#alright I said i was going to use another tag for this passion project to keep it all together so let's go with

[snifflyjoonie]

I Think You’re My Soulmate

a/n: Alrighty well enough people seemed interested in this so I figured I’d give posting it a shot! I’m going to post it slowly in parts in between fics just because it is still something I am actively working on. 

Here’s Part 1, which is basically me trying to set this universe up lmfao.

The premise is essentially you and your soulmate snz at the exact same moment every time, without fail... But what happens if there’s more than one?

Hopefully you guys like it!

***

For as long as Namjoon could remember, he had dreamed of finding his soulmate.

-

  “Dad, how did you and Mom meet?”

Namjoon’s father glanced at his son from behind the pages of his book. No more than six years old, but always asking questions, always on the hunt for knowledge and understanding. He had been this way ever since he had learned to talk. He couldn’t help but admire his son’s beautiful curiosity.

His father leaned forward, reaching out to pat one of his son’s chubby cheeks, “The same way everyone does, Namjoon.” He smiled warmly, “We both shared a sneeze.”

He watched as his son seemed to ponder the answer, the little gears in his tiny brain turning, “What does that mean, Dad?”

His father ruffled his hair and chuckled, “You’ll learn more as you grow, but I will tell you this; when the universe gives you a sign, you listen. When you share a sneeze with someone, it is the world telling you that you have found your soulmate. It’s just the way it works, my son.”

-

  Something changed in young Namjoon that day, and from that moment on, he had been determined to find his forever person.

Just like his father had told him, as he grew older, he began to learn more about his father’s quizzical answer. At the age of ten, they began to teach in school the strange way that human beings found their true soulmate. It seemed that whenever you sneezed, wherever in the world you might be, whatever it was you may have been doing, your soulmate would sneeze with you in perfect harmony. This is how it was, and this is how it had always been. It was taught to be a gift from the universe; a goofy sort of blessing to help you find your missing piece. Namjoon could remember the class giggling at the thought, the prospect of such a thing seemed silly, ridiculous even, and yet, seemed to click at the same time. He remembered the childish fake sneezes that had started to fill the room, the teacher laughing and telling them that wasn’t quite how it worked. He remembered being in awe, a childhood wonder that had long since left him, but that had been formed in that very classroom. Many of his male classmates had found this human oddity to be hilarious, whereas the girls tended to find it embarrassing. He however, had found it sort of romantic. The thought of having a special connection with someone, no matter how silly it was, a brief second of time that you both shared together, no matter the day, no matter either of your whereabouts, no matter if you knew each other or had yet to meet…it was always intriguing to him.

From then on, Namjoon had spent his middle and teenage years doing whatever he could to make himself sneeze in the hopes that someone else would join along with him. He would always share drinks with friends under the weather, avoid wearing a jacket in the wintertime, stand out in the pouring rain… To his mother, it seemed that every other week he would catch cold, or come home with a runny nose. She had always lectured him to watch his health, to not worry about finding his soulmate right away, that it would happen when it would happen…but when he started refusing to wear a face mask in the hopes something would itch his nose just enough, she simply gave up.

Towards the end of Namjoon’s teenage years, he spent his time watching his friends fall in love. It seemed that nearly once a month someone would catch cold and find out the girl from English they had eyes for happened to be their soulmate, or a seasonal allergy sufferer would discover the cute girl two years younger was meant for him during an accidental encounter with a bouquet, and so on and so forth. As he began to approach the end of high school, a deep worry started to settle in his chest. Why had nearly everyone else he knew found their soulmate? Why hadn’t he? He wanted it more than anyone, tried harder more than anybody, and yet…no one. He had heard the whispered rumors of people going their whole lives never finding who they were truly meant to spend their days with. The idea of never finding that one person, of settling down with somebody else while you and your soulmate continued to share an unspoken connection…the thought nearly drove him insane, and he began to fear that maybe his soulmate wasn’t in Korea at all.

It was then that Namjoon had decided he wanted to learn English. He begged his parents to find him a tutor, to sign him up for special classes, anything to help him master the confusing language as quickly as he could. Intrigued by his determination, his parents bought him the entirety of the popular American show Friends for him to watch and use to brush up on his English skills.

By the time graduation rolled around a few years later, Namjoon’s English skills had improved drastically, so much so that he could comfortably hold a conversation without getting too jumbled up in the words. It was at this point that he broke the news to his parents – he wanted to go to University in America. They were surprised, but supportive. When asked why he would possibly want to leave his friends and family behind to study abroad so far away he merely told them it was all to improve his English skills. His parents felt they could understand that, and agreed to help send their only son away to school.

Namjoon had spent a year preparing for his big move abroad before finally arriving in the United States. He was an undeclared major, not sure what he wanted to do with his life just yet but excited to learn either way. He was twenty now, a young man, and though he would never tell his parents, what he was most excited about was to find his soulmate.

He spent three years in the United States studying and searching; and as each year passed by Namjoon could feel himself becoming more discouraged not only in his hunt for love but in his studies as well. He had tried dating a few different girls, but the relationships would never last very long after one of them sneezed and the other didn’t. As each year passed by, he felt himself starting to lose his childlike awe of the world, his fascination with finding love…He became less talkative, less approachable, and by the time he entered his third year, he had all but given up on love and school alike. As his grades began to drop, his parents began to worry and requested him to return home after the end of his third year. Namjoon respectively obeyed. He had traveled across the world to find his soulmate, and would now be returning to Korea crushed, alone, and having lost hope in ever finding his one true person.  

Returning to Korea had been embarrassing for him, but his parents were overjoyed to have him home. They did all they could to make him smile, to encourage him, to try to bring back the Namjoon they remembered and so desperately loved. They even tried to convince him to enroll at a University in Seoul, and after a year of uplifting words and badgering, Namjoon reluctantly agreed. He applied to the school late, getting accepted to start just after the winter break. His parents were overjoyed, Namjoon however simply felt neutral. He would be pursuing a degree in math in an attempt to become a math teacher, something his parents had been wanting for years. Namjoon was more than smart enough, knew he would succeed, but it had never been something he had particularly wanted to do. However, now he simply just didn’t care, and only wanted to make his parents proud. He owed it to them, after all they did to get him to America and back again. 

The months leading up to him starting school were unremarkable, and before he knew it, he was starting University in Seoul the following day. Namjoon went to bed early that night, not looking forward to whatever tomorrow had to offer. He had just turned twenty-five a few months prior, now a grown man, he felt he had lost a part of himself. He wasn’t the same Namjoon anymore; wasn’t that chubby-cheeked little boy, ignorant to the real world. That part of him had died a long time ago. His outer shell had hardened as the years went by, his dreams faded to gray, somedays he didn’t even recognize himself. ‘Is this just growing up?’ he often thought. One day he hoped to find himself again, but today was not that day, and with a slight scratch beginning to form in the back of his throat, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Namjoon jolted himself awake with a sneeze long before his alarm was set to ring. He groaned, blinking groggily as he tried to catch his bearings. His head felt like it had been plugged with cotton, his throat cracked and parched. He gave a dry cough, clearing his throat with a wince. Of course he would get sick, why wouldn’t he? Years of purposely doing anything he could to get himself sick had left him prone to colds and sinus infections, especially when he was stressed. No matter how often he fell under the weather he could still never get used to the cumbersome side effects that each illness brought, or the annoying thoughts he tended to think whenever he felt the urge to sneeze.

Namjoon shivered slightly, pulling his comforter up to his chin with a sniffle, the congestion in his nose blocking any air from getting through. He groaned again, and pitched forward slightly with another sneeze. He blinked hard and rubbed at his watery eyes, rolling over lazily to glance at his alarm clock. 5:30am. He couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering at the thought that maybe he wasn’t the only one woken up by his itchy nose. He shook his head slightly at the idea, he never liked thinking about these types of things anymore, but he was sick, it was early, and he was feeling lonely. He couldn’t stop his mind from wandering. He stared at the time on his clock again and sighed. It was 2:30pm in Canada. Maybe his soulmate was sitting in a coffee shop, reading a mystery novel they had read a dozen times already but always came back to because it was their absolute favourite. It was 8:30pm in the UK. Maybe his soulmate had been brushing their teeth for bed, their shared sneeze catching them off guard and causing toothpaste to dribble down their chin. It was 7:30am in Australia. Perhaps his soulmate was getting ready for work, fresh out of the shower, their towel-dried body glistening under the bathroom light. It was 1:30am in India. Maybe his soulmate was just as annoyed as he was to have been woken up so early, but grateful they still had many hours to fall back asleep.

Whoever they were and wherever they might be, Namjoon wished that one day they would meet, someway, somehow, and that they could help him believe in love once more. And with one final flutter of his heart, the man drifted back off into a short and fitful sleep.

[queenshelby]

ME AND THE DEVIL – PART ONE

Featuring: Tommy Shelby x Reader

Words: 3555

Warning: Smut, Abuse 

Notes: This is fiction and not historically accurate. It plays somewhere in the middle of Season 5, after Tommy met Oswald Mosley and became affiliated with him but before he planned to assassinate him.

Tag List: 

@lilymurphy03

@deefigs

@theflamecrystal 

@chrisevanshoeee

 @desperate-and-broken

@weepingstudentfishhorse

@severewobblerlightdragon

@captivatedbycillianmurphy

------

You were the oldest daughter of the chief of police in London and married to Oswald Mosley. The marriage between you and Oswald was arranged by your father who was supporting Mosley’s fascist movement.

Your husband was abusive and disrespectful towards you. You despised him and his fascist views. Luckily for you, he didn’t involve you in many political events. You were only obliged to attend functions with him where it benefitted him and his party.

You were aware that he was expanding his party but you didn’t involve yourself with politics, at least so it seemed. You knew that the fascist movement was dangerous and you hoped that, one day, your husband would pay for his sins.

You were not allowed to work, but you were allowed to volunteer at the local orphanage and soup kitchen. As the wife of Oswald Mosley, this was beneficial for his political campaign so he didn’t intervene. Little did he know that this was where you would meet one of his enemies.

Just so it happened that, on a Thursday evening when you were volunteering at the orphanage, you met a mysterious stranger.

Dressed in a comfortable but elegant dress, you unpacked several toys that were delivered from the Womens Association of Birmingham for the children at the orphanage.

The children were excited and you could barely keep up with their demand. Their excitement was overwhelming and their eyes lit up as they took the toys from your hands. It wasn’t often that they received brand new toys and you took joy simply in seeing their excitement. You wanted children of your own, but not with your husband. He wasn’t capable to be a good father and you were glad that, despite numerous attempts, you didn’t conceive.

After years, he told you that you were worthless, not being able to give him a child. But you were somewhat grateful for it. It also meant that he no longer bothered to force you to sleep with him, which never was pleasurable in any sort of way. You were pleased to learn that, after years of abuse, he found whores to be of more interest to him than you.

The work at the orphanage took you away from your miserable life. Working with children was pure joy for you and gave you the courage to inform on your husband to the communist partry. You did it for them, so that they can grow up in a world free from oppression. Your husband was the devil and you knew that very well.

Just as you went to get the last box of toys from the van, a man approached you from behind.

‘Please, let me help you with this’ the man said, taking the heavy box from your hands. He could see that you were struggling with its weight. After all, you were of small statue.

‘Thank you, Mr…’ you said in a way you would usually ask a question.

‘Shelby. Thomas Shelby’ the man said as he walked inside with you.

You showed him where to place the box so that you could unpack it as, all of a sudden, one of the nuns from the orphanage walked towards you from the hallway.

‘Please, Mr Shelby, you do not need to do this’ the nun said with a hasty voice.

‘But it’s my pleasure’ Tommy said as he opened the box and helped you unpack it.

‘Thank you’ you said with a shy smile as you couldn’t help it but stare into his bright blue eyes.

‘No thank you for the work you are doing here Y/N. It is admirable’ Tommy said with a warm smile.

‘I take joy in it’ you said before asking him how he knew your name.

Your question caused Tommy to point to your name tag.

You flushed immediately. Of course, he can read.

‘Very informal’ Tommy said as he observed that the name tag only had your first name on it.

‘Well, I like to be the children’s friend. I am not one of the mistresses or teachers here. I simply volunteer’ you said whilst, the truth was, you were embarrassed of who you were. Y/N Mosley, the wife of a fascist. Of course, you weren’t going to tell him that.

‘We need more kind hearted people like you in a world like this Y/N’ Tommy said as he unpacked the last toy from the box.

‘Please, you make me blush Mr Shelby’ you said shyly while looking up into his piercing blue eyes again.

He was much older than you, probably the same age as your husband, but he was incredibly attractive. Unlike your husband, he appeared kind hearted in his own way.

‘My apologies, it wasn’t my attention to make you uncomfortable’ Tommy said with a smile.

‘It’s quite alright Mr Shelby. Thank you again for helping with this’ you said as you were wondering why he was at the orphanage.

‘Tell me, why are you here? What is your business?’ you asked with curiosity.

‘I am having a meeting with Miss Walsh at 4 o’clock to discuss the funding of the new library for the orphanage. As you know, the orphanage has the facility on site. It’s unused and will need to be fenced. And of course, we will need books’ Tommy said. You could hear the passion in his voice for the project.

‘Are you funding it?’ you asked bluntly.

‘My late wife’s charity is. She cared deeply for children who were abandoned or lost their parents in the war’ Tommy explained.

‘She seemed like a wonderful woman and I am sorry for your loss Mr Shelby’ you said.

‘She was and thank you for your kind words Y/N’ Tommy said.

‘May I offer you a tea? Just while you wait for Miss Walsh?’ you asked.

Tommy agreed and you sat down in the reading room for 15 minutes before Miss Walsh arrived.

You enjoyed your conversation with Tommy. He seemed like a smart man, elegant, firm and yet kind hearted.

The conversations you had were mostly about the orphanage and plans for the education of the children. You loved to read and you liked the idea of a library. You shared ideas for fundraisers and it was evident to you that Tommy was intrigued by you. His eyes wandered everywhere, from your face, down to your hands, which is where he noticed your wedding ring.

‘You are married. Do you and your husband have children?’ Tommy asked.

‘No, we do not. How about you Mr Shelby?’ you asked.

‘A son and a daughter’ Tommy said.

‘Then you are lucky’ you responded just as Miss Walsh arrived.

You said goodbye to Tommy and, just as he was about to leave with Miss Walsh, he asked you whether you would be interested to help with the establishment of the library since you were familiar with literature.

You were surprised that a man like him would personally involve himself with a project like this. It was more common for rich men to simply provide the funds. But, he seemed to care for this particular project, so you agreed.

A few weeks after your encounter with Tommy, the books arrived and you volunteered to sort them and arrange the library for the children.

Tommy came by one afternoon to see how the project came along and offered you his assistance. But most of the time it was his sister Ada who attended the library to catalogue the books with you.

She was a kind woman, socially aware and most defiantly in favour of the communist movement.

Despite your numerous discussions about politics, Ada never thought to mention that her brother Tommy was a politician himself. In fact, she didn’t like to speak about him at all.

Another week later, you were surprised to see Tommy at the library at lunch time.

‘Good Afternoon Y/N’ Tommy said as he brought in another box of books.

‘Mr Shelby, I am surprised to see you’ you said. This was your third encounter with Tommy and you were pleased to see him. You were intrigued by him.

‘I thought you could use some help since my sister is busy with errands today’ Tommy said.

‘So, you came here to help me catalogue books?’ you said sheepishly.

‘Making appearances Y/N, that’s all’ he said as he began to unpack the books.

‘Thank you, Mr Shelby, but…’ you said and before you could continue, Tommy interrupted you.

‘Please, just call me Tommy’ he said as he handed you the books.

You climbed up the ladder to put them onto the higher shelves just as Tommy advised you that, the truth was, that he had meeting with Miss Walsh again but that he set aside some time for the library beforehand.

Tommy and you talked for a while as you shelved the books. You noticed his eyes gaze over you again on several occasions in particular when you stepped up the ladder. He was clearly looking at your ass, possibly even your underwear, but you didn’t mind.

Every time you came down from the ladder, he stood uncomfortably close to you, so close that you could smell the scent of his aftershave. It smelled like musk and he was clearly chewing mint, probably to hide the smell of the cigarettes.

He was handsome, very handsome and the look he gave you every time he handed you more books from the table was intense. A look of want and desire. Or were you imagining it?

Unfortunately, your encounter with him only lasted for about thirty minutes before he had to excuse himself in order to meet with Miss Walsh.

You said goodbye to Tommy with a warm smile and received a smile in return.

Just after he left, you went on with cataloguing the books. It was a slow process and you were the only volunteer on duty that day. Your husband approved. Doing community service was beneficial to his party and political goals. It shows that him and his family care for the community.

But you simply did it because you felt it was right and gave you a purpose.

You spent nearly every day at the library and almost all books were catalogued.

After another half an hour, you had one more box to shelf for the day. You were focused, your mind entirely with the books.

To your surprise, just as you stepped down from the ladder to grab more books for the top shelf, your face was just above Tommy’s face. You couldn’t believe that he was there. You never heard him come back.

‘How long have you been standing there?’ you asked as your foot touched the floor.

‘A few minutes, just enough to admire the view’ he said sheepishly and you weren’t sure whether to smack or kiss him.

But, before you could make up your mind, he leaned in and took the kiss he’s been desperate for since the moment you’ve met.

The kiss was gentle at first, brushing his lips against yours a couple of times, then locking them together in a haste, allowing your tongues to explore each other.

You had never been kissed this way before and gave into him completely.

Your mind told you to stop, to push him away. You didn’t know this man and if your husband was to find out, it would be detrimental for the both of you.

But in your heart, you wanted this so badly. This and so much more.

As your tongues played with each other, coyly at first, then like long-lost lovers, Tommy’s hands ran over your back all the way down to your ass.

His lips tasted sweet and his hands sent shivers through your body.

Without breaking the kiss, Tommy’s hands wandered beneath your skirt, gently and passionately.

‘Not here. The reading area’ you whispered just after you broke away from the kiss.

Tommy nodded just before he planted his mouth just above your clavicle.

While planting gentle kisses over you, Tommy navigated to one of the long desks in the reading area.

He was so gentle, a feeling that was unfamiliar to you. Despite the fact that you barely knew him, you somehow trusted him and wanted him.

Just as your back hit the desk, Tommy lifted you up to sit on it before gently pushing your legs apart.

He moved in between your legs while continuing to kiss you. His skilled fingers began unbuttoning your white blouse, revealing your lace bra.

No words were spoken as Tommy ran his index fingers down the inside of the straps of your bra, over the edges of the cups, then down your cleavage, all while gazing his eyes over your body.

He kept this tease up until you got impatient. Your breathing became heavy as he pulled the bra down, freeing your breasts. Your areolas were covered in goosebumps and your nipples were puffed up. The reading lamp lit all your curves in titillating contrast and you could that Tommy enjoyed what he was seeing.

Not ever had a man looked at you with such desire. You only ever been with one man, your husband, and this was new territory. You actually enjoyed yourself and were feeling guilty about it.

‘So beautiful’ Tommy whispered just before his lips kissed, licked and sucked their way to your stiff nubs on your breasts.

His hands cupped, squeezed and kneaded your smooth flesh and you moaned deeply and gripped the edge of the desk behind you.

Tommy flicked the tip of his tongue across your nipple before nibbling naughtily around it. Not ever had anyone paid such attention to your breasts and you started to feel something that was unfamiliar to you.

You could feel a tingling sensation build up in between your legs and your lace panties were getting wet.

Just as Tommy continued to stimulate your breasts, you gasped and threw your head back as his teeth ever-so-gently brushed up against your nubs again.

Tommy’s hands soon moved from your breasts down beneath your skirt, brushing over the inside of your thighs.

You pushed your legs together for a moment, unsure whether to give in or not.

You despised being touched there by your husband but this was actually enjoyable.

‘Do you want me to stop?’ Tommy asked, noticing your reluctance.

‘No, please don’t’ you said as you decided to let him proceed, opening your legs again.

You were slightly embarrassed by the wetness pooling in between your legs but, to your surprise, Tommy seemed pleased with it.

‘You are so wet Love’ he smirked as his fingers finally brushed over your panties just before he crashed his lips back onto yours.

You moaned into the kiss as his fingers pulled aside your panties and you could feel his finger tips roam over your entrance.

You tried hard to relax as Tommy’s fingers ran up and down your slit and started spread your juices.

He teased your entrance, just slipping in a single finger and only to his first knuckle.

This must be what foreplay was all about you thought as you kept giving in to your moans.

‘Tommy’ you moaned, desperate for more and, just like that, Tommy suddenly bit your neck gently while plunging his finger deep inside you.

Your moans turned to a gasp and a whimper as pleasure flooded your senses. You knew that Tommy had just left a hickey and, whilst you should be concerned, it just made you even wetter.

Tommy kept kissing and biting your neck as he added another finger inside of you and explored you with his fingers. The tip of his finger found many crevices but, unbeknownst to you, he was searching for your g-spot.

‘Fuck, oh god’ you screamed all of a sudden as Tommy’s fingers pressed upwards, earning you smirk from Tommy.

He had just found what he was looking for and, based on your reaction, it was evident to him that he was the first to have found your sweet spot.

Just as he relieved the pressure inside you, he pushed his fingers up again, and again, each time causing you to moan loudly.

‘Shh Love, one of the nuns might hear you’ Tommy whispered sheepishly just as he pulled his fingers out of you.

All these sensations were unfamiliar to you.

‘Please don’t stop’ you pleaded. It felt so good.

Tommy pulled you close for another kiss to shallow your moans before slipping his fingers back inside of you.

His fingers began to push against your g-spot again, running smooth circles and stimulating it just the right way. You were panting. It was ecstasy and you could feel an unfamiliar tension build up in your stomach.

‘I am going to make you come now Love. Try to be quiet’ Tommy said and you had literally no idea what he was talking about until, all of a sudden, he pushed into you with more force.

Your whimpers soon turned into shouts and you clenched onto Tommy’s arms firmly.

It wasn’t long until Tommy could feel your walls tighten around his two fingers.

‘Oh my god’ you moaned before you held your breath, not knowing what was happening to you as you felt your orgasm roll through your body.

‘That's it Love’ Tommy said satisfied as he continued to stimulate you.

You gasped as electricity shot up and down your spine while Tommy kissed you again to soften your screams.

He could hear footsteps approach and quickly withdrew his fingers.

‘Mr Shelby, is everything alright?’ one of the nuns asked loudly.

‘Yes, I am just helping with the books’ Tommy said with a grin on his face as he rearranged his pants to deal with his throbbing erection.

You were quick to button up your blouse before the nun approached.

‘I just thought I could hear a scream, that’s all’ the nun said.

‘Yes, that was me, I caught a splinter from the ladder and Mr Shelby just helped me get it out from my finger’ you said, your face still flushed and your hair messy.

‘Mr Shelby, if you do have a minute, Mr Connel would like to discuss the article in the paper for your campaign’ the nun said. ‘We thought that you had left but when I saw your car I hoped that I would find you here’ she added.

‘Of course’ Tommy said and, just like that he left.

‘It was nice to see you Y/N. Perhaps we meet again sometime soon’ he said with a grin as he followed the nun.

‘Likewise, Mr Shelby’ you responded.

You wanted to so much more but, since you almost got caught, it was probably for the better that you didn’t take this further.

You were hoping to see Tommy again but, for the next couple of weeks, he didn’t attend the orphanage.

You asked his sister Ada about him with some curiosity.

‘My brother is probably busy in Westminster. Although, who knows. I have given up on following politics. Why are you asking?’ Ada said.

‘Politics? Is Thomas a politician?’ you asked surprised and slightly concerned.

‘Yes, he is a member of parliament. Did you not know?’ Ada asked surprised.

‘I had no idea’ you said, wondering whether he knew your husband and whether you were nothing but a political stunt. Was this planned by an opponent? Did Tommy know who you were? Or was it a sheer mistake?

All these thoughts were wandering through your mind as Ada was talking to you and you didn’t listen to a single word she said.

‘Y/N? Are you alright?’ Ada asked.

‘Yes sorry, I am fine’ you said just before finishing up for the day. You had to make your way home soon before dinner.

You excused yourself and headed home. The thoughts however wouldn’t leave your head.

Your husband wasn’t home when you arrived. As usual, he was either with your sister or at the whorehouse.

You didn’t care much and enjoyed the nights on your own. You were no longer sharing a bedroom but you hated to cross his way when he was around. A black eye here and there or some bruises and scratches were the norm when he was there.

The next morning, Oswald walked through the door at around 8 o’clock, just in time for breakfast.

‘Did you buy yourself a dress for tonight?’ he asked after shouting at the maid. The coffee was too cold for his liking.

‘Oswald, please’ you said, trying to reason with him as the maid left rather upset.

‘Then you get the fucking coffee, wife!’ Oswald shouted and you got up, taking his cup and walking towards the kitchen.

‘There you go’ you said as you returned with a fresh cup from the kitchen.

‘See, that wasn’t that hard now, was it? Even my fucking wife could manage’ he said to the maid as he took a sip.

‘Now dear, did you get yourself a dress? Something outstanding for the gala?’ Oswald asked.

‘Of course. You will approve. It is very elegant and expensive’ you said.

‘Good. We need to make an impression. You will meet the new members of my party and, as you know, all politicians judge each other. There is no room for mistakes’ Oswald explained.

‘Of course, I understand. Now would you please excuse me. I will need to freshen up’ you said before Oswald waived you away

[ecliptsukki]

his delinquent phase ❧ kaoru sakurayashiki // cherry blossom

navigation | music

➣ genre: fluff

➣ warnings: adam’s existence 

➣ request: can i request a one shot where you’re cherrys s/o and like childhood best friends with joe and cherry and adam and you’re gushing over cherrys old bad boy look with piercings and everuthing and cherry one day goes to S with his piercings and hair the same way as before just to see you fawn over him skjfks

➣ a/n: this took me three times to type up because the first two times i did it, tumblr thought it would be funny to delete it. i’m not sure if i love how this came out, but it’s still better than my original plan. hopefully this was correct to what the anon requested. enjoy!

ps: i’m also going to be going on a trip for four days tomorrow, so i’m not sure if i’ll be able to post. i’ll definitely try to start working on my other requests!

You had known Joe, Cherry, and Adam ever since the four of you were in high school. Out of the three, you had met Joe, first, not soon before you met Cherry.

You were walking down the eventful streets of Okinawa, admiring the sights and getting accustomed with the area. You had moved to the city not too long ago and already were growing attached to the place. In your defense, the city was your perfect and desired location to live in. 

A gentle breeze blew through your hair, rustling the leaves of the green trees. You sighed at the feeling of the cool breeze tickling your warm skin. Not long after that breeze had gone, another, harsher breeze blew past you. You flinched at the abnormally sharp wind, snapping your head to the side, in its direction. You were met with honey red eyes and short, green locks, swaying. 

The male slips past you, stopping abruptly.

“Sorry about that,” he smiled, embarrassed, “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

You were in awe, seeing what the boy was standing on, and on alert because you had always been taught to be cautious around strangers, especially when you were walking alone. 

“Um, no. I’m alright, just shocked,” you shrugged, replying quietly.

Another harsh, but gentler than before, wind blows past you, revealing a pink-haired male. He had three piercings on his ear and one on his lip. Half of the boy’s face was hidden by his long bangs, allowing your focus to lock on his golden eye.

“Watch where you’re going,” he snaps at his green-haired friend. “Sorry about him,” he apologizes, giving you a polite smile.

All the sirens were going off in your head.

He has so many piercings! Is he a delinquent? Are both of them delinquents? If they are, I can’t fight them off on my own. What do I do?

“I’m Kaoru,” the bubblegum-haired male suddenly said, “This is Kojiro.”

Kojiro nodded at you, an embarrassed blush still grazing his cheeks. 

“Hey, aren’t you the new kid?” Kaoru asked, finding your puzzlingly familiar.

“Oh, that’s why I felt like I’ve met you before,” Kojiro spoke up, nodding his head when he realized who you were.

Awkwardly, you shyly respond, “Sorry, I can’t seem to remember seeing you guys at school. Are you in my class?”

Until dusk, the three of you talked, getting to know the each of you better. You were also able to befriend the boys you were so afraid of, becoming your first two friends in the city.

You met Adam in the dark of night, beside Cherry and Joe.

They had brought you along, one night, wanting to skate with you. You already knew the basics of skating, nothing more, nothing less. Therefore, as your closest, and only, friends, they wanted to get further acquainted with you in something they loved. 

“Who’s the sweet cheeks?” His hoodie-covered eyes left an eerie pressure on you, causing goosebumps to emerge from your skin.

“This is our close friend, Y/N L/N,” Cherry spoke up.

“She goes to school with us, and we wanted to bring her skating. Mind her tagging along?” Joe asks his hooded friend.

“Not at all, just as long as she can keep up,” he spoke in a cocky tone.

The pretentious attitude the unnamed face had was irking you in the wrong way. He seemed too mysterious for your liking. A third of the boy’s face was hidden in the shadow of his hoodie, leaving you only able to see the blue tips of his hair and his structured nose. 

He must’ve noticed your timid stare because he looks at you, under his hood, “Call me Adam.”

 Cherry and Joe look at you expectingly.

“Just call me sweet cheeks, for now,” you reply, distantly, not ready to let your guard down just yet.

You hear your two friends sigh, chuckling to each other.

“Don’t worry, she’ll warm up to you, soon,” Cherry told Adam, “We know firsthand how she is with meeting new people.”

You blush, remembering your first encounter with the pair.

Thinking back, you still regret letting your walls down and accepting Adam as a friend. Not a day goes by that Adam doesn’t linger in your mind, as much as you’d hate to admit. 

You despise that man with a passion. From your first interaction, you should’ve known that there was something off about the blue-haired male, but pondering on these frustrations now wouldn’t change anything. As much as you’d like to curse the man for hurting your friends’ and your feelings, you knew you had to move on.

You sat on the soft mattress of your shared bed, scrolling through old pictures stored on your phone. You saw pictures taken by Kaoru when you guys went on dates. Majority of the photos were candid, seeing as he always had told you that you were the “most photogenic woman” he had ever met.

You remember the day he had told you that. You also remember your laughed reply.

“Then you’ve got the whole world to explore, my love.”

Although, honestly, you thought Kaoru was quite the photogenic one himself. His gorgeous, sorted, pink hair matched with his golden eyes and perfect face never looked bad, not even at the crack of dawn or in the late of night. 

Speaking of which, you scrolled upon a photograph of Kaoru sitting all pretty with his piercings on display. Those piercings brought back many memories, humorous and lustful.

Ironically, the thing that brought you fear before now brings you yearning.

Honestly, once you had befriended Kaoru and came to trust him, the piercings no longer frightened you but instead, fascinated you. Those metal hoops further increased your attraction to the ponytailed man, leading you to the relationship you were in now.

Obviously, Kojiro played a big role in setting the two of you up together because both of you were completely oblivious to the other’s feelings. It got to the point that Adam almost had to step in and wack some sense into the both of you.

Anyways, ever since Kaoru had started working in the calligraphy business, he removed his piercings to maintain a professional image. You detested the idea, but you also knew that it was the best for his business. 

Now that you were looking back at photos of Kaoru as a teenager, you began to crave seeing him in those metal rings once more. You missed the “bad boy” look your boyfriend used to have, not that you didn’t appreciate how he looked now. It’s just that there’s a different vibe to his current and past aesthetics.

As you stalked through more pictures of teenage Kaoru, you were unaware of the very man you were thinking about watching you. He noticed the longing and craving in your gaze. Then, he caught a glimpse of what was being projected on your screen: it was him but in his teenage years. 

Suddenly, everything clicked for Kaoru, and he had the perfect plan in mind.

Something was off. Usually your boyfriend would insist on bringing you to “S” himself but not today. If anything, he was urging you to go with Kojiro.

“He’s been your friend for the same amount of time as I. You should take this time to your advantage and catch up,” was Kaoru’s excuse.

First of all, catch up on what? It’s not like you haven’t talked to Kojiro in months. Actually, you talked to him a day ago, at “S.” Secondly, what’s up with the sudden lenience and weak excuses?

Joe, who was also in on the plan, tried to help his friend out, making a feeble attempt to lure you with free food.

“I can get free food from you whenever I want,” you replied, squinting suspiciously at your friend.

“Not with that attitude, you can’t.” That pulled a raised brow from you and a regret-filled face from the muscular man.

Though you weren’t fully convinced that nothing was off, you still left with Joe, caving into their terrible attempts of covering up whatever they were hiding from you.

You had arrived at “S” with Joe for about ten minutes now, but there was still no sightings of your beloved, Cherry. Joe caught glimpse of your searching eyes and reassured you that he would be coming, be it later than usual.

Reki, Langa, and Miya had made their way over to you, sparking up a conversation with you, making you forget about the missing presence of a specific male. 

Miya was explaining the new training regiment and diet he was to use in order to advance his strength, leading you to worry for the small teenager. If he didn’t eat enough, it could become fatal to him. You didn’t understand why a child was being treated so harshly by his managers, forcing him to eat barely anything and train long hours of the day. 

You were concernedly asking Miya if he was feeling alright and offered him an energy bar you carried around in case of emergencies, which he gratefully accepted, when you heard the cheers of fangirls behind you. Knowing they weren’t meant for Joe, you turned around to meet the golden eyes you’d fallen in love with.

This time, there was something different. His face wasn’t hidden by his mask. You could see the pale skin of his cheeks and the pink of his lips. Besides the absence of the black cloth, you noticed metallic rings decorating your boyfriend’s lip and ears. Also, his hair wasn’t whipping behind him, as per usual, but laid low, drifting in the wind.

For a hot moment, you had thought you had finally lost it, but when you blinked your eyes, looking at Miya then back to Cherry, you realized you were still sane and your boyfriend still looked like he aged back into his high school days.

“Is that Cherry?” Miya asked from beside you.

You nodded, speechless.

You heard someone let out a loud laugh beside you, “Since when did he have piercings?”

Ignoring the redhead’s outburst, you were mesmerized by the Cherry you had been obsessing over a couple days ago. It felt like one extravagant dream that you didn’t want to wake up from. In your defense, as he stepped of his skateboard, coming to embrace you, he looked straight out of a fantasy. His skin was practically glowing, and his hair gently floated perfectly onto his shoulders.

“Hello, darling,” he spoke in a sultry voice, placing a soft kiss to your forehead as he held you in his muscular arms.

“K-Kao—” you quickly realize your soon-to-be mistake and fix it, “Cherry.”

His eyes shrink as he laughs, endearingly, admiring the flustered and confused look you were portraying.

“Is this why you and Joe were being so weird earlier today?” You asked, cheek pressed against his slim, toned chest.

“Indeed, my love. What do you think? Definitely brings back some memories of the old days,” he lifts your chin, forcing you to look him in the eyes.

“I love it. It’s perfect. You’re perfect,” you smile brightly, eyes lustrous. Pushing yourself up on your toes, you whisper into his ear, “You also look really hot.” You quickly pull away, turning a vibrant red.

“I think you broke her,” Joe told his friend, placing a heavy hand on the pink-nette’s shoulder.

After the supposed one occurrence surprise, you began to avidly ask him to wear his piercings, loving how attractive and domineering he looked in them. If he denied, you would ask him to, at least, tie his hair in the relaxed half up half down hairdo. He didn’t mind the different hairstyle as much as he did the piercings so it became a normal look for him. The only times he would willingly put on his piercings were when he was going to “S” or when the two of you were safe in the comfort of your own home, for research purposes.

[seokiloquy]

Mismatched - Kyoutani Kentarou

Au: Regular

Requested

Tags/Warnings: GN!Reader, Idiots that aren’t into dating are forced to go on dates, Platonic relationship, dialogue-heavy, Swearing, and strangers being weird.

Word Count: 11k+

You weren’t entirely sure what you were expecting when you walked into the club room that evening. Maybe a quiet environment with the winter sun shining through the window with a golden light. Or perhaps, your co-writers and designers passionately discussing what should be done for this month's journal. What you did find yourself walking into, though, should’ve been what you were expecting as it was the same every week.

The club leader, Fuji, who also was in charge of page layout and organising printing, was writing on the chalkboard at the front of the classroom while other students were spread around the room. The first years sat in a circle playing a card game and screeching at each other as one person stole away the lead from another. Toward the window, you saw your writing teammate as he scribbled down notes in a small book.

“Hi Takahashi,” you said, sliding into a chair in his vicinity. 

Looking up, he gave you a round, cheeky smile and nod, before writing again.

“Alright!” Fuji dropped the piece on chalk, making it break in two when it hit the metal ledge at the bottom of the board. “The 3rd-years on student council have enlisted our help for a project as we graduate. As Valentine’s day and White day occur just before exam period, they want this project to be thoroughly planned out before school ends so that there’s no interference when they examine the results and pass down the mantle to the second years.” 

The romance month. You were familiar with the concept although never really participated in it yourself. Valentine’s day was traditionally the day that, usually, girls would confess to their male counterparts, followed by a month of courting before it was the boys turn to confess to their female counterparts, whether they were different or the same. You tried not to yawn. It was a relatively straightforward concept, even now the specifics of the rules became muddled. One person confesses on February 14, and then the other responds on March 14. Simple. So what were these scheming 3rd-years planning?

Fuji continued, “While the student council, specifically the event’s committee branch, will be handling all the technical portions, they have asked us to write up an article and run reminders about the event occurring. Kaito, Rin, that will be your job.” 

Kaito slumped, rolling backwards and away from his circle of friends and the wide-eyed girl next to him cheered, throwing her cards in the air, and subsequently forfeiting the game. A card landed on Kaito’s nose.

Your brow pinched, and you raised a hand. “Fuji, if this is purely a social event thing, what do the rest of us have to do with it?”

“Test subjects,” she said as if it was obvious.

“Oh?” 

Takashi picked his head up from next to you and shoved an elbow into your side. “Looks like you get to live your guinea pig dreams.”

You smacked him.

“The student council is already underway working on preparations. So Kaito, Rin, by the next meeting we will need your first draft of your posters and article. By then we will have the likely finished copy of the questionnaire and final drafts can be written up. The rest of us will be looking at and filling out the questionnaire to see if students will answer the questions in a manageable way.”

The club seemed to collectively sit straighter, words falling out of their mouths in a rumbling chorus.

“So they’re doing a matching service?! So cute!”

“Do we have to participate? What if we already have a crush?”

“What if someone’s incompatible?”

“Sign me up. I want my stupid romance story!”

You perked up. “Questionnaire?”

“Called it.” You smacked Takahashi again.

Eventually, the club began getting too loud, making Fuji screech for quiet.

You winced, “tone down the cussing, would you Fuji?”

“Sorry.” She nodded in your direction. “But yes, that is the plan for next meeting. So get all your articles finished before then so that we can have a bit of fun with that. Now,” she smacked her clipboard onto the podium at the front, making your ears hurt again from the sharp noise, “bring up your edits, we are compiling.”

“So what exactly are we supposed to answer for this?”

The sheet in front of you was primarily made up of multiple-choice, true and false, and a couple of short answer questions. 

You had easily made your way through the first part of the questionnaire, marking things that described your physical appearance as well and general likes and dislikes. Just like you practised with all those online personality quizzes that allowed you to just talk about yourself and give you a silly result in return.

Momo sighed next to you, “Just fill in whatever comes to mind first. That will be what you’re most interested in. Like look here,” she shows you her sheet, which she scribbled with plenty of pink ink and doodled hearts, “they want to know what sort of body type I’m attracted to, so I checked off ‘soft, round, and homebody’ see? Easy.”

You blinked. That made no sense. You looked back at your sheet, focused on the next question.

Favourite body type?

Well? Uh. Skip.

What is your favourite activity to do with someone else? 

What the hell were these suggestions? Hold hands? Kiss? Hug? These aren’t activities, they’re just actions. You huffed, leaving the response blank. Skip.

Choose one:

Movies/TV or Sports or Video Games

Easy. You smiled and circled sports. What a sham you would be to not enjoy sports when you were writing articles about it. You looked over to Takahashi’s paper, and then the rest of your club mates. If you were to even breathe too loud, you were sure it would break their focus. From the looks of it, they had all flipped to the back of the page, leaving you stuck as the last person on the front. You huffed, glaring at the paper.

Being last wasn’t an option. Not in your wheelhouse. Next question.

What is your favourite physical feature of another person?

Seriously? Skimming the responses, you circled hair and eyes. Your favourite volleyball player had a mohawk with dyed ends.

What is your favourite personality feature of another person?

They should get Fuji to edit this. You marked off passion and drive.

What is your best quality?

Uh. Nudging Takahashi, you showed him the paper, pointing to the particular question. He gave you a raised brow and marked off patience, loyalty, understanding, joyful, and mischievous. That’s a lot.

You gave him a quirked brow, to which he shrugged as if to say ‘you’re asked me’. 

Theme park, or Movies, or Dinner?

Theme park!

Describe your favourite date:

You paused, pen hovering over the black horizontal lines. Describe it? Uh. Okay.

July 28th. It’s the middle of summer break, no school and I can travel to see volleyball games.

You nodded to yourself. Grin creeping up your cheeks. There was no other possible answer to that. 

What is your favourite snack?

Sugar Candy.

When you looked up, people were still scribbling in their answers to what looked like the date question. You grinned, you finished first. Pumping your fist, you refused to look down at some of your empty responses.

Fuji groaned. “I’m going to need to suggest some rewording for a few of these. How did you all find it?”

You groaned a bit, pulling out your laptop from your school bag. “It took a bit longer than I expected, and a few were a bit hard to answer, but not bad I guess.” You placed your sheet down in the centre of the table. You read through Takahashi’s last articles of the school year, checking for even the most minute edits that had to be made.

“You’re just sad that there isn’t an immediate result,” Momo laughed.

Rin perked up. “Don’t worry, results will come on Valentine’s day!”

You hummed.

“Okay, everyone!” The group of nine looked back Fuji’s way. “Time to forget these quizzes and do your final edits and page layout! Rin, you wrote the draft, right? Have Kaito read it over. I'm going to go talk to the student council!”

The teams split up. Kaito and Rin ran into the corner of the room. Momo and Itsuki followed behind, having already finished their work for the Clubs article. Though you were sure Momo would drift away from that over the rest of the meeting and work on layout and print in Fuji’s steed. Hira, Tomoe, and Akira scurried to their opposing corner, working on the exam layout for their respective years. Which left Takahashi and you to slowly look over each other’s sports articles.

“You misspelt ‘triumphant’ here.”

“Fuck you.”

He scoffed.

“I’ve edited yours. I’m gonna work on my essay.”

“Didn’t you finish that last week?” Takahashi tilted his head at you, halting his typing. “You found spelling mistakes didn’t you?”

“Shut up.”

On February 5th, a letter was waiting for you at your desk. Your brows pinched and you stopped walking. A letter? You looked around. Nearly all of the other desks had letters on them too.

They couldn’t be exam results. Those were posted publicly in Aoba Johsai’s main hall by the principal’s office (you swore, every time they were posted you could see him snicker as students fell to their knees in despair). Besides, they haven’t even been written yet. Won’t happen for another month and a half. You watched as one of your classmates eagerly tore open her letter with her friend, both giggling as they discarded the red heart sticker on the envelope.

Red hearts? Shit. 

Rushing to your desk, you snagged the flimsy paper off the desk, not even waiting to sit down as you tore it open.

Your name was printed in neat cursive, followed by printed text.

Thank you for participating in our very first Romance Match Up for Romance month from Valentine’s day to White day!

What? 

After filling in the first draft during club time you concluded that you had your fun with this little event. After which, you successfully avoided taking even a single copy of the final questionnaire that everyone else had been scrambling for at the beginning of the lunch period when it was released.

How did they even? You paused, fingers wrinkling the edge of the letter. “Fuji.”

Footsteps came in behind you. One pair was faster than the other. Momo rushed excitedly to your side. “OH! A Match! Yay yay yay yay! You got a match! So you did participate! Are you excited to find somebody? Huh, are ya? Come on, let's see who it is!”

Takahashi reeled her back, making her crash into his stomach with a thud. “Enough. Let’s sit first.” 

Their tables had letters of their own. But as they sat, they ignored the papers, waiting for you to read through yours first.

You sighed and read the paper: 

“Hello, and congratulations on receiving your match for the romance season! We, the student council, hope that you get to enjoy the next four weeks with your assigned partner and that results are to your benefit. That being said, we have compiled a list of requirements for you to follow so that this experiment will be a success.

For this event, you have been assigned the position of the ‘Confesor’ for Valentine’s day, meaning that on the 14th of February, you will be gifting your match their desired treat. Following that, we require that you both go on at least four dates over the next month. We have taken the liberty of giving you a coupon that should be used for your first date, to ease the worry of planning. At the end of these 4 weeks, another letter will be sent out as an exit questionnaire to determine the success of this event.

Basic information on your match is included on the additional slip in the envelope, as well as your coupons.

Thank you for your participation, and remember, Choose Love.”

You sucked in a breath before dropping the sheet on your desk. Takahashi and Momo opened their letters. Momo’s was the same as yours, while Takahashi’s set him in the position of the ‘Confessed’ and without an extra slip, meaning that he would find out his match in about a week's time.

“How fun!” Momo had already pulled out her slip, giving it a quick glance before tucking it in her pocket before you could catch a look. “All right, tell us who your lover is!”

“Lover? Don’t say it like that!”

Takahashi smirked, “Come on, it can’t be that bad. Just read it out!”

“Momo didn’t show us hers!”

“It’s a secret!”

“Ugh!” You pulled out the paper, glancing over to the rest of your classmates as they all started tearing their envelopes excitedly. No one, but Takahashi and Momo, was paying you any mind. A sigh fell out of you.

“Kyoutani Kentarou.”

Takahashi choked, hand going to his chest, while Momo rubbed his back and pinched one of his cheeks. “Nevermind it can be that bad.”

“Bad?! What do you mean?!”

Momo’s head tilted, “Whos Kyoutari?”

Takahashi opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a loud squeal in the classroom. You pinched your nose and groaned.

“Kyountani,” he corrected. “Better known as Mad-Dog.”

“Him?!” Momo cried, standing in her chair. You swatted at her like an annoyed cat.

“Who’s Mad-Dog?”

“You watch sports for fun and reporting and you don’t know who he is?”

“Well, sorry, that I have a duty to report on the girl’s teams, It’s not my job to keep track of everyone you wrote about! I bet you don’t know who Point is.” You slumped in your chair.

“Who?”

“Exactly. She’s the best player on the basketball team. Now tell me what’s up with Kyoutani!”

Momo sighed. “Mad-Dog is one of the most aggressive and scary people in the school. He’s on the volleyball team.”

“He’s known for pushing people around and being aggressive about the game. He’ll shove teammates around just to get a spike, even if he misses. He’s not very smart. I can’t even imagine why he would sign up for this thing. He doesn’t seem like the type.”

“I’m not the type either,” you scoffed.

Takahashi shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “That’s not it. You’re at least likeable. Mad-Dog is, well, I don’t even know if he has any friends besides the players he just puts up with. He was suspended from playing because of his attitude. He’s pretty intense.”

Marking the word ‘passionate’ on the questionnaire jumped into your mind. Maybe you should have filled in more, fluke traits.

“Well, great, I now have to figure out this whole dating thing for a guy I don’t even know and probably will try to bite my head off!”

Momo whined. “He’s really scary. Maybe you should just not go. I’m sure he wouldn’t care too much!”

A coward's choice. You huffed through your nose as your leg shook and you bit your lip.

Takahashi has been reporting on the boy’s side of school sports for two years now. Volleyball, something you both passionately enjoyed, was something you could happily converse over. If anyone in the school knew all these athletes intimately, even from an outside perspective, he would. Interviews and watching games, he has built his knowledge on these teams. If he said a player was trouble, they were.

Even so, you didn’t know what was going on, on Kyoutani’s side of the equation. Not that you could do math very well anyways, but if there was even a chance that the scary second-year was excited about this matchmaking, who were you to back out and possibly make his attitude worse. Even if your participation was unintentional, there was no backing out now. You weren’t going to play the coward, and from what you’ve heard, Kyoutani wouldn’t either.

“No, I can’t do that.”

Class started with you watching Momo and Takahashi sneek worried glances toward each other.

Aoba Johsai’s culinary room was packed with students as they prepared the treats for their Valentine’s. Generally, the classroom was filled with laughter and sugary smells as the students took advantage of their club time that they might not have been able to take advantage of at home. It was cute, sweet, and overflowing with excitement.

Every one of them avoided entering your corner of the room.

“Why the fuck did he list fired chicken as his favourite snack?!” Your corner was greasy, boiling, and most of all sweaty. No one, who wanted to keep their precious candy safe, would interfere. “Why couldn’t he have said hard candy? It’s just melted sugar! Maybe a bit of flavouring and food colouring! But no! I have to slave over a fryer so he can get his precious chicken.” 

Momo, held out your basket with wax paper, ready to receive the freshly made fried chicken. “You don’t even know him and you’ve cooked him a whole meal? You could have waited for, like, the third date for this really.”

“What else was I supposed to do?!” You dropped the chicken and grabbed the woven cover to keep them warm. You grumbled and gently took hold of the basket. “The things I’m doing for this man. You should have seen my parents' faces when I left the house with a whole chicken.”

Takashi tossed out the bones before following you out of the home-ec room. You could hear a collective sigh of relief as you left. Your clubmates rubbed your back, urging you to breathe slowly as you walked down the hall.

“You’re on edge. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Momo’s voice picked up happily.

When the three of you made your way out of the school’s main building, you shivered. Snow had started to fall at lunchtime, and it wasn’t letting up, catching on your clothes. You all rushed back inside to throw on your coats before starting your trek to the boy’s gym again.

It was a pair of wide brown eyes that greeted you at the gym door. A recognisable face, one that took up a majority of the volleyball’s article space.

Takahashi sighed. “Oikawa, Is Kyoutani here?”

“Mad-Dog?” It seemed like the tall boy was about to start singing. “He sure is! Hey, Mad-Dog! Looks like someone is here to see you!”

When members of the team began to snicker, you wanted to shrink in on yourself. Heat pooled in your cheeks before dropping into your stomach and kicking around with your stomach like a soccer ball. You could feel your acid reflux kick up. 

Hopelessly, you watched as the group of boys pushed a furious looking member in your direction. You cast a glance to your friends, who had backed off a few metres, nearing the corner of the building, almost hiding behind it. This was humiliating. You stared at your feet, only looking up when a scuffed pair of volleyball shoes entered your line of vision.

God, he was kind of scary, wasn’t he?

You remembered what you had marked off on our questionnaire. His hair was bleached blond, definitely against dress code, with two natural stripes that wrapped around his head. Even more against the dress code. You couldn’t help but wonder why teachers hadn’t spoken to him about it. His eyes though, looking past the glare he had, were a honey gold, soft looking.

A cold breath of winter air filled your lungs. You could do this.

“You said you liked Hamima Chicken, but I had to make something, not buy it, so here. Fried chicken. I hope you like it.” You held the carefully packaged gift to him.

He glared at him, huffing through his nose.

“Um, It’s freshly made, you might want to eat it before it gets cold.”

You hear the volleyball team snicker, making you glance over. Kyountani tenses in front of you, swiftly turning his head to look over his shoulder. Whatever look he gave them was enough to have them hurrying back a few steps. You tried not to laugh at their expense.

A spiky-haired member started shoving them back into practice.

When Kyoutani looked back your way, you lifted the fried chicken back up. His eyes flicked between your face and the food.

He took hold of the sides of the basket and pulled it into his stomach. “Hmm.” He still looked like he was glaring.

“Um, so. We have to go on four dates.” He nodded along, as you pulled out your phone from your pocket. “How about we exchange numbers and I’ll make the plan for the first one.”

He continued to glare but turned his attention to the small device in your hand. You gulped as he took it, and punched his thumbs into the keypad. 

He handed it back and you nodded in the windy silence. It was hard not to shiver a bit.

“Okay then. I’ll send you the info.”

With a final nod, he stepped back into the gym, door slamming behind him. You could hear howling laughter through it. How embarrassing.

Takahashi and Momo ran up to you from their hiding spots, hands landing on your shoulders.

“You did great!”

“Sure but what the hell do I have to do for this date? What do people do on dates?!”

They started escorting you back towards the main building, aiming for the lockers where you could get organised before heading home where your parents would definitely be waiting for answers. Hopefully, they were stuck at work like normal.

Takahashi hummed. “Didn’t your letter come with a coupon for something?” 

You snapped your fingers and rummaged through your backpack. Pulling out the somewhat tattered envelope, you tucked your fingers in and pulled out the two coupons. 

“Theme park. Eligible for this Saturday.”

Momo clapped and pushed the school door open. “There you go! Now you have a plan!”

Once you stepped through the doors you froze, a cold shiver running over your head despite the warm interior. You cried, “There’s a Sendai Frogs game that day!”

This sucks.

“Chilly, chilly, chilly.”

Oh, how you despised the cold. Even if the falling snow was pretty, and winter came with hot chocolate, you shivered at the mere thought of needlessly standing outside to freeze. Yet here you were, standing straight as a board, in a line for a ride with a near-stranger at your side as snow fell clammy before melting as soon as it landed on any surface that wasn’t a pile of snow.

To top it all off. The coupon that the student council had so lovingly given out for this date, wasn’t for a scream filled, stomach-churning, terror-inducing, roller-coaster filled park like you were expecting. While that might have seemed to be a bad option in the colder weather, you liked to think the adrenaline would counteract that.

You stared up at the pink and red, bubble lettered sign that decorated the front entrance of the ride ahead of you. At any of them, park, it wouldn’t have been your first choice, likely not on the list at all. But to your displeasure, it was the only ride in the vicinity that had offered some sort of excitement, by parading its riders through a dark tunnel.

The general concept sounded aerie, and the fact that the ride was the only one that took place in an enclosed environment, you were a bit hopeful. You would be excited for scares if it weren’t for the previously mentioned sign that bore the name of the ride.

‘Tunnel of Love’

How humiliating.

You grimaced and turned your head to glance at the bitter looking boy next to you. Words to fill the silence were about to fall, probably stupidly, out of your mouth when a shove in your opposing shoulder shut you up and knocked you into Kyoutani’s side. He caught you with an arm around your shoulders.

He glared at the couple that had shoved their way in front of you, into the first spot in line. Wordlessly, he let out a huff, making puffy clouds escape his nose.

Grabbing hold of your arm through your coat, he shoved his shoulder into the spine of the guy in front of him, effectively ending the couples mid-day makeout session. When the stranger turned around, mouth open to berate Kyoutani, the teen sneered.

“Fuck off and get behind us.”

Kyoutani hiked up his free elbow, cutting through the couple and pulling you alongside him. Once back into your original spot you tried to pay the annoyed pair behind you no mind. It was rather easy once you noticed Kyountani’s arm that was still stiffly wrapped around your shoulders gripping nervously at the air just next to your arm.

Returning to your board-like state you glanced sideways to get a look of the boy’s face.

The skin between his brows was pushed outwards, creating thick creases by his brow. Same for his nose, which had deep inset lines branching up to the inner corner of his glaring eyes, and sides of his mouth. His mouth, which was sewn shut, bottom lip being pushed up as high as seemingly possible. He was grimacing more than before. Looking back to his hand on your opposite shoulder, you could see the tendons pop as he tried to keep it as still as possible as if trying to hide it being there.

Did he want it to be there? You weren’t sure. His scowl could be of nerves or discomfort, maybe both. But while you couldn’t read his emotions through that grimace, you knew your own, at least partially, and it felt awkward and uncomfortable. You just hoped he wouldn’t try to bite your head off, the couple behind you definitely wouldn’t do anything to help.

Taking a gulp of cold air, you reached for his wrist and ducked under his arm. Guiding his hand to tuck back into his coat pocket, you looped your elbow around his arm, before tucking away your own hands into the safe confines of your pockets.

You tried not to make a face when he turned his head to look at you.

“Next in line!”

You pulled him by your linked arms and got into the ride, quickly setting off into the dark tunnel.

As expected, it was dark. Too dark for any kind of ride. What was the point of this? Your only saving grace was that the cold wind couldn’t reach you in there, making you feel considerably warmer. Well, that plus the furnace of a boy next to you.

“It’s a lot warmer here at least, huh?”

Kyoutani scoffed, “Ya, you’ve been whining all day.”

“Hey! At least I’ve been trying to talk!”

“Wimp.”

Silence permeated between the two of you. You glanced over your shoulder to see if there was any light coming from where you entered. Nothing.

“So, you’re on the volleyball team.”

“Hmm.”

You couldn’t see any of his reactions. He was probably still glaring.

“What position do you play?”

“Opposite hitter.”

You stuck your fingers between your knees, trying to warm them up.

“Ah, so you must like doing a lot of spiking.” You recalled your conversation with Takahashi and Momo. “Finishing moves are always the most fun.”

“Ya.”

Well, at least he was saying something.

“Maybe I should watch more of your games. I’m normally parading around with the girl’s teams, so I don’t often have the opportunity.”

“Hmm?” Participation! You perked up in your seat a bit.

“I’m a part of the journalism club as the girl’s sports reporter. I go to all the games and some practices.”

“Their team isn’t as good as ours.”

A grin fell onto your cheeks, and before you could stop it, you let out a chuff at the challenge.

“I suppose not, but your team also has its faults from what I’ve heard. The best team in the school is currently the girl’s basketball team.”

You heard him huff as a gentle gust of hot air hit your cheeks. You couldn’t see it, but he was finally facing you head-on. Progress? You hoped you weren’t hitting the wrong buttons.

He didn’t say anything for a bit, but he didn’t turn away or shuffle. “So, journalism club. Did you have anything to do with this?” He sounded annoyed, but not much more than usual.

“Ah, no. I didn’t even mean to participate myself—”

A loud, breathy sigh echoed through the tunnel behind you. You froze, jaw dropping. The couple that had tried to cut in line. 

You gulped. “Oh my god, that is horrifying.” You heard Kyoutani’s tongue click and his clothes rustle. “I very much regret dragging us in here now.”

Kyoutani’s hand landed roughly on your shoulder. He had stood in his seat and gotten to his knees, gripping onto you for balance in the dark. 

You grabbed his wrist, “Careful!”

“OI, FUCKERS, YOU’RE NOT ALONE IN HERE!”

Laughter ripped through your stomach, echoing off the walls of the tunnel and shooting through your ear like a bullet. Once the acoustics stopped, you could hear hurried scrambling as the two behind you moved around frantically. Which sent you into another fit of laughter, dripping Kyoutani’s wrist like a vice.

“DISGUSTING!”

You choked on your breath, feeling tears slowly trail down your cheeks as they tried to find a place to freeze.

The ride ended soon after, and you were greeted with one of the workers, disturbed faces. You left, walking back into the cold.

“That was terrible!”

“Fuckers can’t keep their pants on for one minute.”

“I never want to experience that again.”

“Me neither.”

“The worker looked terrified! Do you think they have night vision cameras for safety?”

You watched a smirk on his face contently. “I sort of hope they do.” His stomach growled.

“Let’s get some food.”

You both stood awkwardly for a moment, watching the extraordinary amount of couples that walked tightly knit together around you. Kyoutani met your eyes for a moment before pushing out his elbow, hand still tucked away in his pocket. Your arm was looped through his again as you walked through the theme. For a while, you had forgotten exactly where you were.

Oh god, everything really was made for couples.

After a bit of wandering, you both found your way to the only not jam-packed cafe in the theme park. Sadly though, no matter where you turned, you were met with just as, if not more, PDA positive couples as the one you encountered at the love tunnel.

“This place is an eye sore,” Kyoutani mumbled while reading the menu.

A couple, only a seat over, were tucked into the corner, hands never leaving their partners skin as they kissed heavily against the wall.

You both cringed. “Let’s just get a drink and get out of this place.”

To your despair, your hot drinks did little to fight against the cold, which had only seemed to drop in temperature since you got to the cafe. You both stood stiffly in the middle of the theme park, sipping on your drinks through straws and staring at the concrete ground, away from all the lovey-dovey couples.

“So this has been terrible,” you sighed.

“It’s still 3pm.”

“Yup.”

For the love of— what the hell do people do on dates? Think, Think. The quiz had mentioned dinner and movies? Were there any noteworthy movies released recently that weren’t RomComs? All that the damn letter gave you was coupons, and for all you could care, the saved money didn’t make up for the awful location.There were still some rides that you could do, but they were slow with long lines, and staying in the cold felt like it would only worsen the mood. And you were certain that seeing another handsy couple would make you both uncomfortable. The parks games would likely suck up the rest of your money too. Even if Kyoutani was a skilled athlete, rigged games weren’t worth it. Neither of you were really dressed to be outside too long either. Finding a gym could possibly work, but they’d all likely be booked for practices. Wait!

“I have season tickets to Sendai Frogs? They’re division two but still really good and—”

“Let’s go.” Kyoutani’s back seemed to have straightened, shoulders rising slowly as he sucked in some air. He loops his arm through yours, pulling you toward the theme park’s exit.

“The game isn’t for another 3 hours!”

“We’ll get food first.” 

With it being the ‘most romantic day of the year’, people were crowding the trains and streets as they went on the merry way to their dates. It was overwhelming. You and Kyoutani had to push your way through giant bouquets of roses and massive chocolate hearts as you travelled the relatively short distance to the stadium. It was annoying, not being able to see over mountains of roses and hearts. While you were fine with just dealing with the hindrances, you couldn’t help but let out a small laugh when Kyoutani decided to curse them out for being in your way. You were sure to give the people quiet apologies though.

You had made it to a small family owned restaurant up the street from the stadium, stuffing your faces with all the food that you had missed throughout the day. 

“Let me pay for my food.” Kyoutani was rising out of his seat to go pay at the cash register when you grabbed the hem of his shirt to pull him back.

“I’m not broke you wimp. You’re already paying for the tickets.” 

You didn’t want to correct him by saying it was your parent’s money paying for the tickets. Then again, paying for the meal would be your parent’s money as well. You let go of his shirt. “Fine, but hurry or we’ll miss the pre-game stuff.”

“You think I’m slow?” He growled, turning around to face you.

“No, but you will be if you keep standing there. Just go pay quickly.” Shooing him off to the counter, you wrapped yourself up in your coat and grabbed his off the backrest. Holding it open for a quick slide on when he returned.

His “thanks” came out in a small grumble before he linked your arms again and set off toward the stadium.

You were happily jumping with each step as you approached the building and your seats inside. Games were always a highlight of and sort of week. Home or away. It was always great to see your city’s team play. Nothing made you feel better.

A familiar figure with rounded and hunched shoulders, a protruding stomach and a large cup with piss coloured liquid stood in the seat next to yours. “Oh, great.”

He must’ve heard you, as his head turned to look at you as you descended the steps to your seats. Kyoutani was just a step behind you when you slid into the row.

“Hey, Kid!” The man’s hefty arm slung itself around your shoulder, bringing you into a tight side-hug that nearly made his drink spill onto your coat. 

“Hi, already drinking?” You put a kind smile on your face as you looked at the soft plastic container filled with beer.

“Fourth one! Gotta start strong!” He shouted it out proudly, as if he wasn’t going to be asleep in his seat by the end of the game from all the alcohol.

“Congratulations.”

When the man’s arm dropped, he turned to face his buddies for a moment that were on the other side of him. A tug on your elbow had you switching places, putting you farther away from the noise and drinks. Kyoutani let you go, back facing the strange man as he pulled off his coat. You looked at him with wide eyes, silent as you quickly got rid of your jacket and placed it on the seat behind you.

The man turned back, beer-soaked mouth open as he was about to speak before pausing, shutting his jaw, and then promptly speaking again. He leans around Kyoutani to see him. “Ah! Who’s this guy? I don’t know your face.”

Kyoutani’s face began tight as he gave the man a side glare.

“He’s a,” you gulped, “friend from school.”

The man grinned, showing off his crooked teeth. “Ah! Nice to meet ya, Bud!” He raised an arm swinging it toward the striped blond’s shoulders until Kyoutani took a step closer to you and out of reach from the drunken grasp. Grabbing the man’s wrist, Kyoutani lowers it with a glare. “Ah, not a hugger, that’s fine. You better cheer loud though.”

You both were finally taken out of the guy’s immediate thought at the pre-game starting, pulling his attention away like a moth to a flame.

Kyou leaned toward you, lowering his volume to be underneath the announcer’s. “Who’s the jackass?” The anthem began to play.

You huffed through your nose and whispered, “Honestly, I don’t know his name. I just call him Drunk Guy. He’s got season tickets as well. He’s not terrible, he’s just really—”

As if someone watching over you had a specific taste in comedic timing, the anthem finished and the subject of your conversation let out a horrendous scream, then a sharp whistle that stabbed your ears as the players took their positions. He follows the volume match with a slurry of rambling cussing directed at the opposing team, challenging and coercing them into an aggravated state, while he shook his beer wildly in the air. Whether or not he succeeded in making your opponents annoyed, you didn’t know, but he definitely made you hate him.

“Loud,” you finished.

Kyoutani huffed, glaring over his shoulder at the man until the game started and everyone settled into their seats.

The drunk man’s sneers and swears quickly faded into the crowd’s cheers as the game continued. Letting you enjoy the game fully without any distractions, except for a minor few

Whenever Sendai scored a point, and the onlookers jumped to their feet to cheer, Kyoutani’s hand found your shoulder and squeezed in for dear life before pulling away like it burned his palm. Looking over, you’d see a familiar scowl with his eyes glued on the game before you. He was rather quiet the whole game, only letting out small huffs of excitement every now and then as he grabbed your shoulder and clenched his other hand into a fist. Quiet until Drunk Guy decided to heckle one of the injured opponents as he walked off the court with a bloody nose. Kyoutani snapped at him, yelling louder than anyone in the crowd. You tried not to laugh as the man backed off like a whimpering puppy.

The game ends with Sendai Frogs’ win, tightly making it over the two point difference with 29 in the 5th set.

You pulled Kyoutani out of the stadium by your linked arms. It had happened unconsciously. After silently finding an agreeable way to hold on to each other as you walked, it seemed like your arms looped together like magnets once needed.

The winter wind was much stronger than when you had arrived, making your teeth clatter as you walked home.

“I have more tickets if you want to come again. My parents usually end up missing games because of work.”

Kyoutani let the wind fill in the silence for a moment. “When’s the next one?”

“Next week. It’s an earlier game though. We could count it as one of our four dates,” you said, absentmindedly, suddenly remembering the context of the whole situation.

When you looked his way though, Kyoutani’s face was screwed in a way that made it seem as though he had just eaten something incredibly foul. 

You backtracked, “O-or not. We don’t need to hang out at all if you’d prefer, it’s not a big deal.” You were used to attending the games on your own regularly anyways.

Kyoutani huffed, eyes straying to the side where a dog park was. “I just don’t like the date thing.” 

You stopped in your tracks, pulling Kyoutani along with you. “Is that all?” His mouth opened for a moment before getting distracted by a large, puffball of a canine that made its way over and pressed its nose against the separating fence. Kyoutani poked it, making the dog dark happily before running back to its owner.

Your laugh brought his attention back your way. “Seriously, Kyoutani. If it’s the idea of it being a ‘date’ that bothers you, then let’s just think of it as us hanging out instead. There’s no expectations with that, right?”

For once, the boy’s expression seemed a bit more neutral, unblinking as his eyes jittered between looking at the both of yours. His shoulders dropped, you hadn’t noticed how tense he was until that point.

You hummed, “Sound good?”

Rin’s hands were held together, pressing into her chest as she sighed dreamily toward the clubroom ceiling as if Aphrodite herself was descending from it. “We went to see a rom-com! He held my hand and hugged me throughout it. He’s so warm. He even wiped off a crumb from my cheek and kissed it and—AH! I feel hot just thinking about it! Am I blushing? My face must be so red!”

You blinked at the younger girl. Held hands? Through the whole movie? That must have been really sweaty. And kissing on the first date? What? Noticing that it was wide open, you shut your jaw. 

Momo laughed, “You look like a strawberry, Rin. Takahashi and I went to a fancy restaurant. We held hands and drank water like it was fancy wine. Almost convinced him to propose right there!” She elbowed the boy that sat between you with a cheeky grin, making him shove her back. “We’re going ice skating next. You’ll carry me so I won’t fall right?”

“Sure.”

They all seemed to melt into the floor as they spoke about their dates. Like somehow their body temperature was high enough to render their muscles useless, letting them sink into the floor or chairs like puddles of molasses.

Akira cheered from their chair, “Ooh! We went skating for our date! She held my hand the whole time and we had hot chocolate afterwards. I got some whipped cream on my nose and when I wiped it off she kissed my cheek!”

You watched Akira’s eyes become half lidded. Rin decided to take the following science to fly a pin your way.

“How did your date go?”

You laughed like a fog horn. “We caught a couple getting frisky in the love tunnel at the carnival and then went to this cutsie cafe that had sort of meh drinks. Then again, it seemed less like people went for food but instead to make out. So we ditched and went to a family restaurant before watching the Sendai Frogs play.”

“You just ditched the whole Valentine’s day date thing?” Momo pouted.

Takahashi snorted. “Why am I not surprised? I can’t imagine you, or Mad-Dog enjoying that sort of thing.”

Rin whined, “But you were supposed to have a cute date and fall in love and stuff!” To which you just silently shrugged in response. “Do you even plan on going on another date?”

“Uh, there’s another Sendai frogs game, but other than that, it’s technically his turn to plan, I think.”

Momo looked at you as if he had just heard a forecast of endless bad weather. “You think?”

Again, you shrugged.

Your gloved fist hammered on the wooden door, making a dull thud rather than a recognisable knock. It had gotten colder over the week, like nature wanted to sneeze out its last remaining bits of winter before spring came around. Even the weather forecast talked about a probable chance of cold winds and snow coming from the north for the next while. It was cold, getting colder, and you were on the racecar stripped teen boy’s doorstep, shivering in it.

He finally opened the door, yawning and still in his baggy pyjamas.

You scoffed, “Sleep in?”

“Ya. Come in. I’ll get changed.”

You brushed past him and pulled off your outdoor clothes, eager to soak in the heat. “Don’t bother, it’s fine. You can get changed before we leave if it’s more comfortable. Not like I'm dressed all that fancy.” You gestured to your sloppy sweatpants and shirt before taking your shoes off. “So what's the plan for today?”

Not needing to take care of extra clothing like you did, Kyoutani took a few extra steps into the living room and grabbed two remote controls off the coffee table. “I’ll order fried chicken and pizza in a bit too.”

You smirked, “Oh, I see. You ready to lose?” Finally removing your second shoe, you rushed forward, snatching the remote from his hand and flopping onto the couch.

“As if.”

The pizza had been eaten quickly between matches, Kyoutani eating half of your side of the pie after he had inhaled a hefty amount of fried chicken. Despite the constantly full mouth, it didn’t seem to prevent him from talking.

“Shut up and get out of my way!”

“No way. We’re going against each other, I’m trying to win!”

Kyoutani kicked a leg up onto the couch and pushed his heel into your shoulder. Being shoved sideways sends your arm askew, making you kiss the needed buttons.

Kyoutani jumps to his feet, stretching his arms high into the air before crashing down into a hunched squat. “Fuck Ya!”

“Oh, fuck you, cheater!” You dropped the remote in exchange for the throw pillow that you  had been, well, thrown into, and used it for the purpose it’s name suggested. Kyoutani’s head, followed by the rest of his body in a wave like motion, toppled sideways, before spinning back and landing on the couch. Then, your alarm rang.

Drunk Guy wasn’t present at the game this time, you’d never know for sure why. But you always told yourself that he probably got too drunk at a nearby bar, and couldn’t make the extra trip. Though you would never be upset about his absence, a game where he would likely start yelling at his own team, made you grateful you didn’t have to hear his crude ramblings.

The game was disappointing. With the team's ace injured after last week, a concussion along with a badly bruised nose, morale had dropped and the team wasn’t playing their best. It wasn’t a bad game, necessarily, close in score and filled with good plays. But within five minutes, everyone in the stadium seemed to know that Sendai Frogs were going to lose.

You sighed, and turned to look Kyoutani’s way, who —despite the obvious loss— was staring intently at the match before him. Looking closer, it was almost as if his eyes were glowing. Amber, gold, and honey.

Before you realised it, the first set ended and Kyoutani sank into his seat with a huff.

“You look very intense when you’re watching the game. It’s a bit scary, but your eyes look very pretty too.”

“Shut up.” He pushed you over, making you laugh and retaliate by doing the same.

“Oh that reminds me, do you bleach your eyebrows too?”

New letters were decorating the tables when you arrived at class on Monday morning. You didn’t even wait for Momo and Takahashi to arrive when you dropped onto your assigned chair and tore the envelope open. 

“Ah,” Momo had shown up, peeking over your shoulder. “An ice skating coupon, that’s fun!”

You crumpled the letter, and stuffed it in your backpack.

Takahashi had sat down as well, pulling the happy girl off your shoulder and pushing her into her own chair. “Can Mad-Dog even skate?”

You groaned, at least it wasn’t the carnival again. And with Valentine’s day over most of the red heart and rose decorations would be gone. Though, that didn’t mean anything for White day, perhaps why would have just changed the colour scheme a bit for the next few weeks. “I don’t know, but it looks like I’m going to find out. This coupon is 50% off for couples. Gotta abuse that.”

Thinking more about it, the Sendai Frogs game that week was in another city, so instead of seeing it in person, you’d be watching the live broadcast. You weren’t sure if Kyoutani would mind coming to your place to watch it or not, but he had invited you to his home, so.

You hummed.

Kyoutani hummed also, when you showed him the coupon and mentioned the away game. You quickly left though, at the teasing sounds of laughter and pursing lips from his teammates behind him. You understood why he lashed out at them.

“Ouch, ouch. Hey, too much!”

To Kyoutani’s credit, he knew how to skate. Though his heart belonged to volleyball, being an athlete set him up to at least have transferable skills in all sports. Along with his skills however, his insistent need for perfection and winning seemed to carry over too, even in things that weren’t competitive in and of themselves.

He tugged your skates laces tighter, practically suffocating your foot

“Watch it! You’re gonna tear the thing right off!”

From his kneeled position before you, blade between his knees, he looked up and gave you a glare. “Do you want to break an ankle?”

“No, ideally not.”

“Then shut up and deal with it.”

He just had to show off that he was better at tying laces than you were. And what sucked more, he actually was.

The skating rink was outdoors, split into two sections, one where people played a bit of hockey, or did fancy tricks, and the other that was limited to casual skating. Beside it, a large wooden cabin-like building that functioned as a change room and cafe along with having rentable skates. Kyoutani had you sitting on one of the wooden benches until he got your skates fused to your legs.

Once on the ice, Kyoutani had no qualms about shouldering you, trying to knock you off balance, confident in his work of your laces. Of course, you retaliated, making the shoving match continue as bruises built underneath your jackets and you both began to build more speed turning the shoving matches into dodging and then a flat out race.

You could barely hear Kyoutani’s growls over the cold wind that rushed by your ears. People yelped as you both zipped by, nearly knocking them over. The speed was exhilarating, you haven't skated in years and sliding across the ice at a speed you had never reached before was like becoming a new person. You and Kyoutani were neck in neck with a clear path ahead of you. You wanted to win.

The feeling of cold wind pushing back against your speed made you think for a half second. It had been a number of years since you stepped foot on ice. Maybe you should’ve practiced stopping.

Kyoutani held two ice packs in his hands, one in each. He pressed the one in his left against the swelling spot on top of his as the other, in his right, was pushed against your forehead. He was, also, holding up the weight of your head as you jokingly slumped into it as you filled out the skating rinks injury form. At least you were smiling and not grimacing over the pain he supposed.

It was a simple questionnaire, primarily going over the incident and making you both confess over how dumb you were being while promising not to sue them over your mistake. When you finally gave the piece of paper back, Kyoutani was able to hand off your ice pack and return your skates to the amused worker behind the counter. He glared at the man.

The ice packs were luckily one time use, meaning that you could take it home, not that it was all that different than just standing out in the cold.

Kyoutani groaned from the ache in his head as you both walked. “Did you really have to fill out that form?”

“Just be happy that I didn’t make you fill out one too. And belides. It was kind of fun.”

For once, you were grateful for the frigid temperatures. The feeling of the wind and snowflakes against your burning forehead was relaxing. You were almost sad when you arrived home.

“Oh! You must be Kyoutani! My, I never thought I’d see the day that my kid went on a date!”

You tried not to gag at the memory of the first ‘date’. Beside you, Kyoutani didn’t hide his disgust. Your mother didn’t pay any mind though, running up to you both, helping you out of your winter gear, all while gushing about the thought of her darling child finally behind with someone. You pretended not to hear her mention Takahashi and Momo and her thoughts of setting you up with either of them.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a date exactly—”

“Dinner is ready, love birds! Grab your plates.” Your dad called from the kitchen.

You cursed yourself silently for mentioning Kyoutani coming over to watch the game. If you hadn’t, the two might have actually stayed at work like they usually did.

One hand on either of your backs, You bother ushered you into the kitchen to stuff your plates.

Sitting around your living room furniture as your parents stared at you and Kyoutani like reincarnations of past lovers made you want to regurgitate the food you had already tried to each under their oppressing gazes. You tried your best to focus on the match that was streaming on the screen in front of you.

“Could you not stare—”

“So, Kyoutani, did they ask you out on Valentine’s day? It was with the chicken right? Oh, darling, why didn’t you tell us you had a crush?”

From the corner of your eye, you could see the blond's shoulders crawl up to his ears.

“I didn’t, I don’t,” you huffed, setting your nearly empty plate down. You didn’t have the appetite any longer. “It’s a school organized event by the student council. So, I didn’t really ask him out. We just sort of got paired up.”

“Ah, have you two been having fun on your dates at least?” Your dad piped in.

Kyoutani set his own plate down, not even a trace of food was left. “The first date was pretty trash, the rest have been fine, I guess.” 

You blinked. Would you ever get a better compliment from the boy than that? You felt rather smug. You nodded, “We didn’t really have a say in that one, but ya, it was pretty bad.”

Your mom frowned, “Oh? Why not?”

“Stupid horn dogs and a fucking love fest of a theme park.” 

Again, you nodded. “Exactly that, really.”

“Oh, but the Valentine's theme park is so cute and romantic!” for a moment you watched as your mom fell into your dad's arms dramatically, showering him with love and adoration that he eagerly reciprocated as they both thought back to fond memories of dates and other things.

Their ramblings became mute to your ears as you turned your head to instead watch Sendai Frogs score a clean point and take the set.You and Kyoutani cheered, his hand came to clasp your shoulder again in the excitement.

By the time it had come for Kyoutani to make his way home, your parents had gone off to who knows where. 

You leaned on the door frame as he pulled his shoes on. “I’m sorry if they made you uncomfortable. When I mentioned you coming over for the game, they insisted on getting out of work early. I guess, I know why now.”

“They’re just weird fuckers who care to much about your love life. It’s weird, but fine. Not too different from everyone else.”

You didn’t hold back your laughter, “You’re not wrong! Huh, I don’t think I ever really noticed that.”

Even before the student councils, meddling, dating and crushes seemed to be all people talked about outside of school and a few other things. Classmates, schoolmates, celebrities, fictional characters. Did it ever stop?

“Do your parents do that? Like what mine did?”

Kyoutani swung on his coat and glared to the ceiling as if in deep thought, maybe he did have to think hard about it and you were just mistaking it for his usual look. “Not really. My mom tells my dad how handsome he is and my dad will hold her and take care of her. But I've seen friends do that too. He never buys roses or chocolates, and she never makes elaborate meals to celebrate anniversaries. I don’t even know if they had a wedding. I just know that they love each other.” 

That’s it, huh?

He zipped his coat and continued after another pause. “They’ve never pestered me about anything like yours seem to either. They care more about how I'm doing in school and if I’m staying out of trouble.”

You stared at the class one student with a delinquent’s reputation and smirked. “Are you? Staying out of trouble that is.”

He huffed and zipped up his coat. “Shut up. I’m managing.”

When he took one step out the door, he turned around to look at you with his signature glare, before holding up his puffy sleeve covered arms.

Smiling, you let go of the door and sank into the hug with a slow sigh. “Get some safe, okay? Watch out for the ice.”

He was warm. His hands were still on your back for a moment before brushing along the length of your spine and pulling away with an affirmative hum.

Rin stared at you with a dropped jaw and pinched eyes. The journalism club, as they do once the main load of work was done, was once again talking about their dates. Fuji used the opportunity to make a small sampled report to give to the student council every week. But within your small group of friends, you seemed to be an outlier.

“Let me get this straight. You guys shoved each other around on the ice, raced, and slammed into the barrier instead of, like, holding hands and drinking hot chocolate?”

You nodded as your fingers ran across your laptop's keyboard. “Ya. Why would we do all that stuff?”

Rin groaned, fists slamming into her thighs. “‘Cause it’s supposed to be a date! A romantic date!”

“Why though?”

Kaito rolled his eyes before smacking the back of his classmate's head. “Leave it alone. There’s only one more date left anyways. And if they don’t want to date they don’t have to. This is the first time the Student council has done this sort of thing, so it’s not perfect. They just don’t like each other.”

You tilted your head in the younger students direction as you listened to his tired words. Not like each other? You did like Kyoutani. Why wouldn’t you? Sure things started off a bit strangely; being thrown into an uncomfortable situation with a stranger is weird. But you did like him. He was passionate about competition and sports. Particularly volleyball, which you had a shared interest in. He was funny, and at least someone fun to anger since his reactions here were entertaining. He was aggressive and maybe a bit scary at times, but not without reason. He was fun, liked dogs, and gave good hugs too. Why was there not to like?

You stared at your clubmates as they went on to talk about their matches. Was it really all that different? Rin’s whine stabbed your ear drum. You winced.

Maybe it was different.

But who gives a fuck?

Momo and Takahashi were already on the raised platform when you arrived. Though you three had nearly always been by each other's sides, since the two got matched up however, they had been stuck like glue in and outside of school. You didn’t even know they liked each other like that. You slid in next to Momo. 

The boy’s volleyball team members were the the court, facing off against another school for a friendly scrimmage practice. From what Kyoutani had mentioned, at the end of the school year, they invited as many opposing teams as possible for a final hurrah of playing. All just for fun. You hadn’t ever taken a moment to watch any of the boys teams, but when Kyoutani had brought up the friendly, end of year tournament, asked (insisted) on being there to watch a few games. 

Your teeth dug into your lip as Kyoutani shoved past his teammates to get a spike in against the opposing team. Never having seen him play before, you could now clearly see why Momo and Takahashi were concerned beforehand. But it didn’t stop you from cheering his name loudly when the ball landed with a dangerous thwack at their libero’s feet, just inside the line.

Momo pulled your arms down from their victorious thrusting. “Are you sure you don’t like Kyoutani?”

You huffed, arms crossing as you narrowed your eyes at the girl. “What do you mean? I do like him. I wouldn’t have come to watch otherwise.” 

Takahashi continued to type on his laptop. Likely a play by play of sorts so that he could include it at the end of year article. Sadly, none-of the girl’s teams had anything going on. So there wasn’t anything for you to contribute other than a summary of the year and edits. He groaned when Momo leaned backwards against him, still giving you a suspicious glare.

“Okay… if you say so.”

Why she was hung up about it, you would never understand.

You were walking off the platform when you spotted the striped boy pounce on his captain.

Oikawa always was a bit of a twerp, annoying Kyoutani and trying to find every button that would make him explode.

“Oh, Mad-Dog! Your little date is here.” The captain sang, digging his fingers into the younger student’s shoulder.

Kyoutani groaned indignantly. “We aren’t dating, asswipe.”

“Really? They were cheering for you pretty loud. Louder than my fans even. Are you sure you aren’t an item? I knew our plan would work out!”

Kyoutani glared at the brunette, huffing hot air out of his nose as he crouched down. “Fight me you piece of shit!” he lunged, and choked.

Iwaizumi held the back of the boy’s collar, just holding him out of reach for Oikawa’s neck. The smiling brunet sang a little tune. 

The rest of the team watched on with mute laughter as their resident pound dog got his leash tightened on his by the dog walker. Iwaizumi sighed.

“Settle down, chihuahua. He’s not worth it!”

“Hey, Kyoutani!” 

It wasn’t the first time the team had seen you, so actually seeing you, along with two friends, though a bit out of the blue, was not really anything brand new to them. What was surprising though, was the sight of their rabid friend's shoulders relaxed and the aggressive creases in his face softened as he looked your way.

You parted ways from Momo and Takahashi at the school gate. Kyoutani looped his arm through yours once they were out of sight.

“Okay. So why did you do the questionnaire if you didn’t want to go on any dates?” 

“Fuck if I know! Those assholes made me do it. Wouldn’t stop pestering me about getting a date until I filled it out! And they’re still bothering me about it!”

You laughed, kicking a snowball that was left on the sidewalk.

“You aren’t like those asswipes either. Why did you sign up?”

“It was an accident actually.” Kyoutani raised an invisible brow in your direction. “We were helping the student council look over the questions and fill them out to see if they were any good. Test dummies essentially. Plus I like quizzes and questionnaires. But when Fuji gave them back with recommendations, I guess mine got filtered into the system even though it was the draft version. My friends keep getting annoyed that I don't do what they expect me to on these damn dates.”

You paused, holding Kyoutani back as you looked at the large snowflakes that were now following on his head.

“But honestly, I’m not even mad about it. Sure the first date was weird as all hell. But I like hanging out with you.”

“Hmm.”

You watched as a large fluff of snow landed on Kyoutani’s nose. Making him scribble up from the cold and snake the offending fluff off. A snort escaped you, making you hunch over in laughter.

Kyoutani growled at the sound and tugged you by your attached arms, pulling you into his chest.

“You’re warm. It’s nice,” your laughter subsided. “And you smell like sweat. Less nice. Did you not shower after the game?”

“Shut up.” Kyoutani’s eyes were closed as he tilted his head back towards the sky and let the softly falling clumps of white fluff land on his face.

You smiled, sinking into his hug. “Who cares if we’re not doing what everyone else wants. I like what we’re doing.”

“Hmm.”

The boy seemed to leave his door unlocked a lot.

“KENTAROU!”

Raising your leg up, you shoved your heel into the (already open, you didn’t want to damage anything) wood door, making it swing open.

On the other side, Kyoutani was padded up in his heaviest winter gear in a deep lunge, ready to dive.

The temperature had dropped again, the final assault of snow that week had made large stacks of snow that had to be shoveled through. Spring will come soon.

Seeing the blond boy’s conniving smirk, you held your hands up and surrendered, taking a few steps off his porch so that your back was facing the snow mound on his front yard. Once your arms lowered, all truces were off, and he pounced.

Hands collided with your shoulders, sending you flying backwards into the snow, and landing with a force that knocked the air out of your lungs.

You wheezed, “Fuck you!”

“Get off your ass. We have a game to win.”

His smile was contagious.

The Haishi Automotive Lions were the Sendai Frogs biggest rivals. All the players seemed to know each other really well, and got along great, which just made them want to one up each other more, no matter the outside standing of the V league. As it was one of the biggest games of the season, it also had a large turnout. 

Drunk Guy included. 

Spotting him in the crowd, Kyoutani’s eyes narrowed and wrapped an arm around your shoulder, stitching your spots before you slid into your seats. His arm stuck there like glue afterwards.

Having an extra body in the way for the man’s screams to bounce off instead of going directly into your ear was definitely a blessing. Especially when the Lions came out and a roar of heckles were thrown their way.

You groaned, shutting your eyes and letting your head fall onto Kyoutani’s shoulder. “This is going to be a long game.”

“We should get you noise canceling headphones.”

It was, in fact, a long game. The Sendai Frogs, having their star player back after his two week concussion recovery, was able to hold a steady lead throughout the first set. Finishing their first set winning with 27 points.

The crowd had gone wild when the referee’s whistle blew, rising to their feet as they screamed and pumped the fists. Kyoutani’s hand remained on your shoulder as you stood up to cheer along.

The second set had been much harder but ended similarly with 29 points for the Frogs, who were happily drinking cold water in their green jerseys that were gradually becoming more and more laden with sweat.

The Lions took the 3rd set with 28, and the 4th with 31.

The crowd had become restless and agitated, screaming all the nasty things they could against the opposing team. Which only made the visiting Lion’s fans retaliate with their own hateful words.

You groaned into Kyoutani’s shoulder, hoping that you would be able to leave the stadium without getting stuck in a brawl. It happens sometimes.

Luckily though, you managed to leave the stadium alive and with a happy smile at the memory of the Sendai Frogs taking the 5th set at 18 points with a gym rattling spike from their captain.

“AAH!” You shot your arms into the air. Letting the heavy snow fall on your cheeks. “That was amazing! Kyoutani, you’re gonna come to the game next week, right?”

His head tilted. “Isn’t this the last date?”

March 14th, White day, was next week. Meaning that everyone who hadn’t confessed on Valentine's day would take the opportunity to confess their love with the symbolic white roses. How could you have forgotten?

You paused, staring at the bow with an exaggerated scoff. “We talked about this already

“Who gives a fuck?”

The boys volleyball team had dismissed themselves from practice early so that they could go give out their white roses. This left the gym nearly deserted with the exception for the super dedicated players, ie the captain and a couple lackeys, tossing balls into the air. You had pulled Kyoutani up to the viewing ledge, where you could sit at least somewhat privately, while also still being in close access to the gym floor, should he want to run back on at any moment.

Your brow furrowed as you looked over the questions of the exit questionnaire that was left on your desk that morning. “Are you going to continue dating going forward? Yes or No? Seriously, that's too simplistic.”

“The fuckers set us up, what do you expect?” He took a bite from his Hamima Chicken, “What do you want to say?”

Dropping the sheet into your lap, you paused, and looked his way, watching as he scarfed down another bite without breaking a sweat. “What do you want to say?”

He swallowed and looked at the paper before throwing his head back with an annoyed grunt. “Who gives a crap!” he shoved the rest of the branded fried chicken down his throat before grabbing something from his bag and throwing it against your head.

It was hard, and crickled on impact before landing on the sheet of paper in your lap with a thud.

“You were supposed to catch it dumbass!”

“I didn’t know you were throwing something at me!” you laughed, rubbing the spot on your temple.

Picking up the crinkly plastic wrapped gift you admired, the inconsistent sized hard candy that sat inside of it. At the tied opening, a small card read ‘Happy White Day” is his recognisable messy handwriting. 

You smiled. “Thank you, Kentarou.”

The questionnaire was left blank.

This is the closest I’ve been to not finishing a oneshot in time, I thought I was gonna split it into parts.

Lol, I love this one. I just let my ace heart run wild with platonic fics, could’ve probably written so much more if I paced myself better.

holy shit 31 pages. - Bacon

It was very cute :( it didn’t even feel like 31 pages lskdjfla - Kiwi

11k wordsssss - Bacon

It’s about drive, it’s about power - Kiwi

We stay hungry, we devour - Bacon

PUT IN THE WORK, PUT IN THE HOURS AND TAKE WHAT'S OURS - Kiwi

Okayyy gotta post nowwww back to essay writing and date memorizing - kiwi

Posted: 05/12/2021

[annie-mit-ie]

Glimpses: Part 13 (Kathryn Hahn x Fem!Reader)

Part 1 // previous chapter <<< >>> next chapter

Summary: Just a casual catch-up.

Word Count: 2k

A/N: I don't even know what's happening with Kathryn anymore. Guess it's all going "downhill" from here. Don't get mad! It'll be better soon, I promise! ;)

Tag List: @danvers97 @zafirosreverie @srtamercurio @wanatag @pulledbythestars17 @plantowl @spacehahn

Playlist! :)

_____________________________________________________________________________

A couple days pass before you get another sign of life from Kathryn. It's the weekend again and you are lying on your bed, looking up at the ceiling. Alex is talking away on FaceTime, currently ranting about something that happened at her workplace earlier this week. She always does that, lets people walk over her and then complains about it to you.

You are just about to sit up and shut her down to make her stand up for herself more as a mail comes in. For a moment, you are confused, as you have never read the mail address it is coming from before. Still, you immediately open it to read through, a move that doesn't go unnoticed by Alex, who has stopped talking by now. 

"What is it?" She asks, looking rather concerned.

You are unsure what to say and talk as you read the mail. "Hmmmmmm, OH. Oh it's from Kathryn! Oh this took me way too long. But, you know, if all those "a prince from god knows where wants to send you money"-mails I wasn't sure what to expect." Both of you laugh as you read on.

Just as always, Alex is the perfect example of a nosy neighbor. "What does it saaaay? Don't keep me in the dark, ma'am!", she says and grins into the camera. Nearly done reading, you look up and shoot her an annoyed look. As a joke, obviously, but really, Alex needs to calm down sometimes. You reread the mail and prepare to summarize it for the both of you.

Essentially, Kathryn is simply talking about how she had broken her phone on the way to Europe as they made their way through the airport and spent a couple days hunting down your e-mail address to reach out to you again. She doesn't have a new phone just yet, because she took it as a chance to dive into the script and prepare for the shooting, but feels like it's about time she updates and checks in on you. Furthermore, to really focus on the movie, she decided to not cope the numbers from her old phone just now. Instead, she got a completely new, empty phone and only handed out her number to a handful of people, so she can really be one with the project.

It takes a while for you to understand that this means you are special to her and she chose you out of (probably) a lot of people to stay in contact with. If it wasn't for Alex, you would probably fall into a hole now and over analyze if this means more or not, but she interrupts your train of thought, as always.

"Isn't that just SO Kathryn? Like, I can totally see her sitting there, choosing not to have a phone so she can read her scripts in peace and become her character. That's how passionate she is, ugh, I love her."

Usually, you would agree and say you love her, too, but as of lately you can't bring yourself to say these words out loud anymore, since they feel way too intimate considering the relationship you have formed with Kathryn over the last couple of weeks. So, instead of saying anything, you simply nod and read the mail again before typing the number she provided you with into your phone.

A part of you is very happy about the mail and Kathryn's update, but you have to admit that there is also a part of you that wishes she would've said something about missing you. You miss her,  mentally and physically. You miss her touch and her warmth and, thinking about it for a little too long, you miss what kissing her lips feels like. And you miss how her hair feels on your skin as she bends over you. If you're being honest, you simply miss everything about her.

Alex seems to sense your thoughts and breaks the silence. "You miss her, don't you?"

You don't want to think about it any deeper as you can feel some tears forming in the corners of your eyes. Instead, you just nod as you bite the inside of your lower lip, holding them back.

"You know, Y/N. You should tell her. I am really sure she misses you, too. Like, in THAT way. If you tell me everything that happens between the two of you at all times, then I'm pretty sure she is in love with you, too, you know?" "I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH HER!", you suddenly jump and get way louder than you meant to be. Or are you? Hell, you don't even know anymore. Fact is, Kathryn is gone and won't be back for a while and there is no way for you to change that and that is why you shouldn't dwell into those feelings because after all you'll just get hurt anyway.

You decide to shoot a quick message to the number Kathryn provided you with and let her know you read the mail and hope she is doing alright. Also you can't help but tell her how incredibly boring life is without her - could be seen as you telling her you miss her, but doesn't have to be read that way if she doesn't want it.

Alex finally rants about work a little longer before you decide to watch a movie together since it's getting late on her end and you usually spend your Sundays watching a movie or two, whenever both of you are available. 

It takes Kathryn until around noon the next day to answer your message and she seems rather stressed, as it simply reads "Let's catch up tonight! x", as if she didn't even get to finish typing it all out. Excited for the night, you plan out the rest of the day and secretly hope she will acknowledged any kind of feelings she might have in any way, so you can finally talk it all out. 

You're sitting outside in your mom's garden in between all of her flowers on a comfy garden bench as the call comes in and decide to take it with your computer that is placed on the garden table beside you. This way, you can sit and act more comfortably and can grab a blanket or pillow with your hands instead of holding onto your phone.

"Hiya Hon! I missed your face!" Kathryn speaks in excitement as her wide grin fills the screen. She is also taking the call with a computer, as she is just putting her phone away when she sees you.

You smile softly and a warm fuzzy feeling makes itself at home in your body. „Hey Kathryn.. you look beautiful tonight, as always.“

Kathryn blushes as a cheeky smile plays along her lips and makes herself comfortable on the couch that's placed next to the hotel room window. You can see the last couple of sunrays cradling her face as she leans back and the sun hits her features through the open window. She is wearing a white loose shirt and a thin golden necklace is resting around her neck. Her fingers caress the cold metal as she looks at you, softly biting the right side of her lover lip.

„How are you doing, Sweetie?“ she says and you don’t know what to reply. You want to tell her that you miss her - more than just physically -, you want to tell her that she is occupying your thoughts and dreams and that you want to be with her and how it crushes you that she isn’t with you right now. Yet, something is holding you back, because somehow, you feel like she needs to be the one to bring it up first.

Your breath hitches as she does. „I miss you, honey.“

Your heart is racing and you can feel it beating in your throat in anticipation of what she might say next. „I miss sitting with you and laughing, yeah, but I also really miss kissing you. I can’t believe we don’t get to do that for such a long time.“ She groans.

Yeah. That. Of course she misses that. You sink back into the couch, slightly disappointed, but at the same time - what did you expect?

She notices. „Is everything alright, Love?“ she seems worried.

„Yeah! I’m good. It’s just been a rough week and not being able to sit and, you know, spent time with you just seems wrong.“ You’re not lying.

She nods. „It does. You’re right.“

„I know.“ For a moment, both of you fall silent, caught up in your thoughts. Kathryn is still playing with her necklace, as she is lying on the couch in a very relaxed position with her foot propped up and, all of a sudden, looks absolutely heartbroken.

You can’t stand to see her like this and decide to change the topic. You sit up straight again. „So… HOW IS IT? Tell me all about it! The set, the project, YOUR COLLEAGUES and like… I know you can’t really tell me anything, but like… TELL ME EVERYTHING.“

Her laughter fills the room. You did it, you made both of you happy. „Alright, well. It seems to be a very suspenseful movie and the cast is just great. Lots of people my age but also a couple young ones that remind me of you,“ she winks. „I enjoy working here very much so far.“

Speaking about other people has your attention, so you decide to dig deeper. „So, they all treat you like the Queen you are.“

She waves it off. „Oh SHUSH. You are crazy. Although… you are not wrong, all of them treat me very well.“ 

A small smile plays around her lips and, for a moment, you wonder why, but she is already changing the topic. “We’re actually going out for dinner in the upcoming week. I am very excited. It’s gonna be just a couple of us, but, you know me, I love connecting with the others. Bouncing off ideas and all.”

You nod. You DO know her. “That sounds amazing Kathryn! I am beyond excited for you.”

In the distance, you can hear thunder and see the clouds getting darker. Looking back at her, you catch her yawning. “Hey you? It’s getting stormy out here," You look around you again. "I think there’s a storm coming.”

“OH NO.” She mumbles, before she yawns again.

“ALSO,” you try to get her attention back. “You, ma’am, seem to be pretty tired tonight.”

Forcefully keeping her eyes open, she scans your face. “NEVER. I am never tired. I always go to bed late.” She laughs.

“Kathryn…” you really don’t want to be a literal mom in front of her again, but she doesn’t actually leave you a choice.

“I KNOW, I know,” she laughs. “I had a night shoot last night and I think I can finally feel the aftermath.” She yawns again. This time, you yawn with her. “See, you’re tired, too, and I can actually hear AND see the storm approaching behind you. I need you to stay save and get inside.”

You nod, already grabbing the things you put on your table. “Don’t go silent on me again, yeah?”

“I promise I won’t.” She says and you believe her.

“Alright then, good night, K.” Kathryn smiles at the nickname.

“Sleep well, Y/N. And again, text me anytime, promise I'll be there as soon as I can.” And with that, all good byes are said and you immediately close your computer and storm inside after hanging up as the first raindrops hit you.

The storm is starting to get heavier and the incoming rain is now hitting the windows hard as the thunder rolls in - a perfect representation of your thoughts and feelings piling up inside of you.

[early2000smovieimagines]

Meeting and Dating Hermione Granger

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

(I’m sorry but Hermione in her uniform is beautiful.)

- You and Hermione meet during your first year at Hogwarts. The two of you wound up being partners in potions class and we all know how Hermione is when it comes to her schoolwork.

- She’s very much so the “here let me do it” sort of person when she sees that you’re doing something wrong. Not that you mind; you aren’t exactly keen on getting on Snape’s bad side.

- She’s also very adamant on teaching you how to do things and having you try again; after she shows you the correct way to do them, which gives her the chance to look at you more closely and say to herself “wow she’s pretty”.

- Initially, she sort of just thinks that she’s envious of your good looks or that she finds herself looking at you merely because you’re pretty and people like looking at pretty things. It’s only after a bit of reflecting that she realizes she likes you more than a person likes flowers.

- The only logical conclusion is that she has a crush on you and …oh dear.

- Yeah, Hermione isn’t …the best with crushes. The minute she realizes that she likes you, she turns into a bit of an awkward mess.

- She’ll say somewhat strange things before nervously trying to correct herself. She’ll touch you for a bit too long or without meaning to before jumping away upon realizing what she’s doing. She’ll give you handshakes instead of hugs when you greet each other or do good on a joint project or what have you. Etc, etc, etc.

- She’ll do whatever she can to hang out with you one day while avoiding you like the plague the next; usually because she’s having a bad hair day or something similar. The boys are clueless as to why she’s acting strange but they agree to help her with whatever she asks; usually meaning that they help her hide from you.

- Once the two of you become friends; which is somewhat inevitable with Hermione and the people she likes since she’ll force herself into their lives, she’ll subtly hint at a relationship between the two of you and try to find out more about you and your type.

- There’s going to be a lot of mutual pining. Hermione’s obviously pretty so of course you’ll fall for the strong willed, activist girl who’s now your best friend. And she’s been in love with you since first year but it’ll take a while for her to admit her feelings.

- Viktor Krum probably found out Hermione liked you midway through fourth year and immediately began hyping her up, teasing and telling her to confess her feelings to you. He also probably got you a date to the Yule ball and you four hung out all night because he’s a sweetheart but I digress.

- The thing is, you’re now close friends and she doesn’t want to lose that, so she ends up spewing her feelings out in a fit of desperate frustration. She calls you an idiot, telling you that she loves you and has loved you for years, and if you’re too stupid to notice then nothing; not even her tutoring sessions, can help you, and you’re too stunned to even be offended.

- So there she is, standing there and trying to catch her breath, close to tears and embarrassed before you finally manage to find your words. You tell her that she’ll have to deal with your stupidity forever now because you like her too.

- She takes a deep breath, furrowing her eyebrows slightly and nervously saying “you …do.”, like she’s trying to quickly process what you’ve just said; as though she anticipated a wildly different response.

“Good.” She says after a moment, nodding as she does so. She says the words in a stunted, sort of relieved tone, like someone who didn’t expect an issue to be resolved as soon as it was.

- The two of you have your first date at Hogsmeade where you sort of just wander around the village and talk, trying to bond while enjoying a bit of privacy. Harry and Ron probably show up midway through and she tries her best to signal with her eyes that this “isn’t a good time” before she’s forced to give a pointed, whisper yelled “could you two please leave”. 

- Hermione tends to give a lot of cheek and head kisses to the people she’s close to and you would not be exempt from this. Just saying. 

- The two of you share your first kiss about a month or so after your first date. She’d been stressing over something and you’d laid a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that everything was going to be alright until she finally managed to calm down. 

- Later on, as you were getting up to leave, she’d leaned over and planted a soft, somewhat chaste kiss on your lips before you both made your way out of the room. You had smiles on your faces for the rest of the day. 

- Congratulations, you’ve managed to score the brightest witch in all of Hogwarts. Consider yourself a very lucky girl; she certainly considers herself to be one.

- The wizarding world seems pretty progressive all things considered so pda isn’t a taboo when it comes to your relationship. She’s more than happy to engage in it though she keeps it polite and innocent out of pure preference. 

- Her slinging her arm around your shoulder. 

- Tight hugs; especially when you’re reunited after a long time or you come back from something dangerous. 

- Handholding. 

- Cheek and head kisses. 

- Sweet and soft kisses. 

- Abrupt and passionate kisses; usually after a surge of emotion courses through her. She’ll occasionally get flustered and apologize for getting ahead of herself, as though you’re not in a relationship. 

- She usually just calls you by your given name but occasionally she’ll call you something like honey or dear. 

- The two of you cuddle laying on your sides with your arms wrapped around each other. Sometimes Crookshanks will wiggle his way between your bodies and you’ll get a nose full of cat hair but you get used to it. 

- Speaking of the orange baby: plucking cat hair from each other’s clothing and taking turns snuggling the endearingly ugly creature.

- Helping her carry all the books she lugs around.

- Getting matching bracelets/necklaces.

- Helping her with her hair.

- Compliments; the two of you are constantly praising each other. She tends to comment on your schoolwork like how you’ve improved so much or congratulating you on doing so well on an exam.

- She’s “secretly” really fond of making you little cards and origami. She lives for Valentine’s Day and you can’t help but find it adorable.

- Supporting S.P.E.W. and wearing one of her badges; whether or not you agree with it.

- Quiet days spent inside. The two of you usually just sit in one of your dorms or the library, talking about whatever comes to mind or doing your own things.

- Study dates.

- Assuring her she’s going to do great on tests. She always gets really stressed and frazzled before a big exam so you always have to make sure she breathes and relaxes a bit.

- She’s always jumping to help you in any way she can, and she always has the knowledge to do so.

- Writing letters to each other over the summer.

- Sitting together in the courtyard.

- Going to The Three Broomsticks and getting a bit tipsy off butter beer. She’s a lightweight.

- Having a cute little book club. The two of you take turns reading to each other and discussing the different novels you’ve read.

- Playing the piano together.

- Baking together.

- Play fighting. The two of you do that cute, grabbing each other’s arms and trying to push each other while giggling sort of thing that couples do.

- Having your dates interrupted by the boys. The two of them are going to be completely clueless about your relationship for a while before finally catching on and giving you more space; unless something oh so important happens.

- Tagging along and helping the golden trio whenever you can. You’re a certified member of their clique by now.

- Cheering the boys on at Quidditch games together. The two of you are usually huddled close to keep warm. 

- Speaking of cheering: she's your biggest cheerleader. She’s always wishing you good luck and rooting for you and giving you an enthusiastic whoop; even if it makes people give her funny looks. 

- Breaking her out of her shell and getting her to let loose a little more. She feels the need to constantly be put together and perfect and you do your best to reassure her that, sometimes, she can just have fun. 

- Dancing together. 

- Whenever she’s really excited and/or really wants your attention for one reason or another and you have homework, she always ends up impatiently snatching it with a “give it here” before doing it for you and launching into whatever it is she wanted from you. 

- Being on the receiving end of her scolding looks. You always get one if you’ve done something or are doing something wrong. 

- Comforting her. She’s a bit sensitive and cries sort of easily; particularly when she’s angry which she gets embarrassed about, so you’re always there to make her feel better.

- She’s constantly checking you over and taking care of you when you’re hurt and/or sick. It helps to have a half blood girlfriend who knows nearly every spell like the back of her hand.

- She always just seems to understand you and know how you’re feeling. She’ll always be there to give advice and comfort you.

- Defending her from wizard racism. You might not stand up for yourself but you sure as hell are willing to hex a man half to death for saying something about her. 

- She has a habit of grabbing onto you when she’s scared so expect to have her wrapped around you or holding your hand in a death grip whenever anything spooky occurs.

- Hermione is smart enough to tell when something is entirely platonic so she doesn’t get jealous very often. It’s only when someone shows actual interest in you that she gets a bit self conscious. She can usually keep herself in check but she’ll occasionally tell you that they were flirting with you in an exasperated tone before you reassure her that you don’t want them.

- She’s more protective in the “I’m going to take care of you” sort of way but she has been known to throw a punch at or use a hex on someone who hurts you or your feelings. She worries over you a lot so rest assured, if you’re upset/hurt, she’ll be right by your side fussing over you.

- She hates being wrong so that’s where most of your arguments probably stem from. You really don’t have a lot of arguments though, all things considered. She’s perfectly capable of communicating her feelings so you rarely need to fight about anything; at least not for long.

- She has a habit of holding grudges and won’t want to admit she’s wrong so expect her to take a bit of time before she says she’s sorry. If she’s proven right then she’ll pointedly say that “well, someone owes someone an apology” but if she’s proven wrong she’ll admit that she owes you one.

- She’s a big softie so she tells you that she loves you quite a bit; mainly in private though she isn’t afraid to say it in public.

- She’s gonna go places and she’s taking you with her. After everything that happened, the two of you enjoy a peaceful, fulfilling life together and she couldn’t be happier.

[teawaffles]

There’s No Business Like Show Business: Chapter 3

“Fred. How’s their acting like to you?” Jack asked in a low voice.

They were seated at the edge of the stalls. They could also see Bond from where they were, completely focused on the stage.

“I’m not an actor myself, so this is just my personal opinion — but I think they’re awfully good,” Fred replied.

Jack gazed at the stage with a serious look in his eyes.

“I think so too. I won’t discount the fact that their sets and props look a little homemade, maybe due to a lack of budget; but when it comes to acting, each one of them is highly skilled. I can tell that the performers are all deeply familiar with the intent of the script.”

They were no theatre professionals for sure, but they possessed an eye for the true essence of their art.

The creases near Jack's eyes deepened as he quietly groaned.

“And best of all is that lady.”

“Yeah, I thought so too,” Moran agreed. With Fred included, all of them were focused on the lone person on the stage.

As Jack had pointed out, Maya, the chairwoman, was the standout actress even among the highly-skilled members of her own company.

Although she only held the lead role in “The Little Match Girl”, and was relegated to supporting roles for the other stories, the delivery of her lines, the movements of her body and hands, and even the slight shifts in her gaze — each and every one of her actions was perfectly under her control. They had seen a glimpse of this when she’d stood before her fellow company members previously, but this person on stage was completely different from the one who'd spoken to them at the entrance.

Even accounting for the fact that she had written the script herself, this level of sophistication in acting was not one which could be achieved by some run-of-the-mill actress. Moreover, the lines and pauses in the script had been carefully crafted to make it easy for the audience to relate to the stories.

From then on, the three of them enjoyed the rest of the play in silence, marvelling at her exceptional talent. Eventually, the rehearsal came to an end.

“——That concludes our performance. Thank you very much for coming.”

After her closing words, the company lined up on stage, silently waiting for Bond’s comments. While there had not been any flashy moments during the performance, almost all of them had sweat on their foreheads. Each breath they took revealed the depth of their concentration.

“…………”

For a short while, Bond stared at the stage without saying a word. Growing uneasy at the silence, the company members lowered their gazes slightly.

After what seemed like an eternity, Bond cleared his throat, and adjusted his posture. Seeing that, the company members straightened their backs.

“——If I were to summarise my thoughts, I think your acting has already reached a high standard. I’m sure all of you have put in much time and effort to achieve this.”

Their faces beamed at his compliment. But Bond would not allow them to be satisfied with that alone.

He rose from his seat.

“But that’s also why some bad habits have stood out to me. For example, the witch in ‘The Little Mermaid’: there were times when your movements were too exaggerated. I know that you wanted to emphasise her sinister nature, but the way you did so may turn off the audience.”

“Y-Yes……”

The actress who’d been singled out hung her head, perhaps out of shock. But Bond ignored this, and pointed to another woman.

“Now, you played the main character in ‘The Red Shoes’. I watched your steps after putting on the shoes — have you properly studied dance? It’s true that even some stage professionals may think that it’s alright to just mimic the real thing, but if you really want to make your performance more authentic, you must take the time to learn how to do it properly. Your audience will not be satisfied unless you show them a level of skill that will astonish even people in that profession.”

“Understood!” she responded with vigour.

“Next up is you: the way you project your voice——”

Then Bond singled out each of the performers in turn, highlighting in detail what they needed to work on. He only needed to watch their play once to spot areas for improvement at such a fine level of detail — his eye for the arts gave them all a sense of the former professional’s brilliance.

At last, Bond finished addressing every member of the company. But he then swept his gaze over the entire theatre.

“In addition…… this isn’t your fault at all, but your success today was only possible due to the small size of this theatre,” he said, with some distress. “If we were in a bigger venue, the hall would be wider and deeper to accommodate the larger audience. In other words, I’m afraid that with your current performance, your voices simply would not reach the entire audience.”

Maya paled.

“So, in order to accommodate the size of the venue……”

“Yes. The worst-case scenario would be that you have to rework the entire play. By the way, when is the opening night?”

“T—Two weeks later.”

The entire room was enveloped in silence. Even from where they were seated, Moran and the others felt the weight of their despair: all the hard work they had put in thus far, might just have amounted to nothing.

Even Bond, who had revealed this harsh reality, dropped his gaze and grimaced.

“Well, there are a fair number of productions that focus only on the stage, and do not account for the size of the audience, so you may not have to change——”

“——No, we’ll do it.”

Maya sharply interrupted his proposal.

“You’ve seen how I am; I’ve always been timid and hesitant…… but theatre is the one thing I will never compromise on. Especially now — this is a rare opportunity for us. For my fellow company members, for the people who’ve supported us this far, I want to show them something I’ve put every effort into making.”

“…………”

At her words, the rest of the company nodded in silence.

Even with the actual performance only two weeks away, Maya and her company had steeled their hearts and chosen to start again from scratch. That stubborn determination surprised Bond, and even Moran and the rest.

“U—Um…… Mr Bond, I actually have something I wish to discuss with you……”

Out of the blue, Maya’s voice had grown soft.

“U—Um, if it is alright with you, just for the next two weeks, could you sit in during our rehearsals? A—Ah, actually, just whenever you have the time would be fine……”

Bond chuckled.

Even after being told about all those problems, they refused to stand down, and even continued to ask for help. Their mental fortitude sparked hope in him, and he couldn’t help but let out a grin.

Bond shot the party in the stalls a questioning look. Moran looked to Jack and Fred in turn, before giving him a thumbs-up.

With that, the former flames of passion within Bond burned even hotter. He faced the company members with a determined grin.

“——Okay. But I will be especially tough on you all, so be prepared.”

Then, he called out to Fred.

“Fred-kun. I would like your help as well — is that alright with you?”

“Understood,” he replied, standing up.

“Bond, I’m always happy to teach knife-wielding.”

“And you can always ask me about gun handling.”

“Now that would be helpful,” Bond smiled at Jack and Moran’s jests, then turned back to the stage.

“Well then, everyone — for the next two weeks, let’s do our best together.”

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

“During a performance, you must be always be aware of three things: the audience, the other actors, and yourself. If the feeling of being ‘watched’ becomes too strong for you, first direct your attention within yourself. Then, you will be able to focus on your acting once again.”

“I don’t advocate the idea of getting into a role. In the end, acting is just a skill: what you should focus on instead is how you are moving.”

“Although an effective way of bringing out emotions is to dredge up your past memories, I would advise you to avoid that. Recent memories are too concrete and vivid — if you must do so, use memories from your distant past. And be careful: if you frequently immerse yourself in negative emotions, you will hurt yourself on a spiritual level too.”

In a small theatre in Whitechapel, Bond’s instructions came forth ceaselessly.

He stood on stage together with the company members: carefully reviewing their movements, even acting them out himself as an example on occasion, and putting in every effort to raise the level of their production.

The remaining two weeks were short, but with their foundations already strong to begin with, Maya and her company steadily honed their acting skills to perfection.

One week left until the show. His work as an instructor had finally ended for the day, and he let out a sigh as he sat in the stalls to catch his breath.

“Good work today — fancy a sip?”

Having watched the proceedings from the stalls, Moran handed him a bottle of water. It was a beer bottle — very Moran-like — and Bond accepted it with a smile.

“Thanks, Moran-kun.”

Bond gulped down a single mouthful of water.

“So, how’s the play going?”

“At first I thought we would be hard-pressed for time, but they truly exceeded my expectations. I think we might just make it. ……Scratch that, we will make it.”

Moran nodded.

“That’s right. And they seem to be well-liked by the residents around here. I really hope they can pull it off.”

As Moran gazed off into the distance, a thought just occurred to Bond. He cocked his head.

“Come to think of it, you really didn’t have to tag along with me all this time, you know?”

Ever since the day Bond had agreed to lend his support to the company, his other colleagues had stopped over from time to time to cheer him on. However, Moran had made it a point to come to the theatre every day without fail.

Moran scratched his cheek in embarrassment.


“……Well, it’s not like I have anything else to do when there aren’t any missions. As a senior member of this organisation, I’m just here to see how my junior works.”

“Even though you’ve been skipping out on chores at the mansion?”

“D—Dammit, I told you before: I always do my share of the work, you know.”

Bond had said that half-jokingly, but his words flustered Moran nevertheless. It seemed he had not been entirely wrong about that.

Bond returned his gaze to the stage.

“……Thank you, Moran-kun,” he said quietly.

“Hmm? Didn’t you already say that earlier?”

“This one means something different,” he said, with a hint of mischief in his voice. Moran raised an eyebrow in bemusement, but the presence of a caring senior alone warmed Bond’s heart.

Just then, they heard the sound of the theatre doors opening.

As the two men turned to look, they saw a portly middle-aged man with a magnificent moustache standing at the entrance.

Maya hurriedly bowed in his direction. “T—Thank you so much for your help thus far! What brings you all the way here?”

From her formal manner, it seemed this was the very noble who had asked them to stage the opening act for his theatre.

“Ah, you’ve been working hard, I see,” he said as he stroked his moustache, a big smile on his face.

“Yes; with your assistance, we’ve been able to prepare for the performance in time. I’m sure the audience will be satisfied with——”

“Well, about that.”

The man interrupted Maya, still all smiles.

“——Your performance has been cancelled.”

“What?”

No one could believe their ears.

Her expression brimmed with confusion.

“U-Um, what do you mean……?”

“What does it mean? Just pretend our conversation back then didn’t happen. That’s all.”

The man made another simple pronouncement, then smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“Honestly, it’s just as well that this has happened, since I’ve also been troubled over your debut. So what I’m saying is, your company doesn’t have to turn up. That’s alright with you, isn’t it?”

The entire company was still in a state of shock. Then, Bond addressed the man directly.

“Now hold on just a moment. What do you mean, you were troubled? Then why did you ask them to perform? What’s more, isn’t it a little late to cancel the performance at this juncture?”

Hearing that, the man sighed in displeasure.

“Who are you, anyway? Someone connected to this company? I’m not happy to be asked so many questions at once.”

“Then I’ll summarise it for you. If you were going to cancel the performance so easily, why bother requesting Maya and her company to perform anyway?”

At Bond’s question, the nobleman shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, that’s simple. I just felt like it.”

“……What?”

Those shocking words froze him to the core.

“I’d heard about a reputable theatre company in the slums. Since there’s this notion of noblesse oblige anyway, I thought a performance would be a good topic for conversation and approached them. But then I grew to realise that the thought of poor people stepping onto the sacred stage of an official theatre just didn’t sit well with me. So yesterday, I finally decided to put an end to this madness.”

“How could you……”

He had asked Maya’s company to perform on a whim, and then cancelled their act on a selfish whim as well. And this was all decided just ‘yesterday’. Even though they had been putting in every effort into their play.

The nobleman continued.

“That’s all I had to say. You poor folk are living off the graces of the nobility, so be grateful that I even bothered to come all this way to talk to you. Now that I’m finished here, I’ll be leaving. The smell here is simply an assault on my senses.”

Right before he walked out, the man spat out one last line.

“Well, at least you all had a nice dream, didn’t you?”

“………!”

A violent rage surged within Bond. Somehow, he managed to grit his teeth and hold himself back. If he were to retaliate right now, he would be inviting unnecessary reprisal on Maya and her company rather than himself. So all he could do was look daggers at the nobleman’s back as he left.

The theatre was enveloped in a mournful silence. Everyone seemed to have lost their verve, and no one uttered a word. Bond was shaking with frustration.

Amidst the heavy atmosphere, just one man — Moran — gazed upon the situation with composure.

Finally, Maya, the chairwoman, mumbled in a thin voice.

“Um, I’m so sorry. I think, I’m not feeling too well……”

Then, with a hollow expression, she headed to the dressing room, her footsteps shaky.

[atalho-s]

Sweet Sugar

4 | Crosses

pairing: tom holland x reader

warnings: swear words, underage drinking (not much tho, nothing descritive and nothing like “Skins” lmao), suggestive scenes in some chapters, not smut!! but minors be aware. Fluff/angst/drama/ Y/n and Tom being stupid teenagers with feelings.

words: 2.5 k

a/n: english it’s not my first language, Sorry for any mistakes! If you want to be tag on the next chapters, please let me know

Summary: Y/n, Harrison and Tom has always been best friends. Since childhood they’ve always been close, but what happens if after a break up with her first boyfriend, she starts to feel something more about Tom

PART 4! If you want to read the other parts click here

❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁

I woke up the other day feeling a little better, which was good. I washed my face thoroughly, put on a pair of jeans, a Beatles T-shirt along with a jacket and left my room, ready for another week of torture.

- Good morning mom... - I was saying going down the stairs, but I remembered that she had already left for work. Which was good, because that way I didn't have to talk about the party.

I had my coffee, in the silenc  and soon after opened my phone, until I got on Instagram and saw that Tom had posted pictures of the party. The caption said: Thank you all! you guys are awesome! The photos from the party were great 😂

I was scrolling the photos, the first ones were all of us at the table, some were blurry of the people dancing... until I saw one of him with other people from school: Meghan was hugged him from the side making the peace sign with her fingers and he was kissing the top of her head. I sighed feeling my eyes fill with tears again. Okay, maybe I wasn't as ok as I thought.

I blocked my phone and put it in my pocket, taking my backpack and leaving the house, otherwise I would going to be late. I had to focus on school, not crying for silly things, I had to pay attention in my tests, that was more important than anything.

I went down the street and found Haz already waiting for me in the same place, I approached him and when he looked at my face, he made a pitying one.

- You saw the photos didn't you? - he asked and I nodded as he hugged me.

- It's alright Haz, I'll be fine- I said releasing him after a few seconds and he looked at me raising an eyebrow doubtingly - It's no big deal! By the way, I won't talk about it anymore, if we don't go now, we'll be late for school. - I said pulling him and we started walking.

- Okay... But just to close this subject, Tom sent me a message yesterday asking if you were okay and if there was anything wrong because you left early without saying goodbye.

- Hmm, and you didn't say anything right?

- Of course not! I just said that you weren't very used to drinking and that was all, and he believed... - Haz said and I breathed a sigh of relief.

- Good... He also texted me yesterday, he even wanted me to go to his house to tell me about Meghan.

- Well, whether way, he still thinks he's your best friend, nothing more than that...- Haz said, and I hated that he was right.

- It's true, and he's just my best friend, nothing more... - I emphasized the JUST- Did he tell you anything else about Meghan? - I asked and when Haz was going to answer I cut him - Never mind, It’s better if i don’t know. - I said waving my hand in the air.

- If you want it that way... - he replied. - Oh god you two have the same class today right? - he asked and I put my hand in my forehead. I had forgotten that I had English today for the first two classes and Tom would be sitting right next to me.

- I had even forgotten about that. But you know what? I'm going to stay there like a champ and ignore everything. - I said determined and Haz laughed feeling a little sad for me.

- Okay, I support that, but...- he was talking and I cut him again saying: shhh.

- No buts, and now enough of this subject, because we're already arriving. - I said and he rolled his eyes in agreement.

We arrived at the corner and Tom was already waiting for us as usual. He wore a blue sweatshirt and a backwards cap, black jeans and white sneakers. Obviously he was gorgeous as usual, which was ridiculous, but no sign of Meghan, which was good for now...

I tightened my grip on Haz's arm that I was hooked on and he smiled encouragingly. We got closer and Tom looked up from his phone, hanging up and putting it in his pocket.

- Hey strangers! - He said putting the backpack on his back, shaking hands with Haz and me with the usual kiss on the forehead. I lowered my eyes, smelling his scent and smirked. - You better y/n?

- I am, staying in bed all day yesterday did me good. - I said as we headed towards the stairs.

- That's good! And even better that now you have two classes with me- he said winking and Haz looked at me apprehensively.

- HA-HA, very funny. Too bad I'll have to pay attention in class and I won't be able to talk to you. - I said shrugging and Tom looked at me with an ironic face.

- Wow shortie, I felt rejected now. - He said pouting and I rolled my eyes. Of rejection I knew well.

- Well, I have to go because I have a presentation about geography, so, see you guys later? - Haz said when we arrived in the hallway, waving and looking at me discreetly as if he was saying: good luck.

- Let's go, grumpy face? - Tom said pointed for me to go ahead. I rolled my eyes looking at him, which he laughed and we went to the class.

I sat a little further back in my usual seat and Tom sat behind me. I was feeling claustrophobic, but it was only two classes, I could survive this. But when Mr. Ribbs came into the room and started talking, I lost all courage i had.

- Good morning students! Today the two classes will be more dynamic. As I know you had a difficult week, with so many papers and tests, I decided to leave these classes for you to go to the library and pick up any book to read and then give me a summary about it. - he was talking and I was excited, because I loved reading and I could still get my book and be quiet without having to talk to Tom, right? - But... I want you to do this in pairs. - wrong - Happy reading! - He said and everyone stood up forming their pairs and leaving the room one by one.

I felt someone nudge my shoulder and tooking a deep breath I turned around, seeing a smiling Tom.

- Good, reading... At least you like to read, because I with my dyslexia... - he laughed.

- Yeah good... it fit like a glove... Shall we go? - I said and we got up going towards the library. If Tom thought my way of talking was a little dry, he didn't react, which was good.

We arrived at the library and I was looking among the shelves for something easy and good for us to read.

- Y/n, darling... I have to tell you about yesterday - Tom started talking excitedly as he followed me through the halls. - After you and Haz left, a lot things happened...

- Hmm, I'm glad you had fun Tom. - I said a little disinterested picking up some books and looking at the synopsis.

- Yea! I had a lot of fun, but what happened was...

- Hey, how about we read Pride and Prejudice? It's one of my favorites, I think it's a good one, because we just need to read the main parts to refresh our memory. - I said, interrupting him.

-Yeah... Sure, I think it's a good one. - he said as I grabbed Jane Austen's book off the shelf and headed toward one of the tables.

- Shortie, how about if we read this outside? I think it's better than staying here, besides, we can talk better. - Tom said and I stopped turning around. Damn it, I was counting on staying there in the library anyway, so he wouldn't be able to say anything about the night before, because they were going to tell him to be quiet.

- Okay, good idea... - I said, giving up on to try to inventing another excuse.

We left the library and headed towards some tables outside. They were empty, except for a couple of couples scattered around the yard who had the same idea. I sat down and Tom sat next to me putting the book on the table and pulling out his notebook so we could write something down.

- So, as I was saying... We were on the dance floor, right, and Meghan and I were talking about the theater and other things, until... Guess what? - He started talking and I raised my eyebrow, while trying to distract myself with the book. - She said she thought I was cute and that I had a cute, sexy look. - He continued and I laughed ironically.

- So far so good, right... Until she just kissed me in the middle of the dance floor! - He said as if it were the most extraordinary thing in the world. Yeah, I thought with myself, I was there and saw everything, that's why I'm feeling bad and I can't even look at your face right now... I wanted to say it, but I just looked at him pretending to be interested.

- And mate, it was the best kiss of my life! We stayed together practically all night... Damn, I've dreamed about this so much since childhood...

- Good Tom, it must have been a really good birthday gift, right? - I said, looking at the book again.

- Yea! It was perfect...- he said and I could feel him staring at me. - Hey, you don't seem very excited about my little conquest... - he nudged me pouting and I looked at him.

- Nah, it's just that you guys are always hooking up lately, so I'm just not surprised...- I replied shrugging.

- Y/n Meghan is not just a hook up, she is an old passion, she is special - he said and I felt my heart ache a little while looking away. - You dont like her?

- It's not that I don't like her... I don't even know her, I just... I think she did it after you started getting more popular with the theater, because before that she didn't even look at you...

- That's not true, besides, people can change right? Maybe she realized that I'm not as bad as she thought before... I don't know... But as you said, you don't even know her, so I didn't understand you being mad like that. -he said scribbling in his notebook.

- It's not that I'm mad, I just... I didn't wake up very well today, that's all... 

- Yeah... But you don't need to project that to others around you, I thought you'd be happy for me.- Tom said and I looked at him ironically.

- Yeah, but there are days when we're not okay Thomas and not in the mood to be throwing confetti at every girl your friend kiss at some party. - I said and regretted it right away, it wasn't fair to him.

Tom looked at me in surprise, as I had never talk with him like that. Even as kids we didn't fight, why was I being such a bitch now? He took his things in silence and walked away leaving me with tears in my eyes.

I shook my head trying to get rid of what had just happened. I picked up the book and tried to read it, but I couldn't even get past the first line. Damn, why did I have to have those feelings? It wasn't fair.

I thought about going after Tom and apologizing, but I don't think he wanted to see me right now. A few minutes passed and the class was almost finishing when I felt someone nudge my shoulder. I turned in hopes of seeing Tom, but was surprised to see Steven standing up in front of me.

- Are you okay? I heard you fighting with Tom earlier, I never saw you guys fight like that, so I was worried. - he asked.

- I'm fine Stev, it was just a silly disagreement, nothing to worry about. Are you okay? - I asked trying to change the subject.

- Yeah, just studying a lot, you know, I have to go to business school. - he said and I agreed. Steven always wanted to work at his father's company, but for that he had to go to business school in Japan, because there was one of the company's units there and that's where his father wanted him to live. A lot of his family was Japanese, so he had an advantage with the language and culture. But that was one of the reasons we broke up, after fighting a lot about who was going to live where. - And you still focused on journalism?

- Of course, forever and always. - I said and we laughed, hearing the bell saying the class are over.

- Well, I have to go, I have to meet Elle, good luck with your essay. - He said pointing to the book.

- For you too. - I said smiling and he left towards the building.

I got up to get my things, scanning the yard with my eyes, but there was no sign of Tom. I sighed and put my headphones on, heading towards our tree. As I was already out there I ended up arriving first, so I sat down and played the song Crosses by José González.

I waited a few minutes and saw Haz approaching and I took off my headphones as I watched him sit beside me.

- So..How everything went? Where is Tom?-  he asked looking around.

- A disaster... - I said, rubbing my hands over my face. - We ended up arguing, I said some things without thinking and he left without saying anything.

- Oh y/n... I don't even know what to say, but did you confess something to him? he asked and I widened my eyes.

- No! Are you crazy? I told him I didn't trust Meghan, but in a rude way... - I said and Haz took a deep breath hugging me sideways.

- Well, you can't control your feelings...

- But I can control my tongue. - I said and we laughed a little. - How was it with Gracie? Did you guys talked today? - I said changing the subject.

- I talked to her a lot by text during class, I even asked her if she wanted to spend some time with us now, but she said she had to hang with her friends...

- Hmm. - I said putting my hand on my chin losing myself in thoughts as I watched the patio to see if I could see Tom. And after a lot of looking I found him. And there he was sitting on one of the benches near the building with Meghan hugging him, she with his cap on her head and the two of them were laughing and talking excitedly to each other. Until he gave her a kiss and she reciprocated.

[al3x1ss]

Just a friend to you

Chapter 15: What are you doing New Year’s Eve?

“DOLL HURRY THE FUCK UP IM HUNGry!”

Opening the door, she stares at Osamu as he finishes screeching. Hearing the door click, he turns suddenly, his face going from annoyed to immediately brightened.

“Y/N!” He says, his voice going high pitched as she giggles, giving him a quick hug, then hugging both Suna and Atsumu. Bending over slightly, Atsumu allows Y/N in his back, the 4 now traveling to a cafe with Y/N holding Suna and Osamu’s pinkies, Atsumu keeping his arms tight around her legs.

As the 4 eat, Y/N is quick to stare at Atsumu who has checked his phone about 6 times in the past 5 minutes of eating.

“Is there something you’d like to share with the class, Atsumu?” The boy drops his phone, his eyes immediately widening as he hears a small collision from where his phone was dropped. He picks it up, dusting it off and placing it down before looking at the girl across from him.

“One of my friends is around the area-“

“You have friends besides us?”

“SHUT UP Y/N!” He sighs, stabbing another piece of his meal with his fork as he looks at her again.

“I met her when we were partners for a project and we just clicked and stayed as friends.”

Suna and Y/N being oO-ing as Osamu pokes his side repeatedly, with Atsumu swatting his twin’ hand away quickly.

“Wait- a lady friend? What kind of sane female would deal with your piss ass willingly?”

“YOU DO!”

“No, I was forced by Mother Miya.”

After the endless bickering, Suna takes the check in hard, heading to the counter as the twins and Y/N wait outside.

“Would you guys mind if said lady friend joined us?”

Samu shook his head no, while Y/N also said no, speaking for herself and Suna who had just exited the doors of cafe.

After 2 minutes of waving, a new face comes towards the group with a smile and a wave. Atsumu waves back, going towards and and smiling.

“Guys this is Keiko, Keiko this is my twin Osamu, that’s Y/N, and then that one over there is Suna.”

Hearing his name, Suna’s eyes lifted, falling on the girl in front of him. His eyes widened, afterwards a quick smile following. Turning his eyes to his feet, he scratched the back of his head.

“Oh my god!” Y/N’s eyes widen as the girl, a smile immediately coming on her face.

“I love you’re earrings so much, Keiko!” Both girls smiled at eachother, Keiko getting on one knee.

“I have determined that you are sweet as fuck as that I want you to marry me.”

“I have determined that I accept.”

With Keiko getting up with help from Y/N, the two link arms, beginning to walk to their next destination. The boys blink repeatedly, staring at eachother then staring at the two girls giggling.

“Samu what the fuck just happened?”

“I don’t know Suna, I don’t fuckin know.”

The twins argue over the frog hat with Suna holding out his phone, getting content for his Instagram followers is what he says is “his only passion in life”. Covering her mouth, Y/N laughs, pulling out her phone with her other hand to see a text message.

“Who’s Keiji?” Keiko asks, Y/N’s eyes now facing hers.

“Well-“

“LET GO OF THE HAT YOU OLD MAN!”

“AT LEAST MY HAIR DOESN’T LOOK LIKE I GOT PISSED ON!”

“OH YEAH MR.MY BONES HURT AT PRACTICE CUZ I GOT ARTHRITIS! WHAT KINDA EXCUSE IS THAT?”

“BETTER THAN THAT SAD EXCUSE OF YOUR DYE JOB!”

Y/N’s eyes widen, gently grabbing Keiko’s wrist as the two back away from the boys. After being enough away, Y/N sighs, placing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Long story short, best friend of 3 years, I liked him for 3 years, confessed and got denied, and now we just talked a few days ago after like a month of not speaking and it being awkward.”

“Well I mean, do you still like him?”

“Uh-“

“Alright lads, let’s bounce.” Atsumu says, walking up with Suna and Osamu behind him, the girls looking at eachother before nodding.

The 5 enter a small pizzeria, with Atsumu and Keiko’s stomachs growling as soon as they entered. The 5 laughed, with Y/N handing her jacket to Suna while she went to order with Osamu.

“Hi! Can I get a large cheese pizza with a side of-“

“Suna?”

Hearing his name, he lifted his head, looking at the other two at his table to see them also looking around. Turning to look at the door, he sees Kaori with her fellow manager, along with their very own setter and ace.

“Oh, hi guys.” Suna says with a wave. Atsumu and Keiko look up to see who Suna was talking too, with Atsumu smiling and Keiko giving a shy wave.

“Hey! You guys are just eating?”

“Yeah, Samu and Y/N are ordering now.” Atsumu says, pointing over it to the counter with Y/N poking Osamu’s cheeks.

“Cool, well enjoy your meal! We should totally hang out sometime!” Bokuto says, following Yukie to go to a table, with Kaori dragging a tired Akaashi along.

Plopping down, Kaori and Bokuto look at eachother before nodding, sitting straight back up.

“I can feel 3 pairs of eyes on me, what.”

“Akaaaashiiii, don’t you think it would be nice to, oh I don’t know, please can we invite them ice skating?” Yukie says, staring at him with large eyes from across the table.

“Are you asking my permission or are you asking me to do it, because I’m very comfy.” He murmurs, his head laying in his arms.

“I’ll go ask!” Bokuto says, getting up while the other girls nod. Akaashi sighs, rubbing his eyes carefully as to not irritate his contacts as Bokuto walks to their table.

With the twins messily eating, and the rest starring st them as if they were pigs, Y/N sees another figure approaching, smiling at Bokuto.

“Hi Bo! They told me you were here, what’s up? How ya been?” Y/N asks, wiping her hands on a napkin before looking back at him.

“I’m well, thank you! So the rest of us were wondering if you 5 wanted to come with us to go ice skating? Obviously we haven’t met you yet,” he says as he gestured to Keiko, “however any friend of Y/N’s somehow becomes a friend of ours! And I’m not complainin’!” Bokuto says, his hands landing on his hips with a bright smile.

Looking at Suna and the girls, Osamu nodded, turning his eyes back to Bokuto as he smiled.

“We’ll be there.”

Lacing up her skates, Y/N got on the ice and began to skate around, seeing some of her friends on the ice while Atsumu and Bokuto were still on the bench trying to figure out how to tie them.

“Sometimes I’m shocked he’s a third year.”

Turning around, Y/N faces Akaashi with a small smile on both of their faces.

“It surprises me as well.” She said, both of them beginning to skate next to eachother. With Akaashi looking around at the lights, Y/N turns her eyes to face him.

To her, it was strange. To not feel the butterflies, the rollercoaster in her stomach each time he said hello.

“You excited to see the fireworks?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun to ring in the New Year with you guys.” Akaashi says, a smile coming to his face as he looks back at Y/N.

The two turn straight, Bokuto waving over Y/N as she nods, getting ready to skate towards him.

“Hey, Kaashi?”

“Hm?” He says, turning back towards her.

“Save me a seat.” She says, giving him a small wave and proceeded to skate towards Bokuto, said male waving and beginning to skate as she caught up.

The pair speak amongst themselves, speaking of their holiday and upcoming plans for New Years. For a few minutes, Bokuto surprisingly goes quiet, prompting Y/N to nudge his side.

His eyes turn towards hers, curiosity on his face.

“Hey, I just had a question.”

“Yeah, shoot.”

Bokuto’s eyes face forward as she still looks at him, his eyes turning again as he nudges his head. Y/N’s eyes follow in the direction to see Osamu skating with Kaori and smiling.

“Does Osamu like you?”

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Osamu turns, seeing Y/N staring at him. He smiles, giving her a wave then returns back to his conversation with Kaori.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“And there’s one minute on the clock folks!”

The group of friends all sit huddled together in the cold, while other bystanders around them buzz with excitement, confetti and snow flying around already.

Kaori shows Y/N tiktoks, with Akaashi occasionally looking over her shoulder, the uproar of the already booming noise blasting.

10

“Hey Y/N?” Hearing her name, she leans closer to Akaashi to hear him better

9

“Yes Akaashi?”

8

“I just had a question”

7

“Go ahead.”

6

“Maybe it’s much too early in the game.”

5

“Oh, but what the hell, I thought I’d ask you just the same”

4

“I really enjoyed tonight, Y/N.”

3

“Me too Akaashi, me too.”

2

“So”

1

“What are you doing next New Years Eve?”

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Notes

Akaashi does not like Y/N

Y/N does not like Akaashi

The Inarizaki friend group has had this tradition for about 3 years, but they all agreed having more friends with them was nice

For once I’m going to give clarification :D

Akaashi was talking about all of them hanging out on New Years Eve, he wants to do it again next year even though this year just began

Atsumu and Keiko are NOT dating

Atsumu and Keiko do not like eachother

Suna does not like Keiko

Keiko does not like Suna

Back to Masterlist

C. 14 <- C. 15 -> C. 16

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[sheerfreesia007]

Finding Love In Legacy Oaks pt. 11

Title: Finding Love In Legacy Oaks pt. 11

Fandom: Kingsman

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x OFC

Author: @sheerfreesia007​

Words: 7,484

Warnings: Mention of injury

Permanent Tag List: @paintballkid711, @fioccodineveautunnale, @phoenixhalliwell, @linkpk88, @weirdowithnobeardo

Author Notes: So Bunny’s life isn’t all rainbow and sunshine, I’m just trying to write relatable things into this story and loved the idea of this happening to Bunny. There’s a method to madness for putting Bunny through a little bit of pain. Jack opens up a little bit about his family finally! We get a bit of family history from both Bunny and Jack. I can’t wait to show you how I draw these two idiots closer together! Hope you enjoy!

Gif Credit: Google

Blinking her eyes rapidly Bunny sighed softly and rubbed at them feeling how strained and tired they were. Quickly saving her work on her laptop she closes down the web design program and powers down her laptop closing the lid. She turns in her desk chair and spots Butter sleeping in the plush dog bed that she keeps in her office, his tongue as always hanging out of his mouth as he lays on his back with his feet in the air. She chuckled softly, shaking her head as she heard him snore loudly from his comfortable spot. Just then her cellphone began ringing and she saw that Jack was calling her. Furrowing her eyebrows she answered the call and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Hey Jack, everything alright?” she greeted him and heard his soft warm chuckle on the other side of the phone.

“Hey Bunny, everything’s good. Just got a few moments to kill, you got time to just chat?” he asks warmly and Bunny can feel a warmth start to develop in her chest at the idea that he just wanted to call her to talk. Brining one foot up to rest on the desk chair she leans back and gets comfortable in the chair.

“Of course, you’ve got impeccable timing Jack.” Bunny replied with a soft chuckle.

“Work dragging you down?” he asked curiously and Bunny could hear shifting in the background on his end of the call, he was probably getting comfortable himself.

“Not dragging me down, but I’ve been staring at my laptop screen for the last few hours and it’s starting to do a number on my eyes. Thankfully I was able to get a good chunk of this project planned and mapped out.” She explained easily as she snuggled further into her desk feeling the cushions sink and surround her.

“Does that normally take a long time to get done?” Jack asks and Bunny is was pleasantly surprised at his questions, normally people didn’t really care to learn about the process of designing a website.

“Depending on what the client actually wants it could take a few hours to code the links and pages to open the right way. But normally it takes about half a day to plan and map out the website.” Bunny explained in layman terms so that she wouldn’t confuse him.

“And what’s the next step after that?” Jack asked curiously. Bunny smiled as she thought about the next part of the project that she would have to work on, it was her favorite part.

“Designing the face of the website. See the planning and mapping of the website is the background work, it’s how the website is coded to work. If you click on a link and it brings you to another page that’s the mapping part of it. The design is how it looks to the client. I can make it look a certain way based on what the client has requested.” Bunny explained passionately as she started getting even more comfortable in the conversation about her work.

“What was the most outlandish website you’ve been asked to design?” Jack asks with a soft chuckle and Bunny sits for a minute to think.

“I had a client come to me and request a website be made for his young daughter. Apparently she wanted a place to be able to post all about her latest obsessions. But there was no rhyme or reason to the website, random music played on different pages and the mouse would be different shapes for different pages. And it would randomly have sparkles falling like snow on the pages. Think of that Myspace era and dial it up to thousand percent. That project gave me so many headaches I think I invested in the aspirin companies.” Bunny explained with a groan and Jack laughed loudly on the other end of the phone call.

“Oh goodness, I remember those fads. They were horrible now that we’re well past them. I’m lucky that Es wasn’t old enough for that back then otherwise I’d be tortured by all of that. What was your favorite website design?” he said as he still chuckled.

“Oh yeah she’d have loved all of that stuff. What with her love of sparkle I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten you just let her glitter her whole room.” Bunny laughed happily and Jack scoffed softly.

“Don’t you dare give her that idea! She’s already tried to convince me to let her get more sparkly items for her room. I think my eyes are constantly blinded whenever I have to walk into or even past it. Bunny, too much sparkle.” Jack bemoaned to her and Bunny burst into laughter.

“Alright, alright I won’t mention glitter to her.” Bunny conceded as she laughed delightedly. She grinned as a lull in the conversation happened naturally and they both calmed a little.

“So favorite project?” Jack asked again. And Bunny grinned as she remembered her favorite project that she worked on.

“I have an annual client who comes to me to design her family reunion website. Nice elderly lady with a very large family, I’m talking like the last reunion two years ago had I think twenty grandkids. She normally contacts me in the beginning of spring to start designing the website so that it’s ready for early summer and their reunion is towards the end of the summer. It’s a week-long event for them where they go to the family lake cabin and just spend the week doing boating activities, there’s competitions between each branch of the family and there’s nightly outdoor movies and bonfires. It’s a lovely affair and all their pictures are so funny to see when she sends them to me to place on the website. It’s my favorite project because she’s such a sweet woman and I love listening to all her stories she tells me.” Bunny said warmly as she leaned further into her desk fondly remembering all the conversations she’s had with the woman.

“Have you ever met her in person?” Jack asks curiously and Bunny’s smile falters a little bit. “I only ask because you sound like she’s gotten close to you after being a client for a while.”

“Yes, I’ve worked with her for about five years now and have met with her in person every year while working with her on the websites. We usually go out to a long lunch and just spend the day talking about life and how we’ve been and also about the project. She’s truly a wonderful woman and she’s become kind of like a surrogate mom to me since mine lives so far away. But her family reunions are always fun to hear about and all the crazy adventures they get into.” Bunny says wistfully.

“You like the outdoors Bunny?” Jack asked warmly and Bunny grins widely at the question.

“I do, my family was always big on camping when I was growing up and while I don’t get to go as much now I still love to go camping and hiking. Butter and I have done a few mountain hiking trails together.” Bunny said fondly as she remembers her adventures with Butter.

“No way! Butter can hike? I’m surprised that little sausage roll can make it up your steps every day.” Jack teases and Bunny laughs into the phone.

“It’s all fur, don't let that fiend fool you.” Bunny said in a quiet confession and Jack laughed happily.

“Do you like outdoor activities?” Bunny asked curiously and Jack’s laughter faded in her ear.

“I do but it’s a little different than your idea of outdoors. My family back in Kentucky owns a large farm and I grew up there. Worked on the farm until I went to college and whenever I had a break I would come back home and help out when I could. Unfortunately when I started my career in security I wasn’t able to come home as often and help out. But the family still has the farm and it’s prospering so they’re all doing well for themselves.” Jack explained easily and Bunny nodded her head loving that he was actually sharing some information about himself with her. “We used to go out into the pasture a lot during the summers and sleep under the stars with a small campfire. It’s one of my favorite memories about the farm and my siblings.” Jack confessed warmly and Bunny felt that warmth that had started to grow in her chest began to spread and consume her body as she listened to Jack talk about his family’s farm.

“Do you have a lot of siblings?” Bunny asked, wanting to keep the conversation going and gather as much information about Jack as she was able to. He was still a mystery to her and while she knew he was a good man and cared greatly for his daughter she still didn’t know much about him. She wanted to begin a friendship that could hopefully turn into something so much more. And while they had begun flirting and teasing each other Bunny was ready to wait to see how this relationship blossomed. After the hell that she had been put through by her ex-husband Bunny was more than happy to wait and see how a relationship now panned out.

“I’ve got two sisters, one older that’s Rebecca or Becca. She's I think a year or two older than me. Then there’s Amelia, she’s the younger one, she’s five years younger. And finally there’s the baby of the family Will, he’s the youngest but don’t tell him that sometimes he acts like the oldest out of the four of us.” Jack replied easily and Bunny could hear the affection full in his tone over the phone. She could easily tell that he loved and cared deeply for his siblings. She smiled softly as she nodded her head. “What about you? Is it just you and your sister?” Jack asked.

“Actually I’ve got three siblings. There’s Sasha that you know about, she was adopted when I was eight and she’s two years younger than me, she’s the only one of us who’s got kids. Then there’s Jake, he was adopted when I was eleven he’s three years younger. And Freddie is five years younger than me and he was adopted when I was sixteen.” Bunny said smiling as she thought back to when her siblings were adopted and the parties that were thrown.

“So you’ve been through the adoption process?” Jack asks curiously and Bunny has to stomp down the urge and desire to be Esme’s mom that she had the other night at the sleepover.

“Yeah it was a bit hectic as a kid because my parents fostered a lot of kids while growing up and it was both good and bad. The kids that we were fostering, some had some serious mental health issues, like Sasha she has horrendous panic attacks and anxiety attacks all throughout her foster life with us. She still gets it sometimes but they’re not as severe she’s told me. And Freddie has bipolar disorder that he’s managing with a team of doctors, he’s got his good days and then he’s got some really bad days. I check up on him a couple times a month just to see how he’s doing and if he needs anything.” Bunny explained feeling a dull achy pain in her chest as she talked about her siblings’ mental issues. She hated seeing them troubled and if she could take away their pain she would in a heartbeat, Sasha and Freddie were the best type of people and the fact that they had to deal with these issues pained Bunny. She knew they were dealt a hard life but she hoped that by joining her family they had found some sort of peace, and while they had told her this before she hoped it was true.

“Wow, I didn’t realize that the foster kids your parents helped were dealing with those types of issues.” Jack said solemnly.

“Yeah there were others who needed more help than my parents could offer or give and those were the ones that were either placed with another foster family or the state government eventually took custody of them. They became a ward of the state.” Bunny explained softly.

“Well I’m hoping they got the necessary care they needed wherever they ended up.” Jack said in a calm, easing voice.

“I do too.” Bunny replied easily before her mind turned back to Esme once more and the sleepover fiasco was in the forefront of her brain again. “Hey while we’re talking about this stuff. I-uh wanted to let you know that Es had a run in with Cynthia and it wasn’t pretty.” Bunny began to explain. She took a breath in and heard absolute silence on the other end of the call and for a moment she thought the call had dropped. She began to move the phone away from her ear to check when she heard Jack’s deadly calm voice speak up.

“What did Cynthia do to Esme?” he asked in such a harsh cold tone that Bunny physically shivered in her seat.

“Es got caught up in all the excitement with the other girls at the sleepover and called me Mom in front of everyone. Cynthia heard and was a bit of a nasty witch to her and to be honest I can’t remember the exact words because I only saw red and ripped her a new one for her shit talking, but anyway she said something about needing to talk to you about her hanging out with me too much that she was thinking I was her mom.” Bunny explained in a rush as she felt the white hot blind rage she felt after Cynthia snapped at Esme.

“Easy Bunny, easy.” Jack said softly and Bunny took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “Es called you mom?” Jack asked quietly and Bunny felt her heart clench suddenly at his question.

“She did. And Jack I don’t mind one bit. She just got caught up in the chaotic energy the girls were causing and it was just a slip of the tongue. Honest.” Bunny said quickly to try and ease him if he was having second thoughts of her being around Esme so much. “And I talked to Es about it. Told her it’s no big deal and that I’d be lucky to have her as a kid. But I told her what Cynthia said was uncalled for and that she didn’t have to listen to her since she was mean to Es.”

Bunny felt uneasy as if she was rambling as she tried to explain to Jack what had happened the other night and as the silence fell over the phone conversation she felt her anxiety skyrocket inside her. She tried to wait patiently for Jack to say something but when he didn’t say anything after a while she sighed softly, figuring that he’d want to put a stop to them spending so much time together.

“I understand if you don’t want me watching her anymore or taking her to yoga.” Bunny said softly and dejectedly.

“Now hang on.” Jack said suddenly and confidently. “That’s not at all what I want.” Bunny heard his firm words and she felt hope unfurl in her chest making her breath catch silently. “You have been the best thing that has happened to both Esme and myself. You’ve helped me out so much with watching her for me. And Esme has had a rough time making friends in her new neighborhood and school but you’ve done wonders for her confidence that she now has a few friends. Bunny you not being in our lives is the last thing I would want.” Jack stated vehemently and Bunny felt tears prick at her eyes. “I’m more upset that Cynthia had the nerve to say something to Es about calling you mom. I can’t believe that woman.” He said honestly and Bunny sighed softly as she nodded her head.

“Yeah Cynthia I think has it in her head that the two of you are becoming a hot item.” Bunny said thoughtfully and Jack scoffed over the phone.

“She’s married Bunny.” Jack lamented softly to her and Bunny nodded her head at his words.

“I know that, but I don’t think she cares. Ever since I’ve met her she’s always been looking for the next best thing for herself.” Bunny said truthfully.

“She’s always been like this? It’s not just because of me?” Jack asked seriously and Bunny smirked softly, seeing an opportunity for her.

“You’re handsome Jack but you’re no Mark Strong.” Bunny teased him as she grinned widely.

“Oh ho! So you dig the older men huh Bunny?” Jack teased right back and Bunny blushed deeply.

“What can I say, he's dreamy.” Bunny said dismissively and Jack laughed softly.

“Well now I know who my competition is then.” Jack said sultrily and Bunny felt desire jolt down her spine making her gasp softly.

“C-competition?” she stuttered out softly before she heard muffled talking in the background on Jack’s end of the phone call. She could hear Jack responding to whoever was with him distantly as her mind began to race with the thought that Jack was competing for her affection.

“Hey listen Bunny I’ve got to get goin’. Thanks for taking my call and chattin’ with me. Tell Es I’ll give her a call at dinner time alright?” Jack said and Bunny let out her breath slowly through her nose.

“Yeah of course. I’ll let her know. I’ve gotta start getting ready to go get her from the bus stop anyway. We’ll talk to you then.” Bunny began to quickly ramble and she cringed softly as she heard his soft chuckle.

“And yes competition. Can’t let a Brit git one over the good ol’ American boy. Talk to you later Bunny.” Jack said in a low gravelly tone that made Bunny suddenly tense with arousal as she heard his tone and words. And then the line was hung up.

Huffing softly she slouched in her chair and pulled the phone from her ear slowly. Setting it down on the desk gently she turned and saw Butter was still passed out in his bed. Running a hand through her hair Bunny sighed softly.

“That man’s got a seductive tongue.” She said softly to the quiet office and Butter huffed in his sleep making her chuckle softly. “You said it Butter.”

*-*-*-*

As soon as Esme walked down the bus steps Bunny could tell that she was feeling down. Tilting her head to the side she watched as Esme walked down the sidewalk towards. The two older girls from the last bullying instance were walking behind her giggling and whispering to each other and Bunny felt rage rush her body with red hot anger. The girls looked up from Esme’s back and both instantly stopped talking as they spotted Bunny glaring at them.

“Girls.” Bunny said stiffly as Esme came to a stop next to her and the girls both gulped silently before one hesitantly let out a smile before the two made a dash for their houses. Bunny sighed softly and looked down at Esme who was dejectedly scuffing her sneakers on the sidewalk. “Bad day at school?” Bunny asked softly.

Esme shrugged her shoulders and continued to scuff her sneakers on the sidewalk. Butter looked up at Esme curiously before head-butting her calf with his head. Esme moved a little bit before stepping to the side to avoid Butter doing that again.

“Yep, bad day at school. Why don’t we go for a walk and if you wanna talk I’m all ears. If not, it's no big deal.” Bunny said softly as she looked down at Esme. Esme shrugged her shoulders once more and Bunny nodded her head before gently holding out her hand for Esme. The little girl took a hold of it after a moment's pause and Bunny began leading her and Butter towards the main park area of the community.

The three of them walked in silence and Bunny kept her head held high not wanting to constantly look down at Esme. She was worried it’d upset the little girl more if she constantly tried to check in with her. As the three of them finish crossing the street to the park area Esme starts to slowly perk up.

“Hey Bunny?” she asks suddenly and Bunny hides her smile as much as she possibly can and looks down at the little girl at her side.

“What’s up Es?” Bunny answers in a question and Esme smiles softly at her.

“Have you ever called someone Mom who wasn’t your mom?” Esme asks softly and Bunny nods her head adamantly.

“Oh yeah! So many women.” Bunny said with wide eyes and Esme giggled softly. “I’ve called a bunch of my teachers in school Mom. Let’s see who else, oh! I called Molly’s mom that once and she wouldn’t let me live it down. Wouldn’t stop insisting she was my mom now. And then there was that time that I accidentally called Mr. Quinten dad and it was a whole big thing with him.” Bunny confessed as she sighed and rolled her eyes. Esme giggled brightly as she walked next to Bunny as she began to skip alongside her. “Look Es, there’s nothing wrong with calling someone Mom. It happens all the time.” Bunny stressed earnestly as she stopped walking and bent down to Esme’s level.

“Really?” asked the little girl as she looked at Bunny with a lost expression on her face.

“Yep. Sometimes we just forget where we are and the name just comes out. Other times we see the person we called Mom as a mother figure. It just means that you see that person as someone who you can trust and go to for anything. And I’ll let you in on a secret, come here.” Bunny said surreptitiously as she gestured Esme closer to her. “It means so much to me that you could think of me like that. And I will do my best to be there for you no matter what, understand? You’re stuck with me kiddo.” She said fondly as she nudged Esme under her chin making her giggle. Just then Esme launched herself against Bunny and Bunny caught her easily in her arms holding her close to her.

“Thanks Bunny.” Esme whispered softly.

“Any time kiddo. Any time.” Bunny said softly into the little girl’s hair. “Now what do you say to go for a walk and just hang out before we crack down on homework and then dinner?” Bunny asked hopefully that the little girl was feeling a little bit better.

“Yeah! Oh can we roll down that hill over there?” Esme asked, suddenly excited as she pointed to the medium sized hill that obscured the soccer field from view. Bunny shrugged her shoulders before grinning at Esme and taking off with Butter running besides her.

“Beat you to the top!” Bunny called and Esme shrieked with indignation as she began running as quickly as her little legs could carry her after Bunny.

“You cheated!” Esme cried as she began chasing after Bunny.

“Only if I win!” Bunny called over her shoulder laughing heartily before she began huffing dramatically as Esme caught up to her. Esme giggled as Butter barked chaotically at Bunny’s side as if he was trying to get her to pick up her pace. Once Bunny saw Esme pass her she began to overtly huff and puff as she chased the little girl up the hill.

“I win!” called Esme and began to dance in celebration as she reached the top before Bunny. Bunny made a show of bending over and gasping for breath which made Esme laugh harder. Butter hopped around Bunny barking at her and Bunny laughed softly at the dog as he did his best impression of an angry coach. “Ok, ok. Let’s do this!” cried Esme happily as she threw her back pack to the ground and began to lower herself down to the ground at the top of the hill.

“Alright you go first and then when you come up I’ll go.” Bunny instructed and Esme looked up at her gleefully. “What? You thought I wouldn’t roll down a hill? I’ll have you know I’m an expert roller.” Bunny said self-importantly and Esme burst into happy laughter before she shook her head.

“Bunny!” The little girl drew out the name in an exasperated tone and Bunny laughed softly before gesturing for Esme to go. Butter began to bark excitedly and was jumping around Bunny’s legs as Esme prepped herself to roll down the hill.

“Alright I’m gonna time ya. On your mark!” Bunny called happily and Butter began to jump more furiously around her. “Get set!” was the next call out and Esme prepared to begin rolling as Butter began barking like crazy. “Go!” called Bunny and instantly realized her mistake as Esme began rolling down the hill at a moderate speed.

Suddenly Bunny’s legs were knocked out from underneath herself as Butter took off down the hill dragging Bunny along after him. Shrieking in surprise Bunny heard a distinct crack and felt the back of her head bounce on the ground when she met the ground. Groaning in pain she raised her hand to her head before feeling her arm being jerked after Butter as he dashed down the hill after Esme. Bunny felt every hit with the ground as Butter dragged her down the hill and she moaned softly as he finally came to a stop at the base of the hill.

“Bunny!” cried Esme worriedly and Bunny peeked one eye open to stare over at the little girl as she got up and rushed over to her. Bunny could feel the aches in her body from when she had collided with the ground. Gritting her teeth and hissing softly as she shifted on the ground trying to sit up.

“I’m okay Es. Butter just got a little too excited.” Bunny began to reassure Esme as she saw the little girl’s face filled with worry and concern. Bunny set her hand down on the ground and moved to sit up on the grass. Hissing in pain Bunny quickly pulled her wrist up to her chest and clutched it there for a moment feeling the sharp pain coursing through her wrist. She laid there for a moment with her eyes shut clutching her aching wrist to her chest trying to breathe through the pain.

“Bunny?” Esme asked softly and Bunny opened her eyes to see Esme now kneeling next to her body as Butter crawled along the ground towards the two of them.

“I should be okay just banged up.” Bunny reassured her and sat up completely still keeping her wrist close to her body to limit the chance of irritating it further. Shifting on the ground to get into a better sitting position she felt a sharp twinge coming from her right ankle. Moaning softly her right hand fell to her ankle to try and steady it as pain jolted quickly up her leg making her muscles seize. “Nope, nope. Not okay. Let me just see if I can stand up for a second. Hey Es, can you come hold Butter’s leash for me?”

Es stood quickly from her kneeling spot and gently unwound Butter’s leash that was wrapped around Bunny’s left wrist and arm. She led Butter a step or two away from Bunny as she stood there watching silently with worried eyes.

Bunny rolled onto her knees and gritted her teeth as she felt the pain in her ankle begin to throb. Slowly blowing out a breath through her mouth Bunny used her left leg to push up from the ground. Taking in a few quick breaths Bunny stood on her left leg and tentatively placed her right foot down flush with the ground. Placing a little more weight on it she felt it suddenly give out and she collapsed to the ground on her knees groaning in pain at the impact.

“Definitely not okay.” she said softly and felt tears prick her eyes as the pain consumed her suddenly. Quickly blinking the tears away she looked over and saw Esme shifting on her feet with watery eyes. “Hey it’s okay. We just need to go to the hospital. I'm pretty sure I broke my ankle.”

“Oh Bunny!” Esme cried softly and Bunny shook her head as she settled back onto the ground.

“Es do you see my phone anywhere? I need to call an ambulance, I can’t stand on my right leg.” Bunny said as she began patting down her pockets not feeling her phone. Esme looked around the ground in the area that they had landed before darting over to the side where the phone laid in the grass. Bunny grimaced as she shifted on the ground and grunted softly in pain as her ankle was jostled before turning to see Esme already holding her phone to her ear. Bunny watched in surprise as Esme effortlessly called 911 for her.

“Hi, I need an ambulance to Legacy Oaks community. My babysitter fell down a hill and she can’t stand on her right leg and her left hand hurts.” Esme explained easily and Bunny tilted her head slightly at how calm Esme was as she talked to the 911 operator. “Yes she’s breathing and sitting up. We are at the main field area by the soccer field. Closest intersection is Main Street and West Legacy Boulevard. Ok hold on.” Esme relayed easily before moving closer to Bunny and holding out her phone to her. “They want to ask you some medical questions.” Esme said hurriedly as she came to Bunny’s side and handed over her phone.

“Hello?” Bunny asked, still in shock at Esme’s behavior as she watched the little girl take a seat next to her and began to coo at Butter.

“Yes ma’am, we have an ambulance on their way to you and I just need to ask a few more questions.” Said the operator and Bunny nodded her head slightly.

“Of course.” She replied as her eyes stayed glued to Esme who was sitting there rubbing Butter’s back letting her fingers drag through his fur.

“So it’s your right ankle that is injured?” asked the operator and Bunny could hear keyboard keys clacking in the background and other voices relaying information about other calls.

“I can’t put any pressure on my right ankle, my leg gives out when I try to. And my left wrist is throbbing with pain whenever I move it.” Bunny relayed to the operator and heard the clicking of the keyboard as she talked.

“Ok, I’ve already let the ambulance crew know and they are on their way. Is there any special directions for them on how to find you?” asked the operator.

“No, we’re the only ones here in the main park area. They’ll be able to see us.” Bunny said and watched as Esme looked over at her silently.

“Ok, if anything changes, call us back but the ambulance should be there shortly.” Said the operator and Bunny thanked him before hanging up the phone.

“I have to call Jeremy and see if he could come grab Butter before the ambulance gets here. Are you okay?” Bunny explained as she looked down to her cracked phone screen and pulled up Jeremy’s contact info with a little difficulty before she looked up at Esme. Placing the phone at her ear she watched Esme look at her with slightly teary eyes and a worried face.

“Hey Bun-Bun!” cheered Jeremy happily as he answered the phone after two rings.

“Hey Jer, I have to go to the hospital. I’m okay but I think I broke or sprained my ankle and wrist really badly. Es and I are at the main park with Butter, would you be able to come get Butter before the ambulance gets here?” she quickly relayed to him hoping he’d be able to help her out.

“Of course, I’m just getting ready for work so I can swing by now and grab him. No problem. Are you sure you’re okay? Is Esme okay?” he responded easily before asking about the well-being of her and Esme.

“We’re okay, I think just a little shaken up is all.” Bunny said softly as she watched Esme sniffle softly and swipe her hand under her nose.

“Okay, I’m on my way. I'll be there in two minutes.” Jeremy said quickly and Bunny said goodbye before hanging up the phone.

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Bunny asked softly as she focused fully on Esme. The little girl looked at her with such saddened eyes that Bunny felt such a severe urge to pull her close and reassure her, but when her body shifted to move closer to Esme she gritted her teeth as pain shot up her leg and arm. “C’mere.” She cooed softly to Esme and the little girl moved closer to her side and pressed gently into it resting her head on Bunny’s right shoulder. “I promise I’m okay. Just probably broken bones. No big deal, okay?” she reassured the little girl as she gently wrapped her right arm low around Esme’s lower back.

“It’s my fault.” Esme said sorrowfully in a low tone and Bunny immediately shook her head at the girl’s words.

“No it’s not sweetheart. Accidents happen and it’s more my fault.” Bunny said easily as she kept shaking her head. Esme turned to look up at her confused. “I said ready, set, go and Butter knows those are play words. So I should have known better. It’s not your fault Es. Don’t think that it is because that’s the farthest from the truth.” Bunny said adamantly as she watched Esme closely.

“But if I didn’t want to roll down the hill then this wouldn’t have happened.” Esme said softly in such a heartbroken tone that Bunny felt her heart clench in response.

“Uh if you recall I also wanted to roll down the hill missy.” Bunny teased softly and Esme scoffed softly as her shoulders slumped forward. “Hey, I’m serious. It’s not your fault that I got hurt. It was just something that happened, it’s really no one’s fault.”

“But Bunny!” Esme cried indignantly as she tried to convince Bunny once more that it was her fault.

“Look, you couldn’t have predicted that this would have happened. And it’s not like you wanted me to get hurt when we decided to roll down the hill, right? And you didn’t push me. So it is not your fault. Accidents happen, we just have to deal with them and move on. Okay?” Bunny said firmly as she stared down at Esme. “Trust me I’m not mad or upset. My bones will heal and maybe if it’s broken I’ll get a cool cast and you can draw and sign it for me.”

“But-“ Esme began again and Bunny quickly shook her head as interrupted the little girl.

“Nope. No buts. It’s no one’s fault. I won’t hear anything else about it.” Bunny insisted as she shook her head at the little girl.

“Fine, but I still feel bad.” Esme huffed out softly and Bunny smiled warmly at her.

“You can feel bad for me all you want. It’ll help me lay it on thick to Jeremy and your Dad to help me out if it’s broken.” Bunny said, nodding her head eagerly and Esme giggled softly.

“I can help you too.” Esme said cheerily and Bunny nodded exaggeratedly making Esme giggle again.

“Uh duh. You’re definitely gonna be my number one helper.” Bunny said fondly and Esme nodded her head confidently as she watched Bunny determinedly. “Oh reminds me I should call your Dad and let him know what’s going on.” She said absentmindedly when suddenly Jeremy’s bright yellow jeep pulled up to the curb and Butter started barking excitedly as he recognized the car.

Bunny sat next to Esme as the two of them watched as Jeremy hopped out of the jeep in his security guard uniform and rushed over to them. He had a concerned expression on his face as he walked over to them and his eyes were darting first around Esme and then landed on Bunny.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly and Bunny nodded her head as she gritted her teeth when her wrist protested with her shifting movement on the ground.

“Yeah, just banged up. Took a tumble down the hill that’s all.” Bunny said as Jeremy came to a stop standing in front of her splayed legs. He looked down at her with a soft fond look in his eyes after he heard her explanation.

“You’re always getting up to something aren’t you?” he teased softly and Bunny stuck her tongue out at him making Esme giggle softly.

“First time it’s because I wanted to roll down a hill.” Bunny retorted and Jeremy scoffed softly.

“First time for everything trouble maker.” He quipped back and Bunny laughed as she shook her head at him.

“Whatever man.” She bemoaned to him as she shifted again on the ground and gritted her teeth as pain coursed through her again.

“So what hurts and how can I help?” he asked kindly and Bunny smiled in thanks to him.

“My right ankle and leg are in a lot of pain whenever I move it and I can’t put pressure on it. And my left wrist is in a lot of pain too. Not sure but I might have a concussion too, banged my head a few times on the ground as I came down.” Bunny relayed to him and Jeremy whistled low, Bunny nodded her head in response to his whistle and gritted her teeth as a dull ache began to form in her brain.

“Man you know how to fall hard when you do huh?” Jeremy asked teasingly and Bunny chuckled at him.

“What can I say? Gotta do it right the first time right?” she asked and Jeremy shook his head at her. Just as Jeremy was moving closer to her and Esme they all spotted the ambulance driving down the street. Jeremy turned and waved them down as Bunny shifted again and felt Esme lean slightly closer to her. “I’m okay. It’s gonna be okay, I promise.” Bunny reassured her softly as the paramedics parked the ambulance and hopped out.

“Hey guys, she’s over here.” Jeremy said easily as he directed the paramedics to Bunny.

“Are you her husband?” asked the male paramedic as he looked from Jeremy over to Bunny and Bunny grinned as she fluttered her eyelashes at Jeremy who laughed at Bunny’s antics.

“No, just my best friend.” Jeremy said fondly as he walked over with the paramedic.

“So what happened miss?” asked the younger female paramedic who was now kneeling down at Bunny’s other side with the medical bag set on the ground next to her. Bunny watched as she looked across Bunny to Esme and smiled softly at her. “Don’t worry honey, we're going to take good care of your babysitter.”

“Got knocked down the hill by my overly excited dog.” Bunny said as she gestured with her chin to Butter who was now rolling in the grass on his back trying to get the paramedics’ attention. Both paramedics laughed at Butter and Jeremy just shook his head as Esme giggled softly. “Banged my head a couple of times on the ground, did something to my left wrist, it's throbbing in pain, and my right ankle is in a lot of pain too. Can’t put any weight on the right leg either, tried to stand up and my leg gave out.” She explained as they all looked at her and Esme who was still cuddled into her side.

“Ok, well I suggest we take you to the hospital to get your wrist and ankle checked out to see if you just sprained them or broke them. Also if you choose to let us take you we’ll check for concussion in the ambulance. We can’t force you but that’s what I suggest.” Said the female and male nodded as he stood next to Jeremy.

“Yeah, let's go to the hospital.” Bunny said, nodding her head.

“Okay, Chase, can you grab the stretcher while I start her paperwork?” the female asked as picked up her metal clipboard and began filling out the paperwork with Bunny right there. “Do you want us to take her in the ambulance as well or will your friend be taking her?” the woman asked as she nodded her head at Esme. Bunny felt Esme’s hands come up to clutch at her bicep and she leaned closer to her silently.

“She’s gonna go with me if that’s alright with you guys.” She replied and felt Esme relax against her a little bit. The woman nodded her head and winked at Esme who smiled softly and relaxed further against Bunny.

“No problem with us.” She answered with a smile and finished filling out the paperwork. Bunny’s eyes darted over to Jeremy who was walking with Chase as he wheeled the stretcher over towards them. Once it was lowered to the ground Bunny looked over at Jeremy for some help which he gladly stepped over.

“I’m gonna just lift her up onto the stretcher. It’ll be easier.” Jeremy explained as he squatted down next to Bunny and Esme. “Hey Es, do me a favor and just hold onto Butter for me while I put Bunny on the stretcher okay. Once I’m done and they load her up in the ambulance you’ll be able to get in with her.” Jeremy said softly and kindly to the little girl who was still pressed up against Bunny’s side. Bunny could see the worry flash across Esme’s face and Bunny nodded her head at her.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let them leave without you. You’re coming with me.” Bunny reassured her and Esme looked up at her with concern. “Here take my phone that way you know for sure you’re coming with me since we still gotta call your Dad and let him know what’s up.” Bunny said as she handed over her phone to Esme who quickly took it and Butter’s leash leading him a few steps away from the stretcher.

“Alright c’mon lady let’s get you up on that stretcher.” Jeremy said as he slid his arms underneath Bunny’s knees and behind her back before standing up with her cradled in his arms. Bunny gritted her teeth lightly when her ankle fell with gravity as Jeremy lifted her. “I got you sorry.” Jeremy apologized and Bunny shook her head at him.

“No worries, it's okay.” Bunny said softly as he set her down on the stretcher and Chase lifted it up gently.

“Hey call me if you guys need anything and when you get done with everything and I’ll come pick you two up. That way you won’t have to worry about anything okay?” Jeremy said as Chase began to wheel you towards the ambulance.

“Okay. You sure? I’m sure I could call a taxi or something.” Bunny said as they all began walking towards the ambulance behind her.

“Yeah, call me and I’ll come pick you up. You’re already gonna have a lot going on so just call me.” Jeremy insisted and Bunny nodded her head as she watched him turn to Esme and held his hand out for the leash. “C’mon sweetheart let’s let them get her loaded up and then I’ll help you up there.”

“Thanks Jeremy.” Esme said softly as she hung back with Jeremy as the paramedics loaded Bunny into the back of the ambulance. Once they were done Bunny looked out at Esme and gestured her up once the female paramedic got situated in the back with her.

“Alright honey you’re gonna come sit on the bench over here okay?” she said as pointed to the bench seat next to Bunny’s stretcher on her left side. Bunny watched quietly as Esme climbed into the back with Jeremy’s help and came to sit down on the bench. When she was finally settled in her seat she gripped onto the stretcher railing and watched anxiously as the woman began to get a blood pressure cuff secured on Bunny.

“Alright we’re good to go. We’ll be heading to Three Sisters’ Hospital.” Chase said easily to everyone as he began to close the back of the ambulance. Bunny smiled at Jeremy as he nodded at her and then turned to Esme trying to ease her as they began their trek to the hospital.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

My Entry for the @konoblog-simps College Au event. I had to write this after moving to my new place with little to no actual wifi and most of it was done on my phone so...ya, that was fun lol.

Characters: Hatake Kakashi, Anko, Maito Gai, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Genma.

AO3

Tags: College au

Word count: 2791

Summary: Hatake Kakashi is a genius. Top of his class in every subject, he rarely ever has to put effort into his assignments, and as a rule he doesn't. Except when it comes to Photography.

Special thanks: @saudade-mayari and @punk-pandame for help me out by Betaing the fic i had to write on my phone mostly.

Biology had never been one of Kakashi’s favourite subjects. It was tedious, boring and had little to offer that challenged him in a meaningful way. Of course, that could be said about most of the classes that he took, but today’s problem was biology.

He’d deal with the other classes when he had to sit in them listening to the professor drone on about a boring lab that involved little to no actual skill and could just as easily be done on a computer. There were so many more interesting things he could be doing with this time.

Things he could be learning without having to cut open a frog just to get a good look at its insides.

“Alright!” Hearing Anko’s cheerful voice, Kakashi directed his gaze towards her. The only thing that could be expected when Anko was happy about something, was danger. It was what Anko lived for. The thing that gave her life, and today was no exception judging by the gleeful look in her eyes. “Let’s see what’s hidden inside of you.”

How she could have so much fun with something as simple as a dissection, Kakashi would never know. Though, at least she could find some enjoyment in a class that offered nothing but boredom for him and many others. So much fun that even when she started to cut into the poor frog’s exposed belly, there was still a giant grin on her face. An expression that made her look a little mad, in his opinion.

One that he couldn’t help but feel the urge to photograph.

Forgetting about the task at hand, he reached down to grab the messenger bag that he had set down beside his stool upon taking his seat and quickly dug out his digital camera. A small, simple camera that he had bought specifically for his photography class. Not a purchase that he had been expecting to make when he decided what subjects he wanted to take this semester, but easily the best purchase he had made. No 30,000 Yen textbook could ever hope to compare to the beauty of this camera.

Switching the camera on, he peered through the viewfinder and waited for the lens to come into focus. Just as he pressed the shutter button, successfully capturing a photo, Anko threw her head back and cackled. Even without looking at the LCD Display to see the picture that he had captured, Kakashi could already tell that it was perfect. With a look of maniacal glee on her face, Anko painted a delightful picture of the perfect Biology student. Someone who could find excitement in even the most mundane task set in front of them.

If anyone ever asked Kakashi to choose one picture to show people what a mad scientist would look like in real life, he would have to choose this one. There wasn’t a soul in the world who had ‘mad scientist’ down quite as perfectly as Anko, and if Biology class was good for anything it was showing just how much joy the woman got from things that would disgust or bore any other human.

“Mr. Hatake,” dragging his eyes off of his camera, Kakashi cringed when he saw Professor Orochimaru standing there glaring at him with that same unimpressed look he always had when he was speaking to Kakashi. “I think it would be best if you paid attention to the task at hand, rather than sneaking photographs of your classmates. Don’t you?”

Biting his tongue, Kakashi tucked the camera away in his bag and set it down beside his chair once more. It was best not to get into an argument that he was unlikely to win, even if returning his gaze to the poor frog laying on the table in front of him did drain all of the excitement he had been feeling just a second ago while holding his camera.

“Hey,” lifting his eyes, he watched as Anko leaned over the desk. That same joyful smile that she had been wearing while dissecting her frog was still plastered on her face. “You’ll show me the picture after class, right? I want to make sure I look perfectly terrifying in whatever picture you’re about to print off of me.”

Terrifying. That was certainly one way to describe her.

“I’ll show you after class,” he promised, giving her a playful wink. “Just try not to make a mess while you’re having fun.”

His comment was met with a laugh. “No promises.”

-----------------------------------------------

After a long day of classes, it was always nice to head out to his favorite café and get a nice cup of hot chocolate. An hour to relax before he started working on assignments, or headed to his part-time job at the university's campus bar.

Just some time to recharge after a long day of being bored out of his mind from monotone professors and lessons they always swore would require everyone's full attention to be understood, but never really did.

Today, he was not getting that time alone he usually needed so badly. Instead, he was sitting at a table with his three best friends, and the three loudest people in all of Konoha University.

Nohara Rin, beautiful and kind but with a voice that could not be missed by anyone. A trait she had picked up from spending so much time with Obito, no doubt.

Speaking of whom: Uchiha Obito. The second loudest student in all of Konoha University and possibly the world. Brash, knuckle-headed and dumber than a sack of rocks some days.

Ok, most days but Kakashi liked to give him the benefit of the doubt sometimes.

And then there was Maito Gai. Sweet, handsome, and always bursting with energy. The only person who was louder than Obito, and he made sure to leave no questions about that fact whenever he spoke.

How Kakashi had ended up with these three as friends he would never know, but he also wouldn't change it for the world. Even if his ears were ringing after five minutes with all three of them.

"How can you even say that?" Obito threw a hand over his heart in one of the most dramatic displays of horror Kakashi had ever seen. "Nutritional science? Better than theatre? Lies! Utter lies!"

"Maybe in your mind," Rin responded with a roll of her eyes. “Not everyone thinks Theater is the best thing ever invented since Dango.”

Gai wasn't so calm about Obito's response though. Not one to be outdone, he threw his hands down on the table and stood up in his spot so that he was staring Obito down. "At least Nutritional sciences can be used to help people," he defended his class with the same fiery passion that he showed with everything he did. “You're just learning to put on a show, which I'm convinced is a blood trait already for the Uchiha."

Kakashi couldn't find it in him to argue with that. Obito may be one of the most dramatic people he knew, but when it came to the Uchiha he was hardly the only one. Most days Shisui could give Obito a run for his money when it came to dramatic flare.

A fact Obito always got upset with him for pointing out.

"Kakashi, back me up here," Gai turned to look at him with soft black eyes that Kakashi would happily get lost in for the rest of the day. "His major is just...it doesn't serve a purpose."

"Someone has to be entertaining in this world, beast face," Obito protested. "And what's Kakashi going to say? His major is so boring he looks like he's going to fall asleep in class all the time."

"That's not wrong," glancing towards Rin, Kakashi jutted out his bottom lip to form the most pathetic pout that he could. "What? It's true! Today in biology you took a picture of Anko instead of doing the assignment."

Sometimes he forgot that he shared classes with Rin, but she always found a way to remind him, which wouldn't be nearly as bad if she didn't call him out on being a lazy shit like that in front of Gai.

"Kakashi, are you ignoring class again for photography?"

There was a disappointment in Gai's voice that he couldn’t stand hearing. As if he was about to be scolded for his life choices when he would much rather listen to Gai talk about how amazing he was.

But since he was now clearly upset with him thanks to Rin, there was only one option left to get him off of his back.

“I believe you were talking about how Obito's major isn't nearly as useful as yours," he offered, sticking his tongue out towards Obito when he immediately started to scold Kakashi for turning the conversation away from his own inability to focus in class.

"Well, yes-" watching as Gai turned his attention back to the conversation, immediately picking up where he had left off as if there had been no interruption, Kakashi couldn't help but reach into his backpack and pull out his camera.

Did he really need a picture of the moment that Obito stuck a finger out and poked Gai in the nose while desperately defending his major?

Yes. He did. Not only would it go well with the project, but the look of annoyance on Gai's face was priceless.

Definitely a picture worth putting in his personal photo album.

"I told you," turning his camera towards Rin, Kakashi snapped another picture just as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Tell me I look pretty in it."

Peering down at the image display, Kakashi smiled softly. "Absolutely stunning."

----------------------------------------------------------------

There was a process that Kakashi had when it came to choosing the perfect pictures for his project. First, he would go through his camera roll and make a mental note of all of the best pictures he could find. Next, he would transfer everything onto his laptop and then move the pictures he wanted into a folder for printing.

After getting the selected pictures printed, he would sit down at the small desk in his dorm room and organize them into the perfect design for his project. Whatever pictures ended up not fitting, would ultimately go into the small photo album that he kept under his desk. A book of personal favorites that he would look at on those really bad mental health days where he just needed something to make him smile. Even just for a moment.

It was a long process, but there was a reason he had never gotten anything less than a ninety on any of his photography projects.

Not that he really ever did poorly on any of his assignments. He actually did quite well on all of his lab assignments for biology and chemistry, even if he had a bad habit of not paying attention. It was probably the main reason his professors didn’t like him all that much.

“Still working on that, huh?” Glaring over at his roommate’s bed, he watched as the brunette stared back at him from over top his business textbook. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you put even half of this amount of effort into any of your other assignments, and I’m pretty sure those ones actually matter for your major.”

It was a true fact, just not one he wanted to hear.

He caught enough shit from Rin and Gai about his less than enthusiastic approach to his major.

“Don’t you have a small business to start up?” He huffed, turning his attention back down to the assignment in front of him. “Or did it go bankrupt already?”

“My business going bankrupt is as likely to happen as you actually telling Gai you have a crush on him,” Turning in his spot once again, Kakashi opened his mouth to argue against Genma’s frankly insulting assumption, only to find himself facing down a glare that could rival Rin’s angry look. “Don’t you dare try to lie to me, Hatake. Anyone can tell you have a crush on Gai.”

It wasn’t fair.

He wasn’t that obvious about it, was he?

“But that’s not what we’re talking about here, is it?” Genma continued. “We’re talking about your work ethic when it comes to assignments, and the fact that you’d rather put all of your efforts into the assignments for the one class that holds no value to your major.”

It was rather rude, Kakashi thought. First Genma called him out on his little crush, and then he turned around and scolded him for wanting to work on his photography assignment. Just because it didn’t hold any weight for his degree didn’t mean he shouldn’t put effort into it.

“Science is…” ‘Boring’ lingered on the tip of his tongue, but it wasn’t quite the word he was looking for. He actually loved Science, and had chosen the major hoping to explore a few different options after getting his degree. “Well, I love Science. Biology is interesting, Chemistry is a blast,” sometimes literally, if Anko was in the class with him. “And don’t get me started on Environmental sciences. I love it to bits. It’s just…the professors.”

There it was. The explanation he had been searching for.

The classes weren’t boring if they were being taught by the right people. Professor Uzumaki always made Astronomy interesting with her grand explanations and detailed outlines that drew his attention in. She never had any complaints about Kakashi not being focused in class. In fact, she had told him on multiple occasions that he was one of her most engaged students.

“Professor Orochimaru make’s biology seem like a chore, and the only thing interesting about Chemistry is watching Anko test the limits of just what can be mixed together without blowing the classroom up.” He was actually surprised she had managed to avoid doing that to date, given just how often she liked to experiment with chemicals. “But Photography is interesting. Professor Namekaze lets us explore things that we like, and the only restriction we have is the assignments due date and the basic premise of what the assignment is.”

This assignment for example.

His professor's words had been on repeat in his mind since monday when they received the assignment, and every picture he had taken since then had been carefully thought out to fit the assignment.

Though, now that he thought a bit more about it, he was missing one picture. Something that would tie the project together perfectly.

“Hey! Are you listening to me, Kakashi?” Picking his camera up off of the desk, he turned in his spot to face Gemma and brought the camera up so that he could peer through the viewfinder just as Genma tossed his book off to the side and started to crawl out of his bed. “Don’t you date-”

It was too late though. As soon as Genma started to reach out towards him in a poor attempt to snatch the camera away, he snapped the picture. The final piece to make the perfect assignment.

There was no way he would get anything less than a ninety-five on this one. The pictures were too perfect.

“Maybe I'll print you out a copy,” he teased, lowering his camera so that he could smile at Gemma. “You could use it for your tinder profile picture. Then at least all the people you bring over would know what they’re getting themselves into.”

The look on Genma’s face spelled trouble. As if Kakashi had just opened Pandora's box and released all of the worst plaques onto the world.

“You know, I have plans to hang out with Gai tomorrow,” Yep, that was definitely the worst punishment for his transgressions. There was no way this could possibly- “I think I’ll tell him about your little crush. How you can never shut up about him, and that dorky smile you get on your face whenever someone mentions him.”

Somewhere in the back of his mind he recalled a lecture from his father when he was young. A long explanation for why murder was wrong, and not a solution to all of lifes worst problems.

Surely this was an exception.

No one could possibly prosecute him for Genma’s murder when they found out what a cruel, horrible man he was.

And even if they could, they’d have to find the body first.

[laurenairay]

Take a Chance - D. Hamilton

Word Count: 12.7k

Summary: Ashley Miller is a Sunday-morning regular at her local coffee shop. Dougie Hamilton is the associate art curator who catches her eye.

Warnings: coffee shop au, some bad language, a lot of cute fluff, anxiety

A/N: This is my @hockeynetwork​ winter gift exchange fic for @huttons​! I had a lot of fun researching & creating this fic gift, and I tried to incorporate all of the preferences you stated and that we discussed. This is very self-indulgent too, definitely the longest thing I’ve written on here, and I’m not going to go into the very niche research rabbit holes I fell down! Bringing this OC to life made me so happy, and I had a blast incorporating the coffee shop au element. I hope you enjoy this! 💚

Also tagging @danglesnipecelly​, @texanstarslove​ and @itsbadgerbadgermushroom​ because they all listened to me stress while writing hah.

*

“Large latte for Ashley!”

Ashley Miller looked up from her laptop, smiling at her favourite barista at the counter. She got up from her table, leaving her laptop and scone briefly as she collected her drink, before heading back to her seat. Sunday mornings were the same every week – arrive at Storm Surge coffee shop when they opened at 7am, park herself at a table in the back corner, and consume a steady flow of coffee as she worked. Sure, her work might vary – teaching Medieval History at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill meant her lesson topics were all over the spectrum – but she just found that everything from writing notes for her classes that week to marking essays at the end of the semester became easier if she had the thrum of the coffee shop around her.

That, and she knew she’d just spend her entire weekend burrowed in her house if she didn’t get out.

Having moved to Raleigh 6 years ago to undertake her PhD, Ashley had accepted a teaching job at the very same university she’d studied at when she’d completed her studies a year ago, and she hadn’t looked back since. There was just something about Raleigh that she had fallen in love with, only a 30 minute drive away from her workplace, something that had spoken to her very soul, and actually being able to pass on knowledge about the subject that she was so passionate about made her so incredibly happy. Sure, her parents had never understood her love for 11th to 13th century European history (nor anyone else from her small town in South Dakota) but Ashley had never cared about that – New York had given her the opportunity to grow as a person during her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, but Raleigh had given her the opportunity to thrive.

And she would forever be grateful for that.

Sundays though…Sundays were something she cherished. This independent coffee shop had been a blessing when she’d found it early on in her PhD research, and they had never complained about her taking up a table for essentially the whole day (and she did pay for each of the many coffees she consumed). Baristas and bakers had come and gone over the past 6 years, but there were a couple that had stuck around recently - and a year ago when she officially became ‘Dr Ashley Miller’, her favourite barista Andrei had even given her a piece of chocolate cake on the house to celebrate. Storm Surge coffee shop was a home away from home.

Of course, there was another reason that Sunday coffee shop time was one of her favourite things in her week…

Tall Cute Guy.

He was a regular every Sunday morning, and had been for the past year - three Sundays a month he would order a mocha and an americano to go, but one Sunday a month he would come in an hour earlier and order just an americano, and drink it in the shop instead while reading an old paperback book. Every single time, like clockwork.

Okay, yes, that sounded a little stalkerish. But he was so cute. Ashley pretty much always had her earphones in playing music so she had never caught his name, but his blonde curls, pretty blue eyes and warm smile had caught her eye straight away. And he was so tall, she couldn’t have missed him if she’d tried. She’d never spoken to him, never even said hi in passing, but occasionally she would link eyes with him and he would smile at her. And that smile was enough to send her heart fluttering. Ridiculous really, but it brought her a little joy.

What was the harm in smiling back at a cute guy every now and again, right?

*

Dougie Hamilton walked into the North Carolina Museum of Art with a smile on his face. To be honest, it could’ve been for a multitude of reasons. His career was finally heading upwards, having moved museums to become Associate Curator of European Art a couple of years ago, and he loved his work. He had recently renovated his kitchen, which was now looking pretty sleek and awesome, if he did say so himself. His colleagues had genuinely become some of his closest friends, and he had a standing monthly poker night with several of them. But his smile today wasn’t because of any of that.

No, his smile today was because it was Sunday morning, and he’d just picked up his regular coffee order for him and his boss.

Speaking of…

“So, did you finally talk to your coffee shop crush, or did you just awkwardly stare at her like a weirdo again?”

“Oh fuck off,” Dougie grumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up in a fierce blush as his boss Jordie’s words.

It was far too early for this – he’d only just walked into their shared office for fuck’s sake! Jordie just hooted laughter at his embarrassment as he took his mocha from Dougie, making Dougie groan. “One day you’re going to have to talk to her, man. It’s just getting sad now,” Jordie teased.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t we have a museum to open?” Dougie scowled.

Jordie just beamed even more, wiggling his eyebrows as he left their office. Dougie groaned again, running his hands through is unruly hair before he sighed. Coffee shop crush. Hah. Jordie wasn’t wrong though. Not really. His crush…Mystery Laptop Woman…was one of the reasons he always volunteered to pick the two of them up coffee before the museum opened up on a Sunday morning. Jordie had come along with him only once to pick up their coffee, about 6 months ago, and ever since then he hadn’t let Dougie’s shy smile at her go. Of course, Dougie barely knew anything about her – only that she was always in early on a Sunday, always completely consumed by her work, and she had such a super cute concentration face, whatever it is that she worked on. He could never quite tell – sometimes she had a book or two with her, sometimes it was a stack of papers – but he knew for sure that she appeared to mainline coffee like a pro. Probably some kind of teacher?

He’d certainly never had a teacher that beautiful, that was for sure.

Her long dark hair was always down and always a little messy, like she ran her hands through it often (which she did, he’d noticed). Her warm hazel eyes were hidden behind tortoiseshell glasses, and her lips were always coloured in varying shades of dark pink and red. He’d only seen her standing a couple of times, but he’d caught enough of a glimpse of her long legs to have some very inappropriate thoughts. She just looked so kind, so friendly…and so beautiful. Dougie had never been able to catch her name though – she’d always had a full coffee or at least half a coffee left whenever he was in the shop, so he couldn’t even find out sneakily that way. But whoever she was, whatever she did, when he occasionally got lucky enough for her to look at him, her smile made his entire body light up like a fireworks show. It was a bit pathetic really, how much just a smile from her made his entire day, but he was a year into it now and he wasn’t going to stop that for anything. He had a great career, some great friends, and a pretty great life, even if he was tragically single.

What was the harm in smiling at a beautiful woman whenever he got the chance, right?

*

“Alright, we’ve nearly run out of time now, but just one final thing I want you to think about for Monday’s love in the middle ages class,”

On cue, her students groaned, making Ashley grin.

“Hey, I’m giving you a head’s up here – I could just let you walk into our general lecture blind?” she shrugged, teasing.

That got her a few laughs at least. She’d take that.

“Okay, so we know through our focus on the Medieval Expansion of Europe that one of the biggest tales about Eleanor of Aquitaine in the latter half of the 1100s was of her role in the courts of love. What I want you all to look into is whether these courts of love have the possibility of being a real thing, or whether they feed into the chivalric notions of her contemporaries and were fabricated from the courtly love dynamics of knights and maidens. Just to give us some talking points, okay?”

Her students murmured their agreement, with most of them writing down a reminder. That would have to be good enough for her. At least this way, hopefully someone would discuss the talking points with her in class – she’d found out the hard way last year that there was nothing worse for a university professor than completely uninterested students. She needed something to feed off.

“Alright then, class dismissed. Have a great weekend everyone!”

Ashley moved to her laptop, switching off the projected powerpoint presentation as her students filed out of the classroom, but jumped in shock slightly as she noticed the head of her department sitting in the back corner. How long had he been there?! What was he doing there in the first place? She just hoped her smile didn’t look as nervous as she felt, as he walked up to the front of the room.

Rod Brind’Amour was a legend in the History department for a good reason. His knowledge of military history pre-1800s was unmatched by anyone, but it was his research on the first and second crusades that had inspired Ashley through much of her PhD. Sure, he wasn’t her direct supervisor, but their work interlinked enough that she’d spent many office hours with him debating the second crusade with fervour. For such a big man, he was such a nerd, and he’d made her feel so welcome as soon as he offered her the teaching position at the end of her PhD, with the promise that she would be able to continue her research to inspire future minds. She had been so moved by his words that she hadn’t hesitated to accept the job. How could she not, when someone of his calibre believed in her?

One year in, she wasn’t regretting it at all

“Very smart, setting up some talking points for Monday’s class. I’m so glad I volunteered you to run this year’s Love in the Middle Ages lectures. You’re much better at them than I was,” Rod mused.

Ashley snorted, rolling her eyes playfully. Oh thank god. It’s true that this seminar was one part of the large mandatory Medieval and Early Modern Studies course…but it suited her perfectly.

“That’s because my research focuses on Medieval Queens and the exchange of power they brought to their marriage countries, whereas yours is the effect of each of the crusades through military history. Bleurgh,” she snickered, “Linking today’s Medieval Expansion of Europe class with the generic Love in the Middle Ages lectures on Mondays is just easy,”

“Speak for yourself,” Rod laughed, “give me military tactics any day,”

Ashley just grinned. Some things never changed. “Was there anything you wanted in particular?” she asked, packing up her laptop into its case.

“Just wanted to check in with you, in general,” Rod shrugged, sitting down on the edge of her desk.

Ashley couldn’t help but smile at the thoughtfulness. “I’m doing okay yeah, thanks. Last year’s first semester was more of a struggle for sure, but I don’t have that transition from PhD student and TA to full teaching this time round. I’ve definitely settled in quicker – and this batch of freshman feel a lot more engaged already,”

“That’s good! It definitely shows that you’re handling things well,” Rod nodded, smiling back at her, “But I meant in your life outside of the university too,”

Ashley frowned. What? “What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

Rod laughed softly at her expression. “I know last year you were trying to find your stride, but this year you’ve already got it, so I’m just checking that you’ve got things balanced outside of work too. It’s far too easy to make teaching your entire life – and I don’t want you to burn out,” Rod explained. “I value you here too much for that,”

Ashley’s heart melted a little at his concern, but she just shook his head. “I may not have much going on for me outside of work, but I do get out. I spend my Sundays in a local coffee shop,” she admitted.

Her mind briefly flashed to Tall Cute Guy, but she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind before she started blushing. So not appropriate for work.

Rod frowned slightly, but nodded. “At least you’re getting out of the house. Just promise me you’ll work on finding time for yourself too?”

“I promise,” Ashley nodded, “I intend to be here for a long time, so I definitely don’t want to burn out,”

“Good, I’m glad to hear it,” Rod grinned, “I’d better get going – see you at the faculty meeting later?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Ashley grimaced.

Rod just laughed at her disgruntled face, lifting his hand in a wave as he left the room. As she packed the rest of her belongings, Ashley couldn’t help but to think over Rod’s words. Was she in danger of a burn-out? Surely not, so early on in her career? Maybe she did need more of a balance in her life…but how?

*

Another Sunday, another early morning. Sure, Ashley could give herself a lie in every now and again, but that would mean not being able to relax on her Sunday evening, to not have the chance to unwind and reset before the working week starts up again on Monday morning. Spending all weekend in her little 2 bed house wouldn’t do her any good, even as comforting as she’d made it.

Besides, Storm Surge coffee shop was such a part of her routine now, that it would feel wrong to not go in at her usual time. Seeing Andrei the morning barista, Marty the supervisor and Jaccob the baker (who occasionally popped his head out) always made her happy – and as Rod said only a couple of days ago, she needed to make sure she actually kept a balance in her life.

So, as always, just after 7am, Ashley walked through the coffee shop door. She’d skipped eating any breakfast this morning, intent on getting one of the shop’s amazing scones fresh out of the oven, and as soon as she spotted her favourite blueberry-lemon scones in the display, something in her chest settled. Yes, this was exactly why she came every week. This feeling of home.

“Good morning Ashley! Your usual latte?”

Ashley smiled at Andrei, nodding. “Yes please. And one of the blueberry-lemon scones!”

Andrei smiled even wider, if that was possible, and immediate set about inputting her order into the cash register. It was then that she noticed something new on Andrei’s nametag. A pink sparkly kitten sticky. Huh. That was new.

“Nice sticker,” she teased.

“Very sparkly, no? Marty gave it to me,” Andre nodded.

“Oh, Marty did huh?” Ashley grinned.

Interestingly, Andrei blushed. She knew she hadn’t been imagining things. The poor Russian guy just blushed harder, spluttering incoherently, until Ashley took pity on him. It wasn’t like she could be mean to Andrei – he was just too adorable.

“I think the sticker is really cute, Andrei. It was sweet of Marty to give it to you,” Ashley said with a fond smile.

“Thank you! I will tell Marty you like it,” Andrei beamed.

Bless him.

Andrei handed her a scone on a plate, allowing her to go to her usual table in the back corner, setting up her laptop while she waited for her coffee to be ready. She heard a door out the back open, and Andrei quickly slipped away, making her smile.

“AHHHHHHHHHH MR SVECHNIKOV!”

Marty. Ashley just giggled, shaking her head before putting her earphones in for her background music. Yeah, this coffee shop definitely felt like home.

She quickly got lost in writing her lecture notes, going off on tangents that she knew she’d have to rein in later when she edited. It was a full hour before she even looked away from her screen, only to see the shop busy and bustling, every single table full. What the hell? She looked over to see both Andrei and Marty working the counter, only confirming her suspicions that they really had gotten busy while she was lost in her thoughts. Wow. Full at 8am was a new one for sure. Maybe a convention of some kind?

And it was then that she saw Tall Cute Guy walk in. Today he was wearing a pretty blue sweater, bring out the beautiful blue in his eyes, making her smile on instinct. So cute. But then she noticed him being given just the one coffee…he was planning on drinking in, and there were no tables? No!

It made her heart clench to watch him looking around the coffee shop, becoming more and more disheartened…until he noticed her. Maybe, could she, yes. Ashley bit her bottom lip but tilted her head towards the empty chair at her table, earning the biggest smile. She actually did it. She actually offered him the chair at her table. Shit. Her heart started beating faster as he walked over, and she took her earphones out as he came to a stop next to her seat, looming over her.

“I, uh…do you mind if I sit with you?” he asked softly.

Huh. Such a gentle voice on such a big man. Yeah she could totally handle this.

“Please, go ahead,” Ashley nodding, smiling as she waved her hand to indicate, “it’s so busy in here today,”

Oh no. Was that too forward, acknowledging that they’re both regulars?

“Definitely busier than usual, eh?” he mused, “I’ll try not to disturb your work, I’ll only be here for about an hour,”

Ashley laughed, but shook her head. She was just glad he hadn’t been weirded-out by her acknowledgement. That would’ve been so awkward. Her stomach was filled with enough butterflies as it was. “You won’t disturb me, I promise. Sit as long as you like,”

He smiled widely at her, pulling out the chair opposite and sitting down, Ashley just quickly shuffling her papers out of the way for him. He nodded his thanks at her, pulling a paperback book out of his satchel. Then he cleared his throat, so she looked up at him curiously.

“I’m Dougie, by the way,” he said, almost a little shy.

Dougie. That was a nice name. Oh, wow, she finally knew his name! Ashley couldn’t help but smile at him. “I’m Ashley,”

He smiled back at her. “It’s nice to meet you properly,” he said happily.

Ashley just laughed, nodding as she blushed lightly. To have him acknowledge their smiling-from-a-distance definitely sparked something inside of her. Nice to finally meet him indeed.

They sat in comfortable silence, Ashley typing up her tangent notes so far for the morning, and she couldn’t help the feeling of contentment that sat in her chest. The cute guy she’d been smiling at for a year was sitting at her table with her…and it wasn’t awkward at all. In fact, it was really quite nice. And he’d introduced himself!

No, cool it, keep calm Ashley. No-one got anywhere by acting like a giddy schoolgirl. Play it cool.

That promised hour flew by far too quickly. Every now and again she would glance up and find his eyes on her. Every now and again she would glance up only for him to look up and catching her looking. Every time she would blush. Every time he would send her a wonderful smile. But all too soon her table companion was standing up and putting his book in his bag.

“Um…”

Ashley looked up from her work at him, a smile naturally spreading across her face at his nervous expression. Why was he nervous?

“Yes, Dougie?” she said softly, smiling at a little more at finally getting to say his name.

Dougie. Dougie. Dougie.

“I’ll see you soon?” he said, almost hopefully.

“I’ll be here,” she nodded.

Oh god. Well that was stupid. Of course she’d be here. Why couldn’t she just act smoothly for once in her life?

But then Dougie smiled, such a happy little smile that it made her breath catch in her throat.

“Until next time then,” Dougie murmured, “Bye, Ashley,”

“Bye,” she breathed, watching him walk way.

Well, that could’ve been worse. What a Sunday.

*

Things felt different after that fateful Sunday. Dougie (she knew his name!) hadn’t sat down with her again, or even sat in the shop again yet, but now…now he always made a point of waving at her, waiting until she had waved back to smile. Those waves sent her into even more of a tizzy, a light blush always on her cheeks, and she couldn’t help but cherish them. Maybe it was a bit pathetic, but he was so handsome and he noticed her. It didn’t hurt to pretend it was more than friendly acknowledgement, right? A girl could dream at least.

It was only Wednesday today, but that meant only one thing. Her weekly phone call with her mom. Knowing Susan Miller, Ashley could picture exactly what her mom was doing. Her phone would be propped up on speakerphone while she pottered around the kitchen, finishing off making dinner while also planning what desserts to bake at the weekend. Her mom led a simple life, a retired teacher herself (although she’d taught at the local elementary school rather than ever leaving town), but it was a happy life. And it was these phone calls that were the only thing that made Ashley miss home.

Nothing was the same as a hug from her mom with a slice of homemade apple pie. But those were the sacrifices she made for her love of Medieval History. They never stayed on the for more than half an hour, but it was just enough to fill Ashley’s heart, at least for a little while.

“And I swear, if he doesn’t stop leaving those nasty cigar butts on the front porch, I’m going to whoop some sense into him!”

“You’ve been saying this for over 20 years mom – I don’t think dad is going to change at this point,” Ashley mused, rolling her eyes fondly.

Her dad had been set in his ways for as long as she could remember. Nothing was going to change that, not even a little nagging from the love of his life.

“Yes, well, he could at least clean up after himself,”

Her parents really were ridiculous human beings – but they loved each other, and that was all that mattered. Even if her dad didn’t clean up his cigar butts.

“You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself if you weren’t complaining about his cigar butts,” Ashley grinned. “Maybe threaten not to make that corned beef hash he likes. That might help,”

The laughter that flowed down the phone made her smile even more. Fuck she missed hearing her mom’s laugh in person.

“Oh I miss you sweetpea. Are you sure you’re okay down there by yourself?”

“Yes mom, you know I love my work and my life down here,” Ashley said, sighing softly.

Here we go again.

“I just worry about you rattling around in that old house by yourself!”

Rude. It wasn’t that old.

“I promise I’m fine!” Ashley insisted.

Her mom stayed silent, making Ashley bite her lip to stop herself getting frustrated. Her mom would come out with it eventually…

“I worry about you being lonely, that’s all. You’re such an introvert, you always have been,”

And there it was.

“How could I be lonely mom? I have great colleagues that I talk with. And I’m around students all day and I interact all the time with them! And the baristas at my coffee shop know me by name and we chat too,” Ashley listed.

“The baristas don’t count, Ash,”

Poor Andrei. He definitely counted. Ashley couldn’t help but giggle at the sigh in her mom’s voice though. “Okay maybe not, but there is a guy that I’ve talked to,”

“Ooh a guy?”

Oh no. Oh what had she done? She had to nip this in the bud now.

“No, mom, not like that, just a friendly face to wave at,” Ashley insisted.

Dougie’s shy smiles filled her mind, but she shook her head. Now was not the time.

“Oh boo, you should work on changing that,”

Hah. If only.

“You’re impossible, mom,” Ashley sighed fondly.

“I love you too darling,”

*

Today he was going to do it. Today Dougie was going to get to Storm Surge coffee shop a little early, get his americano to drink in…and hopefully sit with Ashley again. Ever since that amazing Sunday morning where she offered him a seat at her table (she offered him!), he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. He could kick himself for not being able to do more than wave at her the past three Sundays, but even just the few smiles he seen in passing since have blown him away. Especially with that cute little blush she always had when she waved back at him.

But today he was coming in an hour before he had to get to work, just to have that chance to sit with her and talk with her. Was it a little desperate? Sure. But Dougie never claimed to be anything other than desperate to get to know the beautiful woman he’d only ever seen in passing until now. His schedule didn’t usually allow him the chance – every Sunday the North Carolina Museum of Art opened from 10-5, and he usually got there just after 9 with coffee for him and Jordie, but every fourth Sunday Jordie came in a little later, so Dougie took the time to sit in and read a little before heading into work…and it was the fourth Sunday today. He could only hope that all the nerves and butterflies would be worth it.

Oh fuck, what if she wasn’t even there?

No, she would be. She always was. Enough stalling.

Still…

Dougie walked into Storm Surge with a little ball of nervous anxiety in his chest, praying that Ashley wouldn’t stray from her routine, until he looked over into the back corner…and there she was. He waited until Ashley looked up at him to wave at her, earning a sweet smile and a wave back. Wow, her blush really was so sweet.

“Dougie! You must be drinking in today, yes?”

He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Andrei’s voice, quickly nodding. “Yeah just the usual americano, thanks,”

“You got it,” Andrei nodded, beaming at him.

Dougie quickly paid and moved to the end of the counter to wait for his coffee. The shop was only half-full at this time in the morning, unlike last month, so he didn’t have the excuse of busy tables. Maybe…he could just walk up to her, right? He could take that chance, right? Yeah, he could do this.

“Here you go!” Andrei said cheerfully.

“Thanks,” Dougie murmured.

The barista gave him a strange look at his distracted tone, and Dougie knew that Andrei was watching as he walked over to Ashley’s table…but here goes nothing. He could totally do this. He was an adult. He paid his taxes on time and everything. He could definitely ask a pretty woman if he could sit with her again.

“Hey, Ashley,”

She looked up from her laptop with a bright smile, making his breath catch in his throat.

“Dougie! Hi!” she said happily.

She remembered his name! Wow. No, focus.

“Do you, um…do you mind if I sit with you again?” Dougie asked.

Oh god, why couldn’t he just sound cool for once in his life? Why did he always have to be the least smooth version of himself that he could possibly be?

Ashley took one look around at all the empty tables and blushed even more, before she bit her lip and nodded. “Sure, go for it,”

That was a good sign, right?

Dougie sat down with a nervous smile, putting his coffee gently on the table.

“So, um, how have you been?”

Ashley looked surprised (oh god, was she only being polite before?) before that melted into a pleased look. Okay, he could work with that.

“I’ve been pretty good thanks, yeah. I’m just revising the list of essay topics that I’m giving my students on Monday, so not too much work to do today thankfully,” she said, “How about you?”

“I’ve been alright yeah. Work has been a little nuts with the new exhibition at the museum but it’s all come together really well!” Dougie said, beaming. What? Could a man not be excited about artwork? “what do you teach?”

Ashley smiled shyly, looking a little hesitant again. Dougie couldn’t help but frown a little. Had people made her feel awkward about her work before? That wasn’t okay! “I’m a Medieval History professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My general focus is on the power of Medieval queens, but I teach everything from the expansion of medieval Europe to love in the middle ages, as well as on the general medieval and early modern history modules. I did my undergraduate and masters degrees at NYU, but I moved down here for the PhD opportunity. It’s now my second full year teaching and I just…I love it so much,”

A PhD?! Holy shit, that’s impressive. Wow. Just…wow. How could she be any more perfect?

“That’s incredible!” was all that Dougie could say.

“You don’t have to pretend, I know having a PhD isn’t exactly the coolest thing in the world, especially in medieval history,” Ashley mused.

Well it was definitely pretty fucking cool to him, no matter what other people had ever said to her. “I’m definitely not pretending, I promise. Medieval history is fascinating,” he insisted.

Ashley pursed her lips like she didn’t believe him, making Dougie laugh.

“I’m serious! I may not have a PhD but my masters thesis was a specialism in Rembrandt’s work. I’m a total art history nerd – 14th-17th century in particular,” Dougie explained.

Come on, let the nerdiness pay off for once…

Her face immediately lightened, her mouth forming into a surprised ‘o’, making him laugh again. At least, he hoped it was a good surprise?

“One of the classes I’ll be teaching next semester is Italian Renaissance and European History to 1650,” she murmured.

Holy shit. What a match up.

“Told you I wasn’t pretending to be interested,” Dougie grinned, “I’d definitely love to learn more about that class when you start it,”

Ashley blushed again, but her nervous smile had shifted into a full beaming smile, and his heart could only just about take it. Then she froze slightly, blinking, as if she’d forgotten something. What?

“Sorry, did you say museum earlier?” Ashley said suddenly, “like, you work at a museum?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m an associate curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art,” Dougie nodded.

He did his best not to puff out his chest in pride. He’d worked damned hard on his career and he was proud of it.

“I just…wow, I wouldn’t have expected it,”

Dougie laughed, raising an eyebrow at her sheepish smile.

“A guy who looks like you, like such an athlete’s build…oh god, sorry, that’s so rude of me,” she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

But Dougie just laughed, shaking his head. “Believe me, it’s far from the first time I’ve heard that,”

And never with such appreciation of his body either…

Look, he knew how the world perceived him on first glance. Tall, muscled guy, blonde hair and blue eyes, probably an all-american jock right? How he loved proving them wrong.

“Still doesn’t make it okay,” Ashley winced, “so I’m sorry,”

“Apology accepted,” Dougie mused, “I love my work, so it’s fun surprising people. Especially people with similar interests,”

Ashley bit her lip again but nodded and smiled, tilting her head to show she was listening. Wow, he could definitely get used to her looking at him with this much interest.

“Like I said, I’m an associate curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art. I’m actually Canadian, but I finished my masters degree in Boston and went straight into working at the MFA, but after working on a brief project in Calgary, I realised I wanted to work more in my specialist interests, y’know? So I applied for a role at the Museum of Art here, and became the associate curator of European Art. It’s…it’s everything I could’ve wished for, when I was studying,”

Dougie took a sip of his coffee while Ashley processed that flood of information, hoping he hadn’t come across too strong. People really did tend to zone out when he talked about his work…but hopefully because she also had an interest in European history and art, she wouldn’t be put off?

“I can definitely relate to following and achieving my passions for a niche subject,” Ashley grinned, “and I love that you love it so much. It’s rare, to find someone who gets such genuine joy out of their work. Even though work can sometimes be super stressful,”

“Stressful, but worth it. Especially when a new exhibition comes together so well,” Dougie agreed.

“Oh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dougie licked his bottom lip, trying not to look too nervous. This exhibition is such a big deal, and it had been such a lot of work. He could get a little excited about it now, right?

“Yeah, I’ve been working solidly for the past few months on the new exhibition – it’s opening next weekend. It’s a collection of Italian Renaissance Art,” Dougie said, a little hesitant.

Hesitant…because maybe that was a bit flashy? Did it sound like he was bragging? He really hoped not – not just because he was so proud of his work but he genuinely did want to excite Ashley…

“Oh no way! Really?” Ashley gasped.

Dougie bit his lips to control his grin. Oh thank fuck. Finally, someone he could actually impress with his love of art history. “Yeah, last quarter the museum acquired over 30 paintings from the 14th century from various collectors and this will be the first time they’ve all been together in the same room,”

“I bet they’ll be so beautiful all together after so long,” Ashley said, her voice a little wistful.

Wistful? He could fix that. Maybe. Yes, this was the perfect opportunity…

“Maybe we could…I know this might feel a little soon, but I’m…

Dougie trailed off with a frustrated groan, making Ashley giggle. For once, just once, let him be smooth! He took a deep breath, before trying again.

“Would you like to come to the exhibition opening with me?” he asked softly.

Ashley’s jaw dropped slightly, but she quickly nodded, making Dougie’s heartbeat kick up a notch. “Really?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got a plus one as the associate curator, and there’s no-one else I could imagine going with. I think you’d love it,” Dougie explained, “and I’d love to show you the artwork,”

Was that too desperate?

“I’d…wow, I’d love to go with you,” Ashley said, her expression shy but pleased.

Shy but pleased. He could work with that.

“Great, it’s a date!”

Oh God. Dougie could only freeze…but then Ashley smiled. Huh, maybe not so cringey?

“A date huh? I’d love that too,” Ashley said shyly.

Oh thank fuck. Ashley just giggled at Dougie’s blush.

“Give me your number and I’ll text you the details?” Dougie suggested, trying to salvage at least a little bit of his dignity.

As Ashley took his phone from him and entered her phone number, Dougie could only sit in shocked silence. He’d done it. He’d actually asked her on a date. On a date where he could impress her with a topic they both loved so much. All he had to do now was not fuck it up.

That wouldn’t be so hard, right?

*

Ashley had been in a little bit of a daze when Dougie had left for work. He’d asked her on a date. On a date! And they’d exchanged numbers, Dougie having sent her a little smiley face so she had his number in return. She was just thankful that there wasn’t much work for her to do that day – there was no way she wouldn’t been able to focus otherwise.

And then throughout the week, they’d started exchanging cute little messages. Just sweet little things, like how was your day? and look how cute this dog is and I had the loudest school tour group come through the museum today and which of these texts is going to give me the worst teacher rating? – it was all silly and sweet and fun, and Ashley couldn’t remember the last time that the potential of a relationship had excited her so much.

There was just something about Dougie that made her heart beat a little faster every time she thought of him. It was bad enough when he would smile at her in passing in Storm Surge…but now, with every little text, she felt herself smiling even more than she could’ve imagined, like a giddy little schoolgirl with a first crush.

Because at the moment, it really was just a crush. They hadn’t gone out on their first date yet – in reality, they’d only sat together twice, with one of those times essentially being the exchange of their names. They’d only had one conversation in person. And the texts were so sweet and lovely…but they were just texts. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself and get her hopes up, you know? God knows that had happened enough times.

She couldn’t help but hope that finally, she had met someone with real potential. Dougie made it easy to hope.

Ashley supposed that their first date would be the real test of whether she’d just built up all the excitement of Tall Cute Guy in that coffee shop fantasy in her head, or whether he was the real deal. Their conversation in person on Sunday had been such a good start, but fuck please make him the real deal.

Was it really that much to ask?

Finally Friday rolled around and she was finished with work for the week. Well, mostly. Ashley had just come out of a bi-monthly faculty meeting and just had to check some emails before she could go home for the weekend (and to shave her legs because she found the cutest dress for her date on Saturday) – but as she got to her office, she noticed that Rod had stopped in the doorway, waving to some of their colleagues as they strolled past. Hmm.

“So…you’re looking incredibly chipper for someone who just got out of a tedious faculty meeting,” Rod teased, leaning against her doorframe.

Ashley just laughed, rolling her eyes fondly as she sat at her desk. “I don’t know why you complain so much – you’re the one who runs them,”

“Not through choice, I promise that,” Rod mused, shaking his head, “But you are looking extra cheerful today. Just feeling a little nosy, I guess,”

Ashley bit her bottom lip, hesitating. Should she tell him about her date? It’s not like Rod was a gossip…and it’s not like she had a whole host of friends to tell…

“I may or may not have a date tomorrow night,” Ashley eventually admitted.

His eyes immediately lit up. Oh God.

“Ooh a date, exciting!” Rod gasped dramatically, fanning himself like a southern belle.

“Oh my god, shut up,” Ashley giggled. That could’ve gone worse – but his excitement definitely lit up the butterflies in her stomach all over again.

Rod just laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. “I’m just glad you’re giving someone a chance to sweep you off your feet,” he teased, “Who is he and where is he taking you?”

“He’s a guy I met in that coffee shop I go to on a Sunday, and he’s taking me to the new Italian Renaissance exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Art,” she explained.

And she couldn’t wait.

“A cultured guy or a try hard?” he smirked.

“A cultured guy,” Ashley giggled, rolling her eyes, “he’s actually the associate curator who worked on setting up the exhibition,”

“Don’t we all love a man who knows his history, even if it is art,” Rod grinned, winking dramatically, earning another giggle, “Let me know how the exhibition is - I know my wife would love to go if it’s any good,”

“I’ll give you a full review on Monday,” Ashley agreed, nodding.

“And a full review of your date,” Rod grinned.

“Okay, out, out. I need to finish these emails before I leave,” Ashley laughed.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Rod mused, “If you need anything, even an escape clause tomorrow night, send me a text, okay?”

Her heart softened a little at his kind gesture, and she found herself nodding. “I don’t think it’ll come to that, but thank you, I appreciate it,”

“Any time,” Rod nodded.

Ashley bit her bottom lip to hide her grin as he shut the door behind him on the way out, and the butterflies in her stomach were still there. Saturday night couldn’t come soon enough.

*

Tonight was the night. Ashley only had a few minutes left before her uber arrived to pick her up to take her to the museum, and she couldn’t resist having a final glance in the mirror by her front door. She’d had a little panic over what the hell the dress code would be for a gallery opening, but after Dougie confirmed it wasn’t black tie, just formal dress, Ashley had consulted with some of her college friends (who were buzzing about the fact that she was actually going on a date), and decided that a midi cocktail dress was the way to go.

And she’d found the perfect one.

The dress she’d picked out in a local boutique was a beautiful forest green colour, complimenting her dark hair and hazel eyes perfectly. It fell to the middle of her shins, as her friends had recommended, and had thick shoulders straps, no sleeves but a neckline with a deep enough v that it should a little cleavage (classy cleavage of course, very sophisticated in her opinion). Her favourite part though was the Marilyn Monroe-esque twirl to the skirt – something she’d tested out several times already – and she just felt glamorous in it. She’d straightened her usually-messy hair and put on a little make-up too, to match the effort she was making with the dress. To be honest, Ashley felt beautiful, and she honestly couldn’t wait to see Dougie’s reaction. It was a hell of a lot different to her usual Sunday Storm Surge outfits, that’s for sure.

Soon enough, her uber was pulling up outside of the Museum of Art, and she thanked the driver as she got out. Thankfully, Dougie was already waiting at the top of the steps for her, and the smile that he sent her way made her breath catch in her throat. Ashley took the time to check him out as she walked up towards him, and she felt those butterflies start up again. He was wearing a gorgeous navy blue suit with a white shirt and grey tie, bringing out the colour of his eyes beautifully, and the stunned expression on his face as he looked at her made her blush a little. That was a good reaction, right?

“Wow. You look…amazing,” Dougie murmured, looking her up and down with awe.

Definitely a good reaction.

“You look really good too,” she grinned.

Dougie grinned back at her, before offering her his arm. “Shall we?”

Ashley fought not to squeal as she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. What a smooth move. “Lead the way,”

Dougie walked her inside, picking up a glass of champagne each after they dropped their jackets off. Then they were off. The two of them wandered around through the exhibition, Dougie guiding her and giving her the most indepth information she could’ve possibly hoped for. She’d never had such a personal tour like this, and he was so shy yet so knowledgeable that she couldn’t help but to drink up every word. This was what she had hoped for out of tonight, that passion coming through Dougie, and she was receiving it tenfold.

“This one is one of my favourites. Batoni’s The Triumph of Venice. There’s just so much going on, and I swear I notice something different every time I look at it,”

Ashley looked at the painting, taking in the many figures, the details, the colours, and couldn’t help but smile. It truly was a masterpiece.

“Oil on canvas? Maybe…early 1700s?” she guessed.

“Fuck that’s hot,” Dougie breathed.

He immediately flushed bright red, making Ashley giggle. Good to know that her vague art history knowledge was paying off. And that she could make him react like that…

“I love all the finessed detail in this one. Especially on the carriage – it’s exquisite,” Ashley murmured, looking back at it.

“Isn’t it?” Dougie grinned.

Ashley squeezed his arm gently, smiling up at him, earning a happy smile back. He was so clearly in his element, and she was loving every second. The way his entire face lit up when he talked about art…there was something just so beautiful in that. Those beautiful blue eyes were even more alive than ever, that spark of passion adding such a gorgeous element, and she really wanted to see more of it. That was a good sign, right? That she was already imagining more.

They moved on to the next painting, and Ashley’s breath caught in her throat. Wow.

“And this…this is the star of the collection. Giotto’s Peruzzi Altarpiece, the only complete altarpiece by the artist outside of Italy,”

Her jaw dropped a little. That was a big deal. “The only one?”

“The only one,” Dougie nodded.

“Holy shit,” Ashley mumbled, eyes wide.

Dougie grinned at her. “My sentiments exactly,”

“All of that gold. So much gold. And the details in their faces. Holy shit,” Ashley murmured.

“One of my favourite frescos, and I get to see it every day,” Dougie sighed happily.

“Well count me as jealous,” Ashley teased, nudging him with her shoulder.

Dougie just smiled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. He was just so cute.

“Would you, um…would you like a new drink?”

“Sure, another couldn’t hurt,” she nodded.

It’s not like she drank champagne that often after all. And it was a special occasion…

They stayed in the museum for another hour, looking over some of the art again as well as mingling with Dougie’s colleagues (including a mostly silent guy Dougie introduced as ‘Foegs’, who gave Dougie a double thumbs up when he thought she wasn’t looking, and a very enthusiastic big blonde man named Jordie, who she learned was Dougie’s boss – which, wow). Their conversation just flowed, and the doubts that she’d had earlier were easily shoved to the back of her mind.

She’d never thought it would feel so natural spending the evening arm-in-arm with a guy, but Dougie had just blown her away.

All too soon, it was time to leave the museum though, and while Dougie got their jackets, Ashley opened her phone to request an uber. 5 minutes away. Perfect.

“I had a really great time tonight,” Dougie murmured, when they were waiting outside.

His own uber was only a couple of minutes behind hers.

“Me too,” Ashley admitted, smiling up at him, “Thank you for inviting me,”

“There’s no-one else I would’ve wanted to take. I just glad you enjoyed it,” Dougie smiled back.

“I enjoyed spending time with you. The exhibition was just a bonus,” she said softly, looking up at him through her lashes.

Holy shit she just flirted. Blatantly flirted. Too much?

But then Dougie blushed a little, before a small smirk spread across his lips. “Yeah?”

Ashley just bit her lip, nodding. Dougie’s blue eyes flashed a little darker, sending a hot jolt running through her body. Oh wow. Just like that huh. But then her phone buzzed, the uber car pulling up to the curb, breaking her out of her thoughts just before they started to spiral.

Calm down Ashley, it’s only the first date!

She waved at the uber driver to signal that she’d seen him before turning back to Dougie. “See you tomorrow?” Ashley asked hopefully.

“Yeah, I’ll be starting work a little later on the one off, as it was the exhibition opening tonight,” Dougie nodded, “I’ll be there,”

Ashley grinned at him, before leaning up and pressing a kiss to his cheek, laughing softly as his jaw dropped.

“Bye, Dougie,” she said softly, walking over to the car.

“Bye,” she heard him murmur, just as she closed the door.

“Hot date?” the uber driver teased.

“The hottest,” she grinned back.

That earned her a laugh, and she couldn’t help but smile as the driver pulled away from the curb. Ashley glanced out of the window, only to see that Dougie hadn’t moved at all – other than his fingers brushing over where she’d kissed his cheek, a hopeless smile on his face.

What a first date indeed.

*

To: Ashley

From: Rod

So how did the date go?

~

To: Rod

From: Ashley

The exhibition was incredible. You need to take your wife, for real.

~

To: Ashley

From: Rod

I actually meant the guy but sure…

~

To: Rod

From: Ashley

He was a perfect gentleman and…amazing.

You’ll get your full gossip on Monday.

~

To: Ashley

From: Rod

Boo fine.

I’m glad you had a good time though!

See you on Monday

*

 “I had a really great time tonight,”

“Me too,”

“I had a really great time tonight,”

“Me too,”

“I had a really great time tonight,”

“Me too,”

Wasn’t the saying that if things seemed too good to be true, then they probably were not?

Ashley had gone to bed feeling over the moon, elated, bubbling with excitement. But when she’d woken up, it was like a dark cloud had settled over her, a heavy rock of anxiety sitting on her chest. Everything had gone so well last night. So well. Too well? This wasn’t the first time that she’d gotten her hopes up only to have things fall apart around her – and her hopes had skyrocketed last night. All she felt was like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it made her feel sick.

That niggling negativity had swum around her brain over and over again, and she hadn’t been able to shut it off – not when she showered, not when she got dressed, and not when she sat on the sofa debating whether or not to actually turn up at the coffee shop.

Was this really what things had come down to? Tempted to break her solid routine, the exact routine she’d had every week, just because a guy made her nervous? Was he really that important? Was she really that much of a coward?

She sat on the sofa so long that she passed the time she would normally leave. Hell, she passed the time she would normally be sitting down at her usual table. Oh god she couldn’t take this. It was too much. Her legs bounced nervously as she pulled up the message thread she had with him, typing out a message to cancel…

…and then she deleted it.

Fuck that shit. No matter how anxious this whole dating thing made her feel, nothing was worth this. She couldn’t just not show up, that wasn’t right. That wasn’t her. Fuck this. As quickly as she could, Ashley grabbed her laptop and her handbag, driving as fast as she could to Storm Surge.

When she parked her car, she noticed that she had a few texts from Dougie. Oh god.

~

To: Ashley

From: Dougie

Hey, I’m coming a little earlier than usual today!

~

To: Ashley

From: Dougie

Are you running late?

~

To: Ashley

From: Dougie

Are you coming?

~

Oh god. Ashley winced, practically running to the shop, immediately spotting Dougie at her usual table in the back. The sheer relief on his face made her wince again. Fuck. His expression dimmed at little, but she quickly ordered her usual latte from Andrei, who looked an interesting mix of confused and concerned, but she headed over to Dougie without hesitating.

“Hey, um, sorry I’m late,” she murmured, setting her coffee and her laptop down on the table.

Dougie frowned at her briefly, clearly taking in whatever the hell her face was showing.

“Is everything okay?” he asked softly.

Ashley bit her bottom lip, hesitating. Might as well tell him the truth, right?

“I, uh, I was second-guessing everything?”

“Second-guessing?” Dougie asked, frowning harder.

Ashley just sighed. “Yeah, um, it’s dumb. I just…it all seems too good to be true? I woke up feeling like I’d gotten my hopes up and…fuck, I’m sorry. I just feel stupid now,”

Looking up at Dougie’s sad face immediately made her regret telling the truth, but it was too late now. Fuck. Why did she have to ruin everything? The fact that he was staying silent just made everything worse. Should she just go?

“What do you want to do now then?” Dougie eventually asked “or do you not know?”

Ashley swallowed heavily, looking down at her hands briefly. Hah. The million dollar question. “I know that I like you?” she offered.

Dougie huffed a laugh. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to get mad if you don’t want to go on another date,” Dougie said with a sad smile.

Oh god that was worse. He should never sound that disheartened – it wasn’t right. And it was all her fault.

“Would you even want to go on a date with me again when I’m this much of an anxious mess?” Ashley sighed.

After last night, this really wasn’t where she’d seen her day going. Self-sabotage was a bitch. But it was her own damn fault. It always was. But then Dougie reached his hand forward, fingers brushing over hers lightly to get her attention, making her blush as he smiled a bit more genuinely.

“Yeah, I would like to,” he nodded, “I had a really great time yesterday night, and I still want more,”

Oh, so maybe she hadn’t ruined everything then. What? Well shit, she was grabbing this second chance with both hands.

“I had a great time too,” Ashley admitted, blushing a little bit more, “even with this stupid anxiety,”

“Good. That’s…that’s really good,” Dougie laughed, “well, not the anxiety part, but I’m going to prove to you that this isn’t just getting your hopes up,”

“I’d like that,” she murmured.

Dougie smiled at her, a truly genuine happiness, making her breath catch in her throat. Fuck she didn’t deserve this. But there was no way she was going to let herself ruin this, not now.

“Maybe we could just talk for a couple of hours before I have to go into work? Have some coffee, a couple of those delicious blueberry-lemon scones, and just see where things go?” Dougie suggested.

Ashley nodded, the tight ball in her chest immediately loosening. God, he was such a nice guy. “I’d definitely like to get to know you more,” she agreed.

“Scones are on me then,” Dougie grinned.

Hope. A second chance. Bring it on.

*

When Dougie eventually walked into work, his shared office had more people in it that he cared for. Well, okay, that was a little mean. But right now was not the best time for the combination of Jordie and Foegs as well as Sebastian and Teuvo, especially not when all four of them had met Ashley last night. Not when they were all so intense. Not while things were still so tentative.

“So, how did it go?” Jordie asked excitedly, “it looked like the two of you were having fun!”

And here we go.

“Well last night, at the exhibition, went really well, but…”

Jordie and Foegs frowned as he trailed off, Sebastian and Teuvo just looked confused. Dougie sighed and sat down heavily at his desk.

“She was really hesitant this morning. Like, so full of anxiety that she almost didn’t show up for coffee,” he admitted, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck awkwardly.

“What do you mean?” Jordie asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

“She thinks it’s too good to be true?” Dougie winced.

Foegs looked a little stunned, Jordie’s jaw dropping. But then Sebastian jumped to his feet from where he was sitting on Jordie’s desk.

“Well then you’ll just have to sweep her off her feet!” Sebastian said firmly.

Really? Dougie sent him an unimpressed look, but Sebastian’s pout stayed serious as Teuvo giggled.

“As much as I hate to say it, Sepe has a point,” Foegs shrugged, making Sebastian stick out his tongue at him, “the two of you looked like you’d really hit it off when we were all talking, and the fact that Ashley did meet you this morning means a little anxiety shouldn’t stand in the way,”

“Take her on another date. Wine and dine, man. It’s a classic for a reason,” Jordie added, nodding seriously.

Well shit, if Jordie was being serious then maybe it would work.

“Thanks guys,” Dougie murmured, smiling softly.

“Anything to land you the woman of your many dreams,” Jordie beamed.

Dougie just blushed. Sebastian wriggled his eyebrows, Teuvo just punching him on the arm. It was almost a nice moment.

He waited until Foegs, Sebastian and Teuvo had left to start working before he pulled his phone out, biting his bottom lip as he thought of what to say.

~

To: Ashley

From: Dougie

Hey, I’m glad I saw you today.

I hope you’re still doing okay.

How do you feel about getting dinner with me?

~

Dougie jiggled his leg nervously as he logged into his computer, waiting with baited breath for any reply.

And then eventually, his phone buzzed. Ashley. Thank god.

~

To: Dougie

From: Ashley

I’m alright thanks. That scone definitely helped ;)

I would love to get dinner with you.

~

Dougie couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. Good. This was good. They exchanged a few more messages, eventually figuring out that because of his next few late nights with the exhibition and her essays she had to mark, neither of them were really free until next Saturday. A whole week away again. Fuck. No, this was going to work. Dougie knew it was worth it – and if she needed him to text a lot over the next few days to remind her that he was all in, that he wasn’t just going to disappoint her like those other guys, then he absolutely would.

Wine and dine next Saturday. He could absolutely do this.

“Hey, what was the name of that place you took your wife out for date night a couple of weeks back?” Dougie asked, looking up at his boss.

Jordie’s face lit up. “Oh man, it was so good…”

*

As Dougie promised himself, they kept texting throughout the week. He told her fun stories from visitors to the exhibition. She told him silly comments her students made that she couldn’t respond to without laughing in class. He told her all about his time in Boston. She told him all about her time in New York. He sent her a picture of the cutest trio of dogs his neighbours adopted. She sent him a picture of a sunset that took her breath away. Things were…good. He was just glad that Ashley seemed as enthusiastic as she was before their first date.

All he could hope was that he was proving to her that he was different. That he was serious about giving their budding relationship a shot. He hadn’t bonded with someone as quickly as this, as deeply as this, ever – so he wanted to see where it went. The unknown with Ashley genuinely excited him, and he wanted her to feel the same excitement.

He could only try to be good enough to deserve her.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Dougie was a nervous wreck. He’d left work exactly on time for once, Jordie giving him a thump on the shoulder and Foegs a thumbs up (he mostly ignored Sebastian and Teuvo’s shimmies), racing home to change into a nice sweater and his favourite pair of smart jeans. Casual but like he cared about making an impression. That was what he was aiming for.

And then Ashley arrived 10 minutes early, just after he’d arrived himself, looking nervous but happy in the prettiest baby blue tea-dress he’d ever seen, with her hair curled and wearing a pretty pink lipstick. Wow.

“You look beautiful,” he blurted.

Oh god. Mr Smooth, again.

Ashley just blushed, smiling up at him. “Thank you. I love your sweater,”

Dougie blushed in return. What a pair they made.

“After you,” he said, opening the restaurant door for her.

As much as her anxiety had worried him, he was so glad he didn’t give up – she was absolutely worth it. They were lead to their table, Dougie being a bit extra and pulling out Ashley’s chair for her, but the giggle he got in return was what he was aiming for. Wine and dine. Sweep her off her feet. That’s all that he wanted to do, and if it was working then he wasn’t going to stop now.

“I was thinking we could split a bottle of wine tonight, if you want?” Dougie offered.

“Yeah that sounds good to me,” Ashley nodded, “Maybe a white wine?”

That was more than okay with him. Red wine made him a little…over the top? He definitely talked too much when he had red wine, he knew that much, and he wanted to save at least a little dignity tonight. Hopefully, at least.

The wine was ordered, and by the time they each had a cold glass of sauvignon blanc, Ashley looked as relaxed as Dougie felt. He could only hope the rest of this night turned out the same way.

“So did I tell you what one of Rod’s students said to him yesterday?”

Dougie grinned, shaking his head. “No you didn’t!”

Ashley grinned back. “Well…”

They talked for hours, sharing stories about their jobs, their interests, their families, not stopping when any of their three courses came, not hesitating even once. Nothing was awkward in the slightest – their conversation just flowed like they’d known each other for years, and Dougie’s heart was just so happy. This was everything he’d wanted for so long, someone he could truly been 100% himself with, and he couldn’t believe that she seemed as into him as he was into her.

How was this possible, after only two dates?

Time flew by so fast, too fast, and they did eventually have to leave their table, even as much as Dougie didn’t want the night to end. He just felt utterly consumed by her, completely and utterly lost in her very being, and he didn’t want this feeling to stop for anything.

It probably didn’t help that they’d split three bottles of wine though.

It wasn’t enough to make either of them sloppy drunk, not with the delicious food they’d eaten, but Ashley was definitely a bit more giggly than usual, and he was definitely smiling like an idiot.

“I wish your uber wasn’t on its way,” Dougie sighed, when they were outside.

“I’m actually not a far walk from here, so I was just going to walk home?”

At this time of night? Absolutely not! Ashley saw the look of indignation of his face and burst into laughter, making him blush (again). What? He wasn’t wrong for being worried about her getting home safely.

“You could always walk me home?” she suggested.

Oh. Oh. Oh yeah okay, he could do that.

“Yeah, definitely,” Dougie nodded quickly.

Dougie’s heart started beating a little faster as she looped her arm through his, and it was all he could do not to smile at her too helplessly. How did she manage to affect him like this? He’d never fallen so head over heels so quickly. And she seemed completely oblivious to how gone he was for her – in the most innocent of ways.

They walked slowly, leaning on each perhaps a little more than they would without the wine, but it just meant that they had more time for talking. Dougie was blissfully happy to let Ashley rant about the indignity of the black myth surrounding Eleanor of Aquitaine, taking in everything that she was trying to teach him. He loved how much she loved her medieval history, just like he loved his art. It was quirky and different and so unique to her. And honestly, he could picture them doing this together for years, discussing their passions and their love for their careers and…

“Okay this is me,” Ashley announced, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Dougie looked up at the old two-storey home with a smile. So this was her home. Pretty.

“That wasn’t so bad a walk,” Dougie grinned.

“I feel bad now though, making you get further away for your own journey,” Ashley frowned.

But Dougie shook his head. “It’s fine really. I’m sure there are plenty of ubers still running around here,”

“Well…”

Ashley trailed off, biting her lip, making Dougie smile. What was on her mind?

“You can stay, if you want?” Ashley said, a shy smile on her face.

Oh fuck. Stay? Ashley saw the shock on his face, before she blushed furiously, quickly shaking her head.

“I have a spare bedroom! I swear I didn’t mean it like that,” she groaned, covering her face with her hands.

Dougie couldn’t help but laugh, tugging her hands away gently. Not that he was opposed to…sharing a bed with her, but that wasn’t the vibe of tonight. Tonight was for building them up, getting them to a more comfortable level. And fuck did it feel good tonight.

Waking up to see her first thing in the morning would only be icing on the cake.

“I would love to stay, as long as you don’t mind,” he said softly, brushing his hand against hers.

Ashley inhaled sharply but nodded, wordlessly reaching in her handbag for her keys. They stayed silent as they walked into the house, Dougie barely moving a foot away from her as she showed him the kitchen, the bathroom and then the spare bedroom. He could do a proper tour in the morning, he knew that. He was just a little stunned that he was even still with her, to be honest.

“So here’s some basketball shorts that my cousin left last time he visited. I don’t have a shirt big enough for you though,” she apologised, handing him a soft bundle.

Dougie just shook his head, smiling. “This is more than enough. I usually sleep shirtless anyway,”

Ashley’s lips parted a little in surprise, her eyes glazing over slightly, making Dougie grin as she shook her head as if to clear it. Good to know he had that effect on her.

“There are spare toothbrushes under the sink from when I last when to the dentist’s office, so help yourself to whatever one?” she offered.

Dougie just nodded, squeezing her hand as he walked into the bathroom. He willed himself to retain at least a little bit of chill as he got changed, quickly washing his face and cleaning his teeth with one of the toothbrushes she’d offered. This was all still a little bit surreal, being honest. But he was going to seize this with both hands – this was a chance he was never going to get again if he fucked up.

Ashley couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him as they swapped places in the bathroom, and Dougie tried not to grin as he flexed his abs a little, making her blush. He could have a little fun, right? Especially since he knew the boundaries he needed to stay behind, he wasn’t dumb.

By the time he’d put his phone on charge and folded his clothes onto a chair for tomorrow, and then headed back out into the corridor, Ashley was back, dressed in a cute little pair of shorts and a giant t-shirt. Oh wow, he could definitely imagine her wearing his t-shirt to bed one day. No, not the time!

“Hey,”

Ashley’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he couldn’t help but smile down at her.

“Hey,” he murmured.

“See you in the morning?” she said hopefully.

Like fuck he was going to leave. “Bright and early,” he nodded.

But when she didn’t go anywhere, her hand moving to rest on his bare arm, Dougie couldn’t stop himself from stepping towards her. Fuck. She inhaled sharply, but didn’t push him away, and that was all he needed.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked lowly.

Ashley’s lips parted in a soft gasp, but she nodded. “Yeah, please,”

Dougie raised a hand to cup her face, giving her one last out, but as she raised up on her tiptoes he didn’t hesitate any further. He leant his head down, and pressed his lips to hers softly, barely able to stop the moan that wanted to tear from his throat. Holy shit. Ashley clutched at his biceps, leaning up into the kiss even more, making Dougie’s head spin as he kissed her softly, slowly, over and over again. This was so not what he expected from tonight, or even hoped for, but fuck did it fill his body with butterflies. Holy shit, kissing her was everything. Eventually, he brushed his tongue against hers gently, before pulling away, knowing there was a stupid smile on his face.

“Wow,” he breathed.

“Wow,” she nodded, laughing softly, “That’s one hell of a goodnight,”

Dougie laughed softly too, pecking her lips in a soft kiss one last time before stepping away. She leaned against the wall, looking a little stunned, making him grin as he walked into her spare bedroom. If he didn’t walk away, he knew he would do something stupid to break them out of this perfect little sweet bubble, and that wasn’t what he wanted. Not tonight.

Tonight had been perfect. 

*

Ashley woke up slowly, a little groggy, feeling like she was forgetting something. Then she heard the bathroom door opening, and everything came flooding back to her. Dougie was here. He’d stayed over after their date last night. They’d kissed. Holy shit. Holy shit. She took a deep breath to calm herself, fingers rising to her lips without a second thought, and it was all she could do to smile.

Dougie had kissed her. And it was everything.

She squealed softly into her pillow, feeling stupidly giddy, before quickly picking out a cute jumper and her comfiest skinny jeans to wear. She could hear him moving in the spare bedroom, so she quickly darted into the bathroom, washing and then brushing her teeth, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face at the sight of the toothbrush that Dougie used resting in the holder. There was just something about it that felt right.

She took a deep breath, running her hands down her sweater to smooth it, before she headed out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. It didn’t take long for Dougie to join her, and he accepted the glass of juice that she passed him with a smile.

“Good morning,” he murmured.

“Good morning,” she said softly back.

Dougie seemed to hesitate slightly, before his face became determined. She didn’t have time to ask him what was wrong before he leant down and pressed his lips to hers in a firm kiss. Ashley whimpered softly into his mouth, earning a soft noise back, and it was all she could do to clutch at his sweater. Holy shit. This was just as incredible and sweet as she remembered from last night. Wow. Dougie cupped her face with his free hand, thumb brushing over her cheekbone as he slowed the kiss down to a few gentle pecks, before he pulled away with a smile. Ashley just smiled back up at him, a little overwhelmed in the best way. Wow.

“Coffee shop?” he said.

“Yeah, if that’s alright,” she nodded.

He understood her routines. And he didn’t care that she wanted to stick to them. How could she not appreciate that?

Dougie just nodded in response, smiling as he sat down at her kitchen table, taking a sip of the juice she’d given him. “I wouldn’t mind changing out of last night’s clothes though. Not really my vibe,” he teased.

Ashley giggled, understanding perfectly. It wasn’t her vibe either.

“I could drive you over to yours, to get a change of clothes, and then we could head to Storm Surge together?” she suggested.

“Yeah? You want to walk in together like that?” Dougie asked, a little hopeful.

Holy shit, that would be one hell of a declaration. But…

“Yeah, I want that,” she nodded.

The grin that spread across Dougie’s face made the butterflies in her stomach worth it.

“Let me just put on some mascara and lipstick, and we can go?”

“Sure, whatever you want,” Dougie smiled.

Now that was a dangerous thought.

All too soon, Ashley was parked down the street from the coffee shop. She took a deep breath, Dougie sending her an encouraging smile, before she steeled herself and got out of the car. This was nervewracking. Storm Surge was her home away from home, her safe space, her comfort, and now she was completely changing the status quo. But as Dougie walked to her side, smiling down at her with such hope in his eyes, she knew it was worth it. He was worth it.

“Ready?” Dougie asked, holding out his hand.

Holy shit. Bring it on.

Ashley smiled up at him, taking his hand in hers, embracing the butterflies that came with the warmth of his grasp. They walked to the coffee shop together, Dougie squeezing her hand gently as she opened the door and walked through.

“Ashley! And…Dougie?”

Andrei’s gasp made her blush, Dougie just laughing. Then Andrei’s face broke into a huge grin, and he spun around.

“Marty! It’s happened! It’s finally happened!” Andrei yelled into the back of the shop.

What the hell?

A door slammed open in the back, and then Marty came barrelling out. He took one look at them holding hands before punching his fist in the air.

“LET’S GOOOO!”

Ashley flinched at Marty’s loud voice, but couldn’t help but giggle when he bounded over to Andrei, swinging an arm over his shoulders.

“Finally! Do you know how long we’ve been rooting for you two?” Marty beamed.

Oh god. Ashley blushed furiously, as did Dougie, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Was I that obvious?” Ashley asked shyly.

“Both of you were. It was so frustrating but so sweet,” Marty shrugged, Andrei nodding enthusiastically in agreement. “We just hoped you guys would take a chance,”

Take a chance. Hah. That’s definitely a good way to describe it. And he was so worth taking a chance on. Dougie smiled fondly down at her, before pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

“Well I’d say our second date went pretty well,” Dougie said softly, squeezing her hand.

Ashley smiled back, nudging him with her shoulder, earning coos from Marty and Andrei.

“Okay, you two are giving me cavities,” Marty said cheerfully, not even slightly annoyed, “Coffee and anything you want to eat, on the house. I need to tell Slavs – he’s going to be thrilled!”

Ashley just giggled, leaning into Dougie’s body as she looked over the cakes and pastries on display. Being with Dougie, this fledgling relationship, was scary – but it was also so exciting. She couldn’t wait to see what happened next. This was the start of something amazing, she just knew it.

[spinchip]

As in Lonesome South

Summary: After returning to Ninjago from that Lighthouse prison, Dr. Julien decides it's time for him and his son to move on.

Warnings:  Dr. Julien is not a good dad. Memory alteration and Controlling behavior. ask to tag? Pairing: gen Wordcount:1700 A/N: The name for this fic comes from Hillbilly Man by Gorillaz lol

Packing up his meager room is not a difficult feat, Dr. Julien is glad to note, even in his advanced age. He doesn’t have many belongings now, his life spread out across Ninjago and across the sea, the things left behind and abandoned worthless in his eyes now that he’s been reunited with his son. His greatest creation. It’s not as if he couldn’t stop by that ancient bunker out in Birchwood Forest and gather up his old blueprints, maybe pick up projects left half-finished as his hands wrinkled and gave out, but there’s a clean and simple sort of appeal to a fresh start. Out with the old, in with the new. He had time to start again now. He and Zane could travel down to the outskirts of Metalonia, there’s raw materials there, new construction. Its growing fast with the upcoming tech giant Borg Industries basing it’s manufacturing plants in the heart of the city. It’s an easy place to get lost in, an old man and his son blending in with the crowd, a perfect spot to camp out at and get back to work inventing something new. Something to show up all those slip-shod messes he’d slapped together to appease Samukai.

In a way though, he can’t help but be grateful to the skulkin and his cronies. Without the elixir of life they’d handed him, without the resurrection tea poured down his throat, he’d have been lost years ago. The gift they’d given him had come with a price, seasons passing wondering if his son was safe out in the world without him, stuck up in that lighthouse tinkering away at inventions he felt no passion for. All alone except for the silly little bots he cooked up in his spare time. Now thought, free from the sea salt and stone, he had time laid ahead and a million projects he thought he’d never have the years for suddenly at his fingertips. Zane was his life’s work, and he’d turned out wonderfully. What could he do now, with another life to dedicate?

Organizing his meager things, he pulls out a duffle bag from the School's storage with DARKLEYS slapped on the side, not quite dusty but on its way there with the rebranding they were undergoing. Gutting the School’s unsavory past and installing a new, more healthy learning environment was a big endeavor for the ninja, especially since they wouldn’t be able to rely on his son to help pull it off. He and Zane pitched in when they could, helping repaint, clean up, and discuss a new curriculum, but it was a shame they’d never get to see it come to fruition. It reminded him of his days teaching to pay the bills while he chased his masters degree, there was a comforting nostalgia he almost didn’t want to leave. A shame it was time to go. Zane might have been a good teacher, too, if given the chance- he was as smart as his old man sometimes! Remarkably patient too, always willing to try and talk it out and find the best in people. Too bad. Maybe they could come back and visit, if work didn’t get too busy. He wouldn’t mind getting into the swing of things and whipping up a lecture for the kiddos. He could decide all that later, though. Now it was time to pack. He shakes out the bag and stacks his items neatly inside: a few notebooks of ideas he’d already cooked up, spare clothes Zane and Sensei Wu had graciously paid for, a few old books from the Library he was positive no one would miss. He was even sure to grab a copy of Zanes old favorites, maybe he’d like to read them again when they got settled. He made a mental note to grab his toothbrush and comb from the bathroom before they departed, puttering about his meager living accommodations to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

The room itself was a modest little thing, an old student live-in dorm repurposed into more permanent lodging for himself and Zanes other team members. They were nice, a bit more long-term than he thinks Master Wu is willing to admit, but Dr. Julien found them quite cosy. Though anything was a step up from that damp and dreary prison he’d been locked in. He’d always loved the beach, but if he never smelled salt water ever again it’d be a blessing… He frowns, stepping over to the map spread out across his tiny desk, mapping out a possible route down to Metalonia. Sticking to the outskirts would take them closer to the coast, but setting up shop in town might bring unwanted attention. It could be worth it to take the longer route along the east if he really wanted to avoid the sea… it’d put him close to Ignacia, but it might work.

There’s a knock on the door, bright and sharp, and Dr. Julien isn’t surprised when he hurries over and opens the door to his son on the other side, “Zane!” He greets warmly, ignoring the troubled look on his face and pulling him into an embrace, “Have you finished packing yet?” He asks, breaking away.

“That is what I came to speak to you about.” Zane says hesitantly as his father begins to tidy up the room, closing the door behind him for privacy despite the others doing their best to give them space and clearing out for this conversation, “Father, we have discussed this, I…” He frowns openly, “I do not wish to leave.”

Julien stops where he’s folding up his map, staring up at his son with a scrutinizing look, “Zane, I thought you said you didn’t want to be separated from me again? Are you feeling alright, son? Come here, let me check.” He beckons Zane over as he tucks the map into his coat pocket, moving out of the way so he can sit on the edge of the mattress for a diagnostic.

Zane obliges on instinct alone, sitting down, “I am fine, Father,” He says, moving his gi aside to open his chest panel anyway, “And I do not want to be apart, which is why I think you should stay.” Dr. Julien moves to sit next to his son, running a quick inspection of Zanes internal wiring as he speaks, and Zane zeroes in on the way he collapses onto the bed- his knees aren’t what they used to be, “At your age, you shouldn’t be traveling anyways.” He says, obviously trying to be gentle.

Dr. Julien laughs, smiling up at his son as he shifts through the mechanics in a confident routine so familiar it came second nature, memories of them going through these exact motions surfacing faintly, “You don’t need to worry about me, Zane, I have plenty of time left. The ressurectea has given me another lifetime, and I want to spend it with you. It could be like it was before, just the two of us. I was happy.” He examines the connection points on his switchboard, making sure they’re all attached properly, “Weren’t you?”

“Of course!” Zane says instantly, cupping his father's hands to send the confirmation home, “I love you, and I’ve missed you ever since I got my memories back.”

“But now you want to go our separate ways?” He squeezes Zanes fingers, before letting go, going back to his ministrations inside his chest to distract himself, “You and I are family, Zane. I’m disappointed you want me to spend my final years alone.”

Zane shrinks, curling in on himself at those words. Dr. Julien has to hold onto the door of his chest panelling so he won’t pull away too far, where he can’t complete his check-up, “I don’t. I am sorry.”

“Come with me.” He insists, smiling up at Zane as if to say all will be forgiven. They would be, these moments of hesitance. He could let them go.

The checkup is comfortingly familiar, but Zane shakes his head, “My friends are here, they are my family too. I cannot leave- I have responsibilities. I am the white ninja, I am protecting people who cannot protect themselves. Is that not what you wanted?” his vocal processor goes small at the end, soft and uncertain.

“It is, and you’ve done a great job. I’m so proud of you, but now it is time for us to move on to better things… You’re my son, Zane. My greatest creation. I love you, and I won’t leave here without you.” Dr. Julien trains his eyes on his inner workings, his hands stilling, a slight nod as a silent decision is made.

“And I am not leaving.” He says firmly, his own decision giving his words strength, then, “Will you stay?” Zane’s voice has the slightest hint of hope, complex emotions coming so easily now that he’s lived a long and complex life. A shame to lose all that progress.

He sighs deeply, a sad put-upon thing, “No, Zane.” and there’s no need to elaborate. 

He watches his facial expression as he does it, half a second of shock and raw hurt, a snap of devastation and fear before his mechanics register that the memory switch has been flipped, the click of it near deafening in the room- the expression vanishes, his wide eyes go glassy and half-lidded and his jaw clenches shut, his body locking and freezing as he goes into limbo. Shoulder stiffly casual, his hands dropping into his lap where they’d made a last-ditch attempt to stop this and stalling short, sitting open and useless on his thighs. All at once his humanity is stripped from him, leaving him a blank canvas, empty and waiting for either a reboot or specific command. He was his son. He was his creation. He was his.

Dr. Julien closes up his chest panel calmly, tying his suit back up properly. He’d need new clothes, these would make him ask questions when he reset him. Dr. Julien didn’t want questions. He didn’t want refusals.

“Come now, Zane.” He says, tapping the nindroid on his forehead, watching those hazy eyes try to focus while in forced stasis. There’s nothing behind his eyes, no recognition other than the need to obey that has been programmed into him, “Follow me. It’s time for us to go.”

Zane carries his bag as they walk right out the front door.

[lesbianlotties]

the only touchstone of truth - Marla/Fran

Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: I Care A Lot (2020) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Fran/Marla Grayson Characters: Marla Grayson, Fran (I Care A Lot) Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Origin Story, Canon Backstory, First Meetings, First Kiss, First Dates, Getting Together, Morally Ambiguous Character, Illegal Activities, Eventual Smut, Flirting, Partners in Crime, crime wives Words: 21010

The American dream. The small business that Marla Grayson built from nothing. And now it's all crumbling down back to... nothing. Marla is left to pick up the pieces of the broken dream, but this time she's determined to start a fire with what she has left. The problem, or rather, the solution, comes in the shape of Fran, a gorgeous woman that, unlikely as it seems, has just as many tricks under her sleeve as Marla. This is how they meet, this is how they fall into each other's dangerous games, and most importantly, this is how they fall in love.

Love, the only honest thing about each other, and the most important part of their story.

Final Chapter:

It was natural, mostly, the way the couple gravitated to spending most of their time in Fran’s home. It was simply much better than Marla’s, and the blonde woman had very clear priorities in her life. One, herself. She wanted to win, she wanted the best of life, she wanted to get everything she desired. And that was a very attractive apartment. And number two… well… it was Fran. So, Marla, never one to half-assing her actions, promptly embraced this new perspective of her life. She stepped into the relationship with all the blazing passion she put into every new project. If in the process Fran managed to reveal an unexpectedly loving side of the ruthless businesswoman, well, that made it all just even better.

Along with their relationship, their newest business adventure was about to begin. This involved a lot of planning, a lot of risks, and also a lot of bright mornings getting ready together in Fran’s house with their best suits. This, of course, very often included some variation of the same incident in which they get distracted with each other and constantly arrive late at important places. 

For example, Marla sitting on the bed, leaning back on her hands, waiting for Fran to come out of the bathroom. When the brunette finally strolled out, she smiled at the sight in front of her and said, “You look great.” Her newest suit really fit Marla perfectly.

“I know,” the blonde tilted her head and extended a hand to beckon her girlfriend closer. “And you’re fucking stunning,” she added. In a second, Fran was standing between her legs, leaning down to kiss her, and stifle a laugh when she felt Marla’s hands eagerly move to their favorite destination to cup her ass.

“We could stay home today, you know?” Fran whispered against the other woman’s lips. It seemed they took turns making such a suggestion, and only rarely did they manage to resist the temptation.

Marla let out a small groan. “No. Today’s important,” she bit Fran’s bottom lip, but then genuinely tried to pull away.

“Come on, Marla,” Fran whispered seductively while moving to kiss and nip at Marla’s neck. She was proud to elicit a pleased sigh from the woman in her arms, and even more overjoyed when she pushed Marla onto the bed and she complied. However, she was happily surprised when, not a second later, Marla had switched their positions and pinned Fran to the bed on her back. The following kiss was positively breathtaking, and it got even better, or perhaps even worse. 

Marla placed a hand firmly on her girlfriend’s chest to keep her laying still on the bed, and then she pulled away to say, “Have you ever heard about marital tax deduction?”

The thoroughly unexpected question on top of their previous activities had Fran gasping for a breath. “You don’t… pay taxes,” was the only thing she thought of.

“I’m just saying,” Marla replied, giving Fran one of her signature shark-like grins, and taking advantage of the brunette’s shock by stealing one last kiss, and then pulling away completely, standing up, and starting to walk away.

“Marla?” Fran called after her. She couldn’t move the bed. She was blushing and her brain was threatening to short circuit. Was that a proposal? It wasn’t like Marla to joke about something instead of outright stating what she wanted. And yet, she wouldn’t bring it up if she hadn’t thought seriously about it on her own before. “Marla!” Fran repeated, jumping out of bed and chasing after the woman of her dreams.

“There are some great financial advantages to a civil union, that’s all I’m saying!” Marla called out already halfway down the stairs.

Both of them were laughing then. Of course, there would be financial gain. Would Marla really do something if there wasn’t some sort of profit for her? Only time would tell how serious she was about the subject, and how far each of them would go for each other.

--

“Well, I’m impressed,” Dr. Karen Amos stated as she leaned back on the chair of her office. 

In front of her, on the other side of her desk, Marla and Fran waited for her answer, wearing matching sly grins, stylish clothes, and perfectly balanced energy radiating between the two of them that she could tell had a lot of potential. She almost had it in herself to feel a spark of jealousy, or envy, But that was quickly overshadowed by her blatant interest in the business offer in front of her. After all, Marla had chosen her for a reason. Marla knew her well enough to know she’d look past their history and say yes to this. 

“Are you in?” Marla asked.

As if anybody could say to her, the doctor thought.

“I’m in,” Karen nodded confidently. “I believe I could even give you a name or two right away.”

While she looked over her files, Fran received a call and excused herself out of the office. With three folders in her hands, Karen returned to her seat and took the opportunity to talk a bit more privately to her ex.

“I have to say,” she started, “I was really surprised by your visit.”

“I hope this is alright,” Marla replied.

It annoyed Karen just the slightest bit, the way Marla was still mostly using her business voice. She shook her head and regarded the other woman silently for another moment. “Of course it is,” she scoffed playfully. They hadn’t been bad for each other, not exactly. Marla had simply made it extremely clear she didn’t want a relationship. That didn’t seem to be the case anymore. “You two look right for each other,” she added, a little more softly, and she meant it. Marla tilted her head and listened attentively.

“Yeah?” the blonde said.

That was better, Karen thought. Marla’s shoulders relaxed. They could be friends after all. “Perfect match,” the doctor grinned.

Marla returned the smile, and she was earnest as she said, “Thank you.” She hadn’t made many friends in her life, for obvious reasons, so this was something she’d come to appreciate deeply.

Just then, Fran walked back into the office, holding her phone. “Sam Rice called,” she told Marla, “He said he would love to meet you.”

“Oh, I know him,” Karen chuckled, “You’ll have him eating off the palm of your hand, Marl.”

Marla and Fran had barely made it out into the parking lot when Fran playfully pushed Marla’s shoulder with hers. “So, Marl, huh?”

“I never liked it when she called me that,” Marla rolled her eyes.

“Cute,” Fran smirked, and delighted in the warning look her girlfriend sent her way. 

--

One more day of work, one more day of the two of them struggling to let themselves walk out the door of the house.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Marla asked, running her hands through Fran’s hair in the way she knew her girlfriend adored.

“I thought you hated the surveillance part of the job,” Fran sighed.

“I do, I get restless,” Marla admitted, and dipped her head to start leaving feather-light kisses on the exposed neck of the woman in her arms. “But you make one hell of a sexy spy.”

That comment made the brunette laugh brightly, and wrap her arms tighter around Marla. She let the embrace last a few more seconds of perfect warmth, and then she begrudgingly pulled away. “I gotta go,” Fran said, and kissed Marla’s cheek. “And you have to find us an office.” She slowly walked away, picked up her keys, her helmet, and then paused at the open front door with carefully planned nonchalance. “Hey, I almost forgot,” Fran reached into the back pocket of her pants and then threw a set of keys that Marla easily caught.

“What’s this?” Marla asked with a small frown.

“Your keys to our house, of course,” Fran replied. She was leaning against the doorway, smiling confidently, as if this were an everyday occurrence. “No offense, baby, but your old place doesn’t do you justice.”

Then, just like that, Fran was out of the door, starting her bike, and driving away to stalk their first victim in the business of legal guardians. Marla, on the other hand, was standing in their hallway, lips parted and heart-racing pleasantly. She took a deep breath and, holding her set of kets tightly in her hand, she walked up the stairs to their living room. She had many calls to make. She had to find them an office and staff, and then arrange the official move from her previous apartment into their home.

--

It wasn’t the first time that Marla and Fran walked up the steps that lead to court, and it would be far from the last time. But this would likely be an unforgettable occasion. It was their first hearing with Dr. Karen Amos and a gullible judge to get the legal guardianship of a lonely, rich, old woman.

“Are you nervous?” Fran playfully asked her girlfriend.

“Not so much,” Marla easily replied. “But if we lose again you might have to hold me back or there’ll be casualties.”

The two of them shared a laugh. Marla’s worries were completely unnecessary. Karen’s lies about her patient were spot on, the judge did everything but burst into tears for the fabricated story, and a few signatures later, Marla was legally responsible for the wealth of a woman she’d never met. She had a perfectly calculated plan of what all her next moves would be. Her plan, obviously, included pressing Fran against the wall of a secluded spot of the hallways of court and kissing her like both their lives depended on it.

“Is this going to become a tradition?” Fran gasped with a breathy laugh as she grasped Marla’s short blonde hair.

“God, I hope so,” the other woman chuckled, diving back in for another kiss.

--

Champagne glasses clinked together as Marla and Fran celebrated the success of their first job. An innocent woman locked in a care home, a house sold, everything under Marla’s name, and earning additional money for every overpriced hour they spent stealing from her. It couldn’t be more perfect. Not when Fran is sitting on the chair across from her in the dimly lit restaurant.

“I could get used to this,” Fran smiled. To Marla’s ears, it sounded like something from a dream

“What? Being able to afford this?” she replied. Admittedly, she was a little distracted. The restaurant was colder than expected, so now she was wearing Fran’s jacket over her sleeveless dress, which left the brunette’s arms exposed to Marla’s appreciative blue eyes.

“Winning,” Fran said, “while knowing I’ll be taking you home with me at the end of the night.”

Her words made Marla shake her head fondly. It had been months already. They were living together, and their relationship showed no signs of soothing its fire. In the blink of an eye, Marla could picture an entire life with Fran by her side. It would never stop being exciting, no matter how comfortable and safe they could get with each other. 

“What’s on your mind?” Fran asked softly, sipping her champagne.

“You.”

“I’m flattered.”

“Seriously,” Marla chuckled along with her wife. She took a moment to organize her thoughts and then further explained. “Do you have any idea how unexpected you were to me?” she wondered out loud, and without waiting for an answer she went on. “Not a part of any of my plans. Not even in my wildest dreams. Now I can’t even picture my life without you.”

Fran’s smile never wavered. She took a deep breath and let the precious word settle deep within her heart. “I’m not going anywhere,” she promised and raised her glass again as she added, “Ride or die.”

The smile from Marla then was worth absolutely every risk they would ever take for each other in their lives.

--

“Welcome home, Mrs. Grayson,” Fran playfully said, holding open the door to their offices.

“Oh, come here,” Marla chuckled, grabbing the neck of her girlfriend’s t-shirt and pulling her in for a kiss as they stumbled into the hallway of the place.

It was still empty, and they’d have a lot of work to do, but it was every bit as good as they had imagined it.

“This place is huge,” Fran laughed while they walked around the entire place, stepping into every room and making big plans for the future. “Are you sure this is all necessary?”

“Who cares? We can afford it!” Marla chuckled. Their business of guardianship was taking off, and soon enough she would have these offices filled with employees and clients and victims and power. Then they arrived at the main office, her very own office with the wide windows, big desk, lots of space, and it was all her. “God! It’s gorgeous!” she exclaimed.

“It’s ambitious,” Fran whistled, equally as fascinated with the space.

“Oh, I’ll fill it up, don't worry.” Marla leaned against her desk and sighed contentedly. This was a great step in the right direction, and she was feeling more confident than ever about the path she was following in life.

“With you? I never worry,” Fran swiftly replied.

In a minute, Marla was sitting on her desk, Fran standing between her legs, and they were kissing with all the abandon of being in an office they owned with windows closed and doors closed behind them. The feeling was indescribable, and when Fran expertly started kissing Marla’s neck, the blonde couldn’t help herself anymore, couldn’t hold back a minute longer. She moved her lips close to Fran’s ear and whispered, “Marry me.”

“What?” Fran pulled back instantly, she was shocked and happy in equal measure.

Marla bit her bottom lip and looked deeply into the most perfect pair of brown eyes. A small part of her still believed this was a stupid thing to do, but the greater part of her didn’t even mind being a little stupid for Fran, as long they could do this together for the rest of their lives. “Someday,” Marla said, placing her hand on Fran’s cheek, “When we’re really fucking rich, I’ll marry you, properly. I’ll get you a gorgeous diamond, we’ll travel the world for our honeymoon, everything will be perfect.”

“And right now?” Fran asked breathlessly, although she was nodding already and her voice was trembling.

“Let’s just sign those papers,” Marla smiled, hopelessly in love. “I want to share this with you, completely. The business, the success, the good, and the bad. Partners through and through. Yes?”

“Yes. Yes, absolutely,” Fran replied, without an ounce of hesitation in her body. She pressed their lips together again in a searing kiss. They laughed together, a tear or two might have escaped, and it was only just the beginning.

--

In their offices, a handful of staff was hard at work managing dozens of clients, properties, sales, court visits. In several care homes across the city, men and women of old age cursed the devil of blonde hair and tailored suits that robbed them of their freedom and their money in a mostly legal manner. In Dr. Karen Amos’s office, her patients walked in willingly and innocently, and more often than not their files were shared with a ruthless businesswoman that could put their lives upside down to her will. In their home, their things waited for their return, the kitchen where they shared their meals, the comfortable living room where they made all their big plans, the bedroom that was witness to the most passionate and the most tender displays of the love the couple felt for each other. Finally, in their car, Marla and Fran drove from one place to the other in complete and confident bliss. Business was good, life was better, and legally, they were married. They felt invincible.

“Who’s the next one?” Fran casually asked from her place behind the wheel.

“Hm. Mrs. Feldstrom. She won’t give us too much trouble, I think,” Marla replied. 

“Sounds good,” the brunette nodded. There was a pause then, and Fran couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her lips. She didn’t even need to turn her head to know that Marla had her eyes fixed on her. But she didn’t mind taking her eyes off the road to look at the blonde that stole her heart all those months ago. The expression on Marla’s face was beautiful. “What?” Fran asked her, sounding a little amused.

“You know,” Marla replied, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[rq-s]

Title: Lucid Dreams - Chapter 1

Word Count: 2680

Warnings: Mingyu is featured heavily in the first few chapters and is directly involved in significant plot events. Due to recent events, I understand if reading these chapters may make you uncomfortable, but be aware that you’d be missing core story elements by skipping them. (Details)

Lucid Dreams Masterlist

Prologue | 

It was an hour after dawn, the streets were busy with students and workers on their commute. Yn gazed out of her apartment window, forlornly missing when she would do that. Why wasn’t I doing that? I should still be in college, worrying about scores and my social life.

She was still slowly waking up, with unfocused eyes and bad balance, as she sat at her desk. She shifted in her chair and faced her journal again, with two blank pages staring up at her.

It started as a school project, but it turned into a habit that Yn kept through her youth.

Yn stood and left it open without having written anything, frustrated with herself. If she had dreamt last night, it was long gone from her mind, and she had nothing else to write. There were more days like this lately. Update-less, absent days.

Eventually, Yn left the apartment complex with her phone and wallet and walked the familiar path. For weeks she had been going on walks around town, and she’d always somehow pass by the same peculiar store. She found herself lingering there, wanting to go in just to have her questions answered, but something within herself always stopped her. Online searches turned up very little. Just some patents, an under construction website, a local news article, and a few social media postings by previous customers. Everything she found only made her more curious.

The town seemed quiet, though it wasn’t ever busy. It made the journey to Dream Store a peaceful one, even as Yn's nervousness began to bubble.

She arrived a few hours before noon, the sunlight warm and shining brightly past the cartoonish and fluffy clouds. The well-tended potted plants, power washed sidewalk, and neon sign all had a strangely comforting feeling to them that welcomed her. Even the grey layered siding was sweet, despite how it clashed with the surrounding architecture. Yn stood on the sidewalk, facing the front patio, and hardened her resolve. Today would be her first time seeing what it was like inside; she refused to put it off anymore.

Yn approached the door in quick strides and read the print on the window before entering. “Dream Store | keeping hold of our hearts.”

Her breathing went still as soon as she pulled the door open. It was more spacious inside than the exterior led on, having a pastel pallet and being well lit. It felt like the door way was more then just the entrance to a business.

The first thing to see was the bar. A fairly long one, taking up most of the far wall, yet was still tucked in the corner. From the left wall towards the center were eight different taps, and on a counter behind the bar were two large blenders, a sink, and a small ice cream station with five flavors.  A small Bluetooth speaker on the end of the counter was playing instrumental lo-fi, and somehow the air itself felt light and bubbly against her skin. On the wall above the bar was a large LED menu with what appeared to all be beverages in narrow-necked glass bottles. On the little space that was left against the far wall was a freezer, decorated in stickers and notes. So it’s a juice bar? The tweets just mentioned ice cream. There was a hallway by the fridge, presumably leading to bathrooms and the staff area. In front of that and against the right wall were wood tables and chairs with mismatched cushions. There were similar tables meant for two on the left side, with what seemed to be medium sized square lockers, and two vending machines full of those same bottled drinks from the LED screen. It all felt surreal, it was too perfect.

“Excuse me?” Yn’s attention was brought back to reality by the voice of man, one she hadn’t even seen standing behind the bar until that moment. His fingers were intertwined and rested gently on the bar while he leaned forward, as if he’d been calling her for a while. Once he saw he had her attention, he stood upright and smiled sincerely.

“Welcome to our Dream Store!” It was as if the entire scenario was a prank, he was an actor and this business was a set. Everything was still and quiet, with nothing and nobody in existence but this store and the two of them.

Finally, Yn approached the bar.

Instead of a name tag, the name Mingyu was sewn onto the collar of his white dress shirt. He was very tall, and his uniform was clearly tailored for to fit him perfectly. His smile was kind and courteous as he spoke to her.

“Is this your first time here?” He asked gently, but with no less energy in his voice than before. Yn nodded.

“Gotcha, let’s find you a table then.” He chirped, and walked around from behind the bar, grabbing a physical menu from somewhere behind the register. “Do you like to sit by the window, or in the corner?”

“Anywhere that lets me see the exits, please.” She answered softly. Mingyu didn’t seem phased by her request and tapped his chin in thought while looking around. Only then did Yn notice one of the benches by the hallway was taken, where two teenage girls were fast asleep. It wasn’t uncommon to see college kids or overworked employees taking powernaps at cafés, but seeing them sleeping so peacefully while hunched over the table was something Yn found odd. Are those pillows matching the seat cushions?

Mingyu decided to seat her at one of the tables for two, the one closest to the taps on the bar. She could observe the whole store there, and had a clear view of the front door and the hallway, while sitting snugly in the corner by the vending machines. Yn sat down carefully as Mingyu set the menus in front of her. Sitting down brought her attention up, making her notice the peculiar ceiling with exposed beams, cords, pipes, and ducts, all painted white to match the ceiling itself. Something about the unconventional look of it was comforting for Yn, as if the establishment itself was being laid bare for her.

“First, thank you for coming in, we really appreciate your interest,” He smiled awkwardly for a moment before continuing, “I’m going to get someone from the back to watch the register for me, feel free to look at that menu in the meantime.” Mingyu lowered his head a tiny bit then swiftly headed down the hallway.

Thank you for visiting our Dream Store! All the staff here are proud of our beverages, passionate about our purpose, and excited to give you a safe, enjoyable experience when you spend time with us. We believe that we offer your community something special, not only with our drinks, but with our potential to give each visitor a unique and individualized experience.

Mingyu came back before she could read further, with another tall young man behind him, who promptly went behind the counter and washed his hands after smiling in acknowledgment to her. He seemed familiar, but she didn’t know why or how. Mingyu sat himself across from her with a sigh, feeling very nervous and struggling to act like he wasn’t.

“Alright, sorry about that. Did you get a chance to look at the menu?”

“Only the first paragraph.”

“Okay cool, the way the menu explains it is kind of weird, so it’s better that I do it.” Yn only grew more confused. She watched as Mingyu glanced over towards the other man, she wanted to look back to see what was going on, but didn’t. Instead, Yn watched as Mingyu squinted, shook his head in confusion, and then silently gasped in realization, all within a few moments. Mingyu swallowed and nodded to himself before redirecting his focus back to her.

“Is it alright if I know your name?”

“Uh, sure? It’s Yn.” He nodded formally and put on awkward smile.

“It's nice to meet you, I’m Mingyu. Like I said, thanks for coming in today.” He failed to fight the cringe on his own face and hurried past it.

“Essentially, we can offer you different kinds of drinks: juices, sodas, and smoothies. They’re all made by us, with our recipes, and you can either have them made for here or to go, or even from the coolers right here.” He leaned over and patted the cooler that had a variety of colored drinks in sturdy glass bottles.

“Why do you need to explain that to me?” She asked without thinking, having already picked up on the fact that this was a place that sold beverages. It was a selling point that they concoct them themselves, and that they can do all this seemingly without a big brand to fund them, but she doubted that it required introduction to every new customer. Yn heard the man behind the register chuckle, then try to hide it with a cough.

“I was getting there.” He stammered, his face flushing a soft red.

“If you’d like to have something here, there’s the option to make it a sleep aid. We call it a Sleepy. With those, we prepare the drink as we usually would, but instead of the liquid sugar we usually use, we use a mix of liquid sugar and drowsiness medicine. We’ve been able to use that in a low volume but effective dose to allow our customers to have a refreshing drink, followed by a recharging nap.” Yn watched him cringe again as he tried his best to explain it without making it sound as bizarre as it was. He continued as soon as she tried to comment, eager to get it the introduction over with.

“You don’t need to worry though! When a visitor picks one of our sleepy drinks, we give them a key to their corresponding table, and that key opens one of those lockers. You can put your things there beforehand so you know they’re safe while you sleep. We have cameras in here and outside, and there’s always at least one member of staff on duty who's trained to handle altercations of any kind, and all of us are trained in first aid and emergency procedures like CPR.” There was another chuckle from behind her, and he didn’t even try to hide it this time. Mingyu glared at him, and this gave Yn her opening to speak.

“So you take safety seriously, that’s good…” She was at a loss of what to say, having been bombarded with information, all of it outside of what she’d expected. She wasn't sure what the odds were leaning toward: him having a scripted yet speedy and thorough defense to any worries or questions she’d have, or that he’d flounder as soon as she asked for details.

“Of course we do. We know it’s a risk to just take a nap at a café. Especially one run but a bunch of young adult guys. But we’re trying something new that no one else in the world is doing, and we really believe in it.” Mingyu’s sudden sentiment was sincere, and his nervousness looked more like vulnerability now. Something compelled her to trust him. Maybe what he was saying about having something completely unique wasn’t true, Yn had no clue, but it might as well be for a town like theirs.

“You’ll notice that we have 13 distinct drink options available right now, each one named after a member of the staff.” Mingyu  opened the menu and flipped a few pages till Yn could see depictions of each of the drinks. They were colorful, and beautifully presented on the pages, with descriptions of each one. He stopped on a page of cool toned drinks.

“Let’s say you come in and decide to order a Sleepy Mingyu, that’s this one,” He pointed to the deep purple iced drink and tapped its picture fondly. “It’ll come in a medium glass bottle, with a straw and napkin of course, along with a locker key that corresponds to whatever table you pick. While we’re making it, you can put your stuff in the locker, and inside the locker will be a small pillow, but you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. We switch the covers after every use and wash all of them each night, so don’t worry about that either. You can decide to keep the key with you, or give it to whoever’s at the register for safekeeping.” He began to ramble again, wracking his brain to make sure he mentioned everything Yn could possibly need to know while to keep himself from growing too embarrassed. She sat there patiently, listening as he helped her understand. He seemed to grow more uneasy with each word.

“You’ll probably want to wait at your table till the drink is done, it usually takes less than five minutes. We’ll bring it to you.”

Mingyu paused and took a deep breath, biting the inside of his cheek in thought, picking his words carefully. He hadn’t looked at her since his sentiment about safety and now it seemed like he was actively choosing not to look up at her.

“The Sleepys only come in medium because the drowsiness medicine is fast acting, and we try to make sure that you’ll have enough time to finish it all before you fall asleep.” He looked to the man behind the counter, and this time Yn dared to look at him too. But he only looked at Mingyu, giving his coworker an encouraging, albeit aggressive, thumbs up. Mingyu shook his head.

“This is really weird, Jun. How do you guys explain this kind of thing without seeming creepy?!” He seemed deeply upset, frustrated and on the verge of tears. It suddenly felt like Yn was intruding on something private.

“Take a breath, okay?” The man came around the counter and spoke gently to his colleague, kneeling to the ground like a father would when speaking to a child. He was close enough now that Yn could read the name on his collar as Junhui. He put his hand on Mingyu’s knee and squeezed it a few times, urging him to relax. Then he turned to Yn.

“Once you finish your drink, you’re gonna fall asleep, and we’ll watch over you while you do. You’ll have a great dream, and we’ll wake you up at whatever time you told us to when you ordered, or after you’ve been asleep for 2 hours.” Junhui stood back up, and patted Mingyu’s shoulder while still looking at Yn.

“Mingyu is a really great guy. He cares a lot about people and about what we're trying to do here. And if you ask me, his drink is one of the best.” Junhui’s smile was warm and his tone of voice was calming as he praised his friend. Mingyu still couldn’t look at her, facing away from her entirely and looking downtrodden. Yn didn’t know what to say and instead decided to read the blurb about Mingyu's concoction.

A sweetly rich concord grape flavored soda! Mingyu’s soda brings one’s imagination to life, while remaining proud and inspired.

“I’ll try it.” She spoke casually, trying to imagine what such a drink would taste like. It had been so long since she’d had a grape flavored drink of any kind, and something carbonated sounded great in that moment.

“You don’t have to.” Mingyu said pitifully, assuming she chose his drink to help him feel better.

“The picture looks really pretty, I wanna see if it really looks like that.” Her bluntness stunned him, and he wondered if she was bluffing. Even so, he resolved to grin and bare it, standing up from the table. Junhui stepped back and smiled, leaving silently as Mingyu went back behind the counter.

“Alright… Let’s get it ordered then!” He bolstered, ready to reaffirm himself in the form of a fancy looking grape juice.f

[artificialqueens]

Good Morning Campers, Chapter 4 (Crystal x Gigi) - Gelato

AN: Sorry this is so late but I started on another project that will be posted next week, thanks for the notes I really appreciate it!

“Aren’t you scared someone’s going to walk in, Miss Goode?” Crystal whispered, breathing shakily as Gigi dropped to her knees and lifted her skirt.

Her heart was racing and she hoped secretly that someone would catch them in the act.

They’d been sneaking around for well over two weeks now. Their stint in the disciplinary cabin at the edge of camp had quickly passed and they no longer had a reason to spend every waking moment together.

It was pure bliss for those seven days, spending every minute of the day at each other’s side for camp chores and each night in one another’s arms.

They’d truly gotten to know each other in and out. What they loved, hated, and wanted more than anything in the world. Stories swapped about childhood and life back home. What made each other tick, what turned each other on..

No secrets.

They were hooked on one another.

It didn’t end when they left the cabin and went their separate ways. They were just a mulch covered path away, their new quarters just a few feet from each other’s as they joined their peers as regular campers in overcrowded bunks for the remainder of their stay at Blue Springs.

Gigi was still miffed about her demotion, but wouldn’t change anything if it meant never spending the time with Crystal that she did.

“You want me to stop?” Gigi breathed hotly against Crystal’s thigh before running her tongue to meet the edge of her panties.

“No, don’t stop..” Crystal moaned softly, begging, praying that Gigi wouldn’t dare move as she ran her fingers through her red curls.

Gigi quickly did away with the offending underwear before swiftly hitching Crystal’s leg over her shoulder.

The shower stalls had become their regular meet up. It was mid morning just after breakfast, long after the morning shower rush had passed. They didn’t have much time, knowing their friends would come looking for them sooner or later.

Crystal reveled in the feel of Gigi’s tongue against her, coming undone in just a matter of minutes. She failed to keep her screams of pleasure from loudly bouncing off the shower stalls.

Gigi’s hand snaked up to cover her mouth. Crystal took her index finger between her lips and sucked slowly before pulling Gigi up to meet her lips. They kissed passionately, never wanting this moment to end.

“You.. have gotten so good at that.” Crystal breathed with a laugh, chest heaving and heart beating straight out of her chest.

“I learned from the best.” Gigi whispered hotly before bringing her in for another lasting kiss.

Crystal quickly dropped to her own knees to reciprocate before the echo of the camps PA system brought her to a screeching halt.

“Will all campers grades 10 through 12 please report to the main pavilion for announcements. That’s all campers, grade 10 through 12, report to the main pavilion.” Mrs. Davis’ voice reverberated through out the camp grounds.

The girls quickly scurried to compose themselves and to go there separate ways to meet up with their friends, much to their dismay.

After a rushed kiss goodbye, they left the stalls separately as they came, hoping that no one would notice.

——-

“Why is Creepy Crystal staring at you like that.” Violet leaned to whisper in Gigi’s ear as they sat in the crowded pavilion awaiting announcements.

It took everything in her not to yank her so called friend by the hair and threaten her life for speaking about Crystal that way, but she had agreed to Crystal’s suggestion to ignore anything anyone had to say about one another. They wanted to keep their relationship private for the time being.

Much to her relief, Mrs. Davis stepped onto the stage and began to garner the attention of everyone in the pavilion.

“Shh, it’s starting.” Gigi threw Violet’s way, ignoring her previous statement.

She chanced a glance over at Crystal, who was indeed looking over her way.

The lust in her eyes didn’t go unnoticed. Her cheeks were still flushed from their earlier meet up. She licked her lips and slowly uncrossed and recrossed her legs, flashing Gigi a bit to reveal that she hadn’t bothered to put her panties back on.

Gigi’s vision went hazy and her face got hot. She couldn’t look away.

“I’m still wet.” Crystal mouthed from across the room, biting down on her neon green polished finger tip.

Gigi went weak in the knees.

“Alright girls, settle down.” Mrs. Davis spoke into the microphone at center stage, barely succeeding in taking Gigi’s attention from Crystal.

“As many of you have looked forward to for the last few weeks, this weekend is our annual summer fling with the Blue Mountain’s Camp for Boys.” She began reading from her clip board.

Most of the pavilion erupted with cheers of excitement, aside from the Strange Gang that shared a few gagging noises, earning them a couple of glares from their peers.

“As we have in the years before, we will be tasking you all in preparing for the event. Before leaving our meeting today, please take a look at the sign up sheet. We need plenty of help decorating! Don’t forget to also place your nomination for Summer Fling Queen. You will have until the evening of the dance to place your votes.” Mrs. Davis continued.

This announcement sparked even more excited chatter from the girls, each prattling on about what to wear, what duty they wanted, and who’s name they’d throw in for Queen.

Gigi’s name flew around the room as it had the previous year. She was always a shoe-in for Queen, and although she had been mildly disgraced for being demoted from the Junior Counselors, her popularity around the camp had done nothing but soar.

“We’ll also be offering buses into town this afternoon for the young ladies who would like to do a little shopping ahead of the festivities!” Mrs. Davis shared, earning even more excited buzz from the audience.

“Yes! I’ve had my eye on a pair of earrings at the mall.” Naomi said, leading the girls out of their seats to head back to the cabin and prepare for their awaited mall trip.

Gigi chanced another glance at Crystal, who hadn’t seemed too excited for a shopping trip of her own. Her eyes were suddenly down casted and she stayed seated, twisting her fingers with one another. Gigi made quick of telling the girls that she wanted to stay behind for a moment to speak to Mrs. Davis so they would head back to the bunks before making a b-line toward Crystal.

“I’ll meet you guys later.” Crystal said to her own friends, hoping that they would give her a moment alone as she saw Gigi approaching.

“You don’t seem too thrilled about shopping.” Gigi began, taking a seat next to Crystal as the pavilion cleared out.

“Don’t have a lot of money to spend. But it’s alright, I think I’ll just skip out on the dance all together.” Crystal shrugged.

“What? No! You have to go! It’s camp tradition.” Gigi crossed her arms, in disbelief that she would be missing her chance to see Crystal in formal wear.

“I don’t have anything to wear.” Crystal laughed, leaning into a seemingly pissed Gigi. She found it amusing how worked up she had gotten over a dance.

“Well lucky for both of us, I have plenty.” Gigi smirked, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Crystal bit her lip and began to protest, but was no match for Gigi as she pulled her from her seat and back toward the bunks.

———

Gigi denied the invitation to join the rest of the Heather’s on the bus to town, much to their annoyance.

She had insisted that she already had something to wear, but denying a trip to the mall was extremely unlike her, and this didn’t go unnoticed by Violet in particular.

After some back and forth the group left. Gigi breathed a sigh of relief and waved Crystal over from the cabin across from her own.

“Alright, short or long? I have a thousand options to choose from, baby. Take your pick!” Gigi wasted no time laying out her formal wear that had been hanging in the shared cabin closet until now.

“I dunno, Geeg’. I don’t think I’ve ever worn anything this expensive.” Crystal whispered sheepishly, taking a price tag between her fingers and running her thumb over the offensive numbers.

“Forget about that. I want you to feel as beautiful as you are. I know you don’t need an expensive dress for that. But I’m not going to let you skip out on this dance.” Gigi replied, picking up a shimmering piece toward the top of the pile.

“Try this for me, please. It’s super sparkly and bright and I’ve sort of been imagining you in it every time I see it hanging in the closet.” Gigi blushed a bit, still uncomfortable with sharing just how much she thought about Crystal on a daily basis.

Crystal agreed after some protest, stripping down and slipping the dress on.

It was a baby pink, silk gown with shimmering accents along the bodice. It hugged each of her curves just right, earning her a look of approval from Gigi who sat in awe at how a simple dress somehow transformed Crystal.

“Well, what do you think?” Crystal sighed, secretly loving how the dress fit her body like a glove. She turned her back to Gigi and looked over her shoulder for a pose.

“I think I love it on you, but I’d like it better off.” Gigi replied, pulling Crystal onto her lap.

The two took full advantage of having the cabin to themselves for the rest of the afternoon.

———

The evening of the dance came soon enough, the entire camp buzzing with excitement. After a full day on the lake, the campers scampered to get ready for a night they’d all been looking forward too since arriving weeks prior.

Crystal was a ball of nerves. She couldn’t even afford a prom ticket back home, so a dance was uncharted territory for her.

She admired herself in the single dirty mirror that cabin had to offer, the remaining member’s of the Strange Gang offering a stark contrast to her as they sported punky dresses of various colors paired with high top sneakers and wild makeup.

Crystal decided to forgo too many accessories as she normally would pile on and opted for a single drop pearl necklace Gigi had given her to pair with the dress, along with matching earrings. Her hair cascaded down her back in waves, and her make up was more subdued than usual, her sparkling lip gloss accentuating her plump lips and bringing out the shimmer in her gown.

She truly was a vision, the baby pink silken fabric hugged her perfectly, and her teal blue hair somehow tied it all in like a Barbie fever dream.

“You look stunning, babe. You think she’ll ask you to dance?” Adore piped up from behind her with a raised eyebrow. She was the only one that knew the dress was from Gigi, and the only one that she wasn’t afraid to tell the full truth of their relationship to.

Yvie still held a bit of resentment toward the Heather’s along with Katya, and Crystal had decided keeping them in the dark was better than pushing the envelope this close to camp being over.

“I have no clue. Every part of me hopes she does. But I understand if she doesn’t.” Crystal replied, suddenly nervous at the prospect of holding Gigi so closely in front of the entire camp.

She was just excited to finally see what Gigi would be wearing. During Crystal’s little fashion show in her cabin she had successfully kept her own gown under wraps, intending to keep it a surprise for Crystal. They hadn’t seen each other all day, Gigi having warned her that she would spend the majority of it getting ready for the evening.

A hoard of cheers erupted outside as the buses filled with young men from the Blue Mountain’s Camp for Boys pulled into front entrance of the camp. Many of the girls were excited at the idea of meeting a boy this evening, and some were even reuniting with boyfriends that were attending the neighboring camp.

An announcement calling all campers to the pavilion bellowed over the intercom and sent the remaining campers out of their bunks.

Crystal and Gigi agreed that they wouldn’t be able to spend too much time at each other’s side during the event as not to raise suspicion, so they opted to meet behind the pavilion before the dance for some alone time.

Crystal switched from foot to foot nervously, her toes already aching as the heels Gigi gave her to wear began to pinch. The dance had already started and Gigi was nowhere to be found. Her heart sank as she realized she may not be meeting her after all.

“Hey gorgeous.” An angelic voice came up from behind her. Crystal’s shoulder’s instantly relaxed as she turned to face Gigi in all her stunning glory.

She modeled a shimmering silk dress that was the exact same as Crystal’s, except in powder blue. Her red hair draped gracefully over her shoulders in luscious tendrils, perfectly styled and framing her face. She had gone for a makeup look that only Crystal could have inspired, her blue eyeshadow and bright pink cheeks tied her look together. Her wrists carried clunky multicolored bracelets that she had lifted from Crystal’s personal collection.

“I hope you don’t mind, I swiped these when we stayed together. I was always planning on wearing them tonight. I wanted to keep a piece of you on me.” Gigi blushed and explained the jewelry as she noticed Crystal’s eyes fall onto them.

Crystal couldn’t help but let out an ecstatic squeal and rush into Gigi’s arms, overjoyed that she had wanted to emulate her on such an important night.

“Aw baby, we’re matching!” She bounced excitedly and stepped back only to take all of Gigi in.

“I know, that’s sort of why I had you try this one on first. I already had mine picked out and I was hoping you would love it so we could be a pair!” Gigi bounced along with her.

They kissed and held each other closely for a few moments before the sound of loud pop music interrupted them from inside the newly transformed dance hall.

“I guess we better get in there. See you after, same spot? ” Crystal asked with a pout before leaning in to give Gigi a final peck and the lips.

“Actually, I was thinking we could go in.. together.” Gigi nearly whispered, intertwining her fingers with Crystal’s and gently tugging her toward the music.

Crystal’s smile grew wider and her eyes softened as she fought back tears of joy.

“Yeah?” She mustered, in shock with Gigi’s proposal.

“Yeah. And if anyone has a problem with it, fuck ‘em.” Gigi nodded and smiled broadly before walking hand in hand with Crystal to the front entrance.

They were greeted by many shocked stares from fellow campers but marched on, truly not caring what anyone thought.

The pavilion was dimly lit, a dated disco ball hanging from the ceiling lit up the dance floor as campers from both camps danced awkwardly with one another, well supervised by several counselors.

The upbeat music quickly diminished and transition into the first slow dance song of the night. The opening keys of “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin hummed over the loud speakers. The dance floor cleared, save for a few couples that lingered to dance with one another.

“May I have this dance?” Gigi asked, pulling Crystal onto the floor.

They held each other close and noticed right away how everyone was staring, including members of their own cliques.

The Strange Gang hooted and hollered in surprised shock, embracing the new couple as they drifted across the dance floor.

The Heather’s were a different story. Nicki was surprised but a bit elated at Gigi’s obvious happiness, as well was Naomi. Violet however looked as if she was about to burst a blood vessel.

Gigi waved daintily at them with a smirk over Crystal’s shoulder and pulled her close. Crystal leaned back to come face to face with the red head, their lips close and her voice low.

“Gigi.. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before. You make me the happiest girl alive. I think... I know I love-“ She was abruptly interrupted by a booming voice across the dance floor.

“Geeg’! Babe, I’ve been looking all over for you.” A tall, blonde teenaged boy bounded over cluelessly to the couple, his tux slightly disheveled and his bow tie hanging loosely around his neck.

“Chip?!” Gigi yelped in horror and stepped away nervously from Crystal.

She wasn’t going to let anything come between her and Crystal tonight, but she certainly wasn’t expecting her boyfriend from back home to walk through the door.