#Starbucks inside airport

[majianguo]

It was a blast hanging out with my best friend (in Indonesia) during his first trip to Bali since my wife and I had moved here. Here we are at the Starbucks outside arrivals at the domestic terminal (there are four Starbucks located just inside Ngurah Rai Airport). He had hours to spare before his flight so we went for a long walk to the international terimal to search for a luggage padlock. Also, a funny thing happened, while I was giving him a tour of Novotel Airport Hotel we got lost on the first floor trying to figure out how to get back down to the domestic terminal.

[punkshort]

i'll be home for christmas | part one

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Summary: Having just caught your fiancé cheating on you, you decide to come back home from the big city to Austin for the month of December to try to figure out your next step. You had no idea you would be getting more than you bargained for with the handsome single dad who built your parents' house.

Chapter Warnings: no outbreak, modern day but Joel is 40, language, fluff, flirting, reader has a childhood nickname only her family uses, Hallmark tropes up the wazoo, soft!joel, reader's sister is pregnant, talks of infidelity, talks of divorce, alcohol use, kissing, (smut in part two)

WC: 9.1K

A/N: this is my take on a cheesy, fluffy, soft, smutty, Joel Miller Hallmark Christmas movie. It's just sweet and silly and makes me smile, and I hope it does the same for you. I also wrote this in less than 2 days and didn't really edit it much, so sorry in advance if there's any errors.

Found the pic on Twitter but can't remember the source, if you know please send me a message and i will credit them

Series Masterlist

It was the second week of December as you stood inside the airport in Austin, Texas, waiting for your luggage to emerge on the conveyor belt. You thought by coming home early, you would have avoided the holiday traffic, but you were wrong. All around you, people squealed with excitement and embraced, dragging their worn out luggage behind them as they made their way out of the bustling airport. You tried to keep the scowl from your face as you watched, but it was next to impossible, so you wrapped your Burberry scarf around your neck instead, hoping to hide your displeasure.

This was not the plan you had for Christmas. You should be in New York in a high-rise apartment in front of a roaring fireplace with a glass of wine and your fiancé - ex-fiancé - not back in Austin with your parents, who begged you to come visit for the holidays after you told them the news.

Coming home to visit wasn't your favorite thing, but you felt guilty having avoided the holidays with your family for so many years, and you would have ended up all alone in the city anyway. So you caved, using up all the PTO you saved for the wedding, and took the rest of the year off from work.

Your designer luggage stood out like a sore thumb when it tumbled down the conveyor belt. You winced after watching the impact and snatched it up quickly. Glancing around, you saw a beacon in the storm: a familiar green, glowing sign in the distance - Starbucks. The line was long, but your flight was early, so you waited and got a latte, hoping it would lift your spirits a bit before you had to face your parents.

You tapped the side of your coffee cup anxiously as you rode the escalator down to the first floor, scanning the crowd for your mom and dad. There were a few people holding up signs with names on them, and when you saw the sign that said "Bucket" on it, you cringed.

Your dad's tall, round frame came into view when the people in front of him dispersed. He looked almost exactly the same, except a little greyer. Still sporting a shockingly full head of hair and his signature thick mustache, he grinned and pulled you into a warm hug.

"Really, Dad? 'Bucket'?"

"Well, that's what we call you, ain't it?" he said with a smile. You rolled your eyes and tried to be annoyed, but you had to admit that you were happy to see him.

"Where's Mom?" you asked.

"She's waitin' in the car, didn't wanna pay for parking so we're in a pick up zone, let's hustle," he said, wrapping his arm around you as he led you outside. "How was the flight?"

"Long," you said, then gasped when the cold air hit you. "Wow, I didn't think it would be this cold yet."

"It's been a cold one so far this year," he nodded, directing you to the left where you could see your mom smiling and waving from the passenger seat of their white SUV. You waved back and grinned. Maybe coming home wasn't such a bad idea, after all.

"Hiya, Bucky!" your mom said happily, leaning out of the window to give you a half hug while your dad loaded up your belongings in the back.

"Hey, Mom," you replied. "I like your sweater."

She was wearing one of her tacky Christmas sweaters that she wore every year - unironically. It amazed you how some things never change.

You climbed into the back seat as your dad carefully exited the parking spot and joined the line of cars that were slowly inching towards the main road.

"We're so glad you decided to come home this year, you can finally see the new house!" your mom said excitedly. They had built a brand new house, and the way she provided updates and pictures to you over the phone for the past year, you felt like you had already seen it.

"Yeah, can't wait," you said, staring out the window.

"Hope you don't mind, but we're throwin' a party tomorrow night," your dad said, glancing at you in the review mirror. "Wanted to have our friends over to see the place and have an early holiday party. They'll be so happy to see you, it's been so long since you've been home, Buck."

You had been hoping to spend most of the next three weeks in bed moping and scrolling on your phone. The thought of a party and seeing all those people looking at you with pity made your stomach turn. Your mom must have sensed your discomfort.

"It's alright, honey. They won't say anything," she said softly, and you squeezed your eyes shut.

"Okay," you replied, your voice pained as you opened your eyes to stare at the passing traffic on the thruway.

You'll make an appearance for an hour, and then try to sneak back upstairs until the party ends, already fabricating a headache to blame it on.

The house your parents built was impressive, even you had to admit. It was a two story colonial with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The open floor plan was stunning as you made your way from room to room. The first floor alone had a spacious living room with vaulted ceilings, a kitchen with an attached dining room, and a separate family room off the back. There was even a small office by the front door that you missed the first time around, and a pantry as big as your closet back home.

You cringed at the thought, reminding yourself that it was no longer your home. That was part of the problem. You had moved in with Will, and when you discovered he had been cheating on you, you crashed at your friend Melanie's place. When you tearfully told your parents the news a few days later, they asked you to come home. Just for the holidays, your mom had said. Just to give you time to figure out your next move.

"This is beautiful, Mom," you said honestly, admiring the fine details on the cabinets.

"Thank you, sweetie. Took a long time, but Joel built it just right for us," she said, beaming.

"Oh, the contractor, right?" you replied, distracted now by the backsplash above the counters.

"He's such a sweet man, he was so patient with us when we changed our minds a million times over every little thing."

"Well, tell him he did a great job," you murmured, opening and shutting different drawers.

"You can tell him yourself, he'll be at the party tomorrow," your dad said, opening the fridge to scrounge for some snacks.

"You invited your contractor to your holiday party?" you asked in disbelief.

"Sure we did. We either saw him or spoke to him almost every single day for a year. He's a good man."

"Okay," you said slowly, still finding it a bit strange, but reminding yourself that things worked a little differently in the south.

"Bucket!" you heard your sister call from the front of the house. A smile plastered across your face instantly as you rushed to the door, both of you squealing as you wrapped your arms around each other and jumped in a circle, unable to contain your excitement.

"Cassie!" you said, pulling back to look at her, brushing her sleek, dark brown hair over her shoulder. "You look fantastic!"

"Ugh, I feel like shit," she said, and you laughed, glancing down at her barely swollen belly.

"How far along are you again?" you asked.

"Twenty weeks, but I'm ready for this to be over! I'm so tired all the time, it sucks," she said, flopping down on the couch in the living room after she gave your parents quick hugs.

"Where's Josh?" your mom asked, referring to your brother in law.

"He's still working, he'll be by later," Cassie said, waving her hand. "Gives us a chance to catch up," she added with a wink.

"You girls do that, we need to go to the store for tomorrow night. Do you need anything?" your mom asked, and you shook your head, eager for them to leave so you could be alone with your sister.

"Tell me everything," Cassie said the moment the door clicked shut.

If it were anyone else, you wouldn't have been in the mood to talk about the mess that was currently your life, but you've always been able to talk about anything with your sister. You trusted each other implicitly and there was no judgement, no matter if you had cheated on a test or gotten drunk during prom, you told each other everything.

So you did. You told her how for months, you felt like something was off with Will. How he would stay out late and say it was for work, but none of his work friends ever posted about going anywhere those nights on social media. He grew more distant and you tried to ignore your paranoia, but when he collapsed into bed one night, too out of it to wash up, and you saw the lipstick on his neck the next morning, you lost it. He hardly even tried to explain himself, barely even attempted to lie, and you began to think maybe he wanted to get caught. Maybe he wanted you to do the dirty work and end things so he didn't have to. Fucking coward.

"What a piece of shit. I never liked him," Cassie said when you were finished. "He acted like he was so much better than everyone when he was here, do you remember the comments he made about the wine mom had? It was so fucking rude."

"Yeah, I know," you agreed.

"So why were you even with him?"

"We had been together since college, Cas," you said, exasperated. "I knew him before he was like that. He used to be sweet and fun. Then he got that finance job and met all those assholes and he became just like them."

"Well, I'm just glad you didn't end up married before finding out what he's really like," she said, shifting her weight on the couch with her hand cupping her small stomach. "That would have been a huge mess."

"It's still a huge mess, I have no where to live now, and I can only couch surf for so long," you said, burying your face in your hands.

"You'll figure it out, Buck. I'll help you look for places online while you're here. Maybe set up some appointments so you can tour them when you get back."

"Thanks," you said, giving her a weak smile. "That would actually be great."

"Now, on to more important things," your sister said, slapping her palms against her knees to stand.

"Baby names?" you asked.

"No! Let's figure out what you'll wear to the party tomorrow," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "I wanna look through all your fancy designer clothes."

You giggled and stood to join her.

"Fine, but I'm still dropping baby names while you look," you replied.

After spending a majority of the next day helping your parents decorate and prepare food for the party, you finally were able to excuse yourself to shower and get ready. Cassie had picked out a Ralph Lauren lace cocktail dress that Will had bought for your birthday last year. You slipped it on, running your hands over the fabric as you adjusted the dress in the mirror. Just because he bought it didn't mean you couldn't wear it again. You snatched the glass of wine from your dresser and took a sip, trying to push the thought of him from your head as you made your way downstairs.

Cassie and Josh were already in the kitchen, munching on appetizers and chatting with your parents. Cassie let out a low whistle when you entered the room. You waved her off and gave Josh a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Good to see you," you told him with a smile. "All ready for the baby?"

"Getting there," Josh replied, wrapping an arm around Cassie's waist. You tried to ignore the ugly, jealous pit in your stomach as he told you how the nursery was coming along. You wasted so many years of your life on Will. Your sister was already married and starting a family, and here you were, basically homeless and starting over. Pathetic.

Family friends slowly began to trickle into the house, luckily being whisked away by your parents to give them a tour after you meekly greeted them and hid back in the kitchen. As more and more people arrived, you began to wonder how your parents kept so many close friends when you barely had a handful back in New York.

A few kids raced by you in the kitchen as you made your way to the bar to refill your wine. Even though it was loud, you could still hear your dad's booming voice as he regaled a friend with a fishing story. You wandered around a bit, trying to find Cassie and Josh so you didn't look out of place, but stopped dead in your tracks when you saw them chatting with Mr. Tanner and his son, Troy, backing away before they could see you. Troy used to have the biggest crush on you when you were kids. If he found out you were single, you wouldn't be able to shake him all night.

You eventually found yourself alone, back in front of the snacks. You picked at the chips on your plate, not really interested in eating but hoping to avoid any awkward conversations, so you kept your eyes down, scrolling mindlessly on your phone. Apparently, it wasn't good enough because you felt someone sidle up next to you.

"Those any good?" a deep, unfamiliar drawl spoke from your side. You looked up to find the softest pair of brown eyes you've ever seen on a man. Blinking, you took a moment as your gaze raked over his patchy beard and the dark, tousled curls on his head. They looked so soft, you had to resist the urge to reach out and touch them. What was wrong with you?

"Huh?" you managed to squeak out after you realized you had waited too long to reply. Idiot.

"The, uh, chips," he said, pointing at your plate before rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh!" you said, looking at your plate, completely forgetting you even had it. "Yeah, they're alright."

He nodded and glanced around the room, unsure of what to say next. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"How do you know Paul and Martha?"

Distracted, you watched as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, stretching the fabric of his red flannel over his shoulders, pulling the material taught. You had to remind yourself to pay attention and stop gawking at this man like he was a piece of meat. Jesus, maybe you should stop drinking.

"They're my parents," you said after a moment, your eyes flicking across the room, finding them with a group of their friends with your dad's arm wrapped around your mom's shoulder as she giggled and gazed up at him adoringly.

"Oh, you're Cassie," the man said, his eyes dropping from your face to your stomach, and you swore you saw a glimmer of disappointment.

"No!" you said quickly, your hand subconsciously resting on your midsection. "That's my sister, I'm their other daughter." You told him your name and briefly explained you lived in New York and were just visiting for the holidays.

"They must be real happy, havin' you home for so long," he replied, and you shrugged.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've come home for a visit. I was feeling pretty bad about that," you said, choosing to leave out the biggest reason you were there. This stranger didn't need to be burdened with your love life drama. "Besides, they were so excited to show off the new house," you continued, waving your arm around the room.

"Took us long enough, but it finally came together," he replied with a smile.

"Oh! You must be Joel," you said, realization finally dawning on you.

"Yeah, sorry," he said, shaking his head and stretching out his arm. "That was rude of me, don't know what I was thinkin'." His cheeks flushed with embarrassment as you shook his hand.

"My parents always have such wonderful things to say about you. The house is beautiful, I was blown away when I first saw it," you told him. "I especially love the little details on the cabinets."

"Thanks," he said with a soft smile, averting his gaze to look at the cabinet behind you. "I actually did that myself. It's kind of a hobby of mine. Closest to art I'll ever get, I guess."

"I don't think it's just 'close' to art, I think it is art. It's stunning," you told him, running your fingertips over the intricate floral design. "You're very talented."

"Well, thank you," he said sheepishly, rubbing his beard to hide his smile. You could see the blush creeping up his neck and you bit your lip with a grin, turning your head to try to give him a moment. Were you making him nervous? He was painfully good looking, could this guy actually be into you? Were you even interested? The break up was still so fresh and it had been so long since you've dated anyone besides Will, you hadn't even considered it yet.

"So, how long have you worked in construction?" you asked after a minute, discarding your plate on the counter to give him your full attention.

"Oh, my whole life. Me and my brother started the business when we were in our twenties. Only thing we were any good at, and luckily it pays the bills," he told you with a shrug, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "What do you-"

Joel's question was cut off by a young girl with curly brown hair in a red velvet dress bouncing up to him.

"Dad! Can Uncle Tommy take me outside so we can look at the pool?" she asked. Dad? You looked down when he pulled his hands out of his pockets, palming one of the girl's shoulders to quiet her down, and noticed the gold wedding band. Of fucking course.

"The pool? Sarah, it's freezin' out," Joel said, and she grinned.

"I'm not going in, Dad, I just wanna see," she said, rolling her eyes. She glanced over, noticing you for the first time, and smiled. "I really like your dress," she said.

"Thank you," you said, running your hand down the fabric. "I like yours, too."

"Uh, yeah, that's fine. Just make sure Uncle Tommy sticks with you, alright?" Joel relented, and she clapped her hands gleefully before running off again.

"She's cute, how old is she?" you asked him, looking around the room to see if Sarah had run back to a woman who could be Joel's wife.

"She's sixteen," he said, eyeing you carefully. He hadn't thought this far ahead and hoped he wasn't scaring you off.

You turned to him, startled, having guessed she was younger.

"You must have had her young," you said, the words slipping out before you could catch them. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that like it sounded-"

"No, it's alright," he said with a chuckle. "I did. I'm forty."

You nodded and took a sip from your glass, letting your eyes drift away, rethinking your conversation. Maybe you misread him and he was just being friendly. There was no way he would be flirting with you at a party with his kid right there. But then he cleared his throat, drawing your attention back to him.

"Listen, I hope I'm not bein' too forward, but are you here with anyone?"

You raised your eyebrows at him over your glass. There was no misreading that. Blinking rapidly, you tried to formulate a reply that wouldn't cause a scene. Was he seriously hitting on you with a ring on his finger? You put your glass down on the counter and opened your mouth to reply when your sister's voice interrupted you.

"Bucket! Come here, you remember Troy, right?"

You cringed, at both the nickname and the person in question, before slowly turning your body towards her and forcing a fake smile.

"Of course. How are you?" you said with a hug.

"Doing great, just got a new job with a law firm downtown," Troy said, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans and shifting his weight nervously. He began to ramble about his new job as your sister introduced herself to Joel behind you. You resisted the urge to strangle her, reminding yourself she was carrying your baby niece or nephew and that you'll have to wait until after she gave birth to kill her. She knew you couldn't stand Troy, but she probably couldn't get rid of him, either.

You stood there, draining your wine glass while he prattled on for the next twenty minutes. By the time Troy's dad walked over and ushered him away, Joel was nowhere to be found.

Probably for the best, anyway. You were getting really sick and tired of only attracting unfaithful men.

You hadn't considered how annoying it would be to have your parents hovering around you all the time, worried that you were slipping into a depression and trying to get you to join them on activities outside the house. After you felt forced to go sledding with them the day before, you decided to make yourself scarce today, which is why you found yourself at the mall in downtown Austin browsing for a Christmas gift for your future niece or nephew.

As you were looking through a storefront window, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. Taking it out, you saw a text from a friend back home.

Sydney: You'll never guess who i just bumped into

You were typing out your response, chin tucked into your chest, when you felt someone knock into you. Startled, you looked up only to lock eyes with Joel the contractor.

"Oh!" you managed to stammer out. His deep brown eyes lit up and a warm smile spread across his face when he looked up and recognized you.

"Sorry, wasn't payin' attention," he said. "How, uh, how are you?"

"Good," you said, nodding and clutching your phone in your hand. "You?"

"Good. Was actually just thinkin' about you," he admitted, looking down and shifting the bag he was carrying from one hand to the other. "Never got to say goodbye to you the other night."

"Yeah, it was pretty crowded. I didn't realize my parents were so popular," you joked. "Is Sarah with you?"

"No, she's in school," he replied, and you bumped the heel of your hand against your forehead, rolling your eyes. Of course she was, it's the middle of the day.

"Duh," you said quietly, finding it hard to hold his gaze without getting butterflies, so you looked away.

"So, uh, I hope this doesn't sound creepy, but I asked your sister if you were seein' anyone the other night," he began, and you felt your face instantly heat up. Why didn't Cassie warn you?? "-was wonderin' if I could get your number."

"Huh?" you asked, your eyes widening as you tried to control your breathing. You glanced down at his hand again when he looked away and saw he was definitely wearing a ring.

"Thought we could go out sometime? If you're interested?" he asked, his own nerves wreaking havoc as he shifted his weight and chewed on the inside of his cheek, praying his face wasn't as red as it felt.

"Are you serious?" you asked him, narrowing your eyes. The audacity of some men!

"'Course I'm serious," he said with a nervous smile. "Thought we hit it off the other night-"

"Joel, listen. I'm not going to say what I'm really thinking for the sake of my parents and everything you did for them, but I am not interested in dating married men," you said with a scowl. He frowned, giving you a confused look before you turned on your heel and stormed away, joining the crowd of Christmas shoppers bustling by.

He looked down at his hand, making a tight fist before swiveling his head around, trying to locate you in the crowd before he lost you.

"Hey, wait!" he called out, pushing past clusters of people as he jogged to try and keep up with you. He called out your name as he got closer. You stopped suddenly but didn't turn around, causing surprised shoppers to have to redirect at the last minute to avoid running into you.

"Hey, I'm sorry-"

"You should apologize to your wife!" you said loudly, causing a few people to turn their heads in your direction as they walked past. Joel looked around nervously.

"I'm not married," he clarified quietly. You looked down at his hand again and he flexed his fingers.

"Can we get a coffee or somethin'? And I'll explain," he begged, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each second that passed as you considered your answer. "Please."

"Fine," you agreed, and his face relaxed once again.

You sat down at a coffee shop within Barnes and Noble as Joel ordered you both something to drink. As you watched him at the counter, you admired his long legs and broad shoulders underneath his brown coat and wondered what possible excuse he was going to come up with.

Oh my god, what if she died?

You rubbed your eyes, hoping you didn't just insult a widower in the middle of a crowded mall.

Joel joined you at the table and set your coffee down in front of you with a smile.

"Thank you," you said softly, fiddling with the cup and avoiding his eyes as he shrugged his coat off, revealing a navy blue V-neck sweater underneath. Your eyes drifted to the small patch of bare chest that was exposed and your stomach clenched. Swallowing hard, you forced yourself to meet his gaze, but he was staring down at his ring finger.

"I'm not married anymore, just wanna make that crystal clear," he began, still staring at his ring.

"Okay," you said slowly, waiting for him to continue. He sighed.

"We've been divorced for a few years now," he said, finally looking at you. "It was... hard. Really hard. I, uh," he scratched his beard as he struggled to find the words. "I've had a tough time lettin' go. Thought for a while we might get back together, so I didn't take it off. Then I guess I just got so used to it, I never thought... I'm sorry, I sound like a mess," he said with a sad smile.

"It's alright, I think I understand," you told him, and he looked at you with renewed optimism, encouraged to continue.

"I never took it off because I never thought 'bout askin' anyone out til now," he said. "Didn't realize how that would come across, you just took me by surprise that night and I couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout you."

You blushed and looked down at your coffee, trying to hide your smile behind your cup, but he saw it and grinned.

"Are you still in love with her?" you asked him. You didn't want to get wrapped up in something that would end up hurting you in the end.

"No," he said firmly. "I mean, I'll always care for her. She gave me Sarah, how could I not? But I'm not in love with her anymore."

You nodded as you absorbed his words, glancing around the little coffee shop before dragging your eyes back to his. He was looking at you expectantly, waiting for you to ask anything else that would make you comfortable with accepting a date from him.

"Well, thank you for being honest with me, but I'm not sure I'm ready for a relationship just yet."

Joel tried to hide the disappointment in his face as he nodded in understanding. The first time in five years he asked someone out and he got shot down.

"It's not you," you clarified. "It's bad timing. I just got out of a really long term relationship. Well, I was actually engaged, and I caught him cheating," you explained with a wince, not expecting to bring this up today. "Probably why I was so sensitive about the wedding ring," you said with a half smirk. He nodded quietly and looked down at the ring on his hand, twisting the metal around with the pad of his thumb as you spoke.

"Sounds like we've both been through a tough time," he murmured, and you quietly agreed.

You sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping your coffees and trying to figure out how to end this awkward interaction without making things worse. You were going to lie about having plans so you could leave when he suddenly spoke up.

"No pressure, but, uh, what if we just went on one very casual date?" He looked at you with those soft, brown eyes and you felt your resolve crumbling. "Sounds like we could both use some practice. You're leavin' at the end of the month anyway. Could just be fun, help get us both back out there."

You paused, not expecting that. He had a good point. It's been so long since you've gone on a date with anyone, and it sounded like he was just as rusty. Besides, what else would you be doing with your time over the next three weeks?

"Okay," you agreed softly. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, parting his lips slightly as he straightened up in his chair.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," you said with a grin. "Why not?"

Early the next morning, you heard your phone buzz on the nightstand next to your bed. With a groan, you cracked an eye open to look at the time, then reached for your phone.

"7:30? Who the hell..." you grumbled, squinting at the bright screen, your eyes widening when you saw Joel's name. You sat up in bed, fully awake now, and slid the notification over to open the text.

Joel Miller: Morning. Are you free tonight?

You grinned, flicking on your light so you could see better to respond, then you paused. Should you make him wait before replying? Would you look too desperate if you answered right away?

You shrugged, deciding to answer him. It was casual, you both knew it wouldn't go anywhere, so who cares how it looked?

You: Good morning, you're up early! And yes, what did you have in mind?

You chewed your thumb nail as you waited for his answer.

Joel Miller: This is nothing, I've been up since 5. For some reason, clients expect me to be at job sites early. How about ice skating?

You giggled and tapped out a reply.

You: I'd love to!

Joel Miller: Great - I'll pick you up at 7

Realizing you forgot to reply to Sydney the day before, you switched messages and shot her a quick answer before sliding back down under the covers to scroll on your phone.

You resisted the urge as long as you could - a whole fifteen minutes - before you typed Joel's name into Facebook. His name popped up with two mutual friends and you rolled your eyes. Of course your parents were friends with him. Clicking on his name, you scrolled down his page, tapping through photos of him and Sarah that looked out of date. He didn't seem like the type to update social media often, and his page reflected that hunch. He didn't have many pictures so it didn't take long until you scrolled all the way to the end, presumably his first photo from when he joined. It was a grainy picture of him with a huge smile and his arm slung around a woman with dark, curly hair, just like Sarah's.

She was pretty, you couldn't deny that, and you vaguely wondered why they broke up. He made it sound like he didn't want a divorce, and you figured he would have mentioned cheating since you brought it up.

You closed the app. If Joel wanted to tell you, he would.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you made your way downstairs on the hunt for coffee. Pouring yourself a cup from the machine, you burrowed into the couch, wrapping yourself in a blanket as you waited for your coffee to cool down and flipped through the various streaming services your parents subscribed to.

"Hey Buck, you're up early," your dad said as he descended the stairs and headed to the coffee.

"Hey, Dad," you said, taking a sip from your mug and wincing as you burned your tongue.

"What're you up to today? You wanna come to dinner with your mom and me?"

"Actually, I have a date," you told him, bracing for the reaction.

"Whoa-ho! Been here not even a week and you got yourself a date? Don't tell me... Troy?" he asked with a big grin, sitting down at the other end of the couch.

"Ew, no!" you said, scrunching your nose. "It's, um, Joel," you said quickly, taking another sip from your mug.

"Our contractor?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, we met at the party," you told him. "Then I ran into him at the mall."

"Ran into who at the mall?" you heard Cassie's voice from down the hall.

"When did you get here?" you asked as she rounded the corner and gazed at your coffee enviously.

"Just now. Who did you see at the mall?"

"Joel," you said, glaring at her. "Got something to tell me about that?"

"Oh, yeah," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "He was asking about you at the party. I made sure to let him know you were single."

"Yeah, he told me, thanks for the heads up, by the way," you said. "We're going out tonight."

"I didn't realize he was single, I just assumed he was married because he's always got Sarah around," your dad said, beginning to zone out to the movie that was on the TV.

"He's single," was all you said, picking your phone back up.

"He's cute," Cassie said, and you blushed. "I'm glad you said yes, mom and dad already love him, so he'll fit right in."

"I don't even live here. It's a casual thing, we're just hanging out," you told her.

"Yeah, okay," she said, giving you a wink. You rolled your eyes and pinched her as you passed by.

"I'm going to shower, then maybe you can help me pick out something to wear," you told her over your shoulder, walking back upstairs.

Joel arrived at your parents' house promptly at 7, just as he promised. He pulled into the driveway, checking his hair in the review mirror quickly before sliding out of his truck and making his way up the porch. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this nervous as he glanced down a the green flannel he wore, praying he didn't miss a button or a stain. He was with his ex for so long that he could barely remember a time when he was nervous around her.

But with you, he felt the butterflies the moment he saw you at the party. You didn't notice him at first, but he saw you enter the living room and freeze in the doorway, your eyes locked on someone across the room before backing out the way you came, as if you were looking to avoid them. He couldn't catch who it was, having hardly known more than five people in the whole house, but he felt compelled to follow you. To see if you were maybe looking for a husband or boyfriend. But when he saw you alone in the kitchen, staring down at your phone, he couldn't stop himself from saying something to you.

Joel never did things like that. He always kept to himself, very quiet and reserved. He was content with his work during the day and hanging out with Sarah at night.

For the most part, he was happy. It was only at night when the loneliness crept up, when he tucked himself into his big, cold bed and tried his best to fall asleep as fast as he could, so he wouldn't lay there wishing someone who cared for him was just in the bathroom washing up.

Tommy had been encouraging him to get back out there, always offering to watch Sarah if he caught Joel looking a little too long at a waitress or a neighbor. Sarah was old enough to be on her own for a few hours, but he still asked Tommy to stop by, anyway. Maybe part of him wanted his brother to know that he was going on a date, if only so he would stop trying to set him up all the time with women he had no interest in.

Joel reached out to ring the doorbell, cringing when he noticed it was one of those camera doorbells. Paul must have installed it after the house was finished. He heard heavy footsteps on the other side of the door and held his breath, realizing he hadn't thought about your dad's reaction to your date.

Paul swung the door open, greeting Joel with a deep scowl as he leaned up against the doorframe.

"What's up, Joel?" he asked. Joel cleared his throat.

"Hey, Paul. I'm here to pick up your daughter," Joel replied, bracing himself. Paul just stared at him, breathing deeply as he looked Joel up and down. Joel wasn't a small man, but Paul had at least sixty pounds on him. He tended to have an intimidating look until you got to know him.

"Oh, yeah? For what?" Paul asked, clenching his jaw. Joel froze, wondering if there was a reason you didn't tell your parents about tonight, unsure what to say. Finally, Paul's face broke into a huge smile as he began to crack up, doubling over at the waist.

"I'm sorry, Joel, I had to," he wheezed, standing back up and clapping Joel on the shoulder. "Couldn't help myself. Come on in," he said, still laughing as he led Joel down the hall and towards the kitchen.

"Jesus, Paul, scared the shit outta me," Joel admitted, his heart racing as he rubbed his forehead.

"Beer?" Paul asked, and Joel shook his head.

"No thanks, I'm drivin'," he replied, and Paul raised his eyebrows with a nod.

"Good man, passed the first test," he said with a wink as he twisted open a beer for himself. "Hey, uh, in all seriousness, I just wanna talk with you before she comes down."

"Yeah, 'course," Joel replied, leaning up against the counter.

"I ain't sure what she's told you about the asshole she was with before, but he really hurt her. Now, I know it ain't got nothin' to do with you, what's in the past is in the past," he said. "But just keep that in mind, will you? I can't stand seein' my little girl hurt like that again."

Joel nodded solemnly, understanding completely.

"I ain't like that, I'll be respectful, I promise," Joel replied. "Besides, we both know she's goin' back to New York in a few weeks. We're just gettin' to know each other, is all."

"Yeah, she said the same thing to her sister earlier, but then she spent all damn day on the phone, pickin' out an outfit and gettin' herself ready," Paul said with a sigh. "I'm just sayin', be careful with her."

Joel felt a flutter in his chest and tried to hide his smile when he found out you had been thinking about him all day. He was glad he wasn't the only one.

"I hope you weren't waiting long," you told Joel as he backed out of your driveway.

"Not at all," he said with a smirk. "You're worth the wait. You look beautiful." He glanced down again at the light pink sweater with a small designer logo he was unfamiliar with in the corner.

You blushed and bit your lip, quietly thanking him and trying to hide your reaction behind your scarf, but he saw it. He always does.

Now that he knew you were looking forward to this date just as much as he was, he felt a little more confident.

"Did you have a good day?" he asked, giving you a sideways glance as he merged his truck into traffic.

"Yeah, did you?"

"It was alright," he said, slowing the truck down at a stop light. He turned to face you now. "Couldn't wait to see you, though."

You turned a darker shade of pink and he smiled, pleased to see that he could elicit that reaction from you, the same way you do to him.

"So, ice skating?" you said, trying to take the heat off of you. You looked at his hands on the steering wheel, noticing he made sure to take his ring off.

"Yeah," he said, pressing his foot on the gas as the light changed. "Thought you could teach me somethin'."

"Teach you? How do you know if I can even skate?" you asked teasingly.

"Just a hunch. Was I right?" he replied, his mouth turning up into a half smirk. You giggled and he felt his stomach tighten. He needed to hear that again.

"Yeah, you were right," you relented. He pulled his lower lip between his teeth and slapped the steering wheel in victory, making you giggle again, and his chest filled with warmth at the sound.

"Where's Sarah tonight?" you asked him as he pulled into a parking spot at the skating rink.

"My brother's watchin' her," he replied, disappointed that you got out of the truck so quickly. He had planned on opening the door for you.

"Does she like to ice skate?" you questioned as he led you inside to the counter to rent your skates.

"Oh, of course she does. But I usually sit it out and just watch her have fun," he said, picking up your rentals and heading over to a bench.

"You should have brought her, I wouldn't have minded."

"We don't have to talk 'bout her, you know," he said quicky, and your fingers froze over your laces.

"Why wouldn't we talk about her? She's your daughter," you asked slowly, straightening back up to look at him.

"No, I know. What I mean is, I know it ain't every woman's fantasy to go out with a single dad and all the baggage that comes with that. So, if you don't wanna talk about her, I get it," he said, casting his eyes down as he focused on tying his laces. You reached out a hand and gently placed it on top of his, immediately making him freeze at your touch.

"She's part of your life, so I want to hear about her. You shouldn't think like that, Joel. It's really not a dealbreaker for most women," you assured him, gently rubbing your thumb over his knuckles, his eyes glued to your hand as he listened. "And if it is, fuck 'em."

His eyes snapped up to yours now, then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Okay," he said softly, and you smiled, pulling your hand back, leaving him wanting more.

"Besides," you said, standing up on your skates as you made your way to the rink. "You have no idea what kind of fantasies I have."

You turned to give him a wink as you effortlessly stepped out onto the ice, holding out your hands encouragingly for him to follow. It was a miracle he was able to move his legs after that comment, but he managed just because he knew he would feel your warm hands on his again.

Joel was a quick study. He was nervous at first, you could tell that he didn't want to embarrass himself, but he did surprisingly good. Especially considering how crowded the ice rink was and how fast people were skating by. After about half an hour, he was able to skate - albeit, slowly - around the rink next to you without any assistance. Part of you wondered if he pretended to need more help than he really did just so it would make you feel good.

"So, anyway, that's basically what I do for work. It's pretty boring," you said with a sigh.

"Not boring. Marketing in New York City sounds like a dream," he replied.

"Yeah, except I work on all the behind the scenes stuff. It's not really as fun as it sounds," you admitted, not missing work in the slightest since you've been back in Texas.

"Well, d'you work with some fun people, at least?"

You paused, considering his question for a moment, before shaking your head with a dry laugh.

"Not really," you said, but he still tried to help you find a reason why you would put up with it.

"You were able to take off almost a whole month, that's pretty great. Not many places'll let you do that, can't be that bad," he offered, and you scoffed.

"It's the time I saved up for the wedding I was supposed to have," you told him sadly, and he groaned.

"I'm knockin' it outta the park tonight, ain't I?" he said, rubbing his face before almost losing his balance. You giggled and he couldn't stop the huge grin that plastered itself across his face.

"It's fine, you didn't know," you said, waving him off. And for the first time, you really didn't mind talking about it. Something about him made it easier.

"What'dya say we get some hot chocolate?" Joel asked, jutting his chin towards the vendor where you first came in.

"Yeah, that sounds great," you replied. Joel turned towards the exit without looking when a teenage boy, who was speed skating around the rink trying to impress a girl, smacked right into him, sending him flying backwards on the ice.

"Joel!" you exclaimed, rushing to his side. He groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, why don't you watch it!" you yelled angrily at the teenager, who had managed to only stumble a bit upon impact.

"Sorry, man," the kid mumbled before taking off.

"I'm gonna kick his ass," you said, about to stand up to go after him, but Joel reached up to grip your arms, holding you in place.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," he said with a chuckle. Sweetheart. Your heart skipped a beat at the term.

"Are you sure?" you asked, your brow furrowed with concern.

"Yeah, just gimme a hand," he said, and you stood to give his arm a firm yank, allowing him to stand.

"Let's get you off the ice," you told him, ushering him carefully to the exit and finding a bench.

"Does your head hurt?" you asked, sitting down next to him. Your fingers reached up to graze the back of his head.

"No," he said breathlessly, staring at you as you continued to study him for any injury. God, you were so beautiful, he couldn't force himself to look away.

"That's good. How about your vision?" you pressed, still so focused on the fall and not seeing the way he was looking at you. But when you finally locked your eyes on his, your breath caught in your throat.

All the laughter and playful yelling surrounding you faded. You couldn't look away from his heated gaze, his deep brown eyes boring into yours so intensely, you almost forgot to blink. He brought his hand up to gently cradle the side of your face, his calloused palm meeting your soft skin. Your lips parted to accommodate your sudden need for more oxygen, and his gaze fell to your mouth.

"Joel," you whispered, and the way his name sounded coming from you was so damn sweet, it almost did him in.

"Yeah?" he whispered back, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Kiss me."

He didn't need to be told twice.

He leaned forward, eyes sliding shut and slotting his lips against yours, deeply breathing in your scent so he could remember it tomorrow. He was determined to commit every second to memory, knowing that by morning he would be aching for you, aching for this. Against his better judgement, he pressed himself into your lips harder, unsure if he will ever get to feel like this again when you inevitably came to your senses. The idea of this feeling being taken away from him spurred him on, desperate and eager for every second you were willing to give him.

Your hand came up to the back of his neck, holding him against you as his lips massaged yours tenderly. You inched closer to him on the bench so you could tuck yourself into his broad chest. He was so warm and soft and strong that it was making you dizzy. Your fingertips stroked the curls at the base of his neck as you tentatively opened your mouth just enough to suck his lower lip between yours. The quiet noise he made when you did that made your insides clench with need, and against all odds, you felt yourself falling, completely losing yourself in him and the moment.

A startling voice over the loudspeaker announcing that the rink was closing in fifteen minutes finally snapped you out of it. You both pulled back but kept your foreheads pressed together as the world around you slowly melted back into focus. His hand still cupped your face and he lifted his thumb to gently trace your swollen lips.

"I should take you home," he murmured. At first, your stomach flipped, thinking he meant his home, but you realized he wasn't that type and he meant your parents' house.

You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak, and you sat back reluctantly, breaking away. His hand dropped from your face to the hand in your lap, his thick fingers wrapping around yours for a moment as he collected himself with a deep breath.

Finally, he forced himself to stand, still clutching your hand and helping you up. You glanced down at the floor and smirked.

"We should probably take our skates off," you said, and he chuckled, breaking the tension and sitting back down, his hand reluctantly letting go of yours to undo his laces.

After you turned in your rentals, his hand quickly found yours again, unwilling or unable to let you go as he led you back to his truck, this time making sure to open the car door for you. Thanking him quietly, you jumped up into the cab and watched him round the front of the car, running a hand through his hair and sucking in deep breath.

You grinned and bit your lip as he started the truck, swinging his arm around to grip your headrest and twisting his body to back out of the spot. It took everything in you not to scoot across the seat and tuck yourself into his side.

He let his arm drop loosely on the seat in between you as he drove down the street, one hand on the steering wheel. Your fingers inched forward, sliding your palm underneath his hand, lacing your fingers together. The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile and you drove in a comfortable silence, your hands intertwined the whole time, until he pulled into your driveway and cut the engine.

You sighed as you stared at the darkened house, already missing him and he wasn't even gone yet. He peered over at you, trying to think of a way to prolong the date, but aside from the obvious, which he wasn't going to do just yet, he was coming up empty.

"Lemme walk you up," he said finally, and you nodded, reaching for the handle of the door but he stopped you. You furrowed your brow, confused, until you watched him rush over to open the door, and you grinned, taking his hand so you could slide out of the seat.

You stared at the ground as he led you up the path to the porch, your heart pounding in your ears. You weren't sure what you had been expecting tonight, but it definitely wasn't this feeling. This was so much more.

"Well, thank you for tonight," you said as you reached the door, turning around to look up at him through your lashes. "I had a really good time."

"Yeah, me too," he said, his soft, brown eyes trailing over your face, locking away every little detail. Unable to resist, he stepped forward, his rough hand skimming around to the back of your neck. He tilted your face up, ducking down slightly to meet you halfway and brushed his lips gently over yours.

Your hands flew up to grip the collar of his flannel, keeping him pressed against you as you leaned against the front door. God, for someone who claimed to be rusty, he was a really good kisser. He was gentle and slow and it took your breath away both times. You knew you were getting in over your head, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. All you could think about was him and how badly you wanted more.

Nervously, you opened your mouth and flicked your tongue against his plush lips. He responded by parting his lips and allowing your tongue to dance with his own, his mouth applying more pressure than before as the heat flared between you.

Before you could stop it, a soft moan rumbled from your throat, causing him to pull back, panting slightly as his gaze flickered between your eyes. You gazed up at him, eyes dark and desperate, your fingers still gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly.

You weren't sure what he was searching for, but after a moment he seemed to find it because his mouth came crashing down on yours once again, this time with more yearning and desire. His tongue probed inside your mouth, licking past your teeth and in the back of your mind you realized he tasted faintly of mint and you wondered when on earth he popped a mint into his mouth but it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered except the two of you in that moment, each seeking something within the other that you never expected to find.

His chest ached knowing he would have to stop kissing you soon, or else he would never leave. He always considered himself a strong man, after everything he had been through, how could he not? But something about you made him realize he wasn't nearly as strong as he thought. Your lips were so soft compared to his, so sweet and perfect that it made him want to cry because in that moment, he knew he could never let you go.

[jenscx]

FATE — huh yunjin x f!reader

it’s been two years since yunjin had broken up with you, but fate brings you to korea, and into yunjin’s arms.

TAGS — fluff, angst, exes to lovers, cursing, wanted to write a super angsty one but felt bad for my wife yunjin :((

WORDCOUNT — 2.6k

yunjin breaks up with you through a phone call. it’s embarrassing, her voice sounding through your phone explaining and rambling while you try your best not to cry in a random starbucks.

“—and it’s not you, like seriously, it’s just our time differences and i can’t be in a relationship if i want to debut.” you grip your phone a little tighter.

“you told me you were going there to visit family. not to debut or even train again,” memories of yunjin reassuring you flash through your head and you can just hear the grimace in her voice.

your girlfriend continues, “i know what i said, it’s just, they asked and this is all i’ve ever wanted.”

“so that text from yesterday was a lie? telling me that you missed me so much and couldn’t wait to come back?” you hiss as quietly as possible, feeling more furious rather than sad at this point.

yunjin goes quiet for a second before sighing, “i do miss you and i miss new york too but i can’t give up on my dream. i’m sorry, y/n.”

you think of your girlfriend’s past endearing words and they only fan the flames burning inside you. ( “y/n? are you still there?” ) and at that moment, you no longer feel any sort of affection for huh yunjin, only disappointment that she lied to you and then broke up with you through a two minute phone call.

“i hope i never see you again, jennifer. bye.”

it’s been two years since the breakup and you glared at anyone who brought it up. it was a sensitive subject and you would rather spend your time thinking of anything else but yunjin. yet, you feel exhilarated. a sample of your mix had somehow worked its way to hybe and the producers there had reached out to you, an opportunity anyone would give anything for.

a ticket headed to south korea was booked and you stood in the airport, giving your teary goodbyes to your family. you had tried to build up your korean a few weeks beforehand and maybe, you could understand it more than the average foreigner.

after all, if you were to potentially be signed to hybe, you might just end up migrating there and a little korean could help you out.

“be good, i don't want to see my only daughter ending up a prisoner,” your dad says.

you laugh, affronted, “why would i do anything that would warrant jail time?”

he shrugs and you give your parents one final hug before departing for the gates.

excitement fills your veins and you are soon jittering with nervousness. as soon as they announce boarding, you rush onto the plane, a newfound enthusiasm for your future.

maybe you could meet blackpink there, but yg and hybe don’t really collaborate often, you thought.

or maybe if the whole hybe thing doesn’t work out, you could try for the black label and end up producing for somi. that would be fun.

your fantasies entertain you for the rest of the flight and sleep overtakes you at the later part. it is a 14 hour flight after all. you dream of soft brown eyes and even softer black hair.

it’s around 10 o’clock in the morning when your plane lands and surprisingly, you feel well-rested. it’s surreal that you were finally in korea and as you wait for the designated driver to pick you up, a crowd of fans rushes past you, camera flashes going off at lightning speed.

“ah, isn’t that lesserafim? they just came back from japan,” a stranger remarked while passing by. you tense up. the group, lesserafim, familiar yet painful at the same time. you clench your eyes shut, not willing to make any sort of contact with one particular member.

however, your body gravitates towards the crowd and the sight of the group’s success before you grips your heart painfully.

she left for a good cause.

“kazuha! look here!”

“chaewon! chaewon! do a heart with sakura!”

“eunchae-ssi, do a heart!”

just as you’re about to leave, someone calls out.

“yunjin! look here!”

unfortunately, the person who had yelled stood next to you and even though your head was screaming at you to run, your legs stayed rooted and you’re forced to face the girl who had broken your heart.

“y/n?” she mouthed, eyes widening. you pulled the cap on your head downwards and gulped. should i just run and hope she thinks i’m just her hallucination?

unluckily (or luckily for future you), neither you nor yunjin move away and you’re stuck in a staring contest with your ex.

she did nothing and snapped her smiling façade back on her face but her gaze wandered to you occasionally.

you thought back to your words, “i never want to see you again.” yeah, that was how it should be and your body finally cooperated as you pulled yourself out of her trance, away from the crowd.

you stare at the building, a modern, skyscraper corporate building that spoke of the company’s success.

“hello,” you greet the bodyguards stationed at the front and head in. it was pristine and honestly, you would die to work here every day. there was a cafe and everything, you promised yourself to get a snack later.

“oh, you’re the producer that no joohwan has a meeting with,” the receptionist says, “the twelfth floor, i think he’s in the studio.”

you nod and express your thanks before making your way up. despite the fact that you were about to talk to a hybe producer, your head was filled with thoughts of a particular idol under hybe. her blonde hair and bright eyes… why did she dye her hair? you frowned as the elevator dinged.

you’re greeted with a hallway and multiple doors. the sign above most reading, ‘practice room’ while the door at the end is a different colour.

you knocked and waited a couple seconds before opening it slightly.

a man sat before a layout of buttons and mixers that you were well familiar with and inside the recording booth, a sole girl looking at the lyric sheet.

“oh, hello, i wasn’t expecting you to be so early but come on in. you can take a seat there first while i finish up,” the producer, no joohwan, smiles. you nod and do so, not before recognising the girl inside as lesserafim’s chaewon.

“chaewon-ssi, let’s do the last verse, okay?”

“yes.”

you’re amazed at her voice and the way joohwan moves so fluidly around the mixer. it feels like it’s his second home and it probably was. it was like a performance artwork.

“i think that was good, we can wrap up here today,” joohwan says, “tell yunjin to drop by later, we need to record her verse too.”

even her name urges some sort of reaction out of you and maybe chaewon notices since she raises a questioning eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

“okay,” joohwan turns to you when chaewon leaves the room, “so, i heard your mix and i think you’re just what our team needs. i think that you bring something new and i want you to work for hybe, or more specifically, source music.”

source music, the company lesserafim is under. you’re now in some dilemma because if you were to reach joohwan’s level, you would have to see the members during recording. the members, including yunjin. your head spins at the opportunity presented, either let your past relationship affect your future or forget about it.

you feel slightly bitter. yunjin chose her work over your relationship. she didn’t let you, no matter how much she loved you, affect her dreams.

“i would love to work for source music.”

you think you’ve made the right choice when joohwan takes your hand into a firm handshake, “i’m glad you chose our company! when i’m done recording with the girls, we can sign you to source music and draft up a contract.”

“okay, i’ll come in next week then?”

“yes, that would be great.” you don’t lie through your teeth when you tell him how much you appreciate the opportunity and joohwan seems genuinely excited for new ideas and samples.

as soon as you open the door however, your smile fades away as a blonde blocks your way.

“oh. you’re… here,” yunjin blinks. seeing her in close proximity brings up a lot of things you want to say to her. for example, you’re still so pretty ranging to i hate you and your stinking guts. but you don’t say any of those. you nod and then try to manoeuvre past her but she’s so much taller and stronger than you that your wrist just ends up in her grip. she drags you away while you struggle in her grasp and only stops when you two are both in an empty practice room, the door swiftly locked by yunjin.

“what are you doing!” you shriek, backing away from your ex-girlfriend but it seems, she has other plans that prevent your escape.

“no, what are you doing in korea?” yunjin retorts, “aren’t you meant to be in new york?”

“i’m here for a job, dumbass, so can i leave now?” you frown, not liking the way yunjin rests her gaze on you.

a moment of silence befalls the two of you, and of course, your temper runs short and it’s another episode of you trying to reach the locked door but yunjin’s arms reach you before you do.

her arms wrap around your waist and you writhe uncontrollably.

“jennifer! let. me. go!”

“no!”

you gasp, “what the hell do you mean, ‘no’!”

“i just wanna talk to you!”

“and i don’t want to talk to you!”

your ex-girlfriend pointedly ignores you until you stop trying to escape, too tired to fight back against the once comfortable embrace you wished for.

you pant, “what?”

“what?”

“what do you want to say? and it’s not nice just grabbing your ex— or anyone, like that!” you scoff.

yunjin releases her grip slightly but not enough for your body to wiggle out. she sits you both on the wooden floor and sighs.

“i…”

“what, jennifer? you wrestle me and then have nothing to say? you better start talking if not i’m leaving in five seconds.”

“okay, this isn’t how i envisioned our first meeting.”

“and i didn’t envision this at all,” you whisper under your breath, rolling your eyes. who the hell fantasises about meeting their ex again?

“can you stop saying shit and just listen?”

“no, jennifer, because you literally just kidnapped me!”

yunjin groans loudly, “oh my god, stop calling me jennifer!” her shout falters you and you stay quiet. a part of you is scared of her anger and another part wants to cry. cry that yunjin’s hold is so, so warm.

you hear yunjin take a deep breath.

“i regret breaking up with you.”

and it’s crazy that you don’t have a snarky remark to bite back. you don’t have any words at all because… well, why would yunjin ever regret that?

it got her famous, rich and her dream that she desired.

you feel her embrace you a little tighter again. at this point, your back was to her chest and she rested her head against your shoulder. it was like you two were cuddling, only that you were deathly upright and still. suddenly you hear sniffles and your shoulder getting wet.

“it was fine at first. i liked being an idol but i just… i’m sorry for leaving you. i was an idiot and i can’t tell you how much i’ve missed you,” yunjin cries into your shoulder, “i was so stupid to break up with the only person that supported me then… and i’m so sorry for being such a dumbass to ever let you go. i wanted to go back to new york and beg for you to take me back—”

“so why didn’t you?” you interrupt.

“i was scared, scared that i might see you with someone new and scared to face you again, but now that you’re here, all these emotions just rush out and fuck, i can’t stop crying. please, please let me try again, i won’t be the same idiot that breaks up with you. i’ll do anything for you, y/n.”

yunjin just sobs into your shoulder and there’s some mumbles that you can’t make out.

“jen,” you mutter softly, “i was so broken when you left me. you lied and then just broke up with me on the spot, and there’s still a little bit of my heart that hates you for it.” your ex-girlfriend’s body tenses up.

“the days after, i waited for any contact with you. maybe you would call, apologise and come back to new york, but a part of me knew that you would never. but i stayed, hoping,” you chuckle, “so much for wistful thinking. you haven’t changed much. but i did.”

yunjin inhales sharply.

“have you… moved on?” you can tell her cheeks are burning red at her curiosity despite her hair hiding her face.

“i could never move on, you know that right? i just had to change to become someone who would survive without you,” you turn around, facing the one that left you heartbroken in a starbucks two years ago. “you left so abruptly and… i can’t just forgive you instantly. also, i meant it when i said it wasn’t nice of you to just drag me in here.”

yunjin pouts, cheeks reddening further, “you would have ran away.”

you pinch her cheeks, “then you can chase me properly this time, instead of leaving again.”

she sighs into her hands.

“i wish i could turn back time and never leave you.”

you shake your head, “i’m still pissed at you. i think i had to change pillowcases every day since i cried into my pillow every time i thought of you.”

yunjin lets out a watery laugh.

“i’m sorry.”

“it’s okay. i became okay.”

“i just,” yunjin stutters, “missed you… way more than i thought. i love you, so much. fuck, why’d i ever think of leaving you?” she says the last part more to herself than you.

“let’s start slow, yunjin,” you offer the girl, who raises her eyebrows.

“yunjin?”

“everyone here calls you yunjin, shouldn’t i do the same?”

“but i like jen…”

you giggle, “okay jen, i’ll give you another chance.”

you swear that yunjin’s face brightens up tenfold when you let those words out.

lesserafim’s dating ban is lifted after five years. yunjin is more mature and so are you. you had recently celebrated your 27th birthday by flying back to new york (with yunjin tagging along) to visit your family.

after reaching incheon international airport, yunjin takes ahold of your hand and laughs, “this is the first time i saw you since we broke up. it’s so crazy that fate brought you here with me.”

you roll your eyes at her.

“you mean, you broke up with me, don’t make it into a mutual agreement,” you sass.

“yeah yeah, but i wanted to ask you something,” yunjin shifted uncomfortably, “y/n.”

“yes, jen?”

“we should start dating.”

“yeah? that’s not really asking anyway, more like stating,” you say.

yunjin is now the one rolling her eyes.

“is that a yes because i might just start crying.”

you give her silence before bursting into laughter at her worried expression.

“yes, you doofus.”

( “hey jen, you were kind of like joe jonas breaking up with taylor swift when you broke up with me.”

“oh my god, i was joe jonas.” )

[contemplatingoutlander]

Our true feelings about race and identity are revealed in six words

This is a poignant article about a project that Michele Norris started that tapped into people's thoughts about race in a profound way--using only six words. This is a gift🎁link, so anyone can read the full interactive article, even if they don't subscribe to The Washington Post. Below are some excerpts from the article:

I have always cringed when the accusations fly about someone allegedly “playing the race card.” It’s usually a proxy for “You’re making me uncomfortable, so please stop talking.” Or a diversionary tactic used to avoid having to speak about race with any kind of precision or specificity. A shorthand for “Just shut up.” And so, in 2010, I flipped the script, turning that accusatory phrase into a prompt to spark conversation. I printed 200 black postcards at my local FedEx Kinko’s on upper Wisconsin Avenue asking people to condense their thoughts on race or cultural identity into one sentence of six words. The front of the cards simply read:

Race. Your thoughts. 6 words. Please send.

I left the cards everywhere I traveled: in bookstores, in restaurants, at the information kiosks in airports, on the writing desks at all my hotels. Sometimes I snuck them inside airline in-flight magazines or left them at the sugar station at Starbucks. I hoped a few of those postcards would come back, thinking it would be worth the trouble if even a dozen people responded. Much to my surprise, strangers who stumbled on the cards would follow the instructions and use postage stamps to mail their six-word stories back to me in D.C. Since my parents were both postal workers, this gave me an extra thrill. Here I was, doing my part to support the Postal Service. Who says snail mail is dead? Half a dozen cards arrived within a week, then 12, then 20. Over time, that trickle became a tide. I have received more than 500,000 of these stories — and more arrive every day, though the vast majority of submissions now arrive through a website portal online. They have come from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Though limited to six words, the stories are often shocking in their candor and intimacy. They reveal fear, disappointment, regret and resentment. Some are kissed by grace or triumph. A surprising number arrive in the form of a question, which suggests that many people hunger not just for answers but for permission to speak their truths. It was amazing what people could pack into such a small package:

Reason I ended a sweet relationship

Too Black for Black men’s love

Urban living has made me racist

Took 21 years to be Latina

Was considered White until after 9/11

Gay, but at least I’m White

I’m only Asian when it’s convenient

To keep the conversation going, I created a complementary website for the Race Card Project, where people could submit their six-word stories online. Over time we added two words to the submission form: “Anything else?” That changed everything. People sent in poems, essays, memos and historical documents to explain why they chose their six words. The archive came alive. It became an international forum where people could share their own stories but also learn much about life, as if it were lived by someone else.

I highly recommend reading the entire article, using the above gift link. As an olive-skinned Italian American, with curly hair, I have often felt like I am a walking Rorschach test for race. Even though I'm classified as "white" in the U.S., I've had people ask me if I'm a Latina, a Native American, Black, Egyptian, Jewish, and even a South Pacific Islander. Given my history, here are my six words on race.

A book is not it's cover.

I welcome people adding to this post their own 6 words on race.

[christopher-bangnaldoskzz]

When you pick him up from the airport- CHANGBIN

Changbin x female reader 

Genre: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Word count: 2.6k 

Summary: you ex asks you to pick him up from the airport what happens after surprises you both. 

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, unprotected sex, oral female receiving, cock teasing, tittie fucking , cumming, mind blowing orgasms and the use of inappropriate language (swearing). 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 🥳

Masterlist

*Ting ting*

Binnie 

“Hey…..are you still okay to pick me up from the airport” 

Changbin, now your ex-boyfriend, had been gone for two months for work. Well, that’s what he said anyway, the truth was you and Changbin had broken up three months ago after you argued about taking the next stage in your relationship. 

Y/n 

“I should be okay…what time is your flight in.” 

Changbin wanted to take things up a level. He wanted to have a baby and get married. However, you thought you were too young to settle down, and you dreamt of travelling the world. Leading you to brake up with him. 

……..

Three months earlier.

“I can’t fucking do this anymore, changbin…. I don’t know how often we have to go through this,” you said, pacing the bedroom.

“Until you tell me why you don’t want to have a baby with me” he was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. 

“Because changbin,” you said, so frustrated. 

“But why?….. do you not love me,” he started tearing up. 

“Of course I love you,” you said, trying to grab his hand. 

“Then why do you not want me to be happy” he was looking up at you, it broke your heart to do this to him, but you were a man. How could he do this to you? You thought you were happy. 

“Because I don’t want to ruin my fucking life”, you scream. 

“So having a baby with me would ruin your life….I know where I stand,” he said, packing his stuff into a bag. 

“Changbin, please,” you said, trying to calm him down. 

“Well, I’m sorry the last four years with me have wasted your time….I thought I was building a life with you…god was I fucking wrong,” he said, shoving all his clothes into the bag. 

“I’m sorry, changbin,” you said, starting to cry as you sat on the bed. 

“I just need some time,” he says, zipping his bag up. 

“Where are you going?” You said, following him to the door.

“Please don’t make this any harder on me,” he says, turning around and placing his hand on your cheeks. 

“I’m sorry, Binnie….I want to be able to do this for you. I do” he wraps his big muscular arms around you as he kisses the top of your head. 

“I know….I know you do….” He just wanted to hold you one last time. 

……

Three weeks later.

*Ting ting*

Binnie

“Hey, I’m 15 minutes away. Your home?” 

Y/N 

“Yeah, I am… I packed your stuff up, so it’s easier for you to pick up.” 

Binnie 

“Thanks. Mind if I talk to you when I get there.” 

Y/N 

“That should be fine. See you soon.” 

….

Changbin knocks on the door, you open the door to his hair all fluffy, and he is in a Gary t-shirt with jeans. 

“Here, come in” he opens the door and steps into the house.

He walks over to his spare clothes in plastic bags and stops. “I hate this…how did we go from happy to this?” He says, bending down to pick up the bag. 

“I’m sorry, Binnie….I do want to be friends” bin stands up and walks towards you 

“Me too…I missed talking to you,” he says, pulling you in for a hug. You wrap your arms around his waist, squeezing him. 

“I have to leave for a couple of months for work….when I get back, we will talk this out, okay?” You agree as all you wanted was for changbin to be in your life. If that meant just friends, then you could work with that. 

……

Leading you too now, you are driving to the airport to pick him up. You have no idea how you got here and why you agreed to this. Maybe it was because for the two months he was away, he called you every day, or perhaps because it was him being halfway across the world that made your heart long for his return. 

You park in the airport parking as you are about 15 minutes too early. You walk inside the airport and grab a Carmel latte from the Starbucks inside.

Taking a seat near the entrance for the returning passengers. As you scroll through your phone, you see a duffel bag drop at your feet. 

“So, do friends not get hugs,” changbin said with his arms out wide. 

You still smelt his cologne as you held onto him tight. 

“You smell really good”, you mumble in his chest. 

He chuckles as he lets go, and you step back as he picks his duffle bag up. 

He placed his hand on your lower back as you both walked towards the car. “Did you miss me?” He grinned. 

You just laugh and continue to walk to your car as you open the boot for changbin to put his suitcase back in his arms and wrap around your waist from behind. 

“I missed you these last two months”, he kisses behind your ear.

“I bet you did”, you giggle as you remember some of the steamy conversations you would have with him over the phone. 

He lets you go as he puts his bag in the boot. “I’ll drive,” he says, putting his hand out for you to put the keys in his hand. 

“Okay,” you grin because you hated driving anyway, so this was perfect. 

“Okay,” he said, getting in and adjusting the seat, putting the car into drive and pulling out of the parking lot. 

“I am happy you came back, though,” you said, smiling at him while he drove. He took one hand off the steering wheel and placed it on your thigh. 

“As long as you here….this is where I want to be,” he said as his hand found yours and locked his fingers with you as he brought them to his lips, placing a soft kiss on them. 

“Binnie, this isn’t very friend-like,” you say, trying to remain stern. Changbin let go of your hand as he drove to your house. It wasn’t until you were around the corner from your home you even realised he was driving to yours.

“What are you up to, changbin” you smile cheekily.

“I thought we could catch up…you know, hang out as friends.” 

You didn’t want to just hang out with him as friends. You wanted him BAD. He pulls into the driveway, and you walk him to the front door. 

“Okay, you can come in okay….but no funny business….we are just” and with his lips connected to yours, he breaths in as he steps his body closer to yours, you, of course, welcoming this action. 

“I’m not here to be your friend, Y/N,” he said, breathing heavily as he caressed your face. 

“I haven’t changed my mind about a baby changbin,” you said, pushing him back as he leant in. 

“I know…but all I want is you…we can work the rest out,” he said, looking down at your hand on his chest. “I love you….I can’t help that…I need to know do you want this?” 

“Want what changbin?” Now he’s confused you. 

“Me?” He says, pulling you in. 

“Of course, I want you….I’ll always want you,” you said as he tilted his head and kissed you again. This kiss was different, more needy and soft as a posed to how his kisses us to be passionate and loving.

“I should open the door,” you say, heavy breathing. 

“Mmmmmhhhmm, good idea,” he says in between kisses. 

You unlock the door, and changbin opens it pushing you in and up against the entrance wall. He kicks the door closed and proceeds to finish what he started, his hands travelling to your lower back as he pulls you in, filling the gaps. 

“Shall we take this to my room” you grin as changbin can’t stop staring at your lips, his thumb brushing over them lightly

“Your lips are so beautiful” you took that as a yes, grabbing his hand and leading him to your bedroom. 

Your bed is all neat and tidy. He lays you down as he hovers over the top of you, but something is not right “uh, Y/N is that Tom Holland staring at me” he says, pointing behind you. 

How embarrassing your friends got it for you as a joke, and you weren’t expecting changbin to come back, so when you made your bed, the pillow was the centrepiece. 

“Omg, how embarrassing,” you said, covering your face. 

“Like, I don’t want to be rude, but I can’t continue with him looking at me like that. “

You immediately throw the pillow onto the ground beside you. Changbin laughed as he rolled to the side “hold on, hold on…..who even bought that for you?” He said, reaching down to grab it, forgetting what he was doing. 

“Cara”, you laughed “. She bought it for me in case I got lonely”, Changbin laughed as he looked at it. You crawl over to him and sit on your knees, bringing him back to reality.

“Now, where was I,” he says, throwing the pillow to the side and laying you back down. 

As changbin lifts your T-shirt, he leaves a trail of kisses up your body from your stomach to just below your breasts. You raise your body just enough for changbin to undress you, his hand sliding down your back to unhook your bra. “I was starting to forget what it feels like to have you under me”, he whispered in your ear before he removed your bra. 

Next, to be removed, were your pants which were soon met by your underwear on the floor. You are now entirely naked underneath. Changbin’s hands are roaming your body, sliding his hands up your legs to sit on your hips. 

Changbin sits up and pulls his t-shirt up. Your eyes light up at the sight of his body so chiselled and perfect. You undo his jean button as he pulls the shirt over his head. You slide your hands up to his toned chest. 

Pulling him down by the back of his neck, your lips moving in sink as he pulls away, you bite his bottom lip lightly. “You are so” you reconnect your lips to him, tugging at his pants and pulling them down his thighs as you part your lips just enough for his tongue to enter your mouth. He pulls away to remove his pants rolling them down his thick thighs. 

You decide to straddle Changbin sitting on the shaft of his penis “oh god”, Changbin whines. 

You begin to grind on his shaft, Changbins eyes shimmering as he glances at you. Your hands are on his chest as you slide up and down his shaft. The head of his penis slightly teases your entrance. His hand slid up to cup your breasts, the pleasure of Changbins touch instantly making your head flick back as you dug your nails into his chest. 

“You tease me just right, baby”, he moans as he squeezes and massages your breasts. You run your finger through his hair as you lean down to kiss him. You can not get enough of his touch. 

You grab onto his penis as you slowly slide down, allowing the top to enter. “Fuck…you’ve always been so good as this”, he moans again. 

This time you take all of him inside you, sitting for a moment to allow your walls to adjust to him. You bring to ride his cock again, this time bobbing up and down. The sound of skin slapping echoes through the room. 

“Oh god,” Changbin moans as he places his hand on your hips, helping you stay steady. 

“You like that?” You say, slapping down harder, making him dig his nails into your hips. You slow down and start to grind, helping you stimulate your clit. 

“Fuck”, he groans as he flips you over, now the one in control. His cock glides in, and he quickly pulls out. “I guess it’s my turn to tease you”, he grins as he pushes in and quickly out a few more times before he slides in and rolls his pelvis onto that sweet spot you like so much. 

He rolls his hips grinding into your clit and making you arch your body. “Binnie”, you moan. You can feel him chuckle as he presses his pelvis firmly into your clit, making the friction too much to bear. 

“I’m so close”, you moan, changbin now and easing up the pressure. 

He slowly lifts his pelvis and thrusts into you “not just yet, baby”, he says as he pounds into you, your body moving from the thrusts. 

Changbin places his forearms on either side of your head as his pelvis once a gain his and grinds on your sweet spot. Instantly making your vision go blurry, “oh fuck” you barely get out as you feel a rush of hot pressure tingling through your body. The most intense orgasm you’ve had to date. You hold your breath as you can’t control your body, jolting once the orgasm is over. Your body relaxes as you gasp for more air “oh god”, you say, panting as Changbin kisses your jawline. 

“Shit baby…I didn’t know you could come like that,” he grunted in your ear. He pulls out of you “how about you come on my tits” Changbin immediately freezes.

“Y/n, don’t fuck around with my feeling like that” he has been asking for years if he could title fuck you; however, you had always turned him down. 

“I’m not playing with you….I want you to cum all over my tits” you pull him in for another kiss by the back of his neck.

Pushing your breasts together, changbin instead his giant cock between the two. “S-shit”, he moans, pumping between the two, his head peeking out the top. You begin to squeeze and rub your breasts as he pumps faster into your breast slit. He’s now pumping into you as his hand keeps him steady behind your head. 

He pumps twice before realising his sticky white cum is all over your tits. “S-shit, Y/N”, he moans as you are now lying there with a cheeky grin on your face. 

“What are you smiling at… “he giggles. “I’m not done with you yet.” He rolls himself over while he drags you on top. You’re now sitting on his stomach. 

He grabs your ass and checks, and starts pulling your body up. You shuffle up the bed and place your knees on either side of his head. He squeezes your ass before he pushes your thighs down, so you are now hovering over his face. 

“This is the best sex we’ve ever had,” he says right before he leans upwards, eating you out. You grab the headboard gripping it as he pushes you in further by your ass. You start to grind on his tongue as he licks upwards, making sure he hits all the right spots. 

“G-god”, you moan as Changbin starts sucking your clits, popping and swirling his tongue around them. 

Again you begin to see specs as you feel another intense orgasm coming on. With one hand stealing yourself and the other combing Changbin’s fluffy hair, you ride out your orgasm on Changbin’s magical tongue.

“Wow”, Changbin heavy breaths as you climb off his face. 

You laugh as changbin pulls you in by your hips back onto the bed. 

“I really need to sleep…but please can you cuddle with me,” he says with his big muscular arms wrapped around you and his face between your shoulder blades. 

“Sure,” you said, rubbing his arm as you shimmed your body back into his. 

He fell asleep instantly. After that, you felt his grip around your waist loosen, and he began snoring lightly into your back. You really did miss changbin, and who knows, this could be the start of a really great friendship. 

A/n: thank you all so much for waiting for my return, I had a nice brake and can’t wait for this upcoming year with you all….love you guys and if you like my work please like reblog and follow. 

Taglist for changbin is open: @daceydeath @9900z​ @i-say-choco-you-say-ice-cream​

[michellemisfit]

Weekly Tag Wednesday ✈️ Neeeooow Edition

Thanks for the tag @deedala @energievie @sam-loves-seb @mybrainismelted @sleepyfacetoughguy @guinguin1984

—---------------------------

Name: Michelle

Age: Old enough to know better

Location: My bed, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket

📍where are we going? I wanna say Cape Cod, but it’s -3 there right now, so fuck that. Australia it is! 🦘

📍whats the weather like there right now? 22•C (feels like 24), according to Google

📍are you an over-packer or a light-packer? Over-packer, though I have also been known to pack 12 bras but not bring any pants… though these days I keep very detailed lists and get Ruth to double check my packing multiple times!

📍are we taking a plane or a train? If you can find me a train, I’ll take it! Hahaha but no. Neeeooow all the way! ✈️

📍early morning departure or an overnight trip? If we’re going to Australia it’s gonna be all of it. Loooong travel. I’m gonna watch so many movie and my butt is gonna go so numb!!

📍what song are you playing in the car while we drive to catch our departure?

📍we need to grab something on the way, starbucks or dunkin? Fucking Dunkin’ Donuts. The last time I was in the states we stopped at a Dunkin for donuts and were informed that they didn’t have any donuts… like, wtf? And then we found out that they are phasing out selling donuts. Like, double wtf?!? So yeah, Starbucks all the way.

📍we've made it to the transportation place 🚂✈️! be honest, are we on-time or are we rushing because we're running late? Always early. I’d rather spend an extra 3 hours in an airport McDonalds than be late for a plane. I get travel anxiety.

📍are you taking the window seat or the aisle seat? I like the aisle seat for the freedom to pee when I want, without annoying someone else! (This is gonna be everyone’s answer, isn’t it? haha)

📍we're settled in our seats, are you gonna read or watch a movie/show? Bit of both. I do like getting my money’s worth in beverages and free movies, so I try and watch and consume as many as possible. But sometimes my ears hurt from too much earbud wearing, so I switch to reading for a bit. Then back to movies!

📍what are you reading/watching? Generally all the movies I thought ‘oh, might go and see that’ in the cinema and never did. And then as we get closer to landing I will swap to a movie I know inside out, because it will inevitably cut off before I get to the end.

📍are you using wireless or wired headphones? Wired. I don’t fuck with pods.

📍are you going to take a nap or stay awake? I can sleep pretty much anywhere, but I get overtired and twitchy anxious on planes, so I’m not the best airplane sleeper.

📍do you want a salty snack or a sweet snack? Salty snack 90% of the time. However I also like bringing my own selection of snacks, so I’m not held to the whims of the airplane company! lol

📍we've arrived! are we heading straight to activities or are we gonna rest at the hotel? I actually don’t mind. I’ve gone straight from airports to restaurants, concerts, plays etc and it’s been fine. Make the most of the day you’ve got and all that. Depends on how much luggage I’ve got though.

📍finally, pick a treat to reward yourself for a travel day well done! A nice looooong sleep in a comfy bed!!!

Tagging @darlingian @too-schoolforcool @jrooc @heymacy @heymrspatel @gallawitchxx @juliakayyy @crossmydna @rutherinahobbit @rereadanon @redshirt2 @crestfallercanyon @creepkinginc @captainjowl @the-rat-wins @tsuga-of-mars @ian-galagher @iansfreckles @ohkate @faejilly @palepinkgoat @sickness-health-all-that-shit @look-i-love-u @francesrose3 @vintagelacerosette @gardenerian @lynne-monstr @notherenewjersey @mickeygifs @mikhailoisbaby come travel with me 🥰

[ereardon]

My Girl [Chapter 4][Jake "Hangman" Seresin x OC]

Summary: Jake Seresin could be the answer to all of your dating woes. He’s the full package: steady job, mature, dependable, attractive to a fault. The polar opposite of every guy your age and he’s everything you’ve ever wanted in a partner. But there’s one roadblock: he’s a single father to four-year-old Ellie. Jake is looking for a level of commitment you’re not quite sure you’re ready to give, and he’s not willing to bring someone into his daughter’s life who isn’t there for the long haul. And even if you are stepmom material, is Jake ready to let someone back in his life while still mourning the recent loss of his late wife? 

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x OC [Lawyer Natalie West]

WC: 5.3K

Warning: Age gap, cursing, smut, mention of death

Series masterlist here

It had been ages since you’d had a nightmare. Not since law school, maybe. Or the night before the Bar Exam. 

You still had yet to go inside of Jake’s house. He was waiting for a day when Ellie wasn’t around, or for once you had met her. You respected that it was her home and space and you didn’t want to invade that.

In the dream, the door was open and you walked right in. Every inch of wall space was covered by pictures of Jake and a woman with perfect skin, pearly white teeth, shiny hair. He looked happy in the photos. 

Happier than he had ever been with you. 

The further you walked into the house, the more the hallways stretched out and narrowed, never ending, like mirror walls of a fun house at a carnival. Sweat started to prick at the base of your neck, between your breasts, under your arms. The lighting dimmed the longer you stayed in the house until you were squinting with each step. But somehow, the photographs were bright without any background lighting. You could perfectly see Jake’s wife smiling out at you. If you looked closely, her eyes followed you as you continued, like the Mona Lisa. 

Finally, the hallway came to an end and you saw a lone figure sitting at a table, their back to you. You reached out a manicured hand to their shoulder and they turned. 

It was Jake’s wife. 

She smiled and for a moment you were still from shock. But when you tried to move, you were frozen in place. She stood up, towering over you. 

“Do you think you’ll ever be enough?” she asked quietly, her voice slicing through the air, the words dribbling down your own throat and making a home for themselves inside of you. You felt cold, and breathless. Her voice was calm. “For him? For her?”

And then you woke up. 

***

“All the files should be on my desk,” you said into the phone, pacing in front of an airport Starbucks. “ICID, that Blackstone acquisition company, the Singapore trust. They’re all there.” 

“I’m all over it,” Rebecca said and you could hear her nails clicking on her keyboard as she spoke. “Go enjoy your long weekend with your super hot boyfriend. And remember that I’m jealous and I like Pinot Noir.” 

You laughed and spotted Jake standing patiently with the bags. “Got it. Alright, if anything urgent happens just text me.” 

“It will and I won’t,” she replied.

You chuckled and ended the call, crossing the walkway area to Jake and touching his bicep lightly. “Sorry about that. You ready?” 

He smiled softly and for the hundredth time you looked back in awe of how casually beautiful he was. “Everything good at work?” 

You sighed and grabbed the suitcase from him, falling into step as you headed for your gate. “It’s chaotic, but to be expected. Becks will hold down the fort while I’m gone. Well, her and the rest of the team, but she’s the one I trust the most.” 

Jake nodded and readjusted his grip on his shoulder bag. You hadn’t pegged him for a leather messenger type of guy, but he pulled it off so easily you didn’t blink an eye. “You deserve a weekend away.” 

“I am so excited,” you replied and he gave you a brilliant grin. “I’ve never been to Napa before.” 

“You’re going to love it,” Jake murmured into your hair as he bent down to kiss your temple. 

Jake was right. You loved northern California. 

You had spent so much time in San Diego, with its blistering sun and ridiculously tanned men in swim trunks at the grocery store that Napa was a significant change of pace. 

Jake had booked tickets to the local airport and had a car waiting when you got off, directly on the tarmac. He looked relaxed behind the wheel of the Mercedes convertible sedan as the two of you whipped down quiet streets before pulling up to a gated resort. 

And even though it hadn’t been discussed beforehand, it was pretty obvious what the weekend meant. It wasn’t just your first trip away together, or your first time in wine country. 

It was very apparent the moment Jake slid the room key and opened the door to reveal the hotel suite and you walked in to see the massive king bed in the center of the room, staring back at you. 

Jake settled both suitcases against the wall, and dropped his bag, holding his hand out for your purse. Once he locked the door, he wrapped his arms around you from behind where you stood at the massive floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the vineyard below. You leaned your head back against his broad chest, breathed in his comforting scent, felt his warm hands press softly against your stomach as he nuzzled your neck. 

“I’m so happy we’re doing this,” he whispered into your neck before his lips glued themselves to your skin and you nearly forgot how to breathe, the desperate need to feel him all over you taking over the one brain cell your entire body had decided to share at that moment. 

You turned around and threaded your fingers into his golden hair, watched his eyes linger on your lips as your hips shifted forward to meet his and you felt him, hard, against your pelvis. Jake let out a small whimper as you swiveled your hips from side to side, the fabric of your jeans skimming across his chinos. “Me too,” you said quietly, looking up at him with a shy smile. 

Jake growled, one hand pressed tightly against your lower back, the other cupping your neck and pulling you in for a kiss. It was deep and warm, Jake’s tongue pushing into your mouth. There was an air of desperation, and when he pulled away you felt like panting. 

“Shit,” he muttered quietly, running one hand through his hair. “We gotta get out of this room or else I’m never going to take my hands off of you.” 

“What if I don’t want you to take your hands off of me,” you whispered and he groaned. 

“Honey, you’re killing me. I want that, trust me. But you deserve the full Napa experience. Which starts with an amazing dinner in,” he looked down at his watch, “thirty minutes. So we should get ready.” 

You nodded, bending over to unzip the suitcase and behind you Jake groaned again, causing you to laugh. “Look away!” 

He tossed his hands up in the air. “Alright, alright. I’m going to take a quick shower. Saves me from the unbearableness of seeing you strip down to change.” 

You gave him a smirk and he padded off to the bathroom. When he emerged ten minutes later, you slid past him carrying a dress and heels and a makeup bag. Jake’s fingers grazed your arm, sending a shiver down your spine. 

“Holy shit,” Jake said, standing up from where he had been lounging on the edge of the bed, as you exited the large bathroom. “You look phenomenal.” 

Giving him a smile, you turned around. “Can you zip me up please?” 

Jake stepped forward, fingers coming out to grip the zipper of your green satin dress, pulling it up slowly, cinching in the tight fabric to your curves. You spun around, Jake’s eyes sliding over your body from your head, past the plunging dress neckline, down to your Jimmy Choo heels. 

“Well?” You asked. 

He shook his head. “No words.” 

You laughed, reaching down for your clutch and then out for his hand. “Come on, then. I’m starving.” 

He was perfect. So perfect, you wanted to look for red flags but you couldn’t find any. 

Not when he wordlessly switched your entrees because he could tell you liked his more. Not when he ordered four desserts because you couldn’t choose. Not when you went to use the bathroom and he stood up politely as you left the table, something you had only ever seen gentlemen do in black and white movies. 

There was nothing wrong with Jake as his warm fingers dug into your lower back guiding you into the car. Or when his lips brushed yours for a moment as he pinned you against the wall of the hotel archway near the side entrance as you walked up to your room. 

It took everything in your power not to moan as he dipped his head and pressed his lips to the delicate skin beneath your ear, one hand curving around to grab your ass. 

Jake pushed open the door to the hotel suite and gave you a soft smile. 

You tossed your purse onto the heap of open luggage, noting that Jake’s pieces were carefully packed up while yours were strewn about. You wondered if that bothered him. 

Sitting down on the desk chair, you pulled off your heels and set them gently next to Jake’s sneakers from earlier. He crossed the room and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking out of place. You could tell the wheels were churning in his head. 

“Jake?” Your voice was light and his ears perked up. “Are you OK?” 

He nodded. Part of you expected him to take a seat but he simply stood in the middle of the room, exuding a nervous energy. “Yeah, sweetheart, I am.” 

You shook your head, standing up and running your hands down his arms, knotting your fingers together before looking up at his handsome face. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?” 

He nodded again and you gave him a small smile. 

“That’s OK. We can take it slow. Watch a movie if you want. Or maybe you can read to me from that boring book you brought.”

That made him laugh. You had jokingly mocked the tome he had opened up on the hour and a half flight, a literal Dickens novel. Jake let your fingers slide from his, reaching up and pushing the hair from your face. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured. “So absolutely beautiful.” 

You pushed him lightly backwards until his knees hit the bed and he sat. You slotted in between his legs, and felt Jake’s hands come to your waist. Running your fingers through his hair, you bent down and whispered in his ear. “Unzip me please.” And then you spun around, pulled your curled hair out of the way and let Jake undo the zipper. When you turned back around, you pulled each strap down slowly, shimmying it over your hips and stepping out of the dress to reveal a lacy black bra and matching thong. Jake let out an audible grunt and he leaned forward automatically, grabbing your sides and pressing a kiss to the inch of abdomen above your underwear line. 

Jake pulled you onto his lap, straddling him, and you felt how hard he was already as you pushed down against him. His lips were all over your collarbone and neck, and you tossed your head back, basking in how good it felt to be touched by him. Jake nudged the strap of your bra down on one side, freeing your breast and taking it in his mouth, sucking hard which caused you to moan, wetness pooling between your legs. His tongue flicked you over and over, the other hand grabbing your covered breast. 

Before you realized it, he had undone the clasp of your bra and tossed it across the floor, alternating kisses across your chest, hands warm on your bare back as he pulled you in closer. “Jake,” you gasped against him and he pulled away, looking up at you. His eyes were feverish. Darkened with lust, his lips plump, that small degree of stubble burning your skin in the most unbelievably filthy way. “Please, I need you.” 

Your fingers tugged at his shirt, undoing the buttons clumsily and he reached out to help, pulling his shirt off seamlessly to reveal his toned, golden abdomen. You rolled off him and onto the bed and watched as he stood, taking off his pants leaving just a pair of tight black boxer briefs. Even though you had seen him naked from the waist down before, his size, even covered by the briefs, made your eyes boggle. 

Jake climbed up to where you laid on the bed, skimmed a hand lightly down your side, making you shiver. He leaned down and pressed his lips to just above your belly button, one hand flattened against your hip. 

“Can I?” He whispered quietly and you looked down, unable to hear him clearly. 

“What?” 

“Can I eat you out?” He asked and you saw a blush creep onto his cheeks. It was so endearing from someone so attractive, his eagerness to please, his ability to embarrass. 

“God, yes,” you muttered and in an instant, he was between your legs, pulling your panties off, leaving sloppy kisses up your thighs from your knees until you felt him wedge your legs apart. For a moment, he was silent, immobile. You looked down to see him staring at you, and when he raised his eyes to yours, you swear you saw a twinkle. 

And then he leaned down and licked a pathway up your seam up to your clit and you had to stop yourself from crying out. Jake was on a mission between your legs and you had the fleeting thought that he must be very good at his real job if he was this detail oriented and thorough in bed. He needed zero instruction. Your back arched off the bed as he swirled his tongue over your clit, one thick finger probing at your entrance before slowly pushing in. It was a tight fit, and you heard him choke out a pained, “Fuck,” as you whimpered while he slowly pressed inside of you. “Yes, baby,” he murmured, “taking it so well. You’re such a good girl for me.” 

You couldn’t stop the moans as he began to pump his finger expertly inside of you, curling the tip up just right as his tongue parted your folds and circled your clit. Jake added another finger, slowly, and you winced at the pain, but your hips bucked up against his face, practically begging for more. “God, Jake, yes, just like that,” you screamed as he pumped faster, the wet sloppy sounds of your desperation filling the room. Jake’s other hand held your hips down as your breath caught in your throat, white spots forming in your vision. 

“Please, baby girl,” he muttered against your core. “Cum for me.” 

That was all you needed to break around his fingers and across his mouth, a strangled cry ripped from your throat, your hips pressed up as Jake pumped his fingers diligently, tongue flicking against your swollen clit as you rode out your orgasm until it was too much, too sensitive, and he pulled away. His lips glistened and he wiped them before sitting on his knees between your legs, a small wet patch forming on his boxers where he was leaking precum, cock impossibly hard and straining against the fabric. Jake’s hands were warm on your legs, and he looked up. 

“Are you OK?” he asked delicately and you nodded, chest heaving. “Your legs are shaking.” 

You chuckled. “Stop bragging.” 

He laughed and stroked his fingers down your thighs a few times, reassuringly. “But you’re alright?” he asked again and this time there was a vulnerability that hadn’t been there before. 

“Jake,” you said quietly. “You’re amazing. Don’t worry about me, OK? I’m having a great time. Now come here.” 

You held out your arms and Jake laid down next to you, his arm heavy across your chest. You reached out to kiss his lips, tasting yourself on him, one hand trailing down to touch him. He was hard, and he hissed when your fingers stroked him over the boxers. 

“Take these off,” you murmured. He hooked a finger underneath the waistband of the underwear and pulled them down, freeing his cock and you could feel the hard, wet tip as it rubbed against your hip. “Tell me what you want, baby.” 

“Want you,” he muttered against your shoulder, lips kissing across your skin. 

“You have me,” you replied softly. Jake looked up, eyes dark and searching yours. 

“I brought condoms if we want to use them.” 

You nodded. “I got tested since my last partner, and I’m on the pill, but it’s up to you. I trust you.” 

“Well you know my history,” he said quietly. 

“I’m OK with it if you are,” you said. “I’d like to feel you.” 

Jake grunted and you felt him roll on top of you, hands spread across your hip bones, one thumb grazing over your still swollen clit. You drew in a sharp breath and Jake grabbed his cock with one hand, pumping himself slowly as he looked down. 

“Please, baby,” you whined below him. “Need you now.” 

Jake slid the tip through your wet folds, moaning at the noise it made in the quiet room. You shifted, hiking your hips up in an angle, and felt the thick head of his cock push at your entrance. With a slow breath, Jake hitched forward, pushing himself inside. “Holy shit,” he groaned, inching deeper. He was thick and you hissed as he worked his way inside of you. “Fuck, Nat, you’re so tight. Feel so fucking good, Jesus.” 

Jake was a whining mess by the time he bottomed out inside of you, holding himself up by his forearms, his head dipped low into your shoulder. You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper, and he swore under his breath before starting to roll his hips into you, setting a brutal pace, leaving you gasping beneath him. Almost immediately he hit that spot inside of you that made your insides coil and you let out a string of moans as Jake continued to thrust. 

“God, I’m close,” he whispered, his voice ragged. “Where should I cum?” 

You tightened your legs around his waist, crossing your ankles over each other on his lower back. “Inside of me.” 

“Fuck.” Jake locked his eyes on yours, pushing himself up a little bit higher so he could watch as his thrusts made your breasts bounce. You felt his hips stutter a little, and knew his orgasm was approaching by the way he sloppily continued to fuck into you. “God, baby, yes, holy shit you feel so good, gonna make me cum.” 

“Please, Jake,” you moaned, head tilted to the side and you heard Jake cry out as he spilled inside of you, shallowly pumping three more times before collapsing against your chest, sweat dampening the edges of his hair near his forehead. Slowly, he pulled out and you winced. He got up and returned from the bathroom with a warm wet cloth, cleaning between your legs, before returning to the bed, pulling you into his arms. 

Your hand grabbed his neck as he reached down to kiss you. When you broke apart, you snuggled into Jake’s side, his arm slung around you, your hand on his chest, one leg tossed over his. “Doing OK, honey?” he asked. 

“I should be asking you that,” you said softly. “Are you OK? I know it’s the first time since…” You trailed off. 

Jake sucked in a deep breath. “It had to happen at some point. And I’m glad it was with you.” Jake looked down at you, one hand brushing over your hair softly. “You’re not a rebound, Natalie. I hope you know that. I’m serious about you.” 

Despite the fact that it was what you wanted to hear, there was still a part of you that balked at his words. Somewhere, deep down, you were worried about getting tied up in something so serious, so quickly. But you swallowed it down and simply kissed the smooth skin of his bare chest, tightened your grip on him. “I’m glad.” 

You fell asleep in Jake’s arms. He felt safer than anything you had ever known. 

***

“I’d like you to meet my friends,” Jake blurted out. You froze, phone sitting on speaker on the kitchen counter as you ate pickles straight out of the jar. 

“Um…”

“It’s Bob’s birthday tomorrow and we’re having a little party,” he added quickly and you heard that vulnerability creep into his voice again. “Nothing huge, just the team. They’re kind of my family now.” There was a lump in his throat, you could hear it even over the phone. “I’d really like for them to meet you.” 

“Of course,” you murmured, closing the pickle jar. “What time?” 

That’s how you found yourself standing on the doorstep of a small bungalow holding a birthday gift on Friday night. 

You had called Jake earlier to apologize that you’d be late. A last minute contract error had sent the team spiraling, and you only had enough time to rush home and change and grab the gift from where you had left it in the entryway and speed to the address Jake had texted you. 

You were still forty-five minutes late. 

Your hand shook as you reached out and rang the doorbell, smoothing down the off the shoulder top you wore with a pair of jeans and chunky heels. Jake hadn’t specified a dress code. 

The door swung open and a tall guy with a mustache answered. His mouth curved up into a smile. “Well hello there,” he drawled. “You must be Natalie.” 

You nodded and he stepped back, opening the door wider and letting you in. 

“Hangman wasn’t kidding,” he said as he shut the door. “You really are out of his league.” 

You chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

He held out a large hand for a shake. “Rooster, but you can call me Bradley.” 

“Bradley it is.” 

He gave you a dazzling smile. “Everyone’s out back with the birthday boy. Follow me.” 

Bradley led you down a narrow hallway toward the back of the house and as you entered the kitchen you could hear music playing outside. He slid open a pair of glass doors and called out into the yard where a small group was crowded around a few tables covered in food, string lights crossing low above the adjacent seating area. 

“Hangman, get your ass over here or I’m going to steal your girlfriend!” 

You laughed and watched Jake’s head swivel around from where he stood, a smile glued to his face as he dropped mid-conversation and quickly made his way toward you. He clapped Bradley on the shoulder. “Get your own girl, Bradshaw,” he said. He leaned down and pressed his lips to yours. “Hey honey.” 

“Where should I put this?” You held out the gift. Jake took it from you and placed it on a nearby table before putting his hand on your lower back. 

“I want to introduce you to everyone,” he said, nudging you forward toward the group. “Guys, this is Natalie.” 

You looked around. There was Bradley smirking into a beer bottle. A cute dirty blond with glasses, a beautiful brunette in a simple blue dress, a tall black guy with ridiculously chilled cheekbones, one shorter guy with a buzz cut, another taller one with a mustache, and a few others milling around behind the main group. “Hi,” you said softly, raising a hand, feeling a blush creep up on your neck. “So sorry I’m late.” 

The brunette gave you a once over before smiling. “I’m Phoenix, or Natasha, whatever you prefer.” 

You smiled, Jake’s hand still warm on your back. 

“I’m Coyote,” cheekbones said, stepping forward and kissing your cheek. 

“Payback,” said the other mustache, holding out a hand for a shake. 

“Fanboy.” Short buzzcut leaned forward and kissed your cheek as well. 

“And this is the birthday boy,” Bradley said, placing his hand firmly on the shoulder of the guy with glasses, who blushed. 

“Bob,” he said quietly and you stepped forward, giving him a hug. He put his arms around you awkwardly. 

“Happy Birthday, Bob,” you replied, pulling away. “So sorry I’m so late, and crashing your party.” 

He smiled softly and it was endearing. “No worries. Jake’s said a lot about you, we’re all very glad to have you here.”

“Oh you have, have you?” you murmured, looking up at Jake with a smirk. He smiled down at you. 

“Of course I have,” he replied. “Now that you’re introduced, let me get you a drink. Wine?” 

You nodded and he stepped away toward the house, edging open the sliding door. 

Turning back to the team, you watched their eyes land on you. They were friendly, but you knew what an attack position looked like. Jake was their person, and you were the outsider. 

“So, Natalie, Jake tells us you’re a lawyer,” Phoenix said. “How do you like it?” 

You shrugged. “Even lawyers hate lawyers.” That got a few laughs and you watched the group soften slightly. “But it’s not all that bad. Except for nights like tonight when I actually want to get somewhere on time but of course, something has to come up.” 

The team nodded. 

“Jake doesn’t talk about his job much,” you said. “Are you all pilots?”

“Aviators, ma’am,” Payback corrected. 

“Aviators,” you repeated. 

“Ignore him,” Fanboy rolled his eyes. “It’s the same thing.”

“Is not!”  

“We’re all at Top Gun together,” Phoenix added and from her tone you could tell she was a natural leader. “Have been for about six years now.”

“And you’re all instructors?”

The team shook their heads. “Jake’s the only instructor,” Phoenix said softly. “Been that way since Lizzie. He just couldn’t afford to leave Ellie alone for long periods of time, you know? This job, it’s not exactly family friendly.” 

There was something in the way they all looked when she said it. You could tell the impact of her death was still fresh to them. 

Jake emerged from the house and rejoined the group. You took the wine glass, thankful for the distraction. 

“Mind if I steal her for a minute?” he asked and the team murmured agreements, Jake’s hand already steering you toward a tree with string lights near the edge of the fence. “Thanks for coming,” he whispered. 

You leaned in for a kiss. “Thanks for inviting me. Sorry again that I’m late.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Jake replied, gazing over at the group. “They’re good people.”

“I can tell after five minutes that they care about you a lot,” you said. “I hope I don’t disappoint.” 

Jake turned to you, one hand coming out to stroke your cheek. “Honey, you could never disappoint. They’re going to love you.” 

As the night wore on, you got more comfortable. Jake held you in his lap as the team shared embarrassing stories from their years together. You laughed and clapped as Bob blew out the candles on his cake, Payback and Fanboy rushing to smush his face into the frosting much to his dismay. Everyone was nice and easy going, and you could see why Jake liked them so much. He was a more casual, confident version of himself around them. It felt like there were no secrets, that he could just be himself. 

It was dark, and Jake had gone inside to check on the babysitter with Ellie, leaving you sitting next to the fire pit. There was a warm hand on your shoulder, and then Bradley appeared off to the side. 

“Mind if I sit with you?” 

“Please.”

He took a seat next to you, his handsome face glowing near the fire. Despite only knowing him for a few hours, the moments of silence before Bradley spoke again were not uncomfortable. “Did Hangman ever tell you that he and I used to be enemies?”

“Oh really?” you asked. 

He chuckled. “That’s a strong word I guess. Maybe just say we didn’t get along. But yeah, we were kind of on the outs. And then there was a really big mission a few years back, right after Ellie was born.” Bradley took a sip of his drink before continuing. “One of those types of missions where we thought someone wasn’t coming home. And in the end, that someone was me.” 

He stopped talking and you saw the pain across his face. You couldn’t help yourself — you reached out and laid one hand on his where it sat on the armrest of his chair. 

“I was out of weapons with someone right on my ass. And for the first time, I seriously considered what it would be like to die.” 

Your thumb brushed across his hand gently before giving him a squeeze and pulling away. Bradley smiled softly. 

“They almost had me in lock, I saw the smoke from their guns headed toward me. And then there was Hangman. He came in from behind and took them out. Saved my life.” He looked up. “He risked everything to come out there and rescue me. Ellie was three weeks old at that point. He had so much to lose, way more than I did.” 

“He never told me,” you whispered softly, looking out at where you could faintly see Jake pacing on the phone inside the house. “But that sounds like Jake.”

Bradley nodded. “He’s different now. Becoming a dad made him like that.” There was a pause. “She made him like that.” You knew he was talking about Lizzie.

“What was she like?” you asked, and you regretted it the moment it slipped out of your mouth. Jake didn’t tell you much about Lizzie on purpose. They were his memories. His remembrances. It was his choice to share those with you. 

“Lizzie was great,” Bradley said softly. “Beautiful. Smart. Generous. Always let one of our drunk asses stay at their house when we got a little too loaded. She was the mother of our group, quite literally. She was good for him. He needed her.” He stopped and looked at you. “She needed him, too.” 

You nodded. “I know I’m young,” you murmured. “You guys probably think I’m too young for him. But I really care about Jake. A lot. He means something to me.” 

“Did he tell you I’m Ellie’s godfather?”

You shook your head. 

“He asked me a few weeks after that mission I told you about. It’s something I take pretty seriously. That little girl, she’s my world, too. She’s really something.” 

“The way he talks about her. She sounds magical.” Bradley’s face lit up. “I’m not a parent. But she is special. Makes me feel like I’m part of something that’s more than just myself.” 

The two of you were silent for a moment. Maybe it was the wine, or the darkness that existed outside of the immediate proximity to the fire. Perhaps it was the fact that Bradley seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn’t hold something against you. Either way, you opened your mouth. “I’m scared,” you said quietly. “That I’m not ready to be someone’s step mom. I don’t know anything about kids. What if she doesn’t like me? What if she doesn’t trust me? Or worse, what if he doesn’t trust me with her?” 

Bradley’s chocolatey eyes locked onto your own. “No one is going to replace her mom. All she needs is someone who loves her.” 

He paused and looked up. Jake was edging open the sliding door. Your time with Bradley was rapidly coming to a close. 

“That’s all he needs, too. Someone who loves him.” Bradley’s voice grew quiet. “Someone who is going to stick around.” 

A/N: Next chapter we'll get another Napa section (it was just getting too long!) and then we will FINALLY meet Ellie!

Tag list: @double-j @seresinhangmanjake @topguncultleader @hangmandruigandmav @momc95 @minamisulemisa @shawnsblue @blue-aconite @brehonodea @crthurston @angelbabyange @jason-toddsthighs @secretsicanthideanymore @taytaylala12 @mandylove1000 @mizzzpink @showmethewayhomehoney @tvjunkie08 @mygyn @wkndwlff @sadpetalsstuff @shanimallina87 @averyhotchner @oneelleandaneye @starrynightskyz @daddymack01 @buxkybarnez @pookie-cleary @clairedelarosa-blog  @princessofglitterland  @tiredqueen73 @lovingjakeseresin @lilyevanswhore @kurtkunkle17 @amortentiadrops @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @abaker74 @xoxabs88xox @novagreen04 @townmoondaltwistle @rosiahills22 @indynerdgirl @entertainmentgal8 @misshoneypaper @starkleila @ebonyhogan24

[pedropascal-y]

Across The Pond - Joel Miller x f!Reader

summary: you're a visitor from the UK when the outbreak happens. You're also the newest member of Jackson, Wyoming.

Warnings (WHOLE STORY): MDNI, 18+, Smut, incel-type behavior (not from Joel), minor wound discussion, trauma, murder (infected killing), age gap (you're almost thirty and Joel is 50), lmk if I missed any.

a/n: thank you so much to my bestie, @lovers-liability , for helping me with this story! They have given me many ideas and encouraged me to write this! Much love! - Liv

Wordcount: 2.7k

your mp3 playlist: ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Index:

Chapter 1 - The Walls - 04/14/2023

Chapter 2 - Lovely Meetin Ya - 04/19/2023

Chapter 3 - PTSD - 05/08/2023

The sun beats down on your neck, surely adding to your already present sunburn. It was simply apart of you now, sunburn forever graced your skin since Summer arrived. It took so long for you and Felix to reach any semblance of normal socialization. According to those within the walls of the QZ’s, they were not normal there. Felix walks ahead of you, silently listening for anyone around you. “Why’s it so bloody hot here?” You groan, not used to the constant sunshine and missing the constant cover of clouds back in the UK. Felix rolls his eyes. He’s certainly used to your complaining by now, seeing as you both have been on the road for some near 20 years. Not that you could keep count, your phone continues to track the day and time when it is charged that is. It hadn’t been charged for a few months, or at least it felt that way. 

“You really need to stop complaining, hun.” Felix scolds you.

“It’s all I’ve got to do.” You say right back to him, scooting your rifle further onto your shoulder, “it’s not like I can read this sodding map,” you continue, looking at the years of arrows and directions written on to it. You had asked Felix to teach you but he never did, he said there was no use in teaching you when you had him. Everything on it was foreign to you, except the small arrows, those were simple enough to know. 

“How your wound?” He asks you, stopping for a moment to check on you. 

You lift your shirt slightly, exposing the infected wound that you sustained in a fight with some raider determined to take everything you had. “It’s bloody painful but I can handle. I just hope we find some medicine soon.” You sigh, exhausted physically and mentally. Although, everyone must be exhausted in every meaning of the word. The world had ended and everyone was on guard, especially around other people. Humans were more brutal than the infected in this fallen society. Your wound was more than proof of that.

You were 9 years old when the outbreak happened, spent most of the years afterward inside the airport. You had managed to stay alive after everyone else died by locking yourself in a bathroom and stealing food from the plethora of food establishments. After 17 years, thousands of books read, and all the food scavenged from the airport, you decided it was time to leave. The time spent in the airport taught you basic survival skills, quite a few skills with medical care and aniamal care but reading a map of the United States was still a daunting task. 

You try to find your way toward the front door when a sound comes from the starbucks to your left. Freezing, you pull your metal rod from your backpack and head toward the sound. The sound continued as you inched closer, getting louder and more frequent. A man a couple years older than you pops out from behind the coffee bar, “Don’t hurt me!” He yells. You hold your rod in a defensive position and stare at him.

“What are you doing here?” You ask him, ready to attack at any moment. He puts his hands down slowly and dusts them off. He starts, “Well, I was looking for food, there is none in here by the way.” 

“I know.”

“You know?” He asks.

“That Starbucks has been empty for months.”

“How’d you know?” 

“I cleared it out months ago. I’ve slowly been making my way through every shop here.” You explain, lowering your rod. Your arm was tired and he seemed nice enough. Granted you haven’t spoken to another human being since your mom died in your arms. 

“Hold on, how long have you been here?” He asks, hoping over the counter to stand in front of you. You take a step back, clearing more space between the both of you.

“Since the day it happened.” You explain to him. His face drops and so does your defense. 

“Stop, right now!” A man yells, approaching you two on a horse. Felix raises his rifle and aims it at the man. Another man rides in on a horse at our left, “I recommend you lower your weapon right now.” You step closer to Felix, nervous that this was it, you were outnumbered. Two more men arrive on your unprotected side, surrounding you completely. Felix slowly lowers his gun, making eye contact with what he assumes is the leader.

“We’re friendly,” Felix says, sliding the rifle stap onto his shoulder, “We just need a little help, she’s hurt.” You slap his shoulder, upset that he revealed your vulnerability. 

“Is she bit?” The first man asks Felix, completely ignoring your existence as a sentient being. Felix shakes his head and lifts your shirt to show the wound, “She was stabbed.” You shove your shirt down and Felix’s hand as quick as your hands would allow. The man on the horse nods at his pack and turns around. The horse rider behind you speaks up, “Get walkin, follow Tommy.” You start walking, cautious of the people surrounding you.

“Fel, why would you tell them I’m injured?” You whisper quietly, eyeing the person to your left. Felix looks at you and back at the leader whose name is Tommy, apparently, “You need help, hun, we need to take the chance that they can help.” You roll your eyes and press a couple fingers into the skin around the wound. As much as you hated to admit it, Felix was right, you weren’t going to survive long with the wound growing more infected. You speak up, “I can tend the wound myself, I just need the supplies,” Tommy keeps his eyes ahead, watching his pathway closely. 

After walking for a kilometer or so, Tommy lets out a whistle. “Send out the dog!” He yells. You look up from the ground and there stands massive walls. They look sturdy, strong and able to withstand just about anything. You let out a deep sigh, some relief falling off your shoulders. Loud creaking is heard from the direction of the walls and a dog comes sprinting at you and Felix. You freeze, worried the dog may attack you. That Tommy had led you to your death. The dog stops at Felix’s feet and sniffs him over. Felix waves a hand to you gently, signalling it’s okay. It eases you for a moment. He was always good at that, calming you down when the stress of the situation becomes too much for you. It was a skill he picked up rather quickly after our meeting in the airport. 

The dog stops sniffing Felix and heads over to you. “Lift your shirt.” The man on my left yelled from atop his horse. “Excuse me?” You snapped your head toward him. 

“The dog needs to get a whiff of your scent to make sure you’re not infected.” He says, impatiently gripping at his horse’s reigns. You nod slowly and lift your shirt for a moment, the dog continues to sniff. You knew you weren’t infected but the idea that perhaps the dog could be wrong was paralyzing you. You take a deep breath in as the dog walks away from you and sits at Tommy’s horse’s feet. “Alright, let’s get you folks some medicine,” Tommy begins the walk toward the gate placed between the walls of the commune. 

As the gates closed behind you, a woman came and grabbed the reigns of Tommy and his friend’s horse. “I’m Lucas, nice to meet you.” Tommy’s friend introduces himself, sticking a hand out. You take it, shake it firmly and introduce yourself. “Lovely name, let’s get you over to the medical building.” He smiles and begins walking as Tommy heads away with Felix. Felix looks entirely unsure about splitting up but Tommy assures him there is a strict rule on how many people can be in the medical building at once. 

You follow quietly behind Lucas as he explains the buildings and things you pass on your way there. The closer you were to help, the heavier your body felt. “Lucas, how much farther?” You ask, trying your hardest to keep pushing. He looks back at you, noticing your skin getting paler. He slips his arm under yours and leads you into the medical building. 

“What’s her problem?” A man in a white coat asks Lucas while aiding your climb to the bed. He shrugged, “She has an infected wound and dehydration, I guess?” 

“You guess?” The doctor snarls at him.

“She’s got wicked sunburn all over her body, I felt it reasonable to deduce dehydration.” Lucas explains, holding his hands playfully in a surrender position. The doctor dismisses him and slides an I.V. into your vein. “I’m Dr. Michealson. Are you able to tell me what’s wrong?” The doctor asks as he hooks you up to the I.V.

“Wound, dehydrated and sunburn.” You tell him quietly, enjoying the pillow behind your head. It had been months since you’d actually gotten to lay your head on one and was taking everything in you not to fall asleep. The doctor nods, “Nice accent. Where you from?” You sigh deeply, “The United Kingdom, stranded here while on holiday.” 

“Alright, ma’am, we’re gonna get you some painkillers and then you can get some rest while I clean your wounds and get something for that sunburn.” Dr. Michaelson tells you, searching through his medicine cabinet for the proper equipment.

“Grounded? Bloody Hell.” Your mother cursed under her breath, staring at the Arrivals/Departures board. People were running around you, on their way to their gates or desperate to reach their loved ones at the baggage claim. “Sweetie, go sit down with your dad please.” She asks you, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear. You turn around and take a seat on the bench next to your father. 

“What’s going on, dad?” You ask him, resting your head on his arm. He sighs and hugs you close, “I’ve no clue, my love.” A scream rings out through the airport causing you to jump from your seat. You look over at where the scream came from and spot a man hunched over a woman, tearing into her throat. Another scream rips through the airport, this time, from you. The mans head snaps up toward you and sprints directly at you. Your father shoves you behind him, protecting you from the man with black veins around his face. Blood. Blood spraying from your fathers neck as he’s slammed to the floor from force of the man. Your mother turns around and brings her hand to her mouth, she yanks your arm away from the man devouring your father. Strangers around your father yank the man off of him, too late. 

Your mother quickly makes a run in the opposite direction, holding your arm as she goes. “Mom!” You yell, “Mom! Slow down!” She shows no signs of letting up, desperate to get away from that mess. “We left dad!” You scream causing her to come to a full stop.

“Sweetie, I’m sorry we left your dad. We had to, that man was dangerous.” She explains gently. “Perhaps we’ll go back once things calm down, honey.” You feel tears prickling your eyes, you had finally processed what you saw. Your father, dead on the airport floor trying to protect you. The airport grow louder, screams and yelling from every direction. Your mother looks around, clearly stressed, trying to find out where to go. She pulls you toward the bathroom, shoving you both inside and locking the door behind you. Some women come out of the bathroom stalls, curious as to why your mother locked them in the bathroom. “What’s happening?” An american woman asks while running her hands under the water. 

“People are killing other people out there.” She holds her hands on the door, pouring her weight into keeping it closed. The women look horrified as the realization settles in. The screaming and yelling finally hitting her ear drums. The american woman whispers, “Do not open that door.”

“I didn’t bloody plan on it!” Your mom curses, throwing her back against it and sitting down. You sit down and finally let go of your suitcase. It had remained glued to your hand since your father had been peacefully sitting on the bench. You slide your backpack off your shoulders and pull out your stuffed animal. You tug your mp3 out of your bag and press play. Nat King Cole’s music fills your ears as you squeeze your eyes shut and try to block out the world falling apart around you.

Your eyes snap open, unsure of where you are. The room is silent, clean, nothing like a medical office. “ ‘Ello?” You call out while sitting up, wincing at the healing wound. You hear shuffling in the building and the door swings open a moment later. Felix’s face is scrunched up in concern, a man follows in behind him and checks my I.V. port. “Felix, where am I?” You ask him, eyeing the doctor suspiciously. “We’re in our home.” He says low, unsure whether to actually call it that. He definitely didn’t feel like he was home, he was so used to sleeping in the same area as you he felt unsure sleeping in a different room. “Home?” You ask, lifting your shirt to check your wound.

“We dressed your wound, we didn’t want to change your clothes without your consent so we put a bandage on to keep it clean.” The doctor tells you, his name slowly coming back to you. “Want to try walking, miss?” He extends a hand out for you to grab onto. Felix rushes over and replaces the doctors hand with his own. You grab onto his arm, ready to use him to lift yourself. Your stomach aches lightly as you straighten out, “Can I go outside?” You ask, “I want to see the place.”

The doctor looks over at Felix, “If you’re up for it, I wont deny you that.” You smile and head out the bedroom door. The more you walk, the better you feel. No longer needing his arm, you hold onto the stair hand rail and walk down them, anxious to see the sunlight. Felix races down the stairs and swings the front door open. The smell of fresh air hits you making your excitement build. “Blimy!” You yell once your feet touch the grass in your yard. People giggle around you, enjoying your excitement. “Why do you sound like thet?” A young girl asks you, tugging at her moms hand. Her mother sighs and kneels down, “Sweetheart that’s not nice to ask.” 

“It’s quite alright, I’m from the United Kingdom.” You say and kneel down in front of her. She looks at you, more confused than before. It hits you that she was born after the outbreak and you smile and apologize, “Sorry, It’s a place far from here.” Her mother smiles at you, thankful to you for taking the time and being patient with her daughter. 

“Well, I’m Amy!” She stands on her tippy-toes and back down to her heels. You introduce yourself, thickening your accent a bit for the girls enjoyment. That’s when Joel sees you. The new girl, the one who’s not been seen since she was transported to her new home. He had never gotten a good look at you but there you were. Talking gently to a young girl making her smile. He watches as the sun bathes in a golden light, your hair is sweaty and some of it stuck to your forehead and yet he finds you absolutely breath-taking. He sees you talking to Amy and her mother, completely unaware of his staring. You’re far enough away from him for him to not be able to make out your voice but he’s sure it’s beautiful. His eyes scan your body, memorizing every curve and mark visible to his eyes. Drinking you in and enjoying the show, Joel looks over and spots Felix staring at you. Felix’s eyes were full of admiration and love, watching you speak to Amy. Joel felt angry. You were already spoken for, all your beauty was his to enjoy and it wasn’t fair.

thank you for reading this fic! This is part one of many and I would love if you let me know how you feel about it! Sorry there wasn't much Joel in this part, but as MC eases into their community, you'll see more! Again, thank you Lucy for reading and giving me ideas! Also, no, you and Felix are not dating. Simply survival buddies, friends, amigos, but clealry Felix has more than friend feels ;)

[xjoonchildx]

hello miss ana!

so idk if you remember me, but i was the anon who sent you that ask about her roommate. the one that told you about her roommate picking her up at the airport?

well… we’re getting married and i’m pregnant with our first baby ☺️🥰

a lot has happened since that night he picked me up! but to keep the story short: the next morning he knocked on my bedroom door and there was a lot of tears (on my part 😂) involved but we essentially just laid everything out on the table. turns out he’d been in love with me for a year and a half but i had just had a nasty breakup at the time he’d started falling for me so he just didn’t do anything about it, and plus he didn’t want to be a rebound. but it all worked out in the end because i started falling in love with him too. also, isn’t it funny that the mutual friend who introduced us to each other 3 and a half years ago told him offhandedly that he was going to ‘love me’ and look where we are now 😂

so… yeah. then you know what happens after that ☺️

i saw the Hug™ anon hashtag too and i just wanted to say thank you to everyone who was rooting for us! but i decided not to respond because things were still new between me and him a few months back so i apologize for that… but now that i’m engaged to him and i just found out i’m pregnant with our first baby (that we both might or might not have let happen), i decided to share this with you all ☺️ he proposed a week before we found out i was pregnant, so please don’t worry about him proposing to me out of obligation! we have been making plans for our future, and we’ve started looking at houses around the school district area because we plan to move out of our shared apartment when our baby is a bit older. we had a brief moment where we wondered if we were moving too fast (and it caused our first big couple fight and more tears on my part 😂), but our families and friends were like, “you guys are stupid” because apparently we were so obvious to everyone but ourselves before we even got together. it was a bit embarrassing tbh… but yeah. this feels right for us. we’ve been living together for more than 3 years now, i know what he’s like inside and out and vice versa.

i wish i could invite you all to our wedding (which will not be for another 3-4 years at least). maybe we will get married when bts come back as a group again after their enlistment, but for now my fiancé and i have agreed to not put me through unnecessary stress because the next few years will be tough on us with the baby and moving out. when we’re truly settled in our new house and our baby is a bit older, we can focus on planning a wedding!

again, thank you so much everyone for the support. i’m just a faceless stranger after all 🥹 you were all so kind 😭

am i ... am i crying? yes. yes, i am.

my GOD the Hug™ anon i cannot put into words how incredibly fucking satisfying this was to read. top to bottom, 5/5 stars, no notes. just the giddiest, happiest ride i've been on in a long time.

let's talk about all the romance tropes you've hit on the pinball board of life, shall we?

roommates to lovers

mutual pining

teary confession

hurt/comfort

happily ever after

and the BABY? swear to god the noise i just made at this starbucks made people look at me. i think it was a scream that mutated into a squeal?

live your absolute best life, the Hug™ anon. you are with the man of your dreams, moving towards your future, ready to be a mom, thinking about a new place, just -- so? many? exciting things?

and even though i can't come to your wedding, please allow me to do what i do and suggest two wedding day scents. one is exorbitant and the other more affordable.

for the regular budget: philosophy fresh cream warm cashmere

for the HOT DAMN budget: dama bianca by xerjoff

 💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕  💕 

[wildpeachfarm]

everyone has good jobs meanwhile i work ONCE A WEEK 😭😭😭 anybody got recommendations to get a better job please pass some tips this way 😭

Nonnie, very serious. If you can handle a fast paced and sometimes chaotic enviroment, try starbucks. I know it's not always for everyone. But. 16 an hour plus tips (yes, in every state, 16 is the company minimum), if you work an average of 23 hours a week and maintain a certain GPA you qualify for free college via Arizona State University online courses (theres 56 dif degrees so most likely your choice would be available), you can accrue sick time immediately upon hire and after a certain amount of time you also start accruing vacation time (i think 3 months? Idk but its sooner than most other retail jobs). Also we get free spotify premium. Just make sure you work at a standalone location, not one inside a store/hotel/airport.

I wont lie sometimes its fucking awful, a lot of customers have no idea what the fuck theyre ordering so they yell when their drink is "wrong" (but you made it exactly how they ordered it, ofc *eyeroll*) and it can be a little soul sucking sometimes. But more often than not I come home and I'm like "yknow what customers and the general public are stupid, but I still had a good day" as baristas usually stick together and back each other up, lots of comradery. Can't tell you how many times I got done with an absolute bitch Karen of a customer, and then once she left, turned around and mocked her to another barista and we just laughed. (She ordered a vanilla sweet cream cold brew. I gave her a vanilla sweet cream cold brew. She complains. She wanted a blonde vanilla latte. Girl those names are NOT similar.)

Also all my drinks and food are free. I have a giant cup of the blue raspberry lemonade refresher in my fridge right now.

.

[kyndaris]

Train to Busan

Unlike the movie of the same title as this post, my train ride down to Busan was uneventful. After a late night out in Myeongdong, bleachpanda and I arranged for a slightly later start to the day for our transit down to the famous port city. After enjoying a breakfast at Starbucks (there appear to be hundreds of them in the heart of Seoul, although there are also a ton of other coffee shops as well), we made our way towards Seoul Station and the KTX station within.

Let me tell you of the hassle it all was once we stepped out of the metro! Stairs everywhere the eye could see. And not a single escalator. Yes, there was a conveyor belt for luggage but it was limited to those who would be taking the airport line.

Thankfully, bleachpanda and I hadn't bought too many souvenirs just yet and could still manage to lug our bags up and down the many flights of stairs taking us from the metro station to the KTX station.

As we waited for our designated train (bleachpanda and I had pre-purchased our Korail tickets online), we took a gander at the shops for those looking to take a high-speed cross-country train. Unlike Central Station in Sydney, there were numerous places to eat AND the entrance to a local department store. More importantly, there was a Kakao Friends store. It was here that bleachpanda went and bought Apeach (her constant companion for the rest of the trip and whom I said looked ugly). Given we couldn't open up our luggage right there at the station with everyone watching, bleachpanda managed to cram her Apeach into her already bulging backpack.

On the train, bleachpanda slept through most of the ride, citing a headache which I doubted was authentic. I, on the other hand, eagerly looked out at the passing scenery before reading a few pages of I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki.

While I would like to sing the praises of this Japanese author, the truth is...I found the writing tedious. In fact, by page ten, I could barely keep my eyes open. So, I fiddled with my phone and looked out at the scenery. I may have even fell asleep myself although I couldn't say for how long.

We pulled into Busan at around 2 PM and went for a quick bite to eat as we hadn't had lunch (we did buy a few snacks at a convenience store but I needed something heavier). Once we were functioning human beings again, we braved the rain and headed to our hotel nearby: Asti Hotel Busan to check-in. After we offloaded our luggage in our room, we decided to cross off a few key tourist attractions close by despite the weather.

So, off we trotted back towards Busan Station and Texas Street right opposite it. Then it was down into the Busan metro system as we headed to Busan Tower, which is also commonly known as Diamond Tower. Due to the poor weather, it felt like we were the only ones there as we bought a ticket up to the observation deck.

But while I would have loved just seeing the city from on high, Busan Tower also had a lot of interactive activities inside. They even had a QR game (our end prize turned out to be a couple of pens), one needed to locate within and outside the Tower. This made our time there much more worthwhile after trekking to Yongdusan Park.

And despite the overcast day, bleachpanda and I were still able to see quite a bit of the city and get in our required bird's eye view. I even bought a fridge magnet and another postcard to send to my friend. However, unlike N Seoul Tower, Busan Tower didn't have the facility to mail off my postcard.

After we had drunk our view of the aerial view, we descended down into the bowels of Diamond Tower, hunting down QR codes and engaging in the game that had been organised. Once we had claimed our prize, bleachpanda and I headed to to Gwangbok-ro Fashion Street, which was just on the other side of the Yongdusan Park and down into BIFF (Busan International Film Festival) Square where there was a ton of street food.

Google tells me there are apparently handprints of famous Korean actors lining the streets but I didn't notice. Alas, perhaps another visit is in order.

We did, however, stop at a sushi restaurant called Manatsu for dinner. Bleachpanda even got to enjoy her share of tuna while I revelled in eating something that didn't have kimchi served on the side (something which I can't eat because it's gosh darn spicy)! Our appetites sated, we returned to our hotel to prepare for a busy day on the morrow as we would be heading to several destinations given we were only staying in Busan for only two nights.

Looking back, I can honestly say we should have stayed in Busan longer but alas, Japan was calling.

[ionasadventures]

We managed to reset our sleeping scheduled to conquer the jet lag today so weren’t asleep for tooooo much of it! Didn’t wake up till midday though. We had planned for today to be a rest day anyway so didn’t really have much planned. Our hotel was within walking distance to the Warner Bros.‘ Studio Tour so we decided to check that out! After like…. 2 minutes outside my hair was completely dry from the shower I took. Safe to say it was HOT. About 30C which was interesting! Luckily most places in the US have AC so when we arrived at the studios the temperature was nice. There was a Starbucks there lmao and also a LOT of security. Like airport level security but I guess that’s for safety purposes as a lot of stuff is filmed here. Upon entry you’re guided to a introductory room explaining about the Warner Brothers themselves - Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack - who founded the studio in 1923. This means that this year (2023) is the 100th anniversary of the studio founding! They were the children of Polish-Jewish immigrants. After this information area you are ushered to a movie theatre-esq room which plays an introductory showcase of all the films made and some of the things you will see. Then you’re split into groups and taken on a shuttle ride. Our guide (Jenny I think?) was SO good, really kind and helpful and can constantly walk backwards without looking, like Mater in cars lmao which was a little uncanny but very impressive! She really knew her stuff and made sure to point out most of the things that locations were used for, not just the more popular shows. Which was good cause honestly the tour primarily was banking on Friends, Gilmore Girls, and The Big Bang Theory, none of which I’ve seen! However one thing I HAVE seen that was filmed almost ENTIRELY on this set is Pretty Little Liars. It’s an ….. interesting show? Shall we say? I wouldn’t say it’s terrible and I wouldn’t say it’s good. Like Glee. A LOT of the houses on the tour we saw were used in PLL and it was so cool to see them and recognise them! Fun fact - each of the houses have multiple façades, so they can act as the exterior of different places depending on which angle the camera is at! The interior is empty completely to allow for multiple uses, and there’s no ceiling on the inside! This is to allow the lighting, cameras, and AC to be moved and positioned to accommodate different things. We went into what was Emily’s house in PLL and everything looks so realistic, but is actually made with other materials to allow for complete remodelling if the shoot calls for it. Fun fact 2 - if any changes are made at ALL, at the end of filming the crew MUST return the set to what it originally looked like. So in PLL, Spencer’s barn is white and has fancier doors and foliage than the red barn originally has. The windows are also all made out of sugar glass so no one gets hurt when doing stunts. In an episode of PLL, a car gets driven into Emily’s living room - this was actually done here, on this set! The stunt driver drove a car straight through the walls and windows, and because of the material the house is made from, it could smash into it without posing much danger to the driver. It’s absolutely fascinating to see and hear how the behind the scenes work! I’ve tried to include in the pictures screenshots from the shows so you can see how they were used and how they were changed, but I took most from a moving golf shuttle (like a golf cart but longer and can fit 12 people) and i shake like there’s no tomorrow so they won’t be the clearest 😅 the sets were also used for films like Batman, Citizen Cane, and they were currently all set up to look like the streets of Texas for Young Sheldon, which was currently filming as we were driving around! Luckily all the film stages are soundproof to accommodate things like this.

[ringneckedpheasant]

i hate looking for barista work again everything is fucking starbucks or caribou or it’s inside the MOA or the airport, both places I would rather die than have to commute to multiple times a week

[deyzalee]

Dear God,

Thankful and blessed today. I woke up at 2AM with the help of my alarm. I prepared myself because its my flight going to Manila. I ate loaf bread with hotdog prepared by Mama. Papa assisted to carry my luggages. We rode our family car and we arrived safely. We waited for the entrance to open. Mama and Papa hugged me and they prayed. At 4AM pkus the entrance opened. I bid farewell to Mama and Papa. I lined up at the Check-in counter and dropped my luggage. I ate waited for my flight and while waiting, I ate sandwich with hotdog. I drank water. The airplane arrived and we lined up going to the airplane. We left 7AM plus. I was able to slept and we arrived safely at Manila International airport terminal 2. I went to the transfer desk and we rode a shuttle going to Terminal 1. We arrived safely. All is well at the Immigration. I passed the Immigration. I bought food. I went to OFW lounge and there are too many people. I went to the comfort room to pass stool. I had my travel refunded which is 550 pesos. We waited at Gate 7. I scrolled my social media accounts, chatted my family and friends. I bought Yema and drank Starbucks chocolate frappe. I played cooking fever. I ate pork siopao asado and drank water and Starbucks chocolate frappe. At 12PM plus I boarded inside the plane. We left at 1PM plus. I was able to slept a little and the Pilot announced that we need to return to Manila International Airport due to technical problem. I ate pork stake with rice and drank water. We deplaned and waited for the instructions. They gave us a complementary food and I ate the food which is beef adobo with rice and drank water. We went to the immigration and rode a bus going to the hotel. We arrived safely. I was amazed by the hotel because its nice and I am just alone. I contacted Mama and had video call. I rested for a while. I went down to avail the free dinner. Its was a dinner buffet and I ate a lot. I was full after. I went back on my room. I had my self and skin care routine. I soaked myself in a bath tub for 15 minutes. I freshen up. I read few pages of the Bible. I drank my medicines. I set my alarms. Thank you Lord for this day. I felt you protected us on the plane’s technical problem. Have mercy on us Oh God. Guide us always to the right path. Remove sickness, danger and negative things in our life. Answer our prayers in your perfect time. Thank you and I love you God.

[xtruss]

The Real Reason You Shouldn’t Order Coffee or Tea on an Airplane! Here's Why You're Better Off with Canned and Bottled Drinks.

— By Jelisa Castrodale | June 4, 2024

Photo: Osobystist/Getty Images

Regardless of where you’re traveling from or where you’re flying to, the best part of being on a plane is when the flight attendants start handing out snacks and drinks. Would I like a bag of pretzels? Yes, I would. Do I want a second package of cookies? Of course, I do.

As enjoyable as it is to crack into a tiny bottle of in-flight bourbon — or even a can of Sprite Zero — one Former Flight Attendant is Warning Passengers Off Ordering two common beverages. TikTok influencer Kat Kamalani, who says she worked for six years “with one of the biggest airlines that you could possibly imagine” strongly recommends avoiding any drink that isn’t served “in a Can or a Bottle.”

In an older TikTok that’s making its way around the internet for a second time, Kamalani says that coffee, tea, and any other drinks that require hot water are no-gos. “The reason being is that those water tanks [on the aircraft] are never cleaned and they are disgusting,” she alleges, adding that flight attendants “rarely, rarely” drink coffee or tea during their shifts.

Kamalani also alleges that the coffee makers on the plane are “rarely cleaned unless they are broken” and, in case you didn’t feel queasy already, she delivers an even grosser closing argument, adding that the coffee is made “by the lavatories.” (You can guess what she’s suggesting — or you can choose to skip right ahead to the next paragraph without thinking too hard about it.)

Beyond all that, according to a 2019 airline water study by CUNY's Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center that ranked 12 regional and 11 major airlines, airplane water tanks — which are typically situated beside or near the bathroom — are the very same source of water as the bathrooms.

So, is Kamalani right? On a thread on the r/Delta subreddit, a passenger asked the same question about the safety of in-flight coffee and the majority of responses suggested that it wasn’t really anything to worry about.

“I'm an airline mechanic and can say that the potable water system does get cleaned — we basically fill it with diluted bleach and let it sit for several hours before purging the whole system a few times,” one Redditor wrote. “Coffee machines don't seem to have a long lifespan considering how often we swap them out [...] I wouldn't worry too much. As someone else pointed out, if the pilots are drinking it every day you should be alright.”

Another user, who said they were an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic, added that although the water lines were “difficult to clean,” they were still frequently flushed with cleaning products. “Plus, the water is moved through them so frequently I wouldn’t count on much if any buildup,” they wrote. “I’d vouch for it and I drink it myself.”

But according to one aviation insider, the only time passengers really have to worry about the drinkability of the water onboard is if the flight is departing from a country where the water — from any source — is less drinkable. On top of that, the water in every cup of coffee is heated.

“​​For the science-minded folks, bacteria is killed about 175 degrees, it doesn’t have to boil,” Vance Hilderman, currently the CEO of Aviation Development Company AFuzion, told USA Today. “On the airplane, water boils at the 7,000-foot equivalent of about 195 degrees [...] If we look at the World Health Organization, bacteria is killed at 170, so all that coffee and tea is good.”

So it sounds like it’s up to you whether you’d really like to have a cup of joe at 30,000 feet. And, if you still can’t bring yourself to order one, we’re guessing there’s probably going to be a Starbucks or two at that arrival airport.

[memoriofagoldfish]

On this day, one year ago...

Today was my last day in Japan. I was flying out that night. As I'm very scared of flying, I knew I couldn't do anything today to 'enjoy myself' - the stress would be too much. So my mum suggested I go to a cat cafe to relax. I went to one in Shinjuku which I hadn't visited before. I took my laptop and relaxed in, what is for me, one of the most calming environments in Tokyo 🥰

I went to a Starbucks in this Shinjuku shopping center afterwards for some food and tea. It was torrential rain outside, so I was darting amongst cover. While the cat cafe helped, once I was out of that environment, and the flight grew closer, the stress returned. I called my mum from inside the shopping center, expressing how scared I was. She understands. She knows how I feel about flying, and she hates it too. But I didn't have a choice. Of course, I was so sad about leaving Japan, but the fear took precedence over my sadness.

I went back to the hotel to finish packing, then I was en route to Haneda Airport. At least I saw Tokyo Tower on the journey, which I didn't get the chance to before :)

At the airport, it was a lot of business, just checking in and finding where I needed to be. All the shops and most of the restaurants were shut at that time, as it was about 10pm by the time I was waiting to board (the flight was at half past midnight). There was a place for food, but gosh the line was sooooo long as EVERYONE was going to, like, this one place 😭 I got some fries and I think something vaguely meaty in the end. For the flight, I knew I wouldn't be able to eat much, so I got a few onigiri and some kit kats from 7-Eleven.

The flight was, mercifully, so much better than coming to Japan. I didn't overheat like I did on the incoming journey. In fact, I slept through sooooo much of it, which made it go so much quicker. I was worried about going that long without moving, cos it was an 11 hour flight if I recall, and aside from going to the bathroom once, I don't think I got up much. I know you're supposed to walk around, but I was thankfully very tired and able to sleep, which I was very grateful for. As for the food, I remember at one point waking up, taking about three bites of onigiri, and falling right back asleep 😅 Food was not an issue for me on that journey.

Thank God, I had a safe and enjoyable flight.

By May 20th 2023 I was back in England.

Thank you, Japan, for the greatest time of my life.

2023/05/19