#Oh yeah I went back to finish my life with Cal after finding that True Ending | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 4 years

Text

Pressure

Finale to Push and Pull

Warnings: noncon sex, oral, violence, abuse, and death.

This is Lee Bodecker (who is already dark!af) and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Life changes and you’re swept up in the tide.

Note: Alright, here’s out final part! Lee is such a bastard man.

Hope you enjoy it. Thank you. Love you guys!

Please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

“You left a stain On every one of my good days”

-Disease, Matchbox Twenty

🚔

Arn had quickly taken up your father’s mantle as a moonshiner. When he got home, he went to the shed and tinkered with the sill. He met with the same men your father had and even began to act like him. Quiet, terse. He ordered you and your brothers around as he emulated the dead man.

Will had grown quiet. In those days he spent at home with you, you’d noticed how distant he seemed. He was the youngest, the sweetest. When your mother had passed, he had been the most distraught but he seemed numb to your father’s absence.

And Cal; Cal was just as oblivious as ever. You almost admired how he always went through life without heed for the past or future. He only seemed to live in his own little bubble as he floated along; untouched and unaffected by the taint of Knockemstiff.

And you, you were just an afterthought in the lives of the men around you. You cleaned after them, cooked for them, and saw that all was in order for them to exist. They didn’t give a second thought to their dirtied dishes or torn trousers. They just left them for you to tidy and mend.

And Bodecker. You hated just the thought of him. Hated the way your stomach churned as you recalled that mighty heat he’d stoked within you. The feeling you knew was so wrong. How could you feel that way when he was touching you? When you didn’t want him to touch you? You didn’t want it, right?

Your nightmares were stained in your father’s blood. You woke with a start at the gunshot as it echoed inside your head. Every morning without fail. Visions lingered as you dressed; the gun, Lee’s voice, the blood seeping into the dirt. You shuddered and pressed your hands to your face.

Had it really been so long? A month already.

You descended the stairs and yawned into your sleeve as you hugged yourself in the early morning chill. It was early, the men would not rise for another hour or so.

Maybe not. You heard the crackle of a log and the whisper of a page being turned. You stood in the doorway of the living room. Will sat on the rug before the fire, bent over a book as the flames licked behind the grate.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he spoke before you could. “But I’m almost done my book.”

“That’s good,” you neared and lowered yourself beside him, “What are you reading anyway?”

“Lord of the Flies,” he marked his page, “I think… I think it’s about good and evil. If people are born one or the other, you know?”

“Oh?” You crossed your arms over your knees.

“Yeah, I mean, if we were allowed to make our own rules, would we make them for us or the for the good of everyone?” He wondered, “Because even with the rules, we do the worst, don’t we?”

“I suppose but… the rules don’t really make much difference around here.” You snorted. “Not in this town.”

“You think it’s different somewhere else? In the city? Maybe in another country?” He chewed his thumbnail.

“I like to hope so, not that I’ll ever know,” you said, “Is this about daddy?”

He shrugged. He dropped his hand and stretched his long legs before him. “All the good went with mama.”

“Don’t say that,” you admonished.

“It’s true. How many times did he take the belt to you? And why? Because you made him think of her.”

“You really think that?”

“He was nasty to all of us,” he sighed, “But nastier to you. And I can’t even be sad that he’s gone.”

“Death is hard, Will,” you touched his shoulder, “It’s hard to know what you’re feeling about it. Sad ain’t so clear as it should be. It could be staring at the wall or tossing and turning in your bed or sitting up in the early hours and readin’ some book by yourself. It’s not always a feelin’, sometimes it’s in the things we do.”

“It’s just a book,” he muttered.

“But you lookin’ for daddy in it, ain’t ya? Askin’ if he was good or bad.”

“I know he was bad,” Will said, “It’s why I don’t feel bad for him. Probably ran his mouth at whoever it was who gave him what he got.”

“Don’t talk like that,” you took his hand and squeezed, “Please. For me.”

He looked at you. The light of the fire flickered in shadows across his face. “You know, you never had to take care of him. Or us. You should got out and married.”

“Maybe I didn’t have to,” you sidled close to him, “But how could I leave my little brother, hmm?”

“I’m a man now. Almost.” He said. “Arn won’t let you stay. I know it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Him and Rose from the diner. He’s gonna marry her. Won’t be no place for you here. Or Cal. Or me.” Will said. “And I’m gonna go work down at the yard. Or maybe the factory.”

“You should finish school.”

“For what?”

“You’re the only smart one. You could find your way. Get a degree.” You urged. “You should do all of that. You shouldn’t stay here.”

“And leave you behind?”

You sniffed and hung your head. “No, I’m grown. I’ll find my way and I won’t get in yours. You got half a year left. You’re too close to quit.”

“I don’t know…”

“Mama always wanted you to do something big. She always said you were special.” You said. “A lawyer? Maybe even a doctor. Imagine that.”

He was quiet. He squeezed your hand and wobbled his foot as he thought. “You should leave too. Leave this town. We could both go once I’m done school.”

“No, no, you can’t be takin’ care of me.” You argued.

“Why not? You’ve taken care of me.”

“Because that’s what women do. I promised mama I would.” You liked the idea of leaving but it was terrifying. Even if you did have that courage, you knew you wouldn’t be gone for long. And if fate didn’t bring you back, you expected something, or someone else, would. “If Arn decides to toss us to the curb, I’ll see you through the rest of the year and then you’re gonna go out and make mama proud.”

He nodded and leaned back on his hands. “I know no one else ever gave you a chance but you should start givin' yourself one. You’re too good for us. Too good for everyone in this damn town.”

🚔

When the Sheriff showed up next, you were alone. He walked into the house without knocking, as had become his habit, and sat at the table as you prepared a roast for dinner. He watched you silently and you tried to ignore him. You were waiting for his command.

How did he want you? What vile things would he do to you that day?

“When’s the boys gettin’ home?” He asked.

“Soon,” you answered as you turned on the oven.

“You got something sweet,” he reached in his pocket and pulled out an empty wrapped.

You slid the cookie jar towards you and plopped it before him on the table. “Made ‘em last night. Chocolate chip.”

“You’re always so good to me,” he smiled and you choked down your revulsion. “Too bad it took me so damn long to get here. I really wanted to have some fun.”

You turned back and opened the stove. You slid the roasting pan inside and snapped it shut.

“Them dresses you got, they really do nothin’ for ya,” he said through a mouthful of cookie, “‘cept when you’re bending over.”

“Why are you here then?” You crossed your arms as you turned back to him.

“I gotta talk to your brothers,” he said, “But let’s be clear on something, girl. You don’t ask me my business unless it’s to do with you.”

“I know about you,” you sneered, “Everyone does. Why don’t you get one of your whores and leave me alone?”

The chair nearly toppled as he stood and tossed down the cookie. He rounded the table and stomped over to you, cornering you against the counter.

“You’re my whore,” he snarled, “You got that?” He pinched your tit roughly. “Now, if I wanna, I can bend you over right now and let your brothers see what a whore you are.” He grabbed your chin and pushed his body against yours. “You should be flattered, you know? I ain’t touched another bitch since I been in you.”

You bit down and glared at him. Your lip curled but you said nothing.

“I ain’t gonna leave you alone,” he rocked his body against yours and exhaled. “What do ya think is gonna happen if I do? If I toss you out like the used bag you are? You got me or you got nothing. No man’s gonna marry a flower without her petals.”

He pushed harder against you until you could feel his bulge through his pants. His stomach crushed you against the counter. He leaned in and kissed you. You were shocked by the gesture, disgusted at how you could taste the chocolate on him.

“I really need to fuck you,” he growled as he drew away, “Fuckin’ hurts so bad.” He pushed himself from you and turned as he cleared his throat. The loud rumble of the Ford truck called from just outside as it pulled in. “Guess that means I’ll have to pay you back in kind.”

You narrowed your eyes and went to the fridge. You poured him a glass and slammed it down as the front door opened and the boys’ voices mingled in the hallway. Bodecker drank deeply and cleared his throat as he watched you retreat.

Arn entered first, followed by the other two as they chattered noisily. “...in the shed, we-- Sheriff Bodecker,” Arn shook the sheriff’s hand as he stood. “Figured you were waitin’ for us. You know, we got everything sorted with the shine.”

“That’s good to hear but sadly I’m not here about that,” Bodecker said, “Other business. ‘Bout your daddy.”

“Ah, okay,” Arn glanced over at Cal as Will took a seat at the table and grabbed a cookie from the jar. Your youngest brother looked at you as he took a bite. “What’s, uh, what’s goin’ on?”

“Well, we think we got the prick who did it,” Bodecker began and you stiffened, “Found your daddy’s belt buckle and same caliber gun. Some rat down by the tracks. Been arrested before for robbin’.”

“You found him?” Cal asked, “Well, suppose that’s good.”

“We will be chargin' him to the full extent of the law. Shouldn’t see a free day ever again.” Bodecker said. “Out of courtesy, I figured I’d tell ya before the papers ran the story.”

“Thank you, Sheriff,” Arn said. “You know it’s been tough tryna get everything together since he been gone but… this’ll be good for all of us. Now that we have some peace about it.”

“Oh, you got big plans?” Bodecker asked.

“House is mine now. Figure I need a wife. And the boys… well, they gotta go find a place of their own, ain’t they?”

“Mmm,” Bodecker hummed, “And your sister, too.”

“We have an aunt. I’m sure she could use the company.” Arn said.

“What?” You sputtered, “You just gonna send me away to live with Darlene?”

“What else am I gonna do with ya?” Arn barked. “If I got Rose here to do my cookin’ and cleanin’, I don’t see the use in keepin’ you around. Don’t know why daddy didn’t find someone to take ya before.”

“I ain’t askin’ you to do nothin’ with me,” you huffed, “But I ain’t goin’ to Darlene’s. I’ll go out on my own. I’ll clean someone else’s floor and get paid for it in more than spit and stupid.”

Arn snarled and Will stood slowly from the table. Cal squinted as if lost.

“Now, now,” Bodecker clapped Arn’s shoulder, “Lots to be done, lots to be done. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is a lot. Big news. I say, take some time, have some of that shine your daddy left you, and calm down, huh?”

Arn looked at the sheriff and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right, I s’pose.”

Will lingered by the table, his eyes never left his older brother as his hands balled into fists. You neared him and touched his arm softly. He glanced over at you, his face tensed with anger.

“I won’t let him do it,” he whispered. “I told you, we can get out together.”

“So let’s give it a day,” Bodecker boomed, “I’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll talk business and… well, I think you’ll be happier after we have all that figured out.”

Arn nodded and shifted his weight.

“You got big shoes to fill,” Bodecker said, “Gotta make sure you get ‘em laced on right.”

🚔

As promised, Bodecker returned the next day, this time after your brothers. He joined them in the shed, a relief as you worked at stitching one of Will’s shirts. Cal appeared as you held up the shirt and eyed your work. You sensed his shadow and dropped the fabric to your lap.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” you assured him.

“You need to come out to the shed,” he ignored your promise of a hot meal and you frowned.

You stood and slung the shirt over the chair. You grabbed your jacket and boots and followed him out the door. You hadn’t been to the shed since before your daddy died. Your teeth chattered as you slipped through the door and Cal slid it closed behind you. Arn sat in your pa’s old armchair, Lee on a stool, and Will on the crooked bench with a space free for his other brother.

“I don’t know why she needs to be here,” Arn said, “But she is, so let’s get on.”

“Well, the only way you’re gonna expand across the county is through me, Arn,” Bodecker talked as if he were addressing a child. “And I’m up for re-election. That means we need each other. Means we need to set this little partnership we have down in stone.”

“How’s it that you need us, sheriff?” Cal asked as you swayed by the door.

“Well, my reputation ain’t exactly pristine. I need to tidy up the edges,” Bodecker leaned forward and twined his fingers together. “I’ll see that you get your shine from one end of the county to the other and I’ll also take a little weight off your shoulders. I need a wife and your sister needs a new home.”

Your mouth fell open and even Arn seemed surprised by the proposal.

“No,” Will said, “You can’t… you can’t marry her.”

“I don’t see why not. She’s gettin’ up there in years, I don’t see anyone else lining up.” Bodecker chortled.

“Because she--” Will looked at you helplessly. “She deserves to be happy.”

“I don’t think any woman be unhappy being the sheriff’s wife,” Bodecker hissed, “Won’t be no different than her cleaning up after y’all. If anything, it’ll be easier.”

“Take her,” Arn said, “Two birds, one stone.”

“And Cal, I’ll get him on the force by the end of the year. Always good to have another set of hands.” Bodecker continued. “He’ll make good enough money to get outta your hair.”

“And Will?” You said. All the men turned to look at you. “He’s gotta stay in school.”

“School ain’t shit,” Arn scowled.

“I don’t see why he can’t finish,” Bodecker said.

“I ain’t takin’ care of him,” Arn said. “He either gonna work for his lot or he can live outside.”

“Say what you want about daddy, but at least he had the decency to see to us,” you said. “You think you’re the big man now he’s gone.”

“You better shut your fuckin’ mouth if you know what’s good for you,” Arn stood and the sheriff did too. He stepped in front of the younger man.

“She’s grievin’. You know the ladies don’t handle all this so well,” Bodecker said, “I’ll see after the kid. I was gonna up my take to twenty percent but I’ll settle for fifteen if you keep him on.”

“Up your take?” Arn scoffed.

“We’re gonna be family and I’m gonna make sure none of my officers get in your way. Boy, that’s gonna mess with numbers, you get me? You can’t get without givin’.”

Arn lowered his chin and looked between you and Will. He blinked slowly.

“He got a roof till he’s done school. No longer than that.” Arn sat back down heavily, “And you be best to get a leash on my sister and quick. The sooner she’s out of my house, the better. Rose is getting awfully antsy.”

“Y’all got a date yet?” Bodecker said.

“Wait? Just like that? You’re gonna marry me off--”

“Fuck’s sake. You ain’t never know when to shut up!” Arn hollered as he reached for a jar of shine.

“And you’re gonna drink away your years just like daddy,” you snapped.

“Hmm, maybe, but you’re gonna do what I tell you and get on your back for our sheriff.” He spat, “Or I’m gonna dump you on the corner and you can see who else will have you.”

“Arn, you can’t--” Will began.

“You two can go off and see how far you make it,” Arn bit back, “I’m done arguin’. The next person pipes up, I’m gonna tar ya.”

You looked at Will and shook your head. You knew what wasn’t being said. If you didn’t do what you were told, it wasn’t that you’d be out of your home. You wouldn’t have anything. The sheriff had a stranglehold on every citizen in the county. He’d make sure you were helpless until you were forced to grab his outreached hand. You’d take what he gave you, as you had to that point.

“Fine…” You uttered, “You know what mama would think, Arn. As much as you think daddy’d be proud, you know she wouldn’t.”

“Go back to your kitchen,” Arn took a gulp of moonshine, “You got a month, Sheriff. You get her out and you got your fifteen.”

🚔

You didn’t expect your wedding day to be so gloomy. A winter ceremony in the town church with a man you didn’t and couldn’t love. You’d always thought you would wear your mother’s old gown but he wasn’t worthy of that. So you wore the plan dress from the local shop with a short veil and a pair of white flats.

The sheriff had done his best to clean up for the ceremony. Freshly shaved, hair combed neatly, his stomach barely continued above his cumberbund. This man, your husband, your jailer.

Your brothers sat in the first row as you listened to the priest. Your vows were nothing special, the same template handed out by the church. To love and obey. Only one of those would be true. You stared at the loose stitches of the veil, your surroundings blurred beyond the white lace.

You hated Arn for trading you away like livestock but you knew deep down your father would’ve done the same. He would’ve done worse. You recalled his last words; he would’ve had you on the street. Maybe this was the best you could hope for.

The room came back into focus as your veil was lifted. Your husband kissed you. He still sent a shiver up your spine every time he touched you. You turned back to the audience, his hand around yours as he led you between the rows of strangers. Your brothers were the only familiar faces though they were hardly welcome.

Arn had quickly taken up your father’s part in mistreating you, Cal was his mindless followers, and Will, you only saw pity in his eyes. Bodecker guided you between the pews and the doors open to the frigid winter afternoon. He ushered you to the waiting car and was quick to climb in behind you. There would be a dinner awaiting you at town hall; a whole room rented out for the occasion.

“So,” Bodecker’s hand settled on your thigh, “Are you wearing it?”

You nodded. He had brought you the lurid attire only nights before. A lacy brassiere and satin panties, stocks and frilly garners; all in as if you were still a virgin. He stretched his arm over your shoulders and pulled you close.

“It’s gonna just be you and me, honey,” he purred, “No more hiding.”

“Yes, Sheriff,” you spoke into your lap.

“Lee, or sir. No need to act strange anymore,” he dragged his nose up your cheek and his hot breath choked you. “I can’t wait until tonight. I’ve been holdin’ it in so long, god, I could blow now.”

“You know I hate you, don’t you?” You looked at him dead in the face.

A smile slowly spread across his face as he played with the hem of your veil. “Well, don’t really matter now, does it?”

🚔

Bodecker, Lee, your personal tormenter; whoever he was, ate as you avoided the same. You felt too sick to do anything but wait out the night. You accepted the congratulations of family and friends that weren’t yours and bided your time as he did all the talking. You expected your new life would be filled with these people eating out of the hand of their sheriff in hope that he didn’t swat their heads.

He drove you home in his cruiser. A strange end to a strange state of affairs. His house was large and closer to town. It was more modern than your father’s old farmhouse but not so tidy. A man living on his own didn’t have time to do his dishes before his wedding or put his used socks in the hamper

He closed the door behind you as you looked around. Cleaning was never a pleasure for you, an obligation, a ritual which kept you from dwelling on the bad. At that moment, you wanted to clean up the mess of this man’s life to keep from dealing with your own.

You jumped as he slapped your ass hard enough to make you stumble. You rubbed the stinging flesh beneath your dress and drew away from him. He caught your arm before you could go far.

“The bedroom’s through there,” he nodded to the doorway on the other side of the room, “A lot better than the car… and the coffee cups… hmmm?”

“It’s all the same,” you muttered.

“It gets better each time,” he pulled you against him and groaned. “You’ll see it soon. You’ll feel it.” He leaned in and his hot breath tickled your lips. “Go to the bedroom, get that dress off and wait for me.”

He tapped your ass and let you go as he turned away. He removed his jacket and hung it as you watched his back. You looked at the door. Where would you even go? Your mama once told you marriage wasn’t for love, it was practical. A roof over your head. What more could you ask for?

You walked down the hallway and stopped to look at the picture. The fresh-faced corporal didn’t look like the ruddy cheeked man with the wrinkle above his brow. Even in black and white, his eyes seemed brighter then. You tore yourself away and found the bedroom at the end.

You supposed you were different too. Different from yesterday, different from a month ago, a year ago, ten years ago. So much could change in so little time.

You reached back and unhooked the top of your dress. You struggled to undo each button along your spine as the fabric drew taut across your stomach. A week ago, the dress had seemed looser, same with much of your wardrobe.

You shimmied out of the dress and folded it over the walnut dresser. You looked down at yourself and the underwear better fit to the racy scenes in the theatre. You didn’t dress like this. You weren’t Marilyn or Elizabeth. You were just you and you were entirely out of place.

You slipped out of your shoes and unpinned your veil. The ring on your finger chafed your skin. You sighed and turned to sit on the bed. It bounced beneath you as you toyed with the diamond. Say what you would of the man, it had all been adequate. More than.

“You look good,” Bodecker said and you raised your head as he entered. He began to undress as he strutted across the room. “Wife.”

He unbuttoned his shirt as he neared the bed. He looked down at you with a smirk as his bowtie hung loose from his neck.

“You know what would happen if I didn’t marry you?” He pulled his tails loose and wiggled out of the shirt. He tossed it away with his tie, his stomach poking out slightly from his undershirt. “I mean, you could have my bastard inside you right now. You think anyone else wants it?”

Your eyes widened and your lashes fluttered. You bunched up the blankets in your hand as you teetered on the edge of the bed. You shook your head.

“You see, unlike all those whores, you got more than what’s between your legs,” he unbuckled his belt and undid his fly. “You work, real hard. And despite yourself, you’ll always need someone to take care of.”

He reached into his underwear and rubbed himself before pulling out his cock. You closed your eyes as he groaned and reached out to caress your cheek.

“Open your mouth, honey,” he purred. “Let me show how a wife serves her husband.”

You hesitated and he gripped your chin. He squeezed, a warning, and you opened up. He pressed his tip against your lips and pushed so that you let him in. His skin was salty and warm as it slid over your tongue. He hit the back of your throat and your eyes welled.

“Mmm mm mm,” he hummed, “That is good. Come on… just a little--”

He grunted as he forced himself down your throat. You choked and he shuddered as his hands held your head firmly. He moved his hips carefully. He slid back and slammed back in. Your eyes rolled back and you tried not to gag as he repeated the motion, each thrust harder than the last.

“Fuck, girl, I love that mouth,” he cooed, “Now it’s all mine.”

He pulled you forward as he pushed himself as deep as he could. He jerked into you even harsher than before and you grabbed the top of his pants. He dragged you off the bed and you fell to your knees. He fucked your face and shoved your head back against the mattress. He planted a hand on the bed and hammered into you over and over. Slobber spilled down your chin and you slapped helplessly against his thigh.

“Fucking take it,” he growled.

Your vision began to spot as you went limp and he stopped suddenly, halfway down your throat. He snarled and slipped out of your mouth and let you drop to the floor. You leaned forward as you coughed and his belt jingled as he stripped off his pants.

He stepped past you and climbed onto the bed. He fell heavily on his back as you looked up and bent his hands behind his head. His cock stood, glistening, and he grinned.

“Better climb on, girl,” he said, “We ain’t done yet.”

You grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled yourself up. One knee, then the other, you crawled over to him. It was the first time you’d seen him entirely naked. You stood shakily and reached to the top of the satin panties.

“Ah,” he tutted, “Just pull ‘em to the side.”

Your brows drew together but you didn’t argue. Your only hope was to bide him until you were on your own. Make yourself numb to his company and you could reward yourself in your solace.

You got down on your knees and reached between your legs. You took him in one hand and pushed your panties aside with other. You paused as his tip prodded at your entrance then lowered yourself onto him. You withdrew your hands and the satin was taut around the side of his shaft. You stilled and tried to adjust to the fullness.

“Well, come on,” he grabbed your hips and tilted them, “Move.”

You carried the rhythm and rocked atop of him. Your crumpled panties rubbed against your clit and added to the storm brewing in your core. His hands swept up your sides and he cupped your tits through the lace bra. His thumbs rubbed your barely concealed nipples and he groaned.

“Shit, it’s so good, honey. So good.” He moved his hips beneath you, “Faster.”

You obeyed and he tugged down the cups the brassiere. He pushed his head into the pillow and gritted his teeth. He grabbed your sides and pulled you to bend over him. He nuzzled your titts and nipped at the tender flesh. He took a nipple in his mouth and sucked as you kept your hips moving.

His hands skimmed over your curves and he gripped your hips. He pulled your ass down harder and you flesh clapped against his loudly. He turned his head away as your breast hung over him and you sped up. You were close. So close.

“I’m gonna cum,” he rasped, “I’m gonna--”

You threw back your head and cried out as you orgasmed first. You dug your nails into his arm as you fucked him through your climax and felt him burst inside of you. That joy, that second of joy, was enough to forget, a spark of happiness before it all came back.

You slowed and stilled atop him, out of breath. You sat up, the straps of your bra sagging down your shoulders as he tickled your thighs.

“You know,” he poked his finger between your legs and flicked your overwrought clit. You twitched and he chuckled. “I can’t wait til you got my child inside of you. Seein’ you all big. I’m still gonna fuck you.” His other hand rubbed your stomach, “If you’re anything like your mama, we’ll have a whole herd of our own.” He licked his lips as he took your hands and placed them on his chest. “But you remember, your husband always comes first.”

#lee bodecker #lee bodecker x reader #dark!lee bodecker #dark lee bodecker #the devil all the time #fic #dark fic #dark!fic #short series #series #push #pull

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suchalonelysunflower · 4 years

Text

The Next Chapter (c.h)

Pairing: Calum Hood X Reader

Requested: yes!

Summary: A family gathering has you and Calum thinking about the future

Warnings: Fluff. I used the word vagina once. Maybe some grammatical errors (English is not my first language, sorry)

Word Count: 1.7K

Author’s Note: Loving these request 🥺❤️ a little fluffy piece for my favorite boy ✨ Remember that Reblogs, comments, feedback and likes are very important and appreciated ❤️ I love to hear from you guys and you don’t know how much that helps me and motivates me! Hope you like it and Happy Reading🦋✨🌻

My materialist // wanna be part of my tag list?

Anon: omg can you do one ab asking if cal wants to start a family

“Babe! Hurry we are going to be late!”

You were standing at the front door, looking inside of your bag in case you have forgotten anything.

“Y/N, you do know I went to the bathroom five minutes before you were done getting ready, right?” Your husband, Calum, said as he walked up to you.

You had to admit, you married the hottest guy on the planet. How can someone make a pair of jeans with a simple white shirt look so good?!

“But I still beat you at the door, didn’t I?” You asked with a grin that Calum easily reciprocated.

“That you did” He smiled, placing one hand at your side, kissing your template, and whispering in your ear “But that doesn’t mean you can beat me at the car” And with that, he started sprinting towards the driver’s seat.

It amazes you how after almost 7 years of relationship you never got over the honeymoon phase. You have met Calum when both of you were young, reckless, and stupid; and not looking for a relationship. But it only took one look at those brown eyes and you were hooked.

You still remember how he came to you with a lame excuse to talk to you at one of the many parties you used to crash with your best friends.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” He said, and you almost thought he discovered you and was going to call security “I’m pretty sure god will wonder where all of their angels went”

He quickly apologized once he realized the words that fell out of his mouth, but you just stood there giggling at this cute attempt of flirting. And, as they say, the rest was history.

The next couple of years came and went and it almost seemed like you were in some kind of an alternate reality where everything played out as it was supposed to. Yes, of course, there were rocky times, especially when distance came to play, but all those times just made your relationship stronger.

Neither of you knew why, but being together just felt right. Which ultimately came to him proposing one eventful night in August after visiting his parents in Australia. And that then leads to your wedding just a few months later, you still recall that as one of the happiest moments of your life.

That was 3 years ago, and you were proud to say that you got to marry your best friend. Every day felt like a never-ending slumber party with new adventures and dreams to fulfill. And you wouldn’t change it for the world.

You were thinking about it as of now, looking at Calum with a smile as he drove to your cousin’s place to celebrate the birthday of the newest addition to the family: your baby niece.

Going to these kinds of parties became pretty regular for you, given that you came from a really big family and all your cousins were almost the same age as you, so they started popping babies out like it was nothing! And you were so thankful Calum was always happy to come along “I love your family, Angel!” He said “And you have to give it to them, they know how to throw a party”

It was true. If there is something your family doesn’t take lightly is parties. You still get a headache every time you remember the stress of convincing them to do something lowkey for your wedding. And as you parked outside your cousin’s house you wonder how you actually did it.

“Wow,” Said Calum as he looked at all the balloons decorating the front door “They really went all out on this one” He laughed.

“Sabrina is one year old!” You laughed, unbuckling your seatbelt as Calum opened the door for you “She won’t even remember this!”

“Yeah.. but at least Aunt Bridget will get to brag about having real mariachis playing at the party”

“Real maria-?” You asked, but Calum was already trying to hold his laughter as he pointed to a mariachi band getting out of their van “Okay, that is new… We are not even from Mexico!”

“No… but mom went to the wedding of Mr. Gómez’s son and she insisted we hired the same band for little Sab’s birthday” Your cousin answered as she opened the door.

You and Calum hugged your cousin before making your way inside the house. You stood in awe as you walked up the backyard and everything was decorated in different shades of pink and purple. Even the family dog had some sort of ribbon around his collar.

“This looks…” You began

“Like if a vagina exploded?” Calum finished for you. You slapped him in the arm playfully, trying so hard not to laugh along with him and be serious.

Your cousin came back a few moments later to hand each of you a drink and inviting you outside to join the party.

The mariachis were actually really good, especially when they made Calum have a dance-off with one of your uncles to the chicken dance song. And the rest of the party was also really fun for kids and adults alike.

Now the sun was starting to set and most of your family members decided it was time to call it a day after so many games and dancing. You and Calum, however, decided to stay a little longer since most of your cousins unofficially agreed to have a ‘family-friendly after-party’

You were sitting next to your cousin as you held her baby in your lap, making her dance along with the music.

“You are good at this,” Your cousin said, looking at you and baby Sabrina.

You laughed “It’s not too hard of a job to entertain a baby” And to prove your point, you started making faces at your niece, who started laughing right away.

“It’s not that! You, my dear, have the touch”

“The touch?” She nodded.

“You have that motherly essence, it’s easy for you to engage with the children - they all love you by the way, which is a fact I’m extremely jealous of - And you just have that capacity of love only a parent can understand. C’mon, don’t tell me you and Calum haven’t thought about having a family?”

You drifted your eyes to find Calum amongst the crowd of adults and children.

He was playing soccer with your older nieces and nephews, laughing as he threw himself to the ground on exaggerated acting as the kids scored goal after goal, laughing at your husband’s antics.

And just like that, it was like an image of your future passing by You and Calum sitting in the backyard with Duke running around with your child, playing all sorts of games with you, swimming in the pool, and eating ice cream. Reading bedtime stories as Calum sang them to sleep, him teaching them how to play different instruments and sports, always encouraging them to follow their dreams and passions… Yes, you could get used to that.

“I- I haven’t thought about it” You finally said with a light blush on your cheeks. You didn’t know if it was because of the question, your daydream, or the way Calum was looking and smiling at you.

You couldn’t stop thinking about what your cousin said even when you were already in the car and on your way home with Calum humming along with the songs on the radio.

Once you reached your home you started looking around, thinking of all the places you could share with your potential future family; cooking dinner together at night or watching frozen one thousand times on movie night or creating a playroom just for them so they could have their own space to create whatever comes into their minds and-

“You are really quiet, Angel,” Your husband said, interrupting your train of thought “Is everything alright?”

You pressed your lips together in a tight smile and nodded as he came to hug you from behind, resting his head on your shoulder “Did you have fun with the kids today?” You asked cautiously.

Calum chuckled “Yeah… Matthew almost threw me off at one point, he’s getting good at soccer”

“I hope so! His dad told me he started going to practice cause he wants to be a soccer player and a musician like his uncle Cal” You said, pecking your lips in Calum’s red cheek. You could see that he was slightly embarrassed but in a good way. You wonder if your future children will be like that as well.

Maybe they’ll have his cheeks, or your eyes… oh, please let them have Calum’s curly hair.

You smiled to yourself at the thought of little chubby-cheeked curly-haired heads running around your house. They will be perfect and they will be so loved…

Calum hummed next to your ear, placing a little kiss to the shell of it “I know what’s got you all wrapped up in daydream land” He said, hugging you tighter.

You turned your face to look at him “You do?” He nodded and placed his head on your shoulder again.

“Knew it since I saw you looking at me when I was playing with the kids” He placed a kiss on your cheek and made you turn around completely while still holding you by your waist. You swore you could hear the beating of your heart thundering louder and louder.

“And to be honest, I’ve been thinking about it since the first time I saw you hold a baby”

You blinked at him, confusion written all over your face “What?”

“Well… I knew from the moment I saw you that I wanted to start a family with you. I just confirmed it the day you took me to Matthew’s birthday party to meet your family” He said as a matter-of-factly.

“Yo-you want to start a family with me?” You asked with a flash of hope in your eyes.

Calum smiled at you, his eyes filled with pure adoration “I want to start everything with you, Angel. As long as you let me”

“Do you think we’re ready?”

“I love you, you love me” He said and you nodded with a smile “We’ve been together for 7 years, married for 3; we both have steady jobs, I’m not leaving for tour anytime soon so I’ll be home through every step of the way, we live in a nice house and Duke is more than ready to have a new partner in crime, so… what do you say, love?” Calum said with a cheeky smile.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him closer into a kiss.

“Let’s do it”

Tags: @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof @theshyspy @talksoprettyjjx @sarcasticallywitty15 @hoodhoran @flaneurcth @Yeah-and69 @mystic-232

*if Your @ is crossed it means I can’t tag you for some reason, please send me a message so we can fix this ✨

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4stars-uswnt · 4 years

Text

Dressed Up In White [Emily Sonnett x Reader]

A/N: this wasn’t requested (sorry!! i will get to all of your requests soon! i promise) but i listened to this song and couldn’t help myself.

this is a squel to Wonder What it’s Like to be Loved by You, though you technically don’t need to read it before this one (but you should ;)), and it’s inspired by the song Dressed Up In White by CAL (btw i had to change one of the lyrics to fit two women)

Listen to Dressed Up In White by CAL here

You hear a knock, halting your pacing.

“Can I come in?” Christen opens the door, peeking her head in.

You give her a sheepish nod, unable to find your voice, before continuing to pace.

“Woah, woah, (Y/N).” The older woman puts her hands on your shoulders. “What has you so worked up?”

“I don’t know.” You let out a sigh. “I’m nervous, which I know is stupid because I’ve been waiting for this day for years, but I just can’t shake this feeling.”

Christen takes your hands and guides you to sit down. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“Of course not!” Your eyes widen, and you shake your head. “I love Emily with all my heart, and I want to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her.”

“Good. I knew that, just wanted to be sure.” Christen observes you, knowing there’s something deeper that’s bothering you. “Talk to me, (Y/N/N), what’s really going on?”

“I wish my parents were here.” You mumble, looking down at your hands. The older forward knew your story and how your parents had died in a car crash when you were only eight years old, and how you grew up in the system where everything went down hill, and how that led you to soccer and the USWNT.

When you had joined the Royals at the age of only 18, having aged out of the system, both Christen and Kelley took on a motherly role in your life. They always had your back and took care of you, supporting and helping you through all the trials and tribulations of life. Today, Christen was your maid of honor and Kelley your only bridesmaid.

“Oh, baby,” the curly-haired woman whispers, pulling you in for a tight hug. “They would’ve loved to be here to celebrate with you.”

For the next few minutes, Christen whispers sweet nothings in your ear, as you mourn the absence of your parents. Collecting yourself with a deep breath, you unwrap from the hug.

“Enough crying.” You let out a wet chuckle, wiping your eyes, careful not to ruin your makeup because you know Alex would have your head if you did. “This is supposed to be a happy day.”

“And it is.” She gives a small smile, squeezing your hands.

“Umm, Chris, can I ask you something?” You look at her nervously.

“Of course.”

“Willyouwalkmedowntheaisle?”

“I’m sorry, (Y/N/N), but you’re gonna have to repeat that and maybe slow down a little.” Christen chuckles, her eyes warm and comforting.

“Will you walk me down the aisle?” You repeat, holding your breath, waiting for a response, before rambling on. “I know I should’ve thought of this sooner or asked you earlier, but I didn’t really think about it till now, and you’re probably the closest person I have to a mother or a father, so it only seems fitting. I totally understand if you—”

“(Y/N)!” Christen cuts you off, her eyes getting misty. “I would be honored to walk you down the aisle.” She pulls you in for another bone-crushing hug.

“Hey, kiddo, you almost ready?” Kelley steps through the door. “Oh, I see how it is, no love for me then?”

You roll your eyes and move to give Kelley a tight hug. “Proud of you, (Y/N/N).” She whispers into your hair.

“Love you, Kel.”

“You ready?” Christen approaches from behind you, holding her arm out for you to take. Not missing the gesture, Kelley raises her eyebrow.

“Chris is gonna walk me down the aisle.” You quickly explain.

The defender’s face softens. “Well, we better get out there. It’s time.”

—————

You and Christen walk on the pathway through the garden, and when you arrive at the venue area, you gasp. There at the end of the aisle stood Emily Sonnett, the love of your life, dressed in her tailored suit. You faintly hear the notes of Can’t Help Falling in Love playing in the air and barely notice the guests standing, as your attention is solely on the woman waiting for you.

After what feels like the longest walk, you finally stand before her. You turn to hug Christen, who whispers a quick ‘I love you,’ to which you return.

The forward then turns to Emily and says, “Take care of her,” which Emily responds with a nod and a quiet ‘of course.’

Ashlyn, who you had chosen to officiate, which both Syd and Pinoe had some objections to, starts the ceremony.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate (Y/N) and Emily and the love they share. I have personally witnessed the growth and strength of their relationship. The love, respect, and commitment they have for each other never fails to awe me, though may I remind you that Ali and I are still the superior wives on the team.” She winks at the two of you, earning a couple laughs from your teammates and a ‘damn right’ from Ali.

Ash continues to trail on with the formalities of the ceremony, however both you and Emily fail to pay attention, your focus on each other.

“Well,” Ash clears her throat, snapping both of you out of your trances. “The rings?”

Cassius Dwyer hops out of his seat, reaches into his pocket, and carefully hands them to each of you. You and Emily crouch down to take them from him, ruffling his hair. “Thanks, bud.”

He gives you a toothy grin and scampers back to his seat next to his mom.

“Emily?” Ashlyn repeats.

“Hm?”

“Your vows?” The goalie chuckles knowingly.

Emily’s eyes widen at being caught staring at you for too long, and you giggle at her flustered state.

“(Y/N),” she clears her throat before continuing, “the moment you walked into my life, I knew you were special. You shine so bright and exude positivity wherever you go. For the past two and a half years, it has been an absolute privilege to be loved by you.” Emily takes a deep breath, and you run your thumb along her knuckles, sensing her nerves.

“Your passion for life makes me want to be a better person. I promise to be your best friend through thick and thin. I promise to always give you snuggles, even when you hog all the blankets.” You roll your eyes at that, as a light chuckle comes from the crowd.

“I promise to always support you and your aspirations. To always give you my best. I promise to never go easy on you in training even though I know you’ll beat me anyways.”

You hear many of your teammates laugh, and Kelley calls out from behind you. “Give yourself a little credit, Sonny!” She then turns to the rest of the guests. “It’s true though.” Another wave of laughter takes over the ceremony, as Emily finishes her vows.

“(Y/N), there are many things that I can’t promise, I know that, but what I can absolutely promise is to love you unconditionally day in and day out because that is something I know will never change. So, I give you this ring, as a symbol of that promise.”

By now, both you and Emily are on the verge of tears, as she shakily slips the wedding band onto your finger.

“I don’t know how you’re gonna follow that, (Y/N), but if anybody can, it’s definitely you,” Ashlyn prompts, encouraging you to say your vows.

You take a deep breath and gather yourself. “Emily, you constantly surprise me, distract me, captivate me, and challenge me in ways no one else ever has, and I thank you for that.

“You make it easy to fall in love with you again and again without reservation. I promise to be true to you, to uplift and support you, to frustrate and challenge you, and to always share with you the beautiful moments of life. And maybe, just maybe, I might let you win an argument once in a while.”

Emily just chuckles, shaking her head, scoffing under her breath, “As if.”

You just smirk at the blonde and continue your vows.

“No matter what trials we encounter or how much time has passed, I know our love will never fade or falter, that we will always find strength in one another, and that we will continue to grow side by side.

“I believe in the honesty of what we are and what we share, and I will love you always, with every beat of my heart. This ring is a token of my love. I offer you all that I have, all that I am, and all that I will be.”

You carefully slide the wedding band onto her finger.

“Do you, (Y/N) (Y/L/N), take the Emily Sonnett to be your lawfully wedded wife, your best friend and partner in crime for the rest of your life?” Ashlyn officiates.

“I do.”

“And do you, Emily Sonnett, take the (Y/N) (Y/L/N) to be your lawful wedded wife, your confidant and go to person for the rest of your life?”

“I do.” The two of you share a shining smile.

“Well,” Ash sighs, her own eyes misty, “by the power vested in me, by oneminutemister.org, I now pronounce you wife and wife.” She pauses and smiles at the two of you waiting anxiously. Deciding to put you out of you misery, the woman finally announced, “You may now kiss!”

You cup Emily’s face and connect your lips for a searing kiss, your first of many as a married couple.

Resting your forehead against hers, you whisper against her lips, “I love you, Emily Sonnett.”

“I love you too, (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”

You give her a faux serious glare. “It’s Sonnett.”

She just gives you a soft look full of love and sighs contently. “Yeah, yeah it is.”

“C’mon, let’s go.” You grin, and you turn to walk down the aisle, as Emily raises your connected hands into the air, which causes your friends and family to clap and holler even louder.

“Woooooo!!!” Emily cheers along with them, and you just giggle, wondering to yourself how you got this lucky.

—————

“Ahem.” Emily clears her throat into the microphone. “If I could have everyone’s attention please.”

The entire venue turns to look at the blonde defender, who abandoned her suit blazer a while ago, her sleeves rolled up and the top two buttons unbuttoned.

“Firstly, I just want to thank you all for joining us this evening and making it special and one to remember.” She pauses, as many of the USWNT members cheer and holler, many of them on their way to being drunk. Emily then looks down at the seat next to her where you’re sitting, a soft smile on her face, and you glance up at her, eyes full of love. “Secondly, (Y/N), my wife, I am so grateful to be loved by you, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. There’s so much else I want to say, but I’m not the best with words.”

A wave of laughs echoes amongst the crowd, Lindsey and Kelley confirming that statement. “That’s an understatement, Em!” The midfielder yells, having spent hours upon hours helping her best friend write her vows.

Emily blushes but continues her speech. “Well, with that being said, I wrote a song instead.” She takes your hand and leads you to the chair that has been placed in the middle of the dance floor. As you take your seat, Emily, still with the mic in hand, heads up onto the stage, joining the band.

“For those of you who don’t know, our relationship actually started with me serenading (Y/N), so I thought I’d bring it full circle. Babe, this one’s for you.” Your wife gives you a wink and then mouths, ‘as always,’ before taking a deep breath, as the band starts playing an unfamiliar tune.

As far as heartbeats go

Mine is beating right out of my chest

As far as prayers may go

Oh damn it baby I feel blessed

Emily steps down from the stage and walks towards you.

As far as loving you

Well you know I'm a little obsessed

And as far as moments go

This is one we'll never forget

You bite your lip, as you unsuccessfully attempt to hide an ear-splitting grin from breaking out across your face, as you admire your wife.

Baby I've wanted this for as long as I know

'Cause I wrote this song a long long time ago

Emily glances at you and smirks, as you both know the truth behind the lyrics. The two of you had pined over each other for months before you had started dating and dated for years before you finally popped the question.

And it goes

I wanna see you all dressed up in white

Baby I'm gonna love you for the rest of my life

And I told you since I met you

That you'd always be mine

You feel your heart swell with love for your wife, and you see out of the corner of your eye your teammates recording the performance, Kelley even giving you two big thumbs up.

And one day I

I was gonna make you my wife

Well baby tonight

Tonight I'm gonna make you my wife

Emily circles your chair as she sings, before kneeling before you. You tenderly caress her cheek, tears welling up in your eyes. She turns to kiss your palm, before standing up to continue singing.

As far as feelings go

This is the best feeling I've ever known

As far as where I wanna be

Well if you're there that's my home

By now, you’re full on ugly crying, using a tissue to try and save your makeup. You always love Emily’s voice, even if she’s playfully singing along to Mamma Mia for the hundredth time, but there’s something about her serenading you on your wedding night that makes you fall even more head over heels in love.

Everybody raise your glasses

And hold them up high

To the bride to the bride, everybody show some pride

I finally get to call you mine.

As you watch your wife move around the dance floor, performing with ease, you hear many of your teammates, friends, and family cheering, as they dance along to the song.

Your wife pulls you up from the chair and spins you around, a laugh bubbling from your mouth.

Woah, I wanna see you all dressed up in white

Baby I'm gonna love you for the rest of my life

And I told you, since I met you

That you'd always be mine

Baby tonight

Tonight I'm gonna make you my wife

As the last notes echo throughout the room, Emily pulls you close to her, your foreheads resting against each other. Everyone erupts in cheers, as the song finishes, but the two of you are in your own world.

“I love you, (Y/N),” she whispers, a little out of breath, “and I’ll love you forever.”

“I love you too, Em. I can’t wait to see where this life takes us.” You smile softly, before kissing her. Not wanting to put on a whole show for your guests, you pull away and lightly hit your wife’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe you wrote me another song.”

“What can I say?” Emily shrugs nonchalantly. “You deserve the best.”

“And that’s you?” You tease.

“Mhmm,” she hums, the two of you swaying amongst the other couples to the slow song the band is now playing, “and you married me, so you must think so too.”

You sigh peacfully, as you rest your chin on her shoulder. “Yeah, I do.”

—————

Liked by christenpress, kelleyohara, and 1,302,593 others

yourusername: She stole my heart, so I stole her last name

tagged: emilysonnett

- - - - -

uswnt: ❤️

christenpress: So happy for you (Y/N)! Love you so much❤️

kelleyohara: can’t believe the kids got married 🤧

↳emilysonnett: Kel, shut up. This sounds weird.

emilysonnett: I love you forever and ever. 🤍

lindseyhoran10: I can’t believe my best friends got married🥺🥺

ashlynharris24: What an honor to officiate this ceremony! Love you two and wish you nothing but the best.

lavellerose: Yay for being married! 🥳🍾

sydneyleroux: What a beautiful ceremony for a beautiful couple. Still salty you didn’t let me officiate, but I guess including Cassius made up for it…just a little bit

↳mrapinoe: I’m still salty

—————

Liked by lindseyhoran10, alexmorgan13, and 51,710 others

emilysonnett: So we did a thing yesterday…

tagged: yourusername

- - - - -

uswnt: Well this is definitely something… 🤗

yourusername: You’re my favorite human ever ❤️

lindseyhoran10: So happy for you Dasani!!!

alexmorgan13: Love you two! Glad we all got to celebrate your love 💓

mrapinoe: Soulmates right there

malpugh: favorite couple 😍

allie_long_: It finally happened! Congrats you guys!

alikrieger: YOUR SONG THO!!! SO ROMANTIC!! KILLED ME!

↳caitlinfoord: honestly the best part of the whole ceremony

↳kelleyohara: Aren’t you glad we forced you to sing to (Y/N) all those years ago.

↳emilysonnett: Maybe…

#uswnt x reader #uswnt imagine #uswnt imagines #emily sonnett x reader #emily sonnett imagine #emily sonnett imagines #uswnt #emily sonnett

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calpalirwin · 4 years

Text

Marrying Kind

Summary: Sometimes you do get to pick your family

A/N: Based on that idea I was tagged in by @lala200511 (not sure why it’s not letting me tag... anywho...)

Content: Soft, dorkiness

Word Count: 1.5k

And away, and away we go!

Every time they got asked the inevitable question of how they met, Calum and Rebecca always shared a laugh followed by a shrug. It was funny for them on two counts. One, it was generally asked on the assumption that they were a couple, which they were not. Two, they couldn’t actually remember how they had met.

It was the type of friendship that had always existed. The one where their parents whispered about how cute their wedding would be when they grew up. The one that often found them walking into their home with the other already sitting at the kitchen table, smirking, “Glad you could join us.”

Calum could hear the happy chatter from the kitchen, the smell of whatever was being cooked wafting through the house. “Smells good in here, Mum,” he called out as he followed his nose. “What’re y- You’re not Mali.” While the words were true, they came out sharper than he intended due to his surprise.

“See, Joy? Your boy’s smart!” Rebecca quipped.

“Ha-ha,” Calum said without humor. “I just wasn’t expecting you to be here already.”

“Well it’s not as much fun to surprise you when you’re expecting it, now is it?”

“Becks understands how much I love it when my children come to visit. Unlike other children of mine who shall remain nameless. You haven’t happened to see any of them, have you? Maybe my son in particular? Looks an awful lot like you,” Joy’s eyes crinkled in the corners as she smiled, her arms opening wide for a hug.

Rebecca could see the family resemblance as Calum’s own eyes scrunched up as he hugged his mum tight. “Yeah, yeah, we’ve always known Becks is your favorite, Mum.”

“Well, you’ll always be my favorite son,” Joy continued to tease, giving Calum’s cheeks a small pinch.

He wiped imaginary tears from his eyes before resting his hand over his heart. “I’m so touched.”

~~~

“You know, Cal, you should find a nice girl and settle down like your friends,” Joy told him as he helped her with the dishes. Rebecca had excused herself shortly after they finished eating on the premise of giving them some alone time, but not before promising Joy she’d be back tomorrow so they could go to the farmer’s market like they did every Saturday.

“You say that every time I come home, Mum,” Calum pointed out.

“That’s because I mean it. I know your band makes you happy. But you deserve someone to come home to.”

“I do,” Calum insisted, a smile spreading across his face. “I come home to you.”

Joy scoffed good-naturedly. “Someone who’s not actually your family. But someone who feels like it.”

“So someone like Becks?”

“Oh, I would love that! She’s like a daughter to me already. Always coming over to visit. And she already knows all my recipes. You’d be great together. It would be just like it is now, only then she’d really be my daughter.”

“Well, there’s one problem with that, Mum. Becks and I aren’t dating.”

“Cal, girls like Becks come around once in a lifetime. And when they do, you don’t take her out for coffee, and call her the next day. You put a ring on her finger, and call her your wife.”

“Well, that day might come sooner than you think,” Calum confessed, patting one of his jean pockets.

Joy’s eyes lit up for a second before she frowned. “Wait. I’m confused. You said the problem was that you weren’t dating, but you have a ring?”

Calum nodded. “I’ve had the ring for a while.” Then, a story was falling off his lips. A story about how before he left for London he had mentioned as a joke that they should get married. About how Rebecca had joked back that she would if she liked the ring and the proposal was better than the half-assed idea he was spewing now. About how Rebecca had checked on him after hearing the news about Michael’s engagement to make sure he was okay with all of his brothers paired off and moving on with that aspect of their lives. How he admitted to her that he had remained single for a reason; that he already had a girl he wanted to marry. “And I told Becks it was her. She wasn’t surprised or anything,” Calum started to wrap up his tale. “And we know we have things to work out still. But-“

“But it’s you and Becks. You’ve known each other your whole lives. While you may not have actually dated, your relationship has a strong foundation of love. You’ve seen every version of each other, and no matter how long you’re gone, every time you come back, you two fall in line like no time has passed. It doesn’t have to make sense to the rest of the world, Cal. It just has to make sense to you and Becks.”

~~~

“Wow, you look… wow,” Calum smiled as he got the car door for Rebecca.

Rebecca blushed slightly. “Thanks. You clean up good yourself. Wanna tell me what this is all about?”

“Nah,” he smirked as he closed the door for her and went around the other side to get in the driver’s seat.

Her eyes were narrowed, and she wore a small scowl. “You know I hate surprises.”

“Oh, trust me,” he continued to smirk. “It’s not a surprise. Or it shouldn’t be.” He laughed as her scowl deepened. “Do you trust me?”

“Always. Although I’m starting to regret that choice right about now.”

He laughed more, reaching over to pat her thigh.

They fell silent as he drove to the restaurant- a mom and pop type diner they used to frequent when they were kids. He had thought about taking her somewhere much nicer, but the diner already held so many memories for them, that it only seemed right that it should hold this one too.

“You had us dress up for some burgers and shakes?” Rebecca’s eyebrow was arched as Calum pulled into a parking spot.

“Drop the skepticism, and trust me, Becks,” he chided before getting out of the car.

“Trust you a whole lot more if you clued me in on what we’re doing,” she told him as they walked across the gravel lot.

“Getting dinner.”

“Smartass…”

The bell on the door jangled as they stepped inside. “For two?” the hostess asked.

“Yes, please,” Calum answered.

“Right this way.”

Calum didn’t clue in Rebecca on what he was doing when they sat down, instead making idle chit chat. Idle chit chat that he kept going until they had nearly finished their food and Rebecca finally cut him off with an, “Okay, Cal. This is clearly more than just two friends going out for a bite to eat. What’s the big news?”

“Becks, you know I love you, right?”

“Of course I do. And I love you too, Cal.”

“Good, that’s good,” he nodded, pulling the box out from his pocket. “Put out your hands and close your eyes.”

“Okay…” She did as he directed. “What the hell are you up to, Hood?”

“Shh, just trust me,” he chuckled. He opened up the box, taking out the delicate ring and slipping it onto her left ring finger. “Alright, you can look.”

The slight gasp she let out when the cool metal graced her finger, grew louder. “Oh, Calum!” she breathed happily, admiring the gold band engraved with small diamonds across the top. Her amazement was short-lived however as her mind caught up with what was happening. “Calum Thomas Hood, how dare you!”

“How dare I, what, Becks?!” he shot back, jumping on the defensive.

“How dare you take this moment from me! A proposal should be something a woman experiences once in her life, and you just tainted mine!”

“How did I taint it?! You think I’m joking?! C’mon, Becks, I’m not that cruel.”

“T-this isn’t a joke?”

“No. Becks, I’ve known you my whole life. And I don’t say that as an exaggeration.”

“No, I know.”

“Shh, I’m not finished. Becks, you’ve always been there for me. Every important moment of my life has you in it. And I want you to keep being in those moments because without you, they wouldn’t be important.”

“Then why can’t you just ask me on a date, Cal? Y’know, like a sane person?”

“Because you’re not the girl guys like me take out to dinner, and call the next day,” he told her, borrowing his mother’s words. “You’re the girl guys like me put a ring on, and call their wife. So, Rebecca, will you marry me?”

“Of all the people to love and spend my life with, I’ll choose you every time, Cal. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“Oh, thank God!” he chuckled in relief. “That was gonna be an awkward drive home if you said no. Plus, you woulda broke poor Mum’s heart.”

She reached over the table to give his shoulder a soft shove. “At least I know my in-laws love me.”

“Hey, I love you, too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Love you too. Wow… Calum Hood, my husband. Crazy, huh?”

“Nah. Crazy is us marrying anybody else.”

Tag List

@frontmanash @goeatsomelife @flameraine @creator-appreciator @cxddlyash @1-irwin-94 @sparkling-calm @tea4sykes @youngblood199456 @5-seconds-of-obsession @gosh-im-short @aquarius-hood1996 @talkfastromance4 @itjustkindahappenedreally @philthepegacorn @boomerash @teenwolfss24

#marrying kind #calum hood #calum hood fic #5sos #bree youre supposed to be on vacation. yeah and?#my blog. my rules #galcal irwin

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mymindwide · 4 years

Text

The end of heartache

Pairing: Ashton x Female reader

Word count: 3943

Warning: angst, feelings, smut

Summary: Your heart is broken, but can it be healed?

Author’s note: I hope you’ll love this, cuz this has a chapter two, just sayin’. :) Take care and enjoy your read.

*****

Everyone was pretty excited about the now traditional ‘good luck on tour’ send-off party; everyone but me. They didn’t know that this time it’s gonna be my send-off party too, tho I won’t come back after two or three months. As a matter of fact, I won’t come back ever. I’ve been planning this for months, and the emotional burden it carries slowly started to eat me up. They’re gonna be confused and disappointed, but I reached a point in my life where I have to make myself a priority, where I have to stop fooling myself.

I fell in love with someone who’s never gonna be mine, and the worst part is that I am happy for him; I root for his happiness – with someone else.

But a few months ago I reached my breaking point. That’s how much my heart could take, and this madness went even longer than anyone should do this to herself. I reached my limit, finally. I’ll probably love him for the rest of my life but I need to give myself a chance. I want to give myself a chance but it won’t work if I see him regularly. I’ll always find an excuse; my heart will always convince me that it’s happy when it “feels” Ashton close. I had to make sure this time my brain will win.

So here I am, leaning over the kitchen sink, trying to take deep, even breaths after the fifth or sixth time I threw up today. I knew I have to talk to the guys, they have the right to know I’m about to leave for good. Not the exact reasons why, but the fact itself for sure. I don’t want to just disappear, but it makes me nervous and anxious to the point of actually throwing up.

They became a massive part of my life a few years ago when Calum met my brother and somehow we too started talking and he invited me to a friends’ gathering and since then I’m stuck with them, and they’re stuck with me - the quiet, pretty, nice girl whose humor compensates for the quietness. Not much time had passed when I realized that I fell for one of them, the handsome drummer guy, Ash, with the same sense of humor as mine, with the brightest smile, with the kindest of hearts. But it was already late for me; before I could make it obvious for him, he introduced his significant other to the crew. I clearly remember that day, standing there smiling at the pretty young girl whom I couldn’t even hate, and who was holding hands with the guy I’d have died to hold hands with too.

Since then I am the girl, who is all smiles and fun and supportive, trying to hide the constant heartbreak I have to live with, especially in their presence.

>>><<<

You wanted to keep it together but you couldn’t. You inhaled and exhaled through your nose and you almost started to calm down when Cal arrived in the kitchen with a huge punch bowl.

Your pulse rose higher and that most likely sat out on your face immediately. Some things will never change; you’ll never be a good actress.

“Hey, are you okay?” he put the bowl down on the counter and headed your way.

You looked him in the eye, and seeing that honest concern, it broke you. Silently your tears started falling and you covered your mouth with your hand to keep every tiny noise inside that could betray your whereabouts and your current state of mind to the others. It is just enough for Cal to witness and know.

First he couldn’t decide whether to hug you or just leave you cry yourself out, but eventually went for the first option and embraced you in a strong, protective hug.

You grabbed hold of the back of his sweater, squeezing it to the point your knuckles started to whiten, but at least your nerves calmed down enough to feel safe to let him go and look up from his chest.

“And now I’m listening” he said to you with a bossy expression on his face.

“I need to tell you something” you leaned back to the counter leaving a few steps distance between you two. “I’m gonna leave for New York.”

“Wha…? When?”

“…Tomorrow morning…”

“And you’re just telling me now?!”

“Shhh shhh, I didn’t think this through, okay?” you tried to hush him from shouting out your well-kept secret.

“Moving to the other side of the States? You clearly didn’t.”

“No, how I’m gonna tell you.”

“A-a-and why New York? Wha-what is this madness?” he stuttered from the slight anger that was clearly flowed from his voice and showed on his face.

“I got a job offer there.”

“You’ve got a job here! Is there only one enterprise in this fucking city?”

“Cal, please don’t be mad at me.”

“Mhm” he hummed realizing that he really got tempered quickly. “I’m sorry to say this, but I sense big ass bullshit here. I just don’t see why you couldn’t have told this earlier if it’s really just about a job. There has to be something else. Something doesn’t feel right here. Is there anything else behind this abrupt moving?”

Suddenly you couldn’t even speak, tho you don’t know why you were surprised, Calum is a very smart guy. Quiet like you, who only speaks when he has something to say, but always has his eyes open.

“Has anyone hurt you?”

“Me, Cal, I’ve been hurting myself. For years.”

“Could you be a bit more specific?” he frowned.

You realized there was nothing to lose anymore. You’ll leave the town tomorrow, and will never look back. With all this power in your hands, you can be honest for once.

“It’s Ash, Cal. I love him. Basically since the day we’ve met.”

Now you made him speechless. Or you thought.

“I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not really.”

“You’re not?”

“Girl, now everything makes sense. I saw how you look at him. I think I’ve always seen it, but since nothing has ever happened, I just stopped paying attention. But it all comes together now. Why we couldn’t set you up on a date…”

“I got tired, Cal. Judge me all you want, but I got tired. I love him and believe me I tried to tell myself all kinds of things not to. And still here I am, still happy for him, still unhappy for myself. That’s why I have to go. This is not healthy anymore.”

“But wouldn’t it be easier to talk to him than to move your whole fucking life thousands of miles away from everyone you have?”

“First of all it’s a little bit late for that now I think. And even if I did, expect what exactly? That he’ll just dump her an instant when they look pretty happy to me…?! Tell me something. Is he in love?”

“I-I don’t know… we usually don’t talk about… these things. I mean… I guess so… I don’t know.”

“Well, that’s my guess too” you whispered as the oh so familiar knife chops round in your heart.

“This is still not right… ”

“Right or not, what’s done is done. Now you see there’s no use to tell him. It’s not Ashton’s fault…”

“What should I know? What have I done again?” Ash jokes as he enters the kitchen to your biggest horror. “What? They just sent me to check on why we can’t have the punch.”

“Sorry babe, I’ll leave you to it” Cal looked at you with eyes wide open and a nod of his head. His facial expression suggested that the moment of truth has arrived and you weren’t happy about it.

Both you and Ash watched him leave the kitchen, and looked back at each other at the same time.

“So… what is going on here?”

“Ash, I am gonna move to New York. First thing tomorrow.”

“What? Why so sudden? And what does it have to do with me? You don’t make sense.”

“I’ll do in a minute.”

He leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed in front of his chest. You have no idea where you found the strength in you, most likely your little talk with Cal helped to prepare your nerves for this conversation with Ash, but a not expected calmness overcame you. You really don’t have anything to lose now. Besides, the memories remain, and you’ll forever cherish your friendship while it lasted.

“Can you recall the last time you heard me talking about being excited about a date or actually being on a date night?”

“No?! But these are private stuffs; I don’t poke my nose into things that are none of my business.”

“What’s the point of a date if you already know that you’d just fool the other party? When your heart is refusing your common sense? And all this because I already loved someone. It was you. It is you.” you felt like a whole mountain rolled down from your chest.

“What?”

“Now you know.”

“No-no, it’s not fair…”

“Do you want me to be fair or honest?”

“You’ve never even...”

“…tried to tell you? Because the moment I chose to do this happened to be the moment you chose to introduce your girl to us…”

“I had no idea.”

“And that just means I did a great job. Kudos for me, ‘the protector of relationships’” you rolled your eyes.

“Is this true? Is this because of me, then?”

“No, it’s because of me, Ashton. You’re not responsible for my feelings or for anyone else’s.”

“And yet somehow now I feel like it.”

“Well, I tell you, you shouldn’t. Better?” you forced a wry smile on yourself. “Please don’t have sleepless nights because of me.”

“Then why do you sound angry now?”

“Maybe because I never wanted you to know this. Because the whole thing was pointless from the very beginning. Because this conversation is exactly what I didn’t want to have” your voice already cracked. It always does this under a certain type of stress, for instance a confrontation. You’ve been very bad at these your whole life. “And I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself, the universe, god, you name it. But that’s just life I guess. It’s not a sugarcoated shiny bubble for everyone.”

“…I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Remember, I never expected anything from you, I didn’t even want you to know this in the first place, but it doesn’t matter now.”

“I’m… I’m sorry. I mean it.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, too” you tried to smile once again.

“Guys, are you not thirsty, why do you sit on our drinks?” a very loud and jumpy Luke came round the kitchen bringing you the absolution regarding this conversation, not that you weren’t finished. You think you said all you two could, leastways speak for you, for sure.

As Luke entered, you headed for leaving the kitchen but before you’d have turned out of the door you touched Ash’s forearm.

“But I’ll keep being happy for you no matter what.”

He didn’t even respond, not that you were expecting anything. It was enough for you that he could see you were serious about what you just said. Your mouth can lie, your eyes can’t, and for seconds that seemed eternity at those moments, your eyes held onto each other’s.

When the crew all sat down to eat, without raining on your dear boys’ parade you broke the news to everyone – obviously leaving out certain details – receiving the same shocked responses you got from Cal and Ash earlier, but altogether everyone was excited and cheering for you and made you promise that from time to time you’ll check in and report about your life in New York. Certainly they were confused regarding the suddenness, but got over it pretty quickly. Except for Cal and Ashton, but they knew the whole truth. It was interesting to witness that now it was Ash’s turn to smile and act like nothing has happened, and he was doing a great job.

At the end of the day they decided to continue the party with a little after show at some bar, which you obviously had no humor to go to, so with the excuse of your early morning trip you said goodbye to this 15 people crew and headed home for the last time.

>>><<<

You were already in your sleeping t-shirt and shorts when you decided to make the last round in the apartment you rented to make sure everything is packed and to eliminate the chance that something important might be left behind. You headed for upstairs and were standing halfway on the stairway when the doorbell rang and broke the silence of the dark and still house.

You ran back down to peek out of the peephole to see Ashton standing outside waiting for you to answer the door.

“Hey” nervousness was reflected in your eyes as you couldn’t imagine what he’s doing here one hour before midnight.

“Can I…?”

“Is everything okay?” you pulled aside from the door so he could come in.

“After our little chat I don’t think so.”

“Ash, I told you to forget it.”

“Cause that’s how it works, right?” he combed his hair back, he looked nervous, his body tensed.

“This is exactly why I wanted to keep it to myself, for fucks sake” you shook your head. “What are you doing here, Ash?” you sighed wearily.

“What I should have a long time ago.”

For a moment you just stood there staring into each other’s eyes and… there was nothing to explain. That brief feeling you get when you both want something… well, now you both got that feeling. It is that moment, when you don’t want to ask questions, because it’s not necessary. He closed the distance between the two of you, and cupping your face he pressed his mouth against yours, and embracing this madness you happily welcomed his lips. After the first few exploratory touches you almost immediately started searching for each other’s tongue, and now you know how heaven tastes like. It’s soft and silky and tender – it’s heavenly. Letting go of your face his hands slid down your body to lift you up into his lap, your legs hugging his waist, his hands supporting your butt, while your hands caressing his hair at the back of his head.

You don’t know what is happening, but at this point you don’t even care about his motivations. You know you shouldn’t do this but you just stopped caring. You literally ran out of all the fucks to give. It’s the last time you’ll ever see anyone of them, you’ll leave and will never come back. You don’t cheat on anyone but yourself, but you can live with the thought. And as to Ashton… it’s his conscience, he has to deal with it, not you.

But tonight, for the first time, everything’s gonna be simple: he’s gonna love you and you’re gonna give him all that you are, whatever you can.

You wish you had more time, you wish you could get more of him but if this is all you can get, you’ll take it.

Once you arrived in your bedroom, everything got more hurried and heated.

Both your t-shirts have landed on the floor, and with your back to the bed, you slid up on it, your eyes never leaving Ash's. Reaching in his pocket he pulled out a wrapped condom that he threw on the bed. Then unzipping and taking his jeans and boxer briefs off, he crawled up on the bed and leaned over you. Seeing him already half erected made you swallow hard and ache for feeling him with every existing sense you have.

Your eyes hardly could cope with the beauty his body meant for you. You wanted to touch him, to smell him, to taste him.

He kissed you on your lips, continued lower to suck on the fine and soft skin of your neck making his way down to caress your breasts, licking and stroking your nipples taking them in turns till they got hard under his touch, making you let out the first whimpers of the night. He went lower biting the skin on your stomach, his hands still perfectly covering your breasts.

He stopped at the waist of your shorts to look up at you and without asking anything with a swift move he pulled it off of you.

You loved that you two talked without saying a word, only with your eyes, simply because your desire for each other was loud enough.

Prying open your legs he dived in between them, his hands kept your hips in place and your fingers combed into his hair as he started pleasuring you with his tongue, licking and sucking your clit, your folds, and your entrance; not much time had to pass when you felt yourself getting dripping wet from was he was doing.

Your rapture took control over everything; your mind was clouded, your body quivered under his touch as your orgasm jolted in you making your hips rise from the surface of the bed.

“Oh God, Ash, please…” you moaned over and over feeling the tiny aftershocks.

You looked down at him and saw his eyes smiling as your lower half still covered his mouth but you could tell there’s a smile on his face seeing your reaction to him eating you out.

With one last soft kiss on your swollen clit he rose up, now kneeling before you, reaching for the condom next to him.

“Let me touch you before you put it on. Please.”

You sat up to his kneeling form still with your legs wide open, your eyes almost pleading. You saw his Adam’s apple lifting in his throat. He lowered his hand still holding the wrapped package and that was your answer you were waiting for.

You took him in your right hand; gently started running your fingers up and down on his hard shaft, your lips kissed and licked his stomach, while your left hand first just rested on his lower back, then the tip of your nails traced a path down to softly dig into his butt cheek. As a reward you got the softest moans that were the most pleasuring sound your ears could ask for. You admired his strong build, his beautiful toned body, his perfect length in your hands.

At some point he reached down to stop your hand from working on him any further and only with his eyes he instructed you to lie back on the bed. After applying the condom on his cock, balancing his weight on his forearm next to your head with one hand he guided himself to your entrance and pushed himself in inch by inch so you can get used to the feeling of him stretching you this way.

You held onto his shoulders; your whimpers quenched by his neck as your lips press against it. And he started rocking his hips, slowly moving in and out, getting deeper with every thrust.

Even if my mind can process what is going on right now, my heart just can’t. Suddenly my mind had been filled with pictures from my past few years, pictures of a heartbroken girl in situations that hurt her yet no one knew her pain. Pictures of a girl when she felt genuinely happy if she felt Ashton’s attention on her and thereby him close; when they laughed together; the feeling how she felt when he hugged her and yet she knew that meant nothing compared to the hug his real girl gets… And finally pictures from the last 30 minutes, when the person she loved is here with her, he’s all hers, even if for only a very short time.

You felt your chest crushing up and tears started streaming down on both sides of your face.

“Am I hurting you?” he halts for a moment, his eyes filled with concern are searching yours.

“Not physically” you think to yourself. “No…” you smiled at him stroking his face while another teardrop left the corner of your eye. “You feel so good. Please don’t stop.”

“You feel good too” he wiped away your tears, and started moving again, a little quicker and harder than before, and he just felt even more amazing.

You really liked the way you were now, you both knew that this is just what it is, and you didn’t need him whispering meaningless lies to you and thankfully he didn’t feel the urge to do so. And as for you, he already knows everything he has to know.

He knelt up and with this his thighs made you spread your legs even wider and he slid his hand on your inner thighs to keep it that way as he started fucking you again now being able to fully bury his full length inside you. Your heart was panting and both yours and Ash’s whimpers and groans filled the room as he pushed you closer and closer to your climax for the second time this night.

You cried out as it washed over you, your thighs were shaking under his hands, and he stayed still for the moments to enjoy the sight of your trembling body and how your walls rhythmically squeezing his cock inside you. That sensation gave him the final push, after a few more thrusts you felt him stiffen inside you, and with a loud groan he collapsed on top of you burying his face in your neck. You hugged his back and caressed his neck where his condor tattoo is located and his hair right above it.

After a few calm moments while you could digest everything that has happened on your own, he got up to get rid of the condom and lied down next to you.

“I’m really sorry. I mean it.” this is the only thing he said and you understood everything. There was no need for words.

“I know, Ash.” you stroked his face while he closed his eyes giving in to the feeling of your warm palm on his cheek.

You pulled the blanket on you, and watched him falling asleep.

>>><<<

It was 5am, you have to leave in a bit, your uber is gonna be here in thirty minutes. You’re sitting on the edge of your bed, trying to take in and memorize all you can from the guy sleeping on the other side.

You’re not looking for reasons, you’re just glad it happened one way or another. It feels like this is more than you could ever ask for anyway.

But looking at him while he sleeps so peacefully… it’s ridiculous how easily you could get used to this scene. Him in your bed, or you in his… passed out after a night like this…

God, how bad you’d like to touch him, how bad you’d like to kiss him awake every morning, how bad you’d like to put your hand over his heart just to feel its even beating… But most importantly how bad you wish you had the strength to say goodbye.

>>><<<

You closed the door with the heaviest heart you have ever felt in your chest. A broken heart, whose most significant part is still lying in your bed…

You were mine for a night; I was out of my mind. You were mine for a night…

#ashton irwin #ashton irwin x reader #5sos #ashton irwin fic #fic time #fic by me

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ask-marcus-cally-and-ari · 4 years

Text

Only Human

Chapter 7: Crappy Room, Crappy Day

Marcus was surprised to find that he was the first one to wake up. He liked sleeping in late. But no, he had to be up early. Sitting up, he wiped his eyes and blinked before looking down at his companions.

Ari was on their side, sleeping peacefully. Cally had somehow ended up with her body in a weird position and an embarrassing bedhead. Marcus snickered a little as he got dressed, then looked out the window at the small town he and his friends had stopped at.

It was small, simple. He could see the town hall from his window. It also seemed quiet; usually, there would be, like, 30 cars on the road out any hotel window he happened to look out. Instead, there were two. Only two. Marcus smiled at the sight. This town was clearly in the middle of nowhere; they were safe here. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to practice using his powers (which he still wasn’t sure he liked having; his Glock was much more reliable) just in case. So he sat on the bed and started focusing. His hands lit up with red and green energy, and a matching orb flickered into existence above Cally and Ari.

It was so weird seeing an energy construct obey his mental commands as he made it move and twist, taking different forms. It also felt weird, and Marcus found himself almost dizzy within two minutes. He clenched his fists, causing the object to shatter, waking Ari up at the sound.

“What the... huh... oh. Morning, Marcus,” He said groggily, sitting up. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah,” came the reply. “Just up in here trying to figure out how to use these… superpowers. Holy sh*t, I still can’t believe I have to say that. Some fool attacks me and I get saddled with this.”

Ari frowned. “Yeah. Who was he, anyway?”

“Doesn’t matter. I shot him. Twice. Can’t nobody come after us again after that.”

Ari nodded. “Good.”

“So what do ya want to do? I mean, there can’t be much to do around here.”

“We could go out. I know those girls wanted autographs. And we can listen to them sing.”

Marcus sighed. “A bunch of girls saw us be attacked. How does this get us fame?”

“I don’t know. Hopefully, they didn’t, like, post about us on Fakebook or something.”

“I hope not,” Marcus smiled, ruffling Ari’s hair. “They didn’t get our good sides.”

The two shared a laugh as Ari got dressed.

The girls were singing "Circle of Life" when Marcus and Ari got down to them. "Hey," smiled Marcus. "Mind if we watch?"

The girls squealed and crowded around the pair.

Cally woke up and her friends were gone, only leaving her a note.

Hey Cal,

Went to go see if the choir girls are practicing. Not much else to do. Come join us when you finally get your a** out of bed.

Marcus and Ari.

Cally sighed. “I should, shouldn’t I? But…” The place was dark, and it was far from their car. There needed to be an escape plan. So, grabbing a notebook and pencil, the intelligent teen got to work mapping out the place.

There were three routes out Cally could see. One was out the window. The least favorable route, but the quickest. It was just one floor down. The second was out the door. If there was some way she could distract an attacker, her friends could move past whoever it was and run. The third was through the trapdoor in the corner, which Cally thought was a laundry chute. Man, she hated this place's layout, but it was a viable escape option. Easy. All she needed were supplies. So, grabbing her purse and getting dressed, she headed out.

Marcus and Ari spent the day singing with the choir girls and even giving a couple pointers, and when they left that room, Marcus decided to go to a nearby restaurant and get himself, Ari, and Cally some food. “You go back to the hotel room, eh?”

Ari nodded and headed back. On her way back, he happened to notice a weird guy with a brown hat, a red shirt, and a probably leather vest having trouble with a vending machine. Against their better judgement, Ari decided that it would be wrong to not help him out and came over. “Trouble?” she asked, hands in his pockets.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. This d@mn machine won’t work,” the man grumbled, gesturing to the glass. A bag of Doritos was lodged awkwardly in the springs, keeping it from dropping down.

Ari shrugged. “I could go for Doritos. I can just get another one and yours will drop.” As they entered the number in, she asked, “So your accent is funny- uh, interesting. Are you from, like, Australia or England?”

“Australia,” the man replied. He crouched down and got the two bags out as they dropped, handing Ari one. “Where’re you from? Never seen you around town.”

“I’m a runaway,” Ari sighed. “From Smallville. Where that video of One Punch Marksman was filmed.”

“Oh, you’re that kid? Hardly recognized ya. Granted, that video doesn’t exactly have the best quality.”

“No, I’m not. That’s a friend of mine. We had to run away because of it,” Ari sighed as she opened the bag. “I don’t even know why they don’t like us. I think it’s, like, the mafia or something and my friend said they were after our other friend. And he got a magic tattoo.”

“Magic tattoos? Now there’s something you don’t hear everyday,” the Aussie said, peering at Ari.

“Yeah. It’s of a red fist and it says ‘body’ in big, red letters. And he has superpowers now.” Ari sat on a bench in the hotel. “He doesn’t like them, though. He says his gun is good enough. And given that he got rid of the bad guy trying to kill him with it, I don’t blame him.”

“Change can be scary for a lot of people,” the man shrugged.

“Yeah. And he thinks that bad guy cursed him or something. If he was still alive, I’d ask what the big deal was that made him and his friends want us dead,” Ari sighed. “But it’s not like you can come back from the dead.”

“Who knows. We live in strange times,” the man replied dryly.

“True. I just want this to end,” whined the teen. “But it’s not fair to you for me to just dump all this on you; I should go. Thanks for listening, mister…?”

“...Brutus.”

“That’s funny,” Ari giggled. “I’m Ari. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” the man grinned, and Ari went back upstairs where they found Cally drawing out a layout of the motel.

“Hey Ari,” Cally greeted, not looking up from the sketch.

“What’re you doing?”

“Making a map. We need a way out if anything decides to blow up while we’re here.”

“Isn’t that a little much?”

“Nothing is too much. We’re watching for superhuman people who want to kill us.” Cally finished the map and started writing out escape plans. “Where’s Marcus?”

“Getting dinner. He was thinking of McDonnie's.”

“Sounds good.”

When Marcus returned, he happened to see a man in a suit carrying a tank around the side of the building. “People are idiots,” he mumbled under his breath as he headed back into the hotel with the food.

When he came into the hotel room, he found Cally setting up what looked like a makeshift bear trap at the door.

“Oh, hey Marcus. Watch where you’re stepping, this thing can take off your leg in an instant.”

“Why are you putting a bear trap at the door!?” Marcus exclaimed, bewildered.

“Safety precaution. What if those weirdos come after us again?”

"HOW DID YOU EVEN GET THAT?!"

"I traded for it."

Marcus stared. "I don't even want to know. Anything happen while I was out?"

"I met a guy with a weird accent. Had trouble with the machine, so I helped him out," beamed Ari.

"Of course," Marcus chuckled.

"Okay, I have three viable escape options here. I wrote them out for you. If someone attacks us, we use whichever one is closest."

Marcus nodded. "Sure thing, Cal," he replied, boredly taking a note.

About five minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

Marcus blanched. "Wh-who is it?"

Ari headed over to the door, watching their feet so they didn't touch the bear trap. She peered through the peephole in the door. "Huh? Oh, it's Funny Accent Guy! He looks different."

"Different how?" Marcus asked, hand already going for his gun.

"Well, I- wait. He just disappeared,” Ari frowned and opened the door, revealing that there was no one on the other side.

"WHAT?! WHERE DID HE GO?!" Cally shrieked.

Marcus looked up, turned white, and pointed his gun at the ceiling.

"HOW ARE YOU HERE?! I SHOT YOU!"

Cally and Ari looked up, and Cally grabbed Ari's hand, pulling him behind her.

“‘Ello there!” Brutal laughed, dropping down from the ceiling. “Did ya miss me?”

“Like I’d miss cancer! WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK?! I SHOT YOU! TWICE!” Marcus shrieked the question, pointing his gun at the Freak.

"Maybe you should have emptied the clip on him," Cally said dryly before remembering that she was in danger.

“Still wouldn’t have done anything to me,” Brutal chuckled, brandishing his shiv.

Ari whimpered, and Cally held them. "Relax, Ar, everything's fine."

Marcus, gun still trained on the Freak, glared. "The hell do you mean?!"

“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Respawn before,” Brutal glowered, stepping closer to the trio.

"Like a video game?" Cally asked. "How can you- Gah!"

Ari held their arm, and Cally held her cheek as searing agony rushed through them and the sound of flesh burning got Marcus and Brutal's attention.

Marcus turned. "Are you two alright? What happened?"

Ari moved her hand, revealing a tattoo on his forearm. A beautiful swirly heart, along with the word HEART in lovely cursive.

Cally moved her hand, revealing a rather computer like depiction of a brain, along with the word BRAIN in digital lettering.

Marcus glanced at his own tattoo, and the three stared at each other, confused.

“So I was right,” Brutal huffed, glaring at the symbols.

"Right about what?" Ari whined, moving so he was behind Marcus and Cally.

“Right about going after you three. You may not know it yet, but you’re real important to Freaks like me right now. Important enough for me to personally come after you.”

Marcus glared, racking the slide on his gun. "What could three teenagers possibly have what you need?" He growled. Cally was busy looking for which exit would be safest.

“You three are the biggest roadblocks standing in the way of me and people like me turning everyone in the world into Freaks like us.”

"You mean, like, they get superpowers?" Ari asked innocently.

“They do. If they don’t mind going insane, that is,” Brutal replied coldly, palming the blade of his shiv in one hand.

Ari whimpered, shuddering. "Why do you want to do that?"

“Why not? Freaks like me shouldn’t be the only ones who get to enjoy this existence.” Brutal began to advance on the trio. “And you three are the biggest obstacles standing in my way of doing just that.”

Marcus hissed. "Look, pal, I'm fine with you hurting me, but you stay the hell away from Cal and Ari. They didn't do a d@mn thing to you."

“But they will soon. And so will you. And that’s why I need all three of you out of the d@mn picture.”

Marcus scowled. "I'm pointing a gun at you. And I already got you once. Back. Up."

Ari whined, almost curling up. "What could we possibly do? We're kids!"

Cally, as calmly as she could, reached into her pocket, pulled out a remote, and hit the button, and bright lights went off, blinding Brutal and Marcus. "Say cheese."

“GAH! Why you little-!” Brutal swore, and then randomly lunged at the teens, hoping to catch one with his shiv.

He barely missed Ari, who looked behind her. "We have to tell the choir to get out of here. They could get hurt!"

"Ar, we barely have enough time to get our @$&es out of here!" Marcus shouted.

"But we can't just let this guy hurt them! That would be wrong!"

Cally sighed. "Ari is right. Your gun is loaded, so hopefully you should be able to get anyone else here to back off."

Marcus nodded. "Fine. Let's make it quick."

The three pushd past a still blinded Brutal and bolted down the hall towards the ramshackle room that the choir used as a meeting room, where the lights were still on. Which meant the choir was still there.

Ari went to open the door- and it was locked. "Oh no…"

“You’ve got to be kidding me-!” Marcus grunted, shoving the door. “Hey! Hey! Open up! You guys are in danger!” He shouted, banging his fist on the door.

Cally grabbed a plastic card. "Look, maybe I can pick the lock and- WHAT IS THAT?!"

A black cloud was slowly creeping into the room with the girls. They didn't seem to notice- yet. Which meant Cally had time. She hoped. As Marcus beat on the door, she worked the lock, hoping that she could get that door open before it was too late.

“Come on - Open d@mmit! Open!” Marcus shouted. “Ari, give me your hair pin. I’m gonna try and pick the lock.”

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING?!" Cally screamed, furiously working. Ari handed Marcus the hairpin anyway, and he joined his nerdy friend at the lock, both of them working on it.

There was coughing, and then Ari's eyes widened at the door. "Fear," he whispered, putting her hands to their mouth as he fell to her knees, eyes and tattoo glowing. "I can feel it. In there. They're scared… So scared…"

“Ari?” Marcus looked away from the lock. “A-Ari, are you ok?”

"So scared… So scared," Ari repeated, the blue beginning to spread through their veins. "They're scared… Help them! Please! HELP THEM!!!"

Cally winced. "We're trying, Ari! We'll get them out!"

Cally and Marcus froze in terror as a chorus of screams rang from the door. The sound of chairs and tables being tossed aside erupted from the room, and the choir began banging on the door, screaming and begging to be let out.

Ari screamed in what seemed to be agony, and Cally, now a sickening pale, went right back to work on the door. Marcus happened to see Brutal storming towards the Trio and roared, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THEM?!"

“Exactly what I’m gonna do to the rest of this d@mn planet!”

Ari, eyes a bright blue, shrieked again, and Cally looked at her. "Marcus, we have to get out of here."

"After what he just did?!" Marcus scowled, gun pointed at Brutal.

"Look at Ari. This is hurting her. If we really are supposed to stop this and this guy isn't a raving lunatic, which I haven't ruled out, then we can't risk anything. And if the screams are anything to go by, it's too late for these girls."

Marcus glared hatefully at Brutal, then shot out the lights. "Let's go!" he shouted, picking up the agonized Ari.

The three made their way to Marcus's van, where they were quick to get inside- and quicker to panic when they heard gunshots and popping. Which meant that someone had just shot out their tires.

"HOLY SH@T! WHAT WAS THAT?!" Marcus shouted, pulling his gun and sticking his head outside.

“You’re not going anywhere!” A voice called out, carrying a noticeable French accent, which meant that Brutal wasn’t alone.

Ari, who was no longer in pain, albeit weakened, managed, "Wh-who are you?"

Marcus, just to be sure, moved to shield Ari from the new arrival before raising his Glock back up. "Rude to just ignore a question, punk."

The newcomer aimed his own revolver at Marcus. “Name’s Gentlespy. I’m a friend of Brutal,” He answered, leering at Marcus.

"Any friend of his is an enemy of mine," Marcus snapped.

Cally looked around the van for anything that could be used to help them escape.

Ari looked weakly at Gentlespy. "You're a bad guy, too, huh? What a bad day," he whined, holding her head.

Marcus grumbled something under his breath before asking, “So I can assume you’re here to kill us, too?”

“What gave that away?” Cally asked dryly. “The gun he’s pointing at us or the fact that he shot out our tires?”

"I'm sorry for being a little off when two lunatics are trying to kill us!" Marcus shot back.

Ari made a squeaky noise of protest, and Marcus turned cold, remembering where they were. "Okay… so. Your boyfriend didn't give us a straight answer. What's the angle to… what happened in there?"

“Didn’t he tell you? We’re turning people into Freaks like us,” Gentle sneered, stepping closer to Marcus.

"The angle means why, stupid," Marcus scowled, hands alight with red power.

“Why? Because if we do, there’ll no longer be any consequences for us. Freaks will be able to run around and do whatever they please, as we did before organizations like HECU came around. Brutal calls them ‘partycrashers.’”

“I’ve got a couple things to call him,” Marcus snarled.

“Too bad you’ll never get the chance,” Gentle glowered. He cocked his revolver and aimed right at Marcus’ head. “Any last words?”

Marcus opened his mouth to reply, and the red energy suddenly formed a ball around him, Cally, and Ari. “WHAT THE-”

Cally stared. “WHAT IS THAT?!”

“DO YOU THINK I KNOW?!”

The ball suddenly started rolling by itself, and Gentle had to move so he was out of the way.

“Hey - HEY! GET BACK HERE!” He shouted, sprinting after the ball.

Marcus, recovering from his shock, started running, piloting the ball through the parking lot with a lot of panicked swearing.

Cally and Ari ran, too, and together, they managed to get the ball away from the hotel and onto the road.

Cars swerved and honked, and people started filming as the giant ball barreled down the road on its way out of town. Marcus looked behind him to make sure nobody was there, then panicked. “CRAP! SPEED UP!”

A rusty truck with a few people Marcus and Cally didn't recognize was behind them, catching up fast. The three ran like they had never run before, out of the city and into a forest. Marcus turned back forward once they got there to see where to turn- and winced.

"Sh@t."

In front of the bubble was a very, very long drop. "Wh- do we stop?!" Cally asked.

"I don't wanna be up here with them!" Ari whined, pointing behind them.

Marcus clenched his teeth. "Same. Here's hoping there's a soft landing." Closing his eyes, he piloted the ball over the cliff.

Cally, on the other hand, kept her eyes open. So she saw the long drop, saw the ball hit the ground, and saw the very large rock about to hit her head.

And then saw nothing.

#freak fortress #marcus #cally #ari #christian brutal sniper #gentlespy

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softforcal · 6 years

Note

I just read both your poly!5sos and Cal pregnancy and my heart has melted 😭💕 and since I've been in an Ashton mood for the past week can you do one for him please?

ASHTON X PREGNANT READER (bonus proposal)

(Cal) (Luke) (Poly) (Michael)

-((((Also side note: i wasn’t going to post today but its @irwinkitten‘s birthday tomorrow (in a few hours her time) and i adore her so i wanted to kick off her birthday with something soft to show how much she means to me. Love you Laura. now fucking die hoe. )))

-this boy wants babies

-lots of em

-the two of you have been together for over a year and it’s definitely something you’ve talked about

-but he’s really busy with Youngblood and other stuff so it never really gets to be the right time

-you’re on tour with him and there’s about a month left and you’re having EXTREME baby fever because there are adorable children everywhere in the city you’re in

-like. an unusual amount of children

-or maybe you’re just noticing because it’s something thats on your mind

-regardless. your heart is soft as fuck.

-Ash is getting ready to go on stage and he notices you’re being kinda weird, “what’s up babe?” he asks

-”thinking about kids.” you sigh

-he stops what he’s doing and looks at you

-”oh yeah?”

-”yeah. i mean. your tour’s almost over and… i mean… if we wanted to start building a family… now might be a good time.” you shrug, “but no pressure, i mean you still have your career to think about-” he cuts you off with a kiss

-”we’ll talk about this when the show’s over, i promise.” he says, kissing your forehead before going to join the boys and go on stage

-you watch the show and surprisingly, getting pregnant isnt huge on your mind. it doesn’t really worry you. you know it’s something Ashton wants and now that you want it, you have no doubt that it will work out.

-the show ends and you wait in a back room for Ashton

-he comes off stage and is all sweaty and gorgeous and he just grabs you, “where are we going?” you ask as he pulls you towards a back dressing room, closing the door and locking it

-he kisses you, “you said you want a baby right?”

-”yeah?”

-”so stop asking questions and let daddy work.”

-’daddy’ has always used in the bedroom but OOF having baby fever while hearing it is wild

-Ashton always goes hard and this is no different

-you’ve never really done breeding kink before or really talked about pregnancy during sex and all of the sudden Ashton is like “you want me to fill you up Princess?” “going to pump a fucking baby into you.” and he’s going DEEP AF because like… better for making babies right?

-there’s probably not any real logic to that but whatever fam

-he hitting those spots is all i’m saying

-you both finish and he just stays inside of your for a bit, kissing you and being super soft

-but unlike other times with condoms, now there’s a bit of a mess (its the fucking worst) so he helps clean you up and is still super soft about it

-going back to the hotel you’re staying at for the night and he’s already down to go again

-once in the bedroom, then in the shower, then in the bedroom again, and then again in the shower and by the time you get to the bedroom again you’re like ‘please let me sleep’ and he just laughs and pulls you to his chest

-cuddling and talking about baby names

-talking about starting a family

-he’s been ready for a while but was waiting for you because it was obvious he was always down

-talking about whether you want a baby girl or boy first

-talking about how many kids you want

-just fully having an idea of the life you both want together

-you continue on tour and you have a general idea of when you’re period should come

-two weeks of really great sex all the time

-being in so many different cities and countries because you’re at the end of tour that days just start whipping by and then one day Ashton tosses you a pregnancy test because THIS GUY has a period app on his phone for you because he’s THAT FUCKING BOYFRIEND.

-”why do you have a period app for me?” “so i know when i have to go buy you chocolate. do you think i just magically have chocolate every time you get a craving?”

-what a sweetheart

-so you’re in a hotel for the night and you go pee on the stick and wait

-Ashton orders room service so that no matter what, you have comfort food to eat after the results

-”i’m afraid to look.” you groan. oddly enough he is too.

-so he calls Calum and is like “you need to get over here.” so Calum shows up and is like “what the fuck do you two animals want?” and Ashton is like “go look in the bathroom.”

-and Calum is hesitant as fuck, “if there’s a dead body in there? i hope you know Best Friend is just a song.” but he reluctantly goes inside, “did you pee on this?!” he calls back.

-”is she pregnant or not mate?!” Ashton yells.

-”yeah. she pregnant.” Calum states.

-Ashton immediately hugs you tight and after a few moments another pair of arms goes around you and Ashton and Calum is just like, “this makes me the godfather right?” “yes but don’t tell Michael. he’s going to be pissed.”

-”so… you can go now Cal.” “fuck, right, sorry.”

-once he’s gone you and Ashton just kiss and cuddle and are super fucking happy

-a few minutes later there’s knocking at your door. its Luke and Michael and they’re both like “i knew you two were fucking ever more often than normal!” “why didn’t you tell us you were trying to get pregnant!?”

-”a lots been going on mate.” Ashton shrugs. and it’s true. they’ve been really busy. besides, neither of you wanted to get your hopes up about it because for some couples it takes a long time to get pregnant

-so Luke and Michael hang out for a bit, Calum stops by to apologize for immediately throwing you two under the bus and telling Michael and Luke and then he goes, “you’ll forgive me, i’m the godfather.” and Michael freaks out

-Ashton ushering them all out of the room for alone time with you

-of course cuddling leads to sex

-he’s being a bit more gentle and you moan “daddy” and he just stops. pulls out and sits down with his head in his hands like “you can’t call me that anymore.” and he’s so distraught about it

-can you imagine. like. one of his main kinks. just out the door. because now it has to actually be used because he’s going to be a dad

-you rub at his shoulders and are just like… “sir?”

-yup that gets him going again with a laugh

-i mean, it’s nothing compared to ‘daddy’ but it will have to do

-the tour continues and it’s the second last show and as it ends, the boys are like “we have one last song for you.” and they start singing you and Ashton’s couple song and he straight up proposes to you on stage

-”i wanted to do this at the last concert but that’s Michael’s birthday so i didn’t think i could do him dirty like that,” Ashton teases as he gets down on a knee, “will you marry me?”

-of course you say yes

-its really sweet and cute and the fandom is shooketh

-they have their last concert and then everyone heads back to LA

-your first day back, Ashton is already planning the baby room because he’s so excited

-he’s just running around and he’s so cute getting worried about sharp corners and stuff like that and it’s just like “Ashton. we have time. i’m not even showing yet.”

-he’s just so excited to be getting married to you AND having a baby

-cuddles that calm him down but he gets excited and starts planning again

-having a small engagement party and announcing to close family and friends that you’re also pregnant

-so, everyone knows you’re engaged because of his very public proposal but Ashton decides to make a post for his insta to officially celebrate, he chooses a picture of you drinking a sparkling drink at your engagement party, ring showing

-he writes a long ass post about finding the love of his life and starting a new chapter and how excited he is, but he also states something along the lines of “and don’t worry, the drink is non alcoholic ;)”

-like the doesn’t explicitly state you’re pregnant but of course there would only be one fucking reason you can’t drink anymore

-the fandom is once more: shook

-now that you’re back in LA he has a lot of time to spend with you when he’s not working on the new album

-and he is an absolute spoiler

-like, as soon as you have any craving for food, he’s getting it for you

-because “you’re eating for two now Sweetheart.”

-going to your ultrasound and you decide to not know the gender of the baby (tbh, i do this every time because i wanna leave it up to the reader;)

-but the baby is strong and healthy and Ashton has tears in his eyes

-your bump begins to show and he adores it so much because “that’s my baby in there.” “our baby.” “nope, pretty sure i’m the only parent here.”

-what a teasing fuck

-he’s way softer with sex though, that would be for sure

-lots more cockwarming

-he straight up talks to the baby while he’s inside you and it’s like… “Ashton what the fuck.”

-”fuck, we can’t swear anymore. shit. i’m going to be such a bad fucking father.”

-assuring him that he’ll be a great dad

-he would totally hire someone to make the baby room perfect. i just see him as the guy that wants everything 10/10

-as it gets closer to your due date he religiously baby proofs the entire house

-he has the hospital on speed dial

-as its coming down to your due date this boy can’t sleep

-like. he is super stressed out and excited

-the boys being there for you two because this is a BIG deal

-he would adore cuddling next to your stomach and talking to the baby

-tapping gently on your stomach to show drum beats

-Ashton doesn’t even want you to leave the house without him incase somehow you get in trouble or need him and he’s not there

-can you imagine being a bit of a rebellious girlfriend and going for a walk while he’s still asleep and your water breaks so you call him and he’s like “Y/N, what the fuck, where are you?” and you’re just like “yeah… so i went for a walk and i’m fine, but like…. my water broke.” and he’s just like “fucking classic. of fucking course this would happen.”

-he comes and picks you up from wherever you are (probably like a block away from the house or some shit because classic) and he looks like shit cuz he’s exhausted and in a hoodie and sweats but he still managed to grab the hospital bag for the birth

-part of him wants to drive with both hands on the wheel to be safe

-but part of him wants to hold your hand so you can squeeze it while you have contractions

-but part of him wants his hand on your belly

-so probably a lot of him doing all three and you being like “hands on the wheel Ashton!” “we’re at a red light i can touch-” “Ashton it’s green now!”

-getting to the hospital and he doesn’t even get a wheel chair he just carries you because fuck that

-he’s super nervous and everyone can tell

-the boys show up and calm him down a bit

-”i cant believe this is fucking happening. oh my god. what if this is the last time i can swear? fuck. fuck. Y/N i fucking love you so fucking much holy shit.”

-”Ashton. calm down.”

-”what if im a terrible father.”

-”then i’ll divorce you and run away with Calum.”

-this earns a glare then a laugh and Calum’s just like “as the godfather, i can say that I one hundred percent would support that decision Y/N.”

-you all get Ashton to calm down and he holds your hand the entire time

-he would be such a great dad holy shit.

#ashton irwin #ashton irwin smut #ashton irwin x reader #dad!5sos #dad!ashton irwin #dad ashton irwin #dadsos #5sos #5 seconds of summer #softforcal #hc #smut #au #dad!5sos au #daddy ashton irwin #daddy!ashton irwin

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fortisfiliae · 5 years

Text

Against The Odds - Part 5 [James Potter x reader]

Prompt: College AU ❃ Jocks are disgusting. Too good looking, too aware of it, too drunk and too dumb. Or so you thought.

Find the previous parts on my Masterlist linked in my bio! If you need to zoom in on the texts just click on the picture to do so.

Warnings: none

Word count: 1.3k

Part 5 - New Friends, Old Enemies

On Monday after class, when your stomach felt like it was eating itself because you forgot to bring a snack, you noticed a food truck on the side of the street, on your way home. This was new. And probably a sign that you should finally eat something.

You crossed the street and went up to it. The scent of oil and onions should have grossed you out, but who were you kidding? It smelled delicious and had already lured you in.

Your eyes were on the menu the whole way over and you had just finished reading it when the guy in the truck greeted you.

“Hi. What can I- Oh, hi. I think I know you.”

You looked over to him. Dirty blond hair, chubby schoolboy cheeks and a welcoming smile. Peter. Peter Pettigrand, wasn’t it? He was the last person you had expected to see there, so you cleared your throat. “Hey. Peter, right?”

“Right! And you’re Y/N from the frat.”

“Not really from the frat, but yeah.”

He chuckled and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel. “You’re lucky today.”

“Why is that?”

“You’re my last customer, I was just about to change my shift.” He bent down over the counter and motioned for you to come closer so you could hear him better when he whispered. “And, between you and me, the guy that takes the next shift is a shit cook.”

You laughed quietly and shook your head. “I am lucky then.”

“What can I get you?”

“Um... How about the classic burrito?”

“Excellent choice! Extra cheese?”

“Sure!”

“It’ll be there in a minute. You can take a seat, I’ll bring it to you.”

You did as he said and sat down at one of the garden plastic tables that were placed in front of the truck and scrolled mindlessly through your phone. Who was this guy anyway?

He hadn’t been to the frat before, but well, you haven’t been there often either. You were pretty sure he wasn’t a member because he seemed so lost last Saturday morning. Maybe he had friends there. Or he was just a really bad burglar.

“Mind if I sit with you?” Peter asked when he arrived with two steaming hot plates in his hands.

You put your phone to the side and said: “No, have a seat please.”

“One classic with extra cheese. Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

You took a bite and it was, unexpectedly, extraordinarily good. Not only because you were starving - it was actually delicious.

“Wow, Peter! That’s the best thing I had on campus I think,” you said and took another bite.

“Told you it’s your lucky day,” he chuckled and started to eat as well.

You wiped your mouth with a napkin in between bites. “You know what’s funny? I’ve never seen you before last Saturday and now it seems I stumble over you everywhere I go.”

Peter grinned and swallowed before he answered. “Well, that’s probably because I’ve never been on campus before last week. I just started working here.”

“So you don’t go to college here?”

“Nah.”

“Why here then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you start working on campus? I have a feeling you could be a great chef in a restaurant or something.”

He squinted his eyes and laughed in a low voice, shaking his head a bit. “No, that wouldn’t be something I’d enjoy doing. Maybe later in life. But this here,” He motioned to the truck behind him. “Is really chill and easy. Restaraunt kitchens are way too stressful and you never see the people’s faces when they take their first bite.”

“Like you’ve seen mine just now?” you asked.

“Exactly. You looked like I just gave you a million bucks. That’s why I cook.”

“For the million bucks smile?” you joked.

“For the validation. It makes me feel good, that’s all I want.”

“Fair,” you said, took another bite and imitated your first expression.

“Hah, now you’re teasing.”

He seemed quite nice. Genuine. Like a pal to go pub crawling with.

“So,” you began. “Who were you visiting in the frat on Saturday?”

“I could ask you the same question,” he grinned.

“True. I’ll tell you if you tell me.”

“Go on then, you first.”

“James. Potter.” You tried to sound as emotionless as possible, despite the fact that you felt your stomach tingling when you said his name out loud. “You probably don’t know him, do you?”

“Oh,” he seemed less surprised than you would have thought. “Well, I was looking for James Potter too.”

“Really?”

“Couldn’t find him though. One of the guys in the living room said they would look for him upstairs, but then told me he wasn’t feeling good. So I left.”

“Yeah, he… Had a rough night I guess.”

Peter laughed.

“So, are you old friends?” you went on.

“We went to high school together. We were best friends, James, Remus, Sirius and I. You know them too, I assume?”

“I do. You said you were best friends?”

“Well, we’re not anymore.” Peter sighed and looked down onto his half-empty plate. “There was a lot of shit that went down. We were all young and dumb, so I thought I’d check in on James again, you know? Didn’t seem like he appreciated that though.”

“Hm… Well, maybe I can tell him you’re here? If you want.”

“Oh um. That would be nice, yeah. Can I give you my number? So we can stay in contact with that?”

“Yeah, sure.”

You wiped your fingers on your pants before you unlocked your phone and handed it over to him. Peter typed in his number and gave himself a call.

“Just to make sure I gave you the right one. I always seem to forget my own. Thank you.” He handed your phone back. “So, I figured, you and James are dating?”

Oh god.

“Um, not really I think,” you answered.

“You think?”

“I mean, I don’t know. It’s all kind of fresh and new so I wouldn’t call it dating, but we’re getting to know each other.”

“In a romantic way.”

“Yeah,” you said, even though it sounded more like a question.

“That’s great, isn’t it! Good for him. And you.”

“I guess so, yes.”

Just after your last bite, when you had crumpled up the greasy napkin, something else caught your attention. A guy rode his bike down the road. Nothing special, until you recognized the jacket and his black hair blowing in the wind. Sirius!

You waved your hand to greet him but were met with a bewildered expression. His face seemed to scrunch up as if he was trying to see you better from afar. Right after that, he nodded to return the greeting but simultaneously speed up his bike and made a turn at the next crossway. Strange.

Peter hadn’t noticed any of it, as he was picking up the dishes. “Well then, thanks for keeping me company. I got to clean everything up before the next guy takes over my shift.”

“Oh wait, I haven’t paid you,” you told him and started looking for your wallet. “How much is-”

“Keep that. That’s on me,” Peter stopped you and went back to the truck. “No argument allowed.”

An hour later, when you were back in your dorm and had just started studying, your phone rang with a new message.

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squishyocalum · 5 years

Text

Never {One}

This school makes me physically sick. Seriously, how is it that people enjoy coming to school? I remember when little old freshman Nathalia walked her ass into those front doors with her earbuds in and a wide grin on her face; now, entering my senior year, Calum and the boys are the only things that make this school bearable. However, today was only enrolment day - thank god - meaning in a small time frame of thirty minutes I would be over at Calums house with the other boys setting up the biggest end of summer party the group had ever thrown. I walked past this thick group of juniors and one of them moved to walk next to me before they started speaking.

“So where are the guys?” The girl asked “My mom said they haven’t enrolled yet so I figured they dropped-”

“They’re enrolling tomorrow, so stop being a nosey bitch, Audrey.”

Audrey Williams was the principal’s daughter, let’s just say she spent more time in other people’s business than she spent actually making friends.

“No need to be fucking rude about it.” She scoffed standing behind me with her arms crossed over her chest as I walked through the front doors fleeing the campus for the next three weeks. I looked back smiling at the annoyed look plastered of the girls face.

I know you may think that that was mean, or I should’ve went easy on her but allow me to give you some insight.

When I came here for freshman year I obviously didn’t have any friends, I mean I moved here from hours away of course I didn’t know anyone. I had this boyfriend before I left who quite literally broke my heart; I was a complete mess. About a week into the school year, however, I met Calum who very promptly took me under his wing. He introduced me to his friends and I guess they must have enjoyed my presence because in less than five months we started hanging out like we had all known each other our whole lives. Despite the fact that I loved hanging out with them my dad wasn’t too fond of them, but considering he met Calum while he was putting him in the back of his cop car I’m not surprised. Being as young as I was I went against my dad’s rules, obviously, and started sneaking around to hang out with them. Everything was fine, I had four amazing - slightly delinquent - best friends, and we had a great freshman year. We became sophomores though and when it came to light that I was still hanging out with them rumors started flying.

Audreys bitch ass is the one who started them. According to Luke she asked Michael out and he turned her down because we were all going to the movies that night; he told her they could try another night and this bit- female. This female. Got so angry about it that she decided to tell as many people as possible that I sleep with all four of the guys and that’s why they keep me around.

I would have broken her fucking back had I not been pulled off of her, lets leave it at that.

Calum was sitting in his car at the edge of the parking lot waiting on me to get finished, when I walked up to the car he peeled his eyes from his phone and smiled up at me.

“How’d it go?” He asked when I slid into the seat.

“I saw Audrey, she asked about you guys.”

“And you said?”

“I told her to stop being a nosey bitch.”

He laughed lightly before speeding out of the parking lot with his hand naturally resting on my thigh.

=============

“Oh come on, Thalia, one game.” Michael begged me grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the living room. My mind was already getting fuzzy and the peer pressure that these idiots put me through wasn’t helping.

“Mikey, we’re about to be seniors in highschool, can’t we just drink and have fun?”

Every single time we throw a party Michael drags us into a game of truth or dare, the guys love it because I mean they’re guys; I on the other hand, hate it.

“Calum’s playing though.” He taunted wiggling his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes at him and snatched my hand away taking it upon myself to walk to the living room where the others were sitting.

“Thalia!” Calum called out motioning me towards him. I couldn’t help but smile at the goofy smile plastered on his face. I couldn’t help but think about how I met him, my dad worked for the sheriff’s office and the very first person that was pushed through those doors in handcuffs was the one and only Calum Hood. It wasn’t for anything terrible, just a fight that the other person caused but that didn’t change my dad’s outlook on him; he hates him.

Tragic, I suppose, that him and his best friends are my only friends.

“Hey Cal.” I smiled holding my cup firmly in my hand as I sat next to him. I put the edge of my cup to my lips and tipped it back finishing off the last of the liquor. I flung my legs over Calum’s lap and let my back rest against the arm of the couch. He placed his large hand on my thigh, per usual, and we settled in for the game. The group consisted of Clalum, Luke, Ashton, Michael, and I. We don’t really hang out with anyone else, but with games like these we don’t really have a choice; so now Harry, Niall, Liam, Becca, and Brittany sat in our circle ready to play.

“Okay, who wants to start?” Ashton spoke up, the music and chatter in the background drowning his voice out. Becca raised her hand and all of our attention was given to her.

“Luke, truth or dare.” She asked proudly leaning back on Harry’s chest. There was a smirk playing on Harry’s lips as he ran his fingertips up her caramel skin. Luke shifted uneasily in his seat obviously annoyed that he was being forced to kick the game off.

“Truth, I guess.” He mumbled.

“Is it true that you finish fast?” Harry asked for the girl, Luke laughed loudly leaning forward to grab the whiskey bottle before downing a shot.

“I don’t know, Harry, ask Becca if two hours wasn’t long enough.”

Laughter fell over the group and Becca just rolled her eyes.

It’s not our fault you slept with him and he didn’t want to be with you afterwards. Grow up.

“Moving along swiftly,” Luke spoke through small spurts of laughter “Calum - truth or dare.”

“Dare.” He slurred gripping onto my thigh so he could steady himself.

“I dare you to kiss the hottest girl in the room.”

Giggling softly I moved to place my feet on the ground but Calum’s hands gripped onto my waist pulling me to sit in his lap.

Like I said before, my mind is in a dazed state so initially I think it’s a joke so I laugh in his face and try to wiggle out of his grip.

“Calum, what are you-” He cut me off by pulling my face to his and roughly attaching his lips to mine. I don’t know if it was the alcohol, or the fact that I felt safe in this position, but I relaxed into his touch and let my lips move against his. The background noise seemed to grow quieter and the only thing my mind could comprehend was the pounding in my chest.

“Okay, Jesus he said kiss, not fuck on the couch.” Brittany scoffed pulling us from our daydream. I looked at him for a second before pushing his hands away from my sides and jumping back to my spot on the couch. I didn’t put my legs back on him, instead I crossed them and leaned into the arm of the couch, when he reached for my thigh the way he always does I swatted his hand away. The pit of my stomach was churning and for some reason all I wanted to do was go home and cry. Everyone looked completely shocked, Brittanys face was twisted in anger, and all the feelings of heartbreak were bubbling back into my mind. I felt safe with Calum, yes, but he knows how I feel about being touched in any sexual way when I’m drunk.

Call me dramatic all you want, but I feel slightly betrayed right now.

The game continued for twenty more minutes before I got up after refusing to participate for the past few rounds. It was obvious Calum followed me, I could hear him, but there was no way in hell that I was going to turn around and talk about this right now. I pushed my way out of the house and sprinted down the sidewalk. My house was only a block away, meaning my music, my shower, and my bed were only a block away.

Memories of my eighth grade year were flooding my mind, all I could see was his face. The stupid smile on his fucking face. The stupid fucking reason that I moved all this way. I looked up to see what street I was on and realized very quickly that I had no idea where I was. With shaky hands I pulled my phone out finding my father’s number and clicking it.

He answered with a groggy ‘Hello’ within the first three rings. Knowing dad he stayed up to make sure I got home safe and then fell asleep on the couch.

“Dad, can you come pick me up - I - I’m drunk and-” I was cut off for the second time tonight but a lump in my throat. My emotions were starting to catch up to me.

“Sweetheart calm down, I’ll be there in a few minutes. Sit down somewhere.” He spoke calmly but even I wasn’t drunk enough to think I wasn’t going to get a full lecture over this in the morning.

“Nathalia.” A breathless voice spoke behind me. When I turned around I was met with Calums bloodshot brown eyes.

“I’m not mad, Cal, I just-”

“I scared you. I understand that but I’m not him - I wouldn’t do that-”

“Calum you fucking kissed me! I mean jesus fucking christ you kissed me while I was drunk. You know how I feel about that.”

“Yes, yeah I do, I don’t know what happened. I just care about you Thalia. Why can’t you see that?” He stepped closer to me pulling me into him.

“I’m scared, Cal.” I whispered, letting a few stray tears flow down my face, he placed his hands on my back rubbing gently.

“Why?”

“Because I like you, I’ve liked you for so long; and everyone I like, or care about either hurts me or leaves.” The words left my mouth before I had the chance to stop them, and after they hit him I couldn’t tell if I regretted them or if I was glad I finally said it.

He pulled away grabbing ahold of my shoulders and looking me in the eyes.

“Nathalia Rose Baker I will never in my life, hurt you. If you gave me the chance I would never leave you. Trust me, Thalia, please just trust me.”

I looked up at him now, thoughts were swirling in my head. I knew this boy, I cared for this boy. I trust this boy.

Before I could respond to him a pair of bright headlights hit the two of us and I remembered that I called my dad.

“Calum you have to hide. You need to go, now.”

“What? Thalia-” I kissed him then, pulling him behind a large oak tree just big enough to hide the two of us. I don’t know why, quite frankly my whole mind was in shambles but I know one thing; no matter how scary or confusing it is I felt safe in his arms.

“Just go hide okay? My dads coming to get me and if he sees you Calum I won’t be allowed to leave the house for the rest of the year.”

The effect that the liquor had on me was slowly wearing off - stress I suppose. He had his hands placed loosely on my waist and suddenly I wished I hadn’t called my father, I just wanted to stay with Calum.

Slow down there pal. My subconscious mocked me You can like him, but be careful.

“Come over tomorrow. My parents are out of town, we can talk.”

“Okay yeah, yeah I’ll be there just go.”

He smiled down at me and pecked a quick kiss on my lips before shoving me out from behind the tree to reveal my dads car just beginning to park. I sighed and staggered over to him hoping desperately that he would just let me sleep this off.

“So this is what summer study group looks like?”

“Yes, dad. We drank a little because we were stressed. I called you though, didn’t I?”

He sighed at my statement and helped me to the car, once I was in and buckled up he couldn’t help but laugh while he restarted the car.

“The only reason I plan on letting this slide is because you look like you just got hit with a sock full of butter.”

“What?” I laughed nervously “I’m not grounded?”

“No, what kind of a parent would I be if I conditioned you your whole life to call me in these situations and then when you finally do I punish you for it?”

I smiled to myself and let my head rest on the window, as my dad pulled away I looked out to see Calum leaning cooly against the tree. There was a feeling lingering in the pit of my stomach and I couldn’t tell if it was anxiety or straight fear, but whatever it is I hope it doesn’t always feel like this.

#ashton 5sos #calumhood #michael 5sos #calum 5sos #luke 5sos #5sosimagines #5sos #ashton irwin #luke hemmings #michael clifford #calum hood au #5sosfam #5sosau

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sacredsorceress · 6 years

Text

Jealousy Gets the Best of Me || Ashton

Requested: Yes! I combined two different requests by two lovely anons.

A/N: fuck I love jealous ash he’s so hot

Word Count: 2,726

Masterlist

Request

You and Ashton had known each other for years. You two had been through everything together. You were there for him during his first days touring and continued to be by his side for everything that followed. No matter what was thrown either of your ways, you were his number one supporter. He meant the world to you… maybe even more than you’d admit.

The cliche had become true and you had proven both of your parents right by falling in love with him. You remember when you guys used to gag when people asked if you were dating or that you two would make a cute couple, but now you cherished those moments wishing they were true and that he would think so too.

Ashton was your best friend nonetheless. He lead the typical rockstar life and you thought you could never compare to the models he had seen or the beautiful fans he had. You assumed that you were nothing more than a best friend to him and you didn’t want to lose him. It hurt to see him date other women more than you could even express, but he meant the world to you and just like with the band you would support him in it all. That’s what best friends are for, right?

During his break, Ashton had invited you to L.A. and you eagerly accepted- you missed your best friend -and disclosed crush- so badly, how could you not? You stayed at his place and you had the most fun than you had in a while, but you couldn’t hide your feelings. You were sure the boys must of noticed how your eyes never left his body or how you would sit as close to him as possible or when he was gone all you could do was ask about him. You were once positive the feelings were one sided, but as time went on you weren’t so sure.

You would hear Ashton laugh, telling the boys to shut up while they teased him when you left the room. Eventually you noticed how whenever he was close by he would make any move to touch you in the slightest. Or how he’d split off from all the conversations in a room because he wanted to talk to you. You used to believe there was no chance that Ashton and you could possibly be together, but as the days went on you two got closer in ways that were a little too cozy even for best friends.

The night before your visit was over he knocked on your door grinning. “Hey Y/n.”

You sat up in the guest bed quickly, straightening your shirt and flattening your hair. When did you start to become so nervous and awkward around your best friend? “Oh! Hey, Ash. What’s up?” You asked giving him your best smile.

Ashton smiled to himself and entered the room, fiddling with the rings on his finger as he spoke. “I was thinking- since it’s your last night here and everything- we should go out.”

Oh my God Oh my God yes you thought to yourself. “Sure! That sounds awesome actually. I’ve been waiting to party with the famous party animal.” You winked, but then immediately regretted it. Oh God I just made it weird.

What you didn’t know was that that wink made Ashton’s breath hitch in his chest. “You’ve partied with me before, Y/n. C’mon, you were what made me the party animal!” He laughed.

You smiled thinking of all the houses parties you both had attended together in your earlier teens and how you used to guide him onto the dance floor, screaming the lyrics to him until he would join in, all eyes in the room attracted to look at you both.

You grinned, hopping off of the bed. “You’re not wrong.” You placed your hands on his shoulders turning him around and lightly shoving him out of the room. “Just let me get dressed real quick and I’ll be ready to head out.”

You shut the door behind Ashton and went to get dressed into a simple black body con dress you had brought with you. You stood in front of the mirror, turning around and fixing you hair before deeply exhaling reminding yourself to have a good night whether or not Ashton had feelings for you because regardless- he was still your best friend.

When you came out of the guest room you were tugging at the bottom of your dress and met Ashton at the door. You looked up at him, but he quickly turned away from you clearing his throat before turning back towards you.

“Do I look okay?” you asked him, slipping on your leather jacket and fixing your hair.

He didn’t reply until you had finished putting on your jacket and looked towards him for confirmation. “What? Oh yea, are you kidding Y/n? You look great!”

You blushed. “Really?”

Ashton smiled at you before it faltered. “Yeah, I have no doubt all the guys won’t be able to take their eyes off you.” He faked a smile. “Anyway,�� he continued, changing the subject and grabbing his keys. “We should get going.”

The club was crowded with groups of people filling the dance floor and almost every seat being taken at the bar. The boys and some of their friends were sitting in a booth towards the very back. As you made your way towards them you felt Ashton’s hand on your lower back guiding you through the club and avoiding the buzzed dancers all around. Your breath hitched and your heartbeat quickened before you melted into his touch and allowed him to lead the way.

You met the boys at their booth with Ashton’s hand still on your back until the boys greeted you and he removed his hand leaving you missing his touch.

“Y/n!” Calum shouted above the music after greeting Ashton.

You gave him a smile and hugged him before pulling away. “Hey, Cal!”

“I’m glad you came! I was hoping we’d get to see you again before you left. It’s really not the same without you there.”

You smiled thinking about how maybe they missed you while they were away and maybe one particular boy more than the others. “Aw, you know that’s not true. You guys will forget about me as soon as tour starts and you know it.”

Before Calum could retort your statement, you heard Luke calling your name from the booth.

“Hey Y/n! Could you get us more drinks for the table?” He asked.

At the sound of your name, Ashton turned his head towards you and started paying attention the conversation. “Luke, are you serious? Why don't you get them-”

“It’s okay!” you interrupted him while smiling. “I’ll go get us some drinks, don’t worry about it.” You gave Ashton one last reassuring smile before turning away from the booth and making your way to the bar through the crowds of people on the dance floor. You found an empty stool and quickly sat in it, adjusting your dress and fixing your hair while you waited for the bartender.

When you originally came to visit Ashton a part of you was hoping that by the time you left you would have found out if he felt the same way about you as you did about him. Now you were leaving in the morning and had no confirmation of it all. He could of just been being friendly when he put his hand on your back, it didn't mean that he loved you. You didn't want to get your hopes up, but it was the nearing the end of the week. Ashton was going to be going to go on tour for months. You thought maybe it was time that you moved on.

“This is place is crowded tonight, huh?”

You brought yourself out of your deep thought and turned to the guy sitting beside you at the bar. He looked to be around your age and you had to admit that he was kind of cute. You smiled at him.

“I know right? I came here to meet my friends and I basically almost got trampled trying to make my way to the back.” You said.

Right when the handsome guy you were talking to was about to speak the bartender came over. You quickly told him what you wanted and told him to send it over to the booth that the boys and all their friends were sitting at. After giving your order instead of going back to the booth you turned back to the cute guy.

“Wow that was fast- it took me a half hour to get the bartender’s attention the first time.” He laughed. “You probably just caught his attention ‘cause you’re pretty.”

You blushed profusely at his comment, not knowing how to answer. You had a crush on Ashton, but he was going to be leaving soon and by the look of things... your chances with him were pretty slim. What was the chance that he liked you back?

You looked back up at him smiling. “So, what’s your name?”

You had been talking to the cute guy for almost fifteen minutes without even realizing it. You had completely forgotten about all the boys and Ashton at the your booth and lost track of time. In the middle of one of your conversations, you felt a hand on your shoulder, turning around to see the face of your best friend.

You turned around, surprised, completely forgetting about the conversation with the cute guy who’s name you had learned was Adam. “Ashton? What-” You paused, quickly grabbing your bag from the bar top and standing up. “Oh my God I’m so sorry, Ash, I didn’t see the time-”

“Who’s he?” Ashton asked.

“Who’s who?” you asked, following Ashton’s gaze to the guy you had been talking to for the past half hour. “Oh, that’s Adam.”

“Who the fuck is Adam?” Ashton asked his speech slightly slurred from drinking while you were gone. You scoffed at his language, but he continued. “Y/n, I’ve been waiting for you at the table for the past fifteen minutes wondering where the hell you were while everyone went dancing and then I finally come to find you and you’re talking to this fucker.”

Adam stood up from his stool defensively. “What the hell’s your problem, man?”

You turn around to Adam, “Hey, listen, there’s no problem he’s just buzzed, okay? He doesn’t mean it.”

You turn back to Ashton, resting your hands on his chest and looking up to him and speaking to him calmly. “I’m sorry, Ash, I didn’t look at the ti-”

But Ashton cut you off, but instead of the aggressive voice he used on Adam, his voice was much softer and even sounded sad in a way. “I’m sorry, Y/n, it just sucked seeing you here talking to some jackass. God, I was sitting at that table and they all told me to go dance, but I didn’t want to dance with anyone besides you. It’s only fun with you... everything is. It’s better with you, you know?” He sighed. “And then I started to get worried that something happened- I don't know what I’d do if something happened to you, but then I saw you with him and Y/n-”

“Listen, we were talking- why are you bothering with this cunt?” Adam interrupted, grabbing your wrist and you turned around to face him again.

“Adam, we had a nice conversation and everything but its over okay?” You responded aggressively. “Don’t call my best friend a cunt.”

Adam threw up his hands. “He’s your best friend and you’re defending him? You’re fucking crazy too!”

You pulled your wrist out of his grasp as he walked away with his jacket in hand, holding Ashton back as he was about to go after him. “He’s not worth it. You said it yourself- he’s a jackass.” You laced your arm with Ashton’s. “Let’s talk outside, yea?”

You and Ashton sat outside in a bench against the club’s walls with Ashton close beside you. There was a silence between you two and while normally silences were comforting because of how close the two of you were- there was a tension- a question- hanging in the air. When you finally decided to speak, Ash did too causing you both to chuckle and give each other the chance to go first with Ashton finally taking the lead.

“I’m so sorry, Y/n.” He began with you opening your mouth to ask him to stop but him insisting. “No, no. Let me speak. I acted like a real dick in there and it wasn’t fair of me to go off on you like that. I just saw you with that guy and... and it hurt. I wasn’t angry at you, though- I could never be angry at you- I was mad at myself. I shouldn’t have done that, it wasn't my place. I really let jealousy get the best of me.”

You listened to him speak with such a string feeling growing inside your chest as your heart was racing- your mind rushing with the thought of him being jealous seeing another guy with you.

You instinctively placed your hand on top of Ashton’s, a smile growing on his face as you did so and his hand holding your’s in return causing your heart to skip a beat.

“Don’t apologize, Ash. I-” You stopped.

Ashton quirked his eyebrow. “You what?”

You inhaled deeply. “I would do the same if I saw you with another girl.”

You looked up to see Ashton’s eyes widen at your confession and his lips quickly forming a wide smile. He coughed and continued. “Y/n?”

“Ash?” You returned.

“Maybe this is too forward, but what are we?” He asked.

You let a sly smile grace your face as a cheeky one grew on his as you answered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He scooted closer to you on the bench, his hand squeezing yours and his other arm, laying against the top of the bench and around your back. “Don’t joke, Y/n! C’mon we both know what I’m talking about. I could never hide stuff from you. You know me better than anyone and I couldn’t hide this from you no matter how hard I tried. You’re... you’re more than just my best friend, Y/n.”

You were taken back by his confession and you swear you could hear the thumping in your ears. He was right- he could never keep anything from you. You always knew when there was something going on with him whether he told you or not, but you never really were sure he liked you back. The one thing that meant the most to you to know and you couldn’t have guessed it. Until now.

“Ash, you don’t know how happy that makes me.” You said, taking your hand out of his and throwing your hands up in the air dramatically. “I was so worried and sad and just- I never knew that you felt the same. I thought I was going to leave never having known-”

“You feel the same?” He asked.

You paused, letting your hands fall back down to your lap and staring back into his eyes. “Of course I do, Ashton. I’ve been in love with you for so long. I never thought you felt the same.”

Ashton let his smile take over his face and was glowing with overwhelming happiness as you did too. You were so in love with Ashton and knowing that he felt the same about you was something you didn’t think you’d ever have the satisfaction of knowing and now that you did, you two couldn’t do anything but laugh out of joy and smile so ineffably bright.

He took his hands and placed them on your cheeks, pulling you in for a kiss that you immediately melted into, as his lips were even softer than you had imagined. When he finally pulled away from the kiss and was staring into your eyes he started laughing.

“What?” you asked, smiling.

He smiled, sitting back on the bench and putting his arm around your shoulder, “I guess it’s a good thing that I let jealousy get the best of me, huh?”

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calumbringbackthewatermelonshirt · 6 years

Text

Shoot Your Shot [Soccer!Cal AU]

Part 6

When Cal got back to Bia’s apartment, the time was already 11:30, so he wasn’t expecting her to be awake. Yet, when he slid his key into the lock and turned the handle, she was sitting on the couch, still in her dress watching The Office. Cal took in the sight of her for a moment. She hadn’t noticed him come in yet, and hot damn, did she look beautiful. While, yeah, his heart ached when he thought about the fact that he could never have her as his own, knowing that she would be in his life for years to come as his best friend still made him happy.

“Why are you still up?” Cal limped into the living room, grabbed the remote, and shut off the tv. It was getting late and Cal knew that she had class tomorrow. Normally, she would have been asleep two hours ago.

“I wanted to make sure you got home safe. As you well know, frat boys, especially drunk ones, aren’t exactly known for their chivalry.” Bia smirked as she quoted him. She loved teasing Cal: It was honestly one of her favorite parts of their friendship. So a chance to throw them back in his face? Well, she seized it greedily. “Besides, I believe you still owe me a dance.”

“Fair enough.” Cal was honestly ecstatic that she had brought it up. He had broken off a dance with her right before he left, and Cal definitely wanted to finished what he started. He quickly brought out his phone and chose the one song he felt perfectly summed up how he felt for her. Cal knew that Bia was sort of oblivious, though, so he felt safe playing it to dance with her.

As Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis flowed softly from his phone’s speakers, Cal and Bia stood the same way they had at the bar, only this time closer. Cal felt Bia’s hair tickle his skin, soft because she had wash and straightened it. They swayed, rocking back and forth for a minute or two. Cal wished he could do more, show off the skills that he had picked up when his mom forced him to take collation. Bia was happy and content, but she was also curious. So she asked the question that was gnawing away at her.

“Where did you go today? I mean, you left in kind of a hurry.” Bia wasn’t too bothered by his leaving. She was sure that wherever he had gone, he had gone with good reason.

“Oh, I went to pick up Cassidy from the airport.” Cal hummed along to the song softly, completely oblivious. Sure, he felt a little bad, but it was his girlfriend. But as he felt Bia pull away from him, he couldn't help but feel that she thought differently.

“I- You what?” Bia closed her eyes. Oh, she was stupid, she was so, so stupid. Why had she let herself have one last day? She knew how painful it would be, and yet she had done it anyways. Her choices were questionable from the beginning, and now looking back, she realized they were downright stupid.

“I went to pick up Cassidy from the airport. What’s the big deal?” Cal studied Bia for a moment, finding er behavior odd. Yeah, her left her party early, and yeah he was dancing with her when she left, but what was he supposed to do?

“The big deal? The big deal, Calum?” Bia was shaking. It wasn’t even deniable, her hands were positively quaking with pent up anger, sadness, but most of all, love. “The big deal is you. You left. You left me, my party, my birthday. You left me standing in the middle of the dance floor, smiling like a fool. Smiling despite the fact that you had just stood me up in front of all my friends on my birthday. But I smiled nonetheless because you wouldn’t do that without a good reason, right? At least, that’s what I told myself. You wouldn’t run out on the most important day of the year for me without a good reason. You wouldn't abandon our friendship in the middle of the dance floor without a good reason. My God, Hood did you play me like a fiddle. And I was dumb enough to clap when you were done.”

Both Calum and Bia were taken aback by her words. Bia, because she didn’t know where they had come from, what had possessed her in those moments. Sure, that’s what she felt, how she felt, but Bia had never been the type of person to say that. In a way though, she felt free, free of her emotions. Calum, on the other hand, had every word hit him like a stone. Bia barely express her emotions even when she was at her happiest. So to hear all her bottled up emotions finally flow out, well, Cal knew how strong they must of been. These words, they were all calculated and passionate. They were not to be taken lightly or to be dismissed as something she had said in the heat of the moment. No, these were her true thought, raw and undiluted. And they were full of hate.

“I don’t think that's fair of you to say. In fact, I don’t think it’s fair of you to be mad at me at all.” Cal crossed his arms and cocked his head at an angle. Yeah, he felt bad, and yeah, he wished things could have been different. But that did not justify her words.

“You don’t think that’s fair? You don’t think me being mad is justified.” Bia couldn’t believe Calum’s words. This, this was too much. Sure, she was planning on pushing Cal out of her life, but she had never wanted this. “YOU DON’T GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO FEEL. You may not agree, but they are my emotions. Mine. And because of just that reason, they are justified.”

“God, jus-just stop. You always blow everything out of proportions. I had to ick up my girlfriend from the airport. Hm, let me think for a moment, girlfriend or just a friend?” Cal put a hand out a he said girlfriends and just a friend, pretending to way them. “Last I checked, you’re not my girlfriend.”

Bia gasped. Her throat was raw, what with the crying and the yelling. For a moments, Bia just stood there with her mouth open. Then she shut it. Bia had shed enough tears over this boy. Hell, she had given up enough of her life for this boy. Bia had passed on a scholarship to Yale, Yale of all places to be with Calum. Not anymore. Bia was a quick learner, so this particular lesson took root fast: Love is dead.

“One day, Calum. All I wanted was one day for me. ME.” Bia words came out mess and wet, but she held strong. This was over. Everything was just... over. “But I guess you were too selfish to even give me that. I guess I always knew that I would end up being the one who got hurt.”

“My God, Bia. Not everything is about you! And, and I don't owe you an explanation. Just stop playing the victim.” Cal was in a state of disbelief. He and Bia had fought before but never like this. The things she had said, however, were just plain wrong. Unacceptable, even.

“Really, stop playing the victim. Fine. You know what? I don’t know who you are anymore Calum. You’ve changed.” Bia still felt the tears running down her face, but this time, they were tears of anger, not sadness. Bia was furious at the man she loved, and yes, she was ashamed to admit that she still loved him. But someone once told her there’s a fine line between love and hate and Bia was toeing the line.

If I have changed, it’s been for the better. I’m sure it’ll be even better once you’re out of it.” No. That’s not what Calum meant, what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her he loved her but the words just wouldn’t come out. He throat felt thick, and his mind was frazzled. He knew, though, that he said the wrong thing. He looked at Bia, saw her with her mouth agape and a hand covering it. Her eyes, though, Calum just couldn’t stop looking at her eyes. Even though they were both so mad, even when they were in the middle of an argument, all Calum could think was that her eyes were just so goddamn beautiful.

“Oh, God. Oh, God. You know, after everything, I can only blame myself.” Bia tried to keep her voice level despite everything. Her head, oddly enough, had never felt clearer. “I hope that everything works out with you and Cassidy. I hope that maybe next time, you don’t abandon your friends. And most of all, I hope you know that every time I see you, every time I think of you, it will hurt.”

“This wasn’t my fault. Play victim all you want, but the isn’t, can’t be all on me.” Calum reached into the breast pocket of his suit and pulled out a small box. He stared down at it, remembering all the effort he put into the gift. It took him hours to pick the wrapping paper, much less actually wrapping the damn thing. Then he threw it down on the coffee table. “I can’t do this anymore.”

His last words came out as barely more than a whisper. Then Calum turned and walked away from Bia once more.

“Go on then. Leave! See if I care!” Bia was screaming, a stark contrast to Calum’s whisper. As Calum walked out the door, she pulled on the roots of her hair and spun. Bia was so hurt. All she had ever wanted was to be happy. Why was that too much to ask? But she didn’t know what else to do. So Bia sat on the couch and opened Calum’s gift. ||

“Hey, Ash.” Bia stepped into the house that the boys lived in together and gave Ash a hug. She had come to drop off Calum’s things, now that he wasn’t living with her anymore.

“I heard. I heard everything.” Ash was solemn. Knowing that something that could have been so beautiful had turned out so awful weighed heavy on his heart. Neither of them deserved anything that had happened, but they had no else to blame but themselves.

“I just. I tried not to fall in love with him. Really, I did.” Bia looked up at Cal with a newfound sadness in her eyes. This was so much deeper than anything else she had felt. “But I guess in the end, I just wasn't the girl he fell in love with.”||

“You said what?” Sophie found it hard to believe what she was hearing. The entire time that she had known them, she had always felt that Calum and Bia were meant to be together. They just fit so perfectly into each other that Calum and Bia not being together? Well, she had never even considered it as a possibility.

“I said it wasn’t my fault.” Calum was sitting on the couch in Sophie’s apartment with his head in his hands, completely unaware of the fact that Bia had been crying there only a couple days ago. “I don’t understand why I said that, Soph. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean any of it.”

Sophie sat next to Cal and rubbed his back, the deja-vu unreal for her. She loved both her friends dearly, but sometimes she just wanted to knock their heads together for being so oblivious. God, why couldn’t they just admit that they loved each other?

“Oh, God, Soph. I used to think that love was real, that life was fair. But really? Love is just the biggest scam of all.”

_______________________________________________________________________

@marshmallowtraver @daniellesimagines @xx-cuddlemecalum-xx

#5sos #5 seconds of summer #calum #calum hood #calum au #calum hood au #soccer calum #calum soccer

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nbhd-daily · 7 years

Text

Jesse Rutherford’s Blonde Ambition

After seeing success as the lead singer of standout band The Neighbourhood, the 26-year-old So-Cal native decided it was time to try things on his own. &, Rutherford's first solo album, perfectly embodies the personality of the man who was born to be blonde. It's funny, poppy, loose yet precise, and more than anything, honest.

office met with Rutherford at his hotel in New York City a day before his flight back to California to perform in front of a sold out crowd alongside the band that helped him find his voice. Rutherford was open and reflective. He's as transparent as you'd hope any musician would be. He knows the key to success as a musician is being your best and most honest self at all times, all while making great music.

Interview by Khufu Najee

Photos by Mitchell Connell

I want to start off by saying I love the album.

Thank you.

I was in LA with my girlfriend when I first heard it and on that same morning, I actually dyed my hair blonde.

Yo (laughs). That’s sick.

True story.

So cool. It looks great, by the way.

Thank you, man. But that leads me to my first question. "Born To Be Blonde." What was the inspiration for that song? I know you were very specific about starting the album with that song. What went into that thought process?

The general statement just kinda means be whoever you wanna be. It’s just kind of a twist on how to say that or my particular way of saying it. I felt like it was a chance for me to be as stupid and as smart as I am — or as I think I might be — all in one go. I don’t know. It just kind of happened. It was a poem. It was a poem that I wrote while The Neighbourhood was recording our Wiped Out album. It was just a poem. I wrote it one day and or one night. I don’t even remember. I just know it was during that process cause I was blonde at that point and I was really psyched about it. It was just the way it made me feel I guess. Wrote it down. Maybe 75% of it came from that initial poem. The last 25% — the bridge and shit — was written in the studio as I was recording it. But I tried doing it a couple times. It was going to be a Neighbourhood song a long time ago. Nothing ever happened to it.

It’s very interesting how often I hear a good portion of songs that we hear on someone’s new album are actually old.

Yep. And that comes with age and with time. It’s crazy you say that cause I’ve thought about that a lot recently too and it’s given me a new hope with writing music because I probably have hundreds of songs that are not released and now I know sometimes I can go back in the fucking Rolodex. Oh okay. Wrote it in 2013. It’s 2018. Now they're ready for it. That’s how it goes sometimes.

You have to be ready to let it go.

You have to be on time. You can’t be early in this game. That doesn’t get you anywhere. At least from my experience. I feel like there have been moments where I’ve been like well I did that first and then something else happens and someone else does it. And maybe they did it at a better time. Maybe they had it more refined. Maybe it was better than the version I had. Or the type of song. Or the type of sound. Sometimes you gotta wait for the right time.

The 2014 mixtape with the band. Two features I want to ask about. You had Gerald and Kossisko. Two really good friends of mine.

Oh, you grew up in the bay?

Yeah, man.

Dope.

So, I’m curious. How did the Bay Area connection come about?

(Laughs).

It's always a good answer when they laugh before answering.

Well, Kossisko, 100s at the time, that was through our friend Matthew. Kirk, who has a label now, runs it with Matthew’s partner label.

What’s the label?

Bad Habits.

Okay.

And Matthew, he’s like my LA homie. He’s like my first LA friend. When I was like 19 trying to rap and putting my shit on the internet, he was the first dude from the city — cause I’m from the suburbs outside the city — he was like the first dude from the city to be like, yo, you’re tight, come hang out with me and my friends. And those friends ended up being 4e, who helped me produce the mixtape and then helping The Neighbourhood do our Wiped Out album. It was a long process. That was, you know, six or seven years ago. It was a while ago. I met Kossisko through him.

He’s a good dude, man.

Yeah, dude. He’s smooth too.

Staying on collaborations, on that same mixtape, you had Danny Seth. And I noticed on this new album, you had MD$, both of whom are big on the music scene in London. How did that connection come about?

Danny was also through Matthew.

Of course he was. Danny lived in LA for a bit, yeah?

Yeah, and Matthew was fucking with him for a minute. I could give you Matthew's number if you want (laughs). He’s in with everyone.

Collabs are important. How did you go about choosing who to work with on this album?

Well, I met Dylan Brady, who produced the majority of the project. I think I was playing a show and Kirk came out. Kirk met with Dylan. I think we were in St. Louis, where Dylan is from and he just walked in and I saw him. I know this may sound very surface but I basically just judged a book by the cover. Like, clothing and how you present yourself, matters. Dylan walked in and he just had this steez that I’d never seen before and I was like there’s something about this guy. Then I ended up hearing his music and it was so ambitious and unique and at the time I was trying to figure out how to find my own lane and find my own sound and do my solo thing. So we got in the studio together, we had a week in Paramount in LA, five days, and we ended up doing seven songs, and about four or five ended up on the record. It was a solid week for sure. He’s a great producer. He can really do anything. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever seen before. He’s a fucking machine, dude. He’s nonstop. Dylan kinda kicked it off. We started with this sound. I worked with Daytrip a couple times before when they were back in LA and we did a couple records but nothing that was my favorite. They were amazing doing what they do but I wasn’t pleased with what I was doing on the songs.

The mind of a perfectionist, man.

Right? But then they randomly sent me a 30-pack and I was like this is fun. So I went through them, picked ten that I liked, recorded on about four or five really quickly and two of them ended up being on the album. MD$, that was just another random session when they were in LA.

MD$ is fire, dude. That’s good music.

They make really good music.

London, for the most part, is known for Grime Rap. When you think rap in London, you think grime. But what they do isn’t grime. It’s so dope and so different.

Very musical.

Very musical. Absolutely. I really want to meet the dude.

He’s a mystery. You never saw him?

No.

He’s cool. He has a swag to him for sure.

How old were you when you decided on music?

I started playing drums when I was in the eighth grade. High school came around and I met this guy who became my buddy. I grew up in a suburb where it’s like hard core punk kinda shit and I just wanted to be a part of that. But my balls took forever to drop and finally when they did I started singing. Voice is still pretty high so they only dropped so far (laughs). But I would say around 17 is when I took it seriously.

And around that age is when you knew this was what you were going to do with your life?

Yeah. Especially once I stopped doing hard core and started making really bad pop rap. I had to start somewhere though (laughs). I’ve never really thought twice about thinking twice. This is all I’ve ever done. And luckily it’s worked. It’s always felt so good. It’s the only thing I’ve ever felt natural at. I’m not that great at video games. I’m not that great at fucking school, all the cliche shit that everybody says.

Knowing what you know now, what would you tell that younger self?

Don’t get those tattoos on your right arm (laughs). Save that real estate because you’re going to want some other shit some day. Maybe don’t get any of the tattoos so early. But 17 year old me, looking at 26 year old me, with like neck tattoos and shit, would be like "yo this guy is so sick what the fuck.” I know that really surface level but I think the boxes you in. If I’m in the whitely tatted lane, then okay. I did it to myself. Other than that, just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s working.

Are you familiar with the word synesthesia?

No.

It’s basically a condition, although I don’t know why they call it that cause it almost gives it a bad connotation. But, Lorde has it, Frank Ocean, few other artists. Basically, you can taste, smell, see colors, in ways other people can’t. It’s amazing.

Me and my team talk about that all time time. We try to relate things to colors when it comes to Neighbourhood music and my own music. We try and connect songs to seasons. Some songs always seem to fit with certain seasons. Day or night. That’s a big one.

Very true. I have music I only listen to at night time. Or when the sun isn’t shining.

That’s the struggle of being asked to play a festival, when you make night music, but they give you the noon slot. How do you like the sun, yo? Yeah, this dark ass song is going to sound great while this bright ass sun is turning my pasty skin bright red.

What color would you say your music is?

I feel like I have to just say rainbow because it has to be the opposite of rainbow because The Neighbourhood has always done the black and white thing. But I don’t know. I really do like yellow. I think yellow is a really cool color. And it doesn’t even have to be bright yellow. Just a nice warm yellow that kinda has some warmth to it.

I’m not going to ask you who your musical inspirations are cause I think that shit is corny as fuck but I am curious where do you draw inspiration from? Are you the kind of dude who has a movie playing on silent in the studio at all times?

No. I’m terrible at watching movies. I need to start watching more. I just started on Apocalypse Now.

Started. Didn’t finish?

Not yet. I’m about half-way through. It's a slow process for me. But inspiration… It’s funny cause I do like Spongebob (laughs) but I feel like a sponge. I just absorb a lot of shit around me. Sometimes I can’t even pinpoint it. It’s just like shit that’s coming at me. Between the different styles and sounds of music that I like and what’s fucking constantly stewing in my head. I just feel like I can do all these different types of music, so I need to do it. And sometimes I fail. And sometimes I think, from what I’ve seen from the internet and from what fans tell me, I think I nail it sometimes. With this project especially, the title alone, just using &. Calling it that left it open to anything. Cause you can’t just have that and nothing else. There has to be something before and something after and you know that. So that alone it’s just like, I’m a sucker for that kind of shit. I just love hooks. I want everything to be a hook. A photo, to a fucking pair of shoes, the title of something, hooks only. I did a book two years ago I called that. It’s a collection of photos I took with my friend, ended up turning it into a book. I’ve always called that book the Bible of Jesse. In that book, there’s no words. All pictures. Just me wearing a whole bunch of shit. It’s all over the place. But that’s how I felt. That’s who I am. I think a lot of people are like that. Especially young people. With the internet how are you just gonna be one thing in this shit?

You have to do everything. It’s the norm now.

You have to. Remember when Drake came out. And he was singing and rapping? People were confused. But now? You can’t not do that (laughs). It’s all that. Which is great. It’s fucking incredible. I feel like now more than ever music is ready for me. You know what I mean? And I’m ready for it. I don’t feel old, I just feel grown enough to just be like, oh yeah I can do all this shit. I’ve been doing this shit for years. It’s just about catching the right moment and knowing what to do. Last time I caught the moment I didn’t know how to hold onto it. I never know how it’s gonna work anymore. I never know what song is going to work. You said you love Barbie and Ken. I was terrified to put the song out because it’s so, so opposite to the character of Jesse Rutherford from The Neighbourhood is known for.

Well, that’s what a solo project should do, innit? Show that other side?

I think so. I hope so.

#the nbhd #the neighbourhood #jesse rutherford #office magazine

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mosylufanfic · 6 years

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Ups and Downs and Then More Downs

You know, that whole episode was about Iris, but she still had to comfort Barry and listen to Ralph be an idiot. Our girl had a really rough first day as the Flash and needed someone to support her for a change. Title from I’m About to Come Alive by Train.

(Read more here because Tumblr is still being weird about quotation marks)

Ups and Downs and Then More Downs

When Barry stepped on Caitlin's foot for the third time in two minutes, Iris said, “Babe, I need new clothes. Can you please go get me some?”

“Sure,” he said. “Yeah, yeah, sure.” He shifted his weight in a way that Iris had seen several times today, the gesture that said he was about to bolt at the speed of sound and be back before her heart had finished its beat.

Of course, all he did was take a regular old human step. The familiar mix of bewilderment, disappointment, and dismay flickered across his face.

She gave him a little smile. “No rush,” she said softly.

He mustered up a return smile and walked out of the med lab, headed for the lockers downstairs with the spare sweats.

“Thanks,” Caitlin said, with deep feeling.

Iris shot her a smile. “I thought this might go faster without him hovering and clutching my hand. Not that I mind a little pampering, but - “

“Yeah, I know,” Caitlin said. “He doesn’t know how to stay out of the way like you do.”

“That shouldn't sound like a compliment,” Iris mused. “But somehow it does.”

Caitlin smiled a little and focused on her x-ray. “Well, your tibia is broken,” she said. “I was pretty sure, but this confirms it.”

“Bad?”

“Not great. It’ll take several hours to heal.”

She shouldn't be shocked by that, not after the past few years of watching Barry bounce back from injuries that would have landed a non-speedster in the hospital for weeks. But it was different when it was her body, and she could watch the bruise bloom and then shrink away on her wrist, and she could feel the itch of broken skin knitting together.

“I’ve got to set it fast,” Caitlin said, “or it’ll - “

“Heal wrong, I know.” Iris set her teeth and briefly wished she hadn’t sent Barry away quite so fast. “Do it.”

With the bone set and a splint strapped on to stabilize it, Iris wiped her sweaty face and took a few breaths.

"How are you doing?" Caitlin asked. She’d moved on to her less serious injuries, and now was cleaning blood away from what had been a deep, painful cut on Iris's arm.

Exhausted? Humiliated? In pain? But most of all - "Starving," Iris said. "I don't suppose you've got an entire roasted chicken stashed away in one of those cabinets?" She wouldn't be surprised. Caitlin seemed to produce all sorts of unexpected objects from her lab.

"I can offer you a nutrient bar." Caitlin rummaged for a moment, and held out a bar wrapped in aluminum foil.

Iris studied it doubtfully. "Barry always complains about the way they taste, but they can't be that bad, can't they?" She bit off a corner, coughed, and almost spit it out. "Oh. Noooo. Oh my god."

"Cisco's trying," Caitlin apologized, throwing the blood-stained gauze square into the trash and stripping off her gloves. "But every time he improves the taste, the nutritional quality goes down."

"Maybe the reason they work is because they kill your appetite."

Caitlin laughed, but said, "I've tested them. Ten thousand calories a bar."

Iris froze in the act of taking another bite. Her stomach growled again. She remembered that she'd been training all day, even before the fire, and although she'd eaten a huge lunch, now her stomach felt like it was devouring her from the inside out.

"So weird to think of calories as good things," she said, taking the bite and forcing herself to chew before swallowing.

"They are good things," Caitlin said. "When you get the amount you need."

"I know that in my head, but the diet industry is powerful." Iris took another bite, defiantly - take that, lo-cal everything - and almost choked. "God, it's so bad, though."

Caitlin handed her a bottle of water. "Small bites and wash them down," she said. "And when you're done - " She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a bright pink tampon box.

"Uh, that's not my brand, and that's not a problem at the moment." What if speed affected her cycle too? Oh, great.

Caitlin smirked and opened the box to show it full of Hershey's miniatures.

Iris felt her eyes widen. "You're diabolical," she said, and choked. "I - that wasn't - I meant the guys would probably all chop off their fingers before they even touched that box."

"I know," Caitlin said, but the smirk had dissolved. She set the box next to Iris on the bed and started cleaning up.

Iris took the prescribed small bites and watched her. “Sorry about your clothes,” she said eventually.

The pants were in a cut-up heap in the corner of the room. The sweater was torn, blood-stained, and stank of smoke.

Caitlin just shrugged. “They were old, anyway.”

And soft and cuddly and - "I can replace them."

“No, no, of course not. I don’t need you to do that. You obviously couldn’t have gone out there in this.” She plucked at the Star Labs sweatshirt that Iris had swapped with her. “It’s fine, really.”

Iris finally finished the noisome nutrition bar and picked out three Mr. Goodbars. She wanted to eat the whole box, wrappers and all, but she forced herself to remember that this was Caitlin’s stash. “Thanks for being so supportive."

“You've had a big day.”

“Yeah, and I capped it off by totally biffing my first save.”

Caitlin straightened up and turned around. “You didn’t biff anything.”

Iris pointed at her splinted leg and raised her eyebrows.

“Please,” Caitlin said. “Barry broke his wrist on his first day as a speedster. And he ran into a laundry truck. Different occasions.”

“After he’d stopped a bad guy and saved me from being pancaked,” Iris said gloomily, biting her first chocolate bar in half. “Me? I completely blanked. If it weren't for Cisco, I would have been toast. Literally."

“That’s happened to Barry, too,” Caitlin said. “A lot. Ease up on yourself.”

“I can’t,” Iris sighed, and ate the rest of the Mr. Goodbar. "I couldn't kill the fire, I couldn't phase through that piece of ceiling - I knew what to do, I just couldn't."

Caitlin sat down next to her. “Listen, okay? There are five people going home tonight because of you. Home, and not to the morgue. Do you think that’s nothing?”

Iris shook her head. "I know that's the most important thing."

"Damn straight it is," and Iris knew it was serious because Caitlin rarely swore. "Barry didn't kill a fire like that until he'd been a speedster for weeks. He didn't phase through objects until he'd been doing this for over a year. Again, this is your first day, Iris. Are you really measuring yourself against the Flash as he is now?"

"Of course I am," Iris said brightly. "And I have to do it backwards and in heels, too."

Caitlin scowled.

She sighed and ate her last candy bar. "I know what you’re saying here. But you know how it is."

Caitlin’s scowl softened. She’d spent much of her adult life as the only woman in the room and constantly having to prove her right to be there. "I do know how it is."

Iris fiddled with the yellow-and-silver wrapper. "Well. This has been good for me, I guess. Before, I just holed up here all nice and safe while told you all what to do and where to go, and I had no idea what it was really like. Now I do."

But instead of agreeing, Caitlin frowned. "That doesn't sound like my friend Iris. Whose words are those?"

"It's true."

"Who said that to you? Was it Barry?"

"No, of course not." She wondered for a split second if Barry thought that, and pushed it out of her head. "Ralph might've been venting a little bit."

"Ralph?" Caitlin let out a laugh that sounded like ice breaking. "Ralph goes out in the field, sure. When we drag him. Otherwise, he's hiding in the basement. He's not up here in the cortex, seeing all the work we do, and he's certainly not lifting a finger to help. He can shut his big fat mouth."

The words settled into her stomach, dissolving the rock that Ralph's contempt had left there. Caitlin was right. What was she even doing, listening to him? "Thanks," she said.

"Anytime. I mean that. Don't ever think that you haven't been important. We haven't had a leader in a long time and now that we do, it's so different."

"What about Barry?"

"Barry's good at many things," Caitlin said. "But he's a hero, and that's different than being a leader. He has a terrible tendency to pick one thing to focus on and forget about everything else. It's not bad, necessarily, but it does mean that whatever's not important to him gets ignored."

Iris opened her mouth, feeling as if she should defend her husband, but - actually. Yes. Caitlin had a point about that. How many times in her life had she had to call Barry's attention to something that had whiffed right past his head because he'd decided it wasn't important?

"I mean, I do that too!" Caitlin exclaimed. "And so does Cisco. It's a blind spot for all of us. But you see the big picture. You see all our pieces and how they fit together. Maybe it's the journalism, I don't know."

Iris felt a pang at the thought of her old job. She'd left it behind for a good reason, she told herself. Her priorities had changed, she hadn’t had enough in her to do both. Good reasons.

But her fingers still itched for a keyboard sometimes.

"We need that,” Caitlin was saying. “We need a big-picture person."

"Harry," Iris suggested.

"Has all the compassion, patience, and empathy of a seagull who wants your French fries. He's very, very smart, I know, and it's saved us several times. But intelligence doesn't make a leader, just the same as heroism doesn't."

Iris looked down to find that she'd rolled the candy wrappers into a ball. She tossed them at the trash can and leaned forward. "I hear what you're saying and I appreciate it, I do. But being out there today, in the middle of everything, before I messed it up - "

Caitlin made a warning noise in her throat.

"Before it went wrong," Iris corrected herself. "I felt . . . I don't know. I felt like I'd found something I've been missing."

The doctor studied her. "Does that mean you want to stay the Flash?"

"Barry's the Flash," Iris said sharply, almost defensively.

She held up her hands in a peacemaking gesture. "Of course he is. I meant, would you want to keep the speed if Barry could also get his back?"

Iris frowned over it. "I don't know," she said. "I mean, out there today, I felt like I was wearing a costume that didn't belong to me."

"Well," Caitlin said. "My clothes, Jesse's mask - you kind of were."

"Besides that," Iris said. "The speed was fun, but it didn't feel like me." She shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe I just have to get used to it."

Caitlin reached out and picked up a pad of graph paper. "Should I be trying to figure out a way for you to keep your speed?"

Iris held up her hand. "Right now, I want you to focus on finding out if there's a way to reverse what Melting Point did. If all he has to do is touch two people, Barry and I definitely aren't the first and we won't be the last."

"On it," Caitlin said.

Iris wondered if it could even be done. But Caitlin had the set to her mouth that meant she was going to work all night if she had to.

Barry came back, with a new Star Labs sweatshirt and a pair of loose shorts that would go over the splint. Caitlin shooed him away and helped her into them, working carefully around her leg. Even so, her leg ached and throbbed by the time they were done.

“Don’t suppose you ever found a painkiller that would work on speedsters?” Iris asked.

“It’s my personal white whale,” Caitlin said, opening the curtains of the med lab again.

“Right.”

She looked through the window. Barry was standing in front of his Flash suit, his arms wrapped around himself and his head drooping. He'd lost his speed before, and gotten it back, but she knew he always worried that this would be the last time.

Cisco stepped up next to him and said something quiet. Barry’s shoulders softened, and he glanced over to smile at his friend. Cisco grinned brightly back, asked something, and made a small breaching motion with his hand. Probably offering to breach them home. Barry nodded.

She glanced over at Caitlin, who was scribbling something onto her paper with a frown line between her brows. The other woman glanced up, gave her a brief smile, and dove back into her calculations again.

Big picture, Caitlin had said. Iris looked at the big picture.

Well, yes. Of course she did. How could you see what was coming in the distance if you didn’t?

She narrowed her eyes at nothing, wondering how big the picture would have to be before they figured out what DeVoe was planning.

She made herself let that go. Right now the big picture that she could see included the speed humming in her bones. Even if it didn’t feel like it belonged to her, it was there, for who knew how long. She had to go home, rest up her healing leg, and come back here in the morning, ready to be the speedster that the city needed while Barry was out of commission.

Barry came in. “Hey,” he said to Iris. “Ready to go?”

"The Cisco Express is about to leave the station," Cisco added, coming in after.

“Caitlin?” Iris asked. “Am I clear to leave?”

“Oh!” She looked up. “Yes, go on. When you get home, elevate that leg. And call me if something doesn't feel right, okay?”

“Of course,” Barry said.

"And don’t forget to eat. Want more nutrient bars?” She got up and opened a cabinet.

“No!” Iris yelped.

Cisco said, “Hey.”

“No, that’s fine, we’ll order my usual,” Barry said, referring to a family feast from the Chinese place around the corner. He helped her off the bed.

“You’re going home too, right, Caitlin?” Iris asked.

“Hmm? Sure. I just want to test some things out first." She shut the cabinet and went back to her computer, frowning. "Night, you guys."

Iris eyed her, doubtful. But the familiar whoosh of Cisco's breach distracted her. When Barry helped her through into their own living room, she headed right for the couch and carefully dropped into its fluffy cushions.

Something bumped her hip. She said, "Ow," but not too loudly because Barry would panic instead of calling out for delivery and she really wanted about fifty potstickers, immediately if not sooner. She shifted cushions until she found her laptop, left there after a Netflix binge.

When was the last time she'd used it for anything else?

She eyed it, then moved it onto the table next to the lamp and dropped her head back against the back of the couch and let out a gusty sigh.

It really had been a hell of a day.

FINIS

#Iris West #Caitlin Snow #fanfiction #mosylufanfic lives up to her damn name #ladies supporting ladies #the flash

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calzona-all-ways · 7 years

Text

The Bitter Hills

Chapter 2

By Anonymous

“So things didn’t work out with Penny, huh?”

Callie sat on a living room sofa in Seattle, ice cold beer in hand, and shook her head. She had called two weeks earlier to beg sanctuary and after packing and shipping everything she owned in New York, she and Sofia had arrived hours earlier, two small suitcases in hand, to the refuge of Meredith’s home, eternally grateful to the general surgeon and her open door policy for friends and co-workers.

“No. And I didn’t even realize it at the time, but we didn’t stand a chance. Not at all. I couldn’t-” she stop speaking and huffed, pushing the beer bottle to stand between her legs for stabilizing. “I just couldn’t get Arizona out of my mind, especially after the way she’s so selflessly gave up Sofia so I could move.” A small grimace marred the beautiful features of the Latina while she sheepishly moved on to explain the final nail in her relationship’s coffin. “Then when I uh, I called out her name during, uh, well, I’ll just say the most inopportune moment, well the writing was on the wall. For both Penny and myself.”

“Oh my God, you didn’t?!” Amelia commented with incredulity. “You really called out Arizona’s name while you were having sex with Penny?”

“Oh no. No-no-no-no-no. Not just DURING the sex. No.”

“Oh my God, you mean… during the big moment?”

Callie’s eyes closed in a prolonged blink of embarrassment. “Uh huh.”

Both Shepherd women scrunched their faces in commiseration of their friend's confession.

“I did. And it went over about as well as you would expect it to.” Slipping the bottle from between her legs, Callie used it for illustration. “Yep, lead balloon,” she mimicked the downing of such a craft and the explosion that would follow.

“Oh, I can imagine.”

“No, you can’t. Trust me.” Callie took a swig from the bottle now in her hand and then tipped it in Amelia’s direction as she spoke. “Mmm, you know the stereotype about redheads and their tempers? Yeah, well there’s a reason it’s a stereotype.”

“Ha,” Amelia let out a bark of laughter. “Didn’t see THAT coming-”

“Amelia…”

“No, I mean, she took so much crap from all of us when she was here, I didn’t think she even HAD a temper, that’s all.”

Callie snorted loudly. “Boy were you wrong.” She took another swallow from her beer as the memory of a naked and infuriated Penny played out silently in her mind. “Yep, waaasn’t pretty.”

“I’m sorry Cal.”

“Mm, no need,” the ortho surgeon waved off the sorrow with the backward swipe of her hand followed by another pull from the bottle. “Surprisingly, when she left it didn’t really affect me at all. I mean if anything it gave me the push I needed to come back here and try to make things right with Arizona.”

“Whoa-wait. You want to… do what exactly, with Arizona?”

“I don’t really know. All I know is that I can’t get her off of my mind.” Callie huffed loudly. “I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, everything makes me think of her, of our life together. I can’t seem to help myself.”

“Aww, she’s ruined you. She’s ruined you for anyone else,” Amelia teased.

“Amelia,” the name left Meredith’s lips in warning.

“No. It’s alright, Mer. Amelia’s right.” Callie sighed heavily as her reality closed in. “She’s right. I’m ruined. I am…ruined.” She took another sip.

“You are not ruined, Callie.”

“Oh, but I am.” The brunette laughed sardonically. “I am. All I can think about is Arizona. All I dream about is Arizona.” She blushed as she continued. “And all I fantasize about is Arizona. ALL the time. She’s everywhere,” she confessed while her fingers pulled at the label on the beer bottle still in her grasp.

“Boy, are you screwed.”

“Amelia!” Meredith chastised her sister with a stern voice yet again before turning to address Callie once more. “So what are you going to do?”

Fingers stilled and dark hair shimmied with the negative motion of her head.

“I have no idea. Other than moving back here, I haven’t figured any of it out yet, but I know I have to do SOMETHING. We’ve wasted so much time. I. Wasted so much time… Going to New York… Being with Penny.”

“You know she has a girlfriend right? Or HAD a girlfriend. I’m not entirely sure which.”

Callie’s eyes narrowed in confusion.

“What Amelia means is that Arizona’s been dating the new head of the resident teaching program for a while now-”

“But Bailey fired her,” Amelia informed abruptly and Meredith side eyed her for the interruption before turning her attention back to her friend.

“But Bailey fired her,” she reiterated, adding, “Although I’m not exactly sure HOW fired she is-”

“What Meredith is trying to say is that we’re not sure if she’s fired from the whole hospital or just as the head of the program. She IS still a surgeon after all.”

“Hmm.”

“Hey! I just realized she’s an ortho surgeon like you,” Amelia exclaimed, her eyes narrowing as she considered something else. “And come to think of it, she even looks a little bit like you-”

Callie groaned and chugged the rest of her libation, her ears almost but not quite missing the rest of Amelia’s comments when her voice dropped to a lower register as she continued. “Wow, I guess Arizona really does have a type.”

“Amelia!” Meredith scolded and the neurosurgeon reined herself back in.

“Well, not really. I mean she’s more of an imitator than anything.” Amelia backtracked, her eyes flitting nervously until a consolatory train of thought popped into her head. “But now that we have the real thing back, she might as well just disappear into the night, right? I mean who’s going to pass up a cartilage growing, wounded warrior helping ortho goddess in favor of a less talented wannabe? Bailey’s no fool after all-”

Callie collapsed to sit heavily on the sofa. “Is it pathetic of me to come back, Mer? Am I being pathetic?”

“It’s not pathetic to love someone, Callie.”

The ortho surgeon sighed. “It is if they don’t love you back.”

“Is that what you think?”

At Callie’s nod, Meredith could contain herself no longer. “Then you’re not pathetic, you’re an idiot.”

“Hey!” Now it was Amelia’s turn to object. “That’s kinda harsh.”

“It may be harsh, but it also may be true,” Meredith’s eyes shifted from Callie to Amelia before landing back on her friend once more. “You ARE an idiot if you think for a second that Arizona doesn’t love you. Of course, she loves you. The woman gave up her daughter when she didn’t have to, even though it meant repeated flights back and forth to New York to see her. I mean come on, Arizona survived a freakin’ plane crash that took not only her leg but the lives of two of her friends and she still let you take Sofia, even knowing that she’d have to get on a plane over and over again. Why do you think she did that?” Meredith stopped to take a breath and push away the pang of sadness over Lexie’s death before continuing on in exasperation. “She did it for you, Callie, for YOUR happiness. So you could have something to smile about again.”

“I don’t know-”

“Plus, she just finished dating a woman who basically WAS you. Or a lesser version of you anyways.” Meredith shook her head. “Of COURSE she still loves you,” she stopped speaking once more to take a breath before concluding. “Idiot.”

“So I should talk to her, then?”

“Did you get that brochure I sent you?”

“Wait- what does that have to do with anything?”

“Because THAT’S what you should do first. You should head for ‘The Hills’, take a break and sort out your feelings. THEN come back and talk to Arizona. And what THAT does is it gives you another weeks time to make a plan and decide on how to execute it as well. It also lets Arizona know that approaching her isn’t impulsive, that you’ve cleared Penny from your thoughts and your life. Now, do you have that brochure or not?”

“Yeah,” Callie pulled the glossy pamphlet from her pocket, it was wrinkled and tattered, but everything on it was still easily discernible. Amelia reached over and snatched it from her hand.

“The Bitter Hills,” she read. “Hmm, sounds like my breasts after Owen is finished mailing me.”

Laughter rang out, soothing the atmosphere in the room.

“Very funny, Amelia,” Meredith said when the chuckles dissipated. “Now give it to me.” She yanked the brochure out of the neurosurgeon's hand and turned to Callie. “I’ll call and make a reservation for you for as soon as possible-”

“But I can’t just leave Sofia-”

“She can stay here. Between myself, Maggie, and Amelia, she’ll be fine.”

Amelia’s eyes opened wide at the volunteering of her name. “Uh, hello? Thanks for speaking for me but I do have my own voice, you know. And what if I have plans?”

“Do you? Is it time for another mauling or something?”

Amelia looked properly chagrined. “I’m, well, no. No. I just uh, wanted to be asked-” she stopped speaking at the look her sister-in-law shot her way.

“Okay, see, Callie? We’ve got this. You’ll go and cleanse yourself at that Bitter Place, or whatever and we’ll take care of Sofia for you.”

Hesitation kept the ortho doctor still. “I don’t know…” Her eyes moved once more to the brochure in Mer’s hand.

“Go. We’ve got this. There are only pluses here, Callie. You’ll feel a lot better when you get back, and you’ll be ready to talk to Arizona too. AND your daughter will have TWO happy moms. You want your daughter to see her moms be happy, don’t you?”

At Callie’s nod, Meredith finished. “Good. Then I’m calling now so go re-pack your suitcase with whatever you’ll need and I’ll let you know what reservation I make. Hopefully, they’ll have a cabin free and I can get you in ASAP.”

Meredith sighed with relief as she watched Callie head up the stairs. “And don’t forget to bring a bathing suit!” she yelled after the brunette, her eyes finding Amelia’s and the women moved to high five each other. Slipping her cell phone from her back pocket, the mother of three dialed a number from memory, a different number from the paper in her hand, well known, oft dialed digits belonging to the cohort who’d made reservations the moment they’d known the ortho goddess was on her way back home to stay. Tapping her foot impatiently, she waited for the ringing to stop, and when it did, she whispered brusquely into the receiver.

“Hey, it’s Meredith. We did it. Operation ‘Calzona’ is a go for 'The Bitter Hills.”

End ch 2

#calzona fanfiction #Calzona #callie torres #arizona robbins #Calzona Always - All Ways #the bitter hills

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thesibyllinebooks · 7 years

Text

The New Yorkers (Part 19)

Annabeth sat on the couch in Leo and Calypso’s apartment as her friends mingled, yet again congratulating Calypso on her pregnancy. It seemed to be almost all they talked about lately. Annabeth hadn’t exactly been in the mood to celebrate, seeing how much she missed Percy, but she wasn’t going to be a bad friend and not come. Percy, apparently, hadn’t felt the same.

Calypso joined Annabeth on the couch. She wore a light pink dress and, surprisingly, had a sweater over it. Her stomach was large, and her long, caramel hair was tied up in a bun, secured with two knitting needles. Annabeth thought she looked like a very young, cute librarian. She was still barefoot.

“What’s wrong?” Calypso asked. Although she had a small smile, her eyes showed she knew Annabeth wasn’t in the greatest of moods.

Annabeth shook her head, not wanting to appear mopey a her friend’s baby shower. “It’s nothing, I…”

“Percy?” Calypso guessed. Annabeth didn’t respond. Calypso leaned back on the couch as if she was about to tell a long story. She rested her hands on her stomach. “I don’t know if he ever told you, but Percy came to my island long before Leo did. We spent some time together I… I grew to love him,” she admitted. Calypso looked at her, seeing if her words would hurt Annabeth. They didn’t, she’d already known about Percy’s visit to Ogygia, but she had a feeling she was about to find out something Percy hadn’t told her.

“When he left to finish his quest, he promised me he’d come back for me. And I waited for three years, which felt like an eternity, even for me. He never came back. No one I ever saw did until…”

“Leo,” Annabeth finished.

Calypso nodded with a small smile. “What I mean to say is, is even if people mean well, even if you love someone, you can’t wait for them. You can’t wait for life, Annabeth. It’s the easiest way to make yourself miserable. I know, because that’s all I did for thousands of years. I didn’t understand that until I met Leo. He may be a fool at times- most of the time, actually-but he’s taught me a lot.”

Annabeth noticed Calypso glance over to Leo, who was discussing something with Jason and Frank that involved grand hand gestures and a lot of noise. He was probably talking about the garage. He caught Calypso’s eye and gave her a warm smile.

“Thank you,” Annabeth said sincerely to her friend. “I really am happy for you, you know.”

“I know.” Calypso grinned at Annabeth. She stood up, doing the best her tiny, pregnant frame could to pull Annabeth up off her seat on the couch.

……..

“Gods! Look at these, Leo. Look at the little ruffles! I’m going to cry, they’re so adorable,” Calypso squealed, holding up two pink onesies, She ruffled through the bag to pull out booties, headbands, diapers, and other gifts.

Annabeth stood beside Piper and Jason. Calypso’s advice rang in her ears. Percy hadn’t called her in weeks. She knew why, but she honestly hadn’t expected him to heed a warning from his father so seriously, especially more serious than her. And perhaps Calypso was correct: if Percy truly cared for her, the least he could have done was say something, or see how she was doing. But he’d been silent. She’d happened by his and Jason’s apartment a few times, but each time Percy was “out” or at a job interview.

“I know, they’re so cute, I had a hard time choosing. I never knew shopping for baby clothes could be so fun,” Hazel exclaimed, beaming at her friend.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Frank muttered. Hazel elbowed him.

“Well, Hazel, Frank, we love them. Thank you,” She cast a look at Leo, who paid no attention. He was too busy fidgeting with a video baby monitor Piper and Jason had gifted them. “We’re going to have the cutest babies the gods have ever seen.”

“Second and third cutest, behind me,” Leo corrected her, not looking up.

“You’re such a dork,” Piper rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky Calypso has such good genes.”

“Uh, excuse me. Not only am I smokin’, I also have a wonderful personality and sense of charm,” Leo argued.

Piper snorted. “Yeah, clearly you’re smoking something if you think that’s true.” Frank and Jason couldn’t hold their laughter in. Even Annabeth cracked a smile. She loved hearing Piper and Leo banter, it reminded her of the good old days.

“You’re going to be the meanest tia ever,” Leo said, rolling his eyes. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

“Wait, we need to clean up,” Calypso declared.

“Eh, later,” Leo said, helping his expecting girlfriend out of the wicker chair. “Wait till you guys see what we cooked up.” Leo led everyone into the kitchen, followed by Calypso, who supported her back with her free hand. He pulled out her chair for her and she sat down with a large sigh.

Jason gave Annabeth a look of sympathy when he passed her to go into the kitchen. “I thought he’d be here tonight,” Jason shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like the kind of thing he’d miss.”

Maybe, if your father is a powerful god and you’re afraid of him killing you if you visit your girlfriend, Annabeth thought. And maybe, if you were too much of a wimp to even explain to her why you were going silent.

"He’s probably just busy,” Annabeth said casually, trying not to make it obvious she missed Percy. She followed Jason and Piper into the kitchen. Hazel and Frank were already seated next to Leo and Calypso, discussing wedding plans. It appeared Hazel was trying to convince Leo and Calypso to marry..

“Oh, but see, we hadn’t thought of a beach wedding, I think it would remind me of my time on Ogygia though,” Calypso said thoughtfully, frowning slightly. Leo kissed the side of her head and began to eat. “I still don’t see the point, though.”

“Frank and I were thinking of getting married in New Orleans. We went back a couple years ago and I absolutely loved it, it’s supposed to be a blast for weddings,” Hazel responded.

“So, how are the adults who don’t have their lives together supposed to be able to afford a destination wedding?” Piper asked, laughing.

“We aren’t getting married for a while,” Frank informed her. I want to graduate first, and Hazel wants to do nursing school. We just want to settle into our lives first.“

Leo looked up from his plate of food like he pitied Frank. "Cal and I said that too, and then boom! Pregnant!” he said, shaking his head and wiping his head with one of Calypso’s woven napkins. “But I can hardly contain my excitement…” he added as Calypso glared at him.

“Well, starting your life is important,” Calypso told Frank sincerely. “You want to find love and do things before you’re old and gray.”

Although the comment wasn’t directed at Annabeth, it still stung. She looked down at her plate. She felt like an outsider among her friends, all of them being in love and getting on with their lives. Annabeth had known that once, before her mother had taken it away.

“I’m so sorry I’m late.” Annabeth looked up with surprise as she heard Percy’s voice. He hurried into the kitchen, greeting Calypso and Leo, and then setting a gift at her feet. His hair was combed back, and it didn’t quite match the shirt and khakis he wore. He took a seat beside Annabeth. She wanted to jump out of her skin after weeks of not seeing him, but she remained calm, although she smiled to herself.

“Where were you?” Jason asked. “You were gone when I came home, I thought you’d forgotten.”

“Well,” Percy started, accepting a plate from Calypso. “I had a job interview that ran a little late.”

“And?” Piper questioned. “Spill!”

“Well, you’re looking at the new events coordinator of the New York Life Aquarium,” Percy announced, cracking a large smile.

“Percy!” Hazel shrieked, her eyes glowing. “That’s amazing!”

Jason clapped him on the back. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Percy said. “It seems the gods are starting to favor me, at least somewhat.”

Annabeth felt a chill. She’d kept their relationship secret, but obviously Percy had said something to Jason. Maybe Frank, too? He looked at her with clear sympathy.

Calypso frowned and spat out her potatoes into a napkin. “Leo, did you get sawdust in them again?”

Leo shrugged. “Its possible,” he said. “I can’t taste it.”

At once, everyone pushed their plates away from them.

Calypso clasped her hands together. She seemed to be holding in a laugh. “I know, how about we have dessert now?” Calypso stood, sighing with the weight of her pregnant stomach. She waddled over to the fridge and opened the door.

Percy cast a furtive glance in Annabeth’s direction, as if he wanted to say something. “I’ll call,” he whispered. Annabeth stared at him, dumbfounded. “Annabeth, I said could you pass the salt?” He said louder.

Understanding he was still trying to keep their secret, Annabeth dumbly reached for the salt shaker, which was closer to the other end of the table and passed it to Percy.

“Thanks,” he said, his hand touching hers when he accepted the salt shaker from her. Jason looked like he wanted to laugh at them both.

Calypso clucked her tongue, removing a tiered strawberry cake from the fridge. “Salt on your cake, Percy? I know you’re a fan of saltwater, but at least taste it first.”

Luckily, Leo saved Percy from having to respond. “I wanted a chocolate cake,” he complained as she set the cake in the middle of the table.

Calypso stared daggers at him. “It goes with the theme,” she reminded him. “I mean you don’t have to eat any…”

“Gods, we know that’s not going to happen. You have the best cake,” Leo said, already reaching for his knife.

“Hence why she’s pregnant,” Piper joked, earning a laugh from her boyfriend and Percy.

“Piper!” Hazel said, clearly scandalized.

……..

Annabeth tried to stay busy. Percy promised he would call her. She’d been home for a couple hours, and so far, nothing. She’d even rushed off the phone when Malcolm had called, just in case Percy did. But he hadn’t.

She tried to read, she’d tried making dinner, since Leo’s cooking had failed, and cake wasn’t exactly a proper meal. Even then she’d been distracted. Annabeth glanced down at her burned palm, which had happened when she’d stupidly grabbed the pot with her bare hand.

The gods were cruel, that much she knew for sure. After all she’d sacrificed for them: her time, her life, her family, love, her mother couldn’t let her be happy, just this once? Not that she was completely miserable, but growing close to Percy and then having him ripped away was dampening her mood.

Annabeth sat on the couch. She turned on the the television, halfheartedness listening to some dismal news story. She hated the world. She hated how unfair people were, how cruel and inconsiderate they could be. She hated that despite the difficultly she lived the majority of her childhood and teenage years, a small part of her could still believe people would treat her the way she deserved.

Annabeth sat frozen, the remote slack in her hand. Her nose was beginning to feel stuffy. Her eyes welled up, tears forming in her eyes. She didn't even bother wiping them. She always held in her feelings around everyone else, why couldn't she just be honest with herself? Annabeth cried hard. She couldn't remember the last time she cried like that, probably when she was sixteen and had thought she'd lost her brother on a quest. Yet here she was, bawling alone on the couch, letting out years of stress, heartbreak, and loneliness. She hoped Athena was happy with herself.

Over her tears, Annabeth barely heard the knock at her door. She quickly composed herself, wiping her face and eyes quickly with the sleeves of a sweatshirt she'd stolen from one of her sisters at camp years ago. Looking in the mirror before answering the door, Annabeth cursed herself for not wanting until allergy season to have a complete meltdown. She opened the door, doing her best to hide a sniffle.

Percy stood before her, dressed casually, holding a takeout bag from the breakfast place he'd introduced her to months ago.

"Sorry I didn't call," Percy apologized. "But I'm a horrible enough driver without ADHD and the added distraction, and I figured some face time was better, and then I realized you probably hadn't eaten since Leo ruined dinner..." Percy rambled so much that Annabeth didn't even listen to half of what he said. She stared at him, almost unable to believe he was in her apartment.

"Thank you," Annabeth said, her voice raspy. She invited Percy in. He set the food down on the table and went to the kitchen to grab two plates, as comfortably as if he lived there.

"You look like you were crying," Percy said with concern. "Talk to me." Annabeth didn't know where to start. She remembered how Calypso had spoken about him, although she refused to believe it true. Yet, she knew she wasn't lying.

"I thought you didn't... I don't know what I thought. But one minute I was your girlfriend and the next... the whole thing with our parents..."

Percy was silent for a while, chewing. "I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely at last. "I was overwhelmed, and I knew you were too. I just didn't want to seem like I was forcing you to choose me. I wanted to give you space to figure it out for yourself... I know you like space. I thought I was doing the right thing. I should have let you know."

Annabeth felt relieved. Percy's tone of voice made it seem like he hadn't enjoyed his time without her any more than she did. And he'd stepped back out of selflessness? No, it was almost too good to be true.

"I, I don't know why Poseidon and Athena want to keep us apart."

"Well," Percy started. "Usually when the gods interfere with mortal actions, it's to keep them from interfering with something they had planned, or something they're trying to hide."

He was right, that Annabeth knew. But she was still curious, and confused. Percy finished eating. Another beat of silence passed between them. He gave Annabeth a small kiss. After such a while, it felt foreign to her, but wonderful, like getting used to a warm shower after a freezing winter day.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time I defied my mother," Annabeth admitted.

Percy raised his eyebrows in shock. "What? Annabeth Chase breaks rules?" He questioned, gasping. "Say it ain't so!"

Annabeth couldn't help but laugh. It was a real laugh, one that came from her stomach. "Here and there," she admitted. "But only when I want to get something that really matters to me."

She looked into Percy's eyes, completely ready to find out where their reunion would take them, and how the gods would feel about it.

Percy gave her a lopsided grin. "Well, I'm glad I made the cut."

#im back bitches #heroes of olympus #percy jackson #annabeth chase #pjo fanfic #the new yorkers #fanfiction #fanfic #rick riordan #jason grace #leo valdez #hazel levesque #the lightning thief #pjo #hoo #the lost hero #the mark of athena #writing #mythology

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