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#and i was eating jt like you guys live like this?????
jackfromthefairytale · 4 months
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bad omens: concrete jungle [the ost] liveblog
whoop whoop I'm here we made it
C:\PROJECTS\CJOST\BEATDEATH: we got some noises? if I had more than half a braincell right now I might have tried to decipher it
v.a.n (w/ poppy): single. love the ambience in the verse, gives sci-fi/superhero specifically dark knight vibes. poppy's vocals, particularly the roboticness of them, fit very well, especially with the knowledge that this is a "character-focussed" song. idc what everyone else says this bangs
the drain (w/ health, swarm): single. industrial vibe, not the biggest fan of the guy's vocals but it does fit the mood. low-key wasn't expecting noah to start singing? tdopom vocal sample, nice touch. I quite like the intensity of the instrumental behind the whinyish vocals in the verse. outro is. ominous.
terms & conditions (w/ bob vylan): vibes. anti capitalist vibes. can you hear me through the white noise? yo the lyrical content in this? they really went there? I gotta check out this band
hedonist (recharged) (w/ wargasm): I haven't heard much wargasm but it checks out so far. drumming stands out on this one. god the breakdown starts stops gave me a heart attack. this is like if hedonist was a wargasm song basically
even: it's light? his vocals are quite nice here, ethereal. checked the credits and michael taylor is the only one other than noah credited and I can hear some chief influence in the vocal style. I'm not sure what the genre/style here is exactly but I vibe with it
loading screen: nick ruffilo song. nice soundscape with the synths and drums. really vibe with this. it sounds bright like a shopping centre at night but without the bad vibes. I want to live here
anything > human (w/ erra): most excited for this. that intro riff is!!! the glitchy effect on jesse's voice? is noah singing lower? is that jt? this second chorus is gooood. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE THAN HUMAN? BREAKDOWN!!! it's weird because it's quite obviously more a bad omens song than an erra song but it is very cure era erra at the same time? (dan braunstein I see you) but also it's like an undefined erra song? it's still Jesse Cash Guitar Work but ? bad omens ambience? bad omens production? bad omens structure, even? good old fashioned heavy song.
digital footprint: uhh this is 4 and half mins long? there's a breathing exhale sample on repeat. not vibing tbh.
nervous system (w/ iris.exe): production is great. oh the guitars kicking in! her voice is nice. this song is danceable. I'd listen to it more as a vibe/background noise than a focus song
C:\PROJECTS\CJOST\FINDPEACE: more noises
artificial suicide (unzipped) (w/ thousand below): it's fast. drumming is different?
the grey (unzipped) (w/ thousand below): it's pitched. the lower harmony is more pronounced. it's also faster. and the drumming is more pronounced. it's like a nightcore version? oh that instrumental bit! it scratches an itch actually.
the death of peace of mind (w/ we are fury): love this so far. beat drop at the chorus? loving this a lot. the choral effect on the second prechorus?
the death of peace of mind (w/ so wylie): single. a very different vibe to the other one, it's more direct to the original compared to the other one. it's also got less going on which is also quite effective. the bridge section is beautiful.
bad decisions (lofi) (w/ dahlia): definitely quieter. kinda sounds fundamentally the same but with a different lead vocalist. instrumental after the chorus changes. the whole machine trained voice is still not sold on me, the accent/voice has noticeable quirks from noah's voice on the original but it's still inconsistent and I find that uncanny. it is a vibe but again. not sold.
just pretend (credits) (w/ let's eat grandma, chief): oooh. not sure which of the girls is singing but she sounds good. has enough of a let's eat grandma flair in there. oh there's michael. their voices work well together. this sounds more let's eat grandma than chief tbh. sounds really good though. bridge filled with longing as it should be. I think noah may have rerecorded for the bridge the vocal pattern is a bit different. I love this
C:\PROJECTS\CJOST\CLEARMIND: more noises. there's definitely something to be deciphered
artificial suicide (live): cheering. it's got the intro monologue thing. mm that riff. better than studio. also it shows he's human with parts of the chorus.
like a villain (live): murder robot wife glados my beloved. jolly vocals! no band should ever sound this good live. this bridge sounds so good live, like you know something big is coming. (it's the breakdown). I love the falsetto on that last "hold on". outro riff?
the grey (live): my beloved.
what do you want from me? (live): zumba time (I'm literally in bed). mix is a lot clearer here than on the studio version thanks matt. does that chorus/main riff go lower in this live version then in the studio?
nowhere to go (live): that first verse stripped thing they do live is ethereal. folio is going off here (as always). I think the crowd need to be louder in this mix for the bridge
v.a.n (live) (w/ poppy): does not need to go this hard. noah's harmony in the verse with the vocal effect stands out straight away. that outro riff is so poignant here
the death of peace of mind (live): I haven't listened to this song in so long it goes so hard. intro sounds especially film soundtrack. is that saxophone (second chorus)? mm that breakdown.
just pretend (live): gonna sob I love this song I wrote a thoschei fic inspired by it. the crowd are living for this. those outro vocal bits! the crowd sounds are not going lol. emo acoustic alternate edition? help I might write that part two to that thoschei fic I had I mind 😭
this ended up a lot more developed than I thought it would
also go listen to cure by erra it bangs lol
k gnight
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brothersgrim · 1 year
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HEADCANON ASKS
Anonymous asked:
🍋 
🍋  :    what kind of diet does my muse have?  do they eat regularly,  or the standard 2-3 meals a day?  do they have to be reminded to eat,  or are they likely to remind others?  do they cook,  or have others cook for them?  do they eat healthily,  or not so much?  
This depends. It depends on the timeline, the verse, and to an extent, their relationship status. 
Obviously, before the fire, they eat well. Their parents made sure they were provided for. They get three meals a day, plus snacks. They had free reign to food, and if they'd been around to get older, Iza and JT would've taught them to cook.  It's an important skill for young men to have, after all. They have a healthy relationship with food. They don’t overeat, but they’re also two big dudes - both over seven feet in a world where they got the nutrition they needed - and they live very physical lives. They get the calories they need, and they’re happy about it. So that’s pre-fire, and a no-fire adulthood. 
But of course, the world isn’t that kind. The fire does happen. Their parents are dead. Instead, they have Paul. 
Paul doesn't want them healthy. He wants them in fighting shape, yes, but not healthy. If they're healthy, they could get away from him. Food was a way for Paul to control them. It was both reward and punishment. He would deny Kane food, for example, over ‘little things’. ‘Making a face’, responding too slowly, that sort of thing. Anything he could think of. Father of the year, I know. Inversely, if he needed Kane on his side for anything, Kane got food. It’s one of the many reasons Kane is so doggedly obedient to Paul in those early years, and has such a hard time shaking that habit off. Doing what Paul told him meant that he stayed alive. This isn’t even considering how big Kane grew to be. Kiddo went through some wild growth spurts over the years to get to where he ends up. He was also pushing himself a lot physically. He was being groomed to take on his brother, after all. He had to be ready. Of course, it was mostly just whatever bodyweight stuff he could do in the rooms he was kept in. Sometimes he’d lift the furniture, once he was able. Depending on the hospital he was kept in, he’d sometimes get time in an exercise facility. That was only when he was lucky, though. Most of the time, he was on his own. 
All that to say, he needed to eat a lot. He wasn’t always given a lot, and what he did get was hospital food. This poor guy nearly died the first time he had hot sauce in twenty years. Taker’s only response was ‘I warned you’. As you can imagine, this left Kane with a pretty weird relation with food. He’s very foodshy. He will fight you if he thinks you’re trying to steal, or even getting too close, to his food. That’s why the Knife is stuck in the kitchen counter, after all. He also tends to eat pretty fast. He grows out of this with time and encouragement, but get used to him inhaling whatever you put in front of him. 
The good news is, Kane isn't picky. He will eat ANYTHING. I mean anything. I've talked about the rats and the squirrels before.He needs a lot of protein and a lot of calories to keep him going, so he prefers meat, but, yeah. He’ll eat just about anything. 
He does cook, though! While both the brothers do, Kane is undeniably better at it. He also just enjoys it more. If the brothers are on good terms with each other, Kane is the one who is going to do the cooking. They’re both happier that way. 
Now, let’s talk about Taker. He was also horribly abused by Paul, but in a different way. The difference comes down to control. Kane technically had his own free will, so Paul had to break him down. Taker didn’t have any free will. The urn took that from him. Paul exploited this as much as he possibly could. For Taker, Paul denying him food wasn’t about control, it was purely an act of sadism. Paul just wanted to hurt him. Paul wanted him broken. There were other factors to it, like the fact that Paul knew the urn could be taken away and he didn’t want Taker to get any ideas, but it was mostly sadism. 
Taker also wasn’t fed much. Usually, his best bet at getting food was during the funeral services and wakes. There was usually some sort of catering, even if it was just snacks and finger foods. So long as Paul didn’t remember to tell Taker he wasn’t allowed to eat anything, ol’ Deadman could sneak something here and there. Sometimes he’d remember, though, and Taker would have to wait until he was told to ‘clean everything up’. Then, again, he could usually take a few pieces for himself. Sometimes, that meant taking food out of the garbage. He doesn’t like thinking about it, but sometimes it was the only way to get food. Paul would know if he went through the pantry. He didn’t need to get screamed at (or worse) again. 
Speaking of worse, Paul used food as a punishment. A favourite of his was to leave an extra plate of any meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) out and order Taker not to touch it, knowing he had no way to resist. Paul thought it was funny. Sometimes he’d end up eating it later, sometimes he’d make Taker throw it out. 
Sometimes he’d throw it into the fireplace. Paul always thought there was an extra joke hidden in there. You always wanted to pull something out of the blaze, boy, now’s your chance. No? I guess you weren’t that hungry after all. This also doubled as Paul reminding Taker that he couldn’t move if Paul didn’t tell him to - a fun little way of reminding him he had no control over himself. Y’know, just because. 
And then Paul is gone (until he comes back again, which happens on and off until his death). I’m not going to go too in depth about Taker deprogramming himself from the abuse, because that’s not what this is about, but I will say it took a long time for him to realise that he’s allowed to eat whenever he wants. For a while, he just… Didn’t. He was too used to going without. Then one day, it just kind of clicked for him, and he started having actual meals. Not all at once, but he gets better at it, and then he gets used to actually eating. 
Like Kane, he needs a lot of calories to keep going, and like Kane, he has a pretty protein rich diet. He also has jerky as his mortician snack of choice, and usually has a packet or two tucked into his duster. Like I said before, he can cook, and he doesn’t mind it, but Kane’s a lot better at it. He usually just lets little brother stake his claim over the kitchen (though big brother handles clean up as a general rule). 
When it comes to who’s better at remembering to eat, it kind of depends - they’re both better at checking if the other has eaten than remembering if they’ve taken care of themselves. Taker is especially picky about making sure Kane eats, and you can bet that if he has food, he’s going to offer some to little brother. He’s a bit more discerning than Kane, but he’ll still eat more or less whatever (he draws the line at raw meat, though. He’s trying to get Kane off of it). 
And he still isn’t sure what a risotto is.
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"on veterans day after the production show the cruise director stood on the stage and asked the veterans in the audience to stand and be applauded. they did; there were many. many old men standing and smiling, and the applause was deafening.
two films: matrix revolutions last saturday (i wont get into it, but man! what happened to the buddhist promise of the first movie? the enlightenmnt allegory, the idea of awakening into the real world, of realizing that capitalist western culture is just an illusion? why give that up for some c- high school meandering on determinism and some easy christianity? i still had fun though. especially liked bad guys on ceiling, good guys on ground. anyway.) and a reviewing of the two towers (again, i wont get into it, but man! the number of contrived dramatic peaks and valleys made me feel christmas candy sick after a while) in the cruise ships cinema earlier today. in both, scenes of men preparing for war. the masculine shouts of men ready to die. the dramatic placement of a helmet onto a frightened teenaged head. et cetera.
on the ship, fat men, drinking, rude, poorly dressed. on land, thin men, sweating, fearsome, barely dressed.
on the television, bush in britian, defending war. in the staff mess, a collective cosmopolitan grumble.
two books: franzen's the corrections (a book i have avoided for a long time because of its ubiquity; every san francisco party i go to has it there on the shelf, tucked between manufacturing consent and lonley planet: south america. but i liked it), which discusses mental illness in the setting of domestic suburbia, men in depressive states, and thoreau's walden, which discusses individuality and the dangers of blind adherence of custom. "i have never learned anything from old men." what a badass he is! what a man he is!
jts, paraphrasing robert bly: the soft man, the sensitive man, out of touch with his primitive masculinity, with his roughness, lust and bloodthirst.
mcw on masculinity: "the best thing to do to a group of men is put them to war, give them a task, a goal. heres a gun, now go!"
a book from my childhood, real men dont eat quiche. the sensitive overcompensation of the alda male.
on the ship: complaining. companing about bureacracy, about vapid things. men whining over fingernails, life and death unknown.
a song played tonight, in the jazz club, trio: when i fall in love (...it will be forever). i play very sensitively.
jem, drunk, on a college stoop, lamenting the shallowness of academia: "lets get a gun. lets get a gun."
pk, (what is your middle name pk?) on the subject of the hypothesized new american revolution: "historically, people dont rise up unless they are starving."
all of these things.
they fit together, i know they do. here we have men who have fought in wars. here we have men who have not. not just the individuals, i mean the whole group of men, my peers, my great wonderful male friends spread out over america, who have never known the terror of actually having their lives in danger. and our minds reel and rock! our minds shake with religion and politics, wth art and love! going crazy with metaphysical speculation and women and god and music and wind. crazy. the world seems paper thin at times. sometimes i cant tell if im waking or dreaming. sometimes i get sad enough to shake.
but in contrast, in contrast this all seems rather ridiculous, and i wonder if my generation hasnt missed out on something essential. give me a gun. i dont want it. now listen- i dont want it. but maybe i need it. to understand something real, with consequnce that i can biologically feel, with terror running through me that will silence my intellectual nosoul and bring me back to my evolutionary assignment, to live at all costs. i dont want it, i think thats part of it, not wanting it but doing it anyway, because choice is taken from you. because your family will be killed. not iraq or vietnam; more like wwI or II (for europeans), the civil war. our production show "spotlight broadway!" ends wth a les miseables medley. the french revolution. theres a fucking war. "will you join in our crusade, who will be strong and fight with me?". those kinds of wars, where its in your backyard.
i know im sitting here glorifing (isnt there a y in that word?) war from a pretty plush position. what the hell do i know of it. i wouldnt be saying this if i knew. but thats the point, thats the point. my plush position. its despicable, its fat and slovenly, its unmasculine. its complacent. so much of myself and my geneation has become complacent in action, filled with words of questioning spirit and political anger and energetic connection but lacking in the barbaric action that creates history. the emails i get, the pleas to write to my congressman, sign this petition. a lack of action. a lack of violence.
so maybe i need a gun and a war.
but i wont, i know i wont. because im not hungry, im happy, happy with my eyes closed. and the radical left will never rise up in violence, and the fat men on the ship will drink, and articles will be read, and love songs will be played, and acid trips will show us the stars inside of ourselves, and it will be fine and beautiful and under no threat.
and maybe this is wonderful, maybe that absence of terror is a vital step in evolution, maybe grassroots campaigning will actually get compassion into office, maybe peace is a real and viable goal. its a hard call though. it has no historical precedent, this life without fear.
perhaps it will end in global enlightenment, the men in their indian shirts smiling and dancing.
perhaps it will end in global holocaust, the men in their college tshirts picking radiation boils off of their bloated bellies.
i suppose we will see."
Dave Malloy, 19 November 2003
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harlowsbby · 2 years
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Angst request: gf yn is on tour with Jack and one of the tour mates is crushing really hard on yn. Jealous Jack. Possessive Jack. Sweetheart yn.
She’s taken
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Jack loved you with all his heart he truly did you were the girl of his dreams the sweetheart he’s been manifesting but at the same time he hated the fact that you acted so clueless to when other guys were flirting with you or trying to get at you.
Jack had asked if you wanted to join him on tour and you of course said yes you were beyond thrilled to see everything that went on behind the scenes of everything and seeing your man before every other night was something you wouldn’t wait to see.
You were all in Denver Colorado for Jack’s show that night you were currently sitting with Neelam and Jt just looking at different types of nail designs and hairstyles you all wanted to do for tonight’s show. You were so into the different designs that you didn’t notice one of Jack’s band members trying to get your attention till Jt tapped your shoulder.
“I think he’s trying to talk to you girl.” Looking up you smiled seeing Earl, he was apart of Jack’s live band he was really and always kind to you.
“Oh hi Earl how are you doing? You ready for tonight’s show.”
Neelam and Jt smirked at one another noticing a certain curly headed boyfriend of yours now inspecting Earl and You.
“Yes most definitely I’m always ready to go out there and show out like we always do.” There wasn’t not one mean bone in your body you just loved to spread love and positivity and that was something Jack loved, you always judged by the mind and heart never by how a person looks like or acts like.
“That’s good I’m really excited you do so good on the drums I always wanted to play the drums back in high school.”
“I can always teach you whenever you’re free if you’re down.”
“I’d like that.” He smiled and the two of you continued to talk about anything and everything.
“You just gonna let him sweet talk your girl.?” Nemo came from behind Jack and rubbed on his shoulders. Jack was trying him best to work on being less possessive and protective with you because the last thing he wanted was for you to think he controlled you and controlled who you talked to.
“What am I gonna say Nemo? You know how Y/N is she’ll get mad at me instead of Earl and besides she doesn’t really see the issue I guess.”
“All I’m saying is the way he’s touching up on your girl and being all friendly with her wouldn’t slide with me.” Nemo walked away from Jack leaving him alone in his thoughts as he watched Earl brush his hands on your arms a few times but what did it for Jack was when Earl leaned in to say something in your ear which caused you to start giggling like a fool.
He quickly flung off the couch and started walking towards the two of you.
“Uh oh here comes trouble.” Neelam and Jt both laughed and watched how Jack’s face held a stern and jealousy look.
“May Earl rest easy he lived a good life.” Jt joked the two of them ready for what was about to go down.
“What’s going on over here?” You jumped a bit at the sound of Jack’s voice since you didn’t hear him walking up from behind you.
“Earl was just telling me how he can teach me how to play the drums sometime when we all have downtime that is.” Earl smiled and nodded up at Jack but his smile was quickly replaced by a frown.
Jack rolled his eyes at Earl and held a stern and cold look with him till he felt you tugging on his hoodie, his face softened when he made eye contact with you, something about you always managed to calm him down and he was grateful that you were his light when he had bad days.
“Jack? What’s wrong baby did something happen, did someone say anything to you.” You looked up at him with your big doe eyes your voice sounding so sweet and fragile that Jack almost forgot what he was mad about.
“Uh nothings wrong baby I just came over to see if you wanted to get something to eat before the show?” Jack sighed mentally he knew he should’ve brought up what was bothering him but he wasn’t about to stress the small stuff, he knew you were loyal to him and only him so there was no need to worry.
Smiling you nodded and took his hand in yours before quickly giving Earl a hug goodbye.
“Bye Earl I’ll see you later before the show.” You waved him goodbye and he smiled back before waving bye as well.
“What do you feel like eating Jack?”
“Whatever you want baby.” He brought the back of your hand up to his lips and kissed it before wrapping his left arm around your shoulder and brining you into him.
“This man sure is whipped.” Jt told Neelam as the two of them watched Jack and You leave to go get food.
“He sure is he sure is.”
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cardworksartblog · 2 years
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Hi. Here are some weird slugcat (or weirdcats lol) adopts i made, im gonna be posting them to deviantart soon. Theyre priced at 1200 DA points/1500 flight rising gems and the treasure equivalent. If you want first picks on em before i post them to DA dm me lol
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Also i have little lore snippets for these guys btw. They were made by the same iterator who made feather and frog, and as such they live either with Silent Catalogue/Sunny in her can or in the territory outside of it. I'll be making a post abt her once i. Actually design her lol
Armoured Digger -
With its hard as stone backplates and claws specialised for digging through the tough dirt of its territory, this slugcat is quite the hardy variant made by Sunny. It lives a fair stretch away from the tropical areas where most of the released weirdcats live, at the edge of the iterator's reach. Its territory borders a gigantic stretch of unlivable desert, and it has learnt how to cultivate many tubers to make up for the lack of prey available.
Gem Keeper -
This rather vain weirdcat is the scourge of the local scavenger tribe that Sunny watches over, living in a cave near the tropical coast that is slippery, dark and smells of brine. It has a rather curious obsession with keeping a manner of shiny objects, unfortunately picking pearls as one of their favourites. The strange protrusions on this slugcat can glow, often in mesmerising patterns, but if threatened can flash blindingly bright. It will sneak out at night and blind scavengers who threaten it if caught stealing pearls.
Seagrass Mimic -
This odd rivulet-deriven morph is quite the apex predator of the reefs, lying low in kelp beds and waiting either for stray sealife to swim over it, or for a terrestrial being to swim above it and send sounds down to jt. It will swim up towards the surface silently, before latching onto its prey and injecting a small amount of a paralytic toxin it got from eating many types of deadly sealife to aid in dragging its prey down and drown it before feasting. Due to the toxin secreting from its skin when threatened its both poisonous and venomous.
Thermal Lurker -
This weirdcat lives in the sulfuric volcanic vents around Sunny's can, being rather calm and unbothered by most creatures due to the blistering temperatures its skin produces. The outer layer of its skin is nearly always hot enough to melt metal, but strangely its underbelly is pleasantly warm. This volcanic friend is on peaceful terms with the local scavengers, being quite happy to fetch them sulfur from its den for their explosives in return for food and companionship. It also aids them with refining their spears to be much more powerful via helping them melt down seaglass to make a primitive sort of glass spearhead.
Cocoa Confectionaries -
One of the many of Sunny's experimental slugcat morphs who exclusively lives within her can in the containment enclosure, this weirdcat is not too different from the normal slugcats, physically. It lacks the short, smooth fur needed for them to slide though pipes however, and gets stuck trying to go through them due to their thick, wool-like fur. Its rather well mannered and is a loving companion towards Sunny.
Cookies N Cream -
A morph that is derived from a slugcat adapted to snowy enviroments, this weirdcat has surprisingly silky fur and is quite capable of sliding through pipes. Although, due to the threat of overheating in the tropical enviroment that surrounds Sunny's can, it is kept inside of an enclosure that mimics a snowy area akin to a pine forest with an array of other snow-based weirdcats. It enjoys hunting prey with a group of its landmates, and has been observed setting up traps and helping come up with hunting strategies that make use of their enviroment.
Snow Runner -
A frosted weirdcat whom has a unique coat that allows it to blend into powder s ow near-perfectly. This odd slugcat is rather shy, and surprisingly fast and good at running across snow due to being much lighter and smaller than an average slugcat. It will hide in drifts of snow, waiting for prey to come close enough for them to strike, before pouncing lightning fast and wrestling their prey. If their meal escapes, they will give chase and aim to exhaust it via travelling close behind and keeping pace for an extended period of time thanks to their extreme speed and stamina.
Peach Fuzz -
This weirdcat roams near the Armoured Digger's territory, and has collected a small pack of yellow lizards who follow its lead under every circumstance. It took a different approach to the Digger's way of survival, and instead opted to hunt the gigantic vultures who circle around the arid borders, via baiting them to come down via breeding vulture grubs, and then ambushing them with its pack of lizards. It quickly goes for their masks, ripping it off and clawing the vultures eyes out and letting it clumsily fly off, keeping track of it so when it lands to rest or succumbs to its wounds, Peach Fuzz and the yellow lizards can swoop in and take finish off their meal.
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brockadoodles · 4 years
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Let me tell you that I love you (4 +1) - b. boeser
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AN: Burn this gif onto my grave honestly. BUT ANYWAYS. Uh decided to write during the Canucks game just in case they gave me pain. And they didn’t, and I finished something. A short sweet little 4+1 for you all. I haven’t written one of these in forever, so i really tried to keep each snippet short. Let me know what you think :)
Word Count: 3433
Warnings: Mentions of alcohol briefly 
One 
Brock Boeser was an irremediable fucking romantic. He was the guy who was always more than willing to cozy up on a rainy day with a tragic Nicholas Sparks-esque movie on in the background, never shy at admitting that something as achingly faux romantic as The Notebook could make him weep. He was the guy that all of the cliches were written about, the over sensitive Pisces who stitched his heart on the inside of his left sleeve, ready and eager to give it to someone. That someone, the one who he wanted to give his entire soul to over the last year had become you. 
You were someone he had met by accident, a romantic comedy worthy moment where you both had bonded helplessly at some overly fancy bar where you both had been stood up on dates. He felt stiff in his suit jacket, and you were there in that beautiful navy piece that had him wondering how the stars and planets had aligned in such a way that he was lucky enough to be half enjoying a drink next to you. You had smiled at him, opening the gates for a shitty date turned into a memory he couldn’t wait to tell the story of in twenty five years. One chance meeting had become a date, and more dates after that until over the summer he was bringing you home to meet his parents, where he told you that he loved you for the first time. 
Brock was nervous to take you home but it wasn’t because there was an underlying fear that his family wouldn’t see all of the things in you that he did. He was apprehensive because he knew the backstory of his own life was enough baggage to send someone away, and it had. He had gone through this before, bringing someone home who didn’t want to bear the burden of what life with Brock Boeser actually meant and that loss had shaped his perspective on relationships. Bringing you home was hard, because he wanted so desperately for this to work out, and if you couldn’t take on that baggage, he knew that it wouldn’t. 
Brock felt like he had that nervousness in his chest and stomach for the whole first twenty four hours that you were there. You had flown in late, settling into bed and falling right to sleep next to him. You always found a way to sleep, whereas he was consciously restless late into the witching hour, anxious about the next day where you would be actually meeting his family for the first time. 
He had spent so long waiting for the other shoe to drop, that when you got along seamlessly with his dad, he was still uncontrollably on edge. He was watching wordlessly as you sat out on the porch with Duke, a smile on your face as you listened to him, nodding and responding with Easton comfortably playing in your lap. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned, seeing his mom with a comforting expression on her face.
“She’s great, Brock. Stop waiting for the bad.” She murmured. Brock turned back to look outside, where you were just reaching a hand to his dad’s wrist and laughing. He felt like the air was exhaling from his lungs the longer he let his mom’s words marinate in his mind. Brock opened the slider door and stepped outside, slowly walking over and pressing a soft kiss to his dad’s cheek, who in return patted his hand reassuringly. He then moved to you, settling into the wicker chair next to you and letting you hand over his nephew who was now reaching for him. As you handed Easton over, it was like everything clicked into place for him. This was what he wanted one day with you, passing over your own child with the sun setting over the lake and family all around. That was the first time he realized that he had finally figured out what love meant, because the feeling struck him harshly. He loved you, and instead of overthinking the feeling, he told you.
“I love you.” He murmured, softly enough that only you could hear it. Your eyes widened and your mouth hung open as if he could see every thought that was stampeding through your mind. He recoiled a bit, diverting his eyes from yours and swallowing back the feelings he had just let escape without thinking about the consequences. You smiled awkwardly, grabbing his hand and lacing your fingers together. You brought his hand to your lips and pressed a soft kiss to it, your non verbal way of not reciprocating. It wasn’t until you were alone that you explained to him you just weren’t ready yet, a conversation that felt like a punch to his gut but that he bore with patience and understanding. He pressed a soft kiss to your temple after, reassuring you that he understood what you were saying. You didn’t not love him, you just weren’t there yet, something he could have the patience to wait for. 
Two
The second time that Brock shared with you that he loved you was by accident. It was a classic case of drunk words revealing sober thoughts. Not that his love for you was a secret that he was trying to keep, but instead it was a closely locked away feeling that he was trying to wait to share again until you gave him the go ahead. The wait had been eating him up inside, a small sense of rejection had made a home out of his heart after telling you the first time didn’t go how he envisioned. He loved you, he was so beyond in love with you that he wished for nothing more than to be able to tell you that every second of every day. But you weren’t ready, and his sober self knew that, his wine drunk self, did not.  
It was your birthday and Vancouver had blessed (or cursed, according to most of the people that lived there) you with a dusting of snow. It was nowhere near what Brock was used to from growing up in Minnesota. He was used to long winters where the lake would be a solid sheet of ice that he and his buddies could spend their days skating on, with sometimes over a foot of snow on the ground. 
Vancouver snow was a different story. The small amount was enough to close businesses early, and cause the city to almost shut down until the snow was gone. The mere 5 inches was a lot to people in the pacific northwest, so he watched you with a fond expression as you dragged him down to the park that was near his condo, a pom pom beanie on your head and one of his jackets wrapped around you. 
You both had knocked back almost two bottles of wine, and there was a hazy aura surrounding you as he watched you twirl around with your arms out, catching snowflakes in your hair. Brock grabbed your hand and pulled you into his chest, kissing your forehead and then your nose and cheeks that were cold from the snow. 
“What are you doing?” You giggled, bringing your hand up to rest on his cheek as he looked at you. God, you were his entire fucking world, and once again he didn’t think before opening the box to that thought he had buried in his heart from the summer, the words slipping from his lips before any sense of sobriety could catch up to him. 
“I love you.” He whispered, a soft smile tugging at his lips and his eyes searching yours, hoping for a different outcome than the first time just a few months prior. You stepped back from him, bracing your hands on his arms and shifting your gaze away, something that sobered him up completely. 
“I’m not ready.” You mumbled, a sad expression behind your eyes that Brock wished wasn’t there. He tugged you closer into his chest, another soft kiss to your temple as he ran a hand along your back.
“Take as long as you need.” Brock reassured you, more than willing to live by that promise. You were worth any wait that he had to endure.  
Three 
Playoffs were Brock’s favorite part of his job. The rush of the do-or-die series was something that every player loved. He felt like playoffs were the time where his real skills came into view, where he stood on his own as a talented forward instead of in the shadows wondering where his place was. It wasn’t that Brock was insecure per say, he just always felt like he had something to prove, mainly to himself. The Canucks had battled through all of the rounds, knocking out their opponents, leading them here to the Western Conference Finals against Vegas. It was game seven, the last hurdle before playing for the cup, absolutely do-or-die for this season.  
It was everything Brock had been striving towards. It wasn’t a Stanley Cup, but god in that moment it may as well have felt like one. A game seven game winning goal, sending the team to the finals. Every year he had spent plagued with injuries, wondering if he would ever get back to that spot he had been at his rookie year, wondering if he’d ever actually feel like he deserved to be a part of that core that were the faces scattered on the outside of Rogers Arena. He nearly couldn't breathe as the puck passed by Marc Andre Fleury, hitting the back of the net and sounding off the familiar goal horn. Elias and JT were quick to pile on top of him, nearly knocking him backwards into the boards as the rest of the team ran out onto the ice. This was everything he had hoped for, a chance to play for the Stanley Cup and he was in tears knowing it was his goal that sent him there. 
After the game, all he wanted was to find you. He raced out of the locker room, past the press area where thankfully he still had twenty minutes before he needed to sit down for his interviews. He ran out into the tunnel, hair still slightly damp as he searched for you. It didn’t take him long to find you, you were standing near Holly. You turned to face him just as he rounded the corner into your line of view. He watched as you touched Holly’s arm, saying something to her that he wasn’t close enough to read on your lips. You nearly jogged up to him, jumping into his arms hard and sending him backwards as he braced for your impact. 
The two of you stood there for a moment, ignoring the entire commotion around you as some of his other teammates were cheering and coming out. He didn’t care about any of it, he cared about you. You were the one who was there for the worst season of his career, and sharing this win with you was almost more special than the win itself. You grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him hard, peppering kisses after. Brock took this as his moment, another moment where he could share with you just how he felt.
“I love you, I love you, holy shit, I fucking love you.” He mumbled against your lips. You froze slightly in his arms, hesitating before you crashed your lips back into his, hopefully distracting him from the uneasy feeling in your chest.
“I am so proud of you, Brock.” You whispered. He just looked at you and smiled, ignoring the slight feeling of letdown he felt at your lack of reciprocation. You weren’t ready, and he was okay with that. Instead of dwelling he just kissed you one last time to your lips and then your temple, holding you close before he went to answer questions from people he didn’t care to answer to before you all were going to celebrate. The Canucks didn’t win the cup that year, and his first thought after watching the Flyers rush out and hoist the coveted trophy was that maybe the disappointment would fade once he got home to you. 
Four
Brock Boeser was a fucking romantic, and there was nothing more romantic to him than a wedding. It didn’t matter how many he watched in movies, or attended as he got older and his friends and teammates started getting married. No matter who it was, there was something that calmed him about seeing two people so in love and committing to that for their lives. He always pictured his wedding, except it was only ever from his perspective. In his daydreams, he never saw someone walking down the aisle toward him, he only saw himself standing there with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face as he waited for whoever that person was to get to him. It wasn’t until he loved you that the perspective changed, and he saw himself looking at you walking toward him. 
It was Troy and Emma’s wedding, a small gathering just outside of the city and Brock was in a good mood all day. He was humming softly as he drove the two of you there, a smile permanently settled on his lips as the soft sounds of Kodaline came through the speakers of the car. He had one hand secured with yours in your lap and occasionally he glanced over at you, wondering how in the hell he got so lucky to still have you. 
The wedding was beautiful, Troy and Emma both cried softly as they went through their vows, cementing their relationship with that final first kiss as the small group of close friends and families sat in the gazebo in attendance. Brock held your hand the entire time, feeling his chest tighten when you reached up and kissed the back of it just as the vows were being shared. 
He loved weddings, but going to one with you had him tumbling back toward that locked away feeling in his chest. The romantic atmosphere clouded his judgement and dared it to come out for another time to share it with you. Brock made a mental note to stop getting ahead of himself, to stop planning out an entire future with you when you weren’t ready to even say you loved him yet. He tried to push the anxiety away, the feeling that maybe he was the one holding you back, maybe he was too sensitive or putting too much pressure on you to say it back, even though he had only let it slip less than a handful of times. He swore that sometimes he felt it. Sometimes you would look at him just long enough, with your lips pursed and the words sitting right there as he waited, but then you would falter and shake your head a bit, playing the moment off with a smile. He counted so many of those times and they were casting doubt into his chest that maybe he was there planning an entire future with someone who would never realistically be ready, no matter how hard he wanted you to be.  
You could tell that he was in his head, something about the way he was carrying himself through the day had you worried. You watched as his eyes wandered around the reception hall. He was watching everyone carefully and you knew him so well by now that it felt like you were almost inside his head with him. Only instead of letting you hear what was running through his mind, there was a locked door keeping you out. Brock shifted back to face you, grabbing your hand once more and helping you up.
“Dance with me?” He asked. Brock pulled you into his chest, wrapping an arm around your waist as he swayed slowly with you, not paying attention to much around him other than you. He was feeling grateful for a lot of things, grateful that he was able to share such a special day with some of his closest friends, grateful that now the picture of this with you was so clear in his mind, and grateful that you were there with him, dancing slowly around the room. Brock closed his eyes for a moment as you leaned your head into his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as he moved you around. He pictured all of it, the flower crown you’d probably wear, the smile on your face, and the tears in his own eyes that he would have watching as you came toward him. He pictured every last detail, a vivid dream that he was set on becoming a reality now. 
“I love you.” He hummed, letting his eyes open slowly as you lifted your head. You didn’t even have to say you weren’t ready this time, the slight shift of your eyes had unfortunately become something that Brock was learning all too well. He did what he always did though, he pressed a soft kiss to your temple and tucked the box of love back inside, sighing softly to himself and wishing that one day you’d take it.  
Plus One
Brock loved you in all the ways that he ever thought that he could love someone, down to each subtlety of your demeanor and personality. He loved the way you laughed at his bad jokes, the way that you were patient with his dad, and the way you cared so much about the health of the world. But he also loved the bad things, the little annoyances that came with navigating a relationship that was long distance part time, the way you’d sometimes leave a mess at his place, hitting a nerve after a tough loss, he loved all of those things because that’s what made you human and your relationship normal.
This morning wasn’t anything special, there was no event the previous night that had kept you out late. There was no celebration of any kind. You had come over for dinner and stayed, falling asleep tucked under his arm with Coolie and Milo snuggled at your feet. This no doubt was Brock’s favorite way to wake up, and he’d do it for a lifetime as soon as you’d let him. 
Brock always woke up before you, he was often an early riser and whenever you were there he found himself settling in and watching you sleep for just a few moments before he would slowly roll away from you to get up and make coffee. This morning was no different. His fingers drummed along your hip as your eyes fluttered open and his chest filled with the same feeling he only ever imagined existed in an alternate reality. You smiled softly and tucked yourself closer into his chest, a soft and groggy  good morning escaping from your lips. He didn’t have time to think about if you were on his page, he was already writing the rest of the book with you. 
“I love you.” He said. 
He supposed it was just another instance added to the shortlist in his mind of attempts at telling you he loved you. Brock was now zero for four, more than a strikeout on the scoreboard, but Brock was also patient, and didn’t mind a late bottom of the 9th inning comeback if it meant his love was finally reciprocated. He didn’t mind telling you he loved you, because he did, but a small part of his heart cracked each time you smiled and nodded in favor of saying those three words back that he’d do anything to hear. Each kiss to the temple after masking that crack in his chest that was widening, possibly too far to fill in with hope much longer. 
Except this time, your smile wasn’t forced. There wasn’t a nervousness behind your eyes, there was something else. You leaned into him, kissing him softly while your hand tugged at the ends of his hair. Something felt different in this kiss, a calm wave settling into his chest instead of the usual feeling that Brock felt from the previous times he shared this with you. You pulled back, smiling at him brightly. 
“I love you, too.” And those words that fell from your lips didn’t hold a flame to any of the hopeless romances he not so secretly liked to enjoy, he now had the real thing. 
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pr1ncessm00n · 3 years
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for sale or wanted — jean kirstein x fem! reader
series masterlist
prev | next , part two
warnings: cursing, porco being toxic lol. dates are wrong once again sorry !!
[ playlist : love again - dua lipa ]
eight.
Half asleep and ready to go to bed, Y/N fell back into her bed. She picked up her phone, hoping to mindlessly scroll through some TikToks. Instead, she was met with two messages. Audibly gasping as she read Porco’s name, she dropped her phone, hitting herself in the face in the process. “Ow!”
Porco? Y/N thought incredulously. What the hell does he want?
Contemplating asking Ymir and Sasha for advice, Y/N then decided against it. This was her life, she couldn’t expect her friends to guide her though it. But God, was she such a coward when it came to Porco. It wasn’t like he was Prince Charming, but Y/N had an extreme loyalty complex. She couldn’t ever allow herself to let go of people. Porco used to berate her for that constantly.
Why are you so clingy? He would ask.
Who’s the clingy one now? Y/N thought bitterly. She decided to ignore Porco’s text until she could think of a reply that wasn’t along the lines of “No, fuck you.” She slid her thumb over to Jean’s message.
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Great. Another text asking to talk. Why couldn’t people just send their question and save a girl the anxiety? Y/N scolded herself for allowing her egotistical ex to ruin her mood. Jean didn’t deserve her snappiness.
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Jean sighed in relief. Thank God she replied. He didn’t know if he could handle the mortification if she didn’t.
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Y/N pondered for a bit.
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Y/N laughed quietly to herself. So Jean could in fact match her sense of humor. She exited out of their chat, mindlessly scrolling through social media. She actively avoided Porco’s message, not wanting to burden herself with the chore of responding to him. What could he possibly have to say? She headed to Twitter, hopefully finding something relatable to retweet. As Y/N scrolled, she saw a familiar face appear on her timeline.
Recommended for you from contacts, the header read. Below it was about 3 profiles of people in her contacts she had not followed yet. Among them, was Jean.
Y/N’s breath caught in her throat.
Should I? She questioned. Would she be overstepping some unspoken boundary? What if she hurt her own feelings by stalking and seeing something she wouldn’t like/had no business seeing? Maybe she should just ignore it. She doubted Jean was some internet creep… but wouldn’t it be good to know if he was? Curiosity getting the better of her, Y/N decided to invade that boundary and look at his account.
He didn’t have much content from what Y/N could see. He just retweeted fancy cars and some funny memes. She spotted Connie, Sasha’s lifelong friend and Jean’s infamous roomie. She mentally hoped Jean didn’t tweet like Connie. That would be the ultimate ick.
Y/N’s thumb stopped scrolling, hovering over a tweet. Her heart beated ten times more rapidly.
well she is pretty lol, Jean’s tweet read. Tweeted just an hour after he met Y/N.
Could it be? Y/N wondered. No way. There’s no way it’s about me. I’m just jumping to conclusions. Why would he say that about me? I’m just being self absorbed.
She brushed off her inquiries, deciding to just stop stalking his account entirely. From what she already saw, there wasn’t anything suspicious or icky enough to make her want to not interact with him. And she was already paranoid, so every tweet she saw she would begin to assume it was about her as well. She was just getting her hopes up.
Rolling over on her side, Y/N placed her phone to charge and went to sleep. It was late, which was probably what was causing her mind to become fuddled.
——
“You should’ve told me Sasha’s third roomie was Y/N,” Reiner had said to Jean in the truck. “I totally blindsided her. Top ten worst encounters of my life.”
“Uh, care to enlighten me? Do you guys have beef or something?” Jean asked, perusing the radio stations.
Reiner sighed. “She’s dating- was dating- my childhood friend, Porco.”
Jean felt his stomach drop. “Oh.”
Reiner glanced at him before stopping at a red light. “I said dating. He dumped her like a week ago. It was pretty trash.”
Jean secretly felt more at peace hearing that. Poor Y/N, but.. she could probably do better than this Porco person.
“So what does that have to do with you?” Jean asked.
Reiner shrugged. “I guess I didn’t really help. She said she felt a little betrayed. Like I agreed with Porco and my friends that she’s the crazy one.”
Jean nodded. “So you were a bystander.”
Reiner sighed again, tilting his head in an I guess motion. “It’s just hard. Porco’s like my brother, and I don’t agree with how he acted… but maybe I should have spoken up sooner.”
Jean patted his shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself, man. That was between them.”
“Yeah. I could have at least told Porco to step it up, though.” Reiner murmured.
I’m glad you didn’t. Jean snickered to himself.
“So, you think she’s cute?” Reiner shot Jean a devilish grin. Jean rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, I guess. You goin’ to Historia’s birthday?” He slyly changed the subject.
“Is it open invite?” Reiner’s eyebrows scrunched up.
Jean shrugged. “I have an invite. Maybe you can be my plus one.”
Reiner made a “Hmm” sound in response, weary at Jean’s invite. “What are you dressing as if you go?”
“I was thinking swag era Justin Bieber.” Jean replied, smiling widely.
Reiner gave him a look. “You for real?”
Jean’s smile dropped. “What?”
Reiner laughed. “I’d pay money to see how badly you embarrass yourself with that.”
“It’s a 2000’s party?” Jean was confused.
“Yeah, but everyone does like, early 2000s. Think Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.”
Jean shot him a curious look.
“What? Pop culture is my guilty pleasure.” Reiner explained himself. “And everyone knows Britney Spears.”
Jean hummed in response. “I just think you got a thing for pop girls.” He referenced the earlier Becky G mishap.
“I’m not even gonna deny it anymore.” Reiner agreed, defeated.
——
“Guys,” Y/N said the next morning. Ymir and Sasha were at the breakfast “nook” (a corner of their miniature kitchen designated for a small table that barely fit all three of them), Sasha eating cereal and Ymir chomping on an apple while scrolling on her phone. “Porco texted me last night.”
Ymir continued scrolling, unfazed. Sasha’s eyes widened and she swallowed her food before speaking. “What? Why?” Y/N glared at Ymir.
“Thanks for your interest YMIR, but as i was telling Sasha-“
“I’m Sasha.” Sasha cut in, obviously confused.
Y/N gave Sasha a look.
“Did you say something?” Ymir said, bored. She still hadn’t looked up from her phone.
“Ymir!” Sasha scolded. “Y/N’s telling us Porco texted her!”
“Who’s Porco?” Ymir replied, monotonous.
Y/N sighed in exasperation. “Are you stalking Eren again? I already told you to stop comparing your subscribers-“
“I’m not stalking Eren!” Ymir snapped defensively. “I’m…” She mumbled the next part incoherently.
“Huh?” Sasha and Y/N asked in unison.
“I SAID,” Ymir repeated, annoyed. “I’m looking up Britney Spears outfits. Historia wanted us to go as different eras of her. But I can’t find anything that matches my style.” She grumbled.
Y/N’s heart melted. It was adorable watching Ymir struggle to find a matching costume for Historia. It was like Marilyn Manson wanting to get along with a CareBear.
“Just go as JT,” Sasha said, chewing her cereal.
“One, close your mouth, and two, Historia asked for us to go as Brittney. I can’t just show up like a dude.” Ymir visibly deflated as she scrolled through countless pictures of a younger Spear’s iconic looks.
“Why don’t you try her bandanna phase? That wasn’t so over the top, and she wore mostly jeans.” Y/N suggested as she squeezed into the corner chair.
Ymir sighed. “I don’t want to wear a skirt or some bimbo shit. That’s y’alls look.”
“How do you manage to sound endearing trying to please your girlfriend while simultaneously insulting us?” Y/N wondered aloud.
“It’s a talent.” Ymir waved her off. “What did you guys get her though?”
“A giftcard to Urban Outfitters,” Sasha replied. “I got tired of searchin’. I put $50 on it. I think that should be enough for like, a shirt and a half. She better like it, too. ‘Cus I’m broke.” Sasha pointed her spoon at Ymir accusingly.
“I got her the Taylor Swift vinyl she’s been wanting. And some pink film for her camera.” Y/N added. Ymir nodded approvingly.
“I hope she likes my gift. I don’t know if I’m moving too fast though?” For the first time since Y/N mer Ymir, Y/N hadn’t ever seen her this distraught.
“Calm down,” Y/N reassured her. “You’ve been together for years now. I don’t think you can move any slower.”
Ymir rolled her eyes, leaning back im her chair with arms crossed. “It’s a small trip to Seoul. I know she’s been dying to go. It’s not like it’s anything she hasn’t seen before with her family… but I figure it’d be different with just us.” Y/N’s heart melted.
“That’s so sweet!” Sasha exclaimed, eyes watery. “I want an Ymir!”
“Well, you can’t have me!” Ymir laughed. “It’s not a big deal. The sponsorship I managed to land gave me a decent payout.” Ymir sheepishly replied, her cheeks a faint red
Y/N nudged her. “Look at you, being modest.”
Ymir waved her hand. “Shut up. How does this look?” She turned her phone to Y/N, showing a picture of Britney Spears clad in low waist jeans, a black tank top and sure enough, a yellow bandanna.
“That’s perfect.”
Ymir smirked, smug. “Just like me.”
“Y/N!” Sasha shouted. “Go back to the Porco thing!”
“Oh, yeah. What did Oinky want?” The girls turned to face Y/N, who shrank a bit back in her seat.
“That’s a new one,” Y/N chuckled. “I thought of one last night, too,” She paued for dramatic effect. “Porker!” She gasped out, giggling, hitting the table in a slight fit of laughter. Sasha and Ymir gave Y/N a blank stare, unamused at Y/N’s mediocre roast.
“Not funny, didn’t laugh.” Sasha spat.
“If your career was stand up you’d be living in a box.” Ymir deadpanned.
“Tough crowd,” Y/N sighed, wiping imaginary tears from her eyes. “But if you must know…” She purposely stalled a bit, knowing it would send an impatient, jittery Sasha over the edge and annoy Ymir even more, even if she pretended she was not interested in the relationship drama between Y/N and her disgraced ex.
“Just say it already!” Sasha begged.
“I…don’t know. I haven’t responded.” Y/N finally admitted, putting her head in her hands. “I just-“ Her words were muffled by her hands.
Ymir removed her hands from her face. “Your words, darling.” She scolded, voice oozing sarcasm.
“Ugh,” Y/N groaned. “I’m too pussy to respond. He just asked if we could talk. What could he possibly want? What if he wants the couch? It’s just too much.”
Sasha gave her a sympathetic gaze. “Just leave him on read! If he wants to talk so badly he’ll find a way to say what he needs to.”
“For once, I agree.” Ymir added.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Y/N stretched. “But it did keep me up at night wondering what he wanted.”
“Y/N, forget him! Historia’s party is soon, there’s no time to worry about ugly men!” Sasha stood up, rushing to put her bowl in the sink. “I got a lecture in a few, but you need to find your costume! We’re all going as Britney!” She said before disappearing into her room.
“Um, who’s gonna tell her we’re not all dressing as Britney?” Ymir inquired.
Y/N snorted. “Not I. I’m probably going as Suki from Fast and the Furious.”
“Niiceee,” Ymir fist pumped Y/N. “She was my sexual awakening.” Y/N choked on her muffin.
“Ymir, what’d we say about uncalled for horniness?” Y/N reprimanded. Ymir made her way to the coat rack, searching for her car keys in her leather jacket’s pocket.
“If I was gonna be chewed out for liking women I would’ve lived with my parents!” Ymir called out. “I gotta pick up Historia!”
“Will you be back?” Y/N shouted back.
“Get off my dick!” Ymir shut the door. Laughing to herself, Y/N picked up Ymir’s dish to place in the sink. She was, out of the three, the more tidier one. Ymir did the best cleaning, but she was selectively lazy.
“Bye, Y/N!” Sasha shouted before leaving in a rush. One thing Y/N had grown used to was the fairly chaotic mornings. She secretly hoped they would be like this for a long time.
Since Y/N had transferred, Ymir and Sasha had been the best roommates she could ask for. Yes, Ymir was snappy and Sasha was a bit ditzy, but it was the perfect combination and they were respectful. Y/N had transferred from Sina University purely for academic reasons, but she had not expected to fit in so well with the girls or their group of pre establish friends. She worried she would not fit in since they had already been so tight-knit, but found that wasn’t the case at all. They were open, accepting and loyal. Y/N couldn’t be happier where she was, and even though she wouldn’t admit it, she was grateful for how close they had all gotten in their short time together. Who knew randomly assigned rooming would provide her with friendship to last a lifetime?
Which is why every time she thought about Porco she kicked herself. How could she have let some… meathead ruin her freshmen year of college? She should have been having fun, interacting with Ymir and Sasha’s friends more, lived her own life. But no, she chose to become involved with a self absorbed fraternity guy of all people. Now she was semi-heartbroken, extremely humiliated, and about a year’s worth of time and effort short. She had allowed him to take advantage of her so much, that he felt he could contact her still after basically using her. The thought made her want to rip her hair out and scream.
Almost as if through divine intervention, her phone beeped with a notification.
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What the actual hell? Y/N thought.
She froze for a second. What does she do? Respond? Ignore? Block?
After a few seconds of mental deliberation, Y/N finally decided. She was fed up with the lack of bravery she showed and decided to just end it once and for all. Typing out a response, she clicked send and decided to go to the mall for the retail therapy she was sure to need after whatever Porco said what he wanted to say. Turning the shower on, she braced herself for his response. What could Porco want? She couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
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This better be good, Y/N thought.
taglist : @tsunderehokage @lagrimasdeglitter @snowyseungs @mukeovernetflix @bakugouswh0r3 @punicorn999 @deadlyaffairs @usernamehere91 @calumsfringe
a/n: woohoo!! long chapter. so to recap: i graduated!! i am finally free from the clutches of high school. i might do a face reveal :) bc i loved my grad dress. anywho, my fever cleared up, i have chapter 9 already completed (just need to revise + edit) and this is NOT proof read!! it’s 2 am guys i’m tired. but i hope you enjoyed this :) sorry for the weird cropping too. peace out
165 notes · View notes
ribosoons · 3 years
Text
Nemesis | Kihyun
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another day to live
another day that kihyun will be pissing you off
another day that it you will also piss him off back
"can the both of you stop?" hyungwon questioned since he was sitting in between of you
"i will if y/n stop existing"
"excuse me, my existence is needed. yours wasn't"
"i can prove you otherwise"
"suck my cock kihyun"
"fuck you"
hyungwon just had it
he's done
he doesn't want both of you to be his friend
jk or not
at this point it is a daily routine for both of you to quarrel
a day is not complete with out you or kihyun bickering
hyungwon is praying on all saints he could think of just for both of you just shut up for like a day and give him a peace in his life
hyungwon just wants to have a peaceful time then sleep but all he gets is both of you bickering
he hates to be both of you as his roommates he loves both of you
"y/n, kihyun cooked a food earlier we left you some. go eat" hyungwon said without looking at you, just starting at his phone while slouching at the couch
you just come home from school, you came home early due to absence of your professor
"where's kihyun?" you asked
"why? you missed him already? why don't you guys just kiss already?"
"are you still on that agenda?"
hyungwon kept on saying that you both just date each other sometimes just kiss already everytime you and kihyun is in heated argument just to calm you both down, but it was ending up both of you and kihyun teaming up on hyungwon poor guy
"can you just answer the question?"
"yeah, he's out"
you changed into a more comfy clothes and go directly to the kitchen and check the dish left for you.
it is a shrimp dish
cool! thats your favorite! if you are allergic to seafoods i am so sorry
you took a bowl and scoop some but saw nothing but heads of shrimps
just heads of shrimps
no body
just
head
"hyungwon what the fuck!"
"what!" he screamed back
"why offer me this when i have nothing to eat here!"
"there is left there!" hyungwon showed up behind you and look on the casserole to see a dish with just shrimp heads
"oh"
"sorry bud" he just strung off and go back to being a couch sloth
you just rolled your eyes in frustration because you knew kihyun did this
one day, while kihyun is doing his thing in his room, you don't know what
you saw his phone just laying there, unattended
it hit you
you must revenge
pissed the fuck out off him
make his blood boil
you chuckled silently and walk towards his phone
you gently removed his screen protector and placed his phone gently
you were surprised when a notification came up and you drop his phone accidentally making a loud toud
with your luck you saw no cracks on kihyun's phone
"what was that?" he yelled from his room
"nothing" you yelled back trying not to be suspicious
you checked again his phone and doubled check if his phone were okay
you opened it to really check through if you didn't do any damage on it but revealing his lockscreen
you noticed it was a familiar figure but the face was covered due to hyungwon's message which is the reason why it rang earlier
you, being a nosy bitch, you removed the notification to check who it was on his lockscreen revealing your face in it
you were beyond shock
it was your sleeping face placed on the coffee table of your living room surrounded by your books
you assumed it was your final week
you immediately turned it off when you heard door opening
"why are you so shocked seeing me? first time seeing a gorgeous human being like me?" he smirked
"in your dreams" you immediately stood up and ran out of your apartment to get some fresh air
what was that?
'where u, jgh. kihyun mad @ u. go home quickly' you received this message from hyungwon
this dude does not even try when jt comes in texting
you just sighed
opening the door you saw kihyun standing up, hands on his hips, ready to nag you
"what is this" showing his phone
"phone"
"no"
"then you answer your question, what is that" you brought back the question at him
"all i see is my phone naked, no screen protection on it"
"good to know that you can observe" you replied, you really don't have the energy to bicker with him
all of your energy were sucked out just thinking how why your face were on his lockscreen
does he like you?
but he clearly do not like you?
why do you feel butterflies just knowing the fact that he willingly put your face as his lockscreen
you dont want to assume
do you like him?
"y/n! are you even listening?" kihyun yelped
you took a deep sigh and said, "ill lay for replacement. just i need you to shut up for a moment. i do not have energy left"
"what happened? are you okay?" he asked, his expression softed
that confuses you even more
he took a step towards you and look at your face, placing both of his hands on your cheeks cheking your face
"are you y/n?" he asked, "do you have a fever?"
you tensed up. you are now looking in his worried face
you don't know if your skills on reading people's expressions broke but you saw a genuine worried faced on kihyun making you push him
"dont come closer to me" you mumbled and run directly to your room
you heard hyungwon teasing kihyun like "omg look what you have done, now coax y/n"
days passed by, you tried to avoid kihyun
whenever he tried talking to you, you run
you saw him in campus, you run
saw him in the apartment, run
all you did was run
kihyun was perplexed
he kept on asking hyungwon including himself what he had done
hyungwon doesn't know either but end up just him teasing kihyun which made kihyun more perplexed
one day, he had enough of you running away from him
he saw you in campus but right before you run away he ran directly to you
and surprise surprise you tripped, causing kihyun to catch up with you
he even laughed before helping you get up
again you tried to flee but failed because kihyun is holding your wrist tightly
"where are you going?" he asked
"i have class"
"no you don't"
"how did you know"
"just because"
"then i have a class"
again, you tried to flee but failed horribly
"what do you want?!" frustrated, you asked
"uh"
"kihyun"
"my phone protector" he spat, not knowing what to say
"fine" you sigh
you both are now walking to your local phone accessories shop
it was so quiet, it was killing both you and kihyun
kihyun doesn't know what to say because he is used on both of you on each other's neck all the time
but this time you weren't complaining how disgusted you are walking in a same space with him, or breathing the same air with him, or how embarrassed you are seeing both of you together in public
on your case, you can't seem to calm your heart. you were flustered, your guts are flipping
you do not know how to address this huge ass elephant, it was more hard to address because you are the only one who can see this elephant
frustrated, you didn't know you were holding your breath. breathing slowly
"we're here" kihyun announced and walked inside the shop
the employees greated the both of you and asked what both of you were looking
kihyun answered enthusiastically saying he needed a screen protector for his phone
you walked silently behind him, minding your own business with your messed up thought
you were shocked when kihyun snapped you out of your thought
"y/n pay" poking your cheeks
you slapped away his hands making him laugh and you paid right away after you fished some cash out of your wallet
both of you were standing awkwardly while waiting for kihyun's phone to be fixed
kihyun had enough
"okay what was the problem"
"huh, what problem" you brushed it off
"you kept on avoiding me"
"i do not"
"you are, care to explain?" he is looking at you intensely which making you nervous even more
"nothing, really, nothing" you chuckled nervously, avoiding kihyun's eye contact
"look at me y/n and tell me why" he placed his index finger beneath your chin making you look at him
you quickly retreated when your eyes met due to sudden nervousness you felt
"here is your phone sir" the worker interrupts your conversation happening he held it up high to show his work, and yet again, kihyun's phone lit up exposing your face in it
quickly, kihyun took his phone and put it inside his pocket and chuckled nervously
he lightly patted the workers shoulders thanking them while chuckling nervously
you slowly looked at you, terrified
"y/n"
"i think we should talk about that outside the store" you calmly said even though you knew your heart are not even calming down a bit
"we should" you both thanked the workers and decided to talk to the store's parking lot
"so" he looks around, trying to avoid your gaze
you are now putting him jn pressure on the way you are just looking right directly at him waiting for an explanation
"i can explain" he immediately said looking directly at your eyes
"please do, I've been thinking about that lockscreen ever since"
"wait what did you just said? ever since?"
"i saw that when i removed your screen protector"
"i see" he sighed
"do i need to lie?" he asked
"tell me yoo kihyun, why do you need to lie?"
"because i dont want my nemesis know that i like them?"
"say what?" you asked, shocked
"i like you y/n"
silence
you don't even know what to say
"i mean, I've been so rude to you ever since you stomped on my poor toes and did not even apologize for it. but days goes on, living with you weren't bad after all. i even wanted to spend my whole life with you. okay that maybe too much to ask but that is beside-"
"i like you too dumbass"
"now say what?" he dumbfoundedly asked
"dont make me repeat myself" you chuckled fluffing his hair way from his face
"wait really?"
"maybe"
"come on y/n"
"just kidding" you gave the man a hug
he gave you a hug back rubbing your back
"thank you" he whispered
"yeah sure" you laughed
"fucking hell. i am not suffering from you bickering but now i have to suffer for being your 3rd wheel? you've got to be kidding me" hyungwon complained as he saw both of you cuddling in your couch
"yeah suck ass hyungwon"
74 notes · View notes
comphersjost · 4 years
Text
More Than This ➸ Mikko Rantanen
its 3 am and i couldnt wait to post this. its self indulgent, all of it
You have a thing for bigger guys. And Mikko, well, he takes notice.
word count: 3.9k+
warnings: slight angst? if you squint, reader cant get off, size kink (obviously), smut, thigh riding, mutual pining if you squint, sorta best friend!jt
masterlist
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You didn't know how you let JT talk you into letting him swipe through your Bumble account. And you definitely don't know how he managed to get you to let him do it while displaying your phone on his Apple TV. And what you absolutely, totally, completely did not know, was how you let him keep going when Ryan, EJ, Gabe, Mikko, Naz and some of the wives and girlfriends arrived at his and Josty’s shared apartment. 
You'd known JT for years, so your dating life wasn't exactly a new subject for you. Besides, it had seemed fun at the time, the group of you lounging around the living room as JT swipes through Bumble for you.
“Hey what about this guy? He's cute!” Gabe says. JT scrolls through the guy’s profile.
“Wait,” you said, stopping him from scrolling any further. “6’4? Swipe right.”
The group erupts into laughter at your words, though you were being completely serious. JT swipes right anyways without scrolling through the rest of “Andy”’s profile, the group cheering as you match. You lock eyes with Mikko, completely by accident, and the dark look in his eyes tells you he knows something you don't. He stands, announcing he's going to get a drink from the kitchen, but you don't miss the smirk tugging at his lips as you gulp, your eyes travel up his hulking frame. 
Your attention is pulled away by Naz saying something about a guy’s bio being “ultimate douchebag vibes”, and that’s when you decide it's been enough. You snatch your phone back from JT, disconnecting from the screen mirroring despite the protests around you. 
“You guys have snooped into my dating life enough,” you laugh, “All thanks to Comph here, but that’s enough, seriously.”
With a grumble, the group relents, allowing the conversation to progress past “6’4? Swipe right.”
-
You were staring again. 
You knew it too. You also knew that if you didn't stop soon - like, now - you were gonna get caught. Again. Just as a thought goes through your head, you feel an elbow digging into your side. 
“If you want to fuck him, just shoot your shot.” You turn to glare at Ashley, finally tearing your eyes away from the blonde brute on the other side of the bar. You reach over to smack JT with the back of your hand as he starts laughing.
“Fuck off, dude,” you say, rolling your eyes. “Even if I wanted to - which I don't, by the way - I couldn't.”
“Says who?” JT says incredulously. “Besides, don't you have a thing for big dudes?” As your oldest friend of the group (though he wasn't always your friend for as long as you've known him, he was your brother’s friend from college before you moved to Denver), JT had the most shit to talk. 
“Says my contract with your team, Jimothy.” The ginger grimaces at the nickname, but lets it slide, opting out of his usual reaction of punching the guys in the arms when they called him that. Instead he laughs again at your defensive expression and your avoidance of his question, turning to call the rest of the guys back to your table. Your glare intensifies as he gives you a shit-eating grin. 
“Technically you don't know that it says that. What's the worst that could happen, Y/N?” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows in a manner that was so unlike him. Drunk JT was the worst you thought. “I'm sure he’d be down for a -” he pauses dramatically “night of passion.” 
You gag at the way he says it, at the same time you here an accented voice say.
“Who wants a night of passion?” 
You tense, not having realized the rest of the team had actually come back so quickly. You force yourself to relax and paint a playful smile on your face, turning to look at the Fin. 
“Nothing, Jimothy’s just being stupid as usual,” you say dryly, scooting over as Mikko motions for you to move further in the booth. You pretend not to notice Ashley’s shit-eating grin as Naz rolls his eyes at her antics. Luckily no one at the table says anything incriminating before the boys start up a new conversation. 
In the chaos you almost don't notice Mikko stretching, placing an arm behind you on the booth. But you do notice, and it makes you stiffen. Mikko feels your body go rigid, glancing down at you with a confused pout. He leans down for a moment until his mouth is by your ear. 
“Are you okay?” he murmurs as his hand drops to caress your shoulder in what you guessed was supposed to be a comforting manner. 
“I’ve got a lot on my mind,” you lie easily, avoiding his gaze. “Just a little on edge.” 
If it was possible his voice lowers, making you strain to hear him. “Just relax.” And - that really doesn't help, heat settling in your gut at the words. 
“Actually -” you say abruptly, finally meeting his eyes for the first time that night, “I think I’m gonna go home. I’m just not feeling it.” 
You can see Ashley watching you closely from the corner of your eye, but you don't turn to look at her. Instead you raise an eyebrow expectantly, motioning for Mikko to get up out of the booth so you could leave. He looks surprised by your sudden desire to leave - lips parted in confusion and what you thought was a hint of hurt. 
With a reluctant look on his face, Mikko slides out of the booth, stepping aside to let you slip past. You send a quick wave to the table, and after a brief goodbye, head towards the exit to wait for your Uber. You assumed Mikko sat back down as you walked away, so it surprised you when you heard Mikko call after you just as you'd begun to walk towards the curb. 
“Y/N! Wait!” 
Your step falters for a moment as you glance over your shoulder, pausin to let Mikko catch up with you. He reaches for you for a moment, before pulling back. 
“Are you okay? Seriously.” 
And like, you hate the concern in his voice. Stupid you think. Stupid accent and stupid pouty lips and stupid - 
Your thoughts are interrupted by Mikko repeating your name, softer this time, as he takes a step closer to you. Your breath hitches at you stare at him towering over you, trying to force yourself to think of anything other than how his massive hands would feel on your body. 
“Yeah,” you finally choke out, taking a step backwards towards your waiting Uber. “Yeah, I’m good, just - I'm just tired and have a lot on my plate right now.” 
You're reaching for the door before he can respond, barely catching his faint “Text me when you get home safe!” before the door is closed. You pretend not to hear him. The driver glances at you in the mirror quizzically, seemingly wanting to ask how you left Mikko Rantanen outside of a bar without so much as a goodbye, but thinks better of it, turning up the soft music on the radio as he begins the drive towards your apartment. 
You feel drained when you finally get home, showering and changing into more comfortable clothes as quickly as you can before crawling into bed. Your thoughts drift to Mikko as you close your eyes, the heat in your gut from before returning. You consider taking care of yourself, but considering you haven't been able to get off in weeks, the idea seems even more exhausting, so you let sleep overtake you. 
“You didn't text me.” 
You glance up from your laptop to see Mikko standing in the aisle of the plane, his eyebrows furrowed into a slight frown. 
“What?” you say dumbly, you stare up at him, forcing your attention away from one of his enormous hands as it curls around the back of the seat in front of you. You only succeed in noticing his thighs in his basketball shorts, the chiseled muscles making your mouth go dry.
“When you left yesterday,” he clarifies, pulling your gaze away from his thighs. “I told you to text me when you got home safe.” 
“Oh.” 
“Yeah, oh.” 
You're taken aback by irritation in his tone - and slightly offended. Who was he to be annoyed with you? 
“Well, I was really tired, so…” you trail off, eyes falling back to your laptop screen. You hope he takes it as an end to the conversation, and luckily, he does. 
You feel bad for being short with him, but JT and Ashley’s teasing from the night before - and, let’s face it, from months before - was getting to you. You can't help but watch Mikko’s back as he retreats, heading back to the front of the plane where he usually sat. 
You see him slump in his seat, blonde curls barely visible over the backrest, and a pang of guilt shoots through you. It’s gone the moment you catch JT’s eye, flipping him off as he grins knowingly, before shaking your head and focusing on your work. 
You didn't have time to lust over Mikko. Not when you had the job that needed your complete focus. 
The flight is short, and you arrive in Edmonton faster than you thought you would. You try to ignore Mikko’s burning stare as the players and staff exit the plane, trying your best to tune into the animated story Josty was telling JT. 
You breathe a sigh of relief once you close the door to your hotel room, finally relaxing for the first time all day. The game wasn't until tomorrow, so you knew you had time to do what you wanted - which was absolutely nothing. 
And nothing you did, lounging around in your room watching Netflix and declining an offer from JT to go out with, well, everyone. It didn't help that you knew Mikko and Mark’s room was directly next to yours, but as you heard the chaos of a group of 30 grown men, and then some, heading out for the night, you relaxed a little more. 
An idea pops into your head when the noise finally fades, your hands slipping further down your body to rest above your shorts. You were tense, and needed release - desperately. You give in to yourself, slipping your fingers under your shorts and panties, gasping as your fingers slide through your folds. You're already wet, sensitive from not having been able to cum in weeks. 
A soft whimper escapes your lips as your fingertips find your clit, rubbing gently to work yourself up. You can't help the noises that escape your mouth, trying to keep yourself quiet, but easing up when you remembered that everyone had gone out. 
Your breath quickens as you rub tight, fast circles on your cunt, your back arching. Your other hand finds your breast through your thin t-shirt, pulling and pinching at your nipple. The added sensation makes you moan loudly into the empty room. 
Your hand moves faster and faster in your panties as you pinch your nipple roughly, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth to keep yourself quiet - just in case. 
You're so so close, you can feel it. Your orgasm is right there, and it feels endless as you chase it. You move the hand that's playing with your breasts down to slip under your panties, sinking two fingers into your pussy. Your back arches even more at the feeling, whines escaping you now even with your lip between your teeth. You just - you need something to push you over the edge into you euphoria but - 
“Fuck!” you sob, your body collapsing back onto your bed as your hands cease their movements. You draw your hands out of your shorts, repeating “Fuck”, before resigning to the fact that you just can't cum. Tears slip down your cheeks as you attempt to catch your breath. It ached, how bad you needed to cum but you just couldn't. So you give up on, trying to find anything else to focus on. Only hours later did you find yourself falling into a restless sleep. 
The knock on your door makes you jump, the sound echoing in your empty apartment. You frown as you think Who the fuck is here this late? You'd only just gotten home and settled from your trip to Edmonton, finally relaxing on your couch with Netlix already pulled up and ready to browse through. You're so caught up in wondering who could be at your door that another three heavy knocks sound at the door. 
 Impatient much? you think bitterly as you make your way to the door. 
You nearly slam it shut again when you see who's on the other side. 
“Mikko,” you say, a questioning tone to your voice. “What are you-” 
“I heard you.” His words are abrupt, cutting your sentence off. You frown, not understanding what he means. You step aside to let him come in, and he doesn't hesitate before sweeping into your apartment, slipping his shoes off and taking a seat at your couch. 
You raise your eyebrows at Mikko’s boldness as you come to stand in front of him, about to ask him to clarify what exactly it was he heard, before he answers the question for you. 
“Last night. In Edmonton.” 
Your blood runs cold, but his voice lowers, thick with intention. 
“I could hear you, when you couldn't cum.” 
“I - I -” you stutter for a moment, “I thought everyone went out last night.” 
It's not a denial of what Mikko said, and he knows it. 
“I stayed behind,” he says simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. His eyes are dark, and you can't bring yourself to look away, no matter how badly you wanted to. 
“I…” You flush under his gaze, somehow both absolutely mortified by him hearing you, and curious to see what he would say. “And you're telling me this because…?” 
Mikko is silent for a few moments, mulling over his words. “Let me help you,” he finally says, his voice low and husky. “Let me help you cum.” 
You can't help the way you gasp, the desperation from the night before flaring up again. 
“Mikko I don't-” 
“Think it's a good idea?” he finishes, his hands coming to rest on your waist, pulling you closer. “I don't care. I want...I want you. I want this. I want to help you.” 
“Mikko…” 
You sound uncertain but he knows you've already made up your mind. You let out a yelp as he tugs you roughly into his lap, smashing his lips into yours. A moan escapes you immediately, god he was incredible. Mikko is big, he's so big that one of his arms wraps itself almost completely around your waist, the other coming up to cup your face, nearly covering half of it. You feel small in his lap, and you love it. 
His tongue darts in and out of your mouth, coaxing small noise from you as you grip his shoulders. It was better than you could have ever imagined, the way he bites your bottom lip and tugs back on it with a smile. You whine again as his giant hand falls to your ass, flexing over the flesh and squeezing. 
He pushes against your ass, guiding you to rock against him. You tear your lips away from him, head falling to his shoulder at the friction. Your brain is fried, unable to think of anything but the behemoth of a man in front of you. 
“God he's so painfully my type” you remember telling your friend when you first moved to Denver. You didn't tell her why. You didn't tell her it was because of his size. You didn't tell her it was because he was over a foot taller than you. And you definitely didn't tell her it was because you wanted him to use that size to his advantage with you. 
And use it he did, moving your body the way he wants against him as you whimper pathetically. Mikko maneuvers you so that you're seated on one of his massive thighs, your leggings doing next to nothing to provide a barrier between your cunt and his thigh. 
“Please,” you find yourself whining before you can stop yourself. The pressure of his leg against your clit makes you giddy, unable to think of anything but more more more. Mikko’s hand on your ass guides you, rocking your hips against him as the other caresses your hair. 
“That's it,” he spurs you on, accent thickening as he moves you, “Just like that, good girl. Feels good doesn't it?” 
You whimper again and nod against his neck, moving your hips even as he guides you. The friction feels delicious against your cunt, and you can already feel your orgasm building up. Mikko murmurs soft words of encouragement as you rut against him, the tent in his sweatpants growing tighter as more noises escape your throat. 
Logically, you knew Mikko’s size would likely match the size of his cock but - nothing could have prepared you for what you felt against your thigh as you rocked harder into him. His cock was straining against his sweats, thick and heavy as you pushed against him. 
Mikko’s hand disappears from your ass for a moment, before coming down again with a rough smack. You jolt at the sting and cry out as it only brings you closer to the edge. Your hand curls around his neck, your face smushed into his shoulder with his other hand cradling the back of your head. 
“Please, Mikko, please!” you sob into his t-shirt, so fucking close to release. You were desperate, strings of curses and his name and “pleasepleaseplease” the only words leaving your mouth. He coos gently at your desperation, bouncing his leg slightly to give you more friction. 
“I've got you, rakas,” (beloved) he murmurs lowly, pressing a kiss to the side of your head. “You're close aren't you?” 
“Mhm.” Your voice comes out whiny, but you could really care less, too caught up in chasing your orgasm to care how you sounded. “Mik - Mikko, please, please.” 
“That’s it,” he repeats, the hand that was cradling your head disappearing, only to come down on your ass sharply. A sob is ripped from your throat as you wind your hand into his hair and pull. “Come on, there you go, are you going to cum for me?” 
“Yes yes yesyesyes,” you babble, frantic as you seek your high. 
“Cum for me, rakas,” Mikko growls. “I want you to cum for me.”
The filthy, commanding tone he uses is enough to send you over the edge, throwing you into white-hot ecstasy as you finally - finally - achieve the release you've been craving. You're faintly aware of the scream you let out, and the tears slipping down your cheeks, but you're too focused on the pleasure you're feeling to be embarrassed - or even care, for that matter. 
Mikko holds you tight to his body as you begin to regain consciousness, rocking you slower and slower against his thigh until he stops, tugging you so that you straddle his lap instead. You're hyper aware of his cock pressing against your thigh, achingly hard. 
“You did so well,” he purrs, peppering your neck with soft, wet kisses. “You did so fucking good, you're so beautiful when you cum for me.” You whine at the words, finally finding the strength to lift your heavy head from his shoulder. 
“Sorry I ruined your shirt,” you snivel, gasping out a sob when another tremor wracks your body. Mikko pulls you back into his chest, chuckling softly. 
“That's alright, suloinen asia. (sweet thing) You did so good for me.” 
Mikko strokes your hair softly as your sobs slow to a stop, holding you tightly to him to build you back up where he shattered you. He whispers sweet nothings in your ear as his fingers caress you, the heat radiating from him lulling you into a daze. 
“Thank you,” you whisper softly, curling your hand around the back of his head. You pull back softly to look at him, and you can't help but revel in what you see. Mikko’s cheeks are pink, his lips swollen and bruised, and his eyes are blown wide with lust. He stares up at you in admiration, smiling almost shyly at your gratitude. 
“Y/N I - fuuuck,” Mikko’s words are cut off when you rock your hips against his aching cock, his hands flying to your waist. “What are you - oh - Y/N - shit -” 
“Please?” you mewl softly, pouting softly at his reprimanding stare. 
“Stop that,” he groans, his head tilting back slightly in pleasure. Whether he's talking about your pout or the way you were grinding on him - who knows. 
“Please?” you repeat, smiling triumphantly when his hands on your waist push you a little harder against his dick. 
“Yeah,” he breathes, “Yeah, yeah, okay, one condition.” 
“Mhm,” you hum, too distracted with roaming your eyes over Mikko’s chest and arms to pay attention. 
“Hey.” Mikko grabs your face between two fingers, squishing your cheeks together as he forces you to look at him. You stop breathing for a moment, his grip on your face unrelenting as you wait for him to tell you his condition. “My condition,” he says, “is that I want more than just this. Let me take you on a date. And no more swiping right on any other big guys on dating apps.” 
His words catch you by surprise, and you laugh loudly. Mikko lets go of your face when you do, watching you throw your head back joyfully. He's confused for a moment, but accepts your kiss, smiling against your mouth as you giggle against his. 
“Is that a yes?” he murmurs between kisses. 
“It's a hell yes,” you smile brightly, leaning into to steal another. 
“Great, now can I fuck you over the back of this couch and make you cum again or what?”
575 notes · View notes
puckngrind · 3 years
Text
Leave Her Wild: 1.1 - N. MacKinnon
Author's note: This is a parallel to chapter 1 but via Nate's perspective. I started it thinking this was the way I was going to write the entire series but got going and never came back. In honor of the birthday boy, I figured might as release this unedited blurb.
Warnings: swearing
Word count: 900
Series masterlist / Puck ‘n Grind’s masterlist
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Swipe.
"Took you long enough!" Tyson groaned as Nathan manages to open and shut Cale's condo door with pizzas in hand.
"What's wrong with you?" Cale emerges from the kitchen.
"Nothin', birthday boy? Really, you jackasses put birthday boy as my pick up name?" Nate lied through his teeth at what was wrong with him. Cale clearly read his face well.
"I'd say it was the best name ever for the birthday boy!" JT chirps from the couch.
The boys eat a piece of pie each before deciding to head out to play spike ball in the park across the street first. Nate nods at the man they passed in the hall then turns when he swears he hears a tiny whistle come from the stranger. Shaking it off they emerge from Tyson and Cale's building. Nathan fishes the game out of his Jeep then looks up before crossing the street.
"You good dude?" Tyson asks.
"Yeah, totally man. Just thought I saw people staring out the window. Must've been nothing." Nate hands the bag to Tyson a tad harder than Tyson was expecting.
"Sure." He coughs out.
The game was intense specially with the unseasonably warm start to September they were having in Denver. The boys were drenched in sweat by the time they crashed back at Cale's. Gaming started after more pizza and drinks. You would never know these were grown men and not teenagers by the trash talking gaming that was being spewed across the living room. Nate was distracted by adding some "Damn dude." comments here and there until finally he didn't start the next game. He retreated to a corner and started tapping on his phone. "Fuck." He thought it was in his head but when all three guys turned around he realized it was not.
"Talk. You have been different since you got here." JT states.
"How the fuck does tinder work? Or I don't know, Bumble?" Nate taps on his phone again.
"Wwwwhhhhyyyy are you all of a sudden interested in dating apps? Nate looking to get some?" Tyson blurted out then got hit with a pillow by JT. "Sorry." He whispered.
"There is a girl I met. She lives here. I this building. So I thought if she was on one of those damn apps I could find her cuz all I know is that she frequents the pizza place, lives here, has the cutest twang but also maybe midwestern voice, and her name is MacKenzie." Nate looks up to see his teammates all with their mouths hanging open.
"Here." Tyson hands over his phone. "And I fucking swear if you swipe left on someone I would totally go for I may in fact hurt you."
"Like you could do that." Cale retorts.
"Fine, I would sent Z after you." Tyson shook his head verifying he meant business.
Nate started swiping. He was looking for any version of her name. Mac, Kenzie, MacKenzie, Kenz... but really he was focused on her hair and that sparkle in her eyes. He did not notice that all three were standing around him.
"Swipe riiiiggg..." Tyson starts looking at Nathan's quick swipes left on his account.
"You aren't important here Tys." JT scolded.
"Check Instagram, Twitter, Facebook." Cale suggests.
"I don't fucking have Facebook." Tyson announces.
"I do." Nate sheepishly admitted. The shocked sounds escaping the group made him laugh quietly.
The boys spent the next hour unsuccessfully sleuthing for MacKenzie with no luck.
"She's our age, right?" JT questions flipping through the multiple results for MacKenzie on Instagram.
"I mean... she looked like she was. You know I'm bad at that shit." Nate blew out in frustration. "I guess..."
"We can keep looking Mac or go to the pizza place..." Cale taps his forehead trying to come up with more ideas.
"Yeah, no. Yeah. It was a good try. Maybe I'll run into here again, but Denver is a big ass city." Nate lays his head back on the couch.
"But this building isn't." Tyson sing-songs out.
Nate threw himself into pre-season training the rest of September. A visit from his mother set mind into work mode. She always had a way of making sure Nate was on track even from thousands of kilometers away.
"I'll see you in a few month, eh?" Kathy MacKinnon hugged her son tight.
"Whenever ya want." Nate squeezed back.
"And whatever is nagging at you, please fix before the season is in full bloom." Kathy placed her hand on his cheek patting it slightly. How she read her son like a book was something Nate only wish he could understand. He nodded not sure exactly what she was speaking of but went with it. "Enjoy the youth event next week, Son." She loosened their embrace to head towards TSA.
"Will do." Nate waves watching fish out her passport.
Nathan and Cale walked out from their locker room area to the sound of about forty kids or so attempt to skate.
"This should be fun." Cale elbowed Nate. "Mac?" He waves his hand over Nathan's face.
"It's her." Nate whispers.
"It's who?" Cale tries to follow his gaze but only sees a very tall, brunette man surrounded by kids.
"Mac... Kenzie." Nate can hardly speak.
"Pizza girl? Where?" Cale almost yells out. Nate ignores him and makes his way to the ice feeling a tug and goosebumps explode over his body.
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QoTS 5x02 Reaction Post
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My brain has basically been Jeresa airhorns since the episode aired lmao but I’m going to try to add some Thoughts to my liveblog from last night.  Here goes:
First of all thank you to @gild-and-fire​ for making this tag meme for me that is ALREADY coming in handy.
Iiiiiiiinteresting that the moment James’ name is cleared the Ice Queenpin of last week thawed quite a bit, right?  Sure the trademark cool under pressure business dealings were there for Teresa (including a bit of ruthlessness) but in very calculated, ultimately successful way rather than terrifying.
James is back like what? 48 hours and already throwing up speed bumps for the descent of Teresa’s soul.  It’s gonna be a tough job, but if anyone can do it....
How to say I love you without saying I love you: Some guys bring you flowers, some bring you a personal army.
This episode was a Jeresa Callback All U Can Eat Buffet
There were SO many from the greatest hits: Take Care of Yourself, You too / “Smart” / You Deserve That / I Want You to Stay etc.  to even visual cues from past Jeresa scenes - the talk outside about going to NYC / 2x04, the lunge into the kiss from 3x09.  And of course the cigarette scene that @medievalraven​ goes over in her great meta.  It was an episode tailor made for parallel gifsets. 
I’m kinda shocked they didn’t add a driving together scene for old times sake.  Still holding out hope for a S5 Jeresa adventure episode too.
These two, as ever, are so so soft and so so stupid lmao.  But even with the interruptions of their private scenes, they packed SO much in. And I loved how you could both tell they’d learned from their past miscommunications.
They were a little rusty at first - doing that thing they do approaching it from an angle instead of head on - T: “You didn’t have to come back.”  J: “Yeah I did.”   T: “Are you staying?” J: “Do you want me to stay?” But right out of the gate James is like this is what I feel, I need you to verbalize what you want from me. Which by end of the episode Teresa does.
But then he says “these Russians are animals” and you can practically SEE Teresa visualizing his death in her head so she’s like "you should go”.
LOL at James playing the emotional game of chicken with THE master of the game Teresa Mendoza.  Him being like “Okay I’ll pack...this is me walking to the bed slowly...packing...to leave...this is me leaving....and I’m going to wander around the house...slowly... in case anyone needs anything...just in case...do a shot with Pote...get to know Chicho...oh hey, I’m already packed let’s go to NYC” lol.
“I’m a quick healer” If only, my friend.
The laugh!!! the smiles!! the heart eyes!! the “people who you love” meaningful eye contact!!
The KISS - THE LUNGE - THE WAY JAMES CUPS HER HEAD WITH HIS HAND AND THEY TILT THEIR FOREHEADS TOGETHER - THE WAY JAMES TOUCHES HIS LIP AFTER LIKE WE’RE IN GODDAMNED PRIDE AND PREJUDICE!
The smoking scene.  Poor James was probably thinking of a victory celebration a la 3x09 like “will my stitches hold for that?? Lets find out” and then
Teresa comes out with a CLEAR “I want you to stay”!!!! growth.gif
Only to  drop the (albeit heart eyes included) hammer of “You and me can’t happen.”
I love how James didn’t technically agree.
Can’t wait to see if Teresa caves physically or emotionally first....
Just gonna leave these lines here: “I thought we could be like normal people” / “Get lost for awhile, get these hands clean” / “[change] is the only way to survive in this life” / “we can’t happen...maybe in some other life but not this one.”  Mmmhmmmmmm.  
Non Jeresa stuff:
I really like Oscar the Dominican so far.
Teresa’s “We can double our business or go to war. These are my terms.” CLASSIC Teresa smarts with Queenpin power...I loved it.
The judge: “You’ll be the next Mexican I set on fire”. He can’t just die now, his death better top Cortez’s death by chainsaw b/c this had me ready to drive to NOLA and do it myself.
I loved the expression on James face when Oksana said “[Kostya] wasn’t sure you’d save my life.” LOL like saving other ppl’s lives is kinda what Teresa does, if only I could get Teresa to save her own.
Is the Oksana stuff legit?? It felt really convenient that the “sleeper cell” was dead before Teresa could talk to them.  Were they really rogue or did Oksana just kill off everyone who knew otherwise?  We’ll see. Kostya agreed to her new terms for now.
I loved that of all the many conflicts introduced in the first ep (James, NYC Russians/Dominican rivalry, waterfront $$, the kill team, etc) so many had some sort of resolution or solid movement FORWARD in this episode.  That’s something I really missed from the earlier seasons: mini conflicts that had a 2-3 episode arc instead of *cough* dragging out all season (s4).
Speaking of which, Boaz’s sixth sense of when things are going too well for Teresa remains unparalleled lol.  But I can’t wait to see what JT does next. He’s killing it. Maybe literally...
And now.....the baby news.
At first I was too happy to get an extended James and Pote conversation to care but is anyone else kinda irked that it was POTE who shared the Tony story? I get it story wise w/ his own Tony redemption opportunity on the horizon with KA’s pregnancy they wanted to get that “this world is not for a child they make you weak and vulnerable” ominous foreshadowing in there but oof.  I wish it had been a Teresa/James convo first. 
A baby can be a catalyst for a lot of things (as if Teresa isn’t already feeling the pressure to get legit fast) but what I’m wondering is this:  If it comes down to protecting pregnant Kelly Anne or Teresa, in the heat of the moment, who will Pote choose? He violently reacted to the incarcerated teen boys and that was before he knew KA’s news.   
I’m glad James stayed.  Teresa needs someone who is focused on HER safety alone and as evidenced many times this episode, she definitely will need it.
CANNOT WAIT TO HAVE MARCEL BACK NEXT WEEK!
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hockeylvr59 · 4 years
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Secret Love Part 4 || Cale Makar
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Requested: [ ] yes [x] no
Authors Note: 
Warnings: cursing, discussion of sexual activities
Word Count: 3,911
~~~~
You’d tossed and turned for almost an hour before you had eventually drifted off to sleep, only to be awoken by the Denver sunrise spilling through the window. Groaning softly you made a mental note for the shopping trip...curtains...Cale definitely needed curtains. Laying on the couch, you played on your phone for a few minutes before the need to use the bathroom finally took over. 
After knocking quietly on Cale’s door with no response, you cracked it open hoping to sneak through to the bathroom without disturbing him. As you tiptoed across his bedroom floor, you couldn’t help but let your eyes fall on him. As expected, he was shirtless, blankets falling only midway up his exposed chest. His hair was a mess, and a relaxed expression covered his face. Quietly closing the bathroom door behind you, you chastised yourself for the heat that flooded through you. You were just friends and despite his now single status, that was all this was ever going to be. 
Relieving yourself, you then quickly brushed your teeth before quietly moving back to the living room, easing his door shut behind you. His parents were going to be here in about an hour and after starting a pot of coffee you examined the contents of Cale’s fridge and cabinets. Finding bacon, eggs, and pancake mix you decided to make everyone breakfast. It was as you were moving around the kitchen that Cale finally appeared, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 
“You’re making breakfast?” He murmured, leaning in to kiss the top of your head. 
“I am…” You smiled, checking on the bacon in the oven as you scrambled eggs in a pan on the stove. Cale poured himself a cup of coffee and you felt his eyes on you once more. 
“Anything I can do?” He questioned after a moment. 
“Get some plates?” You requested. “How do you want your eggs?” The clatter of plates filled your ears for a moment as Cale set plates beside you. 
“However you’re making them is perfect.” He insisted, sharing a warm grin now that he was a little bit more awake. Nodding you took one of the plates and scooped a hefty portion of eggs onto it before pulling the bacon from the oven and the pancakes from where they were keeping warm in the microwave and piling those onto the plate as well. 
“Eat up.” You grinned, turning to place the plate in front of one of the bar stools at the island. Doing another batch of eggs quickly you set everything aside to keep warm before serving yourself a much smaller portion. Taking a seat beside him, you shook your head as you watched Cale continue to dig into his breakfast. The moment felt a little too domestic and natural so you were thankful when there was a knock at the door that signaled that Laura and Gary had arrived. 
It wasn’t long after that before you were quickly getting ready and heading out with Laura to go shopping for things for Cale’s apartment. The first place you stopped was Starbucks and then you were off to a local shopping center to do some damage. 
“You seem more relaxed…” Laura mentioned as she sat waiting for the light to turn green. 
“Yeah uh...we talked after dinner last night. We’re good.” You shrugged. Yes you were close with Laura, but you really didn’t want to tell her the details of your friendship with her son. She seemed to accept that because she nodded and smiled. 
“Good. I’m glad.” Her response ended the subject and instead she focused on the task ahead. “So you’ve spent a decent amount of time in Cale’s apartment...what does he still need other than what he mentioned to me?” 
“Well curtains would be good. Waking up to the sun isn’t always ideal.” You said, a yawn slipping from your throat. “He could also use a throw blanket for the couch.” You added, pondering over what comforts Cale’s apartment seemed to be missing that would make it feel more like a home. 
Wandering through aisles, Laura did most of the shopping, occasionally asking for your thoughts on something before either tossing it into the cart or putting it back on the shelf. As you walked through the aisle containing photo frames you paused. 
“What do you think about surprising him with some pictures?” You suggested. He had a couple pieces of ‘artwork’ but there really weren’t any family photos to be found as far as you could see. 
“Why don’t you take the reins on that?” Laura replied, a soft look you couldn’t place filling her eyes as she handed you her phone. “Text yourself anything from my camera roll.” As she looked through possible throw pillows, you quickly scanned through the pictures, texting yourself a half dozen that would be perfect. Agreeing to meet up in about fifteen minutes, you headed back to the instant photo machine, plugging your phone in to print the pictures from Laura’s gallery as well as a couple from your own. Satisfied with what you had, you moved back to the frames, picking out one for each photo before moving to find some command strips to hang them with. 
On the car ride back to Cale’s place, you worked to get each photo into a frame. By the time Laura pulled back into the garage you were finished and you helped her carry all of the shopping bags inside. Cale had given his mom the spare key in case the two of you were done before he got back and after letting yourselves inside, you went to work on making Cale’s apartment feel just a little cozier. Together you hung curtains up in his living room, tossing pillows and the sherpa throw onto the couch. Then Laura helped you with hanging photos on his bedroom wall while a few of them were placed stationary on a side table in his living room. Laura unpacked the rest of the things Cale had asked her to buy and then the two of you settled onto the couch to watch tv until the guys arrived. 
Gary and Cale had picked up lunch on the way home, so the four of you sat down to eat. When you finished, Cale handed you a gift bag and though you had a feeling you knew what it was, you were still anxious to open it. Navy fabric accented with maroon and white spilled around your fingers and you gently ran your fingers over the number 8 and lettering of the nameplate. 
“Can’t have you come to the game tonight without proper apparel.” Cale murmured and you jumped up quickly, wrapping your arms around him in a hug. 
“It’s perfect.” You agreed. You’d packed the Makar home jersey that you’d bought yourself at the beginning of the season, but you had to admit the thirds were your favorite jersey and getting the jersey from Cale meant just a little bit more than buying one for yourself. 
As you cleaned up lunch, Cale started to settle in, getting ready to take his pregame nap. He had acknowledged the curtains, blanket, pillows and other things his mom had gotten him but it wasn’t until he disappeared into his bedroom for a moment that his eyes must have caught the photos. He’d only been gone maybe 30 seconds when he returned, pulling his mom into a huge hug, his eyes soft. 
“You framed pictures for me?” He muttered softly. 
“That idea was all Y/N.” Laura quickly clarified and immediately Cale turned to you, his arms wrapping around you just as tightly. 
“That’s incredible. Thank you.” He whispered into your ear, and when he pulled back his hands lingered on your hips for a moment more. 
Soon you were grabbing everything you’d need for the game because you were headed with Laura and Gary to play tourist while Cale napped and then headed to the rink. Laura and Gary had already headed downstairs while you debated on a shirt to wear and you didn’t even notice Cale come up beside you as you dug through your bag. 
“Wear that one.” He instructed, pointing to a wine red long-sleeved off-the-shoulder blouse. “We’re going out after the game if we win.” He clarified, rubbing the back of his neck. You were already wearing your favorite pair of jeans and had thrown on a cute pair of tennis shoes for running around. You weren’t exactly a club type of person but going out with Cale and his teammates did seem fun. 
“Okay.” You agreed, disappearing into his bathroom to change tops before returning. “Have a good nap. And kick some ass tonight.” You teased, grabbing your makeup bag because you’d barely put any on to go shopping and if you were going out tonight you were going to need to rethink your current makeup. With everything you needed, you snuck a kiss to Cale’s cheek before disappearing out the door to meet Gary and Laura down at the car. 
____
The last time you saw Cale play live was versus Calgary during the playoffs. So sitting in the stands of the Pepsi Center watching him warm up was an entirely different experience. You’d watched him on tv many times but in person it was clear to see just how much his game was growing every day. He was almost mesmerizing to watch and tucked in next to Laura, wrapped in his jersey, you felt at peace. Well, at least until the puck dropped for real. 
During a commercial break in the first period, the Avs announced a promo game. After the participant was introduced and the game was explained, a baby picture popped up on the screen. In it, a little boy, no more than 9 or 10 months old, sat between the legs of a little girl around the age of five who had a book in her hands. Immediately your own cheeks flushed as you recognized the picture, it was one of your favorites from when you and Cale were super little. The fan playing got one guess of who it was with no options to win an autographed jersey, but they were way off and guessed Nate for some reason. Then multiple choice popped up with Cale’s name, JT’s, and Gabe for a chance at an autographed puck. You didn’t even pay attention to the guess beyond hearing the boos signaling they got it wrong, but instead your gaze landed on Cale who was looking up at the screen, hiding a smile as he took some ribbing by his teammates. Eventually his eyes drifted up to where you were seated and he sent a little wink that you would have missed if you weren’t looking at him. From beside you Laura just smiled and bumped your shoulder, signaling without words just how strong your friendship with Cale really was. 
The Avs played a solid all around game and you cheered with each goal scored. Cale had two assists on the night and with the team coming out with the win you knew he was going to be in a good mood. Heading down to the locker room, you listened as Gary rambled on about the game as hockey dads do while sharing looks with Laura that made you burst into laughter. 
When Cale finally stepped out of the locker room he hugged his parents before lifting you up and spinning you around. 
“You ready to go have some fun?” He inquired, boyish smile on his face. 
“Don’t get into too much trouble.” Laura warned, though her expression wasn’t all that serious. 
“As if I’d let him.” You joked. For years Cale’s family had the running joke of you being the more responsible one keeping Cale in line. It wasn’t always true obviously, but for the most part the point stood. Still after the past few weeks Cale had had, you were willing to let him go just a little bit crazy tonight, knowing that you would be there as his safety net. 
“We’ll see you both tomorrow.” Gary grinned. “Go relax and have a good time.” Cale’s arm drifted around your waist as he tugged you to his car. Once there, you stripped off the jersey leaving you in just the blouse and as he pulled out of the garage you mussed up your hair just a little bit. Using the mirror, you carefully added a little more eyeliner before throwing on a dark lipstick, tossing both cylinders into the cupholder beside you. 
By the time you stepped out of the car at the club you felt ready for a night out and as you watched Cale shed his jacket, you felt his eyes on you once more. 
Waiting for him to be ready to head inside, you watched as a tall redhead approached, beautiful woman tucked into his side. 
“Y/N...this is JT and his girlfriend Lauren.” Cale introduced and you reached a hand out to shake theirs before tucking your hand back into your pocket. 
“So this is the best friend.” JT said, smirking. “Bout time Cale finally brought you around, he’s been talking about you for forever.” 
“Really?” You teased, ready to throw out a semi-embarrassing tidbit until Cale grabbed you by the waist, his finger falling to your lips to shush you as he guided you inside. 
“Can you at least let me get a drink or two in me before you start spilling the embarrassing stories?” He pleaded jokingly. 
“I suppose.” You conceded, smiling as he guided you up to the VIP lounge and over to the bar. Settling for a glass of wine, you watched him order a beer for himself before leading you over to one of the many couches. It wasn’t long before you were being introduced to all of Cale’s teammates.  
Gabe was boisterous and funny and the way that he looked at his wife Mel made you smile brightly. Josty was a character, he had you laughing almost immediately as he told stories about all of the media events he’d done with Cale and what he’d learned from residing in the same building. He was definitely giving you ammo to use later. Then again they all were, chirps had been flying left and right all night. 
You’d been nursing the same glass of wine for about an hour, watching as Cale downed another 2-3 beers as well as a shot that Burky handed him. It was nice to see Cale out with people that clearly cared about him and you knew this was probably the first time he had really been able to let go of all of the stress since the pregnancy scare. 
Eventually Mel and Lauren dragged you out onto the dance floor with the other better halves and even though you’d barely had anything to drink, the beat of the music had you relaxing, enjoying the time you had getting to know the people who were part of Cale’s other family. 
“You know his eyes haven’t left you all night.” Mel eventually declared, her voice barely audible over the loud music. 
“He’s always been a little protective…” You simply shrugged. The look Mel and Lauren shared suggested that they weren’t buying that logic but they didn’t push things. After a few more songs, you left the dance floor to head to the bar for a bottle of water. While there a tall….like really tall, dark haired man who looked like he should star in the next hollywood vampire blockbuster, slipped up beside you, his arm brushing against yours lightly. As you placed him as Cale’s d-partner you smiled up at him before looking back at where the bartender was rushing back and forth. 
“You know none of us have ever seen him like this before…” Ryan murmured. “He comes out but he never really lets loose. Now I don’t know whether that’s because it’s the first time we’ve been out since everything happened or if it’s because you’re here but I suspect it’s more to do with the latter.” You didn’t really know what to say to that so you shrugged. “And I’m not saying that in the manner of he feels like you’re the babysitter who will take care of him, I’m saying that he feels comfortable because you’re here in a way he was never comfortable either by himself or with Sara.” Ryan finally managed to get the bartender’s attention and he ordered your water along with whatever he was drinking before continuing. “And I’m sure Cale never said anything and neither did anyone else but...you should know everyone really likes you. And I can’t say the same for Sara.” Just as quickly as he’d appeared, Ryan had walked off and you glanced over at Cale to see his eyes planted firmly on you, his cheeks rosy from the alcohol. 
Water in hand, you moved to Cale’s side, his arm wrapping around you immediately. The redness in his eyes told you he’d had a little bit more to drink than he probably should have and you pushed your water his way, not wanting him to be completely impossible to drag home. The grin on his face was lazy as he took the bottle, showing how completely relaxed and at ease he was. 
His Adam's apple bobbed as he took a long sip of the water and you tilted your head to observe him, tie gone and the top few buttons of his shirt undone. His fingers slipped just under the edge of your shirt along your hip and you took your own sip from the bottle of water trying to hide the flush that filled your body at the feeling of his fingertips on your bare skin. Passing the water back to him, it was soon gone and once the bottle was empty you stood, looking over your shoulder. 
“Are you going to sit there all night or are you going to come dance with me?” You inquired, your tongue running against your bottom lip. Stumbling just slightly, Cale slipped out of the booth and his hand fell to the curve of your back as he guided you over to where his teammates and their significant others were dancing. 
With Cale’s chest pressed against your back, his hands fell to your hips once more and the pads of his fingers wandered over every inch of skin they could reach. His touch had never affected you like this before, he’d never been this brazen before, but you chalked both of those factors up to the alcohol. Though you’d only had two glasses of wine since you arrived, wine had always made you far warmer than any other form of alcohol so the heat in your skin was definitely just from that. 
“So I have a question…” Cale’s breath fanned over your ear as he leaned down to whisper yell at you, allowing you to hear him over the rap song that was playing. 
“Yes Cale?” You replied, tilting your body back against his so that you could see his face. It was even rosier than before and his soft smile was replaced by a serious and focused look causing your eyebrow to quirk at the sight. 
“Women like having oral sex performed on them right?” For a split second you were certain that it was only Cale’s hold on you that kept you from falling right over. Choking on your own saliva as you tried to swallow you quickly coughed, your cheeks even more flushed than you could attribute to the wine. 
“I...I mean from what I’ve heard yeah…” You finally stumbled out an answer. “Why?” Your question was ignored as Cale’s hands tightened around your hips. 
“You’ve heard?” Cale prodded. “You don’t know?” Cursing under your breath you shivered as Cale’s thumb stroked a sensitive spot along your side. 
“Cale…” You mumbled, not drunk enough for this conversation. He poked you in the side though signaling you to continue and you groaned. “I mean...I had sex for the first time freshman year of college and we didn’t exactly know what we were doing…” You explained, softly enough that only Cale would hear you. “And I mean I’ve only had sex one other time...it was a one night stand and we were both way too drunk to do anything but fuck. So yeah...I’m just taking other people’s word on it...why are you asking Cale?” You finished, twisting in his arms so that you could look at him properly. His head ducked to press against the crook of your neck and he hissed quietly as you drug your nails along his lower back. 
“Just curious…” Cale breathed. “Sara never let me...I mean I wanted to but...she told me she wasn’t interested.” For a moment you didn’t know what to say as that little piece of you celebrated the fact that it seemed there were a lot of things he didn’t do with his ex girlfriend. 
“Oh...I mean everyone has their own likes and dislikes…” You reminded him. “But generally equal reciprocation is definitely appreciated.” 
As the song ended, Gabe called Cale’s name to go take another shot and you pushed him to go murmuring that you were going to run to the bathroom. By the time you returned, you suspected it was definitely time to get Cale home, so you sidled up to his side, slipping your hand in his front pocket for his car keys. 
“I think it’s time we get you home and to bed rockstar.” You declared. Thankfully Cale didn’t put up much of a fight, closing his tab before letting you lead him out of the club. By the time you had parked in his garage, you could see how sleepy the alcohol was making him and you moved around to help him out of the car, his body nearly dragging yours down with its weight. 
Stumbling through the door, you urged him to start to bed while you got him more water and some pain killers. Gathering both, you moved to his room after checking to ensure the front door was locked. You found him sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed in only boxer briefs and though you tried not to stare, your body couldn’t help but notice that gone was the teenage boy you once knew and in his place was a man plain and simple. Setting the water and pills on his bedside table, you urged him to take his contacts out. 
Once you were certain he was fairly settled, you turned to make your way to the couch. Instead, Cale’s hands reached out to pull you back to him and as he scooted to the far side of the bed, he drug you down with him. 
“Cale…” You mumbled in complaint but his eyes were already closed and his breathing was starting to steady out, his hands keeping your body pressed tightly against his. Sighing, you managed to work yourself out of your jeans before giving in and settling in his arms. 
Between your conversation with Gravy, the looks Mel and Lauren were giving you, Cale’s inquiry, wandering hands, and this, so many lines had been blurred tonight that it was making you dizzy. 
For the second night in a row...your mind reeled as you fell into a fitful sleep. 
Blouse:
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196 notes · View notes
typical-simplelove · 4 years
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Part Three: Mooncakes (T. Jost)
Part Three to Red Envelopes, Dragon Boats, and Mooncakes; a Tyson Jost fic.
Series Masterlist (please read the note at the beginning of the Masterlist if you haven’t already, thanks!)
Pinterest Link
Summary: Kayla and Tyson spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with Kayla’s family.
Author’s Note: Here it is! The final! I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading this series thus far. Let me know if you want mini-blurbs? Again, I have somethings linked here and the Pinterest board is linked above for your help! Please, let me know what you thought and thank you for reading!
Word Count: 3.2k
Warnings: Once again, no climax. However, here are the warnings: mentions of death, being Chinese, Chinese holidays, eating meat, very, very, very small insinuation to sex. 
Before the Mid-Autumn Fesitval
After the amazing summer that Tyson and Kayla had, it was back to Colorado for the new hockey season. Lining up close to the hockey season was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival landed at the end of September and was the second most grand and important holiday in the Chinese Lunar calendar. Unlike the Dragon Boat Festival, Kayla is able to go and have a family dinner, and Tyson will be joining them too.
“Look! Look what I found at the Chinese market!” Kayla exclaims whilst walking through the door. 
“I’m not sure what it could be, babe.” Tyson responds genuinely confused.
“It’s mooncakes!! For the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up soon!” Kayla responds enthusiastically. 
“Yeah? That’s exciting!” Tyson says. Another holiday? Tyson thinks in his head. How many are there?
“It is, we are going to my parents house for dinner that night.”
“Should we bring anything?”
“Just these mooncakes and a book I have about the Festival for Elizabeth that Charlotte asked me to bring.”
Tyson nods as Kayla walks by him, gives him a kiss on the forehead, and heads into the kitchen.
I have to find that book Kayla is talking about, Tyson thinks to himself. 
Later that day when Kayla is taking a nap, Tyson was feverishly looking through the bookshelves in their shared apartment for what this book might be. The only problem is that Tyson has no idea what this book looks like or is about. Tyson has made it through the first shelf when he hears Kayla walking out of the bedroom when Tyson has to plant himself on the couch so he doesn’t look suspicious.
This is going to be a long process for Tyson to look for the book that Kayla was talking about.
… 
During a team hangout at the Landeskog household, Tyson was feverishly typing and screenshotting on his phone. The constant sighs of frustration that left Tyson signaled to his teammates that something was not going well.
“Tyson, buddy, you good?” JT asks.
“No,” Tyson replied tersely but not explaining what was happening.
“Are you looking for a book?” Andre questions amusingly after looking over Tyson’s shoulder.
“Maybe,” Tyson replies, once again, not choosing to explain.
“Tyson, care to share what’s bothering you?” Gabe asks knowing that Tyson can’t say no to the captain.
“It’s the Mid-Autumn festival coming up and Kayla is supposed to bring a book for her niece to her parents house when we go over to celebrate. I feel bad because I don’t know much about the holidays that she celebrates so I want to find this book and read it so I know what the holiday is all about.” Tyson explains.
“So, what’s the problem?” Gabe says confused.
“I don’t know what the book looks like or what the title is. I’m going in blind here.” 
“Why don’t you ask?”
“I don’t want Kayla having to explain everything to me. I should know things about her life, culture, and traditions.”
“I understand, but, this is her expertise, right? If you ask her, then you won’t be this frustrated.” Gabe tells Tyson as a voice of reason. 
“I guess you’re right,” Tyson admits.
… 
When Kayla came home from work that day, she was greeted with Tyson scanning the bookshelves in a very frustrated manner. 
“Hey, Tys, babe?” Kayla asks cautiously. “What are you looking for?”
“That book,” Tyson replies tersely.
“What book are you talking about?”
“The one that you said that you are going to bring to read to your niece. I want to read it, too, so that I know what the holiday is about.”
“You could have just asked me. It’s also not quite about the holiday but a story.”
Tyson doesn’t respond. He is still fiercely staring at the bookshelf. Kayla walks over to him and wraps her arms around him. When Kayla does this, she feels Tyson relax in her embrace. 
“Why don’t I tell you the story behind the Mid-Autumn Festival?” Kayla suggests.
“Why can’t I just read the book?” 
“Because it’s written in Chinese.”
“Oh,” Tyson replies with defeat. 
“How about I make some tea and we can sit on the couch and I’ll tell the story?”
Tyson nods. He wanted to surprise Kayla with the knowledge. However, he loved when Kayla took care of him and spoke to him. There was something about her voice that relaxed Tyson.
“Ok, the tea is ready. I thought, why not make Chinese tea and we can have a mooncake while we sit.”
“Oolong tea? From Chinese New Year?” Tyson asks eagerly not wanting to admit that he liked drinking that tea.
“No, not that tea. A different tea. It’s still a Chinese tea but I don’t know what it’s called. I only look for the packaging in the store to be the same as the tea we had growing up.” Kayla tells Tyson.
“So, you mean to tell me that you are giving me a tea that you don’t know what it's called or even what the ingredients are?”
“Maybe,” Kayla replies without meeting Tyson’s eye. “For what it’s worth, my mum doesn’t know what it’s called either and my grandmother only knows it in Chinese and the translation is something like beet root or licorice root. I can’t remember which one.”
“Just tell me the story, babe,” Tyson says with a chuckle trying to change the topic knowing Kayla was getting uncomfortable. 
“The story is about a young, beautiful Chinese woman named Chang’e.” Kayla begins before Tyson interrupts her.
“Not as beautiful as you, though, Kayla.” Tyson says.
“Tyson, I’m trying to tell a story, here!” Kayla scoffs.
“Sorry, sorry, continue the story,” Tyson apologizes.
“Thank you. At the age of 18, Chang’e met Huo Yi, an archer. The pair became friends and later fell in love and got married. One day, instead of one sun rising from the sky, ten suns rose into the sky. The suns in the sky made it difficult for people to live and the heat was destroying the crops and resulting in widespread famine. Huo Yi, being the archer he was, shot nine of the suns out of the sky. To thank Huo Yi for his deeds, the goddess Xi Wang Mu gave Huo Yi an elixir of immortality. Huo Yi was conflicted on whether or not to take the elixir. Huo Yi only received one elixir which meant that his wife, Chang’e, wouldn’t be immortal, too. His decision was to hide the elixir, not take it, and not to tell Chang’e. Despite Huo Yi not telling her about the elixir, Chang’e knew about the elixir. One day, word reached Chang’e that an enemy of Huo Yi was going to steal the elixir and kill her husband. In order to save her husband, Chang’e took the elixir. When she drank the elixir, Chang’e did become immortal. However, because the elixir was not made for Chang’e, she floated up to the moon to where she precedes till this day. On the moon, Chang’e watched her husband grow old and die. To this day, Chang’e is still on the moon dreaming about when Huo Yi may join her again.”
Tyson doesn’t say anything for a few moments.
“Some other stories say that Chang’e took the elixir out of greed and floated to the moon to hide. Other stories say the Chang’e took the elixir and turned into an ugly toad. I prefer the version I told.” Kayla tells Tyson.
“Of course you prefer that version, my hopeless romantic girlfriend,” Tyson jokes. “What did Chang’e look like?”
“She was a very beautiful woman. She had long, silky black hair that shone in the moonlight. She had pale skin and lips the color of cherry blossoms. Chang’e was known throughout China for her beauty. Did you like the story?”
“Yeah! It was great! Do you have any other stories that you can share?”
“There are a few but not any for the Mid-Autumn Festival. How about, the next time these holidays roll around, I’ll tell the stories that come with them?”
“I’d like that a lot. And, one day, you can tell them to our children and grandchildren.”
“Slow down there, Tyson. If you want to put a baby in me, then you’re going to have to put a ring on my finger!” Kayla says.
“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, Kayla,” Tyson says. Kayla doesn’t respond except for getting up, clearing the dishes, and giggling as she leaves the living room. “Kayla, that’s not an answer!”
Kayla only continues to giggle. “Kayla, I need an answer!”
“I’ll give you an answer. I love you as much as Chang’e loved, actually loves, Huo Yi.”
“That’s a great answer. Well, I love you as much as Huo Yi loved Chang’e.”
中秋節 (zhong qiu jie) - Mid Autumn Festival - September 21, 2021
“What normally happens when your family comes together for this holiday?” Tyson asks Kayla on the car ride to her parent’s house.
“Normally, we eat dinner and then go outside to drink tea, watch the moon, and eat moon cakes.”
“Is that all?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Nothing, I mean, I remember reading that this was the second most grand holiday. I just thought you guys did a lot of stuff for this holiday.”
“Yeah, no. We used to make mooncakes with my grandmother but we stopped when she got arthritis. She never officially taught anyone else to make them so we don’t and can’t. No one wanted to disappoint her so we just buy them now.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring back any bad memories.”
“Tys, it’s ok! Don’t worry. No bad memories. My mum always told her to teach Charlotte or me but my grandmother always said no. I think she wants the mooncakes to be something to bring us all together when she dies.”
“That’s kind of gory,” Tyson says with a shudder.
“I guess. I mean, we only get together for this holiday and the Dragon Boat festival because my grandmother wants us to. It’s hard. Everyone has jobs and lives that are hard to put on pause. I know my grandmother understands that. I think she wants to give us a reason to come together other than on Chinese New Year. If we have to come together to remember her by trying to recreate her mooncakes, then that will be it. I mean, the only reason we do a dinner or celebration on the Dragon Boat Festival is because of my grandfather.”
“What do you mean?” Tyson asks.
“What holidays people celebrate are different depending on where in China you come from. My grandfather and grandmother are from different parts of China. My grandfather grew up in a village in mainland China. In his village, the Dragon Boat Festival and Chinese New Year were the two biggest holidays. The rest kind of faded into the back. He grew up learning how to make sticky rice, which we made with your family. When he and my grandmother got married, the sticky rice was what he passed on to my mother and aunties. When they had kids, me and my sister and cousins, that is what he passed on to us. I use his recipe and techniques he taught us. My grandmother grew up in Taiwan and Hong Kong which emphasize more on Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. She grew up learning how to make dumplings and mooncakes. She passed on the dumplings but has yet to pass on the mooncakes.”
Kayla pauses allowing for Tyson to soak in all of the information she just spit out. 
“Continue, Kayla.”
“The difference between my grandmother and grandfather is that my grandfather wanted to tell us everything. He told us the same stories over and over again. Every year we gathered to make the sticky rice, he would tell the same stories and tell us the techniques over and over again. My grandmother kind of does that. She did that with the dumplings but refuses to teach us anything about the mooncakes. My grandfather wanted us to have all of the information so we didn’t have to guess when he died. I think my grandmother wants us to have to guess so that we can remember her longer.” Kayla finishes her sentence with a short sniffle. Tyson reaches over and strokes her thigh. 
“Whatever the reasons, I can tell you are doing your best to keep up the traditions and that’s what is the most important thing.”
“Yeah, thanks Tys.”
“Of course, my Chang’e.”
This gets a laugh out of Kayla. “Really, Tyson?”
“It made you laugh! That’s what I was trying to do!”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, Chang’e”
“Really?”
“It’s not going away, ever!”
. . .
“Tonight we are feasting like Huo Yi and Chang’e!” Charlotte exclaims from the kitchen. “We have hairy crabs, rice, tofu, cha siu (barbeque pork), and Peking duck.”
“I know they aren’t talking about you as Chang’e” Tyson whispers to Kayla. This gets an elbow in the ribs from Kayla. 
“Uncle Tyson, do you know the story of Chang’e?” Elizabeth asks Tyson. This warms Kayla.
“I know it vaguely. Your Aunt Kayla told me a version of the story.” Tyson answers.
“Yee Yee, what version did you tell Uncle Tyson?” Elizabeth asks Kayla. [Yee Yee is aunt]
“The version where Chang’e fell in love with Huo Yi and Chang’e took the elixir to save Chang’e from death.” Kayla answers her niece.
“Boooo! That version sucks!”
“Elizabeth!” Charlotte scolds her daughter but gets a laugh out of everyone.
“Why don’t you tell me your version of the story then?” Tyson proposes. 
“Ok! So, the basic part is all the same. Chang’e was a beautiful woman who fell in love with a really good archer named Huo Yi. When ten suns rose into the sky, Huo Yi used his arrow to shoot down nine of them. To thank him, Huo Yi received an immortality potion. Huo Yi decided not to use it so that he could be with his wife, Chang’e. He didn’t tell her he received it. However, Chang’e knew. Chang’e decided to take the potion herself and was turned into an ugly frog because of her selfishness never to be loved again. The end.”
“That’s a good version, Lizzie. But, I think Aunt Kayla’s version is better.” Tyson says.
“If you say so,” Elizabeth says unsure.
“Why don’t we eat and Po Po can tell her version of the story that she learned?” Kayla’s grandmother said.
Everyone agreed and once everyone had food on their plates and began taking their first few bites, Kayla’s grandmother began her version of the story.
“Chang’e was a poor girl working on her family’s farm. Despite being poor, Chang’e was one of the most beautiful women in the Kingdom. Everyone pitied her. They believed that if she had more money, she could marry a prince or emperor. One day, Chang’e’s life changed forever. She met Huo Yi, who proposed to her. Knowing that this was her chance to leave the poor life she only knew, she decided to accept Huo Yi’s marriage proposal. The event that changed the entire kingdom forever was when ten suns rose into the sky one morning instead of one sun. The immense heat killed many crops and famine spread. Deciding he had enough, Huo Yi used his archery skill and shot down nine of the suns. To thank him for his deeds, Huo Yi received a vial of immortality potion. Huo Yi opted not to use it so that he could be with his wife who wouldn’t be able to be immortal. Chang’e found out about the potion and decided to use it for herself. Chang’e was a greedy woman who always wanted more. When she took the potion, Chang’e floated up the moon and lost her beauty. The potion was not made for her and this is her consequence for taking it and being greedy. To this day, Chang’e sits on the moon reflecting on her mistakes.”
“So, Uncle Tyson, what version was your favorite?” Elizabeth asked, stirring the pot.
“All three of you have told very good stories. However, I have to say Kayla’s was best. I like the romantic ending to the story.”
Kayla smiled up at Tyson. Tyson and Kayla both missed the looks that the rest of the adults at the table gave each other.
“Yucky, ew, gross, stop being all lovey dovey.” Elizabeth shrieks.
This gets a laugh out of everyone.
When the meal was finished, everyone put on their jackets and moved outside. It was time for the final activity of the night and dessert -- mooncakes!
“As we sit outside, we will drink tea and eat mooncakes. We have four kinds of mooncakes, taro, red bean, egg yolk, and custard.” Judy explained. 
“Which is your favorite, Kayla?” Tyson asks.
“My favorites are the taro and egg yolk. The custard is always very flaky and results in a tickle in my throat.” Kayla responds. 
“What do you suggest I try first?” 
“Why don’t we share? Cut them in half so that you can try all four?”
“That’s a good idea. Also, is this the tea from the other day or is it Oolong tea?” Tyson asks.
“Nope, this is a red tea. I’m not sure what it’s called but it is made from red tea leaves.”
“This tea is my favorite,” Kayla’s grandmother responds. “It’s not too sweet so it balances out with the sweetness of the mooncakes.”
“And now, we eat and drink and look at the moon.” Charlotte says.
Everyone looks up at the sky. The full moon was shining that night. There was no need for the back porch light to be on; the moonlight illuminated the table and everyone sitting there. Tyson looked over at Kayla and couldn’t help but smile.
“You know, with the moon shining on you, this is how I imagine Chang’e looking like. Her dark black hair shining in the moonlight and illuminating her cheek bones.”
“Yeah?” Kayla responds with a blush forming on her cheeks. Tyson just nods but the redness from his cheeks is evident. 
“Wai Po Po, can you tell me what Wai Gong Gong always used to say about the moon?” Elizabeth says.
Kayla whispers into Tyson’s ear that Wai Gong Gong is Elizabeth’s great-grandfather or Kayla’s grandfather. Elizabeth is too young to have a tangible memory of what Gong Gong used to say. She wasn’t born yet. However, the amount of times that Kayla’s mother, grandmother, Charlotte, or Kayla have told her, it makes it seem like Gong Gong was alive in the past five or six years.
“He used to say that how much light the moon shines on the Mid-Autumn festival represents how much Chang’e’s love for Huo Yi overpowers her longing for him. Like your Aunt Kayla, Wai Gong Gong loved the romantic version of the story of Chang’e.” Kayla’s grandmother says.
“This means that she doesn’t miss Huo Yi that much tonight, right? She loves him so much that missing him is not a feeling.” Elizabeth replies enthusiastically.
“Yes, yes, that is right.” Kayla’s grandmother agrees. 
The rest of the evening passed with drinking more tea and finishing the mooncakes. 
During the past year of celebrating the Chinese holidays with Tyson, Kayla couldn’t help but wonder, can this be tradition? Can Kayla and Tyson be celebrating and honoring these traditions one day as a married couple, one day as parents, and hopefully, one day as grandparents? 
Just one look at Tyson proved to Kayla that there are many years to come with traditions and holidays celebrating their first shared red envelopes, dragon boats, and mooncakes. 
end
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summertime mindset - pt. 6
stargazing & sexile
masterlist for summertime mindset
Timing is hard to get right and summer doesn’t last forever. You and Tyson learn the hard way.
word count: 1.9k
note from the writer: enjoy darlings this is really soft and lowkey a filler.
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SUMMERTIME
You loved your family, you really, truly, did. But you were also twenty and being trapped under the same roof as them when you were used to having the freedom of your dorm and friends’ apartments while at college made everything feel a bit too suffocating.
It was late at night, and you were lamenting this to Tyson while you were curled up in bed and he was at his own house. You were about ready to give up and try to go to sleep, but then Tyson sent you a text and told you to meet him out front.
You tugged on a sweatshirt and exchanged your sleep shorts for leggings, slipping into your shoes before sneaking down and out of the house. Tyson was already waiting for you at the end of the driveway in his car, and he waved you over with his trademark grin.
“Where are we going?” You asked, though not knowing wasn’t stopping you from opening the passenger door and sliding inside. Tyson met you halfway over the center console for a kiss before he let you buckle up and he shifted the car into gear.
“It’s a surprise.” You chuckled at him, shaking your head in mirth. Turning in your seat, you admired how he looked in the low light.
“You expect me to just get in a car with you without knowing where you’re taking me? At eleven at night?” You teased, and it was his turn to shake his head.
“We’re going for a drive, you said you had to get out of the house.” Tyson explained. Your heart soared at the gesture, and if you weren’t constricted by the seat belt and conscious of Tyson’s less than perfect driving skills you would have leaned over and given him a kiss. Instead, you pecked his shoulder before unplugging his phone from the aux and playing your music. It was a rule between the two of you, passenger picks music. Still, he playfully scoffed as he watched you.
“Oh please, you kidnap me, I get to choose the music.” You huffed with a smile. Tyson chuckled, reaching over to thread his fingers with yours and set your conjoined hands on your thigh. You tugged, bringing his hand to your lips so you could kiss the back of his before leaning back into your seat.
This was undoubtedly one of your favorite moments of the summer so far. The windows were cracked and though it was night, the air that was blowing into the car was nice and cooled your skin that had been warmed from being in the sun all day. Your music was quietly playing and perfectly suited for the atmosphere of a late-night drive with Tyson.
He was your favorite part of the whole scenario, no contest. He was singing under his breath as he drove through the streets, occasionally stealing glances at you with a softness in his eyes that had you melting even more so into your seat. You were so distracted by him that you didn’t even realize he had driven to an open field until the car was in park.
When you shot him a confused look, he simply shrugged his shoulders and squeezed your hand before climbing out of the car. You followed his actions, your confusion only growing when he opened the back of the car and pulled out a picnic blanket and what looked suspiciously like the comforter off of his bed. It was only once he laid the picnic blanket down and laid down that you realized that he was taking you stargazing.
As soon as you laid down beside him he started to pull the comforter over both of your legs, only pausing to focus on the sweet kiss you gave him. You both pulled away grinning like fools, and there was a fondness in his eyes that you had never seen before that had you leaning in for another peck.
“Surprise.” He teased, laying back and folding one hand behind his head and the other moving around you to pull you into his side. You chuckled, snuggling into his side as your gaze studied the stars above you.
The view in the sky was beautiful, but the man lying beside you, running his fingers up and down your arm absentmindedly, was stunning.
PRESENT
You should have expected it, really, when your roommate texted you and said not to come back to the apartment for a while since she was having some guy over. The text had come in the middle of you getting dinner with some coworkers, so you were doing the most to stall going back.
Which was how you found yourself sitting in your car in your building’s parking garage, Tyson’s contact pulled up and the number about to be dialed.
You had tried to get a hold of Jon, you had made up since he stormed out of your apartment, but he wasn’t answering, and you really just needed to see if someone was willing to hangout. When you finally dialed Tyson’s number, it didn’t take long for him to pick up.
“Hey, what’s up?” His voice was cheerful, and you could hear people in the background of his line, but they were growing fainter, so you assumed that he was going somewhere quieter.
“Nothing really, I was just calling you to see if you were busy.” From the noises on the other end of the line, you knew he was doing something, but that didn’t stop you from being hopeful. “I’m sexiled from my apartment for the foreseeable future.”
“I mean, I’m just having dinner at Gabe’s and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you came over.” You bit your lip at the offer, but as much as you wanted to take him up on it, it wasn’t his place to invite you over. You had met the captain and his wife a few times, and you really liked them, but you were in no way close enough to just show up at their house and crash a dinner party.
“I don’t want to intrude.” You replied, shaking your head despite the fact that he couldn’t see you. There was some shuffling on his end of the line, and you heard the people talking in the background get louder. Someone, JT, you think, asked who Tyson was on the phone with and he responded with your name.
“Landy come tell her she wouldn’t be intruding if she came over!” He yelled into the line, loud enough to have you pulling your phone from your ear. There was some more shuffling, and it sounded like a wrestling match for Tyson’s phone. Your suspicions were proven correct when the voice that spoke next decidedly did not belong to your brunette friend.
“I promise you’re invited.” Gabe told you, and you could just picture the shit eating grin he was most likely wearing as you heard Tyson complain about wanting his phone back. “You’re more welcome than Josty, if I’m being honest.” You chuckled at this, especially since you could hear Tyson let out an offended ‘Hey!’ from wherever he was on the other end of the line. You let out a defeated sigh, putting your key in the engine and twisting to turn your car on.
“What’s the address?”
Twenty minutes later you found yourself in an expensive neighborhood you would typically have no business being in. You were in awe of the large houses, probably as a result of the one too many HGTV shows you’ve watched. You texted Tyson that you had arrived and by the time you were walking up the driveway the front door opened, and he greeted you with a beaming smile and a wave.
You were swept into his arms the moment you were close enough, the familiar feeling enough to make you forget about your stressful day and how you really needed to look into finding a new apartment. Inside the house, you were met with the usual suspects: EJ, JT, Sam, Nate, Cale, Andre, and Mikko, plus any accompanying significant others. And, of course, the hosts, little baby Linnea catching your eye from the moment you entered the living room where everyone had gathered.
“Why are you dressed so fancy?” Sam teased as soon as you entered the room. You rolled your eyes, making your way to Mel, who was already asking if you wanted to hold her daughter.
“This isn’t fancy, they’re my work clothes.” You reasoned, gesturing towards your simple slacks and blouse. To be fair, it was more dressed up than the jeans and t-shirts he was used to seeing you in. “I had a late meeting, and then I grabbed dinner with some coworkers.”
“Tyson told us you got sexiled.” EJ grinned, and you hushed him, covering Linnea’s ears with your free hand as you kept her curled into you with the other. “What? She won’t remember this!”
“Yeah, but Cale will.” You chirped, sinking into the couch next to Tyson. His arm was resting on the back of the couch behind you but dropped around your shoulders as soon as you settled. The guys all laughed as you teased the rookie for his innocence, and Cale took the chirp in stride.
“I know that’s my baby, but you guys look like the cutest little family. You guys are so good together.” Mel commented and you felt your blood run cold. Part of you hoped she was talking about Andre and Mikko, who were sharing a loveseat on the opposite side of the room, but you knew your luck wasn’t that good.
“I, uh, have a boyfriend, actually. That’s not Tyson.” You coughed out after a moment of silence. Mel started sputtering out apologies, and the boys broke out in loud and obnoxious laughter. Beside you, Tyson chuckled, his heart clearly not in it but you elected to ignore it. That was a bit too much for you to unpack at the moment, especially in a room full of people.
“Gabe didn’t tell me.” Mel swatted her husband’s shoulder as she spoke, who in return raised his hands as proclaiming his innocence. You waved her off as best you could while still bouncing Linnea in your arms, but she shot you one last sorrowful look before thankfully Nate piped up with a story about something embarrassing that happened at practice that drew everyone’s attention off of you.
“Sorry if they made you uncomfortable.” Tyson whispered so only you could hear. You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, spotting an unreadable look on his face. You smiled at him, a little too forced for reasons you couldn’t quite place, before turning back to the blue-eyed baby blinking up at you from your arms.
“Don’t worry about it. We always were told we made a cute couple, even back then.” You told him without really thinking. You tensed after you spoke, you never really talked about your past relationship and you weren’t sure what had coerced you into doing so just then. Tyson didn’t respond at first, and you risked a glance at him to see he was smiling faintly, that still unreadable look in his eyes that you couldn’t place. He leaned back into his seat, arm tightening over your shoulders just a tad bit more.
“Yeah, we got that a lot, didn’t we?”
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spine-buster · 4 years
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m a d e  o f  o u t e r  s p a c e | elias pettersson
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Summary: Brock Boeser invites Elias Pettersson and his childhood best friend, Svea Nilsson, to his place on Prior Lake for the weekend.  Petey is feeling some feelings.  So is Svea.  And in a big group of twenty-somethings at a cottage on a summer weekend, what could go wrong?
Word Count: 14.8k
A/N: Some tropes here, definitely some character archetypes, but an overall good time that includes Incredibly Soft Bitch Hours™ because I’m an Incredibly Soft Bitch™ for Elias Pettersson. 
Svea Nilsson decided to go to university in Vancouver and Elias Pettersson decided to follow her.  Not the other way around.
Svea and Elias had been best friends since childhood – when Elias saw her faceplant on the ice at the local rink and he helped her up.  Simple as that.  They had the exact same temperament, and everyone would comment about it.  Their parents, their teachers, their mutual friends, their classmates – everybody would always say something: how so very quiet they were; how shy they were; how so very nice they were; how calm they were; how focused they were; how mature they were; how so very humble they were; how dry their sense of humour was; how they would open up when they got to know you.  The only difference between them was hockey.  When Elias began to take hockey more seriously, and play hockey more seriously, it didn’t change things.  Svea only took hockey seriously because Elias did.  She went to his games.  She would watch him.  She’d offer words of encouragement.  But she was the academic.  She was the one with her nose in a book in the stands in-between periods.  She was the one who got straight A’s and helped Elias with his abysmal English grades and had all the teachers loving her because she was so academic, so driven.  
So when Svea chose to go to Vancouver for university, where her mom was from, instead of Stockholm, where all her other friends were dying to go to get out of Ånge, everybody was shocked.  Except for Elias.  He was the first person she told, and the first person who told her to go for it.  She admitted she was a bit nervous to apply, and even more nervous about getting in.  It would mean she would have to leave him in Sweden.  But Elias wasn’t scared about any of that; he wasn’t scared of much, really.  “I’m going to follow you, anyway,” he’d said to her.  “When I play in the NHL.”
And then she got in.  And she had to leave Elias in Sweden.  
But that’s when happens when your mom is Canadian and she moved half around the world for your dad – you choose to rediscover your roots and see and live in the city your mom once called home.  You choose to move half-way across the world despite the fear and despite the fact that you’d leave your best friend behind, relying on May to August to spend as much time as possible with him.  Even though Svea was closer to Elias than she was to anyone else in the world, including her sister; and even though, like Catherine Earnshaw said in Wuthering Heights, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same”, she was leaving him.  
It was the hardest year of Svea’s life, when she was in Vancouver her first year and he stayed in Sweden to play with Vaxjo.  They would call and text each other constantly, with FaceTimes and Skype dates written into their schedules as easily and frequently as grocery shopping.  That spring, after finishing her exams on April 21st, she returned to Sweden on April 22nd, making it just in time to watch Elias score the game winning goal and the rest of the Vaxjo Lakers win the Swedish championships.  She was so happy for him she cried.  And when she surprised him on the ice – before all the gold paint, before all the champagne – he cried too.  He hugged her for so long she thought he wouldn’t let go.  And truthfully, she didn’t want him to.  
When he signed his contract with Vancouver and moved to the city, he asked – practically demanded – that she live with him.  She agreed because she didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to live rent free with her best friend in a beautiful condo that was bigger than the house in Ånge she grew up in.  She practically had her own wing, with a giant bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows, her own bathroom, and Elias even let her have the den for all her studying.  They’d cook together, go out for sushi and waffles together, and Svea would even go to some games if she wasn’t busy studying.  When she was busy studying, Elias would leave her alone, which was what she loved most.  He understood her.  He never pressured her about anything.  But when she did go out with him – to games or afterwards – he’d made sure she made friends with the team.  So it became not just Elias – it became Brock, and Jake, and Marky, and Bo and Holly too, sometimes even Loui and Adam and JT.  
But in the end, it was Elias.  It was always Elias.  
It was Elias leaving with her when she wanted to leave early from Canucks events she’d inevitably be at or just regular nights out with the guys.  It was Elias calling cabs to take them home.  It was Elias making sure she got tucked into bed safely, leaving an Advil and a glass of water on her bedside table.  It was Elias making breakfast in the morning to cure any hangovers she got.  It was Elias bringing her snacks or making sure she got a good night’s sleep before midterms or exams.  It was Elias hugging her and telling her everything would be okay when she got stressed about a bad mark or an awful professor.  It was Elias who would help celebrate her highs, and would be there for her lows.  
It was always Elias.
>< >< >< >< ><
Friday
When Elias and Svea walked through the arrivals section of Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, Brock Boeser was already waiting for them, holding a homemade sign that he had definitely scribbled in the car before getting there.  They immediately walked over to him, giant smiles on their faces.  He gave them big bear hugs – Brock always gave the best hugs, Svea thought, besides Elias – and grabbed Svea’s bag for her.  
“It’s only about a half our drive out to Prior Lake,” he said as they walked out into the parking garage.  “Did they feed you on the plane?  You guys want to grab something to eat now?”
“We can just wait and eat something at the house,” Svea said.
“All my friends are at my place already.  I told them to get lunch ready so hopefully they listened.”
“And if they didn’t we’re out of luck huh?” Elias joked as he settled into the passenger’s seat.  Svea slipped into the back.
Svea had never been to Minnesota before – she hadn’t been anywhere in the States besides the Pacific Northwest – but she enjoyed the drive out to the lake as much as she could.  When they finally arrived at the house, Svea admired the beautiful architectural design and big tree in the front.  She knew the house backed onto the lake, so it would be nice to see what the backyard looked like if the front was this beautiful.  
When Brock opened the front door, there was already music playing and a lot of commotion in the kitchen.  Svea, on instinct, instantly became a bit nervous at all the voices she heard.  She looked over at Elias quickly.  “We’re back!” Brock yelled out over the music.  Suddenly, a rush of people came from the kitchen.  Svea was sure she was clutching onto her luggage so tightly her knuckles were white.  “Did you guys make lunch?” Brock asked.
“Parker’s just finishing up,” a beautiful redhead said as she approached them.  Svea could see the pattern of her bikini through her tank top.  The girl stared directly at Elias, not giving her so much as a glance.  “Is this Elias?”
“Okay, everybody!” Brock called out.  “These are my friends Elias and Svea!”  She and Elias smiled politely at everyone, and Elias even gave a dumb wave.  “Petey, Svea…okay, we’ve got Kyla, Hallie, Marcus, McKenna, Brayden, Tanner, Brett, Parker’s outside on the barbecue I guess…and of course, you know—”
“Meeeeeee!” Brock’s girlfriend, Grace Gillespie screamed as she rounded the corner with her arms wide open for hugs, shoving past the crowd to get to her friends.  After having not seen them for a couple of weeks, she was happy to be hosting them in Minnesota.  “How was your flight?  Everything go well?”
Svea gave her a warm hug.  She was so glad to see a friendly face in Grace.  Despite their personality differences Svea loved her and always had a good time with her.  They were fairly close, especially while in Vancouver together trying to navigate the lives of Brock and Elias.  “Everything was nice,” Svea nodded her head as Grace hugged Elias but kept her attention on Svea.  “I’ve never been to Minnesota before.  The drive out here was nice, too.”
“Okay, good,” she said, turning her attention back to Brock.  “Babe, can you make sure Parker’s not burning his face off on the barbecue?  I can show Elias and Svea their room.”
Brock ran out to the back while the group dispersed, Kyla and Hallie’s eyes watching them.  Svea tried not to look, but she couldn’t help it as they made their way through the house, following Grace.  When their eyes met, it was like Kyla and Hallie were hawks and Svea was the prey.  Or was it Elias?  Either way, she didn’t know, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to find out.  And when she looked at Elias again, he didn’t even seem to notice – either that, or he did and just didn’t care.  As a young, star hockey player in Vancouver, he was used to people staring at him by now.  There were even times where they’d be out for dinner together and people would approach their table asking for autographs or photos.  Svea knew Elias wasn’t any more comfortable with it, despite it happening so often now – he was still very much uncomfortable with it – but he was learning to take it all in stride.  Her, not so much.  She didn’t know if she could ever get used to people wanting pictures and an autograph of her best friend.  Because that’s what he still was to her, despite all his success and fame – her best friend.  
Grace led them down into the basement of the house.  Thankfully, it got quieter and Svea was actually able to hear her thoughts over the voices and the music.  “Okay, so there’s five bedrooms upstairs and most of us are staying up there, but Brock and I know you guys, and how you like your own space and aren’t loud like the rest of them are, so we put you down here for your benefit,” Grace explained.  “You’ve got the double bed and your own bathroom down here.  And nobody can disturb you, so if you want to, like, take a breather, you can,” she continued, looking directly at Svea as she said the words.  Svea thanked her lucky stars for Grace.  When Grace opened the door, they were met with a plain but cozy bedroom.  Because the basement was technically a walkout, one wall had a massive window, looking out on to the lake.  There was another door that led to said washroom.
“This is so cozy,” Svea heard Elias say as he walked further into the bedroom.  “Tell Brock I want him to bring me breakfast in bed down here tomorrow morning.”
Everybody couldn’t help but laugh.  Svea couldn’t help but admire Elias’s smile.  “Okay, well, I’ll let you two unpack and get settled,” Grace said.  “Lunch should be ready in about fifteen minutes.  And if I were you, I’d put on your bathing suits now because Brock’s gonna drag us all into the lake afterwards.”
She left without saying another word, leaving Svea and Elias looking at each other as they stood alone in the room.  “I think I might have a headache by the end of the weekend,” Elias said.
Svea couldn’t help but snort.  “I think we both will.”
“At least Grace will tell people to be quiet.  Brock will only get louder,” he said as he lifted his suitcase and put it on top of the bed.  Svea followed, lifting her own onto the opposite side of the bed.  “You want to change and go back upstairs with everyone?  I can unpack everything,” Elias offered.
“I’m not going if you’re not going,” she shook her head.  It was the theme of their life together, really.
Elias smiled.  “Suit yourself.”
They unpacked in relative silence, slipping past each other every so often and in and out of the washroom to put away their toiletries.  Eventually Svea escaped inside the washroom to put her bathing suit on under her clothes.  Elias changed while she did.  When she emerged, she found him wearing an obnoxious pair of Hawaiian print swim trunks.  “Did Brock buy you those?”
“He did,” Elias nodded, his smile telling her he knew they were ridiculous but there was no way he couldn’t wear them.  He looked at her, standing near the doorway of the washroom, her hands adjusting the dress she’d changed into.  “Are you nervous, Svea?” he asked suddenly.  She couldn’t help but nod her head.  “I won’t leave your side, okay?”
“Don’t worry about me, Elias.”
“That’s impossible,” he chuckled slightly, approaching her.  “I worry about you constantly.”
That made Svea furrow her brows.  Why would he worry about her?  She didn’t think she ever gave him anything to worry about.  She knew she was really reserved in big groups of people, preferring to just watch and listen rather than act and talk, but so was he.  “Why do you wor—”
“Petey?  Svea?  Lunch is ready!” Grace called down the stairs, interrupting their conversation.  
This would clearly have to be discussed later.  
Elias led them back upstairs, and they looked at the back deck to see everyone congregating near the giant table as they last of the food was being put on plates by Parker.  Grace grabbed Svea’s hand and led her around the table to sit next to her; Elias made sure to follow so he wasn’t stuck with any of the loud and boisterous others.  Brock settled in across from him, which meant the redhead, Kyla, slid in beside him, getting a bit too close for his liking.  She looked at him and smiled and he gave a tight-lipped grin back, trying to be polite, but also trying to tell her he needed more room for his elbows.  He knew he wasn’t a big guy but he could barely get his hands onto the table – he’d look like a t-rex eating at this rate.
“Brock says we can call you Petey – is that okay?” Kyla asked, cocking her head to the side as she touched Elias’s forearm briefly.
“That’s fine,” he nodded quickly.
“How do you pronounce your name in Swedish, anyway?  Cause I definitely want to learn how,” she continued.  
“Wait!  Let me do it!” Brock yelled, interrupting whatever moment Kyla was trying to create.  Brock took one last look at Svea and Elias before taking a dramatic pause and saying it.  “El-ee-as Pet-ter-shon.”
Svea and Elias began to clap, and Brock bowed in his seat.  Elias’s smile was wide at Brock’s pronunciation.  “Good job.  Now we can move on to our ABCs.”
After lunch, Brock took Elias, Svea, Grace, Kyla, and Parker out on the boat.  They zigzagged around the lake, the hot sun beaming down on them as Brock eventually stopped in the middle of the lake so they could swim and sunbathe for a bit.  He cracked open a couple of beers and stripped down to his swim trunks.  Kyla stood up in front of Elias and took her shirt off practically right in front of him, exposing her bikini.  Svea couldn’t help but watch, wondering if Elias noticed how well Kyla filled it out.  Svea never filled anything out.  Whereas Kyla had a beautifully athletic body, Svea had nothing of the sort.  She wondered if Elias noticed the difference between them.  He’d known Svea practically his whole life, but Kyla would be a shiny new toy.  Kyla seemed pretty dead set on getting his attention at lunch, and she was clearly taking the next step.  Even when she jumped into the lake from the boat and came back on, soaking wet and body now practically glistening in the sunlight, she made sure to dry herself in front of Elias too, perching her leg on the edge of the boat to show off her long legs.  
When they got back to the cottage after a few hours of being out on the lake, homemade pizzas were waiting to be devoured as dinner.  And when dinner was over, Grace suggested an innocent movie night before the rowdiness of tomorrow, so everybody changed into their pajamas, poured bowls of popcorn and chips and Skittles, and sprawled out over the couches.  Svea had a bowl of chips in her hands as she watched Kyla settle in next to Elias on the couch, almost instantly beginning to chat him up about the movie.  Elias smiled and nodded but was soon looking around the room.  When his eyes found her, he got up from the couch.  Kyla was mid-sentence.  
“You coming to sit?” he asked, grabbing the chip bowl and leading her to the armchair.  He sat down first, scooting over to the edge until Svea sat beside him.  Brock threw a blanket at her and she unfolded it right before Elias grabbed her legs and swung them over his lap.  She laid the blanket on top of them.  
Kyla was glaring at her.  Nobody else seemed to notice, but Svea felt Kyla’s eyes burning a hole into her.  Svea tried as much as possible to ignore it, but she could still feel it.  
“Comfortable?” Elias asked.
Svea nodded her head.  “I think you were meant to sit beside someone else,” she quipped, quickly and in Swedish so no-one else would understand.  
Elias followed Svea’s line of site and saw Kyla staring, but the second she saw Elias staring too, she looked away, her face softening from its previous glare.  Elias chuckled slightly.  “Her forwardness scares me.”
“She’s flirting with you, you know.  She’s got the hots for you.”
“I don’t care.”
She felt his hand rest in-between her legs, just above her knee, still shielded under the blanket.  When she settled into his chest, and the movie started, she felt his thumb rub circles along her skin.  It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary – he did this all the time – but in a room full of people, and one girl in particular who seemed to want to get him into bed with her, it was a bold move.
Svea sighed.  This was going to be an interesting weekend.
>< >< >< >< ><
Saturday
Svea barely remembered falling asleep during the movie, and she barely remembered being led downstairs to their room by Elias who proceeded to tuck her into bed and cuddle against her in bed, pulling her back against his chest as he wrapped an arm around her.  When she awoke the next morning on her back, Elias’s one arm was still draped over her while the other was underneath the pillows.  His blonde hair – usually combed back into his signature slick look – was everywhere, sticking up in every direction because of the pillow.  His face looked so peaceful as he slept, the softest of snores escaping him.  
Svea and Elias did this a lot: cuddle on a couch and be a bit handsy before sleeping in the same bed together, then wake up with their limbs all tangled and their faces so close to each other if they moved one inch forward, they would kiss.  Maybe they shouldn’t, because it could lead to complicated feelings and mixed signals and messages, but they did.  It was what they did.  It started so long ago in Ånge and followed them to Vancouver and Svea didn’t—couldn’t—never wanted to stop.  Did that make her selfish?  Did it hold her back from meeting a nice guy?  Did it hold Elias back from meeting a nice girl?  
Elias never really asked, but neither did she, about any of that sort of stuff – mostly because they both knew.  They both knew the other didn’t do stuff like that – hook up with people randomly, or without thought.  They weren’t like that and weren’t those types of people.  The last time they’d asked each other about that, the outcome was much, much different.  
It was a quiet night in Ånge, with their parents both out for one reason or another.  Emil was out for a friend’s birthday, and Sigrid was already in Stockholm for university.  They were watching a movie, cuddled with her legs in his lap and his arm around her back under the same blanket on the couch.  Truth be told, she hadn’t been paying much attention to the movie – she had other thoughts on her mind, ever since they started cuddling and Elias had put his arm around her and settled it on the hem of her pants, his fingertips grazing her skin every so often.  This wasn’t the first time they cuddled together underneath a blanket.  This wasn’t even the first time his fingertips touched her skin there.  But because they were alone, and because Svea was…well, curious, she couldn’t help but have that curiosity get the best of her.
“Elias?” she asked in a fake-sweet voice, turning her attention away from the TV and to his face.
“Svea?” he asked back, using an equally-fake-but-sweet tone, but not looking at her.
“Do you like any girls at school?”
That caught his attention enough to have him look down at her skeptically.  “What’s this about?”
She didn’t know what to say, because it’s not like she wanted to actually tell him what was really on her mind.  She should have thought this through much more.  She shrugged her shoulders, trying to seem nonchalant.  “I’m just wondering.”
“Why?  Did you hear something?”
“No.”
“Good,” he sighed out of relief.  “And to answer your question – no.  I don’t like any girls at school.  You know I only have eyes for you anyway.”
“Oh shut up, Elias,” Svea slapped his chest and rolled her eyes at him.  “You’re so full of shit.”
“Am not!” he argued, a smile playing on his face since he knew by her tone she was joking.  “You’re the only girl that’s worth my time, Svea.  You know that.  I wouldn’t be cuddling with anyone else but you.”
“But do you think…” she found herself saying, unable to just shut the hell up.  “Like, you’re not interested in the girls in our grade, but what if a boy is interested in me?”
Elias looked down at her again, brows even more furrowed and an angry look on his face.  “Who?!”
“Nobody, Elias.  Calm down,” she said.  “I’m just saying.  Is it horrible that I wouldn’t feel comfortable if a boy in our grade wanted to kiss me or something?  I mean I’m sixteen but I haven’t even had my first kiss yet,” Svea knew she was just word vomiting now.  She couldn’t help herself, but besides Sigrid, Elias was the only person she could have these conversations with.
“Of course it’s not horrible,” Elias said.  “You’re too good for everybody in our grade anyway.  Nobody should be kissing you.”
“I don’t think I’d feel comfortable with anybody besides you,” she mumbled absent-mindedly.
“What was that?”
She sighed heavily, not wanting to have to repeat herself since she was instantly embarrassed that she’d admitted those words out loud.  But she knew Elias wouldn’t let it go, so she met his eyes shyly.  “I said I don’t think I’d feel comfortable with anybody besides you.”
Elias paused, realizing the weight of her words as they hung in the air.  He barely even blinked as the words ruminated in his mind.  Svea almost wanted to pinch him because he was too quiet – even for him.  All anybody ever said about him was that he was quiet, but he was being too quiet now.  She was about to impulsively just get up and leave when he finally spoke.  “I wouldn’t feel comfortable with anybody besides you, either.”
“Really?” she asked softly.
“Of course not,” he said.  “I wouldn’t…I wouldn’t even want to,” he expressed sheepishly.
Svea shivered.  She looked into Elias’s eyes and saw everything she loved about him.  His humility, his sense of humour he only reserved for her and a select few others, his sense of self.  There was a reason they had stayed best friends all these years, and that high school hadn’t changed anything.  “Elias…” she gulped.
“Svea,” he mimicked her tone again.  
“Elias…if…do you want to—I mean, would you—I—I—if we could lose our virginity to each other, would you?”
*
Svea and Elias found themselves in his bedroom, staring at the other as they stood a few feet away from each other.  Both were barely breathing, too focused on the emotions being shown on the face of the other to think about something as trivial as breathing.  Svea knew she didn’t want to be doing this with anyone else besides Elias, but she was still nervous.  What if she didn’t kiss well?  What if her breath smelled?  What if Elias wasn’t attracted to her once he saw her naked?  What is she did something wrong and—
“Svea?”
“Elias?”
“Are you really nervous like me?” he asked sheepishly.
She nodded her head.  She could almost feel her insides trembling as much as she was on the outside.  “Maybe we should start kissing.”
Elias nodded his head.  “Kissing is a good start.”
They stepped towards each other until they were chest-to-chest.  Elias brought his hands up slowly to cup Svea’s face before he craned his neck down.  Their first kiss was soft, their lips barely touching before Elias pulled away slightly to make sure it was okay with Svea.  When she saw the look in his eyes and she nodded her head, he continued, deeper this time, and they continued like that for a while, kissing as Elias cupped her face.  
It was Svea who first dragged her tongue against his bottom lip, and he pulled back momentarily.  He looked at her.  “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she nodded quickly.  “And, um, Elias…”
“What is it?”
“You can—you can touch me places besides my face.”
Elias nodded his head nervously.  “Okay.  Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
“Are your hips okay?”
“Everywhere is okay.”
He nodded again, their lips coming together again with Svea’s tongue automatically snaking its way into Elias’s mouth.  He began to do the same, his hands dragging down her sides and settling on her hips, pulling her body against his even more.  
This felt nice to her.  Everything with Elias felt right.  Was this what she had been missing out on these past few years with boys?  Svea mentally punched herself for not doing this sooner.  Well, not doing this sooner with Elias.  His lips were so soft, and they moved so in tune with hers.  His hands traveled up her back underneath her t-shirt from her hips, making her shiver slightly.  She liked how his hands felt against her skin as they grazed higher and higher, eventually meeting the bralette she was wearing.  She moved her own hands down to the hem of his pants before tugging on the bottom of his t-shirt.  “Can I take off your shirt?” she mumbled against his lips.  
Elias didn’t say anything – he just helped her tug off his shirt before his hands went to the hem of hers and he pulled hers off as well.  As her top was discarded to the side, she looked at him looking at her exposed body.  He’d seen her with this much exposed skin before – in a bathing suit though – but this time was obviously different.  This time was much more intimate.  He feasted on the site before him, breathing heavily as he noticed the goosebumps on her skin.  He looked her in the eyes and didn’t speak a word – but in that look, she knew he was telling her she was beautiful.  He began kissing her again, wanting to feel her entire body with his hands and beginning to undertake that mission.  
Svea tiled her head back and took in the sensation of Elias’s hands wandering all over her body, and suddenly she could feel his lips on her neck, putting her into another state of exhilaration.  He kissed all the way down to her collarbone while she sunk her nails into the skin of his back.  She let out a small moan as Elias sucked on her neck, not knowing that simple act could pour so much passion and energy into a person.  Her hands grazed the waistband of his sweatpants.  She could feel his breath hitch in his throat.
“Is that okay?” she asked, to which he nodded his head.  She pushed them down gently, leaving him standing in his underwear.  His hands mimicked hers.  She stepped out of her pants and was now left in only her bralette and underwear.  “Can we lie down on the bed?” she asked, not even bothering to wait for his answer before she sat down on the bed.
Elias looked down at Svea, and he couldn’t help the smile that overtook his face.  “Oh my God…” he mumbled to himself.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, a worried look on her face.
“Your lips are so red from all the kissing.  I kind of feel bad,” Elias giggled.
Svea couldn’t help but giggle as well as she brought her hand up quickly to feel her lips.  They didn’t feel any more swollen, but what did she know?  This was her first time, after all.  She still had a burning question on her mind though.  “Does—Does it feel okay?  Do you like it?” she asked timidly.
Elias looked at her as if she were crazy.  “You mean you can’t tell?” he asked, looking down to his lap.  
Svea snorted at his crassness, shaking her head at him as they continued to giggle.  Better giggling with your best friend in bed, she thought, rather than having anxiety and being uncomfortable with someone else.  “Kiss me, Elias,” she smiled, and Elias was all too happy to comply.  
They started by lying beside each other, kissing some more as Elias felt her up through her bralette and she palmed his hard-on through his boxers, but soon enough Elias was on top of her, and she could feel his entire body against hers.  She felt like she was on fire – but in a good way; like a jolt of electricity had just shocked her.  The best part of the experience was that she was doing everything subconsciously.  She wasn’t thinking, for once – she was just doing.  It gave her confidence to know that despite a lifetime of inaction, somehow her body knew what to do with how she was feeling.  Nothing was forced.  Everything felt natural, like it was supposed to be happening, and supposed to be happening only with Elias.  
Then, he helped her take off her bralette.
Then, she helped him pull down his boxers.
Then, he helped her pull down her underwear.
“Did you get the condom from your brother’s room?” she whispered, and Elias nodded his head.  He rolled off of her momentarily to reach over to the bedside table and grab it, opening the package and taking it out.  “Do you need help?” she asked again, her breath heavy.
“I think I’ll be okay,” he said.  She tried to give him some privacy by looking away, but she was too intrigued and ended up just staring.  She hoped he didn’t feel embarrassed or anything – it was more of an education for both of them, really.
When he was finished, he kissed her again before getting back on top of her.  “Svea…”
“Yes Elias?”
“If you ever want to stop, we can stop, okay?”
Svea nodded.  “Okay.”
“Like if it hurts – we can stop.  It’s not gonna be awkward if we stop.  So just tell me.”
“Okay.  Okay.”
He entered her slowly.  It felt like nothing Svea had ever felt before, and she didn’t even know how to describe it – only that it felt right.  There were no other words she could use.  He pushed in a little bit further and there was a little bit of pain.  She closed her eyes and winced.
“Svea?” Elias’s frantic whisper made her open her eyes.  “Svea are you okay?”
“Yes, yes I’m fine,” she said unconvincingly.
“Am I hurting you?”
She couldn’t lie to him, so she nodded her head slightly.  “But it’s okay.”
“I can stop—”
“Don’t,” she cut him off.  “It’s okay, Elias.  Just keep going.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.  Don’t worry.”
He kept pushing.  He hated to see the winces on her face so he decided to give her light kisses in hopes of easing the pain.  When he was fully inside of her, they both stayed still to adjust to the new feeling.  They were barely breathing, but had locked eyes with one another.  “I love you, Svea,” he whispered tenderly.  
They said those three words to each other all the time, because they did – they did love each other.  What kind of love that was still remained to be seen, but because there were so many different types of love, Svea and Elias knew they loved each other in certain ways.  It was why Svea had absolutely no hesitation in responding to him.  “I love you too, Elias.”
As he looked into her eyes and she gave a slight nod of her head, he began moving in and out of her slowly, making sure he wasn’t hurting her or going too fast.  Soon, instead of pain she began to feel pleasure, and it felt good, and she began to try to move in sync with his body.  She could hear Elias grunt slightly as she did so, and she thought that he must be feeling some pleasure too, to make that noise – well at least she hoped.  “Does it feel okay?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Elias nodded his head dramatically.  “You feel really good.”
“I do?”
“Yeah…it…fuck, you just feel really good,” he said.  She brought her hands up to cup his face.  “Does it feel good for you too?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I want to make sure it feels good for you,” he admitted.  “Will…will you tell me?”
Svea nodded and Elias kissed her again, continuing to move in and out of her and making her feel good.  Their soft moans became more laboured and heavier, and Svea could feel herself getting close.  What her friends had always told her would happen was happening, and she almost didn’t know how to cope with the feeling.  “Elias…Elias…”
“Are you close?”
“Keep going, Elias,” she closed her eyes, ready for the feeling to take over her.
“Look at me.”
She was shocked by his request, but she opened her eyes to find him staring at her.  “I love you,” he told her again, and every inch of her body – from the blonde hairs atop her head to the tips of her toes – knew he meant it.
“I love you too.”
Svea felt a wave of pleasure wash over, and she arched her back and moaned out as it overtook her entire body.  She felt Elias pulsating inside of her, and the desperate noises he was making, along with the heavy breathing and the trembling of his body as he buried his head into the crook of her neck meant she knew he’d just experienced the same thing.  
He collapsed on top of her gently, his body still shaking as he tried to regain his breath.  She wrapped her arms around him and tried to remember how this all felt – the feeling of his lips on hers; the feeling of his hands all over her body; the feeling of his hand on her breasts; the feeling of him inside her, which she knew would end soon when he’d have to pull out and they’d have to clean up.  Selfishly, she wanted this moment to last forever.  It was the sweetest, softest, most incredible thing she’d experienced in her short life.
Elias pushed himself up slightly, just enough so he was able to look her in the eye.  “Did it feel good?” he asked.
Svea nodded her head.  “It was the best feeling I’ve ever felt.”
“Me too,” Elias admitted.  “I…I just wanted to make sure it felt good for you.  I wouldn’t have cared if I didn—”
She couldn’t help but raise her head to kiss him to get him to shut up.  She didn’t want him to ramble in this moment.  He readily reciprocated the kiss, eventually pulling out of her and laying on his side.  They kissed for a few moments longer before Svea pulled away.  “Should we clean up?”
Elias seemed a bit taken aback by the question.  “Uh, yeah, of course,” he said, trying to make it seem like he wasn’t.  “But um, afterwards…can we—do you want to keep kis—I mean, do you want to stay tonight?”
When they cuddled afterwards – after cleaning up, and after Elias methodically disposed of the condom so nobody in his family would find out – Svea put on some of his old clothes and slipped into his bed.  Elias followed close behind, wearing a pair of a boxers and an old t-shirt, and he cuddled up to her automatically.  
Elias and Svea fell asleep like that, and when Emil got home that night and checked Elias’s bedroom to make sure he was home and saw them cuddled in the bed together, he smiled to himself.  
When Svea woke up the next morning, Elias was using her chest as a pillow.  And when he woke up after feeling her move, he gave her one last kiss before hearing all the noise in the kitchen.  They went about their day normally.  His parents didn’t think anything of it because Svea slept over so often; neither did her parents, really.  They just smiled and fed her breakfast and treated her like family, as they always did.  She and Elias always acknowledged what happened with each other (they didn’t tell a soul what happened – no friends, no family, nobody) but didn’t make a big deal out of it.  There was no reason to.  They’d done it out of love, out of some curiosity, but mostly out of love.  It didn’t complicate things.  If anything, it reinforced their love for one another – that they could do something so intimate, and experience it for the first time together, and not have it change things between them.
“What are you thinking about?” Elias’s soft mumble surprised her.  His eyes were still closed but she could feel his legs move slightly, brushing up against hers.
“Ånge,” she lied – only slightly.
“Do you miss it?”
“Yeah,” she said softly.  She missed not having to worry about Elias getting a concussion or injured in hockey.  She missed how simple their lives were when they were sixteen and thought to themselves one night, “let’s have sex”.  
“We’ll be home soon,” he said, finally opening his eyes.  They were so sleepy as they looked right into hers, and he shifted so he could pull her body closer to his.  “I know that you miss your mom and dad and that you miss Sigrid.  I’m sure you miss Sundsvall too.  Being by the water.  When we stay at my place I know that’s your favourite part.  It’s why I bought it.”
She felt a shiver run up her spine at his words.  He’d never told her that before.  “Do you ever get sick of me, Elias?”
“Never,” he replied automatically, nestling his head down so it was almost in the crook of her neck.
“Not even when I’m stressed about university?”
“Never.”
“Not even when you have to drive me around places because I’m scared of driving in Vancouver?”
“Never.”
“Not even when we spend time together in Ånge, then in Sundsvall, then in Stockholm, and we’re like, always together, even in the same room, all the time?”
“Never.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because we’re the same, Svea,” he said, like it was so simple.  “We’re an extension of the other.  And if you can’t be in the same room with yourself – if you can’t be with yourself all the time, then who can you be with?”
Another shiver ran up her spine – more powerful this time – and Elias could tell because yet again, he tightened his grip around her.  He rested his lips on the exposed part of her skin where her neck met her shoulder and kissed her lightly.  She looked down at him.  “For the record, I never get sick of you either,” she said.
“Good,” he said.  “Because I’m dragging you with me everywhere.”
“Oh yeah?  And where are we going?”
“Upstairs to get coffee.”
Svea giggled as Elias rose from his position, looking down at her as his hair fell in front of his face.  It was only then that should could smell the distinct aroma of the coffee he mentioned.  He didn’t bother brushing his hair, instead settling with just pushing it back with his hands.  Svea took a hairband and put half of her hair up in a messy bun before she followed Elias up the stairs.  Luckily, they came face to face with Brock and Grace as they were pouring themselves the first batch of coffee.  
“Where’s everyone else?” Svea asked, even though she was grateful for the quietness they had now.
“Still sleeping, probably too hungover to get up this early,” Grace whispered, handing Svea the cup of coffee she just poured.  “Want to come out on the deck with me?”
“Of course.”
The girls went out on the deck and sat at the table; the last thing heard being Brock chirping Elias about how bad his hair looked.  “Did you guys have a good sleep?” Grace asked.
Svea nodded her head.  “Thanks for putting us down there.”
Grace gave her a knowing nod.  “I knew, don’t worry.”  She paused as she took a sip of her coffee.  “So you and Elias…” she began.
Svea knew immediately where the conversation was headed.  Although Svea loved Grace she wasn’t going to tell her what he’d said to her that morning.  It was a personal moment not meant to be shared.  Grace had been telling her for months that it was clear Elias felt something different, but Svea wasn’t so sure.  He’d always acted the same around her, so she honestly couldn’t tell.  “Still nothing, Grace.”
“You guys are going to be the death of me,” she was exasperated.  “Do you honestly think he feels nothing for you?”
Svea shook her head.  “I know that Elias loves me,” she began.  “That’s not a question.  But does he love me the way you’re implying?  I don’t know.  We’ve known each other for so long, Grace.  We’ve been through everything together.  It’s different when you literally grow up with someone.  But like…dating?  Romantic love?  We’re only twenty-one.  I don’t know if Elias even wants that with me.”  She paused to fiddle with her hands.  “Besides, I think Kyla is really into him.”
“Kyla and McKenna werent’t even supposed to be here.  And if Kyla tries something with Elias, I will throw her into the lake,” Grace deadpanned.  Svea couldn’t help but laugh.  Grace reached over and placed her hand on Svea’s forearm.  “Svea, come on.  If you think Elias doesn’t want that with you, you’re wrong.”
Svea looked at the window, seeing the boys talking about something while standing next to the stove.  She could only imagine how much Brock was chirping Elias about his hair – he probably hadn’t stopped.  Sometimes, at night, she truly did wonder if Elias saw her in any other way besides his best friend – if he saw her as a romantic interest, as a partner – hell, sometimes even just as a woman.  But she tried not to dwell on those thoughts for too long, because she knew they’d overtake her more rational thoughts eventually, and then she’d have a mess on her hands.  Elias, in many ways, was her everything, and more than anything, she wondered if she was his everything too.
*
“So you and Svea…” Brock began, his voice low so no-one upstairs would overhear, and so Svea and Grace outside couldn’t hear him either.  Even though he would love to see them together, and thought they were taking their sweet ass time (obviously) and were made for each other (obviously), he wanted to stay out of it and let things happen naturally.  If there was one thing he knew about Petey, it was to not force him into things.  Grace had other ideas.  She wanted Brock to help her get to the bottom of it.  She wanted to know all the details.  And, well, Brock loved his girlfriend, so here he was.
“What about it?” Elias asked.
“Bud, you can’t stand there and tell me there’s nothing between you.”
Elias sighed.  “I don’t want to get into it.”
“That’s great, ‘cause I do.  You mean to tell me nothing happened last night?”
Elias gave Brock one of his infamous death stares.  He knew Brock wouldn’t let it go and that they death stare had no use.  He shook his head slightly.  “No, nothing happened last night.  I don’t want to risk it.”
“Risk what?”
“Losing her.”
Brock furrowed his brows.  “What on earth makes you think you’d lose her?  Do you honestly think she doesn’t have feelings for you?”
“We’ve grown up together, Brock.  It’s different.  I know Svea loves me.  She’s been there for me through everything, through all the hockey, and she never complained once,” Elias shook his head again.  “I can’t be selfish and demand this from her too.  Besides, I don’t know if she wants that with me.  It…I…just…I love her, Brock – in all the ways a person can love another person, but—”
“But do you love her romantically?” Brock asked.
Elias paused.  His mouth dropped open, about to say his answer that he knew definitively in his heart, until out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure.  He looked over to his right to see Kyla stretching at the foot of the stairs, her pyjama t-shirt riding up to expose her midriff.  It was very obvious she wasn���t wearing a bra.  “Good morning,” she cooed after she finished her stretch, looking directly at Elias.  
Brock looked like he was about to punch a wall.  Elias looked away from what she was trying to show off.  “Good morning.”
“Is that coffee I smell?” she asked, walking into the kitchen.  
“Just made,” Brock said, his voice monotone.  “Are the others up?”
“McKenna’s just about to come down,” she said, stepping in between Elias and Brock.  Brock left the situation.  She peeked up at Elias through her eyelashes.  “Have a good sleep?” she asked.
“The best.”
“Is it cold in the basement?” she asked, her voice low so only Elias could hear her.  “Need some warming up?”
Her forwardness really did scare him.  “It’s not cold down there when Svea’s there,” he said.
Kyla’s face immediately dropped.  Before she could try to flirt some more, Grace and Svea walked back in from the back deck.  Svea was almost immediately looking at Elias, trying to survey the situation.  “Should we start breakfast?” Grace asked, moving past Kyla towards the fridge.  Grace gave her a death stare for being so close to Elias.  “What do you want to work on?”
As more of the guests made their way down the stairs, every chose a job to do – Svea and Elias worked on the bacon; Brock and Grace the scrambled eggs; Kyla made toast; Marcus worked on setting the table; Brayden made the sausages; Brett and Parker cut up fruit.  McKenna and Hallie made more coffee.  Breakfast was ready in no time.  
When everybody began to sit around the table, Svea was shocked to see Kyla sit beside her.  “So Brock told us you live in Vancouver, too,” she said, smiling.  “Whereabouts?”
“Oh, um, Yaletown.  Same as Brock and Elias,” she said, omitting the face that she lived with him.
“Oh my God, that’s so cool,” Kyla put some scrambled eggs onto her plate.  Svea knew she didn’t really care.  “And how do you know Elias?”
Svea knew Kyla cared about that, so she gave into the questioning because she knew everyone else in the house save for Brock, Grace, and Elias would think she was a bitch if she didn’t.  “We met when we were three – we grew up together in Sweden.”
“And then you followed him to Vancouver?”
“No no no,” Svea shook her head vehemently.  She could see Elias smile as he settled in on the edge of the bench beside her.  “Elias followed me.”
“Elias followed you?”
“Svea always wanted to go to UBC because her mom is originally from Vancouver,” Grace piped in, stuffing a piece of strawberry into her mouth.  “Svea got accepted first.  Then Petey was drafted, but stayed in Sweden for a year.  Then he signed with the Canucks and the rest is history.”
“Svea could have told me, Grace,” Kyle said teasingly as she gave a look to Svea.  “You’re so quiet, girl.  Speak up a bit.”
“Svea speaks when she wants to,” Grace quipped again.  “And more importantly, when she needs to.”
When breakfast was over, everybody showered, got ready, and changed into their bathing suits before heading outside for another day out on the water and patio.  Brock commandeered his boat and suggested some wakeboarding and other watersports out on the lake.  In the smaller boat, Brayden, Brett, Parker, and Hallie followed them out onto the lake.  There was no way Svea would wakeboard, but she knew Elias liked it.  She opted to take photos and videos of Elias doing so instead.  His parents were going to kill him.
They were out having fun on the water for so long – diving off the boat, swimming, wakeboarding, tanning, drinking, relaxing, talking – that nobody noticed they didn’t have lunch.  They just kept up their activities, with Elias wakeboarding a few times, followed by Brock while Marcus commandeered the boat.  Parker did a few cool flips while he wakeboarded.  It was hot, the sun was shining, and Svea was having the time of her life.  For those hours they were out on the lake, what Elias had said to her that morning in bed, and what Kyla had said and done (and continued to say and do) didn’t matter; she was just a girl out on a boat with her friends, and life couldn’t get any better.  
But then, of course, reality set back in.  More hours isolated on the boat meant more drinking.  Not from Svea, of course, because she knew her limit and because she didn’t want to get drunk in front of, statistically, more people she didn’t know than did; and not from Brock or Brett, because they had to drive the damn boats; but from the others – Marcus, before he drove the boat; and Grace, because she wanted to have fun; and Kyla, because she was Kyla; and McKenna, because Svea had no clue anymore because it wasn’t like McKenna spoke three words to her since the moment she got there.  
Svea was expecting nothing when everyone wanted to take one last dip in the lake before they went back to the house.  So when they all stood at the edge of the boat, and when Brock was finished taking the Instagram picture for Kyla of all of them with their hands around each other’s backs, they all jumped.  Svea hit the water hard and deep, like divers usually did, but something felt different.  Something felt…off.  And when she emerged from the water, wiping her eyes and trying to figure out what it was, it hit her like a tonne of bricks.  
Where was her top?
She felt everything in her stop.  When Elias emerged from the water and looked around to find her, the first thing he noticed was the petrified look on her face.  “Svea?” he asked.
“Yooooohooooo!” McKenna’s giggles were loud.  Svea turned around to face everybody else: Grace, Kyla, Marcus, Brayden, Brett, Parker, Hallie, and McKenna, only to see McKenna waving her bathing suit top above her head.  Svea’s bathing suit top.  
She was absolutely mortified.  
She screamed out in fear, finally having the wherewithal to cover her exposed breasts by hugging herself.  Kyla’s laughs and enthusiastic woos filled her mind as McKenna whipped it around like a lasso, like it was some prize they’d won.  In a way, it was: she’d won in making Svea feel completely embarrassed and uncomfortable and humiliated.  
“What the hell McKenna!  Give it back!” she heard Brock scream from the boat.  Svea watched as Elias swam over to McKenna and snatch the top out of her hands.  Grace looked like she was going to perform a ritualistic murder right then and there.  
“Oh come on!  It’s just a little bit of fun!” McKenna tried to defend herself.
“It’s how you get christened in Minnesota!” Kyla added.  “Everybody knows that!”
Svea tried not to focus on them anymore; they would defend themselves to the last second before the door dropped for the noose, so there wasn’t any point in listening.  Instead, she tried to focus on calming her emotions that she knew would bubble over – the tears that were threatening to escape, the flush of red to her cheeks, the nervous shaking from all the embarrassment of these girls and these men probably seeing her practically naked body underneath the water before she even realized what was going on.  She tried to focus on Elias, swimming back to her with her bathing suit top in his hands.  “Elias…” she said her voice extremely shaky.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he cooed, swimming up to cover her before handling the bikini top, trying to figure out which part went over her head.  She grabbed it from him to try to help.  “I got you, it’s okay.”
“Elias I’m so embarrassed,” she cried, her hands trembling too much to do it.  “I can’t—I can’t—”
“Here, let me,” he mumbled, taking the top back from her.
“Could they see everything?  Be honest.”
“No.  You can’t see anything in lake water Svea,” he said quickly.  
She knew he was probably lying to her – the lake water was clear as fucking day.  “Elias—”
“It’s okay—”
“Elias I’m mortified.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he kept repeating, putting the top back on over her head before turning her around without warning so he could tie it for her.  “You’re okay, Svea.  You’re okay.”
“Everybody saw my boobs Elias,” she cried again, still clutching onto them through her bikini top like they were going to fall out again.  He wrapped an arm around her and began swimming back to the boat.  “Only you’ve ever seen my boobs.”
Elias looked at her when she said the last sentence.  She couldn’t discern the look on his face.  “And it stayed that way,” he said.  “Nobody saw, Svea.  The water was all…wavy.”
Elias let her climb back onto the boat first, where Brock was ready with an open towel for her.  “Here you go, sweetheart,” he said, wrapping her in it.
“Thanks, Brock.”
He absolutely hated hearing the defeat and embarrassment in her voice.  “Grace will take care of Kyla and McKenna, don’t worry,” he said quickly as everybody else began climbing up the ladder and back onto the boat.  
The first thing McKenna did when she got back on the boat – even before drying herself off, which was what you were supposed to do – was finish off her beer.  Grace glared at her once she finally grabbed a towel.  “You need to apologize,” Grace said firmly, looking right at McKenna.  “What you did was so mean.”
“Oh come on, it wasn’t a big deal,” McKenna rolled her eyes.  Svea wondered if that was the alcohol talking or if McKenna was really like this.  She couldn’t imagine Brock being friends with someone like her.  But then she remembered that Kyla and McKenna weren’t even supposed to be here this weekend, and it all sort of made sense.  Maybe they were friends of friends, and Brock was too nice to say no.  Maybe he knew them only casually, and they tagged along unannounced to take advantage of being at an NHL player’s house for the weekend.  
“It was a big deal to Svea,” Grace continued, her voice still firm.  Grace looked at her to see her face still sullen.
“It’s fine,” Svea mumbled out, Elias’s arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder as she sat on his lap.  She didn’t want to cause any trouble, regardless.  She was a guest at Brock’s house as much as McKenna was, and didn’t want or need the added attention on her.
“I’m sooooorrryyyy, Svea,” McKenna laughed through her apology.  “But you’re considered a Minnesotan now, so take that a bonus.”
Svea didn’t respond.  She just nodded her head down and nestled further onto Elias, letting her head lean against his as Brock navigated back to the house.  McKenna and Kyla didn’t have a care in the world as they continued to talk to each other the entire way back, shooting a few looks her way throughout the journey back.  They disembarked the boat first before running into the house.  Brock helped Svea get off the boat, where she immediately went down to the basement to take a shower.  She felt like she had to get all the lake grime off of her before everybody started prepping for dinner.
As she changed into regular clothes and stood in front of the mirror trying to French braid her hair, she heard the hustle and bustle from upstairs.  She tried to pay it no mind until she began to hear voices – all too familiar voices.  
“Petey is so hot and cold, don’t you think?” Kyla voice was a bit muffled, but it definitely sounded more sober than what it sounded like half an hour ago when she issued her fake apology.  Svea stood silent.  Maybe eavesdropping wasn’t the most noble of things to do, but she was going to do it anyway.  “I don’t know if he even registers that I’m flirting with him.”
“I think that alien is hot for only one person here, and that’s Svea,” she heard McKenna retort.  
“You think so?”
“You don’t see the way he looks at her all the time?  They’re even sleeping in the same bed.”
“Yeah, but Brock said they grew up together in Sweden—”
“So?” McKenna retorted.  “That ‘she’s like my little sister’ line guys always pull is bullshit.  And Petey didn’t even say that about her.  They’re best friends.  Well, best friends.  You know what that’s code for.”
“Well, hopefully by the end of the weekend he’ll have a new best friend,” Kyla chirped.
“Listen, if anybody in this house could pull it off, it’s you,” McKenna encouraged her.  “He was eyeing you in your bikini yesterday.  I mean, you’re much more appealing that way than she is.  Every guy loves a good flirt.  Just use what you’ve got and I’m sure he’ll open up to it.  Only problem is Svea’s gonna have to sleep on the couch when you do.”
The girls giggled and Svea could feel her blood boil.  Elias wasn’t hers by any means, and she didn’t own him in any way, shape, or form, but Elias was hers.  In every sense, he was hers, and she was getting angry at herself for getting angry at these girls for wanting him.  Who was she to stop him from getting what he wanted if he really wanted Kyla?  And who was she to cry and be upset about it when Elias was a grown man and she was a grown woman capable of making their own decisions about who they liked and who they slept with?  She quickly fastened the end of her French braid with an elastic and wiped away the angry tears that fell, trying hard not to cry so she wouldn’t go back upstairs with red eyes.  She’d already been embarrassed once today; she didn’t need to be embarrassed again.  
She waited a few minutes until her emotions subsided before she walked back upstairs.  Almost everybody had congregated in the kitchen.  She saw Elias sitting outside on the deck.  Kyla was already all over him, pressed up against him.  She didn’t quit.  Svea had to at least admire her persistence.
*
That night, after dinner and drinking and drinking games and loud music and laughing and singing and even some drunken dancing, Svea watched as Kyla plopped herself into Elias’s lap as they all sat in Adirondack chairs around the firepit near the water.  Grace bought boxes of smores kits and they were wrapping them in foil for everyone to toast over the fire.  The boys were still drinking and finishing off the rest of the beers; Kyla was finishing hers as she sat on Elias’s lap.  Kyla was looking into Elias’s eyes as she sat on Elias’s lap.  Kyla was giggling and flirting as she sat on Elias’s lap.  Kyla wiggled her butt suggestively as she sat on Elias’s lap.
And as long as Kyla was going to sit on Elias’s lap, Svea couldn’t be there.
She wondered if Grace could see her almost constant glances in their direction.  She felt a rumbling in her stomach, probably from all the alcohol that was now mixing with the jealousy that roared in her belly.  A lethal combination for anyone, Svea thought, least for her, who’d grown up with him and watched him mature and was now watching as another girl was trying to take him from her, slipping him through her fingers like sand on a beach.  
“Can you save mine?  I just want to go to the washroom for a quick second,” Svea said as she stood up.
“Don’t be long.  There’s only so long I can wait to have chocolate,” she smiled and winked.
Svea walked the path up to Brock’s house and walked inside.  Luckily there was nobody else inside, so she was free to be alone – alone with her thoughts, her emotions, and the tears that threatened to spill, yet again.  Did she have a right to be jealous?  Did she have a right to feel these feelings for Elias and have them bubble up because of the persistent actions of another girl?  She didn’t know what to do.  She didn’t know what to think.  
Svea didn’t know how long she was in the house alone for.  But as she was lost in her thoughts, she heard the screen door open.  She looked up to see Elias.  He was glad he didn’t have to look hard to find her.  “Hi.”
“Hi Elias.”
“What are you doing in here?” he asked, closing the door behind him.
Svea shrugged her shoulders.  “Just thinking.”  She used that answer a lot on him.  He was used to it.  The alternative to talking, which she expected Kyla did a lot of outside with him anyway.  He walked over and sat beside her on the couch – right beside her, leaving her no room.  He took her hand and held it in his.  Her brows furrowed slightly.  “Why’re your hands so clammy?” she asked.  
“Why do you think?” he asked.  “I had to spend twenty minutes outside with Kyla on my lap trying to get me hard.”
The jealousy roared in her belly again.  Here it was.  He came in to ask her the inevitable request for her to sleep on the couch tonight so he could bring Kyla down to the basement instead.  Grace would have to get her an extra blanket and pillow.  Her back would hurt tomorrow morning.  She’d have to wake up whenever the first person came down and offer to make coffee and—
“Are you here to ask me to sleep on the couch tonight?” Svea blurted out.
Elias furrowed his brows, looking at her like she had three heads.  “Why would I make you sleep on the couch?”
“Because you want to sleep with Kyla,” Svea said matter-of-factly.
Elias froze.  “Svea,” he deadpanned.
“Elias?”
“Svea, you’re the smartest person I know, but you can be incredibly dumb sometimes.”
Svea was taken aback by his words.  He often teased her like this, maintaining that she often didn’t see things that were right in front of her.  Maybe it was one of her many faults, along with so many other things she was learning about herself this weekend, perhaps the worst being how possessive she was over him.  “What do you mean?”
“Svea—” Elias tried to begin, but he couldn’t find the right words.  He sighed before continuing.  “Do you remember that night in Ånge where my brother rented all the Austin Powers movies and we spent the entire night watching them?”
“Yes…”
“Well here’s a line for you,” he said, trying to remember it word for word.  “If I was the last man on earth, and she was the last woman on earth, and the future of the human race depended on our having sex to keep the population going, I still would not sleep with Kyla.”
Svea’s breath hitched in her throat.  “But Elias—”
“How could you honestly think I’d want to have sex with her?”
“She’s into you.  And she’s pretty, Elias, and tanned, and fit…and she’s—”
“No, Svea,” he interrupted her firmly.  “I would have rather had you on my lap out there.  You know that.”
“I can’t get you hard,” Svea mumbled.
Elias smiled amusingly at her words.  “You don’t think so?”
She didn’t appreciate him mocking her.  She rolled her eyes at him and his attempt to make light of this situation.  “Elias—”
“Svea, you’ve been getting me hard since we were sixteen and we were each other’s first,” he finally confessed, albeit a bit crassly.  It wasn’t the way he wanted it to be out in the open, but right now, there was no turning back.
The words hung in the air as they looked each other in the eye.  Svea couldn’t believe what had just come out of his mouth.  Elias was always honest with her, always, so to say that she was shocked he’d just admitted that out loud was an understatement.  Elias was a quiet guy, always, and she was a quiet girl, always, and that was…new.  “Are…are you s-serious, Elias?” she stuttered out. 
“I would never lie to you, Svea,” he said.  “Now can you come back outside and sit on my lap?”
*
When Elias and Svea walked outside, he brought her directly onto the dock, right to the end so they were looking out at the lake.  She made eye contact with three people on the way there: Brock, who sent a wink her way when he noticed the two of them together; Grace, who sent her own wink and wiggled her eyebrows; and Kyla, who sent her a death stare when she noticed Elias was holding her hand to guide her through the relative darkness.  When they finally reached the end of the dock, Svea saw one of Brock’s Adirondack chairs and a blanket.  Elias adjusted it so it faced the lake.  Svea looked back towards the backyard; everyone was dispersed in their own little groups, allowing them the alone time and privacy Elias apparently wanted.
“What are you looking at?” Elias asked quietly, trying to preserve the tranquility of the dusk.  
“Nothing,” she brushed him off.  She wasn’t going to tell him she was making sure Kyla wasn’t stomping down the dock to join them.  
“Then come sit.”
When she looked back at him over her shoulder, he was already sitting on the Adirondack chair, unfolding the blanket.  It was a scene Svea had encountered countless times before – in Sundsvall, specifically, on the balcony of his apartment when they’d go out at night and look out at the water and the lights of the city across the Bothnian Sea.  She moved to sit on his lap, settling into him as he wrapped an arm around her and lay the blanket over them.  He draped his other arm across her lap while the one around her back snuck underneath her shirt, rubbing the skin at the small of her back.  When he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, his nose and lips grazing her skin, a shiver ran up her spine.  She was sure he could tell.
She began to remember the things he’d said since they got to Minnesota: how he always worried about her, about how they were an extension of each other, how he bought his apartment in Sundsvall because he knew being by the water was her favourite.  And now, with the comment said not even five minutes ago about her getting him hard since they were sixteen.  She thought about the implications of it all, and what it meant for her – what it meant for them, really, because she agreed with what he said about being an extension of each other.  
She was apparently lost in her thoughts – too lost for a few moments, because when she finally came to, she felt his lips graze the skin between her shoulder and neck.  “What are you doing, Elias?” she asked, her voice as quiet as his was before.
He didn’t answer.  Instead, they made eye contact and he looked at her for a few moments before leaning in and kissing her.  Like everything Elias did, he was perfect at it.  Soft lips, a passionate touch, and a tenderness nobody else could duplicate.  Much like when they were sixteen, she didn’t want it to end.  But when it did, with Elias pulling away first so he could look her in the eyes again, there was something else to be said.  “I love you.”
They were words Svea had heart countless times before – countless – but this time, it felt different.  Completely different.  She froze slightly.  “You love me, Elias?”
“Of course I love you.”
“No, Elias,” she bit her lip.  “You, like…love me?”
“Yes, Svea,” he said, his hand traveling further up her back.  “If you ever want to thank Kyla for one thing, it’s for making me realize how much I love you, and how long I’ve loved you for, because all her attention made me realize that I only want that kind of attention from you, that I only want you, and nobody else, and the thought of being with anyone else, or the thought of you being with anyone else makes me sick to my stomach.”
She felt a rush of blood to her cheeks as she blushed.  How long had she been waiting for him to hear those words and she didn’t even know?  How long had she wanted him to say those words to her, deep down inside somewhere within her?  Had she known this entire time and just not realize it?  Had she felt the same this entire time too and just didn’t verbalize it?  She couldn’t help but think he was being a bit of a drama queen about it though.  “You brought me all the way to Brock’s house in Minnesota to tell me this?”
Elias giggled like a schoolgirl.  “I guess I did.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“I never said I was smart like you,” he said.  “Remember when all the kids in class would call me space boy and alien boy because they said I looked like an alien?”
“You do look like an alien.”
Elias nudged her.  She laughed before snuggling back into him.  “If I’m the alien, you’re the stars, Svea.”
She smiled.  This time, it was her that moved to kiss him, doing it by her own accord and with such conviction she surprised even herself.  It was like she was sixteen all over again, except she wasn’t; she was still Elias’s best friend; still the most important person in his life; still getting him hard, apparently.  Yet now, she was twenty-one – older, somewhat wiser; a university student, not some precocious high schooler; living in Vancouver, not in Ånge; having Elias telling her he loved her – loved her loved her – not just as friends.  That he made clear.  And although she was still coming to terms with it, and still couldn’t really wrap her head around it, at least her body was reacting to the news appropriately, much like her body had reacted appropriately all those years ago in Ånge, when she came up with the brilliant idea they’d acted on.  
The only thing that could interrupt their kissing was Brock screaming at the top of his lungs.  As Elias and Svea pulled apart, they watched as Brock ran down the dock in only his boxers, somersaulting into the lake like some sort of Olympic diver.  They couldn’t help but laugh out loud as he came back up, whipping his hair to the side so it was out of his eyes.  
“Brock!” Grace yelled, grimacing as she ran after him.  “You’re going to smell like a wet dog!”
*
Tanner had passed out on the bathroom floor, and everybody decided to leave him there just in case.  Marcus faceplanted into the couch, saying he couldn’t deal with stairs.  Brock said the dive into the lake sobered him up, so Grace dragged him up the stairs into their bedroom.  McKenna and Kyla were the first to shut their bedroom door, but not before Kyla gave one last look at Elias’s arms wrapped around Svea and wishing she was in that position.  
When they descended down into the basement together, Svea could barely get a word in edgewise before Elias shut the door and his lips found hers again.  No less passionate and no less soft, his hands attached themselves to her hips, almost immediately finding their way underneath her top while his tongue slipped into her mouth.  His hands felt warm against her skin but they still sent shivers down her spine.  She ran her fingers through his hair, pushing it back so it wouldn’t tickle her like it sometimes did.  
He guided her towards the bed.  When the backs of her legs hit the edge, Elias’s hands traveled higher.  Svea’s breath hitched in her throat as his fingers traced the edges of her bralette.  He noticed and stopped kissing her.  “You’re not scared, are you?” he asked hesitantly.  
“No no no,” she whispered as she shook her head.  “Just…nervous.”
“Why would you be nervous?”
“I…don’t know,” Svea said.  She did know why.  She just didn’t want to say it out loud and risk embarrassing herself.  “I…I haven’t been with anybody besides you, Elias,” she finally admitted.  
He seemed sort of shocked for only a moment.  “You never did anything first year university when you were here alone?” he asked.
“No.  I couldn’t bring myself to.  I didn’t…I didn’t want to if it wasn’t you.”
Elias nodded his head.  He understood.  “Me too.”
Her brows furrowed.  “Me too what?”
“I haven’t been with anybody beside you,” he confessed.
Svea couldn’t hold back her shock like he could.  “What?  Not even in Vaxjo?  You were the star of the team,” she reasoned.  She found it hard to believe because there was no way – no way – that he didn’t get offers left, right, and centre while he was playing for them, especially during their championship run.
“I never…no,” he shook his head.  “I didn’t want to if it wasn’t you, either,” he used her own words.
Svea took a deep breath.  God, they were so stereotypical.  They were such losers.  A star hockey player and a first-year university student living away from home for the first time and they didn’t take advantage of their situations because they didn’t want to without each other.  “We’re so lame, Elias,” she deadpanned.
Elias couldn’t help but laugh at her words.  “I know, right?  We’re pathetic.”
“So pathetic.”
Elias gave her a quick kiss as they giggled.  “Svea?”
“Elias?”
“I love you.”
Svea smiled.  “I love you too.”
“Can I make up for lost time?  Can we make up for lost time?” he asked softly.
Svea took another deep breath.  Her hands rose to rub his chest as she nodded her head, momentarily forgetting the small little detail that they were at Brock’s house.  In the basement.  Just as Elias dipped down to continue kissing her, she brought her hands up to his lips.  “We’re at Brock’s house.”
Elias furrowed his brows.  “So?”
“Won’t it be a bit awkward?”
He laughed again.  “Svea, come on.  More awkward than doing it in the bed I slept in as a kid?”
“Elias!” she exclaimed, the both of them giggling uncontrollably.  “Well when you put it like that—”
Elias couldn’t wait any longer.  He dipped his head down so he could start kissing her again, his tongue slipping in with ease.  With his hands travelling higher and higher, he eventually helped tug her top off, letting it fall by their feet.  He could feel the goosebumps along her skin.  He could feel her tugging at his shirt, too, and helped with taking it off.  
When they moved to lie down on the bed, Elias made sure to kiss at Svea’s neck and collarbone.  The little sighs and gasps that escaped her was his fuel to keep going, travelling lower and lower until he reached her chest.  “What do you like?” his voice husky.  
That was a mute question.  Not only could Svea not think right now with Elias’s lips so close to her boobs, and it wasn’t like she had the experience to know what she liked and didn’t like so she could tell him.  “I—I don’t know.  Anything.”
“Anything?”
“It’s you, Elias.  Anything will feel good.”
He started to touch her more as his lips found her neck and clavicle again.  He could feel her back arch and her hips pushing into his as his lips got close to her breasts again.  When he pushed the material down and kissed a path down, he heard her sigh.  “Is that okay?”
“Yes yes yes,” she said quickly and successively, the sensation clearly new to her.
He continued his handiwork expertly, his tongue grazing along her exposed skin.  The mewls she let out almost drove him insane, and he could feel himself getting harder by the second.  He had waited for so long that he wasn’t sure if he was going to last as long as he wanted to and do all the things he wanted to do to her, with her.  He kissed a trail back up to her lips and his hands wandered down to her shorts, unbuttoning them as quickly as he could.  
When he slipped off her shorts, she worked on his.  “Do you have a condom, Elias?” she breathed out.
He did – he was prepared – but he froze momentarily.  “Of course, but—”
“But what?” she asked worriedly.
“No no,” he said, trying to backtrack.  “I’m not—it’s—I want to do so much,” he admitted.  
Svea shook her head.  “I can’t wait.  Please just…just—”
“Svea—”
“Please Elias, I just want you inside me right now,” she practically begged.  “We have all the time in the world to do so much.  I just want to feel you inside me.”
Elias didn’t need to be told twice.  He understood where she was coming from – he knew that, at least for him, he’d been waiting a long time to do this again, and although he wanted to savour the moment, he also didn’t want to waste any time.  So he came back up and rolled over slightly, reaching down into his bag and grabbing a string of condoms.  Svea couldn’t help but smile as she saw all the packages.  He leaned back on his knees and ripped the first one off and ripped it open.  Svea sat up to take it from his hands and help him roll it on.  She even pumped him a few times when she was finished, kissing him fervently.  
Maybe she had the right idea, to just go for it and not wait.  Because if she kept doing that, Elias knew he wasn’t going to last long.  
As she lay back down, Elias slipped off her underwear and loomed over her.  On instinct, one of his hands went to her thighs and she wrapped her legs around him.  His hand travelled from her thigh to her hot centre, and she flinched at his touch.  He couldn’t help but smile down at her at how sensitive she was.  “You okay, pretty girl?”
“I need you, Elias,” she huffed out.
When he entered her she cried out in pleasure.  He kissed her passionately as he pushed further and further in, and when he bottomed out, he made sure to give her time to adjust to his size.  Due to their confessions earlier, he knew it had been a while for her – a while for both of them – so he’d need to adjust too.  He’d almost forgotten how good she felt; how perfectly she fit around him.  It wasn’t like he dreamt about how she felt around him for four years now.  “You alright?” he asked quickly.
“You feel so good, Elias,” she said, her eyes still closed.  
“Does it hurt?” he asked quickly, wanting to make sure he wasn’t hurting her like he had the first time.
She shook her head and finally opened her eyes.  “No.  It feels good.  It feels…it feels right.”
Elias gave her a quick kiss.  He began moving in and out of her slowly, and she began to roll her hips in tune with his movements.  “I love you, Svea,” he whispered against her lips.
“I love you too, Elias.”
“When we get back to Vancouver I’m going to make love to you on every inch of our apartment,” he said.  “And then when we get back to my place in Sundsvall, there too.”
“You promise?” she asked, her smile cheeky, the possibility of making love to Elias over and over and over again giving her so much joy.  
“We have to make up for lost time, don’t we?” his smile became equally as cheeky.  “Besides, we need to live out the first-year university year and the Vaxjo year where we did fuck all because we’re so lame.”
The both of them giggled, and Svea remembered back to their first encounter at sixteen, where she thought it was better to laugh with your best friend in bed than to be nervous with somebody else.  She hoped that they’d continue to giggle; that they’d continue to laugh together during their most intimate moments.  She ran her nails up and down his back before digging them into his shoulder blades.  “Make love to me, Elias,” she bit her lip.
Elias did just that, increasing his pace as he moved in and out of her, his small grunts and her small moans filling the room.  After a while, when Svea felt herself getting close, she arched her back and brought Elias’s face down to kiss him.  “Cum with me.”
“You’re close?”
She nodded her head.  “I want you to cum with me, Elias.”
Elias couldn’t hold back.  She felt so good and there was no way he’d be able to last any longer, so he let go completely.  As she made him see stars, he felt her walls tighten around him.  She cried out in pleasure as she came with him, holding on to him tightly so she could feel his body pressed against hers.  She kept her limbs wrapped around him as he collapsed on top of her, trying to catch their breath.  She played with the hair at the nape of his neck as they both calmed down.  
“I love you so much,” he mumbled into her nape of her neck as his breathing finally began to steady.  “You have no idea Svea.”
“I think I do,” she responded softly.  
Elias pulled out and quickly ran to the washroom.  Svea – too hung up on trying to savour the feeling, and too tired to care – stayed in bed and watched him through droopy eyes.  When he came back, he slipped into bed and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.  As they drifted off to sleep, Svea couldn’t help but think that she was the luckiest girl in the world.  Elias, conversely, affirmed his own thoughts that he was the luckiest guy alive.
>< >< >< >< ><
Sunday
When Elias woke the next morning, he was using Svea’s chest as a pillow.  He didn’t remember how they got in that position, and truthfully, he didn’t care to.  All he cared about was the feeling of her skin beneath his touch, how her breathing was slow and steadied, and how one of her hands was conspicuously still at the nape of his neck, like she’d been playing with his hair all night.  Intoxicated by it all, he couldn’t help but graze his lips over her skin lightly, wanting to wake her up as slowly and peacefully as he could.  
His lips grazed and kissed along her collarbone, then moved up to her neck before dipping down again.  He could feel her move slightly, her foot dragging along his leg as she sighed slightly, finally opening her eyes.  “G’morning,” she mumbled, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Good morning, pretty girl,” he mumbled against her skin, craning his head up so he could kiss her on her lips.  
They gave each other long, lazy kisses for a while, until Elias moved down to her neck again, cupping her breast underneath the covers.  Svea moaned softly.  “We’re going straight into this, aren’t we?”
Elias gave her a quick kiss.  “Like I said last night, we have to make up for lost time,” he reasoned.  He’d spend the entire summer making up for lost time if he had to (read: wanted to).
She smiled.  Before she could say anything else, loud footsteps could be heard upstairs.  Elias groaned, because it meant people were up.  And if people were up, it meant they wouldn’t get the privacy he wanted to do what he wanted.  Svea giggled at his groans, which only made him do it louder.  “What the hell are they doing up so early?” he mumbled.
“I don’t think it’s early,” Svea said.  “I think it’s us.”  She looked over to her side to see the time on the alarm radio.  “It’s definitely us.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost 9:30.”
Elias grumbled again.  Svea laughed and slipped out from underneath him, not taking her eyes off of him as he nestled back into bed.  “Elias?”
“Svea?”
“I love you.”
He smiled like a schoolboy – like he was a kid again and stole a cookie from the jar.  “I love you too, Svea.”
“You guys awake yet?!” Grace’s voice boomed down on them from the top of the stairs.  She was smart enough not to descend.  “Breakfast is almost ready and Brock won’t save you bacon, Petey!”
They gave each other one last kiss before quickly washing their faces and going upstairs.  Almost everybody was already seated around the table for breakfast, so they took their seats and filled their plates with the passed food.  Elias’s hand grazed Svea’s thighs underneath the table.  Svea tried not to let it show.
“What took you guys so long?” Hallie asked as she bit into a piece of toast.
“We were just talking,” Elias was purposely vague.
“What the fuck do you two even talk about?!  Neither of you talk!” Tanner exclaimed.  “You’re both so quiet!”
Elias smiled.  At any other point in the weekend, he probably would have gotten mad at the comment.  He probably would have gotten defensive or uptight or however he usually got when people told him he was so quiet and needed to talk more; he also would have been protective of Svea, who took those types of comments more personally, and called the other person a gaphals or something equally as Swedish in frustration because when he was frustrated he couldn’t find the English words for things as easily.  
But this time, things were different.  None of that mattered anymore.  Anybody could say whatever they wanted, make whatever observations they wanted about the two of them as people, but all that mattered, whether the outside world cared or not, was that he and Svea loved each other.  Simple as that.  It was corny, and it was cliched, but Elias didn’t care.
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its-ya-boi-leemin · 4 years
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I probably should make a better post for this in the future but I need to make this post sooner than later
I know you’re all probably tired of seeing posts like this but I really need help
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My name is JT and i’m a bi black guy with adhd living in Texas. This is Sparkie on the left and Daisy on the right, and they keep me going. Sparkie had stroke a couple of weeks ago and needs medication that i had to use my rent money on.
My parents stopped supporting me since I’ve graduated school and i’ve been laid off since October, with no hopes of getting support from the relief fund or from unemployment benefits.
I’ve been making ends meet barely by driving uber eats and looking for a job but after paying the vet bill I don’t think it’ll be enough to get through this month.
Please help this bi black guy have a place to live next month, I know Sparkie would really appreciate it
Venmo: @leemin
Cashapp: $leeminjt
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Merry Christmas y’all, and thank you.
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