#MY SHIFTS FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS ARE 2 PM-? LET'S GO

[zerosomnia]

Thunderbolts John Walker x Reader Scenario: Napping together

Summary: When John naps, you also have to nap. He is the kind of guy that will pick you up and take you with him, regardless of what you're doing. He’d never admit it, but he just can’t fall asleep without you by his side.

Genre: Fluff

Author's Note: I'm probably going to do these scenarios based on my own headcanons with the other characters at some point, but I just had such a clear image of John doing this that I had to get it out. I hope it scratches other people's brains in the same way it did mine.

Word count: 1208

John Walker was a military man, through and through. Routine was his bread and butter. He couldn’t function without it. This meant that he wasn’t the type to nap often, his days were preplanned and rigid, there was little room for the luxury of a nap. That was, until you came along.

With you came space, room to breathe – permission to just be. And that was where John was introduced to the wonder of napping. He, however, was particular about his naps. And not in the ‘I must be in a bed, with the pillows at the right angle and this specific temperature’ kind of way. No. He was a simple man, and he had one, very specific, requirement for his naps. You.

That was precisely why he was awake, despite the irritating prickle of sleep pinching at the corners of his eyes. You weren’t here. In fact, you weren’t just missing, you were late. You had promised to be back by 2 PM, which is why Walker sat on the common room couch at 2:15, staring at the lift like he was trying to will you into existence behind its doors.

It must have worked, because soon the elevator dinged and you glided into the room, mid-laugh as you bantered back and forth with Bob.  You both wandered towards the minibar, placing the stack of books you had bought down on the countertop. Your conversation was lively and bubbly, and you continued like you hadn’t even seen Walker in the room. He rose from the couch, wandering over to wrap his arms around your midsection and rest his chin on your shoulder. You acknowledged him by rubbing his forearm, never breaking away from your conversation – that wasn’t what he wanted.

Bob awkwardly shifted, still enjoying your conversation but struggling not to stare at the unusual sight of a cuddly John Walker. Especially when said John Walker was staring him down with such a fire in his eyes that Bob thought he was willing him to combust.

Eventually, John tired of not being the focus of your attention – and his subtle hints were not working. He had tried gently running his fingers down your arm, with hopes of interlacing your fingers and leading you away but was brushed off so that you could act a statement out using rapid hand gestures. Utterances of your name fell on deaf ears, and deep sighs with puppy dog eyes were ignored.

 You were so frustrating, couldn’t you see that he was tired? He let go of you, not that the action affected you. You kept nattering on – intent on discussing a plot twist in your favourite book with Bob, who was nodding earnestly at every shocking reveal. Walker returned to glaring at Bob, fists clenched and jaw set, hoping that if he could remove the obstacle, then you would return your focus to him. Bob, of course, did nothing except stare back with wide eyes.

Goddammit.

Walker rubbed his face, a tired sigh escaping him. Drastic measures were going to be required. He positioned himself next to you and bent down to wrap his arms around your waist.

“John, what are you – oof!” A shriek escaped you as he picked you up, tossing your body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. You smacked his back in protest. “Bob! Help me!” Bob looked at your grabby hands, starting to move towards you. But one sideways glare from Walker was all it took, and he backed down, arms held up in submission.

“Sorry,” Bob chuckled. John walked you both into the lift, leaving your books scattered about in the common room – you could sort them later.

“I was in the middle of a conversation, John.” Your voice was matter-of-fact but not angry.

“It’s nap time.” You could hear the edge in his voice, how tiredness knawed at the corners of his words. So, you quietened and stared at the wall. Once you reached the living quarters, John beelined past his own door to your room.

See, John didn’t just want to be with you when he napped. He wanted to be surrounded by you, enveloped in your scent, in your warmth. And your room, well, that was just an extension of you.

He knew your door code, of course he did. He had memorised everything about you, meticulously, as if he was going to be tested on it. Because that was just the type of man he was.

Once you were both hidden in the privacy of your room, he placed you gently on the bed. When you tried to get up, he softly pushed you back down. An order without a statement. Stay. You obeyed, watching as he closed your curtains over and found your softest pair of pyjamas. He handed them to you before he pulled his own shirt up over his head. You ogled him, the taught stretch of his muscles as he removed his clothes, stripping down into his underwear. He was a well-built man, with wide shoulders and big arms that allowed him to toss you around like a ragdoll. Yet he was always surprisingly delicate with you, like he’d break you in an instant if he didn’t restrain himself. You followed his lead and changed into your pyjamas, then you scooted back onto your side of the bed, lifting the covers invitingly to him with a warm smile.

John clambered in, body sluggish and slow with fatigue. His head found purchase on your chest, and a low rumble of content could be heard from him as he wrapped an arm around you. His hair tickled at your chin as he settled, and his leg was slung over your thighs; you were effectively pinned. You didn’t mind, though; instead, a comfortable sigh left you while you reached up to run your hands through his hair. You scratched your nails gently across his scalp and down the back of his neck, feeling the muscles of his toned back before you traced your fingers back upwards to repeat the action in a soothing, cyclical fashion. All of his muscles relaxed, like he was a spring that had just uncoiled.

“Can you talk to me… like tell me about your day or something? I like hearing your voice.” His volume was low, like every syllable was a massive effort. You felt a smile rise to your cheeks. You kept your own voice quiet and lilted as you started to tell him about your morning shopping trip. How you had nearly missed your bus to the shopping centre, how Bob had been too polite to escape someone handing out brochures and had gotten stuck talking to them for well over 20 minutes, how you had bought a bullet journal because it had reminded you of him and his routines. You kept talking, even though you had noticed the way his breath slowed barely two minutes in, and the way that his weight had increased like all the resistance had left his body. You stopped, enjoying the feeling of your human weighted blanket. Exhaustion tugged heavily at your eyelids and your vision went hazy. One final thought stood out as you also succumbed to the depths of sleep.

God, you loved nap time.

[evilvillain123456789]

I was driving home from school and my bored AF ADHD'er son managed to slip from his restraints and pop the sunroof before I could subdue him, and due to the speed I was going (Casual 230MPH down the highway 410) even just pushing the button a little bit caused my toyota yaris to depressurize like an airplane, squeezing my sons relatively pliable head thru the inch thick crack, and fully inverting both eardrums out of mine. Luckily for me, the spew of gore left over from the delta P that flew behind me had splattered all over the police in pursuit's windshields, causing them to swerve, roll, crash, and let the K-9s loose, who instead of chasing me on foot via long distance tracking of blood, presumably went right for the windshield, and officers, and began licking it up quite hungrilly. Finally able to safely slow down and approaching my driveway, I quickly shifted the car to neutral, then neutral, then another neutral to park it, and dug through my purse to put some chapstick on. I then found a q-tip, pushed my eardrums back in, and went inside. After making dinner for my husband I had a wonderful nights rest. The next day I woke up at 3:40 PM and realized I'd be late to pick my son up from school, so I hauled ass back over to the elementary. After waiting in line for HOURRRRS I had remembered- I dont have a son... I have a baby! Babies don't go to school! Looking lovingly in the rearview mirror to smile at what would- should have been my precious darling, I instead saw a ghastly sight. Like, it still shakes me to this day. I dont know who- or what was there in the seat, but it wasn't my little baby. My baby isn't gray and green. And my baby smells good, not bad. I grabbed them, shook them, demanding to know who they are and what they want with my family, but they just rolled their head around to mock me. Running out the car screaming, I called 911, inconsolable, there's been a kidnapping, I have a suspect here with no identification and theyre not speaking. Yes. Yes. Uh, about a foot tall. Pale complexion. HURRY UP. The operator says the citys last 2 cops were killed in a standard procedure freak accident last evening so no ones coming to help then hung up the phone. Dejected, I leaned against the hood of my car, and sobbed. Utterly hopeless... Until, on the horizon, I saw it. Two tan dots running down a distant hill... THE POLICE DOGS! Turns out, they HAVE been tracking my cars blood trail! Things are finally going my way! After about half an hour they get here, and I welcome them, but they just ignore me in favor of sniffing the ground a lot. Eventually they started nosing at the door handle so I pulled it, and both dogs instantly leapt in, tearing the intruder to shreds. The ruckus rolled my car forwards a bit, and by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. Since I have 5 neutral gears installed it just didnt stop, and I watched everything come to a head as it shot full speed downhill, out of sight within seconds. I dialed 911 again to tell them their police dogs had jacked my car and that I'd be suing the city for $6,000 to cover it, but before the operator could get a word in, the loudest sound in the fucking world played through my phone speaker, something so loud that I could have swore I heard it from outside the call as well. I said I'd be suing for damages to my hearing as well, but they didn't respond. I think I scared them off. Serves them right.

[angelfishe]

|| 🂱🂱 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐃 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄. 🂱🂱 ||

<< yandere VIP Zhongli x Player!reader >>

After your mother suddenly has gotten her self into a large debt that seems it is never gonna end, someone recruited you to participate in a game to clean off that debt, but turns out it was a life and death situation as well meeting some familiar faces.

A one shot of my previous post

Warning : includes some dub-con intimacy, spoilers for the squid game series, blood, violence, as well mentions of intimacy

<< Viewers discretion is advised>>

Your mother has gotten herself into a large amount of debt for no apparent reason, she got Carried away in an illegal casino as well taking a loan from an illegal casino.

So you took odd jobs to pay off the debt to help her, but it never seems to end for you guys suffering. Everyday is tiring getting up at 4 am and going home at 11 pm, it was exhausting.

You were tired one day after a night shift, and was waiting at the train station to go home until a man in a business suit approached you, saying why don't you guys play a game for some money. You were desperate for cash so you accepted it.

After that, you receive some slaps but you eventually win. You get your cash and as well a business card about playing a game and clearing your debt.

You decided to take your chances and go with a friend to this so-called game. You and her wait for the car that was taken to you guys towards the game and when it arrives you guys suddenly fall asleep. You guys wake up in a green jump suit with different numbers on it.

After the game rules were laid out by the guards and the first game was "red light, green light", you didn't think much of it and followed the game as usual. Until one person moves during a red light and was shot, and soon all hell broke loss

People ran towards the exit and ended up getting shot left and right, you and your friend didn't know what to do and was scared to move and that's how you guys survive the first game.

During the dalgona shape game, unfortunately for you, you receive a star shape one. You were stressing about it until a guard next to you decided to drop a lighter right next to you and you unknowingly grab to use it.

During the third game it was a miracle that your team managed to win, during the night when there were lights out people left and right started to eliminate each other.

You were safe due to you hiding under the bed. Unfortunately during the 4th game, the marble game. Your friend decided to back stab you and cause you to lose the game.

She was allowed to leave and you were told to stay behind, you thought they were going to shoot you but they drag you into somewhere in the facility.

You were screaming and begging them to let you go, and you were pushed into a luxurious room inside a bed night stand and a man wearing an expensive brown suit and was wearing a deer mask facing the other way so his back was facing you.

"I'm so glad I've got to meet you again my love" he's voice sounds familiar, "it's a shame you don't recognize me have you forgotten my voice after those years being apart because the only thing that has kept me sane was your voice".

The man took off revealing it was your ex husband zhongli, you guys divorce about three years ago how possessive he was with you, unwilling for you to let you go anywhere but home saying it was dangerous.

He was a famous consultant when you guys were married and you both were living comfortably, until your divorce and you heard that he joined the army for 2 years and after leaving he managed to climb himself into the world of the elite reaching fortunes of those Unimaginable.

He seems way more taller and muscular since the last time you saw him maybe he's been working out. As well growing his hair to the point of reaching his back side.

He approach you and envelopes you into a large bear hug, saying how much he misses you and loves you. While you're there just shock contemplating why he is here in this game as well knowing where you were.

And the entire time he was also saying how he was right and the world is a dangerous place as well saying you would have been with him and not be in this game. He was about to give you a kiss until you pushed him to create some distance from him.

You ask him why he was here, and he answered that his friend "childe" tip him off about an entertainment experience that was once in a lifetime to enjoy. And that's how he became a vip to the squid game, he originally wasn't fond of these games but he was glad he came because he saw you on the list of participants. And now he's here to save you and bring you back home

He said he could clear the debt, saying that the debt of 100 million mora wouldn't make a dent in his fortune it was just a small amount as well about the dealings of the illegal casino saying his friends own it and will pay off the debt as long as he gets to have you back.

Without a choice you decided to take him back, and he enveloped you to his embrace as well kissing your lips. He walks you both towards the bed and pins you down.

He grabs the deer mask that was put on the night stand and puts it on your face and then he undresses you from the jump suit "let's get you out of these dirty clothes".

He's more muscular, more broader and much more stronger as well having some experience in the bedroom after you guys divorce, I mean he would usually imagine the ones who were underneath him was you.

As well as having more stamina since the military training, leaving you breathless and thoughtless after the deed was done. After 3 years apart he must have been pent up a lot. Admiring and memorising your figure as well singing praises about your screams of pleasure and how he misses it.

After some time you receive some high end clothing from the guards as well having your own golden mask. You and him walk arm on arm in link together as if the universe doesn't want to separate you again and you guys take a seat watching the last player fight for the Fortune.

[lulu-fic]

𝚂𝚄𝙻𝚃𝚁𝚈 𝚂𝙴𝙳𝚄𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽

Synopsis: Your boyfriend just cheated on you. But you can't just let him get away with that, can you?

Warnings: Cheating ( not by y/n), swearing, sfw, mdni

Wc: 2.1k

An: My first published work. Genuinely nothing too crazy just dipping my toes in water but dw next chapter will be something 👀 also the ending is a bit rushed because I was sleepy 😛

Aggressive typing sound echoed through the walls of a dingy restroom, accompanied by someone's sobbing hiccups. That certain someone was you. Who would have thought your so-called lovely evening would end up with you crying in a stall of a dirty restroom? When you thought your life was finally rainbows and sunshine, god had to give you a reality check.

Flashback

"Here's your order, sir! That'll be $6.80." You said with your fake polite voice to the customer. The said customer took his coffee and fished in his pocket for cash. He finally handed you the required amount and exited the cafe. "Huff god today is draining me." You say. You check the cafe's clock and see it's 2:00 pm. "*Sigh* Still couple of hours to go." You think. But you did not let that bother you.

You are in your most optimistic energy today. Well, today is your most awaited date with Nick, your boyfriend of one year. Your experience with dating him has been nothing but nice. And you believe he's the one. You're finally going to propose him today.

"Y/n! Give me a hand here!" You're pulled out of your day dreaming when your co-worker calls for you. "Yeah, coming right away." You yell back. "*Sigh* life is good." You thought and smiled, resuming with your day.

Time skip

It's 5:13 pm. Your shift is almost over. God, was it a busy day today? You never had such a hectic shift. "Well, my shift is finally finished." You think. You were about to start packing up for the day when the bell jingles, indicating someone had entered the cafe. It was a man.

He was intimidatingly tall and it kind of scared you. His jet black styled hair fell on his face, covering some of his features. He wore a overcoat over a three-piece suit. Perfect attire for the chilly weather. Even though he looked like a gangster. When he finally looked up, it seemed like the time has stopped.

He looked enthernal. He had sharp features- somewhat neck-to-shoulder length hair, strong jawline, siren eyes straight nose, high cheekbones- everything about him was breathtaking. He also had light eyebags, giving signs of late night work. And his lips, god his lips. He had thin, soft looking lips, like rose petals. As if the Adonis himself craved his face. If you weren't so much of a loyal partner, you would have definitely shoot your shot. But he seemed oddly familiar to you.

"What would you like to order, sir?" You ask with your most professional voice, making sure there is no tinge of emotion. "A black coffee and a chocolate muffin, please." He said. And god if you already didn't thought he was attractive, now you definitely do. His voice sounded mature, rich and gravelly. His voice was a little rough too, it felt like he spent years smoking through his stressed moments.

"Y-yeah, right away, sir." You nervously replied. Yep, now you're definitely cursing your whole existence for stumbling in words just because you thought a guy's voice was hot. Seriously, what's wrong with you?

You turned around to make his order, which wasn't some rocket science. It's just a plain black coffee. But it actually felt like that. The man just kept watching you, observing your every move. How you ground the roasted coffee beans, how you brew the coffee, how you pour the coffee into the cup. No matter how much you tried to ignore the staring, it felt like he was boring into your soul. God damn, you didn't feel this nervous even on your first day of work. Ugh!

But you forgot to ask him a crucial question, will he takeaway the coffee or drink the coffee in here? You turned around to see him...still staring at you. "Will you takeaway or drink it here, sir?" You ask. He didn't reply at first. He just kept looking at you. Okay, now you're creeped out. "Sir?" You call out again. This time he's finally out of his whatever dreamland he was in.

"Will you takeaway or drink it here?" You ask again. "Um, takeaway." He replied. You nod your head and kneel down to take out the chocolate muffin from the freezer. Genuinely, he didn't seem like a guy who would like sweets. But oh well who are you to judge someone's taste bud? You take out a white cupcake box and put the sugary treat in it. When you're finally ready with his order, you extend it to him on the counter.

"That'll will $9 dollars. Also I'll be needing your name for the bill." You say. He still just kept looking at you. Okay, now he's starting to annoy you. Why he's looking at you like you're some kind of piece of meat? "Sir?" You call out again. He still didn't reply. "Hello, Earth to sir?" You wave your hand in front of him to grab his attention, which you finally did.

"Oh, yes?" He politely ask, while blinking twice. "Your name?" You ask back with a irritated voice. He chuckles at something.

"Colter Hunt."

God, Even his name was hot. You quickly write down his name, to make it seem like you weren't just fangirling on his name. Suddenly a black card comes in front of your vision. You look up to see him holding it out with his index and middle fingers. Your attention averts to his wrist which is adorned with a silver Cartier bracelet and Rolex watch. "Damn," you think, "so he's rich rich." You add after.

You take his card and inserting it quickly in the card swip machine, telling him to punch in his passcode. He type in his passcode and takes out his card after the transaction was completed.

"Have a good day, sir!" You say, back with your professional voice. He takes his order and was just about to exit the shop when he turned around to look one last time at you, and then finally leaves.

Huff, a hectic day it was.

At the Restaurant...

You are finally at your most awaited destination for the night. You open the gate to the restaurant and are greeted by the receptionist. "Good evening, sir. How can I help you?" She asked. "Uh I have a table reserved for two under my name. Hong it is." She checks her computer real quick and give you your table number with a polite smile. You thank her and go inside.

You see Nick already seated and waiting for you. You quickly take your seat. "Sorry for being late. I had a customer last minute who was taking some time." You quickly apologize for being late. "So, what should we order, huh?" You ask while picking up the menu. "Well I wanted to try the main course of here for long time. I saw the review online and they said it's very good, even the customer service. Oh and the dessert choices are also-" You stop with your rambling in the midway when you notice Nate not responding to any of your babble. He seemed to zone out. "Hey, Nick? What happened baby?" You ask. He breaks out of whatever dreamland and finally looks at. "Huh? What did you say?" Ugh why's everyone seemed to zone out today?

"I asked did something happened. You seemed lost." You repeat. "Oh um no- I mean yes- uh I don't know." He babbles. You make a puzzled face. "What do you mean?" You ask. "Did something happened at work?" You ask again. "Uh yes- I mean no but it was someone from so technically yes but no." He again keeps puzzling his word. "Nick what are you even talking about? I don't get it." You say in a baffled voice.

"Ugh, y/n I don't know how to say this but I have been wanting to say this, but it's just I never got a chance." He explains a bit. "It's okay. You can say now." You say. "Maybe he will be the one who's going to propose me." You think with a happy voice.

"I-I...I sleptwithsomeoneonemonthagoatHalloweenparty."

"What? What did you say?" You ask not understanding his "explanation".

"I-I...y/n I slept with someone. A month ago. And I-I just feel more attracted to her." He finally says it.

"What." You depanned. "Y/n, I'm sorry! I tried to tell you this multiple time but never got a chance and-" he tries to explain but you raise a hand to make him stop. "When was it?" You ask trying to keep your temper at bay.

"At halloween party of my office." He nervously admits. "So someone from office then, huh?" You interjected. "Yes." He confirms, not trying to make eye contact with you. "Who is it?" You finally ask. "Huh?" He looks up at you baffled. "Who. Is. It." You grit your teeth.

"Rachel." He breathes out. You exhale a breath of air you didn't know you were holding. The chair makes a screeching sound as you slowly get up. "Y/n I-" He tries to utter something but you beat him to it by splashing a glass water on his face.

"Do. Not. Tell. Me. Your. Filthy. Excuses!" You yell grabbing the attention of other customer. You finally leave that place, ignoring the calls of your name from behind. You stop at your pace and take a turn and make your way towards the the restroom door that had "Staff Only" written with bold letters.

End of flashback

Tears are flowing down your face as you type out the message to your bestfriend, basically explaining the situation. You're not hurt about the fact he cheated, you're just angry on the fact that he cheated on you? Hong Y/N. You remember thinking how guys used beg for a chance to even let them take you on a date. And when you finally decide to settle down, this happens?

No, you cannot let a man control your emotions like this. Nope. You reject the fact that you are crying over a man.

You get up from the toilet seat and go outside to quickly wash your hands. You make a quick text to your bestfriend saying that you'll be late and call for a uber.

You go outside the restaurant and breath in the cold air of the chilly weather, finally feeling at peace a little. Your uber quickly arrives at your destination. "Square Town Club, please." You quickly inform the driver as you take a seat. Tonight it'll be all about you. Not someone cheating asshole.

The uber driver reaches at your said address after 10 minutes and you pay him the amount required as you get out of the taxi.

When you enter the club, it seemed like you stepped into another world. Neon red and green lights blinding your sights, party music booming through speakers, people making out or even having sex in the middle of the dance floor. "Ew, disgusting." You think. But that's main goal of tonight, only stuff like these can take your mind off that bitch.

You go over to the bar counter. You knew the bartender , Ricky, through social media. Also the reason how you got to know about this place. He looks over at you and asks, "The usual?" "No." You answer back. "Give me anything. But 10x stronger." You add. He raises his eyebrows but says nothing. As he was preparing your drink, you felt a little uncomfortable. It felt like someone was boring their eyes into you. Yes it's a club, of course you will grab attention.

But this one seemed a little off. A little familiar.

As you looked around to catch the supposed person, you attention is caught by a person sitting at the most secluded place of the club. It was a very dark corner. You try your best to ignore him. Keyword: Try.

Because the moment you look away a scary looking bodygaurd comes up to you with a drink and says, "Sir, this drink is offered by our master with the small note." Turns out the said master is none other than the guy you tried to take a good look at before.

This time you trun around and squint your eyes to take a good look at him. And this time, by some miracle, you're finally able to get a good look of him. But Oh. My. God.

It's the cafe guy.

© lulu-fic, 2024. All rights reserved. Don't copy, translate or modify my work. And Do not post my work on any other platform.

[aliceintvland]

In Circles Somewhere Else -- Ch 3

Hi all!!! Pls enjoy chapter 3! I'm also on ao3 now (link on my profile). Comments and messages are MUCH APPRECIATED :)

Warnings: 18+ (but no smut), angst. Nothing else rly.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Save for some stormy-eyed stares from your moody ex, you were able to keep yourself busy enough not to think about him.

As your shift began wrapping up, a hand on your shoulder caused you to jump, squealing in delight when you turned around to see who the interruptor was.

"No fucking way!" you don't know why you're surprised. He works here, after all. But it's been years since you've seen Jack Abbott. He took Robby's side, naturally.

"Hey beautiful," he grins, pulling you into a hug that catches Robby's attention from the other side of the nurses' station. "I heard you were hanging around here lately."

"Just temporary," you smile, catching Robby in the corner of your eye, laser focused on you, lazily rocking back and forth, catching himself on the desk. You lower your voice a bit, a teasing grin on your face. "I'd much rather be on your shift. Wanna make that happen?"

"You don't want nights," he shakes his head. Somehow, he hasn't aged. But his eyes are different. Darker, less alive. "Is it that bad?"

"Honestly no," you shrug, starting to pack your bag, before conceding a bit. "There are a few moments. Today was a rough one. But I can hold my own."

"Go easy on him, will you?" Jack asks, glancing over for a second. Robby has since been called into a patient's room, begrudgingly walking away. "He's in a bad spot. Needs some leeway."

"I know," you say softly. "I feel awful, Jack. He hates me."

"I can tell you for a fact thst he doesn't. And it's not your fault," he shrugs. "Blame COVID. And that maniac who shot up Pitt fest. But don't blame yourself. You tried."

"Thank you," you whisper, inhaling sharply, fearing the tears would come back.

Jack knows you tried. You had gone to him in desperation, unable to get Robby out of the hole he'd fallen into after Adamson's death. He would counsel you on the phone, or take you for coffee and let you vent about your boyfriend's sudden avoidance.

"I should go get the lowdown from Robby on what I'm walking into," he sighs, patting you on the shoulder. "It's good to see you, kid."

"You too," you smile at him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

September 2021

Your fingers can't move fast enough as you search for Jack's contact in your phone, the oven clock feeling like a time bomb. It was nearly midnight after a long shift, and Robby was nowhere to be found.

"And you're sure he's not there?" you're increasingly panicked. This must be your fifth time calling poor Jack, who's supposed to be off tonight. "Check the on-call room. Maybe he fell asleep. He hasn't been sleeping at night."

"Checked them all," he says regretfully. "I'm gonna come by and we'll figure something out. I'm sure he's fine. Just lost track of time."

It feels like hours, but Jack is at your house within 15 minutes, letting himself in.

"You really should lock that," he comments, entering the kitchen to find you slumped over your laptop, on the phone. "Is that him?"

You shake your head, speaking into the cell. "Alright. I appreciate it."

"Don't tell me you're calling morgues," he tilts his head, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "He's fine. I promise."

"He's never done this," you cry again. You've been crying since 10 pm when Robby was 2 hours late and his phone was going straight to voicemail. Jack sits in the chair next to you, pulling you into a hug. "Thank you for coming. And for looking at the hospital. I know it's your night off."

"Of course," and you can tell he means it. "Anything for you guys."

"We got in a fight this morning," you whisper, avoiding his stare. "I said some awful things to him. That I didn't even know who he was anymore, and that he makes every day miserable."

"Ouch," Jack responds honestly, catching himself. "Well, is that how you feel?"

"No," you shrug, sniffling. "I don't know. I love him more than anything. But he's just been so...different. Maybe I do."

You wait for the judgement, but it never comes.

"It's alright," he soothes you, shushing calmly. "Shit happens. And I have a feeling I know what this is about."

He said the quiet part out loud. In two days, it would be a year since Adamson died.

"I should've cut him some slack," you continue crying, accepting the tissue he offers. "I just-I couldn't take it. The distance, the snide remarks, the total disinterest."

"There's one more place we should check," Jack perks up a bit, as if he cracked the code. "Do you want to come?"

"I should stay here in case he comes back," you sniffle. Jack nods in agreement, placing a chaste kiss on the crown of your head. "Thank you."

"Of course, kid," he nods, heading out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I told you to lock this," Jack says, walking into your kitchen again, finding you in the exact same spot. Robby enters behind him, cheeks and nose red, eyes looking defeated. Jack tries to ease the tension. "Special delivery."

You jump up, running into your fiancé's arms, holding him tight. Surprisingly, he hugs you back, inhaling deeply with his face in the crook of your shoulder.

"I'll let you two talk," Jack waves politely.

"Thank you," you say earnestly, making a mental note to send him a pack of beer or something as he exits. You guide Robby inside, holding his face in your hands, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

He looks down at the floor.

"I'm sorry," he mumbles. "I went for a walk to blow off steam. I just kept walking. And my phone died and I couldn't deal with the thought that I was going to come home and you'd be gone."

"Come here baby," you take him by the hand, bringing him to the couch. You lean into him, kissing his knuckles and holding his hand to your cheek. "You think I'd just leave without another word?"

"I don't know," he admits, arm wrapping around your waist. "I'm not exactly a dream to be around lately. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with my shit."

"I shouldn't have said those things," you say, stomach in knots with guilt. He's broken. You should be his rock, not another obstacle for him to face. "I was just so tired, Michael. I'm so sorry."

"I know," he kisses your temple. "I know, honey. I'm sorry too."

"I want to be there for you," you tilt your head to meet his eyes, sad and deep. You wish you could read his mind, but you know him well enough to know his pain. "You're never a burden, baby. You can talk to me about this stuff. I'll help you carry it."

He inhales sharply, eyes closing as he blinks back tears. You never saw him cry before COVID. And while it was still rare, you appreciated that he wasn't afraid to do it in front of you.

"I don't deserve you," he whispers, voice shaky, pulling you close. You kiss his jaw softly, rubbing soothing circles on his chest and tummy. "I love you, honey. You know that, right? I'm fucking awful at showing it lately."

"I know you do," you reply. "And I love you too. With everything I have. But you have to let me in. We're a team, remember?"

He nods, as if he's processing your words. Kissing you slowly, you hum against his mouth, running your hand through his hair. It's not the teeth and tongues you two sometimes engage in. This is slow, deliberate. A declaration of love in the best way he can.

"I couldn't do this without you," he pulls back and says softly, fidgeting with the ring on your finger. You hum in agreement. "I'll be better for you. Okay? I promise."

You're not sure if it's the pain in his eyes, or the tenderness of his mouth against yours, but you believe him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRESENT DAY

You stand outside, rocking back and forth on a bench by the front entrance. The March air is unseasonably cold, and the sweater you chose isn't cutting it. But your sister borrowed your car and is late to pick you up.

Pulling a cigarette out of your pocket, you fish for a light. It's a nasty habit, one you never succumbed to fully-but the nicotine after a long day sometimes put your mind at ease.

"Glad to see you're still a stress smoker," Robby's voice startles you, his bag on his shoulder as he walks over. You shrug, looking down at the ground as you take a drag. "May I?"

Surprised, you hand Robby the cigarette, immediately pouting when he throws it on the ground.

"You're too young and pure for that shit," he says, taking a seat next to you. Neither of you say anything for a moment.

"Young and pure?" you scoff. "You of all people know that's not the case."

"That I do," he chuckles a bit, raising his eyebrows as if he's remembering what you once had. The way you used to ride his thigh at the kitchen table, or beg him to spit in your mouth, or writhe around his cock and babble his name.

"Stop that, you perv," you let your defenses down a bit, giggling. You turn to him with a small smile, reserved and scared. "I guess my lungs should thank you."

Silence, yet again. Two people who used to talk until the morning light, sitting there without a thing to say to each other. It's a tragedy.

"I'm sorry," he finally breaks the tension, turning to look you in your eyes. It might be the first time since arriving that you two lock gazes, ever changed since your eyes first met all those years ago. "I had no right to bring your personal shit into this."

"Yeah," you nod, chewing on the inside of your cheek. Robby sighs, shaking his head, waiting for more. "I'm sorry too."

"You don't need to be sorry," he says. "You were right."

"You were trying to protect him," you reassure him, forgetting that it's not your job to do so anymore. "And I said some unkind things."

"We both did," he concedes. "We really know how to hurt each other, huh?"

"I guess we do," you say softly, foot tapping.

Robby nods, looking across the street at the hospital. People come and go, the chaos never ending. So much hurt and trauma in those walls.

"You waiting for a ride?" he asks, and you nod, checking your phone.

"My fucking sister was supposed to get me 20 minutes ago. I let her borrow my car to take her son to an appointment in Butler," you aren't sure why you're explaining. Maybe you don't want him to think you've moved on. "But she's still an hour out."

"Nicole has a son?" he perks up a bit, a smile on his face. You shift uncomfortably, the realization that he knows every part of your life settling in. "I know they were struggling. That's amazing. What's his name?"

"Oliver," you smile, pulling out your phone to show him a picture. "Isn't he a little chubby cutie?"

Robby grins at your phone, looking back at you with a glimmer of sadness in his eyes as he looks at the photo of you holding the baby. You wonder if he's seeing what could have been.

"You don't have to wait out here in the cold," Robby stands, extending a hand to you, quickly putting it back in his pocket. Too soon. He's sheepish, rocking back and forth. "Just come wait at my-uh, at the house."

The house. You haven't stepped foot in it since the day you left. When you had met Robby, he lived in a small apartment, bare walls and an uncomfortable couch.

May 2020, after countless conversations about moving in together since you were quarantining in his apartment, he finally made the step of getting a townhouse. He didn't ask you for a dime (and got it for a good price) just for you to help him make it into a home.

Your curiosity gets the best of you. You nod, standing and following a few paces behind him. It feels like a long walk, despite being less than a mile, the occasional hand brushing setting your skin ablaze.

You try to remember the bad. The screaming fights, total withdrawal, and lonely feeling you had toward the end. But the way the sunlight hits his face, and the silly way he waves to a passing baby, it's hard not to feel everything rushing back.

It feels familiar. Like you two are just walking home together. To your humble home, where you dance in the kitchen and cuddle on the couch.

"I forgive you, you know," he suddenly says as you can finally see the front steps in the distance. You stop walking, opening your mouth to reply, but he cuts you off. "I forgave you a long fucking time ago. I understand why you left."

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done," you admit. Not an exaggeration. "I just don't want you to think it was because I didn't love you."

"I know that now," he relents, and the two of you continue walking again. "I was angry before. And then seeing you without warning, everything came flooding back."

"I want us to be able to work together without things like what happened today making it hostile," you state plainly. Robby nods, twisting his lips. "Can we try that?"

"Absolutely we can," he answers quickly. You smile, a silent thank you.

You approach the townhouse, pausing at the bottom of the front porch steps. It's different.

The flowers you used to hang from the veranda were no longer there, just empty baskets.

The vibrant red door, one you had bickered about for days before Robby finally relented, was a dull gray. A metaphor for his life since you left.

The porch swing, the one you would drink your tea on while he did his crossword puzzles on Sunday mornings, was dusty. You used to picture being old with him on that swing.

Swallowing hard, you take it in. Robby watches you cautiously, making his way up the steps and turning.

"Are you coming in?"

[azzifudd10]

Chapter 18:  Something Like Sunshine

Azzi had been quiet all morning.

Not in a sad way — not like before. But in a thoughtful, staring-out-the-window kind of way. Paige noticed it immediately as they moved through their lazy Sunday routine: cereal for Jazlyn (with extra berries, obviously), a smoothie for Azzi, and coffee for Paige that had gone cold twice before she remembered to drink it.

“You okay?” Paige asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Azzi, sitting at the table with her journal open and a pencil in her hand, nodded. “Yeah. Just… I don’t know. Grateful, maybe.”

Paige walked over and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “That’s a good kind of quiet.”

Jazlyn, perched on a stool with her feet swinging, looked up. “What’s ‘grate-full’?”

Paige smiled. “It’s when your heart is so happy it feels full.”

“Oh,” Jazlyn said, considering that. “Like when I have three fruit snacks and Mommy lets me have one more?”

Azzi laughed — a real one. “Exactly like that.”

They were still laughing when the doorbell rang.

Azzi looked up, surprised. “Are we expecting anyone?”

“No,” Paige said, wiping her hands. “Maybe it’s a delivery?”

Jazlyn jumped off the stool. “I’ll get it!”

“No running,” Paige called, following behind her.

But by the time they reached the door, Jazlyn was already unlocking it.

And standing on the porch — grinning like they were in a bad rom-com — were two women Azzi hadn’t seen in nearly two years.

Caroline Ducharme and Inès Jaurena.

Azzi froze in the hallway.

“Surprise!” Inès called, holding up a giant pink iced coffee in one hand and a bag of sour candy in the other. “We heard you needed a friend or two.”

Azzi stared.

Then she sprinted down the hall, barefoot and stunned, and practically tackled them both into a hug.

“You’re kidding me!” she squealed. “What are you two doing here?!”

Caroline laughed. “We figured you wouldn’t plan something fun for yourself, so we planned it for you. And booked a flight. And maybe bullied the Sparks into giving you the weekend off.”

Azzi pulled back, eyes misty. “I can’t believe this.”

Paige, still standing a few feet away with Jazlyn in her arms, cleared her throat.

Caroline and Inès turned.

“Oh,” Inès said, her eyebrows lifting. “That must be the famous Paige.”

“And the even more famous Jazlyn,” Caroline added with a soft smile.

Jazlyn waved. “Hi! I’m Jazlyn. But everyone calls me Jaz. That’s my Mommy—” She pointed at Azzi. “And that’s my Ma.” She leaned her head against Paige’s shoulder. “She’s grumpy sometimes but she lets me eat frosting with a spoon.”

Azzi blushed. “Jaz!”

“What?” Jazlyn blinked. “It’s true.”

Everyone burst into laughter, including Paige, who finally stepped forward and offered a hand. “Paige Bueckers. It’s really good to finally meet you two.”

“Same here,” Inès said, shaking it. “We’ve heard a lot. Like, a lot.”

“Oh no,” Paige muttered.

Caroline winked. “Relax. Most of it was just Azzi being in denial.”

Azzi groaned and covered her face. “Kill me now.”

They spent the next hour catching up in the living room. Jazlyn, who wasted zero time in charming both visitors, made them bracelets out of beads and insisted they wear them “forever.” Caroline got the one that said “Cool,” and Inès’ said “Unicorn Mom.”

“I’m not even a mom,” Inès laughed.

“You are now,” Jazlyn declared solemnly.

Azzi whispered, “Just go with it.”

The sun was shining, the air smelled like summer, and Caroline announced they were kidnapping Azzi for a girls’ day — no arguments.

Jazlyn’s eyes widened. “But what about me?!”

“You, sweet pea,” Paige said, scooping her up, “are gonna have a Ma-Jaz day while Mommy is out being fabulous.”

“Are you gonna get your nails done?” Jaz asked.

“Probably.”

“Can you get sparkles?”

“Only if you promise not to eat them.”

“I never eat sparkles,” Jazlyn lied.

By 2 PM, they were strolling through Venice Beach, sunglasses on, iced drinks in hand. Azzi wore a cropped hoodie and high-waisted jeans, her hair in two braids. She looked lighter — like something had shifted in her chest, and she could finally breathe again.

“I can’t believe you guys did this,” she said as they browsed a vintage shop.

Caroline shrugged. “You’ve had a hell of a year. We wanted to remind you who you are outside of all of that.”

“And maybe,” Inès added, “embarrass you in public a little. You’re way too famous now.”

Azzi rolled her eyes. “Please. No one cares.”

A group of teenage girls passed them and immediately burst into whispers and squeals.

Inès raised an eyebrow. “You were saying?”

They bought matching rings from a local artist, tried on ridiculous sunglasses, got smoothies from a stand that claimed to have “healing crystals in every blend,” and took selfies in front of murals.

“Okay, real question,” Caroline said as they sat on the sand watching the waves. “Are you happy?”

Azzi was quiet for a second.

Then she nodded. “Yeah. It’s not perfect. But Paige… she makes it feel safe. And Jazlyn — she changed everything. She made me a mom. Even when I thought I couldn’t be.”

Inès rested her head on Azzi’s shoulder. “You deserve everything good.”

“Even the frosting thief,” Caroline joked.

“Especially her.”

When they got back to the house, it was sunset.

They opened the door to the smell of cookies baking and music playing low in the background. Jazlyn came running down the hall in her pajamas, her unicorn crown tilted sideways.

“Mommy!” she shouted. “Ma and me had a pizza picnic and I got to make cookies and I beat her in Uno three times!”

Paige followed, holding a tray of (slightly burnt) cookies. “She cheats.”

“I don’t!” Jazlyn giggled.

Azzi dropped to her knees and hugged her tight. “I missed you.”

“I missed you more,” Jazlyn whispered.

Paige looked over at the girls. “So? Good day?”

“The best,” Azzi said.

That night, after the house quieted and Caroline and Inès had fallen asleep in the guest room, Azzi stood in the hallway outside Jazlyn’s door.

Paige came up behind her and slipped an arm around her waist.

“She’s out cold,” Paige whispered.

“I know.”

They stood there in the quiet, just listening.

Then Azzi leaned her head against Paige’s shoulder. “Thanks for today. For letting me just… be me.”

“Always.”

Azzi turned, resting her forehead against Paige’s. “I love you, Ma.”

Paige smiled. “I love you too, Mommy.”

Azzi smacked her arm. “Oh my god.”

“I had to.”

They laughed, hushed and warm in the soft hallway light, and when they finally went to bed — tangled together, peaceful — Azzi whispered one more thank you to the dark.

This time, there were no tears. Only something like sunshine.

[harringtonfeels]

(Stuck in a) Sad Summer Daze - Chapter Two

fem!Reader x Steve Harrington | Ch. 2 word count: 5k | Fic post | Previous chapter | Next chapter

A three week trip from Indianapolis to sunny Santa Barbara, CA and back becomes an opportunity for you to reconnect with Eddie, Robin, and Steve, regain the closeness you never realized you lost, and see your friends in a different light. Some of them, more than others.

Chapter description: A fateful ICEE purchase helps you break the ice while you and Steve take the night shift. Featuring, the riveting landscape of Oklahoma, and a late-night sing-along, and a poorly-executed gas station transaction.

June 19th, 1992

Miami, OK | 6:45 PM CST

You agree on a short dinner when you make your first stop in Oklahoma. Robin parks at the pump at a Phillips 66, and you all get out to stretch your legs. Robin's driving made a remarkable recovery, eventually staying good enough for long enough that Eddie joined you in the second row and busied himself by trying to toss balled up pieces of wrappers down your shirt when you weren't looking.

Now, it's the end of Robin's shift and the start of yours. Steve and Eddie run to the Burger King next door and grab dinner for everyone, and you and Robin stay behind with the van, pumping gas and replenishing the snack supply.

You're lost in thought while pumping gas when Robin withdraws herself from where she was gathering the snacks in a more orderly pile in the second row. She walks around the back of the van and looks at you with those big Robin eyes. The concerned kind.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"What do you mean?"

The fuel nozzle clicks. The pump reads $20.00. You withdraw the nozzle and put it back where it belongs, tightening the cap back over the filler neck.

Robin frowns, and you realize she must think you're trying to shut her out. You're not, so you make a more honest attempt to humor her. "I've had a hard few weeks is all, and I got a little stressed earlier. But you didn't do anything wrong, Rob. I'm fine."

She hesitates for a moment, and then she says, "Are you sure? You've been quiet all day. I just want to make sure we're not making you feel left out or anything."

You close the door to the gas tank and lean against the van, brow furrowing. "Yeah, I'm sure. I don't feel left out at all. I've just got some stuff on my mind, that's all."

Should I feel left out? you begin to wonder. Everyone else seems to be reclaiming their footing in the group a little better than you are. Is there a reason for that?

Now you're overthinking it when Robin was just trying to tell you not to overthink it. It would take more than Zoloft to fix whatever's wrong with you, at this point.

She asks if you need to talk about it, and you're not sure where you'd even start if you wanted to. So you politely decline and strike up a conversation about how things have been going with Vicki, if she's still enjoying Columbus. Robin lets you change the topic with ease, although you can see from the way she glances at you out of the corner of her eye that she knows exactly what you're doing. She's nothing if not observant.

Dinner is uneventful. Eddie's set up a pallet on the floor of the van for Robin, and he posts up in the second row. He's got a bad back, and no number of blankets in the floor is going to protect him - although, having spent a while lying in the backseat yourself earlier, you're not sure the bench will be much better for him. If it bothers him, though, he takes it like a champ.

As you pull out onto the main road and navigate back to the highway, you give Robin a little credit. The van jerks and jostles, and she wasn't wrong - it's damn near impossible to tell where you're at in your lane.

"Steve, can you, like, adjust the side mirror a little?"

He unbuckles his seatbelt and leans forward, arm out the window to nudge the passenger side mirror. "Up or down?"

"Down."

He presses the bottom of the mirror gently. "Say when."

After about half a second, you say, "That's enough. And can you push it to the right a little? Yep, that's perfect."

While Robin was driving, Steve plotted out a few places that could be good opportunities to stop for gas. You wonder if he realized he was doing algebra when he calculated the number of miles it'd be before you need to stop for gas again.

It was 170 miles to Oklahoma City when you left Miami half an hour ago. Robin's quiet in the back, although you doubt she's asleep. She brought her Walkman and a couple of books - she told you all about the one she's already started before it was her turn to drive. You and Steve play games, making nonsense words out of the license plates and trading bumps when you see punch bugs. Within forty-five minutes, Eddie's snores are louder than the radio, even from the front seat.

Even though the conversation has been nothing but lighthearted, you're wound tight, and you're not really sure why. Until Steve finally says, "So what have you been up to in Indy lately?"

It's a broad question. Why does it feel like a trap?

You throw your hand up at the Porsche that just cut you off. They don't seem to notice.

"Uh, you know. Working and everything." You think hard on the last year or so since you saw Steve in person. "I guess that's really all I've been doing, is working. Saving up for a house, finding a house, closing on the house, moving into the house…"

"Wow," Steve says, and you can tell he means it. "That sounds like a lot."

"Yeah, it's… not easy when you're doing it all yourself."

There's a beat of silence. "You did that all yourself?"

"Well, I didn't want to pay a realtor."

"No, I mean—" He twists slightly to face you, seatbelt digging into his collarbone. "—did Jeff not help you?"

There's a beat of silence before you say, "Jeff doesn't live with me."

"Oh." Steve doesn't sound that surprised, but his face says otherwise. "I don't know why I assumed he did. Maybe 'cause you've been together for so long."

"He's living on campus," you say, and it's not a lie, but it's not the whole truth, either.

"Oh, yeah, what's he going to school for, again?"

You talk about Jeff for longer than you'd like, just listing facts but dancing around the truth. Oh, he's working on his Veterinary MD. Yeah, he's working as a vet tech right now. There's a lot you don't say. I know who I am. How I build a life matters less to me than actually building it. He knows who he wants to be but not where, or who with.

"What about you?" you ask, finally. "How's it going in Chicago?"

Steve shrugs. "Pretty good. Well, really good, I guess."

You raise your eyebrows at that - both due to genuine curiosity and thankfulness for having something to talk about that's not yourself. Or Jeff.

His grin is a little sheepish. "I mean, it's not Hollywood or anything, but they seem to like me a lot at work, so I got promoted to middle management." You mirror each other's grimaces at that, but Steve breaks into a self-deprecating smile. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Death to middle managers. Your subordinates hate you, your superiors hate you, and you hate yourself - I know. But the funny thing is, they don't. There've been a few issues here and there, but overall, I think people kind of… like having me as a manager. Or at least, better than the last guy."

"Huh," you say, trying to wrap your mind around it. "I guess you always did have a little bit of leadership in you - captain of the basketball team and all. And the kids - oh my God. You were so hit or miss with the kids."

When you laugh, Steve does, too. "Those little shits. It was always, 'Yes, Steve. No, Steve. I would never split the party, Steve. Oh, by the way, I'm driving your car into the abyss and we're all gonna die together against your explicit instructions, Steve.'"

"And Mike hated you so much, I swear, he would have done anything Robin or Eddie asked him to, as long as it didn't come from you."

"I hate to inform you that, in every group, there is always a Mike. You know, I still don't know what his problem was."

"You were dating his sister. And he thought you were an asshole."

"I wasn't an asshole."

You tilt your head to the side, and the corner of your mouth lifts a little. "You were kind of an asshole."

"I was not." There's a beat of silence, and that silence speaks volumes. Steve folds his arms across his chest and slouches against the bench seat. "Okay, maybe I was a little bit of an asshole."

"I think your level of asshole was directly proportionate to how much time you were spending with Tommy, Hawkins' Supreme Asshole."

"Asshole in Chief," Steve agrees.

"Archon of Assholery," you offer.

His nose scrunches. "What the fuck is an archon?"

"Can you guys shut the fuck up?" Eddie grumbles from the backseat, and you wince, shooting an apologetic grimace in Steve's direction.

You turn the radio down so softly you can barely hear it.

Steve's expression reeks of "I should be sorry, but I'm not," but you both grow quiet nonetheless, and you refocus your attention on not just the road ahead but also the scenery surrounding you.

To its credit, Oklahoma is a lot greener than you expected. Hopefully, that will give you something to pay attention to as you drive in silence.

Oklahoma City, OK | 9:52 PM CST

The sun set when you were passing through Tulsa about half an hour ago. The heat is starting dissipate, although only marginally. You've got a quarter tank of gas, and Steve just correctly pointed out that gas stations would probably begin shutting down for the night soon.

Robin hasn't made a sound in hours, and Eddie's snoring loudly enough to rattle the doors when you make it off the exit and coast into a gas station parking lot. The neon logo on the awning and fluorescent lights illuminating the gas pumps transport you right back to Starcourt, briefly. You get déjà vu like that from time to time, where the liminal spaces of your past all meld together into the inescapable Starcourt Mall.

If Steve notices you're a little off as you pull up to the pump, he doesn't mention it. He hops out and meets you at the front bumper, shoving his hands in his pockets as you both cross the parking lot. His voice cracks a little from lack of use as he says, "I think they're about to close. How much do you think that thing'll hold?"

You shrug. "Twenty got us, like, half a tank."

"Half a tank?" He rolls his eyes. "Leave it to Eddie to drive the biggest gas hog in America."

Smiling a little, you bump his arm with your shoulder. "Leave it to Eddie to be the only one with a car big enough to fit us all."

The door chimes as you open it, a little bell strung up on the doorframe. And it's a good thing, too, because you're seemingly the only people in the building. A gruff voice calls from a room in the back. "Coming!"

You and Steve split up - you toward the drinks, him toward the snacks.

"Grab me an AriZona Tea?" Steve suggests, peering over the shelving at you as you open a cooler door.

You throw a thumbs-up his way and grab a Sprite and a Mountain Dew for Robin and Eddie respectively. You reach out for a Coke, and just then, something catches your eye.

An ICEE machine.

Letting the cooler door swing closed, you pivot. You're on the prowl.

Just then, a bald, skinny guy with a full beard walks out of the back room. "Do you people have any idea what time it is?" he huffs, looking like he could use a cigarette.

You open your mouth to respond, juggling the two drinks in your arms as you reach for an ICEE cup from the stack.

"Looks like 9:55 to me." Steve's tone is bored, but you recognize the undercurrent - you'd recognize it anywhere. Hidden in the layers of his voice is a challenge.

You pull the lever to fill your cup with cherry, and the attendant groans. "I just cleaned that. You've got no decency, coming in here five minutes to close and making a mess."

"I'm not making a mess," you say, glancing at him from the corner of your eye. You've worked customer service before; you know how shitty people can be. But you never had this big a stick up your ass about a couple of people wanting to buy some drinks before closing time.

"She's not making a mess," Steve repeats, stalking toward the cash wrap. "If you're not taking customers, you should probably lock the door."

The attendant huffs and starts ringing Steve up. You're trying to move quickly, but the ICEE machine only dispenses so fast, and then you're extra careful to put your lid on tightly - that's all you need, is to actually make a mess. Ruin this guy's night and everyone else's, too.

Once the lid is on, you approach the counter and deposit your ICEE and the bottles in your arms.

"Do you two need anything else?" You wonder if he's always this moody, or if it's only at closing time.

"Thirty on three," Steve chirps.

You didn't come into the store at the last second for the purpose of being a menace, honest. But seeing the guy look like he's about to pop a vein has you coughing to stifle a laugh.

Steve generously drops two twenties on the counter before you can get your wallet out. The attendant gives him back all his change in quarters and starts the pump.

Outside, mosquitoes seem to swarm you, and you bat them away as you both make your way across the lot, back to the van. Moths circle around the overhead lights. It's still warm, not to mention humid, but it's not as brutal as it was in the daylight.

"Here, I'll put the snacks away," you offer as he opens the gas door and starts pumping. He hands you the bag, and you trot over to the passenger door, stuff the drinks in the cooler and set the snacks in the middle of the bench for easy access.

It's not until you reach into the bottom of the bag to put Steve's AriZona Tea in his cupholder that you realize you've made a fatal mistake.

There is no AriZona.

You look up at the door to the glass gas station doors just in time to see the grumpy attendant locking up from the inside. He must be able to tell you forgot something, because you hold his gaze for a moment and then he flips you off.

What the fuck.

Shutting the passenger door gingerly behind you, you bounce on the balls of your feet while making your way back around to the other side of the van.

"Hey, Steve," you sing.

"Yes, sunshine?" He draws out the syllables, singing right back to you with an expression that says I don't know what you're about to say, but I'm sure I won't like it.

You bite your lip and say, "I did something bad."

At that, he locks the pump handle in position and turns to face you, hands on his hips. "You forgot my AriZona," he accuses.

Cheeks hot, you try to defend yourself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I got so excited when I saw the ICEE machine, and then that guy was so rude and I—"

His brown eyes level with yours, and he inhales deeply. What if he's really mad? you think, but there's just a sliver of mischief in his eyes that tells you otherwise.

"Okay, so what?" He flaps a hand with half-hearted attitude. "You get your ICEE, which I paid for, and I get nothing until sunrise?" he snipes.

"No," you say quickly. "I still have some Coke in the cooler! You can have it. And I can give you some money for the snacks."

He pulls a face. "Shut up. That's New Coke, and it sucks."

"It's called Coke II now, and it's good!"

"Nobody calls it that, and it sucks," Steve insists with a huff. "Give me that ICEE."

"What?"

Steve takes a step forward that's actually closer to a lunge, hand outstretched. "I said, give me your ICEE."

"Steve, please," you beg, taking a step back toward the front of the van as he climbs over the fuel hose. Instinctively, you hold your ICEE behind you with one hand and put the other out in front of you to fend him off. "She's innocent. She did nothing wrong. Take it out on me, not the ICEE."

"Oh, I'm gonna take it out on you, alright." With a mischievous grin, he takes a step forward, and you squeal, rounding the front of the van.

The problem with Steve is that he's always been too fast for you. He's sure-footed where you're cautious, and he's got a wingspan much larger than yours. Of all the years you spent playing Capture the Remote, you've never won. And there's a lot more on the line than just remote privileges - you still haven't even had a taste of your beautiful, cherry ICEE. Your pulse thuds in your ears as you round the front bumper, heart pounding like a rabbit backed into a hedgebush with no escape.

Before you've even made it around to the driver door, Steve's on you, trapping you between his arm and the side-mirror. You could try to duck and run, but you know you've been beaten. You hold your beloved ICEE close to your chest, looking up at him like a deer in the headlights. Years and an unspoken web of tangled energy spans between you and Steve and your Capture the Remote days; you're not sure what the rules are for rough-housing with him anymore, or where he'd draw the line.

"Not the ICEE," you say, deflated, but as he leans in, you're forced to accept that your humble plea is futile. He pries the cup from your hands and wraps his lips around the bright red straw, and there he goes, depriving you of your one true love. You watch as he swallows, then sips again, then swallows, and then—

The buzzing of the fluorescent lights above ceases entirely, and the world is cast into darkness. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust, but it evidently doesn't take Steve that long. By the time you can make out his outline, he's already passing your ICEE back to you and pushing himself off the fender of the van.

He hollers at the attendant, who's locking the doors from the outside. "Thanks, asshole!"

"Get a room, lovebirds," the other guy yells back. And then he flips you off. Again.

Steve rolls his eyes. "What is that guy's deal?" he huffs, then turns back to face you. His long hair casts shadows across his face in the barely-there streetlight. "You're sharing the rest of that with me."

It's not a request, but it doesn't have to be. You'd share anything with Steve if he asked you to, and you know he'd do the same. "Okay," you agree, finally taking your first sip of ICEE. You're honestly just grateful you didn't drop it during all your shenanigans.

The fuel nozzle clicks, and Steve takes a step back. "I'll take care of that. Start this thing up and get the A/C moving again, will you? Mm, wait, one more sip."

You do as you're told, and when you're back on the highway, you catch glimpses of Steve in the lights that illuminate the exit signs. His lips are stained cherry red.

June 20th, 1992

Shamrock, TX | 12:39 AM

You're forced to take back what you said about Oklahoma being green. As it turns out, about thirty minutes outside of Oklahoma City, it all turns to dirt, which, believe it or not, makes it pretty hard to stay engaged with your surroundings.

To be completely fair, the grass returns during the last thirty minute stretch of Oklahoma, but by then, the damage is done. Your ICEE is long gone, split evenly between you and Steve, and you're beginning to feel your eyelids droop as you pass the mile marker signs. You've been trying to be quiet for Eddie and Robin's sakes, and the lack of conversation is making the drive even harder. So when you see a sign for a rest area just past the state line, you take the exit.

Rest areas always feel a little spooky at night, so you generally try to avoid them. You only ever traveled long distances with Jeff to see his dad in Cincinnati. Since he seemingly knew all the 24-hour gas stations along the way from Indy, it's been years since you've actually stopped at one.

Your sagging shoulders lift a little when you see it. Under flickering fluorescents in a little building off to the right of the gas station, there it is: a vending machine. You're only a few yards away, and you'd know that aqua color anywhere.

AriZona Tea.

Steve ducked into the bathroom building a minute ago, and Eddie's currently rolling - literally rolling - out of the side door of the van. His curls are sleep-rumpled, and there's a red mark on his face from the seam of the seat upholstery. You can't help but smile a little. For all that Eddie puts on a fierce front, you like him best when he's a little silly.

You roll your shoulders and neck, stretching your stiff muscles, and you walk a loop around a solemn little tree between the two buildings to get your blood pumping again. You told Steve you'd drive until Amarillo, which is still about a hundred miles out. If you're going to succeed, you're going to have to get some pep in your step, so to speak.

Once you've had a couple minutes to stretch, you head over to the vending machine to peruse the wares. There's a pack of spearmint flavored Extra in there. The shock of mint always seems to help wake you up a little, if only for a while.

Extra and AriZona Tea it is.

You've got a handful of quarters in your pocket, so you count them out. A dollar for the tea, and seventy-five cents for the gum. And you've got a dollar fifty.

While you're staring into your hand, lamenting your poor fortune, a pair of hands grab you around the waist. "Boo!"

Spinning around, you attack your assailant with an open palm. Your hand connects with Eddie's leather jacket, and it's instant chaos. The clink of your quarters scattering across the ground is not far off from the sound of Sonic the Hedgehog losing his rings.

Eddie, however, is doubled over in laughter, one ring-clad hand pointing at your face. "Ohhhh my god," he wheezes between gasps for air. "I got you so good."

"You are such a fucking menace," you hiss, shoving his shoulder to get him out of your way. Kneeling in the dirt, scrounging up a bunch of change at a rest stop in Texas was not on your agenda, but here you are.

He's still laughing, but at least he has the decency to help you find the remaining coins, feeling around in the spot where the dirt patch meets grass.

"Do you have any quarters?" you ask him. "Call it penance for your crimes?"

"You should have seen your face." His dimples pop with unbridled joy. Then, he shakes his head. "Sorry, Princess. Only crisp dollar bills for me."

The machine doesn't take dollars, unfortunately, so you're screwed. When Eddie hands you back the last of your quarters, you turn to face the machine. Unfortunately, sometimes, sacrifices must be made.

You put your quarters into the slot and enter the code, watching with a frown as the product you purchased hits the floor in the machine with a clunky thud. Lovely.

"If you touch me while I'm getting this out of the machine," you warn Eddie, expression fierce, "I will kill you."

He raises his hands in exaggerated surrender. "Loud and clear," he says, taking a couple slow steps back. "I'll be in my bunk."

Your nose wrinkles at the insinuation, and you turn away, fetching the can and shoving your remaining quarters in your pocket.

About the time you turn around, Steve is leaving the bathroom. His eyes first land on Eddie, whose boots are thumping halfway down the sidewalk already. As you begin to make your way over, you see Steve glance toward the van, then back at Eddie. Concern paints his features. "Munson," he calls, "where's our fearless leader?"

You toss the can into your other hand, angling your arm such that he can't see your purchase, and say, "I'm coming."

Something like relief washes over Steve's face as his eyes land on you, not thirty feet away. At the same time, Eddie turns around to face you both, walking backwards as he hollers, "That's what she said!"

You're certainly not the only group at this rest stop, and your cheeks burn as you glance around at the other cars occupying the parking lot. Some people are reclined in their driver's seats, some smoking at the table by the bathrooms. You feel a little bad on behalf of your group. Eddie could wake the dead, and his penchant for theatrics feeds into that in such a way that social restraint… well, it's not really Eddie's thing, putting it mildly.

Steve waits for you to meet up with him on the sidewalk before starting after Eddie. "You okay?" he asks. "You seem a little tense."

You shrug. "Just Eddie being Eddie." Quickly, you change the subject. With a grin, you reveal the AriZona Tea you just scored from the vending machine. "Got this for you," you say, placing it directly in his unsuspecting hand.

His brow furrows, and then he looks up at you, a slow smile spreading across his lips. You've always liked doing nice things for Steve in particular, and you're not sure why. Maybe it's that he always seems to truly appreciate it. All those years hanging out with friends who didn't really see him, parents who looked right through him, girlfriends who cared more about what he could do for them than the other way around.

For someone who, at one point, could have had any material possession he wanted, Steve always accepts gifts like he's never expected that someone might consider him at all.

"Thanks," he says simply, brown eyes shining in the dim, yellow light from the street poles. Then, he clears his throat. "Okay, so we made it to Texas. Want me to take over?"

You consider it for about half a second. "No, I'm okay. I'll get us to Amarillo, and then we can switch. But I don't care if Eddie and Robin complain - I'm turning the radio back on."

"No need," he says breezily as you part ways at the front of the van. He opens the passenger door, and you make eye contact through the rolled-down window. For just a moment, he rummages under the bench seat.

The ruckus rouses Robin - you can hear her asking Eddie where you are from the back of the van. Just as you're shutting the driver door behind you, Steve resurfaces with two tapes in his hand.

"Aerosmith or Queen?" he asks.

It's not contest. "Queen, obviously."

Eddie pulls a face at the mention of Aerosmith, and you can literally hear Robin scrambling to sit up. "Queen!" she agrees, expression equal parts sleepy and hopeful.

As you back out of your parking spot, Steve loads the cassette into the tape deck and cranks the volume. You can't help but smile at the new energy that swells throughout the van - it's a welcome reprieve from careful whispers and nodding off in the slow lane from boredom. Radio Ga Ga rumbles through the speakers, chorus launching just as you get up to speed on the highway.

Robin's voice is just audible above the stereo. She knows all the words, and so do you. You and Steve beat The Works to death after Steve graduated high school - so much that Steve's tape got worn out and he had to replace it.

When you glance over at him out of the corner of your eye, you can see he's already looking at you. The Works didn't get mass airplay in the United States, not like some of Queen's other albums did. It didn't even crack the top twenty of the Billboard 200. But Steve loved Queen, and as a result, so did you.

Your mind replays a buried memory of Radio Ga Ga blasting through the speakers of his Beemer, windows rolled down on the way to prom. Other memories come flooding back, as well. I Want to Break Free blasting through the headphones of his Walkman, your ear pressed against his like a couple of idiots hell-bent on sharing. Hammer to Fall echoing through his parents' near-empty house while you lounged by the swimming pool.

It's crazy to think there was a time before Eddie and Robin - or, at least, before their friendship. It's even weirder to think that you and Steve used to be so embarrassingly attached at the hip, and that now, you don't quite know how to find that groove again.

But you're going to. Your eyes meet Steve's as Tear It Up kicks in, and you know from the smile on Steve's face that you have to get your shit together. He's your best friend in the whole world, and it's time you start acting like it again, so you can see that smile again.

It starts with The Works.

[syndrossi]

Just wanted to let folks know that I'm back home after being discharged from the hospital on Monday and resting up so that my lungs can heal.

For those curious to hear the incredibly lengthy narrative, see below.

It likely started before Saturday, but that's when everything went to shit. The day began pretty normally, honestly, though I'd felt a little discomfort in my upper right lung (near the shoulder blade) when breathing the previous night. I wanted to catch up with my BFF who lives in another state, so we scheduled a gaming session to hangout over discord and play Civ together. We played from 11am-4:30pm(ish). Most of the session I felt fine, but towards the last hour, I got hit with what felt like heartburn and a really bad headache. We ended a bit early, and I went to the store to pick up some tums.

By the time I got home, the heartburn was gone, so I drank a bunch of electrolytes for the headache. I noticed what felt like a sore muscle in my lower right ribs, more towards the back. Since I'd been using my boot more at home, which left me with a slightly hobbled gait since it was higher than my normal shoe, I figured it was just muscle strain from the uneven walking. I took a shower, hoping it would help with the muscle ache / tightness in my chest.

I felt briefly better in the shower, but once I got out, I felt crappy again. I tried lying down, but I couldn't get comfortable. Taking a deep breath made that upper-right-lung pain intensify my "muscle strain" in the rib area spasm. I got back up, dried my hair, and tried some light stretching to see if that would help (it didn't).

Since I felt so awful, I figured I'd try going to bed early (10:30 pm). I changed into my PJs, and where before it had been uncomfortable lying down, now it was outright painful. Every breath, even shallow ones, caused my rib muscle area to spasm, triggering a jolt of pain. I shifted, trying to find a comfortable position, but all of them hurt (the pain made me cry out each time, much to my doggo's concern).

Finally, close to 11, I gave my parents a call. I still thought it was a muscle issue, so I was mostly workshopping ideas of how I might get some sleep so I could go to urgent care in the morning to get checked out. My mom insisted I go to the emergency room, though, worried about the prospect of a pulmonary embolism. That felt super unlikely to me (I hadn't felt any pain in my legs or arms that would have been a blood clot), but I knew I wasn't going to sleep and wanted peace of mind, so I swallowed my reservations about the likely cost of an ER visit (yay 'murica 🫠) and my dad drove me there.

It was about an hour wait after check-in (my heart rate and blood pressure at check-in were definitely elevated--my heart was about 20 bpm over my usual resting rate--but higher is less concerning than lower), and I was uncomfortable even sitting. Only the shallowest of breaths were okay, which meant that getting upset (crying, etc) was not an option. I don't know why, but I decided that Viserys was my no-crying distraction for some reason. Whenever I felt myself getting upset / near tears, I would stare at this raised dais-like area of the waiting room and pretend it was Viserys's throne and that I was annoyed at him. It was pretty effective, honestly.

Once they finally called me back, I went through the process of changing into the ER gown. They poked an IV in me and then drew some blood for tests, as apparently there's a blood test than can tell when you likely have a pulmonary embolism (PE). The ER room became waiting room #2. Over the next 1-1.5 hours, I waited in increasing pain and discomfort for the results. The ER bed that I was supposed to be on had been inclined into mostly a sitting position, but the pressure was still painful. I could only breathe so carefully and shallowly without triggering a muscle spasm, which would then trigger an incredibly painful breath.

My dad stayed with me, distracting himself by asking ChatGPT about my symptoms. I just stared at the room's curtain for most of the two hour wait. Once again, Viserys was my distraction. The faux-dais was gone, so this time I used the tiles on the ceiling. I pretended it was a game of Memory and mentally "flipped" over a tile to reveal Viserys whenever I felt myself nearing tears.

At this point, I was still 100% convinced it was a muscle spasm, even though the muscle relaxant they'd given me over the IV hadn't done anything to help. The ER doctor finally came by with the results and noted that my blood test showed that I likely had a PE. The next step would be having a CT scan (they scan your chest as a baseline, then inject you with iodine and scan you again to look for blockages).

I was still in denial, but agreed that it was better to be safe and do the test. The tech who does the scan came in, and that's when I figured out that I'd have to be lying down. Remembering the pain of it earlier, and how much it hurt even to sit now, I finally broke down. Just heaving sobs, and each one of then was agonizing--which meant that I kept sobbing harder. Every breath, I was basically strangling a scream, until I couldn't strangle it anymore. The nurses hurriedly started a line of morphine, and upped it until I calmed/eventually settled. I tried to explain that it wasn't anxiety that had triggered it, it was just that I had to remain calm/collected at all times or else I'd risk the chain reaction of sob-PAIN-more sobbing-more pain, and my limit had been reached.

Once my pain had subsided a little, they took me to the CT scan. The tech was incredibly nice, helping me ease down as slowly as possible and bringing a pillow for my feet to take some pressure off. It hurt a lot, but was just doable with the morphine. The CT scan finished, and I was wheeled back to my ER room.

Another 45 minute wait ensued (I think it was nearing 3-4am at this point) before the results were finally done. The doctor came in and explained that I had multiple blood clots (PE) in both lungs, though they were not immediately life-threatening, and would need to be admitted and go on blood thinners.

There's a side story that I don't feel comfortable sharing the details of but the TL;DR is that I was on some other medications in preparation for another procedure and had to keep calling the other doctor's off-hours line to figure out what to do. Ultimately, I had to cancel/stop that treatment/prep, which was gutting, honestly.

I was given an injection of the blood thinner into my stomach (the nurse was not gentle), and offered a top-up of morphine before heading over to the hospital / my hospital room. My dad talked me out of it, saying that it would be easier to have it done in my room, and left to fetch some things for me so I could have a more comfortable stay (and to care for my dog, as I live alone).

Unfortunately, once I made it to the hospital room, they claimed that I was only cleared to have Tylenol for pain (which does nothing for me). I took it, because I had nothing else, and a long 6-10 hours ensued. I was in too much pain and discomfort to sleep, and the hospital was noisy. My nurse popped in briefly at the start to tell me she'd "tuck me in" once she finished with her current patient. An hour passed, to the point where I wondered if I was supposed to call her myself, and she finally came in--mostly just to hand me some Tylenol to swallow and make sure I was hooked up properly to the machine.

5am-1pm were miserable. I couldn't sleep, I was in pain, I could barely breathe without triggering extreme pain. And the side effect of having to "remain calm" was that I had to speak in a low, measured voice whenever asked about how I was feeling. I couldn't honestly talk about the pain without breaking down so I would take long pauses. I probably understated my pain too much for that reason (because admitting how much it hurt made me want to sob). It took my parents visiting in the afternoon and my mom raising a stink (I say lovingly) to finally get something that would actually help with the pain. At this point, I had clarified with my other doctor that the other procedure was off and therefore I could have NSAIDs / whatever they wanted to do to me.

I got an NSAID + an opioid, and finally, for the first time in over twenty-four hours, I could speak more than a few words at a time, and exist in something other than pain and discomfort. My sister visited, and managed to finally tempt my appetite (I had been refusing all food) in the evening with some french onion soup she'd brought from Panera. She was such a morale boost; she visited me twice, my brother-in-law joining her for the second time with the soup when I was finally in manageable-pain, and they kept me sane.

My parents brought the most important supply of the night: my noise-canceling headphones. After not sleeping for the past 36 hours, I finally had the tools to do so.

Unfortunately, the hospital had other plans. My nurse would check in every 6 hours to re-up my meds (and at a different point to give me that day's blood thinner injection). On a different cadence, someone would come every 4 hours to check my blood pressure. And there were two other ad-hoc interruptions for more blood draws. And the changing of the nurse shift. Every time I finally managed to fall asleep, I would be woken within an hour by someone. My blood pressure grew too low overnight, so they stopped the opioids.

Still, it was enough "rest" to survive the day. They did lots of tests on me--an echocardiogram to make sure there was no heart damage, ultrasounds on my legs to make sure there were no other lurking blood clots, general blood tests. I passed them one by one. My heart was fine. There were no signs of clots in the ultrasound. My blood tests were otherwise good (minus some low hemoglobin/red blood cells due to having my blood constantly drawn).

Finally, around 2pm on Monday, I was given my discharge papers and allowed to go home.

With pulmonary embolisms, especially the "mild" form that I had, the treatment is basically just blood thinners. The idea is to prevent additional clots and give the lungs time to heal the existing clots/damage on their own (apparently they're very good at this and heal minor/tiny blood clots all the time). If I only ever have this one incident, I just have to make it through a six-month period of blood thinners. If I ever have a clot again, I'll have to be on blood thinner medication for life.

The doctors couldn't tell me definitively why I ended up with PEs in both lungs. I have no family history of clots/PE. The ultrasound didn't show any remnants or new clots. I had been in a boot for my busted ankle, and much more inactive, which could have contributed. I also had started birth control a month before, which is another risk factor (specifically estrogen). My ER doctor said that she sees a lot of PE patients who recently started hormones--from people treating menopause or going on birth control, to pregnant people, to people using testosterone. Specifically, it's at the "start", typically, when you've gone from your previous baseline and have the influx of hormones.

Or it could have just been a "silent" clot in my legs from the boot.

I'm slowly improving day by day. I can breathe more deeply without pain. I can lie down...mostly flat (I have 3-4 pillows to prop me up) to sleep. Advil does the trick for most of the pain management, though I have to take a prilosec equivalent while on NSAIDs because of the blood thinner. I could barely walk more than a few steps on Monday without getting winded, but I'm able to walk around the house reasonably well now. Bending down (compressing the lungs) hurts, and I'm constantly coughing due to the inflammation in my lungs, but those are all things that will improve over time.

Although I didn't have the same "something is wrong, I need to go to a hospital" certainty that I did when I had appendicitis several years back, I'm glad my instincts were still enough on point to agree with my mom that it was the right course of action.

So yeah, talk about a week from hell.

I didn't mention it, but I was also laid off on Wednesday last week 🫠. Which means over the course of a single week, I was given a boot, given the boot, and then had my body try to kill me. I'll be fine, job-wise, it'll just take me some time to heal before I can start looking again.

Anyway, though I'd share the saga for anyone who is interested and as educational material for what a PE might present as. Boiling the warning symptoms down, it was basically (for me), pain in the right lung when taking a deep breath. Although my left lung also had clots, it didn't hurt, or not enough to register. My heart rate had been elevated for a week, but especially on the day-of: roughly 20-30 bpm above my normal baseline. It's hard to say if that was stress from the pain or related to the clot itself, however.

Finally, I'd like to thank Viserys for being an incredibly effective distraction to keep me from breaking down. Not his usual role in Resonant! (More often he's causing breakdowns...)

[siriusly-yoongi]

She wants to be saved chapter 13

Main Masterlist Series Masterlist

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Pairing: alpha BTS × omega reader

Chapter Warnings: I don't really know what to put for warnings, bad writing, mute reader, POV changes, depression, panic, PTSD, negative comments about weight and scars,

Word count: 2921

I do not know how to build a deck. I did my best to describe it after watching way too many YouTube videos and the stuff I remember from building our deck. There's a high chance I got some things wrong. I know it's shorter but it's the second chapter I wrote today

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YOU

The pool takes a few days to fill, then a few more days to balance out the chemicals, but now its finally filled and the pump is running with the chemicals balanced. Its gonna take a while to heat up enough to swim in comfortably though. For you anyway, omegas run cold, so they can nest and burrow without overheating. Alphas run hot and can probably handle a colder pool than you can.

You're currently hiding out in your little shed, wrapped up in blankets watching a movie.

You're having another bad day, the heaviness has settled in your chest and it's making your limbs feel like they're made of lead. You just feel empty.

After a little while you pull yourself off the mattress and go to see what the boys are doing. You find Yoongi and Jimin working on building a deck for the pool.

They've already measured and marked the ground with spray paint where the posts are going to go. It looks like they're gonna build the deck going three quarters of the way around the pool.

They're currently working on digging the holes for the posts. Digging a bunch of 3 foot deep holes by hand is difficult, and it takes a lot of time. You decide to help, and you get winded very quickly, having to sit down and take lots of breaks. It takes 2 hours to dig all the holes, and by then, you're all sweaty and dirty.

The next thing we have to do is fill each hole with some concrete. Jimin gets a wheelbarrow while Yoongi grabs bags of concrete and pours it into the wheelbarrow. They mix up the concrete with water and start pouring some into the holes. They have mix up a few bags to do all the holes but eventually they get them all. They wont let you help because they say the concrete can burn your skin. Omegas skin is more sensitive.

You have to wait until the next day for the concrete to set.

It's currently 9 pm and you're trying to take a shower. Yoongi is here with you again and like last time you manage to wash your body, but as soon as you try and get your head wet you freak out again.

"If I get in with you do you think that would help?" He asks once you finally calm back down.

Your hair is dirty and sweaty, you know you need to wash it. You nod.

"Would you rather i keep my clothes on? I don't want to make you uncomfortable." You smile a little, he's so considerate.

You know how uncomfortable wet clothes are and you don't want him to be uncomfortable either so you shake your head.

You'd be lying if you said your eyes aren't glued to him as he undresses. He just watches you watch him with an affectionate smile on his face. When he takes his pants off your eyes widen and you quickly look away. He smirks, laughing loudly, making your cheeks heat up.

"You're allowed to look, you know"

You whine. You're mates but you're not together yet. Not officially anyway.

He continues to laugh at you while he steps into the shower with you and sits down behind you. He takes the shower head down, well one of them, the shower has multiple.

You shift around for a few minutes before you eventually end up between his legs with your back to him.

'"I'm gonna start with just the ends of your hair okay?" You nod

He gathers your hair behind you and puts his hand behind it so the water won't hit your neck or your back.

You tense up but you do okay until he moves up your hair and the water hits the back of your neck. You jerk away from him and he immediately puts the shower head down, pulling you flush against his chest.

"Breathe jagiya. Just breathe." You turn so your sitting sideways, your shoulder against his chest. You lay your head on his chest, your breathing shaky.

He rubs your back and kisses the side of your head until you calm down.

Then you try again. You stay pressed against his chest this time and it helps a lot. He manages to get all of your hair wet. He washes your hair for you. You whine when you have to lift your head from his chest and he just smiles at you.

"I'm gonna rinse your hair now, okay?"

You nod, and he starts at the bottom again, slowly making his way up. All is going well, all things considered at least. You're shaking, and you're super tense, digging your nails into Yoongi's thigh, but otherwise, it's going okay. Until it isn't. He's almost done when he accidentally tilts the shower head just a little too much and water gets in your face. Immediately you're in tears, screaming and panicking. You both try and shove Yoongi away and pull him closer. He just holds you tightly while you panic.

"Shh you're okay. Its just me. You're with me"

You calm down after a few minutes and he kisses your forehead.

"I have to get the shampoo out of your hair kitten. Do you want to do it slowly or do you want me to just do it and get it over with?"

You nod

"Just get it over with?"

You nod again.

This time when you start to freak out, he doesn't stop here just continues, ignoring your screams and attempts to shove him away. You don't know when he finishes rinsing your hair, just that at some point the water was turned off and you're being held to his chest. His grip on you is tight, his heart is racing just as fast as yours.

"I'm sorry kitten, its done now babes its all done" he shushes you, gently rocking you a little to try and calm you down.

Someone knocks on the door.

"Is everything okay, we can hear her freaking out" its Namjoon. You recognize their voices by now. You're still sobbing, you cant breathe. You can still feel the wet towel over your face preventing you from taking in a breath.

"She's okay Joon." Yoongi calls back

"Can I come in, I need to make sure she's okay. Please." You can hear the desperation in his voice

You shake your head, whining.

"She said no Joon"

"Please. I need to see that she's okay" he sounds panicked

"Hold on" Yoongi calls back then stands up, lifting you out of the shower. He wraps a towel around his waist then wraps a towel around your body, setting you on the counter. He steps away to open the door and that only adds to the panic bubbling in your chest. Namjoon comes in and rushes over to you taking your face in his hands and checking you over.

You don't like this, you don't want him touching you. You hiss at him, still struggling to take a proper breath.

By now Yoongi has put his bottoms back on. He comes back over and pushes Namjoon away which gets him growled at.

"I know, babe. One of your pups is upset. But you're making it worse, my love. You gotta back off." Yoongi picks you back up and tucks your face into his neck. Namjoon stands there awkwardly.

Yoongi takes exaggerated breaths until you start to copy him and your breathing goes back to normal. Once you stop crying Namjoon also calms back down.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what that was. I just. I needed to physically see that she was okay. Also why were you in the shower with her? Why was she screaming? I mean you're mates and you two are welcome to have sex and what not but why was she screaming?" Namjoon rambles and Yoongi laughs.

"Okay first of all we weren't fucking. She's just traumatized from being waterboarded. She can't handle water getting anywhere near her head or face. I had to rinse the soap out of her hair and she said go just get it over with so even while she panicked I quickly rinsed her hair. It was hard to watch" Yoongi's voice cracks.

You feel guilty.

Yoongi kisses your cheek, somehow able to tell. "Its not your fault kitten. Don't you feel bad for something you can't control."

He gets you dressed, swatting your hands away when you try and do it yourself. Then he carries you down to his room and lays you in your nest. Namjoon follows and stands at the foot of the bed.

"Am i allowed in your nest kitten?" Yoongi smiles, already knowing the answer but asking anyway. You nod and he climbs in next to you. There is room for a third person, but you make no moves to invite Namjoon and he doesn't ask.

Namjoon sleeps on the floor of Yoongi's room that night.

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

You wake up to Namjoon's alarm, not used to sleeping through it like the rest of the pack. You whine loudly, waking Yoongi up.

"Sorry!" Namjoon whisper yells, you huff, Yoongi laughs.

Its 4:30 in the morning. Way too early. You roll back into Yoongi's chest and go back to sleep.

The next time you wake up its when Yoongi shakes you awake. You wrap your arms around his neck, making him carry you. You're feeling clingy today.

Yoongi sits down at the table with you on his lap, your eyes are still closed.

"Is she even able to talk?" You hear Hoseok mutter.

"Yes." Yoongi answers with a bit of a warning growl in his tone

"Has she spoken to you?" Hoseok crosses his arms.

"She said my name"

"What!? When!? Why didn't you tell us!?" Namjoon stands up

"She only spoke because she was so panicked and I didn't want you guys pushing her to speak. She hasn't spoken since" Yoongi tries to feed you half a cherry as he speaks, you accept it.

Jin took the pits out of your cherries for you. It would seem Jin also enjoys babying you. You don't mind too much.

You end up finishing your fruit this morning and Yoongi kisses your cheek "good girl jagiya. I'm very proud of you"

"Why not just kiss him on the lips, you're already stealing my mates why not make out with them too" Hoseok mutters

Feeling bold today, you grab your phone.

I mean I've seen his dick and showered with him so, I don't think either of us would be bothered by making out

Everyone's heads snap in your direction. Namjoon and Yoongi just laugh.

"We cant even touch you! No fair!" Jungkook whines like a child who's about to throw a fit. You giggle.

"To be fair, it wasn't exactly under romantic circumstances. Turns out when she was attacked, they waterboarded her. She panics anytime water touches her face or her head" Yoongi adds. The rest of the pack that didn't know about that yet growl. Even Hoseok's eyes narrow, just a little.

After breakfast you get dressed in a tank top and shorts since it's hot and you put your hair up so it doesn't get dirty today. You don't want to have to wash it again.

As soon as you walk downstairs Hoseok loudly points out your scars "You really ruined your body you know. They're so ugly, you look like you were mauled by a bear." He snickers, amusement written all over his face. "Oh it looks like you've gained some weight too. Gross."

You're extremely insecure about your scars and your weight. It immediately ruins your good mood. You know you haven't gained weight. You've been checking every day on the scale. But maybe you look like you have. You are a bit bloated. Oh god you must look huge right now Hoseok is right.

Silent tears roll down your cheeks and He smiles proudly as he walks off. Everyone else is either outside already or have left for work. Jungkook and Yoongi are the ones home today. And Hoseok. You head outside with your arms folded over your stomach. Yoongi notices immediately and runs over, pulling you into his arms.

"What happened? What did he do?" You just shaken your head, sniffling.

You cry for a few minutes then pull yourself together and pull away from Yoongi. You're not gonna let him get to you. But those words keep repeating in your head.

You sit down on the porch swing and watch Yoongi and Jungkook work on the deck. They're checking to make sure the concrete has hardened all the way.

Once they do that, they put the posts in each hole and screw in horizontal boards around the outside to create a frame for the deck boards to rest on. Then along the edge of the pool they use smaller boards to they can make the deck curve. Then they have the outside frame done.

After that they fill the holes in with dirt and tamp it down really good. Then they reinforce where any of the wood beams meet with metal plates. And bolt the posts into place.

They add a center beam going horizontally along the width of the deck then they screw on a bunch of metal pieces to hold up the wood pieces. Then they slot a piece of wood into each metal plate and screw them in.

Next they add the outside frame for the steps, then they lay a piece of wood across each ledge of the stair frame and screw them down to make the stairs.

You help them lay the beam tape, which goes over every single piece of wood where the decking is going to lay.

They put the decking around the edges first, then they lay the decking over top of the wood pieces and screw them down. Now you can walk on the deck.

They worked through lunch and by now its almost 5 pm.

You don't eat anything during dinner, choosing instead to curl up in your shed with your blue blanket.

You end up falling asleep out there.

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

NAMJOON

It's Wednesday so I don't have to work until tonight, but I end up waking up around the same time anyway just because my body is used to it

I leave the den and go to get some coffee only to find Yoongi already up.

I walk over and wrap my arms around him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Why are you awake babe? You're never up this early."

"Y/n didn't come to bed... couldn't sleep." He yawns, sleepily swiping at his eyes.

I smile, the two of them are definitely pack now. "Let's go check on her, yeah?"

He nods and takes my hand. I lead him out into the backyard and carefully open the door to the shed. Its probably not safe for her to sleep out here alone. I'm not gonna let her do this again it isn't safe.

The sound of the door opening wakes her up and she sits up, clearly disoriented.

"Its just us baby, go back to sleep. Yoongi was missing you last night" I smile. She reaches out for Yoongi, keening softly.

Yoongi heads over and crawls onto the mattress with her, she immediately snuggles into him, rubbing her cheek over his chest.

Id be lying if I said I wasn't jealous, just a little. I turn to leave and she whines.

"You want me to stay?" I ask

She holds out a blanket and a pillow to me and I smile. I lay down on the floor and go back to sleep

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

I wake up to Yoongi trying to pull me onto the mattress. Half asleep in move onto the mattress with him.

My eyes open and I look around, trying to figure out where the hell i am. Oh yeah, the shed. Yoongi is awake next to me, on his phone laid on his back. Y/n is half asleep with her head on his chest. She rubs her eyes as she wakes up, yawning.

I smile wide. She let me sleep in the same bed as her. Sure, Yoongi was between us, but its progress.

After breakfast, which she once again doesn't eat any of. We head back out to finish the deck. Yoongi and I are the ones home today. Yoongi isn't working on any music at the moment so he's had time to work on this all week.

The next thing to do is build the railing. First we put post sleeves over the posts then add the post trim and post cap to each one.

We screw in brackets to each post, then take the top and bottom rails and screw on the baluster spacers. Screw on all the bottom rails then add all the balusters. Then we screw on the top rail. After that be put the center support block on all the bottom rails. We add lattice to the perimeter underneath the deck. We add a gate with a latch and that's the deck done.

Y/n is asleep on the grass, her blue blanket wrapped around her body. It's hot out and I can see she's sweating. I walk over and gently pull the blanket off of her, accidentally waking her up.

"Its okay baby, it's just me. You're overheating babes"

"Joon?" She mumbles and I freeze. She has the sweetest little voice.

"Yeah baby. It's me"

[ramyrun]

Part 2: The Green-Eyed Monster

The thing about Suna Rintarou is that he doesn’t do jealousy.

At least, that’s what he tells himself.

He’s too chill. Too detached. Too above it all.

Which is why it shouldn’t bother him that you’re currently laughing at something Matsukawa just said. But it does. It really does.

You’re leaning against a locker, arms folded, head tilted, eyes crinkling with amusement. And Matsukawa—of all people—is grinning back at you like he’s won the lottery.

Suna watches from a distance, jaw tight, fingers drumming against his thigh.

He tells himself it’s not a big deal. You’re allowed to have friends. To laugh. To exist in a world that doesn’t revolve around him.

But then Matsukawa reaches out, tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, and Suna sees red.

Flashback: Two Weeks Earlier

After the kiss—soft, tentative, and laced with unspoken promises—things between you and Suna shifted.

Not drastically. There were no grand declarations or sudden changes in behavior. But the air between you was different. Charged.

He started waiting for you after class, walking you to your locker. You began saving him a seat in the library, pretending it was just coincidence.

Your friends noticed. So did his.

“Are you two...?” Atsumu had asked one day, waggling his eyebrows.

“No,” Suna had replied, too quickly.

You’d said nothing, just rolled your eyes and changed the subject.

Because defining whatever this was felt too risky. Too real.

Present Day

Suna approaches, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

“Hey,” he says, voice flat.

You turn, smile fading slightly when you see him.

“Hey.”

Matsukawa glances between you two, sensing the tension.

“I’ll catch you later,” he says, giving you a wink before walking away.

Suna watches him go, then turns to you.

“New best friend?” he asks, tone laced with sarcasm.

You raise an eyebrow. “Jealous?”

He scoffs. “Of Matsukawa? Please.”

You smirk. “Could’ve fooled me.”

He doesn’t respond, just stares at you, eyes unreadable.

After a moment, you sigh.

“Look, if you’ve got something to say, just say it.”

He hesitates, then shakes his head.

“Forget it.”

Later That Night

You’re at home, curled up on your bed, scrolling through your phone when a message pops up.

Suna: You free tomorrow?

You stare at the screen, thumb hovering over the keyboard.

You: Depends. Why?

Suna: Thought we could work on the project.

You frown. The project had been finished days ago.

You: We already turned it in.

Suna: Right. Just thought we could hang out.

Your heart skips a beat.

You: Sure. My place?

Suna: See you at 2.

The Next Day

Suna arrives promptly at 2 PM, dressed in his usual hoodie and jeans.

You let him in, leading him to your room.

He flops onto your bed without invitation, arms folded behind his head.

“Comfy,” he remarks.

You roll your eyes, settling into your desk chair.

“So, what’s the real reason you’re here?”

He shrugs. “Can’t I just want to spend time with you?”

You narrow your eyes. “Since when?”

He sits up, expression serious.

“Since I realized I don’t like seeing you with other guys.”

You blink, caught off guard.

“Is this about Matsukawa?”

He nods. “And every other guy who thinks they can make you laugh like that.”

You’re silent for a moment, processing his words.

Then you stand, crossing the room to sit beside him.

“You’re an idiot,” you say softly.

He chuckles. “Takes one to know one.”

You lean in, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Next time, just tell me how you feel.”

He turns his head, capturing your lips with his.

“I will,” he murmurs against your mouth.

And this time, you believe him.

[gmikaelson]

The Assistant 3 | K.M

"And happiness is a luxury I can't afford. Not when it comes with an expiration date."

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Summary: Klaus takes Y/N on a little trip to the bayou...yay her

Part 2 « if you haven’t read it yet

Part 4

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The next day, as the clock struck 1 PM, Klaus decided that was enough sleep for Y/N, hangover or no hangover.

He strode purposefully toward her room, a dangerous smirk playing on his lips as he anticipated her hungover state. He threw open the door without warning, letting it slam against the wall.

"Rise and shine, love!" His voice was deliberately loud, taking sadistic pleasure in what he knew would be her discomfort. "I do hope last night's wine was worth what promises to be a spectacularly painful morning." He moved to throw open the curtains with theatrical flair.

He turned to face the bed with amusement. "You have exactly ten minutes to make yourself presentable. The werewolves are becoming rather... restless, and since you've proven so adept at handling supernatural negotiations..." his smirk widened maliciously, "I thought you might enjoy mediating their petty grievances. Consider it punishment for your drunk shenanigans last night."

Y/N groans, pulling the covers over her head at the sunlight, “I don’t get paid enough for this…oh wait, that's right. I don’t get paid at all,” she grumbles, “5 more minutes. Please”

Klaus moved with vampire speed, yanking the covers off her completely, earning a yelp

"You get paid in continued survival, which is far more generous than most who work for me receive." He loomed over her  "And since you were so adamant about 'belonging' here last night, consider this your first official day as my willing assistant rather than my captive one." His smirk turned wickedly amused.

He picked up a glass of water from her nightstand, deliberately swirling it near her ear. "Now, you have two choices, love. Either you get up willingly, or I demonstrate just how effectively cold water cures hangovers." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. "And do note - your drunken confessions last night have only encouraged my more... creative methods of motivation."

Her eyes snap open, and she immediately sits up and turns her head to him, “confessions? Oh god, what did I say?”

She doesn't remember much from last night.

Klaus' expression shifted to something darkly amused, enjoying her obvious panic. He set the water glass down with deliberate slowness.

"Oh, nothing too concerning..." His voice carried dangerous playfulness. "Just something about feeling like you belonged here, calling my compound 'home,' and quite adamantly declaring you didn't want to leave." He watched her reaction with predatory intensity. "Though my personal favorite was your delightfully bold statement about how I wouldn't kill you because I would have done it already."

He leaned closer, his breath ghosting her ear. "You also put on quite a show trying to remove your dress. Though I'm sure you remember that part clearly." His smirk turned wicked as he straightened and saw the flush creeping up her cheeks. "Now, unless you'd like to discuss more of your drunken revelations, I suggest you get dressed. The werewolves await, and I do so enjoy watching them squirm in your... particular presence."

She furrows her brows. what was that supposed to mean? Pushing that thought away, she decided to focus on more pressing matters.

Covering her face with her hands, “Please tell me we’re not going out into the bayou” she groans.

Klaus watches her distress with malicious delight, crossing his arms as he leans against the doorframe.

"As a matter of fact..." his smirk widened with sadistic pleasure, "we are. And do wear something appropriate for trudging through mud. Can't have you stumbling around in heels like last night." His eyes glinted dangerously."Though I must say, your current suffering is providing excellent entertainment."

He pushed off the doorframe. "8 minutes now, love. And do try to look less... hungover. The wolves already think humans are weak - let's not prove them right." He paused at the door, throwing one last smirk over his shoulder. "Unless you'd prefer I carry you through the bayou again? Though I make no promises about avoiding the muddier paths this time."

She falls back onto the bed, pressing a pillow into her face and yelling

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The Mikaelson were all in the kitchen when Y/N made her way down. She wore jeans, rain boots, a sweater, a jacket, and a beanie. They all found her outfit hilarious

Klaus watched her stumble in with amusement, seated regally at the head of the table.

"Well, well... if it isn't the Quarter's most fashionable swamp explorer." His smirk widened as he took in her outfit.

"Oh, leave her be, Nik." Rebekah's voice carried poorly hidden laughter. "Though darling, you do look like you're preparing for an Arctic expedition rather than a trip to the bayou."

“It’s cold down there,” she grumbles defensively, heading to the fridge.

"I find it rather... practical," Elijah commented diplomatically, though his lips twitched.

Klaus stood with grace, moving to intercept her at the fridge. "No time for breakfast, love. The wolves await." His voice dripped with malicious pleasure. "Though I must say, that beanie is particularly... entertaining. Planning to start a new fashion trend among the pack?"

“What? Klaus, I’m starving. At least eat me grab something,” she pouts.

Klaus' eyes darkened at her pout, something flashing across his features before he masked it with irritation.

"Fine." He moved with vampire speed, grabbing an apple and tossing it at her with deliberate force. "There's your breakfast. Now-"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Nik," Rebekah interrupted, rolling her eyes. "She can barely stand, let alone negotiate with werewolves. Let the poor girl eat."

Klaus turned to his sister with dangerous intent. "Since when do you care about the dietary needs of my assistant?"

"Since watching you pretend not to care is becoming painfully obvious," Rebekah smirked.

Klaus' jaw clenched as he turned back to Y/N. "Five minutes. Then we leave, whether you've finished or not. And do remove that ridiculous beanie - you look like a lost tourist."

Klaus stormed out as Y/N rolled her eyes. She grabs a toast and the cream cheese from the fridge turning to Rebekah, “What's his problem today? He’s more assholey than usual”

Rebekah's smirk widened as she shared a knowing look with Elijah.

"Oh, darling," she leaned forward conspiratorially, "my brother spent half the night brooding on his balcony after helping you undress. I'd say his mood has everything to do with-"

"Rebekah." Elijah's warning tone cut through, though his eyes held amusement.

"What? Someone needs to tell the poor girl why Nik's being particularly insufferable." Rebekah stood with elegant grace. "Though I suggest you eat quickly, love. He's not above carrying you out mid-bite."

Klaus' voice boomed from the courtyard. "I can hear you, sister! And Y/N, if you're not out here in two minutes, I'm letting the wolves handle their own disputes. I'm sure they'd be delighted to resolve things their way - with violence."

“I’m coming!” She calls out with annoyance.

She makes the sandwich and walks out, “god, I think you forget I’m human and I need actual food” she complains as she joins him in the courtyard.

Klaus sees that she's still wearing the beanie, his eye twitching out of annoyance. Stalking towards her with predatory grace, his hand shoots out to snatch it off her head.

"I warned you about this ridiculous accessory." He pocketed it with deliberate slowness, his eyes challenging her to protest. "I refuse to have my reputation undermined by an assistant who looks like she's attending a winter carnival rather than a supernatural negotiation."

"Rude" she mumbles under her breath

He studied her irritated expression as she took a bite of her sandwich. "And I haven't forgotten you're human - your various weaknesses remind me constantly." He moved closer, invading her space with threatening intent. "Though if you'd prefer, I could always turn you. That would solve your perpetual hunger issues... among other things." His smirk turned dangerous, knowing full well her stance on vampirism.

Y/N narrows her eyes at him, “no,” she says firmly before rolling her eyes and adjusting her hair with her free hand, “Let’s go. You're making my head hurt even more”

Klaus caught her wrist with lightning speed as she tried to walk ahead, his grip firm but careful as he pulled her closer.

"No?" His voice carried dangerous amusement. "Such conviction for someone who can barely handle a hangover. Though I must admit, your stubborn refusal to embrace immortality is becoming... intriguing." He released her wrist but maintained his imposing proximity.

He watched her adjust your hair again with calculated interest. "The car's waiting. Though given your current state, I suggest you finish that sandwich quickly. Wouldn't want you emptying your stomach all over my leather seats." His smirk turned malicious. "And do try to look less... hungover when we arrive. The wolves already think I've gone soft keeping a human assistant. Your current state isn't helping matters."

Y/N wishes she kept count of how many eye rolls a day Klaus can get out of her

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The car takes them as far as it can since it fully can’t enter the bayou. Klaus parks the car and then to Y/N with an amused smile, already anticipating her reaction. She had her arms crossed, “is there no chance I can wait for you here while you go to the meeting?” she pleads.

Klaus emerged from the car, appearing at her door with vampire speed. He yanked it open with theatrical flair.

"Not a chance, love." His smirk widened with malicious delight. "You were so eager to prove your worth as my assistant last night. Something about 'belonging' here?" He leaned into the car, his presence deliberately intimidating. "Besides, the wolves respond remarkably well to your... particular brand of negotiation. Even if you do look like you're about to be sick."

He straightened, gesturing to the muddy path ahead with mock courtesy."Now, shall we proceed with dignity, or do I need to carry you through the swamp? Though I warn you - my generous mood from last night has... expired." His eyes glinted dangerously. "And do mind the snakes. They tend to be rather active this time of day."

Another eye roll, “you’re making me regret that particular speech.” she says as she steps out of the car.

“And do mind the fact that you’ll have to carry a very hysterical me if I do get bit by a snake,” she starts confidently marching ahead without him, "are you just going to stand there?" she calls out as she steps over a fallen log.

Klaus watched her determined march in the wrong direction with amusement, letting her get a few steps ahead before calling out.

"While I do enjoy your misplaced confidence, love, the wolves are in the opposite direction." He appeared suddenly beside her, his hand settling on her lower back to steer her around. "Though I must say, your current path would have led to a rather fascinating encounter with the local alligator population."

He guided her with possessive intent, keeping her close as they navigated the muddy terrain. "And regarding snake bites..." his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, "my blood would cure you instantly. Though watching you debate between death and vampirism might prove... entertaining." His smirk turned predatory. "Unless you'd prefer I simply carry you now? Save us both the inevitable drama of your wildlife encounters."

“Vampirism? Why? You planning to snap my neck after you heal me? Because if I don’t die, then I won’t turn.” She keeps her eyes on the ground, watching her step as they tread through the bayou.

Klaus' hand tightened fractionally on her back at the casual discussion of death, something dangerous flashing in his eyes.

“You know, shouldn’t they be coming to us?” she huffs, reaching to move a branch from her face

"Careful, love. Your knowledge of vampire mechanics is showing." He moved the next branch before she could reach it, his movements possessive. "And they come to us when I'm feeling generous. Today..." his smirk turned malicious, "I thought a muddy trek might help with your hangover."

He caught her as she stumbled slightly, his grip firm. "As for snapping your neck..." he leaned closer, his breath ghosting her ear, "there are far more creative ways to turn someone. Though your adamant refusal to even consider immortality is becoming rather... personal. Tell me, sweetheart, what exactly do you find so appealing about your fleeting humanity?"

She takes a moment to think, “Becoming a vampire...that means giving up my humanity, Klaus. It’s what makes life real, makes people real. As much as I struggle, I know that pain and vulnerability keep me grounded, keep me…me. And…I’d never forgive myself if I killed someone just because I was hungry.”

She turns to face him, “I’ve seen what immortality does to people, how it twists them, makes them lose sight of who they were. I don’t want that. I’d rather live a short, imperfect life than an eternity where I lose myself.” She shrugs, “I want to have kids, I want to grow old with someone beside me. They may seem like silly and inferior dreams to you, but they are everything to me”

Klaus stilled completely at her words, something unfamiliar and almost vulnerable flickering across his features before his expression hardened into something more dangerous.

"Such profound wisdom from someone who could barely remove her own dress last night." His voice carried its usual mockery, though there was an underlying tension. "Though I must say, your romantic notions of humanity are..." he paused, his jaw clenching, "naive. Growing old, having children - you speak of these things as if they're guaranteed. As if the world isn't filled with monsters who could snuff out those dreams in an instant."

His grip on her waist tightened possessively as he guided her over a particularly treacherous patch of mud. "But by all means, cling to your precious humanity. Though I wonder..." his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, "what will you do when those 'inferior dreams' of yours conflict with your position here? Because make no mistake, love - this life you've chosen, working for me, it doesn't exactly accommodate white picket fences and growing old together."

Y/N pinches her brows together, “I…I guess I’ve never thought of how long I’d have this position for. We never really talked about it but…I can’t stay forever can I?” she looks back ahead, “I mean…I’m only 21, so it’s not like I plan to have kids anytime soon”

Klaus' expression darkened dangerously, his fingers digging slightly into her waist at the mention of her leaving.

"Forever is such a... loaded term." His voice carried lethal undertones as he pulled her closer, ostensibly to help her over a fallen log. "Though I find it interesting that you're already planning your eventual departure. Perhaps last night's declarations of 'belonging' were merely the wine talking after all."

Was that...bitterness in his tone?

He stopped abruptly, turning her to face him, "Let me make something perfectly clear, love. I don't train assistants just to watch them scamper off to live out their human fantasies." His eyes bore into hers with dangerous intensity. "The position is yours for as long as you prove useful. Though how you balance that with your... domestic aspirations, well..." his smirk turned cruel, "that's your problem to solve, isn't it?"

He watches her cross her arms, “and what’s your definition of useful exactly?”

Klaus studied her for a long moment, something shifting in his expression as he made a decision.

"Useful..." he stepped closer, his voice dropping low, "is someone I can trust with more than just contracts and negotiations." His eyes held an unfamiliar vulnerability before hardening again. "There was no wolf meeting today, love. Consider this a... test of sorts."

He gestured ahead where smoke could be seen rising above the trees. "My daughter is staying with her mother in the bayou. And while I excel at many things, sharing my vulnerabilities isn't one of them." His expression turned threatening. "So understand this - if I'm about to introduce you to the most precious thing in my existence, your earlier talk of leaving becomes... problematic. Hope's safety depends on absolute loyalty from those who know of her."

Y/N's eyes widen slightly, and she takes a sharp breath, “You…you want me to meet your daughter?” Does he trust me that much?

Klaus watched your reaction intently, his expression a dangerous mix of vulnerability and threat.

As if he read her mind, "Trust isn't something I give easily, love." He moved closer, his hand coming up to grip her chin. "In fact, the list of people I trust with Hope's existence is remarkably... short. Most who learn of her don't live long enough to speak of it." His thumb traced her jaw with deliberate slowness. "So yes, I'm choosing to trust you. Unless you'd prefer I reconsider?"

His eyes darkened with lethal promise. "Though understand this - if any harm comes to her because of this trust, if you breathe a word of her existence to anyone..." he leaned closer, "your dreams of growing old will become the least of your concerns. Are we clear?"

She nods, understanding the weight of his words, "Klaus, I would never...please. Believe me." she smiles, bringing a hand up and wrapping it around his wrist

Klaus stilled at her touch, his eyes flickering with something intense as he studied her expression. For a moment, his usual mask slipped, revealing a father's vulnerability beneath the monster.

"I know." His voice was uncharacteristically soft before he caught himself, his grip on her chin tightening slightly. "Which is precisely why you're still breathing after last night's drunken adventures." He released her slowly, though his expression remained intense. 

He turned to lead the way, but not before his hand found the small of her back again, more possessive than before. "Though I warn you - if you attempt to dress my daughter in ridiculous beanies like yours, we'll be having a very different conversation." His threat carried an undercurrent of something almost playful, though his protective nature remained evident.

She snorts, "Aw man, and here I was planning to knit her one"

Klaus' head snapped toward her, though his eyes betrayed a hint of reluctant amusement.

"You're testing my patience, love. Though I suppose it's better than your suggestion of reorganizing my art studio. A suggestion, mind you, that we will be discussing when you're less...hungover."

They make their way to the cabin, Hayley stepping out and holding a baby in her arms. The baby couldn't be more than a year and a half.

"Omg," Y/N says under her breath, "Klaus, she's adorable," She says with wide eyes and a wider grin. Y/N was waiting for Klaus to go ahead so she could follow.

Klaus watched your reaction with intense scrutiny, something softening in his expression at your genuine delight.

"Of course she is. She's my daughter." Despite his arrogant words, his voice carried unmistakable pride and tenderness. "Though I warn you - that adorable facade hides a rather impressive talent for mischief." He placed his hand on her lower back again, guiding her forward with possessive intent.

He moved toward Hayley and Hope, though his usual threatening demeanor was notably tempered. "Little wolf," he addressed Hayley with a nod before his attention fixed entirely on Hope, his entire being transforming in his daughter's presence. "And there's my littlest wolf." He turned back to Y/N with an uncharacteristically genuine expression. "Well? Are you going to stand there gawking, or would you like to meet the most powerful witch in New Orleans?"

Y/N smiles, "Hey there, little one," she says in a soft tone, raising her hand hesitantly before seeing Hayley nod in approval. she finally brings her hand to Hopes's head, stroking gently. "Aren't you just the cutest thing ever? Wait" She looks to Klaus, "Did you say witch?"

Klaus watched your interaction with Hope intently, a rare genuine smile playing at his lips before it turned into his signature smirk at your question.

"Firstborn Mikaelson witches are rather... special." He moved closer, his presence protective over both Y/N and Hope. "Though perhaps we should save the magical theory lesson for when you're not still recovering from last night's... adventures." His eyes glinted with amusement.

He observed as Hope reached for her hair with fascination, her tiny fingers grasping at the strands. "Careful love, she has her father's habit of getting what she wants." His voice carried both warning and pride. "Though I must say, she seems rather... taken with you. Usually, she sets things on fire when meeting new people." He shared a knowing look with Hayley before turning back to Y/N. 

"I suppose this means your position as my assistant just became considerably more... permanent."

"Yay, me," she says sarcastically. "So this was just a test? And stop bringing up my 'adventure' last night. It's not like–Ouch," she winces as Hope tugs her hair.

Klaus moved with vampire speed, his hand gently but firmly disentangling Hope's grip from your hair. His proximity was deliberately intimidating, though his touch remained careful.

"Now, littlest wolf," his voice carried an amused warning, "we don't want to scare away daddy's assistant before she's had a chance to knit you that ridiculous beanie, do we?" He smirked at her reaction before adding, "And as for last night's adventures... consider yourself lucky I'm only mentioning the PG portions in present company."

Y/N's eyes widen slightly and her head snaps to an amused Hayley, "I assure you, that means absolutely nothing"

Klaus maintained his position close to Y/N, one hand still hovering protectively near Hope while the other settled possessively on her lower back. "Though you're right about one thing - this was indeed a test. One you've passed... surprisingly well. Perhaps those human dreams of yours aren't as incompatible with your position as you thought. After all..." his smirk turned soft, "Hope could use someone in her life who actually ages."

Klaus watched as Hope reached for Y/N again, his ancient mind racing with conflicting thoughts. Her natural ease with his daughter stirred something dangerous within him - a want he hadn't anticipated. The way she smiled at Hope, genuine and warm, without any trace of the fear most showed around his family, reminded him painfully of Camille. Yet this was different.

Her stubborn insistence on remaining human, her fierce defense of mortality - it should infuriate him. Instead, he found himself increasingly fascinated by her humanity, by the way she challenged him while somehow becoming more essential to his carefully constructed world. The thought of her eventually leaving, of pursuing those human dreams she spoke of so passionately, caused a possessive rage he wasn't prepared to examine.

Having her meet Hope wasn't just a test of loyalty - it was a calculated move to bind her closer, to give her another reason to stay. The fact that Hope took to her so naturally only complicated matters. He found himself imagining Y/N as a permanent fixture in their lives, helping raise Hope with that peculiar human perspective he both mocked and secretly valued. It was a dangerous path of thinking - one that made him want to either turn her immediately or lock her away where nothing could harm her precious mortality.

Yet watching Y/N now, her hair catching the bayou sunlight as she interacted with his daughter, Klaus felt his carefully maintained control slipping. She was becoming more than just an asset, more than just an amusing human pet project. The realization made him want to either kill her or keep her forever - and he wasn't entirely sure which option was more dangerous.

Hayley turns to Y/N, "Y/N, I'd love to get to know you but could you hold Hope for a moment? I have some things to discuss with Klaus"

"Of course! I'd be happy to" she responds with an excited smile, taking Hope into her arms. She walks off the porch and goes towards the lake, talking to Hope

Klaus watched as she walked away with his daughter, every muscle in his body coiled with protective instinct. The sight of her holding Hope stirred something primal in him - a mixture of possessiveness and... something else he refused to name.

"She's different." Hayley's voice interrupted his focused observation of how naturally she adjusted Hope in her arms, how his daughter's delighted giggles carried across the bayou air.

His jaw clenched, eyes never leaving her form as she pointed out something in the water to Hope. "She's human." The words came out more defensive than intended, laced with frustration. "And stubborn enough to insist on staying that way." He fought the urge to use vampire speed to close the distance when Hope reached for her necklace.

A low growl escaped him as he watched Y/N navigate the muddy ground with careful steps, protecting his daughter with instinctive grace. "She's temporary." The words tasted like lies even as he spoke them, his fingers flexing with the need to possess, to control, to keep. "A useful assistant, nothing more." Yet even as he said it, he knew - she was becoming dangerously close to being everything.

Hayley rolls her eyes, "really, Klaus? Is that what you tell yourself? I keep in touch with Rebekah you know." She teases before her expression softens, "Klaus, it's okay to let someone in again. you deserve to be happy"

Klaus' expression darkened dangerously, though his eyes remained fixed on Y/N's form by the water.

"Rebekah should learn to hold her tongue before I remove it." His voice carried lethal promise but lacked its usual conviction. He watched as she laughed at something Hope did, the sound carrying across the bayou. 

"And happiness is a luxury I can't afford. Not when it comes with an expiration date."

His hands clenched into fists as he observed Hope patting Y/N's cheeks, her gentle response making something in his chest twist uncomfortably. 

"She wants children, Hayley. A mortal life. To grow old." The words came out like a curse. "And I find myself..." he paused, jaw clenching, "unable to decide whether to turn her against her will or let her go entirely. Both options are becoming increasingly... unacceptable." His voice dropped to a whisper, watching as Y/N carefully kept Hope from grabbing at a dragonfly.

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They spend the day with Hope and Hayley, and when she goes in to put Hope down for a nap, Y/N turns to Klaus.

"Klaus" she whispers, "I have a question"

Klaus turned to her, his expression still conflicted from the day's events.

"By all means, love." He moved closer, invading her personal space like usual. "Though if you're about to ask me about last night's escapades again..." 

She rolls her eyes, "No, and I'm done hearing about last night." she furrows her brows as she thinks about the question

He intensely scrutinized her face, noting how the afternoon light caught the gold in her hair. "Well? Out with it. Or has spending the day with a baby witch rendered you speechless?" His teasing carried an undercurrent of something almost... gentle.

"I thought vampires can't procreate...?

"Ah. Finally caught that particular detail, did you?" He moved closer, his presence deliberately intimidating. "I'm not just any vampire, love. I'm the Original Hybrid - half vampire, half werewolf. Nature's loophole, if you will." His smirk turned predatory. "Though I must say, your curiosity about my... reproductive capabilities is rather interesting."

He leaned in, his breath ghosting your ear. "Hope was a miracle. One that nearly cost me everything to protect." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Which is precisely why so few know of her existence. Those who do either die... or become family." The implications in his tone were heavy with meaning. "I trust you understand which category you're currently falling into?"

Klaus leans back, his tone thoughtful. "Vampirism, you see, is a curse. When a human or witch is turned, they lose their humanity—they become something entirely different, a new species. They lose the ability to procreate, they can’t walk in the sun... all the things that make them human, gone." He smirks slightly. "But werewolves? They’re different. They’re hybrids from the start—half human, half wolf. Both sides can still procreate, still walk in the sun. When they trigger their curse, they don’t lose their human traits the way a vampire does."

His expression darkens slightly. "Now, here’s the trick—vampirism doesn’t affect werewolves the same way. They can’t just turn into vampires; if they try, they die. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen when I tried to create more hybrids." Klaus leans forward, eyes gleaming. "There are two ways for a werewolf to become a vampire. First, they die with my blood in their system and then drink doppelganger blood to complete the transition. Or, they drink Hope’s blood. That’s the key." He pauses, letting the weight of it sink in.

Y/N tilts her head slightly, "So...when a werewolf turns this way, only their human side becomes a vampire—the wolf side remains immune...right?"

He grins. "Clever girl. Yes, a very particular set of circumstances, but it works." He leaned in, his breath ghosting her ear. "Hope was a miracle. One that nearly cost me everything to protect." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Which is precisely why so few know of her existence. Those who do either die... or become family." The implications in his tone were heavy with meaning. "I trust you understand which category you're currently falling into?"

She nods, but Hayley returns before she can say anything. Y/N takes a step back, clearing her throat

Klaus watched her retreat with amusement, though annoyance flashed in his eyes at the distance she put between them.

"Perfect timing as always, Hayley." His voice carried a dangerous edge as he turned to Hayley, though his gaze kept drifting back to Y/N. "I trust our littlest witch is settled?" He moved with calculated grace to maintain his proximity to Y/N despite her attempt to create space.

His hand found its way to her lower back again, the touch deliberately possessive. "Perhaps it's time we headed back. Unless..." he turned to Y/N, "you'd like to continue our discussion about hybrid biology?" The teasing threat in his voice was clear, though there was something else underlying it - something almost protective after the day's revelations.

She elbows him, “No. Besides, it’s getting dark, and we still have to walk all the way to the car…in the muddy Bayou,” she groans.

Klaus caught her elbow, his grip firm but careful as his smirk widened.

"Careful, love. I might take that as an invitation." Before she could protest, he swept her into his arms gracefully. "Consider this a reward for not dropping my daughter today." His voice carried mock generosity, though his hold was possessively secure.

Y/N felt her cheeks flush as Klaus did that in front of Hayley

He nodded to Hayley with uncharacteristic warmth. "We'll return soon." Then, turning his attention back to Y/ with amusement, "Now, hold on tight, sweetheart. Unless you'd prefer I let the mosquitoes have their way with you?" His eyes glinted with mischief. "Though I must say, your earlier complaints about my speed were rather... entertaining."

She just glares at him, “you’ve got to stop doing this” she says as he walks out of the cabin, crossing her arms and refusing to hold on

Klaus' grip tightened deliberately as he felt her defiance

"Do I?" He purposely took a particularly jarring step, his supernatural balance ensuring she wouldn't fall despite your stubbornness. "And here I thought you enjoyed our little... excursions. Especially after last night's enthusiastic commentary about my carrying capabilities."

He paused at the edge of the clearing, his expression darkening with dangerous intent. "Last chance to hold on properly, love. Unless you'd prefer I demonstrate exactly how fast I can move through this swamp?" His voice dropped to a threatening whisper. "Though I should warn you - at vampire speed, those branches you so carefully avoided earlier become rather... unavoidable."

She lets out a loud sigh, wrapping her arms around his neck

Klaus' smirk turned triumphant, though something softer flickered in his eyes at her closeness.

"There's a good girl." His voice carried both mockery and satisfaction as he adjusted his hold, drawing her closer to his chest. "Though your reluctance is rather amusing, considering how eagerly you clung to me last night." He started moving with supernatural grace through the bayou, his speed calculated to be just unsettling enough to make her hold on tighter.

The darkening sky cast shadows through the trees as he navigated the treacherous terrain. "I must say, love, you handled Hope remarkably well today." His tone shifted to something more serious, though no less dangerous. "Though this does mean you're rather... irreplaceable now. Can't have my daughter growing attached to someone who plans to leave, can we?" The threat in his voice was subtle but clear, masked beneath a layer of casual conversation.

They get to the car and she waits for him to let her go, but he doesn't, "Klaus. You can put me down now" she grumbles

Klaus chuckles, his grip remaining firm as he holds her against his chest.

"And deny myself the pleasure of your discomfort?" He smirks but makes no move to release her. "Besides, after your impressive performance with Hope today, I'm feeling rather... possessive." His eyes glinted dangerously in the fading light.

He finally set her down with exaggerated slowness, though his hands lingered longer than necessary. "Though I must admit, your stubborn defiance is becoming rather... entertaining." His voice dropped to a threatening whisper. "Almost as entertaining as your drunken confessions about how safe you feel in my arms."

She rubs her temples, "I'm never drinking around you again," she mumbles, pulling on the car door handle, but the car is locked. "Klaus! Open the car." She pulls on it a couple more times

Klaus watched her frustration with amusement, taking his time to fish the keys from his pocket.

"Perhaps next time you'll think twice before reorganizing my study." He dangled the keys just out of reach, his smirk widening at her obvious annoyance. "Though your drunken confessions were rather... illuminating. Particularly the part about my dimples."

He finally unlocked the car with theatrical slowness, opening her door with mock chivalry. "And while your vow of sobriety is admirable, love, I rather enjoyed seeing you so... uninhibited. Though next time, perhaps we'll skip the part where you tried to alphabetize my weapons collection."

Y/N gets in the car, but Klaus doesn't close the door, instead leaning against the door with a smug smile, "What?" she says in annoyance, "I'm glad you're amused by this"

Klaus leaned further into the car space, his presence intimidating as he trapped her between himself and the seat.

"Amused doesn't quite cover it, love." He reached out, twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers.

His eyes darkened with something possessive. "Though I must say, your passionate speech about how the compound feels like home was particularly... compelling. Almost as compelling as your rather detailed observations about how well I fill out my henley shirts." He paused, letting the embarrassment sink in. "Shall I continue? I have quite the inventory of your drunken confessions."

She groans covering her face with her hands, "Just kill me already. Please"

Klaus let out a chuckle, reaching to pull her hands from her face with a gentleness that belied his predatory stance.

"Now where would be the fun in that?" His grip on her wrists remained possessive as his smirk widened. "Besides, after today's success with Hope, I'm rather invested in keeping you... alive and thoroughly mortified." He leaned closer, "Though I must say, your suggestion about where I could stick my painting brushes was rather... creative."

Finally releasing her wrists, he straightened up. "Consider your embarrassment penance for reorganizing my art supplies. Though if you'd prefer death..." his eyes glinted with amusement, "I could always share the rest of your confessions with Elijah. I'm sure he'd be particularly interested in your thoughts about his suit collection."

"get in the damn car, Klaus"

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We're slowly getting there with these two ;)

Once again, thanks for reading. All the comments and reblogs are so motivating. Feel free to comment anything, what you liked, or what you'd like to see. See you in part 4!

Part 4 here

ily <3

taglist: @vavafaure1994 @nicolettesdreamworld @holyredemption @ariesandwolves @s-a-v-a-n-a-34

[sharksandsquirrelsandsnakes-ohmy]

The Human Bit the Werewolf?

Chapter 2: The What the Fuck Years

Masterlist | AO3 | Chapter 1

Derek Hale

3:56 pm

Stiles: I’m sorry. I def fucked up bc I didn’t know the biting thing was like a thing

Stiles: Bc of my adhd I have this fun little thing where I bite people as a form of affection

Stiles: You rly can’t call it weird since biting is apparently also a werewolf thing so

4:23 pm

Stiles: Also, i had a concussion so you super can’t blame me

5:48 pm

Stiles: Could you at least answer so I know you didn’t die or disappear again

7:13 pm

Stiles: ???

   Stiles groaned, dropping his phone beside him on the bed and letting his arms fall to the bed as he glared up at his ceiling. He tried apologizing and explaining and waited literal hours for a reply and all he got was a big fat lot of nothing. 

   And he still heard nothing from Derek the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. Three days of nothing.

   See, at first, Stiles had been anxious and worried he’d really fucked up his (tentative)friendship with Derek. Then he went three days without an answer and he knew Derek was still able to use his phones because he was still texting Scott and the other betas about patrol! Derek was just ignoring him and that really got on Stiles’s nerves. 

   On Thursday night, Stiles got a text from Scott.

#1 Dumbass

4:27 pm

Scott: Dude where are you???

Stiles: wdym? I’m at home

Scott: Are you sick

Stiles: no why

Scott: pack meeting tonight?

Scott: you coming?

Stiles: Shit i didn’t know

Stiles: be there in like 15

   When had they decided to have a meeting tonight? Stiles checked his messages just to be sure but he hadn’t missed a text from anyone, especially not Derek who normally sent reminders about meetings.

   When Stiles finally got to the loft, he found they had already started talking without him. They paused when he walked in and joined them.

   “Hey guys, sorry I’m late,” he said. Isaac made room for Stiles without a word and Stiles sat down next to him. “I must have forgotten we had this planned.”

   “Didn’t you get Derek’s text,” Lydia asked, raising an eyebrow at him like he was stupid.

   Stiles’s eyes flicked between Lydia and Derek, noticing that he was the only person not looking at Stiles. “No, I didn’t… Must have not gone through.”

   The entire pack meeting, Derek refused to even look at Stiles and it was really starting to piss him off. First he ignores all of Stiles’s texts for days, then he tries to exclude him and now he pretends Stiles doesn't exist? Seriously, what the fuck? You know what? Fuck it. They were going to figure this out one way or another. If Derek wouldn’t answer his texts, Stiles would talk to him in -person after the meeting.

   “We need to talk,” Stiles said, following Derek as he walked away from the pack. 

   “About what,” Derek said, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

   “Are you— You know what about,” Stiles said, stopping himself from going off.

   “Nothing to be said about it,” Derek told him, stopping at the bathroom door and turning to look at Stiles. “Anything else?”

   “Why are you ignoring my texts?”

   “I don’t have anything to add about the topic. You didn’t ask a question and I had nothing to ask you,” Derek said, obviously trying to avoid the conversation. 

   Stiles glared at him. “Why’d you try to exclude me from the pack meeting tonight,” he asked.

   “Didn’t mean to. I thought Scott would tell you,” Derek shifted uncomfortably under Stiles’s glare, looking like he wanted to escape. Is that it?”

   “Why don’t you want to talk to me,” Stiles asked. “You’re acting like I’m the dangerous one here. Was it really such a big deal that you can’t stand to be near me anymore?”

   Derek closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He took the moment to gather himself and then met Stiles’s eyes. “Even though it’s not how you meant it, the meaning behind biting that I grew up with makes it… uncomfortable. Stiles, you’re a child—”

   “I’m seventeen,” Stiles scoffed, cutting Derek off. “I’ll be eighteen in April! You’re barely three years older than me.”

   “You’re a child, a minor, and the fact that you don’t understand that seventeen is still a child makes me all the more sure,” Derek said. “I’m making sure nothing like that happens again because it makes me feel gross.”

   “I make you feel gross,” Stiles asked, only getting more angry. 

   Derek rolled his eyes. “You can be mad at me all you want. I’m the adult in the situation so I’m putting a stop to it.”

   “Oh, fuck you,” Stiles scoffed and walked away. 

   He complained to himself the entire walk out to the jeep, cussing Derek out and replaying the conversation in his head. He started his drive home pissed off. 

   But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. While Stiles still didn’t think he was a child and three years didn’t seem like much, at least not until he thought about someone three years younger than him would be only fourteen and that… was really weird. Fuck, was Derek right?

   Perk of ADHD: you get over being mad at people faster because you don’t think about it.

   Downside of ADHD: YOU FORGET THAT YOU’RE MAD AT PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT IT.

   Stiles was still mad at Derek. He was really mad for the first two months where Derek avoided talking to him as much as possible, anger which he annoyingly forgot not two weeks into Derek willingly talking to him. Sure, he kept the conversations short and didn’t add much but Stiles was used to him being quiet. It was another four months– just after Stiles’s eighteenth birthday– that Derek would have normal conversations with him, even if he still kept his distance. 

   More annoyingly, Stiles’s crush didn’t seem to care that he was mad at Derek because he was still unreasonably attractive. Like, who the fuck green-lit that decision? How the hell did anyone think that giving a man that face with those eyes and the effortless werewolf muscles was fair? Were they trying for Adonis 2.0? Absolute bull shit and completely unfair!

   And it wasn’t like Derek was just hot, he had to be a good person to, the fucking asshole. It would have been one thing if Stiles just thought Derek was hot, he could get over that, but he was in deep for this man. Derek put his whole life on hold to protect Beacon Hills, a city full of people who only knew him as a traumatized kid that was suspected of killing his own sister. Derek’s only family left was Peter– who he had yet to kill again even though he deserved it– Malia–  who still thought of herself as a Tate and not a Hale– and Cora– who was in Brazil or Argentina or somewhere like that– but he never complained or thought of leaving Beacon Hills to join his sister. Okay, so maybe he complained about Peter but who wouldn’t? And he was protective of the pack and would make sure everyone was okay after even a tiny scuffle. He listened, at times begrudgingly, to the arguments of the pack. He took all the patrol shifts nobody else wanted. He let them crash at his place and made sure there was food they could take. 

   Stiles started college and, holy shit, did he understand why Derek had called him a kid just a few months ago. He couldn’t even put it into words, really. After his first semester of college, he started to see the divide between high schoolers and himself. It was weird. He’d grown up with most of them and, yet, it was like a divide had opened up. By spring break, he felt like he was lightyears apart from high schoolers and he realized he needed to apologize to Derek. Like, actually apologize.

   Stiles stood awkwardly at Derek’s door, debating whether he really wanted to do this or not. The decision was made for him when Derek opened the door.

   “Hey,” Stiles said lamely.

   “Hi,” Derek said back, raising an eyebrow, “Did you need something?”

   “Ya. Well, kind of,” Stiles sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I, uh, wanted to apologize.”

   Derek tilted his head, “for what?”

   “For being a total dick when you called me a kid. I get it now,” Stiles mumbled, looking at his shoes. “Thanks for, ya know, being the adult. I guess I didn’t realize how much growing up I still had to do, still have to do.”

   Derek looked at Stiles, really looked at him. He realized how much had changed, that Stiles wasn’t just a gangly awkward kid anymore. Stiles was growing up and figuring himself out, starting to figure out the whole adult. Derek didn’t have it figured out yet– hell, he wasn’t even sure Peter had figured out how to be an adult yet– but maybe they could figure it out together. Be actual friends and not just keeping each other alive. 

   “Do you wanna come in,” Derek asked, putting an end to the silence that had started to grow between them. 

   “What?”

   “Do you want to come in? You can tell me about school, how things are on the east coast,’ Derek shrugged.

   Stiles smiled and stifled a laugh. “Surprisingly different from the west coast,” he said and Derek let him in. 

   He let Stiles in his apartment but he also let him in as a friend. It was… different.

[sinsandsweetness]

across the hall - part 2 (Frank Castle x fem!reader)

part 1

cw- eventual smut, 18+ , nothing crazy<3

notes- definitely placed in the beginning of season 1. I know he goes by a different name at that time but… I don’t really care lol. I have no clue where this is going but it’s all my fingers will type today so I’m rolling with it. lmk what we think:)

Frank opened the door in plaid pyjama pants and a grey tee. Rubbing at his eye with his palm and leaning up against the doorway.

“Hey,” he seems a little surprised. Like no one has ever knocked on his door before. “You lose your keys again?”

You’re momentarily distracted by the stretched fabric across his body. Muscles in his arms bulging and flexing involuntarily as he crosses them against his chest.

“Oh, um, no I just- uh, I wanted to say thank you, for the other night. You didn’t have to do that and … yeah just, um, I made you this.” You bring attention to the casserole dish in your hands. “Just as a little thank you.”

He wants to smile but for whatever reason he bites it back. Nodding slightly and shrugging his shoulders. “Was just bein’ a good neighbour.”

“Yeah, but I mean, you didn’t have to. It was just really nice and I, um, I appreciated it. A lot.” You shift on your feet. Glancing down at your bunny slippers and pyjama pants.

“What is it?” Frank opens the door even more, nodding to the dish. He’s inviting you in. Not verbally. But he backs into his apartment and expects you to follow.

“Uh, lasagna. Hope you like it.” You step in and he closes the door behind you. “It’s still needs to go in the oven. A half hour?” You suggest, handing it to him.

He turns the oven on and places the tinfoil covered dish inside. Turning around and looking you up and down. You figure you weren’t supposed to notice that.

With his gaze on you, you find yourself suddenly a little self conscious of your pjs. White top, probably a little see through though you didn’t want to check. Faded pink striped pyjama pants and those fucking slippers. Why couldn’t you have just slipped on some flip flops. Anything else.

“Kinda late for dinner, no?” He cracks a smile to let you know that he’s not being rude. Just making conversation, acknowledging both of your attire.

“Well you work late, right? I mean at least it seems like it… I don’t know when you get off work or anything-“ you’re rambling. You do know when he gets off. Almost every weekday at 8 pm you hear his door unlock. It’s sticky, catching on the wooden frame. That’s how you know. It’s louder than anyone else’s in the hall. And, most of the time, you get home from college at the same time. Running into him in the elevator and walking alongside him to the two of your doors. At least on the days you decide to study.

Frank nods. Leaning up against the counter. A little smirk visible in the dim lit apartment.

“You want somethin’ to drink?”

“Oh, no I’m ok. I should get back to bed anyway.” You stutter, motioning towards the door.

“You’re gonna make me eat this whole lasagna all alone?”

You open your mouth but nothing comes out.

“Stay. Have a beer. Or water. I have water. Wine? Think I got some wine somewhere in here,” Frank is already in the fridge, pulling out a couple bottles of beer. Same as the other night.

“Beer’s good.” You finally answer.

“Here. Take a seat.” He hands You the bottle and pulls one of the stools at the island out for you.

You sit there and wait for the timer on the oven to go off. He asks you what you do. What you’re studying in school. How you like it. You ask him about work. What he does, how he likes it. Typical small talk, only this time you’re here on purpose. Not out of necessity.

When the timer goes off he makes you up a plate. Sitting next to you at the island, you eat with him. You’re not very hungry, seeing as you’d already eaten dinner. But you didn’t really want to leave. Not after his comment about eating alone. That pulled at a heart string.

“So…” you try to come up with more conversation. An empty plate and a fork in front of you both. Only a few sips left in your beer. “You live alone?”

He nods. Taking a swig of his beer.

“Oh. So you don’t… have a girlfriend or anything?”

He doesn’t know wether he should smile. Instead he just shakes his head. No girlfriend. Ok. You don’t want to admit it but you’re glad he said no. Even though you don’t know him very well, you feel drawn to the man. Big and burley and quiet. Handsome of course. And something else that you can’t quite put your finger on.

“You uh,” he swallows, “you have a boyfriend?”

“No,” you huff a little laugh. Though it’s not very funny.

“So your buddy from the elevator…?”

“Oh no. That’s- he’s just my roommate. He’s got a girlfriend. Several actually,” you laugh awkwardly and wish you could smack your forehead.

“Lady killer, huh?” He cracks a smile.

“Somethin’ like that. Definitely thinks he is,” you smile back and take a few more swigs of beer. Not really feeling a buzz but definitely more relaxed. You don’t know why you’re always so anxious around Frank. He’s much more kind than the energy he puts off in the hall.

Two more beers and a few awfully raunchy roommate stories later and you find yourself back on his couch. Laughing so hard your stomach hurts. your slippers are kicked off and across the room. You’re sitting there, criss cross applesauce beside him and demonstrating the size of a hot pink dildo that your freshman year roommate forgot to take out of the shower. Frank is laughing and covering his face with a palm. Like he’s actually embarrassed for the girl. But you’re both a little tipsy so it really doesn’t matter.

“So what, you’ve never been the bad roommate?” He asks. His hand so close to your knee it’s burning hot.

“I mean…” you bite your lip. Trying not to smile and give yourself away.

“Ok. So you have. How?” He nudges your leg with his own. Urging you on.

“I have not!” You laugh. Trying to uphold your dignity.

“I’m callin’ bullshit. Pretty girl like you? No way you don’t have a few skeletons in that closet.” His hand is on your knee now. Undeniably there. Resting. Squeezing.

You blush. You can’t help the way your face heats up. He called you pretty. And he’s touching you.

You swallow, “I- I’ve had a couple of hookups that, maybe weren’t exactly the quietest. Or… safest.” You try to keep it brief. Hoping he’ll let it be at that.

“Safest?”

“Well… there was a bathtub incident, where he, um, broke his foot. And a… well a bed frame incident as well…” you’re face is burning. You can’t believe you’re admitting this to your neighbour. One that you definitely wouldn’t mind seeing shirtless again. One that you’ve been picturing in your bed for a much longer time than you’d care to admit.

“Hmm,” He hums a little laugh but he doesn’t bother asking for any explanation.

“What?” You ask. Nervous of the answer.

“Nothin’,”

“No, you were about to say something, go on.”

“I don’t know. You just didn’t strike me as that kind of girl. Always carrying all those books around. Seemed like the kinda girl who goes to school and to church and that’s it. Just… I don’t know. You surprise me.”

“I���m full of surprises, Frank. I think we both are.”

He nods. You have no idea.

“Besides, I don’t even go to church,” you finish off your bottle with one last sip. Placing on the floor beside the couch leg.

“No?”

“Why did you think that?” You ask.

“You’re up at 8 every Sunday. Dressed all nice. Figured that’s where you go.”

He notices you every Sunday. How does he notice?

“I meet a friend….for brunch. Been sort of a ritual since school started,” you explain, “how do you- how do you know that?”

“Hm?”

“How do you know that i’m up at 8 on sundays?”

“I see you, walking down to the corner of the street,” He points to the window. “Hear your keys in your hand as you leave the hallway. And I know about 4 minutes later, I’ll see you on the sidewalk. Going towards the lights.”

“So you’re spying on me?” You tease. Smiling like an idiot. He notices you! Frank notices you and he has for weeks. All while you’ve been trying to muster up the courage to talk to him in the elevator or the hall. He’s been doing the same thing.

“It’s not spyin’ if it’s general knowledge. Anyone can see you leavin’ the building.” He defends himself but you know he’s smiling.

“Yeah but you’re obviously the only one who notices.” You sit up straighter. Suddenly feeling really close to his face. Looking into those deep brown eyes.

“Trust me when I say, I’m definitely not the only guy who notices you.” His eyes keep darting away. Like he’s afraid of you seeing into them. Seeing into him.

You bite your lip. Not knowing what to say. It’s a compliment, though you’ve never been very great at taking those.

“Hey, Frank?” You ask, redirecting his attention back to your eyes. Your voice is quiet. Shy. “Would you wanna go for brunch sometime?”

“I got a better idea. Stay the night, and I’ll make you breakfast this time. How’s that sound?” His hand on your leg is squeezing you gently. And his words are pulling you even closer.

“I’d like that,” you breath out, nose almost touching his. Hand coming up to the side of his face, “I’d like that a lot.”

You press your lips to his and your suddenly thankful for all the beers he gave you. Feeling a hundred times more courageous than you typically do.

His hands are wrapping around your waist on no time. Pulling you around to straddle his lap. To kiss him and feel him underneath you. Hands roaming his broad shoulders and down his chest. His own hands dragging under the thin material of your long sleeve, sending pinpricks down your arms from the touch.

Your tongues taste of beer as they trace over each others lips. Muffled moans threaten to creep up your throat as you feel him grow hard underneath you. Grinding against his bulge, only the thin fabric of your pyjamas between you.

He picks you up by the backs of your thighs. Lifting you and him both to maneuver you around. He wants you underneath him. Your back hits the leather couch and his forearms frame your face. Coming back down to meet your lips again, you reach for his shirt, pulling on the hem. He lets you lift it over his head. Your own shirt quickly after. Pants being tugged down all rushed and inpatient before you find yourself inviting him in between your legs. Heels wrapped around the small of his back and your nails dig into his shoulder blades while he enters you slowly. Giving you a minute to adjust to his size.

His kisses are hungry. Warm and, somehow, already familiar. His beard tickles your jaw but you can’t complain. It feels too good. Him. Inside of you. Hands wrapped around your waist and pulling you closer as he fucks you. The sofa is creaking with every thrust but he doesn’t seem to care. Whispering sweet nothing in your ear. You can barely hear them you’re so high. Intoxicated by the taste of him. The feel of him. Nothing is going through your mind except him and how fucking good he feels.

“Frank, I’m- oh god I’m getting close,” you let him know with your lips brushing his neck the whole time. You want to kiss every inch of him. Every spot you can reach. He doesn’t mind. Going even faster at your announcement. Determined to get you there before him, because at your words, he’s trying so fucking hard not to finish in your tight, warm heat right here and now.

You press your forehead to his collarbone, fingers tangling into the hair at the nape of his neck. Pulling and tugging and silently telling him that you’re there. Your breath hitches and he feels you convulse around him. Your orgasm takes over and a warm, euphoric wave spreads throughout your core. Frank pulls out and hot, white ropes coat your lower belly. His own face pressed into your neck. A shiver of pleasure runs through his spine.

You catch your breath in his hold. Gripping his arm and the back of his neck. Trying to pull him back for one last kiss.

He obliges, pressing his lips to yours and leaning back, forcing you to follow and sit up with him.

“Sorry, I- you can shower. I’ll go get it started.” He days between kisses. But you shake your head.

“It’s fine.”

“No I shouldn’t of-”

“I liked it.”

He nods. Eyes closing and melting back into your kiss. Hands still refusing to leave your body. Feeling and memorizing every soft curve of your waist. Your hips. Your ribs and the dip in your spine.

“Can I stay? Can we- can you-“ you take a deep breath, “will tou take me to your bed, Frank. Please?” You ask and he feels his cock twitch. Fuck. He can’t say no. He doesn’t want to say no. He wants to fuck you in his bed until the sun rises. He wants to tell you to stay every damn night for the rest of your life. To move on in and give him a damn kid. He knew he was hooked from the first kiss. Screwed really. There’s nothing he can do except see it through. Ride it out and let the universe do the rest.

Before you know it your legs are wrapped around his waist and he’s carrying you through the apartment, lips on his the whole way to the room. His foot must have tapped your empty bottle, knocking it over to roll along the floor, clinking against the linoleum.

Distracted by eachother, you don’t seem to notice, and he doesn’t seem to care.

[sillysturns]

⋆˚｡⋆୨✧୧˚Sharpest Tool˚୨✧୧⋆｡˚⋆

The first time it happened, I told myself it was nothing. Just a moment—his hands gripping my waist, his lips ghosting over mine, laughter muffled into my skin. Casual. That’s what I told myself it was supposed to be.

Chris wasn’t one for deep conversations. He lived in the moment, his mind always moving to the next thing, the next joke, the next distraction. And I let myself get swept up in it. Nights tangled in his sheets, listening to his heartbeat like it meant something, meeting his brothers like that meant something, too. I memorized the way his voice softened when he was tired, the songs he skipped when they hit too close to home. I thought I knew him. I thought he wanted me to.

But then something—anything—would pull his attention away, and just like that, I’d be gone from his mind. A notification. A bird flying past the window. The thought of getting food at 3 AM. It didn’t matter what it was. The shift was instant, and I felt it every single time.

I tried not to care. I told myself it didn’t hurt, that I wasn’t waiting for something that was never coming. But when he would disappear for days—when his presence in my life flickered like a bad connection—I’d find myself staring at my phone, waiting for him to remember I existed.

And he always did. Eventually.

Tuesday. 2:04 PM.

A text: "Hey."

As if that was enough. As if we hadn’t gone weeks without speaking. As if I wasn’t sitting in the wreckage of what we used to be, trying to piece together what went wrong.

I wanted to ignore it. I wanted to make him feel the weight of his own absence the way I felt it. But I knew how this worked. He’d send a few more messages, just enough to keep me from slipping away completely, and I’d fold like I always did. Because no matter how much I hated this game, I didn’t know how to quit playing it.

We were going right, and then he took a left.

Now I’m stuck here, questioning everything.

Did it mean something to him? Did I?

Or was I just another passing thought, another distraction for when the silence got too loud?

If that was casual, then I’m an idiot.

Chris and I had always been best friends. The kind of best friends where we could sit in comfortable silence, where our lives blurred together so much that it was hard to tell where his ended and mine began. It had always been easy with him—until it wasn’t.

It started small. Plans that used to be sacred—late-night drives, gas station snack runs, sitting in his room just talking—suddenly became maybe another times. His texts went from instant replies to hours, then days.

And then there was that night.

Some party neither of us really wanted to be at, but we went because that’s what we did. We showed up together, stayed together, left together. At least, that’s how it used to be.

I was in the middle of a conversation with his best friend when I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. Chris. His fingers were warm, but his grip was tense. He pulled me away from the crowd, down the dimly lit hallway. The music faded into a dull thud against the walls.

“I need to talk to you,” he said.

His voice was different—lower, hesitant, almost like he was scared. Before I could ask what was wrong, his lips were on mine.

I didn’t think. I didn’t have time to.

I just kissed him back.

And for a second, it felt right. Like maybe this was where we had always been headed, like maybe he had known it before I did.

Then, just as quickly as it started, he pulled away.

“I—” He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

My stomach twisted. “Chris—”

“I gotta go.”

And just like that, he was gone.

The next day, everything was different.

I kept waiting for him to bring it up, to tell me something—that it was a mistake, that it wasn’t, that we could talk about it—but all I got was silence.

And the worst part? It wasn’t just the kiss. It was everything after.

The way he would act like nothing happened, but then some nights, I’d get a text. A soft hey that didn’t say much but meant everything. Just enough to pull me back in.

And then, the next time I saw him in person, he’d barely meet my eyes.

Then came the whispers—his ex. The girl who broke his heart before I even knew him.

“She’s different now,” he said one day, like that explained everything.

I wanted to scream, What about me?

But I didn’t.

Instead, I watched him drift.

I watched him choose to stay in my life just enough to keep me there, but not enough to actually be in it.

I watched him "find God" at his ex’s house, but never once ask for forgiveness for what he did to me.

I watched him make sure his phone was always face down when we were together.

And I felt it—that moment where, overnight, I went from being his best friend to being the person he resented the most.

I kept telling myself I’d ask him. That I’d force him to talk. That I’d make him explain why he kissed me like I was the only person who had ever mattered, only to spend the next few months pretending I didn’t exist.

But we never talked about it.

We never talked about how he made me open up, how he made me trust him with everything, only to leave me standing there, wondering if I had imagined it all.

We never talked about how he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention—like he knew he was breaking me, and he hated himself for it.

We never talked about how every second of silence only made it worse.

Because silence keeps people in your head.

Silence keeps them at the top of your mind, no matter how much you want them gone.

Silence is its own kind of cruelty.

And Chris?

Chris was fluent in it.

If that was casual, then I’m a fucking idiot.

authors note: oml i LOVE sharpest tool

divider credits to my queen: @bernardsbendystraws

love ya, from maya!!! [determined to write more]

[lovelylonelinesssvt]

Gaming Lies- Jeon Wonwoo

Pairing: nonidol!Jeon Wonwoo x f!Reader

Genre: strangers to friends to ?? confusing, angst? hurt/confort?

Warnings: fake Identity, lying, hurt, secrets?

-.-.-.-.-

A/n: First time doing a requested story, it's a little bit weird for me lol.

I tried my best, it was hard since my brain does not work well by doing two stories at the same time since i'm working on the next part of Back to You Pt.1 - Prt.2 Prt.3soon)

I think i'll stick to one story at a time.

Shout out to @unconditionallove4jeonghan for the request, and the dividers. i don't know if i truly liked the outcome, but i hope you do like it and filled out what you had in mind.

Relaxing time for you, finally. After a long shift and a very exhausting day at the university, going home to play games was the best way to end a painful day.

Changing into more comfortable clothes, soft pink sweatpants and hoodie, you sat down on your chair, pulling out the fantastic pink keyboard your dear cousin Soonyoung gave you as a birthday gift and prepared everything to start a new match.

“let’s see what we can do today” you cracked your neck putting on your bunny headphones

It was supposed to be a relaxing time tonight.

Wonwoo sat on his black gaming chair and the clock on the screen showed 12:43 pm. Probably another sleepless night.

Thinking something good might come up by starting a game of LoL he logged in his account going under his chosen nickname Gam3rWen.

The profile pic was an anime girl with candy-pink hair and enormous, sparkly eyes, the bio:

“26 | Japan | Working gal | Let’s play and chat!”

The pink-haired girl was the perfect mask, and nobody was going to question anything. A girl with pastel hair could say anything and get away with it and even get some free stuff. That was the beauty of playing as a girl.

New matches, new people, new preys.

IvyNari, CherryPeach, PuppyVisual, HappyVirusDok

Great, probably just girls. Wonwoo rolled his eyes while taking a deep breath, maybe he’ll get something from them too.

Wonwoo typed quickly on the chat lobby channeling Wen’s sweet online persona.

Gam3rWen: Hi there!

IvyNari: Hi! Tell me you have a mic, I hate typing in this game

Gam3rWen: Sorry! right now my headset mic is being a bitch

CherryPeach: you can still hear us right?

Gam3rWen: yeah totally!

You turned on your mic and the volume up along with the rest of the team, it was nice to play with your only circle of half friends half family

“It’s true I hate typing in here” you groaned as they finally were able to hear you “Please Wen tell me you are a girl”

“why are you saying that as if playing with your favorite trio was a burden?”

“Cheol, it is! Two guys and a girl, it’s not entirely fun” you groaned through the mic “specially if dumb and dumber keep naggin at each other”

“he started it!”

“he sucks!”

You rolled your eyes, you didn’t even know who said what, each game that passes you swore they merged together to form Dumbest

Wen: Well, I am a girl. I’m 26 I live in Japan and I finally get to play with a girl yay!

Wonwoo smirked, there were 3 guys, he could have some fun.

As the night went on, one game turned to 4 and eventually moved to another platform to keep playing random games.

Wonwoo kept luring them in with a sweet, nice, adorable persona that they fell for it completely.

At some point almost everyone went off to sleep, leaving you and Wonwoo alone in discord.

“Well, today was fun” you giggled “I never thought someone would be able to beat Cheol on Overwatch”

Wen: It was easy, flirting helps 😉

“I bet, but enough games, I want to know you. I want a girl friend to play games with and that she’s actually good” groaning you tied up your hair “love those three but being the only girl sucks

Wen: I can imagine, what do u wanna know?

“I don’t know how old you are? Where are you from? What you ate tonight? Anything really.”

Wen: 26, Tokyo Japan. I love cats and photography. Obviously playing games is my hobby too

“nice! I love cats too! Well I’m y/n from Seoul, South Korea. I’m 25. I love random spotify playlists, ice cream, writting and weirdly enough i hate seafood”

Seoul? Too close.

The way you spoke so naturally, carefree, lovely and sweet made Wonwoo’s heart do a small turn.

What the hell

Wonwoo stared at the screen trying to type a message.

Wen: welll I can't eat seafood lol

Wen: tell me more about ur playlists

You answered, enthusiastic and breathless.

It didn’t go as Wonwoo planned, it took a turn for the worst? Better? He didn’t know, all he knew was that he kept listening to you, eventually ending the one-sided call but that didn’t stopped you from messaging him.

Wonwoo read them all, grin spreading across his face. This was what he liked, being someone else yet himself. The rush of being someone else, the way people confided in Wen, but also the way he had clearly soon access to the very deep of their souls. The pros of being a gamer girl

Three weeks later, they were chatting every night until dawn, everything started to get out of control for Wonwoo.

IvyNari was slowly taking every wall down, and Wonwoo didn’t notice because he ended up being too absorbed in her, in you.

You were too sweet, too caring. Worrying about his well-being, joking every now and then. Trusting him with your problems and he found himself trusting you with his own.

Sharing dreams, sharing frustrations and sharing feelings took a deeper meaning for both.

Wonwoo was lying on his bed, his eyes on his phone, his textbooks lay open on the floor, a total mess.

You finally got home after class with a day off from work and the first thing you did was send a message to him.

IvyNari: you make me feel like I can tell u anything… is that weird?

Wen: nope. It’s sweet. I feel it too

IvyNari: Like… sometimes I wish my parents didn’t care so much about my future. I want to be on my own, and just not worry about anything, I could just move somewhere else and just paint or write some lame book, I want that is that dumb?

Wen: not dumb. you're a dreamer. I like that about you.

IvyNari: ☹️ I’m probably annoying tho.

Wen: No you are not annoying. I’d be sad if you disappeared, I'd miss you too much.

Typing that, he hit send before he could stop himself. Sometimes Wonwoo forgot he was on his girl persona, luckly he had found ways to save the cover, but didn’t know how long he could keep it up now. Tearing up every wall he had built, every damn idea and belief that scamming and using people for money was being buried underground since you arrived.

It's been weeks since he played that role.

IvyNary: me too, Wen. I’d be really really sad, you’re the only girl I’m friends with

A strange feeling on his chest, making him want to slam the phone down.

You keep doing it, being a sweet girl, naïve, sweet, honest and caring, and he was just a stranger pretending to be a girl for money, but now you're tearing every wall down, making him care for you.

but how on earth this is going to work.

Wen wasn’t real, not the name at least. He played that part well, but what conflicted the most was that he was himself, just with a different name.

The truth was that he was Wonwoo, living in Seoul, 27 years old. smart, reserved but always drawing attention from everyone.

Internet being a dangerous place, he learned now that secrets cost everything you have, it was harder for him because he often forgot where the lies ended and the truth began, you are too nice and sweet and it made him anxious and confused.

Mostly, you made him feel peaceful

One night, you felt lonely and wanted words of reassurance from the only friend that made you feel seen and heard, more like read. Sitting up with the phone in hand you messaged Wen.

Wonwoo was cleaning his camera lens when he heard the chat notification. The sound of your chat.

IvyNary: can u send me a voice message? pretty please? I wanna hear ur voice, it's been a long day i need my friend

Wonwoo’s stomach flipped as he stared at the screen, cursing under his breath. What the hell was he supposed to answer? He had already tried to come up with all sort of excuses

Wen: god, noooo. I'm sorry, I sound weird.

IvyNari: I won’t judge. Pinky swear.

Won: I’m shy

IvyNari: pleaaaaseeeeee

A bolt of annoyance shot through him. It would be so easy to ghost you and block you. Save himself because he had let this go way too far.

It took him several minutes to make a decision, to understand the consequences of his next move.

He still wanted to talk to you, but he knew how messed up it was to lie to you.

Wen: okay okay. Just one second.

He took a deep breath, and then forced his voice higher, softer and he recorded as quickly as he could.

“Hii! This is Wen uh Byeee.”

The second he hit SEND, his face went hot. It was humiliating and exciting all at once.

It was the only thing he could do for now, fake a voice.

How he managed to do it was a mistery considering how deep his voice is, but you would’ve kept asking for it and the only thing you weren’t able to tame on him was his patience.

He wanted you around, and he did that just so you would stay.

IvyNari: OMG UR VOICE IS SO CUTE

He closed his eyes, thinking how damn naïve you really were, that only made him like you more, but also intensified the wave of guilt that crawled over his skin burning him from inside out.

Months passed and everything was still working out, you were still naïve enough to believe whatever “Wen” told you about skipping video calls, short audios or anything related to showing who he really was.

Wonwoo kept this up for much longer, his secret life not so secret, he still wasn’t lying about what he did on a daily basis, what he likes and what he doesn’t like.

Wonwoo simply let out the fact that he’s a guy and closer to you than you think.

One night, after a handful day of tiring stressful exams, and annoying family issues his walls finally cracked.

Wonwoo wanted to be sincere, wanted to hear words of reassurance from you just like the ones he gave you. He wanted you to say his name, to reassure Wonwoo not Wen, that everything would be okay.

Wen: hey… can we talk?

IvyNari: sure, are u okay??

Wonwoo took a deep breath— typing— he hoped this wasn’t the end.

Wen: I lied.

He stared at the screen, he felt like he was sweating

Wen: I’m not from Japan...

A minute passed. Two.

IvyNari: okay… is this a joke?

Wen: No, and… I’m from Seoul too actually

IvyNari: oh, okay…

IvyNari: it’s not that bad, I mean I understand…

Wen: there’s more…

He knew what the next message will end up doing, but he still sent it anyways. Even if the probabilities of this ending were high, he had to try.

Wen: I’m a guy, my name’s Wonwoo.

IvyNari: ……

IvyNari: show me ur face

You wanted to see him, his hands trembled as he typed

Wen: no. you’ll hate me more

IvyNari: SHOW. ME.

He knew he could refuse, block you, leave first and save whatever dignity he had left.

But a part of him knew he owned you that much. You’ve been his confidant and he’s been yours.

Instead, of running like he would have done months ago, he snapped a quick selfie — messy black hair, dark eyes glinting with guilt behind his glasses— and sent it.

Silence.

Minutes later you answered

IvyNari: …holy shit

His breath hitched, preparing for the worst he typed a quick apology

Wen: I’m sorry.

IvyNari: ur really… handsome.

That was random, despite the circumstances, he let out a chuckle

IvyNari: I’m mad ngl, but Why the lie?

Wen: idk. It’s just that being Wen makes people talk to me more, it’s easy.

IvyNari: so… were u messing with me this whole time?

He stared at the screen. You did started as a fun game, he had scammed boys, but girls were a new genre and a topic he hadn’t yet explored.

Wonwoo wanted to see if girls were as easy to scam as horny teen boys.

Wen: I… no. I mean… kinda? But not like… I didn’t mean to—

IvyNari: I liked u. Like a lot.

Wonwoo stayed silent, it was messed up, he messed up and now there was no turning back

Wen: I know.

IvyNari: u knew??

Wen: yeah

Wen: because I liked you too

IvyNari: and you kept pretending?

He froze, it was a great question. Why keep pretending if he liked you. Simple, it was easier.

Wen: I’m sorry.

IvyNari: fuck. I need time.

Days turned into 2 weeks of silence.

Wonwoo tried to erase you from his mind. Focused and studied until his eyes burned. But that didn’t help, he kept checking his phone every few minutes.

One Friday night, a message finally appeared to Wonwoo’s surprise, he was calm

IvyNari: hey. can we talk?

Wen: always.

You called him. No video. Just voice.

Your first words were sharp as glass.

“I can’t believe you.”

Wonwoo froze, the sweetness in your voice completely gone, the once soothing voice was no longer there. “I’m so—”

“Shut up.”

Voice trembling, ragged with fury you tried to let all out “I trusted you. You made me feel like I could trust you, like I could tell you private things. You were the only one who made me feel like I wasn’t invisible, and now you… what the hell! this whole time, you were playing dress-up?!”

“It wasn’t lik—”

“Don’t fucking Interrupt me!”

A bitter laugh twisted your voice. “God. I can’t believe I let you in like that. You lied about everything"

“No wait, I didn’t It was all me” Wonwoo tried to reason with you, but you were long gone with anger. “it was real, I’m real”

 “Well guess what — this real you sucks, too!”

He squeezed his eyes shut, the words slamming into him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, wow. You’re sorry. That fixes everything.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you” Wonwoo groaned “I didn’t meant to please believe me”

“Yeah, well, you did!” you snapped. “god, I felt like a clown, Wonwoo. Like an idiot. All those voice messages. All that… that sweet shit. Do you know how painful it feels to remember I was talking to a guy pretending to be a girl?”

“y/n—”

“Don’t say my name!” yelling your voice cracked, because everytime your name was out of his lips it sounded like heaven “I talked to you about so many intimate things about me, my body and insecurities!”

He winced. “please stop”

“No! what was the point of all this?!” you were holding on the tears now “make fun of me? Post me on social media? Or did you do that already?”

“Of course not!”

You took a breath. “I’m so fucking angry at you. And I hate that I still… I still…”

You finally whispered

 “…I still care about you. And that’s what pisses me off the most.”

Wonwoo didn’t realized the depth of this issue until you hung up.

He thought you were a simple friend, something replaceable maybe, someone that would never make a difference in his life if you left.

Truthfully you did, the care in your voice, the sleepless nights playing all sorts of games, deep night talks about so many things but also nothing at all.

The words you needed to hear came from Wonwoo, and the soothing calming voice taming the storm from his day came from you.

It finally caught up with him.

Maybe he just lost the best thing he had found behind that scamming hobby.

The next day, he messaged you again.

Wen: u don’t have to talk to me. I just… I hope ur okay.

You didn’t answer until almost midnight

IvyNari: Well, I’m not okay.

Wen: I know.

IvyNari: You know it’s really annoying that I keep remembering how you made me laugh, how good it felt when you listened to me. I hate myself for still wanting to talk to you. I’m so stupid

Wen: you're not stupid. You're human.

IvyNari: well, I hate it.

He read the message over and over. Feeling some sort of sadness he didn’t think he could feel towards you.

Wen: I deserve ur anger.

IvyNari: yeah. you do.

Wen: but… I’m still me.

IvyNari: that’s the problem.

Spring arrived. Cherry blossoms spilled across the streets as if you were looking at a movie.

You agreed to meet him, the anger faded a little and now curiosity filled that part.

If you were honest, this whole time you kept looking at that selfie, despite of the guilt pouring from his eyes, you saw him and his beautiful eyes, sharp but a hint of someone maybe sweet, his smile forced but you imagined the genuine smile he would give and that kept you dreaming about it.

Both chose a café near a Station. Wonwoo arrived first sitting outside, gray hoodie up, leg bouncing, fixing his glasses every 10 seconds.

Why am I so fucking nervous

When you arrived, he barely recognized you. Wonwoo was socked how you looked smaller than in photos, but still pretty nonetheless. You were wearing a navy blue denim jacket, long hair falling over your shoulder and bangs covering your forehead.

You looked just like you sounded. Sweet.

“Hi,” you said stiffly.

“Hi.”

Both staring at each other, you crossed arms and took a deep breath

“So. This is what Wonwoo looks like.” You tried to sound confident, firm and definitely not nervous.

Because goddamn it he looked way more handsome in person. those eyes, fuck those sharp fierce eyes reflected nothing more than something sweet and dangerous.

“Yeah. Sorry to disappoint.” Wonwoo took off his hoodie cap, and shook his hair

Damn it, that was hot!

“You didn’t disappoint,” rolling your eyes you scoffed. “That’s the problem, you’re…  exactly like the damn picture and it makes me want to punch you.”

He tried not to laugh. “Please don’t, people like my face”

You glared at him. “Don’t joke right now.” But the truth was, you were holding a smile.

“Okay, sorry y/n”

“God, even your voice saying my name is annoyingly good”

You turned around and walked to the café with him following you, how long were you going to be able to keep up this strong girl shit, you didn’t know. He was making it very difficult.

That face just…

Sitting down on a booth, you stared at your latte, fingers drumming on the table trying to figure out what to say

“You know what pisses me off most?” you said suddenly with a firm tone surprising Wonwoo.

“What?”

“I told you shit I’ve never told anyone; I told Wen everything.”

His throat tightened. “I remember.”

“And you were lying to me”

He swallowed. “not entirely and I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t say you didn’t mean to!” you exploded. Heads turned in the café. Lowering your voice you continued “You don’t get to act like you accidentally did this. You planned it.”

“I didn’t plan… you,” he said, voice small. “you came out of nowhere and, just changed things”

“I hate that I miss you. I hate that you’re sitting here looking all sad and guilty, because it makes me want to forgive you.”

He stared down at the table, even if he wanted to tell you to do it… “You shouldn’t forgive me”

You blinked rapidly, it wasn’t anger what you felt, just frustration “God, you’re so… so fucking annoying”

He lifted his head, eyes locking with yours and you could see sincerity “I know"

You buried your face in your hands “Why couldn’t you just be honest?”

He sighed “People don’t talk to me the same way they talk to Wen”

“Well, maybe people would like you if you gave them a chance”

“They never do" He chuckled “and it’s not like I wanted them to”

“Bullshit!” you snapped “You’re funny. You’re smart. You’re annoying as hell but… you’re not a bad person”

He let out a bitter laugh “I am, I scam people”

Scamming, well that’s another thing to add into his flaw list “maybe, but you’re also just an idiot”

You tried to listen to his explanation, to why he scammed people, how he didn’t plan to let everything go this far, enough to hurt you and himself in the process.

Leaving the café, both of you walked along the Han River. Wind swept cherry blossom petals over the water and sidewalk

You shoved your hands into the pockets of your jeans “You made me believe I was special”

“You are,” he said quietly

“Shut up”

Turning to him, tears in your eyes “I keep thinking… how it was so obvious too” you laughed “and that makes me even more stupid”

Wonwoo didn’t speak, because he also knew he made it obvious too. But he didn’t think you were stupid. No.

You were sweet and that was enough for you to believe everything

“You could’ve told me the truth sooner” it was frustrating “I wouldn’t have fallen for you and think I was crazy for it, that i even questioned myself”

Wonwoo looked away. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to lose you”

“So instead, you lied. And now you lost me anyway” You said that, but he didn’t lose you entirely, you just didn’t want to come back so easily.

The pain in his chest felt like pieces of glass stabbing him slowly and deeply “I know”

Wiping your eyes you spoke “You’re the worst. The absolute worst” Your soft hurt voice invalidating the intention of sounding hurt and angry

“I know”

“I hate the way you keep saying ‘I know’ like it’s going to fix anything”

“I know,” he murmured, almost smiling.

You slapped his arm holding a small smile “Stop it!”

Charming, I’ll give him that

“Okay”

Glaring at him you sighed “God. I wish I could hate you completely. But I can’t”

“I think you have the right to do it, hate me” he said and after a moment he sighed “but I do hope you won’t”

You punched his shoulder again, less hard this time and the faint hint of a smile showed in your face, it didn’t go unnoticed by him, but he didn’t mentioned it, he just smiled a little bigger

Reaching the end of the bridge, you turned to face him looking sad and conflicted.

Wonwoo thought this could help, the outcome being positive or negative maybe it could help you to either hate him and leave for good, or forgive him and start over, but looking at you he knew he made it harder and that only made his chest ache more.

“I don’t know if I can forgive you” you whispered avoiding his eyes

“I understand, I wouldn’t forgive me either”

“And I don’t know if I should keep talking to you”

“Probably better if you don’t.”

You stared at him trying to figure out what he was thinking, he asked to meet but he wasn’t insisting or forcing anything, he let you choose.

Forgive him or forget him.

“But… I kind of still want to talk to you”

Wonwoo’s chest tightened painfully, but his face softened “y/n—”

“Don’t say my name like that” You said firmly but you could also hear your voice betraying your intentions to sound serious

He tilted his head “You love it when I say your name”

You rolled your eyes and shoved him lightly. “I do but... Shut up.”

He grinned a little “No”

That grin, that playful grin on that beautiful face had your brain short circuit for a minute

“God, you’re impossible,” you said with a chuckle, but as that faded away, tears formed in your eyes and as much as you didn’t want to, he could hear a hint of hope in your voice “Are you going to lie to me again?”

He paused looking serious now “I don’t… I don’t want to, and I’m going to try my best not to lie, be honest always. But I’m not promising I won’t mess up some other way”

You scowled and crossed your arms. “That’s a shitty answer”

“I am kind of a shitty person”

You stared at him for a moment, then burst out a very frustrating “why... how the fuck are you still kinda hot when you say that?”

Wonwoo blinked, surprised laughter bubbling out of him and it was the most annoying sweetest sound you’ve heard “I can’t help it”

You shook your head, half exasperated, half smiling.“Ugh. I hate you.”

“You kind of don’t” Wonwoo murmured

You squinted at him “Don’t push your luck Wonwoo”

He raised his hands in surrender “Fine. I’m not saying anything else”

“Good”

They stood in silence, cherry blossom petals swirling around them

“So… what now?” Wonwoo asked softly

“I don’t know. Maybe… I’ll call you tomorrow. Or maybe I won’t” you looked at him with what he thought it could be a very cute mischief smile

“Fair enough.”

You nodded slowly and lifted a finger pointing straight to his face mare inches from his nose “But if I do… no more pretending you’re a girl”

“No more Wen,” holding his pinky out, you looked at it for a few seconds

Should you believe him?

It was a very shitty thing to do, to lie to you, to make you think and believe he was someone else, and he made you feel dumb enough to even question your sexuality.

Overall, he was truly sorry.

Wonwoo didn’t pressure you, didn’t beg on his knees, he let you make the decision yourself and you appreciated it.

Because that meant he listened, he truly listened to how people made you feel. How you felt you had no voice to make your own choices.

After thinking about it for a little bit, you took a shaky breath and linked your finger with his, feeling a jolt of energy

“Good” you whispered as you let go

Wonwoo couldn’t help but smile, it was simple and it turned out to be better than he expected.

Worst case scenario, you were going to kick him in the balls and leave

You didn’t though, instead you gave him hope to start over. Clean.

Standing next to each other, both of you understood that there was more than what happened, more of IvyNari and more of Gam3rWen/Wonwoo to discover. Secrets, guilt, and something fragile still lingered between you.

But neither of you wanted to let go, as much as it hurt, the good overcome the bad for now, and it made you also have hope that Wonwoo was saying the truth, that he wasn’t lying entirely about who he was.

You said goodbye for now, turning around to walk away and Wonwoo just watched you go, his heart thundering because the way you left made him hold onto something he never thought he would have when he confessed

Hope.

Changing his gamer tag was the first thing he did.

-GAM3BO1-

Looking at it he smiled.

For the first time in a long time, he wondered if maybe — just maybe — he could get a friend back, no lies needed.

A/n: not sure if i really liked this, or how it turned out, but here it is.

please be kind.

Ella x

[shadesslut]

Idk if I’m doing this right but can u do a Chad Meeks Martin smut where she’s dating either Ethan or wes but her and chad have a secret enemies with benefits and she goes underwear shopping and Chad is there and there’s loads of flirting and stuff

I LOVED THIS REQUEST

little secret

MINORS DNI

Pairing: (Chad Meeks-Martin x Fem!Reader)

Content Includes: (Smut, cheating, slight voyeurism)

Masterlist

✮

✮

✮

Chad and Y/N’s relationship was…interesting to say the least. He had met her through Ethan, his roommate, and the moment he connected eyes with her all he wanted to do was rip off her clothes. His wish came true that night they met, and once he got a taste of her, he couldn’t get enough. There was one slight problem, she was dating Ethan. Neither of them were necessarily proud of what their little secret was, and it caused tension between the two around the others. To the others, they looked at their relationship full of hate. Oh how they were wrong.

Chad was having a bad day. It was Saturday, a guy like Chad was supposed to be having a good day full of drinking and hanging out with his friends. But, here he sat, alone in his kitchen. Ethan had left a few hours ago, with her, to go shopping. They invited Chad, well, Ethan invited Chad, but Chad didn’t want to be a third wheel once again. He also didn’t wanna have to stare at Y/N’s ass be groped by Ethan all day. 

He groaned, once checking his phone again for any new messages. He pressed on Snapchat, instantly going to his private album. He scrolled through the photos of Y/N, her bare body starting to arouse Chad. He reached into his sweatpants, starting to stroke himself. He softly whined, and his thumb accidently swiped on the screen, pulling up the map. He immediately stopped stroking as he saw Ethan and Y/N’s bitmoji pop up right next to each other. 

“Fuck me,” he groaned, taking his hand out of his pants. 

He was starting to get heated, and he huffed as he shot Ethan a text.

Chad

Changed my mind omw

2:36 pm

–

Ethan waved at Chad from a little table in the food court. Chad nodded as he walked over, dapping Ethan up. 

“I’m glad you changed your mind.” Ethan said smiling, offering Chad some of his fries. Chad only smiled, taking a fry. 

“Where’s Y/N?” Chad asked. 

“She’s um-looking for underwear,” Ethan quickly said, coughing. 

Chad laughed, but his cheeks grew warm. “Didn't wanna help her?” He asked teasingly. Ethan shook his head rapidly. Chad knew that the two had never slept together, so Ethan’s shyness was expected. 

Ethan’s phone buzzed, and he flipped his phone over, face going pale as he read the message. “Shit,” He cursed, immediately standing to grab his stuff. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I-I forgot I work a shift at three, shit. Can you-“ Ethan stammered, shortly being interrupted by Chad. 

“I’ll drive Y/N home.” Chad assured him. 

Ethan let out a relief of sigh, and quickly thanked Chad before leaving. Chad was suddenly thanking himself for coming here. 

He looked around awkwardly for Y/N in the lingerie store. It was mostly full of women, some dragging their poor boyfriends along behind them. Chad’s eyes stopped on a mannequin, which was clad in a black lace set. The bra had a little pink rose on the center gore, and it had two black bows on the straps. The lace was see through, and Chad imagined Y/N wearing it, being able to see her nipples. 

His eyes wandered down to the panties, which also had a pink rose on it. The panties were connected to a garter, which connected to thigh highs. Chad drooled at the set, only picturing Y/N wearing it. 

“Can I help you, sir?” He heard a woman ask. He immediately spun around to the voice, embarrassed. He sighed as he saw Y/N. 

“Yes actually, I was thinking about getting this for a special lady.” He joked, slightly smirking. 

She snorted. “As if you have a special lady.” 

Chad smiled seductively, checking their surroundings to make sure no one was in the same area as them, before grabbing at her hips. “I think I do,” he whispered, his head tilting. 

Her eyes widened. “Chad, Ethan-“ 

“He left. Had a shift.” He interrupted. She let out a sigh of relief, and she pushed him away. Chad peeked at her shopping basket, looking at the sets of lingerie she threw in. “Can I see you wear them?” 

“No, I told you yesterday.” She said sternly. 

Chad remembered. The night before Y/N had called him, and she told him that their little ‘friends with benefits’ was over. 

“I know you told me yesterday, but you see, I didn’t agree to it.” Chad sarcastically said. 

She rolled her eyes at him, walking to the next section. Chad quickly grabbed the black set before following her. 

“It’s not up to you, I can’t keep doing this to Ethan.” She told him, looking through pairs of thongs. 

“Let me change your mind.”

“No.” She spat, grabbing the set out of his hands. She walked into the fitting room. Chad wanted to follow her in but didn’t want to seem like a creep, so he waited. 

He scrolled aimlessly on his phone, watching a girl leave the fitting room. He heard shuffling, and a loud sigh. “Chad?” Y/N shouted from her room. 

“Hm?” 

“Can you,” another sigh. “Can you help me?” 

He chuckled before standing up and knocking on her door. She opened it a tad, letting him in. “Alright babe, I’m here to assist-“ 

Chad’s mouth, figuratively speaking, was on the ground. She was wearing the set he had admired previously, but the garter was clipped on. His eyes immediately went to her breasts, and he practically drooled at the sight. 

“Can you help me with the garter?” She asked, huffing as she tried to clip it on. 

He nodded quickly, his hands instantly reaching to her thighs. He stuck his tongue out as he focused on clipping it on, but failed to do so. She let out a groan and slumped in the chair. Her hips slid towards his face, and her legs spread open. Chad’s eyes flicked up in between, and he felt himself get hard again. 

“So, I know you said things were over, but, your vagina is quite literally in my face.” Chad said, looking up at her. She let out a slight laugh. 

“What’re you gonna do about it?” 

Oh. 

Now that set off Chad. 

His eyes turned dark, and he grabbed at her waist, causing her to yelp. He shushed her by smashing his lips on hers, and he practically ripped the panties off. She gasped at the cold air, and Chad grinded his hips into hers. 

He picked her up in his arms, holding her ass with his hands. 

“Chad-We can’t, We can’t do this here. Someone will hear,” she whispered, panting. 

He only kissed her neck sloppily, and slowly pulled down his sweats and boxers. “Then I guess you’re gonna have to keep your mouth shut.”

Chad shoved his dick inside of her, instantly moaning at her warm feeling. He rocked his hips up into hers, and he squeezed her ass. Her hand flew to cover over her mouth, muffling her moans. 

He thrusted his hips into her at a quick pace, burying his face into the crook of her neck. 

“Fuck you always hug me so tight,” he whimpered. 

She only moaned in response, wrapping her legs around his wait. His chest bounced as he moved, and he started to play with her tits. At this point, they were shameless, moaning and whining each other’s name, having no care in the world to who heard them. 

“Chad,” she said, breathlessly. 

He looked at her, still sliding his dick in and out of her smoothly. 

“I’m gonna cum,” 

Chad only chucked dryly, his ego boosted. “Already baby? What, poor thing isn’t used to this kind of treatment from her sweet boyfriend?” Chad mocked. 

“Don’t talk about him while you’re- Ah! Fuck, while you’re inside me,” she protested. 

“I bet he wishes he could fuck you like this. Hell, fuck you at all!” She started clenching around him even harder. “I bet he thinks about you when he touches himself, huh?” He whispered, teasingly. 

Her eyes started to water at the spot the tip of his dick hit perfectly, repeatedly. 

“I bet you think about my cock when you two make out. Do you baby? Do you think of your little secret’s cock?” 

She nodded rapidly, wrapping her arms around his neck as he continued to pound into her. 

“Are you gonna let me cum inside you baby? Like the good girl you are?” He whispered, his mouth pressed up to her ear. Again, she nodded desperately. 

He grunted, rolling his hips into her a few more times before cumming inside of her, her finishing along with him. Chad looked down in between them as sweat dripped down his forehead. He half-smirked at the sight of his white liquid spilling onto the pair of panties. It was alright though, he had planned to buy them for her anyways.