#I’m working everyday until the Fourth of July

[lady-tortilla-chip]

.

[age-of-greta]

The Moon

The Moon represents illusion and deception, and therefore often suggests a time when something is not as it appears to be. Perhaps a misunderstanding on your part, or a truth you cannot admit to yourself.

Author’s note: hi!! welcome back to The Moon! This chapter is… a lot! Get ready. Anyway, no posting schedule, but all parts will be uploaded on Wednesdays at midnight est. There are only a few chapters left, but I’m unsure when it will get wrapped up as I will be on vacation soon. Just bare with me! Enjoy this chapter :)

Pairing: Sam x reader & Jake x reader

Warnings: alcohol consumption, language, adult content, sexual situations, angst

Word count: 4.6k

PART 11:

The threat of cooler air began to creep in. That’s the first thing you noticed as you sat out on your porch. It was still summertime, but you noticed the warmth had begun to fade ever so slightly. That was the opposite of how you felt. It had been a few weeks since the Fourth of July party. You and Sam were incredibly solid. You were blissfully happy. He made you laugh until your stomach twisted. He made you smile until your cheeks were numb. He made you grip the sheets until your knuckles turned white. He gave you butterflies everyday. But there was still a twinge of doubt deep down in you. You two had never been tested. You didn’t fight. The secret you had been keeping about you and Jake loomed over you like a dark cloud. You had thought about telling him, but could never muster up the courage to say those words to him. The thought of his face twisting up in hurt made you physically ill. The thought of him leaving you over it was unbearable. So you decided you would just keep it bottled up, like a curse.

“Are you ready for tonight?” A beautiful voice asked as he sat down next to you on your patio.

You sighed. “I guess so. We haven’t been out in so long it feels a bit foreign. Are we old?”

Sam laughed. “No, we aren't old Birdie. I do get the sentiment though. However I have an inkling that once you get a few tequila sodas in you that social butterfly will bloom.”

You scoffed. “I’m embarrassing when I’m drunk.”

Sam makes a face at you. “You are not. You’re cute, and I cannot wait to see her tonight.” He says giving your cheek a light pinch.

You giggle and swat his hand away. “Yeah yeah. If you plan on showering you better go now. I have so much to do tonight.”

Sam sucks in breath. “Ooh sounds like I’m in for a treat. Not sure I can wait. Want to come jump in the shower with me?”

You playfully roll your eyes. “Go!”

Sam holds up his hands while chuckling as he heads back inside.

You two were going out with the rest of the gang. Which will be the first time you’ve all been out in a while. As well as the first time you’ve been out as a couple. That means you would be seeing Jake. Truthfully, you hadn’t seen or spoken to Jake much. A part of you mourned the friendship you once had. Sam had been staying with you for the majority of the time. You two often did things with Danny. You two had gone out to lunch with Josh, but had done nothing with Jake. You wondered if Sam or the other two had picked up on the shift. It was hard not to. Before you all were going out it was decided that you and Sam would come over for dinner then Uber to the bars after. You sat in the middle of your bedroom wrapped in a towel trying to figure out an appropriate outfit for both. You finally decided on a mini black dress with sheer puffy sleeves. It was a loose puffy dress and dipped down slightly low, but it wasn’t too much. You put it on and grabbed a pair of lacy heels to tie around your calf. After, you did a full face and took a while with your hair placing curls and fluffing. Then added jewelry and perfume before presenting yourself to Sam.

“Ready?” He said, still glancing down at his computer. He must have been working while you were getting ready.

“I think so.” You said back.

“Oh goddamn.” He said when he looked up. “Babe you look fucking incredible. Wow.”

You smiled at him and twisted your hair. “Thank you Sammy.”

He let out a breath. “You’re killing me. I’ve changed my mind. I’m taking you into that bedroom and we aren’t coming out.”

“Don’t tempt me with a good time.” You say batting your eyelashes.

Sam smiles at you and groans. “Fuck.”

You laugh. “We really should be going though Sammy. We’re going to be late.”

Sam nods his head. “You’re right, although being late is on time for us.”

**

When you got to their house they were still cooking. They had made chicken carbonara and some “vegetarian bullshit” which is how Danny put it, for you and Sam. It smelled good. Jake was in the kitchen breaking a sweat over the hot stove, he didn’t really acknowledge you. You weren’t surprised. Josh was working on making the dining room into a suitable eating environment, he was such a good host. Danny was hanging around talking with you and Sam until he was summoned into the kitchen.

“How much longer?” Sam asked, grabbing a beer.

“I dunno, maybe fifteen minutes?” Jake said, still not looking up.

Sam nodded and grabbed your hand, leading you down the stairs. “Wanna show you something.”

He led you right to his piano. “I’ve been working on this new little ballad.”

He took a seat and you propped up against the piano. He began to play and beautiful melodic chords grazed your ears. Sam was a fantastic musician, but something about him playing the piano made you feel feral. He was so focused, mouth agape, eyes fluttering, hands sliding back and forth like butter. He was a spectacle, and you were in a haze watching him. When he finished he looked up for your approval and was met with sultry eyes.

He smirked at you. “What? Did you like it?”

You smirked back at him. “I loved it Sammy.” Then you sit down next to him on the bench. “It was hot.”

He curls his lip up. “Yeah? I got something else too. Go ahead and sit up here for me baby.” He says, tapping his hand on top of the piano.

You look at him strangely for a second before doing as you were told. You had to do some wiggling to get yourself up there, but you made it.

“Sammy what does-“ You began, but then he started playing. Your eyes got a little wide and a giggle came out of you as the spot underneath you vibrated with force. He continued on and so did your giggles.

“Sammy! Oh my god.” You said with laughs. If the situation weren’t as ridiculous as it was you probably would have had a different reaction, because fuck it did feel good.

“Stay right there baby.” He said, continuing to play.

This was torture. It was like edging you for his actual touch. You took a deep breath and rode out the vibrations, still watching Sam. You were beginning to become flustered. Then, he stopped.

“Did you like that one?” He asked, smiling innocently.

Your face was starting to flush. “Yes.”

Sam bites his lip for a minute. “Can I tell you something?” He says getting up and putting his hands next to your waist.

“Please do.” You reply.

“So I’ve always had this… fantasy right?” He says with a wicked smile.

Excitement grows on your face. “Oh yeah? Do tell.”

“Well the thought of bending you over this piano has crossed my mind a few times. I think about it sometimes when I’m playing.”

You swallow hard at that. You were beyond into it.

“Won’t they hear?” You ask, but it comes out more as a whine.

Sam leans in close and nips at your neck. “Nah. They have records on, plus the kitchen noises. We should be just fine.”

You close your eyes and slightly arch your back. Sam continues to kiss down your neck and collarbone. Then gets down on his knees. He pulls your dress up and kisses your thighs. Each kiss searing into your soft skin. You take a few breaths to try and compose yourself, but it’s no use. He takes his hands and begins raking them down your thigh before he slips your panties off. A soft moan slips past your lips. He grabs your legs and pulls you towards him, then his tongue meets your center. Obscene sounds are coming from below your dress, but at the moment it’s like music to your ears. When Sam incorporates his fingers you know it’s only a matter of time before that dopamine high courses through your veins.

“Fuck fuck.” You whine out.

Sam takes his hand that was planting you in place and instead covers your mouth. Now your moans and sounds are muffled, which only further riles you up. Your legs begin to shake.

“That’s it baby.” Sam says.

Hearing that was all you needed. You moan out into Sam’s hand while arching back on the piano. Your hand hits the keys which make an abrupt sound. You don’t care. Sam comes up and sees you slightly panting, but you can tell he’s not done with you. He grabs your waist and carefully helps you down.

“Bend over for me doll.” He says undoing his belt and taking off his shirt.

You happily obliged. Sam runs his hand over your ass before giving it a light smack. Then he glides the tip around your entrance which elicits a shiver to run up your spine.

“Sammy quit teasing.” You whine.

Sam takes in a quit breath and then sinks into you letting out a groan. He starts slowly pumping in and out of you, but quickly picks up the pace. Sam reaches over and pulls your breasts out of your dress, giving your nipples a slight squeeze. You look over and see a mirror- what a sight it was. Sam’s face, the way his hands are running over your body. It was so pornographic and so fucking hot. As he starting bucking into you faster the piano began to make sounds as the keys were rattling. You and Sam didn’t care you were too busy chasing that high.

“Fuck baby can you give it to me again? I need you to try- I’m so close. Fuck you’re so good. You feel so good.” Sam praised.

That makes fire burn in your core again.

“Yes Sammy I can just for you. Keeping fucking me just like that. Oh fuck.” You say back.

Sam loves when you talk dirty, and you knew saying those words wasn’t playing fair, he would really have to restrain himself to keep going. But you knew he would get you there. He always did, typically more than once.

Sam said nothing in response, you knew he couldn’t keep talking without coming. Instead he just let out a moan and pinched his face up in total concentration. When you saw that in the mirror you were done for. Between the obscene sounds, the piano keys sounding off, Sam’s face, and the feeling-oh god the feeling. You were burning up inside.

“Sammy- I’m- Sammy” You moaned out as you fluttered around him.

Sam was right behind you. He let out a grunt as he released inside of you. Then you both stayed there catching your breath and attempting to come back down. Finally Sam departed, and you winced from the loss of contact.

“Stay right here baby.” Sam said softly.

You attempted to shove your breasts back into your dress while Sam came back with a wet cloth. He ran it up and down your legs and softly pulled your dress down while placing a kiss on your shoulder.

“Now, let’s go see if dinner is ready.” He said, taking your hand.

You let out a laugh. “You’re going to have to give me a minute to clean myself up.”

You hurried into the bathroom and fixed your hair, makeup, and dress. Then went back out to Sam. You were less of a mess, but still looked slightly disheveled. You took his hand and climbed the stairs then made way into the kitchen. It looked like they were wrapping everything up.

“Ah there you two are.” Josh said, giving you a side eye. “That was uh an interesting tune coming from the piano. What were you playing, Sam?” Josh continued with a smirk.

Sam sucked in his cheeks. “Nothing in particular. Just fooling around.”

Josh nodded his head. “Well that was evident.”

Your face started to turn red, but before any more conversation stimulated Danny cleared his throat.

“Okay well everyone to the table. Come on now.”

You started to follow the other three into the dining room but stopped when you felt a tap on your shoulder. You turned around, there was Jake with a look of discontent on his face.

“Yeah?” You asked.

He reached down and tugged at your shoulder strap on your dress then grazed his fingers on your skin, fixing the material. That sensation caused you to shudder slightly.

“Your strap was all fucked up. Wonder why?” He stated, then walked past you.

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes before going into the dining room. It was going to be a long night.

**

“Hey thanks man.” Sam said, climbing out of the Uber XL and taking your hand.

Somehow you all had ended up at the same bar you had been at that first night they were in town. Everyone was in a somewhat good mood. Even Jake seemed to have lightened up by 0.1% - which was a vast improvement. You walked in with Sam and giggled.

“What?” He asked with a sly smile.

You shook your head. “Nothing. It’s just the last time I was here I was in bike shorts and a tank top and now.” You say motioning to your outfit.

Sam smiles at you. “I thought you looked hot then, and tonight?” He chuckles. “Baby, I’m pretty sure I showed you how hot you look tonight. But genuinely, I believe you look beautiful all the time.”

You smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “My sweet Sammy.”

Suddenly, Josh had shimmied himself between you and Sam and put arms around the both of you. “As much as I love to see you two groping each other, can we drink now?”

You huff a laugh. “Lead the way to the bar Josh.”

Josh somehow got all of you to the bar and decided to order. “Can we get two salty dogs for me and the guy with the luscious curly hair down there, a bourbon on the rocks for the slightly less handsome version of me, and two tequila sodas for the lovebirds?” He says motioning to each of you.

The bartender gives Josh a strange look before nodding.

“You don’t always have to be so obnoxious.” Jake pokes.

Josh sighs. “You see dear Jake, I actually do. It was in my contract, just like yours says to be perpetually mopey.”

Jake snickers a laugh at that. You’re positive Josh is the only one who could say that to him and get away unscathed.

Your drinks arrived moments later and you all thanked your bartender while Josh got the first round.

“Alright, jukebox, pool, and darts anyone?” Josh suggested.

You all followed suit. The next hour consisted of pool games and a fair amount of drinks. You were buzzed, Sam was very touchy with you, Danny & Josh were intense with their pool game, and somehow Jake’s mood had lightened.

“Bullshit!” Danny yelled out.

“Yes! That’s it! That’s the money shot! I win!” Josh exclaims back.

“Gentleman! Let’s settle this in darts huh?” Sam suggested, while the others nodded.

“Birdie?” Sam questioned.

You shook your head. “No thanks. I need to pee, I’ll come watch in a bit.”

Then you head off for the bathroom, pee and freshen yourself up. You still looked good, you thought, just maybe a little undone. When you emerged from the bathroom you could see the dart game, but Jake wasn’t participating. He was sitting at a booth near them on his phone. You decided it would be weird to sit somewhere else, so you walked over and sat down at his table. He looked up at you and raised an eyebrow.

“What?” You shrugged.

He shook his head. “Nothing. Just didn’t expect you to sit here.”

“Hm. Last time I checked you didn’t own this booth, but maybe your name is etched under the table.” You quip, then pretend to check under the table top. “Shit. Nope I didn’t see it Jake.”

He cracks a smile at that. “Smart ass.”

You couldn’t help but smile back.

You both sat and watched them play, in the corner of your eye you saw an older woman head to the jukebox. You were curious as to what her music taste might be. Then you heard the opening to Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac. You laughed to yourself at the situation you found yourself in and the song.

Time cast a spell on you but you won’t forget me.

I know I could have loved you but you would not let me.

I’ll follow you down til’ the sound of my voice will haunt you.

You’ll never get away from the sound of a woman that loves you.

“Yeah, cheers to that.” Jake says, suddenly raising his glass towards you.

You look at him and laugh, roll your eyes, then clink glasses with him.

It was nice to know Jake’s sense of humor was still intact, and maybe, just maybe you two could get past all of this.

**

You woke up the next morning slightly hungover. You were in your apartment alone, as Sam had to go to the studio for a while today. You couldn’t help but feel giddy. Jake seemed to be softening, Sam continued to enthrall you, and you were starting to feel at ease with everything. You climbed out of bed and began to clean up. Margo was coming over with lunch in a bit, then Sam would be over later. He was so excited because he was going to show you how to make pickles with the cucumbers he had been growing. Secretly, you were just as excited about it too. You took a shower, did some skincare, and put on a record while you made coffee. After all of that the hangover finally started to go away. Then a knock on the door made you grin, Lana was bringing salmon and cream cheese bagels. That was just what you needed. You opened the door and gave her a smile.

“Hi.” You say.

She gives you a look. “Hi. Someone’s cheery this morning. Did you get fucked last night?”

You scoff and take the food bag from her as she walks in. “Can I not just be happy to see you?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She pokes.

You two head into the living room and sit on the couch.

“So.” She starts. “How are you and Sam? You two seem to be living in a fairytale- you’re obsessed with each other.”

You smile at his name. “We’re great, but we are not obsessed with each other. Just the right amount.”

She laughs. “Yeah right. These bagels are so fucking good.”

You take a bite and savor as the flavors hit your tongue. Definitely what you needed.

Your phone makes a ding next to you and you pick it up. You had a text, from… Jake?

Found your panties under my bed. Shall I give them to Sammy boy?

Then accompanies that text with a photo of the black lace panties in hand.

A small smile appears. You know Jake was joking, it was nice to see him interacting with you like this again.

Bold of you to assume they’re mine.

You replied back.

You get a response within seconds.

Believe it or not, you’re the only one who has been in my bed. Plus there’s no way I could forget who these belong to. I’ll slide them under my brother’s door.

You know it feels wrong, but you giggle at that. It leaves a strange feeling in your chest.

Very funny. Just toss them.

You said.

“Oh is that Sam now?” Margo says through a laugh.

You look up in mild horror for a moment before you nod your head. “Yes.” You lie.

“See! I could tell by the way you giggled like a schoolgirl. You totally love him.” She continues.

Now you feel guilty. It’s not like you were flirting with Jake right? Just harmless banter. You shake your head at Margo and change the subject, you don’t want to revisit what you had just felt moments ago.

**

“Hi babe.” Sam says, setting down countless bags and pulling you into a deep hug.

“And that’s my cue to go!” Margo says, dramatically grabbing her things.

You laugh at her. “You sure you don’t want to make pickles with us?”

Margo snorts a little. “I’m good, but thank you for the generous offer. Call me tomorrow?”

You nod, then she pats Sam’s shoulder and bolts out the door.

“She is so strange.” Sam says through a laugh.

“She is. That’s why I love her.” You reply.

He smiles down at you and then leans in for a kiss. His hands run up and down your body, it feels like fireworks in your skin. His tongue slips in your mouth and you let out a soft moan, which causes Sam to grip your flesh harder.

Before things escalate you pull away and take a breath.

“We have pickles to make Mr. Kiszka.”

“Fuck the pickles. Take me to your bedroom.” Sam replies.

You laugh. “Later. I promise. I may or may not have gotten a new little outfit in the mail that you would like.”

Sam groans. “You’re killing me.”

You kiss his nose. “I’ll make it worth your wait.”

Sam chews on his lip. “I know you will, but right now I need you to back up about ten feet away until I can collect myself.”

“I think I can do that.” You say with a giggle, taking some bags into the kitchen.

You loved that Sam always wanted you. It made you feel so confident.

You and Sam set down the bags in the kitchen and begin to unpack them.

“Are these the cucumbers from the farmers market?” You ask, taking them out of the mesh bag.

“Yes ma’am they are. Organic.” He says, holding one up.

“You’re the best.” You say, giving him a smile.

“I know.” He replies chipperly. “So, are you ready to learn Birdie?”

“Oh I’m so ready. Teach me your ways Sammy.”

He pulls out a few mason jars, vinegar, garlic, dill, and red pepper flakes.

“Interesting.” You say, staring at the spread before you.

“Can you grab a cutting board for me?” He asks.

You nod and grab the biggest one you have as well as two knives. Then you two began cutting and washing the cucumbers.

“We are going to do spears and chips here. You cut the chips.”

You can’t help but giggle at how serious he was. “Yes, chef right on that for you.”

“Don’t cut your finger off.” He says with a smirk.

You two get all of the cucumbers cut up and Sam instructs you on the next steps.

“Okay now we are essentially just going to throw everything into the jars. So mix the vinegar with plenty of fresh dill, garlic, and a splash of red pepper flakes. They’ll be a little spicy but delicious.”

You two get everything mixed together and portioned.

“Okay actually this smells kind of good. I’m impressed.” You compliment.

“Now you get it.” He says with a smile. “But I actually wanted to add something to the chips batch that’s supposed to preserve the crunch but I can’t remember what it is.” He says furrowing his brows a little.

You start soaking the cucumbers in the vinegar mixture. “You don’t remember what it was?”

He shakes his head. “No, for the life of me I can’t. It was something simple too.”

“Just google it.” You suggest.

He shrugs. “Good call.” Then he begins patting down his pockets. “Shit. I left my phone in the car.”

You shake your head. “It’s okay go grab mine. It’s in the living room I think.”

“Okay.” He says, heading out of the kitchen.

Your hands are deep in this mixture, but you're almost done. You can’t wait to wash this off of you, and hope you don’t smell like it later when you show Sam your new lingerie.

A few minutes pass and Sam still hasn’t returned.

“Um, did you get lost? I'm putting the lids on!” You slightly yell, then begin to close the mason jars. You are sure he will make you reopen them for some reason.

No response.

You tightly secure the lids and then begin washing your hands and finally he appears with your phone in hand. He looks weird.

“Can I ask you something?” He asks with concern in his voice.

You look at him strangely. “What?”

“Why does Jake have your panties?” He says, turning your phone around to show you the photo.

Your blood runs cold and a wave of anxiety crashes through you.

Sam has a look on his face that you have never seen before. You’re so caught off guard you can’t even speak right now.

He shakes his head. “I wasn’t even snooping. I unlocked it and this immediately popped up.”

You take a breath in. “It’s not what you think.”

He frowns at you. “Did you cheat on me? With my brother?”

You begin to shake your head vigorously. “No Sam, I would never do that.”

He continues to stare at you. “So what? Did you fuck him?”

You look up at him and tears begin to pool in your eyes.

He huffs out. “Oh my god. You fucked him. You fucked Jake.”

“No Sam it was before you and I. I swear- we were drunk and it just it- I don’t know.” You frantically spit out.

The way he is looking at you makes you want to crawl out of your own skin. There’s no look of love or admiration. Just solemnity and hurt.

“And you didn’t tell me?” He asks, almost in a whisper.

“I didn’t know what to say… I don’t want to hide things from you, but it didn’t feel right to say those words to you.” You reply back, meekly.

Sam stares at the wall for a minute. “Am I some sort of second choice to you?”

“What? No, of course not.” You begin, but Sam cuts you off.

“I guess I’ve always known how you felt about him.” He says quietly.

“Sam please just-“

He holds his hand up at you. Sam sucks in a deep breath and pushes his hair back. “I need some time.”

Your face falls. “What does that mean?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t know, but I need time.”

He grabs his keys and heads towards your door.

“Sam…” You say.

He stops in the doorway and his eyes linger on yours.

Then he’s gone.

And you’re standing in your kitchen by yourself with six jars of fucking pickles.

Once your body catches up with your mind, you grab your phone and immediately try to call Sam.

Straight to voicemail.

You sink down to the floor as tears begin to fall.

Fuck.

***

[catty-words]

Your writing is so good that I’m almost tempted to binge all of your other shows so I can read more of it with proper context. You’re one of my all-time favorite authors (both published and non). Thanks for your work!

stooop i'm blushing and getting those sweet, naturally-induced ASMR tinglies. 😳🥺 thank you for this message!

if you want my hot takes on what's worth it, i am quite please with 90% of my julie and the phantoms fic (particularly the therapy fic, and i think the stage diving fic holds up as a good time) and the show itself has a low barrier to entry. it's sweet, it's silly, it's one 9-episode season, and the cliffhanger is compelling but doesn't stop the single season from feeling like a complete enough story so as to be unsatisfying. it's sometimes too much 'written for children' for my tastes but the soundtrack slaps and its quality on its face + the themes of the show all centering around art = essential to life genuinely reinvigorated my love for music and led me to reinvent my musical tastes.

have you already watched crazy ex-girlfriend? i have a complicated relationship with this one because season four spun its wheels so much when the premise and execution up until that point made it some of the most poignant television i've ever had the pleasure of watching. the fact that the end was so mishandled means i haven't been able to bring myself to revisit it since its conclusion. i also haven't reread much of my fic - no taste for languishing in my crazy ex feels, y'know? - so i don't know how well it holds up. to the show's credit, though, being in the crazy ex fandom irreversibly shaped my relationship to shipping and how i approach writing romance (a good case for it having delivered on its themes, even if the end itself is so disappointingly weak). my nhie fic being so well cultivated is owed to my work/time in crazy ex girlfriend fan spaces. but do i recommend it? eh, i really don't know! it let me down and i'm not over that.

cw's nancy drew just finished its fourth and final season, and it's a good time! the editing is really sharp, which helps it take advantage of its genre, but it's not overly scary or upsetting. it's horror-lite! furthermore, it's buffy-style literary horror, where the ghosts stand in for more concrete, everyday problems our characters are dealing with. and ace [redacted] is the character of all time, okay? i feel very genderrrrrr about him; i want a miniature version of him to live in my pocket. the cherry on top is that my fic for the show is freaking cute.

do not watch the 100, do not read my 100 fic. i mean, you can if you want to, but i was in a weird and performative space with my own sexuality when i was fucking with the source material and being in a much better place with myself now, it brings me no pleasure to think about my days in that fandom. also the show did literally everyone dirty, i don't know any fans who feel like their investment in it paid off.

i still haven't watched season four and the show eventually ensambles too hard for the amount of time it has each episode, but sex education is a solid show. i've always found it very atmospheric, its world comfortably lived-in, and some of the characters are near and dear to my heart. last i checked, my fic is the only fic worth reading in the fandom, too, so...

final hot take: i don't care for the witcher's relationship to parenthood, which is like, the show's whooooole deal thematically-speaking. it's a testament to how entertained i am by the slutty little bard that i fuck with it at all. but my witcher fic? contains some of the most beautiful lines i've ever written.

do with this onslaught of information what you will.

[gidgett]

Dear Thursday:

What does it feel like to quit your job of 6 years and go head on to a whole different company? It feels like stress is what it feels like.

My first 5 years at S were great. I enjoyed going into work everyday, I enjoyed who I worked with and who I worked for. There were many many ups and downs but that’s to be expected at any company. In those 5 years I never felt the need or want to leave. Then bossman partners with a huge ass corporation, gives them 51% of the company. And what does this mean? It means different processes, different approvals, different ways of treating the little people. It means that anytime we disagreed or put in our opinion with a new change, they brushed us aside and didn’t give a fuck. It means that the feeling of working with family slowly dwindled into something I never wanted to be a part of. I learned so much working with S. I learned the ins and outs and people came to me to fix this and that. I provided support and time and all of myself.

By the fourth quarter of 2021, all the changes started, and I began losing the warmth. Instead I was writing emails to the team trying to explain the sudden changes and dealing with all the anger and aftermath. I was going into work dreading what I had to take care of next. I was a middleman doing what I was expected to do then dealing with fallouts. I didn’t just begin losing the warmth, I lost the happy.

I love my calgary team. I love the team in BC. But as time went on, having a great team beside me was not worth staying and having no happy. So after thoughts and thoughts of looking for a new job, I updated my resume and put my name out there. I was contacted just 1 day after by a printing company. The president loved me, loved my resume, and told me on our first call that he wanted to hire me. One FaceTime and one in person meeting after, within a span of 4 days, I was fully offered a job and it was fully accepted. I gave bossman at S my notice and proceeded to finish month end, and tie up as many loose ends as possible. I told the service team in BC my plans, and slowly said my goodbyes. It wasn’t really a sad moment until my last day when Alex came to me with a frown and a gift. Of course I cried my eyes out, of course I felt a deep dread cause I was leaving my friends who I spent about 160 hours with every month. But it was for my happiness, for my growth, for feeling deserved.

Bossman never told anybody except Mike in BC that I was leaving. Nobody. What does that say? For real? That he didn’t give a fuck? That absolutely everything I did for him meant zilch? That I am so very replaceable. I mean of course he could find anybody to take my place, I know that. But you’d think the relationships you build mean something when in fact, you’re nada. Not even a business related note like…Hey team, Danielle is leaving us - let’s make a plan so we know what we’ll be doing. Nah. Just whatever.

Anyways. Fast forward now to 2 months later, since It’s been that long since I opened tumblr again. In the last two months, I took over Julie’s office, we let payables Marvin go, and receivables Ana quit. I’m now dealing with all of accounting instead of just overlooking and managing. ALL of it plus HR and Payroll. My original job in itself time consuming. Adding payables to it was like oh okay I just gotta move a little quicker instead of taking my sweet time doing shit. It was fine. Then a week after Marvin is let go, Ana decides to take another job closer to home leaving me in a huge dilemma. Can I do it? Can I handle it? Can I work extra hours to keep up with the madness but still have time to breathe?

I’ve spent most of the last week working 12 hour days. I’m trying to balance overseeing with creating hundreds of invoices and entering dozens and dozens of payables and not forgetting deadlines and dealing with customers and vendors and doing commissions and payroll and keeping track of everybody’s hours and heck yes I am spent, but I’m also absolutely in love with what I do. For real, this is what I want to do with my career. For real, I am so happy I left S. For real, I am just..so..grateful that God blessed me with this opportunity, this chance, this experience. When I was job hunting, I had options of applying to oil and gas and the thought of that just made me cringe. I remember way back when, that was so what I wanted to do. To work in a huge building downtown, in a huge corporation doing huge things. As years have gone by, I’ve realized that my place in the world falls with smaller companies who I’m able to manage with a full brain and full heart. I am so glad my years at Seca were full, but truly more glad that I took the chance and looked for more when it was no longer right.

About to finish up month 3 here, meaning my first raise is coming up teehee. Never ever imagined I’d be at this point without going back to school. Hard work DOES pay off, and it’ll help me save for our future even better. Mortgage deposit first, Keifeys debut next. Shit. Ok that’s all for now.

[beyondspaceandstars]

Fireworks

Relationship: Bucky Barnes x Reader Warnings: mentions of anxiety, mental health, angst, worry (but happy ending!) Summary: The sound of fireworks in the middle of the night shakes Bucky awake so you try your best to comfort him. A/N: a little fourth of july fic inspired by my own dislike for fireworks but it works well here i think!

Masterlist

You awoke suddenly when you realized something was off. You were alone in the normally shared bed.

You had just barely registered this when you went to cuddle into Bucky but ended up finding, well, nothing. Nothing except for his half of the comforter that smelled like him. You frowned, forcing your tired eyes open in worry.

Frantically, in the dark, you sat up and searched for any sign of Bucky. You were really hoping he went to use the bathroom and you were just a paranoid girlfriend but then you heard a sniffle. It was so faint but you knew you had heard it. And it was coming from the…floor?

You peaked over on Bucky’s side and sure enough, there was your boyfriend shaking in fear on the floor. Heart-wrenching tears filled his eyes. A cheap blanket covered his lap. He barely looked up at you for a second before turning away, shoulders drooping in shame.

“Bucky?” You asked, worried beyond belief. “Is everything okay?”

He kept his eyes trained on the wall adjacent to the bed. “Yeah,” Bucky answered, weakly, “I’m fine. Go back to bed, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

You ignored his dismissal and raced off the bed. You knelt in front of him but Bucky still wouldn’t look at you. “What happened?”

But then that’s where you heard it. The unmistakable boom of fireworks.

Brows furrowed in confusion, you looked over at the clock which was reading just a few minutes past midnight. On July 4th. Your heart sank. You had completely forgotten what day was upon you.

“The fireworks…” you sighed. “Bucky, I’m sorry, I forgot-,”

Bucky shook his head. “There’s nothing you could do, honey.”

“I-I could’ve stayed up with you or-or-,”

He cut off your panicked rambling by placing his hand in yours. Bucky finally looked at you - really looked at you - and your heart shattered. He looked so exhausted yet panicked. Sad but angry. And as if on some super cruel cue, another firework exploded in the sky, lighting up your shared bedroom in a flash. Bucky winced.

You sighed. “I really can’t do anything for you?”

“Just…” Bucky took a deep breath. “Just stay with me. Please.”

Wordlessly, you nodded and sat on the floor next to Bucky. He had a blanket situated on his lap which he offered half of it to you. You accepted and snuggled into him as another explosive pop rang from outside.

After a moment, Bucky surprised you and spoke again. “You know, I used to love fireworks.”

You hummed, curling your arm around his bicep, hugging him. “Yeah?”

Bucky nodded, now staring towards the window which was suddenly lit up by another display. "I and Steve liked to go watch fireworks," he explained. "We’d go for his birthday and, wow, how they would light up the night. I thought it was the coolest thing ever when we were kids. The city put on some crazy shows."

"I’m sorry they’re not so fun anymore," you mumbled, completely unsure of what to actually say. Glimpses into Bucky’s life before the incident were so rare but you tried to treasure every one of them. It probably didn’t help in the slightest that his brain correlated Steve with fireworks. When was your boyfriend going to catch a break?

But Bucky just shrugged, shaking his head slightly. "What about you?" He changed the subject. Natural deflection. "Do you like fireworks?"

"I never really hated them but they did use to annoy me," you admitted. "Mainly because they’d scare my dog and that always made me upset."

Bucky let out a light chuckle which caught you by surprise. You held his gaze for a moment, shooting him a small smile before the moment was crushed by another firework exploding in the sky. You groaned.

"Why do people do this?" You huffed. "I get it, it’s the fourth of July, but it just hit midnight. Is it even legal around here?"

"You going to rat them out if it’s not?" Bucky teased.

You playfully rolled your eyes. "Maybe," you shrugged. "If that’s what it takes."

Another boom rang out and Bucky shifted towards you. "I’m sure they’ll be done soon," he said to you but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. "They can’t go all night, right?"

"You might be underestimating the American spirit."

Boom! Pop!

Bucky sighed in annoyance with each electrifying sound. "Yeah, you may be right."

That was enough for you. Just sitting here with him wasn’t really cutting it. You needed to do more.

"Maybe we should get out of here," you suggested. Bucky looked at you, confused, so you explained, "I read somewhere once that it may help to be farther away from the firework displays. Off in nature or something like that."

"I’ll take any suggestions you have at this point," Bucky admitted something shined in through the windows of the room. You were quite relieved he was willing to do more than sit on the floor. Not to mention he was actually letting you help him. You gripped Bucky’s hand tightly and you two stood up.

Foregoing any proper attire besides your everyday pajamas, you two packed some water and snacks before heading to your car. Bucky let you take the reins with driving which you didn’t mind. You only had a vague idea of a place on the outskirts of town that would work but, at this point, driving anywhere away from the chaos of the neighborhood was totally fine with both of you.

You drove about thirty minutes out of town until you hit an open woodland area. It seemed like some normal forest grounds filled with hiking trails but the specifics didn’t really matter. What it really offered was a lack of fireworks. Sure, some could be heard in muffled fashion and even seen way off in the distance, just above the tree line, but they were no longer right next door. You looked over at Bucky who was taking in the area. He already looked much more relaxed.

"This is nice," he commented.

You smiled and turned off the car. You two grabbed water from your packed bag. "I’m glad you like you," you said. "I was kind of worried there’d be campgrounds of tourists lighting more displays but it seems like we’re in the clear."

Bucky nodded slowly as he took a sip of water. His eyes were looking around lovingly at the trees. He even watched a few fireworks lighting up the sky back towards town. The sound was reduced greatly making it just a pretty mirage of colors. Even you were getting into it.

"Thank you," Bucky whispered.

You frowned. "Of course, Bucky. I just wanted to help."

"Y-You shouldn’t have to, though-,"

You shook your head insistently. "Don’t. I wanted to help. I’m so glad you’re feeling better out here."

"God," Bucky sighed, "what would I do without you?"

You let out a light laugh. "You wouldn’t know this cool forest existed."

Bucky agreed, "I guess that’s true." A beat. "But in all seriousness, sweetheart, thank you. I’m actually beginning to enjoy this Fourth of July."

"We could come back here later," you thought out loud, "and bring food for a picnic or something. That could be both fun. And certainly, keep us out of the action."

"I think that could be perfect," Bucky mumbled and looked over at you. When your eyes met, your boyfriend didn’t hesitate to lean in, stealing a kiss from you. You smiled, pulling him in for just one more.

This could even be a make-out spot, you thought. Picnics. Make-out. Lack of colorful explosions. Maybe a new Fourth of July tradition was in the making for you two.

[charlies-gillespie]

reminence | charlie gillespie

paring: fem!reader x charlie gillespie

summary: reader stays the night in a hotel but there are no rooms. her ex, Charlie, overheard her talking and offers reader to spend the night in his room

length: mediumish

rating: PG

warnings: none

!! NOT MY GIF !!

MASTERLIST

You get out of the Uber you took to get here from LAX. You thank the driver and get your suitcase out of the trunk of his car. You drag your suitcase and dufflebag into the hotel that you plan in staying at tonight. It’s about five and the lobby is kind of packed. The parking lot was pretty full. You get in line at the desk behind a couple and their child.

The desk receptionist hands the couple a key and they walk off. You approach the desk with a smile and say, “Hi, my name is Y/N L/N and I booked a room here for one night.” The desk receptionist nods and types on the computer.

She makes a face and says, “I’m sorry, Miss L/N but that was our last room available.”

Confused, you say, “I called three days ago and made a reservation for a room.”

“I am all out of rooms tonight, I apologize,” she says. “If you’d like to stay and wait in case someone checks out then you can. I thought we had more than one room available for tonight.”

With a sigh, you open your mouth to say something until you hear someone go “Y/N?” behind you. You turn your head to see Charlie Gillespie standing behind you. You blink at him. You haven’t seen him since he broke up with you almost two years ago after a three year relationship. His hair has gotten longer and he’s gotten ... cuter.

You say, “Charlie, wow. It’s been a long time.”

Charlie approaches you and asks, “Are you staying here tonight?”

“I was going to but they just gave away the last room when I called three days ago reserving a room,” you say. “Why are you staying here?”

He says, “I flew in from Canada yesterday and have been staying here until my friend gets back from Canada so I can stay at his place. Wait, did you say that they don’t have anymore rooms?” You nod. “You can stay with me tonight. I have a second bed in my room that you can use.”

With a smile forming on your lips, you say, “Thank you, Charlie.” The desk receptionist hands you a key to Charlie’s room and the two of you take the elevator up to the fourth floor.

When you’re on the elevator, you take a second to look at the man next to you. His hair was much shorter than it is now. He’s wearing a blue and white button-up shirt that’s a little big on him and the top three or four buttons are undone, revealing his chest. He wears khaki shorts and converse sneakers.

The elevator dings and you get off with Charlie, who leads you down the hallway to his hotel room. He uses his key to let you both in and he lets you walk in first. You look around the room. The bed he probably slept in last night is a mess and isn’t made. There’s a shirt thrown over a chair at the little circular table. A coffee mug sits on the table between the beds.

“It’s a little messy but I wasn’t expecting company,” Charlie says, closing the door behind you. “Sorry.”

You smile and say, “It’s okay. It’s not like you need to impress me or anything.”

Charlie chuckles a bit and says, “I can run and grab us some food while you unpack. I know you probably had a long flight and probably need real food.”

“Yes, please,” you say. “Are there any McDonald’s around here? Or Taco Bell?”

He grabs his wallet and asks, “Your usual from either?” You nod in response. “I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes then.” Charlie leaves the room and you sit on the neatly made bed.

Sometimes you don’t remember why your relationship with Charlie ended. He’s a sweetheart, even after not seeing you for two years.

Your mind wanders while you unpack some of your clothes, putting them in an unused drawer. You check the minifridge to see what Charlie has. He just has a few cans of soda and a few water bottles. You sigh and sit back down on your bed.

Charlie walks in moments later with a Taco Bell bag and two drinks. He sets everything down on the little table and says, “Three soft shell tacos, Nacho Fries, and a Baja Blast. After all this time, I still know your regular at Taco Bell.”

With a laugh, you get up and say, “It’s not that hard to remember three soft shell tacos, Nacho Fries, and a Baja Blast. But thank you, Charlie.”

He smiles as you take your food, your drink, and a few napkins before sitting with your legs cross on your bed.

“What do the channels look like here? Any good ones?” you ask, opening one of your tacos.

Charlie shrugs and says, “There’s HBO we can watch. I know know what movie is on right now. Let’s check though.” He plops down on his bed with his Crunchwrap Supreme and his own Baja Blast. He grabs the remote and scrolls to HBO. He puts the channel on and you recognize the movie as Five Feet Apart. You look at Charlie and he switches to a static filled channel. “Not that one.”

Five Feet Apart was the movie you and Charlie watched the day before your relationship with him ended. You saw it in the movie theater a few weeks after it came out. You haven’t been able to watch it since.

Quickly, Charlie scrolls through the guide and puts on Friends. “This is a good compromise,” you tell him. “We both love Friends.”

“It’s one of the greatest shows ever,” Charlie says enthusiastically.

You laugh and say, “You made me watch this show so many times when we were together. The theme song always got stuck in my head after we watched it.”

Charlie swallows the bite of his Crunchwrap that he took before he asks, “Do you know how much Grey’s Anatomy you made me watch?” You laugh. “We’re even, Y/N.”

After swallowing a bite of your taco, you say, “You made me watch un ungodly amount of Friends, Charlie. It was everyday. I only made you watch Grey’s on Thursdays when it aired.”

He chuckles and says, “Okay, you got me there. You made me watch a lot of TikToks though, Miss L/N. You spent hours showing me videos.”

“You were laughing so I didn’t stop!” you say, jumping to your defense. “Remember that one time we tried making a TikTok by dancing to Obsessed by Mariah Carrey. It took us hours because you couldn’t learn the moves.”

Your ex laughs and says, “I did learn the moves eventually though. I still remember them.”

You finish your taco and says, “I wanna see this. Show me.”

Charlie smiles and gets off the bed. He stands in front of you and starts to do the Obsessed dance from TikTok. You laugh as you watch how badly he does the dance.

“For a musician, you have no rhythm,” you tease.

He sits back down on his bed with a sigh as he says, “For a small person, you eat a lot. I don’t know where it goes.”

With a laugh, you say, “I have no idea where it all goes either.”

It feels nice to laugh and talk with Charlie. Neither of you have spoken to each other since you broke up in late 2019. Just seeing him again has made you really happy. You didn’t think you’d see him again. He’s still his crazy self that he was years ago.

Both of you finish and you sit back against the headboard of your bed with a pillow behind you. You’re watching and laughing with Friends even though you’ve seen this episode a thousand times.

Charlie sudden asks, “Do you remember why we broke up?”

You look over at Charlie, who’s laying in the same position that you are, and say, “We just grew apart after high school. You moved down here part time after you graduated and I still had a few months left.” Charlie graduated early, you still had six months left. You were 17 when you and Charlie started dating at the beginning of your senior year of high school. He had just turned 17 right before the school year started. You were 20 when the relationship ended and Charlie was just about to turn 21. It wasn’t quite three years when you broke up but it was close.

He says, “I tried to make it work with us, Y/N. You know that right? Between living down here and acting, I did try.”

“I know you did,” you tell him, sitting up and looking at him. “It just got tough for both of us. We ended things on good terms.”

Charlie nods and says, “We did.”

You blink and ask, “What have you been doing since we broke up? Focusing on music, I hope.”

With a little laugh, he says, “I was on Netflix.”

Almost surprised, you say, “I didn’t know you were on Netflix, Charlie! That’s incredible. Was it a show or movie?”

“A show,” he says. “It’s called Julie and the Phantoms. We’re still waiting to be picked up for a second season but we trending in the top ten for a little bit on there after the show dropped in September last year.” Charlie tells you all about his time on set. He tells you about the show too, and you’re happy to hear that he was able to do two of the things he loves to do while being on the show.

You smile and ask, “Can I hear a song from the show? I know you have a guitar somewhere in this room. You never go anywhere without one.”

Charlie laughs and says, “You’re right.” He gets up and opens the closet door, pulling out a guitar he has stashed away in there. You laugh and shake your head. You know him too well sometimes.

He sits at the end of your bed and you cross your legs, looking at him. He pulls the guitar out of it’s case and he grabs a pick. He tunes the guitar before he looks at you.

“The song I’m about to play is song I wrote with my co-star, Madi,” he says. “It’s called Perfect Harmony. I may or may not have been kind of thinking of you when coming up with the lyrics.”

You smile and say, “Awe, I didn’t know you were such a romantic, Charlie.”

A laugh leaves Charlie’s lips as he begins to play the chords.

Step into my world Bittersweet love story about a girl Shook me to the core Voice like an angel, I've never heard before

As he plays, you sway to the music. You smile, having always enjoyed hearing his voice and watching him play guitar. He’d spend hours practicing or writing songs and you’d sit outside whatever room he was in or sit beside him while he sang and played.

Charlie looks at you occasionally as he plays, almost like he’s singing to you.

You set me free You and me together is more than chemistry Love me as I am I'll hold your music here inside my hands

You watch him intently, the smile never leaving your face as he plays. Hearing his voice again makes you so happy.

I feel your rhythm in my heart, yeah-yeah You are my brightest, burning star, woah-woah I never knew a love so real (So real) We're heaven on earth, melody and words

As he finishes up the song, you stop swaying and you look at him. Charlie finishes and he looks at you. He laughs a bit and says, “And that’s Perfect Harmony.”

“It’s beautiful,” you tell him. “And I’m not just saying that because you kind of wrote the song while thinking about me. I think it’s really good, Charlie. You’re so talented.”

Charlie’s face gets a little flustered and he says, “I’m just decent at guitar and decent at singing.”

You say, “You wouldn’t have landed a huge Netflix role if you weren’t crazy talented, Charlie. You know that right?”

He packs up his guitar and says, “You don’t have to lie to me like we’re still dating, Y/N.” Charlie gets up and puts his guitar back in the closet he took it about from. You get up and walk over to him.

When he turns around, he jumps a bit, startled that you were right there. You stare up at him and say, “I’m telling you right now that you are insanely talented. I’m face to face with you now so you can’t tell me that I’m lying.”

After a moment of staring up into Charlie’s eyes, he takes a step toward you. Your heart begins to race in your chest and you take a deep breath. You feel his fingers touch your hand and butterflies erupt in your belly. His callused fingers intertwine with yours and you gasp.

“Can I kiss you?” Charlie suddenly asks.

You nod slowly, tilting your head up. It’s been so long since Charlie’s kissed you, and you always loved his kisses. Whenever you were upset, he’d kiss your forehead or your cheek or your neck and you’d feel better almost immediately.

Charlie’s free hand comes up to your face, cupping your cheek. He leans down and ghosts his lips over yours hesitantly. You lean your head up as Charlie becomes more sure and crashes his lips to yours. You gasp softly before kissing him back. The kiss is slow and soft as you both take in the moment.

In the two years apart, you’ve never lost feelings for Charlie. You tried to date but it never worked out because you never were able to get over the only man you ever really loved. Being able to hold his hand and kiss him again feels heavenly.

Both of you stand like this for a few moments before you pull back, looking up at Charlie. He looks down at you and asks, “How long will you be in Los Angeles?”

You say, “I’m moving into my new apartment tomorrow. I just flew in a day early.”

He smiles and asks, “So you’re here permanently?”

“I’m here permanently,” you say, smiling. “So if you’re willing to try the relationship thing again then-”

Charlie cuts you off with another kiss, this one rougher than the last. You laugh as Charlie pulls back, saying, “Are you kidding? I’d love to try the relationship thing again. The only reason I’m staying with my friend is because I’m looking for a new apartment too.”

With a huge smile on both your faces, you wrap your arms around Charlie’s neck. You hug him tight and say, “Looks like we ended up finding our way back to each other.”

“Thank God,” Charlie says against your ear. You laugh.

You spend the night wrapped around Charlie in some way until you begin to fall asleep.

As you doze off to sleep, you hear Charlie begin to sing softly.

The truth is finally breaking through Two worlds collide when I'm with you Our voices rise and soar so high We come to life when we're In perfect harmony

A smile forms on your face as you snuggle against Charlie’s side, falling asleep in his arms.

[sylvie-writes]

A Father’s Love

pairing: steve rogers x reader ft. sarah rogers

requests:Hey, can I ask for a Steve Sarah fic where baby Sarah is injured or unwell and Steve is more distressed than the reader and cries holding Sarah and she assures him that she is fine and brave girl -anon  2. hi i love your writing!! i have a request for a headcanon or oneshot: i watched ww84 (which was not that good of a movie oof) but there was a romantic fireworks scene and it made me think of celebrating 4th of july with steve rogers on his birthday and just like, cuddling up next to him on a picnic blanket while watching him watch the fireworks and oh it just makes me so SOFT- anon

word count: 1,750

author’s note: pardon any mistakes! sorry for combining the requests, hope y'all still like it!

gif below was found on google

Never before in your life had you ever experienced such fear. Although the warm sun streamed down in rays, creating a happy scene, you were somewhere else. A place where nothing else mattered except for your daughter. Nerves, anticipation, and dread flooded your veins. Any parent would feel this way, especially under these circumstances. A majority of the time, you wouldn’t consider yourself a “helicopter parent,” even though Bucky and Sam would say otherwise. Now, was an exception because your four year old daughter was learning to roller skate in the cul-de-sac where her grandparents currently reside. Her little hand was interlaced with her father’s and the 6’2 man crouched down to be a bit shorter. He was anything but an expert in this field and that made you even more nervous as he’d occasionally slip. Before you could say anything to him, he’d just put a hand out, signaling that everything was okay, and you’d be left to bite down on your lip, silently channeling your fear. 

From the looks of it, one would think you weren’t trusting of your husband and while that wasn’t the whole truth, you just knew he wasn’t the most...graceful and elegant human on planet earth. Rather he was the type of guy to fall and literally laugh it off. That was fine for him, but if your daughter fell on this rocky pavement, well, you’d both have another coming. Or at least that’s what you had assumed. 

Sarah’s giggles echoed and you could hear your parents’ shouts of encouragement from the house. You were standing on the end of the driveway, eyes glued to the giant man and the tiny girl, happily skating around. After a few minutes, Sarah finally found her footing, so to say, and was actually skating without Steve’s support.

Finally, you dropped your shoulders and let out a sigh of relief at the two enjoying themselves. It was all going fine until Sarah was turning, like she had done so many times before, but this time happened to catch a rock under a wheel on her right skate.

 In your mind, it all happened in slow motion, making your feet stay grounded, yet your conscience was “running” to her. Steve’s face looked absolutely mortified and he dropped to his knees, ignoring the pain from the harsh contact, he immediately scooped up the girl. 

For a moment, her lip quivered and Steve continued to soothingly stroke her hair, gazing into her watering eyes. Just when you thought the dam would break, Sarah swallowed her sobs, shook it all off, and stood from her father’s lap. She even held out a hand to help him up and he looked very shocked. Even more shocked than when you told him you were going into labor, which was quite the experience, one you preferred to not re-live. 

Eventually, you joined the two and up close you could see that Steve had a single tear running down his face. You knew his worst fear was failing his daughter, he had told you so many years ago. Sarah noticed Steve’s sorrow and she got down once more to sit back on her heels. With gentle movement, Sarah wrapped her arms around the man’s broad shoulders and pulled him into the most lovable hug you’ve seen in ages. 

“It’s okay, Daddy. Please don’t cry! See I’m just as brave as you!” 

Your daughter then laid her head on his shoulder, the two of them in their own little world as usual. You hated to break them up, but they were currently sitting in the middle of the road and you’d rather not get hit by a car. Softly, you tapped Steve’s shoulder and he slowly rose up, Sarah in his arms and tired from the scare as well. The three of you made your way back up the driveway and into the house where your mother met you with the same nervous look you had once wore. Once a nurse, always a nurse, for she had a first aid kit in hand. You quickly reassured her and followed Steve back to your rooms. 

Summer in New York City wasn’t that much enjoyable, so ever since Sarah had been born, you and Steve come in July to stay at your parents house. Today was Fourth of July and you helped your parents with their annual barbeque. That went well and then the whole roller skating incident happened and now here you were. It was 3 in the afternoon and since it was Steve’s birthday, you had some surprise plans for him later. He was unaware and had assumed you had forgotten his birthday, which you had not. 

An hour later, you found Sarah in the pool with your parents while Steve sat on one of the lounge chairs, only khaki swim trunks on. You could tell he’d been out of the pool for a while as his hair was starting to look a bit fluffy. Steve’s eyebrows were furrowed in concentration and in his lap you could see a sketch that he was tediously working on. Your daughter was too busy playing pool volleyball with her grandparents, that the three were yet to notice your presence. Deciding to take matters into your own hands, you strutted over to Steve and sat on the edge of his seat where you gently tapped his leg to gain his attention. 

“Whatcha working on, Grant?”

Steve peered up at you, his smile possibly even brighter than the sun that reflected on you both. He silently passed off the sketchbook to you. The sketch depicted the scene happening before your eyes, your parents bonding with Sarah, all of them wearing large grins and laughter. It was the kind of picture that could lift someone's mood in an instant, all because Steve was the best at portraying emotions in his artwork. 

“So, birthday boy, I have some plans for you… that is if you are still up to it.” You motioned to his current laid back state and Steve looked down at himself to see what you meant. He was curious as to what you had planned, having told you not to plan anything for his birthday. 

“Oh honey, I told you not to do anything.” Steve looked at you disapprovingly, his sunglasses now pulled down so you could feel the full effect of his “glaring.” 

“It’s not everyday that a wife gets to celebrate her husband’s...” Pausing, you did some quick mental math (that may have not been accurate) and came to an answer, “102nd birthday!” 

At that, Steve lurched forward and pulled you onto his lap, placing a kiss on your temple as his arms tightly wrapped around your waist. 

“You spoil me too much, doll.” A simple hum was your only reply and you leaned back into his embrace. 

----

About an hour later, both you and Steve got quick showers and tidied up a bit. The only thing Steve had heard about where you were taking him, was that it wasn’t too fancy as you told him to dress casual. As Steve got ready, you asked Sarah if she wanted to come along, but instead she decided to stay back and make some cookies with your mom. 

The two of you then met at the front door where you kissed Sarah goodbye and headed off to the car. Just as Steve was about to get in the driver’s seat, you stole the keys from his grasp and gave him a small “tsk tsk” causing the man to laugh. Earlier, while Steve had gotten dressed, you had been able to sneak out and put a prepared picnic basket in the trunk of the car along with a large blanket. For Steve’s birthday, you were taking him to see fireworks at a nearby park. You knew how much of a sucker he was for fireworks and a good, old fashioned, park picnic. 

As you pulled into the entrance of the park and globs of people sat out on the field, Steve’s eyes started to sparkle with excitement and you couldn't help but grin at him. 

“Babe, is this what I think it is?”

You put the car in park and turned in your seat to fully face Steve, “If you’re thinking fireworks and a picnic, then you’re right. I’m sorry it’s not a lot, but I know how much you-” 

Before you could finish your unnecessary apology, Steve sweetly grabbed your face and pulled you in for an enchanting kiss. 

“It’s perfect, (y/n).” 

Steve’s face softened into a loving look and his azure eyes looked the slightest bit shiny in the moonlight. 

You parted away from the man and exited the car, heading to the trunk where Steve met you. He helped carry the picnic basket despite your pleas for him to not do so. 

The park wasn't too crowded, but there were just enough people for you and Steve to have to search around for a good ten minutes. Eventually you spotted this place under a tree that wasn’t too surrounded and had a perfect view of where the fireworks would be. 

Swiftly, you laid out the plaid picnic blanket and Steve then set down the picnic basket that was filled with the components of your dinner. You began to set out the prepared food, even bringing out a candle, albeit fake, that provided some romantic and not overwhelming lighting.

Since you both had arrived twenty minutes before the show started, it allowed for you and Steve to enjoy the dinner peacefully. You had even packed some desserts but those would be for during the show as a little something to snack on.

Just as the show started, you had finished packing away the last of the Tupperware containers and now settled in between Steve's legs, his chest providing use as a pillow. The man delicately rested his chin on your shoulder and in return, you lovingly rubbed his forearms that laid in your lap.

“Thank you for the best birthday, my love. You’ve given me so much over these past few years and I swear I don’t know what I’d be without you.” 

It was a whisper in your ear, but you still heard it over the loud crackling of the fireworks. 

With a warm smile and quiet giggle, you brought his hand to your lips and placed a kiss on the back of his hand.

“Only you could pull off such a cheesy line, Rogers.” 

[twomoonstwosuns]

the interview.

back to you [series masterlist]

previous part · next part

pairing: professor!poe dameron x reader

warning: smut (18+), swearing, fluff

word count: 4.7k

a/n: guys I'm so sad, this is it before the epilogue. I have many thoughts and feelings that I'll put in a different post but this would not be what it’s become without you so THANK YOU!

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

“Hey Poe, it’s me. I just got out of my interview. I think it went well, but…I don’t know. We’ll see. I think I rambled a little bit. Anyway, you’re probably going into your interview now so good luck, I love you, you’re going to do great, and I can’t wait to hear all about it tonight. Love you, bye.”

Tucking your phone back into your bag, you walked along the boardwalk towards the café you were meeting Finn at for lunch. He had texted you saying he got stuck in some traffic and would be a few minutes late. You decided to wait for him outside, the view of the ocean sparkling in the bright sun too enticing to not stop and admire for a bit. 

The interview, at least, hadn’t been a disaster. The job was an entry level position at a small public relations firm looking to expand it’s teams. It was nerve-wracking at first at the beginning, but as you learned more about the company and got into comfortable conversation with your interviewer, you felt more confident. There were a few questions you answered that you felt nerves got the better of you, like four years of knowledge just flew right out the window, and you talked in sentences you weren’t even sure were complete. But the woman interviewing you didn’t say anything and at times seemed almost charmed by it. You could only hope. 

As you stood against the wooden fence separating the edge of the boardwalk from a large span of grass, a part of you could see yourself moving to Los Angeles, enjoying the sun everyday and taking weekly trips to Venice or Santa Monica to spend the day by the beach. It was incredibly tempting. 

But you’d be alone, your friends, family, and boyfriend a thousand miles away. You didn’t know if you could enjoy it without any of them there. 

Sunglasses perched on your reddening nose, the gentle ocean breeze moved your curled hair around your face. He sound of the waves was calming, putting you so far into a daze that you didn’t even hear the footsteps approaching you. 

“I promise, if you move here that view will never get old.”

Finn stood behind you, hands in his pockets as he looked at the ocean. He smiled when you jumped at the sound of his voice bringing you out of your calming trance. He took a step towards you and hugged you tightly, lifting you up off the ground. 

“How are you, nugget?”

“I’m good! I miss you. How are you?”

“Also good. Hungry.”

“Come on, let’s go eat then.”

Finn set you down and you followed him into the café, taking a peek at the menu before ordering and bringing a number plaque over to a table. 

“So, congrats on graduating! You’re a real life working adult now. Or, you will be.”

You gave him an uncertain smile. “Thanks…I’m terrified. I’ve had one job interview and I’m ready to marry rich and jet across the world as a trophy wife.”

Finn chuckled. “You’ll be fine. How’d the job interview go?”

“Okay, I think…they said they’d call me within a day or so if they want me to do a second interview. They’re interviewing a few other people so I might not hear anything until tomorrow or even Monday.”

“I think they call you.”

“You’re just biased,” you teased and Finn smirked and shrugged. 

“Maybe a little.” He sent you a wink and you giggled, his tone teasing but the vote of confidence greatly appreciated nonetheless. The waiter came by with the food, sandwiches for both of you, and set them in front of you. 

“So what’s new with you? I’ve barely talked to you the last few weeks…finals and all…”

“Well, I’ve been seeing a girl who lives up here.”

“Really?” You smiled. “Tell me about her.”

“Her name is Paige, I’ve been seeing her about four and a half months now…”

“Since January?” He nodded. “Poe didn’t mention you were seeing anyone…”

“He doesn’t know. I really, really like her and things have been moving kind of fast and I didn’t want to jinx it.”

“Moving fast isn’t a bad thing…hello, I met Kes after a month of dating and told Poe I loved him after two and a half months.”

“And he knew he loved you when Rey and I met you.”

“See? Poe and I are the king and queen moving fast and look at us! We’re happy!” Finn chuckled. “So, tell me more about her. What’s she like?”

Finn smiled and shook his head. “She’s amazing and beautiful and funny…she went to school for business and accounting but found it boring, so she’s worked tons of odd jobs…like, she worked at Disneyland for a bit, she’s an artist and she’s had her paintings featured in a couple galleries around SoCal…currently she works part time at a bar in Santa Monica and she’s an L.A. tour guide on the weekends.”

You quietly squealed. “Look at that smile on your face! You really like her!”

Finn nodded slowly and took his bottom lip and tucked it under his teeth.

“Can you keep a secret?”

You nodded and Finn grabbed his wallet from his pocket. He pulled out a picture and set it in front of you. The blur of black, grey, and white gave way to a very obvious shape in the middle of the picture. 

“Finn!” You gasped, your hand coming up to cover your mouth. The smile on his face was so wide you were sure it would split his face in half. 

“Ten weeks. Well, she’s twelve weeks now. We wanted to wait until the three month mark to start telling people.” You looked up at him, eyes wide. He looked at the sonogram adoringly. “It was a complete accident, so hopefully she likes me enough to put up with me for the rest of our lives.”

Your eyes watered and you smiled widely. “Congratulations!”

“Thanks, nugget. I’m so…fuck, I’m so excited. Granted, this isn’t the way I wanted to do this…I imagine I’d be married first…”

You smiled softly. “As long as that baby is loved, which I have no doubt that he or she will, then who cares how it happened.”

Finn nodded and grabbed the picture, smiling at it once more before putting it back into his wallet. 

“You’re going to be an amazing dad, Finn,” you said softly, placing your hand on his arm. “And I can’t wait to meet your girlfriend.”

“We’re coming up fourth of July weekend. Poe, Rey, and I rent a cabin on the lake and we spend the long weekend there. You’ll probably be coming so you can meet her then.” You nodded happily, already excited for something happening a month and a half away.

“So, when are you and Poe having kids?” You threw your head back and laughed loudly. “What?! You said you guys move fast!”

You threw one of your chips at him and it bounced off of his chest and onto the floor. 

“Yeah, not that fast! I just finished school, I’m not ready to have a baby!”

“But by Christmas, right?” 

You giggled and threw another chip at him, which he caught and popped into his mouth. Your phone buzzed on the table and you saw an unfamiliar number flashing on your screen. Finn looked at it and raised his eyebrows. 

“That’s an L.A. area code.”

You swallowed hard and answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Hi, I’m looking for Y/N L/N.”

“Yes, this is…” you said nervously. Finn looked at you with interest.

“Y/N, this is Jyn Erso with Erso PR.”

“Oh, hi…” Finn mouthed ‘who is it?’ at you and you held a finger up. The woman on the other end chuckled warmly. 

“I can tell you’re a little surprised I’m calling you right now.”

“Yeah, a little…I just left a little under two hours ago.”

“Well, I took a closer look at your resume and some of the work in your portfolio and, with your interview earlier today, I wanted to call and offer you the job.”

Your eyes widened and you stumbled over your words. “Wha—wait, really?”

“I know we said we’d call you to set up a second interview but I was very impressed with you today and I think you’d make a great addition to our team.”

“Wow, um…thank you!” You looked at Finn and bit your lip. “Can I…could I think about it?”

“Of course you can. I know you’re coming from quite a ways away and have a lot of factors to consider, so please take a few days to think about it. The number I’m calling from is my office number, please feel free to call it if you have any questions.”

“I will. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, Y/N. Have a good day and a safe flight home.”

You hung up the call and looked at Finn, your face showing a disbelieving smile. 

“I got the job.”

“Damn, congratulations!” You didn’t, couldn’t, say anything. You were still in a little bit of shock from receiving that phone call. “Or not…?”

“I….I don’t know! I wasn’t expecting this!” You sat back in your chair, crossing your arms in front of you and looking at Finn. “What do I do?”

“Well, you obviously didn’t say yes…did they say you could think about it?” You nodded. “Then you think about it.”

You sighed. “This job…there’s so many opportunities for growth. It’s the kind of job that could kickstart by career. Honestly, I’d be stupid not to take it.”

“But there’s a lot of factors you have to consider.”

“Exactly…I don’t know what to do.” You looked up at Finn. “What do I do?”

Finn sighed and finished off his sandwich, wiping his hands and tossing the napkin in the basket. 

“I wish I could tell you to just take it, but it’s not that easy.”

You exhaled sharply and ran a hand through your hair. 

“No, it’s not.”

》 》 》

The job offer was in the back of your mind the rest of your lunch with Finn and didn’t fully sink in until you were on your way to the airport. You spent the two and a half hour plane ride going through every pro you could think of: the job itself, working and building your career, a new city with lots of opportunities, and sunshine and warmth everyday. But there were also the cons: moving expenses, finding an apartment you could actually afford that was close to work, and navigating a new city. Not to mention your friends and family would be a thousand miles away. 

Poe would be a thousand miles away. 

You walked off the plane and drove home still undecided. Even the drive home couldn’t help you come to a decision. You were much too excited to see Poe and hear about his interview. He had texted you when you landed that he was finishing up with dinner and insisted on waiting for you to get there to eat, but you encouraged him to go ahead without you. Your stomach felt twisted with nerves and there was no room for food at that moment. 

You walked into Poe’s apartment and was immediately greeted by Beebs. The smell of garlic and other spices was intoxicating and you followed it to the kitchen where Poe was dishing it up into containers for you to eat later. 

“Hey!” He looked up at the sound of your footsteps, walking over and pecking your lips quickly before putting the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. “How as your flight?”

“Good,” you said, dropping your stuff and taking off your shoes. “Little turbulent, but fine.”

Poe smiled and came around the counter, leaning against it and crossing his arms. You could hardly contain the smile on your face.

“So?”

Poe smiled widely. “I got the job.”

“You got it?!” You exclaimed. “I’m so proud of you!”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I still can’t believe it…I’ve been pinching myself making sure it was real all day. After all the sabotage from Hux and our secret relationship, Leia really stuck her neck out for me to get this job.” You smiled proudly. “This is just…the best fucking day.”

The smile on his face reached his eyes, which shone brightly with pure happiness. “I’m so, so happy for you, Poe. You deserve this. You’re an amazing teacher and you’re going to make an amazing head of the department. Your department.”

“I haven’t accepted the job yet. I wanted to talk to you about it, especially because you just had a job interview yourself. Which, speaking of, how did it go?”

“I actually got the job too.”

“You did?! Congrats!”

“Thanks…but I’m not going to take it.”

Poe’s smile disappeared. “You’re not?”

You shook your head.

“Why not?”

“I don’t want it.”

“But raved about interviewing for this job. It’s what you’ve been talking about for weeks. You were so excited and now you got it.”

“And you got yours.”

“Babe, I don’t want you to feel like I’m making you choose between me and a job—“

“You’re not,” you stressed, taking a step towards him. “This is my decision. I am choosing you over the job and I’m perfectly okay with it. I’m just starting to job hunt and if I take the first job I’m offered, I can’t build up my interview skills and I won’t know what else is out there. What if I find something better? My gut is telling me this is the right move, so I’m doing it.”

“Have you thought this all the way through? I don’t want you to have any regrets.”

“I have thought about it. I talked to Finn earlier at lunch after they called me and did nothing but think about it while I was waiting for my flight and on the airplane. I was still undecided up until you told me you got your dream job, the one you’ve been talking about for months and months.” You sighed and put your hands on his chest. “You almost sacrificed getting this job to protect me…to protect us. Now you’ve got the job and all I want to be here to hear all about it at the end of the day. And I can’t do that if I’m in California."

Poe gave you a look of uncertainty and you smiled softly. “I love you. So much. We did not fight this hard for our relationship just to do long distance. This is what I truly want.”

Poe nodded and returned your smile. “As long as it’s what you want.”

“It is.”

Silence fell over you for a moment before your delighted squeals pierced the air. Poe had suddenly grabbed your waist, picking you up and spinning you around. Your arms went around his neck and he kissed the spot where your neck met your shoulder before looking at you.

“I got the job.” He smiled and you put your hands on his cheeks.

“You got the damn job.”

You pulled his lips to yours, the two pairs moving passionately together. After months and months of uncertainty and secrecy, things were finally going your way. 

“Do you want to go get a drink to celebrate?”

You smiled suggestively and shook your head. “Maybe tomorrow. Tonight…I want to celebrate with you. Alone. Naked.”

He smirked and you wrapped your legs around his waist as he quickly made his way to his bedroom, his lips connecting with yours once again. He nearly dropped you on the bed in his excitement and you sat up as he got on the bed next to you. You moved to straddle his lap and your kisses grew hotter, the passion just as intense but the desire for each other burning brighter as you ground your hips against his. You grabbed your shirt and brought it up over your head, Poe leaning in and kissing your chest before you could toss it aside. His dark hair was messy from your hands and became more disheveled when you yanked his shirt off. 

He smirked and you wrapped your legs around his waist as he quickly made his way to his bedroom, his lips connecting with yours once again. He nearly dropped you on the bed in his excitement and you sat up as he got on the bed next to you. You moved to straddle his lap and your kisses grew hotter, the passion just as intense but the desire for each other burning brighter as you ground your hips against his. You grabbed your shirt and brought it up over your head, Poe leaning in and kissing your chest before you could toss it aside. His dark hair was messy from your hands and became more disheveled when you yanked his shirt off. 

“You’re sexy,” you said as you ran your hands over his chest. He smirked and reached for the buttons of your dress pants. 

“You’re fucking sexy,” he retorted, dipping his fingers into your underwear and immediately finding your clit. Your mouth opened slightly and he wrapped his arm around your waist and started to lay you down on the bed.

“No, wait!”

Poe froze and you pushed him back to his position on the bed, his eyebrow cocked with curiosity. 

“You want to be on top?”

You smirked mischievously and grabbed his wrist, removing his fingers from your pussy. You brought them to your mouth and gave them a quick suck before moving down his lap and further down the bed, bringing his pants down with you. Kissing his stomach, your fingers dipped under the band of his briefs. He was already hard and you wasted no time removing his briefs and wrapping your hand around him. Poe let out a soft sigh of approval as you pumped him slowly. You swirled your tongue lightly around the tip and Poe let out a sound between a moan and a whimper with a very quiet plea falling from his lips. 

“I’m sorry,” you giggled. “What was that?”

He swallowed hard, his body ringing with want. “Please.”

You smiled up at him and wrapped your lips around him, taking him in your mouth inch by inch. His head fell back against the pillows, closing for just a minute before looking back down at you. He gathered your hair back so it was out of your face, biting his lip and watching your head bob as you sucked him off. A quiet ‘fuck’ left his lips and you released him from your mouth, your hand pumping him quickly and your tongue found the base of his cock. You ran your tongue slowly, teasingly up the length of him before taking him in your mouth again. Your hand and mouth worked in tandem, bringing him closer and closer to the edge each time he watched your cheeks hollow around him. 

But Poe wasn’t ready to be done quite yet.

“G—fuck….get up here.”

You ignored him, sliding your mouth all the way down his length until he touched back of your throat. The groan that came from him came deep from within him and it took all his strength to tug on your hair again instead of giving into the immense pleasure you were giving him and coming too soon. 

“Get up here. Now.”

You let him go with a pop, crawling up into his lap again. “Mmm, bossy. I like it.”

He smirked as you grabbed him again to line him up with your entrance. “Another day, sweetheart.”

You bit your lip and nodded as you sunk down on him slowly, a soft groan leaving your lips as he filled you all the way up. He attached his lips to your neck, his teeth leaving little love bites along your collarbone as you grinded against him. Your hand came back up to his hair, tugging the inky strands at the base of his neck and he quietly moaned at the mix of pain and pleasure. 

“F—ohhh…fuck, baby…” your voice was breathy, a sound Poe could listen to forever. The way you called him ‘baby’, even in the throes of pleasure, tugged on his heartstrings a little bit. One hand splayed across your back, the ends of your hair threading between his fingers. The other hand rested on your hips, his fingers digging into your skin as each shot of pleasure hit deep in your stomachs. 

Poe’s lips traveled down to your chest and attached to your breast, sucking small marks onto your skin. A symphony of sounds filled the room: the sound of skin slapping against skin, yours and his moans of pleasure, and his name tumbling past your lips with a slew of expletives. Your hand found his headboard, grabbing it to use as leverage and support as your body was weakened by pleasure.

He kissed up your neck and found your lips once again, his tongue invading your mouth and tangling with yours. You moved faster, your body becoming slick with exertion. You struggled to kiss him back, your quick movements making you nearly gasp for breath. You rode him hard, the both of you chasing the high you wanted so badly. 

You whimpered as you the burn in your belly grew hotter, the mind-blowing orgasm you always got with Poe building. Poe felt the same, having used a great deal of strength to hold off so he could give you the same kind of ecstasy you were giving him. Your body tensed and you clenched around him as his cock found that spot that drove you absolutely wild. 

“Come for me, baby…” Poe’s voice was also breathless but still held the tone of finality, like he was commanding you. The idea alone spurred you on further and his hands helped you slam yourself down onto his cock, your body movements becoming sloppy as you started to lose control. “Come on baby, that’s it.”

His thumb found your clit and he rubbed it quickly, the sudden addition of stimulation making your body twitch and send you over the edge. You came hard, your body shaking in his hands and a loud moan coming from deep within your throat as the iron struck white hot in your lower stomach. He held you still and thrust up into you and your hand shook the headboard, making it loudly knock against the wall. Poe gritted his teeth and his head fell back as he came, spurt after spurt of his release filling you up. You both slowed, the intensity of your orgasms making you fight to catch your breath like you just ran a marathon. Your head fell against his and he presses his lips to whatever part of your face that was closest to him. 

“You…you ride me so well.”

You let out a breathless laugh, allowing Poe to put both arms around you and bring you down on top of him as he laid back against his pillows. He rubbed your back slowly, neither of you bothering to move. His softening cock stayed nestled inside you as the both of you catching your breath in the afterglow.

“You know, I was thinking?” Poe asked after several minutes of comfortable silence. You hummed in acknowledgement. “You should move in with me.”

You looked up at him, your fingers running along the silver chain around his neck. 

“You don’t think it’s too soon?”

“It might be…but I also know this is what I want.”

He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering. 

“We went on our first date on Valentine’s Day but we’ve technically been dating since Halloween,” he said, the memories making you smile. “I know it was supposed to be just a one time hookup and then after that just casual sex but it ended up being a lot of talking. We were basically on dates, we just did sex first and got to know each other afterwards. So, in my mind, we’ve been together for about seven and a half months.”

He ran his knuckle across your cheek and you didn’t know if your cheeks were still flushed from sex or  if they were flushing from the way he was looking at you - with pure love and adoration. 

“If it’s too soon for you, it’s okay. I do want to move in with you, but we can wait until you’re ready. Just the fact that you’ll be close by instead of hours and hours and hours away is good for me.”

You took in every word he said. The whole point of your plan to decline the job offer was to be with Poe, and moving in with him would mean being with him all the time. There was a sliver of doubt that crossed your mind, that maybe you’d get annoyed with each other after living together for awhile and learning each other’s daily quirks. 

“What do you see? When you think about us moving in together?”

Poe smiled softly. He knew exactly what kind of house he wanted to move into someday. Since he imagined having a kid or two, he wanted a basement or an extra room to be used as a playroom. He wanted a big backyard with a large deck and fire pit for late summer nights. He’d thought about it plenty, imagined his future home many many times before you, but it became so much more clear to him after you told him you loved him. Poe had been thinking of you moving in since before graduation, but held off saying anything because of your job interview. He didn’t want you to feel pressured if you had gotten the job…like you had to give up the opportunity because you were moving. 

He wanted all that with you, but he wouldn’t sacrifice your future to make his come true.

“Well…” He started, making sure to word things carefully so he wouldn’t scare you with how much he’d thought this through. “For now, we’d find a bigger apartment or a townhouse to rent…somewhere where there’s enough space for all of your things as well as mine…I think we’ve seen enough of the inside of this apartment.” You laughed lightly and nodded. “Maybe find one with an extra room we can turn into an office for us to work in. Eventually I’d like to buy a house, but I think that’s a few years away still.”

Though Poe was sparing you details, you could tell he’d been put a lot of thought into it. You didn’t blame him, he was in his early thirties and wanting to start settling down and building a life. You were still young, twenty-two with all the adventures of your twenties waiting for you…but you couldn’t imagine doing any of them without Poe. Navigating your way into the world post-education was going to be difficult. Nothing is promised. But having a place of your own to come home to with someone you loved, where you could relax and unwind and have that feeling of comfort and safety…you wanted that. 

“That’s just what I’ve been thinking. We certainly don’t have to, if you don’t want to.” His voice brought you back from our own thoughts and you nodded slowly and continued to play with his necklace. 

“You know I was talking to Finn earlier about how we move fast but everything’s worked out pretty good so far.” You shrugged, biting back the wide smile that was threatening to take over your face. “I don’t see why we should stop now.”

A smile slowly spread across Poe’s face. “Really?”

You nodded and sat up a little bit so you were hovering over him. 

“Let’s start looking. See what we find. In the meantime…”

“You’ll move in with me?” He asked hopefully, his eyes lighting up like a kid in a candy store. You smiled widely. 

“I would love to move in.” Poe leaned up and kissed your lips squarely and surely. “I can leave now, start packing…”

“Oh no,” Poe smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows. “You’re not going anywhere. Tonight, we celebrate.”

He rolled you over onto your back, never separating from you and burying his face in your neck and kissing it all over. Your laughter filled the room and you kissed him passionately, the room soon filling with different noises of pure happiness. 

You couldn’t wait to start your future with him. 

tag list [open!]: @ah-callie @darksideofclarke @gloomygoregirl @leilei-draws @imaginecrushes @i-ievu @brianamaree @yeeintensifies @spider-starry @krazykatkay456 @millllenniawrites @afootnoteinyourhappiness @easterncryptid @my-child-gaara @myrandom-fandomlife @onebatch--twobatch @the-cry-of-youth @p3nny4urth0ught5 @porgiez @umchrisevans @galaxy-of-stories @seeking-a-great--perhaps @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @dameronsgalaxygal @mserynlarsen @yougottakeeponkeepinon @linibirdimagine @hannie2k @starrykitn @cloud-leader @damnyoudameron @liadamerondjarin @april-14-blog @demigod-dragonrider-schoolidol @xremember-me-notx @obiwanownsmyass @princessxkenobi @yourbucky084 @frietiemeloen @softly-sad @xxidontwikeitxx @roserrys @clairesmunchkin @justanotherblonde23 @voidmonny @neaveloren 

[outerbankspreferences]

Goodbye Town - Pope Heyward

Warnings: Underage drinking, drugs

Word Count: 2355

A/N: This is based off my favorite song. I thought about writing with JJ but I think it works better this way.

Right there's the high school where we met

We'd sneak out back for a couple kisses and a cigarette

And that parking lot was our first date

And her momma slammed the door when I dropped her off too late

At one point in time, if you asked Pope Heyward who he loved his answer would be Kiara Carrera. He thought the sun set and rose just for her everyday. That was until he met Y/N Y/L/N. He never expected to like anyone beside Kie. Maybe Kiara was out of his league and had a thing for his other friends, but he didn’t care until that day. It was raining outside, he was in class, geometry to specific. His AP class to give him extra credits towards college. When the teacher introduced her, she said her name wrong, but the girl was to polite to say anything. She sat three seats behind him, her yellow backpack hanging off the back of her chair. He knew from that moment on he was in for it. He saw her around school, and talking to other people and finally he saw her talking to his friend John B. His heart dropped knowing he could never compete with someone like him. He thought he lost all chances until he introduced the two of them.

“Hey guys, this is Y/N, she just started in my art class.” John B introduced the blonde girl to everyone. She smiled, with a small blush.

“Are we still skipping last period to go surfing?” Kiara asked the brunette. They had been talking about it all day in the group chat. Something about the waves being supreme for surfing. Pope wanted to go but knew he would get in trouble for ditching again, plus last period was with Y/N and he wasn’t missing that.

Everyone was having their own conversation, while Pope was trying to finish geometry homework from the night before. He had finished JJ’s English assignment knowing he wouldn’t do it. He was lost in his math problems when she spoke to him. “Is that the homework from last night? Man, that was hard, what did you get for question 12?” Pope had to double take. Is she talking to him? “Yeah it-t is. Uh, I got the angle being 43.” “Oh, really how’d you get that I got the angle being 36.” He didn’t know where he got the confidence from but out of no where he spoke up. “I can show you after school if you want, these losers are going to be surfing for a while, and I’m going to need something to do.” She smiled at him. “Of course, that would be great why not by the bench outside, after class?” The rest was history.  

They met there all the time, and Pope fell harder and harder for the blonde hair girl. She would smoke a joint, and he would help her with the math. Sometimes she would draw. She was an amazing artist. Always talked about leaving and going west to LA. A pipe dreamed she called it. One day when the sun was setting and they were running late, Pope took a chance and kissed her. It was quick just a few seconds, but she smiled, and kissed him back. He walked her home that night. It was the first time he had ever seen were she lived. He mom was at the door waiting. “I’m sorry for what’s about to happened”, and before he could respond her mom was hollering about how she was running late. Slamming the door in Pope’s face when he tried to take the blame for what happened.

She's gone

Chasing that highway wind

She's gone

She ain't coming back again

This ain't nothing

Nothing but a goodbye town

These streets are only bringing me down

Gotta find a way to finally get out

Out of this goodbye town

As Pope was packing up his things for college, he found her sweater. It was just a little over two months ago when she left. He missed her so much. The way she always smelled like lavender and a hint of weed. They way she was so carefree, something he need to be more of. He was proud of himself for getting into UNC, he didn’t think it would actually happen. He applied for a ton of scholarships and with finical aid it wouldn’t be so bad. He got a job at a restaurant on the mainland. A friend of his dads. He put your sweater in the box of things he still had of yours. Scrunchies, a few bracelets, one of your old sketch books. These things that made his heart hurt, like a hurt he’s never felt. He wonder if you made it out west in the beat up car JJ helped fix for you. When he looked through the sketch book you left at his house and found pictures of buildings around town. Nothing but a goodbye town, he thought.

We sat down on those courthouse steps

Fourth of July those fireworks over our heads

And they'd ring the bells of that little church

No there ain't nowhere I can look that doesn't hurt

She's gone

But I still feel her on my skin

She's gone

But she ain't coming back again

This ain't nothing

Nothing but a goodbye town

These streets are only bringing me down

Gotta find a way to finally get out

Out of this goodbye town

 Looking through your sketch book he found one of the courthouse. It was your second fourth of July on the island, the first one you spent not knowing anyone. He smiled thinking back to that day, it was perfect. You guys had spent the night at John B’s place. You lied to your mom saying you were sleeping at Kiara so she wouldn’t get mad. There was a party at the boneyard the night before, and he wanted you to go. When you guys woke up in the morning you were wrapped up in his arms asleep on the couch. He was always the early riser, while you loved to sleep in. He treasured these moments. The way you eyelids flutter from the dream you were having to the small sounds escaping your lips from breathing. Once everyone got around for the day, John B and JJ suggested you go into town and watch the fireworks. It was cold and you forgot you sweater so Pope gave you his.

Watching the fireworks was memorizing to you. You loved all the colours that came from them. Sometimes they would be to loud and you would cover your ears. You split a smoke with JJ before leaving, he claimed it would enhance the experience. It just made them way too loud. Sometimes Pope still feels your breath on his skin. It wasn’t been long since you left but he was regretting everything about this goodbye town.

I can't erase the memories And I can't burn the whole place down No this ain't nothing Nothing but a goodbye town To hell if I'm sticking around Gotta find a way to finally get out Out of this goodbye town Oh yeah Out of this goodbye town I'm out of this town So out of this town Oh oh oh oh oh...

Pope didn’t know if he wanted to remember all the good times you guys had together. He didn’t want to feel the pain anymore. He kept looking back on the day he left you crying in your driveway. The day you guys called it quits. He couldn’t believe he just walked away

~Flashback~

It was the end of the school year, and you guys were getting ready for graduation. Some how you all made it through. JJ finishing with barely enough credits, but with Y/N and Pope’s help they got him through. It was the night after prom, you begged Pope to go with you. Claiming you guys only got one prom and you wanted to spend it with him. He could never say no your pout, it was like magic. So he got all dressed up in tux he borrowed from your brother and you wore a beautiful green dress that Kiara let you borrow. It was magic. You both were going to UNC, of course you were little disappointed, it wasn’t your first choice. You applied for an art school out west but got waitlisted. Of course you were happy to go to them same college as you boyfriend. You guys looked at apartments together, and you even got a job at a local bar. It was a dream come true.  

That was until the morning of gradation, your mom stopped to pick the mail up on her way home from your hair appointment. You were causally looking through the bills when you saw it. Your heart stopped, this was the letter you had been waiting for. You ripped it open and started reading, “we would like to congratulate you on your acceptance to the Otis College of Art and Design. You’ve been accepted into this years fall term.” You were freaking out. The first person you wanted to tell was Pope, but that’s when you remembered all the plans you guys made. He couldn’t be mad, could he? He knew this was your dream. When you got to your house he was there waiting for you. His smile made your heart drop. “How can I tell him mom? We made plans, I love him, but this is my dream.” You asked your mom. She looked at you sympathetically. “I know you love him Y/N, but never let a boy stop you from chasing your dreams. Just because you made plans with him, does not mean you have to give up your dreams for his.” She was right, you loved Pope and he will always be your first love but you couldn’t live your life wondering what would have happened if you never left.

Pope opening the door startled you. “Hey I’ve got our gowns and caps. Kie wants us to do pictures at her house, something about it looking nice in her garden. Everyone is meeting there, so go get your dress on.” He looked up at you. He could tell something was off. He knew you like the back of his hand. “What’s wrong Y/N/N?” that’s when he saw the letter. He recognized the LOGO from one of your art books. “Is that a letter from the art school out west? Y/N did you get in?” You could hear the fear in his voice and couldn’t blame him. He knew what was coming. You both did, but nether of you wanted to admit it. “Uh,-yeah-yeah it is. I got accepted. Someone must have dropped out. Crazy right? The school year wasn’t even started yet.” You looked at him and the look in his eyes killed you. “So what, are you going to go? I mean what about us? We made plans Y/N.” “I know that Pope, you don’t think I know that. This is a big deal for me! You know how bad I wanted this. We can make this work, we can do the long distance. No it would be easy, but I don’t want to lose you.” You pleaded with him as he turned away from you. He was so angry with you, changing the plans the two of you made. “No, I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone I don’t get to see. I want you to stay Y/N. It’ selfish of me but I need you here with me.” You couldn’t believe what he was saying to you. “Do you really want me to chose between you and my dream college. Don’t make me do that Pope. Please.” You had tears running down your face at this point. Not caring about your makeup. “Yes, I want you to choose—“Then I choose college.” You said it so fast you didn’t have time to take the words back. He looked at you with anger in his eyes. You’d never seen him mad like this before, of course you guys had disagreements but nothing like this. “Fine then.” And with that the love of your life walked away. Even with you screaming for him to comeback. He didn’t. It broke him, but he knew if he turned around that you would stay with him. And he couldn’t be the one to keep you from chasing your dreams.

~Flashback over~

Pope didn’t like to regret things. He stopped by your house a couple days later, but your mom said that you already moved. Deciding on spend the summer in LA with your aunt to get to know the place better. He knew that was a lie. He knew you left because you could stand to see him. He walked around the town all summer seeing all the places you guys would hang out. The Pouges tried their best to keep his mind off things, as well as his parents. His dad offered to move him to the mainland early, but Pope wasn’t ready yet. JJ agreed to move to the mainland with him, getting a job and going to the community college near the university. It was the small gesture Pope appreciate from his friend. Pope was putting the last of his boxes in the truck, JJ had already moved over a week before starting work. He was finally ready to leave. Leave all the memories the two of you had behind. It was done and, in the past, but he couldn’t help but think about you smoking by the school doing homework. He was ready to leave this goodbye town.

You'll be just a memory in the back of my mind You'll be just a memory yeah Oh, somewhere in the back of my mind In the back of my mind, yeah One day you're gonna look back at what we had You're gonna think of me You're gonna think of me When I'm long gone I'll be long gone

[juviin]

Here’s literally all the rosie lore. 

(template 1) (template 2)

Name: Rosemary Nare Etana Alias: Ro, Rose, Rosie Personality: Rosemary is very open about her emotions. She takes a while to warm up to people, but when she does, she loves people very strongly. Relatives: Father (estranged), Mother (deceased), 4 older siblings, 2 younger siblings. Status: Alive Species: Human Gender: cis female Age: 19 Eyes: Gold Hair: Pink Appearance: Rosemary is 5′5 and has short pink hair. She has two scars, one along her back and one on her lower right abdomen. She also has a tattoo on her calf of a lily. Birthday: July 30th Constellation: Leo Height: 5′5″ or 165 cm Blood Type: O Occupation: Magic Knight -Squad: Black Bulls Country: Clover Affinity: Lava Magic (On a scale of 0-10: 0 being terrible and 10 being the best) Physical Strength 5/10 Magic Amount 7/10 Magic Control 9/10 Magic Sensing 6/10 Cleverness 9/10 Growth 8/10 Equipment: none

(this next one is all in first person which i am NOT used to writing in but...)

Part 1: The Basics

What is your full name?--Rosemary Nare Etana

Where and when were you born?--I was born on July 30th in a large city in the Common Realm, however we moved to a small town shortly after I was born.

Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, personalities, etc.)--

Lily Etana was my mother’s name. She worked several jobs while raising us, like waitressing and being a maid. She was very kind too, but a lot of people took advantage of her for that. I guess that’s why Val and I have taken to being aggressive about how we feel, and aggressive in sticking up for her. When I was 12, an assassin killed her and gave me the scar across my back. I’m sure he was sent by my grandparents, but they played the fool and even sent an advisor to her funeral. Since then, that advisor has scheduled meetings with me monthly to make sure I haven’t told anyone.

My father’s name is Andranik Typhos the fourth? something like that, but I don’t know very much about him. I know he’s a noble, but I’ve never met him. I don’t hear that many complaints about him, and Mother says he was a wonderful gentleman, but I’ve met his parents, and I find it hard to believe that they would raise a lovely son.

Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?--I have four! On my mom’s side, at least.

Valerian is the oldest. He’s sixteen years older than me, so he’s a lot more mature than me, and very protective of us younger siblings. He has three kids, too, and his wife is Eli’s cousin. They have been married since I was only three, so she’s been in our lives forever. The two of them basically became my parents after our mother died, so I couldn’t be more grateful to them.

Then is Dahlia. Dahlia is 12 years older than me. She’s very calm, and there have been more than a few times where Valerian has been freaking out and Dahlia always keeps her cool and fixes the problem. She’s the best at makeup.

Basil is in the direct middle, and they’re 9 years older than me. They are very energetic and mischievous. I don’t think Basil wants a spouse, but they’re very dedicated to their craft. I blame them for the multiple scams of my father’s estate, but who’s complaining? Basil also has a scar along  their right cheek, running from their nose to their chin

Azalea is the closest to my age, she’s 25. She’s a lot like our mom. She treats everyone with kindness, but I worry about people taking advantage of her for that.

Also, I know that my father has two children younger than me with his wife, but I’ve never met them and I probably never will.

Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people.--I live with the Black Bulls! The base is really crazy and always changing, but there’s always something going on, so everyday is fun.

What is your occupation?--I’m a Magic Knight, but I have also worked some other jobs in the past.

Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks--I’m 5′5, and around 150lbs. My skin is pale, so I tend to burn very easily, and my eyes are yellow and my hair is pink. I like to wear warm colors and clothes that aren’t very tight, as well as boots. I have two large scars, one is about three inches and is a slash along my stomach, while the other one is about eight inches long and runs across my upper back, both from assassination attempts. I try to hide both of them. I also have one tattoo on my lower calf, so it’s usually covered.

To which social class do you belong?--I believe I’m considered a commoner. I likely wouldn’t be considered a noble unless something happened to my father’s legitimate children, though I have no interest in being taken in by his family. 

Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?—I get nosebleeds often because of an injury when i was younger. 

Are you right- or left-handed?—right handed

What does your voice sound like?—If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s medium in pitch and kind of airy. 

What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?--nothing particularly?

What do you have in your pockets?—um. a handful of flowers, a pocket watch, and assorted candies. 

Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?—I sometimes bite my nails. 

Part 2: Growing Up

How would you describe your childhood in general?--Average for the most part, I’d say. I had a loving mother and 4 great siblings. Still, my mother’s death hit all of us very hard.

What is your earliest memory?--Sadly, my first assassination attempt. That one was when I was around five and it was sent by my father’s family. It gave me the scar on my stomach, and also gave Basil the scar on their face from them protecting me.

How much schooling have you had?--I went to the small schoolhouse in town up until I was 12, and then I started going less so I could work more. 

Did you enjoy school?--I enjoyed learning, but I’ve found that I learn more outside of school.

Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?--I learned basic first aid and how to identify certain plants and herbs from my siblings. I mostly learned battle from experience and assassins.

While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.—my siblings, especially Basil

While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?--We all got along very well as kids, though they were all a lot older than me so that did strain our relationships a bit, especially as the youngest.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?--As a child I wanted to work in medicine, even though my magic is ill suited for it. I only decided that I wanted to become a Magic Knight after my mother’s death.

As a child, what were your favorite activities?—i used to love helping my mother garden. 

As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?--I cried a lot more than I do now. I was always scared, as I knew from a young age that my father’s parents wanted me dead.

As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?--My only friend was really Eli, but she hung out with all the kids from town, so i vaguely knew them.

When and with whom was your first kiss?--also Eli, when we were about 12 and 13.

Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?--I’m not. After Eli left town I kind of lost myself for the next two years until I became a knight. 

Part 3: Past Influences

What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?--My mother's death perhaps?

Who has had the most influence on you?--Eli. I think if not for her, I would be a very different person.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?--The amount of nobles I’ve insulted to their faces on official magic knight business.

What is your greatest regret?--being born.

What is the most evil thing you have ever done?--I don’t think I’ve ever done anything “evil”, only some malicious things, but I don’t regret them.

Do you have a criminal record of any kind?--No, but I probably should for extortion.

When was the time you were the most frightened?--The first attempt on my life.

What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?--My elder brother catching me lying about my profession. 

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?—i would be stronger. 

What is your best memory?—probably the first few months with the black bulls. It was genuine happiness for the first time in a while. 

What is your worst memory?—the aftermath of my mother’s death. I don’t remember the actual event, some mix of trauma and head injuries, but I do remember the weeks following. 

Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions

Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?—i think i’m more pessimistic, but i'm trying to be an optimist. 

What is your greatest fear?--My greatest fear is once again being too weak to protect the people that I love. 

What are your religious views?--I’m not religious.

What are your political views?--I think that the Clover Kingdom’s nobility is corrupt, and the whole system needs to be fixed.

What are your views on sex?--I think nothing much of it. 

Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?--I think I’m a hypocrite on this. I think killing is unacceptable, but I wouldn’t hesitate to kill the people that harm the ones I love. 

In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?--In my opinion, the most evil thing one can do is to habitually hurt and abuse others.

Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?--No. I don’t think that anything like that is real.

What do you believe makes a successful life?--I think that money plays a large part of success. 

How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?--Very open. My emotions are very easily read.

Do you have any biases or prejudices?--Yeah i hate nobles. 

Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?--I try to stay out of the public eye as best I can. I also refuse to do jobs near my grandparents’ home. 

Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?--Finral or Eli. I’d do anything for them.

Part 5: Relationships With Others

In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?—I try to keep people at a distance, but when I become close to someone, they become one of my People. I’d do anything for the people I’m close to. 

Who is the most important person in your life, and why?--Right now, it’s probably Eli or Finral. They’ve positively affected me in more ways than I can count.

Who is the person you respect the most, and why?—Captain Yami is the person I respect the most. Joining the Black Bulls changed my life so much for the better, and I’m so grateful that he gave me that opportunity.

Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people—Eli is my best friend. She’s loud and always smiling, but I worry about her. I’m also pretty close to Magna.  He’s a great friend and brings out my mischievous side more. 

Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person.--Finral is great. He’s a little goofy, but he is very loyal and loving. 

Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened.--I think I’m in love right now. 

How close are you to your family?--I’m very close to my older siblings.

Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?--No. I think I’d like to at some point be a mother, but not for a while longer. 

Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?--I think I would find it hard to turn to anyone, but if I was so desperate, probably Eli or Magna. I’m too afraid to show Finral my weakness. 

Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?--No. I need to be strong enough to protect myself. 

If you died or went missing, who would miss you?--I think that the bulls would. 

Who is the person you despise the most, and why?--My father. My mother spoke kindly of him, but he abandoned her. 

Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?--I argue more.

Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?—depends who I'm with, but I’m more likely to take a leadership role.

Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?—I’d prefer a smaller group, personally, but i’m not bad with large groups. 

Do you care what others think of you?—yes. immensely 

Part 6: Likes And Dislikes

What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?--I enjoy reading romance novels, and spending time in nature. Flower fields remind me of home and give me comfort. 

What is your most treasured possession?—my pocket watch. my mother gave it to me, since it was a gift to her from my father. 

What is your favorite color?—i like warm pale yellow

What is your favorite food?—I like crepes!

What, if anything, do you like to read?—I like to read romance. 

What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?--I enjoy reading. On days off, I often spend hours at a time sitting outside and reading.

Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?—I generally don’t, but I will drink sometimes. I probably drink an average amount. 

How do you spend a typical Saturday night?—generally hanging around the Bulls hideout. If I have a day off I often go visit home to see my mother’s grave and give her flowers. 

What makes you laugh?—My squadmates! I’ve been told my sense of humor is bad..

What, if anything, shocks or offends you?--I hate the prejudices of the Clover nobles.

What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?—When that happens (because it has before) I will usually walk around the base, sometimes I eat a snack. I also like to head outside and look at the stars when I can’t sleep. 

How do you deal with stress?—I will usually end up letting it out, whether emotionally or magically. I don't like to bottle things up. 

Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?—I prefer having a plan. 

What are your pet peeves?—people talking over others. 

Part 7: Self Images And Etc.

Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted?--I wake up at about 7 every morning, and get ready for the day. If I have a mission, I’ll leave for it early. On days I don’t have a mission, I will either go visit my mother’s grave or go see my grandparents or their advisor.

What is your greatest strength as a person?--I’d say my strength is supporting people. And also throwing lava. 

What is your greatest weakness?--I lie a bit too much, and I am a bit indifferent towards people I don’t care about.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?--I would want to be more caring. 

Are you generally introverted or extroverted?--I’d say introvert.

Are you generally organized or messy?--Organized. I don’t like disorder.

Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.--I’m good at lying, cleaning, and fighting. I’m bad at controlling my emotions, sewing, and cooking.

Do you like yourself?--No, I really don’t. 

What are your reasons for being a magic knight*? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons…)--I am a magic knight because I want to protect people. 

What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?--I want to heal from my past. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?--I hope to still be a Magic Knight, and hopefully a higher rank.

If you could choose, how would you want to die?--I would want to die swiftly if I could choose.

If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.--I would try to isolate myself from the people I love, so that they wouldn’t have to deal with grief. I think I would generally be calm.

What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?--I want to be remembered for my strength. 

What three words best describe your personality?--open. loyal. decisive.

What three words would others probably use to describe you?--Rosie is loyal, smart, and loving!!-Eli

[st-agatha-city]

St. Agatha Gazette 🦋

Hello, citizens of St. Agatha! Welcome to our first ever weekend update! If I am able to keep up the steam, I’d like to release weekly updates on progress. Naturally, these will slow down once I am again meaningfully employed, but for the time being I believe this could keep me sane until then!

I think Saturday is as good a day as any! Okay, on to the updates!

Traffic

Well, things are chugging along just fine! Everyday without fail, since it’s conception, St. Agatha City has been worked on - adding code, scenes, art, and sometimes (on rougher days) just fixing my grammar throughout the dialogue heavier scenes.

Though I usually put in about three hours a day, as pacing yourself is important to avoiding burnout, I’ve spent a fair few nights up until the early hours working on St. Agatha City, as it’s incredibly fun and rewarding, if time consuming, work.

As such, I have finally started work on the intro/Chapter 1 of St. Agatha City, which introduces you to Pixy, who has just moved, and her roommate, Norman. This will of course lead to exploration of our fair city, and some of the games first and most formative choices.

Weather

It looks like this week it’ll be sunny and hot hot hot here in St. Agatha, and while there might be low chances of rain, we are likely to see me working on the interactive town map!

That is my desired mode of transport through St. Agatha, very much inspired by the old flash dating sims of yore. It will be challenging to draw little buildings, however, and something resembling a real city map might be hard to accurately represent or read due to St. Agatha being fictional, so I’m going to see about making our fair city’s nav system resemble a subway map :) besides, taking the bus is significantly greener than driving solo, and it’s great fun to people watch! If you’re not trying to avoid eye contact with strangers (sometimes scary.)

The map and introduction to using it is something you’ll likely get from Norman, as he is the first person you really meet in St. Agatha, besides of course Pixy.

Sports

It’s summer! With Fourth of July coming in hot on our heels, families are finding the time to spend it together. And I am using that time to do this! 🚃

The sports section going forwards will be to highlight and touch upon current developments, as traffic focuses on progress, and what I have recently accomplished, the past, and weather what I hope to achieve, in the future. Maybe those lines are a bit blurred, and this section will be changed or fazed out entirely, but I digress!

~

Ooo~! Home run!

Great news, citizens! We have developed a list of potential canon characters for this game, and I finally added a third character model to St. Agatha City! You may have guessed already that it’s Norman, Pixy’s new roommate, who is now joining the ranks of Pixy and Denver as ‘people who have faces.’ While this is a relatively small development, I’m still pretty proud of myself, because I have to do all of the art myself, as needed (unless I require an asset such as backgrounds or music - which for the time being I am finding from lovely folks and sites online who offer license free options.)

Now, here’s a bit of insider info. Every character I model and who appears in this game will get an intro here on this blog! Pixy’s comes out tomorrow, and Denver’s I believe is two days from now, since I’ve got my queue set up to post once a day. Norman’s will be arriving shortly, but for the time being, here is a photo of this cryptid man.

I know it’s risky having this sickly Victorian child be the first person you meet in a ~romantic dating sim~ but I want to measure people’s expectations. Also, please consider this fact: I love him 💕🍲

Closing Thoughts

Alright, folks! Thanks for being here for the first issue of the St. Agatha Gazette. Short and sweet, but I don’t want to fall into problems similar to Yandere Simulator where I spend all of my time making updates, and never actually updating.

We’ll close out with a Weekly Fun Fact!

This time (and probably most times, I’ll be real) about our game’s development! The placeholder title for St. Agatha City was originally ‘pixydays’ as my biggest inspiration for the dating sim elements of this game was Pacthesis, who as a teen (I believe) made flash dating sims that she released on DA, that I played instead of talking to real people. Each title ended in the word “Days” so this is just a little hidden homage to my cringey past, and a nice hello to my cringey future.

~ Fairyfly

[modern-fae-female]

Elorcan Modern AU Chapter 7

Elide got ready for her second day at Adalarn High School. She had gotten home around 8:00 last night after a fun night with Aelin, Manon, and Lysandra. She had gotten to know the girls better and really felt like she was becoming their friends. It turns out that Aelin ran a fencing club that Lysandra was a part of and Manon was captain of the girls Lacrosse team along with 12 other girls who the school called ‘ the thirteen.’ They had eventually gotten to the topic of Lorcan and his odd interactions with Elide, who realized she had a question about the project to ask. After a little bit of convincing Elide had managed to convince Aelin to ask for Lorcan’s number so she could text him the question, even though she could just ask the next morning she felt like she didn’t want to wait that long to talk to him. When she had gotten home she hoped her uncle would be passed out drunk, but sadly that was not the case. He was still awake and very mad at Elide for not coming home after school as it seems the whole phone conversation with her seemed to have slipped his mind. Elide had made the mistake of starting an argument with him, which ended with her getting slapped very hardly in the face and she realized it would leave a mark. This would be fun to explain to everyone tomorrow. Just what she needed, something else to be mad fun of at school. She did the same routine the next morning and headed to school, sadly she couldn’t covering the bruising on her right cheek very well and it defiantly was going to get noticed. 

“ Hey Elide how was... oh what happened to you,” Aelin said as she walked in the school parking lot. 

Yeah, Elide definitely didn’t do a good job of covering it up well. 

“ Oh um.. I’m still getting used to the new house and accidently walked into a door rushing to leave this morning,” Elide lied. 

She looked around as the rest of the group had joined them and she could tell they didn’t buy the story, but let it go. The bell rang and Elide realized she would have to sit by Lorcan in this class. She walked in and saw that he hadn’t arrived yet, at least no big entrance for her today. A few seconds before the final bell rang Lorcan walked into class and sat down next to her. 

“ Hey, oh what happened to you?”

“ Oh, I accidently walked into a door. I’m still not used to the new house and was in a rush this morning,” Elide lied again. 

‘ Oh sorry, that looks like it hurts.”

“ Its’ sore but I’m fine, I’ve handled plenty of these over the years. 

Elide realized she slipped up and Lorcan looked at her confused then he seemed to have understood what happened to her, but before he could speak Mr. Allsbrook walked into class and began the lesson. Just like the day before Elide tried to ignore the staring eyes of Lorcan next to her and just like the day before she saw a note passed to her. Lorcan once again looked away and started taking notes from the lesson while Elide opened the note. 

“ You give the word and your uncle and mysteriously disappear.” Elide giggled slightly at the thought of Lorcan going and beating her uncle and Lorcan seemed to have heard her and looked back at her. They made eye contact for a second and Elide could have sworn she saw the corners of his mouth slightly raise. Elide leaned down and pulled out a peice of paper from her bag and wrote, “ Thanks, I’ll keep you updated on when I need to be rescued.” She passed it over to him and he looked at her in surprise and opened up the note, this time she definitely saw the corners of his mouth turn up into a small smile. He turned the paper over and wrote, “ Any time princess.” This time it was Elide’s turn to smile as she read the note and they both turned back to the lesson with smiles on their faces. 

The rest of the day went by smoothly as Elide sat with and talked to her friends during class and at lunch. The electives here switched so instead of debate Elide had music and would have debate again on Wednesday. She was surprised to feel her heart drop a little as she realized she wouldn’t be working with Lorcan today. The class had the same students from her Debate class along with Manon, Aelin, and Aedion as their class had a couple of students join their music class. She was happy to have some more friends in the class. Their music teacher, Ms. Yteger, walked onto the stage and announced everyone would perform something in front of the class to get a sense of what they were good at in music. Elide felt okay about this as she learned to play the piano at the request of her uncle and could also sing as her mother taught her when she was still alive. She was however nervous about performing in front of other students as she never had before. To her luck she would be going fourth, Manon and Ren both in front of her. Ren played the guitar and Manon the drums and soon it was Elide’s turn. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she walked on stage and felt the eyes on her. She walked over to the piano and sat down, she took a deep breathe and started playing. As a kid Elide and her mother would often play the piano and write songs together, there was one they wrote before her death that Elide remembered as she started to play it. 

“ Here’s the one thing I want you to know

You got some place to go

Life’s a test, yes, but you go toe-to-toe

You don’t give up, no you grow”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrH8M8bEfWQ( rest of the lyrics, song from Julie and the Phantoms.

Elide played the last note and looked up to the rest of the students looking at her in shock. Then Aelin stood up clapping and cheering, then Aedion, then Manon, and surprisingly Lorcan, until the whole class was standing and cheering for her. Elide felt her cheeks get red as she walked off the stage and back to her seat. By the time she got there she cheering had died down and her friends were congratulating her on how amazing she sounded.  The class soon ended and this time Elide went straight home as she had homework to do and didn’t want Vernon to be mad again. She took out her key and opened the door to no Vernon. As Elide walked into the kitchen she saw a note badly written and said ,” Had some work to do, won’t be back until Friday and I expect a full dinner prepared when I get back.” Elie’s heart felt relived as she would have a little bit of time without the worry of coming home to an angry Vernon. Elide managed to find some food and make a small dinner and did her homework. As she sat down to read she felt her phone buzz and wondered who would be texting her. To her surprise she saw Lorcan’s contact pop up with a text message. 

>> Hey, wanted to say you sounded amazing during music. I went to the library and I checked out some books we can use tomorrow. 

<< Thanks, I wasn’t that good. And sounds good on the books, I’ve taken some basic notes on what happened during the case.

>> You did sound great and perfect. 

<< Whatever you say knight. 

>> Knight? 

<<  Yeah, aren’t you my knight in shining armor ready if I need a rescuing. 

>> oh, of course princess. 

<< Really, is that my new name. 

>> Hey if I’m called knight your being called princess, it’s even your new contact name. 

<< Perfect, knight is yours. 

>> Oh great. Well princess even knights need their beauty sleep. See you tomorrow, don’t forget. Library 5:30, and you did do a great job in music. 

<< See ya tomorrow Mr. Knight. 

That night the princess and the knight both went to sleep with a smile on their face. 

The next day Elide got up a little as she didn’t have to deal with her uncle and did her routine and walked to school as she replayed last nights conversation with her knight. What she didn’t know was that the knight was also thinking about his conversation with a certain princess. 

“ Woah, what's got you in a good mood, not that I’m complaing?” Fenrys asked Lorcan as they headed into school. 

“ None of your business.”

“ Well as far as I know you didn’t really talk to Maeve after school so my bet is on another girl. Oo is it that Lochan girl, the one who your paired up with for debate and whos performance in music seemed to have you captivated.”

“ Like I said, none of your business.”

“ Oh, it is her. Well whatever she said to get you in a good mood I’m thankful.” Lorcan growled as Fenrys walked away and he headed into history. Like the day before Elide was already there, but this time he did give her a smile and she returned it. 

“ How’s my favorite knight?” 

“ Oh, so you have other knights.”

“ Sadly no, but if I did you would be my favorite.” 

“ Oh, whys that princess.”

“ I don’t know, I’m just comfortable with you.” 

Lorcan’s heart stopped, no one had ever told him that or made such easy conversation with him before. 

“ Well princess, I feel honored to be your favorite and will continue to work to be in your good graces everyday.”

“ Smart, you defiantly don’t want to be in my bad graces.”

“ Oh, little Lochan has got a dangerous side does she.”

“ Yes she does, you should be glad you haven’t seen it yet.” 

“ Hmm.. hey I realized the time we meet at the library is around dinner time. Would you maybe want to head over to the bistro after we work on the project some.” 

Lorcan’s heart stopped for the second time that morning as he realized what he had just asked. Elide looked shocked but quickly but back on her smirk. 

“ Hm.. well I guess so since I have you as my knight there to protect me against any lurking dangers.”

Lorcan returned the smirk as they went back to the little banter and small talk. 

“ Happy to be your most loyal protector my princess,” and he slightly bowed. 

Elide giggled and Lorcan thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. What both didn’t realize was that Manon and Aedion were watching them in utter confusion as they had never seem Lorcan look that nice and smile. Class started and the rest of the school day went by well. Elide and Lorcan looked a little bit over some of the notes Elide wrote up and listened to Ms. Ansel’s lesson during class. School ended and Lorcan headed to practice, realizing that 5:30 couldn’t come quick enough. What stopped him was a long nail grabbing him by his shirt and dragging him into the corner outside the locker room. He looked down to see Maeve looking at him. 

“ What’s up Maeve?”

“ What’s up is that I heard Manon and Aedion talking to their bitch queen about how you were giggling and smiling with Lochan during history today. What's up with you?”

Lorcan froze, he had never behaved like that around anyone but with Elide it just came out and he didn’t think about anyone seeing them. 

“ You told me to get information from her and the best way is for her to get comfortable with me. I’m doing what you asked.” 

Maeve didn’t seem very convinced but decided to let it go and Lorcan walked into the locker room to get ready for practice. For the second time he got corned but this time by Dorian and Aedion. 

“ Look Salvetter, we don’t know what game your playing but leave Elide out of it. She's sweet, kind, and a good hearted person and I don’t want her to get hurt by some game your playing with her,” Aedion threatened him.

“Who said I was playing a game,” Lorcan responded and walked away heading to get ready for practice. 

Lorcan played exceptionally well as he wanted to hurry and meet Elide at the library. He quickly got out of his sweaty clothes and hurried onto his motorcycle to the library. He got into the library and looked around to find her in his usual spot watching the sun set. With the golden sun shining on her face she looked gorgeous and Lorcan couldn’t stop staring at her as he strode over to her. As he started to sit down she looked up and smiled at him. 

“ Hello my dear knight.”

“ Hey princess.” 

They both smirked and Lorcan brought out the books he had texted her about. They took some notes and started a basic outline of the debate. After almost and hour they were both starving and decided to head over to the bistro. The bistro was right next to the library they decided to walk over. They got in and Elide ordered some pasta and Lorcan some beef meal. They got a table by the corner and continued to make small talk. They talked about school, morath where Elide used to live, the Adralan School District where Lorcan grew up. Lorcan marveled at how easy it was to talk to her and when it came time to pay Lorcan insisted he pay for both their meals. 

“ I had fun talking to you tonight mr.knight”

“ I did too my princess. Do you have a car you drove here?”

“ Oh no, Lysndra offered to drop me off, I just planed on taking the bus back home.”

“I can drive you home.”

“ Oh no, I don’t want to be an imposition.”

“ You are the farthest thing from an imposition, come on I can’t leave you to find the bus to take home. Besides its going to be dark soon. So whether you like it or not I’m taking you home.”

Elide smiled at how determined he was to take her home. When they got to there motorcycle looked terrified as he realized this is what he drove. After about 5 minutes of convincing Elide that he was a good driver and he had a spare helmet she finally got on slightly holding his waist. Lorcan stepped on the gas and they took off. Elide let out a little squeal and gripped Lorcan harder, practically holding on for dear life. Lorcan chuckled as she held on tight and realized how he liked the feel of her arms around him. After a couple more minutes Elide relaxed some and opened here eyes and finally they got to her house. 

“Your carriage has arrived at its destination my lady.” 

“ Thank you kind sir.” 

“ See it wasn’t that bad was it.”

“ It was terrifying at first but I could get used to it.” 

Elides face grew red as she realized what she said. “ Not that you have to give me a ride again, it just wasn’t as bas as I thought.

Lorcan chuckled again, “ well princess whenever you want a ride I’m always happy to give you one, but you don’t have a car?”

“ No, my uncle doesn’t want to buy one for me and I never really had the chance to get a job and make money.”

“ Actually, there’s this little bookstore near my house that's hiring. I could recommend you if you want. I go there often.”

“Really? That would be amazing.”

“ Glad you be of held my lady. Well it’s getting colder so why don’t you head inside and warm up.”

“ Always taking care of me aren’t you.”

“Always princess.” 

Elide’s face grew hot and red at the comment and she started to head inside. 

“ See you tomorrow my kind knight.”

Lorcan chuckled, “ Until tomorrow my dear princess.”

That night Lorcan and Elide went to sleep with even brighter smiles on their faces.

@bri-loves-sunflowers

[1-800-hellraiser]

Airplane Mode (Ticci Toby x Reader)

Requested by: no one 

Pages: 3.4

Words: 1,198

Genre: Fluff

Associated song: Airplane Mode - Limbo

!Tw! Swearing, mentions of blood, and tics

(A/n: I know that Toby's creator said he does not want Toby to be affiliated with Creepypasta anymore, he can talk to me, and I will stop writing for Toby, since Toby is a huge comfort character for many people, and I don't agree with his creators actions. Also, to anyone who has Tourettes, I'm sorry, I have no idea how to write in tics, and I don't mean to be offensive.)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Cause I've been dreaming about you, ooh. I've been wishing that I was next to you, ooh. I've been dreaming of us, ooh."

        "Goodnight babe, I love you," you say in a disappointed tone. You usually fall asleep on call with your boyfriend, but tonight he has work. Toby is very busy, especially with his kind of work. He says he's a CNA, and he has to go to work when ever, which makes contact hard. But you and him make it work. "I l-love you too ba-baby, I'll try to call when ever I fuck can," he reassures, you smile and mumble a soft 'okay' into the receiver. Shoving your face into your pillow, you begin to worry, what if this doesn't work out? What if he isn't loyal? All the thoughts swimming through your mind is disorienting. You get up and stagger to your bathroom to freshen up, and get these thoughts out of your head. 

        Toby sighs as he hangs up on you, feeling a pang of guilt. He didn't necessarily lie to you, he does have to work tonight. However, he isn't a CNA, he's the opposite actually. But he doesn't have to work until later, which buys him time. Time to see the prices of plane tickets from where he is now to you. The lowest tickets cost about one hundred dollars, the highest in the mid-three hundreds. He sighs, the last mission didn't go so well, in terms of items stolen. Toby currently has about five hundred bucks, so the plane tickets to wand from your hometown is about two hundred, three hundred dollars. But, he does have a mission tonight, and if that goes well, he could have more money. 

        Patting your face with a towel, you sigh. The thoughts didn't go away, but you didn't think they would anyway. Sighing, you trudge back to your room. You glance at your phone to check the time '7:39, god this day can't go any slower,' you internally groan. You decide to call it an early night, and get ready for bed. You grab some pajamas and make your way back to the bathroom. You set down your pj's and strip, you turn on the faucet and adjust the water temperature. Wrapping a towel around your body, you step out of the shower, you dry yourself off and get dressed. You brush your teeth and wander back to your room. You turned off the lights and flopped down on your bed, then you drifted off to sleep. 

        Toby sighs as he drops his twin hatchets at his door, blood sliding onto the floor from the hatchet's handles. He changes clothes then flops back onto his bed. He pulls out his phone and continues to look at ticket prices. This mission was a good one, him making three hundred more dollars. Toby decides to get the cheapest tickets, so he can make your week the best. His flight will be on the twenty fourth of July, it is the eighteenth today. He has already talked to his boss about taking that week off, he already has a plan on how to find you. You both know what the other looks like, due to countless ours face timing, and he knows where you live. He's getting so excited to see you, he can't wait until the twenty fourth. 

~Time skip~

      As soon as Toby hears his six am alarm, he's up and out of bed. His flight is at eight am, so he has to get ready fast.By seven am, he is showered, dressed, and ready. Hoodie agreed to drive Toby to the airport, Toby is quaking out of pure excitement. He can't wait to surprise you, he knows you have been really stressed with work and wanted to help you, and stay with you for a week. Hoodie pulls into a parking spot, and they both get out of the car. "Thanks for d-driving me Hood-Hoodie," Toby says, giving him a hug, Hoodie returns the hug and tells Toby to be safe and have a nice flight. Toby sits down at his assigned seat after putting his luggage in the compartment above him. He pulls out his phone from his carry on bag and sees he has a text from you.

        You woke up and already took shower, brushed your teeth, and got dressed. You told Toby a while ago that you have this week off as a mini vacation.You shoot Toby a text, hoping he's up. To your surprise, he texts you back. You guys text for a while before Toby has to go something. You decide to clean your house, because it has been a while since you have been able to clean it. 

        Toby had to go because he wanted to get some sleep, since he didn't get much the night beforehand. He has about three hours until he can finally see you. Usually, he wouldn't be able to fall asleep, but he passed out about fifteen minutes after he got done texting you. Toby awoke to a stewardess gently shaking his shoulder, he thanks the stewardess and books it off of the airplane. Toby caught a bus to a stop near your house, he knows you take the bus almost everyday to work. The bus stop is about a five minute walk from your house, Toby is ecstatic. His tics getting worse because of the excitement. People start to stare, but he couldn't care less about them.

        You sigh, wiping sweat off of your brow. It took you three hours, but you picked up your laundry, washed it, put it way, cleaned your room, cleaned your kitchen, cleaned your living room, cleaned your dining room, and both of your bathrooms. You are impressed with yourself, you feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders. You make your way back to the living room to sit down, you hear a knock on the door. You walk over to the door and open it, you gasp, seeing Toby standing there with his arm wide open. You jumped into his arms and he swung you around as you both laughed hysterically. After the laughter died down, you put your foreheads together and share a passionate kiss. "I love you Toby." Toby's smile couldn't get any wider, "I-I love you to-too Y/n."

[sabtalkshockey]

hi sab! it’s been a while. lately my anxiety has been really bad but i do have a dr appointment next week to get refill my anxiety meds and to up the dosage. i also got a job at pizza hut! i go in tomorrow to do the tax paperwork and stuff like that and then i start either this weekend or during next week. i am kind of nervous because i don’t know anyone there yet and i don’t know how to the job, which is a given since i’m new and all, but it can be really nerve wracking especially since some customers can be mean and not care that you’re new, but that manager seems really cool and understanding. plus the dining room is still closed so it seems like i’ll just be making pizzas and answering the phone. i’ve also started the process to be a blonde. my natural hair is like a light brown but i’ve been dying it black for ages. so it’ll be awhile but it’ll happen

ahh i’m sorry to hear about your manager. the way some people feel entitled to act when they gain a management position ain’t it. when you’re an adult you need to be able to communicate properly with people. like that’s just something you must do if you want to be a functioning member of society. you can’t expect people to read your mind and get mad at them when they can’t. especially when you’re a manage bc you’re supposed to be a leader and run things smoothly. some people just really love acting the fool i guess. i hope you get that big girl job!! 💕💖✨ you deserve it so much!!

-🍭

hi bestie!! i'm sorry to hear about your anxiety, i hope your drs appt. goes well! congratulations on the new job, i'm happy for you! meeting new people can be hard and starting at a new job is v nerve wracking. ooooo i'm sure you're going to be even more pretty than you already are as a blonde!! i naturally have light brown hair too and i used to dye it all the time back in high school. i've been wanting to dye the underneath of my hair purple but then i started applying for new jobs and well gotta be "professional".

my manager/supervisor or whatever the hell she wants to call herself is a bitch. i think she doesn't like me because i refuse to kiss her ass. i'm not the type of person to suck up to anybody no matter the situation. she wanted me to work fourth of july and i lied and told her i was going out of town. she makes me dread going to work all the time. and i genuinely used to enjoy going to work everyday. some people just aren't meant to hold a management position and it shows. so until i get a big girl job i'm just going to suffer through at my current job.

[minervahopebeyond]

Blood Petals.

Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter too! ✨Please tell me in the comments what you think of it!

Ps. As always I’ve checked but I’m sorry if you find any grammar or vocabulary errors.

Chapter 6: The list.

1. Blaise 10/10

2. Theodore 10/10 (straight?)

3. Goldstein 7/10 (We don’t talk)

4. Boot 6/10 (most likely gay)

5. Finnigan (can’t even rate him, probably pining after Thomas)

6. Bill Weasley 10/10 (very straight and age gap)

“What are you writing?” Draco did a little jump and covered the list. Weasley always seemed to have an amazing timing to caught him doing embarrassing things, like stare at Potter for example. This was worst though.

Ron tried to grab the piece of parchment but Draco moved it quickly. The redhead raised his eyebrow.

“Why do you care?” He said, the other boy just huffed.

“Because,I’m bored”

“How is that my problem?”

Weasley did a little whining noise in protest and sat besides Draco on the grass. This was what they did most days now, and the blond boy had to admit that he was confused about it. He still hadn’t apologize, every time that he attempted to start that conversation, the redhead just changed the subject. And it wasn’t in a ‘ I don’t want to talk about it because it pisses me off’ way... it was more as if he just ignored what the blond boy had said.

“Come on, ferret. What’s the list for?”

Draco glared at him then, of course he already saw.

“It’s a stupid list, weasel.”

“I’m stupidly bored , so” he shrugged and looked at Draco.

He didn’t want to tell him because of Potter, if he told him, the scarhead would probably make fun of it. He also knew that Ron was coming almost everyday to Grimmauld Place now, and he would most likely not drop this subject.

He was surprised Potter didn’t just go to The Burrow everyday, it would be more simple... But he suspected that Weasley wanted to spend time with Draco too and because he was bloody trapped here, well, there wasn’t a lot of options.

He sigh. Whatever, he was literally dying. Who could actually judge him?

Draco passed the list to the boy so he could read it.

“Are you rating looks in this? Because I don’t fancy blokes but I don’t see how Boot is a six” He said with an amused smile. Draco took the parchment as he was glaring at him.

“For your information, I can’t be exactly picky. I don’t know any out guys at school except for Blaise and Goldstein... I was trying to do a ‘would shag’ list considering looks and personality. It’s just a stupid idea, I wanted to consider my options.”

Weasley was looking at him, as if he was trying to figured him out. Then he pulled a disgusted face.

“Ugh! My brother is in there Malfoy, I could live without knowing you wanted to shag him” Draco laughed at that, poor Ron.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, weasel, but I think that everyone wants to shag Bill. Have you seen him? It’s ridiculous how handsome he is.” The boy put fingers in his ears then and started to say ‘la la la la, I can’t hear you’ over and over again until both of them started laughing. Draco kicked him playfully and turned to see the list again. He really didn’t have much options did he? He sigh.

“I think it’s a good idea to consider everyone, you don’t know what they do with their lives.”

“Is this your way of telling me you want to be in the list, Weasley?” Draco chuckled, then he did a flirty smirk and wiggled his eyebrows. “Curious, aren’t we?”

Ron laughed very loudly and shook his head.

“Not at all! I’m just saying that the logical thing is that there are more than four guys that dig blokes at school, you just have to find them. Why do you have to make a list though? Doesn’t this things just happen?”

Draco sigh and lay down on the grass. This was nice, the smell of summer. Everything he was living at Grimmauld Place was nice. Sirius and Mr. Potter, get to see the green eyed boy everyday, joking with the Weasley twins, getting to actually know Nymphadora, hearing stories about Aunt Andromeda (from both Tonks and Sirius), watching Sirius and Severus bicker about every bloody thing, making professor Lupin laugh so hard at dinner that juice comes out of his nose and also spending time with Ron. All the nice things in the world seemed to be inside of this old house. He wished his mother would be here. Draco didn’t actually notice he was crying until the other boy said something about it.

“Hey, I’m sorry... I wasn’t saying it for you to feel bad I just-“

He rubbed his eyes to clean the tears and shook his head smiling a little. Ron was so kind sometimes.

“Don’t worry, It wasn’t anything you said.”

Weasley didn’t seem convinced but he nodded. They spent a little while in silence, looking at the clouds move with the summer breeze. Then the other boy spoke again.

“I think you are right about Seamus.” Draco turned to look at him, a little surprised. “I didn’t thought about it until now because I always assume boys like girls, you know?” He nodded, of course he knew, everyone always did that. “But it makes sense, him and Dean were always so close... If it’s true I can imagine that seeing Dean with Ginny would get him upset.”

And here was the proof that the pining chain started with Ginevra. Because Draco was in love with Potter who seemed to like Weasley’s sister, but she was with Dean with whom Finnegan was (probably) in love. Now if he would get someone to pine after him, that would be great. His dignity would appreciated it.

“You should put Harry on that list.”

And he started coughing right there. He dismissed it and said he chocked with his own saliva. The blond boy asked Weasley what the hell he was talking about.

“Hey, if you don’t want to be with him for, you know, because of whatever weird rivalry you have... I get it. I was just saying that I think he may like that stuff.”

“Sex, Weasley. Say the word. You are sixteen years old and will be seventeen on March.” He huffed and saw the redhead smiling brightly at him.

“You know my birthday!”

Draco blushed and looked away. Well it wasn’t that hard was it? The entire Gryffindor table would sang happy birthday at breakfast.

“Don’t worry. I’m not telling anyone.” Weasley said and kept on smiling. You would think that this was the first time that someone acknowledge his birthday, Merlin. “Back on topic, the answer to that would be yes.”

Draco looked at him with a disbelief face.

“What? Did he told you or something?” He tried to sound nonchalant. Do not get hope, Draco. Stop it. You checked remember? Stop.

“No. I was just thinking about how bloody often he talked about Cedric on fourth year.” Draco rolled his eyes.

“That doesn’t mean anything!”

“You know, Malfoy, all that I’m getting from this conversation is that Harry should be on that list because you are not saying ‘ugh, no’ to the idea of shagging him.”

Draco glared at Weasley. Trying to fight the blush that was invading his face.

“First: Potter may be unbearable but he is attractive in a regular kind of way.” What a load of bullshit. Weasley was looking at him like he was crazy. “Second of all: The list is because I don’t have time.” Ron frowned at that.

“What do you mean?” Ron was frowning at him.

“You know. I have two years to live as much as I can. I refuse to die without having been with a guy. My only kiss ever was Pansy at Yule Ball. It’s pathetic.” Ron looked away and stared at the clouds again.

“I haven’t kissed anyone yet. Am I pathetic?” And Draco felt like shit. Clearly he wasn’t. If Weasley hadn’t kissed anyone yet, it was most likely because he liked Granger. The blond boy knew that since first year, those two were pretty much the definition of ‘bickering like a married old couple’.

“Of course not. You are not dying. Pay attention, weasel.” He laughed at that.

“ I still think Harry should be in that list. Boot has a six! He is the most boring person ever, and bland looking.”

They fell into an uncomfortable silence after that. It wouldn’t be long until Sirius called them to have dinner. After a while Weasley spoke again.

“I really hate that you are not even trying.” He kept looking at the sky, avoiding Draco’s eyes. “It’s really shitty of you to actually be nice to me for the first time ever and expect me to just see you die.”

The blond boy didn’t know how to respond to him, so he didn’t respond at all.

————————-

Another couple of weeks passed and soon Granger joined them. Potter’s birthday was at the end of July so the witch was invited to stay at The Burrow on that same week.

Sirius and Mr. Potter were so exited for the boy’s birthday that they invited Weasley and Granger to dinner so they could help them organize the party and they also invited professor Lupin. Draco thought that it was rather bizarre to have a Golden Trio reunion featuring The Marauders.

They decided to celebrate Potter’s birthday during the day because that way they could play a quidditch match. Weasley announced that Molly would cook and that he could come early to help them set everything. Granger agreed to come early and asked the green eyed boy if there was anything else he wanted, to which he responded:

“I just want everyone to come.”

Everyone was a strong word, he thought, given the fact that only members of The Order could be inside the headquarters. But Draco heard that this was his first real birthday party ever, so maybe even a few people seemed like everyone to Potter. It was also implicit that Severus wasn’t included in the guest list, so it would actually be less people than when the order had a meeting. Or so he thought.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you! Charly arrives tomorrow so he will come too.”

The golden trio started to talk about how long they hadn’t seen ‘Charly’, while Draco and the marauders were waiting for an explanation of who this person was. It turned out that he was another brother of Weasley, he lived in Romania where he worked with dragons. The description that Weasley provided was ‘He looks like Bill but not as tall and with more freckles. He graduated the year before we started at Hogwarts.’

At the mention of Bill in the description he blushed. Stupid Weasley. He knew he shouldn’t have told him.

“I think you would like him, Malfoy, he is funny.” He was looking at him with a smirk in his face and shrugged. “He is gay, you know.”

And now Draco was incredibly blushed and wide eyed. It’s not like he was inside the closet, it wasn’t even a secret, he told the truth to anyone who asked. The problem was that in that room there were three persons that didn’t ask and now they were looking utterly confused. The silence was interrupted by Granger who threw the weasel a napkin and hissed at him.

“How can you have such a lack of tact! It’s not a club, Ronald!”

Poor Weasley didn’t understand what he did wrong. He was looking at Draco for an answer and he was about to say that it didn’t matter when the voice of Mr. Potter interrupted him.

“No, it’s not a club. If it was, Padfoot would probably be the president.”

And the table exploded with laughter. As far as he knew Sirius never told Potter that he was gay. Draco thought that it was rather obvious because of how Sirius acted. It’s not like he was hiding it. But this was good, because it was so honest and funny that it wasn’t even an awkward moment. It gave Draco confidence to respond to Ron.

“So are you saying that the eight years of age gap don’t matter? Does he likes blonds?”

It was a mistake. Weasley didn’t see anything bad with it, clearly, but what happened next was that Remus Lupin started to lecture Draco about the dangers of what he had implied.

“Draco, you may not realized it now but even if you feel mature you are not. And this doesn’t have to do with Ron’s brother particularly but you should not date older men. At least not until you become of age.”

He was about to state the fact that he didn’t have time to wait until next year. Right now he still looked attractive and the symptoms were small, he wasn’t coughing petals around the place. Imagine him flirting with a boy and then kissing him with petals in his mouth. I would be too embarrassing. He decided to just nod so the conversation could finish as soon as possible.

“I thought you were with Parkinson.”

Ron chocked on his juice from hearing his best friend say such nonsense.

“Believe me, Potter. I’m not with Pansy. I love her, but not in that way. And she certainly doesn’t either.”

The dark haired boy looked at him confused. He crossed his arms and fixed his glasses as he muttered:

“But she touches your hair all the time...” It seemed to be like he was trying to get his own thoughts in order, Draco knew that he wasn’t expecting an answer but he gave him one anyway.

“That’s because my hair is fantastic.”

The boy acted as if he hadn’t heard anything, but Draco could see Weasley looking at his best friend, smirking. Then he turned to the blond boy and mouthed ‘put him on that list’. He blushed and kept on eating, trying to act normal. Stupid Weasel, he should punch him.

The list, after that, read:

1. Blaise 10/10

2. Theodore 10/10 (straight?)

3. Goldstein 7/10 (We don’t talk)

4. Boot 6/10 (most likely gay)

5. Finnegan (can’t even rate him, probably pining after Thomas)

6. Bill Weasley 10/10 (very straight and age gap)

7. Harry James Potter 100/10 (because Weasley said so but I think he’s mistaken)

[purplesurveys]

1113

During thunderstorms, how does your pet react? They don’t care for them, as typhoons are fairly common. Kimi used to be scared of fireworks but he’s since grown indifferent to them as he’s gotten older. Cooper also didn’t seem to care much for fireworks during his first New Year, but that might be because my dad left music playing in the living room which helped drown out the loud explosions.

What internet browser do you use? I’ve used Chrome for well more than a decade now.

Who did you spend most of your time with last Summer? The pandemic and the lockdown were still at their peak back then, so I only remained with my immediate family. I didn’t even see my then-girlfriend until July, and we only saw each other thrice before we broke up.

Are you addicted to any energy drinks? No. I got to smell Red Bull before and it gave off such a strong sweet smell that I wasn’t even interested in drinking it.

Do you like Egg Nog? Have never tried it but I’ve always thought it sounds delicious.

How often do you see your mother? I still live with my family, so I see her everyday. I don’t always want to, but I don’t really have a choice.

Do you like croutons in your salad? Just in some kinds of salad, yeah. They’re not appropriate for my favorite kind of salad though.

Are you the one who vacuums your house? My mom takes charge of anything cleaning-related because she’s fully convinced none of us can do tasks precisely her way.

When was the last time your living room furniture was rearranged? Middle of January when we put away the Christmas tree and moved some stuff around to make up for the free space.

Would you rather drink out of a cup or a mug? Depends on what I’m drinking. I drink hot things from a mug and cold ones from a cup < Same.

What company do you get your internet through? We have PLDT for the wi-fi. But on my phone, I get my mobile data from Globe since they’re my service provider.

Are there any musical instruments in the room you’re in? Not anymore. The keyboard used to be here in the living room, where I am; but we’ve since moved it up to my sister’s room since it was originally bought for her anyway.

When you were little did you like watching Cartoon Network, Disney or Nickelodeon more? My favorites in order were Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network.

What's on your calendar for tomorrow? I might go to the village cafe to unwind and for some me time. Maybe embroider a bit too, and find a wrestling documentary or two to watch.

When was the last time you rode on an escalator? Last Sunday when I went to UPTC.

If you have siblings, when is the last time you saw them? My sister’s also on the first floor but in a different room; she was last in my line of sight around 20 minutes. My brother, around five hours ago when we were having dinner.

Throughout a typical week, which places are you likely to go? From Monday to Friday I stay at home due to our work from home set-up. On weekends, you’ll most likely find me at a mall/coffee shop, depending on where I feel like being.

How often do you use your webcam, if you even have one that is? I have multiple video call meetings all five weekdays. I remember dreading Google Meets when I was a fresh new intern and wondering why people just won’t discuss deliverables through chat threads. I eventually got used to it and video calls are now a breeze for me lol, so yay for progress and getting over my anxiety.

Did you and your mom ever have a big fight that caused you to move out? We’ve had plenty of big fights - we clash the most often out of any two people in the family - but I don’t move out, mainly because I can’t lmao.

Have you had a good day today or was yesterday better? It’s technically Saturday now because it just turned midnight, but my mind’s still on Friday mode so let’s go with that timeline. Anyway, ‘today’ was much better because it’s a holiday. Yesterday was fucking chaotic and I did not enjoy it at all; I had back-to-back meetings, two of which where I had to present some slides to clients, and one of which lasted three fucking hours.

The weekend, have you got plans? Today (Saturday) I wanna keep being lazy and like I said, maybe stop by a coffee shop for a few hours for a sanity break. On Sunday I have to pack some gift bag goodies we plan to send out to several media for a PR thing for one of our clients.

Would you ever date someone who was absolutely gorgeous but thought they were better than everyone? I’d probably have such a headache trying to deal with them. No.

Have you ever thought about a teacher naked? Yeah. I absolutely hate intrusive thoughts.

Do you think you will be in a relationship 2 months from now? No.

Do you always feel like you’re making mistakes? Not as often anymore. I feel like having been stuck in this mindset hurt my self-esteem and caused me to make more mistakes, so I’ve been making an effort to give myself more credit and acknowledge that besides committing mistakes (which is an okay thing to happen), I’m also able to reach achievements here and there as well.

Who did you last play truth or dare with? I can’t remember. The groups I’m a part of have usually preferred to play Never Have I Ever rather than Truth or Dare.

Do you like yourself? I’m trying to get there.

Do you remember who you liked on New Year’s? Yes, but New Year’s was also around the time I started being kinder to myself, so my views on Gabie have definitely drastically changed by then.

If you could see one person right now, who would it be? I don’t wish to see anyone at 12:40 AM.

What is something you currently want? For the annoying single pimple by my left eyebrow to piss off.

Do you like sushi? I freaaaaaaaaaking love sushi. Love all kinds and am always ready to try out newer styles and takes on them.

Do you have empty bottles of alcohol hidden somewhere? Nope. All my alcohol is in the fridge, readily chilled should I ever be in the mood to drink.

Have you changed in the past 6 months? Absolutely. It’s been a positive change as well. It was rocky for a while and I didn’t know if I was ever gonna get out of such a bad rut. But I’m here and I’ve made it and I’m doing better than ever, and most importantly I’m happy. I’ve learned some lessons, swallowed some difficult pills, set some boundaries.

Do you think someone likes the same person you like? I don’t like anyone.

Do you like the person you are becoming? Yes. Like a 100% fuck yes.

Would you rather love one person or have many short relationships? Love one person. Dating is not for me.

First and middle name please. Robyn. I’m not sharing my maiden name.

Do you think you’re wasting your time on the person you like? See fourth to the last question.