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allisonxmoynihan · 3 years

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illicit affairs ~ a. turcotte

Requested: yes | no

Song: this series is loosely inspired on Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift (you can listen here!)

Note: okay this is my first time writing in months and i’m kind of scared about it, but please let me know your thoughts, opinions, feedback, whatever! Special thanks to @hockeyhughes11 for helping me with this and reading it as I wrote, you rock!

Word Count: 2663

“y/n,” his shaky voice whispers hoarsely on the other side of the phone.

“Hey superstar!” you cheer, an inevitable smile fluttering across your lips, as you turn the tv off so you could hear him better, pressing the phone firmly against your ear as if not to miss a thing he says.

You hear a faint scoff in the background, “wanna come over?” he slurs, sending the butterflies racing in your stomach like the low hum of his voice always did.

You slowly release the breath you didn’t realize you were holding in, “not celebrating the big win with the boys? 3 goals and 2 assists and the superstar doesn’t want to party?” You joke with him while scrambling around your apartment searching for your sneakers and hunting for your keys.

You sense him smiling on the other line, “I got other things to attend to tonight, you know that,”

You feel your face grow hot as your breath hitches, “c’mon y/n, i’m dying to see you…”

~*~

Work was an absolute blur, the grouchy morning rush of commuters flooded the coffee shop and it was nonstop brewing coffee and preparing breakfast sandwiches before they ran out the door to catch a train. You were thankful for the mid morning slump; middle aged women occupying tables and catching up on neighborhood gossip and reminiscing about their sorority days.

You look up from wiping down the espresso machine to see two boys, about your age, standing on the other side of the counter, wide smiles on their faces as they laughed with each other while sneaking glances at the menu.

“Hi, welcome to Aroma Mocha Cafe! What can I get started for you today?” You exclaim, a forced smile overtaking your face.

The dark haired boy steps forward, “hey, can I please get uhhh…” his voice trails off as he looks up at the menu before he looks back down, “uhh, the seasonal iced coffee?”

You smile, “sure thing, our seasonal flavors are lavender vanilla or salted caramel, which one can I get for you?”

You watch his face as he contemplates which one, “oh, you can’t go wrong with salted caramel!”

“Alright, your total today is going to be $2.57,” The boy quickly takes out a $5 bill and instructs you to keep the change before moving over to the pick-up counter.

As you’re preparing the two drinks for the boys you can’t help but overhear the small fragments of their conversation you can make out.

“Bro, c’mon, just ask for her number,”

“Trev, I said no.”

“You’ve been…. All… you… Alex”

“No”

“I will then”

You put the drinks down in front of them, “enjoy! Napkins and straws are straight ahead by the door,”

As you’re cleaning up your station, the dark haired boy comes back up to the counter and you feel his eyes on you before you look up and smile, “can I get you anything else? Our seasonal scones pair nicely with the coffee,”

“I’m Alex,” he says awkwardly, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets.

You nod slowly, “that’s nice…”

“We should get dinner one day,” he suggests, and when he’s met with your silence and a blank stare he adds, “you know, cuz you’re cool.”

“Oh, um, thanks, but I really can’t,”

Alex nods, looking at the pastry display case for a few minutes, “well can I at least get your number?”

You notice a group of moms, the weekly book club group, walk in the door and head up to the counter. “Alex, I’m really sorry, but it just can’t happen,”

Alex nods, looking back up at the menu, “so, uh, how long you work here?”

One of the book club moms offers you a sympathetic smile as she turns to talk with one of her friends, “Alex, I’m sorry, but we have a lot of customers right now, so if you’re not go-”

“What, am I not a customer?” he interrupts, and you breathe out heavily in annoyance.

“What can I get for you?”

“A date,” he offers with a shy, boyish smile, his dimples becoming apparent.

You sigh, scribbling your number down on a piece of paper, “fine, but only because I want you to leave me alone.”

~*~

Cold, faint rain ricocheted off of the windows of your bedroom as you crawl onto Alex’s lap, his lips nipping at your neck bound to leave marks that you’d have to figure out how to cover the next day.

His hands slide underneath your sweater and rest gently on your hip, “no one’s home, right?” he whispers, his lips vibrating against your skin.

You rest your hands on his bare chest, feeling his heart pound against the skin, “we’re all alone baby,” you murmur, pressing your lips to his once again.

He effortlessly lifts you up and lays you down on your bed, suddenly towering over you, “you know i scored the game winning goal today” He smiles cockily.

You look into his dark brown eyes, feeling a blush creep over you, “oh and how should we celebrate, superstar?”

He chuckles softly before leaning down and kissing down your jaw, slowly removing your shirt from your body, “i got a few ideas in mind,”

Within seconds he’s on top of you, one hand kneading your breasts, the other slipping underneath your leggings and collecting your wetness.

“Are you going to be a good girl for me?” he asks, sliding your leggings and panties down your legs as your legs fall open for him and he begins to kiss down your abdomen.

You writhe underneath him and let out a gasp as his tongue licks up your folds. You run your hand through his luscious locks as he picks up his pace and begins to work at your clit. You buck your hips up as you moan out with pleasure.

“So good for me you pretty girl,” he grumbles against your dripping pussy, slipping three fingers into you, his calloused fingers pumping in and out of you. You felt a knot forming in your stomach and knew you were close.

“Alex, please, faster,” you moan, only alex lifts his head and kisses back up your torso before placing a sloppy kiss to your lips, sucking on his fingers.

“I want you babygirl,” he mumbles as your hands fumble with the zipper on his jeans, helping him slide out of his boxers. Without any warning alex pushes into you, his thrusts harsh and fast. The room is filled with the sound of both your moans, his thrusts getting sloppier and sloppier. And when you both reach out your highs he slows his pace to drag out your orgasm, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“Such a beautiful girl,” he hums, sliding off the bed and redressing before looking over at the clock.

You suddenly feel vulnerable and exposed, bringing your blanket up to cover yourself as Alex approaches the door, “I’ll be seeing you princess,”

You wave sheepishly at the closed bedroom door that he just escaped behind, sighing at how foolish you are, how you would consistently drop everything to be there for him. You think back to the hundreds of other nights spent like this, the two of you having your moment, and him bolting as soon as he decides it’s over leaving no trace behind.

You sit in your dark room, convinced alex does love you deep down, that he’s different and not the kind of guy that shows up on your doorstep just for sex. But you’d be lying if you didn’t admit that sometimes, you felt as if you were a pawn in his game.

You think back to your first “date” with him, how you were defiant and didn’t want to go, but how 10 minutes quickly turned into an hour and that hour was suddenly six. He made you feel special, like you were on top of the world, like you could be something more than just a barista in a busy city. You reminisce about the time you and alex once dreamt up a future together: a small cottage in minnesota, three kids running wild in the yard after a long day at the beach. You wipe away tears that happen to fall as you realize what you’ve been trying to fight for months: you were in love with him, and you could only hope that you actually meant something to him.

~*~

The crackling noise of the firewood and the light tunes of your favorite band filled your living room where you and your best friends sat binge watching the latest reality tv episode. You lean forward to grab an oreo off the plate on the coffee table, breaking it in half and eating the side without cream first.

“You know the guy I matched with on tinder the other night?” maddie asks, taking her phone out. You and christine hum in unison.

“So, i was curious and went to look at his instagram, and…” her voice trails off as she scrolls through her phone’s home screen, “here i’ll just show you.”

You lean back on the sofa, running your hands through your hair, “how bad is it?”

“You really gotta get better taste, if i see one more picture of a guy holding a fish i’m going to lose it,” Christine laughs, grabbing an oreo for herself.

“Oh shit,” maddie whispers

“What?” you and christine ask impatiently

“Hey, uh, y/n, isn’t this the guy from the coffee shop? Mr. I want a date and I refuse to leave this shop until I get your number?” she laughs, and you instantly reach to take her phone from her hands desperate for any opportunity to see him, but when you see the picture your face falls and you can feel the color drain. “It was on my explore page…” maddie adds, reaching for her phone but you turn away continuing to look down at the screen.

There he was. Your superstar. Wide grin, dimples present, his hair still wet and curling loosely at the ends, his button down shirt wrinkled and exposing his upper chest. His arm wrapped tightly around a girl’s tiny waist, her pressing her lips firmly against his cheek, cupping his face in her perfect hands.

You swallow the lump that formed in your throat, scoffing as you toss maddie her phone back, “so? He was just a normal customer, never even took me on that date he insisted on” you lie, turning your attention back to the tv.

Your mind is racing and the conversation between the other girls is drowned out by the flood of thoughts running through your mind. Alex was so much more than just the coffee shop boy, he meant everything to you, he was the only person that could make you feel whole and complete. You hated being a secret to him especially when he consumed every single one of your thoughts, you wished you could be the girl that meant something to him, the one to wear his jerseys at his games as you cheer him on, the one who goes out with his teammates after a big win, the one who gets to go home with him for the holidays to meet his family and fall in love with them for raising the man of your dreams. But you weren’t that girl. You weren’t her and you never would be her.

Later that night you go to alex’s instagram, and it’s as if you got fifty punches right to the gut all over again. Alex was happy with her. Hannah. That was her name. Alex was happy with hannah. You continue to scroll down his page and see that hannah first appeared on his page six months ago. The two of them pressed up against each other in the dim light of a bar, him leaning down and kissing her cheek. You laugh sadly at how stupid you were thinking that what you had with him was real and that you were anything more than someone to help fill a void. Your phone lights up with an incoming call, alex’s name appearing.

“Hey superstar!” you cheer, forcing a smile.

“Hey you,” he grins, “i was just thinking about you actually, can i come over?”

You say yes without hesitation, and that’s when you realize that you would continue ruining yourself for his sake as long as it meant he was going to stay in your life. You’d do anything to make him stay.

~*~

Work was a hassle, the coffee shop getting slammed with the drop of the holiday drinks, the city streets constantly bustling with tourists and holiday shoppers trying to find the best deals. You were excited to finally have a weekend off to just relax and have no worries. You approach your apartment door and smell the savory aroma of food cooking, and you're confused since you live alone.

You cautiously push open the door, peeking into the kitchen as a smile blossoms on your face. “Alex!” you cheer, running up to hug him as he peppers your face with kisses.

You pull away from him, setting your bag on the kitchen table, “what are you doing here?”

He turns his attention back to the stove, “well, i know you’ve been stressed with work and school lately, so I thought i’d do something nice for you,”

Your heart swells and you begin to feel all warm and fuzzy, “i don’t deserve you,”

He laughs, “go change and get comfy, dinner will be ready soon. It’s your favorite and I also brought your favorite movies.”

You smile to yourself as you walk into your bedroom, putting on your pajamas and walking back out to see alex has prepared two identical plates, “ready?” he asks, a boyish smile on his face.

The night is filled with the two of you snuggled into each other’s sides on the couch, laughing at all the same parts of the movies, crying at other parts, making jokes here and there, and planning a getaway trip to a small coastal town. After three movies, and the sun long gone, the soft beat of his heart begins to lull you to sleep.

“You sleepy princess?” he asks softly, scooping you up in his arms and carrying you to your bed.

You’re half asleep as he tucks you in and presses a kiss to your forehead, “sleep well baby”

You reach your arms out for him, “you’re not going to stay with me tonight?” your voice is sad, not wanting this picture perfect night to end.

You hear him laugh as he runs his finger up and down your hand, pressing a light kiss to the top of it, “not tonight princess, i’ll call you tomorrow though.”

“Promise?”

“I cross my heart and hope to die,”

“Good,” you mumble, turning over and getting comfortable.

There’s a long silence and you know he’s still in the room since the hallway light is peeking into your room. And you can’t help but fall asleep happy, thinking that life is finally going right and you have the best guy by your side.

“I love you…”

You hear the floorboards shift under his weight and just like that he’s escaped into the abyss of the night, just like he always does.

~*~

“So you coming over or what?” he repeats, a harsh undertone suddenly appearing.

You smile, impatiently pressing the elevator button over and over again because it never seems to come quick enough, “uh, yeah, yeah, I’m on my way. I was thinking, we could maybe watch that movie you were talking ab-”

His deep voice cuts you off, his usually kind and patient tone now stern, “we need to talk.”

You stare at your reflection in the elevator door as your face falls, trying to fight the inevitable tears that spring to your eyes, and you just know tonight isn’t going to be like the others.

#alex turcotte #la kings #wisconsin hockey #ntdp #ntdp boys #ntdp imagine #hockey #USA Hockey #alex vlasic #trevor zegras #cole caufield #ryder donovan #shay donovan #jack hughes #johnny beecher

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

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Survey #346

“i was in a car crash (or was it the war?) / but i’ve never been quite the same”

Do you take lessons for anything? No. Has something really heavy ever fallen on you? Not to my recollection. If you wear makeup, what colors do you usually wear? I don't wear makeup frequently whatsoever, but if I do put some on, it's always black. Does your shower have curtains or a glass door/wall? Curtains. If you have more than one pet, do they ever get jealous of each other? Well, one is a snake and one is a cat, so no, they don't. Is there a room in your house that you don’t like going in? No. Do you remember the last question you were asked? What did you answer? Well, besides in this survey, Mom asked me if I wanted some shrimp she didn't finish. A true stunner, but I didn't want anymore. Besides salt and butter, do you put anything on your popcorn? Nothing other than what was mentioned. Are you lonely? To be totally transparent, I'm extremely lonely on multiple levels. What’s your favorite magazine to read? Don't have one. Do you like pineapple? Yeah. But keep it off my pizza. Have you ever seen fireflies? Yeah, they're common in the summer here. Have you ever trespassed? Not to my knowledge. My sister, neighbor, and I regularly visited this shack as kids, just exploring and checking stuff out, and someone eventually did approach us and tell us to leave, but idk if anyone ACTUALLY owned the property? We never saw any signs. Do you tell your parents where you are going? Yeah; if I live with them, they have the right to know. Do you agree with the notion that all people were created equal? Yeah. Do you raise your hand or participate in class? I did. Do you like visiting the mall? Why or why not? Not really, no. Too many people, too many stores I don't care about, too much walking. Have you ever purposely hurt an animal? I've given pets a pop when they've done something wrong, but seriously hurt, fuck no. Would you ever see a therapist? I've seen a therapist consistently since the 6th grade. Are you afraid of heights? Yes. I used to not be, but it's a fear I've developed over time for no apparent reason. Are you afraid of the dark? No. Are you a jealous person? I was literally just thinking about this yesterday how much I hate how I've developed a jealous and envious side. It's not a feeling I used to experience like at all, so it's very uncomfortable to feel. When is your birthday? February 5th. What are you listening to right now? A John Wolfe playthrough of The Sinking City. It's really interesting and is making me wanna read Lovecraft books, haha. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing? Probably at some point. Are you still friends with someone from kindergarten? No. What is the most important thing to you? My mental health. Do you like whip cream? NO. The taste is fine, but I can't handle the texture of it. Are you close to your mother? Very. Are you close to your father? Yeah, but not as close as I am with my mother. Do you walk around bare foot when you're at home? Or do you wear socks? Yeah, I stay barefoot. Do you like chocolate popsicles? Yessss, I love them. Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? Ew, no. Would you rather see the Great Wall of China or Big Ben? Probably the Great Wall. Have you ever written a poem? I've written loads. Would you ever be a tornado chaser? FUCK no. Never, ever, EVER. what is your favorite thing to eat with bbq sauce, if you even like that stuff? I hate barbecue sauce. Your parents tell you that this summer, you get to pick the vacation. Where do you plan to go? As a family? Maybe Alaska. What do you think is a good theme for a prom? Um, maybe princesses and princes? It sounds cute, leave me alone. Have you ever had to do a class in summer school? No. Do you get nervous when you go to the doctor? About what? Not very, but somewhat. I'm always terrified to get on the scale and am also afraid I'll find out I have diabetes with how heavily it runs in my family, and I'm not exactly healthy. Have you ever been to the rainforest? No. As cool as it would be, I would neeeever manage. The humidity would murder me. Have you ever created a website? Yeah, a few. Ever thought about writing a book? Yeah. Have you ever had a dream where you killed someone? I don't think so, but I have nightmares ALL the time where I'm fighting to defend myself. Do you ever make up stories in your head and wish they come true? Daydreams? Oh, yes. Which is worse: stuffy nose or runny nose? STUFFY. Having a runny nose surely isn't fun either, but at least you can have tissues handy. Which is worse: Sick to your stomach or sore throat? 100% sick to your stomach. I do nooot respond well to stomach pain. Do you think your last relationship was a disaster? Not at all. Have you ever solved a Rubik’s Cube? No. Who do you think is the easiest to talk to? Sara or Mom. Would you consider yourself to be emo? I don't care for stereotypes, I'm whatever. Do you have a favourite metal band or do you not like metal? I love metal, and my favorite artist is of course Ozzy Osbourne. What is your current desktop picture? My favorite picture of my late dog Teddy. Thick or thin blanket? I like thick ones. Cozier. Who are your favorite bands? Everyone knows my #1 is Ozzy, so I'll list some of my others that just fall behind him (in no order): Metallica, Otep, Marilyn Manson, Korn, In This Moment, Powerwolf, Motionless In White, Rammstein, A Day to Remember, Cradle of Filth, Mother Mother... There's a lot, really. How do you mark through your word search puzzles? It depends on what I have at my disposal, really. I think typically I would just circle the words with a pencil, but I'd prefer to use a highlighter. Have you ever sewn something? No. What did you eat for dinner last night? Mom made shrimp scampi with a side of white rice. It was delicious. Ever been grounded? If so, for what? Yeah, on multiple occasions. I think the longest was when I ran away from home. Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? No; I've only seen the first one with Tyler. I did, however, have the video game as a kid, and I LOVED it. I could never beat the final stage, though. :( When was the last time you played cards? (not on the computer) Months ago with my niece. She was hooked on playing Uno with me because I always let her win. Have you ever drank cherry Coke? Omg yes, I LOVE it. Have you ever had a black eye? No. Have you ever eaten a bug? No. Do you like pranking people? No. Did you ever take a cooking class in school? No. Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? No. Do you use Skype? Only to talk to Sara. Have you ever participated in local magazine cover girl searches? Definitely not. Have you ever been called a skank/slut because of the way you dress? No. Is your ex sexually attractive to you still? Two are. Describe the most romantic moment you’ve ever had. I'd rather not because it'll really set off my PTSD. Have you ever cheated on a test? Nope. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. How often does your employer ask you to work overtime? N/A Did you often read for fun when you were a kid? I read A LOOOOOT as a kid. I was a total bookworm. When was the last time you were scared? Excluding in nightmares that I don't remember, uhhh probably back when my PHP therapist surprised me by whipping out a poem I'd written and sharing it in front of the whole group. It wasn't the "bad" kind of scared, but I sure did feel fear. What’s your favorite song by Rihanna? "Disturbia" has always been #1. There's this '80s synthwave remix of the song that I adorrrreeee. Can you speak binary? Nope. Would you rather live somewhere that had hurricanes or tornadoes? I've dealt with hurricanes all my life and they don't terrify me NEARLY as much as the mere idea of a tornado, so. Have you ever had a pet that you disliked? None that were mine personally, but coincidentally, I didn't like two dogs my little sister had. The first one was just mildly annoying, and as much as I hate admitting it, I literally hated her last dog. When was the last time you saw hail? Maybe like... a month ago or something like that? Time is kinda blurry for me on this. We had an absolute downpour of hail one morning, then just... nothing. What is on your mind right this second: I have this at-home sleep study tonight and I'm pretty much obsessing over "what if I don't have a nightmare?" when, for ONCE, I want/need myself to. To be real, I don't know exactly what will change in my life if I do have a sleep apnea diagnosis or something that we're not already doing, but. Mom more than anyone just wants professionals to see that something is seriously wrong and needs fixing. Have you ever given a nickname to your pet(s)? Both have them, yeah. I think I call Venus "Miss Venus" more than her real name, then she's also "baby girl," "pretty," "beautiful girl," etc. I call Roman just "butt" a lot, haha, then there's "son," "Mama's boy," "bud"... When was the last time you shaved your legs? Not since last October. Nobody sees my legs, so I just don't care. Do you ever try free samples at the store? Sure, if I'm actually interested in the food. Do you like boys with long hair? That's actually my preference. Do you like rootbeer? It's not insufferable, but I'm not really a fan. What is the best fast food place, in your opinion? Sonic. Do you have faith in yourself? What a question to end it on, 'cuz I don't have a fuckin' clue these days.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''down in the park'' by marilyn manson

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caribbeanvibesblog · 4 years

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Dinner tonight... I was going to make Coca Cola cake too but I forgot the marshmallow cream and didn’t feel like going to the store.

Garlic roasted carrots:

1 lb carrots

4T salted butter

8 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste (maybe 1/2t each)

Preheat oven to 425

Melt butter with garlic in microwave

Add salt and pepper to mix

Toss in carrots

Lay on baking sheet

Cover with the rest of the mix

Cook 15 minutes, stir, cook 15 more minutes

Garnish with parsley

Roasted potatoes:

10 small potatoes

3T olive oil

Steak seasoning (I used Webber’s it has garlic salt and pepper)

I added extra garlic powder

Season salt and pepper too. I don’t measure though but you know you have enough when you can see the seasoning on the potatoes.

Cut the potatoes and soak in cold water for about 1 hr.

Drain and pat dry with paper towels

Put in a mixing bowl

Add olive oil and seasonings

Mix it all together and put on baking sheet

Bake at 400 for about an hour (I baked mine with the chicken tonight so it was 365 for 65ish minutes)

Garnish with parsley

Chicken:

5lb chicken

Olive oil mayo (maybe a cup)

Favorite seasonings (I used season salt, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, some cumin and some cayenne).

I really just put in the bowl how much mayo/seasoning it would take to cover the chicken and mixed it. I don’t measure. Sorry. Garlic was the dominant seasoning followed by the season salt then the paprika and pepper. The smallest measurements were the cayenne and cumin.

Brine chicken at least 5 hrs in salt water prior to cooking

Pat dry

Mix olive oil mayo and seasonings

Spread season mix all over the chicken

Fill 9x13 baking pan with water and put a cooking rack on top of that. Put chicken on the rack and bake at 425 for 30 minutes

Reduce heat to 375 and bake for another 55-65 minutes (mine was cooked a bit longer but my husband needs his meat well we’ll done. Still very juice and very flavorful)

Creamed spinach:

4 12 oz packs frozen Spinach (thawed and squeezed out)

6T butter (if you use salted don’t add as much salt later)

1 medium onion

4 cloves minced garlic

1t pepper

1t salt (2t if unsalted butter)

1/2t nutmeg

1/4 c flour

4 c half and half

6oz cream cheese

1 1/2 c mozz cheese

1/2c grated parm cheese

Melt butter in big pan

Add garlic and chopped onion

Cook about 8 minutes until union is clear looking

Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg

On low heat add 1/4 c flour and cook 2-3 minutes

Add the half and half and bring mixture to a boil

Add cream cheese and mozz cheese

Cook 6-8 minutes on medium until the sauce thickens

Add parm cheese and spinach

Tips: make sure you stir constantly while cooking or the mix will burn and stick. Also, make sure your spinach is squeezed out good enough or it’s going to be watery.

Biscuits were just bisquick but I used the half and half instead of milk cuz that’s what I had and brushed with butter before and after cooking.

#repost #recipes

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lovemesomerafael · 5 years

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El Amor Todo Lo Puede Chapter 32: All In

Source: @barbaoutfits

Chapters 1-31

The hotel ballroom was crowded with people wearing expensive suits and cocktail dresses. Drinks were flowing as they always do at a professional function with an open bar.

Rollins leaned over to mutter into Laura’s ear. “Don’t look now, but Mr. Tall, Dark, and $2,500 shoes is checking you out.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Staring like a dog in heat. How romantic,” she quietly responded. They turned back to the conversation of the group they were standing with.

“Look, all I’m saying is that judge was wrong. Our search was legit,” Carisi was saying.

The woman next to him took the bait, and they were off on a debate of the 4th Amendment in which neither Rollins nor Laura had any interest.

Laura sighed. “Has it been an hour? Can we go now?”

“Thirty-five minutes.”

“That’s it. I’m calling the ACLU. There has to be an exception to mandatory work events for people who can’t drink. Because alcohol is the only possible way to survive these things.”

“Lemme tell you, it’s not helping that much,” Rollins responded drily. “We could network, I guess. Kill some time. Maybe enhance our careers.”

“Uh-huh. Cuz I’m just dying to become a white-shirt. Can you see me in those administration meetings? I’d have Dodds in a chokehold and be banging his head against the conference table in about five minutes.”

Rollins held up her empty glass. “Well, I hate to do this to you, Parker, but I’m going to get a refill.”

As Amanda moved off toward the bar, the man who had been openly admiring Laura walked over.

“I’m Adam Watson, new head of Public Affairs at One PP.” He held out his hand, and she shook it. “I’ve been in NYC for two weeks now and the only people I’ve met are old men. I decided to introduce myself to you so that I can say I know at least one beautiful woman in the city. Help a guy out?”

“Hmmmm.” Laura took a sip of her drink. “Not terrible, but a little on the cheesy side. Also, just bordering on sexist. Wanna try again?”

He laughed. He did have a very nice smile, and nice laugh lines at the corners of his blue eyes. “Uh… how about simply, ‘Hi, I’m Adam Watson?”

“Better.” She said, and shook his hand again. “Detective Laura Parker, SVU.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “So, basically the exact wrong person to try that line on.”

“Basically. But I’ll overlook it because I know like five people in this room, and they’ve all deserted me.”

“You’ve got me beat. I think I know three. Mind you, I’ve been introduced to probably 50% of the people here, but I’ve already forgotten all of their names, and I’m going to be expected to recognize them when I see them again.”

Laura laughed. “You mean I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to be here?”

“Detective, 95% of the people in this room don’t want to be here.”

She laughed. “Well,” she said, clinking her glass with his. “Misery does love company.”

He moved closer to her, encroaching slightly on her personal space, but he didn’t touch her. “Looks like you could use a fresh drink. Can I buy you a refill?”

“At an open bar. Chivalrous.” They both chuckled sociably as they turned toward the bar area.

There was a mass of people crowded around the bar, jostling and trying to catch the attention of one of the bartenders. “Stay here,” Adam told Laura as they approached the edge of the crowd. “I’ll take on the mob. What are you drinking?”

“Pellegrino with lime.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s no good. Sparkling water isn’t going to soften the edges of this command performance, is it? I’ll see what I can do.”

“No, thanks. Pellegrino is perfect.”

He winked at her and waded into to the melee around the bar.

A soft but scornful voice beside Laura’s ear said, “You do realize that wink means ‘I’m not listening to you, I’ll never get you back to my place if you’re sober’?”

She turned her head to grin at Rafael. “Cynic. 20 bucks says he comes back with Pellegrino.”

“50 says he comes back with whiskey.”

“You’re on.”

They turned to face one another. “Man, I’m glad to see you. Liv is requiring all of us to show the flag for at least an hour. I’m only forty minutes in and I already want to slit my wrists. Twenty more and I might end up starting a fistfight, just for something to do with my hands.”

Rafael laughed, smiling at her in a way that sent hot shivers through her. “Promise you’ll give me a heads up so I can get a good seat. And if you’re taking requests, may I suggest Rita Calhoun could use a good ass-kicking?”

“Uh-oh. What’d she win now?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’d rather talk about how pretty you look tonight.”

Rafael actually thought she looked better than pretty. Stunning was closer to the mark. The simplicity of her black dress accentuated her curves, and the low-cut back showed enough skin to make Rafael’s hands itch to caress her. The dress was exactly long enough to be appropriate, and not one millimeter longer. He had seen her from across the room and admired her legs as she walked with that yahoo in a cheap suit now getting her a drink.

“Thank you. You’re just not used to seeing me in drag, is all.”

“Tonterías.[1] I have excellent taste. If I say you look great, you do.”

“You look even better than usual, yourself,” she replied, a little shyly. The suit he was wearing, one she’d never seen before, was a beautiful worsted wool featuring a green stripe that made his eyes even more dazzling.

At that moment, Adam Watson returned, holding a small tray over the heads of the crowd. When he brought it down, Laura and Rafael saw that he had, indeed, brought her sparkling water. He had also brought two shots of tequila.

“Here you go,” he announced. “Pellegrino for your thirst, and tequila for the pain.” He looked quite proud of himself.

Laura looked at Rafael and saw the smirk she knew he would be wearing. But it was tinged with something unpleasant. “Laura,” he said, “You don’t drink, do you?” There was an edge to his voice.

“No, I don’t.”

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all.”

Rafael picked up the shot and tossed it back without bothering with the salt and lime on the tray. “Thanks, guy,” he said to Adam with an obviously fake smile. He put an arm possessively around Laura’s waist and steered her past Adam Watson.

He led her to a table about halfway across the room. “You owe me 50 bucks.”

“Technically, I don’t. You said he’d bring whiskey. But you do owe me 20, because I said he’d bring Pellegrino. Which, by the way, I didn’t get to drink before you whisked me away like the Secret Service.”

“I’ll buy you a case. Who is that slimeball?”

“New head of PR at One PP. Which means both of us are probably going to regret what you just did.”

“I doubt that very much,” Rafael snarled.

Laura squinted at him. “You OK? He’s just some flirty dude at a cocktail party. Why aren’t we just making fun of him?”

“I’m surprised you’re not more annoyed. Guy tries to force alcohol on you…”

“That might be a little overdramatic. C’mon, you know I can handle him.”

“Knock yourself out,” Rafael snapped. “I was just trying to do a good deed.”

“And you did. Thank you. But it wasn’t necessary.”

“Yeah. Whatever.” He tossed back the rest of his drink. “Then you’re on your own. You can probably still get that Pellegrino.”

As she watched him stalk off across the room, Laura wondered whether the motion he’d lost to Rita Calhoun today had gotten under Rafael’s skin, or whether this was an extension of the feelings he’d been having a few nights before. She made a mental note to call him when she got home and ask if he wanted to talk about it.

She turned around to look for a familiar face in the crowd, and almost immediately caught Adam Watson’s eye again. He was looking at her, and still held her drink. He raised it up to her in invitation. Not wanting to be rude, she walked over.

“Thank you,” she said. “Sorry about that. He’s um, protective of my sobriety.”

Adam ignored the mention of Rafael as though he didn’t exist. “Sobriety, huh? Good for you. How long?”

“Over eight years now. But you don’t want to talk about that.”

He again stepped just a little too close. “Actually, I’d enjoy talking about you. Let’s go see if we can find a quiet table where we can do that, shall we?”

Laura would rather not. His manner was a little oily for her, and she had no intention of sharing any kind of personal information with the new head of Pubic Affairs for NYPD. “I have a better idea. Why don’t we see if we can find the rest of my squad? They’re here somewhere, and…”

“Please, don’t make me meet any more people whose names I won’t remember.” He smiled down at her, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her toward a table. “Besides, I’m sure they can’t be as beautiful as you. I’d rather spend some time getting to know each other.”

She mentally rolled her eyes and decided she was going to have to find a way to extricate herself gracefully from this situation. This guy was definitely sleazy, but neither she nor her SVU colleagues needed the new brass to start out with a grudge. She let him lead her – drive her, really – toward a table. Seriously, he was good looking, she guessed, but did women really respond to this bulldozer treatment?

He pulled his chair too close to hers and leaned in, touching her hand. She could smell some kind of spicy aftershave and something else – maybe a hair product. He put his face in front of hers and looked her square in the eye. “So. Who is Detective Laura Parker, hmmmm?” She almost laughed.

Laura caught Rafael glowering at them from across the room, and knew she would have to explain at some point how this had happened. She spent the next twenty awkward minutes trying to back away from Adam Watson, and out of the conversation. She realized that he was not only obnoxious but actually fairly drunk. Her patience ran out when he put a hand behind her head and tried to pull her in for a kiss. “I have to tell you, Laura,” he breathed tequila into her face, “I haven’t been able to look away from you in that dress. The way it hugs your body and shows off those perfect tits –“

Laura pulled away from him, but he grabbed her wrists. “Listen, let’s get out of here. I have a town car waiting for me, and I’d like to get you in the back seat and lick -“ His speech ended in a high-pitched squeak as Laura took the fingers of his left hand into a very particular grip.

“Mr. Watson, you and I have to work together. And that means that you will speak to me with respect. I understand that you’re drunk, and I’m going to assume that you would never act this way under normal circumstances. I’ll forget this ever happened. But, if you ever talk to me like that again, I’m going to break your fingers one by one.” Her expression had been as hard as her words. Just as suddenly, however, she favored him with an overly-sweet smile as she dropped his hand. “With all due respect, of course.”

She didn’t wait for a response. She got up and walked rapidly away, immediately scanning the room for Rafael. She was looking forward to hearing him laugh when she told him what had just happened. The first familiar face she saw was a junior ADA who had handled a few motions and arraignments for SVU.

“Hey, Suneetha, have you seen ADA Barba?”

“Yeah, he left about 10 minutes ago. Looked like he was in a foul mood, too.”

“Thanks.”

What did that mean? Rafael couldn’t think… He knew her better than that. As soon as Adam Watson tried to give her a drink she had told him she didn’t want, any possibility of even friendship between them had ended. Rafael had to know that. Although, to be fair, he did have the right to be a little miffed that he had tried to rescue her from a jerk, only to see her head right back to said jerk. She had been planning to call Rafael anyway. She decided she would need to begin the call with an apology, or at least an explanation.

Fin signaled her from a stand-up table a few yards away, where he was chatting with some people – clearly cops – she didn’t know. She spent the next hour in a surprisingly pleasant conversation with them.

Fin dropped her at her building around midnight. She was exhausted from trying to act appropriately in front of the NYPD brass and city legal dignitaries at the event. She’d much rather have been with him, chasing some suspect down a crowded street. She was also a little concerned because she had texted Rafael and received no response.

From the street outside their building, she had seen that his lights were still on, so she assumed he was still up. Besides, they often texted each other late at night. As she waited for the elevator, she decided to try another text to see whether he would talk to her.

Laura: You left without saying goodbye.

10 minutes later, when she had dropped her coat and purse on the couch in her apartment, he still hadn’t responded.

Laura: If you’re not speaking to me, it really only works if I know that.

That got him to text back.

Rafael: It’s late. Go to bed.

Laura: I’m coming up.

He might have answered, but she didn’t wait to find out. She grabbed her keys and took the stairs to his apartment, still wearing the dress she’d worn to the cocktail party.

When she knocked quietly on his door, she initially heard nothing. Then, his muffled voice came through the door saying, “Use your key.” He didn’t add, “if you must,” but she heard it anyway.

He had changed his immaculate suit for a dark green polo shirt and jeans. He was in his kitchen, in the process of slamming dishes none too gently into the dishwasher. He looked up at her, but didn’t stop what he was doing.

“I don’t know why you’re here,” he told her. “It’s midnight. I am not mad at you, I left because I wanted to, and everything’s fine.”

“Uh-huh. And that’s why you’re doing your best to smash those plates to bits.”

“Really? You’re going to criticize my kitchen abilities at this point in the conversation?”

She stepped to him and put a hand on his arm. “Rafael. Please. I can’t stand it when you’re mad at me. Will you let me explain what happened at the party?”

Rafael sighed and turned toward Laura. “There’s no need. I’m not mad at you.”

For a moment, they just stood looking at one another.

“I threatened to break that PR guy’s fingers, you know. I shut him down, and I wasn’t nice about it.”

“Yeah, but why? What was the point, Laura?” He turned his back, resuming his noisy work.

“He was a dick.”

“OK, that guy’s a dick, but maybe the next guy won’t be.”

“Stop it, Rafael. There’s no ‘next guy’. I’m not having that conversation again.”

“Laura, you could do better than me. And that is a conversation I’m not having again.”

“I don’t want to do better. I want you. Deal with it.”

Rafael slammed the dishwasher shut. “I’ve been dealing with it! Look what you’ve done to my life! I was doing just fine until you showed up. Now I’ve got you texting me nonsense all day, you’re on my couch every night, I’m leaving work early when I could be getting things done, I’m tripping over your kicked-off shoes everywhere… I can’t think straight! I haven’t had a moment’s peace since the day I met you! So why don’t you do us both a favor and take ‘no’ for an answer?”

Laura’s shock showed plainly in her face. She stood, speechless, confusion and humiliation robbing her of her senses.

“Laura, I…”

“Stop.” She managed to choke out in a small voice. She put a hand on his arm and tried valiantly to paste a small smile on her face. “Please, you don’t have to say any more. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I can be… blind sometimes. I didn’t… I thought… I’m sorry. I really am. Good night.”

She straightened her spine and held her head high as she stepped, working furiously to maintain her dignity, out of his kitchen. Rafael thought he could actually feel the pieces of his heart tearing apart as she left the room.

He went after her. “Laura, no… Don’t go…”

“It’s late, I’ll see you at work,” she said, her voice beginning to break free of her control.

He reached her as she got to the door. As she tried to pull it open, he stepped behind her, reached his arm out past her and put a hand on it, keeping it closed. She stood, facing the door, in the small space between his body, the wall, and his arm.

“Please. Don’t go. I’m sorry…” Rafael spoke softly, his voice gruff, fighting with his own emotions. He moved his body just a bit closer to hers, testing to see whether she would tolerate his touch.

She felt immobilized by her own conflicting desires to flee from him in shame and to throw herself into his arms and beg him to love her. Without words to express any of that, all she could do was stand, forehead pressed against his apartment door, traitorous tears welling in her eyes and escaping to slide hotly down her face.

He risked another half step toward her, lowering his arm and wrapping it lightly around her waist. She could feel his face next to hers, his mouth just beside her ear. “Don’t leave me. Please,” he whispered, leaning his head on hers.

“I’m sorry f-for leaving my shoes here,” she choked, leaning just a bit back against him.

“Oh, God, Laura-“ He turned her to face him, placing a hand on either side of her tear-stained face. “Everything I just said was a lie. Do you have any idea what it does to me when I come home and I see those little holey tennis shoes next to my couch? They make it possible for me to start to believe you’re real.” He kissed her messily as she sniffled.

“I think about you all day long. I’ll be meeting with some asshole talking about unspeakable crimes and I’ll get a text from you with some stupid thing Carisi said, and I just want to start singing. I hardly ever stay late at work anymore because I can’t stand to be anywhere but where you are. And it scares the hell out of me. You know it does.”

“I know,” she sniffed. “It’s OK.”

“No. It’s not. I lost it just now because halfway is no good for either of us. I need to be in or out.”

Laura’s face lost all color except for flushed areas on her cheeks from crying. “Rafael, don’t-“

“Laura, I’m saying I’m in. The minute you started to walk out that door I knew I could never let you go. Who am I kidding? I’ve been in this whole time.”

Leaning down, Rafael tilted his face toward Laura’s, taking a long time to touch his lips to hers to let what he’d said sink in. When she tilted up to him and tightened her arms around him, he pressed his mouth more firmly to hers, deepening the soft, light kiss just a little.

“Are we OK?” He asked.

“We’re OK,” she whispered, moving to continue the kiss.

He began to kiss her more deeply then, pushing her gently back against the door. She returned his kisses with growing intensity, her arms winding around him as tightly as his around her. Soon they clung together, pressing their bodies together as though they couldn’t get close enough.

He realized, in some dim recess of his mind, that he wanted to move them somewhere other than this corner of his small, dark foyer. But he didn’t want to do anything to break the spell, anything that might make her change her mind and want to leave again. Only after a very long time, when he felt her relax against him and heard her begin to breathe soft moans of pleasure, did he take a step backward. He moved away from the door, tentatively pulling her with him while they kissed passionately, almost desperately.

He took his time, needing her to want to stay. It was working. She shivered as he ran his hands down her sides and the bare skin of her back in the low cut dress, her own hands enjoying the contours of his muscular shoulders and upper arms. He thought he felt her initiate a step then, and within minutes they were standing, locked together, a few feet inside his living room. He felt her hands move to his chest, sliding them slowly down his torso in a maddening caress. She stopped moving and drew in a sharp breath as she felt him effortlessly lower the zipper on the back of her dress. He ran his fingers lightly up the bare skin of her back from the bottom of the zipper to her neck. They both felt her skin break out in goosebumps. Such undeniable evidence that she was enjoying what he was doing ratcheted up his arousal a few more notches.

He kissed slowly down her jaw and began on her neck. When he heard her breathy moan, he slid his hands up her arms until he reached her shoulders, hooked his thumbs on the straps of her dress, and pushed them off her shoulders. As the straps slid down her arms, the dress slithered down her body, pooling on the floor.

“Smooth,” she breathed.

Rafael began with his hands on her hips and glided them slowly up her sides. “For half that damned party, I was working out how I could get this dress off of you.”

“I thought you liked my dress.”

“I like it even better now,” he said, leaning down to scoop her up in his arms.

He carried her easily into his bedroom and set her gently on the bed, then pulled off his shirt in one motion as she playfully kicked off her shoes and moved over to make room for him. He lay down on his side next to her with her arm behind him, and immediately reached over to pull her to him. They made quick work of his pants and her panties.

Immediately, she tried to pull him over on top of her. He chuckled down low as he kissed her, and stayed where he was, lying on his side. He propped his head up on one arm, placing his free hand on her shoulder and running it slowly down her chest, across her breast and stomach, to her hip. “Relax,” he murmured, dipping his head to give her a sweet kiss. “We have all night.” He took a very long time to simply look at her, drinking her in as she lay there next to him, entirely exposed to his eyes.

“’Ño, Laura, eres tan hermosa.”[2]

She found lying there, simply allowing him to admire her nude body, the most erotic thing they had done thus far. His eyes sparkled in the half-light, his expression hungry and appreciative. But she wasn’t going to be able to lie still for long. As he slid his hand back up to her breast, she couldn’t help but arch her back, pressing into his hand. Laura moaned and squirmed beneath him, feeling every touch of his hands and mouth like a jolt of lightning to her core. He cupped her breast, using his thumb to tease her achingly hard nipple as he leaned over to use his lips and tongue on her other breast. “Rafael…”

She tried to turn toward him. She wanted him inside her, now. He wasn’t having it.

“Shhhh… Just let me…”

“I want to touch you. You made me wait so long-”

“And I’m gonna make you wait even longer,” he said, kissing her fondly.

He used his hands and mouth to worship her breasts for so long that she could feel her wetness beginning to actually drip down the inside of her thigh. When he began to slide one hand down her side to her hip, he heard her breath catch. From the way she shifted her pelvis, he guessed his caress was having the intended effect. He slowed the movement of his hand, prolonging her anticipation.

Laura was becoming desperate. He was deliberately teasing her. Fuck, he was good with his hands, and his lips, and his tongue… She cried out as he finally ran a finger between her lower lips. He began a slow, thorough exploration with his fingers while he continued nuzzling her breasts. He smiled to himself as he felt her begin to move her hips and heard her whimper. He took his time teasing and caressing her with his fingers before finally, slowly slipping a finger into her. She cried out again. He began a maddeningly slow rhythm, sliding his finger deliciously in an out of her dripping passage, as he moved up to recapture her mouth with his. He relished her hungry response over prolonged minutes of deeply intimate kissing. She began to rock her hips wantonly, unable to control her moans, as he deliberately teased her with the tip of a second finger for long moments before giving in and sliding the second finger inside of her.

Finally, she couldn’t stay still any longer. She rolled toward him, throwing a leg over his. She kissed him, immediately taking control, exploring his lips and tongue with her own, while she reached down and ran her hand up first his leg, then slowly across his buttocks, before sliding it down his hip to caress his cock for the first time. His lips became nearly motionless as his entire attention became focused on what she was doing to him. His groan sent jolts of electricity through her. The idea that it was her causing Rafael Barba to make that noise was overwhelmingly exciting.

She had known, from their frustrating but delicious experiences on the couch, that his cock would be superb. Now, finally past the barriers of his clothing, she reveled in being able to see and fully touch him. She wanted everything all at once. She pushed herself up on one hand so that she could explore his chest with the other, stroking and nuzzling haphazardly in her excitement. When she bent down to lick the tip of his cock, the movement of her body made her intentions clear.

“Mi cariño,[3] you need to stop that,” he growled.

“And if I don’t?” She whispered wickedly.

He took her by the upper arms and guided her back up the bed, then rolled them over so that he was lying on top of her. “Then I won’t be able to do what I want to do to you.”

“You mean what I want you to do to me.”

She wrapped her arms and legs around him, laughing softly and moving her hips in a way he couldn’t resist. As he entered her, he groaned gruffly, “Eres una hechicera, ¿cómo tienes ese control sobre mí? Algún día podré decirte que no.”[4] She gasped in answer.

Neither of them were able to prolong things longer than a few minutes. Rafael was beyond thinking, overwhelmed by the sensations – both physical and emotional – he was feeling. He reveled in the hot wetness of Laura’s body gripping him as he moved in and out of her. Laura had already been impatient to feel him inside her, but the sheer ecstasy of Rafael’s size stretching and filling her exceeded even her expectations. He pushed into her, withdrawing almost completely, then joyfully entering her again. He wasn’t going to be able to last much longer, hearing Laura cry out her excitement and feeling her rock her hips in time with his pumping. Her arousal was his. He lifted up onto his elbows so that he could look down at her face. Seconds later, she cried out his name and arched her back. He wanted to stay with her through her orgasm, but that was more than he could take. She was still bucking and shaking as he felt his own overwhelming climax burst upon him.

Many minutes later, Laura felt him roll them over so that they were lying side by side, holding one another. She was too spent to open her eyes. She wasn’t sure whether she felt better physically, with all the endorphins and other hormones swirling through her, or mentally, knowing that she had just – finally - had mind-blowing sex with Rafael. It had been too fast, but she would take care of that in a little while.

Rafael cradled her to him. She felt him lift his shoulder to tip her head toward him and kiss her forehead. He held his lips to her face for some time, thinking that the smell of her shampoo would make him horny for the rest of his life. He found he was smiling to himself. Had it really been that long since he’d gotten laid, or was she really that special? He knew it was both. Go slow, my ass, he thought.

He felt much, much more than a blissful, post-sex haze. He tried to stay completely in the moment and think only about this woman he held, who had slipped so blithely past all his defenses. He cared far more for her than he wanted to, and he would much have preferred not to be that vulnerable. In his more confident moments, he reminded himself what they’d been through together and the complete trust he had in her as a result. But that was his body. This was his heart. Still, it was too late now. He had no choice but to trust her, because he knew, without a doubt, that he was in love with her.

“So that happened,” he finally managed to say, still trying to catch his breath.

“Holy shit,” she panted.

“Yeah.”

“When I regain the power of rational thought, I’ll try to form a sentence about how great that was. But for now…”

“Holy shit will do,” he chuckled, kissing her forehead through her hair.

“But, are you… OK?”

He replied in a more serious tone, and put a hand to her cheek. “I’m way better than OK. When we get under the covers, I’ll be perfect.”

“Now there’s a double meaning I really like the sound of.”

“Don’t end a sentence with a preposition.”

Laura sat up. “Seriously? At this moment, what you have to say to me is, ‘Don’t end a sentence with a preposition’? What is wrong with me? How am I naked with you right now?”

Laughing, they slipped between the crisp, cool sheets of his bed to cuddle together.

Rafael knew he was smiling in the dark like an idiot, and he couldn’t have cared less. Laura had her eyes closed, enjoying the sensory experience of breathing in Rafael’s scent, feeling his muscular shoulder under her cheek, running her fingers lightly over his chest to savor the softness of his chest hair.

She was dimly aware of a sense of awe underlying her post-coital bliss. He was so much more than she’d imagined – more tender, more skilled, more sensual and romantic. And they hadn’t even started.

They dozed together, sated and happy. Rafael woke a while later, distantly curious about what time it was, but didn’t have the energy or inclination to move enough to look at the clock. He felt Laura stir against him and heard her sigh happily. The idiotic smile was back on his face.

“Hypothetically, if I said you rocked my world tonight, how insufferable would you be about it?” Her voice was languid and dreamy, with a tinge of amusement.

“One to ten?” He asked. She loved the rumble of his voice in his chest under her ear as she snuggled into him.

“Sure.”

“Well, my baseline’s about an eight, so…”

She squeezed him as she laughed, kissing his chest, then lifted up so she could kiss his lips. She didn’t say anything, just looked at him with a satisfied smile.

“Ven aca,”[5] he whispered, sliding his hand up her bare back and pulling her to him. She kissed him back, deepening the kiss and running her hand over his chest. When she felt the kiss change, she slowly let her hand drift down his chest and abdomen, until her fingers lightly traced over his cock. She could feel the first stirrings of arousal in him, and tenderly fondled him while they kissed.

“I know that was fast before,” she murmured provocatively against his lips, “but what I lack in patience, I make up for in perseverance.” He thought he had never known a woman who challenged him so often to kiss and smile at the same time.

As he grew harder, she moved to kiss his jaw, then his neck, and shifted her body to scatter a long, meandering line of kisses and soft nips down his chest and abdomen.

He groaned again, low in his chest, when she took him into her mouth, softly exploring his balls with her fingers. The musk of him, and of their lovemaking, was intoxicating. He was soon grinding his hips and gulping air, moaning heatedly, which inspired her to do everything she could think of to pleasure him. She spent long minutes stroking him, sucking and licking him, following his movements and his cries to establish the rhythm he wanted. Fuck, it was hot to hear Rafael so undone, and to know that it was her giving him such gratification. When he began to fuck her mouth wantonly, she knew he was close. She continued to suck him, running her tongue up and down his shaft and around the head of his cock until a cry and a salty jet in the back of her throat told her that she had given him the pleasure she’d been aiming for. She paid close attention to him as he rode his orgasm to its completion, moving with him until she had drawn out the last shudders.

He was still breathing heavily as she crawled back to his side and cuddled up to him, throwing an arm and a leg over him as she kissed his chest. He fell asleep with his nose buried in her fragrant hair.

It took Laura a few blinks to realize where she was when she awoke. When she did, her stomach did a little flip and she scooted closer to where Rafael lay behind her with his arm over her. She felt him kiss the back of her hair.

“Hi,” she muttered.

He nuzzled the back of her neck. “Did I wake you?”

“I don’t think so. How come you’re awake?”

“I had a nice dream.”

“About?”

“About you. Turns out it was real.” She felt him chuckle behind her. It felt wonderful.

“I had the same dream. It was nice.” She turned over to face him and put her arm over him, pulling as close to him as she could.

“Laura…”

“Hmmm?”

He didn’t answer. She looked up.

“Rafa?”

“The waking up part is really nice, too.” He kissed her long and slow, and began to make love to her again.

[1] Nonsense

[2] Fuck, Laura, you’re so beautiful.

[3] My sweetheart

[4] You’re a sorceress. How do you have such control over me? Some day I’ll be able to say no to you.

[5] Come here.

#law & order svu #law & order: special victims unit #rafael barba #raul esparza #chicago pd #chicago fire #chicago med #chicago justice

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chicgeekgirl89 · 5 years

Text

I Could Have Loved You: A SEAL Team Fanfic

Recommended Listening: “Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur

Read Chapters 1-3 Here

She was wearing his shirt, perched on the counter with her feet dangling over the edge, eating a bowl of cereal. Her hair was still mussed and she had last night’s make-up smudged under her eyes. “What?” Lisa asked when she caught him looking.

“How can you be so damn beautiful this early in the morning?” Sonny said.

She smirked at him around a mouthful of cereal. “It’s a gift.”

He cradled her face in his hands, lowering his lips to hers. She put her bowl down and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him lazy and slow. “We should go somewhere this weekend,” he said, resting his forehead against hers.

It was their last one together and he wanted it to be special; something they would remember for a long time after.

“Okay…” Lisa said slowly. “Somewhere like where?”

“Anywhere. Like one of those little bed and breakfast things. Or Six Flags.”

She laughed and pulled back a bit. “Those are the options? A B and B or Six Flags?”

“Well hell Davis, I’m just trying to think outside the box here. I don’t know much about being a couple,” he grumbled as he began fixing his own cereal.

“I’m have a hard time imagining Sonny Quinn fitting into a double bed with cats on the quilt.”

He grinned at her, shifting his weight so he was leaning into her body. “If the bed’s tiny then we’ll just have to cuddle real close.”

“Do we do the group bird watching before or after that?”

He laughed. “Fine. No B and B’s. But do you want to go somewhere?”

“Yeah, that would be fun.”

“Then I’ll make a few calls.”

She raised her eyebrows. “That’s it? You’ll make a few calls?”

“Yep.”

“What are you, the Wolf of Wall Street?”

“I’ll have you know I’ve got connections lady.”

“Oh you do?”

“I do.”

“Care to share what these connections are?” She raised her eyebrows at him but he refused to bite.

“Not particularly.”

She hopped off the counter and stepped closer to him, running her hands over his chest. “Are you refusing to answer an officer’s question?”

He caught her hands, trapping them against his skin. “Yes ma’am.”

“Hmmm…well I’m not sure that can be tolerated.”

Despite her best efforts Sonny made plans and refused to tell her where they were going, only that she should bring a swimsuit. Or not, although that suggestion had gotten him a swat to the arm.

Late Friday evening they set out for their mystery destination. “So, where we going?” Lisa asked as they pulled onto the road.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he said.

“What is this a need-to-know mission? My clearance level not high enough?”

“That’s right.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re going to have to tell me eventually.”

“I’ll tell you what, you guess right and I’ll spill the beans.”

“The beach.”

He snapped his head around to look at her. “How did you…?”

“I am an Officer in the United States Navy. If you think you can pull a fast one on me you’ve got another thing coming. Also, maybe delete the history on your laptop once in a while.” She smirked as she dug in the snack bag for a Twizzler.

Sonny shook his head. “Davis, I’ve always said you were magic.”

“Don’t you forget it. But, you hate the beach. And I did not pack your shark repellent bracelet.”

“True. But you love the beach.”

The smile on her face was enough to give him the warm and fuzzies. Making her happy was his new favorite feeling, followed closely by drinking beers with his boys and blowing up bad guys.

They pulled into the condo in the early afternoon. “Not bad,” Lisa said as they walked in the door. She looked out onto the porch. “Hot tub?”

“I requested that specifically,” Sonny said, a wicked grin on his face.

“Yeah I’m sure you did.” She turned and looked at him. “Why are we doing this Sonny?”

“Because it’s fun?”

“We could have had all the same fun at home.”

“Nuh, uh. We do not have a hot tub at home.”

She looked at him expectantly. “Come on.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just…wanted one weekend where I didn’t have to look around every corner because somebody we know might see us and wonder what’s going on.” He looked at her helplessly. “I just wanted two days where I could hold your hand without worrying it would cost us our jobs.”

She went up on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the lips. “You did good Sonny.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Now get yourself cleaned up. I’m taking you to dinner.”

“Oh you’re taking me?” he asked with smile.

“That’s right. You earned it.”

“So this is what it’s like being a kept man. I could get used to it.”

She smacked his shoulder.

They had dinner on the waterfront and true to his word Sonny held her hand, even going so far as to sit on the same side of the table as her which made her laugh and lean into his side in a way that made his heart just about fall to pieces. They shared dessert and kissed whenever they felt like it, much to the chagrin of their server. And when they got back to the condo they made excellent use of the hot tub.

They woke up late the next morning, the sun high in the sky before they even thought about getting out of bed. Sonny almost regretted getting up at all when they got down to the beach and Lisa revealed her bikini. “Come on Frogman!” she called as she stood in the surf, waves crashing around her ankles. “I’ll keep the sharks away, I promise.”

“God damn it woman,” he said, eyeing the waves with trepidation. “I am not coming out there!”

“Your loss,” she said as she dove under, coming up seconds later with a grin on her face.

“Oh hell,” he huffed, stripping off his shirt and running into the waves, hopping a little as he tried not to touch any crabs or other sea life.

“Ooh, look at the brave Navy man coming into the ocean,” she teased, floating beyond the breakers. “Need me to call the lifeguard?”

“You’d better watch out,” he said as a wave nearly took him to his knees, “cuz when I get over there you’re going to be in trouble.”

“At the rate you’re going it’ll be midnight before you get out here,” she said.

“I am—“ whatever he was about to say was cut off as a waved hit him in the chest and pulled him under. He came up sputtering, Lisa laughing at his misfortune. “I do not understand the appeal of turning yourself into a pickle and getting eaten by sea critters,” he groused.

“Come on Sonny.” Lisa reached for his arm and pulled him out further with her into the calmer water. “See? This isn’t so bad.”

Sonny’s feet could barely brush the sandy floor. “If you let me drown out here I will never forgive you.”

“You’re not going to drown,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Just relax.”

“Relax? This feels like a bad day at the office. One where I forgot my SCUBA gear and the baddies threw me back to be shark bait.” He wasn’t lying. The water truly did make him nervous.

“Sonny.” She put her arms around his neck. “Relax. I’m right here.”

He jerked, nearly pulling them both under. “What was that?”

“My foot,” she said dryly. “Oh my god, you are ridiculous. Just, look at me. Let the water calm you down.”

“Only thing that’s gonna make me calm is getting back on dry land.”

She grabbed the back of his head and kissed him hard. Her lips tasted like salt and coffee and he kissed her back with enthusiasm. Her legs wrapped around him, both of their bodies weightless in the water. He didn’t even realize his fingers had begun toying with the ties on her top until she pulled back. “Whoa there sailor. We may be away from our friends but we’re still on a public beach.”

He grinned. “Whoops. Guess you did too good a job distracting me there.”

“You wanna do it again?”

“Yes ma’am.”

They spent a little longer in the water until a fish jumped up in front of Sonny, nearly hitting him in the face, and he declared himself officially “done.” Lisa didn’t feel like sitting yet so they went for a walk down the beach, fingers entwined as they looked for shells and other treasures between the waves.

She reached down to pick up a shell, turning it over in her fingers before letting it drop back into the water. A crab scuttled in front of him and he jumped, trying not to step on it while she laughed at him. “Oh, you think that’s funny huh?”

He scooped her up in his arms as she shrieked and laughed, spinning her around a couple times before tossing her, gently, into the surf. She came up dripping wet, shoving limp strands of hair out of her face. “Where are your manners Sonny Quinn? Your mama would be ashamed.”

“Uh uh. You ain’t making me feel guilty about justified retribution,” he said, dodging her attempt to latch onto his ankle.

She got to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “So what you’re telling me is you don’t want allllllll of this in your bed tonight?”

He considered her for a moment. “You play dirty Davis.”

She wrapped her arms around him, getting him almost as wet at she was while she whispered in his ear, “And that’s just the way you like it.”

Hours later they lay on the beach, bodies warm from the sun. Sonny traced patterns on the bare skin of her back with his fingers. “What the hell are we going to do without you? Who the fuck is gonna watch my back?”

“You’re just going to have to watch your own back.” She pushed up on her elbow so she could really look at him. “You will right? Watch your own back?”

“Davis you know my self preservation instinct is incredibly high. In fact, I might be even safer without you around, yacking in my ear all the time.”

“Oh is that what I do?”

“Every second of every mission.”

“You’d better watch your mouth Sonny Quinn,” she warned.

“Oh do I? Do I need to watch it?” He leaned over and kissed her. “How about now? Do I need to watch it now?” He rolled, pulling her top of him, arms going around her to hold her firmly against his chest, kissing her again while she laughed. “What about now? How’s it looking?”

She lifted her head and stared down at him in a way that made his heart thunder inside his chest. “Sonny.”

“Yeah?”

“I—“ She hesitated. “I’m going to miss you a lot.”

It seemed like she’d been about to say something else, but instead she just leaned forward and kissed him softly again.

Being with her was perfect and everything else seemed dark in comparison. He wanted to beg time to slow down so he could hold her just a little longer, stay here with her just a little longer, keep the future at bay just a little bit longer. “You ready to take this party back inside?” he asked, his voice low.

She nodded and they got to their feet, walking hand in hand back to the condo. They were living in a fantasy and for this weekend, it was all they wanted.

#SEAL Team #SEAL Team Fanfiction #Sonny Quinn #Lisa Davis #Savis #Sonny Quinn Fanfiction #Lisa Davis Fanfiction #Savis Fanfiction #Say You Won't Let Go #I Could Have Loved You #Chapter 4 #Beach #Fluff #Fanfic

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writingwitchly · 6 years

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The little loop

Pairing: Sirius Black x reader

Word count: 2k

Warning: sadness / mentions of war

A/N: So. SO. Soo. S O. The new Tumblr mobile actualization is being a total @#$%, school is asfixiating me, my sleepless hours keep getting worse, my brain isn’t helping, and I’m surrounded by t e n s i o n s, with a 105% of probabilities of receiving the whole bad mood discharge on my head... A real fun ride. Anyway, this is for @herondalesucks, cuz we need more sweet beans in this world and we should thank them when we meet any. Enjoy!

“Honestly,” you pant as you drop the grocery bags on the kitchen’s counter, “You didn’t miss anything too thrilling.”

The clinging cans and ripping of plastic fill up the silence that follows your remark, until your friend finally speaks up,

“Anything would be more thrilling that constantly looking at these same walls, Y/N.” Her head is bent over the rest of the shopping bags, but you can guess her sad expression by the off tone in her voice.

Yesterday, as Sirius and you attended a party at Marlene’s place, thinking about your redheaded friend’s comments if she had been there made the firewhisky’s usual burn bitter, and the same taste now invades your mouth after lying to her. The night was quite something. A moment of escape in the darkness of the actuality.

A little strangled sound coming from near the sink wakes you up from your reverie.

“Oh Lils…”

In a swift movement, your friend buries her face in the crook of your neck and, for the first time in years, she lets her feeling flow in salted water.

The Potters have been hiding for now exactly ten months, with the prohibition of participating to friend gatherings, Order missions, and any other type of outside trips -- including grocery shopping, which you’ve taken care of today as Batilda needed some rest.

For the energy balls that are Lily and James, this boredom is literally a synonym of long and painful death.

“Listen,” you whisper in her ear as you caress her flaming hair, “We’ll fix this, okay? Sirius and I will stay over tonight, so we can try to cook something special and then play some dare games.”

With a childish smile, she pulls away from her hideout, but still grasping to your waist as to life. “And can we build sheet-and-chairs forts and have a pillow fight and sing songs by the fireplace?”

“Of course,” you laugh, “Just like in the old days.”

Her heart a little lighter now, you decide to resume your emptying of the plastic bags, without much of a result as James storms in after a little while.

“Y/N!”

His rib crunching hug is worthy one of Hagrid’s, and it startles you the double as it comes from behind your back.

“Ow- James.” You pat his hands, and end up trying to get them off you.

“‘m so happy to see you,” he says excitedly, his tic of pushing his glasses up on his nose freeing you.

“Me too,” you breathe for air more than you say, red in the face.

The young man standing in front of you looks as clumsy as he did back in your teen years, which builds up his part of his charm, but you note some new seriousness deeply rooted in his eyes. It certainly is a consequence of having to deal with his responsibilities as an adult, then a husband, and finally a father, but you know for sure it is also the result of all you had to face right after getting out of your golden years, right after life as you knew it split into burning hell and awkward chaos.

“What are you two doing here? We’re waiting for you in the living room!” he asks.

“Well, we still have to…” His wife gestures toward the kitchen’s counter, where a considerable pile of food still waits to be stored in the cupboard.

You glance at her puffy eyes and the dark circles that underline them. It seems like all of the energy has been drained out of her body, which before was athletic and brisk, and now still is, but in an exhausted way. Her usual playful expression is just a shadow, a ghost that can be remembered only by those who have witnessed it in the past, and you’re not sure that her formerly joking voice can produce anything now but neutral comments or motherly encouragements.

Trying to ignore the feeling of pity that Lily would be ashamed to know she inspires you, you gently grab her wrist. “The cans won't fly away, Lils, let’s go.”

Still sniffing, but with her fine pink lips stretched in the attempt of a smile, the young woman nods.

As you turn toward the door, your mind registers a look of complicity traveling from her to her husband, but you don’t give it much importance. Couple things, you think. After all, you too have similar expressions sometimes.

“Where’s my little Harry?”

The living room, sunken in a semi-darkness when you arrived a while ago, is now lightened by reduced magical fireworks, much to the eleven-months-old baby’s amusement. Tiny fingers try to catch the bright glows, Harry’s young mind surely making up stories of its own to explain the bizarre shots of lights that he keeps failing to grab.

By the child’s side, on the carpet, Sirius lies on his abdomen, wand swirling to direct the fairy-like spots from his godson’s nose to the roof, and back. The huge grin of happiness plastered on his face, so different from the usual expression of worry that now accompanies him everywhere, tightens your chest. He keeps shouting at Harry, encouraging him to stretch higher to get to his goal, already teaching him the right attitude to face life. When the baby’s giggling convulsions involuntarily throw him off-balance, the man’s hand is there, always, to catch and steady him, which leads to more roaring guffaws and chirp-like laughter.

“Are you okay?”

Now, the roles are flipped: it’s Lily’s time to ask, and James’ turn to pat you.

Tears run down your cheeks, but you couldn’t place the emotion that generates them. Your heart is heavy with a mix of admiration for such a tender scene, for such a pure love. But also with the sight of your boyfriend playing with a baby -- a child that maybe, one day, you two will have the chance to mother too -- and acting like a father. And, unfortunately, the knowledge that this could happen outside, under a warm sun, in the green garden of a happy house, in a world at peace.

You used to think bitterly about having to fight at your young age, about seeing your dreams crush in the perspectives of suffering, about your colored horizon suddenly being replaced by a scale of dark, shapeless sorrow. But looking at Harry, at his pure green irises and his messy hair, you understand how much more he will have to face, growing in a world where innocence is replaced by uncertainty. How much braver he will have to be. And, even if you’re not a seer, even if you can’t declare prophecies like the one that links this infant’s path to that of evil and agony, you have the feeling that he will indeed be.

A warm chest pressed against your back causes your tensed muscles to relax, an exploit that only Sirius can achieve lately.

“Don’t cry, darling,” he whispers in your ear, “Or I might cry too.”

James and Lily take it as a joke, and chuckle a bit. So do you but, deep down, you sense truth in his words. This is a time when everybody, even the strongest, are susceptible of breaking down.

“I’m sorry,” you say gloomily, rubbing what’s left of the tears from your face.

Harry’s moans attract your attention, and you crouch down to take him in your arms, his naive wide eyes warming your interior.

“What do you guys think about putting Mr. Potter Junior to bed and cooking some pasta?” you ask between to pecks on the baby’s fleshy arms.

“Not yet.”

Not yet? You thought that Lily wanted to get a bit distracted.

“Yeah, not yet, Y/N,” her husband seconds her, scratching the back of his neck. “Harry still has a- mission to complete.”

“A mission, Harry?” you smile as you tickle the child’s belly. “What can it be?”

“You can tell Y/N now, Harry.” Sirius’ voice is warm and excited.

James starts shifting his weight from feet to feet, exaggeratedly beaming at you or his son, you can’t tell. “Come on, Harry, tell her to say yes.”

Even Lily seems affected by whatever got into the boys, because she repeats the Word yes over and over as she caresses the baby’s feet.

Harry’s innocent look bounces from each one of you to the next one -- probably not understanding what is going on, like me, you think -- until it finally comes back to his balled fist, which he starts munching.

Immediately, you are assaulted and the child is ripped from your arms.

“He’s going to swallow it!”

“Open his fist! Open it!”

“Don’t you- It’s not here!”

“Harry, spit!”

“Come on, Harry, listen to Daddy!”

“I told you this was the hell of a bad idea!”

In the agitation, neither of the three notices a small object falling on the floor. As you bend down to retrieve it, you distinct its silvery color in contrast with the red carpet. You take the little circle between two fingers and expose it to the light of the still moving fireworks.

Wait a minute: a circle?

“Sirius?”

Three heads jerk in your direction.

“Wha-”

“Surprise, darling.”

Everything, everything, in this moment is perfect. Your boyfriend’s goofy grin, his blushing cheeks, his glowing eyes, your friends’ relieved expressions, Harry’s bubbly drooling, and the little metallic jewel in your hand.

“Sirius, is this a marriage proposal?” you ask, feeling your skin prickle.

“Is this a yes?” he answers, as nervous as you are.

You’re grateful that nothing stands in the way, because you would have knocked out even a dozen of Death Eaters to get to him right now. Your body collides with his in a kiss that you hadn’t shared in a long time. It’s one of those passionate affection demonstrations you used to give each other in your first years as a couple, but that were now replaced by constantly covering each other’s back or worrying to death because of the other’s delay.

You feel his mint breath on your upper lip, and his teeth tugging your lower one. How long had it been since you last took the silky texture of his hair between your fingers? Apparently, he feels the same about the presence of his hands on your waist, as he hugs you tighter.

Your friends have the delicacy to look away until you two finish kissing, which takes so long that James rolls his eyes when you do. “There is a minor in the public.”

Lily pinches him with her free hand, and drags him toward the kitchen despite his waits and I want to see her say nos.

Your chest heaving up and down is on perfect synchrony with Sirius’, and your arms are still safely locked around his neck.

“You didn’t answer, darling.”

“Well, you didn’t properly ask, Black.”

He tries to suppress a smile, but fails.

How is it that you can still, and always, win?

“Fine.” His fingers softly force your hands open and grab the little cold loop from it. With a meticulous slowness and a wink that makes your heart melt, one of his knees reaches the ground, while the other, like his eyes, look up at your face. “Y/N L/N. To honor all the years of mutual love we have demonstrated each other, and still plan to do, would you grant me the-”

“Do you want to marry him or not?”

James’ intruding face quickly disappears back through the next room’s door frame, and through your giggling you hear Lily scolding him.

“Sirius Orion Black. It is with great pleasure that I-”

“Yes! She says yes!”

“James!”

“But Lily- If I hadn’t helped them, these two would still stealthily look at each other with fish eyes from the opposite corners of the room!”

“So would you if Y/N hadn’t stepped up!”

“What does this mean?”

“That they can handle their own thing by themselves.”

Ignoring their discussion, Sirius slides the shiny ring on your finger, enjoying the sight of it.

“Ready to become a Black, Y/N?”

“I’ve always been, Sirius.”

Permanent tag list: @miss-nerd0905 @funnymrspotter @obsessionsandothersandmore @daytodayfun @electraheart-isdead @laurenslines

Sirius tag list: @glitteryfreakslimeegg

#Sirius Black #sirius black fanfic #sirius x reader #sirius black imagine #sirius black one shot #sirius black x reader #marauders era #marauders #hp #hp fanfic #hp fanfiction #hp fic #marauders imagine #jily #***writingr

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luane-horlis · 6 years

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Ok so, what we are making this evening is Balsamic Chicken Caprese, aka The Best Shit I’ve Made In My Life. This recipe is something I found easily online, so feel free to ignore this cuz it ain’t like I’m posting something monumental. Please excuse how bad some of my pictures are, my phone is a piece of shit.

Ingredients: - chicken parts of your preferred type. I usually use boneless, skinless breasts. The recipe as I printed it calls for skinless, bone-in thighs. Use whichever segment of the chicken is your favorite. - cherry tomatoes, as much as you want. I used one pint. - 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar - 2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar - 2 tbsp minced garlic - 1 ball of mozzarella or Italian cheese of your choice - I use a pre-sliced ball of mozz for ease. - 1 tsp dried basil* - 1 tsp dried oregano* - salt and pepper to taste - fresh basil, amount of your choice *you can substitute the basil and oregano with an Italian seasoning mix if you need to

We begin: Firstly, this recipe calls for a pan that can go from stovetop to oven, so a cast iron skillet or something similar. I have a cast iron dutch oven that I use. However, if you don’t have something like this you can start off in a non-stick pan and move to a glass casserole dish or other oven safe dish. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

If you’re using chicken with skin-on, I recommend browning that shit a bit in a hot, oiled pan on the stovetop. Get the outside nice and crispy with a touch of oil, then remove. Since I didn’t use skin-on chicken, I can jump to the next step. Season the chicken with the basil and oregano (or Italian seasoning) and salt and pepper to taste.

If you browned the chicken, drain your pan til you have about a tablespoon worth of oil or chicken fat left. If you didn’t brown, add some oil til you reach said tablespoon. Add the minced garlic and fry til that shit smells good.

Don’t step away too long - I almost burnt this shit because I was too busy taking pictures of the next step. Once you’ve got some nicely browned and fried garlic, add the 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar and the brown sugar.

Again, don’t step away too long or this might burn. Bring it to a simmer and stir semi-often, until it thickens into a nice glaze. Once the vinegar darkens and the texture turns kind of goopy, you’re there.

Turn off the burner and remove your pan from the heat. If you’re using a not oven safe pan, pour the glaze from whatever you’re using into the oven safe dish. Either way, once the glaze is in whatever you’re gonna bake your chicken in, slap those chicken parts in and give it a toss in the glaze to coat it. You might need to use a spoon to ensure your chicken is nicely coated. Rinse the cherry tomatoes (and pick out the rotting ones that have cropped up because you planned on making this dish much earlier in the week but Things Happened) and dump them into the pan, giving them a toss to coat as well.

Stick that bih into your well preheated 400 degree F oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. Now is a prime time to open another beer, as I did. Tonight’s drink of choice is Brooklyn Bel Air Sour, which wasn’t actually that sour but was pleasantly fruity. Be sure to use your favorite shark bottle opener.

When 15 minutes is up, flip the chicken and re-coat it and the tomatoes with the glaze in the bottom of the pan. Resist the urge to eat because this shit be smelling fan-fucking-tastic at this point. You don’t want to risk the salmonellas. Here’s now mine was after 15 minutes.

Place back in the oven for 15 more minutes. Select the tv show/movie/video you will watch while you gorge yourself. Suffer while you smell the deliciousness. Oh shi- 15 minutes is up! Take out your pan and flip the chicken again, and baste again, if you want. I do this purely because it makes me feel like I’m cooking a fancier meal than I am.

Oh yeah, look at that shit. Nicely browned, a deep black sauce. Now is a good time to use a meat thermometer - stick it in the thickest piece of chicken to make sure you’ve hit 165 degrees F i.e. the chicken is safe to eat temp. You should be there by now, but if not continue baking in 5 minute intervals until you are. Next, cover each piece of chicken with slices of your chosen cheese, as I said I used a pre-sliced mozzarella ball. I shop at walmart, so I certainly hope you can find something similar at your local grocer.

Put this back into the oven for 5 minutes, and while it bakes get your fresh basil and prepare to chiffonade that shit. A chiffonade is when you make a little bundle of herbs and slice it into strips. Take the basil leaves and roll them together, I try to put the biggest leaf on the bottom to make a herb burrito.

Roll that little herb burrito up tightly, take a sharp knife, and cut it into thinnish strips, like so. Only do this really close to serving. The bruising caused by chopping up the basil is what we’re aiming for - optimal flavor release.

Now, I fuckin love basil. I think it is delicious. I think I used 2/3rds of this pile of basil while my partner used 1/3rd, and we each only ate a single piece of chicken. You slice up as much or little as you want. I grow my own basil specifically to make this dish, but I’ve also found it in the produce area at walmart. To me the basil is a big draw of this recipe but I’m sure if you don’t really like it, you can leave it off entirely. By now our cheese should be well melted.

Oh yeah, look at that sweet, sexy bitch. To finish it off, turn your oven to broil to caramelize that cheese. Now I have to stress before you do this: go pee, kiss your pookie, pause the movie that might distract you, return that text; your full attention must be available because the single second you’re distracted the cheese will go from nicely bubbly and toasted to burnt as fuck in no time flat. Seriously, stay in the kitchen. Check it every 30 seconds. I used this time to prep the veggie we’d be eating as a side, which is up to you. We made cheesy broccoli, just because it was what we had in the freezer.

Oh, I also took the time to pour a tasty beverage from a local cidery into our favorite pint glasses. It’s all about the pairings, fam. Oh shit, don’t forget to keep an eye on that-

Ugggghhhh look, look at those perfect, toasted bubbles. This bitch is ready. Be careful because it’s also screaming hot. Plate yourself a piece of delicious chicken and make sure to take some tomatoes and spoon out the delicious balsamic glaze. Be sure to top it with your desired amount of basil.

Final step: garnish with fresh basil (if you so choose) and inhale that sweet, sweet deliciousness which you have been coveting for the last 40 mins. Please make a side dish to go with it tho, this is entirely protein and won’t stick with you long without some carbs or a veggie.

That is the end of my very favorite recipe. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I always do! I’d literally eat this until I died without ever getting sick of it.

If you want more of that delicious balsamic gaze for serving: simply combine another 2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar with 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar in a hot pan until you reach the goopy stage, and congrat, you made some more glaze.

Now please excuse me, I need to go be a full, fat blob on the couch.

#drunk cooking #recipe #balsamic chicken caprese #I go splode now

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the-firebird69 · 3 years

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Watch "The Hobbit (2013) - Battle of the five Armies - Part 2 - Only Action [4K]" on YouTube

youtube

There's some pretty big lies going on in this movie that's the battle that's been redone and you can tell when you look at the computer it's not hard to see an Azog gets very mad, but CA doesn't want to point out how much of it because it gets the max going to try more

Thor Freya

I appreciate it but it looks bad it looks abysmal it's not really I don't do that badly and then it really win that well it's kind of a draw all the time and we're having a lot of fun tonight because we went out there and try to defend ourselves they just pissed off I also noticed something he said it too and Max say it they just let the bottle sit there it might actually explode they're pretty good bombs and I might have blown up us or killed us all and capacity of us and we burn so I threw it out and you're right there asking for it and I hit my own car which happens to be his as well that burned for a while so it was kind of mad he's not it's just defending my life and I had to but it's kind of a car that has a lot of nostalgia they forced me to do that too on top of it it may have been Hera riding inside it or efficiently thereof and nobody knows who she really is it could have been Mary who shrinks or Mary's mom all this ex-wife but he says it's definitely Hera cuz she doesn't let me do anything like that for real for the most part there's some close calls and kissing and things that were illegal she says illegal I'd say real too but she's first and having me say it. So cut them off before it goes on and on with the history I have with it is with Wendy and she's a big girl and her son get confused a little bit because his grandma is huge too about the same size actually some point she looks like that a little bit I said laughing because it was real I thought it was pulling my leg the same physique is different his grandma's ass is just gigantic and nasty and she has a figure Wendy does and he's looked at her before but he looked at the same way you're small and she came here she's huge he's wondering if it's a bold version or not and I am too because that's quite a change she looks like s*** down here not really sure why probably should look into that everybody looks white and gray it says it might be poisoned they're trying to poison us all the time so it's in the water and the air so go look at that and I think he's right and that and I might be actually gases because the ground moving around that could be it too and or doping of certain kind will make your skin look like that and some kind of necromancing so getting off is saying it's probably all that when I say is it's probably something that's the majority of it here in Florida people drink the water and they die they don't do anything about it and send vegetables and plants and everything really radiation down there it looks like it could be radiation is it going into a mine that's probably really active that should be a very taste you really see it because radiation does cause that look it's like real simple get yourself a whole bunch of drinks with sodium or something you need to do it like for one day you can schedule so I did that I got real hot I sit down and also they know something we are massively already and he doesn't know why I don't know why either

Azog

what are you talking about here this war or radiation and since the important cuz man we look like hell down there in a slow and kind of moist and stuff from saltwater it's like the other way around so you can over radiate the second oversaw and it's probably true and that you're eating corky and sick as hell gross but no not eating corky this is sick so trying to figure out what it is and all the cities is usually the water is contaminated it's very easy to use salt you can actually mix it with salt water you don't have for the available supply assault and you got to clean it after that though so we're going to try and do that so I tried it a little already and it works everybody is starting to turn normal color that's so weird they like you don't want too much salt you become weaklings

Bolge

#Youtube

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bubblesthemonsterartist · 6 years

Note

Is it too late to ask for a rare pair? :3 Cuz I want some HCs for "Shirayuki X Torou" I think they'll make a deadly combo. A woman skilled in assassination and her partner equally good with herbs. Together they take up contracts to rescue/kill. One uses her potions and poisons while the other, her expertise in weapons. On top of that, they both are attractive and seduction is a lady's best weapon 😉 What are your thoughts???

How about a fic instead? :3

Authors note: Because we steal from each other like sisters do (and because she :3 :3 :3′d, BUT CONSIDERED me when I told her what I was working on), if you would like more with this particular backstory (but with more Obi!), please visit here.

She’s not unique, she knows this. She has nothing but feet and palms to cower across the dusty earth; steals breath as fallen children must. She will never reach higher than she can grow. And yet she stares upon golden spires reaching towards the celestial heavens. Her teeth ache to taste their splendor.

“Torou! Hurry!”

~ ~ ~

“…and then he was gone. No words, no notes. Just-” she trails off, fingers wringing inside sweaty palms, head bowed over soft words and a softer heart.

Torou blinks slowly, seat braced to the nailed down desk as the ship sways. That’s it? Obi left without saying goodbye?

“He’s good at that.”

The steel in the girl solidifies down her spine, heading snapping up to burn her with eyes that glitter like fire scorched emerald.

“Obi wouldn’t just leave,” she says, so passionate, so sure.

It is said that Atar Wat does not bless the unclean, but sometimes Obi makes her wonder.

~ ~ ~

It’s the third day that she has come back to the creche, hands emptier than her crechemaster would like.

It’s the third day that Kosal slanted his eyes away from her, sent her away without a bowl of rice to curb her hunger. She huffs, stomping away.

Now she would have to waste even more time in the morning begging from the cart merchants.

When she crawls into her cubby hole, stomach gnawing it’s way towards her throat, scorpions are waiting.

~ ~ ~

Torou’s eyes slide away, poking her nose into the pile of books at the girl’s disposal. My, my- her eyes flicker over sketches of plants- what ever would a healer need with a tome of poisons?

“I need help,” she whispers fiercely, the creek of timbers nearly drowning her voice. “I need someone that knew him from before. Someone that might know how to find him- maybe even convince him to come back.”

Torou raises an eyebrow. “What makes you think that I can reason with a stray dog?”

“He’s not-” She catches herself, hands flexing into open air; she gentles her voice. “He’s my friend. Strays don’t have homes.”

~ ~ ~

“Do you know what would happen to you out there without me, little one?” he whispers, voice make of nightfall and secrets. Fingers band around ankle and pinch where the poison is thickest. It pours out of the wound like boiled honey.

“I would die,” she simpers, hating her voice, hating how she couldn’t even avoid this.

“That’s right,” he hums, drawing venom from her thigh. She bites into filthy cloth, dirt staining her tongue. “You would die.”

~ ~ ~

“People like Obi…” Torou thumbs through page after page, eyes glazing over Clariness letters, “they don’t live as long as they do by staying in one place. Putting down roots makes the body heavy. Attaching yourself to people clouds the mind.”

“That’s not true.”

Torou’s eyes snap up, and this girl, this- this woman who would be his Mistress- sits before her like a Priestess, speaking as if her words could bend the shape of reality.

“What do you know?”

“Not much.” Her voice has taken on that gentle, weak quality once again. Torou would have her sit up straight, have her demand the gods pay heed. “The guards said his mother came to the gates to speak with him, and-” she bites her lip. “Obi never said he had a family. I always thought he was alone.”

~ ~ ~

Wakefulness is sudden and harsh, her body sliding against floorboards until it lands on hard earth.

She wheezes, air knocked from her lungs.

When she looks up, eyes still hot and dizzy from the poison, it’s still dark.

Four sets of eyes stare down at her, all golden and sharp.

“Get up,” Atith smiles. “You’re going out with us tonight.”

~ ~ ~

Torou’s voice is sardonic, even to her own ears. “Did you think he was abandoned as a pup?”

The silence that follows is heavy with censure and it’s almost - almost - enough to make her want to apologize for telling her the truth.

Torou closes the book with a heavy snap.“Honestly, I don’t know how you expect to pull him out if you’re just going to say pretty words.”

The healer’s eyes narrow. “You know where he is.”

Her lips twitch.

~ ~ ~

“Come, children,” Kosal beckons, sneering down into the courtyard of Atta Khar. “Look.”

Torou arches her neck to better see and immediately recoils. Kosal’s dry and weathered hand grips her hair, forces her to look on.

She’s never seen so much blood.

“And they say we are the animals.”

~ ~ ~

Of course she had heard rumors. The Wati amongst these cold, winter lands were spread thin, thinner the further away from the sun they ran, but there was no denying the way the air changed when a hungry wolf prowled in their forest.

The healer will not look away.

“Tell me,” Torou smiles, a slow easy thing. “What do you know about before?”

~ ~ ~

She is the fastest and the smallest in her creche. She must go first.

Torou moves fast through the rain of blood, slipping under hands here, dodging the silver streak of a sword there.

There are so many of them.

This isn’t how they described it. They hadn’t told her about the smell - they never mentioned the sounds.

Her hands won’t stop shaking when they land on the lock.

“Torou, hurry!”

~ ~ ~

“If it is… her,” Torou’s voice seizes, a thrill of - what was it? fear? terror? respect? - running down her spine. “If he is with her, he won’t come back.”

Her face flushes, angry and red like a painted icon. “He will.”

Torou’s lungs feel tight, past mixing with her present until she is not sure which is real. “As you say.”

“It sounds to me like he’s been drugged,” she nods, more to herself than her audience. “I can fix that.”

Torou stares.

~ ~ ~

The knife stings where it lay across her throat.

“Stop messing around!” she hisses, panic tight in her throat. Already the other three have fallen. “Kosal is waiting!”

“I won’t be shown up by the runt of the litter,” Atith spits, yanking the coin from her hands. The bag rips, the clatter of spilling gold echoing against the walls.

“Now look what you did!” he booms, and the knife digs in deeper.

Torou turns into the cut, feels the heat drip down her neck, and lands her boot hard against his knee. The crack is almost louder than his scream. When he lands hard on the floor, the bones of his hand snap under her heel.

~ ~ ~

“Please,” she says, taking her hand in both palms. It is startling how one with such a gentle voice could have skin that is so rough. “There are people waiting for him that miss him.” She takes a breath. “I miss him. I just want to bring him home.”

She has to wonder after all these years if she’s getting soft. If some of those sentimental feelings that she always worried would kill her have finally come to do the job. But-

But she can see why Obi had followed at this one’s heels for so long.

~ ~ ~

She’s not unique, she knows this. She has nothing but feet and palms to cower across the dusty earth; steals breath as fallen children must. She will never reach higher than she can grow.

And yet she stares upon the coin on the ground, round and yellow and stained with blood like the eyes of the most damned among them, and wonders-

She wonders if there is more than this.

Kosal appears, surveying the death as if it were a garden display. His eyes sweep the room, landing on Atith’s body laid out on the ground before her. Takes in her bloody clothes. Atith’s knife in her hand.

And smiles.

“Torou,” he pats the side of his leg, turning his back on her, “hurry.”

~ ~ ~

“I guess I owe him one. If not a few,” she sighs at the ceiling. She looks over at the little Mistress and nods, her words sealing a contract that may as well promise her death. “Okay. I’ll help you.”

Her smile is almost payment enough.

~ ~ ~

The wind is filled with salt and ice. It bites at him, nipping into flesh and sinking deeper into an empty belly.

You’ve gone soft. You forgot what hunger means.

Tetva hums, leaning back against the taffrail. She traces the edge of his blade, twirls it easily between her fingers. Obi doubts he could do that now. His own hands are as numb as the vacant feeling in his chest.

“Okay, I’ll help you.”

The words float up from the open cabin window and Tetva turns on him, her smile sharper than a knife’s edge.

“Did you hear that, little monster?” she reaches out, grabs the back of his neck like a bitch does her wayward pup, and tugs. “Your friends think you can be saved.”

Her nails bite into his throat and he remembers what it means to bleed.

#bubbleswrites #so #consider this kinda pre-relationship?#i have this horrible necessity to BUILD and PLOT ^_^#enjoy a nibble!#shirayuki #torou #rare pair series #manika-on-a-whim #200 followers prompts

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whereisthefood123 · 7 years

Text

Gajevy-AU Romance through Bachata

So, this is my first time participating in the Gajevy week and I'm super excited about it. I would love to get some feedback on my writting. The inspiration for this story came from my best friend who went through something similar to what Levy will go through in this story.

Hope you like it!

Summary: Modern-AU Levy flies to Cancun, wishing to relax and have fun there. Faith gets her meeting Cana which introduces her to her crazy friends, one of which captures Levy's heart instantly. The night has many surprises for the blunette and for her new person of interest. Drinks, dances and a bonfire at the beach is the perfect set for love to bloom. Especially when Gajeel teaches Levy how to dance bachata and sparks fly all around them.

Words: 8,022

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail characters or the song "Propuesta indecente" by Romeo Santos (put that on youtube when Gajeel starts to sing [because obviously I needed to put Gajeel singing sexy spanish lyrics])

Fanfiction.net

"Urgh! I can't believe them!" a furious Levy exclaimed while closing her hotel room's door quite roughly. Said room was being shared with 3 of her closest friends from the university's book club.

The four girls had agreed to go in a vacation after the semester ended and bought their tickets to go to Cancun, one of the most popular beaches in Mexico. The original plan was to have fun and get a little crazy after the stress of the exams. Well, that's what Levy thought was the original plan.

Once they got into the airplane to go from Austin to Cancun, Trish, Sasha and Clem rounded up on Levy and told her they were going to play nice and not go out to nightclubs or bars. Levy's jaw hung down a little bit in disbelief. All she had been looking for in this trip was to have fun and have couple of drinks and maybe meet new people, but her friends had a completely different idea about what a vacation in Cancun meant.

She had hoped that maybe once arriving to the hotel and seeing the beautiful beach that was just around the corner of their hotel, her friends would change their minds. She had been so wrong…

After having lunch at the hotel's all-you-can-eat buffet, her three friends decided to go and take a nap. Levy suggested going to the beach and relaxing under the sun, but they just refused saying that they didn't wanted to get sunburn. Really?! You fly all the way to Cancun and you don't want to get sunburn! Levy almost yelled at them but decided to let it slide. Maybe after sleeping a little bit, they would be in a better mood to go out and explore the city. Wrong again.

After the 2 hour nap, Clem turned on the TV to find that there was a Harry Potter marathon, to which Sasha and Trish got super excited and settled down on their beds to watch the TV. Levy ignored them and decided to go for a walk at the beach all by herself. Maybe they'll get bored and we'll go out to a bar later tonight she thought. Wrong!

When she came back to the hotel room, it was past 8 pm and the sun had long hid behind the horizon. Levy steeled herself to try to convince her friends to go for, at least, one drink at the hotel's bar. They obviously refused, saying that they were too tired and that there was still two more films before the marathon ended.

That's when Levy snapped. She locked herself in the bathroom and took a quick shower. She then put on her night black dress and arranged her blue curls in a messy high ponytail with a thin black headband holding up the loose strands that tried to cover her face. She applied a little bit of makeup on her face and sprayed her neck with her favorite perfume. She gave herself a quick look in the mirror and decided she was ready to go.

When she got out of the bathroom, her friends stared at her in confusion on why she had prettied up for. "Well, even if you don't want to go out, I do! So I'm heading to the hotel's bar. Don't wait up on me" Levy stated with a posture that emanated confidence. She grabbed her black 5-inch heels along with her purse and walked out the door. Her friends called after her, telling her it was dangerous to go out alone and that she shouldn't go, but Levy was beyond the point of listening them.

Which takes us to where this story began.

"Urgh! I can't believe them!" Levy put on her heels and hastily walked up to the elevator that would take her to the first floor. She was beyond furious! All she wanted to do was to let loose a little bit, but her friends were just too tied up!

Even when Levy wasn't a frequent drinker, she felt the urge to drown her frustration in alcohol.

Once she got to the first floor of the building, she made a beeline to the bar's counter and sat down on one of the empty stools. She propped her elbows on the bar and covered her face with her hands, groaning in frustration. She didn't noticed the strange look the brunette sitting to the right was giving her.

"Tough night, eh?" she said while sipping beer from her mug.

"You have no idea" Levy snorted and looked up to her side to acknowledge the woman. She saw a tall slender woman with brown hair, wearing a red bikini top and tight black jeans. Levy suddenly felt a little self-conscious when she noticed the huge breasts of the brunette and she made an effort not to cover her small chest with her hands.

The woman smiled down to her and extended her hand, which Levy took in hers. "Cana Alberona"

"Levy McGarden" she replied. Then, Cana pulled Levy's hand forward, reached down and kissed Levy's right cheek. Levy pulled back blushing intensely at the gesture. She was just trying to be friendly but maybe this girl was looking for something else that Levy couldn't give her.

Cana cackled loudly. "Yer not from around, right?" Levy shook her head from side to side saying 'no' which earned her another loud laugh from the brunette "That's how we say 'hi' here in Mexico. Don't freak out about it"

Levy smiled at her explanation and laughed nervously "Sorry. Yeah, I just got here today"

"Well, let's give you a proper welcome" Cana exclaimed before downing her beer in one swift motion. Then, she jumped to the other side of the counter and ducked behind it. She grabbed two shot glasses and a tequila bottle from under the bar, she prepared two lime slices with salt, one for Levy and the other one for herself, and finally placed everything on top of the counter.

"So, we are going to play a little game now" Cana said while pouring tequila on the glasses. "Basically, it goes like this. Ya tell a story about anything that happened ta ya and I'll try to guess if it's true or false. If I'm right, ya drink, if not, I drink. Then, I'll tell a story and you try to guess and so on until someone calls it quits. What da ya say?"

Levy took a moment to think about the proposition. It looked like fun and this Cana girl seemed friendly. "Alright, then. You go first" Levy grabbed her lime and her tequila shot. Cana nodded in agreement.

"Okay. So, one time a guy tried to beat me at a drinking contest. After the 20th mug of beer the guy collapsed on the floor, completely wasted and he had to pay for my tab. He ended up paying for 60 drinks in total: he drank 20; I drank 40" Cana said and laughed loudly at the memory of that night.

"Oh, God! That's totally unrealistic! I'll say it's false" Levy said with confidence. She didn't believe there would be someone capable of drinking that much.

"Take the shot. 'Cuz it's totally true!" Cana cackled and Levy grimaced at the taste of the tequila going down her throat. "Lime, lime!" Cana signaled her to bite the lime with salt to ease the taste of the alcohol in her mouth.

Levy shivered but then felt warmth spreading in her chest and up to her cheeks. She laughed while Cana filled up her shot with more tequila. "Really? 40 beer mugs?! That has to be a world record"

"Haha! Not really, just one typical night-out" Cana winked "Okay, now it's yer turn"

Levy hummed and touched her lips with her index finger, thinking on a good story. "One time, a guy dumped me because he said he couldn't go out with a girl who could insult him in at least seven different languages. He said that it would be embarrassing whenever I spoke with a foreigner and he wouldn't know whether I was making fun of him or just indicating where the bathroom was"

Cana laughed again. "No way! Yeah, men are fucking scumbags but 7 languages? Yer what? 19? Ain't possible for ya to know 7 languages already. I say false"

Levy grinned "Actually, I'm 22, but thanks. And I happened to be fluent in more than seven languages and my story is totally true! So it's your turn to drink. ¡Salud! (transl. Cheers!)" Levy said and gestured to Cana to down her tequila shot.

The brunette laughed "Man, 7 languages, really? ¡Y hablas español! (transl. And you speak Spanish!)"

Levy giggled "Así es mi amiga (transl. That's right my friend). I'm still learning though"

"Ha! I definitely need to introduce ya to my friends. I have a hunch they'll love ya! Especially Lucy" Cana said and raised her shot "For ya, Levy McGarden. The woman that can tell a man in seven different languages to fuck off" Cana downed her drink with expertise and Levy laughed at the praise.

"I mean it, eh! If ya have no plans, we're going to a nightclub and then to the beach. Wanna tag along?" Cana filled up her glass with more tequila.

"Sure! Why not? Besides, my friends just ditched me to stay in our room watching TV"

"Ha! Too bad for them. They'll miss all the fun. Cheers for an amazing night!" Cana raised her glass again and it clinked against Levy's. The girls downed their shots and with one last bite of her lime, Levy took her purse and looked at Cana.

"Hey Cana, how much is it going to be for the drinks?"

"How would I know? I don't work here" Cana shrugged her shoulders and put away their shot glasses and the tequila bottle.

"Wait! What?!" Levy shrieked.

"Alberona! Get the fuck away from my booze!" a man shouted from the far end of the counter. The bar had been so crowded that none of the bartenders seemed to have notice Cana on their side of the counter, filling up tequila shots and handing them to Levy, free-of-charge.

"Shit! Make a run for it!" Cana jumped over the counter and grabbed Levy's hand.

"What?!" Levy repeated in a high pitch tone and scrambled out of her stool to rush to the front door with Cana. "Wait a sec" she told the brunette and then leaned on the outside wall of the hotel to take off her shoes. There was no way they would escape with her running in her 5-inch heels.

They resumed their run until they were a couple blocks away from the hotel. Levy sat down on a bench to recover her breath and Cana started to laugh loudly "That was fun! Ha!"

"That wasn't funny! I thought you worked there!" Levy frowned angrily at the brunette

"I never said I did" She laughed again and Levy couldn't hold on to her anger and started giggling as well. "Come on, Lev. I'm meeting with my friends in the next corner"

Levy hesitated for a second. She didn't knew this girl that well to follow her blindly. As far as she knew, Cana could be a mass murderer that was taking her to an alleyway where she'll stab her to dead. Maybe Levy had been watching too many 'Criminal Minds' episodes as of recently. Besides, the alternative to follow Cana was just too depressing. Returning to her room when it wasn't even midnight didn't sound like fun at all.

With a deep breath, Levy decided to trust Cana and followed her. What could go wrong?

"Guys! Let me introduce ya to Levy. Levy, these are my friends. They aren't as crazy as they look like, but I wouldn't get too close to Natsu if you want yer dress to keep from catching on fire" That's how Cana introduced Levy to the peculiar group of six people.

After the awkwardness of being greeted with kisses on her right cheek by complete strangers subsided, Levy started to chat with one of the girls of the group, finding a lot in common with her. She introduced herself as Lucy, a college student who wanted to publish her own novel, and soon enough the two girls started to talk non-stop about books and Levy's fascination with reading.

The rest of the group was very interesting indeed and soon Levy found herself comfortable walking with all of them towards a nightclub at the end of the street. At the front of the group, Juvia, a fashion design student, clung with both her arms to Gray, a professional hockey player. Lucy explained that she met both of them three days prior and that they- well, Gray actually, flew to Cancun for his two-week vacations and Juvia just followed him.

Behind them, Natsu, a backpacker who just travelled all the way up from South America, yelled something at Gray about him being an 'ice princess' and taunting him into a fight. Lucy told Levy that Natsu was something akin to a pyromaniac and that in the four days that she had hang out with him, he had managed to set half of Lucy's skirts on fire.

At the rear of the group, Cana was chatting up with Lily, a pilot who just recently graduated from flight school. Even with his big body, Lily seemed to be quite a nice person, sending off a warmth aura around him. Not at all like the last guy that completed the group.

His name is Gajeel. Well, that's what Lily had called him when he scolded him for glaring at Levy when Cana introduced her to the group. The first thing Levy noticed was his toned body and when he crossed his arms over his chest, Levy started to wonder if his black shirt was about to tear apart from the strain his big muscles put on the fabric. Then, she noticed his piercings and she couldn't stop herself when she started to count them in her mind: three above each of his eyes where his eyebrows were supposed to be, two on each side of his nose, two below his lower lip, five on each ear and four studs on each forearm. The third thing about this man that caught Levy's attention were his eyes. Red ruby orbs seemed to pierce into her soul when she crossed her gaze with his. When she realized she had been staring at him for longer than meant to, Levy forced her gaze away from him, blushing from embarrassment at her obviously ogling the man. It didn't go unnoticed by Gajeel who snickered and said "Like what ya see, shortstuff?" That caused her face to flush even more from embarrassment but she managed to make it look like it was out of anger at the nickname.

Gajeel was walking beside Lily, seemingly not interested at all in the conversation between him and Cana, and Levy couldn't help to look over her shoulder directing her eyes to him. There was something incredibly fascinating about this man. Out of everyone from the group, Levy knew the least about him and it just helped to peek up her curiosity. Cana told her that both Lily and Gajeel were also Mexicans and that's as far as she knew about Gajeel. She wondered about him more and more, why does he have so many piercings? What does he like to do? What are his dreams? Levy's mind started to race with lots and lots of questions about the mysterious man that she craved to know more and more. Especially because when she had crossed her eyes with his, her heart started to beat faster in her chest and her stomach did a funny flip that almost got her giggling like a high school girl. Almost. Levy would burn all her books and eat the ashes before she was caught giggling and fawning like a high schooler over some guy. Even when that guy looked like he had been chiseled by gods. Even when his smirk was so goddamn sexy that-

"A picture lasts longer" he said in his gruff voice. Shit! She had been caught staring at him, again. She turned her gaze to the front of the group and tried to ignore the booming laugh he let out at her expense. It hadn't even been more than 15 minutes since she had met the guy and he somehow had managed to embarrass her twice.

His laughing subsided with a loud slap to the back of his head, courtesy of Lily. "Hey! What was that for, Lil'?"

"Come on, Gajeel, play nice" Lily chided.

"Try to flirt like a normal person fer once, Stud Face" Cana commented.

"O-Oi! I ain't flirting!" he exclaimed and Levy could swear she heard his embarrassment in his voice.

She didn't dare to look back, unless she risked to be caught once again staring at him. Instead, Levy looked at Lucy who was on her right and she saw the blonde looking back and smirking. Then, she turned back to Levy and whispered in her ear "He's blushing." Levy giggled and finally took a quick glance at the black haired man that was truthfully blushing while glaring at both Lily and Cana.

Levy had to admit that Gajeel looked cute when flustered. So long, this night seemed to be getting even better.

"So Levy, had ya ever dance bachata before?" Cana asked but Levy barely managed to hear her from all the noise inside the nightclub.

They managed to get inside and secure a table for themselves, which was now full of empty glasses and mugs, mostly thanks to Cana. When the DJ started to play a random bachata song, Juvia convinced/dragged Gray to dance with her on the dance floor. Natsu somehow saw that as a challenge and grabbed Lucy walking quickly to where the other two were. Now, Cana, Lily, Gajeel and Levy were the only ones sitting at the table.

Levy couldn't help but stare at the dance floor, watching all the people dancing. It was a smooth dance, sexy, fiery and so alluring to the eyes of the blue haired girl. It was as if the couples were flirting with their bodies; eyes locked between both of them, girls swaying their hips sexily, guys holding the girls so close to their bodies that they even looked like puzzle pieces fitting together and moving around like one. She couldn't suppress the sudden desire to dance like that, to have someone holding her like she was the sexiest woman in the world, to have someone looking at her like she was the only thing that matter at that moment.

Levy snapped her head back to Cana when she felt her place her hand over her shoulder. "Geez! Stop drooling all over the table. If ya want to dance so bad, go for it" she said louder and closer to Levy's ear so she could hear her.

Levy blushed and laughed sheepishly "Even if I wanted, I can't. I don't know how to dance like that" she pointed to a guy that twirled the girl around and when she was about to get out of his reach, he moved to catch her hand and pulled her back to him.

"Ha! That ain't a problem! Ya see, Lily here is the best teacher ever and Gajeel is quite a good dancer himself when he's not brooding" Cana pointed out to each of them.

"I heard ya, Drunkard!" Gajeel yelled at her over the loud music.

"That was the point, Stud Face! Ha!" Cana turned back to Lily then "Hey Lil', could ya teach Levy the basics of bachata?"

"Sure!" Lily stood up and extended his hand to Levy, which she took eagerly. She was so excited to learn this type of dance. They didn't walk all the way up to the dance floor since it would be easier for Levy to learn in a less crowded space. So, they just took a couple steps away from their table and prepared for dancing.

"Okay, you just follow my lead, alright?" Lily held Levy's right hand in his left and placed his right hand on the small of her back. Levy placed her left hand on Lily's bicep and nodded at him.

Looking down at their feet, Levy tried to follow each of Lily's movements. She took two steps for each sway they did, trying to copy what Lily was doing with his own feet. It didn't matter if it was right, left, back or front; two steps needed to be taken and the direction of the sway was decided by Lily. Still, sometimes she tried to guess where the next sway was directed to and ended up stepping on Lily's foot once or twice... or thrice.

Gajeel laughed loudly whenever Lily would reach down to rub at his almost-impaled foot. Levy felt embarrassed each time and apologized profusely to Lily.

After several attempts on dancing, Levy gave up before she would break any of Lily's toes with her heels. They walked back to the table and sat down with Cana and Gajeel.

Cana patted Levy on her back sympathetically "Don't worry, Lev. No one nails it in the first try" Levy just groaned in annoyance at her clumsiness.

"Hey! I know! Why don't ya try dancing with Gajeel?" Cana suggested and an evil plan started to formulate in her mind.

"Huh? And why him?" Levy asked confusedly.

"Well, he taught Juvia how to dance and as you can see she became quite good at it" Cana pointed to Juvia who was dancing like a professional with Gray. Levy's jaw hung loose in astonishment "Ha! Who could guess that just last night she learned how to do that?"

"What?! She's that good after just one night?!" Levy turned to look at Cana to see if she was bluffing.

"That's right! I tell ya, if anyone can teach you how to dance bachata is Gajeel" Cana said proudly and then turned to shout at Gajeel "Oi, Stud Face! How about ya try to teach Levy how to dance, eh?"

"Eh?! And why the hell would I do that?"

"Well, Levy over here thinks that there's no way ya can be a better dancer or teacher than Lily. I told her ya are and we bet that if ya two can dance one song without her stepping on your foot, she'll pay for the next round of drinks. If ya fail, I'll pay for it. What da ya say?" Levy wailed her hands in front of Cana's face asking her to stop. The brunette gave a quick glance at Gajeel's angry expression and then leaned down to whisper in Levy's ear "Don't worry. He heard nothing about the bet. The idiot always hates when we tell him Lily can best him at anything. Men are so predictable, ha!" she winked.

"So Studds, are ya in or what?" Cana asked Gajeel.

"There's no way in hell Lily can be better than me!" Gajeel roared and stood up angrily "Come on, Shrimp! Time for ya to learn how to dance!" he hauled Levy by her hand up to the dance floor.

"¿Qué estás tramando ahora, Cana? (transl. Cana, what are you scheming up now?)" Lily asked when he scooted closer to the brunette to have a better sight of the two new dancers approaching the dance floor.

"Nada, pero te apuesto una ronda de shots que se besan antes de volver a la mesa (transl. Nothing, but I bet ya the next round of shots that they'll kiss before coming back to the table)" The brunette said and extended her hand to Lily.

"Doblo tu apuesta a que se besan hasta el final de la noche (transl. I double your bet that they'll kiss by the end of the night)" Lily grabbed Cana's hand to seal their deal. Their eyes returned to the two persons involved in their bet.

"Gajeel! Wait a sec, I'm gonna fall!" Levy yelled at him but she was ignored by the big man who kept dragging her to the middle of the dance floor. He stopped when he found an empty space in the dance floor and turned around to hold her the way Lily had held her previously. Though, this time Levy blushed at being held so intimately by Gajeel.

"First rule, Shorty: Don't look at yer feet or ye'll end up tripping. Second: feel the music. Third: follow my lead. Fourth: have fun" Gajeel stated and held her closer to his body. Her torso was just mere inches from his well-toned abdomen and Levy had to use every ounce of will for her hands not to roam all over his body feeling each and every one of his muscles. God, why did he have to be so damn sexy!?

Levy squealed slightly when she felt him placing his leg between hers. It definitely was a very intimate position and Levy couldn't stop the blush that spread through her face. "Relax, this way it's easier for ya to follow my movements" Gajeel said in a somehow calm voice. The tension left Levy's shoulders and she took a deep breath to calm her heart's pounding in her chest.

"Ready?" he asked to which Levy nodded and she placed her hand over his broad shoulder while he held her other hand in his. (A/N You may want to play the song "Propuesta indecente" by Romeo Santos on youtube or something. It makes this part even more sexier)

They started to move at the music's rhythm and Levy found herself doing her best not to look down to her feet. Instead she looked directly to Gajeel's face and soon she was entranced by those ruby eyes that had caught her attention since the first moment she saw them. In her dazed state, she didn't notice when they started to sway from left to right, turning around in perfect synchronization with the music.

She didn't notice either when she started to move her hips to the song's rhythm, in the same motion as Gajeel moved his shoulders. She recognized the song to which they were dancing. It was a popular bachata song and she found it to be a quite enjoyable tune to listen. When she focused in Gajeel's face again she noticed he was having fun. His previous annoyed expression was missing in his face; instead, his features looked relaxed. Levy assumed Gajeel really enjoyed dancing and something inside her fluttered at knowing just a little bit more about him. When the chorus of the song started, Gajeel sang along with it.

Si te invito una copa y me acerco a tu boca Si te robo un besito haz ver que no vas conmigo

Qué dirías si esta noche te seduzco en mi coche Que se empañen los vidrios Y la regla es que goces

Gajeel pushed Levy at arm's length, holding both her hands. Then, while still holding her hands, he pulled one of his hands over his head and placed their linked hands on his shoulder opposite to her position, and his other hand came down to her lower back. Now, they were dancing side by side, still holding hands and swaying left to right without breaking eye contact. He kept singing the chorus and Levy was entranced by his deep and sweet voice.

Si te falto el respeto y luego culpo al alcohol Si levanto tu falda me darías el derecho A medir tu sensatez Poner en juego tu cuerpo Si te parece prudente esta propuesta indecente

He let go of her hand that was over his shoulder and Levy pulled it back sliding it over the back of his neck and over his other shoulder, leaving a tingling sensation in Gajeel's skin where her hand had just been. Then, he used his hand that was on her lower back to twist her around pulling her back to him with a little more force than intended to. She placed her free hand over his chest to steady herself and then they continued dancing to the sound of the music.

They didn't notice that more and more people were looking at them and creating more space for them to dance on the dance floor.

"Yer not bad at this, Shorty" Gajeel started a conversation to distract his mind from the tingling sensation every one of her touches left in his body. God! She felt so good in his arms and every curve of her body seemed to fit perfectly in every dip of his. But the most marvelous thing about this girl were her eyes. Two hazel pools seemed to absorb all the light surrounding them, leaving Gajeel completely blind and befuddled with just a quick glance into them. He began to feel like he was falling for her very quickly, but that was just messed up, wasn't it? He just met her and barely knew anything about her. But something deep inside him was telling him not to let go of her.

"You're not a bad teacher either" Levy complimented. She was so dazzled by the way this man treated her that she just gave up in trying to control the way her heart fluttered when he touched her. The gentleness with which he held her had captured her heart and she soon realized she was falling for him, and falling hard. This was all so new for her; sure, Levy had been attracted to other guys in the past, but not with the intensity she felt towards Gajeel. She couldn't help but crave for more of his touches and she started to wonder whether his lips would be soft if she dared to kiss him.

The music switched to a more smoother tone within the same song and now both Gajeel and Levy started to sing.

How about you and I

Me and you

Bailamos bachata

He pushed her away at arm's length again and pulled one of his arms over her, twirling her in a half-turn and pulling her closer to him again.

Y luego

You and I

Me and you

Terminamos en la cama… Que rico…

Gajeel had his arms on Levy's waist, holding her hands in his. Her arms were crossed over her abdomen and her back was pressed against Gajeel's broad chest. He placed his head over her left shoulder and she kept her gaze fixed on his face. They kept singing while dancing from left to right, swaying their hips in perfect synchrony.

How about you and I,

Me and you

Bailamos bachata

Ayy bailamos bachata…

More and more couples in the dance floor stopped their dancing to look at them. It wasn't that they were dancing spectacularly, but the attraction that could be felt in the atmosphere surrounding them was just so entrancing that their spectators couldn't help but stare at them.

Y luego

You and I

Me and you

Terminamos en la cama… Terminamos en la cama...

Gajeel brought his nose and mouth closer to Levy's exposed shoulder, hovering just inches over her white skin. Her smell was amazing and he took his time to engrave it into his memory. He closed his eyes enjoying her scent and letting himself be surrounded by it.

At the same time, Levy felt a shiver travelled all the way down through her body when Gajeel's hot breath brushed against her skin. She closed her eyes as well, letting herself get lost in the pleasure this man was giving her with just the minimum touch. She instinctively arched her head to the other side to let Gajeel's breath wash over every inch of skin on Levy's neck. She craved more, oh she craved for so much more and the fact that she could still be standing and dancing when she felt so weak on her knees was beyond Levy's comprehension.

The pace of the music started to pick up and so did their movements.

How about it you and I… You and I….

Me and you… Me and you…

You and I… You and I…

Me and you… You…

You and I… You and I…

Me and you

Me and you… Youuu…

With one last sway to the right, Gajeel pulled Levy's hands over her head and turned her around to face him. Without letting go of her hands, he pulled her closer to him and placed her hands behind his head, releasing them slowly to the music's rhythm. She picked up from there and while locking her eyes to his, she slided her hands from the back of his neck down to his shoulders and then to his chest. The movement was slow and sexy and Gajeel used all his willpower not to moan at her caresses. Still, he couldn't help how the hairs in his arms bristled by the excitement this woman was causing in him and he forced himself to place his hands on her waist, even when he wanted to touch her in other places that wouldn't seem appropriate in public.

The music started to subside with the end of the song and Gajeel took hold of Levy's hands one last time and twirled her around. At the last note of the music, he leaned to his side, holding Levy's back with one hand and her right hand with his left one. Levy followed the movement and leaned back letting Gajeel hold her weight with the hand he had on her back. With this position, their faces came closer and closer that his breath was ghosting over hers. If she pushed up the slightest, their lips would meet in the such anticipated kiss. Both of them had their eyes half-lidded and seemed to be in a trance where nothing else existed but them.

They were brought out of their stupor by a loud cheer and catcalls from the people around them. Gajeel and Levy jumped up at the noise and took one step away from the other, blushing profusely when they realized the position they had been just seconds ago. Their audience kept whistling and clapping at them until Gajeel exploded "OH! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"

He grabbed Levy's hand and walked hastily back to their table, Levy keept up with the pace of his long strides. Both of them tried very hard to control their thundering hearts. The dance had been simple and smooth, but at the same time, it had been so intimate and passionate for both of them. Levy didn't felt like that at all when she danced with Lily, and Gajeel was sure as hell that he had never felt that way when he had danced with other women in the past. It had been something special, unique, and even when both of them were stubborn, they weren't that stubborn to try to ignore the spark that ignited between them during their dance.

When they returned to the table, Cana was complaining to Lily about something 'not being fair' and that 'they had been this close'. Then she ordered a round of shots for everyone and no one asked anything further.

Levy sat down beside Cana and Gajeel returned to his seat at Lily's right. Both of them tried to look past the embarrassment they felt after their dance, but they found themselves locking their gazes time and time again, which Lily and Cana found to be very amusing.

"Natsu! Be careful! That's my purse!" Lucy shouted at the pink haired guy that was way too excited about the bonfire they just lighted up at the beach.

After they had dance and drink for a couple of hours, the group decided to head out to the beach that was behind Cana's house. Who would have thought that Cana lived in one of the most expensive parts of the city and owned a house with a private beach as the backyard? It was now 4 in the morning and they were seated around the small bonfire, telling jokes and funny stories about everything and anything.

Cana had been nice enough to lend the girls a change of clothes, so now Lucy, Juvia and Levy wore short shorts and plain t-shirts instead of their night dresses, which had been put away in Cana's room along with the girl's shoes. The boys decided to leave their shoes and pants in the house as well, so now Gray, Natsu, Lily and Gajeel were only in their shirts and boxers. They were all sitting comfortable around the bonfire on a couple of beach towels that Cana lent to them.

"Hey Gray! Betcha can't beat me in a race to the water!" Natsu yelled and started to sprint towards the ocean.

"You Flame Brain idiot! As if you could win against me!" Gray also took off quickly, running at high speed after Natsu.

"Gray-sama~! I'll follow you to the end of the world! Nothing will keep us apart my true love!" Juvia exclaimed and took off as well, skipping happily after his loved one.

"Natsu! That's my phone you have in your hand! Give it back you idiot! If you ruin it, you're going to pay for a new one, you hear me?!" Lucy yelled after the pink haired man and ran after him to retrieve her cellphone.

"I'll make sure no one drowns down. That would just ruin our night. Care to join me Cana?" Lily stood up and brushed off the sand from his boxers and extended his hand to Cana.

"Ha! Wouldn't miss the beating Lucy is about to give to Natsu" Cana took Lily's hand and stood up, holding closely one bottle of whiskey. Together, they walked up to the shore calmly, making fun of the four persons that were already knee-deep into the water.

Levy noticed then that she had been left alone with Gajeel, which she didn't minded at all but she soon felt a little awkward since her mind seemed to be blank at trying to find one simple topic for conversation with the man. They were silently watching the embers of the fire and Levy noticed that it wasn't an uncomfortable silence at all. Somehow, she enjoyed the Gajeel's company, even when they didn't have anything to talk about.

"Ya know they did this on purpose right?" Gajeel broke the silence and Levy looked at him questioningly. "Ya don't have to stay here with me if ya don't wanna" he looked away shyly.

"I like your company Gajeel" she replied honestly and he almost got whiplashed from turning his head so fast to look at her.

"R-Really? Well, that's a first…" he scratched the back of his head sheepishly "The only ones that put up with me are Lil' and Drunkard, and I'm pretty sure there must be something wrong with them"

She giggled "That's not true. You seem to get along fine with Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Juvia as well. And even when each of them has their perks, they can't be all crazy, right?" As if on cue, some loud yells were heard from the water and Levy somehow deciphered them.

'Natsu! Give me back my t-shirt! And my bra!'

'Try to catch me, Luce!'

'Gray! Put on your boxers!'

'When did that happened?!'

'Gray-sama~!'

'Haha! Ya owe me a six-pack Lil'. Told ya he'd end up naked before sunrise!'

Levy and Gajeel sweatdropped at their friends' antics. He cleared his throat before continuing with the conversation "Well, I know them just for a couple of days back. Bet they wouldn't stand me for a week"

"I wouldn't mind spending a week with you" Levy paused when she realized she had said that out loud, clear enough for the pierced man to hear her. She blushed intensely and burrowed her face in her hands when Gajeel laughed loudly at her slip of tongue.

"Gihi! Geez, ya don't have to throw yerself at me, Shrimp!" he smirked and laughed again.

"Stupid Gajeel!" she huffed but couldn't stay mad at him for long. His laugh was very unique and it somehow eased down all the embarrassment and anger within Levy.

Gajeel finally calmed down and swiped away an imaginary tear from his eye. "How long have you known Lily and Cana?" she inquired.

"Hmm. I'd known Lil' since I can remember. He had been there for me at every rough time in my life and I couldn't be more grateful for that. About 4 years ago, before he went to flight school and I went to college, we went on a road trip and one of our stops was here, Cancun. That's when we met Drunkard. After that, we have come here once a year to catch up with her" Gajeel smiled at the memory.

"That's nice. It's so good that you have such good friends" she admired the way the light from the bonfire reflected on Gajeel's face and made his piercings shine in the night.

"How about ya? Don't tell me ya came to Cancun all by yerself?"

"Hehe, funny story. I came here with my friends but it ended up being not as I expected it to be" she sighed "That's what happens when you make plans with people you know for barely six months"

"Hey, ya just met all of us tonight and I'm sure ya had fun, right? Ya just got bad luck with yer friends"

Levy smiled at Gajeel "You're right. Thanks" Another comfortable silence passed between both of them.

"And what about yer boyfriend?" Gajeel asked without looking at her

"Huh?"

"Ya know, why didn't ya came here with him?"

"Are you asking me if I have a boyfriend?"

"N-No…J-Just trying to make conversation, that's all" Levy didn't missed the nervousness in his voice but decided to not push it.

"Well, I don't have a boyfriend"

"Good… I-I mean…" he started to sweat from embarrassment. "S-So, would it be okay if I treat ya to lunch? Maybe tomorrow?" he gulped in anticipation at her answer.

Levy stared wide-eyed at him "You're asking me out? Like, out out? Like, out on a date?"

"It doesn't have to be a date if ya don't want to. Besides, yer the one who said ya wouldn't mind spending a week with me" he smirked at her trying to cover up his eagerness to know her answer.

Levy blushed again and cleared her throat before answering him "Sure. I'll love to go out on a date with you" she smiled brightly at him.

"Really?! I-I mean, cool! Then it's set!" he smiled at her as well and soon they looked like two beautiful dorks in love just staring and smiling at each other.

They kept chatting about their lives. She told him about her dream of owning a bookstore and he told her about him wanting to open up his own mechanic workshop. She told him about the day her parents died and he told her how his father raised him all by himself. He told her that one time when he was little he ate a nail, and she confessed to him that the scar on her forehead was caused by a heavy book that landed on her head.

They talked and talked about deep stuff and about everyday shenanigans. Eventually, they laid down on the sand and soon found themselves deep asleep cuddling with each other. The rest of the group made it back from the water after they fell asleep and decided to leave them right there, while they made it back inside Cana's house. Lily snuck out of the house and covered the couple with a blanket before going back inside.

With the first rays of sun hitting her in the face, Levy stirred up from her sleep state and opened up her eyes slowly, just to find herself looking straight into Gajeel's face. He was still asleep and had his arms wrapped around Levy's waist and his legs entangled with hers.

She couldn't hold in the smile that surfaced in her face at remembering everything that happened the night before, everything from their dance to their late-night conversation. With every second that she had spent with this man, Levy found herself falling more in love with him. She gave up on trying to convince herself that his wasn't love and that she was fooling herself for thinking like that, because no one had swept Levy off her feet like Gajeel had in just one night without even trying. If that wasn't love, then Levy had no idea what was it.

She used this moment to appreciate the soft expression in Gajeel's face. He seemed so peaceful at that moment that she couldn't believe this was a man that wore a scowl in his face most of the time. The piercings on his face glinted with the light of the sun and she started to trace each one of them with her index and middle finger.

He stirred in his sleep at her ministrations and soon his eyes blinked slowly, getting rid of the drowsiness. He smiled down at her and locked his gaze with hers. "Morning, Shrimp"

"Morning, Gajeel" she beamed at him and then pushed herself up to a sitting position. He followed her and they stretched their arms and backs getting rid of the stiffness in their muscles.

"Guess the idiots left us out here on our own" Gajeel grunted while folding the blanket.

"Probably" she giggled.

"Come on, Shorty. I'll walk ya to yer hotel. Yer friends are probably wondering where the hell have you been all night" He stood up and held a hand out to her.

"Oh, God! You're totally right! Thanks" she took his hand and stood up as well.

They went inside Cana's house to leave the blanket in the living room and for Levy and Gajeel to grab their clothes before heading out to Levy's hotel. They enjoyed their stroll and kept conversing about anything that came to mind. When they arrived at her hotel, she gave Gajeel her phone number and waved goodbye to him. Before she was out of reach, he pulled her close to him and kissed her on her right cheek.

"That's how we say goodbye here in Mexico" he smirked at her flustered expression but sooner than expected she recovered and she placed one kiss on his cheek as well. Now was Gajeel's turn to blush and she took the opportunity to escape into the building, making her way up to her room.

Before entering the room, she checked her cellphone and indeed found that there were several missed calls and text messages from her friends. She sighed, resigned to be yell at for her recklessness.

She opened the door slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible as to not alert her friends of her arrival, but it was pointless. Once she entered the room, she noticed her three friends standing in the middle of it with angry expressions.

"Hey, girls" she waved at them but it just helped to increase their fury.

"Where were you, Levy!?"

"We were worry sick about you, you know!"

"Why didn't you pick up your cellphone!?"

Levy sat down on the edge of her bed with her friends around her scolding her for going out last night alone and returning home until the early morning. Levy apologized to them and tried to look remorseful about her decision, but deep inside Levy was smiling widely. It had been the best night of her life and if she could, she would do it again.

At that moment, her phone buzzed and she looked at it to see who had send her a message. Her smile appeared on her face when she read it.

Hey :) It's Gajeel

Well, maybe she could repeat what happened last night. She had a whole week ahead of her and she had a date with a sexy, pierced, red-eye, black haired man who couldn't wait even an hour to text her. It would be cruel to make him wait for a reply.

Hi ;)

Oh, yes. Last night couldn't have gone any better and this vacations were just getting started.

AUTHOR NOTES

That's it! I swear that this took me longer that expected but I managed to upload it in time to participate in the warm-up for Gajevy week. Sorry there is no kissing scene (I wanted to write that down but this was going to end up being a 10k fic if I did that; maybe when I find the time I'll come back here and add that scene)

I really loved the brotp between Cana and Levy (Cana is just too fun to write!) And the dance scene between Levy and Gajeel got me so worked up! O/O I know it's silly but I'm Mexican and for us is like a huge turn on to feel that spark when you're dancing sexy latin music with a sexy boy.

I feel like I slacked a little bit at the end of the story, but it was past 2 in the morning and I had work the next day. Sorry for that hehe.

Thanks for reading and I'll appreciate any review you want to leave me!

WTF (Where'sTheFood)

#gajevyweek17 #levy mcgarden #gajeel redfox #au #mexican!Gajeel #bachata #gajevyweek #where's the food fanfiction

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