ricksbowen

[ricksbowen]

one more time | pt. 6

IN WHICH: y/n goes out with ej, ricky’s feelings are too much to bear, y/n goes back to the root of her fear of love.

INSPIRATION: everything has changed — taylor swift ft. ed sheeran, atlantis — seafret

WARNING: this has implications of sex. this series is usually heated, but this part has no smut in it. but i will say that everyone here is 18+ and in their senior year.

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6

i need help asap. come over

You sent Ricky that text an hour ago. Usually, he’d be at your house the moment he read it, willing to help out with whatever you needed help with. Usually, he read your texts with a hint of a smile gracing his lips, replying back with some stupid reaction meme he screenshotted off of Instagram.

But when Ricky read your text, his heart plummeted and his mood deflated.

He knew what you needed help with. You had told him everything about your date with Ej, from the time to the places he was bringing you. Dinner, then the movies, then to some of the rarest views in Utah. It sounded like a date that would’ve fallen out of a coming-of-age movie, and Ricky felt like the teenager who got screwed over in every corner.

He didn’t respond for an hour. Ricky kept his mind off of you by writing lyrics in his notebook, guitar in hand as he tried to sort his emotions out. He didn’t want to know what he was feeling, but he wasn’t stupid. Ricky wasn’t blind to the way his heart rate picked up when you laughed, or how an unstoppable smile lifted his lips when you told a terrible joke.

He wasn’t blind to the way he looked at you in a new way when you laid in front of him. You didn’t see it, thank God, but Ricky knew you were going to figure him out at some point.

Ricky prayed that when that day came around, you wouldn’t cut him out of your life.

It took an hour for him to finally drop his things and grab his skateboard. You didn’t live next door, but you lived in the same neighborhood as him. It was helpful for times like these, when one of you needed the other in times of toil ( though this was probably the opposite ).

Ricky walked up to your door, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. He raised his fist, knocking at your door twice. He heard you cursing from inside, your footsteps loud at you practically tripped down the stairs. You threw open the door, and Ricky suddenly couldn’t breathe.

The black slip-on dress you wore fit you perfectly, gleaming against the setting sun from outside. Your hair was clipped back with two red clips, and the dangling earrings you wore matched the two necklaces that adorned your neck. Your face was only half done, the powder white against your cheeks as you gaped at him.

“Holy shit, what took you so long?” you asked with an exasperated look, unaware of his lovestruck expression. You reached for his hand, the simple action sending lightning running up and down his arms, and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind him.

“I needed help with what I was gonna wear,” you explained nonchalantly, walking up your stairs. The lack of Ricky’s footsteps following yours made you turn to look at him with a frown. “Are you coming?” you asked, worry glazing over your eyes. “You’re being weird.”

The worried tone in your voice made him snap back into reality. He coughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he quickly kicked his shoes off and leaned his skateboard against the wall. “Right.” Ricky followed you up to your room, regret filling his stomach for even coming over in the first place.

“Anyway, I needed your help for what to wear,” you repeated, sitting in your chair and leaning forward to continue your makeup. Your room was a mess, with your clothes strewn every which way and shoes scattered on the colorful mess.

“Obviously,” Ricky murmured, observing the mess and making you snort.

“I found what I was gonna wear though,” you continued on, occasionally looking at him from your mirror. “But since I like you, lover boy, I’m letting you stay.” You grinned at him through the mirror, smile dropping at the disappointed look he had as he sat on your bed. Something was up; normally, he’d respond with his nickname for you, paired with a witty remark. But Ricky Bowen was being quiet, seemingly deep in thought as he stared at your floor.

“What you said that night when I called helped me out a lot.” Nothing. That didn’t get him to respond. “My parents don’t know I’m going out, so this night may be my last.” Nothing. “A girl asked me if you were single today and I said yes.”

Ricky frowned. But the girl wasn’t you.

You resorted to silence, your theories running wild in your head as you finished your makeup. You stood up, brushing off your dress and walking up to Ricky. Wordlessly, you took his hands into yours and held them. “Whatever is happening to you,” you started, making him look up at you. If you didn’t look beautiful before, you looked like a goddess now. “I hope you know that I love you. A whole fuckin’ lot.”

Not in the way he wanted you to.

“Really?” Ricky forced out past the dryness in his throat, the beaming smile you made making him turn into a puddle of feelings.

“Really. And you know I don’t like saying that, so,” you shrugged. “You must be pretty special.”

Ricky couldn’t help but chuckle at that, shaking his head to himself as he stood up. Your hands still held his, his warm ones clashing with your cold ones. “You’re something else, L/N.”

You shrugged yet again, the cheeky smile on your glossed lips bright. “I try. Hey—“

Your doorbell rang. You and Ricky sucked in a breath, both for terribly different reasons, and you pulled your hands away from his.

“Oh, God he’s here.” You rushed for your jean jacket, throwing it over your shoulders. “Fuck, I was so confident until I realized this is actually happening— can you get the door, please?” you asked, not looking up at you rummaged through your closet for your handbag.

The walk to your door felt like a walk straight into death, and Ricky found himself silently encouraging himself before he opened your door. Ej stood outside, a bouquet of crimson roses ( Ricky knew you preferred white ones ) in his hands and dressed in a simple white button-up and black jeans.

“You’re not Y/N,” Ej stated, making Ricky grin and shrug his shoulders

“No shit,” Ricky remarked, reluctantly opening the door wider for Ej. “She’s upstairs,” he said curtly, words short and cold as he let Ej in. Ricky shut the door behind him, pressing his back against it with a small sigh.

The sound of your bedroom door closing made both of the boys look up to your stairs. A grin appeared on Ej’s face at the sight of you walking down. Ricky only stared, mouth slightly agape. He saw you while you were getting ready, sure, but you still made him breathless. You had never radiated so much beauty, nerves, and excitement in your life.

“Wow,” Ej said, making you smile sheepishly as you pressed a small kiss to his lips. His arms snaked around your waist despite the flowers he had in his hands, smiling against your lips.

That hurt Ricky on a whole new level.

“Not too bad yourself,” you murmured, hiding your nervousness behind your confident comments. You looked at Ricky, smiling gratefully at him, yet not getting one back.

“I gotta go,” Ricky mumbled, words quick as he pulled his shoes on.

“Why?” you asked, still in Ej’s arms as you looked at him. “Ri, are you—“

“I’m fine,” Ricky snapped, swallowing down the lump in his throat as he grabbed his board. He saw the way your excited look dropped into hurt, but Ricky shoved off the guilt and opened your door. “Have a good time,” he forced out, slamming the door behind him.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧⠀.

The sight of your profile picture asking for FaceTime yet again made him gulp nervously.

Ricky knew his outburst would raise your suspicions. He regretted it the moment he left, the image of you kissing Ej replaying over and over in his head like a movie. He knew he had to pick up the phone; not picking up would only make you question him more.

He pressed the green button, running a hand through his hair as he looked at the screen. Your face came up, your makeup still on your face and your dress replaced by a sweater and sweatpants. The usual smile didn’t appear on your face like it usually did; you were staring at him with worry.

“Are you okay?” you asked, gazing at him through the screen. “You kinda left in a hurry, and I thought—“

“I’m fine,” Ricky interrupted, knowing fully well that he was the opposite. He couldn’t let you know. He knew the way you’d react, how you’d cut all ties with him in fear of getting hurt yet again. “How was the date?”

“Pretty good! It felt good being out there with him,” you said with a slight smile, and Ricky immediately knew what came next.

“But?”

“But,” you drawled, shaking your head to yourself. “We both agreed that we were better off as friends. It felt weird,” you scrunched your nose in slight disgust. “Like, we were siblings. It just felt wrong.”

It was almost ridiculous how regretful Ricky felt for feeling relieved.

“I guess I’m a little happy. I mean, if it went somewhere it’d probably just end up broken,” you rambled, eyes set on the sleeve of your sweater as you picked at it.

Ricky frowned. Was this how you thought of every relationship? He never saw you as the pessimistic type ( in his opinion, you were more of a realist ), yet hearing you say that every relationship went downhill surprised him. “You can’t think of every relationship as that.”

“I’m not wrong,” you protested, eyes snapping up to him. “It always goes that way. Someone either falls out of love, break up, or they..” your voice trailed off, eyes blanking out for a second as you went into a ‘stare.’

“Cheat?” Ricky finished softly, making you tune back into reality and nod.

“Yeah. Cheat.”

“Luka! I got take out!” You set the food on his kitchen counter, looking down at your phone and laughing softly at the texts from the theatre group chat that you were added to ( despite the fact that you didn’t join the musical ). Luke gave you a key to his house ‘just in case,’ and while you normally didn’t use it, you only used it for surprises like this one.

The silence that followed after your yell made you furrow your brows. Normally, he’d come down the stairs at your voice, saying something along the lines of, ‘Wow, I love you,’ that would make you blush like a schoolgirl. But there was nothing that followed, and you found yourself walking up the steps of his stairs to try and find him.

“Luka?” your voice was hesitant as you peeked into the rooms leading up to his. But as you neared his door with each step, you heard a sound that made your face contort in confusion.

Moaning.

“Dear God, if he’s watching porn,” you muttered to yourself, walking up to his room and slowly opening it. You expected better, the belief of Luka being the perfect boyfriend strong in your mind as you opened his door.

The sight of Luka kissing another girl, her blond hair splayed all over his pillow as his hips moved from under the sheets sent your idea of him crashing down. He didn’t even see you, too engrossed in the beautiful girl he was hovering over as his speed picked up. Her perfectly manicured hand ran through his black hair, the action making you feel sick to your stomach as you watched. You couldn’t tear your eyes away, disbelief, shame, sadness, and anger washing over you in hard waves.

Luka saw you when you gulped. The girl below him let out a loud yelp, her hands rushing at his sheets to cover herself while Luka stared at you.

Tears were rolling down your cheeks, your hands making no effort in trying to wipe them off. You didn’t even realize you were crying, your eyes dead set on Luka’s shirtless form. He didn’t even try and protest.

“I,” you forced out, swallowing down the lump in your throat as tears pressed hard against your eyes. It was all too much, the want to cry and scream and hit him too much to bear, yet there you stood. Frozen like a deer in the headlights. “I wish you the best,” you muttered past your tears, turning away from them and slamming the door behind you.

You drove to Ricky’s that night. You were sobbing, tears falling down your face like a never-ending stream. You hit your hand on your steering wheel angrily, the realization that he never loved you back hitting you over and over. It had to be a joke to him. The days you spent in bed with him and out, laughing and kissing and playing around as if you were both the perfect couple. Everyone else thought you were.

If only they could see you now.

You rang Ricky’s doorbell, the wind blowing hard against you as you stood outside. The sun had already set, 11 PM hitting the clock as Ricky opened the door. His smile dropped at your tearful eyes.

“Y/N?”

You didn’t say anything, only falling into his arms and letting out a sob. You were a mess of tears and cries, your face buried into Ricky’s shirt as you let your emotions out. Ricky brought you up to his room, laying down on his bed and letting you move into his side, your head on his chest and his hands running through your hair.

It was 12 when you calmed down, the tears still falling yet no sound leaving you other than your sniffles.

“He cheated,” you mumbled, sniffing yet again and feeling Ricky tense up. “I saw them and— and heard their moans and I can’t get them out of my head,” you whispered, voice breaking as you spoke. Your arms were wrapped around him, holding him close to you as if your life depended on it.

“What’d you do?” Ricky murmured, silently scheming a revenge plan in his head. He looked down at you, heart breaking at the hiccups and sniffled you emitted.

“Wished them the best,” you replied. “Trash belongs with trash.” You felt a chuckle rumble up in his chest, the sound making a ghost of a smile appear on your lips. Silence washed over you both, the only sound being your small sniffles until you broke the silence. “Is this what love is?”

You sounded so innocent, so heartbroken asking the question, and Ricky quickly shook his head as he leaned down to press a kiss onto your head. “No. Love doesn’t leave you like this.” He sounded so sure of himself despite his past, yet you couldn’t bring yourself to believe him.

You gazed ahead of you, sniffing again.

You changed that night. Your mindset on relationships, on feeling, on love changed that night with one broken relationship, and a new fear bloomed. You were never the same after that night.

Ricky knew that.

————————— 𑁍༅ཾ༚ ————————

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff​, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @particularcth​, @lifes-a-party-youre-a-boy, @paniniirae, @supersouthy​, @jointherebellion215, @gabyer0309​, @hannarudick​, @broken-from-fandoms​, @complete-trash-101, @ssprayberrythings​, @raven-waheda, @timelordtardis​, @chubby-cheek-calum, @nicole-lynne​, @loserr-likeme​, @whoseblogsthis​, @stxfxniexreads, @cherrydolan​, @allaroundaddict, @of-outerspace​, @blueevelvt, @kitykatnumber, @rocketdolans, @givemebooksorgivemedeath, @80sthottie, @lawstudentbydayfangirlbynight​, @cynthia060​, @hollandary, @kitykatnumber​, @hueycat2004

[ricksbowen]

delmars lol.. i see you😂

i’m so happy someone noticed lmao

[ricksbowen]

one more time | pt. 5

IN WHICH: ej finally asks his question, ricky doesn’t know what’s happening to himself, and your fear gets the better of you.

INSPIRATION: you were good to me — jeremy zucker & chelsea cutler, coffee — beabadoobee

WARNING: usually this story is pretty heated, but this doesn’t have any smut. but i will say that everyone is 18+ and in their senior year.

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6

Ricky stared at the PowerPoint presentation blankly.

His mind was in a whole other place, his eyes holding not even the slightest bit of interest as the teacher spoke in front of the class.

Big Red nudged him, dragging him back to reality and making him blink rapidly. “Dude, are you okay?” Big Red hissed, keeping his voice low as he looked Ricky up and down. He looked tired, the bags under his eyes heavy and sunken in. Big Red knew his best friend more than he knew himself; something was bothering him.

“Yeah, why?”

“What do you mean why?” Big Red gaped at him, shifting his body towards Ricky and looking him dead in the eye. The teacher’s lecture didn’t even reach their ears as they dove into their own conversation that they knew they were going to get in trouble for. “Your sleeping schedule is fucked,” Big Red stated. “But you take a bunch of naps. I’ve never seen you look this tired, so what’s happening?”

“Nothing,” Ricky muttered, putting his head in his hands and letting his hands slip off his face slowly. “Even I don’t know what it is, man,” he grumbled, only telling half of the truth as he avoided Big Red’s eyes.

He had an idea of what was happening in his mind. It was a hunch, a little thought that left him terrified of what was to come.

“How can you not know what’s bothering you?” Big Red sputtered, his voice raising in volume with each word. “Is it about—“

“Mr. Redonovich.” The teacher’s voice cut into their conversation, ending it in only two words. The two boys looked at the teacher with wide eyes that feigned innocence. From three tables up, you turned around to look at your best friends with an amused grin, making Ricky and Big Red glare at you.

“Miss L/N, is there something funny?” The teacher questioned, his voice scarily calm as he mentioned you. You whipped around, quickly shaking your head with a sheepish smile. You could practically feel Big Red and Ricky’s mocking smiles.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧⠀.

The small deli near East High was full of students rushing to get their food, yelling orders at the poor East High grad that was desperately trying to get all the orders down. The tables were full, the smell of meat and toasted bread filling the air as the chefs in the back kitchen yelled orders out.

Fortunately for you, Big Red, and Ricky, the owner of Delmar’s Deli was an old family friend of yours. He always made sure to save three sandwiches for you and your friends, always mumbling something along the lines of, “Your grandma would kill me if I didn’t feed you.”

The three of you sat on the chairs and table right outside the window, the crowd of students visible behind you as you all ate.

“Detention! Unbelievable!” Big Red threw his hands up in exasperation, the pink slip in his hands nearly slipping out of his fingers. His hand eaten sandwich sat on the table in front of him, practically drowning in whatever sauce the redhead had put over it.

“Just another one to add into the pile,” you muttered, looking at the other detention slip you had received earlier that day ( your teachers had it out for you, especially since you were graduating soon ). “Can’t we just skip out right now? I can skip my next classes since—“

“Y/N, this is why you got two detention slips in one day,” Ricky commented nonchalantly, hiding his growing smile behind his sandwich.

You gasped, hitting him in the shoulder in protest. “You asshole,” you said, emphasizing your words with yet another punch towards Ricky’s bicep.

“I really don’t remember seeing this many people whenever I went out for lunch,” came a new voice from behind you, making you freeze your punches and turn around.

“Ej!” you greeted, your beaming smile enough to make anyone else smile back. “I didn’t know you were still home!”

“Yeah. We had no idea,” Ricky stated, words unusually cold as he looked at him. Something tugged at his gut, something that made him shift uncomfortably in his metal chair.

“I wanted to visit the deli one more time. Thought it’d be great for the nostalgia,” Ej explained, his eyes mainly on you as he spoke. You were gazing up at him, oblivious to the glare Ricky was sending his way, his brows furrowed and his lips in a type of pout. You didn’t notice the way his mood went sour the moment Ej came up.

Big Red noticed immediately.

“I thought you hated nostalgia,” you hummed, one side of your lip curling upwards as you took a bite of your sandwich.

“You caught me. I came here to talk to you,” Ej grinned at you, making you smile behind your sandwich and roll your eyes.

Big Red, being only a witness to the obvious rising tension, saw the way Ricky sank in his seat as if a balloon was deflated inside of him. He kicked him under the table, making Ricky jump back up in his seat and hit his knee on the table. He let out a hiss, sending Big Red a threatening glare that screamed, ‘What are you doing?’ The redhead didn’t say anything, only nodding to you and Ej’s conversation that was happening to the side of them. It was a wordless way of telling Ricky to do something about it, but Ricky only shut him down with a solemn shake of his head.

“I wanted to ask you on the date I mentioned before. Y’know,” he mumbled, his voice going low. Ej scratched the back of his neck, uncharacteristically nervous as he tried to get his words out. He had practiced in front of his mirror for hours, repeating the words over and over to himself, only to find himself a sputtering mess in front of you.

“A date?” you echoed, eyebrows raising at his sudden statement. Almost immediately, you felt the fear hit your heart and the memories replay in your head. You wanted to look at Big Red and Ricky, but they were both glued to their phones, typing furiously. You turned back to Ej, letting out a nervous laugh. “Sure,” you breathed, voice wavering. “Why not?”

Ricky’s head snapped up at your response, his heart falling to his stomach for reasons unknown.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧⠀.

The sound of his phone ringing made Ricky groan, his hand blindly reaching for his side table in a pathetic attempt to grab his phone. His eyes still sensitive thanks to his nap, he squinted at the caller on his phone.

A picture of you flipping him off from a classroom covered his screen, your name titled across the top of the screen. Ricky remembered taking that photo; you were in detention, and he was passing by the detention room. You saw him ( how could you not notice his head of curls ), and you being you, you stood up to the window and flipped him off. Ricky was lucky he was able to even snap a photo of you doing it, for the detention officer had scolded you the moment you raised your finger.

Ricky answered the call, sitting up in his bed and leaning back on his headboard. “You woke me up from a nap,” he mumbled, voice scratchy and small as he rubbed his eyes like a child. His eyes felt like weights, and he found himself almost drifting off to sleep yet again until he heard you sniff violently.

You were crying.

“Y/N?” It was as if his grogginess had disappeared immediately, his eyes going wide and worry filling his veins as he tried to focus on your screen. Your black hoodie, which was actually Ricky’s, was pulled up over your head, your mascara running freely down your face.

“I don’t think I can do it,” you murmured, your eyes blanking out on God knows what. You sniffed again, raising a sleeve-covered hand to angrily wipe away at your tears.

“Do what?”

“Go out with Ej,” your eyes snapped up to his camera, eyes meeting his through the screen. “I mean, I want to — I really do — it’s just..” your voice trailed off, a sigh leaving your lips.

“Look, Y/N,” Ricky began, shifting in his bed. “If this is about what we have going on—“

“It’s not about that,” you interrupted, brows furrowing as you shook your head. “What we’ve done together means nothing to the both of us. You know that,” you gazed at him, and despite the fact that you weren’t in front of him, Ricky knew you were making sure he still felt nothing. “Right?”

“Of course,” Ricky found himself saying past the dryness that began to sand his throat. He used to say it with ease, without any form of hesitation in his words. But saying it now, Ricky found it harder and harder to say. “This is about Luka, isn’t it?” he questioned as an attempt to quickly change the subject.

“Unfortunately,” you groaned, tilting your head back in your chair. “It’s just,” you stood up, phone still in your hand as you made your way to your bed and flopped down on your stomach. “Ricky, what if it actually goes somewhere?” you asked, voice raising with every quick word you ranted, “What if we end up being a serious thing, and,” you paused, voice quiet, “It happens again? The same thing that happened with Luka?”

You looked so traumatized, so fearful of forming a relationship with someone Ricky knew would treat you right, that the words that Ricky wanted to tell you became caught in his throat. You didn’t need his opinion. You needed to hear what you needed to hear. “I, I think,” Ricky stammered out, the words feeling like acid on his tongue. “That you need to try. With Ej.”

You seemed to perk up at that, and as much as Ricky regretted his own words, he kept on going.

“You two would be great together. Really.”

“But what if—“

“He won’t,” Ricky cut in, eyes avoiding yours as he felt his heart fall with every word he uttered out. “I know he won’t. He isn’t like Luka, and— You both are too good to each other.” He sounded so stoic, as if he was reading from a script. Ricky didn’t want to tell you to go out with Ej. He was selfish, he knew that, for wanting to tell you to stay home. But if Ej made you happy, that outweighed any negative in the world

“Are you sure?” It was as if your question was his last point of validation, the last chance he had to turn it all around for his own benefit.

But Ricky knew he could never do it. He cared about you too much to do it.

“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t,” Ricky said quietly, and if it wasn’t for the screen disconnecting you both, you would’ve known that something was wrong.

————————— 𑁍༅ཾ༚ ————————

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff​, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @particularcth​, @lifes-a-party-youre-a-boy, @paniniirae, @supersouthy​, @jointherebellion215, @gabyer0309​, @hannarudick​, @broken-from-fandoms​, @complete-trash-101, @ssprayberrythings​, @raven-waheda, @timelordtardis​, @chubby-cheek-calum, @nicole-lynne​, @loserr-likeme​, @whoseblogsthis​, @stxfxniexreads, @cherrydolan​, @allaroundaddict, @of-outerspace​, @blueevelvt, @kitykatnumber, @rocketdolans, @givemebooksorgivemedeath, @80sthottie, @lawstudentbydayfangirlbynight​, @cynthia060​, @hollandary, @kitykatnumber​, @hueycat2004​

[ricksbowen]

goddess | pt. 2

IN WHICH: you and joshua carry on with your game.

INSPIRATION: tous le mêmes — stromae, she (slowed vers.) — harry styles, god is a woman (slowed vers.) — ariana grande

WARNING: this is pure smut, so please read with caution; oral sex (f/m receiving), joshua’s a switch but more of a sub lean, reader’s a switch but more of a dom lean.

A/N: i couldn’t really go on ‘cause i’m still insecure about writing smut, but i hope you all enjoy. @pete-bowen​, here’s the second part of your request :)

pt. 1, pt. 2

Your hand left his gently, the dress falling off of your body as you walked to your shared bedroom.

You could feel his hungry eyes on you like a spotlight, watching how your hips swayed as you walked away from him and left a trail of clothes in your wake.

Joshua followed you like a desperate man.

You let out a tinkling laugh when he pushed you onto the bed. You pushed your back against the headboard, your pearly white teeth catching your bottom teeth between them as you watched him unbutton his black button up. You grinned when he caught your eye, his usual submissive response to your gaze now gone as a smug smirk made its way onto his face. Hurriedly, he pulled his pants down and climbed onto the bed, hovering over your legs as you watched him.

“How ‘bout we change the game,” you mumbled, feeling him trail kisses up your thighs. You felt his calloused hands spread your legs apart, his lips quickly following as Joshua climbed up your inner thighs. He was teasing you, making you squirm under his touch as he nipped at your skin playfully.

You felt him hum in response, the feeling making you let out a shaky breath. “Whoever makes a sound first has to sub next.”

“You got yourself a deal, princess,” Joshua responded with a sinfully innocent smile, his equally innocent eyes never leaving yours. He turned his attention back to your skin, his lips leaving marks as it trailed closer to your core. “You’re too gorgeous, you know that?” he murmured, emphasizing his words with a kiss to your pelvis. “God, is this all for me?” he questioned with a facade of curiosity, lips curling up as you rapidly nodded your head. His fingertips seemed to burn into your skin, leaving hot trails wherever they wandered.

You impulsively bucked up to his touch, a silent plea for him to hurry up and get on with it. Joshua’s hands held you down, keeping your hips on the bed as he continued on with his work. “Patience is key,” he remarked, making you let out a frustrated groan.

“I’m so gonna get you later,” you threatened, the shameless gleam in your eyes making Joshua gulp in anticipation. Though he’d rather do anything than admit it out loud, he loved it when your dominating side came out.

But this was a game that he was determined to win.

“I’d like to see you try, baby,” Joshua retorted, right hand trailing up his thumb hovering over where you needed him most. He was staring at you, drinking in the way your teeth caught your bottom lip and how you swallowed down the whines that threatened to leave you.

“Joshua,” you muttered, annoyance buried underneath your voice as you tried to make his fingers reach your core.

“Beg,” Joshua stated strictly, the demand that usually you told him to do leaving his lips effortlessly. He placed his thumb on your clit, making you suck in a breath. He didn’t move it, his hazel eyes boring into yours expectingly.

“No,” you breathed out, eyes shutting when you felt his thumb start to rub tender circles against you.

Joshua chuckled darkly, situating himself close to your core. His stomach was on the bed, and he gripped your thighs as he put them over his shoulders. You could feel him, breathing hotly over your core and making you want to let out a moan.

But just like Joshua, you wanted to win.

You shuddered, feeling the tip of his tongue swipe over your entrance painstakingly slow. He was taking his sweet time, the past anger and jealousy fueling him with impure ideas as he trailed the tip of his tongue through your folds.

“Beg, baby girl,” Joshua repeated, his thumb rubbing faster circles on your clit. He wanted to hear you moan his name, to hear zealous words fall from your lips like a prayer. But you were keeping quiet, shoving your moans away with a hard bite of your lip.

Your hands tugged at Joshua’s hair when he leaned back down, lips connecting to your clit and sucking lightly to try and get you to succumb to him. “I said,” Joshua mumbled against your skin, his words muffled by your core. “Beg.”

“Please, J,” you pleaded, making sure your words didn’t come out in a moan.

“Please what?” Joshua questioned mockingly, the wicked grin on his mouth making you glare at him. His words only spurred your determination to win, and your hand gripped his hair harder. You saw the way adam’s apple bobbed in nervousness, the dominating action making him harder.

“Eat me out, Joshua. Please.”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” His pink lips puckered against your clit, tongue playing with your bud. Your back arched, your teeth biting down on your bottom lip painfully as you kept your moans in. Your hands carded through his curls, nails scraping against his scalp and almost making him moan in response.

Joshua pulled away, flattening his tongue against you and taking in your taste. His eyes, staring at you past his thick lashes, never left your face as he ate you like you were his last meal. “C’mon, baby,” Joshua hummed, his voice unbelievably innocent. His lips glistened in the dim lights, your juices covering his mouth, and he subconsciously licked them, his tongue darting out to taste. “Make a sound. Just one little moan,” Joshua taunted, leaning back down and licking a stripe up your folds.

“You wish,” you forced out, quickly shutting your mouth when he sucked harshly at your folds. He was trying to kill you.

“I really, really, do,” Joshua said with a smirk, his other hand reaching your entrance. He slipped his middle finger into you, your breathing quickening at the action.

You looked like a goddess, your messed up hair like a halo atop your head as you threw your head back against the cloud white pillows. Your breasts heaved up and down with your heaving chest, sweat shining against your skin. The golden coin necklace — a gift from Joshua for your first anniversary — hung between your breasts in such a salacious way that it made his head spin. He was making you, someone who looked so ethereal, squirm under his tongue.

Your back arched impeccably high, your climax hitting you quickly. You didn’t make a sound, the want to win and take over strong in your gut as you felt the euphoric rush run through your veins. Joshua watched you as if you were his favorite movie, lustful eyes on you the entire time as he licked you through your climax. Your hands tightened their hold on his tousled brown curls, pulling closer against you.

Your back fell, the euphoria ending as Joshua pulled away from you. Your arousal covered his lips and chin, the sight alone making you want more as you pulled him up to you. You grabbed the back of his head, bringing his lips to yours and tasting yourself on his tongue. You took charge of the kiss, and you swore you heard him whimper when one of your hands rubbed him through his boxer briefs.

“Was that a sound, baby boy?” you asked, still slightly out of breath from your orgasm. Amusement ran through you when you watched his eyes widen in alarm, the idea that even after all of that, you made him make a sound with one touch. “Oh, well,” you feigned disappointment, flipping him over and straddling his hips. Your hand reached up and around his throat, feeling him swallow thickly under your touch.

“I didn’t make a sound,” Joshua protested, eyes wide with innocence as he stared at you. You tutted, leaning down to his ear and nipping gently at the skin below it. He could feel your breath fanning against his skin, sending goosebumps running up and down his body.

“We’ll see about that,” you whispered against his ear, making him nod eagerly. You loved how willing he was, how eager he was to succumb to you.

You started a trail down his neck, your red lipstick leaving bright red lipstick stains against his skin. You sucked a mark along his throat, knowing how much of a weakness it was to him. You continued your way down, biting down on his skin and leaving rich pain behind. “That was for teasing me,” you hissed, your strict tone making more blood rush down south. You made your way down his body, lips leaving marks in its wake. Your black nails scratched against his skin, only adding onto the ecstasy he felt. You bit down on the other side of his neck, holding back the sinful smile that almost crept its way onto your lips. “That is for thinking that you’re in charge.”

You stopped right above his underwear, fingers playing with the waistband. You pulled the stretchy material, making it slap back on his skin. Joshua squirmed, despising how quickly you put him in his place as his abs clenched and unclenched at your teasing actions. He looked beautiful, with his curly locks sticking out every which way, and his body littered with your light red scratches and blooming red marks that resembled flowers.

“Did you really think you could win the game?” You chuckled darkly, pulling his underwear down just a bit before lifting it back up again. It was as if you kept the same pace as a sloth, watching as Joshua desperately looked down at you. You gripped him through his boxers, reveling in the sudden inhale of air he took.

“Please, ‘m sorry,” Joshua pleaded, his hips bucking up into your hand to get you to move. This wasn’t your first rodeo; you knew how to get him into a blabbering, begging mess. You were skilled at it, and while he could easily do the same to you, you had him wrapped tightly around your finger.

You knew how to work him over.

“That’s not gonna cut it,” you stated curtly, pulling his underwear down swiftly. Maybe you were a little impatient yourself. You gripped his cock, eyes still set on him as you gauged his reaction. His mouth was agape, little breaths leaving his pink lips. Joshua’s face was flushed a deep red, and his curls fell over his eyes as he sat up to look at you.

You pumped his length, his face contorting in pleasure and his teeth biting down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. “C’mon, just one little moan,” you said, your voice deliciously tempting to his ears as he watched you with hooded eyes.

Joshua didn’t make a sound.

You huffed in annoyance; you had to try harder.

You leaned down to his dick, tongue slipping out of your mouth as you licked his tip. You heard the longing whine he let out, and your eyes widened at the same time his did. You both knew what that meant, and you grinned wickedly.

“I win,” you stated, making him let out a relieved sigh that he didn’t know he was holding in.

“I’m okay with that,” Joshua breathed, making you chuckle as your lips met the tip of his cock yet again. You took the head into your mouth, listening to angelic sounds he made from above you. You felt his hands thread into your hair, pulling it gently as you took more of him. Your tongue came into play, the little desperate whimpers he made enough to spur you on. One of your hands pumped that you couldn’t reach, his hips trying to buck up into your mouth. Your other hand held his hips down, much like he did with you, and you leaned away from him for air.

“Patience is key,” you mocked, referencing his past words with a smirk. “I bet,” you tugged at his dick, listening to the groan he let out. “You really regret teasing me.” 

Joshua nodded rapidly in response, his head spinning as he gazed down at you. Your hair was matted to your forehead, your lipstick smudged on one side in the most appealing way possible. You only shrugged nonchalantly at him, feigning carelessness as you licked a stripe up his dick once again. You were tormenting him, the high from your past orgasm and argument fueling the fire in you. You slowly tongued at his slit, licking up the small bit of precum.

He threw his head back against the pillow, his halo of locks a mess across the cotton white pillowcase. He felt you take him all the way down your throat, and he groaned loudly. “Fuck me,” Joshua moaned, the phrase making you hum and sending him vibrations from your mouth. You pulled away from him, taking in a gulp of air with a satisfied glint in your eyes.

“That’s the plan, babe.”

—

A/N: yikes i’m sorry if that wasn’t any good, it was my first smut that wasn’t full smut lmao. thank you all for reading <3

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo, @allaroundaddict, @cherrydolan

[ricksbowen]

this is totally out of character but like imagine angry kisses with joshua. him and reader get really mad at each other for some reason but then he slams her into a wall and they just make out aggressively gripping and tugging I love that

goddess | j.b

IN WHICH: joshua’s jealousy gets a hold of him, but y/n doesn’t mind.

INSPIRATION: maneater (slowed vers.) — nelly furtado, she — harry styles

WARNING: this is the closest thing to smut i’ve written, i think. please read with caution.

A/N: idek if this was a request, but as you could tell i got a little bit carried away lmao. i’m trying to get used to writing more sexual scenes, so fee free to request more sexual stuff so i can practice :))

pt. 1, pt. 2

You had never seen him angrier.

His jaw was clenched, thick brows furrowed as he avoided looking at you. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel, a million thoughts racing through his mind as he drove you both home.

It was one night out. One moment where you spoke with a guy, oblivious to the moves he was making on you. You were oblivious to the way his eyes hungrily took in your form, drinking in your beauty as if you were the most refreshing drink. You were oblivious to his stares, the way his eyes lingered a little bit too long on your ass when you walked away.

You were oblivious to Joshua’s glares from across the room as he stood with Matt and Olivia, their hands patting his back as they tried to calm him down.

A part of him felt guilty for being so jealous. But the other guy was staring at you as if you were a piece of meat; he couldn’t help but be mad.

“How was I supposed to know?” you spat out, equally as pissed off as he was. You were mad at yourself for being so blind towards social cues, mad at the guy for even thinking he had the right to make a move on you while you were taken, and mad at Joshua for being so bothered. Your mind was a jumbled mess of anger and tension, your words sharp and curt when you took a jab at Joshua like he was a tiger in a cage.

“The way he was looking at you? His words? Fuck, Y/N, if you couldn’t see it, just how blind are you?” Joshua said, anger dripping with every curt word as he pulled into the parking lot of your shared apartment building.

You stepped out first, slamming the car door loudly behind you as you made your way to the apartment lobby. It was hard stomping away from him in heels, but you made it work as you walked into the lobby and sent a small smile to the security guard that always sat nearby.

You could hear him walking behind you. You pressed the elevator button, eyes never looking away from ahead of you as the elevator doors opened. The ride up was painstakingly long, the tension almost suffocating as you crossed your arms over your chest. The only sound between you both was the elevator gears working outside of the elevator box.

“It wasn’t my fault that I didn’t know.” You took another jab at him, eyes snapping to his face. Joshua’s jaw was sharp, his teeth gritting and muscles tensing at your words.

“You can’t look me in the eye and tell me that he wasn’t all over you,” Joshua scowled, sending you a side glare. The elevator bell rang, and the doors opened. You took the first step out, not wanting to hear more bullshit come out of Joshua’s mouth as you walked to your apartment and took your key out of your purse. You stuck the key in furiously, turning it quickly and opening the door.

You threw your purse onto the couch, letting the black leather jacket — Joshua’s black leather jacket — slip off your shoulders and onto the floor. It revealed the silky red slip-on dress you wore, your skin perfect against the crimson. You kicked your black heels off, feeling your feet relax almost immediately.

You knew he was watching you. You wanted him to watch you.

“I didn’t know he was looking at me like that,” you stated, turning behind you. He was staring at you. Good.

“Who wouldn’t look at you? Have you seen yourself?” It was almost funny how pissed off Joshua sounded while he carelessly complimented you, but that didn’t stop you from firing back with more fervor.

“But it’s not my fault that he was all over me! You know how blind I am to shit like that!” You walked up to him, looking at him with a challenging look as the tension thickened ( if that was possible ). “Besides,” you huffed out, your voice laced with something that felt so impure it was almost sinful. “You know only you can look at me like that.”

That was all it took.

Joshua’s lips slammed against yours, your lips locking in a mix of teeth and tongue as he backed you up against a wall. Lips never separating, his hands gripped your thighs as he lifted you up against the wall effortlessly. You could feel his tongue against yours, as if they were dancing a crude dance between you both. Your hands ran through his hair, tugging it harshly and making him moan obscenely into your mouth.

It was you who pulled away, your teeth catching his bottom lip as you did. You knew it drove Joshua crazy.

Your neck as nudged up, his lips connecting to your neck in a lewd play of teeth and delicious pain. You let out a small moan at the feeling of him biting down on your neck, the pain bringing you nothing but pleasure as you felt him lick over it to soothe the pain.

“Damn right I’m the only one who can look at you like that,” Joshua practically growled, his words so out of character but making you whimper as one of his hands trailed up your dress. Usually, it was you taking charge in the bedroom, always bossing him around and smirking when he begged to touch you, or when his puppy-dog eyes looked at you through his eyelashes as he did sinful things to you. Usually, it was you staring at him with a lustful look, drinking in how submissive he looked with your hand around his throat and pressing down, restricting his airway in a way that made him buck up into you.

This was new. You didn’t mind it.

Joshua’s fingers lightly trailed over your crimson red panties, teasing and slow as his lips sucked a mark right above your breast. Your hand gripped his hair, you hold hard but affecting him in more ways than one.

“Stop teasing,” you scowled, your usually dominating role jumping out of you as you looked him in the eyes. Joshua only smirked, hazel eyes clouded with lust as his fingers pressed against you, making you squirm.

“I’m in charge tonight. Not you, baby girl,” Joshua stated, face close to yours as he started to circle his fingers over you, your panties a barrier between your skin and his fingertips.

“What if I don’t want that?” you managed, your head tilting back and a low moan leaving you when you felt his fingers move tauntingly close to the side of your panties.

“How about,” Joshua began, his fingers pushing your panties aside and making you shiver. “Whoever comes first subs in round 2?” It was almost comical how you had been arguing only moments before.

You sent him a devilish grin, rose red lips curling upwards at his proposition.

“You’re on, baby boy.”

—

A/N: should i make a part 2 that’s just all smut? let me know :) ( update: i made a part two )

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo, @allaroundaddict, @cherrydolan

[ricksbowen]

one more time | pt. 4

IN WHICH: a nighttime visit turns into a whole other session.

INSPIRATION: she — harry styles, the less i know the better — tame impala

WARNING: this series will have smut in it and is pretty sexual all around ( read with caution ). there are implications of sex right off the bat, and everyone is 18+ and in their senior year. there’s also family problems mentioned.

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6

The sound of his doorbell going off terrified Ricky in more ways than he wanted to admit.

He had spent five minutes getting ready to answer the door. The metal bat in his hand and the comical hockey helmet he put on were only precautions; who would ring at 12:16 AM? It only had to be a serial killer, and Ricky Bowen wasn’t going to be one of the stupid teens in every horror movie ever.

He was smart. He’d beat them up.

“Okay, Ricky. Just open the door.” Ricky jumped on the balls of his feet, his eyes trailing up to the peephole on his door. He nodded to himself, turning his head to crack it as he continued to hype himself up. “Peephole. Right— peepholes are great,” Ricky muttered, peering through the small hole.

You were standing outside. The rain that was pouring outside didn’t seem to phase you as you stared at the red rain boots you wore.

Ricky’s shoulders slumped ( he totally wasn’t excited for a serial killer to be at his door ) at the sight of you, relief coursing through his veins as he opened the door. Leaning cooly against his doorframe, Ricky managed a smirk past the hockey helmet over his head. “You look glum.”

“And you look stupid— who did you think was at the door?” You retorted, an eyebrow raising in question.

“Freddie Krueger. Jason Voorhees,” Ricky counted the names on his fingers, and even your sadness couldn’t stop the smile that crept on your face. “Hannibal Lector, the live-action Cat in the Hat—“

“You were scared of that movie?” you asked, cocking a brow in amusement. “I should’ve known you were a pussy,” you remarked, laughing softly at the ‘hey!’ he let out. You ducked under his arm, entering his house and shaking the rain from your hair like a wet dog.

“Umbrellas are a great invention.”

“Shut up, Bowen.” You shrugged off your coat, hanging it up alongside the other coats. You knew he was looking at you; rarely did you ever come to his house without a warning. “Stop staring.”

“I’m not,” Ricky retorted, averting his eyes to anything that wasn’t you. He pulled the hockey helmet off his face, shaking the mess of hair he had on his head. He watched you from his peripheral vision, your actions less lively than usual as you made your way to his kitchen. “I’m guessing you didn’t sneak out just for the hell of it.”

“Usually I do,” you answered, eyes darting up and down his pantry for anything edible. You knew you left some chips from the last time you were here. “My parents were arguing again. They were too loud, so,” you reached up for the familiar bag of chips. “I came here.” You didn’t want to get into the details of your parents’ problems. Ricky already knew most of them, from the growing rumors of an affair to your mom’s want to leave both you and your dad. “The only time they can get along is when they’re yelling at me,” you added quietly, almost inaudible.

“Stay as long as you want,” Ricky hummed, coming up behind you and reaching for a box of cereal. You always ranted to him because you knew he understood what you were going through. After everything that happened between his parents in his junior year, how could he not? “I can put on a movie or something.”

“Horror?”

“Sure. We can pick it apart like we always do,” Ricky said with a crooked grin, one that made you smile back. “We are still allowed to do stuff like that, right?”

“Like what?” you asked, making your way to his couch and flopping down on it.

“Normal friend stuff. I mean, we’ve had sex,” Ricky paused, staring up at his ceiling in thought. “Multiple times, In a lot of places,” he turned to the couch where you sat, eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Your point?”

“Wouldn’t it be weird?”

“It hasn’t been weird,” you stated, sending him a puzzled look. “Has it been weird for you?”

“No!”

“Then what’s makin’ you change your mind?” you pressed further, the overwhelming feeling of curiosity making you ask him.

Ricky let out a sigh, clicking on a random movie. It seemed cliche enough; teenagers lost in the woods. Normally, the most cliche ones were the funniest ones to pick apart. He threw the remote back onto the living room table. “This girl asked me on a date today.”

Your eyebrows raised, surprised at the lack of emotion you had as you nodded. “Who? What’d you say?” you asked with a beaming smile, shaking him gently and making him let out another loud sigh. He picked a random horror movie, not bothering to look at the summary as he put it on.

“Just this girl I got paired up with for science. I went out with her today.”

“And? You can’t just leave it at that!” you pressed on, leaning into him with a cocked brow. Why didn’t he tell you? Usually you’d help him out with everything when it came to date, from what he was supposed to wear to where he was going to take her.

“She sucked; she kept on judging every little thing I did. All the jokes I made?” Ricky sucked in a breath, feigning disappointment. “She took them too seriously. When I said that I’d kill for a burrito, I actually don’t mean it,” he said, trying to keep a straight face as he felt you hit him as you laughed.

“Holy shit, she thought you were gonna kill someone?” you forced out behind bundles of laughter, throwing your head back as more guffaws left your chest. “I’m sorry, it’s just—“ you cut yourself off, a string of uncontrollable giggles following and making him bite back a grin.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, giggles,” Ricky said, words dripping with sarcasm as he looked at you from his peripheral vision. “I hope a jumpscare bites you in the ass,” he muttered.

“Aw, Ricky,” you sing-songed, nudging him playfully with a shit eating grin. “I’m sorry,” you said, your smile anything but sorry. Ricky still refused to look at you, faking the silent treatment and making you sigh. Ricky pulled his eyes away from the movie, setting them onto you and raising a brow.

“Are you really?”

“No, not much,” you grinned, and Ricky chuckled as he shook his head. He felt you move closer to him, putting your head on his shoulder like you always did when you both had movie nights. It was nothing but platonic.

The movie was watched in silence, the beginning dragging on for longer than you liked before the first teen separated from the group.

“She’s so gonna die,” you muttered, head still on Ricky’s shoulder. You felt him nod, eyes focused on the screen, and the music from the T.V picked up. The tension grew along with the devilish idea in your head. Ricky was staring at the screen with wide eyes, goosebumps rising on his skin, and the girl opened the door—

You let out a yelp. Ricky screamed bloody murder.

Ricky’s chest heaved, hand on his chest as he stared at you with frightened eyes. You were laughing, practically falling off the couch in laughter. Ricky swore he saw tears in your eyes.

“Y/N, stop,” Ricky whined, his high-pitched voice only making you laugh harder and clutch your stomach.

“I forgot how easy you were to scare!” you giggled, trying to calm yourself by breathing deeply.

“Please don’t do it again,” Ricky muttered, face burning with embarrassment.

“Or what?” you challenged, the smile on your face contrasting your glum expression moments before. It felt nice to smile, to laugh without having to worry about people yelling at you to stop. Usually, that was how things worked at your house.

Ricky moved closer to you, your smile faltering just a bit at the slightly determined look in his eyes. You knew the game he was playing.

“What’re you gonna do about it, Bowen?” you joked, knowing fully well what you were doing with him. You saw the way he clenched his jaw, and how the movie suddenly sank into the background as his attention was focused on you.

Ricky leaned forward just as you did, your lips pressing against each other. Your hands go to the sides of his head, pulling him down over you as your back hit the couch. Ricky hovered over you, deepening the kiss and making you let out a small moan in response.

He detached his lips from yours before reattaching them to your neck, making you tilt your head back to give him more space. You felt Ricky’s lips go down, his lips sucking a mark right above where your sweatshirt started to cover your skin. You felt him bite down, making you gasp, and you could practically hear him smirk smugly at the reaction.

Ricky’s hands tugged your sweatshirt up in a silent plea for it to come off, shivers running up and down his body when he felt your hands trail underneath his shirt. Wordlessly, you sat up and tugged it over your head, throwing it somewhere in the living room. You lifted your hips, pulling your pants off and revealing the black panties you wore.

Ricky swore he forgot how to breathe.

In turn, you tugged his shirt off, tossing it behind him. You pulled his joggers down, letting out a laugh when his lanky legs got stuck in them. Ricky sent you a sheepish grin, pulling them down his legs as quickly as he could. That too was thrown behind him, and you pushed him back, making his back hit the couch.

You straddled him, listening to the groan he let out when he felt you grind onto him. Ricky was looking up at you through his eyelashes, his mouth slightly agape as he breathed heavily. It was sinful how innocent he looked under you, gazing at you as if you were a goddess on earth.

To him, you were. To him, you had to be the most beautiful person, inside and out.

You looked down at him, leaning down to his neck and attaching your lips to his skin. Ricky let out a whine when he felt you suck in a mark right under his hear, the sound influencing you in more ways than one.

“Protection?” Ricky breathed, eyes shutting tight when he felt you grind down against him again. You were teasing him, the equally teasing smile on your mouth making him melt into a puddle.

“I’m on the pill,” you mumbled, pulling away from his neck and hovering over his dace. Your eyes were hungry and dominating, sending a sense of thrill down Ricky’s spine as he looked back at you with a lustful haze. It was obvious that he was enjoying it, being under you and having you tower over him.

Your hands went up to his neck, fingers wrapping around it as you grinded down onto him. He let out a moan, hips bucking up subconsciously at your movements. Your hand pressed against his throat only spurred him on more.

You pushed your panties aside.

—

The sunlight hit you in the face, making you rub the sleep away from your eyes.

You and Ricky had made it up to his room after having a few rounds on his couch. The stamina you both had was unbelievable, even for Ricky ( who you knew secretly loved working out ).

You opened your eyes, succumbing to the bright light shining through. The cotton white sheets that covered your naked frame brought you warmth, and you gently stretched. Only when you moved did you notice the arms that were wrapped around you, pulling you close to him.

Ricky never did that. He knew that you didn’t like having arms wrapped around you after sex.

You pulled his arms off of you, heart beating rapidly in your chest as you moved to the other edge of the bed. It brought back too many painful memories of him. Ones you never wanted to remember.

“Luka!” you squealed, head thrown back in laughter when you felt the arms that were once sleepily wrapped around you poke you in the stomach. You turned to him, face-to-face with your boyfriend.

“Aw, I never knew you were ticklish, babe,” Luka said, the crooked smile on his face making you roll your eyes. The sunlight that shone through his windows hit him perfectly, showing you the freckles that littered his skin. Your finger reached up, gently touching each of the little kisses of sun that were on his face. You moved your finger between them, connecting them like dots.

“What’re you doing?” Luka asked softly, cerulean blues observing your face.

“Counting your freckles,” you replied, making a smile appear on his face as he pulled you close to him. You turned around, making yourself the little spoon as he held you closer to him.

You moved your legs to the side of his bed, letting them hang off the edge. You let out a shaky exhale, the feeling of Ricky’s hands on your waist burned into your skin. You reached for his drawer, opening it and grabbing a random shirt. You pulled it over your head, standing up and stretching the tension away.

You hated how even the little things reminded you of him.

“Y/N? Are you leaving?” You heard Ricky’s groggy voice ask, his head peeking out from his blankets. His curls were like a bird’s nest, messed up from your hands sifting and roughly tugging on his hair last night.

“No— I can’t do that to you, you know that,” your words were soft, almost pointed towards yourself as you climbed back into bed. You pulled the blankets over you, making sure you kept a distance away from him.

“You okay?” Ricky asked, voice gentle and inviting as he gazed at you. He wasn’t blind to the sudden space between you both, his choice of wrapping his arms around you not even a memory in his mind. You knew he didn’t mean it, that he had always liked holding onto others, but the feeling always left you pained.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” you mumbled, your eyes meeting beautiful hazel ones as he looked at you.

Ricky observed you, taking in the little details. The messiness of your hair. The small amount of mascara that was smudged under your eye. The blooming hickeys he left on your neck that led to unholy placed under his own shirt. The way your eyes drooped because it was too early for you, and how your hair was a mess of tangles thanks to his hands running through them the night before.

Something changed when he looked at you. Ricky’s mouth fell agape at that moment, and something clicked.

He didn’t know what his epiphany was, but he didn’t want to find out.

—

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff​, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @particularcth​, @lifes-a-party-youre-a-boy, @paniniirae, @supersouthy​, @jointherebellion215, @gabyer0309​, @hannarudick​, @broken-from-fandoms​, @complete-trash-101, @ssprayberrythings​, @raven-waheda, @timelordtardis​, @chubby-cheek-calum, @nicole-lynne​, @loserr-likeme​, @whoseblogsthis​, @stxfxniexreads, @cherrydolan​, @allaroundaddict, @of-outerspace​, @blueevelvt, @kitykatnumber, @rocketdolans, @givemebooksorgivemedeath, @80sthottie

[ricksbowen]

Hi, can i request a fic about late night talks on a rooftop with ricky? Thank you! You're a great writer.

blankets | r.b

IN WHICH: y/n doesn’t like change, and ricky likes hands running through his hair.

INSPIRATION: adore you — harry styles, tongue-tied — grouplove

A/N: i’m sorry for the slow posts lately; school’s been beating me up and i’m kinda suffering from writer’s block :)

You could hear the party thrive below you.

The roof tiles were rough under your palm as you leaned back on a propped hand, the other holding the ice cold beer loosely. You didn’t mind parties — they were usually fun — but there were moments where you needed a break from the terrible bass boosted music and the grinding people. You always remembered the best places to escape to in the regular party houses; this was one of them.

The roof. There was a ladder propped up on the side of the house that looked like it had been there for years, left to age and collapse at any pressure placed on it. The ladder brought you up to the roof, where you swore had the best view of the sky. That was where you stayed, carelessly leaving your friends alone while you wandered off to the stars with a stolen blanket in hand. In all honesty, you didn’t even know whose house it was.

For once, you brought someone with you. In better words; he followed you and you liked him too much to tell him to go away.

“This is nuts,” Ricky exclaimed, watching you nod nonchalantly at his words. You threw the blanket over the roof tiles, taking a seat on top and turning to Ricky.

You rolled your eyes at his blank expression, patting the space alongside you in a silent offering. Wordlessly, Ricky complied.

He put his head in your lap, laying down comfortably as he looked up at you. Ricky felt your hand run through his hair, the action practically making him sigh in content. “Is this where you’ve been going every time Ian throws a party?”

“Is that his name?” you asked, eyes wide and an amused smile making its way onto your face. “I’ve been stealing his blankets and climbing up here for every party he’s thrown,” you said, smile widening as Ricky let out a laugh.

“Are you serious? You’ve never bothered to ask his name?”

“Nope,” you replied, popping the ‘p’ and giggling softly. The laughter slowly died out between you both, the only sound being the faraway crickets and the passing cars. Your fingers toyed with his hair, nails gently scraping across his scalp and making him hum and shut his eyes.

“Are you scared of growing up?”

It was odd to hear such a question from you. Normally, you stayed away from questions like that, opting to turn a blind eye and focus on something else. “Focus on the now, not the later,” is what you always said, your beaming smile like a star in the night.

But here you were, asking the question as you gazed up at the stars.

“I thought that you didn’t like talking about stuff like that,” Ricky murmured, eyes slowly opening to look at you. It was dark, with the sun low below the horizon and leaving only the stars behind in its wake, winking at you and Ricky.

Your eyes were still set on the stars, the twinkling lights captivating you like a moth to a flame. “Don’t you think about it? So much can happen in a year. We’ll lose track of friends and replace them, you and I—“

“What about you and I?” Ricky interrupted, his interjection making you look down at him. He was looking at you expectingly, eyebrows scrunched and a frown playing on his lips.

“We can change, Ricky,” you muttered, hand leaving his hair. You swore you heard him whine at the loss of your touch. You looked ahead of you, the darkness of the night bringing you nothing as your thoughts consumed you. “So much can change. So much can happen, and we still have to grow up,” you rambled, knowing fully well that your mind was racing too fast for your own good.

“Hey. Look at me.” You looked down, your lips curling up just a bit at the sight of Ricky looking up at you from your lap. His curls, unruly as ever, was scattered all over your lap along with his red-tipped nose. He was looking at you the same way you looked at the stars.

Captivated. Amazed. Entranced.

“What?” you asked, voice suddenly gentle as your hand ran through his hair yet again.

“Things are gonna change. Things are always changing,” Ricky stated, ignoring your perplexed look. “But we won’t change. We’ll stay together, okay?” The moonlight reflected off his eyes, gleaming beautifully in the pools of hazel. “We’ll be like those high school sweethearts we used to make fun of when we were younger,” he joked, grin widening as you laughed. “Or like that one old couple that still call each other hot while they’re 90. That’ll be us, ‘cause, y’know, we’re a pretty hot couple.”

You shook your head, a disbelieving smile on your face at his words. You didn’t know how one boy could affect your emotions in such a wonderful way.

“I’ll help you through growing up. Not all things that change are bad. Okay?” You looked down at Ricky, the reassuring, close-lipped smile on his face making you chuckle softly in relief.

“Okay,” you breathed, eyes turning up to the stars yet again.

“I’m pretty fond of you, Y/N,” Ricky joked, the inside joke making you laugh as he sat up from your lap. His face was near yours, and you pecked his cheek quickly with a shit-eating grin.

“I’m pretty fond of you too, Ricky Bowen.”

—

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo, @allaroundaddict, @cherrydolan

[ricksbowen]

can i request a joshua bassett imagine about you being a cast member on hsmtmts and the whole cast knows josh likes you but you’re oblivious and at the premier frankie and everyone is teasing you about joshua staring at you the whole night

flashing cameras | j.b

IN WHICH: joshua looks at you as if you’re his favorite movie.

INSPIRATION: electric love — borns

“Y/N! Y/N!”

A bright smile appeared on your face as you walked up to the reporter, greeting his with a polite hug as she held the microphone up to you.

“Oh, look at you! You look gorgeous!” the reported gushed, and you felt your face burn red at her compliment. You never did get used to the fame. One minute you were auditioning for a new show, the next you were cast as one of the main characters.

“Thank you, it means a lot,” you responded with a smile that would’ve made anyone’s heart melt.

“You play Isabella Bordeaux in High School Musical: the Musical: the Series, right?” the reporter began, and you nodded in response. “Can you tell us a little bit about her? She’s a new character in the second season, right?”

“Right,” you beamed, trying to keep a cool head as you started talking. “Well, she’s a French exchange student, and she’s a junior,” you explained. “She’s not really the type to join a musical; she’s a cheerleader, but one of the more quiet and honest ones.”

“It must be hard speaking French for the camera. Did you have to take lessons?”

“Well, all I had prior to filming was the French class I was taking in school,” you said with a shy smile, letting out a relieved sigh when the reporter laughed politely.

How could you look so pretty while doing the most simple things? Joshua asked himself that question more times than he’d like to admit, and as his eyes lingered on you and not at the camera, he heard someone bump him in the hip playfully.

“You are terrible at being discreet,” Frankie snickered, his voice low enough for only Joshua to hear. Olivia was beside him, smiling teasingly as his face burned red. It almost hurt them how oblivious you were to Joshua’s fleeting looks and longing eyes. You had always been blind to cues that were even a little bit romantic; it was obvious in the way you’d unknowingly shoot Joshua down in his attempts by giving him a high five.

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what he means,” Olivia remarked, smiling towards the camera for just a second before looking back at Joshua. If only the paparazzi knew what they were talking about; they’d eat it up in a second. “I swear, you were drooling before we came here.”

Joshua frowned a bit, fingers consciously reaching for his mouth to check of any drool. The action made Olivia and Frankie laugh, and Joshua knew he was gonna be in for it later. He grinned at the camera, posing with his friends before he heard heels click quickly up to him. He felt his skin turn warm and nerves prick his skin at the familiar sound.

“Sorry! This sweet reporter had so many questions and I answered them all — she seemed nice, y’know?” you ranted, adjusting your dress and moving closer to Joshua and smiling. His heartbeat picked up, blush deepening on his face as he heard Frankie chuckle at Y/N’s words.

“Y/N L/N, you are too precious.”

The after party was wild.

You never did get used to seeing random famous people walk up to you and congratulate you or compliment you on how great you were in the show. Their words rendered you into a sputtering, blushing mess of ‘thank yous’ and ‘I love you and everything you do, thank you so much.’

You practically lost it when you saw Finn Wolfhard there. Why as he there? You didn’t know, but you weren’t complaining.

“I’ve never seen so many famous people in one place,” you muttered to Sofia, who only shook her head.

“Me neither. Oh my God, I don’t even know why they all came,” Olivia was almost as giddy as you, pointing out ( literally ) every celebrity there.

“Pointing’s rude,” Matt commented alongside the rest of you, and you glared at him.

“The only thing keeping you from not freaking out is the open bar.”

“Being 21 comes with its perks,” he retorted with a smile. “At least I’m not Frankie or Larry. Their living their lives at the bar,” Matt pointed his drink to the nearby bar, where Frankie and Larry were talking animatedly to Joshua. Joshua — who was way too sober compared to any of them — was only grinning widely while Frankie made crazy hand gestures. He turned towards the rest of you, eyes widening once they met yours, and he immediately turned away.

You could hear the others laugh at his reaction, Sofia bumping your hip playfully to get you to snap out of whatever trance you were in.

“He’s whipped,” Sofia remarked with a laugh, making your face a deep red at her words.

“For who?” you managed, looking at your cast mates. They were all gaping at you, almost incredulous at your unawareness towards social cues.

“What do you mean for who?”

Joshua looked back at you and the others, eyes lingering on your form as you looked at the others with furrowed brows. A fond smile appeared on his face just at the sight of you, but the spell you put him under broke the moment Frankie clapped him on the back.

“Ow!”

“Do something!” Larry motioned wildly to you, eyes wide for emphasis. “You’ve been drooling over her since she first walked into set!”

“Have not!” Joshua fired back, making Frankie snort.

“Have too!” Frankie laughed out, voice loud against the bass boosted music. “Look; she’s terrible at reading cues. The eyes you’re making towards her?” Frankie tutted, shaking his head in shame. “Not working other than for your very dear cast mates. So,” he motioned to you yet again, and when Joshua turned to look at you, you were already looking at him.

Sofia and Olivia were whispering in your ear, something that Joshua could make out thanks to the music. But you looked unsure, your eyes darting to Matt while he smiled encouragingly. Julia and Dara walked up to them, their eyes widening when Sofia explained everything to them, and they too started telling you things with a wide smile. The curiosity was too much.

“Attaboy!” Larry yelled as Joshua stood up, gently making his way past the crowd. Unknown to him, you were doing the same, the encouraging cheers of your friends behind you fueling your confidence and your nerves.

“Excuse me,” you mumbled, pushing past yet another person and accidentally bumping into Joshua, your eyes wide as you looked at him.

“Hey!” Joshua managed, a nervous smile on his face.

“Hi,” you breathed out, all confidence now thrown into the wind as you swallowed dryly. “You wanna step out for a bit?”

“Yeah! Yeah, sure,” Joshua murmured, voice going quiet as he felt your hand take his. It felt so natural, your fingers intertwining with his as you led him out of the crowd.

The fenced back kept all the paparazzi away, and you led him outside to the cold LA air. You loved California when it was nighttime; the weather was perfect and the rare instance of stars was breathtaking.

Your hand was still holding his as you walked out. The music became muffled by the sliding glass doors, and you led him to a swinging bench. You looked up at the few stars that hung over head, the waning moon accompanying them in the sky. You let out a small exhale, a breathy, “wow,” leaving your lips.

“It’s pretty, huh?” you murmured to Joshua, your eyes set on the glowing moon. The moonlight hit your face perfectly, making you look like an angel on earth.

Joshua hummed, eyes on you as he nodded his head. “It’s beautiful.”

You looked at him, face blooming red when you saw him looking at you. He was talking about you. “Nice one,” you forced out behind the want to cheer and thank the world.

Nice one? Was that all you could manage?

“Sorry. I meant thanks. I dunno.” You gazed down at your heels, silently cursing yourself for your own words.

A chuckle rumbled deep in his chest at your reaction, his own face red. “You know,” Joshua managed through his nerves, “I thought you were gorgeous when you walked into set.”

You didn’t look at him, but your eyes widened.

“Yeah. That’s kinda why I tripped when I walked over to introduce myself. It’s also why I kinda avoided you for a few days because I couldn’t believe I tripped.” Joshua sighed, his confession coming out like a ramble that he couldn’t stop.

“I guess you could say I fell for you,” he joked, and that was what made you look up at him with a grin.

“You really had to make a pun out of it?” you asked with a laugh, the sound alone making his heart skip a beat.

“I had to get you to look at me somehow. And you know you love my jokes,” Joshua remarked, making you scoff and roll your eyes with a beaming smile.

You put your head on his shoulder, the action making him grin like a lovestruck fool. “You’re lucky I like you, Bassett,” you said softly, thumb swiping lightly over his hand. “For me, I think it was when I caught you stealing leftovers at 3 AM while I was trying to do the same.”

You heard him laugh at your words, and you peered up at him. Joshua looked back down at you, the blushes on your cheeks matching. The moment almost seemed too perfect, as if it had fallen out of an oddly detailed WattPad book and into your lives. You weren’t complaining.

You leaned up, and he leaned down. Your lips met in a soft kiss, and you swore you could hear your friends cheer.

—

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo, @allaroundaddict, @cherrydolan

[ricksbowen]

one more time | pt. 3

IN WHICH: y/n’s parents are too much, the library’s a perfect opportunity, and ej confesses something in private.

INSPIRATION: best part — daniel caeser, hey there delilah — plain white tees

WARNING: this series will have smut in it and is pretty sexual all around ( read with caution ). there are implications of sex right off the bat, and everyone is 18+ and in their senior year. there’s also family problems mentioned.

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6

“Thanks,” you murmured, eyes never leaving your textbook as you took the coffee cup from Ricky.

Five hours of studying in the library. In any other circumstance, you and Ricky would’ve opted to study at either your house or his. But after the new step in your friendship, concentrating was harder. One minute, you’d be listening to Ricky’s thoughts on the subject at hand,

the next you’d be making out on his bed, lips needy and moving quickly.

At least you couldn’t jump onto each other in the library.

You raised the coffee cup to your lips, feeling the hot steam on your skin before you took a sip. Peering past your book, your eyes landed on Ricky’s disheveled form. His hair, wild and completely messed up, was tucked under a dark green beanie you had given to him on his birthday. His black hoodie was pulled over his head, hoodie strings falling loosely down as he wrote in his notebook.

“I got another set at the diner downtown.” You commented, eyes darting back to your book. You could hear him sit up, his chair creaking at every little movement he made.

“You serious?”

“Yeah. Apparently, they liked me so much they wanted me back,” you explained with a crooked smile.

“They’d be stupid not to,” Ricky hummed, his comment making your smile wider as you looked down at your textbook.

The words all felt jumbled up, mixed in a blender to the point where you couldn’t even read them. It was probably the exhaustion getting to you.

Usually, your study dates went like this. You and Ricky, reading in comfortable silence while a few scattered conversations occurred. To you, it was important to have comfortable silences with friends.

“Are your parents letting you go to Juilliard?” Ricky asked, breaking the silence in two and changing your mood almost immediately.

You bit your lip, shaking your head firmly. Your parents were conservative and strict and had always set your sights towards med school or law school since you were born. But sometimes the most rebellious people come from the strictest parents. You wanted to pursue music — you had told them multiple times — but you knew you couldn’t. Not with them breathing down your neck.

“What’re you doing?”

The sharp voice of your mom made you freeze, all hope of going into the school now lost as you turned to her. Your dad stood behind her, his look almost as murderous as your mom’s.

They had always been on the more conservative side.

You shut your laptop quickly. “College applications,” you croaked out despite the feeling of sandpaper in your throat. “Gonna apply for Colombia. Just like I said,” you smiled forcefully, praying that your terrible lie would suffice against their looming look.

“Give me the laptop,” your dad stated, walking into your room and holding his hand out expectingly. You stared up at him, eyes wide as you slowly shook your head. “Don’t make me take it from you.”

“But,” you stammered, eyebrows furrowing and heartbeat picking up. “I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

Forcefully, your dad took the laptop out of your hands with one swift move. He opened it, the page not locked and protected by your password. He scrolled up, your impending doom hovering over you like an anvil waiting to fall. Then, he stopped.

“Juilliard? The art school?” he questioned, voice hard as his eyes snapped to you. Your mom walked up behind him, peering at the screen. You could see the anger dawn over her face.

You were in for it now.

“They caught me writing my application,” you mumbled, flipping the page absentmindedly. “They yelled at me for hours; nothing new.”

Ricky sucked in a breath, knowing fully well how much your parent’s words affected you. They were ruthless when it came to you. As an only child, you were their sole focus. But that came with consequences and blows to your self-esteem and your mind.

You stood up, letting out a loud sigh and turning to the shelves of books around you. The need for a yet another book pissed you off, and you cursed quietly under your breath as your scanned for a book you needed. Your fingers toyed with the spines of the various books you passed, and you paused when you came to the shelves that most likely had your book.

Hands crept around your waist, and almost immediately it sparked warmth on your skin. You could feel him kiss down your neck, and you automatically leaned your head back against his chest to allow him more access.

Light as a feather, Ricky’s kisses went down to your collarbone before climbing back up to your ear, where his breath fanned against your skin. “You need a break,” he mumbled, gently kissing at the skin under your ear.

You let out a shaky breath, feeling his hands under your shirt. You turned around, not even blinking before your lips met his. His hands picked you up, gripping your thighs and pushing you up against the tall shelves of the library.

“No one’s in the library,” you breathed, a light moan leaving your lips when you felt Ricky bite down.

“And that means?” Ricky asked, his voice sounding so sinfully innocent as he raised his face back up to yours.

“It means,” you drawled, tugging the beanie off of his head and throwing it behind him. “We can be as loud as we want,” you whispered, the feeling of your lips against his ear sending chills up and down his body.

“Or,” Ricky drawled on, grinding against you and watching you throw your head back in ecstasy. “Whoever makes a noise first,” he continued, helping you tug your shirt over your head. He took a second, mouth slightly agape as he looked you up and down. “Loses.”

You hummed in agreement, pulling his sweatshirt over his head and letting it fall behind him. You kissed him passionately, locking lips as if your life depended on it. You took his bottom lip between your teeth, playfully pulling it as you pulled away. You let go, taking in the needy gleam in his eyes as you smirked. “I’m down.”

—

Sometimes it shocked Ricky how passionate you were about singing.

You had been singing for as long as he could remember. Your love for music was once a secret, hidden behind other hobbies like climbing trees or riding bikes up and down the neighborhood streets. It wasn’t until the seventh grade, when Ricky caught you singing in your treehouse with your guitar, did he realize just how talented you were.

You had come a long way. From having Big Red and Ricky practically push you towards talent show tryouts to singing nervously in front of the whole middle school with a guitar that was a tad too big for your arms.

You had stage fright then. The oh-so-bold and courageous Y/N was always rendered into a sputtering mess in front of crowds. You couldn’t perform in front of them, for you much rather loved watching Big Red and Ricky on stage.

But as Ricky watched you play guitar for a small diner with people crowding in to see you, Y/N L/N, sing. He couldn’t help but beam at you from one of the closest tables from the stage.

Alongside him sat all your friends: Carlos and Seb, Big Red and Ashlyn, Gina, and even Ej. He found time in his busy schedule to see you sing.

“You know, I never knew she could sing. Or play guitar,” Gina commented amongst all the commotion in their table, waves of agreement rippling through the group.

“She had stage fright before,” Ricky explained, stirring his drink with his straw, Big Red nodding his head rapidly.

“We basically peer pressured her into joining,” Big Red added with a grin, making everyone laugh.

“She sang at the talent show in like, the eighth grade,” Ej added, his eyes set on you on the stage. Your eyes met his, a nervous smile on your face that you hid behind a thumbs up his way. Ej sent you one back with more confidence, and in a way it calmed you down.

“Y’know, haven’t heard her sing since then,” Ashlyn commented, chin on the palm of her hand as she looked at you adjust your microphone with shaky hands.

“Shush! It’s starting!” Carlos hissed, excitement evident as he scooted his chair in closer to the table and focused on you. Various shushes went through the group, along with childish lines of, ‘You suck at whispering,’ and ‘Shut up!’

“Hey, I’m, uh, Y/N L/N,” you began, listening to the cheers scatter around you, the loudest coming from your group of friends. You beamed at them, their confident smiles settling your nerves as you let out a shaky breath. “I usually sing originals, but I’ve been procrastinating lately,” scattered laughs erupted from your crowd. “Here’s Best Part.”

You cleared your throat, before plucking the strings on your guitar and beginning to sing. Your voice was soft, resonating in the diner like an echo.

Ricky could see the nerves fade away as you began to play, your eyes shutting in content at the ecstasy singing gave you. It was odd, how much music affected your emotions in a positive way.

“If she doesn’t get a record deal in the future I’m gonna be pissed,” Seb murmured loud enough for the group to hear, scattered sounds of agreement coming from them all as their eyes stayed on you.

How could they tear their eyes away? You looked so simple, in a black long-sleeved shirt and a skirt that made your legs look amazing. That, paired with your guitar, made you a singing enigma for anyone who didn’t know you.

As the song came to an end, claps and cheers echoed through the crowd. You beamed, smile brighter than the stars. You almost let out a laugh at how loud your friends were, their cheers trumping over everyone and their claps loud.

“How she doesn’t have all the guys after her is beyond me,” Ashlyn tutted, shaking her head to herself as she sipped her drink.

“Speaking of guys,” Ej murmured, voice low as a conversation began between them all. His voice was only audible to Ricky, who sat behind him and turned to him with a confused frown.

“What?”

“Is Y/N, you know,” Ej motioned with his hands, trying to signal subtly to Ricky. It took only a second for Ricky to understand, his eyebrows going up in realization.

Since when did Ej like you? It surprised Ricky, but as he looked back on it, Ej always did have a soft spot for you. Not that he cared much; Ej was a good guy.

“Seeing anyone?” Ricky finished with a cocked eyebrow. Since when was Ej interested in you? In retrospect, it made more sense; you had always been pretty close to him. “No, not that I know of,” Ricky answered, keeping the unholy thought of you in his bed literally two nights ago to himself. “Why?”

“I dunno,” Ej mumbled, looking down sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck. “Just wondering. I mean after Luka, of course she decided to stay single.” His last sentences were quiet, more for himself than Ricky, but Ricky heard nonetheless.

After your performance, you bowed one last bow to the crowd before you jumped off the small stage, making your way to your friends and letting out a laugh at their exclaims.

“You’re telling me that you’ve had that voice this whole time and you still didn’t try out for High School Musical: The Musical?” Carlos scoffed, feigning hurt while you only hugged him tightly.

“My stage fright would’ve gotten the best of me,” you remarked, the smile of your face never ceasing. You hugged Ricky tightly, his smile almost as wide as yours. He opened his mouth to compliment you before Ej shyly tapped you on the shoulder.

“I was, uh, wondering if we can talk,” Ej said, his voice making the sides of your mouth turn down into a worried frown.

“Sure.” You followed him to the side of the diner, away from the crowds and from your friends. You were unaware of your friends’ eyes on you and Ej, theories already popping up in their minds.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Big Red asked, nodding towards you and Ej conversing quickly. He seemed happy; you looked unsure.

“Either relationship advice or actual problems,” Gina responded, sipping her drink as she spoke.

“Or something else,” Seb added, eyeing the conversation as if it was a dramatic movie playing out in front of him.

Ricky only watched on, curiosity bubbling in his chest as he watched you smile hesitantly and nod your head. Ej’s glowing smile grew, and he nodded to himself. You gave him another smile before turning to the group, smile falling when you saw their eyes on you.

You both walked over to them, your movements hesitant and your eyebrows furrowed while Ej wore a satisfied smile.

You all gave each other another goodbye, your hug with Ej lasting a second longer than usual before you walked out of the diner with Ricky by your side. He was always your ride when it came to your performances.

“What was that all about?” Ricky questioned nonchalantly, breathing in the fresh night air as you walked to his car.

“He wanted to tell me he liked me. He said he had liked me for a while,” you mumbled, voice blatant as you walked. You knew Ricky was looking at you, gauging for any kind of reaction, but you only kept your eyes ahead of you. “It was just something he wanted to get off his chest,” you shook your head. “I dunno.”

“Well,” Ricky cleared his throat, unlocking his car and helping you out your guitar in the back seat. “Do you like him?”

“I haven’t liked someone in that way since Luka.” You shut the door, opening the door to the front seat and climbing in. Ricky went into the driver’s seat, hands on the steering wheel yet not moving.

“I thought you got over him.”

“I did,” you said, glancing at him. “It’s just,” your voice trailed off, the memories you blocked out of your own head coming back in waves. You sank into the seat of his car. “I’m not over what he did to me. How much he hurt me.”

Nodding to himself, Ricky started up his car. Hey There Delilah started to play through his speakers, and you looked outside the car window as he backed out of the parking space. Your mood always deflated when it came to talking about relationships. Luka left you scarred in more ways than one.

Ricky knew the friends with benefits agreement allowed you both to see other people. But what you didn’t cover was what would happen if you met the right one while having the agreement with Ricky.

“Are you gonna go out with him?” Ricky found himself asking, eyes never leaving the road for fear of seeing you glare at him. But you didn’t glare like you usually did. You only shrugged, watching the buildings pass by. It was odd to feel so down when you felt like you were on top of the world not even 30 minutes ago.

“I don’t think so,” you said, words unsure and hesitant. “I love Ej — I really do — but I don’t wanna ruin what we have. I know it’ll end badly.” You turned away from the side window, opting to watch the dark road ahead illuminated by the headlights.

“You say that every time someone shows interest in you.”

“You say the same thing,” you fired back, turning to him with a cocked brow as if you were challenging him to continue.

Ricky shrugged sheepishly, eyes snapping to look at you for just a second before returning to the road. “Good point. But if he actually asks you to go out...” Ricky trailed off suggestively, making you snort in amusement and sink deeper into your chair.

“That’ll be a problem if it actually happens. But for now,” you looked at him, managing a smile. “I have nothing to worry about.”

—

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff​, @myrandom-fandomlife​, @softpeteparker​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @particularcth​, @lifes-a-party-youre-a-boy​, @paniniirae, @supersouthy​, @jointherebellion215​, @gabyer0309​, @hannarudick​, @broken-from-fandoms​, @complete-trash-101​, @ssprayberrythings​, @raven-waheda​, @timelordtardis​, @chubby-cheek-calum​, @nicole-lynne​, @loserr-likeme​, @whoseblogsthis​, @stxfxniexreads​, @cherrydolan​, @allaroundaddict, @of-outerspace​, @blueevelvt​

[ricksbowen]

simply, utterly | the end

IN WHICH: all finally goes well, but you still hate ricky bowen.

INSPIRATION: sunflower, vol. 6 — harry styles

A/N: well, this is the last part of this series. i just want to thank every single one of the readers who stuck through this series with each prt that was posted. i love you guys so much <3

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6, pt. 7

Your words hit Ricky like a train.

He could help the relieved smile that lit up his face as he let out a breath he never knew he held in. You chuckled at his reaction, nudging him gently with your elbow.

“Don’t go all giggly on me now, Bowen,” you commented, your teasing tone like a breath of fresh air. You scooted closer to him, laying your head on his shoulder and taking in the warmth he provided. “I mean it, you know,” you murmured, feeling him take your hand into his. “I don’t think I ever hated you. I think,” you bit your bottom lip. “I think that I didn’t know how to show you how I felt.”

“How cliché,” Ricky remarked, making you laugh softly.

“Maybe. But I’m pretty sure you love clichés as much as I do,” you said with a smile, lifting your head to look at him.

Ricky hummed in slight agreement, looking back at you with a look he never gave you before. He was looking at you as if he had the world in his hands, as if you were the most beautiful thing he had seen.

Maybe that was what he thought.

“What?” you laughed out softly, raising a brow at him. “Am I right?” you questioned, head tilting to the side like a puppy would.

Ricky didn’t respond, only lifting your chin to kiss you gently. Your eyes fluttered shut, lips moving in their own dance as they moved slowly against each other. His fingers stayed on your chin, and your hand went up to cup his cheek gently. This was different from the kiss you shared backstage.

This one had something in it that you couldn’t pinpoint. Passion? Care?

Love?

He pulled away from you, forehead touching yours as you both breathed heavily. You stayed that way, foreheads touching and eyes gazing into the other’s as if a silent agreement was passed between both of you. His eyes gleamed under the moonlight, and you swore you understood what couples said when they claimed that the stars were in their spouse’s eyes.

“I..” Ricky started, his words caught in his throat. “I think..” He swallowed dryly, and you smiled softly and pressed another kiss to his lips and pulled away quickly.

“I know,” you murmured, thumb lightly swiping over his lips. “Me too.”

Your lips met his again.

You had gone home that night with Ricky by your side.

The laughs you shared echoed up and down the neighborhood, the conversation going every which was as both of you talked rapidly.

“You really had to do that to me, huh?” Ricky teased, slinging his arm over your shoulders as you walked.

“Look, I don’t know what I was thinking when I was 6,” you defended, not holding back the smile that seemed to be permanently stuck to your face. The moment you shared with Ricky made you feel as if a weight was lifted off your shoulders. “But you were the real crackhead. You threw sand back at me!”

Ricky threw his head back with a laugh, the sandbox memory you shared coming back to him. It was a small memory but a funny one to look back at now that he thought about it.

You had thrown sand into Ricky’s eye when you were six. Ricky ended up throwing sand back, getting it into your eyes as well. It ended with the both of you sobbing to your parents and complaining about each other.

The banter continued between both of you, topics ranging from memories to conspiracy theories, even to past relationships. It never died out — until you found yourself standing in front of your house.

“Will you be okay?” Ricky asked.

Your eyes were set on the bright lights inside. Ashlyn and Ej were still awake.

“Yeah,” you replied, turning to look at him. Your eyes wandered to his house, the windows void of any lights. “Will you?”

You weren’t blind to Ricky’s family problems. When you lived in front of him, you were able to notice a lot of things happen. You knew it affected him, but you never had the heart to ask him if he was okay before.

“Always.” Ricky smiled reassuringly, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Y/N.” You turned to your door, Ashlyn and Ej standing in the doorframe and staring at you and Ricky. Your face bloomed red, Ricky offering a hesitant wave towards your cousin and brother.

Ej looked at him, his look hard but turning gentle when he saw your hands intertwined with Ricky’s. “Hey, Ricky.”

“Hi,” Ricky replied awkwardly, his free hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.

“Bye,” you murmured to him, kissing his cheek and pulling your hand away from his. You walked up to your driveway, giving Ricky one last smile before you made your way inside.

You heard the door shut behind you as you plopped down onto the couch.

Ej walked up to you hesitantly, clearing his throat awkwardly to catch your attention.

You looked up at him, rolling your eyes with a small grin on your face. “I hate what you did, but I’m not mad at you.”

“But are you sure?” Ashlyn spoke up, making Ej send her a glare while you snickered.

“Hundred percent. Besides,” you shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m too happy to be mad right now.”

—

“Okay, follow my lead. Mah! Mah! Mah!” Ej exclaimed, motioning for you to follow while you grinned mischievously. He frowned. “You were supposed to follow!”

“I know, but it was fun just watching you do it,” you giggled, Ej sending you a look that could kill.

“Y/N..”

“Okay! I’ll follow!” you said reluctantly, warming up with Ej while you tried to keep a straight face. He was always the one more into musicals, yet here you were; one of the leads.

“I swear, they’re crazy,” Ricky hissed to Big Red, the redhead nodding his head in agreement as he watched you and your brother warm-up back and forth.

“They’re Caswells. ‘Course they’re crazy.” Big Red turned to Ricky. “Do you need to do that?”

“Do you know how to do it?” Ricky asked Big Red, looking at you and your brother. You had broken up the warm-up to let out a laugh, making Ej scold you and begin all over again.

“It’s just vocal gibberish,” Big Red responded with a shrug. “C’mon, you say, ‘pah, pah, pah!’ and you’re good to go!”

“Hey! Curtain up in 5!” Called a voice from the crew. With that, Big Red was gone, off to try and help out the backstage crew.

Ricky shook his head, the nerves almost too much to handle. He could feel his hands get clammy and sweat start to gather on his brow. Sure, he was okay with performing for auditions, but the thought that other people were here expecting a good performance from him made him want to jump into a hole.

“Hey!” Your voice broke through his thoughts, the choked back laugh you let out making him raise a brow at you. “I forgot about the eyeliner. You look,” you offered a thumbs up. “Bitchin’.”

“Shush,” Ricky chuckled, some of the nerves fading away just by looking at you.

You really didn’t know the effect you had on him.

“You’re nervous,” you observed, taking his lightly shaking hands into yours. Your thumb thumbed over his skin lightly, making him let out a small sigh.

“Maybe,” he mumbled sheepishly. “You know there are people out there. For us,” he said in a hushed voice, only audible to you.

“Curtain up in like, a minute!”

The warning made Ricky’s eyes widen, and you squeezed his hands reassuringly.

“Look at me, Ricky. Hey— look at me.”

Ricky looked at you, your eyes boring into his. “You’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

—

Cheers upon cheers were all you heard as you and the cast bowed together. You were slightly out of breath, but that didn’t stop you from letting out a cheer along with the others beside you. The red dress you wore swished elegantly, the dress perfect around your body as you gazed out on the crowd as if you were in a trance.

Ricky was by your side, his own chest heaving as he beamed at the crowd. It was hard to believe that he was dreading performing before the curtain went up; he had sung beautifully and danced as if he had been dancing for years.

It was crazy to think that you had hated him prior to the musical. Never did you think that you’d enjoy playing the love interest of Troy Bolton with Ricky as Troy, yet here you were, smiling until your cheekbones hurt.

You looked up at him, arms slipping from your brother’s side as cheers and hollers came from the group. “Told you so. I’m always right, Rick,” you said cheekily, bumping your hip against his.

The nickname wasn’t said in the way you always said it. It was happy. Playful.

Loving.

“You know I hate that nickname,” Ricky responded, arms falling to his side as he turned to look at you.

“Sure you do,” you remarked, words dripping with sarcasm. The strong sense of déjà vu was in the air as he beamed at you, hands reaching for your face and your arms wrapping around his neck. His lips pressed against yours, and the crowd went wild. You could feel him deepen the kiss, your lips moving in sync.

“I thought they hated each other? Since when did they— I’m so lost,” you heard Carlos eamble, and you couldn’t help but laugh against Ricky’s lips.

“A lil’ bit,” came Ej’s reply, a wide grin on his lips as he clapped for the both of you.

You pulled away from him, faces still close while you feigned an annoyed look. “God, I hate you, Ricky Bowen. You really had to kiss me on stage.”

“Shut up, Caswell. I’ll do it again if I have to.”

—

A/N: again, thank you all so much for reading this series. i just started a new series if you want to check the first part out here! :)

TAGS:  @softpeteparker, @jointherebellion215, @l-tt-e, @broken-from-fandoms, @uwupxterparker, @room-3o4​, @eternaleviee​, @hobistigma​, @fangeekkk​, @wcnderwoo​, @myrandom-fandomlife​, @multifangorl​, @tomshufflepuff, @ggclarissa​, @decaffeinated-fangirl​, @religious-pizza-roll​, @rororo06​, @svelby-g​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @whoseblogsthis​, @hxney-bunches-x, @whimsical-fantasies​, @shawnnyyyboiii​, @captainlarsonn​, @herondalescecilys​, @yamisaloser​, @17ves​, @lovelydnbrough, @ceilingtittty​, @savedbystark​, @stitch-flo​, @shawnandconnor, @whoseblogsthis, @of-outerspace​, @complete-trash-101​, @ssprayberrythings​, @morgannope​, @sheyschu​

[ricksbowen]

one more time | pt. 2

IN WHICH: ricky and y/n make a deal, and a promise that they swear to abide by.

INSPIRATION: easily — bruno major, sorry — halsey

WARNING: this series will have smut in it and is pretty sexual all around ( read with caution ). there’s implications of sex right off the bat, and everyone is 18+ and in their senior year.

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6

Ricky let out a breath, his sweaty chest against yours as he hovered over you.

You shuddered, fingers gripping his bare back as if your life depended on it. You felt him roll next to you, chest heaving in time with yours.

One time turned into three more times in the same day.

You gazed up at his ceiling, the smell of sex strong in the room and making you dizzy while you turned to your side. His eyes were closed in content, the want to sleep strong, but his eyes opened again to meet yours.

Ricky’s hair was matted to his forehead, curls sticking out every which way due to your study break. A trail of lovebites trailed down from his neck, the marks fresh and red against his skin.

In a way, you were admiring him ( as much as you didn’t want to ). His fingers trailed over your arm, little steps with his fingertips sending shivers down your spine.

“What now?” you murmured, feeling the small steps turn into light sweeping touched over your arm. You didn’t want a relationship; your fear of love got in the way every time you tried, so why bother? You knew he didn’t want one too; after his dilemma with Nini, he wanted a long break from a relationship. You knew because he told you.

“I don’t know,” Ricky mumbled back, propping his elbow up and putting his head in his palm. His hand rested between the two of you, and you found yourself taking it in yours and twiddling with it.

“We don’t like each other,” you stated, eyes darting up to look at him. “Romantically, I mean.”

“We just had round three, Y/N.”

“And that means nothing.” You looked at him, some kind of fear set in your eyes that Ricky could read instantly.

You didn’t like talking about feelings, nor did you like having them for someone. Ricky knew that, for he was the exact same.

“Okay, so that’s all it is,” Ricky concluded, putting his elbow down and laying next to you on his bed. His free arm was over his chest, his other hand being held by you. “Nothing,” he breathed, and the word sparked an idea in your head.

“Friends with benefits,” you said, making him turn his head to you. You could see the frown tugging at the sides of his lips at your proposition. “Think about it; we don’t need to be in love, nor do we have to like each other in that way.”

“But it never works,” Ricky pointed out, eyebrows furrowing.

“We’ll make it work. We’ll stay our old, stupid selves while we,” you shrugged, turning to look up at his ceiling yet again. “Y’know. Have sex without the strings,” Your head turned to look at him, his eyes still set on you while you smiled a cheeky smile. “So? Fuck buddies forever?” you asked jokingly, reaching your pinky finger out to him.

Ricky snorted, rolling his eyes at your antics. You jabbed your pinky farther his way, a small motion for him to go through with the promise. His pinky wrapped around yours, and he grinned at your beaming smile.

“No strings, no feelings?” he asked, for reassurance, and you nodded firmly.

“No strings. No feelings,” you echoed.

The grin you both shared was enough of an agreement.

You didn’t know how many hours had passed.

You pulled yourself up from the bed, stretching your arms over your head and letting out a small sigh at the immediate comfort it brought. You read the clock on the side table: 9:37 PM.

“What’re you doing?” Ricky asked groggily, head still stuffed into his pillow and hair still a bird’s. next as he not-so-subtly checked you out when you stood up.

“Your dad’s gonna be home soon.” You reached down, grabbing your shirt off the floor and slipping it over your naked body. You turned around, Ricky’s eyes quickly averting from you and staring up his ceiling. “Smooth,” you remarked with a smirk, walking past his bed and grabbing your pants and underwear.

“Usually it’s me leaving first,” Ricky commented, his voice laced with guilt. He knew you knew of the one night stands he had during parties. You knew of the girls who fell for him and how he felt the same until his fear of love and being hurt got in the way.

You knew because that was how you felt when you were leaving first.

To you, it was a repeated process of one night stands and half heartened notes left behind. You’d write it on sticky notes and stick it onto their table, always leaving a heart at the end of a message that never meant anything. They were just hastily written messages you pulled out of rom-coms that you could only wish were real.

Those one night stands were a getaway from reality, a small piece of ecstasy that left you guilty. Dates were a rarity that always ended in you smiling guiltily towards people that you believed you had a connection with as you said words that broke their hearts in two. It was harsh, and you cursed yourself for having such a fear of connecting to someone in a way that was romantic, but you couldn’t help it. 

Not after last time. Never again.

“Hey, Ri?” You didn’t look at him, focused on making yourself look as presentable as you did before you left. You looked at your wrinkled clothes in his mirror, watching him sit up in bed from his reflection. “Promise me something.”

“Anything,” Ricky responded a second too quick, looking at you through his mirror.

“We won’t ever fall in love with each other throughout this whole thing. I don’t want any other love that wasn’t already there.” Rarely did you ever have a serious tone when you spoke to Ricky. It was saved for the unholy hours of the night, when he ranted to you or when you ranted to him. You were serious, your eyes boring into his through the reflection, searching for the same firmness back.

Ricky nodded, settling back on his headboard. “I promise.”

—

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff​, @myrandom-fandomlife​, @softpeteparker​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @particularcth​, @lifes-a-party-youre-a-boy​, @paniniirae, @supersouthy​, @jointherebellion215​, @gabyer0309​, @hannarudick​, @broken-from-fandoms​, @complete-trash-101​, @ssprayberrythings​, @raven-waheda​, @timelordtardis​, @chubby-cheek-calum​, @nicole-lynne​, @loserr-likeme​, @whoseblogsthis​, @stxfxniexreads​, @cherrydolan​, @allaroundaddict​

[ricksbowen]

one more time | pt. 1

IN WHICH: y/n realizes she had a one night stand with the one person she didn’t expect.

INSPIRATION: feel good inc. — gorillaz, babylon — 5 seconds of summer

WARNING: this whole series is gonna be pretty sexual. i’m making ricky and everyone in the crew a year up, so everyone’s in their senior year and 18+. there’s also implications of sex so read with caution. there’s also underage drinking

A/N: since simply utterly is coming to an end, i’m posting a friends with benefits au cause everyone who reads my stuff probably noticed how much i love clichés

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6

You had been best friends with Ricky Bowen since the 3rd grade.

It was unconventional, the way you both met each other. Ricky had accidentally tossed a football right into your eye, and to make it up to you, he let you give him one back by punching him in the eye. You both had to see the principal that day, with your matching black eyes as the principal threatened to call your parents.

Since then, you had been inseparable. You stuck with Ricky through thick and thin; from when his parents started having problems to when Nini Salazar-Roberts broke up with him right before junior year, you were there. You were there to read lines out for High School Musical: the Musical with him. You were always there, with your window wide open and the rope ladder already hanging out for him to climb up to your room.

In the same way, he was there for you. From when the boy you had a crush on for years rejected you to when you got asked out on your first date and needed outfit advice, he was there. When your boyfriend broke up with you in the middle of junior year, he was there with movies and blankets. He had pictures of you hung up in his room, his favorite being the one from third grade. You, with the glasses that were a side too big for your face and him, with his two front teeth missing, smiling at the camera with matching black eyes.

You both knew each other’s secrets. The fears of love you both attained in your lives, the overwhelming dislike of growing up— you looked to each other for a way to escape.

Your friendship has always been that way: strong, unbreakable.

You rubbed your eyes groggily, forcing yourself up off the bed. Immediately, you noticed the lack of clothes you had and the body next to yours. Letting out a small groan, you cursed yourself for yet another guy you had to let down with a note.

That fear of love always stayed.

You shut your eyes, rubbing your temples to try and remember what had happened last night.

Ej’s college acception party. Winning beer pong with Ricky against Seb and Carlos. Drinking an alarming amount of alcohol and skinny dipping in the pool. Kissing someone hard while you pushed them up against the door.

What a party.

You stood up, making sure whoever was next to you in bed was fast asleep. His head was hidden under the blankets, and soft snores escaped his huddled form. You let out a small sigh, reaching down for the haphazardly thrown clothes around the room.

You passed an absurdly patterned red blue and white shirt as you reached for your bra, eyes lingering on the item of clothing for just a second too long.

You’ve seen that shirt before.

You shook your head to rid of your thought, ignoring the striking pain that followed from your hangover. You trudged around the room, picking up the dress you wore that night. You then found your underwear, and as you walked closer to it to reach it, your eyes landed on another piece of clothing.

A white inside shirt. To anyone else, that would’ve meant nothing. But to you, it meant something that made your heart drop.

“What are you wearing?” you laughed out the minute Ricky opened his door.

“I think it’s pretty snazzy for a college acceptance party,” Ricky grinned, giving you a twirl and letting oddly patterned shirt lift up as he did. He wore an oddly patterned button-up that was unbuttoned with a white tank top underneath and black pants.

You could hear Big Red snort next to you, and you rolled your eyes with a grin, crossing your arms over your chest.

“C’mon, lover boy, Ej’s been spamming me with texts since we’re five minutes late.”

Ricky walked up to the both of you, slinging his arms over both of your shoulders lazily. “Are we planning on getting shitfaced while we’re there?”

“What else are we supposed to do?” Big Red grinned, and you all cheered in response as you made your way to your car.

“Y/N?”

You whipped around, letting out a scream and immediately covering yourself up. Ricky slapped a hand over his eyes, yelling ‘Oh my God!’ over and over while you covered yourself with the clothes you had in your hands.

“What the fuck, Ricky?” you yelled, Ricky shaking his head rapidly and pointing blindly towards you with his free hand.

“Don’t you ‘what the fuck me!’” he fired back, his voice two octaves higher. “I don’t know what happened either!”

“You— We—“ you groaned, slipping on your underwear and looking between your underwear and Ricky’s patterned shirt. You put your bra on and slipped his shirt over your shoulders, blaming your choice on the fact that your dress would’ve taken more time.

“We fucked!” Ricky sputtered, removing his eyes and looking at you. His face bloomed red at the sight of you in nothing but his shirt and undergarments, but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

“Shut up!” you hissed, pressing a finger to your lips and looking around at the room you both were in.

This wasn’t your house or Ricky’s.

“Oh my God,” you muttered, running a hand through your hair and making your way to the door. You opened it slowly, peeking out in the hall while Ricky climbed out of bed and pulled his boxers and pants on. The smell of breakfast wafted down the hall, and you cursed under your breath as you shut the door slowly. “We never left Ej’s house.”

“Are we just ignoring the fact that we most likely had sex?” Ricky asked, head pounding with confusion as he walked over to you.

“We’re just gonna skip over that part,” you stated, glaring at him. You leaned back against the closed door, closing your eyes and trying to let the memories come back to you.

“Holy shit!”

You cheered as you made the last cup in, Seb and Carlos groaning in defeat and the crowd of people you barely knew yelling in victory around you. You pulled Ricky into a hug, his arms around your waist as he lifted you up and spun you around drunkenly.

“We are gods!” Ricky hollered, making you laugh as your arms went around his neck. His eyes lingered on you for just a second too long before he put you back down, swaying slightly as he did.

You looked at him, an unspoken agreement between both of you as the sounds of the party became white noise. Your hand reached for his, intertwining with his fingers as you pulled him away from everyone else.

You led him down the hall, ignoring the other people talking and making out as you opened a random door and pulled him inside with a laugh.

You shut the door and pressed him up against it, his hands reached down to your cheeks and bringing your lips to his. The kiss was fast, needy, and you found yourself wanting more as you tugged his button-up shirt off and he started undoing your dress.

“We can’t tell anyone about this,” you stated, opening your eyes to look at him. He was biting his lip, eyebrows furrowed as he nodded in instant agreement.

“You’re right. Besides, it meant nothing, right?” Ricky asked as if he was reassuring himself more than you.

You nodded your head rapidly, letting out a breath. “You’re right! It was just..”

“Sex,” Ricky finished, and you sighed, buttoning the middle button on his shirt as a way to cover yourself up just a bit more.

You opened the door, peeking your head out and stepping out of the room. You heard voices from the kitchen, and your heartbeat sped up when you realized you had to explain your situation to the people there. Your fingers started nervously tapping on the door, the habit immediately catching Ricky’s eye.

“Chill out— you’re tapping your fingers again,” Ricky murmured behind you, and you sent him a look before you started walking down the hall to the kitchen.

“Ah, look who’s awake!” Big Red grinned teasingly, leaning against the countertop as he ate his pancakes. Carlos was seated on the counter, his smile almost as big as Big Red’s as he ate his own pile of pancakes. There were two other plates on the countertop, ready for you and Ricky.

“Don’t,” you grumbled, sitting next to Carlos and cutting a piece of the pancake you had.

“Where’s Ej? And why are you two still here?” Ricky asked, trying to ignore Big Red’s eyes on him as he started eating his pancakes nonchalantly.

“Work or something. Honestly, I have no idea— he just had to leave in a hurry,” Big Red explained with a growing smile. “We both passed out from last night so we just slept on the couches.”

“Seb was here too. He had to leave since his mom called,” Carlos added. “Ej and Seb don’t know that you two fucked, so you’re in the clear,” Carlos spoke indifferently, as if he was talking about the weather.

“Carlos—“ you glared, making him shrug nonchalantly and shove another piece of pancake into his mouth.

“Now, don’t ignore our questions because we do deserve an explanation,” Carlos stated, pointing his fork between you and Ricky. You were staying on opposite sides of the kitchen, Ricky with Big Red and You with Carlos.

“We may have been passed out drunk last night, but you two were loud enough that we heard,” Big Red snickered, grabbing his glass of orange juice as he started making sounds that sounded similar to a bed creaking. Ricky slapped the side of his bicep, making Big Red snigger again.

“I wish we know how it happened,” you said with a slight frown.

“So, you aren’t even together?” Big Red asked.

“Nope,” Ricky replied, popping the ‘p’ as he finished his pancakes.

“That’s some cliche shit right there,” Carlos commented, making you roll your eyes. “What? I’m just saying you,” he pointed his fork to Ricky, “and you,” he pointed his fork to you, “have been best friends for how long now? And you had sex on a drunken night?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Talk about a WattPad fanfic coming to life.”

“How do you even know about what that WattPad stuff?” Big Red asked with a raised brow, Carlos hiding his smile behind his glass of water.

“Harry Styles is a beaut,” Carlos stated, making you chuckle while Big Red shook his head. “But back to the point. What’re you two gonna do now?”

Ricky shrugged, looking down at the mess of syrup on his plate as he thought. “It was just one time. It won’t happen again.”

“Yep,” you added. “We promised that it was just meaningless sex.”

“Mhm,” Carlos hummed, sharing a look with Big Red as he listened. “Are you sure?”

“A hundred percent,” you replied with a reassuring smile.

—

Ricky grabbed your thighs, wrapping it around his waist as he kissed down your neck. He pressed you up against the wall, his lips descending down your neck and leaving marks in its wake.

You let out a breathy moan, feeling him nip playfully before he pulled your shirt off and threw it somewhere in his room.

It was supposed to be a study date. You were paired up on a project, and you both only lasted an hour before you got to where you were now; making out and stripping each other against the wall.

You tugged his hair roughly, the low groan he let out hitting you in more ways that one as you pulled his shirt off and throw it behind him. You pulled him back to your lips with need, lips locking with urgency as everything went into overdrive.

“You gotta be quiet, hun,” he breathed against your neck, trying to pull his pants down while you nodded frantically. You threw your head back against the door, letting out a whimper when you felt him grind against you hard. He moaned into your neck, breath hot against your skin while you managed a smirk.

“You too, lover boy,” you groaned when you felt him buck up against you, hands gripping him as if your life depended on it. “We — shit — promised it wouldn’t happen again,” you managed between moans, feeling him move. Each thrust sent up up the wall and back down, and your legs wrapped harder around him.

“I know, but,” he bit his lip, trying to keep in the sounds that threatened to come out “Just one more time,” Ricky murmured breathlessly, kissing under your ear while you nodded.

“Yeah. One more time.”

—

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo

[ricksbowen]

simply, utterly | pt. 6

IN WHICH: the truth comes out and doubts start to appear.

INSPIRATION: 18 — one direction, july — noah cyrus

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6, pt. 7

“What?”

The break in your voice made Ricky turn away as quick as he could. If he saw how broken his words made you, he knew he’d break the act.

“I don’t feel the same—“

“I know what you said.” You spat, poison and disbelief poignant on your tongue. “I— You—“ You couldn’t even get a sentence out, the want to yell and cry too much to bear.

But why would you? You were never together in the first place.

“I thought that we had something,” you said, almost laughing at how pathetic you sounded. How could you think of such a thing? This was real life, not the movies and T.V shows about high school where everyone is happy. “Did you,” you swallowed dejectedly, “Never feel the same? Even after homecoming?” It was your last attempt, your last try for a reason for why he was acting like this.

Ricky didn’t want to answer that question. He chose to look down at his sneakers instead, and that act alone as enough of an answer.

You let out a breath, grabbing your things quickly. Ricky turned around hesitantly, the silence that followed your voice almost deafening. The only sound now was the small, angry sniffs you made and the rummaging of your backpack as you stuffed everything inside.

“Y/N,” Ricky mumbled, your name serving as a small plea for you to stop and stay with him. But with what he had said, Ricky knew it was too late.

“Don’t,” you said, forcing a tight-lipped smile. Your eyes were shiny with tears, lip quivering as if you were ready to cry at any given moment. “It’s fine. It’s nothing.” Your voice broke again. You pushed past him, reaching up to your face to angrily wipe away your tears.

You hated crying.

Ricky watched you leave hastily, moving past Big Red, who was coming into the dressing room to find Ricky. His head turned after you, a frown engraving his face that he pointed towards Ricky almost immediately.

“What happened?”

—

You slammed the car door as you climbed out of Ej’s car and walked up to your driveway.

The front door slammed loudly behind you, the yells of surprise from your parents only being white noise as you trudged up your stairs. You didn’t know how to feel.

You felt disappointed that he didn’t feel the same.

You felt angry because you thought he felt the same way.

You felt stupid that you thought that he felt the same way.

You locked your door behind you, throwing your backpack onto the floor and jumping onto your bed. You didn’t want to feel like this. You felt pathetic, wanting to cry over a guy that you had despised since kindergarten.

But you did. You sniffed into your pillow, clutching it close to your chest. Sometimes you forgot that you were still a teen. This was normal.

You were thankful the weekend was here. You didn’t want anyone to see you like this. You continued to stay in bed, getting up only to eat, use the bathroom, and shower. Other than that, you spent your time in bed, watching movies and ignoring the world.

You didn’t get up from your bed, even after Ej knocked on your door to check up on you on Saturday.

“Y/N, I know you’re in there!” Ej spoke loudly, leaning against the door and looking through his phone. “Ashlyn’s coming over today, remember?” Ej said, his voice muffled from the other side of your door.

No response. You had been blocking him out for the past 30 minutes now. You had heard your mom scold him for yelling and yet he still had the audacity to stay outside your door.

“I’m gonna make sandwiches downstairs if you want some,” Ej paused for a response. Nothing. “If you want it,” he muttered under his breath. feeling a slight sense of guilt pitting at the bottom of his stomach. But his actions were for the best— right?

You heard his footsteps become fainter and fainter as he walked away from your door. You let out a relieved sigh, turning over in your bed to reach for your phone.

8:34 PM. Ashlyn’s parents must’ve had a date or odd festival if they were dropping her off with you and Ej at this time.

You forced yourself up, running your hand through your hair.

Usually you were the one telling someone else to not dwell over a guy. Yet here you were, your mind focused on nothing but Ricky. His words seemed to echo in your head like a mantra, like a sick taunting joke.

I don’t like you in the way you like me.

You climbed out of bed, walking to your mirror and looking at yourself. You looked like a mess: mascara smudged under your eyes beyond belief and your hair a crazed mess. You rubbed under your eyes, trying to wipe away the makeup and groaning immediately when you saw that it made it worse.

Why couldn’t you stop thinking of him?

You put your face in your hands, letting out a loud groan just for the hell of it.

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” Ashlyn announced the moment Ej let her in and shut the door behind her. “I’ve been talking to Big Red—“

“Since when have you been talking to Big Red?” Ej interrupted, raising his brows.

“Not the point,” Ashlyn glared at him. Ej swore that he’d never seen her so annoyed. “I saw you homecoming night, Ej,” she crossed her arms over her chest. “You were talking to Ricky.”

“Okay, and?”

“You never talk to Ricky!” Ashlyn moved past Ej, making her way to the living room and sitting down on the sofa. She eyed Ej as he sat next to her, her suspicions growing by the second. “Big Red told me what Ricky did.”

“Oh?” That sparked his interest, making Ej sat up at the mention of Ricky. “What’d he do?”

“I know that Ricky and Y/N spent the whole homecoming night together,” she explained, ignoring Ej’s question completely. “Big Red told me. But he also told me that Ricky called him all disappointed.” She gauged his reaction, and while he put on an act of apathy, Ashlyn Caswell knew her cousin more than that. “Ricky mentioned you,” she continued, eyes never leaving Ej’s face as she observed him.

“Odd.” Ej stood up abruptly, trying to shove off the feeling of Ashlyn’s eyes burning holes in his head. “Why would he? I just came over to the car to tell Y/N to go home.”

“And she did. Pissed off and cursing at you— I was there, Ej.” Ashlyn followed him into the kitchen, feeling like a sleuth as she kept her interrogating tone to a lower level. She leaned against the countertop, watching at Ej nonchalantly took things out to make sandwiches. “What did you tell him?”

“Nothing.”

“I’ll tell Y/N if you don’t tell me.”

Ej froze, eyes widening and brain racing. If Ashlyn told you, you’d start suspecting him in a heartbeat. He couldn’t have that happen, but he couldn’t tell Ashlyn either. She’d tell you. “You wouldn’t,” he decided, returning to making his sandwich.

Ashlyn narrowed her eyes at him, annoyance and the want to know what he told Ricky growing. “Watch me,” she challenged.

A minute passed. Then two, then three. It felt like years, the only sound being Ej and his sandwiches until the silence became too much for him.

“I told him to back off. That he didn’t deserve Y/N.”

There it was. Ashlyn didn’t know what she was expecting when Ej confessed, but it certainly wasn’t that.

“What?” she forced out, Ej shaking his head to himself as he placed the plate of sandwiches on the table.

“Y/N already been through too much with him,” Ej muttered, avoiding Ashlyn’s eyes. He felt guilty, sure, but he knew it was for the best. “Don’t tell me you forgot about 5th grade—“

“5th grade was ages ago.” Ashlyn put her hands on her face, letting them slowly slide down. She had been by her cousin’s side through thick and thin, but she knew how carried away he got. He cared too deeply about things, and when you were introduced to the family, she knew how attached he got. He had always wanted a little sister.

“But it never stopped, Ash,” Ej rubbed his temples, shutting his eyes for just a moment before opening them again. “It’s bad enough that she has to play Gabriella with him as Troy. She just,” he exhaled heavily, too caught up in his own thoughts to see Ashlyn’s eyes widen at something behind him. “Deserves someone better.”

“That’s not your choice to make.”

Your voice made him jump, and he whipped around to see you, standing with your jacket thrown over your shoulders. You were planning on telling Ej that you were going out on a late-night walk; now you had more of a reason to go. You were looking at him with betrayal, almost disbelief that your own brother told someone you began to care about to back off.

“He would’ve hurt you again. It was for your own good,” Ej forced out, taking a step towards you. Immediately, you took a step back.

“It was never your choice to make,” you hissed, anger coursing through your veins as you spat your words out. Your eyes went between Ej’s guilt-ridden face and Ashlyn’s sympathetic one, and you cleared your throat to get rid of the lump that threatened to grow.

“Y/N—“

“I’m going out.” You turned away from him, blocking his words away by putting your earphones into your ears. You slammed the door behind you, walking out onto your driveway with smoke practically coming out of your ears. You looked ahead of you, anger slipping away for just a moment.

When he saw you, he began to understand what people meant when they said that ‘time stopped and everything was just her.’

You were staring back, eyes wide before you abruptly turned, making your way down your street.

“Hey— Wait!” Ricky ran back to his house, opening the door and yelling that he was going out fo his dad before shutting it and running after you.

Why? He didn’t know. He was trying to avoid you, trying to shut you out of his life for his own good, yet here he was: running up to you as you pretended to be unaware of his presence.

You gave up, pulling your earphones out and glancing at him. “What do you want?” Your voice didn’t hold the same kind of anger it did when you confronted him. You sounded tired, exhausted even.

“It’s too late for you to be walking alone,” Ricky said, breathless from catching up to you. “What happened?”

“Why do you think something happened?”

“Because you’re answering all my questions with more questions.” Ricky looked at you, seeing you purse your lips and let out an exasperated sigh. He won that round. “So?”

Your teeth caught your bottom lip and you stayed silent. The walk continued on like that: awkwardly silent.

You ended up leading him to the park, the lack of light not even making you wince as you continued down the path between the grass. Almost everyone who went to East had gone to this park when they were younger. It was the park where people started making memories with people that weren’t their family, where they began friendships that either died out or stayed strong.

“I go here when I need an escape,” you explained quietly, walking up to the playground and stepping in. You heard the little pebbles under your feet as you walked, Ricky still following you as you walked to one of the smaller, wooden playgrounds. You sat down, and Ricky did the same “It brings me comfort or something. I don’t know.” Your voice trailed off.

Ricky sat to the one next to yours, and you continued keeping your eyes on anything that wasn’t him. He was listening to you, looking ahead at the empty and dark playground that brought back memories he never remembered.

“Did you really believe everything that Ej told you?”

Ricky paused, looking at you and seeing you looking back at him with a slight frown. “What?” Did you know? How did you find out?

“I heard him.” You chuckled humorlessly, shaking your head in disbelief as you looked up at the sky. “He said you didn’t deserve me. That you’d hurt me again.”

You turned to Ricky, his eyes downcast and guilt building in his stomach. “Did you believe him?” The question rang in the air like a bell, and seconds ticked by before Ricky slowly nodded his head.

“He said that it wasn’t going to work out,” Ricky mumbled. “That I’d just leave you broken. He had a point, you know. I mean,” he ran a hand through his hair, shutting his eyes tightly before opening them again. “We’ve hated each other for all of our lives, Y/N.”

“It wasn’t his place to say whether or not we’d work out,” you retorted, turning your body to him. “I’m pissed at him. I’m mad that he intervened, that he made you think that we’d never work out when I thought that we’d be great together, and—“ you stopped your rant, turning your head away from him. “I thought we’d be great,” you repeated softly, mostly to yourself.

“We’d still be, you know,” Ricky murmured, nudging you softly with his shoulder. You didn’t look at him.

“We can’t work if you have doubts, Ricky. You said it yourself,” you let out an exhale, your breath white in the cold air. “We’ve hated each other for all our lives. I don’t know what to think anymore.”

Ricky swore his heart dropped when you uttered those words.

“Do you,” he swallowed. “Do you hate me, Y/N?”

No response. You stayed quiet, staring at the dark playground and the faint bits of moonlight that hit the pebbled ground. Each second that passed was like a year. You looked at him, offering a close-lipped smile that spoke a million words.

“I don’t think I ever did.”

—

A/N: wow my love for cliches are coming out the more i write this. thank you all for the love <3

TAGS:  @softpeteparker, @jointherebellion215, @l-tt-e, @broken-from-fandoms, @uwupxterparker, @room-3o4​, @eternaleviee​, @hobistigma​, @fangeekkk​, @wcnderwoo​, @myrandom-fandomlife​, @multifangorl​, @tomshufflepuff, @ggclarissa​, @decaffeinated-fangirl​, @religious-pizza-roll​, @rororo06​, @svelby-g​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @whoseblogsthis​, @hxney-bunches-x, @whimsical-fantasies​, @shawnnyyyboiii​, @captainlarsonn​, @herondalescecilys​, @yamisaloser​, @17ves​, @lovelydnbrough, @ceilingtittty​, @savedbystark​, @stitch-flo​, @shawnandconnor, @whoseblogsthis​

[ricksbowen]

hellooo!🤍 I love your imagines and I was wondering if u could do a fem! Reader where Ricky and the reader hate each other and then Ricky comes to her house after he found out about his mom and dad and they get in like a fight but then they make up by kissing? LMAOAO that was really confusing sorry!🖤

rooftop | r.b

IN WHICH: ricky and y/n don’t agree on a lot of things, but can agree on one thing: their family life sucks.

INSPIRATION: touch — sleeping at last, skinny love — birdy

WARNING: this has some pretty serious topics; the main one is having a parent leave and family arguments.

A/N: i kinda based this off of my own family problems since this request hit a little close to home. i hope i did your request justice babe <3

Living next to Richard ‘Ricky’ Bowen wasn’t fun. You weren’t fond of him, to out it simoly, and you never got along ever since he moved into the house next to yours when you were five.

You lived with your dad — your mom had left a a few years ago without so much as a kiss to your head and a promise that she’d come back some day.

The week she had left, Ricky had found you out on your roof, blanket over your huddled form as you looked up at the stars.

“What’re you doing, Y/N?” he asked from his room window, the usual sarcasm he had when speaking to you replaced by confusion and concern. He was looking outside his window, his head turned to you.

You wanted to talk back, you really did. You wanted to tell him to go away and to leave you alone and ignore you. But the most you could manage was a sob, for the lump in your throat became too much to bear.

Ricky ran outside, yelling up at you to help him get up to your roof. You let him in that night, not only into your house but into the problems into your life.

You sniffed, angrily rubbing off the tears from your eyes as you sat next to the one boy you couldn’t stand. “She’s been gone for 6 days now,” you mumbled, voice hoarse as you looked up at the night sky. “She said she was gonna go visit my grandma. She doesn’t know where she is.” Your voice broke, walls crashing down into dust as another sob left your chest.

Wordlessly, Ricky moved closer to you, allowing you to put your head on his shoulder and cry.

It was a repeated process after that. In public, you’d both pretend nothing ever happened. You’d pick fights and arguments with each other, when in reality you both relied on each other when the night came around.

It took a while for you and your dad to move on. Your dad threw himself into work in order to forget, and you became a recluse that barely spoke to anyone besides a handful of people. But as you began to move on, the second half of your relationship with Ricky vanished. You stayed out of his business, and him out of yours.

The part that stayed was the disliking you had with each other. The witty remarks and arguments in class never stopped and only grew as the years went on. You never spoke to each other in any other way that wasn’t condescending.

The knock you received on your door terrified you.

It was 3 AM and you were up ( naturally ). Your dad had worked the night shift, and you were home alone with your three year old German Shepherd; a gift from your dad after your mom left.

With your dog hot on your heels and a metal bat in your hand, you crept down the stairs. You raised the bat with one hand, motioning for your dog to sit before you looked through the peephole in your door.

Ricky Bowen, covered in a blanket and looking down at his sandals, was on your front doorstep.

You let out a small sigh of relief, leaning your bat against the wall and opening the door. You opened your mouth, about to jump to conclusions about what he was doing at your door, until your gaze softened.

His eyes were puffy and red, and he was hiccuping. He had been crying.

“Come inside,” you said, opening the door wider and shutting it behind him.

You opened the lights, leading him to your kitchen and occasionally looking back at him. You wanted to ask him so many questions, but you bit your tongue as you quietly prepared a mug of hot chocolate. Ricky could explain in his own time.

“My mom’s been in Chicago for two weeks now.”

You paused for just a second before continuing to stir the mug, allowing him to speak.

“We got the call today,” Ricky swallowed, tears blurring his vision as he looked down at the grey blanket he wrapped himself in. “She met someone new.” A few tears dripped from his face, and he gulped down the lump in his throat again.

Silently, you walked back to him and placed the mug in front of him, sitting down next to him. He took the mug gratefully, raising it up to his lips and taking a sip.

“How long has this been going on?” you asked, eyes set on him. You haven’t spoken to Mike or Lynne Bowen since you were six, when you rang Ricky’s doorbell to tell to give your toy back. You didn’t even know his parents had problems until now.

“A while.” Ricky avoided your gaze, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I thought it was gonna pass,” he whispered with a sniff. “But it got so much worse.”

You scooted closer to him, bringing him into your arms and letting him cry quietly into your shoulder. He murmured little nothings under his breath, something along the lines of, ‘I don’t know what to do anymore,’ that made your heart break.

You nodded to yourself, feeling strong sense of déjà vu as you thought of his situation. You pulled away gently, his hand reaching up to wipe the tears from his face. “We can talk upstairs if you want,” you offered with a close lipped smile.

You both made your way up the stairs to your room, and you opened the door for him to enter first. It was different from when he last saw it. Photos adorned your wall, paired with paintings and random doodles. Glowing stars were glued to the ceiling, and the same blanket that Ricky had comforted you in a few years ago hung over your chair. But his eyes stayed on one photo on your wall.

Last time he saw it, your mom was in the picture. She was holding 4 year old you, while you smiled crazily at the camera in a bucket hat and sunglasses that were too big for your face. You tore her out of the picture— literally. Rips adorned one side of the picture.

“I did it while I was mad at her,” you explained, eyeing him as he stared at the photo. “I did it with all the photos I had of her. I thought,” you sighed, sitting on your bed. “that she didn’t love me. And maybe she didn’t.”

Ricky pursed his lips, eyes downcast as he thought. He hadn’t heard from you and how your home life was going in a while. In a way, he was worried that it had gotten worse.

Ricky missed helping you through your problems.

You wanted to pay him back for it.

“I know,” you exhaled. “I know you don’t want to talk to her about it. But Ricky, if she’s still talking to you, you need to talk to her.”

“You didn’t talk to your mom.”

“My mom didn’t want anything to do with me.” You turned your body to him, making him look up. You were looking at him intensely, seriousness the only thing in your eyes. “If she cares enough to even tell you where she is then you need to talk to her.”

“Y/N, she left me.” Ricky’s brows furrowed, his spitting his words out as if they were poison on his tongue. “She, She left my dad and I here like we were nothing and met someone new—“

“Pushing her out of your life isn’t going to help.”

“She pushed me out of hers,” Ricky snapped, emotions running wild and eyes glassy with tears. “It’s only been two weeks and she already has a new boyfriend. It’s not fair how she can just move on like she didn’t just leave my dad and I here.” His voice broke, and without a word you pulled him to you. Sobs wracked his body, mumbled of, ‘it isn’t fair,’ escaping his lips as you hugged him tight.

Your hands ran through his hair, the action soothing him as he cried against you. You pulled away from him, taking his face into your hands and wiping away the tears gently.

“You’ll get through this,” you stated, voice firm as you offered a reassuring smile that made Ricky’s heart skip a beat.

“How’re you so sure?” he asked quietly with a sniff, feeling your thumbs skim over his skin and practically moving into them.

“I just know, Ricky.”

His eyes darted from your lips to your eyes, and when he looked into your eyes he saw you were doing the same. Gently, he placed his lips onto yours.

He tasted like hot chocolate and cinnamon. You tasted like mint and the cold. Ricky’s eyes shut, his lips moving slowly against yours and more tears falling down his face.

Wave upon wave of emotions were crashing over him, and you were the only raft he could cling onto.

You pulled your lips away from his, leaning up to kiss him gently on the forehead. Ricky laid his head on your neck, your hands combing through his hair and bringing him a moment of peace that he needed.

“You’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

—

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo

[ricksbowen]

simply, utterly | pt. 5

IN WHICH: ej talks to ricky and ricky makes a decision he knows he’ll regret.

INSPIRATION: 18 — one direction, i love you — billie eilish

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6, pt. 7

“Ricky, stop laughing!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” He giggled out, teeth biting down on his bottom lip as you both walked into the gas station.

It was your idea. Only an idea as sudden and spontaneous as walking into a gas station in fully formal dance clothes to get tons of food could only come from you.

“Just act natural,” you hissed, hooking his arm around yours and sending a charming smile to the woman behind the counter.

“People are staring.”

“Let them,” you said, quoting his words as you gave him a cheeky smile. You saw the hesitancy on his face, and you bumped your hip against his. “Too chicken, Richard?” you mocked, your voice different from how you’d usually tease him. You were more lighthearted, and your words were paired with a smile that made Ricky’s heart beat a bit faster than he liked.

“No.”

“Then you get the slushies, I get the snacks.” Your arm untangled itself from his as you made your way to one of the many rows of chips.

You left the gas station with a huge bag full of chips and one blue slushie and one red one. The both of you were laughing, joking around about the faces of the people in the gas station, and that same energy was kept as you got into Ricky’s car. The car ride home was chaotic, with you tossing Goldfish into Ricky’s mouth as he drove ( dangerous, but fun ) and blasted music.

“If you make us crash, Bowen—“ you yelled, yelping when he purposely pressed down on the gas just to scare you. You sent him a glare, one that made him laugh while you punched his bicep. “You dick!” you said, unable to keep the grin from your face as he laughed harder.

He pulled up in front of his house, turning his head to catch a Goldfish that you tossed at him ( which you thought he wouldn’t have been able to catch ). You let out a cheer as his arms went up in victory.

You leaned back in the seat of his car, a smile ghosting over your lips as you looked up at the roof of the car. Comfortable silence surrounded the both of you, your chest heaving with the adrenaline of the night.

“He didn’t deserve you, you know,” Ricky said softly, eyes darting to look at you for just a second. “He’s stupid, and— and, he a complete and utter dick that didn’t deserve your time.” You turned your body to look at him, and Ricky continued his rant as the anger he felt towards Harrison came back. “You deserve someone who you can bring to all your adventures. Someone that’ll smile when you give them nicknames or ruffle their hair, or—“

“Someone like you.” You interrupted him, his head turning to you and a blush blooming onto his cheeks at your words. He felt like he was on cloud nine. “Thank you for tonight.”

The shyest smile lifted his lips, and you felt your heart skip a beat when he reached out to take your cheek. Slowly, he leaned closer to you, and you to him.

You could feel his breath fanning over your lips, and your eyes shut—

Knocking. Someone was knocking on the car window.

It pulled you both apart, blushed on your faces as you turned to your window. Your face fell when you saw who was outside.

You rolled your window down. “Ej? What the hell?” you asked, unsure whether to feel surprised or angry at him. He was still in his fancy suit, but his hair was a mess and his face was void of any emotion.

“Go inside, Y/N,” Ej stated, words cold and curt, shocking even you.

“Why?” you asked, words cautious and unsure. You felt Ricky take your hand, giving it a small squeeze as if he was reassuring you silently.

“Just do it,” Ej said sternly. You gave Ricky a look as if wordlessly telling him, ‘If he tries something, tell me.’ Your hand left his, reaching for one of the unopened bags of chips ( of course ) and you opened the car door, giving Ej a glare.

“What’s up with you? Why’re you acting like such a dick?” You spat, words coming out before you could stop them. Ej didn’t say anything, only pointing to your house with one quick jab that made you scoff in disbelief. “Unbelievable,” you muttered angrily to yourself, reluctantly walking to your house.

Ej watched you, making sure you shut the door behind you before he leaned back down to the window of Ricky’s car.

“Look, all I did was take her to go get some food at a gas station and take her home,” Ricky explained patiently, hoping that whatever Ej was thinking of him would just go away.

Ej had never been fond of him. Ever since he heard about Ricky from Y/N when she came home from her first day in kindergarten. He had been hurting Y/N since they met, even going as far as to make fun of her in the 5th grade for being adopted.

“Stay away from her,” Ej stated, bitterness evident in his words. He was serious — he had never been more serious in his life in what he was doing — staring down Ricky with a strict look.

“What?” Ricky sat up, raising a brow at him. “Ej, you can’t be serious—“

“Don’t play dumb,” Ej rolled his eyes, “Listen. Do you actually like her or are you just not over Nini?”

“What’s up with you?” Ricky implored, motioning to Ej out of irritation.

“I’m trying to protect my sister from someone who could hurt her,” Ej retorted, practically scowling.

Ricky blinked. Ej was talking about him.

“You’ve both hated each other since the day you two met,” Ej continued, looking away as he shook his head to himself. “You and I both know it’s not gonna work out. So if you care about her,” he glanced at Ricky with a pointed look, “Leave her alone. It’s the best for both of you.”

Ej stood up straight, not even waiting for Ricky’s response before he walked back to his house.

Ricky hit his head on the horn of his car, letting it let out a loud beep while he groaned.

This time, it was his turn to ignore you.

Ej’s words hit him harder than he wanted to admit. He had stayed up that night, doing nothing but staring up at his ceiling and thinking of the right decision. Your happiness meant the world to him.

Ej had a point— he had been hurting you since you met him.

He never had the chance to say sorry to you for what he said as a 5th grader. You always did say you got him back for what he said, but he knew that it hurt you. He hurt you.

What if his old ways came back? Even thinking of doing that to you threw him into a pit of guilt, but Ej was right.

You deserved more.

Ignoring you was hard. You went out of your way on Monday to try and talk to him — something you had never done before — and it pained Ricky when he chose to walk away before you could get closer. You’d see him in the halls, offering him a small smile and a hesitant wave that immediately dropped when he paid no mind to you.

Rehearsals were even worse.

You didn’t need him. You needed someone better than him, someone that you could meet on the first day and actually take a liking to. He kept that on his mind as he said his script, keeping enough emotion to match the scene but hiding his apathy behind the façade.

He’d see you during breaks. You were watching him, trying to read him as if you were Joe finding someone new to fall for. But Ricky was good at hiding his emotions and keeping his words to himself.

You? Not so much.

It had gone on for three days before you confronted him. It was the end of rehearsals, and almost everyone had already left. You tapped him on the shoulder while he was picking up his things.

“Hey,” you greeted, forcing a tight-lipped smile onto your face as you watched him stand up. “Are, uh, you okay? You’ve been kinda distant lately.”

You were taking it easy on him. In any other circumstance, you would’ve confronted him in a way that would’ve made anyone try and run off. But your words were soft, laced with concern that Ricky felt guilty for.

“I know,” Ricky mumbled, avoiding your gaze as he stood in front of you.

“Is, um,” you stuttered hesitantly. “Is everything okay?”

“Sure,” Ricky replied curtly, already moving by you to walk away. “I gotta head home—“

“I wanted to ask if you were free on Friday,” you blurted, fingers picking at your sweatshirt. “If it’s like, stress or whatever, we can go out. See a movie or something.”

Ricky stopped in his tracks, turning back to you. The façade he had been keeping up for the week dropping at your words. “Like a date?” He almost sounded hopeful, and that made your smile widen.

“Yeah. Like a date.”

Ricky knew what he had to do. You deserved more than him. He had been hurting you since he had met you. He looked into your eyes, forcing out the sentence from his throat.

“I don’t like you in the way you like me.”

—

TAGS:  @softpeteparker, @jointherebellion215, @l-tt-e, @broken-from-fandoms, @uwupxterparker, @room-3o4​, @eternaleviee​, @hobistigma​, @fangeekkk​, @wcnderwoo​, @myrandom-fandomlife​, @multifangorl​, @tomshufflepuff, @ggclarissa​, @decaffeinated-fangirl​, @religious-pizza-roll​, @rororo06​, @svelby-g​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @whoseblogsthis​, @hxney-bunches-x, @whimsical-fantasies​, @shawnnyyyboiii​, @captainlarsonn​, @herondalescecilys​, @yamisaloser​, @17ves​, @lovelydnbrough​

[ricksbowen]

Could you write an imagine where Ricky and y/n “hate each other” but actually have feelings for each other and it comes out because at a cast party they’re playing truth or dare or 7 minutes in heaven or something? Sorry if that’s confusing 😂

few more minutes | r.b

IN WHICH: ricky and y/n’s minutes in heaven needs a bit more than seven minutes.

INSPIRATION: feel good inc. — gorillaz

WARNING: this is pretty heated and there’s underage drinking.

A/N: trust me babe, your request wasn’t annoying at all <3 also, idk if i’m even allowed to write smut for ricky so i just wrote a make-out scene.

“Truth or dare? What are we, 12?”

“Apparently,” you heard Gina hum from beside you, leaning back on her elbows as she eyed the others situate themselves in a circle.

“It’ll be fun! Promise,” Carlos encouraged, clapping his hands excitedly as he placed an empty beer bottle in the middle of the circle.

“Yeah, stop being so pessimistic, bubbles,” Ricky remarked from across you, the scowl that appeared on your face enough to make him grin.

It was both your’s and Ricky’s fault why the whole cast was together on a Saturday night with alcohol, karaoke, and movies.

Miss Jenn’s suggestion of ‘hanging out to get to know each other better’ didn’t go as innocent as she might’ve thought. You were the designer for all of the sets, for Miss Jenn had found you walking out of detention for spray painting a mural in one of East High’s many empty staircases.

She made you her artist, as long as you promised her to never vandalize the school again — and you made that promise.

Already, you were known as a trouble maker. You didn’t fit in with any of the ‘theatre nerds’ ( a name you gave them before you fully knew them ) at first, but you all got along.

The only person that was never fond of you was Ricky Bowen.

You had met him due to your job in the play, and it was obvious since the beginning that you both couldn’t stand each other. You went out of your way to piss him off, whether it was by saying little remarks or giving him stupidly lovey-dovey nicknames that made him flush red. Whether it was with anger or surprise, you didn’t know, but he did the same thing to you. His favorite nickname for you was ‘bubbles,’ for he had caught you getting sidetracked from painting by blowing bubbles.

“Carlos, hurry and spin it before Y/N and Ricky start making out,” Ej commented with a laugh, his arm around Nini as she smiled at his joke from behind her red solo cup.

“Fuck off,” you groaned, the group erupting in laughs at your words. They always teased you and Ricky about the sexual tension that was almost suffocating at this point.

“Okay, I’m spinning!” Carlos announced, reaching towards the bottle and spinning it with one flick.

In a span of twenty minutes, Carlos had given you a lap dance, Ej’s hair was tied into little buns on top of his head, Big Red had done a handstand for five minutes straight, Ricky had to kiss Ej for specifically 23 seconds, and you had pulled your bra out from under your shirt and put it back on in a quick move. You were all giggly at this point, just a group of teens laughing at each other as they drank.

Big Red grinned as his spin landed on you— he had something up his sleeve. “Y/N!” Big Red sing-songed, making you roll your eyes with a smile. “Your turn! Truth or dare?” he asked dramatically, leaning back and nearly falling over as he did.

“Better give me something good, Redonovich.” You smirked, bringing the beer bottle back up to your lips and taking a swig. “Give me a dare, Reddie.”

Seb clapped excitedly, motioning for Big Red to move closer to him. “Oh my God! Big Red—“ His words were cut off as he whispered into Big Red’s ear, everyone else leaning in to try and listen. Seb moved away from Big Red, a crazy grin on his face that Big Red matched.

Clearing his throat dramatically ( he was a dramatic drunk ), Big Red pointed between you and Ricky, who had been quiet ever since you pulled the bra trick in front of him. “You and Ricky. Seven minutes in heaven in Ej’s room.”

“Wait— What?” Ej protested, Gina shushing him. Even she couldn’t help the growing smile on her face.

“Are you serious?” you asked with a laugh, looking at Big Red to see if there was a hint of teasing or joking in his face. Nothing; he was dead serious.

“Are you chickening out, Y/N?” Ricky snarked, making you glare at him as you cocked a brow.

Gina nudged you gently. “If you don’t wanna do it, we’re not forcing you.”

You looked at her for a moment, muttering a small, ‘fuck it,’ under you breath before nodding. You had nothing to lose, and life was too short.

Cheers of agreement rang through the group as you stood up, walking up to Ricky and offering a hand. He took it with an annoyed sigh, and you tightened your grip on his hand as a way to tell him, ‘stop being a dick.’

The both of you walked to Ej’s room, grumbles of, ‘This is stupid,’ and ‘If you breathe near me, I swear,’ being shared between you both. The group followed you, Ej’s strict rules of, ‘Don’t do anything on my bed or I swear—“

“Seven minutes in the room, babes! Unless you need more later,” Carlos said with a laugh, leaning against Ej’s door as you both stepped in.

“Don’t forget to pull out!” Was the last thing you heard before they closed the door on you, their laughs and remarks muffled by the door.

“This is bullshit.” You sat next to the door, legs criss-crossed as you ran a hand through your hair.

“You’re telling me. I’d rather be with anyone other than,” Ricky scrunched his nose for extra effect, “you.” He sat on Ej’s bed, letting himself fall back onto the neatly made bed.

“Holy shit,” you laughed humorlessly to yourself, standing up and walking closer to him. “Why do you hate me so much? I haven’t done shit to you!”

“Says you!” Ricky used his elbows to prop himself up, glaring at you as he did. “Ever since the day we met, you’ve been on my ass for every little thing! It’s just, ‘Wow Ricky, sing better!’ or ‘Holy shit, your dance moves suck!’”

“You’re not any better! How many times have you purposely scared me while I was painting so that I could mess up? Or those stupid little nicknames you gave me— what’s up with that?” you questioned, watching as he stood up from the bed with a scowl.

“Shut up.”

“Or what?” you challenged, chest touching his as you looked at him. Your eyebrow cocked up, a mocking smirk on your mouth “Aw, did I strike a—“

Ricky pressed his mouth to yours, his hands holding the sides of your face. You kissed back with the same amount of fervor, lips moving quick against his as all the sexual frustration you had towards him was let out. You moved closer, leading him backwards until he fell back onto the bed.

Ricky’s chest heaved, and you straddled him with a triumphant smile. You leaned back down, kissing him gently ( which totally caught him off guard ) before trailing kisses down his neck and leaving marks.

“Never thought you’d be the dominant type.”

“Shut up, Ricky.”

Ricky let out a breathless laugh that immediately stopped when he felt you grind down, his teeth catching his bottom lip to stop the moan that threatened to escape.

“What— cat got your tongue?” you remarked, moving down harder against him to try and get a reaction out, to no avail. He was keeping his noises back, trying to avoid giving you the satisfaction of hearing him.

So that was the game he wanted to play.

Before you could continue to be on top, you felt him pull you down, switching the positions in an instant as he hovered over you. His lips met yours once again, and you tugged at the bottom of his shirt to remove it. The clothing was soon thrown somewhere in the room, long forgotten and quickly joined by your own shirt.

Ricky swore he forgot to breathe when he saw you toss your shirt over your shoulder.

“Ricky?” you asked, suddenly nervous as you looked up at him. He shook his head, pressing his lips to yours quickly.

��You’re so beautiful.”

Your cheeks bloomed red, making Ricky grin sheepishly as he brought your lips back up to his. Ricky’s lips trailed down, down, down, leaving a mark right above your breast and listening to the panting moan you let out before he moved back up to your face.

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” he asked softly.

“Never been more sure,” you replied, looking him in the eyes before kissing him again.

Your hands reached down to his jeans, the need taking over the both of you as you tried to get his clothes off. You giggled softly when he cursed his jeans, his hands reaching down to try and pull them off of him until—

“Do you guys need extra minutes?”

Big Red’s voice broke you both apart for just a second, chests heaving and breaths fanning over each other as Ricky gave you a wide-eyed look.

“Give us like, an hour!” you replied, hearing Ricky snort and try not to let out a laugh. From behind the door, you heard the groans of your cast.

“Pay up, Seb,” said Gina’s voice, victory evident in her voice. “I told you that they were gonna need more time.”

“I can’t believe they’re gonna have sex on my bed,” followed Ej’s voice.

“I’m gonna need new sheets.”

—

TAGS: @tomshufflepuff, @myrandom-fandomlife, @softpeteparker, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo

[ricksbowen]

simply, utterly | pt. 4

IN WHICH: ricky makes your homecoming a whole lot better than you’d like to admit.

INSPIRATION: fair-weather friend — bruno major, prom queen — catie turner

A/N: i really suggest listening to fair-weather friend while reading this. i’m casting harrison osterfield as the harrison in my story because i love him, thanks

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6, pt. 7

“So that’s it?”

“Apparently,” Ricky groaned, hugging his pillow as he explained his situation to Big Red for what felt like the 5th time. He had explained everything, from the moment the both of you shared while singing to your words after both of you kissed. The redhead’s brows were furrowed in thought and his eyes were staring into blank space. He was thinking; that was never good. “Big Red?”

Big Red shushed him, murmuring, “I’m thinking.” A few more seconds of silence followed until the trance Big Red was in broke. “Yeah, I got nothing. You’re fucked, man.”

“I know!” Ricky stuffed his face into his pillow, letting out a muffled scream while Big Red patted his back. “Why do I like her?”

“That’s what I was thinking about. I thought you hated her, Ricky.”

“I thought so too!” Ricky yelled, his voice quieted by the pillow in his face. Big Red patted his back sympathetically, shaking his head to himself until an idea popped into his head. Immediately, he started hitting Ricky, a smile growing on his face while Ricky only winced at his hits.

“Hey— Red!” Ricky groaned, rubbing the area where Big Red hit him while Big Red ignored his complaints.

“Dude. Homecoming is coming up,” Big red exclaimed, eyes looking at Ricky expectedly. He expected a reaction to come out of him, a sudden realization at what Big Red was trying to imply, only to find nothing.

“Okay. So what?”

“So, you idiot,” Big Red drawled out, rolling his eyes at how oblivious Ricky could be. Did he really have to explain his genius plan? “You take her! Ask her out!” The encouraging grin on his face grew with each word he spoke.

“You’re aware that she wants nothing to do with me,” Ricky deadpanned, raising a brow at Big Red.

Big Red waved his worries away with his hand, blowing a small raspberry as he did. “Just ask her out! What do you have to lose?” Big Red asked, raising his eyebrows at Ricky as if he was challenging him to answer. Ricky already had an answer.

“My dignity.”

—

“Hey, Y/N.”

You turned to look over your locker, the cold look you had kept on throughout that day softening at the sight of Harrison, one of your classmates. You had him in your chemistry class in your sophomore year, when he nearly blew up your lab station because he added too much of one chemical. While Harrison began freaking out, you were practically crying from laughing— who would’ve thought that one of the jocks would react so badly?

“Sorry— I thought you were someone else,” you said apologetically, turning back to the things in your locker. Ever since the day you and Ricky made out, you had been avoiding him like the plague. While you usually went out of your way to mess up his hair or make fun of him, you found yourself making various turns in the halls just to try and avoid Ricky. You saw him try and reach you every time he saw you, yet you always got away.

You didn’t want to speak about feelings— especially when it came to Ricky. In a way, it terrified you to think of him in that way despite your want to think of him as anything other than an enemy. But you didn’t want to make things complicated; the deal was to return to your normal relationship after the musical. Nothing more, nothing less.

Life had been getting in your way too. Ej’s break up with Nini was unexpected, to say the least, and you found yourself sneaking into his room at night to comfort him and allow him to rant to you ( while you subtly called him stupid since you were the more honest sibling ). You had to be there for him.

You looked at Harrison from the corner of your eye, seeing the evident nerves that were coursing through his veins. Grabbing your things and slamming your locker shut, you looked at the boy up and down before speaking. “You’re nervous,” you stated blatantly, watching his eyes widen at your honesty. “What happened?”

“I wanted to ask you a question,” Harrison said, shoving his hands in the pockets of his ( cliche ) letterman jacket.

From across the hall, Big Red patted Ricky on the back and shook him gently. “All you gotta do is ask her to homecoming. It’s simple, alright?” Big Red clapped him on the shoulder, trying to get him hyped up and less nervous. “Nothing to lose other than your dignity, buddy. I believe in you.”

“I can’t go right now,” Ricky protested, turning his head to look at Big Red. “She’s talking to someone— Is that Harrison Dupont?”

“The dude that looked like he fell out of a bad high school movie? The blonde one?” Big Red squinted at you and Adrien, eyebrows raising when he saw you nod and smile brightly at the jock. “Since when did she know him? I swear he’s always reminded me of Harry Osborn,” Big Red muttered to himself, watching as you laughed at a joke ( that probably wasn’t funny— Ricky was funnier ) he told you. You then leaned up on your tip-toes and kissed the blonde on the cheek, a subtle smirk making its way onto your lips. “Oh, shit.”

Hopefully Ricky didn’t see that.

Ricky definitely did.

He felt his heart sink when he saw the action, any small chance he had with you going down to the negatives as his shoulders slumped. Of course, you were serious about what you said after you kissed— you had always been the no-bullshit type. But some childish part of Ricky thought that you were joking, that you realized that you wanted him in the same way he wanted you.

He had to stop watching so many rom-coms.

“It’s okay, man,” Big Red mumbled, patting Ricky’s shoulder while Ricky nodded his head.

“You know what? You’re right. It’s fine,” Ricky said, as if he was convincing himself that it was okay when it reality it wasn’t. How could he think that he even had any chance with you? “I’ll just bring you to homecoming. It is your first dance.” Ricky forced a grin, bumping Big Red gently and ignoring the protests he tried to utter.

You had been enemies from the start— he shouldn’t be feeling like this. Might as well take his mind off of you.

—

“You’re going with Gina? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Says the person who said that she’s going with Harrison Dupont,” Ej deadpanned, fixing his tie in the mirror. He stood next to where you sat, your makeup strewn all over your table as you tried to put your makeup on. “You know that he’s a total di—“

His words were interrupted by Ashlyn, who was supposed to help you with your makeup ( until she gave up ). “Isn’t he that one jock? The guy that’s kinda like Harry Osborn?” Ashlyn asked from your bed, not looking up from her phone as she tried to find your homecoming date on Instagram. It only took her a few minutes, and for his page was the first that popped up. “No way do you know him,” she stated, glancing at you with raised brows.

“Is it really that hard to believe?” you asked, turning to look between Ashlyn and Ej. Both of them gave you nods in response, making you groan and turn back to your mirror.

Your hair was held up with a few white clips, a simple hairstyle that fit your dress: a rose red, a-line, spaghetti strapped dress that went above your knees. Your make up was simple, yet pulled your whole look together with rose red lipstick. Frankly, you thought you looked hot ( and you did ).

“All we’re saying is that it’s a surprise. You can barely exist next to most of the guys on my team without telling them to ‘fuck off.’” Ej gave you a pointed look through the mirror, his face softening when the sudden realization that you were growing hitting him at that moment. He felt like such an older brother as he watched you get yourself ready; you grew up so fast.

“You’re not one to talk; you’re going with Gina!” Ashlyn said, giving Ej a look. “Since when did that happen?”

“Just— Outta nowhere,” Ej mumbled, avoiding Ashlyn’s eyes as he looked at himself in the mirror. He had to be hiding something - he was avoiding the questions you and Ashlyn were throwing at him. “Can you do my tie? It’s just,” Ej sighed, his tie coming loose in his hands as he tried to fix it. “Not working.”

You tutted him teasingly, standing up to fix his tie. “East High’s own senior class treasurer can’t even tie a tie,” you tsked, grinning at him and laughing when he rolled his eyes. “I’ll add that onto the list of things I know that you don’t.”

“Must be a short list.”

“Oh, fuck off,” you laughed, Ashlyn and Ej letting out their own laughs at your words. You walked to your window, picking up the purse you planned to bring ( you really had nothing in it other than chapstick and mints ). Your eyes trailed up to the view from your window, immediately landing on Ricky’s dark window. Maybe he wasn’t going to homecoming. You didn’t know whether you felt relieved or disappointed.

But it didn’t matter. You weren’t going to homecoming with Ricky.

—

Ricky saw you walk in.

You were behind Gina Porter and your brother, and while you were usually the epitome of bluntness and independence, you almost looked shy walking into homecoming. Your eyes were searching for someone — Harrison, most likely — but instead of finding the tall jock, your eyes met his.

Of course, he had to sit at a table close to the entrance.

You played it off, rose-colored lips tilting up into a smirk that Ricky didn’t respond to. He was gaping at you, not-so-subtly admiring you to the point where Big Red nudged him.

“You’re drooling,” Big Red muttered, a teasing tone behind his voice while Ricky quickly averted his eyes from you. He saw you walk away from the corner of his eye, the breath he didn’t know he was holding escaping him. Ricky put his head in his hands, trying not to let out a yell. 

“She’s trying to kill me, I swear.”

The night went on. You sat alone, eyes on your phone as you tried to ignore the nagging feeling in your stomach.

“You too?” The familiar voice made you look up from your phone, a tight-lipped smile appearing on your face at the sight of an obviously heartbroken Carlos. You knew how he was feeling.

“Yeah. Where’s Seb?” you asked, watching as Carlos shrugged and picked at his nails. You knew they were going to homecoming together ( you called it from the start ), but seeing Carlos without Seb was odd. Seb wouldn’t stand up Carlos, would he?

“Not sure. I texted and called him.” Carlos sighed, the hurt evident in his face. He leaned forward in his chair, shifting his attention onto you. “How about you, Y/N? I can’t really imagine anyone wanting to stand you up.”

“Harrison Dupont,” you grumbled, listening to Carlos suck in a breath. Now you know why people reacted that way when you told them your date. Your eyes looked back at the entrance for what seemed like the hundredth time, the little amount of hope you had that Harrison would show up replaced with hope for someone else. “Carlos,” you said, a smile on your face as you nodded at Seb, standing at the entrance.

Without a word, Carlos stood up from his spot, walking to Seb and exchanging a few heartfelt words with him. You saw a smile creep up onto Carlos’ face, and you sighed in relief when they made their way to the dance floor ( of course ).

You wanted what they had, but Harrison wasn’t here. You continued to watch the crowd, a chuckle rumbling in your chest at Ricky and Big Red’s slow dancing and a hint of a smile tugging at the side of your lips at the sight of Ej and Gina dancing. But as your eyes wandered, it led you to an image that you didn’t want to see.

Harrison Dupont kissing another girl, his arms wrapped around her as they danced to the music.

You wanted to throw up.

You listened to the song end, sending a quick text to Ej about walking home as you grabbed your purse. You stood up from your chair, ignoring the stupid lump forming in your throat as you made your way to the entrance as quickly as you could.

“See? I told you it wasn’t that bad. The next dance you need to go to—“

“Ricky.” Big Red interrupted him, nodding in your direction as you made your way outside. He had just finished slow dancing with Ricky, ignoring the stares from the others around them. Ricky had nearly made him fall over his own feet while they danced, and Big Red almost body-slammed him into 5 couples when he twirled him. They were a mess, but it was fun.

Ricky shook his head stubbornly, shoving off the want to go follow you as he looked at Big Red. “No. I promised you a good time—“

“And you gave me one. Check up on her, man, I’ll be fine.” Big Red smiled encouragingly, motioning with his hands towards the direction you had gone.

With a grin that screamed, ‘thank you,’ Ricky ran out, head turning to look for you.

He didn’t find you until he saw you on one of the courtyard benches. Hanging lights were wrapped around the few trees, yet no one was around to see just how pretty it was. But you were there, head in your hands as you tried to get the image of your date and another girl out of your mind. You were shaking, and it didn’t take much to know that you were crying.

You never cried.

You were either going to punch him or say a comment to dodge his questions.

You felt someone sit next to you, and you immediately wiped the tears from your cheeks as you looked at who was sitting next to you. There he was: Ricky Bowen, pretending it was a coincidence that he found you outside and sat next to you on the same bench.

You sniffed. “If you’re here to throw me a pity party,” you said, voice hoarse from your crying. “Just go back inside.” Your voice cracked at the end of your sentence, more tears rolling down your face. You avoided looking at him, your eyes set on the concrete ground.

“I just thought you needed some company,” Ricky replied, listening to you scoff.

“I don’t need company. Especially from you,” you grumbled, wiping underneath your eyes and sniffing. You didn’t want him to see you like this; the oh-so-strong Caswell sibling, crying over a jock as if she had fallen out of a high school movie.

Ricky ignored the hurt your words brought him, simply choosing to nod his head. “You don’t have to talk to me,” he offered, looking up at the hanging lights. “We can just.. sit here. You can cry, I can just look at the lights.”

You raised your head from your hands, placing your chin on the palms of your hands as you let out heavy breaths. Silence followed Ricky’s words, the only sound being your sniffles and the faint bass from the dance.

“He was with someone else. He was kissing and dancing with her,” you spat, spite and hurt hidden deep within your words.

The sudden want to confess everything that had happened to him was too strong, your emotions controlling you as you stared blankly ahead of you. “I should’ve expected it,” you wiped the mascara from under your eyes. You chuckled humorlessly to yourself, shaking your head. “You probably think I’m stupid.”

“There’s nothing stupid in believing in someone,” Ricky murmured in response.

“I thought for sure that you’d come out here to make fun of me,” you murmured. “Especially since.. you know..” you trailed off, hoping that he knew that you were talking about the kiss the both of you shared.

“I don’t hate you as much as you think I do, Y/N,” Ricky said softly, his tone sincere as he looked at you. Your eyes were downcast, a useless way of avoiding his eyes like the plague. You felt guilty for pushing him out, for being too caught up in thinking about what you felt that you didn’t think about what you were doing to him. A small part of you wanted to go back to how they once were: arguing in classes and pissing each other off.

A huge part of you wanted to have your hands intertwined with his.

You looked at him with eyes glassy with tears, the faintest of smiles on your face. You had to have looked like a mess with your messy makeup and smudged mascara. But to Ricky, he had never seen you look so pretty.

“Do you want to dance?” Ricky asked, the idea leaving his mouth before he could catch it. He gauged your reaction, watching as you cocked a brow at him as if to silently ask, ‘are you serious?’ “It’s homecoming,” Ricky explained blatantly, shrugging his shoulders. “You deserve to have at least one dance.”

“What if someone sees us?” you asked hesitantly, watching Ricky stand up and take out his phone. He scrolled for a few seconds before choosing a song. ‘Fair-Weather Friend’ by Bruno Major began to play, and he offered his hand out to you.

“Then let them,” he said, and a smile lit up your face at his response. You took his hand, standing up and placing your arms around his neck.

You felt his hands hold your waist, his touch gentle as you both began to sway to the music. “I don’t know how to slow dance,” you confessed quietly, making sure you didn’t step on his toes as you both danced to the beat.

“Just follow my lead.” The chorus came around, and Ricky twirled you, your dress floating up at the move before settling back down. He pulled you flush to his chest, humming the song softly to you as you followed his movements.

Once the chorus came once again, a laugh left your lips as you tried to twirl him around. “Nice moves, Bowen,” you remarked, your comment lighthearted and making him laugh.

“I try.”

You both danced as if you had known each other for forever ( in a way, it was true ). Each small step and each small sway was performed as if you had been dancing with each other for years rather than playing a teasing game of cat and mouse.

You could tell the song was coming to an end. Your head was on his chest, your sadness gone and replaced with content. Quietly, and almost shyly, you mumbled, “Thank you for making this night so much better.”

Ricky could feel his heart pick up. He knew he was in too deep.

“Anytime, Y/N.”

—

TAGS:  @softpeteparker, @jointherebellion215, @l-tt-e, @broken-from-fandoms, @uwupxterparker, @room-3o4​, @eternaleviee​, @hobistigma​, @fangeekkk​, @wcnderwoo​, @myrandom-fandomlife​, @multifangorl​, @tomshufflepuff, @ggclarissa​, @decaffeinated-fangirl​, @religious-pizza-roll​, @rororo06​, @svelby-g​, @sarcarstic-space-weirdo​, @whoseblogsthis​, @hxney-bunches-x​