#TRAVELING CART WIN

[theoldsports]

SOLUTION.

Art Donaldson x Reader | 5k words

SORRY SERIES LINK.

warnings: pregnancy, implied discussion of abortion, a boy groveling on his knees for his family, there’s a dog (a real one, not just Art), talk about Art’s forced weird athletic borderline disordered eating.

okay, i lied last time. THIS is my best work. this is very out of my brain and i hope you love it. holy shit.

Have you ever sat and listened to a leaky faucet? I mean, really listened?

Steady. Like a heartbeat, if you think about it.

Sometimes, though, if the leak is slow enough, it’s more like the kind of heart rate that sends the nurse with the crash-cart sweeping into the room to shock you out of an AFIB pattern. Or however that worked.

[Y/N] was listening to it. The dripping. The kitchen sink. It hadn’t stopped for days. When it began, it was steady. Now, it was irregular. It started the day Art left

Art had been away at an early season tournament. [Y/N] had an impossible work week, so Art had told her he was happy to go for the better part of the week on his own. They both knew Art really did hate to be alone in situations like that. He had always had one of his people there. His mom, Patrick, [Y/N]; one of them was in his corner at these things. This time, he was truly on his own. Art could not stand to travel alone. He had his team of physios and coaches, but not his family. [Y/N] was going to swing by and surprise him at the end, but her boss had leaned into her for trying to take more days off during release season for the big summer blockbusters. Plus, someone did have to watch the dog.

This context about Art’s being away is important. It’s not that Art was the epitome of a handyman, but he really liked to feel like he was contributing to their home’s ecosystem when a lightbulb went out or a switch needed replacing. The man was incredible with the small things. Yet, [Y/N] sat at the kitchen table with a frown on her face, trying to rough in an outline for an article. With the faucet dripping. If Art were there, or if she was with Art three states over, the faucet wouldn’t be dripping against the porcelain basin.

It wasn’t like the wifi signal was strong enough anywhere else on the property for her to up and move either.

drip drip drip. Said the faucet.

[Y/N] was damn near the point where she was going to run upstairs to the bedroom and get the baseball bat Art kept with the express purpose of running down the stairs in his briefs and cracking up on possible intruders. All she could think about was bringing the wood down against the glass and cheap metal on her kitchen counter.

A new house would have a working sink and a bathroom counter that wasn’t too small and a halfway decent wifi signal.

Instead, [Y/N] set her face down upon the cool blue faux granite countertop. The temperature helped ease the feeling of the hyperbolic corkscrew being driven between her eyes. The dripping kept dripping and [Y/N] wanted to cry.

This agony wasn’t all the sink’s fault, though.

[Y/N] saw on the tennis channel before she even got a call from Art that he’d won that weekend. He still hadn’t called. The lack of a call from made her feel ashamed. Not a soul there to celebrate the success with him. She felt an immense sense of guilt slide across her skin because she wasn’t there to witness that smile he got when he won. Sweaty and angry, but relieved every time. He still got that look when he won. Art was a machine on the court, and a competitor not worth counting out at this point in his career. He still looked surprised and delighted every time he, of all people, hit the winner. [Y/N] loved that look. Art loved how she would celebrate with him after a win, too.

[Y/N] prayed Art made his flight without delay that evening. Selfishly, because she wanted her boy back. Also because Art was mortally terrified of airplanes. Planes made him feel out of control due to lack of trust with the pilot. Without that phone call from him, [Y/N] was scared knowing he was out on his own and that he likely felt anxious enough to give a horse a heart attack. She would have no way of knowing if something had happened between the match end and now.

She did know that the sink was leaking.

She also knew her period was two weeks late.

That, Art couldn’t fix on his own. In fact, it was fairly obvious that the delay was more or less Art’s fault.

[Y/N] hadn’t yet taken a pregnancy test at that time. If she took the time to take one, it would make everything the obvious answer a reality she would have to deal with. She had scares before. Ones that she had never, and would never, tell Art about. She would wait for her delayed—not missed!—period and everything would be fine. Like the other times. It had to be fine.

She checked her phone. It was a blue slidephone with small rhinestone stickers she had applied to the back. Still nothing from Art. He said he would call first right after the match, but he still hadn’t actually called, so maybe it was time to call first. It had been hours since he said he’d ring up. It wasn’t a major concern that Art would blow her off. Ideas of danger and uncertainties flooded her head.

“I’m the one that wants marriage so bad. Not Artie. What if he says no? Or not now…?”

[Y/N] sat on the beach with her back against Patrick’s shins. Art and [Y/N] were completing their first year completely post college. [Y/N] and Patrick were twenty-four and Art was almost twenty-four. His November birthday set him behind.

Patrick’s hands were on her shoulders and his body in a beach chair behind her while they both stared off over ocean as the sun set. “You’re actually stupid if you think he’ll deny you, [Y/N].”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to step on his game, or whatever. The guy is supposed to ask. Isn’t this going to be… emasculating or something?”

“Emasculating for Art? For pretty baby? Yeah, okay,” Patrick teased. [Y/N] threw a fistful of sand at him. “Christ, okay, okay. Cool it.” He spit.

Art had run back up toward to hotel to grab his water bottle, while Patrick and [Y/N] stayed at the dunes. [Y/N] wanted to propose to Art by trip’s end. She thought it would be sweet. Art was extremely forward when it came to her her, but he hadn’t been forward about the whole proposal business. He seemed scared about marriage. [Y/N]he would do it herself.

She was grateful for the time alone with her best friend too. Sitting and doing nothing, or partying. Either was more than welcome. “He’s not going to say no,” Patrick continued. His mouth casually leaned close to her ear. “Because it’s insane how whipped you’ve got him.”

“Don’t say that—“

“He wants to have your babies. Ask him. Trust me, he’ll say yes and he will be all the hell over you.” His fingers worked into [Y/N]’s shoulders, feeling the tension there. He took his hands off of her when Art came running down the beach.

[Y/N] heard a click in the lock. Her head flopped to the left, still pressed against the counter, to glance at the door. Her heart rate increased. She was so tired and the speed of the situation so fast, that she didn’t both moving or attempting to defend herself.

Most fortunately, when the door swung open, it was her Art. The sun was going down behind him. He looked a bit ragged and had a racket bag over one shoulder and two duffels in the other hand. She sat upright sharply on the kitchen barstool. “Pretty baby!”

All Art’s gear hit the floor. The door was left open behind him (taking a big chance that their Labrador mix, Cheese, didn’t run down the stairs and bolt out and away). Art walked toward [Y/N], arms extending. His strong arms pulled [Y/N] in close to his chest. She rested her head against his soft gray t-shirt. Her own arms embraced him back and one of her hands tucked comfortably into the back pocket of his jeans. “[Y/N]… I missed you.” Art said into her hair.

“I missed you… I-I… You didn’t call. How did you get here—“

“Final match actually started on time, so I gambled on moving my flight to the earlier one. I didn’t have time to call if I was taking the early one. I should’ve texted. I got nervous with the-the flight. I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

[Y/N] leaned back to look at him. There was no more welcome sight in the world than Art Donaldson. Irish genetics saw to it that Art was freckled from the spring sun. With shaggy hair boyishly covered by a baseball cap tipping back dangerously, he practically glowed. Even though he looked like shit. His sunglasses were hanging on his shirt. [Y/N/] tilted her head up, signaling for a kiss. Hungrily, Art leaned forward to take as many kisses as he wanted. His lips tasted like spearmint gum. Like always.

Cheese did run downstairs when Art’s hand climbed up the side of [Y/N]’s throat and when her own hand started to squeeze from under the fabric of Art’s back left pants pocket. Art had to pull regretfully away to grab Cheese by the collar and shut the front door.

Delightedly, Art did gteet Cheese with ear-scratches and a belly rub. Art received the customary licks and a tailwags in return. Cheese was always pretty down when the whole family wasn’t together. He walked and played a bit, but when his dad wasn’t around, Cheese kind of deflated. He had spent most of the time laying flat on Art’s side of the bed. It was obvious the dog was grieving the disappearance of his boy.

When Art bent down to pat his beloved Cheese, [Y/N] stood from her chair and bent at the waist. She pulled Art’s hat off and set it on the counter. Gently, she kissed Art on top of the head. With a scratch not unlike the ones he gave to the canine to the back of Art’s neck, the man looked up at her from the ground with a half-smile.

“Congrats, baby,” [Y/N] said. Art cut his eyes curiously from her to the tennis channel on the TV playing in the next room. That had him realizing where she would have gotten the information of his win from so efficiently. “How was the tournament? I’m sorry I couldn’t—“

“Sure, sure, but I bet Cheese here is pretty glad you were home,” Art said and stood up with one final pat to Cheese’s flank. “The whole thing was great. I… I’m kind of surprised I won, if I’m being honest.” Art said, wrapping an arm around [Y/N]’s waist.

Naturally, her hands flattened against his toned chest when he tugged her towards him. “I’m not. You’re fucking good at tennis, Art.”

His ears reddened in embarrassment as he tucked his face into [Y/N]’s neck to hide his face. Art was used to praise and loved it more than anything, no matter where it came from. Every compliment from [Y/N] was worth a hell of a lot more. Art hated thinking about why that was the case. He knew why, though. She had seen he and Patrick play and even then thought Art was good. Art still won the match when it came to [Y/N] and he would never tell her that.

“Hush…” He mumbled into her neck, planting a biting, teasing kiss there. She laughed. He laughed. “I played against an eighteen year old kid yesterday. He played really well,” Art leaned back to look at her again. “You saw, I’m sure,” he indicated the TV with a nod. “He would’ve won this weekend if I hadn’t won that match. Just… I’m twenty-six. Made me feel old.”

“…Glad you won, then.”

“I said if I hadn’t…”

“Well, if you’re sooooo down on your win then congrats on flying home all by yourself like a big boy.” [Y/N] smirked.

“Oh, you’re gonna be like that, huh?” Art withdrew his hands from his wife’s body and put them teasingly on his own hips.

[Y/N] nodded. “Yeah. If you’re old, imagine how I feel.”

“Ancient, probably.”

Art leaned in for another kiss. She pushed him back playfully. “No! You called me old!” [Y/N] laughed.

She leaned one way, then the other to avoid Art’s beautifully wrinkled nose and smiling mouth. “Please? I’m sorry, I’m sorry! You’re-you’re not old!” Art said and attempted to trap her with his arms and give her a kiss.

[Y/N] turned hard over her shoulder and ran up the stairs. Cheese gave a woof from the couch when Art chased after her. Art spent his life chasing after her.

“No! You can’t kiss me! Doghouse! Bad Art! Bad!” [Y/N] accused jokingly. Art jumped up the stairs. He took them two and three at a time.

Art backed her against the bathroom door. Nowhere left to run. His rough hands settled on her hips. “Gotcha. You’re pretty fast for an old lady, y’know. Late for bingo, or—“ Art smirked when he leaned in to kiss her.

[Y/N] shut him up with a kiss. She had missed his stupid boy babbling. His mouth was soft against hers. Art put one of his hands on the wooden door beside her face to hold himself up. The other hand found her belt loop, keeping her body close to his.

“I love you,” Art whispered between kisses. “I love you so much, honey. I missed you.”

[Y/N]’s head leaned back against the door with a soft thud. Her breath caught in her throat. “I love you t—mmh!” Art leaned in for another kiss.

The joy of being Art Donaldson’s wife was that he never got tired of touching her, or being physically close. Sometimes, [Y/N] would look over at him while she was writing, or making dinner, and he would be staring, or slowly extending his hand to her and seeing how long it took for [Y/N] to acknowledge his presence. It never ceased to make her feel beautiful. “Can we…” his fingers danced over the button on her jeans.

“Can we what…?” She asked coyly.

Art blushed, but smirked and lowered his lips by [Y/N] ear. “Can we fuck? Please?” He asked too politely for as dirty as those words were. Like the good midwestern boy that he was.

She tipped her head back further. Art kissed her neck with all the energy he could muster. “Can I not make you dinner first? You-you a cheap whore as well as old now, too?” [Y/N] jeered. Art snorted a laugh. The warm air from the giggle spread over [Y/N]’s skin, causing goosebumps to raise. “I’m never letting you leave home alone again, then.”

Art nodded against her skin, sucking and licking a spot they both new would bruise dark. The sound she let out was absolutely disgusting and Art loved it. “I would prefer to never be let out of your sight, personally.” He said when he pulled away.

“Come on, house boy… We’re havin’ dinner. And you’re gonna eat some bread,” [Y/N] said, pointing a finger at Art’s chest. He started to put up a fight about the ultra-low nonexistent amount of inactive carbs he was eating during the season, but [Y/N] kept chattering. “Stop talking. Your brain doesn’t work right without carbs. Braindead. Come on, dinner.”

“You’re bad for me.”

“I know.” [Y/N] smiled.

Normally, [Y/N] drank a cup of coffee when the pair made dinner. Art knew the pattern. He made her the cup of coffee every time. It sat mostly unfinished that night, though. She found herself heating and reheating it in the microwave as they cooked. She started to space out as he recapped the tournament in full detail, as she requested. If Art noticed, he didn’t let on. [Y/N] noticed, though. Little stood between her and coffee. She didn’t want to drink it. That was violently unusual.

“Hey, I’m gonna go piss. Can you—“

“Watch the sauce?” Art asked, indicating the creamy pesto she had on the stove while Art cleaned and cut vegetables.

“Mhm.” [Y/N] confirmed. Art slid over to take the spoon from her. He placed a hand at the bottom of her back as she walked away. Art fit perfectly into her life. It wasn’t fair how right he was for her.

She went to the upstairs bathroom instead of the downstairs one. She hoped that didn’t set off Art’s sixth sense about the way-things-had-to-be. Once upstairs, [Y/N] wasted no time yanking open the medicine cabinet behind the mirror. It was overflowing, naturally. Makeup, supplements, condoms, hair ties, pill bottles, loose painkillers. It was a disaster. There was also a pregnancy test.

A laughing Art had given it to [Y/N] as a joke the morning after their wedding night and she had hit him hard enough to bruise across the chest. The test sat wrapped and in the box behind the mirror every day since. Just in case.

[Y/N] had officially arrived at just in case.

She gingerly tossed the empty box under the sink so Art wouldn’t see it without looking for it. Then, [Y/N] undid the buttons on her overalls and, well, took the test.

Lacking the time to sit and watch it come back positive or negative, [Y/N] tossed the clean cap on the stick, slid it into the pocket of her overalls, washed her hands and went downstairs like nothing was wrong.

Except she knew something was wrong. Now she felt like she had a loaded gun in her pocket. She was too cautious with her movements due to the fear that the test would slip out of her front right pocket in front of Art.

She was damn near about to step into the pantry and shut the door just to see if the pee stick had one line or two. If he wasn’t already suspicious, that would do it. [Y/N] felt that the anxiety created was easily the worst anxiety she had ever had. Oops.

[Y/N] got quiet. She was talking less and listening more. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but she was a chatterbox. Art would notice her blanched face and wrinkled brow eventually, she worried.

Ever the perceptive bastard, Art did. When he sat beside [Y/N] at the counter to eat a bowl of pasta with more inactive carbs than he had eaten in six months, he kept cutting his eyes at her. His bare foot nudged her ankle. Her dish was relatively untouched. “You good, babe? You’re being weird.”

“I’m not being weird.”

“You are being weird because you’re not being you. I’ve barely asked you how you’re doing with all the excitement. Long day?” Art asked, setting down his fork to drag his hand across the back of her shoulders.

“Yeah, a bit.” [Y/N] said. What she meant to say was I have a pregnancy test and I bet it is positive in my pocket right now and I’m so terrified that I can practically smell my pit stains right now, baby. But she didn’t say that.

Art spun to face her, taking in her expression and demeanor. There was that contemplative knot perched between his eyebrows. The back of his hand landed calmly on [Y/N]’s forehead to check her temperature. “Art…” [Y/N] said, pushing his hand down.

“No, hang on.” Art said firmly. He tried to put his hand back on her face. Instead, not having a clue what it said, [Y/N] reached into her front right pocket and slammed the pregnancy test down between them. Art retracted his hand and flinched back a bit at the sudden movement. The test was face down on the counter.

Art’s eyes cut from the test back to her. His face was suddenly very solemn. “Are you—“

“—I dunno. I didn’t-I couldn’t look. It’s been in my pocket for twenty minutes. No idea.”

“Do you think you are?”

[Y/N] shrugged and looked at her bowl. It looked too green. sick sick sick. drip drip drip said the faucet.

“Do you want to know if you are?” Art asked wide-eyed. “I want to know, personally. Do… Do you?”

Again, [Y/N] shrugged. “If we don’t look, it’s not real.”

“…That’s stupid.” Art shook his head.

“You’re stupid.”

Art sighed. “I’m gonna look. I mean, I’m going to turn it over,” his eyes frantically reached for [Y/N]’s. He grabbed her hand with his to get her attention. “I’m going to look. Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah.” She whispered and it was okay.

And she was pregnant.

Two blue lines stared at them.

“Fuck.” [Y/N] said. She felt both elated and humiliated. She wanted so badly to be a mother. She wanted to cry. How could they keep it? The timing was wrong. She hadn’t agreed to this. The two of them had so many fights about it. She barely understood how this happened. She thought they were being so careful. It didn’t make any sense. Every precaution she could think of had been taken at one point or another.

And the fucking faucet was still dripping. She could hear it. drip drip drip. Over and over.

“Fuck.” She said sliding out of her chair and standing unsteadily. That wasn’t the result one should feel when they get something they have spent so long wanting.

Art ran his hands through his hair. He knew he shouldn’t be smiling when she looked so worried. His face betrayed the wide smile he hoped to hide. That’s exactly what he wanted to see. Fuck.

“Honey… Hey, hey. You’re okay. This is awesome. C’mere.” Art said like he was diffusing a bomb. His arm were wide open to hold her.

“Art…”

“No, uh-uh. Just come here. Please.”

Cautiously, [Y/N] made her way into her favorite pair of arms in the world. “It’s not supposed to be like this.” [Y/N] choked out as Art held her.

“Shh, I know, I know,” Art said calmly. His left hand’s fingers brushed her hair away from her face. “But that’s how it is now. We have to accept that and solve for the next move, right?” It was silent for a while after that. [Y/N]’s arms were tightly wrapped around Art’s shoulders and their bowls of pasta were certainly cold. She felt that she had ruined everything.

She glanced at Art’s face. The small smile betrayed him. “Art… We can’t. Not now.” she had told Art not now so many times that it felt forced and rehearsed. Now that [Y/N] that was actually pregnant, she wanted nothing more than to stay pregnant. The timing was far from good. She had articles that were still very due the next day. She had a husband who very much traveled often for work (who she traveled with too). She had Cheese, who was staring at her weird over the back the couch because he didn’t understand crying.

“What do you mean we can’t?” Art said quietly. “We-We can. We… have. We are… Actively.” He fumbled.

“We can. We did! But… You know now’s not a good time, baby.” [Y/N] countered weakly.

Art’s hands never left [Y/N]’s waist. “Let’s run pros and cons.”

“Pretty baby.” She said accusatorially. Good old analytic Art…

“Let’s run pros and cons.” Art repeated unflinchingly. He sprang up off of his barstool to gather a sharpie and a legal pad from some drawer. Art uncapped the marker harshly with his teeth. Cap between his teeth still, he asked: “Do you want it?” while he found a clean, smooth page.

Before she could respond with her head, [Y/N] responded with her heart. She nodded a yes to him immediately. “Do you?”

Art capped the back end of the marker to free up his mouth. “More than anything ever, I think. It would probably kill me a little bit, actually, if… Yeah. I understand and it’s all up to you, honey, but… Yeah.” His hand created a PRO column and a CON column on the page.

Under PRO, Art added the items he knew would cause no trouble in his blocky capitalized handwriting:

FINALLY START FAMILY

NATURAL/EASY START

SEASON ALMOST OVER

[Y/N] HAS FLEXIBLE HRS

DREAM COME TRUE??

WILL BE GR8 PARENTS

[Y/N] nodded in approval. She couldn’t think of more pros, but Art handed her the marker and she started in on the CON list:

OLYMPICS??

ART’S NEVER HOME

EXPENSIVE

SMOKING/COFFEE

CHEESE JEALOUS?

TOO YOUNG!

Art drew the line at giving up stimulants and assigning the dog human traits and struck both of those off the list with a frown.

Frankly, Art thought the cons list turned out rude.

“I haven’t qualified for the Olympics yet,” he protested. “And if I do, imagine how early on that would be. Before all the hard stuff.”

[Y/N] replied with the thing they both knew was the most real problem. She had waited forever to say it out loud. “No offense… You are never home anymore. You’re busy all the time. Which I get. It’s your job. You’re good at your job. But look how excited the fuckin’ dog got to see you because you were gone so long. You are never here. We can’t put a human in doggy day camp all the time. It would be fucking impossible to raise—“

“I’ll quit,” Art said, wincing. He wouldn’t. [Y/N] felt that this was a bluff. He tried in vain to hide his expression of shame. “I’ll quit tennis.” He said. He wasn’t going to.

“That would worsen the problem. No money.”

“I’ll work at the 7/11. I’ll be a construction worker. I could be a fuckin’ coach. I actually have a degree, y’know, I can use it. I’m more than a racket. I don’t want you to feel alone here. I want to be here for all of it, I can—“

“You know I’m alone here a lot, babe. A lot. You don’t… You’re in a position where you’re unable to help constantly. Because you’re gone. That’s okay. I married you knowing that, right? But a baby, Art? That’s not fair.”

“I’ll bail on a season. I will. I just…” Art stared at her. “Please. I’m begging you. See this kid through with me.”

The sharpie was forgotten on the counter along with dinner. Art’s knees landed on the floor before [Y/N]. Art practically lived on his knees in front of [Y/N]. He gathered [Y/N] hands in his. “Please. It’s your call, but hear me out. Because that thing is part of both us. I don’t want you to hate or resent me or the little stinker forever, but you want it. I know that. Hear me out.” His beautiful two-tone eyes stared up at her.

“Fine. Go ahead.”

“I will give you anything. Please, my world is you. Not tennis; you. I’m telling you, I-I would leave that behind to be anything you need right now. Just ask it. You’re my fucking priority, you got that? I just.. I… Please? I’m not going anywhere.”

“I want to keep it too, but—“

“Then what’s the big deal?” Art asked hopefully.

“It isn’t a good time. It’s too soon.”

Art’s mouth trailed kisses across his wife’s stomach and hips and hands and arms. He let this go on for several minutes. “Please,” Art whimpered pathetically into the skin of her wrist. “Please, please, please. I will do anything, my love. I’m on my knees here,” Art looked up at her through thick lashes. “We can do this. Both of us together. I’ll do whatever you want. You know I will. This can be good for us. I’m really sorry we’re here, but here we are, hon. What time’s going to be the right time? Please. I love you.” Art pleaded desperately.

[Y/N] knew this was going to be a disaster. But she wanted to keep it. What time’s going to be the right time? rung in her ears over and over, like the faucet. They had put so much time into arguing about the time and the place that would be right for a family. Now it was right in front of them. Her hand caressed Art’s face. She loved it when he groveled like that. This time, on his knees and everything. On instinct, he nuzzled his face into her hand and looked up at her through long lashes.

“Will you fix the faucet? It’s been dripping all week.”

“Anything.”

“I’ll… I’ll think about it. I’m going to think about it. The baby.”

“You will?” Art’s teary eyes widened.

“Objectively, this is a terrible fucking idea. We both know that. But if it’s really so terrible, why do I feel, like… happy about it…”

Art’s face lit up. It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no either. [Y/N], honestly, found it very hard to say no to Art. His arms wrapped carefully around her thighs while his head rested against her middle as he knelt. [Y/N] could feel his silver ring through the denim of her overalls. “God, I love you. I love you, [Y/N]. We’re not going to regret this. Holy shit…”

“Love you too. We’re gonna… We’re gonna try, maybe? This doesn’t feel real. Does this feel real? I…”

“It feels like a dream is what it feels like,” Art mumbled into her clothes. “I love you.” Art said, pressing a kiss to her stomach.

“I love you.”

“I’m gonna be a dad…” Art almost wept. “If you, y’know, but… Shit. I’m sorry.” Which part he was apologizing for was unclear.

At that, [Y/N] laughed and tangled her fingers in his curly blonde mop of hair. “Yeah, you’re gonna be a fucking dad, pretty baby.” She smiled.

[Y/N]’s next instinct was to say: I have to call Patrick. Then she remembered couldn’t call Patrick.

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[sir-kuroo]

.—001 𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ♡ {𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀 𝐊𝐄𝐈}

one of TSUKISHIMA's university goals is to ruin the sassy student librarian and break all her rules; by the way, it's you

���𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒 ⋮ f!reader, rivals to lovers, library sex, pussy eating, bantering (a repost from more than a year ago) PART ONE - TWO

University wasn’t easy especially when you also have library duties part-time and that one day with a classmate from Literature class made it even complicated.

Tsukishima Kei, a wallflower during lectures, handed you a book for return. You scanned the barcode. “Overdue, I didn’t see that from you.” He’s responsible, uptight and by-the-book. It seemed impossible.

Though you meant nothing, he didn’t feel quite right with your comment. “So what? Are you the librarian now?” He sharply replied, scanning the payment QR Code with his phone.

That just rubbed you the wrong way either. “Yes, I am.”

A smirk appeared on his face. “As far as I’m concerned,” he leaned forward over the desk and whispered mockingly, “You’re just a student assistant here.”

You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath of patience. With a stiff smile, you professionally reverted back, “Your business is already finish now, Tsukishima-san. You may now go. If you wish to stay, I advise that you remain quiet before I ask you to leave the hall.”

Tsukishima just shot daggers at you, pinning you with his eyes before he turned around and went his own way.

Ha! The slight victory made you grin and gave you the confidence to add another greeting his way, “See you in class, Tsukishima-san.”

See you in class, indeed. After that encounter in the library, it was as if he suddenly became active in recitation. Tsukishima constantly opposed your views every time you shared them in class. It had been weeks, no, months since it was the case. You even heard your classmate picking their sides, placing their bets on who between you and Tsukishima would win the day’s lecture.

And everytime he’d visit the library, he’d return and borrow tons of books at the same time as if he was pissing you off. You were sure as hell that he was doing it on purpose and that he’s timing it perfectly to when you were the one in the desk duty.

You rolled your eyes. Just when you were thinking of how much he annoyed the shit out of you, you saw him reading a book in one of the long tables. Guess what? He grabbed a mountain pile of books. You wouldn’t be shocked if he would place that in the returning cart any moment now since you’re the one in the clearing duty.

You leered, intentionally choosing the aisle near his table and giving him a dirty side eye as you passed by him. You knew he picked that up and just as you predicted, he placed the piles of book in the cart right when you were about to push it off. There were only 2 books in there but when Tsukishima dumped his stuff, there were like about 8 now. Looking at the call numbers, the books were even shelved in the farthest back of the hall.

Asshole! You grimaced at him and he grinned evilly at you. Begrudgingly, you headed to the very last shelf where Tsukishima got his books. You placed some of them back in until you realized that most of what he picked were too high for you to reach.

“You need help?” Tsukishima said with a smug expression as he returned a book in his hand at the top shelf only he could reach.

“What are you doing here?” You snapped.

“Returning a book. I forgot to place it in the cart.” You scoffed and he added, “You would find it hard to shelf it anyway.” His lips etched in a mocking smile as he eyed the remaining books in your cart.

Scoffing, you kicked a ladder in front you. “I was just starting.” You picked up some of the books, stepped into the third level of the ladder and shelved them. Halfway though, you felt his eyes on you. Your gaze traveled to where he was looking and you noticed that your skirt rode up, revealing your garter belt.

“Pervert,” you reprimanded him and went down the ladder.

He immediately snapped away. “Who wears that in school?” Okay, he must admit it’s not the best comeback ever.

What? It’s not like you were wearing anything scandalous. It was just a simple pencil skirt and it’s unintentional that it rode up your thighs. “That doesn’t mean you should look, asshole.”

He huffed and rebutted, “As if there’s something to look at.”“Then why are you looking?” You said, walking past him and pushing a book back in the shelf harder than you intended.

You were surprised when you were grabbed by your elbow, pulling you away from the books that fell from above you.

“Careful,” he warned. Your gazes held each other. His eyes were now filled with concern. Genuine concern. You gulped as you heard your heart beat in your chest. You would be lying if you’d say his rebuttals in class made him less sexy. In fact, it made his snarky ass more attractive.

He scanned you from head to toe. Your clothes bothered him a lot, pulling off that sexy librarian look that never failed to give him fantasies every night.

“You only wear that kind of attire every Thursday.” He chided in as if catching you. In return, you stepped backward, feeling cornered by his height and inquisition.

“Why are you here only every Thursday?” You dared as he stepped forward closing you in. Your back hit the shelf as he towered over you. His eyes studied your pretty lashes and hopeful, needy, eyes. Yours probed his orbs, now showing vulnerability near your presence, losing control over his urges.

You wanted to push him away, but you also wanted him to pull you close. With how petty you acted around each other, he might just laugh at you in complete rejection. You poor little midget was actually attracted to him all this time. You’re hopeless and horny for him, it’s pathetic.

He was equally pathetic too. He couldn’t resist his bulging cock as he saw your lacy bra underneath that long-sleeved dress shirt you wore. And that sassy mouth of yours…the things he wanted to do whenever you open them to spit another off-handed comment his way. Fuck! Just fuck!

You were both breathing heavily and you noticed the way your chest rose and fell against him. You squeezed your thighs together, feeling heat in between. It was unbearable. You needed more. You couldn’t take it anymore and so was he when he smashed his lips against yours. Your mouth opened willingly and his tongue didn’t hesitate to explore. Your hand flew to his head, lacing your fingers around his strands. His hands roamed all over your body not getting enough of you.

He bit your lower-lip, smirking against it as he had been desiring to do that ever since you got into his head. You moaned and it gave him confidence to tease you, running a hand under your skirt and lightly tracing the edge of your stockings. He caressed your thigh and you leaned your head back as his fingers began reaching your pussy.

Tsukishima groaned. “You're so inappropriate.”

You moaned in a begging tone.

He smiled, disbelieving that the smartass Y/N whom he thought hated his guts with all her life was now begging him for more and that prompted all forms of logical reasoning to leave his brain.

He picked up a book from the clearing cart and pressed it against your pussy, rubbing the hard corner against where he thought your clit was to give you pleasure. “Oh, god…” You breathed out. It felt too good. You couldn’t help but hold his wrist with both of your hands, guiding him to the right pressure and tempo as you rocked your hips, using the book for stimulation.

“I never thought you love books this much.” He teased.

You scoffed. “What can I do? Mhmn~“ You panted. “This is all you got.”

A different surge of pride came over him after that sassy remark, which made him drop the book and had him on his knees. He pulled your skirt up and your panties down, inhaling deeply as he came face to face with your sopping wet cunt. His thumb massaged your slit before hooking your leg over his shoulder and digging in to eat you out.

Come to think of it, the signages said, Strictly No Eating, but it’s too late now. He was already overcome with lust and the taste of your delicious pussy so soft against his lips and tongue. He circled against your clit while sipping your arousal. You bit the back of your hand trying to cover your noises. Tsukki pictured the big Remain Quiet library sign in his head. Yes, he’s gonna have you break all the fucking library rules. He’d make sure you’d be making all sorts of noises in a while.

“Please…please..” You heaved, leaning your head back on the shelf as you grabbed a fistful of his strands and rode his face. His glasses now misty with the heat of your pussy and his breathing. His tongue started lapping rapidly.

You were losing your mind already and you could feel your orgasm approaching. Tsukki knew that, but he wasn’t done with you yet not until he's inches deep inside you and his dick was the only thing in your mind. The perfect payback for all the sleepless nights you gave him with nothing but desires on how your pussy would fucking feel, clenching him tight.

He pulled back and you whined a complain. You should’ve known he’d do this right when you were aching and desperate for him.

Cupping your cheek, he drew your lips in for a kiss. You melt like you were pleading more of him in your arms. Feeling his erection rubbing against your stomach, you broke the kiss and looked down at his pants. Involuntarily, you licked your lips at the sight of his hard-on. “Looks like you need a hand.”

—♡ send 💦 if you want to be tagged in PART 2

⏝︶︶⏝︶ ୨୧ ︶⏝︶︶⏝

© nekorei 2023 - All rights reserved. No work shall be reproduced, reposted, modified, translated in any form or by any means.

[ilovebuckers5]

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚see you again˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡

paige bueckers x sensitive!reader

word count - 1.4k

summary - Paige's gf is definitely not used to Paige being away for games

themes :

-fluff

-crying

-sadness (if u can call that a theme)

A/N- sorry its so short but I got this idea randomly and didnt want to forget it or anything so here you go

it was a couple days after UConn's most recent game against Marquette and they won easily but the hard part was seeing my girlfriend come home, knowing that shed have her first away game of the season in three days. me and Paige had only been dating for a couple months and you could my attachment issues are still a bit out of control. Paige and her team came through the door with smiles on their faces. laughing and talking over each other about how good everyone did. I couldn't help but continue to stare at my phone so that I didn't have to look at the team and be the only one on the brink of tears. my screen was on Amazon as I scrolled mindlessly through some books I had saved to my cart. the more I tried to hold back tears the heavier they came. a couple tears fell onto my phone screen. a long sigh exited my mouth as an attempt to pull back the tears that followed the previous. once the girls set all their things down I looked up to see Paige walking up to me.

i was sitting on the far side of the leather couch, curled up with my knees against my chest. head down. hair falling in front of my eyes. I felt Paige's hand reach up to my face, gliding a strand of hair out of the way and behind my ear. this revealed the couple of tear streaks that had ran down my cheeks. "baby? what's wrong talk to me" Paige whispered softly against my skin. she laid her head on my shoulder when I tried to not look at her. her hand wandered around my legs before resting on my knee. I could tell that she was extremely happy about her win so I didnt want to ruin anything for her. "its nothing" I choked back a couple tears while speaking in a lower tone. no matter how hard I tried, the blonde could always tell when something was wrong. of course it was obvious this time. I finally looked up to see that distinct 'i know somethings wrong' look on Paige's face. I felt her eyes digging into my own that were still filled with tears. before I got the chance to speak again the tears fell. I quickly covered my face with my palms while paige held me in her arms. my head sat on her chest as her hand ran through the back of my hair. "I don't want to do this in front of everyone." I whined in-between muffled sobs. my words quickly traveled to Paige's head before she lifted me off the couch and walked the both of us to her own room.

her hands were wrapped around my waist as she laid down on her bed. I followed after her and laid my head on her chest. my tears slowly were soaked up by her black t shirt, leaving a faint wet mark right on her covered collarbones. Paige tried lifting my head up to look at me so that I could explain to her what is even happening, but I kept my head on her chest with no plan of getting on. my leg was pushing up and laying across her waist. finally, I raised my head up to look into her blue eyes. I ran my hand against her cheek and placed a short kiss on her lips. "please don't go to Maryland. stay here." I tried pleading. a small frown grew on her lips as a couple more tears fell down my skin. "I'm sorry princess. I wish I could." I knew she wouldn't stay but it was worth a try. I felt so desperate for her to just stay with me in her arms.

the next morning was the day that the girls had to go to the airport to get going. I woke up in the same position I was in the day before. laying on Paige's body with my leg still raised up against her. the only thing different is that she happened to cover us up before sleeping. I blinked my eyes open to see Paiges eyes staring into my own. her hand rested on the small of my back which was a nice thing to wake up to. "morning" a soft smile was placed on her mouth as she continued to look at me. I tried to force a smile on so that I wouldn't cry again but failed miserably. I spent the entire morning crying before Caroline walked through the door and let Paige know that she had to get ready. "you guys alright?" Caroline asked calmly while tilting her head. my eyes were shoved in Paige's chest so she gave a nod back at Caroline, letting her know that she would get up in a little. Paige patted my back before gently laying me next to her instead of on top. my eyes were still puffy but I tried my best to put on a happy look so that Paige didn't worry.

after Paige was done packing her bags, I stood up from her bed and wrapped my hands around her waist and pressed my head in between her neck and shoulder. but for the first time int he past 48 hours I didn't cry. "baby? can I do your hair before you go?" without hesitation, Paige nodded eagerly and gripped onto my wrist, leading me into the bathroom. she sat down on a stool with her hands in her lap. she waited patiently like a kid on her first day of school, while I got out the gel and hair ties. I decided to do a French braid. I ran my fingers through her hair that was still a little tangled from sleeping. I ran her brush through the strands of blonde hair to smooth it out before parting each piece I needed. "what color?"I held three different hair ties in front of Paige. a dark purple hair ties. a hot pink one. and a navy blue one. Paige reached for the blue one to match her jersey and handed it to me. "that one" I smiled softly just at the sound of her voice.

once her hair was done, she stood up and spun around the big mirror to get a better look at it. "I love it hun" Paige used her knuckled to lift my chin up and pressed a soft kiss on my lips. I kissed back before pulling away and staring at her now reddened face. "fuck I'm gonna miss you so much baby" now it was her face that was buried in my skin. my arms quickly wrapped around the back of her neck. we stood there for a couple minutes before we both walked out the door to see everyone sitting down waiting to leave. Paige gave an ashamed look at the girls for taking so long but everyone just laughed. my hand was wrapped around hers even though she had to walk away. I tugged my lip in between my teeth once Paige removed her hand from mine. she gave me one last hug. a really tight one. a couple tears fell into her shirt.

we had only been together for 3 months so the words "I love you" still hadn't been mentioned. everytime I thought she would say it we were interrupted or shes fall asleep or something like that. there were so many times that I thought it would be time that it would be the right moment then it wouldn't be. I kept getting that feeling ever since last night. and finally just as Paige was going to pull away from the hug and leave it happened. the words slipped out of her mouth and perfectly ran through my eardrums. I literally felt my heart drop to my stomach in the best way possible.

"I love you so much." her words were muffled against me but I still understand all five words she said. my eyes lit up once I realized that she actually said it. of course I didn't waste anytime and quickly gave it back to her. "I love you more" I tried my best to not freak out while the entire team was in the room but once they left I was jumping around. leaping onto the couch and Paiges bed. squealing like a teenager.

i love her so much.

[vax-merstappen]

on vacation with the f1 boys ✈️

i love to travel so this is just me being self indulgent lol. also disclaimer i know some of the pictures are not from the country i said the vacation is in, bear with me lol. hope you enjoy and drop me any pref requests you might have!

Lando Norris

Destination: Finland

Lando always went on a ski trip with his friends during the winter break and this year he invited you to go along. You started on the easier slopes, as you both had to get the hang of skiing again, but by the end of the day you were tackling some of the more difficult ones along with your group of friends. Afterwards, the group settled down in the ski lodge with cups of hot chocolate around a crackling fire. You all spent a few hours joking around and catching up after not having all been together for a while. To finish off the day, you and Lando went alone to the sauna where you had the chance to decompress together before heading to bed. All in all, the day was well spent and you asked Lando when you would be able to come back even though you knew the answer would be next year.

Oscar Piastri

Destination: New Zealand

During the winter break, you and Oscar did not want to travel too far from his home in Australia, so you decided to go to the nearby country of New Zealand. Both of you loved staying at the beach and so you decided to spend most of your days at the scenic shores of the country. After having a relaxing time at the beach, you decided to tour the country’s mountains together and to take in the beautiful views. A personal highlight for you is a romantic dinner with Oscar in the stunning city of Queenstown. All in all, it is a relaxing trip far from the pressures of racing that brings the two of you unforgettable memories.

Max Verstappen

Destination: Italy

For Max, a vacation was any time he could spend completely away from racing with you and his friends. So, instead of traveling far away from his apartment in Monaco, he wasted no time in going on a boating trip with all his favorite people along the Italian coast. You both spent days lounging on the deck together and nights drinking with the group at the yacht’s bar. The sea made for a perfect getaway from Max’s fast paced life and you could not be happier to get some time with your boyfriend in such a scenic place. Relaxing in the waves truly made for a great time.

Charles Leclerc

Destination: Los Angeles

Your favorite place to visit together was definitely LA. You both had friends who lived there so it only made sense to take a trip there when you both were free. You spent the days on the beach with him, either surfing if the waves were nice or simply sunbathing otherwise. Charles also convinced you to go on the most extreme rides at all of the amusement parks, giving you an adrenaline rush that kept you wanting more. So many laughs were had with each of your friends, especially when Charles insisted on winning you a giant Ferrari colored banana plush at the arcade. You had no idea where you would find space for it in your apartment, but you knew you would cherish the memories it brought to mind.

Carlos Sainz

Destination: Miami

To Carlos, it would not be a good vacation without some golf. So, you both decided to head to Miami where you could find the best of what both of you loved doing, golf and relaxing on the beach. While Carlos golfed in the mornings, you relaxed on the beachfront balcony of the house you were staying in. And during the afternoons, you would both head to the beach to relax in the sand and waves. One morning you decided to spice things up and have Carlos try to teach you to golf, but after accidentally hitting the ball into someone else’s golf cart, you quickly scrapped that idea. Your favorite memory of the trip was definitely the day you spent completely together on a snorkeling trip to see a nearby coral reef.

Lewis Hamilton

Destination: Dubai

When Lewis wasn’t racing, he still loved to be doing something adventurous. Lucky for him, you shared his love of an adrenaline rush. So the perfect destination was Dubai. Every day was filled with excitement, from riding ATVs though the desert to eating at luxurious restaurants in the city. Lewis even convinced you to go skydiving with him at the end of your trip which was an experience you knew you would never forget. There was never a dull moment when you and Lewis traveled together and you knew that once this vacation ended, you would already be planning for another.

Daniel Ricciardo

Destination: Austin

Everyone knew one of Daniel’s favorite places was Austin, Texas. So when he had a week off after the race in Texas, Daniel of course convinced you to stay with him on vacation there for the next few days. He took you to his favorite bars and barbecue restaurants to savor the food. He also took you to a ranch where you got to ride horses through the American countryside. On the last day of the trip, the two of you decided to go to a country music concert and dance the night away. Both of you loved music and so this was the perfect memory to end what was a great few days of exploring the Texan landscape. And of course you had to get a souvenir cowboy hat to remember the trip by.

Yuki Tsunoda

Destination: Mexico

As you and Yuki are both foodies, you decided to go to a place with one of your favorite cuisines, Mexico. You arranged to travel throughout the country to try different foods from various regions. Between meals, you would spend time seeing some of Mexico’s most scenic beaches and visiting some of the tourist destinations like Chichen Itza. The best part, however, was getting to spend so much uninterrupted time with your boyfriend who was always away from home. Though you knew Yuki lived the fast life, all you wanted to do with him was relax. And what better place to do it than in such a warm and beautiful country. As for your favorite food you tried? There were too many good dishes to choose!

Alex Albon

Destination: Phuket

Alex was thrilled when you agreed to go to the country he raced for. When you got there, he excitedly showed you around all of the sights and took you to eat his favorite local food. After a few days of frantically touring Alex’s favorite places, you both decided that it wasn’t truly a vacation unless you relaxed a little bit. So, you spent the rest of the week at the beach in each other’s arms, just savoring the other’s company. There were a few splash fights in the pool and the time where you jokingly pushed Alex off of the boat, but otherwise you spent your time relaxing on the sand. Thai sunsets were truly like no other and you knew you would savor your memories for years to come.

Logan Sargeant

Destination: USA

When you realized that Logan hadn’t traveled much around his own country outside of Florida, you immediately decided that you were going on a road trip to fix that. The plan was that you would go up the east coast, stopping in all of the major cities to see the sights. From Carolina beaches to the nation’s capital, there were surely a lot of things to do. And when you had a boyfriend who drove cars for a living, of course you got to the be the passenger princess. Every time a road sign showed something that sounded cool, you insisted that you stop. Your personal favorite destination was New York, where you got to show Logan a lot of the famous landmarks that everybody would recognize. Once you hit Boston, you decided to head back south to his home state and warmer weather. You would cherish these memories forever.

[otterneuvillette]

✧ WE'RE HERE FOR YOU ! ✧

⋆🌼🃏— Pairings: tighnari x gn! reader x cyno (can be read as platonic or romantic, pick your poison :0)

⋆🌼🃏— Sypnosis: You have been targeted by a group of Eremites for unknown reasons, so for your safety and the sake of their worries, you have been staying with Gandharva Ville. Here's how your life has become since then.

⋆🌼🃏— content: gn! reader, mentions of injury and just fluffy with light angst.

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It happened all so suddenly.

You were a Rtawahist researcher, one of the best of your years. You went on an expedition to the desert with a team of adventurers to research the sudden change of movement of the stars.

Along the way, you and your team had a couple of gnarly encounters with the same group of Eremites, which was weird, why are they so intent to capture your group? As far as you know, none of you had offended them or made them feel threatened.

Until they finally captured you while the others were sleeping.

"Come on, give us your research papers and your Mora, and we won't hurt your pretty little head, yeah?" One of them spoke with a gruff voice.

Your eyebrows furrowed.

"Archons! Why do you need my research paper so badly?! Like I understand if you wanted just my Mora, but my research papers??" You exclaimed.

"We don't have to give you our reasons, brat."

They stood up and stabbed the dagger they were holding into a crate next to you.

Thump.

"Just give us the damn papers before things get ugly, you hear me?!"

You shook your head stubbornly.

"No! I worked hard on those, I will not let you have it!" You yelled.

They let out a sound of annoyance.

"Fine, I'll just do this the hard way then." They lifted the dagger up again, it's chilling glint underneath the desert moon made you shiver.

But you'd rather die than let them have it.

You closed your eyes, preparing for a moment of pain that never came.

A groan of pain echoed in your ears, and the sound of cold metal clashing made you open your eyes.

Sliver hair filled your vision along with flashes of purple lightning. You were dazed by its familiarity as a thought crossed your mind.

Cyno.

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That was a week ago.

Cyno told you that your expedition had lasted an extra week than you wrote in your letters. He went looking for you out of concern, and he had found your team and they told him that you disappeared overnight and that the group of Eremites that were terrorizing you and them.

You thanked him with dinner and a couple of rounds of TCG, which you lost, miserably.

And you managed to hand over your research papers to your professor before the deadline.

A win-win situation one might think, right?

Wrong.

Because when you get home from running some errands—

—most of your house was burned down.

All your equipment, your research books are half burned into a crisp.

You felt yourself holding back a scream.

No, this is not the time for an emotional breakdown. You ran inside what's left of your home, as you took whatever you could save in it.

Photo albums, important documents, your boxes of trinkets, anything.

You groaned softly as you cursed yourself for getting a place further out in the city in the first place.

By the sevens, who could be this cruel to do this?!

After a couple of hours, you salvaged quite some stuff. But you were glad that the box was unscathed from the fire, it held all of your precious trinkets that you kept growing up. Everything that they had given you.

You dragged your stuff into a cart that you kept in your yard and headed towards the city. Along the way, you passed by a certain blonde haired traveller who helped you with your other stuff that you hadn't managed to fit into the cart.

When you arrived, you managed to get yourself a place to stay for a while. And without wasting any time, you reported what happened to the Matra. They told you that they will open an investigation as soon as possible. You thanked them as you went back to the place you were staying.

Moments later, you heard a knock on the door, and you opened to find a worried Tighnari and also a serious-looking Cyno.

"Hey, we heard what happened, are you okay?" Tighnari asked you, his ears twitching slightly.

You nodded quietly, too tired to give him a proper response.

"I have some leads to who's the culprit that burnt down your house." Cyno said sternly.

You looked up, curious to hear his answer.

"The group of Eremites that terrorized your team a week ago might have been the ones that did it." He said.

You sighed defeatedly.

"Honestly, I was dreading that. Archons, I have no idea why they are coming for me and my work." You sighed, slumping on the bed.

Tighnari approached you and placed a hand on your shoulder to comfort you.

"You should lay low for now. I suggest you find a safer place to stay, they may still be on the lookout for you." Cyno said softly, feeling quite sympathetic for you.

"You could stay with me? I'm sure Collei would be happy to see you again..?" Tighnari offered. His tail swished gently,as he looked at you with concern.

"I agree with Tighnari, you'll be safer staying with him." Cyno nodded.

"Meanwhile, I'll lead the investigation, I'll make sure the culprit will get the judgment they deserve." He added.

"Fine, I'll stay with 'nari. But only, until I repair my house." You said, sighing.

Both of them nodded in agreement, as you stood up to follow them to Gandharva Ville.

"Let me help you with your cart," Tighnari said, already holding on to it.

You thanked him, while Cyno informed the nearby Matra to gather information about the incident.

You hoped that this matter would be over soon.

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It's been a few weeks since then, whoever did the crime was insanely good at keeping their tracks clean, it even had the General Mahamatra stumped.

Yet, both Tighnari and Cyno did their best to help you take your mind off it, they didn't want to see you stress yourself sick.

You'd just been in your room, minding your own business, when you started to hear voices coming from the living room of Tighnari's house. You decided to go out to the living room to check out what was going on.

"Well, you see, it's funny because-" Cyno seemed to be explaining some dumb joke.

"Oh, archons! Stop with the terrible jokes already!" Tighnari groaned, but his ears perked up when he saw you enter the room. "Make him stop, please!"

"Cyno....please behave?" You whispered quietly, clearly exhausted from the house repairs the day before.

Cyno's playfully pouted, but he sighed and gave in to your gentle request.

"I suppose I can behave myself. For now, at least."

He smiles at you affectionately and then turns his gaze to Tighnari, whose eyebrows were furrowed.

"What's with that face, 'nari? Are you having a headache again?" You said worriedly, hastily approaching where he was sitting.

Tighnari nods slightly, a small frown appearing on his face. "Yes. It's been a long day. The headache seems to be getting worse every day. Archons, I wish they'd go away." He sighs quietly, his ear flicking down in displeasure as you move closer to him.

"Hmm....maybe you should take a break... I'll talk with the other rangers, Let me help you with the patrols for the week." You immediately offered, without even a stutter or hesitation.

Tighnari blinks his eyes in surprise at your eagerness to help. He shakes his head slightly, a small smile appearing on his face. A soft, affectionate gaze wanders over your face.

"No, no. I'll be alright. You know I'm tougher than I look," he tries to protest, but you can tell from his expression how much your offer means to him.

Cyno steps forward and places a hand on Tighnari's shoulder. "Come on, Tighnari. Take a break for once."

"See? Even the General Mahamatra agrees with me. So, just sit tight and rest. Let me handle the rest."

Tighnari sighs and looks up at you then at Cyno, then sighs again, giving in. A slight smile forms on his face as he looks back at you, clearly relieved.

"Alright, alright. I suppose I can take a few days off. But you better not overwork yourself," he relents, his tail flicking slightly.

Cyno smiles and nods affirmatively. "That's better. You look like you haven't slept in days," he comments as his hands gently brush back Tighnari's hair to examine his face.

"I promise I won't overwork myself. I can handle the patrols for a few days. Don't worry, 'nari. I'll be fine," You reassure him, offering a comforting smile.

Tighnari lets out a quiet sigh and closes his eyes, clearly exhausted, his ears slumping down a little.

"Alright, alright. I trust you. Just..." He reaches out and takes your hand, squeezing it gently. "Take care of yourself, okay?" Cyno watches the scene with a fond smile and adds. "Yeah, don't do anything reckless. We both know how you get when you don't take proper breaks."

"It's not really that bad, guys! I promise." You whined playfully, before patting Tighnari's shoulder.

"Let me go make you some herbal tea. I've acquired some new medicinal tea from Liyue from my pen pal." You said excitedly.

Tighnari smiles faintly as you pat his shoulder, his ears twitching slightly in appreciation.

"Thank you. That would be very helpful," he says quietly, clearly grateful for your offer.

Cyno, meanwhile, gives you a slightly teasing smile. "Yeah, sure. And maybe don't forget to take care of yourself, okay? We don't want you getting sick, too. You're not immune to everything either," he adds, his tone playful and affectionate.

"Says you, Mr. "Oh no, I have fallen ill because I refuse to wear proper clothing during cold desert nights!" Seriously, Cyno. You should let me knit you a blanket or something." You huffed as you started brewing the tea, filling the small space with a light jasmine scent.

Cyno groans quietly, a little embarrassed that you've brought up the incident again. His arms crossed defensively, but he can't help but chuckle.

"I'm fine with my clothes, thank you very much," he responds, a hint of defensiveness in his voice. "Besides, I like the feel of the desert air against my skin. Even the cold is refreshing." Tighnari, meanwhile, chuckles softly at the exchange, his ears perking up in amusement.

He raises an eyebrow at Cyno, his tone lighthearted.

"You're always insisting that your immune to everything, but look at you. You're just as susceptible as the rest of us," he points out, a fond smile on his face.

Cyno sighs and chuckles, unable to argue with that.

"Fine, fine. I see your point. But... I still enjoy the cold air."

You chuckled, shaking your head.

"Sit down, Cyno. I'm bringing the tea over." You called out.

Cyno sighs and obeys, flopping down on the couch next to Tighnari. His lips curled as he heard your lighthearted chuckle.

"I guess you're right," he admits, leaning back on the couch and stretching his arms. "But I'll still take my chances with the desert air. As long as you brew me some tea to help me when I get sick." Tighnari glances over at you, amusement is evident in his expression.

"The things I'd do for the both of you."

Cyno chuckles, a fond smile spreading across his face.

"And we appreciate it. We really do," he reassures you.

Tighnari nods in agreement, his expression softening. "You always take such good care of us, even when we're too stubborn to admit it," he adds, his tail flicking gently against the couch.

Cyno glances at Tighnari, then back at you, a grin spreading on his face.

"Yeah, you're practically a miracle worker. Always knowing when we need a helping hand, even when we're too proud to ask for it."

Tighnari laughs quietly and nods in agreement. "We're lucky to have you around. Who else would put up with our nonsense?"

"You're being too sweet, just drink the tea already!" You said softly, flushing slightly.

They both chuckled at your reaction.

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"This is delicious. You've outdone yourself this time," Cyno compliments you.

Tighnari nods in agreement, his expression softening as he takes a sip. "Yes, it's so soothing. You're quite a talented herbal tea brewer."

"Thanks, I'm just gonna leave you two to it. I have an appointment with Kaveh soon, so I need to prepare some supplies."

Cyno raises an eyebrow, a teasing smirk spreading across his face.

"Kaveh, huh? What are you two getting up to?"

He takes another sip of tea, his tone lighthearted and playful.

"It's not what you think. I'm just going over my house plans with him. I'm repairing my house because a part of it got burned down, remember? The arson case a few weeks ago? The reason why I've been staying with Tighnari since then?"

Cyno's teasing expression quickly turns to one of concern.

"Right, of course. My apologies for teasing. I remember that case. How's the repairs going?" he asks you.

Tighnari nods in agreement and his ears perk up slightly as well. "Yeah, I hope you're not having too much trouble with the rebuilding," he adds, a hint of worry evident in his voice.

"Well, between having to acquire materials and trying to not break my back fixing it, I'd say it's going smoothly."

"I just hope that my savings are enough to cover for it. The prices of materials are insane." You sighed.

"But Kaveh has been helping out with finding affordable yet quality materials, so I think the repair would go as smoothly as I hope it to be," You reassured.

Cyno nods gently, relief is evident in his expression.

"Sounds like you're in good hands. Kaveh always has a knack for finding good deals. And as for your back, maybe you should take some breaks. Can't be overworking yourself with all this rebuilding," he teases lightly, a gentle smirk on his face.

"I know, I know, thank the Seven, Alhaitham offered to help me with my work, even if I didn't want him to, I could have perfectly done it myself,"

Tighnari nods in agreement, his ears perking up.

"Well, Alhaitham is somewhat of a difficult person to get along with sometimes, but I can't deny that he's quite considerate and helpful if the situation calls for it. Maybe he just wanted to return the favor you extended to him when you helped him in his research." He pauses for a moment, his expression softening. "But you should still take care of yourself. Don't overwork yourself, okay?" He adds, giving you a gentle look.

"I will. I'm going to head out now, so I'll see you tonight, 'nari and you later, Cyno." You said softly and waved the two of them goodbye.

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As you leave Gandharva Ville to meet up with Kaveh, Cyno, and Tighnari continue to chat in the living room over tea. Cyno shares a few jokes with Tighnari, who rolls his eyes but secretly smiles at the playful banter.

As night falls, the house feels a little emptier without your presence. Despite their easy-going demeanors, Cyno and Tighnari can't help but feel a slight sense of worry and longing for your return.

When you finally return home, the apartment is quiet. Cyno and Tighnari are just lounging around the living room. When they hear you enter, they perk their ears up slightly and look over at you. A wave of relief washes over both of them, and they can't help but smile at the sight of you.

Cyno greets you cheerfully as usual, while Tighnari gives you a gentle smile and a tail flick.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to run away from some angry group of Fungi on my way here." You said, catching your breath.

Cyno raises an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.

"Angry Fungi? Sounds like quite the adventure. How many were there?" He asks, a serious glint in his eyes.

"A whole group of five huge Fungi. " You answered him.

Tighnari's expression softens and his ears twitch slightly. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt at all?"

You scratched your head bashfully, before looking at Tighnari.

"I might've....gotten a massive bruise on my back...."

Tighnari's expression immediately turns to one of concern upon hearing about your injury.

"Oh no... Let me see that bruise," he requests gently, taking a step closer to examine your back.

"I-I'm fine! I swear, 'nari!" You said hurriedly. taking a couple steps back.

"One of the Fungi headbutted me from the back while I was busy dodging the other ones."

Cyno raises an eyebrow at your insistence that you're fine.

"Headbutted, huh? You should be more careful. We can't afford to have you getting injured. Especially when we're not around to look after you," he remarks, his expression serious for a moment before his usual smile returns.

Tighnari's ears twitch, his concern still evident. "Regardless, let me just take a quick look to ease my worry," he insists gently.

"Fine, fine, just let me change into looser clothing first." You muttered.

Cyno nods in agreement, acknowledging your need for comfort.

"Alright, take your time. We'll be here when you're ready," he reassures you, his ear flicking a little. Tighnari gives you a reassuring smile and nods as well. "Yeah, no need to rush. Just take the time you need to change and then we can check your back. We want to make sure you're alright."

You quickly changed, and soon, Tighnari carefully guided you to the couch.

"How is it? Is it really bad?"

Tighnari examines your back, his fingers gently ghosting over the massive bruise that has formed there.

He winces slightly when he sees the extent of the injury but tries to maintain a calm demeanor. "It's a large bruise. You're going to have to take it easy for a few days to avoid aggravating it. I'll prepare some herbs to make a salve that can help speed up the healing process a little. In the meantime, try to avoid any unnecessary movement, okay?"

You sighed yet again. "I guess I have to postpone the repairs again....." You muttered under your breath.

Cyno overhears your muttered comment and his expression softens, sympathetic to your plight. He puts a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright. There's no rush. Your health comes first. We can figure out a way to handle the repairs later when you're feeling better."

Tighnari gives a nod of agreement and gently pats your back. "Yes, take it easy. Let us handle the repairs for now. You just focus on resting and getting better."

Cyno and Tighnari help you get comfortable on the couch, bringing you pillows and blankets to make sure you're as relaxed as possible.

Tighnari prepares a soothing salve to help reduce the pain and inflammation in your back, while Cyno grabs a cold pack from the freezer to press against the bruise.

They sit with you, keeping you company and making sure you're feeling alright. They chat with you softly, making lighthearted jokes and sharing stories to keep your mind off your pain.

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Eventually, Tighnari returns with the salve he prepared, and he carefully applies it to your back with gentle but firm movements.

As the salve works its magic, slowly reducing the pain and swelling, Cyno gives you a smile and speaks in a teasing tone.

"You know, maybe this is just what you needed. A little break to rest and relax. Maybe a few days off might not be so bad after all."

"But I was supposed to help you so you could take a break, 'nari!" You whined quietly, pouting.

Tighnari smiles at your pouting expression, amused by your stubbornness.

"I appreciate the thought, but sometimes life has other plans. Right now, the most important thing is for you to focus on recovering. Once you're back on your feet, you can help us all you want."

Cyno rolls his eyes playfully and adds in a joking tone. "Yeah, and speaking of being back on your feet, maybe you should try picking on smaller targets next time instead of those huge Fungi."

"It wasn't my fault they came on me in the first place, I don't even know why they were so irritated in the first place!"

Tighnari chuckles softly, trying to imagine you fending off a horde of angry Fungi.

"Fungi can be picky sometimes. And they tend to guard their territory fiercely. Perhaps you accidentally wandered into their turf without realizing it, and they took action accordingly."

"I was walking down the designated path to Gandharva Ville! The Fungi weren't there when I first passed by on my way to Sumeru City!!"

Cyno bursts out laughing upon hearing your playful defense.

"Ah, well, perhaps those particular Fungi took a sudden detour and decided to set up camp on your usual path without warning. Those mischievous creatures can be quite sneaky, you know," he teases.

"Whatever..." You groaned, voice muffled by your face planting into the pillow.

Tighnari grins at your reaction and gently pats your head.

"Don't be upset. We're just teasing. We know you did your best." He turns to look at Cyno, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "Cyno, why don't you make it up to them with one of your jokes? That'll surely lift their spirits."

"Please don't, can't you see I suffered enough? You guys are bullying me, I swear."

"Oh, don't worry, we're not bullies. We just believe in the healing power of laughter!" Cyno says proudly.

He takes a moment to think, then grins wider. "Hey, what do you call a snake with no legs?"

"What is it?" You groaned.

"An adder. Get it? Because it's a snake, and it has been 'added' without legs? Haha!" He laughs at his own joke, clearly pleased with himself. Tighnari hides a small chuckle with a cough. They both look at you, eagerly awaiting your reaction.

"I hate you guys...."

Cyno laughs even harder at your response, clearly enjoying your reaction to his terrible pun.

"Oh, come onnnn. Don't be like that. You know you love my sense of humor." He says with a smirk.

Tighnari can't help but smile at your groaning. He reaches out to pat your head softly, trying to soothe you.

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As the evening progresses, Cyno and Tighnari keep up the light banter, sharing jokes and stories to keep your spirits up.

Slowly, you start to relax, the stress from your injury fading away as their company puts you at ease. The room is filled with laughter, and a comforting atmosphere settles in. Cyno tells another terrible pun, and even though you try your best to maintain a scowl, you can't help but let out a small chuckle.

Tighnari notices your slight smile and grins at Cyno, silently signaling him that their efforts are working. They exchange a sly, knowing look, grateful that you are starting to feel better.

As the night drags on, the room gradually falls silent as you doze off into a contented, healing slumber. Even after you fall asleep, Cyno and Tighnari take turns watching over you, making sure you're as comfortable as possible. They can't help but share a warm, fond smile, appreciating the peace and tranquility of the moment.

Your healing progresses in the following days, Cyno and Tighnari take turns caring for you. Tighnari diligently prepares meals and soothing herbs to help with your recovery, and Cyno occasionally comes by to offer his own unique way of making you feel better – by sharing yet another one of his terrible puns.

Despite your protests, Cyno's jokes never fail to crack a dumb smile on your face, and you find yourself secretly looking forward to his visits, just to hear those awful puns.

Eventually, your injury starts to heal as the days turn into weeks. Your pain and discomfort gradually fade away, and the bruise on your back begins to yellow before finally disappearing completely.

Tighnari examines your back once again, his fingers lightly tracing the area where the bruise used to be, before nodding in satisfaction.

"Yup, it appears that you have fully recovered. The injury has healed nicely, and there are no signs of pain or discomfort left."

Just as you're about to express your relief and thanks, Cyno chimes in with a dramatic sigh.

"Ah, it's a shame that you've recovered so quickly. I was already working on a new series of puns to keep the cheer going."

Cyno remarks, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Tighnari rolls his eyes but can't help but smile at Cyno's antics.

"Oh yes, because your terrible puns were an absolute cure for all our ailments. We simply would be miserable without them," Tighnari retorts, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Cyno pouts, feigning offense at Tighnari's words. "Hey, they weren't that bad! And besides, I had a whole new stockpile ready to go."

"Maybe, some other time, Cyno." You giggled.

"Spoil sport," Cyno grumbles, crossing his arms in mock disappointment, but a smile creeps onto his face at your laugh.

Tighnari lets out a lighthearted chuckle, shaking his head at Cyno's antics. They both sit quietly for a moment, enjoying the light banter and the relief of your full recovery.

You felt relief knowing that no matter what, come rain or shine, both of them would go to the ends of Tevyat for you as you would do for them as well.

But for now, let's just enjoy the tranquility of the moment, shall we?

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extras:

Tighnari: hey, I noticed that you kept the pictures of our student years in the albums you have in your cart.

Y/N: of course I did, they're really precious to me.

*Cyno come closer and picks up a picture.*

Cyno:....hey, when did you take this photo of me passed out on Lambad's Tavern, and...wait...DID YOU SERIOUSLY BALANCE PLATES ON ME?!

Y/N: ......yeah, i'm just gonna leave- *sprints*

Cyno: OH NO YOU DON'T- *runs after Y/N*

Tighnari: *dies of laughter.*

[dontexpectmuch]

saw that ur taking requests again (missed u sm bae) 🤭 maybe smth along the lines of going to winter wonderland w jude and him being afraid of the rides ?

being with jude always came with many ups and downs.

he made you laugh, was there for you whenever you needed a shoulder to cry on, never made you feel like an option, but a priority.

and though you missed him dearly whenever he went on an away game, he still tried to spend as much time with you as possible, proving you that he was being serious about your relationship.

so when you asked him to go to winter wonderland, he didn’t even think twice about booking the tickets.

and even though jude and you were ready about the ups and downs that came with a relationship, he certainly wasn’t ready for the ups and downs of the rollercoaster rides at wonderland.

clutching your arm, jude tried to push you to the food courts, “babe, let’s eat first, yeah?”

rolling your eyes, you stand still. you couldn’t believe your boyfriend was genuinely scared of some ride here.

“jude, please! it’s not even that bad-“

“fuck off, i saw some guys throw up into that bin there. i aint doing this, babe. i have a bright future ahead that i don’t wanna risk.” he cut you off, shaking his head and dragging you away from the ride.

sighing, you walk along and find yourself in front of a crepe stand, waiting in line.

you speak up again, taking his hand in yours and squeezing it slightly, “we will try at least one ride, okay? if you still don’t like it then, we could, i don’t know, like, maybe try some games? win a plushie, ‘kay?”

jude nodded, eyes looking at you with much adoration and gratitude that words couldn’t describe. he leaned forward, pressing a kiss against your forehead before moving along the queue.

as soon as you guys finished your crepes, you move to the the rollercoaster jude wasn’t very fond of. and though he tried to talk out his way of going on there, at the end, you guys sat inside a cart and buckled up.

“if i die, just know that i ate your last cookie, and i am so sorry.” jude said, hands shaking slightly as he closed his eyes. he looked petrified, but also oh so cute that you almost forgot what he just confessed to you.

“what-“

however before you could scold your boyfriend, the ride began and you guys shot up towards the first heightened point of it.

it was going quite well, even if the wind was harsh against your face. as you glance up at your boyfriend, you can’t help but burst out laughing.

eyes squeezed shut, lips in a straight line and one hand on the rail, as the other found its way on top of yours to hold.

“babe!” you laugh, fingers intertwining with his. “open your eyes!”

“no!”

as you guys slowly come to an end, with the adrenaline still in its heights, you drag jude out of the cart and to the photobooth of the ride, eyes wildly searching for your picture.

“babe, look!” you point at the picture.

judes eyes were closed shut, his hands had a deadly grip on the rail, while you looked like you were having the time of your life.

“dude!” jude laughs at himself, his hand on your waist as he pushes your body closer to his, “i look like a fuckin’ whimp!” he continued, now looking at you.

“you want it?”

“and have our kids think ‘m a whimp?” jude denies, shaking his head.

his hand travels up and down your waist, eyes full of love as he still looks at you.

“well then we should ride another one, so we can have a pretty picture, no?”

“fuck off, i already feel dizzy.”

—————————

and they say romance is dead

[thefallennightmare]

Just Pretend-four

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Parings: Noah Sebastian x Reader

Warnings/Tropes: language, angst, fluff, smut, star-crossed lovers, right person/wrong time, cheating, talks of mental abuse.

Summary: “I can wait for years, heaven knows I’m not getting over you.” A story about two star-crossed lovers, that always find their way back because their souls are entwined. The universe desperately attempts to bring them together, no matter what the cost.

Authors Note: 7k words in this one with so many easter eggs! Can you find them all?!

Collaborating With: @thescarlettvvitch(better give her all the love as well)

Tags: @thescarlettvvitch @ozwriterchick @waake-meee-up @notingridslurkaccount @niicoleleigh @sammyjoeee @xxrainstorm @dominuslunae @notmaddihealy @malice-ov-mercy @crimson-calligraphyx @iknownothingpeople @writethrough @thebadchic @blackveilomens Claudia on Tumblr @tobe-written @blacksoul-27 @loeytuan98

Malcolm's curses echoed throughout the open space of the venue as he tried to help Chase set up his drums.

"Dude, I'm telling you your doing it wrong!" Chase all but scolded.

"Then do it yourself, man!" Malcolm snapped while letting the symbol drop to the stage.

The loud sound made me jump as I was working on adjusting my microphone stand to my perfect height and with hands on my hips, I narrowed my eyes at the two of them.

"What the fuck is your problem?"

Chase ran a hand over his face with an apologetic sigh. "It's been a long night. The drive here was rough on my back so I got little sleep."

"And Trey's been smoking on the bus so my asthma's flaring up," Malcolm said while throwing his long hair up into a bun.

I frowned at my two best friends when the guilt weighed heavy on my shoulders. Yesterday was a long day with the zoo and then half a day of travel for us to get to our next city, most of us were feeling the exhaustion deep in our bones.

"I'm sorry. Let me talk with Trey about the smoking."

Malcolm was quick to assure me it was fine and almost not worth talking to him because we all knew that nothing would come of it.

Biting my lip, I checked the time on my phone to noticed that we had some time before soundcheck.

"Text me your coffee orders, yeah? I'll go grab us some because I think we're going to need it today."

Jumping off the stage, I threw on the hoodie I had tossed before I started setting up while Chase called behind me.

"Ask the Bad Omens guys if they want anything!"

I waved my hand in the air in a way of saying I was already planning on it and made my way to the backstage area of the venue where I knew Bad Omens and crew were hanging out in the green room. They already had their soundcheck earlier and were just hanging out before having to get ready for the show later tonight. Boisterous voices echoed down the long hallway as I stepped through the door with a small smile on my face.

Noah and Nick were leaning back in their chairs while they played a video game on the system and the small television they brought along with them.

I snuck up behind Noah and covered his eyes with my hands which caused him to call out in a shout.

"Oh, fuck you. No fair!" He averted his head below my hands just in time to see Nick beat him in the level of Mario Cart.

Giggles escaped me in a fit as Noah turned in his chair to glare at me while I highfived Nick.

"You cheated."

I shrugged. "I wasn't the one playing."

The corner of his lips turned up in a smile as he extended the controller towards me. "Want to play the loser?"

I tapped my chin while nodding towards Nick. "I'm pretty sure I'd play the winner."

Noah scoffed. "Only because you helped him win."

"My, my," I tsked my tongue while crossing my arms over my chest. "Are we a sore loser, Noah?"

"The fucking worst."

Folio said as he snatched the controller from Noah and started up a new game with Nick. Noah's eyes burned bright as he continued to smile up at me, memories of our day yesterday at the zoo replaying in my mind. How sweet he'd been with buying things for me and the nickname-fuck, it still gave me chills when I remembered how sweet it sounded coming from his lips.

"Well," I cleared my throat while shifting on my feet. "I don't know about you guys but Hollow Souls desperately needs caffeine. Malcolm and Chase are seconds away from clawing each other's throats out. I thought to come to ask if any of you guys wanted."

Most of them nodded, so I told them to text me the order as I turned on my heels to walk out but noticed Noah rise to his feet, tossing on a hoodie.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Did you really think I would let you go by yourself? That's four trays worth of coffee."

"Oh," I hesitated. "You don't have do to that, Noah. I'm sure I can manage."

He ignored me, simply pocketed his wallet and used a claw clip to hold his hair out of his face.

Shit, no man should look that good with a fucking claw clip.

Pushing those thoughts away, I let him lead me out of the room while following close behind. It was a nice afternoon in North Dakota so I planned on walking which Noah didn't seem to mind thankfully. At first, we said little, just letting the comfortable silence fall between us, and as a group of people walked passed me from the opposite direction, I had to walk closer to Noah. Our hands brushed against each other and the same shock that buzzed through me nearly attacked me as I reared my hand away from him apologizing.

"It's alright," Noah smiled, not giving anything away if he felt the spark too.

"So," I finally said after some more silence.

It was killing me. I needed to say something to get a conversation going so I could listen to his voice.

"So," he repeated while dragging out the 'O'.

"I want to say thank you again for yesterday. It's been a long time since I've had a fun day like that," I admitted with a sheepish smile.

Noah looked at me surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. Lately I've been focusing so much on Hollow Souls and trying to elevate us to the next level that I haven't found time for myself to do things I love. Although, I love what I do."

"No, I get what you're saying. Some people think that just because we're always working on our career that we must not have a social life outside of it."

"Yes!" I smacked his chest with excitement. "You get it."

He chuckled as we turned the corner to the new block, the coffee shop slowly coming into view. As I read the very long text message of the coffee ordered, I was thankful that Noah came along.

"You know, we still have to watch our movie," Noah reminded me.

"Shit," I said realizing I forgot. "Yes, we do. We should have a movie night where we each choose a movie or something like that. I mean, we're going to be on the road with each other for a month might as well."

I smiled up at him with a bright smile on that Noah gave right back.

"Yeah, definitely. I think I'd have to choose The Scorpion King, I watched that movie so many times because of Godsmack being on the soundtrack."

I stopped dead in my tracks for a moment making Noah as well. "No fucking way. So did I!"

He gave me a teasing look. "Right, that's why you watched it over and over. Not because of The Rock."

My face scrunched up in disgust. "Fuck, no. I prefer my guys with long hair and covered in tattoos."

The air around us tilted on its axis as a red hue crept all over my face when I realized I described Noah as my perfect guy. Everything around us seemed to slow as the two of us stood staring at age other, his tongue pushing against his bottom lip, a low noise coming from the back of his throat.

"Uh, I think I see the coffee shop up ahead," I pointed behind him, drastically trying to get his fiery gaze off of me.

It rooted me in place making me incapable of thinking clearly or making the right choice.

Relcuctantly, Noah nodded slowly, and we began walking in stride with each other.

"So I noticed Trey wasn't anywhere to be found," he spoke slowly, almost trying to test the waters with this conversation.

"Yeah, he wasn't feeling well, so he's sleeping it off," I explained.

"Right," Noah snorted under his breath.

My eyes sliced over to him. "What's that supposed to mean, Noah?"

With a sigh, he stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. "I'm not trying to upset you. But you have to admit, he's been drunk every night."

"I know," I let out a long breath and kept my gaze straight ahead to the old couple in front of us.

Cleary they were holding hands and taking their time in their afternoon stroll together. The older man leaned over to give his wife a kiss on the cheek and I smiled warmly when he took off his tan coat to lay it over her shoulders. Even in her red three piece button up jacket and skirt, she must have been cold.

"Are you warmer now?" He asked her while perching his glasses higher on his nose.

She tucked a strand of her ice white hair behind her ears, her own red glasses resting on top of her head.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Are we almost at the coffee shop?"

"Yep," he patted the pocket of his jacket that was slung over her shoulders. "I brought your favorite book to read to you. We only have a little while until you're needed back to the center."

"Angel?"

Blinking rapidly, I looked up to Noah as my body blazed with heat because of my nickname.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"You don't have to answer this but a lot of us are wondering why you're even with him. We all see how he treats you," he said.

I tried to find the anger that should have been festering with the bluntness of his question but it wasn't there.

Maybe because what he's saying is true.

"He wasn't always like this. When we first started Hollow Souls, Trey was vibrant and alive. The last few years have dulled his soul, along with the drinking. But I'm used to it, don't worry. I can handle myself."

"That's not what-."

"Can we drop it, please? With you, the last thing I want to do is talk about Trey," I snapped while coming to a stop in front of the door of the coffee shop.

The way I worded my sentence didn't go unnoticed by Noah whose lips twitched.

"Sure, angel. Come on, let's go inside."

His hand ghosted over the small of my back as he let me step inside of the busy coffee shop. The line had about 8 people in front of us so Noah and I fell in line behind the same older couple from outside.

"Noah, dear," the older lady smiled up at her husband. "I'm going to go grab a seat. Order me a tea?"

"Anything for you, Allie," he mused while leaving a tender kiss on her forehead.

I looked up towards Noah but nearly sucked in a breath when I realized how close we were. He may have towered over me in height but his lips were so close to my face, I could feel his warm breath fan across my own lips. They were plump and pink, almost begging to be kissed.

Ignoring how my heart race pick up and stomach flipped, I motioned towards the older couple in front of us. "Look, its you in sixty years. Same name and all."

Even with a fond smile on his face as he watched the older couple, Noah shivered.

"If I ever lose my hair, I might cry. This has been years worth of growth."

We shared a laugh and moved up in the line, Noah's eyes grazing over the large menu board.

"Have you ever tried a chai tea iced with oat milk?”

I scrunched my face up in disgust. "It doesn't sound appealing. I usually stick to the same drink."

Noah bumped his shoulder with mine. "Come on. It'll be good for you to try new things."

Don't fucking tempt me.

"I don't know," I hesitated.

I hated straying away from things that were so familiar to me.

"I think you’ll love it. Not too sweet, just right. It’s got everything you want. Would you trust me if I ordered it for you?” Noah's eyes practically begged as he pushed out this bottom lip playfully.

"Yes," I rushed out but quickly composed myself. "Sure, but I want whipped cream on top?"

"You can have whatever you want, angel," Noah promised.

We both stepped up to the counter and gave the young girl an apologetic smile as I pulled out on my phone.

"I am so sorry," I apologized. "But we have a pretty big order. We'll obviously pay extra since it's a busy time and don't mind waiting until it slows down if you want to make the order."

The young girl, Rey said her nametag, blinked slow as her eyes darted from Noah to me then back to Noah.

"Holy shit," she cursed while breaking out into a large grin. "You're Y/N! From Hollow Souls!"

My heart warmed at how ecstatic she was to meet me. Rey then gazed at Noah once again, with a less ecstatic expression but still star struck nonetheless.

"You're Noah Sebastian! I actually just started listening to Bad Omens because I saw you two were touring together. Enough, Enough Now is my favorite!"

Noah's face beamed with so much pride it was almost adorable.

"That means so much, thank you. Are you coming to the show tonight?" He asked.

Rey's shoulder fell. "No, I tried to buy tickets, but it sold out so fast!"

Noah and I shared a look before I rummaged through my bag looking for something I kept in here exactly for this reason. Ethan, our tour manager, always made sure we had extra tickets for something like this.

"How many do you need?" I pulled out a stack of five tickets.

"Oh, no!" Her eyes doubled. "You don't have to do that. Please don't think I'm not complaining to make you feel bad."

"Please," I assured her with a sincere smile while sliding all five tickets on the counter to her. "I'm about to order ten complicated drinks. It's the least I can do for holding everything up.

Rey eyed the tickets carefully, and Noah urged her with a slight nod.

"Let us get through this rush and we can start your drinks," she smiled while pocketing the tickets.

"Of course," I said then bagan rambling off our very large order.

Once we paid, thanks to Ethan's business card, Noah and I took our drinks that Rey made before the others over to a table in the far corner of the cafe, away from the gathering crowd. Since we would be here for a while, Noah and I decided to drink our coffee while sitting.

His long fingers drummed against the wood of the table, an unknown tune, as my knee bounced up and down with slight anxiety. Ever since tour started, I was never alone with Noah for longer than a few minutes, but now there was no one else around as a buffer if things became awkward.

Noah motioned towards my drink. "Try it."

I rolled my eyes at his eagerness before brining the warm drink to my lips, blowing away some of the heat first. He tracked every movement of my lips as the pursed out almost like I would kiss something.

Or someone.

"Alright, I have to admit; it is pretty good," I set the cup back on the table.

Noah's eyes burned with heat as he stared straight at my lips and suddenly feeling self conscious, I brought a hand to my face.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, you're good, angel," his voice was deep, almost rough, as he finally tore his gaze away from my lips up to my eyes.

Just like every other time we stared at each other, it was full of so much tension but in the best fucking way possible. Behind the dark depths of his pupils, there was this magnetic pull that kept sucking me in no matter how hard I tried to grasp at whatever I could for support.

I cleared my throat to break the silence but Noah's phone buzzed on the table next to his coffee which broke the spell we were under.

"Fucking Keaton," Noah chuckled under his breath as he quickly typed something on his phone.

I nearly choked on my coffee, it burning all the way down my throat, and set the cup back on the table.

"Wait, Keaton? As in Keaton Pierce?"

"Yeah," Noah nodded with a bright smile. "He lost his copy of Super Smash Bro's and was wondering if he could borrow mine but little does he know, that was my copy he lost."

I huffed out a short breath. "Tell him I'm still waiting for the $100 he owes me."

His eyes brightened in surprise. "You know Keaton?"

"Yeah, one of Hollow Souls first tours was Warped Tour. We all got real close with everyone in Too Close To Touch but Keaton and I have this bond."

I was so engrossed in telling the story about how Keaton and I grew incredibly close the summer we were on Warped Tour together that I didn't notice Noah's jaw clench with jealousy until the last words fell from my lips.

"He's like a big brother I never had. He means so much to me," I smiled fondly.

"Keaton's one of my best friends," Noah divulged about how Bad Omens and Too Close To Touch also met on Warped Tour one year.

Running a hand through my long hair, I suddenly cursed myself for not bringing a hair tie, but kept my attention on Noah.

"I can't believe we have a mutual friend but yet never met before! I thought for sure Keaton would try to hook us up," I said.

"Yeah," Noah's voice trailed off as he was deep in thought, not realizng that as he brought his coffee to his lips, some of it spilled onto his sweater.

With a curse, he rose to his feet and pulled it off which in turned caused his shirt to lift as well, showcasing off more tattoos that it shocked me to see he had. The band of his briefs poked through the top of his jeans and with the sharp curve of his v-line, I was practically drooling at the sight of him. Which he quickly noticed because he threw me a smirk as he sat back in his chair.

"You're staring, angel."

"N-no. I was just-." I stammered like a schoolgirl that just got caught staring at her attractive older teacher.

Well, you kind of did.

"I was just surprised to see more tattoos. I though only your arms and neck were covered," I explained while messing with the cardboard sleeve on my cup.

"I've got tattoo's everywhere except my back and parts of my thighs but I plan on covering those spots soon," Noah informed. "Since we're on the topic of tattoos, how many do you have?"

"Oh, shit. I've lost count over the years. I've got them scattered all over and sometimes forget that they're there."

"You know," he leaned back in his chair with a cheeky smile, long legs extended towards me as his foot grazed lightly over my calf. "I'm pretty good at hide and seek. I bet I can find them if you'd let me."

My cheeks blazed with immediate arousal with his sly words and I had to squeeze my thighs together underneath the table, hoping Noah couldn't tell how turned on I suddenly became with this conversation. But two could play at that game. If he could make me flustered, so could I.

"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer someday," I winked while taking another drink of my now cold coffee.

Shit, how long have we been sitting here?

I dared a quick glance over to Rey behind the counter and noticed they were working fast to get all ten of our drinks ready.

The sound of metal scrapping against ground brought my attention back to Noah and realized he had pulled his chair closer to me, something dark filling his eyes. Our hands were on the table, so close they were almost touching, as his fingers began drumming on the wood once again; almost to keep them busy.

"By the way, I don't know if I told you how much I liked you wearing my shirt."

I gulped as my eyes darted from his down to his lips. "Uh, yeah. You-you said that."

He hummed. "I've seen people wear our merch but none of them quite pulled it off the way you did yesterday.

I licked my lips, breathless. "Many people wear your merch, Noah."

"No, angel. It's not the same," his fingers grazed over my knuckles. "It hit you in all the perfect places. It's like you were made to wear it."

Every inch of my body buzzed with arousal and heat with how foreward Noah was being. He was staring so intently at me as if he wanted to sink his teeth into the crook of my neck to drink me in. His nostrils flared slightly.

"You smell good."

I gulped. "Dylan Purple by Versace."

Noah leaned back slightly so I could see all of his face. "I'll have to pick you up a bottle the next time I stop at Sephora."

Holy Hera. What was this effect he had on me? He didn't touch me with his lips but I begged to taste them. Did he wear chapstick? Was it flavored? Would I be able to taste his coffee?

Get ahold of yourself! You're dating Trey.

Clearing my throat, I sat farther back in my chair to create some space between us but that's when I noticed something just underneath Noah's left eye and my fingers raised slowly.

"Do I have oat milk on my face?" he went to wipe a hand over his mouth.

I huffed out a laugh. "No, it's an eyelash. Can I?"

When he looked at my hand, Noah nodded and I gently brushed away the eyelash, it sticking to my finger.

"Make a wish," I said.

"Don't tell me you believe in that?" Noah replied.

"It's tradition, you have to do it."

He shook his head. "I don't believe that. In this scenario, there's only one thing can ruin my wish, but I don’t think I’m gonna let it happen."

I pouted whiel holding my finger up to his lips. "Please? For me?"

Noah slowly licked his lips before he grasped my wrist to hold my hand steady as he made the whole show of closing his eyes and blowing away the eyelash.

"Happy?" He smirked while keeping his grip on my wrist.

"Yea," I squeeked out.

Once again, we were stuck in that trance where everyone else around us faded away into the abyss and the only ones that mattered were the two of us.

"ORDER FOR Y/N!"

Jumping away from Noah, I practically scrambled out of my chair to grab the many trays of coffee.

Fuck! Get it together! He's just some guy flirting with you to pass the time. Stop acting like he'll fall over the edge for you.

The walk back to the venue was quiet and quick thankfully because my mind was running wild with everything that happened back at the cafe. Simply that's all it was; Noah passing the time with jokes. He didn't mean everything he said. And neither did I.

Right.

Ignoring the voice in my brain, I held up the trays to the group of people that sat huddled together on the couch in the green room.

"Fuck, did you two get lost or some shit?" Matt chuckled while taking his coffee from Noah.

"Sorry," I apologized with a grimace. "We went during the rush and told them to take their time making the coffee."

I handed Ethan his tea. "By the way, I handed out the spare tickets to the barista because of the large order. Also, don't come for me for the bill. I've seen the projected sales for this tour and know that you're doing fine."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Y/N. By the way, your boyfriend is looking for you."

Shit.

"I'll go find him in a minute," I said while passing out the rest of the coffee's to everyone.

"I'm right here."

Spinning on my heels, I stared blankly at Trey as a cigarette hung from his lips. His jaw was clenched tight with rage as he took in the scene in front of him; Noah and I holding trays of coffee from the coffee shop. It wasn't hard, even for him, to put the two together.

"How come every time I find you, you're with him?" He pointed towards Noah with his lighter.

"Trey, I'm not doing this with you right now," I said while walking over to the trash can, throwing out the garbage.

"Great, then lets go back to the bus and we can talk about it there." Trey went to reach for my hand but I snatched it away.

"NO!" My voice was louder than it needed to be but I didn't care; I was angry.

Yesterday and this afternoon with Noah were some of the best moments I've had in so long. I couldn't remember the last time I'd openly flirted with someone and enjoyed it. Noah made me feel so good about myself and I refused to let Trey ruin that; again.

"Just because you're my boyfriend Trey, that doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do or who to hang out with. Noah and I were picking up coffee for everyone, that's all."

"Oh yeah," Trey raised a brow. "Where's my coffee?"

"We figured you'd want a vodka instead," Noah said as he came to stand behind me, almost to show his support of me standing up to Trey.

He scoffed while looking towards Noah. "Did you forget the talk we had the other night, kid?"

Talk? What talk?

"You're older than him by two years, Trey. Calm the fuck down," Chase spat.

"Fuck off!" Trey snapped. "You guys are supposed to be on my side with this bullshit."

Malcolm spoke next. "With Y/N, we're sticking with her no matter what."

Trey's hateful eyes took in the sight of me one more time, eyes grazing over the exposed tattoos on my leg. "Cover that shit before the show."

It was as if he took all the negative energy out of the room with him as soon as he left, even some of the high I was feeling from my afternoon with Noah.

Noah noticed my hands shaking and went to reach for them but I stuffed them deep into my hoodie. "I'm going to get some air."

The air I needed ended up being me standing in the bathroom of my bus screaming so loud my lungs burned. I let out every harsh, negative, word that Trey dug into my brain. It was a never-ending cycle with him and I was angry at myself for allowing it to continue. My position in the band wasn't worth all the mental abuse. So why did I continue to stay?

Just get through this tour and then you can figure out your options.

The back halls of the venue were quiet, and I wondered where everyone had gone. Hollow Souls soundcheck was minutes away but I couldn't find Malcolm or Chase anywhere.

I opened the door to the green room but came to a halt at the scene in front of me; my heart pounded wildly in my chest and my breathing became erratic, uneven, as Noah turned around, almost dropping his phone. He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of grey sweats and his shoes, and as much as I tried, I couldn't keep my eyes off of his chest and stomach.

But then realizing what he was doing when I walked in made me lean against the doorframe with a wicked smile.

"Who were you going to send those selfies too?" I questioned.

The sides of Noah's ears burned with embarrassment but he kept his cool. "I have no idea what you're talking about, angel."

Ignoring the way my pussy clenched at the nickname, I pushed myself off of the doorframe to walk into the room.

"Right. Well, whoever gets those pictures is one lucky lady," I said, hiding the jealousy in my voice.

"She could be," Noah responded without a hitch of hesitation.

There it was again. That magnetic pull that seemed to only be around when Noah and I were together. It was unknown and scared the absolute shit out of me.

"Uh," I stammered trying to find my words. "Have you seen the guys anywhere? We need to start soundcheck."

He gave me a confused look. "They're on the stage waiting for you. I figured you would have checked there first."

Oh, right? That would have made more sense than coming to the greenroom first.

I bit my lip. "Yeah, should have figured. Well, see you around."

What the fuck? Why did that sound so awkward?

Not wanting to look even more like a fool, I scurried out of the room and towards the stage where in fact; the guys were waiting for me. I frowned at their impatient scowls and Chase went to throw a stick at me but I quickly ducked to avoid it.

"You realize how late you are, right? Doors open in an hour, Y/N!"

"I'm sorry!" I raised my hands. "I got caught up."

Trey, who surprised the fuck out of me for being here, narrowed his eyes at me. "Let's just get this over with."

As we went on with soundcheck, I noticed Bad Omens merch table was being set up with Noah and Jolly helping. When I sang my parts of the song, I could feel a sense of confidence fill me which strengthened my voice. I could hit notes I couldn't before and found myself not loosing breath as I held a note longer than I normally would.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Noah stop what he was doing to watch with almost a proud smile on his face. Much to my dismay, he was wearing a shirt again, but still wore the grey sweats and I did my best not to let my gaze wander past his waistline.

Trey is right next to you, ya know?

Yet again ignoring the voice in my mind, I turned to Chase with a slight grimace. "Does Malcolm's bass sound off or is it just me?"

Malcolm strung a few strings, which in fact, were out of tune.

"Shit, give me a few minutes and we can run One Night again," Malcolm sighed.

"No worries," I said while pulling out my phone from my back pocket when I felt it buzz. "I'm going to-."

Holy Hera. Hades. Hekate, whichever of the Gods above would listen.

My pupils dilated as I took in the sight of the two new pictures on my phone from an unknown number, barley even registering the next texts that came in.

Yeah, I'd say she's pretty lucky. Enjoy angel. You sound beautiful.

Oh, I think you should wear something a bit more reveling than you usually do, in the most respectful way possible. Give everyone a killer show tonight. Come alive out there.

The words, as sweet as they were, were nothing compared to the pictures of Noah on my phone; the selfies he took earlier. I licked my dry lips and felt a coolness drip between my legs as I clenched them together. Daring a glance over to Noah, I saw him watching me with a stoic smirk on his face as a way of saying check mate.

What a cheeky bastard.

As soon as soundcheck was over, I rushed back over to the bus and riffled through my suitcases, disorganizing the way I had everything packed so I could find what I was looking for. It might not have been too revealing but compared to what I usually wore, this would definitely make some heads turn. Once I was showered, I did my makeup darker than normal and let my hair fall against my back in waves. I slipped into the short leather dress that stopped about mid thigh, the thin straps fitting just right. Even with my knee high leather boots, you could still see the tattoo on my leg.

Looking in the mirror, I couldn't stop the smile that broke out on my face. I haven't felt this good about the way I looked in so long; it made my heart soar with pride.

Checking my phone, I cursed when I realized Bad Omens set was already half way finished and knowing I still had to eat something quick before heading on stage; I made a beeline back into the venue towards the green room. Malcolm and Chase were already there stuffing their faces with whatever food they could find and when they saw me, their jaws dropped.

"Is it too much?" I asked while pulling at the back of the dress. "I just thought-."

"Don't." Chase pointed a finger at me. "You look really good, Y/N. Don't let those thoughts get inside your head, alright?"

Malcolm agreed but kept his eyes a little too long on certain parts of me so I had to smack him in the arm to get his attention.

"Shit, did you say something?"

"My eyes are up here," I pointed to them to make a show of it.

Once we all finished a quick meal, Trey of course nowhere to be found, I sent him a quick text to let him know we would go on soon and to finish whatever he was doing. I probably should have worried about where he disappears too but lately, his whereabouts or the activities he finds himself in didn't matter to me.

Chase and Malcolm ended up leaving the room to go do their own pre-show rituals which left me alone with the camera app open on my phone, really contemplating the hell out of this. It could go one of two ways; he could enjoy it and make whatever this thing between us more intense or he could ignore it completely, not giving a shit.

"Fuck it," I stood with a start and walked over to the mirror.

The same mirror Noah took his selfies in front of.

Trying to find the best angle with the lighting, I snapped a few different pictures and scrolled through to find the best one. Clicking on Noah's contact, that I now saved from earlier, I attached the best picture and typed out a quick message to go with it.

I feel so uncomfortable but I hope your ass is happy.

I let out a quick scream as I hit send, the fear almost making me back out. Bad Omens were still playing, I could hear Noah's screams echo through the thick walls, so I knew it would be awhile till he saw the text. In the meantime, I busied myself with my pre-show ritual to center myself.

Deep breath in. Hold for six seconds. Long breath out.

Deep breath in. Hold for four seconds. Long breath out.

I did this a few times while shaking out the nerves from my hands then started rambling off a few of my lyrics to some of my songs to warm up my voice. By now almost thirty minutes had passed so I checked my phone to see if Noah responded.

Read at 8:34 pm.

So he read it almost as soon as I sent it but didn't respond?

I blinked back the tears while tossing my phone on the couch.

"You're a fucking idiot. What did you expect him to do? Heart it." I muttered under my breath.

"Talking to yourself, angel?"

Turning swiftly on my heels, I saw Noah leaning against the doorframe by his arm. The smile that crossed his lips was the kind that made every part of your body flutter in the best possible way.

"Hi," I said quietly.

"Hey yourself," his hair was falling into his face as he looked around the room, almost happy that we were the only two here.

"How was your set?" I asked while wiping my sweaty hands on the back of my dress.

God, how did one man make me so nervous?

Slowly, almost stalking towards his prey, Noah walked into the room and shut the door behind him. He said nothing, only reached the space to me in three long strides and raised a finger to my shoulder, brushing away the hair that fell across it. Our hips were barley touching but I could still feel the buckle of his belt press against the heat of my core and my bottom lip caught between my teeth to keep the moan that danced on my tongue from slipping out. His long fingers grazed over the bare skin across my collar bone over the pulse point on my throat, letting it linger there, as he leaned into the crook of my neck so he could whisper huskily into my ear.

“I know this is forward, and please forgive me for being bold. But you look sexy as fuck right now.”

A soft moan fell from my lips but I quickly recovered as Noah pulled away so he could look down at me through his long lashes.

Fuck, even his lashes were gorgeous. Every aspect of this man was perfect beyong words.

The confidence I felt from earlier was still surging through me so I wrapped the wooden rosary that hung from Noah's neck around my fingers and gave him a seductive smirk.

"You're pushing the limits, Noah," I teased.

"Oh, am I?"

Slowly, he leaned down towards my lips and I rose on the tips of my toes to reach him because even in my platform boots, Noah still towered over me. We were so close now I could just feel the warmth from his lips on mine before Chase's voice broke through the trance that encased around us.

"Y/N! Where are you! We're about to go on."

"Shit," I cursed while pushing Noah away. "Fuck, I have to go,"

He stepped to the side so I could walk past him but gently grabbed my wrist to stop me. "But seriously, you look beautiful, angel."

I was so worked up that I could have combusted with the nickname alone. Feeling his warm body heat behind me as we walked out of the greenroom and towards the back area of the stage where the rest of my band was waiting.

Including Trey.

Shit.

NOAH

I watched with fury behind my eyes as Trey dragged Y/N over towards the merch area, away from prying eyes and ears. Jolly came up to me with furrowed brows.

"Where the hell did you run off too after we got offstage?"

I locked my gaze onto Y/N's back as she fought with Trey. I wanted to step in to save her but knew that if I tried, it would make things worse. Plus, Y/N could hold her own against him, I've seen it.

"I was with Y/N," I sighed while giving my full attention to Jolly. "I wanted to wish her luck, that's all."

Jolly snorted, not buying my lie for a second. "Right. This is the only thing I'm going to say on the whole subject; Be careful, man. None of us want to see you get hurt especially after."

"Don't," I warned with ice in my voice. "I don't want to hear her name."

"Alright," he squeezed my shoulder. "Just be careful."

I quickly tied my hair back, so it was out of my face. "I don't like the way he treats her, Jolly. If he does that in front of us, what the hell does he do when no one's watching?"

Before Jolly could answer, our merch guy Steven came up to us with a deep frown.

"That guy is such a fucking prick," he seethed. "You guys should have heard the things he said to Y/N."

I nearly pushed past them to go find her but it was Nick now that held a hand to my chest to stop me.

"What did he say?" He asked Steven.

Rage was festering deep in the bowels of my stomach and I knew that if I didn't find an outlet for it soon, I would blow. So instead, I paced in a line backstage, burning a hole into the ground at my feet.

"I could only hear parts but from what I heard, I don't know how she's going to come back from it. It was nasty, Noah. She went up to Veronica their merch girl for something to cover up with but when they had nothing, I let her borrow my sweater."

"What?" I asked, now defeated.

She covered herself up?

Steve sighed. "I never wanted to jump over a table so damn fast to hit a guy. It killed me to see how broken she looked when he left her."

“Noah, you’re going to burn a hole in the floor with your pacing,” Folio's soft voice broke through my rage fulled haze.

"Can you blame me?!" I snapped while throwing a hand towards the stage where Hollow Souls set was about to start. "This asshole keeps getting away with treating her like shit!"

"I don't understand why you care so much? It's not like she's your girlfriend."

My head snapped up to one of our guitar techs, appalled that he had the balls to speak up about a situation he had no clue about.

Sounds familiar.

"Excuse me?" My pupils dilated with anger as I tilted my head towards the tech.

Nick felt the sudden shift in tension so he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Let's get some air, alright?"

The sounds of Y/N's broken voice played through the venue before being drowned out by Trey's guitar and screams as Nick lead me out the back door.

[vanwritesfan-fiction]

Par For The Course (Request)

Words: 1,430

Warnings: Angst, insults thrown between couple

“Can you pay attention for five minutes, girl?” Travis huffed at you as he watched you twirl your golf club on the course. You got bored about an hour into your husband’s golf crash course and were now pretending to be a baton twirler. The club slipped from your hand, hitting you in the head as it fell to the ground. “Ha! That’s what your ass gets!” Travis hollered at your injury. “You better be nicer to me, Kelce”, you pointed at him, your eyes narrowed. “I’m only here because your golf partner backed out at the last minute. I don’t even like golf!” You walked over to the golf cart, fanning yourself with the tournament program. Travis and Jason signed up for the American Century Championship Celebrity golf tournament, but his brother had to back out at the last minute, and Travis bribed you with a new Birkin bag to  get you to go with him. You were going to get a nice weekend in Lake Tahoe, and Travis was going to be out of ten grand. It seemed like a good deal for you.

That was until you realized you were actually going to have to play golf, and Travis expected to win. “Can you please come back over here baby? Let me show you how to swing.” You sauntered back over to Travis, your short black dress blowing in the warm wind. “You didn’t even compliment my outfit. I bought this just for you.” You flashed your backside to Travis, him groaning at the sight of your lace thong. He adjusted his hat, knowing he needed to keep his composure in public. You giggled at his reaction. “You know you look good. Why are you fishing for compliments?” Travis retorted. You rolled your eyes, “I’m trying to delay this shit. I really don’t want to play, baby.”

“Get your ass over here.” You grabbed the club, getting into hitting position. Travis wrapped his arms around you from behind, directing your feet, and adjusting your hand placement. You grinded your ass into his crotch, Travis backing away immediately with a chuckle. He pulled you into him, whispering in your ear. “Can you stop? Please? Get through today, and I promise I’ll make it worth it.” His words sent a shiver down your spine. “Fine.” “Alright nah, let’s get serious.” He handed you the club and backed up, anticipating the club was going to go flying. “Ok, Y/N, focus.” You gave him a cheeky wink, as you lined up your feet behind the tee box, swung your club back, and hit the ball with precision, landing it in the fairway of the first hole. You took a second to admire your shot before looking at Travis. “What the fuck was that?!” Travis’ mouth was agape, shocked at your golf skills. You laughed, “You remember I told you I worked with my dad every summer through middle and high school? Yeah, that was at a golf course.” He lifted your chin, placing a sweet kiss on your lips. You booped his nose with your finger. “Don’t ever doubt your wife, baby.”

You and Travis were traveling to the 9th hole, the tournament quickly getting competitive, you and your husband holding second place. Teammates Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon were leading the competition. 10-year-old you was weak in the knees at the thought of meeting Justin Timberlake. Travis was getting tired of hearing you talk about him; you had been nonstop all afternoon. “Did I tell you that ‘No Strings Attached’ was the first album that I bought with my allowance money?” Travis rolled his eyes. “Yes, you’ve told me that at least five times already.” “I’m sorry, but he’s a musical legend, he’s been my celeb crush for the last 20 years.” Your husband stopped the golf cart suddenly, causing you to shift forward in your seat, bracing yourself on the dash. “Just don’t embarrass yourself”, Travis added as he climbed out of the cart to grab his clubs. “What is that supposed to mean?” You raised your eyebrows in annoyance. “I’m just saying”, Travis shrugged, “you’re in that too short dress, showing off for every guy who walks by, I would hate for you to regret doing something.” You were fuming with anger. “You didn’t think I was embarrassing myself when you thought I was wearing it only for you.” “Just act like you’ve been around celebrities before. Don’t act like some groupie.” You would have hit Travis over the head with your club if there weren’t so many witnesses. “When we’re out together, you represent me. Don’t embarrass me and we won’t have a problem.” The words were falling out of Travis’ mouth, and he was regretting everyone. Hurt flashed across your face before you composed yourself. You knocked Travis’ bag over, the club spilling out on the course. “Oops. Sorry, wouldn’t want to embarrass you.” Your tone was taunting, your features stone faced as you walked away. “Fuck, I’m gonna pay for this later.” Travis whispered to himself.

You walked up to your tee at the 10th hole, Justin standing to the side, studying your game. You started to swing when he stopped you. “You’ll go further if you wait to turn your toe until your club is past your back arm.” He motioned to demonstrate it to you. Knowing that Travis was only 10 feet away, his gaze burning into your back, you decided to use this situation to your advantage. You put on your best pitiful damsel in distress voice. “Do you think you can show me Justin? I’m not really good at this sport.” You made sure to catch Travis’ eyes, giving him a grin before Justin came over. He stood behind you, his arms around yours as he guided your swing. “Make sense?” Justin asked as he gave you room. “I guess”, you gave him a pouty lip. As you got ready to swing, you had to fight off your golf instincts to really mess up. The ball landed in the rough, immediately putting you and Travis in third place. You couldn’t give one fuck about winning the game; your heart was broken.

As soon as your group was finished playing, you headed to the club to get a drink. You were sitting at a table on the patio, trying not to cry in front of anyone. “What ya drinkin’?” You looked up to see Justin approaching your table. He pulled out the chair, sitting down across from you. “Vodka, neat.” You placed your cup down after you finished the last drop. “Wow, you play golf like that, and you can handle your liquor? Impressive.” You looked at him shocked. “What are you talking about?” He chuckled, taking off his hat. “I’ve played golf with Travis multiple times. Ain’t no way you guys were in second place with just his play.” You blushed, embarrassed that you had probably made a fool of yourself in front of your childhood crush. “I’m sorry, Justin. Travis pissed me off today, and I used you to get back at him. That was so inappropriate.” He waived your apology off. “If it makes you feel any better, he’s really sorry. He wouldn’t shut up about you when we were waiting to do press.” He pointed over to the press box, where Travis was sitting alone, looking downright pitiful.

“Tell us Mr. Kelce, how does it feel to know that your wife is so much better at golf than you?” Travis turned to see you standing next to him, giving him a small smile. “I feel like a fuckin’ idiot.” You sat down in his lap, laying your hand on his head. “Good.” You chuckled, rubbing his back. “I’m so sorry baby. I never should have said anything like that to you. You’ve been nothing but supportive of me in every sense of the word, and I treated you like shit.” You sighed, standing up. “I accept your apology. But know something, Travis. I chose you. I married you. Any “crushes” I may have are just for fun, even when they’re Justin Timberlake.” He pulled you in for a hug, placing a kiss on your forehead. “I know. How can I make it up to you?” You contemplated, tapping your index finger on your chin. “I can think of some ways.” You swung your hips, Travis chuckling. “Can you wait until we get home?” You pushed his chest, walking away. “I sure can. We can’t buy two Birkin bags here. We have to get to the Hermes store first.”

[goldengleams]

wherever you stray, i follow | cole caufield x reader

In which Cole asks you to meet his family.

A little moment for the cutest hockey player out there-Mr. Cole Caufield!!

Warnings: none, just fluff!!

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It was Saturday and you were out on the golf course with Cole. This had become a common occurrence in your relationship, as you both liked to golf, even if you weren’t anywhere near as good as he was. You just loved spending as much time with Cole as you could in the off-season.

As you reached the 9th hole, the early morning sun was just starting to turn hot. You and Cole had woken up early to play nine holes and you were glad for his golf expertise on the selection of the tee time. You took a drink of water as you leaned against the cart.

Cole was standing confidently in the tee box, squaring up his shoulders and getting ready for his driver shot. He swung, his club connecting perfectly with the ball to send it soaring up in the air.

“Nice shot, C!” You called.

Cole only bragged jokingly on the course, typically tossing jokes back and forth between the two of you, but today he was quiet. You knew you weren’t great at the sport, but Cole loved that you tried your hardest and practiced with him. You could see the small smile on his face behind your sunglasses as he reached to pick up his tee.

“Your turn, babe,” Cole mumbled as he walked past you to the cart.

You furrowed your eyebrows. Cole continued to stay turned away from you, checking his phone once again. You knew it was early, but you were lost as to why Cole had gotten quieter as the morning had gone on. It seemed like he was focused on something, especially something in his phone.

You brushed off Cole’s behavior to take your shot. Cole barely seemed to notice your swing, not offering you any sweet compliments or loving words of advice.

“Ready to go?” Cole asked, eyes finally lifting from his phone as he started your golf cart to find your ball. His hand had failed to find its spot on your thigh as you drove along in silence. In a way, it reminded you of the first time you had gone golfing with Cole, back when everything was so new to the both of you.

“Y/N? Is this alright?” Cole had asked at the time. You were approaching the green at the last hole, the shade and brush from the large willow tree near the side hiding the blush from your cheeks. Cole slid his hand on your thigh and for the first time that day, you felt calm. You were no longer worried about who would see you two or if you were actually exclusive. Cole had made all of that clear, and he was always there to help you understand that he really liked you.

“Yeah, totally not trying to distract me from my winning shot,” you had said, caught off guard when his hand rested on your thigh. Cole had laughed, bantering with you about the close match.

He had pulled off the path, hiding under the large willow tree for some shade. With a finger under your chin, lightly motioning you forward, he kissed you. He had probably said some cheesy line, but it didn’t matter. Butterflies still went crazy in your stomach for Cole.

“My golfer,” he had whispered, conveying his happiness that you were there. “This tree is pretty big y’know, no one would see us if we…”

“Don’t, Caufield.”

“Hey, c’mon,” he had laughed. “It’ll be our tree, we can mark it!”

But now, as you approached the tree, your unmarked tree, you didn’t have butterflies. Cole had been acting weird and it was starting to make you uneasy. In the past week, Cole had finalized his plans to travel to some different events for PR, see his old hockey friends to train, and then go home to see his family. You understood what you had signed up for when you started dating Cole and didn’t mind his schedule, but your worrying was getting the better of you.

The cart came to a stop near your ball, yours was first, as usual. Cole was looking at you expectantly.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” you said, trying to collect yourself as you approached your shot. You gave it a swing, sending your ball closer to where Cole’s was sitting right on the fairway. You approached him again on the golf cart.

“You leave for all of your events and things next week, right?” You asked as Cole started driving.

Cole swallowed slowly and nodded. “Yeah, it should be alright.”

You knew Cole was a little nervous getting back into the swing of training and playing after his shoulder surgery, but you knew he could do it.

“Well, I’ll keep your house warm while you’re gone,” you joked. “I’ll be lonely without you, C.”

Your quiet admittance of the words that hung between you seemed to snap Cole out of whatever trance he had been in for the last few days.

“So come with me to Wisconsin,” he blurted out, quickly finding your hand with his as he hit the brake. “I think the Grand Prix is just a guys thing, and so is training, but I would love for you to come to Wisconsin.” You met his eyes as he looked at you with a hesitant gaze. You were pretty shocked-Cole was asking you to go home with him. To meet his friends and his family.

You couldn’t help the wide smile that broke out on your face. “Is this why you were being weird and quiet, Coley?”

Cole pulled away from your hands that had started to caress his face. You knew he was serious when he moved away from your touch.

“Yeah, I just want you to be a part of my summer,” he said. “You helped me through the winter, which is long as shit in Montreal and now I want fun summer memories with you.”

You leaned up to give him a kiss, tasting hints of his drink on his lips. He closed the space between you quickly.

“Oh,” he mumbled, pulling away. “Did I mention there’s also a wedding? My cousin is also getting married and she was practically begging me to invite you, so I hope you’re ready to meet the Caufield’s because they know a lot about you.”

You threw your head back and laughed. Cole didn’t get very nervous, but when he did, he always rambled a little.

“No, you didn’t say it was for a wedding, but I’d be honored to be your plus-one, Cole.” You swore Cole’s eyes lit up when you said it. You would be his date any day.

“All good things happen at this willow tree,” Cole said, amused. “Remind me to ask you to marry me here.”

You smacked his chest, a little taken back. In the midday light, Cole’s skin shone and his hair glistened. You ran a hand up his arm to silently reassure him.

“You may be pushing it, but I wouldn’t be mad about it, C.”

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Hope you guys liked this! Cole Caufield is too cute not to write a fluffy little blurb for🥹 send in some requests if you want to see more posts like this!!

…part 2?

[lieslab]

The depths between: Chapter one

Trigger warning: Brief mention of vomiting and alcohol consumption.

Prologue

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎ ꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎ ꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

It all started with a dare. Your whole life, you were never one to turn down dares. You were competitive and you’d do anything to win one. Those decisions were stupid and over the years, the dares grew more and more risky. 

You kept your streak for four years; four years of stupid and petty dares. One of your worst attributes was your greed. There was nothing that was off limits for you. You worked your ass off and then bought things you didn’t need. 

That fancy new plate set that just came out by a celebrity? You bought it for your apartment. The overpriced candles that smelled really good? You didn’t bat an eye as you put three in your cart. The new shirt that celebrities spent a pretty penny on? Desperate to fit into the trends, you bought it too.  

Spending money was a blessing and a curse. On one end, it was thrilling and it was fun. You loved the brief high you got off purchasing more and more items. The curse? You didn’t like spending your money on the things you actually needed. 

You learned it the hard way after your landlord suggested you get renter’s insurance for your new place. You? You waved her off and laughed. You didn’t need renter’s insurance to insure all your goods. 

That mistake came back around and bit you in the ass. One moment you were sitting in your office and writing an email to your manager. The next, you were being called by your landlord and being told your apartment was gone. 

Something in another complex sparked and that was the end of that. Your technology? Gone. Those new pans? Destroyed. The clothes? Turned into ashes and sprinkled somewhere between here and the next town over, due to strong winds. 

It destroyed you and then came the dare from your friend. Restart your life, take a breather and try something else. When they suggested a cruise ship, you laughed out loud. It seemed so dumb, considering you didn’t live anywhere near a cruise ship line, but they insisted. 

Eventually, you did some research and one website led down a rabbit hole. The next thing you knew, you were applying for the nearest cruise line near you. You heard back a week later and then it was decided. 

That was almost a year ago now. You thought it’d only be a temporary thing, but then one contract turned into a longer one. For the past eight months, the ocean was your home. Sure, your hours were long, but you enjoyed it. 

There were a variety of different types of people and conversations came easy to you. You were a little timid at first, but then everything seemed to work out bit by bit. You took it day-by-day. 

You traveled across gentle waves and rockier ones. You survived severe storms and the first week of sea sickness dissipated as you slowly got used to the boat rocking beneath you. Everything was perfect and you were an excellent worker. Not even there for a year yet, you managed to move up two ranks to higher paying jobs. 

Late at night, there was a single rule that staff and guests were supposed to follow. Ever since a worker went over the side of the boat, after getting drunk at his birthday party, the CEO made a new rule. Nobody was allowed to go on the upper deck after it got dark out unless you were part of the captain’s crew. 

If you needed fresh air, you’d have to wait until daybreak. From ten at night to six in the morning, the upper deck was silent, besides the occasional look around from the captain’s crew. 

Being a worker on the inside, you knew the schedules of the captain crew. You knew when they took their sweeps and went out and scanned for boats. Despite living on the ocean, enemies were still out there. 

Through training, you had to sit through videos about potential pirate attacks. It was something that you weren’t expecting. You thought pirates were fictional movie characters. It turns out there was quite a bit of ocean knowledge you were missing out on. 

It was two in the morning on top of the deck. You were standing just out of the way of a door that led outside. If anyone walked by the glass door, they wouldn’t be able to spot you and lecture you. The last thing you needed was to be gabbed at by some snotty coworker. 

Most of them were pretty decent people, but even in the middle of the ocean, there was a fair share of assholes. On the deck, you rocked your khakis and light blue polo shirt. Your golden name tag sat to the left of your sternum. 

The salt-brined air was refreshing for your lungs. After a long day of standing and rushing around, you just needed some time to unwind. Out here, you only existed with the ocean. 

Down below, the water gently lapped against the sides of the iron hull. There were a couple hundred people on this ship. Most of them were inside and probably asleep. A few others were taking advantage of the twenty-four hour bar that was open seven days a week. 

It was the one thing you absolutely hated. The bartender struggled to cut people off. People were loud as they went back to their cabins. You dealt with a fair share of complaints from other voyagers. 

One night, a mixture of multiple fruity cocktails and vodka shots spewed out and landed on your chest. Apparently, the perpetrator was a young girl, who just recently graduated college, and she booked a cruise to celebrate. You still weren’t over the lingering disgusting feeling of warm stomach-acid washing soaking into your cotton shirt and hitting your skin. 

You shivered at the memory and shut your eyes trying to get it to fade away. Outside, it was warmer than you expected it to be. Despite it being winter, the cruise ship traveled closer to the equator to discover and tread through warmer waters. 

You were used to snow and ice at the beginning of the year. Gray skies with a chance of a rare (if you were lucky) glimpse of sunshine. The sun felt like a mockery in the winter. It was out, but little warmth was supplied. 

A faint ghostly gleam was cast by the moon. It lit up just enough for you to catch a faint glimpse of the water below. The water was pitch black and there was nothing you could do if you fell in. Falling overboard in the darkness was a death sentence, you were sure of it. 

That’s why you stayed far away from the rails and back towards the stern. By doing this, you were out of sight at the front. The captain and his crew wouldn’t catch a glimpse of you. Before they made their rounds, you dipped back inside and relocked the glass door you came through. 

Your body fell back against the side of the wall. Naturally, your arms crossed over one another and you let yourself breathe. Today had been a pretty rough day due to being yelled at by a few different passengers. Things weren’t working out and somehow, that meant that it was your fault. 

Somehow, someone ended up plugging a toilet. The clog was apparently being fixed by one of the janitors. At least, it was until a pipe burst. The toilet started to spray water all over the women’s restroom. 

By sheer luck, you were passing by and on your way to go back to your original job from your break. Passengers panicked and screamed. Picking up on the terror, a few kids in the area began to cry and asked if everyone was going to die. When the older kids began to joke about a second Titanic, people began to lecture them for being insensitive. 

The entire time, you were clueless. This was one of the things that was out of your realm of knowledge. In a panic, you dashed away to get your boss. You left the janitor suffering and trying to get the water to stop spewing from the toilet. It was a total nightmare. 

To make it worse, the bathrooms weren’t too far from the gym. You were tasked to remove everyone from the gym to close it. People were pissed when you cleared your throat and politely asked them to leave. 

Your day ended with insults and then the incredulous task of helping the janitor mop up toilet water. What a day it had been, truly. You couldn’t wait to get back to your room, shower, and go to sleep. 

However, the salty air called to you. These trips out into the dark were like being baptized. It was otherworldly at this time. A dark void, the pale moonlight, and just your thoughts. It was refreshing and purifying. 

You knew you shouldn’t have started the habit, but you couldn’t help it. There were so many people on the cruise. There were only certain times when you felt that you were truly alone. This peaked up at number one. 

You walked further to the back of the boat. You weren’t sure if it was true or not, but you heard a passenger earlier discussing jellyfish. Apparently, jellyfish may follow the ship and light up the water due to their bioluminescence. 

It was one of the main reasons you took this job. You always had a fascination for the ocean. Your friend pointed it out to you before you brushed them off. This was a great way to be able to see marine life in person. 

Beneath you, you were surrounded by sharks and whales. Fish that were no larger than your pointer finger and fish that were large enough that you needed two hands to haul them aboard. 

Jellyfish, seals, octopus, dolphins, squids, eels, and isopods. You could go on and on about marine life. It was something that had captivated your attention since you were a kid. 

You were halfway to the stern when your feet went still. You didn’t know where it was coming from, but it had you hooked. The soft silky voice filled your ears and drowned everything else out. 

The once eager and excited thoughts about the jellyfish drifted away. Your feet moved automatically towards the stern. The hair on the back of your neck crept up, but you couldn’t stop. 

You wanted to figure out where the voice was coming from. You needed to figure out where it drifted from. All you could think about was how pleasant it was. It was so angelic. 

You moved further with your arms outstretched. Down below, the void was without the brightened illumination of bright colored jellyfish. The air was saltier as your fingers gripped the rails that wrapped around the boat. 

You couldn’t register what was happening. Your brain oozed into jello. You hoisted yourself up and lifted your foot up another rail. Down below, you’d be caught by the dark waters. Nobody aboard would realize what happened until it was too late. 

The voice continued to captivate you. The deadly lullaby came from quite a few feet away. Hyunjin’s head poked out of the water and watched your outline climb higher and higher. 

Amusement began to spark inside of him as you climbed further up. Once you fell into the water below, it’d be too late for you. Nobody to capture you and nobody to save you. You’d be his and his alone. 

Only about two rails from throwing yourself overboard, there was suddenly a loud splash. A garbled yelp was muted by the water. The singing was cut off and it ceased immediately. 

Your eyes found the water and the mask of haze was ripped off. You were up on the metal rails facing death. You screeched and jerked yourself backwards. Your body free fell until you slammed hard into the wooden deck. 

The air was ejected from your lungs and you couldn’t breathe for a few moments. Once you sucked in a mouthful of salted oxygen, you scrambled up and took off. Your sneakers pounded along the floor. 

You weren’t sure what just happened and it scared you. One moment, you were thinking about jellyfish. The next, you were nearly tossing yourself overboard. You didn’t remember walking across the ship and you certainly didn’t remember climbing up the rails. 

Rushing back to the safety of the interior, you stumbled inside. Behind you, you jerked the glass door shut and placed the key inside the knob. Once it was locked, you took shaky steps back and glanced outside. 

Nothing had changed and there was nobody there. You were all alone besides the sound of your own heavy breathing. Your eyes squeezed shut and you sucked in a deep breath. Only one thought could circle your brain over and over again. 

What the hell had just happened? 

| ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ |

Next part: Chapter two

Taglist: @ilovetocas1 @vvislici0us @fr34k4c1dr41n @hamburgers101 @juskz @x-0ophelia0-x @viviworkshere

Masterlist

Requests, taglist, and inbox rules

[arisenreborn]

maybe it means nothing, but...

Word Count: 644 Characters: Reverie (Arisen), Rann (Pawn) AO3: (link)

smh at pawns walking all the time. Reverie is sick of it, too. important to mention though: no other pawns were neglected in the making of this fic, it's just the two of them traveling. ^^

“You aren’t truly going to walk the entire way, are you?” Reverie asked, lips pursed in a pout. She sat on her knees on the oxcarts bench, elbows tucked against the railing beneath her chin to face him as he walked alongside. 

“I am quite all right, you needn’t worry for me, master.” Came Rann’s answer, head tucked in a subtle bow. “This way, I shall be better prepared to dispatch any threats that may come our way. You,” he moved his eyes towards her, “ought to rest.”

Her cheeks puffed up a little more, brow furrowing. She was good at fighting a pout, but this time she was sorely losing.

“There are guards hired for that exact purpose, besides it’s not as if I’ll sleep through all the shouting.” The last part she said in a lower voice, rolling her eyes with a sideward glance at the cart driver. 

“And more importantly,” her gaze swept back over to him, “You should also get some rest. Being well-rested would serve me better than exhausting yourself unnecessarily, don’t you think?” 

Sometimes the only way to win him over was with a bit of logic.

“Please?” And a bit of pouting. She batted her eyelashes. 

Rann took a moment to look sufficiently flabbergasted, never knowing quite what to make of the twisted-up knots in his stomach when she looked at him like that. But at last he shook his head and relented.

“Very well… If you insist.” 

"I do." She said with a nod, turning back around in her seat and looking quite pleased with herself.

He slowed his stride to move up along the back of the cart, climbing on and taking a spot beside her - and feeling awkward every step of the way. It felt as though the guards watched him every step of the way, and he felt a pang of self-conscious guilt as he sat. 

A feeling that was, however, quickly swept away by surprise as Reverie scooted closer to him. 

“Ahh, I knew it.” Smiling wide with eyes shut, she looked all-too-much like the cat that had caught the canary, while she leaned to rest her head against his shoulder. “You’re the perfect height.” 

Exhaling slowly, he took note of the feeling not unlike ‘relief’ that flowed through him; such ease and simple joy. There were times he noticed, very rarely, when she would say something to deflect from her embarrassment - times when her face glowed a warm red, as it did now. 

It’d have been easy to play along with her remark, or perhaps even to tease her, and feign offense at ‘being used’. But instead he leaned towards her slightly, raising a hand to brush a stray strand of hair back from her face.

“If you wanted me closer, you needed only to say so.” He told her quietly, a warmth thrumming in his breast. 

Her eyes shot open briefly with a look of shock at being so openly caught, but she quickly squeezed them shut again and pressed the side of her head into his shoulder more. The red in her cheeks had spread to the tips of her ears. 

“I’ll… keep that in mind…” She mumbled, and he simply hummed in approval. 

It was not too much longer before the embarrassed tension in her shoulders began to melt, and her breathing slowed to a sleepy rhythm he was familiar with. For a long while he watched her; the curl of her eyelashes, the subtle part of her lips - the strand of hair that rebelled time and time again. 

Then, for a while he watched the skies and the land move around them. He took note of the guards, finding their watchfulness of their surroundings to be satisfactory. And then, at last, he tilted his head to rest atop hers, and let himself drift to gentle slumber.

The title comes from the song 'Recessional' by Vienna Teng and the lyrics go:

In the terminal she sleeps on my shoulder Hair falling forward, mouth all askew Fluorescent announcements beat their wings overhead: "Passengers missing, we're looking for you." And she dreams through the noise, her weight against me Face pressed into the corduroy grooves Maybe it means nothing, maybe it means nothing Maybe it means nothing, but I'm afraid to move

[its-jaytothemee]

Stolen Futures

Pairings: Gale x Tav

Word count: 2,533, one shot

Rating: General Audience

Read on AO3

Summary: Gale and Tav journey to Waterdeep to start their new life together, only to be interrupted by a devastating realization.

Tags: Fluff and Angst, Gale's Netherese Orb, Act 3 spoilers

Author's Note: Here's a sad fic that nobody asked for! Just a quick one shot to pour my depression into. Sorry in advance...

Tav opened her eyes to see the magnificent sight of Waterdeep filling the horizon as Gale led her onwards toward her new home. She had never visited the City of Splendors before, which Gale took as a challenge to recite every major detail of during their long journey here. How he was able to talk for days on end without losing his voice was as much a mystery to her as this new city. Tav didn’t mind though, listening to him chat ceaselessly about his home filled her with anticipation for their new life together. The sound of his voice was soothing, he was eager to share his home with her so how could she fault him for sharing every detail of what she could expect?

“…and oh, how could I forget. There’s a small tavern just down the block from my tower that boasts the best roast quipper fish in the city but don’t let that fool you. While it is quite delicious, the honor of the best still goes to my mother.”

Gale had been talking about his mother much more often in their last few days of travel. From the way he spoke, Tav guessed Morena Dekarios must be a goddess in mortal form. She scooted closer to him in the cart and squeezed his arm that she had looped through her own.

“Do you think she’ll like me?” She leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Of course! I inherited my judge of character from her after all. Besides, you’ve managed to win over Tara already and she’s much pickier about my choice in company than my mother ever was.” Gale gave her a reassuring kiss on her forehead. Tav smiled softly, listening as the sounds coming from the city gates grew louder every moment.

They passed through the gates with ease, slowly making their way through the bustling streets. After their travels in the past weeks, it was a surreal experience to be in a city that was so intact. While Waterdeep was of course the victim of many kidnappings in the name of the Absolute, the majority of the fighting was restricted to the areas surrounding Baldur’s Gate. The buildings here remained standing and unscorched. Children ran through the streets, laughing and chasing one another without a care in the world. Tav marveled at the vendors calling out their wares, she inhaled deeply taking in the new scents wafting from the various carts and taverns they passed.

“Ah, we’re getting close, my love. Just a few more blocks.” Gale’s smile was plastered to his face. Tav kept herself pressed close to his side, his enthusiasm easily spreading to her as well.

The smell of the harbor was familiar and stronger than she would have thought from their distance, it was almost identical to the smells of the Chionthar outside of Baldur’s Gate. They rode in comfortable silence the rest of the way, Gale practically shaking with excitement. Their small cart slowed to a stop outside of a long stretch of homes. She smiled as Gale hopped off the cart and moved around to help her down. He offered his hand up to her with a slight bow, causing her to giggle. She slung her small pack of personal belongings over her shoulder and stepped down onto the rough stone street.

Gale ushered her towards the door to his tower…their tower. He opened the door and gestured for her to walk in ahead of him. She took a step towards the door when she was suddenly swept off her feet into Gale’s arms, the startling motion elicited a small yelp from her.

“Allow me.” He whispered, his nose just barely touching her own. Tav wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a laugh, content to be carried across the threshold of her new home.

Gale gently carried her through the doorway before setting her down next to the first of several impressive bookshelves. It was dark except for the small stream of light peeking through the curtains that opened to the balcony. He made his way across the room to open the doors behind them and bathe her surroundings in the bright afternoon light. The room before her was exactly as she remembered it from the illusion Gale had conjured for her their first night together. Books, tomes, and scrolls adorned the shelves that covered every bit of the walls. The few pieces of the room that weren’t covered by a bookcase had paintings hanging from them. Despite the fact that each wall was taken up completely by shelves and cubbies, small stacks of books were also decorating every corner of the room and next to each chair as well. Tav smiled fondly at the sight, she knew that Gale was well-read, but she hadn’t quite expected to be living in a full library. She turned around and around, slowly taking everything in. The old, but still beautiful, rosewood desk in the corner had a few scrolls littered across its surface along with quills and an empty wine glass. She ran her fingers across the wood, leaving long marks in the dust that had settled across the items. The fireplace was dark and covered in soot, it had obviously been well used. A piano sat in the corner sporting the same thin layer of dust as the other belongings scattered around the room.

“What do you think?” Gale had appeared at her side once again, gently taking her hands in his before continuing.

“It’s not much, but I suppose it is better than the mud we’ve been sleeping in for the last month or so. This has been my place of solace for so long, even when I had confined myself here, I never truly felt trapped. But now, I can hardly believe that I have someone to share it with.” He was smiling at her, but he seemed nervous all of a sudden. Gale had always spoken wistfully about his tower, obviously missing its comforts. Now, he appeared to be worried that she wouldn’t share his love of his home. Tav smiled back at him and pulled him into a kiss.

“It’s perfect, Gale.” She whispered.

Her words caused him to relax, relieved to see that she wasn’t disappointed. He immediately started pulling her around the tower, excitedly showing off everything in sight. Pointing out his favorite collections of novels and explaining why it was better for the mind to read said novels by the light of a crackling fire. They moved out of the entrance into the kitchen, grimacing at some of the smells coming from the baskets that hadn’t been touched since Gale was abducted. He quickly ushered her out, promising to clean out the spoiled food first thing in the morning. Their tour continued down into his small cellar, still stocked with a lavish variety of wines that had originated anywhere from Cormyr to Neverwinter. He took her back upstairs showing her the small bedroom. The bed was covered with an absurd amount of pillows. Tav couldn’t help herself and immediately ran and flopped into the soft pile, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve touched anything this soft? Gods I’ve missed pillows.” She laughed as Gale came over and collapsed right next to her, burying his face into her neck and hair. They stayed snuggled into the nest of pillows for a few minutes before he stood up and pulled her back to her feet.

“Come on, I haven’t gotten to show you my favorite spot yet.” He kissed her hand lightly as he led her from the room.

Tav felt like she was floating, watching Gale bounce around her like an excited puppy eager to show her his favorite toys filled her with a joy that she hadn’t known in so long. So why was she suddenly feeling so troubled? She had an aching feeling in her chest, and she noticed that she had tears streaking down her cheeks. Gale led her to the balcony, but hesitated when he turned around and saw her tears.

“What is it? Is everything alright, Tav?” His gleeful expression immediately twisted into one of concern.

“I…” She stuttered, she wasn’t sure why she was crying. She was happy, happy to be here with Gale, happy to start a new chapter of her life blessedly free of a mind flayer tadpole.

“Oh, this was all too much, too soon, wasn’t it? I’m sorry, my love. Given all that we’ve endured I suppose I was over eager to start our lives together…” Gale looked away, blushing.

“No, no it’s not that. This is where I want to be, Gale, here with you. I think I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed from the sudden change in our lifestyle.” Tav was desperately trying to make sense of her emotions without alarming him.

“We’ve had a long journey here and I’m probably just tired.” That had to be it, the long days of travel coupled with recovering from their adventure had worn her down more than she thought. Gale seemed content with her answer as he relaxed again.

“Well, let us retire to the balcony then. I find it difficult to dwell on hardship when looking over the harbor from here.” He led her outside, gesturing to the small bench located there.

Tav sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder, matching the rhythm of her breathing to his. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, resting his head on top of hers. They sat looking over the sparkling water, watching the small boats bobbing along with the waves. As happy as she felt, safe and content in Gale’s embrace, she couldn’t keep the tears from leaving her eyes. The salty sea breeze and warm sunlight dried them quickly but did nothing to help the horrible pain she felt gripping her chest. Gale must have felt her tense since he squeezed her just a little tighter.

She closed her eyes, trying to push away the bad thoughts. Gale was humming a tune and gently stroking her hand. The smell of him was almost enough to calm her anxiety, she turned her face into his shoulder, desperate to take in every bit of him.

“I love you, Tav. Now and forever.” He whispered, but his voice sounded distant. She didn’t say anything in response, just settled further into his arms.

When Tav opened her eyes again, she was still kneeling on the docks outside of the Upper City. Her eyes were fixed on the sky where the Netherbrain had been looming over Baldur’s Gate. The blast caused by the Netherese orb in Gale’s chest had enough force to almost knock her over, even from this distance. She remembered the searing pain that ripped through her head as the tadpole was destroyed. The realization of her surroundings caused her to wrap her arms tightly around her chest and hang her head low.

It was a lovely fantasy, thinking of their life in Waterdeep, the life Gale had planned and spoken of endlessly over the last few days. The future that was taken from her.

The rest of her companions had joined her at the edge of the dock. Shadowheart and Karlach kneeled on either side of her, arms wrapped tight around her waist and shoulders. Halsin’s hand rested on her left shoulder, while Wyll’s rested on her right. More footsteps sounded behind her; their adventuring party and allies had caught up with them. Withers’ unmistakable quiet steps followed close behind. Soft sniffles and cries moved between them as they realized that Gale was missing from the scene. The encounter with the Netherbrain came rushing back to her.

Tav had barely been given a chance to react, they had entered the brain’s psyche and thought they had it defeated. One last massive wave of psychic energy had knocked their entire party on their backs. The platforms around them started disintegrating, but the Netherbrain kept them all pinned down, unable to move or attack. She remembered lying next to Gale, their outstretched hands just barely out of reach of one another. The moment they regained their movement, Gale grabbed her hand and started an incantation. Just as he finished speaking, he kissed her hand, tears were running down his face.

“Forgive me, Tav.” He had told her, shouting to be heard over the tempest raging around the brain. “Know that I have loved you more in our short time together than I could have loved anyone else in an entire lifetime.”

He said a final few words to his incantation and before she knew it, she was whisked away from him. She tried to scream, but the air had been knocked from her lungs. Suddenly, she was on the docks looking up at the brain just before a massive explosion wiped it from existence.

“Withers,” Tav spoke up quietly, “I don’t suppose you could bring Gale back? One last time?” She was certain she already knew the answer.

“There is some magic even I dare not reverse. The power unleashed here destroyed all mortal traces of Gale Dekarios.” Withers spoke in his usual slow, deliberate tone. Tav could only nod in response.

For a moment, she allowed herself to drift back to her fantasy. The thoughts and hopes of their life together formed a knot in her stomach. Closing her eyes, she saw their wedding, their families and friends gathered in one place celebrating their love. The comforting feeling of lazy evenings in their home, the two of them curled up reading together, washed over her. She could still feel his gentle hands idly brushing away loose hairs from her face and tucking them behind her ear. As her eyes opened once again to her cold reality, the memory of their last night together caused tears to well up in her eyes. He had held her tightly against him until the morning, swearing to her that it would not be the last time he did so. They had been given so little time together and yet that was all it took for Tav to fall completely in love with the charming wizard.

Slowly, she allowed her friends to pull her to her feet. They all gathered around her, pulling her into a large group hug. Everyone exchanged kind words about Gale, promising to never let his legacy be forgotten. They tried to offer her words of comfort, assuring her that his feelings for her were clear as day.

Tav decided that there would be time for her to mourn later, for now she would be grateful to have her mind as her own again. She would be glad to be surrounded by friends, new and old. She would honor the sacrifice he made rather than wallowing in her own grief. Her life with Gale may have been stolen, but thousands of others now had lives of their own thanks to him. Tav followed her companions back into the city, still smoldering from the attack, waiting to be rebuilt, just like the future ahead of her.

[kaydwessie]

Stardew Valley 1.6 Spoilers 2/2

I was gonna stay on that save to figure out what the new holidays were, but it was making me miss my main save that I now gotta delete some mods to run again teehee. ANYWAY, more.

Dogs, cats, AND TURTLES!? (I would later buy one, I named him Winslow. Cause he wins by being slow idk man)

He's raiding my snacks!

THIS is the MVP of the update!! Now we don't care that Marnie is N E V E R at work!!

MOSS!? (How tf do I get moss)

New area!!!

Another thing from a mod I used to have lol! The traveling cart had an Emily portrait, and since she's my wife in this save, I had to have it!

Tested the tent! It works exactly as it should.

The Big Chest, now in real life!!

NEW HOUSE EXPANSIONS!!! I'm gonna test these in my main save cause that house is actually decorated in a way that doesn't make me vomit (Hopefully my mods I decorated it with don't explode eeeee)

Now there's a waterfall here. Good touch 10/10

MY LIFE HAS IMPROVED EXPONENTIALLY by finding these in my furniture catalog!!!! I actually used them to fix this house even though it's still ugly lol.

You can change your fishing bobber now!! So many great options already...

Omg smoked fish yummy... If I ever remake my dead NPC of my sona, she'll have Smoked Salmon added as a favorite.

[let-them-read-fics]

Cloud Nine

Pairing: Dami x Fem!8thMember!Reader

Warnings / Misc. -- Smut, Public Sex, A Little Fluff

Word Count: 3,218

Summary: With the next leg of tour in full swing and lots of places to be, you’re inevitably faced with a daunting red eye flight. Dami – paired with you for the ride – attempts to make the best out of a bad situation.

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: The NDA cover that Dami did with Yooh... dear god, does it have a hold on me. Anyways 🤠 I hope you enjoy this piece! Let me know what you think, and don’t forget to drink some water today! :)

◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚

The ambience of planes has never once failed to fascinate you. 

So many people, so many stories, mingling and intersecting for a point in time that some would remember forever and others would rather choose to forget. Children, adults; first time flyers, seasoned vets. Some having the best day of their lives while others were experiencing their worst. 

A bunch of shooting stars converging, waiting to pass one another for what was likely the first and last time. 

With so much… humanity… packed into one space, your mind tended to give into the romantics. It made you feel small, in the grand scheme of things, but just as important all the same. Every unique experience being lived around you could come together to share this one, unifying moment. 

Well, perhaps calling it a “moment” would understate the grueling twelve hour journey you were embarking on…

But regardlessly, within that, you found true beauty. 

-

The thing to break you from your pleasant reverie was the hushed sound of an attendant’s voice over the intercom, providing a time check and announcing that the cart of refreshments would be brought around shortly. 

You peeked out of the window at your side, taking one last look at the velvety night sky before pulling the cover down and turning away. 

Dami’s eyes were shut and her arms were crossed at her chest; she was resting peacefully, just like a majority of the other travelers. The personal lights above everyone’s seats were all dimmed, basking the cabin in comfortable darkness. Some passengers employed the use of the small televisions mounted against the backs of the seats in front of them, and sparse illumination came from others that were on their phones or tablets as well. 

But for the most part, the darkness won out. 

You watched as a few people woke up, some on their own and others prompted by a jab from their friends or family sitting next to them. They wiped the sleep from their eyes and stretched, reaching down to retrieve their wallets from their carry-ons so that they could buy some snacks. 

You pondered for a moment, deciding on whether or not you should wake Dami up. She looked far too comfortable for you to do so and keep a clear conscience, and you knew she needed the rest anyway; the first few stops of the tour had drained her a bit more than she had prepared for. 

So you resolved to buy something for her instead. You already knew the foods that she preferred, after all, and she could eat them whenever she naturally woke up. It was a win-win in your mind.

Upon rifling through your bag and grabbing some of the cash you had stashed away, you took a second to admire her. The curve of her face was visible in the low light, soft and as pretty as always, and a small pout pulled at her lips, making her cheeks puff out slightly. It truly took every ounce of self control you possessed to refrain from poking them; but you prevailed in the end. 

Her chest rose and fell softly, lulled and gentle like waves lapping on a shore. It brought you comfort just seeing her like that, so cozy and peaceful. She deserved every second of it. 

“Miss?” An approaching, hushed voice asked, addressing you. 

You raised your head and were met with a pleasant smile from one of the attendants. The aisle’s sidelights were on at her feet, ensuring that her movements were well guided. 

“Would you like some refreshments?” She pulled the cart into view and pressed a button, turning the lights of it on so that you could see what each tier had to offer. 

You made quick work of choosing and paying, and before long she was quietly thanking you and handing over all of your goodies. Once you successfully got them all and unlocked the small tray attached to the seat in front of you, you pulled it down over your lap and laid everything out to sort. 

A minute or so later, once your work was done, you sat back with a happy sigh and snuck a glance at Dami. 

Although you had failed to notice it in your previously busy state, it became apparent that she had shifted closer to you. She was curled up a little more, and turned on her side, facing you. It awarded you a perfect vantage point for viewing the subtle smile on her lips; clearly whatever she was dreaming about was good, and that made you happy. 

One of her hands had fallen onto the armrest, with her palm upturned towards the ceiling. It peeked out of her sweater paw, tempting you. 

You succumbed to your weakness and reached over, carefully intertwining your fingers with her own. 

She reacted on instinct, still fully asleep; her hand curled into your slightly warmer one, and a quiet noise of contentment left her. She moved closer once again, and before you knew it her head had found its way to your shoulder, nestling there. Her warm breath fanned out across your neck, almost tickling. 

Snacking, you decided, could wait a while. Sleep was creeping up on you, anyway, and moving was no longer an option. 

You eased your head down atop hers and settled a little more in the seat, getting comfortable for the both of you. Your eyes fluttered shut as the smell of her shampoo washed over you, and you gently rubbed your cheek against her soft hair, allowing sleep to begin dragging you under. 

—

When you awoke a few hours later, things in the cabin were slightly busier than before. A few more people had rejoined the world of the conscious, and glimmers of hazy, early morning sunlight attempted to shine their way in through the plane’s oval windows. 

The tray across your lap had been cleared off and returned to its vertical position, providing room for you to comfortably move around and stretch the tension from your muscles. A blanket was draped over your body as well, courtesy of Dami. 

You blinked the sleep from your eyes and lifted your head from her shoulder, finding that somewhere along the way you had traded positions with her. She looked over at you, and her face neared yours in the process. 

“Sleep well, baby?” She smiled sweetly, pushing her glasses up a little higher on the bridge of her nose. 

You nodded, still not fully alert yet. The fog of sleep weighed heavily on your mind and clouded your senses. Perhaps that explained why when you felt something soft and warm against your thigh, tucked away beneath the blanket, you didn’t immediately register it as her hand. 

You peeked over at her illuminated phone screen and discovered that she was in the middle of reading a book. 

“How long have you been up?” The question came out as a groggy mumble.

Judging by the opened bag of gummies tucked away in her seat pocket, you guessed it had been at least a few minutes. You were glad to know that she liked what you got her.

Her lips pursed in thought. “Not long. Maybe half an hour or so.”

“Good. I know you needed it.”

“Yeah?” She grinned. “You were out like a light, too, you know.” 

Your face twisted into an anticipatory grimace at that. “Did I snore?”

Her head shook lightly as she removed her glasses and put them in her bag, and you visibly relaxed. 

“No, sweetheart. But you did get a little fidgety,” she revealed. “I was afraid you were having a nightmare.”

“What made you think that?”

She shot a quick glance around before moving a little closer to you. “Well, for one, you kept saying my name. And it sounded desperate, too, like something big was about to happen.”

Warmth rushed to your cheeks as her explanation sent realization crashing down onto you. 

“And you squirmed in your seat, too,” she continued, seemingly oblivious to your embarrassment. 

“But when I touched you, you stopped.” She shrugged, and the movement caused her hand to move a little. Her knuckles brushed against your center, just light enough to draw your attention. 

“Dami…” you started, before lowering your voice a bit more to spare your own pride, “...I don’t think that was a nightmare.”

When you pulled away enough to get a good look at her face, you witnessed a sinister change take place. 

“No?” She toyed, using the lilt in her voice to further tease you. “What else could it have been, then?” The innocence in her smile disappeared, opting instead to rebrand itself as arrogance. 

“You already know,” you muttered, blushing a little harder and turning your head away. 

Although things in the cabin were more active than before, concealment and deniability were made available by the relative darkness that still remained. It was a decent remedy for your shyness, and you silently thanked your lucky stars for it. 

And, for what it was worth, Dami was making sure to keep her voice hushed and her movements covered. Her aim wasn’t to make this unenjoyable for you; she just simply lived for teasing you every now and again… and she couldn’t deny that the thought of public play with you did something to her. 

“Mmm,” she hummed, unconvinced. “I don’t think I do, jagi. You’ll have to tell me.”

Her hand worked a little higher on your thigh, caressing the sensitive skin there. Hidden desire guided it, leading her to pull your legs apart a little more and grant herself better access. 

But you stopped her, quickly encircling your fingers around her wrist and preventing her from continuing. 

“Don’t start something that we can’t finish.”

She chuckled to herself at that. 

“Who says we can’t?” She asked, entirely serious, as she brought her face near yours again. Her eyes flitted across your features, taking their time to study them before eventually falling to your lips. Her tongue unconsciously poked out and slid across her own. 

“That bathroom is not big enough for us to fuck in.” You asserted.

“I can make you cum right here, Y/N/N. No need to even get up.” She stated lowly, her deep voice full of husky confidence. You drew in a sharp breath at her forwardness, and she noticed the change. 

When you shied away again, she took the opportunity to lean in and press a kiss to your neck. Her lips were pillowy against your sensitive skin – soft enough to tickle, even, had the stifling tension between you been absent. 

Warmth radiated from her, beaconing you closer. She was right there. She wanted you. She could take you in under five minutes, too, probably, considering how worked up you were already becoming. She could make you feel so good…

Who were you to deny yourself something so perfect?

Your grip on her wrist loosened, slowly but surely, as you handed control back over to her and submitted to whatever fate she had planned. 

She kissed the area just below your jawline while simultaneously spreading your legs apart again. Their innocent trembling was obvious – you were inexperienced with sex in this sort of setting – but it only made her smile and fall for you a little more.

"You're precious, jagi," she complimented. "I've got you; don't worry. Just let me help," she coaxed, kissing you again between the words. She switched hands in order to offer a better angle, and you sighed helplessly at the feeling of her fingers fully rubbing up and down your clothed center. 

“Go slow,” you pleaded, briefly peering over her shoulder. 

Relaxed movements would be easier to cover up if you got caught. 

The upturn of her lips against your neck was obvious. “Remember this moment when you’re begging me to speed up,” she teased. 

“Just shut up and fuck me.”

She tutted, “You know, maybe you need another nap–”

“Yubin.” Your voice was sharp, full of warning. The two of you truly bickered like a married couple sometimes. 

“Alright, Y/N/N,” she giggled a little against your skin, and you felt a small smile growing on your face, too, in time with the roll of your eyes. 

Her hand finally slid into your panties, putting distance between your wet skin and the ruined material. When her fingertips parted your folds, she felt just how much arousal awaited her; a quiet, surprised groan slipped out of her mouth at the sensation, and you blushed a little harder in response. She tended to be the quiet type during sex, so even the most subtle of her sounds made your heart pump a bit faster. 

“I knew you’d be wet, but this much?” She whispered breathlessly, sounding amazed as she collected more of your slick and circled your clit with her thumb. She toyed with you, fully enjoying the way your body responded so easily to her. 

“All your fault.” You struggled out. 

Without any further warning, two of her fingers slid into your entrance. 

Your walls fluttered in response, enveloping them in their warmth in an attempt to coax them in further. One of your hands instinctively reached out and tangled in the front of her shirt, pulling her in, and the other grasped helplessly at the armrest that it laid across. 

“Still so tight, Y/N,” she sighed at how soft you were – how smooth. Her fingers pulled out almost completely, curling on their way, before she eased them back in. She wanted so badly to see you spread out, dripping for her; but she settled, opting instead to focus on every little movement and sound you made as her mind filled itself with images.

A slow grind took control of your hips, aiming to lessen the ache. The motion brought her palm into contact with your swollen clit, and when she noticed, she decided to help. She rubbed it, applying a delicious kind of pressure that made your legs shake a little. 

Her free hand grabbed your chin and turned your head, forcing you to look at her. Through the dark, she watched your brows knit together in pleasure. Before you had the chance to bite your lip, you felt hers sliding across it, trapping it between her own. 

She kissed you passionately, greedily swallowing up the moan that you let out into her mouth and adding the smallest bit of speed to her movements. 

The seat made a squeak beneath you – a product of your grinding growing sloppy. Your fingers weakly tightened in her shirt as you fought your inhibitions; it felt too good to stop or slow down, but you ran the risk of selling yourselves out at this rate. 

She bit your lip and pulled away, allowing you a moment to breathe. 

“Yu–”

Her name cut off abruptly in your throat when her fingers went even deeper, brushing up against your most sensitive spot in the process. Your thighs clamped around her hand in a desperate attempt to keep her in place and prevent her from slipping away.

“Fuck,” she cursed harshly. “You’re doing so well, baby.”

You pulsed around her at that, and both of you felt it. Sensuality ruled her every move, commanding them just as she commanded your body; but beyond it – beyond that languid, brewing passion – a real sense of need reigned supreme. She was just as desperate to get you to your high as you were to reach it. 

Nothing was capable of turning her on as much as watching you come undone for her. The idea alone added a certain, sudden roughness to her movements that had your stomach flipping in excitement. 

A kind of turbulence that you never wanted to end. 

“Just a–” you sighed, biting back another moan, “...a little more. I’m getting close.”

She took your plea as an order, not stopping for a second. It was hard to restrain herself, but she fought against her more primal urge to pound into you. The tenderness was a nice change, she supposed, as you turned your head further to the side and the warm, flushed skin of your cheek pressed to hers. Your every subsequent whimper and whine traveled right to her ear – the most alluring kind of music.

How could you be so perfect?

“Come on, pretty girl. Make a mess for me.” She commanded lowly, feeling you teeter on the edge of ecstasy. The blanket barely covered her wanton ministrations now. 

Somewhere ahead, further up the aisle, a man stood up from his seat. You could see it through the tiny gaps in between the chairs – small flashes of motion that indicated he was turning your way. 

It sent an icy streak of panic through you, but, oddly, your body couldn’t stop. Though your mind was pleading to wait – to still Dami’s hand until the potential crisis was averted – your desire overruled it. You grabbed her wrist again, encouraging her to quicken her pace. 

She raised a brow, looking between you and the approaching man. He was on his way to the restroom that resided a few rows behind you, she deduced. 

“Baby…”

“Just keep going,” you whined, trembling. 

She nodded and obediently followed your instructions. 

Though being caught wasn’t something you necessarily wanted, the thrill of it brought on an undeniably arousing kind of shame. 

Dami’s red cheeks would sell you out immediately, despite the futile excuse her kiss-bitten lips would still attempt to make. Your flushed skin and mussed clothes would further incriminate you, only worsened by her hand in your pants. 

Truly, the risky environment excited you far more than you cared to admit. To know that she wanted you so badly in that moment that she didn’t care who knew – who saw – pushed you further and further towards the edge. 

The passenger grew increasingly closer – now just a matter of a two or three rows away as he tiredly shuffled his way down the narrow walkway. He greeted a stray few people all the while, bidding them hello. 

Dami leaned into you, pressing her lips to your neck. She kissed and sucked at the skin just below your pulsepoint, leaving a mark for you to admire later. She sped up her movements inside of you and eagerly rubbed your aching clit.

“Yubin, I’m–” you struggled out, tightly shutting your eyes. 

“Cum, baby,” she directed. 

Unable to hold out any longer, you let yourself go, falling into paradise. You sunk your teeth into her shoulder to muffle your whines, and she herself moaned at the sensation. 

The man passed by mere seconds after, obliviously nodding in your direction as his eyes sought yours in the dark. 

Your body was still tingling as it recovered from the high of your orgasm.

“Morning, ladies,” he said. 

“Morning,” you both responded in unison, sounding so out of breath it made you laugh together afterward. 

Once he had officially disappeared, you kissed the bite mark on Dami's shoulder as a silent way of apologizing. She smiled as she eased her fingers out of you, making more of a mess in your panties on the way. 

“Told you I could get you off,” she whispered through a grin, and kissed your cheek. 

You’d never been quite so grateful for the dark. 

[sir-phillip-crane]

I'm glad I asked! I want to double check with you if the prompt is ok. It's Headcanons of how would Scanlan, Percy, and Vax react to waking up on their crush's lap because he was so tired that he just fell asleep after a mission so they decided to let him take a nap? Does it makes sense XD

FUCK YEAH BABE. i had so much damn inspo - hope you enjoy!!!

requests open!

reblogs > likes!!!

Scanlan

Honesty, he’s not at all used to being tired and drained after missions. He’s crucial to the party but, hey, he keeps his energy up all the time for performing – he only really crashes after nights spent with his escapades.

But shit, this mission? He had to preform for twenty hours straight. No breaks, no nothing.

By the time he’s done, he’s so tired Pike has to carry him into the cart. Sure, she kinda tosses him in the corner and goes to talk to Grog, but it’s the thought that counts or something.

You go to check on the barely awake Scanlan and get him to drink something.

He barely manages a “hey babe…” before he’s got his head on your lap and arms around your waist – and is out fucking cold.

Percy and Pike are taking turns driving and Pike warns VM that you’re in for a long night – even if you guys travel all night, it’s still about another two days travel back to the keep.

From there, Kiki and Vex will start to argue about how they could have used Kiki’s tree spell, but no Kiki is too attached to the horses to leave them.

Admittedly, it’s entertaining to watch them bicker and passes the time… because Scanlan doesn’t wake up until noon the next day.

“’Sup darlin’… how long was I out for?”

He’s definitely the least embarrassed of anybody in this position. Waking up in his crush’s lap? That’s a win.

Now, despite the fact that he was the one out cold, he’ll insist that he was only tired because everything you two did last night ;)))))

And Vex immediately yells “oh, you mean all the snoring? Sounds tiring.”

“Shut up Vex!”

“You shut up, Scanlan!!”

They’ll argue for a little bit about the events of last night, until Scanlan wraps it up with a “Screw you, feather head!”

And with that, he will absolutely come and sit on your lap and complain more and more about Vex and how she’s always wrong.

Percival von Keysmash

At this point, Percy has been up for seventy two hours straight. The mission to handle the Briarwoods weighed pretty hard on him for obvious reasons.

It’s going on seventy three hours when you manage to lure him to the temporary bedroom Cassandra has put you up in.

He’s very, insanely insistent on staying awake. He’s got things to do. He’s gotta figure out Ripley’s gun. He’s gotta make more ammo for his pepperbox. He’s gotta work on Bad News. He’s gotta… He’s gotta…

You knew Percy well enough to know that when he’s like this, there’s no changing his mind.

So you simply sat down on the bed and opened up a book you found. It’s a fairytale that you, personally, aren’t that familiar with.

You read it out loud – it’s a story of a man who follows Death into the afterlife and, when looking at the people there, notices animals in their garments and their faces covered.

Death explains to the man that the masquerade is the life humans life and the animals represent shame and such.

By now, Percy’s come to bed and has put his head on your lap as you read to him. You put your hand in his hair and comb his messy hair.

(The fairy tale is #7, “on the last day”, if yall are interested. But the rest are cool too. https://listverse.com/2017/12/22/10-obscure-and-deeply-odd-fairy-tales-written-by-hans-christian-andersen/)

You’re barely another sentence in by the time he starts snoring, one of his hands grabbing yours and the other around your thigh.

It’s not until the next morning when he wakes up. He’s still tired af and sort of loopy, just keeping his head there for a minute before asking “…What day is it?”

You tell him that it’s Winterscrest and there’s some festivities planned for the day.

He lays there a little while, wondering if he wants to get up and deal with VM and his sister or just… lay in bed and enjoy the view of the snow from the warmth of bed.

The latter is absolutely, 50000% his choice.

He does apologize for trapping you in bed all night, and if you’d like to go out to Winterscrest then he won’t make you stay.

You simply invite him under the covers and ask if he wants to go back to sleep or talk.

He insists its up to you; he’s just happy that you’re both there and safe.

Vax’ildan

Let’s be real. Vax has been taking care of him and Vex and Trinket for years. He’s used to being the one to make sure Vex gets enough sleep and eats and covers her arm for recoil when shooting.

Even as VM formed, he got used to making sure everybody was okay. Making sure Grog got to bed after getting drunk af. Making sure Scanlan didn’t play too long and injure his wrist or fingers. Etc etc

Vex has taken care of him pretty often too, but she knows he’s not used to being the one who needs taken care of.

So when a mission ends with a warlock casting a sickness spell on Vax and Pike isn’t around to heal him, he’s not doing great.

Percy insists on keeping you all at an inn until they can get Pike or another healer powerful enough to help there.

You’re worried as hell, but Keyleth insists that, since you don’t know what it is or if it’s contagious, that VM should stay out of there to the best of their abilities.

Well, Vex isn’t gonna listen.

And, not that the advice is given to him, but Vax won’t either.

He’s dosed up on herbs and medicine that Vex hoped would help and he’s loopy as all shit.

His entire life he’s gotten used to sneaking around so his mama didn’t catch him, so Vex didn’t, so his horrid father didn’t.

So he sneaks out of his room with ease and comes to see you.

He’s in your room without any noise and easily could have stayed hidden, or greeted you with something better than a dazed “heyyyyyyyyy…..”

You know he’s sick, and you know it might get you sick, but he reaches out and will kinda grab at you without moving; “grabby hands.”

Very. Insistent. Grabby hands.

You’ll let him lay down and he passes out the second his head is on your chest.

It isn’t much later when Pike gets there and easily finds where Vax has gone. A few healing spells and prayers to Sarenrae and he seems so much better.

She knows the spell cast on him and gives you a quick run down; not contagious. It’s a blood thing that “thickens” the blood and so it is harder for the blood to be pumped through the body.

(I made that up on the fly, I know it doesn’t make sense)

A quick spell or two ‘thins’ the blood back to the way it should be. He’s just tired and should be good the next morning.

She’s got things to do, she’s basically the champion of the Everlight, so she’ll give both you and Vax quick forehead kisses before leaving.

Vax wakes up with the sun, something that he’s done basically every day of his life. Usually, he’ll get up and stretch and make a healthy meal. Some yoga, maybe some singing to warm up his voice.

Today it’s just “…oh gods, what did I do last night???” He’s blushy and embarrassed, assuming he had gotten drunk and succeeded in bedding you. “I’m as bad as Scanlan-”

You cut him off and explain, no, there was the warlock that hit him with a spell and it got him sick, but Pike visited and he’s better now.

“So, I was sick… Explains why I’m so tired…” And he’ll nuzzle against your neck and stay like that, pretty comfy and happy.

[the-cryptographer]

find it so weird that there's suddenly a huge horse breeding ranch outside Redcliffe in DAI. I know horses get a few mentions in dialogue and lore in DAO, and I believe we see a few oxen in the game(?) - or at least carts that must have been drawn by them or other beasts of burden (Bodahn and Sandal would need one, oc). but I thought it definitely added to the characterisation of Fereldan that the protagonists travelled place to place on foot and we saw no horses anywhere - no mounted cavalry at Ostagar. The image of Loghain enlisting untrained farmers as foot soldiers to fight and ultimately win against Orlesian chevaliers, who we assume from the root of the French word are horse-mounted soldiers, is impressive because of the odds against him. And that image seems burned into nationalist Ferelden rhetoric as much as the elevation of their preferred war animal - the Mabari.

So it seems to me horses were a rather rare in Ferelden as of the time of the Fifth Blight - and while they saw some uses as couriers or other functions of elite private business - they were not so widespread as to be used en masse for transport or as a vehicle of war. So it's a bit strange that they were wholly adopted a decade later in DAI, but it's hard to say at this point if we should just chalk no horses in DAO up to the fact that nobody wanted to animate one, or chalk it up to it being another way DAI bled a lot of the existing character of the Fereldan landscape out of the game.