#I WAS MOPING so i drew them but as i continued i started thinking about. what it wouldve been like if they were regarded as like an

[skrs-cats]

one of thunderclans aspiring best warriors and his apprentice that no one can seem to sneak up on

[heyiwrotesomethings]

Heyo, you take requests right? Can you do a shinobu x demon enby reader who responds to all of her teasing/threats with "is that a promise?" As they're smiling hopefully.

Like can you just imagine her threatening y/n and them just being like: "is that a promise? :D"

kgbskfnsnnvbs

Promise?

Shinobu Kochou x They/Them Demon Reader

A/N: I love this prompt, but I don’t think I am funny enough to do it justice. Didn’t stop me from trying though. Hope you like it anyway! Word Count: 638

(Y/n) was in awe over the woman who stood on the tree branch above them. They couldn’t bring themself to fight or flee even as she drew her thin blade and pointed it right at their throat, an enchanting smile upon her face, illuminated in a soft glow provided by the moon.

Wow.

And she had the voice to match! (Y/n) listened intently, enraptured by the demon slayer looking down upon them. The power and confidence she exuded made them feel like they could melt into a gooey pile because of those amethyst eyes alone from the way they commanded their attention.

“This is the end of the line for you, demon.” She proclaimed, a sadistic note noticeable despite the sweetness of her timbre.

Again, wow.

“Is that a promise?” (Y/n) sighed pleasantly, a dreamy, lovesick smile spreading across their face.

The woman blinked once,

Twice,

“…Yes,” she answered slowly, “I’m going to kill you. Right now.” She braced against the tree limb, ready to leap down and-

“…You really promise?”

“Yes. That is what I said.” She confirmed.

“What’s your name?” (Y/n) just had to know the name of the goddess before them so they could worship her properly.

“Kochou Shinobu.” Shinobu didn’t know why she bothered to answer. She was going to kill the demon anyway, they wouldn’t need her name where they were going. Their whole demeanor baffled her. Maybe it was just the scientist in her that was making her drag this out a little longer.

“Now, if that was all…” she readied her sword again, “I think I’ll start by skewering your eyes.”

‘So you’ll stop looking at me like that.’ She added to herself.

“I literally cannot wait.” (Y/n) still stared at Shinobu with an intensity that made the Hashira pause once more.

“Are you touched in the head?” Shinobu questioned with a forced laugh, a small vein pulsing against her forehead.

“I am about to kill you, aren’t you going to fight? Run? Anything would be more effective then whatever this is you are trying to do.”

“I’m not trying to do anything. I’ll be happy with however you plan to execute this, or execute me, rather.”

The slayer’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, “I think you are enjoying this far too much. What is this about? Don’t you have any sense of self-preservation?”

(Y/n) rocked back and forth on their heels, “I mean, right now? No. Have you seen you? You could stab me right now and I’d say thank you.”

Shinobu stared blankly at (Y/n) for several seconds before she turned on her heel and began to hop from tree to tree, away from the strange demon.

“W-wait!” (Y/n) called after her, quickly taking up pursuit from the ground, “Where are you going?”

Shinobu grimaced. It was no fun that the demon wanted her to harm them for whatever strange reason. She would leave them for another slayer to take care of.

“I have better things to do with my time.” She called with a honeyed callousness.

“But you promised!” (Y/n) pouted. “Twice!”

“I guess I was lying!” Her answer was carried on the wind as she sped away from (Y/n) who was quickly falling behind.

“Kochou-sama!”

(Y/n) looked all around them for a sign of what direction Shinobu had continued in and whined despondently.

She was gone.

After spending a considerable time moping around, (Y/n) shook themself from their self pity.

They had just been visited by a goddess. She was out there somewhere and they would surely meet again. (Y/n) clenched their fists and held them high above their head. It was their purpose, their destiny even, to be dealt with in whatever manner the beautiful slayer deemed. They would not rest until their paths crossed again.

A promise was a promise, regardless of what Shinobu claimed.

[bunbeeplays]

The Lemon Legacy: Generation 1, Chapter 61 - An Awkward Evening

While the band finishes their last practice before tonight's wedding, Ophelia checks on Hector. A partner losing both their parents has to have been hard for him too.

Hector: Peter and Lakshmi were good people. Shame I couldn’t be there to celebrate their life with my family.

Ophelia: I’m glad Hilary and Xander have each other for support. I wish I could be more help but I don’t know what else to do.

Hector: You being there is enough. Alexander is a lucky man to have a woman like you.

Hector: I appreciate you staying in town for the wedding, Ophelia. You’ve proven to be a reliable and loyal employee. I appreciate that.

Hector’s always so busy, Ophelia rarely gets to talk to him one-on-one. They could be family one day, it’s nice to spend time with him.

Ophelia: Uh, you know, I’m not sure if I’ve ever said it but thank you for giving me a shot, back when I was a nobody.

Hector: You’ve more than proven yourself, my dear. We’re honored to have a rising star amongst us. I always knew there was something special about you.

Hector: You and the band have been remarkable lately, we’ve gotten nothing but glowing reviews. I’ve been meaning to thank you all for your hard work somehow. How about after the wedding, you three come to my home and I treat you all to some of the best nectar in Tartosa?

Ophelia: That sounds wonderful, but I feel bad celebrating with everything that’s happened.

Hector: The Pappas were a joyous couple. They wouldn't want us to mope around on their behalf. I’ll tell Drew and Moses about it later. You go get dressed for tonight.

Drew and Moses chill after another successful wedding. Ophelia is enjoying the peace after the guests have left when Hector approaches.

Ophelia: I think everything went well!

Hector: Certainly. How about we go celebrate, huh?

Ophelia: I'll go get the band!

Hector: Oh, I just spoke to Drew and Moses. They're both going to change before heading over.

Ophelia: I don't mind waiting for them.

Hector: They didn't want to keep us waiting. We can enjoy a glass or two before they join us.

Hector and Ophelia have arrived at the Laurent manor and head straight for the bar. Ophelia sends Xander a quick goodnight text while Hector starts pouring some of the best nectars he has.

Ophelia also checks for any texts from her bandmates to explain what's taking so long.

Hector pours a red and a white nectar.

Hector: Take your pick. You're the star, after all.

Ophelia's drink of choice is Buffalo Wing Tea but she doesn't want to look tacky in front of her boss so she chooses the red.

Hector checks his phone and sighs dramatically.

Hector: Apparently Moses needs to grab something from home. Looks like they'll be a while. I'm sure we can keep ourselves occupied while we wait.

Hey, as long as Ophelia can keep drinking this nectar, she's not complaining!

Ophelia tries to think of what to talk about.

Ophelia: Jace made the basketball team. Isn't that great?

Hector: Yes, he told us before they left. It's okay, dear, you don't need to pretend to care about my son.

Ophelia: I do care! Jace is a sweetheart, I'm so happy for him!

Hector smiles fondly.

Hector: That's very kind. Jace seems to think the world of you, as well. I'm sure you'll make a great mother someday.

Ophelia doesn't know how to respond so she just drinks. The lines between potential in-law and boss make discussions like this feel weird.

Ophelia finishes her glass a little too quickly, but at least the conversation with Hector is going a little better. He has all kinds of funny wedding stories! Bridezillas, cake fails and affairs, oh my!

A couple of glasses in, Hector excuses himself to the bathroom. Ophelia's starting to get worried, so she sends a message in the Let Them Eat Cake group chat asking what's taking them so long.

She feels bad drinking so much of this expensive nectar, but damn it's good.

Hector's pours are generous and continuous.

Ophelia: It's been over an hour. Drew's a party animal, they're never this late to an event with drinks. And Moses is gay, so he walks hella fast. They should be here by now.

Hector: Are you not enjoying our time together, Ophelia?

Ophelia: N-No, of course I'm having fun talking to you.

Hector: Then let's focus on enjoying each other's company. Don't worry about what they're doing. You deserve to be selfish every once in a while.

Ophelia: …Okay. I've got to powder my nose. Be right back.

Ophelia washes her hands with cold water to calm herself. She feels on-edge, like something's wrong. Drew and Moses don't flake. She sends one more text asking where they are.

Hector acted a little weird before. Maybe she can make up an excuse to bail. It is late, after all.

Hector: Thanks for keeping me company. It gets lonely in this big house without my family. Why don't I get to know you better?

Hector really is a sweet guy. Maybe his awkward behavior before was an attempt to be nice.

Ophelia: Sure.

Hector: Great!

[draikathedragon]

Steam And Murders: Lost Until Found

It didn’t take Uzi long to finally make it to the 10-15 feet tall stone wall of the border between Bunker Hill and the Badlands. Uzi gets off her moped and hides it behind some shrubbery before walking towards the wall.

“250 miles of wall that cuts us off from the rest of the other 250 miles of this island.” Uzi huffed as she takes off her backpack and pulls out two items, a grappling hook and a gas mask. “And it’s been untouched for 65 years, so it’s just been just waiting to be explored.” Uzi securely fastened her gas mask before pointing her grappling hook and pulled the trigger, a clank was heard when the hook made contact with the top of the wall.

After a few seconds of climbing, Uzi made her way to the top of the wall. She took a moment to marvel at the sight in front of her, stretches of sand and dead vegetation as far as the eye could see, and you could barely make out the sight of the Badlands. “The City of Copper, who would have thought a meteor is responsible for the destruction of an entire city.”

Uzi lets an amused laugh before turning her gaze towards the direction of Bunker Hill, a flourishing city that contrasts with the old city yonder from the Badlands. Uzi huffs before jumping down the wall, leaving the border of safety of the outside world and into dangers unknown. It excites her.

“Gods! This is boring!” Uzi groaned as she continued to traverse the open sand, the border wall was barely visible behind Uzi as she walked. The sun was starting to fall, causing a beautiful scenery contrasting Uzi’s sour mood. “There’s nothing out here! No road, no infected animals, nothing! There has to be more to the Badlands than the city itself!” Uzi sighed in defeat, not feeling as excited as she anticipated. It made her feel frustrated and ashamed, thinking that something interesting would happen. “I… Should go home. There’s nothing for me here…”

Uzi was about to turn around before she yelped in surprise when something bright was flashed in her eye. She brought up a hand to shield herself before curiously peeking her eyes towards the source of the light. Uzi widened her eyes when she looked at what she saw, “are those… Ruins? How on earth did I not notice this?”

Uzi started to walk towards what seemed to be ruins of a small town, but what drew her attention the most, was the glinting light that led her here. Uzi looked around the ruins, buildings were covered in dead vegetation and looked like a tornado ran through them. “What… Happened here?” Uzi walked towards a small house and ran her fingers across the gravel wall that had what appeared to have slash marks. “Well ain’t that a bad omen,” Uzi shuddered as a chill went up her spine.

It didn’t take long for Uzi to come across a large structure, she felt a sense of curiosity and hesitance as she walked through the open doorway. Uzi peered inside and saw the interior of the building, it looked like it was supposed to be some kind of church or something similar. But what really caught Uzi’s eye was the source of the glinting light.

There, lying down on the floor, lifeless and broken. Was an automaton. It’s arm was reaching upwards, like it was trying grab onto something. The light of the setting sun shined onto the prolonged knife like fingers, glinting brightly throughout the structure in front of Uzi.

[nyoggets]

Some thoughts on fandom, burnout, process of creation and never feeling good enough.

(it is now 4am and I've given up on sleep)

So I've avoided ever talking about this on twt because? The platform is such a mess, people use it to liveblog their feelings but it's also got that usual socmed feel to it - only show the good, funny, relatable or glamorous stuff.

I like art, obviously. Love it even, it's been the one constant in a life of switching hobbies and obsessions on the weekly. But it's also been so, SO difficult at times. I draw, so gotta share it on social media, right? The first time I shared my art online was when I was 9, on a ratty, now defunct forum.

I don't recall many responses aside from "I don't think she's ever been to the hair dresser". Instagram was released in 2010, and I made the switch, continued to post my drawings in earnest, participating in art contests that were super popular at the time. Obviously I never won any, I was just learning, starting out. Winning wasn't my goal, my goal was to get a spot in the honourable mentions or likes and attention from the bigger artists hosting these. When that didn't work I tried to game the algorithm before I even know what an algorithm was. I also made some friends this way, most of which had a higher follower count despite our (in my mind) fairly evenly matched skill. I entered more contests, I begged friends for collars, I drew things I dislikes because I saw them being popular. Nothing worked, I became obsessed over numbers, a drawing was only worth something if it got enough likes, which it never did. I tried for a while longer, then didn't pick up a pen for almost 2 years.

Eventually, because I just couldn't leave art behind I started again, focusing on original works and punching myself for losing 2 years of practice time. Things were fine, I stayed away from social media aside from Tumblr but never really posted anymore, stayed quiet. Of course, I still resented those artist friends a bit for their ever growing following, but what right had I? I'd given up and spent 2 years moping.

Eventually I got really into Love Live and with it finally a new ship I could sink my teeth into and draw - ChikaRiko. Inevitably, I wanted to feel part of communities again, I didn't have anyone in real life to share my obsessions with. I was very much the weird quiet kid, and as much as I craved being around people, being deaf with my hearing steadily dying away even further without anyone noticing, talking to people was just Hard, so so very hard. But online, where I could read, didn't need to be able to listen? It was easy, besides, my only friends so far had all been online. What's the harm in dipping my toes back into fandom?

So, I created a twitter account, discord, found people to chat and share my art, pretty much exclusively ChikaRiko, with. And things were fine again! People were reacting to what I posted, engaging, asking questions, providing advice. Then... I opened twitter back up, looked at numbers, compared them, and became angry at myself again. Comparison is the thief of joy indeed. Several years ahead, fire emblem three houses comes out and with it dimilix hits me like a sack of bricks (affectionately). Another new ship! And the fandom was active, I could fit in here, maybe! And I'd like to believe I did, if only because the fandom is just so truly relaxed, given my unfortunate decline of my mental health it was probably the only sort of fandom environment I could exist in. Still, I kept comparing myself, kept being dissatisfied with the direction my art was taking. I had all these symbolic ideas, things I wanted to try, wanted to be more like the artists I looked up. Wanted to do my own stuff, original art, instead of confining myself. But any time I did do so the reception was lukewarm at best, nonexistent at worst, so I stuck to fanart that became increasingly removed from the canon. Which, still super fun and honestly we were all just screaming into the void of time between the two years until three hopes came out, delusional fanon felt very much encouraged. Again, loved and still love the general vibe of the dmlx community (stares lovingly at DTF and For Years). But still, I wasn't satisfied with what I was doing, and my motivation to draw at all regularly died off for months at a time, which really isn't ideal when you're trying to feed the all-devouring behemoth that is the algorithm.

This October I tried something I hadn't done since 2018 - inktober. Back when I did it it was just 31 days of increasingly delusional ChikaRiko (are we seeing a pattern here), this time around I wanted to be "self indulgent" and draw only original art, loosely oriented on two lists of prompts. Of course, I didn't finish, still haven't, but I'm only missing a few prompts now. But!!! I've drawn!!! More in these 3 months than I have in recent years, and my ideas aren't slowing down yet, I keep coming up with new ones on the daily. It just feels so, so Good to find joy in art again. Best of all, I felt no need at all to share this stuff anywhere but the small discord server I've been nodding for years, with friends who at this point weren't really expecting art from me that matched their interests. I was finally drawing for me and me alone, so the response was of no importance to me, and the moment I dropped a finished piece I started the line art of the next one. Of course, I'm slowly unleashing everything into the void that is Tumblr and while any notes delight me, the number really doesn't concern me much anymore.

Not that all my fanart didn't spark joy to me! I just have too many things I wanna get out of my head that aren't very fanart compatible at all.

Fandom is weird and wonderful and I don't really remember a time in my life where I wasn't in any fandom at all, but frankly, my mental health and self image is a mess, and most social media actively does more harm than good to me, despite the friends I made.

Either way, I'm finally, finally for the first time in years excited to see what the future brings for me and art, how I'll improve, what I'll draw over the next year.

[justinmitchellfan]

MERCEDES VARNADO X ZENDAYA LOVE STORY SMUT WARNING ⚠️ PART 2 of the continuation of the woman at the bar love story

Chapter 6

Mercedes point of view

And just like that zendaya left ,zendaya was angry and hurt, I did that to her ,the look in zendayas eyes was enough to make anyone feel bad ,I didn't use her if anything I want to try something with zendaya, she's not only beautiful beyond belief but she's smart ,I know she is and when we were at the bar ,she was so intelligent, that's what drew me to her ,I wouldn't have took her home with me if I thought she was a fool. The next few days of school passed and zendaya was absent for each one of them ,I don't know if she skipped mine or just didn't go at all , I went out into the halls to get a drink of water after school to check and see if she was with her friends, she was nowhere to be found

Each day I packed my things and left early knowing zendaya wouldn't be there for tutoring, why would she? She's avoiding me it's obvious and I got home around 4:45 and I was getting a call from an unknown number, I answered it "hello as I said as my voice was soft because of how exhausted I am lately and the man coughed before replying "hello there ms mercedes, this is principal Conners says Conners "oh hello sir, what can I do for you as I said pulling my heels off

"Well you see here I need to ask a favor, the varsity football team is playing at the school tonight, I'm supposed to be chaperoning but I got the worst flu in history earlier today, I was wondering if there was any possible way that you would go to it for me ,it'll be a added bonus to your salary says Conners as he explained before breaking into a coughing fit and I sighed out knowing I could use a few extra dollars "no problem sir ,I'll get into some more spirited clothes and go to the school, is there a time I should be there says ms mercedes and he sighed out almost as if he was thinking "just be there by 6:30 since the game starts at 7 says principal Conners and I nodded knowing that sounds reasonable "sure thing ,feel better says ms mercedes

"Thank you and good luck tonight, it'll be a piece of cake says Conners as he replied before hanging the phone up and I hurried to strip my clothes off and get into the shower for a long awaited moment under the water, I need to release my stress and what's better than a hot shower and after I gout out of there I got into a pair of tight pants and a shirt that was pretty short but still school appropriate and I put on a pair of chucks before walking out of my apartment with my wallet and keys and even though I have so Many other things I'd rather be doing on a Friday night, I guess it's better to go out and not sit alone feeling bad for myself all weekend

Zendayas point of view

"Come on you gotta come with us, camilla is gonna be there tonight says Lauren as she begged nudging me over on my bed and i turned over to look at her snuggled up close to me "if I don't wanna come to school, what makes you think I'll want to go to a shitty football game says zendaya "I'll admit, it's a little pretentious but you need to get up ,you've been moping in this room every day this week ,you need to get out and have a little fun ,you won't even tell me what's wrong, to be honest even your mother is worried about you says Lauren as she replied grabbing my hand and messing with my fingers and I looked at her hands and studied them while I answered her "if I go will you leave me alone for the weekend says zendaya

"No promises mija says Lauren as she laughed and i nodded knowing she's the one friend that won't give up on me

----

We picked a cute outfit out , a little something to make me feel fiercer than I do already. A blue shirt and brown pants that outlined my assests perfectly, almost determined to make everyone turn their head to me and I have an amazing body and I can try to look good but that's just it, I never try so when I actually do people notice and usually like it and Lauren parked in a spot at 7:13 and we walked up to get our tickets inside "zendaya as I heard someone yell from inside the field and I looked up at the bleachers to see camilla, normani and ally clinging to the side of the metal structure, when they were for sure it was me they ran out of their spots and down to where we were

I entered the field area and I was attacked from all sides ,my body was squashed between 3 girls "I need air guys says zendaya as she groaned and they pulled away and ally replied "well we wouldn't miss you as much if you were to come to school, by the way you look hot ,are you seeking revenge or something and I shook my head "nah I just thought I'd look nice to try and open my options for future relationships says zendaya and u turned to the small Cuban I have been missing for months and I grabbed her by her waist and picked her up "Mila baby I missed you says zendaya and she hooked her arms around my neck and smiled before pecking my cheek "no I've missed you, you left me in America all by myself says camilla "you went to Cuba says zendaya as she smiled

"Yeah but not Australia says camilla as she pouted. I guess I should go over camillas and my relationship, we've been friends for years, not as long as Lauren and I but very close, we have always been there for each other since day 1 except something happened between us that changed everything. One day after school during sophomore year, camilla spent the whole day and night with me, Lauren and I were having a friend fight so I needed some ammunition to get her to talk to me, camilla was always the thing that got in between Lauren and I, she was just good to have Around

Well that night we were watching a movie and cuddling, it was something that we always did as friends, I don't exactly remember how it happened or what led to it but camilla and I were in a hrmeated make out session for most of the night, our hands explored each other but it never went too far, we knew each other's boundaries and respected that since we w were still quite innocent and after that night we've never been the same, well I have ,I don't see the reason to be awkward about it, we were just kids who just experimented, that's not the worst thing we could've been doing and she's never been the same to me though

You can tell she tries around everyone and is good about faking it but something in her eyes tells me differently, I don't know if it's because she feels something or not but I have no energy to try and talk to her about it, if it's really that big of a deal she can tell me, if not she can move on

----

We sat through the first and second quarter and I quickly grew anxious, I needed something to release my stress and what would be better than having a cigarette, I never smoked before but my older cousin Jonah and Zane both got me into the habit of an occasional drag when I need it the most and the third quarter was about to start and that's when I had to get up and just go "I'll be back says zendaya to the 4 girls beside her "where are you going says camilla as she asked with her big brown eyes locked on mine "I need to walk or something, I'm feeling a little anxious just sitting here and watching a damn football game go back and forth says zendaya as she replied quickly "please tell me you're not gonna smoke says ally as she whined with her motherly intuition

"Then I won't tell you as I laughed before walking down the steps of the bleachers and heading yo the parking lot and I grabbed my cigs from Lauren's car and started to walk to a part of the school where the steps were and I sat down and hit the box before pulling out a cigarette and sticking it in my mouth while lighting it and I breathed in the cancerous smoke and let it fill my lungs completely before slowly letting it our of my system and I heard footsteps behind me but I wasn't worried about getting caught when it wasn't school hours "you shouldn't be smoking here says a familiar voice behind me

Chapter 7

I took another drag before turning around to see a figure standing behind me and I blew out the smoke towards her "yeah yeah says zendaya and she walked further into the light so I could see her ms mercedes, the woman I've been trying to avoid hell I've been trying to avoid everyone to be honest and mercedes sat down beside me and took the cigarette away to get a drag for herself and blow it out after completely inhaling "didn't anyone tell you that smoking is bad for you says mercedes "obviously no one told you as I retorted grabbing my cigarette back and mercedes smiled "I'm an adult which means I can do what I want says ms mercedes "you're only older than me by a few years, you were basically doing what I was doing then too I bet says zendaya

Mercedes shook her head "no unlike you I was a good kid says mercedes "wow, you sure could've fooled me says zendaya as she mocked in mercedes direction and it got quiet and zendaya inhaled another hit of the cig to let the tobacco dance on her tounge and zendaya just stared out into the beautiful stars above and mercedes sighed breaking the deafening silence "so why haven't you been to school says ms mercedes and zendaya shrugged "sometimes it's just not my thing says zendaya "education isn't your thing? Wow you've got a rough life ahead of you says mercedes as she joked "don't do that, don't try to be all funny okay, I just can't focus right now says Zendaya as she admitted taking a quick hit again and mercedes grabbed the cig and took her own hit "you and me both says mercedes

If she only knew why I couldn't focus, it's because all my attention is on her, with the occasional thoughts about Zane but nothing compares to what mental extremities she's put me through, ever since that day in the storage closet, all I can think about is her and what I did wrong, what did I do wrong? Did I hurt her? Did I make her uncomfortable, no I didn't, I treated her like a queen in that room and she told me to fuck off, so why can't I get her out of my mind if she wants nothing to do with me ? I don't know and I'm still willing to figure that out "you look good tonight says mercedes quietly looking in my direction and I met her eyes to see the pleading in them, almost as If she mentally was trying to tell me she was sorry

"Thanks, you don't look half bad wearing normal clothes either says zendaya and mercedes giggled and slightly tugged down on her own shirt "you don't think a skirt and button up is normal says mercedes "it's hot but not normal as I laughed putting out the cig and squashing the bud with the back of my shoe and we shared a laugh and that's when she Said it "you know if we were to ever try what we did that night again, it can't mean anything at all, we can't be together, you know that right says mercedes and I nodded regrettably knowing it's the truth, I can't get involved with my teacher even though she's amazingly beautiful and I'm sure her personality is just as great as I think it is, there's no way that a relationship like that would work out

"I know says zendaya as her voice was quiet and ms mercedes used her fingers to turn my head to her, when my eyes met hers, I was stunned, mercedes leaned in and pressed her lips to mine to slowly move them and when she pulled away, mercedes smirked "take me back to yours says mercedes as her voice almost demanding with a sensual sound "I don't have my car with me as zendaya replied feeling a sensation start to form in her stomach and ms mercedes pulled her keys out of her pocket and put them in my lap "now you have no choice, take me home with you says mercedes and I smirked at mercedes "you're lucky my parents aren't home and that you're extremely hot when you tell me what to do says zendaya

Chapter 8

I pulled mercedes inside and she huskily asked me "are you sure no one is home says mercedes and zendaya nodded "Yep this place Is all ours for the night, actually it's mine for the weekend but you know what I mean says zendaya and mercedes raised her brow and backed me into a wall "good because you and I are gonna need some place to be loud and open says mercedes and her lips connected with mine and we started making out in a heated passion, my heart was racing as I reached down to her slim waist, this body is like kryptonite to me and mercedes picked me up by my thighs and kept my back pressed against the wall, there was no space between us

"The things you do to me says mercedes as she moaned out pulling away from my mouth for a moment "I need a bed or any flat surface, I wanna taste you says mercedes and her honesty was sexy, I liked the way she talked dirty "my room as i breathed out releasing myself from her hold to grab her hand and pull her to my room and we walked down to the end of the hallway and I opened the door, mercedes wasted no time pulling me in and slamming the door shut, she picked me up by my thighs and carried me to my bed to put me down and we both stripped as much clothes off of ourselves so that we were only in our bra/sports bra and panties/ boxer briefs

Mercedes climbed on top of me and began to suck harshly on my neck, there's no doubt in my mind that there will be hickeys there now, mercedes continued to give me love bites as she slowly crept down my body to my lower region and while her mouth was on my chest, she hooked her fingers into my boxer briefs and ripped them off of me with some aggression then chucked them to the side and you could tell she couldn't wait any longer, it was like I was a drug to her and she kissed down to my thighs and sucked on the insides to give zendaya hickeys there too, God I'm going to be a bruised mess

Mercedes brought her face to zendayas sensitive dick and sucked zendayas sensitive dick sending zendaya reeling and causing her bones to ache in pure pleasure, this woman is a gift from up above, I don't know how else I can explain her and I can't last long with her, with Zane it takes me forever to get turned on sometimes but with mercedes, I can only pray that I last more than 3 minutes, mercedes is good at what she does and I was squirming underneath her body feeling myself come completely undone and my breath hitched and vision blurred as I let go with a moan

Mercedes smirked and cleaned me up before kissing her way back up to my neck and I flipped our position and took over, I pressed my lips to hers harshly and I entrapped her bottom lip with my teeth and lightly tugged while my hands wondered over her perfect body, feeling every curve and piece of soft skin and my fingers carefully slipped into her pants and I sucked and nipped at the flesh of her neck as I moved my fingers into her, her moans were the best thing I've ever heard, I'm sure I've said that multiple times before but goddamn I'm not joking, that voice is just encouraging and her nails dug into my back harshly and I know that I will have a lot of battle scars after our sexual adventure

As mercedes got closer her moans got louder, I moved my fingers quickly inside of her until I felt her tighten around me "come on baby says zendaya as she spoke to mercedes in a seductive voice which caused mercedes to let go completely and mercedes was breathless and exhausted, you could tell by the amount of sweat she had created, it was so gorgeous, she was so gorgeous, I'm absolutely falling for her and I've only got as touching her without knowing her, it could just be lust but there's something here and my phone began ringing in my pants pocket on the floor and I got up from the bed to grab it before crashing back down next to mercedes, she wrapped her arms around my waist as I answered the phone "hello says zendaya rasped

Lauren cleared her voice "where the hell are you? You just disappeared says Lauren "I ummm says zendaya "are you with that fuck boy says Lauren as she asked with a angry voice and I couldn't tell her no because then I'd have to tell her I'm at home and I'm sure the girls would come to the house "Lauren I- says zendaya "don't bother, he treats you so bad and I don't like him being alone with you, one day something is gonna happen to you and I will kick his ass says Lauren and zendaya sighed out "Lauren please don't be mad says zendaya "is he hurting you right now? I will head over there by myself and fuck him up just tell me says Lauren and Lauren wouldn't hesitate to protect me and I wouldn't hesitate for her either

"I'm fine lo, I'll see you tomorrow? The family is our for the weekend says zendaya as she told Lauren in a hopeful voice, maybe that will suffice and she groaned "fine, the girls and I will be over there tomorrow night says Lauren "okay I gotta go, love you says zendaya and I could hear a deep exhale "love you too mija, just please be safe and don't hesitate to call me says Lauren and we ended the call and I looked over to see mercedes nuzzled close to my body with her mouth slightly parted open, she looked wrecked, I decided to let my exhaustion take over me as my eyelids grew heavier

----

I pulled myself out of bed to grab a long sweatshirt hoodie and slip it on over my naked body and after using the bathroom, I walked down the hall into the kitchen, it's not big and flashy, but nothing is, it's average, my life is average, actually it's not. I basically live on my own now, none of the girls know that, no one knows and I plan on keeping it that way. My mom and dad left me in Santa Ana to finish off my high school career while they moved to a new home in Nevada, I know what you're wondering, what kind of parents would leave their 17 year old child alone in a house by herself for a whole school year? Well it's simple, the kind of parents that don't really like their kid, sure they love me but they never really took care of me

They never treated me bad but it's just that they've never been around, I don't mind it though, I'm happy that I didn't have parents around most of the time, with the amount of trouble I get into, I wouldn't want to know what they'd do if they were here and I began fixing some eggs and bacon and soon a tired Polynesian joined me in the kitchen and I turned to see her rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she was in one of my oversized shirts and she looked good in it, almost heart stoppingly beautiful and I put the meal on a plate and handed it to her and mercedes smirked at me and retrieved it to sit it down and her arms latched around my neck and I wasted no time placing mine on her hips

Her lips pressed to mine for more than a peck "good morning to you too says zendaya as she smiled and mercedes smiled "good morning says mercedes "you gonna let me go and eat or are you looking to have another round of sex like last night says zendaya as she teased mercedes and mercedes giggled, showing me that intriguing smile "I would love to do both but I'm kinda in a rush, I overslept a little bit and I promised my family I'd meet them for lunch says mercedes and I nodded respectively and kissed her lips passionately once again "well I understand as I said as I gripped her hips again and moved my hand down to her ass "it's a shame though says zendaya "and why's that says mercedes

"Cause you know I'd have you screaming within 4 minutes of my touch says zendaya as she laughed pulling away "you're a fucking tease says mercedes as she groaned walking back into my room and zendaya laughed. Yes, yes I am

Chapter 9

Mercedes point of view

I drove up to my mom's house after stopping by my apartment to clean up after last night with zendaya. God I know this is gonna come back to haunt me but for now I'm enjoying it, I trust that she has no need to rat me out, so why worry and I walked into the house and my little sister Regina walked over to me happily "mercedes, you're home says Regina and I picked her up and kissed her cheek "yes I'm home says mercedes and I put her back down with a smile "where's mama says mercedes "kitchen, she's fixing food says Regina as she skipped off into the direction of the living room and I smirked at her energy. I love my family, Lani, my aunt and my mom were at the counter dicing some onions

"There's my beautiful daughter, for a second I thought you weren't gonna show says mercedes mom as she told me with her thick accent drawing out "sorry moms as I Said as I walked by to place a kiss on her cheek then gave one to Lani "I woke up a little later than expected says mercedes and mercedes trailed back around to the other side of the counter to sit down close to them and Lani glanced over at mercedes then did a double take "what's that on your neck says Lani and i turned away and pretended like I don't hear what she said then looked down at my phone "Mercedes Justine kaestner varnado says as my mom spoke out, she was upset "we sent you out to college to pass and get to do what you love but not if that means you're fucking every guy you see says mercedes mom

"Mama I'm sorry it won't happen again as I told her with my big brown puppy dog eyes, she'd crumble every time and she frowned and her face softened "it's fine as long as you're being safe says mercedes mom and Lani jumped back into the conversation "fuck that, is he cute? How'd you meet him, are you dating, can I meet em says Lani and my family doesn't know I'm gay, at all and I grew up in a Mormon family and we finally switched to just being purely Christian, I like the thought of God, some higher power protecting us every day and creating this beautiful world around us, it's great, it makes me feel like there's a reason to be in this world

Although that's where my sexuality backfires on me and shits all over that religious side, I dated guys in my past but I never felt anything, I love girls, everything about them, the complexity, the way they move, the different types of girls you can get. Think of it like this ,girls are like chips, you can get hot cheetos (spicy Latinas), lays (the cute white girl) or fritos (the colored girl with the heart of an angel) but with guys, they're all basically the same to me, cool ranch doritos not my favorite but I don't hate them, they just aren't the first bag I look at and if my family found out I was gay, they'd drown me, they take religion pretty seriously, God it would kill me to be away from my siblings, they're all I got, that's why I gotta keep this under wraps at least until I know I can get by on my own

I sighed out "it's really nothing to be talked about Lani, it wasn't anything special sats mercedes. What a lie, it was great, I like zendaya for more than just a fuck buddy, I want to get to know her but then I don't, I don't want to get attached then another part of me wouldn't mind being a little more attached and we finished eating and I stayed the night at my moms house since I already had already graded the papers I needed to, now I just want to kick back and relax with the fam and I laid my head on my mom's lap and looked up as she moved her fingers through my hair while keeping her attention to the TV and I love being in my moms lap, it's so safe and calming

I had a professor once say something about how even when you grow older, your mothers presence automatically increases your safe emotions, I'm not sure exactly what he was talking about but he said that he believed no matter where you go or how old you get, a mother's arms are the best comfort and I agreed with him, I feel so comfortable with my mom, she's my best friend, I have others but she's the only one I can trust truly and I sighed out "Mama can I ask you something says mercedes and she looked down from the TV for a second to glance at me and nod "this is just hypothetical but I was wondering umm says mercedes and she chuckled at my nervousness "spit it out sats mercedes mom

"What if someone in our family was gay? How would you react says mercedes and she thought about it for a second then looked down at me to mess with my hair and scalp some more "is it Masi because I could see that says mercedes mom "Mama this is serious says mercedes as she smirked "fine fine says Mercedes mom as she looked back towards the TV before replying to me while looking deep into my eyes "well I wouldn't be happy about it at all, I mean, homosexuality is a choice if someone decided to choose to break their own mothers heart don't you think they wouldn't, I mean that would break mine if one of my kids was gay, can you imagine says mercedes mom

A frown formed on my face and I tried to play it off with a chuckle "yeah it's crazy says mercedes. I wish it was a choice, God I wish it was a choice more than anything and my phone went off in my pocket and I pulled it out to see her name

Slacker: hey um ok this has to do with school so don't be mad that I texted you

Mercedes: I'm not mad that you texted me, I'm kinda mad about the spelling choices

Slacker: it's texting not a Nobel prize mercedes

Mercedes: fine, what's your question

Slacker: you know how I didn't turn in that paper

Mercedes: yeah, I could tell by the lack of your name in the stack

Slacker: lmao yaaa well the girls are gonna help me with it so can I just turn it in for a late grade or do you not accept late papers? When you went over the policy in the syllabus, I was a lil um distracted

Mercedes: I bet ;) but yes I accept late papers but it's half a grade

Slacker: I'm fine with that, I just gotta pass ha

Mercedes: ok just don't let your friends do it for you, I'll know

Slacker: whatever you say ;)

Chapter 10

Zendayas point of view

The girls were on my bed looking at their phones and chilling and I was close by pulling a clean white shirt on over my head "when the hell did Zane start leaving scratches on your back says Lauren as she asked angrily "he's never done that before says Lauren and I chuckled nervously having to continue the lie to my best friend "um I guess he got into some new kinks over the summer says zendaya as she laughed trying to not act too obvious and I crashed down on the couch and landed beside normani "dang pull your shirt down, you got hickeys everywhere says normani "Zane dosent like hickeys zendaya, there something up says Lauren as she pointed out

She knows everything about our sexual encounters, Lauren and I have that kind of friendship where we share each other's secrets even when they happen in the bedroom and I've mentioned to her a time or two that Zane will only give me hickeys on special occasions because he knows those are my favorites "fucking spill says Lauren as she growled "spill what as I laughed reaching for my phone and Lauren took it away "you didn't go home with Zane last night, did you says Lauren "does it even matter as I retorted trying to grab my phone from her but I was unsuccessful "who did you go home with says Lauren as she asked and my face turned a dark shade of red when I noticed all do the girls eyes were on me

"Was it that girl you fucked this summer says normani jokingly asked and zendaya began to stutter "i-uh its says zendaya "OH MY GOD IT WAS says normani as she started to get excited, she loves drama so much "WHAT THE FUCK!? YOU SAID YOU WERE WITH ZANE! YOU MET UP WITH HER AGAIN says Lauren as she was just as excited yet a little upset that zendaya didn't tell her upfront and zendaya sighed "can we all just chill the fuck out says zendaya "you never even told us her name says ally as she pointed out throwing her phone to the side so she could pay attention to zendaya and I couldn't tell them her name, I had to try to think of a name "Hailey says zendaya, what the fuck? Why was that the first name "I can't see you dating a Hailey says camilla as she laughed putting down her phone

I tried to change the topic by pointing out something else "so camilla how's Luke says zendaya and Mila blushed slightly but then quickly changed her expression to a saddened one "I thought this year with him was gonna be really good but I found out that Luke is suspended off campus for the first month of school to finish out his last suspension when he helped the seniors spray paint the school on prank day so he's just on his own island says camilla "can you believe I almost helped them out too, wow good thing I didn't huh says zendaya as she smiled and normani was at the end of the bed shuffling through papers and writing down on the blank space

After a few more moments of rustling papers, she handed it to me "all done now, let's go out tonight says normani and I took the paper and read over it the best I could, it sounded pretty good so I didn't care "where are we going says Lauren as she smiled with a husky voice and normani raised her brow "you know how my cousin goes to Anaheim university says normani and we nodded in response "she told me there's a huge project X type house party for the whole school and that we should come by because her house is hosting it says normani "I'm down as Lauren and I synchronized and camilla looked down "I dunno about this says camilla "c'mon kid live a little, it's a college party, you'll be in college soon, you might as well make the most of it as I told her nudging her leg back and forth

"Fine says camilla as she crumbled easily "I'll be the designated driver says ally as she happily pointed out "then let's get ready says zendaya as she laughed

---

On the way to the party, I got a text from Ms mercedes

Mercedes: what are you doing tonight

Zendaya: you know Anaheim university

Mercedes: ha yeah I graduated from there

Zendaya: well I'm going to a house party out there

Mercedes: I knew it was about time for that annual house party lol but how are you getting to go

Zendaya: my friends cousin invited me and a few other people

Mercedes: lol I just got an invite from one of my old friends but idk if I'll even get to go but just be careful, a lot of bad shit happens on this night every year

Zendaya: I'm not sure what you mean but I'll keep my eyes peeled

Mercedes: okay sweetie, maybe I'll see you around for a moment or two

Zendaya: are you planning on stealing me away possibly ;)

Mercedes: I dunno yet, I gotta see if I could even get you away, sometimes it's hard to move through those party houses

---

And she was right, there were so many people in that house, it was crammed from top to bottom, kids sprawled out everywhere with red solo cups in their hands and most of them had a dazed look in their eyes so I'm guessing they smoked before coming to this party, lucky little shits and I walked over to the kitchen to see a copious amount of liquors and beers set out and I grabbed a clean solo cup and began filling my cup up with jack and coke, nothing too crazy, just a little drink I would normally have at a high school party and I felt fingers pinch my ass and tug down on my shorts a little and I turned around seeing Lauren smiling "you didn't make me a drink says Lauren as her eyebrow was quirked

"You have two hands, make yourself one says zendaya as she laughed and I turned and leaned against the cabinet while I waited for Lauren to finish pouring a mix of alcohol in her cup, no soda just straight jack, rum, vodka and whatever else she could het her hands on, she likes to call it 'the jauregui' and I call it 'alcohol poisoning' and I tried it once and ft fucked up within 4 swigs "you seen any cute girls yet says Lauren as she teased after sipping her drink and leaning beside me "besides you, nah not yet says zendaya and Lauren giggled and nudged me "go on, find a girl, I'm sure there has to be one gay one here in the midst of all these adolescents says Lauren "if only as I replied taking a swig of my drink

----

All of us got split up but I didn't mind, I had fun observing filled students at Anaheim university, I mean there were the stereotypical drunk messes then the horny people then we finish it off with the douchebags who think they can drink more than anyone else. Yup I love stereotypes and I began walking through the house to see tons of pictures hanging on the walls, some weren't completely hung up straight but they were all very visual, they were pictures of past generations from this frat, girls were lined up in rows and they all had pretty preppy smiling faces, what bullshit, of course it's perfect sorority and I started to walk down the hall when a hand grabbed mine and pulled me into a room to close the door behind us

I struggled to try and get out but when the figure stepped out from the shadows, I was stunned

[fantasyfiction-net]

Five Hargreeves x Reader

Note: Found this in my drafts. This might be a bit oop or uncanon-ish. Set after S3.

There was a woman standing at the water's edge.

Y/n, a baleful woman of unquestionable ability, stood alone on the beach, gazing over the royal blue water with her empty honey-colored globes. Her charcoal hair danced lightly in the ocean breeze, tickling against one cheek as she tried to deny the stirrings in her heart, resting her cheek against one hand as she hummed "My Immortal" to herself. She wore an onyx featureless robe, covering her from head to foot. Her coiffure flowed in a inky torrent past her shoulders, complementing her aching light-colored visage. She stood, awaiting her love.

They had known each other since they were children. They had spent time together so often that, despite all differences, others often mistook them as siblings. However, it was not until recently that they had recognized their feelings for each other. From then on, Y/n was sometimes needy and close, but then suddenly cold and fearful. Five tried his best to hide his pain, but it was plain in his depths. That was how it was to this very day.

"Y/n," Five said simply with a smile on his face. His brown spheres complimented his coal-like hair, brushing against his ears, belying his fiery heart. He was dressed in refined garb befitting his station. He had a toned but slender body covered with coral-flushed alabaster skin. As Y/n drew nearer, she caught a note of his familiar scent of lingering iron and steel. Her globes softened. It always reminded her of the time they shared.

"Five. I feared you might not come," Y/n whispered.

"Of course I came," he said nonchalantly.

She shook her head. "Everyone else abandoned me."

"They don't know what they're missing," Five said sharply. He held his hand out to her, and hesitantly she took it. With that, they began to walk along the beach. Y/n was as silent as death as they made tracks along the sand. Unable to stand the awkward silence, Five started their conversation with,

"How are you these days?"

A flicker passed across her orbs before she hoarsely murmured, "I'm fine."

"Y/n." His voice was uncharacteristically serious. "You're really fine?" Y/n swallowed and said nothing.

For a few moments they were quiet again. He thought about Y/n, about all the things he knew about her, growing up alongside her, that no one else would know. All throughout that time since then he had gotten the feeling that Y/n had bottled up more pain than she ever let on. That only ever made things worse. Five glanced over at her. Her globes were hidden behind the torrent of her raven mane. "Come on," he tried again, "I mean, look. Look at all this." He pointed out over the glittering sea, and Y/n cast her morose gaze dispiritedly in the direction he was pointing.

"What is it?" she murmured.

"All this open space stretching forever. The smell of salt and the cry of gulls. It makes me feel free, like nothing else. Come on. Let it out, get it off your chest. It's too beautiful here to be moping." All of a sudden, Y/n turned sharply away and continued down the shoreline alone. "Hey! Wait."

"Nothing is beautiful," she whispered. Five caught up to her and turned her about by the shoulder. She turned her face away, but he saw that she was crying. "Five... I'm without a mother or father, I'm burdened by the unexplainable, and I'm not really alive. How could you... how could *anyone* possibly care about me?"

It was always hard for Five to find the right words at times like this. "Hey, Y/n..." Five took her into his arms as she wept. "Hey. Sometimes you just have to throw lemons back at life."

After a few moments, they found themselves walking down the beach again. Y/n couldn't stop thinking about her shroud of pain. It plagued her endlessly -- while she was far from him and while she was near. It threatened to consume her. When she had let the faintest hints slip in the moments before, it had already taken taken so much of her will.

With concern, Five turned his daring windows to his soul toward her. "Y/n? What's wrong?"

"Five... it's..."

And at that moment everything came together, all of the magic and the hurt that had been building that day, and he locked his orbs with hers and whispered, "You can tell me."

It was like a floodgate burst, or some barrier of fear had been struck down. Y/n shook her head and everything came out at once. "I don't know if I can put it into words. I... lately... it might not even be just lately.... It's nothing. It's nothing! I just... I don't feel well.... I don't know where it is, whether it dwells in my heart in my head. It hurts, Five... there's nothing that helps. Except that... sometimes, I feel a bit better when you're by my side...."

Five listened silently and solemnly. At last, when all the words had left her and she was at a loss for words, he reached out to her and took a deep breath to whisper back, "I know, Y/n. I know how it feels. You see, that's been on my mind too. My shroud of pain.... I haven't told you, but it's been bothering me too. But... never mind that." Five placed his hands on Y/n's shoulders. "I'm here for you, Y/n. As long as you need me."

Y/n's eyes began to burn, and she abruptly pulled him into a fierce embrace. His crystals widened at first, but then he too felt overwhelmed by emotion and succumbed to the warmth of her touch.

"You," Y/n whispered, her breath hot on his ear. "As long as you're here, I... I can make it." They held each other as tears trickled down cheeks and dripped onto the shifting sands to be carried away into the sea. With time and soothing embraces, their pain dissipated into a mist swept out by the ocean breeze and into the setting sun.

They basked in each other's quiet companionship for a few moments.

"Look... it's the sunset."

Y/n lifted her head at Five's words to behold the dying sun's salmon radiance. "Mm."

After a moment of silence, he took Y/n's hands in his and said quietly and seriously, "Y/n, I need to say something. Without you, I would be the sea without the moon -- the moon without the sun -- a fishing rod without a hook. Heh, you're adorable when you smile. But... you're special to me. I'm serious."

"Five," she breathed in response. "I'm... I'm not that special."

"You are," he insisted, sounding almost hurt. "I'm not lying."

"I don't mean to say you're lying. Just that... never mind. Five... you're... precious to me as well."

He brought their clasped hands to his lips. "Then... so long as you will it, we will never be parted."

Y/n sighed with contentment and brought him closer. She gazed at the beautiful lemon-colored rays of the falling sun, thinking about everything that had transpired on this day and all that would pass between them.

"You'll hurt your eyes doing that," Five added.

Y/n looked at him instead. "I love you, Five."

"I love you too, Y/n."

Their lips met, and atramentaceous strands met coal ones, aflame in the dying light. The sand was their witness and the rumbling ocean their approving audience, and Five, her eternally faithful lover. Y/n thought to herself that nothing had ever been so perfect for her as this.

[oro-e-diamanti]

Quiet Music: Leggiero (Chapter Three)

aIn collaboration with @bethanysnow

Small touches, looks, and wine-soaked daydreams lead to whispered conversations on balconies' edge. Put out cigarettes in the middle of the night. Let lips touch as palms do - eventually...

Content | Fluff

Pairing | fem!Reader x Damiano

Word count | 7111

Tag list | @damianodavide @lizstans @unitermoonshine @its-afucking-mess @ethaneskin @dont-let-me-drown-in-you@vampirtet @lividisuigomiti @juststalking @tabi-toast @ethan-torchio-angelo @cheese-toastie-11 @thewitchinthemountain @ethanesimp @sofckinelectric @man3skin @daddydamiano @finelinejpm @superchrystaldrug @ginny-lily @everythingisdefinitelynotfine @nientedaridere @rainbowmarta @tiaamberxx @shaunthesheesh @enjcltaire @rocketqueen @aleksanderwh0r3 @dacey0eg @damianodavidhands @megann-duff @teatrodellavita @coven-daddy @till-you-scream-and-cry @solasullabarca @fanfictionandfluff @makapaka11 @slave4yourlove @geklutst-ei @bidet-and-legolas @ginny-lily

***

The bus rumbled underneath Damiano as he turned around in his bunk, the humming of the vehicle drowning out the clatter and chatter of his bandmates in the background. His head was pounding, but less because of the little alcohol he had consumed the night before and more because of the thoughts that had kept him up all night. This morning, he had made sure to be up before Y/n would come around for her wake up call, got ready and then all but crawled into the bunk on his bus for more sleep. They would play a gig in the evening, but for now he was thankful for the 6-hour drive to Oslo with nothing to do.

He could almost feel himself drifting off, body tired out and mind exhausted, but instead all that he saw when he closed his eyes were scenes from last night.

The room was filled with laughter. Music and Vic’s singing, as Damiano let himself fall onto the bed next to Y/n. She looked gorgeous, hair down, relaxing, a champagne flute in her hand and a slight smile on her face. Even though he knew she’d be worrying about what Thomas was doing to the room and how she was going to get them out of bed the next morning. But mostly she was just gorgeous and he told her so.

His hand reached out before the contemplation of this action had been finished in his brain. The adrenaline from the first show of the tour had him flying, soaring, and there was nothing that could possibly bring him down. Her eyes showed surprise but she didn’t pull away as he put a strand of her hand behind her ear. The gesture was small but Damiano felt like he was on fire, briefly stroking the soft skin under his fingers before pulling back.

He found himself babbling about his hair, but he was much more interested in what she had to say. He wished she would talk about herself more often - so much of his personality was so out there, so much information about himself was literally out there, in magazines and interviews and photos, but she had her walls up, even when they were joking, even when she seemed to be talking freely.

“You’re getting more interesting with every second I’m around you, you know?” The words slipped out of his mouth so easily. She went over it just as easily. Did she not care? Did she not find him interesting? He had hoped for some sort of reply or reaction, but she just continued talking. Maybe she wasn’t interested in him… His brain only allowed the thought for a minute. No, he told himself, she simply was this way. Cool, calm, collected. He was sure he would be able to get her out of her shell further one of these days. He wasn’t going to stop trying.

Next thing he knew, she had thrust her phone into his hand, some picture of her from years ago. He didn’t care much about the outfit or the makeup or the questionable hair, it was her smile that drew him in. There was something carefree about it, something unabashedly confident, something she seemed to have lost since then. There was no way back for him he realised in that moment - it might as well have been this woman or no other ever again.

Next thing he knew, he was complimenting her again, calling her darling, but this time he didn’t have to wait long for a reaction. The drink that had been in her mouth just a second ago was now spluttered on her clothes and some of the bedding. He was about to ask her if she was alright, but she had jumped up from the bed, hands trying to hide her reddening face, and dashed to the bathroom.

Fuck, what happened?

“Damiano! What did you do to the poor girl!” Vic shouted in amusement from across the room. He simply waved it off. He wasn’t actually sure what he had done and it bothered him more than he would like to admit - especially in front of his bandmates. Maybe he had come on too strong, tried too hard, had made it awkward. His plan had been to pay her compliments - not scare her away with them. He would have to reconsider his course of action.

When she came back, it was only to say a quick goodnight, waving and leaving. She only spared him a brief glance, no smile or any reassurance that they were fine.

It had not stopped going through his mind. This morning, she had pretended like nothing had happened, but he knew she had been avoiding his gaze and her smiles didn’t seem quite as genuine as they did before. Damiano let out a low groan into his pillow. This was a mess and a half.

The curtain of his bunk was drawn back harshly, revealing Ethan’s face.

“Why would you scare me like that!” Damiano complained. “I could be jacking off in here!”

“Well, I want to assume you wouldn’t do that in a semi-public space such as this,” Ethan replied with contemplation on his face.

“What do you want anyway?”

“Victoria sent me and told me to tell you, I quote,” Ethan cleared his throat. “‘Stop moping, Damiano, it’s no fun'. So, there you go.”

Without another word, Ethan turned back around, leaving the curtain open, and walked back into the kitchenette of the bus. Out of the corner of his eye, Damiano could see him stealing a bit of fruit from the fruit bowl. He felt no motivation to join them.

***

“He alright?” Y/n whispered to Thomas, who was sitting close to her, guitar on his lap. He just shrugged. Ethan rejoined the group with an unreadable expression on his face, sitting down next to Victoria. Y/n shot him another concerned look, but he simply shrugged as well. She shook her head and got up from her spot, walking over to the counter to make breakfast for everyone. Getting out the waffle maker. Putting the Moka pot on the stove and filling it with water. Too early in the morning for rock and roll. In the background, she could hear the band discussing rehearsals and the show in Oslo.

As soon as the smell of food hit the three bandmates, they were all over Y/n, hovering around the little kitchenette, pushing and shoving each other to be first. Y/n looked at all of them in turn. Thomas was currently standing on the couch, raising his hand to smack an unsuspecting Vic who was looking the other way. A single raised brow from Y/n got him back down onto the ground.

“Hey! I’m older, I go first!” Victoria pushed Thomas back.

“Maybe, but it still took your mum nine months to think of a good joke,” Thomas retorted.

Ethan turned around, chuckling at his friends’ banter - but Y/n’s reaction was far more blatant. She started to laugh, a loud, almost cackle that the band had never heard before. Her smile easily reached her eyes and she gave a little applause at Thomas’ joke. “I- I;” she gasped in between laughs, “I know it’s not that funny but it just got me, sorry!” Finally managing to bite her tongue, she went back to serving breakfast.

Out of the corner of her eye, Y/n saw Damiano leaning so far out of his bunk to find out where the sounds and the laughter were coming from. The driver though couldn’t have known it was a bad moment to go over a pothole. With a loud thud, Damiano crashed out from his bunk and onto the hard floor. Chili, excited at the prospect of being able to reach him, ran over to lick his face.

“Eh! Chili, hi. Vic! Come get your dog!” He groaned, picking up the golden fluff and sending it back to her owner. She trotted away happily, over towards Victoria, who was a giggling mess after seeing her friend’s fall. He rolled his eyes at her grin.

“You gonna come join us, sleepy boy? I made coffee,” Y/n said, still trying to keep the peace between everyone. Pouring coffee into a mug, she walked over to Damiano and bent down, handing him the beverage. “I don’t really care if you want to spend the entire day on the floor, but I think your fans might tonight. So come join the party, hm?” Her voice was soft and enticing. Damiano’s eyes sparkled at her invitation. But still, his face was burning red. He sighed and nodded.

Y/n stepped back, taking the cup after he had taken a long sip, and reached her hand out to him. With a swift movement, Damiano was back up on his feet, immediately losing his balance and crashing into Y/n’s shoulder. More blushing on his part. He had not been expecting this amount of strength from her. Not caring about his little bump into her, she dusted him off, picking some fuzz out of his hair, her hand so close to his face, yet so far. She handed him the coffee once again and gave him a smile, before going back to her little corner on the bus as everyone devoured their breakfast.

Damiano watched as she tidied up after everyone had finished, constantly making sure what was effectively their home during tour would stay homely. She always looked like she belonged, and he admired her for that. After one last wipe down of the counter, she quickly addressed everyone on the bus, asking if she was needed for anything else right now, and after a round of head-shaking from everyone, she grabbed her laptop and retired to a quiet corner on the bus. It was only when she briefly looked up to find his eyes and gave a slight smile that he realised he was still watching her every move. Embarrassing, he scolded himself.

Damiano started fumbling for his bag, grabbing a notebook and a pen. He had too many thoughts running around in his head, too many images and ideas about Y/n, and he felt like the only way to get rid of them was to write. Maybe he’d even be able to make something out of it. Anything would be better than staring and dreaming about her anyway.

***

Two more hours until Oslo. With a heavy sigh, Y/n pushed the laptop away from her, neck cracking as she finally moved her bones a little. Suddenly, a pair of hands came down onto her shoulders. She only flinched for a moment before she realised it was Damiano, slowly starting to massage her tense flesh. Her head fell forward and she waved her hand to have him keep going. His fingertips digging into hours of uni work, work work, other work. Tension all living in her neck being slowly worked away by the singer.

"I'm not gonna turn down a free massage," she chuckled, feeling his talented fingers remove knot after knot. Then, suddenly, they became softer. She could hear Thomas in the background shouting something at Damiano. Taking his attention away from her, and all it left was soft fingertips on the sensitive skin on her neck. Dancing along and leaving goosebumps in their wake without him even knowing what he was doing to her. She shivered under such a light touch. A groan left her lips as she was falling deeper under his spell. At this point, she didn’t care. A very pretty man was smoothing his hands over her neck and shoulders and it was nothing short of lovely. Normally this wouldn’t be on Y/n's top list of things she would allow - but a 6-hour bus ride and sitting in one place for most of it was a killer.

I could fall asleep like this - fuck…

She was snapped back to reality when she realised that Damiano was once again staring at her screen, asking what she was working on, hands never moving from their position. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to concentrate like this.

“Oh, I’ve, um,” she awkwardly fumbled with the laptop, “I’ve been trying to memorise this sonnet. I’m doing a course on Shakespeare this semester and we’ve been told to pick our favourite by him and I think I finally decided on mine. It’s Sonnet 128 - um. One of the only sonnets to give you an actual scene in place. It’s from the perspective of this guy watching a bard and just craving to be touched, used, kissed by this person. To have the same sort of attentive mastery be directed at him instead of the player’s instrument. Describing the person listening to this bard play… Wait, would you just like me to read it to you?” Y/n looked up at Damiano. He nodded as he slid into the seat beside her. She moved the laptop so she could see its screen still and began to speak.

***

Sitting next to her wasn’t as bad as Damiano thought. After working on her neck and shoulders, her perfume had rubbed off onto his skin. Light and warm, not super floral, but he didn’t peg Y/n to be a flower kind of woman anyway. Looking at her face now, he noticed things he hadn’t seen before. Faint freckles, little lines around her eyes, the pink tint on her lips. Her hair was done up again in a bun. He could see a couple of bobby pins trying to hide in her wild hair. Then she started to recite the piece and his chest was exploding. He felt as if he was watching winter melt away and spring come.

“How oft, when thou, my music, music play’st”

Oh, what he would do to be her muse, Damiano thought. Her voice, low and soft, was like music itself to him, never mind the way her eyes lit up at the words she repeated from the screen. A little light inside of her, one he hadn’t encountered before.

“Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds With thy sweet fingers, when thou gently sway’st”

Her fingers were just as sweet, his mind piped up as he tried to listen to her more closely. Some light polish on her nails that he hadn’t noticed before, but now that she was scrolling through the laptop, it was like he couldn’t keep his eyes off them. Quickly exploring images of them tangled in his hair, scratching down his back ever so slightly. Stop, he told in his own head in vain. Just stop and listen, for once. Yet the ideas of her he had hidden away kept demanding attention.

“The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,

Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap

To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,”

He tried so hard to concentrate. To listen, to take in the words she was reciting, to grasp their meaning and what they meant to her, but it was hard, getting harder. In an uncalculated move on his part, his arm swung around her shoulders, not pulling her closer, just letting her know he was there, right now, right here, with her. His hand resting on her upper arms, feeling the warmth underneath the fabric of her blouse.

“Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap,

At the wood’s boldness by thee blushing stand!”

His eyes travelled up from her fingers, over her soft and curvy figure, her delicate neck, to her blushing face. She was blushing an awful lot with him and he had not yet figured out completely if this was a good sign or not. Either way, he thought she looked adorable, a natural pink on her cheeks. Slightly restless eye movements that didn’t match up to the words she was reading, a certain nervousness overtaking her. He wanted to make her blush like that for the rest of his life if he could. He silently wondered if she would blush that much if… if it was just the two of them, alone in some random hotel room, a whole world of exploration before them.

“To be so tickled, they would change their state

And situation with those dancing chips,

O’er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,

Making dead wood more blest than living lips.”

His eyes betrayed him, flicking down to her lips as soon as she said the word. Soft, a light tint on them, pronouncing every syllable in the most mindful way. He wondered if she would let him kiss her. What. His brain flickered between two emotions. Yes, yes, yes. He would give everything to feel her sweet mouth on his, getting her close, inhaling her scent, pouring his every thought into a kiss. No. What was he thinking? She was their assistant. Strong, gorgeous, fiercely independent, and surely not interested. Right? He couldn’t help wondering. Would she let him kiss her? Would she want him to? Had she thought about it, the way he was right now?

“Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,

Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.”

Their eyes met and Damiano hadn’t even noticed how much closer he had edged towards her. It would only take a little bit, one more breather, a tiny motion, to put his lips on her, to feel what she was feeling, and the way she looked at him had him craving, obsessing and he almost dared himself to do it, when a voice pulled him out of his thoughts, pulled him away from her.

“Y/N! I don’t understand how the waffle maker works!”

Damiano had never wanted to kill his bandmate more than at that moment. With a groan he turned around, seeing Thomas fumble with the appliances in their little kitchen area, a dumbstruck look on his face, and puppy dog eyes pleading Y/n for help. She only gave a low chuckle, before getting up and walking over to the guitarist, leaving Damiano with a head full of thoughts that all circled around her.

***

That was close, Jesus Christ! My face is so warm… how are his eyes that pretty? How have I never noticed that before? I wonder if he was thinking about the same thing as I was back there…

***

The crowd was roaring out by the main stage. Crew held their places waiting for the queue to go. The band stood off stage trying to sneak a peek at the audience. Hundreds more people than they were expecting. Y/n sat in a metal chair that was dubbed ‘her chair’ so she could watch the performance from behind the main curtain to cheer the band on without being seen. The lights in the main room were being lowered, the playlist that had been on in the background slowly being turned off, as the noise of the audience got impossibly louder. The band was getting nervous now, the good kind of nervous. Thomas jumping around to get his energy levels up before they would get the sign to get on stage. Y/n smiled at them in turn, returning a little wave Ethan was giving her. Just as they were given the go-ahead, and all of them started to jog on stage, Damiano took a little detour, sending her a smile that would set all the butterflies free in her stomach, before pressing a little kiss to her forehead. He was gone before she had a chance to react. Yet, she froze. Damiano looked back and it was the most perplexed, confused, and adorable expression he had ever seen on her.

It was an expression Damiano couldn’t get out of his head for the rest of the concert, even long after she had lost it - and he knew she had because he couldn’t keep himself from looking over at her every now and again. He was fascinated by the way she watched them.

And if she was watching? Well, then he was going to put on a show.

He pulled all the tricks he knew - well those that were fitted to the situation and venue. During one of their songs, he decided to pull his favourite one. With a low grunt, he ripped his shirt apart, throwing it across the stage, unable to wipe the smile off his face. Until he looked over to where his top had landed and his eyes fell onto Y/n, standing beside the stage, now with a performance-rich torn tank top on her face. Maybe his aim had been a little off. The look on her face as she removed the fabric made him laugh. At least she isn’t hiding now, he thought, before going back to the song.

During “You need me, I don’t need you”, one of the covers they had chosen for the night, he couldn’t fight the grin, knowing his favourite lyric of the night was coming up.

“Melody music maker, reading all the papers, they say I’m up and coming like I’m fucking in an elevator.”

Where Damiano would usually take the chance to suggestively hump the mic stand and focus on the audience, this time he did it while looking straight at Y/n. Her face clouded red, eyes looking at him with a flustered glare. He simply winked at her.

Similar things kept happening throughout the night, any song to do with sex or romance, any innuendo, it was all directed at her. To him, it was all about her all the time, and he made sure to let her know.

***

After one last encore, the band left the stage, the sound of the crowd chanting their names in the background. Once backstage, they all exchanged hugs, all pumped up from the adrenaline and the successful show. A massive gift basket sat in the corner, filled with beers, chocolates, some skincare products, and flowers, along with a note from the venue welcoming them to Oslo and thanking them for playing. Vic immediately grabbed Y/n.

“When we get back to the hotel - up for a girl’s night?” Wriggling her eyebrows at the assistant, she picked out some of the products from the red tulle in the basket.

“As if I could say no to you.”

***

“Okay, what’s first, face mask or red wine?” Victoria asked, holding up both items in her hands as she followed Y/n into the hotel room, Chili yapping at both of their feet, dying to get attention from anyone.

“I will pour the wine if you open the face mask stuff,” Y/n decided, picking up Chili for some snuggles, before putting the dog down on the bed and grabbing the wine glasses. “Don’t have a girls' night often, so this is nice.”

“I keep having them with the boys but it’s not really the same,” Vic laughed. “They never want me to pluck their eyebrows or anything! Oh, and please be careful with the wine around Chili, I drenched her once and it didn’t come out of her fur for ages.”

“You - you did what now? Wait, nope, I don’t wanna know. But to be honest, I would kill to get Ethan on my lap with some tweezers in my hand. Boy, does he need it. Not by much, sweet guy. Just, uh, you know?” Within a moment or two wine was being poured and handed to the blonde. “I didn’t know how much you would want but we can always add more,” Y/n stated, hopping onto the bed next to Vic.

“Oh, very sweet guy with unpredictable hair, really!” Vic said, grabbing the glass and downing more than half of it in one go already, before sitting down next to Y/n with the little pot she had opened and a little applicator for the cream. “That’s so fancy, I usually just slap it on my face with my fingers.”

“Same! Thinking we’re posh fucks, aren’t they?” Y/n grinned, looking at the tiny skincare items, another sip of wine. Chili curled up between the two women. “You looked like you had fun at the concert.”

“It’s so good to be back on the road and I feel like we’ve really found ourselves as a band now. We’ve only played two shows but it’s already my favourite tour. I’m convinced it’s because you’re here, too, by the way, you really fit in with us,” Victoria smiled at her, sipping from the glass, then putting it away on the nightstand and motioning for Y/n to do the same. “Come here, I’m gonna do your face.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t say that. You guys have been absolutely killing it. You got here by your own accomplishments and will, that’s hard to do. I am far more surprised at how well I’ve been able to fit in with you all. I’m, uh, as you can see,” putting the glass away, she scooted to face Victoria, “not as… ‘rock and roll’ and I would have assumed you’d want your assistant to be. But glad I got stuck with you though.”

“Oh, shush,” Vic said, sternly, as she began applying the cream to Y/n’s face. “You fit in just fine. Firstly, I think we definitely need someone to keep us grounded a bit sometimes and secondly, I am absolutely convinced there’s a lot more rock and roll in you than you think - you just wait until you’ve been exposed to us for longer, you’ll see!”

“Well, I agree with the grounded part. You realise that today during breakfast Thomas was climbing on the sofa about to smack your head just to get further in line? That boy does not stop.” She relaxed into Vic’s touch, silently deciding that girls' nights needed to be a more regular thing. This was great. “Ethan said something similar - something about ‘head banging right along with everyone else’. You all have it out for me don’t you?!” She asked, putting on an overly dramatic, surprised look.

“No, he didn’t!” She exclaimed, astounded. “I’m gonna get him back for that tomorrow. Anyway, Ethan was right, you won’t be able to resist our bad influence forever, Y/n! So, have you been to gigs before taking this job, or is this still something new to you?”

“I have been to gigs before, but they were more music festivals, and I was never one for EDM or anything. The heat and lots of glittery, sweaty people drunk on warm beer? No, thank you. Or they would get a new assistant for a tour and the job would end. Not in a bad way, it's just how it is as an assistant. You do your job until they don’t need you anymore.” She shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s the wine or you, but I don’t think I’ve talked this much about myself really since I started this job. Not this particular job, mind you, but the whole P.A. thing.” Y/n chuckled, pulling her hair back into a tighter ponytail to keep out of the way of the fancy skincare.

“Hm, now I just keep thinking of putting glitter on you and getting you in the middle of a good punk gig one of these days,” Vic giggled as she finished up Y/n’s facemask, motioning for her to return the favour. “Let’s make the most of this wine then, I’m going to pour you another glass and you tell me a bit more about yourself.”

Grabbing the little pot of face mask, Y/n gently held Vic’s face, slowly applying the cream. “I’m going to be an alcoholic by the end of the tour, aren’t I? Um, well, I had a boyfriend, he was a prick, we broke up. My best friend lives in London in our old flat. My favourite films are old Hollywood romances. ‘Singing in the rain’, stuff like that. I dunno really. I’m just Y/n. Though I was thinking we should find a way to line Damiano’s trousers so that if they - when they rip apart, you see the lining and not the man’s underwear. Not that I think he cares, actually.” She truly was unable to turn work off completely, even on a night off.

Victoria couldn’t contain the giggle, receiving a scolding look from Y/n, who almost put the cream in her hair by mistake. “Thinking about Damiano’s underwear a lot, huh? Can’t blame you, that man is as pretty as they come. You can be happy they’ve all not gotten to the point where they just hang out on the tour bus in just their boxer shorts, but believe me, that day will come sooner or later!”

“I have not!” She insisted as her face betrayed her, telling a completely different story. “That is unprofessional and objectifying. I hope it doesn’t happen at all. You saw my face before when you all decided to ‘put on a little show’ in the dressing room.” She took the glass from Vic to take a sip. “Anyway.” She started blending out the face mask with fingers, careful not to get it into Victoria’s hair. “Would there be anything you want to know? I am never good at talking about myself.”

Chili nuzzled into Victoria’s leg, getting more needy. “I don’t want to cross any boundaries here, but honestly - why do you work so hard? I’ve only known you for like three days but you never seem to relax, you’re always either busy working for us or working on your projects and when you have a minute to breathe you end up cleaning after us or just going above and beyond taking care of us. I’m not complaining,” she held her hands up, laughing. “It’s great, but it’s a lot, huh?”

“Um… I can’t lie. Not to you or the band. Lying isn’t good for you anyway. But.. I don’t know. Lots of stuff happened before I moved to Italy. Lots of not-so-good stuff. So, I had a lot of reserved pent-up energy, still do. So I had to find ways to put it into things. Now I put it into my work because it’s my new dream. I put it into the band because I care about you. I want to see this tour do well…” Y/n stopped for a moment, caught off guard by the question, looking back and forth between Victoria and her own reflection in the wine. “I want to prove to myself that I can achieve and be successful. I am also a giant workaholic, though, like it’s bad,” she giggled, as Chili now put a paw on Vic’s thigh, demanding attention.

“Well, if you gotta do that whole workaholic thing, I’m glad you’re doing it for us,” Vic smiled, placing a soft hand on Y/n’s arm. “Just make sure to make some time to let loose every now and again. I’m sure any of us would be happy to help you with that.” She turned on her phone to check the time. “I should probably get this mask off now, give me a second,” she explained before getting up and skipping to the bathroom sink.

“Yeah, that’d be good,” Y/n said, also taking note of the time. “Doesn’t Chili need to go out now? There’s no grass on the balcony or I’d let her do her business here.” She stood up, placing the wine glasses on a little counter, trying to force the cork back into the bottle. “Thank you for tonight though, we should make it a thing.”

“Yeah, I’ll take her out for her evening walk now.” Victoria came back, hair slightly damp from where she had washed her face too hastily. “But let’s definitely do this again, next to Ethan you’re like the most calming person on this tour to hang out with.” She moved to give her a hug, only to realise Y/n still had the mask on, so instead, she opted for an awkward shoulder rub and a giggle. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“You do realise it is my job to follow you around and see you tomorrow? Like, that is what I am paid to do. But hell, I’d still do it if it wasn’t my job,” she smiled, nudging Vic’s shoulder. “Now go get Chili out and then get some sleep yeah? Important things like sleep, food, water, everything you people seem to keep forgetting about!”

“Well, that’s what we have you for now, don’t we?” Victoria laughed, picking up a whining Chili and already halfway out the door. “But you get some sleep too! No working through the night, I am ordering you to bed - as your boss!”

“Of course!” Y/n laughed, shutting the door behind the bassist. After taking off her mask, she put the rest of Vic’s leftover wine into her glass and went out onto the balcony with her laptop. Pulling out all the bobby pins and the hair tie, she ran her fingers through her hair, brushing out the knots and letting it hang loose. The light from the sunset had long been gone by the time they had gotten to the hotel. Only street lights and the blue screen were illuminating the space of the balcony. The outdoor space was large enough for a table and chairs. The street down below was faintly noisy as people and cars passed by, but not enough to disturb her peace and quiet.

***

So much for an early night, Damiano thought, staring at the screen of his phone, as Ethan slept soundly in the next bed. With a sigh, he kicked the blanket off his legs, grabbing a pack of cigarettes from the nightstand, and sneaking out onto the balcony without waking his bandmate. Maybe a smoke would help. His eyes drifted from the rather unspectacular view out front to where he noticed movement to his right, only to see Y/n on her own balcony, right next to his.

Y/n was relaxing in her chair, glass of wine in her hands, mouthing the words to something on the computer in front of her. Entirely focused on whatever she was working on, she didn’t notice Damiano’s door opening and closing. She took a drink of her wine, leaving a dark red stain on her lips, then stood up to face the street. Laptop on her arm and looking outward, she mumbled the words on the screen to herself. He just about managed to make out what she was saying.

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with brief- Wait, no. Grief. Okay.” She cleared her throat. “Who is already sick and pale with grief. Stupid tiny font is gonna be de death of me,” she mumbled, trying to zoom into the text.

Damiano watched her, a chuckle on his lips, both amused and amazed at seeing her play out the scene on her own. With a quick flick of his lighter, he turned to his cigarette, taking a drag, wide awake. The low light of the moon was illuminating her figure and her hazy movements and for a while he allowed himself to simply be fascinated by her. By the way she moved. Performing fully committed to the open air. Then she made a particularly dramatic, sweeping gesture in her monologue and he knew he couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“Hey there, Juliet.”

The surprise went through her like an electric shock, she was stumbling over nothing, almost dropping the laptop from her arms, as she turned around towards him so fast, he was sure her hair was going to give her whiplash.

“Ah fuck - Damiano?!” She gasped delicately into the night. “You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days!”

Hopefully, for very different reasons, he thought to himself.

“Sorry,” he sheepishly replied. “What are you doing? It’s almost 2 am.”

“You know I could very well ask you the same thing.” She looked at him accusingly. “If you didn’t have the day off tomorrow I’d be ordering you back to bed immediately.”

Damiano briefly considered a suggestive comment, but instead, let the cigarette between his lips keep him quiet. Y/n was putting her laptop away now, sinking back down into the lounge chair as he walked over to the edge of his own balcony, leaning over the railing to get a better look at her.

“You know I’ve not forgiven you for your antics at the concert tonight yet,” she suddenly stated, pulling him from his thoughts. The smirk flashed over his face naturally. He wondered if she was blushing again, but the little light the moon and her laptop screen gave off didn’t tell him anything. He was hoping she was.

“I promise I didn’t mean to hit your face with my top,” he laughed.

“But you obviously did mean everything else you did!” An accusing finger was pointed his way. “I did not appreciate that.”

For a second he flinched, wondering if he had gone too far, crossing a boundary. But then she looked back at him with a smile she was obviously trying to push away, unsuccessfully. Glass of wine in her hand, she sauntered over to him, while he put out his cigarette on the railing. She leant over her own railing, mirroring his movements. At a slow pace, like she knew he was watching, she sipped from her glass. His eyes falling to the way her neck was exposed as she threw her head back, tracing the soft skin with his glances until she set down the drink. There was a droplet of red wine on her lip and he wished their balconies were closer together, fantasising about reaching out and wiping it away, feeling just how soft she would be under his touch.

“Not that… I didn’t like it.” She paused. “Also not the first time I’ve been hit in the face with a shirt. So there’s that.” Y/n laughed.

“Now you’ve got me curious - who else would hit you with a shirt? Are you trying to tell me you’ve been to strip clubs?” Damiano laughed. Teasing her came easy to him.

“Dancers. With aim as terrible as yours, Mr. David. And I don’t know if you want the answer to the second question,” she smirked. When they were alone like this, she seemed more at ease. That, or it was the wine. He didn’t know.

“Dancers, huh? Think you could teach me a thing or two? Or, you know, were you just watching, lusting over sexy men?”

“Ah! I would do nothing of the sort. Most of the guys there weren’t into girls anyway. Wouldn’t do me much good… Damiano, I could teach a lot of things. You to dance? God help us all.” She made a dramatic cross across her body, laughter twinkling in her eyes.

“Now, Y/n, I’d let you teach me whatever you wanted,” he winked. “Preferably something… active, hm?” He could keep from laughing as he saw her unimpressed face, staring him down and shaking her head. He’d rile her up for the rest of his life if she gave him the chance.

“I once met this Italian guy, came to the studio. Thought he was God’s gift to dance. But you Italians all have that, bravado, confidence, whatever you wanna call it. Well, after learning the first intermediate step, he fell flat on his face and went back to beginner lessons. You gonna be like that?” Raising a brow at him, she leant further over the railing on her side.

Damiano puffed up his chest, comically, trying to make himself appear bigger in a useless attempt to impress her. “Now, you’ve obviously not met the right Italians yet, amore mio. Sounds to me like you need a real Italian to show you the way.”

Just like this morning, she burst out laughing, letting out cackles that filled the air with joy. “Sorry - not laughing at you. Just thought what you said was funny.” She looked down, and as dark as it was, he could see the same signs he had seen before. Shy expression, holding herself close to her body. The slight panic of not knowing what to say. “You’re real Italian, alright. You seem to always know what to say. Now is that an Italian thing or a Damiano thing?” She asked, sarcastically, to deflect the fact that her face was heating up.

Amore mio…that's what did it. He felt like he was unlocking a single puzzle piece at a time, slowly putting her together and making sense of her. He couldn’t wait to get the whole picture one of these days. “Maybe it’s a you thing,” he simply said. The night was making him strangely comfortable with being honest. “Maybe you just bring it out in me.”

“Eh - I’ve been told I bring out a lot of things, never a savant before.” She was still looking down, at her hands, starting to pick at her nail polish. Some little nervous tick that he hadn’t caught onto till now. “It’s late, you should go to sleep, Dami. I am sure that bed is missing its handsome owner right about now.” She started to look far away, picking up the wine glass and taking the last sip.

He had barely heard what she had said - too focused on her calling him Dami, for the very first time. It was like a little shudder running through him, knowing she was growing closer to him as the time passed. “Are you okay, though? I’m sure my bed will survive without me a little bit longer.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine. Don’t you worry about me, I worry enough as it is. Tomorrow is a day off, so I won’t be waking you up in the morning, bus call isn’t until later. Um, but I will be getting breakfast. Is there anything you would want?”

“As long as it involves coffee, I’m happy. I’m sure you’ll pick out the perfect thing anyway.” Damiano watched as she nodded, moving towards the balcony doors and away from him. He felt like grabbing her just to keep her there. He straightened up as well, just barely backing away from the railing. As she left he looked at the space she once occupied, feeling like he could almost make out the outline of her body where it once had been.

Amore mio...

[quietsnooze]

I had yet another DnD campaign implode, after just 4 sessions. The DM got understandably overwhelmed, as he promised 12 sessions to wrap a storyline and we could all reevaluate then if we wanted to continue, but we didn’t make it more than a day and a half in game.

I’m truly cursed. I need to stop joining game I find on r/LFG, but there really aren’t good ways to find games actively seeking players, other than that and similar types of threads on discord servers, for example.

What I really want is to find that elusive unicorn of a friend group to play DnD with, comprised of people who are as enthusiastic as I am to play out a story. It shreds at my soul to create these characters, pour myself and my love into them (despite trying not to with my latest game, which I had a bad feeling about since the start would wind up this way), only to have the character and their storyline and trajectory torn out from underneath me. I’m left alone with a shell of a character who was created for this purpose. Sure, I can repurpose them, I can tweak things and write a solo story if I wanted to. But there’s something I crave deeply, that nostalgic whim of collaborative storytelling, that is lacking from solitary fiction writing.

I already write a story. I have a webcomic, I have complete control over that by myself. What I want from my hobby is to collaborate with other people, to be surprised by what the other characters do, not have to think about the motivation of every single character and build it from the ground up.

I’m a DM. My group meets once a month due to scheduling, and just three days after last session, I had everything prepared for the next one. So I started to deep dive into worldbuilding, to make ration pack tables for each kingdom so it incorporates their unique style of cuisine. I put way, way too much thought into incidental towns, because I have no other game to fixate on and pour this creative energy into.

My last long term campaign was torn out from underneath me in April 2021. We were 30+ sessions in and Cat, my eladrin barbarian, was starting to reach the cusp of her backstory. And then it was silence for months, and that dread boiled in my stomach until it was confirmed - the DM burned himself out on the story. He told us what might have happened, what he had planned, and I was so very sad I didn’t get to participate in the moments I could see would have been incredibly poignant and emotional and cathartic had they been roleplayed out at a natural pace. Over the year of the campaign, I drew over a hundred pieces of art and filled a literal self-published book with that creative, devoted energy I had for my girl.

So, I’m understandably guarded. I’m occasionally reached out to by someone on twitter who sees a moping tweet of mine in my forever-DM-ness and offers to invite me to a game, but I’m incredibly shy and I’ve been burned too many times by strangers.

A friend asked me what I want from a DnD group or game. It made me pause. Because, what I do want is friends. What I desire above all else is the camaraderie. I want people with whom I can develop long lasting friendships, wherein we have a completed DnD game that has a satisfying story and character arcs. My ultimate desire is a second game, in which there are hints and references to the echoes of the characters past, those old heroes of ours, the way that Vox Machina keeps coming up in new Critical Role campaigns. When I was in Cat’s game, I was invited into an existing group who had a completed mini campaign under their belt. They made references like those, but I was out of the joke because I wasn’t there. No amount of explaining why it was funny or surprising or incredible would make me feel like I had been there, and that this was a reveal that I should be gasping about. It just made me feel left out.

So, I don’t know what I want. Some sort of vetted, proven, trustworthy DM who has as much passion as I do to craft a story and see it through. Until then, I’ll be that for my players. I just won’t be playing Dungeons and Dragons, not in the same sense that they’re showing up, embodying one character and their headspace and their desires, because I am the world, I am the deities and the wind and the cities and the fates. I have to juggle everything, and they get to come in and enjoy the fruits of that effort. It’s what makes DMing worthwhile for me, those moments where my players are so engrossed that they gasp, that they put together a plot thread from several sessions earlier and watch as it ties neatly with this new one. I adore their passion and their respect for the lore (I made it difficult because the homebrew world is one where magic is mistrusted and outright illegal in most locations).

I just... want to have that fun of being one other fictional person again, bonding with my party, solving puzzles, smashing my greataxe into the face of evil, and not noticing the hours fly by with all the escapist fun I’m having.

[cuddlemen0w]

daily dose of failure | peter parker x reader

(+ the group aka mj, ned and harry)

a/n: heya so it got some attention and i’m posting something more for it :) hope you like it!! any feedback is appreciated and cherished <3

previous

Peter paced from one end of his bedroom to another. “Shit!” His foot collided with the small bed frame. “This is absolutely fucking great! Amazing!” he yelled out as he kicked the wood few more times.

He sat down on his bed in frustration and sighted loudly. His foot hurt and fingers started to tremble in his lap from the anxiety he was feeling. “Shit,” Peter said again. His eyes now pricked with tears. “This is not how I wanted it to go.”

“Peter, we’re here,” MJ called out into the small apartment, interrupting his little mental breakdown. He shot up from his bed in instant.

Four pairs of steps entered to the living room. He heard the soft murmurs of Harry and Ned, arguing about who fucked up more. And then, there it was. Her heartbeat, her scent, her footsteps and her soft voice, speaking with MJ. He’d recognise her with his eyes closed, even without his spider sense.

Quickly, he wiped the few tears that escaped his eyes and called from his room. “In here!”

Only a deep breath after, the steps of his friends drew closer. His heart picked speed. It’s gonna be fine. He told himself. Shadows could be seen from under the door. They were right outside his closed door now. It’s gonna be ok. Someone’s hand touched the doorknob, opening the door as if in slow motion. It’s NOT ok!

y/n opened the door carefully, trying not to startle him. “Pete?” No response. “Peter? Can I come in?” Nothing.

She opened the door all the way, stepped into his ‘man cave’ as he liked to call it—despite the many lego toys that were all around it—only to find out he wasn’t there. Searching in the closet and looking out of the window on to the fire escape; he wasn’t anywhere. “Oh Petey,” she breathed and sat on his unmade bed.

“He’s not here isn’t he?” MJ asked as she saw her friend sitting sadly on the boy’s bed.

“No,” she forced a small smile. “I really wanted to—”

MJ interrupted, “I know. But it’s his loss. Now, if he doesn’t show up in five, we’re going to the movies without him,” she tried to cheer up. “And getting that cheese nachos he hates so much.” It seemed to work because y/n got up from the bed right that moment.

“Shouldn’t be this eager but he really doesn’t like that cheese and I crave it so much.”

Peter sat on the roof. His feet dangling from the side, the red-black mask in one hand. His head was in the other, messing his already pretty messy hair. He smacked the side of his head. “I’m so stupid.”

“You are.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “What!” He never turned around so fast. “Mister Stark, what— what are you doing here?” he paused for a second in disbelief.

“Came to check up on you, and found you here. Moping like a teenager in unrequited love.”

Oh, how right he was. Peter thought to himself.

“What’s bothering you kid?”

“What you said,” he stated simply, looking back down on the city. “Here,” he gestured around himself, “it makes me feel calm, clears my head.”

The man in the iron suit just nodded and sat right beside him on the roof. “Looks nice.”

“She does.”

Tony looked at the still moping boy. In all his years he didn’t think for a second he’d have to deal with a teenage boy, in his feels, and give him dating advice on top of it. But here he sat. The boy he cared for as if he was his own next to him, sniffing and wiping his nose.

“Kid,” he put his hand on Peter’s sagging shoulder. “Sometimes you face things, not so pleasant things.”

Peter snorted and Tony glared playfully. “Fine, fine, go on.”

“Like telling a girl, or a boy. I don’t judge. That you like them. It’s not easy, but if you want to be happy, you gotta grow some balls.” Tony clapped Peter’s shoulder affectionately.

“That is the worst advice I’ve ever heard,” Peter cracked.

Tony mocked hurt by putting his metal clad hand onto the blue light on his chest. He cracked too. “At least it made you laugh.”

After a moment the laughter died down. Peter breathed deeply. “Maybe I should grow some balls though,” he paused and looked at the mask in his hand. “With this, I’m confident. I’m a superhero. But when I’m... me. I’m pathetic.”

“No, kiddo.”

But Peter continued. “No, I really am. My friends had to be the ones to tell a girl that I like her. I would probably take it to my grave. I’m always so close to telling her, but then I just black out or— or run away,” he gestured around once more. “The Peter in me, is a coward.”

Tony could only watch. He was out of words.

“Maybe, maybe I shouldn’t be the one to tell her,” Peter thought for a minute. “Maybe someone else should do it for me!” he grinned in triumph.

“Kid? What do you mean?”

“You’ll see Mister Stark,” Peter looked to the many lights in the big city. “And I’m not going to be a coward.”

next

[letsgivethisonemoreshot]

BruiserMates

Word Count: 4,644 (it's a long one)

Warnings: Sexual Situations, banter, there's some fluff in there somewhere.

Summary: The British Bruiserweight is more grumpy than usual. But his friends and a co-worker think they just might know a way to fix it. (Also, I tried to make an attempt to keep true with accents for the first time. So I apologize if it's horrible!)

The lukewarm water rushed out of a shower head in the back of the arena. The water pressure in these showers were never that good, but it was early and Lauren had the whole locker room to herself. She had the curtain drawn for privacy, just in case anyone else arrived early. Mostly because she was in the men’s showers. And just as she was rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, she heard several voices from the locker room echo into the bathroom.

"You could've stopped to get breakfast first." A British accent rang out.

"They 'ad food at the hotel." The familiar accent of Pete filled the room.

"Not anything for a vegan. And ya know that." Another voice argued.

"I don't know every damn vegan place in tha country." Pete spat back.

"Uh guys, just so you know you're not alone in here." Lauren informed them.

"Who in the bloody hell is that?"

"Lauren. I'm a backstage interviewer here. I really needed a shower after my workout before I got ready to work and they were cleaning in the women's locker room when I got there. No one was in here so I ran in. I'll be quick." She explained.

"Pete?"

"Yeah, she works here." He vouched, recognizing her voice.

"Ah. Alright then love. As long as you work here. I'm Tyler by the way."

"Trent." The other voice rang out.

"You guys are here from NXT UK for the tag tournament, right?" Lauren asked.

"You got it love." Trent answered as he turned on a shower on the opposite side of where Lauren was. "And you don't 'av to rush. We don't mind if you don't."

"As long as you stay on that side of the curtain." Lauren responded in a joking but friendly way.

"Great." Pete murmured.

"What's wrong with you?" Trent asked him.

"He's still sore about his girlfriend messin' around on him." Tyler answered getting ready to get a shower himself.

"Tell my business to the whole locker room, why don't ya." Pete said annoyed.

"She's the only otha one in here. And she sees ya more than us. I'm sure she's noticed you're grumpy."

"No more than usual." Lauren said as she conditioned her hair.

"Aw piss off all of ya."

"See? He's always this pleasant."

"I thought you said you were gonna be quick." Pete pointed out.

"I was, until Trent was nice enough to tell me I didn't have to. So now I'm taking my time."

Pete let out an aggravated grunt. "I can't shower with 'er in here."

"Relax Pete, I'm almost done. What brings you guys in here so early anyway?"

"Time change. Kind of has us messed up. And Pete just doesn't sleep." Tyler replied. "What about you? And working out nonetheless. I’d think you’d moreso be off writing questions."

"How else am I supposed to fit myself into those tiny dresses they want me to wear?" Lauren partially joked, causing two of the englishmen to chuckle. "I have a few interviews I have to do for some social media shows before the actual show tonight. This was the only time I could fit in a work out. I was going to shower real quick then get to work, but the women’s bathroom was closed, so I that brought me here. I guess it’s just bad timing.”

"Ah, I wouldn't say that love." Trent said.

"Well maybe not on my part. Anybody could walk in here. So many people have probably had fantasies that start like this. But apparently, it’s bad timing for some of you.”

"Would any of those fantasies include any of us by any chance?" Trent asked in a joking tone.

“Trent, ya can’t just ask a woman ya just met something like that.” Tyler chastised.

“Why not? I’m just joking.”

"Hm, some just might." Lauren answered.

"For fucks sake…"

"Jesus Pete calm down, I'm done. I'll be out of your hair in a minute." Lauren said as she turned off the water and wrapped her towel around herself.

"Yeah relax mate. We're just messin' around." Trent said to his friend.

"You need to get laid." Lauren stated.

"Excuse me?" Pete asked, sounding offended.

"We've been telling him that the last two weeks love." Tyler said to her.

She pulled open the curtain and stepped out of the shower stall. "Take it from someone who pushed away a lot of her friends by being a negative mope after going through a rough breakup. If she's gonna fuck around, then so can you. Try smiling, go get laid, and live. See ya later boys. I believe I'll be the one interviewing you later!" Lauren called out before walking away.

Lauren left them alone in the men's locker room and walked back to the women's which was thankfully now able to be occupied. She walked quicker than she planned seeing as how she couldn't get dressed there with the guys there. So she was running around in just a towel. No one had really showed up to get ready yet, but she still had to go over interview questions, get dressed, and was expected by the stylists soon. She was rummaging through her bag when there was a lock at the door. She dropped what was in her hands and curiously walked over to the door. Upon opening it she saw an annoyed Pete Dunne standing there. He was still in his trousers, nice button down shirt, and vest. His hair pulled back. Obviously he still hadn't gotten into the shower yet.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from you? Miss me already?"

Pete held out a plastic bag with tiny bottles inside. "Ya left your crap in the shower."

"And you're such a gentleman you brought it back to me?" Lauren joked.

"I drew the short straw."

"You sure it doesn't have anything to do with what I said?" She asked as she took the plastic bag from him. “Because my fantasies about you usually start with me still dressed and you ripping my clothes off me, but if this is how it happens I’ll take it.”

“No, it’s because I was the only one who was still dre…wait, what?”

Lauren smiled "Thanks for bringing my stuff back Pete. I forgot it in all the conversation. And if you’re just here to drop it off, I really need to finish getting ready. I need to be in make-up soon. I’ll see you around later.”

She closed the door, leaving Pete standing there dumbfounded at the interaction he just had.

Lauren had gotten dressed and was sitting in the make-up chair. She had decided on a short black off the shoulder dress. Even though the shoulders were bare, the dress had long sleeves, making a bit more acceptable in the workplace. The strappy heels that she had on also made it a bit less casual. She already had her hair done. She chose to leave it down since it was only shoulder length, but add some waves to it. Pete had wandered over to the area as Lauren was laughing while the make-up artist applied the dusty pink lipstick. Lauren was deep in conversation with the artist. She got along with everyone. Well, mostly everyone. She was easy to talk to and calming, which was a plus with her job. The interviews always flowed nicely and never seemed forced. She never really had any real problems with anyone she worked with. Pete leaned against a wall off to the side watching her talk. He had his wrestling gear on now, and had his long hair dangling down over half of his face.

"Alright, all set. How's it look?" The make-up artist asked as she held up a mirror.

"It looks great! Thanks Rachel!"

"Awesome. If you need a touch up just let me know."

"I will. Thanks!"

Lauren checked in the mirror one last time, pursing her lips together, before jumping out of the make-up chair and leaving it for someone else. She walked away from the styling area and right passed where Pete was brooding.

"Lauren."

"Hey Pete." Lauren replied as she walked by.

"Hey, hold up."

"What's up?" She asked as she stopped and turned to him.

"You tell me." Pete stated.

"Is this about what I said earlier? I’m sorry for getting involved in your business. And I never would have said anything had we not already been in the middle of a conversation. But I’ve been there, and I didn’t want you to end up pushing your friends away with your bad attitude like I did.” She explained.

"Not that. After. At the locker room." Pete said in a much lower voice.

Lauren smiled and crossed her arms. "What is this? When is Pete Dunne so timid?"

Pete rolled his eyes. "F'get it."

"No I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself." Lauren said reaching out to grab his arm. "I'll be good. What did you want?"

"You to stop being intimidating for a moment would be good."

"I've heard that once or twice before, but not from anyone like you."

"What you said earlier, did you mean it?" Pete asked changing the subject.

"That you need a good lay to forget about her? Absolutely. Your friends seemed to agree."

"No. That you've 'ad fantasies about me." He said as he took a step closer to her.

"Maybe a few times." She answered, surprising him by the serious tone in her voice. He stood there not quite sure how to follow up while Lauren opened the small bag she had with her and looked through it. "Listen, I really have to go and interview Daniel Bryan. But if you want to take my advice, I would love to be the girl that gets under you to get over her. Room 308 if you're interested."

She slipped her spare hotel key into his hand before turning around and continuing to walk down the hallway. Later on that night Pete sat in the back watching the show on a t.v. He was watching Lauren interview his two best friends while he spun the hotel key around in his fingers while being lost in thought. He pulled it together to go out and put on a good show, like he always did. All of his cockiness and aggression was on display. Lauren had been watching his match extra closely that night.

After the show Lauren was sitting alone in her hotel room. She hadn't made any plans for the night in case Pete decided to show up. After about an hour of waiting, she decided to change her clothes and get comfortable. She had the television on and was laying down in the bed, trying to relax, but she found herself not paying attention to it and trying to figure out what reasons Pete could have for not showing up. After driving herself crazy for some time, around 11:30 she realized she was being silly. His good friends whom he hadn't seen in months were in the country for a bit, so he was going to be spending time with them. Plus with all the joking around that she had done with him that day he probably didn't even think she was serious. Or maybe he just wasn’t interested and didn’t know how to tell her in a nice way. Lauren grabbed her phone and laid down on her bed to play some games until she got tired. Only a few minutes after she relaxed herself for the night, there was a knock at her door.

Lauren put her phone down and got out of bed. She walked over to the door curious of who could be there this time of night, especially without texting her first. She looked through the peephole and saw Pete standing on the other side. She quickly opened the door.

"You do realize I gave you a key so you wouldn't have to knock and wait in the hallway, right?"

"I didn't feel right usin' it." Pete told her.

Lauren opened the door wider and stepped aside inviting him in. He stood near her as she closed the door.

"I see you stayed dressed for me." Pete joked as he looked at her in her pink tank top and black yoga pants.

"I could say the same for you." Lauren retorted noticing Pete was in grey sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"It's not m' job to look pretty." Pete stated.

"Good thing I'm off the clock then."

They hadn't really talked much before now, other than just a hello or exchanging pleasantries. Maybe being involved in the same conversation as a group of people. Mostly that was because Pete kept to himself or only really talked with the people he was close to, where as Lauren would talk with everyone and insert herself into others conversations. But Pete definitely took notice today that not many people were able to throw back at him the way that she did, and he liked it.

"So did you just come here to criticize my clothes or…" Lauren trailed off.

"Actually, I wanted to talk." He answered.

"Oh, uh okay."

Lauren definitely hadn't been expecting that. She lead him into the room a little bit more and she sat down on the edge of the bed. Pete took one of the seats that were in the room and placed it in front of her before sitting down as well.

"So?"

"I've been thinking about what ya said. And you're right. If she's gonna bang a bunch of guys and not care, then I should too. Well, ya know."

"So what's the hold up?" Lauren asked.

"I don't want pity sex with someone just because they feel sorry fa' me. Especially if it's someone I 'av to work with."

"I can understand that. I'm not really one for random hook ups either." Lauren agreed.

"But then why did you…"

"I like you Pete." Lauren told him.

"Why? I'm kind of a bastard." Pete asked confused.

Lauren laughed. "Yeah, most of the time. I've watched you. You're grumpy face and your angry promos. But I've also seen the way you joke around with your friends. I've seen how interact with kids. I know how much you care about animals. There's a sweet guy behind that whole bruiserweight thing."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Your best friends. Those goofballs wouldn't waste their time with a complete asshole." Lauren answered with a smile. She reached out and placed her hand over top of his. "I'll be honest. I've had the hots for you since you started coming around. And then when I actually learned things about you I had a crush on you. And seeing you laugh with your friends, I've wondered what it would have been like if we had that kind of relationship."

Pete couldn't help but flash a genuine smile that he usually kept hidden. "Why didn't ya eva say anything?"

"You had a girlfriend, remember?"

"Right. Right. Forgot about that."

"Well that was the plan." Lauren giggled.

"So girls really dig the whole aggressive arse thing huh?" Pete asked amused.

"Oh yeah. There's something wired wrong in our brains. And the accent doesn't hurt either.”

Pete leaned back slightly in his chair and chuckled.

"Did I just make Pete Dunne laugh?" Pete didn't even try to hide it this time after she pointed it out. "Up until now I think I've only made you scowl."

"Yeah yeah, just don't spread it around."

"Don't wanna ruin your unlovable reputation, huh?"

They both sat in awkward silence for a few moments, neither knowing what to say next. Pete fidgeted in his chair slightly before standing up. Lauren promptly stood up along with him. He reached out and pulled her to him so her body was flushed with his, wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug. The act took her by surprise.

"Thanks." He said into her ear.

Lauren put her arms around her torso returning the hug. But her senses perked up. He was still holding her, his head down and his nose grazing her neck. The thought of his mouth that close to her, with his history of biting, sent an electric wave through her nerves. She tried to push those thoughts out of her head and hugged him tighter.

"Anytime Pete." She said lightly.

Pete broke the hug and stepped aside looking down at her smiling. She gave him a half hearted smile. She was glad that she was able to be there for him, and it seemed like there was a friendship forming between them. But she was a little disappointed that it wasn't going further. And embarrassed that she told him how she felt, and now she had to deal with him at work all the time with him knowing that. She didn't say anything as she followed him as he walked to the door.

"I'll see ya around, alright?" Pete said as he put his hand on the doorknob.

Lauren nodded with a smile. She closed the door behind him and leaned it against it sighing. She felt like an idiot. She was just hoping he wouldn't make a big deal about it at work. She began walking back to her bed. When she was a few steps away, she heard the door click. She turned around and saw the knob turning. It pushed open and Pete walked back inside.

"Hey. Everything okay?" She asked confused.

He slammed the door behind him and walked towards Lauren, throwing the room key onto the bed as he passed it. He made it to where she was and placed his bands on her hips and pushed her up against the wall crashing his lips down onto hers. Lauren put her hands up on his shoulders, bracing herself at his actions. He moved his hands from her hips up to her sides all while continuing kissing her neck. He traced along the top of her tank top before grabbing it with both hands and ripping it down the middle. Lauren gasped into his mouth. Pete didn't give her any time to adjust to what he was doing before his hands traveled back down her body and behind her thighs picking her up and pressing her against the wall. He tore his lips away from hers to slowly lick down her chest until stopping at her partially exposed breast. He lightly licked around her nipple a few times before taking it into his mouth. Lauren ran her fingers through Pete's hair, softly moaning. When he lightly bit down she moaned deeper and arched her back off of the wall. Pushing herself even further into him, she became even more aware that her legs were spread around him and she could feel herself getting wetter every time he nibbled.

Pete pulled her away from the wall and carried her over to the bed. Lauren laid on the bed looking up at him trying to catch her breath. He was looking down at her with his signature cocky smirk. He reached out and lightly grabbed the waistband of her pants before yanking them off and crawling on top of her. Pete nuzzled into her neck kiss and biting causing her to arch her hips up and feel the large bulge in his sweatpants. Lauren slid her hands under his shirt and scraped her fingers down his chest bringing a low growl from him.

"You are wearing entirely too many clothes." Lauren informed him.

Pete chuckled, but it wasn't the light hearted one from earlier, there was a deeper tone to it. There was something sexy in that chuckle. He leaned up onto his knees and peeled his shirt off.

Lauren took the moment to just look at him, kneeling in front of her with his hair hanging down partially in his face. Watching his eyes in the light. He could see her eyes glancing up and down his body.

"Is this what ya wanted?" He asked.

"Fuck yes." Lauren answered out loud, instead of in her head like she planned. "But this was supposed to be for you."

"Does it seem like I'm not enjoyin' it?"

"Well yeah, but what is it you want?" Lauren asked.

"Haven't been asked that in a long time. Honestly?" Lauren nodded. "I want someone to want to be with me. Not just use me ta get off and pass out. Someone who enjoys being with me. To feel loved."

Lauren leaned up so she was sitting up in bed facing him. "Really?"

"Yeah. Sounds stupid. I guess when ya with someone for so long those things kind of become lost."

"No Pete, they don't." Lauren said as she placed her hand on his face. "That's what happens when people stop caring."

The words hurt Pete, but deep down he knew she was right.

"Lay down." She told him.

"What?" He asked confused.

"Take your pants off and lay down. Let me take care of you." She said it in such a calming tone, you'd forget they were just dry humping each other.

He complied with what she asked. Lauren removed her underwear and straddled him. He rubbed his hands on her thighs She pulled off what was left of her shirt. Pete unknowingly bit his lower lip upon seeing her naked in front of him.

"Like what ya see?" She asked with a coy smirk

"Damn love."

"You sure you wanna do this?" She asked him.

"Love if you don't get on me right now I'm going to push you down and get back on top of you."

Lauren smiled and moved to slide herself down onto his dick. She gasped as she slid down. She could have guessed the size of it based on what he wore in the ring, but she didn't think it was as thick as it was. Pete hissed as she began riding him.

"Fuck babe. You're so tight." He commented.

"Yeah, it's been a while." She replied as she rolled her hips.

"You're so wet." He stated.

"I told you, I like you. Now are you gonna do commentary the whole time or just enjoy it?"

"Oh I'm enjoying it love." Pete said as his hands slid up her legs. He groaned as he saw her bouncing on him, her breasts bouncing along with her. He ran his hand along her body and brushed his finger onto her clit causing her to yelp. He liked the sound that she made and continued to rub along her clit as she rode him.

"Fuck Pete if you keep that up I'm not gonna last long." She warned him.

"You keep makin' those sounds I won't eithea."

Lauren pushed his hand out of the way and brought her upper body down so she could kiss him before moving to his neck. She began kissing and sucking on his neck like he had been doing to her earlier. Pete reached around with both hands to grab her ass. She was moving at a slow and steady pace, keeping with his grunts of pleasure. She would bite down on his neck every once in a while hoping to catch him off guard. He would squeeze his grip tighter pushing her at a different pace causing her to moan.

"Wait, Lauren stop." Pete said suddenly.

Lauren stopped and sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I wanna be on top." He told her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Lauren wanted to stay on top and take care of him, but it's what he said he wanted to she switched positions with him. She had to admit having Pete in between her legs staring her down was something she had thought about several times. He began placing kisses down her collar bone as she ran her fingers through his hair again.

"Mmmm Pete, please." Lauren begged bringing a smile to his lips.

"Please what?" Pete asked as he ran his length along her entrance, teasing her.

"I know I'm being selfish at the moment but please, I need you." She moaned as she tried to push herself closer to him.

"Baby, I love hearing you beg." He said as he entered her starting slow at first.

"Pete, faster please."

Pete grunted before speeding up, loving the feeling of her needing him, He began to thrust harder as he sped up. Lauren wrapped his leg up around his waist to give him better access.

"Oh God Pete, I'm so close." Lauren said as she scratched her nails down his back.

"Let go for me love." He rasped into her ear.

Lauren grabbed onto Pete's face to pull him into a passionate kiss as she came. Pete finished shortly after her before collapsing next to her. Their session was relatively quick, but emotional and intense. They laid next to each other trying to catch their breath.

"Well, that was unexpected." Pete stated.

"Yeah, definitely didn't think that was gonna happen when I woke up this morning." Lauren agreed as she laid next to him.

"I'm sorry it wasn't really what ya wanted." Pete apologize.

"What do you mean?"

"Ya said you wanted aggressive, and ripping clothes off, and all that."

Lauren leaned up on her elbow and turned to face him. "That's one of the things I've thought about, but I really just wanted you Pete."

He responded by lightly placing his hand on her head and pulling it down to rest on his chest. Lauren laid there cuddling on Pete, which is something she never would have expected from him, and soon found herself falling asleep.

Around three in the morning Lauren jerked awake. She didn't mean to fall asleep. She didn't even realize she was that worn out. Or maybe just comfortable. The room was now all dark, Pete must have turned the lights out. She couldn't see anything but she felt over to the other side of the bed and it was empty. Of course it was. He came for what she said she'd give him and then left. He wasn't looking for anything beyond that. Lauren knew that when she offered him to come to her too, but she didn't think it would hurt that much when he was gone. She laid back down in her beg and pulled the covers up feeling pretty stupid. Just then she heard the toilet in her bathroom flush and the door open. Pete walked out of the bathroom and back over to the bed.

"Pete?" Lauren asked.

"Hm." He replied.

"I thought you left."

"Why tha hell would I do that?" He asked as he pulled up the covers and got back into bed next to her.

"You were gone. I thought you got what you wanted and left. Especially after I fell asleep on you."

"I believe you're tha one that wanted this love." He reminded her. "You’re the one that offered."

"Well, yeah…"

Pete wrapped his arm around her waist and held her hand, lacing his fingers in with hers. He nuzzled his nose into the back of her neck.

"I'm pretty glad you did though." He admitted. This was the most love he had felt in a long time. He really felt like the person he was with wanted him, needed him. That she was focused on him, and it made him want to be focused on her. He felt an actual connection, which is something that he had been missing.

"I'm not goin anywhere for awhile love." He said as he squeezed her into hug, pulling her body to his. "I loved those sounds I heard earlier. They drove me crazy. I look forward ta havin' ya make more."

Lauren giggled as Pete kissed the back of her neck. Neither knew what the future would hold, but right now they were both enjoying the moment.

[creativeashproductions]

What If...? I // Alive!Luke Patterson

Summary: The story of Sunset Curve if someone had been able to stop them from the fatal street dogs. A rock and roll family legacy, the reader meets Luke at a concert where he decides she is his endgame, this is a story of their life together.

Warning: Swearing, fluff, female!reader, do street dogs count now??

Words: 3.0k

Requested: By @beautifulblogsblog . The request was detailed so this request with be 5 parts and shorter since I have no clue where 3.0k came from?! Enjoy.

A/N: Interesting fact about the stand where the guys get the streets dogs is the name of shady business is a play on words. Say the name fast and you’ll catch on.

TO BE TAGGED SEND AN INBOX PLEASE!

Masterlist

Los Angeles, Early 1990s

Sunset Curve started as a fun little project for a group of four teenagers from all walks of life and different stories. It came about when a kind blonde boy was trying to find a socially acceptable way to hang out with someone he was currently seeing. It worked because Alex had learnt drumming as a way to work his frustrations out, he didn’t feel like he could punch someone, so boxing was a no go. Luke, the guy he was seeing, had received a guitar from his parents and self-taught himself how to play. The Patterson parents believed it would be a phase and he’d get serious about education.

The duo found out that an acquaintance had been having taken guitar lessons for several years, as a date Luke and Alex discovered him in the music room at school. Somehow another guy, Bobby, joined and then when the relationship between Alex and Luke mutually ended the band floundered. Alex, however, refused to let the breakup affect their friendships. Luke refused to give up the band. Sunset Curve was then forever changed to a permanent band.

In 1993 Luke attended one of his favourite local bands at a venue where he bumped into you. Chemistry and attraction instantaneous between you two, unlike anything before. IN that few second you both knew that you had see the other again.

“Hey! Sorry!” You called out over the loud music glancing over his shoulder at your friends grinning in response. After a bad breakup, Jay and Ro had been pushing you into failed blind dates.

“No worries!” Luke replied, “Gnarly song, hey?”

You nodded glancing at your friends once more, “I better get back to my friends.”

Luke frowned as you gave no indication you felt the spark, he did in the minute of interaction, but he hoped he could change your mind. The encounter settled in his mind as the concert finished, and the clock struck midnight.

Ro and Jay hounded you for leaving a gorgeous guy with the same music taste, but you just felt wrong to lead him on. Sure, you felt something for the guy but look how the previous relationship turned out.

“After James…”

“He’s an ass,” Ro spoke frowning at the tone you used for your ex. A two-year relationship with a guy you thought would be your forever love, “Girl, I would date you in a second! You’re a strong woman who doesn’t need a man. But that doesn’t mean having a little fun…”

“He’s gorgeous.” Jay supplied looking over at the boy whose attention was sucked back into the music by the band Weezer. The band is an inspiration for his music, “Look at his arms. Cut off muscle shirts were explicitly made for him.

“If I see him again. I’ll think about it.” You sighed chuckling as Jay made a face at the song being played. Jay didn’t like this kind of music, but she loved you too much to not be there when you were still hurting.

A few weeks later in a bookstore, you waited for your Aunt’s book club to end so you could help close the store and go home. The sound of a guitar brought your head over the couch to see that guy with a band from the concert; all of them playing instruments. Godlike he couldn’t get any more perfect, then he started singing. You were a goner.

“You should try the cheesecake bites.” You spoke coming up behind the guy at the snack table, “So you like Weezer, play guitar in a rock band and you sing?”

Luke was surprised at the sight of you, “Hey. I..uh…yeah. Always been a fan of rock.”

“I grew up on it. My parents met at a Rush concert, and a year later they were married.” You spoke leaning back against the wall, “Dad’s on the road right now.

Alex noticed Luke talking to a girl across the room as he packed up his kit, a pinch of sadness felt, but he pushed it away. They ended for a reason, and they just didn’t care about each other the same way. Alex was happy for his friend.

“Is he in a band?” Luke asked glancing at the band shirt you tied into a crop top and a pair of shorts. It was gorgeous but straightforward on you.

“Yeah. The tour bus was kind of my first home, I guess.” You chuckled looking at the guy, “Hey sorry for being standoffish at the concert. It was lame of me.”

Luke smiled, crossing his arms and smiling when he noticed your eyes wander to his arms before you met his gaze again. He usually wasn’t so confident, but God, there was something that drew him to you. He’d hoped he would bump into you again.

“It’s cool.” Luke shrugged, “If I say something really cool, could I get your number?”

You smiled, grabbing the sharpie in your back pocket before gently taking his arm. Scribbling the number on his arm to glanced up to his awed expression.

“Call me.” You replied before pushing off the wall to head to the where your Aunt was starting to close up, “I have a personal line.”

Luke beamed happily following Reggie out the door, a grin that didn’t leave his face. He called. After a date, he called nightly, and a relationship was born.

Your converse slapped on the sidewalk as you sprinted to the band studio beyond excited to see Luke after two weeks of family time on the road. You missed him. He was coming out of the studio they rented when he glanced up. He stumbled back when you slammed into him full force.

 “Whoa!” Luke yelped as he caught his balance and squeezed you close to him, breathing in the scent that was just you, “I missed you so much.”

“Me too.” You breathed hurriedly kissing him in response, “I just got back, and I had to see you.”

The entire world fades away as you guys kissed as if you hadn’t seen each other in months rather than a few weeks. His one hand moving to cup the back of your neck and the other squeezing your hip. Yours wrapped around his neck.

Your heads tilting to deepen the kiss when a voice interrupted you.

“Gag me with a spoon.” Bobby spoke, walking by with a grimace, “Nice that your back so Luke will stop moping but too bad since I’ll have to see that.”

“Oh, shut up, man.” Luke shoved him playfully before he picked up his abandoned guitar case and held your hand tighter, “You’ll understand when you find someone.”

Reggie and Alex waved as they continued on, Reggie would have to endure a tense supper with his parents, and Alex had family plans as well. Luke, however, was bringing you home to see his parents; out of his life choices, Emily and Mitch adored you.

“Come on.” Luke smiled, kissing your cheek as he tugged you to the sidewalk refusing you let you go on the walk to his place. Luke listened as you told stories from your time with your parents; he had allowed to meet them. Every time, however, last-minute details kept Luke from meeting your father.

“So, I have some news…” You playfully said coming to a stop at the front door of his house with a grin. Luke’s little grin appeared at how happy you looked and the sunburn on the tip of your nose.

“Yeah?”

“You know Poison Monarchy, right? The club.” You questioned moving to lean against the brickwork, you were expected to see his reaction. Luke’s eyes brightened at the mention of a famous club that jumpstarted a few bands.

“Of course! The guys and I snuck in to see this radical band. We got kicked out, but man it was such a cool night.” Luke grinned slipping into the memory of being where local bands got big, and most went on to place The Orpheum.

“Well-“

“Luke.” Luke’s dad Mitch spoke from the open doorway with a look of displeasure at the guitar case resting at the teen’s feet.

Luke automatically straightened his posture at the sight of his stern father waiting in the entrance. His hand keeping yours when it started to slip out.

“Dinner is getting cold,” Mitch spoke, turning his attention to you. His stern expression breaking into a genuine smile, “Y/N, it’s nice to have you over.”

Luke was led into his own house by you as you enthralled Mitch in a story about something you saw on the road. His Mom was putting the last dish on the table when the kitchen livened up with the new additions. Emily was quick to tug you into a huge before everyone washed up.

Luke was kind to walk you home after dinner with his parents where he could breathe again from the expectations in his home. His arm slung around your shoulder, humming a new melody that had been in the back of his mind.

“So, I hope you guys are free Friday.” You spoke nestling further into his side content in his jacket he had draped over your shoulders.

“Why?” Luke questioned, tilting his head to kiss your temple. His fringe tickling your forehead as he did so.

“The regular band isn’t able to play, and they were looking for a replacement. My Aunt-“

“-who owns the book store you finally talked to me at-“

You chucked at Luke’s words, “Anyways, her brother-in-law went to high school with the owner, and I may have dropped your band, and well you have a gig.”

“I love you,” Luke exclaimed stumbling back at his words. Your eyes widened in response, “Oh god. That is not how I wanted to tell-“

“You love me?” You shyly spoke, staring at the boy that held your heart in his hands ever since the first real conversation. Luke’s face turned bright red as he stuttered out mindless words. Something in your eyes changed that, and the confidence returned with a shade of shy.

“Yeah. I do. I have for a while, but I know how that loser broke your heart, and I didn’t want to rush you.” Luke spoke cupping your cheek in his hand, “But I really love you. Like, not some puppy love either. I see two things in the future. Sunset Curve and you.”

“Luke-”

“And I know it’s only been a year, and we’re barely seventeen, but I’ve only been sure about two things in my life. You don’t have to-“

“Luke! I love you too.” You laughed, reaching up to kiss him with all the love you could pour into it. Love you loved him, and God help him, he adored you, “Well Rockstar, better plan your setlist.”

You breathed cradling his hands still cupped on your cheeks each bearing a grin of pure happiness because this was a perfect moment; just Luke and you in love. That was all that was needed.

Two years flew by for Sunset Curve and your relationship with Luke did as well and with every relationship came ups and downs. After a nasty fight, you came to a compromise to never go to bed angry, Luke had spent the entire night on your porch. He got sick, and you made up. After performing at Poison Monarchy, the first time they had monthly gigs there, they would busk on the street for extra cash. Luke bought you a promise ring with his busking savings just before the big blowout with his parents on Christmas.

“Luke?” You yawned opening the door to a sobbing teenager. You were quick to yank him in the house out of the cold.

Luke broke down that night after running out on his Mom for the usual argument he had based on his dreams. The next few months he would alternate staying at Reggie, Alex’s or your place if your parents were gone. The subject was too sensitive, so you ignored the elephant topic in the room instead of addressing it.

“Babe, we did it.” The glee in his voice was by far one of your favourite things to listen to. You were sitting on the bar with him leaning back between your legs. Both your eyes scanning the empty area of The Orpheum.

“You guys did it.” You breathed, “You pour yourself into this band. You guys finally get the accomplishment.”

The rest of the band had joined you guys in complete silence to take in the monumental moment in their lives. Something you didn’t want to tell the boys was that with a little nudging, your father had spread the word of an up and coming band. His words would be bringing people in the business tonight.

“So, I’m thinking we close with Now or Never.” Alex offered, “It’s our high-level energy song, and to close with it would be perfect.”

“Our third song could be ‘Home is Where My Horse Is’ and go int-“Reggie cut himself off when the band gave him the usual look, “Oh come on! We need to give a little taste for when we dropped a country album.”

“I-“ Luke shook his head disregarding the same thing that happened at every gig they had done, “We’ll start practising. See you in a bit.”

Luke swiftly kiss you before shoving around with the boys to the door backstage glancing over with a heart-stopping smile. You watched intently as they began their soundcheck for the gig buzzed on the excitement.

“They’re good.” A beautiful girl spoke wiping down the counter beside you—her brown eyes watching the band perform.

“They are. I’m Y/N.” You grinned as she introduced herself as Rose, “The two on the ends are single.”

Her chuckle spoke for itself as she moved away to put glasses away behind the bar, her tight curls bouncing as she walked. You see Bobby and Reggie had their eyes pinned on her while Luke’s head was in the clouds or his eyes meeting yours.

“So, the restaurant is ready when they are.” The gritty voice spoke from behind you. Standing in the flesh was your father who you immediately jumped at.

“Dad!” You exclaimed happily that he had finally been able to come to see the guys play. It was always a wrong time when he was supposed to meet the band.

It’s what happens when he happens your father happens to be in one of the biggest rock bands around. Little people knew who your father was, even Luke just knew he was in a band and called him by his last name out of respect. He had never met him face to face, however.

“So, the frontman is Luke?” Lancaster, Lance for short, questioned his daughter leaning beside her, “Remember when your type was a football player?”

You snorted at his words since he had never liked your ex-boyfriend James. Lance had heard stories from your mother and you about Luke. Lance so far liked the teenage boy. He trusted you wholeheartedly to make responsible decisions.

“Oh, shut up.” You spoke, pushing his shoulder, “How was London?”

“Same as usual. Met up with the guys.” The sombre tone was enough for you to know he had been celebrating a close friend. Even with Freddie’s illness, your father hadn’t been able to leave his side and even four years after the death of Freddie Mercury, it still cut Lance up.

“I’m happy you’re home.” You spoke smirking when the band finished their soundcheck heading to the waitress immediately after. Bobby, no doubt flirting while the other searched for you, “Man, this is gonna be good.”

You raised your hand to your boyfriend, who quickly made his way over with a huge grin and heavy breathing.

“Man that was as exhilarating as our-“

“Luke!” You nervously chuckled quickly kissing him before he could embarrass himself in front of your father. Luke frowned at your tone before he glanced over to the side. Alex and Reggie making their way over, “Guys, things aligned perfectly. I want you to meet my father.”

Luke’s eyes widened as it clicked that he had almost told his girlfriend’s father he was sleeping with her. His Adam’s apple gulped at the fear that flooded his veins. The father in question turned, and the band as a collective released the most hilarious gasp of shock.

“That’s-“

“Lance Y/L/N. By your expressions, I assume you know my stage name.”

“Lancaster Jameson.” Alex squealed having to grab Reggie’s arm to keep himself upright.

“Your father is Lancaster Jameson?!” Luke exclaimed, “You didn’t tell me you’re a literal rock legacy!”

You could hold back the laugh waiting to fall from your mouth at their reactions to your family history. The excitement was overpowering everything else.

“He just watched us perform.” Reggie breathed, hitting Alex in the chest, “My dream has been reached. My goal is finished.”

“While they calm down, I’ll see you later,” Dad spoke kissing the side of your head as he whistled his way to the entrance. The group was collapsing almost only regrouping to make fun of Bobby. You are tugged with them.

“Ok, well, I’m thinking we fuel up before the show. I’m thinking of street dogs.” Luke announced happily, whereas you made a disgusting face.

“No.” You shook your head at the suggestion. There was no way you were going to down a street dog before their gig.

“It would be fitting.”

“No. I have a feeling that street dog would have been your last. The place is called Sam N Ella’s guys, if you say it fast, it comes out salmonella.” You spoke glaring at Reggie went to say something, “No. We’ll head to have food with my folks and some of their friends.”

“Getting food with a rock legend? Heck, yes!” Alex spoke already heading for the door with Reggie right behind, “Street dogs are in the past!”

It was a beautiful night. Sunset Curve got a ton of offers, and many demos were taken from the group as well. They also didn’t die.

Tag List (PLEASE SEND AN INBOX TO BE ADDED!)

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[wesimpforxiao]

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 8.2; Lantern Rite Part 1

You never had the chance to push Childe for answers on his vague statement, even after the two of you arrived in Liyue on the afternoon of the Lantern Rite.  It was as busy as you remembered, though it was nothing compared to how it would be once the sun set.  You weren't new to the festival, as you had gone a few times with Granny when you were a child, but that was a long time ago.  You were around twelve years old the last time you had joined the festival.

Being here again was like a breath of fresh air.  

It was a shame that breath of fresh air turned stale when Childe continued to prod at you.  "So, ojou-chan, what will you be doing after dark?"  He had intentionally turned it into a suggestive question, his smug brow raising slightly even after you glared daggers at him.

"I'm going to walk around, of course," you replied without giving him an inch.  "And I'm going to find Aether and Zhongli, too."

"Oh? Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"What I do in my free time is none of your business," your jaw tightened.  "You, Tartaglia, are literally a child.  Why don't you step aside and let your elders do what they want?  I am older than you, you know."

"I see you've picked up Signora's attitude," he moped and finally dropped the subject.

Perhaps you had, even though you hated her with all your life force after the trick she pulled at Angel's Share.  Even so, you couldn't help but bite the harbinger that fed you after he made strange offhanded comments about his own behavior, or his self-proclaimed 'apology' gift, or the way he held you the first time you felt Xiao's suffering.  You still couldn't figure out what was going on with him, and quite frankly, you could care less.  That's what you told yourself, anyway.

Was he an ally or an enemy?

"Earth to Mezzetin."  He rudely poked at your forehead.  "Is everything alright?  You've been obnoxiously loud all day and now you're quiet."

"You do realize you're equally as obnoxious?"  You met his eyes head-on after pulling away from your thoughts.  "I'm hungry."

"Ah, thought so.  Here," he handed you a heavy sack of mora without warning.  "I'll be at Northland Bank if you need anything."

"Eh? That's it?"  You watched him begin to walk off, expecting much more of a threat to your life if you so much as thought about running.

"You said it yourself ojou-chan, you're an adult," he called out over his shoulder.  "I'd expect you to act like one in these circumstances."

"Wha--!"  You scoffed at his shrinking figure as he climbed the stairs to the Snezhnayan bank.  "Ugh, whatever." Your gaze fell to the mora pouch in your hands.  Maybe I'll stop by the funeral parlor first and find Zhongli.

When you did, the archon paled at the sudden surprise appearance.  "How did you find yourself in Liyue Harbor?"  He scanned your body as if you were to be handled with care.  "I was under the impression you would remain at Zapolyarny Palace until further notice.  How did you happen to gain the Tsaritsa's trust so quickly?"

"Eh, you'll have to ask Childe that."  You didn't notice Zhongli's eyes narrow with contempt.  "He won't tell me why they decided to have me accompany him here," you answered without skipping a beat.  Though the archon was certainly thrown off guard, the two of you appeared to start right where you had left off like none of the events in the past two months had ever occurred in the first place.  It was refreshing to be with a friendly presence again, and you sighed in relief, hiding a wince from the sharp pain in your ribcage.

The movement didn't go unnoticed by Zhongli.  "Ah, yes...Allow me to brew you some tea.  The leaves I've gathered recently have exceptional pain-relieving qualities, though they don't compare to that of Xiao's medications--"

"How is he?"  Your interruption stopped the man in his tracks.  "Is he okay?"  If Zhongli knew you were feeling Xiao's pain, that meant the yaksha had been in contact.

"He's as well as he can be, given the circumstances he's been burdened with.  Do not worry yourself with him.  Please, take a seat."

You watched Zhongli's graceful movements as he prepared a kettle and brought the water to a boil, dropping the leaves in when it was hot enough.  You were oblivious to the thoughts that ran through his mind as he sent a wry smile your way.

That day, I made a grave miscalculation, Zhongli thought back to the group's encounter with Childe in Fontaine.  A guilty sigh escaped his lips as he poured the tea into two ceramic teacups.

.....................

Deception.  Maybe Zhongli was a little too good at playing the part of an innocent bystander, if he had succeeded in fooling Aether not once, but twice.  But this route would be the only way to ensure yours and Xiao's sanity...The archon grit his teeth as he parried Childe's relentless blows in the pouring rain.  The harbinger didn't hold back even though this was all for show.

How long did the fighting go on? Twenty minutes? Thirty?  An hour?  Childe gave the signal to Zhongli as he summoned his fifth and final narwhal using the rain that fell around them.  Most of the group was worn out from constantly changing tactics as the harbinger switched between his vision and delusion.  Childe was so much stronger than the first time he faced off with Aether...but so was Aether.  Zhongli understood the only way to make this plan work would be to sacrifice his two closest allies in one way or another.

"Retreat!"  Zhongli gave the order and an exhausted trio followed it without question.  Well, except for Aether.

"We can't leave Xiao!"

.................

He had hoped he gave Xiao the push he needed to seal the bond, but it apparently was not enough..."Here is your tea," he placed the teacup in front of you before sitting at the opposite end of the table.  "Tell me, have they remained true to their word and put an end to your experiments?"

You blew at your steaming cup before taking a small sip.  "Yeah...They've already begun testing on Fatui agents, but every single one of them dies.  It's funny, actually.  Dottore still can't figure out the correct ratio for my blood.  I've watched hundreds die."

"And how are you?"

That question was loaded, but you swallowed the nervous chuckle that had bubbled in your throat.  "I'm just glad to be so close to home." To him, you meant, even if the two of you never actually met up during your stay here.  Your eyes trailed to the window, and Zhongli noticed the sadness in the depths of your gaze as you watched people decorate the buildings with xiao lanterns.

"Xiao will be especially busy today, fighting off the demons that rise from the festivities," he answered your looming question.  "But I am sure he would find the time to meet you if he knew you were here."

"You know, I hold most of his memories, but I can never seem to know what he's thinking."  Your low voice captured the archon's attention again after a few silent minutes.  You were saying it more to yourself than to spark a conversation, eyes still gazing out the window.  "Maybe I am chasing after a fruitless dream."

"Your love for Xiao is strong."

"Eh?" Your head snapped back to the present moment.  "H-how did you--did he--?"

Your flustered composure drew out a low chuckle from Zhongli, and he set his teacup aside.  "I've lived for six thousand years; I know a thing or two about human concepts and emotions.  The entire group has known for quite some time."

"I was that obvious?" An insane amount of heat rose to your cheeks and you buried your face in your hands.  "So did he know before I...?"

"Xiao may be a few thousand years old, but he understands humans less than I do.  I can confidently say you caught him off guard."

You peeked out from behind your fingers.  "Hm?"

"It is not my place to say anything more on the matter," his lips tugged into a friendly grin as he brought the teacup to his lips once again.  "But I would not call it a 'fruitless' dream."

.................

The lanterns that lit the streets of Liyue illuminated the bustling crowds of people that were focused on getting food, souvenirs, and lanterns that were to be released later that evening.  You had parted ways with Zhongli in an effort to find Aether, with no luck in locating the boy even after nightfall.  Despite this, you navigated the festival alone in hopes of running into him as you eyed the food stalls.

That is, until the voices grew louder.  You swayed on your feet from the unexpected wave of nausea that overcame you, and grabbed onto one of the support beams next to the stairs.  Xiao was fighting something again, wasn't he?  You had felt the damned creep up on you as the day progressed, but nothing prepared you for the jarring pains that were too similar to the first time you had felt this side effect.  You nearly puked from the overwhelming sensation, coughing into your hand only for it to be splattered with blood.

Not again, you stared in horror as you hastily blinked away the splotches in your vision.  A quick glance around confirmed that there were children in the immediate vicinity, and you didn't want to scar them with the sight of you on what was supposed to be a happy night.  Your eyes flit to the distant building that housed the Northland Bank, and you were determined to make it there even if it was a bit too far for you to walk at the moment.

You stumbled through the crowd on unsteady feet and shallow breath until you bumped shoulders with a boy and tripped.  "Ngh!"  The impact worsened your dilemma, and your eyes caught those of the person you ran into.

"Sorry!  Wait, are you okay, ma'am?"  The white-haired boy retracted his outstretched hand and instead knelt at your side to offer his shoulder.  "You..."  This energy....could it be that I can finally...?

"U-um, excuse me."  You struggled to your feet and tried to make your way to the bank again.  This time you were immediately halted by the boy.  

"Ma'am, are you by any chance experiencing paranormal activity?"  His hard gaze made you hold your breath without realizing.  When he saw your eyes flash as if someone had held a lantern to your face, his grip on your shoulder loosened ever so slightly.  "My name's Chongyun.  I'm an exorcist.  Do you mind if we speak in private?"

He brought you to the docs, which were a little less crowded than the main area of the harbor.  Chongyun watched as you sat down and steadied your breathing while attempting to sneakily wipe away the blood that dripped from the corner of your mouth.  

I finally haven't scared them off, the boy thought as he stared at you in wonder.  Why now, though?  "Ma'am, can you tell me what's going on?"

"I-I appreciate your concern," you ground your teeth together while another wave of pain consumed you, "but I d-don't need your help."

"When did you start feeling this way?"  Chongyun sat with his legs crisscrossed in front of you, and summoned a deck of cards from his pocket.  Anger boiled as you watched him shuffle them in his hands and set them in the space between you one at a time.

"I wouldn't do that," you growled while your thoughts grew hazy.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt you."  He started mumbling some sort of incoherent verses before flipping one of the cards.

"I said DON'T!"

Chongyun caught your hand before it could swipe the cards away from the pier's surface, and he locked eyes with you.  He took a deep breath before speaking as if you were the one agitating him.  "Those are the evil spirits talking.  I can tell you're not that far gone.  Sit patiently, and I can help you."

You blinked for a moment and regained some control over yourself, relaxing your shoulders once he let go of your wrist.  "What is it you're trying to do?"

"Purge evil; it's my job.  We exorcists have protected Liyue for generations," he flipped another card over, noting your tension rising again before dying down.  Whatever he was doing with those cards seemed to piss off the voices in your head.

"Like adepti?"  You grimaced when he replaced one of the cards with another.  

"Yes, much like the Guardian Yaksha of Liyue," he replied calmly while testing your reaction with another card.  "I have much respect for him, but--"

"Xiao?  Have you seen him?"  Your hand burned when you grabbed his, but you ignored it once you caught his attention.  "Have you seen him recently?"  

"You know him by name?"  Chongyun was as confused as you were.  "That's odd, I thought we were the only ones who--"

"Hey!"  A high-pitched voice interrupted the conversation, and the two of you turned your heads toward the sound.  Paimon was flying towards you, Aether running right behind her.  "What are you doing here?! Are you okay? Did you escape? Did you kick Childe's butt?"

"I--" Aether stopped himself from hugging you when he saw the dried blood on your hand, his relieved smile fading into a concerned frown as his feet came to a halt.  "...Are you okay?"

"You know each other?"  Chongyun looked between the trio and summoned a new set of cards.  These ones held terrifying symbolism of demonic entities you didn't wish to know the name of, and he placed them over the other ones that sat on the ground.

"Ngh!"  A hand covered your eye in an attempt to put pressure against a sharp pain.  "You can't help me! Enough of this!"

"...W-what's wrong with her?"  Paimon trembled slightly when she heard the uncharacteristic aggressiveness in your voice.  "Is she...possessed?!"  

"Not quite," Chongyun returned his eyes to you in deep thought.  "I've never seen this before..."

"Wait, your positivity didn't scare them off?"  Aether suddenly looked a lot more concerned, and he moved so that he sat beside you.  Chongyun scared every spirit away...if that didn't happen this time, it must've been a bad sign.  "What happened to you in Snezhnaya?"  His voice was a mix of both guilt and anger.

"Zhongli didn't tell you?"  It took all your strength not to attack the three of them as Chongyun put another card down.  

"The group went their separate ways after you..." Aether shook his head and put a hand on your shoulder when he noticed the malice in your stare.  "What did Childe do to you?"

"It's just another side effect," you growled and pushed his hand off.  "I'm not possessed like this guy is saying."

"Is this true?" Paimon's skepticism antagonized you further, but you bit your tongue.

"We should take you to Zhongli," Aether pulled you to your feet without hearing your objections.  If your words were accurate, then there was no way the exorcist could help.  "Sorry, Chongyun!  She'll be fine!"

"W-Wait! Ah-"  Chongyun already lost them in the sea of people that were getting ready to release their lanterns.  It was almost time to fill the sky with the light of human prayers and wishes to the adepti.

..............

Once out of Chongyun's vicinity, the voices dispersed as if nothing had happened.  "What the hell--"  Your confused grumblings caught the attention of Aether as he guided you through the crowd.  "This is so stupid."

"So you're able to feel Xiao's mental distress?"  He glanced back at you for a brief moment once he figured out what he had witnessed.  "At least now, he has someone that can understand a little bit of what he's going through, right?"

"I don't know," interjected Paimon.  "Didn't Zhongli say the yakshas fell one by one from karma?  Wouldn't feeling Xiao's karma kill you?"

"Probably."  Your uninterested answer brought both of them to look at you, only to find that your eyes were surveying the crowd with expectation--or was it hope?  Your companions exchanged knowing, but glum glances.

"He won't be here."

Aether's words went through one ear and out the other.  "Yes he will."

"Um...Paimon doesn't think so.  Xiao doesn't like crowds, remember?"  You were so different than a few months ago...Each sound seemed to startle you or make you wince, and you had a peculiar distant look in your eyes.  Your friends were growing more and more concerned about you.

Xiao, I'm here, you called out in your heart, not fully aware of it.

..........................

Coming up:  A long-awaited reunion.  The fears of a yaksha.  A display of trust.

[pucksnsticksnhockeyboys]

homesick

summary: when you’re homesick near the holidays, Quinn does his best to make you feel at home with him and a cup of cocoa. 

word count: 2.4k

note from the writer: day two! gotta say, this one was very self indulgent / masterposts of the Christmas fics

tagging: @bqstqnbruin @broadstbroskis @laurenairay​ @calgarycanuck​ @sorryjustafangirl​ @slapshot-to-the-heart​ @cthoodsthetic @tayella13​ @wastedheartcth​ @kiedhara​ / add yourself to my Christmas fic taglist

Moving far away from your hometown had always been the plan. It was a fresh start, with new people, sights, and opportunities.

But, no matter how much you loved living away from home, you really missed it sometimes.

The Christmas season had long arrived in full force, decorations in every window and holiday songs on repeat in every department store. And usually you loved it, you were the first person to put up the lights and the last one to take them down in the new year. But it was your first Christmas away from home; work keeping you in Vancouver when all you wanted was the nostalgic familiarity of the holidays in your hometown.

As a result, you turned into a bit of a grump. Declining invites to go out with friends and opting to stay inside and mope by yourself. Really, it was doing nothing to help the feeling of homesickness, but you’d never admit that to yourself.

Quinn caught onto this; he was always sperceptive of your changing moods even before you started dating. So once you sent your message telling Jake and the rest of the group to go bar hopping without you, it only took Quinn half an hour to show up unannounced on your doorstep.

A knock drew your attention from the corny Hallmark movie you had been watching, and you hit pause on the dramatic confession of love. The woman who never had time for romance after moving to the big city to pursue her dreams could wait to tell the hardworking man from her hometown how she felt. On your doorstep was the man who managed to capture your own heart, even if you hadn’t quite told him in so many words yet.

“Hey, I didn’t realize we had plans tonight?” You told Quinn, nonetheless opening the door wider and letting him in. He ducked down to give you a kiss before replying, and it was only after he had shuffled all the way into your apartment did you notice the takeout bag in his hand.

“We didn’t, but I wanted to see you.” He shrugged a shoulder, making his way into your kitchen while you shut and locked the front door behind him. When you finally caught up to him, he was pulling containers of food out of the bag, and when you recognized the company’s logo, you looked at your boyfriend suspiciously.

“You ordered from Kimmy’s; you never order from Kimmy’s.” You confronted him, his answering laugh echoing throughout the otherwise quiet apartment. It was the old argument between the two of you; you loved Kimmy’s, Quinn loved Lucy’s. They had the same food and were in theory the same place, but you swore Kimmy’s way better. Even when you told Quinn to order from Kimmy’s, he always, without fail, came back with Lucy’s instead.  

Except for tonight, apparently.

Quinn gave you a sheepish look and stopped pulling food out the bag, and instead opened his arms for a hug. Confused but not wanting to pass up the opportunity to be held by your favorite guy, you complied, and his arms came around you to hold you tight.

“I know you’ve been sad about not being able to go home lately.” He started, rocking you back and forth. You didn’t protest his statement, because there was nothing to object to. Instead, you waited for him to finish. “So I figured that we could have your favorite takeout, and then watch some Christmas movies. I also have a surprise for later.”

“This isn’t the surprise?” You questioned with a grin, tilting your head up to look at him whilst staying in his arms. A swell of emotions took over you, but the one that hit you squarely in the chest was the overwhelming desire to tell Quinn you loved him.

And you did love him. You loved that he knew when you were upset and when you needed a pick-me-up movie night. You loved the way he smiled and the way he laughed. The way he made you go to all of his home games when you were free and called you his good luck charm, win or lose. You loved him with your very being, and you had known for a while that you loved him, but you had been waiting for the perfect moment to tell him.

“No, this isn’t the surprise.” He chuckled, dropping a kiss to your forehead before turning to finish getting the food out of the bag. You slipped away to grab two plates, along with silverware, moving seamlessly with Quinn until you were sitting on your couch with him.

“What movie did you want to watch?” You asked, reaching for the remote to turn off the cheesy Hallmark movie you had all but forgotten about.

“This is your cheer up movie, you pick.” Quinn told you with a shrug, already digging into his plate. You rolled your eyes at his smile, biting back the joke about how he shouldn’t talk with his mouth full. Wasting little time, you pulled up a classic—Love, Actually.

“It’s a sappy romance movie kind of night.” You told Quinn decidedly, and he didn’t put up an argument. Settling back into your seat, you felt yourself start to feel a little bit better about not being able to spend Christmas back home. After all, you couldn’t worry about much with Quinn by your side.

By the time Colin Firth was jumping into the lake to save his novel, Quinn got up from the couch and whispered a quiet ‘I’ll be right back’ before slipping into the kitchen. You tried your very best, but you couldn’t focus on the movie any longer and instead you found yourself listening to your boyfriend doing something in your kitchen. Ratting dishes, running water, and the sound of your microwave—for the life of you, you couldn’t figure out what he was up to.

“Do you need any help?” You called after a moment, a smile toying on your lips as you heard Quinn let out a quiet curse. Part of you wondered if you should be a little more concerned, knowing his lack of domestic skills could very well lead to something disastrous, but you trusted him enough to tell you if something went awry.

“No, I got it.” He replied, and just then he was reemerging with two mugs of hot cocoa, decked out with marshmallows and candy canes that he must have snuck in with the takeout.

“You’re really pulling out all the stops, huh, Huggy?” You teased, watching with mirth as he rolled his eyes playfully at the nickname. You spent too much time with his teammates, but you had to admit they were onto something with the teasing name. There was just something entirely too adorable about calling your boyfriend Huggy, especially when all he typically did in response was blush.

“Anything for you.” The comment was delivered in a light tone, but you and Quinn both heard the honesty that rang through the three simple words. Another set of three simple words made its way to the forefront of your mind, begging to be said. But instead, you chuckled quietly, most of your attention on the mug he was setting on the coffee table in front of you.

“Cheesy.”

“Hey, you said it was a sappy romance night.” He defended, settling back into his seat by your side. You didn’t respond right away, too busy taking a sip of the cocoa Quinn made. You could tell he was waiting for your reaction expectantly, and you gave him a proud smile when you realized it tasted perfectly fine.

“I love it.” You assured him, and with that final bit of convincing both of your attentions returned to the movie. You had to admit, as much as you felt like a grinch before, Quinn’s efforts to make you feel more at home thousands of miles away from your family were warming your heart.

Though, you wanted to say something a little bit different than ‘I love it.’

The movie continued and by the time credits were rolling, Quinn was on his feet and ushering you to the door with a grin. You complied, only after pouting your lips for a few short kisses that he readily supplied.

“So what’s the surprise?” You questioned, following Quinn’s actions by tugging on your coat. He chuckled, not taking the bait and revealing what he had planned just yet.

“I’m not telling you, but I got the idea from Brock.” He confessed, opening your front door for you. You shot him a teasing look, meeting his lopsided grin and feeling your heart swell in your chest. Following him out of your apartment, you couldn’t help the next comment that slipped past your lips.

“You’re taking romance advice from Brock now? Was Jake not available?” You joked, referencing his teammates’ mess of love lives. Jake was in a friends with benefits situation with someone he was falling for fast and you were pretty sure Brock was still in love with his ex from his hometown. Quinn shook his head in mirth at the chirp directed at your mutual friends, and instead of answering, he slipped his hand into yours.

“Well, it was my idea. Brock just told me where to go.” Was all he said on the topic, watching you lock your apartment door behind you. He filled you in on the latest jokes from his practice earlier in the day as you made your way out to his car. He was in the middle of a story about Petey’s sports car and not handling Vancouver’s winters by the time he opened your door for you and it was only after ten minutes of driving did you think to question him about where you were going once more.

“Huggy, where are we going?” You sighed dramatically. Even in the dark, you could tell he rolled his eyes playfully at the nickname.

“Why do you have to call me that?” He teasingly groaned, reaching over the center console to thread his fingers through yours. Giving his hand a squeeze, you chuckled at his mock annoyance.

“That’s not an answer.” You said in a sing-song to get your point across. It was Quinn’s turn to chuckle, the sound bringing a grin to your face and causing your heart to pick up in pace.

“You know how you said you wanted to go look at lights?” Quinn started, immediately piquing your attention and earning an excited gasp from you. He was smiling, clearly proud of himself and you felt your eagerness grow.

“You’re taking me to drive around and look at Christmas lights?” You sat up in your seat, turning to face your boyfriend with a hopeful look. He chuckled at your reaction, lifting your hand to his lips to press a kiss to the back of it as a form of answer. You could have sworn you felt your heart grow two sizes at the action, the three words you had yet to say to him begging to roll off your tongue.

“I remember you said that you always drive around your hometown with your family to look at the lights, so I figured we could do the same thing.” Quinn said as if it was something nonchalant like the weather, and not one of the sweetest things you had ever heard.

That was the tipping point.

“I love you.” You blurted before you could stop yourself. You felt the car swerve slightly as Quinn worked through his initial shock at your confession. He glanced at you, then, a broad smile on his face that helped calm your nerves slightly.

“Yeah?” He questioned with unrestrained glee in his tone. You nodded, watching as he pulled over onto the side of the road. As soon as he had the car in park, he was leaning over to your side and grabbing your face with both of his hands to connect your lips in a kiss that settled you completely.

He didn’t need to say the words back immediately, you felt them in the way he was kissing you, the way he was taking you to drive around and look at lights. You felt it in the way he bought your favorite takeout and let you watch your sappy romance movies. The way he knew you needed a night with him to help get over your homesickness.

You loved him and he loved you just the same.

“I love you, too.” He told you just that the moment he broke the kiss, the words mumbled against your lips with a sureness and honesty that you felt to your core. You were in love with Quinn and he loved you back, and with that knowledge you felt all your previous sadness about missing home disappear, because as long as you were with him you could make any place feel like home.

“Thank you.” You told him as he pulled back out onto the road and continued towards the neighborhood full of houses decorated to the nines with lights and other Christmas ornaments. Quinn gave you a confused look, though he was still wearing his same dopey smile he had since the moment you confessed your feelings to him. “For doing all of this, I mean.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” He said simply, and now that you had already said it once, your second I love you fell past your lips with much more ease and a lot less nerves. He repeated his earlier action of pressing a kiss to the back of your hand, and you couldn’t help but admire his profile that was currently bathed in white, red, and green lights from the decorations outside on the houses. His smile turned a little mischievous, but you barely noticed, too caught up in your love for him. “You’re supposed to be looking at the lights, you know. Not me.”

“I can’t help it.” You replied with a chuckle, finally dragging attention from him and out the window. The sights were truly beautiful, but you were looking at everything with rose tinted glasses now that you had finally confessed and knew he felt the same.

It was funny, you thought, that you moved so far away from home and yet the lights on the decorated houses could have been the ones in your hometown and you wouldn’t have known the difference. You still missed your family, of course, but with one glance to the man driving you around, it all felt a little bit more like home.

Being in love made it all a bit easier.

[ramp-it-up]

Some Nights

Pairing: Lin-Manuel Miranda x Reader

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: Minors DNI, Explicit language, SMUT, explicit hetero sex, same sex explicit sex (f x f), oral sex (f giving/receiving), alcohol induced sex, feeble alcohol hitting, sex under false pretenses, drinking, cheating, lying. All the relationship revenge type angst.

A/N: This is supposed to be a sweet little “breakup to make up” smut prompt ask.  My mind took this waaayyyy left and... well here it is. This is a mess of broken hearts, rebounding, and revenge sex. Please do not read if this is triggering. This is not smut lite.

Also, I know the timeline is wonky, but in this AU In the Heights does not interfere with Lin and Chris touring with FLS.

I MUST thank @einfachniemand for the invaluable advice on the Billie love scene. Could not have done it without her. 🥰

------

8 months later, March 2012

You were with Lin on the rooftop, one of your favorite low key, low cost activities, and the late March air was cool.  The moon was full, and the music from your iPod was right.  Lin-Manuel was keeping you warm in his arms and a blanket that he’d brought.

It was so romantic.  All was right with the world. You thought.

“I’m going to miss you when you are on tour, but the month will fly by and before you know it, we’ll be back up here.” 

You smiled up at him as he held you, trying to keep a brave face because  Lin was leaving in the middle of the week for Barcelona.

“Yeah… about that…” He sat up, moved away from you and cleared his throat.  Then, he looked at you. 

“I think we need to take a break.”

You weren’t sure you’d heard him correctly when he said it.  The smile on your face was frozen in place.

“What?”

“Well, I was talking to Chris...and… Well, I’m not sure that I want to shut myself off from the possibilities in Spain…”

You took a second to process, then you got it. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.  

“Chris told you to dump me so you can go be a hoe in Spain?”

Lin shook his head and frowned.  

“No, no… it wasn’t like that. Chris loves you.  He just asked me some very tough questions about us being apart for a month, and I- I don’t want to hurt you…”

You got up, and grabbed your bottle of wine.

“Might as well do it now, instead of later, hunh?” 

“I think it’s for the best. I’m sorry….”

You were numb. 

“I can’t believe I stuck by you through all the starving artist bullshit, rooftop dates instead of going out, streaming movies instead of seeing shows....”  

You stopped, because you were getting heated, and when you got heated you cried, and you refused to cry in front of Lin.

“To expect you to stick by me for four weeks while you’re in Spain is too much to ask. I guess..” 

You straightened your spine and held your head up.  

“I guess I know that this wasn’t what I thought it was.”

“Have a nice life Lin. When you leave, do not knock on my door. Just go straight to hell.”

-----

Fuck Lin Manuel Miranda

His damn hair, fucking long eyelashes, the little dimples he gets when he gets that little smirk on his fucking stupid beautiful face.

The view from beneath him. Those goddamn lips.

Mutherfukin Lin Manuel Miranda.

You’d let him charm his way into your heart and into your pants. And damn, what he had in his pants gave you so much joy. 

The fact that you were crying was not for Lin.  You were crying for being too trusting and too liberal with your heart.  

You weren’t going to let anyone have a chance to break it again. 

Yes, that was the reason. 

You didn’t miss Lin at all.

-----

Mayra gave you the long weekend to be pitiful, and then you had to get back on your grind, and moving on with your life without Lin.

Your best friend since middle school felt guilty because she’d introduced you to him, a friend of a friend, one night at a bowling alley.  

You and Lin had hit it off immediately. Very immediately, in fact, and were inseparable for a solid 8 months.

But despite feeling bad about it, Mayra wasn’t about to let you mope around and waste your life missing him. And she was right.

Lin left for Barcelona on a Wednesday, and by Saturday night, you were out with Mayra, mingling and meeting new people. 

Mayra’s scene wasn’t your scene, but everybody was nice, fun, and attractive.  You weren’t really with it, but you’d be damned if you were going to wither away in your room.

You had just finished dancing with Mayra and her friends and you needed to sit this one out. 

The 6-inch heels you were wearing and the blazer over lingerie top look was not a good combination for vigorous dancing.  

You were hot and your feet were killing you.

You nursed your drink and watched your bestie having fun, when someone approached you.

Gorgeous lips, caramel skin and stunning brown eyes sized you up. 

Why is it always the eyes? You felt something that you weren’t too sure about.

“I like the way you make that pink push up bra look intellectual.”

Curious and amused, you looked into the brown eyes and laughed.

“I’m Billie.”

She extended her hand and you shook it. You knew what kind of bar this was, but you weren’t expecting this. 

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“Oh.  I’m, I’m not…”

Billie flashed a gorgeous smile at you.

“Relax. You’re cute, but I can tell, you ain’t ready for this yet.  I just had to come say hi, though.  Drinks....As friends?”

You accepted and spent the night dying laughing at your new friend’s witticisms.

----

The next week, you were chilling with Billie at the crib, along with a bunch of other folks that Mayra had invited over.  

You were on the roof, telling her all about Lin, and you started to cry again.

“...And then he just, breaks up with me because he wants to go to Spain and fuck Spanish FLS groupies…..”

It was about the 10th time that you’d cried about it. You were tired of hearing yourself.  Billie just rubbed your back and listened. 

“I would never put up with that from a man. And you shouldn’t either.”

 When you started sobbing, she apologized. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s…... okay….”  you gasped, trying to calm down.

She hugged you, rubbing your back and pressing you close.  

You felt some kind of way and pulled back.

“Bill… I don’t want to lead you on.”

Billie just smiled that gorgeous smile. 

“It’s cool. No stress. I’m just here to listen. Let’s go back downstairs.”

You nodded and rejoined the party, feeling more comfortable with Billie than before, partly because she was giving you some space.  

You couldn’t help but sneak glances as she mingled with everyone at the party and when your eyes met. Whew.

Who knew?

----

The next week, you were in your apartment with Billie again, this time, alone.

You’d invited her over, because she was quickly becoming the person you most liked to talk to and you hadn’t really talked in person since the previous weekend.

You gave her a glass of wine and settled down onto the couch, comfortable in your tank top and sweatpants.  Not seductive at all.

Billie looked cute as always in button down blue silk shirt and jeans with her hair up. 

“I want to apologize for last week. I just vomited my emotions all over you and you were nothing but amazing about it.”

Billie laughed. She was so damn beautiful.

“I told you no worries!”

“Can I ask you a question? Why are you doing all this for me?”

Billie took a drink and set her glass down on the coffee table. She leaned back on the couch.

“Do you mean do I have any ulterior motives?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, no question that I think you are attractive, and that I would love…”  

She shook her head and straightened up.

“But, I’ve fallen for enough straight-but not so straight women to know that I should let you make the first move.”

She bit her lip and you put your wine down because it was making you warm.

You reached for and grabbed her hand. You shifted it to entwine your fingers with hers.

You kissed her palm and drew her closer to you, her hovering over you on the couch. She didn't move, forcing you to bring your neck up to kiss her lips tentatively and softly. 

You wrapped your arms around her waist and brought her body down to rest next to yours on the couch and looked into her eyes. You ran your hand down the side of her body, feeling all of her curves. And you moved to kiss her again. 

This time her soft lips opened to accept your tongue and you played hide and seek, exploring.

You pulled back to look at her again, giggling now, a smile plastered on her face. 

“I’ve been waiting for you to do that for two weeks,” Billie whispered in your ear before kissing your neck. 

Her fingers rubbed teasingly at the skin where your tank top had ridden up, and rotated around to your ass, fingers slipping into the back of your sweats. 

You moaned softly as she tugged your earlobe between her teeth and then kissed along your jawline.

You wanted to feel her, so you brougt your hand up her side to feel her breast over her shirt, and found it warm and soft to the touch, except for the hardening nipples that you gently played with.

Looking into her eyes, you saw the desire there and leaned over to kiss her again. She kissed you back harder, pushing her hands deeper into your sweats and cupped your ass with both hands, kneading your flesh tenderly.

You wanted her to touch you at your core, but her teasing fingers never seemed to get there. 

Next, she moved one hand from your butt to pull up your tank top, exposing your nipple to the cool air of the room.

She took your breast in her hand and squeezed it, thumb running lightly over your nipple. You moan and leaned back while putting your hands in her hair.

Billie moaned and ran her thumb over your nipple and teased them until they were achingly hard and sensitive. 

When she leaned down and kissed the top of your breast, making her way slowly, oh so slowly to your nipple, it caused your pussy to ache and throb while soaking your panties.

You groaned in frustration as she continued to tease you for a while before her mouth reached your nipple, moaning around it and sucking gently at first before picking up intensity. 

Her hand moved to the front of your pants, tracing your wet lips through your panties but applying no pressure. 

You were a moaning, quivering mess as you rocked against her fingers, trying to get what you needed.

Billie separated from you to take off her shirt, smiling at you as you shed your clothes. 

She looked over your body and brought her eyes up to yours, smiled into them, and took your face in her hands.

Next, those hands roamed down your body, circling slowly, grasping gently here and there, teasing you to a soaking wet mess on the couch cushions.

“Please!” you whispered, squirming in agony.

Billie chuckled and held your gaze as her hand finally rested in your core, lightly pinching your clit between her fingers. She just played with it as you moaned beneath her.

“I love watching you like this,” she whispered as she teased you some more. “Do you like it?”

She looked so cute as she asked, but all you can do is nod and bite your lip.

She smiled at you and lowered her head to your skin while you watched intently. She kissed and sucked at the skin on your stomach and thighs, looking up to establish eye contact again and again.

You whined and tried to keep still as she neared your core and gently opened your thighs. She looked at you for the longest time before her mouth met your pussy and finally licked through your folds.

You shuddered, already almost cuming as you waited for more.

She kept eye contact with you as she sucked your clit gently, humming while you quivered in her mouth. She then traced her tongue around your entire cunt, kissing and sucking those lips gently, but expertly.

Finally, she manipulated your clit with her tongue, and alternated that with inserting it far inside you as she could go.

When she sucked hard at it, you came, feeling like you never had before.

Somehow, you wound up on the floor in her arms. 

And the night had just begun.

 -----

May 2012

You walked home slowly from the subway, trying to think of a good reason not to get there. 

You felt like throwing up, knowing that Lin would be there on your rooftop with the rest of FLS. You did not want to face him.

It had been almost two months since you last saw him and you were having fun with Billie. She stopped you from wondering just who you were. The love you had for her was real.

But there was some reason, which you did not want to name, that caused you not to want to see Lin. 

You saw his face often enough when you awoke, in that space between dream and reality.  That was sufficient torture, aside from having to see him in person at an event that was supposed to be fun.

But Mayra had started to harass you two weeks ago.

"Come on! You've got to be there on my birthday. I’ll make sure Lin doesn't bother you, but UTK won’t come without him and I’m trying to get that D again.  I need it to survive. Don't you love me?” 

She pouted at you and when that didn’t seem to work, she resorted to outright threats. 

“I’ll never speak to you again if you don't come.”  

This continued every day until the party.

Being trapped on a rooftop with Lin for three hours wasn't your idea of fun. 

Anymore. 

And to top it off, Billie had to work tonight. This sucked big time. But you had decided to be there for your friend.

"She better know I love her, " you whispered to yourself as you stepped out on the roof.

You were greeted by Chris almost as soon as you arrived. He enveloped you in a bear hug. You stiffly hugged him back. You still felt some kinda way.

He held you away from him. 

"You look good, girl, long time no see!”

You nodded at him stiffly. “How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, promoting and stuff. The Spain trip was good."

You nodded again and looked around the roof.

“He told me he would stay away from you.”

You looked back at Chris. “Who?”

“You know who.”  You just smiled tightly and looked down.

“What’s up with you?” His voice was suspicious.

You looked up and stared him straight in the eye, not wanting to be intimidated.

“I don’t know Chris? Just maybe you told my boyfriend to break up with me so he could hoe around Europe with you guys. That was a little annoying.”

Chris raised his arms in self defense.

“Wait a minute, Missy.  I did not tell him that.  What I told him was that if he could not definitely, without a doubt, be true to you, that he needed to be straight with you. If he had any doubts at all. That you deserved better.”

You just look up at this big, sweet man and willed yourself not to cry.

“Oh.” That was all you could say.

“But maybe I shouldn’t have said anything because he fucked that whole conversation up and wound up sulking the entire trip. All of his freestyles were about you, you know.”

“I don’t care Chris, because you’re right.  He did fuck up. I’ve moved on.” You held your chin high.

Chris smiled at you. “Too bad for Lin. Your new man is a lucky guy.”

You smiled back. “My new woman is a lucky girl.”

“Oh.” That was all he could say. He recovered quickly however.  “Well, if you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“Thanks friend.” 

You smiled and gave him a hug, feeling better about a lot of things. Lin Manuel Miranda was a world class idiot.

You grabbed a red solo cup full of something and stood at the railing looking over the city.

"Heyyyy, what's crackin'?" 

You turned around to see Utkarsh  standing behind you. You smiled at him.

 "Hey UTK! What it do?"

"Well, give me a hug. I’ve missed you, too. Mayra won’t let me near you since we’ve been back, I don’t know why.”

You knew why. You hadn't really wanted to see any of the FLS guys since you and Lin broke up.

You hugged him. "She’s probably jealous of our love." You smiled at your friend.

“Right.” Utkarsh smiled at you. Then he frowned. 

“Wait, why would she be jealous?  She said she and I were just friends…” 

You laughed at his back as he went to find Mayra.  Well, you’d manage to wingman without even trying.  Your job should be done for the night. You turned around to leave, running right into Mayra.

"Happy birthday, Bitch!" You squealed and hugged her.

"Thank you, boo! I didn't think you would actually come! I'm so happy!"

"You mean I had a choice? I seem to remember some very specific and lethal threats if I didn't get my ass on this roof tonight."

"No, it's because you love me." Mayra made a face at you. 

"But seriously though. The roof is big enough that you don't have to be near Lin if you don't want to. Try to have a good time."

"Girl, I'm going to have a blast! As long as there is booze and music, I'm good to go." You lied to your bestie.

"Okay girl, do you want me to stay with you so no one will bother you?" 

You knew what she meant.

"No girl, I don't need a bodyguard. Have fun, mingle, be a good hostess. I'll be fine."

You pushed Mayra away from you.

You sighed and walked toward the bar. Before you made it there, you were enveloped in Shockwave and Jelly Donut. They both hugged you, making a sandwich.

"Guys, I can't breathe!" 

They released you, laughing. Shockwave got right to it.

“You know It killed Lin when you two broke up. He was a bitch in Spain."

Your heart clenched. 

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it. I'm just here to have a good time for Mayra. Can we just chill with all that?"

"Okay, okay. I had to try. I know he's an idiot, but..." Sully barreled on. Andrew started poking him in the side. 

"What???”  Andrew gave Sully a look and he was chastened.

“Sorry love. We'll let you go mingle.”

"Yes, thank you." 

You felt like getting good and drunk. You looked at your phone and saw that there were two and a half hours left of the party. Might as well start now. You downed your drink and went to get another.

You ran into Arthur. He winked at you as you apologized. 

"No worries, you better eat something if you are going to drink like that. You can't hang with the big boys like me."

You rolled your eyes and finished the second drink. 

“You’re skinnier than I am, tuh.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about when I say big boy.” 

You looked at him in shock, and then burst out laughing. You loved these guys. Too bad Lin got them in the break up.

You sighed and began working on your third drink.

--------

Lin spotted you when you first stepped on the roof. He moved out of your line of sight and watched as Chris talked to you.

Geez, you were fine as hell. The dress you were wearing was everything and the heels made your ass pop. Damn.

He went and got a drink, still watching you. He felt like a stalker. Chris came over.

"I tried to get her to talk to you, but she wasn't having it." 

They both watched you and UTK talking. 

"Man, you are an idiot. You're lucky you're my brother, or I would kick your ass for letting that go."

“Thanks, my guy.” Lin’s reply was dripping with sarcasm.

“Any time. Next time listen with your big boy brain before you do something that dumb.” 

Lin was ready to fight. Luckily, Chris left. Then UTK came up, talking shit.

"Lin, you douche! How could you be so dumb, man?” 

They watched the Jelly/Shockwave/You sandwich.

"Leave me the fuck alone." 

Lin moved to the other side of the roof where Sully came up to him.  Lin put his hands up.  

“Before you say it, I'm going to stay out of her way. I'm not trying to ruin Mayra’s party. Just about two hours to go."

“Good, because you have fucked this one up royally.” Sully shook his head as Lin stalked off.

----

After some drinks, you started to loosen up and have fun. You danced with Mayra and all of FLS minus one.

You thought you saw Lin a couple of times out of the corner of your eye, but when you looked, he was gone. Every time that happened, you went and got a drink.

By the end of the night, you were looking at the sky and trying to sober up.

"The sky is beautiful tonight."

You jumped. Lin was there, watching you. You just looked at him and started back downstairs.

"Don't leave, please. Let me talk to you."

He followed you down to your apartment.

"You said all there was to say. I'm done."

You put your arms around yourself. All of a sudden you were cold. You stared Lin down, but he didn’t budge.

"What do you want, Lin?"

He sighed. This isn't going to be easy, he thought. He looked into your beautiful eyes and decided to go for it. There was nothing left to lose.

"Honestly? I want you back." His heart was in his throat as he said it.

You closed your eyes. You couldn't go there. No matter what your heart was doing in your chest.

"No. No, you do what you did and you want me to come back? To trust you? You promised you wouldn't hurt me. I can't with you Lin, I just can't."

His heart actually hurt.

"I'm so sorry…. "

You didn't let him finish. 

"Please! Don't give me the same tired old clichés every dude gives their girl when they fuck up!"

You were far from cold now. 

"If I took you back, what's gonna happen the next time you go on tour? I am not a yo-yo Lin!"

Lin reached for you. "It's not going to happen again, I've learned...."

"Don't fucking touch me! You have some muthafuckin nerve!"

Lin kept moving toward you.

"Back the fuck up! Don't come near me! Get off of me!" 

You began hitting him when he took you in his arms.

"Tell me that you don't want me to hold you, that you don't want to be with me. Tell me you don't miss us, this. Tell me that you don't want me to and I'll leave you alone."

Lin pressed himself against you, and you stopped fighting. You melted on the inside. The alcohol had you loose. Suddenly you had a thought.

"Fuck it. You're right. I have missed you." 

You moaned as he put his lips on your neck. You wanted him so badly. 

"Let's go in here." You nodded toward your bedroom.

Lin's heart leapt and he gladly followed you.

You attacked him when you got inside. 

"Whoa, hold up...."

"No, let's do it. Don't say anything or I will change my mind." 

You turned around, pulled your dress up, got on the bed and bent over, ass in the air. 

"Fuck me, Lin. Please."

Lin was confused. One minute you were fighting him, next you were begging for it. But he wasn't going to argue. He wanted you too bad. He moved your panties to the side, took out his hard cock and quickly and roughly entered your warm, tight goodness.

The stretch hurt a little, but it was welcome. It had been a while since you had taken a cock and Lin’s was your favorite. 

You became wet rapidly, and although you wanted Lin to hurt you as a sort of penance, it felt amazing.

"Ohhh, you feel so good. Shit! I've missed this. So tight for me…” 

Lin moaned through his dick wanting to explode.  He hadn’t had anyone else since you, for about three months.

"I said don't talk!" 

You were trying to blank your mind of what you were doing.

Lin felt like right now he was in heaven, and heaven was you. Lin shut up and started giving it to you harder, just like he knew you liked. He smacked your ass, hard.

"Yes, yes, yes. Oh yes!" 

You quivered, especially when he smacked it. Forceful Lin was one of your favorite Lins. Damn. You savored the contact as Lin, all of his manhood, hit your spot. 

It felt so damn good after so much emotion and time.

To Lin, all that mattered was you right now. He fought not to come until he felt your body pounding with your orgasm.

Almost as soon as it was over, you turned around and looked at him. He looked up from buttoning up his pants and smiled. You could tell that he was thinking this was the beginning of your reunion. 

You leaned in and gave him a good, long kiss, preparing to give the greatest acting performance of your life.

"Goodbye, Lin. That was just what I needed. Have a good life."

His goddamn adorable face registered confusion.

"What? What do you mean?"

"This was closure. “

The way his face changed broke your heart.  But he’d broken yours.

Lin was stricken. "But,I love you. That's why I...."

You interrupted him. 

"It's not you, it's me. I needed that to get you out of my system. "

You looked at him coldly, a mess on the inside.

"That's not all we have. We love each other!” Lin was trying to make sense of the situation. 

“You're telling me that after this you don't want to get back together?" He couldn't believe what you were saying. 

"As far as getting back together, we're not. This didn't mean anything; I am drunk off my ass and I had a lapse in judgement. It's not going to go any further."

"But you love me, I know it." He reached for you.

You moved out of his reach and toward the door.

"I told you, I can't, I won't let my guard down again with anyone. I can't love anymore." 

Lin was looking at you with his mouth open.

You straightened your dress and left your room, ignoring the fact that Lin was calling your name. You were ready to be alone.

There, outside your door, was Billie.

-----

Tagging:  @theatrenerd86 @sebastianabucknettastan @imatyoursurrvicesurr @riiyy​ @ivycomet @sillyteecup  @ohsoverykeri  @theselilwonders  @lonelydance @jbrizzywrites @curtainremote @delaber @honeysucklechocolatedrippin​

[haworthiaace]

I’ve recently discovered that writing may be a little bit fun so. Here’s something for @shadeswift99 ‘s ghostbusters au (this post right here) :]

Tango didn’t believe in ghosts.

Why would he? There had never been any reputable, scientific evidence, and despite what his friends have told him countless times, ‘feeling a presence’ didn’t count as scientific evidence. However, his conviction didn’t seem to deter Zed and Impulse at all, who regularly barged into Tango’s apartment with their latest ‘discovery’. 

“Tango, guess what?” The sound of his poor, battered door slamming open once again and Zed’s excited voice disrupted the peaceful silence that had dominated the room for the past few hours.

“Hi Zed, Impulse, good to see you guys too.” Tango didn’t have to look up from his laptop to know that Impulse was standing right behind Zed, too polite to barge in without some sort of invitation. Not polite enough to stop Zed, unfortunately.

Zedaph didn’t even acknowledge the greeting, continuing his thought the second he flopped down into a worn armchair. “Impulse and I were talking, and then we got on the topic of those guys who visit haunted places and hunt ghosts, and then I said ‘Well why can’t we do that?’” He sat up, eagerly looking at Tango, who could not for the life of him figure out what the man wanted from him.

Impulse, in his infinite kindness, noticed his friend’s confusion and filled in the gaps Zed had left in his excitement. “Zed and I want to start a ghost hunting business, and we need you to join us because you have a car.” He sat down much more gracefully than his companion, holding a small bowl of chips stolen from Tango’s kitchen.

The room was silent for a moment. “Hold on, what?”

“We-“

“No, I heard you, I’m just not exactly sure why you would think to ask me.” Tango never went on their other adventures no matter how many times they asked. After all, he had better things to do than chase wind and broken air conditioning, and it was dangerous to set a precedent. “You’re the ones who believe in all that fancy mystical stuff, not me.”

Zed stopped bouncing, and Impulse quickly brought forward the second, more practical half of their pitch. “We know you don’t believe in any of this, but even if ghosts aren’t real-”

“Which they are!”

“Right. A lot of people believe they are real, and will pay good money for some help handling them.” 

Tango pondered this for a moment, making A Face for effect that made Zed giggle. Impulse had a good point, as was often the case unfortunately. Tango didn’t have a stable source of income at the moment, and an actual business could help quite a bit with groceries, especially if Impulse was going to keep stealing his snacks every time he came over. And working with friends would certainly be a bonus.

“What the hell, I’m in. Worst case scenario nothing happens and I laugh at you two.” Zedaph lit up like an over ambitious Christmas tree, resuming his bouncing with even more enthusiasm than before. 

Impulse just grinned, “And best case scenario you finally figure out the truth.”

“In your dreams, Impy.”

-

Tango opened his eyes, and found himself lying prone on the floor. What was I doing? The dark, musty room plus Impulse and Zed looming over him struck a bell in his head.

They were on a job, as was the case most nights. Why Zed and Impulse insisted they do this at night was beyond him, but that was an argument for another time. A nonsensical ventilation system and a questionable foundation caused strange happenings in the home, and the trio had been called in. But even Tango had to admit this house was strange, and different from the others. The moment he entered, the hairs on the back of his neck raised, and he felt a chill. Their whole visit had been shadowed by a sense of wrongness. 

“...Tango? Is that you?” Impulse’s voice broke the silence, with a hint of uncertainty that shouldn’t have been there.

“Yeah dude, of course it’s me. What happened?” Tango groaned, pushing himself up into a sitting position. His head spun, but he forced himself to stand.

Zed raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Alright, I know this is going to sound really strange, but we think you got possessed?” 

Tango stared blankly at his two friends, and finally through the fog in his head realized they were dead serious. “Really guys? Come on, I know you believe in ghosts and all but isn’t possession a little bit much?”

Impulse started wringing his hands, and Zed spoke up, quieter than before. Neither one would make eye contact. “You… you weren’t yourself Tango. You looked angry, and kept throwing things.” Huh. Well that explained the broken furniture scattered around the room, and why Tango was so sore. “You knocked over a salt shaker, then suddenly passed out when the salt touched you.”

Tango was fairly certain he had never done that before. He was unnerved by the gap in his memory, but he tucked that into a corner of his mind to unpack later. Right now he had to convince these two knuckleheads that he wasn’t possessed.

“I haven’t eaten today, it was probably that.” They gaped at him, but whether it was because of his adamant skepticism or his poor eating habits Tango couldn’t tell. “It might be like… a low blood sugar thing.” Tango tried his best to be nonchalant, but his friends didn’t look relieved.

Zed stood up, the worry in his face replaced with anger as he crossed the room in long strides towards the door. “I really can’t believe you. Here we are, worried for your life and soul, and you call it low blood sugar.”

That wasn’t meant to happen. Tango rushed to fix his mistake. “I- I’m sorry man. I know you guys are worried, but I’m fine now! Whatever it was, it seems to be gone.” A small smile crossed his friend’s face, and Impulse moved to stand behind Tango, clapping a hand on his back.

“All that matters is you’re alright. Anyway, I think the salt scared the ghost off, so how about we head home, get some post mission pizza for that low blood sugar of yours?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Tango grimaced at the disaster that he had apparently made. “How about we tell the homeowners that the ghost did this?”

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

The ironic thing is that he wasn’t even on a mission at the time.

Tango was on his way home, cradling a bandaged hand that he would surely have to explain the second he walked into the apartment he shared with his business partners. His mind repeated the events of the past hour as he made his way down the sidewalk.

He had been browsing a thrift store, searching for a new pair of boots after his old pair wore out. He loved them dearly, but when the sole ripped off for the third time, Impulse drew the line and sent him off to find a new pair. His wandering/ moping brought him to One Man’s Trash: a rickety, rundown looking thrift store that was absolutely perfect. In Tango’s experience, all the good stuff got snatched up too fast at more popular stores, and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with this place other than its appearance. 

He delicately pushed the door open, greeted by a dusty smell mixed with cleaning supplies, and  a loud, clear bell that was hung above the doorway. The interior walls were plastered with peeling, faded orange wallpaper that Tango guessed was at least 50 years old. They were decorated with dozens of picture frames containing vintage photos and postcards, each with its own price tag. The grey, carpeted floor complained where he stepped, and it was covered in tables with items for sale. It seemed people donated plenty, but never shopped here. Nobody was attending the front counter, which wasn’t a surprise for a place that probably only saw one customer a month, so Tango began his quest for the perfect pair.

After spending a good hour searching every nook and cranny of the disorganized sales floor, he found a sturdy pair of black leather boots hidden underneath a table, almost knee high with a one inch heel. They were covered in buckles and looked like they would be featured in a suburban parent’s nightmares. In the entire time he was there nobody had come out of the doorway in the back of the room, which Tango admitted was a tad strange. He even checked the sign in the front window to be sure, but the word ‘open’ was still lit up in neon just as it had been when he entered. He tapped the bell next to the cash register, but after a minute still nobody had arrived. He rang it again, and once more after that, still with no answer.

“Hello?” He tried, walking towards the only other doorway in the room, searching for a break room or something where the cashier might be. Maybe they fell asleep. “Is anyone here? I’ve got this pair of boots I want to buy.” 

Still no answer.

He felt awful about invading the back room like this, but he was growing concerned. What if something had happened to the cashier? What if someone was in trouble? So, he pushed open the door, and found himself staring up at someone; a man with frazzled black hair and a brown suit that looked about as old as the wallpaper. 

Except he could also see the break room. Through the man’s chest.

He blinked rapidly, trying to process what was certainly just a trick of the light. It was obviously just a shadow on the fabric that looked like a couch behind him. A very detailed couch, covered in a floral pattern with two overstuffed pillows on either end. The strange man didn’t say a word, simply staring at Tango with an increasingly malicious grin, watching his mind try to wrap itself around what he was seeing. 

Then, without warning, he snatched Tango by the wrist, spinning him around and leaving bleeding scratches where the man’s claw-like nails had torn into Tango’s skin. Before he could even register the pain, the man charged at him and Tango braced for impact, but felt a deep chill instead. It was the coldest he had ever felt, as if every winter from the next hundred years had come to take out their wrath on one man. 

It passed half a second later, leaving Tango shivering and clutching his bleeding hand. The man was gone. “How did he- oh shit.”

Sometimes, there comes a time when a person must accept defeat. When they’ve lost the battle, and are left with nothing but their pride. As Tango kneeled on the carpet, frozen to his core and holding his bleeding hand, the boots long forgotten, he could only see one logical explanation for… all of this. 

“...Ghosts are actually real.”

So it turned out that the shopkeeper had to step out for a few hours due to an emergency, and also that ghosts exist and haunt thrift stores.

The cashier was really quite nice about the whole ordeal, offering Tango some first aid and the boots he found for free as an apology for their otherworldly roommate’s “antisocial habits.” As Tango walked home, boots in his uninjured hand, he had another revelation, albeit not as earth shattering as the first. He didn’t actually have to tell Zed and Impulse what happened while he was out. It would keep them humble to have someone constantly denying the validity of their work, and Tango may or may not have found it a little, tiny bit funny. He was doing them a service, really! Tango grinned to himself, delighted by how much his friends would appreciate* his help**.

*they did not appreciate this, and were in fact greatly annoyed

**this was not remotely helpful to anyone

-

Tango woke up, finding himself on the floor as he now did more often than most people would consider normal. Then again, most people weren’t an optimal vessel for otherworldly entities. This time though… something was wrong. More wrong than usual.

He was cold, despite the thick summer air, and he felt like his lungs had shrunk to a quarter of their size, his breath coming in short puffs. He noticed that he was in the same room from before he lost consciousness, and that it was in the same condition he had left it in, which didn’t happen often. Usually ghosts took advantage of corporeal hands to do some property damage, but this time the modern, expensive looking couches were thankfully unbroken, same with the family pictures on the walls. 

... What was on his face? Tango felt a liquid slowly running down his cheek. Had the ghost been crying? That was a first. He reached a hand up to wipe away the tears and saw a flash of red. There was a smudge of blood on his left hand, but no injury.

He felt dread settle in his stomach, and slowly reached up with his clean right hand to touch what he had assumed was tears.

Sure enough, his fingertips came away red. “What the hell?” He asked, to nobody in particular.

“Tango! Oh my god, are you alright? Of course not, why am I asking that?” Zedaph burst into the living room, seemingly invited by Tango’s outburst. He grimaced at the floor and Tango followed his gaze to see a concerningly large pool of blood surrounding Tango. This would certainly explain why he felt so much worse than usual. “It threatened you and forced us to leave but then I didn’t leave and I snuck some sage into the room and then I heard a thud and-”

“Zed, slow down.” Tango groaned, holding his spinning head in his hands. “I can’t process a word you’re saying right now.” 

Zed seemed to remember his friend’s recent blood loss, looking sheepish. “Right, my bad. It’s a long story, but we need to get you to a hospital or something. Not to be rude, but you look awful.” 

“It’s alright, I feel awful so at least I match on the outside.” Zed started to walk across the room, trying not to step in the puddle whilst also trying to help Tango up.

Eventually he managed to pull Tango up by the hand, holding him steady when he started to sway.

Impulse greeted them with relief when they made it out to the car, Tango leaning on Zed’s shoulder, but he looked horrified once Tango’s face came into view. “Oh my god!” He covered his mouth with both hands, then immediately dropped them as though he had been rude. “Oh man, sorry about that, it’s just- your eyes…”

Tango shrugged, “Yeah, they seem to have sprung a leak.” 

“Well I knew about that, but…” His eyebrows furrowed as even he, a believer in almost anything supernatural, was confused about whatever disturbing thing this ghost had done. “They changed colour? They’re red now. Like, the whole eye, even the white bit.”

“Cool.”

Zed piped up from his position under Tango’s arm. “‘Cool’? What do you mean ‘cool’?” He did his best to make air quotes without dropping his friend, who had clearly gone mad. “You literally got possessed and started bleeding from your eyes, and now they’ve changed colour, how is any of that cool?”

Tango, in his noble quest to annoy his friends, just shrugged again. “Probably burst a blood vessel or something, and it got in my eyes. Man, why is it always ghosts with you two?”

A Look came across Impulse’s face. Probably Zed’s too, but Tango couldn’t exactly see him. It was a Look that meant Tango had completely baffled them with his supposed obliviousness, which had only happened a few glorious times.

“Ok he’s clearly delirious, we should take him to the hospital.” Impulse pushed himself off the hood of the car and opened the back door, placing a towel on the seat. After all, this was Tango’s car and Impulse figured he probably wouldn’t appreciate blood all over the back seat.

“I mean, regardless of his bullshit he definitely needs to see a doctor, there was a lot of blood on that floor.” Zed quickly followed, helping Tango into the backseat then sliding in next to him. Tango supposed it was to keep an eye on him, which was great because he felt ready to pass out again.

On the bright side, he caught a glimpse of his eyes in the rear view mirror and they did in fact look cool as hell. Of course, Zed and Impulse later disagreed because it could have been a ‘serious medical issue,’ but that was their problem.

-

At the end of a very long and very strange day, the trio sat around on a variety of couches and chairs in their living room, four half eaten pizzas scattered about the room. Although, they weren’t exactly a trio anymore - a new member had decided to join them regardless of what Tango, Zed, and Impulse had to say about it. An entity (for he surely wasn’t human) known only as the Beetlejhost sat cross legged in an armchair, looking completely at home despite only having been there for about two hours.

If asked, none of the ghost hunters could precisely recall how the Beetlejhost had joined them. One moment they were on a job like any other, the next they were being insulted up and down by a ghost in a black and white striped suit. After that first encounter he hadn’t left them alone, despite their efforts including but not limited to: every ghost busting method they had ever heard of, and others that they hadn’t. 

Impulse sat up straight for no discernable reason, smacking the arms of his chair and startling everyone except for, of course, the Beetlejhost. He turned to Tango with a shit eating grin, which was absolutely a cause for concern.

“Hey Tango?” Uh oh. If the grin wasn’t bad enough, the singing tone in his voice solidified that whatever thought just entered his mind was truly devious. That or incredibly embarrassing. Maybe both. “It seems like our new roommate has a few… strange qualities. Supernatural, one could say.” He looked expectantly at Tango, that awful grin never leaving his face.

Uh oh.

Tango supposed that the jig was up. It had been a good run, he supposed. “Yeah, whatever. Ghosts are real, you happy?”

Just because he was busted didn’t mean he couldn’t sulk, so he crossed his arms and sank into his chair, completing the look by sticking out his bottom lip like a child who was just told ‘no.’

Zed piped up from where the others had assumed he was napping, not bothering to remove his face from where it was planted on the couch. “Absolutely.” The word was muffled, but it got his point across. Meanwhile, Impulse was smugly eating another slice of room temperature pepperoni pizza. Vindicated at last, after over a year of exasperated arguments and comical obliviousness. 

“I hope you know I’m only admitting it because I’m afraid of what the Beetlejhost would do to convince me.” Tango gave up on his sulking and walked across the room to the box of cheese pizza precariously balanced on the edge of the coffee table. The man (or ghost? I suppose one can be both.) in question was looking off into the distance, lost in assuredly horrible thoughts. “And for the record, I figured the whole ghost thing out months ago, I just really liked annoying you guys.”

“Months ago?” Impulse held his pizza inches away from his mouth, the grin wiped off his face. “Are you telling me that when a ghost literally put you in the hospital and you still denied it, that was all just to annoy us?”

Now it was Tango’s turn to be smug. “It worked, didn’t it?”

-

So no, Tango didn’t believe in ghosts. But after everything he’d seen, he sure as hell believed in them now.