#Like when my family goes on a trip and stays in a rental house

[volturiwolf]

Soulmates - A Demetri Volturi x Reader Imagine

A/N: This is the first imagine I finished and uploaded, and it came quite unexpectedly while talking with @volturidoll13 who suggested a Demetri Volturi one-shot where the reader would follow Bella and Alice to Italy and would accidentally say “wish he’d choke ME” out loud (see my post for reference). So, here it is. Also, I’m sorry if something doesn’t make sense. English is not my first langage. Enjoy :)

No of Words: 5749

Mentions of: Swear Language, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Dying/Death, Killings, Self-doubt, Self-consciousness, Kinky Choking, Sexual Arousal

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I think I had enough of Bella. No, I know I've had enough of her. She may be my best friend, the one who truly understood me the moment I stepped foot in Forks High School, beginning of last year, but this was just too much.

I have spent countless hours trying to support her when Edward Cullen left her, 5 months ago. I was there to be her emotional support, and even spent time with Jacob Black, an old friend of Bella's, who stayed at the Quileute reservation.

Jacob seemed kind of polite, although his attempts to flirt with Bella whenever he could were cringy, to say the least. But I supported her then too, trying to be sort of the third wheel / the one who tried to show Jacob she wasn't really interested in him that way.

His friends, Embry and Quil, were as nice and polite as they were beautiful. When Embry abandoned Jacob and Quil, Bella and I were there to support him. When Jacob abandoned Bella, I was there to support her. 

Even when Bella was sad, angry and desperate to know what happened to Jacob, I was there to calm her down. I was there when she went to see him and he turned her away. I was there when she slapped Paul in the face. I was there when he turned into a huge wolf, and I couldn't help but scream.

Jacob explained everything about the wolves to both Bella and I. He told us how it's part of their DNA; how they are meant to protect the tribe from dangerous outsiders; how the metamorphosis from human to wolf can be somehow controlled over time, with practice and persistence. THAT I could understand.

What I couldn't understand was how vampires existed in this world! It wasn't Bella the one to reveal that secret to me, rather Alice, Edward's sister. Apparently, she saw Bella dying, the day she supposedly went cliff-diving, which I told her not to, having a severe fear of heights myself.

Bella took the risk, and if it weren't for Jacob, she would most likely be dead by now. That's what Alice said she "saw" - she explained to my incapable self that, as a vampire, she had a gift, the gift of predicting the future, based on others' decisions. 

All this information was overwhelming me. I could swallow the harsh reality of wolves existing, but vampires, too? It seemed too much for me in such a short period of time.

Alice quickly explained some basics to me, like the fact that the Cullens were vegetarians, but the majority of their kind fed on human blood, as well as the fact that they even had a sort-of-government of vampires, residing in Italy, the Volturi.

She then turned to Bella to scold her about her recklessness and how she was prone to "life-threatening idiocy". I couldn't agree more with the short brunette right now. Bella has been nothing but reckless the last few weeks, and she was putting her life in danger for no reason.

They were talking about Edward or whatever, but I wasn't paying any particular attention until Jacob showed up. I decided to give them some space to talk, and Alice followed behind me, stepping out of the house.

Her face was a mix of disgust and worry, not paying any particular attention to me, probably trying to hear Bella and Jacob's conversation from the kitchen. After a minute or two, I heard her taking a sharp breath, her eyes fixating on nothing in particular; they were just staring ahead of her.

She took a sharp breath, as she regained consciousness, stepping quickly into the house. She walked in quite wide and quick strides, considering her miniature figure, and, though taller than her, I had some trouble following behind her.

She ran directly to the kitchen. "Bella. Bella, it's Edward. He thinks you're dead. Rosalie told him why I came here."

They both looked at Jacob; Bella practically screaming to his face, accusing him of not giving her the telephone to speak with Edward herself.

"Bella, he's going to the Volturi. He wants to die, too." The small brunette continued.

Within a minute, Bella made her decision: she was going to Italy to save her ex-lover. She promised us that she would just make sure he lived, and then, she would go back to her "boring" life.

Alice ran outside, starting her car immediately, as Bella was followed closely by Jacob, who tried to convince her not to go, pleading with her, all in vain. Bella was as stubborn as she could get, and nobody could change her mind. 

I turned to Jacob, without really thinking about my next words. "Don't worry. I'll go with her. I'll make sure she's back safe, okay?"

All Jacob could do is nod at me, though his face was full of concern, frustration, and he was clearly distraught by Bella's decision to leave him and save Edward. As if all this time she, Jacob and, sometimes, I spent time together meant nothing to her.

I jumped in the back seat of the car, not waiting for either Bella's, or Alice's approval. I knew it would be a huge risk for me to go to the vampires' lair, but I also knew that Bella could use all the emotional support she could get. 

As much as I hated Edward for what he did and said to her, I knew that he was everything to her, like her own little haven. Her own little oasis, which I guess felt more like a tundra, compared to Jacob's flaming hot desert. I rolled my eyes at my embarrassing thoughts, but I assumed that's how she thought of them.

The drive to the airport felt like a ton of weight crushing my shoulders. I had no place to follow them to Italy, as it was truly none of my business. But I promised Jacob, and though Bella could make me so frustrated with her lack of self-confidence and self-respect, I liked her company a lot, and I needed to make sure she was alive and safe.

In the couple of months that she came out of her apathetic state, we reconnected again, reminiscing about our unorthodox friendship, both of us being new to the town, shy and not particularly sociable.

However, Bella was the ideal friend to keep you grounded and connected with reality, which I, sometimes, had trouble with; my mind was running wild and free most of the time, while my mouth was staying shut. 

So, I was willing to go across the ocean for her, to an unknown place, in a castle full of bloodsucking vampires. I wasn't pleased, but I was willing. Willing to help her save her stupid ex-boyfriend, and hopefully not get killed in the process.

During the flights, Alice tried, more or less, to explain the dynamics of the vampire world; the Volturi, being this sort of government-slash-royalty of the vampire kind, were tasked with imposing their laws over the other vampires. Their most important law? Don't expose your existence to humans, unless you want to die. Well, there goes that! 

Alice had already talked to me about their kind; Bella knew through her association with both Edward and the rest of the Cullen family. The chances of any of us making out of there alive seemed slim to none. I was literally flying towards my death. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. 

I was trying to calm down my nerves, which did not work at all, when all I could think about were those Italian vampires. Alice told me that the vampire Kings, especially Aro, who seemed to be their leader, were interested in collecting talented vampires. 

So, it was pretty obvious that he would, most likely, get rid of Bella and myself, and would gladly keep Alice and Edward, who, as Alice told me, has the gift of reading people’s minds. So, we were actually doing that Aro guy a favor there; bring him the “talents” and get rid of the “intruders”, the humans. Great. Just, great.

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We were currently on our way to Volterra. Alice had stolen a yellow Porsche from the airport’s parking lot, which neither Bella, nor I opposed to, for now. It was a fast way to get to Volterra, plus I’ve never actually been in a Porsche, and I felt pretty amazing. Alice seemed like a skillful driver, and drove pretty fast, which I liked, especially if I was the one driving. Bella and Alice’s conversation interrupted my thoughts.

“What? What do you see?”

“They refused him.” That was good, right?

“So..?” Bella knew there was something else behind Alice’s vision.

“He’s gonna make a scene. Show himself to the humans.” Why the hell, Edward?!

“No! When?”

“He’s gonna wait until noon, when the sun’s at its highest.” Bella seemed more and more worried and anxious, and I heard her heavy breath, which seemed like she was starting to go on panic mode. I stroked her shoulders lightly, trying to calm her down. As much as she deserved to get worried, given the events that led us here, this was not the time to panic.

“There’s Volterra.” Alice pointed to her left, at a beautiful, picturesque town that looked as if it had jumped out of the Renaissance era. The scenery of Tuscany was beautiful, and it had always been part of my bucket list to travel across Tuscany in a small rental car. That was not how I pictured that trip, or how I pictured my last day on Earth.

Alice was running through the city’s narrow streets by now, never stopping to honk at people passing by, who moved left and right, trying to avoid the “crazy driver who decided it was a good idea to drive a sports car through such a city’s small, narrow, occupied streets”; at least, that’s how I saw it.

Alice did not back down, and continued driving skillfully through the city’s small arteries. It was odd though, the fact that everyone around us was wearing red capes, red clothes, everything was red. Bella questioned it out loud and Alice informed us that today was the celebration of Saint Marcus’ Day, the day that the Saint expelled all vampires from the town. The irony.

Bella was experiencing a full on panic attack, as we were only 5 minutes away from Edward’s shenanigans. Theoretically, everything was in order, until the moment we were stopped by the local police who refused to let us go any farther. Bella opened her door. She would go on foot, to find Edward before he exposed himself. Alice would park the car somewhere outside of the town’s walls, and we’d then go and find them.

I turned around my seat, to watch Bella running through the streets, to the plaza where the clock tower, which Edward was going to expose himself from, was located. Alice left the car outside of the walls, but still, close enough to have easy access. 

For me, it was quite easy to walk around now, as my skin was not sparkling like Alice’s was. Alice had to wrap herself around a coat, a long, thick scarf and gloves, and wear sunglasses to protect her identity even more. I was walking in the middle of the streets, watching around carefully, as good as my human eyes could see, trying to help Alice go unnoticed, as she pushed herself more towards the buildings’ walls, trying to avoid the sunlight. 

That went on for a while, until we were close enough to the clock tower, where Alice took my hand on hers and, with long strides, walked towards the main entrance, which was, thankfully, shaded enough for her to walk through. 

She must have heard the conversation inside the building, as the moment we stepped in - Alice breaking the lock that kept the door momentarily closed, she started talking to the others, who I mistook as being Bella and Edward. As another sign of my unluckiness in life, she was actually addressing two other vampires, a tall brunette and a shorter blond.

They both looked gorgeous, but they could probably kill me as easily as it was for me to blink. I instantly became stiff, and Alice must have felt it, but she kept on holding my hand, trying to play it cool in front of the others, while trying to get rid of her disguise with her free hand at the same time.

“Come on, guys. It’s a festival. You wouldn’t want to make a scene.” She tried to play it nice and cool, though I knew she was just as worried being here as the rest of us.

“We wouldn’t.” The brunette vampire responded, now looking at me, who, by now, I have lost all my confidence in coming to Italy to help Bella.

I caught the blond vampire looking me up and down my body, and felt rather self-conscious. I didn’t have the best relationship with my own body and my own self; I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror, most of the time. So, I made up for what I lacked in self-confidence with sarcasm, bad humor, honesty and snarky remarks. I would be really going off of him right now, if I wasn’t shaking.

Though beautiful, the blond vampire also scared me, just as much as his brunette partner. I stared back at him, looking at his confident stance, one hand behind his back, and a smirk across his face. 

When my (Y/E/C) eyes met with his red ones, I started shivering even more, holding on Alice tighter than before. I felt my heart beating faster, my breath became both sharper and deeper, and I felt as if I would cry, right then and there, in front of everyone. I saw the blond becoming a bit stiff, his jaw clenching, swallowing deeply, but he still wouldn’t take his eyes off of me.

Alice and Edward exchanged some looks, as if they knew what was happening, but chose to not tell anyone else. The scene in front of me was interrupted by the clicks of heeled shoes, and a blonde girl came into our view. 

“Enough.” Her voice was stern, and her stance was stoic as she came closer to us.

“Jane.” Edward recognised her and lowered his head towards the ground. He didn’t seem scared before, when it was just the two vampires in front of us, but the small woman now seemed to have him terrified.

“Aro sent me to see what was taking so long.” She looked between the two vampires of her coven, as if she was criticizing them for their incompetence to bring us all before Aro. Then, she turned to us, looking us straight in our eyes, or rather our souls, probably to warn and scare us at the same time, before walking back to where she came from. 

Alice turned towards Bella and I, the only humans there, who clearly looked more terrified than she and Edward did. “Just do as she says.” She simply said and we followed behind the girl, with the other two vampires closely behind us. 

The blond one was so close to me, I could feel the coldness radiating off his body, making me shiver. The brunette gave Edward the red robe I didn’t notice he was holding before, probably to cover himself in front of the Kings. The blonde girl moved between Bella and Edward, and Alice and I. Edward was trying to comfort Bella but I couldn’t exactly make out what they were saying, my mind making all shorts of scenarios about how the vampires would kill me and the others. The more I thought about it, the more I was shriveling on Alice’s side. 

We reached an elevator - I never thought vampires used elevators, but maybe it was for the humans around? The brunette and the blond entered first, as the blond turned around to stare at us, turning his gaze at me afterwards, before fully stepping in. Then, it was time for Edward and Bella to get in, followed by Alice and I. The blonde girl stepped in last, before the elevator’s doors closed shut.

The elevator music, an operetta, was supposed to calm peoples’ nerves. Yet, in this tight box, it had the opposite effect. Surrounded by vampires, vegetarian and non, the music was just creeping me out. 

The fact that the blond vampire was merely two inches away from me was making my knees weak and my heart pounding, though I, myself, didn’t even know if my own body was reacting out of fear or attraction towards the blond vampire. I felt him leaning closer to me and barely heard him sniff around, but I clearly saw Alice turning her head around and giving him death stares, to which he retrieved back to his original position.

The elevator stopped and we all stepped out. We walked past a receptionist’s desk, the woman standing up, smiling and wishing us a good afternoon - based on the few Italian that I knew. From what Bella and Edward said, the receptionist was a human, wishing to become a vampire, like the others.

“And so she will be.” Demetri smirked, looking at me, who I still haven't abandoned Alice’s hand.

“Or dessert.” Jane interrupted, and I felt myself losing consciousness for a split second, before I felt the blond vampire grabbing my arm to stabilize me. His hand was cold and his grip tight on me, not leaving me even after I looked at him with wide eyes. He just smiled and continued walking ahead.

Jane opened the doors in front of her, leading us to a massive room, made out of marble, and decorated with Roman columns and scriptures on the walls. Surprisingly, it was well-lit and bright, compared to the dark halls that we passed through just a minute ago.

“Sister. Send you out to get one and you bring back two. And two halves. Such a clever girl.” A brunette boy, a bit taller than Jane, called towards her, as she walked by his side.

The blond vampire let me go and walk farther into the room, still holding Alice’s hand like I was holding on her for dear life. The blond vampire now stood a few feet behind us, next to the tall brunette one.

A black-haired vampire, who seemed a bit too excited, started walking towards us. “What a happy surprise! Bella is alive after all. Isn’t that wonderful. I love a happy ending. They are so rare.” He was talking with fake happiness in his face, as if he was reading from a script, grabbing Edward’s hand in the process.

“La tua cantante.” Your singer. The vampire seemed to know how much Edward craved Bella’s blood, and questioned how Edward could do so easily. 

“Aro can read every thought I’ve ever had with one touch.” Well, that explained a lot. And now I placed who Aro was within the Volturi.

I now learned more about Edward’s gift, which was more similar to Aro’s than anyone else’s, but he couldn’t actually read Bella’s thoughts. Aro requested if he could test his own gift on Bella, probably hoping that he could read her thoughts and brag about it. But when Bella offered her hand, which he took too willingly, his face was unreadable and then, disappointed and angry, not being able to read her either.

Then, he turned towards me, still by Alice’s side. His red eyes were cold and hostile, and his face uninviting. I felt small and vulnerable, exposed, in front of his critical gaze.

“Dear (Y/N), excuse me for the waiting. Edward has presented me a very..intriguing image of you. Could you offer me your hand? I would like to get to know you, as well.”

My lips were trembling, not being able to say a word, and my eyes were glistening. Please, don’t cry. Please, don’t cry. I knew that whatever Edward had shown him I couldn’t avoid. So, I took a step forward, leaving Alice’s hand and extending the other one towards Aro. I felt a breeze behind me, as Demetri came to stand on my right side, looking closely between Aro and I.

The mind reader took my hand between his hands, and I felt my thoughts being examined and tossed around my head, like a small whisper trying to cast a spell on me. The vampire looked at me, deep in the eyes, and his face was filled with fascination for whatever he saw inside my head.

“Fascinating, indeed, dear. Your mind is just filled with thoughts and images, though they are not very distinct. You are not an easy book to read. I still haven’t figured out who you really are. Although…”. He looked at the vampire standing beside me, motioning for him to give him his hand.

The blond obeyed his master. Did he have any other choice? Probably not. Aro took the blond’s hand, and his wicked, sick smile came back.

“Oh, this suddenly became even better than I would have expected.” He turned towards the vampire sitting on the throne, looking sad. Marcus? The vampire in question nodded, and Aro turned around in an almost theatrical move, with open arms, for everyone to see. 

“It seems that our dear Demetri has finally found his mate in (Y/N). I’m so happy for the two of you!” His face was smiling, but his voice sounded as fake as ever. 

I didn’t know what “mates” meant. Alice didn’t have enough time to explain every “vampire term” to me, so I was clueless regarding this part. The blond, who I now knew as Demetri, must have seen the confusion in my face, as he leaned slightly towards me and whispered “Soulmates” in my ear. My eyes widened and he giggled lightly.

Whether it was how close he came near me, or his giggle, or the fact that we were “soulmates”, my heart responded immediately, thumbing faster in my chest, and I felt my cheeks burn - I was clearly blushing in front of everyone, as if I couldn’t be any more awkward than I was before.

Aro interrupted my embarrassment, as he turned once again towards Bella, wanting to test if she was immune to the others’ gifts as well. He turned towards the blonde girl, Jane, asking her basically to show off her own gift. Edward ran forward to stop whatever it was going to happen, only to end up in pain, writhing in an inaudible pain, as Bella was practically screaming to stop.

I honestly didn’t mind Edward suffering, even if it was for a few seconds, considering that Bella had it worse for over 5 months. He finally dropped to the floor, as Alice ran to his side, and the blonde girl’s brother ran to grab Bella, to stop her from going by her lover’s side.

I had no idea what was happening. I was just looking around, shocked and scared, as all these unfamiliar things were taking place in front of my untrained eyes. I felt a hand stroking my arm up and down. I turned around to see Demetri smiling slightly at me, trying to calm me down. I sighed a bit and felt my heart slightly at ease.

That was until the Kings decided that Bella was a liability - I wasn’t? - and Aro called out for Felix. I turned around and saw the tall brunette smiling evilly, while the shorter brunette turned Bella around and left her there, exposed, in front of the giant. Edward seemed to know what it would be happening, as he immediately stood up and ran by Bella’s side to protect her.

He immediately ran forward, attacking the tall brunette, and knocking him down. Alice ran towards Edward to help him out, but she was immediately stopped by Demetri, who I didn’t notice had left my side, grabbing her by her neck and immobilizing her, dragging her away from ever reaching her brother. 

“Alec!” Demetri shouted towards the brunette boy, who had just left Bella at Felix’s mercy, pointing towards me with his eyes. The boy, Alec, came by my side, and practically dragged me farther from the scene that took place in front of me. His grip was a bit too much as he squeezed my arm, making me slightly cry in pain. Demetri growled at him, and Alec’s grip loosened significantly, but he still kept his hand on my arm.

Felix was pissed by now, as he immediately started fighting Edward, pushing and slamming him around the room. However, I couldn’t focus my gaze on them; not because they were fast, but because I was focused on watching Demetri, and how he was still holding on Alice’s neck tightly, never letting her go.

Watching Demetri’s hand around Alice’s neck should have made me feel appalled and sorry for the small brunette girl, but it didn’t. On the contrary, I felt rather aroused, watching his strong hand wrapped around the brunette’s neck. 

Honestly, I felt a wave of jealousy and annoyance hitting me. That should have been me! Only I was worthy to be touched by this sort of demon who masked his true identity with the facade of an angel. It should be me! I couldn’t help myself, my jealousy building up inside me. 

“Wish he’d choke ME!” I told myself, getting more frustrated by the minute.

“Patience, cara mia. All in due time.” Demetri smirked at me. I did not realise I said that out loud, until Alec started snorting beside me, clearly laughing cheekily, and Felix started bursting in laughter, his grip tight on Edward’s jaw by now.

I had embarrassed myself in a room full of vampires once again, the majority of them being part of the Volturi coven. If the Earth opened in half and swallowed me, I would pretty much welcome it at that point.

Bella brought me back to reality, as she was practically screaming, begging the vampires to let go of Edward, as she looked clearly distraught and upset. She even offered herself instead of Edward! Why, Bella? Just why? I have understood by now that they were mates and they’d do anything for each other, but she would sacrifice her own life for Edward?! That didn’t make sense to me.

Aro seemed to agree with me, but he thought more of the “soulless monster” perspective, while I thought more of Edward’s character, and how much his absence had scarred Bella. Alice told me, on our way here, that he thought he was doing everything to keep her away just to protect her, that being close to him put her in danger. But, from my own experience with Bella, she was suffering more away from him than he thought she would.

Aro looked disappointed between Edward and Bella, wishing he would give her immortality, which he did not seem willing to do. Aro moved menacingly towards the terrified girl, prepared to end her life. I fell forwards, attempting to reach her, to move in between them, but Alec’s grip tightened, keeping me back, both of his hands on my arms now. Aro was basically licking his lips, when, suddenly, Alice stopped him. 

The small brunette confirmed that Bella would become a vampire like them, and that she would even be the one to change her, as she saw in her vision. Aro called her forward, and Demetri let her walk towards his Master. 

He then moved towards Alec and I, replacing the brunette boy, but, instead of grabbing my arms like Alec did, he embraced me tightly, not letting me move away from my position. His cold embrace sent shivers down my spine, but, surprisingly, I let myself relax in his arms, feeling safe, and like that was where I belonged. I felt him smiling and relaxing, as well.

Aro seemed pleased with whatever Alice had shown him, and intrigued by her own gift of predicting the future. Alice had told me that her gift was subjected to the decisions people made, and the future could just change at any point. However, if Aro believed that her vision would eventually come true, we had no reason to tell him otherwise. 

Aro turned to Bella. “Your gifts will make for an intriguing immortal.” He whispered as he touched her face, Bella clearly feeling uncomfortable under his touch. I would, too - Aro seemed creepy in his own way, his behavior and movements just as unpredictable.

He then told us to leave, and prepare for Bella’s transformation, and Felix let go of Edward. Marcus told everyone that a woman named Heidi would be coming soon and thanked us “for the visit”, as Aro said his goodbyes. Demetri walked towards the exit, me still in his arms. Edward grabbed Bella by her hand and Alice followed them behind.

As we were walking through the corridor, a beautiful woman walked past us, many people - they looked like tourists - following behind her. She had long, wavy brown hair and purple eyes, which could only mean that she was most likely wearing blue contacts over her red eyes. Her aura was full of confidence and power; she knew what she was doing and she took her job seriously.

“Nice fishing, Heidi.” I heard Demetri addressing the woman from behind me. So, that was the Heidi Marcus was referring to. Wait.. Nice..what?

“Yes, they do look rather juicy.” The beautiful woman replied, eyeing between Bella and I, as she continued leading the tourists down the hallway.

Demetri must have seen her reaction, as he brought me closer to him. I was in shock, and started trembling more than before. These people, these poor people would be the vampires’ snacks in a few seconds. Like Bella and I could have been just minutes ago. I tried to not think about it, but the screams that echoed through the hall would probably haunt me for the rest of my life.

Demetri opened another door as we approached the end of the corridor, and we found ourselves back in the reception area. The Italian woman greeted us once again, but I didn’t listen to what she said, still in shock, just waiting to leave this horrible place as soon as I could.

“Just wait here. You will be able to leave in a few hours, when it’s dark outside.” Demetri instructed Edward and Alice, and took his arms away from my body, turning to look at me. “Wait here, cara mia. I’ll be back soon.” I nodded, not being able to say a word.

Demetri turned and ran towards the throne room. I knew he left to feed, and I just couldn’t bear the thought of him killing innocent humans. I couldn’t keep myself from crying, as I started trembling and losing balance. 

Alice came by my side, trying to stabilize and calm me down, while Edward tried calming down a hyperventilating Bella. We were both losing our sanity, not being able to keep up with the Volturi’s lifestyle, as it seemed. I was craving Demetri’s touch but, at the same time, I couldn’t stop the human in me, the logic, the sense that said that I should stay away from the vampires who killed people. 

I heard Alice and Edward talking with the receptionist, but I couldn’t make out exactly what they were talking about. Alice, slowly and carefully, with her hands still on my arms, led me to a nearby bench, as the receptionist walked away. I was rocking back and forth, trying to calm down, realizing that we are still alive. I saw the receptionist coming towards us, offering a glass of water to both Bella and I.

“Grazie mille.” I thanked her, my voice barely audible.

“Prego.” She smiled at me, and walked back towards her desk.

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I didn’t realise how much time passed, until I heard footsteps coming towards us. I was way more calm by now. Lifting my head towards the direction of the footsteps, I saw Demetri and Felix. I shyly smiled at Demetri, and he smiled back, with a smile wider than mine, a smile that warmed my heart.

“Hello, again, amore mio.” I felt as if my heart stopped for a split second upon hearing the words he used to address me. I would still be weak to my knees, if I didn't already sit down.

Felix was the one to inform us that we were allowed to go now, being way past nighttime. I stood up, and attempted to walk forward, towards Bella and the two Cullen siblings. I intended to leave with them, but I was stopped by Demetri’s hand on my wrist.

“Where are you going, cara?” He looked at me, knowing why I was attempting to walk away.

“I.. I thought we’d.. be leaving? That I’d be leaving? With the others?” At least, I was hoping I would be leaving with them. 

“I’m sorry, amore. I can’t let you go, not now that I found you. You’ll be staying here, with me.” Demetri sounded so natural and serious, and I could only stare at him, my mouth agape.

“But.. I thought it was okay for me to leave. I have a life behind, you know. I have a school to finish, I have my family, I have things to do.” I still looked at him dumbfounded, waiting for him to allow me to go, just for now, just for a few months at least.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N). But I cannot risk anything happening to you. I will make sure you are safe and protected here. We will arrange everything with your school and your family, and whatever else is needed. Please, stay.” Demetri’s eyes were pleading, and a shiver passed through my body, just by looking at him and hearing him talk.

It took me a few minutes to respond; nobody said a word all this time. “Okay.” I said faintly. “I will stay.. here.. with you.”

Demetri’s face lit up, and he leaned closer to me, wrapping his arms around me. He was careful to not hurt me, and I knew, at the moment, with my heart full of love and affection for that man, that that was where I was supposed to be. With Demetri. For as long as it lasted.  

[sylvie-writes]

Long Haul

word count: 1694

pairing: harry styles x female reader

summary: just some fluffy moments along Harry and (y/n)’s trip back to England. 

author’s note: this is my first time writing for harry, hopefully it is okay! it’s taken me forever to convince myself to write anything for him! if all goes well, i might write for him more often :)

please excuse any mistakes! 

Globs of people swarmed the airport carousel, anxiously waiting for the buzz that would signal the first round of luggage. It was already dark out since the flight was what some would call a “long-haul.” A few lonely stars were peeking through the large glass windows and the shuffling of people had started to dwindle down. 

Half an hour had passed since (y/n) and Harry had landed and unfortunately, it was one of those nights where the baggage was taking forever to arrive. Since (y/n) was ridden with sleep, she softly laid her head on Harry’s shoulder that was now clad in a black sweatshirt. The two had just flown back from the States where (y/n)’s cousin had her wedding. It was very clear that the man was handling the sudden time change much better than his girlfriend who hadn’t been on the road as much as him. Her sunken eyes would occasionally peer up at his glasses-covered ones, silently asking if anything had changed. When she noticed that nothing had changed and they were still stuck waiting, she’d just go back to leaning against the slender man as if he were a wall. 

Granted, from the small sum of people that surrounded them, a few still recognized the tall, famous brunette. To shun their stares, he’d just turn his head and look at his phone or place a kiss on (y/n)’s head before anyone could be sure that it was him. Harry was never one to be rude to those who recognized him, but as any normal human, the last thing you want to do at 1 am is take a picture after having sat on a plane for twelve or so hours. 

Finally, close to an hour after the flight had landed, a loud whirring awoke (y/n) from her mini nap on Harry’s shoulder and she looked up to see people crowding the metal carousel. Harry, too, noticed the commotion and looked up from his intense staring at the ground, now snaking his hands from his sweatshirt pocket to grab one of (y/n)’s hands. The two of them then hurriedly made a beeline straight into the crowd where their own bags passed by just in time. 

With their flight having landed at such an early hour, neither (y/n) or Harry wanted to trouble any of his family members by asking to meet them at the airport. Instead, they opted to use a rental car which now led them on their next task. Fortunately, (y/n) had dug out the papers earlier while on the flight which now allowed for them to easily decipher which stand to approach. Luckily, not many people were renting cars at this hour. Looking to make an excuse to run off, Harry quickly excused himself to “run off to the loo,” seeing as (y/n) was capable of handling this herself. 

Instead of actually running to the bathroom, the man took a slight detour and rather made his way to a small coffee stand that seemed to be open. He knew that (y/n) hadn’t eaten anything in a couple of hours and also knew that cinnamon rolls were one of the many ways to bring a smile upon her face. Oh how he loved seeing that gorgeous smile. It always made his day, albeit even if it was currently nighttime. 

The exchange was quick, but not quick enough as (y/n) apparently had the same plan in mind. Harry turned to see the woman approaching his way and he couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle underneath his breath. She was halfway to the stand when she noticed her boyfriend, along with a coffee and cinnamon roll in his hands, causing her eyes to light up. 

(Y/n) smiled brightly as she handed the large luggage to Harry and he exchanged with her the two goodies. While the woman indulged in the snacks that would hopefully give her energy, Harry leaned down to softly kiss the crown of her head before throwing an arm around her shoulders, guiding them both to the parking garage. 

Once a second wind had hit Harry, he was a piper as a tiny dog while (y/n) struggled to keep her eyes open behind the wheel. She had been driving for some time now having convinced Harry to let her drive first, once they had left the airport. After some time of his own pleading, Harry was able to get the woman to switch seats with him at this gas station, ignoring her stubborn remarks. Normally on long drives, the two would take different “shifts” and technically it was now his turn to drive, despite (y/n) protesting that it wasn’t. The minute the man was in the driver’s seat and they were out in the road, (y/n) was more than alert. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Harry and his driving because he wasn’t a bad driver per se, but he was just a bit…too confident when he drove. Maybe it was the fact that he had a lead foot that made (y/n) physically push herself to keep her eyes open. For whatever reason, she just wanted to be awake, in case of anything that could suddenly occur. She’d much rather arrive at Anne’s in one piece and she was sure Harry would concur on the matter. 

To stay awake himself, Harry had turned up the stereo and teasingly sang off key to some 90’s pop song, giving (y/n) a bit of a laugh (and minor heart attack, as he kept looking away from the road.) She’d uneasily laugh to shake his gaze off and he knew very well what she was doing, having been with her so long that he knew her actions (and thoughts on his driving) like a second nature. So, being the man of humor that he is, Harry would purposely do little things to get on her nerves while knowing very well she wasn’t actually angry and rather playing along with the charade. 

“You alright there, (y/n/n)?” Harry, one hand on the wheel, placed his free hand on her thigh. He couldn’t help but slyly smile when (y/n) cut her eyes at him, the moonlight making them sparkle the slightest. “Just keep your eyes on the road, Styles.” (y/n)’s facade then broke, causing her to chortle a bit while a smile broke onto her lips. Harry noticed and his shoulders raised up in some laughter of his own. Eyes back on the road, the man blindly dragged his hand up her thigh and now into her lap, searching for her hand. Having found it, he intertwined their fingers, bringing the back of her hand to his lips. Needless to say, they stayed that way for the rest of the trip. Occasionally, the sleep deprived pair would participate in some off-key car karaoke of their own thanks to their current clouded judgement.

It was getting closer and closer to early morning by the time they had arrived. At this point there really was no point in sleeping as the day was about to begin anyway. Regardless of the time, Harry and (y/n) practically rushed out of the car wanting nothing more than some sleep. Leaving their unnecessary bags in the car, Harry fished out a key for the house, resting his hand on the small of (y/n)’s back, quietly ushering her inside. 

Like teenagers sneaking back in after a night out, (y/n) and Harry tip-toed up the stairs, careful of the creaking, and safely made it into his childhood room without waking anyone. 

In no time, (y/n) and Harry, arms wrapped around each other, were zonked out in the twin size bed. To save space, (y/n) pretty much threw a leg over the man’s hips while his own legs kinda fell off the side of the bed. It was very much comical and something out of a movie, but most of all, something they’d both feel later in the morning. 

-

10 am. 

BEEP!

The twinkling sound of Harry’s alarm went off, waking only him seeing as (y/n) was like a log to his side. Muttering a raspy “damn,” Harry quieted the annoying (and apparently forgotten) alarm. Never able to fall back asleep after waking, he opened an e-book that he had been dying to finish after months not having been able to, now relishing in the sun peeking into the room while his love peacefully dreamt beside him. 

Not too far into his book, Harry noticed the door slowly opening to reveal his mother, a small smile on her face. Finding the best way to get out without waking (y/n), Harry padded across the floor, meeting his mom in the hallway where she stood with a breakfast tray. 

“I saw your car out front and figured you two might want something.” Anne lifted the tray to show an assortment of breakfast goods. Scanning the tray, Harry noticed two lonely cups to the side, one of tea for him and one of coffee for (y/n). He gently chuckled at his mom’s attention to detail and thanked her with a kiss to the cheek, the two of them exchanging words of delight.  

Going back into the room, tray balanced in his arms, Harry noticed (y/n), now sitting up in the bed and sleepily rubbing her eyes. A cheesy grin was on the man’s face as he climbed into the fluffed up quilt, setting the tray in the woman’s lap. Leaning across, he quickly pecked her lips, “Good morning, m’darling girl.” 

“Morning, H.” She smiled at him, sounding well rested and chipper. (Y/n) gasped in excitement at the breakfast before her, going on about how Anne always thought of them and that they needed to repay her somehow. 

Harry just nodded, listening to her every word as if it was gospel, an uncontrollable smile on his face the whole time. As the two shared breakfast in bed, both Harry and (y/n) thought to themselves, “This couldn’t get much better.”

✰ hi! i just want to say thank you if you made it to the end of this haha! lemme know what you thought! i know there wasn’t much dialogue or loads of fluff, but hopefully it was still up to par! 

✰ if you guys ever have any ideas, feel free to send them my way and i will try to use them! xo. 

[vldkeith]

Dolphin Kisses

a/n: This fic is based/inspired from my experience at this boat ride thing I went on some time ago and I just klance-ified it lol. Anyways this whole fic is just some super cheesy stuff my brain barfed up and yeah, I have nothing else to say besides enjoy <33 -Klance Day

☆°☆°☆° ☆

Lance wanted to go on a date with Keith; but not just any date. The perfect date. So Lance finds himself in front of the wheel, driving Keith to the oceanfront. It was a really pleasant day outside. The scent of the salty sea grew stronger as the scenery changed from suburban family homes to tourist attraction stops and stores. Radio songs hummed in the background and filtered out from the open car windows. Lance peeks at his right to Keith, just to make sure that he was having a good time. “‘You excited to be on a boat, mullet?” he asks cheerfully. “For the last time, Lance, I don’t know. It’s my first time.” “I know, I know. You’re worried about getting seasick,” Lance nonchalantly waves off. “But not to worry, babe. If you feel the slightest weakness, don’t be hesitant to fall into my arms.“ Keith scoffs at his dramatics. “Sure.” ☆°☆°☆° They finally reach The White Lion boat ride dock, and Lance parks the car on the old, cracking concrete below it. The two walk out and start heading towards the ticket and tour center, but to be honest, the “center” was more of a big shack with dull yellow and pink paint peeling right off of it. Lance pulls out his phone and shows the lady at the front desk his reservation time. She nods wordlessly and hands him two white tickets. Lance smiles and runs back to Keith, waving the paper slips in the air. “Let’s go!” He points towards the line on the dock to the boats. A few boats line the edge of the water. Lance motions his hand to the purple one with waves. “That’s the boat we’re getting on." Keith grins and scoots a little closer to Lance as more people fill up the wooden platform. Lance plants a light kiss on his head. A few minutes later, a bulky man walks by the clustered line. "The 4:30PM White Lion’s Roar boat tour has been canceled due to an engine malfunction,” he starts. Lance’s heart drops to his shoes and frowns. He glances at Keith, who wears a similar expression. “You can get refunds at the ticket center and come back another day, or book for a another boat at a later time,” the man finishes. “We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Have a good evening.” As soon as the man walks away, dissapointed murmers ripple throughout the crowd. They all start to disperse and head towards the ticket desk. “I’m sorry,” Lance sighs. So much for a perfect date, he thinks. “It’s okay,” Keith comforts. “We can just go on another boat.” He grabs Lance’s arm and tugs as they walk back to get new tickets. This time, Keith is at the desk, and Lance stays back. He blows out a puff of air, slightly smiling at his boyfriend. Sometimes, he still can’t believe that they’ve been dating for almost four months now. Keith reaches back to Lance to show off their new tickets. He starts to explain, “I got another boat tour for five o'clock. Don’t worry it’s the same price and we got refunded from the first tickets. It’s a slower boat, but it goes farther, and it garuntees dolphin sightings.” Lance smirks. “That’s my Keith,” he responds. ☆°☆°☆° Twenty minutes later, a new line has fully formed for the new, bigger boat. Two kids and a grandma are chattering beside Lance and Keith. “Look, there’s a Poké-Spot on the boat!” one of the kids cheers. “Quit your Pokémon Go-ing,” the grandma snaps. Lance chuckles and turns his attention back to Keith. Soon, people began boarding. Right before they stepped on the boat, a young lady with a White Lion t-shirt stops the two boys. “Excuse me sirs,” she raises her camera. “But we are offering pictures for the boat ride that you can purchase at the end of the ride. Would you like to take a picture?” “Sure,” Lance replies as he wraps his arm around Keith and makes a peace sign with his free hand. “Smile!” The lady clicks her camera. “Thank you for choosing The White Lion boat tours,” she welcomes. ☆°☆°☆° Lance and Keith both decided beforehand that they wanted to go to the second floor of the boat, so they scurry quickly up the stairs in hopes to get a good spot. Thankfully, they manage to grab spots at the front. Lance sits down on the bench and Keith plops right beside him. As soon as the boat starts humming, a voice comes to the speakers. “Hello, and welcome to The White Lion’s Pounce boat tour,” a supposedly Australian man cheers. “My name is Coran, and I will be your guide on this trip. Firstly, let’s go over some safety rules.” The man goes on to explain where the life jackets are, what to do if you feel seasick, and other various things to know when on a boat. Lance can tell the Keith’s attention has already wandered from the peppy voice’s informative talks. Right now, Keith is staring out onto the long stretch of water before them, and Lance couldn’t help but smile. “But Lance! I don’t even like the beach!” He could still hear Keith’s complaints from a couple days ago. “It will be fun, babe! New experiences and all,” Lance persuaded. “Besides, I already bought the tickets, so we have to go.” Lance’s pleading worked, of course. It’s just his natural charming boyfriend skills. ☆°☆°☆° The boat finally made its way out of the dock and through the mouth of the small river into the ocean. People fishing on the edge of the big rocks and stones waved as the boat went by. Eventually, Lance stands up to the railing, and looks out. The boat was gently gliding on the water, rocking slightly with the dips and peaks of the waves. Keith joins him in a little bit, placing his hand over Lance’s, which was already on the rail. Now, the scene was different. The boat is gliding at a steady pace parallel to the boardwalk. From the distance, the people, umbrellas, towels, and small tents looked like blended spots dotting the long stretch of beach. Behind them stood hotels and restaurants varying in size, color, and shape. Lance spots a Marriot, a Hilton, and a Holiday Inn as they pass by. The Marriot looked the newest with its glassy, black exterior. Soon, the long and busy boardwalk mellowed down to the more open, lesser used beach. Hotels turned into private rental houses, and the crowds faded. Lance pointed to a small lilac house. “'You wanna stay there someday for a vacation?” he jokingly asks Keith. The other boy scoffs in response. “As if. More than a day at this sandy giver of salt and sunburns and I will actually die.” Lance giggles. “Okay, you vampire.” Keith glances away as his mouth turns upwards in a slight grin. ☆°☆°☆° A few more minutes pass when the boat halts to an even slower turtle’s pace. The speakers crackle as Coran begins to speak. “We are approaching our dolphin sight-seeing spot, folks!” he says with almost too much enthusiasm. “While you keep your eyes peeled for them, take a moment to look again in front of you to our very own Seagull’s Peak Lighthouse! Originally built in…” Lance’s ears blocks out the rest because his eyes are busy darting around for any signs of dolphins. Finally, a gray fin popped up from the water. “Dolphin!” Lance yells. Keith turns his head around to where Lance’s eyes were staring. “'Looks like we spotted our first dolphins! Ladies and gentlemen, look out for more.” The crowd oohed and ahhed as more and more dolphins appear splash around the boat. Coran continues, talking more about the dolphins. Lance spots Keith grinning excitedly at the intermittent dolphins. He smiles to himself, content with the fact that his boyfriend was enjoying this too. ☆°☆°☆° Eventually, the boat turned around and they were heading back the way they came. Keith had prompted that both of them go downstairs for a change, and Lance happily agreed. The boat was shaking and rocking back and forth as it made its way through the water, so it was hard to balance when walking. Fortunately, Keith and Lance had each other’ hands to hold on to, so they walk to and down the stairs and towards the front much easier. “Woah,” Keith gasps when he sees rests his hands on the railing, looking on to the ocean from a much closer view. “Yeah. This thing’s going pretty fast, isn’t it?” Keith opens his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a random child squealing. “Mommy! Look it’s a rainbow!” Keith and Lance look up to see a faded, but visible arch of colors that the girl was pointing too. Other families took notice and began to stare in awe. “That’s kinda gay,” Lance jokes, lightheartedly jabbing Keith’s side with his elbow. Keith snickers along. He smirks, arching an eyebrow. “You think?” ☆°☆°☆° “And that concludes our boat ride! Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for choosing the White Lion! Photos are available for purchase at the docking point of the boat. Have a wonderful evening.” The speakers crackle again after the announcement before playing random pop songs as it did at the beginning of the tour. Soon, the air fills with sounds chatting and talking as the passengers filed out of the boat onto the dock. Lance and Keith were among one of the last people to go out, so it was less crowded when they finally step onto the platform. The lady from before handed them their photo from the start of the trip, and soon, the two were back in the car. This time, Keith was in the driver’s seat. “So,” Lance starts. “How did you like it?” he asks in a sing song voice. “It was good,” Keith responds, putting on his seat belt. He should have been happy, but Lance deflates from how monotone Keith sounded. “That’s all?" Keith must have taken notice of Lance’s grimace because he quickly rushed to add a supposedly forced, "It was great! The dolphins and rainbow were very cool!” “I thought you were enjoying it,” Lance reprimands, his lips pursed and brows tight. “I guess not.” “No, Lance, it’s not like that,” Keith trails. “I had a really good time.” “You don’t have to lie about it.” Keith pouts in response, but doesn’t press any further. He plugs the key into the car, and they leave the parking lot in silence. ☆°☆°☆° Lance stares out the window, taking in the busy streets of the oceanfront. He expects that in a few minutes, the sight would be gone as they leave the area, but as more time passes, it seems that they were going deeper in. “Hey, are you sure we’re going the right way?” Lance asks, not even moving his head to face Keith. “Yes.” He hears in response. “But it looks like we’re heading towards the beach,” Lance counters, finally turning his attention to his boyfriend. “It almost seems like that’s the point,” Keith replies, voice sarcastically high. “Are you taking us…?” Lance doesn’t finish his sentence, and Keith doesn’t bother to fill it in. ☆°☆°☆° The car comes to a halt on a sandy parking lot. A couple of children chase and run around eachother as adults pop open their trunks to take out various beach toys and towels. Keith’s seat belt clicks open, and opens the door to come out. He motions his hands for Lance to come out as well, but Lance was still trying to process what they might even be doing here. “Come on,” Keith drags. “We don’t have all day.” “Okay..” Lance tags the word with suspicion. He steps out and joins Keith. The two walk down the sandy ramp to the actually beach. They walk wordlessly, until finally, they reach the water. Keith plops down on the semi wet sand, and pats down next to him for Lance to follow. He sits down. Now, Lance was throughly confused. “What are we doing here?” He finally asks. “You, like, hate the beach.” “Yeah, but you love it.” Lance’s face flushes when he sees Keith give a small smile. “I thought that I could make it up to you if I brought you here. I’m sorry for not being enthusiastic enough,” Keith mumbles. Lance perks up, and he waves his arms. “No, Keith! I’m sorry. I should have trusted you when you said you were having a good time,” he huffs. “I was just expecting a little more response than a ‘It was good.’ But it’s okay, I know you meant well.” He slowly wraps an arm around Keith and pulls him closer. “Thanks for bringing us here,” Lance whispers into Keith’s hair. “I appreciate it.” The Sun dips behind them, creating a soft blend of blues, oranges, and pinks all around the beach. Waves peacefully crash up and down, creating one of the only noises on the lesser crowded beach. Lance pretends nobody else is there but him and Keith as he leans forward to kiss him. One kiss turned to two, to three, to more than he could keep track of. Soon enough, they were both smiling so hard, none of them could continue. The giggle and hug; Lance only occasionally pressing his lips against Keith’s forehead. “Hey, you,” Lance sighs contently. “Hey.” “'Wanna know a secret?” The other boy smirks. “Yeah.” Lance leans to Keith’s ear before whispering, “I love you.” Keith stifles a laugh. “That wasn’t a secret, idiot.” “But it still made your heart race, didn’t it?” Lance light heartedly retorts. Instead of giving a proper response, Keith pulls Lance in for another kiss. “'Love you too,” he finally says with a barely audible voice. Sometimes Lance wonders what he did to deserve someone as wonderful as Keith. He doesn’t know, and probably never will. That doesn’t stop him from loving Keith, though. He’ll never stop loving Keith.

[wheresmynaya]

Lost in the Lights Ch.18|Brittana

A/N - Just a little something that yall might find some comfort in today so I’ve written a short epilogue. I’m not usually one for fluff, but I figured we might need it. I’ve always considered writing as something I can do to uphold Naya’s legacy because Santana is apart of that legacy and here, she’s always living her best life.

Thinking of you all today 💙

Available on ff.net (x) ao3 (x) & under the cut!

Once again, Brittany finds herself standing alone in her bedroom surrounded by boxes. It’s a little weird seeing her room looking so bare, but this move doesn’t drudge up the same kind of mournful feelings the last one did. This time there’s excitement, there’s anticipation, there’s –

“Hey B,” Santana gives a little tap at Brittany’s bedroom door. “Need a hand?”

Brittany turns to find Santana giving her that same soft grin she has come to adore. She’s leaned against the door frame, clad in her jean cut-offs and a plain t-shirt, and Brittany’s never been so enamored.

“What?” Santana’s grin widens.

Brittany smirks, “Can’t I check out my hot girlfriend?”

Santana rolls her eyes although her cheeks flush, “Smooth as ever.”

“You know it,” Brittany winks before she goes to zip her suitcase. “You’ll be happy to know that I’ve finally finished packing my room. It’s been a super productive afternoon.”

Santana sputters out a laugh as she glances around Brittany’s bedroom. The walls are bare aside from a couple framed pictures Brittany couldn’t find it in herself to take down. The desk by the window is neat and tidy for once too, but what makes Santana stop are the two gold crowns hanging off of one of Brittany’s football trophies.

“Not taking these?”

Brittany turns to find Santana pulling one off and putting it on. She looks just as regal as she did on Prom night and it makes Brittany’s heart feel so full. She can’t help but reminisce at how beautiful Santana looked all done up – she really took her breath away that night.

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Brittany teases, “Too bad Quinn will be at Yale. I’m sure she’s going to miss the constant reminder that we won instead of her and Mike.”

“I can still text her,” Santana quips as she takes off the crown and sets it down where she found it. She goes back to looking around the room again, “It doesn’t look like you in here anymore.”

“Yeah,” Brittany sighs as she looks around too. Her eyes settle on Santana and she begins to grin, “But it’ll be so much fun decorating our own place together. It’ll look like the both of us.”

“True,” Santana grins, “I can’t wait.”

“Me neither!”

“I can’t believe how fast the year went by,” Santana mentions, “It feels like just yesterday that I was jumping off swings with you.”

“You mean head-butting me?” Brittany jokes.

“That too,” Santana laughs, “And now we’re off to college…together.”

“Not just yet,” Brittany reminds her with a pat to her suitcase.

“That’s right,” Santana nods to it, “That everything?

Brittany looks down and smiles, “Yup!”

Santana eyes the lone bag warily, “You’re only bringing one?”

“We’re only going for two weeks,” Brittany replies with a giggle, “You’d be surprised how much I fit in here. Bikinis don’t take up that much space which is a plus.”

She looks to Santana again hoping to see a smile but instead she finds her worrying her bottom lip. It makes Brittany chuckle as she closes the distance between them. Once she’s close enough, her hands land on Santana’s hips.

“Don’t stress,” She tells her sweetly, “That defeats the purpose of a vacation.”

“I’m not stressed,” Santana shrugs, “I’m just wondering…if I packed a little too much now?”

Brittany only giggles before pressing a kiss to Santana’s lips.

“You’re cute,” She says.

Santana only sighs through her smile, “Can you tell I’m a little nervous?”

“A little?”

Santana pouts, “This is my first big road trip. I didn’t want to forget anything.”

Brittany wraps her arms around Santana, holding her close, “I’m sure you’ve got everything and if not we can always buy stuff. You know Florida does have a mall, right?”

Santana was a little hesitant about joining the Pierce Family on their vacation back down to Florida for Summer break because she didn’t want to intrude on their family time, she’s so considerate like that. Brittany couldn’t imagine spending two whole weeks without her though, even Pete and Whitney begged for Santana to go.

Plus, it was the perfect opportunity to show her around Brittany’s old stomping grounds and most importantly, take her to one of her favorite places. With all of that taken into consideration, Santana couldn’t find it in her to deny Brittany this. She also didn’t mind getting out of Lima for the Summer, beats tanning by the pool alone.  

“Babe, this is going to be great,” Brittany says earnestly, “It’s going to be relaxing and we’ll get to spend so much time together doing all kinds of fun things. It’ll be exactly what we need before we have to leave for Columbus, because you know once we get there it’ll be all work. I’ll have to start football training again and you’ll have cheer conditioning.”

“You’re right. Ohio State doesn’t mess around,” Santana nods as she begins smiling again, “This’ll be great. I’ve never been on vacation like this before.”

“Neither,” Brittany grins before grabbing her suitcase again. “Let’s go. We’ve got a lot of road to cover.”

\\

Brittany and Santana decide to drive Santana’s car down to Florida ahead of Whitney and Pete who are catching a flight a couple days later. They take several pit stops along the way, making sure to snap silly photos by all of the state line signs so Santana can text them to Maribel and Hector to keep them updated on their adventure so far.

It probably takes them twice as long to make the trip, but it’s well worth it when Brittany gets to watch Santana’s eyes brighten as they finally cross the Florida state line.

“It’s so much different than Lima,” Santana says as she stares out the window at all the passing palm trees, their fronds waving hello in the warm breeze as they drive by.

Brittany only glances over with this cheek-bunching grin before she’s back to concentrating on the road ahead.

\\

A while later, they pull up to the rental Whitney organized and this time Brittany’s the one who’s in awe.

“No way!” She exclaims as she triple checks the address her mom gave.

“What is it?” Santana questions.

“I used to point this house out all the time when we lived here,” Brittany tells her, “Pete and I called it the Unicorn House because of the pink shutters and the baby blue door. We always thought it was so cool, the most colorful house on the beach. I had no idea it was a rental!”

Santana smiles, “Well let’s go check it out.”

Relieved to stretch their legs and really start their vacation in the sun, Santana and Brittany make quick work of unloading the car and moving everything inside. Just like Brittany figured, the inside of the house was just as cool as the outside. All modern fixtures, colorful artwork decorating the walls, but the real attention-grabber was the view.

“Wow,” They said in unison as they approached the back sliding doors that led out onto the terrace. It was nothing but white sand and clear blue water.

“Let’s open it,” Brittany says and goes to pull open the glass door. There’s a light breeze and the scent of saltwater. Brittany smiles into it; she can’t believe how much she’s missed this.

Lima’s been great to her, it’s the place she met the most perfect girl ever, but this place will always hold a special spot in her heart too. As she glances to her side at her girlfriend, her smile grows because now she gets to share it with her too.

“What do you say we make a quick run to the shops so we can have breakfast out there?” Brittany suggest with a grin, “We can unpack and stuff later.”

“Sounds awesome,” Santana replies, “When’s your mom and Pete flying in again?”

“Tomorrow afternoon,” Brittany says as she gives a little tug at Santana’s shirt, “We’ve got the whole place to ourselves until then.”

Santana’s grin widens, “Even better.”

\\

They decide to load up on fresh fruit, because after so many hours of fast food and gas station snacks they are dying for something healthy. Together they walk the aisles hand in hand, stopping every so often to add something to the basket Brittany carries.

It’s not their first trip to the store together, but it feels different this time knowing that it’s just them. Everyone they know is back in Lima, so doing something like grocery shopping together in Florida makes them feel so grown up and independent.

For a second, Brittany wonders if this is what it’ll feel like once they move away together for college. She’s sure the novelty of it all is bound to wear off the more they do it, but for now she leans into the excitement of it. The thought makes her feel giddy inside because she can’t picture herself doing such a routine thing with anyone other than Santana.

“Should we get anything else?” Santana wonders after adding a punnet of blueberries to the basket.

Brittany looks at their haul so far and shakes her head, “Nah. We can just order take out later if we want?”

Santana nods and they make their way to the check out lane.

\\

Back at the rental, Santana’s in the kitchen getting all of their fruits washed and cut up when Brittany reappears clad in her bright pink bikini.

“Okay! Your turn,” She calls out as she makes her way into the kitchen.

Santana does a quick glance up to reply then does a double take when she sees what Brittany has on. Her jaw drops at the sight and she nearly cuts off a finger!

“Woah,” Santana says in time as her eyes rake up Brittany’s tone figure, “I was not prepared.”

“Should I put on a shirt?” Brittany jokes.

“No, no,” Santana’s quick to respond, “No shirts. You can stay just like that.”

Brittany blushes as Santana continues checking her out. It makes her feel warm all over and a little confident too because usually Santana’s the one getting her worked up. It’s a nice change when the tables are turned.

“So, you want to go change and I’ll finish here?” Brittany asks.

Santana’s still staring as Brittany comes closer. She doesn’t even blink until Brittany’s tapping at the bottom of her chin with this smug grin on her face.

“Hmm?” She hums, “What?”

“Do you want to go change now?”

Santana smirks as she pulls Brittany in and pins her against the counter, “It’s not really the first thing on my mind right now.”

“Oh?” Brittany’s grin turns devilish.

Santana bites her bottom lip as she plays with the knot at Brittany’s hip. “The extra football training you’ve been doing is really paying off. Like I’ve always thought you were the hottest girl to ever walk the surface of the Earth, but damn.”

“Go change,” Brittany tells her with a giggle. “We’ll never get to the beach at this rate.”

“Fine by me,” Santana teases as she wraps her arms around Brittany’s waist and starts littering her neck with soft kisses. “Like so fine by me.”

Brittany struggles because having Santana’s lips on her is always kind of like kryptonite, but her desire to experience Santana’s first trip to the beach outweighs spending the rest of the morning wrapped up in bedsheets. Call her crazy, but they’ve got all day to mess around meanwhile the sun’s only out for so long.  

“Baby, as good as this feels,” Brittany sighs as she pulls away. She stares down at Santana lovingly, “I really want to take you to the beach first. Just you and me.”

Santana cutely pouts and it has Brittany giggling.

“Come on,” She says with a little pinch at Santana’s side, “I think it’ll be worth it.”

“I think it opens up lots of opportunities to be a tease,” Santana complains jokingly.

“Good thing we won’t be far from here then,” Brittany winks in return.

\\

Once Santana finally got changed, she met Brittany back in the kitchen where the blonde had packed a bag with their breakfast and a couple bottles of water along with their beach towels. Brittany had her sunglasses sitting atop her head, her long blonde hair free from its messy bun from earlier.

“Ready?” She asked excitedly.

Santana only grinned as she reached for Brittany’s hand to hold and together they made their way down the wooden terrace steps until their bare feet met warm sand. Brittany was already headed for the coastline, but Santana stopping held her back. She turned, wondering if Santana forgot something, when she realized it wasn’t that at all.

Santana never felt the feeling of sand between her toes before.

A smile formed on Brittany’s face as she watched Santana wiggle her toes. It was only for a moment, a little excited squeak of a giggle escaping the brunette before she looked up again – ready to go. Brittany only wrapped her arm around Santana’s shoulders, kissing the top of her head as they started to walk again.

Picking the perfect spot was always something Brittany took pretty seriously, but on this section of the beach – any spot was perfect. They were just far enough away from the popular areas so it wasn’t too crowded where they were.

“I’ve never seen water so blue,” Santana admires as she stares at the crashing waves. “Beats the lake in Lima.”

“Definitely,” Brittany chuckles.

They end up laying out their blanket a few yards away from the water so they don’t have to walk very far to get in. While Santana smooths out the blanket, Brittany sets down their bag and starts to pull out their towels and breakfast.

Together, they sit side by side and share from one bowl Santana found in the kitchen. It’s a mix of all the fruit they picked up earlier and with their feet in the sand and the sound of the waves and seagulls in the distance they’ve never felt so at peace.

“Is it true that you have to wait thirty minutes after eating before you can swim?” Brittany wonders aloud. She’s resting back on her elbows, her legs outstretched but she’s still too far away to touch the water.

Santana shrugs, “I have no idea. Probably should though just to be safe.”

“True,” Brittany grins as Santana lies back too.

She’s already starting to tan and Brittany can’t take her eyes off of her. It’s almost like this is too good to be true and she finds herself reaching out to touch just to make sure.

\\

Once their thirty minutes are up, Brittany’s on her feet trying to coax Santana into the water but who knew she’d put up such a fight?

“We didn’t come all this way to just sit in the sand,” Brittany teases as she tugs on Santana’s hand, “Come on.”

“That water is about to be cold as hell. No thank you!”

“Hell isn’t cold, Santana.”

“You know what I mean,” Santana then gets up when she finally breaks out of Brittany’s hold, “Now way I’m getting in.”

“But it’s not even cold,” Brittany replies although she’s not really sure since she hasn’t tested it for herself. “Why are you picking right now to play hard to get?”

“You haven’t seen nothing yet!” Santana jokes before taking off.  

Brittany laughs the whole time as Santana ducks and dodges her advances until Brittany’s speed finally does her in. Soon she’s got Santana cradled in her arms bridal-style, carrying her towards the water like she weighs nothing.

“Britt! Brittany! Don’t you dare!” Santana chastises between laughs, “I don’t want to get my hair wet!”

Brittany only stomps her way through the water, “Who goes to the beach and doesn’t want to get their hair wet? That’s silly, San!”

“Me, that’s who!” Santana giggles but she stops putting up a fight and just wraps her arms around Brittany’s shoulders.

Their faces are so close with the way Brittany holds her that their noses brush when the blonde suddenly looks to her. Really, she’s checking if Santana’s actually being serious because if so then she’ll happily take her back to shore but if not it’s fair game. Instead though, she gets sidetracked by the brilliant smile she wears and how beautiful she looks with her hair down.

“I won’t get you wet if that’s really what you want,” Brittany says innocently but there’s a mischievous glint in her eye too.

She’s standing still waist-deep in the water and Santana’s butt is barely touching the surface. Brittany does her best to hop so that the incoming waves don’t splash her which is pretty nice of her with all things considered. She could totally be that person and drop her without a second thought.

“Well, when you say it like that…” Santana starts to smirk.

Brittany lets out a laugh before she leans in for a kiss.

It was meant to be a distraction, but it ended up way steamier than she intended as she slowly  sank to her knee so that they both dipped below the surface. She could feel Santana’s teeth sink into her bottom lip from the initial shock of the water temperature but then it was soothed by her tongue gliding over the nip.

“See?” Brittany teases, “Not that cold.”

Santana only rolls her eyes as Brittany adjusts her hold. She goes from cradling Santana to having her straddle her lap instead. It’s a much riskier position than before, but neither of them complain.  

As they get acclimated to the water, they slowly move from kissing to playfully splashing at each other as they wade around. They go back and forth like that for awhile until they move back to the shore to get their tan on.

“I’m having slight regrets that we’ll be going to school in Ohio,” Santana mentions awhile later as they lie on their stomachs, “Must be nice living close to a beach.”

Brittany grins, “So you’re liking your first trip then?”

“Baby, I love it,” Santana replies happily and leans over to kiss her cheek, “And I love you.”

“I love you too,” Brittany coos before she gets to thinking, “If you love it that much we can always transfer down here? I’m pretty sure there’s a few schools here that would love to poach me. You too.”

“So tempting,” Santana chuckles.

\\

They lie like that for awhile longer before the sun gets to be a little much and they head back to the rental.

It’s one of Brittany’s favorite feelings, that tiredness after spending the day at the beach, and she coaxes Santana into the shower with her to get rid of all the sand and saltwater. Despite finally getting each other this close without any barriers between them, they’re both too tired to actually make any moves.

Instead, they take turns standing underneath the cool water and washing off any residual sand.

Afterwards, they slip into something loose and tumble into bed with a yawn. They don’t even bother getting under the sheets first, their sun-kissed skin still warm from the shower. The just cuddle up to one another and doze off within minutes.  

\\

Hours later, Brittany awakes to Santana tracing her finger along the bridge of her nose. She blinks away the last bit of sleepiness and looks around the room, surprised to see it drenched in hues of orange and gold from the setting sun.

“I think you might’ve gotten sunburnt,” Santana mentions softly, “Your cheeks are a little pink.”

Brittany touches them bashfully, “Yeah. They do that after I’m out too long. Doesn’t hurt though, I put on sunscreen before.”

“Okay,” Santana smiles as her hand moves to rest on Brittany’s hip.

The blonde looks to the window, “What time is it?”

“Almost eight.”

“Shit,” Brittany curses, “I didn’t meant to sleep for that long.”

“It’s okay. You were tired,” Santana replies as she starts circling Brittany’s hipbone, “Hungry?”

There’s a familiar rasp in Santana’s voice and it has Brittany leaning in ever so slightly. She knows that tone, she’s been quite familiar with it since the night she won a championship title with the Titans. It’s come to be a favorite of hers.

“Starving,” Brittany smirks.

Santana bites her lip, “Good.”

“We can order a pizza,” Brittany husks as she slips her thigh between Santana’s, “I know just the place. They’re notorious for taking way too long but the pizza manages to always be hot still.”

“Perfect,” Santana smirks before she’s closing the distance.

\\

The next day, they have a bit of a sleep in due to their…activities carrying on pretty late into the night. Free house to themselves? Of course they couldn’t pass up the opportunity, but they’re well-rested and get up to do a tidy of the house before going to pick up Pete and Whitney from the airport.

Again, Brittany feels that same feeling from the day before when she and Santana were out shopping for breakfast. She can’t help but notice how easy it is for them to fall into such a domestic routine. It makes her feel so grown up, like it was just a couple weeks ago that she was graduating and sure she’s always been pretty independent but it’s different with Santana by her side.

When they get to the airport, they’re only waiting for a little while before Pete’s excitedly waving at them with Whitney trailing behind him. There’s hugs all around when they finally meet before they make their way to baggage claim.

“Did you have fun on the plane ride over?” Santana asks Pete.

“It was okay,” Pete shrugs, “Kind of bumpy but mom let me play games on her phone.”

“Nice,” Santana grins.

“Yup! Did you have fun driving here? Wait, did you guys go to the beach already?” Pete asks as he looks to his sister, “Britt’s cheeks are pink.”

Brittany’s eyes widen, “Uh…”

“We might’ve gone for a little bit,” Santana admits and watches Pete start to frown. He was pretty adamant about them waiting for him but Santana’s quick to recover, “But that doesn’t mean we can’t go again today! You’ll have to check with your mom first.”

Pete’s face fills with a mega-watt smile, so similar to Brittany’s it’s crazy.

“She’ll totally say yes,” He tells Santana, “Mom loves the beach too!”

“Sweet,” Santana grins.

“Alright, we just need to pick up the rental car and we’re out of here,” Whitney says as Brittany follows behind with Pete’s little suitcase.

“You didn’t have to rent a car,” Santana tells her, “I told you I was okay with sharing mine.”

“You’re too kind, honey,” Whitney smiles, “But I’m sure you girls will want to explore the area too.”

Santana just nods as Brittany comes up beside her, their fingers twining so casually.

“Speaking of rentals,” Brittany mentions, “I can’t believe you got the Unicorn House! It’s so cool.”

“We’re staying at the Unicorn House?” Pete asks eagerly. Brittany nods to him and he just about combusts, “No way! That’s the coolest house on the beach!”

“Totally,” Brittany winks, “It’s even cooler inside. Just you wait and see.”

\\

They all head to the rental house and it takes everyone no time at all before they’re making their way out to the beach. Everyone except Whitney who runs to the store for snacks and something to eat for dinner because apparently they can’t have pizza two nights in a row despite Brittany and Pete’s protesting.

Again, it’s nice to just lounge in the sun and cool off in the water whenever they want. Pete’s here too while Whitney’s at the store and Santana watches adoringly as he and Brittany toss their favorite football back and forth.

“Babe! Come play with us,” Brittany calls out to her as she tosses the football to Pete in a perfect spiral.

“Yeah! Come play, Santana!” Pete chimes in.

“I’m fine getting my tan on from here,” Santana answers then starts to smirk at Brittany. The way her muscles tense whenever she throws the ball or how her arms flex, it leaves Santana’s mouth dry, “The view’s not so bad either.”

Brittany lets out a laugh as she readies for Pete to throw the ball back. She’d have to agree about the view though, hers isn’t so bad too with Santana laid out in her maroon bikini on their beach blanket, skin glistening with sweat. She swallows dryly as her thoughts start to wander to the night before.

“Britt!” Pete shouts, “Look out!”

Brittany looks up and catches the football just in time before she’s thumped in the head with it. Good thing her reflexes are as sharp as ever!

“Careful baby,” Santana smirks before she’s rolling onto her stomach to even out her tan.

Brittany only narrows her eyes playfully before she’s throwing another perfect spiral in Pete’s direction.

\\

Once Whitney joins them, Pete goes from playing with Brittany to splashing in the shallow water with their mom. Brittany sits alongside Santana where they both share a bag of chips and watch Pete’s splashes get bigger and bigger.

“You’re so cute with him,” Santana mentions.

Brittany raises her brow, “Speak for yourself.”

Santana lets out a disbelieving laugh, “Right.”

“You are,” Brittany urges with a bump to Santana’s shoulder, “He loves spending time with you. Not as much as I do, of course.”

“Of course.”

“You ever wish you had a younger sibling?” Brittany wonders.

“God, no. Never,” Santana jokes before softening, “But seeing you two kind of makes me second guess it. Then again, Pete’s cool so you’re lucky.”

“True,” Brittany giggles. There’s another pause before Brittany speaks up again in a softer tone, “Thanks for coming out on this trip with us. I know you were a little iffy at first, but it wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” Santana replies with this smitten little grin on her face. “We should totally make this an annual thing.”

“Coming back here?”

“Yeah,” Santana nods, “It’s like our reset button. No matter how busy or crazy it gets wherever we are, we can always come back here and just – reset. It would be nice.”

Brittany starts to smile. Santana mentioning doing something every year means she anticipates them being together for a really long time which duh but making plans like that in advance makes it all feel a little more real. She always thought her strong feelings might’ve been a little exaggerated since they’re young and love always feels so all-encompassing, but then Santana goes and says something like that.

This love, it’s bigger than she thought. Maybe it’s even one of those forever kinds of love and that kind of thinking makes Brittany happier than ever.

“We can totally do that,” Brittany agrees before she leans in for a chaste kiss. She can feel Santana smiling too against her lips and she’s never felt more complete.

Whatever this upcoming year plans to throw their way, whether it be on the field or in the classroom or even at home, Brittany’s totally ready for it.

Because together, well…anything is still possible.

[duchesschameleon]

what if - chapter 8

pairing: Aaron Hotchner x GN!Reader words: 1929 a/n: Carolyn is here! this is the second to last chapter and we get some happiness and some angst. I’m super, super excited to share this with everyone!! the last chapter still needs some editing, it’ll get posted probably next week! as always, thank you to @qvid-pro-qvo​ for being the best beta

warnings: angst, some discussions of death

what if masterlist

You watch Dave’s face as for the first time in nearly 50 years, he lays eyes on Carolyn Bartolini. His jaw drops in surprise, face full of disbelief and wonder as he takes in the sight of Carolyn approaching on her horse.

“Oh my god,” Dave whispers, slowly moving closer to Carolyn as if being pulled by a magnet. She pulls on the reins, coming to a stop and you finally get a good look at her face. She’s aged gracefully, you can see the ghost of the girl she was from the photos Dave showed you. Right now her face is mirroring Dave’s shock as she slides down from the horse and approaches him.

“Dave,” she whispers, stepping closer to him. “Is it really you?”

“Si, Caro,” Dave says, coming the distance between them and grabbing her hands. “It’s me.”

Aaron’s standing next to you, watching Dave and Carolyn reconnect, watching their eyes search the others’ faces and seeing the changes from nearly 50 years apart. You don’t notice the tension between you and Aaron, the tension still lingering from last night's kiss. You’re too focused on Dave and Carolyn as they smile at each other.

“I’m a little late, Caro,” Dave says, voice thick with emotion and you can picture the tears welling in his eyes.

“You’re here now, that’s what matters,” Carolyn responds.

And then they’re kissing. It’s chaste, but you can see how tightly they’re holding on to each other, needing that contact to believe they’re together again. When they part, they’re still smiling and then Dave is turning, beckoning to Aaron and you.

“Caro, I need to introduce some people to you,” Dave says, shifting so he’s standing next to her, arm around her shoulders. He gestures to Aaron and smiles broadly. “This is Aaron Hotchner, he’s a dear friend and basically family, and he insisted on coming here to find you with me.” Aaron goes to shake Carolyn’s hand and she laughs, pulling him into a hug instead and kissing him on both cheeks. The tips of Aaron’s ears are red and you bite back a laugh, focusing instead on Dave who’s introducing you now. “- a writer, from New York, who wrote the letter that convinced me to come here and find you,” he’s saying, smiling softly at you.

Carolyn kisses you on both cheeks as she hugs you too, holding on to your arms as her expression conveys the thanks she cannot say. You nod and pat her hand, silently telling her you understand.

She turns back to Dave, taking his hand and smiling at him. “You all have to stay for lunch. You have to meet my family, and I want to hear about yours,” she says, nodding at each of you. You smile weakly, and catch Aaron looking at you from the corner of your eye. But you ignore him, instead nodding at Carolyn.

Carolyn’s family comes up to her, trying to figure out what’s going on. She’s explaining in rapid Italian, hands gesturing to you, Aaron, and Dave and then her daughter is nodding, catching on and moving to bring you all to the big house.

There’s a large table out behind the house, on a little covered patio. The Bartolini’s settle around it, leaving space near Carolyn’s spot at the head for you, Dave, and Aaron. There’s an impressive spread of food on the table, plus wine, and you all tuck in to lunch, getting to know each other over the food.

Once you’ve all had a chance to eat and get to know each other, Carolyn stands up and gets her family’s attention. “Mi famiglia, today I went on a ride as an old woman, and came back a teenager.” She pauses as everyone around the table chuckles. “Truly though, it’s been the greatest gift to have Dave come back here and to have him meet all of you, and for us to have met Aaron and their wonderful friend who is responsible for all of this,” she continues, gesturing to each of you as she talks. After a moment, she starts up again, “Dave, you have told me that you lost your Hayden, and you know that I have lost my Giovanni,” she says, voice wavering with emotion, “but destiny wanted us to meet again. Grazie destino.”

Everyone echoes the sentiment as Carolyn sits back down and grabs Dave’s hand. They haven’t let go of each other for more than a few moments since they saw each other. It’s sweet, seeing them reconnect and hang on to one another. Seeing that physical manifestation of love that’s lasted over the years.

“Caro,” Dave says quietly, “I’m sorry I was late.”

She smiles softly at him, “No, no. When we are talking about love, you can never be late.”

You smile at them before turning back to your plate. Lunch finishes not long after that, the younger children congregating in the yard to kick around a soccer ball. You see Carolyn and Dave wander towards the fields hand in hand and you smile as you sink down into a chair, a warm feeling spreading through your chest.

At least someone gets a happy ending, and you can finally finish your story. And then go back to New York, hopefully get your piece published, and move on to the next story. No more seeing Aaron, no more seeing Dave, this whole trip fading into a simple memory. You blow out a sigh, staunchly ignoring the tears pricking at the corner of your eyes.

“Well, there’s your ending, huh?” Aaron says, walking up from behind your chair. You twist to look at him, a confused look on your face. “Just when all hope is lost, she rides in at the last minute on a white horse. Who’s gonna believe that?” Aaron asks, running a hand through his hair. You shrug, still so uncertain what to say to him after last night. After you just walked away. Before you can even open your mouth to attempt to say something, anything, about it, Aaron’s walking around to sit on the table in front of you. He says your name urgently, immediately grabbing your full attention. “Promise me you’ll finish the story. It needs to be shared, and your writing deserves to be seen,” he says, voice full of conviction.

“Of course,” you whisper, nodding. Aaron nods too, wiping his hands on his slacks.

After a moment he lets out a breath and meets your eyes. “So I guess this is it. And I’m sorry it is.”

“I guess it is.” You lick your lips, still searching for the words to explain last night but again, Aaron beats you to it again.

When he says your name this time, there’s a weight to it, sincere feelings behind it. “I, I never should have kissed you last night,” he says, glancing down at his hands. You control your face, trying not to let it crumple and show your disappointment. “I was completely out of bounds, you’re still grieving and I’m-” He clears his throat and runs his palms over his knees. “Well, I shouldn’t have done it.”

You swallow around the lump in your throat and nod in understanding, even passing agreement. Of course, he’s not actually interested in you. It was a spur of the moment thing. Something that never should have happened. No matter how much you want it to happen again, no matter how hard your heart clenches when you look at Aaron.

So you do what you have to. You look back up at Aaron, meet his eyes, and say, “I guess it’s time to go then.” And then you’re pressing a kiss to his cheek and standing, walking away without looking back, again. Ignoring the tears forming, again.

You focus on Carolyn and Dave, who have come back from the fields, and jog up to them. “Hi,” you say smiling tightly at them, “I, uhm, I need to get back to Verona. My flight to New York -”

“Oh, of course! I’ll have Aaron take the car, we’ll get you back, no worries,” Dave says, moving to untangle himself from Carolyn but you’re shaking your head.

“No, no, Dave, I can’t take you away from this place,” you protest, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. “You should stay here, you and Aaron. This is what you came here for anyway.”

Carolyn steps forward, putting a hand on your shoulder. “My son can drive you. It’s no worries,” she says and you nod your thanks, finding it hard to speak. She squeezes your shoulder before unwinding her arm from around Dave’s waist and searching for her son.

Dave puts his hands on your arms as he searches your face, noticing the tears in your eyes threatening to fall. “Is something wrong?”

You shake your head, “No, it’s just,” you shrug and glance around your surroundings, “all of this is...” you trail off unable to find the words.

“I know,” he whispers, bringing you in for a hug. “An angel brought you to me,” he says, kissing your cheeks. You smile wetly, and he wraps an arm around your shoulder, walking you towards the front of the house. Carolyn and her son are already there, grabbing your bag from the rental car and moving it into theirs.

You hug Carolyn, kiss her cheeks, and thank her as you climb into the passenger seat. Dave waves goodbye as he wraps an arm around Carolyn again and hugs her close. And then your door is closed and the car is moving, Dave and Carolyn waving to you as they grow smaller in your vision, going blurry as the tears finally fall.

Back at the house, Dave looks around Carolyn to see Aaron walking towards them. He kisses Carolyn’s temple and then stands next to him. “Aaron, we’re practically family so I think you understand why I’m telling you you’re an idiot.”

Aaron whips his head towards Dave, brow furrowed. “Sure, don’t sugarcoat it Dave,” he grumbles, arms crossed.

“I won’t,” Dave says. “You don’t know where this one will end up settling. Don’t wait 50 years to get your head out of your ass like I did.”

Dave’s words slowly register with Aaron. He realizes what Dave is saying, is telling him, and it hits him instantly. He’s fallen for you. He’s in love with you. Aaron springs into action, running to the car and driving off after you.

Halfway to Verona, Aaron thinks about what he’s doing. About what he’ll say when he finds you. He looks around to the empty seat next to him. Or almost empty. There’s a pen there, one that fell out of your bag this morning. He pulls over to the side of the road and picks it up, holding it reverently in his hand. The only piece of you in this car, the only evidence you’d been here at all. 

He sighs, the realization washing over him. He can’t follow you to Verona, can’t think of anything he could say to you. Can’t think of anything except how you’ve already walked away from him twice. He can’t risk you walking away again, not with Jack to think about. You’re heading back to New York, he’s going back to DC and will probably never leave. Even if he had proof that you did like him, that you love him the way he loves you, he can’t risk putting Jack through that, much less himself.

So he sighs and turns the car around, heading back to Carolyn’s.

taglist: @qvid-pro-qvo @averyhotchner @kelstark @hurricanejjareau @oreogutz @whentheautumnleavesfall​ message me to be added to the taglist!

[woodstockbtswriter]

Voyagers

Genre: Fluff/Headcanon

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader (Female)

Summary: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join BTS on a Bon Voyage adventure leads to once-in-a-lifetime love.

Author’s Note: Okay, I just have to say, watching the boys try to filet a fish and not being able to tell them that they were using the wrong knife was painful for me. 😄 Anyway, hope you enjoy this latest installment! 💕

GIF Credit: MONOSUGA

Part Sixteen

Back to Civilization

At the conclusion of your fishing trip, you returned to your campsite to meet up with the rest of the boys, pack everything up, and head to Queenstown

You watched the sun fall lower and lower in the sky from the passenger’s seat as Yoongi drove into the city

By the time you reached your accommodation, the night was completely black

For the last two nights of your trip, you’d be staying in a rental, and though it was hard to see in the dark, you could tell just from the outside that the large, modern house was luxurious

As soon as Yoongi parked the SUV and Jungkook parked the camper, everyone grabbed their suitcases and headed inside

The second you walked in the door, you and the boys were amazed, and the interior designer in you geeked out just a little bit

The house was open-concept, with the living room, kitchen, and dining room all in one large space, and the whole back wall was floor-to-ceiling windows

The design was clean and contemporary, featuring all neutral colors and mixed materials like glass and stone

It was a far cry from the cabins, tents, and camper you’d stayed in the last few nights

And as several of you admired the incredible view of the twinkling city skyline, you agreed it was nice to be back in civilization

Collapsing onto the sofas after bringing in all the luggage, food, and supplies, the boys began discussing how to decide rooms

There were five bedrooms to choose from: three would have to be shared and two would be private

Jin suggested you play the bottle cap game, and Hoseok cleared off the coffee table in preparation

After a quick round of rock-paper-scissors, it was determined that Yoongi would go first, and he casually flicked the plastic bottle cap a little over halfway across the table

Surprisingly, his mediocre shot was enough to win, as everyone else - including you - either overshot or came up short

Having won first pick of the bedrooms, Yoongi chose the private room with the twin-size bed

Which allowed you, as the runner-up, to choose your own room with a full-size bed

Then the rest of the boys scattered, checking out the remaining bedrooms and picking their spots

Jin and Hoseok claimed the room with the king-size bed

Namjoon and Jungkook chose to share the room with the queen-size bed

And Jimin and Taehyung naturally wanted to room together, so they decided on the room with the other full-size bed

Once you were situated in your rooms, everyone began taking turns washing up, and you enjoyed a long, hot shower

Dinner Prep

When you were dried off and dressed in comfy clothes, you made your way to the kitchen

You found a freshly-bathed Yoongi there at the counter, attempting to cut up the salmon you’d caught that afternoon

He appeared to be struggling, so you asked if you could help, but he said the only thing he needed help with was peeling garlic

Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook were already seated around the kitchen table with a half-peeled mound of garlic bulbs between them, so you joined them

Though you had really hoped Yoongi wanted you by his side

You watched him from the table as he continued to wrestle with the fish until he finally admitted defeat

You were about to get up to assist him, but Jin insisted that Yoongi let him try

Jin had some trouble cutting up the fish too, but soon figured it out well enough to prepare passable sashimi

When you and the other garlic peelers finished your task, you moved to the counter to watch Yoongi and Jin work, standing ready if either of them needed your help

Eventually, after putting a pot of water on the stove to boil, Yoongi asked - without looking at you - if you could toast some bread, and you happily obliged

Dinner and Dessert

When the salmon, garlic shrimp, and pasta were ready, everyone took their place at the dining table, and you ended up seated between Hoseok and Taehyung

As you and the boys began filling your plates, Hoseok commented that you all had only one more day of the show left, and the unwelcome reminder made your stomach clench

You couldn’t stop yourself from glancing at Yoongi, hating the thought of your time together coming to an end

Especially after the way he’d been so distant all day

To your surprise, Yoongi was looking directly at you, but quickly turned his gaze toward his lap when he noticed your gaze on him

Then Hoseok lifted his drink, toasting to enjoying the experience until the last moment, and you joined the others in clinking your glasses and bottles together

It was a fitting toast, and as you started on your dinner, you hoped you would be able to enjoy every last moment of this experience

While you ate, the boys began discussing dinner for the next night, saying they’d like to have Korean food

But it suddenly dawned on you that if it was the final night, it would be your last opportunity to make your traditional food for them

So you spoke up, and offered to cook them all dinner the next night

The boys liked the idea, agreeing unanimously and enthusiastically, and you started planning your menu in your mind

After dinner, Jungkook brought out a box of mint chocolate chip ice cream cones and handed them out

Jin lamented that he hated mint chocolate, and Namjoon agreed that it was like mouthwash

Unwrapping his cone, Yoongi said food was food and he wasn’t very picky

You agreed as far as ice cream goes, enjoying your own cone and saying you’d yet to find a flavor you didn’t like

BTS UNO

When you finished your dessert, Namjoon, Taehyung, and Hoseok took charge of cleaning up dinner

While you waited for them to finish, the rest of your group relaxed in the living room, and Jin started shuffling a deck of UNO cards

It was getting late, and as soon as the production crew set up a ring of GoPro cameras in the middle of the coffee table, they wrapped filming and said goodnight

As they left the house and headed for their own accommodations, you and the boys encircled the table and Jin dealt everyone cards

It wouldn’t be a game with BTS if there wasn’t a penalty, so it was agreed before play started that the loser would have to wake everyone else up in the morning

Though you were all tired after a long day, the game was lively, with everyone singing and dancing and laughing as they played

Taehyung wasn’t familiar with the rules, but you grew up playing UNO with your family, so you and Jimin coached him each time it was his turn

But a heated debate occurred when the boys tried to make Yoongi draw ten cards

You immediately came to his defense, telling them they couldn’t stack +2 and +4 cards

Jimin and Jungkook insisted that they could, and you went back and forth until you pulled up the official rules on your phone

They weren’t happy about it, and grumbled as they drew their cards, but you were right

And though Yoongi kept his focus on his hand, a smirk was curling his lips

“At least now I know who’s on my side.” He said, playing his card onto the center pile, and you couldn’t hold back a self-satisfied grin

Play continued for a while, the game lasting longer with so many players, until Jin was finally the first person to go out

The remaining players kept playing, going out one-by-one, until it was down to Yoongi, Jimin, and Taehyung

With only three players, the game went much faster, and Yoongi and Jimin both went out one after the other, leaving Taehyung in last place

Unsurprised, he humbly accepted his defeat and his wake-up penalty, and everyone decided to call it a night

Another Late Night

As the boys dispersed, you hung back, taking your time heading to your room, but it was quickly apparent that Yoongi did not have the same idea

You’d been waiting all night, anxious to finally get an opportunity to talk to him without the cameras

He’d been giving you mixed signals all day, and you were dying to know exactly what he was thinking and where you stood

But as Yoongi disappeared into his bedroom, closing his door behind him, your heart dropped to the floor

Taking a deep breath then exhaling shakily, you entered your own room, trying your best to stay calm

He was just tired, you told yourself

You’d had a long day, and he probably just wanted to go to sleep

That’s all

There’s no reason to freak out

It’s late anyway, and everyone should go to sleep

Reflexively, you pulled your phone from your pocket to check the time and convince yourself of the lateness of the hour

But before you even saw the clock, your eyes were instantly drawn to the notification banner waiting on your screen

You had one unread message from Min Yoongi

You couldn’t tap it open and read it fast enough

Not sure you read it right, you read it again

And again

And again, reading it one word at a time

You then racked your brain, deciding how to answer, before finally sending a casual response

Shoving your phone back in your pocket, you hurried into your bathroom and brushed your teeth as fast as you could, your heart now racing in anticipation instead of sinking in disappointment

As soon as you’d rinsed your mouth out and checked your face in the mirror, you found the small camera mounted in the corner of your bedroom

You gave the lens a bright smile and a cheerful goodnight, then firmly pushed the power button, ensuring the recording light was off

Crossing the room, you smoothed down your clothes and lowered yourself onto the edge of your bed

And your leg began bouncing as you sat

All you could do now…

...was wait

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Taglist: @bucky-thorin-winchester @yvemoon @serpentiinequeen @neilpoetssociety @narcissism-iskey

[everythingisgayandnothinghurts]

The Darkest Depths - Part 1

A visit from his mom is meant to be harmless, but instead it sends TK into a tailspin of depression and darkness.  Will he be strong enough to fight or will he be dragged down into the darkest depths?

“TK, can you stay a minute?” The young firefighter turned on his heel at his father’s voice and made his way up the stairs two at a time to approach the glass encased office.  The flash of anxiety would never fail to hit when his father asked him into his office.  It had been a good day on the job, no losses and every success.  He hadn’t had a problem on any calls or taken any risks deemed unnecessary.  Despite knowing it had been a smooth day, TK couldn’t help thinking for a moment that he was in trouble.  The look on his father’s face didn’t help this fear as TK took in the pinched skin by his eyes and his lingering frown.  

“What’s up?  Everything okay?” TK asked as he slowly sat in one of the vacant chairs in front of the desk.  His father hesitated and that alone made TK’s nerve skyrocket.  His father didn’t hesitate about anything.  He only hesitated when it was bad news or when it had to do with-

“Your mother is coming to town.”  His father looked like he had swallowed something sour and while TK was glad it wasn’t detrimental news he still wasn’t thrilled about this impromptu visit.  

“To Austin?  For how long?” His shoulders slumped and he was already gearing up for a miserable dinner or two with both of his parents.  

“For a weekend.  She wants to have dinner with us.  She wants to make sure this is an okay life for you after the shooting and all.”  It was always amazing how bitter his father sounded when he spoke of his ex-wife sometimes.  Particularly when said ex was coming to check up on them.  To see if Owen could provide for him properly after she left.  

“Does she mean to act like I’m a kid still?” TK grumbled as he watched his father slump into the chair behind his desk.  “Does she realize I'm an adult and I can choose a life for myself?  She acts like she has a right to examine my life after she’s the one that left it.”

“Now, she is still your mother and she cares for you very much,” The familiar lecture came up and it seemed like no matter how much time went by or how often TK was hurt he was still required to respect the woman who gave birth to him.  He had fond memories with his mother when he was a kid, but that didn’t change the sting of when she left when he was nine.  She chased a career ladder higher than he could join her for and now she was a top prosecutor in upstate New York.   “I’m going to set us up to have dinner at the house Saturday night, alright?  We’re both off that weekend and we can have a nice night in.  I would say bring Carlos but…”

“It’s likely not going to stay civil,” TK finished for him and felt a little bad as his father cringed.

“I wish that wasn’t the case, but she likes to hit nerves.  Maybe you could introduce her to Carlos on Sunday before she leaves?  I know she would want to meet him.”

“And interrogate him on his life choices and how he’s treating me?” TK rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.  “We’ll see how dinner goes first.  I’ll gage what sort of mood she’s in.  I promise I’ll iron a shirt and seem somewhat put together, okay?”

“I’m sorry this is hard for you,” His father apologized and TK could see the guilt in his clear eyes.  “I know dinners with both of us isn’t your favorite.  I will do my best to steer things in a civil direction.  She doesn’t know about your latest overdose and I promise it will stay that way.”

“I’m kind of surprised she hasn’t pulled any and all hospital records for the last year,” TK sighed and got to his feet.  “I gotta head out for dinner with Carlos.  Mom will be mom and then she’ll be gone again and we can get back to normal.  I’m not too worried about it, but thanks for the heads up.  Making vegan lasagna?”

“It’s the only vegan dish she likes so yeah,” His father pulled him into a fond hug before sending him out the door.  

It took him under twenty minutes to get home, but TK couldn’t remember one minute of his drive to the place that most felt like home in Austin.  He was trying not to make this visit a big deal, but he couldn’t dread the questioning and examining and somehow he knew his mom knew more than what his dad had told her.  She had a lot of pull in New York and somehow she probably knew he had overdosed six months ago and coupled with getting shot she was coming around to tell them both what a mess they were making of things.  Her visits weren’t light, especially on such short notice.  

“Something wrong with dinner?” Carlos asked him after they had sat in silence for most of their shared meal.  TK shook himself out of memories and assumptions and realized he hadn’t eaten much of the steak and potatoes Carlos had made for them.  

“No, it’s good I’m sorry,” TK ate a bite of his cold meal and chewed thoughtfully.  “My mom is coming for a visit this weekend.”

“That’s big,” Carlos remarked and it was funny how even he knew how out of the ordinary this was.  “She on a business trip out here?”

“She’s coming to evaluate my life since I got shot,” TK sighed and went back to pushing around his food.  “Which means she’s going to come out here and criticize anything she can and make us seem like we’re doing everything wrong.  She hates that I”m a firefighter like my dad, always has.  She thinks it’s too dangerous and too consuming of a career.”

“Most parents are pretty proud of first responders,” Carlos frowned and reached to put a hand on his knee.  “I’m sorry she makes you feel bad about something undeniably heroic.  Does she know how much you love it and how good you are at your job?”

“That would probably make her more bitter and angry,” TK felt his stomach twist and already knew he would be lucky to manage half of this huge meal.  “She’s not an easy woman to please.  She has opinions and never would accept that maybe she’s wrong.  She hated how my dad chose the firehouse over our family a lot after the towers fell.  He was at work more than he was home for months.   She ended up leaving us less than a year after that and she has always parented from afar since then.  I chose dad in the divorce and ever since I’ve followed in his footsteps.  It’s driven her crazy and she’s never approved.  Plus I turned out gay, and while she won’t say it I know it disappointed her.  It’s complicated where she’s concerned.”

“That’s a lot going on,” Carlos had put his full attention on him now, and TK felt bad he was soiling another meal.  

“It’s okay, really.  It’s just a weekend and then she’ll go back to New York.  I’ll be fine.  I know she loves me, strong opinions aside.”  He sighed and rubbed his forehead.  “She may want to meet you.  If you’re okay with that.”

“I would be happy to meet her if that’s what you want,” Carlos rested a hand on his back and rubbed gentle circles.  “You’re a good man Tyler, and she can see that.  Anyone with half a brain could see that.  It’s just for a weekend.”

“A very long weekend,” TK echoed as he leaned into Carlos’s touch.   How much damage could be done in one weekend?

~~~~~

The rental car pulled into their driveway and TK bit his lip, feeling ten years younger suddenly and back in high school all over again.  He hadn’t seen his mother in almost a year and he hadn’t been eager to reunite.  He loved her, but not so much when his dad was around at the same time.  They had gotten less civil as time had gone by, starting with his dad’s second wife and not improving even after the second divorce.  

“You good?” HIs dad put a hand on his shoulder as they both watched her finish up a phone call while in the car.   Truthfully he felt like he could be sick at any moment, but he could get through another dinner and only hope she knew nothing more than what they told her.   

“I’ll be fine,’ TK felt like he had said that countless times since learning she was coming.  “You got the wine ready?”

“Funny,” Owen said dryly with a roll of his eyes.  

“You think I’m joking, but there’s no way you two are getting through this without it.” 

“ We’ll get through this, kid.”  They both watched as Gwynth got off the phone and out of the car.  She was dressed casually in jeans and a blouse and to the observer she seemed perfectly harmless.  She seemed like any other mother coming home for dinner with her family.  

“I’ll get the door,” TK headed toward the door, a small part of him glad to see his mother after his near death experience.  They may not agree on everything, but she was still his mother and he would have hated to never see her again.  

“Hi mom,” TK said, swinging the door open wide and bringing her into his arms gently.  

“My baby boy,” She said softly as she pressed a kiss to the side of his head.  “It’s good to see you standing on your own two feet.  You need to stop having these injuries TK, you’ll make my heart stop one of these times.”

“I’ll try I promise,” TK ushered her inside and waited for the sniping to begin.  His parents tried to be civil for his sake, but it was safe to say it didn’t always work.  They had three courses to get through together and then hopefully not be all in the same room for another year.  

The salad and lasagna went off without too many problems.  There was the usual amount of sarcasm and sniping around, but nothing unusual.  His mom made the usual comments about his job and his choice to move at all from New York, but if that was all she was here to gripe about TK was grateful.  

“I think we lost TK to fantasies about his boyfriend,” Owen teased as he noticed TK zoning out by the time they were having some pie for dessert.

“Are you seeing someone?” His mother’s interest was piqued now and TK felt himself blushing before he even answered the question.  

“Uh, yeah his name is Carlos,” TK glanced between the two of them.  “It’s a pretty recent thing, but he’s really great.  Better than I could ask for.”

“Let’s just hope he’s fine with never seeing you and having your life at risk constantly.  Not to mention never settling down.”  Gwynth’s comments came off as harmless, but it felt like glass pricking his skin and digging deeper.

“Gwynth,” Owen said warningly.  “You need to quit.”

“What?” His mother said as if there was nothing wrong with her assumptions.  “You both insist that TK can make all his own choices and his choices sum up to never being home and constantly being in and out of hospitals.  We both know TK isn’t really the type to settle down.”

“I asked Alex to marry me,” TK said stiffly, the reminder nearly gutting him.  He hated to bring up Alex, but he couldn’t just let that comment lie.  “I am perfectly capable of settling down when the guy isn’t cheating on me, Mom.”

“How do you expect to settle down with this career you’ve chosen?  Do you really think it’s fair to put a spouse through what your father made me go through?  All you two have talked about tonight is your new team at the firehouse.  The two of you will never change from obsessing about your jobs.  Who would ever be okay with that kind of life?”

“Carlos is a police officer,” TK said quietly, her words echoing in his head and he hated the doubts that were rising within him.  Did he have a right to ask Carlos for that kind of life with him?  He already had enough reasons to leave, but would that be one of them? “He understands the hours of the job.”

“You plan on settling down with someone else who is never home?  How is that going to be a life for a kid?  Doesn’t that strike you as selfish?  TK, darling, you need to think a little with that pretty little head.  If your father has taught you anything, I hoped it would be that this lifestyle isn’t good for a family.  Don’t you remember how he left us constantly when you were a kid?”

“I didn’t leave,’ Owen protested with his eyes full of worry as he gazed over at TK.  “If the towers hadn’t fallen it would have been different.  TK and I have always had a great relationship, even with my unsuitable career as you would put it Gwen.”

“I know you think I’ve chosen everything wrong,” TK said quietly as he gazed down at the half-eaten pie on his plate.  

“I don’t,” Gwenyth protested as she leaned forward earnestly.  “But you can’t pretend like this life is the best for you.  You’ve been in the hospital shot after only being in Austin a few months and that’s not even talking about all the visits last year from injuries.  Not to mention your little overdose.”

It felt like wind was roaring in his ears as TK felt his extremities go numb when she brought up the worst moment of his life.   He had known she would dig it up, but still a part of him hoped she didn’t know.  This was one thing he couldn’t handle being thrown in his face.  

“How could you bring that up?” Owen hissed as TK struggled to breathe let alone find words to respond with.  “How do you even know about that?  Why are you digging up his records?”

“Well, Owen, if you would just bear to be honest with me I wouldn’t have to.  I just had his hospital records pulled and I assumed I wouldn’t be finding any surprises.  An overdose and neither of you thought to tell me?”  His mother was livid and it was clear this was what she had really wanted to get to.  

“I had it handled!” His father’s voice started to rise and TK felt his hands start to shake.  “It was nothing more than an accident.  He’s going to meetings and going to therapy sessions.  I can take care of my son without your help.”

“An accident?  Is that what he told you it was?  He’s been using since he was fifteen and you think he could overdose by accident? Please tell me you’re joking, Owen.” Gwenyth’s words were like out of his own personal horror movie.   Not only did she know about the overdose, she wasn’t about to buy that it was an accident.  Truthfully TK didn’t know if he had meant to kill himself that night after Alex had revealed his infidelity.  He hadn’t lied when his father had asked, but now he wasn’t entirely sure it had been the truth.  He had known he was taking a few too many pills.  He hadn’t assumed it would kill him necessarily, but he couldn’t say he would have cared at the time if it had.  It had been a year since that horrible day and his life had improved in each and every way.  Carlos was responsible for a lot of the happiness he had in his life now.  He was the most amazing boyfriend TK could ask for, but sometimes he really doubted he deserved someone that amazing.  

“I have to go,” TK got out between numb lips, knowing he had to go find Carlos before his panicked brain made him do anything stupid.  This dinner was too much for him to handle.  Normally dinner with his mom was mildly unpleasant, but this time she had come to draw blood.  He knew most of it was directed towards his dad’s parenting, but it still hurt when it was about something that personal.  “I’m sorry Mom, but I need to go.  It was good to see you.”

Both of his parents called after him, but nothing could stop him from grabbing his jacket and stumbling outside his dad’s house, gulping in the fresh air like he was a drowning man.  That house felt suffocating with the two of them once again going at it with him in the middle of their arguing.   It brought up bad memories of their divorce when he was younger.  He hated them arguing, always had.  

He pulled out his phone and pressed his latest call to hold to his ear.  Carlos was always top of his recent calls list and today was no exception.  It didn’t take long before Carlos answered, barely finished with his shift for the day but TK knew he was off tomorrow with him.  

“C-come get me,” TK stuttered over the line with his entire body shaking and his mind whirling in a million directions.  His mother’s screaming disapproval echoed around him and her accusation that he tried to kill himself acted like a noose.  “Please, please, come.”

“Baby, tell me where you are,” Carlos’s soft voice urged him from the other end.  “Are you still at your dad’s house?”

“I’ll meet you at the station,” TK forced himself to focus enough that he realized he had started walking in the direction of his second home without realizing.  “I couldn’t stay there.  I had to get away.”

“I’ll be right there, okay?” Carlos soothed him as best as he could over the phone.  “Deep breaths for me, okay Tiger?  It’s going to be okay.”

“It was awful,” TK said tearfully as he curled up on the front steps of his favorite place in Austin other than Carlos’s house.  “It was like she picked me apart slowly and thoroughly with no regard for my feelings.  She wanted to hurt my dad and shredded me apart in the process.”  He let out a sob and barely heard Carlos swear softly before trying to comfort him as best he could over the line while he raced to get there.

They were silent until the crunch of gravel told TK his boyfriend had arrived not a minute too late.  He shakily pressed the red phone at the bottom of the screen and curled into himself to sob softly.  Carlos didn’t waste a moment to fling open his door and kneel next to him and wrap his arms around him.  “Shh, carino, I”m here now.  I’m so sorry she was awful to you.  It’s okay, love.”

“She doesn’t think we’re gonna m-make it,” TK sobbed out against Carlos’s shoulder.  “She doesn’t think I can have a family.  She thinks I chose everything w-wrong in my life.  She can never be p-proud of me.”

“She doesn’t know you, amor,” Carlos told him with a kiss to his head.  “She doesn’t know us.   Let’s get you home and in a warm shower, okay?  We have all day tomorrow to ignore everyone else.  Let me take you home.”

TK curled against the door as he let Carlos buckle him into the passenger seat as he felt like he was drowning in something dark and awful that had been opened by his mother.  It was starting to rain and the sound was soothing as he closed his eyes and tried his best to stop crying.  It wasn’t new what his mother said, none of it.  Lately, however, he had been having so many doubts about himself as the one year anniversary of his overdose came up.  He had been starting to feel numb again even with Carlos as his loving boyfriend and having the most amazing team at work.  He had thought that the numbness would fade once he could find happiness.  He thought happiness was really something you sought after, but he was finding that happiness continued to slip away from him.  

“You ready to come inside?” TK blinked to see Carlos in front of him crouched next to the open car door as rain drizzled down on him, making the curls he loved appear.  He shook himself and slowly undid the seatbelt as he felt a blush rise to his face.  

“Do you think I’m overreacting?  Plenty of moms say stupid shit and not everyone acts like...this.”  TK stands and it feels as if his shoulders are weighed down with bricks.  

“I don’t know much about your mom,” Carlos said slowly as he took his hand and lead them inside.  The door closed and TK already felt safer behind it than he did out there.  TK felt at home here in more ways than just a place to sleep.  He felt safe here and protected by the man at his side.  “I think this is different because she left you.  You want to please her and that’s perfectly normal.  She isn’t around so you feel like you want to please her from afar and when it doesn’t work you feel like you failed.”

“I just wish she could say she was proud of me,” TK wipes tears away only for them to be replaced moments later.  He felt miserable and angry and while it was better than the empty numbness it wasn’t pleasant.  “Would it kill her to acknowledge that i’ve survived a lot for being under the age of thirty?  Then after never being around she thinks she has the right to snoop around and pull up my overdose to throw that in my face over dinner?  Does she think it doesn’t make me feel anything to think about that day?”

“She didn’t have a right to do that,” Carlos agreed quietly as TK paced around the living room running his hands through his hair repeatedly.  “That was an invasion of privacy.”

“Ever since she left everything is about her failed relationship with my father,” TK ranted.  “My entire life has been about their divorce.  I chose the wrong parent to live with when I was younger.  I didn’t make the right kind of grades in high school like my father.  I went to fire academy and she didn’t even come to the graduation.  She didn’t so much as send a card saying she was proud of me for something I wanted to do.  She never bothers to show up when I’m injured on the job.  She just talks to all my doctors and pulls my files before yelling at me about my career choices.”  He had started crying some time during this rant while Carlos sat on the couch silently watching him.  “Then I tell her I’m with someone I really like and all she can do is tell me about how I chose the wrong person and how I am going to be a horrible father and a horrible partner.   How I can’t have a family because of my career.  Where does she get off judging me on a life she’s never wanted to take a part in?  She claims she’s here to see me after I got shot, but really she’s only here to judge everything about my life and try to talk me out of doing what I love for the millionth time.”

“Okay, take it easy Ty,” Carlos stood up to stop his pacing that had gotten faster and faster while he talked.  “One weekend and she’s gone, remember? You’re right that she doesn’t have a right to judge your choices when she doesn't want to be a part of them.  You’re right to feel hurt and angry and upset, okay?  I just hate to see you cry like this.”

“I need a shower,” TK muttered, knowing he was reacting badly to something he had even admitted was temporary, but the words cut deep.  He was so tired of feeling not good enough no matter how many lives he saved.  He was tired of the struggle to get up every morning and act like that day was going to be better than any of the others.  He was supposed to feel happy at some point.  He was supposed to find it when he found Carlos, but that simply wasn’t true.  The honeymoon phase was over for them and now it was back to the struggle.  He had thought the overdose had to do with Alex, but honestly it was so much more than the break up.  He had never felt good enough for anyone, even his own expectations.  

He scrubbed at his skin harshly under the hot spray of water, trying to scrub away the way his mother’s criticisms seemed to crawl on his skin.  Scrubbing away all his imperfections, but there were so many that he wasn’t sure what was left.  His mother had always thought he was rather airheaded and couldn’t think for himself.  She thought he was unsuitable to have a family.  She knew about the overdose and how weak did that make him to her?  She saw straight through him.  She knew he had tried to take his own life and couldn’t even do that properly.  Now he was dragging Carlos through his problems and making him take care of the damaged person that was left.  Nobody deserved the task of picking up his pieces and he truly wished he cared enough to do it for himself.  He didn’t think he was worth the effort.  

He shuffled from the shower into bed with skin that was far too red and Carlos looked at him in concern over top of his book.  TK avoided his eyes and tried to hide the flinch as his sensitive skin came in contact with the sheets.  He flopped down onto the pillow and tried to prepare himself for a sleepless night next to a man nobody thought he deserved.  

“Give me your arm,” Carlos’s voice was soft, but firm enough to hold no argument.  TK glanced over to see he had pulled out a bottle of lotion from his nightstand.  

“You don’t have to take care of me,” TK mumbled but gave over his red arm anyways.

“I get to take care of you,” Carlos told him with a gentle smile. “Especially when you can’t.  It’s just some lotion, okay?”

TK was silent as he let Carlos massage the smooth lotion into his abused skin.  How long before the darkness consumed him this time and even Carlos couldn’t save him?

[rawmeanderson]

bring you back to me ― part ix

ft. jeff skinner plot: when your high school sweetheart gets traded to the same city where you now live and work, your best friend just can’t mind her own business ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ warnings. swearing, drinking/drunkenness, all sorts of nsfw stuff 👏🏻 word count: 7.4k notes at the end! also, a maaaaasive shoutouts go to @ferraromarios​, @drunkduncs​, and @capobiancos​ for being such good, supportive friends 💖 visit my masterlist (there’s a link in the description!) to sign up for email alerts or to view the master document with all parts of the fic for easy binge reading!!

“God fucking dammit,” Lydia mutters after someone a few tables over called bingo, earning a dirty look from the older lady at the table ahead of you. You snort softly, reaching for your mimosa as Lydia continues to mutter under her breath.

“I don’t know why we keep coming here, you always end up so angry,” you tease, grinning as she rips of the top sheet of her cards.

“It’s boozy bingo, y/n, it’s worth the anger,” she says, looking at you like you should know that. Your only response is to finish off the rest of your drink, putting the empty glass down next to your cards to pick up your dauber. 

Saturday afternoon boozy bingo was a staple for you and Lydia, but it was the first time you’d been back in a while. The brunch was good, but you mostly showed up for $1 mimosas and bloody marys, while Lydia was there for the bingo. She got wildly competitive during the game, and her trash talking had almost gotten you thrown out on a couple occasions. Honestly, the entertainment watching Lydia’s frustration build and build as the games went on made it all worth it.

Peter was with you today, since he was in town for a few more days. Since it was between games, he went up to the bar to grab drinks, including another mimosa for you.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while,” you tell her, nudging her under the table as you pout at her. A quiet chatter had started between games, and you were glad to have a minute alone with your best friend.

“Yeah, I know,” she responds, sighing as she pushes her hair out of her face. “Since my sister’s been out of town a lot for work, I’ve been having to take Mom to her appointments and stuff, and I’ve just been absolutely drained from it.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you get a double dose of me today, right?” you ask, winking when she looks at you and you both laugh. The two of you were going to the game that night to see the Sabres play the Sharks. 

Peter returns a second later, putting two mimosas down in front of you and you shoot him a thumbs up.

“Good call, bud,” you tell him, already reaching for one.

“I figured you might need the extra to help drown out this one,” he responds, pointing at Lydia with a grin. Lydia gave him the finger as he puts a bloody mary down in front of her. “Watch it, or I’ll spit in the next one.” You grimace at his warning even though it wasn’t directed to you, and you straightening up in your seat as the next game starts.

Between numbers, you sip at your drink and glance at your phone, figuring that Jeff is probably taking his pre-game nap by now. Tipsy already, the thought of climbing into bed with him for a nap is very appealing, but not worth leaving Lydia and Peter.

You had stayed at your own place last night, watching Jeff’s game in Detroit from your couch. Jeff had to be up early for a work out and press stuff before the game, and you’d used your morning to clean up around the house and to catch up on laundry. You’d even dug your suitcase out of your closet, knowing you needed to start packing soon since you and Jeff were leaving for your brother’s wedding in four days.

After bumping into Peter a few nights earlier, the two of you and Lydia had been able to make plans for Saturday afternoon, and here you were. You had pushed your hardest to go putt-putt-ing, but you were out voted in favor of boozy bingo. 

Lydia is a number away from winning, nibbling on the end of the celery from her bloody mary as her eyes bounce over her cards. She’s murmuring the number she needs to herself and toying with the ends of her hair with tense shoulders.

“Is she always like this?” he asks when you look at him, voice low and almost concerned. Grinning, you nod, nearly laughing because you hadn’t realized he’d never been to bingo with her before.

“Yeah, she’s nearly got bingo down to an art form if you ask me,” you respond, sipping at your drink.

“I can hear you,” Lydia says with a grin, not even looking up from her cards.

In the end, none of you won anything, but you had more than your fair share of mimosas.You and Lydia had each been planning to rideshare home, but thankfully, Peter offered to play taxi driver since he hadn’t been drinking. Lydia was worse off than you and pissed that she hadn’t won anything, making her a damn near lethal combination. 

“I swear, those old bitches cheat somehow,” she mutters as you approach Peter’s rental car. You laugh, nodding to appease her as she climbs in the backseat. You take shotgun, and Peter grins at you as he starts up the car. 

“It’s like I never left, right?” he asks and you nod as Lydia continues to rant from the backseat. It was true though. Peter, never much of a drinker, had often played DD for you and Lydia in the time you’d known each other, and having him there again felt like nothing had changed. 

Lydia’s place was closer, so she was dropped off first. As she steps out of the car, you roll your window down, reminding her to set an alarm so she wouldn’t oversleep and miss dinner and the game later. She thanks you, calling you ‘mom’ teasingly. Considering you’re drunk, it’s extra funny and sends you into a fit of laughter. Lydia threw a peace sign up before turning to make her way to her building, and you and Peter stay put to make sure she gets to the door without tripping or managing to fall over.

Satisfied that Lydia was safely inside, Peter pulled away from the curb, glancing at you. “You’re gonna have to tell me where to go,” he tells you.

You snort, shaking your head. “Shit, you know I have no sense of direction, so let’s see how this goes,” you joke, sitting up in your seat a little more. “Turn left up here, head toward downtown.”

Peter laughs, turning on his blinker on as he nods. The two of you are quiet for a few moments aside from you giving the occasional direction before starting in with a bit of small talk. You ask about his new office, how he’s adjusting to being in a new city, and he says he’s enjoying it, that he’s happy he made the move even if it did put him far from family.

“Have you found friends to replace Lydia and me yet?” you ask, trying to decide which would be the best route to get to Jeff’s from where you were then. 

“Nah, impossible, really,” he admits, glancing at you with a grin.

“Well, shucks,” you tease, laughing as you push your hair back out of your face. Jeff still didn’t seem to be awake since he hadn’t answered any of your messages from earlier, and the thought of climbing into bed with him made you feel warm and soft all over. “Take a right up here, that way’s probably quicker.”

“The fuck do you mean, probably?” Peter questions, making you crack up all over again. “So, correct me if I’m wrong, but Jeff Skinner, the professional hockey player, is your boyfriend, and you didn’t even tell me about it?” 

“Yeah,” you respond, trying to look apologetic for not telling him but you just ended up grinning like an idiot at the mere mention of Jeff. “I’can’t believe Lydia didn’t tell you, this is the result of her handiwork.” 

Peter’s not even surprised by that. “So, are you going to tell me how all of this happened, or what?”

You snort then, shrugging as you continue to smile. “I’ve known Jeff for as long as I can remember really. He played hockey with my brother when we were little, our families are friends. We dated for a while in high school, then he got drafted and went to North Carolina. Now eight years later, he got traded here and Lydia tricked me into going to a game, and here we are.”

“Shut the fuck up, that’s some rom-com shit, honestly,” he says, glancing at you with a look of teasing disbelief. “He’s a good guy though?”

The question makes you smile. Peter had always been one to look after both you and Lydia, and you’re glad to see that the distance hadn’t changed that. “The best, really. He always has been,” you assure him and he nods. “We’ve probably moved kind of fast, but it’s been so easy, like we just picked up where we left off.”

“Good. You’re happy, I can tell. I’ve never seen you light up like that when you talk about someone,” he tells you, looking over at you quickly before changing lanes. 

Feeling your cheeks burn with a flush, you cross the subject. “Enough about me, what about you, huh? Have you been dating at all?” you question, raising an eyebrow as you glance over at him. 

Peter laughs, shaking his head immediately. “No, not at all, honestly. I just feel like I haven’t had any time to even try. I’m trying to make friends first, then go from there,” he admits, and you nodding in understanding.

“Yeah, I know what you mean, that was me a couple years ago,” you way with a sympathetic smile. You spot Jeff’s building and quickly point it out to Peter. “It’s that one! Just drop me off where you can, I guess.”

Peter pulls to the curb, and you unfasten your seatbelt before turning to hug him over the center console. He hugs you back tightly, and when you pull away, you’re smiling.

“Have a good trip home tomorrow, and please, let us know when you’re in town next!” you say, making sure you’ve got your phone and keys before opening the door. 

“Don’t worry, I will,” he promises as you climb out of the car. He waves as you close the door, and you do the same before heading toward the door.

In your drunken state, it takes a moment for you to figure out which key you need to use, then another to fit it into the lock to get into the lobby. You doubt Jeff is awake yet, but you text him to tell him you’re in the lobby anyway, and you press the up button on the elevator repeatedly in impatience.

You ran into the same delay with your keys outside Jeff’s door, and you nearly trip as you step into his apartment. It’s quiet and you hush yourself softly while toeing off your shows. Knowing you’d left a hamper of clean clothes in the laundry room, you stop there first to change into leggings and one of Jeff’s shirts, fully intent on being lazy and cozy until you had to leave for the game later.

Jeff’s bedroom door is partially open when you approach it a moment later, and you smile to yourself when you see him in bed. He’s shirtless, blankets pulled up to his chest and he’s sprawled out, looking so sweet and relaxed. You cross the room and slip under the sheets with him, the shifting of the bed making him sigh quietly in his sleep. Staying still for a moment, you listen to the even sound of his breathing before leaning over him enough to kiss his chest lightly. 

He stirred a little, grumbling as he brought a hand up to run over your hair. Smiling to yourself, you kiss higher, along his neck and he loops an arm around you as you finally kiss his mouth.

“Hi,” you murmur, pulling back to look down at him.

“Hey,” he responds, sounding groggy as he turns his head to yawn. “What time is it?”

“Almost 2,” you say, pressing another kiss to his mouth before shifting to straddle him. He looks up at with a sleepy grin as you drape your body over his. “Did you have a good nap?” Jeff nods, tilting his head up enough to kiss you again. You feel warm all over, absolutely giddy just to be there with him. 

“Did you have a good time gambling and day drinking?” he asks and you snort, laughing as you nod back at him. You reposition yourself just slightly, hips pressing down against his in a way that makes electricity shoot up your spine.

“Yeah, it was fun. Lydia drank more than I did, so she was all fired up about losing,” you tell him, moving down his body more and kissing his collarbone.

He chuckles, the sound vibrating in his chest. “Yeah, I’m sure she was,” he responds, bringing a hand up to push your hair back out of your face. He toys with the strands idly as you move lower again, kissing down his chest as you glance up at him. “What are you doing?” A crooked grin settles on his face that you mirror back to him. 

“Haven’t decided yet,” you murmur, kissing his stomach as you toy with the waist of his sweatpants. He chuckles softly, nodding and tucking a hand behind his head as he watches you. Looking up at him, you bite your lip while shifting to kneel between his knees.

“We’ve got a couple of hours to figure it out,” he teases, and you grin, humming in agreement as you kiss the line of his hip.

“Don’t think I’ll need that long,” you respond, bringing a hand up to brush your knuckles over the hardening line of his cock. Looking up at him through your lashes, you kiss just above the band of his pants. His abs tense at the light touch of your lips, making you smirk.

When his hand tightens into a fist at his side, you can’t help the soft chuckle that leaves you. Moving lower, your lips ghost over the obvious bludge of his cock and he swears under his breath, hips twitching with the effort to keep still as he watches you.

“Christ, are you trying to make me beg for it?” he asks, and you look up in time to see him practically squirming in place.

You bite your lip again in an attempt to hide the grin that spread across your face, shrugging as you tilt your head to one side. “I haven’t ruled it out,” you say in an attempt to sound coy. Jeff cursed then, letting his head fall back against the pillow, and you laugh quietly, shaking your head. “So impatient.” Your words come as you tsk softly, and he nods in response, exhaling a breath.

Jeff brings a hand up to push your hair out of your face so he can look at you, a tender motion that never fails to make you shiver. You glance up to make eye contact with him before giving in and starting to tugs his sweats down his hips. He lets out a relieved sigh, lifting his hips lazily to help you out, and your mouth follows the path of the fabric, kissing his newly exposed skin. 

With his cock free, your hand moves quickly, stroking him slowly from base to tip with a hum. He twitches against your palm, and he twists the sheets in his fist when your head tilts to trace the vein the runs up his shaft with your tongue. Your mouth is practically watering by the time your lips close enough the head of his cock, sucking lightly before pulling off. A sound of frustration leaves him and your grin reappears.

“You ready to beg yet, or should I keep teasing?” you ask, eyebrow raised as you stroke him again slowly. He hisses, hips rocking toward your hand as his brows knit together. His chest is flushed, the color rising higher and he whines your name so quietly that you can barely hear it.

“Fuuuck, y/n. Please, sweetheart,” he murmurs, voice low. He’s watching you intently, eyes on your hand that’s wrapped around his dick as it continues to move in lazy strokes. You raise an eyebrow and wait for him to continue, loving the way he’s absolutely squirming. “Goddammit, I need your mouth, please.”

Jeff’s getting whinier with each passing second and it’s far too hot to say no to. You stroke him a few more times, loving the sound of him panting for you, cheeks flushed, before closing your lips around the head of his cock again. He makes a sound like the wind’s been knocked out of him, and it does wonders for your ego. 

“Holy shit, thank you,” he says, sounding breathless already as you take him deeper in your mouth. His hand leaves his side to come up to your hair, tangling in the strands as he pulls it away from your face. “You look so fucking beautiful with my cock in your mouth.” The words leave him so casually that it makes you moan, pulling back enough to soothe your tongue over the slit at the head of his dick.

You start bobbing your head in slow movements, taking him deep enough that your gag reflex is almost triggered. He groans, the sound leaving him slowly as his hips press up toward you. Your clit is throbbing between your thighs then, and you can feel how slick you are when you shift. Bringing a hand up to rest on his thigh, you let your nails drag over his skin lightly as you bob your head, taking your time to let him slip deeper down your throat. 

A slew of curses leaves him when you swallow around him, his hand tightening in your hair as his hips twitch toward your mouth again. You can taste pre-cum at the back of your tongue and you groan around him, relaxing your jaw as you take him deep enough that your nose is pressing against his pelvis. 

Jeff makes a punched out sound, murmuring that he loves you, and when you glance up at him, he’s still watching you closely. You nearly pull off him, taking a breath and teasing along a vein with the tip of your tongue. He’s tense, practically slack-jawed as he keeps his eyes on you.

You love when he’s like this, putty in your hands (or mouth to be more specific) like you’re the only thing in the world that he’s ever wanted. His flush has moved up his neck and he’s breathing heavily, groaning as you bob your head shallowly. The sounds he makes never fail to make your pussy throb, and when you lean over him more, you can tell that you’ve already soaked through your panties.

“Baby, unless you want me cumming down your throat, you should stop,” he warns before you’ve even let him slip down your throat again.

You pull off, lifting your head to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “I mean, I don’t hate the sound of that,” you tease, stroking his cock slowly in the absence of your mouth on him.

He curses softly, head falling back against the pillow while murmuring something about you trying to kill him and you laugh, leaning forward to kiss his stomach once before pulling back.

You get to your feet on shaky legs, grinning at him as you pull your shirt off over your head, unclipping your bra a second later and letting the fabric drop to the floor. Jeff manages to tear his eyes away from you long enough to nudge his sweats off and grab a condom while you slip out of your leggings. You nearly trip as you get your panties and leggings off completely, and you laugh as you catch your balance. 

“You okay?” Jeff asks, glancing at you with a wide smile on his face as he rips he condom open. 

“Yep, never better,” you respond, smiling as you push your hair out of your face. Returning to the bed, you lean over him, pressing a firm kiss to his mouth. You swing your leg over his hip as he rolls the condom down onto his length, his eyes taking in the sight of your body over his again. 

One of Jeff’s hand comes up to rest on your waist, leaning up enough to kiss you again, while the other slips between your legs. A low groan leaves you as his fingers slide through your folds, hips immediately canting down against his hand.

“Fuck, Jeff,” you breathe, a whimper catching in your throat. He hums in appreciation when your wetness coats his fingers, toying with your clit to make you squirm over him.

“God, you’re always so fucking wet after sucking my cock,” he murmurs, voice low as he looks up at you. His fingers are sliding through your folds effortlessly, teasing at your entrance, and you groan his name again, grinding against his hand eagerly. 

Making an impatient sound, you shift, hand slipping between your bodies to guide his cock to your entrance. Your touch makes him curse softly, his lips parting as his eyes drop down to watch his cock sink into you as your hips lower toward his.

“Shit, y/n,” he groans, head falling back against the pillow with a content sigh. His hands move to your hips, resting there as you sink onto him further. 

You’d forgotten how much you love riding him, how he makes you feel so full as he looks up at you like you’ll disappear if he looks away. Your thighs are tense and you bite your lip, your hands pressing against his chest as your hips lower a little more, and a moan catches in your throat. His thumb brushes idly over your skin, the other hand moving higher over your waist until he’s cupping your breast in his palm.

Leaning over him, hands resting on either side of his head, you kiss him as your hips roll down against his. He moans into your mouth, hand sliding from your hip to your ass, squeezing you there as his thumb drags over your nipple. You shiver, melting against him with a wanton groan as you try to settle into a rhythm. The head of his cock hits your g-spot with the next motion of your hips, making you tighten around him.

You’re doing your best as you try to keep focused on easy rhythm you’ve set, pussy throbbing around his length as you sit up again. Hands resting on his chest, you bite your lip playfully, grinning down at him as you grind against him rougher than before. A gasp slips from you, given the friction of your clit against his pelvic bone, and Jeff hums, eyes sliding over your frame as he rolls your nipple between his fingers. 

“Mm, sweetheart,” he breaths, squeezing your ass as your hips grind into his again, the friction too good to stop chasing. “Fuck, that’s good.” You nod quickly, panting out a curse as you tilt your head back to get your hair out of your face. 

It surprises you when Jeff fucks up into you, a whine slipping past your lips as your hips slam down to meet his. He curses loudly, the grip on you ass tightening and guiding your hips forward against his again. You can tell that you’re soaked, making the slide of his cock in and out of you easy and downright sinfully good. 

“Come here,” Jeff says, voice low as he pulls you down to him easily. You chuckle, grinning as you lean over him again, hips never slowing as you continue to rock against him. His hand slips into your hair, keeping it back from your face and tangling in the strands as he kisses you.

You moan, whining as his teeth catch on your bottom lip. Your clit is begging for attention and a jolt runs down your spine to your core as he tugs at your nipple. “Oh, fuck, I love you,” you pant, the words exhaled into his mouth before you’re kissing him again desperately. You’re close, toes curling as your hand slips between your bodies to help yourself along.

The extra friction makes you cry out, mouth leaving his as you try to catch your breath. His mouth moves to your neck, finding the spot that always takes your breath away, then moving down to your collarbone. He tugs at your hair, not enough to hurt but enough that you gasp, the sound fading into a whine as his mouth moves over your chest. Your movements have grown more erratic, searching for the perfect combination of friction to send you over the edge.

As good as it feels to have his mouth on you and to be kissing him, you sit up again, knowing the angle is just that much better. It only takes a few rocks of your hips to have you groaning in satisfaction, leaning back slightly and resting a hand on his thigh for support while still rubbing your clit. Jeff’s eyes are glued to you as his hand comes nudges yours out of the way toy with the swollen bundle of nerves himself. You don’t stop him, a smirk sliding onto your face briefly before your mouth falls open with a moan.

“God, Jeff, that’s so fucking good,” you whimper, thighs shaking as he fucks up into you and hitting your g-spot in a way that makes you gasp. The bed is squeaking slightly with the movement of you, mixing with the sounds you’re each making.

It didn’t surprise you when your orgasm washed over you a moment later, knowing how easy it was for him to just completely unravel you. You cried out, head falling back as you try to keep the motion of your hips going. It’s more difficult than you expected, moaning his name as you grind down against him roughly. 

He nods beneath you, brow creased in concentration as his thumb continues to rub firm circles against your clit. Leaning forward slightly, your hands press against his chest and you can tell from the look in his eye that he’s close as well. Your nails dig into skin, making him hiss and groan that he loves you. The rustling of fabric beneath you gives way to his pressing his foot into the mattress for leverage, as he grips your hip with one hand. 

Jeff fucks up into you at the perfect angle to make you go still, desperate for him to keep hitting that same spot. Reduced to whimpering, your eyes squeeze shut, body still as his hips slam up into yours. The sound of skin on skin, his heavy breathing, and your breathless whines filled the room, and you could feel that you’d each worked up a bit of a sweat. A chill runs through your body like electricity, making you shudder as your orgasm starts to fade.

Your pussy is still tight around him when his thumb leaves your clit before he’s tugging you down to him more. He pressed his face into your neck, breathing hot into your skin and groaning while kissing down to your breasts again. He sighs your name into your chest as he cums a short moment later, grunting roughly as his hips slow until he’s worn out. You move slowly, eager to drag out the last few seconds of pleasure.

Jeff melts into the mattress as he rests his head against the pillow. His eyes are closed and you imagine that if it weren’t for the hand rubbing over your thigh contently, you’d think he’d gone back to sleep already. You don’t pull away just yet, kissing down his chest as you try to catch your breath. He’s so relaxed and you can feel his heart pounding as his hand leaves your thigh.

When he pushes your hair out of your face you look up to see him grinning at you. “Have I told you that I love you recently?” he asks, the words coming slow. His voice was like warm honey and you smile back at him before leaning up enough to press a lingering kiss to his mouth.

“A few times, yeah,” you respond, hips resting down against his as you enjoy the fullness of having him inside you still.

“Mm, gotcha,” he says, toying with the ends of your hair and pressing a kiss to your forehead. “You only came once, didn’t you?” His brow creases slightly when you nod.

“Yeah, but trust me, I am a very satisfied customer,” you assure him, only to hear him snort with laughter in response. He guides your mouth back to yours, and you can feel him smiling as he kisses you. It’s slow at first, but when his tongue slides over yours, you feel your clit throb.

“Want me eat you out?” he asks, his mouth barely leaving yours. The words seem so casual and you groan, tightening around him enough that he cursed under his breath. It only takes another second before you’re nodding, moaning into his mouth as he starts to untangle himself from you.

Jeff turns you over onto your back easily and pulls out before kissing you hard before getting to his feet. Legs still open for him, you watch the muscles of his torso move as he discards the condom. Your hand slips between your thighs impatiently, and when he follows the motion of your hand, he smirks, tugging you an inch or two closer by the ankle. 

He climbs back onto the bed, getting settled on his stomach between your thighs. After moving your hand away from your clit, he sucks your fingers into his mouth briefly, smirk never leaving. Guiding your legs over his shoulders, he groaned loudly at the sight of you. You knew you were absolutely soaked, and when you felt his tongue sweep through your sensitive folds a second later, your hips twitched toward his mouth.

His mouth is hot against you and your hand moves to his hair, fingers tangling in his short curls. You tug at the strands, nails brushing over his scalp to make him hum in approval. It’s impossible to stop yourself from squeezing your thighs around his head as you whimper, hips rocking easily against his mouth. He swings an arm over you to keep you still, leaning into you more while he licks from your entrance, up to your clit, then back slowly. You realize he’s cleaning you up and you relax back into the mattress as your heel digs into the back of his shoulder.

Jeff’s tongue is still moving slowly through your folds, just taking his time and you watch him with heavy lidded eyes. The damp heat of his breath hitting your skin had you shivering while your legs shake. Your fingers curl in his hair as you inhale sharply, your other hand dropping to brush light circles against your nipple. 

He’s watching you with dark eyes, watching the way you tease at your breast. His pressure changes then, tongue going from slow and lazy to hungry and firm it sinks into you. You try to buck up against him but his arm keeps you in place. A wanton moan leaves you as his tongue fucks into you again before dragging slowly up to your clit again, with the same firmness that has you squeezing your thighs around his head again.

Your thumb brushes over your nipple just as he sucks your clit into his mouth, tongue flicking against you quickly and you exhale a desperate sound. “Fuuck, Jeff,” you whine, his name cut short when you cry out as he sinks a finger into you. You can feel yourself shaking, already right there at the edge with how he’d fucked you earlier.

Meeting his eye, you nod weakly and he takes your cue to sink a second fingers into your pussy. Your head falls back against the sheets as your back arches, and when his digits curl against your g-spot, you let out a string of curses. He can tell that you’re getting close and he releases your clit, taking a second to breathe before teasing at your clit again. You had abandoned the idea of toying with your nipple, far too consumed by the soft sounds of his mouth working against you.

His fingers are deep inside you, scissoring slightly and always making sure to hit your g-spot, and your legs tighten around his shoulders. Squirming, you again find yourself trapped by his arm and you make a frustrated noise that makes him pull away from you slightly.

“Cum for me, baby,” he tells you, already leaning back to seal his lips around your clit again.

Your whines build and build, eyes squeezing shut as his fingers fuck into you, and you topple over the edge a second later. You cum with a sharp moan, pulsing tightly around his fingers as Jeff groans against you, fingers still curling inside you. The orgasm is hot and bright, and Jeff guides you through it, murmuring praise every time he’s pull back from you to take a breath.

When you float back down, your eyes are heavy and you finally loosen your grip on Jeff’s hair slightly. His fingers are gone and he’s back to lapping at your folds lazily, making it that much harder to keep yourself from shaking. After another moment, you have to push him away, gasping you try to wiggle away from him. 

Jeff chuckles softly, turning his head to rest against your thigh as he looks up at you. His cheeks are rosy, and when he grins, you can see that his mouth and chin are shiny with you’re wetness. 

“Thought you were drying to suffocate me there for a minute,” he teases, hand sliding along your thigh as he guides your leg off his shoulder. 

Laughing, you nudge him gently with your knee. “Shut up,” you respond, shaking your head as he leans up, pressing a kiss to your stomach. The light touch of his mouth makes you shiver, and you run a fingertip down his nose lightly. You’re trembling slightly, shivering as you try and catch your breath. 

Jeff noses at your ribs, kissing his way up your body. Your hand returns to his hair, smoothing it with a light touch. The longer you stay there, the more relaxed you feel, and you realize that it’d be very easy to doze off. As Jeff’s mouth moved higher, he shifted to lean over you, his body radiating warmth as he kisses you on the mouth. 

When he pulls away, it’s to settle back against the pillows, and he chuckles when you pout at him slightly. “C’mere, lazy,” he says, patting his chest before tugging at your hand to get you to move.

Sighing heavily, you move, curling into his side. Jeff pulls the blankets over both of you and your head settles on your chest.

tt’s easy to doze for the next hour or so, curled up with him. He had turned the TV at one point, but you weren’t conscious enough to really be sure what he was watching. Jeff ordered food, and when he went to open the door, you rolled into the warm spot he’d left behind, enjoying the smell of his shampoo and cologne clinging to the sheets. When he returned, you heard him scoff at the fact that you’d stolen his spot.

He decides to leave you be, turning around to go eat at the table and that’s when you fully drift off. Some time later, Jeff wakes you up by rubbing a hand over your back to tell you that he was leaving for the arena. 

With a warm, sleepy smile you roll onto your side, promising that you’ll see him soon. You kiss him a few times before he stands up and you get the chance to appreciate how good he looks in his suit before he leaves.

Hours later, you’re awake, dressed, and enjoying the game with Lydia. The score was tied by midway through the second period and Jeff had two assists. Sipping at your beer, your eyes are on the ice, but Lydia is practically vibrating next to you. 

There’s a stoppage in play a second later and you look at her with an eyebrow raised. “Go ahead,” you tell her, taking another drink. You’re wearing your jersey tonight with black jeans and booties, and Lydia’s in an Eichel jersey that you feel like you haven’t seen before. 

“What are you talking about?” Lydia asks, brow creasing as she glances up at the scoreboard. 

“You are clearly dying to tell me something, so go ahead,” you respond, laughing slightly. She rolls her eyes, hating that she makes things so obvious.

“I left my bag in Peter’s car, so he stopped by with it after dropping you off,” she says, pausing heavily. It doesn’t take you long to figure out what she’s implying, and you snort, shaking your head.

“Girl, look at you,” you tell her, laughing as you raise your beer to her. “Wait, did you leave your bag in his car on purpose?” 

She snorts, shrugging, and you both double over in laughter. It wasn’t the first time she’d used that move, and you knew it wouldn’t be the last.

“Not like you can judge. I’d bet $50 that you went straight to Jeff’s to get busy,” she teases, and your response is to shrug, because it’s not like you’d take that bet.

The two of you continued to to chit-chat and drink, enjoying yourselves as the second period wound down. With a little over a minute to go in the period, Jeff took a hit that made you gasp, bringing you to your feet when he didn’t get up immediately. The arena was full of chatter and your heart was thundering in your chest, watching as Jeff finally got up with the help of his teammates. You dropped into your seat as he immediately went down the tunnel, and Lydia was quick to take your hand, holding it tightly. 

You didn’t know what to do, so you sat there, chewing on your lip and bouncing your leg idly. Lydia was quiet, still holding your hand because she wasn’t sure what else to do to help you feel better. Your stomach twists in knots, and you send Jeff a text, unsure of when he’d even have the chance to check his phone.

“Y/n, Twitter says he’s not coming back to the game,” Lydia tells you and you sigh, pushing your hair out of your face. Through most of intermission, you’re silent, staring at your phone and hoping for some sort of news.

It finally came a few minutes into the 3rd period, a text from Jeff, asking you come down to where you usually meet him. Lydia promises that she’ll be fine watching the rest of the game by herself, and you nod, taking off up the stairs just as the Sabres score.

When you see Jeff, seeing that he’s upright and grinning, you’re relieved, putting your arms around him when you’re close enough. He’s freshly showered, and he settles an arm around your shoulder, kissing the top of your head.

“I’m alright, I promise,” he tells you, giving your body a reassuring squeeze. “Knocked the wind out of me pretty bad, and my shoulder hurts like hell, but I’m alright. They don’t think I’ll be out at all.” You nod, finally pulling back to look up at him.

You drove Jeff home and just as you were parking in his garage, you got the notification that Casey scored an empty net goal to seal the win for the Sabres. He was moving a little slower than usual and in the elevator, he was leaning into you. Neither of you said much got in the door, and Jeff immediately headed toward his room. He had mentioned the the trainer had given him some meds, and you could tell he was frustrated about being out for the night, so you gave him some space. 

You busy yourself by tidying up the living room some. Folding a blanket, fluffing the pillows, and a few other meaningless tasks to pass a little bit of time. He had always been quiet after a bad game or something like this, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise.

When you come into the bedroom, he’s already in bed, on his back with one arm draped over his eyes. Jeff doesn’t move as you cross the room to go into the bathroom. You wash your face and brush your teeth before heading back into his room so you can change. After hanging up your jersey, you change into a pair of sweats and one of Jeff’s shirts, and when you turn around, he’s watching you with a sad look in his eye.

“Which side do you want me on?” you ask, giving him a sympathetic smile. He pats his left side and you climb into bed with him. It takes no time at all for him to roll toward you, settling himself under your arm to nuzzle into your collarbone. 

You hardly mind, loving how quickly he curled around you. His breath against you, and your fingers rub lightly of his back as you feel him relax. Turning your head slightly, you kiss the side of his head and he snuggles into your shoulder a little more.

“How are you feeling?” you ask, voice soft as you toy with his hair.

“M’okay,” he mumbles, so pitifully that you chuckle. He exhales a deep sigh before shifting onto his side a little more, but keeping his head where it was on your shoulder. “Just glad we got to 2 points.” You nod, enjoying the way he’s leaning into your touch as you continue to play with his short curls.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to watch something?” Your voice is quiet, just hoping there’s something you can do to help him feel better.

“Not hungry, but you can put something on if you want. Can’t promise I’ll stay up for long though, I’m already pretty drowsy,” he says, tipping his head up to look at you. He looks sleepy, and you nod, pressing an easy kiss to his mouth before you reach for the remote. 

“No preference what I put on then?” 

“Nah, not really,” he says, settling his head on your chest again as you start scrolling through Netflix. You’re both quiet for a moment as you start an episode of Derry Girls, and with the sound of Jeff’s even breathing, you think he’s asleep already, so it surprises you when he speaks again. “Are you ready for next weekend?”

You don’t answer right away, but a second later, you nod. “Yeah, I think so. I’m kind of nervous too, but I don’t really know why,” you admit, shrugging as you keep your eyes on the tv. Knowing you probably wouldn’t bother staying up much later, you turn off the lights, grateful for the fancy tech in Jeff’s room that allows you to do it from your phone. 

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” he says, his arm tightening around your waist. “I’m excited though, for everyone to know about us.” You smile warmly to yourself and hum in agreement.

“Me too. I’m still a little nervous, but I know it’ll be a good weekend. It’ll be nice to see everybody.”

“Mhm. Just a few more days now. Are you still coming to the game Wednesday? Figured we could leave straight from the arena,” he says, words coming slower and slower.

“Works for me,” you tell him, starting to play with his hair again. He nods, yawning before settling into you even more. 

It’s no surprise that he dozes off shortly after, and you don’t stay up much later, just long enough to finish the episode you’d started. Once you turn off the tv, you lay there in the dark, enjoying the sound of Jeff’s breathing and the warmth of his body pressed against yours. It’s easy to get to sleep that night.

TA-DUH!!! I really like this chapter guys, and I hope you do as well!!! next chapter starts the 4 chapter long section of being at the wedding and i’m so excited to start working on those chapters! 

[saoirsetm]

hey y’all ! i’m kat and we’re FINALLY opening ?!? i’m so hyped, you don’t even know. i’m a double leo Trying to survive video lectures in a noisy house who loves dark chocolate and 80% of the kpop releases so far this year ( stream feel good by fromis_9, it’s such a cute bop ! ) i’m also a cat mom to my almost fourteen year old babies who are still like energetic kittens, so ask for pics and you shall receive DSLKGJ but without further ado, here’s my girl who’s gonna prove that hindsight is INDEED 20/20, so this is gonna be fun:

✧ ˖ * ° ><> ╱  abigail cowen,  cis female,  she/her  —  look  who’s  fresh  from  the  ferry,  aren’t  you  SAOIRSE LEARY  ?  your  eroda  brochure  says  you’re  TWENTY-THREE  and  that  you’re  currently  residing  in  MARMOTON  .  your  favourite  tourist  attraction  to  hang  around  is  ERODIAN BEACH  ,  and  the  locals  around  these  ports  would  describe  you  as  INQUISITIVE  &  INTREPID,  STUBBORN  &  IMPULSIVE  .  your  resting  fish  face  really  gives  off  LONG HAIR BLOWN BACK BY THE OCEAN BREEZE, LATE NIGHTS SPENT PLOTTING THE NEXT GREAT VOYAGE, RED LIPSTICK IMPRINTED ON A MUG OF TEA  ,  and  i’m  a  big  fan  of  the  VINTAGE CELTIC KNOT NECKLACE  you  seem  to  always  be  attached  to.  well,  if  you  see  the  minister  this  morning;  make  sure  you  head  on  home  as  quick  as  possible,  you  never  know  what  bad  luck  he  could  bring.  ╱  ooc;  kat,  23,  she/her,  ast.

tw: needles ( tattoo mention ), cancer mention, death mention

miss saoirse...... oof

GDFLSJL where do i begin with her honestly ??

full name is saoirse eve leary, affectionately called cece by her family since she was young and runs with it as her nickname !

born and raised in cork, ireland with two siblings, a working class father and Slightly upper middle class mother

her childhood wasn’t like, Majorly eventful; she was considered a bit of a tomboy which isn’t a surprise bc she’s always been a bit of a spirited, adventurous girl, has the odd nomadic moment strike her and loves to travel

had a SUPER close relationship with her maternal grandmother before she passed a few years back, still has a close one with her grandfather and paternal grandmother as they’re still living

is a big family girl overall, so much so that she’s eagerly awaiting the day she gets to be the cool aunt

had a decent cluster of pals over the years that’s likely dwindled due to everyone going their separate ways after high school

saoirse Did go to uni between her travels — and graduated — and has aspirations of becoming an anthropologist to explore other cultures and meet new people/understand them

which.. obviously ain’t happening now LFSGJGF rip

came to eroda partially bc it seems like such a pretty and quaint place, partially to explore its “ myth ” that you can never leave; her naturally curious ass questions the whole thing, at least in the sense that there’s no way to challenge your supposed fate on the island and won’t deny entertaining some conspiracy theories around the mystery

she still doesn’t understand that.. yeah, she Literally is stuck here for the rest of her life now, probably because she hasn’t made a Real attempt to put that to the test, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it FDSLKJDS

anyways she came here solo ( more than likely ) and has enjoyed her time getting to know the locals and other visitors, taking in the scenery, etc

probably took up a part-time job at sally’s tavern to cover her expenses since she lives in marmoton and it ought to be close enough for her to get to gfjlsdg

personality and everything else

a sociable, ( relatively ) fearless ginger with an eclectic taste in music and a profound appreciation for pastries.. 

despite being all about cleaner eating habits and lowering her sugar intake, she takes a cheat day or week wherever she can LSDGFJK

parties, game nights, etc, you name it ?? she’s there !

kinda competitive while we’re bringing up games and such, but she’s not about the whole sore winner/loser thing — rather she’ll groan and sulk a little before moving on

like i said before, loves to travel, loves pretty places in general so prepare yourself for an abundance of pictures on her insta feed of where she’s been or where she wants to go

loyal as hell, but she has her limit if you misuse the trust that comes with it

she’s just v wholesome and has a mix of small town city/endlessly curious energy with a sprinkle of being the life of the party……. kinda

however, she’s the most ?? hard to place person all the same

that feeling of freedom that comes with her exploring and all makes her a little hard to tie down; she doesn’t plan on staying in eroda ( which is unfortunate for her considering.... fglsdk ) as she has more to accomplish and see

very much does her own thing and doesn’t wanna hear any criticism for it

as if she’s that out of line DLJGDSLK but still

always wants to try new things, no matter how dumb they might be; except for anything that’s a Legitimate death sentence or is.. a GENUINELY dumb idea, she has enough common sense to know what Not to do KSGFDJDS

has little tattoos on her wrist and behind her left ear for her Favourite trips/symbols/whatever and her family, will let y’all know what they’d be whenever i figure them out since i’m so damn picky with these things

a Big supporter for buying/investing locally, has little trinkets and such to prove it

in fact, she has a collection of thrifted or vintage clothes from her travels and back home, and a chest full of cute jewelry she switches between daily

one piece she wears all the time — only parts with it when she sleeps — is the celtic knot pendant mentioned in her app that’s become something of an heirloom on her mom’s side of the family !

she has the cutest irish lilt in my mind, kinda the same as miss ronan’s and aisling bea’s

really loves her freckles, partially bc i love her freckles and my own :(

tea > coffee, but she loves coffee-flavoured things; bring her a peppermint or camomile tea as her shift winds down or.. idk, just because, and she’ll be forever indebted to you fldjgs

loves to hang out by the water in her free time — she loves the scent and sounds that comes with it, it’s one of the few places where she can put her mind to rest for a bit

the sound of rain hitting a rooftop is her perfect sleep soundtrack

kinda wants to adopt a pet, but doesn’t wanna leave them if she goes on an excursion where they can’t come with her :(

baths with epsom salts, candles that smell like lavender or something just as pleasant and calming, etc during a night in soothes the hell out of her soul

top three products she has in her bag at all times, besides personal info and her phone ? lip balm, a powder spf and mints FGLGKSD

btw.. miss ginger hair and freckles will probably gasp at anyone going out with no spf on them and scold tf out of them bc ‘ hello, melanoma ?? sunburn ?!? ’

wanted connections

childhood pal(s) she’s bumped into: reunited by chance, cece’s glad she has a couple of people she knows to keep her grounded when her mind runs wild at what Might happen when she decides to try her hand at leaving

cousin(s), other relatives: idk, figured it’d be fun for her to have a family member or two running around and not realizing the other relative is the Only one they’ll see in person from here on out

best pal(s) in eroda: someone she’s taken to since arriving, likely spending their free-time eating pastries on the beach, talking shit over tea, little market dates, going to the rainzone half-drunk and trying to rope each other into new things

opposites attract.. of sorts sfdlgkj: basically just a traveler meeting a local who’s never been off eroda, telling all about their ( quite limited ) excursions and bonding in other areas over time !

hook-ups, fwbs.... ENEMIES with benefits?? idk, point is the girl’s probably gotten laid since arriving, it’s all a matter of the situation that fits your muse(s) best FHGSDKJ

roommate: she lives in marmoton, likely in a rental of sorts, and i can’t see her living alone given the situation on the island ( though i’ve viewed her as the type to live alone in a space for one and a half people any other time tbh ). so she has just One and they make the arrangement work ! depending on their personalities and such, we’ll figure out how well they get along Exactly, if at all

ex ??: the girl’s bi so y’all can toss anyone at her for this one as well ! question marks bc i was thinking it’d be an on-and-off thing but maybe not come the time i post this intro LSGKD. basically they were seeing each other for a few months, she fell hard Quick/they moved kinda fast bc they were vibing and they would distance themselves upon realizing this — though i see cece giving them distance bc she knows they need it rather than needing it herself. if it IS on-and-off, they’re definitely off rn and treading lightly ( though she finds it hard to stray and hates things not being fully resolved no matter what happens ?? ), so all it’s a bit angsty regardless of how it goes dfgkljsdg

fellow mystery fiend: someone please fuel her curiosity to the max and try to crack the impossible case of eroda’s captive capabilities with her.. and proceed to watch true crime shows with her when that clearly goes to shit SDFKLJ

older sibling or mentor dynamic: someone to look out for her/teach her some things to help fully support herself/give her advice when she probably needs it most.. idk, i just like the idea of someone becoming a stand-in relative type of friend to her 

just give her someone to confide in, to swim at night with, stargaze and all that cute shit, be it platonically or otherwise !

she’s not gonna click with everyone and that’s fine, BUT maybe they run in the same social circles and cece thinks they seem nice enough, but they never really talk amongst themselves ?? just a case of awkwardly starting from scratch and seeing where it takes us !

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Kissing Dead Pearls (Part 6)

Sokka used to chase gulls with her.

That was how they met. On a bright sunny afternoon. One where the sun blazed hotter than it had all summer. Where there were only a few extraordinarily puffy and perfectly white clouds in the sky. The forecaster had announced record high temperatures that afternoon and Ursa had been yelling, from atop the cliff,  at her to get inside before she got charred.

Azula decided that day that she was a sea dragon and had boldly declared as much and that, “dragons don’t get hot!”

Ursa had stormed off the patio at a brisk pace, only to be caught by Ozai. He’d muttered something to her that was probably akin to, “let her have her fun, I’ll watch her.” Because Ursa had disappeared back into the lighthouse--presumably by Zuko--and Ozai made his way down to the beach.

She caught sight of Sokka and his family before Ozai had made it to the sand. Hakoda held his hand and Kya held Katara’s. They’d expected her to take a shining to Katara first, but she’d marched right up to Sokka and declared that his shark print swim trunks were cool, but that her dragon swimsuit was better.

For a while she, Sokka, and Katara batted at a mound of sand with brightly colored plastic  shovels. Katara insisted that these little mounds were sandcastles. Azula’s had more shape to them, but they kept collapsing every time Sokka carelessly chucked sand at them. She couldn’t hit him with her eclectic blue shovel until his parents weren’t looking. And when she’d finally gotten the opportunity, he hit her back! Zuzu never hit her back. The look on his face when she’d whined that he hit her was priceless. And for nearly an hour she played exclusively with Katara.

And then they’d spotted the seagull. She hadn’t paid it much mind, none at all, actually. She had a rather decent sandcastle in the makings now that Sokka was in time out. But the seagull made itself known by landing upon her hard work and collapsing it. She screeched in aggravation and she thinks that her father might have had to stifle a chuckle. Hakoda, next to him, surely did.

In an attempt to get himself out of trouble he chucked his dark blue shovel at the gull. It squealed and shambled off. “I bet that you can’t catch it!” Azula proclaimed loudly.

“I can so!” Sokka insisted.

“If you do I’ll buy you a boat!” In essence it was a promise to steal her daddy’s credit card and somehow make her way to the boat shop across the way. Not that Sokka, only eight, could do anything with a boat. And not that she, only seven, could legally purchase one.

That logic passed the both of them by and he chased the gulls for days, sacrificing countless hamburger buns for the sake of that quest.

He never did catch that seagull.

.oOo.

She knows that she ought to go home, that there’s no sense in staying, especially not now that the tide has risen again and she can’t make her way out to the rock cluster. Instead, Azula sits on the shore with her head resting on knees that are drawn up to her chest, toes buried in the sand. The sun beams down upon her, scorching her skin. But it doesn’t matter. Nothing particularly does.

She knows, just as much as she is aware that there is no point to watching the arch, that she shouldn’t hinge her entire life on one boy.

One kind, humorous, and loving boy.

But then, this is no breakup. It isn’t a matter of moving away or growing apart. There is no chance of getting him back. So maybe it is justifiable and understandable to give in and render herself useless over one boy. One kind, humorous, and loving boy.

She feels numb. Numb to the sun on her skin that would normally breath life into her. Numb to the ocean lapping at her calves that would normally soothe her. Numb to the kind ocean breeze and numb to the greetings of the old sailors and their good natured inquiries about how she is holding up.

She answers that she is fine.

She is not fine.

Ozai has returned to the bar with a promise to come back by noon. The promise is well intended but empty no less. A few drinks from now and he will have forgotten that he’s made it at all.

It is Katara that finds her. She isn’t surprised, the girl has probably seen her from the deck of La-bsters. In the same way that Azula goes to the arch, Katara likes to sit on that deck and read or stare at the ocean and the seagulls as they zip by.

She watches Katara pad down the beach, hears the crunch of the sand beneath her feet as she kicks up small clouds of it. “Zuko told me about last night.”

Azula scoffs. “Of course he did. Zuko should stop sharing other people’s business.” She doesn’t mean to be snappish and confrontational.

Katara gives a sad half smile. Azula supposed that Katara is used to her moods, she is prone to cold and biting remarks when grief settles in. The girl drops beside her and hands her a mango-pineapple smoothie, her favorite. Long since going enviro-friendly, it is served in a hollowed pineapple. “On the house.” Katara smiles. Azula takes a sip, a pleasing fruity tang bursts on her tongue like a mouthful of sunrise. “I made it myself.” She adds.

“No wonder it tastes so horrible.”

Katara gives her bicep a firm nudge. “At least Toph didn’t make it, you remember Toph’s smoothie, right?”

Azula nods and gives her eyes a roll. “The Mustard Mango Mishap, who cold forget.” They’d let Toph truly her cooking skills and she’d very confidently pushed the mustard dispenser instead of strawberry and then several other smoothie flavors before handing it off to Azula.

It tasted lovely; pineapple, peach, and mango. But instead of strawberry or even wild berry, Azula tasted mustard. She gagged and sputtered, “i-is that mu-mustard!?”

“Whoops.” Was the only answer she’d received.

Azula sips her smoothie, the beverage icy against her palms. She adjusts her sunglasses and peers into it.  “He’s dead.” She remarks bluntly.

Katara cringes. By now, she is used to Azula’s straightforward speech. She is used to it enough to take no offense, to know that she means no harm. But it doesn’t take away the sting of hearing the word ‘dead’.

“I know that he meant a lot to you too.” She says quietly.

Azula grips the pineapple tighter and lightly gnaws on her lower cheek. “I loved him.” She doesn’t think that she had told him enough. In fact, she is almost certain that she had only been able to do it once. When she, face red like a sunburn, asked him if he’d like a date with her. She recalls playful teasing, mostly central to her fluster, before he had agreed.

“So did I.” Katara says. “So do I.”

“Sometimes I want to go out and search for him myself.” Azula confesses. “That way I could say that I did everything I could.”

Katara nods. “Yeah, I sometimes think of the same thing. But then I remember that I don’t have a boat.”

“I do.” Azula replies. “Father is never home, he’d be too drunk to miss it.”

“Azula…? You’re serious?”

Azula rifles through her beach bag and pulls out a journal and several books on navigation, boat maintenance, and general sailing tips. She opens the journal and shows Katara a few pages of notes. “I’ve been studying them for months.” She pauses. “Before he went missing. He was always so enthusiastic about sailing and I enjoy learning new things. I figured that I could do my research and we’d go on a trip together one day…”

She sees Katara’s eyes tear up and her lip tremble. “He would have liked that a lot.”

Azula nods. She turns back to the horizon, watching the place where the clouds swoop down to touch the ocean. “I could get Zuko and we can all go together. I can bring Mai and TyLee, maybe…” She wasn’t holding her breath on that. Despite owning a boat rental, TyLee is horribly afraid of the ocean and is prone to seasickness. And Mai’s mother, kind as she is, is all too overbearing to let her go out to sea. “Your father can come along. And your mother.”

“One of them would have to stay behind to work on repairs to our restaurant. I can’t just leave either of them alone.”

Azula understands. It might just be she and Zuko. Or she alone. “Think about it?” Azula requests, picking up a shell and turning it over in her hand.

Katara is silent for a good while before replying, “sure, Azula. I’ll think about it.”

Azula fidgets with the shell.

“Really, I will.”

Azula nods.

[nationalhoranleague]

Fourteen | Road Trip

≫ Everly - Saturday, January 16, 2016 ≪

"You're going to stop by practice and say goodbye to the boys, right?" I looked to Melissa, who stood leaning against the banister of the stairs, a coffee cup in hand.

"Of course," I looked over my bags that sat on the floor, making sure I had everything. "I would never hear the end of it if I didn't,"

Mel laughed lightly. "I wouldn't advise taking him," She pointed to Sidney who sat over on the arm of the couch, messing around on his phone. "Inside, though."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I wouldn't even think about it." My phone beeped from my pocket with an alarm. My heart fell into my stomach. "We should be going if we want to catch them before they hit the ice." Mel's face fell, but so did mine.

"I'm going to go put these in the car," Sidney suddenly popped up next to me, motioning to our bags on the floor. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mel," Sidney reached to give her a hug, being cautious of her steaming coffee cup. "It was nice to meet you and Jeff." Mel smiled sadly, patting his back as if it was a signal for him to let go of her. Mel never was much of a hugger.

"You're always welcome here, Sid. We're family now, yeah?" Sidney grinned, nodding.

"Yeah," He began to pick up a few bags from the floor. "The same goes for Pittsburgh. Make sure the boys get my note, okay?" I was confused as to what he was talking about, but Mel nodded.

"Of course,"

Sidney turned to me, a suitcase in each hand and my backpack tossed over his shoulder. "I'll meet you in the car, okay?"

I nodded and watched as he made his way out the front door and down the front steps to the car. I sighed heavily as I watched as he climbed into the front seat and shut the door. "I don't want to leave,"

Mel laughed sadly, reaching to set her coffee cup down on a wooden step. "You do," My eyebrows furrowed. "You can't wait to get in that car with your little lover boy." I laughed, reaching up to wipe away a few stray tears.

"I just wish he played here, you know?" Mel nodded, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "I hate being separated from you and Jeff."

"We hate being separated from you," I inhaled sharply, trying to keep my composure. "Maybe, I'll try and talk Jeff into requesting a trade," I laughed, stepping back from her. We both looked awful, red-ringed eyes and cheeks puffy with tears.

"Good luck with that," Mel shrugged like she knew she could never convince Jeff to leave Carolina. "Be good,"

Mel smiled, picking her coffee cup back up. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do while you're in D.C.,"

I smirked, leaning over to scoop up Sidney's carry-on bag and my purse. "What about in the car?"

"Are the windows tinted?" I snorted, shaking my head at the redhead in front of me. A tense pause hung in the air, neither one of us wanting to say the inevitable next words.

"I'll," She stopped to clear her throat. "I'll see you later, okay? I'll come up for my birthday and then we'll work out something for the summer." I nodded, hugging her one more time.

"I'll see you later," I stepped through the open front door and slowly made my way to the rental car parked in the driveway. With one hand on the handle of the passenger side door, I used the other to blow her kiss.

"Ugh," Jeff's breathy exhale blew my fly-away hairs away from the side of my face.

I tilted my head to look up at him. A deep frown and furrowed eyebrows were set into his features. "Jeff," I reached up, placing my hand on his cheek. "We'll be fine, it's only a few more months and then we can spend all summer together!"

Jeff shook his head, releasing me from his embrace. "What if we make playoffs?" I nearly scoffed at the thought. "What if they make playoffs?" Now, that was a little more plausible.

I giggled, shaking my head at my worrisome best friend. "I wouldn't worry too much," Jeff's eyebrows lifted. "We've always done this, you'd go back home to Markham, I'd stay in North Carolina, and then we would travel to see each other." I smiled up at him. "This is nothing new, we can handle it."

"You're not going to go to Nova Scotia with Sidney?" I shrugged my shoulders as we began to walk away from the dressing room and towards the door that I came in through.

I shrugged. "I suppose I don't know, yet. We haven't talked about it,"

Jeff laughed, tugging on one of my boxer braids. "Nonsense,"

"Where are Elias and Justin?" Jeff sighed, leaning against the wall just as we stopped by the door.

"Elias doesn't want to see you off, again, he's in denial, I think. He does, however, want me to do this," Jeff reached to hug me and then kissed both of my cheeks like Elias always does.

I grinned, shaking my head. "You make sure you tell him that he's always welcome in Pittsburgh just like you and Mel are,"

"I will, pipsqueak,"

"Do it in a Swedish accent." Jeff laughed but tried to mock Elias's accent and he failed miserably. "Please, don't do that ever again."

"Justin sends his best wishes," I nodded. "He's in physical therapy this morning, something with his ankle, I think."

I nodded in understanding. "Oh, that's too bad."

Jeff smiled, opening the door and walking out in front of me, leading me to the parking lot. "He's about as graceful on the ice as you are on the ground,"

"So, not at all?" Jeff nodded and laughed. I looked to where Sidney was parked, and through the windshield, I could see him scrolling through his phone just as intently as earlier with his eyebrows furrowed. "Behave yourself, okay? No penalties, no major parties, and please don't aggravate Mel while she's trying to study for school." Jeff nodded, a sad smile on his face as he wrapped me in his arms again.

"Okay, mom," I rolled my eyes at the boy who was only a few months younger than myself, but always felt the need to tease me for the way I looked after him. "Have fun in D.C., text me when you get settled into your hotel so I know you're not dead."

"Alright, dad," Jeff laughed, before unlacing his arms from around me. He lifted his head to glance in Sidney's direction and offered him a wave.

I looked at Sidney, noticing his content smile as he watched Jeff and me. "Go,"

I slowly began making my way towards the rental car Sidney and I would be driving to D.C. in. "I love you, Jeff."

He smiled, winking at me. "I love you too, Everly."

Minute Forty-Seven: US-64 E, Nashville, North Carolina

"So, how did you meet Jeff, exactly?"

I laughed, just a little. "So, before Jeff played hockey, he was a figure skater." Sidney eyed me oddly, but I just nodded. "I was at a competition in Buffalo in like 2004, maybe, and the coach I had at the time knew his coach and so they introduced us to each other and the rest is history,"

Sidney nodded, a smile on his face. "How did you guys end up living together?"

"Coincidental turn of events, really," Sidney laughed and I shrugged. "I graduated from high school, he got drafted to Carolina a few weeks later, and then when he signed his three-year contract we put part of that check and part of the money I got from Vancouver into buying a house."

Sidney smiled. "And you lived there together for five years?" I laughed, nodding.

"Oh yeah," I huffed, a small laugh coming from me. "Fairly sure my parents thought I was insane, buying a house with a teenage professional hockey player that I was in no way in love with." I turned my head to the window. "But, you know what? We had fun and we were the closest thing each other had to family while we were in North Carolina. We hit some rough patches obviously, but we always made up and went back to being siblings. We grew up together, you know?"

Sidney allowed an exhale to evict from him. "Good friends are hard to find,"

I turned my head back to Sidney. "I've been lucky, I suppose." Sidney's eyes briefly left the road to look at me. "Found Jeff, found Mel, Olli," I sighed happily, reaching over the console to place my hand on Sidney's thigh. "Found you."

"We're only friends?" Sidney asked, a playful grin coming across his face.

I laughed, tilting my head back. "You're my best friend, babe."

Sidney hummed, tilting his jaw in my direction. I grinned, pushing myself up to press a kiss against his stubble covered face. "You're my best friend too, Everly Grace."

Hour One, Minute Fifty-Eight: I-95 N, Emporia, Virginia

"Sid," Sidney barely glanced at me in the passenger seat. "I have to use the restroom,"

Sidney groaned loudly, allowing his chin to drop against his chest. "You have to pee, again?"

I blushed, offering a sheepish grin. "Well, no,"

Sidney snorted, shaking his head. "Everly!"

Hour Three, Minute Thirty-Two: I-295 N, Fredericksburg, Virginia

I glanced up from my tattered copy of "Looking for Alaska" to look at Sidney's phone that sat perched up in the cupholder. It had just gone off for about the 16th time since we've been in the car.

"You're a very popular man today,"

Sidney groaned. "Answer that, will you?" I slowly closed my book and reached for Sidney's phone.

"It's Pat," Sidney nodded, a grimace coming across him. "What did you do?" I wondered aloud as I unlocked Sid's phone. I began to read through the numerous texts Sidney had received from his manager, shock coming over me. "Have you read these?"

Sidney nodded his head. "I read the first seven texts,"

I cleared my throat. "Would you like me to read what he just sent you?"

Sidney ran a hand over his face. "Go ahead,"

I sighed, reaching up to toss my two braids over my shoulders. "It's an article, so, prepare yourself."

Sidney stiffened in his seat, cocking his head ever-so-slightly to the side. "It's an article?"

I scoffed, shaking my head with a laugh. "Oh, yeah. TMZ Sports. "America's Sweetheart Everly Grace Cassius has never been one to be shy when it comes to opening up about her private life, often willingly talking about her past struggles with depression, overcoming adversity in the figure skating world, and her dating life. But, since her return to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania in early October of 2015, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist has been relatively hush-hush.

Everly's sudden quietness caused a stir across the figure skating world, as the absence for months on end from social media has not to be seen since Cassius joined the national spotlight. This being said, fans were lead to speculate that Cassius' absence on social media was due to a possible new relationship.

Everly's fans were proven right after she and rumored beau, Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby, were pictured together in Raleigh, with a few friends and NHLers in tow. This is not the first time the two have been linked together, as they were pictured together twice before: first in a Pittsburgh grocery store looking cozy in early December and then again earlier this month, appearing to celebrate her 24th birthday with her family and a few Pittsburgh Penguins players and wives. It is also glaringly hard to ignore the fact that Everly has followed many Penguins' wives and girlfriends on social media, as well as Crosby's younger sister, Taylor.

Crosby is known to the city of Pittsburgh as their most eligible bachelor since his breakup in 2014 from his former flame, Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster, Ella Hart. Crosby is also known to be a very private man, being one of the only NHL players still absent on any form of social media. Crosby's likeness for his privacy may very well be what's keeping Cassius quiet on social media.

We are waiting on further confirmation from either Cassius or Crosby or their respective representatives and will update this article with further information as it may come along."

Sidney kept his eyes concentrated on the road in front of him as he steered the car in the direction of the exit for Washington D.C. "Well," He began, stopping to exhale a heavy breath. "Shit." He laughed.

I laughed, lightly, as I shook my head. "So," I placed Sidney's phone in my lap and pulled mine from my purse that sat on the floor. "Now, that the cat is out of the bag, should I make it Instagram official?" I asked teasingly, knowing that he would likely say no.

Sidney nodded, glancing over his shoulder as he merged into a lane, heading into the direction of the hotel. "Do it,"

I looked at him in surprise. "Wait, what?" He laughed. "I was kidding, I know you don't want to be on social media."

"Everly, I don't want to be on social media. But, I understand that you choose to use social media as a platform to interact with people. If posting a picture of us on social media is important to you, then do it. Post my nudes on Instagram, I don't care, it's your social media. Share as much or as little as you want to." I placed my hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly.

"Are you sure?" I moved one hand up to the back of his neck, twisting a longer curl around my pointer finger.

He smiled, dropping his head back into my hand as he turned into the parking lot of the hotel we were staying in tonight. "Absolutely,"

I grinned. "I love you, Sid,"

Sidney smiled widely, leaning across the console to kiss my forehead. "I love you, Ev. Date night in D.C. then?"

I hummed as I began to collect my things and put them in my purse to go into the hotel. "Sounds like a plan, I'll wear my 'Crosby's #1 Fan' t-shirt."

Sidney laughed, his head hitting the back of his seat. "Yeah, I bet you will."

Liked by smellymelly, kletang_58, taycrosby29, and 35,786 others.

everlygcassius: fine & mine 💛🐧

Read Change on the Fly here!

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[vivimarius]

a circle at the fireside that no power but death can break pt 1

Family runs farther back than you think.

Pairings: romantic LAMP, but this is mostly about platonic relationships

Word count:  1398

Warnings: none that I can think of, but please lmk if I need to add something.

Notes: this will 100% not make sense if you haven’t read Love And Other Fairy Tales by @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors​, which is brilliant and amazing. I’m expanding the lore a little bit, here. This is a part 1 because I am missing a scene later but wanted to throw this up--so you might have some questions that will get answered. The title is from “The Stick-Together Families” by Edgar Guest. No beta because mine isn’t done reading the series yet. Please don’t hate my OCs I love them

“Did you warn them?” Roman asks, peeking out of their front windows.

“Bout which part?” Mawmaw replies from the kitchen.

Roman rolls his eyes. “That Wickhills isn't safe and they can't stay the night here no matter what and that I'm gay and dating three people?” he asks mildly.

“Do I look like an idiot to you?”

He’s not suicidal enough to answer that question.

Patton places a gentle hand on Roman's shoulder in a silent comfort. Roman opens his mouth to reply when he hears car tires on the gravel. “Mawmaw!” he yells.

May hobbles through the sitting room, glaring. “Quit your jawin’. I’m not deaf yet,” she says. Roman fairly ignores her and opens the front door.

There's a nondescript rental car parked and two women getting out of it. Out of the driver's seat is a curvaceous brown-skinned woman with straight black hair down to her shoulder blades. She's got a nice blue top and black jeans with a grey-silver wrap around her shoulders. She gives them a friendly wave before ducking into the car to grab something.

The other woman is shorter, with auburn hair that's more red than brown pulled into a French braid. She's already coming up the walk with a pie in hand. “You must be May and Roman!” She says excitedly. “I’m Holly, and that’s my wife Mariona.”

“Please call me Mari,” the black-haired woman says, catching up to Holly. She’s got two purses and a coat draped over her arm. Her voice is the most ridiculously musical Roman’s ever heard; even more so than Patton’s. Up close, Mari has piercings in her eyebrows, lips, and nose, along with multiple in her ears. Her arms, now slightly exposed by the sleeves of her top, reveal multitudes of tattoos. Holly, meanwhile, has brilliant green eyes and a beautiful smile. Between the shape of her nose and her jaw, it’s not hard to recognize that she’s the one related to the Gages.

“Nice to meet you finally,” Mawmaw says, gesturing them inside.

“I know!” Holly says excitedly. “I can’t believe it’s been a year! Oh, I’m so glad we could do this little holiday thing. Oh, hello!” She waves a little to the collection of boyfriends.

“Uh, Holly, these are my boyfriends. Logan, Patton, and V,” Roman says awkwardly. He hasn’t had to introduce his boyfriends to anyone literally ever, let alone family.

“May told me so much about you! It’s so nice to meet you all!” Holly exclaims. All of them blink in shock for a moment. Mawmaw talked about them? “This is my wife, Mari.”

Mari comes in and Roman closes the door behind her, taking the coat from her arms and gesturing to her wrap. “No, this stays with me,” she says with a smile. Roman can see all three of his boyfriends startle at her voice, though they hide it very quickly.

“I made pumpkin pie for everyone; I would have made more but we didn’t have a lot of time after flying in yesterday…” Holly follows Mawmaw into the kitchen. Roman doesn’t have the best ears in the house, but he can hear them settle into conversation, with Holly doing most of the talking.

Mari, meanwhile, sits on the couch and tucks their purses into the corner. “Was your flight okay?” Patton asks, leaning forward a little.

“Yes,” she replies. “It’s not long, Maine to Ohio, but then we rented the car and that never goes well. They always claim that they lost the renovation or whatever, then you have to wait an hour or two for them to miraculously find a car, and then they try to up charge you. Always the worst part of the trip by far.”

“We are sorry to hear that,” Logan replies, a little stiff. “I have to ask, but how did Holly find May?”

“You don’t know?” Mari asks, cocking her head to the side a little. All of the boys shake their heads. Holly comes in at that moment with two glasses of wine in hand; she passes one to Mari before she sits next to her. Mari says something in rapid Spanish and Holly laughs.

“May!” She calls as Mawmaw comes to sit in the living room. “Do you like keeping secrets?”

“What secrets am I keeping, now?” she asks, sipping tea.

“How we found each other.”

“They never asked.”

Roman rolls his eyes. “Bullshit! I asked a bunch of times, you just never said!” he cries.

Mawmaw merely shrugs. “I didn’t hear you.”

“Then you are going deaf, old bat!”

“Why would you choose a bat to be deaf?” Logan asks in bewilderment. “Bats have fantastic hearing, they’d starve without it.”

Roman opens his mouth to bicker, but Holly gently interrupts. “I sent May a letter, and she responded to me.”

“You sent a letter? Here?” Virgil asks a little incredulously.

“Well, I was looking at a genealogy website and wondering if anyone might have more information into my mom’s side, so I started doing research, and I eventually stumbled across this branch of the tree. And I thought, ‘why the hell not?’ so I looked up which relatives it said might still be living, and Wickhills popped up so I went over to the white pages and found this address listed for May Gage, and I sent a letter,” Holly explains. “I gave her my email address if she was interested in talking family, and she replied, and here we are.”

There’s a fairly stunned silence that follows during which the boyfriends look from Holly to Mawmaw. Mawmaw doesn’t even own a phone, and while Roman has a computer (a desktop, because it’s not like there’s wifi at the fae court and anyway, wifi doesn’t even work in Wickhills), it’s mainly for school. Though if Mawmaw wanted to, she could certainly use it while Roman was out of the house and he would be none the wiser.

And when Roman looks over, Patton and Logan are puzzled, but there’s something in Virgil’s gaze that catches his attention. A sharpness, a consideration--he’s picked up on something. He takes a deep breath through his nose and leans back on the couch, and seeing Roman’s eyes on him, nods slightly. And Roman has zero clue what that might mean.

“So uh, what do you guys do?” Patton asks, clearly trying to shift the conversation.

“Oh!” Holly says. “I’m a baker, and Mar’s a nurse.”

Patton not-so-subtly looks Marisona over, from her pierced eyebrows to the tattoos peeking out on her ankles. She laughs, a bubbly, frothy sound that reverberates through the room and makes everyone relax a little. “I know!” Mari replies. “I know, I do not look like a nurse. You are not the first to think so. But I mostly do at-home care for elderly patients, and most of them don’t mind. And if they do, well, I can cover my tattoos with scrubs and put in clear jewelry.”

“And what about you guys?” Holly asks, taking a sip of her wine. “School? Work?”

“I am still in my senior year of high school,” Logan replies.

“And Virgil’s working in the forest, taking care of it, and stuff,” Patton picks up so Logan doesn’t have to talk around the lies. “And Roman and I are taking a gap year.”

Mari nods, wrapping an arm around Holly’s shoulder. “One of my sisters didn’t go to college until she was twenty-four. She wasn’t ready for the responsibility, and if she had been forced to go, she would have failed or dropped out,” she explains. “College is not the path for everyone.”

“Says the woman in the room with the nursing degree.”

“Sí, sí, mi sirenita,” Marisona replies with a fond eye roll.

Holly and Mari kept asking questions of everyone, letting the answers dictate the conversation. Holly was clearly the talker of the two, for all that Mari had a lovely voice, but she was also a good listener. She teased out answers from each of them: when did they meet, how did they start dating, what they liked about Wickhills, on and on. For the most part, Roman and Patton did most of the talking so they could smooth over the truth for their fae boyfriends, but no one seemed to catch on, except for Mawmaw, who sat in the rocking chair, smirking into her mug of tea.

[suitofvibraniumarmor]

Yours Truly [Part Thirteen]

Summary: Chris, Sadie, and Layla go to visit Sadie’s family, and come back to an unpleasant surprise. Pairing: Chris Pratt x OFC, Chris Evans x OFC Word Count: 1795 Warnings: None. A/N: This fic was previously posted on my multi-fandom account; in honor of OC Appreciation Day, I figured I would queue it all up for your reading pleasure throughout the day! This was a collab with @captain-s-rogers , and I will link her chapters at the end of all of my posts! Some GIFs were difficult to find again, so if there’s no credit, they’re from Google Image Search or from the original post. 

July 19

Caroline,

I got the job here in Lawrence! I’m so, so excited. I’ll be teaching one of the two kindergarten classes and can start setting up my room in a couple of weeks, once I get through all the new hire hoopla.

I also found a house to rent. It’s a little farmhouse, owned by an older couple who have sold off most of their land and just rent the house now; there’s a couple of bedrooms, so you’ll have somewhere to stay when you come visit! You know, in eight years when Mr. President has completed his terms.

We’re going to Wichita this weekend to pack up my storage unit and bring it all here. Chris and Layla will meet my family while we’re there, and if all goes well, Chris and I agreed it will be a good time to tell Layla that we’re together. I think she has some idea, but I’m looking forward to actually telling her.

Okay, I think I have rambled about myself for long enough. How are things in D.C.? I’m glad Chris didn’t let you step down — you have worked SO HARD for that job, and no one can do it better than you! Even with this weird media stuff. I’m guessing the Caroline-look-alike girlfriend was your idea? Seems to be working, anyway. I just hope you’re being true to yourself and heart through all of this, C.

Only another month and summer is over. How has the time gone so fast?

Yours truly,

Sadie

After a long couple of days of new-hire orientation, Sadie was ready to be back at the Pratt farm, moving her few boxes to the new house. The trio would take their time getting up and around the next morning before heading to Wichita, and she was ready to be back home for a while. Sadie had always been close with her family, and she was even more excited for them to meet Chris and Layla.

Before driving back to the farm, she stopped at the elementary school to check in on her new classroom. She wanted to know what size of the room she was going to have so she could be thinking of decor.

“Ms. Coleman?” someone said, catching her attention as she walked toward the kindergarten hall.

Sadie turned. “Yes?”

“Hi,” the woman greeted. “I’m Libby Anderson. I teach second grade.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sadie smiled. “Please, call me Sadie.”

Libby gave a tight smile. “I hear you’ve been working with Layla Pratt this summer. How is she?”

Sadie was puzzled at first, but chalked up Libby’s knowledge of her summer activities to small town talk. “She’s great. Such a smart little girl.”

Another tight smile. “And Chris?”

Sadie’s concerns about Libby’s inquiry grew, tensing her muscles. “Um, he’s great, too. Are you a family friend? I’m sorry, I’m still working on getting to know everyone.”

“Something like that,” Libby answered. “I have a meeting to get to, Sadie, but I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“See you,” Sadie replied as the other woman walked away.

Suddenly, the size of her classroom seemed of little importance. She changed course for the parking lot, then hurried back to the farm.

“She’s Emily’s sister,” Chris informed Sadie once Layla was down for a nap and Sadie had a chance to ask about her interaction with Libby at the elementary school.

Sadie nodded. “Now it all makes sense.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about that. The Andersons are just so far from my mind anymore. None of them have even tried to contact or see Layla since Emily left.”

“You don’t need to apologize. She should have been much more clear about who she is and how she’s related to you and Layla. I just hope it doesn’t cause problems at work.”

Chris shook his head. “I don’t see why it would. Why don’t you let me make you a glass of that peach iced tea? Ed’s coming by so we can talk about how things went while I was out of town, and I can tell him about a couple things I’m changing. You can just relax — well, till Layla wakes up, then I’m sure she’ll have other plans.”

Sadie chuckled. “You’re probably right about that. Thanks, Chris.”

She reinforced her gratitude with a kiss before heading off to her room. Until she was laying down, Sadie wasn’t even aware of how tired she felt; she was asleep before Chris brought in her glass of tea.

Both Sadie and Chris had expected for Layla to take a little time to warm up to Sadie’s family, but she took to them right away. She settled herself on Sadie’s father’s lap and immediately began telling him about the farm and about her birthday party and her trip to her grandparents’ farm in Minnesota. Justin listened intently, immediately enchanted by the little girl.

While Chris and Sadie got to packing things from storage into the trailer Chris had pulled behind the truck on the way down from Lawrence, Layla stayed with Sadie’s aunts. She was fascinated still about how they had taught Sadie to make a dress, and finally begged and pleaded long enough, Sadie’s aunt Marie got out the beginner sewing machine that Sadie and her cousin, Marie’s daughter Lizzy, had learned to sew on. When they returned to pick Layla up and head back to Sadie’s father’s house, Layla had successfully sewn a little pillow.

“I did it all by myself, Daddy!” she beamed. Aunt Marie was too kind to say any different.

Chris smiled. “I’m so proud of you, baby girl. Let’s get back to Justin’s house, okay? Daddy and Adie are gonna get cleaned up, then we’ll come back here for supper to meet more of Sadie’s family.”

“I don’t wanna go!” Layla said, crossing her arms over her chest and stomping her foot.

Sadie frowned. “Layla! Be nice, please.”

“I’m sorry,” she replied, not sounding sorry at all. “I like Justin, but Marie teached me how to make a pillow! I wanna make another one for Sadie for her new house!”

Marie spoke up, kindly. “I don’t mind if she stays here.”

“You need a nap,” Chris told Layla when she looked at him hopefully.

“Can I take a nap here?” Layla asked Marie.

Marie nodded. “But only if it’s okay with your dad. He’s the boss.”

Chris exchanged a glance with Sadie, who shrugged. “All right. But please, continue to be on your best behavior, and use your manners.”

“Yessir,” Layla promised, rushing off for the sewing machine.

“Nap before more sewing, young lady,” Sadie called after her.

Layla groaned but called back, “Yes ma’am!”

Sadie thanked Marie profusely for keeping Layla for longer before following Chris out of the house. She indeed needed to get cleaned up, and was looking forward to seeing the rest of her family that evening.

“Are you comfortable with me talking to your dad about what’s going on with us before we go back to Marie’s?” Chris asked. “I know it’s sort of an outdated practice, just seems like the right thing to do, still. I don’t mean asking permission, or anything, just – making my intentions known, I guess.”

Sadie reached across the truck seat and took his hand. “I think that would mean a lot to my dad – and to me.”

Chris squeezed her hand before pulling her closer, finishing out the trip back to Justin’s house with his arm draped over the back of the seat, and Sadie singing along with him to the radio.

On the way back to the family dinner at Marie’s house, Chris broached the subject of telling Layla that he and Sadie were a couple.

“I’d like to get you all moved in, then maybe we can have dinner in town and tell her?” Chris suggested. “I figure a place with neutral ground is probably the best venue. She’s been so encouraging to you when it comes to me, I don’t think she’ll have a problem with it, but I want to make it as easy for her as possible.”

“I agree,” Sadie nodded. “I think she’ll be just fine – probably excited, to be honest – but you’re right, it’s better to make it as easy on her as possible.”

The agreement gave them something to look forward to when they returned to Lawrence; the couple was so excited about it, they confirmed for the family members who asked that they had indeed started a relationship. Fortunately, all of Sadie’s family was completely for the idea, and they understood about keeping it quiet around Layla until Chris and Sadie were able to update her on what was happening.

There were no goodbyes with the trio left Wichita, only see-you-later’s and lots of hugs from Layla to Sadie’s family members. Chris told Sadie that it could have been because Layla was older, but he had never seen her that comfortable even with Emily’s family. Sadie’s heart could have burst with that news; she was so in love with Chris, though she had yet to tell him, and her love for Layla had only grown from the first day she met the girl. She was already dreaming of the day they would all become a family, and expand that family, but she kept those dreams to herself for the time being – which turned out to be a good thing, she discovered a few hours after their return to Lawrence.

The heavy furniture had been placed in the appropriate places in the rental house, and the boxes were all in the house wherever there was room. Sadie would have a busy few days ahead, settling the house, but Layla could come with her during the day and help or play, so another sitter wouldn’t be necessary.

She had one night left at the Pratt farm, and they had planned on going into town for pizza after resting a while. Chris and Sadie were both on pins and needles to finally include Layla in their relationship, but it was soon clear that even that would have to wait.

“Whose car is that, Daddy?” Layla asked, leaning forward from her booster seat as they approached the farm.

Chris didn’t answer; Sadie glanced over at him and received a tight smile and a mumbled apology in return. That was all she needed to know exactly who had shown up uninvited to the farm.

Sadie stayed back, helping Layla out of the truck while Chris got out of the driver’s side and approached the woman standing at the top of the stairs.

“Hey, Chris,” she greeted politely – too politely.

He cleared his throat as Sadie approached behind him, carrying Layla. “What are you doing here, Emily?”

Part Fourteen

[cassolotl]

I just went looking in my Rosa tag and realised I hadn’t updated you on her progress much since her 12cm tumour was removed in 2015! Here she is, 4 years later (these pics are all from 2019), super grumpy all the time because she has arthritis in her back legs, but she’s still up to her usual adorability. I love her lots.

Rosa and moving house

Rosa sleeping in strange places and positions

Rosa meets @jay-avery​‘s rabbit, Toast (no one ate anyone else, we’re so proud!)

Rosa being Long

Rosa and jigsaws

And here’s some that wouldn’t fit into Tumblr’s 10-picture limit:

The rabbit cameo is part of a bigger story!

October 2013 - Me and Jay somehow bump into each other on Tumblr and start talking sometimes. My friend and Jay become closer, and I only really know Jay peripherally.

~ 2 years later ~

September 2015 - Me and Jay meet (with other friends involved also) for the first time in Bristol. It is a nice time! I also eat pizza with egg on it for the first time, so it’s a day for milestones generally.

~ 3 years later ~

September 2018 - I start testosterone, and Jay’s been on it for a little while already. I later work out that it’s shaking up a lot of things, physically and emotionally, but the emotional stuff is more subtle, so I don’t notice for a while.

November 2018 - Jay kindly hosts me for some overnight stays over a few months while I have gender-counselling in London. We go on lots of dates but neither of us realise they are dates, we are just enbys being frienbys.

January 2019 - Towards the end of the fortnightly GIC trips I start to think that maybe I might be catching Feelings, but it’s intermittent and anyway everything is fine as it is and Jay’s ace and aro, I’ll just leave it.

March 2019 - I go to Jay’s for they and their brother’s joint birthday party, which is small and familyish. We have a sofa cuddle, and I’m like “uh oh, I’m gay.” I proceed to not mention it at all for several months.

June 2019 - I tell Jay I might be feeling some kind of a way about them, and then a bit later they’re like, I don’t know if I do too but I like the idea of going on a date on purpose, so we do, and it's confusing but nice so we decide to do it some more. (Worst case scenario we spend 50 years going on nice dates to find out if we like each other, right?) When we tell people, it turns out they had all been shipping us for months (and in some cases, years).

July to September 2019 - Jay visits me in Wales at least once a month, and I often end up visiting them in Swindon for a couple of nights between times, too. The visits get gradually longer. Jay wants to move to my town, but houses to rent are like gold dust and I’m nervous about moving too fast. I ask Jay to wait until November before they seriously look for places to live around here, to give me time to adjust and feel less scared. I wonder about whether it’s gay.

October 2019 - Jay gets graduated, it’s a whole family affair, Jay concludes that they definitely want to spend more time with me and their family at the same time, absorbing me into their family like The Blob [YouTube link].

November 2019 - Jay wants to visit for longer but feels bad about leaving Toast 🐇 back in their flat in Swindon (being rabbit-sat by friends and family), also they miss him. I get hold of a cage and Jay sends supplies to my house, and then Jay brings Toast with them on the train, which is a 4.5-hour journey each way but it goes reasonably well. Toast and Rosa are not exactly best friends, but they seem somewhat okay with each other most of the time. Jay meets my mum (a few hours away on the train), and we all hang out in a cat café.

December 2019 - I spend a few days at Christmas with Jay and fam in Swindon, meet more family members etc, and it is a very nice time, 10/10, would do again.

January 2020 - The Present Day. We still live 4.5 hours from each other and spend most of our time long-distancing it, in part because I am a 🐢 to Jay’s 🐇, and in part because my town has about one house coming onto the rental market every 3-6 months or so.

So yeah, still not really sure what we’re doing or what we really are together, but we’re having a nice time and we’re important to each other and I’m excited to see where it goes. :)

[dearmrsbitch]

April 13, 2019 - Tell Your Parents Off!

         Dear Prudence,        

         I am in my 20s, I’m married, and I have two young children. My husband and I are totally financially independent from my parents and live a few states away. Whenever we visit their house, we’re expected to work. I’m not talking about helping with dishes or putting a load of laundry in the dryer. My parents own four rental properties in addition to the home they live in and consistently expect our help with maintenance. We’ve ripped up carpeting, refinished floors, repainted rooms, hauled large loads to the dump, broken up chunks of rock with shovels, remulched their enormous garden—the list goes on. And we do dishes and laundry and sweeping on top of that.        

         And they’re there too, working alongside us, criticizing almost everything we do and asking us to redo it to their satisfaction. My dad bangs on our door at 7 a.m. and says, “Time to get to work.” We’re told to pack work clothes before our visits. I openly complain about being asked to do these things (I act like a teenager again), but my parents get offended and act like I’m saying I hate their hardworking way of life. It doesn’t help that my parents get jealous over how we see my husband’s parents more frequently. Of course we do! When we visit their house, we pitch in around the house, but they treat us like guests and make us feel comfortable.        

         The last two trips, I’ve gotten out of most of it by being pregnant, but my poor husband has spent entire days doing backbreaking work. He hates it. I don’t want to dread the visits, and I definitely don’t want my kids being roped into all this when they get older. I feel like it’s one thing to expect your adult children to help out around the house when they visit, but I don’t think we should be expected to do such demanding work. We have limited vacation time, and plane tickets to see them cost more than $1,000 for the four of us. What are my responsibilities as their daughter here? Can I just refuse to help without causing a fight and ruining our visit?        

         —Adult Chores       

Dear Chore Bitch,

Why are you still going to visit them?  I mean, I’m serious, if I had a friend who wanted me to pay a grand to fly across country and help them move... I would suddenly lose the ability to answer my phone.

One of the biggest issues that parents have with their kids is treating them like unpaid servants long after they’ve moved out.  Some of it is cultural bullshit, some of it is just asshole parents - like yours!  Parents often forget they’re supposed to be raising future adults, you know, like independent persons with lives and homes of their own.

This isn’t a family business you signed up for and stayed around to help with and *ahem* intend to profit from in your own time. 

They’re profiting off you and being dicks on top of it.  Don’t put up with this shit, and don’t pimp your husband out on top of it.  And don’t think they won’t start using your children as slaves the first they chance get.

There’s a big difference between grandpa and grandma teaching the kids valuable life skills and using them to tend to a business they aren’t a part of - is vast.  Unless you have a will showing that you inherit EVERYTHING, there’s no point in doing all this work for them.

They can give up their properties, or they can hire a handyman.  Know why they don’t?  They’re fucking cheap!  And you’re playing into that!

I would call them up, when you don’t have a visit planned, and talk to them.  Tell that the visits are not fun and that you don’t appreciate being made to work and not spending quality time with them.  Start with framing it that you want to spend actual time with them, as humans, you know... humaning together.  Appeal to their want to see you and their grandkids kindly first.

If that doesn’t dissuade them with kindness, then tell them you’re refusing to come out until they’re agreeing to a normal visit.  They’re free to come visit you, but you’re sick of being their pack mules.  So, ball is in their court, but you’re fine not coming out again if manual labor is all they want from you.  Seriously, you don’t need the stress.

Then, you know, stick to it.  Trust me, your kids will suffer more from hating their grandparents than not spending any time with them at all.

Probably also best to start teaching them now that their labor has value and not to just work because someone older expects them too.  It’ll serve them well in some stupid ass future internship.

Mrs. Bitch

[puckinginsane]

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Tyler Seguin Christmas one shot

When my boss told me I would have to be in Minneapolis for 3 days of meetings just a few days before Christmas I thought he was joking. I literally laughed right in his face until I actually saw his face and noticed he wasn’t laughing along. No, this was serious. We actually had to travel to Minnesota during the busiest travel days of the year to take in some meetings. He wasn’t happy about it either but there was nothing we could do to get out of it. Sales managers from around the country had been called in for these sets of emergency meetings. Nobody was happy but we sucked it up and made the best of it.

The company put us all up in cabins to feel like it was more like a vacation than a sales trip but it just turned out to be more frustrating than anything. The wifi was spotty, the bed was uncomfortable, and the water pressure in the shower sucked. I tried my best to stay positive but it wasn’t easy. I am so glad to finally be leaving this place and going home for the holidays. I can’t wait to see my family. It seems like as each year goes by I see them less and less but at least we always have Christmas together. I look forward to it. I love my family.

I have been getting weather advisory alerts on my phone all morning about a blizzard coming so I’m worried that my flight is going to be delayed or worse. I have to check out and get to the airport before it’s too late. When I get into the lodge I notice there is nobody else around. This can’t be a good thing. It’s Christmas Eve and there’s no one to be seen. I walk to the front desk and wait for the clerk to come out of the office to help me. Just as I check out I start getting more alerts on my phone. I step away from the front desk to check them. My flight is cancelled. All of the flights are cancelled.

No, no, no this cannot be happening. I can’t be stranded here. I walk back to the front desk. “I don’t suppose you have any open cabins,” I say to the clerk, knowing full well the answer is going to be no.

“No sorry, miss, we are all booked up. It is the holidays after all,” he replies.

“I know. I figured I’d try.” I grab my suitcase and walk over to one of the couches and sit down. There has got to be a way for me to get out of here. I look around on my phone to see if there is any other way to get out of Minnesota. The whole state is shut down. There is no way out at this point. I’m going to have to call my mom and let her know I won’t be home for Christmas. The phone rings a few times before my mom answers. “Hey, mom, it looks like I’m going to be stuck here in Minneapolis.”

“Oh no, sweetie, is everything ok?” she asks.

“It looks like a blizzard shut down the entire state. I haven’t been outside so I don’t know how bad it is.”

“Yeah, I’m watching on the weather channel right now. It does not look good.”

“This is what I get for taking an extra day to relax. Now I’ll never leave,” I complain.

“Do you have a place to stay?” she asks.

“No. And I don’t think I’ll be able to find a place either. All of the cabins here are booked. I guess I’ll just have to wait it out here in the lodge.”

“I’m sorry, that has to be rough. We will see you once you get home. Stay warm and stay safe.”

“Thanks, mom, I’ll keep you updated. Love you.”

“I love you too, sweetie.” My mom and I hang up and I stand up and walk to the window and push the curtains aside to see just how bad this blizzard is. The snow is coming down really hard and it looks pretty windy. There seems to already be a significant amount of snow accumulated on the ground. It did not look like this a few hours ago. I get a few more notifications on my phone. A state of emergency is in effect as well as a curfew. It just keeps getting worse. If I’m going to possibly find a place that has an opening, even if it’s a crappy motel, I am going to have to leave now.

I pick up my suitcase and start making my way across the lobby. “I don’t care what they say, I’m getting out of here,” I mutter to myself.

“I wouldn’t go out there if I were you,” I hear someone say to me as I walk passed them. I turn around to say something to them about minding their own business but when I see who it is my heart practically jumps in my throat. It’s Tyler Seguin from the Dallas Stars. I have such a big crush on him. I forgot that they had a game here last night. “It’s really bad out there.”

“I’m not getting stuck in this lodge. I need to see if I can find a place to stay.” I continue to walk towards the doors.

Tyler stands up and follows after me. “It’s pretty dangerous out there.”

I turn my head to look at him as I continue to walk. “I appreciate your concern but I’m leaving.”

He shakes his head at me. “You’re so stubborn.”

I roll my eyes and ignore his last comment as I open the doors and step outside. I’m immediately hit in the face with the brisk air and snow hitting my face. I push on through to where my rental car is parked. It’s hard to even tell where the car begins and ends. Everything looks like a blanket of white. I begin trying to dig my car out with my hands but as I dig in the snow more snow just fills in. It’s no use. I am really stuck here. Even if I did manage to dig my car out it’s not like I would really be able to get anywhere quickly. It looks like they have stopped trying to plow the roads. Everything is shut down.

I turn around to walk back into the lodge and Tyler is standing in the doorway leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest with a smile on his face. He chuckles as I walk passed him. “Well that was entertaining,” he says as he follows behind me as I walk to one of the couches. I sit down and he sits down on the couch across from me. Is this really happening right now? The one time I have Tyler Seguin all to myself and I am in such a bad mood. “It looks like we’re stranded together.”

“Yeah, it looks that way,” I say as I start sending texts to my friends letting them know my situation.

“What were you here for?” he asks.

“I was here for work. I was supposed to leave yesterday but I stayed an extra day to relax. I guess that was a mistake.”

“Same here. I stayed an extra day to get some last minute Christmas shopping done before going back home. My whole family is at my house right now and I’m here.”

“I can’t believe we are the only two idiots that got stranded.”

“I’m not an idiot. Speak for yourself.” He smiles a cheesy grin. “I’m Tyler, by the way.”

“I’m Amy.” I don’t know if I should tell him I know who he is. It could make things awkward. We are doing fine without him knowing I am a big fan of his.

“It’s nice to meet you, Amy. This isn’t how you thought you would spend your Christmas Eve I’m sure.”

“No definitely not.”

“What were your plans?” he asks as he leans his elbow on the armrest and rests his head on the palm of his hand and looks at me for my answer.

“I was going to go to my aunt’s house where my whole family always gathers. I haven’t seen them all year. I was really looking forward to seeing them.”

“That sucks. I don’t see my family much either. I was looking forward to some home cooked meals and spending a few days with them.”

The wind is so fast outside that you can hear the gusts outside the window. “It’s really coming down out there,” I say. I don’t know what else to talk about.

“I wonder if we’ll lose power. We may have to use body heat for warmth.” He smiles a big, toothy smile.

“Or sit by the fire,” I say as I point to the roaring fireplace across the room.

“Yeah but that’s not as fun.”

I can’t believe he’s flirting with me. Maybe he’s just overly friendly. I know he’s a pretty outgoing guy. I feel my cheeks getting warm from blushing but I try to play it cool. I shake my head as I fight a smile. “You’re terrible.”

He laughs. “So, Amy, where are you from?”

“New Jersey. You?” If I’m going to pretend I don’t know who he is I might as well go all in.

“Originally from the Toronto area. Living in Dallas now.”

“Oh a Canadian, eh?” I tease.

“Wow. You just did that.”

“I did.”

“I’ll remember that.”

I just smile. I’m thankful to be stranded with him. He’s making this enjoyable, well, as enjoyable as it can be. He’s kept my mind off the fact that I won’t be seeing my family at all this year. I can’t stop thinking about the fact that it’s Tyler Seguin and I am so calm about it. He seems really comfortable around me which makes me feel comfortable to be myself around him. I keep checking the satellite on my phone to see if there are any signs of this letting up but it looks like it’s going to be going on for a while.

There are no TVs in the lodge. There is a huge fireplace at the back of the room with chairs and couches scattered throughout. There is a coffee and hot chocolate bar off to the side of the front desk but not much for food, just little snacks. The lodge has high ceilings and it looks like an over sized, fancier version of a log cabin. They pride themselves on giving you an outdoor experience with a touch of luxury. I don’t even want to know how much staying here cost my company.

I look up from my phone to see Tyler watching me. I wonder how long he’s been staring. I have been so focused on what’s been going on on my phone that I hadn’t looked up in at least 5 minutes. I feel myself blushing again. He makes me so nervous although I think I have been doing a good job of hiding it. “Hi,” I say with half of a smile.

“Are you telling your boyfriend you’re stuck with some guy? Don’t tell him about the body heat thing.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I know it’s hard to believe that all of this is single but it’s true.”

He laughs. “You’re funny.”

“Thanks.” I’m so embarrassed but I’m trying so hard not to look away. My cheeks and ears feel like they’re on fire. It’s probably obvious to him that I’m a blushing, nervous mess. I work in sales so usually I am self confident but this is Tyler Seguin. He makes me feel like a puddle of mush when he looks at me and now he’s complimenting me. I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ve had a crush on him for years and I’m just trying to keep myself together.

“You’re welcome.” He sits back on the couch and scratches the side of his face before crossing his arms over his chest. “It would be nice if they had a TV in here.”

“I have my laptop but I was having problems with the wifi. I’m sure the weather isn’t helping.” I don’t want to turn my laptop on anyway. Tyler is my desktop image and it would ruin everything if he saw that.

“We will just have to find other ways to entertain ourselves.”

I don’t even know what to say to that. He looks pleased with himself, like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. He’s saying these things on purpose. I can’t even imagine how pink my cheeks are now. I get a text from my brother and open it. He sent me a selfie saying he wishes I were there. My brother and I are always sending selfies back and forth to one another. I want to take one and send it but Tyler is watching me. I know he likes taking selfies so I should just take one and not worry what he thinks. I hold my phone out in front of me and take a smiling selfie and send it off to my brother. I put my phone down on my lap and Tyler is smiling at me with his eyebrows raised. “My brother and I send selfies back and forth to each other,” I explain.

“That was cute,” he replies.

“I, uh, wow, thanks,” I nervously say as I look down at my lap. If it were possible to turn purple I’m sure that’s what color my cheeks would be at this point. Tyler Seguin just said I was cute. It’s a Christmas miracle.

“Why do I make you so nervous?” he asks, “your cheeks are so red.”

Like he doesn’t know the answer to that question. He has to know he’s attractive. I can’t be the first girl to melt into a puddle on the floor in front of him no matter how hard I try to fight it. “It’s hot in here. I need some fresh air.”

I stand up and walk outside. I take a deep breath and look up into the sky and let the snowflakes hit my face. My cheeks cool off with the touch of each individual snowflake touching my skin. It’s refreshing. Thump. I feel a snowball hit me square in the middle of my back. I turn around to see Tyler standing about 15 feet away with the biggest smile on his face. He starts cracking up as soon as we make eye contact. “I can’t believe I actually hit you!” he exclaims.

“Oh, you’re so gonna get it!” I yell as I start to run towards him. He starts to run away but I manage to catch up to him. I could pick up some snow and throw it back at him but instead I leap off of the ground and tackle him into a snowbank.

He opens his mouth wide, shocked that I just had the balls to tackle him. I’m a little surprised myself. “It’s like that now, is it?” he asks. I stand up and hold my hands out to pull him up. He holds onto my hands but instead of standing up he pulls me down and pushes me into the snow. “This isn’t over.”

“Cold! So cold!” I screech as the snow hits the skin on my back because my shirt rode up a little bit. He leans down towards me and his face is just inches from mine. Holy shit, is he going to kiss me? It seems like he’s going to kiss me. What the hell do I do if he kisses me? Will I even be able to kiss him back? I look at his lips and then into his eyes and back down at his lips. He smirks a little before closing his eyes, I close mine too anticipating his kiss. Instead of a kiss I get a handful of snow in my face. I wipe the snow as he laughs at me.

“You so thought I was going to kiss you,” he teases.

“You’re such a jerk!” I shout. That is so wrong on so many levels. I really was hoping he was going to kiss me. Now I just feel like a fool.

He continues to laugh at me. He holds his hands out. “Come on, for real, I’ll help you up. It’s too cold to be in the snow for this long.”

I grab a handful of snow and at the same time with my other hand I grab the waistband of his jeans. I pull them out just slightly and shove the snow down his pants. “Holy shit!” he shrieks as he grabs at the snow I left there and pulls it out. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“You have no idea who you’re messing with,” I reply. I’m pretty proud of myself for coming up with that and following up. I just put my hand down Tyler Seguin’s pants. Oh my god.

Tyler holds his hands out for me one more time and this time I take them and he pulls me up and off of my butt. I brush myself off. I am soaked and so is he. We walk back inside dripping with melting snow. “We should sit by the fire to dry off,” he suggests.

“Yeah,” I agree.

We walk over to the couch that sits in front of the fireplace and sit down next to each other. The heat of the fire feels so good on my freezing cold skin. Now it’s just a matter of drying off. I still can’t believe I had the balls to put my hand down Tyler’s pants and he doesn’t seem to be mad about it. He still wants to sit next to me so that’s a good sign. He looks at me and shakes his head. “I can’t believe you did that. That took guts,” he says.

“Yeah I kinda can’t believe I did that either to be honest.”

“It was impressive.”

“That’s one way to describe it, I guess.”

“I deserved it.”

“Oh yeah, you definitely did.”

The crackling of the fire can be heard as both of us sit in silence as we continue to warm up and dry off. I was so mad I was going to be missing Christmas with my family but I get to spend it with Tyler instead. Not a bad trade off at all. We are sitting so close that our legs are touching. He hasn’t moved over and I am sure as hell not moving. I still can’t believe he was so close to my face. What if I went for it and kissed him thinking that’s what he was going to do? I would have made a fool of myself. Thankfully I usually wait for the guy to make the first move or I would have embarrassed myself even more than I already did. He knows I wanted him to kiss me. I closed my eyes like an idiot.

“I’m sorry I made you think I was going to kiss you. That wasn’t right,” he says after a few minutes of silence.

“It’s ok. I wouldn’t have known what to do with myself anyway,” I reply.

“Oh you mean you wouldn’t have stuck your hand down my pants? I guess it’s good that I didn’t then.” He looks at me and smirks. He’s such a flirt. I can’t handle it. “Oh, there goes those pink cheeks again.”

“Look who’s talking. Yours are just as pink,” I retort.

He looks away. I think I actually made him embarrassed. I get another selfie text from my brother. “You should send him one with the both of us in it,” Tyler says as he peeks over my shoulder.

“Hey! Nosey.” I put my hand over my screen.

He puts his arm around my shoulders. “Come on. You take one then I’ll take one on mine.”

“Ok.” I put the camera on and hold it out in front of us. He leans his head against mine and we both smile. I take the picture and send it to my brother.

“My turn.” He takes his phone out of his pocket and holds it out in front of us. Once again he leans his head against mine and takes the picture. “I don’t have a brother to send it to. I’ll just post it on Instagram. Is that ok?”

“Yeah, sure, it’s fine with me.” I have to act like it’s no big deal but I know that it is. He has hundreds of thousands of people who follow him and they’re all going to see it. This is crazy. He still has his arm around me as he types with his other hand on his phone. I’m starting to feel a bit too comfortable sitting here with him like this. I have to get up and walk around or something. I’m about to fall asleep. It’s been a stressful few days and I haven’t gotten much sleep. “I think I’m going to walk around the room or something. I’m starting to get sleepy.”

“You could use me as a pillow if you want. I don’t mind.”

“Are you serious?” I ask. There’s no way I can take him up on his offer.

“Yeah. Why not?” he replies.

“I don’t know,” I warily say.

“I’ll make up your mind for you.” He puts his hand on the side of my head and pulls it down onto his shoulder. “Sleep. I’ll wake you if anything exciting happens.”

How am I supposed to fall asleep when I have my head on Tyler Seguin’s shoulder? Why is he being so nice to me? I should stop questioning it and just take time to enjoy it. I take a deep breath. This just feels nice. I want to be stubborn and not sleep but my eyes are growing heavier and heavier and it’s beginning to be almost impossible to keep them open. I close my eyes and feel his head resting on mine before I fall asleep.

I feel Tyler shifting next to me and I wake up. I groan a little bit as I open my eyes. I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping but I need to stand up and walk around. “How long was I sleeping?” I ask.

“I’m not sure. I fell asleep too. Sorry I woke you up. My arm was falling asleep.”

“It’s ok. I have to get up. My butt hurts.”

He laughs. “No comment.”

“That’s a first.”

“I figured I’d spare you this time.”

I stand up and stretch. “Why start now?”

“Smart ass.”

“I’m going to walk around a bit. Sitting in one place is killing me.”

The lodge isn’t entirely big but it’s enough where I can walk around and get the blood flowing through my legs again. I notice Tyler going over to the coffee bar to make himself some coffee. I take my phone out of my pocket and notice it has gotten pretty late. I guess I slept longer than I thought I did. It’s almost midnight already. Soon it’ll be Christmas day and it doesn’t look like the snow has let up at all. It just keeps accumulating and accumulating.

I look over at Tyler who is sitting back on the couch in front of the fireplace with his coffee cup in his hand. He is sitting there just looking into the fireplace. He’s so cute. It’s just a few minutes away from Christmas and I feel like I need to find something to give to Tyler as a present, even if it’s just a joke. I think it would be so cute if I went over there with a present for him. I’m sure it would cheer both of us up and he would get a big kick out of it. There’s just not much around here to go with. I wish I had something in my suitcase but I didn’t have time to do any kind of shopping while I was here. There has got to be something I can find to give him.

I don’t want him to see me sneaking around and looking for stuff so I have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t see what I’m doing. It looks like he’s deep in thought over there by the fireplace so I don’t think I have to worry about him. I walk past a few tables with vases with fresh flowers in them. I guess I could give him some flowers. I don’t see anything else in this place that I could give him so it’s going to have to be flowers. I grab one of the vases off of the table and pick out a single flower from it before putting it back down on the table. For some reason this is so amusing to me. I’m about to give Tyler Seguin a flower for Christmas.

I walk over to Tyler holding the flower behind my back. I sit down next to him and he looks at me. “It’s officially Christmas,” I say, “I got you something.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” I pull the flower out from behind my back and he starts laughing as soon as he sees it. He takes it from me. “Sorry, it’s all I could find.”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” He smells the flower before putting it down on the little table next to his arm of the couch. “Wow it actually smells really good.”

“I picked it just for you.”

“You are just the best.”

“I try.”

“I got you something too,” he says as he starts reaching into his pocket.

“You did?” I ask, surprised.

“Yeah,” he replies with a smile. He takes his hand out of his pocket and holds it over my head and I look up to see that he’s holding mistletoe. I look him in the eyes with my mouth hanging open. “Looks like you got some mistletoe over your head. Do you know what that means?”

I shake my head yes. “Yeah. I know.”

He scrunches his nose up. “I guess I have to kiss you now.”

“Those are the rules.”

He puts his hand on the back of my head and leans in to kiss me. His lips are soft and it’s a sweet kiss. He kisses my lips a few times before I get the courage up to kiss him back and I feel him smile before he starts kissing me some more. It’s slow and sweet and so amazing. I don’t think either of us want to stop. I kiss his bottom lip a few times before we slowly pull away from each other. “Merry Christmas, Amy.”

“Merry Christmas, Tyler.”