#and then i remember her helping me into the car

[day-dreamed]

spencer reid x reader

spencer forgets his lunch at home, so you decide to bring it to him. what’s the worst that could happen?

cw: fem!non-bau!reader, roommate!spencer, angst, fluff, slight hurt/comfort, mutual pining

note: this is the longest thing i’ve written on this blog 😭 little nervous abt posting it ngl but i hope you guys like it 💓

You’re puttering around in the kitchen when you notice it on the counter. Spencer’s lunch, a sticky note with his name taped to the front. Immediately you grab your phone to shoot him a text, saying that you’ll bring it to the office for him. It’s your day off, so it’s not like you have any other plans.

The drive there doesn’t take too long. You hit some traffic, but it ends up moving quickly, which you’re grateful for. When you arrive at headquarters, the process of getting in is easy. Spencer had given them your information, like your ID and your car’s license plate, so you’re in their databases. You’re not sure how you feel about that, but since it makes things easier, you let it slide.

Once you’re in the building, it doesn’t take too long for you to get lost. The place is huge, a maze of long hallways that seem to lead everywhere and nowhere all at once. You’re about to panic when you spot a directory sign that has the Behavioral Analysis Unit listed, and a sigh of relief escapes your lips as you make your way towards it.

When you walk into the bullpen, you freeze, your eyes flickering about the room for any sign of your roommate.

“Can I help you?”

You jump and turn towards the source of the voice, face growing warm. “Um, hi! You must be Mr. Hotchner, right? I just—I’m looking for Spencer, is—is he here?” you stutter out. “He… he forgot his lunch,” you hold it up lamely, giving the man you’ve heard so much about a sheepish smile.

He opens his mouth to answer, but before he can, you spot Spencer coming up behind him. A close lipped smile adorns his face as he sidesteps his boss to get to you.

“Hi. What—what are you doing here?” he asks. His gaze travels from your face to the lunch bag gripped in your hands, and his mouth parts slightly. “Oh. You brought my lunch for me?”

“Mhm,” you nod, holding it out to him.

When he takes it from you, his fingers graze yours for a moment, making your heart flip. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t mind.”

The two of you stare at each other for a moment before you seem to remember that Spencer’s boss is standing about a foot away. Your roommate jumps and turns to him with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, Hotch, um, this is—this is my roommate,” he says, his face turning red.

“It’s great to meet you, sir,” you say, holding out your hand.

The man reaches out to take it with a small smile on his face, his handshake firm but gentle. “Please, call me Hotch. We’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to finally be able to put a face to the name.”

You stare at him. “What do you mean?” you ask, your heart doing somersaults as you glance sideways at Spencer, who’s got a panicked look on his face.

“Reid is always—”

“Hey! Um, I could give you a tour, if you want?” Spencer blurts out. “You know, since it’s your first time here.”

Your face burns. “Sure,” you say, clearing your throat. “It was great to meet you again, sir.”

Spencer is grabbing your hand before Hotch can respond, and you stumble after him as he pulls you away. You don’t get very far, though, before a woman appears in front of you, all bright colors and smiles.

“Oh my god! You must be Reid’s roommate,” she exclaims, immediately reaching forward to wrap her arms around you. “I’m Penelope Garcia, the BAU’s amazingly wonderful tech analyst.” When she pulls back, she rests her hands on your shoulders. “Wow. Spencer always talks about how pretty you are, you know. And he’s right.”

“Garcia!” you hear Spencer groan, but it sounds far away.

“He does?” you ask, voice barely above a whisper, suddenly feeling like the air has been stolen from your lungs.

A man appears from seemingly nowhere next to Penelope, his smile wide and bright as his eyes flicker between you and Spencer. “You’re pretty boy’s girlfriend, aren’t you?”

Penelope slaps him on the shoulder. “Derek! You can’t just ask that.”

“Why not?” he frowns at her. “I’m only joking.”

You gape at him, your brain scrambling as you try to find the right words to respond. Spencer comes to the rescue, thankfully.

“You guys, she—she’s just my roommate!”

“Okay, man, whatever you say,” Derek grins.

“Hey, don’t listen to him. He’s just being a jerk, okay?” Spencer says softly, placing a hand on your shoulder.

But you don’t hear him, still too busy thinking about the word Derek had said earlier. Girlfriend. Your heart pounds in your chest, breath caught in your throat.

“Sorry, I—excuse me,” you mutter. “I—I have to go to the bathroom.”

You avoid looking at their faces as you turn and flee, nearly running until you manage to find your way to the restrooms. The door slams behind you once you’re inside, and you cover your face with your hands, attempting to take a deep breath.

Everything that’s happened since you got to headquarters replays in your mind. Hotch saying that Spencer always talks about you. Penelope telling you that he’s always saying how…pretty you are. And then Derek, calling you Spencer’s girlfriend.

It’s all too much. Too overwhelming.

You’re so in your head that you don’t hear a knock at the door, followed by Spencer’s voice calling out your name. “Are you okay? Can I come in?”

“I’m fine,” you call out, but the crack in your voice says otherwise.

“I’m coming in.”

“Spence—”

Your protest is cut off as the door opens. A frown curves his lips when his eyes land on you. “What’s wrong?”

You just shake your head and let out a teary laugh, avoiding his gaze. “Nothing, Spence. It’s stupid really. I think—I’m just gonna go.”

“But—”

“I said I’m fine, Spencer.”

That shuts him up. You don’t usually use his full name, so when you do he knows not to push any further. “Oh. I… okay. Will you be okay getting back?” he asks softly.

“Yeah,” you whisper, nodding.

“Text me when you get home? Just so I know you made it safe.”

For some reason, his request makes your stomach twist and a lump form in your throat.

“Yeah. I will,” you breathe out, desperately hoping that he didn’t hear the way your voice trembled.

[deanstead]

Welcome Home

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Requested: Yes, by anon

Summary: Sam gets an unexpected call from Y/N, which brings another surprise for Dean

Word Count: 2.7K

Tags/Warnings: Dad!Dean, canon-typical mentions of blood/violence

A/N: In my "everything i write sucks" era but thanks to @seatsbythepit for her consistent beta services! I think this was in my inbox for a (long) while so I finally got this out!

DEAN WINCHESTER MASTERLIST

Sam frowned, glancing at his phone where it was lighting up with an incoming call from a number he didn’t know.

Not many people had this number, so he picked up warily, as Dean looked up.

“Hello?”

There was a short silence on the other end of the line before a familiar voice reached his ears.

“Sam?” 

Sam froze.

“Y/N?”

Dean sat up straighter, his eyes flicking toward his brother but Sam wasn’t paying attention.

It had been more than 2 years since you’d left and not a day had gone by that Dean didn’t blame himself for it. Sometimes, when he lay in bed at night, the last fight still haunted him - the look in your eyes when those hurtful words had cut across the room, the defeated sound in your voice as you looked him in the eyes and told him that if that’s what he thought of you, there was no point to all this.

After you left, he’d spent too many days staring at your name in his lists of contacts, his thumb hovering over the call button. The days ticked by, and soon it was way too late for Dean to call or reach out so he was left with replaying the last conversation you’d ever had like he needed to torture himself to make up for the hurt.

“Where are you?” Sam’s voice pulled Dean out of his thoughts and he frowned. That was never a good sign.

Sam spoke in a low voice before he nodded and hung up.

Dean stared at his younger brother as Sam stood, pausing as his eyes flicked toward Dean who was watching intently.

“Dean, she…”

Dean nodded, his eyes flicking back downward. “Yeah, I don’t blame her.”

“Look, why don’t you help from here, alright? I’ll make sure she’s alright.” Sam said, although he knew it must be killing Dean. 

“Yeah, just let me know what you need,” Dean responded, failing to hide the slight dejection in his voice as Sam left.

“Sammy.”

His name flowed off your lips the moment you opened the door, feeling familiar yet foreign at the same time. Yet, it was really good to see him.

Sam just smiled, enveloping you in a tight hug the way only an older brother would. “It’s good to see you.”

You nodded, smiling.

“You flying solo?” Sam asked, frowning.

You shook your head. “I’m not hunting. Not really. We were just passing through and I wanted to just run, but I… I couldn’t. Now, my friend’s sister is missing and I just…”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Wait. We?”

You gave him a guilty smile. “That’s why I called.” You paused before continuing. “And why I asked you to come alone. I didn’t think I should surprise Dean out here.”

Sam gave you a confused look and you exhaled slowly.

Without saying anything more, you led Sam into the room, as his eyes fell upon a two-year-old kid. A kid who was unmistakably Dean’s son as he gripped a miniature Impala car in his hand where he was sitting on the ground.

Sam looked at you in surprise.

You nodded. “This is Leo.”

It was probably a Winchester thing but Leo took to Sam almost immediately despite the fact he never let anyone else but you carry him for the past two years. 

You remembered how he’d wail in the doctor's or nurse’s arms but he seemed perfectly content sitting in Uncle Sammy’s arms now, playing with Sam’s hair.

“I was gonna get a friend to watch him, but if he likes you so much…”

Sam looked at you like you were crazy. “You’re not going alone.”

You exhaled slowly and nodded, like you’d already expected this answer from him.

Instead, Sam asked to review the information you had. It felt almost like the good old days, as you watched Sam pore over the notes you had at the small desk at the motel, the only thing different being that Dean wasn’t here and you had a two-year-old who’d fallen asleep in your arms.

You knew Sam was planning to call Dean when he left to get dinner but you pretended like you didn’t, busying yourself with preparing Leo’s meal.

When Sam returned with food for the both of you, you glanced at him and he nodded. “Yeah, I called Dean. Look, you know the research there is helpful. It won’t hurt.”

You shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.”

Sam glanced up at you. “What’s the plan, Y/N? Why didn’t you tell him? Or me?”

You glanced over your shoulder at where Leo was sleeping soundly and sighed softly. “I don’t know. I guess… I guess Dean and I never really had the talk. I didn’t know where he stood with regards to having kids, especially in this life.”

You paused, looking up at Sam momentarily before continuing. “Besides, we’d broken up. I thought he’d try to come and get me but… well, he didn’t. By the time I found out I was pregnant, too much time had passed and I didn’t know how to tell him.”

Sam nodded quietly, letting you continue.

“But I got out. I didn’t let Leo into this part of our life. Until today. And I hate it that he’s here when there’s a nest of fucking vamps right here. I didn’t…”

Sam reached out and squeezed your shoulder. “You were right to call. No matter what, it never hurts to have someone looking out for you.”

You smiled. “Well, I’m glad it’s you…”

“And Dean. Sorta.” You added after a small silence.

The conversation was cut short by Sam’s phone and he quickly answered it. “Anything good?”

You could hear the crackle of Dean’s voice and you felt your heart give a jolt. A jolt that didn’t exactly surprise you. Of course, how could you ever get over Dean Winchester?

You could vaguely hear Dean giving Sam some additional information before Sam hung up, glancing at you.

“You sure about this, Y/N?”

You glanced at Leo before nodding. You planted a firm kiss on Leo’s head, nodding to your friend, Samantha.

“Don’t worry. Sam’s great at what he does. We’ll figure this out.” 

She nodded back at you, assuring you that Leo was in safe hands.

It was your first hunt in a long while, but being a hunter seemed to already be a part of your DNA. 

Armed with the information that Dean had dug up, you and Sam managed to infiltrate the nest, easily lopping heads of vampires off as they were caught off-guard. You were glad Sam was there to have your back, especially when you both made your way to the dead center of the nest. 

“Sharon?” You kept your voice low. 

You headed to where she was huddled in the corner. You didn’t know Sharon well but you’d met once or twice when you’d come up here to meet Samantha.

“Y/N?” 

Her voice shook slightly. 

You nodded. “Yeah. I promised Samantha I’d bring you home.”

Sharon looked around, her eyes flicking to a dead body lying to the side. “They’re…”

You shook your head at Sharon. “Sharon, look at me. We’re going to get you home alright? Trust me.”

“Come on, Y/N.” Sam urged gently. 

Of course, you knew hunts never went that smoothly. 

A growl alerted you that a vamp had joined you and your body stiffened, the grip on the machete in your hand tightening. 

“Sam, get her out of here.”

“Y/N.” Sam’s voice was stressed and you recognized it, the struggle between leaving you here and taking Sharon to safety. 

“I’ll be fine.” You assured him, glancing back at the new arrival.

Sam didn’t answer but you knew the exact moment when he took Sharon and left, their footsteps seeming to echo as they got further away. 

“You hunters are the real monsters.” The vampire droned, staring at you. “Here we are, just trying to survive and you break into our home and kill my entire family.”

You tried to stifle the sarcastic laughter that was at the tip of your tongue.

“That’s rich coming from you.”

You knew it was coming before the vampire twitched, and you swung your machete upward as he rushed toward you. 

The vampire sidestepped, missing the machete by inches as it growled, even more determined to get you.

You stepped back again as it lunged at you, your heart sinking as you felt yourself lose your footing. 

Fuck. 

You rolled out of the way but the vampire was too quick, pouncing upon you. 

You raised your machete but it was too close, the machete inching closer toward you as the vampire bared its fangs at you. 

You held onto a single thought. You had to get home to Leo. 

Then, as if by sheer willpower, the unmistakable sound of a blade swishing through the air before the vampire’s head rolled off its shoulders. 

“Dean?”

Dean had lasted all of five minutes after the last call with Sam before he’d muttered a “screw this” to himself and torn his way out of the bunker and down to where Sam and you were.

You were still stunned as Dean rolled what was left of the vampire off you and helped you up.

“You alright? Are you hurt?” Dean’s eyes studied you, unable to differentiate if the blood on you was the result of any injuries you might have sustained before he’d arrived.

You shook your head. “I’m fine.”

The atmosphere sank into awkwardness as the both of you stood there now in silence.

“Sorry, Y/N. I know you wanted me to sit this one out, but I…”

You shook your head and interrupted him. “No, I… Thanks, Dean.”

You fell back into silence, both of you walking out toward the exit to Sam.

“God, Y/N!” Sharon’s stressed voice made her way to you first but you didn’t miss the surprised look Sam gave his brother even as you were assuring Sharon you weren’t hurt.

You looked up to see Dean quietly heading to the Impala, and before you could think through your next move, you were running toward him.

“Dean.”

Dean paused and turned to look at you.

You took a deep breath. “We need to talk.”

There was a look in Dean’s eyes that sat somewhere between confusion and intrigue.

You looked down at your blood-stained clothes and smiled. “Give me a few hours and I’ll come meet you at the bunker?” 

The words rolled off your tongue feeling foreign yet welcoming at the same time.

“The bunker?” Dean asked.

You shrugged. “Or wherever you guys want. If you don’t want me there.”

Dean shook his head. “That’s not what I…” He paused before continuing. “See you there.”

You watched the Impala drive off before you turned back to look at Sam, who had a small smile on his face, and you knew he’d heard everything.

You’d delivered Sharon safely back to Samantha, who hadn’t asked any questions, just glad to see her sister again. and you even managed to shower and change before Leo even noticed you and Sam were gone.

Now, Sam pulled up outside the bunker and you took a deep breath. 

“Ready?” Sam asked softly.

You gave a short laugh. “Never.”

You felt everything at the same time as you took Leo in your arms and walked into the bunker, the memories seeming to hit you all at once - the way this place made you feel, the laughter in your head that belonged to a memory of the three of you as you sat in Dean's embrace.

Even if this was the same place where things had ended, it was the happy memories that followed you as you walked down the stairs now.

Dean stepped out of the kitchen, freezing in his footsteps.

His eyes took in the sight before him, a kid that looked like a carbon copy of himself except for the eyes that were undoubtedly yours.

“Y/N…”

You cleared your throat and exhaled. 

“Hey Leo, let’s go find you some snacks,” Sam said, reaching his hands out for Leo.

Leo cracked a smile and allowed Sam to pick him out of your arms. “Pie!”

Sam glanced over at Dean, unable to hide a chuckle. “I’m sure we have that.”

The silence that followed was almost loud as Dean looked at you in disbelief and you cleared your throat. “Let’s talk.”

Dean led the way into the library, unsure if he should be pissed or happy to see you.

You leaned against one of the tables, as Dean looked back at you.

“Sorry.” You said quietly, looking down. You knew Dean had every right to be angry and you braced yourself for the rise in his voice but nothing came.

You glanced up at him again, meeting the green eyes you’d sorely missed.

Met with Dean’s silence you spoke again. “I didn’t know how to tell you. By the time I found out about it, too much time had passed since the last time we spoke. I stared at your number but I was afraid. I…” You took another breath. “We never talked about this. I didn’t know if you’d be happy or not and I chickened out.”

“So were you never going to tell me?” Dean finally asked.

You couldn’t really determine the tone of his voice but you shook your head.

“I… I kinda was on the way here.” You said quietly.

Dean’s eyebrows shot up. 

“I didn’t really have a plan.” You said. “Part of me thought if I just drove here, I wouldn’t be able to back out anymore. Then, that nest of vamps kidnapped my friend’s sister so I…”

“So you called Sam.” It was a statement.

You gave him a tentative smile. “Didn’t think you’d appreciate seeing Leo without an explanation in the middle of a hunt.”

Dean exhaled slowly.

“So what now?” Dean asked.

You didn’t dare look up at him, afraid your eyes would give you away. The eyes that screamed how you were still in love with him and that you’d missed him every single day that you’d been apart. The way your heart crumbled every time Leo smiled because it reminded you of Dean, and how all you wanted was to be enveloped in those arms again.

Even as those thoughts ran through your mind, you felt the prick of tears because this was exactly why you’d put off telling Dean about Leo.

“I don’t know, D.” You answered quietly. 

Your voice cracked slightly and you hoped Dean hadn’t picked up on it.

“Y/N.” He called, forcing you to look up at him, even though the tears blurred your vision.

Dean closed the gap between the both of you, one hand cupping your face as he pressed his lips against yours, his other arm snaking around your waist and pulling you closer to him.

“God, I missed you,” Dean whispered, as he pulled away just a little, your faces still pressed together.

You buried your face into his shoulder without saying anything, feeling your tears get absorbed into the shirt he had on.

You needn’t have worried about Leo. You looked at you son clutching the tiny toy Impala while he sat in his father's arms almost triumphantly as they came back in. Dean had brought Leo to see the real thing, and Leo had a ball of a time just sitting in the Impala.

“Mama, can we stay?” Leo asked with anticipation in his voice.

You froze. Dean and you hadn’t talked about anything. He’d kissed you, you’d hugged and then you’d gotten him out of that library to meet his son.

Dean closed the gap between the two of you, putting Leo into a giant hug between the both of you before he reached out for your hand.

“Stay,” Dean said quietly.

You glanced up at him. 

“I’m not going to lose you again.” Dean added, squeezing your hand gently. “Not for anything in the world.”

The words felt stuck in your throat, but you glanced at Leo and smiled. “Yeah, we’re staying with Daddy and Uncle Sammy.”

Dean leaned forward to press a quick kiss to your lips amidst Leo's triumphant yells.

Sam moved forward to press you into a hug. “Welcome home, Y/N.”

THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!

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[serevena]

please, please, please!

Dealer!ellie williams x fem!reader

a.n - this is inspired by please please please by Sabrina carpenter!! All of my fics have been written after a song at some point in time so here's this! My writing is dusty, im well aware..this is my comeback..happy pride month, babies!

warnings - provocative language, allusions to sex, mentions of jail, light touching, toxic!ellie (?), not proofread!

I beg you, don't embarrass me motherfucker.

"Who are you to the inmate?"

Her partner. In crime, you guessed?

Ellie got busted. Again. And as you leaned against the car after chatting with the officer, you heard the gate open and saw a familiar and somewhat annoying smile. It made you feel an aray of emotion, none nice. Maybe. Did you enjoy picking your girlfriend up from jail for the fifth time? That was a question left to be unanswered as you rolled your eyes and got off of the car, hopping into the driver's seat.

It was like a never-ending cycle to the point where no words had to be said, she knew the routine, as did you.

You sighed as the words of every mouth around you spoke that you didn't have good taste, good judgment, that you were wasting your time.

You hoped she didn't prove them right.

Ellie sat in the passenger seat, turning her head to you as she tossed her bag to the back. You put your finger on your temple and turned to her, unamused. She only had a light smile on her face.

"I'm sorry."

Oh. You were relatively appreciative but didn't show it. You were still mad at her and didn't wanna let her in like that too soon.

You stepped on the gas, trying not to think about what everyone else had to say. Maybe you should just say say things didn't work out. That way you wouldn't be scolded any longer. It'd be easier.

But, there was one thing you barely liked to admit to yourself,

You loved Ellie.

You didn't want to sometimes, but you can't help the way you feel. She frustrated you, but you found yourself there. In that same parking lot, on that same car. Every. Single. Time.

"It won't happen again." She went on, the slight thought popping up in her head that if she did get caught again, you'd be there. She knew that. But she pushed it down, glancing over to you and as for yourself, her words went through one ear, and out the other.

You felt her cold fingertips trace your skin, spelling out ‘S O R R Y’ as you stared at the ceiling fan. It was so nice. Maybe instead of going out and getting involved in the very thing that landed her behind that cell, she could just stare at it. Anything to get her to stay free.

You turned to her, her hand now on your hip as her thumb rubbed it, and you only gave her a small smirk. “Don’t make me hate you.” You muttered as her hand dipped slightly slower.

“I’ll try.”

“Ellie.” You said as you quickly tried to catch up to her. “Ellie!”

“I’ll be quick, promise.” She muttered, giving you a reassuring look before squeezing your hand before going into a room near the toilets of the bar. You stood there like an idiot, crossing your arms and remembering to straighten your posture. “Fuck.” You muttered under your breath.

And then you heard a shatter! Mixed with a few groans. “Fuck!” You yelled out, rushing into the room to see Ellie getting into a full on brawl with some of the people there. She quickly catches your eye and gestures towards the exit. This was a common occurrence, but this was a new bar, a new room with new people. What the hell were you expecting?

You both quickly run out as you start the car and begin backing up, seeing some of the people through the windows. You floored it out of there, gripping the steering wheel so hard like you’d done plenty of times before. You were sure there were imprints on it now. Ellie stood quiet, knowing you didn’t wanna hear it, she only winced sometimes as she touched her eye, which you could see was already forming a bruise. You rolled your eyes and drove to a different location that sure as hell wasn’t your house.

Ellie was somewhat alarmed. The thought that you might throw her out or kill her crossed her mind, but what the fuck? She knew you better than that. You would never, so she brushed that off too.

You drove up to a cliff, also known as the place Ellie and you had your first date. You got out of the car, practically slamming the door as you sat on the hood of your car, your legs dangling as your car lights flickered ever so slightly. Your eyes were glued to the moon.

And even though Ellie was in pain, she couldn’t deny that view. She couldn’t deny you.

You felt the car shake, the door close, and you heard her footsteps rub against the soil sole of her boot. You felt her hand find it’s way to your thigh as she looked at you.

“That..wasn’t supposed to happen like that.”

Your gaze continued to be fixated on the moon, but you had to look at her eventually, so you did.

“It shouldn’t have happened at all, Ellie.” You scolded, and her touch only became more gentle on your thigh.

“It won’t again. I love you.” She spoke.

You rolled your eyes, knowing it would.

You smiled and when you did, so did she. You leaned into her, cupping her cheeks as you softly kissed her.

I beg you..

“Don’t embarrass me, motherfucker.”

[lemoncrushh]

Rain Rain

Summary: Lexie is on her way to visit her sister, and she's taking Harry on the road trip with her, planning to drop him off at his friend's house for a wedding. But the weather has other plans.

Warnings: Not much - this is pretty much fluff with just a little petting and making out.

Word Count: 11k+

A/N: This is your basic "friends with one bed" trope. Harry x Bi!OC, AU, written in third person. Originally written and posted in 2019. This was based on a request I had gotten back then (which I still had copied into my docs): no worries if you’re not down to write about this, but it would be amazing if you wrote about someone who is mostly into women but just has this love for harry like no other. (maybe smutty idk) Thank you to that original anon wherever they are now! This ended up being three short parts, but I've combined them into one.

The rain was pouring so hard and so fast, the pavement was nothing but a blur as Lexie gazed out the window at the parking lot. She was grateful she’d remembered her raincoat, but cursed herself for not bringing along her boots. Her sneakers were bound to be a saturated, wet mess even after the short jog from the car. She could feel her bare toes curling against the rubber soles, and with a bitter scowl she shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat.

“Lex?”

“Hmm?” she turned her head in slow motion to see Harry looking at her with a raised brow.

“You sure you’re okay with this?”

Lexie nodded, giving a hesitant grin. “‘s fine. No worries.”

With a short nod to the man behind the counter, Harry took the room key and covered his head with the hood of his jacket. Pushing the door open, he grunted at the volume of the rain, both the noise and the amount, allowing Lexie to exit the lobby first.

“I can’t believe they only had one room,” he grumbled as she passed.

“Harry, don’t worry about it,” Lexie assured him. “We save money this way anyhow.”

Harry lifted his head to check that she was smiling, her nearly ever-present grin lighting her face, even on a full shit day such as this. He grinned back, making his way down the sidewalk to the last room on the left. Rain seemed to pelt against them sideways despite the awning above their heads.

“Jesus, it’s cold though,” Harry heard Lexie mutter as she bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting for Harry to unlock the door.

Sliding the key into the slot, the light flickered green and Harry pushed the door open. Rushing inside, Lexie pushed her hood off her face and took a gander around the room.

“Not too bad,” she appraised, sitting on the bed and kicking off her wet shoes.

“I’ll go get the bags,” offered Harry.

“Oh shit, I forgot!” exclaimed Lexie. “Let me put my sneakers back on.”

“No, no, you’re fine,” Harry waved his hand. “Sit, relax, get warm. I’ll just be a second.”

Lexie made a face, but reluctantly took off her raincoat and sat back on the bed, watching Harry make a run for it. She could see him out the window, opening the trunk of her car to retrieve their luggage, laughing to herself as she recalled how he’d called it a boot when they’d packed it.

The trip was supposed to have been a short one. So far it was twice as long as it should have been, nothing but a string of disaster after disaster. They were way behind schedule. But if Lex was being honest, she didn’t mind. Harry had proven to be a great travel companion, entertaining her jokes and chipping in some doozies of his own. When they’d gotten a flat tire, she’d helped him change it and then bought him breakfast. When Shelby had called her cell unexpectedly, and she’d panicked, Harry had covered for her, saying she was driving and couldn’t stop to talk.

“Safety first,” he’d said, even though she had bluetooth in her car.

Rising from the bed, Lexie held the door open for Harry as he ran back inside, a bag on each shoulder. Dropping them down beside the television with a huff, he finally got his own look at the room.

“Sorry about the one bed,” he sighed, unsure how Lexie felt about having to share it. “I’ll take the floor.”

“Don’t be silly, Harry, it’s a King! And should you really be offering that with your terrible back? I won’t have you complain for the rest of the trip.”

With a chuckle, Harry unzipped his hoodie and shrugged out of it, tossing it on the nearby chair. Fingers ran through his damp curls as he stepped out of his shoes and placed them next to the door. Unzipping his duffle bag, he pulled out some dry clothes.

“Mind if I shower?” he asked, pointing to the bathroom. “Unless you were…”

“No, it’s fine,” replied Lexie, grabbing the remote. “You go. I’ll watch some TV and see how this storm’s doing.”

“No calling Shelby, right?” Harry raised a brow.

Lexie scoffed. “No! We talked about this.”

“Alright. Just making sure. I mean, I can’t tell you what to do, but if it were me…”

“Harry!” exclaimed Lexie. “Go! I’m fine, I swear. I’m not calling her.”

“Or texting.”

“Or texting!”

With a smirk, Harry turned for the bathroom and shut the door. Lexie turned on the television, finding the local weather. No surprise there was a big storm in their area, possible hurricane and flood warnings.

“No shit,” she muttered under her breath.

She was bummed she wouldn’t be at her sister’s tomorrow afternoon, but she wasn’t really in a huge hurry either. It was Harry she was more concerned about. He was supposed to be at his friend’s on Saturday for a wedding and Lexie was dropping him off on the way. If this storm kept up and they got stranded, they might not make it in time.

Getting bored with the newscasters, Lexie reached for her phone. She stared at it for a few minutes, reading the last text from her ex-girlfriend. Her fingertip ghosted over her name as she contemplated texting her back. The sound of thunder made her jump, however, and with a grumble she took it as a warning, just like she knew Harry would have done.

Setting her phone next to her, she scooted back on the bed and leaned against the headboard. She heard the squeaky turn of a faucet and the shower stopped. Moments later, Harry emerged, his hair sticking out in pieces around his head from towel drying it. Lexie couldn’t help staring at him, though she didn’t realize she was until Harry caught her in the mirror and wiggled his eyebrows. She swiftly turned her attention back to the TV where the news was on some story about a robbery at a local convenience store. She could hear Harry brush his teeth and spit in the sink before he turned for the bed.

“So how’s it looking?” he asked as he climbed onto the bed next to her.

“Huh?” Lexie half-gasped.

Harry chuckled. “The weather. How’s it look for us the rest of the night?”

“Oh. Um...possible flooding they said. Hurricane conditions.”

“Bugger,” Harry muttered as he settled himself against the pillow. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get back on the road in the morning.”

“Fingers crossed,” said Lexie, crossing her hands over her stomach.

The news broke for commercial, but Lexie remained focused on the television. Her hand itched to reach for her phone, but she resisted. Her nose had suddenly made her hyper aware of her sense of smell as she inhaled the scent of soap, shampoo and something else she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Harry smelled so good lying beside her, it made her mouth water. Her stomach did some weird flip, her face was warm to the touch, and she tried to put her focus on the 1-800 numbers flashing on the screen as she wondered from where on earth this feeling had emerged.

The truth was, Lexie had been attracted to Harry since the day they’d met. They’d had a few mutual friends, one of which had introduced them at a party for another. And while Lexie considered herself bisexual, she had almost exclusively been dating women for the last few years. In fact, she had just begun a serious relationship with Shelby when she’d met Harry at that party. They’d become fast friends which she was fine with, but she couldn’t deny there was some sort of spark there, at least from her point of view.

The sound of a hearty laugh made her turn her head abruptly, but she realized Harry was giggling at the trailer for a new comedy. Lexie watched his face for a moment, the way his eyes squinted when he laughed, the deep dimple in his left cheek. These were just a couple of things that she liked about him, though she could probably make a long list.

Seemingly aware of her stare, Harry mimicked her gaze, his eyes twinkling. Lexie smiled at him, trying to come off as casual and not like a staring buffoon.

“Are you gonna go?” Harry inquired.

“Huh?”

“The shower, love,” he explained. “Thought you were gonna go next.”

“Oh,” Lexie blushed. “Of course.”

Rising from the bed, she grabbed her phone before it slid off. Harry, however, was quick too and reached for it.

“Nope. Not bringing that with you.”

“Fine,” Lexie rolled her eyes. “Wasn’t gonna look at it anyway.”

Harry smirked as Lexie rummaged through her suitcase for something to sleep in, then stuck out her tongue before closing the bathroom door, making Harry giggle again.

Lexie let the hot water soothe her muscles as she stood under the stream. She hadn’t realized she’d been so tense, but she blamed it on the weather and Shelby’s texts. Her ex wanted to get back together, it was obvious, though she hadn’t said it directly. But Lexie knew it was over. It had been over long before they’d actually broken up. Still, she couldn’t deny that she missed her.

Lexie thought about the phone call in the car when Harry had answered her cell. Afterwards he and Lex had a deep, albeit short conversation about relationships and how sometimes things quit working because you’ve run out of road.

“You’ve just reached a dead end,” he’d said. “And that’s when you know it’s time to say goodbye, let it go and travel down a new path.”

Though she knew he was right, Lexie was hesitant about taking that detour.

As she shut off the water and grabbed a towel, she could hear singing. She grinned when she realized it was Harry in the other room singing along to a commercial. She giggled to herself as she got dressed, finding herself humming the tune as well. Harry was a joy to be around. He made every situation bearable, no matter the circumstances. Perhaps, she considered, her attraction to him was merely his light that shone from within, and not anything sexual. When she emerged from the bathroom, however, and found him sprawled out on the bed in a simple t-shirt and sweats, one arm behind his head as the glow from the television defined the lines and curves of his face, she dismissed that notion.

“Damn,” she muttered under her breath before crossing the room to her suitcase.

“What’s wrong?” Harry inquired, his eyes following her. He watched her pull out a small pouch from her bag and return to the vanity.

“Nothing,” she lied, taking out her toothbrush. “That thunder just...doesn’t sound good.”

“Yeah, I think it’s getting closer than further away,” Harry commented, shifting onto his side to face Lexie while she brushed her teeth. Resting his head in his hand, his gaze roamed down her body as he noticed her sleeping attire.

“Those are cute,” he said, not meaning to. It just slipped.

“Wha’?” she sounded, her mouth full of toothpaste. Spitting into the sink, she eyed him in the mirror. “What’d you say?”

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled. “I just...I like those pajamas. They’re cute.”

“Oh,” Lexie blushed. “They’re old. But thanks.”

She couldn’t think of any other reply. He liked her old, worn out flannel pajamas? She’d had them since before Shel-

Clearing her throat, she ran a brush through her hair before making her way back to the bed. She could feel Harry’s eyes on her as she climbed in beside him again, pulling her knees up to her chest.

“Wanna watch a movie or something?” she asked, her gaze on the TV.

“Yeah, I was gonna ask you that,” Harry replied. “Unless you’re too tired.”

“I’m not really ready for sleep yet. What is there to watch?”

“Actually, not much. Most anything I found worthwhile is halfway over and has commercials. And I don’t reckon we wanna pay for something, especially if we end up losing power.”

Just as he said the last sentence, another crack of thunder sounded and made Lexie jump.

“Um…” she muttered with a grimace, “maybe we should just pick whatever’s on and hope for the best.”

With an easy grin, Harry rose from the bed.

“While you decide, I’m gonna go get some ice and a few things from the machines, if there is any. What would you like?”

“I'd like you to stay here with me,” she blurted without thinking.

Harry’s smile grew wider as he slipped back into his jacket. Lexie bit her lip as she felt herself blush for the second time.

“I won’t be gone long,” Harry offered.

“But I just brushed my teeth.”

Harry chuckled. “Then brush ‘em again. You know you want snacks, I can see the look in your eyes.”

“Yeah,” muttered Lexie. “I guess I do.”

“Plus if we end up stranded, you’re not eating my leg.”

Lexie burst out laughing. “Good thinking. I’ll take some potato chips and any kind of cookies they’ve got.”

“Soda?”

“Juice if they have it. If not, something without caffeine. Do you need money?”

“Nah, I got it,” Harry said, grabbing the ice bucket. “Be back in a second.”

Lexie sat back on the bed and flipped through the channels before landing on a Spiderman movie. She’d forgotten if she’d seen that one before or not, but it didn’t really matter. It was more for a distraction anyway, from both the booming thunder outside and the thumping of her heart inside her chest.

Harry rushed back into the room in record time, his hands full. Dropping several items onto the bed, he left again only to return seconds later with the ice bucket. Lexie watched as the door shut behind him and he pushed his hood back, revealing his damp curls.

“Were the vending machines not covered?” Lexie asked, grabbing one of the Sprite bottles Harry had brought.

“They were, but the water was dripping between the slats right above them, so I got a bit wet. No worries, though.”

“Harry, why is nothing a big worry to you?” Lexie eyed him as she took a sip of soda.

Harry shrugged as he returned his jacket to the chair and kicked off his shoes.

“Pick my battles,” he explained. “We got food, drinks and ice. Mission accomplished. A little rain didn’t stop me.”

“A little rain?” Lexie scoffed. “Sometimes you’re just a little too Mary Sunshine.”

Harry looked at her as he sat next to her on the bed. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I stepped in a puddle and nearly hit my head on a metal beam when I heard the thunder?”

Lexie smiled. “Yeah. Kinda.”

Reaching for a bag of Lay’s, she could feel his eyes on her. Finally when she bit into a chip, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You’re one to talk.”

“What?” Lexie raised a brow.

“Mary Sunshine.”

“Excuse me, I am not Mary Sunshine.”

“Yeah, you are,” said Harry. “You were totally cool with taking me along on this trip. You were fine with us sharing a room here, even just the one bed. Right now, you seem perfectly fine with that soda instead of the juice you’d really wanted. Honestly, you’ve barely even said one negative thing the entire time. Except maybe regarding Shelby, and even that you seem to be taking in stride.”

Lexie considered his words for a moment before giving a shrug. “Maybe I pick my battles, too.”

“Fair enough.”

Taking another swig from her Sprite bottle, she looked down at her lap. “It might have something to do with present company, too,” she said softly.

Harry turned his head and looked at her, his eyes seeming to study her face, hoping she’d expand on her admission.

“You’re easy to be with,” she added. “You don’t judge me and you’re considerate and nice and...I dunno, I just like that about you. Rubs off on me, I suppose.”

Harry continued to look at her as she ate her potato chips, her eyes on the television.

“Oh,” he finally managed to voice. “That’s...really lovely, Lex. Thank you.”

Lexie gave him a soft, short smile before biting into another chip. The two of them ate and watched the movie in silence for a while, until the next commercial break. When Lexie rose from the bed to shake off the crumbs and throw away her trash, she heard Harry speak again.

“I like that about you, too, you know?”

“What?” she raised a brow.

“I like that you’re easy to be with. Fun, actually. You don’t complain a lot, and you almost always have a smile on your face.”

Lexie tried to hide her current smile but failed.

“I’m not sure that last part is true,” she commented.

“Oh, it definitely is,” said Harry. “I just noticed it earlier. I know you’re...still getting over...um...someone...but you still seem happy.”

“That’s a facade,” Lexie confessed. “Inside I’m a mess.”

“Really? Could’ve fooled me.”

Lexie eyed Harry with a smirk. “I guess I just did.”

Softening his expression, Harry nodded. “‘m sorry. You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.”

Harry studied Lexie’s face for a moment, wondering if she would change her mind. But when she didn’t, he knew not to push her. “Okay.”

Lying back on his pillow, he folded an arm behind his head. Something about his relaxed state made her want to cuddle with him and tell him all her problems. Shaking away the thought, Lexie lied back too, her eyes on the TV.

“I think we just grew apart,” she finally muttered.

“What?” Harry turned his head to look at her.

“Shelby and me,” she explained. “We just...got too comfortable, I guess? If that makes sense. It became boring. And when I get bored, I start to get restless.”

“I think that makes sense,” Harry commented. “You can only spread yourself so far.”

“Exactly!” Lexie nodded. She rolled onto her side, facing Harry. He blinked at her nearness, her wide-eyed expression.

“Like I’m willing to give myself to somebody, everything I have. When I love someone, they’re my world. But after a while it felt kind of one-sided.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry said again. “How did Shelby feel about it?”

Lexie shrugged. “We would just end up arguing when I brought it up. She said she wasn’t like me, that she needs her space and time separate from me. I told her I understood that, but I still needed her to meet me in the middle once in a while.”

“And maybe more?” Harry asked.

“What do you mean?”

This time, Harry turned onto his side, so he was face to face with Lexie. “Maybe sometimes you needed her to make the full effort like you were doing, so you didn’t have to meet her in the middle at all.”

Harry watched Lexie’s eyelashes flutter rapidly until a tiny drop fell down her cheek. Without thinking, he lifted his hand to brush it away with his thumb.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he whispered.

Lexie shook her head, then reached her hand up and grasped Harry’s wrist. “No. You’re absolutely right. How did you know?”

Harry shrugged. “‘s not hard to figure out, Lex. You’ve worn yourself thin.”

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t try,” she choked.

“I know.”

“I loved her.”

“Course you did. Maybe you still do?” Harry lowered his hand, releasing it from her grip.

Lexie pursed her lips. “I dunno. I guess I’ll always love her in some way. But I think the real love was gone a long time ago.”

“You think she feels the same?” Harry asked.

“Well...she was angry when we broke up. But now she says she wants to get back together.”

“What do you want?”

Lexie sighed, running a hand through her hair as her eyes darted around the room. “I guess...I dunno I just don’t think she can change. She’s just...she’s probably gonna keep calling me…”

Harry stopped her by taking her hand, making her look at him again. “That’s not what I asked, Lex. What do you want?”

Lexie opened her mouth to speak but shut it quickly. Then biting her lip, she really considered Harry’s question.

“I just want to move on, to be honest,” she finally admitted.

“Then move on.”

A loud boom of thunder sounded then, once again timely as though it punctuated Harry’s words. Neither of them, however even made a move. They lay facing each other in silence, the movie credits scrolling up the ignored television screen.

Butterflies danced in Lexie’s stomach as she stared at Harry, his green eyes seeming to say unspoken words. Though she wasn’t quite sure what those words were, she had an idea. Swallowing hard, she loosened her hand from his grip only to thread her fingers with his. Harry dropped his gaze to their joined hands before his eyes darted back up to her face, landing on her mouth. Instinctively, Lexie licked her lips and in one split second, she felt Harry’s lips pressed against them.

They were so soft. That was the first thought that crossed her mind. The second was that she hoped he didn’t stop any time soon.

Thunder cracked once again as Harry released Lexie’s hand to cup her cheek. She sighed against his mouth, and that was enough for him to know it was okay to deepen the kiss. Lexie opened her mouth to him, allowing his tongue to meet hers. She felt something then - something more than just arousal.

Rain continued to pelt against the roof and the window, the sound so loud, one would think the glass might break and water would rush in. But at that moment, Lexie heard nothing but the beating of her own heart in her chest.

Harry shifted slightly then, resting his leg between hers as he laid on top of her. Their kisses became intense, an apparent hunger as though they couldn’t get enough. Lexie’s hands found the back of Harry’s jeans, her fingers looping into his belt at his waistband. She held on for a few moments as his hips began to buck against hers, causing a friction that drove her mad. When his lips finally left hers and dragged across her jaw, she gasped for air.

“Ha-harry…” she sounded. Swallowing hard, she blinked to get her bearings. “Harry.”

Lifting his head, he looked at her face, her eyes reading uncertainty.

“Sorry,” he breathed. “Jesus, Lex, I’m sorry. I didn’t-”

“No,” Lexie interrupted. “Don’t. Don’t be sorry.” She shook her head. “About anything.”

“Really? Then why…”

“It’s just…” she licked her lips. “I’ve never...been with a guy...before…”

Harry’s eyes widened as he tried to sit up, but Lexie pulled him back.

“I mean...not like this. I’ve dated men. Well...boys really,” she chuckled nervously. “But it’s been a while.”

“But have you…”

Lexie shut her eyes and shook her head. She heard Harry sigh and felt his body relax against hers. She felt a flutter in her chest at the idea that he hadn’t moved off of her. She liked the feeling of his body against hers. When she opened her eyes, she saw him eyeing her, his expression sweet and calm.

“I don’t wanna make you do something you’ll regret, Lex,” he said. “But you should know, I didn’t tell you to move on in hopes that you’ll sleep with me.”

Lexie giggled. “But I am sleeping with you.”

Harry rolled his eyes and smirked. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” Lexie said softly. “I also know I like you.”

Harry’s smile grew as he brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “You do?”

“Mhmm,” Lexie nodded. “The truth?”

Harry raised a brow as Lex grazed her fingertips across his back. “You’re the first guy I’ve ever had these kinds of feelings about.”

“What kind of feelings?” he whispered.

“You know…” Lexie hesitated. “Feelings like...I think you’re incredible and sweet. And I want to touch you. And I want you to touch me.”

Lexie felt Harry shift again, his thigh nearly pressing exactly where she wanted it to.

“Yeah?” he asked, his eyes studying her face intently.

With the flutter of her eyelids, she nodded again. “Please.”

“Lexie…”

Before she could say more, before she barely had time to process how sexy and deep his voice sounded when he said her name, his lips were on hers again.

Lexie shoved her pajamas into her overnight bag as she watched the light yet steady rain continue to fall outside. The weather wasn’t as bad as it had been during the night. The thunder and lightning had stopped, and the parking lot wasn’t flooded like Harry had predicted.

Harry.

She could hear his footsteps coming up the sidewalk. Taking her eyes from the window, Lexie turned toward the sink to grab her toothbrush and other toiletries. She heard the door open behind her and the sound of feet stomping to rid of their dirt or water.

“We’re all checked out,” he announced. “So...whenever you’re ready…”

“Okay,” Lexie called over her shoulder before turning around and dropping her toiletry bag inside her suitcase. Then she zipped it up and gave a tight smile. “All set.”

“Here, I’ll take that,” Harry declared with a nod as he reached for Lexie’s bag.

Sucking in her lips, Lexie decided not to argue, accepting Harry’s chivalry as she slid her arms into her raincoat. Then she followed him out to her car where she unlocked it and popped open the trunk. Lexie sat in the driver’s seat, the engine running while she heard Harry slam the trunk and rush to his side.

“Rain’s not so bad now,” he commented, rubbing his hands together, “but the temperature’s dropped.”

“Yeah, it’s cold,” Lex agreed, immediately regretting it.

The entire morning had been nothing but short, redundant replies to his comments or questions, punctuated with tight-lipped smiles and nods. Awkward didn’t begin to describe the thick air between them.

“Breakfast?” Lexie managed to ask when she shifted the car into reverse.

“Yeah, sure,” Harry said as he buckled his seatbelt. “Don’t reckon those potato chips and sodas lasted long after…”

Though his words trailed off, Lexie looked at him with wide eyes. When his gaze lifted from the click of his seatbelt and he gave a smirk, however, she felt herself blush. A small, nervous giggle escaped her throat as she shifted back into drive and turned out of the parking lot.

Still catching a flicker of a grin on Harry’s face out of the corner of her eye, Lexie quickly found a radio station that was to her liking, and she quietly hummed along. Truth was, she was nervous as hell, though she wasn’t quite sure why. She didn’t like it that Harry suddenly made her nervous either, because he never had before. He was her friend. But now he was…

Harry.

Her mind wandered to the night before, his soft kisses, his hands on her hips as his own pressed against her. He hadn’t tried to rush her. In fact, he had been completely gentle and respectful, knowing she was hesitant. Her own brain had been spinning like a whirlwind, unsure of how far to go. She knew she liked him and was attracted to him, that was a given. And the feeling of his lips on hers only confirmed that. But it had only been a short time that she’d been broken up from Shelby, her long-term girlfriend and the only person who’d even seen her naked in two years.

She’d let him touch her. When his hand had slipped inside her pajama bottoms, she hadn’t stopped him, though his eyes questioned her. She’d bit her lip and opened her legs, a sigh quickly releasing from her lungs when she felt his fingers on her. His gaze had been focused on her face the entire time while his hands had done the magic, making her throw her head back and moan as her legs shook. She thought she might have breathed his name, though she wasn’t sure. It was a possibility it had gotten lost behind the sound of the thunder. She did remember, however, the tender kiss he’d given her when she’d come down, his hands cradling her face as though she was a china doll.

“Lex?”

“Huh?” Lexie blinked. She blushed again, realizing her focus was not on the road.

“Looks like there’s a diner up there,” Harry pointed. “Unless you just wanted to find a McDonald’s.”

“Oh! No...yeah...that sounds great, actually.”

“I know I could go for some pancakes,” Harry commented, patting his belly.

Lexie smiled at him. “Yeah. Me too.”

Pulling into a spot next to a pickup truck, Lexie put the car in park and killed the engine. Pushing her door open, she felt something brush her hand. But just as she turned to look at Harry, she saw him quickly peel his eyes away and open his own door, shutting it with a thud.

The overly chipper waitress seated them at a table by the window. After ordering coffee and juice, Lexie pulled out her phone, prepared to text her sister when she suddenly frowned. Harry caught it, his breath stalling in his throat as he waited for Lexie to say something.

He watched her silently as she typed hastily on her phone. He wanted to snatch it from her hands and throw it out the window, but instead he waited. Despite what happened between them the night before, it was none of his business whom she was texting. But he really hoped to God it wasn’t Shelby.

The waitress returned with their beverages then, and Lexie laid down her phone with a smile. They both ordered a big breakfast with pancakes, but suddenly Harry wasn’t very hungry.

“Um…” he hesitated, reaching for his silverware. “Everything okay?”

“What? Oh…” Lexie shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it’s fine. I had a text from Shelby, but I ignored it. I was texting my sister to let her know I made it through the storm, and that I’ll text her again once I’ve dropped you off.”

Harry sucked in his lips and nodded, though he felt his insides release the tension they’d been holding.

“I’m sorry I had to tag along,” he muttered.

“Don’t be silly, Harry,” Lexie waved him off before dropping a straw into her orange juice and taking a sip.

“Well, if you didn’t have to take me to Brian’s, you could get to your sister’s sooner. You have to go out of the way.”

“Harry, it’s not out of the way. In fact, it’s exactly on the way. It’s fine.”

Harry watched Lexie��s eyes as she took another drink. He liked the way her eyelashes fluttered slowly, laying delicately against her cheeks. He thought of kissing her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips. He’d never been this awkward around anyone before, the morning after. But this wasn’t just anyone.

“Besides,” Lexie added, sitting back in her seat, “it was you that needed the ride. It just so happened that I could visit my sister at the same time.”

The waitress returned with their food, and for several minutes they ate in awkward silence. Or perhaps it was only Harry who felt awkward. He wanted to mention the night before, but he reckoned in a diner while eating pancakes was not the best place to bring it up.

“So, are you excited about the wedding?” Lexie asked, breaking the silence.

Harry shrugged. “I like weddings. But I’m not sure excited would be the right word.”

Lex giggled, making Harry look up from his breakfast. He’d come to notice that he really liked her laugh.

“Why not?”

“Well…” he began, swallowing the bite in his mouth, “Brian’s an old friend of mine. And I’m happy for him. His family’s always been great to me. Looks like he’s found a great girl. It’s just…”

Lexie looked at him, tilting her head. “Just what? You’re not jealous, are you Harry?”

“No,” he shook his head. “Not jealous. I just...he’s got a big family, lots of cousins and friends. I’ll be the only person there alone.”

“Oh,” Lexie mouthed. She wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Last time I visited them,” he added, surprising Lex, “I was seeing someone.”

“Oh,” she whispered again.

With another shrug, Harry dismissed his own thoughts, diving back into his pancakes. “Doesn’t matter, I know. It’s my mate’s wedding. It’s not about me.”

“That’s true,” Lexie nodded. “You’re just there to show support.”

“Exactly,” Harry said with his mouth full.

With an odd feeling in her stomach, Lexie managed to eat the rest of her breakfast. She mentally kicked herself for even bringing up the subject and vowed to stay quiet about it until they’d reached their destination.

Back on the road, Lexie gave Harry control of the music, letting him choose a playlist from her phone. Except for a comment here or there on the songs, the conversation was sparse. They were on a long stretch of highway with nothing much on either side but pasture and the occasional farm or herd of cows.

“So, um…” Harry hesitated a moment before deciding to just admit what he was thinking. “I enjoyed last night.”

“What?” Lexie turned her head quickly before returning her eyes to the road. She heard Harry let out a soft, deep laugh, making her weak in the knees.

“I was wondering how long it would take either of us to mention it, but it’s been hours now and...well, I reckoned I’d have to be the one to address the elephant in the room...or, um...car.”

Sucking in her lips, Lexie felt herself blush as she gripped the steering wheel.

“Sorry,” she finally muttered, stealing a glance at Harry. “Guess I’m not very good at this.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” said Harry. He paused before adding his question. “Did you enjoy it?”

Lexie felt her lips curl up as she kept her eyes on the road. Then tapping her thumbs on the wheel, she nodded. “Yes. Very much.”

“Good.” Harry sat back in his seat then, trying his best not to seem cocky. But she’d said she’d liked it. And that made him happy.

“I um...just want you to know…” he added, “it doesn’t have to be...weird between us now.”

“Oh, yeah, I know,” Lexie agreed hastily.

“It’s just...um...I’d really like to do it again, but if you feel-”

“If I feel what?” Lexie eyed him, her cheeks still pink.

Harry grinned, looked down at his knees and licked his lips. He was kind of enjoying the obvious effect he had on her, but he didn’t want to push it.

“Just...if you don’t want to, I’ll understand.”

“Harry, I um…” Lexie shifted in her seat, gripping the wheel. “Something else you should know about me. I’m not a one and done type of girl. I don’t...sleep around.”

Harry’s lips widened, his dimples deeper. “I know that, Lex.”

“But by the same token,” she continued, “I don’t rush into things either. I mean, I just broke up with-”

She stopped when she felt Harry’s hand on her elbow.

“Say no more,” he murmured. “I understand.”

Slowly releasing her grip on the steering wheel, Lexie lowered her arm to the seat, laying her hand next to her, palm up. Taking it as the gesture it was, Harry gracefully slipped his fingers through hers. Their hands remained like that through the next three songs as they both hummed softly along until stopping at the next exit to fill up on gas.

Harry had gone inside the food market to get a few snacks for the road while Lexie pumped the gas. Paying the cashier, he pushed the door open to see Lexie with her back to him, leaning against the driver’s side. It wasn’t until he got closer that he realized she was talking on her cell.

“I just can’t do it anymore, Shel,” he heard her say. “I just...I think it’s time we both moved on.”

Afraid he was intruding, Harry started to turn back to the market, pretending he’d forgotten something.

“Harry!”

Stopping in his tracks, he turned around again. Lexie beamed at him as she pushed a strand of hair from her face. He never thought she looked so pretty. Except maybe last night…

“What’d you get me?” she asked, jogging around the back of the car. Peeking into the paper bag, she raised her brows. Then she giggled, recognizing the potato chips, cookies and juice. “All my favorites.”

“Well, you didn’t get your juice last night so-”

Lexie planted a haste kiss on his cheek. “You’re sweet. I’m going to the ladies’. Be right back.”

“Hey, would you like me to drive for a while?” Harry inquired.

“If you like,” she smiled, handing him the keys.

Harry watched her practically prance into the market. He didn’t want to jinx it, but it certainly seemed like she’d gotten the closure she needed with Shelby. He was happy to see her with a little pep in her step.

Setting the groceries in the backseat, Harry put the key in the ignition. Then reaching back, he grabbed the two juices and placed them in the cup holders between the front seats. Just as Lexie returned to the car, Harry noticed it was sprinkling.

“Good timing, I guess,” remarked Lex as she climbed into the passenger seat. “I saw the dark clouds forming a few miles back.”

Switching on the windshield wipers, Harry pulled out of the gas station. As soon as they were back on the highway, he heard Lexie open the bottles then hand him one.

“Cheers,” she said with a sly grin.

Harry mimicked her, tapping his bottle against hers. “Thanks.”

“So, tell me more about this Brian guy,” said Lex as she pulled out the bag of potato chips and opened them.

Harry looked at her and then back at the road. “You sure are in a good mood.”

“Am I not supposed to be?”

“I dunno. I just thought…”

“That I’d be sad or still hung up on Shelby?” she asked.

Harry shrugged. “I couldn’t help overhearing.”

Lexie was quiet for a moment as she stared at the chip in her hand.

“It’s over,” she admitted softly. Then turning, she captured Harry’s gaze. “I ended it. Officially.”

Swallowing, Harry set his juice in the cup holder and nodded. “How do you feel about that?”

With a grin slowly spreading across her face, Lexie popped the chip into her mouth.

“I feel good about it,” she announced. “Great, actually. Is that awful?”

Harry shook his head. “Not at all. I’m glad you got the closure you needed.”

“Me too,” Lex agreed. Then like before, she laid her hand palm up across the console. Harry took it as an invitation and with a tiny flicker of a spark, he threaded his fingers through hers.

“Thank you.”

Harry wasn’t exactly sure what he’d done, but the look on her face and the touch of her skin was enough reason.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Now hand me some of those cookies.”

“Hurry before you catch pneumonia!” Lexie heard the woman at the door call out.

The rain had been coming down nonstop for the last couple hours. Though Lexie had been grateful to Harry for taking over behind the wheel, she felt guilty for making him drive through that grueling weather. They’d finally made it to his friend Brian’s house, or rather, his mother’s, but the rain was determined to be difficult, the wind only adding to the arduous driving conditions.

Closing the trunk of the car, Lexie followed Harry as he carried both bags up the steps of the large farmhouse, stomping his feet on the massive wrap-around porch. Lex had given Harry a short questioning glance when he’d grabbed her bag, but with the woman shouting and the rain pouring down, she decided not to argue.

“Virginia!” he shouted. “Nice to see you.”

“Harry Styles, get in this house this instant!”

Practically shooing him over the threshold, the woman wasn’t slow to notice the girl following behind.

“Hello, dear!” she greeted. “Welcome.”

Lexie barely got a thank you out before Virginia addressed Harry again. “Who did you bring, handsome?”

“This is Lexie, Virginia,” Harry answered as he dropped the bags in the foyer. “We drove here in her car.”

“Oh, I see,” Virginia beamed. “Lovely to meet you...Lexie, you said?”

“Well, it’s Alexis actually, but…”

“Oh, come here, give me a hug,” the older woman insisted. “I’m so happy for you.”

Lexie wasn’t sure if she was more embarrassed because she was wet from the rain, or because the woman obviously thought she and Harry were a legit couple. Catching only a slight twitch of nervousness in Harry’s reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall, she opted to once again leave it be. Virginia was certainly used to playing hostess, and from the aroma in the house, Lexie could already tell she was good at it.

“Styles, you made it!”

Lexie looked up to see a man around Harry’s height and build saunter down the stairs. Meeting Harry, he caught him in a tight embrace, murmuring thank yous and missed yous.

“Lex, meet one of my oldest, dearest mates, Brian Ramsey.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lexie nodded, extending her hand.

“Pleasure’s all mine.”

“And you already met his mother, Mrs. Ramsey, AKA Virginia, AKA the best cook aside from my mum.”

“AKA the one you never come to see anymore,” Mrs. Ramsey swatted at Harry with her dishcloth.

“I’m sorry love, I’ve been busy,” Harry smirked.

“Mhmm, I see,” she nodded, eyeing Lexie and then giving a wink.

“Well, c’mon, Harry, let’s go have a drink,” Brian gestured down the hall to where Lexie only assumed was the kitchen. “Pretty sure Pops, Jenny and Serena are back here.”

Eager to join him, Harry looked back at Lexie with a smile.

“Oh,” she mouthed. “Actually, I should probably get going.”

“What?” Virginia asked incredulously.

“Yeah, um...I was actually just dropping Harry off. I have to get to my sister’s.”

“Oh, honey, you can’t go out in this weather!” Virginia insisted. “It’s supposed to be raining all night, possible flooding. Maybe even a tornado.”

“Oh.”

“And the roads around here usually flood pretty quickly, so they close them off. You probably won’t be able to get out until tomorrow morning, at the earliest.”

“Oh,” she whispered again.

“Don’t worry about it, Lex,” Harry offered. “I’m sure Mrs. Ramsey won’t mind you staying over.”

“Of course not, dear!” she exclaimed. “Trust me, you’re not going anywhere in this.”

“I don’t want to put you out,” Lex started to argue.

“Nonsense! I have enough rooms, blankets, towels and food for an army!”

“Ugh, the army line again,” scoffed Brian.

“Hush, you!” Virginia said, daring him with his own swat from the dishcloth.

Reluctantly, Lexie followed the two boys through the hall and into a large open area with the kitchen to the left, and a family room to the right.

“I thought a heard a raucous out there!” announced the man sitting in the leather recliner. Rising from it, he quickly held his hand out. “Harry, good to see you, son.”

“Hey, Pops,” said Harry, giving him a big hug. “How’s life treating you?”

“Can’t complain.”

With a grin, Harry stepped back and placed his hand on the small of Lexie’s back. “Pops, this is Lexie.”

“Hello, Lexie,” the older man greeted with a handshake. Then placing his other hand on top, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Just so you know, he’s one of the good ones.”

“What are you telling her, Pops?” asked a young woman who’d just walked into the room.

“None of your business.”

“Lies.”

Lex eyed Harry who let out a burst of giggles.

“Hi, I’m Jenny,” said the woman. “Brian’s older but wiser sister.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“And that one over there,” she pointed to the brunette in the kitchen, “is Brian’s fiancée, Serena.”

“Not for much longer,” Serena sang, taking a cookie sheet from the oven and placing it on top of the stove. Then wiping her hands on her apron, she walked around the counter, holding out her hand. “Hi, so nice to meet you, Lexie.”

Lexie suddenly felt as if she was in a movie, one of those wholesome Christmas films that were shown on television every year. Everyone was so nice and hospitable, it seemed...unreal.

Brian emerged from the kitchen then with two glasses of wine, offering them to Harry and Lex. Lifting his glass, Harry proposed a toast to the happy couple, wishing them all the best.

After several games of cards, and a couple rounds of charades, in which Harry won both, plus far too many of Serena’s cookies, the evening had finally wound down. The wedding pair retired to their room upstairs and Mrs. Ramsey set both Harry and Lexie up with their own rooms, across the hall from each other. Lexie had already called her sister to tell her the situation, and that she would be arriving later than scheduled.

After brushing her teeth, Lexie opened the bathroom door to find Harry standing in the hallway. A smile slowly spread across his face as he took her in. His gaze suddenly made Lexie self-conscious, and she looked down at her ensemble.

“Different pajamas,” she remarked.

“I can see that,” Harry smirked. “I like those, too.”

Blushing, she bit her lip, then ran a hand through her hair. “Um, did you need the restroom?”

“Oh...yeah.”

As Lexie turned down her bed, a beautiful blue and white rose quilt, she found herself humming one of the songs she and Harry had listened to earlier that day in the car. A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth as she recalled the way he’d told her he’d enjoyed the night before.

Suddenly, a knock sounded behind her, and she looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway.

“Hey. Can I come in?”

“Of course,” Lexie gestured.

Harry stepped into the room, gazing up at the photos and paintings on the walls, then walked over to the dresser and inspected everything on it.

“The Ramseys are really nice,” Lexie remarked, taking a seat on the bed as she watched Harry.

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “They’re like...my second family.”

“I can tell. They’re definitely fond of you.”

“Yes.”

“And it was very kind of them to let me stay. Even though it was mostly Virginia’s idea,” Lexie laughed. “I don’t think she was about to let me set foot outside again.”

Harry chuckled nervously in agreement. “She’s a tough one, that Virginia. What she says goes.”

Placing an old, framed photo back onto the dresser, he let out a sigh. Finally, turning around, he sucked in his lips. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Harry looked at the floor.

“Um...hey I know it’s kind of last minute, and you need to get to your sister’s and all…” he paused, biting his bottom lip before finally lifting his eyes to Lexie, “but I was wondering...and you totally don’t have to...if you’d like to stay...a little longer tomorrow...and be my date. For the wedding.”

Lexie’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected him to ask her that.

“Oh!” she breathed. “Oh, well...I…”

Harry shook his head. “It’s alright. It was a dumb thing to ask.”

“No!” Lexie exclaimed. “I mean...no, it wasn’t a dumb thing to ask. I mean...actually…”

The corners of Harry’s mouth quivered slightly before his lips spread into a smile and his dimples appeared. He let out a tiny chuckle, causing Lexie to glare at him.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re as nervous as I am,” he replied.

Lexie blushed as she realized he was absolutely right. With a smile that nearly blinded Harry, Lexie stepped forward and took his hand.

“I’d love to be your date,” she beamed.

Lexie stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. While she wouldn’t call the dress exactly her style, she was grateful that Jenny let her borrow it for the special occasion. She liked the dainty blue flowers and flowing sleeves.

“I think it’s perfect,” declared Brian’s sister. “You look so pretty.”

“I do?” asked Lexie bashfully, her cheeks blushing a light pink.

“Definitely. Looks better on you than it ever did on me. Lucky we’re the same size.”

Biting her lip, Lexie ran her hands across her waist. She silently wondered what Harry would think.

“What about your hair?” asked Jenny. “Were you planning on wearing it up or down?”

Lex grinned nervously. “I actually hadn’t thought about it. This whole thing wasn’t planned at all.”

“Of course,” Jenny smiled.

“I usually wear my hair down though,” Lexie added, winding a strand around her finger. “What do you think?”

Jenny’s smile widened. “I have a great idea.”

Turning to her dresser, she opened the top drawer and pulled out a headband, bringing it to Lexie.

“What do you think of this?” she asked. The headband was simple, adorned with dainty flowers and leaves in gold metal.

“I love it!” exclaimed Lex.

With gentle ease, Jenny placed the headband on the center of Lexie’s head, allowing her soft, delicate hair to fall around it.

“Yes,” beamed Jenny. “Absolutely perfect.”

A knock sounded on the door then, and Jenny walked across the room to open it.

“Harry, you can’t see us yet,” Lex heard Jenny say. “It’s bad luck.”

“I thought that was just the bride and groom,” Harry chuckled from the doorway.

“Even so,” Jenny whispered. “I wasn’t quite finished.”

“With what?”

It was then that Harry spotted Lexie across the room, her reflection in the mirror as she looked down at her hands.

“Oh!” he sounded, his eyes wide.

With a sigh, Jenny stepped back and allowed Harry to enter the room.

“Wow, Lex, you look amazing!” he announced.

“Thanks,” she muttered, turning around to face him. Grabbing the sides of the dress, she felt herself blush again. “Jenny let me borrow it.”

“It’s lovely on you.”

Lexie and Harry seemed to stare at each other for a few moments until the silence was broken by Jenny’s voice.

“Shoes!” she squealed, nearly making Lexie jump. “What size shoes do you wear?”

“Um…” Lexie swallowed, “eight.”

“Aw crap,” Jenny scowled, snapping her hands on her waist. “I’m a nine. They’d be too big.”

“It’s okay.”

“I bet Serena’s your size,” she added. “I’m not sure if she brought any other shoes with her, but I could ask.”

“Really, it’s okay,” Lex chuckled. “You’ve done enough for me. Besides after the weather last night, I might be glad I’m in my sneakers.”

“Oh, that reminds me why I came up,” said Harry. “Your mum needs you downstairs. Something about a broken table and angry caterers.”

“Ugh,” Jenny rolled her eyes.

“Oh no, I hope everything’s okay,” said Lexie. “Maybe I should help.”

“No need,” Jenny held up a hand as she headed for the door. “When Virginia Ramsey’s involved, there is a way.”

“Send out an S.O.S. if you need us,” called Harry.

“Will do!”

Harry’s shoulders shook with laughter as his best friend’s sister left the room, leaving him alone with Lexie.

“Look at you,” said Lex, making Harry turn and raise a brow. “You clean up nice, Styles.”

Harry looked down at his suit, his hands on the jacket lapels.

“Wha’ this ol’ thing?” he smirked, causing Lexie to giggle.

Stepping closer to him, she reached for the cross around his neck, displayed in the center of his chest.

“I take it you’re not a tie kind of guy,” she remarked.

“Not particularly,” Harry grinned at her. “Why, do you think I should wear one?”

Lexie shook her head. “I didn’t say that.”

She felt his hand on her waist before he pulled her closer, his chest colliding with hers. His green eyes seemed to dance as his other hand slid under her ear.

“You look really pretty, Lex,” he said softly.

“Thanks. So do you.”

The corners of Harry’s mouth twitched before he leaned forward, his lips so close to hers she could feel his breath on them.

“Is it okay if I kiss you now?” he asked.

“I was beginning to wonder why you hadn’t already.”

Lexie gasped when Harry opened the back door, and she followed him out onto the large porch. It was trimmed with dangling lights and floral garlands that cascaded down the banisters to the large canopy in the backyard.

“Kinda magical, innit?” asked Harry, catching Lexie’s eye. She smiled and nodded.

“C’mere you two!” someone called from the yard and Lexie turned to see Mrs. Ramsey beckoning them. “I could use your help.”

Taking her hand, Harry lead Lexie down the steps and between the rows of white chairs to where Virginia stood.

“At your service,” offered Harry with a grin. “What do you need us to do?”

“Oh honey, don’t you look lovely!” exclaimed Virginia when she finally got a good look at Harry’s date up close.

“Thank you,” Lexie said shyly, looking down at her sneakered feet.

Her hand went to her forehead to brush a strand of hair from her face when she remembered the headband. Gently, she adjusted it, careful not to make a mess of it before the wedding as she caught the gleam in Virginia’s eyes when she smiled at Harry.

“If you wouldn’t mind, my dears,” said Mrs. Ramsey, “could you kindly stand outside the gate to greet the guests as they come in? Brian’s cousins are ushers, but I’d just like to have someone out there to make sure they’re entering on the right side, and no one steps in a mud puddle or anything.”

 “No problem,” Harry and Lexie replied in unison.

Squeezing her hand that he was still holding, Harry gave Lexie a wink before guiding her around the corner to the large fence that surrounded the Ramsey’s backyard. Then unlocking the gate, he released her hand only to push it open.

“So, we just stand out here?” inquired Lexie.

“Yep. Guests should be arriving soon.”

Twirling around, Lexie inspected the view of the backyard through the gate, getting an idea of what guests might see when they walk through.

“This is really a great place for a wedding,” she commented.

“It is,” agreed Harry with a nod.

“And convenient, too. They probably saved a ton of money.”

“You better believe it,” Harry chuckled. “And not just because it’s the Ramsey’s house. Virginia will find the best deal anywhere. She’s kind of famous for it.”

“Really?” Lexie smiled, intrigued.

“Yeah, if she can do it herself, or get Pops to do it, she will. If not, she knows everyone within the next three towns, and she won’t let them take advantage of her. She always gets her way.”

Lexie laughed. “She’s a pretty cool lady.”

The corners of Harry’s mouth twitched as he stepped closer.

“You’re a pretty cool lady, too,” he declared.

“Stop,” Lexie playfully swatted at him as he tried to put his arms around her.

“Too cheesy?”

“Hmm, maybe a little…” she bit her lip.

“Sorry,” said Harry as he managed to pull her closer. “I’ll cut back on the cheese.”

“No, it’s...it’s cute.”

“I really like you, Lex. And I’m glad you’re here.”

A big smile spread across her face as she slid her hands up his arms. “Me too.”

Harry was just about to ask which statement she was agreeing with when an older couple approached them from the front yard.

“Don’t tell me the wedding’s started already,” the man chided.

“No, sir,” Lexie began before she noticed the twinkle in his eye.

“Harry,” he added, holding out his hand. “Good to see you, young man.”

“Mr. McRay, a pleasure,” Harry greeted.

“How’s that beautiful mother of yours?”

“She’s just fine, sir, thanks for asking.” Harry reached for Lexie then, placing his hand on her back. “Lex, this is Mr. and Mrs. McRay, the Ramsey’s neighbors.”

“How do you do,” Lexie smiled.

“I do wonderful, pretty lady,” Mr. McRay said, giving her a wink and earning himself a poke from his wife.

“Charles is a big flirt,” she scoffed. “Don’t mind him.”

Lexie felt herself blush as Harry’s fingertips dug into her waist as he gently pulled her closer to his side.

“You two look lovely,” Mrs. McRay added. “I trust Virginia’s inside, running herself ragged?”

“Just a wee bit,” said Harry, making Lexie giggle.

“I better see if she needs my help. Hope to see you two later.”

“Enjoy the wedding,” smiled Lexie.

By the time the McRays made it inside the gate, a short line of cars had formed along the curb, some on the driveway. Lexie took a deep breath as she watched guests exit their cars and begin the walk up to the gate.

After greeting at least half a dozen couples and clusters of families, Lexie noticed something. Harry’s hand had remained on her back the entire time. Perhaps it was a silent reassurance that even though she wasn’t a member of the wedding party or even an originally invited guest, she was still very much a part of the day’s activities because she was Harry’s date.

His date. Lexie let the word roll around her brain for a moment while she watched him chat with someone else he’d known nearly all his life. She liked the word. It was simple, not too formal or labeling. He’d introduced her as his date a couple of times already, a big, dimpled smile on his face as he’d said it.

“This is my date, Lexie,” he’d beamed, his hand giving her another light squeeze.

She liked that he hadn’t said “friend”. Although she certainly was his friend, she always thought that word held little romantic value. Even Shelby would sometimes introduce her as her friend, after they’d been dating for months, and it would rub her wrong to put it mildly. It wasn’t that she thought she and Harry had crossed the line into more than just friends after just one night together, but…

“Lex?” Harry asked, making her blink.

“Yeah, sorry,” she swallowed. “What did you say?”

“I was just telling Jackson about our little adventure on the road to get here.”

“Oh!” Lexie’s eyes widened.

Harry let out a gleeful chuckle and leaned into her. “Not the motel part, love.”

Lexie couldn’t help but laugh in spite of herself, and when she found she couldn’t stop, she rolled her head into Harry’s chest.

“Seems she’s gotten a fit of the giggles,” Harry explained to Jackson who’d joined in on the humor of an obvious inside joke.

“I’m so sorry!” Lexie shouted, muffled from Harry’s shirt.

“I’ll meet you inside,” laughed Jackson. “Good to meet you, Lexie.”

“You too!”

Harry’s chest continued to shake with laughter as he gently rubbed Lexie’s back. Once Jackson was out of earshot, she slowly lifted her head.

“I’m so embarrassed,” she whined.

“Why?” Harry asked, an enormous grin on his face.

“It’s not that I thought you’d told him...it’s just...it’s the first thing that came to mind, and...oh, God.”

Grabbing the lapels of his jacket and burying her face in his neck, Lexie got a good whiff of Harry’s cologne and suddenly felt her legs go weak.

“You are so fucking cute, Lex,” she heard him say.

“I am?” she asked, breathing him in. His skin was so close to her lips, she wanted to touch it.

“Yeah. I kind of always thought of you as very confident and self-assured.” Harry’s free hand found the back of her head and began to lightly brush his fingers through her hair. “And you are, I find it very sexy. But this…”

“Hmm?” Lexie sounded when he paused.

“This is a different side of you,” Harry explained. “I dunno if it’s because of me, but...it’s like you have your guard down a little bit. And I think it’s very sexy, too.”

Her legs now jelly, Lexie shifted slightly until her lips met the warm skin on his neck. She pressed three soft kisses there until she felt him hum against her mouth.

“Lex…” he whispered.

Lifting her head, she saw a deep green in his eyes she’d never seen before. He brushed a tiny strand of hair from her face before cupping her chin. Just as he was about the lean forward, however, a voice behind him interrupted.

“Harry, son, they’re getting the wedding party ready,” announced Mr. Ramsey.

“Oh yes, of course,” Harry cleared his throat. “Be right there.”

Lexie gave another look of embarrassment that only earned her a grin from Harry. Then taking her hand, he kissed the back of it.

“C’mon, I’ll take you to your seat.”

“You know, I knew you were the Best Man, but I guess I wasn’t thinking about the fact that you wouldn’t be sitting with me. Makes me kinda sad.”

“‘m sorry, love,” Harry frowned.

“It’s okay. I’m being dramatic,” Lexie teased. “At least I get to watch you.”

Harry chuckled low as they reached the end of a row of chairs where Lexie took a seat.

“Who says I won’t be watching you?”

“Please, it’s a wedding, Harry. Nobody’s even looking at anything but the bride and groom.”

“Hmm...that’s what you think.”

With another giggle in her chest, Lexie watched Harry turn down the aisle and walk up the porch steps. Soon enough, the music started and Brian escorted Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey to their seats on the front row. Serena’s mother was escorted next, followed by Harry and Jenny, serving as the Best Man and Maid of Honor.

Finally, the wedding march began, and Serena emerged from the porch and down the steps, her arm looped with her father’s. Lexie immediately felt the heaviness in her chest as Serena walked down the aisle, her face all aglow as her eyes met Brian’s. Then turning in her seat, Lexie caught the look on Brian’s face and just about lost it. No matter how strong and self-assured she sometimes seemed, Lex was no stranger to crying at weddings. Perhaps she was a true romantic at heart.

Just when the ceremony began, Lexie heard a familiar sound and realized it was raining again. However, with the party safe under the large canopy, it was almost tranquil.

As the couple said their vows, Lexie’s eyes veered toward her date who stood behind the groom. Her insides nearly melted when she realized he was looking at her too. And when the rings were exchanged and a tear made its way down her cheek, Lexie caught Harry’s lips curl up until they widened into a smile.

When the happy couple was pronounced husband and wife, the guests clapped and watched them make their way up the aisle. As Harry followed, he discreetly held out his hand to allow it to graze across Lexie’s shoulder. As if the looks he’d given her during the ceremony weren’t enough, her entire skin was now on fire.

Moments later, as the reception began, Lexie had just finished chatting with a friend of Serena’s that she’d met earlier when she felt the familiar hand on her waist.

“Did you enjoy that?” he whispered in her ear.

“Did you enjoy mocking me?” she teased.

“Mocking you?”

“Yeah, what was with the huge grin while I was clearly in tears over the vows?”

“That was not mocking,” argued Harry. “I was happy.”

“Happy I was crying?”

“Well...kinda, yeah,” Harry shrugged.

“Meanie!”

“No,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “I mean I was happy that it moved you that much.”

“Oh.”

“I told you I was gonna watch you,” Harry added.

“Glad to be your entertainment.” Lexie folded her arms and looked down at her sneakers.

“Heyyy,” he said, lifting her chin with his finger. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it was...it was a beautiful wedding.”

“It was. But it’s not over yet. We have a party.” Harry spread his arms out.

“Yeah...I can’t stay that long though.”

“Oh,” Harry dropped his arms and frowned. “Why not?”

“I just...I have to get to my sister’s.”

“I thought you had that all worked out.”

“Yeah, but I feel bad. I was supposed to be there a long time ago, and now I’ll only get like a day and a half with her as it is.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry muttered.

“Not your fault,” Lexie waved her hand. “I should...I should probably go ahead and get changed. Pack my stuff. Looks like the rain stopped, so I should get out before it starts again.”

As she turned toward the back porch, Harry grabbed her hand.

“But wait…” he pleaded. “We...we haven’t had our dance yet.”

“Dance?”

As if on cue, a slow love song began to play, and a few couples took to the dance floor.

“Please?” Harry held out his hand.

With a sigh, Lexie took it and followed him. They began to sway in each other’s arms, the music leading them.

“Thanks for coming with me, Lex,” Harry said low. “And for being my date.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I wish we...had more time.”

Lexie stared at Harry’s lips for a long while before shifting her gaze to his eyes which seemed to burn into hers.

“Me too,” she finally admitted.

“Yeah?”

Shutting her eyes, Lexie leaned forward.

“Harry…” she whispered. “I don’t wanna go.”

“What?”

“I mean...I still wanna see my sister, but...I don’t wanna leave you.”

“Lexie…” Harry breathed, lifting his hand to her cheek.

“Is that awful?” she asked when she opened her eyes.

“No.”

Harry’s face looked so serene and beautiful, Lexie couldn’t help but feel a sudden calmness, even though her heart was beating a mile a minute.

“I’ve had the best time with you,” she confessed. “I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.”

“Me neither.”

“Would it be...completely awkward or inappropriate if I asked you to come with me?”

“To your sister’s?” Harry asked.

“Yeah…” Lexie’s expression faltered. “Never mind, forget it. It’s ridiculous.”

“No, it’s not,” murmured Harry as he blinked slowly, pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers.

Rain began to pelt against the canopy once again just as the fire she’d felt before returned full force and Lexie fell into the kiss. Their bodies continued to sway as their lips and tongues collided, until the song finally came to an end. Then leaning his forehead against hers, Harry gave her another of his dazzling smiles.

 “I’d love to,” he said.

Hope you enjoyed!

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[annewithaneofthegreengable]

Could you do fic for Toto Wolff with wife pregnant!reader? Hw was reluctant to go to work because he was worried about his pregnant wife. When he was leaving he kept leaving quick pecks on her lips, but ended up pulling her back for more, which could go on for hours if one of the doesn’t finally pull away. She eventually breaks them apart so he isn't late to work. Just something fluff and romantic. Thanks!! :)))

Sure thing here you go 🤗 By the way I think I'm going to write for other teams/drivers as well... for other team principles, I'm not so sure about it! So if you have any requests about other drivers just let me know 🙌🏻 FOR NOW ENJOY THIS.

Toto was getting ready for work, his mind filled with thoughts about his pregnant wife. He knew he had to leave for work soon, but he didn't want to leave her behind. As he was packing his bag, his wife came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Toto turned to face her, a small smile spreading across his lips as he looked into her eyes. Without a word, he leaned down and planted a quick peck on her lips, but he couldn't help but linger for a few moments longer. As Toto pulled away, he saw a contented look on his wife's face. She smiled back at him, their eyes locked in unspoken understanding. He knew he had to leave for work, but he couldn't resist planting another quick kiss on her lips. Again, he planned to pull away quickly, but the feel of her soft, warm lips under his was too intoxicating. He found himself lingering again, his arm wrapping around her waist as their kiss deepened. The kiss grew more passionate, their bodies pressing closer together. Toto's hands roamed over his wife's pregnant belly, cherishing the life growing inside her. He knew he had to break the kiss soon, but he couldn't pull away just yet. When their lips finally parted, he rested his forehead against hers, both of them breathing heavily. "You're going to be late for work," She said while panting heavily after the kiss. "It's ok, I'm the boss, remember." They're both laughing at his words as her hands slowly smooth his collar. "Seriously, go, Toto."

Reluctantly, he pulled away from her and finished packing his bag, but not before planting one last kiss on her lips. Toto watched as his wife leaned against the wall, her cheeks flushed and her lips slightly swollen from their kiss. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he looked at her. He knew he had to leave for work, but he couldn't stop thinking about her as he made his way to the car. As he sat inside the car, his mind kept wandering back to the kiss they had shared. He couldn't believe that even after all these years, kissing her still felt just as amazing as the first time.

Hours later, Toto was still thinking about his wife as he sat at a meeting. His mind kept wandering back to that last kiss, and how her lips had tasted and felt under his. He found it hard to focus on the important business they were discussing, and the reports in front of him seemed to blur together. He knew he had to get through this day and that he would see her again soon, but all he wanted to do was go home and kiss her again.

As the day wore on, Toto grew more and more restless. He found himself sneaking glances at his phone, hoping for a message from his wife. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had left something unfinished between them that morning, and he was desperate to feel her lips against his again. Finally, the day ended and he made his way back home. As he opened the front door, he immediately looked for his wife, eager to pull her into his arms and kiss her. As Toto walked through the door, he saw his wife sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone. She looked up and smiled when she saw him, setting her phone aside. Toto crossed the room quickly, his eyes fixed on her. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms, feeling her soft body against his. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent, and then leaned down and found her lips with his own. As their lips met, Toto felt a wave of desire wash over him. He had missed her all day, and now that he had her in his arms again, he wanted to devour her. He deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth, eagerly exploring every inch of her. His hands roamed over her body, caressing her curves and pulling her closer to him. As Toto broke the kiss and they pulled apart slightly, his wife looked up at him with a soft smile. "I missed you," she said, her voice filled with tenderness. "And I've been waiting for that kiss all day."

Toto chuckled, his hands still resting on her waist. "Have you, now?" he teased, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Were you thinking about me all day, Schatz?” "Of course I was," she replied, her eyes locked on his. "How could I not think about you when you left me wanting in the morning?" She pouted playfully, her bottom lip jutting out slightly. Toto chuckled again, feeling his heart swell at the expression on her face. "I'm sorry for leaving you wanting," he said, ducking his head to plant soft kisses along her jawline. "You know I couldn't help myself this morning. You're just so beautiful, especially now that you're pregnant." “Do you still want me now?” She asked quietly almost like a whisper. “I will always want you. Then, now, and forever” he said huskily.

[caraetdeul]

A Bouquet of Breakdowns

Choi Seungcheol x reader

Sometimes, life is a bride that just gives a whole ass bouquet of problems in one throw.

TW: breakdowns, stressed reader

a/n: hi so this is more of a self-indulgent fic. I've been so stressed lately and I may have inserted my own situation in this fic in a very detailed way too much, so sorry bout that. But other than that, hopefully everything's good at your end of the screen but if not, hopefully this fic will help you in any way possible. Enjoy reading caratdeuls!

~Main Masterlist~

I’ve got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine

I got a love and I know that its all mine, oh oh

Do what you want but yo—

Seungcheol groaned, trying to reach out for his phone on his nightstand in his sleepy state. Letting you change his ringtone to this song may be a mutual decision for the sake of comedic timing but right now, all he wants is to just throw his phone out the window.

“Whoever decided that 2 o’clock in the morning was a good time to call was definitely gonna taste the wrath of a sleep deprived Cheo—”

“Oh thank God you answered!”

He paused for a second, his brain trying to comprehend the urgency in your brother’s voice. Once his brain caught up to the moment, he sat up immediately.

“What do you mean, Chan?”

“I’ve been trying to call noona for 30 minutes now and she’s still not answering her phone. I’m panicking right now hyung. I don’t know what to do!” Cheol can already hear Chan’s pacing from his end of the line and knew that he was already at the brink of a panic attack.

“Hey, hey, hey calm down for a bit. What do you mean you’ve been calling your sister for a while now? Isn’t she in her room probably sleeping right now?”

“That’s the thing! She isn’t! I went in her room to borrow something from her but when I entered, she wasn’t there! Oh god, this can’t be happening right now.”

“Okay, breathe Chan. I’ll go help find her. Do you have any idea where she might have gone to?”

He heard Chan take a deep breath before answering slightly more calmly than before, “Try the park behind the church. I do remember her telling me something about the garden there and how she goes there sometimes.”

“Okay, thanks Chan.” Cheol stood up, immediately searching the vicinity for a shirt and his wallet and keys.

“Wait, I’m coming with you.” He can already hear a door slam shut before Chan even finished his sentence.

“No, stay there in case she comes back. I’ve got this.” The call went silent for a bit and Cheol can feel his hesitance to follow his instructions. But even then, Chan knew he was right and can only sigh in agreement.

“Okay, fine. Just call me back once you find her, please.”

“I will, don’t worry.”

“Thank you, hyung. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“No worries, Chan. I’ll do anything for the both of you.”

Once the call ended, Cheol rushed to his car, praying to every single higher being he can remember at the moment that you were alright. He wasn’t really shocked with how your brother reacted to your sudden disappearance. Ever since you were children, all he could remember was how you took care of your little brother all by yourself. Your parents were always too busy for the both of you thus, you were left with all the responsibilities in your home including being a parent for your own brother. Because of this, Chan decided that he was gonna be your protector in any way that he can be. So it was no shock that he would react this way.

It took him around 15 minutes before he reached the town’s church. He parked the car by the sidewalk before walking towards the back of the church where the park is found. Chan didn’t really specify the garden that you mentioned but he had a slight clue as to what it might have been. You were always fond of the hydrangeas that bloomed at this time of the year. He can remember how pretty you looked under the light of the sunset as you explained how hydrangeas can grow in groups but still retain a unique beauty for each flower. He then remembered how you further sprouted random facts about them and all he’s thinking about is how much he loves your nerdy side.

Walking through the park, he tries calling out your name but there were no response. As he neared the garden hidden at the very end of the park, he can slightly hear a melody being played from a phone. Once he got closer to the sound, he sighed in relief when he clearly heard the lyrics to your favorite song. It was only then that he realized how stiff his whole body was from panic, only relaxing when he sees your form lying on the grass and watching the stars above. He sent a text to your brother to let him know you’re safe. As soon as he received a text back, he walked towards your direction, careful not to spook you too much.

“You do know that phones are made primarily for texting and calling, right?” You immediately turned to the direction of the sound, scared for your life. But once you see your boyfriend’s face, you relaxed your hold on your pepper spray and took a deep breath to calm your nerves down.

“What the hell, Choi? You scared the shit out of me.”

“Well to be fair, you scared me first what with you disappearing in the middle of the night and not even telling anyone about it.”

“Okay, fair. Sorry about that.” You sheepishly smiled at him in an attempt to look apologetic as he lies down next to you.

“Apology accepted.” Cheol stretched out his arm to you, letting you cuddle up to him, “but i can’t promise any forgiveness from your brother any time soon. He was about to burn the whole house down in panic trying to find you.”

“Oh god.” Cheol chuckled at your response. He can already hear the gears in your head running and trying to find an acceptable peace offering for your brother. For a few minutes he let you dwell in your thoughts, knowing all too well that you’ve already moved past that and now deciding on whether or not you would share the whole reason why you’re out here at this time of night.

“So,” Cheol started, “want to talk about it?”

You hummed. Biting your lips, you said the first thing that came into your mind, “I don’t really know where to start.”

“That’s okay. Take your time. We’ve got all night.” His hold on you tightened for a bit, letting you know that he’s there for you no matter what. You don’t know what you did to deserve him but you thank God so much that he let you two meet because you don’t know how you will ever survive this world without him in your life.

“I’m overwhelmed,” you sighed shakily, “everything is too much and I can’t even relax properly. I…”

Cheol scrunched his eyebrows in confusion when you didn’t continue your train of thought only to hear you sniffling and feel your body shake a bit from trying not to cry.

“Its okay, love. Let it out.”

And then the dam broke.

You told him how your work was piling up and everything was just so stressful. You also told him about the disappointment you felt when your workmates left you all alone while struggling to meet a deadline on time when they promised you that they will help. In short, you have vomited every single slight inconvenience and big event in your life that happened in the course of a few days to your boyfriend. Your sweet and caring boyfriend who’s listening intently to every single word you’re saying.

By the time you were done, the sun was beginning to rise. You can hear the sounds of the nature around you waking up as Seungcheol wipes your tears and hug you tightly. You can feel him kiss your hair, stroking it in an attempt to ground you. You both stayed like that for a few more minutes before Cheol made you both sit up to face each other.

“You do know you can share anything with me, right?” He cupped your face with his hands, forcing you to look into his sincere eyes.

“Yeah, I know.”

“So the next time you feel like this, will you please go straight to me?”

You felt your lips quiver due to the intense sincerity that you felt from his words. You observed his face, memorizing every detail and imprinting them into your brain.

“I will.”

Seuncheol smiled in relief before hugging you once again, pulling your head to rest on his chest as he enveloped you with his arms. Maybe you’ll have a hard time letting him be a shoulder for you to cry on but he vows to you and to himself that he will be there to catch you whenever you fall.

Taglist: @moonwonuu @belladaises

[aloysiavirgata]

Some kinky/m-rated post-revival headcanons for msr, please?? ☺️

1. Her moisturizer is obnoxiously expensive. It comes in a fancy little purple jar that he always winces at seeing in the recycle bin because he feels as though even the empty vessel must be worth money that he does not need.

Scully runs her fingers down her Vespucci throat, fingers slick with obscure polymers, and he remembers why he doesn’t care.

“Can I help you?” she asks, massaging nightingale shit or snail venom or some other unholy thing into those impossible cheekbones. Into eyelids taut and fine as dew-jeweled spiderwebs. Watching him in her Edwardian silver-glass mirror through lashes like opera curtain fringe.

Decades of touching her, but he cannot say she has skin like the finest vellum without sounding like Ed Gein. He cannot say “I want to bite your calla-lily throat until it bruises into a violet,” without sounding like Ted Bundy.

“Nothing,” he says, his lip between his teeth. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your ablutions.”

He bites at his tongue like a cherry in April; almost ripened but not quite. He twitches a little in his faded yellow pants, twitches and considers, but isn’t fully hard yet.

Scully watches him in the mirror. Runs lotion between her high, bare breasts with her Rodin hands; studies him with her tourmaline eyes.

***

2. His forearms. She fell in love with restrained sexuality - no. No, she had a concept of it after she watched Casablanca one afternoon home from school with a stomach bug. Catholic girls fall in love with restrained sexuality very young, only they don’t know it. They iron their kilts and they pray and they confess to all the wrong sins. They fall in love with dark wool blazers and satin ribbons and the brave wilted starch of hand-me-down blouses.

The muscles below his elbows, woven like a braid. Like a scourge.

He’s past sixty. He’s past sixty and if she’d met him now at the same age she was then she still would have bitten her lip and said “Jesus H. Christ” and quietly, secretly, shamed her father.

Let him finger her in a Ford Taurus. Called her sister and said, “Ohh, Missy, I think I fucked up.”

Daniel, Daniel. She thought that was love.

Mulder smirks, a five-o’clock-shadow on his disparately perfect face. Mulder with his squinty eyes and his too-short chin and his beestung jigsaw mouth like the reason kissing was invented.

“Can I buy you a drink?” he asks, tapping his nutmeg fingers on the scarred kitchen table.

“You don’t make very much money,” Scully notes, running her thumb along his brachioradialis. His skin is the color of sand castles, of the the edges of chocolate chip cookies. “With your blog.”

Mulder pouts. “I made it the old fashioned way,” he says, his thumb against her philtrum. Her lips. Her tongue.

“You certainly didn’t marry it,” she teases. “Living in sin.”

He nibbles the fleshy pad of her thumb. “I inherited.”

***

3. Her waist is sister to a Stradivarius. Her waist like Maud of Wales. He knows he shouldn’t obsess over this, her taut palimpsest belly, especially after the birth of a child they can no longer even claim. He knows it’s a quirk of genetics, like her startling eyes and her amber hair and her glorious brain. He knows she was born to be someone’s muse and that he has thwarted her destiny of Gauloises and pouting silver-nitrate immortality in a coffee table photography book.

She could still launch a thousand ships, she could bring Rossetti to his knees. He does not realize that the muse she is - a Perugino angel, a Lovelace polymath - remains his alone by her desire.

Scully, nearly sixty. So soft and so hard and angular and curvaceous. How had he ever waited, her waist and breasts and hips all bound in wool and gabardine and fitted black poplin? How had he let her beg off the lyric of “If I were the king of the world/Tell you what I'd do/I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the wars/Make sweet love to you.”

He curves his hot palm below her rib cage with his left hand, thumbs her tailored blouse open with his right.

He sucks at her rosy-brown nipple; her clavicles; her pale calf; sucks at her like Eve drinking in the first sweet juices of the apple.

***

4. Mulder should have been a pianist or a surgeon, she thinks. Should have been conducting an orchestra with fingers that beautiful, but instead he’s massaging a focaccia into a lazy rectangle.

He’s a tactile animal, her love, with his rangy hands and his absence of physical boundaries. Mulder has loomed and leered and poked and prodded for decades. He’s touched her in wildly inappropriate ways since Monica Lewinsky could legally drink. The 90’s, what a goddamn time, with his wholesomely filthy calendars and his flagrant innuendo.

Scully’s watched him squeeze limes and kill terrible people and braid challah and still - shameless - she sucks her bottom lip when he unbuttons a cuff, grips the gear-shift in their Highlander.

Mulder slices a tomato, chiffonades the basil.

“How long to rise,” Scully murmurs, cupping her palm around the tender juncture between his thighs.

Mulder sucks in his breath, arranges a flower garden on his dough. Adjusts an olive slice with the precision of Michelangelo.

“Twenty-four hours in the fridge,” he says, pressing deeply into her hand. “I hope you haven’t got plans.”

***

5. He licks at it like someone’s elderly aunt; like a mother cat; like a judgemental yiayia, bubbie, meemaw.

Scully swats at him, irritated. “Stop it. It’s not schmutz.”

“No,” Mulder says, tenderly. Stubbornly. “All those years, who did you think you were fooling?”

She scowls, too thin and too pale and too aristocratic for his comfort. “When I was nine Aunt Olive said it cluttered up my face.” Scully presses a forefinger to the birthmark above her lip. “It made me self conscious.”

“Je suis coquette,” Mulder says, his tongue teasing her lips apart, pleased with his own cleverness. He took three semesters of French, traveled there, but studied Les mouches independently.

A gentle swat to his nose. “It’s a cluster of melanocytes.”

He would absolutely love to slap Scully’sAunt Olive. Scully's dreary biology professors. “Tell Marilyn Monroe,” he mumbles against her fleur-de-sel mouth. “Tell Cindy Crawford.”

Scully says nothing, but her skin warms. Softens, loosens. She melts, midway cotton-candy at the State Fair, into his waiting mouth.

[angellesword]

BAGGAGE | JJK (05)

Summary: Drowning in debt and blood, Jeon Jungkook knows he's better off alone, lest he brings people down with him.

But one drunken night changes everything.

In a blink of an eye, Jungkook found himself drowning not only in debt and blood, but also in dirty diapers and judgmental stares from you, a.k.a his long-lost love and the guardian of the son he didn't even know existed.

Genre and warnings: best friends to lovers, co-parenting, idiots in love, mutual pining, angst, fluff, implied smut, kissing, minor character death, slight getting back together, drama, OC cusses excessively so watch out

Pairing: dad! Jungkook x mom!Reader

Word Count: 4.6k

← Previous Chapter (04) | Next Chapter (06) →

***

Jungkook was in a daze the whole time you vented your feelings, but he miraculously snapped back to reality upon seeing you retreating.

You were walking away from him. Again.

"Wait!" Jungkook's hand attached to a dextrose trickled down with blood when he forced himself to stand, agitatedly running toward you. His stomach wound had barely healed. It hurt to the point where he fell to his knees, forced to whimper as he touched his bleeding stomach.

The stitches came undone. One of the nurses saw Jungkook. She gasped and immediately attended to the sick man.

"Mr. Jeon! Why are you running! Your wounds are bleeding again!" The nurse scolded. You couldn't miss it with how loud her shriek was. You were left with no choice but to look back.

As expected, a torrent of abuse escaped your mouth. You were predictable like that. Your heart was like the ocean as it was big enough to accommodate millions of creatures; one more stinky fish like Jungkook would not kill you.

"You're such a stupid bastard! Get up!" You ran back to Jungkook, your heart bleeding profusely at the sight of your pathetic ex-best friend. Perhaps you were wrong. One stinky fish swimming back to your life was equivalent to millions of gallons of oil spills in your ocean heart.

Seeing Jungkook in pain hurt you worse.

"Mr. Jeon, please get up. We're going to treat your wounds." Another nurse arrived with a wheelchair, assisting Jungkook to sit on it. Jungkook followed, but he gripped the hem of your shirt without the intention of letting go.

"Mr. Jeon," the nurse subtly rolled her eyes. She wasn't paid enough for this, making you feel embarrassed on behalf of said annoying patient.

"I won't leave." You assured but it didn't do much to calm Jungkook. He refused to let you go--one thing his past self didn't have a problem doing before.

"I promise, okay?" You let out a breath. You never broke your promises. Jungkook was appeased, having a taste of your promises earlier when you claimed you wouldn't have gone back to Incheon hadn't been for your vow to your precious Jisoo-unnie.

"You'll be here after they treat me?" Jungkook's voice was barely above a whisper. You couldn't remember your ex-best friend using this tone before, like a kicked puppy begging for love. 

"I will be, but not with him." you glanced at Soobin, who still had his ears covered. The little boy's brattiness knew not to cross boundaries. At three, Soobin already knew you were not some force to be reckoned with. No one (not even Jungkook) could handle an angry you as your attitude turned to something akin to that Japanese legend, Arahabaki. It was terrifying.

"Alright," Jungkook relented.

The nurses silently thanked you before leaving. You merely nodded before turning to your son.

"You can uncover your ears now, sweetheart." You kissed your son's tiny hands. They were very soft.

"Mama not mad?"

Your heart softened. You couldn't help but kiss Soobin again, "Of course not, mon amour. How about this? I'll buy you ice cream later if you promise to be good to Uncle Min. Do we have a deal?"

Soobin popped a thumbs up. "Bin-bin miss you."

"I'll miss you too, baby. But I'll only be gone for a few hours. Have fun, alright?"

You made the necessary phone calls after that. A few minutes later, an Aurus Senat car appeared in front of the hospital.

The car's window rolled down.

"Hi, Mam!”

You would be lying if you said you were pleased to be face-to-face with your boyfriend's assistant, but it's not like you had a choice. Your boyfriend trusted this assistant, so you, by extension, learned to trust him, too. You just didn't like his overly enthusiastic smile.

"I'll be back later tonight. Please take care of my son." You personally placed Soobin on the baby seat, ignoring the assistant's piercing gaze.

"Will do, Mam. You know how much I adore Soobin~~."

You didn't honor that with a response. You said a few more words to your son before gently closing the door.

The assistant was still looking at you. You rolled your eyes, wanting nothing but to wipe that smirk off his face.

So you did, "Tell my boyfriend I said hi. I terribly miss him. Best if he gets ready for me tonight."

That seemed to work. The assistant lost his smirk at once. He let out a choked hum before rolling up his window and driving away.

You knew it was petty, but you felt victorious as you made your way inside the hospital. The nurses told you it would take time before you could talk to Jungkook again. You thanked them, then sat patiently on the waiting bench, pensive about how you should discuss things with Jungkook.

You regretted losing your cool earlier. You got quite the temper—a persistent problem you had had since you were young. You thought having Soobin by your side somehow lessened your anger issues (maybe it did), but Jungkook seemed to bring out the worst in you and hurt you.

Right. Jungkook had hurt you multiple times. 

Seven to Six years ago; 2016 - 2017:

It was an auspicious time for you. Your thesis adviser during college wrote you a recommendation letter that landed you a spot in a prestigious university for your Master's degree.

"Ugh, you're going to school again." Jungkook pretended to retch, but he was fooling no one. Despite his hatred toward the education system, he still got you a present before your classes officially started.

"This is something I enjoy doing, you know?" You responded as you opened your best friend's gift. 

It was a customized ballpen with your name on it. Others might find it ordinary-looking, but you knew that this cost Jungkook a fortune.

"Seriously...?" You couldn't help but stutter a breath. "You're giving me an 18k gold pen?"

"Seriously." Jungkook wrapped your hand around your waist, pulling you closer and gently nibbling your ear. He whispered seductively, "I'll give you everything this world considers best." 

Jungkook's gift to you was from a luxury brand called Montegrappa. He understood how big of a deal this could be for others but not for him. The ballpen's price did not break Jungkook's bank at all. It did not even leave a dent because while you busied yourself with your studies, Jungkook grew his money through business.

Bighit's market share shot through the roof. You were an investor there but only held a small percentage of ownership. You only invested in Bighit to appease Jungkook, though you couldn't lie that even your initial investment profited 5000% more.

Jungkook coaxed you to invest more, but you learned the importance of diversifying your investment in your finance and accounting courses. You maintained only your initial investment in Bighit while putting its interests on various things: bonds, stocks, mutual funds, and more. You basically hit the jackpot after profiting from the Bighit.

Jungkook was the only one who remained loyal to Jimin, refusing to invest anywhere else.

The Bighit had gotten lucky in the past two years because of Jungkook's machinations. You weren’t completely lying when you said Jungkook was licking asses. It took many fancy meetings with other businesspeople before he successfully landed deals with them. You knew Jungkook was at the top of his game because even Jisoo, your older sister, was drawn into investing in Bighit.

Jimin wasn't exactly idle, either. Truthfully, he's busier than Jungkook since he recruited and managed company workers. In short, Jungkook enchanted investors while Jimin oversaw their business operation.

People like you were the ones who had it easy. The only thing Bighit needed from you was your capital. Admittedly, you barely knew how the company operated. You didn't bother with this, knowing your share was less than 20%. Instead, you focused on your studies for the next two years, and before you knew it, you were already on stage to receive your diploma.

But your heart was unhappy; your shoulders slumped as you looked at the crowd. There were two seats reserved for your graduation guests. Jisoo smiled reservedly at you as she occupied the chair on the left, but the spot next to her was empty.

It only meant one thing:

Jungkook did not attend your graduation ceremony.

You deflated. You really couldn't have it all. Jisoo didn't attend during your college graduation as she was busy with work. Now that you were getting your Master's degree, Jungkook couldn't attend.

"Hey, congratulations! I'm looking forward to seeing your next achievement!" The two most important people in your life might not be around at the same time, but your former thesis adviser was always present. He supported you in all your academic pursuits and considered you like his own daughter.

"Thank you, Professor Choi." You forced a smile, sad because of Jungkook and a little uncomfortable because of your thesis adviser's meaningful smile. The ceremony just ended, yet you felt Mr. Choi was planning something for you again.

"No worries, dear. The academe appreciates a rare talent like you. Actually..."

And there it is.

You couldn't avoid listening to Mr. Choi talk. Apparently, your former adviser initiated sending your work to different reputable universities. He said he sent it in passing, but Verlaine, a French professor from Sorbonne University, reached out to him because he had read your work and was hoping to connect with you and offer you a scholarship at Sorbonne.

"I don't know, Mr. Choi," you bit the inside of your cheek, pensive. You had just finished your Master's degree and were planning to rest for a while before pursuing a doctoral degree.

You wanted to travel the world and drink expensive wine with Jungkook. (And maybe sleep with him, too) Admittedly, you missed the feeling of Jungkook's warm body on you; you missed the high you got only when Jungkook whispered sweet nothings to you —the only thing that made you feel like you could conquer the world.

It's been a while since you last had a proper conversation with your best friend. The past few months had been crazy as you prepared for your final feasibility defense. Meanwhile, Jungkook skirted around the topic of 'fixing' a clause on their contract agreement with their associates and subsidiaries.

You learned not to pry regarding Jungkook's proper business; it's your way of showing respect and trust. You couldn't bear to fight Jungkook like you did years ago. That's too messy, and cajoling Jungkook was not for the weak. It's too troublesome. 

But now that you thought about it, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to enquire about the business's standing. Something might have gone wrong for Jungkook to miss your special day. You didn't think Jungkook would mind, considering you deserved an acceptable reason and a sincere apology.

"Jisoo-unnie," your eyes flicked at Jisoo. "Aren't you an associate at Bighit? How's the business these days? Did Jungkook and Jimin hold a meeting?"

Jisoo couldn't meet your gaze, but she forced out an answer. "There's been some lower management issues, but Jungkook-ah told me he's handling it well. Don't worry, alright? You know Jungkook. He'll get around it somehow." Jisoo offered a champagne glass to you, "Here, drink. We should celebrate and discuss your plans to study in France."

Your eyelids fluttered shut, smiling uptight. "I've had enough of this topic, Jisoo-unnie. Actually..." You looked around; the graduation party was far from ending. You were rapidly getting used to ditching your own celebration. "I want to meet up with Jungkook. Can you entertain the guests for me?"

Jisoo seemed to disapprove, but you looked too pitiful. You were many things; you were loud and couldn't pass two minutes without insulting anyone, a defense mechanism you learned when young. But Jisoo knew precisely what was under your edgy mask and sharp tongue.

You loved hard, and it happened that you loved Jungkook the most.

"I'll let you go," Jisoo tapped your back. "Call me, alright?"

"Thanks, Jisoo-unnie."

And that was how you found yourself in front of Jungkook's apartment. You even brought an unopened bottle of champagne Jisoo had gifted you which you couldn't drink as the police sirens assaulted your ear.

"What the f..." You gulped down the profanities in the presence of the law enforcers. It wouldn't do you or Jungkook well if you caused trouble. You blinked and rephrased your question, calmly asking the female officer why they were bringing boxes out of Jungkook's high-end apartment and where Jungkook was.

"We have a search warrant, Miss." The officer explained nonchalantly, probably not to worry a civilian like you. "We can't discuss the criminal case for now, but I assure you that Mr. Jeon is not in trouble. He is merely invited to the police station for a statement."

"How the fuck is that supposed to assure me?" Your temper flared up at once. The officer did not flinch and refused to explain further.

Agitation overtook your senses as you cursed yourself for not knowing anything law-related. You debated calling your lawyer but decided against it because Jungkook was not some fragile little boy. If anything, Jungkook was probably ten steps ahead of these officers. Perhaps he orchestrated this whole thing.

You looked around, too. Jungkook lived in a high-security place. No one here would dare blab the situation to the public. The neighbors kept their doors tightly shut, refusing to associate themselves with the investigation.

You did everything to reassure yourself and keep your sanity. You left the officers in favor of driving to the station, realizing you didn't need to call your lawyer or anyone else; you only needed to see Jungkook.

To your luck, you immediately spotted Jungkook outside the station, laidback and grinning widely while talking to two police officers.

"Jungkook." You never claimed to be a patient woman. You went straight to Jungkook and ignored the officers.

It was rare to see a surprise Jungkook, too. He arched his brow, mouth slightly parted as he took in your slackened jaw. "What are you doing here? Aren't you with Jisoo-noona?"

You felt yourself flinch. Since when did Jungkook start sounding and acting like your presence was a big burden?

"You didn't attend my graduation," you said resentfully.

Jungkook merely looked at you before switching his gaze to the officers; his smile returned as he bid them goodbye. After that, Jungkook simply walked away, ignoring you, who stood there dumbfounded.

This bastard—!?

"Jungkook, you shit!" You ran after your best friend and soon caught up with him.

Jungkook still didn't stop, so you had no choice but to block his way.

"What do you want?" Jungkook wasn't his usual goofy self. In fact, his voice was uncharacteristically cold.

You felt your heart leaping to your throat, your boldness cowering at the presence of a reserved Jungkook. You were none the wiser but were able to change tactics at the last minute.

You grasped his wrist, "What happened to you? Are you in trouble? Can...can I help you?"

Jungkook was taken aback, obviously not used to you being soft-spoken.

"It's nothing." Jungkook used his free hand to caress your cheek. They were cold. You must have ran just to see him. "Nothing I can't handle. Don't worry, your two brain cells can't understand it even if I try to explain it to—"

"I got my Master's degree today, you fucking bastard!" You were about to hit your best friend, which Jungkook immediately dodged. He had memorized everything about you, from your insults to your breathing to your movements—

"You did." Jungkook was an enigma, and gone was the cold haze enveloping him. He pulled you close to him and hugged you tightly.

—and even the rhythm of your heartbeat. 

"Congratulations on getting your Master's degree, sweetheart." He kissed the top of your head.

You stuttered a breath and punched Jungkook's chest. "You're so annoying. I don't understand you at all."

Jungkook chuckled lightly, drawing circles on the small of your back, and then he said:

"You're not supposed to. I love you; that's all you need to know."

It was, in fact, not all you needed to know. Days passed after your graduation, and Jungkook's business remained a mystery to you. You couldn't reach your best friend at all, so you reluctantly reached out to Park Jimin. Like Jungkook, Jimin was also unreachable.

"What the fuck is happening?" You cussed, feeling your blood running hot. You were pissed and were kept in the dark. Jungkook hadn't gone this long without contacting you. It was already bad enough when Jungkook acted all hot and cold during your graduation day; Jungkook even refused to cuddle with you that night, opting to just talk to you in your living room. When you woke up the next day, Jungkook was already gone. You received no news about him since then.

You flopped down the couch, remembering Professor Choi's advice, "You're too hotheaded, dear. It will one day be your downfall. Why don't you calm down before opening that mouth of yours? Are you familiar with the 4-7-8 breathing technique?"

It had gotten so bad back then. You were defending your research paper before the panelist when you felt your temper flaring up. Luckily, Professor Choi was there to call for a short break and pacify you.

Looking back, Professor Choi's advice was of great help to you. You could apply it now, so after settling on the couch, you breathed in and distracted yourself by watching the news.

Wrong move.

The headline sent you into a spiral, "Breaking News: Bighit, a start-up and a unicorn company, turns out to be the second Enron of this generation."

You couldn't breathe, yet you forced yourself to understand what was happening. If you remembered the lectures in your MBA courses correctly, then Bighit was compared to a unicorn because of its rare success in the business world (much like a mythical unicorn), with Bighit being valued at one billion dollars or more in just a few years of operation. 

It was a good thing, but the headline did not stop with just that. Bighit was linked to Enron, too, a bankrupt company that committed fraud and ruined countless lives.

How could Jungkook's company be linked to something diabolical?

You refused to believe the news; regrettably, all evidence stated otherwise. You checked the stock price per share of Bighit, and your jaw dropped, seeing how much it had fallen. The news was cut short, though a few minutes later, it televised Park Jimin walking out of the police station. Your lips quivered while watching Jungkook's beloved hyung look like a pale ghost; his eyes barely opened because of how flashy the camera flashes were.

You didn't know where to go or who to call anymore. You couldn't barge into the police station like you did days ago. The place was crawling with reporters, and for once, you made use of your brain, afraid that your fragile temper would burst and make the situation worse.

For a while, all you could do was wait.

***

It was established before that you had the patience of a three-year-old. You couldn't sit still, so you did the only way you could think of to talk to Jungkook: you bought a large amount of Bighit's share over the counter. Ango Sakaguchi, the previous stockholder from whom you brought your shares, did not hesitate to sell his shares. Although Ango looked at you as if you were crazy. Bighit was at risk of getting delisted from major stock exchanges; the value of its market per share was basically at the basement of a rock bottom.

But you did not care. Being a major stockholder at Bighit guaranteed you a seat in the company's board meeting. Truth be told, you finally saw Jungkook, Jimin, and even your Jisoo-unnie during the emergency meeting.

"Dear, what are you doing here?" Jisoo was surprised to see you, but you merely looked at Jisoo, whom you also couldn't contact these past few days.

"My client isn't participating in this meeting as a board member but simply as a shareholder who values her contribution to the company." You had come prepared by bringing your lawyer and letting him speak on your behalf. You might not know a thing or two about the law, but you didn't get your MBA degree for a show. You knew the threats that came from buying Ango Sakaguchi's shares.

Unlike Jimin and Jungkook, you and Jisoo were merely stockholders who funded the business. You did not oversee the operations of Bighit, so now that the company was in trouble, the only problem for you and your sibling was the threat of not getting your investment back.

You and Jisoo were invited to today's meeting to discuss the order of priority in the payment of the company's liabilities as well as its threat to be delisted by the Security and Exchange Commission. (SEC)

The meeting commenced. Your focus was not on the speaker but on Jungkook. The latter did not bother to shoot you a glance; his attention focused solely on the meeting and Jimin.

You clenched your fists. This was not the time to be jealous, but the green-eyed monster had long engulfed you. 

"The SEC gave us 90 days to pay our legal obligations. First to the taxes we owed, then the unpaid wages and other benefits of our employees, followed by our outside debtors, and lastly, our shareholders." Jimin announced. He also filled in the board members and others about their pending criminal case.

You slouched on your swivel chair, listening intently to your lawyer, who was whispering some legalities to your ear. Your eyes were shooting holes at Jungkook, though.

You tilted your head and raised your hand.

"Yes?" Jimin turned to you.

"I am abandoning my shares."

Now, that caught Jungkook's attention. Your best friend looked you dead in the eyes, his jaw ticking, but he refused to speak.

Jimin sighed, "You owned a significant number of shares in Bighit. Are you sure you want to forfeit your rights to any remaining assets?"

You did not respond at first and just twirled in your hand the golden pen Jungkook gifted you two years ago. Your lawyer spoke on your behalf, "My client does not care about the money. She wants her shares to be liquidated and used to pay the company's obligations. We humbly implore you to prepare an agreement to honor my client's request."

Jimin was about to agree, but Jungkook beat him to it.

"Bullshit." 

The curse reverberated through the meeting room. If this was an ordinary day, you would surely respond with twice or thrice Jungkook's cuss, but you were too hurt by Jungkook's silence these past few days that you chose to shut up.

"Dear, have you thought about this?" Jisoo couldn't help but interfere, too.

Your lawyer cleared his throat and answered for you again, "The matter has been discussed thoroughly by my client and me. No one here needs to worry."

Jimin felt the tension's thickness, so he tried to cut through it, "Very well. This is highly appreciated. Atsushi, please draft the agreement with Jisoo’s sister now."

The meeting continued for two more hours before Jimin adjourned it. Everyone started to leave, and you told your lawyer to be on your way, too.

"See you soon, Mam." The lawyer nodded and left.

You remained seated in the swivel chair, lightly turning as you watched people leave until Jungkook was the only one left.

Jungkook stood up and made his way to the door, but you pretended to be unconcerned. Your heart was in your throat, though.

But your trepidation didn't last long when you heard the lock click in place.

You exhaled and twirled your chair to face Jungkook, who was leaning on the door with his arms crossed.

"So what now, shithead?" Your silence was only reserved during the meeting. Now that you were alone with Jungkook, you couldn't help but bark.

The corner of Jungkook's mouth ticked. "Classic you. Are you that desperate to talk to me that you wasted millions so I can throw you a bone?"

You weren’t wearing your choker, but you felt as though something was squeezing your neck. You found it hard to breathe.

"You think you can agitate me with your words? I've been too hotheaded, haven't I?" You stood up, slowly but heavily trudging toward your best friend. "Well, guess what, shitty Jungkook."

It was instantaneous. You grabbed Jungkook's shirt collar and slammed him on the wall. Jungkook's eyes rolled at the back of his head because of how hard you had pushed him.

"You can tease me all you want, but between you and I, you know who fucked up, and it isn't me."

Something flashed across Jungkook's face. If you were to name it, it would probably be pain, but you couldn't be sure as it was gone in the blink of an eye.

Jungkook smirked.

"Why? Because I didn't run to you crying about how I fucked up? You would want that, wouldn't you?" Jungkook laughed mirthlessly. "Over my dead body."

You were wrong. It wasn't pain that flashed on Jungkook's face. It was anger. After all these years, you realize that Jungkook had not fully forgiven you for saying he had made the wrong decision of venturing with Jimin.

Suddenly, you lost your will to fight Jungkook because this wasn't just about Jungkook ghosting you. It was about Jungkook building his walls against you.

You let go of your best friend at once, and then you took a step backward, defeated.

But Jungkook wasn't done with his attack. Years of frustration had bubbled up, and now, it exploded.

Jungkook's Adam's apple bobbed. It looked as if it took everything in him to say what he needed to say, but it still didn't prepare you for the pain that would shoot your heart and soul.

"I slept with Jisoo-noona."

One sentence, five words.

You and Jungkook had been friends since you were five. You had said hurtful words to each other before—all of which you didn't mind much. How could you, when you knew your words hurt Jungkook more?

But this…this was different. Nothing could ever top this betrayal.

"Y-You…" You choked back a sob. Fury and hurt crawled from your feet to your neck; they were like a knife blinding your eyes with one swift cut.

The tears obscured your vision. You couldn't (didn't want) to see Jungkook's expression.

You cast your gaze on the floor, watching your tears stain the cold tiles.

The silence was suffocating. Neither of you could take it anymore.

"You know," so you shattered it. "I might be a cussing machine, but I'm not as cruel as you, Jungkook."

You balled your hands into fists, forcing yourself to meet Jungkook's gaze. Just this once. You wanted to look at Jungkook and let him see just how much he had hurt you.

"I don't know shit about your company, but I know one thing." You smiled sadly, "I know I was wrong to believe you love me."

Once, someone told you, 'I love you; that's all you need to know.' Then, he proceeded to break your heart after.

"You—"

"But if you insist that you love me, then…" You cut him off. "Take it away because I don't want it. I've got no use for your disgusting love."

With that, you left, ignoring all calls from Jungkook and your Jisoo-unnie. You only answered one text, and it went like this:

To: Paul Verlaine I accept the scholarship. When can I leave for France? ***

A/N: Hi guys, apologies if there are so many boring jargon, i tried to minimize it as much as i could, but they’re mostly imperative for the story to progress, so i couldn’t fully eradicate it. This chapter is a bit funny to me because honestly, I am so OC who couldn't forget lectures I've learned during college 😆 I've written SO MANY academic papers because of that company's scandal.

anyway, i’ve mentioned before that this fic is originally a bsd fanfic, so the oc is patterned to chuuya nakahara, please stop sending me anon message complaining that oc is cussing too much and she overdoes it because I know. she is supposed to be that way and trust me when I say it is also imperative for the plot. you will come to realize that in the following chapter, but if it really annoys you, please do yourself a favor and stop reading this fic. there are so many fics out there which are much more well-written and would not annoy you. read that instead. thank you ~~

as usual, comments are highly valued! i’ll edit this chapter later, my eyes are hurting now huhu

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[lau219]

Enemies with Benefits

Part 13

Previous part here

***!!!Warning: mentions of parental death/absence, military service, and hintings of PTSD!!!***

........................................................................................

The next morning, after rolling over and opening her eyes, Y/N was momentarily disoriented when she didn’t recognize the bed she was in or the room that surrounded her as her own. Rubbing her eyes, she shifted, and the mild pain from her ankle immediately reminded her of the events of the previous night, and she winced upon also feeling the bandaging tape on her hands and knees.

Sitting fully upright in the bed, she recalled the details of the night prior, and she furrowed her brow as she remembered each shaking moment. She was still feeling scared and on edge from the whole situation, but she no doubt would have been even more traumatized if Tommy hadn’t been there.

As she thought of him, she then remembered how Tommy had sat with her last night, and how good it had felt to be held and comforted by him. It was the first time in a long time that she’d allowed herself to be vulnerable with a man, and while she didn’t like letting her guard down, she couldn’t deny how good it had felt. Tommy had been so protective and sweet, and she had a hard time believing that he was the same man from their initial few encounters. In fact, that’s what she’d continually been thinking for the last several weeks. Every day, he continued to grow on her.

Turning her head and reaching for her phone on the nightstand, she picked it up and checked the time, and she saw that Tommy had sent her a text message about 15 minutes ago. Tapping on the text icon, she smiled as she read his message.

T.S. Good morning, beautiful. Hope you got some rest. Whenever you’re ready, let Polly know and she’ll take you home. Your car’s already there, but if you need anything, I want you to call me. You’ve got the next few days off, and I expect you to take them. If you even try to come to work, I’ll fire you. And before you question it, yes, I can do that, so don’t get cheeky.

Still smiling, Y/N set her phone back down and pushed back the blankets. After hobbling to the bathroom and changing back into her clothes, she made it to the bedroom door and opened it, but when she remembered the long hallway and the amount of stairs she’d have to make it down, she began to slightly panic.

“Polly?” she called out nervously.

“Are you up and about, darling?” came Polly’s voice from somewhere down the hall.

“Yes, but I think I need help.”

Appearing around the corner, Polly made her way down the hall and met Y/N at the door. With a big smile, she offered Y/N her arm, and they slowly made it down the hall and descended the stairs, Polly then leading her into the kitchen and helping her sit in one of the chairs at the huge island before busying herself making Y/N something to eat.

“I can’t thank you enough for all this, Polly,” Y/N said as she watched the woman crack a few eggs into a frying pan. “I hate to admit it, but I don’t think I would have managed too well on my own last night.”

Polly smiled at her over her shoulder.

“Well, Tommy never would have let that happen, so no point in even entertaining the idea. But I wouldn’t have allowed it, either, and it’s my pleasure.”

“Where is he?” Y/N asked then, not wanting to sound like she was wondering about him, but not being able to stop herself from asking.

“He had some work to do at the office, and then he’ll be heading to the club to inspect the work they’re doing there, but he said he’ll stop over at your place later to check on you.”

Y/N shook her head.

“He doesn’t have to do that,” she said.

Polly looked up then and met her eyes.

“He wants to,” she said.

Y/N remained silent as she watched Polly continue to prepare her breakfast. She once again went through the events of the previous night, and as Polly set a plate down in front of her, she looked at her and quietly spoke.

“I still can’t believe how well he handled the whole situation last night,” she said to her. “It was like it didn’t even faze him.”

“Well, de-escalation is something they incorporate into basic training,” Polly replied.

Y/N furrowed her brow.

“Basic training? What do you mean? Tommy was...he was in the military?”

“Yes,” Polly replied. “Army.”

Upon hearing that, Y/N’s eyebrows raised and she felt at a loss for words. She never in a million years would have guessed he’d been in the military, and the expression on her face must have been evident of that, because Polly then continued to explain.

“The kids all had it pretty rough growing up,” she said. “Their mother died when they were young, and their father was a drunk, worthless piece of shit who gambled all their money away and would walk in and out of their lives whenever he felt like it. He still tries to come around sometimes, but it’s only when he needs money. I stepped in to help raise them, but they were a bit of an unruly bunch, and Tommy especially had a mind of his own. He was incredibly resentful for how his father behaved, and although Arthur is the oldest, Tommy, for whatever reason, felt it was his responsibility to take care of everyone. But he was also so all over the place that we thought he needed some structure. So, he left college in the middle of his first year and joined the army, and he finally had some direction for the first time in his life.”

Her expression still one of surprise, Y/N shook her head slightly as Polly paused.

“So, what happened then?” she asked.

“He served his time. He was actually awarded for several things throughout that period and moved up quite a bit, but it wasn’t anything he ever talked about or acted like he was proud of. He doesn’t like to talk about any of it, actually, and there’s plenty that he’s never shared. But he came back with a kind of determination I’ve never seen before. He had three priorities: to have his own money — and plenty of it, to make sure everyone he cared about was taken care of, and to never again feel like he wasn’t in control of his life.”

Y/N was silent for several moments. This new information was so much to digest, but it at least shed some light on why Tommy was the way that he was. While Y/N still wasn’t a fan of some of his tactics, she could at least now understand why he operated the way he did. And while she had been through her own trials and tribulations, what the Shelby’s had been through made her life sound like a walk in the park.

“I can’t believe all this,” she then said to Polly as she met her eyes. “And I thought I had it rough growing up.”

“You no doubt did,” Polly replied. “Just because we all have different battles doesn’t mean they take any less strength to get through. And in fact, your strength and determination are what make you so special. I think so, and that’s definitely how Tommy sees you, too. In fact, you’re all he’s seen since you two met.”

At that, Y/N blushed.

“Do me a favor and tell him to stop looking,” she said.

But Polly gave her a knowing smirk.

“Oh, Y/N, I think we both know that that’s not really what you want,” she said with a wink.

•.•.•.•.•

After Polly dropped her off and helped her to her door, Y/N thanked her again repeatedly for her kindness.

“No need to thank me, honey; you’re family now,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Y/N didn’t quite know how she felt about that, or how to respond, and her face was no doubt a mixture of several different expressions as she looked at Polly.

“This doesn’t mean I’m letting Tommy off easy, you know,” she then said to her. “The bet still stands.”

Polly smiled back at her.

“I’d expect nothing less from you,” she said, and then she turned and walked back into the elevator, smiling once more before leaving Y/N at her door.

After fishing her keys out of her pocket and entering her apartment, Y/N closed the door behind her and set down the bag of her things on her entryway table. Exhaling a sigh, she was glad to be back in her own place, and as she made it into the kitchen without too much difficulty, she was glad that her ankle wasn’t so bad that she couldn’t put any weight on it. But she cursed as she remembered that she had intended to visit the grocery store today, before everything had unfolded the way it did, and she groaned as she recalled that there was next to nothing in her fridge or cabinets.

But upon opening the fridge to assess what she did have, she was met with the surprise of it being fully stocked with food and drinks. After staring into the refrigerator in disbelief for a moment, she suddenly realized that the only person who could have done this was Tommy. He’d been the only other one in possession of her keys at any point over the last 24 hours, and she concluded he must have done it when he’d brought her car back, before returning her keys to Polly's house. As she then closed the fridge and opened the adjacent kitchen cabinet, she saw that he’d also filled that with more food, and when she turned around, her eyes landed on a bottle of Ibuprofen and a pack of cigarettes sitting on the counter across from her.

In spite of herself, she smiled, and before overthinking it, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, sending Tommy a text message.

Y/N: I can’t put my finger on it, but something tells me that someone was in my apartment recently. You know anything about that?

Within seconds, he responded.

T.S. Maybe. Depends on if you’re mad or not.

Y/N smiled.

Y/N: I should be, but you got my favorite cookies, so I’ll let it slide this time.

T. S. Well, based on the state of your fridge and cabinets before I got there, you were going to soon be wasting away to nothing, so I figured you’d appreciate food and painkillers more than flowers.

Y/N: And the cigarettes?

T.S. Just in case you feel the need to indulge while you recover. Although I’m cutting back, far be it from me to deprive anyone else.

Y/N: My kitchen better be the only place you occupied, Shelby. If I somehow find out you looked in my underwear drawer, you’re done for.

T.S. Believe me, love, I’ll see your underwear soon enough, but it’ll be when they’re on you, and then subsequently on my floor, and not in some dresser drawer.

At that, Y/N’s heart pounded and her cheeks flushed, and the thrilled smile that spread across her face couldn't be contained. But she kept her response to him untelling.

Y/N: You sound awfully confident about that. How can you be so sure?

T.S. Tell me I’m wrong. You’re not exactly arguing against the idea right now.

Y/N: I’m not exactly agreeing to it, either, so you’ve got your work cut out for you.

Y/N watched as the bubbles danced on her screen as Tommy typed a response. She smiled widely again as she read his message.

T.S. I think you know by now that I don’t shy away from work, love. Now stop shamelessly flirting with me and get some rest. I’ll see you later, and you better answer the door when I get there.

•.•.•.•.•

In the early evening, Y/N had nodded off on the couch, and she was suddenly brought out of it by the sound of knocking on her door. Clumsily sitting up, she blinked a few times and smoothed her hands over her hair before reaching for the remote and muting the TV. As she stood up on wobbly legs and steadied herself, the knocking sounded again.

“I’m coming,” she called, and once she made it to the door, she opened it and gave Tommy a look of annoyance as she met his eyes and tilted her head.

“Patience is a virtue, Shelby,” she said to him as she leaned against the doorframe.

“Come on, love, you know I have no virtues,” he replied with a smirk.

“This is true,” she agreed with a nod and a smile.

Briefly looking down at her ankle, Tommy then spoke.

“How are you getting on? How’s the pain?”

“Fine,” she replied. “It’s minimal, fortunately.”

“What about your hands and knees?” he asked.

She dramatically raised her palms to show him her bandages.

“Just fine, doctor, thank you,” she said with playful sarcasm, her tone sassy.

At that, Tommy gave her a look that made her internally shiver.

“If you wanna play doctor, we can play doctor,” he said as he held her eyes.

Y/N smirked at him.

“That would mean I’d have to let you inside first, and that isn’t going to happen, so...”

Tommy took a step closer, his foot halfway in the door.

“Are you sure?” he asked, speaking lowly. “I promise that I can take very good care of you.”

“You already have,” Y/N replied, keeping her composure. “That bottle of Ibuprofen has been cracked open and those cookies are half gone, so I’d say your job is done.”

Tommy smiled at her, both insanely frustrated that she was still challenging him, and also insanely amused. He expected nothing less from her.

“Could I come in and bum a smoke, then?” he asked. “I was told you might have a pack laying around here somewhere.”

Y/N smiled again, and she opened the door a bit more.

“I thought you were cutting back,” she then said.

“I am,” Tommy nodded with a smile of his own. “But all this work you’re putting me through makes it tough not to reach for one...or ten.”

Smiling even wider, Y/N replied.

“I think you can handle it,” she said to him. “Like you said so yourself, we both know you don’t shy away from hard work. Something tells me it’ll pay off for you if you just keep at it.”

“Oh, yeah?” Tommy replied with a heated gaze. “Can I get that in writing?”

“Nah,” Y/N said with a shake of her head. “I’m feeling adventurous, so let’s just see what happens. But in the meantime, I do want to thank you for all the hard work you’ve already done. It would appear that you aren’t as awful as I thought you were.”

Tommy gave her a nod as he raised his eyebrow.

“You better remember that, darling,” he said.

Slowly moving closer, Y/N reached out and lightly grasped one of the lapels of his coat as she leaned forward and then placed a kiss on his cheek. She whispered in his ear before pulling away.

“Don’t worry, I will.”

Then she released him and stepped back, and by the time Tommy had snapped out of the daze she’d put him in, her door was already closed.

@nyxxie-pooh @allie131313 @xsweetcatastrophe @febris-amatoria @hannibellector

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@devotedlyshadowytheorist @garrison-girl-08

[massivedrickhead]

Could you do something for “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”? Maybe as a follow-up or prequel or something to the prompt you did for “I’m not going to yell at you”? Thanks in advance! 🩵

First off, I'm so sorry this took so long! Usually when I go this long without posting any new fics it's because I'm working on something but I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've written anything in the last month.

I've had probably the worst writers' block I can ever remember having and I've just not felt any desire to write anything or work on any of my wips.

I don't even know if this is any good, but I'm hoping it'll pull me out of the slump.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Prompt taken from here

Trigger warning: physical domestic abuse

This is a prequel to this fic

Read on AO3

-

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Chloe didn’t believe him.

She swallowed, the pain radiating from her mouth as she forced a steadying breath through her nose. 

She knew her lip was bust. She could taste the blood in her mouth, could feel the sting when she swept her tongue across it.

“Chloe.”

Chicago knelt in front of her. His eyes were full of tears, one of his hands cradling the other as if he’d hurt it when it collided with her face. As if he was the one in pain right now.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean…” he trailed off. “Are you okay?”

Chloe wanted to laugh, but instead tears stung her eyes. 

“Please don’t cry,” he said. “Please… Please just say something.”

“Can you get me some ice please?” Chloe asked, no longer recognising the sound of her own voice.

He seemed to deflate with relief, and Chloe felt her hatred for him grow. 

“Of course,” he said. “Let me help you up.”

Chloe couldn’t help but flinch away from him as he extended his hand towards her, and she saw the briefest flash of anger cross his eyes. 

She took his hand and he helped her up and onto her feet before he disappeared into the kitchen. 

Now alone, she gingerly touched the split in her lip and winced. It hurt more than she’d expected it to.

He’d never hit her before, and even though he was full of apologies and remorse now, Chloe already knew he would do it again. 

He came back with a bag of frozen peas. “We’re out of ice,” he said. 

Chloe nodded and took it from him, holding it against her rapidly swelling lip.

“I’m-”

“I know,” Chloe said, cutting him off. “I know you are.” She couldn’t bear to hear him say it again. “Let’s just… Let’s forget it.”

“Sure,” he said. “If that’s what you want.”

The rest of the evening passed in a tense silence until Chloe finally crawled into bed.

She feigned sleep long enough to hear the sound of Chicago’s snores fill the room, and then she eased herself out of bed.

Shoved in the back of her closet was a bag she’d begun prepping months ago. When the rose-tinted glasses had come off, she started to really see those red flags that she’d so often dismissed.

The bag contained some clothes, toiletries, a small amount of cash, and her important documents.

She grabbed it out of the closet and, still in her pyjamas, climbed into her car and drove. 

-

Beca had been fast asleep when the sound of her apartment buzzer cut through her dreams.

She groaned and fumbled for her phone, one eye closed as the bright screen lit up the room.

It was close to 2 am, and her stomach lurched as the noise continued.

She stumbled out of bed and hurried to the front door, her heart beating uncomfortably in her chest as she did so. 

No one ever knocks at your door at 2 am with good news…

“Hello?” Beca asked into the intercom.

“Beca?”

If Beca’s heart had been beating hard before, it was doing something else entirely now.

“Chloe?”

“Please can I come up?”

Beca hit the button to unlock the door without a second of hesitation, and she waited anxiously for Chloe to reach her apartment.

Even though she’d been expecting it, Beca still jumped at the sound of the tentative knock at the door and she hurried to open it.

“I’m sorry,” Chloe said. “I’m so sorry for just turning up like this.” Chloe’s hands were shaking as she adjusted the weight of the bag on her shoulder, and her eyes shining with tears. “Please can I stay? Chicago, he’s…”

Chloe trailed off, but she didn’t need to tell Beca what Chicago had done, because Beca could see it for herself.

Beca felt like she couldn’t speak, so she just stepped aside so Chloe could enter her apartment. She shut the door behind them and slid the chain lock across for good measure.

“I didn’t know where else to go,” Chloe said. “I’m sorry.”

Beca shook her head and forced herself to find her voice. “Don’t be sorry,” she said. “Of course you can stay here.”

Chloe seemed to deflate with relief in front of her, and Beca hated that in Chloe’s mind, there might have been a chance she’d have turned her away.

“Stupid question, but are you okay?” Beca asked.

Chloe shrugged. “I don’t think so,” she said, tears filling her eyes faster than she could wipe them away. 

Beca wasted no time in closing the gap between them and wrapping Chloe up in a hug. “I’m so sorry this happened to you,” she said. “How can I help? What can I do?”

“Can I go lay down?” Chloe asked, the adrenaline that had been keeping her going was now quickly fading away. “I’m really tired.”

“Of course,” Beca said, reluctantly ending their hug. “Take my bed until I can get the spare room set up. I can sleep on the couch.”

Chloe took hold of her hand. “Please come with me,” she said. “I don’t want to be by myself.”

Beca nodded and squeezed Chloe’s hand. Her throat felt tight. “Go ahead,” she said, the strain evident in her voice. “I’ll be right in.”

With Chloe out of the room, Beca’s hands closed into fists, and she clenched her jaw shut in order to hold back the scream that threatened to erupt. 

She’d never felt an anger quite like this before, and she needed it to go before she joined Chloe in the bedroom.

She closed her eyes and imagined herself pummeling every square inch of Chicago. Her jaw was clenched so tight she was amazed her teeth hadn’t shattered. 

She counted to ten in her head, and then forced a slow breath out through her mouth.

Her anger was no good to Chloe right now. Chloe needed her to be strong and stable, but not angry.

She could be angry later, but not now. Not tonight.

She filled a glass with water and returned to the bedroom. Chloe was curled up on her side, her face lit up by her phone screen.

“Here,” Beca said, placing the water on the nightstand.

“Thanks,” Chloe said, locking her phone and placing it on her nightstand.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Beca asked, climbing into the bed beside her.

“Not really,” Chloe said. “Not yet.”

“Okay,” Beca said. “That’s okay, you don’t have to.”

“I, um, I don’t really know what to do Bec,” Chloe said, her voice beginning to waver again. She let out a small sob, that was quickly followed by another. “I’m sorry,” she said, quickly wiping her eyes.

“Don’t,” Beca said. “Don’t be sorry, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” She lifted her arm so Chloe could cuddle into her side, which she eagerly did. 

“What’s going to happen when he figures out where I am?”

Beca felt that anger pulse in her again, but she pushed it away. “I don’t know,” Beca answered honestly. “But we’ll figure it out. I do know one thing though, and that’s that he won’t put his hands on you again.”

Chloe knew it wasn’t as simple as that but she allowed herself, for that moment, to feel safe. To feel protected. She decided to believe her. 

“All you need to worry about now is getting some rest,” Beca said. “We can deal with everything else tomorrow.”

[aziraphales-library]

hi, i wonder if you have recs for fanfics written after the release of season 2 which are set in the time between s1 and s2? thank youu

Hello. Here are some fics set between series one and series two...

To the World by mehrto, SkysongMA (G)

"Really, Crowley, it's bad enough having everything replaced without you moving things. Don't tell me you're still tired after that nap you took." "After the events of the last eleven years, I believe I will be tired for the rest of the century." Crowley's voice turned uninterested, but he shifted his weight in the chair in a way that had nothing to do with the angle of the sun and everything to do with the topic. Aziraphale studied him. Crowley was still relaxed, ready, as ever, to slip into a nap wherever he was, but something was off, exactly like the arrangement of the bookstore. It was no fun to complain if Crowley wasn't immediately rushing to fix everything, even as he pretended he wasn't. Aziraphale drummed his fingers on the box, then clucked. "Well, if you're still tired, let me freshen up the spare bedroom. I ought to see if anything's changed there anyway."

Conversation on a park bench by CatelynStark956 (G)

Aziraphale is sitting in the park, reading and watching all the humans that pass by. Crowley suddenly joins him, furthering his musings on this and that until they’re interrupted by a gentleman who seems to have got the wrong impression

i come home, she lifted up her wings by junoshusband (G)

Oh, he could remember. Before everything, when angels groomed each other's wings in Heaven. Even after Heaven and Hell split into different factions and started their bickering, some of them would bask in the Earth's young sun as it fell between Eden’s verdant leaves and preen. But Gabriel usually chased them off, telling them they had work to do and that they didn't have eternity anymore. Whilst writing his account of the Apocalypse That Wasn't, Aziraphale broke his quill and then broke down. Crowley offers a feather and some comfort. Or, the story of how Aziraphale got the black feather seen in the Good Omens: Lockdown video.

Under the Stars by rockinellie (G)

Crowley sets up a stargazing picnic for Aziraphale, and they spend an evening enjoying one another’s company.

sense my heartbeat chase your constellations; burn but never fade away by Shaleschnueffler (T)

“Why don’t you drive us somewhere?” Crowley could not help his lips from parting and his brows from rising in heartfelt bafflement. Aziraphale- actively asking to endure Crowley’s driving that he despised so fervently? Intrigued, he jolted into motion, turning his entire body to face Aziraphale fully now. “...really? Like where?" Only upon saying these words out loud did Crowley realise that he’d already swung his legs around and placed his feet on the ground. Following this, there really was no use in letting Aziraphale answer his question. Crowley was going to go along with it, with anything, either way at this point. Less than a minute later, they were speeding past dangerously yellow lights with an unreasonably high number on the clock. or: Having successfully averted the end of the world, one night, Crowley proposes they do something nice. Aziraphale has a suggestion. Crowley rolls with it. They talk, and drive, and sip wine under the star-covered night sky, getting lost in their own world.

In The Next Room by maidenimage (M)

Crowley doesn’t know it yet, but this is going to be the first, last, and only night he spends in the bookshop.

In which Crowley and Aziraphale get drunk, play poker, and then everything changes. Or: Why TF is Aziraphale giving Gabriel his spare room while he let Crowley live in his car for years? Oh, this is why.

Set in canon between season 1 and season 2. Title lifted from a Neon Trees song of the same title.

- Mod D

[forbebeandjam]

Without You | Bada Lee/ BEBEx Fem Reader | MINI SERIES

Summary: you find your youngest member and decide to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Word count: 884

A/N: I have nothing to say… I just like to have an A/N 🤭 REQUEST STILL BEING PROCESSED!!!

•PROTECT•

The scene before your eye broke you. The pool of blood was larger and the blood was all over the place and Sowoen was completely drenched in it. A man was on the floor lifeless and covered in wounds and blood as well.

"Sowoen, are you okay?" You said as you ran to her and picked her up. She was cold to the touch, shivering and tears running from her eyes as she looked at nothing. She seemed to be in shock. 

You knew because that's the same state you were in when you found out about your parent's death. 

You felt something sharp grace your leg and looked down. She was gripping a broken glass bottle. You gripped her hand and forcefully removed the bottle from her hand. You took her out of the fridge and made her sit with Cheche in a corner. 

Tatter and Kyma grabbed water and rags to help clean up Sowoen's bloody hands and face and you repeated to her that you were there and that everything was going to be alright, hoping that would snap her out of her trace. 

She ended up falling asleep on your shoulder. 

-

After a few hours of sitting there thinking of what to do to get out of the place without being infected, you felt Sowoen move. She was starting to wake up but suddenly her breathing increased and she started screaming. 

"Sowoen! It's me! It's Y/N unnie! Tatter is here and Cheche. Look at me!" You held her head as Kyma hugged her body tightly. 

She eventually calmed down as you kept eye contact with her and she threw herself in your arms. 

"Unnie, I was scared. I didn't mean to do it, unnie," she cried and you stroked her head until she calmed down. 

“Shh it’s alright,” you said.

"Sowoen, why did you leave the van?" Kyma asked softly. 

"I... I wanted to find fuel for the van and I remembered we had passed a gas station not long ago so when there was more sunlight I walked to get some. As I walked into the store, I realized that I didn't have any money and the worker he..."

She paused and closed her eyes tightly. 

"He took me to the fridge and tried to take advantage of me. I panicked and kicked him. He fell and I grabbed a bottle and... I killed him," she said as her voice began to fade. 

"Hey, you did the right thing. Right now we need to find out how to get out of here so please calm down. No one will ever know we were here and I'll make sure of it," you said holding her face. 

She nodded and stood up. Tatter and Kyma made sure Sowoen drank water. You looked around and found masks. You took several of them and also vinyl gloves. 

"Call Minah. Ask her if she found anything and keep her on the line so we can create a plan. Cheche, Sowoen. Come here," They walked to you. Using a cloth tape, you made sure the masks were secured and no contaminated air entered their maks.

You placed gloves on their hands and made sure everything was secured.

"Y/N, we found many things to use. Alcohol, gloves, and masks. What should we do?" you heard Minah say through the phone.

"Cover yourself with everything you can. Take all the alcohol you can so we can clean ourselves. We found fuel," you replied. 

"I will take the fuel and fill up the car. You all will wait for me to pick you up and then we can get out of here," 

"No! you can't go out there by yourself. Are you out of your mind?" Bada chimed in. 

"Bada-"

"No, Y/N! Stop doing things to put yourself at risk. What the hell is wrong with you?”

"Dam it, Bada! I already lost my parents. I don't give a fuck if I have to die. I am not losing you or any of these girls. You are all my happiness and if I lose one of you, I lose myself. I can handle it. Listen to me!" you shouted at the phone and they all looked at you in concern. 

A loud silence was heard. 

"I am going to take the fuel and I will be back. Do not leave this place and if you can, have another fuel tank ready so we can fill up the van. I love you girls," You said before hanging up the phone. 

You kissed Sowoen and Cheche's forehead who were already shedding a few tears. And so you parted with the fuel tank in your hand. Walking slowly, making sure no one was around. Then you ran. You ran as fast as you could and finally saw the van. 

You opened the fuel tank door and started inserting fuel into the van making sure you looked around. 

What you didn't know is that there was some hidden on the other side of the van. You felt a strike on your leg and winced. 

"Thank you for the fuel pretty girl. I've been waiting for you. Now, I will go and..." The unknown men fell to the floor and lay there unconscious. 

A tall figure stood before you. 

⋆.˚✮TBC✮˚.⋆

[redroomreflections]

Stuck Outside - The Loud House Drabble

Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

The Loud House - full and almost completed on a03

Note: I can’t update a full chapter but I thought this would be fun to write 

You juggled the last of the grocery bags as you went to the front door. You weren’t a fan of multiple trips, but the amount of needed things surpassed your unsaid boundary. The summer sun bore down on you, making the trip back and forth from the car to the house feel even more exhausting. You were home alone with the kids, Natasha having taken Cara, Charlie, and Willow to Cara’s practice. You could hear Paige and James giggling inside, their voices seemingly far off as you began to walk up the driveway. 

With a sigh of relief, you reached the front door and nudged it open with your hip. The kids had run in before you and didn't bother grabbing a thing. Balancing the bags, you called into the house, “Paige, James, can you help me with these?”

You heard a faint response but couldn’t make out any words. Shrugging, you stepped inside, dropping the bags just past the threshold. The cool air from the air conditioner was a welcome relief from the oppressive heat outside.

“Mama, is there ice cream?” James asked as he stepped into the room, Nintendo Switch in hand. He was barely paying attention to your instructions.

“Yes, go put that away and start putting the groceries away,” You replied, your patience wearing thin.

James gave a half-hearted nod and strolled over to the kitchen, still fixated on his game. You turned back to Luke, who was now contentedly driving his toy truck along the edge of the porch.

With the last bag of groceries in mind, you walked back to the car. As you reached it, you heard a loud click behind you. Your heart skipped a beat. You spun around only to see Luke standing on the other side of the threshold with you. You’d dropped your keys with the grocery bags you just placed inside. 

“Did you close the door, Papa?” You asked, opting for the nickname you gave him.

Luke looked up at you with innocent eyes, his toy truck still clutched in his hands. “Yes!” he said proudly.

“That’s fine, it’s not like the door locks automatically,” You said, shrugging as you tried the door handle. 

It didn’t budge.

Your heart skipped a beat. You tried the handle again, jiggling it a bit more forcefully. It was still locked. Panic began to creep in as you knocked on the door.

“Paige! James! Open the door!” You called out, trying to keep your voice calm. From inside, you could hear the kids laughing and the TV blaring, completely oblivious to your situation.

“Paige! James!” You shouted louder, banging on the door. There was no response.

You looked down at Luke, who was now contentedly playing with his truck on the front step, completely unfazed by the unfolding drama.

Taking a deep breath, you tried to calm your nerves. “Alright, let’s think,” you muttered to yourself. “The spare key...” You mentally ran through your options, trying to remember where you last put it. “Oh, right, there is no spare key because my wife is a spy.” You sighed. You tried banging on the door forcefully again. Again, to no avail. “I swear when I get ahold of those kids.” You shook your head. There was no sense in blaming them for your mistake. 

“Is everything okay?” You heard Natasha’s sweet, velvety voice with the slightest hint of a Russian accent coming from your security doorbell.

“Shit!” You groaned lowly. How would you explain this to her?

“Oh!” Luke crowed as he acknowledged the curse you’d just said. "Shit!" He repeated with a laugh.

“Y/n?” Natasha asked again, concern evident in her voice. "What he did just say?"

“No, Luke, don’t you repeat that,” You shook your head, trying to keep the situation from spiraling further. "He said nothing."

You were still locked out, and the kids hadn’t managed to open the door yet. As you tried to think of a way to explain this to Natasha, you heard another voice.

“Hi there, dear!” Mrs. Crow called from her driveway, her cheerful tone adding another layer of awkwardness and annoyance to the situation.

You turned to see your neighbor waving enthusiastically, her curious gaze shifting between you and the door.

“Hi, Mrs. Crow,” You called back, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. “Just a little... house mishap.”

“Oh my, do you need help?” She asked, starting to walk towards you.

“No, no, it’s okay,” you replied quickly, not wanting to involve her in this moment. “Just locked myself out for a bit.”

Paige and James were still inside, and despite your earlier instructions, they seemed to have gotten distracted again. 

“Y/n, what’s going on?” Natasha’s voice came through the doorbell again, a bit more insistent this time.

“Natasha, I’m locked out, and the kids won’t open the door,” You admitted, feeling a bit sheepish.

“Interesting,” Natasha replied with a hint of amusement.

“Hi, Mama!” Luke waved to the camera. “I have a red truck.” He lifted it to where he’d last heard her voice. 

“Hi, Luke,” Natasha responded. “I like your truck. 

“It’s not interesting - can’t we unlock it through your phone or something?” You asked, interrupting their little moment. 

“No, you were too cheap to pay for that feature,” Natasha teased.

“Me? Too cheap,” You shook your head. You don’t remember this at all. 

“That’s what I said when you declined,” Natasha pointed out, her tone playful. “Try the backdoor. I doubt Cara locks it when she takes the dogs out.”

“Good idea,” You said, feeling a bit sheepish for not thinking of it yourself. “Thanks, Nat. I love you.” 

“Love you too,” Natasha called after you.

As you made your way to the back of the house, you picked up to make things go a little faster. Maybe next time, you’d be a bit less stubborn about investing in modern conveniences.

You reached the backdoor and turned the handle, relieved to find it unlocked. With a sigh of relief, you stepped inside, grateful to finally be back in the safety and comfort of your own home.

“Mommy, why did you use the backdoor?” Paige stepped over to investigate.

“Why do you have the TV volume on 100?” You retorted,

Paige wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Because I couldn’t hear it,” she replied innocently.

You chuckled, shaking your head at her logic. “Well, next time, try turning it down instead of blasting our eardrums.”

Paige nodded, understanding dawning on her face. “Okay, Mommy.”

You ruffled her hair in affection before heading for your keys and the forgotten groceries. You won’t be making the same mistake twice. 

[haveateadude]

bleak horizons iii.

summary *. ⋆ ⋆·˚ opening up it's not easy, isn't it?

warnings *. ⋆ ⋆·˚ depression, self-harm mention, and disordered eating (not explicitly mentioned but you can clearly see it's there)

author notes *. ⋆ ⋆·˚ helloooo welcome to part 3!!!!!! i think this might be the last part (if u have an idea on how this can continue feel free to tell me. u can send a request or just leave the idea in the comments). also just saying, this stuff is based on MY issues and experiences with mental health, so this might not be truthful to everyone. my insta is @/starsfinder_ if anyone wants to vent or just talk :))

remember you're not alone if you're going through a shitty moment, trust me!! ik everyone says to ask for help, and even if that's soo fucking true i know some people are not listened (even if that's literally a fucking RIGHT). so, as i said, you can dm me <33 take care of yourselves pleaseee. can't stress enough how much i want y'all to know you're not alone. hi. hello. i care!!!!!!!! and i'm here!!!!!! so please listen to me when i say everything's going to be alright :)) i love youuuuuu

also, sorry for any mistakes. i'm sooo tired rn lmao

pt1 — pt2 — pt3

I told you a lie, désolé, mon amour

I'm trying my best, don't know what's in store

The next week, I stepped out of therapy crying. I got into the car, slamming the door.

“Hey,” Ellie says softly, looking at me with her hands resting on the wheel, her gaze full of worry. “You okay?”

“Drive.”

“But—”

“Just drive.”

“Okay.”

Ellie starts driving. I wipe my tears, feeling overwhelmed. My mother had called yesterday and made me feel like shit. I wasn't doing my best at school. Ellie and I hadn't gone out since Christmas. So basically, everything was shit. I've also had urges to relapse, and they're just not going away.

I cry. Ellie drives. This is okay. It's okay. Except that it's not, and I haven't told my therapist anything about myself yet. My mother hasn't spoken to me in weeks, and my father sent a cat video on WhatsApp this morning. And Ellie’s knuckles are turning white from how hard she’s gripping the wheel, which makes my heart ache because I know she cares. It makes me want to tell her everything, but the words are stuck in my throat, and I can't seem to get them out.

We arrive at the apartment a couple of minutes later. Ellie doesn’t immediately open the doors, and I've calmed down enough to answer when she asks, “Baby? Are you feeling okay?”

I nod, looking away. The people that I see walking around look sad.

“I’m fine.”

“It’s okay if you’re not, though,” she says. I stay quiet, doubting it. Ellie nudges me with her elbow, looking for an answer. “Hey.”

“Yeah,” I say. “I know.”

Ellie pats me on the thigh before getting out of the car. I get out, too. I don't bother eating dinner that night; I just go straight to bed and fall asleep.

The next few days felt monotonous. I've fallen back into my sadness, the type that isn't bitter but sweet. It doesn't make me want to relapse. It makes me want to stay in bed more hours than I'd like, takes my appetite away, and leaves me feeling nothing but numbness.

I wake up, go to work, study, attend uni, come home, and sleep. The cycle repeats and repeats, and I'm so, so very tired.

Today, I took the day off. I knew I was too tired to do anything, so I planned to rot in bed. Ellie knocks on the door, but I don't answer. I hear the door creak open and the light from the living room creeping in.

"Hey," Ellie says, her voice coming from behind me. "Mind if I lay next to you?"

"It's fine," I say with a hoarse voice. I feel the bed sink at my side, and then Ellie is behind me, wrapping her arm around my torso and nuzzling her face into my neck, leaving a kiss right there. I feel cozy and comfortable. I don't know if this will last. I hope it does because it's a feeling I've never experienced before—someone comforting me? That has never happened.

"Do you want to talk about what's going on?" she asks. I stay quiet. "I care about you. I'm worried."

I do want to talk about it, but at the same time, I don't.

"I'm fine."

"You always say that… You haven't gotten out of bed since you came from work, and the frozen lasagna you were going to make for yourself last weekend has been in the fridge since then." She stays quiet for a second, her fingertips caressing my arm. "You're not doing fine, baby."

Millions of thoughts go through my head. Thoughts I don't say. I don't want her to leave; I don't want her to see how I feel.

"I'm trying, though." It's easy to say since Ellie isn't looking at my face directly. Tears threaten to spill from my eyes. I blink them away; I blink, blink, and blink again. Fast.

Ellie stays quiet, her breath tickling my neck. She kisses the back of my head again, her hand holding mine. I hold it to my chest. "I know. But you don't have to be alone in this."

That hits me like a truck. I wasn't expecting to be held by her, let alone her saying I don't have to be alone. A tear falls from my eye, landing on the pillow. I sniff, and Ellie holds me tighter, not saying anything. She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear with her free hand and kisses my temple.

"I'm sorry," I say, in a moment of pathetic weakness. She hugs me even closer.

"Hey, no. Don't apologize. C'mon, turn around."

I let go of her hand, turning around. Her left hand cups my face and she kisses my cheek, then my forehead, and then she kisses the tears that fall on my cheeks. When she pulls away, she gives me a small smile, "You're going to be okay."

She doesn't want you. She's your friend; she doesn't want you. She will fall in love with you, not your brain nor your scars, and when she finds out about the way you think, she'll leave.

I wake up on Ellie's chest, it feels good to be comforted, I've found. Her phone is on the nightstand, so I just reach it and look at the time. It's eight o'clock. I've fallen asleep for two hours. I try to make myself more comfortable on her chest, attempting not to wake her, but my movements fail and she stirs.

"Hey," she says, her voice still laced with sleep. "What time is it?"

"It's still night," I say, closing my eyes. "We slept for two hours.'

"Feeling better?" I feel comfortable enough to shake my head. "Do you want to talk about it? I told you, I'm worried. And don't bullshit me with the whole 'I'm fine' shit, yeah?"

I stay quiet as her thumb caresses my back, "Did I tell you why I'm going to therapy?" Ellie shakes her head. "Well—back home I had some… issues. Mental health stuff related. I kept going back to depressive episodes. And one day I just asked for help from my mom, because I—I just couldn't stop self harming."

"Baby," Ellie says, hugging me tighter and kissing the top of my head. "What happened? Did your mother react well?"

"Yeah. Surprisingly. I got help. Got better. Sometimes it comes back, and I still get urges sometimes, but I can control it. It isn't as bad as it was before. But lately, it's just—yeah."

"You don't do that anymore, do you?" She asks, worried.

"No," I shake my head. "Not anymore."

"And what about the urges, do you still get them?" I nod, slowly. Ellie plays with my hair. "And therapy? Is it helping?"

"I haven't told her anything, yet. I—I don't know, I can't talk about it."

"What if I go to the next session? If you're okay with that, of course. If you still don't feel comfortable we can look for another therapist or another way to get you help."

I hide my face in her chest when she says the last word. I don't know why I've been refusing to get help. I don't know why I don't like that word. I sigh as Ellie stops playing with my hair and begins rubbing my back.

"I think—I think I would like it if you go with me."

"Okay. Okay, then. I'll go." The room falls to silence again for a few seconds. I feel ashamed for telling her. "I'm sorry you have to go through this… I wish I could do more."

"You're doing more than enough," I assure her. It's my time to hug her tighter. "You’re the first person I’ve talked to about this."

"Yeah?" She seems surprised. "I'm glad you talked to me. I'm here for you if you need anything—I mean it. You just have to tell me, I will listen… You could've told me sooner."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't apologize. I’m just saying, I'm here for you. I've been there for you, always. And… is there something I can do to help?"

"Just be there," I say. "That's enough."

"Mhm, I'll stay."

I think she wants you, a little voice in my head says. I think she loves you, and I don't think she'll ever leave.

Maybe I'll be okay, after all.

[fadisharif11]

Please Donate and Help This Family.

ظلوا تذكروا هذه الكلمات ، ظلوا تذكروها .. keep remembering these words, keep remembering them..

"هاي روح الروح" "This is the soul of the soul"

"هاي امي بعرفها من شعرها" “Here is my mother, I know her by her hair.”

"تعالولي في المنام، والله بشتقلكم" “Come to me in a dream, and I swear to God, I miss you.”

"بدي امي تكون عايشة" “I want my mother to be alive.”

"اسمه يوسف ٧ سنين شعره كيرلي وابيضاني وحلو" "His name is Youssef. He is 7 years old. His hair is curly, white and sweet."

"الولاد ماتوا بدون ما ياكلوا" “The children died without eating.”

"بينتقموا منا بالولاد؟ معلش" “Are they taking revenge on us with our children? Sorry.”

"أمانة حد شاف إمي؟" “Honestly, has anyone seen my mother?”

"يابا ، مش كنت بدك تطلع صحفي؟" “Hey, didn’t you want to be a journalist?”

"شو بدي احكي لإمي يا الله!" “What do I want to tell my mother, oh God!”

"مين ضل عايش؟" “Who is still alive?”

"أمانة ترجعي يمّا" "please, come back to mom"

"بدي ماما، وين ماما" “I want mama, where is mama?”

"بدي شعرة منه" "I want a hair from him"

"يا عالم جيبولي بنتي" “Oh world, bring me my daughter.”

"فدا القدس، فدا القدس" “I sacrifice Jerusalem, I sacrifice Jerusalem.”

"خليه في حضني، خليه في حضني" "Keep him in my arms, keep him in my arms"

"رايح ادفن ابوي بسيارتي" "I'm going to bury my father in my car."

"ياريتني ضليت معك" "I wish I had stayed with you"

"لمين بدي احكي ماما؟" “Who do I want to talk to, Mama?”

"قولي انك عايشة يما" “Tell me that you are alive.”

"كنت ناوي اعملها عيد ميلاد" “I was going to make it for my birthday.”

"بدي اروح معها ، بدي ادفنها بإيدي" “I want to go with her, I want to bury her with my hands.”

"أمانة يابا تصحى ، أمانة تحكيلي انك بتضحك علي" “Amana, wake up, Amana, tell me that you are laughing at me.”

"كان عايش والله" “He was alive, I swear.”

"بدي ألعب ، بدي ألعب بس" “I want to play, I just want to play”

"مات الولد ، مااات" "The boy died, died"

"عصفور بالجنة يما" "A bird in paradise, mother"

"أولادي ثلاثة ياعالم دوروا بلكي بلاقيلي واحد عايش" “My children are three, turn around and find me one living.”

"رحتي مقطعة يما يا حبيبتي" “You left in pieces, my love.”

"أمانة ترجعي يما ، والله لأوديكي وين ما بدك" “Amana, come back, I swear to God, I will take you wherever you want.”

"مبارح كفنت ابوها واليوم كفناها" “Yesterday she shrouded her father, and today we shrouded her.”

"جبتلك ثلاث قناني حليب بفكرك بدك تعيش وتشربهم يابا" “I brought you three bottles of milk, thinking you would like to live and drink them, Dad.”

"بدك تاخذني عالمقبرة" "You want to take me to the cemetery"

"شكرا يا إسعاف شكراً .. نحن بنحبكم كتير" “Thank you, ambulance, thank you. We love you very much.”

[wcbblife]

Here with you

a/n: sorry if its short! Hope you enjoy. Based on this request.

It had been terrible. The whole scene replayed in your mind, haunting you as the soft beeping of machines filled the background. You had gone up for a shot, just like countless times before, but this time was different. As soon as you landed on the wooden floor, a blinding pain had taken over your knee, causing you to collapse.

A non-contact injury.

The following moments had been a blur. The initial tear, the panicked voices around you, the ambulance trip, and finally waking up in the hospital. You remembered bits and pieces, but mostly you just wished the pain would end.

“Babe, you’re shaking,” Juju whispers, her voice breaking through the haze. She’s been by your side the entire time, and now she flies up from the chair next to your bed to sit closer.

“It hurts so much,” you manage to croak out, your lip caught between your teeth as you try to distract yourself from the tears welling in your eyes.

“I know, baby,” she murmurs, her eyes filled with concern. She takes your hand gently, tracing random patterns on the back of it.

The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor and the faint hum of fluorescent lights added to the surreal feeling of the situation. You couldn't help but think about the season ahead, the practices you'd miss, and the long recovery process.

Juju continued to stroke your hand, her touch grounding you. "I'm going to be here every step of the way," she assured you. "We'll get through this together. You'll be back on that court before you know it."

____

Then after a while you were back home. The soft couch in the living room, the cozy blankets, the scent of home—it all felt like a haven. Yet, the pain and the fear of what lay ahead lingered in your head.

Juju was there, as always, by your side. She had prepared everything meticulously, ensuring that your transition from the hospital to home would be as smooth as possible.

“Easy does it,” Juju murmured, her arms steady as she helped you from the car to the front door. Every step sent a ripple of pain through your knee, but her support made it bearable. “Just a few more steps.”

Once inside, she guided you to the couch, arranging the cushions just right to prop up your leg. The ice pack she retrieved from the freezer was a welcome relief as she gently placed it over your knee.

“Better?” she asked, her eyes full of concern.

You nodded, grateful for her care. “Yeah, thanks, Juju.”

“Good.” She smiled, a spark of relief in her eyes. “Now, I’ve got everything you might need. Water, your meds, snacks… And I made your favorite soup.”

The aroma of the soup wafted in from the kitchen, a comforting reminder of normalcy. Juju busied herself, making sure everything was within your reach. She even set up a little bell on the coffee table, insisting you ring it if you needed anything.

“You don’t have to do all this, Juju,” you said, feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt.

She shook her head, sitting beside you and taking your hand. “I want to. You mean everything to me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to help you heal.”

As the afternoon stretched into evening, Juju stayed close, her arms wrapped around you in a comforting embrace. She kept you company as you rested, occasionally brushing soft kisses against your temple.

Juju watched you quietly, noticing the way your eyes fluttered shut in exhaustion. She knew you needed rest and understood the pain that accompanied every slight movement you made.

"Babe," Juju said softly, getting up kneel beside you. "Let me help you to bed."

You managed a tired nod, grateful for her offer. With Juju's gentle guidance, you struggled to your feet, leaning heavily on her for support. The injury protested with a sharp twinge, causing you to wince.

"Easy, love," Juju murmured, wrapping her arm around your waist to steady you. "I've got you."

"I'm sorry," you muttered through clenched teeth, trying to suppress a groan of pain.

Juju's brow furrowed with concern as she wrapped her arm around your waist, providing stability as you limped towards the bedroom. "Don't apologize," she whispered. "You're doing great. Just take it slow."

As you reached the edge of the bed, another wave of exhaustion washed over you, threatening to pull you under. Your knees buckled slightly, and Juju's grip tightened around you, her arms providing a steady anchor.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Juju whispered, her voice a soothing melody. "Just take it slow."

With Juju's assistance, you eased yourself onto the bed, the soft mattress cradling your weary body. You let out a relieved sigh, sinking into the pillows as the tension began to melt away. Without hesitation, she sank down beside you, her arms wrapping around you in a comforting embrace.