidest things we have done during a game.

“I swear…I didn’t see her coming.” I laughed as Hope and Carli gave me amused smiles.

“Did she at least score the penalty?” Hope asked as I shook my head. They both laughed at the answer.

“No, she didn’t…I felt really bad because I tripped her, and she didn’t score, and I was definitely responsible for the horrible game she was having.” This only seemed to cause them to laugh harder as I tried to keep my own composure.

“Jesus, I haven’t laughed like that in a while. I can definitely see why the other vets like you.” Carli said as I nodded my head.

“You’re their new favorite.” Hope gave me a look as I shrugged. “They like your style. You play without fear and you seem to be a natural leader.”

“I just play my game…” I said honestly causing me to earn smiles from both girls. I soon departed and headed back to my room feeling like I had made a successful connection with both players. When I entered my room, I found Tobin and them who all looked a little worried.

“Thank god! Where were you?” Amy asked as I stared at them with a confused look.

“Chill out. I went to go hangout with Hope.”

“Wait…what?” Tobin asked as I looked at them.

“What?”

“Didn’t Kate say to stay away from her?” Tobin gave me a look as I sighed. “I mean…I know you like to beat by your own drum, but she is the captain of the team.”

“Tobin’s right. You just got here. Now is not the time to be making waves.” Amy said as I stared at them.

“No one deserves to be shunned or abandoned.” I said as Lauren gave me a sympathetic look. She was the only one of the three who knew about my dad and how he had walked away from me.

“Let’s just let it go.” She said, grabbing Amy’s arm. “We can talk more tomorrow.”

“You’re crazy.” Tobin said as I rolled my eyes.

“What else is new?”

The next day we went down for breakfast as I quickly made my plate. Tobin had beelined it for the table we had been sitting at with the vets as I eyed the table with Hope and Carli. I moved towards the table with the vets before making my way towards Carli and Hope. They both seemed a little surprised by my presences but smiled when I sat down. A glance at the other tables told me my decision had shocked everyone. I didn’t know if my eyes were deceiving me but there seemed to be a few looks of respect from certain players as I continued my conversation with Hope.

I didn’t miss how unenthusiastic Kate was about me after that. Though, she was the only one who really seemed to treat me differently. Or at least to my face she was the only one to treat me differently.

“I think you’re making a mistake.” Amy said as I looked at her.

“What are you talking about?”

“Look, I don’t doubt Hope is an amazing person, but you just got on this team. Do you really think putting your reputation on the line like this is worth it?”

“I love your concern for me, but it’s my own choice. Hope is a great person and you guys would know that if you got to know her a little better. I’m not saying we are best friends, but she is a good teammate and a good friend.”

I went back to doing my homework as Amy continued nagging me about putting distance between Hope and I. Lauren and Tobin eventually got her to back off a little as I finished up my assignments.

By the end of the camp, I had managed to start in two of the three games during the Four Nations Tournament. I was a sub for the third game, but I was proud of getting some playing time. My debut came against Canada, which was a rough and physical game, but Christie had praised me afterwards for holding my own against them.

I hated to admit that I was somewhat relieved to be going home after the tournament because I didn’t want to deal with the drama that came with simply being friends with someone. The ride home was long since we were coming back from a foreign country. I only had like two days to get all my stuff and get back to the dorms, but that didn’t stop my family from taking me to dinner to celebrate my first caps.

“I’m going to miss you.” My mom said as we pulled into the parking lot next to my dorm.

“I’ll miss you too.” I said as she gave me a sad look.

“My baby is all grown up.”

“Mom” I complained as she laughed. We said our goodbyes before I grabbed my bags and headed up to my room.

It took me a little longer because I did have so much stuff, but the room was empty when I got back. I know Blake was in her classes and wouldn’t be back for another hour, so I had time to settle all my stuff. I laid down enjoying the quiet for a few minutes before deciding to take a shower and get comfortable. By the time I was finishing up my hair, I heard the door be opened.

“Well look what we have here…” I said as Blake turned and gave me a wide-eyed look. She then practically tackled me into a hug as I reciprocated.

“I thought you weren’t going to be back until tomorrow?” she asked as I gave her a confused look.

“No, I am back today!” I said with a giant grin as she hugged me tighter.

“Dude you have no idea how much I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

We decided to go for some food for dinner which was fun before we stopped by the coffee shop to get some pastries.

“Holy shit.” Katie said coming over and giving me a hug. “You’re back”

“I’m back” I said as she smiled at me.

“(Y/N)!” I turned just in time to catch Alex who had quite literally tackled me into a hug. I grinned holding the forward close as she held on tight to me. “I missed you”

“I missed you too”

“oh my god! You have three caps with the national team!” she said, giving me an excited look.

“Oh my god! I know!” I grinned as she laughed.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite employee.” I turned and smiled at Tati who reached behind her and then handed me a piece of paper with my schedule on it. “Welcome back”

“Thanks.” I said with a slight grimace as I stared at my schedule.

“I’ll change it when you get called up again.”

“Okay.” I said as I continued talking and filling everyone in on what camp was like.

The next few days were spent getting back into my routing of school. I had spent a few hours each day talking to Christen which was nice. She was so excited to hear about my time on the national team and I tried to give her as much detail as possible without spilling all the drama out to her. She in turn told me about how Kelley and she were officially just a friends with benefits deal because there weren’t really any feelings involved anymore. I wasn’t thrilled but it was better than them being in a relationship. Things were finally going back to normal which I couldn’t be more grateful for.

“Are you even listening to me?” I turned towards Tati as I shook my head.

“Honestly, No. I am so tired.” I said as she rolled her eyes at me.

“Aren’t we all?” I nodded my head a little earning a smile from her.

“Well, now that I kind of have your attention I want to tell you about this date I went on recently…”

“Date?” I gave her a look as she gave me a confused expression. “Who did you go on a date with?”

“That guy from my sociology class? You don’t remember? I told you about him a while ago.”

“No, I…I just thought there was something with you and Alex…” I said as she gave me a look.

“Look, I know she’s your friend…and she is super cool. I love Alex to death, and I know she has a huge crush on me. She isn’t really trying to hide it, but it’s probably never going to happen. She’s sweet and all, but not what I am looking for right now.”

“Tati…if you know then why haven’t you said that to her? Like, you say you know she likes you then why not tell her that? Cause like…now it just looks like your stringing her along…”

“I’m not. I just don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

“It’s going to happen regardless though and the longer you wait the worse it will hurt.” I said as she frowned at me.

“You’re right and I will tell her eventually.” She said as a customer came to the counter earning Tati’s full attention. I stood there for a moment having an internal debate with whether I should talk to Alex or not.

On one hand, it’s not my business. On the other hand, Alex is one of my closest friends and I would feel terrible about her getting hurt. That seemed to be the debate going on in my head for a while as the weeks continued. Tati swore up and down that she was going to talk to Alex, so I tried not to think too much about it.

I tried to focus on other things like the national team. I hadn’t been called into the February training camp due to my school schedule but had been told that I would be going to the Algarve cup in March. I was ecstatic because it was another major opportunity to prove myself and to prove that I belonged on the international stage.

I had left school about four days before the tournament would start. The tournament felt like a breeze and I was trying not to get cocky but from what I was hearing I was definitely making a good case for myself for the Olympics. Hope had told me that if I got invited to the Olympic Qualifying tournament and got playing time during it that I had a good chance of making the Olympic roster which is what I had started to work for since my call up in January.

Returning to school after winning the Algarve Cup was a dream, Alex had begged me for all the details which I had given up willingly because I knew how badly she wanted to be called up. I had learned pretty quickly that Tati still hadn’t told her about her feelings which made me feel bad again.

“This party isn’t just any party. It’s the party before spring break which means none of us have anything to lose.” Katie argued as I stared at her with an incredulous look.

“You hear yourself, right?” Blake asked as I laughed.

“Come on! We all need to go! What better way to celebrate life then to go get drunk!”

“I don’t see that logic.” I admitted as she frowned at me.

“Alex help me…”

“It’s going to be fun.” Alex said as I laughed.

“That’s very convincing.” She grinned at me as I sighed. “Okay. I’ll go.”

“No!” Blake said as Katie jumped up.

“Yes! Come on Blake…”

“No.”

“Come on.” I said as she turned towards me. “It could be fun.”

She stared at me for a moment before rolling her eyes.

“Fine.” I smiled as Katie and Alex high fived each other. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” she rolled her eyes as I smiled at Alex and Katie. This should be an interesting night.

Alex POV SWITCH

I watched (Y/N) and Blake bicker over whether it was a good idea to come to the party as we walked our way towards the destination. I laughed when Blake reached out to smack (Y/N) only to be blocked by Katie.

“You’re complaining about nothing!” (Y/N) said laughing at Blake. “This could be the best night of your life and you’re over here complaining.”

“I hate going out. You know this.”

“It’s not bad to come out of your shell every once in a while.”

They continued bickering as Katie eventually gave up and kept pace with me letting them walk ahead of us.

“So, how are you feeling about tonight?” I turned towards Katie who gave me a supportive smile.

“I am incredibly nervous.” I admitted as my roommate gave me a sympathetic look.

“Look, you just have to march in there and give her the most seductive look you can and tell her that you belong together, but you know in a more put together way.”

“That’s really helpful.” I said as she gave me a bright smile.

“It’s going to work out and who knows…if it doesn’t there are a ton of other people here to hook up with.”

“That does not make me feel better.” I said as she shrugged her shoulders.

We arrived at the party which was in full swing. Katie didn’t hesitate to walk in as (Y/N) stood watching with an amused smile as Blake groaned entering the building. I laughed following them in and looked around at the mostly drunken crowd. We got drinks and danced. I played a couple rounds of beer pong with Katie as my partner before I decided I had enough. I went back into the house and noticed that quite a bit of time had passed. I noticed Blake actually seemed to be having a good time which was great. I was hoping she would have a good time. I spotted (Y/N) talking with some people as I made my way over towards her.

“Hey stranger.”

“Hey yourself.” She smiled as I grinned at her.

“Are you having fun?”

“I am actually…I haven’t had fun like this in a hot second.”

“I’m glad. I was worried.”

“You don’t need to worry about me Alex.” She said as I shook my head.

“I care about you. Obviously, I will worry.”

She laughed as she looked down at her phone that was in her hand. I glanced around noticing Tati talking with some people as I decided that this was the moment.

“Hey, I got to take this.” She said as I nodded my head turning to exit the room.

 I took a big drink of the cup in my hand before walking over to where Tati was. She smiled upon seeing me as I tried to get closer to her.

“Hey!” I yelled over the music as she gave me a grin.

“Hey!” she yelled back. I spent a few minutes dancing with her before deciding that I needed to just do it.

“Can I talk to you?” she nodded her head as we went to where it was a little quieter.

“What’s up?” she asked as I stared at her.

“Okay so…I need to tell you something.” I said as she gave me a cautious look.

“Alex wait…”

“No, I just need to get this out…” I said as she gave me a look I couldn’t read. “Since I met you, I have thought you’re incredible. You make me laugh and smile. My heart beats really fast when I am around you and I think about you all the time. I don’t want to ruin our friendship, but I feel like I might die if I don’t tell you that I am completely in love with you Tati.”

She gave me a sad look as I felt my stomach drop a little. I didn’t like that look. She looked around a little before letting out a little sigh. There seemed to be something close to sympathy in her eyes as she looked down and then back up.

“Alex…I think you’re an incredible person.” I felt my eyes begin to water as I recognized the beginning words of a rejection. I looked away from her as she reached for my hand. “I just don’t think…”

“No, it’s okay. I am so stupid for even mentioning this to you. I shouldn’t have done that. Don’t worry. It’s stupid and I…I’m just going to go.” I turned to leave the house as I felt Tati reach for my arm which I angrily yanked away.

(Y/N) POV SWITCH

“Yeah, I will have to catch you up when I see you next.” I said, smiling as Christens laugh came through the phone.

“Yeah, I should be going though for real…Kelley is waiting.”

“Well, we don’t want that…” I said somewhat sarcastically. “Goodbye Christen.”

“Bye.” I put my phone in my pocket as I sighed. Christen and Kelley deciding to try a relationship again has most definitely ruined my night. I turned to head back into the house when the door flew open and out came a sobbing Alex.

“Alex please wait…!” Tati yelled running after her as I immediately stepped into Alex’s path catching her. She went to push me away but stopped when she saw it was me.

“Hey” I said softly as she angrily tried to wipe her tears. “What happened?”

“Alex please…” Tati begged as I took a second to read the situation. I sighed pulling Alex in for a hug as I sent a glare towards Tati. She frowned as Alex held onto me tightly.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“It doesn’t matter.” I said as Alex buried her head into my shoulder. “It’s done. I’ll get her home.”

I moved to start walking Alex towards our rooms as I continued to let her cry. She seemed to calm down the further we got from the party. She was just silent by the time we reached her room. She opened the door as I stared at her. She walked over towards her bed and sat down leaning against the wall. I moved to sit next to her as we sat quietly.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked as she sniffled a little.

“I am such an idiot.” She said as I looked at her.

“No, you’re not.” I said as she nodded her head.

“Yes, I am…I should have seen that she didn’t feel the same way.”

“Anyone can make that mistake Alex…” I said as she looked at me.

“I should have seen it.”

“It doesn’t make you stupid. It just means you have a big heart…and that you are a risk taker. You put yourself out there and it didn’t work out. You know sometimes it just doesn’t work out.”

“I wanted it to work so badly.”

“I know.” I said taking her hand in mine. “For what’s it's worth, I am so proud of you.” We sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

“Have you ever been in love?” I held my breath for a moment as I thought of a reply.

“I have…” I said as she looked at me.

“What happened?”

“I couldn’t find the courage to tell her that I loved her and now she is with someone else who is making her happy.”

“I’m sorry.” Alex mumbled as I shook my head.

“Don’t be. I would rather she be happy with someone else than not be happy at all. All I care about is the smile on her face. As long as it’s there…well I’m happy.”

“Even if you can never be with her…” I looked down at that as I thought about it…

“Even if I can never be with her…” I said, turning to look at Alex who was already focused on me.

“I wish getting your heart broke didn’t suck so bad.”

“I know.” I said bringing my hand up to away a tear that was falling from her eye. “My mom always used to tell me that getting your heart broken was necessary sometimes…because it means that when you do find the person you're supposed to be with…you appreciate them that much more. I promise you Alex…you will get through this. You have a heart of gold and you are so freaking beautiful. It is truly insane. Anyone would be lucky to get to be with you and when you find the person you are meant to be with you won’t remember how much it hurt to get your heart broken.”

She stared at me for a moment before surging forward and attaching her lips to mine. Her hands came up to my face as I was too shocked to move. She pulled back breathing heavily as I stared at her for a moment. It was as if time stood still before I moved forward catching her lips into another kiss.

I pushed her back slightly as she laid down pulling me on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist holding me in place as I placed kisses down her jaw and to her neck. Her hands were gripping the back of my shirt as she pulled at it. I sat up and pulled my shirt off as she quickly discarded hers as well. I hovered above her as her lips stayed inches from mine.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes.”

To Be Continued…

[zippiestdraws]

Choking Curiosity  chapter 1

I’m writing a self indulgent Michael Myers x (ftm) reader and thats all I have to say 

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

You made it.

Haddonfield, Illinois was probably the last place you expected to end up, but your savings stretched just enough here to buy the cheapest house you could find. It had been sitting vacant for multiple years with a grisly murder scaring away buyers, but its fixer-upper exterior didn’t help it either. You weren’t afraid of ghosts anyway.

The Strode Realty sign out front was plastered with a red and white SOLD sticker. The lady you signed the papers with, Laurie you think her name was, promised she would stop by to remove it. She wrote her number on a card and told you to call if anything strange happens, something was off about her demeanor but you were preoccupied with the check you were handing over. She also pressed the fact multiple times that the locks haven’t been changed since the listing, but you didn’t tell her you were in no position to change them considering your funds ran dry buying bread and peanut butter yesterday.

Read on AO3

The dinky car sputtered its final breath at the curb when you removed the key, it got you this far on fumes. Items tumble free when you pop the trunk open, bursting with all your material possessions stuffed inside. You manage to jostle the door open with your key in the lock, stepping across the threshold and breathing in the stale air of your new shelter. The glass in the door was broken, but that would be a problem for later, you can tape it up for tonight. It was dark inside, you hadn’t paid for utilities to be turned on yet. Opening the windows satisfied you for now. You’ll make a list of everything needing repair later, right now was the time for carting your moving boxes inside and unpacking.

With an entire house to fill, you become faced with the fact that the boxes from your room weren’t much. All you can do is cross your fingers and hope that what you have can last you until you start working at the grocery store for the time being. You’re surprised you hadn’t been kicked out earlier when you didn’t have as much to your name. After the last box you sit on the porch, your porch you muse, the last sunlight of the day is melting slowly out of the sky and sweat slides in areas you try not to think about. The money you had saved so carefully was supposed to lift the weight from your chest but you guess you can settle for that in a metaphorical sense instead.

The crunching of grass draws your attention to someone approaching from the yard adjacent to yours. An old man in sunhat and stained gardening clothes stares at you and then points to the sold sign. You push off your knees to stand when he doesn’t move closer and go to introduce yourself as his new neighbor you assume.

“Do you know what happened in this house?” his voice was pitched in a gravelly accent that you weren’t familiar with and the question caught you off guard. He hadn’t offered a name when you greeted him, only a mischievous smile that put a glint in his eye that defied his age.

You know there was a murder, that’s what made the house so cheap, but you figured you could find the rest of the story in a trip to the library so you shake your head hoping he’ll recount it.

“I can’t remember how many years ago, I’m too old. There was a little boy who lived in this house, my granddaughter was the same age, but he would never talk to us. Anyway, it was on Halloween, Sherrie and I were going to sleep and his mother starts screaming, she tells me “go outside, Abtin” and there’s all these police people in the front yard. The little boy, Michael, had killed his older sister!”

Your surprise must have shown on your face because he starts cackling and slaps you on your shoulder, the tension drops but he suddenly sobers up before you can ask if it was a joke.

“He got out two years ago, so you better be careful.”

Your eyebrow scrunch. “He was released?” You guess people can change.

“He escaped. Hurt some people, but he was never found”

Or not.

A beat draws out.

“So how old is your granddaughter?”

This changes the mood and the topic to your relief. He waves you over to his front door and starts shambling back as he talks.

“She just turned twenty-one this year. Come, come, Sherrie made extra dinner tonight.”

*** A home cooked meal like you haven’t had in years warmed you from the inside as they sent you home with a small plate of leftovers. Tonight you were happy, and that was more than you dared to hoped for.

The empty house around you was unfamiliar, but the silence made you feel safe. There were plenty of thoughts that tried to sneak into your head as you made yourself comfortable in your sleeping bag on a bare mattress -what if the murder happened in the bedroom you chose- but you ushered them away as you focused on the sounds of your new place. The crickets were pleasant, every so often the wind would make the shutters creak. You were exhausted in every sense and drifted off to the soft breathing of the house.

*** Shadowed eyes watched from behind the backyard fence, unwavering in his stake out since a noisy realtor invaded with another man at his heels. He was nearly caught unawares, silently exiting out the back door to wait for them to leave. His irritation rose as it became evident that Laurie hadn’t returned. She hasn’t stepped foot in the house, and every attempt to stalk her has become difficult.

Michael isn’t stupid. He weighs his options, knowing that killing the two of them now would bring more attention to the house than he needed -they wouldn’t be as easily disposed of as the occasional trespassing teenager. No matter, they wouldn’t find anything other than normal remnants of a squatter.

Nobody wanted this house, he was sure. The back door of the porch screeched and he could hear prices being thrown out as the two people stepped into the sunlight. Michael silently memorizes the realtor’s face.

“Look kid, I feel for you- I really do- but I can’t go lower than fifteen thousand”

The person who isn’t the realtor stiffens and crosses his arms. His voice was steady and mature as it came out, but Michael could read his fear.

“This house has been sitting vacant for almost twenty years and is in pretty bad condition. It’s going to need a lot of repairs and the housing market is crashing. I’m the only interested party and I can afford thirteen.”

The squabbling lost his interest until the man in the suit frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose and Michael could hardly hear the way he muttered under his breath.

“This shitty house was a gamble anyway. Fine, you have yourself a deal.” his face was sour as they shook on it.

Following their retreating footsteps, Michael’s indifference was tinged with something he hadn’t felt since his last kill. Anticipation. Not much, but perhaps with someone in the house he won’t have to resort to other unsavory methods for a meal. People have been locking up more after what happened and breaking in to raid a pantry would be more risk than it was worth.

Another afternoon passed until he saw the familiar car arrive, watching the small man struggle with loads of boxes in the summer heat was mildly entertaining. The approach of the nosy old man next door was predictable. Michael’s eyes narrowed at the dramatic retelling of his life, passively considering the worth of killing him.

Premeditated murder was new to him. He didn’t like to give up control, especially not over his house. Not being able to kill who he wanted, when he wanted? oh he hated that.

He entered his home the same as he always did. The lock on the back door would never fully click shut, it’s easy to miss if you don’t jiggle the nob the right way. If he truly got locked out he could easily reach through the broken glass of the front door, but he’d have to wait until dark.

To his surprise, it looked like most of the boxes were already unpacked. It was still barren as all hell and a lot of things were stacked in piles, not truly put away yet. If there was one thing you had a lot of, it was books. Michael was never interested in reading, but he perused the titles anyway.

Nothing interested him yet, things only become valuable with the way they are used. Like people.

He watched you return home that night, methodically shutting all the windows before retiring upstairs to the room you unpacked your suitcase in. From behind the slats of the closet door he studied the way you tiredly shucked your sweat stained jeans with your back to his hiding place.

He’s watched men before. The first time he was spooked when his body reacted the same way it did with women. He maintained his self-control this time, until your shirt rose over your head to reveal something he’s never seen before and his hands clench around the grounding familiarity of a knife handle.

Your binder was sweaty and you peeled it off with relief, massaging your chest and stretching before pulling on a pajama shirt. You calmly slip into sleep with the illusion of safety, while Michael’s thoughts race.

His eyes trace the beard lining your face, the stubble lining the sharp edges that hasn’t seen a razor in a few days. He tilts his head as he tries to make sense of what’s in front of him. The itch to wrap his hands around your throat fades as he embraces this new curiosity.

Michael wants to know more.

[ursoself-satisfying]

Whole Lotta Love

P A T  M U R R A Y (Undrafted) x F!Reader, SMUT 

Warnings: smut, lots of it, language, like all the sex guys all of it guys,,, SPOILER: UNSAFE SEX THEY DISCARD THE CONDOM WRAP IT BEFORE U TAP IT BOYS N GIRLS

A/N: this is my zenic,, its 10k words n I am v tired,,,, I hope you all enjoy sorry its late lol

an accompanying playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/criceloni/playlist/5sP9FcSsFcPjFodxN1E5RY?si=dNK4SdE2RoSRcqhN99dntg 

The engine of your car sputtered weakly as you turned the key for the third time. You pursed your lips and grunted as you screwed your whole arm around, twisting the key in the ignition again. The hot sun beat against the grimy, untinted windows of the old van and your skin boiled under the magnification of the glass. Drops of sweat limply slipped down the side of your face, sizzling when they hit the leather between the seats. The day was nice, but the interior of the vehicle was sweltering and stunk of burgers and sex. You groaned loudly and threw your head back tiredly. With your eyes closed, you tiredly and hopelessly went to turn the car on one last time, dreading the spitting sound that you expected to greet you. You were indeed greeted by the same annoying noise, burned into your eardrums by now, but it faded after a moment, the harsh metallic sounds blending into a solid purr as the engine started, radio turning on to the classic rock station. Shooting up out of your seat in shock, both at the sound and the unexpected success, your hands slammed against your steering wheel and your mouth hung open. “Oh my God,” you muttered, “Oh my God! Thank you, God!” You shouted at the roof of the car and you let out a dry sob. The wet lines down your face could have been sweat or tears, or both at this point. Loud thrums echoed through the cabin of the vehicle as you drummed your hands against the soft roof excitedly, shaking your head in a grateful spasm of relief. “YES! Oh my God, yes, thank you.” The soft whispers left your lips in the form of a laugh and you gripped the steering wheel tightly, taking a deep breath and smiling widely. The next thing you did was roll down the windows and sigh as the clear, blue sky blessed you with fresh air, letting The Who play you out. The gas pedal was pushed down and you made your way from the curb where you’d been sitting for the last half an hour. The VW bus bounced, “My Generation” fading as you turned a corner and made your way to the game.

Your sputtering horseless carriage shuttered to a stop and felt like it would cave in and collapse once in park. With a shake, you turned off on a ‘don’t text and drive’ PSA, the engine and rolled up the dirty windows. Manually locking the door behind you, you exited the rusted green car and headed towards the greener field. You rolled your eyes as you passed a large bus undoubtedly belonging to the opposing team. You doubted it was necessary and would have guessed it was more of a petty power move if anything. A small group of people, not yet a crowd, was gathered by the fences of the baseball field watching the game. It had already begun and you’d missed the first few innings. You searched the crowd for a familiar figure until you spotted a red shirt and jogged over to it. “Brian!”

The man turned to see you waving your hand happily above your head. He turned once he recognized you and laughed heartily with open arms. “[Y/N]!”

Once you reached him, he wrapped his strong arms around you and lightly picked you up. You did your best to return the embrace but he held you too tightly. His cotton button up smelled strongly of a flower-scented detergent and a gas station, comforting and familial. Your laughs mixed and you remained leaned against him when he put you down. “Mr. Murray,” you started playfully, “How are you on this fine day?” The older man patted your back and chuckled.

“Well, I could be doing a hell of a lot better.” Brian looked out at the game, Barone at-bat, and took a deep sigh. You scanned his face with concern, catching the glaze of sadness in his eyes. You softly placed a hand on his shoulder, unsure of what happened exactly, but having an idea.

You turned your head back and look around you for Brian’s almost other half, but seeing the older Mazzello nowhere. You felt safe enough to ask, “He didn’t get it, did he? John-” He shook his head quickly, not turning towards you. You wanted to ask how Pat was taking it but you could figure it out based on your past experiences. You weren’t sure Brian would know at this point anyway. For a moment, you just watched the game. Barone wouldn’t slide and Ty was clearly upset. All you could hear were the curse words carried to you by the light wind picking up. You squeezed Brian’s arm gently and gave him a sympathetic smile, before gulping and beginning to say something. “So then where’s-”

Joe walked up beside Brian and handing him a bottle of water from his trip to concessions. The shorter man glanced over and stopped when he caught sight of you. “Oh, [Y/N]-”

“Hey, Joe,” you replied softly. The man beside stepped back to allow you to give a quick embrace to the new arrival. You stepped back and smiled, biting your lip. “I’m sorry,” you spoke quickly, “He deserved it. John’s-” A stifled laugh interrupted your sentence, but you continued, “Not that I would know, but he’s the best, I hear. He should have gotten it. That’s- That’s so stupid-”

“He’s got some offers, but there’s not much we can do now that it’s over.” Leaning against the fence, the dark-haired man took a swig from the bottle he held and smiled faintly back at you though he kept his attention on the game before him. “Now we just play.”

Though you’d missed the first five innings at least, Brian filled you in on how the game had gone on with as many bumps and hitches as you could possibly imagine. The D-Backs were down (though you honestly wouldn’t have expected otherwise) and hoped for a comeback. Ty interrupts Barone’s play to demand he dirty his uniform, a call is unfairly continued and Ty (again) interrupts and demands his complaint be noted, which had been happening just as you’d arrived.

You were there just in time to see Pat’s second at-bat. “C’mon, baby, you got this! Hit it out of the fuckin’ park!” You were screaming and hollering encouragements at your boyfriend. His father chuckled and gave you a side-eyed glance, a glint of understanding gleaming on his face, seeing again why you and his son got on so well. “He’s not gonna get a hit,” you said quietly to the man beside you, not taking your eyes off the boy at bat.

Brian nodded, smiling. “Never does.” Both of watched as the third pitch was thrown and Pat unsurprising did not get a home run. He let out a long and frustrated scream and hit the bat against his helmet instead before heading to the dugout. The bat Pat had used broke against the fence pole as he hit it repeatedly and cursed the ‘loaded fucking bases’.

Pat then ran to his position in the outfield as he was told but it was clear he hadn’t cooled down yet by his continued yells. If you knew Pat Murray, you knew what he sounded like when he said ‘fuck’. By now, his curses were carved into your ears and you could hear them in your dreams. He yelled and yelled as the game continued, with some concern shown by his teammates and some confusion by the competition. Vinnie had attempted to diffuse the situation by engaging in a friendly game of catch between bats but Murray firmly stuck the ball in the scoreboard. He very nearly took Zapata’s head off.  

“Is he like this at home?” The elder Murray let a smile tweak his lips upwards for a moment, then looked away from the comment. You leaned over the fence n suppressed a laugh at what John had said.

As the game went on, you could tell things would only get worse until it all imploded, and you were right. Brian shared a tired, knowing look with you as you could both hear him yelling from the dugout. “YOU THROW LIKE A BITCH AND YOU BAT AT .250!”

Brian rocked back and look between you and his friend, shaking his head. “Patrick, relax!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, DAD!”

He nodded and leaned back against the fence. “That’s my boy.” Laughing, you bounced against his side. John shrugged his shoulders and gave an exaggerated frown of acceptance. The game lasted a while before another notable event occurred. This time, was an unsportsmanlike fight erupting after an unfair play and a sudden injury. It all happened so quickly it was hard to comprehend.

Garvey was slammed into the ground by an opposing player and when they hit the dirt a cloud of red dust rose around them. An audible thud echoed as the crowd went silent. Your mouth hung open and the world stood still for what felt like forever as the small catcher laid there unmoving. Then Ty erupted. He grabbed the assaulter from behind and held him down, Vinnie running to leap into a punch. That was the instigator. The rest of the team, with the exception of Fotch, raced to the scene. The riot on the field got worse and once John ran out, Joe bounced off his arms on the fence and rushed just as you had to stop his son. You could hear your boyfriend shouting and mentally cursed, knowing how this would turn out.

“Pat, fuck-” You went to lift yourself over the fence and attempt to run after your lover in an effort to keep him from hurting anyone, but his father pulled you back. He gave you a stern look and shook his head.

“I don’t need you getting in any more trouble right now.” Without anymore protest, you huffed and took your place again. Brian yelled after the boys and jogged out onto the field himself, though he was sure to look back and give you a strict but caring sign to stay back.

You had been right in your earlier assumptions, as Pat charged with a battle cry and pounced on the bobbing mass of bodies, all angrily entangled with one another. More and more athletes seemed to be absorbed into the huddle the longer it went on until it's magnitude reached the crowds of onlookers, who soon after went to join. As the fathers ripped their sons from the mess, Brian stopped a member of the other team from adding a bat to the fight, but by the time the teams had been surgically separated, enough damage had been done. Garvey was in bad, bad shape and the rest of the team was covered in scrapes and bruises, uniforms in shambles and carrying expressions that could kill.

Brian remained out on the field for a few minutes, post scuffle, and Joe went to his son at Garvey’s side. With no one left to stop you from making your way to the scene, you stepped for the first time onto the sacred ground and jogged over to the pit with a wave, “Patrick!” The man turned at his name being called and you stopped in your place when he looked at you. For a moment, you thought you saw a small smile grace his shaking lips as his eyes shone with recognition and he made his way to you. Closing the distance between the two of you, he took you into his sweaty arms and held you perfectly against him. You fit like a puzzle piece together as your own arms were slung around him. He held your head tightly to the crook of his neck and you could smell on him all the events of the day. As you inhaled the scents of dirt and a bit of blood caked onto sweat-soaked skin and leftover aftershave, maybe the hints of a citrus shampoo, you pulled handfuls of his team shirt into your balled fists. Together you swayed for a moment in the middle of the field and he muttered, “Fuck, God- Fuck, I’m so glad you’re here- So fuckin-” He stopped his profane murmurs as he bit back something directly in between happiness and anger. “I’m just so glad you’re here.”

You responded with pressed whispers against the skin of his neck ignoring the previous events and focusing on the moment you were in. “Hey,” you breathed, “I wouldn’t have missed the D-Backs’ last game for the world.”

He smiled, though you couldn’t see. His muffled response was kissed into your hair. You couldn’t quite understand what he’d said but it sounded like something along the lines of, ‘God, I fucking love you,’ which you completely reciprocated.

One hand of yours strayed from his back to his head and held the hair protruding from beneath hat. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he said again, softer this time, emphasizing how much your being there for him meant. “But I can’t fucking wait to get you alone.” He finished his statement quietly, in a voice that sent shivers down your spine, hot and dark, every vertebra quaking. His own hands mapped the back of your neck, threading his calloused, bloody fingers through your locks, holding you with a fear of losing you.

“I’m just glad you’re o-”

The quiet conversation was interrupted. “Get a room, Murray!” A voice yelled from the group of red behind him. It was most likely Barone or Polacco, the only two in a good enough mood after the previous events to pay enough attention to you to make any kind of crude comment like usual.

Pat pulled away, lips spread thin and eyes low. His hands moved to grip your upper arms tightly and he slowly turned his head back to look at the clever commentators. “Shut the FUCK UP ABOUT MY GODDAMN GIRLFRIEND!” Your eyes widen and a sheepish grin spread widely between your cheeks. When he turned back to you, you lifted your hand to hold his face. His eyes were tied to yours, but your gaze soon drifted down to the lightly bleeding scratches on his neck. You frowned and your fingertips dropped to trace over the red lines. The man holding you still, softer now, hissed at the raw contact and his pleading eyes twitched.

His hand rose to wipe at your left cheek, stained from his wound and your place in the crook of his neck. He didn’t move it though after placing it there. “You- There was some blood- Fuck, that’s so gross, I’m so fuckin’ sorry-” His head shook lightly as he stared at you, lip twitching with slight distress.

You responded with a soft laugh, breathed through your nostrils. “It’s ok- It’s ok! I’m sorry you got hurt,” you said as you wiped some of the blood from around the new wound. Pat looked pained, but your presence overcame any discomfort he had. “What a game, huh?”

You chuckled and he hummed near your ear, a pleased puff of air pushed through his nostrils. “I’m so fucking glad you’re here- It’s a better game now. I know it’s not gonna actually get better, but-” Pat moved back and looked at you with gleaming eyes. You could never resist those eyes. He seemed so hopeful since he’d learned of your arrival and you weren’t going to even think about how vain it might have been. “But you’re here, you know.”

You moved your hands swiftly to the sides of his face and pulled him down for a kiss. Though it took him a moment, he quickly pulled you against him and his plush lips pushed against yours. His arms around your waist were the only things keeping you upright as the two of you collided so passionately you arched against him. He pulled slightly back to turn his head and slip through your parted lips. He tasted of vanilla ice cream and blue raspberry Gatorade. Tongues pushing needily against each other, for just a moment, the field around you was lost and all you had was the sensation of Pat Murray buzzing through your lips.

“Ey, Murray-!” A sing-songy voice interrupted again and immediately Pat painfully yanked your face from his. With a clenched jaw and white knuckles still on your figure, he wiped the shared saliva from his mouth and looked like he was refraining from erupted in a trembling angry fit. One hand swept down the side of your face with a dazed expression of admiration and he made eye contact with you, sending you his concern through soft, hazel eyes. You felt the sudden sadness of his body leaving yours, the physical contact high of your love crashed down and you were left hot and alone. The player ran back to the benches spewing foul curses at his ogling teammates as they threw around playful jabs at his PDA. He turned to wave you off and that made you smile. You stepped backward, slowly at first, then turned to jog back to your spot at the fence.

The crowds grew but the sound shrunk. Spectators came from around the neighborhood as word of the fight had spread. It was silent now, in the aftermath. It felt like a sort of mourning period, perhaps for the final chances of the D-Backs at winning today’s game. Reverence was the word to describe what was emanating from the home team. The dugout looked morbid and the only eyes that weren't cast down were furrowed in anger, confusion, and concern. Sirens cut through the still, religious air as an ambulance and a police car drove onto the game dirt.

Two EMTs came barrelling from their vehicle with a gurney and lifted Garvey into the back of the ambulance. The teams cheered him on before the vehicle doors closed and the ambulance left the field. The last image of Garvey was that of him in a neck cast with a thumbs up and the biggest smile.

Two cops then got out of their car that had parked itself on the dirt and went over to the D-Back dugout. Vinnie and Ty sat against the fence as the policemen approached them after speaking with the umpires. “Tyler Delmonica and Vincent Maltzan?”

You watched with the fathers as you had before and smacked Brian’s arm with fever as you saw the lawmen approach the team. “What the fuck- What’s- What the fuck are they doing?” With a slightly irritated side-eyed glance, Brian observed the same scene you did with concern. The elder Mazzello on the other side of him grunted and spoke, “Nothing good.”

The two from the fence had gone over to the cops and were now in handcuffs. The entirety of the red team had come swarming from the shaded dugout to defend their friends. Curses were thrown back and forth and the policeman threatened to arrest Dells as well. “Dude, what the fuck-” you muttered.

“Finish the game!” Ty urged as he and Vinnie were dragged away. The other policeman countered Ty’s plea, announcing for an end to the gathering, at which time both teams emerged from their holes and agreed upon something for the first time. ‘We’re almost done!’ they said, ‘We’re winning!’ The crowd, which had grown exponentially since the scuffle, jeered and booed at the officer. He then complied to the masses as Maz promised they would go on with no further complications. The Bulldogs player that had put poor Garv in the hospital was expulsed and that was the end of it.

The game went on, not without some drama, of course, but it went on. It was an incredible sight. Dells was on fire, throwing out after out after out. Zapata gets a hit, Fotch walks with a dead arm (breaking Dell’s front car window in the process), then it was Pat at-bat, again.

He hit the first one and your breathing stopped, then it was announced a foul. You held tightly to his father’s arm, praying for the impossible as you did every game. The second ball went in slow motion as it headed towards him. The world stood still for you. The sudden smack of wood against hot leather shook you from your trance. Patrick ran with a fury you’d never seen before, sliding into first base in a red dust cloud of victory.

You could barely recognize your own voice in the scream you let loose as you watched your significant other accomplish such a rare feat. “YES, PATTY, YES! FUCKING GET IT!” You were jumping up and down, shaking the fence, hitting Brian when your hands weren’t waving excitedly in the air. Brian laughed at your reaction and held you with an arm when you settled down.

Patrick screamed and jumped just as you were. “I GOT A HIT!” The crowd was still roaring, the D-Backs yelling for him.

“Way to go, Pat!” Brian hugged you and wiped tears from eyes you hadn’t noticed falling before. The older man shook you affectionately against his side.

“I GUESSED! I FUCKING GUESSED!” The ginger was kept his yelling as the blue team called for time. “I’M NOT OUT!” He clapped and laughed, calling after his team as they prepped during the other team's timeout. Maybe it was just you but the air smelled sweet now, beside your considered family in an epic and cherished moment. It may have been bittersweet but it was worth savoring every second of.

“GO PALACCO! KILL HIM! MURDER HIM!” Pat was still screaming as his teammate took to the batting mound. It went Palacco, then David, then Maz. Having two strikeouts lead to your star didn’t seem like a good sign, but Maz was a miracle man. A home run, last bat, and they- They won. The D-Backs won. Maz hit home and the entire game, everything leading up to it erupted in the field and the crowds. The culmination of an entire season, all the stress of the game, the fight, the disappointment of the draft, the love of the team and the camaraderie and support they all show through all this exploded.

Red shirts were glued in a huddle at center field. “For Garvey!” You heard someone yell. Vinnie and Ty came running back on, leaping and whooping. The crowd roared and the cheers rolled over the hills beyond the field. You shook with pride, sure you must have been glowing like the sun looking out upon the victory. Brian looked on the verge of tears, but you couldn’t quite tell through wet eyes of your own. Sound seemed to escape the reality you existed in and all that mattered was the team. Time slowed and your focus went to tunnel vision on a very specific first-time hitter.

Patrick ran over to you the second you set foot on the beaten dirt of the outfield, ambushing you with the tightest embrace you may have ever been in. It took a second but you thrust your arms around him as well as he lifted you from your waist. Holding onto him around his neck, he spun you in tight circles as you both laughed heartily, buried in one another’s soft scents. As he put you down, you started to speak but he cut you off immediately by pushing his face into yours. You did not mind one bit as you resumed your position from earlier, curving against him, your front flat against his chest, hands tugging at his sweaty hair as his limbs slipped down your back. Tracing the dimples at the bottom of your spine, pulling at the hem of your shirt and letting his thumb kiss your skin. His other hand gripped your ass, wanting you impossibly closer. Your open-mouthed kiss was outlined by a smile as you groaned every time he found a new place on your body to caress. Pat was lost in your taste, like lemon cookies and cherry slushies and little league baseball games.

“C’mon, man! Your fucking dad’s here!” Zapata groaned and Palacco smacked his arm with a laugh as the team, those distracted by the couple, made faces and sounds to tease. Barone made a thrusting motion and mouthed ‘Get it!’ as his own girlfriend stood neglected behind him.

The pair of you separated to see the what antics the boys had come up with this time around. Though you thought Pat’s good mood after the win couldn’t be bent, this came awfully close. His grimace was incomparable yet that was just another reason you loved him. Somehow it was still adorable. “He’s right, you know,” you patted your lover’s dusty chest and smiled, “I’ve been hanging out with Mr. Murray the whole game and he probably saw all that.” Pat glanced back at you before looking behind you and quickly, guiltily, pulling his hands from your ass.

‘Perfect timing,’ you thought, as you could guess exactly who it was. Brian was kind enough not to mention anything as he approached his son. The father gave you a pat on the back before embracing his son. The moment was tender as you looked on at the scene of the father/son bonding, albeit a bit awkwardly. Brian held Pat by the shoulders for a moment and they both had shining streaks down their cheeks. You didn’t hear anything that had been said but you smiled softly, overcome with love for the both of them. The graying man approached you next, rubbing your shoulder and giving you a quick hug. “You kids have fun,” he said as he walked back to Joe, “and be safe!” He winked.

“God, your dad-”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Love him, though,” you joined the number 15 player as you followed the others to the snack shack, walking arm in arm, holding as much contact as you could while still being able to walk.

Maz ended up beside you when you all sat at the picnic tables with rainbow sprinkles on vanilla ice cream in a casual post celebration gathering. This gave you the opportunity to congratulate him and at the same time express your sympathies after the draft. “I mean, it’s alright,” he’d said to you, “‘cus this is really what it’s all about right here, you know? I mean these guys-” He laughed gently as David and Palacco ‘lovingly’ assaulted Ty with several scoops of ice cream to the face, “Dad was right. They’re what it’s about. Winning is awesome, don’t get me wrong, but I wouldn’t be here without them and- and it’s all just-” Without getting emotional, he could barely say anymore. “It’s not about me. It’s about family.” John sat back against the table and chuckled.

You patted his knee as you stood. “They wouldn’t be here without you either, Maz. Regardless of where you go from here, everything you’ve done has mattered to someone, to all of them, at least.” Your boyfriend approached you and you said one last thing to the star batter before moving out, “I mean, if you could hear the way Pat talked about you, you’d think you were his girlfriend.” He laughed at this and you grinned knowing he would appreciate it. “Be proud, no doubts, you’re loved, and all that shit.”

“Thanks, [YN],” John nodded happily at you and looked down for a moment at his melting cone dripping on the grass below him. Pat stood next to you now and whispered some suggestive suggestions in your ear. Shooting the younger Mazzello a sorry look he sent you off and waved you and your lover goodbye with a sly grin. “Go on, go have fun. I’ve had enough of the longing looks, get it out of your system.”

Pat laughed lightly and slipped an arm around your waist, furrowing a confused set of eyes at his friend’s comment, then at you. It made him wonder what type of conversation the two of you’d had. He led you towards the parking lot, flipping off the team he left behind as they wolf whistled, making a lot of correct assumptions of what the two of you intended to do in your early departure. You’d left your van parked around the side of the field in the nice shade of a small grove of trees. The keys clicked in the quieter, cooler, fresher air around you. Patrick leaned against the side of the vehicle, one arm up to support himself and the other placed on his hip, ankles crossed. He watched you a bit too intently as you unlocked the cabin of your old car.

“I can feel you looking at me,” you smiled, opening the passenger’s side door to manually reach around and slide open the spacious back of the bus, turning on the car battery in the process. Leaving the keys in the ignition, turning down The Damned, but leaving it loud enough to cover what sounds may come. He watched you do this every time. It came as no wonder to him why your cherished car was in such bad shape as you left the battery running to supply a soundtrack to your lovemaking. Eyes distractedly stalled on your midsection as he looked you up and down, Pat faltered as the car shuddered when the door opened and he was thrown off his balance. He caught himself, though, and shot you a slanted grin.

“You’re just-” He bit his lip, “-so fucking hot, and you’re all mine.” Settling into the cushy, creaking back part of the carriage, you grinned expectantly.

“Am I?” You cocked your head, “Maybe you should remind me again who exactly I belong to.” Dragging every word out, you purposefully teased the impatient man, unbuttoning the top of your shorts slowly.  

Like a switch, something clicked in him. His entire demeanor shifted from his almost toddler-like temper to something much more mature. Sitting spread eagle on the plush blankets you kept in the back for such occasions, you waited. He stared at you darkly, a towering shadow that filled the van’s open portal to the rest of the world. He filled in the empty space, deciding what he wanted to do first, how he would defile you in so many ways and what he would start with.

The interior smelled liked fast food, rubbing alcohol, and sweaty sex. Seeing as the main things you did in this car were eat bad food, try to clean up the stains left behind from said bad food, and, of course, fuck, the medley of scents came as no surprise. Around you were an array of cushions, blankets, and pillows all extremely soft to the touch. Not an inch of the original upholstery could be seen under the collection of plush covers. This made for the ideal landing as Pat pounced on you like a starved jungle cat as you look so very appetizing against the grey of the fur throw you laid on.

With him on top of you, you grabbed his cap and threw it to the side, kicking the door closed with your foot. Already against your lips, Pat straddled you, one hand on your waist and the other your cheek. The tops of your thighs pressed against the backs of his laying sideways in the cramped space. Holding his face to yours, his stiff, sweat dried hair curling between your fingers, you moaned. He smelled hotly of dust and fire, like a childhood summer day. The intimacy of the flood of memories he reminded you of only increased the sensation for you, heightening your attraction to him in a familiar, safe emotion.

His lips moved against yours, both of you sharing the same rhythm like singing along to an old song you never really could forget the words to. Open mouths clashed, teeth hit teeth, tongues knotted with tongues. His eyelashes brushed against your cheek as his wet kisses traveled down your face hitting your chin, your neck, your collarbone. Simultaneously, his hand pushed up your top, the other lifting you to help you pull it off. You let your arms drift above your head as he peeled the first layer off your body. It was only fair you would start unbuttoning his jersey and pulling at it, signaling him to take it off.

Before you could rip his undershirt off, he attached his lips to your neck, sucking hard to leave behind a noticeable deep purple love mark high enough it couldn’t be covered. You could feel his teeth graze your skin in a proud smile as your hot and heavy breaths turned to desperate, squirming moans. You gasped, gripping the fabric over his chest. He was glowing knowing only he could leave you in such a state.

Dragging a hot trail of saliva down your body, Pat stopped at your chest. He pulled away and stared down at your breasts with a shake of his head. “So fucking gorgeous,” he whispered. With one knee on either side of you, he sat up and pulled his red top off. Then he swept back down, suctioned back to your skin. He started behind your ear and peppered bites around your jaw, hands pulling your body to arch, allowing him the opportunity to remove your bra. You threw your head back and shimmied off the upper undergarment.

Your hands skimmed Pat’s bare chest, traveling upwards to his shoulders and past. Palms pressed against the sides of his face, you wiped your thumbs at the smeared eye black on his cheeks. His gaze was tied to your exposed chest and his breathing was heavy and hungry. Lips hanging parted, he slowly looked up at you through hooded lashes.

You smiled at the man hovering above you. Neither of you moved as you established eye contact while Jimi Hendrix played in the background. The van was hot between your bodies and the setting sun shining through the front window. Sweat beaded your forehead and your boyfriend went to push your hair back from your face, damp from the growing heat. “You’re-”

“You’re beautiful,” you finished. He laughed and it was like a Baroque painting before you. In a golden haze, his hair looked soft and he was glowing in muted tones. The tapestry pinned to the ceiling gave a dusty rose background to compliment the halo you saw around him. You pushed his hair back and pulled yourself up to kiss him. He took this chance to explore your body, mapping every inch of your warm, welcoming skin.

His fingertips were calloused and grey, dirt caked in the ridges of his prints, proof of the aftermath of the game. Rough pads walked down the center of your torso, stopping at your breasts. He took one mound in his hand, pinching your nipple between his thumb and his palm, rolling it slowly. You bit your lip and tucked your fingers under the waistband of his baseball pants and briefs, pulling them back and snapping them against his hips. Your eyes hung on the happy trail leading up his stomach. You traced it with the tip of your nail and his dark gaze settled on your face.

From his perspective, you were hidden in the shadows below him, hot and vulnerable. Buds of your breasts perky and hard, the dips of your stomach like a flowing river to your hips where your shorts sat a little too low, you were buried under filters of lust. The retiring sunlight hit the dust particles between you, floating through the air in slow motion like a love scene in an early 2000s, warm-toned, rom-com, the kind you spent Friday nights watching under three different blankets on the couch. You were dreamy, always, but especially now, a hazy, golden goddess.

“I want you, Pat,” you interrupted his daze, stroking his face and pushing his loose hair behind his ear. “Now.”

He blinked at you and grinned. “Oh, let’s go.” You smiled wickedly as he buried his face in the crook of your neck, you wrapped your arms around his back and slipped your hands on his ass. He engulfed you then gripped your shorts and panties, ripping them down all at once. A guttural groan left your throat and you wiggled out of your clothes. Pat had moved to one side of you, maintaining skin on skin contact whenever he could, and kicking off his shoes. Your body arched towards him as he retracted his touch. You shook your pants off your leg and laid baring it all for your lover in the cramped space of the vintage vehicle.

Pat was awestruck as you sat up, spread out for him, back to the driver’s seat. He paused with his pants stopped just high enough not to be truly explicit. You looked on with anticipation, one finger slinking its way between your legs. “Keep going,” you nodded at him. He complied with a lopsided grin and hot, hooded eyes. You rubbed two fingers against your clit and bit your bottom lip as he yanked his pants down, cup painfully sliding over his hard erection. He sat back and pulled off his bottoms, socks included, cock slapping against his stomach as he did so.

You snorted at him, unceremoniously slouched in the back of your small van. The sight was both pleasing and amusing, and far from being unfamiliar. Every time you’ve watched him undress in these four fabric covered walls, it felt the same. It had become something of a post-game ritual, defiling the backspace of your car while the oldies stationed tuned out the lewd sounds you made together.

‘She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side’, your lover crawled towards you as you spread your lower lips to welcome him, ‘I said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.’ Patrick took in the sight of your glistening sex and licked his lips. He sat back on a plush green throw blanket and pulled you onto his lap with a soft chuckle. He hummed contently at your lips against his ear, tightening his arms around your damp skin. You were straddling him, one arm slung over his shoulder and the other reaching for his member. The pre-cum leaking from his tip spread against your stomach as you pressed onto him, limber fingers wrapped precariously around his length. You pumped him slowly, hanging off his lobe by your teeth. This pulled a whimper from deep inside him, nuzzling against you. Thumb sliding over his head, you dragged the slickness down his shaft and sucked on his neck as he had yours. You were dripping for him and he could feel it. His knuckles went white, gripping your thighs with bruising strength. He nipped at your shoulder, leaving behind wet, fading love bites.

You were jostled as your boyfriend lifted you by your waist so he could easily access your tits, supporting you against the back of the driver’s seat. Pace quickening as your hand slid up and down his cock, his mouth latched onto your nipple, teeth brushing against it as he sucked hard. His thick fingers inside you scissored with fervor and you could feel every bend of his knuckles between your walls. Your free hand held his face against your chest and you moaned. Slowly, the cabin filled with the sweet scents of both yours and his arousal and sweat. You pulled yourself towards him and pulled gently on his hair as he replaced his lips with rolling fingers and paid his attention to your other bud.

“Fuck, Pat,” your breath hitched and you could feel him smile against your breast, “Pat, I want you-”

“I fucking need you, [Y/N],” his breathing was heavy as he detached from your chest, moving to look you in the eyes, “Soon.” It was a pleading look he gave you, far different from his on-field persona. With one last soft squeeze of his erection, you let go. He moaned at the release and you were up on your knees. He looked up at you from between your breasts as you flattened against him.

One of his hands slid between your thighs and your composure faltered, his cold fingers pressing past your nerve center and straight to your hole. He watched your face carefully, one hand on the small of your back, the other letting digit after digit push into your sex easily, slick secretion assisting in his effort to stretch you before his anticipated penetration. Blinking quickly, you twitch your hips at the knuckles deep in your pussy. Patrick grabbed your ass and began going in and out and in and out of your entrance with a quiet slap. To the rhythm of the Bowie song blowing out your damaged speakers, you hump his fingers and ride your rising pleasure ut before you can peak, you’re filled with emptiness.

“You fucking ready for me, babe?” Want was dripping from every syllable of his words as you looked down just in time to see him pull his slick fingers from his mouth, appreciating your taste every chance he could.

“Let’s drag this out, baby, today we got something to celebrate.” You caressed the side of his face and smiled softly. He couldn’t resist your whims and he knew exactly how to make this special.

He laid on his back and pulled you up by your ass, sliding your wetness along his torso. He lifted your waist and you compliantly moved your knees to either side of his head. “Then let me finish you off before we start on the good stuff, hm?” His smile was sexy as he adored you from between your legs, willing to put your sexuality before his need. His arms wrapped around your pillowy thighs, on hand holding your slit open and the other stroking your clit. A shiver ran through you as he lifted his head to break your first contact.

This was his chosen place of worship, kissing your core surrounded by the satin skin of your voluptuous legs. His religion was you on your knees and him on his back, the ecstatic expression you wore his deity. The fluid stained woven rugs and fur throws that shaped the interior of your chosen mode of transportation was the altar he so admired in the temple of you. Your skin was scripture and your acts together sacred, the hard rock you left on the hymns of your love. His metaphor was worn but as the last of the daylight threaded through the fallen waves of your hair, he couldn’t think of any words more true to describe this image of you.

He dove into you, starved of your taste. You were pulled down to his face, feeling his tongue probe the space between your lower lips, sucking at the labia and fully drinking up your nectar. You ground against his tongue, utilizing what he could to maximize your pleasure, the texture of his muscle overwhelming your senses. His nose pressed against your clit as his hands moved to go from grabbing your ass, supporting your waist, then giving his hands’ attention to your breasts. Your nipples were well loved as your pussy continued to be stimulated to the point of pushing you over.

Your whole body curved forwards, gripping his hair and supporting yourself with a fistful of the blanket. Uneven breaths drifted from your open mouth, heaving chest painted with small drops of sweat. Pat’s palm was flat against your back. Your hair flipped out of your line of sight as you threw your head back, lips forming a solid ‘o’. A wave of ecstasy rushed over you in your first orgasm of the evening, a musical moan, broken by sharp breaths. The lover beneath you lapped up every release of your spasming pussy until your curses died down to soft shudders. To avoid overstimulating you, Pat moved from your sensitive mound to drop hot kisses on your inner thighs.

The pulsing of your core subdued as you spent the next minute catching your breath. The van was filled with salty, hot air and Patrick held your midsection tightly as he sucked dark hickies on every inch of your shy skin he could reach. His face was coated in your juices, which was smeared across your legs, both sets of hands, and down your boyfriend’s chest. Letting his tongue glide over a fresh bruise just left in the crux of your crotch, his melted autumn eyes stared up at you with intense lust. He threw his head back when he was satisfied with his work and snorted, “You taste like a Goddamn fucking angel.”

His smile was goofy and gross, the juvenile delinquency of your act written all over his face. It made you feel like a teenager again, sneaking around with the angry boy your parents didn’t like. God, you loved him. You couldn’t help but laugh a bit at the situation. There you were, sitting on your boyfriend's face in the back of your musty van by the neighborhood baseball field and you weren’t even done yet.

You grinned down at him, “Shut up and fuck me, Murray.” The man smiled and sat up, catching you as you fell off him. You grabbed his face and pressed his lips to yours for a moment, tasting your own sticky, semi-sweet love on his lips before he pulled away to reach around you. Popping open the center console compartment with a click, he grabbed a condom and ripped it open with his teeth. “Care to-”

You took the contraceptive from him without letting him finish. He could understand the eagerness in your eyes and moved back expectantly. Holding up the plastic package, you frowned. “I thought we were celebrating?” You tilted your head innocently. Recognition flashed across his face and he raised his eyebrows. For the first time, the mood was broken, a Honda commercial really solidifying it for you.

“Are you- Are you serious? Are you sure?” The sweaty athlete’s eyes were wide at your implication.

You smiled slyly and nodded at him. “I’m on birth control and,” you shrugged, “I trust you not to have any weird, contagious rashes.” He laughed at you, happily, and you joined him.

“I can promise you I have no transmittable diseases, inspect me if you want.” His arms moved out to present himself to you.

You dragged a nail across the length of one of his arms and he cocked a half smile in your direction as he eyes your movements. “I’ve seen plenty.” You grinned and put your hands back on his cheeks, pushing against him in a kiss. Pat was quick to move, but you stopped him, hand flat against his chest. “You need a little prep, first, don’t you?” Slowly, he figured it out and sat back to give you more space to do your deed. Folding over yourself, thighs spread and arousal tickled by the thick woven rug beneath you, your face reached the waiting cock.

All the man could focus on was your long, batting lashes and your ass sticking out behind you. His tip was cold and wet from being untouched, but your spit dripped down it as you kissed the slit briefly. Patrick’s breath was shaky as you licked from the base up to the tip, making eye contact as you did so. His body weight was put on his locked arms behind him, leaning away from you, but he feared one more sex filled look from you would break him and he would collapse.

He nearly did when you first took him into your hot mouth. A groan vibrated through him and you felt it in your connection. Slowly at first, sparingly, you bobbed up and down on his length, soft lips sliding over every ridge and every vein. “Fuck, fuck, fuckfuckfuck-” You picked up speed with his encouraging curses. Head thrown back, your lover focused on not cumming right then and there, doing his best to save himself for what came next, but Goddamn it, [Y/N], he thought. He’d let you know him far too well if you could break him into so many pieces so quickly. Tongue scraping at the side of the sensitive skin, balls being treated with care in your hands, and the pace leaving him a sputtering mess- You name filled the compartment like a rolling sea fog, all your senses overcome with his apparent need for you. His scent, his sounds, his taste- hot and salty. Seeing his chest rising with labored breaths, you decided he was getting too close and hilted him in your throat as best you could for a moment, teeth grazing his base and your nose buried in his happy trail, before pulling off at a painstaking pace, detaching from him with a ‘pop’, a string of saliva falling from between you.

It took a quiet moment for him to get his bearings at the disappointing cutoff. The drops of sweat sliding down the sides of his face were tinted with red from the adobe colored dirt he’d spent so much time on. Sitting back up and leaning towards him, you went to wipe the moisture away and he held your hand to his face, kissing your palm with closed eyes. He saved his high and gave you a quick, and ironically chaste, kiss before pushing aside discarded clothing articles and repositioning the two of you so he was above you once again. He took you by your middle and moved you to the side, growing increasingly impatient, seemingly recovered from his edge. Holding firmly to your ribs as he laid you down before him, he then pulled away to admire you again.

Under a young night sky, you were the only star he saw. Glowing in a post-orgasmic haze against the shadows cast by street lamps, you were a constellation of an impossible creature. Contrasting the true space you both existed in, his view of you was divine. Every beautiful thing in the heavens and the earth, he saw in you.

“Pat?” You furrowed your eyes in concern at his momentary stillness.

He blinked the clouds from his eyes. “God, sorry, fuck-” Shaking his head, he smiled slightly, “I got so fucking lucky. I may not be able to get a hit but, uh-” He chuckled before completing his favorite line, “You sure are a catch.” He winked and you gently kicked him in the shoulder. Catching your ankle, he held your leg up and held it over his shoulder as he moved to position himself at your open hips. “C’mon, it’s my best line.”

You impatiently rolled your eyes. “Are you gonna fuck me or not?” You motioned to your waiting sex, ready and slick for him. “I’m waiting-”

“-And I’m ready!” Patrick held up his free hand defensively before grabbing your hip with bruising strength. His dripping, neglected tip sat waiting at your entrance. His tone turned serious, “Are you?”

His genuine asking was comforting and you nodded quickly. His position over you turned you on even more, if possible, loving that he could see you melt in his hand and drip between his fingers. With one hand holding your leg up and the other stroking his excited cock, preparing to enter you. The sparkling space between your welcoming thighs glistened in the little bit of moonlight making its way into the vehicle. He slid his thumb through the wetness and you groaned in need. He chuckled at your response and you squirmed against the soft fabrics you’d been set on.

It was the moment of final satisfaction that you’d been building to all afternoon in the back of your sex-soaked bus. Your eyes were trained on his focused downward gaze and you could feel him press into you. It was a pleasant stretch you looked forward to but it was different this time, void of the protection you’d so cautiously used. You felt unequivocally full, natural, and satisfying like you were made to fit together like this. Scary, but exciting, this new sensation left you unable to control your breathing. Sharp inhalations were a sign to him he was doing something good. Pushing into you was easy with how much arousal dripped your sex, all the fluids of the night mixing together for a pleasurable experience. In and out, he took his time deepening the contact, holding tight to your hips, a nice pain shooting through you when he squeezed the old yellowed bruises he’d left behind from past rendezvous. Your eyes focused on him when they were closed in ecstasy, hands swiping furiously at your clit or alternating between your breast. Pat was in awe at the bolts of hot pleasure that traveled up his body at the raw feeling of you around him, tight, wet, and warm. He thought sex couldn’t get any better, especially not with you, but he was wrong. He felt every dip and fold of your tunnels against the ridges of his own skin.

You were sleeved around him as he picked up speed. Grunts fell from his pouting lips every time his hips slapped against yours. The sound could be heard over the still playing radio in the front seat. It seemed the amount of teasing the two of you subjected each other to left little resilience to the sudden relief of penetration as your boyfriend’s rate jumped from calculated, appreciative thrusts to messy, needy, heavy ones in a matter of minutes. “You feel-” He groaned as he hilted in you again, balls deep to the pleasure of both of you, “So fucking amazing-” The words barely came out. You tried to formulate a response but the heat filling your abdomen stopped you. What came out instead was a gurgled moan of agreement. Smiling at the sights and the sounds you produced, Pat was absolutely enamored by you in this new sensation. Tits bouncing as you shook with his slamming thrusts, your eyes rolling back with guttural groans from deep inside you.

Drawing from that pit of white-hot pleasure, you neared your peak and a higher pitched plead cam as a warning to your partner, “Can’t- Fuck, Pat- Almost there-” He got the message and the two of you shook together, his whispers of ‘me too, me too’ barely heard through the whimpers. No longer could sounds be differentiated from one source or the other as your bodies melted together in a moment of bliss. For the first time, the vehicle noticeably shook in your passionate lovemaking. His hands slipped down your legs, attention drifted from your clit to your navel to your hair as he doubled over to float parallel above you. Sweat from his tiring body rained on you and you pulled him closer. His face was buried between your ear and shoulder, biting away curses as he humped through his high.

“Fuck, that’s it-” The sliding stopped as his back arched first, pressing so hard into your crux, you were sure your entire lower half would be purple by the next morning. His member pulsed inside you and you could feel it swell with anticipation before your own pussy milked him for all he was worth. Streams and streams of hot, white pleasure flowed into you and you swallowed a scream. The sound that managed to escape was otherworldly and Pat loved it. You’d never felt this before, his love directly inside you, hot sloshing, liquid driving you past your point of return. You thought maybe it hadn’t been the physical sensation but the idea of how intimate the action was that had really given you your final orgasm. Either way, you had simultaneously arched against him and he held you up by your back as you squeezed with every muscle. Nails dragging down his spine, no doubt leaving red territorial marks down his sides as you rode out the ocean of intensity that washed over you. It made you curl your toes and tense your appendages around your lover like a boa constrictor and their prey.

Love came gushing from your connection and pooled beneath the small of your back, sinking into the layers of covers that cushioned the two of you from the hard vehicle floor. You didn’t think about the mess you’d made or the unfortunate task of cleaning it up and instead focused on the weight on top of you. Still, inside you, Patrick’s cock twitched as he’d nearly collapsed over you. The rhythm of your breathing synced with his and your pussy pulsed sorely, your entire body sensitive and raw. A shiver ran through your bones as you felt the hot mouth of the body blanketing your’s suction onto your neck one last time, licking over its handy work with a weak laugh. Your fingers laced through his damp hair and you turned your cheek to kiss his.

Your eyes were watering, maybe from the tense situation or the exhaustion that suddenly overwhelmed you now that the wire strings of arousal no longer hold you up. Pat felt the same way as he slowly pulled out of you and you winced. On his side next to you, you felt him pull you closer, nestling into your equally wet and disgusting hair. The entire car smelled awful and hot, the windows were grey and fogged up, blankets beneath you covered in God knows what. Closing your legs and turning towards the warmth beside you, you nestled into him, the feeling of your post-coital calmness was immortalized in the music you’d left on. ‘Goodbye stranger, it’s been nice. Hope you find your paradise.’

Maybe the lyrics weren’t a perfect fit, but somehow the melody found it’s way beneath your hot skin and soothed you. You remained this way for, you weren’t sure how long. Time seemed lost to the two of you then. Engulfed in his arms, you felt safe. The scene was grimy and explicit, your nakedness blending together, the leftover ejaculate dripping from your slit without care, the stained and discarded undergarments left unnoticed and hanging off the steering wheel. It wasn’t clean or safe, but for the two of you, it was nice. What that said about your situation, you didn’t care. This was your heaven.

“Good morning, Orange County! And what a lovely morning it is! We’d like to start the day with a little Springsteen, huh?” A hard drum intro led into a twangy guitar and the sonorous voice of Bruce Springsteen, ‘In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream. At night we ride through the mansions of glory in suicide machines.’

“Is it weird,” you’d said, “knowing all the boys are well aware of what we do? Including your dad?” You laughed a bit, leaning against him, still bare, under a furry quilt. The carriage of the vehicle creaked at your movements, audible now that it wasn’t masked by the heavy breathing of your fucking. The bohemian tapestry behind you shrouded the rising sun from your sensitive eyes, half open in a dream-like state.

Patrick planted a quick kiss in your hair, “I like they know you’re mine.” He took a deep breath, “And my dad can fuck off.”

After a pause, you looked at him and erupted in laughter. “He’s pretty cool, you know, for having to deal with a kid like you.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

‘Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend, I want to guard your dreams and visions. Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims and strap your hands 'cross my engines.’

Brian glanced at the phone as he prepared his breakfast. He was sure his son was fine, he’d gone nights without calling before, but by morning he usually had a message waiting for him. He tried not to think about what may have distracted him in order to keep down his first meal of the day. The radio played in the background.

‘Girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors and the boys try to look so hard. The amusement park rises bold and stark, kids are huddled on the beach in a mist. I wanna die with you Wendy on the street tonight in an everlasting kiss.’

The groundskeeper stared on worriedly at the shaking VW bus that had been parked behind the trees since before he’d gotten there in the small hours of the morning. “Fucking teenagers, disgusting,” he shook his head and turned away, earphones back in as he started up the lawnmower.

‘Oh honey, tramps like us, baby, we were born to run.’

[mycupoffanfiction]

Compromised Part 1

Bucky x Reader

Summary: SHIELD agents, (Y/n) and her twin sister Quinn, are sent on a high risk mission to save Steve, Sam and Bucky after their mission in Siberia was compromised.

Warnings: Mentions of weaponry, use of knock out gas. 

Word Count : Approx 2000

Masterlist

Hellooo! Taking a short break from His Second Chance (it will return as usual this weekend) This is a short 5 part series, hope you all enjoy! 💖

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Music, loud, blaring. Head bouncing up and down, fingers tapping on the steering wheel of your old pickup truck to the sound of ACDC on the radio. Paused at a red light, you got a little dramatic as you mouthed along to the song. A soft giggle next to you pulled your attention to your right and you smiled widely before turning your attention back to the road. Your twin sister Quinn sat in the front passenger seat, feet up on the dash as she scrolled through her phone.

 “Think Fury’s got anything for us?” She asked, thick Brooklyn accent. If you’d only just met Quinn, you’d think she was putting it on by how exaggerated her accent was, but that was just her. “Probably, you know he saves the crazy missions for us, wouldn’t have called us in otherwise.” You quirked a brow as you started driving again. You were an eccentric pair, perhaps the lack of parentage did that to you both, whatever it was, you didn’t care. You and Quinn had always had each other, even when there was no one else.

 Quinn was a bit of a loopy, bubbly girl. Full of vim and vigour, a passion for life but in the strangest way. She just wanted to have fun, do first, think later. Quinn often feigned stupidity, but she was a lot smarter than she made herself out to be. You on the other hand were a well-practiced mechanic and not of the regular variety. You were smart, some would even call you a genius, not that you agreed. Perhaps you even rivalled the likes of Tony Stark and Shuri. But you weren’t just a mechanic or an inventor, you were a trained spy, along with Quinn.

 “Ten dollars says we get to use explosives this time.” Quinn grinned; eyes wide with excitement. You laughed, shaking your head. “A tenner says we gotta save someone’s ass.” You rolled your eyes as you reached an intersection, nearing the tower now. “When’s ya boy home?” Quinn asked, tipping her head back against the headrest, elbow resting on the ledge below the window. “Couple’a days.” You smiled, glancing at her. “Ooh, bet ya missed him.” She smirked, wiggling her eyebrows at you as you drove the car towards the guarded gateway for the tower parking. “In more ways than one.” You sighed, opening up your window to scan your ID cards.

 “Morning girls.” Fury greeted you as you entered his office, Quinn trailing behind you. “Director Fury.” You nodded, Quinn grinning widely over your shoulder at him. “I take it you’re both aware that this is a mission briefing?” He asked, moving around his desk to stand with you and Quinn, ready to look at whatever he was about to pull up on his screen. You both nodded in response. “Good. Secure office.” Fury commanded, FRIDAY, the AI complied, tinting the windows and locking all entries and exits. “This is a high risk mission.” He began. “Isn’t that why ya picked us?” Quinn grinned, not caring at all that she was in the presence of the Director of SHIELD. She was casual and playful with everyone, which Fury was now quite used to, knowing she would likely never change her ways.

 “Two weeks ago we sent out a squad, as you know Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes and The Falcon were part of that squad.” Your heart instantly leapt into your throat. Had something happened to the boys? To your Bucky? “Unfortunately the mission was compromised when our three soldiers were overwhelmed and captured into a Hydra base.” Fury explained. “Our last known coordinates for their positions were in Siberia.” Fury rubbed his forehead, glancing over to gage your reaction. Adrenaline rushed through you, your hands shaking a little as you tried to swallow down the lump in your throat. “Look, I know this one is personal for you, but we have no one else we can send after them. We’re not even sure what we’re dealing with.” Fury turned to face you; Quinn stood on the other side of him with a look of worry as she stared up at the photos of all three boys displayed on the screen.

 “Are they alive?” You asked, voice cracking slightly as you stared straight at the screen, trying your best not to break your composure. “All three of them had vital monitors fitted before the mission, they’re showing them all as being alive but occasionally their heart rates are spiking for short periods of time, for around an hour or two at a time every day.” Fury brought up their vitals onto the screen. All you could focus on was Bucky’s photo with his vitals shown on a panel next to his face, his heartbeat steady and constant. You swallowed thickly. What were they doing to your boys? What where they doing to your Bucky?

 “I understand if this is asking too much.” Fury spoke quietly, turning the screen off. “Otherwise we can send in some other agents, but the mission is so-.” Fury went on but you interrupted him. “I’ll do it. Quinn?” You glanced across at your sister, a relieved look on her face when she heard your answer. “I’m in.” She nodded. Fury almost looked surprised at how easy it had been to convince you both.

 “I want you both in constant contact. Fly out to the area, stake it out from this location.” Fury pointed at a hologram map in the middle of the room. “Gather as much intel as possible before going in. If there is sign of you being compromised, you need to vacate and do not engage. If there is endangerment to any of their lives before you have enough information to go in, as hard as it may be, do not engage.” Fury articulated his instructions very carefully and clearly. “Is that understood?” He asked. “You got it.” Quinn glanced over at you. That was a hard pill to swallow. Do not engage, even with endangerment to their lives. “Understood.” You nodded, voice on the edge of cracking. “Briefing is finished, I want you both down in Banner’s lab for him to set you up with vital monitors. After that you suit up. Provisions and weaponry have already been loaded onto the jet for you. Departure in T minus one hour.”

 “Why is it always the neck?” Quinn grumbled, rubbing the sore open cut on the side of her neck. “You alright?” Your sister asked as she approached you, slinging her arm around your shoulders. “Hey, look at me.” She yanked you around to face her. “They’re gonna be fine, we’ll go in, stake it out for a few days and go in. It’ll be an in and out mission, before you know it we’ll be back home like nothin’ happened.” She tried her best to reassure you, but your brain was thinking too rationally for her optimism. Of all the organisations to have taken the boys, Hydra was by far the worst. They could be torturing them, trying to find a way to get the Winter Soldier back, perhaps even make all three of the boys into their assets. There was no telling what you were about to face.

 “Let’s get our boys back.” You frowned, turning to face the jet. You and Quinn walked hand in hand up the ramp into the jet. You glanced over your shoulder at the crew that had set it all up for you. You gave a quick wave off to them before Quinn pressed the button to close the hatch, leaving the pair of you alone in the jet.

 Quinn had chosen Led Zeppelin this time, the pair of you sitting in the cockpit of the aircraft as FRIDAY autopiloted to the destination for you. You pulled a little instant photo from the inside of your tac suit, the smiling faces of you and Bucky together on your first date two years ago. You couldn’t bare the thought of losing him. You weren’t sure you’d be able to carry on as an agent if you did. You weren’t sure you’d be able to carry on period.

 “Valhallaaa I am comiiiiing.” Quinn sang out of key next to you, causing you to smirk a little at her antics as she shuffled about in her seat. The dusky mountain ranges of Siberia coming into view, the peaks of them blanketed with a thick layer of snow. The landscape was peppered with trees, the valleys dipping and running through the hills and mountains. Cold, icy rivers snaking through, leading you towards the total white canvas of Siberia as you passed over the slightly warmer front of the mountain range. It was like someone flicked a switch. A moment ago it had been mostly green and now that you were passed the mountains it was all stark white, like all the colour had been drained from this part of the world. The sun dipped close to the horizon. It was getting dark already and it would be dark for hours again until the next day when the sun would only rise for a few hours, if even that.

 “Landing in approximately eight minutes.” FRIDAY announced, prompting you to straighten yourself up, tuck your photo of Bucky away and strap yourself in.

 “Who’s that?” Bucky asked, pointing over at a pair of girls at the far side of the briefing room. You sat comfortably, fiddling with your favourite rifle as your sister talked your ear off, half mumbling what she was saying around a lollipop. “Quinn and (Y/n), twins, although you wouldn’t believe it, they’re like sugar and spice, total opposites but work so well together… Somehow.” Steve chuckled. “Sweet girls, fantastic field agents. Quinn’s excitable, very outgoing, good with explosives. (Y/n) is the quiet one, mechanic, skilled in both hand to hand and ranged combat.” Steve gave him a short run down. “She’s beautiful.” Bucky spoke under his breath, absolutely captivated by you as you sat on a seat in your full tac gear, loading up your rifle.

 You glanced across at the new arrivals to the room, Quinn falling silent for a moment as she sucked on her lollipop. “Hiya boys!” She winked, waving at them, eyes falling on Sam – her proclaimed favourite as he stood in the doorway. “You must be Sergeant Barnes.” You spoke quietly, getting up from your seat, gently placing your rifle down on the table before walking over to Steve and Bucky. “Bucky, name’s Bucky.” He said gruffly, holding out a hand for you to shake. “I’m (Y/n), that’s my sister Quinn.” You thumbed at her from over your shoulder. All you received from Bucky was a nod and a grunt as he shook your hand, but you didn’t mind.

 “Ready for your first mission, pal?” Steve asked. Bucky watched you pick up your rifle, clicking on the safety before you gave it one last check. “Yeah, think I am.” Bucky nodded, eyes not leaving your figure.

 You’d saved him on that first mission. Bucky wasn’t sure if you had just saved him from a group of unnoticed shooters, because he had been sure that day that you had awakened a feeling in him he hadn’t felt in seventy odd years.

 Bucky’s mind was on you and only you as he sat hunched over in his cell. He could see Steve in the cell opposite him. They were contained in some kind of reinforced glass cells. He’d tried everything to get out, but nothing worked. Bucky looked away as he heard a body being dragged down the corridor, Sam being thrown back in his cell. “Him next.” The lab coat clad scientist pointed at Bucky’s cell as the guards approached. No, no please not again. Please. Bucky squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his jaw, every muscle in his body going rigid as they stood outside of his cell door. “Gas him first.” The Hydra agent ordered. No, no, no. Don’t forget, don’t you fucking forget her. Bucky plead with himself, forcing his mind to stay focused on you.

 Agent (Y/n) (L/n), SHIELD operative, sweetest girl alive. Met March twelfth two thousand and seventeen. Best friend, lover, girlfriend. She’s your entire world. Do not forget her.

 A tangy smell invaded Bucky’s nostrils and he almost gagged as the gas hit the back of his throat. Not again, please, not agai-. And everything went black.

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Permanent Tags: 

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[roswellroamer]

Day 12. February 10, 2020. Te Anau day ride. 155km.

Woke to low 40's and gray which made me question the Carrot and Weather Channel apps which had shown 72° and sunny. But closer inspection revealed a marine type layer probably due to the massive lake's shores which was projected to burn off by 11. The kitchen came stocked with farm fresh eggs, bowl of assorted fruit, milk, butter, juice, yogurts, cereals. We set about making some eggs and toast and then of course after finishing off yesterday's blog we grabbed the two frisbees and the "golf course diagram" and headed out. A half life sized chess board on the sprawling manicured lawn provided the tee for the first hole. All the bikes were truck tires with the hole number painted on the rubber. Got to explore their grounds and have some fun tossing the 'bee. We then got into our GoreTex gear and headed towards Milford Sound after a CalTex has stop in town. Knowing we couldn't get to Milford due to road closures/flooding we were aiming for a swing bridge made of three cables. One for your feet and one for each of your hands that spanned the west branch of the Eglinton River. It was featured in one of the NZ touring books I had bought last summer. We saw that the trail sign to identify the turn off was the Earl Mountain turnoff and headed that way. We wound a bit away from the water and gained some elevation and then came to a construction zone. Not being sure if this was related to the recent flooding we got in mine behind a few cars and waited. Maybe less than ten minutes and the opposing truck, bus and camper passed us then we were allowed to proceed. Usually the 120km up to Milford takes over two hours due to the heavy traffic. Top tourist destination in NZ, one road in and out. Lots of buses and cars jockeying to get parking at the roadside attractions. One huge benefit of having the road closed about 75km ahead was that there was hardly any traffic! Great road and scenery as jagged Teton-esque peaks wound into view between the nearly sheer yet forested canyons as we gained elevation. After passing through a few more, wait, take a wild guess... sheep farms 🐑 we came to a diversion. Funneled into a lane off the road to what appeared to be a toll booth, explained to the gal we were in search of a cable bridge off the Earl Mtn. Trail before the closed section. She allowed us to pass. So far so good.

You can tell when you enter Fiordland NP. Sure, there's a sign off to the left (but placed behind a farmer's field/fence so inaccessible for a reasonable picture). But immediately farmland disappears and you are envelopes in the eery dense tunnel of what seems to be darned close to tropical forest. With the 21 feet of annual rainfall being lush shouldn't be a surprise but the immediate drop off in brightness is dramatic as well. Almost like going in a cave. There are some open "flats" but much of the area along the one road there is heavy forest. The other concern for vehicles but especially bikes involves the encroaching algae/moss on the roads. Two tire tracks are largely clear of it but the center of the lanes and the road as well are mostly a bit greenish with the slippery stuff. Lots of "slippery when wet" signage and it wasn't for the Bon Jovi album. I imagined it could be taxing to stay in the worn and clear tire tracks on one of the 250 rainy days. With clear blue sky and dry along with no traffic, the 55,65 and 75kph turns were superb sweepers and we had a ball carving up that road. One of the stops was at Mirror Lakes. Aptly names and even though a couple of fish had disturbed the surface, the pics are keepers. We rode up into Fiordland a ways and then there was the Earl Mtn. sign. We pulled in to the parking area and saw the line of yellow tape across the entrance to the trail. Also no other vehicles were there. The sign said it was closed and also had a few poison signs around the lot. They described the poison that was dangerous to animals and people to attempt (as is often done here) eradication of a non-native predator. In this case it seemed to be some sort of weasel that was endangering a bird that lived on the ground. We had discussed this cable swing bridge and yellow tape and warnings weren't gonna stop us! We worked around the tape and stepped into a dense forest trail. The first 10 minutes took us along an occasionally muddy trail. Tons of tree roots. Most of the deep mud had sticks or small logs tossed in to provide steps but a few ill advised steps resulted in 6" plunges and lovely boot pulling sucking noises to dislodge my Alpinestar SMX-6 from the muck. Then found my way down a thirty foot hill by treading solely on exposed tree roots from one tree! (Pic above) After that, following the well marked red triangular plastic blazes into the heart of Frodo land, the forest was a magic pliant spongy floor. It took a while to figure out that about 6-8" of moss has somehow grown over a network of interconnected tree roots. When I stepped, the entire ground in a five foot radius would give in and move a bit. It was weird and beautiful. After another 10' we heard the Eglinton River and were blocked by some fallen trees and yellow tape. A work around brought me to the river just above the cable swing bridge. A very large tree had fallen on the bridge from our side and collapsed it. Instead of a V shape, the 3 cables were mostly flat but still spanning the river. Ugh. No go. Managed to work our way with some difficulty through the dense brush to get close enough for a pic on the first rung of the bridge which was also the last possible one to reach due to the tree and damage. Pic above. There was a cute little bird on the ground by the bridge remnants. He seemed happy to see us. Wasn't afraid of people evidently as he strutted about watching us, walking under the branch I was balancing on without flying away. He seemed to enjoy company. Said goodbye to my new friend 🐦 and found the blazes trail which included a half dozen improvised detours to avoid deep muck. Scaled up the root ladder which must have been connected to Eywa as the whole forest seemed a bit magical. 🌳 One couple was following our lead to enter the forbidden enchanted forest as we exited. They were disappointed to hear the wire bridge was out. The entire trail from there is about a three hour hike.

I must comment that tons of serious hikers (trampers in local speak) come here and cover long distances. Temps are good. Views and scenery fantastic. None of those deadly spiders and snakes one may encounter across the Tasman Sea in Oz. I get it, just don't love hiking that much to spend days or weeks doing it. This area shows why Peter Jackson used it for LOTR. Nearly pristine and just overwhelmingly stunning. With boots and Klim pants properly mud coated, we were now sweating quite a bit. In fact while holding my Latitude jacket I believe I finally lost my first set of reading glasses on this ride. I have a couple spares but oh well. Think they fell out as I was scaling some of the hill or tree root sections. 👓 I opened up all the vents on my jacket and pants and started the bike to stand and let the 65° breeze do its job. Turned around a couple kilometers further at Lower Holyford Rd. as the heavy machinery was at work. Estimated repair on the sign said that the road would reopen on Friday, four days from now. We stopped a few times on the way back for scenic spots that were too good to pass by. One of the files above is the .gif of some chopper footage. Stopped to watch him load and fly away with a few tanks of what may have been fuel? Most likely bound for Milford Sound which was still isolated from the rest of the country's road system. On one of the last stops Ted must've not closed his bag since when we pulled into Te Anau town center his right saddlebag/pannier was open! Ba quick inventory revealed his polartec jacket and a plastic bag with a wipe were missing. The chain lube that Kiwi gave us as well as a helmet lock were still in the pannier. Those darned side opening clamshell designs! I said I'd get a table at the Ranch outside and wait for him to hopefully retrieve his stuff. I showed him how to flip up on the iPhone to reveal exactly where that last pic was taken. He was just putting on his helmet when a white car pulls up. A guy walks out and hands him his stuff! So lucky. They are bikers and saw his stuff and followed us into town. Nice. After some thank you a they drove away and the day got even brighter. The Ranch delivered me a couple Cokes and an interesting prawn twist dish. 8 shrimp individually wrapped in a long thin dough sheet and fried so the whole 8" long finger is edible and 3 sauces to dip accompanied the serving. Then a calamari salad. 😊 Back to the homestead for some blogging (so I won't fall asleep tonight trying to get this down) and rest before we scored a reservation at the top place in town. The Redcliff cafe. Ted was here last year and unable to get in! We rode to town and were walking down the street when Ted recognized the Aussies who returned his stuff at lunchtime. We turned around and flagged them down. They were perfectly willing to join us for a thank you beer and had a nice time talking with them. They were riders but here to scatter ashes of a friend up north and had received money and were encouraged to make a great trip out of it. They had been to Burt Munro as well. Our appointed hour arrived and we were seated on the back porch of the Redcliff cafe. A few tables of Americans nearby and some conversation with a California couple by us and an excellent meal. I had a salmon tartare dish followed by venison which was amazing and a date and ice cream dessert which were each remarkable. Redcliff did not disappoint. Probably the biggest culinary splurge of the trip. Even with a couple drinks my total ended up being just over $50 and it would've been 50% more for that same meal at home. Had a great evening and got back to the homestead in dusk around 10. Ready to roll northward tomorrow. 😴

[brianandthemays]

Love is a Polaroid (Roger Taylor x reader) Part 9

A/N Let’s talk! Send me some asks with some cute Roger x reader concepts! I’m rlly enjoying writing their relationship!

SEND ME AN ASK OR COMMENT AND PLEAAAAAAASE REBLOG!

Of course major shout out to @sweet-ladyy for reading and editing my fic! She’s absolutely amazing and you should check out her fics (Especially Matters of the Heart!)

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: Fluff, Stress, A little Angst, lots of fluff tho...

Other Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 

_____________________________________

After that, Roger made it his purpose to woo in you in any way that he could. He took you on romantic dates, walks in the parks, even surprising you by showing up randomly when you got out of class. Everywhere you went now, he was certain to take a Polaroid of your adventure together. He threw himself into your relationship, and honestly? It was the best feeling in the world. No one else had ever treated you like this before and it was a nice change. 

The first time he surprised you, he could not have shown up at a better moment. You had just had a test that you had been studying for weeks. You had spent many nights that week with Roger on the phone while you studied, listening to his words of encouragement as you struggled to stay awake. 

               “You’ve got this, babe,” he told you. “Only a few more chapters then bed, you need to sleep.” 

You shook your head, even though you knew he couldn’t see you. “I don’t need to sleep I need to--” you interrupted yourself with a yawn. “I need to study.” 

               “If you don’t put that book away, I’ll come over and close it myself,” he threatened. 

               “Hmmm, all the more reason not to put it away.” You smirked, sleepily giggling at your own remarks. 

You heard him chuckle over the phone as you turned the page onto another chapter in your textbook. 

That was two nights ago, and he had stayed up with you on the phone all night and made sure you actually got sleep. Now you were trudging out of the exam, feeling exhausted but content with the work you’d done. You slipped down the steps outside the building and your eyes met. Your mouth dropped as his smirk appeared and then you were running towards him. Not only because it’d been a few weeks since you last saw him in person, but because he was actually there. In person. For you. He caught you easily in his arms, laughing gently as he wrapped his arms tightly around you. You nuzzled your face into his chest, taking in the scent of his cologne. 

               “What on earth are you doing here?” you questioned, craning your head up to look at him. 

He smiled at you and pressed a soft kiss to your lips before responding. “I’m here for you, silly.” 

               “But… why?” You breathed out, gripping onto his biceps, still not quite believing he was there. 

“Well, I knew you were stressed about this test today,” he began. “And I was going to surprise you tonight, at the pub. But I got here early and thought why not.” 

You gazed at him, wondering how on earth you got so lucky.  You leaned up and pressed another kiss to his lips. Despite the private moment, the whispers of the students around you suddenly made you painfully aware of the public setting. 

               “Is that Roger Taylor?” 

               “Isn’t he in that band?” 

               “Who’s that with him?” 

               “She’s no one.” 

               “She’s not even that pretty.” 

Hearing the whispers, you took a step back from him, glancing around hesitantly. Roger followed your gaze for a moment before slipping his hand down to grasp yours. He tugged on your hand slightly, cocking his head away from there. You nodded, letting him lead you away from the stairs and the peering eyes. 

You lead him around your campus, showing him all the different buildings and sites, you could. But it seemed wherever you went, the eyes followed. Watching you and him as you talked and wandered around the campus. You’d never had so much attention. Not just from Roger, but from the other students. You tended to blend into the background, the most you spoke to anyone besides Freddie was at the pub. But now, it was like you were an animal at the zoo. Eyes goggling at you and him like you were some sort of attraction. 

Eventually, Roger dragged you behind a building, hopefully away from the eyes. He pressed you against the wall and you saw where this was going. 

               “Thanks for the tour but I’d really rather be doing something else,” he quipped, putting his arms on either side of you face, trapping you between his body and the wall. 

               “C’mon, we’re in public…” You pressed on his chest trying to get away from him, but he just moved closer his body now flushed with yours. 

               “No one’s watching.” He pressed his lips against yours, hard. You reciprocated because as much as you were afraid of the eyes, the way his lips felt against you were way too convincing. He parted your lips and massaged his tongue against yours. Everything disappeared when you kissed. Wherever you were at any time, when his lips were on yours it was like you were on your own planet. You moved your hands up to tangle in his hair, pulling slightly and savoring in the groan that came out of his mouth. You hummed, pressing his face closer into yours. 

It was this casual intimate side of your relationship that you craved so much. You loved being swept into his arms and kissed until you can’t breathe. You so rarely got it with Roger, since he was so far from you that these moments meant the world to you. 

               “Hey! You two!” 

You broke away from Roger and looked over to see a professor from the school walking down the back of the building towards you. You cursed under your breath and push Roger gently away from you. You took a breath and smiled charismatically towards your professor. 

               “Hello Professor!” you greeted. 

He did not return your smile. “Ms. (L/N), I certainly was not expecting to see you here.” You chewed on your lip, looking down at your feet as he continued. “I expect you know the rules about PDA on campus.” You nodded, still looking down at your feet, feeling your cheeks heat up. “Then you won’t be offended when I ask you to please take this elsewhere.” 

               “No, sir. We’ll be going,” you responded finally looking up. You took Roger’s hand, who was surprisingly quiet during this whole ordeal, and started walking away. 

               “And Ms. (L/N),” Your professor had a grim line pasted on his face as he looked at you with disdain. “I’m disappointed with you.” 

You nodded curtly, in response, not trusting yourself to speak. You’d never been in trouble with a teacher before. You felt Roger’s hand tighten in yours and you turned around and walked away without even looking at him. 

Somehow, you ended up at Roger’s car, parked not far from campus. You hadn’t spoke the whole way. You knew that you were being sensitive, and maybe overthinking the interaction too much but your professors disappointed gaze wouldn’t leave your mind. 

               “You want to talk about it, love?” Roger finally broke your silence, coming to stand in front of you. 

He wouldn’t understand your problem. Your constant hesitation to every step of your relationship. You knew that deep down that eventually he’d get tired of your problems. You were too sensitive to everything. If he wanted, he could dump you and girls would line up to take your place. So instead of answering, you just shook your head, sitting on the hood of his car. 

               “He’s just a stuck-up professor, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” he reasoned, splitting your legs and coming to stand between them. 

               “It’s okay, Roger, I promise.” You brought a hand up to cup his face. 

               “But are you okay?” He raised his eyebrows at you. You smiled at him, but the smile was forced. 

               “Yeah, I’m okay,” you insisted. “I just want to forget about it.” 

Roger smirked at you. “Well I think I can help you with that.” He leaned forward and captured his lips on yours. You sighed into the kiss willing yourself to forget the past and on what was happening right then. To forget about what might be and just savor the feeling on your lips right now.

Another time, you decided to go to one of his gigs. To get all dressed up in your best clothes and show Roger that you knew how to have a good time. The only problem is, you didn’t really know how to have a good time. So, after a pep talk and some clothing picks from Katharine, you set out to show Roger a completely different side of you. 

You arrived a few minutes late, due to the unpredictable traffic, and slide in the back of the bar. You were wearing skirt that was far too short, and a blouse that was far too tight and heels that were far too tall to be comfortable. The moment you walked in, you could feel dozens of eyes stuck on you and for a moment you froze. Then your reminded yourself who you were doing this for and mustered up all the confidence you possibly could and strutted across the bar. 

The band was already playing when you showed up so you doubted you could get to the front. So instead of trying to do that you found a nice bar stool and slipped on top of it. This pub was much bigger than the one you worked at and the stage a much further, but that didn’t stop you from admiring the band. 

Brian of course, wailing away on his guitar, his fingers seamlessly moving up and down the fretboard.  John Deacon, the newest member, played his bass with vigor, hopping around the stage to the beat of the song. The moment you found out that Freddie was the bands new singer had honestly been the best day of your life. You were worried enough about introducing him to Roger that when you realized they were already acquainted; it took a major load off your chest. He was a commanding force, somehow captivating every soul in the room with his powerful voice. 

Then your eyes fell on Roger and you couldn’t help the smile that came over his face. You’d never saw him happier or more alive than when he was playing his drums. You were breathless just watching him. You leaned back against the bar, holding a hand over your chest to enjoy the show. 

After the set was over, the band exited the stage to roaring applause. You cheered loudly, waving wildly at the band but only seemed to attract the attention of Freddie who smiled widely at you. He nudged Roger, who glanced over the crowd where he was point, his eyes squinted harshly in the dark. You rolled your eyes; he never remembered his glasses. But sure enough, his eyes met yours and his smile was blinding. 

               “You a Taylor fan?” a gruff voice next to you said. 

You looked over at the voice. It belonged to a man who seemed to be a good 10 years older than you. He was sitting uncomfortably close to you and his breath reeked of alcohol. You shifted away from him, sending him a polite smile. 

               “Um, yes. But I enjoy the whole band,” you replied sweetly. 

               “Yeah, you and half the women in this joint, “ He told you, ignoring the second half of your response. “If you’re looking for a good time tonight, I could show you.” His eyes began to wander down your body. 

Your eyes widened at his bluntness and you pulled your skirt down as much as you could.  You sputtered for a moment trying to come up with some reply to ward him off. He just chuckled and moved his arm around your shoulders. 

               “Don’t worry about it, babe, just relax.” He began to lean into you and practically fell off the barstool trying to get away from him. You stepped away, stumbling slightly and you fell  into the arms of another body. You whipped around to see Roger’s steely face looking over your head. 

              “Roger!” you yelped, holding onto his biceps. He didn’t reply and pulled you behind him. 

“Is there a problem here?” he growled at the man, who had stayed perched on his barstool. The man shrugged, leaning back again. 

               “Depends on who that girl is with,” he answered nonchalantly. You saw the veins in Roger’s neck tense. You saw where this was going and wanted to avoid it at all costs, so you tugged on his shoulder and brought his ear down to yours. 

               “Let’s go, please,” You murmured, regretting even coming tonight. 

He nodded, still not taking his eyes off the other man who rolled his eyes at the two of you and slouched off the barstool. 

               “Whatever, I can find a bitch like her anywhere.” 

You flinched and grabbed onto Roger to prevent him from doing anything rash. Instead of reacting, he grabbed your hand and pulled your roughly away from the bar. He pulled you backstage to a seperate room where the rest of the band was lounging. 

               “Darling!” Freddie announced, standing to come greet you.   

               “Hey, Fred.” You smiled, kissing his cheek as Roger walked away from you. 

               “You look amazing!” He winked at you and suddenly you felt sick. Freddie’s actions were playful but you knew that if you hadn’t dressed like this, if you hadn’t come at all, the situation at he bar wouldn’t have even happened. You smiled at him but didn’t respond. You greeted the rest of the band, hugging Brian and waving kindly at John. You looked over to where Roger was standing, He was looking at you, gripping the beer in his hand so tight his knuckles were turning white. Freddie shot you a glance and you waved him off as you made your way towards Roger. 

               “Hey…” You approached him cautiously. His eyes were still glued to you and you felt your cheeks turning red. “I’m… I’m sorry about all that…” 

He scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re sorry? Why are you sorry?” 

               “Well, you just seem upset so I thought--” 

               “You thought I was mad at you?” He raised his eyebrows. “Here you are, looking so fucking amazing, came to see my show, and you think I’m mad?” 

You looked down, confused by the situation. You studied the ground, trying to figure out what possibly could be bothering him. He reached a finger under your chin and raised so you were looking him in the eye. 

               “I’m mad, because that asshole thought he could touch you,” he explained, his face turning red with anger at the thought. “I’m mad because he made you uncomfortable and I wasn’t there to save you.” 

You laughed. You didn’t even mean to, but the laugh flew out of your mouth before you could stop it. 

               “Save me? What do you think I am? A princess?” You cupped his face gently. “I don’t need you to save me, Roger. But I appreciate the thought.” 

Now it was Roger’s turn to be confused. You smiled at him and pressed a kiss to his lips. 

               “He was not going to lay a finger on me I can guarantee that,” you assured him. 

He smirked at you, slipping an arm around your waist to pull you close to him. You shrieked as he all but pulled you off your feet to bring you flush against his body. 

               “Do you know how much I adore you?” he asked, pressing sloppy kissing all over your face. You giggled, looking up at him through your eyelashes, feigning innocence. 

               “Hmm, you may need to remind me,” you teased, wrapping your arms around his neck. 

               “You strut into this bar...” Kiss. “Looking like a fucking goddess...” Kiss. “Looking so goddamn beautiful...” Kiss. “and I just have no idea how I landed at girl like you.” 

You looked down at your outfit, feeling pride swell into your throat, creating a ball that threatened to burst.

               “You like it? I was nervous you’d think it’s too much,” you admitted, biting your bottom lip coyly. 

               “Like it?” He looked so deeply into your eyes that you thought you might melt under his gaze. He leaned into you, brushing his lips over the shell of your ear. “Love, if we weren’t in public, I would ravish you.” 

Your eyes widened as he nipped your earlobe before returning to your lips. Let’s just say after that, you started coming to more gigs wearing clothes that a were a little too tight. 

But your absolute favorite moments, were the ones where it was just you in him. Either at his place or yours, you’ll be lying in bed together, nothing sexual happening before or after, you’re just laying together enjoying each other’s presence. 

This week was the 4th month of the two of you making your relationship official and next week was the break between semesters in the spring. You had fallen asleep with your head resting on his chest, his arm wrapped tight around your shoulders, his hand thoughtlessly carding through your car.  You woke up to the sound of a camera and a bright flash going off in your face. You groaned and pushed your face further into his chest. 

               “Oh, I’m sorry, love!” he murmured, brushing his lips over your temple. 

You shook your head, rubbing your eyes with the heels of your hands before pushing yourself up onto your elbows. 

               “No, you’re okay.” You glanced over at the clock next to his bed. “I should be going soon anyways.” 

He pouted, rubbing a hand up and down your arm. 

               “Do you have to go?” 

               “Roger, we’ve talked about this.” 

               “Please stay.” His voice was so genuine, you almost wanted to stay. Almost. His bright blue eyes were laced with longing and hope that you might finally give in. You leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. 

               “You know I can’t, I have school tomorrow,” you replied, sadly. 

He groaned and covered his face with his hands. You patted his stomach before rolling off his bed and started to collect his things. 

               “When will I see you next?” He asked, rolling onto his side to watch you. 

               “I mean next week is break, we can spend the whole week together.” You smiled to yourself, thinking about being able to spend so much time with Roger. He furrowed his eyebrows at you. 

               “My parents are bringing me home… aren’t yours?” 

Your smile fell when he brought up your family. Your relationship with your parents was… tough to say the least. Your sister was the closest you got to real family anymore. Your college decisions created a rift in your family and you had barely talked to them since coming. 

               “Um… no, they’re not,” you turned your back to him as you tug on your jumper, well Roger’s jumper that you stole. 

You heard the creaking of the bed, signaling Roger’s approach to you. His hands came to rest on your hips as he moved part of your jumper so he could place soft kisses to the side of your neck and top of your shoulder. His voice was soft in your ear, his breath heavy on your skin. 

               “Why don’t you come home with me?”

 ________________

hope you liked it!

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[legion1993]

Weddings are Magical Moments

AN: this is part 3 and probably final part to this series… written in compilation with @icantlivewithyou‘s writting challenge. i hope this concludes the series nicely.  really really really super sorry this was late... life got really busy and i found i could not think of the ending... again super sorry about the late entry... hope this concludes nicely.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Prompt #43 “How did i manage to get the most beautiful girl in the world?”

summery: surprise!!!!

masterlist

~summer just after graduation~

the summer consisted of you and Draco finishing getting your apartment set up… it was a messy process, but the photos from graduation now hung on your walls, you didnt use magic to finish setting up your apartment except to reach the high stuff… 

Draco: “i can’t believe we defeated the dark forces and graduated all in the short course of a year… now we have started making this place more homey… but when do we want to do the most important task…”

you turned your attention on Draco as you went over to sit on his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck allowing your noses to collide… 

YN: “and which task is that love?”

Draco: “telling your family… any plans to see then this summer?”

YN: “no but im sure they wouldnt mind if i came for a visit…”

Draco: “what do you think if we went to see them in a few weeks? i mean we could spend about 2 weeks with them and then we will make sure to break the news of our relationship status during those 2 weeks. i just hope its alot smoother than telling everyone else.”

YN: “well if it helps babe, we will leave in a few hours, i am magically packing our things as we speak… if i know my parents and i do, they will bring over all the family that they can get in touch with once we tell them of the engagement. trust me, my family has part scottish and part spanish heritage so its gonna be alot of partying… are you sure you can handle that…”

Draco could only laugh at the thought of what meeting the family would mean… but he was excited by the opportunity. 

Draco: “as long as we are together we will be able to conquer anything. now lets get this show on the road… where do your parents live..”

you had to smile, you had to take a deep breath before revealing your hometown… cause it wasnt the london house that you would stay in every summer with your uncle and aunt… it was elsewhere that your parents mostly lived..

YN: “barcelona… they live in barcelona…”

Draco: “can we get there by train?”

you nod your head and smile, you knew his little tricks, you knew how Draco’s mind worked, though you both had agreed to wait till you were properly married, this didnt mean you both couldnt make out passionately…

you felt his lips graze your neck, your only thought in that moment was of the bliss you felt with each of his kisses. after a very passionate make out session you both grabbed your bags, hopped a taxi all the way to the train station. 

you approached the ticket agent who was nice enough to tell you the time your train would depart, arrive, and even book you guys a ride once there… you both were grateful. 

you both went to wait for the train, you decided to wander into the gift shop… Draco seemingly followed you, you were so lost in your own little daze that you didnt see Draco buying a small bracelet and necklace set for you… 

you went to the counter to spot Draco near papers and magazines. you chose a nice plain gold chain for your fiance. you hid it in your pocket when he met your gaze. 

Draco: “hey love ready to go meet our train?”

YN: “of course. lets go…”

you and Draco hand in hand with your luggage walked over to the train platform… the ride was gonna be 6 hours and 30 mins long. you and Draco would use that time to take a nap and figure out how you guys would tell you parents about the engagement.

the train arrived and was unloaded, your only hope was that with your soon to be family reunion that your parents would be totally understanding about why you hadnt brought Draco home sooner.

you and Draco found your own private stall, your own private stall in the 1st class car, you really get what you pay for… this was sure to make the ride more comfortable. you watched as Draco placed your luggage in the over head storage compartments and took his seat beside you. 

the train was loaded and ready to go in 15 minutes. lots of people, lots of background noise that was drowned out with a sound proofing spell… the only sound you both would be able to hear was the ticket man coming round to check the tickets. 

but before that would happen, you were staring out the window lost in thought. 

Draco: “Love… are you okay?”

you snapped out of it at the feeling of your fiance’s hands on your own.

YN: “of course i’m just trying to figure out the best way with which to approach my parents about the engagement.”

Draco: “come on love, lean into me we will sleep on it, if the ticket checker comes around our magic will put the tickets in the box, they are sitting on the inner window of the door with a do not disturb on the door nob. the ticket man wont come in but he will do the check of the tickets from the look on the door. now lean into me love, we will do the best thinking while we dream.”

you did as Draco suggested, it was amazing how soothing the movement of the train could be, well it was a soothing 4 hours of rest till the train stopped at one of the stations along the route… this was the kind of layover thing that you really didnt expect… but you stirred and looked up at Draco who was still fast asleep.

you moved slightly and smiled as you exited your cabin heading for the washroom. your only hope was to get there and back before Draco would wake up…

you made it to the washroom and did what you wanted to do, before heading back you stopped at the snack cart picking up a small treat for the love of your life and heading back to your cabin. 

you entered to find Draco looking around having just woken up…  his hair a mess, his eyes barely open, you shut the door and went back to his embrace… 

Draco (sleepily): “what time is it?”

YN: “shh go back to sleep love we still have 2 hours till arrival… we will arrive soon! im still here just wrap your arms round me love, we will arrive soon! you will need all the energy and rest you can get before you meet my parents.”

Draco was already holding you from the moment you started talking, but he had passed out short moments ago… all you could think was how you were so lucky… but there it was you felt it, you felt a dark energy enter the train. 

you weren’t sure about what was actually happening, but you ignored the energy, you had no idea about what was about to transpire… you had no idea that someone from your past would soon make an appearance. 

Draco woke up an hour later, you decided that it was time to tell him the rest of the truth. 

Draco: “whats wrong love? you look more worried than before…”

YN: “i feel a presence, a force that i havent felt since before my years at Hogwarts. before i got my acceptance letter to hogwarts, my parents had arranged for me to marry another magic being, a young wizard who was always kind of a creep. last time i ever saw him was the day he tried to rape me… but the last thing i heard he had been told to appear before the ministry for use of the dark arts… but he had been cursing my name in front of the ministry… my parents after that stopped the arrangement, but everywhere i went for a while i felt this dark energy, this energy is the same kind i felt only but an hour ago… Draco what if he is here, what if he is hunting me…”

Draco: “babe, its okay if anyone with so much as a small bit of dark energy gets within 5 feet of you, i’ll fight by your side as i have now sworn to always do… do not forget we are the ones now engaged to be married. we are the ones that defeated the dark powers invading our school, we are the new professors at Hogwarts school… we have the power of love on our side, as long as we are together nothing bad will go wrong… now once we get to barcelona we will find our way to your parents place. then we will be safe…”

YN: “i hope your right babe…”

~arrival in Barcelona, Meeting the parents~

you and Draco hear the station name in both english and spanish, then you both grab your bags and get off the train… you knew the way home so you decided to hail a bicycle taxi which conversation goes like this.

Taxi Driver: “where to guys?”

YN: “YLN manor…”

Taxi Driver: “how do you know the YLNs?”

YN: “i’m their daughter…”

the driver immediately cut all the cost of the ride…

taxi driver: “my apoligies mi’lady i’ll cover the cost of the ride, dont worry about a thing you and your man just relax and enjoy the ride…”

YN: “dont worry about it, it will always be my pleasure to use your services…”

Taxi driver: “you honor me with your presence…”

the driver started driving, it was a very nice scenic ride, you were very happy to be home, you were also very nervous to introduce Draco to your parents. but showing him the way to your spanish home, something about this made things feel right…

Draco: “this is a breath taking sight, but not as breath taking as the first time i saw you…”

YN: “it is beautiful, i cant wait to give you the entensive tour of the grounds… the rose garden, the rest of the house, the maze, my room!”

Draco: “your family sounds loaded… why do you not take advantage of it?”

YN: “cause i like being independant… now lets relax and enjoy the barcelona sights…”

the ride lasted another 30 minutes before arriving outside the gates of your property, you and Draco got off the cart pulling off your luggage turning to the taxi driver… you hand him a $15 tip, he looks at you confused..

YN: “keep it you deserve it… trust me your only the best taxi driver ive ever had bring me up here… thank you so much for all you do…”

the taxi driver went on his way grateful for the kindness shown, you went to the intercom and pressed the call button…

helen: “yes?”

YN: “i’m here to see the lord and lady of the house…”

Helen: “ill let you inside…”

the gates open, you and Draco walk through the gate, you wait to make sure it closes behind you guys before continuing your walk to the door… the door doesnt open right away but you wondered if anyone would even recognize you… 

the door opened at your steps, joys of a magical house… you and Draco entered and the sounds of 2 sets of footsteps echoed growing closer and closer… till you heard your name being called…

Sophie (mom): “YN, YN darling is that you?”

Brandon (dad): “is that my little girl?”

YN: “mom, Dad it is me…”

your mom and dad immediately surrounded you with hugs and love… Draco stood there and let you have a few moments with your parents… then the real conversation began…

You backed out of your parents embrace and into the open embrace of Draco…

YN: “mom, dad this is Draco Malfoy… he is my man…”

Draco: “it is an honor to meet the people who brought such an amazing woman into the world and allowed her to go to Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry…”

Sophie (mom): “its an honor to meet you Draco… my name is Sophie…”

Brandon: “its an honor to meet the man who seems to have won the heart of my charming daughter… my name is Brandon… come on in you guys… why didn’t you let us know you were coming pumpkin…”

YN: “i wanted to surprise you guys, i knew you guys were here cause i did a magical check-in… you are gonna love hearing about my final year… this is gonna be one crazy story, but it also leads into my starting to date Draco…”

Sophie (mom): “well lets have Helen take your bags to one guest room and we will have a nice sit down in the living room…”

you and draco follow your parents to the living room…

YN: “place looks the same still… i missed it here…”

Sophie(mom): “and we missed having you here… now you appear and dont even write… like this is crazy… and you show up now with a guy! please darling please explain…”

you and Draco sat on the love seat across from your parents as you began to explain in a little bit of detail the story of what happened and how you met Draco…

YN: “well the story goes like this: me and Draco started at Hogwarts at the same time, he was in my year… we had this kind of rivalry especially in quiddich but thats besides the point… the rivalry was famous, it did wonders for the schools publicity… but during our 3rd year i started being a magic tutor, it was mostly slytherins that needed the help, by the way, that is what house Draco belonged to… but he started to be gentler once i started tutoring him. we started growing closer but didnt admit our feelings till 2 years ago, we hid from public eye ever chance we got to steal a few moments alone… there was a kick our birthdays are within a week of eachother… it was a kick in the pants when the summer before graduating year showed great promise, we had just turned 18 yay for us… we met in hogsmede great minds think alike so we had a butterbeer together but his father and some followers of voldemort showed up at the three broomsticks, it was a scary situation… we booked it out of there and to the alleyway behind grand central station in london… and the feelings came out, from there on we snuck around alot more, before then it had only been the moments before and after quidditch and during the summer, and the moments during the tutoring sessions… the school year started with a moment in the shared slytherin/ravenclaw quidditch captains tent… it was the only lone moment before the school was under attack, we were summoned as house prefecs to the great hall where we were told that the dark forces were entering the school ground, trying to break down the barrier, voldemort and his forces invaded the school, no students were harmed, many teachers were hurt, we only had 2 casualties but voldemort got vanquished but not before voldemort killed Dumbledore… there was only so much that people could do… but after the order of the phoenix and the ministry got there Draco’s parents were disarmed by me and Draco but then were arrested by the order… the school which was semi-destroyed got repaired… the year went on as normal as could be… we didnt loose any students… Professor McGonigal stepped up as the headmistress of the school, i stepped into her position for the classes that she taught that wasnt mine… but Draco stepped in to help fill the position of wherever he could be helpful…”

you had to take a breather, you had basically been taking none stop… tears had been spilling, Draco’s hands on your own as he took over speaking…

Draco: “Sophie and Brandon, during the beginning of the battling i got up to address the school, kind of a we will survive this mess type of speech… and i confessed to the entire school of my feelings for your daughter… naturally the school was amazed but a little shocked, it became the next chapter in our love story… sir, madame, i know that she has already said yes but i still want to ask your permission will you guys allow me the honor of having your daughter’s hand in marriage?”

your parents no sooner had shocked looks on their faces, but there are many ways this could go, your mother now had a look of ‘omg yay!’… your father had just a plain look of ‘omg’… 

Sophie (mom): “i give my blessing… Brandon? what do you think?”

Brandon (dad): “well this is certainly quite the ordeal that you guys have been through, but love builds up through even the smallest things, you know when your mother and i met we were from different houses too… love takes time to bloom into a force more powerful than anything… i too give my blessing on this union… so you guys got engaged at school, during the battle… what a time to do that… but still i suppose live in the now is still a thing… congratulations daughter may your years live long and prosper…”

~celebrate with a healthy horse race~

your father snapped his fingers and champange appeared in all of your hands…

Brandon (dad): “Draco i havent known you very long and i look forward to the day i do, but i have observed how you are around my daughter and i happily approve this union… how are you both feeling?”

You and Draco looked at eachother and smiled lightly…

YN: “we slept on the train ride over, we are pretty good right now… do you guys still have the barn?”

Brandon (dad): “ah my little girl wants to race me again?”

YN: “oh dad when are you gonna learn that you will never beat me?”

Brandon (dad): “apparently never… shall we daughter?”

You got up and followed his gesture with Draco and your mother on your heals…

YN: “of course father!”

arriving at the barn you entered to find your star horse munching on her hay… but when you walked in and called her name she looked at you and let out a happy neigh… 

YN: “hey girl, i missed you too… Draco come meet my baby…”

Draco came up beside you as you stroked your horses nose…

YN: “draco, meet Lyla… Lyla this is my Fiance Draco…”

Lyla approached Draco and nudged his hand, he started to pat her nose… you smiled lightly, you were so hopeful that everything would work the way you wanted it to during this race… like so many times before you would beat your father in the maze race… the hardest track with which to race… 

Sophie (mom): “i have an idea how bout we go in pairs for this race… i go with your father and Draco can go obviously with you YN honey… what do the competitors think?”

you and your father exchanged a look and then turned back to your horses…

Brandon (dad): “sounds fine to me…”

YN: “lets see how well this goes… same rules as usual Dad?”

Brandon (dad): “wands are only for emergency use, this is purely relying on pure riding skill only… Draco, better watch closely for one day you might have to race against me in a singles match…”

Draco: “i look forward to that day…”

you finished grooming your horse and putting on the sattle… then you slid into your riding boots… 

YN: “have you ridden before draco?”

Draco: “a few times, not as often as you it seems… but no matter, we will have a nice healthy race…”

YN: “its not all fun and games… its also not a nice healthy race either… its a vital race that happens at least once every 1-2 years… this is just a little competition between father and daughter, we dubbed it a tradition… but my goal is to remain champion… it gives me sweet perks throughout the year… like little gifts appearing around me, within my things etc… its really sweet…”

Draco came up and gave you a kiss on your forehead, your only trait wrong was your inner demons… you had been feeling them more and more since arriving back on spanish soil… 

Draco felt you shudder beneath his embrace and pulled your chin to face him… 

Draco: “your trembling love… are you sure your up to this?”

YN: “of course… just dont let me fall if i start to…”

Draco: “never… now get up there and lets show your parents what a winning team looks like.”

you got on Lyla first, then helped Draco get on behind you… Your father and mother did the same thing… it was a nightmare… you had no idea how you were supposed to explain your feelings…

Brandon(dad): “lets make this interesting… winning couple gets to have our nicest private room in the barcelona hot spring resort for 2 nights… its gonna be a nice weekend getaway for the people who win that… now  does that sound fair?”

YN: “yes on your mark…”

Brandon (dad): “get set…”

YN: “go…”

you and Lyla took off, Draco holding on as tight as possible… he smiled as you let out a war cry that sounded like something out of hercules legendary journeys or something… (***lol one of my current watchlist***)

anyway, your father and mother were not far behind but you rounded the first corner, and took off at high speeds…

Draco: “hey love, this is beautiful, lets take a walk through here later…”

YN: “you think its beautiful now, wait till nightfall its even prettier…”

Draco started kissing your neck gently, you keep your speed increasing not letting up till the entrance to the maze, where as per tradition you slowed down a bit as to not get hurt or run into anything…

Draco: “this is a-maze-ing!!!!”

You started to giggle, but then silenced your self…

YN: “be extra careful with your vocal tones this maze can send echo’d vibrations of vocals if they are too loud… this route is the one i take its clearly marked with symbols only to be seen by my magic’s eye, my father did the same thing… it is how we trained our horses on which path to take…”

Draco: “understandable… but as long as we are speaking calmly and quietly, what kind of wedding do we want?”

you were not startled but a little surprised at the question…

YN: “something obviously to reflect who we are… how do you feel about a wedding at hogwarts just before the students leave on christmas break?”

Draco: “of course we could use the great hall, all the students, teachers and guests can attend the great hall is probably one of the biggest spaces in the entire school.”

YN: “this will probably shock my parents, but i know there will be some people from my family that will not agree with us on where we decide to hold our wedding but we can count on one thing, that is my parents insatiable appetite for trying to over help with everything…”

Draco: “control freaks eh…”

You nod as the exit to the maze comes into view… you clicked your tongue and felt the wind blow… you knew that your parents were no longer far behind… you and Draco made it out of the maze this sent a shockwave to your parents… your father knew instantly that you had made it out of the maze, but he also knew he had to follow the rules..

Brandon: “Sophie do you think our little girl is gonna be okay? i mean i can see the change but i’m not sure what to entirely make of it…”

Sophie: “well she does seem happy and they do look good together. she wouldnt have brought him home unless she was absolutely sure…”

Brandon: “should we tell her?”

Sophie: “soon we just got her back under our roof, but if we dont tell her before they leave our sted, he will surely come for her…”

Brandon: “do you really think he will, i mean he hasnt set foot back on our property since that day…” 

Sophie: “look dear the exit, hurry lets catch up to our daughter and future son-in-law…”

you and Draco were almost half way round the final bend when you felt a shockwave, your father let out his war cry, it made you look back, you urged Lyla to go faster, as you finished your final round of the hill…

you stood at the top waiting till your father and mother reached the mid way point on the hill, before you urged Lyla in a charge motion with which to pass your parents on their assent of the hill… that is exactly what happened… the look on your father’s face was priceless, works every time… 

Draco: “that was some hardcore stare down…”

YN: “happens every single time we race.. its nothing new… just a little healthy shock your parents, type thing.. now lets win that trip, it will be a nice stay before we head back… plus i was hoping to take you there…”

Draco: “some nice relaxing fun with my fiance sounds like a momentous occasion, was your dad acting a little weird?”

You turned slightly to look at Draco as you both ducked beneath the apple trees…

YN: “you noticed that too… i thought it was just me that noticed…”

Draco: “i hope he doesnt have alterier motives for putting that getaway as the reward…”

you suddenly had to think about this, you were so sure that something had been wrong from the moment your father upped the race stakes… you had never heard him talk that way before…

another shockwave hit, this time it wasnt from the race… you stopped lyla and turned around…

YN: “somethings wrong…”

Draco: “i feel it too… your horse and grounds mi’lady, what do we do?”

YN: “take out your wand and be ready to shoot anything that doesnt look like what we have just ridden through…”

you also drew your wand out of your boot, pulling the reigns Lyla turned around and spoke…

Lyla: “whats wrong? i thought this was a race why are we turning around…”

Draco: “love your horse is talking…”

YN: “did i forget to mention that? oops… yes Lyla something is wrong we just arent sure what just nice and steady down the path Lyla we dont know whats wrong yet…”

Lyla started slowly back down the trail, you and Draco keeping your eyes open for anything suspicious…  you both then heard it, the distant sound of spells being cast… 

you urged Lyla to go faster, you and Draco with your wands ready cast your disarming charm at the same time to the 2 men standing over your parents… you both then got off your horse and stood with wands ready.

YN: “turn around slowly and back away from my parents…”

the 2 guys turned slowly but only one of them spoke…

Trevor: “its good to see you again YN… i see you have returned from school… long time no see…”

YN: “Trevor… back away from my parents.. leave this property before i send you back to the ministry dungeon for obstruction of rules…”

Trevor: “relax i heard you were back in town i figured we should talk…”

YN: “back away from my parents then talk quickly… then ill let my fiance decide what happens to you after that…”

Trevor and his friend now backing away from your parents as they got off the ground and poofed back to the house… you and Draco now stood blocked them from being able to approach the house. 

Trevor: “i gather that the twit beside you is your fiance…”

Draco: “who are you calling a twit asshole…”

Trevor: “YN this guy has a mouth to him… you really picked a charmer… now how bout you guys let us inside and we wont hurt you both…”

Draco: “hey buddy back off, the lady said speak and then let me decide what to do with you…”

You were appauled that he would dare to show his face after all those years ago when he tried to rape you… but he would never get that far this time not with Draco still guarding you…

YN: “Trevor you dare to show your face here after all the pain and turmoil that you pretty well caused me… you got some nerve… Draco dispose of them…”

Draco: “with pleasure my love… then we shall go see if your parents are alright…”

Draco and Trevor now at odds, you were kinda turned on by Draco’s sudden take on a hero verses jealous villain type thing… it was the moment where the knight would keep the princess behind him and face off with the person who was trying to get at her… this case that was true..

Draco: “you leave her be, leave now and i wont defy every bone in my body telling me not to kill you right now…”

Trevor: “you know i would leave but im starting to get really turned on by how hot she looks today, cowering behind you, the way her eyes sparkle in the light of the sun…”

Draco (spell casting): “Sectumsempra”

you watched in delightful horror as Draco now seeming to be enjoying his new magical freedom, aimed that at Trevor… as graduates and full fledged wizards you guys could do magic as often as you like, just not in front of muggles. 

Trevor: “you little rat… Clyde get him…”

Clyde (spell casting): “Levicorpus”

you slowed time a bit and stepped right in front of Draco, unfroze time and let the spell hit you. you hung upside down, and you floated away from the fight… you were so scared, but watched intently as the next spell was cast…

Draco: “Nox”

the field and town went dark… then Draco helped set you back on your feet you both started running, you ran towards the maze… only you knew the way through… out of your family, only you were crazy enough to go into the maze in the dark. 

YN: “remember speak calmly… the walls still send echoes… ugh why is he… wait a minute… thats it…”

 you pulled out your phone and send a 911 Barcelona home to the order… you one response of on way… you were just supposed to hold out till they got there… within seconds you and draco were out of the maze… you guys made your way towards the barn… 

there you guys found Remus…

remus: “whats wrong?”

YN: “he is here, somehow he got out of azkaban… he had been in prison for the last 4 years, but thats because he had tried to rape me, my parents banished him from the grounds, ministry guards took him away i went to hogwarts that fall as though the incident hadnt happened. there were so many things wrong that school year, someone very special told me that he believed in all i could be, told me to believe in myself that things would get better. you know what i believed him, look at where i ended up. the way that life has worked out for me so far is amazing, if not for Draco’s encouragement i would have given up hope a long time ago… but this guy and his pal are dangerous… they need to be put away for a long long time… forever would be nice…”

Remus: “well i have order members searching the ground and Nymphadora is inside with your parents YN, she is explaining things to them as well as protecting them. my job is to stay close to you guys and hit these guys head on…”

YN: “don’t underestimate them, especially the one who calls himself trevor… that scumbag walked away from the sectumsepra… i was sure that he was done for… but that was not the case sadly… last time we saw them was just outside the maze… they followed us in to the maze i know that place like the back of my hand but for those guys odds are they are still in there… if you can tell the order members in the field to surround the maze and be wand ready ill lower the maze… its a simple spell that my parents use to mow the grass in the maze.”

once you had finished speaking Remus ushered you and Draco to the side out of direct view of the entrance to the barn… as footsteps came up the path, you were not sure of who was coming down the path but there was more than one set of steps coming. 

you huddled into Draco who was leaning against the wall… you then realized that there was no light in the barn…

YN: “alohamora..”

the barn lit up as the group of 6 people entered the barn, 4 order members 2 criminals. you breathed a sigh of relief. this was your downfall, you felt a pull away from Draco but as always you fought it. 

Trevor: “you little bitch, you and your skeeving little fiance are gonna pay dearly for this… we are the innocent not them…”

Remus: “silence, you evil skum, order take them to the ministry im sure they are missing some prisoners. ill follow shortly.”

the 6 people disappeared, Remus came over to you and Draco…

Remus: “children i expect to see both of you at the ministry/teachers luncheon the last saturday before school starts…”

Draco: “of course wouldnt miss it…”

YN: “thank you for coming to help with this… ive already sent a file on trevor to the minister they are not going anywhere… thank you again Remus…”

with that Nymphadora comes up beside Remus but not before giving you a homely embracing hug…

Nymphadora: “don’t worry about anything YN you and Draco will live a happy life together. be the greatest power couple to live. dont live according to what your parents have set for examples. make your own examples control your own destinies.”

YN: “i believe we still have a rematch in dueling to do… N..”

Nymphadora: “of course we do and we will get to it soon! once the ministry and the order stop being so hectic.”

you smiled and let her go back to Remus watching as they both disappeared. you went to Lyla and de saddled her and gave her a fresh bale of hay and a few carrots…

Draco: “don’t worry love those creeps will stay put this time… now lets get out of this night air as beautiful as it is, its a little chilly. lets go inside love.”

you and Draco hand in hand walk back towards the house, entering inside you both take off your shoes and head over to the kitchen… you wave your wand and 2 cups of hot chocolate were made… 

you shivered as you took off your sweater, Draco didnt shiver at all he also was dressed better than you…

Draco: “your shivering love, here go sit in the living room, ill bring the drinks.”

you went to sit in the living room, you could hear your parents who were upstairs in their room… it had been a trying day, quite frankly you were exhausted, you were sure that if Draco was smart he wouldnt want to marry into the family…

Draco came over a few moments later and set the hot chocolate on the table. he went to the couch and grabbed a blanket bringing it over to where you and he would be sitting. he opens the blanket and places it around his shoulders making sure that there was enough leyway to wrap you in it as well.. 

Draco: “are you gonna be okay?”

YN: “are you sure you still want to marry me after what just happened?”

Draco pulled you to lay your head in his lap the blanket enchanted by the love emitting off you and Draco fit itself around you guys to keep you both warm. 

Draco: “why would you say that… YN as far as i’m concerned your the best part of everything that i am. i wouldnt be the man i am today if not for you. why would you think i wouldnt want to marry you?”

YN: “i saw how you looked when you saw trevor and me exchange glares and words. you looked like…”

Draco: “like any guy would who just wants to protect his girl from a slimey self absorbed dick head. babe i would marry you right now if it was do-able. but we both know we have people who are waiting for us to say the word on the wedding date and location… i wouldnt trade what we have for anything. now just relax, when your ready we will go upstairs and cuddle like we normally would.”

you lay there in his lap and made a feble attempt to put those horrible thoughts of the events that took place out of your head. Draco kept petting your hair, you kept making sure to keep your thoughts pure and simple… you then pulled out your wand and started to design the Save the Date cards…

Draco watched you do this, he was impressed with the design, once finished you both stared at it with intent looks… 

Draco: “so does this mean we are officially sending these out…”

YN: “i mean the stationary will be better designed by magic and easier to replicate too… everything else can be hand picked no magic necessary… but the stationary will be cheaper and better quality if we do it ourselves with magic.”

Draco: “r u ready to go upstairs love?”

you nod leaving the design on the table… there are many things in this world that you feel extremely comfortable with but the way Draco had you sit up removing the blanket as he picked you up in a craddle and you guys made your way upstairs.

you pointed the way to your room, arriving inside you guys saw your bags on the chair and found your room hadn’t been changed… Draco put you back on your feet and shut the door. 

Draco: “looks like you live better here than at the paris house…”

YN: “not really, kinda but not really… i consider home not by what i have but where my heart is… but you have my heart so my home is now where you are.”

Draco:  “How did i manage to get the most beautiful girl in the world?”

YN: “you simply were a little terrible at school.”

Draco shut the door and playfully stalked towards you… 

Draco: “you know i can’t wait will we get married, i cant wait to see all of you, to be able to have all of you… to be able to say that i am no longer pure… to say that i gave myself to the girl of my dreams as she has given herself to me…”

YN: “draco darling that sounds like seduction in your vocal tones…”

Draco: “then lets live the passion we felt that day 2 weeks before the start of our final year.”

you snapped your fingers making you and Draco shift into your nightware… it was then like the night you guys spent together in london, making out, not caring, not stopping. 

that was the best sleep you had since well that night in london. you and Draco didnt care what time you fell asleep, as long as you both woke the next morning in eachothers embrace that was what truly mattered.

~*time jump* the rest of your stay with your parents in barcelona was fantastic, you and draco celebrated your engagement with a meet ‘n’ greet of the rest of your family… the dancing food music it was alot to take in. by the end of the 2 weeks you guys were ready to get back to your normal lives. as luck would have it when you both got back your teachers owls arrived at the same time. you both decided in a few weeks you would make a trip to diagon alley to do some shopping… and that is where we pick up our story…*~

you both flu power to diagon alley, you guys arrive and start doing your together and individual shops. it was apart of your tradition. it was alot more aparent now than ever the wizarding community didn’t care that you and Draco were together.

YN: “okay how bout we finish the shopping here then we look and see what the wizarding community has for wedding stuff… cause obviously we want some of our lives as wizards in the wedding right.”

Draco: “what about the wedding bands we could have the specially crafted… my father always used this store for all his accessory needs. come along.”

Draco leads you down to the lower side of the alley, you both looking around feeling many eyes on you. but you both stopped before entering the jeweller… 

YN: “why dont we go in love?”

Draco: “cause this man who runs this store was a follower of voldemort.. he was never really apart of anything but he was a low key death eater… i know cause he was often at family gatherings. we have to be very very careful… let me do most of the talking… just stay attached to my arm and be quiet unless spoken too.. i say this for your protection and mine love, not to be mean…”

you nod knowing that if Draco was right and he usually was this man could be especially dangerous. you clung to the arm of your fiance as you both walked inside. within 5 seconds of entering you both were approached by a man who looked to be in his mid to late 40′s maybe a bit older… 

Henry: “Draco, what a plesent surprise, come without your parents. havent seen them for ages how are they…”

Draco: “on their way to a ministry trial… they caused trouble at hogwarts tried to kill me and my fiance here, and attacked the school with voldemort who is now dead, voldemort killed dumbledore and now me along with my gorgeous fiance happen to be in town for some wedding browsing and school prep as we are 2 of the newest hogwarts professors.”

Henry looked shocked… like he had heard nothing about this… 

Henry: “i’m so sorry sir, i had no idea any of this had taken place. now what brings you both into my fine establishment this fine afternoon.”

Draco: “can we place the order for our wedding bands please.?”

Henry: “whats the date of your wedding sir?”

Draco: “december 20, 2020…”

Henry: “why start so early for the wedding collecting?”

Draco: “cause it will save us time in the long run. now can you help us or not?”

Henry: “of course if you guys don’t mind filling out some paper work for the bands and the engravings if any…”

draco nodded Henry went to grab the paperwork, you left Draco to go sit down at the table, you both knew that out of the 2 of you, your writing was the most legible.

Henry re appeared a few moments later with paper work. he placed it on the table in front of you…

Henry: “ive marked everything thats essential to the ring process… ive also marked the spots that need signatures or initials. please feel free to fill out the essential parts plus more if you wish. as much detail as possible when describing what you want done with the rings. please do not hesitate to ask questions.”

Draco sits beside you as you start filling out the form. you inputted as much information as possible, Draco simply drapped his arm around your shoulder as he leaned back in his seat. 

within 5 minutes you were just signing it for the final time… 

YN: “babe sign and initial where i did it is apparent that we both sign and initial this document.”

Draco did so, then brought the document to Henry… who looked it over very carefully, Draco brought you with him to the counter where Henry stood.

Henry: “well it appears everything is in order… how will you guys be paying today…”

Draco: “put it on my new personal tab as i no longer live at home.”

Henry: “very well Mr. Malfoy we will see you in a year…”

you and draco left the store in a happy happy daze, neither of you really caring too much about what the cost would be, this wedding was yours and you both intended to not let any superstition or anything like money stand in the way of having what you both wanted this wedding to be.

you and draco finished your rounds and went home. it was gonna be a long 2 weeks  to finish getting ready and lesson prep for school. you had to prepare what you would teach your students as did Draco… 

Drawing up lesson plans included having some fun mock-dueling. it was a great way to keep eachother on your toes. you both also happened to be the leaders of the schools dueling club. 

Draco: “lets drift into a world thats entirely our own as we binge watch random disney movies.”

~*you guys spent the next week and a half packing and watching iconic disney classics… Draco loved how you would sing every single song, every verse every word… he loved your voice, he loved listening to you sing. the week and a half flew by and soon it was time to travel to london to spend a few days with the order and the ministry. these next few days would include signing a few legal documents, getting the ministries blessing to marry, the orders blessing to marry and attending the teachers/ministry/order dinner before the start of school. the dinner went well, everyone made a toast to you and Draco calling you the heroes of hogwarts, swearing you guys in as professors, and socializing. then it was the day to board the train to hogwarts. of course teachers have to arrive earlier than students. duh… thats how it always works. taking the teachers train then the boats made you guys feel nostolgic, thinking of your first day of your first year at Hogwarts. but this time it was different. you both knew what to expect… or did you…*~

you guys stepped off the boats and walked up the hill to the entrance hall… using your wands you sent your luggage to your room, changing into your professor robes… you guys went to meet the teachers in the great hall… 

Minerva: “Draco, YN welcome back to Hogwarts, i hope you guys enjoy your first year as professors, this year we have taken precautions for any unexpected thing that could happen or befall the school. a repeat of last year will never ever happen again… the students arrive in  a few hours and then we will make our enviroment a magical experience. now teachers i invite you all to go set up your classrooms ill make the announcement when the students arrive.”

You and Draco remained behind to speak a few moments with Minerva… 

Minerva: “i have a special request for you both to have something formal on tonight.. the dinner is gonna be one to harold and don’t worry everyone will be here to witness…”

YN: “what exactly is harolding this evening Minerva?”

Minerva: “sorry dear its a surprise now off you both go, set up your classrooms, press your evening wear, make sure of your hearts and prepare speeches for tonight as well… it will be a momentous occasion.”

you and Draco walk off towards the hallway containing your classrooms. first stopping at yours… you entered looking around the room and thinking about design as you had done from the day you guys got these jobs… you guys had done design ideas for your classrooms… 

YN: “so i dont really want to change too much as i said, i still want to feel like i did when i taught here during graduating year… Draco i dont know which robe to wear tonight… she said formal, what the hell are we going to wear…”

Draco: “dont worry love, we will figure that out after we decorate our classrooms… now decorate your classroom love, something that reflects you and your teaching style.”

You walk into the center point of your classroom and close your eyes, you open your arms to the sides and the classroom transforms to a teal color, the stone straightens up the desks change to a navy color. your desk changes to a emerald green, with a ravenclaw logo on it… 

Draco came up behind you, he made sure to wrap his arms around your waist with a clear view on everything. 

YN: “just tell me its awful or too much and ill change it…”

Draco: “its hot…”

YN: “that also sounds like a heeping wad of seduction in your voice. just you wait till our wedding night, it will be a romantic occasion… though once we start we might not want to stop.”

Draco and you could only laugh as you both exited your classroom and headed for the D.A.T.D.A classroom (defense against the dark arts)… ~(*yes i had to abreviate but i also put what it means cause its fun!*)~

Draco and You walked in and remembered instantly your first official duel, it happened right here in the classroom under the guidance of RJ it was a exercise to see a few students skill levels. this was also where both you and Draco admitted to your individual selves of your feelings for the other. now here you guys are preparing for a wedding, your wedding.

Draco: “i know i need to make a choice so im just going to close my eyes and let the magic happen.”

You watched as Draco’s room turned into like minded shades of teal emerald green and black… it was a very draco like room. you spun around a bit and smiled… 

Draco: “that is much better more me and me when im with you.”

YN: “lets now go spend some time setting up our quarters, maybe have a small makeout session before the announcement of the students arrival is made…”

Draco: “if you were my wife already we would be making a baby by now…”

YN: “i’m surprised Draco Malfoy wants children…”

Draco: “of course i do now hold on tight… ill teleport us there…”

you hold onto Draco as he sends both of you to your new quarters. the shared room approved by the ministry, the school board and the order. you and Draco now had some time alone, finally being back at Hogwarts and not having to hide or sneak around.. 

After a few hours, the sun was finally setting  you and draco decided to find your outfits for the evenings festivities. 

Draco: “wear this one love, it’s as formal & professor like as anything else in your closet…”

draco used his wand to put the dress on you, you took your wand and used it to Bring out Draco’s suit…

YN: “wear this one babe, it will be especially handsome on you.”

Draco: “babe we will look amazing, now are you gonna put it on me or do i have to do it myself.”

you pulled out your wand and used it to put the suit on Draco. you both then stood by the mirror and starred at yourselves together all formal.

Draco: “we look like professors now…”

YN: “yes we do…”

Draco then held his arm towards you facing away from the mirror towards the door.

Draco: “shall we go love?”

You took his arm and smiled.

YN: “of course babe!”

you both made your way down to the great hall which was decorated alot fancier than normal… you both thought nothing of it, for you both thought it was just a ploy to make the school seem a bit more cheery…

you walked out to the balcony leaving Draco who was in conversation with Hagrid but noticed quickly of your absense.

Hagrid: “it is gonna be a pleasure workin’ wit you and YN it is gonna be nice to have 2 of the yungins that i have had the pleasure to watch grow into a fine witch and wizard couple. by the way i was routing for both of you from the moment i met you both. i was hoping you would become a couple.”

Draco: “thank you Hagrid, but do you mind if we continue this conversation in a while, im gonna go make sure YN is okay…”

Hagrid: “of course ill se you at the feast!”

Draco leaves Hagrid with a smile and approaches you from behind wrapping his arms around your waist.

Draco: “here come the boats…”

YN: “there seem to be alot of them..”

Draco: “i’m sure that whatever students come through these halls will adore the professors and learn lots like we did…”

YN: “our first day seems like so long ago now…”

Draco: “today is the first day of our forever… now lets just enjoy watching them come in…”

you and Draco now enjoyed the sight of the boats coming in closer, the lamps lighting the sky, soon you both would hear the wonder of the children to walk these halls for the first time.

but the bell sounded saying that the boats had docked and children were walking up, you and Draco went into the great hall, you both sat in the seats you were assigned… you thought that strange as well but didnt question. for there in the room was a very very different seating arrangement, yes you could tell where the houses were sitting but the set up kinda reminded you of a church… 

but that was probably your brain going into decorating over drive, Minerva then stood before the staff…

Minerva: “the students are just lining up outside i hired another staff member as kind of a run around person for the school, she will be helping out in various activities but mostly as the new head of Gryphondor house.  you will see her in a few seconds. but before we open the doors i want to say i hope this year is gonna shine bright… now bring in the students.”

the doors opened, Draco’s hand was on the small of your back both of you watching the students both first years and originals walk in the room… then you saw the person, the person who you were sure would have ended up working for the ministry…

you let out a smile one that you were sure she had also seen… the sorting process began, the memories of you and Draco getting sorted were coming back everything seemed so long ago and yet not so far. 

Draco (in your ear): “no matter what happens you always have people who care for you always and forever.”

that sent a shiver down your spine as did the open speech that Minerva was now giving…

Minerva: “now that the first years have been sorted i have a few things to introduce… the first is we have some staffing additions… i as the transfiguration teacher have become the headmistress of the school, my position has been taken by YN YLN an alumni of the recent school graduation. the position of defense against the dark arts has been filled by Draco Malfoy another alumni of the recent school graduation. the position of Head of Gryphondor house and official class helper and demonstration specialist has now been filled by Hermione Granger another alumni from the recent school graduation year. but before we dive into our beginning of year feast, i have one more surprise. i welcome in now some very special honored guests as well as invite YN and Draco to go open the doors…”

you and Draco go & walk to the doors each of you to each side opening them and watching as ministry, order and family members all started pouring in and filling in the extra seats. both of you were very very very confused… but then you saw them, 2 figures that were smiling and so very familiar… 

YN: “mom, dad…”

you ran straight into the arms of your parents, neither of them lightening up on their embraces of you… they released you to bring you and Draco aside…

Sophie: “have either of you been told anything?”

YN: “no we havent Minerva wouldnt tell us anything… she just said we had to dress formal and that we would never forget this night… whats going on mom…”

Brandon: “Draco i wonder if i might have a word with you alone for a moment…”

Draco placed a kiss to your cheek as he walked off with your dad… this left you with your mother…

YN: “okay mom whats going on?”

Sophie: “we got a letter from Minerva that said she wanted to celebrate a new union tonight… then she told us to stop by the jeweler in diagon alley said she had been told you and Draco had been there, we went there and picked up your rings… does that give you the clue as to what is going on honey…”

thats when it hit you, the people, the decorations, hermione you were sure harry and ron were there too, the seating layout, the carpet coloring, the aisle… you were getting married tonight…

YN: “mom tell me its true… tell me that the biggest day of my life is happening, tell me that i’m about to… OMG my dress is totally the wrong color… wrong style wrong everything… Mom can you come under the cover of the stairs and help me fix my dress please… its totally wrong, had we had fair warning we could have been dressed properly for the occasion…”

Sophie: “now now my dear come on lets get you all ready for this… ill help you just as your father is helping Draco…”

your mother and you went behind the stairs and she started helping you with her powers to design your dress based on what ever you and she had ever discussed… 

meanwhile Brandon and Draco were having a heart to heart…

Brandon: “listen Draco i know your about to marry my little girl and i understand your being nervous you have every right to be, hell i was nervous when i married YN’s mom, don’t worry my boy i’m sure whereever your parents are right now they would be extremely proud deep deep down off the man you have become. now lets change the color of your attire and get you into position…”

Draco: “before i do this i want to say something, i know your opinion of me wasnt very high from the beginning but i also know that without the approval of her Parents YN wouldnt have been as happy as she is today. i thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul for raising such a elegant and talented young woman and allowing me to make her my wife.”

Brandon: “your welcome. now hold still and prepare to be amazed…”

and just like that Draco’s outfit too changed transformed with a flick of Brandon’s wand. both the men walked around and back into the great hall and up the aisle… the doors were then set to close once your mom let out a slight whistle. 

Hermione met your dad and Draco at the alter…

Hermione: “Draco, i know now that my cousin has truly found someone special to call her own for her happiness… im honored to be in the fine presence of my dear uncle once more…”

Brandon: “congratulations Hermione on the new position here at the school… i actually have this favor to ask of you Hermione will you go to the end of the aisle and walk YN up the aisle in my place…”

Hermione nodded her head and popped herself to you… her appearance scared you and your mom…

Hermione: “aunt sophie, ive spoken with your husband and i am instructed to walk my dear cousin down the aisle, you are to join your husband at the end of the aisle.”

Sophie: “i just have one more thing to give YN to hold on to for the ceremony…”

your mom gives you the box containing the magic bound ring… you took it holding it in your hand… your mom kissed you on the cheek and walked back into the great hall whistling as she entered the hall…

the doors closed before you and hermione took your places. 

YN: “for the record, i’m glad your here cuz… i couldnt imagine doing this day without you…”

Hermione: “i couldnt imagine missing this chance to share this day with you…”

YN: “its gonna be exciting to work together…”

Hermione: “we just have to wait for the minister to say a few words first… dont worry we will be able to hear everything…”

~inside the great hall the festivities are just beginning.~

Minerva was settling the crowd, before continuing to speak. 

Minerva: “okay i now invite Cornelius Fudge our Minister of Magic to the podium to begin this wonderous ceremony… and to the happy couple know that the school staff and i are all very very proud of you both for everything your relationship has endured.”

Cornelius comes up to the stage exchanging a brief hug with Minerva and stepped up to the podium before speaking… 

Cornelius: “honored guests, family and friends, students of this magnificent establishment, let us all join together in the celebration of the marriage between Draco Malfoy and YN YLN. this happy couple are alumni’s of the school, now they are ready to be joined in holy matrimony. under the laws which bind us as witches and wizards, we all join together to bind these two in celebration of their love. please rise with me as the bride enters the great hall…”

harmonious music starts playing through the hall and the entryway, there is air caught in your throat, the ground beneath you feels like sinking sand. Hermione basically slows time a bit to help you gather your wits…

Hermione: “girl i know it feels like you cant move or breathe right now but thats just your nerves, everyone gets nervous at one point or another, its apart of life we wouldnt be human if we didnt get nervous. now we will walk you down the aisle to your prince charming and like we have discussed and fantasized about so many times… i’ll not let you make a fool out of your self today…”

you turned and hugged your cousin knowing full well she was right, she knew you were nervous, she knew more about you than you did about yourself. you let go and straightened up a bit.

YN: “thank you cuz for understanding why i hid this from even you… i trusted you but as me and Draco had…”

Hermione: “i get it cuz say no more now lets get out there before everyone thinks something is wrong.”

setting time back on course, setting yourself up for first reaction at the opening of the door, the first thing that caught to your ear was a whisper on the air from Draco..

Draco (in a whisper through the air waves): “come to me babe, we will be celebrating together soon enough. just keep your eyes locked on mine.”

you and Hermione both now in dresses beyond comparison made the crowd awe in wonder at the sight of you guys in your dresses. Draco’s face was one of pure bliss, he looked like he was mentally undressing you.

making your way up the aisle one step at a time, you smiled knowing that in a few short moments you would be saying ‘I Do’ with a man who makes your heart soar… 

you made it all the way up the aisle, your parents met you at the alter and waited for cornielius to start the speal… 

Cornelius: “honored guests of the bride and groom, students and staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. welcome to the wedding of Draco Malfoy and YN YLN now i will ask Brandon the father of the bride to bring the charge and blessing to the couple then we will proceed from there.”

your father approached you and took your hands in his own hugging you before only holding one of your hands in his own as he spoke.

Brandon: “YN, your mother and i are very proud of the young woman you have grown into, we are blessed this day to give you away, but i have a charge for your husband to be… this is a magical charge it is supposed to bring good fortune and joy to your union as a couple but only the husband speaks for both of you as a couple… Draco, will you promise to protect, honor, love, cherish and uphold any and all vows/promises you make to YN from today and forever?”

Draco: “i solemly swear so to do under the laws and bindings of magic.”

Brandon: “then may your union with my daughter be fruitful, blessed and strengthened by the laws that bind us magically.”

your father then put your hand in Draco’s, the touch of his skin made you smile, you were happy and you looked hot to boot. the ceremony continued.

Cornelius: “very good now before we exchange vows and rings does anyone here object to this union?”

no one objected, so the ceremony continued.

Cornelius: “very good Draco, YN could you both join hands and face eachother, Draco we will start with you… start your vows when your ready!”

Draco cleared his throat as he began to speak.

Draco: “several years ago i stepped into the London grand central station and onto platform 9 ¾ for the first time, my heart started pounding the further i got onto the platform. my mind was racing a thousand miles a second, then you walked past me walking your luggage, the 2 people who i now know to be your parents over near the platform entrance. your aura was one i had never seen before, we had not yet met but i could tell you were gonna be someone special to me. For the years to follow I was always attracted to you, I knew you were my one but due to my family’s nature and their expectations I couldn’t act on my feelings for it scared me at the thought of what might happen to you if my dad found out. The day in London where we spent that night cuddled in my London safe house was a nice change we were finally together. But now standing here declaring to everyone that I love you is the best thing I have ever done. I promise this day forward to love, honor, cherish, respect and protect you for all the days to follow and forever.”

it was your tears that brought Draco’s hand temperarely out of your own to wipe away your tears before you started speaking. 

YN: “Draco I love you with all my heart, yes our journey of us is only just beginning it was blooming into what it is now when we first met. The more I knew you the more my heart soared the more it soared the stronger my feelings became. I know that I wouldn’t be standing here today if you weren’t such an amazing guy Draco I commit myself fully to you, you already have my heart, I commit to you my body, my life, my devotion, love, honor, respect and protection. I know one day we will do great things for this school as the people did who taught in our same positions. Today you gain all of me as I gain all of you. I love you always and forever.” 

Cornelius cleared his throat the crowd did the same some people got really teary eyed. 

Cornelius: you both may now exchange the rings reinstating what you have said in your vows.“ 

 Draco held your left hand in his right hand and started to speak. 

Draco: “I Draco, take you YN to be my wife from this day forward forsaking all others for as long as we both shall live.”

 Draco slid the ring on your finger and you got into position with his ring and started to speak. 

YN: “I YN take you Draco to be my husband from this day forth in sickness health protection and blessing forsaking all others as long as we both shall live.” 

Everyone teared up some more for they all knew what came next as Cornelius once more spoke.

 Cornelius: “as minister of magic it gives me great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. Draco you may kiss your bride.” 

Draco pulled you close and you both slid into the passionate kiss it was a little salty from your tears but that didn't matter. Once you both pulled back the crowd roared with applause as Cornelius spoke once more. 

Cornelius: “I present to this entire audience of family and friends Mr and Mrs Draco Malfoy!” 

The crowd cheered louder. The party began shortly after with a feast first and then the address from the new couple. The address went something like this. 

Draco: “friends, family, honored guests we are thrilled to have you all here today, when YN and I had discussed our wedding we imagined well not this, but something far more elegant. We both want to thank everyone for putting this together, we especially want to thank Minerva for the surprise, for all that she has done for us, supporting us our relationship fighting for us and our right to be together. She was the first professor to figure out that me and YN were an item. She kept it from everyone on our account and our word. She has been there for us through thick and thin and we just wan to honor her tonight. Without her we would not be the brightest witch and wizard of our generation.”

You immediately jumped in to spread out a few more addresses. 

YN: “I also would like to take this opportunity to thank 3 amazing people without whom we would have given up hope of us a long time ago. Harry, you showed us that courage is all that there is to make us stronger. Well Harry it worked for both of us so thank you. Ron, you showed us that we don't have to be fearful of everything but instead that it's good to face your fears. I can definitely say it worked thank you for all that you are. And lastly my dearest cousin Hermione, girl where do I begin, sure you didn't like Draco at first but once you saw how happy I was you began to like him didn't you, I know that one day you will find and marry your prince charming too, and when that day comes I'll stand by you just as you stood by me. Thank you girl for all you are and continue to be all you can be. Thank you everyone for coming and please enjoy the party. Let's hit the dancefloor and party like Dawn will arrive fast!”

The party went on for a few hours but you and Draco didn't stay for the entire thing instead you both went back to your room and finally gave into the longing passion you both had been longing for for like ever.

[itsjanetimbengan]

South Korea 2018: Travel Guide (6-Day Itinerary + Budget)

It was mid-September last year and with the autumn approaching, South Korea boasted its mixture of green, yellow, orange, and red glamorous shades of leaves. It’s the season where it is mostly sunny but still giving you chill temperature that you still have to wear cozy clothes to keep you warm, especially at night.

And aside from being a dreamy background during this season, South Korea is well-known for its K-drama, K-Pop entertainment, Korean fashion, and, of course, Korean skincare!

How to get a Korean Tourist Visa?

Before, anyone can apply directly at the Korean Embassy, but by the time I was processing my Korean Visa, around August 2018, a new policy has been made that the application will need to course through Korean Embassy’s designated travel agencies only.

Step 1: Prepare the documents/requirements needed for your application. Below is the list of the documents you need to prepare in getting your Korean Visa:

1. A duly accomplished printed visa application form. Download the form HERE. Print the form in A4 size of bond paper. Fill in the form completely (Must be computerized, not handwritten. Do not leave anything blank). For items that are not applicable for you, kindly leave it blank.

2. Passport-sized Picture. Prepare a colored 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm photo with white background.

3. Philippine Passport. Must have at least 6 months validity and with at least 2 blank pages.

4. Photocopy of current Philippine Passport bio page. This is found on page 2 (the part where your passport photo and other info are shown).

5. Original and photocopy of valid visa(s) and arrival stamps to OECD member countries within the last 5 years, if applicable. Click HERE for a list of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. If you have been to any of the OECD countries, make sure to submit the original and photocopy of the relevant visas and arrival stamps.

Additional requirements if you’re applying WITHOUT GUARANTOR:

If you’ll be shouldering all of your travel expenses in Korea, you must prove that you are capable of doing it. You must present the following:

a. For Employees

1. Certificate of Employment. Must contain the address of the employer, the landline number and email address of employer’s HR department, applicant’s position, date hired, and compensation.

2. Original Bank Certificate. Must include account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months average balance (ADB).

3. Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook covering the last 3 months.

4. Photocopy of ITR (Form 2316). If you have travelled to OECD member countries within the last 5 years, you are exempt from submitting an ITR.

5. Copy of PRC Card or IBP Card, if applicable only.

b. For Self-Employed

1. Photocopy of Business registration form from DTI or SEC. Must include pages with the names of stockholders.

2. Photocopy of Business permit or Mayor’s permit.

3. Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316 with corresponding payment receipt from BIR authorized bank and with pages including net income and total revenue.

4. Original Personal Bank Certificate. Must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB.

5. Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook covering the last 3 months.

6. Copy of PRC Card or IBP Card, if applicable only.

Step 2: Submit the requirements to accredited travel agencies

As mentioned, Korean Embassy will no longer accept direct application. You will need to submit your documents to accredited travel agencies.

For list of Korean Embassy – accredited travel agencies, click HERE.

I processed my visa application through Reli Tours and Travel Company in SM Megamall since it is near our office. They charged me 700 pesos for the handling fee and kindly note that personal appearance is required. You can check their website HERE.

Step 3: Wait for your Korean Visa

Normally, visa processing will take 7-10 business working days but, sometimes it can be as fast as 3 working days.

Reli Tours texted me on Saturday morning that my visa was already available however, they didn’t indicate if it was approved or not (side story: I was in Cebu that time and will be back in Manila the next day so, imagine the anxiety of waiting to see the result of your application…) The Monday next week, I claimed my passport and yay it was approved!!!

How long is the validity of the visa?

Korean Visa is valid within the next 3 months (90 days) of the issue date and you can stay in Korea for as long as 59 days.

How to get to South Korea?

Typically, people book going to Incheon International Airport which a lot of airlines fly from Manila. Flight prices start from 10,000 pesos (if not promo), excluding the baggage allowance. Luckily, we scored our flight for only 3,000 pesos!!! Thank you, Cebu Pac piso sale!

WiFi in South Korea

We booked an unlimited 4G wifi for 7 days thru Klook. While you can connect to internet anywhere in Korea, it is best that you have your own pocket wifi so as to help you navigate the places around (hello, Google maps!). The rate is P110 per day which is pretty cheap yet giving you a super reliable internet connection. Book HERE!

Upon arrival at the airport, we picked up the device at their booth.

Getting Around South Korea

The most efficient and easiest way to travel around South Korea is by train. Just purchase a T-Money card (like a beep card) from any 711 store, load it, and use it in subways, trains, and public buses. With this, you can save the hassle from purchasing single journey tickets every time.

We mostly use Google Maps to guide us going to our destination and to see train stations. You can also download Seoul Subway App to help you find out which stations you should take.

From airport, since we arrived late at night, Airport Express Train (AREX) was already closed - operating hours is from 5:30 AM to 11:00 PM only. However, there are buses outside the airport, just check the nearest bus stop from the location of your hotel.

Place to Visit in South Korea

N SEOUL TOWER

Famous for its love locks, Namsan Seoul Tower is Seoul’s most iconic landmark where you can indulge the scenic view of the entire city.

We were welcomed by a wooden terrace which will lead you to “Locks of Love” area located at the roof terrace. A thousand of padlocks were attached to the fence by the couples symbolizing their eternal love.

Inside the tower, after we wandered around Hello Kitty Island, we queued for the elevator going to the observation deck. The observatory offers the 360° panoramic view of the entire city of Seoul at a glance. As the dusk fell, darkness gathered all around and the lights from the buildings blinked on, rewarding us with the dazzling sight of stars and luminescence below.

Book HERE (N Seoul Tower Obeservatory Deck + Hello Kity Island = Php 489)

Admission fee: Namsan Cable Car = KRW 9,000, 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

Directions: Take exit 3 of Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), walk for about 10-15 minutes following the right side of the Pacific Hotel to Namsan Cable Car Station.

EVERLAND

Everland, the largest theme park in Korea, offers 5 different themed zones – Global Fair, American Adventure, Magic Land, European Adventure, and Zootopia, serving you some thrilling rides and some child and family-friendly attractions.

Being a kid at heart, I always have a soft spot for amusement parks. I like riding heart-stopping and rip-roaring rides. However, we just strolled around mostly in garden areas since my bestfriend is not a fan of thrilling rides.

Book HERE (1-Day ticket = Php 1,678)

Admission Fee: KRW 56,000, 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

Directions: Train to Gangnam Station and exit no 6 or 7. Walk straight till you pass dunkin donuts, cross the road and take bus 5002 from the bus stop in the middle of the road. Bus journey to Yongji takes approximately one hour. Alight and take a free shuttle bus to Everland entrance.

BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE

A time capsule right in the heart of Seoul. A village where you can find almost 900 traditional Korean houses. Walking in the village, you will see a lot of tourists who visit here wear the traditional Korean dress, Hanbok. It was like being on the set of a Korean drama.

Admission Fee: FREE, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Directions: By subway, get off at Anguk station (line 3), exit 2. Walk straight for about 500m to arrive at Bukchon Hanok Village. There are actually a lot of tour guides on the street who will help you locate the village.

GYEONGBUKGONG PALACE

The largest among five grand palaces in South Korea, Gyeongbukgong Palace, which means “palace greatly blessed by Heaven,” was constructed under the Joseon dynasty and served as the royal residence. This one’s a huge palace to tour and you can opt to watch the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony at 10:00am or 2:00pm.

Admission Fee: FREE (if you’re wearing Hanbok), 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Directions: Take the exit 5 of Gyeongbokgung Station or Exit 3 of Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3).

CHANGDEOKGUNG PALACE

Changdeokgung Palace, referred to as “East Palace” and known for Huwon Secret Garden, is the second royal palace constructed after Gyeongbukgong.

Admission Fee: FREE (if you’re wearing Hanbok), 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Directions: Take Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 3. Walk straight from the exit (towards east) for about 5-min to arrive at the palace entrance.

NAMI ISLAND

Known for the Korean drama “Winter Sonata,” Nami Island has become a must-visit place when you’re in South Korea. It is also famous for its majestic tree-lined roads, so dreamy that it has been a sought-after destination every season (especially during autumn!).

This half-moon shaped island is 430,000 sqm big and would require at least a day to stroll around the whole area and enjoy side activities like biking.

Admission Fee: KRW 13,000, 7:30 am - 9:45 pm

Directions: Take a train going to Gapyeong Station then ride a shuttle bus in Gapyeong. Gapyeong City Bus covers all 4 tourist spots in the island (Nami Island, Petite France, The Garden of Morning Calm, and Gapyeong Rail Park) for a flat rate of KRW 6,000. Alight to Gapyeong Wharf and ride a ferry going to Nami Island.

THE GARDEN OF MORNING CALM

All nature lovers’ dreamland, The Garden of Morning Calm consists of 26 themed gardens boasting a myriad of colors and occasionally a sense of warmth from Maples leaves turning red and orange (since autumn is just starting that time). It’ such a great walk admiring the undeniable charms of flowers and greenery landscape.

Admission Fee: KRW 9,500, 8:30 am - 7:00 pm

Directions: Ride the Gapyeong City Bus (from Nami Island) going to The Garden of Morning Calm.

Other Places to Visit

Ewha Womans University

Jogyesa Temple

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul

Ihwa Mural Village

Style Nanda

Starfield Library

Itinerary

DAY 0 - Arrival in Korea

DAY 1 - Experiencing Seoul

DAY 2 - Everland

DAY 3 - Experiencing old South Korea

DAY 4 - Winter Sonata in Nami Island

DAY 5 - Back in Seoul

DAY 6 - Back in Manila

[brownjet-archive]

midnight dances + ticket stubs

pairing: peter parker x reader (poc and strongly hinted that is latina)

wc: 8000+

summary: an interrupted moment seems to be more nuclear than you or peter could have imagined. 

warnings: angst, some language, some heavy making out at the end but no smut, mentions of sex

a/n: so, it’s literally taken me a year to write this, i started this at the end of my last school year and a lot of shit happened since then so i finally got around to writing it, and holy shit it’s the longest one shot i’ve ever written

takes place after homecoming and is canon divergent !!

You were immensely regretting your decision to come to school on the last day. There was nothing to do, and hardly anyone in school. All the teachers seemed to have rolled their eyes, probably annoyed that 20 something students of the 2300 student body had shown up. Honestly, the only reason you had come was because Peter, Ned, and MJ said they would.

There was absolutely nothing to do. You had already emptied your locker, a few weeks ago because you were so done with school, and so had they, and you shifted from lounging in the library, running through the hallways and chilling in Mr. Harrington’s room.

You sitting in the library on one of the comfortable and plushy chairs, your legs draped over MJ’s lap, resting one elbow on the back of the bench, resting your face in the palm of your head, as the four of you lounged, contently listening to nostalgic music from the 2000′s, and suddenly you felt old.

The three of you laughed at the mortified look on Peter’s face, his face going red as a tomato, as the next song on his spotify played, as the familiar tune of the High School Musical number began. Despite laughing, you began singing along softly, ignoring the MJ’s snort.

“Not to be fake, but we’re soaring. flying. there’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach.” You said, singing along with the track, laughing as you were singing.

Your energy was infectious, because by the end of the song, rather than just you singing softly under your breath, you had all joined in and were practically belting what was practically the anthem of your childhood. You had never really thought about it before, but it was pretty fucking awesome that the biggest couple growing up had been an interracial couple.

Before the song had ended, MJ had swiped Peter’s phone, now dubbing you in charge of the music, a smug smile on her face hoping that some embarrassing song played.

You rolled your eyes at her, quickly unlocking your phone, and putting on spotify, rolling your eyes as you clicked to watch the ad for the 30 minutes of uninterrupted listening, the four of you waiting in awkward silence for, the three of them waiting to make fun of your music tastes.

To your relief, your spotify seemed to be in a good mood, and decided to play, your body immediately relaxing at the soothing voice of Jason Mraz, Ned and you immediately beginning to sway to the music.

You hadn’t noticed the lovesick look on Peter’s face as he stared at you as you sang at the level that you thought was soft, your shoulders moving to the music, as it transitioned into what you had called the hispanic anthem Vivir Mi Vida.

You looked happier than you had been in months, a smile on your face, reaching your eyes. Sprawled across one of your best friends, looking truly happy. You were beautiful, really.

You slowly lowered the volume as the song died out, looking over at them, asking what the plan was, even though you guys had pretty much already decided that you would go to the corner store Mr. Delmar’s by your house, because it was the closet to Mr. Delmar’s, and you guys would buy sandwiches and ice-cream. However you would get candy and smartfood popcorn at the CVS by your school because it was cheaper, and there was a 90% chance that CVS would have them, as opposed to the 90% chance that Mr. Delmar would have run out by now.

You checked your phone, standing up, helping Ned up from the beanbag cushion he was sitting in, and all of you gathered your emptied out backpacks and even though there was still an hour and a half of school left, you decided to go say bye to Mr. Harrington for the summer, before leaving the building. You and MJ laughed at Ned who seemed to be elated with breaking the rules, though in relief you felt the same nervous and ecstatic butterflies in your stomach.

The four of you jogged across the street, waving a slight thanks at the drivers, despite the fact that a few honked at you, as you reached the CVS, walking in, immediately thankful for the air conditioning inside the building. The four of you walked towards the chips aisle with purpose, grabbing two of the big bags of the smartfood popcorn, before wandering towards the candy, grabbing a large pack of twizzlers, some sour gummy worms, a bag of skittles, a bag of the CVS brand soft caramels, a bag of marshmallows, and a packet of double stuff oreos, happy that you had nutella at home for the oreos and marshmallows, even though eating marshmallows with nutella was a pretty hard feat.

You each grabbed a can of Arizona, and headed up towards the cashier, before each of you pulled out some cash. You took your Arizona and put it in one of the cupholders of your bag, and you volunteered to carry a bag of popcorn, as did Peter.

You checked your phone, your eyes narrowed, ignoring MJ and Ned’s bickering about being able to open the twizzlers now, before you gripped at the closet limb of any of them, surprised when you accidentally groped Peter’s suprisingly strong bicep. You ignored it however, your eyes widening, as you again tugged on his bicep, yelling out, “The train is gonna be there in two minutes.”

The four of you sprinted towards the stop by the school, flipping off the drivers who honked at you, as you all rushed towards the stop, all of you but Peter, heavily panting as you ran up the stairs of the station, while at the same time fumbling to reach your wallet for your metro card, and as you reached the platform as the intercom said the train would be arriving, which typically meant about slightly less than a minute more, you squatted slightly, resting your hands on your thighs even if you did know that it was bad and constricting your lungs or whatever.

You stood up as the train pulled into the platform, grateful for the wind it provided, even if it was a rather dry one, and you were pretty sure that your body was drenched with sweat. The four of you stepped in, and because it was pretty much the middle of the day, the car was relatively empty and you all sat together, but far enough apart to rest your bags on the seats next to you, talking throughout the twenty minute train ride on which movie you guys should watch.

“No, we are not watching Star Wars again!”

“Star Trek?”

“Peter!”

“I know, I know. The Matrix.”

“MJ, no. Just no.”

“Disney?”

“Hell no.”

You all bickered for about fifteen minutes, before Ned suggested Galavant, and all of you nodded, agreeing that it would be fun to re-watch Galavant for a third time in 3 months. You all sluggishly stood up, exiting the air conditioned train, the stench of urine seeping through the air, and your face crinkled up in discomfort, even if you were used to the stenches of the city.

Peter guffawed at your expression, booping your nose, your eyes narrowing as you turned to glare at him, raising your fist rather jerkily, and his eyes widened in slight fear, before leaving it at that.

MJ hissed as you guys exited the station and walked into the sunlight, earning a weird look from you, although you had to admit that it was very bright.

“What are you, a fucking vampire?”

“Shut up.” She grumbled at you, looking as uncomfortable as you felt in the damp heat of the city. The four of you meandered towards the small establishment that Mr. Delmar owned, opening the door, the little bell ringing signaling that you had entered. The four of you offered slight smiles, you and Ned entrusting the other two to order the correct sandwiches as you walked towards the small cooler, looking at the limited, though not bad assortment of ice-cream, settling on a pint of cookies and cream and a pint of neopolitan. You petted both petted Murph, waiting for the sandwiches to be done before bringing the ice-cream to the front to avoid unnecessary melting.

Peter gave you guys a small nod, and you grabbed the ice-cream, bringing it up to the counter, offering Mr. Delmar a small smile, conversing with him in Spanish as he rung you up.

Thanking him, the four of you exited the small corner store and began the five minute trek to your apartment.

You sighed, a soft smile on your face as you checked the time, careful not to disturb MJ and Ned, who had fallen asleep. Sighing deeply at the fact that it was already one in the morning, the ice-cream and popcorn long gone. A few spare sour gummy worms remained still in the bag, sitting on your dresser, next to your comb. You sighed, of course Peter had bailed on you again.

Ignoring you frustration, you slowly got up, the weight of your bed shifting slightly, and you paused, your body hovering inches above the bed, letting go of a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding as they both continued to sleep soundly. You wandered over to your computer, the three of you having gotten bored of re-watching Galavant at the end of season one before deciding to watch the High School Musical films. They had fallen asleep somewhere between the first and second; you really didn’t care, continuing to watch anyways because the third was your favorite. A favorite song of yours was coming up, the one where Troy and Gabriella dance on the roof in the rain, but you knew that it cut off early before continuing on later, and instead you exited the tab, opening up spotify on the web browser, moving towards the window in your room, holding onto the computer with one arm waiting for the tab to load, while opening the window with one fluid motion, a cool summer night breeze wafting through your room.

You exited the window, sitting on the fire-escape, putting on your sappy romantic playlist reserved for nights like these. Nights were the city was peaceful, in spite of the loudness. Where the only noise was the whizzing of cars. 

The nights where the city seemed calm and quiet and peaceful.

Each song seemed to make you feel more calm, your eyes gently closed, not because of the not-so-picturesque alley your fire-escape faced, but rather to keep you grounded yet free. It was an odd sensation, but it was the only sensation of pure serenity you ever felt.

At some point, rather than swaying to the music while softly humming along,  your legs dangled off the platform. The cool metal grated section leaving angry marks on your thighs, despite the fact that they didn’t hurt, forcing you to stand up, resting your body on your arms against the railings. You inhaled deeply, the waft of the city seeping through your nose, which could often be described as unpleasant, but at this point you were used to it. The soft breeze ruffled your hair, goosebumps forming on the skin of your legs, your hands making their way to the pockets of your shorts, a moment of sleepy recognition as the one of your favorite songs from High School Musical, beginning to sing Gabriella’s part softly and passionately, too immersed in your own world to notice the presence that had joined you on the fire escape.

Peter felt bad. He really did. When he left, he could see the disappointment on your face and it hurt it to see you like that. He really hadn’t meant for it to take this long, but then again that’s what was expected of him as Spider-Man.

He swore loudly as he checked his phone, the battery dead and he had absolutely no inkling as to what time it was. It was definitely late, that he knew. Standing from the top of the building he was on, he shot his webshooter, only a meter or so of webbing escaping the mechanism, as it made an deflating noise. Great, just great. He was on the opposite side of the city, but he was determined to get back to your apartment and see you again.

Sighing, he asked KAREN where he should go, being advised to take the metro. He sighed, jumping down from the relatively small building, entering the relatively abandoned subway, before glancing at the clock seeing that it was half past midnight. He fished in his pocket for his metro card, waiting the four minutes for the train, before hopping on the train. Not really to his surprise, nobody really cared, the subway was practically deserted and the few other people on the train seemed to be going towards either Comic-Con or home from their long strenuous work shift.

He had been planning on climbing into your room through the fire escape outside of your window, while you were sleeping and fall into the heap of you, Ned, and M.J. and just say that he came back a few minutes after they had fallen asleep because May needed his help with something. But of course, it was just his dumb luck that you were sitting on the fire escape, with your legs hanging off, your hair blowing gently in the dry wind. Your mouth was slightly ajar, your eyes closed, and he felt his mouth go dry. Your hair seemed to catch the moonlight, creating a halo around you, and he swore that there was something ethereal about you.

Blinking out of his stupor as a car whizzed past, looking at you quickly, noticing that you hadn’t moved. Well, this made his job a little harder. He had to instead climb to the top of the building, and took off his mask, sticking it into his backpack, which he had left at the top of the building earlier, relieved that it hadn’t vanished. As some semblance of a though of his secret identity popped into his head, he looked around, before taking off his suit and changing rapidly, before entering the apartment building through the little door at the top, accidentally having used his strength to rip off the doorknob. He felt a little bad, but didn’t really worry, using the spare key that he knew was under the doormat to let himself into the apartment, expertly making it through the foyer to your room without making a single sound.

He opened the door to your room, stifling a giggle at the way Ned and M.J. had practically fallen off the beds, the sheets and pillows on the bed precariously keeping them from falling off. He gently tossed his bag aside, landing with the others, as he took a few gummy worms which were on your dresser, making a face as he bit into one, never prepared for how sour they were. Despite that, he continued eating them, moving over towards your window, smiling at you.

The music slowly shifted into something that he recognized, not sure how he recognized it, and he was drawn to the window and defying his better judgement he quietly stepped onto the fire escape, admiring you as you swayed to the music, and as soon as you began singing, he knew instantly that it was a song from High School Musical 3, the words coming to him instantly, and for some odd reason, he envisioned the dance moves in his head.

Without realizing, he began singing Troy’s part at the first entrance, and you whipped around, confused, staring at him. Your subconscious seemed to react quicker than your brain could process, as your hand rested on his shoulder, the other gripping his hand, with his other hand wrapped around your waist. The two of you continued to sing along to the song, even knowing the dance moves despite the small amount of space there was on the small landing.

It was as if you were in a trance, unaware of the world around you, both of you immersed completely in each other, the entire wold standing still. It was just the two of you in that moment, and you giggled brightly each time he lifted you up, and in response his face would light up, a small goofy grin stretching across his lips, his brown eyes full of admiration.

You felt completely safe as he dipped you, and slowly pulled you up, your face flush with his neck in a moment of intimacy, and from then on you danced closer, singing the words softly to one another, his breath fanning over your face.

The music slowly became less important, and rather you two were caught in this moment, his hands resting on your waist, your arms wrapped loosely around his neck, instinctively running through the soft hair at the nape of his neck, a slight shiver running through his body at the feeling of your hands in his hair.

It felt like his insides had turned to mush, and he wasn’t sure that he was actually standing, or rather that he was actually awake. He smiled at you, his warm brown eyes full of admiration, making your skin tingle slightly, as you licked your lips slightly, the both of you still swaying to the soothing voice of Elvis, before you both eventually stopped swaying altogether, staring into each other’s eyes, because for this moment it was only the two of you.

You hadn’t noticed that the song had tapered off without another one following, despite the fact that there were at least five more songs on the playlist, completely unaware of the fact that your laptop had just died, because the only thing you were aware of was Peter.

His soft hair, his soft eyes, his small crooked smile, his big ears, his small dimples, everything about him. You were completely aware of him, feeling so utterly and helplessly enamored with him.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst. Here you were, in his arms, so close to him that he was sure you could hear how loud his heart was beating. You looked so beautiful with your hair catching the moonlight and the way your eyes shined brightly, which slowly seemed to be closing as your face got closer to his.

His eyes started to droop slowly as his face moved closer to yours. You licked your lips out of habit, the spell of calm and excited intimacy still palpable in the air, as your faces seemed to get closer together, his breath fanning over your face, feeling the ghost of his lips on your own.

And like that the spell was broken.

A loud snore emitted from someone from inside the room, startling both you and Peter, and you nearly jumped out of your skin, the both of you suddenly aware of your position.

His hands immediately left your waist, as if somehow your touch had burned him, an uncomfortable sensation of pain filling your chest. Your face immediately fell, and he instantly regretted his movement, glad when your turned away from him, as he rubbed his face in frustration, feeling the urge to scream.

You let out a shaky exhale before entering your room, not looking back at Peter, who had climbed in after you, closing the window behind him, lying down between MJ and Ned, while you tried to keep yourself as far away from him as possible, the both of you lying silently in the darkness for the rest of the night.

You had been avoiding Peter for days. That technically wasn’t so long, especially with school ending so there was no reason to see him everyday, but prior to the incident you had made plans as a group to hang out. That technically wasn’t so long, but as day five of not even texting Peter, you felt an ache, a pain in your chest at not being able to see him.

You hadn’t even texted the group chat, only sending an individual text to MJ saying that you had come down with a bug that your brother had given to you. It was true, to an extent, but it hadn’t taken you out of commission for five days; it had barely done so for five hours. But, it was enough for MJ to pass the message along, and you hadn’t been bothered for the remainder of the week, as you tried to do anything that would stop your brain from overanalysing the would-be kiss you had with Peter. 

Besides, there was no way that it could’ve possibly happened, because why on earth would Peter kiss you? Why would he ever like you back? And, if it almost happened, what caused his momentary lapse in judgement?

Whatever. Shut up.

There was no point to speak to yourself in that way, because you desperately knew that that wasn’t true. It wasn’t that you couldn’t believe Peter wouldn’t want to kiss you, because frankly you were awesome and if it was a momentary lapse in judgement then it was proof that Peter Parker was a fake-ass bitch who didn’t deserve your friendship.

Even pretending to be mad at him was exhausting. It left you feeling hollow, no matter how much you willed yourself to believe that it wasn’t just you who had wanted that kiss, because of the stupid voice in your head saying that if he had wanted to kiss you as much as you wanted to kiss him, that it would have happened, interruption or not. 

You felt a wave of nausea wash over you, tears prickling at your eyes as a chocked sob escaped your throat, feeling the descent into despair all over again. You desperately wanted to screech out, your hands cover your face in frustration; annoyed with how you couldn’t even talk to MJ about this because she wouldn’t be understanding of it, and you didn’t want to force her to take sides, annoyed with how affected you were by this, and by how much your stupid brain was causing you to feel so shitty. 

You closed your eyes, burning still from the amount of tears that you had shed during the week, and carefully breathed in through your nose, before letting out a slow and shaky exhale through your mouth, feeling your heart rate lowering, resulting in feeling more grounded. You laid there for a few more minutes, taking slow breaths, your breathing becoming less shaky, and the wet trails on your cheeks beginning to dry, leaving the skin on your face feeling tight and cooler than you had felt before. You took a deep breath, before sitting up.

You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and grimaced. Your hair was disheveled, your skin looking ashen, and dark circles under your eyes very pronounced, with slightly puffy eyes. Thankfully, you truly did look sick, so your parents wouldn’t call you out on your bullshit. You looked away, and sighed in frustration, before opening the window slightly to let the room air out, and then left your room to go to the kitchen in search of food. 

Peter felt like shit. He hadn’t seen you in nearly a week and felt so fucking horrible. He knew you, and your penchant for overthinking things, and the image of your fallen face when the moment had been broke; the look on your face falling being immediately replaced by one of surprise, disappointment, and worst of all, expectance, made him feel like shit. 

He had been pacing the ceiling of his room explaining to a confused and a not-quite understanding Ned, who was watching him pace back and forth for the past forty minutes. It wasn’t that Ned wasn’t understanding, because he was, he just wasn’t understanding the situation.

“Wait, so what?” Ned asked again, maybe for the third time, the question beginning to grate on Peter’s nerves. “You were dancing on the fire-escape, almost kissed, you guys didn’t because MJ or I snored? That’s ridiculous Peter, you know I don’t snore.” He continued.

“Are you really that caught up in the semantics of it? Besides, dude, you snore so loudly.” Peter argued, rolling his eyes slightly.

“No I don’t, because I use...”

“Vicks, yeah.” Peter cut him off, slightly annoyed. “What is it about vicks that you, MJ, and (y/n) swear by?”

“It’s a person of color thing.” Ned replied nonchalantly, not focusing on Peter’s crisis anymore, continuing to work on the hogwarts lego set that had been abandoned since Peter had started having his rant. “I really don’t get it, didn’t you want to kiss (y/n)?”

“More than anything.” Peter whined out, his heart aching, wishing that he hadn’t chickened out, and had just kissed you.

“Then, ask her out!” Ned loved you and Peter to death, but it was becoming increasingly annoying how much you both tiptowed around your feelings for one another.

“It’s not that simple.” Peter tried to argue.

“Sure it is, gimme your phone.” 

“What, why? What are you going to do?” Peter asked, reluctantly tossing his phone over to Ned.

“Just relax, I’m not gonna send it.” Ned said, waving off Peter’s worry, Peter settling over the rail of his bunk, looking down and over Ned’s shoulder at his opened instagram. 

“You follow the Spider-Man official page?” Ned asked, looking over at Peter with a look of confusion.

Peter felt his ears heat up, a blush dusting over his cheeks. “Yeah...”He mumbled, trailing off. “They do a really good job though!” He said indignantly, feeling the need to defend himself.

“Don’t you run it?” Ned asked, a look of amused confusion spreading across his face, remembering something similar that Peter had mentioned.

“Um, no, my aunt does. I run the Thor official page.” He admitted quietly, causing Ned to snort before laughing completely.

“May runs the Spider-Man page?” Ned asked through laughs, trying to get clarification. “That’s adorable, she supports you, man.” He tried to be serious, he really did, but he couldn’t keep himself from grinning.

“Shut up, didn’t you have a point to steal my phone?” Peter pouted, before immediately regretting it, seeing Ned’s eyes flash open in remembrance.

“Oh yeah, we’s gonna get you a date.” Ned said happily, moving his finger over to your name, before cringing. “I don’t know why I said it like that.”

“Dude I don’t even know why you say half of the things you say, because you say lots of stuff like that.”

“What? No, I don’t.”

“Yes you do.”

“Should I change the way I speak?” Ned asked, looking over at Peter as if his whole life was a lie.

“No dude, it’s fine. I was joking, I love the way you speak.” Peter reassured his best friend, feeling bad that he had led Ned to believe that he spoke in a weird way.

“It’s fine Peter, I was just playing.” He chuckled good-naturedly, a warm smile on his face.

His eyes widened again, the whole conversation having been derailed yet again. Peter groaned internally as Ned remembered, hoping that he would’ve derailed the conversation enough for Ned to not remember.

“Relax dude, I’m not gonna send it.” He said to a squirming Peter, as he typed out the text. Peter felt slightly relieved, letting out a gentle sigh, and closing his eyes briefly, waiting for Ned to finish.

“Okay so, here’s what I wrote, and don’t worry I haven’t sent it.” Ned reassured Peter, who’s eyes opened and focused on the phone screen in front of them both, letting Ned read it aloud, not comfortable to read the whole thing upside down and not wanting to sit down.

“You wanna go see Yesterday tomorrow at 6:15?” Ned read aloud.

Peter had been expecting more, and looked at him with a face of confusion. “That’s it?”

“That’s it, I mean that way it’s not really a date. It’s just you guys hanging out, so that there’s no outright way that you’re being rejected.” Ned explained. “Dude, you’re overthinking it.” He sighed, trying to reassure Peter, the anxious look on his face giving all of his emotions away. 

“It’s a really good think Spider-Man has a mask that covers his whole face, because dude you can’t emote secretly.”

“Dude.” 

Ned rolled his eyes at the look of mock offense written on Peter’s face. “So, when are you gonna send it?” 

“Um, never.”

“No, you are. You’ve got nothing to lose. Seriously dude, on the list of high stake things that you face, this is such a low stake.” Ned said, trying to cajole and relax Peter.

“Except if she says no, that means she hates me.”

“That’s a reach. If she says no it’s probably because she’s still sick. MJ hasn’t let you know anything differently, right?” 

“I don’t know, she hasn’t been in the group chat for days. The last text I got from her was a pigeon on the subway in despair.”

“Makes sense.” Ned said, nodding his head as the image popped into his mind. “Well, anyways dude, just send it. Are we still gonna make mac and cheese?” 

“Yeah, Aunt May should be home soon with the stuff for it.” As soon as he said that, the clanging of the keys in the door sounded, and the door to the apartment could be heard opening. 

“Boys, please come help put the groceries away!” May called out from the kitchen.

“Sure thing!” Ned called out.

“Need a minute.” Peter called out at the same time. He stood on solid ground for the first time in an hour, blood rushing to his head leaving him feeling slightly lightheaded. Now alone in his room, he glanced over at his phone, closed his eyes and took a deep breath before hitting send.

He then slipped his phone into his pocket and left to go help his Aunt and his best friend put away the groceries.

You were slightly startled as your phone buzzed, surprised that it wasn’t on silent. You continued chewing your spoonful of cereal, glancing over at the screen seeing the stupid icon of the group chat: peter with the big lips snapchat filter yelling at a fire hydrant. Having felt more stable after watching three episodes of Stranger Things, you reached over for the remote and paused.

You opened up your phone and clicked on the notification, taking you to the group chat. You skimmed the text from him, before sending back a simple “sure, i’m down” before unpausing the episode.

Peter nearly dropped the jar of squeezable jelly an inside joke with his aunt feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket. He wish he could’ve said that he didn’t rush for his phone to check if you had texted him back, but that would have been a lie. He opened his phone in record time, reading your text quickly. He kept on rereading it, looking at his phone for nearly a minute, before May threw a kitchen towel at him, hitting him in the face. 

“I asked you to help, not look at your phone.” She teased.

It was then that Peter seemed to register your text, his eyes widening before frantically yelling at Ned, “What the hell does ‘sure i’m down’ mean?”

His nervous energy seemed infectious, and his shouting caused Ned to butterfingers the small bag of plums that May had gotten, turning to Peter with a look of annoyed confusion on his face. “Did you have to yell that at me? And, it means yes.” 

“Hm, depends on the tone.” May interjected, causing a new wave of panic to wash over Peter.

“Well, what does it mean then?” He whined.

“What’s the context?”

“I asked (y/n) if she wants to see Yesterday with me tomorrow at the "15 showing.”

“And the response was ‘sure, i’m down’?” May asked to clarify. “Well, Peter then that means, ‘sure, i would like to watch that movie’. It’s not as complicated as you’re making it out to be.”

“Yeah dude, try to calm down a little. It’s (y/n), and it’s a movie that they have literally not shut up about. All the talk about ‘supporting brown people in western media,’ so it’s really a no brainer.” 

“Okay, okay.” Peter nodded, the words resonating with him, and for the first time in over an hour he felt calm again.

That all immediately disappeared when May jokingly asked what he was going to wear on his date.

You were waiting at the theater, having already gone to the cvs to buy snacks to sneak in, and were currently waiting on the group to join you. You glanced down at your phone, and continued playing Tetris, looking up every so often to see if you could see them. You became anxious as it became 11:36, and still saw no sight of them. Normally MJ and Ned would’ve been here by now, with Peter being this late. 

“Hey, you ready?” A familiar voice panted out, and you looked up from your phone to see Peter slightly out of breath, bending over and resting his hands on his knees. 

“You know you’re supposed to put your hands up? You’re constricting your chest.” You said out of habit, a little embarrassed that you had said that, but feeling relatively okay at being around Peter for the first time in a week since the incident. “Yeah, but where’s MJ, and Ned. They didn’t bail on us, did they?” You asked, confusion seeping into your features.

Peter’s eyes widened in surprise, confusion settling across his face briefly, before his expression changed into a panicked awkward. “Um, no they both had to bail.” He lied, lamely.

You regarded him with suspicion, your anxiety beginning to rise at the idea of sitting through a whole movie next to Peter, without the safety blanket of your other friends. You had no idea why he would lie to you, but couldn’t even focus on it. You just rolled your eyes, and shook your head, as if to shake all these thoughts from them. “Whatever. You got your ticket?” You asked.

“Yep.” He replied, showing it as proof. 

“Cool, let’s go.” You said, the two of you walking over to the usher, not bothering with rushing since it was relatively new, so there would be a good twenty minutes of preview. 

The usher handed you back your ticket stubs, and you both hopped onto the escalator, going up towards the rest of the theaters. 

“You got the drinks?” You asked, it customary of Peter being the one to bring the drinks.

“Yep, you got the popcorn?” He asked.

You nodded briefly. “Also got chocolate.”

“Like, Hershey’s?”

“No, like the bougie Ghiradelli’s shit.”

The whole conversation felt very mechanical, and an awkward air surrounded the two of you, feeling unsure of what to say. So, you continued silently up the elevator, passing the concession stands.

“Hey, can you bring my bag to the theater? I need to use the bathroom real quick.” You asked, handing the bag to Peter who was nodding.

You rushed into the bathroom, took a piss, and washed your hands. After drying your hands, you felt the urge to screech and pull out your hair, not sure if you could truly sit through the movie, which sucked since you had really wanted to see it. You quickly opened instagram as you walked towards the theater, moving to check your messages. Only then did you realize that the message had been from Peter, individually. You had completely forgotten that the icon of the group chat was Peter’s own icon, and you had used it for the group chat because of how ridiculous it was.

You quickly found Peter in the theater, and moved towards the center middle seats that he had found for you, before standing up letting you briefly know that he had to go to the bathroom. 

Great, ten minutes into hanging out with him and you guys had said maybe five things to each other, and the awkwardness had seeped in. 

You were thankful when the theater darkened, Peter having slipped into his seat a few minutes ago. You quickly closed all the apps on your phone and lowered the brightness to the lowest setting, before focusing your attention back on the screen.

Once the movie ended, you turned to Peter, a big enthusiastic smile on your face. “Oh my god, I loved it! He was so adorable.” You gushed to Peter, a smile spreading across his face. 

“Yeah, it was pretty awesome. But dude, Lily James out here being amazing as always.”

“Oh right, I forgot about your huge-ass crush on Lily James.” You teased.

“Oh, come on, you don’t think that she’s amazing?”

You rolled your eyes at him, laughing slightly. “I do think she’s amazing, but she wasn’t the focus. It was about this dorky Indian dude, and I’m so down for more brown people in western media.” You gushed, the two of you moving out of the theater. 

Peter chuckled softly at seeing you so happy, talking animatedly about the movie. “Can you hold my stuff?” You asked again, and he grabbed it for you as you entered the bathroom, and quickly came back out again.

You saw Peter on his phone, a small smile on his face, before you cleared your throat, announcing your presence in a rather stuck up way. “Hey, mind holding my stuff as I run to the bathroom?” He asked.

You nodded, grabbing his stuff from him. “No problemo.” You said in the most american accent you could, before opening up your phone for the first time since the movie had started, before quickly remembering what had happened earlier. A quick look of confusion flashed over your face as you crafted a text to MJ.

“Hey, so what do you wanna do now?” Peter asked, his presence drawing you away from your phone, forgetting that you needed to press send. 

“I don’t know, I’m good with getting food, or do you wanna movie hop?” You asked, not really in the mood to be walking around the city just yet. 

“I’m good with movie hopping.” Peter answered quickly. 

“Cool, I know that they’re reshowing Cruel Intentions.”

“Didn’t they do that in March for the 25th anniversary or something?” Peter questioned.

“Yeah, but it was doing the really well so they’re bringing it back for the next few weeks, since there is kind of a dryspell of new movies coming out till early August. And it was the 20th anniversary.” You corrected. 

“You sure seem to know an awful lot about this sex movie from the late nineties.” Peter teased, wiggling his eyebrows at you.

You rolled your eyes and laughed at him, gently flicking his shoulder. “If you’re insinuating what I think you’re insinuating Parker, then you would be wrong. I have not seen it, but I wanna.”

“If you haven’t seen it, then how do you know so much about it, and why would you wanna watch it?” He asked, as you guys made your way to the theater diagonally three down from the previous theater you were in.

“Sarah Michelle Gellar.” Was your simple answer.

“Ah, your thirst for Buffy is once again the undoing of us.” Peter teased.

“Hey, my thirst for Buffy has nothing to do with the undoing of us as a group!” You cried out indignantly, despite the smile on your face. “My love for Buffy has brought us closer if anything, we’ve watched the entire series.” You said, as the two of you sat in the back of the theater, not wanting to take seats right in the middle and displace people who had paid for it.

“Twice.” 

“Yes, because it’s a wonderful and amazing show. Besides, if anything is the undoing of us as a group then it would have to be you ditching us all the time.” You teased, the words immediately leaving a bitter taste in your mouth, wishing that you hadn’t said that. 

The light and cheery, and normal air between the two of you had taken nearly two hours to cultivate, and had only came about by watching a movie. And you had managed to destroy it in a matter of a single sentence. 

Peter’s face immediately fell, a look of shame and anger flashing across his face. “I’m not ditching you guys, I’m just super busy...”

“Right, Stark Internship and all.” You nodded, cutting him off in hopes of avoiding this conversation.

“Yeah, and I have a shit-ton of other responsibilities, like stupid fucking decathlon team, robotics team, and all the fucking homework we get.”

You inhaled sharply, feeling ridiculous that tears were prickling at the corners of your eyes. Decathlon team was how you and Peter became good friends. With a cold and calculated voice you said, “I don’t know why you’re yelling at me about this. It’s not like I can control what you have on your plate.” You took a deep breath before looking at him, your expression softening, replaced with worry. “I know you’re going through a lot, especially with Uncle Ben, but Peter, we can’t do anything, I can’t do anything to help you if you keep pushing me away.”

His face crumbled, and he reached for your hand, feeling a little hurt when you flinched slightly before he could do so. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m so fucking sorry, I’ve got a lot going on, and that’s not your fault and it’s not fair of me to take it out on you.” He apologized. 

You nodded in understanding, before moving your hand to gently rest on top of his, rubbing your thumb over his knuckles. “I forgive you, Peter.”

“I hope you know that I’m not ditching you.” He said softly, and you rolled your eyes with an incredulous look. “Well, not intentionally.” He corrected himself, and you smiled at him.

“I know.”

“May needs me a lot more, and I feel like I need to be with her more.”

You sighed, a small, sad smile appearing on your face. “That makes sense, Peter, but know that I’m here if you ever need anybody to talk to. And, you shouldn’t feel so guilty about not spending time with her.”

“I know, I just, don’t want to leave her alone and have what happened to Uncle Ben happen to her.” He said, his voice beginning to crack, as tears began prickling in the corners of his eyes.

“Peter, what happened to Ben wasn’t your fault.” You softly whispered to him, moving your hand from resting on top of his, to brushing away the single tear that had fallen from his eyes. 

Oh, how wrong you were. And with that, the lights shut off and the movie began. 

You inhaled sharply as Sarah Michelle Gellar kissed the boy onscreen, squirming in your seat, suddenly becoming uncomfortable at watching this with Peter in a theater with maybe only twelve other people. You had to look away, movie kisses always seemed to gross you out because it seemed like an invasion of privacy. 

You glanced over at Peter who had also looked away, his face turning towards you, the both of your eyes widening as you communicated almost telepathically. 

“What the fuck is happening?” You whispered, giggling nervously.

“I think Buffy is seducing her step-brother to get his car.” He whispered back.

“I mean, I know that, but that is not Buffy.” 

“So says you.”

You paused for a moment, before moving your face closer to his, “Should we leave? If this is too much for wittle petew we can leave.” You teased, immediately regretting it, knowing that he would take it as a challenge to stay, despite the fact that you wanted to leave.

“No, I’m good, that is unless, you want to leave.” He whispered back, and you immediately shook your head. 

“No, I can watch it.”

“Good.”

“Good.” You mocked, before turning back to the screen, the kiss having turned into what was a sex scene. You immediately looked away, your face whipping back towards Peter with widened eyes, and he immediately turned back towards you.   

Your faces were closer than they were the time before, and you inhaled shakily, your eyes flitting from his eyes to his lips then back to his eyes, before swallowing slightly.

Immediately his lips were on yours, his hand coming up to cradle your face, your hands moving their way through his hair as you kissed him back as enthusiastically. You inhaled deeply, causing your nerves to feel like you were on fire, everything about the kiss, the way his hand gently yet firmly held your jaw, the way your lips moved against each other, the way his curls felt in your fingers, your fingernails gently scratching his scalp, the way his tongue languidly slid into your moth, the way it tasted like smartfood white cheddar cheese.

Wait, what?

You pulled away from each other, a perplexed expression on your face as you regarded him with a sense of enamored confusion.

“You taste kind of like the popcorn.” He whispered, as if you didn’t already know.

“Yeah, you do too. Kinda unpleasant.” You admitted softly, an offended look flashing across his face. “Oh!” Your face lit up in slight realization. “I have chocolate.”

You quickly turned away from him, reaching into your backpack for the chocolate squares of milk chocolate with caramel and sea salt that you had purchased, handing one to Peter.

He looked confused, but humored you, and opened the square biting into nearly half of it. He took another bite, much smaller than the last one, and before he could react, you had take then other piece from him, slipping it into your mouth, your lips on each others with not fully melted pieces of chocolate.

You couldn’t help but moan softly into the kiss, the taste of the chocolate being so much better than the popcorn taste. It was thicker, and richer, and the way your mouths moved against each other, the chocolate continue to melting in your mouths, coating your tongue, as you slipped it into Peter’s mouth. You lazily made out with him for a little bit, reveling in the delightful chocolate kiss, before Peter’s hand moved to your waist, gently pulling you even closer towards him.

You smiled into the kiss, trying to pull away so that you could put the armrest up, but he kissed you insistently, bringing both arms to rest on your waist, picking you up and pulling you over the armrest, placing you on his lap, his lips never leaving yours.

You situated on his lap, straddling him, feeling something move against your thigh, causing you to pull away from him, looking down, then back at him with an amused smirk on your face.

“It was the stupid movie.” He whimpered, feeling mortified that you had felt it.

“Don’t worry, I figured.” You reassured him, smiling at him, a goofy and euphoric smile appearing on his face as he looked at you. “You should know though, that I don’t have sex till the first date.” You joked, before pressing a quick kiss on his lips.

He had a delayed reaction, his eyes opening and lips unpursing a second after you had finished kissing him. “I was joking, I haven’t had sex yet, and I would expect a date before sex.” You told him, and even though you were serious, the light tone in which you had said it, made it fit.

“You don’t call this a date?” He teased, smiling at you, pulling you in for another kiss.

You kissed him deeply, your mouths parting as your lips moved against one another, the taste of chocolate still overpowering the kiss, and making your brain hazy, as you tried to pull away from him to answer.

“No, I call it a misunderstanding.” 

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I thought you were asking in the group chat,” You admitted, before kissing him briefly, too long for a peck, but too short for the kisses that you had been having. “So, Parker, when you gonna grow the balls to ask me out?” You teased, kissing him again.

He pulled away from you, a goofy grin appearing on your face, which must have been similar to his own, his pupils blow out, his hair disheveled, his lips swollen and slightly shiny, making you guess about your current state. He stared at you briefly, before tickling your ribcage gently, a quieted laughter escaping you, before his lips were briefly on yours again.

“So, (y/n),” He began, placing a quick peck on your lips, “would,” peck, “you”, peck, “go”, peck, “out”, peck, “on”, peck, “a” peck, “date”, peck, “with”, peck, “me?” Suddenly, his lips were on yours again, firm and gentle, seeming to wipe away any semblance of a response.

He pulled away softly, your eyes remaining closed, before briefly fluttering open, the question that he asked you suddenly popping back into your mind. “Yes!” You whispered. “Yes, Peter I would love to go on a date with you.” 

“Great.” He said, grinning up at you wildly, before languidly kissing you again. 

You couldn’t wipe the goofy, lovesick, smile off of your face for the rest of the night, even after your little brother had made a comment about how you looked crazy. It hadn’t even registered in your brain, as you grabbed a glass of water before heading towards your room, smiling at the photo-booth photos you had of you and each individual member of your group. 

If possible your smile grew bigger at seeing Peter’s, your lips still tingling, the taste of chocolate lingering on your tongue. Without thinking, you slowly brought your hand up to your mouth, gently touching your lips, ghosting over where Peter’s had been an hour ago. You pulled the ticket stub out of your phone case, where you had stuffed it, before placing it with the photos you had of Peter. 

Your phone buzzed, and you giggled slightly, not hesitating to open the text from Peter. 

thai tommorow?

yeah, that’d be awesome.

i fucking love thai

lmao i know, that’s why i asked

you’re kind of a perfect nerd, parker

thanks, i guess

you’re kind of a beautiful nerd

thanks perfect parker

[knox-knocks]

Restart ~ Chapter 11

Read on ao3

You are a pawn and nothing more.

Neil fired off two more balls in the direction of the cones, knocking them both down in rapid succession. He picked up another from the bucket resting beside his feet and tossed it in the air, caught it with his racquet, and flung it at the wall for it to rebound and knock down the last cone with a resounding thud.

At any rate, you are useless to me.

He was a robot, a machine, knocking down cones one after the other and then picking them up and doing it all over again. His body was fine-tuned to Exy. This was what he was good at. He would not let his failure to perform force his hand to sign his own death certificate.

Should you fail, you will pay the price of my wasted time.

Neil twirled his racquet in his hand and prepared to start the drill over again. He shifted his feet and had only taken one running step when Kevin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“That’s three times without missing a cone, Neil. Take shots at the goal and then we’ll leave,” Kevin said.

“We haven’t been here long enough. Only –”

“Three hours. Any more and you’ll pull something and then you’ll be benched.” Kevin snapped his fingers as he wheeled Neil around so he faced Andrew in goal. “Thirty minutes.”

Neil bit back a complaint and shook out his arms and prepared to fire at the goal. Andrew stayed still in the goalie box, watching Neil for his first move.

Ichirou’s words had been circling his head ceaselessly since Monday. When he tried to sleep, he heard his deadline. When he closed his eyes, he saw Ichirou’s remorseless face. Ichirou was a shadow following Neil’s every move.

He’d had been working tirelessly, non-stop, relentlessly every practice with the Foxes and every night practice after that. He spent extra time in the gym, long after the rest of the team left and the lacrosse team needed it. He’d even been skipping his classes to spend more time at the Foxhole Court until Dan found out and dragged Neil to Calculus by the collar of his shirt.

The Foxes were playing Binghamton tomorrow and Neil was dreading it for more than one reason. It was the last game before Death Matches started up and the Foxes couldn’t afford to lose. Neil couldn’t afford to lose.

Squaring his shoulders, Neil raised his racquet and feinted right before twisting and swinging to the top left corner of the goal. Andrew saw it coming and rebounded it back to him. Neil caught it and fired just above Andrew’s head, but he deflected that, too. Instead of passing it back to Kevin or Neil, Andrew caught it and dropped it to the ground. He put his foot on it before it could roll away.

“You move your foot to whichever side you mean to shoot at. Your tells are too noticeable,” Andrew said.

If Neil wasn’t seething, he might have been pleased Andrew was showing some form of interest in the game but as it was, his frustration clouded everything and he just motioned for Andrew to serve with an impatient wave of his racquet.

The next time he aimed, he made sure to take two purposeful steps and fire with his toes planted firmly on the ground. He swung, feeling the force of the swing move through his arms and his back until it connected with the ball. The ball slammed into the wall of the goal before Andrew could block it.

A pleased thrill shuddered through Neil, making him clench his racquet in his hands. He stretched his fingers and caught the ball when Andrew rebounded it back to him.

Neil didn’t stop taking shots on Andrew until he scored on him five times, even when Kevin told him to start packing up. After the fifth shot smacked into the middle of the goal and lit up red, Andrew stepped to the side to signal that he was done, and so was Neil.

“You let me have that,” Neil snapped.

Andrew’s face was impassive behind his face guard. “I did not. And we’re leaving.”

“It’s not even midnight yet –”

“We have a game tomorrow, Neil. You need to get some fucking sleep. No –” Kevin pointed a warning finger when Neil tried to interrupt. “Did you think I didn’t notice you not sleeping? Zip it and stop compromising your health. We’re done here.”

Neil clenched his jaw so hard, his vision blurred. He sucked in a quick breath through his nose and then released all the tension from his muscles on the exhale. By the time his entire body was more or less relaxed, Kevin had collected the Exy balls and cones and shut the stadium lights off. Andrew scooped up the ball by his feet with a gloved hand and pushed it against Neil’s chest as he passed.

Neil showered quickly, not caring that Kevin and Andrew were in the locker room showering as well. He felt wired and amped up like he could run three laps around the court and still have the energy for a scrimmage.

Before he could even think about detouring back to the court, Andrew snagged the hood of his jacket and steered him to the Maserati. The farther away Neil got from the court and the closer to Fox Tower, Neil could feel the energy draining out of him and the exhaustion evident in the bags under his eyes nestling in his bones.

Despite his previous anxiety, Neil passed out before Kevin had even turned off the lights in the dorm, barely even changing into sweatpants to sleep in before he crawled into his bed and faceplanted into the pillow.

He stayed asleep and dreamt of nothing all night.

When he woke up, Neil gave himself three minutes to stare at the ceiling and assess everything from the aches in his body to the threats playing through his head.

The only thing he didn’t let himself do was think about how much that car accident had taken from him, how much of a predicament it had put him in. He definitely didn’t wonder what his life would be like if he had never cracked open his head.

Neil, Andrew, and Kevin were the first to arrive in the lobby of the Foxhole Court where Wymack and Abby were waiting for them. Kevin forced Neil to eat three granola bars and some disgusting health-shake made of blended vegetables and protein powder before the rest of the Foxes arrived. Then he stopped Kevin before he made Andrew drink one too and got staked in the ribs for his efforts.

After a short talk, Wymack released them so they could pack their equipment and load up. Andrew pulled Neil into his seat at the back of the bus and put him by the window. Neil wasn’t concerned that Andrew was blocking his exit; he felt safe where he was. Andrew wouldn’t acknowledge the grateful look Neil shot him.

Even though he got plenty of sleep before, Neil was out like a light as soon as the bus was on the Interstate. When he woke three hours later, Wymack was pulling into the Binghamton parking lot and the Foxes were stretching out their legs and arms. Neil rubbed away the remaining sleep from his eyes and smoothed his hand over the indents in his face from where he was pressed against the window.

“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” Neil mumbled to Andrew, his words slurred with sleep.

Andrew shrugged. His attention was on the large stadium outside. “You looked tired. Like a raccoon.”

“What?”

Andrew didn’t respond. Wymack had parked the bus and the Foxes were starting to file off so Neil got up and followed Andrew down the aisle. When he hopped off the last step of the bus, he scanned every inch of the stadium to see if it triggered any memories.

He knew where he was. He knew what happened here. A little less than a year ago Neil had been kidnapped off of this campus by his father’s men. In less than forty-eight hours after that, Neil Josten was in the system to be a real person and all the people who wanted to hurt Neil were dead or being hunted down by the FBI.

Except for one.

Neil wished he was lucky enough for Ichirou to be hit by a bus and put an end to all of this. He let himself imagine a life of freedom, no contracts tied to his life, no investments. Just Exy. And the Foxes.

It was unlikely so Neil shooed away the wishful thinking and retrieved his and Andrew’s bags from under the bus. The inside of the stadium was just as unfamiliar, but Neil thought he felt something when they entered the lounge. It was fleeting and when Neil tried to reach for it, it slipped through his fingers and left him feeling uneasy.

When Neil stepped into the men’s locker room, he nearly dropped his duffel bag. He thought he covered up his flinch, smoothed away the expression on his face, but the sound of air catching in his throat caught Andrew’s attention anyway.

Andrew didn’t need to ask what was wrong. He knew. He caught hold of Neil’s sleeve and tugged. “Breathe, Neil,” he said, leaning closer.

Neil wanted to do what Andrew told him, he really did, but how could he breathe when he heard Lola’s voice in his ears? How could he walk through this locker room when a stark black 0 flashed before his eyes every time he blinked? Neil’s chest squeezed and he caught hold of Andrew’s wrist to help ground him. Andrew didn’t seem to mind, his hand tightening in Neil’s sleeve.

“Neil, are you alright?”

Neil turned to Matt, hoping his eyes weren’t stretched as wide with panic like he thought they were. They were going to kill him. If Stuart hadn’t shown up when he did then Neil –

“Do you need me to get Abby?” Nicky asked him, pointing behind his shoulder from where they came in from.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Now? If you screw this up for us, Josten, I hope they kick you off the team –” Jack started. At the sight of Andrew and Kevin’s combined glare, his mouth clamped shut, but his glower wasn’t any less poisonous.

“What do you need, Neil?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? Neil needed to win this game, he needed to remember, he needed his Foxes, he needed to breathe, he needed to breathe, he needed to breathe.

So he breathed.

Neil took one deep breath and released it, then he took another and another. When the fuzziness in his lungs cleared away and Neil could think properly, he said, “I’m fine. I need to play.”

Nicky looked doubtful, but Kevin thumped him on the back and Andrew released him when he decided Neil wasn’t going to hyperventilate and pass out on the tile floor.

The entire time Neil dressed, he couldn’t quite dispel thoughts of Lola and his father out of his head. If he listened closely, he could hear the sounds of the crowd roaring from the stadium. Neil told himself it was different from the sounds of an angry riot. He checked for the blood he knew wasn’t really caked underneath his nails.

He didn’t want to think of the riot or getting kidnapped. Instead, he immersed himself in the Foxes’ friendly banter as they got ready for the game. Matt clapped his hand on Neil’s shoulder and gave him a friendly shake, grinning brightly at him. Past his shoulder, Neil caught sight of Renee and Andrew discussing plays with the freshmen goalkeeper. Andrew caught his eye and held it.

Soon enough it was time to file onto the inner court. Neil felt he was finally getting hold of his bearings; it was easier to think with the Plexiglas walls around him and the rumbling of the crowd in the stands. Wymack gave them a brief pep talk and released them to do their warm-ups.

Neil was starting striker with Kevin, so when the refs locked them on the court with the Binghamton players, he lined up on the starting line and raised his racquet. Neil’s shoulders were set, his face locked in a glare. Around him, he had his Foxes, Kevin at his side and Andrew at his back. When he caught Dan’s eye behind the face guard of her helmet, she gave him a determined look and tossed the ball in the air to serve.

The Foxes lost. Badly.

Neil hooked his fingers in the grill of his helmet and tore it off, but it didn’t change the red numbers on the scoreboard.

10-4, Binghamton’s favor.

The excited screams of triumph and outrage from the crowd faded to a dull buzz until Neil could only hear the blood pulsing through his ears. The world narrowed to that 4 and Neil thought he was going to throw up. This had to be a mistake, this was a nightmare. Neil would wake up on the bus in Binghamton’s campus and then the real game would start –

The Foxes’ loss was from no lack of trying on their part. They played viciously and desperately, every move played like it was their last. It just wasn’t good enough.

The players on both teams lined up and shook hands, but Neil wasn’t paying attention. It wasn’t until he was on his way off the court when someone from behind shoved him hard enough to almost send him sprawling when everything snapped back into place.

“What the fuck was that, Josten?” Jack snarled, getting in his face.

Neil shoved him away but this time, Sheena was there and caught his arm and pushed him forward. Neil was caught between Jack and Sheena, each jostling him back and forth as Jack yelled.

“You know what, I’m getting real sick and tired of this bullshit,” Jack’s voice rose higher and louder with each word. “You think you can just come onto the court and fuck everything up for everyone else? You’re just an amateur who got lucky. You don’t belong on this court, you’re a fucking disgrace, a –”

Robin stepped in between Jack and Neil. “Stop! It’s not his fault!”

“Oh really?” Jack said, wheeling on Robin instead. She jutted out her chin and met his enraged expression head on. “Because from where I’m standing, he fumbled three shots that should have been easy. I could have scored those goals with my eyes closed.”

“But you didn’t, did you, Jack? You’re too busy jacking off to how great you are — how better you are than everyone — to really get a goal,” Neil fired back, just as loud. “You think I’m an amateur? Who was the one who helped the Foxes win a championship title last year? That sure as hell wasn’t you. You’re just a whiny fucking brat with an attitude problem. Because guess what? You didn’t score those goals. You were sitting on the sidelines for most of the game, bitching at everyone else instead of actually contributing.”

“Hey, hey! That’s enough. Jack, Neil –”

Neil ignored Dan. “Remind me why you’re in my face again? You’re just a shitty fanboy with no real promise. That’s never going to get you very far in life, sorry to say.”

Jack sputtered, his face turning a vibrant shade of magenta. “Is that so, Natha–”

Neil’s fist connected with Jack’s face before he could get out the entire word, but the name hung in the air like the blade of a guillotine over Neil’s neck. The refs finally made their way through the knot of Foxes. One of them grabbed Neil by the shoulders and yanked him away from Jack before he could land another punch. Jack leapt up with fists swinging, but Dan shoved him back with one hand on his chest and the other warding off Neil from getting any closer.

“That’s enough! We are a team and you two need to start acting like one or I will bench you both for the rest of the season, you hear me?”

Neil glared at Jack. A red spot was blooming on his cheekbone and Neil very much wanted to add to it.

“I said, you hear me?”

“Yes, Dan,” Neil replied, his voice laced with lingering anger. Jack didn’t say anything; he just shook Dan off of him and stalked towards the locker room.

Neil shrugged the hands from his shoulders and followed after Aaron and Matt. Before he could get very far, though, the press intercepted him. A microphone was shoved into his face as cameras all around him flashed.

“Neil Josten! Is it true you sustained major memory loss after the car accident? How would you say that affected your relationship with your team?”

Neil should keep walking, he really should.

Neil stopped and turned his glare on the reporter, who looked pleased to have his attention. He didn’t know who leaked his amnesia to the press, but he was sick of this. The reporter didn’t seem deterred by his withering glare, but Neil knew he could make it even more venomous.

“Do none of you have anything better to do than pry into people’s lives? Is your life really that shitty? Like, I get it. It must be real fucking boring, sitting around your house all day waiting for a good story, but you vultures need to get some friends and leave me the hell alone.”

Kevin snatched at Neil’s jersey to pull him away but Neil wasn’t done. He shook out of Kevin’s grip. The reporter’s mouth hung wide open as she stared at Neil in shock. “If your career really sucks that bad that you need to ask questions about something that happened weeks ago, you need to get with it because that’s old news by now. Do you seriously get off on other people’s pain? I’m sick of all of you and your damn questions. You bloodsuckers can go fuck yourselves and get these cameras out of my face.”

Neil let Kevin pull him away then, not bothering to turn around and see the damage he caused. When he got to the locker room, Neil went straight to his duffel and dug around for his clothes. He wouldn’t look at anyone. His anger was still radiating off of him in hot waves.

He wanted to hit something, punch Jack again, put a dent in the locker, anything. Neil’s body trembled with the effort to keep his movements in check and non-violent as he yanked the clean clothes and a towel out and zipped his duffel back up.

When he straightened, Andrew was waiting at the end of the bench with his arms folded across his chest and an unimpressed look on his face. Neil ignored it and brushed past him to get to the showers. Jack didn’t say a word; he kept shooting scowls from across the room instead.

Neil didn’t say anything at all while the Foxes loaded up onto the bus. He sat in the row in front of Andrew’s and stared out the darkened window the entire ride home.

[sandjsbeachbumbonanza]

Day 110 – Bye bye killer plankton… hello tsetse flies

We woke up very early this morning to go to the airport. Zuri organised everything like clockwork, including breakfast boxes complete with hardboiled eggs, bread, sandwiches, fruit and drinks. Dulla picked us up and took us to the airport. He has now become our driver during our stay in Zanzibar, and we organised for him to pick us up on Monday from the airport.

When we arrived at the airport, we were concerned to see a huge throng of people standing around with their bags. Fortunately, Dulla informed us these were the Russians waiting for their flight back to Moscow. S lowered his head and started forging a path through the scrum. It wasn’t easy, but we made it. We are happy to report that no little children were stepped on in the process.

Domestic departures at Zanzibar is a rather casual affair. Before entering the departure zone, we had to stop by the ‘security desk’, which is just a guy sitting under an umbrella who checked our printed airline ticket confirmation and passports. We put our bags through the scanners and went through the metal detector, which went off. Apparently that’s not a problem here and we just kept going. We found the one-person check-in desk for Coastal Air. A guy came up to grab our luggage and take it to a physical scale across the room to make sure we didn’t exceed the 15kg per person limit. He then affixed some handwritten baggage tags to our bags.

We joined the other safari aspirants in a holding pen and got some coke and beer from the coffee shop. Amusingly, J saw that the gift shop has Korean writing on its sign. We have no idea why. There was no flight board and boarding announcements were also a bit casual. They consisted of the check-in desk guys coming by and shouting out the airline name and destination. We tried to board the wrong flight a few times. Finally our check-in guy told us to stand by and he would come find us for our flight. We were finally walked to the plane, where we joined three other passengers, who were already on the plane. Before we boarded, we were shown our luggage in the hold of the plane. Otherwise, the handwritten bag tags might have made us slightly nervous given our experience with InterCaribbean Airways.

Our flight to Arusha was about 1 hour 40 minutes, which doesn’t seem long unless you are on a very small aircraft and need to use the loo. When we arrived in Arusha, our Coastal Air minder mercifully took us by the loo before taking us out of the terminal and back into the terminal through security. This time when the metal detector went off, S was asked to remove his belt, watch and wallet. The metal detector went off again, but this time they decided to let him pass without further inspection. We were then put in a holding pen. J took the opportunity to buy some popcorn. We waited in the pen until a guy came and called us by name to board the flight. We followed him back on to the same plane that we had just come off of. Once again, we were shown our luggage in the hold.

The flight from Arusha to Seronera was only around an hour, but was extremely bumpy due to high winds. We both had to control our air sickness. S helpfully pointed out that there were air sickness bags in each seat, just in case. We skidded to a landing and exited the plane. S contemplated kissing the earth, but thought better of it as it was a dirt runway (hence the skidding). We were met by our Serena guide, Godson. He loaded us into the standard Toyota Landcruiser. Like Dona’s car, this one has a pop-up roof and windows that only slide partially open.

We headed off down the dirt road to our first lodge, Serena Serengeti. Almost immediately, we spotted two lions that were courting one another under a tree. We only saw them briefly as they ducked down and hid in the tall grass. Thankfully Godson also has binoculars, which he loaned to S. On the way to the lodge, we saw a variety of animals, including a warthog, impalas and baboons. While we were viewing the impalas, we met another resident of Tanzania, the tsetse fly. Tsetse flies are bloodsucking parasites, that resemble western horse flies. Apparently their bite is quite painful and stays itchier longer than a mosquito bite. Fortunately we were only annoyed and not bitten. At that point, Godson said he needed to drive quickly as we were driving through an area with a tsetse fly infestation and he did not want to let them get into the car. He lent J an animal hair fly swatter, which she used liberally, including smacking Godson in the head to protect him from flies, and S in the eye as he was collateral damage. These are no ordinary flies – these suckers are mean and aggressive.

We then arrived at the lodge and were ushered straight to lunch as lunch was ending. J spent most of the time googling tsetse flies, bite prevention and how to repel them. The answer is – good luck. Even DEET is not 100% effective and they can bite through your clothing.

Lunch was three courses in a beautifully decorated lodge, with wood carvings and overstuffed leather chairs. We only saw one other group dining and they oddly seemed to be on business as they were wearing business casual reminiscent of S’ gorilla trekking attire. We had a zucchini soup and a fruit cup and J also had a main (stir fry chicken). J seemed to get the benefit of this lunch as by the time S had given J all his watermelon, there was almost no fruit left for him in his fruit cup. J’s cup, on the other hand, runneth over with watermelon.

We were then taken to our room. The standard rooms are in a thatched roof cottage. There is one room on the ground floor and one room up a ramp. We have a gorgeous view looking out over the Serengeti and one of the windows looks out on a tree filled with different, colourful birds. The room oddly has lodge décor but resembles a hotel room. There is even a hotel phone to call reception, something we haven’t seen in any lodge to date. The staff had made an elephant towel creature for us and left us an impressive bowl of fruit. The room and bathroom are smaller than our previous lodge rooms, but are practical and clean. We already know that we have electricity, WiFi and a fan, so that’s a step in the right direction. This place is run very professionally and has a bit of a corporate feel. After our experience in Uganda, this is not necessarily a bad thing. S is particularly happy as while there are some stairs, all are clearly marked so he can see them.

We were told that we are strictly forbidden from walking alone at night as there are dangerous wild animals walking around the property. Instead of the usual Masai guards, J saw a guy in camouflage gear holding an AK47. We assume that he will be our escort tonight.

As we didn’t have a game drive this afternoon, we decided to try out the pool, which is a few feet from our room. It is kidney-shaped, shallow at both ends and more than 2 metres / 7 feet deep in the middle. There is even a full-time pool guy who clearly doesn’t have much to do as no one was using the pool today. He thanked us for stopping by. He saw us check it out earlier today and was worried we weren’t coming back. He set us up with two padded sunloungers in the shade and got us some cocktails and towels. His name is Musa and he’s from the Lake Victoria area. He spent a lot of time chatting with us – he’s clearly bored and keen to be helping out guests. The pool was nice, albeit a bit cool with a few flies (thankfully not the blood-sucking ones). Musa told us during the very dry season, animals stop by to drink from the pool as it’s only lightly chlorinated. He said they’ve seen lions, leopards, giraffes, buffalos and zebras.

Dinner was another 3-course affair. We skipped the starters and just had mains and dessert. S had the veggie fusilli and fruit cup and J had the black pepper beef tenderloin with a cheese plate. Fortunately for S, there was only a limited amount of watermelon on his fruit plate, so he got to eat most of it.

After eating, we decided to sit in the bar and finish our wine in the bar’s outdoor seating area overlooking the grounds. This turned out to be a perfect viewing spot for dik-diks. The dik-diks basically stayed there the entire time and did not run off. J got to watch them eat and lounge around, while they watched out for leopards. We also heard some not too distant hyenas making their usual whooping noise.

Our escort this evening is very knowledgeable and friendly. He likes to point out animals with his torch as he guides you around. J asked him to get close to the dik-diks, which he did. He said the dik-diks live on the grounds and are not afraid of humans. It is safer here as the cats don’t come around as frequently, but the dik-diks still get killed by leopards from time to time. In a tree right next to our room, he pointed out bush babies, which J had not yet seen. Bush babies are nocturnal and only come out at night, so they are hard to spot. All in all, we had a nice evening.

[carlsonknives]

TRAVEL | My 5* Luxury Beach Holiday At The TRS Yucatan in Mexico

The huge infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean sea at the TRS Yucatan

Following a glorious week spent in the Maldives last year, I was keen to get another beach holiday in this year. With just a few criteria on my list (adults only, beachfront location and reef accessible from the beach), I started looking at Kenwood Travel who I booked with last year, but came across some great deals on the Blue Bay Travel website.

The thought of going to a bustling tourist hot spot like Cancun did little for me, but when I came across the adults-only luxury 5 star TRS Yucatan Hotel further down the Yucatan peninsula that was offering a free upgrade to a Juniour suite with a private pool and butler(!), I set to work, trying to convince myself that Mexico was for me.

After reading up on the location I was convinced and snapped up the all-inclusive special offer, which happily came in well below my budget.

It’s all about the location

Located around 95km south from Cancun, the beautiful adults-only TRS Yucatan hotel sits on the coast, close to the island of Cozumel. As well as easy access to a house reef, a 5 minute walk down the beach, the southern tip of the island of Cozumel is a designated marine nature reserve making it the perfect location in terms of both snorkeling and diving.

The main infinity pool, one of 3 pools at the TRS Yucatan

As Mexico’s largest Caribbean island, Cozumel has a world renowned reef which is part of the Mesoamerica Barrier Reef System, second in size only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The southern part of Cozumel is protected and has Marine Park status, meaning to dive there a special permit is needed and I after exchanging a few emails with at Aqua Excursions (operating from The Grand Palladium hotel, part of the same wdie Palladium complex), I was advised that the Cozumel dive was the one to go for and was advised that even a snorkeling trip to the local reef pretty much guaranteed the sighting to sea turtles.

The Journey

Flying direct to Cancun from Manchester airport was super convenient as I live only half an hour away from the airport. We opted to get the train to avoid both the expense of airport parking and the worry of having to drive home from the airport after no sleep on our return journey.

On board the Thomas Cook Airlines flight to Cancun

The online checkin for our Thomas Cook Airlines flight to Cancun opened the standard 24 hours before we were due to fly, but I was surprised to find that our seats had already been allocated and could not be changed. I’ve never flown  longhaul with a budget carrier before, and to be honest I’ll definitely think again next time.

Whilst the plane was clean and modern and left on time, it wasn’t what I’m used to. When I fly longhaul I usually fly with the likes of BA, Emirates or Etihad, so being presented with just 5 film choices was a bit of a surprise! I consoled myself with an in-flight Prosecco and was thankful I’d loaded up my tablet with films and audio books.

The seats I thought were actually quite roomy, by exceptionally uncomfortable with almost no padding at all leaving me with a numb bum and a very achey back. With nothing on the head-rest to support your head, even with my Trtle travel pillow I found it impossible to sleep, luckily though at 9.5 hours it was relatively short (as far as longhaul flights go that is!).

Upon arrival, we had to run the gauntlet of yelling salesmen that line the area before you can exit Cancun airport, selling everything from excurions to car hire and amusingly, Tequilla shots. The blast of hot humid air as we stepped out of the airport and followed the Blue Bay Travel rep to our transfer minibus was a huge relief.

Visiting Mexico in late September can be considered risky, with it being slap bang in the rainy season. I’d prepared myself that we might get cooler weather, rain and a lot of clouds as a result so a clear blue sky and blazing sunshine greeting us was wonderful and provided my first realisation about Mexico – everything seems so much brighter and more vibrant there.

The TRS Yucatan lobby

The Accommodation

It took less than 2 hours to get to the TRS Yucatan and we were ushered into the enormous hotel foyer, greeted by a smiling member and staff, given a glass of bubbly something or other and a wet towel to freshen up. There was a mix up with the room so we had to wait a short while for that to be sorted out, no great hardship, we were shown in the direction of the lobby bar and happily sat outside sipping cocktails and in less than 10 minutes, we were told our room was ready.

The suite itself was large and airy, and as I was traveling with my daughter, we’d opted for a room with two beds, and I was pleased to find 2 nice big doubles in the room, festooned with pillows and cushions. The mini bar was fully stocked with soft drinks and beer (the fact we don’t drink beer was a bit of a shame!), and there were also 3 large bottles of complimentary spirits in the room; Tequilla, Whisky and Vodka.

The interior of our suite at the TRS Yucatan

The suite was open plan with a sitting area at the far end with big sliding doors leading out onto our private terrace with our wonderful plunge pool. We were disappointed to have no real view to speak of as we were directly behind Helios restaurant on the beach front, but there was plenty of foliage and greenery to look at.

Our private plunge pool was a bit hit and we spent a lot of time in it!

The one thing we weren’t keen on was the bathroom configuration. There was a small toilet cubicle that was weirdly, fully mirrored and contained a phone (who orders room service whilst they are on the loo?!), next to another fully mirrored yet seperate shower room, and the double sinks were actually located in the room. This isn’t a hotel to choose if you aren’t comfortable with constantly seeing yourself as there were mirrors everywhere!

The lovely secluded veranda outside our suite

The location

Whilst the hotel does have a sea front location, the beach isn’t direct accessible from the property, instead a short 5 minute takes you to the Grand Palladium resrot, a hotel in the same chain and part of the larger Palladium complex, where you’ll also find a shaded area full of large cabanas reserved especially for TRS Yucatan guests. This is also where Aqua Excursions dive school can be found.

The private beach at TRS Yucatan

The complex is so large that there are free taxis permanently trudnling around making it super easy to get around, but we preferred to walk between resorts, taking every opportunity to burn off the insane amount of calories we consumed becuase the food and cocktails were so amazing.

Wildlife

I was so blown away by the wildlife we saw during our stay that I’ve written an entire blog post packed full of pictures and telling you all about it. Take a look at the article here: Wildlife Spotted at The TRS Yucatan, Maya Riviera, Mexico.

Iguanas were everywhere!

What we did

Whilst local culture is always important when I go away, typically tourist day trips don’t interest me. Standing at the foot of Chicehn Itza surrounded by hundreds of other people all jostling to get the perfect Instagram shot holds little appeal. The issue with flying long-haul for just 7 days it is can be very difficult to fit everything in, so before leaving I made the decision that this trip would be all about much needed relaxation and exploring the marine life of the region.

One of the many pools at the Palladium hotels complex

Flying lonhaul for a holiday of only 7 days means it can be a challenge when trying to balance getting out and about exploring and the need for relaxation. With the emphasis firmly on relaxation, I was keen not to over do things, so had decided before arriving to do a local snorkeling boat trip, a Cenote dive as well as a full day diving in the Marine reserve of Cozumel.

Upon arrival despite glorious hot sunshine, we quickly found that the beach had been plagued by an enormous seaweed bloom badly affecting the visibility under the water, which when I swam out, was zero. It was like snorkeling in a thick brown soup. The beach too was covered, and despite tractors working all through the day every day, they did little to rid the beach of the blight. Unfortunate, as the weather that had caused the seaweed and churned up the sea also meant snorkeling at the local reef was simply not viable.

This forced a change in plans and at the dive school, located a short walk down the beach at the Grand Palladium hotel (one of the 4 hotels that form the huge Palladium complex) I chatted to the team there who advised that our plan to go to Cozumel was our best bet for good marine life. Having already planned to do this trip as well as booking a dive there, I also enquired about their PADI scuba diving course.

Diving in Cozumel

Despite diving yearly, due to only ever being able to go on holiday for a week, I still haven’t found the time to get properly PADI qualified, but this time around my daughter talked me into it. She doesn’t dive, but was able to book a snorkel trip on the same dive boat I’d be on, which meant whilst I did my two final PADI dives, she was able to visit 3 snorkel spots.

My first confined water dive, one of three dives I did in order to gain my PADI Scuba Diver qualification

In the Maldives last year I did my deepest dive yet at 13 metres, and I loved being able to go a little deeper on my final dives and reached 15metres, and was utterly delighted to see a beautiful nurse shark, French angel fish, lots of lobsters and several Baraccuda.

Boarding the ferry to Cozumel

My 3 dives were brilliant, and I was delighted to pass my final exam and finally walk away as a qualified scuba diver. Doing the course however took up the best part of 3 days, which meant our plans to do anything else were pretty much out of the window.

Spa Day

The spa at the TRS Yucatan was divine. There is a seperate pool there that only spa visitors can use, and it’s a lovely lazy river style meandering pool with a healthy juice bar at the far side. Inside the main building there are various plunge pools and our massages were divine, leaving us feeling truly relaxed, however, the spa prices were extortionate. I’m a regular spa visitor here in the UK and I’ve never seen prices quite that high before. A 30 minute massage for example was an eye-watering $120, that said, our complimentary massage was utterly fantastic and the spa is well worth a visit.

The Spa at the TRS Yucatan

Food & Drink

To say the food and drink was excellent would be an understatement. All-inclusive can often conjure up images of crowded buffets serving medicore food to please the masses. Not so at the TRS Yucatan.

On arrival our butler explained all about the food and drink options. Our suite was a few steps away from Helios, a gorgeous beach bar that was also our choice for breakfast most mornings, and breakfast was true feast. As well as waiter service and the ability to order off the menu, there was a huge breakfast buffet with live cooking stations with an excellent selection of juices, authentic Mexican dishes, fruit, pastries, cheese, meat, yoghurt and lots more besides.

Breakfast at Helios

We also dined at Helios for lunch and the Fajitas were so delicious I could have ehappily eaten them every day, but with so many options to choose from, including lots of fresh fish, we tried something different every day.

For evening dining the options were even better, though it is recommended to book your choice of restaurant in advance, particularly the superb El Gaucho, where I had lobster. Speaking of which, unlimited lobster was even available on room service. Our second favourite dinner was at La Bohème the tapas restaurant which was utterly beautiful and the food and service was superb.

The interior of La Bohème restaurant

The only restaurant that disappointed us was Ribs & More, the American style restaurant where the food and service was decidedly mediocre.

The food highlight has to be the 7 course tasting menu at Chic Cabaret & Restaurant. Consitently rated as ‘excellent’ on TripAdvisor. Whilst cheesey cabaret shows really aren’t my thing, the performers were very good and the food was excellent. As well as 7 courses of pure deliciousness, there were a variety of different shots with each course, including of course Tequila, of which we drank far too much!

Chic cabaret and restaurant

Whilst it was a real shame about the seaweed and being unable to snorkel on the house reef as a result, the holiday was superb throughout and it was impossible to find fault with anything. The service was superb, the food and drink incredible, the location stunning and our suite and the hotel facilities were excellent.

Me with my daughter

Holiday Highlights

Attentive and friendly butler service

Incredible food and drink

Extensive wildlife

Huge infinity pool overlooking the sea with watier service

Friednly staff

Our beautiful suite with private plunge pool

Finally getting my PADI dive qualification

Day trip to the marine reserve in Cozumel

Our trip to the Mexico

We flew to Mexico at the end of September direct from Manchester with Thomas Cook and stayed at the adults-only, beach front TRS Yucatan on the Yucatan peninsula. Our week long trip was booked through Blue Bay Travel at a cost of £1,069.96pp, all-inclusive staying in a Royal Junior Suite Private Pool and butler. I booked an intro dive in Cozumel with Aqua Excursions at a cost of $219pp and the Underwater Maya Snorkel Trip at a cost of $94pp.

The post TRAVEL | My 5* Luxury Beach Holiday At The TRS Yucatan in Mexico appeared first on Camping with Style Camping Blog | Activities • Glamping • Travel • Adventure.

Original Source http://www.campingwithstyle.co.uk/travel-my-5-luxury-beach-holiday-at-the-trs-yucatan-in-mexico/ For the best knives to use whilst camping check out Carlson Knives http://www.carlsonknives.com/

[feelup74]

Well hello there WebTraveller!

This post I am gonna share my experience with you on my first visit to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD. I have always had a love of railroads and trains, steam engines more specifically, I had recently heard about this museum through a couple of venues, the latest would be the museums YouTube page, The Museum’s web link is here. The Museum’s YouTube channel really gave me a lot of insight to the history of the museum and a lot of handy information to plan my trip.

Waiting in line to head into the B&O Railroad Museum

Engine #1 – American Freedom Train

I arrived at the museum approximately 30 minutes before the main area had opened to the public. I decided to stop for a coffee before hand and let the excitement build for the days adventures. Driving into the parking lot it was nice to see some railroad rolling stock and a bunch of engines that had once been used by the railroads themselves. The one engine that had caught my attention was engine number 1, she’s a steam engine and had a banner on her entitled “American Freedom Train.”

From what I had read about this engine was that she was used to pull a train on the eastern side of the United States in 1976 when it was the Bicentennial for this great country of ours. The other engine (which is one of my personal favorite is Southern Pacific engine #4449, also known as the “Daylight, ” which had been touted as the “most beautiful train in the world, ” when Southern Pacific had commisioned the engines and the passenger cars were built), #4449 was used to pull a train on the western side of the United States in 1976. Seeing this beautiful engine sitting in the parking lot on display made me think what it was like back in the days of when the railroads were really the only way to get around anywhere relatively quickly. The fact that I was looking at a piece of history with my own eyes brought a humbling feeling over me.

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum was because of it’s history. The railroad is the first commissioned railroad in the United States. The site where the museum is located was once part of the work shops of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, a true nostalgic piece of history for sure and for this day,  I was proud and very happy to be a part of it. Here is a gallery of pictures from the pieces of railroad cars that I had the pleasure walk around and view prior to entering the museum itself:

Selfie with Volunteer Wayne at B&O Railroad Museum

It was just about 11 am (I had visited the museum on a Sunday), it was time to get in line and see what nostaligic history there was inside the doors of the museum. I had purchased my admission fee and had opted to take a ride on the “Mile One Express” (which I will explain in detail as it came up through out the day, and yes it is a railroad museum, why not have a train ride!). With admission ticket in hand, I turned to my left and I was greeted by Volunteer Wayne , who had asked me if this was my first visit to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum, I told him that it was. He had asked if it was alright to get me started on a a good foot at the museum. How could I resist. We had passed through two sets of double doors and we were standing in the main roundhouse area where there was a lot of nostalgic history just sitting there waiting to be viewed and explored. We had started the tour of the roundhouse area by heading to the left …

The roundhouse building was originally used for  passenger cars that needed to be serviced while in use on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, it wasn’t intended for service of steam engines as I had learned from talking with volunteer Wayne. While walking to the left of the entrance to the roundhouse museum area, it is set up in a timeline of early railroading, I was not aware that the first railroad was actually drawn by the use of a horse! Volunteer Wayne had pointed out on the next exhibit, which is a series of like stage coach cars placed together in a train fashion,  that the carriages that been used where using leather straps as springs which I had not really thought of, but cool facts to know for sure.

Volunteer Wayne allowed me to stand on the cow catcher for this photo op

I have to say that Volunteer Wayne had spent a good 20 min with me and pointed out lots of great tidbits of information that any railroad fan would enjoy (I am purposely not giving away all the tidbits either, I have to leave something for others to enjoy in person). I would like to take a moment here and just say that Volunteer Wayne really made my visit an awesome experience. Thank You so much Wayne, you really left me speechless and made me feel very welcomed to the museum. Wayne had offered to let me stand on one of the cow catchers of one of the steam engines to take my picture.

Here is a gallery of some of the Roundhouse section of the museum I had the pleasure of admiring:

As I was concluding my tour with Wayne I had one last question for him and that was about the turntable. Now a turntable is what the railroads used to spin railroad rolling stock around and move it to a side spur in the roundhouse (one reason why it is called that). The turntable sits in the middle of the round house, now it is all shining for the purposes of the museum, but the understructure is that of a bridge. The railroad was clever in the way they built this one, once loaded, if the turntable is perfectly balanced, with the weight of what if placed on it, the table essentially “floats”.  There is a cut out in the floor of the turntable that one person can rotate whatever is on it. On the day of my visit, this wasn’t part of the adgenda, but I thought that was a cool fact. Check out the gallery of the turntable itself:

So much had been learned in a very short period of time, I decided to head outside to do some exploring and I discovered there is a snack bar that served pizza, hotdogs and chicken tenders to name a few. Who knew that learning could work up an appetite (not to mention all the pictures that I had snapped!). It was time to fuel up because in approximately 25 min I was to report to “Platform #2,” and what was waiting there?

After finishing up my chicken tenders, I was to be at “Platform #2” which appeared to part of the original Baltimore and Ohio Railroad passenger loading platform from days gone by. At “Platform #2” there was a passenger train the museum labels “Mile One Express,” why do they do that, well this particular passenger train travels the very first mile of track laid in the United States heading west out of the museum yard. I was fortunate that a friend had shown up to spend part of the day with me and we were heading to the platform to get in line with the other museum visitors to board the “Mile One Express.” The line proceeded to the entrance of a passenger car, the conductor was there to check everyone’s ticket boarding the train. Upon entering the passenger car I had stumbled acrossed Volunteer Wayne from earlier, I had asked him which direction that we were allowed to go, Volunteer Wayne said, “well, you two are to exit the car, turn right and head up to the engine, tell the engineer that Wayne sent you” My jaw dropped! That is precisely what we did, upon exiting the car, the engineer was waiting with the conductor as the line boarded. I told the engineer what our instructions were and to the engine with the engineer my friend and I went! (And the one time I forgot my engineers hat!)

Selfie with James the Engineer on the “Mile One Express”

There’s a interesting feeling climbing off the engine on the “Mile One Express”

We had gotten ourselves situated in the cab and I had the chance to speak with the engineer, who’s name was James.  Brief story about him, he had work for CSX Railroad for 28 years and volunteers at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum to drive the “Mile One Express.” He also mentioned to me his family is a railroad family. What a treat this was going to be. I know I personally had never ridden in the cab of an engine. The bell started to ring, the horn was blown and James the engineer pulled a lever or two the we started rolling backwards away from the station! What a treat indeed to be sitting up in the engine for a train ride. It is a whole different experience. The trip on the “Mile One Express” is approximately 20 min or so, the train is a slow moving one and I can tell you there is a lot to see, feel free to check out the videos here of some of the train ride! (There is a playlist included close to the end of the post).

I have to say that riding in the cab of the engine defineatly makes for a whole different train riding experience, of course to be able to toot the horn would be awesome as well! I would like to take a moment to thank engineer James for a pleasant and safe trip!

The train ride had concluded and there was still more museum to see! Just after grabbing a snack of chicken tenders earlier, I made a mental note of the garden railway layout. It seemed to have a few different loops associated with it, but none the less it was a layout and why not stop, take a bunch of pictures and a walk around video. Here are a few views of the garden layout (the walkaround video is included in the video playlist close to the end of the post)

Quite a nice garden layout if I do say so myself, but it was time to head onto the next stop which was the Passenger Car Facility. It was just a short walk from the garden railroad and  passenger platform of the “Mile One Express”. Once inside the sights to behold, a lot of steam engines from days gone by, however, the engine I really wanted to see was “the Allegheny, ” Volunteer Wayne had told me about this engine. It was a few rows back and tucked away, but the sheer size of the engine and tender alone was a sight to behold! The engine and tender had to be 75-80% of the length of the building that it was being housed in, the wheels were about as tall as I am which is about 6′ 2″.  However reaching the top of the boiler on the steam engine I believe it is approximately 20 feet in height (don’t quote me on that) looking at this super engine was a sight to marvel at. I remember what Volunteer Wayne had mentioned to me that the engine was once used to pull a passenger train through the Allegheny Mountains (it was normally used to pull freight), at 60 MPH it consumed approximately 3000 gallons of water per mile, THAT is a lot of water! The tender held 25,000 gallons of water (I could stand to be corrected, when Volunteer Wayne was telling me I was in sheer awe of all the history of the Museum, shops , and the engines that I was looking at, so much information to absorb).

Here is a gallery of the pictures I had taken near “The Allegheny” steam engine. Sheer size for sure!

The next stop on the tour of the museum was another type of passenger platform that had some exhibits of the use of military cars during war time. Due to the fact I have memebers of my own family that have served this great country of ours, I found it only right to stop and pay homage and a few moments of silence to “Thank” those who have served, I am sure that if the walls could talk the stories that would be revealed. The military cars that were on display, one could walk in and see how the soldiers had to travel by train to their destinations, a little tight on the sleeping quarters. Here are a few pictures from the military cars:

After paying homage to the Military cars the next stop was to a preview I had seen on the Museums’s YouTube page and that was the “china” car. The “china” car was a display of the Baltimore and Ohio’s flatware and silverware collection that was used on the railroad when food was being served on the train. The collection of china was very detailed on the scenery painted onto the cups, plates and bowls. Very impressive! I can only imagine what it would have been like to work on the railroad back in those days. There is a great story on the railroad museum’s YouTube channel that tells that story much better than I can.

Here is a look at the China Collection:

The final stop on the Museum tour was that of a model railroad that was held in a passenger car. Definately a neat idea to house a model railroad in a once used passenger car! I better start saving my pennies.

Here is a gallery of the pics of the model railroad and a video is included just a little further down:

Here is a short video list of the happenings from the day and the visit to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum.

WOW! What a day this was visting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum. The amount of history that I had the chance to experience of what life was like back in those early days of the United States, this is one museum I will be proud to return to and see again for sure in the future. Believe it or not there are a few things that I did not mention, but the day was a fun fact filled day. However to close out this visit and prepare for the next stop on my railroad adventure, it was time to give my friend that was with me a huge hug (you know who you are), and head out for the next stop, which was about two hours away.

To where is this next stop you wonder, well, if you, the WebTraveller, have been following along from the Amtrak post previous to this post, you will know that the next stop will be in Lancaster County, Pa. The Red Caboose Motel and Restaurant would be my next post to write about and the next day’s journeys, to be written in posts by themselves.

Until next time WebTraveller, the journey will continue shortly, thanks for reading and feel free to share this post with the world, thats why it is being written from my experience to you.

I always wanted to own a caboose, but this is a great shot

The next post on the Railroad Adventure! Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum - Baltimore, Maryland Well hello there WebTraveller! This post I am gonna share my experience with you on my first visit to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD.

[meikyoyaphan-blog]

Romeo and Juliet

The boundaries where LIfe from Death are ath best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and the other begins? -Edgar Allan Poe

 HOW THE FEUD STARTED 

"You cheated on me, Rosaline!" Leon yelled. "No." She lied calmly. She was trying to get the knife that was gripped in Leon Brock's hand. "I can't believe that you would do that! After all I've done for you!" Leon yelled. He was on the edge, about to snap. On March 21, 1921 (changed the date a bit) the police found the body of Rosaline Golbach. Her body had multiple stab wounds, Leon Brock was the one who put those there.This caused all of the future generations of the Brock and Golbach family to hate each other.

 HOW IT ENDS 

 Kaylan's Point of View That's how it started. The feud. "KAYLAN!" My brother Colby yelled. "Coming!" I rushed down the stairs to the dining room where everyone was eating. "Kaylan," my father boomed "today you and Colby are coming with me to see the company." Our company was publishing, we had companies all around the world. We had two businesses in South Korea, five in Japan. three in Canada and one in Germany. I nodded and sat next to Colby for breakfast.   After breakfast I was sent to get dressed. Finally, after what seemed like hours I found something to wear. Black skinny jeans, my favourite My Chemical Romance sweatshirt and my bright blue Vans. Off to Brock Publishing we go, I thought as we loaded into the car.

 Kameron (K)'s Point of View 

 "Kam, wake up." I heard a voice coo. "Kam Kam. Wakey wakey." I felt a violent shaking. "Kameron Golbach. Wake up now." Mother. "Yes, Mother?" I lifted my tired head to try and see her better. "Oh, hello darling. Get up." She smiled. "If you don't, I'm sure Samuel would love to help you up." I panicked. "I'm up. God." She was gone. If I go back to sleep now, I thought maybe I can get out of going to the company. I liked that idea. But Sam is going to wake me up. I still hurt from last time. I rubbed my left cheekbone. "Kamy. Up." Sam said sweetly from the hallway. I jumped out of bed "I'm up, Sam." I said in response. Now I have to go to the company. Great. Learn more about diamonds. What do they want me to do with it? We already have businesses in China,, England and France. I don't want to go to the company. There is a 100% chance that I'll see a Brock there. "Mother, do I need to go to the company today?" I said sluggishly. "Yes K. You're going to inherit the company one day. An-" I cut her off "I'm not firstborn. Sam is." "Kameron Golbach, you will not interupted me when I'm speaking. In your father's will he gave the company to you." "And you're just telling us now? Why, mother? Father died months ago!" I said. She was silent. "I'm giving the company to Sam. He works harder than I do. He is a lot more attractive than I. He is exactly what this company needs." "Kam, you don't need to do that." Sam put his hand onto my shoulder. " It's fine. Really." "No. Sam you deserve more." I ran back up to my room and slammed the door. "KAMERON COME BACK DOWN HERE!" I put my headphones on and turned the music all the way up "There's a place in the dark where the animals go You can take off your skin in the cannibal glow Juliet loves the beat and the lust it commands Drop the dagger and lather the blood on your hands, Romeo." Gerard Way sings into my ears. After an hour of destroying my eardrums, I exited my room. "You ready?" Sam scared me. "Sam! God. Don't do that. But yes. I'm dressed if that's what you mean." Sam nodded and we headed to the car. "So if you want to piss off your parents date me to scare them show them you're all grown up if long hair and tattoos are what attract you baby then you're in luck I know it's just a phase you're not in love with me." The  car stereo sang. 18 by Anarbor is my favourite. It's just.... wow.. I stopped mid thought. She is beautiful. A petite girl with short brown hair walked by, she was also wearing a MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE sweatshirt. "Who is she?" I thought out loud. "Who?" Sam said, I pointed at her. "That's Kaylan Brock and her brother Colby Brock." Crap, why does she have to be a Brock? My only love sprung from my only hate. I mentally quoted from Romeo and Juliet. "Don't even try K. You'll get killed." 

 Kaylan's Point of View 

 "So if you want to piss off your parents date me to scare them show them you're all grown up if long hair and tattoos are what attract you baby then you're in luck I know it's just a phase you're not in love with me." I heard blasting from a passing car. I looked in, I saw a boy. He was attractive. His emo swooped black hair. "Who's that?" I questioned Colby. "That's Kameron Golbach and his brother Samuel Golbach. Don't even think about it Kaylan." He chastised. "Kayland!" I heard one of my best friends say. "Mae. Oh my God. Haven't seen you in a while how was Hong Kong?" She smiled. "Amazing. Got you something." She pulled out a Hello Kitty plush. My eyes widened. "You know me." "I know." I gave her a quick hug and we agreed to meet up somewhere, she was going to pick. Most likely it's going to be Hot Topic. Then she walked off. She was one of my best friends, she has seen me in my worst. "Kaylan. Come on." Father beckoned me.  We were shown the basics of the company. "Tonight!" My Father announced "There will be a party. Everybody is invited." Mother raised an eyebrow. "even the Goldbach's?" Father thought "Yes! We need to end this feud!' There was applause. "Who's gonna tell 'em?" Someone yelled. "I will." I said. All eyes turned onto me. "Go." Father shooed me towards their company. Why can't you keep your big mouth shut for once, Kaylan? But now I can see Kameron. I pulled the large door open. "Hello. I'm here to see Morgana Golbach." I told the receptionist "Name?" she said in monotone. "Kaylan Brock." she looked up at me, she was shocked. "One moment, Miss Brock." She got up and walked in a direction and came back many moments later. "Ms. Golbach will see. Please follow me." She led me to a large room with three people in it. Two boys, one blonde and the other had dyed black hair. The blonde is Samuel and the other must be Kameron. Then there was a woman. "Thank you, Kitty. You can leave." She waited til Kitty was out of the room  to continue talking. "What do need?" "Uh, I am here to invite you and your family to a party tonight. At our Estate." She finally turned. She was a handsome woman, tall, long brown hair and lovely features. "I'm sorry but we have to decline. We have somewhere to be tonight." 

Kameron (K)'s Point of View 

 "I'm sorry but we have to decline. We have somewhere to be tonight." Mother lied. What? "Mother?" Sam said. She turned her attention from Kaylan to Sam. "Hey, you." I said. "Hi." she squeaked. I chuckled. "Don't worry, Samuel and I will show up." I smiled. I extended  my hand to her. "I'm Kameron, but everyone calls me K." She shook it. "Kaylan. Some people call me Yoshi." I laugh again. "Cute. Like the dinosaur from Mario." She smiled and nodded. "What time?" she let go of my hand. "About 8:30pm? Yeah." She trailed off. "Okay. I should talk to Mother." I smiled and walked over to Mother after she left. "Mother, why are you lying to her? They finally want to reconcile." she looked away. "No. That's not what your Father would want." she's being stubborn. "Mother. Sam and I are going. People already think that we're crazy This could help remedy that thought." Stop being stubborn. You know this is what Father would want . "You and Samuel will go. I refused to dine with thine enemy." Sam and I both rolled our eyes. "What time?" Mother said after a while "8:30pm." She glanced at the clock. It's 1:40 right now. "You have to get there by yourself." She said and returned to working.

 Kaylan's Point of View 

 "Okay. I should talk to Mother." K said. That was a hint to Please we need to talk about you so please leave. I turned on my heel and headed for the door. Eventually, we went back home. Getting the house ready for guest to start arriving. "How about this?" Mother had picked the 198 dress out of the closet. It was a short black dress with peacock feathers going up along one side of it. "If I say yes. Will you stop?" she nodded. "Yes." she grabbed a pair of black heels. "Mother. Please leave." She smiled and ran out the room. I got my phone out and called Mae. "Kayland. My dear what time should I crash this party?" I smiled "Now." I heard pick a dress and slipped on some shoes and headed to her car start it. "Welcome to the Black Parade." started. "Trash." I said "Emo." She muttered. "Kayland! Come out." She said. I went to the front door and let her in. She was wearing a ball gown. At the bodice it was a light gray then faded to a black. "You wearing Vans?" I said as I ending the call. "Of course." She walked into my home. "My child. I'm very hungry." "Hey Mae. The Golbach children are coming." She smiled "Yes. I love them. I love Sam. One of my favourite pe-" "Is that Mae?" Colby yelled. "Yeah. Come down." She was rummaging through our kitchen and got out  the cookies I hid away. "Yosh, you need to hide your cookies better." I looked at her "You need to stop finding them." I stole a cookie from her. "Hey Mae." Colby scared her. "Hey!" she smiled she abandoned her half eaten cookie and got up to hug Colby. "You'll save a dance for me, right?" Colby said. "Maybe." She cocked an eyebrow. "God. I love you." he smiled. He was only like this with her. "And that's going to get you killed one day. But I know." Her phone started to ring. Sammy. She answered it. "Sammy, I hear that you're going to the Brock party tonight. Is K coming?" I could hear a grunt from the background. "Yeah. You?" "Sir I practically live here." I heard a laugh. "Yeah because Colby is there." "Yes. And he is the greatest boyfriend. And maybe because Kaylan is here." Their conversation lasted for a while.     

 Kameron (K)'s Point of View 

 "Yes. And he is the greatest boyfriend. And maybe because Kaylan is here." Mae said. Sam laughed. It's like 5:30 pm. "Sam we need to get dressed." Sam nodded. "See you soon." he was sad. I could tell. I waited till he ended the call. "You okay?" he nodded. "Lies. You love her. You're mad that she's dating Colby." he sighed. "You know me too well. But the plus is he doesn't beat me at school." He sighed "Don't do what I did, K. I let the girl I love go." and went to his room. We had a little less than three hours to get dressed and leave. It was 8:15pm. We live about 15 minutes away from the Brock Estate. We left, Sam was still sad. "Hey be happy Sam. You get to see her." He kept his attention on the road. "I hear that Kaylan is going to be singing." My interest was peaked. "Oh? Most likely Mae forced her to sing." I scoffed. "She did. And Kaylan is very good." Can't wait. 

 Kaylan's Point of View 

 I have to sing. Mae is making me. Colby is backing her up. "You two are horrible." I say. She smiles "You love me. Excuse me." She turned the television on to American Horror Story "You've already watched all of these." I complained. She ignored me. 7:45pm. KNOCK KNOCK "I'll get it." I muttered. They said nothing, Couples. I opened the door and a swarm of people entered. The music started. Everyone was dancing. Even Mae and Colby. Time went by. 8;30pm. They should be here. I saw Sam and Kameron. "Hey you came." I said smiling at K. "Of course, I hear that you're going to sing." K said. I looked at Sam. "Mae is over there." I pointed in some direction. He smiled and made his way to that direction. "What song?" I looked back at him. "When I Was Your Man.By Bruno Mars." he smiled. "Can't wait." Fall for You by Secondhand Serenade came on. "I should make my way  up there.' He grabbed my wrist and spun me around. "Not til you dance with me." I nod. We danced through the song, he leaned in and kissed me. It wasn't long, it was a quick kiss. "I-I-I got to go to the DJ booth." I stuttered. He let go of me. I had millions of things going through my mind. Why did he kiss me? Why did he dance with me? Why is Mae making me sing? Why is she dating my brother? Does she know that Sam likes her? K told me. I finished singing, everyone clapped. I went to Mae. "Colby. I need to steal Mae." I grabbed her arm and led her to a quite place. "Wha-" 'Kameron kissed me." Her eyes widened. "Sammy's brother?" I nodded. "I don't know what to do. I think I love him. When did you figure out that you loved Colby?" Mae smiled. "When I was with him. My stomach had butterflies. When I thought about him, I smiled. I was happy when he was around." she looked up at me. "But Kaylan you just met this boy." I heard the reason, but I was blinded by love. "But Mae I think I love him I-" "Kaylan, you are blinded by love. You nothing about this boy. I don't think you should pursue this relationship. Get to know him. But you don't truly love someone just by their looks. You're blinded by a false love." She said in an angry yet motherly tone. She was serious, it scared me. "Okay." I said slowly. Knock. "Hey, can I have my date back please?" Mae left. I returned to K. "You were really good." Is he lying? I can't tell. "Thanks." He jerked his thumb towards the dance floor. "Wanna dance?" Mae said no. But I want to. But Mae.. But look at K. Mae told me no, she knows how these things end. Do it. I nod.

 Kameron (K)'s Point of View 

 "Wanna dance?" She's thinking it over. Wonder if Sam is dancing with Mae. She nods. "Let's g-." "SAM!" I heard Mae yell. We both raced over. "What are you doing?" She was crying. "Get off Colby. Sam!" Sam got off huffed and ran off. I followed. "Hey Sam! What was that about?" he turned and ran at me. "You! You told me to be happy. You made come over. So you can stare at that Brock girl. I blame you." He got in the car and raced off. Great. My ride is gone. I went back in to try and find Kaylan. "You," Colby yelled. "You Golbach's. I know we should have never let you come." He yelled. "Colby! Stop." Mae turned to me. "Sam raced off? I'll take you home." We went to her car. "It's not your fault. Colby just needs someone to blame. Sam's done this before." she trailed off. "If you don't mind me asking. What happened?" Her dammeier changed. "Sam was drunk. He tried to kiss me. Colby punched him (Author's Note I'm changing the ending.). Sam and Colby started to fight. And Sam ran away. And here we are." She shrugged her shoulders. She dropped me off and I went to bed. I woke up the next morning, went to Sam's room. "Sammy!" No answer. "Sam?" No answer. He's fine. He came home. "Sam?" I opened his door. Bed still made. I ran downstairs, trying to find Sam and ending up unsuccessful. I quickly turned on the television. Nothing. I called him, it went straight to voicemail. I called Mae. "Hey." she was tired. "Have you seen Sam?" She yawned. "Yeah. He's on my couch. I think." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Wait, Sam?" I panicked. "Yeah?" I heard in the background. I calmed down. "Hey. You're there. You scared me half to death. Idiot." I said. "Come home." 

 Kaylan's Point of View 

 Sam beat up Colby and won. I knock on my brother's door. No answer. I walked in anyways. Asleep. He's always been a deep sleeper. I poke him and tickle him breath down his neck. Nothing. I give up. I wandered down the stairs to the kitchen, to see Mae making breakfest. "Heyyyy." I smiled. "What did you do?" She said sternly. "I fell in love." I said blissfully. "No," she said not looking up at me, "you're going to get killed. They're Golbachs. You're a Brock. I know that I'm acting like your mother. I just care about you. I am a better mother, I would say. Look, I just don't want you to get hurt. But if you love him, then fine. He asked you out today. But you're not going alone, I don't trust you  enough to be alone. Sam is sleeping. Colby and I are going with you. Okay?" she turned her head towards me. I smiled.

 Narrator's Point of View. (Trigger warning) 

 Kameron and Kaylan went out. They dated for a while, then Kameron purposed. Kaylan was overjoyed and accepted. Colby was angry, he thought that it was his fault. He fell into a deep depression (I mean hating your brother-in-law? I get depressed when I see my brother-in-law) and killed himself. Mae then killed herself. Sam killed himself. Kameron and Kyland killed themselves. The End.

[ausaplenty]

If loving you is a sin, then I’ll be damned

Lilian Moros. Kiara Scuro. Cameron Myers. Allison Myers. Isabelle Myers. Dysfunctional family dynamics and homophobia at a bridal shower.

“Are we inviting Allison and Cameron?” Kiara asked as she looked up from her scribblings to gaze at Lilian.

The woman stared at her wine glass, swirling the liquid inside. “If I say no, how long are you going to rant about the importance of family?”

“Forever,” the blonde informed her, climbing over the sofa so she rest her hand on Lilian’s knee. “People change, LiLi - and your siblings have already shown that they want to know you. Maybe your parents have too.”

“Or maybe they’re still homophobic religious conservatives who think I’m going to hell for even looking at a woman lustfully, let alone defiling the sanctity of marriage with my whore,” LiLi supplied nonchalantly, meeting Kiara’s gaze. “Not every family is as open as yours, Kiara, and neither I or my parents want what you’ve got.”

“Just...think about it, please,” the shadow walker pleaded. “I don’t want this wedding to get overrun by my family and the numerous relatives that I had no idea even existed until my mother handed me a list.”

“If you’ve got Markus on the list, he’s the only one I need,” the telepath said, taking a long sip of her pinot noir.

“As if I had to invite him - Markus found out we were engaged and made himself your Man-of-Honor. I’m fairly certain that he’s already booked the stripper for your bachelorette party,” Kiara chortled. “And the only reason I’m not jealous is because I know Markus and he definitely chose somebody who matched his preference.”

“My only preference is blonde, so it’s not exactly hard to meet,” LiLi replied. Her fiance leaned against her, giving her a peck on the cheek.

“I’m glad I check off the important things,” the blonde murmured. “We’re not going to end up inviting half the people my mother wants. I’m getting what I want. But I want you to be happy.”

“Having my parents there will only make me miserable,” the telepath assured her.

“Then what about just Allison and Cameron? They’d be thrilled to see you again and even if you just invited them to the bridal shower, so it wouldn’t be as blasphemous to your parents as a lesbian wedding.”

“No, it’d be a prelude to a gay wedding. It’d be the same reaction, either way,” LiLi retorted, taking another drink.

“We can counter almost every reason your parents would have against it except for the religious ones. I would be more than willing to pick them up and they could stay with us or my parents -” she watched as the telepath drank more. “Are you turning my arguments into a drinking game?”

“It’d be more effective if I had tequila,” the brunette drawled. “Though I am one glass away from taking off my shirt.”

“What if I promise to leave you alone for 24 hours? Will you at least consider it?” Kiara asked. “After that, I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”

“Define ‘leave alone.’”

“I won’t mention it. But I’m not barring thoughts because that’s unfair - I will try to keep it out of mind, though,” the blonde reasoned. She smiled suggestively, biting her lower lip. “If I found some way to distract myself…”

“It’s all about sex with you, isn’t it?” Lilian complained playfully as Kiara’s hand crept up her thigh.

“I think about other things,” the shadow walker defended, leaning forward so that her lips were against LiLi’s neck.

“Like your paintings. And me naked. And me covered in your paint,” the brunette raised an eyebrow. “And that was just in the last two minutes.”

Kiara bit playfully, leaving a mark on the tanned column of Lilian’s throat. “Anything to keep my mind occupied.”

~*~

“Lexie!” Cameron called, waving frantically as he wove his way through the crowd at JFK international airport. Allison was right behind him, peering excitedly through the crowd.

Lilian’s hand stilled as a judgmental thought punctured the hundreds, announcing her mother’s arrival.

“It’s good to see you two again,” the telepath said warmly, allowing them to envelop her in a hug. “You didn’t mention that mother was coming. And you definitely didn’t tell her what the party was for.”

Allison looked away guiltily “If I told her, there was no way she’d let us come. I tried to convince her to let Cam and I come by ourselves, but she was determined.”

“Hello mother,” Lilian greeted coldly, oddly pleased with the way Isabelle Myers cringed at being reminded of their relationship.

“It’s good to see you again, Alexa,” the woman replied, her polite tone forced. “You’ve changed quite a bit.”

“Not in one aspect,” the telepath’s words were bitter. “No need to lie.”

Cameron awkwardly grabbed their mother’s luggage, forcing a smile. “Come on, I can’t wait to see where you live!”

“We’re not going to my apartment,” Lilian told him. “Mrs. Scuro is hosting the shower, so we’ll be heading outside the city and you guys will have a few hours to rest before the party starts.”

Her younger siblings chattered excited as they moved, the telepath trying to tune out her mother’s cavillous thoughts.

Lilian smirked slightly when her mother moved past her Rolls Royce Wraith. Both Cameron and Allison gawked at the sleek, silver car while she popped the trunk.

“I call shotgun!” Cam declared, scrambling to load his suitcase and claim the front seat before his sister could protest.

“Mom needs to get in the back first, the front seats fold down,” Lilian informed him as she helped put the bags in the trunk. “Allison, you can sit behind me.”

“This is such a cool car, Lexie,” the middle child gushed, climbing in.

“It’s like something James Bond would drive,” her brother said in awe as he helped their mother into the car, peeking at the dashboard.

“It’s a bit showy, isn’t it?” Isabelle commented critically. “It’s almost begging to get stolen.”

“Well, mother, I paid a lot of money for this car,” Lilian drawled, meeting her mother’s eyes in the rear view mirror. “Enough that if it does get stolen, the company will bend over backward to make up for its failure to sufficiently install anti-theft measures.”

“Woooow.” Cameron ran his hands over the leather armrest. “I could live in this car.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” the telepath said as she backed out. “It’s not as bad as some of the ones I’ve slept in, but it’s not as spacious as a four-door and doesn’t have nearly enough trunk space to hold a lot of necessities.”

Her family didn’t know how to respond to the casual reminder that Lilian had left home.

“How was Europe, Allison?” Lilian asked.

“Oh my god, it was amazing, Lexie. It’s so … cosmopolitan there. I met so many interesting people,” the 19-year-old chattered. “There was this a group of people who were trying to backpack down to Bangladesh and busking along the way. One of the guys even managed to make banjo music sound good.”

“Then he must be brilliant, because every time I hear a banjo, I cringe,” Cameron joked.

“I just can’t believe that you gave her money to go traipsing around foreign countries for a year instead of encouraging her to pursue an education,” Isabelle criticized, looking out the window at the freeway.

“Well, it’s not like I let her run off to Vegas on her own the second she turned 18,” Lilian retorted, turning off onto the exit toward the Scuro estate.

“We didn’t let you run off - you just disappeared the moment our backs were turned,” her mother defended sharply.

“And you made such an impressive effort to find me,” the telepath drawled.

As the buzzing thoughts of the city faded, the telepath began to thank god that Tabitha had opted to host it at the family estate - The Scuros had a wine cellar that dwarfed her collection. And she’d have no problem finding the stronger spirits.

The tension and awkwardness was palpable in the car as her younger siblings struggled to understand stark contrast between how Alexa’s usual behavior around them and the animosity that radiated between her and their mother. It made them think of the first time they’d ventured to New York to find her, and the hostile welcome they’d received then.

“We’ve met Kiara before, haven’t we?” Cam asked, turning to look at her.

“Allison met her again this summer, on her way back from Europe, but yeah, you met her three years ago - she’s the one who was covered from head to toe,” Lilian supplied.

“At least somebody has a little modesty,” Isabelle commented.

Lilian’s lips twitched in amusement, ignoring the dig as she turned into the long driveway to the Scuros homestead. She could hear her family’s subtle gasps as the house came into view.

Kiara had evidently been watching for them, because she emerged from the home the second LiLi put the car in park.

The brunette halted her before Kiara could greet her. “My mother decided to tag along,” the telepath warned as Allison and Cameron climbed out.

“Fuck,” the blonde muttered, watching Mrs. Myers straighten. “Babe, I swear I had no idea.”

“I know,” LiLi assured her. “But you might want to let Tabitha know. At least one of us should be forewarned.”

“Aw, see, you do care about my family,” Kiara teased lightly. She bent her head slightly to kiss her fiance’s cheek. “There’s a bottle of patron in our room. I was planning on suggesting body shots later, but this outweighs my need for sexy time.”

“That’s probably the best wedding gift you can give me,” the telepath replied. She inhaled, preparing herself for the onslaught of judgement. “Mother, this is Kiara Scuro - my fiance.”

Isabelle Myers stared at her in shock.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Myers,” Kiara said, offering out her hand with a strained smile.

“You … whore,” the woman hissed, glaring at her oldest daughter. “You invited me and your siblings to witness your blasphemy?”

“Well, that’s laying it on a little thick,” the blonde retorted, her arm snaking around Lilian’s waist. The empath could feel her rage rising.

“No, I invited Cameron and Allison because the woman I’m spending my life with wants to know my family - the only ones that I care about are them.” The brunette said calmly. “You invited yourself because you’re trying to save your precious little children from their ‘heathen sister.’”

“I came because I was concerned about their safety,” Isabelle replied. “Because I’m a good mother.”

“And how often do you need to tell yourself that so you can believe it’s true?” Lilian snapped. “I bet it was so easy when I left. You could pretend that you had the perfect life because your biggest mistake wasn’t there to remind you of your sins.”

“How dare you insinuate that I -”

“Stop it!” Cameron demanded, glaring at his mother. “Mom, you invited yourself along - Don’t blame Lexie for doing something Allison and I have been trying to get her to do for years.”

“This is a sin,” Isabelle hissed.

“Oh, and treating your daughter so badly that she wants to leave the second she’s able is just ‘Christian kindness?’” Kiara snarled. “For fucks sake, I used to think LiLi was being her usual secretive self when she never wanted to talk about her parents. But meeting you, I honestly can’t blame her.”

The matriarch glared at the blonde, who possessively pulled Lilian close. “Cameron, Allison, we’re leaving.”

Allison brushed the hair away from her face, looking uncomfortable as she shifted from one foot to another.

“No,” Cameron crossed his arms. “I’m staying and I’m helping my sister celebrate her happiness.”

Isabelle pursed her lips, obviously displeased at the notion.

“Nobody is forcing you to stay,” Lilian informed her coldly. “I for one would be thrilled if you left, but that would put Allison and Cameron in a difficult position. So I’m giving you two options. You can leave and I will pay for a hotel in the city - to help repay you for all those expensive bills that my ‘illness’ caused. Or, if you prefer not to accept my ‘filthy’ money, I can have a driver take you to a hotel and you can reschedule your flight and get as far away from me as you possibly can.”

“I trust you can recommend a decent hotel?” Isabelle questioned, refusing to meet Lilian’s gaze.

“Of course we can, Mrs. Myers. It’s the least we can do for all your troubles.” The telepath’s smile was sharp and unapologetic.

“Mom, I’m - I’m going to stay here and make sure Cameron behaves,” Allison said hesitantly. “Just text me where we’re staying and I’ll be back before midnight.”

“Fine,” Isabelle bit out, pulling her luggage out of the trunk of Lilian’s car.

“Why don’t you guys come and meet my family? We’ve got some food and snacks, since we weren’t sure when you’d last eaten.” Kiara suggested, gesturing toward the house. She grasped her fiance’s hand, squeezing it gently.

“If you think I don’t intend to get plastered by the time this night is over, then you don’t know me,” Lilian hissed.

“I am buying you a second bottle of patron, just for dealing with her during the car ride,” the blonde promised vehemently.